In attendance

Leadership Team Minutes 11/01/04

In attendance

Jacquie McEvoy, Rich Mozzini, Cynthia Rapaido, Til Tribuzi(Facilitator), Miguel Appleman, Ron Beall, Nate Johnson (Recorder), Martin Ortega, Joyce Dickson, Behrooz Shahvini, Catherine Bunch, Linda Brockett, Diane Termini, Gerry Mountain, Judie McDowell.

Summary of Actions:

We discussed anecdotal data from the departments. We then moved on to discussing potential changes to the daily schedule.

Next Meeting: December 6, 2004

Topic: Examine proposals from the subcommittee

Duration: One meeting at least

Facilitator: Til

Recorder: Martin

Goal: discuss daily schedule; plan for school-wide presentation

Product: Plan for school-wide discussion

Before Next Time

Subcommittee meets to look at schedules

Date: Monday, November 15: Til(facilitator), Martin, Miguel, Behrooz, Nate

Place: Room 4, Martin’s room

Time: 3:15

More Detailed Minutes:

Til started us off with a statement about Sam’s meeting with the Music Boosters, during which Sam said that in order to accomplish the academic core, we will need to have a seven-period day.

Catherine had a couple of questions: Is the AC approved? (no, but it will be) would a 7-period day be longer? (maybe, but not clear).

Miguel: equity issues in terms of students’ abilities. Financial issues come up with teachers.

Til: VPA Instruction Council minutes reflect that the district and union are aware of potential problems

Behrooz: Any mention of athletics/game-start? Will 7-period day find that academic classes are impacted even more?

Til: We don’t know yet. But now is a good time to reexamine the block, such as with the feedback from our department. Anyone want to start?

Miguel: Science unanimously agrees that Block is better than 1-6 day

Joyce: PE and Health like Block over 1-6

Behrooz: math likes block, but some classes would be better.

Nate: English likes the block, but we certainly could tweak it.

Miguel: Science brought up options: 4 blocks a day. 8 blocks. Shorter blocks. Athletics after school.

Nate: Most suggested in English that we have shorter blocks; one person suggested even the 4X4 a year in a semester.

Catherine: World Language wants to keep block. They would like to see staff development in the block; we need to brush up even though we want to keep it. Athletics has a gray area—that academics is the priority is not always clear. Modified block was preferred. Extended day would be preferable to 35 minute Fridays.

Miguel: longer lunch and brunch even with longer school day

Martin: counseling likes the block, but would be open to modifying

Ron: counseling likes the block, but would be open to modifying

Joyce: Tutorial should be after lunch

Nate: Move 1-6 to Monday. Have late-start be on Monday

Til: do we test more on Fridays?

Nate, Martin, Miguel: we do

Nate: we could use it as a gearing up day

Behrooz: moving tutorial to the end of the day would be good for many reasons.

Joyce : I did a schedule for the tutorial after school.

Jacquie: We don’t have to have tutorial at the same time every day.

Joyce’s schedule

1 2

8-9:45 8-9:45

3 4

10-11:45 10-11:45

5 Tutorial

12:20-2:05 12:20-1:09

Tutorial 6

2:11-3:00 1:15-3:00

Miguel: what would moving tutorial to when it could be missed say about Tutorial? Isn’t it just less valuable time? Why have it at all

Ron: which would be better to miss, academics or tutorial?

Joyce: As a PE teacher, I’m used to not being seen as a priority

Til: but back to tutorial

Miguel: it’s o.k. but not great. Not universally used by teachers or students.

Behrooz: it’s necessary. Not universally used by teachers or students, but Math needs it.

Ron: are passes working? Are students getting the help they need?

Several people: yes

Ron: should there be tutorial passes?

Catherine: absolutely, but they don’t always use it for getting help

Miguel: that may be discipline specific

Joyce: it’s crucial for the lab and for kids to use it

Rich: there are certain kids—kids of color—who need the time for the lab

Linda: I give out 15 a day.

Catherine: movement isn’t the issue it was. Why weren’t band/FIG kids put in the same tutorial? I was told it was a grade-level issue. Tutorial is better this year with the climate with Muffy and campus aides doing sweeps

Behrooz: it’s working but we might make changes.

Jacquie: I recommend that you survey students and parents.

Til: I’ve heard that people want to keep it

Miguel: science would like to reduce it.

Nate: let’s look at an ideal school

Miguel: tutorial has always been about reduced block time

Behrooz: to not have tutorial would mean that we would have to do it another time—after school, etc.

Miguel: or build it into the block

Catherine: could tutorial minutes be structured into the day? They could have a class that meets every day or have a tutorial.

Til: is there a feeling that there should be more done to keep students accountable.

Martin: I have nothing to hold over their heads.

Catherine: I use the strategies and tutorial procedures that have been worked out before. Work or go to the dean. The problem is mixed messages from different teachers.

Martin: I don’t want to run my class that way.

Catherine: I know that my kids need it and like it.

Behrooz: not every tutorial is made up of the same kids

Gerry: I have to run mine with disciplinary structure.

Til: the knowledge of expectations are out there.

Miguel: tutorial has a track record and it’s not a pretty one. Many break down over the year. You will never get kids saying that they don’t like tutorial; there is no loss for the kids because they aren’t comparing it to the classes, but we have to. If I have to get through a certain amount of time.

Nate: why do we give them time to do them the work during the school day? Why call it homework?

Catherine: there is no guarantee that it will be anything but substandard

Nate: yes, but I wouldn’t be sanctioning it.

Til: we won’t have the time to do this today, so I recommend a subcommittee to meet and develop proposals. We are looking at December to look at real schedules like the one that Joyce put together. The next meeting would be to look at schedules and rationales. We would need something concrete.

Behrooz: our decision would depend on athletics and an extended day.

Jacquie: we shouldn’t start earlier. Research says that teenagers aren’t as productive earlier.

Joyce: we can’t just move the schedule; it’s not just our district. We have to deal with PAL and other districts’ schedules.

Til: We have to move on. So where are we?