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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes EAB 021297• CITY OF PALM BEACH GARDENS EDUCATION ADVISORY BOARD FEBRUARY 12, 1997 The February 12, 1997, meeting of the City of Palm Beach Gardens Education Advisory Board was called to order at 7:30 P.M. in the Council Chambers of the Municipal Complex located at 10500 North Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. The following members were found to be in attendance: Alan Adams, Monika Adams, Bayla Singer, Howard Engel, Stasia Datchko, Wayne Anderson, Jimmy Chalhub, Scott Blake, Lisa Ridgely and Jan Porter. Howard Engel introduced Jim Kelly, Chief of Security for Palm Beach County Schools, and City of Palm Beach Gardens Police Chief Jim FitzGerald. Chief FitzGerald announced that Chief Jim Kelly was installed last month as the President of the Palm Beach County Police Chiefs Association. Chief Kelley stated there were not only a lot of programs that go on in the community that affect the schools, but are things going on at the schools that affect the community. One of the areas • that was being worked on diligently in Palm Beach Gardens, with the help of the Police Department, was an effort to get kids back in school during the day instead of on the streets. Chief FitzGerald reported that the Truant Program began several years ago in cooperation with surrounding municipalities and a pilot program was started with the use of a reception center at 45th Street. Basically any truants picked up in the north County area were taken to this center, the family was called, and counselors were available to talk with the family. Chief FitzGerald stated the program has been very successful and received a national award for excellence. Now that the program has been successful, Chief FitzGerald announced that they would like to open a site in Palm Beach Gardens for truants. Chief Kelly stated that a lot of the truants were kids that were in trouble with the criminal justice system and had access to help, yet the family was not receiving the help needed. Chief FitzGerald stated that Palm Beach Gardens had a high number of truancies and had more than the City of West Palm Beach. Chief Kelly reported that the State of Florida passed a law a few years ago to allow municipalities to pass curfew laws and municipalities have been passing a curfew during school hours so that the kids are not allowed on the streets during that time. Chief FitzGerald stated that the curfew law should be looked at as a tool to reach a balanced system. The officers coming in contact with a truant and talk to the kid in an effort to find out the problem and what can be done to help him and also felt that the key to the success of the program was to get the parents involved. Chief Kelly stated that another program piloted by the City of Palm Beach Gardens that residents should be proud of was the Youth Court that has received national attention. Youth Court is basically a setting for first time criminal offenders. The first time offender officer talks to the juvenile and then calls the parents to come in for the interview to explain the process. The jury is a group of peers that has to be convinced that the juvenile will not commit another crime. Chief Kelly explained that students act as the jury, attorneys, baliffs, and clerks and are usually made up of Explorers from the Police Department. The judge is a real judge and the proceedings are much like a real court proceeding. Chief FitzGerald stated that the program was started in the City over a year ago and the Department has received several letters of thanks from parents for turning their child around from a life of crime to a positive experience. Chief Kelly explained that one the first offender receives their sanctions from the court, the first offender officer follows through to make sure those sanctions are completed. Chief Kelly stated that this same system is being used in the schools. In response to Chairman Adams, Chief Kelly stated that this program was funded by the School District. Chairman Adams felt that the schools already had enough to finance and felt the municipalities, counties and the State should fund programs such as this. Chief Kelly discussed the progress with alternative schools and last chance schools and stated that there may be plans in the future for one located in north County, however, it depended on where the need was most efficiently located to handle the students. Chief FitzGerald stated that the Police Department works very closely with the School Police. The School Police has the Police Department frequency on their radios. • A discussion ensued regarding the disadvantage of school sessions being year round and how the community could help keep programs such as the first offender program. The Board thanked the Chiefs for attending the meetings, and Councilman Jablin suggested the Chiefs let the Board know what was needed, particularly at budget time, so they could lobby for them. Chairman Adams asked the Chiefs if there were any programs that the schools were doing that the cities or county could take over as far as funding. Chief FitzGerald stated that if a Truancy Interdiction Center in Palm Beach Gardens, the Police Department would be asking the City Council to help fund one or two people to staff the site in Palm Beach Gardens. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the January, 1997, meeting were approved as written. Board Organization Councilman Jablin reported that he asked the City Clerk to review needed Board appointments and to have this item placed on the next available City Council meeting. Councilman Jablin asked that the Chairman review applications to the Board so recommendations could be made to the City Council. New Membership Ad Hoc Committee Stasia Datchko stated that she was waiting for changes in her letter for language re: an • opportunity to make a difference in our schools. Ms. Datchko read her proposed letter to the members of the Board. The Board discussed their desires for member qualifications and for members to be on SACs. Councilman Jablin stated that the letter should be given to the City • Clerk for her to send out to the various publications, and suggested that the letter be sent to the Weekday, each of the SACS, included in the CityLine publication and CAN newspaper. School Nurses Councilman Jablin, Stasia Datchko and Howard Engel met, along with a woman from Jupiter Hospital by the Name of Allison Coleman. Also in attendance was a representative from Dr. Kaiser's office. Mr. Engel reported that a lot of information was gathered and feedback received was that a lot of people are involved in doing something about this problem. All members present did not feel that they should charge into the activity of attempting to get nurses for the area's schools because a lot them were intertwined in some movement with this issue, and asked that the Committee step back from the issue. It was suggested that the Committee let some of the people who were aware of what was going on attempt to do something and let them take care of their particular agendas. Mr. Engel stated that the Committee was aware of who was involved and what was involved. One of those is the County Health Care District Tax Office and they may be the first group to be able to get monies geared toward the issue of obtaining nurses for the area's schools. Board Meeting Locations Scott Blake presented possible meeting dates for the Board to hold meetings at various schools in Palm Beach Gardens. Mr. Blake would follow up on the scheduling of rooms at the schools for the Board to hold their meetings. Standing Committees Chairman Adams asked that as each standing committee gave a progress report, to let him know the status of your input for the annual report. Curriculum Committee - Wayne Anderson stated that he had been monitoring the District's Tech -Prep and School Board programs and did felt that these programs were evolving and would have some positive outcomes. It was felt that the District was not addressing the whole student body, but their proposals would help, including getting career counselors in the middle schools. It was suggested that this be started at the lower levels in the elementary schools. It was felt that the District was going about this in the right way, trying to get grants, etc. The committee also looked at reading curriculum and ways to increase the school test scores. Some of the items in the last meeting minutes were about this subject, and Mr. Anderson contacted principals of the various schools and felt that the Board was approaching this subject in the wrong way. It was felt that the Board needed to have a better rapport with the principals because it made it difficult for committee members to approach the principals. It was felt that the Board needed to let the schools know they were an ally instead of looking for problems. Right now, principals feel that the Board is looking for problems and trying to find fault versus trying to help. He stated that the principals did not feel that the Board was an ally yet. Another member stated that Mr. and Mrs. Adams felt that it was an adversarial position. Stasia Datchko agreed, stating that was the feeling she has gotten sitting in on meetings. Chairman Adams stated that it was not adversarial, but it was trying to fix what was wrong. Chairman Adams stated that the Board was not a cheerleading group, but was to find out where there were problems. Chairman Adams stated that the Board was not here to criticize the schools and run them aground, but where the Board saw a problem that they could help bring about an answer to, then it should be done. Chairman Adams felt the Board was in existence to improve the education. Chairman Adams agreed that this had to be done in a diplomatic manner and was the major reason to have SAC representatives on this Board. The SAC representatives should be able to go into the schools and tell the principals that the Board was doing things, for the good of the schools and not to mark the school as a problem. Chairman Adams stated it was up to the Board to identify programs that worked and try to get all the elementary schools in the City to raise their reading scores. Lisa Ridgely stated that it was totally degrading to the SAC Chair and as SAC Chair at her school she would not set up a dialogue. She stated that her principal and the faculty worked hard every day to improve reading scores. She stated that this Board was not going to come to her school and ask the teachers what they're doing about reading. Stasia Datchko stated that it was adversarial because she felt the Board had a lot of nerve going into the school and asking to see the programs that work and the Board will tell them how to improve. Ms. Datchko stated that the Board should go into the schools and state that the looked at the Gold Report, know the schools are working hard to raise scores, and ask what the Board could do to help the school. The committee felt their goals were to increase reading scores, reduce drop -outs, and to give the children a chance to succeed in their chosen careers. However, the approach used could be seen as adversarial. The member urged a better line of communication so that the principals would be more open to suggestions from the Board and feel that they were a partner. Scott Blake stated that it was his opinion that the whole approach of this Board was wrong and most of the time did not gain any support at any Board meeting. On page 6 of the January meeting, he again stated that this Board took an adversarial position and would never be able to help anybody by taking that role. Mr. Blake stated that this was a philosophical difference between the current Chair and some of the members. Mr. Blake stated that this difference had to be resolved before the Board could be effective. It was suggested that the principals be invited to a Board meeting to let the members know what their problems are and how the Board can help. It was felt that this would improve the Board's credibility. Chairman Adams stated that while the schools are working hard, they are not solving the problem of reading scores in the schools. A discussion ensued as to whose problem the reading scores were - the schools or the parents. Stasia Datchko stated that what seemed to be troubling the members was that they themselves would have to identify problems and could be the sticking point for the perceived adversarial 10 relationship with the principals and teachers. If they think the Board is looking for problems, they will not cooperate with the Board. If the Board let the principals and teachers come to them with problems, the relationship would only improve. • Councilman Jablin agreed that if the Board became more investigative in its purpose or perceived as that, the Board would only run into trouble by not getting any cooperation from the schools. Councilman Jablin pointed out that the Board has not gone out to the schools to help, but brought them into the Board, making it appear like the Board was investigative in nature. Chairman Adams stated that the problem with this Board was that the standing committees have not been active, with the exception of the Curriculum Committee and the Security Committee. Chairman Adams felt that if the standing committees had been functioning they would have taken what was left over from the old administration, have modified it the way they wanted it, brought it to the Board, and this feeling would have come out in the approving those plans. It would have then been found that some of the concerns were not what should have been addressed. It was felt that the standing committees were too broad and the Board needed to take 2 or 3 areas to accomplish in one year. It was suggested that the Board write an article to be placed in a weekly newspaper to let people know that they exist and what they are about. Monika Adams also suggested a hot line for problems. Stasia Datchko stated that she felt a new committee was in the works that would be an "outreach" committee or a communications committee. Research would be done to find the cost of establishing a hot line. Next Meeting Agenda Chairman Adams stated the agenda for the next meeting would be Board reorganization and prioritizing what the Board would be doing. Chairman Adams handed out a notice of a meeting by the Northern Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce on 2/20/97, from 5:00 P.M. to 8:30 P.M. Chairman Adams stated that it should be a very good meeting regarding education and encouraged all members to attend. Chairman Adams handed out a package of information that the City Clerk had collected off the Internet. Adjournment There being no further business to discuss, the meeting was adjourned at 9:45 P.M.