Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
MEMBERS OF the Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education contemplate details of budget amendments during their Monday evening meeting. From left are Superintendent Jason Gustafson, Trustee Marg Lynott, Treasurer Marsha Vestich, Trustees Brandon Yuchasz and Dan Obradovich, Business Manager Tina Trevarthen, and Secretary Stacie Rooni. President Brad Dalbec is not shown, and Vice-President Micki Sorensen was absent.
By P.J. GLISSON
Wakefield - As part of the first business of a brand new year, members of the Wakefield-Marenisco Board of Education voted Monday evening to elect their officers.
President Brad Dalbec noted that the process was "painless" in that no changes in positions occurred.
Along with Dalbec, the following members were re-elected unanimously: Vice-President Micki Sorensen, Treasurer Marsha Vestich and Secretary Stacie Rooni. Persons elected abstained from voting for themselves, except for Sorensen who was absent.
Members also voted to approve Board of Education bylaws that Superintendent Jason Gustafson said have not changed since 2015.
In other news, Gustafson explained that staff evaluations this year will be done in relation to guidelines offered by the Learning Sciences Marzano Center in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The center offers web-based evaluation models that the superintendent said will allow results to be calculated automatically.
He emphasized that the system will be not only more efficient, but also more reliable, than programs used in past years.
According to Gustafson, the system will be used to evaluate his own status, as well as that of other staff members such as teachers at the Wakefield-Marenisco K-12 School in Wakefield.
He said components for his own evaluation likely will be based on his ability to address the following elements, as synopsized from the Marzano model: 1. presentation of a clear vision for how instruction should occur; 2. assurance that the school is perceived as a safe and culturally responsive environment; 3. implementation of intervention and support to enable student achievement goals; 4. assurance that fiscal, physical and technological issues support the same end; and 5. incorporation of multiple sources to help teachers to evaluate their own strengths and weaknesses in relation to student achievement data.
Board members also:
-Voted to post, if needed, a position for a female Kindergarten aide that Gustafson said will be assigned to a pending new student. He said the position will be posted publicly only if no response occurs from the current in-school posting, which will end Friday. Board members expect to vote on the hiring at their next meeting.
-Voted to approve routine agreements with Gogebic Medical Care Facility in relation to allowing the school gym, kitchen and bathrooms to be used by facility residents and staff in the event of an emergency. School staff also will help with busing of residents. In such circumstances, GMCF would provide its own staff and reimburse any related costs.
-Voted to accept budget amendments as presented by Business Manager Tina Trevarthen.
-Heard from Gustafson that the planned Fab Lab for the school is "continuing to move forward." He said local businesses are being contacted to help with funding and added that consultant Don Sidlowski will address teachers on Feb. 14 and will present to the Wakefield-Bessemer Rotary Club on Feb. 13.
-Heard thanks from Trustee Marg Lynott, with agreement by other board members, for the budget work done by Trevarthen and supported by Gustafson. Heard Trevarthen, in turn, back up the superintendent's appreciation for the board during School Board Recognition Month.
The board will have its next regular meeting on Feb. 24 at 5 p.m. in the school's first-floor board room. The public is welcome. This date on the fourth Monday of the month is an exception to the normal meeting time of the third Monday of the month.
