1
April 24][2014
Board of School DirectorsMilwaukee, WisconsinApril 24, 2014
Annual Organizational Meeting of the Board of School Directors called to order by the Board Clerk at 6:35 PM.
Directors Bonds, Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, and Zautke are continuing members.
The following members responded to roll call:
Present— Directors Bonds, Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, and Zautke— 9.
Absent— None.
Director Bonds moved to elect Director Bonds temporary Chair.
There being no other nominations, Director Bonds was elected temporary chair by unanimous consent.
ELECTION OF BOARD PRESIDENT
Director Bonds, having assumed the Chair, announced that the next order of business was the election of a President to serve for the ensuing year.
The Board proceeded to vote by roll call with the following result:
Director Bonds...... Director Bonds
Director Falk...... Director Bonds
Director Holman...... Director Bonds
Director Joseph...... Director Bonds
Director Miller...... Director Bonds
Director Sain...... Director Bonds
Director Spence...... Director Bonds
Director Woodward...... Abstain
Director Zautke...... Director Bonds
Director Bonds— 8.
Abstain— 1.
Director Bonds, having received a majority of the votes of the membership, was duly elected President of the Board of School Directors for the ensuing year.
Election of Board VICE-PRESIDENT
The President announced that the next order of business was the election of a Vice-President to serve for the ensuing year.
The Board proceeded to vote by roll call with the following result:
Director Bonds...... Director Holman
Director Falk...... Director Holman
Director Holman...... Director Holman
Director Joseph...... Director Holman
Director Miller...... Director Holman
Director Sain...... Director Holman
Director Spence...... Director Holman
Director Woodward...... Abstain
Director Zautke...... Director Holman
Director Holman— 8.
Abstain— 1.
Director Holman having received a majority of the vote, the President declared her duly elected Vice-President for the ensuing year.
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Designation of Board Clerk
The President announced that the next order of business was the designation of a Board Clerk to serve for the ensuing year.
By consensus of the Board, Ms. Lynne A. Sobczak was designated Board Clerk for the ensuing year.
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Appointment of Representative to the Library Board
Board Rule 1.17(7) prescribes that the Board President is an ex officio member of the Library Board. If the President elects not to serve, the Board will need to elect a representative by a roll call vote at its regular May meeting.
The President, having indicated that he elected not to serve on the Library Board, announced that the Board would elect its representative at its regular May 2014 meeting.
Appointment of Representative to CESA #1
The President nominated Director Spence to serve as the Board’s representative to CESA #1.
The appointment was approved by consensus.
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Appointment of a Representative to the Wisconsin Association of School Boards (WASB)
On August 20, 2011, the Board re-elected Director Terrence Falk as the delegate for WASB Region 14. As this is a three-year term, Director Falk will continue as the Board’s delegate to WASB until WASB gives notice of an upcoming election.
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Appointment of the Board’s Representative to the Milwaukee Education Partnership (MEP)
The Milwaukee Board of School Directors is an Executive Partner of the Milwaukee Education Partnership (formerly the Milwaukee Partnership Academy), a PK-16 council of education, labor, business, government, university, foundation, parent, and community groups. The Executive Partners provide the ongoing direction and overarching goals and objectives for the work of the MEP. The Board president is the Board’s ex officio delegate to the Milwaukee Education Partnership. If the President chooses not to serve, the Board may select a representative for the 2014-15 Board year.
President Bonds announced that he would continue to serve as the delegate to MEP for the 2014-14 Board year.
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Appointment of the Board’s Delegate to the MPS Head Start Policy Council
On the nomination of President Bonds, Director Spence was appointed the Board’s delegate to the Head Start Policy Council for the 2014-15 Board year by unanimous consent.
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Appointment of the Board’s Liaison to the Milwaukee City Council of PTAs/PTSAs
On the nomination of President Bonds, Director Zautke was appointed the Board’s liaison to the Milwaukee City Council of PTAs/PTSAs during the 2014-15 Board year by unanimous consent.
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Appointment of the Board’s Liaison to the Title I District Advisory Council
On the nomination of President Bonds, Director Miller was appointed the Board’s liaison to the Title I District Advisory Council during the 2014-15 Board year by unanimous consent.
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Unfinished Business
A.Disposition of Unfinished Business Pending before the Board and Its Committees at the Close of Business on April 22, 2014.
Background
Since the Board, by statute, is a continuing body, items of business pending before the Board at the close of its last business meeting of the Board year (April 22, 2014) are to be submitted to the Board at its annual organizational meeting for referral to the appropriate Committees or for other disposition, as the Board sees fit. The items of business pending before the Board and its Committees at the close of business on April 22, 2014, arranged by committee, are listed below.
Recommendation
That the Board determine how it wishes to dispose of the pending items of business as listed below:
Listed by Committee and Numbered Consecutively
(Names of former Board members are in italics)
Introduced / Responsibility / Carried
Over / Notes
Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies (LRP)
[1} / Resolution
1011R007 / Bonds / To authorize the submission of administrative appointments by the Director, Office of Board Governance, during vacancies in the position of superintendent of schools / 6/24/2010 / Administration / 4/26/11, 5/1/12, 4/23/13 / Pending per author’s request in October 2013.
[2] / Resolution
1011R019 / Falk / To disregard students’ absences due to religious obligations / 9/30/2010 / Administration / 4/26/11, 5/1/12, 4/23/13
[3] / Resolution
1213R016 / Miller / To call for the reduction of the use of high-stakes standardized testing in programmatic and teacher evaluations / 2/28/2013 / Administration / 4/23/13 / Pending per author’s request in October 2013.
[4] / Resolution
1314R003 / Bonds / To examine the organizational structure of the Milwaukee Public Schools for appropriate roles, responsibilities, and relevancy in a changing educational landscape / 6/27/2013 / Administration / Pending per author’s request in October 2013.
[5] / Resolution
1314R-008 / Bonds / Regarding Revisions to Policies and Procedures Governing Criminal Background Checks of Applicants for Employment with MPS / 2/27/2014 / Administration
[6] / Resolution
1314R-009 / Falk / To prohibit the use of e-cigarettes and other electronic nicotine-delivery systems on Board property / 3/27/2014 / Administration
Separate consideration was requested of Items 1, 2, 5, and 6.
Director Spence moved to place the balance of the items on file.
The motion prevailed, the vote being as follows:
Ayes—Directors Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, Zautke, and President Bonds—9.
Noes—None.
The items set aside were referred as indicated.
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B.Annual Review of Board Compensation
Background
At its meeting on November 28, 2000, the Board set salaries of $18,121 per year for Board members and $18,667 per year for the Board President. The Board’s action of November 28, 2000, also contained a provision that the Board’s compensation be reviewed annually at the organizational meeting.
The compensation currently remains at the levels set by the November 28, 2000, Board action.
Recommendation
That the Board determine how it wishes to proceed with the review.
Director Spence moved to keep the compensation levels at their current rate.
The motion prevailed, the vote being as follows:
Ayes—Directors Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, Zautke, and President Bonds—9.
Noes—None.
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New Business
(Item A)Transmittal of Tentative 2014-15 Board Calendars
The Board Clerk presented to the Board for its review the tentative calendars of regular Board and committee meetings for 2014-15.
Director Miller moved to waive Board Rule 1.02(1) and move the June 26, 2014, regular Board meeting to June 19, 2014.
The motion prevailed, the vote being as follows:
Ayes—Directors Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, Zautke, and President Bonds—9.
Noes—None.
Director Holman moved to move the September 25, 2014, regular Board meeting to September 18, 2014.
The motion prevailed, the vote being as follows:
Ayes—Directors Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, Zautke, and President Bonds—9.
Noes—None.
Director Spence moved to approve the 2014-15 Board calendar as revised.
The motion prevailed, the vote being as follows:
Ayes—Directors Falk, Holman, Joseph, Miller, Sain, Spence, Woodward, Zautke, and President Bonds—9.
Noes—None.
Approved 2014-2015 Tentative Board and Committee Calendars
AFP=Committee on Accountability, Finance, and Personnel; SASI=Committee on Student Achievement & School Innovation; LRP=Committee on Legislation, Rules and Policies (scheduled at the call of the Chair); PACE=Committee on Parent and Community Engagement; SPB=Committee on Strategic Planning & Budget (scheduled at the call of the Chair)
All meetings are conducted in the Central Services Auditorium unless noted otherwise.
Per action of 12/16/08, no meetings of the Board or its Committees are to be held on election days.
Board and Committee Meetings— May 2014SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3
6:30 P.M.— SPB / Board members submit proposed amendments to OBG
4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
Administration submits proposed amendments to OBG by Noon / 6:30 P.M.— PACE
11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17
6:30 P.M.— SASI
7:30 P.M.— SPB / 6:30 P.M.— Statutory Public Hearing / Board members submit proposed amendments to OBG by Noon
Mother’s Day
18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24
6:30 P.M.— AFP
Administration submits proposed amendment analysis to OBG by Noon
25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
6:30 P.M.— Regular Mtg.
Memorial Day
Board and Committee Meetings— June 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14
6:30 P.M.— SASI / 6:30 P.M.— PACE
15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21
6:30 P.M.— AFP / 6:30 P.M.— Regular Mtg.
Father’s Day
22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28
29 / 30
Board and Committee Meetings— July 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5
Independence’s Day
6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12
13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19
20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26
27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
6:30 P.M.— Regular Mtg.
Board and Committee Meetings— August 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2
3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9
10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16
6:30 P.M.— SASI
(Due to Board action in December 2008, Board & committee meetings cannot be held on election days) / 6:00 P.M.— PACE
6:30 P.M.— AFP
Fall Primary Election
17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23
6:30 P.M.— Regular Mtg. (per Board Rule 1.02)
24/31 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30
Board and Committee Meetings— September 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
Labor Day
7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
6:30 P.M.— SASI / 6:00 P.M.— PACE
6:30 P.M.— AFP
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
6:30 P.M.— Regular Mtg.
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
Rosh Hashanah / Rosh Hashanah / Rosh Hashanah
28 / 29 / 30
Board and Committee Meetings— October 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Yom Kippur / Yom Kippur
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
6:00 PM— PACE
6:30 PM— AFP
Sukkot / Sukkot / Sukkot / Sukkot
12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18
6:30 PM— SASI
Sukkot / Columbus Day; Sukkot / Sukkot / Sukkot; Shemini Atzeret / Shemini Atzeret; Simkhat Torah / Simkhat Torah
19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25
Board Finalizes FY15 budget and transmits any changes to Common Council— The Board’s January 2014 adoption of budget calendar made this date subject to change by Chair
26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
6:30 PM— Regular Mtg.
Halloween
Board and Committee Meetings— November 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1
2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8
Fall General Election
9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15
6:30 PM— SASI / 6:00 PM— PACE
6:30 PM— AFP
Veterans Day
16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22
6:30 PM— Reg Bd Mtg (per Bd Rule 1.02)
23/30 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29
Holiday— Central Services closed / Holiday— Central Services closed
Thanksgiving
Board and Committee Meetings— December 2014
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6
7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13
6:30 PM— SASI / 6:00 PM— PACE
6:30 PM— AFP
14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20
6:30 PM— Reg Bd Mtg (per Bd Rule 1.02)
Chanukah / Chanukah / Chanukah / Chanukah
21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27
/ Central Services Closed / Central Services Closed
Chanukah / Chanukah / Chanukah / Christmas Eve; Chanukah / Christmas Day
28 / 29 / 30 / 31
New Years Eve
Board and Committee Meetings— January 2015
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3
New Years Day
4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10
6:30 PM— PACE
11 / 12 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17
6:30 PM— SASI
Tu B’Shevat
18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24
6:30 PM— AFP
MLK Jr. Day
25 / 26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30 / 31
6:30 PM— Reg Bd Mtg
Board and Committee Meetings— February 2015
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Tu B’Shevat / Tu B’Shevat
8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14
6:30 PM— SASI / 6:00 PM— PACE
6:30 PM— AFP
Valentine’s Day
15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21
President’s Day / Lincoln’s Birthday
22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28
6:30 PM— Regular Mtg.
Washington’s Birthday
Board and Committee Meetings— March 2015
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7
Purim / Purim
8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13 / 14
6:30 PM— SASI / 6:30 PM— PACE
15 / 16 / 17 / 18 / 19 / 20 / 21
22 / 23 / 24 / 25 / 26 / 27 / 28
6:30 PM— AFP / 6:30 PM— Regular Mtg.
29 / 30 / 31
Board and Committee Meetings— April 2015
SUNDAY / MONDAY / TUESDAY / WEDNESDAY / THURSDAY / FRIDAY / SATURDAY
1 / 2 / 3 / 4
Spring Break
Good Friday; Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover)
5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11
/ 6:00 PM— PACE
Easter, Passover / Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover) / Pesach (Passover)
14 / 13 / 14 / 15 / 16 / 17 / 18
6:30 PM— SASI / 6:30 PM— AFP
19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 / 25
6:30 PM— Regular Mtg.
Yom Ha-Atzmaut / Yom Ha-Atzmaut
26 / 27 / 28 / 29 / 30
6:30 PM— Annual Organizational Meeting (per Bd Rule 1.01)
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Resolutions
Resolution 1415R-001
By Directors Miller and Joseph
WHEREAS, Our nation’s school systems have been spending growing amounts of time, money, and energy on high-stakes standardized testing, students’ performance on which is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators, and schools; and
WHEREAS, The over-reliance on high-stakes standardized testing in state and federal accountability systems is undermining educational quality and equity in U.S. public schools by hampering educators’ efforts to focus on the broad range of learning experiences that promote the innovation, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, communication, critical thinking, and deep subject-matter knowledge that will allow students to thrive in a democracy and in an increasingly global society and economy; and
WHEREAS, It is widely recognized that standardized testing is an inadequate and often unreliable measure of student learning; and
WHEREAS, Early childhood education and assessment must be based on sound, developmentally appropriate practices that inform classroom instruction and provide valid and useful results; and
WHEREAS, The Milwaukee Public Schools’ testing regime consumes considerable time and places considerable constraints on schools and teachers, taking away valuable teaching time and often closing school libraries and other needed facilities for long periods to carry out tests; and
WHEREAS, There are many research-proven screeners for early childhood that are interactive and computer-independent and that speak holistically to a child’s needs; and
WHEREAS, There is important research that questions the validity of standardized tests as a measure of learning or achievement or usefulness for instructional decision making for children under 8 years of age; and
WHEREAS, There is no clear research showing validity of results for MAP testing of children under the age of 8; and
WHEREAS, DPI mandates PALS testing for language literacy for K4 through 2nd grade; and
WHEREAS, MPS will add the COGAT testing in 2014-2015 for all 2nd-graders; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That early childhood teachers be supported in developing systems of assessment and screening for all content areas attending to all developmental domains that are research-based, culturally relevant, developmentally appropriate, formative, and useful in informing instructional decision making; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That language assessment for K4 through 2nd grade not include MAP testing for the 2014-2015 school year; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That no mandated assessments be given to ESL students in English for the 2014- 2015 school year; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board give consideration to modification of all K4-through-2nd-grade assessments for appropriate use with ESL students and students in bilingual programs, based on the recommendations of a committee of the principals of the bilingual schools, bilingual teacher representation, and parent and community experts in bilingual education and MPS administration; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board give consideration to modification of all K4-through-2nd-grade assessments for appropriate use with students in Montessori programs from the recommendations of a committee of the principals of the Montessori schools, Montessori teacher representation, and parent and community experts in Montessori education and MPS administration; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Board give consideration to modification of all K4-through-2nd-grade assessments for appropriate use with students in language-immersion programs from the recommendations of a committee of the principals of the language-immersion schools, language- immersion teacher representation, and parent and community experts in language-immersion education and MPS administration; and be it
FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Administration begin discussion with DPI on the issues and process we are pursuing to put into place valid and informative assessment policies that serve our children and raise the quality of teaching and learning.
Referred to the Committee on Student Achievement and School Innovation.
Resolution 1415R-002
By Directors Miller and Joseph
WHEREAS, Our nation’s school systems have been spending growing amounts of time, money, and energy on high-stakes standardized testing, students’ performance on which is used to make major decisions affecting individual students, educators, and schools; and
WHEREAS, Early childhood education and assessment must be based on sound policies drawn from the tenets of developmentally appropriate practice that inform classroom instruction and provide valid results; and
WHEREAS, Research suggests that a continually increasing amount of time in early childhood classrooms is being spent on standardized testing, test preparation, and direct instruction of isolated skills; and
WHEREAS, Research clearly shows that play is important and critical in a child’s early development; and
WHEREAS, The culture and structure of the systems in which students learn must improve in order to foster engaging school experiences that promote joy in learning, depth of thought, and breadth of knowledge in students; and
WHEREAS, Important research shows that children who engage in complex forms of socio-dramatic play have greater language skills than do non-players; and
WHEREAS, A variety of types of play contribute to a child’s development, including make-believe, sensor, language, construction, large and small motor, and mastery; and