Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School
Minutes
Board of Trustees Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday September 11, 2018 at 6:00 PM
Location
PVPA, Laddenheim Library, 15 Mulligan Dr S. Hadley MA
Trustees Present
Deborah Jacobson, Donovan Arthen, Gary Huggett, Jorge Rodriguez, Mindi Winter
Trustees Absent
Keith Black, Marcus McLaurin, Sean Moore, Shubhada Rella-Brooks, Stephen Therrien
Trustees who left before the meeting adjourned
Deborah Jacobson
Ex Officio Members Present
Marc Kenen
Non Voting Members Present
Marc Kenen
Guests Present
Drew, Ian Baird, Isaac Wein, Mary Ahlstrom
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
Mindi Winter called a meeting of the board of trustees of Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Charter Public School to order on Tuesday Sep 11, 2018 at 6:13 PM.
C.
Public Comment
There was no Public Comment
D.
Approve Minutes
Defer to next month
II. Governance
A.
Election of Board Officers
Defered to next month due to quorum
B.
Election of Board Members
Andrea Nathanson
9th Grade parent - Lots of questions as Parent of Julia Nathanson - Finance person.
Daughter is Dancer
Franklin County COmmunity Action Board
Girls Inc Board Member
Laurie Lisena
12th grade parent - Bebe
Interested because we need people
Teacher at the Hospitals
Worked in NYC - Village Voice
Family background in the Arts
Wants to give something back to the Community
David Potter
8th and 9th Grade Parent
Teacher for several years - Holyoke Community Charter School. Experience with High School Principal
Interested in helping with leadership activities
9th Grade parent - Lots of questions as Parent of Julia Nathanson - Finance person.
Daughter is Dancer
Franklin County COmmunity Action Board
Girls Inc Board Member
Laurie Lisena
12th grade parent - Bebe
Interested because we need people
Teacher at the Hospitals
Worked in NYC - Village Voice
Family background in the Arts
Wants to give something back to the Community
David Potter
8th and 9th Grade Parent
Teacher for several years - Holyoke Community Charter School. Experience with High School Principal
Interested in helping with leadership activities
III. Leadership Committee
A.
Executive Director Report
Deborah Jacobson left.
Marc is asking the Students for feedback which is very important.
His report is based off of the SAP
He read and shared his Summary of the report he emailed prior to the Board meeting, focusing on the Course Scheduling problem.
Dean of School Culture position immediate positive impact on School Culture
Warning Signs:
Negative Impacts from past 2 years:
His report is based off of the SAP
He read and shared his Summary of the report he emailed prior to the Board meeting, focusing on the Course Scheduling problem.
Dean of School Culture position immediate positive impact on School Culture
Warning Signs:
Negative Impacts from past 2 years:
- Admissions numbers - Struggling to reach the 400 Student mark
- Preliminary MCAS Data is showing weakness
- Passed a deficit budget passed at $90k deficit - forced to pay increased rate for new staff increasing the Budget deficit
IV. Students
A.
Report for first two weeks
Positive transition.
Seniors getting a lot of attention from Dean of School Culture, which is focusing on Grad drop out rate.
Course Scheduling is always a problem for Students, this year it felt like it was finally a problem for Teachers as much as for the Students.
Student Counsel is now a class and meets 3x per week.
Seniors getting a lot of attention from Dean of School Culture, which is focusing on Grad drop out rate.
Course Scheduling is always a problem for Students, this year it felt like it was finally a problem for Teachers as much as for the Students.
Student Counsel is now a class and meets 3x per week.
V. Faculty
A.
Report on the first two weeks
Scheduling was a problem because the expectation was that it was going to be "OK" rather than that it was going to be the normal mess of scheduling that it always is. Stress amongst Upper Classmen is higher than previous years.
New staff are effected at a higher rate. Now that it is settled the mood is settling.
Dean of School Culture is having a high positive impact on the Students, Community Day, Open Mics are bringing back feelings of the "old, old" PVPA.
Length of the Scheduling issues are having a large impact. On the Arts side it is still having an impact. The impact was felt everywhere this year instead of just in a smaller population. Otherwise things are really good.
Question from Public: 7th Grader and 10th Grader
7th Grader has Advisory - What is it? Homeroom with a Curriculum - Every student has an Advisor that is assigned and is in
New staff are effected at a higher rate. Now that it is settled the mood is settling.
Dean of School Culture is having a high positive impact on the Students, Community Day, Open Mics are bringing back feelings of the "old, old" PVPA.
Length of the Scheduling issues are having a large impact. On the Arts side it is still having an impact. The impact was felt everywhere this year instead of just in a smaller population. Otherwise things are really good.
Question from Public: 7th Grader and 10th Grader
7th Grader has Advisory - What is it? Homeroom with a Curriculum - Every student has an Advisor that is assigned and is in
VI. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:53 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
Donovan Arthen
VII. Union Negotiating Committee
A.
Executive Session
Defered to next month due to no quorum