Report to the Board of Education

Report to the Board of Education Dr. Peter Stiepleman, Superintendent, Columbia Public Schools August 17, 2018 This week One week down! I looked back at last year’s first week message where we reported how well the week had gone – the best yet, we said. From all reports, this year has exceeded last year’s report. In visiting school buildings, I have observed leaders and staff helping students and families. I have seen routines being taught and relationships being built. I have seen academics being reviewed and new lessons begun. It has been really exciting to see! And I concur with Jill’s message – our operations team worked miracles to get us ready. They are deserving of public recognition, for sure! Stephen’s College/CPS In this week’s consent agenda, the Board of Education approved an MOU with Stephens College. I was asked by a member to explain what that MOU covered. Over the years, Locust Street students (formerly known as Lee) would use the field across the street from their school. This field happens to be Dianne Lynch’s front yard (Dianne is the President of Stephen’s College). She noticed the children regularly playing in the yard, which brought her joy, but also left her with a question. What would happen if a child injured herself/himself? Could Stephens be held responsible? She and I talked, and we agreed that a memorandum of understanding made a lot of sense. And that’s what you approved – an MOU outlining our responsibilities as a good neighbor using their property. Annexation of RBE Rock Bridge Elementary (RBE) is currently located in Boone County. Over the last few years, CPS has been considering when it might be appropriate to approach the City of Columbia with an annexation request. We plan to ask you in September for an agreement with Crockett Engineering to complete the paperwork to move forward with an annexation request. One big reason is safety and security. With RBE sitting in the County, the Columbia Police Department (CPD) doesn’t have jurisdiction over the school. With Rock Bridge High School and CORE right nearby, we think it would be good for CPD officers to be able to respond to calls for assistance. I’ve talked personally with the County Sheriff and he is very comfortable with the annexation request. I am sending this to you in advance because once we make this request public, I wouldn’t be surprised if the neighborhood just beyond RBE began calling you. I am not sure how they feel about being contiguous to the City (meaning, our annexation would remove us as a buffer to their being contiguous to the City – they might prefer we stay in the County). Please call me if you have questions about the request. Why AVID? By Shanna Dale, District AVID Coordinator Shanna Dale sent the following testimonial to her AVID teachers, and I asked her for permission to share it with you. It is a powerful piece that documents her journey and why programs like AVID matter. I hope you will find it as moving as I did. As we begin the year, I wanted to share some of myself with you and give you a bit about my “Why”. I’m a first-generation college student. My mother, the youngest of eight, was raised by a single mother (and more than one abusive stepfather) and more often-than not, lived with her grandparents. She is a first-generation high school graduate. In fact, the only one of her eight siblings to finish high school. My father’s father was a custodian for the Springfield Public Schools, a second job to running a small farm. He also happened to be a school board member for a neighboring rural school district. Not a scenario that we would probably see today, but very possible in the 1970s in southern Missouri. I was a great test-taker in school. Loved standardized tests, in fact. But the day-to-day of school bored me. So much, in fact, that I often zoned out and missed important skill development. I always remember feeling like I had missed out on something since everyone else seemed to know what was going on when I felt clueless. That didn’t matter much until I hit my last years of high school. I graduated high school with a 3.2 GPA but a better than average ACT score of 28. I fumbled through the college application process, financial aid applications and committed to attending the first school that sent me an acceptance letter and a small academic scholarship. I wasn’t wise enough to compare apples to apples when it came to college costs. My parents had no clue and no money to help. I lived at home throughout college and never got involved in campus life except for the occasional meal in the student union. My freshman year academic record was bad…I failed two courses and even missed the final in one of those. Turns out, going to class is IMPORTANT! I transferred to Missouri State my sophomore year—after doing a bit of math and realizing how much further I could make my Pell Grant and student loans go at a public university. I had to retake several classes and learned the hard way that Public Speaking at one school isn’t the same as Public Speaking at another. I finally chose history as my major after accumulating 60 hours and being told I couldn’t register until I had declared. My first advisor in history told me, “You won’t be able to do much with this degree if you can’t coach a sport. As a woman, there’s not much out there for you.” I still remember how that felt. As a woman, there’s not much out there for me? I marched right over to the dean’s office and requested a new advisor. I worked part-time while in school and it took me five years to graduate with a BSEd in History and $18,000 in student loans. Many semesters, the only thing that kept me in school was the fear of how I would repay those loans if I didn’t have a college degree. My transcript isn’t pretty. It shows the struggles I had to complete that degree. But I’m proud of it—it is evidence of my grit and self-reliance. I tell you all of this so you understand that I really do understand what it means to be a first-generation college student figuring out how to do it on your own. I wish I had been in an AVID school –I would have benefited greatly from the support and guidance. My college degree changed my life, my trajectory and that of my own children. My husband and I often remark on how many opportunities our children have had because we chose to persevere. The irony that my oldest child aspires to become a world-famous opera singer—two generations removed from poverty—is always in the back of my mind. Her dream is the same one as my grandparents, my parents, and her father and me—to live a better life. I’m forever grateful that I was stubborn enough to see it through. I close by telling you that I believe EVERY student deserves our very best. I’m looking forward to working alongside each of you to make that happen this year. Report from Carla London The school year is off to a great start! Walkthroughs in several buildings this week have been full of excitement and eagerness on the part of staff and students for the 2018-19 year. Watching teachers establish routines and build community with their classrooms was a reminder of why Columbia Public Schools IS the best district in the state! Report from Kevin Brown Middle and High Schools had a fabulous start to a brand new school year. The first days of school were very exciting and memorable. Faculty and staff have high expectations for all students. Secondary schools are very hopeful about students making necessary gains in both English and mathematics. Coordinators and leaders have invested valuable time in planning for another outstanding year Report from Randy Gooch From Laina Fullum, Nutrition Services Director I wanted to get the word out about our new trays and to let you know they will be delayed until Sept. Last year we had biodegradable and compostable trays too, but they were difficult for our staff and students to use. This year we have a new and improved tray that is also biodegradable and compostable, should any of our buildings decide to start a composting program in their cafeteria. Many of our kitchens already compost non-animal products with the city. See our new tray: http://www.berkpaper.com/item/1261005/5-Compartment-Bagasse-Lunch-Tray/ The bad news is that we have to revert back to our old envirofoam trays that are also biodegradable, but not compostable temporarily. We have switched vendors and the new trays are a special order in the quantities that we need. Facilities and Construction Back to School Newsletter Your building secretaries should have already received a copy of the Facilities and Construction Back to School Newsletter to post in your building. Attached is a copy for you to review. Included in the newsletter are articles on how to keep your classroom and building “pest-free”, updates and pictures on the various renovations and new additions that were completed over the summer, 2018-19 school start times, and last, but not least, appreciation to all of the custodial services team members for the countless hours they spend working to keep our buildings clean and operational.

Load more