School board adopts steps to fill board vacancy

Directors of the Mt. Pleasant Community School District reviewed the school board director vacancy policy and timelines, the 2016-17 superintendent?s professional learning plan/action plan and discussed dates for work sessions during the school year during a board work session Monday night.

The school board hopes to fill the District II seat, which will become vacant after the Nov. 8 election, according to Superintendent John Henriksen, during the Nov. 14 board meeting.

Melinda Huisinga currently serves as District II director, filling the vacancy created by the resignation of Regina Erickson. The board hoped to fill the vacancy during the November 8 general election but missed the filing deadline.

The procedure, adopted by the board, for filling the vacancy includes the following:

? Post notice of the vacancy in the Mt. Pleasant News and on the district website for the second week in October.

? Receive applications until Oct. 21, at 3 p.m.

? Board reviews applications.

? Board interviews applicants on Monday, Oct. 24, at 5 p.m. ahead of the regular scheduled work session.

? Appoint the selected individual on Nov. 14, to serve the remainder of the director District II seat (the term expires in September 2017).

Henriksen also presented his 2016-17 professional learning/action plan. The plan encompasses three professional standards which follow.

Standard 1: An educational leader promotes the success of all students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community (shared vision).

Standard 2: An educational leader promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional development (culture of learning).

Standard 3: An educational leader promotes the success of all students by ensuring management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environment (management).

Some of the actions that will be taken by Henriksen to accomplish the standards are holding monthly meetings between the superintendent and the Mt. Pleasant Education Association leadership; re-establishing the technology committee with regular quarterly meetings; conduct monthly collaborative conversations regarding the professional development process and action plans in each of the buildings.

Henriksen also will conduct a book study with the administrative team that will enhance its effectiveness and ultimately the effectiveness of the administrative team?s teaching staff; actively participate in the Area Education Agency?s instruction rounds network; and send each employee a happy birthday card for those birthdays with birthdays during the school year.

Tentative work session dates were set during the 2016-17 school year. The dates include the fourth Monday of each month (with the exception of Dec. 26) through May 2017. The March 27 work session will have a buildings and grounds tour, and review and project prioritization.

Next regular meeting of the board will be Monday, Oct. 10, at the high school media center.