February 10, 2025 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Regular Meeting

1. Call to Order

1.1. Roll Call

1.2. Recognition of Open Meeting Law

1.3. Pledge of Allegiance

2. Reports, Communications & Public Participation

2.1. Board accepts public comments

2.2. Student board member report

3. Approve the consent agenda which includes the minutes and financials

3.1. Approval of Expenditures/Payroll for January 2025

4. Reports from Staff Members and Committees

4.1. Facility Committee

4.2. Policy Committee

4.3. The Annual Report to the Board of Education and Community of McCook

5. Administrator's written reports: Please review prior to the board meeting

6. Superintendent's report/comments

School Improvement

• The school improvement team has met twice since our last board meeting. The focus of these meetings has been on preparation for our external team visit on February 18, 19, and 20. This preparation included:
  • District level presentation
  • Building level presentations
  • MPS informative brochure
  • Action plans
• The school improvement goal is: 
  • The district's school improvement goal is to directly and significantly impact student learning through the implementation of a comprehensive instructional program approach focused on high-quality teacher training, collaboration, curriculum development, assessment development, and multi-tiered student learning support structures.

External Team Visit

• From 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. I will need at least two board members to be present for the opening presentation to talk about our school improvement process. All board members are welcome to attend and chip-in during the board share time at around 8:00 p.m. Topics for the board to focus on: 
  • Communication about the school improvement process and the school improvement goal
  • Share how the school mission is reviewed on an annual basis and how the vision was developed last school year. 
  • Share your perceptions of professional development activities:
    • Speakers we bring in
    • Book studies
    • Training we send staff to 
  • Share how you feel about the school system and what we believe is important.
  • Talk about "The Master Plan" development and the vision the Board of Education has established for the future. 
  • Talk about the future and how you feel about the school fulfilling its mission of equipping all students to succeed. 
• The external team will present to the school district sometime after 10:00 a.m. on February 20th. You are welcome to attend this presentation by the external team. Please note: the exact time of the presentation is unknown because the team will present once the report has been finalized. 

Rick Stiggins Training 

• The training provided by Rick Stiggins on January 20 was a great opportunity to be educated by one of the nation's preeminent educational researchers. The training focused on important topics:
  • Teacher Clarity: A meta-cognitive approach.
  • Make sure students know what they are expected to learn. (Clear goals)
  • Make sure the students know what it looks like to have mastered the goal. (High quality examples)
  • Make sure that students clearly know what they are expected to learn or accomplish, how to measure where they are in the learning process, and make quality decisions about what they need to do next to get from where they are to where they need to be. 
    • Get students to think about their learning. Students should constantly self-assess their learning and redirect their path toward mastery. (Meta-cognitive approach)
  • Teach in a way that helps students feel successful. Early success can go a long way toward motivating them to continue to put in the effort to learn more. 
  • Build trusting relationships with your students.

School Calendar

• Please note: the school calendar has been attached and will be an action item during the March board meeting
• The calendar is very close to this year's calendar, with the start day the same as this year's, and the end for students on May 19. 
• The number of student days has been verified by multiple staff. 

7. Director of Business services report

8. Board member comments

9. New Business

9.1. Accept Resignations

9.2. Approve contract for Evan Sestak - Sr. High History

9.3. Accept Grant funds from Parker for Industrial Tech Department in the amount of $5,000.00 with gratitude. 

9.4. Approve update to policy No. 8342: Designated method of giving notice of meetings

 

9.5. Approve Construction Staging Area Agreement with the Ed Thomas YMCA.

The Board will consider approval of a staging area agreement with the YMCA, allowing the YMCA’s construction managers to use district property for staging purposes during the construction and remodeling of the YMCA.

9.6. Approve Facilities Use Agreement with the Ed Thomas YMCA.

In an effort to enhance community collaboration and partnerships, this usage agreement grants McCook Public Schools access to gym space, pool space, program areas, and parking, in exchange for the District constructing a parking lot on the west side of the YMCA. Additionally, the YMCA will have access to outdoor areas for youth sports and activities. The use of YMCA facilities and school district property will follow a predetermined schedule.

10. Positive Comments

11. Adjournment

12. Items for Review