Jamestown Schools: A School-Community Partnership
"SCAN," issued by the Superintendent’s Office in conjunction with the School Committee, is designed to inform staff members and interested others of matters discussed and actions taken by the Jamestown School Committee at its most recent meeting. SCAN does not represent meeting minutes.
Executive Session: The committee returned to open session after announcing that no votes were taken and sealing the minutes.
New Business: For Discussion and Possible Action
Family Medical Leave Act Policy: Mr. Whitehouse explained two changes made by the policy subcommittee and recommended that the policy be put on the next agenda for approval.
JESPA Contract Ratification: Ms. Kaiser thanked the JESPA (Jamestown Educational Support Personnel Association) negotiating team for collaborating with the school department to achieve greater efficiencies in the 2009-2011 contract. Major changes include the following:
JESPA agreed to change to the same health plan currently in place for the teachers. The plan’s higher deductibles will result in a savings to the district. The school department agreed to apply the savings to JESPA personnel salaries over two years, increasing teacher assistant salaries by $300 in 2009-10 and $200 in 2010-11; and custodian salaries by $350 in 2009-10 and $250 in 2010-11.
All newly hired employees will contribute 15% of the cost of medical benefits (current custodians pay 5%; teacher assistants pay 15%).
Custodians may be called to work mandatory overtime up to two times per year; previously such overtime was not mandatory.
The school year for JESPA personnel may include up to 20 mandatory hours of professional development, paid at the per diem hourly rate (up to 10 hours for bus monitors and bus assistants).
The school department agreed to increase the education stipend for 20 hours of professional development (exclusive of the mandatory professional development described above) from $100 to $200. In addition, the education stipend for any teacher assistant holding an associates degree will increase from $400 to $450; and from $600 to $700 for teacher assistants holding a bachelors degree.
Workshop Discussion Topics:
NECAP Score Analysis: Principals Melucci and Almanzor reported on the analysis of the two schools’ NECAP scores in science. Fourth grade scores increased 25% over last year’s scores – the highest percentage increase in the state. Eighth grade scores remained stagnant. In analyzing the questions that Jamestown students answered incorrectly, teachers and administration identified GSEs (grade-span expectations) that aren’t addressed in the current curriculum – information that will be used to revise and expand curricular units. The analysis also revealed weaknesses in test-taking strategies as well as in writing about science content.
NASA Appropriation: Mary Keen, representing the Jamestown Education Foundation, and George Zainyeh, of Patrick Kennedy’s office, shared with the committee news of a one-year, $200,000 NASA grant received by JEF to fund SAMS (Science and Math Scholars Program) at the Jamestown Schools. The goal of the program, which will involve the sixth and eighth grades, is to improve student performance and encourage interest in math and science as viable career choices. The sixth grade focus on sustainable living will provide students with the opportunity to conduct classroom research on aquaculture and hydroponics, as well as work “in the field” with scientists at Roger Williams University and the University of Rhode Island on aquaculture; with Schartner Farms on hydroponics; and with Save the Bay on energy efficiency and brownfield redevelopment. The eighth grade will focus on renewable energy, working with URI scientists who are mapping the coastal waters to determine feasible locations for wind farms and with National Grid on energy usage and the resultant carbon footprint. As part of this grant, the school department will benefit from the acquisition of an aquaculture tank, a weather station, a green house, solar panels, and a mobile computer lab. A project manager will be employed to coordinate student “field” work, complete all NASA-required reports, and apply for additional grants to sustain this program beyond the NASA-funded year. Ms. Keen explained that the grant monies will be channeled through the school business office as JEF does not have the capacity to administer these funds. Ms. Kaiser acknowledged the outstanding opportunity this grant affords to Jamestown students but also cautioned the committee about the need to prepare the public for the one-year “spike” in per-pupil costs that will occur as a result of the acceptance of these monies. Mr. Zainyeh pointed out the clear benefit to the town of gaining premium programming funded through outside sources. The school committee thanked Ms. Keen, JEF, Mr. Zainyeh and Patrick Kennedy for their hard work and persistence in procuring the NASA grant.
The next meeting of the Jamestown School Committee will be on November 5. All meetings begin at 7 p.m. in the Lawn School Library.