The New Board

The New Board.  These aren't just my words, but the phrase I have heard many times the last few weeks.  Think about this.  Only three members of a 7 member board have changed.  But the effect they have on the board labels the entirety of the board "new".
I got to witness the "new" board in an action at the recent Board Retreat.  There was more discussion that night than I have ever heard at any meeting.  In fact, the night went so long we had to schedule a part 2 for next monday.
This is something very new and refreshing.  I have always liked my job, but I am about to love it.

The board members are sworn in on Jan 7th.  So we still have a month of business ahead of us.  There's an Education Meeting on Thursday Dec. 6th.  The Retreat part 2 on the 10th, an Action Session on the 11th and a Resource Committee meeting on the 12th.

This will be the first time members take office in January.  I find it quite fitting.  A new year.  A new beginning.  What potentially started out for my family as our best year yet, ended up being one of the hardest.  I am not sad to say good-bye to 2012.  In fact, I will be giving it the bird as it goes out.  Good. riddance.  S

Briefing and Action

Tonight there was a Briefing AND Action Session tonight.  These nights make a long night.  We started the meeting with a great performance put on by the choir from Crispus Attucks.  They had such a great, smooth, blended sound.  I really enjoyed listening to them!

This isn't a very good picture, but I took it with my cell phone.  The boys soccer team from Washington was recognized as well.  Also parent volunteers, I believe from 84, 43, and 109.  I will double check this tomorrow.


On Thursday we will have a board retreat.  I am looking forward to this, our newly elected board members have been invited.  I will update everyone on how that goes.

There was an article int he papare today about the Superintendent being looked at for another job in Georgia.  He did not apply, but his name was mentioned.  I don't know what, if anything, will happen with this, but it does seem someone jumped the gun in Georgia, to make a story more interesting.

We had a Delegate signed up to speak at the meeting, but by the end of the meeting no one was there.  I am curious to find out if they even showed and had to leave, or just didn't show at ll.  It really makes me sad that board members refused to allow our delegates to speak at the beginning of the meetings.    

Anyway, it's been a long night and I am tired.  I am trying to be better at updating info here.  So it may be brief, but hopefully it will be current.

New news

There have been several articles regarding the aftermath of the election results.  Mostly the topics on education have focused on Bennett and Ritz.  But recently there was an article written by Matt Tully that focused on one of the newly elected board members, Sam Odle.
It was an interesting article.  It talks about his enthusiasm and ideas.   There have been other articles that mention Cosby and Hannon as well.  And with them things will change in IPS.  I have no doubt about that.

Let me be quite clear.  I am really looking forward to January 1.  I have talked to all of the new board members and I like what they have to say.

I'm not sure if I have ever really shared why I ran for school board.  I usually say it was because I was a pissed off parent.  I came to meetings and fought the good fight, but I needed that vote.  And though it is partly true, it's not the whole story.  I ran because I saw hope.  I saw three board members that spoke out and asked questions.  I received return emails from those three board members.  I saw there was a fight for change.  And I wanted to be apart of it.  I wanted to be a board member but I made sure I wouldn't be running against one of those three board members.  I didn't file my paperwork until I had confirmed that the At-Large member Michael Cohen wasn't going to run again.  He was one of the three.  I was sad to hear Kelly Bentley wouldn't be running again either.  I wanted to serve on the board with her.  And though I didn't get that chance she has become a great mentor and a dear friend.  I still keep in contact with Cohen as well, he is a good advice giver and supporter.  And of course Diane Arnold who is still a board member, is one of my most cherished friends.  To know Diane is to love Diane.

I would like to think that these three new board members ran for a similar reason.  Because they saw hope.  I would like to think the three of the minority (me, Arnold, and Adair-White) convinced those running that change can happen.  It's just a number game.  For the first time, those numbers can come out right. I am not saying what they have to offer doesn't matter, because it does.  When I came on the board I was put in a holding pattern, told that my time would come.  But come Jan. 1 we all need to hit the floor running.  All of us.  There's no time to make them wait to pay their dues.

One thing in the article really hit me regarding Sam Odle, " And he doesn't care where the ideas come from, or who gets the credit."  That is so true.  There's going to be a lot of successes and some trial and errors.  And no time to point fingers or gather praise.  And no doubt change will happen, I just hope that people will understand the ripple effect.  The reality is that passion has been alive on this board for years.  It's just been held back by a majority. Change will be visible now.  But it started some time ago.

Election Results

The results are coming in.  And I like what they are saying.  Change.

I have called all three candidates and wished the congrats.  But I have to point out that in my district I was very impressed with the race.  I thought they all did a good job and represented this neighborhood very well.  Caitlin Hannon won for my district, District 1.  I look forward to working with Sam Odle, At Large.  And I am really pleased that Gayle Cosby has won the seat for District 2.  Beating an incumbent by that large of a margin speaks volumes to what the voters want.


So what do the results mean to me?  The first thing on my mind is harmony.  I suddenly feel at peace.  I like the idea of sitting in a room with people that can stand one another.  I am not pointing fingers right now.  Whatever the reason we got to this point, we got to this point.  And it's just the truth.


There's lots of talk of what is going to change and how it will happen.

Things I would love to see of IPS in the next few years.....kind of like a wish list.....


1) My personal goal of removing flavored milks from the school menu, along with most the colored dyes in the food.

2) Putting instruments in the hands of all children by 3rd grade.

3) Saying goodbye to 120 Walnut as it stands today.

4) Putting power into the hands of the principals to hire their own staff.

5) Taking Board Meetings into our neighborhoods.

6) Starting the money at the school level.

7) Letting members of the public have the availability to speak at our meetings by signing up at that moment.

8) Having a separate Board Attorney to negotiate for us and advise us.



I look forward to what the future holds.  I welcome all the new members of the IPS School Board.  I look forward to hearing their ideas and working together to create the best IPS for our students and this city.  I really think this is the beginning of a lot of hard work, that can and will pay off.

The right things, the wrong way.

That statement reads true to last nights meeting for sure.

This is the first agenda item I voted against:

5.06 Indianapolis Public Schools Early Childhood Education Program
I Recommended Action I recommend that the Board of School Commissioners accept the proposal to implement a Preschool and Early Childhood Development Education Program in the Indianapolis Public Schools District. Funding will be provided primarily through Title I, Title IIA, and Special Education funds.

Here's the problem. That agenda item is to the tune of about 7.5 million dollars. A year. And where is that money coming from? No, seriously, WHERE THE HELL IS THAT MONEY COMING FROM????? The agenda item says, TBD. That's right folks. The Board was given this info 24 hours before the vote.

Let's put this out there in simple terms. On Monday - here's a plan, there's some gaps, it's millions of dollars, just started the planning process a few weeks back, can't tell you exactly where the money is coming from - a little here, more there. We need you to vote on this. Tomorrow.

I first made the motion to postpone the vote until we bring this item to the Education Committee,like it should have been done. THat motion failed by a vote of 4 to 3.


During the discussion something very ugly happened. The Superintendent accused a board member of having a conflict of interest in this situation and even suggested they not vote. This board member has operated a center with a preschool for most of her life. She is a wealth of information on the subject. And she was ridiculed in public. Why in the world would a board (as a whole) allow the Superintendent to speak to a board member like this. Anyway, the motion passed with three board member opposed.

Please don't be confused by the vote and our lack of concern for preschool. I believe in preschool. 100%. THis is something we desperately need. But this isn't the way to do it. We can not continue to shut out the communities that surround our schools.
I also find it interesting that the three board member opposing both these items are only three of the four guaranteed board members come January. Two of the board members leaving, and the one in a competitive race all voted to spend your 8 million plus dollars.


The second agenda item I voted against:

6.02 Resolution No. 3080-12: Contract Award for the Forum Auditorium/Planetarium Relocation at IPS Arsenal Technical High School - Stuart Hall

I recommend approval of Resolution No. 3080-12 - awarding the contract for the Forum Auditorium/Planetarium relocation at IPS Arsenal Technical High School - Stuart Hall to Glenroy Construction Co., Inc. in the amount of $654,000.00.

There are several reasons I voted against this. I blogged about it before. But the main reason is due to a good Samaritan who came out of nowhere. Or Illinois. Jim Sweitzer spoke at the meeting and shared with the board some valuable information regarding the problems with the proposed plan. He is what one might call a planetarium guru. Apparently it's a small circle and he is well respected. And he has nothing to gain or lose when it comes to just being honest. The main concern in the immersion.
This plan would leave the auditorium in an awkward postion of not being able to be used for community purposes as it was. But worse, moving a dome that won't make a very good planatrium. You know why planetariums are in small round rooms? Because that is they way they work. If the dome sits too high off the floor, you don't feel like you are in space. And that is the point.

The Superintendent seemed to listen to Mr. Sweitzer, they even got his information to contact him later. The Super said he would take a closer look, these concerns were valid, and wouldn't make any decision that wasn't the right one. I assumed we would pull it off the agenda until that research was completed, but no. The promise was made that there would we would explore it all. But I still voted no. And so did 2 other board members. I guess the good news is that there will be some thought to all of this.

I suppose that is all for now. The next meeting will be an Educational Committee Meeting on November 1 at 5:30pm.

In the mean time, please be an informed voter.

Where are the parents?

As we get further into the IPS School Board race it's expected to have the same conversations over the same concerns.

But first, I have to say, I am pretty envious. I loved campaigning. I loved meeting people and speaking at forums. I loved going to neighborhood groups. But these candidates have so much more work to do. There are MANY, MANY more forums. There are more endorsements. When I ran, you could get only a hand full. I received none. I had people endorsements, not groups. But more than anything they share the ballot with the president. That is pretty awesome.

One thing I hear is "parent involvement". Everyone is trying to solve this problem of how to get parents involved. And I simply don't understand.

When I went to elementary school my parents met my teachers at parents in touch night. My mother never volunteered in the classroom. No mother did, or father. I remember a few parents going on field trips. That's it.
WHy are we suddenly convinced that failure is based on parents not being involved? I believe the problem lies with the home life, not parents in the school. Do I think it has it's benefits? Absolutely.
I see schools bending over backwards to get parents at functions. Offer transportation, food, babysitting. And I think that's great. I really do.

However, here is my point. If we can't get parents involved - then we need to learn to succeed without it.

Spacey Decisions

On Tuesday October 23 we will be voting on the decision to move the Broad Ripple Planetarium to Tech.

I will be voting against this plan for several reasons.


1) I don't trust how this agenda item got snuck into the agenda for approval.

2) I don't like how we treat our families. We insist that parental support is needed to success. However, when the parents want a voice in what happens at their school and in their community we look at them like a pain in the ass. THis community has been ignored and therefore many of the children in the area do not attend BRHS. They leave IPS altogether.

3) This is a lot of money. I have yet to be given the amount we have available in the Capital Funds.

4) Most importantly. After a small amount of research I have spoken to several professionals in planetariums and have serious concerns with this plan.

5) There is no plan for the empty space being left at BR. There is however a promise
that they will have something built for them. In three years. Who is going to keep this promise three years from now? There is a possibility that NO ONE on that board will be there in three years. Considering the Superintendent was job hunting not that long ago, he may not be there either. To me, it's an empty promise.



I am not against Tech getting a planetarium of their own. But we just shouldn't be building it based on one teacher. We should make it a goal, make a plan, then work to get that. Not decided on a whim. It just doesn't make any sense.

66 Days

January 1 is 66 days away. One moment that feels like hope is right around the corner. It will be here before we know it!

However, there are other moments. Like the one last night. Where 66 days feels like a lifetime. Like an exciting vacation that will never get here. (Considering I had that moment this summer, I am convinced something will happen and the election will be postponed)
I. can't. wait.



Next week we have a Legislative Meeting on Monday. THere is the IPS School board Candidate Forum on Tuesday. Here's the details:

Tuesday, October 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

at the Martin University Gathertorium, 2171 Avondale Place (W of 22nd & Sherman)

ALL IPS candidates are invited to this important event.

IPS parents, students and community members are invited to ask the questions. Spanish-language translation available

Election Day Is November 6, 2012.

Your IPS candidates are:

At-Large: Sam Odle & Larry Vaughn

Dist. 1: Caitlin Hannon, James Nixon & Larry Whiteman

Dist. 2: Gayle Cosby, Sharon Dunson,

Alvin Esper & Elizabeth Gore

Dist. 4: Diane Arnold

For more information or to volunteer, contact: Delana Ivey (916-8555, parentpower@ymail.com) or Josefa Beyer (253-1347, josefa_beyer@sbcglobal.net)


On Wednesday I am meeting with other staff and board members regarding preschool options.

Thursday brings the Hall of Fame lunch and an Educational Meeting that night.

Fairly busy week ahead.


The Resource Committee is still meeting on October 9th. The main focus of this meeting will be on the Planetarium move from Broad Ripple to Tech. I have some major concerns regarding this move. Hopefully we will have our questions answered at the meeting. If you are concerned about this please come. If you have questions, send them to us, as a board, or me. I will make sure I ask them.

Enjoy your weekend.

This week

Tomorrow, Monday Sept. 24th we will have our Delegation Session. Three people have signed up to speak.
Tuesday will be the Action Session starting at 7pm in the Board Room.
And on Thursday we will meet in an Executive Session to discuss legal matters.

Also, mark your calendars.....


IPS School Board
Candidate Forum

Tuesday, October 2, 6 to 7:30 p.m.
at Martin University
2171 Avondale Place (west of 22nd & Sherman)


ALL IPS candidates are invited to this important event.
IPS parents, students and community members
are invited to ASK the questions that matter most to them.
Spanish-language translation and headsets will be available.
Election Day Is November 6, 2012.

Rock the Ripple

It's been fairly quiet on the board front here lately. To tell you the truth, it makes me a little nervous.
Personally, I am grateful for the slow down, I really feel as if I am just getting back on track. I still have a great void in my life, and I am always reminded of this void during the meetings, when I know my biggest supporter is no longer watching.

We held an Educational meeting on Sept. 6th, Resource on the 11th, and the Briefing on Sept. 18th.
Next week the Delegation Session will be on the 24th, which is Monday. This meeting will only be held if someone signs up.
Tuesday the 25th is the Action Session at 7pm.

I was happy to see a school board candidate at the meeting on Tuesday. It is a very exciting time and I am happy with the interest in school board. I really hope this can happen in a very clean, honest way.
The conversation has come up a few times about my endorsing a candidate. I have thought about this quite a bit. I have decided that I am going to stay out of it. The potential damage that could be done is not worth it. I will say, if someone calls me and asks my opinion, I will give it.

There were some questionable items on the agenda last night. This was one of them...


***SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION

I recommend approval of Resolution No. 3080-12 - awarding the contract for the Forum Auditorium/Planetarium relocation at IPS Arsenal Technical High School - Stuart Hall to Glenroy Construction Co., Inc. in the amount of $654,000.00.


I had no idea what this meant. So I asked. To be honest, I didn't know we even had this facility at Broad Ripple. So I asked and asked questions. What I found out troubled me. No one really knew about this. No one in the BR community or school or Alumni. I requested that we notify them, and that request was listened to. I was told it would be taken care of asap.

This could be the best move for IPS. Yet, I firmly believe in involving the community. I hope this ends well.

As always, there are good things happening as well. I hope to have more information on possible preschool options next month!

Again, I will promise to be a better blogger. However, my list of promises are growing everyday and I simply need to stop making them. I promise to do my best everyday.

Tomorrow I head to an IB meeting that I was invited to, along with other board members. Then I am off to volunteer (as a parent), and then to another meeting.

In case you haven't heard

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120824/NEWS04/208240355/10-candidates-vying-4-seats-IPS-Board



The deadline for filing for IPS school board was Friday August 24th at noon. I am a little surprised at the conclusion of it all.

District 1- I knew Caitlin, Larry, and James were running, and I didn't expect any new candidates.

District 2- Knew about Gayle, Sharon, and Elizabeth, but Alvin was a surprise.

District 4 - So happy and relieved for Diane that she is the only candidate in this district. She is an amazing board member. So looking forward to another two years (at least) with her!

At large- This is the biggest shock. There two candidates. Dare I say only two? Nothing against Larry or Sam. I am just shocked that only two people district wide thought about running. When I ran, there were 7 of us.

When I ran for school board, even though there were 7 of us, we ran a good clean race. We never ran a campaign by bringing someone else down. We fought for the spot that we wanted by making our case, our argument. We became friendly with one another, a few I would consider friends. Offered advice. I hope that this campaign can be just as clean.

We knew that Mary Busch was not going to run again. And we found out Friday morning about this....

http://blogs.indystar.com/education/2012/08/24/2nd-eugene-white-ally-decides-not-to-run-for-school-board/

Marianna decided not to run again as well. I didn't expect her to, but I wasn't for certain, apparently she wasn't either.

I was a little taken aback by her words, "I need a break from the blitz of negativity from entities outside of IPS, and a concurrent break from the negativity from inside the board." We certainly see things very differently.

I am glad time is moving forward. I am glad we know who the candidates are now, and the time to learn about them is upon us. I encourage everyone to do their research, find the best candidate, and get out to vote. I encourage the candidates to keep it clean, if if someone else doesn't.

I still haven't (totally) decided who I am supporting or how to go about it. If I support candidate X and candidate Y wins then I have potentially damaged a relationship before it even begins. I would hope that those feelings could be set aside. But is it worth the risk? I haven't decided that yet.

Top of the Morning, Top of the Class!

So, without anyone's permission, I and two other board members visited Gambold Preparatory HS today. And we were blown away. Seriously. I know that are a lot of ticked off people and some just concerned people regarding the location of this school. But let's face it. These are our kids. I would drive twice as far if I had to. But actually, it only took me about 20 minutes to get there today.

The school is meant to fill the need for our CFI, Sidener, and Montessori students entering H.S. Many of these kids have left the district to attend Herron, North Central, private, or they simply move. So the idea of meeting their needs came up at a retreat a few years ago. The building happened to be available and recently renovated.

I will go ahead and share my opinion and feel of this school, but if you are a parent of a potential student and you don't get in there yourself, you are missing the opportunity to make an informed decision on your child's best options. Every school is not for every child, but make sure you know all your choices.

First of all, I called the school as I left my house to give them a heads up that we were dropping by. I was welcomed over the phone and we felt that welcome again when we entered the building. We strolled the halls, looked at the walls, and met a few staff members. Then we ran into the principal, Mr. O'Day. He's a wee bit Irish with a genuine smile and a handshake that might just hurt a little. The staff was dressed in a very professional manner, and today was a special day and all the men had matching bright blue ties and the women lovely orange scarves. It was obvious within minutes that this school had become a team in just 5 days. Mr. O'Day was kind enough to show us around and answer any questions.

There are so many things I loved about this school and though I want to share them with you, please know that I am no substitute for the passionate teachers and staff that have created these brilliant ideas.

I love the sports options. I never even asked about the traditional sports because I was too intrigued with croquet, cricket, rowing, and possibly sailing. Yep. Pretty awesome.

I also love the schedule. THey have a 45 minute lunch. This will allow time for special programs and presentations, or time to form study groups. I also loved the no fast food pact. No fast food in the building. Not students. Not staff.

I did have a moment of concern. As we were leaving the library (which feels so cozy and airy) I saw a bulletin board with "BANNED BOOKS" across the top. I got a lump in my throat. There, on the board, were titles of book and the reasons they were banned. I wasn't going to fight for the titles of Twilight or The Hunger Games. I mean, I love the books, but you may be the same person if you never read them. But when I saw To Kill A Mockingbird, and Catcher in the Rye.....well, I decided I had to say something. I politely told Mr. O'Day that I needed to pick a fight with him. I asked if he banned these books. He told me these books are the top banned books because of material that deals with racism, language, sex, and so on. He said they have been put in jail. After a close look I saw the book titles did look like they had lines dran over them like a jail cell. Then he said that the students could release them from jail simply by reading them. He is challenging these kids. Challenging to decide for themselves. And to teach them that there are times to question what everyone else is saying is wrong. From that moment on, I was sold.

We enjoyed talking with the staff (staff that was hand picked by Mr. O'Day). I loved seeing their excitement regarding the school. I can not wait to visit again in a couple months and see the progress and talk to the students.

I wish all principals had the authority to choose their staff and be able to search country wide for the best of the best.

Anyway, thank you to the warm welcome we received and the time Mr. O'Day and his staff took to chat with us. It was a wonderful experience.

Budget

Tonight the Board voted to advertise the budget. You can find the info here:



http://www.budget.ips.k12.in.us/index.php?id=12106


Tomorrow I am heading to Gambold, where the new IPS HS program is located. I am actually meeting a few other board members there as well, we are just interested in looking at the school, a quick tour, and just an overall visit. I am looking forward to it.

We have a full week next week. A private hearing, a resource meeting on Tuesday,policy meeting on Wednesday, and a Design Overview meeting on Thursday.

The budget will be voted on on August 20th. The last two years I voted against the budget. The first year I did so because of the way the process was handled. Last year I did so because of the amount of poor choices I have seen IPS make on where to spend money.
To be honest, this year I have not read the budget. The last two years I have read the budget in its entirety. This year, I have been so busy and overwhelmed with the issues here at home. But I will read it before the vote.

I hope everyone is having a good start to the year. And though I know staff has been told not to speak to board members, I do enjoy hearing from people. And I hope anyone who needs to, feels comfortable contacting me.

Back to work

After two and a half weeks away, I am returning to work tomorrow. I can't say that I am looking forward to it or that I am ready. Because I am neither.

Just to update everyone, my father-n-law died in a very bad car accident. He was in Ohio at the time. We have made several trips back and forth since the accident taking care of things. My husband and I have also planned the service, with the help of friends and family. It's been exhausting on many, many levels.
What many did not know, is that his sister, my husbands aunt, was in the car with him. After being in a coma for two weeks, her children made the difficult but selfless decision to let her go. We lost her on Thursday.

This has been the most awful time, and I appreciate the kind words that I have received. It has meant a lot. I know that I need to return to work tomorrow full force, as it is also the first day of school. And I promise I will do my best, but I am very scared of how it will go.

Tomorrow, August 6th, there will be a Legislative Committee meeting at 5:30. And on Tuesday there will be a meeting to approve advertising the Budget. I am unsure of the time for that meeting.

I am eager to get back into the groove of life and work. I am looking forward to visiting schools again. I hope for a good year for everyone. Be safe, look for school children, drive slow.

First Day of School....

A Great Loss

A wanted to share with everyone an update in my life.

My family has suffered a very sad and tragic loss. My Father-n-law, Doug Roof, was in a car accident on Thursday and he did not survive.
I decided to blog about this loss because to me, he was so relevant to IPS and the IPS School Board.

Years ago Doug ran for the IPS Board, he lost to Stephen Hyatt. And at another time he interviewed to fill an empty seat between elections, and at that time Marianna Zaphiriou was chosen.

He was also my biggest supporter. I spent many, many hours and nights around the kitchen table talking to him about my goal of winning a seat. You see, we have shared a home with Doug for the last 6 years. He was a member of our immediate family. Doug was the first person to pull out his checkbook and donate to my campaign. He also worked for 10 hours the day of the election handing out my flyer. He did all this from his wheelchair.

Doug would watch every meeting. Seriously, every meeting. He would usually be waiting for me at the kitchen table to talk about what had happened, who said what, and so on.

During this difficult time I will not be blogging, attending meetings, or answering emails. I hope you all understand. There is so much to do in so little time.

Please keep us in your thoughts as we go forward with our lives.

Quick Update

Just a quick IPS update. So, last month IPS approved the contract for Voyager. Today we need to approve it again. I haven't quite figured out why, except we were given bum info the first time around. Now we are voting to use the Job Funds (first I have heard of it). This money could be used for teachers or nurses! Dr. WHite wants to use 4.5 million dollares of this grant to pay for this contract. We vote tonight.

Quiet July

July is a fairly quiet month for the IPS board. During this month we do not hold committee meetings. We still have other meetings. Two this week. One is the Budget Work Session and the other was an Executive Session.

We will still have a Briefing Session on July 17th. An Action Session on the 24th, and a Delegation Session on the 23rd (if anyone signs up).

July for me personally, is not quiet. I love, I mean LOVE my summers with my kiddos. This heat has put a damper on some of our plans, but we are out there doing something everyday.

As a parent and a board member I think I have a look into some of the struggles of our parents. And I have to say, I am pretty lucky. However, I still have to go out and spend a few hours in a dressing room trying on uniforms. This year I have three kids. It's not a pretty sight. My youngest is so tiny I can barely find school uniforms in toddler size, and my oldest, well, she wants to wear them a little small.
I have to go to Walmart or Target on load up on supplies. I have yet to do this, but backpacks and lunch boxes are bought and ready.
I hope everyone is having a great summer. I love the fact that I can stay home with the kids and enjoy this time with them. I know not everyone can.

School starts on August 6th and that is fast approaching.


On another note, I was chosen to chair a committee this year. I will be heading the Educational committee.


Also, you may have read in the Indy Star that one of our long time board members has decided to not run this year. I wish this person the best, but I have no reservations in saying that I look forward to the possible changes this retirement could bring.


Enjoy your summer.

Musical Chairs

And the winners are....


IPS Board President is Michael Brown

Vice President is Marainna Zaphiriou

Secretary is Elizabeth Gore.

Wow. Congrats.


IF these decisions were made with the motto "Children First", then that list would look different. On Jan. 1st there is the potential for new board members. Up to 4 new board members.
Here's what that could look like.

Mike Brown - 14 yrs experience, numerous postions as president and other committee chairs

Annie Roof - 2 1/2 yrs experience, never a chairperson, never even led a committee.

Samantha Adir White- 2 1/2 yrs experinece, never a chairperson, never even led a committee.

New person #1

New person #2

New person #3

New Person #4


So, someone else is going to HAVE to step up and lead with no experience under their belt. WHY? WHy would this be the right decision?

I said it tonight, and I will say it again. THese seats have been hijacked, and anyone who opposes the Superintendent will not be allowed to sit in them. We were all elected and chosen by the people, why are only 4 members in charge?

Well, it's over and done with. Only six months until the next round of musical chairs.

I am Sheila

I am Sheila. Let me explain why. When we (Sam, Diane, and I)were in Boston at the NSBA conference we all ended up at the same class at one point. This session focused on issues among board members. Given the state of our board we all apparently felt compelled to be there.

In the session the lecturer gave several scenarios that might cause board drama, and then we discussed handling that situation. One situation was with a board member named Sheila. SHeila stayed quiet in the meetings, never spoke up, but instead went home and blogged about it all. THe other board members were very upset with her blog and it caused friction on the board.

I have received a LOT of grief over this blog. I have been asked to take it down. I have been told I could have more say, if I didn't blog. However I find myself different from Sheila because I do speak my mind at meetings. I do share my thoughts and concerns. That got me nowhere, so I started blogging.

So in the class I raised my hand and asked, "What if Sheila also shares her thoughts in the meetings yet still chooses to blog at home?"
Needless to say there was a small uproar. This group felt that it was completely wrong to blog. I pushed back and asked why? We are elected public officials shouldn't we be encouraged to share everything that we can? And then someone in the room yells to me and says, "Oh my gosh, you're Sheila!"
I proudly turned and faced the entire room (I happened to be in the front row so the effect was great) and I shouted back "Yes I am, I am Sheila"
Needless to say at that moment I was happy to have Diane and Sam with me, because the crowd was a little scary.


After the session two people came up to me and told me they believed I was doing the right thing. One, was another younger women in her early thrities.

And the other was this guy -

He went against all my stereotypes that I had regarding the middle aged white man. He talked about how he too saw the fear of change. But he knows we have to go about things differently. We had a great discussion on the obstacles we face and the challenges ahead. ANd the courage to stand alone.
I hesitated sharing this story because I didn't want it to be used against me that this entire room thought blogging was wrong. THen I decided that it may not always be easy, and not everyone will agree, but I believe in what I am doing.



We just so happened to run into our friend later on at Cheers. He recognized the trio right away and of course me, Sheila.

The Mighty Gavel

On Monday the IPS School Board will be voting for our President, Vice-President, and Secretary. If you are new to the blog you can read what happened last year here:

http://annie-boardblog.blogspot.com/2011/07/broken-board.html

Not much has changed this year. We have not had one conversation as a group on this important decision. I think that is what bothers me the most. This board has a hard time of getting together and discussing these kind of things.

I still want to hopt that there can be changes, that someone new can be given the opportunity to lead. But in reality I don't see it happening.


I will keep everyone posted on how it all turns out.These seats will hold until the first of January when we vote again, and then we will continue the change in January.

Food Services Tour

A few months ago a group of moms started talking about the IPS lunches. They had some questions regarding the food itself, but also the way the lunch is served and the conditions of the lunch room.

On June 21st a few of us met at the IPS Food Services Center for a tour.


Here we all are. Pictures are parents from CFI 2, 84, and 27 and Jane Cookson, Director of Foodservice.

We all met at 8:30 am. The food service center was easy enough to find, but not as easy to get in to. One mom referred to it as Fort Knox. A few of us downed our remaining coffee in the parking lot before heading in. Again, we had to be buzzed in.

We were greeted right away by Jane and Steven Gudorf, Foodservice Project Manager.
The tour started with a powerpoint giving loads of information on how foodservices is managed. Because IPS receives the Federal Funds for 90% of the meals, IPS is held by very strict guidelines by the USDA. They gave us information calorie count by grad level, fruit and vegetable components, cost factors, ordering procedures,meat and grain components, and much more. Enough guidelines and restriction to give you a headache.

I think the group was pleasantly surprised at the health quality of the food. The whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat dressings, NO FRIED FOODS!
One concern that did come up was the SPORK.




It is almost impossible to eat crisp lettuce in a salad with a spork. However to replace the spork with a fork / spoon combo it costs and additional 3 cents. Let's do the math. Roughly 26,000 eat lunch a day (not including breakfast). That's $780.00 a day. Times 180 days of school = $140,400 a year. Jane said she would rather that money be put into the food that is eaten. And I agree with her, but the spork is simply awful.

Next on the tour was a chilly walk through food services. Being summer the center is preparing about 3,000 lunches. If you don't know IPS has certain school all over the district that prepare breakfast and lunch at no cost to anyone under the age of 18. THis is still funded by the federal government, but controlled by IPS.

To take the tour we had to pull back our hair in a net and wear the gowns. We then walked through some foam spray that cleaned our shoes, and maybe a little of our pants.
I wish I would have thought to take pictures once we were back there. It was very clean, efficient, organized, and cold. THe entire area is kept around 40 degrees. Except the freezer which is 12 below. We didn't stay there too long at all.
On the menu that day was chicken salad and fresh strawberries. These strawberries looked beautiful.

All in all it was a great tour. THere are still concerns and improvements to be made, but a lot of these are at the school level. One main concern being the amount of time children have to eat. How they are treated while they are eating, and the limitations of talking. I still stand my ground on the milk.

Jane and Steve did an amazing job with the tour. THey answered all our questions and were extremely knowledgeable. I really appreciate the fact that they took timeout of their day to do this for us. As a board ember, I am glad I have this knowledge. As a mom I am happy to be apart of this group. THank you to al who showed up and Julie who organized.

Retreating on the retreat

Right now the IPS school board is having a retreat. I am sitting at home. Why?

I did go down to the Ed Center, a few minutes early to make copies of something I was presenting today. My husband was covering the home front and all the kiddo schedules. Last retreat we "tried" to talk about the difficulties those of us with kids at home have making it to an all day Saturday retreat. One of us was always coming late or leaving early or leaving in the middle and coming back. But somehow we just ended up shifting the time of the Saturdays, which really didn't help any of us. Apparent because I was the only one of the three of us there.


I mentioned that we recently held an Executive session on the board evaluation of the Superintendent. A few days ago I called the Board secretary to ask the outcome of the tallies. I was instructed to contact the board president. So I did. She told me that information would be in our Friday packets. I was frustrated that I had to wait but accepted it. Yesterday I received an email saying there would be no Friday Packet delivery, we would get our packets at the retreat.
Today, my packet held no information on the Evaluation. I asked the President, she said I will get it on Monday.
Our Board President seems to have more power than the bylaws state. That position should not be privy to information the other members do not have.

As I sat there waiting for the meeting to begin, I became more and more upset. I am so tired (really, mentally exhausted) of being treated like I don't matter and that it is ok for information to be kept from me. I thought about my kids at home and my husband, and all the running around they will have to do today. I thought about all the moments in their life I have given up to put the board first, only to be outcasted from decision making.

So I left.

I am not proud of it, and I regret that I will miss out on valuable information. However, my heart could not take the treatment for another minute.

Got Milk?

One thing you many not know about me is my interest in good, healthy foods. After watching a few documentaries on food (Food Inc., King Corn) my outlook on what we eat has changed. it is not where it should be or where I desire it to be, but it is changing.
We no longer buy meat from our regular supermarket. Instead we buy from local farmers. We can do this through local Farmer's Markets, Green Bean delivery, or Pogues Run grocery. We do this to ensure our meat is not full of corn, hormones, and to ensure humane treatment of animals.
Since becoming a board member I have felt like a hypocrite when it comes to school lunch. I pack lunch for my children. If they forget, I usually drive to school so they don't have to eat school lunch.
*This is no way an insult to our food service department.
I just want my kids to have fresh fruits, veggies, and meat with a trail I can follow.
One thing that is very important to me is sugar intake. My kids have their share of sweets. Mostly because I want my share (and yours) of sweets. But my kids also have a lot of exercise and none are overweight. I have proposed on a few occasions to the school board to reduce the flavored milk options. This has been met with mixed feelings. Last month we brought in a pediatrician who serves many IPS students. Below I will share the minutes from that meeting. IPS also presented information from the food service department.


Dr. Johnson introduced William J. Fisher, MD and Brooke Barada, PNP who gave a presentation on Childhood Obesity and how it relates to Public Schools.

Ms. Barada gave the current obesity statistics:

Childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years
34% of American children are obese
60% are overweight
Overweight children cost 14.1 billion dollars yearly in

healthcare expenditures

Risks of Adult Obesity:

14% chance if obese as infant
25% chance if obese in preschool age
41% chance if obese at age 7
75% chance if obese at age 12
90% chance if obese as teenager

(Citations for these statics can be found in Pediatrics in Review,

Obesity Prevention and Treatment, volume 32, number 9,

September 2011)

Dr. Fischer explained;

The reasons for choosing milk:

Studies show that substituting for sugary drinks leads to weigh

loss and does not result in compensating for lost sugar calories

with other foods

It is everywhere – kids drink 16-24 ounces of milk per day
Studies show consuming sweetened drinks results in the desire

to consume more sugar

Statistics on IPS chocolate milk vs. skim milk:

IPS chocolate milk = 160 calories
Skim milk = 80 (some 90)
If a child makes one switch a day that saves them 80 calories x 5

Days = 400 calories a week, x 4 weeks = 1600 calories a month

3500 calories make a pound of weight loss

In 9 weeks kids could either gain a pound of sugar weight or not
Bottom line – we can easily spare kids four pounds of sugar weight

Gain per year with one simple change (not including breakfast issues)



The Body Mass Index:

BMI is a math equation involving height to weight ratios plotted against

an individual’s sex and age

BMI is used to predict future health problems, the higher the number the

more likely you are to have diabetes, heart disease, etc.

Pediatric BMI charts for children are from the Centers for Disease Control

and the World Health Organization

BMI of > 85% is overweight, > 9a5% is obese



Why Do We Want to Lower BMI:

10% decrease lowers blood pressure by 10
HDL (good cholesterol) increases by 10%
Triglycerides lower to goal of less than 100



What Medical Problems do Obese Children get to Look Forward to:

3 x more hypertension
3 x more diabetes
Early coronary artery disease
2 x more cholesterol problems
Sleep apnea
Worsening of their asthma
Depression, low self-esteem
Shortened life spans

Dr. Fischer said he has heard “if we don’t offer flavored milk the kids will not drink milk!” He said kids cannot make health choices for themselves, a six year old offered chocolate will take it. He said our jobs as adults, with the privilege of safe guarding kids, is to protect them and keep them healthy. He said if kids are offered only skim milk or water, almost all kids will pick skim milk after a few weeks.

Dr. Fischer said now is the time for change because obesity and diabetes have overtaken smoking as leading risk for death in the US and Indiana ranks 46/50 of most obese state in the US. He said this is an opportunity to be in front of an inevitable wave of change, and an opportunity for IPS to have good press which is something that is not always easy to come by.

Commissioner Arnold asked if the calcium amount is the same in skim milk as it is in vitamin D. Dr. Fischer said it is the same.

Commissioner Roof asked Dr. Fischer how many of his patients are IPS students and how many of them are over weight are. Dr. Fischer said that 30% of his patients are IPS students and 60-70% of them are over weight.

The Board and Dr. White thanked Dr. Fischer and his assistant Ms. Barada for their presentation.

Ms. Jane Cookson, IPS Foodservice Director, and Mr. Steve Gudorf gave an overview of Foodservice requirements;

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: Breakfast and Lunch Requirements

for the NSLP and SBP:

Consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Establish minimum/maximum calorie levels by grade range
Require a reduction in sodium over the next 10 years
Require <10% of total calories be from saturated fat Mandate zero grams trans fat per serving Caloric and Sodium Requirements: Caloric Ranges K-5 Breakfast 350-500 Lunch 550-650 6-8 Breakfast 400-550 Lunch 600-700 9-12 Breakfast 450-600 Lunch 750-850 Sodium Requirements Incremental Decreases School Year 2014-15 School Year 2017-18 School Year 2022-23 Implementation Deadlines: Lunch – July 1, 2012 Breakfast – July 1, 2013 Meat/Meat Alternate Component: Current K-12 1.5-2 oz daily minimum New K-5 1 oz. daily and 8-10 ounces weekly 6-8 1 oz. daily and 9-10 ounces weekly 9-12 2 oz daily and 10-12 ounces weekly Grain Component: Current Whole grains encouraged but no requirements for whole grains K-12 Minimum of 1 oz. serving daily and 8 servings weekly. No maximum Number of servings New July 2012 – 50% must be whole grain July 2013 – 100% must be whole grain K-5 1 oz. daily and 8-10 oz. weekly 6-8 1 oz daily and 9-10 oz. weekly 9-12 1 oz. daily and 10-12 oz. weekly Milk Component Current 8 oz offered daily Must offer more than one level of fat content. New 8 oz offered daily All flavored milk must be fat free. Only fat free and 1% low fat milk allowed. New K-5 ½ cup fruit & ¾ cup veg per day 6-8 ½ cup fruit & ¾ cup veg per day 9-12 1 cup fruit & 1 cup veg per day IPS will offer ½ cup servings of fruits and vegetables Fruit and Vegetable Components Current A total of ¾ cup of fruits & vegetables per day. IPS currently offering two 3/8 cup servings Fruits Canned packed in light syrup or juice Frozen without added sugar Fresh Fruit juice must be 100% strength No more than half of the fruit or vegetable offerings may be in the form of juice Vegetables Weekly requirements for Dark green (broccoli, romaine, spinach) Red/orange (tomatoes, carrots, sweet potatoes) Starchy (potatoes, corn, peas) Beans/Legumes (baked beans, black beans) Other (cucumbers, green beans, iceberg lettuce, etc) Offer vs. Serve Provision - Lunch Allows students to decline food they do not intend to eat. Current Must select three components May select four or five components New Must select three components; one must be a fruit or vegetable

K-12

May select four or five components

K-8

May select 2 vegetable servings

9-12

May select 2 vegetable and 2 fruit servings






Additional HHFKA Provisions

State Agency compliance monitoring will be conducted every 3 years
Water must be available for any student requesting it (effective July 2011)
An additional $ .06 will be added to the lunch reimbursement after all regulations are implemented and verified by the state agency
Paid meal equity guidance
Indirect cost guidance

Breakfast

Effective July 2013
Must offer ½ cup canned or fresh fruit or vegetable in addition to 4 oz. juice.

Students may select both.

Meat/meat alternate can only be served after the minimum daily requirement of grain is met.

2011-12 Reimbursement Rates

Breakfast
Paid $ .27
Reduced $1.50
Free $1.80
Lunch
Paid $ .28
Reduced $2.39
Free $2.79
Commodity Entitlement $.2225/lunch



Mr. Gudorf, IPS Foodservice Project Manager, shared the following information about the IPS Foodservice Department:

IPS Foodservice Department Mission Statement

To provide students with nutritious meals they will enjoy and at the lowest possible cost to students, parents, and taxpayers.

Centralized, enterprise organization
Self supporting since 1984
18 million dollar operating budget
43% Labor
40% Food
12% Operating Expenses
5% Equipment and Repairs

(Includes bond program expenses)

231 employees when fully staffed
96% of revenue comes from government reimbursement



USDA Programs Administered by IPS

National School Lunch Program

63 sites serve 4,656,000 lunches annually

School Breakfast Program

63 sites serve 2,700,000 breakfasts annually

After School Snack Program

36 schools serve 200,000 annually

Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Program

24 schools serve 2,160,000 annually

Summer Food Service Program

various locations during summer school & intersessions

Additional Services Provided for Students

51 of 63 schools serve all students breakfast and lunch at no charge
13,100 Meal/Textbook assistance applications are processed which provides additional dollars through E-rate, Title 1, and grants (April 2012, 88% of students qualify for free or reduced meals)
50,000 box lunches are packed annually
Modified meals prepared and served to 80 students with medical restrictions



IPS History of Nutritional Integrity

1985-1990 - 1% milk, eliminated a la carte snack foods, moved from canned to frozen vegetables
1990-1995 – Offered entrée salads, moved to light syrup canned fruits
1995-2000 – Eliminated fried foods, moved to reduced or non-fat dressings
2005-2010 – Moved to turkey based products, served more protein at breakfast, increased the variety of fresh fruits and vegetables
2010-current – Increased whole grain bread offerings, moved to reduced sodium and low fat cheeses, served skim flavored milk, spec’d zero gram trans fat foods

Commissioner Arnold asked if fat-free milk has sugar in it. Ms. Cookson said it is free of fat, but it does contain sugar. Commissioner Arnold asked what the cost is for full paying students for breakfast and lunch. Ms. Cookson said that breakfast is $1.00 for all grade levels, and that lunch is $1.40 for elementary, $1.65 for middle school, and $1.80 for high school. Commissioner Arnold asked if there are very many children with lactose intolerance to milk in IPS. Ms. Cookson said there are some and they are given fruit juice in place of milk.

Commissioner Roof asked what percentages of students eat breakfast and lunch. Mr. Gudorf said as of March for elementary 69% ate breakfast and 94% ate lunch; middle school 46% ate breakfast and 76% ate lunch; and high school 30% ate breakfast and 82% ate lunch. Commissioner Roof expressed concern that students are only given 20 minutes for lunch and sometimes throw away there oranges because they do not have time to peel them. She said she hopes that IPS will look into the amount of time students are given for lunch and take that into consideration. Commissioner Roof asked if a pizza is considered a grain. Ms. Cookson said the crust of a pizza is considered a grain. Commissioner Roof said that the strawberry milk that is served in IPS does not have any strawberry in it and has red dye #40 in it which directly affects the behavior of students with ADHD, ADD, and autism. She said this is a great concern for her and other parents. Commissioner Roof asked if Foodservice sees any road blocks for serving only white milk. Ms. Cookson said some districts have tried it and been successful and some have not.

Commissioner Arnold asked if the flavored milks are more expensive than the white milk. Ms. Cookson said there is about a penny difference in cost. Commissioner Arnold asked how much a year IPS would save if they only bought white milk. Ms. Cookson said she would get that figure for the Board.

Commissioner Roof said she feels IPS has nothing to lose by going to just white skim milk.

Commissioner Arnold asked if IPS could just try a pilot program of just using white skim milk. Dr. White said it would not be the whole district doing the pilot, just a few schools. Commissioner Arnold asked why not the whole district. Dr. White said the results of just a few schools would be all that was needed to make the decision of whether or not to change the whole district. He said it would really depend on the Foodservice Department of what kind of pilot program they can put together.

Consensus of the Board was to direct the Superintendent to investigate a possible pilot program along with the pros and cons. He said he will bring back the results of his investigation to the Board at the retreat.

Commissioner Arnold asked what the caloric difference is between flavored milk and non-flavored. Ms. Cookson said the flavored milk is 50 calories higher.

Non-blogger

I have several blogs that I like to frequent. I get irritated when they aren't updated so I am sorry that I haven't been posting lately. I need to set a rule for myself to post every three days no matter what.

Personally, I have been extremely busy. Three kids in three schools proved to be more than I could handle. And EVERYTHING seems to be scheduled for the end of the year. Teas, choir performances, projects, field days, graduations, award ceremonies, orchestra concert, and on and on. Now it is the first day of summer, and I can breathe...a little.


The board hit a busy spot as well. You may or may not be aware of the situation at Tech. That proved to be a busy time for emails, phone calls, meetings and more. For different reasons I will not discuss those happenings. 1) We are still in investigation. 2) This is a child.

We have also held meetings to discuss a lawsuit against the state for funding issues. Recently we held an Executive session so board members could submit their Superintendent Evaluation. This Saturday we will meet in an all day Retreat, from 1-8pm. And last night we were all at a graduation ceremony. I attended Manual.


There are specific topics that were important to me, and I will blog about those separately.

The board relationship is no better than it has been in the past. It's candidate time and I have heard form several people who have stated they will run for school board. I am trying to be more sensitive about this issue. I would love to start the year off with a "new" board. I want to canvass, and support, and back certain candidates. But I have really struggled with the concern of what damage that may do. If someone wins the seat that I didn't support (current members or someone new) I am afraid that will cause even more tension on the board. This board dynamic is so damaged it can not handle much more. At the end of the day, the board can do more if there was mutual respect among board members. I sincerely question if this could ever be repaired among the current board, but I certainly don't want to make it worse.

The Generation Gap

Generation Gap: n.
A difference in values and attitudes between one generation and another, especially between young people and their parents.



I have always felt this invisible line between some of the board members and myself. I like to sum it up with the words: Generation Gap. I am not talking about age difference. I am referring to the problems the two groups have with one another and the inability to see eye to eye.


I noticed something immediately when we went to Boston and spent the weekend with thousands of board members. I was of a minority. I would say that there were more men, but almost everyone was over the age of 50. Do I think someone can't be a good board member because of their age? Absolutely not. Do I think there is a huge problem with the fact that young people aren't getting out there, being involved, and serving on boards? Absolutely!!! But there are other concerns as well.




1) Session after session board members would stand up and say something like, "My name is Sally Mae and I have been on the board for 24 years" and the audience would applaud. I don't get it. They didn't say they were a "great board member for 24 years" just that they were there. Why does holding a seat for years and years earn you an applause? Tell me you have been amazing for the last 2 decades, then I will clap for you.



2) Fear of Change. This is a biggie. In some sessions they would speak of new and innovative ways to communicate with parents. Such as having a Board Facebook Page. In another session, FB pages were met with criticism and insult. As if that is a teenagers way of living, not a corporation.


3) Seeing someone younger as someone who is not an equal. I face this on my board everyday. I hear the comments. I know I am treated differently because of my age. I saw it at the conference as well. After one session I waited in line to speak with the presenter. Not once, but twice, as it was my turn to step up and speak, two older men cut right in front of me, as if I didn't even exist. I know they thought they were more important in their suits. Was it because I was a woman? Was it because of my age? I don't know for sure.


4) Seasoned board members seem to be afraid to "let go" of the reins and give someone else a chance to run things. This is true of the board I serve on. Not only will they refuse to "let" someone new and fresh serve as chairman, they don't even let us in on the discussion. I fear that other boards are the same, and who will run these meetings ten to twenty years from now? Who will serve on these boards? If we don't teach the next generation and give them a chance are we really helping our students?



5) Resentment and feeling unappreciated and the whole "we tried that it didn't work" phrase. I have one word for you. Bacon. When I sat on our preschool board, much smaller than IPS but very successful, I considered myself a seasoned member. I knew all the fundraisers in and out. Someone younger and very energetic came onto the board and had new ideas. I disliked her immediately. She wanted to serve bacon at our Santa breakfast, and we all knew that didn't work. It took too much time to cook, made a mess, lots of clean up, and slowed everything down. We tried it. However she was adamant. She needed bacon, she was in charge, and there would be bacon. So what did I do? I went to this event, saw that she had her bacon and saw that it messed everything up. HA! I was right! I sat there and watched this fail, I watched families leave because they were waiting for food, I saw people be unhappy, kids getting restless. So it failed because she didn't listen, right? No. It failed because I didn't get off my ass and help her fry that bacon. That was the moment I knew it was time for me to leave. If I would rather this event be a flop and disappoint our families, than step up and help her even though she wouldn't listen to me, then it was time for me to go. And I did. I chose to let my pride stand in the way of making something better for our children. Next time, I choose bacon.



I got a lot out of the NSBA, but I do think there could be a session on the generation gap and how to confront it respectfully.

A little ditty about Sam and Diane

This past weekend I boarded a plane and headed to Boston with two other board members, Samantha and Diane. Early on in my blogging I stated that I would not mention any board member by name. However, I have permission from them to share our weekend with you. I have struggled with attending conferences because of the cost to the district. November of 2010 I went to Florida for the Council of Great City Schools. I am glad I did because Indianapolis is hosting this event this fall. I decided to attend the NSBA, National School Board Association. I am so thankful that I did! I really needed the motivation and hope that I received from this experience.

We got in Friday night and rushed over to the Convention Center to pick up pick up our info packets. We made it with about three minutes to spare. After that we headed out for dinner. The next three days were sessions, speakers, and more sessions. We listened to amazing students from all very the country perform beautiful music. We tried to attend different sessions so we could gain and share more information. I noticed a pattern in my session choices, and that was Climate. I spent a lot of my time listening to ideas of building board relations. I also decided to face reality and I went to some sessions on Superintendent Evaluations and Superintendent Searches.

In the evenings Sam, Diane, and I headed out. We tried to do as much sight seeing as possible, a fair share of eating, and lots and lots of talking. We talked about our kids, our spouses, our childhoods. We talked about our sessions and shared what we had learned. Mostly, we talked about the board. We talked about what went wrong and when. We talked about if we can help fix it and how. I will share more details soon regarding the sessions themselves. The three of us want to give a presentation to the other board members, and I want them to hear this info first. I can tell you though that wherever we went, education was on our mind. One night the hostess at our restaurant joined in our conversation, well, she joined our dinner. Turns out, she was a public school teacher and works with children with autism. We talked to other board members from all over the country and heard their stories and shared ours. It was such a great experience. These ladies are great. I am so glad I got the opportunity to spend so much time with them and learn so much about them. And mistakes have been made, but we all really truly have children's best interest at heart. We have a respect for one another, and an unquestionable trust. Diane and Sam did not start off well. In fact, they started off very bad. They have both buried the past, and are only looking to the possibilities. As soon as we present to the other Board Members, I will share the session information here.

Empty chairs at empty tables

It's been a busy week for me. On Monday we were scheduled for our Legislative meeting. Before that meeting began though, we voted an a HR issue. You can read about it here...

http://www.indystar.com/article/20120410/LOCAL18/204100324/IPS-may-ditch-policy-staff-members-transporting-students


That was a good night. A really good night.

On Tuesday we held a Resource meeting. At the end of the meeting we were handed the new IPS plan that Dr. White will present at the Central Library on Monday April 16th. Try and make it if you can, there will be a sign up sheet for questions and comments.


And last night was the highlight of my week. I skipped the Educational Meeting that was scheduled, because I had received an invitation weeks ago to do something else.
If you remember I posted about visiting Manual HS. During that visit Mr. Lloyd (choir director) told me that he takes his students to see a Broadway show every year. They go to a nice dinner beforehand and then off to the show. I was so impressed with his dedication and excitement and I was more than thrilled when he extended the invite to me! This year the show, part of the Broadway Across America, is Les Miserables. I was SO EXCITED. Of all the shows I have seen, I have never seen Les Mis. I know most of the music, just never seen the show.

Finally the show night came. I must say a quick thank you to my family. It turns out my daughter's conference at school was this night as well. The all jumped through some hoops for me so we could get there early and I could make it to the dinner reservation on time.

I met Mr. Lloyd and his students at Canal Bistro in Broad Ripple. I was very excited to see Mr. Lloyd's wife, Stacia, there as well. I have heard about her from Spencer himself and through Matt Tully's book. My sister also knows the Lloyd's which shows once again how small the world really is. There were around 30 students, a few teachers and alumni, then me.

At first I thought, do they really want a Board Member apart of their "family" for the evening? Was this one of those uninvite invitations? Like the wedding invite you sent to your mother's great aunt once removed because you feel you have to, but you don't really want her to show up and you even leave her out of the dinner count? As I was waiting for the big yellow bus to pull up I thought, "What if I am that aunt?" Five minutes later, I was welcomed into this group and that aunt didn't cross my mind again.

One thing I noticed was the behavior of the students. Not once did I see Mr. Lloyd or the other teacher present give a reminder of behavior expectations. They just seemed to know. I was really impressed with the students at dinner. I served for many years, and a table of 30 teenagers would have been my complaint of the night. But these ladies and gentlemen were just that. They were kind, considerate, patient, and appreciative. The dinner itself was delicious.

The talk was even better. One student shared with me her frustrations about other students not caring. She talked about the test scores, the behavior, and the overall attitude. We discussed the fears with the takeover process, and the hope of it bringing much needed change. We discussed the bureaucracy BS that seems to overpower and stifle so many great ideas in IPS. I heard about their programs, their accomplishments, their trips. I saw the shock when one student heard there were gangs at the school. The adults talked about the children they left at home to attend this evening.

I was reminded how very real and sometimes quite painful young love can be as one of the young ladies struggled with some heated texts. It made me think of my daughters and hoping they won't hurt like that, but knowing they probably will. I wanted to tell that young girl that she has her whole life in front of her and the boy that makes her cry doesn't matter. How can I say that? I loved my husband when I was 15, and I cried over him many times. Maybe I should have told her that this moment won't break her, this moment will make her. It will help define who she will be later in this life.


Dinner was wrapped up and we headed to Clowes Hall. I drove myself to the theater. I had a long walk from my parking space and not much time. By the time I made it to my seat the show was just beginning. The show was awesome. The sets and the effects were some of the best I had seen. The students seems to enjoy it as well. They reacted to the more mature moments in the show. Stage performances seem to be pretty risque and I heard some giggles. One thing I also noticed was the use of cell phones among teenagers. They are so connected to their phones I worry they couldn't be completely connected to the show. In fact, I had a hard time staying connected to the show because of the lights of the phones. One young lady even talked briefly on her phone. This wasn't so much of a problem for me, but I felt sadness for these kids. I am sad that they can never quite be free. As a parent it makes me consider having some rules that I am sure my kids will think are completely unfair. But I don't want them to be accessible to anyone at anytime. I don't want them to be so worried they will miss something when they are actually missing what is happening right in front of them.

I am so thankful to Mr. Lloyd for inviting me. I am thankful to the staff who welcomed me. I enjoyed meeting and getting to talk to Mr. Weber, the band teacher. I appreciate all he has done for his students. I adore Stacia Lloyd, who is everything you would imagine her to be. A kind, sweet soul. Without her strength, guidance, and her willingness to share so much of her husband, he would not be able to be the choir director that he is. I think it's awesome that she is so involved. I am grateful to the students who didn't mind me imposing on this night. I am thankful and surprised that I came home to an awesomely clean kitchen! It was a wonderful night.

Once a Hoosier....

The last few weeks there have been several articles, blogs, tweets, and postings regarding Dr. White and his job search. During that time I kept quiet.
Now, I feel is the appropriate time to share my thoughts.


On February 24th the board held the retreat. The last item on the agenda was, "Superintendents Status". Of course this made me curious. When we got to this item, Dr. White closed the meeting, and did not discuss it. I can only assume this wasn't discussed because Scott Elliott, from the Indianapolis Star, was present.

Time went on and I sent an email asking if this was an item that still needed discussed. It was. And a meeting was scheduled. And the meeting was canceled. I sent another email. In this email I stated that apparently several board members are already aware of what is going on, and all of us should be informed.

Dr. White wanted to tell the Board members individually and in person. Time was against him, and I was at the bottom of the list. What most people don't know, is that he did talk to us about these two positions, and we heard it from him before the media got wind of it. I thank him for that.

I don't think Dr. White was wrong to look into other options. I have no issue with this. In fact, I thought it was his business and that's why I chose to make no comment until decisions have been made. Until I, as a board member, knew what would happen it didn't really concern me. Obviously if he left the district, that would have a huge impact on my job. If he stayed, I would have to wonder what that would mean as well. I am eager to get back to focusing on IPS and what we can do now. Time was definitely lost this month, and we can't afford anymore time.

So, what now? I would like to say the board will get together and have an open conversation. Are there concerns with Dr. White's commitment to IPS? Does he have the passion and drive to lead us where we need to go? Is he willing to accept the ideas and suggestions from others? However, this discussion will never take place.

November will bring the school board election. Four members will have to run a good campaign to keep their seats.

The status quo can not remain the same if change is to happen. And change must happen. If Dr. White is to stay in IPS, then really, truly the board needs to change. There's no nice way to say it. It is simply a must.

Why I voted NO

Below is a brief blog by the Education Reporter Scott Elliot.


Get On The Bus
White in Greenville today; board talks transportation rule
| Written by Scott Elliott |


Eugene White was absent from tonight school board meeting as he spent the day in Greenville, S.C., interviewing for the superintendent job there and meeting with community people. Here is the Greenville News’ story about him from Monday.

The board meeting, itself, was pretty routine, except for one issue — school employees transporting students in their personal vehicles.

The board voted unanimously to fire Northwest High School Vice Principal Michael Allen for transporting a student in his private vehicle. School officials said the district was alerted to the infraction by the student’s mother and that the Indiana Department of Child Services is investigating Allen’s actions with the student.

IPS made transporting students in private vehicles a fireable offense last year after a student was killed in a car accident while riding with a school employee.

But Allen’s case raised to the board’s attention concerns about whether the policy is too tough. No board members objected specifically to Allen’s firing, but the fact that the board was actually firing employees under the rule caused some board members concern.

What if a school employee transports a relative, neighbor or friend who is an IPS student? School officials acknowledged that employee could be fired under the rule.

So on Tuesday, the board approved a waiver process. Employees who wish to transport students with whom they have a personal relationship can, with the permission of the child’s parent, receive a waiver from the rule.

Some board members still expressed qualms about the the stringent nature of the original rule, worrying that some employees could put themselves in jeopardy without realizing it if they fail to get a waiver. But the waiver process was passed 5-2.


A few months back I voted in favor of the new policy regarding the transporting of students. I should have asked more questions. Apparently now, this includes ANY IPS employee transporting ANY IPS student. This is a big concern for me. I have friends that are teachers. Those teachers have children that are friends with my kids. If they want to take one of my kids to the movie they can be fired. If they bring my daughter home from an overnight and drop her off, they can be fired. This is definitely invading way too much on someone's private life, their life outside of school. Sure, there is a form they can fill out. But will they know they need to? Who is in charge of these forms? I know if I had to fill out a form for every IPS student I have placed in my car I would need dozens of forms. Most of my kids friends attend IPS. This was not discussed when we first approved the policy.

So, why did I vote no on something that seems to give an option to transport? Initially I tried to table the motion until after the next policy meeting. Hopefully we could look more seriously into this policy at that time. However, the motion to postpone did not pass. 3 to 4. So I voted no. I did not want to complicate the situation any further.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me. I just thought I would share my thoughts. If you are an IPS employee I highly suggest you protect yourself. Hopefully the board can rethink the policy. But I fear that it is doubtful. When someone is so far removed from having an actual connection to IPS and its students, it is hard for them to see the problems with this policy.

Recruited

As many of you probably have heard, Dr. WHite is a candidate for two other Superintendent positions. I will say two things. (1) I am grateful to Dr. White for informing the board of this, before the media released the info. (2) I have no comment.
I know, pretty unusual for me. However the time will come for me to comment, and I will.

Updates

Here is the link to the new plan for district lines. Apparently IPS wasn't timely enough and DOE came up with their own plan. So, IPS Board decided to support this plan instead, though it wasn't a unanimous vote.


https://www.boarddocs.com/in/indps/Board.nsf/files/8RWKJ64FD6A3/$file/Proposal%20No%202%20Board%20Districts.pdf




We held our board retreat on Friday, Feb. 24th. Overall it was a good, informative meeting. The way a board retreat usually works is Board members are given a chance to send in topics for discussion. This could really be anything at all. These subjects are placed on the agenda, and discussed at the meeting. Because of time issues at this meeting - we were given a lot of information beforehand, that way we had plenty of time for questions and comments. These meetings are open to the public. Usually they are held in the board lounge, however, if several (or more than 3) members of the public or press showed up I assume we would move to the board room. It is a more casual atmosphere at the retreats. We like to eat and snack, and mostly the attire is comfortable.
Several great ideas have come form these longer, more casual meetings. Gambold Preparatory HS is one of them. Also the highlighting of programs in IPS at the Board Meetings is another. We also discussed the IPS Board Open House in a retreat, although it was first shared (ignored) in an email.
I was happy to see Scott Elliot, Education writer for the Indianapolis Star was in attendance. I think it is important for someone to be there who can share information with the public. I try, but I think the Star has more readers than my blog. :) And Scott is much better at posting in a timely manner, but he also receives a paycheck to do so. Right now my 4 year old is in front of the tv so I can accomplish this post.

I attended the City County Council meeting on Tuesday Feb. 28th. The Mind Trust, David Harris, presented the proposal they came up with regarding changes in IPS. There were probably 50 or more people attending this meeting. About 20 signed up to speak. I thought the speakers did a nice job, and the council members asked some good questions as well. I had to sneak out a few minutes early to make it to the Action Session on time. Some great moments at the Action Session included a young man from BRHS playing the cello. He played a piece form Schindler's List, it was FANTASTIC! It really moved me to tears.


I want to write more, however Wallace and Gromit is coming to an end, that means my time is as well. I will try and come back to complete all these thoughts, we have an Education Meeting tonight at 5:30.

IPS Proposed School Board Electoral Districts

What do you think?

Change is coming

Lots of things going on in IPS right now.

Quite honestly we have had some very good productive meetings lately.  There's no easy way to blog about it all, so I am separating it by topics.

Superbowl-  We have had a lot of discussion regarding busing and parking and traffic.  I hope schools downtown take advantage of this opportunity to raise funds by charging for parking on game day and weekend events.  Dr. White stated 50% goes to the school and 50% to IPS corporate.  My first reaction to this was, "uh.....what?"  However when he explained that IPS holds all liability if something goes wrong, it then made sense to me.

Takeover - We had a meeting with Tony Bennett regarding the current schools in takeover, the ones with lead partners, and the only school on the list for next year, which is John Marshall.  I think that meeting was a very open and honest discussion.  I am thankful for Dr. Bennett for always being willing to attend such meetings.  Also in attendance were Jim Larson, Director of School Improvement and Turnaround and Dale Chu, assistant Supt. for Policy, Legal and Communications Operations.  I have met Dale previously, he has a wealth of knowledge.  And  I really like Jim, he has a great way of explaining things and making sure everyone understands.  Dr. Bennett did state that Dr. White has been very cooperative in this process, event though the media has portrayed him to be less than easy to deal with.  However, there were concerns about other IPS employees not being helpful to the process.  Overall, it was a good meeting and I hope we can work out hte kinks that are still up in the air.

Administrators - The board had to vote on a list of administrators to receive letters notifying them of termination.  I did not oppose this plan, because I know that hard decisions will have to be made soon.  Once a certain date has passed we can no longer notify individuals. Not everyone on the list is a guaranteed termination.  There are some of the list I feel very strong about, meaning I don't want to see them go.  Needing more discussion on the matter the Superintendent offered to hold an Executive Session regarding these employees.  This will be a time that we can ask specifics and really understand why these individuals were placed on the list. 

Manual - I visited Manual the other day.  In a way, I  can really empathize with the staff and students that are in the takeover schools this year.  Howe closed after I graduated, and I remember the disruption it had in all of our lives.  Everything seemed to be going well at Manual.  I stood in the halls during passing period and was pleased with the students behaviors.  The principal took time with me and answered some questions.  I visited with the wonderful parent liaison, Les Martin, whom I met last year at Emma Donnan.  The artwork on the walls were more than impressive.  And I visited the choir room.  Probably my favorite place to visit in a school because that is where I belonged.  I had a wonderful visit and I thank the staff for welcoming me.


I know there is more to update you with, I will try and do a better job of keeping the blog updated.
On the schedule this week is our Education Committee Meeting on Thursday Feb. 2nd beginning at 5:30.  All of our Committee meetings are open to the public.  The following week we have our Legislative meeting on Monday Feb. 6th at 5:30.

A New Year

Elected officials are being sworn in today.  I can't help but think about this day next year, and what it might mean for the IPS School Board.  My hope is that there is no longer a majority.  Not just the 4/3 split we seem to have now, but any 4/3 split.  I hope that we can have 7 independent thinkers who base every vote on putting the children of IPS first. 
I have a lot of concerns with what his happening with IPS, and in regards to IPS. 

The Mind Trust Report came out a few weeks ago.  I wasn't shocked by their findings, however I was taken with a few of their suggestions.  Here is the link of the entire report if anyone wants to look at it.....

http://www.themindtrust.org/OpportunitySchools/MindTrust-Dec15.pdf

Here's some key points: Shifting Funds, Granting Autonomy, Universal Preschool, and Mayor Control of School Board. 


I am in favor of most if the ideas, not entirely convinced of how to achieve them all.  I am NOT in favor of Mayor Control of the school board.  I am not saying it can't work, but I am hoping that changes can be made on the school board so takeover isn't a necessity.   I believe in the people's right to vote and choose their elected officials.  I think resources could be spent on informing the public of the importance of voting for your school board representative, and letting them know who those representatives are.  The concerns that led to the plan of board takeover are not without merit.  I have seen, first hand, the dysfunction of the board.  It is very real and very scary.  Without making compromises and being open minded I have no doubt the school board will be taken over.  And what a shame that voters could lose that right forever, because of a few board members.  I think we could be a part of these changes if we are so willing.  Otherwise someone else will be placed in our chairs, and then we will have no vote at all.
When David Harris sat down and briefed us on the report, he told me that he didn't believe the people were the problem, that the system was broken.  I respectfully disagreed and told him I thought he was wrong.  In my opinion the system that is there, can and should work.  The people are broken.  Here's to what 2012 may bring.


As I write this I know I will piss a few people off.  I make no apologies for that.  As time goes on I am realizing something.  I am not alone.  Not just here, in Indianapolis, but all over the country.  There are board members who believe as I do, and struggle the same.  And we are beginning to network, and discuss, and question, and support.  Change is happening.