The
Board of Directors of the Little Rock School District held a special meeting on
Thursday, September 8, 2005, in the Boardroom of the Administration Building,
810 West Markham Street, Little Rock, Arkansas. President Larry Berkley presided.
MEMBERS
PRESENT:
Larry Berkley
Micheal Daugherty
Katherine Mitchell
Bryan Day
Baker Kurrus
Tony Rose
MEMBERS
ABSENT:
Sue Strickland
ALSO
PRESENT:
Roy G. Brooks, Superintendent
of Schools
Beverly Griffin, Recorder of Minutes
I. CALL TO ORDER / ROLL CALL
Mr. Berkley
called the meeting to order at 5:50 p.m. Six members of the board were present at roll call; Ms.
Strickland was absent.
II. PURPOSE
OF THE MEETING
The agenda for the special meeting listed the
following items:
A.
Achievement
Challenge Pilot Project
B.
Update: Special Education Focus Group
C.
Employee Hearing
III. ACTION
AGENDA
A. Achievement
Challenge Pilot Project
The Achievement Challenge Pilot Project provided financial incentives to classroom teachers and other staff members at Meadowcliff Elementary School during the 2004-05 school year. A private contributor funded the program for the first year, and Dr. Brooks requested Board approval to fund the second year of the pilot at Meadowcliff Elementary School. The project rewarded teachers and other school employees for significant gains in student academic achievement based on pre- and post-test scores.
Mr. Berkley and Mr. Rose spoke in support of the project, with Dr. Daugherty suggesting that a way be developed to equalize the amounts of the bonuses paid to teachers.
Dr. Mitchell spoke in opposition to the process, not the project, stating that all schools should be included in any incentive programs offered by the district and that she would be in favor of the incentive if all schools were included.
Mr. Rose moved to approve the superintendent’s request and recommendation. Mr. Day seconded the motion, and it carried 5-1, with Dr. Mitchell casting the “no” vote.
B. Update:
Special Education Focus Group
Dr. Olivine Roberts provided information regarding the Special Education Focus Group recommendations during the agenda meeting. The recommendations will be presented at the regular board meeting in September and the board will be asked to formally accept the report. Dr. Roberts responded to questions from the Board and introduced members of the task force.
C. Employee Hearing
The board convened a closed session at 6:10 p.m. for the purpose of conducting an employee hearing. The employee was recommended for non-renewal of her contract based on performance evaluations conducted while she was employed as a security officer at a high school.
Mr. Hartz provided background information for the Board’s review and consideration. In addition, he called Safety & Security Director, Bobby Jones, as a witness.
Grainger Ledbetter represented the employee at the hearing. He interviewed the employee, but called no additional witnesses. Mr. Ledbetter contended that the employee may have had areas of previous unsatisfactory performance, as noted on the evaluation documents presented by the administration, but that she had shown improvement and that she had not been given sufficient time to prove herself unable to perform the required responsibilities.
The board went into closed deliberations at 7:53 p.m. They returned from closed session to report that no action had been taken. Mr. Rose made a motion to set aside the administration’s recommendation for non-renewal. Dr. Daugherty seconded the motion and it carried 6-0.
V.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business before the Board,
the meeting adjourned at 8:10 p.m. on a motion by Mr. Kurrus and seconded by Dr.
Daugherty.
APPROVED:
09-22-05 Originals
Signed by:
Larry
Berkley, President
Katherine P. Mitchell, Secretary