Edina Public Schools — Transcript
Monday, May 16, 2016
School Board Recognitions
Artificial Turf Fields and Crumb Rubber Debate
District Construction Projects (NextGen Initiative)
Strategic Initiatives & Educational Planning (NextGen EPS)
Policy Review and Updates
Votes (11)
Substitute Personnel Recommendations (5A)
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [0:10:48] · Seconded by Unknown [0:10:50]
A walked-in item to replace the existing personnel recommendations under agenda item 5A.
Add Unrequested Leave Recommendation (7H)
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [0:11:15] · Seconded by Unknown [0:11:18]
A walked-in item to add an unrequested leave recommendation as item 7H to the agenda.
Early Childhood Schematic Design Proposal
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:23:36] · Seconded by Unknown [1:23:37]
The proposal aims to reconfigure the first floor of an Early Childhood space to include security updates and integrated classroom spaces for various early childhood programs. The design seeks to build in flexibility for changing program enrollments.
Guiding Change Plan for Daily Schedules
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:25:20] · Seconded by Unknown [1:25:21]
The plan outlines a process for studying and matching daily schedules across elementary, middle, and high schools, ensuring funding sustains any staffing model changes. High school and middle school teams have already begun work, with elementary following. An update is expected this summer, with board action anticipated in October/November for implementation in Fall 2017.
Guiding Change Plan for District Start End Times
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:26:59] · Seconded by Unknown [1:27:01]
This plan initiates a study on district school start and end times, considering complexities like early-start programs and private contract services. The process will involve surveys with parents, staff, and the community, leading to recommendations in early fall and potential board action in October/November for Fall 2017 implementation. The district is collaborating with other school districts, like Burnsville, undertaking similar studies.
2016-17 Leadership Positions
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:28:29] · Seconded by Unknown [1:28:30]
Recommendations were made to add leadership support positions for the 2016-17 school year, including two Elementary Dean positions, a Middle School design teacher on special assignment (TOSA), eight Middle School leadership stipends, and a Mayterm coordinator. The majority of funding comes from internal reallocations, with a one-time request for $185,000 from current budget carryover. This support is deemed crucial for implementing strategic initiatives and managing change.
High School Upper Commons Furniture Package
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:30:57] · Seconded by Unknown [1:31:00]
The board approved the furniture package for the high school upper commons area, which aligns with the completion of construction. The selection was based on options identified by a district secondary task force and is within the allocated budget, with purchases made through a State Contractor cooperative purchasing arrangement.
Technology Purchases (Consolidated Items)
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:32:55] · Seconded by Unknown [1:32:56]
The board approved a consolidated list of technology purchases for students and staff, including Lenovo Chromebooks, desktop computers (for general use and PLTW), iPads, laptops, and a Microsoft subscription. These purchases support the e-learning squared initiative and teacher refresh cycles. Significant improvements in Chromebook durability and warranty coverage, including a 3-year accidental damage warranty for parents, were highlighted. The purchases are within the existing technology budget from the 2011 referendum.
Policy 5113
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:36:59] · Seconded by Unknown [1:37:00]
This policy was presented for approval after having been reviewed at a previous meeting. No further changes or discussions were noted.
Policy 538 (Field Trips)
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:37:37] · Seconded by Unknown [1:37:38]
The policy was approved despite ongoing concerns about its complexity, ensuring clarity on district-sponsored vs. non-district-sponsored trips, financial equity, access, and student safety. Board members raised questions about the definition of 'instructional trips' versus costs, the clarity of 'sanctioned/unsanctioned' language, defining 'educational competencies' for various trips, and the consistency of substitute teacher costs. Staff confirmed it remains a 'work in progress' but needed approval for 2016-17 planning.
Unrequested Leave Recommendations
Dissent: None
Moved by Unknown [1:42:25] · Seconded by Unknown [1:42:28]
This action formally approved the unrequested leave recommendations for two tenured teachers who did not come before the board to ask questions. This follows the process for tenured staff whose positions are no longer available.
Notable Quotes (11)
this is similar there's no changes since the um update that we provided for you last month um in terms of the Early Childhood schematic design it represents the just those big rocks on the first floor of how we want to reconfigure the first floor for a comprehensive Early Childhood space to include some security updates and some integrated C uh classroom spaces for our early childhood special ed our early childhood family Ed and the family center and our School Readiness programs
this is a process for studying our daily schedules and the important thing here is that we match up our elementary middle and high school so that as we look at uh the schedule adjustments we want to make sure we have funding that can sustain any change in uh Staffing models that would come out of these three
We are hoping to do some uh contacts do some survey samples with parents on the interests and priorities they have uh we'll also be having a forum where we get input before recommendations are drawn uh early next fall again this would be something we likely bring back to the board for further discussion and action on this would likely be an October November plan as well this again everything's in place for next year there's no significant changes in the calendar uh or excuse me in the school start and end time but this would come into play for the fall of 2017 so this does give us plenty of lead time
I can't stress the importance of making sure that we have enough leadership uh efforts again this is what we have learned from other school districts how they have uh gone into these type of changes be it the oio school district or the Burnsville School District or other districts at a national level Westside outside of Omaha um but when you're trying to make this type of progress in your strategic work and making this kind of change to make sure that we are shaping uh learning going forward we need to make sure we have some of this one-time support available
we are moving forward the first one we always said that we wanted to make sure that the furniture arrives in conjunction with completion of construction so the first completion of construction will be those upper comons that you heard about earlier from Dr dressen and so we have some furniture options that the uh the district secondary task force put uh put in place in terms of here's some options that we can choose from and then the site selected those based on those options and so we do understand them to be line with what we're looking at districtwide and in line with budget
I come to you with the um purchases for desktop computers Chromebooks laptops these are predominantly used for our students and our staff they're Guided by our technology Vision the Chromebooks are to help satisfy the e-learning squared initiative which will fulfill uh getting a cart of Chromebooks for every third grade and ensuring that there's sufficient uh Chromebooks for our secondary schools as well
the Chromebooks we're purchasing actually will come with a three-year warrranty with them and so that they will be covered for uh any defects from the products also as um next month we'll be looking to uh discuss the Best Buy web store and what the parents will be purchasing and in that one we're looking to get it built into the price so at the same price that our parents been paying in the past a three-year accidental damage warranty for those parents that means three years if they drop it break a screen or something like that it is covered under warranty
We did we saw this April 11th there have been no notes or changes since that meeting
We continue to support field trips we also recognize how complicated this policy is to put together and to implement so we're grateful for the work of Staff members who have put together requests
some of my questions go back to that I really want us to continue to wrestle with is you know how are we deciding what is sanctioned and unsanctioned I really think we need to get clear language around that and how we determine that
yes there are two notices so one it's a formal notice um indicating that these two teachers are un requested leave because they are tenured and we do not have any current positions they have an opportunity to come before the board to ask any questions they did not so now you're taking formal action
Ordinances & Resolutions (13)
Policy governing public comments during board meetings, including duration and content restrictions.
Submitted to the Minnesota Department of Education in January 2015, outlining projects for community authorization, including converting natural turf fields to Synthetic Turf.
Course Credit for Learning policy, undergoing extensive recommendations for edits to clarify process and meet student needs.
Use of Volunteers in School policy, streamlined for clarity.
Part of the 400 series personnel policies, queried for potential inclusion of 'gender identity' as a protected class.
Discipline of School District Employees policy, with added language for clarification and procedures moved to an appendix.
Public and Private Personnel Data policy, updated to comply with Minnesota statute changes.
A policy approved by the board with no changes since its last review.
Field Trips policy, approved as a work in progress with concerns remaining about equity, clarity on district sponsorship, and educational competencies.
A plan to study and implement new daily schedules across elementary, middle, and high schools for Fall 2017.
A plan to study and potentially adjust school start and end times for Fall 2017.
Letter from the Department of Education referenced in discussion about Policy 401.
Statute cited for moving into closed session to discuss negotiation parameters.