5-8-01 Board Meeting

EVERETT PUBLIC SCHOOLS
EVERETT, WASHINGTON Regular Meeting

The Board of Directors of Everett Public Schools, Snohomish County, Washington, held a regular Board meeting on Tuesday, February 22, 2005, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington. Those in attendance were Sue Cooper, Kristie Dutton, Karen Madsen and Paul Roberts. Absent: Roy Yates. In the absence of President Yates, Vice President Dutton conducted the meeting.

ADOPTION OF AGENDA
Vice President Dutton called for any recommended changes to the agenda. There were none. With that, Karen Madsen moved for adoption of the revised agenda. Paul Roberts seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Sue Cooper moved for approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of February 8, 2005. Paul Roberts seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS
Dr. Whitehead welcomed two students from the Education 105 class at Cascadia Community College: Andrew Flansberg and Hilary Anderson.

Dr. Whitehead called on Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma who shared flyers for an upcoming presentation by motivational speaker Billy Mills who was the 10,000-meter gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics (E:102/05). Everett Public Schools is hosting the event which will take place at Everett Civic Auditorium. In addition, Mr. Mills will meet with the spring sports athletic teams, and a luncheon will be held in his honor. His is an uplifting message about overcoming challenges.
SUPT’S COMMENTS
Next, Mr. Brandsma reported on the recent rollout of the Boeing 777-200LR (long range) airplane. Held on February 15, attendees were entertained by Evergreen Middle School choirs. A number of District officials attended. The Board was represented by Kristie Dutton and Paul Roberts. Although Mr. Brandsma was unable to attend the event, he obtained a video of the program and shared snippets of it with the Board. In addition, he circulated a full-page photo of the rollout that appeared in the February 20, 2005 edition of The Herald .

Dr. Whitehead then called on Area 2 Executive Director Lynn Evans who reported on the state-of-the-school reviews (SOSRs). She indicated that this year’ s SOSRs are complete. Eight clusters of reviews were presented in eight days. This new format grouped schools in feeder patterns and served to promote collaboration, articulation and alignment among the schools. The Administration was very pleased with the outcome of the SOSRs, and the presence and praise of the Board members was much appreciated. It was gratifying to note that a number of the presentation teams were composed of many young faces; that is, teachers with three or four years’ experience; who made articulate and credible presentations. The SOSRs followed an agenda which outlined the school’s areas of strength, the areas needing improvement, current plans for achieving goals, and plans for next year. It was encouraging to note that the schools did a good job of incorporating strategies relative to guided reading, math materials and curriculum, and the new rubric for writing. They were also clear about the support they wanted from the District.

The next steps are to review what Cabinet heard in the presentations and use the information to allocate resources for next year and evaluate strategic initiatives. A detailed report will be presented to the Board later in the year.

Dr. Whitehead reported that W-2s for District employees have recently been issued—2,843 were prepared showing wages earned of $79,697,981; union dues of $1,106,806; and over $85,000 to United Way. Through the United Way campaign, Everett Public Schools Foundation (EPSF) received a record amount of donations.

Dr. Whitehead reminded the group that the annual EPSF breakfast will be held Thursday, March 17, at 7 a.m., at the Everett Events Center. The theme will be “Explore, Discover, Challenge.” Astronaut Pinky Nelson will be the featured speaker.

Dr. Whitehead went on to report that student-driven efforts throughout the District resulted in the collection of over $20,000 for tsunami relief.

Everett High School’s annual senior citizens dinner was held recently, with an attendance of over 500, the largest yet. The group was entertained by the EHS jazz band. This very popular event is organized by the EHS leadership class.

Dr. Whitehead distributed copies of a press release from the Cognos Company which speaks about how Everett Public Schools is using software to make a difference for NCLB requirements (attached). Upon reading the article, Dr. Whitehead’s colleagues from across the state expressed interest in viewing Everett’s system.

In closing, Dr. Whitehead announced that Cascade High School is the home of National Merit Scholarship finalist Emma Breysse who she was selected from among 16,200 semifinalists who scored in the 99^th percentile on the PSAT. Winners of the award will be announced in March.

SUPT’S COMMENTS
(cont’d.)
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
PUBLIC COMMENT
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
None.

RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
ITEMS FOR INFORMATION
Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma introduced Robert Polk, the District’s Director of Athletics, who was present to share information about secondary student activities and athletics for 2004-2005. Robert opened his presentation by emphasizing the importance and benefits of student participation (E:103/05). He shared a comparison of the grade point averages of seniors from the Class of 2004 using categories of “All Students,” “Athletes,” and “Non-Athletes.” Additional research will be done to gather information on WASL scores, attendance and graduation rates.

UPDATE—SECONDARY STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Next, Robert reviewed feedback about a Student Interest Survey, completed in 2004, which is conducted every three years with students in grades 6-11. The purpose of the survey was to inquire about student participation in athletics and activities, ask for reasons why students do not participate and seek ideas that would help increase student participation. In terms of next steps, Robert reported that he will meet with Larry Galli, the District’s Title IX director, to discuss results of the survey. A committee will be formed to determine whether modifications need to be made to the current offerings. Lastly, Robert will provide a report to the Superintendent regarding Title IX.

When asked about possible concerns regarding the safety of middle school football because of the varying developmental stages of the players, Robert replied that he is unaware of any significant injuries that have occurred to football players at the middle school level. Coaches are very conscious of the differing levels of abilities and development of the players and they do a good job of preparing the athletes.

Board member Madsen said she is encouraged by Robert’s comments about expanding his role to encompass more than athletics. It will be interesting to see data on the number of students who participate in each of the activities across the whole realm of possibilities. When asked whether he will share information from tonight’s report with the schools’ ASB leaders, Robert said that is his intent.

When asked whether there has been further discussion about intramural sports at the middle school level, Robert said consideration is being given to instituting this idea next year. However, funding and facilities are issues, but schools are working to make connections with outside organizations. Karst added that Robert has been conscientious in exploring how to use resources creatively to increase opportunities.

Board member Cooper said that she appreciates the review that is being done and the efforts to gather good data to make good decisions. Board member Roberts said he appreciates the breadth of the review and its direction.

UPDATE—SECONDARY STUDENT ACTIVITIES
(cont’d.)
The attached proposed revised Policy 5406—Shared Leave Program (adding eligibility relative to the uniformed services), was provided to the Board for first reading, with approval to be requested at a future Board meeting (E:104/05). Communications and Partnerships Coordinator Lauren Hadley commented briefly. Penny Peters, of the Human Resources Department, also commented that the revision reflects changes in the law. PROPOSED REV. POLICY 5406—Shared Leave Program (adding eligibility relative to the uniformed services)—1^st reading
Financial Reports as of January 31, 2005, were provided for the Board of Directors’ review (E:105/05). The reports include year-to-date information on revenues and expenditures, General Fund projections, a cash report and an investment summary.
Associate Superintendent for Finance and Operations Jeff Riddle said the District is projecting spending down its fund balance by slightly over $2 million. He went on to say close attention will need to be paid to the District’s compensation costs because it is projected they will increase by almost $7 million over last year. The reasons for this rise are due to salary increases and the fluctuations in distribution of student enrollment from one year to the next.
FINANCIAL REPORTS
ACTION ITEMS
Paul Roberts moved for approval of the Consent Agenda and Karen Madsen seconded the motion.
CONSENT AGENDA

Personnel Report (E:106/05);
Voucher Lists (E:107/05);
Change Order No. 4: Gateway Middle School 8-Classroom Addition (Bid 04:03/04);
Approval of Mitigation Agreement Between Everett School District and the Falls at Mill Creek, LLC (PP 02-58) (E:108/05);
Resolution 819: Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Between Everett School District and Clover Park School District (Res. 12/05);
Award of Contract: Bakery Products (E:109/05);
Joint Agreement For Resource Conservation Program Between Everett School District and Public Utility District No. 2 of Snohomish County (E:110/05);

Tech Prep Articulation Agreement for Business Technology (Education) Between Everett Community College and Everett School District (covering Cascade, Everett, Henry M. Jackson and Sequoia High Schools) (E:111/05).

The motion carried unanimously.

CONSENT AGENDA (cont’d.)
Board member Roberts reported on his recent attendance at the FRN (Federal Relations Network) Conference in Washington, D.C. It was very informative and occurred at an interesting time because the President’s budget was delivered. Neither IDEA nor NCLB are funded anywhere near the authorization levels and it is clear that authorization levels are not being closely addressed. Securing adequate funding for education is even more challenging than it has been in previous years. Excellent meetings were held with all congressional delegations. Secretary of Education Spellings is a breath of fresh air and served as an uplifting aspect of the conference. Congressman Rick Larsen has expressed an interest in visiting Everett Public Schools and spending some time in the schools. “I want to be able to focus on the things for which we have a mandate, but are not funding,” he said. Mr. Roberts will share FRN materials with his Board colleagues at some point in the future.

Board member Madsen commented on the state-of-the-school reviews (SOSRs). She thanked the Administration for including the Board. In particular, she was pleased that she heard no excuses, and that people seemed to be “ owning” the areas where they had challenges. Board member Cooper commented that the focus was a positive aspect of the SOSRs. Schools feel supported, yet they have ideas for additional support. They are using data and are making decisions based on research and information. Collaboration within the buildings was also an impressive feature. Vice President Dutton said it was enjoyable to see the fresh new faces speak passionately about their jobs and schools. They appear to feel empowered to use their problem solving skills.

Board member Madsen reported that she recently attended the Washington State PTA Day of Focus during which more than one person referenced the special education lawsuit in which Everett is involved. In general, their opinions were, “It’s about time.”
The purpose of the day was for PTA members to visit with legislators and concentrate on the issues and concerns that have been identified by the state PTA.
BOARD COMMENTS

BOARD ACTION AND/OR BOARD DISCUSSION
With no further comments, at 5:35 p.m., Vice President Dutton recessed the regular meeting for a brief rest break and to move the meeting to Conference Room C3.

Vice President Dutton re-convened the regular meeting at 5:45 p.m. and recessed immediately into executive session for the Superintendent’s mid-year evaluation. It was announced the executive session would be of approximately 45 minutes’ duration.

Vice President Dutton reconvened the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. and adjourned immediately.
EXECUTIVE SESSION—SUPT’S MID-YEAR EVAL.

___________________________ ________________________________ Carol Whitehead, Secretary Kristie Dutton, Vice President

The Board of Directors of Everett Public Schools, Snohomish County, Washington, held a regular Board meeting on Tuesday, February 22, 2005, beginning at 4:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Educational Service Center, 4730 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington. Those in attendance were Sue Cooper, Kristie Dutton, Karen Madsen and Paul Roberts. Absent: Roy Yates. In the absence of President Yates, Vice President Dutton conducted the meeting.
ADOPTION OF AGENDA Vice President Dutton called for any recommended changes to the agenda. There were none. With that, Karen Madsen moved for adoption of the revised agenda. Paul Roberts seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.		ADOPTION OF AGENDA
APPROVAL OF MINUTES Sue Cooper moved for approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of February 8, 2005. Paul Roberts seconded the motion and the motion carried unanimously.		APPROVAL OF MINUTES
SUPERINTENDENT’S COMMENTS Dr. Whitehead welcomed two students from the Education 105 class at Cascadia Community College: Andrew Flansberg and Hilary Anderson. Dr. Whitehead called on Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma who shared flyers for an upcoming presentation by motivational speaker Billy Mills who was the 10,000-meter gold medalist at the 1964 Olympics (E:102/05). Everett Public Schools is hosting the event which will take place at Everett Civic Auditorium. In addition, Mr. Mills will meet with the spring sports athletic teams, and a luncheon will be held in his honor. His is an uplifting message about overcoming challenges.		SUPT’S COMMENTS
Next, Mr. Brandsma reported on the recent rollout of the Boeing 777-200LR (long range) airplane. Held on February 15, attendees were entertained by Evergreen Middle School choirs. A number of District officials attended. The Board was represented by Kristie Dutton and Paul Roberts. Although Mr. Brandsma was unable to attend the event, he obtained a video of the program and shared snippets of it with the Board. In addition, he circulated a full-page photo of the rollout that appeared in the February 20, 2005 edition of The Herald . Dr. Whitehead then called on Area 2 Executive Director Lynn Evans who reported on the state-of-the-school reviews (SOSRs). She indicated that this year’ s SOSRs are complete. Eight clusters of reviews were presented in eight days. This new format grouped schools in feeder patterns and served to promote collaboration, articulation and alignment among the schools. The Administration was very pleased with the outcome of the SOSRs, and the presence and praise of the Board members was much appreciated. It was gratifying to note that a number of the presentation teams were composed of many young faces; that is, teachers with three or four years’ experience; who made articulate and credible presentations. The SOSRs followed an agenda which outlined the school’s areas of strength, the areas needing improvement, current plans for achieving goals, and plans for next year. It was encouraging to note that the schools did a good job of incorporating strategies relative to guided reading, math materials and curriculum, and the new rubric for writing. They were also clear about the support they wanted from the District. The next steps are to review what Cabinet heard in the presentations and use the information to allocate resources for next year and evaluate strategic initiatives. A detailed report will be presented to the Board later in the year. Dr. Whitehead reported that W-2s for District employees have recently been issued—2,843 were prepared showing wages earned of $79,697,981; union dues of $1,106,806; and over $85,000 to United Way. Through the United Way campaign, Everett Public Schools Foundation (EPSF) received a record amount of donations. Dr. Whitehead reminded the group that the annual EPSF breakfast will be held Thursday, March 17, at 7 a.m., at the Everett Events Center. The theme will be “Explore, Discover, Challenge.” Astronaut Pinky Nelson will be the featured speaker. Dr. Whitehead went on to report that student-driven efforts throughout the District resulted in the collection of over $20,000 for tsunami relief. Everett High School’s annual senior citizens dinner was held recently, with an attendance of over 500, the largest yet. The group was entertained by the EHS jazz band. This very popular event is organized by the EHS leadership class. Dr. Whitehead distributed copies of a press release from the Cognos Company which speaks about how Everett Public Schools is using software to make a difference for NCLB requirements (attached). Upon reading the article, Dr. Whitehead’s colleagues from across the state expressed interest in viewing Everett’s system. In closing, Dr. Whitehead announced that Cascade High School is the home of National Merit Scholarship finalist Emma Breysse who she was selected from among 16,200 semifinalists who scored in the 99^th percentile on the PSAT. Winners of the award will be announced in March.		SUPT’S COMMENTS (cont’d.)
PUBLIC COMMENT None.		PUBLIC COMMENT
RECOGNITION OF RETIREES None.		RECOGNITION OF RETIREES
ITEMS FOR INFORMATION Associate Superintendent for Instruction Karst Brandsma introduced Robert Polk, the District’s Director of Athletics, who was present to share information about secondary student activities and athletics for 2004-2005. Robert opened his presentation by emphasizing the importance and benefits of student participation (E:103/05). He shared a comparison of the grade point averages of seniors from the Class of 2004 using categories of “All Students,” “Athletes,” and “Non-Athletes.” Additional research will be done to gather information on WASL scores, attendance and graduation rates.		UPDATE—SECONDARY STUDENT ACTIVITIES
Next, Robert reviewed feedback about a Student Interest Survey, completed in 2004, which is conducted every three years with students in grades 6-11. The purpose of the survey was to inquire about student participation in athletics and activities, ask for reasons why students do not participate and seek ideas that would help increase student participation. In terms of next steps, Robert reported that he will meet with Larry Galli, the District’s Title IX director, to discuss results of the survey. A committee will be formed to determine whether modifications need to be made to the current offerings. Lastly, Robert will provide a report to the Superintendent regarding Title IX. When asked about possible concerns regarding the safety of middle school football because of the varying developmental stages of the players, Robert replied that he is unaware of any significant injuries that have occurred to football players at the middle school level. Coaches are very conscious of the differing levels of abilities and development of the players and they do a good job of preparing the athletes. Board member Madsen said she is encouraged by Robert’s comments about expanding his role to encompass more than athletics. It will be interesting to see data on the number of students who participate in each of the activities across the whole realm of possibilities. When asked whether he will share information from tonight’s report with the schools’ ASB leaders, Robert said that is his intent. When asked whether there has been further discussion about intramural sports at the middle school level, Robert said consideration is being given to instituting this idea next year. However, funding and facilities are issues, but schools are working to make connections with outside organizations. Karst added that Robert has been conscientious in exploring how to use resources creatively to increase opportunities. Board member Cooper said that she appreciates the review that is being done and the efforts to gather good data to make good decisions. Board member Roberts said he appreciates the breadth of the review and its direction.		UPDATE—SECONDARY STUDENT ACTIVITIES (cont’d.)
The attached proposed revised Policy 5406—Shared Leave Program (adding eligibility relative to the uniformed services), was provided to the Board for first reading, with approval to be requested at a future Board meeting (E:104/05). Communications and Partnerships Coordinator Lauren Hadley commented briefly. Penny Peters, of the Human Resources Department, also commented that the revision reflects changes in the law.		*PROPOSED REV. POLICY 5406—Shared Leave Program (adding eligibility relative to the uniformed services)—1^st reading*
Financial Reports as of January 31, 2005, were provided for the Board of Directors’ review (E:105/05). The reports include year-to-date information on revenues and expenditures, General Fund projections, a cash report and an investment summary. Associate Superintendent for Finance and Operations Jeff Riddle said the District is projecting spending down its fund balance by slightly over $2 million. He went on to say close attention will need to be paid to the District’s compensation costs because it is projected they will increase by almost $7 million over last year. The reasons for this rise are due to salary increases and the fluctuations in distribution of student enrollment from one year to the next.		FINANCIAL REPORTS
ACTION ITEMS Paul Roberts moved for approval of the Consent Agenda and Karen Madsen seconded the motion.		CONSENT AGENDA
Personnel Report (E:106/05); Voucher Lists (E:107/05); Change Order No. 4: Gateway Middle School 8-Classroom Addition (Bid 04:03/04); Approval of Mitigation Agreement Between Everett School District and the Falls at Mill Creek, LLC (PP 02-58) (E:108/05); Resolution 819: Intergovernmental Cooperative Purchasing Agreement Between Everett School District and Clover Park School District (Res. 12/05); Award of Contract: Bakery Products (E:109/05); Joint Agreement For Resource Conservation Program Between Everett School District and Public Utility District No. 2 of Snohomish County (E:110/05); Tech Prep Articulation Agreement for Business Technology (Education) Between Everett Community College and Everett School District (covering Cascade, Everett, Henry M. Jackson and Sequoia High Schools) (E:111/05). The motion carried unanimously.		CONSENT AGENDA (cont’d.)
Board member Roberts reported on his recent attendance at the FRN (Federal Relations Network) Conference in Washington, D.C. It was very informative and occurred at an interesting time because the President’s budget was delivered. Neither IDEA nor NCLB are funded anywhere near the authorization levels and it is clear that authorization levels are not being closely addressed. Securing adequate funding for education is even more challenging than it has been in previous years. Excellent meetings were held with all congressional delegations. Secretary of Education Spellings is a breath of fresh air and served as an uplifting aspect of the conference. Congressman Rick Larsen has expressed an interest in visiting Everett Public Schools and spending some time in the schools. “I want to be able to focus on the things for which we have a mandate, but are not funding,” he said. Mr. Roberts will share FRN materials with his Board colleagues at some point in the future. Board member Madsen commented on the state-of-the-school reviews (SOSRs). She thanked the Administration for including the Board. In particular, she was pleased that she heard no excuses, and that people seemed to be “ owning” the areas where they had challenges. Board member Cooper commented that the focus was a positive aspect of the SOSRs. Schools feel supported, yet they have ideas for additional support. They are using data and are making decisions based on research and information. Collaboration within the buildings was also an impressive feature. Vice President Dutton said it was enjoyable to see the fresh new faces speak passionately about their jobs and schools. They appear to feel empowered to use their problem solving skills. Board member Madsen reported that she recently attended the Washington State PTA Day of Focus during which more than one person referenced the special education lawsuit in which Everett is involved. In general, their opinions were, “It’s about time.” The purpose of the day was for PTA members to visit with legislators and concentrate on the issues and concerns that have been identified by the state PTA.		BOARD COMMENTS
BOARD ACTION AND/OR BOARD DISCUSSION With no further comments, at 5:35 p.m., Vice President Dutton recessed the regular meeting for a brief rest break and to move the meeting to Conference Room C3. Vice President Dutton re-convened the regular meeting at 5:45 p.m. and recessed immediately into executive session for the Superintendent’s mid-year evaluation. It was announced the executive session would be of approximately 45 minutes’ duration. Vice President Dutton reconvened the regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. and adjourned immediately.		EXECUTIVE SESSION—SUPT’S MID-YEAR EVAL.

___________________________ ________________________________ Carol Whitehead, Secretary Kristie Dutton, Vice President