April 5, 2013 at 4:00 PM - Superintendent's Weekly Update to the Board of Education

Description:  I am recommending the following plan for making up the 2 snow days:

Students last day of school moved from Thursday, May 30 to Friday, May 31.  Teachers check-out on the following Monday, June 3.  Teachers will make up the second snow day as an inservice in August.

This allows students and families to be done in May and not return after the weekend for one day.  Moving one of the teacher days to August will be MUCH more productive for our teachers.  We can use that day to train the MS/HS teachers on the RAMP-UP to Readiness Program.  The elementary teachers will either learn and work on a new local assessment called STAR Math and Reading or do curriculum mapping. 

Description:  Please open the attached document.  Mary wrote an explanation regarding the increase hours for Leticia Klisch, as well as, other position changes within food service and custodial. 

I'm adding this agenda back on to the April board meeting agenda.  Please call Mary or me if additional clarification is needed.

Description:  Brandl Motors delivered a signed contract with $800 to advertise on the ball fields.

Description:  The Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) recently started an online "Knowledge Network" for superintendents to share advice/expertise in various areas each participating member feels comfortable (e.g., construction projects, operating referendums, personnel, etc.).

Dr. Ron Bratlies is the superintendent I contacted for ideas/support.  He worked at the Elk River School District from 2000-2007 and oversaw their school building projects.  He has offered to come do an hour presentation for the Board and me regarding "process."  Experiences are the best lessons in life.  He said he has learned lots of dos and don'ts from leading school building projects.

Dr. Bratlies has presented around the country over 70 times.  Some of his advice are the following:  1) Do not let architects take control, 2) someone needs to represent the district and be out there bargaining, and 3) all change orders had to go through him.

I believe it will be worth an hour of our time to listen to and ask Dr. Bratlies questions.  We can visit about this at the special board meeting on Tuesday.  

Description:  This week I met with Matt Peterson (Contract Manager for NJPA) and their ezIQC Representative Christian Mellon.  The two of them shared a non-traditional process for completing a large- or small scale school building project.  I enclosed just a few of the materials they provided to us.

What makes their process less traditional is they have a data base of over 200,000 items that can happen during a building project.  Once a small- or large scale project is drafted it can easily be priced out using the data base specs (see "Contractor's Price Proposal" in the attachment).

Matt and Christian say we could save 8%-15% using this process over traditional.  The savings are in the following:  1) prevention of change orders, 2) architectural designs, 3) receive dollar for dollar credit back, and 4) their contractors spread out their profits over a series of jobs in hopes of returned work with NJPA clients. 

The Board may want a presentation similar to the one I received.  We are in the infancy, but VERY important, stages of planning.  We need to expose ourselves to options.  

Description:  Project Lead the Way has made a change to the end of course assessments (EoC).  They are now reporting the results on a stanine scale.  St. Cloud State University is now offering university credit for each high school course for students with a stanine score of 4 or higher.  This credit is available for all PLTW Pathway to Engineering and PLTW Biomedical courses.   Minnesota State University, Mankato is offering credit for students completing a sequence of 3 courses, also using a stanine score of 4 or higher.  The stanine score for credit will be determined each year by the Minnesota PLTW Joint Affiliates. The University of Minnesota continues to offer university credit.  Their required score will be posted soon on their website.  For more information, see the Minnesota PLTW website at www.MNPLTW.org or go to http://www.mnpltw.org/parents-students/college-credit/

Description:  Please find attached an email Representative Ron Kresha sent us area superintendents.

Description:  I visited with Darrell Baty regarding the Board's offer of 0&2 salary with the 2 percent beginning from the settlement date.  He said he'll schedule an REM meeting on Monday to consider the offer.  He also said the teachers may come back with a request for the 2 percent to be dated back to November; when the Board voted down the 0&2 salary increase.

Description:  Dale cannot attend the NJPA Student Recognition Banquet on next Wednesday, as earlier planned.  Please contact me if you have interest in attending in his place.  The event location is Grand View Lodge on Gull Lake.  Registration is at 5:00 PM.

Description:  There are no enclosed weekly bills requiring your approval.