March 16, 2021 at 5:30 PM - Bedford County Board of Education March Monthly Meeting

I. PROCEDURAL ITEMS

I.A. Call to Order

I.B. Moment of Silence

I.C. Pledge of Allegiance - Led by Ashley Rodriguez Lopez, Learning Way 4th Grader

I.D. Opening Remarks

II. CONSENT AGENDA

II.A. Approval of Agenda

II.B. Minutes from February 23, 2021 Monthly Meeting

II.C. Minutes from March 1, 2021 Special Called Meeting

II.D. Overnight & Out-of-State Trip Request - Community High Key Club

III. COMMUNICATIONS

Recognition of Ashley Rodriguez Lopez.  Ashley is the daughter of Roxana Lopez and Jose Luis Lopez.  She is a first-generation citizen.  Her mother just took her citizenship oath on March 4, 2021.  Ashley is a 4th grader at Learning Way Elementary.  Her homeroom teacher is 4th grade math teacher Kevin Rhodes, whose homeroom is comprised of both virtual and in-person students.  Mr. Rhodes has accompanied Ashley and her family tonight. According to Ashley's principal Kathy Reed, "From the very beginning, she has taken full advantage of the technology to continue learning from home.  She is always present and consistent in her participation.  Ashley puts her all into her work, and it shows!  This wonderful, young lady (of her own volition and ingenuity, I might add) created an online "homework group" so she and her classmates could still get together and work!  Ashley is beyond courteous and respectful.  She helps her fellow students out...she has become so adept at using Teams that she troubleshoots problems for students and teachers!!"

Cascade High Boys' Basketball - Coach Chris Lawson and Seniors Seth Countess, Alex Allison, Ethan Swan, Tyler Sabin, Landon Lane, and Junior Justis Carter
-Overall Record/Post Season Play - The team finished play with a 15-12 record, after falling to Clay County, 64-63, in the final of sub-state.
-Coach Lawson, District Coach of the Year
-Justis Carter (11th grader) - District MVP

Thank you to Jack Daniel's Distillery- A big THANK  YOU for the generous donation of 27 pallets of hand sanitizer, valued at over $40,000 from Jack Daniel's Distillery!  Daniel Kleindienst, Director of Environmental Services for BCBOE, picked up an additional 13 pallets recently, after 14 pallets were initially donated earlier in the year.  

CTE Happenings - Sara Beth Spray, CTE Director

-March 26th is Virtual College and Career Day for our 7th grade students.  Bedford County Schools has partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to help provide our students time to engage in career exploration.  The day will be filled with live speakers, live round tables, independent career exploration time, as well as recorded interviews for students to explore!

- The Transportation Department is partnering with the CTE Department to donate a bus that will be repurposed and utilized as a portable CTE Classroom.  This classroom will be created with the help of all three high schools' students.  The Mobile CTE Classroom will travel to different elementary and middle schools to help engage students with hands on opportunities.

-Mike Swafford, Agriculture Teacher at Cascade High School, received Pathways Certification for his program.  This is a great honor given by the Tennessee Department of Education and the Tennessee Board of Regents and will last for three years.  Congratulations Mr. Swafford!

-Teaching All Students Grant - Cascade High School Chosen to Participate
TDOE Announces 18 Schools Selected for Teaching All Students Initiative Through $5.5M State Personnel Development Grant Grant Serves Students with Complex Cognitive Disabilities Statewide
 
Today, the Tennessee Department of Education announced the 18 schools selected to participate in the first cohort of the Teaching All Students (TAS) Initiative to serve students with the most significant cognitive disabilities. Through a five-year, $5.5 million State Personnel Development Grant (SPDG), the first cohort of this initiative will strengthen instructional practices in schools across the state to better support students with significant cognitive disabilities.
 
The TAS Initiative will fund training, coaching, and tools to help high school teachers and staff build an accessible learning environment for all students, with the goals of reducing the achievement gap and increasing the graduation rate and enrollment in postsecondary education through inclusive higher education, technical colleges, community colleges and competitive integrated employment for students with complex needs.  
 
“Through this grant, the department is able to launch the Teaching All Students Initiative to provide an opportunity for schools across the state to focus on supports for our students with complex needs to help them reach their fullest potential,” said Commissioner Penny Schwinn. “All students deserve access to a high-quality education and this grant provides highly-requested technical assistance to support our teachers as they provide instruction to students with disabilities.”
 
From across the state, high school teams, composed of a school administrator, general education teacher, special education teacher, and district special education director submitted applications for the opportunity to participate in TAS trainings, coaching, and technical assistance.
 
The following schools were selected to participate in the TAS Initiative:
• Cascade High School, Bedford County Schools • East Hamilton High School, Hamilton County Schools • Hillwood High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools • Hixson High School, Hamilton County Schools • Houston High School, Germantown Municipal School District • KIPP Nashville Collegiate High School, Metro Nashville Public Schools/KIPP Nashville Schools • Lookout Valley High School, Hamilton County Schools • Martin Luther King Jr. College Prep High School, Frayser Community Schools—Achievement School District • Maryville City High School, Maryville City Schools • McMinn County High School, McMinn County Schools • Sequatchie County High School, Sequatchie County Schools • South Fulton Middle and High School, Obion County Schools • South Greene High School, Greene County Schools • Tullahoma High School, Tullahoma City Schools • Volunteer High Schools, Hawkins County Schools • Westview High School, Weakley County Schools • White County High School, White County Schools • White House Heritage High School, Robertson County Schools
 
Additionally, selected schools will receive mini-grants for implementation of the TAS Initiative. Through a competitive procurement process, additional partners will be selected to help schools implement this work.
 
Administered through the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) within the U.S. Department of Education, the State Personnel Development Grants (SPDG) program assists state education agencies and their partners to improve results for children with disabilities through systems of professional development and dissemination of knowledge about best practices to educators and families.
 
This grant builds on the department’s previous SPDG and supports teachers in providing students with disabilities with meaningful access to and participation in standards-aligned instruction.
 

IV. PRESENTATIONS

IV.A. ESSER 2.0 - Chad Fletcher, Federal Programs Supervisor

V. ACTION ITEMS

V.A. Superintendent's Goals & Objectives

V.B. ESSER 2.0 - DRAFT Budget

V.C. ENA Contract

V.D. Federal Amendments

V.D.1. ESSER 1.0 - Revision 7

V.D.2. Consolidated (Revision 4) - Admin. Pool, Title 1A, Title ID LEA, IDEA Part B

V.E. Additional BEP Allotment - Approval of a One-Time Stipend

V.F. February Monthly Financial Report

V.G. Budget Amendment #3

VI. REPORT ITEMS

VI.A. Monthly Tax Analysis

VI.B. Analysis of Per-Pupil Spending & Fiscal Capacity Shortfall - John Boutwell, 8th District 

VI.C. Personnel Report - Andrea Miller-Davis, Human Resource Manager

VI.D. Enrollment/Pupil-Teacher Ratio/Chronic Absenteeism/Virtual Learning/Truancy - Terise Rhodes, Tiffany Swain, Barry Bennett

VI.E. Legislative Report - Diane Neeley, Board Chair & TLN Representative

VI.F. Executive Committee Report

VI.F.1. Declaration of Surplus - Thomas Magnet

VI.F.2. Declarations of Surplus 1, 2 - Eakin Elementary

VI.F.3. Declaration of Surplus - SCHS

VI.G. Superintendent's Report

VII. OTHER BUSINESS

VII.A. Acknowledgements

VII.B. FYI - Expenditures

VII.C. ADJOURNMENT