BAY MILLS — The Bay Mills Ojibwe Charter School Board of Directors met Monday, Sept. 13, for a regularly scheduled meeting. Board members Michelle Carrick and Shelly Deuman were absent. Mosaica Education Chief Operating Officer Ken Rogers, Mosaica Education Regional Vice President Rita Chapin, Mosaica Education Curriculum Facilitator John Blakey, Principal Nadine Cain, and Mosaica Education Grant Coordinator Shannon Metcalf were all present.
Cain commented on how much the students enjoy their school lunches, especially after the addition of a daily salad bar. She estimated that 106 lunches and 55 breakfasts are served daily at the school. Food Service Director Deb Toms should be commended for the work she does at the school, she added.
Cain said the process of gaining certification for the school's kitchen was very complicated. Chippewa County would not inspect it because it is located on tribal property, while Inter-Tribal would not because it is a public school, she said. In the end, Joe Davis from the Chippewa County Health Department inspected the kitchen. Davis gave the kitchen good marks, but said if the school planned on using a stove they would have to install an exhaust system, complete with sprinklers. He estimated the cost would be about $15,000 for this project. He added that the school may also need to purchase a larger hot water heater.
Interrupting Cain's report was a phone call from Terry Carrick. Board Vice-President Wanda Perron took the time to swear in Carrick, as well as Ann Belleau, to the OCS Board of Directors. Because Carrick was out of town and unable to attend the meeting, he was sworn in via telephone.
After the two new board members took their oath, Cain continued her report. She said Brandon Miller was coaching the fourth through sixth grade girls basketball teams and their first game would be Oct. 2 in the Sault. The soccer team would also be seeing their first action at a scrimmage in Grand Marais, on Oct. 4, she added. According to Cain, to be eligible to participate in the Northern Lights League, OCS must agree to transport the students to Beaver Island and Mackinac Island at least once a year.
Cain addressed the problem the school is having with busing. The biggest problem with enrollment stems from the lack of transportation, she said. The school currently buses about 40 students and has a waiting list of 50-60 students who wish to ride the bus. Those who cannot be bused to school are dropping out, she added.
At the last General Tribal Council meeting Tribal Chairman Jeff Parker said the tribe was looking into trading in two small buses for one larger one. Efforts to obtain a large bus for the school have stalled, according to Cain, and Parker said it was now “out of the question” and that the tribe had “other priorities.”
Mosaica Education Grant Coordinator Shannon Metcalf said the Impact Aid the school applied for should be in by November or December. Hopefully it will fund this year as well as last, she said.
Curriculum Facilitator John Blakey said he has been at the charter school doing classroom observation and plans on being at the school four days a month. Blakey will be instructing teachers in the various methods to improve their teaching techniques.
The two main things Blakey is teaching the teachers is the “Six-plus-One” writing assessment traits, and curriculum mapping. “Six-plus-One” will give students a consistent writing curriculum that stays the same each year. It will teach teachers how to properly and consistently grade students' writing. Curriculum mapping is basically challenging teachers to map backwards, instead of forward, and follow their curriculum throughout the course of the year. Teachers tend to focus on chapters of particular interest and fail to instruct students in the final two or three chapters, he said.
In new business, board member Aaron Tadgerson brought up questions about the high school curriculum. He feels the curriculum should be closely aligned with colleges to ensure potential graduates a quality education. Too many students in area schools have to waste time and money on “prep” courses their freshmen year of college, he said.
Tadgerson also stressed the importance of offering OCS teachers a quality retirement. They should be offered retirement through the Michigan Public Schools Retirement Program like other Michigan teachers, he said. After much discussion, the issues were tabled for a later meeting when all board members would be present.
The next scheduled school board meeting is Oct. 11.
