School board briefs

June 08, 2005|by KAREN HANNA

Board member remains in hospital

Washington County Board of Education member Russell Williams, who was injured in a bicycling accident last week, remains hospitalized, President Paul Bailey said before Tuesday night's meeting.

According to a nursing supervisor at Washington County Hospital, Williams was in serious condition Tuesday night.

"We would hope to see him back in the very near future," Bailey said.

Pupils, parents share conference stories

E. Russell Hicks Middle School students Lexi Turano, Lindsey Beall, Nicole Thompson and Jordan Cannon told the school board Tuesday night about their experiences in student-led conferences with their parents.

"I think that it was a good program because our parents got to know ... what we did in a professional way," Lindsey said.

Susan Beall and other parents said they learned more about their children by attending the conference.

"I learned that she thinks in words. I never knew that. My child is 11 years old, and I never knew that, that she thinks in words," Beall said.

Parents want band teacher to stay

About 40 parents attended the Washington County Board of Education's meeting Tuesday to support several speakers who pleaded against the transfer of a band teacher from Springfield Middle School to a school elsewhere in the county.

Randy Leatherman told the board the program recently lost another teacher to retirement.

"Our music program is being gutted at Springfield Middle School," said Leatherman, of Fairplay.

Board President Paul Bailey and Superintendent Elizabeth Morgan told speakers they could not address personnel matters. They told one parent who asked if the transfer was related to a discipline problem that they could not address the matter.

In its personnel actions, the board approved the transfer.

Crisis-response plans discussed

E. Paul Rudolph, who is finishing his second year as safety/security specialist/risk manager, told the Washington County Board of Education that the school system has made strides in planning its response to potential crises.

The schools have practiced lockdown situations, and a "Campus Watch" system modeled after "Neighborhood Watch" is in the planning stages, Rudolph said.

Superintendent Elizabeth Morgan said events such as the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the Columbine High School shootings have driven home the need for crisis preparation planning.

Student art displayed

A montage of Pleasant Valley Elementary School students' artwork took a place of honor at the Board of Education's meeting Tuesday night.

According to public information officer Carol Mowen, the artwork was created as part of a grant the board approved.

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