OCSS Board Meeting Minutes

 

October 30, 2004 – Putnam City Schools Administration Building

 

 

 

Brett Dickerson called the meeting to order at 10:10.  Members in attendance –

Brenda Chapman, Barbara Schindler, Rita Geiger, Mary Oppegard, Julie Guild, Bob Ehrle, Denise Rhodes, Eugene Earsom, Richard Killgore, Brett Dickerson, Greg Thralls, and Ann Kennedy.

 

Report of the Minutes – Brenda Chapman

Corrections – Dr. Chidodo’s name is misspelled, A letter will be sent out in November about our change in membership calendar instead of was sent. 

Motion was made and seconded to approve the minutes and the board voted to approve the minutes.

 

Membership report – Eugene Earsom

Membership as of 10-29-04:

339 Active

8 Corporate

Eugene believes this is an all time high for membership.  There will be a new member added today.  OCSS picked up about 30 memberships from the summer OKAGE academy and OCSS picked up about  7 from the World Geography Academy. 

Membership report accepted by the board.

 

Treasurer’s Report – Ann Kennedy

Lyndal Caddell returned the money OCSS gave him to be a NCSS delegate.  OCSS still has bills coming fro the TTI – more money coming in from the World Geography Academy because most teachers registered with a P.O. 

$19.95 a month for hosting website (total of $219.45 for the year) – Pam has been charging this to her credit card and this money reimburses her.  Maybe we can offer to have this directly billed to us so Pam does not have to pay any interest on her card – will ask if this is possible.  Checking balance - $3378.99.  Total Assets - $17,651.36 (this includes money market, 6 month cd, Citizens’ Bank CD, Main Share, and checking)

Motion and second to receive treasurer’s report – board voted to receive report

 

Board Shirts – Denise Rhodes

Board members will pay for own shirts.  (Pay Ann)

Will have Khaki shirts with Oklahoma Council for the Social Studies on them.  Also will have the state of Oklahoma with OCSS in side of the state.

Motion made and seconded to order Khaki shirts as official uniform shirt for OCSS – motion passes.

 

 

 

 

National Council for Geographic Education Conference in Kansas City – Bob Ehrle

About a dozen Oklahoma teachers attended the conference.  Several groups from Oklahoma presented and OKAGE had a large group attend.  Bob spent time in the exhibit area, spent time talking with vendors and has made email contact with them about being a corporate member of OCSS. 

 

 

World Geography Academy – Eugene Earsom

Registered 308 – 19 no/shows – so total number of people attending plus presenters was about 300.  These are 6th and 7th grade teachers.  Kelly and Eugene met with testing folks and are in line to come to Feb. workshop.

 

No formal alliance with OKAGE, State Department, and OCSS.  OCSS has been supporting these activities in the past and there does not have to be a contract between OKAGE and OCSS. 

 

Winter Conference Report – Executive Committee/Brett Dickerson

Executive Committee has tried to handle as much information as they could.  Pam Merrill has agreed to continue to be our Vice-President, Brenda Chapman has agreed to be President-Elect, and Kelly Palmer has agreed to be our Secretary.

 

OKAGE agreed to move back World Geography Academy to Thursday, Feb. 3rd and that gives OCSS OCCE for Friday, Feb. 4th and Saturday, Feb. 5th.  OCCE is holding the facility waiting on our response.  OCCE only available on Feb. 4th and 5th.

OCCE has about 12 breakout rooms that will accommodate about 30 people per room.  The forum will seat several hundred people.

Sooner Hotel is also close for people who need a place to stay and parking is free.

Biggest drawback to Metro Tech – extra rooms not available.

 

Question had been raised about the date.  The SDE Master Teacher Program and OEA committee Saturday are in conflict with Feb. 4th and 5th.   The third weekend in Feb. was discussed as an alternative.  This would be Feb. 18-19.  The only conflict for both days would be the Model UN.  Close-up conflicts with Friday.

 

Brett made a plea to the board not to string this out – the board needs to make a decision and start the planning.  We also have already advertised this on the website as Feb. 4th and 5th.

 

Discussion – Consideration of alternate date and place.  Is UCO available and could Dr. Sasser help us there.  There is also the Clarion Convention Center, Rose State, Midwest City Convention Center, and Oklahoma Community College. 

We need a direct tie in to the State Department to get teachers out on the Friday – will we get that if we leave it on the 4th and 5th and Kelly Curtright can not come to our conference.  A comment was made that if we could get the SDE tie in by moving we should consider the move – if we couldn’t get the tie in – we shouldn’t move. 

Can OKAGE move to Friday and be a part of the conference.  One of the big conference rooms is not open on Friday – so the answer is no to that question.  A question was asked if we could exhibit some of our corporate members on the Thursday of the World Geography Academy – answer – Eugene thinks there will be no problem for that – but will check.

Comments were made that OKAGE was just trying to help.

 

Brenda discussed that she had talked with Kelly Curtright and Kelly was looking into what he could do as far as facilities.  There were comments made that the SDE just takes time and you have to go through their people and Kelly may not be able to speed them up.

 

Motion made and seconded that OCSS stay with the Original Date for the conference and hold the conference at OCCE in Norman.

Motion passed the board.

 

Brenda commented that now that we had decided on a date – she could not be there until Friday evening and probably not any on Saturday so someone else needed to be in charge of Registration.  Barbara Schindler agreed to help with registration and Kelly Palmer as the new secretary would be able to help. 

 

Structure of conference – Friday should tie into testing.

Executive committee will meet with Kelly on ideas for this.

On Friday – a box lunch (something quick) – Saturday – traditional awards luncheon.

 There have been some speakers that were already asked to speak and we need to clear up these situations.  Gov. Henry was invited to speak Friday evening about his involvement in OASIS and global education.  State Department Historian was asked to speak at the general session on Saturday and then do a breakout session.

 

Motion made and seconded that Friday’s conference schedule would have 8-9 as registration, 4 breakouts with an hour lunch between breakouts 2 and 3, evening session with a principal speaker.  Saturday would have – 2 short breakouts in the morning, a general session speaker and an extended lunch for awards.

 

Discussion involved the idea that after lunch – we should end the conference.

Motion passed the board.

 

Barbara stated that Pre-service teachers would not be released on Friday – mainly student teachers.  Best Practices was talked about for Saturday sessions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reciprocal Membership in OCEE/ORA

Linda Gunsalis was not able to attend the board meeting to present the idea.

Comments were made as to why do social studies teachers have to justify social studies using reading.  Concern with diverting more money away from social studies.

Other comments were made that there was a focus to work with elementary teachers and encourage them to use social studies concept books in reading.  Reading and testing really gets people’s attention and we have to use that for release time sometimes.  Comments were made about social studies presenting at places like Encyclomedia and reading teachers could present at OCSS conferences.  We could help the reading teachers to present social studies books and concepts.

 

Oklahoma Council for Economic Education – update

New Middle School Geography materials

Rewriting Eyes on the Prize

Jump Start – emphasis on finance/economics

Wednesdays in The Daily Oklahoman – Middle School lesson plans are printed – the paper has given permission to print these. 

Federal Reserve has asked for lesson plans

Training all AmeriCorp teachers in financial literacy

OCEE has given over 39 workshops to over 900 teachers

 

Motion made and seconded to table reciprocal membership with Oklahoma Reading Association until Linda G. can present specifics.

Motion was passed by the board.

 

Communications Committee – Standing Committee –

Not sure of the pariameters of chair of committee and we need to look seriously at revamping our communications,

Good policy to re-evaluate after a year since we have changed our communications.

In our old newsletter – we used to advertise for our corporate members – what should we do with our present newsletter to give our corporate members advertising?  Could we place their business cards on the back of our new newsletter?  We have already sent out a couple of newsletters without advertisements.

Bob has volunteered to work with our corporate members.

 

Ideas on newsletter – our vision for the newsletter was for it to be snappy, attractive, quick, one page both sides, and give out our website for people to visit.  Is this what our newsletter is now?  No

Our present newsletter is just an abbreviated version of our old newsletter.

Pam has been in contact with Bonnie as our liason.

There were some board comments about that Bonnie decided she couldn’t get the first newsletter completed when we wanted it – so it was late getting out.  We need more graphics and have offered to give her help with that area of the newsletter.

The only issue between the IBM and Mac would be the database.

A suggestion was made to fire Bonnie and go a different way if that is what the board wants to do – another suggestion was to sit down with Bonnie and thoroughly explain what it is that we want.

Suggestion was also made to gather the communications committee together and discuss the newsletter.

Ideas – maybe a special mailing just about the Feb. conference.

 

Motion made and seconded to include corporate members on the newsletter and on the home page of our website.

Motion passed by the board.

 

Motion made and seconded to print the newsletter on 8 ˝ by 14 colored paper.

Motion passed by the board.

These two items need to be communicated to Bonnie.

 

Budgeting – we need a budget committee that would look at all our needs and could present a budget.  Right now there is no plan and we have lots of requests for funding without a plan.

Would like to make this a permanent standing committee.

 

Idea – Brett, as President, can set up an ad hoc committee now and then we can work on a constitutional amendment and propose that amendment at our conference for membership to vote.

 

Motion made and seconded for the President to appoint an ad hoc committee to be Budgeting/Planning Committee with the Treasurer as the Chair of the Committee.

Motion passed by the board

 

OCSS in the past has been the treasurer for OKAGE institutes, for example, this  year’s World Geography Academy.  Suggestion was made to make formal our relationship as to being the treasurer for the World Geography Academy and other TTIs.  OCSS has kept the difference between regular and actual cost because state funds can’t be used for food, so the bulk of registration fee to pay for lunch.

 

Motion made and seconded for OCSS to partner with OKAGE TTIs and SDE TTIs to further our interests.

Discussion – Is OCSS profiting too much from this?  OKAGE should decide what amount of money should go to OCSS.  OCSS hasn’t really needed to help other than receipt the money.  How much is OCSS benefiting?  Maybe as much as $10 a person.  OKAGE would do this – Eugene doesn’t want to do this really – wants to help OCSS.  Bill may bring this up at the OKAGE steering committee.  OCSS would be glad to help if OKAGE needs us.

Motion passed the board.

 

Legislative – attended Jumpstart Conference.  Daisy Lawler – plans to submit the same bill this time as she did last time.  Bill to mandate economic education.  Unfunded mandates a problem.  Financial literacy is very specific.  If this is mandated = will need more money.

May approach Debbie Leftwhich and Kathleen Wilcoxsen about reintroducing SB 701 – vetoed by Gov. Keating.  (creating fund to get it in place)

 

Annoucements –

First Amendment Congress Conference – Nov. 11 at OCU.  There will be an Honor Guard and proclamation about Veterans’ Day.  There will also be protest anthems.  John Tinker is speaking.

Friday 12th – Why has the Oklahoma State Legislature exempted themselves from the Oklahoma Open Meetings Act.  Some media people to speak and Michael Salem.

FOIOklahoma.org

 

Oklahoma Council for History Education Meeting  -meeting at UCO on Nov. 6

 

Next board meeting – Dec. 11 Phillips Hotel in Bartlesville

 

Brett will contact Kelly about recognizing Patti Harold as NCSS teacher of the year.

 

Meeting adjourned – 1:25