District Ready to get Back to School

Thursday night’s Board of Education meeting at Milford High School was the last one before the first day of the new school year on Sept. 6. This was the first meeting to use the newly approved agenda format, and all board members were in attendance.

Muir Middle School’s WEB (Where Everyone Belongs) Crew was selected to present as part of the new agenda’s Student Leadership Comment section. The group is made up of 56 eighth-grade students (both from Muir and from Highland) who earlier in the week provided an orientation program for the incoming sixth-grade students.

206 of the 256 incoming sixth-graders attended the event which aimed to welcome them to their new school and assure them they don’t need to be afraid or intimidated by the other grades, the presenters said.

“I could see they were getting comfortable and starting to be themselves,” said WEB member, Logan Kahl, 13.

On the first day of school, WEB members will wear their leadership shirts and visit the sixth-grade hallway to offer support and assistance to any new students.

Board sets goals

The bulk of the evening’s discussion revolved around the district’s annual goals. Trustee, John Knight, began the dialogue with his overall impression of the goals,

“In my view, they’re just way too general,” he explained, “To be effective goals need to be stated in plain, everyday language, and be specific.”

The goals were eventually voted on and passed, but with a few added amendments:

For one, a placeholder for a student achievement measurement on the MEAP and MME exams was created. According to Trustee Rebecca Walsh, this measurement would be a district-set standard to ensure that Huron Valley students are continually improving, regardless of what the state deems as proficient.

Another motion was passed to table a goal involving improving graduation rates until a clearer measure of that success could be determined by the district. Currently, data for state-determined graduation rates lags by a year, and board members said they would like to see if an internal measure can be used instead.

An amendment was also passed to issue deadline dates for two specific goals:

1. Three alternative options for the utilization of the vacant buildings in the district will be due on March 31, 2012.
2. An elementary transportation safety program must be developed by January 31, 2012. 

Board Treasurer, Lindsay Cotter, was the only dissenting vote to the deadline amendment. Cotter cited a preference to take time to thoroughly develop the transportation safety program and to implement it at the beginning of a school year, not the middle of one.

“I don’t want to leave the table without letting you know that I’m concerned about some of these dates,” said superintendent, Jackie Johnston.

Johnston, who was not alone in her concerns, stated that the goals were meant to be annual with an implied deadline of June 30, 2012. According to Johnston, setting specific dates for completion could rush the processes and limit options and effectiveness.

Other news worth noting included:

• 54 of the 58 teacher lay-offs from last year have been recalled
• Wednesday, Oct. 5 is the official Fall count day
• All pick-up times on the postcards that were mailed out with bus route information are actually 10 minutes earlier than stated. This is true for all levels: elementary, middle and high school. 

The next Board of Education meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m., Sept. 15 at Milford High School.