Murch Development Team (MDT)
Meeting Minutes
August 27, 2008

MDT Members in Attendance:

Susan Banta, parent
Karen Beiley, parent and HSA representative
Sarah Bogan, pre-K teacher
Theresa Govan, assistant principal
Tanya Lumpkins, parent
Lauren Miller, counselor
Vicki Otten, fifth grade teacher and MDT co-chair
Norah Rabiah, third grade teacher
Linda Singer, parent and MDT co-chair
David Weiner, parent

The meeting began at 5:00 PM.

Introduction of MDT Members and Assistant Principal

MDT members introduced themselves, and new Assistant Principal Theresa Govan introduced herself and described her background.

Members briefly discussed recruitment for the Murch community member vacancy on the MDT. Several members suggested potential candidates, and members agreed that it would be beneficial if the MDT were able to recruit a community member who would enhance the MDT’s ethnic or geographic (e.g., someone from outside the school’s boundaries) diversity. Members agreed to continue the search for several more weeks.

Role of the Assistant Principal

Dr. Govan noted that Murch had received several citations following a late August visit by DC fire marshals. Two main problems were identified by the marshals: 1) the flags of nations hanging above the main first floor hallway need to be treated with flame retardants; and (2) several classrooms and common areas of the school are excessively cluttered with books, papers, and boxes. Dr. Govan explained that teachers and staff had already begun addressing the clutter issues. David Weiner noted concerns about the safety of some commonly used flame retardant chemicals and volunteered to research the issue and report back to the MDT.

Dr. Govan explained that she has been in close contact with Principal Brenda Lewis while Ms. Lewis in the week since Ms. Lewis had begun her family leave. Before she started her leave, Principal Lewis moved her office to a vacant room on the second floor, to maintain more frequent contact with students and teachers in the school’s upper grades. Dr. Govan is working from a desk in the same office, and she said she expected that she and Ms. Lewis would share the office for awhile. In the meantime, the office that had been designated for the use of the assistant principal will be used by visiting specialists.

Noting that Murch is a large school for one administrator to manage, Dr. Govan explained that she and Ms. Lewis were considering an arrangement in which each would take lead responsibility for supervising half of the school’s staff. She explained that her own professional background was particularly strong in special education, and that she and Ms. Lewis had discussed giving her a major role in managing special education personnel and instruction, while Ms. Lewis assumed the lead role on curriculum and general education matters. She and Ms. Lewis feel that their skills and experience are complementary.

Murch parent member Linda Singer suggested to Dr. Govan that it would be helpful if she could begin circulating a school newsletter, particularly in view of all the personnel and other developments that had occurred over the summer and at the beginning of the school year. Dr. Govan agreed that circulating a newsletter would be a good idea. Karen Beiley said the HSA would supply updates on its activities for the newsletter, as it did last year.

Personnel Update

Dr. Govan reported on a number of personnel developments:

• Murch has hired a full-time, fully certified special education teacher for its new autism program, in which two students from Hearst Elementary School are currently enrolled. The number of students in the program could eventually reach seven.

• Several staff positions for which DCPS funding has been provided or promised remain unfilled, however:

o One full-time special education teacher.
o A half-time reading resource teacher, who would work with children in small groups and provide extra support for children with skills problems.
o A professional literacy coach, who would work with teachers on their reading instruction. The school’s personnel committee, which includes the principal, the assistant principal, and several teachers, has interviewed candidates for this position and a couple had been offered jobs, but they had turned down Murch’s offer.
o A full-time, Schoolwide Application Model coach, who will work with both students and teachers to implement the general education curriculum and to support the integration of special education students and instruction in the general education program. Murch was promised this position as one of eight District schools chosen to participate in a pilot program designed to integrate special education students and instruction into the general education program. This position has been funded by DCPS, but DCPS has yet to forward the resumes of any fully qualified candidates.
o An aide to assist the special education teacher in the autism program. This position is stipulated in the DCPS autism program, but DCPS has yet to fund Murch’s position.

Dr. Govan also noted that Murch has yet to receive stipulated funding for the purchase of instructional materials for the autism program.

Dr. Govan explained that many teachers in the District pool were still being placed during the first week of school, and that new candidates for Murch’s unfilled positions were likely to emerge. She has urged DCPS to identify candidates for Murch’s open full-time special education position. She reported that the school’s librarian vacancy was filled by Ms. Garrrison, a teacher from a District school that closed over the summer.

Vicki Otten noted that without the reading resource specialist, students would not often be able to receive reading instruction in small groups. Members discussed whether any Murch parents might be qualified for and interested in the reading resource or autism aide positions. Linda Singer proposed that the MDT clarify the required qualifications for all of the open positions, and Vicki Otten suggested that the school newsletter include a note alerting parents about the positions and soliciting suggestions for candidates. Tanya Lumpkins offered to make inquiries on potential candidates with Teach for America, UDC, and other institutions.

Linda Singer suggested that the MDT raise Murch’s priority staffing issues with DCPS, and she offered to draft a letter to the appropriate DCPS officials.

Dr. Govan reported that Nancy Martell-Stevenson had recommended that Ms. Banks, an experienced Murch substitute, be hired as her replacement while she was on medical leave. Ms. Banks, who may be able to substitute for Ms. Martell-Stevenson for the duration of her leave, began working at Murch on August 27. Ms. Martell-Stevenson plans to collaborate with the other fourth grade teachers, Ms. Finberg and Ms. Mathur, to support Ms. Banks.

DC-CAS Results

Linda Singer opened the discussion of the school’s spring 2008 DC-CAS test results, which documented that Murch had not meet the Adequate Yearly Progress standard set by DCPS under the federal No Child Left Behind Act, by noting that the issue would require extensive discussion within the MDT, and that the discussion during the present meeting could only be preliminary in nature. Dr. Govan said that school needed to pay particular attention to the persistent gaps in academic performance across student demographic groups.

Lauren Miller reported that the first of four DC-BAS tests would be administered during the week of September 8. The results of the September tests would be used as a benchmark against which to assess student progress during the coming year.

Returning to the spring 2008 DC-CAS results, Dr. Govan noted that 60% of Murch students had tested at the proficient or higher level in reading and 55% had tested proficient or higher in Math. Linda Singer suggested to Dr. Govan that there would likely be questions from parents about the DC-CAS results during Back to School Night.

Members agreed that the DC-CAS results should be a principal focus of the next MDT meeting.

Back to School Night

Members discussed the program and schedule for Back to School Night and recommended to Dr. Govan a schedule that would enable the building to be cleared shortly after 8:00 PM, when the night custodian finishes his shift.

Future Meeting Dates and Times

MDT members agreed that future meetings will normally be held on the fourth Monday of each month. It was agreed that the next meeting will be held on Monday, September 22, at 5:30 PM, in the Murch library.

HSA

Karen Beiley said that the HSA would be willing to consider requests for HSA funding for instructional materials and training that are not provided for in the school and DCPS budget. She asked the MDT teacher members to provide cost estimates for instructional materials and staff training for the Writer’s Workshop and Responsive Classroom programs. Norah Rabiah and Lauren Miller offered to provide lists of needed items for the programs.

Future Agenda Items

Linda Singer proposed that, in addition to the DC-CAS test results, the MDT plan to discuss the following issues in future meetings: student awards; a possible survey of parent opinion on Murch; staff training; opportunities to link Murch’s art and music instruction to cultural programs in the DC area (e.g., relationships with museums); and enrichment programs. MDT teacher members offered to ask the school’s art and music teachers whether they would welcome parental help contacting DC cultural institutions.

The meeting adjourned at 6:30 PM.

David Weiner
September 10, 2008