Van Tassel announces ‘Rapid Turnaround’ sessions for district staff

School Supt. Michael Van Tassel has set up a two-day conference for the staff of the Van Buren Public Schools featuring Dr. Grant A. Chandler of Michigan State University.
Dr. Chandler and Dr. Julie Haun-Frank are authors of the published “Rapid Turnaround” program that aims to get schools on the right track.
The state has named two schools as Focus Schools in the Van Buren District – Tyler Elementary and McBride Middle School – because the gap between their 30% top and 30% bottom students is too large. Ten percent of the schools in Michigan are Focus Schools. If the district can’t get the “Z gap” decreased, the state may have to intervene, Supt. Van Tassel said at the Aug. 17 work/study session.
He also said, “for our district that gap is huge” and “our gap is wider than most.”
“We’re behind the game and we have to catch up,” he said. “The bottom 30 are doing very, very poorly,” Van Tassel said.
At the Sept. 21 work/study session of the school board, Van Tassel discussed the “Blueprint for Rapid Turn Around.”
He said the sessions are necessary because students are not getting the education they deserve for today.
“Retroactively, the model was the Industrial Age model,” he said. “We educated 20-30% for white-collar decision makers and the rest got a job in production.
“Now we need occupational readiness,” he said. “Michigan has made the decision that education is about getting a job and in Van Buren 51% of our student body goes on to college or some other education or training.
“And this blueprint for a rapid turnaround is about the other 49%.
“We have a lack of district systems in which to place support and there’s a sense of urgency… ‘Sally cannot wait!’”
He said in the middle of this is a fight about retention. He said research says retention does not work.
“So, the urgency places pressure on tracking the teaching staff. Blueprint is system-wide and building-wide, based on research.”
Board vice-president Martha Toth is the board’s representative to the blueprint staff retreat.
Van Tassel said research shows that every individual will have as many as eight completely different jobs in his/her career.
Barbara Miller asked from the audience about citizenship and whose obligation it is to teach citizenship since informed voters are essential to preserving the country.
“Your question is inappropriate at this time,” said board president Brent Mikulski.
District Board Procedures
At the beginning of the Sept. 21 work/study session, Mikulski led a discussion on board procedures, referring consistently to a document that members of the audience were not offered.
He said 14 months ago the board adopted “District Board Procedures,” which is “a great tool for us to remind ourselves, refresh ourselves as to how we conduct ourselves as a board.”
Trustee Sherry Frazier said partnerships with the community should be a goal. She said the board needs to do a better job of responding to questions from the audience, instead of skirting them.
“Don’t give the impression we don’t care about what is brought to the board, we’re oblivious to it… We need a larger group supporting us” since the millage vote is coming up.
Mikulski said that was part of Section 1.32, which is important and will be discussed when they get to it. It’s about making sure the administration responds to the person asking the question and fills the board in.
He went on to Section 1.14 about the annual agenda which is so board members can remind themselves of what’s coming up. For example in September there is the enrollment update. He said they have the numbers now and the audit report on the numbers has to be done by November.
Van Tassel said he would have the numbers, “hopefully at the next meeting.”
Mikulski said the administration brings to the board information on what’s happening.
Then he went on to the next item which was board member conduct during the meetings. He said it was respecting “our fellow board members” and “expressing our opinions … some we share and some we don’t.”
Section 1.32 is about persons addressing the board and all can do a better job, he said. He said they should understand the issue and [later] correctly respond back to the audience member and advise the board.
“Our breakdown in the past is when we engage in topics … our administrators the same way,” Mikulski said.
Toth said the rationale for halting discussion is that it’s not on the agenda. She said if it was on the agenda people who wanted input could attend and speak.
“But if it wasn’t on the agenda, it’s unfair to the public,” Toth said.
“Repeat,” urged Miller from the audience, seeking clarification of Toth’s comments.
Toth said the presiding officer keeps the discussion on the agenda so they don’t veer off.
“Non-agenda items are at the end of the agenda and people can talk about whatever they want,” Frazier said.
“Board member comments go afield,” Toth replied. “That discussion should be cut short.”
Mikulski said the board members and administration prepare for the agenda items. He said they can engage with a speaker after the meeting to get an understanding of what the issue is before any answer is given.
Frazier said there have been several issues brought to the board and it was said that Van Tassel would get back to the speakers.
“I asked if they were contacted by Van Tassel and their answer was no,” Frazier said.
“At two board meetings, I’ve brought up the necessary participation to reach out to our local newspaper. Two board meetings,” Frazier said. “I suggested Mr. Van Tassel contact the paper. Why don’t we have it in the buildings and Ad Building? I was in Owen school and it’s not there.”
Toth said she has seen it many times in the school and when Frazier asked what school, Toth said it was Tyler.
“When people come to the Administration Building they are provided with all the other information…” Frazier said. “At the Public Safety event, I asked the individual from the local paper if she’s been reached out to, she said no. When we ask the superintendent … We are the board.”
“We don’t have any powers as individuals,” Toth said.
Mikulski said Frazier should have told the board that a community member did not get a report back.
Frazier said Mr. Rytman is another one that didn’t get response, after giving a great, high-caliber presentation to the board with an offer to pay for a staff opinion poll.
“Those are the things falling through the cracks,” Frazier said.
Mikulski said they were waiting for information from Rytman and did get something from him.
“We may not have done well prior to a couple meetings ago, when I asked Mr. Van Tassel to reach out,” Mikulski said.
Frazier said at the last meeting, “I said maybe Mr. Van Tassel could handle the situation. This community is key, especially since we’re running a millage campaign.”
Secretary Kevin English said employees shouldn’t be mentioned in a negative way.
“I’m sorry, that’s the way I see it,” Frazier said.
“We have an obligation to protect them,” English said of employees. “They have a right to not be named.”
“The individual reported that at a meeting,” Frazier said.
Mikulski said they don’t want to get into prosecution of people who violated in the past. “Every board member could do better.”
English said there were negative comments against an employee and they should ask people not to mention employees by name. He noted this did not happen recently.
Closed Session
At the end of the work/study session the board went into closed-door session pursuant to 8(a) of the Open Meetings Act: “To consider the dismissal, suspension, or disciplining of, or to hear complaints or charges brought against, or to consider a periodic personnel evaluation of, a public officer, employee, staff member, or individual agent, if the named person requests a closed hearing. A person requesting a closed hearing may rescind the request at any time, in which case the matter at issue shall be considered after the rescission only in open sessions.”
Barbara Rogalle Miller contributed to the information in this story.