Meeting Agenda/Notes - May 11, 2017

All attachments in pdf

 

Agenda

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE MEETING 5-11-17
11:00 a.m. - Board Executive Session Room
240 Villa Crest Drive
State College, PA  16801

I.          CALL to ORDER

II.         DISCUSSION for COMMUNICATING STUDENT DAY

III.       NEXT STEPS

IV.        PUBLIC COMMENT

V.          FUTURE AGENDA PLANNING

VI.        ADJOURNMENT

 

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NOTES

May 11, 2017 Board Communications Committee Meeting Notes
11:00 a.m. - Executive Session Room
Panorama Village Administrative Center
240 Villa Crest Drive
State College, PA 16801

I.        CALL to ORDER
Mr. Leous called the meeting of the Board Communications Committee to order at 11:07 a.m.

Present - Committee Members: Amber Concepcion, Penni Fishbaine, Jim Leous, Laurel Zydney
Others - Amy Bader, Vernon Bock, Gretchen Brandt, Randy Brown, Linda Colangelo, Dan  Duffy, Nabil Mark, Mary Kay Montovino, Bob O’Donnell, Chris Rosenblum

A copy of all materials distributed to committee members for discussion is included with the  official notes, unless otherwise indicated.

II.       DISCUSSION for COMMUNICATING STUDENT DAY
Dr. O’Donnell shared a listing of parent questions and concerns related to the Student Day Proposal that were raised during the PTO Forums. A High School Parent Information meeting is scheduled for June 1, 2017 at the HS North Library beginning at 7:00 p.m.  

A “Town Hall” Facebook Live event will be held on Tuesday, May 16, 2017 beginning at 7:00 p.m. This “live” event will allow people to communicate with us directly, ask questions and hear responses. They will tape the event at Park Forest Elementary School and the video will be posted to our website for anyone to view at a later time.

Board members asked questions about the format and logistics of this live event. Mr. Mark and Mr. Rosenblum will be there to assist with fielding questions and feeding them to Dr. O’Donnell and Mr. Bock. If there are not “real-time” questions, they will have questions available to ask. People have the ability to ask questions via Facebook prior to the live event Tuesday evening. An unlimited number of people can join the Facebook Live event. Mr.
Rosenblum shared that he and Mr. Mark viewed a Facebook Live event in Kansas where a Superintendent was presenting to a group and they were very impressed with it. Ms. Fishbaine stated that if we are not reaching a ton of people, maybe that means they are not against it.

Mr. Leous suggested that a good website visual might be to add an animated version of the proposed schedule diagram that would enable movement as you adjust the times. Putting the bussing windows in and changing as you adjust the times; showing different scenarios. He thought that Ms. Crowe may be able to recommend someone to help with this.

Two additional schools will be holding meetings after the “Live” event; Park Forest Elementary on May 25, 6:30 p.m. in the all purpose room and the High School Parent Information meeting on June 1, 7:00 p.m. in the HS North Library.

Ms. Fishbaine mentioned that looking at the FAQs, it shows what the proposal is but it doesn’t include a current schedule of what is in place right now. We need to include the “now” at the beginning of the FAQ as well as what we are proposing. Ms. Bader requested that Board members be given talking points to know how to respond to questions asked and have a consistent answer. She is afraid that there’s a misconception out there that we are making the teachers work a longer day for no additional pay. The Memorandum of Understanding is what the teachers association voted on and it was suggested that a joint statement be made with SCAEA and the Board concerning the proposal.

Dr. O’Donnell feels we need to be timely and having a timeline would be helpful for making a decision in October. It is important to have a decision before the Board turnover, since at least one new member will be seated in December.

We need to communicate this is a proposal that has been in negotiations for over a year. When talking about the timeline, need to discuss what precipitated this change and the negotiation with the teachers. They discussed the questions they are hearing. It was decided Dr. O’Donnell and Mr. Bock would start in the front end; use MAP data to reiterate why we started talking about this change; we have also seen a significant change in
anxiety, and students are feeling rushed. We are doing this for what’s good for kids.

Committee members discussed: reduction in homework, more time in class, sleep patterns not due to research but for learning, having a Straight Talk session on sleep patterns and research related to learning and speak to the mental health of our students.

Ms. Fishbaine left the meeting at 12:12 p.m.

Mr. Rosenblum will start working with administration to prepare talking points for Board members.

Dr. O’Donnell and Ms. Colangelo left the meeting at 12:17 p.m.

III.      NEXT STEPS
The following were suggested: 1) Improve the FAQ, 2) Get ready for Facebook Live Event, 3) Talking Points for Board Members, 4) Focus on Goals, 5) Timeline, 6) Statement with SCAEA and Board, 7) Contact Preschools, 8) Spreadsheet with all the questions and answers, 9) Ask a Question button, 10) CDT Interview on Monday with Mr. Bock focusing on Facebook Live, and 11) Graphic showing traditional with the proposed school day schedule

IV.       PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.

V.        FUTURE AGENDA PLANNING
Next meeting to be held after the High School Parent Information Meeting – Tentative-June 6, 2017 11:00-12:30

VI.       ADJOURNMENT
Mr. Leous adjourned the Board Communications Committee meeting at 12:41 p.m.

Submitted by,

Mary Kay Montovino
Acting Board Secretary