Verified EESAC Meeting Minutes

Approval of Previous Minutes: Ingrid Robledo, chairwoman, called the E.E.S.A.C. meeting to order at 8:20 a.m. The February 1st E.E.S.A.C. minutes were reviewed. The necessary corrections were made and the minutes were approved.

Principal’s Message: Mrs. Gonzalez announced that MDCPS had provided a survey to gather input from Carver’s E.E.S.A.C. regarding the District strategic planning goals and school achievement for the next three years. The immediacy of the March 3rd E.E.S.A.C. strategic plan survey results submission deadline was the reason that a second February meeting was called. A district provided video about the strategic plan was reviewed. Mrs. Gonzalez then explained that the teachers had met with their respective departments to gather input about the strategic plan. The EESAC then formulated answers to the survey questions. The following are a compilation of the teachers’ and EESAC recommendations.

GOAL 1: ENSURE ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGH ACADEMIC STANDARDS BY ALL STUDENTS

4. What changes would you like to see at the District and at the school level to improve student achievement?
- Provide an environment of high quantity of uninterrupted teaching time with a minimum of paperwork for teachers.
- Provide parenting classes to support student learning (in some instances, make them mandatory).
- Continue to keep class size down.
- Reduce total number of students each teacher is responsible for.
- Increase number of high quality magnet programs.
- In schools where parents vote on a mandatory school uniform, require that all students adhere to school uniform policy.
- School Improvement Plans should reflect schools’ specific needs not State/District Cookie cutter version.
5. How can the District work together with the EESAC members to help create this change?
- Implement few new programs, but implement those with much forethought and preparation.
- Presence of District personnel at EESAC meetings.
- Consider EESAC’s input when determining what the school’s needs are when developing the School Improvement Plan so the committee can truly play the role it is intended to play – that of addressing the school’s individual needs.
- Exert influence upon politicians to be part of the EESAC.

GOAL 2: DEVELOP OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY COMPETE IN THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

6. How can the District better prepare students for the workforce?
- Mandate that students complete extensive 2nd language programs that promote bilingualism.
- Include basic job application skills / business etiquette in curriculum.
- Reinstate Career Specialists to middle schools.
- Continue to improve math, reading, and writing skills.

7. What are some strategies that better prepare our students to compete in the global economy?
- Provide high quality programs that ensure that students are literate in English, a second language, mathematics, science, and the arts.
- Offer foreign exchange programs.
- Increase technology training.
- Provide a global and multicultural education through the use of world wide current events.
- Provide a sense of global citizenship.
- Increased emphasis on career/work options that students might pursue.

8. How can schools and/or the district actively engage EESAC members to achieve this goal?
- Educate parents about the responsibilities and consequences for their children’s education.
- Ask for EESAC support and build a relationship with EESAC.
- EESAC members could meet privately with small groups of students.

GOAL 3: ACTIVELY ENGAGE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO BECOME PARTNERS IN RAISING AND MAINTAINING HIGH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.

9. What makes it difficult for parents and community members to be involved with schools?
- Lack of time.
- Lack of awareness.
- Geographic distances.
- Language differences.
- Cultural differences.

10. What would make it easier to be actively involved?
- Preach the importance of collaboration in the educational process.
- Hold meetings at mutually convenient times.
- Provide welcoming environment.
- Assign email addresses to parents.
- Increase publicity of meeting dates and accomplishments.

11. What are three things that keep you motivated to participate in your school EESAC?
- The desire to be informed and have an impact on school policy and budgetary issues.
- Desire to show support to the administration and teachers at child’s school.
- Desire to show my child that I care about the schooling that he/she and other children receive.

12. How could the District more effectively leverage EESAC’s to better involve family and community members?
- Continue to facilitate the process.
- Actively solicit input.
- Provide Internet access to families.
- Inform parents about EESAC’s role during Open House night.

GOAL 4: REFORM BUSINESS PRACTICES TO ENSURE EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS AND HIGH ETHICAL STANDARDS.

13. In your mind, what business practices need reform?
- Eliminate favoritism and nepotism.
- Sometimes schools are provided very little turnaround time when responding to District initiative/memos.
- Have District personnel be more responsive to the schools and provide more timely answers to needs and questions of the school.

14. How do you define “customer service”?
- Being responsive to students’ and parents’ concerns.
- Knowing the correct answers to questions posed by stakeholders.
- Getting answers to parental concerns in a timely manner.
- Making the resources of the school more available to parents.
- A welcoming atmosphere at the school.
- Easy access to teachers.

15. How can the schools/District improve their customer service?
- Putting student’s best interest first.
- Providing a high quality educational product.

16. What can you, as EESAC members, do to assist schools and/or the District in achieving this goal:
- Being active and engaged EESAC Members.
- Provide input/opinions.
- EESAC members should take ownership of the product.
- Survey how EESAC is serving the parents.

GOAL 5: RECRUIT, DEVELOP AND RETAIN HIGH-PERFORMING, DIVERSE, AND MOTIVATED FACULTY AND STAFF.

17. What is the best way to recruit and retain highly qualified staff?
- Raise teacher salaries.
- Continue to network with institutions of higher learning.
- Provide supportive working environment.
- Provide mentoring programs.
- Provide Professional Development.
- Respect towards school personnel from students and parents.
- Provide vehicle to maintain discipline within school where administrators and teachers are supported by region, district, and school board in discipline and curriculum actions.

18. What is the best way to recruit and retain highly qualified staff?
- Supporting programs that focus on professional development such as NBCT.
- Increase visibility at school site.
- Have teachers feel respected and important.
- Fair salaries for teachers and a reasonable total number of students.

19. What can you, as EESAC members, do to assist schools and/or the district in hiring and maintaining quality teachers and staff?
- Networking.
- Provide supportive working environment.
- Make sure community members are committed to the EESAC committee.
- Keep eyes open for good prospects to refer to the principal.

Announcements: The February 12th South Florida Regional Science and Engineering Fair was a huge success for Carver students. Sharon Frajilich, Ivanna Gonzalez, Ramsay McConnell, and Cassandra Pont received the Discovery Channel’s Young Scientist Challenge Award. Elisa Gonzalez won the Friends of the Science Fair Award. Ramsay McConnell won the Gold Coast Railroad Museum Science Fair Exhibit Award. Thomas Scianmarello won the Mackey Web Design Award. Swan LeFabre won the Rosenthal School of Marine and Atmospheric Science Award. Sharon Frajilich and Cassandra Pont were among the Miami-Dade County State Science and Engineering Fair Finalists and Alternates. For the Senior Section Bridge Awards, Sebastian Vivancos won First Place, Lukas Moon won Second Place, and Francisco Triana won Third Place. Mrs. Gramling announced that 7th grader, Chloe Clunis, won the Grand Torchbearer Award at the National Youth Storytelling Hall of Fame in Tennessee. Chloe has also been awarded a full camp scholarship from the Florida Storytelling Association. Mrs. Cooper announced that the Florida Women of Achievement events will be happening in March. She suggested that teachers publicize the “Opportunities and Challenges Panel” happening on March 12th to students.

Adjournment: Mrs. Robledo adjourned the meeting at 9:35 a.m.