Ms. Cole has held two Community Budget Forums to give parents information about the budget process. In addition, the parent representatives on the School Family Council held a meeting on Sunday, March 14, 2010 to discuss parent priorities for next year’s budget. Comments from that meeting were passed out at the School Family Council meeting and are posted below. A second parent meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at the Roland Park branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Notes from Meeting of Parents led by Parent members of the 2011 Budget Advisory Team:
Date: Sunday, March 14, 2010 at Bolton Street Synagogue, 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Present: Sandy Fink, Robert Friedman, Michele Hong-Polansky, Arnice Jones, Lori Paine, Sara Polk, Elizabeth Randolph, Katie Riback, Caroline Wayner, Alexandra Weil.
The group talked about areas in which they see benefits that would result from investment next year, such investment taking the form of new or re-allocated staffing, training, strategic planning, and/or supplies/equipment. The chart is currently in draft form. As part of the discussion, the group would like to see how many dollars, if any, had been allocated to these areas in the past year. These items have not been prioritized. Where they are addressed in the 2009-11 School Improvement Plan, that section is indicated in the last column of the chart; if the item is not addressed in the SIP, it the group feels that it should be given consideration for the 2012 SIP:
| Area | Example(s) | Relevant FY10 budget line items and amounts | Lessons learned? Planned programming/use of funds for FY11? | School Improvement Plan reference? |
| Communication | An individual with communications expertise to reach out to the entire school community, to help give voice to the school administration and staff, gather information to post on the website, and act generally as the administrator of the website. Also to ask how we are reaching out to single parents, middle school parents, non-English speaking families, etc. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| Engagement and Outreach | Someone to help teachers to engage and outreach to parents—how to design their web page, how to invite and host parents in the classroom, how to give parents the most important information about their children | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. |
| Technology | An expert in different facets of the use of technology in schools. Needs may include running the computer lab, helping students build computer skills, working with teachers on integrating technology into the classroom and enriching the curriculum, strategizing on the best technology for the students, recomending technologies and purchases for the school, advising the school on ways to use technology to save money, leading the technology committee of the SFC. Familiarity with and ability to take a leadership role in implementing BCPSS Updated Integrated Technology Plan
http://www.bcps.k12.md.us/Departments/Information_Technology/PDF/Tech_Plan_7_28_08.pdf |
New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | p. 2-cross cutting theme of “Educational Technology” and addressing specific student groups: “Career and Technology Education.” P. 6: “[A]n increase in the use of technology will … be [an area] of focus in the coming school years.” | |
| Curriculum specialist | Lead SFC committee on curriculum that would meet regularly, whether or not problems have been identified, considering separate meetings for elementary and middle school; could be divided. Strategic focus on recommended curricular developments and changes. Help to engage and inform parents about the curriculum. Review particular issues that may arise with curriculum as identified by parents and teachers and suggest and help to implement changes as necessary. Curriculum specialist would not have focus on standardized testing. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| Professional Development | Strategic expertise on creative and needed professional development for teachers, able to respond to suggestions from teachers, and to communicate chosen programs to parents. Money to fund the best professional development programs for our teachers and to work with communications staff to communicate about professional development initiatives with parents. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | p. 46, “Over the past two years, RPEMS has focused on classroom differentiation, but teachers feel that there is a need for overall staff development training in this particular area.” |
| Health Education | Incorporate health education into the k-8 curriculum with reproductive health curriculum as priority content, e.g. via full-time or subcontracted educator. Ms. Wood has experience in this area—may be able to advise? | Staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment and/or $16,000 to sub-contract from Planned Parenthood | No. | |
| Writing specialist or writing curriculum specialist | Update on the Write Place. Integrate writing opportunities across the curriculum, k-8. Classroom or grade level newsletters or newspapers with student work which could be used to enrich the curriculum and aid communication with parents. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| Creativity and Enrichment | To lead Enrichment Committee of the SFC. Communicate with parents on the Enrichment initiatives of the school, k-8. Bring Enrichment to more classes and more students. Expand the Enrichment curriculum. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | p. 2: Addressing Specific Student Groups, “Gifted and Talented Education.” p. 22 “Increase the GATE services to students who qualify…” p. 24 “Provide after-school enrichment activities such as book clubs and writing clubs.” | |
| Outdoor education/ | Bring the “No Child Left Inside” movement to the school. Work on ways to get the students outside of the building during the school day and engaged in outdoor educational projects. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| Recess monitoring and planning | Help with monitoring students during recess and engaging students in group activities | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| Student to teacher ratio balance | Examine the number of students in the building and hire staff to reduce the student-to-teacher ratio and/or move staff to meet new needs. Linked with class size. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | No. | |
| School climate/civility | Programs to help students learn to be cooperative members of the school community and to become leaders in creating a better environment. | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | p. 41, “A lack of training in behavior management, as identified by staff, could be contributing to incidents with behavior and suspensions,” and “A lack of a cohesive character education program may be contributing to the perception of ‘picking on’ students.” P. 43, “Implement comprehensive character education and individual and small group counseling, as well as full-class instruction on friendships, bullying, etc.” also, p. 43 | |
| After-school opportunities for enrichment | More of a focus on student-interest driven programs for after school time, less reliance on parent volunteer led clubs and more on independent contractors, SFC committee on after-school activities, potential staff assistance in coordinating program and working on organizing facility space | New or re-allocated staffing, training, strategizing, supplies and equipment | p. 6 “After school student tutorial workshops … will also be areas of focus in the coming school years.” p. 24 “Provide after-school enrichment activities such as book clubs and writing clubs.” p. 30, “Provide after-school enrichment activities, such as Math Challenger.” P. 34, “Provide after-school enrichment activities such as Science Olympiad and science clubs.” |
Additional information about the budget process follows:
BCPS publishes a chart with the general plan for the budget planning process which can be viewed at http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/news/PDF/SchoolCommunityInput.pdf
BCPS has an upcoming trainings on the budget process for families and the community on Thursday, March 25, 2010, from 9-10:30 a.m. at Patapsco Elementary/Middle.
In addition, each school year, an Advisory Team gathers input from the school community and gives feedback to the Principal about the budget for the next year. The Advisory Team is comprised of the three elected parent representatives to the School Family Council, the two community members of the SFC, and other individuals who are identified and recruited by the parent and community members of the SFC. (For more information about the process of choosing the family and community members of the SFC, please see BCPS Policy and Regulations on Family and Community Engagement, available on the website’s SFC page) In addition, BCPS has issued guidance on the role the Advisory Team http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/News/PDF/AttachmentI_ParentCommunityInput.pdf
The Advisory Team has scheduled two meetings to solicit parent input into the budget process. They are scheduled for:
1. Sunday, March 14, 2010 from 3:00 – 5:00 at Bolton Street Synagogue, 212 West Cold Spring Lane
2. Wednesday, March 17, 2010 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at the Roland Park Enoch Pratt Free Library, in the meeting room on the ground floor
The Advisory Team is also developing an on-line survey to solicit the ideas and opinions of parents and community members about the school budget for 2010-2011. Please email your ideas or concerns about this process to sfc@rolandparkpublic.org.
Other documents that parents and community members may be interested in are:
1. Budget breakdown for all personnel and other expenses for RPEMS for FY2009 (pp. 582-586) http://www.bcps.k12.md.us/departments/finance/pdf/BCPSSSchoolBudgetSummary.pdf
2. Budget breakdown for all personnel and other expenses for RPEMS for FY2010 (pp. 462-465) http://www.bcps.k12.md.us/departments/finance/pdf/FY2010_Schools_Budget.pdf
3. Chart showing how the Fair Student Funding method impacts the RPEMS budget in FY2009 http://www.bcps.k12.md.us/News/PDF/Bugets2009/0233.pdf
4. City Schools Document about the total City Schools Budget, discussing Fair Student Funding–titled “Proposed FY2010 Operating Budget: Building a System of Great Schools, Companion Guide for Parents” http://www.baltimorecityschools.org/departments/finance/pdf/FY2010BudgetCompanion.pdf