A Web-based newsletter for the staff of Everett Public Schools
Nov. 22, 2011 (NewsLinks articles are archived on Docushare)
NOTE: The district’s community newsletter Everett Schools is online. District residents receive a two-color paper copy early in December. You can read it first here!
IN THIS ISSUE
SUPERINTENDENT’S MESSAGE – The late German poet Bertolt Brecht wrote, “Because things are the way they are, things will not stay the way they are.”
The more things
change, the more important is my commitment to keep you in the loop and involved
as those changes impact the work we do as a team.
Please take a moment during the days ahead to become familiar with the information in this issue of NewsLinks – and to send back comments, questions or suggestions on any of these topics.
Today’s topics touch each of us in some way – whether that be understanding and awareness of the governor’s budget proposals, preparation for new staff evaluation processes, and/or district plans to consolidate the majority of our support services into a more efficient location.
Thank you for taking time to read this information and for your thoughts about what they mean to each of us. As we traverse the ever-changing terrain that is public education, thank you also for keeping your focus on meeting the needs of each child in our care.
Author Bruce Barton reminds us that change ultimately leads to progress – even though there is discomfort along the way. “Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change - this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress.”
WEARING RED ON NOV. 28 – What’s this all about? Can staff take part? What about students?
Short answer
It’s about calling attention to education. Yes, staff can take part. Students may choose to take part, but staff should not seek to influence students’ decisions.
Long answer
Monday, Nov. 28 has been designated as a day to wear red in support of public education. The day coincides with the beginning of the state legislative special session and amid concerns of proposed cuts to state programs, including education.
Advocacy actions of a public agency and its staff are regulated and limited by the state’s laws and Public Disclosure Commission (PDC), the constitution, and district policy during elections and when legislation is being considered. We are not allowed to use public staff time or resources to advocate during elections. Advocating or making “calls to action” with those resources to influence a legislative decision is similarly constrained.
In other words, we must keep in mind similar PDC regulations during the legislative season as we do during elections.
During election season, individuals may choose to wear campaign buttons – at work and in their private lives. During the legislative session, individuals similarly may choose to wear red – at work and in their private lives.
We cannot hand out election campaign buttons or campaign materials on our work time or in our work places. During our work time, we can answer questions on an election topic, but we cannot advocate one way or another on that election topic, and in communicating with students we must try to provide both sides of important issues.
Likewise, during the legislative decision-making season, we should not hand out advocacy materials on our work time or in our work places. We can answer questions about why we might be wearing red on Nov. 28, but we must not answer those questions in ways that could be perceived as advocating a stance on pending or proposed legislative action.
We would not use the district automated calling system or email system to rally levy campaign callers. Similarly, we should not use the district’s automated calling system or email system to remind people to wear red for the Monday, Nov. 28 “Call to Action.”
By its very title, Monday’s “Call to Action” is a day of advocacy on behalf of education. We each can make a choice about wearing red that day and know that doing so is within our rights. We must also take care not to cross the line between our rights to have an opinion and our responsibilities to honor the laws and policies that prevent our using public resources and public positions to unduly influence the public process.
BUDGET PROPOSALS – What’s the status now? How can I keep on top of the news?
Saying that she never thought she would be recommending cuts to the very fabric of the state of Washington, Gov. Chris Gregoire announced on Monday her supplemental budget request and a proposal to increase sales tax by half-cent for three years.
Education is not spared in the governor’s proposal.
We are early in the legislative process (a special session begins on Monday, Nov. 28), yet we have been working for some time to prepare for both the special session and the January regular session. We have been meeting with and sharing information with our legislators about how various cost-saving proposals will impact students in Everett Public Schools and around the state.
The district’s legislative priorities as presented to legislators who have met so far with administrators and board members Andrews, Dutton, Petersen and Russell are online. We have had very informative and in-depth conversations with legislators who are struggling with ways to preserve educational quality and needed services to the most vulnerable.
The Fiscal Advisory Council has been meeting – reviewing the budget work last year and following the emerging budget story as it is playing out in Olympia. They will continue to bring staff and community perspective into the district’s budget process after the first of the year.
You will find a cache of budget-related media articles online. We have been gathering those over the last few months as a resource and quick way for you to see the budget story evolving in this state and across the nation. The WSSDA Legislative Update website is also a good source of information and analysis of statewide education funding issues.
We will be using the district website and NewsLinks to keep you up-to-date with budget decisions that impact our district and how those are being considered within our district.
TEACHER PRINCIPAL EVALUATION PILOT (TPEP) – What is it? What does it mean to me?
(To help staff stay involved and
informed about TPEP, the district has established a TPEP website with information that will evolve
through the process.)
Senate Bill 6696, passed in 2010 by Washington’s Legislature,
calls for significant changes in the way teachers and principals are evaluated
by the time school starts in 2013.
The most notable change in the new
evaluation system will be moving from a two-tiered model, in which the overall
result is a satisfactory or unsatisfactory rating to a four-tiered professional
growth and development model. The state has set the eight criteria with which
teachers and principals are evaluated.
How is the district preparing for the
changes?
Everett is already deep into planning for TPEP.
To prepare for the 2013 requirements, a team from our district visited several
of the pilot districts last year. We formed a steering team to guide Everett’s work, as well as
a principal design team and a teacher design team to help develop the measures
and rubrics that will become a part of the evaluation pilot for teachers and
principals. Dr. Cohn has also asked the school board to redesign his evaluation
process to align with the TPEP model.
The district, Everett Educational
Association (EEA) and Everett Association of School Administrators (EASA)
applied for and received a regional implementation grant from Northwest
Educational Service District 189 (NWESD 189). As one of five districts chosen to
be a part of this consortia, we will work with OSPI and NWESD 189 to develop and
implement an evaluation model.
Timeline
The state requires that all
school districts use the new evaluation standards by fall of 2013. The Regional
Implementation Group (RIG) which received the grant will spend September through
January researching and learning before selecting one or two instructional
frameworks in mid-January.
From January through March, the RIG group
will examine measures of the new model. From March to June, districts will begin
professional development, evaluator training and prepare to pilot the new
evaluation model.
Our district will begin implementing the new evaluation
model with at least 20 percent of teaching staff, all new and provisional
teachers and all school administrators in fall of 2012.
Read more about
TPEP on the district TPEP website.
TPEP TIMELINE IN A
NUTSHELL
· Now-January 2012: Research instructional frameworks
· January 2012: Select one or two instructional frameworks
· January-March 2012: Examine measures and create rubrics for the new model
· March-June 2012: Begin professional development, evaluator training and get ready to pilot new model
· Fall 2012: Pilot new model with at least 20 percent of teachers, all new and provisional teachers and all school administrators
WHAT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY RESOURCE CENTER? How did the board make a decision about size and cost? (See the full board presentation and all materials the board reviewed online.)
On Tuesday, Nov. 15, the school board held another public meeting about the plans for consolidating the majority of district support services into a Community Resource Center (CRC) near Memorial Stadium.
The board recognizes the long-term investment benefits to the community:
· By state law, the capital dollars for the CRC cannot be used to pay salaries or offset the cuts the state has made and proposes making to school district operational funds.
· 50-75 year life span for a building designed flexibly to meet changing needs, with cost-saving factors in mind and future expansion capabilities to meet growth needs.
· Increased public access and “one stop” shopping for educational services
· Increased efficiencies in energy consumption and staff time.
· “Cash in hand” capital funds spent on efficient building now will save operational dollars in the future.
· “Cash in hand” capital funds mean the much-needed consolidation of the majority of district support services and district and community meeting space will involve no interest payments.
· New construction means new community jobs.
· During the last four months of conversations with potential community partners, the district has heard a number of proposals for ways the CRC could meet district and community needs, including community partner offices and large and small conference rooms, a one-stop career center, CTE programs, homeless programs, referral triage service, senior citizen and student involvement, short-term and long-term office space and conference rooms, and hotelling work stations on a drop-in basis for various organizations.
In the Nov. 15 meeting, the board took cost factors into consideration.
· Code requirement changes since 2009 have added about $500,000 to the project. These include storm drainage requirements, more insulation to meet changed energy codes and a stair landing for fire safety.
· Washington state sales tax, architectural and engineering fees, unforeseen conditions, permits, testing, inspection, contracts and supervision are all factored into the cost at about $6.9 million. Included in that cost is furniture and equipment. Much of the furniture and equipment will come from offices that are being consolidated.
· The construction market is beginning to stabilize; costs for construction are beginning to go back up. It is important to start the project as soon as possible to take advantage of lower construction costs before another spike.
CRC statistics, including modifications added by board on Nov. 15:
· Building size 66,365 square feet
· Estimated construction cost $19,577,000
· Estimated cost per square foot $295 per square foot
· Estimated project cost $26,435,000
How the CRC costs compares to other projects recently completed or underway:
· Wilkes Elementary (Bainbridge Island) $307 per square foot
· Hudtloff Middle (Clover Park) $290 per square foot
· Valley View Middle (Snohomish) $317 per square foot
· Boeing office building* $319 per square foot
· Community Resource Center* $295 per square foot
*Estimated costs including site work
How the CRC costs compare to Lake Washington School District center built in 1995:
That was then
Lake WA CRC built in 1995 with 55,000 square feet, cost $7,850,000 to build. No parking or site development work was involved in the location which is in the Redmond Towne Shopping Center. The cost per square foot 16 years ago was $143.
When the board and community members toured the Lake WA CRC earlier this month, they were advised not to scrimp on space; Lake WA believes their center is too small for the services they are expected to provide, and there is not enough parking to accommodate patron needs.
This is now
OSPI calculates that the average school construction costs have increased 100% from 1995 to 2009.
Everett Public Schools CRC is to be 66,365 square feet, with flexibility for expansion in the future.
The cost of building in Everett, 16 years later than the Lake WA building, after construction costs have increased 100% in the last 16 years, is estimated to be $295 per square foot. ($46 per square foot of Everett’s costs today are for parking and site development work – a cost that Lake WA did not incur 16 years ago, having placed its center in an already planned shopping center.)
Next Steps:
· Out to bid March 2012
· Bid award April 2012
· Start construction May 2012
· Complete construction October 2013
WEATHER READINESS – Can you answer these questions?
· How will you know if school is delayed or canceled this winter season? (Is your home contact information up-to-date in Employee Online?)
· How will our student families know?
· If students in your family ride a school bus, do you know what the snow routes are?
· Is school lunch served on days that we delay the start for two hours?
· Is morning kindergarten held on “late start” days?
· Do we go ahead with the school play or concert if school is cancelled on that day?
· Do we still have basketball practice on a day that school has been cancelled?
ANSWER TO THE FIRST TWO QUESTIONS: Each school and department has its own unique system for notifying staff. That may be an automated calling system or a telephone tree. Automated calls pull your contact information from Employee Online. If your telephone number changes, be sure to change your contact info in Employee Online.
The district uses the automated calling system to notify students’ families. (Thus, those of you with students in our district may be notified twice about the day’s schedule.)
The rest of the questions are answered on the district website’s emergency page where you will find the 2011-12 snow routes as well as answers to questions about how school activities are impacted by cancellations or delays.
KUDOS TO THE BENEFITS STAFF – Imagine making changes to 1,900 insurance plans!
Making individual and family decisions about health, dental, life, disability and other insurance options can seem daunting. Yet the district benefits staff managed to help each of us through that process seamlessly. Each choice had the potential to be a life-changing decision. Certainly something to add to the seasonal Thanksgiving list is the professional and caring folks who take such care on our behalf with such important decisions.
UNITED WAY – Dec. 5 is just around the corner
Last week was the final United Way presentation to each of the district’s schools and departments. Monday, Dec. 5 is the day when our pledge forms are due at the EPS Foundation office in Hawthorne.
About two-thirds of our schools and departments have turned in forms. Remember, a pizza party goes to the school or department with the best increase in staff participation and for those with 60 percent or more participating. With the results so far, the pizza party winners could be determined by just one or two different donors.
NEWS AROUND THE DISTRICT
11.22.2011 Monroe Elementary to be first in the nation with LED lighting
11.17.2011 Cascade High students vying for spot in annual food
drive
11.14.2011 Forest View
teacher named STAR 101.5 Teacher of the Week
11.10.2011 Today's sixth- through 10th-graders will have new
math materials next fall
11.10.2011 Student representatives join the Everett School
Board
11.10.2011 Tuskegee Airmen share
their story with Eisenhower students
11.09.2011 James Monroe Elementary hosts international science
visitor
11.09.2011 View Ridge Elementary
fifth-graders hold mock election
11.08.2011 Sheriff, PTA honor memory of Bothell man with funds
for sign at Woodside Elementary
11.07.2011 College athletics recruiting information night -
Nov. 22
OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS
1. Mr. Yuk is looking for posters from students, ages 6 to 12. “Everyone Needs Mr. Yuk!” is the Washington Poison Center's (WAPC) theme for the 2012 Poster Contest and is a reminder that everyone needs to be vigilant about poisons. The winning poster will be part of the 2012 Poison Prevention Week campaign celebrated across the state in March.
The top prize earns a $500 check card, a visit from Mr. Yuk to the winner’s school, and the winning design featured as the poster for Poison Prevention Week in Washington state. Four runners-up will receive a $100 check card. WAPC will accept poster entries postmarked by Jan. 6, 2012.
Poison prevention lesson plans and contest information are online.
2. Do you have a student planning to attend college? Do you know that early college classes taken in high school can earn college credit and cost less than course credits in college? See for yourself by checking out the online information comparing the cost of early college credits compared to five Washington state colleges and universities. Also at that link, you will find information about the transferability of early college credits and basic college-going vocabulary.
3. Hands-On Health Fairs at Providence Cymbaluk Medical Tower Dec. 10 and Jan 7. Visit www.providence.org/everett for more information.
KEY DATES – important dates and celebrations you won’t want to miss planning for now!
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES – All policies and procedures are available online.
Everett Public Schools does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability in its programs and activities and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups.
Designated to handle inquiries about nondiscrimination policies are: Affirmative Action Officer, Carol Stolz, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett, WA 98201, 425-385-4106; Title IX Officer and 504 Coordinator, Randi Seaberg, 3715 Oakes Ave., Everett, WA 98201, 425-385-4104; ADA Coordinator, Kristine McDowell, 4730 Colby Ave, Everett, WA 98203 425-385-5250. (Email address for each is FirstInitialLastName@everettsd.org)
Diane Bradford
Communications Dept.
Everett Public Schools
425-385-4040