Board Report - May 11

Board Reports

Board Approves Changing School Policies on Graduation Requirements, Weighted Grades and Class Rankings

The Board of Education on a second reading approved revisions to two board policies affecting graduation requirements and weighted grades and class ranking procedures. The Board first considered approval at its April meeting.

The revisions will add a grade forgiveness provision when calculating the grade point average (GPA), explained Dr. Todd Nelson, senior executive director of Research-Design-Assessment.

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Board Approves Architectural Design Services For Planned Boevers Renovations

The Board of Education approved architectural design services from WRA Architects for $244,600 for a planned renovation of Boevers Elementary.

Dr. Josh Robinson, director of Operations, stated in a memo, “The agreement will provide for a feasibility and remodel study of Boevers to provide insight on how Union might feasibly remodel Boevers. Once the study is completed, schematic design and rendering concepts will be created to be used to facilitate the next design phases of the project.”

In other action, the Board accepted a proposal for construction of a grease trap relocation project by Flintco, LLC. The heavy trash and delivery trucks have created ruts and cracking in the existing pavement, explained Robinson.

Revamp of Union’s Teacher of the Year Program Planned

Teacher Leadership Specialist and 2023 National Teacher of the Year Rebecka Peterson – along with Jessica Hogaboom, district coordinator of counseling services – shared plans for a revamped Teacher of the Year program.

Based on Peterson’s own experiences with the national cohort, the new program – called L.E.A.D. Union – would provide professional development, in-district networking and portfolio support to site Teachers of the Year as they go through the district and state selection process.

Called L.E.A.D. Union, which stands for “Learn. Educate. Advocate. Develop.”, the new program would be developed in concert with Leadership Tulsa, a local nonprofit that has been building leadership skills and creating deeper connections for more than 50 years.

As part of the national program, Peterson said the 54 nominees met five times during the year. “We were nurtured and poured into. It made me wonder what it would be like to do this at the district level. So, we are very excited to present this program we’ve been working on for the last six months.”

There will be six sessions, with three led by Leadership Tulsa and the other three by Union: 

• Session 1: Leading from Within -- Explore personal strengths and values to cultivate a leadership philosophy that guides how educators influence their schools and community while sustaining purpose, wellbeing and long-term engagement in the profession.
• Session 2: Courageous Conversations and Storytelling – Cultivate the skills needed for honest dialogue and impactful storytelling to advocate for student needs, engage in courageous conversations and contribute confidently to key decisions.
• Session 3: Innovation in Education – Examine how innovation and creativity drive progress in schools. Discuss practical ways to lead change through technology and collaboration while centering human connection.
• Session 4: Connecting Beyond the Classroom – Connect and network with local leaders to understand how schools and communities can collaborate. Learn simple ways to engage with media, community advocates and business partners that impact education.
• Session 5: Civic Engagement and Action – Engage with state legislators at the Capitol to practice real-world advocacy and leadership. Participants apply communication and collaboration skills to discuss education issues and strengthen their confidence as public education advocates.
• Session 6: Capstone with District Leaders – Apply lessons from previous sessions to design and present a brief proposal addressing a school or district need to district leaders.

One of the goals of the program is to make site nominees for Union’s Teacher of the Year better prepared, especially if they advance to the state and national programs. “The state has changed their timeline for the program several times now,” said Peterson. “This adjusted timeline will fix that gap as well.”

Union’s revised timeline will move the site selection process for Teacher of the Year to spring. “This will give teachers the summer – June and July – to work on their portfolios,” said Peterson. “Then the district Teacher of the Year will be announced in the September/October timeframe.” 

Phase I of Leadership Development will take place in October through December (as teachers work on applying to the state’s program). Then Leadership Phase II will take place in January through April, with the State Teacher of the Year announced in June.

Hogaboom said the goal is not to develop teachers “out of the classroom.” She said they want to achieve: 1) Classroom leadership; 2) Broader engagement; 3) Real world application; 4) Retention culture; and 5) Long-term sustainability. 

“Teacher recruitment and retention is a big challenge for us right now,” said Hogaboom. “We want our teachers to continue to feel valued and developed and heard because we know those teachers are more likely to stay.”

Associate Superintendent Sandi Calvin praised the new concept. “We presented L.E.A.D. Union to UCTA leadership, and they are on board and excited. Similar to the leadership program we have for aspiring principals, the focus here is on teachers. Our message to teachers is, you do not have to be an administrator to be a leader. This is a great opportunity for our teachers.” 

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