001Welcome to the school board study session March 10th. We're going to start with number one. Surplus property safety and health refrigerator desk chair first read. Board you'll find in your packet information on a chair and a compact refrigerator that are being requested to be um that are unrepairable and they are asked to be disposed of. And they you will find information on those. We have been given additional funding to purchase purchase a new chair and refrigerator for the nurse's office. Item number two number two surplus property Rossview middle basketball jerseys and shorts first read. So in your packet you will also find information from Rossview middle school. According to our surplus property policy it does require board re-approval for the disposal of any of these items. What they are asking to do is there are
00290 jerseys and 72 pair of shorts. Anything that is in good condition they are wanting to donate those and give them to staff students and anything without a logo to the Goodwill store. They are currently being stored and not used and they do have new sets of of practice and game jerseys. Item number three textbook adoption certification first read. I will ask Dr. Doughty our chief academic officer to tell you about our textbook adoption for this year. Good evening board. In your packet you're going to find the recommendations from the CMCSS textbook committee. You'll see PE in there along with a few CTE subjects. We went through our typical process for this. Please note that all of those textbooks have been previously vetted by the state before going before our committee. Additionally we are required
003to adopt but not purchase. So that's an important thing to note as well. Mr. Mayberry. Thank you. I'm going to go back to the the chair. I I'm I just think it's funny it says desk chair and we're talking about this. Um maybe I'd hear from you guys after the meeting but I'm just kind of curious how normal that is that we would have to approve you know little things like that and maybe we should re-address that policy to make it where you can throw away a chair without us having to vote on it. So I just thought I'd say that out loud. I just I don't know this the first time I've ever seen something like that where it was just kind of comical to me but I wanted to say that out loud.
004Thank you. I was actually thinking the same thing especially with the jerseys if they're sitting there and nobody's using them and then are already have some something to discuss. All right. Number four Goal number four ensure effectiveness at all points of the district talent pipeline policy reference E1 and E2. Yes. So we I will ask Patty Koloski. I believe she is going to go first. So it's going to be a two-part presentation tonight to talk about this goal because it overlaps with two different departments. Good evening board Dr. Luna Vetter. We are going to address our our goal of maximizing employee capacity and ensuring effectiveness at all points of the district talent pipeline. Of course to to ensure that effectiveness we have to start with recruitment. So under our certified recruitment we are still attending
005all traditional university job fairs across Tennessee and also into Southern Kentucky. We visit Fort Campbell on a monthly basis to address soldiers who are transitioning out of the military. We have CMCSS job fairs two to three every single year and we have been offering monthly information sessions for alternative pathways to licensure um as well as differentiated pay for some of our harder to fill areas like special education high school math and high school science. Of course our teacher residency program and then some tuition reimbursement opportunities for job embedded programs and career and technical education. Another way to ensure effectiveness is for us to have new teacher supports in place. So our new teacher induction pathways offer differentiated path for a teacher who comes to the district with maybe 15 years experience experience years of experience
006versus a brand new teacher. They're going to need two different things. Also we have job embedded mentors that visit the schools and they they provide support and guidance to all of our teachers who are brand new or on an alternative license. Site-based induction specialists are at every school as well as extended onboarding for our non-traditional teachers and our new teachers. They do receive three additional days of classroom management training to try to help set them up for success. And then of course we know that Praxis is a is kind kind of a hindrance to licensure often. So we do provide Praxis support and in online and in person. We also want to move our teachers from an alternative license to a full license. To do that as we said we have Praxis support. We offer
007tuition reimbursement and we have monthly communication that goes out to all of our non-traditionally licensed teachers that explains all the steps needed to how to get their full license. What do you need to do next? Then we follow up with monthly Zoom sessions so they can have a face-to-face. They can ask any questions and we just want to support them in any way possible so that they know exactly what to do to obtain their license. And then we also offer administrator training during engage sessions so that our principals understand the different types of licenses that are out there right now. We have permits. We have clinical practice permits. We have limited licenses. We have job embedded licenses. So there's quite a few. Understanding those types of licenses will allow principals to provide the support that's
008needed. Now when it comes to our new hires this year we've hired about 400 new teachers and if you look in 22-23 there were about 605 new teachers hired. The difference here is that we're retaining more teachers. So that's positive. In the new hire breakdown for this year 194 were new to our district. We were able to get 93 teachers from our certified pool. 38 of those were teacher residents. We had 73 teachers return to CMCSS and 39 teachers from our sub pool and 15 of our new hires were new graduates. So retention rate you can see that there was a dip in 21-22 but since then we have seen an upward trend and we believe that with the um employee feedback that we're gathering and the new teacher supports that we're going to continue
009to see that trend go upward. So the other area we are tracking for alternative licensure would be the number of alternatively licensed teachers we have and then how many of those are transitioning to a full license. So in 23-24 we hired 222 teachers on an alternative license. 40 of them moved to their full license. This year we've hired 242 on an alternative license and here it says 33 but this is an ongoing number. So as of this morning when I checked it we were actually up to 54. We're going to track this number through June. So I have no doubt that we're going to surpass the 70 and hopefully even make it um way beyond that. So our next steps it's going to be to continue to offer those monthly information sessions regarding job embedded
010opportunities. We want to continue to offer that Praxis support because we feel that that's very important. We want to continue to collaborate with our professional development team because that is how we have identified the areas where we really needed in our onboarding process to support those new teachers. And we also would like to collaborate with other districts who have established their own educator preparation program to determine the feasibility for CMCSS. Thank you. Any questions? Okay. One. Yeah. On the chart on our retention Yes sir. The chart increasing but it looks like on the chart 24-25 the last number was a little bit lower. Is there a real number there we can see? Yes there are. So um well they're not in here. So it actually was like it was 87.5% for the previous year and
01187.1. So it was less than a half of percent that where it looks like it that was not really statistically significant with that. And we do think that a lot of that was due to some of our teachers who were on an alternative license were able to obtain their license and they were rehired. So there was that separation there. So I think that's part of that dip. But just the chart just looked like it It did it did a little bit. I agree. Thank you. Ms. Berry. Oh yes ma'am. I can see we made wonderful progress in recruiting but I would like to know how many of our classes still do not have highly qualified teachers. So, we actually started out this school year our fill rate I I jotted that down today. Um at
012the beginning of this school year, 98 we had a first day fill rate of 98.67%. Thank you. You're welcome. Thank you. Good evening, board and Dr. Linda Vetter. I'm Lisa Baker. I oversee the teacher residency program and I'm happy to be here tonight to share some information with you. So, this is our matrix that many of you have been with us have seen before. This uh details all of our different pathways. If you refer to the second column, this um discusses our partnership with Nashville State and Austin Peay State University. These pathways are available to um classified staff members, high school seniors, community members, and those who are selected they spend 3 years placed in an elementary or middle school with a very strong mentor teacher getting on the job training and at the same
013time they're attending the university to get their coursework after hours and during the breaks. So, that first 2 years they go to Nashville State to get their associate degree, then that final year they go to Austin Peay and finish the requirements for their bachelor's degree. It's a 4-year bachelor degree completed in 3 years, so it's a very rigorous accelerated program. Now, when they complete the program, they will either have licensure in general education for elementary or middle with a special education intervention endorsement. Our new cohort starting the 3-year pathway next year will actually have a licensure area in special ed intervention with an endorsement in general ed. And what that really means that we'll get more additional time preparing for special ed intervention at being in that classroom with a mentor teacher and that's great
014for our district. We continue to have our Lipscomb elementary and middle pathways. These are available to classified members and community members who are already have a bachelor's degree, but they're seeking licensure or and a master's degree to be able to teach. So, they spend 1 year as teacher residents getting that on the job training while they're attending coursework through um Lipscomb University after hours and through the breaks. All of these individuals sign an agreement at the beginning of their residency that when they complete they will teach in our district for a given number of years. We have multiple partners. They have been consistent over the years. The one change that you'll see is the National Center for Grow Your Own is now the intermediary for all Tennessee apprenticeship programs. Before it was the Grow Your
015Own Center for UT Knoxville and that is one change, but our partners remain the same otherwise. So, I want to share this video with you highlighting two of our current residents who will begin teaching next year and one of our former residents about to finish up her third year of teaching. I originally was going to Austin Peay State University originally to be a teacher through just the regular program and my first year here at Spanish immersion I was involved in a like a terrible car accident that almost left me paralyzed. And once that accident happened to me, I was like, "Okay, my life really could have changed." So, it kind of just lit a fire under me. And once I heard that I could finish my degree for free through Austin Peay and Nashville State,
016I was like, "Let's Let's do it." It's This was the best decision that I could have made. I loved the idea of being in school and working at the same time. So, earning a paycheck while taking time to go to classes. I was able to be around so many professionals that really know what they're teaching. Like they know their field, so I was able to be in classrooms with them. I was able to be mentored by the professionals and then a lot of our professors also work for CMCSS. So, it's like we got a double dose of all of the education to prepare us to actually have our own classrooms. I think the thing about the program that I find most beneficial that is has really stuck with me is the the amount of experience
017that the program gives you before you enter the workforce as a teacher. I think the on the ground training is amazing. It's the thing that I think makes um this program stand out against other programs is that it really offers the educator an opportunity to grow within those 3 years. Once I got started I was so grateful because those 3 years This is 3 full years of me being in a classroom, getting to teach, getting to do lesson plans, getting to learn to handle behaviors and learn to deal with the more more difficult things. Last year I received the classified employee of the year, which was very exciting. I feel like I have worked very very hard and overcame a lot of obstacles. I'm sorry. Um so, it's very important for me to >> [music]
018>> have this opportunity to continue to grow through this program. I've had the green apple my first year. Um I've been on the ELA content lead team. I got teacher of the year this year and that's it so far. So, since I've been in the program, I just Tuesday graduated with my associate's degree. So, I finished those 2 years, but this year also um Ringgold voted me as [music] the classified employee of the year. So, I've been able to go to that banquet this year and to be able to be recognized for for the hard work that I put in and it was such a blessing and so humbling to have the school get behind me like that. And I think that's the great thing about the program is that there is honestly a whole
019mess of people [music] that are going to get you through this program and support you. Also, I wanted to share that four of our teachers that were former residents were nominated as teacher of the year this year and we are just now getting to the point where they taught long enough to be eligible. So, that's exciting. So, this year we have Excuse me, we have 104 residents total, 88 in our 3-year pathways and 16 in our Lipscomb pathways. And we have 205 former teacher residents currently employed as um CMCSS teachers. 74% of these teachers serve elementary students, 26% serve middle or high school students, and out of all of those 70 17% serve as special education teachers. Now, one of the things we like to do when our residents become teachers is to see how
020effective they are. And one way we do that is we look at the state level of effectiveness score or the LOE. It is a combination of observation scores when principals come in and conduct observations and also um achievement growth scores with TCAP. And an LOE of three is considered at expectations. So, we had 171 teachers last year from the program eligible for an LOE score. 90% had scored three or higher, nearly 60 above expectations. And we're really excited about that, but also keep in mind a large number of these teachers were first and second year teachers. So, that's even more impressive. Last year we had approximately 175 teachers from the program. The retention rate at the end of last year was 91% and as I mentioned earlier, all of the residents sign an agreement to
021teach a specific number of years in the district once they complete the program. We are now getting to the point where we have cohorts that have taught long enough to fulfill that time frame. 84% of the um el It's been the rate of fulfilled teaching commitments from eligible cohorts. And out of all of those that have completed their commitment, 74% have continued teaching beyond their contractual obligation. So, there are is a lot of work that takes place to support our residents and their mentors in this pathway to graduation. I do want to point out Dr. Lavita Radford and Tracy Many of you have met before. They are our educator pipeline facilitators. They dedicate their world to supporting these um residents and their mentors. They offer professional development for the residents, but most especially for the
022mentors because we really need to get that right, get them trained up to to prepare these residents. They provide support with the university academics. As I told you, it's a rigorous program. They can get behind quickly if they don't if they if they have struggles. Um we have FERPA agreements with university so we can access their grades, check on them, reach out to them, see if they need help, tutoring, recitation, coaching with how to speak to reach out to an instructor. Um we help them with their licensure requirements, mainly All apprenticeships have required teacher competencies they must meet throughout their residency, so training and support is provided in that area, and just professional coaching for the residents and the mentors as they navigate the program. We are always seeking continuous improvement data. Our mentors provide
023quarterly competency observations and with we receive that data, we use that data to analyze strengths and areas of concern, any residents that may need additional support, the university coursework grades. We get data from site visits, such as walk-throughs or full observations. We get professional development surveys and feedback from our mentors and residents. And we conduct interviews with teacher residents and mentors, but a really highlight that I want to share with our continuous improvement data is our Praxis results celebration, as Patty mentioned earlier. That is a big barrier to licensure. And many of Excuse me, many of our residents have to take at least five Praxis assessments to pass. 90% of the 2024-25 graduating cohort passed all required Praxis assessments before completing the program versus 46% of the previous completing cohort. Now, the residents have to
024practice. We can't do that for them. They have to make the effort, but we found some things that we think made a big difference. We started earlier intervention with this group in their second year instead of waiting till the beginning of the third year. We met with them about the Praxis blueprint. We talked to them about study tips. We did some diagnostic testing. Then in the spring, April, we did a series of boot camp Praxis assessments to get deeper into content, but the biggest thing we found is they were very overwhelmed with the number of assessments and didn't have a plan on how to schedule and when to take them. So, we helped them use their diagnostic data to plan the sequence of when they would take the assessments. So, we feel like that ongoing
025support providing them 240 tutoring, we do in-person Praxis support sessions, and just checking in with them has made a difference and we we hope to see the same results with this graduating cohort. So, up to 30,000 students have been served by teachers who are CMCSS teacher residents. And anybody have any questions? Mr. Garland. How are students selected to be part of this uh grow your own program for CMCSS? Okay, so what we do, we conduct information sessions in the in November the year before. We do a lot of outreach to the schools because we can select classified employees and high school students and different community measures. Then we have an application process after our information sessions and once they submit the applications, they have everything required, we go through and we interview applicants. We have
026specific questions that we ask for specific things we're looking for. We're also looking for the university academic background, what kind of history do they have to show that they can be successful academically in the program. So, we have a variety of things that we look through as we go through the interview and selection process. I guess I I asked the question because I think that one of the main reason that it was was started so that we could diversify the teacher staff. Um are the students that are going through that course most are they graduating most of the time or those that actually get in? I Could you I'm sorry, I couldn't >> that get into the program, are they actually making it all the way through? Do we have any washouts? It varies by
027cohort, but we have typically around a 75% completion rate. Okay, thank you. Thank you. Any other questions? Mr. Mayberry. Hey, it's kind of curious. Nashville State is growing, of course. I'm just curious if that has an impact on us to expand there with teacher residents or if we cuz I see the numbers about the same each year or if that's just how many we feel like is successful. I think we are always looking at hearing what the needs are and meeting with the university to discuss what the possibilities are in the future. At this time, we do not have specific plans for new cohorts, but we are looking into different things through Austin Peay and Nashville State. Okay, great. Also, I'm just kind of curious about this could be a little commercial for it, I
028guess, but what's the pay like for the teacher residencies when they work for us? As teacher residents? They make the same rate as a education assistant. However, they have a 30-minute longer day than a general education assistant to mimic the time that the teacher would be working. Got you. All right, thank you. Thank you. Anything else? I think we're good. Thank you. Thank you. On to item number five, resolution April budget amendments. Chief. Yep. Chief Financial Officer Jeff Taylor will present the April budget amendments. Good [snorts] evening, board members. I'm just giving you an overview of the general purpose fund amendments. We had an additional projected revenues of $4,750,000. Of course, the majority of that right now is $2.5 million with sales tax. Uh $1.2 million for the TISA true-up and uh $331,816 for high
029cost reimbursement. On the expenditure side, we had an increase of $1,522,000. The majority of that is through payroll recon- reconciliation. Most of that is through special education support and um benefits as well. The majority of the benefits are in regards to medical benefits. We've had to increase several line items for that. Kind of giving you the highlights of the revenues. Excuse me. As far as the expenditure goes under regular instruction, just we're moving money out of 71100 uh for position funding changes. They're being moved into various items, mainly and um 71150 alternative school. As you can see the addition in alternative school. Under special education, um like I said, pay- payroll and projection benefits projections increases as well as uh appropriating the funds from the high cost reimbursement funding we were talking about. 261,000 of
030that going into contracted services and 70,000 going into equipment. >> [snorts] >> Under vocational education, once again, uh some position funding changes as well as increases for payroll and benefit projections. And under supplies and materials, these are in changes are in related relation to the innovative school models grant where we're moving those funds elsewhere. Under health services, just adding some um $2,000 for clinic supplies for the school nurse at Freedom. >> [snorts] >> Moving on to other student support, um amendments for the CCIS as well as position funding changes. Under contracted services, uh adding $30,000 or amending $30,000 into contracted services for the public school security grant, as well as moving that money out of supplies and materials to move up there. And the additional 2,500 is in relation relation to the opioid settlement. We're
031doing uh training [snorts] and that money is money is being moved into out of supplies and materials and over into contracted services for that training. And then under staff development, once again, another amendment to the innovative school models grant. Under regular instruction support, just increases based on payroll and benefits projections, as well as an increase of supplies and office supplies. Down under alternative school support, once again, where some of those funds were moved earlier out of instruction down here uh for position funding changes. >> [snorts] >> Under special education support, this is where the largest um amendment was. Majority of the salary and benefits was for basically just on our projections. It's where we're having to add those funds. And then under contracted services, uh for group estimate com- position consulting group estimate based on
032the trend for uh school-based health services, an increase of 57,200. Under vocational educ- uh vocational education support, just an increase in mileage for local travel and an increase in cost of supplies. And as you can see, that money was moved out of staff staff development below and we added $121,418 for the innovative school model grant under equipment. Under technology, once again, increases based on the salary and benefits projections and then moving money out of contracted services into supplies and materials just to upgrade the coverage and of the paging and audio video systems for multiple schools. >> [snorts] >> Under Director of Schools, just an increase based on the medical projections. Um supply business affairs, another increase, small. Human resources, similar. And then under operation of plant, we had to add $7,200 for contracted services for
033the additional permit expenses and increase in the wastewater lab testing cost, as well as an increase of non-debt 97,400 dollars for equipment for Freedom Elementary. And then under maintenance of plant, just an increase based on the benefits projections. And then as you can see, we're moving money out of contracted services into supplies and materials for the increased cost of parts prices as well as equipment failures and higher shipping cost. >> [snorts] >> And then lastly, just a position funding changes under early childhood education. All in all, just an increase to our fund balance of just over 3.2 million. Any questions on the GP fund? >> [snorts] >> Moving on to nutrition, most of these are related or in relation to the snowstorm that we had. Uh we reduced several of these revenues basically just due
034to the number of days that we had the inclement weather. We were out for 2 weeks 2 weeks, so that's going to reduce our um revenues as far as that goes. Um couple of other adjustments for contracted services um for services that we provide, an increase there of 24,667. And then just some smaller as a correction to the December amendment under miscellaneous refunds. And then under federal revenues, of course, um reduced number of days due to inclement weather. And then an additional 427 just under 428,000 for the um estimated USDA reimbursements for the breakfast for the remainder of the school year. On the expenditure side, increase of 30,000 419 for medical projections. And then once again, where we reduced some of the expenditures as far as um s- supplies and materials just due to the
035inclement weather. >> [snorts] >> So, overall, an increase of just under 400 just over 469 for our fund balance for nutrition. Transportation had an increase in transportation for high cost reimbursement of a little over 199,000. And then once again, increases for projections on our payroll and benefits as well for an increase to that fund balance of 154,600. Then lastly, well, not lastly, but we've got federal after this. We have our budget in here for the summer learning program. State funds of 4.6 million dollars. And then the federal funds of just a little over 611,000 for a total of 5,144,000. And then as you can see, just the budget that we've entered under the different functions for the summer learning. Then lastly, are just our federal projects, an increase to the CTE Perkins of 32,270 31.
036Appropriating the revenue and expenditures. And then lastly for IDEA, Title 1, Title 3, and AP, and just reallocation of those funds. I'll have any questions? >> [snorts] >> Thank you. I don't see any. Thank you. County Commissioners' comments? I've got one, and it goes back to comment that uh Mr. Mayberry made. This desk chair. All right. I'm not trying to be funny. All right? But if it's something that we surplus, and is it even serviceable? Now, typically, if it were something, let's say a a teacher got a different desk chair. If it were serviceable and it was a what we would call a a decent desk chair, we actually have a warehouse that we keep supplies. So, teachers, principals can kind of come shop from our warehouse if they need, let's say, a table, if
037they need a desk chair, if they need a desk. And Norm's team will then actually deliver them to the schools. They basically just pick them out, and they do a delivery service. So, anything um that that's usable, we absolutely continue to keep in use. Okay. So, that leads me to my second question. Is there end of life on these items as far as these jerseys go? And I think you kind of answered my question, Dr. Underwood, because we were discussing this before the meeting started. Is there end of life just like we do with school buses, you know, for mileage and years? Typically, when we look at it, we we look at the number of years. It also just kind of depends on some schools, let's say, if they fundraise, they may have practice jerseys
038plus game jerseys. Others may be trying to use them for for multiple things. Typically, when they have been boxed up and stored away and they're brought back out, >> [snorts] >> kids kind of find that they're vintage. And so, some of these students that they plan to give them to, um I I'm sure they'll be sporting them to come to the game and support their teams and things. So, it's actually something, believe it or not, that's kind of exciting for the kids. And I say that as someone who had been a principal, and we would break out uniforms from the '70s and '80s, and you would have sworn it was the best thing ever. So, I'm sure the kids will be very excited um if they're allowed to use these. Okay. Thank you. Any other
039County Commissioners? No? Board members? All right, Director. Good evening, Board members. Students, faculty, and staff members are counting down the days to begin spring break at the end of this week. Hopefully, the longer days and extended break will rejuvenate everyone to finish strong as we enter the last quarter of the school year. Later this week, we are also looking forward to celebrating our seniors who are third-year academic award recipients. A huge thank you to the SMC Education Foundation who ensures that we honor our students who have worked so hard throughout their high school career to exceed a 93% grading average. Over the next couple of nights, we will recognize about 300 high school seniors who have maintained at least a 93 average and have a grade no lower than a B during the first seven
040semesters of high school. Vice Chair Bryant, this concludes my remarks for this evening. Thank you. That concludes our meeting. Have a good day.