August 26 WCASD Board Meeting

August 26 WCASD Board Meeting
Members in attendance: Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, Karen Miller, Linda Raileanu, Maureen Snook,Sue Tiernan,Vince Murphy
Absent: Heidi Adsett, Maria Pimley (vacation)

The meeting opens on a sad note, with a moment of silence to respect and remember Mr. Tom Hutchins, the Stetson Middle School teacher who passed away earlier in August.   

There is a fairly optimistic financial report from Director of Business Affairs, Dr. Moore, who projects that at the end of the 2013-14 school year, the District will have a healthy surplus of about 8 % of budget.

The Board approved a contract agreement for renovations to the Fern Hill Elementary School, the fourth of ten elementary schools to be renovated in the District.

Administrative salaries equivalent to Act 1 index of 1.7% for the 2013-14 school year were approved.  In addition, one-time bonus payments equivalent to 1.5% were approved, based on goals achieved in 2012-13 school year.

More administration news:  Dr. Robert Fraser, who has served as WCASD Director of Curriculum since 2010, begins a three-year Assistant Superintendent contract effective 8/26/13.  Mr. Mike Lecker will serve as Interim Principal at East High School, effective 8/21/13.   

In his report, Superintendent Dr. Scanlon announces the US Department of Education has granted Pennsylvania a waiver to NCLB (No Child Left Behind).  The waiver puts an end to AYP (Adequate Yearly Progress), replacing it with a new accountability system.  A very simple explanation:  Title 1 schools – schools with a high percentage of low income students -   will receive one of three federal designations, Reward, Priority or Focus, based on the following four “Annual Measureable Objectives”:

• test participation
• graduation/attendance rate
• closing the achievement gap for ALL students
• closing the achievement gap for “historically low performing students”  (defined as students with disabilities, economically disadvantaged students, English language learners)

A number of interventions, defined by PDE (PA Department of Education), will be available for Priority and Focus schools.    

Non-Title 1 schools will not receive a federal designation but will receive a School Performance Profile score.  If necessary, non-Title 1 schools will also have access to the same interventions as Title 1 Priority and Focus schools.  The School Performance Profile will be accessible to the public, another way to ensure accountability to all stakeholders.   

No Intermediate or Charter reports this month, so spotlight on Mrs. Snook for the Legislative/PSBA (PA School Boards Association) report.  As in previous months, she opens the report reminding us of the eternal issues of pension reform, liquor privatization, and transportation.  This month, Mrs. Snook asserts she is in regular contact with House and Senate members representing WCASD. 

We are told that the PA State Board of Education held a hearing on August 26 on Keystone Exams at Valley Forge Middle School.  Well, almost. In reality, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on the topic of Keystone Exams on August 26 at Valley Forge Middle School.   Representatives from the PA State Board and PDE provided testimony, along with administrators, parents and school board members.  A Garnet Valley parent spoke of the frustration of her daughter, a stellar student with an outstanding GPA, who could not pass a Keystone exam and worried about receiving a diploma.  Superintendents spoke of the hours and resources needed to administer the tests.  There was even a guest appearance from retired Senator and former Majority Chair of the Senate Education Committee, Jeff Piccola, who provided background on the origin of the exams. Testimony and all 256 minutes of the hearing can be accessed here.    

Mrs.  Snook continues, informing us of an upcoming Senate Education Committee hearing on September 29 on Common Core to be held in Harrisburg.  Again, so close.   The hearing was actually August 29 and was similar in format to the House hearing on the same subject held on August 5. Perhaps the House representative Mrs. Snook claims to be in regular contact neglected to mention that one to her.  Her report concludes and aside from the normal feeling of disappointment, one is surprised that Mrs. Snook, who at previous Education Committee meetings often questioned Common Core as a "top down curriculum", did not take this superb opportunity to provide an overview on the impact of Common Core opposition in PA.   The House hearing serves as a perfect catalyst for both background and where the Common Core/Keystone journey is headed in the state. 

In June, the House passed House Resolution 338, proposing revisions to Chapter 4 based on concerns about Common Core standards.  In response to HR 338, the PA Board of Education held a public forum in July that resulted in proposed amendments to Chapter 4 that would:

• Change the name of the Common Core standards to “PA Core Standards
• Make the standards applicable only to public schools. Private, religious and   home school communities would be exempt
• Assure there will be no national tests or assessments, except if one is deemed necessary for special education students and then only in consultation with parents, teachers and other interested parties
•  Student data collection will NOT be expanded due to implementation of the standards
• Assure  that required reading lists and curriculum will remain a local decision

At the August 5 House Education hearing, committee members questioned representatives from PDE and the PA Board of Education about these revised safeguards.  Majority Chair Representative Clymer closed with some excellent advice for his colleagues.  When constituents contact him, fearful of a national curriculum being imposed on their children, he tells them to contact their local superintendents and teachers.   Why?  Because Representative Clymer knows they are the individuals who can best explain and reassure that such decisions have always been and will remain LOCAL.

Not to be outdone, the Senate, prior to their August 29 Education Committee  hearing on Common Core,  encouraged the public to submit questions in advance of the hearing via an online system.  In effect,  “the people” could address their Common Core concerns directly to PDE and the PA Board of Education.  There were also numerous questions posed by the Senate Committee concerning data collection, assessment vendors, and implementation costs.   On the subject of cost, PDE and the PA State Board maintain such costs are difficult to determine,  arguing the costs of implementation involve instruction and assessment, areas in which districts already budget for.  However, the Senate Committee maintains that many of their districts report they have incurred additional costs  implementing the standards in such areas as staff development, assessment administration  and student remediation.

In addition, both the House and Senate Committees argued that financially distressed districts who do not have adequate funding for learning essentials, such as staff and texts, are hit hardest during implementation.   The response from the PA State Board Chair:  all districts need to make do with what they have to implement the standards as best they can.  

The Senate has repeatedly asked for a breakdown, by district, of additional costs associated with implementing the standards.  Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq promised to supply the numbers to the Committee.  Bottom line for the Senate: until they receive a breakdown of costs, Chapter 4 revisions,  scheduled to be voted on by the PA Board of Education in mid-September, have no chance of making it out of the Senate Education Committee.   

And the final absent piece of this month’s legislative report: the breaking news of the day concerning the abrupt resignation of Acting Secretary of Education William Harner.    Dr. Carolyn Dumaresq, former Deputy Secretary of Education is now serving as Acting Secretary.

Two for public comment tonight:  a teacher who expresses concern that some student clubs will be impacted at the start of school if an agreement is not reached.  Teachers who voluntarily sponsor a club before/after school or on weekends, will most likely cease those sponsorships until a settlement is reached.  Both sides viewed the Fact Finding report on August 26 and have 10 days to accept or reject.  If accepted by both sides, we have a contract.  If rejected, there is an additional 10 day period for both sides to review/reconsider.  If there is no agreement after that period, fact finding is over.

Final public comment comes from the Rustin High School librarian, who reminds us that earlier in the month, Bayard Rustin was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian award in the United States, for his role as a civil rights leader and organizer of the March on Washington.  She expresses her disappointment that there is no news of this honor on the District website.  In response, Dr. Scanlon informs the audience that he did attend a local event, along with Mayor Comitta and members of West Chester Borough Council, to commemorate Rustin’s award.  The District has since posted information. 

We wish all a safe and productive Labor Day weekend.  And for those beginning a new school year next week, peace and strength!

August Pupil Services and Education Committee Summaries

August 12 Pupil Services Committee summary:

Members in attendance:  Heidi Adsett, Maria Pimley, Sue Tiernan

Members absent:  Linda Raileanu

An enthusiastic overview of accomplishments in the Extended School Year program (ESY) is provided. At the elementary level, the program took place at Starkweather Elementary with average daily attendance of 145 students. There were 5 classes in the 6-week program and 13 classes in the 5-week program, with an average class size between 6-10 students.  At the middle school level, the program was offered at Fugett  with, on average,  35 students attending on a daily basis. The high school program took place at Henderson with 21 students enrolled in 5-week program and 12 in 6-week program.

Highlights of Life Skills/Autistic Support Class:  the students baked dog treats and delivered them to needy friends at the SPCA, took a tour of Wegman’s where they purchased lunch in the café, and visited Giant  in order to purchase food to prepare a weekly meal for the entire class.

Through responses to questions from Board members, we are reminded that the need for ESY is   determined by a student's Individualized Education Program (IEP) team.  In addition, the focus of the program is on maintenance of, rather than progress towards, IEP goals.  WCASD cannot force any student to attend ESY program and students can/do not attend for various reasons, such as camp attendance, travel, etc.   Ed Coyle questions:  If parents decline IEP team recommendation for ESY,  is that refusal "documented"?  Yes, in the sense that parents sign if/when services are declined.  

More news from the Special Education supervisors: 

 Project Max:

For the past 2 years, the District has received a $5,000 grant to fund the Multiple Disabilities classroom at Starkweather Elementary.  Project Max is a new initiative to expand that work to Stetson Middle School.

 Participation in University of PA Research Study:

District is participating in a study of high functioning autistic students, with focus on social skills intervention at recess. Dr. Jill Locke is the lead researcher and a meeting will be held with principals of participating schools (Fern Hill, Hillsdale, Mary C. Howse and Westtown-Thornbury).  More information will follow.  

August 12 Education Committee meeting summary:

Members in attendance:  Heidi Adsett, Maria Pimley, Sue Tiernan

Members absent: Linda Raileanu

More from Curriculum Director Dr. Fraser on Act 82/Teacher Evaluation. You may recall Dr. Fraser began this discussion at a previous Education Committee hearing, but only provided a brief overview due to time constraints. Tonight, a detailed explanation was provided and a lengthy discussion followed.  For details on the mandate, see August Education Committee meeting agenda.

In sum, there are 3 different evaluation systems, one each for:

1. Teachers who teach tested grades/subject areas
2. Teachers who teach non-tested grades/subjects
3. Staff members who are considered “non teaching professional employees”

Each of the above groups will be evaluated with systems that will be phased in over 2-3 years.  For the upcoming school year 2013-14, Groups  #1 and #2 will be evaluated based on 85% observation and 15% building data and Group #3 will be 100% observation.  Brought to light in the discussion is a timing issue in that “building data”, which includes test scores, must either be taken from the prior year’s results or held until current year results are released in summer, which would most likely delay completion of that evaluation component until after the start of the school year.  In essence, a district is either a year behind or 2-3 months into the next school year.    West Chester has been participating in a teacher effectiveness pilot project and should have an easy transition to these PDE mandates.

Enrollment & staff update

Director of Elementary Education Dr. Missett reports there are currently 5,037 students enrolled, with projected enrollment at 5,099.  New teachers were hired at Exton, Glen Acres and Hillsdale.  She is currently watching “hot spots” (buildings where another class may need to be added)  at Fern Hill and East Goshen.  If this is necessary, District is well within budget for elementary staffing and will hire as needed.

Director of Secondary Education Dr. Sokolowski reports there are currently 2,709 enrolled at middle schools, 6 less than projected.  High school enrollment is 3,880 with 45 additional students expected by beginning of year.  Secondary staffing is also well within budget if needed.

Dr. Sokolowski notes that the search for East High School Principal has been posted since July 26 and is open through September 6.  The first round of interviews will begin September 9 and will include representatives of all stakeholders (parents, teachers, Board member, etc.).   The interim principal for East will be officially announced after the Personnel meeting on August 19.

Activity Fee update
A financial summary of the 2012-13 school year is given.  WCASD reached 95.92% of its budget target:

Amount budgeted:  $303,225.00
Total fees received: $290,853.75

$4,595 was received in scholarship revenue, with $1,255 scholarships granted.  Dr. Sokolowski informs us that the scholarship program will not be as highly publicized this year as last, but people are aware of the opportunity and contributions will continue to be accepted.  

Next, a participation summary is provided which shows a  3.3% increase, or 212 additional students participating in funded activities, since inception of activity fees. In 2011-12 school year, 6,402 students participated in funded activities.   In the 2012-13 school year, the number was  6,614.   

Policy revisions/deletions (first reading)

Most are language clarifications/updates and will  be submitted for second reading after changes are made.  For the three of us in attendance, this discussion is beyond difficult to follow since copies of the actual polices are not provided, making any references made by the Committee meaningless.

Policy IDDCA/IDCA-R:  Home Education Programs - Language will  be changed to allow home-schooled students to participate in technical college high school.  Dr. Sokolowski and others comment that this change could bring some home-schooled students "back" to our schools once they see the great programs offered at the school.  He contrasts this policy decision with  a former policy decision to disallow such students to attend traditional classes in district buildings during the week.  The difference: the technical college offers a "program" of study while attendance at one or two classes can be disruptive to the traditional school day.   

Dr. Pimley asks a "general question" about homeschooling:  where do home-schooled students take tests?   The first response is "they don't have to", but it becomes clear she is asking about standardized tests.  Home-schooled students are currently, per PDE,  required to take "nationally normed" standardized tests in grades 3,5 and 8.  Home-schooled students can arrange to take the tests at a local school.

Policy JHF/IDEA: Equal Access - A general update of format, a discussion of “extracurricular”  and inclusion of athletic groups.  Here, there is a comment from a parent in attendance concerning the appropriate use of funds by booster clubs and members of the administration admit they have heard those concerns before.

And here is where it just became silly to attempt to follow Board remarks such as "on page 2, paragraph 3...."  with no copies in front of us, so the trio in attendance leaves. While one assumes and respects the reasoning behind not supplying copies for these first readings was to save resources - although the leftover stack of Pupil Services packets on the empty chair in front of me  quashed that thought -  perhaps a note on the online agenda  to encourage attendees to "bring your own" next time could increase participation in policy revision discussions. 

In the end, we are confident the oversight is innocent and these are only first readings so there is still opportunity to review them and offer input should you see fit. Find them under the Policies tab on the Board website.

Per meeting packet outline, here is what was discussed after we left:

Policy IDFA/MDBA:  Interscholastic Athletics - A general update of format and medical update to include concussion and cardiac language.

Policy IDFAC: Recognition of Athletic Groups - Medical update of concussion and cardiac language and inclusion of Act 114 clearances (arrest/conviction)

Policy JAA: Equal Educational Opportunities - Language updates

 

Teamwork and Focus

June 24 2013 West Chester Area School District Board meeting

All Board members in attendance and far more empty than occupied seats at June 24 WCASD Board meeting.

Superintendent Dr. Scanlon reports successful graduation ceremonies at East, Henderson and Rustin and thanks Board members for their participation in the events.  A  grateful farewell and well-deserved standing ovation is given to Mrs. Bachtle,  retiring from the position of school board secretary.

Public comment on agenda items - just one from former school board director Jim Davison.

Citing agenda item, “Approval of Act 93 Administrator’s Compensation plan, July 1, 2013 through June 30, 2016” , Mr. Davison questions why there is no detailed information on the plan in  public meeting packet.  

Dr. Scanlon addresses Mr. Davison, foreshadowing the information now listed on District website concerning the plan:

•  Healthcare savings of $425,000 by changing from a base plan of Personal Choice 10-20-70 to Personal Choice 320
• Raises tied to the base Act 1 Index based on performance (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Merit raises based on goals tied to the base Act 1 Index (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Keeps the overall increases each year tied to the base Act 1 Index

Mr. Davison states that while he supports the Act 93 increase, he questions the “consistency” of the numbers, especially in light of January’s 1% support staff increase. He also wonders what impact this news will have on the ongoing teacher negotiations and reminds the Board  that the superintendent’s contract will soon be up for renewal and will need to be addressed. 

Treasurer’s and Financial Report -  positive, noting current trends “reflect recovery”. 

Personnel report

In addition to the Act 93 agreement, the Board approved a 3-year compensation plan for employees not  covered in a collective bargaining group (head custodians, maintenance supervisors, RN/LPNs,  case workers, technology staff, confidential secretaries, etc.) 

Per District website, the agreement consists of the following:

• Healthcare savings of $439,000 by changing from a base plan of Personal Choice 10-20-70 to Personal Choice 320
• Raises tied to the base Act 1 Index based on performance (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Merit raises based on goals tied to the base Act 1 Index (1.7% for 2013-14)
• Keeps the overall increases each year tied to the base Act 1 Index

Next item discussed is the Board’s Technology Reorganization plan,which  takes effect July 1. The plan, estimated  to save approximately $30,000,eliminates one technology position and shifts responsibilities within the department

And finally, Ms. Miller encourages all to welcome Mr. Geoff Mills as the new Principal of  Peirce Middle School and Ms. Nora Wheeler as the new Principal of Westtown-Thornbury Elementary School. Mr. Mills was previously the Assistant Principal at Peirce and Ms. Wheeler the Assistant Principal at Rustin High School.

Intermediate Unit Report

Mr. Coyle’s Intermediate Unit report sounds a bit like a commercial for SpectiCast, a company the Chester County IU has partnered with for the purpose of distributing  filmed events to schools.  Mr. Coyle declares that Specticast will enable participants to  “turn their schools into community theaters”.  From the CCIU website:

SpectiCast events can fundraise for your important programs, including the arts, drama and music classrooms that are often the first to feel tightening budgets.  Bring back the money, the audience, and the passion for performance in your school district!

One is struck by the irony of SpectiCast’s offer to fundraise for arts, drama and music programs through screening prerecorded opera, theater, and orchestra performances for the community.  

Encouraging news on the current and future state of the arts in WCASD:   At this month's Education Committee meeting, we enjoyed an  inspiring Fine Arts and World Languages overview presented by Supervisor Mr. Ehrhart.  The thorough and  enthusiastic report of District programs is evidence that the "passion and the audience" for the arts remain strong in the WCASD.  Need more reassurance? Following the overview,  Property & Finance Chair Mr. Carpenter expressed his gratitude to Mr. Ehrhart, wondering aloud how we, as a District, can continue to encourage even more students to remain in Arts and Music programs throughout  K-12.  

Legislative/PSBA report

Legislative/PSBA liaison Mrs. Snook prefaces her report with an account of her experience attending Rustin graduation. As the daughter of a West Point graduate and mother of children serving in  the military, she shares how especially happy she was to hear the numerous graduates pursuing military service.

Her characteristically cryptic legislative report follows. Mrs. Snook tells us that the PA budget must be finalized by June 30 and Harrisburg is busy discussing the big issues of transportation, liquor privatization and pension reform. All of which, we are told,  will have an  impact on education funding. She states that there are a number of pension reform bills out there, basic education will see a  “significant” increase from last year and special education funding will remain the same.   

Mrs. Snook reports that she, along with Mrs. Tiernan, recently attended a PA School Board Association regional legislative event where there was “lively and entertaining” discussion on education from local legislators.  Here, one anticipates the substance of the report will follow but alas, no.  Apparently the lively and entertaining legislative discussion was not meant to be shared with the masses and her report of the event is simply another tease to those of us waiting for specifics on how best to advocate on behalf of our District.  Yet Mrs. Snook ends with a call to action, reminding all of the importance of contacting our legislators.   

Charter/Alternative School report

With the school year over, there is little to report on the charter/alternative front.

However, Mrs. Tiernan does a lovely job filling in the empty spaces of her colleague's legislative report, informing us of two PSBA-supported pieces of legislation related to cyber/charter funding: 

Senator Judith Schwank’s SB 335 would remove a school district’s responsibility to pay  cyber-charter schools tuition for a resident student if that district offers a cyber program “equal in scope and content” to the non-district program. Currently, districts are responsible to cyber charters for a district resident’s tuition.  Example: Under SB 335, if WCASD had its own cyber program, they would no longer be responsible for paying the tuition of district students choosing to attend other cyber-charters.  Thus, families choosing to attend cyber-charters, other than the WCASD cyber-charter, would be responsible for paying their own tuition to the cyber-charter school of their choice. SB 335 encourages districts to offer their own cyber programs and places responsibility for cyber-charter tuition on families.

Senator Patricia Vance’s SB 812 would amend Section 1725-A of the Public School Code to  include school district retirement costs on the list of expenditures that must be subtracted from the total budgeted expenditures when determining the amount a charter school gets for each resident student attending.  In essence, the bill eliminates the pension "double-dip".  Charter/cyber schools are paid by a district for their employee retirement costs and are also reimbursed by the state for 50% of their own employee retirement costs. 

Public Comment, Non-agenda items

A teacher wishes to clarify the difference between the aforementioned Act 93 agreement and the current teacher negotiations:  Act 93 administrators accept an agreement whereas teachers must vote on a contract. 

Two Henderson students speak, one male, one female.  Both will be seniors in the fall and commend the excellent and committed teachers they have experienced throughout their career in WCASD.  The young man is “confused and upset”  by what he reads in the paper and asks the Board to stop “bullying”  his teachers. (Of interest here: recent article about impact of lengthy Neshaminy conflict on students)

At this point, Property & Finance Chair Mr. Carpenter responds to the students, assuring them the  Board shares their views and has great respect for the dedication and talent of WCASD teachers.

Another teacher, using the journey of her daughter’s lacrosse team as an analogy, asks the Board to “step up” and  be “team players”.  

To this Mr. Murphy responds, stating  the Board has “stepped up” and expressing his confusion about the teacher’s decision to decline fact-finding. He calls for an end to the “diversionary tactics” of attacking the board and the need for the teachers to focus their attention on the reality of a $6 million gap and the significant savings that can be found in healthcare costs.   Mr. Murphy continues, stating that it does not matter who attends negotiations. What matters is that the parties involved focus on the critical issues at hand in order to reach an agreement. 

Mr. Murphy’s remarks provoke a few unsolicited comments from the audience in attendance, but the gavel signals a peaceful adjournment.  And in the end, what remains painfully clear is the fact that to be a “team player”, all parties need to be playing for the same team or at least focused on the same goal.   

THE CHOICE FOR TRUE LEADERSHIP

The mission of West Chester Vote is to preserve excellence in education for West Chester Schools by supporting candidates who will protect our educational and enrichment programs.  West Chester Vote is endorsing Joyce Chester, Robin Kaliner, Chris McCune and Dr. Ricky Swalm as Directors for West Chester Area School District.  Two years ago, this community voted to change the direction of the school board to one that serves all taxpayers by electing one write-in candidate!  One board director alone cannot adequately represent us.  We must be successful in electing 4 more board directors.   We stand no chance of preserving excellence when the current majority of the 9 school board members share the same philosophy. The strength of the educational integrity of our school district prepares our children for high performance and success and is paramount to improving and protecting our property values. The current school board majority has demonstrated a lack of leadership through the following actions:

• Not Fiscally Responsible: Inability to balance student needs, taxpayer resources, and long term goals limits our ability to maintain high scores and high property values.
• Focus:   Dedicating time and efforts towards single issues and ideology prevents us from addressing those matters that pertain to excellence in public education and the best interests of our community.
• Transparency:  Voting in “lock step” and without public discussion is, not only divisive to the process but also shows a blatant disregard for the rights of the community to receive representation representative of all residents in the community.

The primary election on Tuesday, May 21 will not only decide who wins the 4 director seats but also the direction this school district will take for the next 4 years.  As a citizens group committed to educational excellence, we ask you to help us by voting for our 4 endorsed candidates - Chester, Kaliner, McCune and Swalm, who, if elected, will help to change the direction of the WCASD board. 

Please visit the candidates’ website at www.betterdirection4wc.com.  Please show your support in this effort by committing to vote on Tuesday, 5/21.

Need an absentee ballot:  Last date to file is 5/14.

A Healthy & Educated Citizenry: AEDs and Civics for All

April Pupil Services Committee Meeting

Committee members in attendance:  Chair Linda Raileanu, Heidi Adsett, Maria Pimley, Sue Tiernan
Non-committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice-President Karen Miller, Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, Maureen Snook

The meeting begins with an enthusiastic and informative presentation from Pediatric Therapeutic Services (PTS), the agency that provides various therapies to District students.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED) replacement plan

Pupil Services Director Dr. Ranieri informs us that the District has 30 AEDs throughout the 16 schools in the District.  Of the 30, 26 will be out of warranty by January 2014, so she is asking the Board to budget approximately $20,000 to purchase 16 new units, with a plan to gradually replace older units.  The cost to repair is $1200/unit, the cost to purchase is $1340/unit with 7-year warranty and there is a $50-$100 rebate per working unit returned.

In addition to introducing the replacement plan, Dr. Ranieri provides a handout concerning  Senate Bill 606, also known as Aidan’s Law,  in honor of Aidan Silva, a seven-year-old Chester County resident who succumbed to sudden cardiac arrest on September 4, 2010.   If passed,  SB 606 would  appropriate $3 million dollars from the Tobacco Settlement Fund.  In 2001, nearly $2.5 million was appropriated from the Fund to place nearly 2000 AEDs in public and private schools.  The Department of General Services would seek bids to purchase the number of AEDs needed and  the PA Department of Education would then assist  schools in acquiring units at a subsidized price.    

A comment from Board member Mrs. Adsett concerning the  “ timing”  of this budget request:  if we need AEDs, we should get them because we need them and not because “the government” tells us to do so.  Dr. Ranieri clarifies,  noting that current warranties will expire in 2014, so this notice serves as the beginning of the District’s AED replacement plan. The fact that a bill currently exists in the PA legislature that may make purchases less burdensome for districts across the state is coincidental.  In effect,  analysis of AED replacement is due and Dr. Ranieri simply wanted to make the Board aware of current legislation that, if passed, may alleviate some of the cost. 
 

Maria Pimley does a nice job of bringing the meeting back to task by asking if AEDs are checked on a regular basis. Dr. Ranieri assures her they are and it is the responsibility of the school nurse to perform regular checks.  Dr. Pimley also clarifies with Dr. Ranieri that the AED budget request is the beginning of the District’s AED replacement plan and not an outcome of any proposed legislation. Dr. Ranieri concurs and the “government control” talk is quelled. Both Dr. Pimley and Chair Linda Raileanu stress the importance of proper placement of AEDs in school facilities (near gyms, athletic fields, etc.).  Ed Coyle tells us that the AEDS in his workplace were recently replaced and President Vince Murphy ends the discussion echoing Mrs. Adsett's remarks by reminding the Board they are not depending on the passage of a law to approve this budget request.

Devereux Billing Process
Dr. Ranieri prefaces her report with the fact that she received an inquiry from  the Board concerning the payment process for students at Devereux, a residential facility.    To explain the billing process, we are provided an example:  a student from the Reading School District resides at Devereux. Since that student is sleeping in our (WC) district, we are responsible for his/her education, services WC contracts through the Chester County Intermediate Unit.   WC requests a residency verification from Reading and if “acknowledged”, CCIU then bills Reading School District for education services plus 5% administrative fee.  A board member asks what happens if Reading does not pay.  Dr. Ranieri cites a 96% return rate from CCIU,  stating that is not really an issue.   If residency verification is “disclaimed”,  District petitions PA Department of Education and student becomes ward of state.  WC bills PDE for tuition, and state can take funds from district subsidy.

Chair Linda Raileanu is grateful for the explanation but expresses doubt to Dr. Ranieri and remains  concerned that the system does not always work per her explanation.  Ed Coyle concurs, stating that he has heard that Philadelphia is a “slow pay”.  Dr. Ranieri admits that PDE has withheld some payments but that matter is being investigated.  In the end,  Ms. Raileanu is reassured that WCASD is not using our tax dollars to pay for "other" districts.  Maria Pimley once again wisely ends the discussion, questioning if a district can fight with PDE if  they feel a student is not a resident of their district.  Dr. Ranieri's answer:  they can try.

April Education Committee meeting

Committee members in attendance:  Chair Maria Pimley,  Linda Raileanu, Heidi Adsett,  Sue Tiernan

Non-committee members in attendance:  Board President Vince Murphy, Vice-President Karen Miller, Sean Carpenter, Ed Coyle, Maureen Snook

New Middle School Technology Text

Paul Joyce reports on a new middle school Technology education textbook, Engineering and Technology Education,  that will be used for all students taking Technology Education in grades 6,7 and 8.  In lieu of purchasing one textbook per student, classroom sets will be purchased.  The decision was unanimous by all 11 members of the committee, which included Dr. Pimley as Board representative.   The cost for books is approximately $12,000, well under the $16,000 allotted for purchase.   Noting the books will remain in classrooms and not travel home with students and the fact that topics covered are general, Mr. Joyce expects the textbooks to last approximately 10 years.  

Kindergarten Update
Dr. Missett reports there are currently 658 students registered, with a projected enrollment of 673. She does not expect the numbers to impact staffing needs.  In addition, she is confident each session of A Child’s Place supplemental Kindergarten program will have 17 children.  After 17 children, the District will begin a profit-sharing plan with ACP which will produce additional revenue. 

Social Studies/Library services

Elisha Ozer, K-12 Social Studies/Library Supervisor provides overview of Social Studies and Library programs across WCASD.  We learn that approximately 30,000 books are circulated per year in District libraries.  Concerning Social Studies curriculum, Dr. Ozer stresses that "consistency is key" throughout elementary, middle and secondary schools. As discussed at numerous previous committee meetings by various administrators,   "consistency" also translates to curriculum alignment with current and proposed  Keystone exams.    Tonight, Dr. Ozer mentions the following  proposed Keystone exams: Government and Civics in 2016-17, American History in 2017-18 and World History in 2020-21.  We are, however,  once again reminded that all of these tests are  dependent on funding.    Here,  Board member Mrs. Snook asks “what that means".  Dr. Ozer, complimenting her on a  great question, explains that as it stands now,  the local entity (WCASD) would be responsible for funding these exams. 

 

Mrs. Snook continues, wondering about all of this “top down”  stuff, because she has heard that some states are finding it is "not necessarily a good thing".  Dr. Ozer assures Mrs. Snook that Social Studies skills and standards adopted by WCASD are indeed a good thing.  Curriculum Director Dr. Fraser agrees and both he and  Dr. Ozer promise  to share those standards with Mrs. Snook, who appears pleased, uttering an affirmative "Good".   

From Dr. Ozer's PowerPoint presentation to the Board and those in attendance that evening:

“…Education for citizenship should help students acquire and learn to use the skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will prepare them to be competent and responsible citizens throughout their lives.Competent and responsible citizens are informed and thoughtful, participate in their communities, are involved politically, and exhibit moral and civic virtues.” National Council of Social Studies, 2008

"Top down" or not, one questions how and/or why Mrs. Snook would question such standards.

Dr. Fraser continues to address Mrs. Snook's concerns,  asserting that Common Core - what we all assume the “top down ” refers to - does not dictate District curriculum, which is still decided right here in West Chester.  To answer Mrs. Snook's concern about why some states are not happy with "top down", Dr. Fraser explains  that while some states  may appear unhappy with the “top down” standards, they  are not necessarily protesting the Common Core standards, but rather the testing consortium and the financial issues surrounding assessments.   

And the final  "top down"  question from Mrs. Snook:  is this   “top down” stuff related to  Race to the Top?    This is an interesting question because while most would agree with Dr. Fraser's emphatic "No",  Conservative media personality Glenn Beck and Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin have charged that President Obama’s Race to the Top has indeed “enabled” Common Core.   In addition, some states are seeking withdrawal from Common Core Standards for reasons other than the financial ones cited by Dr. Fraser and more along the lines of Mrs. Snook's "top down" argument.  For more on this, Education Week has an excellent legislative   "tracker" system for states seeking withdrawal and pertinent legislation introduced.

And so  we  prepare to adjourn for the evening, safe and happy in the knowledge that we in WC are no slaves to the tyranny of "top down" government.  No, our local Board alone will decide how many AEDs are needed and continue to enable our staff to craft an appropriate education for our students.   In the end,  the only "top down"  government needed in West Chester to guarantee a healthy and educated citizenry is our local school board.   Board members and voters alike, please remember that. 

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YOU can help contribute to a healthy and educated citizenry:   On April 23, West Chester Communities that Care will host a Town Hall at Henderson High School, 7PM.   The theme of the evening is - Our Children At Risk:  Drugs, Alcohol, Stress.  WCASD Superintendent Dr. Jim Scanlon and Mayor Carolyn Comitta will be present and Christine Storm from the Caron Foundation will speak.  There will be a panel of experts to answer questions and teens (grades 5-12) are encouraged to attend with their families.

 

Promises, Promises

The full board meeting was held on Tuesday, March 25, 2013. Due to the inclement weather conditions, the student reports and student and staff recognition were postponed until the April 22nd meeting. Tuesday's meeting moved along quickly as most items were on the consent agenda. Two significant items were addressed. The first item was a board goal to maintain the current millage rate resulting in no property tax increase and the second item was an update on the teacher contract negotiations.

Below is the board goal as stated in the Property and Finance Committee Action Items for Monday, March 25, 2013:
Approval is requested for the Board to establish a goal for the preliminary budget that maintains the current 2012-13 millage rate, in consideration of cautiously optimistic economic indicators and our ability to maintain or increase our educational programs and services.

Mr. Carpenter indicated data would continue to be reviewed for increasing revenues and to see how expenses have come in. He stated a consistent millage rate would be a win-win overall. Let’s hope he is correct and the detailed budget presentation in April reveals efficiencies and revenue gains not yet factored into the monthly committee meeting financial presentation. Otherwise, approximately $4.3 million dollars from the fund balance savings account will be used to balance the 2013-2014 budget.

During public comment at the beginning of the meeting, Dr. Ricky Swalm, the former Board President, made the following remarks regarding millage maintenance:

I stand before you tonight to ask you to reconsider your Budget Goal as written in tonight’s Property and Finance report. While I realize a goal is not necessarily the final outcome, it does set in motion a position from which one guides one’s actions. If you do indeed follow through with your 0 millage increase you are in effect subjecting this district to what is akin to the affordable care act. You front-load the issue with attractive bait (no tax increase) to get everyone to bite (vote for those of you who are rerunning) and then in the out years everyone pays the consequences (not only must taxes increase because you painted the district into a corner, but you robbed Peter to pay Paul using the fund balance). David Copperfield would be proud of you. With a slight of hand you claim we can do this this year but fail to care enough about the next three years to weigh them against your decision. The only reason you are in this homeostasis this year is because you had the foresight last year to increase taxes (even though you took an oath not to do so when last you ran) so during the current election year you can play to the crowd. I prefer you play to the future and not write IOUs against our children’s futures or you are no better than Washington who has also mortgaged our children’s futures at the expense of current comfort. We as the caretakers of this District owe them much more. We owe them our best efforts and we owe them futures unimpeded by partisan politics.

Before the vote, Mr. Carpenter took exception to Dr. Swalms’s comments by remarking in years past there has been talk of politics and partisanship regarding raising taxes not being accurate yet the 8 sitting directors who were endorsed by the Republican Party all voted yes to support the millage maintenance goal. Mrs. Tiernan voted no to pass the goal and read the following statement:
Last Monday night I was surprised to hear Mr. Carpenter’s motion to hold taxes to 0% in the coming budget. Why does his motion concern me? We have not yet seen the preliminary budget for next year. That is on the agenda for April. We are negotiating a contract with our teachers. We are reminded each month by our own board members that the economy may not have completely recovered. We do know that PSERS costs will increase, as will health care costs. Dr. Scanlon told us at the P&F meeting that we could, indeed, live with a 0% tax increase this year, but the reality is we will have to have a tax increase the next 3-4 years in order to survive. Holding to a 0% tax increase this year may seem like an attractive option, but like all financial decisions, it has consequences for the future of our district. We are borrowing somewhere around 4 million dollars from our fund balance so that we can have this 0% tax increase. Had we engaged in a vigorous public conversation about this motion, I would have said that I’d prefer a modest increase this year to put us in an even stronger position as we face the next 3-4 years. Let us see the budget next month. Let us work out a contract with our staff. Let us be careful and look 3-4 years down the road as we budget. My vote on this motion is no.

Mr. Murphy read the following negotiations update which is available on the District website:

With state mediator Robert Brinbrauer in attendance, the West Chester Area School Board and West Chester Area Education Association Negotiating Teams held a bargaining session on February 20, 2013.

Although both sides remain far apart with regard to total cost of a contract, the Board and Association have agreed to delay the scheduling of the next negotiating session. Both sides are well aware of Governor Corbett's attempt to modify the current pension system and the impact this would have in the cost of future contracts. If the Governor is successful in his effort to modify the existing pension legislation and essentially freeze existing employees under the old system, the District’s cost in funding the Public School Employee Retirement System (PSERS) program could be reduced.

As a result of the recently proposed governor’s budget, the Board has agreed to wait and see what might transpire with the state budget before scheduling another negotiating session.

Corbett’s budget proposal for the upcoming year addresses the pension issue by cutting the contribution rate for the state and local school districts for the next 5 years. The Governor justifies the reduction based on pension reforms for current and future employees. Current employees will see a reduction in future benefits while future employees will enter into a new 401(k) style plan. It appears our Board has elected to follow our Governor’s lead, placing much emphasis on pension reform to alleviate the need for tax increases and help solve our contract negotiations. In January 2013 Governor Corbett cautioned he would not cut funding to basic education assuming some pension reforms got done. Just leaves one question, what happens if nothing happens?