SDMC MEETING MINUTES
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009

                                                                                                4:00 P.M. – 5:00 P.M.

ATTENDIES:  R. Jones, J. Johnson, M. Kerrissey, J. Lee-Henry, A. Lim, B. Macias, T. Mealey, S. Razavi, K. Runnels, A. Vila, M. Williams, M. Dudas, L. Blake, J. Booker, J. Casupang, T. Guerra, L. Llorente, L. Lozano, J. Mayes, V. Pena, K. Valera, A. Petterway, C. Rodriguez, B. Shaw, C. Chavana, A. Lim, E. SilvaLeal, V. Nino, T. Parker, J. Terrones, B. Cortez, R. Bodeta, M. Reyes, R. Asoy, D. Jones, Harriet Sturgeon.

Mrs. Llorente introduced Karen Washington, Manager of Character Education Program for HISD.  She will be replacing June Giddings.  Mrs. Giddings is now the P-16 Director.

PSAT Practice Test
This is very important. This is the first time students taking the SAT/PSAT/ACT Practice Test.  They were questioning why do we only have 50% of the seniors taking the SAT/ACT test? All the seniors need to take this test.  Mrs. Llorente is going to assess the Go Center people as well as Mr. Stickney who’s also in charge, on how many seniors take the test.  Mrs. Stickney needs to get all the seniors to register for the SAT or ACT.  Mr. Stickney will also be in charge of the PSAT.  Mrs. Llorente needs everybody who’s taking the SAT including the counselors.  The counselors are also responsible anything dealing with the SAT/PSAT/ACT.  It doesn’t matter if they are the 9th, 10th, 11th or 12th grade counselor.  We are all responsible.  All the 10th and 11th graders are expected to take the PSAT test when given.  HISD pays for 10th grade except for a few.  Lunch applications are very important. Mrs. Moreno is working extra hours to contact the parents for vital information on the lunch applications.  If they have a lunch application they don’t have to pay for anything.

Open House
Open house is mandatory for teachers, staff, and clerks/aides.  Open House will be from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.  Mrs. Llorente expects everyone to be here.  If you are not going to be here you need to notify her personally.

Influenza Shots
Influenza shots will be given free on Friday, September 25, 2009 from 6:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.   If you are planning to get the shot, you need to be here early.

Texas School Improvement Conference – Sept. 29 – Oct. 1, 2009
Next week Mrs. Llorente, Mrs. Shaw and Dr. Petterway will attend this conference in Austin, Texas.  Mrs. Llorente asked: Why do we have to attend this meeting if we met AYP this year?  We have to be off AYP for two consecutive years.  If by May 2010 we meet AYP it will be absolutely wonderful.  If the school gets to stage 4 and the following year on stage 5 that’s when they do what is called a “reconstitution” meaning that 75% of us will be out of here and we don’t want that to happen.  We need to come up with a plan of action.  Mrs. Llorente is waiting to be done with the 10-minute meetings.

Mrs. Llorente stated that she has learned a lot from every body who came in to talk to the Administrators and the Content Managers during these meetings.   Mrs. Llorente has learned a lot from these sessions.  Some of the new people are bit nervous.  If they are not ready, she’s going to reschedule those teachers.  When Mrs. Llorente asks you to do things a certain way; that’s how she wants it done.  The purpose of the 10 minute is for teachers to go in and get the trackers and examine their kids every one of them in every single classroom. Teachers need to continually be working with those students that they have in their classrooms that are weak and that need a little extra push so we can get them where we want them to be.  We want them to pass the TAKS.  We want them to grow.  We want them to meet Commended Standards.  The people from East Region and 18th street they are getting all this information from us.  Mrs. Llorente has always been an over achiever and always does what needs to be done to the maximum. That’s how she wants you to work with the kids. She gives you everything to be a successful teacher.  Mrs. Llorente is not able to meet with the Elective and CTE classes because they have seven classes and only one off period.   She’s not going to touch that off period they have.  Mrs. Llorente told the Department Leaders that if anybody wanted to meet with her they can.  They can come and talk to her about anything they wish.  They can talk to her about their students on how they are progressing.     

Mrs. Llorente needs from Mr. Vila and Mrs. Valera the list of ESL students that are exempt.    There’s a lot of pressure when it comes to Math, English, Science and Social Studies.  If you are teaching something else other than the content areas you had never felt this pressure.  If they ask you for anything please help.  Mr. Asoy has 180 Sp. Ed. exempt students.  Students should be on campus for exit level TAKS, if not, we need to call their home. If we don’t get them they become dropouts and it will hurt our Completion Rate.  Completion Rate is 85% every year.  If we do not meet this percentage we can not be recognized. What is TPM (Texas Projection Measure)?  Once a kid meets standard like in a 9th grade TAKS Math exam has 52 questions.  All the student needs to pass is 31 questions.  If a student takes the test and gets 25 correct but if the year before it was lower like 20, therefore the student meets TPM.  If the student improves from one year to the next we will get credit.  This is TPM.  If the kid shows growth we will get a check mark.  Our goal is for students to pass the TAKS without TPM which is harder to get.  They need to pass TAKS.

Mrs. Llorente is very proud of Mr. Runnels.  All the band students have uniforms.  He currently has 90 students in Band, Drill Team and Dance Club.  Mrs. Llorente told him that we need more students.  Next year Mrs. Llorente is going to hire another person so Mr. Runnels will have a partner.  Mr. Runnels works extremely hard with a large group. 

Other Activities
FBLA – Business Attire on Thursday, September 24, 2009 (approximately 15 students) – Mrs. Williams

• SDMC voted 100% approved.

Leadership Meeting – Mrs. Terrones will be in charge.

Minutes submitted by:  B. Macias
     L. Lozano