WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Minutes from Board of Trustees Meeting
September 25, 2020
Conference Call/Zoom
Board
Members Participating: Greg Szabo, Brent
Stark, Keri Clark, Reg George, Nancy McDaniel, Dennis Mathews, and Lily Clifton.
Ex-Officio
Members Participating: Jim Eccles (Washington
Federation of State Employees Local #1225), Joleen Ferguson (Washington Council
of the Blind), Marci Carpenter (National Federation of the Blind of
Washington), Stephanie Face (Teacher Representative) and Krista Bulger (Parent
Representative).
WSSB
Staff Members Participating: Mr.
Scott McCallum (Superintendent), Sean McCormick (Director of On-Campus
Programs) and Janet Kurz (recording secretary).
September 25, 2020 – 11am-2pm
Greg
called the meeting to order at 11am. The
meeting started with a roll call.
Business
Meeting:
Old
Business:
Approve
board meeting minutes of June 19, 2020. Nancy moved to approve the minutes as
submitted; Brent seconded the motion.
The minutes were approved unanimously.
Department
Highlight (Sean McCormick) (presentation included at the end of the meeting
minutes)
Scott stated that he invited Sean to the board
meeting to discuss the WSSB Reopening Plan and that in local districts, their
school Board is required to approve their school district’s “reopening plan”. Scott asked the board to think about
questions and concerns and if this plan resonates with them. Scott will be taking this information to our
local and state health officials to have this same discussion. Scott does not feel that they will say yes or
no definitively.
Sean reported that the shift to online instruction
and considerations around having students return to campus is a huge lift. Sean stated that everything is fluid and in
draft format due to the changes with the COVID-19 statistics. Sean reviewed the
reopening plan (listed at the end of the meeting minutes).
Sean reviewed the COVID-19 statistics regarding
where WSSB students reside. 46% of our students are living in counties with high
risk activity level. Scott stated the
metrics that Sean is referring to were announced by the Governor and Department
of Health (DOH) to guide ‘return to school’ metrics. Currently, Clark County numbers are trending
upward. There is an equity initiative in
the state whereby the goal is to return students to school who are in the high
need category. All school districts in
Clark County are bringing in students who are on IEP’s.
Sean stated that we are proposing a staged return of
students and currently the WSSB has ‘pre-stage one’ students on campus to
receive one to one evaluations. There are also six local students who are in
learning support classrooms who are now on campus (since September 21). The next ‘stage’ will be fourteen of our
students who have been identified as not demonstrating growth. The next stage will be twelve students who
have been identified as needing more intensive supports and who have
demonstrated limited growth. The
following stage will be the return of ten students who have demonstrated a need
for in-person learning and the final stage will be the return of all students in-person.
Sean feels that having a staged return plan has been
a great learning experience and the WSSB is following the guidelines as
prescribed by the Clark County Health Department and DOH.
Sean explained that nearly 50% of Irwin classroom
teachers will not be on campus (in-person) due to high-risk
accommodations. Sean stated that this
puts us in a position to provide creative instruction and that the current distance
learning model will be available for all.
Jim thanked Sean and Janet for sending this information
out prior to the meeting. Jim asked if
Sean has considered keeping students on campus for longer than normal
(Monday-Friday and home on the weekends).
Jim felt this could help with the potential spread of the virus. Sean
said this was considered in their initial plan for reopening and that he
discussed this with WSSB families. There is also a capacity issue relating to
staffing (additional layer of staff to support extended stays on campus).
Lily asked if there is a plan for active contact
tracing in the event of an outbreak.
Scott stated that the Clark County health officials would take the lead
if this should happen and that he and Sean plan to run a simulation of this
potential occurrence. In addition, every
staff member and visitor are required to fill out an ‘attestation’ form when
they come on campus. This attestation
includes locations they visited on campus and Scott also encourages staff to
include the names of other staff members they encounter. This information is compiled into a database
and that information can be used by the Clark County Health department.
Marci said she appreciates that we are taking this
approach and appreciates the sensitivity to staff who may be at high risk.
Greg asked what the plan for transportation is for
students. Sean stated this is one of the toughest hurdles. The WSSB separated our
shared charter bus transportation with the Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Youth (CDHY) and WSSB will not be utilizing the airlines for transportation. The WSSB will use the same charter bus
transportation company and have determined that we can separate the students,
six feet apart which will result in having 14 students on a 54-passenger bus. This is not a cheap option, but we feel this
will help keep students safe. Wellness
screenings will occur before students get on the bus. When local students
return via the ESD 112 bus transportation services; their staff will perform
the wellness screenings.
Jim feels it is very helpful to allow both
asynchronous and synchronous options for learning. Sean feels that teachers bring a lot of
wisdom to the table however this is a totally new way to teach.
Last Thursday, Sean spent the day attending classes
so that he would be able to simulate what our students learning experience is
like. The intent wasn’t to evaluate the teachers, but to see what the
experience is like for the student.
Sean stated it is fortunate that the WSSB has
provided distance learning to students for the past 10 years; that has given us
good information and guidance.
Jim asked if each student has necessary technology
and internet capabilities. Sean stated
that every student has internet access and some received hotspots from the WSSB.
Dennis said he is impressed with the presentation
and information and where does this go next?
Sean said he is planning to send this information to families of WSSB
students.
Reg said the concern is the things we don’t have
control of relating to the pandemic, i.e. what students do at home (spending
time with friends, etc.). Reg feels that
asynchronous learning is difficult as interactions with students are important.
Sean thanked Reg for his comments.
Scott acknowledged that things are less than ideal,
and we won’t move forward at the sake of jeopardizing anyone’s safety. Scott is concerned about staffing, i.e. if
there are symptoms staff cannot be on campus for 10-14 days.
Scott asked if the board feels we are going in the
right direction. Marci said she thinks we are doing the right things and are
being flexible. Reg said it is going to
be at least January before the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) will
be going back to in-person services.
Scott thanked Sean for the work he has put into
this.
New
Business:
Strategic Plan
Scott and Greg both thanked
Dennis for participating on the Strategic Plan committee. Scott stated that all administrators with an
education background participated on the committee. A lot of thought went into the process and
final document. Scott said stakeholders
were approached throughout the process for their input.
Scott read the
language statement that precedes the Strategic Plan: “WSSB recognizes the evolving and impactful
nature of language, especially as it relates to disability. Our goal is to recognize and affirm all
individual identities and personhood through thoughtful use of language. According to the American Psychological
Association’s Publication Manual (2019), “Both person-first and identify-first
approaches to language are designed to respect disabled persons.” Our use of identify-first language throughout
the Strategic Plan is intentional. It is
our belief that identify-first language promotes a sense of pride and honors
the unique experiences of the individual.”
The WSSB is moving
away from the term “impaired” as it relates to visual impairment. This will be replaced by low vision.
Scott reviewed the
updated Strategic Plan. The WSSB’s big goal by 2035 is: “Every blind and low
vision student in Washington has the supports and services they need to
succeed.” Goals: Identify statewide need for blind and low
vision services, expand awareness of and access to blind and low vision
services, and expand capacity to improve services for all students. Each goal
has a set of three-year objectives and three-year strategies.
Scott feels there
could be a systematic way to reach all students by using the data gained from
our Strategic Plan goals and objectives.
Nancy asked if there
is a supporting document or plan. Scott stated he assigned cabinet level
members of our team to lead the charge of each specific goal area. They then
report back to Scott and the leadership team and then he can report back to the
Board with the progress being made.
Jim stated in goal
two he liked the marketing aspect. Jim
stated, even in Vancouver, some citizens still confuse the two specialized
schools. Expanding that state-wide, there are a lot of people who know
virtually nothing about our school. Scott
stated blindness is a low incidence disability and for most people, this isn’t
something they think about. Keri feels
marketing and awareness is huge and that the board can also assist in helping
spread the word.
Marci applauded and
recognized Scott and the staff for the language piece and for looking at
ableism and identity-first language. Marci
stated regarding goal number one and getting good data, does Scott feel like
there is a lack of good data or outreach in terms of tribal members? Scott said that is a very real possibility. Scott feels the Ogden Resource Center data is
the most accurate on record.
Scott said WSSB is
teaching a social justice class this year.
The first topic of discussion is identity. Greg stated he agreed wholeheartedly with
what Marci said and has totally changed his mindset with person-first
language. Scott said he is proud that we
are leading the charge.
Marci said the term
visually impaired lead her to believe that she was a broken sighted person and
she doesn’t want students to grow up with that.
Lily asked about
person-first language and approaching it with equity in mind and asked if there
was any legal or government-related terminology that we should be pursing out
as far as when the terms are still used vs. when we, as a school or community,
are choosing to use the updated term. Scott
stated if someone identifies with visual impairment vs. low vision, he supports
them as it is their choice how they identify.
Scott stated that he hopes that this inspires a movement in the schools
for the blind community.
Joleen said that over
the years, this has been debated, i.e. the debate used to be handicapped or
disabled. Scott said human variation is
normal, the spectrum of all life experiences is what’s normal. Scott feels that our language supports those
notions.
Keri said that her
daughter has some vision, and she appreciates having the term low vision as her
daughter does not consider herself blind.
Lily asked if this
information is being included in the social justice course. Scott said he isn’t sure, as this class is
brand new. Lily said we all have experienced ‘other-izing’. Lily said that people of a particular
identity can also perpetrate and uphold systems of oppression and she
personally has experienced that in the blind and low vision community as
well. She feels it is important as we
talk to young people around our own implicit or explicit potential engagement
in upholding those systems of ableism.
Superintendent’s
Report
Scott asked if there
are any questions about his report.
Ex-Officio Reports:
Washington Council of
the Blind (Joleen Ferguson): Joleen
stated the WCB will be holding their annual convention virtually (October 29-31). This is a new endeavor for the WCB and this
year’s theme is “Strength Unveiled”.
There will be a first-timers get together, board meeting, speakers who
will address accessibility, advocacy, preparing for college, technology, iPhone,
smart phones and more. The WCB will also
hold their first ever virtual live auction.
The “big three” will present on October 31 (Washington Talking Book and
Braille Library, DSB and WSSB). There
will be a Youth Track, Guide Dog users meeting and an employment panel as
well. Registration can be found at www.wcbinfo.org and the cost to participate
is $15 for members and $25 for non-members if you sign up by September 30. Greg
said he is enjoying participating virtually at events.
National Federation
of the Blind (Marci Carpenter):
o
Marci
reported that they held their national convention virtually this year and that
they usually have about 3,000 participants; this year there were over 8,000 and
that does speak to one of the silver linings of a virtual platform.
o
The
NFB of Washington fall convention will be held virtually, November 6-8. Marci will forward the link for the
registration form which is now available, and the cost is $10.
o
There
are a lot of discussions occurring in the federation right now pertaining to
implicit bias, inclusion and cross section of society. We all carry our own biases, i.e. cane or
guide dogs. One of the things that hit
home for Marci in terms of racial injustice is the story of Ron Brown who is an
NFB member and O&M instructor who teaches both children and adults. On two occasions, when Ron was on a route
with his students, the students were stopped by police and were asked if they
were alright.
Teachers (Stephanie
Face): Stephanie asked if anyone has
questions. Lily said she would love to
hear how teachers and staff are doing, how team dynamics are doing, how they
are growing with each other in this virtual world. Stephanie stated they use Microsoft Teams to
communicate and that can be overwhelming because in addition to using Teams, they
have to check Zoom, the telephone, Skype, etc. Stephanie stated all of
her teacher aides are on campus. Greg said he finds it difficult to socially
distance as a blind person and asked how students are doing with that and face
masks. Stephanie reported that Sean and Jennifer Langley (Director of Curriculum,
Instruction and Assessment) have put markers on the wall to help students
socially distance, however with more students coming on campus, it may be more
challenging. Wearing masks have been
somewhat challenging for students, i.e. size, fit, etc. When teachers work with students, face
shields and masks are worn and that can be difficult because projecting voices
is challenging, especially when social distancing.
WSFE Local #1225 (Jim
Eccles): Jim reported that the Welcome
Back Fall Workshop was provided virtually and felt that, for the most part, the
whole day worked very well and felt that getting together via Zoom was better
than not getting together at all. Jim
felt that getting everyone set-up on Zoom back in March was a good move. Jim said the big problem for classified staff
is working through the 20-hour per work week reduced schedule due to students
not being on campus; however, the WSSB signed up for the Shared Work program through
the Employment Security Department and that has helped staff to obtain
additional wages through unemployment and have also ensured that medical benefits
have not been impacted. Jim thanked Anne
Baker, Human Resources Director and the Human Resources Department for all of their assistance in helping staff get through the
process.
Parent Representative
(Krista Bulger): Krista reported that
this has been a large adjustment and is nothing we anticipated. Krista said she appreciates all the time that
Scott, Sean and all the administration has put forth in keeping staff and
school afloat. As parents, some have jobs, some stay at home, some have lost
their jobs, and all have had to find their new normal. Krista stated with the imposed distance requirements
that we are not able to gather formally and that Zoom can be exhausting. Krista
has spoken to many parents, and considering what we are all dealing with, they
are all thankful and happy to be part of the WSSB. The WSSB has gone to great lengths to keep
this as not stressful for the students as they can. To transition to this kind
of learning; our students and children have additional challenges to access
instruction. Keri said she and her daughter have made some changes, they went
to an all online format. Her daughter is doing online classes and the one thing
that made her feel good about it, is on the first day, the teacher from the
school district, reached out to them. Her
daughter knows that her teacher cares whether she’s doing the work.
Committee Reports:
Education Committee: Brent said Sean and Scott have done a
wonderful job with this everchanging situation.
Scott said we are constantly evaluating where we are.
Buildings and Grounds
Committee: Greg said he did see in
Scott’s report that there is some painting going on and new landscaping. Scott said the campus is looking beautiful
and we are moving forward with building projects. A decision package was
submitted for the new LIFTT building and the kitchens in the four cottages were
remodeled. Jim asked if Scott could
mention the topiary and peace pole. Scott
said the topiary was built by our amazing craftsman/staff member Brian
Kindblade. Brian built a frame for the
topiary with the letters WSSB. It is located in between the Irwin and Stenehjem
building and plants have been planted inside the letters. The Pulliam Peace Pole
was built in honor of Lori and Roy Pulliam. Lori has been an employee for
almost 40 years and her husband Roy has been an active volunteer, in many
capacities, for many years. The peace pole
has the words “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in 12 different languages. Nancy asked if it would be possible to plant
a tree or something in honor of former board member, Berl Colley. Scott said he would be happy to work with
anyone who would like to do something.
Marci and Joleen would like to help with this.
Management Committee: Nancy stated that this is the year for
Scott’s performance evaluation. Greg and
Nancy will work together on this.
Legislative Committee: Marci said she would like to take a moment to
remember Berl, his passion for the school, his enthusiasm for opportunities for
blind youth and adults and share or remember a joyous memory of him. Scott shared
that he sat with Berl at a WCB convention and they were eating dinner and
talked about a prank he did while he was a student at the WSSB. Berl took a
donkey that was on campus and somehow got the donkey to the roof of Old
Main. Jim remembers riding the donkey,
Mr. Finnegan, when he attended the school. Joleen said she went to school with
Berl and this is the first time she heard the story about the donkey. Greg said
he only knew Berl for a couple of years, and he remembers the board teasing
Berl about taking cookies ‘for his wife’.
Berl, Joleen and Greg would go to dinner together and got lost in the
parking lot at the Black Angus Restaurant.
Miscellaneous:
Keri
said she knows we are in COVID and everything is different, but she wanted to
throw another light on the idea regarding agriculture, gardening and improving
food service and menu opportunities for the kids on campus. Keri said when students get back on campus she
would like to see more emphasis regarding this.
Joleen
suggested we look into how the WSSB handled and
weathered the pandemic back in 1918.
Janet and Scott will look through the archives to see what they can
find.
There
being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 2pm. The next Board meeting will be held virtually
on November 13 at 11am.
Greg Szabo, Chair Scott
McCallum, Superintendent
Board Reports – September 2020
Outreach
Hey
2020-2021 school year, here we come! Outreach is rested up and ready to go.
Just like everyone else, we are entering this time with trepidation as well as
excitement. This is not what any of us “signed up” for as educators. And there
are some good things coming out of this experience:
·
We
have a solid team this year consisting of 9 Teachers of the Visually Impaired
(TVIs), 6 TVI/Orientation & Mobility Specialists (O&M), 1 COMS, and 2
braillists.
·
WSSB
Outreach TVIs and O&Ms contracts have been unusual this year, just like
everything else. We have had an increase of districts pull out of or reduce
contracts for various reasons. We have had students leave districts and surface
in districts across the state.
·
The
Stephen F. Austin University (SFA) cohort is going strong with Joe Dlugo’s
mentorship. He is doing his mentoring remotely as most of the SFA students are
working remotely.
·
The
WSSB Functional Vision Learning Media Assessment (FVLMA), which was collaboratively
created last year, is now in the hands of the Outreach team. The plan is for
Outreach to use it as well as the On-Campus teachers to allow for all WSSB
evaluations to be consistent.
·
Sara
Zachariah, TVI/COMS from Issaquah School District, has been joining Outreach
meetings. She is currently working on an Admin/Principal Certification at
Seattle Pacific University. She will be completing some of her required hours
in the WSSB setting.
On
the horizon:
·
Council
of Schools and Services for the Blind (COSB) Leadership Institute and American
Printing House for the Blind (APH) Annual Meeting will be held virtually this
year, on October 6-9.
·
Sean
McCormick (Director On-Campus Programs), Scott McCallum (superintendent) and
Pam (Director of Outreach/State Vision Consultant) will be participating in a
Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) Workgroup to review credentialing
for educators of the blind and visually impaired (BVI) starting in October
through December.
·
TVI
Round-Ups will be held this year virtually. Plans are in the works now.
·
Working
group for Strategic Plan Goal #1: Identify statewide need for blind and low
vision services, includes Pam Parker, Jennifer Merry (Director Ogden Resource
Center (ORC), and Sara Zachariah.
On Campus
Enrollment:
61
Starting
the Year with Distance Learning
As
a specialized residential school program, WSSB holds an elevated responsibility
for the well-being of our students. WSSB’s programs are an
alternative school option for students instead of their neighborhood school
program. Reasons students come to WSSB include the need for more
individualized-intensive services related to a blind or low vision student, a
broader range of academic and non-academic learning opportunities, a community of
students and staff dedicated to cultivating skills for greater independence,
and empowerment through social emotional learning and relationship
development. Students maximize educational benefits through in-person
instruction at WSSB’s campus. This is the main reason WSSB offers a residential
program for students to attend from all regions of Washington and Oregon.
The
spring 2020 distance learning was a necessary safety response that removed the
residential component from our instruction and put our school in the same
situation as many public schools. This illuminated the major challenges
with delivering instruction in areas that require in-person, hands-on learning
for many of our students. Moving instructing from in-person to online is
a major compromise of the integrity of our instructional program effectiveness
yet it does not remove the core what makes WSSB effective. The knowledge,
skills, and high expectations of WSSB staff are the heart of our
student-centered approach providing instruction and supports to
benefit students. These qualities are unchanged and cannot be uprooted
from any crisis impact to our school.
Moving
forward, WSSB is committed to supporting our students with academic
and social emotional learning while keeping them safe. While the
COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten our communities, we will be weighing
the benefits of in-person instruction against the potential
risks. We recognize the great risk, educationally and for
student well-being, of not having students walk through the school
doors each morning
to experience meaningful connections and a
sense hope that in-person learning provides alongside other students
and supportive adults. WSSB’s strength comes from the community
of our staff, students, and families that helps us persevere.
Shifting
Our Approach
As
we begin this school year, some key priorities that are at the forefront of the
on-campus program:
·
Health
and Safety
o
Safe
reopening plans and protocols for staff and students on-site while prioritizing
the students with greatest need for in-person learning
·
Grading
Practices
o
Equitable
feedback and assessment of learning using standards-based grading
·
Technology
for Distance Learning
o
Use
of Google Classroom learning management system, communication tools, and
digital collaboration
·
Pedagogy
Shifts
o
Implementing
project-based learning to promote rich learning experiences for students
through process, collaboration, and choice
Residential
Learning
Independence for Today and Tomorrow (LIFTT):
LIFTT
is excited to welcome seven students this year to our transition program. Due
to LIFTT not reopening in person as of this time, staff have received 50%-hour
reductions and are currently accessing the Shared Work program. LIFTT staff are
being utilized to support engaging with participants in a virtual format, and
LIFTT hopes to reopen in person this fall based on health department
guidelines. LIFTT has also worked to put together a plan for ensuring
participant safety due to COVID-19 once participants are back on campus.
Youth Services Specialist (YSS):
The
YSS worked with the Department of Services for the Blind (DSB) YSS team this
quarter to re-create summer programming in a virtual format. To incorporate youth voice in the development
of content focus areas, the YSS team designed and distributed a survey in late
April (via Survey Monkey) to all blind and low vision youth known to DSB
between the ages of 14 and 21.
To
best maintain youth attention, virtual sessions were planned to last no more
than 2 hours. To make this possible, the topic areas were divided into 6
separate tracks that would take place on different days of the week between
1-3pm. The program was scheduled for 5
weeks from July 6–August 7, 2020. A
total of 33 youth registered for the program, choosing to participate in 1-5
tracks each.
YSS
developed curriculum materials and coordinated with contractors, non-profit
agencies, WSSB staff, peer facilitators and community business partners to
provide much of the program content. The
contributors include Jack Straw Cultural Center, Financial Beginnings, Partners
in Careers, NW ADA Center at the University of Washington, a wide variety of
successfully employed blind and visually impaired adults in 5 career sectors,
Melissa Small of MJ Small and Associates, WSSB’s LIFTT Program Director and 2
youth peer facilitators.
DSB
staff assisted with creating advertising for the program, testing accessibility
of software, websites and forms, distributing loaner devices to youth who
needed them to participate and securing Zoom licensing so that YSS would have
an accessible platform to use for the program
The
YSS created a list of Zoom commands and shortcuts for access users on Mac and
PC devices and developed “Zoom Etiquette” for use in the program. An optional orientation to Zoom workshop was
held on June 30 for youth who had registered for the program.
The
Virtual Summer Program that was developed included the following 6 tracks:
1. Telling
Your Story (with Jack Straw Cultural Center): Using music and readers theatre
to promote self-advocacy.
2. Financial
Literacy (with Financial Beginnings): Topics included- choosing a financial
institution, financial goals, wages and taxes, budgeting, credit, loans and
insurance, money safety and identity theft.
3. Career
Exploration (with Partners in Careers and NW ADA Center): Topics included –
career exploration groundwork: interests and values, learning with
informational interviews, resume writing, preparing for an interview and ADA
protections in the job search process, mock interviews and feedback.
4. Oh!
The Possibilities - Adult Career Panel: Panels in the areas of Science,
Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), legal and advocacy, arts and
entertainment, health and medicine and self-employment will share their career
paths and experiences.
5. Let’s
Talk About It Social Hour (with peer facilitators): Peer facilitated discussion
of the 5 H’s – Hard Times, High Times, Hobbies, Heritage and Heroes.
6. Career
Education and Work Readiness for youth with additional disabilities (with Melissa
Small): Topics included – strengths and
abilities, career interests, employer expectations, employee expectations,
interviewing and an optional guardian/caregiver DDA education/resource
component.
Once
Summer program reporting was completed, YSS began working with the DSB YSS team
to develop virtual academic year programming.
In August, Survey Monkey was used again to determine youth interest
areas and availability.
YSS
worked with the DSB contracts specialist over the summer to revise and renew
the contract for WSSB students with Partners in Careers (PIC). PIC will continue to provide work based
learning and soft skills education virtually.
When the school year began, YSS began working with WSSB staff to
coordinate work readiness training services for students with additional
disabilities. These services will be
provided by contractor Melissa Small.
Health Center:
Due to on-campus students
starting remotely, nursing staff has had 50%-hour reductions and are accessing
the shared work program.
The health center is
communicating with Pacific University regarding the Dental Mobile
van visits. Pacific University is ready to resume visits and has decreased
from 2 patients on the van at once to one patient on the van and are
following standard Covid safety measures. The health center will discuss
resuming WSSB student visits with admin team.
When more staff and
students return to campus the health center will investigate bringing the
blood mobile back to campus.
The health center has been working
with residential staff to distribute health center paperwork to student
families as well as are calling, emailing and sending voicemail messages to
families who do not have complete health center paperwork.
The health center has updated all
first aid kits, disaster bags and updated med cabinets in the cottages. The
health center has also worked to make campus AED's accessible for blind/low
vision staff. The health center provided CPR/First aid AED training to 4 staff
following very safe Covid protocols. In addition, the health center continues
to work on updating old health center policies and creating new
policies/procedures. Nurses are a part of the WSSB back to school planning
team.
Residential:
This
summer, the residential cottages underwent an extensive kitchen remodel which
included the following: new ranges and wall ovens, dishwashers, kitchen
flooring, removal of overhead cabinets between the living room and kitchen to
open the space for supervision, adding cabinets where our old computer areas
used to be, upgrading sinks and faucets in the kitchen, and adding dimmable LED
lighting. The new cabinets will better support students, so they can access
needed cleaning supplies while cleaning their rooms, as well as provide a space
to store necessary dishes students use while setting the tables. In addition,
the residential department has put together steps students and staff will take
to ensure safety of all due to COVID-19 once students are back on campus. Due
to instruction for on-campus programs starting remotely, all residential staff
have had 50%-hour reductions and are currently accessing the shared work
program. Residential staff are currently being utilized to provide extra
support to students through tutoring and doing Independent Living Skills (ILS)
lessons over Zoom. In addition, residential staff are being utilized to support
through driving materials to students weekly, driving for low vision O&M
instructors, and cleaning cottages after construction has finished so they are
ready when students return.
Recreation
and Volunteers:
The
recreation department has put together steps students and staff will take to
ensure safety of all due to COVID-19 once students are back on campus. One of
these steps is volunteers will be utilized over Zoom but will not be on campus
at this time to support WSSB programs. Due to instruction for on-campus
programs starting remotely, our recreation and volunteer coordinator has had a
50%-hour reduction and are currently accessing the shared work program. WSSB is
offering some recreation programs over Zoom including a book club, creative
writing class, etc.
Business
Office
1.
2019-20
Operating Budget (Fiscal Year 1): Our
annual year-end close was completed and our financial disclosure forms have
been submitted.
The total expenditures in each of the funds
were as follows:
General $8,851,999
19B $1,425,391 (Revenue: $1,530,041)
03K-LNI Retro Refund $ 11,312
Capital $ 44,101
Betterment $ 4,451
Braille Access Center $ 477,318 (Revenue:
$514,446)
The carry forward balance in 19B was
$3,467,440
2.
2020-21
Operating Budget (Fiscal Year 2): In
response to the state economy and financial outlook, the Governor directed
state agencies to reduce budgets based on savings from mandated furloughs and
no general increases for non-represented and exempt staff. We received a reduction of $147,000.
August books closed, and expenditures are in
line with allotments.
3.
2021-23
Biennial Operating and Capital Budget:
We have submitted our operating request for the appropriated amount of
$25,063,000. We did not submit any
decision packages requesting additional funding.
We have submitted our capital request for the
construction of the Independent Living Skills Center (LIFTT) for $8,816,000 and
$675,000 for campus preservation.
4.
Safety
Net: We submitted a safety net grant
application for over $400.000 and received $144,000.
Human
Resources
New Hires:
·
Carmina
Harrington - TVI
·
Kaitlin
Dittmar - On-call Teachers Aide (TA)
Recruitments:
·
Residential
Life Counselor (RLC) - Graveyard
·
Substitute
TVI
·
On-call
TA
·
On-call
RLC
Trainings/Functions Attended:
·
HR
Managers Meeting – Facilitated by Franklin Plaistowe and Marcos Rodriguez
·
Labor
Relations Roundtable – Facilitated by (OFM)
·
COVID
19 – Reopening State Human Resources
·
Shared
Work Program – Employment Securities Department (ESD)
The ORC continues to
serve our customers during these challenging times. Kandi Lukowski is
continuing to work full-time in the office to continue braille production and
answer the warehouse door for deliveries. She is also pitching in as needed on
campus to help with mail and other campus activities. Ian Goodrich is working
on campus for Facilities 3 days a week and at the ORC for deliveries, warehouse
duties and inventory 2 days per week.
We are fortunate that
our prison program has remained open. The prison has implemented
social-distancing, so we are back up to a full crew each day. Recently one
transcriber was released, and we promoted an apprentice to full-time. We
currently have 16 full-time transcribers and 4 apprentices. Due to COVID-19, we
are unable to hire more transcribers or apprentices from the general prison
population at this time. We are able
to meet our deadlines and are still accepting new braille projects for
the school year.
We had Quota Funds
left so were able to purchase more copies of popular items such as Smart
Braillers and restock our Consumables on the ORC shelves. APH is able to ship directly to homes of students and/or
teachers. Since June, 593 items have been shipped to 214 students around the
state.
The LEGO kits from
APH have been popular and the ORC is shipping to teachers for students to use.
The first round of LEGO kits are currently gone and we
will be getting more in a few weeks.
Due to disruptions
with the United States Postal Service (USPS), Free Matter shipping is currently
taking approximately 6-8 weeks to arrive.
1.
The
Cottage Renovation Project should be done by now. This was a project fraught
with little problems, like unexpected incorrect wiring, appliances not fitting,
rotted plumbing, and, all new flooring arriving out of square from the factory,
so it couldn’t be laid down. We picked flooring from a different manufacturer,
which added a couple weeks. In the end, though, I feel we will have achieved
our goals of better functioning kitchens with modern, accessible appliances.
Thanks to Corey Grandstaff, Residential Program Manager, for making many trips
to the appliance store to scout out and approve accessible appliances.
2.
We
are hoping to go to contract soon for the $225,000 capital project refurbishing
the roof of Old Main. This will be an add-a-layer system with a 20-year
warranty, to include both seismic “bookends” and the south portico. Crossing
fingers that this can get done before the rains return.
3.
After
a Covid-related delay of delivery, we have finally installed the Pulliam Peace
Pole across from Ned’s Shed. John Fleming, maintenance and groundskeeper, has
created a nice landscaping composition around it.
4.
Between
the Irwin School and the Stenehjem Gym you may see Brian Kindblade’s (Plant
Mechanic) handiwork in the topiary creation we made as a screen to the
electrical box. We’re looking forward to the plants filling in the letters
WSSB.
5.
Ian
Goodrich, who typically works in the ORC warehouse, has been working a couple
days a week painting the first-floor walls of Old Main. We will continue with
painting, including touching up the wood trim and doors, as time moves on.
6.
The
installation of 16 more card access points on Old Main interior doors went
well. We’re making long term plans for more as it greatly simplifies access and
reduces key security vulnerabilities.
7.
Approximately
$50,000 was spent upgrading the HVAC controls software and hardware systems
throughout campus. This brings us into modern times, and into the future. I
expect to have more reliable controls, and a system easier to monitor and
interpret. We also installed three circuit meters which will allow us to graph
minute-by-minute electrical use in Stenehjem, Old Main, and Irwin. Meter data
can be used to seek energy consumption efficiencies.
8.
We
are just about to submit our Capital Projects decision package to the Governor
for consideration in the 2021-23 Budget. Regarding ongoing preservation
requests, though still contemplating strategy as of this writing, we’re
considering requesting for $250,000 to refurbish or replace the roof of ORC;
$200,000 to change Irwin School lighting to LEDs; $225,000 to replace embedded
plastic drain at pool with removable stainless covers, and coat pool deck with
a Stonhard product similar to what we put on the Old
Main Kitchen floor.
9.
Ongoing
I expect to continue to check our life safety and HVAC systems
device-by-device, thus confirming correct system functionality. Also working to
institute a Preventative Maintenance approach to HVAC Systems. We’re getting
there, one boiler water chemistry check at a time, one rooftop exhaust fan
after the other.
Birth-3
The
WSSB Birth to 3 Program continues to provide our support services to families
virtually. It has been a very positive
addition to our menu of services! We expect virtual home visits will continue
until January 2021, then we will begin to implement a hybrid approach to early
intervention services with a combination of virtual and in person for all
families. We believe that a hybrid
approach is best as it will not only reduce our travel costs, but also increase
our efficiency and effectiveness of services to families.
Now
that state funds for early intervention services are being “flowed” directly to
Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF)/Early
Support for Infants and Toddlers (ESIT) rather than through the Office of the
Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) and school districts (as of
September 1), our contract with DCYF/ESIT has been extended to include
“enhanced child find activities”. This
includes monitoring vision screening procedures in all counties, assisting
agencies in documenting identification of children with blind/low vision in the
data management system (DMS), and tracking the accessibility of responsive
specialized services (TVI). We have been
doing this all along, but now we have more of a direct partnership with
DCYF/ESIT and their authority over requirements. This extended contract and these deliverables
are in direct alignment with WSSB’s new strategic plan and we are excited to do
work that is meaningful for all, especially the children.
Superintendent
Each
month I will provide, in bulleted format, a list of the more significant
activities of the Superintendent’s office.
For each month, I will describe a highlight or two in more detail. If at
any point you would like more information or have questions, please do not
hesitate to call, email, or schedule a time to meet in person. I want to make sure that you have the
information that you need to advise and guide what we do to meet the needs of
students who are blind or visually impaired throughout Washington State.
June 22: Review LIFTT building proposals/
meet with staff regarding LIFTT project
June
23: Strategic Plan –
planning session
June 24: Meeting to discuss Stephen F.
Austin University (SFAU) Teacher of the Visually Impaired (TVI) program
June
24: Review LIFTT architect
scoring
June
25: COVID-19 reopen planning
meeting with administrators
June 25: Provide opening remarks for
Northwest Association for Blind Athletes (NWABA) fundraiser
June 29: COVID-19 transportation meeting
for shared bussing options with Washington Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing
Youth (CDHY)
June
30: Statewide COVID updates
and collaboration zoom meeting
Highlight
COVID-19 certainly left a mark on the 2019-2020 school year. All things considered, I am very proud of the
way the WSSB community responded to the changes that our response to the
pandemic required. The graduation ceremony posed a fitting and heart-felt
tribute and celebration of our graduates. Unlike most years at this time, the
campus this year remained unusually quiet as nearly everyone had been directed
to work from home. Each week, I walked
the campus and checked every building to make sure they remained secure and
safe. No security compromises were identified.
A June highlight included the review and scoring of architectural
firms submitting proposals to design and construct our proposed new building
project for the LIFTT Program and offices for the DSB. Nine submissions were
received from firms throughout the Northwest.
Lori Pulliam, David Zilavy, and I all contributed to the scoring
exercise. The bidding process requires scores from two representatives of the
Department of Enterprise Services (DES) and an outside architect. Scores were
totaled, and the top three scoring firms will be interviewed and scored to
select the winning firm. Each of the firms brought something different to the
table and I am excited to work with any of the top firms who submitted a bid
for this project.
July
1: COVID-19
Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
July
2: State-required
furlough day
July
7: Interviews (3) with
potential architects for the LIFTT building
July
8: COVID-19
Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
July 8: OSPI Special Education
reopening meeting
July
9: Meeting with
Executive Director of the Oregon Commission for the Blind (OCB)
July
10: State-required
furlough day
July
13: Phone call with WSSB
alum
July
14: OSPI’s statewide COVID
updates and reopening school’s webinar
July
15: Strategic Plan –
planning session
July 16: Meeting with staff at DSB
regarding LIFTT/ Transition programs
July
17: State-required
furlough day
July
20: COSB summer board
meeting
July
21: Pacific Foundation for
Blind Children (PFBC) monthly meeting
July 21: Meeting with staff at
Department of Health and CDHY regarding COVID-19 and impacts on the residential
program
July
22: Strategic Plan –
planning session
July
24: State-required
furlough day
July
28: COVID-19 ‘safe start’
plan/review
July
28: Strategic Plan –
subcommittee meeting
July
28: OSPI’s Statewide COVID
updates and reopening school’s webinar
July
29: COVID Clark/Cowlitz
County check-in
July
29: Strategic Plan –
subcommittee meeting
July
31: OCB meeting and
executive session
Highlight
July
seemed filled to the brim with weekly, and often daily meetings about COVID-19.
Every week, virtual meetings were held to discuss our plans and response to the
pandemic. I regularly met with local and
state school leaders, health experts, state government officials, as well as
superintendents from other schools for the blind around the country to discuss
our options for the school year that lay ahead. In addition, and as we moved
into this next fiscal year, the state announced furlough requirements that
would impact a number of employees of WSSB. The
furloughs are an early attempt to address the impending budget shortfall we are
facing. Many of us are required to
furlough one day per week in July and one day per month during the months of
August through November.
The
highlights of July include the ongoing efforts related to the LIFTT Project.
The top three architectural firms were selected and offered an opportunity to
present and interview with the selection committee. The interviews and presentations were scored,
and the project was offered to the highest scoring firm, Mahlum Architectural
Firm out of Portland, Oregon. Mahlum also brought in the services of Chris
Downey, a blind architect out of San Francisco and recently featured in a 60 Minutes news story. Chris recently
completed similar and related projects with the South Dakota School for the
Blind/Visually Impaired and the San Francisco Lighthouse. We will be seeking the funding for this
project through the decision package process.
As of this writing, we have submitted our request to the Governor’s
office. The total cost of this project
is anticipated to be nearly nine million dollars.
August
4: Strategic Plan – planning
session
August 4: Washington Public Education
Association (WPEA) shop steward and management meeting
August
4: COVID-19 reopen planning
meeting with administrators
August
5: COVID Clark/Cowlitz County
check-in
August
5: Safety table-top exercises
(live scenarios when students return)
August
6: COSB board meeting
August
6: Meeting with the
superintendent of the Texas School for the BVI
August
7: State-required furlough day
August
10: Meeting with Human Resources
manager to discuss staffing for 2020-2021 school year
August
11: COVID-19 meeting with Clark
County Superintendents to discuss transition metrics
August
11: Executive/Small Agency
Cabinet meeting
August
11: OSPI’s statewide COVID
updates and reopening school’s webinars
August
12: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County
check-in
August
12: Meeting with administrators
regarding reopening plan
August
13: Strategic Plan wrap-up
meeting with facilitator
August
13: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz
Superintendents meeting with the health department
August
13: Meeting with the
superintendent of the North Dakota School for the Blind
August
17: Meet with administrators
regarding annual Fall Workshop/In-Service with all staff
August
19: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County
check-in
August
20: Meeting with Human Resources
Manager to discuss staff reduced hours/impacts
August
24: Strategic Plan committee
meeting – review final document
August
24: Emil Fries endowment funds
grant advisory committee meeting
August
24: COVID-19 meeting with Clark
County Department of Health and CDHY
August
25: All-staff welcome back fall
workshop/in-service
August
26: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County
check-in
August
26: Meeting with board chair,
Greg Szabo (review agenda)
August 27: Pacific Northwest Association for the
Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (PNWAER) board
meeting
August 31: Website redesign meeting
Highlight
August
is often one of my favorite times of the year because I have the pleasure of
welcoming staff back to campus and know that students arriving is usually right
around the corner. This year, due to the pandemic, we welcomed staff back via
zoom. The day was filled with the usual
excitement and positive energy; however, in-person greetings were replaced with
promises to engage in the future. Overall, the virtual welcome back festivities
proved to be an inclusive and successful format to welcome everyone back and
deliver pertinent information. During
the welcome back event, a significant amount of time and energy was placed on
sharing information about our response to the pandemic and how each staff
member can keep themselves safe and healthy as well as support the safety and
health of others. As a matter of
practice, all staff, students, and visitors on campus will be required to
complete daily health attestations.
The
strategic planning committee continued their work throughout July and August,
completing the drafted strategic plan about a week before we welcomed staff
back. Members of the planning committee
presented the freshly minted strategic plan to all staff. Strategic plan
implementation efforts are currently underway.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dennis Mathews for his
significant contribution to our strategic planning efforts. Dennis represented the board of trustees
throughout the deliberative process. Thank you, Dennis. I look forward to sharing the details of our
2020-2023 Strategic Plan with the Board.
September 1: LIFTT architect meeting with Department of
Enterprise Services (DES)
September 2: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
September 3: COSB board meeting
September 4: State-required furlough day
September 9: Meeting to discuss SFAU TVI program
September 9: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
September 9: Fall Workshop/In-Service follow-up meeting
September 10: Annual Combined Fund Drive leadership
breakfast
September 10: Washington Sensory Disability Services (WSDS)
meeting
September 10: Meeting to discuss proposed LIFTT building
September 15: Meeting with APH regarding product
obsolescence
September 15: PFBC meeting
September 15: OSPI’s statewide COVID updates and
collaboration webinar
September 16: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
September 17: Conference call with Dacia Johnson, OCB
Executive Director
September 18: ESD 112 regional superintendents meeting
September 23: COVID-19 Clark/Cowlitz County check-in
September 25: Board of Trustees meeting
Highlight
Typically,
this part of the update highlights the changes brought to our campus when
students
decorate
our hallways, classrooms and cottages. This year, as you may expect, has
required a more
cautious
approach. As of this writing, we continue to operate remotely for most students
and staff.
While
staff are welcome on campus, many continue to choose to work from home. Some staffing
challenges
may be realized as we begin to transition students back to campus. Supervisors
are working
with
employees and Human Resources to address staff safety concerns as they arise
and in
anticipation
of more students coming to campus. We
are welcoming a small group of students back to
campus
the week of September 21 after being delayed a week due to poor air quality
from wildfire
smoke. We
are working with local and state health authorities to identify when it is safe
to have our
students
return to campus. Like most school districts we have a staggered response plan
that is
dependent
on a variety of variables and metrics.
However, our plans remain flexible to meet the
needs of
students and families and we intend to maintain remote access options this
year, even as we
transition
back to in person services. If the metrics continue to evolve in the right
direction, we hope to
welcome
students back to campus by early October. At this point, my fingers are
crossed.
Ongoing
Department
managers and administration team meetings
PFBC
meetings
Executive
and Small Agency Cabinet meetings
Goal
Council meetings
Clark
County and Regional Superintendent meetings
NWABA
Board meetings
UEB
committee meetings
Oregon
Commission for the Blind Board meetings
Washington
DeafBlind Advisory Council meetings
Washington
Sensory Disability Services meetings
WSSB Reopening Plan
(presented by Sean McCormick, Director of On-Campus Programs)
September
25, 2020
Core
Purpose: To empower blind and low vision individuals to reach their full
potential
Core
Values: Student Centered, Equity,
Accessibility, Relationships, Continuous Improvement
Current
Risk Level of Student by County COVID 19 cases as of 9/23/2020
Source:
https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/covid-19-risk-assessment-dashboard
*state
level data may not be as up to date as local county DOH websites
High
Risk - Greater than 75 cases per 100k over 2 weeks
●
28
students
●
Counties:
Clark, Chelan, Yakima
Medium
Risk - 25 to 75 cases per 100k over 2 weeks
●
25
students
●
Counties:
Cowlitz, Multnomah, Pierce, Yamhill, King, Snohomish, Mason, Columbia
Low
Risk - lesson than 25 cases per 100k over 2 weeks
●
6
students
●
Counties:
Thurston, Skamania, Douglas, Wahkiakum
46%
of students living in counties with high risk activity level
Goal
Right Now:
Students
get the supports and services they need to be successful in their learning
wherever they are.
Staged
Return of Students for In-Person Learning
Right
Now:
Pre-stage
1
●
Students
for 1 to 1 evaluation
●
6
local students in learning support classrooms (semi self-contained)
●
O&M
in Vancouver area - outdoors
●
Some
independent living skills 1 to 1 on-campus
Next
Stages:
Stage
1: 14
students identified not-demonstrating growth from spring data
Stage
2:
12 students identified needing more intensive supports, demonstrating limited
growth
Stage
3: 10
students demonstrating a need for in-person learning
Stage
4: Return
of all students in-person
Reopening
Proposal
●
Online/Distance
learning course delivery for entire school year for most students
●
4
priority stage levels for in-person
○
Pre-
stage 1 (on-campus now)
○
Stage
1, 2, 3
○
Stage
4 Return of all
●
Potential
Stage 1 students to begin November 2
○
No
official date has been set, this is an estimation
●
The
timeline for each stage will be determined upon successful return of previous
stage
○
Consideration
for stage 2 date will be determined once in stage 1
Proposed
Format for Return via Cohorting:
●
Students
participate in online learning for most classes from personal office space
○
Residential
- Cottage bedroom
○
Day
- office space in a designated classroom
●
Students
may receive in-person learning at Irwin School for most intensive IEP areas in
1 to 1 or small group setting
○
Learning
support classes
○
Independent
living skills
○
O&M,
braille, assistive tech
○
Fitness
○
OT/PT
services
Rationale:
Nearly 50% of classroom teachers will not be in-person due to high-risk
accommodations
The
Upside
●
Learning
will occur at school with personalized supports
●
Majority
of students will not need to wear masks during online learning
●
Group
living skills and social experience with peers in cottage
●
Cohorting
of cottage, potentially as a household (waiting for DOH feedback)
●
Flexibility
to attend residential program or not does not impact access to courses
●
Consistent
format for instruction for most students (if home or on-campus)
●
Flexibility
to utilize cottage as home environment
●
Tailored
supports in areas students have been missing since March
The
Downside
●
In-person
instruction is limited to intensive need areas
●
Limited
to majority of learning inside cottage
●
Exposure
to classes in-person with a variety of students limited to online
●
The
full WSSB experience isn’t as full
●
Students
may feel confined or limited
●
Being
in-class with peers doesn’t have the same experience
●
Potential
for feeling institutional
●
If
exposure to positive occurs, cohort returns home
In
a Nutshell
●
Distance
Learning Model available for all
●
Staged
return of students based on needs (data-driven)
●
Most
students accessing distance learning from personal office space
○
Cottage
bedroom (residential)
○
Dedicated
classroom w/ small cohort
●
Specialized
instruction face-to-face for some areas
○
1:1
○
Small
group with safety protocols
●
Distance
learning via
○
Zoom
○
Google
Classroom
●
Approach
includes
○
Synchronous
○
Asynchronous
○
Tiered
supports via Zoom or in cohort groups in-person
●
Working
from school or home will have same access to instruction
Ongoing
Questions:
●
How
soon should WSSB progress with each stage of returning students?
●
What’s
missing from the proposed framework that needs additional consideration?
●
How
else can we minimize risk, recognizing that there is no zero-risk scenario?