School Governance Council Meeting Minutes

Date: January 11, 2018

Time: 4:30 pm

Room: Media Center at Tri Cities High School at 2575 Harris St. East Point, GA

SGC Members Present:

Miriam Salpeter, Lee Edelman, Scott Hanson, Cam Lupiani, Lauren Dellaria, Carol Ciepluch, Sherri Allen, Alisa Wilson, Richard Artzi

  • Public: Christine Olatera, Rhodope Fears, Sharlisa Gee
  • Absent: Carolyn Dinberg, Claudia Chu, Travis Day

4:40Call to Order / Welcome / Reminder of Norms

  • Call to Order -S. Allen, 2nd M. Salpeter
  • Approval of Agenda -Motion to accept by C. Ciepluch, Second by M. Salpeter – unanimous
  • Approval of December Meeting Minutes -Motion to accept by L. Edelman, Second by S. Allen

4:45 Discussion Item: Review Strategic Planning Time Line and Chart - M. Salpeter

  1. Draft of 1st 3 categories submitted Dec. 18, 2018 –
  2. Strategic Planning Session – Financial – Jan. 29 @1:30pm @ Wolf Creek Library;

Budget Training: Jan 30, 31 or Feb 1st @ 6-8pm to discuss budget nuts & bolts

C. Discuss ways to share strategic planning process with stakeholders- table to

  1. Discuss timeline of strategic plan:

1/11/18 -feedback on 1st draft – at Principal’s meeting S. H. learned from FCS that our plan is potentially wrong- anticipate having to redo literacy piece to conform to district’s use of PSAT scores as 10th grade benchmark – led to discussion about validity of this with respect to what’s best for NSCHS

Motionfor SGC to consider writing RFF to use Lexile Scores instead of PTSA – moved by S. Allen, 2nd C. Ciepluch – unanimous

Action: 8:30am Friday, Jan. 12th those available will meet in front office conference room to write an RFF to use Lexile Scores: S. Hanson, S. Allen, C. Ciepluch A. Wilson, M. Salpeter (?) with goal of submitting by 5pm Friday.

2/9/18 -2nd draft due

2/15/18 – feedback due

2/23/18 – final strategic plan due

2/28/18 - public comment

5:35 Final Discussion re RFF’s -NS will not pursue additional RFF’s – discussion/table

Committee on Hate Speech

5:41 Public Comment – defer in interest of time to end of meeting -unanimous

5:43 Principal’s Update – S. Hanson

  • CCRPI follow-up – forgo to be respectful of time
  • MLK Day – 10 students and S. Hanson going to Bremman Center sponsored by ADL/NO Place for Hate – Elaine Wyn and Annie Echemendia to participate in symposium
  • Discussion about school culture social media guidelines & technology issues – GA legislature and Black Woman’s Caucus may be writing legislation around hate crimes
  • Future of NS (building and programs update):

1)Phone message will go out to parents about survey which will be due Jan. 19th before Jan 23 community meeting at Ison Springs

2)Excited to have Christian Long from Wonder by Design help with big picture and vision: prior to 23rd community mtg he will follow magnet/non-magnet students to experience NS as students

3)NS has infinite possibilities – parent group walked school and met with architect – good conversation

  • Budget Items:

1)Monday (1/8) hiring freeze lifted; spending freeze lifted

2)Concern possible funding reduction – not based on per pupil

3)NS projected enrollment reduced from 1650 to 1530

4)504 coordinator – approval to move ahead?? Frustrated by road blocks

5)Graduation will either be May 23 or 24 at Verizon at 7pm – unlimited tickets, cost effective, plenty of parking

6:00 Discussion Item: Future SGC Agenda items – C. Ciepluch suggested deferring CTAE program thoughts until visioning complete; consider having student on State School Superintendent’s Advisory Council share

6:03 Adjourn Meeting and move to public comment – moved by R. Artzi, 2nd by L. Edelman

Public Comment – delighted to welcome parents to SGC meeting at Tri-Cities

  • Parents appreciative of having meeting
  • Family chose NS because they felt welcome – 2 juniors
  • NS a melting pot of cultures and students need to be very sensitive
  • Feel our kids don’t get as many opportunities as FCS schools to the North
  • Things aren’t equitable
  • Is there extra money for TAG? Yes and we are now correctly coding and testing TAG students; realized we were not correctly coding remedial students
  • Parent of graduate and current junior – perhaps have meetings via teleconference or SKYPE so all can listen in
  • Also concerns about funding allocations
  • Make sure staff and teachers communicate with parents whose students may be staying for extra support only to find at last minute session cancelled- parents can make transportation adjustments but need to know earlier in the day
  • Student loves NS but struggles with SGA/culture piece
  • South side kids have a sweep bus to College Park but its limited and no bus to accommodate students after school
  • Potential local sweep bus between Riverwood and NS to MARTA station?
  • Provide better job of sharing free Fulton County resources – Fulton Co library has free homework help. Coding classes, language classes