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Board Meeting Summary – October 26, 2016

  • 27, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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A lot of topics were covered at the board meeting last night.  Most of the agenda items had been discussed at greater length at previous board meetings.

Snapshots of Success, where student achievements are recognized at each meeting, highlighted a great extracurricular social entrepreneur project by Emma Gabbard, a student at Fishers High School.  Emma planned an event called Jammin’ June Jogs. This series of events came out of a Genius Hour project at the school. More event details can be found on Twitter: @jamminjogs. Continue reading “Board Meeting Summary – October 26, 2016” →

2016 School Board Public Hearing Recap

  • 23, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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One of the major items on the agenda at the Oct 12th school board meeting was a public hearing on the budget. The powerpoint presentation can be found here. The school board is required by the state to publish a public notice for all budget measures. Historically this has been done via newspapers, but with the general decline in newspaper subscribers and the rise of online media, these notices are now distributed via a state-run service called Indiana Gateway. These public notices are required to be published ten days prior to the public hearing. The notice for this recent budget can be found here.

When reviewing the budget there are line items for General Fund and Capital Projects Fund and it can be hard to understand why the overall budget needs to be split into these different segments and what they mean. This document from the state details what each fund means and the origin in most cases when it was established. In addition to describing the funds used in a school budget, the Finance Digest document also includes some other background information into the budget process.

During the public hearing there were some concerns raised by audience members that related to the growth of district and how that impacts the budget. The short answer is that for the next several years the district will continue to grow, but the rate of growth is not nearly as rapid as the previous 20 years.

Dr. Bourff mentioned that there were concerns with the level of transparency regarding the budget. He took the time to demonstrate that links to the budget data are located on the main corporation website home page. It was encouraging to hear that the district acknowledged that it should make more of an effort to communicate with the public, and published the information on the website. The estimated 2017 budget can be viewed here.

Although I appreciate and support the effort the school board has made to increase transparency, I feel like a big opportunity was missed by not providing more details about the public hearing and the budget in the meeting agenda in Board Docs. Adding the information there would have been a fairly minor change versus adding a new section to the corporation website. It also would have been informative to point out on the main website that the budget meeting included a public hearing. I do hope that next year publishing the information to the district website continues.

The school board vote for the budget is happening at the upcoming board meeting this Wednesday. In addition to the budget vote there will also be a public hearing on additional appropriations at the October 26th school board meeting.

How Does HSE Elect Its School Board?

  • 17, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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Dana and I have had the opportunity to meet a lot of HSE parents in the last few weeks, and the most common question – after “why did you decide to run?” – is “how is the school board elected?” It’s a fair question.  Up until I decided to run, I wasn’t clear on the details myself.  In this post I will attempt to clarify who makes up the HSE School Board and how the school board is elected.
Continue reading “How Does HSE Elect Its School Board?” →

A Summary of the HSE Demographics Study

  • 16, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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One of the items on the Oct 12th board meeting agenda was a presentation by Dr. Jerome McKibben about our school district’s demographics. This data specifically highlighted how the overall community demographics will impact short-term and long-term school enrollment, and will aid the district in forecasting and planning staffing needs, capital projects, and possible redistricting.  Dr. McKibben’s projections rely on various assumptions, some of which include the student transfer rate into and out of the district remaining at 2011-12 to 2014-15 levels, and lenders not returning to approving sub-prime mortgages.

To summarize his presentation to the board, Dr. McKibben forecasts that total enrollment will reach its peak in the 2020-2021 school year, with a total of 21,375 students enrolled.  Looking ahead to the 2026-2027 school year, he projected enrollment to decrease to 20,733, which was less than the number of students enrolled for the 2015-2016 school year. In addition to the overall district numbers, his projections also include enrollment numbers by grade level as well as by school.  Based on his analysis, the district will be equipped to make informed decisions about whether the best way forward is to expand existing schools, build new schools, implement further redistricting, or continue to utilize mobile classrooms.

Dr. McKibben’s full report can be found here: http://www.boarddocs.com/in/hses/Board.nsf/files/AENNK25EB257/$file/HSE%20Combined%20Report%20161004.pdf

HSE21 and 1:1

  • 15, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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The implementation of HSE21 does not start and end with the 1:1 iPad rollout. Focusing on the iPad component has made us lose focus of the main goals of HSE21.  At the core of the HSE21 initiative is integrating 21st Century Learning Principles into the existing curriculum.

The main goal of implementing the 21st Century Learning Principles, and by extension HSE21, are developing the following skills:

  • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
  • Communication
  • Collaboration
  • Creativity & Innovation

These four skills can certainly be developed without constant, daily iPad use. An iPad, when utilized properly, is only one of many tools teachers should use in the classroom. The key is that technology in general should do nothing more than enhance a lesson plan, not become one. It is important to focus on the  21st Century Learning Principles and how they are best presented to the students of the district, without actively trying to incorporate technology unnecessarily.

In the future, I will follow up with additional information about the HSE21 initiative, explain each of the principles in more detail, and demonstrate how the principles can be developed without the use of technology.

 

From the Audience at the HSEA Public Forum

  • 05, Oct 2016
  • Dana Harness
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As a person who nearly passes out when she is asked to get up and speak in front of anyone, even a group of friends, the thought of sitting on a stage for two hours and answering questions is unimaginable to me.  Sitting in the audience and watching Adam do just that was equally as nerve-racking – but I was also filled with pride for him.  It takes a special kind of person to put aside any doubts, nervousness, and fear, and go onstage with eight other people – who all did an excellent job – and speak.

Adam may not have been the most comfortable candidate up on that stage, but he brought up some great points last night; some ideas that the other candidates didn’t have, and some that they piggybacked off of when he was one of the first to answer a question.  That’s definitely one advantage of electing Adam to serve on the school board.  He has a talent for cutting straight to the heart of an issue, for seeing things from a little different angle than the rest, and coming up with alternative solutions – all with a smile on his face and attempting to unite people instead of dividing them. Continue reading “From the Audience at the HSEA Public Forum” →

Procedure to Address the Board of School Trustees

  • 04, Oct 2016
  • Adam Harness
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Did you know that anyone is allowed to attend and speak at a public school board meeting?  The following are the guidelines for speaking or asking questions at a board meeting.  HSE cannot and should not function without input from the parents.  I will do my best to notify you of what will be discussed and voted on at the bi-monthly board meetings, and I invite you to come and get involved if there is an issue that you feel strongly about. Continue reading “Procedure to Address the Board of School Trustees” →

An Explanation of the Proposed Professional Development Options

Before I jump into things, it is important to note that teacher professional development is VERY important to the overall academic success of the district. Additionally, one of the most consistently discussed topics is the school calendar.  Since so many different groups – teachers, staff, parents, and administrators – are impacted by the decision, it is unlikely that any calendar the board approves will please every group. Continue reading “An Explanation of the Proposed Professional Development Options” →

colored-pencils

My HSEA Interview

  • 23, Sep 2016
  • Adam Harness
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The following is my response to a written interview with the Hamilton Southeastern Education Association.  There will be a public forum on Tuesday, October 4, at 7:00pm at HSE High School in the Little Theater (entrance #2 off Olio Rd.)  I urge you to come and support me and present questions to the entire panel of candidates to get an idea of where everyone stands on the issues that are important to you.

HSEA:  Why did you decide to run for the school board this year?

AH:  I decided to run for school board to improve communication and overall community outreach. Additionally, as a parent of elementary school-aged kids, I want to be the voice for families who have children in grades K-4, and those with kids who are not yet in the school system.

HSEA:  What is your educational background and relevant experience?

AH:  I graduated from IUPUI with a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Purdue School of Engineering & Technology. My major was Computer Graphics Technology on the Interactive Multimedia Developer track. While I was in college, I was a teaching assistant for the head of the CGT department, and as part of my studies, I developed a college-level course on internet accessibility and usability. My career in graphic design and web development has kept me on the front lines of computer-based technology, which is where education is heading more and more. I feel that with my background I have a good view of how technology can and should be used in education.

HSEA:  What personal skills and characteristics do you possess that would help you with the school board duties?

AH:  I possess a talent for asking the right questions to get to the heart of an issue to find the best solution. I am also known to be diplomatic, which is important with this type of position.

HSEA:  What do you perceive to be the biggest challenges facing our school system?

AH:  Currently one of the biggest challenges we are facing is the management of our growth. The size of the district has grown steadily over the last 10-15 years. Managing the staff, and building to properly serve our students remains quite a challenge. Additionally, increasing and adjusting communication with the community overall – not just current HSE families – needs to be a priority so new initiatives can be rolled out more smoothly.

HSEA:  What is your position on a balanced calendar or changing start/end times?

AH:  The school calendar has been hotly debated since I was a student myself. The priority must be to benefit our students in the best possible way. I would be open to any and all options that are presented to me as a school board member, and I would encourage any proposed plans continue to be sent to the families in the form of a survey to get a sense of how those changes would impact everyone involved.

HSEA:  How do you plan to balance your point of view with the ideas of those in the areas you represent?

AH:  I definitely have my opinions on the role of schools in children’s lives. At the same time, I realize that my views are not the views of everyone in the school district. So I would encourage the families that I represent to tell me what is important to them, and I will do my best to serve them while balancing the best interests of the district as well. If I am forced to make a decision that is unpopular, I would also do my best to explain why I voted the way I did.

HSEA:  Not all students are college ready. How would you propose to expand programs for those students?

AH:  For those students who do not plan to attend college immediately after graduation, I think we need to proactively train them in some sort of trade so they are ready for the workforce after graduation. The program could also include a placement connection, so students will have jobs available for them when they graduate. I know there is a plan for the school districts in Hamilton County to develop their own consolidated program, and I would be very interested in helping get that implemented.