ACE Board Meeting Minutes

January 30, 2008 ACE Board Meeting
9:00 A. M. @ Billings Hotel and Convention Center

ACE Board Members Present: Andy Begger, Al Sipes, Dave Huether, Tim Dolphay, Josh Middleton, and Les Cabot.
Guests Present: Bill Schlepp, Chad Johnson, Dwain Haggard, Dan Nelson, and Stephanie Long. Jerry Scott was present as well.

  1. Chairman Al Sipes called the meeting to order at 9:05 A.M. and introduced all present.
  1. Dave Huether moved to approve the December 19, 2007 minutes with Tim Dolphay seconding the motion. Motion carried 6 – 0.
  1. After review, Andy Begger moved to approve the financial report as given. Dave Huether seconded the motion which passed 6 – 0.
  1. Dan Nelson, Blue Creek Elementary School superintendent, reported that he was going to recommend to his board that Blue Creek join A.C.E. He has been visiting with Jerry and knows the requirements of a new member. Dan asked if schools were using Indian Education for All money for dues and several of those present responded yes. Al reviewed the work A.C.E. is doing in IEA including the grants A.C.E. has received. After further discussion, Dave Huether moved to allow Blue Creek to join A.C.E. under the same contract as the last one issued. Tim Dolphay seconded the motion which carried 6 – 0. Jerry will issue Blue Creek a contract as soon as Dan lets him know of his board approval.
  1. Jerry reported that there was room for more people to attend the March 6 – 8 Courage to Lead Retreat in Bozeman. Andy Begger moved that A.C.E. pay the $300 registration fee for up to five A.C.E. administrators to attend the conference. Tim Dolphay seconded the motion. During the discussion Josh reviewed some of the conference goals, including sending staff to the effective schools conferences, that Laurel has. Josh felt that the national conference were all good and many of them delivered a similar message. He felt money would be better spent by A.C.E. if they continued to sponsor the 50% scholarship for members to attend the national ASCD conference. The motion to send members to the Courage to Lead Retreat failed on a 3 – 3 vote. Josh moved to send up to 10 ACE members, including Gail and Jerry if the choose to go, to the national ASCD conference in New Orleans with ACE paying up to 50% of the expense of registration, travel and rooms. Les Cabot seconded the motion. Andy felt that ACE should work on some method for those attending the conference to report back, give a workshop session, or in some other way be accountable to ACE for the workshop. Those present who had staff members attend the national conference said a report had been given to their own boards as well as sharing with their staff members. Upon the call for the question, the motion passed on a 6 – 0 vote. Jerry will get information about the scholarships to member using the ACE web site and email. ACE will coordinate the registration, travel and room plans as it has done in the past.
  1. Jerry said that the March 3 PIR Day was ready to go. He has contracted with Wingate off of Zoo drive to use their conference room, projector with three screens and round tables for up to 350 people. Dave expressed concerns about people not attending the September PIR day and if they would be lost during the March one. No one present felt that this would be a problem. The group also felt that those planning to come need to be reminded to come with an open mind and to learn. A list of schools indicating that they will participate was passed out. Both Al and Andy said their numbers would change because staff members can opt out of the PIR day due to study groups and other training. Stephanie reported that her staff was also dong a book study using “Classroom Instruction That Works” and the ASCD study guide. Jerry will get a final count a couple weeks before the session is scheduled. Yellowstone Kelly’s will provide continental breakfast and refreshments for about $8.00 per person. Wingate will only allow catering groups to provide food because of liability issues. Bea McGarvey will concentrate on five areas, depending on time: student motivation and interest, setting objectives (learning goals), effective feedback (grading), summarizing and note taking, and similarities and differences. She will email Jerry the hand out for the session. Wingate has rooms available if groups wish to come down on Sunday.
  1. A discussion on the 2008 – 2009 PIR days indicated that Laurel’s facilities would be available for the September 8, 2008 PIR day. Jerry reported that the cost of facilities ranged from $50 per room at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center to $1000 at the Crown Plaza. He said that at this time he has booked both of the PIR dates at the Billings Hotel and Convention Center. The group discussed the format for the training including one speaker for the full day, one or two speakers for a half day with groups switching between them, and one speaker for a half day with several sectionals offered and the groups switching in the morning and afternoon. The board said they would continue the discussion at their work session on February 6th.
  1. There has not been a proposal for Liability insurance at this time.
  1. A.C.E. was issued a Federal tax ID number (EIN # 51-0660130).
  1. A copy of the proposal by the Montana Historical Society to provide 5,000 new Montana History books for grades 7 and 8 to all Montana Schools was passed out.
  1. Jerry said that Gail reported the ACE 5 – 8 Language Arts Curriculum review on January 17 and 24 went well. (Gail was in Florida taking care of her mother). Revised curriculum will be put on the mtace.org web site.
  1. Gail asked Jerry to get the board’s approval to submit a grant for the second round of Indian Education for All. A discussion on IEA requirements and a schools 5 year plans, AYP followed. A copy of the ACE proposal was passed out and reviewed. The main goals for this grant would be to have participants actually visit schools, attend a pow-wow, and visit reservations and historical sites. Tim Dolphay moved to approve the grant application. Andy Begger seconded the motion which carried 6 – 0. Jerry will mail the grant this afternoon.
  1. Jerry reported that 30 administrators from 18 schools attended the January 22 ACE principals law and curriculum workshop. A copy of the evaluation for the day was reviewed. All those present felt that Jeff Weldon does an excellent job reviewing school law and the evaluations indicated the same. Some of the group had to leave after the law workshop, but those remaining had a good discussion of the use of the ACE curriculum in their schools.
  1. The ACE board retreat/work session is scheduled for February 6th at 10:00 A.M. in the conference room of the Lupine Inn in Red Lodge. The board directed Jerry to make sure that all ACE members realize that they are welcome to attend. Stephanie said she would like to come. This gave Dave Huether an opportunity to remind everyone of how many days he has left before retirement. Dave also said that Stephanie would be an excellent choice to take his seat on the ACE board.
  1. Jerry reported that as a MASCD board member he was going to help with the February 13 Montana ASCD book fair in Bozeman. Information was given to all present and can be found on the ACE web site as well.
  1. An email from SAM director Darrell Rud dealing with an amendment to 10.55.907, online and technology delivered learning rule was reviewed and discussed.
  1. The board scheduled the next Ace board meeting for February 27 at 9:00 am in the Billings Hotel and Convention Center.
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