February 28, 2023 at 6:00 PM - GMSD Board Business Meeting
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1. Call to Order
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Chairman Ryan Strain called the meeting to order at 6:01 pm.
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2. Moment of Silence
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Chairman Ryan Strain called for a moment of silence.
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3. Pledge of Allegiance
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Board Member Dr. Daniel Chatham led the Pledge of Allegiance.
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4. Approval of Agenda
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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5. Recognition and Awards
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Student Recognitions
The Scholastic Art Awards are a nationally recognized competition in which students compete in categories such as painting, illustration, fashion design, mixed media, and photography. The Scholastic Awards Honorable Mentions, Silver Keys, and Gold Keys-the highest distinction. Students who receive Gold Keys in TN are advanced to the national competition. We’d like to recognize our gold key winners tonight. High School Visual Arts Grayson Auger Eleanor SCHWAY Sydney Kong Shirley Kong Addie Smith Renee Wang Claire Yang Writing Harrison Shao Middle School Visual Arts Aubree Gi-AHNG Yifei Ren Rachel Yan Treble Choir is an audition choir for elementary and middle school students. Each year, thousands of students audition and only a select few are chosen to perform in the prestigious group. They will perform at the annual Tennessee Music Education Association Conference. The following students were selected. McKay Boston Victoria Britson Ashlyn Campbell Molly Lovan Rainorah Pare' Lara Yaligar Campbell Conaway Timothy McCarver Sofia Ovando Ellis Saffer Jonah Timmons Addelyn Simpson Fletcher Horrell Harper Tilson Petula Kruzan Madelyn Hughey Audrey Cox Lucy Brooks Carter Kidd Emily Chow Rini Hinkle For the FIRST YEAR, the state of TN has organized its own version of All-West and All-State for theater students. Houston High School placed several students in the All-West Theater program, but only two were selected for All-State. Sarah Johnson (Technical Theater) Megan Waugh (Musical Theater) *Tip: Run, don't walk to see Megan as Velma Kelly in HHS' Chicago: The Teen Version Staff Recognitions Jon House, a second grade teacher at Forest Hill elementary, has been named the GMSD Teacher of the Year for grades PreK-4. Mr. House. You have made a significant impact on the students and community at Forest Hill. You have helped raise thousands of dollars to plan for a learning garden to help teach your students about the importance of environmental conservation. You are lively in how you teach, whether it’s incorporating your ukulele skills or getting your students engaged in hands-on learning. You are always encouraging your students to think creatively and explore the joys of learning. Your dedication to making the classroom a fun and engaging environment shows just how much you care about your students, and it makes you well deserving of being named Teacher of the Year. Alicia Breen is an 8th grade Social Studies teacher at Houston Middle School who has made a significant impact on her students' lives. Ms. Breen. You are so loved by not only your current students, but also your former students. Many of them have even credited you for the reason that they themselves went on to become teachers. You inspire your students every day to work hard, and be the best they can be. You are passionate about making sure that those around you feel loved and cared for. You lead the hospitality committee to make sure birthdays and anniversaries are never forgotten. You serve as the Blue Chip Mentor for new Houston Middle School educators, to make sure that they are taken care of and well informed. Your dedication to your students and your co-workers has made so many of those around you remember that they are loved and cared for, and you are such a good representation for Teacher of the Year. Valerie McKinney, an AP English and AP Seminar teacher at Houston High School, has been named the Teacher of the Year for grades 9-12. Ms. McKinney. You are recognized by your colleagues and students as always helping to create and foster a positive culture. You are a dedicated and excellent teacher, and you have contributed to this school community in so many ways. You communicate the needs of your department, you support your colleagues in whatever way you can, and you set high expectations for your students. You encourage your students to grow both, and you are always there to help them on their way to success. You help the staff stay connected with one another by organizing get-togethers, and you always ensure to prepare excellent instruction for your students. Your colleagues and your students alike have said that you are an inspiration to them, and we couldn’t agree more. You are an inspiration, and you are deserving of Teacher of the Year. Shamira Davis - Principal of the Year Ms. Davis. During your two years as Houston Middle School’s principal, those around you have recognized your exceptional leadership qualities and your dedication to your students and your staff. You have helped to create a positive and inclusive school culture, where every student feels like they belong. Your joyful spirit shines through in all of the work that you do, and you encourage your students and your staff to have a similar spirit in their work. Your efforts have lifted student opportunities and engagement, and you continue to put students first in all your work. You are invested in this community, and we are so happy to recognize you as Principal of the Year. Karen Dodd of Student Services Ms. Dodd. You support the needs of our students and families everyday in the outstanding work you do. You are passionate and dedicated, and you have been so instrumental in creating an inclusive environment for all students. You have led our assistant principals in professional development to further improve our district and our community as a whole. You are always thinking of new ways to support our students and staff, and this dedication to our community has not gone unnoticed. Our administrators are excited about both the Empower and Activate Cohorts-parents love the attendance magnets. Yes, those were her idea! We are so excited to present you with this award. Keep innovating, and we wish you luck on your next leg of the journey! |
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6. REPORTS
Speaker(s):
Chairman
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6.A. TN Legislative Update
Speaker(s):
Brian Curry
Attachments:
()
Discussion:
Board member and TN Legislative Representative Brian Curry presented as follows,
February 2023 Legislative Report On Monday, February 6th, Governor Lee delivered his annual State of the State Address. The Governor highlighted several areas in his proposed budget that will impact public education, including the following:
On Wednesday, February 22nd, the House Education Administration Committee, led by Chairman Mark White, held a 2-hour hearing dedicated to 3rd grade literacy. The committee heard from a variety of experts including Commissioner Penny Schwinn from the Tennessee Department of Education, district Superintendents from across the state, literacy advocates and the former Commissioner of the Mississippi Department of Education, who implemented a similar 3rd grade literacy law. The committees are expected to take up the close to 2-dozen bills related to the 3rd grade literacy law in the next couple of weeks. Regarding other pending legislation, the Education committees in both the House and Senate have started to address bills before them. Some bills that have advanced out of subcommittee include: HB7/SB24 by Rep Cepicky of Maury County and Sen Hensley of Lewis County- this bill would increase the amount of funding allocated to teachers for instructional supplies from $200 to $300. SB12/HB433 by Sen Gardenhire of Hamilton County and Chairman White from Shelby County- this bill expands the Tennessee Voucher Pilot Program for select students in Shelby County and Metropolitan Nashville-Davidson County to Hamilton County. HB595/SB635 by Rep Richey of Blount County and Sen Lowe of McMinn County- this bill amends TCA 49-2-213, allowing recall of School Board members, by deleting a section that made the law applicable to only Madison County. HB670/SB712 by Rep Cepicky of Maury County and Sen Hensley of Lewis County- this bill would make the minimum age of 7 on or before August 15 to enter 1st grade, unless a student tests as proficient in kindergarten standards in a test yet-to-be-developed by the Tennessee Department of Education. This bill has not been scheduled in committee, but we want our parents to be aware of the possibility of this legislation being approved and urge you to contact your elected members of the General Assembly with any concerns. Finally, HB448/SB551 by Rep Davis of Knox County and Sen Lowe of McMinn County is being heard in the State and Local Government Committees in both the House and Senate this week. This bill requires a governing body shall, for each public meeting, reserve a period for public comment to provide the public with the opportunity to comment on matters that are germane to the items on the agenda for the meeting, with exceptions for disciplinary hearings or meetings with no actionable items on the agenda. |
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6.B. Chairman's Report
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Chiairman Ryan Strain presented the Chairman's Report as follows,
Germantown Board of Education Chairman’s Report (February 28, 2023) Board Members’ District-related activities since our last business meeting included the following: All Board Members:
Report: Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society. It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities, even service in the armed forces. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. Today it is a principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, in preparing him for later professional training, and in helping him to adjust normally to his environment. In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education. Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms.[1] These are not my words but, instead, are from the landmark 1954 U.S. Supreme Court decision Brown v. Board of Education. February is Black History Month, and seeing the ways GMSD schools commemorated this month led me to look into the integration of public schools in the State of Tennessee. Most people know the holding of Brown v. Board: that segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race is unconstitutional. However, the Supreme Court largely left the job to effectuate its holding - at least initially - to local courts and communities.[2] In Tennessee, efforts to integrate public schools came quickly after the Brown decision. In September 1955, just a little more than a year after Brown, 85 black students enrolled in Oak Ridge schools that previously had been reserved for white students only.[3] Integration of schools in Oak Ridge differed from other communities because it came without further legal action.[4] In 1955, Oak Ridge was still managed by the federal Atomic Energy Commission, and thus city administrators simply announced, in accordance with the Supreme Court's decision, that up to 100 students would move from their school in the city’s Black community to Oak Ridge High School and Robertsville Junior High.[5] Integration in Oak Ridge reportedly went without much conflict, and the Oak Ridge community recently has made efforts to bring this lesser-known moment in Civil Rights history to classroom curriculum.[6] In contrast to Oak Ridge, integration of Tennessee’s state-run public schools did not go as smoothly. In August 1956, the Clinton 12 integrated Clinton High School in Anderson, County, TN.[7] While things are reported to have gone well initially, violent protests soon erupted, leading to the Governor calling in the National Guard.[8] The school was later bombed and destroyed, though it was rebuilt in 1960.[9] Only 2 of the Clinton 12 went on to graduate from Clinton High, making them the first black students to graduate from an integrated state-run Tennessee public school.[10] Indeed, one of those students, Bobby Cain, was the first African-American graduate of a state supported public integrated high school in the South generally, not just in Tennessee.[11] I mention these historical moments not just because telling them is timely or because they are of interest to me personally. Instead, I tell them because they also serve as an important reminder that one of the primary goals of public education should be to provide opportunities for all children to succeed, regardless of their backgrounds and circumstances. I am proud of GMSD’s efforts in that regard and thankful to live in a community that supports that goal. [1] Brown v. Bd. of Educ. of Topeka, Kan., 347 U.S. 483, 493 (1954).
[2] See Brown v. Bd. of Educ. of Topeka, Kan., 349 U.S. 294, 300-01 (1955).
[3] https://www.npr.org/2021/02/23/970555503/oak-ridge-tenn-will-teach-history-of-its-black-students-who-helped-end-segregati (last visited February 27, 2023).
[4] Id.
[5] Id.
[6] Id.
[7] https://tnmuseum.org/junior-curators/posts/the-clinton-12-the-integration-story-of-tennessees-public-schools?locale=en_us (last visited February 27, 2023); https://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/entries/clinton-desegregation-crisis/ (last visited February 27, 2023).
[8] Id.
[9] Id.
[10] Id.
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6.C. Financial Report
Speaker(s):
Kevin Jones
Attachments:
()
Discussion:
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Jones presented the Financial Report with Total Assets, Liabilities, and Fund Balances on the Balance Sheet for the period ending 1.31.23
SCHOOL OPERATING FUND This district received $6.1 million in property tax revenue. This represents 36% of the total amount budgeted, or $17 million. The $630K annual required contribution to the OPEB Trust fund was made during the month as recommended by the actuary. CAFETERIA FUND Y-T-D net income for the cafeteria fund is $177K, with SFE reporting a net income of $59K for the month. HEALTH INSURANCE FUND Reports a net income of $161K year-to-date. CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND The district received $581K in capital projects funding from the Shelby County Commission. OPEB TRUST FUND Year-to-date net realized gains and unrealized gains on investments totaled $212K, with an unrealized gain on investments reported at $240K for the month of December. |
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6.D. Superintendent's Report
Speaker(s):
Jason Manuel
Discussion:
Superintendent Jason Manuel presented the 2.18.23 Superintendent’s Report with the following Highlights in his PowerPoint presentation,
Houston High School Master Plan
The above presentation can be found at our GMSD website link https://www.gmsdk12.org/apps/pages/superintendent |
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7. Citizens to be heard
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
The following Citizen voiced their opinion on Community Interest in Schools,
Carla Christian, 9574 Drayton Hall lane, Germantown TN 38139 |
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8. CONSENT AGENDA
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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8.A. Approval of the Minutes
Speaker(s):
Chairman
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8.B. Approval of ESSER 3.0 Public Plan for Remaining Funds Addendum
Speaker(s):
Jason Manuel
Attachments:
()
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8.C. Approval of ESSER 3.0 Safe Return to In-person Instruction and
Continuity of Services Plan Addendum
Speaker(s):
Jason Manuel
Attachments:
()
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9. BOARD ACTION ITEMS
Speaker(s):
Chairman
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9.A. Approval of Special Course Application for Dual Enrollment Work-Based Learning
Speaker(s):
Jason Manuel
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9.B. Houston Middle School Painting Project
Speaker(s):
Jason Manuel
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
Attachments:
()
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10. Announcements
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
Chairman Ryan Strain made the following announcements,
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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11. Adjournment
Speaker(s):
Chairman
Discussion:
The meeting was adjourned with consensus at 7:10 pm.
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