February 7, 2007 at 7:00 PM - Regular Meeting Killingly Board of Education

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Kim Gillespie-Burnham was selected from more than 80 applicants.  Candidates selected for interviews went through a multi-step process; Kim was the unanimous choice of the committee.   As you will see from her resume, she has many years of previous human resources experience.  She began work  on Thursday, February 1.

Rationale: 

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Joseph Fleming will be reporting on the findings of the KHS Schedule Committee.

Rationale: 

Rationale:  Barbara Otero will be giving a brief report on the status of the food services program, updating her report from October 2005 and including the impact of catering for Head Start.  You have already received a copy of the material she prepared in your packet of January 19.

Rationale:  We will distribute your budget workbooks for the FY 2007-08 school year.  The fiscal committee has already started reviewing specific budgetary items with the administrative team, and will continue that work during the month of February.  A recommended budget from the committee to the Board is scheduled for March 7.

Rationale:  A draft 2007-08 calendar will be shared.  It is similar to the current calendar, not having a February vacation week (just a long weekend).  This would again be significantly different from surrounding districts.  The Board will not be asked to approve the calendar until the next board meeting at the earliest.

Rationale:  A brief update on the first week of implementation of our new substitute teacher calling system and employee absence tracking tool.

Rationale:  ACT, the arts magnet program run by EASTCONN and located in Willimantic, has received permission to have a pilot full-time program with ninth graders next year.  This is a model change from the half-day program now in existence.

Rationale:  Richard Levola has nominated James Benzie for Employee of the Month.  Jim is an 18 year veteran bus driver who, in addition to his regular job, has been helping the two new mechanics learn their way around the shop.  He has also assisted them with the Department of Motor Vehicles inspection.  He has above and beyond to help the department run smoothly.

Rationale:  The second quarter (mid-year) budget projections show the district to be in good financial condition, projecting a small positive balance to the end of the year.  We will continue to monitor the budget, especially in the more volatile utilities accounts, to ensure that we stay in a positive position for the remainder of the year.

Rationale:  Teacher Dan Durand has submitted a request for the Board to allow the video class to again participate in the national competition this year.  Mr. Fleming has submitted his support for the trip.  It is recommended that the Board approve the trip.

Rationale:  The senior class advisors submitted a request for the traditional spring senior class trip.  The trip will result in no loss of instructional time (it is a weekend trip).  It is recommended that the Board approve this trip.

Rationale:  Research consistently found that tracking - the separation of students into separate instructional strands with differentiated curricula base on presumed or tested ability levels - decreases learning opportunities and achievement for low-track students without substantially increasing them for high-track students.  Studies also have shown that schools that have minimized or eliminated tracking generally do better with high-and low-achieving students alike.

You will receive a packet of reading materials to help prepare for the discussion on tracking.  You may not have time to read everything, so I will give you some guidance.

Time to Learn:  These articles speak to the mission of our schools and how our current high schools fail to meet that mission.

Jobs and the Skill Gap:  This paper speaks to the need to teach all students at high levels (something that does not happen in system of tracking).

Mindset, the New Psychology of Success:  This article speaks to the need for teachers to help students build a "growth mind-set" where effort is valued rather than reinforcing a "fixed mind-set" where ability is favored over effort.

The remaining articles all speak to the harmful affects of tracking.
  

Rationale:  1.  BOE Retreat
2.  Ad hoc Communications Committee meeting

Rationale: