001this meeting to order. Stand and say the pledge. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Malta school board of trustees notice of meeting being recorded. This meeting of the school board of trustees committee of the board of trustees or committee subject to the open meeting law is being recorded in accordance with sections 232023 and 23214 of the Montana code annotated. All members of the board, committee, staff, and public in attendance are advised that the public portions of the meeting will be recorded in both an audio and video format. Cameras and recording devices are placed throughout the meeting to complete these recordings. Everyone in attendance is reminded to honor the basic rules
002of decorum during meeting and guidance associated with providing public comment as stated in policy 1420F. By remaining in the meeting, those present consent to being recorded and displayed in the footage that will be posted on the school district's website. When we have no visitors, no public comment. So, I think we'll get started. Okay. We'll just go, we each take turns, we'll go down through the questions and you can just follow along with us. So, and you just I'm assuming sorry everybody knows it. I'm assuming everybody knows everybody. Yep. Okay. I'm just making sure. I'm Zach. Making sure. All right. Number one, describe your experience in education. Um, my experience in education. I was a a middle school math teacher at Malta Middle School for 5 years. Transition into Malta Elementary principal last year. um got
003my masters about three years into my teaching degree or in my teaching experience, sorry. Um and then jumped right in. Um I teach K12 weights and PE at Hinsdale as well as sixth grade math currently. Kind of a little bit of everything there. Um but my experience in education has been a good one, positive one. on. I think uh although there's a teacher shortage and things like that, I think education um is trending upwards, especially with things in the you know the the house right now that are looking to improve teacher pay and things like that. So that's good to see. So I think overall my experience in education has been positive. Thank you. Okay. describe your leadership style. Uh, I don't think there's a set in stone leadership style that I necessarily follow. I
004collaborate a lot, I guess. Um, I think being a great collaborator is a good skill in this position. Um, that would probably be my style, I guess. But again, I'm very hands-on. Um, I like being in the classroom. Um that was one of the appeals of this job. It's a halftime teacher, halftime principal. Uh I think that would be a good balance and again uh let me build a relationship with those students to collaborate with them as well as collaborating with the staff as well. Okay. Thanks. Just in time, Katie. We're on number three. Yes. I apologize. I was getting my stove installed and it was 10 times smokier than you'd ever had before. So my sincerest apologies. I didn't want to have my house on fire while I was going to hire her again.
005Okay. What do you perceive as the top priority of a middle school principal? Uh top priority would probably just be being an advocate for the students and staff. Um knowing that they have someone in the position that cares about them, that is going to be there at their basketball games, at their volleyball games, at their choir concerts, and again, um just collaborating with them. um giving them a say in the change or any anything that needs to be fixed. I think it's important to have uh student and staff input on that. But again, it's just being visible, being present, and being there. Thank you. Y Okay. List three expectations you have for your staff and students. Three expectations for staff and students. Say one, be positive. There's gonna be rough days, especially in middle school,
006but um yeah, be positive. Uh have a growth mindset. Know that, you know, learning never really stops or uh for staff or students. And then um set high goals. Don't don't just be okay with floating pie. It's okay to shoot for the stars and if you come up short, you know, at least you have a great effort. Um yeah, those would be my three top expectations. Okay. Okay. Five. What experience do you have in curriculum design and have you worked with a curriculum consortium? Um for curriculum design, I've just collaborated with teachers on implementing the I Ready Math program K through 8 in Malta. Uh that was probably my second year in teaching. Uh K5 was still on uh Sax and math. So I went down to the elementary school and just gave them input
007on my experience with I Ready Math. Um had a couple meetings. They they went through a few different textbook companies, but it did end up being I Ready. Um, so I was able to provide input just on my the pros and cons of that program and then with a curriculum consortium um, golden triangle just being a part of their um, con consortium. How do you not me? Who invent who invented that word? But uh yeah, just I mean I still get the monthly emails from Golden Trying of all the updates and the standards that you know the the schools in Montana are supposed to follow. So that's my experience with that. Thank you. All right. Number six. What methods or approaches do you use most to bring about change in a school district? uh getting
008staff input, collaborating um again being a positive influence for the students and the staff I think is how you approach change and in a school district I guess change is tough. I mean any even any small changes requires a lot of follow through at all levels. So, it's important that I mean there's follow through at the top with administration um in the middle with teachers and um at the bottom with students or else the change isn't going to be how you want it. Thank you. Okay. Number seven, how have you worked with regular education teachers to ensure the success of integrating special needs students into a regular education classroom? Yeah, as a principal, I was able to sit in on a lot of IEP meetings. Um, so I knew the accommodations of every student. Um,
009I was in the classroom often. So, if I went in there and saw uh maybe a seating arrangement or a visual aid not being used, I was able to see that and correct that. But the staff at Malt Elementary does a great job collaborating with the title one and the special education department and it was just a seamless transition for that. Okay, thank you. How do you anticipate facilitating collegial support and increasing staff morale and student morale? Yep. Um, again, I feel repetitive, but being visible, being there, um, collaborating, knowing that I might not have every answer for the staff or the students, but I could provide the resources or at least look into the problem that they're facing. Um, and with staff morale and student morale, it's probably one of my favorite things as
010a educator is I always have the ability to be positive. And I feel like even though if I'm having a bad day, I don't really show it. I'm still going to joke around with students. I'm still going to uh whatever, do Friday dance or do do beaches at a concert. I I mean, it's just being goofy and knowing that, you know, school doesn't just have to be like a a boring thing. You can still have fun at school and be productive. Okay. Describe your experience in evaluating teachers effectiveness. Yep. So, as a principal, we followed the Rocky Mountain evaluations. Um, and for every non-tenyear teacher, they would have an evaluation before sometime in October and then before their second one before April. Um, so sitting in on the classrooms and watching how the how the
011teachers are performing. Um, and then for the tenure staff, um, they're on a two-year cycle, I believe, one with a performance task and the other one with a yearly evaluation. Um, it's I think it's hard to just evaluate twice a year or once a year. So, being in the classroom regularly um is a lot more effective. And I I guess those would be informal evaluations, but just seeing if again anything needs to be fixed. It doesn't have to be a a major major fix. Just a small tweak um could help those teachers and I was able to provide that input to them. Thanks. Yep. Okay. So 10. What process would you follow when a teacher does not meet your expectations? Yep. Um if a teacher doesn't meet expectations, just have to be direct with them.
012Um be specific. Uh, I think it's important not to sugarcoat those things and be positive and know that the teacher that isn't meeting expectations in one department's probably meeting them or exceeding them in another one. So, I think again being positive but being direct. Thank you. Okay. Number 11. What does staff development look like in your school? Uh that would be a collaboration with administration to um plan those teacher work days and the P days. Um staff development also means regularly meeting with teachers whether it be weekly or bi-weekly. Um consistent communication on changes, new students, things like that. um any new you know laws that uh Montana educators are required to follow. I think it's important to I guess in those situations overcomun overcommunicate to staff rather than undercommunicate. Um and again the same
013same thing I said earlier having a growth mindset knowing that I mean there's really no time in your life you're going to stop learning. Thank you. Okay. 12. How would you describe your rapport with students and staff members? I think that would be probably my biggest strength as an educator. Um developing the relationships with the students and staff to help them meet their goals. Um I do it in a in a unique way, I think. Um whether it be handshakes with students or I don't have a lot of handshakes with teachers. I guess I could start doing that. But um and then just with teachers, you know, being an ear for them to, you know, air out their frustrations or their concerns or their or their triumphs as well. I think it's important to uh
014celebrate their successes and and improve what needs to be fixed. Thanks. Number 13. How would you handle a conflict between a teacher and a parent? Uh, I think it would first need to be handled by the teacher if at all possible. I wouldn't want to step on the teacher's toe. If it wasn't fixed by then, I guess I would get the teacher's viewpoint of what happened and the parents viewpoint and come to a resolution. I think it's important to hear both sides, but again, um, I'd want the teacher to handle it first and I'd always have the the teacher's back. And if the teacher made a mistake, I would just have a meeting with the teacher and make strides to fix that. Okay. Thank you. Okay. How would you handle a situation where a student
015is struggling with discipline issues? Well, if the discipline issues are consistent, obviously the the discipline, whether it be detention or whatever, isn't working. Um, I think you have to go to the core problem of what is happening. Um, are they trying to escape the classroom? Are they trying to seek attention? Um, that could be a staff meeting, that could be a parent staff meeting as well to figure out a solution. A lot of times having the students in those um meetings as well is empowering for that student as well to to know that uh you know we don't necessarily want to give you detention or have you miss whatever but we want your behavior to be how it should be in school. Okay. [Music] 15. Tell us about an error you have made in your
016role as a principal or a teacher and how you went about explaining or correcting the error. Yeah, that's I think like a daily thing as a principal or teacher. Like you're always going to come across errors. Um I think one like last year at like 9:30 I got an email from like a Middle Eastern accountant saying there was a bomb thread and I it just kind of spooked me and I didn't know how to handle it. Um, I don't think I necessarily made an error with it. I actually actually called the police department. They did a scan and everything. Um, I don't know if I should have notified the uh the teachers that night. I guess that could have been the only error I made. I notified them before school and I mean I was
017pretty sure it was a hoax, which it was, especially when got on Facebook and saw it was sent to everyone. But again, just something I didn't think I'd have to deal with and uh didn't really know how to handle it until I got that email at 9:30 or whatever. Yeah. Okay. Thank you for that. Yeah. All right. Number 16. What do you see as being your greatest accomplishment so far as a principal or teacher? I would say just developing relationships uh you know across the island with uh teachers, baras and and students and seeing the successes that they have and the successes can be you know in sports and band and choir also in the classroom. Um it it's just incredible to me to see the the amount of uh successes that students and staff
018can have around this part of the of the state where there may be limited resources. But but again, I I just think it's uh the coolest probably job in the world to just be able to, you know, have a relationship with so many students and staff members and all work in unity to really help students reach their their [Music] goals. Okay. 17 Why Malta school district? Why now? I think with Malta school district obviously I have a emotional attachment to it. Um I love Malta school district and everything it it stands for. Um why now I guess um I think the middle school principal job is a good balance of um being a teacher and being a principal. I think it's a unique role, but one that fits my lifestyle where I'm at right now
019pretty darn well. I like that I'd have the flexibility to be in the classroom or the gym or wherever I'm I am while still being able to be an administrator. Thanks. Last one. What questions would you like to ask us? Um I guess how the day is set up, you know, how many teaching periods, how many uh at this point I would say two to three possibly. We haven't really obviously once we build a schedule what that looks like next year. Do you know what content area? Well, we know you're good in math. So, um, no, we we have not I know there's been some conversations about like algebra and going down to maybe possibly the seventh grade sure thing with or where that's going to go. So, that's it hasn't been an indepth conversation,
020just kind of thinking what we want to do with our our math content. So, sure. I mean, other than that, I I don't really have any other questions, I guess, other than when I can expect to hear back and go forward with the process. These five people decide. What day did we list the position? Do you remember the day we posted it? Yeah. As soon as we come to a decision. Yeah. As soon as possible. Deadline. I like [Music] Yeah, we didn't have a we didn't have an application deadline or anything like that. Sure. It was just open until filled. Yeah. Okay. Other than that, no, I don't have any more questions. I appreciate you here this time. Thank you for coming in. Thank you for [Music] y, too. Thank you. You, too. [Music] discussion.
021I think I started last time. Somebody else has to start this time. Start with that. I thought he interviewed well. Good answer, huh? Very well. Mhm. Very well. And he's impressed with some of I like I like his positivity, positive attitude he has towards school and kids and it's kind of contagious. It is. Yeah. Sorry, I'm trying to like fill in the spots to write fast. Yes. [Music] He obviously knows, you know, Malt public schools curriculum and how, you know, like our disciplinary stuff and so he obviously knows how all that works. Mhm. and he talked a lot about, you know, I ready and the golden triangle and, you know, he knows how the evaluations go, how many a year and so kind of already knows all that. I feel like my favorite answer was
022probably still can have fun at school and be productive. I think mine was growth mindset. We said that a few times. You say that a lot. Growth mindset. Yeah. Do anything, Katie Marcus? I think he was a little nervous. You could see that um he was fidgeting a little bit, but I think he did a good job repeating himself a couple times. And some of the answers um that he gave, but I feel like they were okay answers. And like I said, there was a couple of them that I felt like were very spoton. Um, and I think where he does know the kids, um, and he understands that junior high level, his positivity is a very good thing at that junior high level. So, I think that that might be a very good fit
023for him. This is his application. If anyone wants to review it again in paper, can I ask Steve a question? And it's not particular to any candidate, but like what do you think is going to be a middle school principal's biggest challenge? Probably the behavior. I mean, it it happens student behavior. Yeah. It happens at random. Um, you know, and how do we maneuver uh if he is teaching at that? That was going to be my question. Does that default then to you? probably something severe. Yeah. Right. Or Mr. BL or whoever is still available and that's normal because I've I've been where I was gone and it was just left to deal with my back. So that's the day which is always right. Okay. But that'll be the difficult part. Yeah. Maybe the evaluating
024and you're still teaching. I know that that's kind of a a thought process for you. You just evaluate this position more than likely. Yeah. Do you just when you do teacher evaluations, you just if you're teaching part-time, do you just try to fit it into your admin? And that'll be that'll be harder. I mean, yeah. When you're teaching and that's that's going to be a struggle, a balance to do that, but not impossible. No, of course. I did like in some of his answers where he mentioned a lot about being present. He understands the importance of being there. You and I talked about that in the past that that's the one struggle why we were looking at this position to begin with. It's just we need somebody there and your time is just so busy
025doing other things that I think that's a big part of it which will help substantially and he seems to understand that which is really good and holds it as a high priority. Right. Not just understand it, but know and the positivity too, which I think junior high kids as a whole could use more positivity. Yes. Exactly. Great. Yes. [Music] Um I know we haven't talked about am I saying the word right? Interventionalventional. It's interventionless only like interventionist. So I know you said the conversation had gone very far but you're like I think it his niche if I'm just how I know him is the teaching aspect and you know I mean I mean he can he can try things like we're we're doing our student assistance team right now. I mean that's something that he
026could take over. Um that's pretty easy. He's just a team of teachers and kind of brainstorming how we can help kids. That's that's hard. Yeah. If he were to be offered this, would he choose? Would he get to choose which the teaching or the interventionalist nor you? I think that's we got to see where he's comfortable on the internet. Not everybody's right got the I mean it's a big job. It's we can dabble in and use pieces of it in our day, but I mean, if you're going to be a true interventionist, you're going to be, you know, helping students and teachers find things to help students. And then you would still be the middle school principal. No, this job is middle school principal slashteer or middle school principal slacademic interventionist. Um, but we've never
027had an academic interventionist. So maybe it'd be good to first just if I don't know, Phil the middle school principal/teer since he's willing to be in the classroom, fill that first and then as time goes on and growth moves that maybe we'd be ready for that. I don't know. I'm open to either option there and um and then when building the schedule, admin will put a like the classes will be what's the best fit for him, whatever he you know, whatever he can actually teach based on this. I mean, obviously we know he's he's a math teacher. Um, I think there's some need there. And then Okay. organizing those classes to best maximize his time. Yeah. Y and that that would be a conversation between myself, Mr. Black, and you know, administrative. [Music] Yeah. I
028really do like the idea of when you were describing what that interventionist did, you know, what that could possibly look like at that high level. To give you a better vision of that, I had a she was an academic coach and interventionist and that was her her role and she basically constructed a room that had, you know, games or activities or whatever that were skill-based, you know. So, she created all this stuff. So, I've got a kid that's struggling in phenemic awareness. Here's a game that you can play with them or here's an activity you can do with them. And that position, this is totally off topic kind of hitting that with, but would that position oversee grade school, middle school, probably? Yeah. [Music] Okay. So, what's the next step here? because they've had this
029position open for is it it's been pretty close to a month now, right? Is that correct? It's been more than a month and this is the only one that we've had. Correct. Yep. [Music] Okay. I don't know that I want to leave it open too much more. I did. We have it open before the last meeting. Yes, we did. Okay. That was like that's kind of a good It's been open for a while. Like you mean it's been a conversation? Yeah, I know. Last year, too. More importantly, like how long has it been out in the public? It's been out in the public for at least 30 days. Okay. Good references. Yeah. [Music] Well, my thought is I would like to make a decision today and yes or no. And I don't know that we're
030going to get that much more having only one application in over 30 days and it's past [Music] April. So that's my thought. If we feel like he's a good fit, then I would say we make a decision and pull it because it did say like we stated, right? It's open until the position's filled, right? So, [Music] so you need a motion. Is that what you need? Well, that's I can't make motions. So, right. Unless we're done with discussion. I don't know if anybody had any more input. I'll ask it to I always ask for more discussion if anything. [Music] Okay. I make a motion to offer the position to Zach Henry, criminal middle school principal/teer interventionist. And I think you have to authorize finance committee to negotiate. Is that right? That's how we did it
031with all in one motion rather than no and then doing a finance. Okay. Then I will resend that and I won't give you any amendment. I make a motion to offer Zach Handley the job for middle school principal slash interventionist teaching and have finance committee work with negotiations. Okay. I have a motion from Katie Marcus. Do I have a second? Second. I have a second from Kyle Buck. Any other discussion? [Music] All those in favor signify by saying I. I. All opposed. Motion carries. I need a motion to adjurnn. Make a motion to adjurnn. A motion from Jess Oiler and a second from Katie Brown. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. All opposed. Motion carries. We are adjourned.