There was a full board meeting on Monday.  Agenda  video

Video segments of interest are and they are approximates:

• Superintendent contract renewal and extension 59
• Pay increases for arts teachers 1:15
• School safety 1:17
• Bullying 1:19
• 22 students failed the TCAP this year 1:19:30
• Celebration of student successes 1:22
• Superintendent evaluation 1:30
• Amended budget 1:39
• Supplemental pay inequities 1:45
• New library policy 2:54
• PECCA 3:08

Superintendent Golden talked about safety in our schools to include all students feeling safe in the classroom setting.  He talked about bullying and the fact that it was highest in the middle schools.  He mentioned that addressing bullying was a very high priority.  Extend Golden’s contract for one year which would make it $348,740.  Vote was 9 yes, and two no who were Donna Clements and Dan Cash.

 

The budget got a lot of discussion.  It turns out that we have gone from a $25+ m gap to a $193,296 surplus.  There was a long discussion on whether or not to use this surplus to increase art teacher’s pay.  An amendment was put forth by Jay Gailbreath that the surplus be used for the art/band teachers.  It was voted down with the idea that it will be taken up later.  Rick Wimberly mentioned that all teachers and staff are underpaid without exception and Eric Welch mentioned that there are a number of teachers and staff who go above and beyond their job description who should be included as well.  The amended budget passed 11-0

 

The Library policy got a fair amount of discussion which was mostly a re-hash of past discussions.  It passed 8-3, Welch, Haugh, and Wimberly were the three nos.

 

PECCA new to me and you can read the policy and memorandum in the agenda and watch the video.  Basically, it is teacher input and this year they have changed the amounts of supplemental income for a few job descriptions including band and drama.  It passed 10-1 with Gailbreath voting no.

 

Point of clarification

 After last month’s school board meeting, I published the following on 5/24:

Several board members spoke about this policy.  Rick Wimberly noted that we have 50 librarians in the district and each of them, in order to evaluate 15% of their collection, would have to read approx. 1,800 each year.  Eric Welch noted that the district has been notified that 118 books are ready to be challenged (I checked with the superintendent’s office and got this response: “Williamson County Schools does not have a current book challenge.  You can email Mr. Welch to see who he was talking about during the meeting.”)

I neglected to contact Mr. Welch before publishing my 5/24 Recap.  I should have contacted Mr. Welch and gotten clarification from him.

To be clear, this is what he said:

“We’ve already had a group who has submitted a list to us of 118 books that they disagree with, that exists”.  He used the terms submitted and to us.  Go to approx. 2:27:01 here to see for yourself.

Since then, I have communicated with him and asked him for further clarification and this is what I got from an email he sent:

I never stated that WCS had received that many formal book challenges, but that there were groups who’d indicated that they had existing lists that length.  The number I referenced refers to an ongoing lawsuit and I can’t expand beyond that.  Another example is when I testified at the Capitol and another speaker referenced more than one hundred books they’d identified and were ready to challenge.  Had you asked me this earlier & directly I would have happily clarified for you, but you did not.  You misunderstood and you not-so-subtly suggested I was lying in both your email to me and your MFL update.

I asked for further clarification and, until now, I’ve gotten no reply.  I asked him to explain what he meant by “submitted” and “to us” and he has not responded.  So, as far as I’m concerned, the matter is closed and I accept his clarification such as it is.

There are no school board meetings in July.