Minutes 10/18/06 Bromfield Focus Group

 

 

Attendees from Steering Committee:  Becky Gordon, Maria Kaufmann,  Sue Tokay, Janet Zimmerman

 

Attendees from administration: Charles Horn, Jim O’Shea, Will Verbits

 

  1. APPLE  Presentation

 

Barbara Popper (bpopper@fcsn.org) of the Federation for Children with Special Needs, and Matt Kusminsky  (matthew.kusminsky@umb.edu) gave a presentation about the APPLE Project.  Several people came to the meeting specifically to listen to the presentation, and signed up to be part of it after the presentation.

 

ACTION:  Maria Kaufmann will deliver materials to those not there who had already signed up, and will facilitate making sure the requisite number of people sign up for the training.

 

The major commitments of involvement are:  to attend a three-day training workshop, date TBD, but most likely in May, 2007; and to complete some survey instruments.

 

  1. Focus Group Notes

 

Jim O’Shea was introduced to the group as the new principal of the Bromfield School.  Some topics that came out of the discussion:

 

  1. There are new small group sections for some 7th grade subjects, and most 8th grade subjects.  Each of the 8th grade core classes (math, English, science, history) has a small group class. The teens involved in these classes are not necessarily on IEP’s.  The same kids are not in the small groups for all of their classes.  There is a small writing group for 8th grade, being taught by Tom Hall.

 

  1. Comments about the new setup:

 

--concern that class sizes may be larger for other sections because of the smaller number of kids in the one section.

--concern about the kids feeling that they are somehow “different” if they are placed in these sections for some or all subjects

--concern that even in the small group sections, materials may not be appropriate for the educational level of the child.  Two parents noted concern about reading materials in the English class not being at an appropriate reading level.  The idea of these kids being given a different book to read than the rest of the 8th grade was discussed.

--gratitude for the new writing class was expressed.

--the amount of homework was also mentioned as a concern.

 

ACTION:  Charles Horn will investigate the possibility of books at a more appropriate reading level being given to kids in the 8th grade English section, for those who cannot handle the book being read by the rest of the 8th grade.

 

  1. ACTION:  Carryover action item from the 10/11/06 HES focus group:  Charles Horn said he is working on a “communications map” that parents can follow to approach the school with issues related to their children.

 

The addition of the part-time adjustment counselor was discussed.  One parent wanted to know if her child on a 504 plan could have access to the counselor.  Charles Horn said that currently kids whose IEP’s specifically mention counseling were the priority, and others by invitation.  There was no action item generated from the discussion about the counselor.

 

  1. Other issues

 

    1. Parents commented that the workload of the two middle school special educators appears to be very heavy, to the extent that parent’s issues about kids are not necessarily being responded to in a timely fashion.

 

    1. There appears to be underutilization of the Kurzweil software that was purchased through joint donation a couple of years ago.

 

    1. There was a request to re-institute the use of School Notes.  A suggestion was made to try to solicit a senior to do this who needs community service hours.