At the Houston School Board’s regular meeting on August 6, the board heard a presentation by Ms. Kristen Rohloff, an English teacher at MNVA. Rohloff requested permission to offer an eight-day trip to London and Paris in 2028.
Rohloff had been a chaperone on the recent Scotland/Ireland trip and had been impressed by EF Tours. “They were very seamless; they had back up plans for their back up plans!” Rohloff exclaimed. As a result, she wanted to use them to provide another experience for both MNVA and onsite Houston students.
The trip would occur sometime between July 14 and July 27 in 2028, ideally July 17-24.The group would fly into Paris and spend three days there doing some group tours as well as some small group explorations of the city. A trip to the Louvre would be included. From there they would take a train to London to see the city’s sights. The goal of the trip is to give students a taste of what each country has to offer.
A tour guide would be with them the entire time. All transportation, most meals, hotels and admissions would be included. A safety and incident response team would be available. The company carries general liability insurance. Global travel protection would permit travelers to back out in an emergency. High school and college credits would be available for the trip.
Individuals would be responsible for acquiring their own passports, baggage fees, room upgrades, snacks and some lunches.
The total cost for the trip will be $4,569; a $95 deposit will be required when a student signs up. EF has bi-weekly and monthly payment plans available.
Students will need to be at least 13 years old in 2028 to sign up. A chaperone will be required for every six students.
With the board enthusiastically approving the trip, Rohloff will begin planning and advertising the trip in September.
Handbooks
The board examined the handbooks for all the schools and teachers. Lisa Schultz pointed out some items that needed changing such as a non-discrimination policy in the ALP book that didn’t match the one in other schools’ handbooks, a misstatement regarding 18-year-old students’ rights, pages out of order, needed name changes and gaps in a grading scale.
Most concerning to Mimi Carlson were new additions concerning Houston onsite students’ ability to take MNVA and PSEO classes. The policies stated that onsite students could not take MNVA classes if the onsite school offered the class. They also stated that a PSEO student could not take classes through PSEO if the class was offered onsite. Carlson felt students should be able to decide what fits them best.
Carlson also questioned whether a seventh grade student would be able to join FFA since there were no ag classes available for them.
The board ultimately decided to table the handbooks and remove the new policies regarding onsite students taking MNVA and PSEO classes. Other needed edits will be made to the handbooks. The board will meet again on August 24 at 6 p.m. to review and approve the revised handbooks before school begins.
QComp Evaluation
Michael Mangan presented the past year’s QComp evaluation. He reminded the board that the program was voluntary. Recently two instructional coaches were added – one at the onsite school and one at MNVA.
There are biweekly PD sessions at the schools. Marzanno is the instructional framework used by the schools. Both formal and informal peer teacher evaluations are completed. Teachers have written their own smart goals and have developed an IGDP (Individual Growth and Development Plan) to help them grow as teachers. Mangan noted that the QComp committee meets quarterly and ensures that teachers are getting the support they need from the instructional coaches.
Elementary Principal Angela McQuinn shared that the district is moving from using the $7,000 iObservation tool to creating their own data tool for their work.
Other Business
In other business the board:
•Approved the crisis plan;
•Approved substitute teacher pay at $150 per day;
•Set the Truth in Taxation meeting for December 3 at 6:30 p.m.;
•Accepted donations of $1,200 from the Houston Athletic Booster Club for volleyballs for the Volleyball Team and $700 from Lisa Skifton and anonymous for a popcorn machine;
•Heard Superintendent Angi McAndrews acknowledge Public Librarian Beth Peterson-Lee and Roy Loken as Hurricane Heroes; McAndrews praised Peterson-Lee for being a true partner in education as she collaborated with the schools and created meaningful summer activities. Roy Loken was applauded by the new school AD for teaching him as he came on board. McAndrews thanked Loken for providing safe and dependable transportation for the students.
Leave a Reply