At their October meeting on Monday, the Montezuma-Cortez District Accountability Committee discussed the district’s Unified Improvement Plans and provided their thoughts on the upcoming mill levy vote, among other discussion items.
The DAC was given reports of School Accountability Committee meetings for the middle school, Kemper Elementary and Battle Rock Charter School before reviewing the three major areas of the UIP reports. The three areas presented by Executive Director of Student Academic Services Jim Parr were English language and math achievement, and the recruitment and retention of highly qualified educators.
Parr asked the DAC for their input regarding teacher retention and ways to improve education.
The DAC and Parr noted that in third grade, students should be switching from “learning to read to reading to learn,” and there needed to be more support for secondary science and reading. Some of the methods that could help bring about improvement were data-driven instruction and reducing the number students on reading plans through literacy instruction.
The UIP draft reports need DAC and board member feedback before final plans are submitted Oct. 15 after official board approval.
Parr also noted that because Lewis-Arriola Elementary, Mesa Elementary, Cortez Middle School and Battle Rock Charter School received “performance” status this year, they qualify “biennial flex” and are not required to complete an UIP for this year. Battle Rock still chose to submit one.
Discussions about promoting the mill levy vote also took place. One member asked why yard signs weren’t available, and if the district would like parents, PTO or other school groups to help promote the mill levy and spread the word through yard signs, door knocking and other methods.
Parr told the DAC that the district has contracted with an outside company that is primarily doing social media advertising. Parr said the district cannot directly promote the mill levy, but other groups can, if they wish to do so.
The DAC expressed hope that passing the mill levy would help retain teachers and help raise school academic performance.
The DAC added that the board had done a survey that provided data about support for the mill levy, but that the document had not yet been provided to the committee.
