Minnetonka School Board meeting
April 19, 2007
All members present except Peggy Stefan
Meeting followed a Study Session and did not begin until 7:20PM
Immersion Update
Judy Erdahl: Gave background on Immersion, stated that there had been 7 elementary school meetings (one at each school and two at one school) in which there had been respectful dialogue, sharing comments and concerns with the Board. The Board promised to answer questions more thoroughly.
Mark Larson: Presented a power point and referred to a white paper which are both available on the Minnetonka website (click on the new Immersion logo) and answer concerns expressed by parents.
Judy Erdahl: Said that there was a general concern expressed that the Board will maintain a commitment to the English learning children, “We are child centered, we are committed to evaluating the program and making changes as necessary.” There was also a concern about how the Immersion program will change the socialization of schools, “Our principals are committed to creating a cohesive school environment, but it is also up to parents to make this work. School leaders and parents must work together to create an environment of respect and integrity.”
Pam Langseth: Expressed the concern voiced about the number of Immersion classrooms per building. She asked for periodic updates to monitor the numbers. She expressed the concern by parents to avoid unintended consequences of high participant numbers.
Dennis Peterson: “We need to be a little cautious about dealing with numbers. There may need to be adjustments in how facilities are used if the numbers change.”
Judy Erdahl: “We may need to look at parameters for the following years and reevaluate.”
Dennis Peterson: Cautioned about sharing the numbers because it is constantly evolving.
Janet Swiecichowski: Stated that they are currently processing enrollments on a daily basis and will continue to have lots of changes.
Cathy Maes: Stated that parents and teachers have concerns about the program that address how teachers are appropriately hired with the fluidity of the numbers.
Dennis Peterson: “There is an art and science of hiring. We stay close to the numbers. We want to let staff know what will happen. We will be cautious.” It was stated that no Kindergarten or first grade teachers will lose their job because of the Immersion program.
Erin Adams: “We want to thank the administrators for their work in communication on these concerns.”
Janet Swiecichowski: There were 150 families on e-mail lists with concerns and complaints who, “Now are in excitement.”
Erin Adams: “This has been a huge endeavor and a sea of change.”
Community Comments
No one present to make comments.
Q-Comp Update
Bev Ginther: Made a presentation that included a report on the “on time” progress made toward implementing the program. There have been 150-180 Professional Learning Communities formed which include teachers identified as instructional coaches and classroom teachers working together as a team. Pre-meeting, observations, post-meetings, setting “SMART” goals and more observations are involved in the program implementation. Two district teachers involved in Q-Comp gave brief presentations about their experiences. Both expressed praise for the value of the process, but were concerned about how to find the time to make it all come together.
Bill Wenmark: “How will Q-Comp show results? How will it impact test scores and NCLB?”
Jenn Fuchs, Director of Evaluation: Spoke about TurnLeaf, which is new software being utilized as a way to track all data on each child in one source, including grades, state tests, ACT/SAT tests, etc.
Agenda items not reported on by TonkaFocus for the remainder of the meeting:
Legislative Review
Approval of FY2008 Capital Budget
Review of Technolgy Funding
Report on Teacher Recruitment Support and Retention
Second reading on Policies about Mass Communications and Copyright
First Reading on Study Travel Policy
Please refer to the recorded video available through the District office for additional information or go here to see the official minutes of the April 19, 2007 board meeting.