APC March 2013 Retreat Summary
The Academic Policy Committee (APC) met at the school facility on March 2, 2013 for a board retreat. Facilitating the retreat was Norm Wooten, Director of School Improvement, Association of Alaska School Boards. The retreat began with APC members answering two questions:
The initial discussion centered around the roles and responsibilities of APC members utilizing the provisions of the Twindly Bridge Charter. Areas covered included:
The board members examined in some detail the provisions of the Alaska Open Meetings Act (AS 44.62.310). Topics covered included:
Executive sessions:
The APC examined the previous board goals (2009-2010) and updated the progress made on each goal.
The APC then did an internal analysis of their school strengths. These included:
The APC then examined the challenges facing the school:
The group then divided into three groups and worked on goals. The three groups came up with the following:
Group #1
Group #2
Group #3
NEXT STEPS:
• APC to take three sets of goals and condense them into one set of goals
• Assign action plans with responsible party, timeline
• Regularly report on progress at APC meeting
- Why did I run for election to the Academic Policy Committee (APC)?
- What do I hope to accomplish as a member of the Academic Policy Committee?
The initial discussion centered around the roles and responsibilities of APC members utilizing the provisions of the Twindly Bridge Charter. Areas covered included:
- APC as the governing body
- Board members authority to act on behalf of the school
- Examination of the mission
- Employment of the administrator
- Responsibility contracting
- Professional conduct
- Settling disputes
- Conflict of interest
- Executive sessions
- Fiduciary responsibility
- Indemnification of board members
- Procedure for amending bylaws
The board members examined in some detail the provisions of the Alaska Open Meetings Act (AS 44.62.310). Topics covered included:
Executive sessions:
- How to convene
- Proper wording of a motion
- Topics permitted for discussion
- Appropriate “noticing” of a meeting
- Method of “noticing”
- Remedy for correction of “improper” meeting
The APC examined the previous board goals (2009-2010) and updated the progress made on each goal.
The APC then did an internal analysis of their school strengths. These included:
- Robotics
- STEM (Science)
- Strong technology base
- Diverse classes
- Facilitators/variety of classes
- Sessions are a positive learning community for my children
- Small
- Parents expertise is recognized
- Parent volunteers (not number – but quality)
- Parent run
- You make as big a difference as you want
- Parents have a big say in direction
- Diversified
- Individual gifts celebrated
- Kids steer their own future
- Versatile curriculum meets various needs
- Small student/teacher ratio
- Staff
- Supportive
- Open minded
- Mutual respect – parents/staff
- Responsive
- Teacher-advisors have time to contribute more to the school than correspondence support
- Cheerful staff
- Differing staff strengths
- Approachable staff
- Teachers
- Customer service
- Available
- Listening
The APC then examined the challenges facing the school:
- Some teachers are not freed up for special events
- Continuous stronger teacher support for robotics
- Free up tech teacher
- School safety
- Permanent front desk position (mentioned 5 times)
- Limit on amount facilitators can charge per session
- Field trips
- Low parent volunteers (mentioned 5 times)
- Educated students more thoroughly about post-graduate options
- Need more training opportunities
- Rules – too many
- 100% homeschool support
- Knowing students by name
- Need more teachers with more diversified expertise (i.e. HS science)
- Best classes often full
- Father involvement
- Limited time with all student body
- Evening staffing
- Few evening sessions
- Sports with other schools
- Balancing curriculum costs with class costs (larger allotment)
- Test scores affect all families
- More community involvement
- Educational outreach (lack of)
- Creating school community
- Some parents resist tests
- Test prep
- Some families lack organization or education needed
- Independent attitude can keep us apart
- Time to develop relationships
- Make sure that developed programs maintain staff direction
- Overtaxed (excellent) staff/facilitators
- Communication to families
- Parking lot safety
- Need more rooms to support instruction
- No social area
- Space
- Lack of space for large events
- Inadequate facility
The group then divided into three groups and worked on goals. The three groups came up with the following:
Group #1
- Developing staffing needs
- Facility needs
- Parent needs
Group #2
- Space – reconfigure what we have
- Full time front desk
- Technology/Comp/math teacher committed to full time programs
- HS/College prep – traveling – like school nurse/ 1-2x mo?
Group #3
- Increase capable upper level ed w/increased staffing
- Explore possibility of new facility or improve/expand current building
NEXT STEPS:
• APC to take three sets of goals and condense them into one set of goals
• Assign action plans with responsible party, timeline
• Regularly report on progress at APC meeting