TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

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TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby blackturtle.us » Thu Mar 14, 2013 7:31 pm

The board meeting this evening was fairly brief. There was not a lot to the agenda and there weren't many people in attendance.

Highlights:
1) Facilities: Supt. David Olney discussed facility needs. He talked quite a bit about the old elementary site. A plan is being developed for removing heating and cooling equipment and for capping utilities. He explained that it is much less costly to remove than to fix old facilities. Also discussed was a plan to repaint the high school. Issues involving lead paint require guidance to ensure compliance with laws and regulations regarding hazardous materials.

2) VFW Donations - The VFW plans to set up a scholarship fund. At this time the plan is to deposit $40k into a special account and award a scholarship annually based on the amount of interest earned on the account that year. Guidelines for determining recipient qualifications are being developed at this time. In general the scholarship is intended for students showing "need and determination."

3) Career Day - March 22 is Career Day at the high school. Twenty-six reps will be on hand to provide information about various career choices. The elementary will have a Career Day on March 20 and an Awards Assembly on March 27. Also March 28 is a staff development (non student) day for both the high school and the elementary.

4) John Ciani, reporter for the Daily Independent, is retiring this year. He usually attends board meetings and reports on events involving the school district.

5) Financial Report - Dawn McMillan presented the 2nd Interim Report for the 2012/2013 school year. The most interesting info was that royalty income has been way up since the rate increased from 2% to 5% of potash revenues. However, there are efforts underway to reverse that change and so royalty income increases may only be temporary. Also discussed was something called a Local Control Funding Formula which may be implemented in the not too distant future.

6) 2013/2014 School Calendar - The first student day for the 2013/2014 school year will be August 15. Trisha Funke expressed concern about the heat. Olney assured board members that steps will be taken to ensure that students are comfortable while the weather is hot. Also discussed were the reasons for starting school so early. It was mentioned that some school districts start early enough to finish the first semester before Winter Break and the school year before Memorial Day.

7) Bus Surveillance Cameras - Language was added to the Bus Conduct Policies and Procedures regarding surveillance cameras. A short paragraph was added which addressed tampering with cameras by students and outlined disciplinary action that would be taken if students were caught tampering with cameras. A sentence was added regarding guidelines for using recordings for disciplinary purposes. As a joke Olney assured those at the meeting that he and Mark Goins had no plans of popping popcorn and sitting down at the end of each day to review the recordings to see how many students they could bust for disciplinary infractions. The recordings will be used only to verify or investigate possible misconduct reported by staff, parents, or other students.

Next Regular Meeting: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (public meeting at 6 p.m.)
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby desertrat » Fri Mar 15, 2013 9:31 am

blackturtle.us wrote:7) Bus Surveillance Cameras - Language was added to the Bus Conduct Policies and Procedures regarding surveillance cameras. A short paragraph was added which addressed tampering with cameras by students and outlined disciplinary action that would be taken if students were caught tampering with cameras. A sentence was added regarding guidelines for using recordings for disciplinary purposes. As a joke Olney assured those at the meeting that he and Mark Goins had no plans of popping popcorn and sitting down at the end of each day to review the recordings to see how many students they could bust for disciplinary infractions. The recordings will be used only to verify or investigate possible misconduct reported by staff, parents, or other students.

:popcorn:
Yeah, right! That's what they say, but everyone knows that's exactly what they'll do. Every kid who flips the birdy will wind up being charged with a disciplinary infraction and will have to serve some sort of detention. Mark my words. That's exactly what's going to happen. If not them, then someone else. Someone will find the temptation irresistible, I guarantee!!!
:laugh:
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby wildrose » Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:15 am

desertrat wrote:
blackturtle.us wrote:7) Bus Surveillance Cameras - Language was added to the Bus Conduct Policies and Procedures regarding surveillance cameras. A short paragraph was added which addressed tampering with cameras by students and outlined disciplinary action that would be taken if students were caught tampering with cameras. A sentence was added regarding guidelines for using recordings for disciplinary purposes. As a joke Olney assured those at the meeting that he and Mark Goins had no plans of popping popcorn and sitting down at the end of each day to review the recordings to see how many students they could bust for disciplinary infractions. The recordings will be used only to verify or investigate possible misconduct reported by staff, parents, or other students.

:popcorn:
Yeah, right! That's what they say, but everyone knows that's exactly what they'll do. Every kid who flips the birdy will wind up being charged with a disciplinary infraction and will have to serve some sort of detention. Mark my words. That's exactly what's going to happen. If not them, then someone else. Someone will find the temptation irresistible, I guarantee!!!
:laugh:

:thumb:
It's nice to see that the new superintendent has a sense of humor! As for the bus recordings, I can't imagine that anyone would seriously just sit there and watch them in order to find ways to get kids in trouble. BUT I'm sure that any bus driver who gets hit in the back of the head with a spit wad will utilize the recordings in hopes of identifying the culprit!
:cool2:
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby pcslim » Mon Mar 18, 2013 7:03 am

Corporations Get Rich off Children with Charter Schools
This report and discussion provides a pretty good explanation of how industrial complexes work. In this case a couple corporations have exercised undue influence to create laws which they have used to make money. Most of this happens behind the scenes, but these companies have PR departments which provide cover to ensure that the public believes that they only have good intentions when the truth is not anything of the kind. It's all about making money and they don't care if they destroy the public education system in the process.
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby panamint_patty » Mon Mar 18, 2013 2:49 pm

Key & Peele: School Bully
This kid can't handle feelings of inferiority, sexual confusion, and anger, and so, naturally, he takes it out on others!
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby tronagirl » Sat Mar 23, 2013 8:43 am

LGBT-themed books included in California public schools' reading list :puzzled:
This kind of thing makes me a bit uncomfortable. Does anyone know if any of these books are in the local school libraries here in Trona or in Ridgecrest?
"It's a frightening trend," Sandy Rios, host of a morning radio show on American Family Radio or AFR Talk told the newspaper. "The reading lists are very overtly propagating a point of view that is at odds with most American parents. Leftist educators are advocates of everything from socialism to sexual anarchy. It's very base; it's raping the innocence of our children. "

LINK: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/21/california-public-school-reading-list-reportedly-includes-lgbt-books/
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby wildrose » Mon Mar 25, 2013 8:25 am

Careers on display in Trona
Kind of a short, sketchy article, but I guess there wasn't much to write about. :shrug:
Career fields represented include law enforcement, paramedic and emergency medical technician, undertaking, law, business, utilities, veterinarian and video-game design.

LINK: http://www.ridgecrestca.com/article/20130323/NEWS/130329886
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby shadylady » Tue Mar 26, 2013 7:09 am

wildrose wrote:Careers on display in Trona
Kind of a short, sketchy article, but I guess there wasn't much to write about. :shrug:
Career fields represented include law enforcement, paramedic and emergency medical technician, undertaking, law, business, utilities, veterinarian and video-game design.

LINK: http://www.ridgecrestca.com/article/20130323/NEWS/130329886

Which is exactly how they've managed to earn their nickname: The Daily Insufficient!
:smack:
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby CoolChick » Tue Mar 26, 2013 9:36 pm

shadylady wrote:
wildrose wrote:Careers on display in Trona
Kind of a short, sketchy article, but I guess there wasn't much to write about. :shrug:
Career fields represented include law enforcement, paramedic and emergency medical technician, undertaking, law, business, utilities, veterinarian and video-game design.

LINK: http://www.ridgecrestca.com/article/20130323/NEWS/130329886

Which is exactly how they've managed to earn their nickname: The Daily Insufficient!
:smack:

Ummm... actually... I've heard people call it the Daily Insignificant...
and that's being way too kind!!!
:laugh:
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Re: TJUSD School Board Meeting - March 14, 2013

Postby MojaveMike » Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:37 am

Bulletproof Backpacks for Kids
This will work great as long as a shooter aims for the backpack! :smack:
But seriously, even if a bullet hits the backpack the kid will get knocked over and then will be killed on the next shot. And unless the kids are all wearing bullet proof helmets their most sensitive body part is still left unprotected. This kind of bandaid approach would be comical if it weren't for the morbid issue involved.
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