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I.
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Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 5:00 p.m.
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A.
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Adoption of the August 13, 2014, Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting Agenda (Discussion/Action)
Mr. Garcia motioned to adopt the agenda. Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. All were in favor.
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II.
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Cultural Proficiency/Equity Update (Discussion)
- Listening Campaign
- Next Steps
- AVID (Advancement via Individual Determination) Conference 2014
- Cultural Proficiency Institute Conference 2014
Presenters: Lynne Rosen - director of Language and Cultural Equity and
Toby Herrera - director of Student School and Community Service Center
Mr. Herrera expressed that the goal for APS is that all employees will have an understanding of the cultural proficiency framework and how it impacts their work. Schools and departments will remove organizational and institutional barriers from their systems, and all Board of Education policies and administrative procedures will reflect cultural proficiency expectations and address the needs of all students, employees and community involvement. A summary of findings from the Listening Campaign held in June 2014 was given to board members for review. In September, APS will host the AVID Institute; teachers will participate in the Culturally Relevant Teaching Strand. AVID’s biggest strength is to incorporate cultural proficiency into everything they do. APS staff and board members attended two conferences on cultural proficiency this year. The Cultural Proficiency Institute Conference in Hollywood was attended by Mr. Herrera, Dr. Maestas, and Mr. Garcia. The AVID Conference in Dallas was attended by 200 APS teachers and several district leadership members.
Comments:
- At the Institute Conference in Hollywood attendees were able to speak with other school districts that have been implementing cultural proficiency programs. It was evident, that in all districts, there was at least one person dedicated to implementing the program.
- Every principal needs to be aware of what cultural proficiency is.
- This should not be an area where people fear for their jobs because they have a different opinion. There should be open dialog without people feeling uncomfortable.
- Cultural proficiency and equity affects everyone and should be incorporated into all APS processes
- Request for a rough draft of the timeline for implementing this program districtwide
- Some of the comments in the Listening Campaign hand-out mention that people feel disconnected from decisions being made and some people were not aware that cultural proficiency/equity has begun
- Request for timing of cultural proficiency training for board members
- Request for the details of how board members will participate in the cultural proficiency plan
Ms. Rosen commented that the Listening Campaign is critical and gives APS a baseline. AVID is also a great part of this work and provides a framework that can be built upon to grow cultural proficiency in the schools.
Question:
- Regarding query possibilities for translation in Spanish for participants at board meetings, Ms. Rosen responded that it was possible to bring in a Spanish interpreter and use headphones so that parents can hear the translation. It is also possible to translate from Spanish to English for board members. However, the cost for translation services would need to be added into the Language and Cultural Equity budget. Committee members suggested this service become available for all board meetings in the future.
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III.
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Teacher Evaluation Plan Update (Discussion)
Presenter: Carla Greene - director of Special Projects
Ms. Greene gave an update on the New Mexico Public Education Department (NMPED) teacher evaluations.
- Summative reports have been updated and corrected
- In June, 78.4 percent of APS teachers (including charter schools) were rated effective or above
- In August, this number rose to 82.2 percent effective or above
- Not including charters, APS teachers were rated at 79 percent effective and above; In August, this number rose to 82 percent effective or above.
Concerns were forwarded to NMPED in June and July as there were many changes in the teachers’ rankings due to NMPED clean-up of data.
- In August, it was reported that there were 132 ineffective teachers in APS
- Fifty-one of the teachers’ documentation had incomplete information or were teachers that should not have been evaluated
- Twenty-nine of the totally ineffective teachers have retired
- A total of 52 teachers were ranked ineffective out of 6,000 APS teachers in 2013-14
- This is equivalent to 0.87 percent or less than one percent of APS teachers were ineffective
Ms. Green and Ms. Greene still are negotiating with NMPED regarding walkthroughs and teacher evaluations.
Last year attendance counted for 20 points; both personal leave and sick leave were used to determine attendance of teachers. This year only sick leave will be used in the evaluation.
Issues discussed:
- Impact of a serious illness reflecting on the rating of an evaluation
- Concerns that teachers are entitled to 10 days sick leave and should not be punished for using time off
- Effects of the student survey on the teachers’ evaluation rating
- Possibility of rewarding teachers for perfect attendance as we do our students
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IV.
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Discussion of Field Trips Procedural Directive (Discussion)
Presenters: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy, Shelly Green - chief academic Officer, Todd Resch - associate superintendent for High Schools
Ms. Brunder reviewed the following updates to the Field Trip Procedural Directive
General Provisions - Addition
- Field trips that have a strong connection to curriculum and instructional goals of the district. The superintendent, or his/her designee may approve activity trips that are non-educational in nature providing that the trips have been defined and structured as part of the educational environment and meet requirements outlined in administrative procedural directive”.
Definitions – Addition
- For the purposes of this procedural directive, “activity trips” means trips sponsored by school activity clubs or trips that are non-educational in nature and are used to reward academic, athletic or behavioral accomplishments.
- For the purpose of this procedural directive a “field trip” means a school-sponsored trip for students, which is first-hand educational experience to supplement curriculum and instructional goals away from the campus.
- For purposes of this procedural directive, a “day student activity trip” means a one day trip which requires no overnight stay and from which students return to campus immediately following the event.
- For purposes of this procedural directive, a “long student activity trip” means a trip out of the city limits of Albuquerque which lasts for more than two days and requires at least two nights stay in hotel or alternative housing.
- For purposes of this procedural directive, a “short student activity trip” means a trip out of the city limits of Albuquerque which lasts for one to two days and requires at least one night stay in hotel or alternative housing.
- For purposes of this procedural directive, a “student activity” includes extracurricular and co-curricular activities but excludes activity trips that are non-educational in nature and are used to reward accomplishments such as end-of-the-year trips to pools, parks or amusement parks.
- For purposes of this procedural directive, a “trip sponsor” means any certified teacher, certified instructor or licensed trip organizing and executing a field or activity trip.
Removal of paragraph entitled “activity trips”
Trip Sponsors – Addition
- Trip sponsors shall be required to be a certified teacher, certified instructor or licensed coach currently employed by the Albuquerque Public Schools. No other individuals shall be authorized to be a trip sponsor for an Albuquerque Public Schools field or activity trip. Trip sponsors shall be required to attend the trip in its entirety.
Chaperone Minimum Standards – Changes
- The trip sponsor shall be the primary chaperone for student field trips.
- All chaperones attending a trip shall be at least twenty-one (21) years in age. The district encourages trip sponsors to have parents/legal guardians as the majority of chaperones on the trip.
- Advise parents/legal guardians that non-school aged children shall not be allowed to attend the trip.
- The principal and trip sponsor working with a particular group of students shall have authority to establish the appropriate ratio of supervision for students with disabilities.
- Chaperones having unsupervised access to students including those transporting students in private vehicles shall be required to have successfully passed an Albuquerque Public Schools background check.
Justification of Trip – Addition
- All trip sponsors wishing to organize and execute a field or activity trip shall be required to submit justification to the superintendent, or his/her designee, explaining why the trip compliments classroom curriculum activities and instructional goals of the district.
Parent Permission to Attend Trip – Changes
- Students will be required to have written consent of the parent/guardian prior to the trip.
- Students who do not have written consent shall not be permitted to attend the trip and shall be provided with alternate assignments.
- Signed permission forms shall be in the possession of the trip sponsor at all times.
Transporting Students – Addition
- All trip sponsors shall explain mode of transportation for students during the approval process.
Field and Activity Trip Expenses – Addition
- An explanation of field or activity trip expenses shall be required during the approval process.
- The district shall not be liable for field and activity trip expenses that were not authorized as part of the trip authorization.
Activity Trip Insurance – Addition
- Activity Trip Insurance shall be purchased through the Risk Management Department.
- Prior to submitting the trip for approval. Please refer to Risk Management for the most current process to purchase insurance.
Activity Trip Insurance – Changes
- Removal of specific instructions for purchasing Activity
Change of wording throughout:
- Change “must” to “shall”
- Change Form AD14 to Request for Field Trip or Activity Trip Form
Other Additions:
- Administrative Position:
- Associate Superintendent for Elementary Education
- Associate Superintendent for Middle Schools
- Associate Superintendent for High Schools
- Department Director: School Principals
- References:
- Legal Cross Ref.:
- Board Policy Cross Ref.: IJ1 Student Travel: Field and Activity Trips
- Procedural Directive Cross Ref.:
- Forms Cross Ref.: Request for Field Trip or Activity Trip form INS 72E Notification of Responsibilities and Liabilities when Transporting Students form
- NSBA/NEPN Classification: IJOA
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A.
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Discussion of Field and Activity Trip Approval Form (Discussion)
Presenters: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy, Shelly Green - chief academic officer, Todd Resch - associate superintendent of High Schools
There is a new form as requested that schools will have to fill out for field trips which includes:
- Mode of transport, type of vehicle, if any personal vehicles are being used, drivers’ license number, and copy of insurance for all drivers. Student drivers are discouraged.
- There is also a space for the number of student drivers and the number of chaperone drivers.
- Chaperones must be 21 years of age or older.
- Trip sponsors must be licensed teachers, instructors or a licensed coach who is employed with the district.
- Chaperones on overnight trips must be of the same sex as students.
- If return to school is after hours, then accommodations must be identified on how students are to get home.
- Justification is required for the field trip and how it ties into curriculum.
- APS School District is not responsible for additional expenses that are not already approved through the request for field trip application process.
- All three levels of approval are required for out-of-district activity field trip. This means any activity trip that is outside of Albuquerque city limits requires approval by the teacher, principal and associate superintendent.
Ms. Brunder brought a new situation to the committee’s attention regarding field trips and the administration of scheduled prescription medication. Ms. Case, director of Nursing, and Ms. Meurer, executive director of Student, Family, and Community Supports, were also in attendance to discuss concerns.
- Since 2008, school nurses, with the authority of the New Mexico Board of Nursing were able to give medication authority to other members of staff to distribute medication; for example, principals or teachers could administer medication if a nurse or health assistant is not present.
- Over the summer the New Mexico Board of Nursing rescinded this authority to only cover health assistants who are licensed through the NMPED
- The New Mexico Board of Nursing will meet on August 22, 2014; until this meeting takes place, the Chief Academic Officer Ms. Green and the associate superintendents, Ms. Kerschen, Ms. Reedy, Ms. Sandoval, and Mr. Resch, have agreed that all field trips for the month of August should be canceled until there is clarification.
- APS does not have enough nurses or health assistants to go on every field trip, and APS will not discriminate against students who take medication, by not allowing them to go on field trips.
- There are approximately 28,000 students who take medication and only 135 nurses on staff.
Issues discussed by committee members:
- Parents can administer their own child’s medication on a field trip if they are a chaperone
- Effects on students participating in marching bands. APS has no knowledge of students, who receive routine medications at football games.
- Field trips that are already approved are being reviewed on an individual basis to see if there are students who receive routine medications.
- Emergency medications and treatments can be administered such as in the case of an asthma attack or use of an EpiPen®; the ruling only refers to routine administration of prescription medication.
- Parents cannot waive the policy of delegation and give permission to a teacher
The meeting of the New Mexico Board of Nursing is open to the public; August 23, 2014, at 6301 Indian School Rd NE, Suite 710, in Albuquerque, at 9:00 a.m. The details of the meeting will be put on the APS website so that parents can attend if they wish.
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V.
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Discussion of Policy Status and Update Matrix (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy
Ms. Brunder reviewed the matrix which outlines policies and procedural directives that have been reviewed and which ones still need to go through the review process.
Dr. Peercy will ask committee members for feedback on which areas should be reviewed next.
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VI.
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Graduation Requirements Procedural Directive Update (Discussion)
Presenter: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy
Ms. Brunder gave an overview of the graduation requirements procedural directive.
- Admission into New Mexico universities and community colleges is available with certificate of completion.
- Lottery scholarships are not available with certificate of completion.
- APS is responsible for notifying parents whether their child has passed or is at risk of not receiving a diploma
Comments:
- Recommendation of graduation requirements as an excellent topic for District and Community Relations Committee meetings
- Suggestion of dedicating a webpage to graduating students
- Recommendation to include when SAT and ACT exams need to be taken
- Instructional Accountability (RDA) recently has put a link on the testing webpage that outlines graduation requirements
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VII.
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Discussion regarding updating the APS Employee Handbook regarding Breaks to Express Breast Milk (Discussion)
Presenters: Carrie Robin Brunder - director of Government Affairs and Policy and Karen Rudys - interim assistant superintendent for Human Resources
The rule for nursing mothers to take a break to express breast milk was not clear; therefore, the APS Employee Handbook was reviewed and updated.
- The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) states that employers are required to provide reasonable breaks for employees to express breast milk for her nursing child for up to one year after the child’s birth.
- The Department of Labor advises flexibility for the employee.
- The APS Employee Handbook will state a minimum of three breaks 15-20 minutes each. However, if the employee needs more time, APS will provide it.
- It is encouraged that lunch break will be used as one of the three breaks, but this cannot be a requirement.
- Teachers will be able to come in early or stay late to make up time if they wish.
- Coverage for classrooms will be discussed at the school level on an individual basis.
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VIII.
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Announcement of the Next Policy and Instruction Committee Meeting
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A.
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The next Policy and Instruction Committee meeting will be held Wednesday, September 10, 2014, at 5:00 p.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room of the Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd NE.
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IX.
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Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 6:58 p.m.
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