Minutes [approved]
Indiana Coalition for Public Education - Monroe County and South Central Indiana
Business Meeting
Monday, November 10, 2014 -- 9:30 - 11:00 am
Cathy’s house, Bloomington
I. Welcome and Introductions -- C. Fuentes-Rohwer
Larry Barber, Roger Fierst, Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, Jennifer Livesay, Judy Maki, Carolyn McClary, Jenny Robinson, Joyce Rusch, Jennifer Steinbachs
II. Agenda
III. Minutes for October 20 approved
IV. Treasurer's Report and Membership—J. Maki: In October, we received dues from 8, $80 in contributions, $25 from the Farmers Market. We now have 54 paid members.
V. Other Reports
A. State ICPE Board of Directors
R. Fierst: The state ICPE has over $9000. We reviewed statewide election results; the senate now has 40 R and 10 D, and the house has 71 R and 29 D. A bright spot was the election of Melanie Wright. Joel Hand listed the things he would do as ICPE’s lobbyist. He reports that the private, for-profit higher ed people are looking for money from state higher ed funds. While the legislature has limited interest in lowering the business personal property tax, some reduction will occur because of pressure from the governor’s office. This will affect cities, counties, and schools. The organization day for the legislature is November 18. January 8 will be the ICPE meeting in Indy with local affiliates, at 11 a.m., and the state ICPE board meeting will follow.
R. Fierst: 45 attended the Rise Above the Mark showing in Evansville, and of those 30 were classroom teachers.
R. Fierst: Anti-public school people are taking over school boards. A school board member in New Albany was upset with the superintendent for participating in the panel discussion there. In Indianapolis, DFER and Stand for Children were supporting and funding the candidates who won election to the Indianapolis Public Schools board. We may find strange allies with Tea Party folks who do not like testing and are against Common Core.
L. Barber: People/businesses want the big money in education; for instance, they want school districts to have external contracts for bussing.
R. Fierst: We need a clear message and we need to repeat that message over and over again. The public schools are at risk. We should say what it means to be pro-public education.
B. Communications and Web Site
We brainstormed different communities we should try to reach: Bloomington Newcomers Club, churches, Bloomington MOMS group, NAACP, Women in business, Rotary Club, Library, YMCA, League of Women Voters, Banneker, Girls Inc., Retired teachers’ association.
C. Programs
1. Annual meeting, December 1, 7 p.m., Showers Inn
2. C. Fuentes-Rohwer mentioned possible programs for winter and spring: 1) What to expect in terms of legislation, 2) Impact of testing and how to protect space for children to develop at individual pace, 3) protecting teacher voices, 4) developmentally appropriate practice, 5) a conversation about community.
D. Action Groups
E. Political News
F. Farmer’s Market
VII. New Business
A. Budget Committee: Judy Maki, L. Shanks, B. Shanks will meet.
B. Nominating Committee: Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, Janet Stake, Jennifer Steinbachs. Three board members’ terms end in January of 2015: R. Fierst, D. Maki, M. Walsh. Three have terms that expire in January of 2016: J. Livesay, W. Marencik, L. Shanks.
C. Response to IU Bicentennial Strategic Plan?
D. L. Barber: I suggest that ICPE take more powerful actions and try to get the university involved. You need to develop operations to generate revenue…a center for the abolition of excessive testing? The letter grades should not be something to be proud of.
--we should find a way to trivialize grades—a satiric FB site or sell grades at the Farmers Market, have a fundraiser to buy grades for Bloomington.
--using student grades on ISTEP to determine teachers’ effectiveness is like using the results of your prostate test as an eyeglass prescription.
VIII. Other
Respectfully submitted,
Jenny Robinson
We are dedicated to informing, inspiring, and empowering voters
to advocate on behalf of Indiana's children
and their right to a high-quality public education
Indiana Coalition for Public Education - Monroe County and South Central Indiana
Business Meeting
Monday, November 10, 2014 -- 9:30 - 11:00 am
Cathy’s house, Bloomington
I. Welcome and Introductions -- C. Fuentes-Rohwer
Larry Barber, Roger Fierst, Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, Jennifer Livesay, Judy Maki, Carolyn McClary, Jenny Robinson, Joyce Rusch, Jennifer Steinbachs
II. Agenda
III. Minutes for October 20 approved
IV. Treasurer's Report and Membership—J. Maki: In October, we received dues from 8, $80 in contributions, $25 from the Farmers Market. We now have 54 paid members.
V. Other Reports
A. State ICPE Board of Directors
R. Fierst: The state ICPE has over $9000. We reviewed statewide election results; the senate now has 40 R and 10 D, and the house has 71 R and 29 D. A bright spot was the election of Melanie Wright. Joel Hand listed the things he would do as ICPE’s lobbyist. He reports that the private, for-profit higher ed people are looking for money from state higher ed funds. While the legislature has limited interest in lowering the business personal property tax, some reduction will occur because of pressure from the governor’s office. This will affect cities, counties, and schools. The organization day for the legislature is November 18. January 8 will be the ICPE meeting in Indy with local affiliates, at 11 a.m., and the state ICPE board meeting will follow.
R. Fierst: 45 attended the Rise Above the Mark showing in Evansville, and of those 30 were classroom teachers.
R. Fierst: Anti-public school people are taking over school boards. A school board member in New Albany was upset with the superintendent for participating in the panel discussion there. In Indianapolis, DFER and Stand for Children were supporting and funding the candidates who won election to the Indianapolis Public Schools board. We may find strange allies with Tea Party folks who do not like testing and are against Common Core.
L. Barber: People/businesses want the big money in education; for instance, they want school districts to have external contracts for bussing.
R. Fierst: We need a clear message and we need to repeat that message over and over again. The public schools are at risk. We should say what it means to be pro-public education.
B. Communications and Web Site
We brainstormed different communities we should try to reach: Bloomington Newcomers Club, churches, Bloomington MOMS group, NAACP, Women in business, Rotary Club, Library, YMCA, League of Women Voters, Banneker, Girls Inc., Retired teachers’ association.
C. Programs
1. Annual meeting, December 1, 7 p.m., Showers Inn
2. C. Fuentes-Rohwer mentioned possible programs for winter and spring: 1) What to expect in terms of legislation, 2) Impact of testing and how to protect space for children to develop at individual pace, 3) protecting teacher voices, 4) developmentally appropriate practice, 5) a conversation about community.
D. Action Groups
E. Political News
F. Farmer’s Market
VII. New Business
A. Budget Committee: Judy Maki, L. Shanks, B. Shanks will meet.
B. Nominating Committee: Cathy Fuentes-Rohwer, Janet Stake, Jennifer Steinbachs. Three board members’ terms end in January of 2015: R. Fierst, D. Maki, M. Walsh. Three have terms that expire in January of 2016: J. Livesay, W. Marencik, L. Shanks.
C. Response to IU Bicentennial Strategic Plan?
D. L. Barber: I suggest that ICPE take more powerful actions and try to get the university involved. You need to develop operations to generate revenue…a center for the abolition of excessive testing? The letter grades should not be something to be proud of.
--we should find a way to trivialize grades—a satiric FB site or sell grades at the Farmers Market, have a fundraiser to buy grades for Bloomington.
--using student grades on ISTEP to determine teachers’ effectiveness is like using the results of your prostate test as an eyeglass prescription.
VIII. Other
Respectfully submitted,
Jenny Robinson
We are dedicated to informing, inspiring, and empowering voters
to advocate on behalf of Indiana's children
and their right to a high-quality public education