schools
may21
2015
Vernonia School Board Report
At the May 14, 2015 Vernonia School
Board Meeting:
Board Approves Charter School
Agreement – The School Board
approved the proposed Charter School
Agreement, which was approved and
submitted by the new Charter School
Board prior to the regular School
Board meeting. The Agreement legally
authorizes the establishment of the
Charter School and establishes its
rules of governance and operation, and
authorizes it to operate and conduct
affairs. The members of the Charter
School Board are Chair Susan Wagner,
Vice Chair Sharon Bernal, Steve Riley,
Katie Cole, and Maggie Peyton. The
Charter School Agreement and Proposal
will now be submitted to the Oregon
Department of Education.
Assessment Report - High School
Principal Nate Underwood updated the
Board on the first year of the new Smarter
Balanced performance and assessment
testing currently being conducted. All
students in grades 3-8 and grade 11 are
taking these tests, which assesses math,
reading and writing skills. According
to Underwood and high school teacher
Juliet Safier, who has been studying the
time required for testing, it is taking
an extremely long time for students
to complete the testing. Safier told the
Board her students are losing as many as
ten or eleven days of class time in order
to complete the testing. The State of
Oregon requires that students must pass
the tests in order to graduate from high
school.
Parents can choose to have their
student op-out of the testing and the
students are then required to complete
an essential skills standardized task
provided by the state. Saffier said she
has embedded these essential skills
tasks into regular student classwork, so
it will already be completed, in case the
students experience the predicted high
failure rate on the Smarter Balanced
testing.
School
Board
members
Jim Krahn and Bill Langmaid were
outspoken and critical of the testing.
Krahn suggested that pressure be applied
to state elected officials to dismiss
Smarter Balanced testing. “I don’t see
us just sitting back and continuing in
this process as an effective way to use
the time that our students are in school,”
said Krahn. Langmaid agreed with
Krahn and questioned the testing process
Board
Approves
Instructional
Calendar – The Board approved an
Instructional Calendar for the 2015-16
school year which increases Student
Days to 157.5, increases teacher Contact
Days to 175, and increases hours to
1003. A major change in the schedule
eliminates early release Fridays; school
days for students will now be Monday
through Friday, 8:00 AM to 3:10 PM.
The first day of school for all students
will be September 9 and the last day of
school will be June 10. The schedule
includes a Thanksgiving Break from
November 20-27, a Winter Break from
Staffing Changes – Superintendent December 18-January 1, and a Spring
Aaron Miller updated the Board on Break from March 18-25.
numerous staff changes for the next
school year. The Board later approved School Board Speaks Out About
Vandalism - Board members were
all of these changes.
Laura Blacker will remain on visibly upset when they received reports
staff following a temporary assignment of several acts of vandalism in the boy’s
teaching 4 th grade. A Vernonia resident, locker room and boy’s restrooms around
she previously worked in the district as the building.
Board members Ernie Smith,
a student teacher, temporary teacher and
is the current VHS golf coach. Blacker Jim Krahn and chair Bill Langmaid
condemned what has been a series of
will most likely teach 3 rd grade.
Theresa Dee joins the K-2 team destructive actions.
“We put a lot of effort into
from the Baker School District with
making sure those locker rooms were
twenty-two years of experience.
Kendra Schlegel also joins top quality,” said Smith. “This really
the K-2 team from Hillsboro and is irritates me.”
The most recent acts of
a Vernonia resident and parent of an
incoming kindergarten student in the vandalism included damage to fire cage
covers in the boy’s locker room, the
Vernonia District.
Rachel Wilcoxen has served team room door vent (made of heavy
as part-time Dean of Students for K-5 steel) was kicked in and will need to be
this past school year. Her position will replaced, a ceiling vent was removed
and damaged, holes were poked in
expand to full-time with a K-12 focus.
Michelle Eagleson, a former the ceiling with a vent leaver that was
K-2 instructor, will become a full-time removed from a door, milk and food was
Instructional Coach working with other thrown at walls and damaged lockers,
and ceiling tiles and light covers were
K-12 instructors.
Charlotte Gilbert served as a removed in the basement hallway near
temporary K-5 Behavior Specialist this the locker rooms.
In addition, door stops were
past year. Her position has become
removed, special screws that require
permanent and will expand to K-12.
Eric Urban, the K-8 Life Skills a special driver were removed from
the partitions in a boy’s restroom,
Teacher, submitted his resignation.
Melissa Zavales, a MS/HS/ vent covers were damaged in all boy’s
Instructional Assistant, submitted her restrooms, graffiti was found in boy’s
resignation in April and is no longer restrooms and desks have been broken.
“This is ridiculous, it’s insulting
working in that role.
Jan Dyer, a MS Instructional and it’s malicious,” said Smith.
Board member Krahn echoed
Assistant on a one year leave of absence,
Smith comments. “It’s extremely
has resigned.
Robyn Richmond, a 4 th grade disrespectful to the whole community
teacher on a one year leave of absence, and to the other students in the school.”
“Their parents need to take some
has resigned.
Natasha Ligouri, a part-time responsibility and they need to know this
food service worker, has submitted her is happening,” added Langmaid.
High School principal Nate
resignation.
Underwood was in attendance and told
which removes teacher’s opportunity to
judge their student’s ability. “I do not
think that the Smarter Balanced test is
smarter or balanced,” said Langmaid.
“I feel it does leave children behind. It
does not create a level playing field for
all students and I don’t think the data is
going to show it does. And we’re not
empowering our teachers.”
Underwood
closed
the
discussion by stating that instructors are
encouraging students to do their best on
the testing and are using the results as
feedback to affect future instruction.
13
the Board that he and Athletic Director
Gordan Jarman are in the process of
interviewing students and are also
considering placing cameras at the
locker room and restroom entrances to
help identify potential vandals.
“Every boy in the high school
is using those facilities,” said Smith.
“They all need to understand that we’ve
tried to provide them with the best and
it only stays the best if they take care of
it.”
When contacted following the
School Board meeting, Superintendent
Aaron Miller said that interviews had
revealed the name of at least one indi-
vidual responsible for the actions. Mill-
er said the student would be disciplined
and subject to paying restitution for the
damages.
Budget Committee Meeting – The
School Board Budget Committee held
a budget meeting and approved the pro-
posed Budget. The School Board will
hold a Budget Hearing and are sched-
uled to adopt the Budget at their June 11
meeting.
Significant changes to the pro-
posed budget included:
• Aaron Miller will serve as full-time
Superintendent under a single contract
but will continue in the role of Acting
Elementary School Principal.
• An increase in transportation costs of
approximately $100,000 that indicate
inflation costs, actual expenditures and
cost of living adjustments in the contract
with Curls Transportation. The District
is reimbursed 70% of transportation
costs from the state.
• An increase of $17,000 for an upgrade
of internet services. The District will be
reimbursed through a program called E-
Rate.
• A reduction of expenses by $40,000 for
fundraising services from Met Group.
• An increase of the Shop teacher posi-
tion from .28 to .68 FTE.
Y.T.P. Report – Beth Kintz provided
the Board with a report on the Youth
Transition Program (Y.T.P.). The District
has received a two- year grant to expand
the program. The program is designed
to improve post school transition
outcomes for youth with disabilities and
documented barriers to employment by
preparing them for employment and
career related education and training.
Students work with a Transitional
Specialist and a local Vocational
Rehabilitation Counselor and receive
continued on page 14
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