Mt. Logan Middle Schools
Community Council Agenda
January 14, 2021

Welcome

  • Paul Wagner Intended to have our regular meetings, but the Super Intendent brought the meetings down to the basic needs of the SCC. Today we are focusing on a few things.
  • Celebrations: teachers getting vaccinated

Minutes Approved

  • Melanie Pond Motioned to approve.
  • 2nd by SarahAnn Delaney
  • All in favor

School Safety Review

  • Data is showing that if students are sitting next to each other with masks on the rate of transmission is tiny.
  • Do not need to enforce quarantine for mask to mask exposure of COVID-19.
  • Only lunch and band need to quarantine if exposed to positive case.
  • Check video for lunch and call the two kids sitting next to the positive case.
  • They are only sitting on one side of the table.
  • They are asked to not move around during lunch. It is going smoothly.

School Improvement Plan Proposal

  • Current goal: 90% of our students will master essential learnings as measured by team developed common formative assessments for each content area.
  • We are ½ way through the year and a good majority of our classes are ½ way through their essential learnings. A few teams got a bit derailed (7 th and 8 th grade math teams are mixed and working together). Proud of progress we are making and the teachers are encouraged to continue moving toward essential learnings.
  • Since October Paul reached out to the Leadership team (15 teachers) to review some of the school practices. The Leadership team consulted with other teachers to see if there was anything they would like us to do different with our funds. Ideas needed to be supported by research. Did not receive any official proposals.
  • Instructional coaching (Kacee Murry, Nancy Thatcher present) Harvard did a Meta-analysis that concluded that Instructional coaching improves both instructional practice and student achievement- more so than other professional development and school-based interventions. In fact, the quality of teachers’ instruction improves by as much as -or even more than the difference in effectiveness between a new teacher and one with 5-10 years experience.
  • Kacee: struggled as a MLMS teacher her first year because she was missing the coaching. Coaches work with teachers and with principals. They are expected to improve, but they need the tools to know how. The Instructional coaches work with teachers weekly or bi-weekly. They go into the classroom and observe. They identify what problem the teacher is experiencing and what they would like to improve. Then the coach works with them to problem solve and help them learn how to improve (reading, collaboration, and observing other teachers). They monitor their progress and really talk to them about how they are improving and keep problem solving until goals are met.
  • Nancy: Echos Kacee’s experience when she first came into teacher 14 years ago. She felt there were a lot of rough edges in her teaching. The teachers now are making great progress in a shorter amount of time because of having instructional coaches available for them. While they have had mentoring programs in the past Instructional coaching is different because they really are a partnership. Instructional coaches can help with the research and implementation to help make a difference for the teacher and their students. Instructional coaches do extra research and make a plan when a teacher may not have the extra time in their day to do that work.
  • A unique situation with coaching: A 6 th grade math teacher got another job, so we had a new hire (in January). This is typical at MLMS where a teacher will start in the middle of the year. Kacee has worked with her and already has an action step the new teacher is working on. They have practiced and within 2 weeks she has already noticed a difference. It has been very successful.
  • Kacee works with 16 teachers. Nancy works with 8 teachers. They both also teach learning academy most Wednesdays. They focus on a professional development skill. They model good teaching strategies. 40 teachers go to the learning academy (2/3 of the staff).
  • Some teachers seek coaching for advice or just collaboration time. Both new and veteran teachers use instructional coaches.
  • Some teachers seek coaching for advice or just collaboration time. Both new and veteran teachers use instructional coaches.
  • The Big 8 (from the book Class Acts) are highly effective strategies a teacher can do to manage the classroom, which gives the most effective learning. Paul goes in and analyses each classroom in the Fall. There have been gains in all 8 categories in just 3 months. Paul attributes it to coaching.
  • PBIS (classroom Management) MLMS had gains in all categories except “school supported” stayed the same.
  • Learning Targets gains in all categories.
  • Great feedback from the teachers about instructional coaching at MLMS.

Proposal

  • This has been such a tricky and challenging year without end of year data from last year it is proposed to stick with our current goal and funding for another year.
  • Continue to Fund:
    • Coaching ((1.5 coaches) $150,000-$160,000)
    • Reading and math academy
    • ESL teacher ((.5 time teacher)$40,000-$50,000)
    • Learning Academy ($50,000)
    • Chromebooks ($20,000)
    • Ballpark $334,000
    • Please think about it and e-mail Paul with an additional proposals
    • Must follow guidelines.
    • Must support the district Flagship Plan
    • Follow school land trust regulations and bylaws
    • Must adhere to Community Council regulation and bylaws
    • Greatest academic need is to close the gap
    • Need to have a rough draft of plan by March 11th

Adjourn

  • Motion to adjourn Elizabeth Blanchard
  • Robert Woodbury 2nd
  • All in favor (end time 4:47pm)