During the Warsaw School Board meeting Monday night, the board approved the teacher evaluation system for 2012-13, redistricting the school board electoral districts and privatizing the athletic camps by 2013.
Warsaw Community Schools Director of Special Services Deb Blatz asked the board on behalf of the accountability committee to adopt the RISE Teacher Evaluation System. It was previously presented to the school board at its April public work session.
Blatz said the state of Indiana outlined that all schools will evaluate all teachers every year beginning with the 2012-13 school year. About 70 members of the accountability committee looked at the different evaluation systems, choosing to go with RISE.
She said the commitment is for one year. The committee will continue to look at the model and see if that is the way it wants to continue to go.
Delores Hearn, board member, asked Blatz what kind of feedback were teachers giving on the system.
Blatz answered that teachers have had some good questions about it.
“I think, overall, the feedback has been good,” she said.
Terry Sims, president of the Warsaw Community Educators Association, said, “I think the teachers, as they are learning about it, are getting more comfortable with it. There is some apprehension because it is new. At this point, it’s just a matter of going through it.”
Board Secretary Dan Metzger asked what the cost of the system was to the school corporation. Blatz said it was “difficult to measure.” Certainly, she said, there will be the time of the evaluators so a stipend may be involved. Each teacher will be evaluated five times over the course of the year.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said the system is a work in progress. There could be some changes by the school corporation, and the state could make some changes, too.
Sims was asked by board member Dan Robinson what his view so far was on the system and if it could be fair.
“Yes,” said Sims. “I feel it is a system we’ll have to work through to see how it goes. It’s a major shift in accountability. Teachers are starting to realize most of the stuff in the evaluation, they already do. It’s a matter of showing it. The view of the association is that the state rushed to pass this very quickly.”
The board unanimously approved the teacher evaluation system.
At previous school board meetings, the redistricting of the electoral districts was discussed. Monday, the board approved the new districts, which will be in effect for this fall’s school board elections.
The board is required to review and reconsider redistricting every 10 years after the Census figures are received.
The school corporation is divided into seven school board member electoral districts. The new districts will be: – District 1: Wayne Township, Precincts 6, 7, 9; City of Warsaw, Ward 4, Precincts 2 and 3. – District 2: Plain Township Precincts 1, 2, 4, 6 and 7. – District 3: Prairie Township Precincts 1 and 2; Plain Township Precinct 3; Plain Township (City of Warsaw) Precinct 5; City of Warsaw, Ward 1, Precincts 2 and 4; City of Warsaw, Ward 5, Precinct 1. – District 4: Wayne Township, Precincts 1, 2, 5 and 11 – District 5: Wayne Township, Precincts 3, 4, 10; City of Warsaw, Ward 1, Precinct 1; City of Warsaw, Ward 2, Precinct 1. – District 6: City of Warsaw, Ward 2, Precinct 2; Ward 3, Precinct 2 and 3; Ward 4, Precinct 1; Ward 5, Precincts 2 and 3. – District 7: Clay Township, Precincts 1 and 2; Lake Township, Precincts 1 and 2; Wayne Township, Precinct 8; City of Warsaw, Ward 3, Precinct 1.
For the athletic camps, the board approved to privatize them by a vote of 5 to 2. Robinson and Hearn voted against.
The approved motion includes that the privatized summer camps require a facility rental with the school. A rental agreement would include providing proof of insurance, providing a hold harmless agreement and paying appropriate fees as outlined in the WCS facility rental documents.
Coachs shall indicate in their literature that the camp is not affiliated with or sponsored by WCS. The camp name must be approved by the athletic director in consultation with the superintendent’s office prior to advertisement.
The motion also affords camp sponsors the ability to privatize the camps if they so choose. Privatization is optional this summer, but not next summer.
The board previously discussed the privatization of the athletic camps at its May 15 public work session.
