LSS keep connections with kids through summer
Connecting students and families with the resources for success goes well beyond the school year, and the Learning Supports Specialists know it.
Monday night they talked to the Board about their work during summer break and throughout the school year.
“Over the course of the last 12 months the inroads we made in getting to know families and staff have been great,” said Jason August, LSS at Hoglan Elementary.
The LSS were hired as part of the Safe Schools/Healthy Students Initiative. Program Coordinator Matt Tullis explained the role of the LSS in the District, saying each LSS has an average case load of 25 students they track throughout the year. Most of these students have significant barriers in learning in their lives. The LSS, who come from social work backgrounds, help students and their families work through these issues.
Right now LSS are helping buildings contact families who didn’t attend registration to make sure they’re signed up for school next week.
Paraeducator contract approved
The Board approved a contract between the District and Local No. 238 of the Teamsters Union representing MCSD paraeducators.
This is the first collective bargaining agreement for paraeducators in the district. The agreement increases wages by 1.6 percent for 2011-2012 with an increase of 0.8 percent on the starting wage for all positions.
The new agreement also includes one paid holiday (Memorial Day). The insurance package will remain the same as it was prior to the collective bargaining agreement.
There are currently 200 paraeducators on staff.
Teacher trainings begin Tuesday
Marshalltown teachers return to work Tuesday with three days of professional development and training.
Additional professional development days were added into the calendar on Aug. 16, 2011, and Jan. 3, 2012, using EdJobs funding. Dr. Susan Pecinovsky, associate superintendent for student achievement, said the goal was to provide training teachers needed on those days so they aren’t pulled out of instruction during the school year.
Bid accepted for Franklin Field Gateway Project
Hay Construction will complete the Franklin Field Gateway Project.
The Marshalltown firm was awarded the $129,768 project with the base bid and all three alternates. The final cost of the project including design fees and other expenses will be around $158,000. The community group raising funds to complete the renovation has netted $149,722.30 so far. Board Vice President Jay Merryman motioned to approve the entire project – even though it is over the current amount raised – because he said they should have faith the group would meet the goal.
Jane Bauer told the Board donations are still being received, including one from the Class of 1947, which emptied its remaining treasury and donated $223.30. And additional $10,403.53 has been received in in-kind donations.
B&G prepared for school year
District facilities will be ready for students to return Aug. 23, says buildings operations supervisor Pat Hemming.
Hemming shared with the Board details of summer work to prepare the schools and other facilities for another school year. Along with the full-time B&G staff, there were 10,000 part-time and summer help hours put in. The district also went through 140 5-gallon pails of floor wax.
Hemming made special note of the dedicated employees who were on the ball within hours of the July 11 wind storm, picking up debris and cleaning the grounds when most of the town was still without power.
“You’ve got one of the best crews in the state of Iowa working for this district,” he said.
2011-2012 District goals, objectives
Increasing student academic achievement and ensuring safe and organized schools are the goals for 2011-2012.
Dr. Marvin Wade, superintendent of schools, shared the primary goal (academic achievement) and secondary goal (safe, organized schools) and the objectives and indicators to measure progress.
Increasing academic achievement has two objectives: increasing academic performance and increasing readiness for further education and employment.
Objectives for the secondary goal include reducing incidents of disruptive behavior and improving student engagement.
The goals are part of the larger District Strategic Action Plan, which maps out a focused, measurable strategy for continual improvement in all areas over the next four years.
Change orders approved
The Board approved change orders to two ongoing construction projects Monday.
A change order for the Fisher Elementary project cost $36,136.10. A $28,858 was approved for the MHS second floor addition project to accommodate operational needs at the school.
NOTES FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT
By Dr. Marvin Wade, Superintendent of Schools
We know that social, emotional and behavioral issues of our children and youth continue to exist during the summer months, so it was great to hear tonight’s report from Learning Support Specialists of the District. The ongoing success of these employees in matching family needs with community resources demonstrates the importance of maintaining a strong year-round relationship between schools and families – as well as the fact there is no “summer break” in MCSD’s commitment to our mission “to nurture students to become intellectually and personally empowered for citizenship in a changing world.”
NOTES FROM THE BOARD
By Kay Beach, Board President
I want to express the Board’s gratitude to all of the hard-working, dedicated members of our Buildings and Grounds department who have worked all summer to clean and refurbish all of our schools in anticipation of next week’s opening day of classes. Every one of the district’s buildings has had safety system checks– and repairs to those systems where necessary; keeping students and staff safe is always a top priority. Several buildings have had major repairs and renovations that have gotten in the way of the routine summer scrubbing and polishing that had to be done. All of Fisher School’s fourth grade classrooms were moved to Lenihan, which meant that Lenihan also had to be re-configured. Literally thousands of hours have gone into getting everything shipshape for school to start—and those hours were all put in within a ten-week period of time in the midst of the extreme heat and humidity that we’ve experienced this summer and despite being a week without electricity. But most remarkable of all—these folks have worked without grumbling, just hoping that their efforts will be noticed, appreciated, and respected. Let’s make a point of saying “thank you” whenever we have the opportunity.
PERSONNEL
Resignations
Ryan Anderson, 8th grade volleyball/girls basketball coach, effective Aug. 10, 2011.
Katie Christensen, MHS assistant softball coach, effective July 28, 2011.
Melissa Fry, MHS paraeducator, effective July 25, 2011.
Cole Jansen, Miller paraeducator, effective Aug. 9, 2011.
Creighton Jenness, MHS assistant boys soccer coach, effective Aug. 1, 2011.
Aaron Johnson, MHS paraeducator, effective Aug. 10, 2011.
Brenda Johnson, Hoglan paraeducator, effective Aug. 9, 2011.
Stephani Menuey, Woodbury paraeducator, effective Aug. 10, 2011.
Debra Nichols, MHS paraeducator, effective Aug. 8, 011.
LaRue Reis, Lenihan paraeducator, effective July 18, 2011.
Shelly Speas, Franklin paraeducator, effective Aug. 8, 2011.
Appointments
Olivia Aguilera de Rodriguez, Miller bilingual tutor. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
Melody Bennett, Franklin paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 6 hours/day.
Dana Brown, Lenihan paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 6.5 hours/day.
John Catron, bus driver. Start date: Aug. 23, 2011; Salary: $9567.
Lucinda Coleman, Woodbury paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 6.5 hours/day.
Vicki Cruikshank, Franklin paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 6.75 hours/day.
Kelley Dickey, MHS social studies. Ms. Dickey graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 2010 with a BA degree. She completed her student teaching experience in the West Des Moines and Des Moines School Districts. Start date: Aug. 16, 2011. Salary: BA Step 5, $34,261.
Naomi Doran, Woodbury paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 6.5 hours/day.
Todd Goulding, B&G mechanical maintenance (electrician). Start dateL Aug. 16, 2011. Salary: $17.50/hour (8/16/11-2/15/12), $18/hour (2/16/12-6/30/12).
Jessica Hargrave, Miller paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
Beverly “Mickey” Hovel, MLA social studies. Ms. Hovel graduated from Kaplan University in 2011 with a MA degree. She completed her student teaching experience in the Marshalltown School District.
Antonio Jaramillo, MHS custodian. Start date: Aug. 16, 2011. Salary: $12.50/hour (8/16/11-2/15/12), $13/hour (2/16/12-6/30/12).
Ashley Martinez, Franklin paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
Courtney Moore, Franklin paraeducator, Start date: Aug. 22, 2011. Salary TBD, 6.75 hours/day.
Chantel Sampson, MHS paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
Gloria Stanton, MHS paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
Haley Williams, MHS paraeducator. Start date: Aug. 22, 2011; Salary TBD, 7 hours/day.
The Board Report 