SCHOOL NEWS: School district asks to waive certain state provisions; staff changes, donations approved

0

School district asks to waive certain state provisions 

The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees unanimously approved allowing the school district to join a group of schools to ask for a waiver of certain state-level provisions, such as a teacher evaluation report.

Last year during the General Assembly, House Bill 1003 was passed. The bill allows for a school or group of schools to submit an application to the Indiana State Board of Education requesting flexibility and waiving provisions under the state’s education law.

“A great example of what we want waived is the annual submission of the educator evaluation report,” Superintendent Laura Hammack said at the Aug. 20 meeting.

Hammack said the district has a new model they can use to evaluate teachers due to the $5 million federal grant BCS received from the National Institute for Excellence in Teaching. “It’s one of example of several we feel increases efficiency if we could provide that plan as opposed to the template that is offered,” Hammack said.

She  said the district’s legal counsel also has coordinated a group of districts to submit a request to the SBOE about flexibility of hours in a school day. “Right now we are in a new era where remote learning is trying to align with rules that have been on the books for many years before remote learning was a thing. How we might we use this application process to improve efficiency of our days and asking for some flexibility under that umbrella?” Hammack said.

The district would also like to ask for flexibility on state reporting since there is a lot of duplication, like on professional development and training for teachers — “not thinking about a complete removal of training, because that is important for educators, but the amount of training has gotten quite overwhelming for educators and staff. The thinking behind it would be to set up a schedule where training would happen every several years, then rotate,” she said.

The district also would like flexibility on its licensing. “It’s more of an issue for schools across state to fill positions that we may not have someone certified to teach. It’s a last resort we want to take,” Hammack said.

The group of schools the district is joining represents every demographic, with Brown County representing a small, rural district.

“Wow. Good local control,” said school board President Carol Bowden.

School board approves staff changes, donations

The Brown County Schools Board of Trustees approved the following on Aug. 20:

  • a resolution authorizing the performance-based accreditation waiver.
  • the 2020-2021 Teacher Appreciation grant policy. This is approved annually.
  • a $5,000 donation from Ted Seastrom for the support of the Career Resource Center’s jail literacy program at the Brown County jail.
  • a job classification change for Dawn Seidle-Barnett from part-time without benefits to full-time with benefits, effective Aug. 5.
  • advertising notices on the Brown County Schools website and on the Gateway system for the 2021 budget.
  • modifying Dorothy Parry’s job classification to special paraprofessional (2.5 hours, art) and paraprofessional (3.75 hours) at Brown County Intermediate School, effective Aug. 5.
  • separating Brown County High School physical education teacher Julie Owens, effective Sept. 7, or earlier, if position is filled. This was not a termination.
  • separating Brown County Junior High School eighth-grade volleyball coach Amanda Doss, effective Aug. 4. This was not a termination.
  • separating Brown County CRC lifelong learning facilitator Shannon Brunton, effective Aug. 6. This was not a termination.
  • separating BCJHS assistant cross-country coach Holly Gordon, effective July 31. This was not a termination.
  • separating Helmsburg Elementary School paraprofessional Georgeanna Slaybaugh, effective Aug. 7. This was not a termination.
  • separating Sprunica Elementary School preschool teacher Anastasia Petro, effective July 17. This was not a termination.
  • separating BCIS and Van Buren Elementary School music teacher Bridget Rinehimer, effective July 16. This was not a termination.
  • separating BCIS fifth-grade girls basketball coach Erin Vonderheide, effective July 18. This was not a termination.
  • separating BCIS art teacher Anne Brahaum, effective July 19. This was not a termination.
  • separating BCHS English and language arts teacher Eric Fohl, effective Aug. 4. This was not a termination.
  • appointing BCJHS eighth-grade volleyball coach Ashley Hawley, Group 9, $1,598 stipend, effective Aug. 7. She is a replacement for Amanda Doss.
  • appointing BCHS freshman volleyball coach Amanda Doss, Group 9, $1,598 stipend, effective Aug. 7.
  • appointing fifth-grade volleyball coach Kortney Thalls and sixth-grade volleyball coach Rebekah Bryan.
  • appointing BCJHS fall sports coaches: boys tennis coach Andi Rogers-Bartels; seventh-grade head football coach Sean Cassiday and eighth-grade head football coach Joel Lewis; assistant football coaches Ernie Stringer and Josh Hazelgrove; cross-country coaches Chasity Smith and Ian McCabe; seventh-grade volleyball coach Emma Totten and eighth-grade volleyball coach Ashley Hawley.
  • appointing BCIS and VBE music teacher Rachel Martin, bachelor’s degree, Level A, $38,000 with zero years of experience, full-time with benefits, effective Aug. 3. She is a replacement for Bridget Rinehimer.
  • appointing Helmsburg Elementary extra-curricular duties: instructional technology coach Natalie Robison, Math Bowl and high ability coach Michelle Joy, Spell Bowl coach and Science Bowl coach Jayne Jones.
  • appointing BCIS extra-curricular duties: instructional coach Erica Garman, high ability coach Debbie Olson, Spell Bowl coaches Lauren Lockdall and Kristen Sample, Math Bowl coaches Mitzi Garman and Annette Fields, Science Olympiad head coach Mandy Austin and assistant coach Chris Miller, student council sponsor Mary Kurdziel, BCIS choir teacher Daniel Lyng and robotics coach Chris Miller. History Day sponsor and BCIS band teacher positions are vacant.
  • appointing BCIS before-school care supervisor Kayleigh Olivia Austin, part-time with no benefits, $14.25 per hour, effective Aug. 5.
  • appointing BCIS after-school care supervisor Rylee Seacat, part-time with no benefits, $14.25 per hour, effective Aug. 5.
  • appointing SES and HES paraprofessional Joanna Dolph, $17.75 per hour, 182 days per year, 7.25 hours per day. She is a replacement for Bryce Boyer.
  • appointing BCJHS cross-country assistant Ian McCabe, Group 12, $1,278 stipend, effective Aug. 13. He is a replacement for Holly Gordon.
  • appointing BCHS fall sports duties: football head coach Randy Minniear and assistant coaches Jay Myers, Colton Sample and Kevin Greve; girls head soccer coach Alyssa Newlin and assistant coach Carlie Salisbury; boys head soccer coach Craig Norris and assistant coach Samuel Newell; volleyball head coach Jessica Robertson, volleyball junior varsity coach Daisha Holt and freshman coach Amanda Doss; cross-country head coach Rob Abraham and assistant coach Kirk Wrightsman; boys tennis head coach Kevin Roush; girls golf coaches Brad Baughman and Ben VanNess; cheer head coach Stacey Price and assistant coach Laura Minett.
  • transferring BCS substitute health assistant Heather Ferguson to VBE temporary physical education/art teacher, effective Aug. 5. She is a replacement for Heather Sawyer.
  • transferring BCIS teacher Allison Crenshaw to BCHS English teacher, effective Aug. 10. She is a replacement for Eric Fohl.
  • transferring HES teacher Cortney Hitchcock to BCJHS teacher, effective Aug. 3. She is a replacement for Sheila Popplewell.
  • transferring SES and HES physical education teacher Bryce Boyer to BCIS sixth-grade social studies teacher, effective Aug. 12. He is a replacement for Allison Crenshaw.

 

No posts to display