Collaboration Task Force
Why
The topic consistently brought up from staff was a request for additional collaboration time. A Collaboration Task Force to review options to see if there is any opportunity to increase this time. This task force is not a decision-making entity, but rather a committee to provide recommendations to the District.
Who
- Facilitator: Kelly McGovern, Nicole Bolton
- Principals
- Teachers
- Directors
How
- The development and implementation of the Collaboration Task Force follows the decision to continue with the traditional calendars to acknowledge the collaboration need from staff, brainstorm possible options, and gather input from stakeholders.
What
- The result will be researched options to support next steps.
- The result will be consistency in quality instruction across classrooms.
- The result will be consideration to support increased student achievement and higher graduation rate.
- The result will maintain alignment to the mission and vision of the district.
- The result will enforce the importance of collaboration between the district and community.
When
- Wednesday, April 17th: 8:00 – 11:30 a.m. CAB Board Room
Communications
Collaboration Task Force Agenda
Agenda
- Understanding your Role in the Collaboration Task Force
- Building background information:
- Calendar Committee Purpose vs. Collaboration Task Force Purpose
- Current building schedules, instructional time and staff contract times
- Generating ideas:
- Round 1 Common Grade Level Teams & Shareout
1. Team 1: Karl Wells, Elizabeth Bramwell, Kena Wolf
2. Team 2: Robert Daniel, Jennifer Palacios, Amy Pierantoni
3. Team 3: Carrie Ellison, Ron Urbin, Samantha Winters
4. Team 4: Bryant Blake, Wanda Maloney, Cathy Perkins
5. Team 5: Sarah Blake, Ryan Allen, Lauren Reynders
6. Team 6: Shannon Garrison, Tana Klein, Toni DeBernardi
7. Team 7: Tina Johnson, Jordan Erspamer, Tina Searle
8. Team 8: Kris Cundall, Shari Kumer, Jared Hardman
9. Team 9: Annie Fletcher, Jessica Stephens, Kayci Arnoldi
10. Team 10: Mike Maloney, Larissa Apel, Anna Johnston - Round 2 K – 12 Teams & Shareout
1. Team 1: Karl Wells, Ron Urbin, Shari Kumer
2. Team 2: Robert Daniel, Lauren Reynders, Jessica Stephens
3. Team 3: Sarah Blake, Wanda Maloney, Anna Johnston
4. Team 4: Tana Klein, Shannon Garrison, Kris Cundall
5. Team 5: Carrie Ellison, Elizabeth Bramwell, Mike Maloney
6. Team 6: Amy Pierantoni, Tina Searle, Jared Hardman
7. Team 7: Jennifer Palacios, Kena Wolf, Larissa Apel
8. Team 8: Bryant Blake, Cathy Perkins, Tina Johnson
9. Team 9: Toni DeBernardi, Kayci Arnoldi, Ryan Allen
10. Team 10: Samantha Winters, Jordan Erspamer, Annie Fletcher
- Round 1 Common Grade Level Teams & Shareout
- Suggestions provided through email prior to today’s meeting:
• The calendar is set as far as the dates go. My request concerns the hours my first graders are in school. I would like us not to attend the same amount of time as the high school. My request for change is for hours, not days.
• When the school day extended this year, elementary teachers were told we could have extra recess. Instead, my students have less recess scheduled than any year of the past 9. It’s frustrating. Perhaps one answer is scheduling a more kid-friendly day.
• I have a suggestion for the task force to think about. So many parents and board members referred to the research supporting secondary students needing more sleep, and starting later in the morning. Could you discuss the possibility of flip flopping the elementary and secondary schedule? So, we go earlier in the morning, and they go later. Shorten the hours elementary sees kids, because we are already over, and give us time after school to collaborate. So that our contract hours are equal, we could stay after like we were going to have to with the 4 day. I don’t think any teacher wants MORE collaboration time during our planning time. We want our planning BACK, and find time after school to collaborate. You would have to shorten our contact hours though, or we would be working more than secondary if we stay and collaborate. Another thing I would love for this task force to look at is the calendar regarding Christmas break. We come back next year with 2 days in the week. The calendar committee looked at this and decided to give us those days off and extend that week into May. PLEASE consider this. You could also add Good Friday in there and add that to that last week as well. Also, teachers begged for us to start school on a Wednesday. A FULL week is awful. Keep that in mind. This is not going to be an easy task force to be on, so thank you for trying to help us with this situation.
• With the four-day schedule, elementary teachers would have stayed after school to provide student extended day services or work as a PLC. While I know this brainstorming session is not focused on redesigning bell schedules, an adjustment in schedules could address several issues. If elementary schools began their day at 8:00 and dismissed at 2:30 they would attend 6 hours and 30 minutes instead of 7 hours and 10 minutes. This would allow time at the end of the school day for extended day activities and PLC work. You also could dismiss them at 2:10 and have an entire hour at the end of the day. This schedule would still meet the required hours. It would provide for PLC time and ease parent concerns about their children being tired. It would also allow for extended day services to be provided during contract hours possibly freeing up monies for other purposes. This schedule could possibly negatively affect the specials schedule.
• Secondary schools could potentially start their day at 8:45. This would ensure that research regarding secondary start times was acknowledged and potentially address an attendance issue with first period. Secondary schools could end their day at 3:55 which would maintain the 7 hour and 10 minute day or end at 3:30 which would shorten it slightly and align the bus routes tighter. Extended day services could also be provided prior to school starting each day thereby addressing struggling students.
- Generating ideas:
