By Crystal Hayduk
About 30 staff and community members attended the Chelsea School District (CSD) Board of Education meeting on Feb. 27, many prepared to speak during the opportunities for public input.
Seven people, including staff, a parent, and a community member, addressed the board requesting they permit a vote about forming a collective bargaining unit that would encompass paraprofessionals, food service workers, and the auditorium manager. (See related story here.) [Note: The district and support staff await a decision by the Administrative Law Judge.]
The speakers shared information about the extensive role that support staff play in the classroom and with all students, and said that they are requesting unionization to give them a voice and to provide legal protection should it ever be needed.
Patty Mitchell, who has been a paraprofessional at Chelsea High School for 10 years, said, “[We] address the academic, emotional, nutritional, and hygienic needs of many of our special needs students every single day,” she said.
Mitchell also outlined the ways in which paraprofessionals notice the academic and emotional needs of all students, and “…offer support and direct them to get help if they want it.”
Two community members spoke about food service. Jason Eyster urged the board to consider returning to local service instead of contracting with Chartwells. He said that he is concerned because Chartwells is a large for-profit organization. “There are dangers in giving food service to children, particularly those children who are receiving some discounted benefits for meals, through an organization whose goal is to make profits for its shareholders. This is an unequal power relationship,” said Eyster.
Mike Kizer, advisor to the CHS robotics team, spoke briefly to the board to inform them of the team’s recent 501c3 status and suggested a demonstration for the board during the post-season.
Reiley Curran and Jesse Kauffman of SRSLY-Chelsea presented data from the most recent anonymous surveys. The MiPHY (Michigan Profile for Healthy Youth) was given to more than 500 students in grades 7, 9, and 11 in December, 2015; and the CSD-ATOD (Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs) captured 643 students in grades 7 through 12 in November, 2016. Parents of high schoolers were also surveyed – nearly 200 responded to the online tool.
On a positive note, the surveys revealed that most teens feel connected to parents and other adults in the community and that teens believe that their peers disapprove of substance use overall. “These are protective factors,” said Curran.
Of concern, students revealed that marijuana is becoming more easily accessible over time, and it had the lowest perception of risk and peer disapproval among the substances. Fewer than 15 percent of Chelsea teens regularly use marijuana, but those who do are more likely to also use other substances.
There has been no significant change in prescription drug abuse.
Kauffman said the data is used to assess the community and identify problems and risks. “This informs strategic planning and is used in social norming campaigns,” he said.
Marcus Kaemming, executive director of instruction, curriculum and human resources, updated the board about curriculum reviews. He said that subjects are traditionally updated on a regular basis, but new state guidelines sometimes take precedence. Kaemming described it as a “fluid process.”
He praised the CSD staff as “experts who drive what we do” and who balance the required curriculum with creative ways of teaching it.
Kaemming hopes that curriculum decisions can be made soon so that teachers will have new materials in their possession before the school year ends in June. “They need to have them to work on them over the summer. August is too late,” he said.
In other board news:
- The board appointed Marcus Kaemming and parent Kitty Golding as co-chairs of the Reproductive Health Committee.
- The preliminary report from the Feb. 8 Count Day suggests that there are 12 additional students in the district compared to the fall Count Day. Ten percent of the district’s funding is based on the February student count. “This isn’t a large number, but we like to see this trend,” said Superintendent Julie Helber.
- The board commended the Chelsea High School Theatre Guild for placing second in the state competition in their division. They also congratulated senior Lee Argir for being named a National Merit finalist.
- The board thanked Sue Jacobs for spearheading the community to raise enough money so that eighth grade students with financial need will be able to attend the Washington, D.C. field trip. They also thanked Coach Don Wright and his daughter Jennifer Vetter for organizing the Michigan Public High School Hockey Showcase, held in January at the Chelsea Arctic Coliseum Ice Arena.
Upcoming dates:
- Students will have half a day on March 9 and no school on March 10 due to the end of the second trimester and staff professional development.
- The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on March 13 at Beach Middle School, 445 Mayer Dr.
