OFFICIAL MINUTES FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING OF THE
The Board of Trustees for the Arkansas School for the Blind met for their monthly meeting on February 17, 2009.
Present: Pam Hyneman, Chairperson; Beth Gray, Vice-Chairperson; Andrew Tolbert, Secretary; Dr. Doug Watson, Board Member; Henrietta Williams, Board Member; Khayyam Eddings, A.S.B. Parent Representative; Janice Vaughn, A.S.D. Parent Representative; Jim Hill, A.S.B. Superintendent; Dr. Marcella Dalla Rosa, A.S.D. Superintendent; Katie Becker, Zania Musteen, Interpreters; Members of the Deaf Community; Members of the Blind Community; Amy Ford, Office of the Attorney General
09-B-003 Motion to Approve Consent Items
Mrs. Hyneman asked for a motion to approve the Consent
Items. Ms. Gray made the motion and Dr. Watson seconded. The motion passed
unanimously.
Action Items
09-B-004 Motion to Approve Inclement Weather Policy
Mrs. Hyneman: Okay on the Action Items, we have just actually the Inclement Weather Policy, just a little bit different stated than the Deaf School.
Mr. Hill: Well actually there’s not a lot of difference between what we’re saying and how we’re saying it. I just didn’t have time to see the changes in Marcella’s to really absorb, but basically we’re saying the same thing. It covers all of the bases as far as making sure people know they are to come or know what to do in case they don’t. So, actually this policy will work for us and then there’s one other issue where..
Mrs. Hyneman: Now he is just going back to it would be the one with the yellow highlighter, which would be the Deaf School’s policy. It’s worded differently.
Mr. Hill: On Page 3, Item 7
Mr. Tolbert: Page 2?
Mr. Hill: I’m sorry, you’re right. Thank you. Employees may request permission to use their vacation, this is in case we have a snow day or inclement weather day, may use their vacation time/personal leave time as appropriate. Sick leave taken during inclement weather, the original was ‘shall require a doctor’s statement’ and we put ‘may’ in there. I felt it was more appropriate to leave it up to the superintendent to determine if somebody is abusing it and then you can require a doctor’s excuse.
Mrs. Hyneman: So that’s it? Okay.
Ms. Williams: Would that be a problem with someone thinking you are having favoritism with certain employees or..?
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
February 17, 2009
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Mr. Hill: Well, you know, I’m sure that those who are misusing it would say it was a problem. They would be one that would be having to get the doctor’s excuse. The abuse would be clear evidence that there was an issue.
Mr. Tolbert: What if they were sick, but not sick enough to go to the doctor.
Mr. Hill: Well, I’m saying they don’t have to go to the doctor.
Mrs. Hyneman: Right, may.
Mr. Hill: May, and that’s changed from ‘shall’.
Mr. Tolbert: I understand that too, but I’m saying if I called you and you tell me, well I figure you need to have a doctor’s excuse, because you have that option to do that. Is that correct? It leaves it in there at the discretion of the superintendent.
Mrs. Vaughn: Is that who has the discretion or the supervisor has the discretion?
Mr. Hill: The superintendent.
Mr. Tolbert: The superintendent. I’m not saying it’s bad. I’m just saying, you know, how appropriate that would be if, in fact, a person not sick enough to go to the doctor and you require them to have one. If they can’t get out to go to work, I wonder if they can get out to get a doctor’s excuse. I don’t know.
Mr. Hill: That’s why I’m saying ‘may’. It leaves it open unless you are relatively sure somebody is abusing it and, you know, there are lots of issues where I have to decide someone is abusing something or not handling it correctly and I like to have that option. I don’t think it would happen. I don’t think it would ever require anyone to have it. I’m not a doctor. I can’t tell them they’re not sick, you know.
Mrs. Vaughn: I understand what you are saying. It could be used (inaudible)
Mr. Hill: Tell me what you think would be a better wording on that.
Mr. Tolbert: I understand exactly what you are trying to do in that regard, but I can just see some fallout behind if it ever has to be used for someone you feel is abusing the sick leave policy and the issue would be, well John didn’t have to do it and then why are you, you know. You do have the option to do that.
Mr. Hill: My policy has always been before you take an action like that, you call the person in and have a conference with them and say, Look John I think you’ve been abusing this. I mean, I have some doubts about it and, you know, I wish you, you’ve done it two or three times. I would not even bring it up unless they have done it.
Mr. Tolbert: Right. I agree. And I think that would be the case in if they were taking excessive absences, not just for inclement weather. I think this is pertaining to this Inclement Weather. Am I reading…
Dr. Dalla Rosa: Correct.
Mr. Hill: The thing I’m trying to get out from under is not having them have to have to go to the doctor.
Mr. Tolbert: I understand that.
Mr. Hill: And I don’t know any different kind of wording that would accomplish that.
Mrs. Hyneman: Any suggestions for different wording, anybody?
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
February 17, 2009
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Mrs. Vaughn: I think that language probably does and ‘may’ is probably about the only way you can say it. If you’re, because if you don’t have it in there and, or either put it in a section that if someone has abused..
Dr. Dalla Rosa: We have that piece as part of our Conduct Standards. So, I mean..
Mr. Hill: Maybe we could put in there, according to our Leave Policy, abuse of Leave Policy issues; I mean something to the effect that if you had an issue, you would be covered under the Leave Policy that says doctor can be called.
Mrs. Hyneman: This sort of needs to be rewritten so…
Mr. Hill: Refer back to the section that..
Mrs. Vaughn: Yes, because if they are calling in sick they are not on the Inclement Weather policy anyway. They’re back on the Sick Leave Policy, aren’t they? So then it would be covered.
Mr. Eddings: I don’t see how one has anything to do with the other.
Mr. Tolbert: Right. That’s what I was getting at. My only concern that it is put under the Inclement Weather Policy... I don’t have a problem with how it is worded in terms of sick leave but you’re saying if..
Mr. Hill: Take the whole thing out and then..
Mr. Tolbert: It’s covered in your leave policy, right? My concern is where it is placed and why it was placed in the Inclement Weather. Because I understand what you are saying because some people call in sick. I understand that but I just don’t see where it fits here, because I think you have a mechanism to deal with that.
Mr. Hill: You’re right.
Mr. Tolbert: You do have autonomy to do that in another area in the Leave Policy.
Mr. Hill: I see that. Okay, we’ll just strike that sentence out.
Mrs. Hyneman: Then everything else is okay? Then, do I hear a motion to accept? This is the only thing we have for him. Do I have a motion to accept this policy on Inclement Weather?
Mr. Tolbert: So moved, with corrections
Ms. Gray: Second.
Mrs. Hyneman: Discussion? Could we have a show of hands? All of those in favor signify by saying Aye. The motion passed.
Superintendent’s Report
Mr. Hill said there were 400 students at a recent wrestling tournament, with 20 teams in the upper bracket. A.S.B. came in 11th out of 20 teams in the 1A through 5A classification. Mr. Hill said that an A.S.B. student was recently interviewed by a TV station and he did a great job. He was chosen the most valuable wrestler out of all of the classifications; another A.S.B. wrestler came out third in his class.
Mr. Hill said there were 17 entries in the Homecoming Parade and he showed the board pictures from the parade.
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
February 17, 2009
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Charlotte Marvel met with the administrators today on testing. Ms. Marvel works with the school through the Assessment Department and helps with adaptations for tests. Mr. Hill said that children with visual impairments get tired visually before the day is over and the testing cannot be carried over to the next day. Ms. Marvel said if the children did not finish the test by a reasonable hour in the afternoon, the rest of that day’s testing can be moved to a makeup day. Mr. Hill said the school has many teachers on the bias committees and their input is helping to get the message across that some test questions do not lend themselves to blind and visually impaired students.
There being no further business for the Arkansas School for the Blind, the meeting moved to the Agenda for the Arkansas School for the Deaf.
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Pam Hyneman, Chairperson
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Andrew Tolbert, Secretary
Board of Trustees Meeting
Arkansas School for the Blind
February 17, 2009
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