SCHOOL BOARD REPORT, JANUARY 2011 – BETH FRANKLIN, CHAIR
With yet another snowstorm bearing down on Southern Maine, we’re facing snow day #4. At this rate, Independence Day may take on a whole new meaning for our children!
COMMUNITY DIALOGUE SCHEDULED:
Our fifth~Community Dialogue~is scheduled for~Friday, March 18 from 10:30-2:30~at Falmouth High School.~ Please mark your calendars and watch for more information about this important event.~ Through a series of dialogues sponsored by the participants, priorities for the schools are established to guide the district's continuous improvement efforts for the next two years.~ We greatly appreciate hearing ideas from teachers and staff, students, parents, school and town officials, and community members. And, we are working to make child care available so that more parents of younger children can attend. Stay tuned for more on child care options for that day.
HIGH SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE:
Staff at the high school continues to debate and discuss various bell-schedule models. After being presented with a draft of a schedule created in conjunction with school leadership, several other models were proposed. Staff are continuing to have input via a school blog, where they can also participate in a straw poll rating guide geared toward determining what schedule best meets the needs of all students and the school in general. Students have also been part of the discussion through advisory and school “teas” with Principal Palmer. The goals are to create a schedule that allows for better curriculum delivery and pacing, allows K-12 professional staff to be shared between all buildings, and that creates opportunities for all students to receive academic ad other support from all staff members multiple times per week during the regular school day.
FALMOUTH DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND ST. ELIZABETH’S NON-ESSENTIALS PANTRY:
The efforts of Falmouth students and their parents have evolved to the point where 80% of the clothing, books, toys, and housewares distributed through St. Elizabeth’s Non-Essentials Pantry come from Falmouth. Students of all ages, from the elementary schools to the high school, have been involved in contributing to this thriving program.
FALMOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL SELECTED:
Falmouth Middle School has been selected to represent schools across our state and the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is given by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education and tells us what our nation’s students know and can do in key subject areas. It is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment and has been providing valid and reliable data on student performance since 1969.
The results of NAEP are published in a report called the Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
In our school, the NAEP assessment will be given to all 8th grade students on February 11th in mathematics, reading, or science. In addition to subject area questions, students will be asked some questions about themselves and their educational experience. You can access student and sample assessment questions at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/.
BUDGET DELIBERATIONS:
The next School Board workshop will be held next Monday, February 7, at the FHS Music Room. The Board will be focused on finding reductions to offset the anticipated $800k revenue shortfall, resulting from decreased state and federal funding. The workshop will review the following agenda items:
Review of proposed Tier 1 Savings, including:
Grade 2 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
Grade 5 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
Grade 7 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
MS World Language (1.0 Full Time Equivalent)
Schedule adjustment/class size
MS Music (.5 FTE)
Schedule adjustment/class size
MS Special Ed Teacher (1.0 FTE)
Enrollment/case review
Reduction to 35 hrs max. for Ed Techs
Reduction of teacher contact time
HS admin support reduction (to 35 hrs/wk)
Reduced services/reallocation
K-5 summer school
FY12 hiatus – new school move
MS/HS summer courses
Student fee for materials/teachers
HS study hall monitor (1.5 FTE)
Reallocate duties to HS staff
Business Office hrs/schedule adjustments
Office hours/coverage reviews
MS Library ET hours reduction (15 hours)
Reduction of services
HS Library ET hours reduction (20 hours/wk)
Reduction of services
Grounds/mail run position elimination
Reduced services/reallocation
HS RTI Teacher (.6 FTE)
Schedule/enrollment
Review of Tier II additional reduction options:
IEP coordinator summer school oversight
Offset pay with comp time during year
District Service Learning program (1/3 red.)
Reduction of program services
Gr 2 World Language elim. (.5 FTE)
World Language starts at Gr. 3
Gr 3-5 World Language elim (2.0 FTE)
World Language starts at MS
District health services review
One-campus study
Social Work/Behavior
One-campus study
SpEd out-of-district placement review
Student need
HS schedule additional sections review
Enrollment/student need
Custodial services review
K-8 needs analysis
New proposals brought by the Leadership Council/Building Adminstrators. This discussion will include a presentation by the Kindergarten Study Group on the possible options for full day kindergarten, an extension of the current Play & Learn program, and the implications of those choices.
Following the presentation, the Board will welcome public questions and comments on everything presented. The essential questions to be answered are:
1. What programs do you wish to see retained in the upcoming budget?
2. What programs are not a priority for you?
3. Of those programs that you support, are you willing to support an increase in the mil rate to see those programs continued?
The School Board will be adopting the budget at the March 21st meeting in order to present it to the Town Council on March 28th. The Town Council will be taking public comment that evening, and on April 11th and 25th.
With yet another snowstorm bearing down on Southern Maine, we’re facing snow day #4. At this rate, Independence Day may take on a whole new meaning for our children!
COMMUNITY DIALOGUE SCHEDULED:
Our fifth~Community Dialogue~is scheduled for~Friday, March 18 from 10:30-2:30~at Falmouth High School.~ Please mark your calendars and watch for more information about this important event.~ Through a series of dialogues sponsored by the participants, priorities for the schools are established to guide the district's continuous improvement efforts for the next two years.~ We greatly appreciate hearing ideas from teachers and staff, students, parents, school and town officials, and community members. And, we are working to make child care available so that more parents of younger children can attend. Stay tuned for more on child care options for that day.
HIGH SCHOOL BELL SCHEDULE:
Staff at the high school continues to debate and discuss various bell-schedule models. After being presented with a draft of a schedule created in conjunction with school leadership, several other models were proposed. Staff are continuing to have input via a school blog, where they can also participate in a straw poll rating guide geared toward determining what schedule best meets the needs of all students and the school in general. Students have also been part of the discussion through advisory and school “teas” with Principal Palmer. The goals are to create a schedule that allows for better curriculum delivery and pacing, allows K-12 professional staff to be shared between all buildings, and that creates opportunities for all students to receive academic ad other support from all staff members multiple times per week during the regular school day.
FALMOUTH DISTRICT COMMUNITY AND ST. ELIZABETH’S NON-ESSENTIALS PANTRY:
The efforts of Falmouth students and their parents have evolved to the point where 80% of the clothing, books, toys, and housewares distributed through St. Elizabeth’s Non-Essentials Pantry come from Falmouth. Students of all ages, from the elementary schools to the high school, have been involved in contributing to this thriving program.
FALMOUTH MIDDLE SCHOOL SELECTED:
Falmouth Middle School has been selected to represent schools across our state and the nation by participating in the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). NAEP is given by the National Center for Education Statistics within the U.S. Department of Education and tells us what our nation’s students know and can do in key subject areas. It is the largest continuing and nationally representative assessment and has been providing valid and reliable data on student performance since 1969.
The results of NAEP are published in a report called the Nation’s Report Card, which provides information about student achievement to educators, parents, policymakers, and the public.
In our school, the NAEP assessment will be given to all 8th grade students on February 11th in mathematics, reading, or science. In addition to subject area questions, students will be asked some questions about themselves and their educational experience. You can access student and sample assessment questions at http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/parents/.
BUDGET DELIBERATIONS:
The next School Board workshop will be held next Monday, February 7, at the FHS Music Room. The Board will be focused on finding reductions to offset the anticipated $800k revenue shortfall, resulting from decreased state and federal funding. The workshop will review the following agenda items:
Review of proposed Tier 1 Savings, including:
Grade 2 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
Grade 5 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
Grade 7 Teacher
Strictly meets class size policy
MS World Language (1.0 Full Time Equivalent)
Schedule adjustment/class size
MS Music (.5 FTE)
Schedule adjustment/class size
MS Special Ed Teacher (1.0 FTE)
Enrollment/case review
Reduction to 35 hrs max. for Ed Techs
Reduction of teacher contact time
HS admin support reduction (to 35 hrs/wk)
Reduced services/reallocation
K-5 summer school
FY12 hiatus – new school move
MS/HS summer courses
Student fee for materials/teachers
HS study hall monitor (1.5 FTE)
Reallocate duties to HS staff
Business Office hrs/schedule adjustments
Office hours/coverage reviews
MS Library ET hours reduction (15 hours)
Reduction of services
HS Library ET hours reduction (20 hours/wk)
Reduction of services
Grounds/mail run position elimination
Reduced services/reallocation
HS RTI Teacher (.6 FTE)
Schedule/enrollment
Review of Tier II additional reduction options:
IEP coordinator summer school oversight
Offset pay with comp time during year
District Service Learning program (1/3 red.)
Reduction of program services
Gr 2 World Language elim. (.5 FTE)
World Language starts at Gr. 3
Gr 3-5 World Language elim (2.0 FTE)
World Language starts at MS
District health services review
One-campus study
Social Work/Behavior
One-campus study
SpEd out-of-district placement review
Student need
HS schedule additional sections review
Enrollment/student need
Custodial services review
K-8 needs analysis
New proposals brought by the Leadership Council/Building Adminstrators. This discussion will include a presentation by the Kindergarten Study Group on the possible options for full day kindergarten, an extension of the current Play & Learn program, and the implications of those choices.
Following the presentation, the Board will welcome public questions and comments on everything presented. The essential questions to be answered are:
1. What programs do you wish to see retained in the upcoming budget?
2. What programs are not a priority for you?
3. Of those programs that you support, are you willing to support an increase in the mil rate to see those programs continued?
The School Board will be adopting the budget at the March 21st meeting in order to present it to the Town Council on March 28th. The Town Council will be taking public comment that evening, and on April 11th and 25th.
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