WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
November 13, 2015
Vancouver, Washington
Board Members Participating: Jim Kemp, Nancy McDaniel, Dennis Mathews, Yang-su Cho, John Glenn, Lorna
Walsh, Berl Colley, Cindy Bennett, Michelle Farrell, and Ed Snook.
Ex-Officio Members Participating: JJ
Isaacson (Teachers Association), Joleen Ferguson (Washington Council of
the Blind), and Michael Freeman (National Federation
of the Blind of Washington).
Ex-Officio Members Absent: Scott Hone (Washington Federation of State Employees Local #1225 and
Lilly Longshore (Parent Representative).
WSSB Staff Members Participating: Dr. Dean Stenehjem
(Superintendent), Kim Curry (School Counselor), and Janet Kurz (recording secretary).
Guests: Denise
Colley (Washington Council of the Blind-WCB), Marci Carpenter (National
Federation of the Blind-NFB) and Dennis and Marissa Karras from the Karras
Consulting Firm.
Executive Session
An executive session was called to order at 9:45am. The executive session ended at 9:55am.
November
13 – 10:00am
Jim called the meeting to order at 10:00am. The group started the meeting by introducing
themselves.
Department Updates
Kim Curry (School Counselor)
Kim started her career at WSSB as a contract employee and was later
hired as full-time school counselor. Kim
worked with a former student to help her with college preparation (ACT,
application, scholarships, etc.). Kim
has now developed a Career Awareness Program through a computer platform called
Yammer where senior students can post comments to one another and Kim can post
information regarding ACT information, scholarships, etc. At this time three WSSB students, one student
from Everett and one student from Kennewick are enrolled. Kim obtains parental consent before students
are allowed to join this online group.
She has also contacted Department of Services for the Blind (DSB)
counselors to see if they have students who may also want to join group. Discussion was held regarding different
scholarships that are available (WCB, NFB, etc.). Michelle asked if Junior-aged students could
join; Kim said that at this time she is working out the details and will then start
a separate online group for Junior-aged students. Nancy suggested having alumni post
information and Cindy stated that she could send her information and offer tips
and tricks as she is currently enrolled in college. Kim is also learning more
about a program that uses Avatars in a social skills group and would like to explore
this option for blind and visually impaired (BVI) students.
Business Meeting:
Old Business:
Approve board meeting minutes of September 18,
2015. Ed moved to approve the minutes as submitted; Lorna seconded the motion. The
minutes were approved unanimously.
New Business:
WASA/WSSDA Legislative Conference – January
31-February 1, 2016.
o
Dr. Stenehjem will send information to the Board
as it becomes available.
Superintendent’s Report
Dr. Stenehjem reviewed the following:
Dr. Stenehjem stated Jennifer Langley (WSSB Music
TVI) is working closely with Sean McCormick (WSSB Principal) regarding re-accreditation.
The goal is to have all information compiled and submitted by the end of
February, 2016 with on-site review occurring in April, 2016. The re-accreditation is being administered by
“AdvancEd”. The process entails
information primarily be entered online. AdvancED only looks at the on campus
program, however WSSB will require all departments to do improvement plans and
will have professionals from across the country to come and review them to
provide input for WSSB’s Strategic Plan.
There is a lot of training occurring at the WSSB
and across the state regarding UEB. A
new assessment is being created and the WAC revision discussion with the Professional
Educator Standard Board (PESB) will be held in January, 2016 (actual date
TBD).
Dr. Stenehjem outlined in his report (below) the
things he wants to work on before his retirement (June 2016) with a brief description
for each department. Dr. Stenehjem’s
goal is to make sure everything is in good condition so a smooth transition can
take place and there are good staff in all key positions.
Dennis requested that the Board be aware of what
Dr. Stenehjem does and attends. The new Superintendent must be actively engaged. Dr. Stenehjem stated that it is important to
stay connected with local districts. Dr.
Stenehjem stated that he will introduce the new superintendent to key contacts
in Olympia and locally. Jim expressed
his concern that the new superintendent understand the funding structure of
WSSB, specifically private local funds (19B account).
Dr. Stenehjem stated when he started there was
$40,000 in student betterment and there is now $750,000 and he controls those
funds very tightly. Dr. Stenehjem worked
with staff in Olympia to be able to invest those funds and he would like to
recommend that the majority of the betterment funds be given to the Pacific
Foundation for Blind Children (PFBC).
This would entail changing state law and would mean the PFBC would
become the philanthropic branch of the school. Currently, the superintendent is
an ex-officio to the PFBC. If funds go
to the PFBC from betterment Dr. Stenehjem would suggest a school board member
be a board member on the PFBC. Nancy stated
that on foundations she is involved in she can designate, via a “legacy
society” where she would like her funds to go and asked if the PFBC has
something similar. Dr. Stenehjem said
they do. Joleen asked what betterment
funds are used for; Dr. Stenehjem said it varies from year to year, some years
it has been used for Camp Magruder, if state dollars are not there; other items
could be clothing, etc. Mike asked how
the funds would be differentiated or requested from betterment or PFBC; Dr.
Stenehjem said there could be some cross-over. The PFBC has assisted with
Summer School programs, Washington DC trip for students (Close-Up), technology,
etc. Dr. Stenehjem stated he will work
behind the scenes on the PFBC board, but wants to allow the new superintendent
to set direction, etc.
Ed asked if there are guidelines for the use of
19B funds. Dr. Stenehjem said they are primarily considered to be emergency
funds and expenditures of the funds are discussed in admin. team meetings. Lorna
asked if Mary Sarate (WSSB’s Director of Business and Finance) has the depth of
understanding of 19B funds. Dr. Stenehjem said that she does and Mary is very
like-minded with how the funds are expended (conservative approach).
Dennis asked if McCleary could have any issues with
school districts foundations’ funds. Dr. Stenehjem said that is a good
question. Ed asked if we have had any
push back from the budget folks in Olympia regarding the large balance in
private local funds. Dr. Stenehjem said
he hasn’t but it is a concern.
Committee Reports
Superintendent Search Committee:
o
Dennis said that today WSSB received two
completed applications and the consulting firm has received five applications
to date.
o
Cindy asked what role the other members of the
board have in this process. Dennis said from what he knows from his
conversations with the search consultant and the Deputy Chief of Staff have
informed us is that 1-2 members from the board will be invited to be a part of
the interview committee. The consulting
firm has asked that the applications being submitted be confidential at this
time.
o
Ed feels every stakeholder must have the
opportunity to be involved in interviews.
Dr. Stenehjem said that when he interviewed for the Superintendent’s
position in 1990, 1-2 members of the Board were involved in the interviews, as
well as members from the Governor’s office.
In addition, there was an opportunity for candidates to meet with the
teachers, blind consumer groups, staff, etc.
Dennis would like to clarify the process with the consulting firm.
o
Berl said at the September board meeting, it was
his understanding that the consulting firm would be meeting with the Board
before sending out the recruitment notice.
Berl’s concern is the consumer organizations will only be involved in
the process when there are 1-2 candidates.
Dr. Stenehjem reported that the recruitment announcement had to be
complete before his trip to the Council of Schools/Services for the Blind
(COSB) convention in October so that he could assist with the recruiting and
that the requirements for the position are established by RCW. Dennis said he
could understand the confusion as he was surprised at how quickly the process
moved forward. The deadline for applications
is December 13 and interviews will take place in February. Ed recommended that Berl speak up at the open
forum to express his concerns.
o
Ed said that the consulting firm committed to work
on the salary issue (increasing the superintendent’s salary to be competitive).
Dr. Stenehjem stated it is important to go back to the RCW’s as you are pulling
from a very competitive and small market. Ed said he asked Kelly Wicker, Deputy
Chief of Staff if private local funds could be used to increase the
superintendent’s salary. Ed feels that the consulting firm is not used to
working with our type of agency, i.e. blindness specific skills, consumer
organizations, etc.
o
Lorna feels it is important that the committee
has input as to which candidates move forward. Berl expressed his concern that
the consumer group organizations aren’t able to provide input, only when the
final few candidates are brought forward.
Another question is to inquire about interview questions. Denise Colley gave a resolution that was
created at the WCB fall convention intended for the Board of Trustees. The resolution includes information regarding
the relationship with Dr. Stenehjem, importance of open communication, and expresses
concern that the WCB be involved in the process from the beginning (Janet will
scan the resolution and email it to the Board).
o
Dennis feels responsible in his capacity as
Superintendent Search committee chair, that every person has some level of
satisfaction that they have input in this process and that is important to
him. JJ said she is hearing that the
objective be about the client (student); she hears from the consumer groups and
the board that the client and customers are the students. JJ feels this agency
must be led by someone who understands the expectations and the consumer groups
are the biggest advocates who look out for the clients.
o
Ed reported that WSSB is $15,000 under the salary
cap for the Superintendent’s position and is $80,000 less than other state
schools for the blind.
Education
Committee:
o
Dr.
Stenehjem stated that the re-accreditation process will be a focus of the
education committee this year. Dr.
Stenehjem asked if any Board members had been contacted by Principal, Sean
McCormick. Dr. Stenehjem will follow-up
with Sean regarding this.
Buildings
and Grounds Committee.
o
Jim
stated the grounds look good.
o
Dr.
Stenehjem said the pool issue is still moving forward and hopes to begin the
repair of the liner and gutter in March, 2016.
o
Nancy
asked what type of back-up generators WSSB has.
Dr. Stenehjem said there are back-up batteries, and also WSSB set-up a
system where a generator is on a continuous loop from two different
systems. However with this system staff
from the Clark PUD have to come to the campus to manually switch the power to
the substation north of WSSB. Dr.
Stenehjem said WSSB does have two generators that are available.
Management
Committee:
o
Lorna
stated the superintendent search committee has been very active.
Legislative
Committee:
o
Berl
held a conference call in early October. Discussion was held regarding the
school’s name change and it was decided to postpone this item. Discussion was also held regarding the
funding of the B-3 position (the position was funded but not funds for
operation). The committee then discussed
the legislative hearings (tied to McCleary) that were being held around the
state; Dennis and Dr. Stenehjem attended one of the meetings in Vancouver and there
were over 200 people in attendance. Berl
said the LIFTT cottage construction was discussed; it was determined this was
not the year to request capital project funds.
The Superintendent’s salary issue is being handled through the
management committee which has been addressing this for several years. Berl would like to schedule another call
closer to when the legislature goes into session.
o
Dennis
and Dr. Stenehjem also attended a meeting at the ESD 112 (state board of
education). At that meeting discussion
got into TRI funds and the inequitable treatment for teachers across the
state. The purpose of the LEAP salary
schedule was to ensure equitable salaries; discussion was held to eliminate TRI
and to provide equitable salary increases within the LEAP schedule. Dr. Stenehjem will request, in the next
biennium budget, 17 additional days to remain competitive with local school
districts.
Ex-Officio Reports
Washington
Council of the Blind (WCB) (Joleen Ferguson):
o Joleen reported the
convention was last week (November 5-7) and they voted in a new President,
Steve Fiksdal. Joleen stated that Dr. Stenehjem provided a great presentation about
the history of the school at the convention.
National
Federation of the Blind (NFB) (Michael Freeman):
o
Mike
stated the NFB’s state convention was at the end of October. Marci Carpenter is the President of the
NFB. At the convention, the NFB presented
Dr. Stenehjem an award for his outstanding service. Dr. Stenehjem stated that Mike also got an
award. Yang-su reported that the NFB
made a resolution regarding transition programs.
Teachers
(JJ Isaacson):
o
JJ
reported that the first quarter just ended and that the teachers and para pros
are working hard and being very flexible with students’ needs (schedules,
curriculum offered, etc.). There have
been a lot of IEP meetings this time of year.
Miscellaneous
Jim reported that he brought three boxes of apples for Board and staff
to help themselves.
Dr. Stenehjem said that Jim is getting hip replacement surgery on
November 18.
Yang-su attended (in
Dr. Stenehjem’s absence) an awards ceremony for the Governor’s Committee on
Disability Issues and Employment as WSSB was nominated for an award regarding
employers who hire people with disabilities.
The Department of Licensing won the award. Dr. Stenehjem stated that he appreciated
Yang-su attending in his absence. Dr.
Stenehjem stated that 15% of WSSB’s workforce is disabled.
The regular Board meeting adjourned at
11:35am.
November
13 – 12-12:45pm
Lunch with Karras Consulting Firm: Dennis M. introduced Dennis and Marissa
Karras from the Karras Consulting Firm.
Dennis K. and Marissa provided a history of their background and an
update where the recruitment is at; currently there are five candidates. The soft
date for initial application deadline will be extended to February, 2016.
Berl asked about the process; Dennis K. stated they will start
interviewing folks as applications come in.
After that an extensive background check will be done that will expand
past the references that are listed. Berl
stated he did not hear mention of stakeholders or consumer group involvement. Dennis K. stated the consumer groups and
community will be very involved in meeting with the candidates. Mike stated that both consumer groups would
like to be involved and be able to provide input before the final 1-2
candidates are chosen, preferably 5-6 candidates, unless the pool is
small.
Mike asked if other attributes will be scrutinized, i.e. the
intangibles such as their attitudes towards braille, blindness, do they have
political savvy, etc. Dennis K. stated
the process hasn’t been laid out yet and they are open to discussions and that
they will meet with the selection committee to determine what the panels will
be, how many, etc. This can be designed and
tailored to meet our needs.
Denise’s concern, on behalf of the WCB, is that currently the WCB has
a good relationship and open communication with the current superintendent and
wants that to continue and the WCB wants to be included in the entire process. Denise
asked who would be developing the interview questions and would they be different
from panel to panel, etc. Dennis K. said
they are involved in the first third of the process, and that the ultimate
decision is made by us. They will be
transparent in giving everyone the information, backgrounds, resumes, etc. The next part will be determining how many
panels there will be, group meetings, etc.
Berl stated he also feels that representation from the alumni group is
important.
Ed stated that a large concern of the Board is the salary piece. Ed
recalls Kelly Wicker advising the board that she would be pursuing that and
that it had to go through a committee that sets salaries; WSSB is below the
maximum that is set forth by the salary committee. Dennis K. said they have not
been actively engaged in that process and feels the search committee needs to follow
up with Kelly. Dennis K. felt that
having salary survey data is important.
Ed stated that he submitted that information over a year ago.
Marci Carpenter, President of the NFB of Washington and Denise
reiterated that they would like to work hand in hand with the selection
committee on the Board.
Denise asked if there are no qualified applicants before the closing
date occurs, what happens. Dennis K.
stated they will keep looking.
November
13 – 1-3pm
Open Forum with Karras Consulting Firm to discuss
Superintendent recruitment.
Dennis Mathews introduced Dennis and Marissa Karras. Marissa provided a background history and
their experience. Marissa then reviewed the process for recruitment,
applications, interviews, panels, etc.
Marci Carpenter, President of the NFB, spoke about the importance of the
candidate’s attitude, belief of viability in braille, STEM, independent travel
for blind children, etc. Marci feels the consumer organizations need to have a
representative early on, aside from what the board committee has established. Marci
also strongly encouraged the Karras Consulting team to consult with the NFB and
ACB affiliates in candidates’ home town because they may have knowledge
regarding the candidate.
Berl felt the intangibles are what appeal to the consumer groups; i.e.
superintendents attend state and national conventions, commitment to be
available for extra duties, etc.
Mike Bicknell (WSSB Digital Research/Development Coordinator) felt
that having someone that has technology knowledge is important and someone who
has been involved with digital initiatives.
Doug Trimble (WSSB Orientation & Mobility Specialist) felt that
the candidate should have knowledge of technology that blind people use and
that someone who will be a strong leader, works with the school building,
outreach, residential and can bring people together. Also someone who has
worked in the education of blind children, thorough knowledge of expanded core
curriculum; academics, state rules, national, ADA, IDEA, etc. as it pertains to
the education of blind students.
Denise C. stated that although you have teachers who can teach blind
skills, the superintendent sets the tone for the school and if someone doesn’t
truly believe that students can be independent that can trickle down to the
staff. Denise also feels that consumer
groups needs to have input into what they are willing to give up and what to
keep, and need to be a part of that discussion should a candidate not have all
of the required qualifications. The Karras
consultants stated they would prefer to keep searching rather than
compromising.
Rob Tracey (WSSB Facilities Manager) feels it would be nice to have a
candidate that has some facility and technical background.
Jennifer Langley (WSSB Music TVI) stated that this position reports directly
to the Governor, and that having someone who is eloquent with speech and can
advocate for needs, and is the direct link for funding, and also being politically
savvy is important.
Berl said the candidate has to be willing and believe in coordination of
services with other directors of blindness agencies (Department of Services for
the Blind, Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, etc.). Berl stated Dr. Stenehjem has done an
excellent job or creating positive partnerships.
Cindy Bennett felt it is important to have a candidate who understands
the importance of sports and fitness and also have an appreciation for the
student’s overall health and belief in participating in extra-curricular
activities.
Judy Koch-Smith (WSSB Orientation & Mobility Instructor) asked
what the cut-off date is for applications.
The Karras firm stated it will be extended past December 13, and the
recruitment notices does state that the position is open until filled.
Doug asked if panels will have opportunity to interact with
finalists. The Karras Consulting firm
said yes.
There being no further business, the meeting
adjourned at 1:30pm. The next Board
meeting will be held via conference call on January 13, 2016 at 7:30pm.
James Kemp, Chair Dean
O. Stenehjem, Ed.D.
Superintendent
Board Reports – November 2015
During
the first two months of the school year, the Outreach staff has been busy
promoting independence for all of their students. Our teachers are currently
working with 216 students in about 33 school districts. On top of their daily
work, they’ve also spent time outside of the school day promoting independence
for kids and gaining new skills in the following ways:
·
On
September 24, Karen Mowry coordinated a recreational activity with the NW
Association of Blind Athletes in Woodland, WA. Multiple families gathered to
participate in tandem biking and beep baseball. It was a great opportunity for
socializing and networking.
·
During
the first week of October, Pam Parker and I attended the American Printing
House for the Blind (APH) Annual Meeting.
Pam had been selected as an APH Scholar, which gave her the opportunity
to learn about new APH products and network with educators from around the
country. She served as a great representative from WSSB.
·
On
October 23, our Outreach staff met in Olympia, WA for our fall meeting. We were
joined by other professionals, which increased our attendance to thirty
educators. Kevin Hughes from Humanware showed us a new product, and many in
attendance presented new ideas and provided great discussion.
·
Based
on the positive response to the September event, Colleen Johnson coordinated
another fall event that took place on October 29. Over a dozen children and
their parents showed up (many in costume) to hear stories, carve pumpkins, and
simply have fun with their peers
I’ve
been spending time with each teacher in our department within their own
regions. I’m astounded by the quality of work being done by our staff and their
dedication towards advocating for students and their independence. I look
forward to seeing more work being done in Washington and working with others to
find new ways for our Outreach department to grow professionally while continuing
to provide quality services to students.
Digital/Distance
Learning
A
technology plan is in the final stages of being complete. The final plan will be shared with the Board
for their review in the next 30-60 days.
On Campus
Enrollment
Our
current total school program enrollment is 60.
This includes 48 on campus students, 8 distance education students, and
4 Learning Independence for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT) students. It is
anticipated that the on campus program may have 2 more students returning to
WSSB within the near future.
The
First Quarter
The
on campus education programs have experienced a display of great growth,
struggle, and opportunity. Students are
the major focus of the continued instructional improvement we’re striving for
with on campus programs. This year’s focus is to build on our partnerships
between staff, students, staff and students, parents, and the community. These
partnerships can be illustrated through the dedication of our students
attending Hudson’s Bay, Clark College, Clark County Skills Center programs,
community based work placements, and the students attending digital classes
from outside our region. While the external partnerships are critical to
expanding the opportunities, the on campus programs continually adjusts to
better meet the needs of the students. In our high school TRAILS program, we
are focusing on integrating the expanded core curriculum in the areas of
transition, social and communication skills, community involvement, career
awareness, recreation, applied academics, and independent living skills. Led by
Kim Johnson and Brooke Richardson, the TRAILS programs utilizes a strong focus
on project and themed based learning for their assessment of learning, with an
emphasis on community experiences.
While
the grades have not all been posted for the term, students have clearly
demonstrated a commitment to their schooling.
In the classroom, teachers are continually looking to engage students in
the learning process, ask questions, and develop meaning as a part of their
learning process. Students continue to
embrace our school’s positive behavior intervention and supports program,
PRIDE. PRIDE allows students given a “paw” to turn into the office to earn
points for their team in the monthly competition and a chance to win in the
weekly PRIDE drawing at the Friday assembly. Prizes have been donated by
parents to continue to support WSSB PRIDE.
Updates:
Accreditation-
Student and parent surveys have been conducted and returned with enough
responses to meet the response rate criteria. The staff survey will be
conducted during November and conclude before December 1. Accreditation teams
will meet in their respective areas of: purpose and direction; governance and
leadership; teaching and assessing learning standards; using results for
continuous improvement; resources and support systems.
Open
House – October 22 was WSSB’s annual Open House. Parents, volunteers, resident
life staff, and students were welcomed to this evening to take a look at
student work and have a chance to connect with various teaching staff. The
evening included a couple of classrooms with an open invite to families to
attend via Skype, resource tables, robotics demo, a poetry wall, open doors to
the cottages, and even an impromptu student musical performance by the Irwin
building entrance.
Goalball
– students on the Lion’s Goalball team have participated in several
competitions this fall in Vancouver, Tacoma, and Florida. The girls’ team has demonstrated their skills
to be competitive nationally, while the boys have some impressive rising
stars.
Summer
Programs
It’s
only November, but we are already planning for summer programs. WSSB is
partnering with the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) to host their
SKILS camp for children ages 5 to 9 years old for a day camp program. This will
be in addition to the Youth Employment Solutions (YES) 1 camp, summer
school/camp for school age youth that are blind or visually impaired (BVI).
For
adults, Portland State University (PSU) plans to host up to half their
instruction at WSSB during their summer session for Teacher of the Visually Impaired
(TVI) candidates. This will be a great opportunity to have teachers in training
see our campus, get exposure to working with students attending the camps, and
continue this university partnership. Separate training sessions on campus will
include the EPIQ training for teachers working with students that are BVI and
teaching those students computer programming skills. Later in the summer, we will have Dr.
Christine Roman return to provide a training workshop on cortical visual
impairments (CVI).
Upcoming
Events:
December
17 Winter Holiday Program - soup & salad dinner at 5pm, concert at 6pm.
Residential
LIFTT
We
have four students in LIFTT this year, and at this time they are fully engaged
in their learning programs. One is at Clark College, one is at a vocational
training school, and two are engaged in work activity, currently involved in
several volunteer programs. They are hardworking students excited to learn
skills of independence.
Health
Center
We
currently have 5 students on the self-directed medication plan, 2 of which are
independently performing their own daily shots. Another student arrived at the
school not being able to do her own eye drops and now she is doing them almost
completely independently! 2 more students will be starting the
self-directed medication plan soon.
We
currently have five on call nurses who all have other full time work, so we
recently hired Feliks Polyakov, who was a student nurse with us last year. We
have two student nurses this quarter and expect to get 2-3 each
quarter/semester. They come from Clark College or University of Portland.
At
our Flu Shot Clinic in October the Seattle Visiting Nurses Association
vaccinated about 20 students and staff.
The
Puget Sound Blood Mobile will come in January for our first blood drive of the
school year, and it will return a time or two more before the school year is
over.
Most
of the staff who received Fitbits or Misfits are using them to track their
activity. The Health Center has sponsored two contests that have had great
staff participation. It’s wonderful to see people so excited and motivated to
be physically active and they are wonderful role models for our students.
Residential
The
Residential Dept. has been busy getting to know our new students and
participating in assessments, goal setting and developing daily routines. Libby
Pitts, Residential Dean, is doing a masterful job of managing this busy
department.
We
have spent the month of October working on our focused Daily Living Skills (DLS)
theme of “hygiene”. We have done interactive learning sessions on hair, nails,
personal cleanliness, shaving and bra fitting at an off campus location. We
will end the monthly theme with a visit from a dental hygienist working with
students on proper dental hygiene.
We
have an after school social group for girls to learn some of these all–important
skills. Hall Cottage girls cheered on one of the girls and her Hudson’s Bay HS
teammates at one of her swim meets this month. The older students are working
on getting the coffee shop up and running in the evening hours, and staff and
students have been working to find the best time and setting for an evening
study hall to support success.
Weekend
Transportation
Tess
Scholl, Residential Dean, has learned the ins and outs of student travel. She
has learned the process, and is managing the scheduling for the students who
fly weekly as well as the Charter bus trips. She works with the staff that is
involved in transporting and travelling with the students, and is on call on
travel days for all the inevitable things that come up. She deserves
commendation for mastering the processes in such a short amount of time.
Business
Office
2015-17 Operating Budget
We
closed the month of September with a -2% variance. Managers will be looking at
their budgets to determine whether allocations need to be re-allotted.
In
fund 19B we ended with a 2% variance.
2015-17 Capital Budget
In
capital, we ended with a balance of $705,038.
Variances are not as critical in capital as we are not required to close
the books on a biennium basis as opposed to annually. Also, with capital there are many variables affecting
our ability to stay within allotted timelines such as weather, contractors, when
school is in session, etc. The critical piece, of course, is staying within
budget.
Washington State Budget Process
For
the benefit of our new members on the board and as a refresher for the rest of
us, I’m going to provide a quick summary of how the state’s biennial budget
cycle works. Budgets are enacted on a
two-year cycle, beginning on July 1 of each odd-numbered year. The budget
approved for the 2015-17 biennium remains in effect from July 1, 2015–June 30,
2017. By law, the Governor must propose a biennial budget in December, the
month before the Legislature convenes in regular session. The biennial budget
enacted by the Legislature can be modified in any legislative session through
changes to the original appropriations. Since the inception of annual
legislative sessions in 1979, it has become common for the Legislature to enact
annual revisions to the state’s biennial budget. These revisions are referred to as
supplemental budgets. The Governor
submits his supplemental budget to the Legislature the first week in December,
2015.
2016 Supplemental Budget
We
submitted a supplemental decision package for funding the 2nd half
of our Birth-3 program. During the 2015-17
budget cycle, we received only half of our request which funds the position but
not implementation.
Performance Measures
We
reported on the following measures (the measures below are done on a quarterly
basis):
#1584
Cumulative Digital Learning courses: 5
#1585
Percent of WSSB high school students enrolled in online classes: 49%
#1586
Braille distributed on time: 100%
#1590
Braille Transcription: 101,796 pages
#1591
Training of teachers/Paraprofessionals: 9,170 (note: this includes online use
of resources)
#1593
Number of students on campus: 60
#1594
Off-Campus Services: 608
We
submitted the following new measures and are waiting for approval:
#2763
Ogden Resource Center (ORC) Satisfaction Survey
#2764
LIFTT Students education/employment
#2765
LIFTT Satisfaction Survey
#2767
Number of Birth to Three Children
#2768
Birth to Three Children Receiving Services
We
are emphasizing to staff the importance of reporting data as it plays an
important role in telling our story to legislators and their staff when it
comes to funding and advocating for our programs. Also, this data is key in
making smart future programmatic decisions.
Human
Resources
New
Hires:
·
Substitute
Teacher – Suzanne Day and Marc McAlexander
·
On-Call
Teacher’s Assistant – Marc McAlexander, and Sayra McCarthy
·
On-Call
RLC – Sayra McCarthy
·
On-Call
Nurse – Felik Polyakov
Open Recruitments:
·
Superintendent
·
On-Call
Cook
·
On-Call
Custodian
·
On-Call
RLC
·
On-Call
Teacher’s Assistant
Trainings/Functions
Attended:
·
2016
PEBB Benefits Presentation – facilitated by
Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA)
·
HR
Managers Meeting – facilitated by Franklin Plaistowe and Marcos Rodriguez
·
Quarterly Risk Manager’s Meeting – Office of Risk Management
·
Expanding Telework and Flexible Work Hours (will be determined if appropriate for the individual’s job where it
enhances service delivery while allowing for flexibility)
In addition, I am working
with managers to set my work schedule to allow for more time with staff on
various shifts to meet with employees and take care of H.R. related
needs. This is part of increasing the “H” in Human Resources, which is
tied to continually improving customer service.
Ogden Resource Center (ORC)
Fall is off to a busy and
productive start at the ORC.
September/October at ORC:
Braille Production:
Braille production continued to thrive and with turn-over at the Women’s
Correctional Center (WCCW), our two new transcribers are a welcome addition to
the team.
While attending the annual
APH meeting in Louisville, KY, I heard great things about our prison program.
APH staff publicly shared that Washington has the best program (California is
also highly regarded) and that we are the only program that is transcribing
university level work.
APH has also selected one
of our offender transcribers as a finalist for the Braille Transcription
Apprentice Program in Louisville, KY. The program is highly competitive and
aims to help former offenders re-enter society and the workforce as professional
braille transcribers. Beyond the technical transcription skills and equipment
needed to begin a career as a braille transcriber, offenders are helped with
basic life skills such as finances and interpersonal skills.
September Braille Statistics:
Braille re-production: 139 books, 1 to 30 volumes each
Original braille transcription: September: 10,880 braille pages; 1,528
tactiles
Large Print Production: 33 large print books were produced and
shipped in September.
October Braille Statistics:
Braille re-production: 128 books, 1 to 39 volumes each
Original braille transcription: September: 10,127 braille pages; 2,229
tactiles
Large Print Production: 14 large print books were produced and
shipped in September.
Current happenings:
·
ORC-Online is up
and running. Despite a bumpy start, it appears to be working well for most
people at this time.
·
Braille Class for
Beginners: Zach Lattin is teaching a beginning
braille class. This is the first ORC beginning braille class teaching UEB. 18
students are taking the class with more than half attending via Skype from the
Spokane area.
Buildings
and Grounds
Capital
·
Rework
of the pool is still on the list of projects we are pursuing. We have been
unsuccessful in getting a second company to submit a bid and have tried to
arrange for on-site meetings with two additional firms. One of these firms only
does residential and the other failed to return emails and calls. Based on
this, we are back in touch with the original contractor.
·
After
walking the campus with the energy service contractor and the Department of
Enterprise Services (DES) energy representative, it was determined that we do
not have any projects with enough potential energy savings that we can afford
with the current budget. We have therefore cancelled the energy audit. We will
however, be making some changes to the gym heating system by upgrading the
computer controls, doing a service and reevaluation on the three north side
heating units and reworking the heating return system in the recreation room.
This will be done both in house and with the help of a local controls
contractor.
Campus
·
We
replaced the campus lawnmower with a 39 horsepower Kubota. Feedback from those
who have used it is very favorable both for its’ ability to mow through tall
damp grass, maneuverability and ease of maintenance.
·
The
boiler serving hot 140 degree sanitizing water to the kitchen dishwasher and
all custodial sinks in Old Main developed pinhole leaks in the copper feed
lines. We called for a plumber to rework the 1.5” line and when they arrived
discovered that the boiler itself has failed also. In discussing options, it
was decided to replace the unit with a high efficiency water heater instead of
trying to salvage the 20-year old boiler and tank combination. This was done on
an emergency purchase as the Department of Health (DOH) requires a high rise
for the dishwasher. It also corrected four different mistakes that the original
installation had.
·
We
have been reworking damaged areas around campus where the intense heat of last
summer caused plants and grass areas to die. The north side of the gym parking
lot has been cleared off and prepared for adding a different groundcover that
is better able to resist the heat that area receives. The bell tower courtyard
also will require several new arborvitaes.
·
This
year we were required to add our utility use for electricity and natural gas to
a statewide energy star program. All buildings with meters had to be entered
along with square footage, primary use and how often it was used. This
information, along with gas purchased for vehicles and miles traveled is then
used to track our greenhouse gas emissions. We have been doing this same type
of energy tracking in house for the past 13 years.
·
We
performed our first computer based emergency notification test last month. We
were able to send out 102 test messages and track how many answered their
phone, went to voice mail or computer. We have now extended the number of
people receiving the alerts to include DSB employees on campus as well as
Daycare management.
Birth-3
Many ongoing projects are progressing in the Birth to 3 Program
here at WSSB. The primary project is the development of the Practice Guide for
Birth to 3 Services for Children with BVI. This Practice Guide was
requested by the state’s Part C program Early Support for Infants and Toddlers
(ESIT) and will be used for technical support to all local lead agencies in
each county across the state. The Practice Guide includes 5 components
including 1) Pathways to Services, 2) Guidance with APH Federal Quota, 3) Early
Intervention Agency Self-Evaluation Tool, 4) Areas to Address with All
Families, and 5) BVI Registry. The practice guide is in a completed draft
format, however ESIT recently requested that the BVI be combined with Deaf and
Hard of Hearing. Since these two practice guides are aligned in the components,
this should be an easy task. The training modules being created with also
be combined and held in February. Both the practice guide and training
materials is a part of DeEtte’s partnership with Kris Ching from Center for
Deafness and Hearing Loss (CDHL).
The most critical component of the Practice Guide is the BVI
Registry. This has been introduced to the state’s Local Lead Agencies,
though is not fully implemented yet. However with the 3 largest counties (King,
Snohomish, and Pierce) having designated Birth to 3 TVIs, known as Early
Intervention Visual Impairment Specialists (EIVIS), our current number is at
136. While EIVIS are not the targeted completer of this registry as FRC
(Family Resource Coordinators) are, they are highly assistive in the agencies
implementing the process into their procedures.
DeEtte continues to travel around the state assisting programs
with identifying visual impairments and technical assistance in the form of
home visit consultations. Counties visited in August, September and October
include Pierce, Snohomish, Clark, Kitsap, Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton,
Franklin, Asotin, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Clark, Whitman, and Yakima. She is
spending a lot of time in the eastern part of the state. She also attended both
east and west side local lead agency meetings in August and she will continue
to attend on quarterly basis. This has proved to be a great way to develop
partnerships around the state.
Current projects:
·
Mentoring new EIVI Specialist in
Snohomish
·
Meeting on monthly basis with EIVIS
Work Group on state and county systems. There are 8 participants who are
designated EIVI Specialists in western counties. Goal is to also include the
east side in group.
·
Developing Tele-Intervention model of
practice
·
Planning Family Connections Workshop
(Topic: Transition to Preschool) to be held this summer/early fall
·
Planning B-3 Summer Institute for TVIs
·
Babies Count, a national BVI registry
Washington will participate
·
EIVI Specialist certificate program at
PSU
Superintendent
Accreditation/Program
Improvement Plans:
WSSB
is in the working on the self-study component of re-accreditation with
completion of the study this February, 2016 with onsite to occur in April,
2016.
·
Jennifer
Langley is working with Sean McCormick as the lead in this process. Since the
accreditation process is designed for public school day programs, we have
always expanded the process to get feedback on all programs. As part of this I
have asked all departments to also include program improvement plans that we
can also send to the reviewers. We know that AdvancEd will only concentrate on
the on-campus (typical school aspects, but we believe it is important to gain
feedback on all aspects of our program/services). Therefore, we usually bring
in an expanded team with expertise in residential schools and ask for their
review of programs outside of the AdvancEd process. AdvancEd accreditation
area: Irwin – Education Program (kind of
the building/school accreditation)
o
Other
Areas: Residential, LIFTT, Ogden
Resource Center – (Instructional Resource Center/Braille Production), Birth to
Three Services, Outreach Services, and Online Learning (technology plan update).
The
feedback we receive as part of this process is used to guide future strategic
planning and program improvement, which drives our budget request.
Budget:
·
Capital Budget:
[currently we have $705,038 available to assist with campus preservation
projects which need to be completed by June 30, 2017]
o
Pool
repair/renovation: Refinishing inside of the pool after removal of a defective
liner, work on the pools gutter system and some mechanical/electrical work
(est. $350,000)
o
Energy/HVAC
related work (est. $ 30,000)
o
Technology
Infra-structure (est. $ 50,000)
o
Roofing
repair/rejuvenation (est. $275,038)
(less if able to recoat roof membrane)
Total: $705,038
·
Operating Budget (overall running just about even as the
end of September):
o
State
General Funds: ($136,306) -2% variance
o
Private
local -19-B: $118,922 2% variance
·
Safety Net Funding Request:
o
WSSB will be applying for funding for three high
needs students. Application materials are due February, 2016 and WSSB will find
out in June whether we were successful. The request will be in the range of
$200,000 and is necessary for the school to meet payroll and provide for the
needs of these students. WSSB requested Safety Net funds at the urging of the
Office of Financial Management (OFM) rather than submitting a supplemental
budget this fall. Safety Net only covers a portion of the cost for the
positions tied to the high needs students.
·
Unified English Braille (UEB): A group of teachers, a university
professor, braille proofreaders, blind consumers from the IRC, and
administrators have been working on needed changes to the Washington
Administrative Code (WACs), as part of the adoption process to UEB and the need
to establish a new exam. On November 5 a meeting to review the WAC change and
gather feedback is being conducted by the Professional Educators Standards
Board (PESB). Note: as of November 4 the PESB changed the hearing on WAC revision to
sometime in January–TBA.
·
Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA):
President
Barack Obama signed the WIOA into law on July 22, 2014. WIOA is designed to
help job seekers access employment, education, training, and support services
to succeed in the labor market and to match employers with skilled workers they
need to compete in the global economy. Congress passed the Act by a wide
bipartisan majority; it is the first legislative reform in 15 years of the
public workforce system. WIOA supersedes the Workforce Investment Act of 1998
and amends the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act, the Wagner-Peyser Act,
and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. In general, the Act takes effect on July 1,
2015, the first full program year after enactment, unless otherwise noted. The
U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) will issue further guidance on the timeframes
for implementation of these changes and proposed regulations reflecting the
changes in WIOA soon after enactment.
o Requires 15% of Vocational Rehabilitation Federal
funds be spent on transition related services.
o DSB is working with WSSB in exploring a number of
pilot programs and additional partnerships that could be formed to enhance
transition services. Some of the pilots could lead to expansion throughout the
state; however, everyone is still waiting on the regulations at this time.
o WSSB and DSB are exploring the option of hiring a job
placement specialist to work with students at WSSB and with the local DSB
office. This person would become a WSSB employee, develop excellent skills
about blindness and also have great skills in working with the business community. Much work still needs to be done to bring
this to fruition.
o The changes brought forward under WIOA should help
provide additional opportunities for those students during transition from High
School to work and/or college.
·
Fall Meetings/Conventions:
Fall is always a busy time with national
meetings/conventions and WA State Blind Consumer Conventions:
o
October: Council of Schools/Services for the Blind
(COSB) and APH Annual meeting in Louisville, KY.
§ Very good meetings
and also gave me a chance to circulate information on the Superintendent’s
position at WSSB beginning June of 2016.
§ Since this time
information has been sent out to all COSB Schools/agencies through the COSB
listserv and also through the Principals Association of COSB (POSB). In addition, information has gone out to the
blind consumer organizations, university TVI/O&M/Admin. programs, American
Foundation for the Blind and Association for Education and Rehabilitation of
the Blind (AER).
o
National
Federation of the Blind Annual Fall Conference (SeaTac):
§ October 31-November
2: The conference was well attended and gave
me an opportunity to thank the NFB of WA for the tremendous interest and
support they have given WSSB/BVI students throughout Washington. I was also
surprised and overwhelmed with the nice recognition I received and the
presentation of a plaque at their evening banquet.
§ Many good
presentations from members, national representatives, state agency personnel,
families and students.
o
Washington
Council of the Blind Annual Fall Conference (SeaTac):
§ November 5-7: This report was submitted to the board before
the conference, so I will fill the board in at the meeting on November 13.
Transition Planning –
Superintendent’s Notes to the Board:
Transition
Timelines which will probably be tweaked during the next months, but I wanted
to provide the board with a good idea of how I am trying to prepare for a
smooth transition.
I.
Establish key timelines for transition
·
Letter
of planned retirement to Governor’s office May, 2015
·
Board
of Trustees establishes transition/search committee: Dennis Mathews, Chair, Ed
Snook, Yang-su Cho, John Glenn, WSSB H.R. staff Anne Baker, and Executive
Assistant to the Board, Janet Kurz.
·
Board
meeting with Governor’s office – Sept, 2015 to move process forward
·
Karras
Consulting Firm is contracted by Governor’s office to handle search
·
First
cut of documents available on October 5
·
Dr.
Stenehjem distributed announcement at COSB Leadership Institute and APH Annual
Meeting – Louisville, KY – October 6-10, 2015
·
Job
Announcement sent out to all Schools/Agencies for the Blind – which are part of
Council of Schools/Services for the Blind (COSB) – October 8 and 12
·
Targeted
announcement sent out week of October 12 and/or 19
·
Application
deadline: December 13, 2015
·
Interviews: February, 2016
·
Reference
checks
·
Selection: March, 2016 [process needs yet to be
established by the board/governor’s office]; recommendations presented to the Governor for
his selection
·
New
Superintendent begins third or fourth week in June, 2016 allowing for
transition time between new and departing Superintendent
·
Departure
time for current superintendent: June
30, 2016
·
New
Superintendent takes over July, 1, 2016
II. Re-accreditation
Process Conducted 2015-2016
·
Accreditation
of on-campus program
o
Self-study
– completed by February, 2016
o
On-site
review/validation completed April, 2016
·
Along
with accreditation, all departments will have updated program improvement plans
completed by February, 2016
o
Technology
Plan – Mike Bicknell
o
ORC
– Jennifer Fenton
o
Residential
(including Health Center and LIFTT Program) – Lori Pulliam
o
Birth
to Three – DeEtte Snyder
o
Outreach
Program – Emily Coleman
o
On-campus/Education
– this will be covered by the accreditation process – Sean McCormick
III. Strategic Plan was updated in 2015
and will be ready for an update based upon information ascertained from the accreditation
and program improvement plans. This should be good information for the board
and the new superintendent. [An update of the strategic plan should take place
in spring of 2016, prior to building the next biennium budget – 2017-2019].
·
Campus
structure is in good shape. As part of the strategic plan and budgeting process,
a 10 year plan was updated in 2015 for capital needs. This plan should be
updated every two years and becomes the basis for preservation projects and
major capital expenditures which would need to be requested from the
legislature and should be program driven.
·
Program
direction will continue to change with the time and this should be incorporated
into the strategic plan; and programs/services that are no longer viable should
go through a sunset process.
IV. Current assessment of
department:
·
On-campus (education – primarily Irwin)
Goal: 2015-2016 –
Irwin on-campus – Sean directly over this area
o
TPEP
fully implemented (using Danielson Model)
o
Support
structure in place for employees/students. This will be tweaked during the
school year.
o
Psychologist
– January/February – hopefully have this position secured for the next school
year through a direct hire or contract with ESD 112.
o
2016-2017
– Director of On-Campus over Education/Residential with supportive oversight in
all programs [sub-structure yet to be determined, but will be in place before
transition is completed].
o
Data
collection – both quantitative and qualitative will continue to be important
process that needs to be followed in all program areas to assist in making wise
decisions.
o
Lori
Pulliam will step down as Director of Residential and move back into a
teaching/ coordinating position with LIFTT the end of the 2015-2016 school
year.
§ Residential
Department Supervision to be determined – target January/February 2016
o
Currently
reviewing best possible solution for supervision and direction which could
include more shared leadership concepts with teaching staff.
·
Director of Outreach/State Vision Consultant:
o
As
outreach continues to expand, Emily may need additional support with a
part-time administrator to adequately supervise and provide direction to this
program. If this is done:
§ I would recommend
that the ORC [IRC/BAC] move under the supervision of outreach. This is where it
was located, but I moved it directly under the Superintendent to take some
pressure off outreach. The Outreach Director/State Vision Consultant is an Ex-Officio
Trustee who is responsible for the largest number of students in the state so
there is a close tie to this program [recommendation for this move would be up
to the new Superintendent – but I would recommend July 1, 2017 if this were to
occur].
o
Data
collection – both quantitative and qualitative will continue to be an important
process that needs to be followed in all program areas to assist in making wise
decisions.
·
Ogden Resource Center [IRC/BAC]: Jennifer is new to this program, which was
under the leadership of Colleen Lines since the formation of the BAC and the
transfer or the IRC to WSSB, and then consolidation of the two programs.
o
Some
revamping of operations may need to be done to examine ways of gaining
additional efficiencies without sacrificing quality. With the loss of
high-stakes assessment transcription over a year ago, the program lost its
ability to be totally self-supporting at this time. We believe the demand for
braille is out there, but a marketing plan will need to be put in place as part
of a business plan. I believe the ORC will once again be self-sufficient. This is not something that has occurred on
Jennifer’s watch, but occurred before she arrived. NOTE: This service has not
always been self-supporting, but this is the goal]. I’m confident that we can
once again move back to a self-supported model.
§ GOAL: To have a system in place by the end of this
school year (2015-2016). However, it may
take an additional year to be where we would like to financially be with the
program.
o
Staff
will be involved in helping to determine ways to gain efficiency and
continually improve on customer service.
·
Birth to Three Department: Awareness,
awareness, awareness and training, training, training has created a situation
where the demand for appropriate services is growing at a tremendous rate. DeEtte Snyder was hired in August, 2015 to
head up this new position as state coordinator of B-3 BVI and things are changing.
WSSB was able to secure funding for half of our budget request for the B-3
program during this last legislative session which funded the position, but not
operations. We continue to support this through soft dollars, but this needs to
become a priority.
o
Goal
I: Secure funding for the operations
part of the decision package during the 2016 session.
o
Continue
to provide statewide training.
o
Identify
300 B-3 BVI children by the end of 2015-2016 and I.D. another 100 - 2016-2017.
o
Continue
to work on adding classes at PSU in the BVI program for B-3.
o
Work
with the HCA, Dept. of Health, OSPI, etc. in gaining approval for Early
Intervention BVI Services under Medicaid along with
approval for O&M. O&M goes
beyond B-3.
o
Continue
to recruit and try and help private sector and public sector providers locate
TVI’s to assist in meeting the needs of BVI students/families.
NOTE: B-3 works very closely with Outreach
Services–coordination between these two areas is vital. Emily and DeEtte share an office space and
have a strong working relationship.
NOTE: If sizeable billing begins to occur through
Medicaid (3rd party billing) either a part-time staff person may
need to be added or service contracted with the ESD #112. This is all
contingent on changes within the Dept. of Health and HCA at the state level.
·
School Wide Technology/Digital Learning: NOTE: This should be one of the fastest
growing departments/services based upon needs throughout our state and the
country, but we have to guarantee we have solid leadership and plans to help
bring teachers who ultimately will be the provider of quality services along
with this system change. BVI children
are spread throughout each state and are a low incidence population with unique
needs that need the best services in a timely manner. Digital/online learning
can be an important part of the solution, however, WSSB cannot do this alone
and others with expertise throughout the country need to be engaged if we are
truly to be successful. Leadership is
going to key in making this happen.
o
Currently
Mike Bicknell supervises technology staff including online learning with two
support tech staff and contracted hours through ESD #112.
o
Should
the department be restructured?
·
Online
learning–separate department or part of on-campus? Recently we moved Mike into the office next to
Sean to assist with better coordination between online and on-campus.
·
Tech/Network:
Should this be under another department?
o
Technology
plan is being updated and needs to also address a solid plan for online
learning which is strategic in moving this issue forward in partnership with
others which will be a leading document for budgetary requests to Olympia and
to private foundations.
o
WSSB’s
website needs to be updated and be more interactive to become more user
friendly while retaining 100% accessibility and usability standards. Danya
Borowski has excellent skills in programming and understanding accessibility. The
question is whether we build this ourselves and/or work with an outside
company. Our experience in the past is that even through many web-designers say
they understand accessibility/usability – most lack in this area. When WSSB
moves forward with a new website the new site will not be released until it is
tested by users to guarantee that we do not run into problems with access.
·
Facilities/Grounds/Food Service: The campus overall is in good shape thanks to
Rob Tracey, Facility Manager. Rob has good ideas of what needs to be done and
is always looking for efficiencies and grant opportunities, while not being
afraid to get in the trenches with his small crew and solve problems and make
necessary repairs. Rob also has oversight of the kitchen and custodial
staff.
o Complete capital
projects for the 2015-2017 biennium. Currently we have delayed a few projects
while waiting to determine the overall costs on pool renovations due to a defective
and poorly installed pool liner and problems with the gutters. One bid has been
secured, but it has been difficult to get additional bidders. Rob is working
with DES’ architectural/engineering services in Olympia on this. Once we have
this in process a small handful of other minor work preservation projects will
move forward.
o 2017-2019: Rob will work with current superintendent and
new superintendent in the submittal of future preservation projects based upon
10-year plan, which may also include the building of a new LIFTT Cottage.
·
Business: Mary Sarate
has done a good job in putting systems back in place that eroded when Olympia
felt that business and some H.R. could be done from the state level, which did
not work. It has taken almost two years to straighten everything out, but we
are now back on track thanks to Mary’s diligence and eye for detail.
o
Supervises
three employees in the business office; may need to add an employee if third party
billing expands and some business office duties that are now being done by
Jackie (front office personnel who supports Outreach) expand. I see this happening within one year. Jackie
should probably be assigned full time to Outreach (Outreach ages 3-12 and Birth-3). This may mean that someone else will need to
be at the front desk and/or Jackie continues to be located at the front desk
with primary duties being Outreach and business functions going back to the
business office. If this is to occur we may need to see if additional funds
collected can help support Jackie’s position along with some state funding from
B-3. Maybe Jackie could handle the third party processing if this is primarily
tied to outreach.
·
Human Resources (H.R.):
Anne Baker has done a good job in pulling together a solid H.R. shop for
the school with good connections with Olympia.
o
Solid
work on policy/procedures tied to H.R. have been done and are currently being
updated as needed. Goal is to have all policies and procedures current and in
great shape before I retire.
o
Solid
understanding of our bargaining units and collective bargaining agreements are
in place.
o
Anne
has also done a good job in getting a solid handle on Labor & Industries
(L&I) claims in not only tracking these, but working with L&I with
potential resolutions.
The H.R. and Business side of the school need
to work very closely together, it might be worth exploring placing H.R. under
the Business and Finance Director; I think this may make for a smoother and
more cohesive department.
·
Evaluations/files, etc.:
o
All
evaluations that I conduct will be completed and up to date.
o
All
files will be current, organized and labeled.
o
Electronic
files will be reviewed. Information will
be purged where necessary to assist in easier access to information. Janet and I
both work off similar files. However, all superintendent files are also in the
Vault (computer based record management system and are retained/archived in
perpetuity by state law).
V. Develop Leadership
Notebook:
·
All
computer files will be in good shape to assist with the transition.
·
Janet
and I work very closely together so I keep her well informed and we try and
work off the same files. Janet will be
key in the transition process and a great resource.
·
Policy/Procedures
are being reviewed and updated as needed.
·
Set
up training time for new Superintendent so I can introduce this person to key
people and processes in Olympia and in the local area.
·
Budget
development will be well underway by the time the new Superintendent takes
office. However, if the person is announced
by March/April of 2016 I will work with the person to help keep them informed
during the early phases of development. After the accreditation when WSSB
tweaks its strategic plan I want to make sure that the new superintendent is
involved as much as possible.
·
Note: I will continue
to add to this plan over the next months to guarantee that items of importance
are not missed that would assist in a smooth transition.
VI. Pacific Foundation
for Blind Children (PFBC) and School of Piano Technology for the Blind Boards:
·
I
will be stepping off these Boards so the new Superintendent doesn’t have to be
in the shadow of the current superintendent. I will work behind the scene as
needed to help both organizations, but do want the new Superintendent to
provide the voice for BVI.
If
the Board or the Governor’s office thinks of additional items that should be
added to the transition document, please let me know.