LCEA October Meeting Minutes
Date: 10/08/2009
Place: Middle School Media Center
Time: 4:15
Roll Call: Barb Motes, Kim McLaughlin, Jennifer Doorlag, Dave Bergman (absent), Tom McLaughlin
HS Reps: Allison Towne, Brian Johnson (absent), Ruth Kreger, Sharon Crawley
MS Reps: Margot Argotsinger, Beth Frank, Al Lorenz, Dot Sillau
TH Reps: Lisa Scieszinski, Joanna Stenlund (absent), Kathy Dorsey, Farah Guetter
Kreft Reps: LoriAnn Brougham (absent), Lee Dwyer (absent), Angie Tucker
Approval of Agenda (Barb Motes)
•
Secretary’s Report (Kim McLaughlin)
• May 2009 minutes: Towne moved that the May minutes be approved, Kreger seconded it, and the motion passed.
• September 2009 minutes: Frank moved that the September minutes be approved, Towne seconded it, and the motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report (Jen Doorlag)
• We’re getting ready for the audit. It’s due by November. We need three members to look over last year’s books.
• We finally received a bill for the delegate assembly from the ERC. That has now been paid. (There is a correction, moving that payment to the substitute line.)
• The check to ISEA has been sent now. (It was written in August, but was not sent.)
• Frank moved that the treasurer’s report be approved, Argotsinger seconded it, and the motion passed.
Building Reports
• Kreft: There is nothing to report right now, since it is the protocol to deal with building issues on that level first.
• Titan Hill: There were interviews for a new position, but there is some question about whether a budget cut will eliminate that position before it even gets off the ground. The number of students continues to grow. An issue about the schedules of some Title I positions (inequitable planning time given) has been raised with T. McLaughlin as grievance chair. The building reps have not met with Stopak yet about this.
• Middle school: The use of Capturing Kids’ Hearts has been effective so far. The consistency from room to room is better.
• High school: There are some issues coming up in relationship to the upcoming site visit. The core departments have been asked to have regular education teachers attach their names to grade books of the pull-out special education classes. The problem is that only two special education teachers have endorsements in the areas in which they are teaching pull-out classes. We talked about asking John Phillips to check into the legitimacy of this practice, just to verify that Thies has interpreted the law. Motes said that it is an expectation that building principals will meet monthly with Association reps, and we should be taking advantage of that opportunity.
President’s Report (Barb Motes)
• Budget: It is in cyberspace. We are basing a budget on 160+ members at $34 dues per member. With the idea of doing four dinners, one for each building, we will go over budget. Motes also raised the idea of prorating the “appreciation” money for members per building.
• Dinners: The nights are Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Jan. 12, and Feb. 9. Kreger is leading the high school group for Oct. 13. In October, the dinner will be at Riverside Grill. The goal is to get a varied group of members invited to the dinners, so we can benefit from a variety of viewpoints.
• Towne moved that each building be given $7.50 per member for celebration of appreciation weeks so the individual buildings have the permission to spend up to their amount without further voting, and Dorsey seconded it. T. McLaughlin said that we really need to also do some things to be visible (packets, banners, etc.) during those weeks. The motion passed.
• Meeting with Schweer: Motes asked about the early dismissal days, and Schweer said that they are not mandated by the State, they are not funded by the State, and those days do not have to follow IPDM. In terms of the planning of those professional development days, those are supposed to be determined by the teachers within the buildings. That is according to Schweer. T. McLaughlin said that Schweer has a clear vision of how district leadership relates to building leadership and to content areas. However, that vision doesn’t seem as clear to the rest of us.
• T. McLaughlin shared information about IPERS. The thirteenth check might disappear because the fund is exhausting itself.
• T. McLaughlin also shared some concerns about the way complaints against teachers are handled. He will send out a packet of info on policies and forms related to this issue.
Committee Reports
• Membership (Kim McLaughlin): The current total of our membership is 163 now that Ashley Wilson’s form has been located.
• Negotiations (Beth Frank): The Board needs to give the team authority to bargain. T. McLaughlin made the motion, Towne seconded it, and the motion passed. Bargaining training will take place in Frank’s room on Tuesday, Oct. 13. There is also an ISEA Bargaining Conference in Des Moines. Surveys are coming for our membership to fill out in order to give the negotiations team some direction.
Old Business
• T-shirt order:
• Building meetings with principals: See above.
• Dinners with members: See above.
Adjournment:
• Argotsinger moved that the meeting be adjourned, Towne seconded it, and the meeting adjourned at 5:25.
Date: 10/08/2009
Place: Middle School Media Center
Time: 4:15
Roll Call: Barb Motes, Kim McLaughlin, Jennifer Doorlag, Dave Bergman (absent), Tom McLaughlin
HS Reps: Allison Towne, Brian Johnson (absent), Ruth Kreger, Sharon Crawley
MS Reps: Margot Argotsinger, Beth Frank, Al Lorenz, Dot Sillau
TH Reps: Lisa Scieszinski, Joanna Stenlund (absent), Kathy Dorsey, Farah Guetter
Kreft Reps: LoriAnn Brougham (absent), Lee Dwyer (absent), Angie Tucker
Approval of Agenda (Barb Motes)
•
Secretary’s Report (Kim McLaughlin)
• May 2009 minutes: Towne moved that the May minutes be approved, Kreger seconded it, and the motion passed.
• September 2009 minutes: Frank moved that the September minutes be approved, Towne seconded it, and the motion passed.
Treasurer’s Report (Jen Doorlag)
• We’re getting ready for the audit. It’s due by November. We need three members to look over last year’s books.
• We finally received a bill for the delegate assembly from the ERC. That has now been paid. (There is a correction, moving that payment to the substitute line.)
• The check to ISEA has been sent now. (It was written in August, but was not sent.)
• Frank moved that the treasurer’s report be approved, Argotsinger seconded it, and the motion passed.
Building Reports
• Kreft: There is nothing to report right now, since it is the protocol to deal with building issues on that level first.
• Titan Hill: There were interviews for a new position, but there is some question about whether a budget cut will eliminate that position before it even gets off the ground. The number of students continues to grow. An issue about the schedules of some Title I positions (inequitable planning time given) has been raised with T. McLaughlin as grievance chair. The building reps have not met with Stopak yet about this.
• Middle school: The use of Capturing Kids’ Hearts has been effective so far. The consistency from room to room is better.
• High school: There are some issues coming up in relationship to the upcoming site visit. The core departments have been asked to have regular education teachers attach their names to grade books of the pull-out special education classes. The problem is that only two special education teachers have endorsements in the areas in which they are teaching pull-out classes. We talked about asking John Phillips to check into the legitimacy of this practice, just to verify that Thies has interpreted the law. Motes said that it is an expectation that building principals will meet monthly with Association reps, and we should be taking advantage of that opportunity.
President’s Report (Barb Motes)
• Budget: It is in cyberspace. We are basing a budget on 160+ members at $34 dues per member. With the idea of doing four dinners, one for each building, we will go over budget. Motes also raised the idea of prorating the “appreciation” money for members per building.
• Dinners: The nights are Oct. 13, Nov. 10, Jan. 12, and Feb. 9. Kreger is leading the high school group for Oct. 13. In October, the dinner will be at Riverside Grill. The goal is to get a varied group of members invited to the dinners, so we can benefit from a variety of viewpoints.
• Towne moved that each building be given $7.50 per member for celebration of appreciation weeks so the individual buildings have the permission to spend up to their amount without further voting, and Dorsey seconded it. T. McLaughlin said that we really need to also do some things to be visible (packets, banners, etc.) during those weeks. The motion passed.
• Meeting with Schweer: Motes asked about the early dismissal days, and Schweer said that they are not mandated by the State, they are not funded by the State, and those days do not have to follow IPDM. In terms of the planning of those professional development days, those are supposed to be determined by the teachers within the buildings. That is according to Schweer. T. McLaughlin said that Schweer has a clear vision of how district leadership relates to building leadership and to content areas. However, that vision doesn’t seem as clear to the rest of us.
• T. McLaughlin shared information about IPERS. The thirteenth check might disappear because the fund is exhausting itself.
• T. McLaughlin also shared some concerns about the way complaints against teachers are handled. He will send out a packet of info on policies and forms related to this issue.
Committee Reports
• Membership (Kim McLaughlin): The current total of our membership is 163 now that Ashley Wilson’s form has been located.
• Negotiations (Beth Frank): The Board needs to give the team authority to bargain. T. McLaughlin made the motion, Towne seconded it, and the motion passed. Bargaining training will take place in Frank’s room on Tuesday, Oct. 13. There is also an ISEA Bargaining Conference in Des Moines. Surveys are coming for our membership to fill out in order to give the negotiations team some direction.
Old Business
• T-shirt order:
• Building meetings with principals: See above.
• Dinners with members: See above.
Adjournment:
• Argotsinger moved that the meeting be adjourned, Towne seconded it, and the meeting adjourned at 5:25.
