DRESDEN SCHOOL BOARD
RETREAT MEETING
TUESDAY, MAY 22, 2007
7:00 P.M., HANOVER HIGH SCHOOL ROOM 102
Minutes
Present: Board members Asmus, Bruce, Callaghan, Carpenter, Carter, Chamberlin, Fleischer, Gray, Rose, Sachsse, Williams; Administrators Gersen, Aubin, Eberhardt, Gillespie, Finer, Nourse. Recorded by R. Lohr
1. Call to order and Discussions about Goals
Chair Bruce called the public portion of the Retreat meeting to order at 7:06 p.m. The Board heard presentations about how Hanover High School and Richmond Middle School made progress on the 2006-07 Board goals. These goals involved thriving in global society, identifying social support systems, identifying quality of education indicators, and improving communications between the school community and the community at large.
In the discussion about 2007-08 Board goals the Board focused on the need to link faculty professional development with the evaluation system and ways to encourage teachers to become engaged in the Board’s effort to define quality of education in the Dresden schools. The Board goals provide an umbrella for the schools and teachers to develop their respective staff development goals.
Deb Gillespie reviewed some ideas for improving services to students, such as having one guidance counselor focused primarily on ninth graders. Additionally, a survey conducted with ninth and tenth graders this year will provide information for the staff about the challenges associated with students entering the high school as the senior exit interviews have done in the past. In an effort to provide more interaction among students of different grades and in the Common Ground, the entire school will read Mountains to Mountains by Tracy Kidder. The Common Ground is also encouraging the development of mentoring relationships and developing improved relationships among the students and the adults in the school.
Ms. Gillespie also cited another major undertaking at the high school, March Intensive, which will address a variety of goals at the high school.
The Board discussed ways it might encourage the faculty to be more engaged in the identifying indicators of (and measuring) the quality of education in Dresden. The Board wanted to be clear to teachers that it is not claiming that things in the district are bad, but rather it is seeking higher degrees of accountability and striving to excel. The Board wanted teachers to have an opportunity to define ways to measure the quality of education and analyze progress toward its definition of quality.
The Board members from Norwich suggested it might be helpful to meet directly with teachers in a retreat setting as the Norwich Board of School Directors has done for two years. Board members also suggested that the faculty and administrative staff could evaluate the Board and that the administration might develop a survey to do this.
Another suggestion was for the teachers to conduct annual surveys of parents and students to get feedback, which is occurring in the high school, somewhat in the middle school, and has just begun in the Ray School.
The Board wants to find a way to let teachers know that it supports teachers in their efforts to improve quality of education and wants to find a way to increase teacher involvement.
The Board felt that it should continue the existing goals with some refinements. The Superintendent agreed to draft the goals and disseminate them to Board members so they can review and discuss it. There should be a motion to pass the Board goals in the next meeting. The goals also need to be sent to each of the schools so they can use them to help guide the development of the respective school goals.
2. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 9:30 p.m.
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