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MINUTES
WEST VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION
Board Conference Room
July 12, 2007
I. Call to Order
President Johnson called the meeting of the West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) to order at 9:00 a.m. on July 12, 2007, in the Board Conference Room, Capitol Building 6, Room 353, 1900 Kanawha Boulevard, East, Charleston, West Virginia.
The
following members were present: President
Johnson, Vice President
II. Recognitions
President Johnson recognized Ms. Dreama Bell, principal at Stanaford Elementary School in Raleigh County, West Virginia’s 2007 National Distinguished Principal.
III. Approval of Agenda
Upon motion by Ms. Phillips, seconded by Ms. Hatfield, the Board unanimously approved the agenda.
IV. Consent Agenda
Mrs. Fish requested that item 4. Waivers of West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE) Policies and Regulations, Superintendent's Interpretations and State Statutes and Legislative Rules be removed from the Consent Agenda and taken up immediately following the approval of the Consent Agenda. Upon motion by Mrs. Cook, seconded by Ms. Phillips, the Board unanimously approved the Consent Agenda as amended. (Copies appended to Official Minutes, Attachments A through C and E through O.)
· Meeting minutes of June 13 and 14, 2007 (Attachment A)
· Budget supplement and transfer requests for the month of June 2007 as follows: total supplements = $143,420,224 and total transfers = $110,696,521 (Attachment B)
· Step 7 Plans for 55 county boards of education for 2007-2008 (Attachment C)
· Amendment to the Cabell County CEFP to include the approval of the names of two new schools as Huntington Middle School and Southside Elementary School. Huntington Middle School is a consolidation of the current Cammack and West middle schools. Southside Elementary is a consolidation of the existing Cammack and Miller elementary schools. Southside Elementary will be temporarily housed in the existing Miller Elementary School structure and Huntington Middle School will be temporarily housed in the existing West Middle School structure until construction is completed
· One additional county application representing summer school at two county locations (Attachment E)
· Employment of Substitute Teachers in Areas of Critical Need policy for Mercer County Schools (Attachment F)
· Sections 5.2.2 and 5.2.3 of Policy 2423, Communicable Disease Control, for placement on public comment for 30 days (Attachment G)
· Policy 2525, West Virginia's Universal Access to a Quality Early Education System (Attachment H)
· West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission Series 1 - Constitution, Series 3 - Provisions Governing Contests, Series 4 - Provisions Governing Conduct and Series 6 - Violations of the Rules (Attachment I)
· Teacher Preparation Programs in Elementary Education at Bluefield State College and Reading Specialist at Fairmont State University (Attachment J)
· Notification of the re-appointment of Dr. Darin Martin to a second three-year term to the Educator Preparation Program Review Board (Attachment K)
· Continuation of Independence Middle School’s Full Accreditation status, Shady Spring Middle School’s Conditional Accreditation status, and Liberty High School’s Conditional Accreditation status, and continued the Full Approval status of the Raleigh County School System and gave the schools receiving Conditional Accreditation status and the county a May 31, 2008 Date Certain to achieve adequate yearly progress (AYP) (Attachment L)
· Continuation of Jefferson Elementary Center’s Conditional Accreditation status, Edison Junior High School’s Conditional Accreditation status, and Hamilton Junior High School’s Full Accreditation status, and continued the Full Approval status of the Wood County School System. Conditional Accreditation status is granted until the spring 2007 WESTEST data are available and the next accreditation period (Attachment M)
· Continuation of Nutter Fort Intermediate School’s Full Accreditation status, Bridgeport Middle School’s Exemplary Accreditation status, Gore Middle School’s Conditional Accreditation status, Lumberport Middle School’s Conditional Accreditation status, and Washington Irving Middle School’s Conditional Accreditation status, and continued the Full Approval status of the Harrison County School System. Conditional Accreditation status is granted until the spring 2007 WESTEST data are available and the next accreditation period (Attachment Mc)
· Continuation of New Martinsville School’s Conditional Accreditation status and continued the Full Approval status of the Wetzel County School System and gave the school and county a May 31, 2008 Date Certain to achieve AYP (Attachment N)
· Continuation of Ripley Elementary School’s Exemplary Accreditation status and Ravenswood Middle School’s Exemplary Accreditation status, and continued the Full Approval status of the Jackson County School System (Attachment O).
V. Waivers of West Virginia Board of Education (WVBE)
Policies and Regulations, Superintendent's Interpretations
and State Statutes and Legislative Rules
Mrs. Fish issued concern regarding the requested waiver of WVBE Policy 2510: Assuring the Quality of Education: Regulations for Education Programs, Section 5.5.1 (Middle Level Foreign Language/Footnote 4), Grades 7-8 submitted by Mercer County Schools. The purpose of the waiver was to enhance the delivery of instructional programs. The alternative program will enable the county to continue the current foreign language program. Securing the necessary three or four additional foreign language teachers at this time is not a possibility nor is the addition of Virtual School courses because of the potential tuition expenses and the insufficient number of computer labs and stations to handle the number of students involved. The county’s teacher recruitment plan substantiates efforts in this area. Discussion ensued regarding funding for virtual schools. Following discussion it was requested that a detailed financial statement be provided to all Board members with regard to funding for virtual schools.
Upon motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Mrs. Cook, the Board unanimously approved the waiver request. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment D.)
VI. Reports
Board Member/Committee Reports. Ms. Haden provided recommendations from the Student Participation Committee for the Board’s consideration. Ms. Haden requested that the recommendations be accepted for implementation and subject to change in accordance with Board responsibilities and with continuance of the initiative to be taken up by the Board (current and future) when required or desired. Upon motion by Ms. Phillips, seconded by Mrs. Manchin, the Board approved the committee’s recommendations as stated by Ms. Haden.
VII. Recognitions (Continued)
President Johnson recognized Ms. Cathy Walker, WVDE employee and former mathematics teacher at John Adams Middle School in Kanawha County, recipient of the Presidential Award for Math Teaching and Ms. Mary Lu Hutchins, teacher at Steenrod Elementary School in Ohio County, recipient of the Presidential Award for Science Teaching. Ms. Hutchins was unable to attend the meeting due to other obligations.
VIII. Reports (Continued)
Board Member/Committee Reports. Mrs. Fish provided a report regarding her participation in a recent meeting of the West Virginia Commission for Professional Teaching Standards (WVCPTS) and requested that the Board: 1) submit nominations to vacancies on the Commission, and 2) issued an invitation to the Board to a future reception with the WVCPTS (an invitation will be sent to members). Mrs. Fish also brought to the Board’s attention the NASBE Healthy Schools’ pre-conference meeting and the need for a team nominating herself as the team leader. President Johnson indicated that the naming of a team would be at the discretion of the new Board President to the elected and the close of the meeting. Mrs. Fish thereupon asked for action on her request and the naming of a team as soon as possible. Mrs. Fish also announced a press event on July 27 welcoming the Dr. Virginia Stallings, chair of the IOM nutrition committee, to Charleston for several speaking engagements.
Ms. Haden attended the Social Studies Summer Institute and ECS meeting. President Johnson provided information regarding leadership conferences at Glade Springs on July 15 and July 22 and invited members to attend (members are to RSVP to the Board’s executive secretary).
State Superintendent’s Report. Superintendent Paine presented Department personnel actions for the Board’s information, provided updates in Lincoln, McDowell, Mingo and Hampshire Counties, discussed [with the assistance of Mr. Joe Panetta (distributed information), Executive Director, West Virginia Department of Education’s (WVDE) Office of School Finance] special education funding.
IX. Break
President Johnson called for a break at 10:10 a.m.
X. Call to Order
President Johnson called the meeting back to order at 10:25 a.m.
XI. Reports (Continued)
State Superintendent’s Report. Superintendent Paine (distributed information and assisted by President Johnson) presented information regarding the formation of a West Virginia Learning First Alliance Affiliate for the Board’s consideration.
Mrs. Cook moved that West Virginia become a Learning First Alliance Affiliate and that President Johnson serve as chair of the affiliate. The motion was seconded by Mrs. Manchin and unanimously carried. President Johnson requested that members provide him with names of groups or organizations that they wish to considered for invitation to meetings.
Superintendent Paine (assisted by Dr. Patricia S. Kusimo, Chief Executive Officer, West Virginia Center for Professional Development) provided a brief report regarding the tools and tasks involved in digital story telling. Superintendent Paine distributed a letter from the United States Department of Education congratulating West Virginia on the accurate and timely submission of state data to EdFacts.
Superintendent Paine provided a comprehensive update [with the assistance of Dr. Jorea Marple, Assistant State Superintendent of Schools, Division of Curriculum and Instructional Services, Ms. Carla Williamson (distributed information), Executive Director, WVDE’s Office of Instruction, and Dr. Jan Barth (distributed information), WVDE’s Office of Assessment and Accountability] regarding the alignment of content standards and objectives. It was the consensus of the Board that the direction taken by the State Superintendent with regard to the alignment of the content standards and objective is appropriate.
XII. Break
President Johnson called for a break for lunch at 12:18 p.m.
XIII. Call to Order
President Johnson called the meeting back to order at 12:50 p.m.
XIV. Reports (Continued)
President Johnson introduced Mr. Michael J. Conallen, Jr., Secretary’s Regional Representative, United States Department of Education.
Superintendent Paine [assisted by Dr. Karen Huffman Special Assistant, Division of Special Projects, Dr. Marple (distributed information), and Mr. Richard Lawrence (distributed information), Executive Director, WVDE’s Office of Title II - School and School System Improvement] provided an update regarding activities related to the implementation of House Bill 4669, a five-year demonstration professional development school project to improve academic achievement of all children, and (assisted by Ms. Heather Deskins, General Counsel to the WVBE and WVDE) provided a status report regarding the development of proposed guidelines for the retention of WVBE records and provided thoughts regarding the needs of the Board and asked that members provide her their thoughts as quickly as possible so that a draft could be developed and provided to the Board for comment. The guidelines will be presented to the Board for action at the August or September meeting. Superintendent Paine provided updates regarding a number of meetings and initiatives. (Copies appended to Official Minutes, Attachment P and addenda.)
XV. Institute of Medicine (IOM) of the National Academies
Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools:
Leading the Way toward Healthier Youth Report
Dr. Jack McClanahan, Deputy State Superintendent of Schools, provided background information regarding a perceived need for the Board to take a position on the recommendations found in the IOM of the National Academies’ Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools: Leading the Way toward Healthier Youth report.
Mrs. Fish moved that the Board support the standards found in the IOM report Nutrition Standards for Foods in Schools. The motion was seconded by Mr. Spencer. Discussion ensued with Mr. Richard Goff, Executive Director, WVDE’s Office of School Nutrition, answering questions regarding the standards found in the IOM report versus those found in WVBE Policy 4321.1, Standards for School Nutrition, and Ms. Deskins answering questions regarding the technical language of the motion. Following discussion, it was the consensus of the Board that a show of support for the IOM standards does not require that the future amendment of Policy 4321.1 be in total alignment with the IOM standards. The Board’s established process for the amendment of policy must allow public comment and therefore amendment to policy cannot be assured until the conclusion of the public comment period. Upon the call for the question the motion was unanimously approved. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment Q.)
XVI. WVBE Personnel Matters
Upon motion by Mr. Spencer, seconded by Ms. Phillips, the Board unanimously approved the Board’s personnel items. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment R.)
XVII. Board Items for Future Consideration
President Johnson requested items to be considered for placement on a future agenda to be provided to the next Board President or Dr. McClanahan. (Copy appended to Official Minutes, Attachment S.)
XVIII. President’s Retrospective
President Johnson, with the assistance of Superintendent Paine, provided an overview of the Board’s accomplishments for 2005-2006 and 2006-2007. Upon conclusion of the presentation Superintendent Paine thanked President Johnson for his leadership over the past two years.
XIX. Election of Officers 2007-2008
President Johnson expressed appreciation to the Board and the Department for support during his tenure as President over the past two years and called for nominations from the floor.
President
Ms. Hatfield nominated Mrs. Cook to the office of President.
Mr. Spencer moved, and Ms. Phillips seconded, that the nominations be closed. The motion carried.
Mrs. Cook was not opposed for that office and was declared elected President.
Vice President
Dr. Johnson nominated Ms. Haden to the office of Vice President.
Ms. Phillips moved, and Mrs. Manchin seconded, that the nominations be closed. The motion carried.
Ms. Haden was not opposed for that office and was declared elected Vice President.
Secretary
Ms. Haden nominated Mr. Spencer to the office of Secretary.
Mrs. Manchin moved, and Ms. Phillips seconded, that the nominations be closed. The motion carried.
Mr. Spencer was not opposed for that office and was declared elected Secretary.
Upon conclusion of the election proceedings, Ms. Phillips requested that it be known that: 1) she is not an owner or employee of the Phillips Group, 2) the Phillips Group is planning to bid on a contract with the WVDE, and 3) she excludes herself from any and all action regarding said bid and contract.
Mrs. Manchin issued a question regarding how a member obtains information. Dr. Johnson responded that, in his experience, any and all documentation is public information and provided when requested; such requests for information are directed to the State Superintendent and may become an agenda item for discussion at a Board meeting.
XX. Future Meetings
The next regular meeting of the Board will be held August 8-9, 2007 in Charleston, West Virginia.
XXI. Adjournment
Upon motion by Ms. Hatfield, seconded by Ms. Haden and unanimously carried, the Board adjourned at 2:51 p.m.
Minutes approved by the Board on August 9, 2007.
_______________________________________________
Delores W. Cook, President
_______________________________________________
Ronald B. Spencer, Secretary
Minutes were recorded by
Virginia M. Harris
Executive Secretary to the Board.
Wvbeminutes7/12/07