Call Oklahoma Teacher Retirement Office and ask the following questions.
1. Am I capped at $25,000 or $40,000?
cccccA. If capped at $25,000---What will it cost me, to go to $40,000?
cccccB. If capped at $40,000----Do I owe any at this cap?
2. If you are not going to work past the rule of 80, stop here.
If you are going work past the rule of 80, you need to ask, "Do I owe any money, so I can take part in the Wear-Away Plan (EESIP)? What do I need to do to find out?"

Compilation and Summary

First Grade Assessment: Schools have the choice of Bear, Dibels, or Literacy First Assessments but the entire school must use the same assessment.

Building Maintenance: Several of the older schools are having maintenance issues – no heat in some classrooms. This will be addressed soon.

Quik Trip Reading Initiative: Principals and media specialists were informed of this reward program for reading at the beginning of the year. Schools needed to decide best how they wanted to implement this in their buildings.

Target Teach: Evans-Newton has done what it can for us. Their model is not getting done what needs to get done. Teachers were complaining that they were spending so much time focusing on Target Teach that they couldn’t get any teaching done.

It was suggested that teachers use all the tools available to teach what needed to be taught. Combine all of the resources and fit it to work what is best for you. (I.e. pacing calendar, curriculum objectives and standards, target teach etc.)

Discipline: This was a “Hot Discussion Topic.” Dr. Z says the District is looking to locate someone to come in and teach discipline management workshops.

Dr. Z does not like suspensions for Pre K – 2. He would like them to stay on campus. He asked where we could find “strong” in house suspension teachers.

Alternative Education: Dr. Z would like to consolidate the alternative schools and programs together to benefit students. He would also like to see more counseling. This would free up teachers who could be sent to other schools to help with their discipline problems.

School Performance: It is time for “house cleaning.” Schools that do not perform well this spring will probably see big changes. Principals gone and teachers will have to reapply to teach in them next year.

Schools that are performing well be left alone. Principals shouldn’t be afraid to put poor performer teachers on a Plan of Action. If it is not met then the teacher goes.

Title 1 Funds: These dollars need to be used wisely. The question about their use is: Do “you” want specialists or TA’s? Principals decide were $$ goes. Is it being used to get the maximum benefit?

CLC Schools: The question was asked about the rumors to close them. If this is the case, when will the staff be notified?

Dr. Z Responded

•It is not fair that these principals basically get paid 12 months. “How do I know that they actually work during this time?” He wants all principals paid the same contract length.

•In his research he has not been able to validate test score reasoning or learning gap issue. Why aren’t our schools testing better and in the top 10%?

•Not all teachers get paid for this extra work. Those that do through title $$ may not see that again as funds could be cut.

•If the principals and teachers would like to continue CLC they are welcome too. But he couldn’t see many teachers wanting to volunteer their time. He will leave it up to each school for now.

New Feeder Plan: Principals and area superintendents will meet weekly with Dr. Z. If teachers have questions or concerns they should go through the proper channels first – principals and then area superintendents.

Teaching materials: How can we get what we need? Don’t always rely on textbooks. Be Creative! Workbooks don’t teach. Teachers do.

Colors in the Classroom: There have been mixed messages about colors and clarification was sought. Dr. Z said wall colors in the building should not be orange or red. This brings put excitability. Bulletin boards are different.

Dr. Z has challenged principals to do numerous “walk-throughs”. One of them was to walk the walls. What is up in the classrooms? This can tell you a lot of what is being taught.

Elementary Grade Cards: This needs to be re-examined. Dr. Z would like to go to electronic. He likes “Grade Speed.” Grades can be entered at home or school.

Head Lice Policy: Dr. Z was asked if it can be changed back to the “NO Nit Policy?” He said that he would talk to the head nurse about this and get back to us. It had been changed because of attendance issues but some schools feel this change has caused a problem by allowing head lice infestations to spread more easily.

Pay Raises: Dr. Z would like to give raises but believes they should be merit pay raises. It should go to schools that perform well on test scores. “Why should Joe Blow and company get a $3000 raise when they haven’t done anything? I.e. Their test scores haven’t gone up.

He recommends two additional stipends: Bi-lingual teachers and
“NBCT” teachers that will move to the “low achieving” schools to help raise test scores. Bottom line, “I believe in rewarding teachers who perform well.”
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Superintendent’s Coffee
Edison Middle School | 20 December 2006

Following are notes taken at Dr. Zolkoski’s “Superintendent’s Coffee” held at Edison Middle School. These are factual notes, provided without any editorial comment or opinion. Their purpose is to offer TCTA members information as to the vision of the Superintendent, as well as the official goals and direction of the District.

The Superintendent’s Coffee addressed two main topics: Cluster Alignment and District Goals. There was a question and answer session at the end.

CLUSTER ALIGNMENT
The Cluster Alignment (sent to all TCTA Members earlier) will divide the District into five smaller districts or “families.” These more manageable units will make it easier to develop, implement and monitor excellent quality education.

This excellence comes from:
1. Great Leadership (Principals),
2. Quality Curricular Strategies, and
3. Vertical Alignment.

Dr. Z cites as example of his vision for feeder patterns, the current Webster Feeder Pattern: Addams, Eugene Field, Park, Remington and Robertson feed into Clinton Middle School which feeds into Webster High School. These schools currently have “family” activities such as their annual “Block Party.”

He envisions magnate components at each high school:

• Hale - Culinary
• Unnamed - Hotel Management
• Webster - TV and Broadcasting
• McLain – Science and Technology
• Central – Fine Arts
• Pre-medical and dental – Perhaps Edison

The current TV facilities at the Service Center will be moved to Webster. The Culinary Arts Magnate at Hale will be a feeder to Okmulgee Tech. The magnate programs at McLain and Central he considers “poor” and need to be improved.

ACE: Next year’s high school entering class of 2007-2008 will need to pass 4 of 7 EOI exams to graduate from high school.

Benefits of the New Cluster Pattern:
1. Smaller Families
Students transferring to Tulsa from some of the surrounding districts are doing so because they were in “mega-schools” where they felt like they were no more than a number.

2. Direct Feeder Patters
Teachers can communicate about curriculum.
• Dr. Z doesn’t like “everybody on the same page at the same time.” It takes away from individualized instruction.
• Dr. Z, “I don’t think some children can’t learn, I think some teachers can’t teach.”

3. Leadership Opportunities
Good teachers will work day and night for good principals.
There are good principals with different leadership styles.
Most teachers don’t work for the financial incentives as much as for the psychological incentives/rewards. I.e. Appreciation of students, seeing students achieve, thank you notes.

4. Curriculum Alignment

5. Teacher Exchange Sessions
There will be regular meetings and exchange sessions between elementary/middle and high school teachers within feeder patterns.

 

DISTRICT GOALS
The last TPS Board Retreat chose the following three general District Goals:

1. Discipline/Management: To provide a safe and secure environment for all students in TPS.

• To develop a district-wide discipline management program that will provide a uniform approach to all campuses.

• To review quarterly all discipline on each campus to ensure consistency.

• To consolidate the alternative programs to ensure quality of service.

• To review the use of school suspensions.

• To provide the proper training of all personnel in handling discipline on all campuses.

• To reexamine and revise the Tulsa Public Schools Code of Conduct.

• To ensure that counseling and guidance are part of the discipline process.

2. Curriculum/Instruction: To continue to provide research-based challenging curriculum and instruction program that prepares students for post-secondary careers.

• To implement scientifically research-based reading and mathematics instruction in grades PreK-5 to ensure that students are functioning on grade level.

• To ensure that benchmarking and assessments are effectively implemented to close the achievement gap.

• To develop a comprehensive professional development program that creates a positive work environment designed to meet the needs of all staff members.

• To provide professional development to all staff in District’s research-based strategies in reading, math, science, and social studies.

• To implement supervision and instruction techniques and interventions strategies that promote student success.

• To conduct a comprehensive curriculum audit.

• To ensure that all campuses understand and appreciate the diversity of our school district.

• To review and implement a writing program that will enhance all students skills.

3. Personnel/Management: To ensure that all persons have an opportunity to apply and work for TPS.

• To establish a teacher recruitment plan that will enable TPS to recruit and retain a highly qualified teaching staff.

• To develop an attitude that all personnel are important in each of pour students lives.

• To ensure that all employees have the proper training to perform their jobs.

• To establish staffing formulas based on recognized standards for the effective operation of our school district.

• To review and improve the salary pay grade system.

• To engage all personnel in continuously improving their customer skills that are provided to our community.

Questions and Answers
Dr. Z believes the District needs:
• A District Fine Arts Director. Fine arts students score better on tests. He wants to greatly expand speech and debate.

• The best teachers in the basic courses (where students are struggling), not the advanced courses.

• To check the plusses and minuses of ending the semester before the Winter Holidays.

• Adding 30 minutes of instruction time to each day, especially at the elementary level.

• More teacher training and staff development, especially in the area of classroom management.

• Increased teacher salaries.

• A number of school “adjustments” and they will happen on 12 January 2007.

• Some re-zoning of school boundaries next year. He says there may be some “grandfathering” of students who have already started attending these schools.

• Special stipends for, Special Ed, Pre-K teachers and National Board Certified Teachers who teach in “at-risk” schools.

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