| 1. | School Improvement Plan - Enclosed is the draft copy of our school improvement plan listing the goals we decided upon at our Manor House meeting. I am taking the administration on a retreat to Syracuse University on July 22 and 23. We will be developing action plans for each of the goals. I will send you an updated Improvement Plan when it is completed. | |
| 2. | Test Results - Enclosed are the newspaper comparisons of 4th and 8th grade ELA tests. As you saw at the Manor House, we are making good progress, particularly in the area of K-4 ELA. Three years ago we ranked 18th out of the 23 Monroe County Schools (I don’t compare us to Wayne County). Last year we ranked 15th. This year we are right in the middle of Monroe County at 11th. Also from the time I was hired people have said to me, “we want to be a Canandaigua. This year our K-4 score tied Canandaigua. I will send you the math results when I get them. | |
| 3. | Middle School Home & Careers - You are aware we have been struggling the last few years to get quality home and careers teachers. We have been looking for two again this year. They just aren’t out there. Mr. Spring and Mr. Armocida have developed a plan for integrating Home and Careers into our Health Curriculum. They are working with our health teachers to make sure it will fit without adversely affecting our Health curriculum. If successful, students would receive health/home & careers in 6th grade; home & careers in 7th grade; and health in 8th grade. We still will have to find one home & careers teacher. If this works, we might be able to take the .8 unfilled home & careers teacher and make it our first remedial math teacher for the district. Remember, our middle school 5-8 math goal is to move the score from 40% to 74%. I will keep you abreast of things. | |
| 4. | Exit Interviews – a Board member has suggested that we look more closely at why staff leaves the district. Mrs. Buddington and Association president Pat Yates have agreed to work together to develop an instrument and process for gathering that information. | |
| 5. | Substitute Bus Drivers – As you know, Mr. Sucher has been pushing for recognition of the substitute bus drivers. What he really wants is retroactive pay for them. He called this week to tell me he is suggesting that substitutes file for unemployment. He also questioned why the district could increase the confidential secretary’s salaries from .50 to .65 after the CSEA contract was signed, but we did not do it for the substitute drivers. I explained that the difference was that they were full time employees who we has agreed would get the CSEA rate once the contract was settled. I don’t believe he is going to drop this matter. I have asked Mr. Atseff and Mrs. Buddington to meet with our BOCES negotiator Mr. Fletcher to make sure we are solid on all the issues. | |
| 6. | Physics Exam – The commissioner has ruled that the exam was sound and that the scoring was accurate. They have agreed to have an August exam on the 13th. | |
| 7. | School Vouchers – As you probably read, the US Supreme Court has ruled that vouchers are constitutional. It is expected that there will be pressure on our state legislatures to allow a voucher system here. This will of course, pull scarce dollars away from the public school system. I would hope New York State School Boards would see this as a priority. | |
| 8. | Pledge of Allegiance – I have had a few questions about how the 9th circuit court’s decision affects us on this. Quite honestly, it doesn’t affect us at all. The concern will arise only when it goes to the Supreme Court. | |
| 9. | NYSSBA Annual Convention – If you think you are interested in attending the school boards annual convention this October 24-27 in Syracuse, please let me know ASAP. As usual, hotel accommodations are at a premium. Reservations will be made in the next week. | |
| 10. | Events – | |
| · US Supreme Court and Public Education “Where has it taken us this year?” | ||
| · Collective Bargaining in Hard Financial Times | ||
| · A Review from SED Counsel’s Office of New Issues and Legal Requirements For School Districts for the 2002-2003 School Year | ||
| · Leave No Child Behind Act – District Responsibilities | ||
| · Excessing Teaching Staff | ||
| · Legal Tools for Improving Teacher Performance: Remediation and Discipline | ||
| · Update ’02: Court Decisions and Recent Legislation | ||
| · No Children Left Behind! Important Obligations and Potential Impacts on Schools | ||
| · Further Adventures in Cyberspace: Further Headaches for Schools? | ||
| · Hypothetical School Law Case Studies | ||
| · Special Education: New Developments | ||
| · Employment and Labor Relations: The Impact of Recent Developments | ||
| · Student Attendance Policies and Other Compliance Issues |
| 11. | Attachments – | |
| a. | School Improvement Plan | |