School board approves new District Leadership Team

At the regular school board meeting on September 10, the Maple Lake school district’s board members voted to blend the Q Comp and District Staff Advisory Teams into one “District Leadership Team” program after hearing a request from elementary teacher and Q Comp representative, Tanya Malwitz. This combination will bring together two committees with the same goals in mind, while keeping with state requirements to design and collectively bargain a plan that meets the five components of the law. The five components under Q Comp include Career Ladder/Advancement Options, Job-embedded Professional Development, Teacher Evaluation, Performance Pay, and an Alternative Salary Schedule. DSDAT was established as a tool for better communication of staff development and district goals. DSDAT is a spring board to write action plans that better serve Maple Lake Schools. The committee goals are to: improve test scores, integrate technology, increase teacher knowledge to provide high quality interactions, provide staff that models positive interaction, and to ensure a safe school environment with high quality staff. Administration and staff members from the two teams are in agreement that it makes sense to work together. It will eliminate the difficulty of meeting multiple times after school hours, and relieve board members of some paperwork. School Superintendent Mark Redemske said, “This blend is streamlining personnel efforts.” In other business at the September 10 meeting, the board: •Approved decreasing the long-term substitute instructional aide contract of Alicia Stoll from 6.5 hours per day to 5.25 hours per day from September 10, 2012, through May 30, 2013. •Approved increasing the instructional aide contract of Heather Haney from 6 hours per day to 6.75 hours per day from September 10, 2012, through May 30, 2013. •Approved the 2012 (payable 2013) Tax Levy for the maximum levy. •Approved a resolution of election of school board members. •Approved a resolution of process for a purchase lease or purchase financing and certificates of participation, authorizing the issuance, determining the form and details, awarding the sale, and authorizing the execution, delivery, and registration in regards to the district’s energy savings performance contract. •Approved the School Accountability Report (SAR). •Heard an update on the status of summer 2012 school maintenance projects. All projects have been completed. •Heard a review of opening week and enrollment figures for the new school year. Student enrollment is a little less than projected. The main loss of students is from seniors who went PSEO (Post Secondary Education Option). High School Principal Andy Almos is looking at options to bring more college credit classes to Maple Lake High School. •Heard from Principals Almos and Kris Harlan who both reported that it has been a smooth start to the school year. •Approved two donation checks from Target for the elementary school for $2,112.88 and one for the secondary school for $1,217.66. •Approved changes first read at the August board meeting to Policy 205 – Open Meetings and Closed Meetings, which now states that mediation sessions closed by the Commissioner of the Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS) cannot be recorded electronically. •Heard from Student Council representative Holly Goelz. Homecoming week will be held October 8-12, 2012. Library fundraising was also discussed. •“DISTRICT #881 IS PROUD OF”: Jodi Stecker and Tammy Heitkamp for being selected as the district’s Educational Support Staff Recognition honorees; Maple Lake Elementary School for earning Reward School status through MCA testing and Maple Lake High School for scoring at the Celebration level; the third grade staff team and supporting cast for creating their Sign it Daily video, now showing on YouTube; the Maple Lake Lakers for winning the 2012 Class C Amateur State Baseball Tournament. In attendance were board chair Shelley McAlpine, board members Dennis Klug, Shelley Liljequist, Arnie Michalicek, Brad Neutz, Rick Thomas, Superintendent Mark Redemske, Elementary School Principal Kris Harlan, High School Principal Andy Almos, and Human Resources Manager Maureen Donohue. The next regular school board meeting will be in the high school board room at 7 p.m. on Monday, October 15.