MINUTES

State Board of Education

May 13, 2004

 

 

The May meeting of the State Board of Education was held in the State Board Room, Grimes State Office Building, Des Moines.  The following Board members were present:  Gene Vincent, Sally Frudden, Jim Billings, Charles Edwards, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Rosie Hussey, Greg McClain, and Mary Jean Montgomery.   Megan Srinivas – Absent.  Also present were Department Director Ted Stilwill and Department staff members Gail Sullivan, Judy Jeffrey, Lee Tack, Carol Greta, Jeff Berger, Janice Friedel, Kathi Slaughter, Bev. Adams, LauraBelle Sherman-Proehl, Penny Milburn, and Michelle Wendel.   Also present were Dr. Ruth White, John-Paul Chaisson, and Kimberly Baxter, Department of Human Rights, Julie Ingersoll, Department of Human Services, Robert Denson, Des Moines Area Community College and Rod Boschart, Cedar Rapids Gazette. 

 

Director Ted Stilwill, presiding officer, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.

 

It was moved by Sally Frudden and seconded by Rosie Hussey to approve the agenda as written.

 

ELECTION OF OFFICERS

 

Department director Ted Stilwill presided over the meeting for the purpose of electing officers. 

 

 Sally Frudden nominated Gene Vincent for the office of president.  Sister Jude Fitzpatrick seconded this nomination.  Jim Billings moved that nominations cease.

 

          Vote:  A roll call vote was taken.  Aye:  Sally Frudden, Jim Billings, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Rosie Hussey, Mary J. Montgomery and Gene Vincent.  Nay:  Greg McClain.  Absent:  Charles Edwards.  

 

          Gene Vincent was elected as president and presided over the remainder of the meeting. 

 

Rosie Hussey nominated Sally Frudden as vice president.  Jim Billings seconded this nomination.

 

          Vote:  A roll call vote was taken.  Aye:  Jim Billings, Sister Jude Fitzpatrick, Rosie Hussey, Mary J. Montgomery, Gene Vincent and Sally Frudden.  Nay:  Greg McClain.  Absent:  Charles Edwards.

 

Sally Frudden was elected as vice president.

 

COMMUNICATION 

 

Public Comment

 

There was no public comment.

 

Board Reports

 

Sister Jude Fitzpatrick indicated she had attended the Coordinating Council for Post High School Education meeting.   Patrick Kelley of National Higher Education Management Systems delivered a great presentation.

 

Jim Billings said he had attended the Community College Council meeting and pointed out that the reduction of Department staff had been significant in the last five years.  He commented that the legislative funding for community colleges appeared stable with the Governor having a few days left for vetoes.  Billings also said that newspaper articles reported that Pocahontas Community School District had cancelled their contract with the K12 organization.

 

Mary Jean Montgomery reported the 35th anniversary of IPTV had been held at Terrace Hill.   IPTV aired an excellent special on Brown Plus based on Brown v Board of Education.  She also said she was participating on the Friends of NASBE Awards Selection Committee.   This committee selects a national friend of education.   Montgomery suggested that Iowa should make a nomination next year for this award.

 

Sally Frudden stated she had served on a panel for a Women in Educational Leadership Conference sponsored by School Administrators of Iowa.  She had also attended an Urban Education Network meeting and the Iowa Learns Council.  She had been involved in Capitalizing our Rural America Symposium sponsored by the Federal Home Loan Bank and co-sponsored by Senators Grassley and Harkin.  Charles City had been selected as a Capital Community.  This selection was made because of the exceptional economic development and innovative thinking in the community.  The TLC Early Learning Center was one of the showcase projects.   President Bush was the speaker for this symposium.  She had felt privileged to attend this event.  Frudden presented Director Stilwill with a leather-bound notebook with information from the Symposium. 

 

Greg McClain mentioned that he received a letter from NASBE about membership dues and encouraged Iowa to continue their membership.

 

Sally Frudden suggested that the cost of the membership dues be brought to the Board for discussion.

 

Rosie Hussey indicated she had attended her first Community College Council meeting and received insight into the workings of this council and staff.

 

Gene Vincent welcomed Rosie Hussey as a newly appointed state board member.  He also reported he would be a participant on the Ted Davidson Award Committee in July.

 

Director Report

 

Director Stilwill reported on the following topics:

 

Iowa Learns Update

Sioux City Achievement Gap Report

NCLB Update and Accountability Plan Approval

Department Operations Information

Addressing Cultural Competence

 

Legislative Update

 

Jeff Berger, Legislative Liaison, provided the Board with an update of the current legislation signed by the Governor and outlined the veto process and timeline available to the Governor for budget items. 

 

CONSENT AGENDA

 

Minutes

 

The minutes of the April 15, 2004 State Board meeting were approved with the following corrections to Greg McClain’s Board report: 

 

          Greg McClain reviewed his attendance at the NASBE Study Group meeting of the Commission on High School Athletics: An Era of Reform.  He also indicated he and Laurie Phelan of the department had arranged a special I-JAG meeting with members of the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce, Cedar Rapids School District and representatives of Washington High School to approve an I-JAG program for Washington High School.  The meeting was held at the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce.

 

Rules: Rescind Chapter 70, “AEA Media Centers” and Chapter 71, “AEA Educational Services” (Adopt)

 

The State Board approved the rescission of Chapter 70, “AEA Media Centers” and Chapter 71, AEA Educational Services.”

 

 Appeal Decision

 

Carol Greta, Legal Consultant and Administrative Law Judge presented information In re Jason Klaffke, Appellant v. Alden Community School District, Appellee.  She explained that the Appellant was seeking reversal of a decision of the Alden Community School District Board of Directors made on February 16, 2004, to share a high school interscholastic baseball program with the Iowa Falls Community School District, commencing with the 2004 baseball season. 

She noted it was determined that it was not unreasonable for the Alden Board to determine that its district would not provide a baseball program and arrange for eligibility for its students who wish to play baseball at Iowa Falls.

 

          Motion:  It was moved by Jim Billings and seconded by Sally Frudden that the decision of the Alden Community School District Board of Directors’ made on February 16, 2004, to share its baseball program with the Iowa Falls Community School District be affirmed as proposed.  

 

          Vote:  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Review of Quality Preschool Program Standards

 

LauraBelle Sherman-Proehl, Administrative Consultant and Penny Milburn, Shared Visions Coordinator & Early Childhood Consultant, Bureau of Children, Family and Community Services discussed the preschool program standards.   Julie Ingersoll, Department of Human Services, was also in attendance for this agenda item.

 

One outcome of the Early Learning Work Team as described by the Enterprise Plan was to define standards for preschool programs consistent with the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) accreditation standards or the Head Start Program Performance Standards.  Sherman-Proehl reported that The Early Learning Work Team had developed a continuum of quality preschool program standards to include three options: 1) NAEYC Standards, 2) Head Start Standards or 3) Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards.  The Team had been working on the proposed program standards to align with NAEYC accreditation procedures.  She said the preschool programs to be targeted for use of the Standards and Criteria include Department of Education aligned programs such as Head Start, Shared Visions, Title I preschool, district offered tuition preschool programs, prekindergarten programs and preschool programs for special education students.

 

Penny Milburn reviewed the ten program standards listed below:

 

1.    Relationships

2.    Curriculum

3.    Teaching

4.    Assessment

5.    Health

6.    Teachers

7.    Families

8.    Community Partnerships

9.    Physical Environment

10. Leadership and Management

 

She also outlined the rationale for each standard.  Board members shared many questions and concerns about the development and implementation of these standards.

 

Cultural Competence

 

Director Ted Stilwill introduced this agenda item and stated he was extremely pleased to have Dr. Ruth White as Director of the Department of Human Rights.  Dr. Ruth White gave the Board a brief orientation about the Department of Human Rights and its work.   She explained the cultural competence initiative and how the model fits into education policy, teacher training and instruction. 

 

John-Paul Chaisson-Cardenas, Administrator, Division of Latino Affairs, outlined definitions that are often misunderstood such as race, ethnicity, and culture.   He indicated that race and ethnicity influence culture, but are not culture.   Culture is ever-changing.   He provided a list of common misconceptions when persons are thinking about cross-cultural competence.  Chaisson-Cardenas said he was extremely interested in skills for developing cultural competence.   He discussed the following components of culturally competent work: 1) knowledge of self; 2) knowledge of community; 3) personal involvement; 4) resources and linkages; 5) staffing; 6) service delivery and practice/teaching; 7) organizational policies and procedures; and 8) reaching out to communities.

 

Kimberly Baxter, Administrator, Division on the Status of African Americans emphasized the points already discussed.   With her sociology background, she looked at how components work in the broader relationship to people.   Educators that spend the bulk of time with children must have the fundamental skills and competence level to interact appropriately and effectively with all of our kids.  

 

Dr. White felt it was important for all of us to make an investment in cultural competency and to take the initiative to begin learning these skills.  

 

 

Director Stilwill felt there was a lot of work to do to think about what this means in terms of how we bring this into standards for programs, teacher education, and staffing. 

 

  Greg McClain had two recommendations: 1) the State Board be more culturally competent and be more accountable and 2) the Board have a scheduled  review with the Department of Human Rights.

 

Jim Billings felt this was an issue that would need to be kept in front of the Board on a regular basis.  Sally Frudden agreed that for the skill development to be effective it must be practiced repetitively.  Charles Edwards suggested that we take more time at another meeting to more thoroughly discuss this issue.  

         

Board members felt the cultural competency idea might be a suggestion for a discussion topic at the June State Board Retreat.  Gene Vincent asked that Ted Stilwill and Ruth White work together with State Board input on ideas on skill development for initiating cultural competence..   

 

Charles Edwards said that he and Greg McClain would be a subcommittee to work with staff and Dr. Ruth White. 

 

Community College Certified Budget Report

 

Michelle Wendel, Consultant, Bureau of Community Colleges and Career and Technical Education reported that the State Board of Education had statutory responsibility for approval of the community college budgets.   The annual budget report is prepared by the department each year in an effort to provide the State Board with background information necessary to review and approve these budgets.  Wendel reviewed the materials in the report and explained that the budget is used for determining tax levies.   In order to prepare this budget, college staff must estimate revenues and expenditures for FY 2005.  Ms. Wendel discussed how agriculture land value fit into the budget process for community colleges.

 

Wendel introduced President Robert J. Denson of the Des Moines Area Community College.    Denson provided information on how community college budgets are put together and the value available for the student.    He discussed the cost of education to the student and how colleges continue to work to meet those needs.  

 

          Motion:  It was moved by Charles Edwards and seconded by Sally Frudden to approve the community college budgets as presented.

 

          Vote:  The motion carried unanimously.

 

Greg McClain commented that he felt the Board needed to be more efficient and effective with the use of time for Board meetings.  McClain didn’t feel effective Boardsmanship was being put into place with short agendas.    Several ideas were discussed for Board meeting timeframes and statutory requirements.  

 

Ted Stilwill, Director, talked about how the Board policy development agenda has gotten much sharper and more focused.   Some statutory responsibilities have also been changed and so maybe we need to look at better balancing the agenda on an annual basis.   He also pointed out that all Board members do not have the same feeling regarding the meeting timeframes. 

 

Director Stilwill handed out the proposed topics for the June State Board meeting. 

 

President Gene Vincent adjourned the May State Board meeting.

 

 

 

_______________________          ____________________________

Gene Vincent                     Ted Stilwill, Director and

President                                    Executive Officer