Minutes January 14, 2015

Date:

January 14, 2015

Time:

7:30 p.m.

Place:

Horace Greeley High School - Commons

Present:

Board of Education
Karen Visser, President
Alyson Gardner, Vice President
Victoria Tipp
Warren Messner
Jeffrey Mester

Staff Members
Present:

Dr. Lyn McKay, Superintendent

Mr. Eric Byrne, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction

Mr. John Chow, Assistant Superintendent for Business

Mr. Andrew Selesnick, Assistant Superintendent for Leadership Dev. & HR

Theresa Markley, District Clerk / Adm. Asst. to Superintendent

Visitors Present:

Representatives of the Chappaqua PTA, school PTAs, building administrators, faculty, and other interested citizens.

President Visser called the meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. Warren Messner moved to enter into Executive Session to discuss employment history of individuals. Victoria Tipp seconded. The motion passed unanimously. At 7:12 p.m. Jeffrey Mester moved to adjourn the Executive Session and reconvene public session. Victoria Tipp seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

Pledge of Allegiance

Presentations:

Inquiry and Innovation in Chappaqua

Dr. McKay noted that our visions and goals includes how we use time and space and technology that allows our students to be even more creative, innovative, and solve problems - all those skills that are so important when they leave Greeley.

Eric Byrne commented that there are several parts to this presentation and introduced Horace Greeley Principal Robert Rhodes to share the process. The Space Committee, faculty and students have been exploring opportunities and discussing why new space is needed and how it is utilized. Jay Littman from Fielding Nair will explain some of the possibilities.

Robert Rhodes reported that an invitation was issued in fall of 2003 to begin a Space Committee - and a number of teachers and students responded to evaluate opportunities and make recommendations on use of space. Last year began with five main ideas including the kiosk in the cafeteria, relocating staff room, and collaborated with student government to provide a space that just students could use for after school, between classes. Student Government donated iMacs for their use. Proposals were critiqued according to safety, lighting, technology, storage, air, student impact, etc. Besides the cafeteria, some of the more compelling ideas were development of L building, music room and storage. There will be site visits and more discussion to include some of the ideas that were not previously considered.

What makes a good 21st century school?
Jay Littman, architect from Fielding Nair

Mr. Littman explained how they began with architects from his firm from all over the country and began to evaluate how to make it a good 21st century school. The innovation plan was developed rather than a master plan to make small scale, affordable changes that could create different learning opportunities for teaches and students. An iFellowes group of educators worked over the summer to create curriculum. This is an education project not a decorating project. He summarized all the suggested changes that could be an art center, dark rooms, new student center, replace windows with those that are operable to make it a more pleasant space to be.

Teachers now also grew up in digital age and are learning to work in this environment. We are providing a place for them to teach what they have been doing. We take out the corridors and classes get more transparency. A group of teachers gets all the rooms not one room. Walkways become closed in because of the weather in this area. Each building has a plan of small learning communities (SLC).

Lyn McKay noted that although we are talking about Horace Greeley tonight, it is also for all the schools. Eric and I want to thank our board for such a great strategic question, Chappaqua School Foundation who has been financing large amounts of money, and Joe Gramando and his staff who have done so much of the work. We have space in each of the school buildings and a committee of teachers and administrators formed a group such as the iFellowes to move forward with educational strategies. We are very careful to include the educational piece not just a nice place to sit.

Louise Brady and Brian Petruso from iFellowes introduced the innovation opportunities process. They studied 15 ideas and discussed the top seven that were the most compelling: library, amphitheater, L building, music room and storage, maker space, C building, and glazing windows to enclose walkways. Faculty response raised questions about the process and suggested new approaches not previously considered to articulate specific benefits for students and teachers. Next steps: 3 year plan developing greater language and types of spaces, site visits and examples, share the entire list from potential design groups.

Staff Developer Chris Louth also addressed teacher action research and individual inquiry plans to provide mechanisms that are on different levels so that even if teachers have not gone through the training, they are able to utilize the spaces. There are a number of strategic ways of meeting their needs.

Budget Preview

Dr. McKay gave preliminary introduction to the rollover budget based upon the strategic questions as well as the four pillars that remain the same. The operating statements have a few minor changes. She asked John Chow to continue.

John Chow explained that the district is in negotiations with all four bargaining units. When Dr. McKay presents her budget in February, there will be a lot of different numbers. John reviewed what we know: slight enrollment decline, employment retirement system, assessment growth factor, debt service, health insurance premiums, equalization rates.

Then he reviewed the items that we don't know: Teachers Retirement System, CPI, state aid, tax cap, contracts for all staff, transportation costs, special education placements, assessed tax valuations, tax certiorari settlements. Budget proposal in February will probably be less than 1.77%

1.

Information Business Affairs

2.

Organization

Questions and Comments

3.

Approvals

Alyson Gardner moved to approve items 3.1-3.3, minutes. Warren Messner seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

4.

Recommended Action: Personnel

Superintendent McKay made the following recommendations:

5.

Recommended Action: Other

6.

Facilities

7.

Financials

Jeffrey Mester moved to accept items 7.1-7.4 financial reports. Alyson Gardner seconded. The motion passed unanimously.

8.

Communications

9.

President Visser gave Notice of Future Meetings -

10.

Adjournment

President Karen Visser adjourned the meeting at 11:16 p.m.