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Superintendent Coffee

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October 17, 2022

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Agenda

  • Welcome and introductions (7:00pm)
  • District updates (7:05pm)
  • School security Thoughtexchange results in response to September Coffee meeting (7:15pm)
  • Introduction to new Curriculum and Instruction TE (7:25pm)
  • Public Q&A(7:30pm)
  • Estimated close (8:15pm)

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School Security Thoughtexchange Outcomes

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Exchange Summary

Mark Schwarz, Madison Public Schools

September 19, 2022

What perspectives should Madison Public Schools consider when evaluating our schools' safety and security procedures?

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PARTICIPATION

Breakdown of Participation

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PARTICIPATION

Breakdown of Participation

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PARTICIPATION

Breakdown of Participation

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WORDCLOUD

Top Rated

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WORDCLOUD

Most Commented

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THOUGHTS

Key Thoughts

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THOUGHTS

Mental Health

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THOUGHTS

Doors Locked

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THOUGHTS

Law Enforcement

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DIFFERENCES

Police Officer | Building and Police [160 | 94]

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DIFFERENCES

Doors Locked [144 | 47]

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DIFFERENCES

Access To Building [125 | 39]

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School Security Key Takeaways

  • Strong consensus around door security and vestibules - upgrades will be included in referendum proposal
  • Suspicious activity reporting a continuing need - staff, student, and parent training will be ongoing
  • Ongoing coordination between law enforcement and schools remains a top priority
  • School Resource Officers (SROs) topic requires clarification:
    • Owens (2017) referenced in TE acknowledges complexity - “the simple conclusion that SROs are always good or bad for school children is not supported by the data.”
    • “Adding officers to schools appears to increase both school safety and police involvement in violent, drug, and weapons violations on school grounds, with some additional awareness of drug crimes and serious violent offenses happening in the community at large” (Owens, 2017).
    • Study was limited to high-poverty, high-crime rate schools that include SROs in discipline and make in-school arrests (Owens, 2017) - MPS SROs do not discipline students; great effort is made to not arrest in school.

(Owens, E. G. (2017). Testing the school-to-prison pipeline. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 36(1), 11–37.)

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Security Strategies*

  • Suspicious Activity Reporting procedures
    • 911 for all emergencies and immediate threats
    • Contact school regarding general concerns
    • Use RSVP-3 App from App Store and Google Play for anonymous reporting of any concerning behavior

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  • Proactive building security - door security, access controls, visitor restrictions, etc.

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  • Effective response systems- security drills, communication systems, police training and simulations, panic alarms, etc

*From Superintendent Coffee w/MPD guests on 6/20/2022; enhanced with images

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Referendum Planning Update

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Referendum Planning Updates

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Referendum Key Takeaways

  • A 2020 facilities assessment confirmed a myriad of non-negotiable project priorities, primarily related to failing infrastructure
  • Two options: 1) reduce services to fund projects, or 2) find a responsible solution
  • 2022-23 referendum proposal is designed to balance responsibilities to students and taxpayers
    • Referendum process qualifies district for 34% matched funding from the state
    • Referendum scope of work focuses on efficiency, health, safety, and student experience
    • Referendum questions provide tiered options to taxpayers:
      • Option 1 - Approve questions 1, 2 & 3 (essential projs + student projs + enhancements)
      • Option 2 - Approve questions 1 & 2 (essential projs + student projs)
      • Option 3 - Approve question 1 (essential projs)
      • Option 4 - Reject all questions (may result in a reduction of services)

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Referendum Proposal Timeline

Action to be Completed

Proposed Date

Board must approve scope of referendum

COMPLETED

Board approves the submission to the NJDOE for all project approvals

COMPLETED

LRFP Board Approval

COMPLETED

Submission to DOE for Project Approvals

COMPLETED

Madison BOE/Administration engage Stakeholder Advisory Group for Referendum

IN PROCESS

DOE Project Approval Received

December 1, 2022

Provide Notice to DOE for Special Election (60 days prior)

January 1, 2022

Referendum Question submitted to county (at least 19 days prior to vote)

February 1, 2022

Madison Referendum Vote

March 14, 2022 (tentative)

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Curriculum and Instruction Thoughtexchange

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Curriculum and Instruction Thoughtexchange

  • Our new Director of Curriculum and Instruction, Dr. Donna Gallo, will start on Wednesday.
  • We are launching a new Curriculum and Instruction Thoughtexchange to provide a initial qualitative and quantitative data set regarding community perceptions and concerns regarding our curriculum, instruction and assessment practices.
  • Please follow the Thoughtexchange rules and participate through the following link: https://tejoin.com/scroll/786953616
  • Suggested topics include:
    • Health curriculum updating
    • Elementary report cards
    • Grading systems

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    • Reading selections
    • Mid-term and/or final exams
    • Special programs related to “giftedness”

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Q&A Session