Minutes of Meeting
Central School PTA Executive Board
Wednesday, November 14, 2012, 9am
Attendees: Cathy Bizzard, Kristin Carpenter, Mary Conway, Susan Epstein, Martha Friedland, Angela Holton, Kim Huang, Romy Kirwin, Sam Orans, Miran Robarts, Ellen Silver, Ms. Priore, Ms. Hindley
Special attendees: Sally Cantwell (MSF), Sue Bokert (MSF), Robin Nichinsky (BOE)
Apologies: Mary Brennan, Virginia Marsella, Kim Rubin, Krista Williams, Patty Wolff, Ms. Dinelli, Ms. Dressler
UPDATES AND REPORTS:
Mamaroneck Schools Foundation (Sally Cantwell and Sue Bokert)
Sally Cantwell, President of the Mamaroneck Schools Foundation (MSF) and Sue Bokert, Vice President of Grants for the MSF, gave a brief description of their work with MSF and discussed availability of grants and how teachers can apply for them. The current deadline for grant applications is Nov. 28, 2012. MSF has the ability to fund $600,000 worth of grants.
Ms. Cantwell pointed out that this year there are two changes to the grant application process:
(1) Building principals are asked to sign off on the applications, and
(2) All technical aspects of the applications have to go through Ed Cofino, K-12 Technology Coordinator for the District, who then provides the technology issues for review by the school district, including Dr. Shaps. The hope is that this will permit combining similar technology issues or otherwise creating efficiencies with technology matters (e.g., if training is needed).
In response to a question about how Central is represented in the pool of grant applications submitted, Ms. Cantwell and Ms. Bokert stated that all elementary schools are equal in their submissions, especially when looked at over the years. The Grants Committee tries to ensure equal amounts of money are granted to the schools. Due to the difference in the composition of the elementary schools, what the teachers ask for usually differs by school. Regarding whether the teachers in the various schools are aware of the requests other teachers are making, Ms. Cantwell said that the MSF website lists every grant approved in the past and each year there is an award ceremony for current grants, so the subject matter of the grants is well publicized.
Other points made by Ms. Cantwell and Ms. Bokert:
· Although the teachers write and submit the grants, MSF is happy for parents to assist with research;
· MSF can help improve facilities (e.g., providing a grant for installation of a dance floor instead of dancing on concrete), but will not provide funding for such things as the purchase of chairs;
· MSF raises money through its Spring Benefit, a wine tasting event, the Junior Triathlon, the antiques fair, and mailers requesting donations;
· MSF currently needs volunteers;
· MSF is in the office at MHS three days a week; and
· More information about MSF is available on its web site, www.mamaroneckschoolsfoundation.org
Robin Nichinsky – Central’s Liaison to the Mamaroneck School District Board of Education
Robin Nichinsky has been a member of the Mamaroneck School District Board of Education (BOE) for seven years and is currently in her third term. Ms. Nichinsky is the liaison between the BOE and Central School. Ms. Nichinsky’s three daughters attended Central School.
Ms. Nichinsky can be reached by e-mail at , or at or through Carol Priore.
Ms. Nichinsky provided an overview of current BOE issues:
1) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with teachers union: A new CBA was just signed with the teachers union and was announced last night. Highlights of the CBA:
(a) Puts a 2-year freeze on salaries – i.e., no steps, no cost of living increases, and no longevity increases;
(b) Extends elementary day to 3pm on Wednesdays;
(c) Eliminates at the secondary level the 2/3 faculty approval requirement for scheduling changes;
(d) Adds 20 minutes per day of instructional time to the Hommocks day and 15 minutes per day at the high school level, implementation taking place over the next one to two years; and
(e) Eliminates for new hires the retirement recognition clause whereby upon retirement, a teacher got up to 25% of his/her last year’s salary.
Ms. Nichinsky explained that Mamaroneck School District teacher salaries and benefits are still competitive with other districts, even with the freeze and other changes. Professional development, a hallmark of our district, will continue.
Certain changes were sought because the provisions were no longer customary or reasonable in teacher contracts. For example, the district paid out more than $1 million in retirement recognition over the past couple of years. Most other school districts do not have such a clause or if they do, it is for much smaller amounts, such as $2500.
2) Nov. 13 BOE Meeting / Class Size: A community discussion was held regarding various issues when looking at class size. There will be an additional Board discussion later in the year prior to the budget presentation regarding whether to change the class size guidelines, whether they are guidelines, and related issues. Ms. Nichinsky reminded the Central PTA Exec Board that the community’s opinion can always be expressed to the BOE by e-mail.
3) Dec. 4 BOE Community Engagement Meeting / “What We Value”: The topic will be where do we see our district heading, what do we want to invest in, what we do not. The group will break into two discussion groups. (Hommocks library classroom, 7:30pm)
4) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) Complaint: In response to the OCR complaint at Central, the BOE has decided to re-examine how classes are organized. The BOE Policy Committee has looked at the issue and is now gathering information from teachers regarding what they think needs to be examined in terms of class organization.
5) Dec. 18 Systematic Program Review Mechanism / Pre-K: At this meeting, the BOE will review the Pre-K Program, whether it should remain as is or be modified. (MHS Tiered Classroom, 7:30pm)
6) Jan. 8 BOE Study Session / Character Edcuation: The purpose of this meeting is to review character education programs, e.g., CORE at Central. (Library Classroom, 7:30pm)
7) Feb. 5 BOE Study Session / Facilities Usage: This meeting will examine facilities use, addressing whether the district recoups its costs when groups come in and use school facilities (e.g., Continuing Education program, fields use by sports groups, Girl Scout troops) and whether to charge a fee or an increased fee for use of facilities. There is a committee currently examining these issues. Ms. Nichinsky clarified that the school district must charge a fee for the use of a facility or else it is considered a gift, which is not permitted with taxpayer money. Also, with the new custodial overtime pay requirements, it is important for the district to be more vigilant about collecting fees for facilities usage. (Library Classroom, 7:30pm)
Several concerns regarding the new custodial overtime requirements were brought to Ms. Nichinsky’s attention. For example, at Scare Fair, Central School PTA was required to use six custodians for the entire duration of the fair, which cost the PTA about $5460 in overtime charges (6 custodians at $70/hour, for 13 hours each). All that was actually needed were two custodians at the beginning of the fair, three at mid-day and six at break-down. Gross proceeds from the fair were about $24,000, so custodian overtime charges will cost the PTA about 20% of proceeds. The Book Fair co-chairs are concerned that they will face similar requirements for the evening book fair hours. (It was clarified that as long as the evening book fair is completely closed down with no one in the building as of 8:00pm, there will be no custodian overtime charges.)
After hearing these concerns, Ms. Nichinsky said that how custodians are assigned to such events as Scare Fair is a process issue, not just a fees issue, and this needs to be addressed as part of the district’s examination of facilities use and procedures. She strongly urged bringing these concerns to the BOE committee’s attention and also attending the Februrary 5, 2013 meeting.
8) Feb. 12, 2013 BOE Meeting / Transportation: Transportation is another issue that the BOE will examine this year. Transportation costs now have to be factored into field trip calcualations. (MHS Tiered Classroom, 7:30pm)
Update from Principal and Assistant Principal (Carol Priore and Joanne Hindley)
1) Art Walk: As part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to re-direct parental presence at Central School in light of the new arrival and dismissal procedures, Carol and Joanne are pleased to announce Central’s first-ever self-portraiture show. A color flyer will go home in backpacks discussing the expectations of artistic expression at the different grade levels. The art walk was proposed for Tuesday evening, November 20, just before the Thanksgiving break, but the Exec Board felt that it did not give parents enough notice, comes at a hectic time, and might miss some families who have already left for Thanksgiving break. The counterargument is that the date might capture visiting grandparents. In the end, it was decided to make the art walk the same evening as the Evening Book Fair, Wednesday, December 5. The hope is that by having two events on the same evening, it will increase attendance at both. It was proposed that 5th graders act as docents at the event.
2) Parent Visiting Morning: This will take place on Wednesday, November 21 from 9am-11am. Ms. Priore will give a short presentation from 9:00-9:20am regarding the new Common Core education requirements and what to look for in the child’s classroom. From 9:20-11:00, parents may go to the children’s classrooms. The majority of the morning will be spent on math activities, showing how Common Core math is being implemented.
3) Planning Council: Ms. Priore reported that at the first meeting, a psychologist-based management team, following guidelines developed by former NYS Education Commissioner Tom Sobel’s Compact For Learning group, is working to identify and provide solutions regarding issues pertaining to strength of character and resilience. However, there is no funding. This year, they have developed a program around the book Courage. Ms. Priore has read the book to each class. The theme of the book is to be courageous and kind and the different ways this may look and how we can accomplish this. The Planning Council is considering creating a Hall of Heroes, inspired by the National Liberty Museum, a suggestion from Susan Meyers. Our hall would highlight local heroes who show courage in both small and big ways. There will be a culminating event with parent attendance, though what format this will take is still being planned.
4) Cultural Arts / Artist-In-Residence: Kim McCormack has provided the budget to Ms. Priore for the tile mosaic cultural arts program discussed at the last PTA Exec meeting. The program would cost $7566. Currently, only $4000 of the Cultural Arts budget is earmarked for a fine arts/visual arts residency.
Ms. Priore reports that Central art teacher Michelle Burton would prefer to do the project well than cut back. Ms. Burton also clarified that this is a project she feels requires the leadership and experience of Ms. McCormack and is not something Ms. Burton could do on her own.
To meet the shortfall, Ms. Priore suggested using the Stop n Shop A+ money from last school year, which is approximately $4000. Susan Epstein and Miran Robarts clarified that the check from Stop n Shop is not payable to the PTA, but rather, to Central School. Many schools in similar situations gift the money to their PTAs.
There was discussion of two main issues regarding the Stop n Shop A+ money:
a) Whether the money is accounted for in the PTA budget since it is a line item under Consumer Fundraising, and
b) Whether the Stop n Shop money should be used for this Cultural Arts program.
Ms. Priore also pointed out that there was an $8000 donation to the school a few years ago from a family that was departing back to their home in Europe, for use at Ms. Priore’s discretion. A portion has already been used by the PTA but some remains unused. Perhaps this money could be used.
There was discussion about whether there is another program that would permit more contact between the resident artist and the students instead of Ms. McCormack’s proposed program, which would permit Ms. McCormack to have contact with each student only one time during art class. A comparison was made to last year’s opera program wherein the students had two weeks’ worth of exposure to opera in music class and in other ways, prior to the actual presentation of the opera. It was felt that this year’s cultural arts program should be as memorable as the opera and the star-gazing/astronomy program from a couple years ago. The Cultural Arts program is meant to be something outside the academic curriculum. The drumming project was rejected for this year because last year’s program took place during the children’s music class time and the goal is to rotate through the non-curricular areas in part so that no one department is being over-extended year after year.
The Inner Resilience program at Chatsworth was raised as a possible cultural arts program this year. Although there is strong interest in the program among Central’s administration and the PTA Exec Board, it was rejected because it requires a huge buy-in and also requires a great deal of teacher and parental training outside of school hours and on Saturdays. This is something that might be pursued through an MSF grant.
Ms. Priore said she would go back to see if Ms. McCormack can do another project (e.g., book-making) that would either reduce the cost or permit more interaction between Ms. McCormack and the students.