BRADENTON — The League of Women Voters of Manatee County Education Issues Committee observes the Manatee County School Board meetings for items of interest to citizens and to the League and notes adherence, or lack of adherence, to good governance procedures and the sunshine laws. The following are the major points from the school board meeting on 10/10/2023.

The meeting was called to order at 10:01 by Chair Choate followed by the reading of the district vision statement by Ms. Spray. Mr. Hartman was invited to give the invocation. The Pledge of Allegiance followed.

Recognitions: Mr. Barber, Director of Community Engagement, facilitated introductions.

Red Ribbon Week – October 23-31 is Red Ribbon Week. Debra Perry-Gambino, Community Engagement Specialist, spoke about what the drug-free program Red Ribbon Week represents. As a result of their active support of the program, representatives from three local Elks Lodges within Manatee County came forward to accept the proclamation which was read and presented by Ms. Foreman.

National School Lunch Week – October 9-13 is National School Lunch Week. Mr. Barber also recognized all school lunch workers who serve in hurricane shelters. Regina Thomas, Director of Food and Nutrition Services, gave the history of the program. Schools are offering special menus this week and will be offering prizes. The district served over 8,000,000 meals last year. Three food service workers totaling 85 years of service were introduced.

Donation of CPR Manikin - Ernie Withers has been in Manatee County since 1976. He is a long-time Manatee Chamber of Commerce member and serves on the SCF board. On February 21, 2023, Mr. Withers went into cardiac arrest at a Marauders’ game and was treated on-site with an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) and one week later he threw out the first pitch at a game. He founded Defibrillator Manatee and to date has donated 78 AEDs to various non-profit organizations in Manatee County. He partnered with the American Heart Association to provide a manikin kit for teaching CPR to 9th and 11th graders.  A representative from the American Heart Association described the contents of the kit which has 10 inflatable CPR manikins, and 10 AED simulators with instructions in English and Spanish. The goal is to make “bystanders into lifesavers” The Superintendent presented Mr. Withers with a plaque in recognition.

Public Comments

MH, after making several biblical quotes, reminded the public of the opportunity to get involved in the Citizen Oversight Financial Committee by going to the district’s website.

BS asked the board to consider changes to the Student Code of Conduct that allow for members of athletic teams and certain organizations to be given additional punishments beyond what is given to other students. Currently, a school suspension for an athlete can result in an additional 180 days off of sports teams. He stressed how important participation in activities is for keeping students out of trouble.

HF asked the school board, that as they implement new laws and create policies that they do no harm, asking “Will this policy benefit students or staff, or will this hurt students or staff?” She reminded the board that this is LGBTQ+ History Month and tomorrow is coming-out day. 

LD requested that school playgrounds, basketball courts, tracks, and tennis courts be open for use by the public when schools are not in session. With nowhere to play, he sees no reason to lock the schoolyards.

Reports and Presentations

2023-2024 F.A.S.T. Progress Monitoring 1 Mathematics Assessment Results

Mr. Jensen, Deputy Superintendent of Instructional Services described the F.A.S.T. (Florida Assessment of Student Thinking) in Math. It is an adaptive computer test students take three times a year to gauge student learning and growth in math. September was the initial benchmark assessment. PM1 and PM2 (Progress Monitoring) enable teachers to plan instruction and also for parents to be able to interpret the results. Families have access to FOCUS with a link to the state dashboard to see the reports to help them support their children’s learning at home. Parents can see how their child is doing relative to their peers. It also includes strategies parents can use with their children. PM3 is used to add to methods of calculating school grades that not only use students’ scores but also learning gains, students’ growth in the lowest quartile, and accelerated math classes.

Dr. Breslin, Executive Director of Curriculum reviewed the results of PM1 Math. She spoke about progression and growth within the math testing. The district launched grade 3 and grade 4 accelerated math last year. Add this to accelerated math progression in 6th, 7, and 8th, it makes students more proficient in high school classes. She shared a chart showing the PM1 results compared to PM1 results last year. Manatee district schools can continually see the progression. Our students consistently out-pace the state in growth. Dr. Breslin listed the specific resources, instructional tools, and professional development for teachers to support Momentum Manatee.

When Mr. Tatem asked why the 8th grade scores did not show the same improvement over the state scores, Dr. Breslin reminded him that the students in the accelerated programs are not included in the F.A.S.T. PM1 testing. Manatee district chooses not to double test these students while other districts have the accelerated students sit for the F.A.S.T. exam and their content exam.  

Ms. Spray’s questioned about comparing this year’s 4th graders’ PM1 scores to last year’s 3rd graders’ PM3 scores. She was told that 4th grade progress monitoring tests are based on 4th grade standards, while PM3 scores as 3rd graders were based on 3rd grade standards. Mr. Jensen said he would provide the data to show Ms. Spray the PM1 scores compared to last year’s PM1 scores by grades, by schools. However, Dr. Wysong said it is difficult to compare to last year as the assessment is relatively young. Item validity and reliability are still being tested. F.A.S.T. is used to assess where students are not doing well standard by standard for instructional purposes.

Ms. Foreman stated she was very pleased with how students were performing in math. She asked if there were results for the early grades STAR results. Dr. Breslin indicated that a format of results is not available yet and she would check with the Assessment Department to see if results from those who went to PreK could be analyzed.

Ms. Messenger commented on test validity as to whether it really measures what it is meant to measure. She expressed more interest in the movement of students, showing their growth. She questioned if elementary accelerated math is developmentally appropriate. She reminded everyone that a student who takes Algebra in middle school may get a B or C which counts toward their high school GPA, whereas if they took it in 9th grade when they are more mature, they might achieve an A. Dr. Breslin explained how students are identified for acceleration and that there are on and off-ramps along the way. 

To Mr. Tatem’s question, the PM1 results do not have an impact on overall school grades.

Consent Items – Fifteen items were passed 5-0.

New Business (Superintendent Recommendation)

Approval of the Budget Amendments for July and August 2023

Rachel Sellers, Deputy Superintendent for Business Services, summarized the budget amendments and chart strings. Passed 5-0

Approval of Advertising a Notice of Intent to Amend and Adopt School Board Policies and Setting a Public Hearing at the Board Meeting on November 14, 2023

[LWV Note. See the proposed changes here.] Passed 5-0.

Approval to Name Palmetto High School Basketball Court

Palmetto High School Athletic Director, Bryan Wilkes, requested the gymnasium floor of the Butch Hughes Gymnasium be named for Kenny Ansbro and gave his history at PHS. Ms. Foreman requested clarification of school board policy that speaks to having been retired five years before naming.  Mr. Dye and Mr. Chapman described the difference between naming a school and naming a facility within the school. Passed 5-0.

Approval of 2023-2024 Salary Schedules for Grandfathered Teacher 196-Days, Grandfathered Teacher 216-Days, Pay-for-Performance Teacher 216-Day and 196-Day, Para, AFSCME, and Salary Supplement Schedule (No Financial Impact)  

Dr. Wysong explained this will allow payroll to do its work. Mr. Tatem noted starting salary is now $49,210 not counting supplements. Experienced teachers from out of district can bring in 12 years’ experience. Passed 5-0.

Approval to Purchase Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) Trunking Services, Continued Procurement, SDMC No. 24-0084-RG, Estimated in the Amount of $192,184.80 Annually (General Fund)

Ms. Spray pulled this from the consent items because she noticed on the invoice there was no address of the vendor. After investigating she drove to the location and found only a UPS post office box. Scott Hansen, Chief Technology Officer, described the company as an outstanding vendor that ensures all of the telecommunications within the district comply with statutes. Mike Ray, the vendor’s Director of Operations explained that they do not publicize their physical address for security reasons. Passed 5-0.

New Business (No Superintendent Recommendation)

Board Discussion Regarding Board Operations

Ms. Spray requested a discussion regarding policy 0163 that resulted in a motion to approve advertising an amendment of policy 0163 for setting a public hearing on November 14, 2023. Ms. Spray wants the policy to explicitly state that the chair of the board must be physically present to chair the meeting, even if the chair is attending virtually, and the vice chair should run the meeting. Ms. Messenger explained she did not want to hamstring future boards and reminded all of the experiences gained through virtual meetings during COVID closures. Most agreed that having the chair in the room is an advantage to knowing what is happening within the room during the meeting, and to respond when needed. Passed 4-1 with Ms. Messenger dissenting.  

Updates

Legal Department Update – Mr. Dye reported all is running smoothly.

Operations Update – Mr. Ranaldi, Chief Operations Officer, reported the September 28th Career Fair resulted in offers to 18 paraprofessionals and five teachers. October 26th Operations Fair will be from 9-1 at Wakeland. Transportation will have about 112 drivers if all come through the process successfully and credited the higher wages due to recent negotiations. Foodservice has 150 workers receiving attendance bonuses, meaning 46% have perfect attendance first quarter. Celebration of Farm to School Week will have items coming from local farmers. He alerted the board to a nationwide milk carton shortage. A single company provides 85% of all milk cartons. He’s working with TG Lee to prepare for issues this may cause. Both Food Services and Custodians are participating in professional development opportunities. He thanked those attending Tara Elementary’s groundbreaking. Further groundbreakings for construction will occur at Oneco and Blackburn elementary schools and Southeast and Lakewood Ranch high schools.

Instructional Update – Mr. Jensen, Deputy Superintendent for Instructional Services thanked MTC for hosting a very successful open house. He reminded everyone that the first quarter is ending, with October 13 as a record day. He complimented the outstanding instruction he is seeing as he walks through the classroom. Science of Reading professional learning begins next week for Principals, Assistant Principals, and Literacy Coaches. In response to Mr. Tatem’s question about vocational programs at each high school and Ms. Spray’s about how students can be transported to Parrish Community HS for the automotive program, Mr. Jensen said he will follow up with them.

Superintendent Remarks – Dr. Wysong thanked the board for approving the fifteen consent items including transferring Dr. Laurie Breslin to the position of Executive Director of Student Services and Family Engagement, beginning October 16. Her current position as Executive Director of Curriculum will be added to Mr. Jensen’s duties. In the consent agenda, the board also approved the 2023-2024 School Improvement Plans, the “bread and butter of instructional quality and improvement.” He acknowledged the PSA that went to all high school families regarding safety. Last week Leadership Manatee held its Education Day, hosted at MTC, and visits to Southeast High School and Sugg Middle School ending with a panel of the Superintendent’s cabinet. October 24 will be the first public showing of the design of the K-8 school for the east side of the county. To finish addressing employee salaries, administrative and non-bargaining employees’ pay will be finalized.

Board Comments

Ms. Messenger encouraged other corporations to follow Gettel’s lead in donating $25,000 to Parrish Community High School’s automotive program as a way to help the district prepare its workforce.

Mr. Tatem encouraged teachers to show the safety PSA in their classrooms.

Ms. Foreman encouraged everyone to offer to help at the Big Bank Theory activity sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce at the high schools.

Ms. Spray went to the Master Board Training on Tuesday.

Mr. Choate referenced the public comments regarding sports facility use and the Code of Conduct regarding punishing athletes and the need to follow up.

GOVERNANCE

All board members asked clarifying questions during the F.A.S.T. presentation demonstrating their engagement in the topic.

Please be advised that it is difficult to hear Ms. Spray when she is not talking into the microphone.

Mr. Tatem’s sensitivity to creating extra work for staff is appreciated.

When Dr. Wysong asked the board to let him speak with the person who made the remarks, principals, and athletic directors before they discussed policy changes, the board responded appropriately. For example, Ms. Messenger stated we don’t want to be reactionary if we can allow the superintendent time to gather information before we address the issues, i.e. punishment of athletes.

The board was observed to conduct a healthy discussion around the procedures for naming the basketball court at Palmetto High School.

For the public comment period, the picture-in-picture was appreciated when a person is speaking at the podium.

Ms. Messenger shared the history of past decisions. She also pulled the board back from trying to make management decisions. She displayed this role several times as board members appeared to be proceeding to do the Superintendent’s job.

Again, FOCUS was referenced as the means by which parents get their student’s information. This time for Progress Monitoring results. We question the efficacy of this as the sole means for communicating with parents. We continue to question what data say about parent usage. 

In regard to the discussion about Progress Monitoring assessments as well as other assessments, it would be helpful for board members to request workshops to help understand the process by which assessments are created and utilized. This meeting demonstrated the need to understand terms such as validity and reliability, two critical concepts in the development and utilization of assessments. In addition, the differences between summative and formative assessment need to be understood.

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