Welcome and Call to Order

The Meeting will be called to order by the Chair.

Mission: The mission of The Museum School of Avondale Estates is to inspire students, teachers and the community to collaborate to develop strong critical thinking, interpersonal and academic skills in our students, which will prepare them for real-world success.

 

Core Values: Responsibility, Respect, Cooperation, Sustainability, Creativity, Kindness

Approval of Agenda

So that there is agreement between board members on the agenda, and the amount of time spent on the meeting, the board shall vote to approve an agenda for the meeting. To the best of its ability, it will follow that agenda, and allow for the chair to move the board through the agenda as specified.

Approval of Meeting Minutes

Approve minutes of the previous regular meeting plus two special called meetings.

Public Comment

Our Public Comment period is for members of the public to address the board. The board will listen, but may not directly respond to any comments. Please do not use specific student, teacher or administrator names in your comments as our meetings are open to the public and public record. As such, if your comment is about a private matter, please contact the board via email, or speak to the board chair privately.

Email Executive Director, Dr. Katherine Kelbaugh at Katherine.kelbaugh@themuseumschool.org for Zoom access to the meeting.

Public comment (no longer than one page) should be submitted via email to Katherine.kelbaugh@themuseumschool.org. Your comments must be received by 10:00 am on the day of the meeting. Only those emails received during the allotted time will be read aloud and broadcast. Emails received outside of the allotted time will be included in the Public Comments record for the next meeting.

There were no public comments.

Executive Director Report

Executive Director Dr. Katherine Kelbaugh reminded the Board that TMS is approaching renewal of our accreditation and TMS leadership team is preparing for that process. Dr. Kelbaugh apologized for needing to leave the meeting early but was doing so to participate in the accreditation process for another school which was having a work session. Dr. Kelbaugh encouraged the Board to ask questions of Principal Stewart or Anne Huff with TMS Foundation, in her absence.

Principal's Report

Principal Mike Stewart reported on recent school news. Mr. Stewart reviewed student body statistics that had not significantly changed since last month, noting slight changes in the 504 numbers. He then reviewed the status of various testing underway and scheduled in coming weeks including iReady, ACCESS, and Milestones. Mr. Stewart noted TMS participation in two job fairs (Teach for America, Teachers of Color). Other school reporting included a summary of recent assistance from the TMS Equity Diversity and Inclusion consultant; kick-off to Black History Month; and basketball court resurfacing that will be used for outdoor cafeteria when students are able to return, noting this was financially supported by a past fund-the-need campaign.

Principal Stewart then walked the Board through general and grade-specific results from the iReady testing completed in reading. He noted several areas of advancement overall and grade-by-grade achievement. Mr. Stewart stated that while he believed the data did not indicate stagnation or regression that may have been a fear with remote education, he did not see the rate of improvement he and school leadership would prefer. Several options exist to target these desired improvements and will be decided upon in coming weeks. Mr. Stewart noted that funds do exist to allow for such additional academic support and the iReady data is detailed enough to assist educators in understanding how and where additional support is needed and would be beneficial.

Finance Committee Update

Board of Directors Treasurer Tamara Richards reported on TMS finances. Ms. Richards stated that a Request for Proposal had been issued for firms to provide future auditing services. Submittals are still being evaluated by the committee, with a number of quality firms proposing their services. Ms. Richards led a discussion on opportunities for TMS to seek financial support from the Employee Retention Tax Credit or the second draw of the Paycheck Protection Program. The Finance Committee will continue to explore these options and provide a future update. Ms. Richards then reviewed the school's monthly financials.

Facilities Committee Update

Facilities Chair Alan Locke had a quick update to share that additional investigation is underway regarding the potential to improve access to the basketball court. Options and associated pricing still being collected.

Governance Committee Update

Governance Committee Chair Richard Piercy reminded members that February 23 at 7:00 PM is the Board's next required training (2 hours). Richard discussed a nomination of a new Board candidate, Maryum Gibson, including an overview of her relevant professional experience and past involvement with TMS PTO.

Diversity Committee Update

Diversity Committee Chair Christina Cassidy reported on progress of Equity Diversity and Inclusion goals of TMS. Ms. Cassidy stated that the committee has canvassed 6 schools that are members of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition for their EDI perspective and approach. Thoughts provoked by this outreach is driving current actions of the committee, including a review of the TMS mission, core values and strategic plan for diversity. The committee believes the charter renewal process provides an opportunity to reflect on these guiding principles. The committee is developing community listening sessions to gather feedback on these guiding principles and whether they can and should be adjusted to better reflect our EDI commitment and values.

TMS Foundation Report

Anne Huff with the Foundation provided a report on the finances of the Foundation and current activities, which include a focus on the March 5 auction night. Ms. Huff encouraged the Board to contribute auction items and to register for the event, as well as seeking others to do so also.

Board Chair Report

Board Chair Dr. Kelly Swinks will report on other school business.

The Meeting was Adjourned

The meeting adjourned at approximately 8:52 pm