Check It Out - Traverse Bay Area Intermediate School District

Board Briefs – November 6, 2012 Board Briefs – December 4, 2012
Personnel Updates:
New Positions:
Migrant Teacher/Director
Teacher Assistant AI
New Employees:
Deb Neddo, Migrant Teacher/Director
Jacob Sedgwick, Teacher Assistant
Stacy Udell, Teacher Assistant
Peter Povolo, Parapro, Precision Machining
Mark Fink, Computer Technician
Resignation:
Ty Wessell, Instructional Consultant
Superintendent’s Report:
• We heard two presentations in response to a request
for proposals for the Health Insurance Consortium.
Presentations were made by MEBS bringing an Aetna
product and Priority Health. Aetna was more costly
than current plans. Priority Health asked for a January
1, 2013 proposal with a July 1, 2013 effective date.
The consortium agreed to bring Priority back in January
for another proposal. We hope to have more insurance
carriers present proposals in January.
Approved:
• Contract with Michigan Virtual School
• Line item adjustments for General Ed budget 2012-13
• Snow plow bid
• Auditor’s report
• Cash match agreement with MRS
• Early childhood specialist services
• Michigan Council for the Arts and Cultural Affairs
mini grant
• Contract with Wexford-Missaukee ISD on behalf of
Northern Michigan Learning Consortium
Special Education Report:
• We are working through proposed rule changes from
the Office of Early Childhood that apply to birth to age
three. The Office of Great Start was created by MDE to
have control of all early childhood programs within MI.
• Michigan recently changed insurance guidelines for
individuals with autism. Guidelines may be based on
eligibility and diagnosis made by a family physician.
Career & Technical Report:
• Advisory meetings were held in October for CTC
programs. This gives staff a chance to receive feedback
from area business partners on new trends that may
apply to classroom instruction.
• Visitation for 10th grade students from TCAPS are
in December. Other local district visits will follow in
February. Presentations occured at local districts.
• Students from the early childhood program are
decorating a tree for the Festival of Trees. Agriscience
students are making holiday wreaths and centerpieces.
Instructional Services/Technology Report:
• Annual data meeting with instructional services and
literacy staff was held to review long range planning for
training and inservices for area districts.
• We now offer local districts cost savings on future
purchases of Northwest Evaluation Association tests
through consortium pricing to license NWEA math,
reading, and language arts assessments to partnering
districts.
Personnel Updates:
New Employees:
Aven Purcell, Teacher Assistant AI
David Kaggwa, Job Coach
Carol Navarro, Paraprofessional, Allied Health
Resignation:
Dr. Marie Connors-Gilmore, Assist. Superintendent
Jimmy Turnbull, Paraprofessional
Cheryl Wolf, Accountant
Liberty Provost, Teacher Assistant
Justin Noordhoek, Teacher, Beaver Island
Superintendent’s Report:
• We have invited area legislators to attend our
Superintendents Association meeting scheduled
on December 14 to discuss educational issues
and proposed legislation. To date Senator Walker
and Representative Schmidt have confirmed their
attendance.
• We wish Marie Connors-Gilmore the best as she
nears retirement at the end of January. We are
scheduling interviews on December 17 for the Assistant
Superintendent of Special Education position.
Approved:
• Continuation of a 100% summer tax collection
in those districts that implement a 100% summer
collection for 2012-13
• Board Policies
• Contract with NMCAA for Way to Grow
Special Education Report:
• Leigh Kennedy, Curriculum Director for Special
Education provided an update on literacy work in the
region. The efforts by general and special education
literacy team members and local districts are targeted
to provide an efficient system of sustainable literacy
improvement. Literacy teams help support instructional
strategies in classrooms and provide professional
development in district buildings.
Career & Technical Report:
• Celebrated perfect attendance with 299 of 1000 CTC
students.
• Electrical Occupations program is working with an
iPad application to calculate the amount of conduit it
would take for a building project.
• Students in the Early Childhood program are raising
funds to purchase hats and mittens for the Father Fred
Foundation by asking area businesses to donate a
portion of their sales to this cause.
• CTC staff and students joined forces to donate items
toward the benefit dinner and auction for the Jelinek
family in Suttons Bay.
Instructional Services/Technology Report:
• The Department of Education has released school
report card changes that identify new district targets in
math and writing.
• Our technology team is working closely with Kingsley
Area Schools to help integrate technology support for
staff and students. We are also providing support to
Buckley Community Schools as they move through the
process of finding an IT department replacement.