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Centennial Charter Schools Task Force

MINUTES OF

CENTENNIAL CHARTER SCHOOLS TASK FORCE

July 2, 1997 - 10:00 a.m. - Room 405 State Capitol




Members Present:
    Sen. David H. Steele, Chair    Supt. Darrell White for    
    Rep. Brian R. Allen, Chair     Supt. Steven Baugh    
    Sen. Joseph L. Hull        Dr. Gary Carlston
    Sen. Howard A. Stephenson    Ms. Margie Coombs
    Rep. Brad King        Dr. Steven Laing
    Rep. Evan L. Olsen        Mr. William P. Moore
    Rep. Bill Wright        

Member Excused:
    Rep. Judy Ann Buffmire

Members Absent:
    Ms. Sharlene W. Hawkes
    Ms. Pat Rusk

Staff Present:
    Mr. J. Wayne Lewis, Research Analyst
    Mr. James L. Wilson, Associate General Counsel
    Mrs. Nedra B. Duzett, Secretary

Note: A list of others present and copies of materials distributed in the meeting are on file in the Office of Legislative Research and General Counsel.

1.    Call to Order - Rep. Allen called the meeting to order at 10:08 a.m.

    a. Approval of Minutes -

    MOTION: Sen. Hull moved to approve the minutes of the June 19, 1997 meeting. The motion passed unanimously.

    b. Committee Business -The time for the August 14, 1997 meeting was set for 2:00 p.m.

2.    Experiences and Observations with Utah Public Schools -

    a. Mrs. Jana Rae Shaw, a parent from the Weber School District, explained that much of her recent interest in the public schools came from her membership on the Weber School District Cost Containment Committee. The committee was formed because of perceived problems with budgetary constraints in the district. A report was issued that was critical of the apparent lack of accountability for expenditures within the district and schools not having the flexibility to determine how money could be spent at the school site.
    Mrs. Shaw also raised concerns over the Weber School Board not being well informed on critical issues within the district and the lack of responsiveness and intimidation exhibited by board members and administrators. She commented on the need for greater accountability by the board and a need to give greater empowerment to principals. Members of the task force asked Mrs. Shaw how these concerns might best be addressed.

    b. Mrs. Gayle Ruzika, president of the Eagle Forum in Utah, made some general comments on public and private education and home schooling. She noted that her family of twelve children had, by choice, been involved in all three educational systems. She indicated that the Eagle Forum supported tax credits for education costs, and does not support the charter school concept.

    She identified specific programs and policies in the public schools that are of concern to the Eagle Forum, including cooperative learning, school to careers, Channel One programing, life skills programs, and elements of the healthy lifestyles programs. She felt that public education needs to return to educational basics, and preschool as well as day care programs are poor ideas. She believes that parental involvement is the key to resolving most problems in public education.

    c. Mrs. Susan Lawrence, a mother of seven children in the Granite School District, commented on the value of parental involvement in a child's education. She noted a preference for public education as opposed to private schools because of its cultural diversity. She commented on competition between public, private, and home schools, and further noted that school choice is the key element for overall improvement of public schools.

    Mrs. Lawrence suggested a need for a better system of accountability for administrators and teachers, and believes schools need to do a better job with site-based decision making and parental involvement at the school level in order to meet individual needs at the school site. Centennial schools will become effective when parents have been given the opportunity to help make decisions that dramatically impact what happens in the classroom.

    d. Janene Bowen, a teacher at Hillcrest High School, said she was raised in a traditional family environment and was amazed at major societal changes that have occurred with mothers working outside the home and single families being predominant in many schools. She said there is an increase in violence and the drop out rate in many schools, and teachers must deal with an ever expanding group of students coming from dysfunctional homes.

3.    Educational Administrators Experiences with Modified Centennial Schools -

    a. Ms. Pam Hallam, principal of Orem Junior High School, Alpine School District, reported that her school is a Modified Centennial school. She said the answer to a better education system is not to re-create schools but to help them become better. She recommended

the task force look at the book The Manufactured Crisis. She said the essence of the book was that most rational people will make the same decision in education policy. She felt public schools offer the best potential for strong educational opportunities to the youth of the state.

    The modified Centennial Schools program has allowed the faculty at Orem Junior High School to be reorganized. The faculty meets weekly and allows parental input on the school agenda. She said the faculty is divided into teams that function on a learn as you go basis. Teams of seven teachers who are responsible for 150 students meet together for one hour each day and discuss individual students. Teachers earn additional pay for the hour they spend each day in team meetings. Providing a revenue source for the extra income required some creative maneuvering on the part of the administration.

    Another goal for the school was to have fewer students in each class. Student interns have been hired in part from Centennial School monies, and placed in each class. This program has worked well because class size has been reduced from 35 to 25 students. Student-teacher mentoring was another bonus from the program which allowed the student intern to work with six other teachers. Money from the pop and vending machines made up the balance of the $162,000 required to pay salaries of each team.

    Sen. Hull asked about the student composition of the school. Ms. Hallam said it was an urban Title I school, consisting of 60 percent single parent families, and 35 percent qualifying for free or reduced lunches. She said the Modified Centennial School program promotes creativity in meeting the unique needs of the students at each individual school.

    b. Ray Morgan, principal of Canyon Crest Elementary, Provo School District, said his school is also a Modified Centennial School and has the potential to accomplish all that should be done to meet the educational needs of all students at the school. He said the school was permitted to waive policies and procedures that would stand in the way of reaching goals and objectives.

    He said the school has focused on academics and improving instruction. He said the test scores at Canyon Crest Elementary in reading comprehension and math problem solving have been poor. There was a general trend for math scores to drop from the first to sixth grade so the school attempted to concentrate on math to stop the downward slide. The program in his school allows teachers to create their own plans. They have restructured the career ladder money to pay teachers extra, and the teachers have developed a reading project. The parent council has requested a focus on curriculum and special workshops in an integrated curriculum. Since the school has been in its new program, they have experienced the greatest improvement in math scores.

    Canyon Crest has collaborated with the State Office of Education and the district office to modify and focus its program on student and curriculum growth.

    Sen. Steele summarized how to move from observing of needs in public education to implementing change. He identified the following:
        - Increase accountability for funding and quality;
        - More community involvement;
        - Change the mind set of educators and families for better partnerships among
         administrators, teachers, parents, and students;
        - More flexibility and power in local area leadership, and
        - Provide necessary training for educators;
        
5.    Adjournment -

    MOTION: Mr. Carlston moved to adjourn the meeting at 12:38 p.m.

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