SCHOOL BOARD OF THE CITY OF NORFOLK

Minutes of the School Board Special Meeting
January 17, 2007

EXECUTIVE SESSION—CLOSED

The School Board convened the executive (closed) session at 3:37 p.m. in the School Administration Building, located at 800 E. City Hall Avenue, in Norfolk, Virginia.  Present were:  Chair Bishop, Mr. Cook, Dr. McCluney, Dr. Tonelson, and Dr. Wright.  Vice Chair Rhodes and Mr. Driggers were absent.  Superintendent Jones, Chief of Staff Young, Chief Academic Officer Boone, Chief Operations Officer Spencer, and Clerk Rhodes were present.   Mr. Cloud and Mr. Mungo were present from the City Attorney’s office.  

A roll call vote was taken on the motion and it was approved unanimously.

The Board came out of closed session at 4:28 p.m. and the School Board recessed for a dinner break. 

OPEN SESSION

 A.        CALL TO ORDER

Also present were Superintendent Jones; Chief Officers Young, Boone, Schmitt, Spencer, and Sullivan; Executive Directors Jones, Lassiter, O’Konek, and Thomas; and Clerk Rhodes.   

B.        RESOLUTION CERTIFYING AN EXECUTIVE CLOSED SESSION

It was MOVED and seconded that whereas, the School Board of the City of Norfolk convened a closed meeting on this date pursuant to an affirmative recorded vote and in accordance with the provisions of the Virginia Freedom of Information Act; and whereas, Section 2.2-3712 of the Code of Virginia requires a certification by the School Board of the City of Norfolk that such closed meeting was conducted in conformity with Virginia law; now, therefore, be it resolved by the School Board of the City of Norfolk:

That the School Board of the City of Norfolk hereby certifies that, to the best of each member’s knowledge, (i) only public business matters lawfully exempted from open meeting requirements by Virginia law were discussed in the closed meeting to which this certification resolution applies, and (ii) only such public business matters as were identified in the motion convening the closed meeting were heard, discussed, or considered by the Board.

A roll call vote was taken on the motion and it was approved unanimously.

C.        PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

Mr. Bishop led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.

D.        SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

1. The superintendent reported he had the opportunity to testify before the Senate Finance Committee in Richmond on January 11. As a member of Governor Kaine’s Start Strong Committee, he shared how pre-kindergarten opportunities for our students have helped them excel.  Highlights of the report included: 

We have 105 pre-K classes serving approximately 1,600 four-year-olds and 17 classes serving 274 three-year-olds.

Last year, 92 percent of our third graders with pre-K experience passed the math SOLS compared with 87 percent overall.

In English, third graders with pre-K experience had an 81 percent pass rate compared to a 77 percent rate overall.

Obviously, we know that early childhood education is an effective strategy and I remain hopeful that the Governor’s pilot programs will move forward. Our hope is that the state will move eventually to more fully fund pre-Kindergarten programs across the Commonwealth.

2. Dr. Jones reported that Linda Steadman is hard at work in her capacity as our Legislative Liaison spending much of the last week and this week in Richmond.  Two controversial measures were derailed.

Senate Bill 759 (a version of last year’s SB545) which deals with vouchers for special education was defeated on a 7-8 vote. Senate Bill 757, also proposed by    Senator Stosch, sought to create a special education voucher fund as part of the Neighborhood Assistance Act. This bill was heard in the Senate Rehabilitation and Social Services Committee rather than the Education Committee with a plan to have it re-referred to Finance. The motion failed on a 9-6 vote.

Board members received a copy of the full legislative update and we will keep you posted as further legislative developments arise.

3. The superintendent met with the Guiding Coalition. The group was reconstituted this year to ensure we had more community and business representation. Board members Billy Cook and Lillian Wright are the Board’s representatives for this group. The focus has been an exploration of how we can facilitate better public engagement in public education in Norfolk. We spent some time discussing perceptions about the school system and look forward to more insightful comments next month.

4. Dr. Jones met with the Chief of Police and others of his staff along with representatives of my administrative team. As a result of our meetings with the Juvenile Court Judges and our increased work to improve attendance and decrease truancy we have joined forces with the police department to create Truancy Teams.

We are in the final stages of our discussions and are working to clear up the remaining logistical issues. The Superintendent hopes to brief the Board in February on our plans to strengthen accountability for the whereabouts of our students during the instructional day.

5. During the recent joint PTA-School Board meeting, parents expressed some concerns about student-to-studentand student-to-staff relationships at the middle school level. These concerns are not surprising given the recently reviewed results of our District Stakeholder Survey that indicated middle school students gave the least favorable responses to the statement “Students treat each other with respect.” Given these parental and student concerns, the superintendent will establish an ad hoc committee to explore these issues and make recommendations for improving relationships at the middle school level. He will keep the Board updated as this work moves forward.

6. Fourteen NPS Instructional Technology Resource Teachers received recognition from WHRO, the school system, and the Virginia Department of Education for completing their NETS-T certification and becoming the first “graduating class” of this program in the Commonwealth of Virginia. These teachers will be instrumental in providing training opportunities to our teachers in instructional technology and the content areas. Congratulations to these well-deserving staff members on this accomplishment.

7. Norfolk Public Schools will be the recipient of the 2007 Award for the Most Outstanding Mentoring Program in the state of Virginia. The award is presented by the Virginia Mentoring Partnership and will be given at the organization’s Fifth Annual Awards Event and Mentoring Forum in Richmond on January 25. Congratulations to Regina Davis and all those involved at the school level in making this program a success.

8. Andrew Gelber and George Perry of the Panasonic Foundation will be back in the district tomorrow to work with the Council for Leadership and Strategic Planning. They will be with us Friday as well to facilitate your School Board retreat. As a reminder, your retreat will be held on Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Breakfast will be available starting at 8 a.m.

The items of interest included the following:

1. Chaundria Smith, a teacher at Azalea Gardens MS, has made the Future Business Leaders of America a personal commitment. Within one year, Chaundria increased the membership from 20 students to 62, creating the largest Tidewater chapter of the FBLA. She was also recognized by the State of Virginia for having the third largest chapter in the Commonwealth.
   
   
2. A heroic act is what Sheila Dixon, a school bus driver with Norfolk Public Schools, displayed while transporting students home from school. She performed the Heimlich maneuver on a student who was choking on a piece of candy. When the maneuver did not work, she reached inside the child’s mouth, found the candy lodged sideways, and removed the obstruction from the child’s airway. Sheila’s commitment and service to Norfolk’s students is part of what makes our school system world-class.


3. Taking it to the streets is exactly what Alison Hartsook did to raise public awareness about a personal, yet passionate issue dear to her heart. Alison, an 11th grader at Granby High School, organized a Gulu Walk in October. It was part of a worldwide event to raise awareness about children in Africa. Alison’s event started at Harbor Park and ended at the Todd Rosenlieb Dance Studio. Alison’s Gulu Walk raised $2,600 to support the children in northern Uganda.
4. Good sportsmanship and academic prowess made Emily Butler, a student at Azalea Gardens Middle School, the perfect selection as a finalist for the 2006 Student Athlete Achievement Awards sponsored by the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. The awards were created to honor young people who are dedicated “on the field” to their sport and “off the field” to academics and their community. As part of her recognition, Emily received a prize package from the Hall of Fame and its participating sponsors.


5. Nina Garris, a teacher at Larchmont Elementary School, is trained to find talented and gifted students among the sea of students in her school. Because of her experience and expertise, Nina was recently selected as an Educational Advisor to the summer 2007 National Young Scholars Program. The program is sponsored by the National Center for Early Academic Excellence.
Nina was also asked to nominate outstanding 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students who would benefit from this academically rigorous program. John "Sam" Padgett, a fifth grade student at Larchmont Elementary School was accepted into the program. This summer in Washington, D.C., John will join other high-achieving students from across the country as they participate in this exclusive, academic program.

6. The Alpha Chi Chapter of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority held its yearly luncheon during American Education Week to publicly honor some of the dedicated educators in the Hampton Roads area for their commitment to students.


7. The“Apple for the Teacher” award was bestowed upon the following Norfolk Public Schools honorees:
   
   
   1. Mary F. Becker, an Instructional Specialist at James Monroe Elementary
      
   2. Burma Bell, a Practical Nursing Instructor at Norfolk Technical Center
   3. JoAn Chever, a Media Specialist at Tanners Creek Elementary
   4. Taryn Jones, a Math Teacher at Booker T. Washington High School
   5. Vicky Nellum, a 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Lake Taylor Middle
   6. Valerie Parker, a Special Education Teacher at Norview Elementary
   7. Tommie Pope, an Auto Mechanic Technical Instructor at Norfolk Technical Center
   8. Julia Simmons, an Elementary Teacher at Little Creek Elementary
   9. Ta-Tanisha Walton, a Literary Specialist at Norview Elementary

   Each award winner was given a special “Apple for the Teacher” plaque.

E.         INTRODUCTION OF NEW ADMINISTRATOR

Mr. Spencer introduced Mr. Lawrence Taylor, who was promoted to principal at Oceanair Elementary School.

F.         RECOGNITION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS

In a 10-week session entitled “So Big: Making Art for Public Spaces,” Helena Navarro, art teacher at Blair Middle School, had students in the Arts and Sciences After-school Enrichment Program collaboratively develop proposals for an installation that would be representative of Norfolk Public Schools and that would be designed specifically for the space in the Board room. Mrs. Navarro took measurements and digital photos of the space and showed them to her students along with visuals of other public art. Students selected the proposal that they wanted to work on and they worked collaboratively to complete it. Along with Helen Navarro, the following students were recognized by the Board.

• Dominque Arthur (Ghent)
• Atiana Basnight (Ghent)
• Ashi Paije Beaudry (Northside)
• Courtney Fleming (Ghent)
• Monica Ford (Blair)
• Yvonne Goodwyn (Ghent)
• Melisa Guzman (Lafayette-Winona)
• Susan Howell (Homeschooled)
• Mercia Ledbetter (Blair)
• Stephanie Morales (Ghent)
• Shaquann Seadrow (Norview Middle)
• Claudia Swain (Blair)
• Chelsea Thornton (Azalea Gardens)
• Ian Vogt (Northside)

G.        FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS AND STATEMENT

Mr. Schmitt reported that as of December 31, 2006, we have encumbered or expensed $133,604,520 or 43.3 percent of budgeted funds.  This compares to 44.1 percent at the same time last year and 40.8 percent in 04.  He anticipates being at 99.6 percent at year end.  It was moved by Mr. Cook and seconded by Dr. Wright to receive and file the financial highlights and statement for December.  The motion was approved.

H.        CITIZEN COMMENT ON AGENDA/NON-AGENDA ITEMS

There were no speakers to address the School Board.

I.          DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA

The Consent Agenda was presented for approval and contained the items listed below.

1. The minutes for the December 20 and January 10 School Board meetings.
2. The December Bills and Payroll Report
3. The Personnel Report
4. Pupil Personnel Report which included the Reinstatement requests, the report of Long-term Suspensions with Special Conditions, the Long-term Suspension Report for the month of December 2006, and the Out-of-district report for December 1-31, 2006.
5. The December Use of School Facilities Report
6. A Religious Exemption Request

Dr. Tonelson moved and Dr. McCluney seconded to approve the consent agenda.  The    motion was approved.

There was a 5-minute recess to set up for scheduled presentations.

J.         THE PAY AND CLASSIFICATION STUDY REPORT was given by Melissa To of the Wachovia Employer Solutions Group.

K.        The 2005-2006 DIVISION PERFORMANCE REPORT was presented by Dr. Jones and Karren Bailey.

L.         SCHOOL BOARD MATTERS:

1. Committee Reports
2. Other School Board Matters

The informal session adjourned at 7:55 p.m.

Minutes approved by the School Board:  February 21, 2007

The meeting adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

Minutes approved by the School Board: December 20, 2006