Conducted on February 19, 2014, the Board of Education Meeting was run by Ronald Goldstein while board members Donald Kennedy and Mary Tomasi were also present. Because Superintendent Jeff Mathieu was out of state, Barbara Gilbert, Director of Teaching and Learning, was designated Acting Superintendent. This meeting did not focus on the upcoming budget proposal, but rather addressed current and upcoming projects and ideas, and recognized achievements of members within the school community. Based solely on the meeting held on February 19, the responsiveness of the board to meet the needs and requests of citizens was commendable. Among the major projects and proposals addressed were the Building Project at William J. Johnson, the tuition policy at Bacon Academy, and Joseph Hage’s proposal to build a bridge behind Bacon Academy.
Brought to discussion by Ronald Goldstein, the Building Project at William J. Johnston has been an ongoing project in Colchester. The initial proposal included the construction of both a senior center and recreational fields, but when voted upon in the fall the project was rejected. The results of the initial vote indicated that the citizens did not feel this plan best suited the needs of the town. Though discussion of the project was brief, there was mention that the new proposal will still include recreational fields, but no longer the senior center. These such revisions were said by Donald Kennedy to address citizen comments. The first “recharge” meeting for project refinement was to be held on February 27. Though it might be argued by some that the project is unnecessary in its entirety, the consistent effort being made to better suit the requests of the citizens is indicative of the responsiveness of ...
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... the policy for tuition paying students, and the Bridge Building Project proposed by Joseph Hage, the Board of Education repeatedly enforced their responsiveness to the needs and requests of Colchester citizens. After having attended this meeting, my preconceived notions regarding local government were reinforced. Understanding that many of these positions are unpaid, I expected the board members to have a genuine concern for the well being of the residents of Colchester. In commending the performances of Bacon Academy athletes and exceptional custodial staff at Colchester Elementary School, recognizing the distribution of grants provided by Colchester Learning Foundation, and listening to and approving projects that will better the quality of education for students in the town, it was clear that the Board of Education does have Colchester’s best interests in mind.
Pickering’s argument rested on, as a teacher, he had to refrain from making statements about the school’s operation “which, in the absence of such position, he would have an undoubted right to engage in” (Oyez,
At times, I noticed that the mayor would have probably been more attentive hearing from irate citizens than listen to Armenta trying to get clarifications to C-5. Unexciting as the council meeting agenda items might have been, it was still fascinating to see local government at work in such an orderly, proper fashion. We may disagree on particular ordinances or agenda items, but we will do so in an appropriate way that does not disrupt the city at large, and even though the topics of discussion were mostly mundane, students should still at one point or another witness their local governments at work. Doing so leads to a greater understanding for how day-to-day city improvements take affect and how important it can be to voice your opinion and be a leader within your community.
Education in our nation is in crisis, and in order to confront the problem we need to tackle it at the center. We need to target school boards; they control funds, education, and more or less the community. With school boards these days being counter-productive, there seems only one way to solve the problem. Get rid of school boards across the nation and provide each school with its individual power much like private schools, or initiate the creation of a nation-wide school board. With the whole nation on the same page, maybe together we can help save education, and ensure the future of our country. Only until something is done to school boards will there be a positive, productive change towards education.
By having school board meetings, it helps to see what the school’s needs. This is very important for the reason that this may be the only time that a concern parent or person voice might be heard. From this meeting, it was learned that the school board members are willing to help people that have concerns. An example, of this, was when the concern Pre-K parent was worried that she heard that Pre-K has been just a daycare. However, someone from the board mentioned to her that she would personally go with the parent the next day and show her how Pre-K is running during the day. This made the parent so happy because her concerns were being met. I have learned that school board members look out for the students and that they are the number one source that community members should go to if they have a concern or a suggestion to better their children’s
Merino, Noel. Ed. School Policies. Farmington Hills: Greenhaven Press and Gale, 2011. Pg. 105-115. Print.
With this many students, both state and federal representatives have made efforts to adopt reforms designed to make a solution to the funding inequality. The disproportion of funds first and foremost effects the amount of programs offered to children that vary from basic subjects such as: English, Math, and Science. This created the motivation to improve the quality of education for low-income neighborhoods by targeting resources other than property taxes and redirecting the states budgets. The goal the school districts all shared was the need to increase instruction, add after school activities, promote a well-rounded education, physical innovations to facilities and classrooms, and to update the academic resources. The popular demand that the funding to public education needs to correspond throughout all the school districts. Wealthy tax payers often argue that a region that depends on property taxes is the “American way.” This argument derives from the ideology that American success relies on perseverance and hard work, but if the playing field is uneven the higher born student has an advantage. “High property taxes—the burdens and perverse incentives they create, the rage they generate, the town-to-town school funding inequities they proliferate—…represent an endless New England nightmare…” (Peirce and Johnson, 2006). In the attempt to
I went to the school board meeting on March 21, 2016 in Kanawha. The following people were at the council: Wayne Kronneman, Leah Deutsch, Ryan Hiscocks, Ryan Johnson, Jay Burgardt, Mona Buns, Gary Chizek, Todd Hammer, and Jon Harle. The others were mainly community member which included teachers, principals, parents and supporters. Some of the West Hancock staff included Mr. Peterson, Mrs. DeHart, Mrs. Bruns, Mr. Francis, Mrs. Gast and others. The other people who were there were parents and other community members. The first part of the meeting was the revision of the budget and presentation of the budget. This was given by Wayne Kronneman. He explained the budget of this year and how it compared to last years. Also he also talked about the budget for next year. After that they had a discussion with the
...bal markets and the desire to maintain leadership in the world of science and technology.” The following recommendations would be made to the school board in order to improve the school’s performance. Schools do not meet annual yearly progress staff should be reorganized. .There should be a diversity of teacher considering the cultural diversity. Invest in more technology in schools and after school and Saturday school programs It is when school boards, administrators and teacher work together to make education attainable for all students regardless of culture race or disability,
Henson, the assistant principal, lacks the communicator trait. Henson has not taken any opportunities to communicate with the parents, students, staff, or community this year. Due to his lack of communication skills he has not fostered any relationships with individuals who he will interact with next year as the head principal. Henson has been assigned the head principal job for the 2016-17 school; I believe his lack of communication skills will cause problems in his principalship. Parents want their children to attend schools where the teachers and administrators are relatable and can effectively communicate his expectations for them and their children.
In my quest to find a school for my kids, I was disappointed by what my options were. Being that my kids and I are a low-income family we also have limited housing options, were there are the better schools. I decided to give the local area schools the benefit of the doubt and enroll my two kids, Mikkayla and Pharoah. Over the school years I made notes on the things that I saw and learned about the schools and my neighborhood. My goals are to establish ways to improve the school system and help bring about change in the school’s neighborhood.
The school achieved Foundation status in September 2009. This means that it is a state-funded school and the governing body has greater freedom in the running of the school than in community schools. This follows on from the school successfully gaining Media Arts st...
The main challenge that Rocky Road School District is currently facing is the several lawsuits from former parents and staff. As well as the lack of team work that is shown within the district. Having a meeting with all Principals in the Rocky Road district is a most. Negotiation of teacher’s contracts and the hiring of new qualified teachers which will help assist the testing scores for the district. Giving parents a sense of comfort that their children are being well educated is a key challenge. My main challenge will be getting all parties involved in the movement to “Strive for Excellence.” Our main concern is getting faculty, staff, student, parents and the community working together to make Rocky Road School District successful, it takes a team to fix such a messy situation.
Anthony. He is an accomplished business leader and educator. He has been the Assistant Principal at Lakewood Elementary for one year. Mr. Anthony has the support from his faculty and colleagues. He has received his leadership training from various universities a degree in Specialist in Educational Leadership from Chicago?s National Louis University. A Masters in Business Administration from Florida A& M University (A. Anthony, personal communication, April 13, 2016). Also, Mr. Anthony has had an opportunity to be a leader while working with Fortune 500 companies such as FedEx and CP Morgan. In the realm of education, had been able to implement policies, educational programs, and curriculum activities and balance budgets (A. Anthony, personal communication, April 13,
Inclusion is not a new idea, but has been rapidly gaining momentum within many disciplines internationally. Inclusive education is a term often associated with Special education, and children with additional needs. However, inclusive education is about ensuring that educational settings allow for meaningful participation by all learners. Each child has their own unique identity, ways of doing things, strengths and weaknesses. Ministry of Education [MoE] (1998) states that teachers “should recognise that as all students are individuals, their learning may call for different approaches, different resourcing, and different goals” (p. 39, emphasis added). This statement shows that all children may require differing approaches in education, and that learners with and without diagnoses require an educator that is skilled in the practice of inclusion. Key strategies such as early intervention, partnerships with parents/whānau, transitioning, and equitable teaching are practices that inclusive educational settings use to ensure that all children are provided for within the setting. Partnerships with parents/whānau and other professionals are key to ensuring that inclusion is achieved.
The meeting began when the school board members entered the large group instruction room and took their seats at a panel table angled to the side of the audience. The school board consists of nine elected members from the community. The members are as follows: Paul Ridley (President), Pat Vigliotta (Vice President), Helen Cumminskey (Secretary), Carla Manion ( Asst. Secretary), Timothy Bean (Treasurer), David Feely (Board Member), Keith Hatch (Board Member), Shane Oschman (Board Member), and Joseph Troutman (Board Member). Three members of the board were missing; however because of where the seats were located I could not see who was missing. Also, the member did not introduce themselves and left before people could address them.