February 8, 2022 Special Work Session

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  MINUTES OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF DISTRICT NO. 40,
  YAMHILL COUNTY, McMINNVILLE, OREGON

  The Special Work Session was held February 8, 2022, Virtually via Zoom
  McMinnville School District Office, 800 NE Lafayette Ave., McMinnville OR 97128 

  The Board of Directors of the McMinnville School District met in a Special Work Session on February 8, 2022.  Chairperson Carson Benner called the meeting to order at 7:43 p.m.

  Roll call indicated the following:

  BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT:
  Chair Carson Benner
  Dr. Paul Haddeland
  Ms. Janis Braich
  Mr. Larry Vollmer
  Mr. Gerardo Partida
  Mr. Jason Bizon
  Ms. Abbie Warmbier

  BOARD MEMBERS ABSENT:

  ADMINISTRATION:
  Debbie Brockett, Superintendent
  Cherice Bowden, Board Secretary

  AUDIENCE:  Kristen Miles, Amy Fast, Esther Lipke, Hilary Brittan Lack, Jill Long, K. Robbins, Maria Martinez, and Starla Pointer.

• OSBA Superintendent Evaluation Process

  The Board members with guidance from Kristen Miles from the Oregon School Board Association (OSBA) looked at targeted feedback standards to evaluate the Superintendent.  The standards were developed by OSBA with COSA.  The Board members were to choose which standards would go out to the community, stakeholders, and staff to survey them for.

  There are eight standards to choose from, the Board members were asked not rank number eight, it does not go out to the community. 

  Chair Benner asked what does community mean?  Kristen Miles stated there are two groups that could mean community; one is staff, the other is families.  It can also mean partners and other organizational groups.  The Board would need to decide who the community will be, and who the survey would go out to.  The Superintendent direct reports are included in the survey, and the survey would go out to the community with a percentage being randomized.

  These are the four standards chosen by each Board member: 

  Chair Carson Benner chose standards one, three and six.
  Dr. Paul Haddeland chose standards three, five and six.
  Jason Bizon chose standards five, one and six.
  Janis Braich chose standards three, five and six
  Gerardo Partida chose standards one, three and five.
  Larry Vollmer chose standards one, three, and five.
  Abbie Warmbier chose standards one, three, and six.

  All Board members agreed to evaluate the Superintendent on standard one; Visionary District Leadership; standard three; Inclusive District Culture; standard five; Communication and Community Relations; and standard six; Effective Organizational Management.  Standard one will have one question for staff and three for the community, standard three will have five questions for staff and four questions for the community; standard five will have seven questions for staff and six questions for the community; standard six will have eight questions for staff and zero questions for the community.

  Superintendent Brockett feels that direct reports are important, knowing she has only been in the district for seven month, and randomized is most appropriate and important and seems fair for an evaluation.

  Larry Vollmer asked what is the typical size outreach for a district of 7000 students? Kristen Miles stated she would probably reach out to 250 people and hope for a 50% return.  She also stated it needs to be made clear that it is the current Superintendent you folks are giving feedback on.

  Janis Braich stated we should target people/organizations that Superintendent Brockett has been involved with instead of people who do not know who she is.

  Abbie Warmbier thinks since the Brockett Bulletin goes out every week, the parents and the district has had the opportunity to get to know her; by including random sampling of parents they would be able to have an opinion.

  Dr. Paul Haddeland thinks it would be difficult to think they are going to evaluate Superintendent Brockett and not the District, because they are so in line. He finds it hard to believe that you can differentiate.  Kristen Miles says they tried to make it as pacific as possible to the person, and try to differentiate the survey as much as possible from a climate or general state of the district survey.

  Chair Benner asked if we have 6000 students how would you quantify that?  Kristian Miles said she would probably survey 900 students and expect a third rate of return. 

  Abbie Warmbier asked if the English Language Learners and Special Ed families can be included in the randomized groups by desegregating the data we have collected.  Superintendent Brockett said we can break it down in any subgroup and then randomize it from each focus group.

  Chair Benner asked for a quick summary of the three things they had come up with.  Kristin Miles stated for staff we have direct reports, principals, and randomization of the rest of the staff.  For community we have, local community, civic groups, union leaders, student focus groups and then randomized families.

  Gerardo Partida asked Superintendent Brockett if she thought the groups she meets with know her enough to fill out a good survey?  Superintendent Brockett stated she started meeting with the groups back in July,  and she does not see there being any issues at all.

  Larry Vollmer asked for feedback as to what the level of anonymity is for any of the groups?  He thinks it’s fine if it’s anonymous.  Kristen Miles states it is anonymous and all they are asked to do is confirm they are a part of the group.

  Jason Bizon asked for clarification from Superintendent Brockett if the Cabinet in the direct reports the same?  Superintendent Brockett answered, yes, they are all of her Directors.

  Kristian Miles stated all of the materials are translated into Spanish.

  Timeline:

  • Get contact information to Kristen Miles, once Kristen gets the information she can build the survey. 
  • Figure out when to get the survey out and how long and when to close it.
  • Meet in Executive Session to go over the results.

  Kristen Miles asked when the evaluation needs to be done?  Larry Vollmer clarified that everyone’s contract is updated in March, and if the evaluation is not done it will automatically update by the statute.  It would typically be at our business meeting in March.  He also clarified how the contract works for the Superintendent. When getting the evaluation completed for the Superintendent, Kristen Miles says they typically get the Board on a cycle.  Next year right after the evaluation is done, we will adopt the timeline, the tool, and the process.  By the time next year rolls around all of this will be done and the process will be a little quicker.

  Chair Benner feels an April timeline would work.  Superintendent Brockett feels the mask mandate is being voted on in March and may have people to charged up to give a fair survey.  She feels it should take place right after the mask decision and determination is made. 

  Larry Vollmer asked how long it would take to compile the date.  Kristen Miles says it takes her a week to 10 days after the surveys are completed to compile the data.  Superintendent Brockett suggested we do the survey March 28 after spring break; she could have her self evaluation done, but it would not give a lot of correction time.

  Chair Benner stated, because we have not done this in this fashion before, he would like to have an Executive Session where we talk through it and then present it.  He would like to have time to get our heads around how this works and not present if after our first meeting that we are talking about an Executive Session.  He would like to have one more meeting at the Executive Session May 9. They would have a chance to talk about it as a team, and then it is not presented until the next meeting.

  Jason Bizon suggested that maybe we could have an Executive Session prior to the regular board meeting.  Chair Benner says that would be great as well.  Larry Vollmer prefers, not a requirement, if we already have meetings scheduled, to have an Executive Session prior to or after would help, rather than adding one meeting during the week where we have one or two meetings scheduled.

  Chair Benner thinks in general that we are talking about closing the survey April 9, meet on April 18 to review and then use an existing meeting to come up with a strategy to have an Executive Session to talk about it, and then do a follow up meeting on a regular schedule where we will have the opportunity to present it.

  Dr. Paul Haddeland asked when does the next cycle start?  Kristen Miles said the next cycle starts as soon as the last one ends.  You will develop a process timeline, adopt a tool, and approve the Superintendent’s goals.

  Kristian Miles recommends quarterly evaluative check-ins.  They can improve a collaborative relationship, keeping everyone in the know, and allow for any corrections to be done.

  Director’s comments.

   There were no comments given.

  The Special Business session was adjourned at 8:51  p.m.