Lingering

November 12 Pupil Services Committee Meeting
Committee members in attendance:  Committee Chair Dr. Maria Pimley, Susan Tiernan

Committee members not in attendance:  Heidi Adsett, Maureen Snook
Non-committee members in attendance:  Vince Murphy, Ed Coyle, Linda Raileanu

 

Gifted Update:

Pupil Services Director Dr. Ranieri provided an update on District Gifted program, specifically the impact of changes made to Gifted Resource teacher schedules.  One will remember the Gifted Program was analyzed during Budget Task Force II and changes were made to the allocation of Gifted Resource Teachers (GRTs) at the elementary level.  While the meeting agenda specified this month’s  presentation was intended as an update only, many in attendance had questions pertaining to the origin of the current system and conveyed they were never informed of changes. 

Pupil Services Director Dr. Ranieri and Pupil Services Committee Chair Dr. Pimley reminded all in attendance that lengthy discussions were held in the spring before any of these changes were made.  Dr. Pimley directed all to reference committee meeting notes on website from spring 2012 for history of changes. ( April 2012 Board Packet  contains pertinent minutes)  Dr. Ranieri admitted she expected many questions and assured Gifted parents in attendance their questions would be addressed and information posted to the website. She also encouraged  parents with concerns pertaining to their individual child to contact their school’s GRT directly.

Returning to the update on the  impact of Gifted program revisions, Mrs. Tiernan asks Dr. Ranieri what a typical day looks like for the  “shared” Elementary  GRTs. Elementary GRT Deb Smith was in attendance and provided an enthusiastic report, explaining in detail her rotation schedule for schools and reporting the current system is a great way to see all kids and work closely with teachers.  Dr. Pimley questions if building Instructional Coaches ever supplement the work of GRTs. Ms. Smith explains that when instructional coaches and teachers contact her with specific student needs, she sends targeted work via  PDF file to teacher/coach, who can then set up student learning centers in classrooms.  Thus, student learning is not interrupted during the GRT’s rotating absence and GRT, classroom teacher and instructional coach enhance their collaborative relationship in support of student learning.

Reports that things are going well at middle and high school levels also:  On the high school level, note is made of the positive addition of Deb Tobin as GRT. Ms. Tobin, who has a background in business, has a caseload of 45 and offers students  many opportunities for job-shadowing.  Of note, Ms. Tobin will attend a conference at the University of PA, the focus of which is to encourage more women to pursue careers in computer science.

Top Universities summary of process :

One assumes summary is based on the following  Board goal/assessment:

Board goal-The District will establish a relationship with the nation’s top universities.
Assessment - A baseline data report will be made tracking what colleges students are applying and where they are being accepted. Develop a survey for recent graduates.

Dr. Scanlon notes Princeton Review college rankings, stressing the importance of  making sure WCASD students are being matched not only with top universities, but with the right programs. He also emphasizes the need to continue to monitor, through surveys, student performance while in college programs. 

Act 120 Concussion Policy and District protocol:

First Reading of Policy JGFH: Concussion Management - The policy covers athletic activities outside of school day and is based on PA Safety in Sports Act of 2011, introduced by Representative Tom Briggs from Montgomery County. 

Mr. Coyle questions if this policy should cover all athletics, not just those “outside” school day: for example, what about gym?   Dr. Ranieri states we would then have to get baseline concussion tests for all students, adding that the policy is intended to address/implement the Safety in Sports Act, so to include all students and/or change the language may “muddy the waters” of the intent of the law.

Linda Raileanu, speaking as a neuro-nurse and specialist in this area, relates the story of her daughter who had a non-sports related concussion.   In light of that possibility, she questions whether teachers might also be trained to at least recognize head trauma/neurological  symptoms.  Dr. Scanlon is confident in the fact that WCASD teachers are able to recognize when their students, after experiencing head trauma, are behaving out of the ordinary and would not hesitate in sending student to nurse.

Dr. Pimley suggests that all schools be required to hold informational meetings for parents prior to athletic season: the current wording notes that schools “may” hold meeting.   She also suggested that parents be required to attend such a meeting and sign off if they choose not to attend.

November 12 Education Committee Meeting

Committee Members in attendance:  Dr. Maria Pimley (chairing in the absence of Mrs. Adsett), Sue Tiernan 
Committee Members not in attendance:  Committee Chair Heidi Adsett, Maureen Snook
Non-committee members in attendance:  Vince Murphy, Ed Coyle, Linda Raileanu

Field Trip Updates:

At the August Education Committee meeting, Mrs. Snook requested a study of District field trip costs and it was unfortunate that Mrs. Snook was not in attendance to hear analysis provided by Dr. Missett.  In 2011-12, educational excursions cost the district $73,614.49 and educational competitions cost the district $75,805.69, with funds covering mostly substitutes and transportation.  As of November, 2012-13 expenses are $36,579.28.  Dr. Missett was asked one question:  Does each building have its own field trip budget?  Yes, and if there is excess, it is up to the principal of the building to decide how to spend.

Common Core assessment update:

Curriculum Director Dr. Fraser provided 11/2/12 article from Education Week, entitled “Scores Drop on Kentucky’s Common Core Aligned Tests”

From the article:

“Results from new state tests in Kentucky - the first in the nation explicitly tied to the Common Core State Standards - show that the share of students scoring “proficient” or better in reading and math dropped by roughly a third or more in elementary and middle school the first year the tests were given.”

In 2010, Kentucky was the first state to adopt the common core in English Language Arts and Mathematics, so the state’s  performance is viewed as a “predictor” for other states.  Dr. Fraser explains the significance of this article for WCASD, stressing the rigor our students and staff will need to adhere to in order to prepare for common core aligned assessments.  He is confident we are on track and reminds us all that the District’s Professional Learning Communities (see September blog for PLC discussion)  will play a key role in helping staff prepare WCASD students for the upcoming assessments .

The article also states that  Kentucky expects backlash from parents and other stakeholders over the drop in scores, and has not only enlisted its Chamber of Commerce but has also received some help, via grants, from  National PTA, to counter expected negative publicity.  Mr. Coyle questions  if WCASD might find grant money or enlist the local Chamber’s help should news of our scores be less than positive.

English Language Arts Update:

English Language Arts Director Dr. Susan Elliott provides comparative examples of questions from PSSA and Keystone exams. Dr. Elliot points out that the new assessments place greater emphasis on critical thinking skills, grammar and the ability to construct and comprehend written arguments.   For example, the  “old” test sample question asked us to find the definition of “linger” in a text excerpt, supplying four one-word answer choices.   The “new” sample test question compels us to infer the meaning of “linger”, forcing us to identify the text fragment that best conveys the definition. 

 Of note and in full support of Dr. Elliott’s superb presentation is another  Education Week article by  Catherine Gewertz, entitled “Common Standards Drive New Approaches to Reading”. Gewertz admits the “shifts in literacy instruction envisioned by the common core are among the biggest in recent decades”.

The article quotes David Pearson,  professor of language and literacy at the University of California, Berkeley,  who states the literacy standards   " have the potential to lead the parade in a different direction: toward taking as evidence of your reading ability not your score on a specific skill test—or how many letter sounds you can identify or ideas you can recall from a passage—but the ability to use the information you gain from reading, the fruits of your labor, to apply to some new situation or problem or project."

Not  your score in identifying or recalling, but your ability to use information? This is great stuff and few of us would choose not to follow that education reform  “parade”, but realistically how easy is it for us to join?  The article points out some obstacles: class time needed to enhance all student reading,  appropriate professional development for teachers to support all students, and funding needed to ensure classrooms have a variety of text types to promote learning.

A teacher in attendance at Monday’s meeting echoes some of the concerns mentioned in the Gewertz article.  She comments on the need for the Board and administration to continue to provide funding support for diverse texts, updated technology, new programs, etc. that may be needed to assist with implementing common core changes in the classroom.                                                      

In sum, Common Core standards could enhance critical thinking skills, better prepare students for college and career, and ultimately produce a better educated citizenry.  Additionally, the focus on literacy spans all subjects, affording educators more opportunity to collaborate across their fields.  Beautiful stuff,  but one must question how we can possibly sustain such positive impacts within the confines of an accountability based assessment system: we may be raising the bar, but we are still teaching to the test.  

In  the article,  “Time on Testing: 738 minutes in 3 weeks”, Chicago teacher Adam Heenan tells of a student who had turned an assessment answer sheet on its side and bubbled in the colloquial acronym “YOLO” — You Only Live Once — on the exam. Heenan and others are pushing for an audit of time and money spent, not only on testing, but on test-prep:  “We need to know how much time and money test-driven policymakers have diverted from teaching and learning into testing, and to show what we could be doing with those resources instead.”

Speaking of test-driven policymakers, in 2009, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan -  assumed to be keeping his throne four more years – told us that education was the “civil rights issue of our generation”.  In that speech, Duncan acknowledged the limitations of NCLB and admitted the need for states to “develop better assessments”.  He also conveyed his impatience with decades of promises to reform the US education system:  

“And yet we are still waiting for the day when every child in America has a high quality education that prepares him or her for the future. We're still waiting for a testing and accountability system that accurately and fairly measures student growth and uses data to drive instruction and teacher evaluation. We're still waiting for America to replace an agrarian 19th century school calendar with an information age calendar that increases learning time on a par with other countries. We're still waiting and we cannot wait any longer.”

No, Secretary Duncan, we cannot. And as we near 2013, we are beyond waiting – we are lingering.

Some great articles to spur discussion at your holiday table - enjoy and be safe!

*For a detailed and  thoughtful analysis on the origin of “high stakes testing”, see Dora Taylor's series on Parents Across America website.

*For a targeted analysis of Duncan’s accountability based “reforms”, see PL Thomas’ article, “Obama Won, But Did Educators Lose in the Process?”

 

Are Rules Made to be Broken?

October 15th Property and Finance Committee Meeting:

In attendance: Committee Chair Sean Carpenter and members Ed Coyle, Karen Miller, and Linda Raileanu. Also in attendance were Board President Vince Murphy, Maria Pimley, Maureen Snook, and Sue Tiernan. Heidi Adsett was absent, the 2nd consecutive P&F meeting that she has missed. 

It was a relatively short and uneventful meeting.  There have not been any significant changes in the 11/12 Actual, 12/13 Projected, or 13/14 Estimated financials.  The 11/12 year ended with expenses approximately $8M lower than budget, revenues nearly $2M higher than budget, and total fund balances (committed and non-committed) nearly $12M higher than budget.  The 12/13 expenses are currently projected at about $1M lower than budget and revenues about $500k higher.  Our projected 13/14 shortfall remains over $5M; while we have sufficient fund balance to cover that, we do not have enough to cover the significantly larger shortfalls currently projected for the 14/15, 15/16, and 16/17 years without spending cuts and/or increased revenues.

As the Business Office begins more detailed planning for the 13/14 year, Dr. Moore reviewed several factors used during that process:

• Enrollment projections for the next 5 years remain relatively flat with 13/14 enrollment expected to be 11,649, 38 fewer students than the current year
• enrollment projections drive building level budgets and staffing needs
• the flat projections are primarily due to lower births in the district
• over the last 10 years WCASD enrollment has increased by 97 students
• the Share of Total Student Population Analysis shows the following:
• over the last 10 years, total # of students residing in the WCASD borders have decreased 4.6%; within that, students attending district schools has increased almost 1% while students attending non-district schools (e.g., private, parochial) has decreased almost 17%
• within the population of students attending non-district schools, Religious schools have experienced the largest decline in attendance, falling more than 26%; Alternative schooling (e.g., Glen Mills Day School) were next with a 19% drop, followed by Homeschooling (-12%) and Private (-10%)
• non-district school categories that experienced increases in attendance included Charter Schools (up 51% from 431 students to 650), Chester County Intermediate Schools such as CAT Pickering and CAT Brandywine (up 191% from 11 to 32 students), and Special Education Schools (up 410% from 21 students to 107) 
• Building Budgets are comprised of Per Pupil Allocations (PPA) as well as Fixed Activity Budgets for the Secondary Schools
• the 13/14 PPA factor of $134.20 is the same as the 12/13 school year which was down from $150 in the 09/10 year, $142 in the 10/11, and $143.10 in the 11/12; the schools have been carefully monitoring their spending which has allowed the budgeted amounts to decrease
• while the PPA factor is the same as the 12/13 year, the total PPA allocation for the 13/14 year of $2.4M is about $27k less due to the lower projected enrollment
• the total Secondary School Fixed Activity Budget will be $555k, the same as the 12/13 year
• Rustin will no longer be given a $10k Gate Receipts Supplement due to the installation of lights at the stadium and the resulting expected increase in the school's gate receipts.

Dr. Scanlon discussed the status of the decision whether to close an elementary school.  Twenty-five members from the Space Consolidation Task Force, which was formed during the 2nd Budget Task Force, have reconvened and will be collecting data through November.  This information will be presented to the P&F Committee and then the full Board at their November meetings and a final decision must be made in December.  The data to be collected includes # of students impacted, impact on class size, number of sections per grade level (e.g., how many 3rd grades a school will have), cash flow scenarios, and verification of the previously projected $1.3M/year operational savings from closing a school.  The committee will also be looking at the option of closing 2 schools and building a new one, as well as other possible cost savings measures if a school is not closed. 

Sean Carpenter stated that the predominant criteria for making this decision should be whether the closure of a school is in the best interest of the students of WCASD.  He did qualify, however, that this must include consideration of the fact that any endeavor that saves money will allow for the funding of other initiatives, thus contributing to the best interests of the students.  Ed Coyle pointed out that from a parent perspective, no one is going to be happy to see their school closed, and Maria Pimley questioned how they can truly define what is in the "best interest of the students" since many non-financial, subjective criteria impact this as well.  Maureen Snook stated that she felt this decision was being rushed, and that she thought the East Bradford renovations should be put on hold until a more extensive analysis could be performed.  My perception was that the majority of board members are not fully behind the notion of closing a school, however do feel it is necessary to go through this exercise.

Several members of the public spoke out against the closure of a school, one of whom was former Board Director Terri Clark.  Mrs. Clark stated that the district had closed elementary schools in the past, and that invariably they ended up needing the space down the road.  She also pointed out that research shows that smaller elementary schools with 325-350 pupils are optimal, and so she would not want to see us creating significantly larger schools to accommodate this plan.  It is interesting to note that currently only East Bradford falls within this 325-350 optimal enrollment with 339 students, and this is only due to its headcount being down (after the last redistricting in 2006 it had 439 students).  Additionally, in prior discussions on this topic the administration had stated that it was comfortable with headcount up to about 600, which Starkweather currently exceeds and Hillsdale is nearly at with September enrollment of 596.  No matter what the outcome, the district will still need to go through a redistricting effort since some schools are nearly at full capacity while others are significantly under.  This will occur in either 2015 or 2016 depending on the outcome of the school closure discussion, and student populations will need to be pushed from the southeast part of the district up toward the northwest.     

The last item on the agenda was a presentation on the status of the Penn Wood and Westtown-Thornbury renovations by Facilities Director Kevin Campbell.  The Penn Wood renovations have not been going smoothly.  The first phase was completed just prior to the opening of school and only with the help of district employees who donated their time.  The second phase is currently 2 months behind schedule, and Mr. Campbell has been meeting with the contractors to ensure that Phase 3 will be completed prior to the opening of school next year.  The project is still within budget and the district is seeking damages from the contractor.

Westtown-Thornbury's renovations, on the other hand, have been progressing very smoothly and there was no issue with completing Phase 1 prior to the start of school.  Phase 2 is progressing easily as well and is expected to complete on or ahead of schedule which will allow some movement into the new spaces over winter break.  Included in Phase 3 is the renovation of the kitchen, and the district is currently working with the contractors  to allow this portion of work to start early due to the magnitude of work to be performed.  It sounded as though this could impact the school's ability to serve lunches while school is in session, although this was not said outright so don't quote me.  Both Westtown-Thornbury and Penn Wood's renovations are expected to be completed in August of 2013, in time for the start of the 13-14 school year.

Other interesting tidbits....
Usually at the end of the committee meetings, the Committee Chair will ask if there are any other questions or comments.  However, after the last agenda item at this meeting, Sean Carpenter moved to adjourn.  He said it was due to an Executive Meeting scheduled to occur following the P&F, however none of the board members moved out of the room too quickly following the adjournment.  Dot Krikorian did chime in and asked if there was any update on negotiations since the 2 sides had recently met yet there had not been a press release from the board as had been occurring until this point.  Mr. Carpenter deferred to Mr. Murphy, who stated that there was no update but that some form of communication would be forthcoming (which we can assume was the statement read at the 10/22 Board Meeting where we also learned that the 2 sides will not meet again until 11/29).

I had a question that I wanted to ask as well, but did not get a chance.  Policy KBCC Board Meeting News Coverage deals with the Board’s interactions with the media.  The last paragraph of the policy states that “When individual Board members receive requests from news media representatives for information about Board opinions, members shall refer the information-seekers to the Board President who shall be public spokesperson for the Board except as he/she delegates this responsibility to others.”  When I had previously inquired regarding Mrs. Adsett’s interview with Fox News following the September Board Meeting, Mr. Murphy stated, “Regarding the Fox news report and Ms. Adsett speaking on behalf of the school board, she was not my choice to speak for the board. I didn’t know she was speaking until I saw her being interviewed while I was walking into the board meeting”.  Clearly the Board President had not delegated this responsibility to Mrs. Adsett, nor did she decline the interview and refer the Fox news reporter to Mr. Murphy.  Since I did not get to ask this question at the meeting, I emailed Mr. Murphy and Dr. Scanlon.  While I have corresponded with Dr. Scanlon on the subject, I never received a response from Mr. Murphy and don’t expect to.  Really, what could he say?  There is no doubt that the policy was broken, it’s pretty straightforward.  So what is one to do about a School Board Director who does not follow the rules she has been entrusted to enforce?  What indeed….

To transform feelings into actions

October Pupil Services Meeting:

Pupil Services begins with an informative presentation from Mr. Scott Van Vooren  from the Transformational Education Academy (TEA). The Lincoln Center, an alternative education provider in partnership with WCASD, runs the TEA, which has a beautiful home in the Charles A. Melton Arts & Education Center on East Miner Street.  

 What is transformational education?  From the Lincoln Center website:

“Transformational Education (Trans Ed) is an educational approach focused on the personal growth and development of the whole person towards their becoming a critically thinking individual, empowered with the values and skills essential for successful living and participation in family and community life… one filled with caring, contribution, and commitment... The Trans Ed curriculum is student-centered, wherein teachers and counselors act as facilitators in creating self-paced, experiential lessons designed to appeal to the multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles of students.”

Mr. Van Vooren discusses the need for multiple certification of staff members to deal with the “multiple intelligences and diverse learning styles of students” and also the importance of the staff working together on a daily basis.  All in  attendance are provided with the TEA@WC (Trans Ed Academy at West Chester) September 2012 Comprehensive Report.   

 

Mrs. Snook cites a phrase from the report: “TLC’s wisdom principles incorporate the personal values of caring, contribution, and commitment, the life skills of vision, courage and will and the growth processes of struggle, transformation and enlightenment” , and questions “what is enlightenment?”  Mr. Van Vooren explains that many TEA students have never had a healthy relationship or home experience that many in WCASD take for granted.  Their “norm” may indeed be “struggle “, which is  transformed through the educational process and ideally ends in enlightenment.   

 

There are questions about expenses and enrollment from Dr. Pimley.  Mr. Van Vooren defers to Dr. Ranieri for expenses:  between $350-400,000.00 is spent per year on the program and the program attempts to “max out” at 25 students, but has 32 students “throughout the year”.   

 

Mrs. Tiernan interjects with a short history of alternative education in the District: prior to the Trans Ed Academy, alternative education students were sent to different locations.  In contracting with the Lincoln Center and utilizing space at the Melton Center, our students have a home in their district community.  Mrs. Tiernan admits it is a difficult concept to fathom…until one actually visits.  We are told the Board is planning a visit to TEA@WC on October 24.  We wish the Board a healthy journey to  “enlightenment” at TEA  and thank the TEA staff for their continued commitment and passion.   

Meeting ends with a brief discussion of previously introduced Board Goals*.  Going forward, it is hoped that all agenda items will  “fit” within Board goals.

Education Committee meeting:

The entire meeting was devoted to recent  Student Achievement Reports, a subject we have all been inundated with in the past weeks.   District parents received both a  detailed email and  lengthy automated phone call on the subject,  illuminating  both District accomplishments and areas of need.  At the Education meeting, the reports were presented in a creative “gallery walk” style, and most were grateful for this detailed and time-efficient delivery method.  Meeting attendees were broken into groups and travelled to 4 separate areas to hear reports from supervisors in those areas:  Math from Ian Kerr  , English Language Arts from Susan Elliott, Special Education by  Dr. Ranieri and Lisa Phifer, and  Science from Paul Joyce.   Before our stroll,  Dr. Bertrando  supplied paper and encouraged all to submit questions which will be used to develop an achievement FAQ section on District website. 

On the subject of achievement,approximately 140 people attended a screening of the film “Race to Nowhere: The Dark Side of America’s Achievement Culture” on October 11 at East High School.  The film was co-sponsored by the WCASD Parent Teacher Organization Council  and West Chester Communities That Care, and is an effective catalyst for eliciting community response to the sometimes negative impact of our “culture of achievement”.  The film was highly advertised and Dr. Scanlon respectfully "plugged" the screening at September's Board meeting, yet only one Board member was in attendance. The documentary presents testimony from educators,  parents, education experts, and students who depict “an education system in which cheating has become commonplace; students have become disengaged; stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant; and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired”. 

 

The discussion panel included  our WCASD superintendent, a district athletic director, 2 district guidance counselors, a student representative, and a private practice counselor. Public comment was overwhelmingly positive and conclusive:  we are all responsible for this culture and can do our part to change it.   A parent/coach commented that he needed to think, on a daily basis, how he portrays himself to his children, questioning if he is guilty of exemplifying the negative side of our American achievement culture. Nearly everyone in attendance could relate  to the parent who told the story of her 4 year old begging her to “get off the ‘puter, Mom”.   A mother/teacher emotionally shared  her “guilt” in succumbing to behaviors conveyed in the film with her older children and told the audience that it may not be “too late” for the rest of us.   

 

This was my second viewing of the film. In both instances, the epiphanies shared by most  in attendance are beyond description: the self-realization of the culture that we, on a daily basis, contribute to and complain about,  yet rarely think about stopping, and when/if we do, feel powerless to do so.  However, what was unanimous in West Chester,  and  very different from my first experience seeing the film, was the realization that we, as a community, can and must do something.   In the end, the evening was the advent of what will  hopefully  become an ongoing dialogue between all responsible adults involved in the education, guidance and health of our children. 

Nationally, there are numerous grassroots organizations affecting positive change to America’s  “achievement culture”. So, as we wait for West Chester to mobilize and rise to the challenge of truly transforming our educational system, please read up.

 

The National Center for Fair and Open Testing is a superb resource with numerous  easy to understand “fact sheets”.  The Center reminds us that the “same old firms”, such as Pearson, Educational Testing Service and CTB/McGraw-Hill,  produce  the “new” common core tests.  United Opt Out also “follows the money” to see exactly who benefits most from the standardized testing of our children.

Did you know it is your constitutional right to opt out of standardized testing?   

In  Texas, more than 360 school boards have successfully passed high-stakes testing resolutions.

Since June, more than 17,000 people have petitioned the National PTA to advocate for healthy homework guidelines.

On October 17, join the Campaign for Our Public Schools, which is asking everyone who cares about public education - students, parents, teachers, principals, school board members, and concerned citizens – to write to the President and tell him what needs to change in his education policies.   Click for sample letters.  You can mail copies of your letters to The White House, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, 20500 or send them by email.

On October 22, attend the WCASD Board meeting, 7:30 PM at Stetson Middle School and keep the conversation to "end the race" going. 

 

The greatest happiness is to transform one’s feelings into action. Madame de Stael

*Of interest, the aforementioned Board Goals section on Student Achievement:

Goal: The number of students taking and passing an AP course will increase by 2%
Assessment:  The number of students taking an AP course will increase from 1179 to 1200.

Goal: The number of students participating in an activity will remain at or near 2011/12 levels.

Assessment: The board will establish a baseline for participation.

Goal: The number of students scoring advanced on PSSA will result in WCASD ranking in the top 10% state-wide in terms of percentage of students scoring advanced.

Assessment:WCASD will rank in top 10% in state on Advanced Scores.

Goal: The District will establish a relationship with the nation’s top universities.

Assessment: A baseline data report will be made tracking what colleges students are applying and where they are being accepted.  Develop a survey for recent graduates.

 

 

 

Clear Skies with the Exception of One Black Cloud

September Property and Finance Committee Meeting:
In attendance: Committee Chair Sean Carpenter and members Ed Coyle, Karen Miller, and Linda Raileanu.  Also in attendance were Board President Vince Murphy, Maria Pimley, Maureen Snook, and Sue Tiernan.  Heidi Adsett was absent.  There were a small # of members of the public, approximately 15.

The first half of the meeting focused on financial matters: 

1. Dr. Moore reviewed the highlights of the current budget forecast model:
• projected expenses for the 12/13 year have decreased by $366k due to salary and associated benefit changes; these include a slightly higher average teacher salary than budgeted, 2 additional elementary positions, 1.5 fewer business office support FTEs, and $400k savings from larger than planned teacher vacancy attrition (they will not know until November whether these vacancies are permanent)
• the 12/13 projected ending fund balance has increased by $476k--$366k due to the above referenced expense savings, and $110k due to additional federal revenues that had not been booked until this month; the amount of the projected ending general fund balance for 12/13 is now $15.8M
• some of the 12/13 expense savings roll forward to future year projections, and the current projected shortfall (prior to any potential expense cuts, tax increase, or use of fund balance) for the 13/14 year is $5.5M 
2. Dr. Moore reviewed the historical and projected WCASD fund balance values, as well as a comparison of our fund to other local districts:
• fund balances can be designated/committed, meaning they are set aside for a specific purpose, or general/unassigned, meaning they are available to be spent as needed and represent what is left over from year to year after all liabilities have been met
• the fund balances are used to fund any budget shortage that exists, and are the recipient of any budget surplus
• PA law allows a maximum undesignated fund balance of 8% [of annual expenses], and the district's policy is to maintain a balance between 5 and 8%; it is worth noting that charter schools are not subject to this same restriction and so may accumulate limitless amounts of equity if their revenues exceed their costs
• Dr. Moore presented a history of our fund balances dating back to the 1995/96 school year; during this period, the lowest our fund balance percent of expenses fell was in the 2007-08 year when it was 4%, and for both the 10/11 and 11/12 years it was at its max of 8%
• over the last several years the district has developed designated fund balances to cover expenses for PSERS (due to escalating retirement expenses), healthcare stabilization (since we are self-insured, this fund allows the healthcare costs to be smoothed), and in the 11/12 year a fund was established to accumulate any savings that could be used to offset any potential 2013/14 millage increases
• Dr. Moore also reviewed a schedule showing fund balance amounts for other Chester County school districts; most districts, like West Chester, carry balances around 8%, however Coatesville currently has a deficit balance, and Tredyffrin-Easttown carries no general balance and instead has all funds designated into categories
• when examining total fund balances (both committed and unreserved funds) as a percent of expenses, West Chester's balance is on the lower end compared to the other Chester County districts with 8 of the other 11 districts carrying higher percents (however this data is about a year old so may have changed some); while West Chester's balance is at 10% of expenses, other higher ones include Avon Grove at 25%, Downingtown at 29%, T-E at 31%, and Oxford at 32%; more recent data for TE shows that it ended the 11/12 school year with a $32M balance, yet still raised taxes 3.3% (compared to our 1.7% increase)--whenever I see that it makes me wonder what TE knows that we don't...have we grossly under-planned for the impact of the PSERS liability??? 
3. Dr. Moore reviewed the 2013/14 Budget Calendar
• the budget forecast model will continue to be reviewed on a monthly basis
• the closure of one or two (see more below) elementary schools, one of the items identified during the last Budget Task Force analysis, will be further explored
• enrollment projections, per pupil allocation recommendations, staffing, benefits, and upcoming capital/other projects will be reviewed
• at the January 28th Board Meeting the board will vote on an Accelerated Budget Opt Out Resolution which will indicate its intent not to raise taxes above the Act 1 Index; based upon the board's history, there is no reason to expect them to reserve the right to raise taxes above the Act 1 Index 
• The Proposed 13/14 Budget will be available for public review in April, and the Final Budget will be adopted at the May 28th Board Meeting; Dr. Moore expressed that the administration would be open to accelerating the budget approval process if the board wishes (last year the budget was approved in April, and the last day it can legally be approved is June 30th)

The current status of the elementary school renovations and the need to make decisions regarding the nine vs. ten school option analyzed during the last budget task force session was discussed.  The task force reviewed enrollment projections, attendance boundaries, and the feasibility and possible cost savings from closing an elementary school, taking into account current renovation plans, status of modular classrooms (currently 19 modulars aged 8-30 years house 583 students), and redistricting requirements.  It was estimated that if we did move forward with a 9 school plan, we would realize annual savings of approximately $1.3M due to decreased headcount and operational costs; however, to implement this plan the renovations would need to be accelerated necessitating earlier borrowing and increased debt service payments for the 2012-15 period.  At the time of the budget task force, the schools identified as the best options for closure were East Bradford, Fern Hill, Glen Acres, and Mary C. Howse.

Because of the status of the East Bradford renovations (currently in design with expected bid approval in January and construction commencement in April) and the fact that East Bradford would be impacted whether it is chosen as the school to be closed or whether another was closed (could result in design changes to expand space) it is necessary to make a decision whether the 9 school option will be considered.  The board discussed this briefly, and topics included the desire for an elementary school not to be too large (according to Kevin Campbell 625 students is considered the optimal max although Starkweather currently exceeds that), maximizing the feeder pattern model (goal is to minimize split of elementary schools to different middle schools), and the emotional and educational impact of closing a school (which Maria Pimley felt was difficult to measure yet a significant factor).  There was also mention of closing 2 elementary schools and building a new combined school as was discussed several years ago related to Penn Wood and Westtown-Thornbury.  Although the 2 potential schools were not named, there was mention of land near Henderson High School so it's reasonable to assume that Fern Hill, Glen Acres, and Hillsdale would be likely candidates.  The committee voted unanimously to move forward with this discussion and to obtain more data to be used in evaluating whether to close one or two elementary schools.

A letter to be sent to legislators regarding concerns with charter school funding was reviewed.  Mrs. Tiernan is to be commended for pushing for the board to take a stand on this important issue that has a significant impact on our district's finances.  She also clearly articulated that the board does not contest charter schools themselves but in fact recognizes the value that they provide for many students; it is the state funding methodology that is the issue because of the unfair advantages it affords to charters at the expense of public schools.  Dr. Scanlon did an excellent job highlighting the key financial issues in the letter which include:

1. Double Social Security and Pension payments:  currently charter schools receive funding from the school district for these costs, as well as from the state; this means that charter schools receive reimbursement for 100% of their costs, while public schools only receive reimbursement for half.  If this were corrected, it would save WCASD $350k in the current school year.
2. Inflated Special Education payments:  the tuition that a school district pays for special ed students is based on an average of costs for all special ed students in the district.  These costs cover a wide range of values from extremely high for severe disabilities to lower for speech or other minor disabilities.  The amount provided to charter schools is an average of these wide ranging costs, while special ed students who attend charter schools typically have more moderate, lower costing needs.  Therefore, providing reimbursement based on actual costs would be more equitable.
3. Lower cost structures of Cyber Charters:  cyber charters inherently have lower costs since they have few physical structures.  Cyber charters should return tuition dollars that are not used to educate children to their home districts, however current charter law prohibits them from doing this even if they wanted to.
4. Accounting and reporting:  charter schools should have the same limits on undesignated fund balances that public schools have (8% of expenses).  Additionally, they should have yearly audits that are made available to the public, and should be required to provide regular reports to the state and to home districts of their students.

The board was very receptive to this information and some members who were not aware of these disparities were anxious to get this information out across the district.  The plan is to send this letter to all legislators affiliated with WCASD.

Other Items discussed:

1. second reading of new Policy DFAD-Reverse Appeals
• this policy establishes parameters for the district to initiate reverse assessment appeals
• the rationale is that taxpayers often have their properties reassessed in times of falling market values in order to lower their taxes, however neither the state or county initiates reassessments on any regular basis; therefore, as market values rise, there is currently no process in place to bring taxes of undervalued properties in line with others that have been assessed more recently to ensure that the tax burden is distributed equitably among all taxpayers 
• properties for which recent real estate transaction records indicate that the current assessed value is at least $1M less than the assessment suggested by the sales price of the property will be reviewed in order to determine if an appeal is warranted
2. change order to install 176 additional sprinkler heads as part of the Penn Wood renovations
• need for these sprinklers was erroneously excluded from the design and they are required to bring the system into code compliance for a cost of $95k
• the district will attempt to collect the associated engineering design costs from the architect due to oversight in the design process resulting in the change order. 

September Personnel Committee Meeting:
In attendance: Committee Chair Karen Miller and members Ed Coyle, Sean Carpenter, and Linda Raileanu. Also in attendance were Board President Vince Murphy, Maria Pimley, Maureen Snook, and Sue Tiernan. Heidi Adsett was absent.

There was only one item on the agenda for the Personnel meeting as most items for this committee are confidential and usually discussed in executive session.  The item discussed was Goals for the school board for the 2012-13 school year.  These goals cover the areas of engagement in communications, accountability in understanding the evaluation process for staff and administrators, support of innovative programs that will foster student achievement, demonstration of fiscal responsibility in passing a balanced budget that does not compromise educational quality, and creating/monitoring means to measure effectiveness of student learning activities.  It was not clear what if any relationship these goals have to guidelines provided by PSBA.

At the end of each meeting there is a time for "Other" comments and questions.  I took this opportunity to convey my confusion regarding a response that Mrs. Adsett had given to Dana Seaman who expressed her concern regarding the scathing attack that Mrs. Adsett had recently made on Teacher's Union President Debbie Fell (as well as an endorsement for Representative Dan Truitt who is running for reelection) in a Daily Local editorial (http://www.dailylocal.com/article/20120912/OPINION02/120919877/pennsylvania-should-institute-ban-on-teacher-strikes-).  Dana is PTO President for Stetson Middle School, as well as a representative to the PTOC, and she inquired if it would be acceptable for her to write an editorial using that title.  Mrs. Adsett responded that of course it would be since her title of PTO President is a biographical fact, and then went on to cite Ayn Rand and the beauty of free speech (which we of course believe that the board has been systemically eradicating from parents with the passage of several recent policies). 

My confusion was due to the fact that my understanding of recently updated policy LEB states that members of the PTO can NOT make political statements  while wearing their "PTO hat".  It was a circular conversation in which the issue of flyer distribution was brought up by some board members (which seems to be their fall back argument even though this conversation had nothing to do with the distribution of materials on school grounds).  In any event, 2 board members did acknowledge that what Mrs. Adsett did was, while perfectly legal, not ethical or acceptable in her role.  However, they also noted that their hands were tied, because if they dared to suggest that Mrs. Adsett change her behavior, she would undoubtedly step up her efforts.  Dr. Scanlon also acknowledged that according to Mrs. Adsett's example, he would be within his rights to write a political editorial and sign it as Superintendent of WCASD, but that he would never consider doing such a thing.  Somehow I doubt Mrs. Adsett would sit by quietly if he did.

When all is said and done, it appears that while some members of the board are not happy with Mrs. Adsett's recent actions (and I suspect more than these 2 have expressed dissatisfaction behind closed doors), they do not feel that there is anything that can be done.  And so Mrs. Adsett is free to push her political agenda under the umbrella of the WC school board without a word of public dissent from her board-mates.  You have to wonder what she's thinking.