WASHINGTON —
Washington Community Schools Assistant Superintendent Paul White gave board members an overview, at their Tuesday night meeting, of the RISE teacher evaluation process the corporation has prepared for state approval.
“It’s been a very collaborative process between our administration and our teachers,” he said.
White told the board there are a lot of facets to RISE but, essentially, every teacher will receive one of four ratings at the end of the evaluation: highly effective, effective, improvement needed or ineffective. If a teacher’s rating is one of the lower two, he or she will not be eligible for raises. A 90-day remediation will be required, and anyone in the ineffective category for two consecutive years could be eligible for release.
There are two components of the RISE evaluation system, White explained: professional practice, which evaluates the teacher’s performance, and student learning, which evaluates the goals set for student performance. He said each teacher will be observed five times annually, with two of those to be 40 minutes or longer, and the other three of lesser duration. Some will be scheduled; others will be a surprise.
Student learning has three different aspects, according to White: individual growth model, schoolwide learning measure and student learning objectives.
“We’ve got a lot going on here at the same time,” he said.
Teachers Brenda Smith and Nikki Sparks were on hand to comment from the teachers’ perspective, and they said the process has been good for both the administration and teachers, providing a lot of meaningful discussion. They said there will be a learning curve for everyone as the evaluation process is implemented.
Assistant Superintendent Gary Puckett reported a narrative description of the new bus schedules will be posted on the school’s website and maps will be available in the respective school buildings.
“We’re prepared to be flexible with that,” Puckett said when asked about any potential confusion for families. “We’ll do what we have to do to get the kids where they need to be.”
Puckett also advised the board that the school corporation is in compliance with Indiana’s new smoke-free workplace law and actually was proactive in that respect, already having gone above and beyond what was necessary.
In other business:
• The retirement requests of elementary teachers S. Kay Michael and Joan Sponn were accepted.
• The resignation of high school math teacher Audrey Case was approved.
• Leaves of absence were approved for Amanda Salters, Valerie Clarke, Lacey Higgins and Megan Cornelius.
• Appointments were approved for Maria Killion in the VU Early College program, Jason Smith as high school English teacher, Jay Neuhoff in the high school Project Lead The Way program, and JoAnn Meese as junior/senior high school nurse.
• A dairy bid was approved from Prairie Farms Dairy Inc., and a bakery bid was approved from Aunt Millie’s Bakeries.
• School lunch prices were approved at $2.50 for elementary lunch, $2.75 for secondary lunch, 40 cents for reduced-price lunch and $3 for adult lunch. Breakfast prices will be $1.50 at both the elementary and secondary levels, 30 cents for reduced-price breakfast and $2.30 for adult breakfast. Extra milk will be 35 cents for students and 40 cents for adults.
Puckett said prices have increased because the schools are required to serve more fruits and vegetables, which are more expensive, and meal prices had been kept low for a long period of time previously.
Local News
Washington school board gets RISE update
- Local News
-
-
Republicans to vote on new trustee
Republicans from Washington Township will meet today to vote on a new township trustee.
Fifteen committee chairmen from Washington Township will vote at 8:45 a.m. today to fill the position following the death of Albert “Pete” Showalter, who died on April 13. -
North, Owens 'Play' hard
North Elementary School celebrated its field day Friday with games, ice cream, inflatable fun houses and Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders.
-
B-R to graduate 41
Barr-Reeve High School will hold its 48th commencement exercises on May 25, in the high school gymnasium at 2 p.m. Again this year, the graduation will be an afternoon affair.
-
Police Report
CITY REPORT
Thursday
1:03 a.m. - Karen Hulsey, of 511 S. Meridian St. reported a subject possibly hiding the bushes behind her residence. She stated she didn’t see anyone, but could hear coughing. -
School board approves new handbooks
Members of the Washington Community Schools Board approved the 2013- 2014 school handbooks. Elementary, junior high and high school student handbooks will now be more streamlined with one another. One major change to the handbooks will be a stricter attendance policy for students. Currently, students in the school district can have 10 unexcused absences per semester.
-
Unchained Gang roars into park
The Daviess County Unchained Gang will be hosting its 11th annual motorcycle show and swap meet Saturday at Eastside Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
-
DECA to sponsor dodgeball tourney
Members of the Washington High School DECA Chapter will be hosting a DECA Dodgeball Tournament on Tuesday in the Hatchet House beginning at 6:30 p.m.
-
Area Briefs
Road paving in Washington
The Indiana Department of Transportation is advising motorists to be aware of temporary lane restrictions on Bus. 50 in Washington. Beginning on or after Monday, May 20, crews will be spot paving throughout the city. Work will be accomplished one lane at a time and utilize flag persons to control traffic through the work zones. Work activities are scheduled to take place between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day with all paving operations anticipated to be complete by May 24. Inclement weather will cancel the work operation for the day.
-
Police Report
CITY REPORT
7:56 p.m. - A complainant on E. Nat'l Hwy. reported there was a truck popped open playing very loud music. -
Police Report
CITY REPORT
Wednesday
2:19 p.m. - Dave Waters, 200 1/2 SE 7th St., reported that someone had broken into his storage building and broke the windows out of the vehicles stored there. Waters also said that someone had smashed in the roofs on many of the vehicles. Extra patrol was requested. - More Local News Headlines
-
Republicans to vote on new trustee
Probe Begins After Conn. Commuter Trains Crash
NTSB Begins Investigation Into Conn. Train Crash
Lotto Fever Sweeps the Country
Conn. Commuter Trains Collide; 60 Go to Hospital
Coffee Run Leads to Hatchet Hitchhiker Arrest
Fmr. IRS Head Insists No Politics in Targeting
CDC: Fecal Bacteria Common in Swimming Pools
$1 Million in Jewels Stolen at Cannes Film Fest
NM Mom Chases Down Child Abductor
Raw: Crash Sends Car Into Fla. Pool
Raw: Obama Sits Down With Elementary Kids
Raw: Bear Falls From Tampa Tree
Ousted IRS Chief: Errors Not Caused by Politics
Terror Suspect Due in Court in Idaho Friday
Raw: Driver Ejected From Truck, Over Bridge
Could Tobacco Be the Next Biofuel?
Wash. State Releases Draft Rules for Legal Pot
Dying Man's Blinks Lead to Murder Conviction
Officials: Texas Tornado Likely Had 200 Mph Wind
Brothers Arrested in NOLA Parade Shooting
