SLT Minutes
November 19, 2007
In attendance: Edward Amber, JoAnn Ebanks, Mary Lynn Fiske, Linda Jones, Donna Lawrence, Becky Randolph, Maggie Siena, LouAnn Smith, Sandy van der Zwan, Laura Cohen
Others in attendance: Loren Chodosh Harkin, Fran Taurasi (from the Empowerment Group)
Absent: Sarah Maiolo, Marina Templeton
Principal’s Report
Physical Report
There is a problem with the previously approved new windows. Although they were to be replaced, this plan is no longer listed in current capital projects. The Environmental Control Board has reissued the violation and there is a legal document with Independence Plaza. The school windows need to be replaced since they are not up to code. They also leak air and do not open. Maggie will request that the replacement of windows be placed in the capital budget.
Mission Statement
On Election Day, the teaching staff discussed the school’s values, goals, and shared belief in the Arts and learning. One of the themes that emerged was the desire to be a more considerate community. One recent success has been having the children walk silently in the halls.
Maggie will continue to work with the teachers in developing this statement.
Student Assessments
Maggie spoke about the predictive assessments given to the 3rd, 4th and 5th graders in October. The school did not learn much from this particular predictive assessment. However, the school realized that the 3rd graders need practice in test formats.
Acuity from McGraw-Hill met with Maggie, Laura and Christina, the official inquiry group, with the understanding that the three would then share what was learned with the teachers. This predictive assessment is different from the ELA. The school feels pretty confident about the ELA. The ELA is reasonably good now and closer to what the school wants children to know.
Instructionally-Target Assessments start in a couple of weeks.
The school is doing test prep but staff would not say that they teaching to the test.
Progress report
Yuet Chu and Jill Myers attended the school’s parents’ session regarding the recent report card grade. Both were helpful. Everyone agreed that TLC was not a C school. Jim Liebman was/will be invited to come to visit the school.
Maggie mentioned that some schools and parent groups are formally objecting to the scores they received. Maggie would like to object but feels that the objection has more weight if it comes from the parents.
Judy Levine suggests taking the W from the Quality Review report, taking the C from the recent report card and taking them both to the Tribeca Trib so they can write an article.
Sandy and LouAnn will draft a letter and send around to see what others want to add.
Budget
There was a discussion of again trying to exchange the State aid to reduce class size with another school for Federal aid. State aid can only be used to provide an additional classroom while there is greater latitude in using Federal money. (PS 150 has no additional space to house another class and therefore is unable to use the State class size reduction money.) Maggie has asked the Compliance Officer, Katie Raab, to look into the funding issue. A larger issue might be whether we lobby the State to change the rules. It was also mentioned that Universal PreK does not include money for several significant areas – teacher absenteeism, teacher lunch periods or teacher prep time. These come from the schools’ overall budgets.
Maggie explained that a reduction is class size of even a few students has a significant impact on the budget. For example, if each class is reduced by 4 students per grade that translates into about a $96,000 decrease in the budget. Current class size maximums are 28 for grades K-3, 34 for grades 4-5 and 33 for Title 1 schools. SLT members thought that it is important for the parent body to understand in monetary terms what it means to have fewer children in the class.
Another part of the budget is related to Translation Services. We currently get about $71.00 based on the funding criteria but the requirements are so great and time consuming, we typically return the money.
Invited guest Fran Taurasi said that a primary factor driving our budget is space. Like PS 89 and PS 234, we cannot turn away a student and we cannot cap. The budget is based on a projection. She also mentioned that adding more children to a smaller space requires more supervision. Another issue is that PS 150 is in a high income area so the school does not receive and Title 1 funding.
Fran said that she could assist in looking grants. Many agreed that grants could be a lot of work. Fran mentioned that some grants may not be monetary and could still be beneficial. For example, VH1 donates instruments and allows schools to choose what they need most.
Old Business
Greening update
Amy Eddings (NPR) intended to air a show the Friday after Thanksgiving about the school’s success with recycling, reducing and reusing.
The Artic Tale will be shown for our upper grades at PS 234. JoAnn is working with Mary Beth Lawlor to screen the film as part of community building’s film night.
The memo on how to reduce waste at lunch went out earlier in the day. In addition, there was a discussion of how to reduce the number of or eliminate Styrofoam trays at lunch time. JoAnn graciously offered to research environmentally friendlier alternatives.
Penny Harvest Update
Penny Harvest made over $1,000. Christina Santiago will work with a committee of students to help decide which charity should receive the donation.
Discussion of Teaching Assessments
It was suggested that the forms be revised to contain the category of N/A on the student assessment forms.
There was a discussion of how much time teaching assessment tools take, both in class and out. Some recollected that at one time the UFT did a survey to get a better sense.
There was also a discussion of whether the predictive assessments were connected to the teaching material and that some parts of the ELA are beneficial for pointing out information that students should know.
There was also the sense that other SLTs don’t seem to be talking about assessments despite the increased number of them. Some speculated that others might start to talk more about the assessments at the end of the school year and after the frequent assessments had been given. The SLT will revisit this topic at the April meeting.
SLT Training Sessions
There was some discussion about how to incorporate the SLT training sessions into one of the regular meetings or combining with other schools. Laura will look into this on our behalf.
TLC Community Box
Letter #1
There was an email from Nancie Katz requesting an update on last year’s fundraiser for Heifer International. Maggie still has the money and intends to consolidate from the various fundraisers so it can be sent to them. LouAnn will help Maggie with consolidating and counting the money.
Also in response to Nancie’s inquiry about posting Heifer International information so that the children can understand what the money raised provided to a family in need, Maggie will provide bulletin board space.
Letter #2
A letter was received from 1st grade mom Neeta Vallab regarding class size, the number of students per class at PS 150 versus the other neighborhood schools and school funding. It was agreed that JoAnn will contact the parent to share the information that Fran Taurasi shared with the SLT today.
New Business
CECD2 Representative
Loren Chodosh Harkin spoke about the newly elected members to the CECD2 board and the importance of having parents’ voices heard. While the newly elected members are getting familiar with the system, there is a sense that they are listened to. LouAnn and Sandy will attend the meeting next week and make a statement in regard to our school’s report card grade.
Learning Leaders
LouAnn asked about the Learning Leaders program. Laura explained that it is a not-for-profit group that trains parents to volunteer in the classroom and although parents usually do not work in their own children’s classrooms, PS 150 was granted an exemption given the small school size. Some parents are helping in the specialty classroom where feasible. There are six hours of training. Last year 12-13 people were trained and 8-9 of them continued.
Next meeting December 17, 2007
Jobs: Timekeeper – Linda; Facilitator- Edward; Minutes - Donna
SLT Minutes
October 15, 2007
In attendance: Edward Amber, JoAnn Ebanks, Linda Jones, Donna Lawrence, Sarah Maiolo, Becky Randolph, Maggie Siena, LouAnn Smith, Marina Templeton, Sandy van der Zwan, Laura Cohen
Others in attendance: Loren Chodosh Harkin, Jennifer Greenblatt
Absent: None
Principal’s Report:
Budget
Maggie informed the SLT that she invited Fran Taurasi to the next SLT meeting in November to talk about the school budget. Fran will be able to answer specific questions and if SLT members have questions that they want to forward ahead of time, they can do that. In response to SLT questions about what type of questions can be asked, Maggie stated that Fran is supportive of our budget and can offer a better understanding of the budget.
Mission Statement
Maggie stated that she will use part of the Election Day session with teachers to talk about the school mission statement.
Learning Environment Survey
An SLT member asked about the Learning Environment Survey. Maggie mentioned that the parent responses were generally more positive than the teachers’ comments and for the teachers the two main areas of concerns revolved around communication and trust. Maggie felt that the comments would help her be more effective as a leader and she will work on improving communication and communicating more clearly. Maggie also felt that the questionnaire provided important feedback for her and made her more aware of concerns. Maggie and the teachers talk on a regular basis and will continue to do so. It is her hope that teachers and staff become comfortable enough to bring up issues directly with her. Overall, Maggie believes that PS 150 is in good shape, is a strong learning community but still has challenges. Her goals are to develop and grow closer as a community.
There was also some discussion among SLT members about the usefulness having a questionnaire only once a year. Members thought that a more frequent assessment, perhaps monthly or quarterly, would be a more useful tool.
CECD2 Representative
Loren Chodosh Harkin, mother of 4th grader, spoke about the importance of parents coming to community district meetings to have their voices heard.
Invited Guest – Jennifer Greenblatt
Jennifer Greenblatt, the District Family Advocate, joined for a portion of the SLT. Ms. Greenblatt has held several positions in District 2 over the years. Primarily, Ms. Greenblatt works with PTAs and SLTs to foster better communication. She helps with conflict resolution, helps with the flow of information, helps groups to go further and helps them reach their goals. Ms. Greenblatt can sit in on SLT regularly or as needed.
Ms. Greenblatt stated that some schools already work well and in those cases, she has more on a policy advisory role. She also mentioned that SLTs can have very busy periods and some slower periods and that is to be expected.
There was some discussion among SLT members about current DOE policy, the frequency of assessments, and the usefulness of data collecting. Some felt that assessments do not always capture the nuance of a child, and his or her progress and learning.
SLT members also talked about the importance of evaluating schools that are doing well and schools that are not and looking at how assessments factor in. SLT members acknowledged that some teachers feel that they spend less time teaching and more time on student assessments. The SLT also acknowledged that some feel that the focus on assessments might mask the importance of class size and teacher’s experience. Some members felt that all should be considered in evaluation. Some members thought that this might be worth exploring with other SLTs in District 2 in the future.
Old Business
The greening handout was reviewed and changes suggested. The greening handout will be revised.
The school is still working to reduce, recycle, and reuse.
An SLT member suggested the viewing of the Artic Tale. Perhaps this movie could be viewed on an upper grade (3rd – 5th) movie night. JoAnn and LouAnn will work on this.
New Business
Linda made members aware of the weeklong call-in to Congressmen/women regarding the No Child Left Behind and made a flyer available to those who were interested.
TLC Community Box
There was one letter from Amanda Guest, 2nd grade parent, covering several topics: the logistics and practicality of preparing 26 individual snacks, learning more about the social studies unit, and the possibility of attending the water exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH).
While it was understandable that 26 individually packaged snacks do not necessarily promote the reduction model of greening, this was weighed versus needing to distribute snacks in an efficient and rapid way. There was some discussion about using cheaper bags that may disintegrate faster and the need to make less of a mess. Members will continue to think of ways to improve this process.
The interest in the social studies unit may be a good topic for a parent workshop.
Maggie will look into the AMNH trip as either a school trip or trying to obtain discounts for parents who want to take children on their own.
Maggie will respond to Amanda.
Next Meeting: November 19, 2007
Jobs: Timekeeper – Becky Facilitator – Edward Minutes – Donna
SLT Minutes
September 24, 2007
In attendance: Edward Amber, JoAnn Ebanks, Mary Lynn Fiske, Linda Jones, Donna Lawrence, Sarah Maiolo, Becky Randolph, Maggie Siena, LouAnn Smith, Marina Templeton, Laura Cohen
Absent: None
Jobs set for this meeting
Timekeeper – JoAnn; Facilitator – LouAnn; Minutes – Donna
Year Long Jobs for 2007-2008 SLT
Co-chairs – LouAnn (5th grade parent) and Linda (1st grade teacher)
Secretary – Donna (According to new chancellor regulations on School and District Leadership Teams issued on August 7, 2007, the SLT must now have a secretary to maintain minutes and forward the agenda.)
TLC community box concerns – Marina
The minutes were accepted as corrected.
Principal’s Report
Physical Plant/Building
Many improvements have been made – flooring has been replaced in the media center and teacher’s lounge, the children’s bathrooms have been changed and have new plumbing, air conditioning units have been changed in the media center, art room and the kitchen. Units were changed by the DOE contracted vendor. However, just after those were completed, the air conditioner in Marina’s room broke but is to be replaced on September 25, 2007. The Frederich air conditioning unit cost roughly $1,300 per room. In addition, 2-3 others will need to be replaced by the time the weather warms next year. Maggie pointed out that money for the new units come from our school budget in contrast to newer school buildings that have central air. If the central air breaks then the DOE fixes it at no cost to the school. Unit costs coming from our budget take away money from our students.
Maggie also pointed out that the air conditioning issue is a health and equity issue as well. Children need to be in a comfortable environment to learn and the air quality needs to be a healthy one. Older schools, without central air, should not be penalized by having to use their budgets for this while newer schools do not. Maggie will discuss with the DOE at a later date if necessary.
Empowerment Zone
There are no mandatory meetings. There are voluntary meetings – Maggie attends some of these and will continue to do so. The DOE has moved to a customer service model and is more result oriented. Maggie mentioned that if she writes a polite letter about an issue, she has seen results. The DOE has also changed how people are assigned so schools can shop around.
Maggie stated that one of her important resources is Fran Taurasi who knows a lot about operations and usually responds to inquires expeditiously.
Maggie further commented that schools are still figuring how to get certain things done. For example, Maggie will be figuring out the best way for Christina to have ongoing professional development with colleagues who might not be in the school’s cohort.
Maggie also mentioned that there are more changes to come. For example, special education is being overhauled.
Mission Statement
(LouAnn gave a brief background of the parent surveys that went out and noted that the reevaluation of the mission grew from survey responses.)
Maggie has had some conversations with Yuet Chu, who is a network leader and the former principal of the School of the Future, about the statement. Maggie has also done a good deal of thinking on her own about what is unique and special about PS 150 as well as what would be important for the school’s mission statement to convey. In thinking about the process, Maggie generated key areas that make PS 150 a great school:
Maggie feels that the mission statement needs to come from the teaching community. Developing the school’s mission will involve all of the teaching community. If need be a subcommittee could be formed in the future. Ultimately, the mission may influence how the school reports to parents and designs curriculum.
Members agree that the mission statement should start with Maggie’s points and then expand.
The SLT mission may need to have the school mission completed first. In recent years, there have been areas of SLT focus such as the transition between principals (Alyssa to Maggie), the greening of the school. The SLT mission should support the mission of the school.
Maggie stated that the job of the SLT had been to move the Comprehensive Educational Plan (CEP) but there are no details on the revised plan for completion. Maggie explained that the process of completing the plan had changed but the new format was still being devised. Last year the SLT completed the CEP in an abbreviated way as was suggested and with the understanding that the new format would be in place this fall. However, the new format is not yet available and may have a great influence on the SLT’s work for this school year once the format is unveiled. Traditionally, the CEP is a huge task that often requires subcommittees to work on certain sections of the plan.
There was some discussion about the SLT looking at the school’s budget in relation to the CEP. Maggie explained that overall schools’ budgets for this year were more flexible and allowed for more discretion at the school level. Maggie is open to looking at budget with the SLT and suggests having Fran Taurasi join for that meeting and suggests that it be an agenda item for November when the budget is more solid.
There was some discussion of the school’s high rate of referrals for evaluations and a lower rate of intervention through the pupil personnel teams (PPT), now known as the student support teams (SST) prior to the referrals. This is an area that the school will look at in the coming months.
TLC Community Box Concerns
There were two letters this month.
The first from Nancie Katz (3rd grade parent) regarding no ball playing/soccer at recess.
Maggie clarified that while ball games that involve kicking are not allowed, other forms of ball playing are allowed. Maggie and Laura explained that there had been many problems when children were allowed to kick the ball: balls to the head, random kicking of stray balls, and kicking of balls when not part of a game. In addition, any (traditional/kicking) soccer games took a great deal of space and monitoring. In lieu, the children have developed a modified soccer games which involves the throwing of the ball. Children are allowed to throw balls, bounce balls and roll balls.
This conversation prompted a broader discussion of recess and recess activities. Maggie said that the two school aides have been a big help as has Linda’s assistant.
The school is further developing group recess activities such as circle dodge ball and may introduce jacks or similar quiet games.
Edward suggested the need to communicate with parents to let me know about the changes so they have the correct information regarding changes at recess.
Skates, skateboards and Heelys are still prohibited.
In response to the letter, Maggie spoke with Nancie.
The second letter from AF concerned testing and testing anxiety.
Marina stated that she and other teachers de-stress testing with the students and try to instill the importance of always trying one’s best – making the best effort always, not just before a “test.” Teachers present and Maggie said that it is the daily learning (reading, math and writing) that helps prepare for tests and that since they are routinely assessing the children, the citywide tests are just another assessment. The tests are another assessment tool.
There was some discussion among SLT members about the helpfulness of the testing workshop given later in the year. Some parents who had children in older grades mentioned that there is parental test anxiety around not knowing what to expect when it is the child’s first standardized test. There may be some thought given to adding a workshop for parents around the issue of test anxiety. Maggie is considering devoting one of the “Breakfast with Maggie” meetings to test anxiety. For now, the testing workshop with examples of testing material is still planned.
For the students, the school does teach test taking strategies and still intends to have test prep.
Since the letter was only signed AF, it is our hope that AF refers to these minutes for a response.
Community Service
Some consideration is being given to Penny Harvest as a school wide community service project but it needs a parent to run and coordinate.
Greening of the School
A fair amount has been accomplished – school wide recycling, faucets, toilets.
The school would still like to change the windows and lighting, and reduce lunch waste. There are some issues about the ability to change lunch trays to a sturdier, cost effective alternative but will require some research. In the meantime, the SLT will look for other ways to reduce lunch waste. JoAnn offered to explore some initial ways to help with the reduction. The SLT would like to send a letter to families with ideas to help manage lunch waste.
Mary Lynn has a contact at a sewage treatment plant and offered to explore a visit if the school wanted. Maggie will discuss with Michael to see if the visit would be useful during the water study.
Remaining Agenda Item
The review of the Chancellor’s new regulations was postponed until the next meeting with the understanding that members would review on line before hand to be ready to discuss the changes. The link to review a copy of the regulations is http://schools.nyc.gov/Administration/mediarelations/PressReleases/2007-2008/20070817_a655_comment.htm
Next meeting is October 15, 2007.
Jobs: Timekeeper - Marina; Facilitator – Sarah; Minutes – Donna