Thursday, January 16, 2014

Board Awards Bids for Auditorium and Science Lab Renovations

District architects and construction managers presented the Bronxville Board of Education with their analysis and recommendations for awarding bids for the auditorium and science lab renovations.  Erik Wilson of KG&D and James Woycik of Park East explained the process of advertising, opening bids on December 17, and the review the scope of work with the low bidders.  Additional steps were taken to verify that the low bidders were qualified and responsible. The District has successful previous experience with three of the four contractors, and our construction manager has had positive results with the fourth. Board President David Brashear remarked,

In a building as old as ours, reinvestment is a required aspect to the strategic planning of the district.  This Board has done an exceptional job of weighing the facilities needs of our district, and I look forward to successful completion of the project at hand.
Board members raised a number of questions about union issues, the importance of closing in the addition in a timely fashion, the impact of construction parking,  noise, and the preservation of certain trees.

The proposed bids were reviewed by the Facilities Committee earlier in the month, and the Board approved the following contracts:


Trade
# Bids
Award
Amount
General Construction
8
Kenstar Construction
$4,199,673
Plumbing
8
Pearl River Plumbing
   $342,772
HVAC
10
Mengler Mechanical, Inc.
$1,076,200
Electrical
4
Lippolis Electric, Inc.
$1,400,000


Total
$7,018,645

The next steps involve mobilizing the work force and establishing a construction zone, shown below, which will occupy the side of the School's front lawn nearest the auditorium.  Construction is expected to begin mid-February, and the science lab renovations are expected by be completed over the summer. The presentation can be found here.



















Quattrone Proposes 2014-15 Calendar



At the January Board of Education meeting, Superintendent David Quattrone presented a draft calendar for the 2014-15 school year.  The Board will review and vote on the calendar next month. Quattrone explained that the beginning and end points are essentially fixed by the State.  Student days may not begin before Labor Day or extend beyond Regents Rating Day. For this coming school year Labor Day is September 2 and Regents Rating Day is June 26, 2015.  Between those two points, the Bronxville School, by contract, must schedule 183 student days and 185 teacher days.  The proposed calendar can be found here.

Quattrone explained a new approach to Election Day, November 4th. In order to support the school's safety and security program, Mayor Mary Marvin has agreed to locate the polling place off school property. This protects the school from a large influx of adults on that day.  As a result, school will be in regular session on Election Day.  Superintendent's Conference Day will be held on Monday November 10, facilitating a long weekend for students around Veterans Day -- there will be no school for students on November 10 and 11.

Probationary Teachers and Tenure Candidates

This coming April the Board of Education will act upon the Superintendent's recommendations regarding tenure.  This message reminds parents that the process includes an opportunity for them to share their perceptions, positive or negative, with building principals, either informally or in writing. Written statements are shared with the teachers concerned. The list of tenure candidates and probationary teachers can be found here.

Tuesday, January 14, 2014

Next Phase of District Succession Plan Rolls Out

With the retirement of Assistant Superintendent John Kehoe, the District's succession plan moves to the next phase.  The following steps have occurred since the Board workshop on this topic in 2011:
  • Dr. Thomas Wilson was appointed Middle School Principal in 2012, leaving a vacancy at hte Elementary School.
  • Ms. Ann Meyer was appointed High School Principal in 2013.
Replacing  the Assistant Superintendent Position

With Dr. Kehoe's retirement the District leadership, in consultation with the Board, is examining roles and responsibilities with an eye toward maintaining continuity of services and advancing the School's programs and services. As a temporary, transitional measure, the Board asked that Dr. Kehoe assist the district over the next eighteen months.  He will serve as Director of Operations at a time when the District is pursuing major construction and rising enrollment. During this period, his various duties will be reassigned to other district administrators. Chief among these responsibilities are school safety, human resources, and negotiations.

Elementary Principal Search

A search is underway for an Elementary Principal, facilitated by consultant Martin Brooks, Executive Director of the Tri-State Consortium.  He held focus groups and developed the following specifications for the position:

  • An innovative, honest, transparent and thoughtful leader who is knowledgeable about child development, elementary curriculum, and instructional practice, has elementary school teaching and/or leadership experience, and understands how the skills and abilities embedded in the Common Core can inform educational practice in Bronxville.
  • An excellent communicator who seeks to connect effectively with all stakeholders and values the input of teachers, parents and students when making decisions.
  • A firm advocate for the needs of all students at all performance levels.
  • A teacher and learner who honors successful traditions while focusing on continued improvement, and who can strategically engage a strong faculty, involved parents and motivated students in identifying and addressing the school’s next level of work.
These specifications were communicated to the public at an Elementary School Council meeting and special evening meeting on January 9th. The position has been advertised nationally, both in the print media and electronically.  The screening and interview process will begin next month, and an appointment is expected later this Spring.

Strengthening Leadership for Curriculum and Instruction

As a way of identifying and verifying future needs, Superintendent David Quattrone surveyed the faculty and again enlisted the services of Dr. Martin Brooks to conduct faculty focus groups. The faculty survey revealed strong support for devoting leadership resources to curriculum coordination and instructional technology. As a result, the District will seek to fill a new position, Director of Curriculum and Instruction.  The successful candidate will meet the following specifications:

  • A careful listener and effective communicator who values collaboration and innovation
  • A hands‐on leader who builds effective relationships and engages all stakeholders in the development of a K‐12 vision for the improvement of student performance
  • A strategic thinker who can help the district improve cohesion among the Common Core Learning Standards, state and federal requirements, data analysis and research relating to effective practices
  • An educator, first and foremost, who understands the complex relationships among assessment, instructional practice, and curriculum, and how wise and meaningful use of technology can enhance those relationships.
This position, too, will be advertised, with screening and interviews to follow with an eye to an appointment effective July 1, 2014.