July’s SBDM meeting welcomes new teachers and addresses NTI plans

This SBDM meeting brings news of the 2020-21 staff updates, NTI and more budgeting review.

ISabella

Isabella Bonilla
July 30, 2020

Manual’s July virtual SBDM meeting commenced at 2:06 p.m. after most members joined. 

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Before the April meeting minutes were approved, the new SBDM committee representatives, Kim Ryan, Ms. Alecia Williams (English) and Mr.Brain Hinds (YPAS), re-introduced themselves. Shortly after the rest of the council members joined the meeting. 

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Next on the agenda, Principal Darryl Farmer introduced the May and June expenditures for YPAS and Manual, both of which were approved by the council.  Directly after, the council voted on new council positions with Chris Applegate (Science) as co-chair and Beverley Meng as secretary. 

The budget handout for the 2020-2021 school year was reviewed with the new members, having already been approved in the February meeting.

“This is another transparency for you knowing what was approved, what was in the budget for the 2021 school year…feel free to call me or a council member who sat in on the budget with questions,” Farmer said.  

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Mr. Farmer addressed all the new teachers coming to Manual, including two Spanish teachers and three ECE teachers. He was particularly glad with the additions to the ECE department, explaining the difficulty of keeping those positions filled. 

“We have the only OHI as a high school and with that comes a certain responsibility and duty to help the student,” Principal Farmer said. 

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Beverley Meng went on to discuss how SBDM monthly meeting dates are changing from Wednesdays to Thursdays in order to accommodate Prinicipals’ meetings and when the district sends out information. Originally there was an issue that the district would send out information after a scheduled SBDM meeting and then another meeting would have to be scheduled.

Meng also clarified that, “As long as we’re not in the building, we don’t necessarily need to have a monthly meeting.. If there’s nothing we need to have a meeting for, we may not have one,” Meng said. 

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New members were then brought up to speed on Manual’s Racial Equity Analysis Tool (REAP), where policies are evaluated using a district provided questionnaire and modified, if needed, to maintain racial equity. 

“There’s a conscience that has been woke, rightly so, around us in our world. JCPS has made a very courageous and bold leap for our families in what they do,” Farmer said. 

The board will have to review and reaffirm the REAP policies Protection of Time, Homework and Discipline/Classroom Management again by the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. This is set to take place at the August SBDM meeting.

However they are still waiting on the report from the JCPS Culture and Climate Department before they can review and reaffirm the Dresscode/Uniform REAP policy. 

Mr. Farmer made sure everyone had the Proof of Receipt, which explains to new members have to read  their duty under the law on SBDM, before turning his attention to addressing NTI. 

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Manual itself cannot move ahead with any NTI plans without district approval and guidelines first. Ms. Williams and Mr. Applegate both had questioning about what teachers are to do in this situation and how they should carry on, to which Mr. Farmer disclosed that he had met with ILT to put together some options, taking into regard what teachers, surveys and students have given feedback to. How teachers should grade during NTI and how students should be held accountable are just a few subjects up for discussion in the planning.

“I’m going to make my stand on protecting the interests of students, families and teachers,” Principal Farmer said. 

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After some closing up with questions about NTI, the meeting adjourned at 3:13 p.m.