WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
March 16, 2018
Vancouver, Washington
Board Members Participating: Dennis Mathews, Yang-su Cho, Greg
Szabo, Ed Snook, Reg George, Nancy McDaniel, Keri Clark and Berl Colley.
Board Members Absent: Michelle Farrell, Cindy Bennett
Ex-Officio Members Participating: Joleen Ferguson (Washington
Council of the Blind), Jennifer Butcher (Teacher Representative), Jim Eccles
(Washington Federation of State Employees Local #1225), Marci Carpenter
(National Federation of the Blind of Washington), and Krista Bulger (Parent
Representative).
WSSB Staff Members Participating: Mr. Scott McCallum
(Superintendent), Jeff Bowler (Teacher of the Visually Impaired-Short Courses) and
Janet Kurz (recording secretary).
March 16,
2018 – 11am-1:50pm
Dennis called the meeting to order at 11:00am. Dennis started by asking the Board members to
introduce themselves. Scott requested an
Executive Session following the regular business meeting.
Business Meeting:
Old Business:
Approve board meeting minutes of January 17, 2018.
Ed moved to approve the minutes as
submitted; Greg seconded the motion. The
minutes were approved unanimously.
New
Business:
Review/Approve
2018-2019 School Year Calendar. Dennis
asked if everyone had a chance to review the calendar.
o
Jennifer
stated the teachers union has concerns regarding the calendar because it is
very different from previous years, especially the Thanksgiving holiday break.
The teachers concern is that residential students often times will not return
to school during a short school week. Scott stated there are many issues to
consider when putting together the calendar, i.e. legal requirements (180 days/1080
hours seat time for high school students), in addition the WSSB attempts to
align our calendar with the Vancouver School District so that WSSB students who
attend Hudson’s Bay High School and Discovery Middle School will not miss
instruction time. Scott met with the teachers union regarding this issue and
committed to meeting with them to gather staff input earlier in the calendar
building process next year. Scott mentioned that in the past 18 years, 9 of the
school calendars did not have the full week of Thanksgiving off with the other
9 years having the full week off. Another
issue to consider was if the WSSB had the week of Thanksgiving off, it would
impact the final week of school. Scott
stated he added two days to the calendar, i.e. one move in day and one move out
day (before school begins and after school ends). The student luncheon and awards assembly will
be held the same day as graduation as well as the board meeting. Jennifer stated the teachers concern was
instructional time but feels better knowing extra days were added. Berl moved to accept the calendar; Nancy
seconded the motion. The calendar was
approved unanimously.
Department
Highlight:
Jeff
Bowler, Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI)-Short
Courses
o
Jeff
thanked the Board for inviting him to the meeting. Jeff reported that WSSB short courses are a weeklong
training session for students around the state of Washington to come to the
campus to learn about the nine Expanded Core Curriculum (ECC) areas. Jeff stated that approximately a dozen
courses have been offered serving over 25 blind and visually impaired (BVI)
students.
o
Jeff
visited the Perkins School for the Blind to review their short course program.
o
Many
of the students who have attended the short program have formed peer
relationships. Blind and visually impaired (BVI) students in local school
districts often times feel isolated and this program is often times their first
experience in being away from home.
o
During
one of the short course programs, students were seen in the WSSB Low Vision
Clinic and through a grant from the Pacific Foundation for Blind Children
(PFBC) were able to receive low vision devices (video magnifiers, hand-held
magnifiers, non-illuminated and illuminated monoculars, etc.).
o
Students
in the program have done many outings in the community resulting in excellent
feedback and community members expressing an interest in wanting to volunteer
at the WSSB.
o
Reg
asked if the students have to bring some type of device to take notes. Jeff said he suggests they bring it all.
o
Greg
asked if they thought about starting a mentorship program whereby a student
could be paired up with an adult who is BVI.
Jeff felt that was a good idea.
o
Discussion
was held regarding pre and post evaluations of the student. Jeff said he does a pre assessment and post
assessment (before and after the course).
o
Discussion
was held regarding how a determination was made to hold the short courses for a
one-week period. Jeff said it is a fine
balance to determine time to have students learn new skills and their home
school districts homework requirements. Scott said when we first started the
short course program, Scott met with an Office of Superintendent of Public
Instruction (OSPI) staff and their concern was the amount of time that students
could potentially miss from their home school district to attend short
courses.
o
Janet
read a letter from a TVI/Orientation & Mobility (O&M) staff commenting
Jeff regarding their student’s progress while attending a short course and the
impact it had on him.
o
Marci
asked if there is an opportunity to do a three or six-month follow up survey. Jeff posted a number of surveys on teacher
listserv’s regarding ideas for short courses, follow-up surveys, etc.
o
Joleen
asked if we have considered creating some type of social media platform for
students.
o
Jeff
feels students leave the short course feeling better about who they are.
o
Krista
asked when next year’s schedule and topics will be released. Jeff said he is working on that now.
o
Jeff
recently did a home repair/independent living course.
o
Yang-su
said he has seen struggles with BVI students with talking calculators, math
courses, apps on phones, etc. Jeff will
be running a business short course later this school year.
Superintendent’s Report
Scott reviewed the following:
o
Scott
had the opportunity to participate in the swim meet in January with WSSB
students.
o
In
February, legislators were in session. WSSB submitted several requests, one
being reasonable accommodation for Outreach staff drivers. Another request was for Digital Braille Literacy
(braille displays, iPads or computers, etc.).
WSSB is feeling very supported by the legislators and Governor’s office
with all asks being supported.
o
The
capital budget was passed during the legislative session; the challenge is that
the WSSB now has a small amount of time to complete the projects.
o
Recently,
a donor approached the WSSB regarding a learning exchange program. In April,
the Nepal Principal and TVI from their school for the blind will visit the WSSB
for a week to study our programs. After
that week, they will travel to BVI stakeholders, i.e. the Washington Talking
Book and Braille Library (WTBBL), Department of Services for the Blind (DSB),
Lighthouse for the Blind, NWABA, Portland State University, etc. Through a
grant, the WSSB received funds for our Principal to travel to Nepal this summer
for two weeks to visit their program. The WSSB submitted a grant to the PFBC to
include a TVI to travel to Nepal with our Principal.
o
Also
in February, Scott and Greg Szabo drove to Olympia so that Greg could be senate
confirmed. Scott felt this was a great
opportunity to get know Greg better.
o
In
March, Scott spent a considerable amount of time looking at emergency
management and communication systems. Scott realized that there are some holes
in communication with the fluidity of staff off and on our campus, visitors,
low vision clinic patients, maintenance staff, etc. Scott met with the head of
security at the Clark College to discuss the systems that they are using. The system that WSSB is looking into is
“Alertus”. This product is used by
several schools for the blind, Gallaudet University, Washington State
Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), etc. Scott has reached out to
those organizations to get a reference. The system has a variety of ways to
push out communication with an option for a panic button; beacons for the walls
that have a text to speech component, texting, and emergency flashers. The goal is to have the system in place by fall,
2018.
o
Yang-su
said he hopes the DSB office located on the second floor of the Old Main
building at the WSSB are included in the emergency notifications. Janet responded that they are currently in
the emergency notification system we have and they will be included in any future
communication systems.
o
Scott
reported that he, Emily Coleman, Director of Outreach/Statewide Vision
Consultant-Washington Sensory Disability Services and Sean McCormick, Director
of On-Campus Programs were accepted into the doctoral program at the Washington
State University. DeEtte Snyder,
Birth-Three Statewide Coordinator completed her dissertation defense toward her
doctorate.
Ex-Officio’s Reports:
WFSE Local #1225 (Jim
Eccles):
o
Jim
reported that his concern relates to capital projects syncing up with the
return of staff and students in the fall as many times projects tend to run
past their due dates.
Washington Council of
the Blind (WCB) (Joleen Ferguson):
o
Joleen
reported that the WCB recently hosted a braille challenge and she heard many
positive reports on the event.
o
In
May 2018, a leadership training will be held and is open to WCB members. This event will be combined with the WCB
spring board meeting, which will be held at the Crown Plaza SeaTac.
o
The
WCB fall convention will be held November 1-3 at the Crown Plaza SeaTac.
o
The
American Council for the Blind (ACB) convention will be held at the St. Louis
Union Station June 29-July 6. Joleen
extended an invitation for any and all to attend the conventions.
National Federation
of the Blind (Marci Carpenter):
o
Marci
reported that the NFB attended a training at the WSSB on March 10 relating to
the BELL (Braille Enrichment for Literacy and Learning) program that will be
held on the WSSB campus this summer. The program is intended for 6-12 year olds
and an application and FAQ sheet will go out in the next couple of weeks. Marci
plans to send the notice out to the WSSB, EVE listserv, etc. The BELL program will be a two-week day
program co-hosted by the NFB of Oregon. Carla
McQuillan from the NFB of Oregon provided the training. TVI, Sara Zachariah
will be teaching the BELL program. Students will learn about braille, get a
white cane, slate and stylus, do a Louis Braille birthday party, go on a field
trip, etc. Parents will be asked to pay $25 to help defray the cost of the
program. The goal is to expand the
program in the future to have a residential component. Keri asked how many
children they will have in the program this year. Marci said 10. Marci will send out the link
as soon as it is available. Berl asked
if the focus will be on UEB; Marci said yes.
o
The
NFB of Washington fall convention will be held October 26-28 at the Hotel RL in
Olympia. Registration information will
be coming out this summer.
o
Reg
stated that the NFB should be commended for all of the programs they sponsor
and stated they would like both consumer groups to work together. Berl feels it is great that both consumer
groups are working on braille literacy.
o
Scott
thanked the NFB for hosting a talent show at the WSSB on March 15.
o
Marci
said if people have an occasion to be in Washington DC, there is a museum
called the “Newseum” that has kiosks, headphones etc. and has made the
commitment to be an accessible museum. Marci also reported that John Olson who has a
company called 3D Photo Works takes photography and converts it into 3D
images. John is a reporter with Stars
and Stripes and started his career during the Vietnam War. John located soldiers, interviewed them and
displays his 3D photography. Marci can
obtain tickets if anyone is interested.
Berl stated that the Holocaust Museum in D.C. has audio description of
displays in the museum.
Parent Representative
(Krista Bulger):
o
Krista reported that the parent group continues
to be a group who is divided by square miles.
o
Krista had the opportunity to talk to parents at the
recent Swim Meet in January. Several
students attended from Oregon. Krista
reported that parents from Oregon are unsure of what services are available. Scott said the WSSB works with Oregon school
districts and placement is an IEP driven decision.
o
Krista stated that she discusses WSSB short
courses with parents of students she serves in local school districts. Krista feels that email may not be the best
mode of communication and suggested perhaps the WSSB create a flyer outlining
the program and course offerings that can be mailed. Dennis remarked that while he was at the ESD
112, serving as a Special Education Director, it was his experience that
mailing lists were confidential and that obtaining the information would have
to be done through the Principal or Special Education Director.
o
Jennifer encouraged Krista to have a table of
information at the upcoming WSSB track meet in May. Scott also encouraged the NFB and WCB to have
an information table there as well.
Teachers
Representative (Jennifer Butcher):
o
Jennifer
said that it is spring and often times a challenge to keep students calm and
focused.
o
Jennifer
reported that a number of on-campus and Outreach staff will be attending the
upcoming Pacific Northwest Association for the Education and Rehabilitation of
Blind and Visually Impaired (PNWAER) conference in Vancouver March 22-24. Scott stated he is proud of our staff for
putting in the time and effort into their presentations.
Committee Reports:
Education Committee (Michelle Farrell): N/A
Buildings and Grounds Committee (Nancy McDaniel):
o
Nancy said the school is very fortunate to have
Rob Tracey, Facilities Manager.
o
Nancy, Rob and Scott did the annual facility
walk-through before the Board meeting. Rob explained the ramifications of
certain buildings on campus being “historical buildings” relating to capital
projects.
o
Discussions were held regarding the number of
capital projects that will be occurring this summer and the difficulty of
obtaining contractors for smaller projects.
o
Nancy reported that the tour included the warehouse
and shop and they were very clean.
o
The Michael Freeman project is almost complete.
Six signs (braille and print) are located in the bioswale area of campus
highlighting some of the unique trees. In addition, the Lions Club recently
donated a bronze Lion statue. Scott reported a base is being built for the Lion
from reused brick on campus and the statue will be located between the
Stenehjem building and the Irwin building to welcome people to that part of the
campus; a braille and print sign will be available.
Management Committee (Ed Snook):
o
Ed said there are no issues at this time. Ed said he is pleased that everyone is
working hard and all is well.
Legislative Committee (Berl Colley):
o
Berl said as everyone knows the legislative session
is over. Berl and Scott met during the session.
Miscellaneous:
Marci discussed the
Board of Trustees positions and terms. Janet explained that Board members can
serve up to two 5-year terms. Information can be located at https://www.governor.wa.gov/boards-commissions.
Reg asked about the Learning
Independence for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) program. Reg said often times high
school students come to DSB unprepared in the area of math, which results in
them failing classes at the college level. Reg asked if the LIFTT program has
academic supports for this. Scott said that the LIFTT program is a DSB program.
Reg would like to see how academic supports can be enhanced while they are
here. Jim said when students have
specific needs they have found ways to fill them. Jim has worked with students in LIFTT regarding
math homework. Jim said staff also work
with DSB staff when we have students who have deficits in certain areas. Jim stated LIFTT is designed to help students
with Daily Living Skills, budgeting, time management, etc. and it is assumed
that students are up to speed, or may need some additional support. Reg said the feedback he is getting is that
school districts are not preparing students before they are sent to LIFTT. The suggestion was made to have Lori Pulliam,
Director of Transition Services attend the June, 2018 board meeting
Reg also expressed a
concern regarding the lack of a math TVI at WSSB. Jennifer reported the WSSB currently has
three Math TVI’s, however we do have an open position for Math TVI.
Executive Session
An
executive session was called at 1:35pm.
There being no further business, the meeting
adjourned at 1:50pm. The next Board
meeting will be held on May 3 at 7:30pm via conference call.
Dennis Mathews, Chair Scott McCallum, Superintendent
Outreach
This
school year is clipping along, and as we near Spring Break, it is exciting to
look back on the past few months and all that has been accomplished by our
Outreach and by our work with the Washington Sensory Disability Services
(WSDS).
·
During
November and December I continued to visit our Outreach staff on–site to
observe the work they are doing with students every day. I saw them all before the winter break and
will do another round in the spring.
·
Outreach
staff are also submitting to me videos of teaching (with parent permission) and
copies of evaluations to document the work they are doing statewide with our
kids.
·
We
had three additional VI-Rounds Ups following the October event in Yakima. We also met with regional providers in
Renton, Tumwater, and Spokane. Our numbers continue to grow for this event, and
we look forward to crucial networking/collaboration time.
·
In
December, I toured the Inland Northwest Lighthouse in Spokane and gained much
knowledge about their programs and opportunities for adults. I look forward to visiting the Seattle
Lighthouse in April.
·
The
Blind Youth Consortium met in November in Lacey and again last week in Seattle.
We continue to address digital literacy and have embarked on a research project
in collaboration with Portland State University (PSU).
·
We
have been approved for another Stephen F. Austin University Co-hort through the
collaboration with WSDS. Our Outreach
teacher, Pam Parker, will continue to work as a part-time mentor to those students
and to PSU teacher candidates.
Additional Outreach teachers have participated as practicum placements,
too.
·
On
January 24, I attended the Deaf-Blind Advisory Group meeting in Renton, WA for
the first time to support this unique population we serve.
·
January
26 was our quarterly Outreach meeting with multiple guest presenters including
Dr. Closson from the Low Vision Clinic and Dr. Christine Roman-Lantzy to review
her Cortical Visual Impairment (CVI) Range Endorsement program in collaboration
with Perkins.
·
The
Unified English Braille (UEB) Committee continues to meet to support braille
competency in WA State. Our braille class, taught by Mike Sivill, continues
weekly with positive reviews.
·
On
February 22-23, I participated in the interviews for new Teacher of the
Visually Impaired (TVI)/ Orientation & Mobility (O&M) candidates at
PSU, and am excited that they have over 50 applicants looking at this program
with many from Washington.
·
Finally,
I met with the State Needs Projects and also Glenna Gallo, Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), on March 2 to discuss Special
Education needs in WA and how best our programs, including WSSB and WSDS, can
support students.
Our
staff is looking forward to attending the Pacific NW/Oregon Association for
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER)
Conference to be held March 22-24 in Vancouver, WA. Continued professional
development and collaboration are always a priority for our team.
On Campus
Enrollment
Students On-Campus:
Comprehensive
programs: 43
Distance
Learning: 6
Local
District Day: 3
Short
Course: 15 total (between 3 short courses)
Total:
67
Education In and Out
of the Classroom
Since
the beginning of January, students have been engaged in a variety of activities
in and outside of the classroom.
Improving academic performance for students at WSSB is a priority, as
each student should be provided the opportunity to learn to their greatest
potential. One strategy implemented this
school year by Jennifer Langley, Director of Curriculum and Instruction, is the
use of weekly progress monitoring for students.
Each Monday morning, students receive a slip of paper (braille and large
print) that indicates whether they are on the ‘A Train’ and have A grade marks,
‘Woo Hoo’ or ‘You Rock’ for B and C grades, and ‘Aim High’ for D and F grade
marks. Each of these progress markers
are handed out discreetly to each individual student, but it is common to hear
a student state an emphatic, “YES” in the Irwin commons on Monday morning. The students that are on the ‘Aim Higher’
plan have the opportunity to complete re-work or re-dos to improve their grade
after meeting with their teacher. The
excitement around growth and improvement has helped students have a greater
impact on knowing how to improve their grades and celebrating their hard work.
In
addition to their in-class performance, students had the opportunity to
participate in many activities outside of their classes. Here are some of the fun activities at WSSB
so far in 2018: students listened to Billy Henry from the Northwest Association
for Blind Athletes (NWABA) speak at our annual PAYDAY assembly, students went
on weekly outings in Mrs. Johnson’s Trails class, Regional Braille Challenge at
WSSB, WSSB’s Powerlifting Team competed in Seattle, Jennifer Butcher led the
annual Exercise for Heart event, downhill skiing on Thursdays in February,
Goalball competed in Canby, OR, and students spent time cross-country skiing on
Mt. Hood with the U.S. Forest Service and Teacup Nordic club.
Short Course
WSSB
Short course has hosted two courses in January and one in February. The courses offered include a focus on low
vision, social skills, and independent living skills in the home. Each of these courses has had an incredible
impact on the students attending. One
TVI in the state sent a message to WSSB to let us know that the course made a
huge impact on them. Here is what the
TVI said:
“I must say - I am so proud of this student for all of his
growth in the past year in regards to his vision impairment - but he has come
leaps and bounds since attending the WSSB short course. Thank you so much
for all that you and the WSSB team do for our students!”
Other Updates On Campus
WSSB has a new music teacher, Lisa Peterson.
Lisa will be a long-term sub through the end of the year. Lisa has a background in music performance
and music therapy. Richard Coffman was
hired as a full-time Residential Life Counselor (RLC). Richard has been a sub teacher for WSSB for 3
years and is great to have on board.
Sean McCormick has been traveling the state to visit ESDs and create
broader awareness of the programs on campus.
Staff have been participating in training regarding mental health and
adverse childhood experiences to improve support for students in out of the
classroom.
Transition
Services
Health
Center
·
Nurses performed CPR/AED/First Aid training over winter break.
Approximately 80% of WSSB staff are certified to perform CPR and first aid.
·
Students are participating in the Self Directed Medication
Program.
·
Eleven (11) disaster bags are located on campus: Irwin Admin
office, Irwin Teacher’s Aide office, Learning Independence for Today and
Tomorrow (LIFTT), Health Center, Watson, Clark, Hall and Chapman cottages,
Stenehjem Fitness Center, Ogden Resource Center (ORC) and the Superintendent’s
office.
·
The updated medication administration policy has been approved.
·
Health center nurses will both maintain registration as nurses in
both Oregon and Washington to meet the needs of students.
·
Health Center nurses work with school staff to problem solve
health concerns to facilitate students receiving as much instructional time as
possible.
·
In addition to medication education for students, nurses teach
various topics to students as needs arise, such as hand hygiene, eye hygiene,
how to apply a band aid, sexual education and nutrition topics to name just a
few.
·
Nurses are actively preparing emergency care plan information for
students with special health care needs in a more accessible format for our
blind and visually impaired staff.
·
The current medical directors are Dr. Katherine Vaughn and Dr.
Laurie Metzger from the Vancouver Clinic.
Youth
Service Specialist
·
Continued
coordination of Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) funded contract with
Partners in Careers to provide weekly soft skills training, job
shadows/internships and integrated community career focused workshops for 10
WSSB students. Community activities this
quarter included student participation in the Fort Vancouver Regional Library
fundraiser, mentor, career round-up and mock interview events. Students have done volunteer internships at
the Fort Vancouver Library Headquarters, Pearson Air Museum, Salvation Army
Food Bank and ReTails Thrift Store.
Student job shadow experiences included a website designer/film
producer/technology instructor, a professional piano player, Clark College
music department instructor, Dot’s Donuts and Clark College sports announcer.
·
Participation
in the Center for Change in Transition Services (CCTS) Transition Learning
Community leadership team. The goals of
the team are focused on increasing work based learning opportunities,
determining student skills gaps and enhancing transition assessments.
·
Participation
in the WorkForce South West Washington’s Emerging Workforce Committee quarterly
meetings.
·
Participation
in WorkSource’s Business Services WIOA Partner monthly team meetings.
·
Attends
quarterly DSB youth services and DSB south region staff meeting.
·
Attends
monthly DSB YSS staff meetings.
·
Updates
DSB’s business management database with pre-ETS activity documentation as
required.
·
Works
1:1 with students in the WSSB GOALS class 2 days per week to establish Career
Cruising program accounts and facilitate work readiness activities.
·
Attended Washington Initiative
for Supported Employment (WISE) trainings on January 23, February 20 and
February 21, 2018. Presentations were made by State Department of Developmental
Disabilities, Clark County Developmental Disability Services, DVR and WISE
about navigating adults systems and employment incentives for individuals
receiving SSI/SSDI.
·
Attended TVI round-up meeting in
Tumwater on December 5, 2017.
·
Met with Clark County Community
Services Development Disabilities Program Manager and Program Coordinator on
December 14, 2017 to begin discussions about pre-ETS services for youth with
multiple disabilities.
·
Conducted follow-up meetings in
with DDA employment vendors, Employers Overload and Trillium Employment
Services, to facilitate discussion about possible contracting for services for
students with additional disabilities on January 4, 2018 and February 1, 2018.
·
Attended ICan Workshop
Instructing the Caring Adult Network "What Trauma Teaches About
Resilience" on January 29, 2018.
·
Participation in the WSSB Career
Fair Planning Committee – developing job shadow opportunities and connecting
with community agencies to provide workplace readiness skills training for the
event.
·
Ongoing coordination of YES 1
program advertisement/application process and development of job shadow
placements.
·
Attended a CCTS “Developing Job
Shadow Experiences” training in Renton on February 13, 2018.
·
Attended a WorkSource sponsored
Healthcare Employment Panel event on February 28, 2018.
LIFTT/Transition
services
·
LIFTT students are progressing through their class work, work
experiences and LIFTT program training for skills of independence. “Life after
LIFTT” will be a strong focus for the spring term.
·
There is student interest in program attendance for the 2018-2019
program year. As of this writing, we have given two tours, had inquiries from
nine students and have received one application.
·
And, last but not least – an article about one of the LIFTT
students from the Washington State University-Vancouver (WSU-V) newsletter:
Way to go!
WSU Vancouver’s public website is
more accessible thanks to the work of Web Communications Manager Brian Bates,
Accessibility Council Student Intern Ziggy Reinhardt and Academic Services team
members Michelle Eccles and Scott Fraser. Ziggy, a 2017 WSU Vancouver alumnus,
spent several months in the fall evaluating the website’s accessibility using a
screen reader and worked closely with Michelle and Scott to compile a final
report. Brian used the report to update the website, making it more accessible.
Kudos to everyone involved!
Business
Office
1.
2017-19
Operating Budget
We closed the month of January with a 2.5%
variance. Most departments are staying
within their allotted budget and we are projecting to end the year on target.
In Fund 19B, we ended January with an 8%
variance. Balance ending January 2018
was $1,925,495.
2.
2017-19
Capital Budget
As you are aware, the legislature did not
pass a capital budget during their regular session. It was passed during their supplemental
cycle. We were appropriated the
following:
Campus Preservation $520,000
Pre-Study for Independent Living Center
50,000
3.
2018
Supplemental: The legislature is in
session and will end on March 8. So far,
we have not received any fiscal note requests.
All of our decision package requests have been recommended in both the
Senate and House and are moving through the process.
4.
Safety
Net: We are working on the 2017-18
Safety Net grant application. The due date is March 16 and we will submit an
application for funding for three students totaling $84,442.
5.
Fiscal
Year-End and FY2019: We are beginning to
prepare for fiscal year-end and 2019 allotments in addition to allotting
whatever supplemental requests are funded.
6.
2019-21
Budget: Decision packages for 2019-21
budget cycle will be due early August.
We will be discussing what we will submit soon.
Human
Resources
New
Hires:
·
Amanda
Pizzo – Fiscal Tech 1
·
Richard
Coffman – RLC
·
Lisa
Peterson – Substitute TVI
·
Jennifer
Sparrowgrove – On-call Custodian
·
Toni
Fazio – On-call Cook
·
Emily
Owens – On-call TA
·
Arina
Cheptea – On-call Nurse
·
Felicia
Williamson – On–call TA
·
Katy
Perry – Substitute Teacher and on-call TA
·
Deborah
Petrie – On-call TA
Open
Recruitments:
·
TVI
– Math
·
TVI
- Music
·
School
Psychologist
·
Custodian
·
On-call
Teacher’s Assistant
·
On-call
Custodian
·
On-call
Nurse
·
Substitute
Teacher
Trainings/Functions
Attended:
·
HR
Managers Meeting – Facilitated by Franklin Plaistowe and Marcos Rodriguez
·
Labor
Relations Roundtable – Facilitated by Office of Financial Management (OFM)
·
Safe
Schools Task Force
Ogden Resource Center (ORC)
Prison Program
Recently,
some of our transcribers at the women’s prison (WCCW) have left the braille
program to re-enter society and begin their own braille businesses. We are
hiring new transcribers and apprentices. We are working closely with the prison
to make sure that ongoing training is supported for all transcribers.
Farewells and Hellos
One of
our proofreaders, Mike Sivill, and our Warehouse Operator, Tyler Peterson, have
left WSSB to pursue new career opportunities.
We will soon welcome Ian Goodrich to our team as the Warehouse Operator.
We are not hiring a new proofreader at this time as our exceptional
proofreader, Adrienne Lattin, is currently keeping up with demand.
Instructional Resource Center
The ORC
is working on the annual American Printing House for the Blind (APH) Census.
This is the first year that parent permission slips are required to release
information so staff have been busy working with teachers around the state to
gather up permission slips for all ORC registered students.
Buildings
and Grounds
Campus
·
The
Freeman Project signs are scheduled to be installed on March 15. This includes
signage for the six trees on campus that visitors asked about the most or have
significant features that make them stand out as unique.
·
The
pool circulation system has been repaired and the recent health department
audit was complementary of the improvements we have made. We are now working on
gathering bids for required maintenance to the sand filters.
·
We
have reworked all eight of the lights in the pool area and changed them to
LED’s. Clark PUD has offered to pay for up to $4000 of this retro fit, which
means the total project cost is under $200, and will change the wattage used
from 8,000 kilowatts to 1,920.
·
We
are evaluating an emergency alert system that will tie in a broad spectrum of
alert notification methods with an almost instant activation. This is still in
the information-gathering phase but initial feedback looks promising.
·
The
Lions Club has donated a bronze statue of a lion, which we will be building a
stand for and mounting in the parking lot island to the east of Irwin.
Capital
·
Eight
of the lights in the gym have been replaced with LED fixtures. The remaining
fluorescent fixtures were adjusted and repaired to give better coverage in the
play areas.
·
We
currently have five capital projects scheduled to begin as soon as possible.
These include resealing all of the campus parking lots, sewer line rework and
roof replacement for the cottages, front entry work for Old Main and additional
card readers added in various areas of campus.
·
We
are evaluating cottage furniture replacement for the bedrooms and living rooms.
This will replace the items that are twenty plus years old.
Birth-3
·
Referrals
for new infants/toddlers continue to come in!
We now have contracts with all five early intervention agencies in
Spokane County and they are actively referring children for VI services. We also have a new contract in Kittitas
County with Bright Beginnings for two children.
·
A
current goal of program is to inform medical providers, such as pediatric
ophthalmologists, on who we are, how to refer, and what services are provided
to children and families beyond their exam rooms. We are working on a letter through ESIT on
the referral process as well as an informational brochure to educate them on
our services.
·
Currently
the B-3 Program has 19 active contracts serving 15 counties for a total of 47
kids. These numbers actually change
almost on a daily basis as children come into services and also leave services
at the age of 3.
·
The
Birth to 3 Staff at WSSB, which includes DeEtte Snyder, Cindy McAlexander, and
Kathy Michielsen, has begun monthly reflective consultations with a clinical
social worker and infant mental health professional Carol Good from Child
Strive. We have goal of becoming better
reflective practitioners in our work with children, families, and other early
intervention partners through this process.
This time has been very beneficial to us!
·
DeEtte
was accepted to do a daylong pre-conference session at the Infant and Early
Childhood Conference, on May 2 in Tacoma.
This presentation is titled “The Keys to Learning: Assessing the
Strengths and Needs of Children with Sensory Disabilities” and will be in
partnership with the Deaf Blind Project and also Center for Childhood Deafness
and Hearing Loss (CDHL).
Superintendent
I am trying something new with my board reports this year. I will provide, in bulleted format, a list of
the more significant activities of the Superintendent’s office. For each month, I will describe a highlight
or two in more detail. If at any point you would like more information or have
questions, please do not hesitate to call, email, or schedule a time to meet in
person. I want to make sure that you
have the information that you need to advise and guide what we do to meet the needs
of students who are blind or visually impaired throughout Washington State.
January
January 19: Lighthouse for
the Blind (meeting with mgmt. team and tour)
January 22: Education
sub-cabinet meeting (conference call)
January 23: Executive
Cabinet meeting
January 23: Safety Net and
“Resident” students with the Office of Financial Management (OFM)
January 24: Deaf/Blind
Advisory Meeting (Zoom meeting)
January 24: Dinner with the
students – Watson Cottage
January 25: UEB Committee
Meeting
January 25: WSSB/Lions Swim
Meet
January 26: Listening
Session – Outreach department
January 29: Education
sub-cabinet meeting (conference call)
January 31: Governor
Results Review meeting
January 31: Process for
counting students enrolled in state programs (OSPI)
Highlight
Spending time with students and staff is always a highlight for
me. In January, I have had the good
fortune of eating dinner with the students who reside in Watson Cottage,
hosting another listening session, this time with our Outreach staff, and
swimming in our annual Lions Swim Meet.
The 2018 Lions Swim Meet provided me with a memory that is sure to last
a lifetime. One of our middle school
students, possibly sensing my nervous anticipation of swimming in the meet,
kindly asked if I was going to be swimming in the 200. The 200 is a longer distance swim that
requires one to swim eight laps of our pool to complete the event. When I responded to the young swimmer’s
question, telling her that I was indeed swimming the 200 and that I was a bit
nervous, she replied with a confident smile, “I am going to beat you. I am really good.” The 200 was the first event of the
night. I had the pleasure of competing
against two middle school students and our Director of On-Campus Programs, Sean
McCormick. I swam my hardest, crushing
the first four laps of the pool and, I think, leading the pack for those first
few laps. The second half of the event
seemed, for me, to drag on forever. I
gave it every ounce of effort I could muster, nearly succumbing to cramping
back, shoulder and arm muscles. In the
end, I felt very good about my effort, giving everything I had to complete the
event. I imagine that our students also
felt really good about their winning efforts and earned bragging rights since
they beat both the principal and superintendent in the same race.
February
February 1: Conference call
“Exchange Program with Nepal”
February 2: Reasonable
Accommodation Webinar
February 5: Education
sub-cabinet meeting (conference call)
February 6: Meet with
Martin Middlewood regarding Clark County Historical Museum Music Exhibit
February 6: Meet with Mike
See, Clark College regarding campus security
February 8: Emergency
Preparedness Class at Clark College
February 8: Tour with TVI
Sharon Zenger
February 12: Education
sub-cabinet meeting (conference call)
February 12: Access for All
Partner Meeting
February 15: Exercise for
Heart Day
February 15: New Board
Member, Greg Szabo, Senate Confirmation
February 21: Meeting at PCC
with Biology Instructor, Jon Briggs
February 22: Listening Sessions
with staff
February 23: AFBLC – COSB
Panel regarding high stakes testing
February 26: SEVP and ICE
On-Site Visit
February 27: Executive
Cabinet/Small Agency Cabinet meeting
February 28: Meet with
Karen Diller and Robert Schimelpfenig, WSU-V Library (archivists)
Highlight
February proved to be yet another very busy month. The 2018 Legislative Session (short
session=60 days) is in full swing. We
have seen forward movement with the Capital budget left over from the previous
session as well as support for our Supplemental budget requests to support
increased costs in the areas of reasonable accommodation, student
transportation, digital braille literacy, and a budgetary technical correction.
A highlight for me was the time I spent with new Board of Trustees
member, Greg Szabo, for his Senate confirmation hearing in Olympia. I had the wonderful opportunity to accompany
Mr. Szabo at his Senate hearing. I am
excited to welcome him to our board.
On campus, we are looking forward to hosting friends from a school
for the blind in Nepal for two weeks in April as part of a “Knowledge Exchange”
opportunity. The principal, Ms. Keshari Thapa, and a teacher, Ms. Sita Gyawali,
from Purwanchal Gyanchakshu Vidhyalaya (Special School for the Blind and Visually
Impaired including those with Multiple Disabilities) will spend time learning
about services for the blind and visually impaired in Washington. Our Nepali friends plan to spend one week at
WSSB learning about our school-based programs.
During the second week of their exchange, they will spend time with an
itinerant TVI in the Seattle area as well as potential meetings with
stakeholders such as Department of Services for the Blind, Washington Talking
Book and Braille Library, Seattle Lighthouse for the Blind, Northwest
Association for Blind Athletes, Portland State University, and Washington
Sensory Disability Services. As part of the Knowledge Exchange, external
funding has been secured to send WSSB Director of On-Campus Programs, Sean
McCormick, to the School for the Blind in Nepal in late June to learn about
their programs and services.
Additionally, funding has been requested from the Pacific Foundation for
Blind Children (PFBC) to support sending a WSSB teacher to Nepal as part of the
exchange.
March
March 1: Blind Youth
Consortium Meeting
March 6: WSSB admin. team
meeting
March 7: Goal Council
Meeting
March 9: Oregon Commission
for the Blind special meeting
March 12-13: Career Fair –
WSSB Students
Highlight
Over the past several months, I have spent considerable time and
effort examining our emergency management plans and procedures. These efforts have included many internal
discussions about our own plans and practice on campus related to a variety of potential
emergencies. I have reviewed our current
documented plans. I have met with the
Director of Security, Safety and Emergency Management from Clark Community
College. Additionally, I participated in
a training at Clark about their emergency management procedures. Due to the unfortunate and recent event in
Florida, safety and emergency management have become regular discussion topics
at Clark County Superintendent meetings.
One of our most significant challenges at WSSB is the fluid-nature of
students and staff at WSSB and providing real-time communication in the event
of an emergency that reaches everyone who needs to know. The challenge of communication may create
vulnerabilities that we must address. We
are in the process of evaluating emergency communication options that will meet
our needs at WSSB. Before the end of the
school year, we hope to identify and move forward with an emergency
communication update that address’ our vulnerabilities in the most complete way
possible. As more complete plans are identified, I will keep the board
up-to-date.
Ongoing
Meetings with department managers and administration team
PFBC meetings
Executive Cabinet meetings
Goal Council meetings
Clark County and Regional Superintendent meetings
NWABA Board meetings
UEB committee meetings
Oregon Commission for the Blind Board meetings
Washington DeafBlind Advisory Council meetings
Washington Sensory Disability Services meetings
Highlight
I mentioned at the last board meeting that I had applied to the
Washington State University Graduate School for admission to the Educational
Leadership Doctoral program. I have been accepted to the program and plan to
enroll in classes that begin in the fall of 2018. The program will take a minimum of four years
to complete and successful completion of the program will result in the award
of Doctorate of Education degree in Educational Leadership. Emily Coleman, WSSB’s Director of Outreach,
has also been accepted into the program and plans to enroll in the fall of
2018. We anticipate aligning our
dissertation work with a focus on services for students who are blind or
visually impaired.