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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010_09_14 Board MinutesSeptember 14, 2010 Present from the Board of Trustees: Present from the Administration: Jerry Wixom, Vice Chair George Boland, Superintendent Ernest Jensen, Treasurer Guy Wangsgard, Director of Business Lisa Burtenshaw, Member Trina Caudle, Director of Secondary Education Karla, LaOrange, Director of Elementary Education Debbie Wilkie, Recording Clerk Excused Dave Lent, Chairman Deidre Warden, Clerk 7:00 PM Jerry Wixom, Vice Chairman, called the meeting to order. Pledge of Allegiance was led by Lisa Burtenshaw. ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA: Lisa Burtenshaw moved to adopt the agenda as presented. Ernest Jensen seconded the motion. Three aye votes. Motion carried. REPORTSJINPUT/INFORMATION Student Reports: i. Shaena Walker, Emerson High School Student Body Rep., reported that 114 students are currently attending first block. EHS will hold its first ever back to school night barbeque, from 6:30 -8:00 pm, on Thursday, Sept 16 at the school. Mallory Murdoch, Skyline High School Student Body Rep., reported the school year has started off well and there are lots of new sophomores in the lunch rooms. Student government set up a room where new students could go to meet other students and get to know them. The homecoming parade and dance turned out really good last week and the students are looking forward to the upcoming Emotion Bowl. Skyline will hold their back to school night tomorrow, September 151" at the school. 9/14/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 1 of 4 Suketu Gandhi's comments on Teaching of Math in the District's Schools September 14, 2010 District 91 students wishing to pursue college studies that offer rigorous curriculum in mathematics, science or engineering need to take multiple AP courses encompassing both math & sciences. This is possible when they are given access to the desired courses timely manner. Completing AP Calculus the junior year provides strong mathematics to successfully study AP Chemistry and AP Physics (C) in 12d' grade. The current design of the mathematics curriculum does not give the access to AP Calculus in 11d' grade. We have heard from an Idaho Falls High School math teacher that calculus students lack the prerequisite skills in Algebra. This should not be surprising given the contents of elementary grade math. The problem is that 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 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. 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 I" 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. iii. Sierra Baker, Idaho Falls High School Student Body Rep., reported that things are going good at IFHS so far this year. Emotion Bowl is this Friday, September 17 and Homecoming events start next week with skit night on Wednesday, September 23, the parade and game on Friday, September 24 and the dance on Saturday, September 251" at Taylor's Crossing. Student government is working hard to raise the money needed to finalize the purchase of an electronic marquee they have been working towards for the last few years. They are also planning a cancer benefit dance for April. b. Patron Input Andrea Chambers - shared her concerns regarding the new hybrid schedule after her daughter, who is a senior this year, received a class schedule with many flaws in it. Andrea stated the new system is extremely inflexible. Andrea and her daughter met with a school counselor to make changes to her daughter's schedule but she is only able to take 2/3 of a physics class because of scheduling. Andrea is very concerned about how colleges will look at that and shared the old adage - if it isn't broke don't fix it but if it never worked in the first place get rid of it. Mr. Gandhi — shared his concerns regarding the schedule of mathematics being taught in District 91. He stated the problem is that mathematics, as taught in the elementary schools, is in very slow motion. Students need to learn how to solve complex problems early, so the schools need to teach high caliber problems immediately. He stated that material being taught in secondary schools should now be taught in the elementary schools with Singapore Math. c. IFEA Report — Michelle Sakota reported: • Teachers' donated items to the IFEA garage sale bringing in over $500.00 that will be used to purchase classroom supplies. • The Association is sponsoring a pizza dinner for all new teachers' and new ESPs' as they wait for their first paycheck. • The Association will be cooking hotdogs during the Emotion Bowl tailgate social before the game on Friday, September 171" • Michelle Sakota, IFEA President, will be in Boise on September 241" for the IEA Presidents' meeting. d. Education Foundation — Cami Smith reported: • The donated Teton Toyota truck was displayed at the Eastern Idaho State Fair this past week; about $5,500.00 in tickets were sold by various groups and clubs. Cami Smith will have the truck at the Emotion Bowl, along with Mario Hernandez who donated the truck, for a half-time presentation. The goal is to raise $50,000.00, with this fundraiser, for clubs and activities in District 91. • The Dual Credit Fundraising Luncheon will be held on Tuesday, September 281" at the Red Lion. Mike Russ, Executive Director of the State Board of Education, will be the keynote speaker. Tickets may be purchased from Cami Smith if you would like to attend. • The College Prep Forum will be held at Taylorview Junior High School on Tuesday, September 28t" from 6:30 — 8:30PM for students preparing for higher education. • The Mayor's Scholarship Fund recently received a $250,000.00 donation from the Blue Angels Air Show; $200,000.00 will be put in the Mayor's Scholarship Fund endowment and $50,000 will go into the operating budget. Superintendent's Report Superintendent Boland provided and reviewed enrollment numbers for the 2010-11 school year, a five-year enrollment history, cohort numbers, and The Intermountain Demographics: Projected to Actual reports. Kindergarten enrollment is near record again at 836 students enrolled. Elementary enrollment overall has taken a dip, Junior High enrollment is down but expected due to the smaller classes moving through, and high school enrollment is about what was anticipated. 9/14/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 2 of 4 He stated the loss of eighty-seven elementary students is a bit puzzling and has asked building administrators for more information to see where they've gone, out of state, out of district, etc. CONSENT AGENDA: Ernest Jensen moved to adopt the consent agenda as written. Lisa Burtenshaw seconded the motion. Three aye votes. Motion carried. Items approved include: Meeting Minutes Payment of August 2010 Claims Matching Funds: Edgemont Elementary Computers and Smart Board Ethel Boyes Elementary Accelerated Reading and Math Subscription renewal Total Matching Funds requested Staff Actions: New Hires: Bailey, Lindsey R 4t" Grade Fox Hollow Buzard, Brett C Elementary PE Temple View Corsi, Meghan E 6t" Grade Bush Jackson, Jennifer D 5t" Grade Erickson August 8, 13 & 24, 2010 $1,439,237.77 $ 3,775.02 $ 4,299.82 $ 8,074.84 Millan, Jennifer J PE .1967 Eagle Rock Munns, Chance Horticulture E ITC Smith, E Wade Emotional Behavior Disturbance Specialist Administration Office 9/14/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 3 of 4 Student Travel Requests : Skyline High School — Cheer USA Nationals Competition 6:00 PM March 23 through March 29, 2011 Anaheim, CA Early Graduation Requests: Student2010-2011A Student2010-2011B Student2010-2011C ACTION ITEMS a. Authorization of Student Teacher/University Relation Contract Lisa Burtenshaw moved to authorize the student teacher/university relation contract as presented. Ernest Jensen seconded. Three aye votes. Motion carried. b. Award Bus Bid Ernest Jensen moved to accept the bus bid as recommended by the administration. Lisa Burtenshaw seconded the motion. Three aye votes. Motion carried. Ernest Jensen moved to adjourn. Lisa Burtenshaw seconded. Meeting adjourned. 9/14/2010 District 91 Board Minutes Page 4 of 4