This morning, Park City School District Superintendent Dr Ember Conley hosted her second “Office Hours” at Hugo Coffee. Office Hours provides an opportunity for citizens to sit down with Dr Conley (and other concerned community members) and discuss current issues. While last week’s meeting was good, this week’s meeting showed it is starting to find it’s groove.

While I wasn’t able to attend the full hour, the first 40 minutes were very interesting. Here is an overview:

• A citizen asked about when grade realignment was going to occur. Dr Conley said the district could probably do it sooner with trailers but it was more likely 2018-2019 before it could be implemented through construction at buildings.
• A citizen asked what do we do with 6th grade? Dr Conley answered that she is a proponent of 5th/6th school but is flexible. Dr Conley said she grew up with a K-6 school, so that probably also influences her viewpoint. A citizen said that she has a fifth grade student and that student is ready to move on out of their current school.
• A citizen asked what a 5th/6th school should look like. Dr Conley responded that it needs to look like elementary type school. It needs to be comfortable and nurturing. A citizen asked what that meant. Dr Conley said that it typically wouldn’t contain a block schedule (i.e. elementary students wouldn’t have say 4 classes on one day and 4 others on a different day), there would be lots of teacher teaming, lots of collaboration, and kids wouldn’t have far to walk between classes (if the moved at all). The citizen then followed up with a question about what a 7th/8th grade school would look like. Dr Conley said Ecker Hill is a perfect example of what a 7th/8th should look like. A new 7th/8th school would also likely have block classes (TMJH does have a block schedule now… and that would likely also be the case if the 7th/8th moved to a building like Ecker Hill) . She noted that Dual Immersion and block classes don’t work so well together.
• A Citizen asked what data show on K-4, 5th/6th, 7th/8th, 9-12 transitions (i.e. students having to change schools as they get older)? Dr Conley replied that transitions are always tough but that there are ways to bridge those changes by doing thing like having schools in close proximity to each other (like the Master Planning Committee recommended). The citizen asked the question again and emphasized “WHAT DO THE STUDIES SAY.” Dr Conley said that one of the most important factors in success regarding transitions is the community’s feelings. She said positive outcomes were linked to what the community felt made sense for them. A different Citizen said she had 8th grader and the transitions between schools caused her student some stress. Also her kids don’t like block schedule and having to walk to high school for some classes, but that having to go to the high school could make the students more familiar with the high school building. Dr Conley says that a majority of students drop out between 6th and 8th grade. Proper transitions can help prevent that. Park City has a low dropout rate but we should do everything we can. Dr Conley says she is not trying to push anything though.
• The topic of other factors influencing our kids came up and Dr. Conley said that a survey called SHARPS is showing higher drug use problems in younger grades in Park City (and nationwide). It is also showing growing mental illness, including suicide. The district is working with the county and city on this.
• Citizen says that with all the activities her kids sometimes don’t go to bed until midnight. So, the citizen wanted to know what is happening with later start times. Dr Conley says they are looking at that thanks to the citizens who have brought up the issue… but it really comes down to money for buses. It is also a ripple effect. She says we don’t have enough bus drivers.
  • She says it is tough when local fast food restaurants pay $15 per hour, to get a bus driver at $12… who has to be to work at 5AM.
  • Another citizen commented that some districts pay bus drivers year round.
  • Another citizen asks if they have looked at outsourcing bus drivers.
    • Dr Conley says she is not sure but they have looked at things like that for maintenance.
• A Citizen asked what times are being considered for changing start times? Dr Conley replied that:
  • They were looking at anything after 8:30 for students 13 years old and older.
  • However, that reduces hours for bus drivers, which can make it hard to find drivers.
  • There is also the concern that younger students would be at the bus stops in the dark, if older students had later start times (due to bus schedule requirements)
• A citizen asked how later start times may impact sports. Dr Conley said that it greatly impacts after school sports and activities. She said, that if sports started at 4PM, it condenses the time for fields and makes it much harder to have space for everyone.
• A Citizen asked whether school start times will be changed for sure. Dr Conley said that it was still under discussion. Molly Miller, the school district’s communications person said that there will be a meeting next week, hosted by concerned citizens, regarding the topic.
• A citizen asks if there are objections to later start times from working parents?
  • Dr Conley said there are pluses and minuses from working parents. She said some studies show that kids would be at home less by themselves which can reduce risky behavior and that later start times could mean kids being at home less by themselves.
• A citizens said she has never been in district with half days. She asked if our district could due full days but have each day be a little shorter. Dr Conley said she has experience as principal and found that many teachers like having 90 minute classes, versus 60 minutes classes as proposed by the citizen. She said that two of hardest things are scheduling of classes and creating the school calendar.
• A citizen asked what the plan was for forging a path forward after the WhatCounts sessions (one of the pieces of community input to better understand issues performed after the bond failure by the district)? Dr Conley said they wanted to narrow down the values expressed, and delve into the details. She said we heard a lot about community engagement and that people like our programs like AP classes. So, it is really having more conversations with people.

The meeting was scheduled for an additional 20 minutes. I’m sure other topics of interest were discussed after I left.

I would encourage you, if you have questions or concerns about schools, to attend next Friday’s “Office Hours” meeting at 8:30AM at Hugo Coffee. Even more, I would encourage both Summit County and Park City to figure out how to do something similar. It’s one thing to think you’ve answered most citizens’ questions through media interviews or email. It’s another to sit down face to face, answer questions, and then be pressed for more information.

This is definitely one area where the school board is pushing the envelope and succeeding.

Update: Thanks to the citizen who attended this meeting and clarified that TMJH currently has block classes but Ecker Hill does not! That has been noted in the article.

During today’s school board retreat, LightHouse, a company that was paid to do surveys for the school district in the wake of their bond defeat, noted that one of the survey participants said that the district needed to reach out to second home owners more. The majority of the people at the retreat were representatives of the school… Administrators Principals, School Board members, and others gathered to better understand why last November’s school bond failed.

AND THEY LAUGHED AT THE COMMENT.

“Doesn’t that person know that second home owners don’t vote!” came the mocking cry from the attendees… as if they were deriding Forest Gump who had just uttered “Sometimes life is like a box of chocolates.” The tone was 100% “What an idiot.”

The main problem with mocking second home owners is that they pay our bills. Second home owners don’t get a discount on their property taxes like you and I do. They pay the full amount, and there are many of them funding our lifestyle.

So, although they don’t get to vote (since this isn’t their primary residence), they do deserve a say. We shouldn’t ignore those people that bankroll our schools. They may have different goals, methods, or ideas but they have a legitimate interest in our community, even if they can’t vote.

It’s unfortunate that they are laughed off. If their opinions, and therefore tax dollars, don’t matter we should just find a way to remove those taxes from our base. If their opinions don’t matter, let’s give away their tax dollars and make do with what we get from locals. That probably means a significant cut to every government employee’s salary but I guess second home owners don’t really matter.

Or do they?

I think they do.

We take their money and therefore we should take their thoughts and ideas.

Just because you can’t vote doesn’t mean your ideas are worthless…especially when you are paying more than your fair share.

Today, the school board discussed What Count’s results. What Counts was an initiative after the school bond failed. Click Read More to follow along:

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Lighthouse (the survey company) provided results on their phone surveys and focus groups. I got here late and missed most of the phone survey.

Click on Read More to follow the live blog:

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The school district provided an overview of public meetings in the near future. If you are in interested in what’s going on with our schools, I guarantee you can get some answers at one of the following meetings.

Again, if you can attend Friday’s “Office Hours With Superintendent Ember Conley” I would highly recommend it.

Board of Education Work Session
Tomorrow (3/15), the Board will gather to learn more about community feedback collected over the last couple of months – and to make a few decisions about next steps for the district. The work session will include a presentation on takeaways from the “What Counts” meetings. Results from the post-bond telephone survey will also be shared. The day begins at 9AM, and there is a regular session scheduled at 4PM.

Tuesday 3/15, 9AM
District Office

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Coffee with Friends

McPolin parents are taking a page out of the DLI book and meeting to work on language skills! This event (started by parent Nikki Keye) has been well-attended (about 20 people or so) in each of the three weeks since its inception! We hope you’ll join us soon!

Every Wednesday at 8:10AM
Meet in the McPolin lobby
Plus, FREE COFFEE 🙂

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Office Hours with Dr. Ember Conley 

Every Friday, at the Visitor Center (conference table area in Hugo Coffee), anyone in the community is welcome to drop in to talk with Dr. Conley. Last Friday, our first meeting, we had about 10 people show up to talk – in a VERY constructive environment. The community is welcome to pop in at any time through the hour to ask questions and chat – it’s VERY informal!

Every Friday through May 27
8:30 – 9:30 a.m.
Hugo Coffee

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Start Times Information Night

Please join us on March 24 to learn more about how you could be affected by start times. Our community-led Start Times Committee will present information and research, and we need YOU to present your thoughts on the potential change. (This meeting will be posted online, as well as a survey for people to fill out after!)

Thursday, March 24
6 – 7:30 p.m.
Park City High School Lecture Hall

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Student Safety Forum

At 6PM on Thursday, April 21st, parents, students (recommended for 6th grade and up), teachers and staff are invited to attend a student safety forum – outlining the steps PCSD is taking to make sure our students stay safe online at school – and the steps parents must take to keep them safe online at home.

The evening will also include presentations from KSL Investigative Reporter Debbie Dujanovic and Christina Sally, Investigator for the Summit County Attorney’s Office.
6PM on Thursday, April 21, 2016
Lecture Hall in the Park City High School

Friday’s first”Office Hours with the Superintendent” at Hugo Coffee, was a huge success. Approximately 10 people showed up to spend an hour with Park City School District Superintendent Dr. Ember Conley. It was a very informal gathering where people took turns asking questions and providing input. The major topics discussed included:

• A citizen wanted to know how the district was handling dyslexia. The discussion turned into how hard it is to diagnose. It sounds like a family may be donating money to help our schools with the problem but nothing has been formally announced yet.
• Dr Conley stressed that the district’s budget, and therefore plans, are fluid. They are using the best current information to make decisions but are changing course when necessary.
• Dr Conley said “If I have a pot of money and I can hire one teacher or two aides, I’d hire the teacher.” She said she knew this isn’t always a popular stance but it is how she feels.
• The school district isn’t projecting high growth in the number of students in the near future.
• The school board will start talking about Master Plan again during Tuesday’s all day retreat.
• The school board’s retreat is open to the public and starts at 9AM on Tuesday, March 15.
• The district has estimated there are at least $500,000 in repairs needed for TMJH. One of the biggest issues is corroded pipes.
• Everyone likes idea of 9th grade going back into the high school. Dr Conley cited the students survey and said it had lots of funny comments but also supported bringing 9th graders back into
• A citizen brought up the question of “why not using professionals to teach reading?”. Dr. Conley responded with part of her approach to achieving better reading:
  • Build capacity with teachers including differentiated learning.
  • She provided an example where a teacher used technology where the teacher can stop quizzes if a large percentage of kids do poorly on a question and provide more instruction at that point.
  • She cited a concept called Double Dose where during the first 30-45 minutes of school, kids are grouped by ability. So, a Kindergartener may be with 2nd graders in a certain subject. It provides more focused learning in areas where either students need additional instruction or like the subject. She also cited this is where PE teachers and arts teachers may teach reading in different ways than are traditionally taught (i.e. perhaps learning reading through dance). She said Parley’s Park had successfully done this process.
  • Starting 2016-2017 all schools will do this “All hands on deck” concept.
• A citizen asked “What’s the program/strategy for kids who can’t read at all?”
  • Dr Conley said all Reading Specialists will have master degrees. The citizen, who had been a teacher, and appeared to have a Master’s Degree in Reading responded that the current job description is not good enough for the Reading Specialist. Dr Conley said all the reading Specialist had been hired but that a job description can never describe everything a person will actually need to do. The citizen also pointed out that teachers have not been trained in intervention. She questioned whether the teachers were ready for this change in a few months. She suggested waiting a year.
  • Dr Conley also said teachers should be able to handle 16 kids without an aide. If not, there was a problem.
  • Dr Conley said that she has not had a teacher come to her with a complaint about this that could not be rectified.
• “Office Hours” closed with a discussion of a legislative change where $800K of our district’s money will be going to charter schools. Dr Conley stated that they are looking at how they can move money around to account for this change.

Overall, it was some of the best time I’ve spent with members of our school system. Office Hours provides an intimate setting where you not only get answers to questions but you also get to talk face to face. I’m a huge proponent of social media and the ability to discuss topics asynchronously and when it’s convenient. However, this meeting reminded me of the power of sitting down with those people you have questions of in person.

If you have any questions about our School District…. even if it is, “how does my kid get into Stanford?” you’re not going to get a better opportunity than this. I hope everyone takes an opportunity between now and the end of May (when this program is done) to sit down with the Superintendent.

This morning, Park city School District Superintendent Dr Ember Conley held her first “office hours” and it was a tremendous success. She invited anyone from the community to Hugo Coffee at 8:30 to discuss any topic they were interested in. I’ll have more info on what was discussed later, but I would recommend that anyone who has questions about our schools to attend next Friday’s “Office hours” at 8:30 AM at Hugo Coffee.

You’re not going to get more direct access to the Superintendent than this. You may not always like the response to the question, but you’ll get one. That’s pretty good in our book.