Brookwood School District 167 Board of Education met Jan. 13.
Here is the minutes provided by the board:
NO CLOSED SESSION
I. CALL TO ORDER/PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE/ROLL CALL
President Doreen Davis called the Board of Education Committee Meeting of Brookwood
School District 167 to order at 7:00 pm
Roll call was answered by: Vice President Sandra Washington, Secretary Mary Taylor, Member John Dixon, Member Tiffany Graham, Member Toleda Hart and President Doreen Davis.
Absent: Member Roslon Seals
6-Present
1-Absent
II. CITIZEN’S COMMENTS: (Limited to Agenda Items)
NONE
III. SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT
Superintendent Bethany Lindsay:
Good Evening Board of Education, Community Members and District 167; tonight I wanted to inform you that we did receive a FOIA request from Karyn Cooper regarding harassment and grievance procedures; that information was provided. We will have an update on another FOIA request from Jonathan Fagg on next month’s agenda, we received an extension to attain more information as his request requires data from the past four school years. Also in front of you Board Members, we have purchased a book from IASB to add to your Board Library, named “The Effective School Board Member.” I am keeping a library of the professional materials in the back board conference room; every book that has been purchased for the board, I have started a professional library so we will have it established going forward. Also, you have received a copy of our attendance report from the month of December. I want to thank Vice President Washington for keeping us apprised of the importance of student’s attendance, to teach students you have to be present to learn and we welcome and need them to be engaged each and every day in our schools. Our principals have set incentive activities for our students to recognize there attendance and being on time to school.
Also tonight we have a special presentation from Kathy Hatczel, Curriculum Director and Jill Larson, Jr. High Principal regarding the new programs for students on college & career readiness and SEL; these are two areas that were identified in our school improvement plan, these programs are through the state called framed work rubric.
A. FOIA: Karyn Cooper
Karyn Cooper requested Brookwood School District’s current anti-harassment and/or anti-discrimination; current procedures for responding to sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. Other documentation or guidelines that impact these policies and procedures. As well as the name and contact information of Brookwood School District’s designated Title IX coordinator.
B. School Improvement Plans – Title Funded New Programs
Good evening Board Members and Community Members, we have implemented two research based programs, states Ms. Larson, Principal of Brookwood Junior High. Our school improvement team was very excited to select these to programs. The first program called Ripple Effects addresses the Social and Emotional Learning and Behavior. The second program is Naviance, it is the College and Career Readiness Program. These programs are both research based and we have started implementation already.
Good evening Board Members and Community, the first program I’d like to share is Ripple Effects, states Kathy Hatczel. This particular program weighs heavily on equity, it is personalized for students who feel dis-infranchized or isolated from other students; this reduces that social injury we notice from the victim or the perpetrator. It is a tool that helps both sides the victim and the perpetrator; so this skill or training addresses racial equity, economic justice, civil rights for gay and transgender youth, which is mandated to address in the middle school and inclusion for students with disabilities, anxiety issues, personal problem solving skills and social and emotional skills. This touches on quite a few areas that allow all students to find a place to go to. Now Jill will talk a little bit about how it is being implemented.
They way that we are using this right now, students have weekly advisory periods, so we have a social emotional committee that comes up with a play list that covers all different subject matters. It actually has 400 different topics that they can pick and choose from. The committee creates a play list that the students can choose from and a journal that students can write in to express themselves. They have an— I do., we do. section and can do stuff on their own. We find it to be very engaging for the students, the students seem to be very fond of it so far. We are also using it with our Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 Behavioral – we can tailorize and customize it to each student, so if the student is struggling in a certain area, we can make them their individualize play list and there are lots of different aspects to it. It touches on different learning styles, it really helps the students. We plan to use it second semester for our health students, it has so many things for the health curriculum and things that the state says we must cover, so we will utilize it that way as well. Example, like a student being bullied; there is a part for the person being bullied and the bully. So it’s really comprehensive and it’s private. It is having a really positive affect on their academics. Positive affect and decline rate in suspensions.
The other program we have started using is called Naviance. It is a college and career readiness program. This program is exposing our students at a younger age the promise of finding a career and going to college. It assists the students with how do I apply for college and how do I pay for it? It begins to align their interests with what is possible for them and the program helps guide them. Studies are showing a decline in students disengaging from Jr. High and High School. Less students have the confidence and are not receiving the resources early enough, so we want to make sure that are students have the knowledge and the resources needed. This program is for students from 6th grade to 12th grade. We will be using it for 6th, 7th & 8th grades, but we are testing it in the Junior High first. It will discuss Self-Awareness, Financial Literacy, Support and Networking. Students need to know who supports them. It’s not just mom and dad, but teachers, clergy/church; a lot of support in their lives. Also it will teach Study Skills and Academic Goals, Future Planning and Career Clusters. Transitioning is another phase, how do you transition to high school and what is expected. Paying for College, understanding that there are scholarship and grants. Many students feel they can’t go to college because they can’t afford it. Also there are Trade Schools which is good. We think this will give them good exposure. It teaches them how to write a resume, to help get them ready for a career, how to apply to college. It’s so comprehensive, it picks up there personality type and what are their interests; and it’s tailored to their interests. There is a piece called Road Trip Nation, which has student’s interview people in the career which they are interested and visit sites or the professionals will come to the school and speak with the students. Every Thursday we will have College & Career Readiness Day weekly; we have modified our schedule to include this on Thursdays for an hour. We feel that it is that important for our students to get on that path and set their goals. This is going to help them a great deal and it’s a great program.
Board of Education I wanted to share with you that on Monday, January 6, 2020 our staff had our first phenomenal health and wellness institute day. I’d like to give a special thank you to Kathy Hatczel who spent lots of time planning and organizing. Thanks to Larson who helped tailorize schedules for staff member of our school district. Also thanks to Mary Baker who created a Google Form so each staff member could select their individual sessions; so every staff member had a choice.
A special thank you to Principal Patterson for securing a phenomenal guest speaker, Steve Pemberton. Steve Pemberton talked with us and shared his life story; and the powerful impact that various people who act as lighthouses in our life. How lighthouses put students on the right path for success and happiness. His presentation was very meaningful and moving. We would like to continue the health and wellness initiative and bring it back monthly right after school, like dance fit, yoga and canvas painting. This is definitely something to build on and it was well received. Thank you to the professional development leadership team for making this initiative come true. We were discussing this last year; so thanks to the committee and the administrators. It really ran smoothly; thanks to our team and Board of Education we hope to build on this initiative.
IV. BOARD REPORTS
President Davis reviewed Board of Education Policy Reviews on the following policies:
2:20, 2:70, 2:100, 2:105, 2:110, 2:200, 2:220, 2:260, 2:70-E, 2:220-E2, 2:220-E6, 4:15, 4:30, 4:60, 4:80, 4:150, 5:10, 5:20. These policies are up for review to be approved at the February 10th meeting.
V. BOARD COMMENTS
NONE
VI. RECOMMENDED ACTIONS:
A. Approval of IASB Press Policies: 2:230, 5:30, 5:180, 5:200, 5:220, 5:290, 6:20, 6:150, 6:220, 7:260, 4:130-E, 6:135, 2:220-E8, 3:40-E
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
B. Approval of Resolution for an Intergovernmental Cooperation Agreement Amending the Articles of Agreement for SPEED Special Education Joint Agreement District 802
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Graham
C. Approval to hire Alexis Durr as the Building Clerk for Longwood Elementary School for the 2019-2020 school year at a rate of $15.91 per hour per the USA contract
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
D. Approval to hire Martinez Sutton as a paraprofessional for Brookwood Junior High School for the 2019-2020 school year at a rate of $16.92 per hour per the USA contract
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Graham
E. Approval to hire Talina Bowens as a Crossing Guard for Brookwood School District for the 2019-2020 school year at a rate of $12.60 per hour
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
F. Approval for the purchase of a one-year subscription from GHA Technologies Inc. for the Gateway Security Suite/Sonicwall in the amount of $4,772.00
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
G. Approval of a contract with Zeller and Associates, LLC for July 1, 2020 to June 30, 2021 for the successful filing of E-Rate Reimbursement for Brookwood School District 167 with the understanding that the payment for these services is 5% of the actual funding received and a one-time $750 fee to be paid upon approval of the contract
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Dixon
H. Approval of contract agreement with Platinum Pest Solutions Inc. for a monthly fee of $510.00
*Remove this item for clarification of language in contract, per Board President
I. Approval to provide a Saturday Academic Camp for BMS & BJHS as outlined in the school improvement plans not to exceed $6,500 per school (Funded through Title 1003A Funds)
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Graham
J. Approval to pay Accounts Payable Pre-List in the Amount of $534,114.27, Imprest Account in the amount of $5,145.16, and Total Payroll in the Amount of $681,055.31, for a Grand Total Amount of $1,220,314.74
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
K. Approval of December 9, 2019 Regular Board Meeting Minutes
Approved: 6-0
Taylor/Washington
VIII. CITIZEN’S COMMENTS:
NONE
Motion to adjourn the meeting.
Adjournment at 7:33 p.m. ALL AYE
https://v3.boardbook.org/Public/PublicItemDownload.aspx?mk=50361029&fn=minutes.pdf
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