Medical Lake teachers to receive additional prep time

Starting next school year, Medical Lake School District teachers will have some extra time to prepare for their workweek.

At its April 28 meeting, the Medical Lake school board approved an agreement to provide release time for staff for professional development days for the 2015-16 academic year.

Superintendent Tim Ames said the proposal for release time came from staff feedback through surveys and meetings.

“We clearly heard the message, ‘the resource you can give us is more time,’” Ames said.

Under the agreement, all schools would start an hour later on Friday mornings. Staff will arrive 30 minutes early and work together in their professional learning communities for 90 minutes.

Ames said the district will create a communication action plan to inform the community about the late start on Fridays. He added that the district will work with local daycares to provide children with a place to go if their parents have to leave for work before class starts.

“We’ll talk to the local recreation departments and libraries so that we have options for kids who can’t go to daycare,” Ames said.

In other action items, the board approved the first and second readings of policy P4210, which regulates dangerous weapons on school campuses. Ames said the original dangerous firearms policy only listed firearms.

Under the new policy, items such as sling shots, sand clubs, metal knuckles, daggers, dirks, spring blade knives, nunchaku sticks, throwing stars, air guns, stun guns, and devices intended to injure a person by an electric shock are also considered dangerous weapons.

The policy allows the district to suspend or expel a student for up to one year if they act with malice, as defined under Revised Code of Washington 9A.04.110, and display a firearm on school premises, school-provided transportation, areas or facilities while they are being used exclusively for school activities. However, the superintendent can modify the one-year expulsion on a case-by-case basis.

The board approved second readings of policies regarding graduation requirements and suicide prevention. They also approved a resolution to Northeast Washington Educational Service District 101 to provide and administer the educational program for the Martin Hall juvenile detention facility.

Kim Headrick, director of teaching and learning, gave a report on the Consolidated Programs Review by the Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction. Headrick said MLSD was fully compliant in several programs, though OSPI did find some areas where the district needed some technical assistance, as well as policies that need to be updated.

“We’ll discuss how we will correct these items and I will submit an action plan to OSPI by June 5,” Headrick said. “It’s a total of nine items that we have to work on. They were complimentary on a lot of things.”

During his Superintendent’s Report, Ames announced that the district would be receiving a school resource officer to serve at Hallett Elementary, the middle school and high school. Staff is currently working on the details of the officer’s contract.

In other business:

● The board approved a resolution proclaiming May 4-8 as “Teacher Appreciation Week.”

● Medical Lake High School received its sixth achievement award for “Extended Graduation Rates” from NEWESD 101 and its first award for “Overall Excellence.”

● Hallett Elementary received its second for “High Progress” award from NEWESD 101.

Al Stover can be reached at al@cheneyfreepress.com.