2007-06-15 - Laserfiche WebLink

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NOTICE OF SPECIAL MEETING THE CHARLOTTESVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL HOLD A SPECIAL MEETING ON Friday, June 15, 2007 AT 12:00 noon IN THE Basement Conference Room. THE PROPOSED AGENDA IS AS FOLLOWS: Luncheon meeting with School Board BY ORDER OF THE MAYOR BY Jeanne Cox BASEMENT CONFERENCE ROOM – June 15, 2007 Council met in special session on this date with the following members present: Dr. Brown, Ms. Hamilton, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Norris, Mr. Taliaferro. Rev. Alvin Edwards, Chairman of the School Board, said this will be the last School Board/Council lunch meeting for outgoing School Board member Lou Bograd. Ms. Gertrude Ivory, Assistant Superintendent of Public Schools, and several staff members reviewed curriculum and instruction projects that are being worked on during the summer, including: GPS Revisions, Modeled Aligned Plans for Success (MAPS), Assessment Item Banks, “Look Fors,” 5-Year Professional Development Plan, Community Partnerships, Competitive Grants, Scholars Program, and Department Procedures Manual/CIPD Handbook. Mr. Lynch said that the Book Buddies Program used to have 150 volunteer tutors and now it has 75. He said his sense is that the principals think of this as an instructional option that competes with other program. He said he thinks it goes beyond that and is a social capital program. He said his concern is that he does not think the School administration takes the program seriously. He said he does not see anything being done to improve the program. Dr. Edwards asked for questions first about the curriculum and instruction project presentation. Dr. Brown said he is impressed with the collaborative efforts and that a lot of new things are happening. Mr. Norris said he is pleased to hear about the language emersion program. Dr. Edwards said that the Book Buddies Program can be discussed at the next meeting. Ms. Rosa Atkins, Superintendent of Schools, said that the Book Buddies Program has been incorporated in other programs, and if any adjustments are made to the program, which has happened, it cannot be called Book Buddies. She said that good instruction is what is most important. Dr. Brown said he is pleased to see that consistency among City schools has been created, and asked if there are any ongoing efforts to create the same kind of consistency between City and County schools because of the mobility of students between the two jurisdictions. Ms. Atkins said she and Pam Moran, Superintendent of Albemarle County Schools, are committed to discuss projects and to get both divisions together. Responding to a question from Mr. Lynch, Ms. Atkins said the City Schools had approximately 1,200 to 1,400 volunteers during the past year.