The GLOBE Academy
Minutes
Board of Directors Meeting
Date and Time
Monday May 24, 2021 at 7:00 PM
Location
Register in advance for this webinar:
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oLLET5fdTuqNDwMZF8aX3Q
https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oLLET5fdTuqNDwMZF8aX3Q
Notice of this meeting was posted at both campuses and on the GLOBE website in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1.
Special note: This meeting was conducted remotely, due to the declared national and state public health emergencies in response to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Special note: This meeting was conducted remotely, due to the declared national and state public health emergencies in response to the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19.
Directors Present
A. Rogers (remote), D. Reynolds (remote), K. Monroe (remote), L. Long (remote), L. Pacheco (remote), M. Adams (remote), M. Hudson (remote)
Directors Absent
C. White, R. Hudak
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
M. Hudson
Guests Present
C. Elliott-Earby (remote), Christina Steiner (remote), David Thompson (remote), Jen Parker (remote), K. Holder (remote), L. Hancock (remote), L. Hertz (remote), L. Norton (remote), Melanie Marks (remote), Michelle Gibson (remote), Robyn Brandman (remote), Tramaine Quarterman (remote), Vilma Villalobos (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
L. Pacheco called a meeting of the board of directors of The GLOBE Academy to order on Monday May 24, 2021 at 7:05 PM.
C.
Vision, Mission and Core Values
Vision, Mission and Core Values were read by Board members.
II. Public Comment
A.
Public Comment
Robyn Brandman made the following comment:
Thank you for guiding us through this very difficult year and appreciate all the board has done navigating our reopening plan safely. With a return to a “ new” normal, I hope the board initiatives will be picked back up- specifically the strategic plan. The stakeholders funded this very expensive plan and while i understand that the pandemic put some initiatives on hold, i feel some others could have been worked on. In fact,, I couldn’t even find the current plan on the website or BOT. This absolutely does not align with the boards commitment to transparency.
We are at least two years post 70k plus payment on this plan, and it still feels like we have not moved forward with the even organizational structure. With the new plan, we changed our organizational structure and created an executive director position creating open positions which have not been filled. I (and I know many other stakeholders) would like to have a clear understanding of the purpose of this position- especially when we do not have a permanent UC head of school or permanent LC AHOS. These positions are not even advertised on our site. Is the plan to have interim HOS and AHOS for the foreseeable future?
I ask that the board specifically address this including how the board has gotten comfortable with having the appropriate level oversight on the school strategy and how you can reconcile spending 70k+ on a plan that is not being implemented. While continuing to ask for money.
According to the Sept 2020 minutes for the Strategic plan committee, (not documented on the BOT calendar) Christi and Katie are preparing for meeting with NorthStar to realign Strategic Plan timeline.
At the Feb 2021 meeting (also not documented on the BOT calendar)- the minutes say:
Due to budget constraints, we are not actively working with NorthStar right now. Focus over the next several months will be to document progress, update goals, and have a launching point for next year.
I do want to acknowledge that other committee meeting minutes have much more robust notes, and I am actually able to discern what was accomplished in the meeting and how they are moving forward with their strategic plan initiatives.
I have asked many times for a strategic plan “checklist” so that stakeholders know what has been accomplished, what is being worked on, and what we are still striving for. The minutes for this committee is lacking and I hope to see improvement.
For a family that has been with the school since the beginning and has supported and personally volunteered raising money for the school- this feels like a critical juncture. I am incredibly vested in the GLOBE and frankly concerned and disappointed and VERY hesitant to donate any money that is not going directly to the classrooms and teachers via the PTCC.
Without permanent leadership, some best practices for education have also fallen through the gap.We have struggled with teacher retention. For the French track, we have looped with our language teachers 3 times in 8 years. This last year, it seems we are looping again, making it 3 years with the same teacher. In no way is this preparing our students for high school and beyond. I realize that it is hard to find language teachers, but this is a problem that has been in the pipeline for years and the admin does not put forth creative efforts to address this. Good educational practices is not just good teachers but good forward thinking and globe is not doing that. Perhaps that is also connected to the strategic plan that is not being worked on.
We advertise ourselves first and foremost a language immersion school and we offer no support, no clubs, no easily found resources for language practice.
It would be greatly beneficial for Language teachers or TA’s to offer support both before and after school - perhaps once before school and once after school- for free and for afterschool language clubs to be free or affordable for all. We used to have this and it was very successful in helping the kids use the target language outside a classroom setting.
Ultimately the Strategic plan is a core responsibility of the board. Assuring that management and other stakeholders are executing the plan and defining and holding people responsible are key components. Based on my review of the info available it does not appear that the committee or the board are doing this. As we return to our new normal, I hope the board reviews and revises it’s goals and the strategies we are using to accomplish them.
Thank you for guiding us through this very difficult year and appreciate all the board has done navigating our reopening plan safely. With a return to a “ new” normal, I hope the board initiatives will be picked back up- specifically the strategic plan. The stakeholders funded this very expensive plan and while i understand that the pandemic put some initiatives on hold, i feel some others could have been worked on. In fact,, I couldn’t even find the current plan on the website or BOT. This absolutely does not align with the boards commitment to transparency.
We are at least two years post 70k plus payment on this plan, and it still feels like we have not moved forward with the even organizational structure. With the new plan, we changed our organizational structure and created an executive director position creating open positions which have not been filled. I (and I know many other stakeholders) would like to have a clear understanding of the purpose of this position- especially when we do not have a permanent UC head of school or permanent LC AHOS. These positions are not even advertised on our site. Is the plan to have interim HOS and AHOS for the foreseeable future?
I ask that the board specifically address this including how the board has gotten comfortable with having the appropriate level oversight on the school strategy and how you can reconcile spending 70k+ on a plan that is not being implemented. While continuing to ask for money.
According to the Sept 2020 minutes for the Strategic plan committee, (not documented on the BOT calendar) Christi and Katie are preparing for meeting with NorthStar to realign Strategic Plan timeline.
At the Feb 2021 meeting (also not documented on the BOT calendar)- the minutes say:
Due to budget constraints, we are not actively working with NorthStar right now. Focus over the next several months will be to document progress, update goals, and have a launching point for next year.
I do want to acknowledge that other committee meeting minutes have much more robust notes, and I am actually able to discern what was accomplished in the meeting and how they are moving forward with their strategic plan initiatives.
I have asked many times for a strategic plan “checklist” so that stakeholders know what has been accomplished, what is being worked on, and what we are still striving for. The minutes for this committee is lacking and I hope to see improvement.
For a family that has been with the school since the beginning and has supported and personally volunteered raising money for the school- this feels like a critical juncture. I am incredibly vested in the GLOBE and frankly concerned and disappointed and VERY hesitant to donate any money that is not going directly to the classrooms and teachers via the PTCC.
Without permanent leadership, some best practices for education have also fallen through the gap.We have struggled with teacher retention. For the French track, we have looped with our language teachers 3 times in 8 years. This last year, it seems we are looping again, making it 3 years with the same teacher. In no way is this preparing our students for high school and beyond. I realize that it is hard to find language teachers, but this is a problem that has been in the pipeline for years and the admin does not put forth creative efforts to address this. Good educational practices is not just good teachers but good forward thinking and globe is not doing that. Perhaps that is also connected to the strategic plan that is not being worked on.
We advertise ourselves first and foremost a language immersion school and we offer no support, no clubs, no easily found resources for language practice.
It would be greatly beneficial for Language teachers or TA’s to offer support both before and after school - perhaps once before school and once after school- for free and for afterschool language clubs to be free or affordable for all. We used to have this and it was very successful in helping the kids use the target language outside a classroom setting.
Ultimately the Strategic plan is a core responsibility of the board. Assuring that management and other stakeholders are executing the plan and defining and holding people responsible are key components. Based on my review of the info available it does not appear that the committee or the board are doing this. As we return to our new normal, I hope the board reviews and revises it’s goals and the strategies we are using to accomplish them.
III. Consent Agenda
A.
Approve Agenda
The agenda and minutes were approved by consent without objection.
B.
Approve Minutes
D. Reynolds made a motion to approve the minutes from Board of Directors Meeting on 04-26-21.
M. Adams seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
IV. PTCC Report
A.
PTCC Report
There was no formal report this month.
V. Administration and Committee Reports
A.
Executive Director's Report
A formal report was included in the agenda packet.
B.
Academic Committee Report
A formal report was included in the agenda packet. An oral report was provided by Laura Hancock.
C.
Diversity Committee Report
There was no formal report this month. Monique reported that the committee canceled its last meeting, due to her illness.
D.
Finance Committee Report
There was no formal report this month. Luis reported that the QBE funds per pupil equaled to $9,455, which is 2.5 percent down from the prior year. In addition, Luis noted that the first public budget meeting was held on Thursday, May 20th and provided a reminder that the second public budget meeting will be held on Thursday, May 27th at 6 p.m. The final budget will be presented for Board approval at next month's Board meeting.
E.
Development Committee Report
A formal report and minutes from the committee's previous meeting were included in the agenda packet.
F.
Communications Committee Report
A formal report and minutes from the committee's previous meeting were included in the agenda packet.
G.
Governance Committee Report
A Board Byte slide was included in the agenda packet.
H.
Strategic Planning Committee Report
There was no formal report this month. Katie reported that preparation is underway for the kick-off meeting for the next academic year. At the upcoming session in June, the stakeholders will do the following things: update the status of the Strategic Plan initiatives; review priorities; and delineate the roadmap/timeline for the next academic year. The goal is to get the Strategic Plan priorities for the upcoming academic year to the respective committees to coordinate in the planning of their goals. The Kick-off meeting is scheduled for June 10, 2021 from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m.
M. Hudson arrived.
I.
Facilities Committee
There was no formal report this month. Christi reported that the committee is working on getting the house that is adjacent to UC knocked down.
J.
Executive Director Evaluation and Support Committee Report
There was no formal report this month.
VI. New Business
A.
Election of Communications Committee Chair
M. Hudson made a motion to elect Leigh Long as the chair of the Communications Committee.
M. Adams seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
VII. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
The next scheduled meeting is set for June 28, 2021 at 7 p.m.
D. Reynolds made a motion to adjourn the meeting.
L. Long seconded the motion.
The board VOTED unanimously to approve the motion.
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
K. Holder
Documents used during the meeting
- 2021.05.24 Executive Director's Report.pdf
- 2021.05.24 Academic Committee Report.pdf
- 2021.05.19 Finance Committee Meeting Minutes.pdf
- 2021.05.24 Development Committee Report.pdf
- 2021.05.20 Development Committee Meeting Minutes.pdf
- 2021.05.24 Communications Committee Report.pdf
- 2021.05.07 Communications Committee Meeting Minutes.pdf
- Globe Bite Size-Contract Execution.pptx