BOE Jan. 4 regular meeting

At Monday's Board of Education meeting, the district recognized those at Cedar Ridge High School, pictured at left, who helped save Natalie Hough's life when the teen had a cardiac arrest last September.
Libbie Hough, Natalie's mother, was also present to thank those who helped keep Natalie alive. Sister Kaytee and father H.B. also came along, but did not speak.

Public comment

Several community members also spoke to board members, including a former student of Cedar Ridge High School. Matt Hughes, now a teaching fellow at UNC, said board members could use a refresher in ethical conduct. Personal agendas, he said, along with micromanagement, have led to the board's mismanagement of taxpayer dollars.
Nicole McWhirter, mother of two children in Orange County Schools including one with special needs, said she had come to talk with the board because of services due her autistic unrelated to a due process case she filed against the district.
She said her family had come to and agreement with the district over Extended Year Services (services eligible special needs children receive when school is not in session) in July. By that time, the summer was half over, and the McWhirters had been providing their son with the services they thought he needed to be successful. The district had agreed to reimburse them for what they had provided, she said.
McWhirter said she hoped this was just an oversight that happened when the district changed the lawyers dealing with her son's due process case and that by bringing this to their attention, the board would be able to fix it.
"I use you to take a look at this issue and to honor the agreement you made with our son," she said.

UPDATE (9:33 a.m. 7 Jan.): McWhirter wrote on her blog that the issue has been resolved.
"Spoke at the Board mtg on Monday, recieved a phone call from district admin on Tuesday, reimbursed on Wednesday," she wrote. "and that’s that."


Cultural arts collaboration
Board member Debbie Piscitelli said with all the talk about potential uses for the Whitted Building — which was recently vacated by the county library — as a cultural arts center and performance space, there may be a reasonable compromise.
C.W. Stanford Middle School has long been without a proper auditorium, instead performing plays and doing wrestling matches on a cafeteria stage. The district has been granted stimulus bonds (which must first be bought) to build the school a standalone auditorium.
If this comes to pass, Piscitelli said she saw no reason why community groups couldn't use the facility, since it would not be physically attached to the school.
"I think it would be good community to work together to use our buildings because they are paid for by taxpayers," she said.
Board Chair Anne Medenblik started a committee to study the feasibility of such a collaboration, with Piscitelli and Board member Susan Hallman as members.

Addition/elimination of courses
A district course review committee — that included as members administrators, teachers and parents from both high schools — identified five courses that could  be added and recommended one for elimination.
Global Issues (OHS), Professional Barbering (post-secondary option for OHS and CRHS juniors and seniors), Literacy Strategies (OHS and CRHS), Foods II and Introduction to Biotechnology (OHS and CRHS) would be added to courses high school students could select; Networking was proposed to be eliminated from Orange High School.
Global Issues "seeks to engage students in a vigorous examination of issues that will greatly impact our democracy and our world," according to background materials. The course would use current events to gain the skills needed to "tackle some of the most pressing and complex issues of the day" and to formulate ideas for how they should be addressed.
There would be no additional cost for this course as there is a teacher already willing to teach the class, and there is no textbook required.
Professional Barbering would be an off-campus, after school, post-secondary option for high school juniors and seniors. Taught over four semesters, this course would not only teach students to become barbers and pass the state licensing test, but also prepare them for owning a business, among other things.
There is a $785 cost per student, which the district would not pay. Scholarships will be made available, however, by those running the program.
Literacy Strategies is designed for Exceptional Children who are reading several years below grade level. There would be no additional cost for this course, as the EC department would provide funding for materials and resources.
Foods II would allow Foods I students to continue. "Student enrollment and student interest are the main justification for adding a new section," according to background materials.
The estimated cost for this course offering is $1,500, which would be provided by the Office of Career and Technical Education.
Introduction to Biotechnology would begin to prepare students for a career in biotechnology. "During the past year, parents, community leaders and business partners have partnered with Orange County Schools to promote the possibility of a Biotechnology pathway at each high school."
The estimated cost to start up this program is $1,500 per high school. Additional start-up funds will be supplied by business and community sponsors. The schools will use existing classroom space, and no additional teachers will be hired during the 2010 academic year.
Networking was proposed to be eliminated because the state Department of Public Instruction is transition to a curriculum that has two courses instead of one. DPI recommends eliminating the course.
The board voted to add those five courses and eliminated Networking.

Policies
The Board considered six policies at Monday's meeting, passing four unanimously, one by a 5-1 vote and tabling the other.
The Board unanimously approved for first reading changes to Policies No. 7811 (Action Plans for Certified Employees), 7930 (Professional Employees: Demotion and Dismissal), 7940 (Suspension and Dismissal Policy) and 8602 (Local Salary Supplements).
Board member Stephen Halkiotis opposed some changes made to Policy No. 2335 (Advance Delivery of Meeting Materials) but was the lone no vote.
Board members tabled voting on a revision of Policy No. 903 (Naming New Facilities) after a committee brought their revisions forward, saying the policy as proposed was confusing.