Diane Blevins Posted May 29, 2012 Report Share Posted May 29, 2012 Proceedings of the Board of Trustees District No. 2, Yellowstone County High School District No. 2, Yellowstone County Billings, Montana May 8, 2012 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, May 8, 2012 at 5:30 p.m. Members present included Trustees Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Pam Ellis, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Teresa Stroebe, Allen Halter, Connie Wardell, Travis Smith, District Clerk Leo Hudetz, and Human Resources Director Jeanna Lervick. Registered guests included Mary Westwood, Dennis Johnson, Mary Jo Fox, Chris Goodrich, Karen Tibbs, LeeAnn Logan, Carol A. Mick, and Paige Darden. 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. Bruce Swanson asked the candidate to address strands and spiral curriculum during his interview. He urged the board to be cautious when hiring the superintendent as that person must have the necessary knowledge and not go out to consultants. INTERVIEW OF JIM NYGARRD FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS The following are the list of questions asked of the candidate by Human Resources Director Jeana Lervick, and his responses: Tell us about your background and why you want to be the Billings Public Schools Superintendent. Mr. Nygaard reported he grew up in Minnesota and has had 33 years in education. He has mentored young superintendents and served on several boards in order to expand his comfort zone which is why he feels he is ready for a larger district. His students in the Alaska district in which he works have always done well and have never failed AYP. He always wants his staff and students to be their best and currently has the Alaska’s teacher of the year on his staff. Mr. Nygaard stated he wanted to move back to Montana as he has purchased a home in Emerald Hills and his parents and children live in Billings. Share specific ways you effectively communicate with the board; other administrators; teaching staff; classified staff; community; students. Please give us a recent example where you used humor in a professional interaction. There is no substitute for face-to-face communication. The Alaska legislators meet each year and he keeps staff and the community leaders informed of the on-going legislative issues. He sends out information to the board on a regular basis and gives updates at the monthly board meeting. He also allows for dialogues to take place with board members and develops a working relationship with them. Mr. Nygaard reported he liked to keep his board on their toes with funny comments. How would you accomplish creating an open/comprehensive communications process? He would develop a comfort level with that person and he would make himself available on their turf. Visibility across the district is very important and he wanted to be involved with PTA meetings, staff meetings, and city council meetings, as well as other organizations within the community. How would you go about gaining a better understanding of this school district and its finances and the community’s priorities and goals for education? Mr. Nygaard reported he would want to get a better handle on the budget by starting to look at previous budgets. He would try to anticipate where that budget is headed and look at legislative issues for five years out. The voice of the community would come through the board itself. Can you give us an example of what “compass” you use in your personal and professional life? What guides you as a leader? Mr. Nygaard stated he energizes on the run and is fascinated by children as they are in the learning process. He also enjoys talking to teachers when they realize that the students are learning. Describe the process you would use to establish a vision for the school district. What strategies would you implement to create an atmosphere of stability and continuity, while, at the same time, initiating change for improved student achievement? Vision comes from the elected board and he would adapt it to his style. As facilities are a big item for the district, he would become engaged with the facilities department. If we need to model facilities to what the students need, then changes would be expected. The vision would have to be shared with staff and the community, as well as how the changes are going. Support needs to be given to staff members and student achievements acknowledged. The community needs to see where the bond money would be directed and he would be very open with the community. How do you create high expectations for students and staff and create a method of holding all accountable to these standards? Students need to re-establish goals and be given the opportunity to achieve those goals. When students are enthused, they learn at a higher level. Staff needs to know what is expected of them and have the necessary resources. If a student is struggling, data is needed and used appropriately, as well as giving teachers staff development. Give some examples of your leadership in curriculum, best instructional practices, assessment, and staff development, which have led to improved student achievement. Mr. Nygaard believed the fourth R was relationships. He researched a Canadian curriculum that addresses relationships and teaches strengths that support women in Alaska. A marine biology curriculum was also implemented after he listened to what the students had to say and what they needed. Please share with us experiences you have had related to facility improvement or remodeling and/or new facility construction that you have overseen in districts you have served. What were critical considerations associated with either of the above? He was exposed to facility development in the Colstrip district. Alaska experiences harsh weather and facilities were in sad shape when he arrived. As the superintendent in Alaska, two schools were built which came in under budget with few change orders. The entire community collapsed after the Exxon spill so it was difficult for the community to support a bond. He campaigned for nine months by engaging the media and PTA groups as well as setting up a lunch program that was a success which served 13,000 lunches the first summer. People started asking more questions of staff and became more engaged. The bonds were passed with an 88% success percentage. As you have approached facility issues, how have instructional priorities of students been factored into the decision-making. Please provide an example. His first retrofit at the high school was done in the hallways. The Science Club conducted an audit of the building and personal audits at their homes in order to determine the numbers for the retrofit in the building. Elementary students were more limited but did math problems to coincide with the retrofit. A grant was also received from the government to make use of the methane gas around Cordova. Talk about your past experience in facilities improvement and development. How have student needs been incorporated into those experiences? When Mr. Nygaard arrived in Cordova, there was no library in the elementary school. A design team developed plans and solicited input from the staff, students and community to building the library. Also missing in the community was a gymnasium but the community did not want to lose their views. The gym was built at ground level to capture heat and the playground was tripled in size as it sat atop the gym. What approach do you use to ensure that all internal and external communities keep their focus on what is best for students? The Cordova district has a good partnership with research centers who involve the students. The district must decide how much can be brought in from the outside without disrupting the students. If it is good for students, then he would approve it but he turns people away if it is for a self-serving purpose. How do you work with staff to make sure that the decisions that are med in the educational setting are made based on student’s needs and not the adults in the setting? Mr. Nygaard reported he is data driven and decisions made are scientific based when looking at a new program. He also takes into consideration if makes for better instructors and is good for students. Professional development is always given when a new program is implemented. How do you believe raising student achievement is best accomplished? How do you determine specifically what needs to occur for student achievement to be a major priority? With NCLB running as hard as it is right now, some students do the best they can. Mr. Nygaard stated he would look at data and look at the students who are struggling to determine what could be done. Staff must be prepared with teaching techniques, resources must be available, and everyone held accountable, including the board, administrators, and teachers. Also, a celebration should be held when goals area reached or seek a way to improve achievement if it is not reached. Describe your overall leadership style and address how you build and maintain trust and the concept of “team” within the various constituent groups with which you interact. There needs to be a collective voice and there needs to be trust. In order to develop trust, the groups need to see him in action and he needs to see them in action. There must be the ability to help each other with the various issues. What method do you use to determine what the greatest needs of students are in the schools you serve? Mr. Nygaard stated he needed to address students who are struggling and address the issue of the dropout rate. Data is available and must be reviewed and it must start at the baseline level. Based on your research and observations, what excites you about becoming our next superintendent? Mr. Nygaard reported he has been watching the Billings district for years and felt he was able to take on a larger district and has a lot to offer. He loves a challenge and is a team builder. What suggestions would you have that might help us reach a higher level of effectiveness? The district must come together with a more unified voice and come together with one voice. There is ample room for growth and the public must be shown that possibility. What personal strengths can you bring to our schools and community to help us improve? Mr. Nygaard stated he loves his job and watching students grow, as well as watching teachers excel. He also works with legislators on educational issues as they hold the purse strings for funding. What do you see as our biggest challenge going forward? Financially, the deferred maintenance issue is a big challenge as the population is growing, as well as technology challenges. The public must be shown signs of positive growth and should be given the energy savings on a regular basis. Overall, the needs of students are the most important priority. What qualities and skills will you bring to this position? What areas do you feel are your strongest, and what areas do you need to improve? Mr. Nygaard reported he is very well versed in facility issues. Data must be reviewed to determine student needs. He felt he would need more help in keeping up with the students in technology and would need the support of the central office and administration to get caught up with the data that is available. What have you done in previous positions and what will you do as our superintendent to ensure that you receive diverse perspectives on issues facing the district? He has engaged the staff as far as challenges in the classroom. He stated he needs to be visible in the community and communication must be clear, honest, and transparent. How would you go about gaining an understanding of this school district and the community’s priorities and goals for education? Both the district and community would need to re-visit the strategic plan and gain as much input from the community as possible. It would be his job to achieve those goals. What is your leadership style? Give us a primary example which illustrates your leadership style in action. His style has varied from Colstrip to Alaska as there is a transient population in Alaska. He has trained all levels in the district using patience and tries to be supportive. Colstrip was more progressive than Alaska and he expected more out of the staff as they had been there longer. He is dependent on staff with his leadership style being upfront, patient, and making himself available 24/7. Discuss the latest trends in curriculum and instruction initiatives that you believe would be important within our district. Early childhood learning is critical and the district needs to be more aggressive for those students. If students are becoming lost, teachers need more training and trends in early childhood learning must be followed. Students are currently missing out on building relationships due to technology. What process do you utilize to determine the effectiveness of a district’s curriculum? Actually, the effectiveness of any program that is being used by a district. Curriculum should be data driving and he needs to be cautious in endorsing too many tests. Also the balance of the data needs to be credible at the local level. Do you have any questions for us? Mr. Nygaard stated he believed any concerns need to go through the board chair and board members answer to the board chair. Trustee Aragon made the following motion with a second by Trustee Halter: Motion to adjourn. Those voting in favor were Kathy Aragon, Greta Besch Moen, Lindy Graves, Travis Kemp, Travis Smith, Pam Ellis, Allan Halter, Teresa Stroebe, and Connie Wardell. The motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 7:00 p.m. Teresa Stroebe, Chair Diane Blevins, Recorder Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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