With only five full months left before a new School Board is
seated, trustees are reviewing their board goals, a discussion that
was started during a March 15 workshop.
With only five full months left before a new School Board is seated, trustees are reviewing their board goals, a discussion that was started during a March 15 workshop.
These goals would serve as district goals for the 2004-2005 school year. According to information from the district, the goals, once adopted, would serve as a basis for district departments and individual school site goals.
“What we need to know is what do board members believe,” said Superintendent Carolyn McKennan during Monday night’s regular board meeting. “Our job is to take that direction and go there.”
Four of the seven board seats will be up for grabs during the November election. One seat, that of former Trustee Tom Kinoshita, who resigned March 15, is vacant. President George Panos and Trustees Jan Masuda and Del Foster have said they will not seek re-election.
The board did not adopt goals for this school year.
Four priority areas were developed during the trustees’ off-site workshop held March 15:
• “Establish unity of purpose among members of the governance team. To develop a district vision based on shared core values and beliefs that will lead to a long-term plan for the district. Decide what we want the district to be in five years, ten years, etc.
• Ensure that all of our students have opportunities for success.
• Learn how to deal more successfully with change so that change is seen as an opportunity not a threat. Learn how to stay ahead of change – being proactive not reactive. Learn how to transition the district through change.
• Communicate well with employees and the community about what we do well.”
Trustees directed district staff during the March 22 board meeting to create from these priorities specific goals, including timeline, assessment measures and specific activities.
The goals presented to trustees for discussion are:
“1. Increase the effectiveness of board through respectful communications in all venues;
- Ensure that each student has opportunities for success using state California Standards Test results;
-
Initiatives for change are based on core beliefs;
-
Communicate well with employees and the community what we do.”
Boardwatcher Scott Woodworth said the process is long overdue.
“The last time you looked at these was January 2002,” he said. “You need to establish very specific, very measurable goals. You need to identify academic goals, and bonuses must be tied to academic gains.”
Morgan Hill Federation of Teachers President Donna Foster told board members she is pleased they are working on the goals.
‘I am glad to see you have created some specific actions tied to specific people,” she said of the proposed plan.
For example, under goal one, a specific activity called for by the plan is to “adopt a decision-making model for use by the district.” The responsible group is the board itself. Under goal two, a specific activity is to “support and monitor implementation of best practices to support individual student success at all levels.” The responsible group is principals, teachers and grade level/department teams.
Foster said there is still work to be done on the goals.
“This is a good start,” he said Monday night during the discussion that last almost an hour. “The idea of some objective measurement (under goal two) … would be good. But as far as specific things, number one gives some degree, number two is definitely something that could be more measurable, number three has some and as far as number four, I never have been sure how to do that one.”
Trustee Amina Khemici agreed with Foster that more specifics were needed.
“Particularly with goal two, I’d like to see us working on specific concerns, such as losing students to private schools,” she said. “I think we need to look at the concerns and issues we have right now and focus on them.”
Trustee Shellé Thomas said communication was a priority for her.
“I think it’s important that we have two-way communication, not just telling you (the community) what we want you to hear,” she said. “Unless people share their concerns, we don’t know about them. As much as I want to promote what’s good about the district, I want a two-way communication.”
District staff was directed to take the comments from trustees and work on the goals and the plan for following them and bring them back to trustees.
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. She can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or phoning (408) 779-4106 Ext. 202
