Diane Blevins Posted December 28, 2011 Report Share Posted December 28, 2011 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana December 12, 2011 CALL TO ORDER The Special Meeting of the Board of Trustees of School District No. 2, Yellowstone County, Montana, and High School District, Yellowstone County, Montana, was duly held at The Lincoln Center, 415 North 30th Street, Billings, Montana, December 12, 2011 at 5:30 p.m. Members present included Trustees Pam Ellis, Teresa Stroebe, Connie Wardell, Kathy Aragon (via phone), Travis Smith, Greta Besch Moen, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Superintendent Jack Copps, District Clerk Leo Hudetz, and Human Resources Director Jeana Lervick. Registered guests included Chris Goodridge, Pam Christianson, and Karen Moses. COMMUNICATION FROM THE PUBLIC The Board recognizes the value of public comment on educational issues and the importance of listening to members of the public in its meetings. The Board also recognizes the statutory and constitutional right of the public to participate in governmental operations. The Board encourages members of the public to participate in and express opinions about issues important to the District. This part of the Board’s meeting is dedicated to public comment on any public matter that is not on the agenda of this meeting and is within the jurisdiction of the Board of Trustees. Members of the public may also address particular items on this agenda either now or at the time the Board considers the particular item. Chris Goodridge addressed the board to urge them to keep in mind sustainability for the district as a whole. The overcrowding at Arrowhead needs to be addressed and he asked if boundaries would be addressed soon. Mr. Goodridge urged the board to be fair thinking in their decisions. Conrad Stroebe addressed the board on governance. He did not feel the system was broken as there are six applicants. Mr. Stroebe cautioned the board that it is important to keep the five applicants not chosen involved with the district. He supplied handouts to the members, of which one addressed having a school board in each school. TRUSTEE INTERVIEW PROCESS Jeana Lervick, Human Resources Director, gave an overview of the interview process as outlined on page 9 of the agenda packet. Trustee Wardell made the following motion with a second by Trustee Moen: Motion to approve the process as outlined in the board packet with the clarification a majority vote is defined as five of eight votes. There was no objection to the clarification. Trustee Moen asked for a clarification on the checking of references. Chair Stroebe stated references were not checked but felt they would be checked after an applicant was chosen. Ms. Lervick reported it is standard practice to check references on the top candidate. It is also standard practice when a person is to be selected to call references as references gauge character. Trustee Graves voiced his concern that he believed references should have been checked on each applicant prior to the interviews. Trustee Graves made the following motion which died due to a lack of a second: Motion to table the entire process. Trustee Wardell reported she called Bob Vogel of the Montana School Board Association to ask how to handle the situation. Mr. Vogel told her to interview the candidates and then wait to vote until the references are checked. Trustee Ellis felt it was inefficient not to contact the references prior to the interviews. Trustee Wardell made the following amended motion with a second by Trustee Ellis: Motion to separate the issue of references from the main motion. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Travis Smith, Teresa Stroebe, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. Trustee Wardell made the following motion with a second by Trustee Graves: Motion that the board conduct the interviews tonight, have Ms. Lervick get the references after that, and vote on December 19th. Those voting in favor were Greta Besch Moen, Kathy Aragon, Lindy Graves, Connie Wardell, Travis Kemp, and Pam Ellis. Opposing the motion were Travis Smith and Teresa Stroebe. The motion passed. Trustee Ellis voiced her concern on the process used if there were a tied vote. Trustee Ellis made the following motion with a second by Trustee Kemp: Motion that the board separate out how it votes on a tie. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Travis Smith, Teresa Stroebe, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. Trustee Ellis made the following motion with a second by Trustee Wardell: Motion to go with the voting process presented in the board packet and then decide where to go from there if there are four tied votes. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Travis Smith, Teresa Stroebe, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. Clerk Hudetz stated there is nothing in law that states the board must do background checks. The Chair stated that since the Board approved the voting process that included background checks, these should be completed. The following are the seven questions to be asked by Ms. Lervick, with the board able to ask further questions following those responses. Each applicant will be allowed two minutes at the end of the interview to give a summary. Describe how you as a school board director and the school board as a body should gather information for making decisions that impact students and/or employees. In a period of reduced financial resources for most Montana school districts, what are your priorities for educational spending by the district? Some employees and community members are very resistant to change, while others see change in a positive way. How do you view change in the context of educational programs? What do you think is the most effective way to include the unions in decisions about the future of public education in Billings? Schools should have high standards, a rigorous curriculum and high quality teachers. How would you describe the Billings Public Schools using these standards? What do you feel is the best way to resolve conflicts? Can you give an example when you have done so or how you think it should have been done. Are there particular skills or perspectives that you can bring to the Board of Trustees? The following is a brief summary of how each applicant answered the above questions: LEO HART Follow the process. All of us must be proactive and go out and gather the information. A lot of people have the answers. Absolutely, positively, we must start in the lower grades and cannot wait until middle school or high school. It is too late by the middle grades if they do not care. Change is necessary. Change is good if the right people are doing it for the right reasons. However, if it is not broken, do not fix it. There are a lot of good things going on with our education system in Billings. Listen to the teachers. Listen to people when change is necessary. When change is not needed, do not try to fix it. Unions are very difficult. He has a tough time with them sometimes. He felt they are a necessary evil. But the board must listen to them. They know what they want and what we have to offer. Districts need to push back. Work together and let them ask for what they want. We want the best educators we can possibly get. School District #2 is one of the best in the state and it needs to be kept that way. We must be leaders, not followers. We must look at the budget. Get the facts. Make sure you get statements from all parties involved. Get everything in writing. Get a witness and make sure facts are all out. Legal counsel should be present. I am from Montana and have traveled throughout the state. I know people and how they function around the state. I know Billings is the best there is and needs to stay on track. I can step in and use my financial background. My wife has been in education for many years as well as other family members. I know the education system in Montana is the best there is. We have to be proactive in this entire situation. It will not happen unless we push it out there and keep it going. Trustee Wardell asked Mr. Hart if he would support consolidation of schools or cluster schools? Mr. Hart felt there was no reason for it. Trustee Moen asked what his suggestion for change would be. Mr. Hart responded it has more to do with administration, not education. He has found a way to recode expenses in the small district he works in to look at the financial situation and it is possible to look for other dollars through grants or other aids right now. He suggested calling OPI to find other grants or aids to gain more dollars for the district. Trustee Smith asked if there is anything from the Montessori system that would benefit School District #2, as your wife is employed in that system? Mr. Hart stated it should have been in the public system 25 years ago. ALLEN HALTER The most important thing is be willing to do the research and discover the facts. We have to make sure we find out all we can, be willing to make the calls in order to make a decision. My priority is student learning and curriculum. We have to make sure we are getting the best deal, and challenge the vendors to give us the best deal. Our children are being educated, not in a society from what most of us experienced. Education has changed since we were in school. Change is inevitable. Our challenge is to first accept that times have changed and cannot follow the old adage of ‘that is the way we always did it”. That is not a reason to ignore the realities of today and it is important to give our kids the best in technological changes possible. We must improve the quality of education and how it is delivered to our students. I believe we have to be transparent with the unions as it is critical to work together in order to move the district forward. I believe leadership is set by example and high standards should start at the top, the superintendent, and the board. Our curriculum should be the best we can provide for our students. We all face conflict but we cannot ignore it or pretend it is not there. I am reading “Resolving Everyday Conflict” by Ken Sandy that has helped him. We must make sure there was not a misunderstanding. We have to remember to respect the person even though you do not like the conflict. I have good business skills from my managerial position. I attended school in Billings and still have good relationships with the teachers. I feel I can bring a positive attitude to the board. Trustee Wardell asked if he would support consolidation of schools or cluster schools? Mr. Halter stated he has not looked at that yet. His children have gone through the elementary schools, middle schools and now has two in high school. He would need to look at the facts and decide the advantages for both sides. He would not want to give a student or a group of students an advantage over other students. He would look at how it would impact students in a negative or positive way. He would also have to determine if teachers would be stressed out. Trustee Wardell asked how Mr. Halter turned the West High Booster Club around. Mr. Halter stated he felt he had the ability to get the club out of the $8,000 deficit and he has accomplished that. He revamped programs and found it is an opportunity for parents to be more involved. He is encouraging fathers to become a part of the school programs as it is something positive that we can give our kids and it is important for the kids to see their parents participate. Trustee Ellis asked how Mr. Halter would make changes, as asked in question #5. Mr. Halter stated kids see what goes on in this board room, especially older kids. There is room to improve what we do and our actions. He believes there is an attitude that the kids take to school after watching or reading about meetings and felt there was a sour taste in the community about the board. He voiced his desire to change that. Mr. Halter believed the community would stand behind us if engaged and he wanted the children of this district to succeed in school. JEFF OGLETREE I believe that we live in a time of great information. We have the ability to communicate with people in the community and provide the best education for our kids. That information needs to be implemented in our schools in Billings. It is our responsibility to prepare our children for higher learning or a vocation. In my opinion, the priority should be class size reduction and supporting the teachers in the classroom. I support technology and the use of technology. Teach the children to have an excitement for learning. It is important to provide the educational resources for our teachers. I love change. I enjoy going into an environment where there are a lot of opportunities. I enjoy looking at different ways to tackle changes. I will study the issues first before making a change to insure we are doing it the right way. It is important in education that we are clear and open and that there is an understanding that we have common goals and to focus on them. We will not always agree but we need to find ways for the common good of our children. I moved my family here about three years ago. I have 5 children. I have seen the difference in school systems and am very satisfied with the schools here. I have found the principals and teachers are excellent. However, there is always room for change. Conflicts happen every day. The key is communication and common ground must be found in order to reach the ultimate goal. Negotiations are also important. Bringing everyone together is a good way to address a conflict. In the past, I have met with all involved parties in order to make the decision. My number one skill is process improvement as I have an eye for finding a solution. I focus on it every day. I have technology background and enjoy working with technology. I also have a financial background and focus on the win/win situation. I feel my negotiating skills are good. Trustee Wardell asked if he would support consolidation of schools or cluster schools? Mr. Ogletree responded, if there are repeating resources, consolation is good. Being able to pull students together into clusters would save also. There would be resistance to the change that would have to be dealt with through negotiations. People’s reactions cannot be discounted. I do what it takes to complete a task. Trustee Stroebe asked about neighborhood schools. Mr. Ogletree reported he has seen that in the Atlanta, Georgia area. He felt he would be very intrigued with a neighborhood school. Gaining community support would make for a very good environment. Trustee Ellis asked how he would eliminate waste as far as cost expenditures. Mr. Ogletree stated there is always waste to eliminate and has worked with individuals at the Billings Clinic to that effect. He summarized that he is impressed with the other candidates. For him, he has a vested interest with my five children in this district. He is here to offer his support, and, if not chosen, would continue to offer his support. MARY JO FOX More often than not, we have a lot of information in the community, great partners, and staff in each school, PTA/PTO organizations and legislators who are concerned about our schools. We have government bodies who can give us information but we must be willing to ask. The board must gather openly and inclusively. Smaller classrooms are very important. Cuts need to be made as far away from the classrooms as possible. We have to make sure that we attract the best, qualified teachers we can, and we must be consistent with the salaries and benefits. Education requires that we anticipate change and not only react to change. We must think ahead to what children will need in fifteen years. Kids need to know how to communicate through a computer before they reach middle school. Change is inevitable and felt it is something not to fear. It is not a bad thing if we are prepared for it. Decisions in this school district are made by the nine trustees. The union has a very important role in the district by representing their people’s rights. We have an obligation to observe those agreements we make with them. It is important that we welcome and seek their advice. Unions want to make sure we can agree on the numbers in our budgets and how much to cut. After agreeing on those numbers, we could have a discussion on our goals. Members of the unions are on the front of education every day. It would be best to ask unions what to change and how to make the changes. In this district, 90% of the budget is comprised of union members. School District #2’s graduation requirements are higher than the standard. Billings is higher than the standard testing scores. We should always strive to have our children’s achievements as a priority. As long as we are connected with No Child Left Belong, we should continue to reach those goals and strive to help all schools to reach their goals. Testing alone is not the only way to test our rigor. Also, principals need to evaluate their staff. Our superintendent is very good at helping people reach their expectations, but if that is not possible, he is very helpful at leading them in a different direction if necessary. We need to set a high standard for ourselves and also a high standard to be amicably disagreeable. I am a very direct, and passionate person. Some people might take it personally. When I previously sat on this board, I was the only one not to agree to the BEA contract but I still have the respect of the unions. I believe they understood why I did not vote in support of the contract. When the contract passed, I defended that contract as it was a legal, binding contract. If I am not a part of the majority, that decision matters. The second conflict I was involved in on this board was the hiring of Dr. Beeman. His hiring was a compromise and compromise sometimes results in a decision that we may not want. I served on the board for five years, attended various meetings, and chaired committees. I am well aware of what is going on in this district and am very focused. You know my level of commitment. I believe I have camaraderie with staff. I am well known in the buildings and staff can always tell me what they think, which might result in me changing my mind. I also do not have a learning curve on what is going on in this district. I am a strong supporter of our current superintendent. If he succeeds, we will be successful. I have been a human resources director, campaign manager for a gubernatorial candidate, and have served on a prison board. I have media relations throughout the state. I have the time to serve and I am not afraid of making tough decisions. I am also someone who listens before making a decision. I am not a stranger to education enterprises. Chair Stroebe asked how the board can better mentor new trustees. Ms. Fox stated the chair and vice-chair should invite the board to come up with a plan to mentor new trustees. She was not opposed to helping develop a plan including a retreat after the board is seated. A social event would also be another idea, something outside of a tense situation. Trustee Wardell stated she believed Ms. Fox has never been a proponent of cluster schools. Ms. Fox responded that she has talked about consolidating schools if the budget required it. The district must look at ways to save money. The superintendent believes we will not need to consolidate at this time. Smaller class sizes are preferred. We must serve all areas of all of Billings equally which I do not feel is being done right now. JOHN EISEN Information is critical to know why you need the information. It has to be discussed, about the purpose, the issue, the resources, and what the assignments are. Making clear assignments is important. There is a lot of information that can be obtained. We need to understand which facts are relevant and what information serves the objective of the purpose in the first place. I have worked with districts all over the state. A school district cannot get to first base without quality teachers/staff and top salaries within the budget. Facility maintenance is my second priority. My third priority is planning, and fourth is to implement the plan and priorities within the process. Education is centered on change. It is natural for people to have a hard time handling changes. Educators are great at research. We have to be careful in determining the importance of the changes. Changes are something we need to discuss as a community as they could increase student learning that make kids excited and passionate about being in school. Unions are a crucial part of our community and are stakeholders. We have to be a part of discussion and analyze what is going on. People in the unions are close to what is going on in the classrooms. The ways to engage these stakeholders is with dialogue and listen to what they say. A true back and forth dialogue is needed. Sincerity, honesty, respect and trust are very important to use in the dialogue. Unions can be used as a sounding board in areas that are appropriate. I have had kids in the Billings schools for a total equal to 36 years of education. This school district has an extraordinary offering of curriculum for all manner of kids. There is a vast offering to reach any type of student, include offerings at the Career Center. When I served on the 20-year study committee, I wanted to utilize the Career Center as much as possible. I have been engaged in resolving conflicts throughout my years in business. Planning is involved in conflict. Get everyone together and talk it out. Listen to the pros and cons, show respect and get their attention. Let them know you are truly listening. Sometimes it helps to have cookies oro chocolate available to alleviate a tense meeting. I believe my skills are planning, analyzing data, evaluating issues which I have demonstrated for thirty years in working with this district. I believe I can bring a degree of expertise to the board. As an older person, I believe I can bring the perspective of time. Chair Stroebe asked for his thoughts on the district’s contract with Fielding Nair. Mr. Eisen stated there are a lot of ways to plan for a district. There is a community perspective that $1,000,000 is crazy to spend on a plan. The first part of the plan should be the determination of neighborhood schools and the actual occupancy per school today. The board should know what special deficiencies exist in each school and where the students are coming from. A discussion of modifying schools for 21st century learning should occur later. Spatial needs should be determined before addressing 21st century learning. Trustee Graves stated the district has over $100,000,000 in deferred maintenance. When we can’t pay to have the deferred maintenance addressed, how do we ask the community to get behind 21st century learning proposals? Mr. Eisen stated it is important to take care of what we own. We are falling behind. He suggested looking at it in smaller phases. MICHAEL LEO Good public policy must rely on good data. The first and foremost priority should be classroom resources and teacher salaries. We can improve student achievement with budget impacts. It is critical that we increase physical activities during the day. We should encourage kids to walk or bike to school because it has been shown that increased physical activities boosts student achievement. It is the goal to educate the work force of tomorrow and change is integral. He referred to a program for dropouts from the age range of 14-18 who attend classes and work on real projects. This is not a profit entity. The finances are transparent and public. There is no reason to adopt an adversarial position with the unions. We need to come to a consensus with the unions. We also must advocate for legislative changes at the state level. Very good. I am very impressed with the faculty and educational staff. Everyone’s perspective has value. Agreement must be gained in order to move forward because the goals are common. You cannot waiver in a working relationship that needs to produce. It is best to involve everyone and listen more than you talk. In San Francisco, I worked for a children’s fund which gave me a unique perspective on the various programs and how they deliver services. Seeing so many different approaches in improving the lives of youth, gave me fresh ideas to share with people in Billings. Trustee Wardell asked he would support consolidation of schools or cluster schools? Mr. Leo stated he would have to look at the issues being proposed at that time. Having a neighborhood school is an important asset but at the same time, he could not make a decision until reviewing the pros and cons. Chair Stroebe asked Mr. Leo if he had any ideas that could benefit our schools? He believed lengthening the school day might benefit the district. He felt kids needed more time in the classroom. Also participating in enrichment activities would be good. Hands on experiences could be used to boost student achievement. Trustee Ellis asked how more physical activities could take place in our schools that do not have adequate facilities. Mr. Leo stated the overall objectives could be set up for each campus . He has seen competitions in stair climbing and hall walking. Outside activities could also take place when possible. Mr. Leo felt his training and experience in policy analysis and assessments in children’s programs would be an asset for the district. Chair Stroebe stated, if the board were to choose an applicant on Monday night, he/she could be sworn in at the retreat. It was decided the vote on the trustee replacement would be taken Monday night after the recognition phase of the agenda. Trustee Graves was concerned about the length of the agenda. Chair Stroebe stated a couple of items could be postponed to a later meeting. As there was no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:05 p.m. Teresa Stroebe, Chair Diane Blevins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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