Public Forum

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Public Forum 1Questions Answers

• April 23, 2007

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Background

• The WISDs School Board held a Public Forum on
  Monday, April 23, 2007. Parents and community
  members had the opportunity to sit down and visit
  with individual school board members. After an
  opening mini-school board meeting, school board
  members entertained questions from the community
  on numerous subjects for approximately one hour.
  At the end of the individual questioning session,
  the school board members fielded questions in an
  open forum setting.
• The fifty or so community members seemed to like
  the new format. WISD School Board President
  Melissa Young said I am very pleased with the
  turnout and the communication with the community
  and look forward to holding this kind of open
  forum on a quarterly basis.
• A few questions were not answered during the
  forum due to the time restraints. Here are a few
  of the questions and answers

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Safety Question 1

• For safety issues, can the parking lot attendant
  not only check the flow of students in and out of
  the HS campus, can they send visitors to the side
  (principals) entrance to sign in?
• Yes, the parking lot attendant can notify
  visitors of the sign in procedure for visitors at
  the high school.

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Safety Question 2

• What are the protocols for safety security
  audit?
• Each campus has completed a safety and security
  audit. WISD administrators were trained by the
  Texas School Safety Center from Texas State
  University on the procedures and techniques of
  how to conduct the audit. Priorities resulting
  from the audits were presented to the school
  board in June.

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Safety Question 3

• Will the District communicate more of the safety
  concerns relating to visitors signing in at each
  campus?
• The Safety and Security Audits conducted on each
  campus recommended procedures to address visitor
  sign in at each campus. In August, additional
  signs will be posted on each campus, staff will
  have additional training on signing in visitors,
  and information will be more effectively
  communicated to parents and community members.

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Finance Question 1

• What is Chapter 41?
• Chapter 41, commonly known as the Robin Hood
  plan, is part of the Texas Education Code
  governing school funding that was enacted by the
  Texas Legislature to equalize wealth for
  educational spending. The provision is intended
  to recapture local tax dollars from property
  rich districts and redistribute the funds to
  property poor districts.

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Finance Question 2

• Is Robin Hood going away?
• Currently, the Legislature is trying to redesign
  Texas Public School finance. The answer to that
  question is up to the Legislators.

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Communications Question 1

• Is there an official policy or confidential
  policy that Board Members have regarding
  individual release of school issues? Example
  Shouldnt all board members vote to release
  certain info. to press and not individual board
  members take it on their own to release certain
  school issues.
• A similar reference to this matter is discussed
  in WISDs local Board Policy BBE (Local). The
  policy can be found at www.wimberley.txed.net
  under the School Board Policy link.

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Communications Question 2

• Is the District pro-active on e-mail
  communication?
• The district encourages administrators and
  teachers to communicate with parents and
  community members in effective ways. For some
  people, e-mail communication is most effective
  and for others, it is a phone call or letter.

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Communications Question 3

• Can we come up with a plan for more notice of
  public and school board meetings?
• School Board Meeting Agendas are sent to three
  area newspapers, posted on the front door of the
  central office building and at each campus, as
  well as being posted on the WISD web site.
  Persons interested in receiving individual school
  board agenda notices can be requested by
  e-mailing Dottie Busby at dbusby_at_wimberely.txed.n
  et

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Communications Question 4

• Can each Campus post School Board Meetings on
  their marquees?
• Yes, the School Board meetings will be on the
  campus marquees beginning in August.

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Curriculum Question 1

• Is there a policy regarding acceptable movies and
  how much time is consumed with the showing of
  movies?
• WISD has movie procedures in place and will be
  reviewing those procedures with administrators
  during August. Teachers will be provided
  additional guidance on showing movies related to
  instruction.

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Curriculum Question 2

• Why are teachers only using the first 15 minutes
  of block scheduling for teaching or busy work and
  letting the students sleep the rest of the
  period?
• It is not the norm for WISD teachers to teach
  only the first 15 minutes of their class period.
  Principals and Assistant Principals are in and
  out of the teachers classrooms and if there is
  an issue with an individual teacher regarding
  teaching only 15 minutes it is promptly addressed
  by the administrator.

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Curriculum Question 3

• How are GT students identified and served on
  secondary campuses?
• Parents, teachers, counselors, and administrators
  may nominate a student.
• Information on each nominated student will be
  gathered using the following criteria. Students
  must meet three of the following and score 95 on
  the matrix for placement. The selection
  committee will use this data.
• 1. Teacher Inventory
• 2. Parent Inventory
• 3. Standardized Test Scores
• 4. Products or performance
• 5. Creativity and /or intelligence test
• A selection committee will evaluate each
  nominated student according to established
  criteria and will select those students for whom
  gifted and talented program placement is the most
  appropriates educational setting.

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Curriculum Question 4

• Do we differentiate curriculum?
• To differentiate instruction is to recognize
  students varying background knowledge, readiness,
  interests, and to react responsively.
  Differentiated instruction is a process to
  approach teaching and learning for students of
  differing abilities in the same class. WISD
  teacher

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Curriculum Question 5

• Do we benchmark student achievement according to
  the way we differentiate?
• Each campus has developed benchmarks to identify
  levels of student achievement.

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Curriculum Question 6

• Has WISD considered offering a study skills
  course to the curriculum?
• AVID (at the Junior High and High School) and the
  Career Connections course (at the High School)
  both offer study skills in the curriculum.

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Bond Question 1

• What are the dates for Bond Elections?
• Bonds may be called during the uniform election
  days in May or November.

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Bond Question 2

• Is there a form that the community can complete
  on the needs of the school?
• In May, 2007, a community wide survey was mailed
  to each Wimberley registered voter and community
  members were offered the opportunity to comment
  on the needs of the school. In addition, the
  school board will be holding Public Forums
  Quarterly which provides opportunity for public
  comment regarding needs.

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Bond Question 3

• Can parents be given a priority list for items on
  bond issue?
• The district is in the process of developing a
  long range facility plan with OConnell Roberts
  architect firm. The Long Range Plan will identify
  the needs of the districts existing facilities
  through the next 5 to 10 years. Once the needs
  are identified the public will have the
  opportunity to comment on the plan. The School
  Board will review public input as they prioritize
  the needs of the district.

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Policy Question 1

• Is there an Attendance Policy regarding the
  acceptance of Doctors notes? Some schools have a
  3-day limit while HS has no limit. Arent the
  rules the same for all campuses?
• Our attendance policy regarding Personal Illness
  is FEC (Legal) and FEC (Local).
• This a partial statement in the policy
• When a students absence for personal illness
  exceeds five consecutive days, the student shall
  present a statement from a physician or health
  clinic verifying the illness or condition that
  caused the students extended absence from
  school.
• If the student has established a questionable
  pattern of absences, the attendance committee may
  also require a physicians or clinics statement
  of illness after a single days absence as a
  condition of classifying the absence as one for
  which there are extenuating circumstances.
• There is no limit set on the amount of time
  regarding acceptance of the Doctors notes in
  policy. Administrators from each campus will
  meet and discuss a district wide consensus
  regarding this matter in August.

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Policy Question 2

• How does a parent address fraternizing between
  student and a teacher?
• If a parent believes a teacher is fraternizing
  with a student, the parent should address the
  issue with the campus principal immediately.

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Policy Question 3

• What accountability do teachers have in the
  classroom and who holds them to that
  accountability?
• Teachers are accountable for many things in
  regards to students and their classrooms.
  Teaching and monitoring student achievement in
  the required curriculum is a priority. Principals
  are the instructional leaders on the campus and
  hold teachers accountable. Teachers receive
  evaluations on their teaching and teachers not
  meeting the required expectations are put on a
  growth plan. The growth plan identifies areas of
  improvement needed along with an action plan and
  timeline to address each area.

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Policy Question 4

• Why does UIL get so much emphasis while academics
  do not?
• Academics at WISD is a priority for all teachers
  and administrators. There is district and public
  support for both academics and athletics.

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Policy Question 5

• What is WISD doing to educate and reeducate
  teachers regarding sexual harassment and the
  separation of church and State?
• Our teacher handbook is given to teachers each
  year and they validate they have read the
  handbook by signing our validation form. The
  handbook addresses professional ethics and sexual
  harassment annually. I have not had any concerns
  about teachers violating separation of church and
  state. I believe that it is clear with our
  teachers and staff.

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Miscellaneous Question 1

• Why are the grades displayed on the Parent Access
  Grade book not the same as those sent home on
  report cards?
• The grades on the report cards are averaged
  together to get the final grade. The Grade Book
  should have the same grades unless a final grade
  was averaged in and somehow not entered on the
  Grade Book. If there is a question about a
  students grade, please contact the students
  teacher to discuss the disparity.

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Miscellaneous Question 2

• Why do athletic coaches prefer to be addressed as
  Coach when teaching an academic subject?
• Not all teachers who coach prefer to be addressed
  as Coach when teaching an academic subject.

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Miscellaneous Question 3

• Will we utilize block scheduling next year?
• Yes, at the High School.