School Board approves digital math textbooks

At its meeting May 29, the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education approved the use of digital math Techbooks for the next six years at McBride Middle School and for Gifted and Talented and advanced math students at Owen Intermediate School.
The total cost for six years is $187,650, which covers about $76,000 for professional development for the teachers, $70,000 for the consumables (called ISRs used to practice skills) and $42,000 for the Techbook user licenses.
Curriculum Director Jeff Moore said the Techbooks will replace the current Carnegie Math program which expires in June.
He said a team of McBride and Owen mathematics teachers researched a number of math programs over the course of the year and as a result made a recommendation to use the Discovery Math Techbook for the 2018-19 school year.
Moore said part of the project is training the principals with ongoing professional development. He said the program is easier to use on line and there have been no issues with online textbooks. There is the opportunity to print things out.
“It’s a pretty cool tool and I’m excited about it,” Moore told the board.
Board member Darlene Garrett said now her daughter will be able to do her lessons on her phone or tablet while away from home. She said with Carnegie Math she had to go home to do her lessons.
“We’re trying to reflect society and people’s lives in the future,” Moore said.
But board member Simone Pinter said she was concerned about students figuring out problems and not being able to show their work. She asked what would happen with a power outage or when the internet goes down.
Moore said paper can be used.
He said teachers will see it over the summer and work with the IT department so they will have teachers familiar with the system.
Moore said the consumables had to be ordered by July 1.
In other business at the May 29 meeting the board:
• Approved a cooperative agreement for high school ice hockey with Huron Schools in New Boston. It was noted they are also looking for approval for Airport and Flat Rock schools to be added to the cooperative hockey team to make sure there are enough players;
• Approved the membership resolution for the 2018-19 school year in the Michigan High School Athletic Association;
• Approved a Wellness Policy recommendation, as required by board policy. It will be reviewed in another three years;
• Heard building presentations on school improvement from principals and teachers at Haggerty, Edgemont, Savage, and Tyler schools;
• Approved the second reading and adoption of board policy updates as presented, with a discussion on when board members are allowed to volunteer in the district;
• Approved a recommendation for the 2018-19 budget to buy 19 Uniflow-licensed copiers at a cost of $232,601 from Applied Imaging through a MITN Co-Op bid. They will be put in place during the summer break. This is the second phase in replacement of the district’s copiers;
• Approved purchase of two conventional, 71-passenger buses without air conditioning, one new 71-passenger conventional bus with air, and eleven 2016 prior-leased buses at a total cost of $888,619;
• Approved a new Owner Representative Services contract with Plante Moran CRESA at a cost not to exceed $95,000 to help manage the sinking fund. This year the contract was the same and only $70,000 was used, said James Williams, director of buildings and grounds;
• Heard School Supt. Pete Kudlak announce a 7 p.m., June 7 meeting for parents at the administration building to discuss his plans to change the colors and mascots for Owen and McBride to match the high school;
• Held a raffle drawing for the top prizes in the recent fundraiser for Davon Turner, a Rawsonville student fighting cancer. Board president Keith Johnston drew the name of Trevor Faulkner for the $500 Meijer prize and Jordan Hodges for the Party Pass to the Romulus Athletic Club. Supt. Kudlak said a total of $1,500 was raised for the family;
• Approved the termination of bus driver Wendy Ackron after six years of service as of May 8 and the hiring of Nichole Stephenson as a paraprofessional as of April 30;
• Heard a former school bus driver address the board to protest her termination on a charge of “no calls, no shows.” She said she had medical issues and brought a letter from her doctor. She said the students on her bus love her and during this time where there is a shortage of bus drivers she didn’t know why she wasn’t put on probation or used as a bus aide. Board president Johnston said he would look into it;
• Heard Williams report he is meeting with a couple of Realtors on the second or third week in June to help with land sales. Also, he said, two parcels are big enough for solar farms. He checked with Sumpter Township but was told they did not have a solar farm ordinance. He said he would look into rooftop solar panels, as well; and
• Heard Supt. Kudlak announce the names of the four students who have been selected to sit on the school board in groups of two: Nia Smith, Natalie Pestano, Soraya Taylor, and Maggie Southers.