GREEN Charter Schools

Oct
12

GREEN Charter Schools Board Meeting

Thursday, October 12 2023

6:00pm - 7:30pm EDT

If you wish to contribute a public comment email your names to mtownes@scgreencharter.org before 3:00 PM ET Thursday

Agenda

  1. Welcome/Opening Remarks
    6:00 pm EDT
  2. Public Comments (limited to three minutes per speaker, thirty minutes in total)
  3. Approval of Agenda
  4. Approval of Minutes from Sept 14, 2023
  5. Committee Reports
    1. Governance Committee
    2. Finance Committee
    3. Infrastructure & Growth Committee
    4. Personnel Committee
    5. Election Committee
  6. Old Business
    1. Unsung Heroes
  7. New Business
  8. Student Successes (Bobby Rollins)
  9. Executive Director Update (Tom Cronin)
    1. Special Education & Section 504 Explained (Miyah Jones-Lewis)
    2. Enrollment Update
    3. GREEN Charter Testing Policies & Procedures - Action Item
  10. Executive Session
    1. Legal Matter
  11. Voting from Executive Session
  12. Adjournment

Minutes Tab

Welcome/Opening Remarks

Meeting Started at 6:06 Ms Townes welcomes everyone and thanks all stakeholders

Attendance

Members

Present: Haley Brunson, Mandy Townes, Trishka Hornbeck, Tom Cronin

Remote: Tracy Kramer, Imtiaz Haque, Judy Fairchild

Absent: Laurel Wiles, Brittany Arsiniega

Notes: Tracy Kramer Ms Kramer had to leave the meeting prior to approving the amended agenda 

Guests

Present: Bobby Rollins, Miyah Jones-Lewis

Public Comments (limited to three minutes per speaker, thirty minutes in total)

No Requests for Public Comment

Approval of Agenda

Motion to amend agenda to remove line item #4, Approval of Minutes from Sept 14 2023,  as Ms Wiles is not present and was unable to circulate the minutes. 

Motion to Amend - Ms Townes
Second - Ms Hornbeck

Motion to Approve Amended Agenda - Ms Hornbeck
Second - Dr Haque

Motion to Amend Agenda - Approved 5:0
Motion to Approve Amended Agenda - Approved 4:0

Committee Reports

Governance Committee

Ms Townes states the committee met two weeks ago & discussed legal matters around the two new schools opening in the next few years, student success, and the founding principal role of the Simpsonville K-8 location.

Finance Committee

Ms Townes states that this committee will meet in two weeks and will have an update at that time.

Infrastructure & Growth Committee

Due to Ms Wiles' absence, Mr Cronin will provide an update on this committee. Mr Cronin states there is a meeting in a week to continue the upcoming discussion for the Simpsonville location in which we have a signed Letter of Intent. 

Personnel Committee

Dr Haque states that there is no update to provide.

Election Committee

Ms Kramer states that the Election committee met last week to extend the nomination period for candidates because we had zero applications at the time. The deadline was extended through October 18th. No other dates have changed. 

Old Business

Unsung Heroes

The personnel committee has agreed to take on this topic. Dr Haque states that the committee met informally to discuss how to take on this accolade. Mr Cronin mentions that he will be a part of the conversation in the next personnel committee meeting.


Ms Townes asks if we are tabling this idea until the next committee meeting?
Dr Haque states the support in the committee is strong, but we need to involve the board to determine what the accolade constitutes. 
Ms Townes asks if we are still looking at the Jan/Feb time frame?
Dr Haque agrees.

Ms Townes states this will remain in Old Business until the personnel committee decides next steps. 
Dr Haque states they will bring it to the Board at the next meeting. 

New Business

None at this time 

Student Successes (Bobby Rollins)

We want to celebrate an amazing academic accomplishment for the following GREEN Elementary students and GREEN Spartanburg students. Several students scored a perfect score on one or more of the 2023 SC Ready assessments.

Executive Director Update (Tom Cronin)

Special Education & Section 504 Explained (Miyah Jones-Lewis)

GREEN Charter Schools currently contracts with 13 related service agencies and in addition has a full time speech pathologist for Greenville Elementary and Middle school. The Special Services Department manages the following services for GREEN:

  •  Section 504
  • Title III - MLP
  • IDEA
  • Medical Homebound
  • Title IX
  • Related ServicesSpeechOccupational TherapySchool PsychologistDeaf and Hard of HearingVisionABA/BCBAPhysical TherapyMental HealthGREEN Charter Schools currently serves 293 students with disabilities, 433 MLP students (226 MLP students receive direct services and 206 are monitored), and 117 students with 504’s.
  • Speech
  • Occupational Therapy
  • School Psychologist
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing
  • Vision
  • ABA/BCBA
  • Physical Therapy
  • Mental HealthGREEN Charter Schools currently serves 293 students with disabilities, 433 MLP students (226 MLP students receive direct services and 206 are monitored), and 117 students with 504’s.

Dr Haque states that he is pleased that we have this program established and he asks what the different numbers of special education staffs from each campus represents?

Ms Jones-Lewis states that the case loads across the campus determine the number of staff

He then asks what qualifications do MLP teachers need?

Ms Jones-Lewis states that they have to have their early childhood certification or at least secondary education certification to teach on the high school level.

Dr Haque asks if these staff are helping with our students who speak multiple languages?

Ms Jones-Lewis mentions that some students may be dually identified needing assistance with language and/or and additional disability. The MLP staff assist with language barriers. The special education teacher will also support that student. 

Ms Jones-Lewis mentions that these students go through a referral process to determine what supports the child may need.

Dr Haque asks if GREEN services students who may have English as second language.

Ms Jones-Lewis acknowledges this. 

Enrollment Update

Our enrollment is still very strong in all places, however we have done a slight reduction in force at our Midlands campus to ensure that we maintain our budgets. We are continuing to review enrollment weekly. 

GREEN Charter Testing Policies & Procedures - Action Item

The SCDE has required a testing policy for all educational entities administering End of Course Tests, SC Ready Testing, etc. Attached is GREEN Charter’s Testing Policy. Once approved, this will be submitted to the South Carolina Public Charter School District for their review.

Motion to Approve: Ms Kramer

Second: Ms Townes

Ms Townes questions that the policy states the  teachers are to collect all cell phones and store them - will there be a check system to be put in place to ensure phones are checked in and out?

Mr Cronin states that this is just the policy at this time, the procedure hasn't been decided on, but that there will be a monitoring system in place.

Approved 4:0

Executive Session

Motion to Move into Executive Session: Ms Hornbeck
Second: Dr Haque

Approved 4:0

Moved to Executive Session at 6:38

Legal Matter

Voting from Executive Session

Returned from Executive Session at 7:35pm

Nothing to vote on

Adjournment

Motion to Adjourn - Ms Hornbeck


Adjourned at 7:37pm

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