June-10-2019-Regular-Board-Meeting-segment-4
[00:00:00] Go ahead and make a motion if it's time for that. So all right. I move that we pass resolution number 2018 - 15 authorizing the renewal of a five-year local option tax at the rate of a dollar fifty per 1,000 of assessed valuation.  second grade.  discussion.
We had asked. At in May for additional information and one of the items was like us we goes local option Levy and your dedication of certain portion to mental health and other services and dr. Ludwig provided that.  and the majority of it again. Be is used for social and emotional [00:01:00] learning counselors at the primary and secondary level support learning Specialists mental health.
Sorry, it's mental health and social emotional learning counselors and then some additional positions for support stem Steam and an additional student resource officer. It passed by a big margin. It was 58 percent to 41 percent and to the extent that mental health is a highly recognized need now. I was hoping by asking that question that we might consider at least talk about increasing the level Levy to dedicate dedicate more funding to Mental Health Services.
Or at the least earmarking on in the ballot language some of the some of the funding for mental health and Health Services as Dead Lake Oswego. They were again, they were highly [00:02:00] successful in doing so I know that dr. Ludwig has indicated that we have increased the number of health and mental health staff, but when you adjust for enrollment, I still am concerned that our case loads of up to 700 25 students is is high and I think we heard from students this evening that I think that there is a need for mental health services for students.
I'm just throwing out the concept of either. Dr. Ludwig has it was Poke like when you would ask that? Question for to give some of that context one of the things I did not include in that response is that when Lake Oswego and I want to be really careful not to speak for all of the staff or the board, but in their initiation of getting ready for that house bill 3427 had not passed there was wonder [00:03:00] about that that bill and things were being developed.
Um, if you recall the four buckets that are part of House Bill 3427. One of them is around student safety and wellness counselors mental health professionals are part of what the state is expecting out of A needs assessment that many school districts will apply for because many school districts do not have local option levies.
And so it's a way that the state is providing additional funding specifically. In that area that you've addressed so we could certainly use portion of the house bill 3427 that two billion dollars towards doing exactly that as it emerges do A needs assessment, which we certainly have heard from a number of community members that they believe it's a need and how we can write that into a grant should be fairly easy.
We've got a lot of that data through testimony as well as focus groups and advisories. [00:04:00] Um, and so it's a matter of putting that into our Grant application knowing that the state is giving that money when Lake Oswego went out for their Levi and may things were just getting past now. It's been a while and there's probably an expectation from the community that we use that.
Portion of House Bill 3427 to address that need whether we can do that and now go out for a new additional increase on top of this would be a message. We'd have to very carefully craft as to why we're asking for even additional funding after the state has provided a revenue source for that exact need and I'm sorry.
Go ahead. I would also point out that the dollar 50 assessment is based on the assessed value, which has incrementally increased across the district along with our [00:05:00] enrollment. And so the net is more than in past local options. It would respond to the increased enrollment that we have.  Simply because of the assess the assessed value of the district has increased significantly.
The question I have for you. Dr. Lockberg is the grant associated with that law. Is that sustainable over time then though, we're not. It's not a grant in the sense that you apply for it and you get it once.  Yes, and the funding goes away for dries up. So the so if you recall in my superintendent report, those rules are continuing to be developed, but there is a working assumption that this legislation with this additional tax revenue as long as it's not repealed by the [00:06:00] voters is something that would continue.
In the state of Oregon and just like measure 98 that it would continue to be a funding source. Unlike the levy it wouldn't necessarily come to an end.  I think there's always an opportunity to bring. Tax reforms in front of Voters, so I wouldn't say never but I think there's a Groundswell across the state around seeing mental health support counseling support, and that's exactly what was written into house bill 3427 in one of those four buckets around a provision for school districts to now make that ask in their Grant application.
Thank you. And I would also just note that the current language doesn't exclude the hiring of counselors and metal metal mental health professionals. It just it provides us discretion into how.  [00:07:00] How we can best utilize that money for district personnel, and I also think too we got to keep in mind that mr.
Wright and his. Female counterpart who I cannot recall who gave us a presentation because that they vetted this information and one of the things that they some of the feedback we got was that while leading with hiring of mental health professionals wouldn't necessarily cost us the bond that the response was more positive when we LED with.
Hiring of teachers so young that to me reflects that. Well, you know, there may have been some our community may be a little bit different than our neighboring community. And that what we are doing is actually responsive to what our community has asked.
further [00:08:00] discussion before we vote.
I was just remind the board that what we may be looking at is putting to ballot measures on a November ballot a capital Bond and a local option Lake Oswego had one and so that that's just something to consider as a board that we have to measure to messages that we need to deliver to the community.
So I have a question about that the resolution shows that this was done in 2000 2004 2008 and 2014 were any of those levees past with Bond measure on the same ballot through of them the last two were and if you noticed was there a dip in support for the bond or the levy when it was associated with the other they both passed both times?
In the last time the bond pass and Logo option passed with a higher percentage of yes votes than ever before. Okay. [00:09:00] Thanks.
Chelsea King Martin. Hi, Eddie Reynolds. I enjoy fetch high ceiling Heights. I reckon Molitor. Yes.
I think I'm done.
Are
you ready to continue doctor Ludwig?
Thank you. Mr. Woodley at this time. I'd like to call forward our. Friends and colleagues at Three Rivers charter school and I appreciate your patience as you listen to us work through some important information. We know we're a little behind in our schedule with thank you for your patience. I know also mr.
Chapin, you have some colleagues and parents. It looks like [00:10:00] in the audience from Three Rivers charter school. So we'll let you decide how to introduce folks. We're going to tonight hear a presentation from Three Rivers charter school. And then also what is in front of the school board is a decision tonight.
To adopt a charter renewal for Three Rivers Charter School.  All right. Well for chair Fitch directors, dr. Ludwig, thank you for having me tonight. I'm going to talk about three of us charter school and she gave me about 15 minutes to put a whole year into a presentation. So I'm going to do my best to keep us on track and on time here.
2018-19 has been a fantastic school year for three verse but it also has been one of transition since I am new in the administrator role the first one that's been different and 19 years 18 years. So with that came a lot of learning and growth from me from our. From our students from our families and before I took the job.
I was actually given a quote by one of my [00:11:00] mentors in East and it's from John Gordon says progress is important, but when innovating and driving change, make sure an honor your Trend here tradition purpose and culture this generates power from your past to create your future. It was great advice for me as I started to really learn learn about the community learn about who we were at the RCs and learn about where we are going.
So that's a that's kind of been the foundation for where I was going. Team TRC s that is something that if you get our newsletter, or you hear me talk is something I talked quite a bit about I fully believe that it's an entire team and entire community that makes a school great and that is from our Partnerships that is one of our board goals to continue to partner with not only our community members our families our students but also the district the other thing that we talk a lot about is culture building.
Men for me being in a leadership role every day. It is the [00:12:00] number one agenda item. Our culture is super important to us. And so for us a couple driving factors for that is creating a culture where people. Aren't afraid to fail education is sometimes messy. It's a sometimes failures are best learning tool and I think our kids these days deserve a place a safe place to fail and learn and so that's one of our driving culture foundations.
The other one is trust in creating engage relationships. Everyday, we are working on relationships with kids and families and making sure that they feel safe where they're at. Making sure they feel like they're getting what they need from us. And that is driving where we're moving towards and then I'm a big believer in positive energy.
I think positive energy and positive people go a long way in education education can be a tough every nine months. It's kind of a. It has its ups and downs throughout the entire year and that positive energy and positive people around our students are really going to drive the success of our some of our [00:13:00] school.
So that is team prcs. And so you will hear me use that term quite a bit. I wanted to share a few of our academic successes this year. This is our map scores for 4th 5th and 6th grade in the next slide also has 7th and 8th grade and it's it does have comparison data on there. But the thing that we focus on most is the comparison data within our own school and are we growing each time we take an assessment and so.
We were really excited this year kind of we kind of finished our assessment period along with our state testing last couple weeks and for the most part in every grade level in both subject areas. We were able to show growth all three times we tested and so we're very excited about that progress.
Also, we didn't have all our oh SAS data or Smarter Balance data at the time of this presentation math. We were pretty close to having everybody in we're trending at a 94%. Pass rate which for us is a twelve percent growth over last year, which is also very exciting for us and our language [00:14:00] arts is right around the same as it has been in the past about 93 94 percent, but we don't have all that data back yet.
These are some of the fun things that we get to do on a day-to-day basis at Three Rivers some of the things that we think make Three Rivers special family. This is Family Life at T RCS every year, we're on turn or trimester. So. Three times a year we get in families and that consists of two eighth graders to 7th graders to sixth graders to fifth graders and to fourth graders and our families do a lot of different things together during that term whether it's creating their family names doing skits eating lunch together performing activities.
We also they are also in charge of cleaning our building at the end of the each day. So the families work on that at the end of each day, which is fun process. But it really gives our eighth graders an opportunity before they kind of were at our school being 4th through 8th that are kind of the top dog and getting them the opportunity to lead and be part of leading a [00:15:00] family leading students that are lower in age compared to them but also gives our younger students a wonderful opportunity to get to meet the older kids as the year goes on those groups get switched up.
And so we have a lot of fun. Their family life at T RCs.
One of the other things that we try to do each year, which I think is really cool is service at prcs every student has the opportunity to go on a community service field trip. So those include the Blanche a house downtown Portland feeding the homeless Clackamas bookshelf the Oregon food. Oregon Humane Society the Northwest children's Outreach and then for the first time we undertook the top picture up there.
We undertook our first ever all School community service project. And so we were at Mary S Young Park polling IV. We were there for about two hours. We scheduled it last October. I'm thinking hopefully we get [00:16:00] 65 degrees and on that made it happen to be 91 degrees. So least we are in the shade. It was it was a great time.
There is a lot of. You need to pull at Mary Alice Young Park, but we did our best to try to contribute in that way as well.
Outdoor school is a big event for us. We take sixth seventh and eighth graders. We were we headed off to Bar M Ranch this year, which is just outside of Pendleton as you can see there was a lot of snow at bar and ranch and some places about two feet of snow. We teamed with an organization called trackers.
Who did they do a lot of Summer Camps out of the Portland area and they had seven six staff members with us and they were fantastic. I'm of all leading all the events that we did why where their survival skills? We're building fires. We were building shelters in the snow. We're learning about biomes.
We're tracking different types of animals in the snow really a fun place to go. We enjoyed our [00:17:00] time there. We made it through the the cold the first two days. It's node from most of the first day and half the second then after that it was actually beautiful weather and I think our kids had a blast we had a fun time over there so fun event.
And then the other thing we like to do is we like to play as hard as we can to we work very hard. We work hard in the classroom. But we also try to create magical moments for our kids throughout the year that they will look back on and remember and we try to do it at times when maybe they're least expecting it.
So maybe we're going through a difficult curriculum or we've been working hard on two weeks on. IP projects or something like that and really try to create moments that engage and entertain our students and moments. Hopefully that they remember what their peers as they continue to move forward.
So kind of with that looking at hey, where are we headed? So we're still looking at I'm not going to read all these there's a couple that up there that I really am passionate about growing our Partnerships and [00:18:00] Community continuing to partner with the district. I cannot say enough positive things about my experience in West Linn, Wilsonville.
They've been so welcoming and it's been fantastic group to work with and so we're very appreciative of that continuing to remove barriers for attendance. Looking at Transportation looking at lunch programs things like that as we continue to move forward seeking best practices on the business side of the school, which is kind of unique to a charter school.
So looking at board practices fiduciary responsibility and Human Resources working on making tea RCS sustainable well into the future and then trying to deliver the best education we can give our families that choose to come to tea RCs.
I'm going to play a short little video. This video is actually was made by our eighth grade group for for auction. But it's like 3 minutes long and it there is a little bit of editing that they like to do. So you'll hear the music and stuff, but I'll let it roll and then we can wrap it up.
[00:19:00] Well prcs is.
Special to me because family and friends. They have a lot of family group activities. Let's PE and they make it really special for you. I think for the ways that your CSS affected me most as a person is that I've been able to make more healthy relationships at school and get my working and complete my work and get it in on time with less people distracting me because there's less people in the school and I've also.
We've been able to [00:20:00] form more solid friend
groups.
Cheers Yes means to me that it's personal. And one education and so if you're struggling with something and then teacher can help you a lot with it and sometimes kids who may struggle in math don't struggle in science or social studies and they're actually really good at it and it's finding those personal what your kind of good at it education and that's really helpful to learn who you are in your journey through academics.
I love that there's such a community feel everyone knows who [00:21:00] you are. And what your name is. No one's going like hey, what's that girl's name or who? What's who's that guy? Whatever like eighth-graders associated with fifth graders, and that wouldn't happen in any other school. So the fact that it's happening into your CSS amazing.
The academic The Three Rivers have really helped me grow as a person. They gave me the tools. I need to succeed in high school next year. So when I first came to Three Rivers, I was not very organized person. Like like I was just really messy. I wouldn't like turning the assignments on time. I wouldn't know what what I had to do on each day, but after being here for a while, I really learned how to use my time effectively and how to be organized and how to have a plan.
So before when I felt like a big product or something I would end up doing the entire project on the last day but as I've been. For longer and longer I've learned how to how to segment projects and how to manage [00:22:00] my
time and how to organize my day.
Channel throughout the year and so they've done a lot of video projects. So it's been a lot of fun and kind of with that that is my as quick as possible year wrap up. There's plenty more. So if you have questions. We can you can ask those two, but also come visit us. So one of the things that we do is interpret independent projects, and it's kind of a two-month Journey for students at each grade level working on incorporating all of our curricular areas into one project, and we do a big portfolio nightlock, and that is tomorrow at 6:30.
But then any other time you want to come visit, let me know and we'll set up a time for you two to come tour and see what we're doing at TR Cs and so with that I want to thank you guys the Westin Wilsonville School Board. [00:23:00] We're having a school like TR C s-- and its Community, dr. Ludwig and her incredible District staff.
I can't say it's just been fantastic to work with you guys are bored at TR csrt crcs teachers and staff our families and students and then our entire community. So thank you very much.
questions from board members. Before we start Nick. Could you introduce my seed board members Lisa and so could you have board members stand and the staff? That's also here this evening. That's so board members recently fell down and Karen.  Denise and Jill are joining us where teachers Miss Alston and a couple parents.
Also, Karen and Stephanie nabek. You're welcome.
[00:24:00] Thank you for the presentation and looking at your state of Oregon report card. Your results are amazing. I mean no high and. Nine, you know greatly exceed State Standards, but also looking at the demographic information. I know you use a lottery that I'm just wondering about what you do to encourage diversity in your in your enrollment.
Yeah. So that's something we're definitely working towards and in a variety of ways trying to look at it our hope is that as we continue location as the location change to also we had a huge demographic from West Linn. From the West Linn area as the old building was at the old Bank building as you cross the bridge now being centrally located.
We're sitting to starting to see some growth in the Wilsonville Community as well. So tuning into some of those things then also removing some of those barriers looking at lunch programs and transportation. And so those are [00:25:00] things that are on kind of our next strategic plan to really focus on.
I want to apologize for not getting out to see you before tonight. And I appreciate you extending the invitation and then and again and I will.  Likewise thank you for this this was a has a lot of information in it. And it's very helpful. This might be an old complaint but one that I had heard from our community again in the context of.
Our kids did great at three Charters. We were very happy to have them there. But then when they transition to high school, we had a problem getting a report card and I noticed part of our agreement involves records and I'm not sure it's referring to report cards, but maybe you could just speak the whether your students get a report card that can then transition to the high schools with it [00:26:00] as.
Yeah, so I yes we do. I don't be interesting to know why that happened. I don't know but sixth seventh and eighth graders are getting in all our core subject areas. They're getting letter grades that would then move on to the high school with them and their cume report and Arkham file. And then this is for the district as one of our concerns is making sure that we transition students well between.
Eighth grade and to ninth grade. Is there an attempt to make sure that we are incorporating these students and any of that Outreach?  Yeah, those the communication about incoming freshmen nights and looking at our principles are gone this evening. But those are also extended additionally for students who are on IEP there is opportunity for that type of a transition between Three Rivers Charter School in the district.
I would I would add to that to we've really worked in this last year looking at curriculum that the district's [00:27:00] using looking at how we can align kind of our model as much as possible to the district's model. So it isn't such a jump if kids are going from prcs in that's in any of their five years to a to a school anywhere else in the district that those things would align and that they would be seeing some of the same things in hearing some of the same things.
So. And if I could draw fast, I'm like to make a motion that we approve.  Like to make a motion that we renew the charter with Three Rivers charter school for the years 2019 through 2024.  Per the updated contract I'll second. For the discussion and questions.
Kathy King Martin. Oh, are we discussing? I just I do have one [00:28:00] question. Thank you. Thank you for the report and for all of you for being here. I anecdotally know Three Rivers charter school to be a Beloved School for the families who attendant and I'm have to have one wondering. I don't know if it's in here.
I've been perusing it. Maybe it is but what are. The fundraising requirements for your families and how does that work? It's a question that I'm something. So we've really looked at in the past. They've used the kids first pledge, which is kind of a pledge a fundraising pledge and where we still use that as one of our main.
Well, that is our main fundraiser. And so we've been looking at ways as we continue to remove barriers. How can we less than that expense or less than what we're asking from families to really move our program. And then this year we brought back our auction, which we hadn't had. I'll because of the capital campaign that they ran to build the school as I I believe that was why it kind of went away and now it's kind of coming back.
So looking at other ways to offset some of those [00:29:00] fundraising methods.
and then I just like to add I have had the pleasure of serving as board liaison to Three Rivers charter school for well, actually, it was a year before the past Charter renewal and. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience throughout this time. This Charter renewal process wasn't unlike any other kind of contract negotiation that we've had.
It's very amicable. It's very how can we work alongside of each other? Are there areas where the district could come up alongside the charter school and provide additional support where possibly are there? Avenues of alignment this idea that our students you'll start. Within our greater district schools, then go into TR C s-- but then they returned to the larger districts.
It's excuse me system and you know [00:30:00] the through lines that we talk about with any other schools. Like how can we better improve those with three rivers and Nick Chapin has been incredible as a new leader of that school to work with and have these discussions with I would also. I mentioned that we have the opportunity to meet with teachers both Meg and Denise sat down and just shared their experiences and their culture of their school and areas where they felt we use a district could help better support the school and areas where that school has further growth just like.
Any of our other schools with regards to the Charter itself some of the new terms some of our more almost clerical in nature tracs moved locations. So we need to update the address in the charter some smaller items like buying a change in leadership change names and then as Nick mentioned. Also just looking at the [00:31:00] contract with an eye to what are what are the terms of the contract?
What is it requiring being that during? Since the last renewal, I mean our district has new leadership through dr. Ludwig. Mr. Chapin is new leadership 40 RC s. So just kind of ensuring that everyone has a Meeting of Minds and understanding as to the existing terms as well as just that look forward that mr.
Chase Chapman explained this evening about you know, where where is there room for improved practices at T RCS? Where is their room yet to. Potentially create greater diversity at TRC s it was just it's been a really open discussion about these things and you know where they will be in 2024 when we revisit these terms again.
[00:32:00] Mr. Chapin, thank you for being here. I also need to get to Three Rivers at some point to look it over to thank you for invitation. I guess my question is have a big question. I would invite your board members to speak to it as well, which is why I mean I assume this school is filling a hole in the community.
What whole or what role is this school feeling and why is this an essential part of the western most of those School District? What's different being offered here?  I can get my responses, but anybody else want to. Come up and give their response. I think my just kind of in my year-long being there is it's just a little bit a little bit of a different age grouping a little bit of a different model and in the size being a hundred and ten kids and definitely being smaller and I'm a close-knit community the way we kind of do curriculum Cycles is a little bit different.
Our teachers are teaching fourth grade language arts. One term in the next term. They might be teaching sixth grade language arts, and then they might be teaching [00:33:00] fifth grade language arts. So there are teaching a variety of topics throughout the day throughout the year. And so their ability to build relationships with kids and the time that they spend with kids I think is really what is different a little bit at the RCs.
And so really getting to know the entire population and creating a really close-knit Community something that I've seen.
My name is Lisa mackel Downey. I used to be Lisa Ellingson and I have five children that my oldest daughter actually. Was part of the 456 which for any of you who've been around was the precursor to the charter school. She's now 31 and all of my children went through the West Linn Wilsonville School District graduated from Wesleyan high school started at Willamette primary and what you know.
Our journey. All I can do is speak for why I think it [00:34:00] fills a really important role. My oldest daughter really had a hard time with transitions. So I remember every beginning of the school year was just horrible because she couldn't deal with change. So when at Willamette primary she finally got into a 2-3 blend and we hit third grade and it was this really.
Easy transition I said and then I heard about the 456. I'm like I'm getting my kid in that program because then I get three years in a row where I can have that consistency and it was a wonderful experience in the middle of that 456. Is when we went for the charter and I was actually one of the founding board members.
My youngest child is 21. She's no longer in school. I've been on the board for the charter school off and on for. As long as it's been in existence, so, you know, that's why I'm I don't have any kids in the school. I don't live in West Linn any [00:35:00] longer, you know, my commitment to the school is really my passion for what I have seen it.
Do not only for my own family, but for so many kids that have come through there and and honestly, like I said my kids started and went back into the West Linn school district and how to had a wonderful experience and we have. A great schools throughout the district. However, I would say that. The unique thing about Three Rivers is the small nature of it and not all kids learn the way, you know kind of the mass education provides it and so, you know among my five children, I would say.
Two or maybe three of them would have done fine in any school too and maybe you know the third one kind of probably did a little bit better but two of them for sure needed a three rivers and it's just because of how they learned [00:36:00] and what I would say is every kid at Three Rivers charter school is on an IEP.
You know and what I think one of the kids spoke to it like you might be really really good in math and you might be really really good in science, but you're not very good in English and you can the way the program works. You can actually have a kid. Be in advanced classes for some core subjects, but really kind of be remedial in something else, but it's not a parent, right?
So it doesn't stand out and then I think that the other beautiful thing about it is kind of the family thing that Nick talked about you have this. The older kids teaching the younger two kids teaching happens in so many different ways there in terms of the older kids mentoring and learning to be leaders the younger kids learning from the older kids and learning to look up to them and and that happens also through like we've got high school students and they were mentors when the 456 was at the high [00:37:00] school.
That was a beautiful thing. But learning just happens on so many different levels in the school. And so I think it really it really appeals to kids who have lots of different learning. Styles and you know, that's that's it meets a special need and you seen this the results I think. Some not not to say that those kids may not have been able to be successful in other schools.
But there's definitely kids that come there and they've had you know, we get kids that come in in the middle. They don't start in fourth grade and they come and then they they are able to be successful. So. But I do agree with Nick. I think we've been working really, you know, as part of the really came back to help the founders with their succession plan and to you know knew that they were going to be retiring.
I don't know how many of you knew and then went to one of the founders passed away and then the other one retired and we ended up doing a search in hired Nick and we couldn't be more [00:38:00] happy. He's been a huge great addition to our team. And you know, he's had a really successful year, but you know what to start your year having to come in take over from Founders and then go through a charter renewal and everything else that you know, he's had to deal with this year.
So I do thank you all for your time and tonight to watch the presentation and and to consider our renewal.
Chelsea King Martin.  I Eddie Reynolds I enjoy fetch. Hi Ellen. Hi. Hi Reagan Molitor. Yes.
Thank you very much.
And before we maybe take a short recess and as folks are kind of wiggling in their seats. [00:39:00] I just want to also thank you Nick for your leadership at Three Rivers charter school over coming in almost so seamlessly and establishing your leadership, but doing it through really a way of listening. And honoring what had been there honoring your staff listening very carefully, and I remember you sharing that with me that you're so impressed with what's already been established and really coming in with a great deal of care Lisa.
Thank you for your many many years on the board, and I remember to hearing about this multi-age. Vision of the 456 and and this idea of an option for families and how it's grown is just been really beautiful and it's a tribute to the dedication of staff to really strong community support and I think any time a school district has some options for families and children that's a good thing and to have a very collaborative relationship is even better.
So thank you Karen Jill Stephanie.  Meg Denise, who am I missing? Set it. Thank you for coming tonight. Thank you for your [00:40:00] tremendous support for your leaders for your teachers and its really appreciated and we're really pleased to be able to renew this contract.