Arcadia Charter School Board of Directors: January 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

November 10, 2011 School Board Agenda & Minutes

Northfield School of Arts and Technology

School Board Monthly Meeting Agenda

November 10, 2011

6:30 pm

ARTech at 1719 Cannon Road, Northfield

1. Call meeting to order

2. Verify Quorum

3. Approve Agenda

4. Approve Minutes of October 13, 2011

5. Speaker's Corner: This is an opportunity for community members to address the ARTech School Board on subjects related to the school. Please limit comments to three minutes.

6. Consent Agenda: None

7. Reports

(a) Financial Report (including report on hot lunches)

(b) Directors Report

(d) Committee Reports: Communication Committee

(e) Student Report

8. Discussion and Action Items:

(a) Elect officers

(b) Self-study discussion

(d) Name Discussion

(e) Policy Discussion

9. Announcements:

(a) Thanks-Give – November 18

(b) Workshop – November 23

(d) Next Board Meeting – December 8

(e) End of 2^nd Quarter/Presentation Night – December 23

10. Adjourn

____________________________________________________________________

Northfield School of Arts and Technology

School Board Meeting Minutes

November 10, 2011

1. Call meeting to order at 6:34pm.

2. Verify Quorum: Tammy Prichard, Tim Goodwin, Jake Roberts, Janine Nelson, Annie Klawiter, Sheri Acosta. Also attending: Ryan Krominga, Lori Urke, Rebecca McMullen, Joe Pahr

3. Motion to approve Agenda: Sheri Acosta, second Annie Klawiter, approved unanimously.

4. Motion to approve Minutes of October 13, 2011, Sheri Acosta, second Jake Roberts, approved unanimously

5. Speaker's Corner: Joe Pahr introduced a new student led initiative called “Northfield Area Spring Charter School Conference” and asked for board feedback. Initiative is in early stages of development. Preliminary goals of the initiative are to 1) begin dialogue with other charter schools in the area, 2) provide publicity for charter schools, 3) possibly provide a recruiting tool. Joe will continue working on initiative and supporting students, and will keep board informed of progress.

6. Consent Agenda: None

7. Reports

(a) Food Audit Report: Rebecca McMullen presented report on the upcoming food audit, due December 20, 2011. Rebecca presented information regarding requirements for food program compliance, including monitoring, record keeping, and offer vs. serve options for middle and/or high school students. Compliance is required to receive assistance under Free and Reduced Food Program.

(b) Financial Report: Janine Nelson and Ryan Krominga presented upcoming financial due dates, explained items on the board expenditures comparison report, and presented the cash flow report to board. See attached 11-7-11 Finance Committee Minutes for more detail.

(c) Director Report: Ryan Krominga presented current enrollment status, curricular initiatives, and staffing updates. The building project status is progressing and expected completion and occupancy by Thanks-Give. Self-Study is being drafted and Ryan is accepting suggestions for the evaluation team. See attached 11-10-11 Director Report for more details.

(d) Chair Report: None

(e) Committee Reports: Communication Committee report was presented by Sheri Acosta. Committee has met once this year. Lisa Malecha is leading this committee. Hoping to recruit a few more members. The committee is reviewing the content of the School Profile that is sent to colleges. Sheri is looking into “Volunteer Spot”, an online website helpful for organizing volunteers. Discussion about whether Parent Volunteer Coordinator should be part of Communications Committee. The next Communication Meeting is November 15.

(f) Student Report: None

8. Discussion and Action Items:

(a) Election of School Board Officers for 2011/2012:

i. Motion to elect Tammy Prichard as Chair: Annie Klawiter, second Tim Goodwin, unanimously approved,

ii. Motion to elect Jan Rohwer as Vice-Chair; Tim Goodwin, second Sheri Acosta, unanimously approved

iii. Motion to elect Janine Nelson as Treasurer; Tammy Prichard, second Annie Klawiter, unanimously approved,

iv. Motion to elect Tim Goodwin as Secretary; Tammy Prichard, second Annie Klawiter, unanimously approved.

(b) Self-study discussion: covered in Director’s Report

(c) Board Retreat: Discussed and reviewed board training requirements for new board members. Board retreat will be separate from board training. Artech will try to reserve a conference room at St. Olaf for board retreat. Date set for board retreat is January 28, 2012. Primary purpose of board retreat is to review school policies.

(d) Name change discussion: Anne Klawiter led the discussion and stated that the name change topic was raised at two recent staff meetings for staff feedback. Staff appeared to support continued exploration of name change. Tim Goodwin has contacted Department of Ed, and Secretary of State, and learned there are no roadblocks to name change for charter school. Board expressed sentiment that the school has a very strong identity that might not be represented by its name. Discussed need to communicate to community that intention is not to change school identity, culture or curriculum. The intention is to have name reflect existing identity, culture and curriculum. Board discussed how the timing of a name change may work out well next year, which will be the school’s 10^th year of operation, and could coincide with a reflection of how the school has evolved since its inception.

Action: Motion to change the name of Artech so that it more accurately represents the school’s existing identity; Annie Klawiter, second Jake Roberts, approved unanimously.

(e) Policy Discussion: First Reading of revised policies 609, 103, and 406.

Ryan Krominga presented need to review and revise existing policies to comply with recent changes resulting from a lawsuit surrounding lease aid to sectarian organizations, religious accommodation policies, and lawful accommodation of religion in public schools. Templates are provided by MDE that include policy assurances that will comply with revised requirements. Ryan has modified Artech’s policies to be in compliance by Department of Ed’s upcoming deadlines. See attached documents for more information.

9. Announcements:

(a) Thanks-Give – November 18

(b) Workshop – November 23

(d) Next Board Meeting – December 8

(e) End of 2nd Quarter/Presentation Night – December 23

10. Motion to adjourn Janine Nelson, second Jake Roberts, approved unanimously.

Adjourn at 8:45.

Respectfully Submitted by Janine Nelson

Letter #2 Regarding Name Change

January 19, 2012

Dear ARTech Community -- Parents, students, staff, and alumni,

Many of you may remember, or have heard of, a letter that was sent out last December regarding the idea of a potential name change for the school. As the earlier letter mentioned, the idea of a name change is not new to the staff at ARTech. The topic had periodically come up with them as they reflected on the school’s identity, mission, and vision. Anne Klawiter, a teacher and newly-elected school board member, approached the board this fall with the suggestion that we officially consider the idea of changing the school’s name. Both the board and staff were supportive of a thoughtful, deliberate process to explore finding a new name for the school.

Over time, parents and staff have expressed concerns that the name does not accurately describe who we are. In the last few years, we have grown and become established in our identity and mission; we have developed a successful hybrid of a project-based model of education. With a new director, two new classrooms, and a 10- year lease, we want to continue to make progress and move forward. Many have expressed a hope that a new name would communicate to the greater population the wonderful things ARTech does to build and encourage a learning community.

The “Name Change Committee,” (for lack of a better name) has set out a process for inviting input and communicating with our community. Below is our plan:

· January 19 – Annie Klawiter and Ryan Krominga met with High School and Middle School advisories to discuss the reasoning behind the name change and to field questions and concerns;

· February 7 at 7:00 – Community meeting for the entire ARTech community to discuss “who we are” as a school. We’ll look at what we feel are the most important aspects of the school or what we value the most. We’ll also brainstorm adjectives that describe the school. For those who can’t attend the meeting, we’ll open a Survey Monkey in order to get responses to these same talking points. The Survey Monkey will close on February 14.

· The responses will be gathered and communicated back to the ARTech community by February 28. At this time we’ll be inviting name suggestions that reflect some of the ideas discussed and submitted.

· Name suggestions will be collected via e-mail, Survey Monkey, or at the school until March 13.

· The list of names will be sent out to the community on March 16 in the form of an interest survey in order to help narrow the list. This survey will stay open until March 30.

· Between April 2 – 11, interested staff and board members will meet to decide using a consensus format the new name of the school.

· This name will be presented at the April 12 School Board meeting in the form of a policy.

· A second reading of the policy will be held at the May 10 meeting. At this time, the new name will be adopted and announced by the School Board

As we all think about the school and its unique characteristics, we thought it would be helpful to remind ourselves of the school’s mission:

It is the mission of the Northfield School of Arts and Technology to prepare our students to transition intellectually, emotionally, and ethically to higher education and future employment.

Northfield School of Arts and Technology envisions a learning community that encourages and assists students to:

· Express themselves artistically

· Use technology responsibly, creatively, and with innovation

· Develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills

· Construct knowledge and meaning for themselves

· Understand and strive for wellness of their whole person

· Recognize and act upon their responsibilities as local citizens within our global context

· Achieve proficiency in project-based learning

We hope you all can join us for our Community Meeting on February 7 at 7:00! We look forward to hearing your perspectives and great ideas!

Sincerely,

Tammy Prichard

Board Chair

Letter #1 Regarding Name Change

December 7, 2011

Dear ARTech Community,

Many of you may have heard murmurings about a potential name change for the school. It seems that this idea has been bouncing around in conversations between staff, parents and students for a while.

The idea of a name change is not new to the staff at ARTech. The topic has periodically come up with them during staff meetings and at different, less official times as they’ve reflected on the school’s identity, mission, and vision. Anne Klawiter, a teacher and newly-elected school board member, approached the board this fall with the suggestion that we officially consider the idea of changing the school’s name. The board charged her with meeting with the staff, and she reported that they are supportive of a thoughtful, deliberate process to explore finding a new name for the school.

Over time, parents and staff have expressed concerns that the name does not accurately describe who we are. We are not an art school or a conservatory; nor do we have the resources to fully be a technology school. Staff hopes that a new name would communicate to the greater population the wonderful things ARTech does to build and encourage a learning community.

The School Board agreed at the November meeting to change the name of the school and to set up a committee that will outline a careful, thorough process that engages the whole ARTech community. Annie Klawiter has agreed to put this group together. As soon as the committee has determined a process, it will communicate its plan with the families and students so that they can be involved, too.

The school is well-poised to transition to a new name that better describes itself. Next year will be our 10^th year in operation. In the last few years, we have grown and become established in our identity and mission; we have developed a successful hybrid of a project-based model of education. With a new director, two new classrooms, and a 10- year lease, we want to continue to make progress and move forward.

We will contact our ARTech community as soon as we have more to share. Until then, feel free to contact Annie Klawiter (aklawiter@artech.k12.mn.us) or Tammy Prichard (tamprichard@hotmail.com) if you have questions, comments or ideas. In a community-minded school like ours, the process is as valuable as the end product.

Sincerely,

Tammy Prichard & Annie Klawiter

Northfield School of Arts and Technology

December 8, 2011 School Board Minutes

Northfield School of Arts and Technology

School Board Monthly Meeting Minutes

December 8, 2011

6:30 pm

ARTech at 1719 Cannon Road, Northfield

1. Call meeting to order at 6:37

2. Verify Quorum: Tammy Prichard, Tim Goodwin, Annie Klawiter, Janine Nelson, Sheri Acosta, Jan Rowher, Evelyn Hoover. Also attending: Ryan Krominga. Laura Stelter arrived at 7:35

3. Approve Agenda: Janine Nelson, second Evelyn Hoover, approved unanimously

4. Approve Minutes of November 10, 2011: Sheri Acosta, Jan Rowher, approved unanimously

5. Speaker's Corner: This is an opportunity for community members to address the ARTech School Board on subjects related to the school. Please limit comments to three minutes. No speakers

6. Consent Agenda: None

7. Reports

(a) Directors Report – Ryan Krominga updated board with enrollment numbers and communication with families interested in transferring at the semester break. Curricular initiatives were summarized. Ryan did request of the board for feedback as to what information the board is looking for in this section of his report. Building status was summarized, as were external relations, professional development, and progress on the charter renewal. Details available on attachment labeled “Director Report, December 8^th, 2011.”

i. Current exchange student has requested to attend ARTech next year. This would require a F1 Visa and Certification Status on the part of ARTech with the Department of Homeland Security. The student would be required to pay the school the per pupil funding that the state would normally provide the school. Additionally, the cost of the certification is approximately $1,700 plus a cost of $650 for the site visit. Every two years the certification would need to be renewed requiring the $650 site visit. Evelyn Hoover moved and Sheri Acosta seconded moved to have Ryan and the Finance Committee explore the budget implications of applying for this certification and report back to the board in January. Unanimously approved

(b) Finance Committee – Janine Nelson reported, highlighting an increase in funds in grants and fundraising, audit is proceeding, business consulting fees, non-instructional supplies, instructional supplies, and cleaning and maintenance are high, though expected to be within budget by the end of the year. Cash flow is still projecting a shortfall for about 15 days in June and conversations are beginning with our bank for a short term loan to cover that approximate 15-day period. The school will not be dipping into the line of credit until April of this year. Details of the finance committee report can be seen on attached report.

(d) Education Committee: Tami summarized the content of their conversation on November 9^th. The focus of the committee work this year will be “Social Curriculum.” The details of this initial discussion can be viewed on attacheddocuments: “Education Committee Notes 11/9/11 and “Social Curriculum at ARTech: What is the ARTech Way?”

i. College Prep Sub-Committee has met. Robin Gunderson has connected with college reps coming to visit Northfield High School to also visit ARTech during that same visit.

ii. Janine Nelson asked of the committee if there is a forum for parents of 8^th grade students to ask questions about the transition to high school and as they potentially weigh options comparing ARTech to Northfield High School. The need for education and communication of ARTech 8^th grade students and parents about the 9-12 program at ARTech was discussed and highlighted.

(e) Student Report - None

8. Discussion and Action Items:

(a) Self-study discussion – Self-study draft presented to the board. Self-study viewed and approved at the January 12^th board meeting. The evaluation team review will be between January 23^rd through January 27^th. The final report will be delivered to the sponsor by March 1^st.

(b) Name Discussion – A letter has been mailed to the community outlining the concept of a name change and begin the process of deciding on a new name for the community maximizing input from as many stakeholders in the community as possible. It was discussed that the next step is to gather staff and others that could make up the committee to design and lead this discussion within the community.

9. Announcements:

(a) Benefit Concert for the Marroquin-Haslett Family – December 16 at 6:00 at the Ballroom

(b) End of 2^nd Quarter/Presentation Night – December 22

(d) Next Board Meeting – January 12, 2012

(e) Board Retreat – January 28

10. Adjourn: moved by Annie Klawiter, seconded by Sheri Acosta, unanimously approved at 7:54.