Teacher’s Advisory Committee Meeting
March 4, 2016
Bishop Fenwick High School
9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Meeting Chair: Susie Gibbons, Interim Superintendent of Catholic Schools
Attendees:
Christine McDermott
Kyle Jepson
Pat Hemingway
Mike Gergen
Ann Goldbach
Elizabeth Richardson
Annette Braun
Susie Gibbons
Rob Reid
Meg Paul
Absent:
Alina Gholke
Angie Heisel
Julie Sneddon
Susie called meeting to order with prayer.
Agenda Item #1
Susie’s report: Foundation for Catholic Education (Capital Campaign). The Board oversees the tuition
assistance. They met this week; they are looking at the calendar for rollout and details of how it will be
done. Wayne Morse presented at the board meeting different scenarios of grant distribution (poverty,
numbers who can apply, etc.), getting everyone on FACTS, getting schools ready to help parents. The
Board is considering amount of grants. The goal is to service as many kids as we can. The brochure said
awards of up to $1000 per child, however, we can’t service as many families as we’d like if we go with
$1000 per child. Board wants it to be simple and stream-lined; they are considering amounts of $250 $500 - $750 - $1000. These amounts are per child, not per family. Board will send out a master list to
each school of all students who have vouchers. Main goal is getting all the money available to as many
students as possible. Board is very detailed and diverse from around the AOC.
Question: Will the board follow up to make sure kids stay in a full year? Or that they are students in
good standing?
Susie: There will be too many grants to follow up; we don’t have the manpower to follow up.
Board meets again in early June. They want more details and information from schools office. They
want an org/flow chart to see how this will work. Susie said “all hands on deck” to make the turnaround
time frame for parents. We want to be sensitive to donors.
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Question: What amount/percent of foundation money will be given out yearly?
Susie: $2M per year will be awarded (depending on stock market) for the first 5 years. After that, it will
depend on how much the corpus grows. Of the $2m, $400k will go to high schools; the rest to
elementary schools.
Question: This money will be distributed to ALL catholic schools?
Susie: Yes. Some High Schools said they won’t take the money because they have deep endowments.
They want to let other schools with more need use it. Voucher from foundation comes first; school
tuition assistance is second. High schools will oversee the money that comes to them.
Question: Do they have data as to how many families have this need?
Susie: Yes, upwards of 10,000 applications likely. Wayne Morse has looked at FACTS data (who applies,
who gets turned down, what income levels are, etc.). We know people apply who have high incomes
who won’t be serviced by this money.
Agenda Item #2
Office of Evangelization & Catechesis (OEC) & Office New Evangelization (ONE) will be restructuring.
This office will move to Pastoral Services per Archbishop (effective July 1st). Father Jan Schmitt will be
new head of Pastoral Services. Father Tom Wray is head of OEC. Susie and he work well together now
and both are committed to continuing this effective relationship.
Father Tom asked for a study of his office when he first came on to analyze effectiveness of staff. That
study is finished, but not yet presented. We will know then what, if any, structural changes will look
like.
Finally, she will ask Father Wray to attend the next TAC meeting.
Agenda Item #3
How can AOC better serve you? We do a survey at the end of every year with Principals. What about
you? I’d like to affect any changes in anticipation of next year. Suggestions?
1. Hamilton/Dayton/Sydney catechetical classes being offered are minimal. Classes are too far
away, too expensive ,or offered during school day when we have to get a sub. Could they be
offered on-line in the same way Virtus is? Or perhaps via Webinars? Perhaps combine webinar
with a leader for questions and dialogue.
2. Knowing who people are in the schools office. Who do I go to for what? There was a change in
leadership of a Regional Director and teachers weren’t notified (Gregg Marino to Karyn Hecker).
3. There was agreement that the transition from Cathy Bever to Kathy Kane was handled very well.
Seamless. Great job. Kathy responds to email within 10 minutes; she’s great with follow-up.
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4. Clarification on who is in charge of catechetical training at each parish/school? Should that be
the DRE? Not all parishes are set up the same way; not all have DRE’s. At some schools it’s the
principal, some a youth minister, etc.
5. What about tuition forgiveness for full-time elementary teachers? Is there a follow-up on this?
There was discussion about how each of the represented schools handle tuition forgiveness for
their teachers. Perhaps have a reciprocity agreement with other catholic schools?
Question: Can the AOC put out a recommendation on this the same way it did for leaves of
absence? Rob: We need to look at Canon law to make sure. If it looks like we can put out a
recommendation, we could do that; establish a suggested base line of assistance across the
board then if each school can give more, let them.
We need to do something. Catholic schools are turning into elite schools.
Teachers DO sacrifice to teach at catholic schools (in salary). We are Teacher-MINISTERS and
the ministry part requires financial sacrifice. This is a service; a vocation.
Susie commented that teachers can apply for foundation money for their children when it
becomes available.
Rob: Tuition assistance is usually taxed as income. Need to look at what happens when the
child goes to a school other than the one the teacher/parent works.
Susie: Reciprocity is easier to manage for High Schools than parish schools.
6. Teachers are always looking for professional development opportunities. For some geographic
areas it’s slim pickings. More difficult now that these are tied to IPD.
Maybe have someone who can provide feedback/comparison to teachers.
Susie: Clusters are sharing some events (i.e. religious in-service). Would it be helpful to have
“like” teachers get together to share how each are teaching and what they are using to teach?
General agreement that, yes, this would be helpful.
Susie: Regional Directors could possibly organize something like this on a month-by-month
basis. Placement test time would be an ideal time.
Agenda Item #4.
2016-2017 Teacher Minister Contract.
Rob: Have teachers received the whole packet from Principal? It was sent to principals around MLK
day.
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Some have received this, some haven’t.
Agenda Item #5
Superintendent Search. We are using a search firm who has identified candidates; they are scheduling
Skype interviews.
Prior to search firm, we had received about 10 candidates; not really enough to get a good feel.
Susie: We’re getting a low number of applicants for principal candidates as well. Not sure why.
Anything Else?
Question: What is the status of standardized report cards? We should be piloting them now. Has this
gone away?
Susie: No, this has not gone away. Carole Roberts has been out due to knee replacement, but is back
now and this should pick up.
Question: Testing – IOWA is AOC requirement. What about the AIR? Is it state recommended?
Susie: The third grade reading guarantee testing is required for schools who accept Ed Choice vouchers.
Beyond that, it’s up to each school. Most who don’t have to administer it are not doing it. Jerry Moore
has been presenting to Principals (he has great background in state testing). There is a percentage cut
off where the principal has to give the test to all kids, not just the Ed Choice voucher kids. AOC will likely
offer a one-day in-service next year for principals with Jerry Moore.
Question: Will IOWA go away?
Susie: There is a “4th option” for testing that was promised at HS level – it is our hope this 4th option
would be IOWA tests, however, it has not happened. If this gets passed, IOWA’s will certainly stay in
place in AOC schools. Charter schools are exempted from all this testing, but not catholic schools (Isaacs
rule). Catholic Superintendents are going to their state reps to say “Get this done”. Tell us what this 4th
option is going to be. The instructional time we are losing due to all these tests is huge.
Question: When will standardized report cards be in place? What is due date?
Susie: I’m not sure. I don’t think there was ever a specific date set other than phase-in over a 3-year
period.
Question: HS testing at Jr. High level is an issue that has not been solved. What about credits?
Perhaps create a special task force to develop best practices at AOC level? For Algebra I at 8th grade
level, particularly.
Susie: There could easily be an understanding about this. What’s best for each school?
Question: Can these kids get HS credits with a Jr. High teacher not certified? Goal is to have kids get
college credits at the HS level.
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Comment: Graded Course of Study; specifcally religion. It’s posted on the web-site, however, you have
to click the picture of Jesus, not the words “Graded Course of Study”. Grades K-4.
Susie will have Father Tom talk about this at next meeting.
Question: Is Graded Course of Study for K-4 Science out next year?
Susie: It’s published and was given to schools last week.
Comments: This is the first time the graded course of study is being aligned with text books not of the
schools choosing. It puts the schools in a quandary. Susie will pass this on.
Comment: Social Studies at AOC is very different than the state alignment for Jr High. Also, the
Resident Educator standards are different from AOC and state. AOC standards are much higher.
Susie: Anything else?
Meeting was adjourned.
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