HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010_08_10 Board MinutesAugust 10, 2010
6:30 PM Executive Session
Personnel, Section S67-2345 (B) (F), Idaho Code
Present from the Board of Trustees
Dave Lent, Chairman
Jerry Wixom, Vice Chair
Ernest Jensen, Treasurer
Deidre Warden, Clerk
Lisa Burtenshaw, Member
Present from the Administration:
George Boland, Superintendent
Guy Wangsgard, Director of Business
Trina Caudle, Director of Secondary Education
Karla, LaOrange, Director of Elementary Education
Debbie Wilkie, Recording Clerk
7:00 PM Board Chair, Dave Lent called the meeting to order.
Pledge of Allegiance was led by Terry Frickey.
Dave Lent recognized Scott Miller, the new Skyline High School principal, and welcomed him back into the district.
Dave also recognized Trina Caudle in her new position as Director of Secondary Education.
ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA':
Ernest Jensen moved to amend the written agenda, after receiving additional information, to include Action Items
e,f,and g:
e. Action regarding Teacher 2010-11C
f. Memorandum of Understanding with IFEA regarding letters of intent
g. Contract with Idaho Falls Police Department to provide School Resource Officers for the 2010-2011 school
year
Deidre Warden seconded the motion. Five aye votes. Motion carried.
Ernest Jensen then moved to adopt the agenda as amended. Lisa Burtenshaw seconded the motion.
Five aye votes. Motion carried.
8/10/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 1 of 5
REPORTS/INPUT/INFORMATION
Patron Input:
Mr. Gandhi — shared his concerns regarding the schedule of mathematics being taught in District
91. He stated that District 91's internal resources are inadequate to make the needed
improvements and the involvement of an outsider, with a deep knowledge of mathematics
intertwined with science, is needed.
b. IFEA Report — Mitzi Ellingson reported:
• Michelle Sakota, IFEA President, could not be here tonight she is in meetings with
Region 5 and 6 IEA leaders. Mitzi Ellingson, Emily McCoy and Janentte Duwarte will be
joining Michelle and the others tomorrow.
• New Teacher Breakfast is set for August 24, 2010 at 7:30 AM, at the Shilo Inn. Mitzi
extended an invitation to the Board of Trustees and the Administration.
c. Education Foundation — Cami Smith reported:
The Ed Foundation has kicked off their campaign to promote contributions, to the
district, through the Education Foundation. Flyers were mailed with registration
packets to all secondary students, schools will post information on marquees, in their
PTO newsletters, and Ed Foundation banners will be placed throughout the city to
promote awareness of the Education Foundation and its roll in education.
Mario Hernandez, with Teton Toyota in Idaho Falls, has donated a 2010 Tacoma pickup,
to the Education Foundation, to raffle as a fundraiser for District 91. District clubs and
organizations can sign-up to sell the $10.00 tickets and in return the group will receive
$9.00 back for every ticket they sell, the remaining dollar will go to the Education
Foundation to help support other areas of education. The pickup will be on display at
home games and several other events throughout the city until the raffle which is
scheduled for Saturday, April 23, 2011 at the Tiger-Grizz Track Meet. Cami Smith has
organized the raffle with help from the Coeur d'Alene School District who has been
doing this same fundraiser for the past seven years.
d. Superintendent's Report
• District 91 has been selected to receive an award from the Idaho Falls Beautification
Commission, for the rebuild to Hawthorne Elementary, tomorrow night at the City
Community Night Event. Kelly Coughenour, Hawthorne Principal and Dana Wood,
Director of Operations, will be there to accept the award on behalf of the district.
• With the start of school only two weeks away Superintendent Boland commended Trina
Caudle and Karla LaOrange for their hiring efforts. A week ago we had a number of
teaching vacancies, as of today there is only one 51" grade opening at Erickson and a
half-time Horticulture position to fill. We should be fully staffed and ready to go by the
start of school on August 301". Idaho Falls High School will be a little handicapped at the
start of the school year; Assistant Principal Jason McArthur is having back surgery
tomorrow and will be out for 3-4 weeks.
• Enrollment numbers look like they will be up again this year primarily in Kindergarten
through Third grade.
CONSENT AGENDA:
Jerry Wixom moved to adopt the consent agenda as written.
Ernest Jensen seconded the motion. Five aye votes. Motion carried.
8/10/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 2 of 5
Items approved include:
Meeting Minutes July 13, 2010
Payment of July 2010 Claims $4,025,337.78
Staff Actions:
Resignations:
Judith L. Watt —Special Education
Eagle Rock Junior High
New Hires:
Anderson, Melinda
Kolbet, Patricia I
Orchestra
Horticulture
Skyline/Eagle Rock
EITC
Brown, Garry Manus
Leatham, Vicki J
Chemistry .20 FTE
Elementary PE .40 FTE
Skyline High School
Ethel Boyes
Bryson, Ryan J
Murawski, Rachel
Math/Science
English
Taylorview Jr High
Eagle Rock Jr High
Daniels, Rhonda
Nate, Kim L
Mathematics
Special Education
Idaho Falls High School
Linden Park
Dowling, Lisa J
Olsen, Elizabeth A
English/German
ESL .40 FTE
Idaho Falls High School
Eagle Rock Jr High
Furniss, Thomas K
Oram, Tami
Technology Education
Physical Education .45 FTE
Taylorview Jr High
Taylorview Jr High
Gray, Jessa M
Potter, Aubrey
Special Education
English
Eagle Rock Jr High
Skyline High School
Heath, Byron J
Sebastian, Yvonne B
English
Mathematics
Taylorview Jr High
Idaho Falls High School
Huntsman, Nicole M
Taylor, Britton K
6t" Grade
Kindergarten .50 FTE
Theresa Bunker
Sunnyside
Keller, Lauren K
Tobias, Melba C
Kindergarten
5t" Grade
Temple View
Dora Erickson
8/10/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 3 of 5
PROPOSALS
a. Second Reading Board Policy 603.6 — Middle Level Credit Policy
Trina Caudle, Director of Secondary Education, reviewed revisions made to the proposed middle
level credit policy since the first reading. Revisions were made after a group of teachers and
administrators read the policy and wanted to make it as clear as possible for parents and
students being more proactive about planning interventions early rather than waiting for
students to fail before offering help. Trina Caudle introduced Shelly Smede, Eagle Rock Junior
High Assistant Principal, who reviewed some strategies for the proactive intervention. This item
will be placed on the August 24, 2010 agenda, as an action item, for the final reading.
b. Second Reading - Bush Magnet School Curriculum
No changes have been made since the first reading of the proposed Bush Magnet School
Curriculum. One public comment has been received to date and was passed on to the Board of
Trustees to review. This item will be placed on the August 24, 2010 agenda, as an action item, for
the final reading.
ACTION ITEMS
a. Third Reading Policy 407—Transportation
Lisa Burtenshaw moved to accept the third reading of Board Policy 407 — Transportation as
presented. Deidre Warden seconded the motion. No discussion. Five aye votes. Motion
carried.
b. Ratify Telephone Poll regarding Individual Teacher Contract
Lisa Burtenshaw moved to ratify the telephone poll taken on July 26, 2010 regarding an
individual teacher contract. Jerry Wixom seconded the motion. Five aye votes. Motion
carried.
c. Action regarding Teacher 2010-11A
Jerry Wixom moved to accept the resignation of Teacher 2010-11A. Ernest Jensen seconded
the motion. Five aye votes. Motion carried.
d. Action regarding Teacher 2010-11B
Ernest Jensen moved to accept the resignation of Teacher 2010-11B. Deidre Warden
seconded the motion. Five aye votes. Motion carried.
e. Action regarding Teacher 2010-11C
Lisa Burtenshaw moved to accept the resignation of Teacher 2010-11C contingent upon
finding a suitable replacement. Deidre Warden seconded the motion. Five aye votes.
Motion carried.
f. Memorandum of Understanding with IFEA regarding Letters of Intent
Jerry Wixom moved to accept the MOU with the IFEA. Ernest Jensen seconded the motion.
Five aye votes. Motion carried.
8/10/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 4 of 5
g. Contract with Idaho Falls Police Department to provide School Resource Officers for the
2010-2011 school year
Deidre Warden moved to accept the proposed contract with the Idaho Falls Police
Department to provide School Resource Officers for the 2010-11 school year.
Lisa Burtenshaw seconded the motion. Five aye votes. Motion carried.
Jerry Wixom moved to adjourn. Ernest Jensen seconded. Five aye votes. Meeting adjourned.
8/10/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 5 of 5
Need to take multiple AP courses to study science, engineering & mathematics in colleges
Suketu Gandhi August 10, 2010
At July 13, 2010 Board Meeting, spirited discussions occurred on the ways for high school students
to demonstrate their capabilities in the demanding math and science courses. There is an
agreement that students need to demonstrate their capabilities when they apply to those colleges
that offer rigorous curriculum in science, engineering and mathematics. Performances in the very
demanding mathematics and science courses provide credible information to college admission
officers to determine candidate's suitability to handle rigorous curriculum. However, there is another
reason for this, which should be understood.
These days, a number of prominent universities are reducing their requirements in the core science
courses, but replacing them with different courses. They do this as rapid evolution of a number of
disciplines takes place. Students need to learn from multiple fields to get strong education. In other
words, distinctions between two or more traditional fields get blurred as these fields evolve into
multi -disciplinary fields. Furthermore, colleges are under pressure to provide curriculum for their
students to complete their rigorous bachelor degree requirements in the stipulated four years. As a
result, those students who have taken multiple AP courses, such as chemistry, calculus, or physics
unequivocally demonstrate that they have the core knowledge, and are in an excellent position to
handle demanding courses from colleges. When students provide the necessary evidence on the
mastery of the core courses in high schools, the time slots open up to take additional classes in the
ensuing college years.
Outsiders can see the evidence of this trend by comparing the freshman core course requirements
over time. For example, these days, electrical and nuclear engineering students are required to
take one semester of freshman chemistry, which contrasts with pre-1990's requirement, where they
had to take full year of the course. We note that chemistry learned in the freshman year is needed
to be an effective electrical or nuclear engineer. Electrical engineers use chemical etching method
to make printed circuit boards. Nuclear engineer need the knowledge of chemistry to better
understand the corrosion mechanism, or the fabrication of nuclear fuels. For example, in light water
reactors, radiation breaks down water to form H and OH. OH is a contributing factor of corrosion of
metal surfaces. This type of scientific maturity comes about by having the full year of freshman
chemistry. In other words, electrical or nuclear engineers may not advance the knowledge of
chemistry, but they need the knowledge of chemistry to solve problems in their respective fields.
Those high school students planning to study science, engineering or mathematics in colleges must
demonstrate their capabilities to handle demanding courses. They do this by taking AP
mathematics and science courses. As long as students are uncertain of their intended major, they
should take all of the core courses in the high school. To succeed in AP Chemistry, students need
to have both full year of chemistry and adequate mathematics maturity that includes Calculus AB.
To provide the credibility or seriousness in studying AP Physics C course, students should have the
knowledge in mathematics that includes Calculus BC, and the full year physics course. These
courses are accessible to those students who take appropriate math courses in timely manner, and
have adequate time slots to enroll in other core courses (such as history, English).
The prevailing thinking on math education is a recipe to retard access to AP mathematics course in
timely manner. The administration has implemented a remedy by expanding Algebra I into two year
course. One of the teacher approves of this as her calculus students encounter difficulties in
algebra. This approach slows the pace of the coursework, it does not prepare students to handle
demanding work in subsequent math courses. However, lack of attaining proficiency in depth in
Algebra I in a single year course is a symptom of very deep structural problems with the ways in
which mathematics is taught. District 91's internal resources are inadequate to make the needed
improvements. Thus, involvement of an outsider with the deep knowledge of mathematics and
knows how it is intertwined with science is needed.
Problems with the Existing Mathematics Education
Suketu Gandhi August 10, 2010
The mathematics, as taught in elementary schools, is in very slow motion. The teaching
philosophy, as seen through the math assignments, reveal that students may study a topic for a
few days at a time, and all of a sudden it gets dropped for no good reason. The dropped topic gets
resurrected in a week to a few weeks later, but without adding any complex use or applications.
The existing curriculum assigns no challenging problems, or multi -step word problems. It is this
teaching approach needs to come to an abrupt end, and get replaced it with a better one that is at
hand. Thus, the educators face a choice: Should they teach students to solve formidable
problems, or ignore the pleas from the partners of education, like a parent as yours truly, who
want every child to learn how to solve difficult problems very efficiently. They must choose if a
student should learn Calculus early, as many students so desire, or articulate newer excuses that
prevent learning what students so desire.
Students need to learn how to solve complex problems early, so the schools need to teach high
caliber problems immediately. Luckily, graphical method of teaching math instills intuition
firmly and makes it easy to solve difficult problems swiftly. High caliber math is at its best when
it integrates separate topics, to solve difficult problems. This reinforces previously learned
topics, including the very fundamentals. Through this, students should learn how to add
sequences of numbers early, like the young Carl Friedrich Gauss, master Pythagoras theorem as
early as grade 5, or determine a square root of an arbitrary positive number in grade 6. They
learn binomial expansion early, and see it reincarnate when learning different topics, like finding
area of a rectangle or multiplying eleven by its self many times over, and many more topics from
grade schools to high schools.
Two complimentary sets of partners of children's education need each other to elevate the
District's mathematics standards. One set of partners has the knowledge, but lacks the authority
to make the needed changes. The other set of partners has the authority to make the changes, but
lacks the knowledge to make the needed changes. The partners with the knowledge want to know
more about the math education and seek such information from the other partners. But they do
not provide useful information. One set of partners does share the knowledge on a way to teach
difficult math. But the partners with the authority do not care to know the ways to simplify math.
The past practice of designing curricula without the needed knowledge, result in producing very
low standards as it continue to exists in the District's classrooms for many years. When the
knowledge and the authority are fused together, District's students truly benefit by doing more
difficult math.
Teaching math in depth makes Is' grade students solve Algebra problems containing two
equations and two unknowns using simple shapes and weights, as experienced in every day life.
In 2nd grade, they develop capability to solve 3 equations and three unknowns. They know the
weight or the cost of a combination of flour, oil and sugar, instead of a combination of unknowns
such as x, y and z and a number. All of these materials may be taught in secondary schools, but
the time has come to teach these topics and more in the elementary schools with Singapore Math.