August 25, 2008
Volume 81
Number 8
Michael Zolkoski, Ph.D. - Superintendent of Schools
Memorial Teacher Takes Part in Science Foundation’s Project
Memorial High School chemistry teacher Darla Coghill has been selected to receive what’s termed a “graduate assistanceship” offered by the National Science Foundation. She’ll be teaming with other scientists on an NSF-funded project called Developing Inquiry-Based Instruction Skills. “In science we encourage our students to ask questions and learn hands on,” Coghill said, “and on our project we’ll be looking at teacher direction.” A former engineer, Coghill has taught at Memorial for close to a decade. “We are very proud to have her as part of (our) staff,” said Memorial Principal Elizabeth Martin. The assistanceship’s benefits include a $3000 stipend, tuition and fees totaling $1017, and a $1000 travel stipend to the foundation’s annual conference in New Orleans.
A Job Well Done
A Job Well Done is a forum for TPS employees to express appreciation and gratitude. This entry comes from Area Supervisor Connie Pounds. She writes: “Today I received a telephone call from a person in customer service with Southwestern Bell. She called to compliment one of our drivers in van B-258 (HVAC); she saw them stop to assist a little old woman on the side of the road who appeared to be having problems. She wanted us to know how impressed she was with the men who gave assistance to a patron and added ‘that was good customer service.’ She also said she sees our vans all over town and the drivers are always very nice and courteous. I thanked her for calling and added it was good to get such a positive comment.” To participate go to the Public Information Department’s online submission form at www.tulsaschools.org/pi/ stories.asp and tell us about coworkers and site/ departments that went above and beyond the call of duty.
Grant Writing Workshop
There’s a science to writing grant applications and the stakes are high—hundreds of thousands of dollars can depend on it. A two-day grant writing workshop is September 11-12 and TPS employees are invited to attend. Tuition is $425 per person and includes a workbook, 300+MB resource CD, two days of instruction and a lifetime access to an informative online forum. Seating is limited, online reservations are necessary and walk-ins are not allowed. The workshop is at 1111 West 17th Street, Room D007. For more information including venue maps, graduate testimonials and instant, online enrollment go to grantwritingusa.com.
Sick Leaves
The following employees have been approved to receive donated sick days: Vickey Addington Constance Colbert Dovey Fox Ana Gomez Khalilah Grundy Teresa Harris Jimmie Jones Anthony Long Margaret Martin Deborah A. Moore Carissa Ann Trost If you would like to donate a day of your sick leave, please request the appropriate form from your site secretary. Participation is voluntary and confidential.
Think Safety!
The Maintenance Department is again this year providing Safety Comment Cards in the main office of every TPS site. If you are aware of a safety concern on TPS property please fill out one of the cards and the Safety Committee vows to address the issue. Stay alert. Your safety and the safety of others depend on it.
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Superintendent’s Bulletin • August 25, 2008 JOB OPPORTUNITIES
A vacancy exists in the positions shown below. Those qualified and interested in such a position must file an online application within twenty working days (excluding holidays) of the date of this notice. Instructional Specialist for American History Grant (TAH Grant Specialist) (190-days) Reports to: Secondary Curriculum Director Minimum Qualifications: Master’s degree in history (preferred), or curriculum or educational leadership; minimum of five (5) years successful experience teaching U.S. History; experience conducting staff training and project implementation; excellent communication, planning and organizational skills; knowledge of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; experience in data collection and analysis. Duties and Responsibilities: Successfully monitor and evaluate all activities related to the Teaching American History Project. These activities will include collecting and analyzing data relative to project goals, providing professional development that supports the enhancement of teacher content knowledge and instructional delivery that results in improved student achievement, identifying community resources, and collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to support improved teaching and learning. Compensation: Teacher’s salary schedule plus stipend. Date of Notice: August 25, 2008 District Homebound Teacher (190-days) Reports to: Executive Director of Special Education and Student Services Minimum Qualifications: Possess Bachelor’s degree and must have current, valid Oklahoma State teaching certificate in special education. Duties and Responsibilities: Work with assigned students to provide home-based instruction, during regular school hours, to students who are unable to attend school because of medical reasons and/or suspension. Work with student’s home school in the development and implementation of the core components of the school’s curriculum. Work with home school staff to coordinate, schedule and implement appropriate homebound instruction. Assist in day-to-day homebound operations, including, but not limited to: reports, discipline, facilities, tracking grades, transcripts, conferring with schools, students, and/or parents, scheduling, monitoring progress and perform other duties as assigned. Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with education and experience. Date of Notice: August 25, 2008 Chief Leadership Instructor (200-days)
TPS Guards Undergo Tulsa Police Academy Training
The men and women entrusted with maintaining safety and calm in district schools took part in a ten-hour training session at the Tulsa Police Academy. “It gives us an opportunity to bring in all of our campus security and show them what to expect,” said Sam Troglin, private security/special event liaison for Tulsa Public Schools. Administrators, field supervisors and security guards from Securitas—the firm TPS contracts with to patrol our campuses—attended and heard presentations on lawenforcement related topics such as crowd control and gang activity. Sgt. Mark Stevens of the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office taught the portion on crowd control. He said it’s a different dynamic when dealing with young people. “When you have teenagers, their ideas of what their rights are are completely messed up because of what they have seen on TV and the Internet,” Stevens said. “They think the only people they have to listen to are their parents. So we are exploring some of the issues involved with that type of crowd control and managing large groups of people.” So what’s the key to effective control of a crowd, which Stevens defines as a group of three or more people? “You don’t cuss. You’re not rude. You always tell the truth and you never threaten,” he said. “The biggest challenge for (the security guards) is going to be dealing with students that become unruly,” Troglin said. “We want to keep our campuses safe for our students and our faculty.”
Update on Alternative Education Audit
Tulsa Public Schools is participating in an intensive audit examining the district’s alternative education programs. The audit was approved by the Board of Education this past spring. “We want the press to understand the process we are taking,” said Roberta Ellis, the district’s Assistant to the Superintendent for Accountability and Research. “Our goal is to have a state-of-the-art alternative education program and we want the process to be as transparent as possible.” On August 20 the public participated in what’s called a “Walk About”—essentially sharing ideas through written comments. The input will be used in the audit. The results of the audit will be released in the fall.
Superintendent’s Bulletin • August 25, 2008
Reports to: Principal – Alternative School Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree Duties and Responsibilities: Supervises three to six leadership instructors and is responsible for personnel management in the department. Plans, organizes and coordinates the required activities of academy students for a performance-based alternative education program at the Tulsa Academic Center. Trains and supervises platoon leadership instructors. Supervises completion of the daily training schedules; provides guidance and counseling to subordinate staff to assure proper supervision of students; manages students discipline system; makes recommendations to the principal concerning program needs and procedure revisions. Compensation: BL-5 Date of Notice: August 25, 2008
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Duties and Responsibilities: Perform routine office activities, entering data on PC, spreadsheets and databases; managing phone calls and messages; handling various aspects of the department budget and reports; process requisitions; maintain purchasing records for the department. Assist in accounting records including enrolling/ withdrawing children, posting deposits, receive payments and complete deposits; maintain resource area for sites; new employee orientation and paperwork; prepare agenda for meetings and other documents as required. Keep files in orderly manner. Perform other duties when assigned. Compensation: Grade 5 hourly Date of Notice: August 25, 2008 Accounts Specialist (12-month position) Reports to: Coordinator of Before and After School Programs Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or its equivalent, two years of college preferred; a minimum of two years of bookkeeping and clerical experience. General knowledge of TPS operations and child care licensing is preferred; strong interpersonal and customer skills; good oral and written communication skills; high level of attention given to accuracy and detail. Duties and Responsibilities: Monitor status of accounts receivable to insure payments are current; set up payment plans with parents; reconcile accounts; post weekly charges and daily deposits on the tuition management software program. Prepare financial reports of past due revenue and preventative methods of eliminating past due accounts. Pursue past due accounts to turn over to Municipal County Court or collection agency. Perform other duties when assigned. Compensation: Grade 6 hourly Date of Notice: August 25, 2008
MORE JOB OPPORTUNITIES
One or more vacancies may occur in the positions shown below. Those qualified and interested in such a position should file written request or application and resume within five calendar days (excluding holidays) of the date of this notice. Principal’s Secretary (190-days) Reports to: Academy Central Elementary School Principal Minimum Qualifications: Must have a high school diploma or equivalent. Previous school office and/or secretarial experience preferred; computer skills required; Notary Public preferred and have assed the TCC Secretarial Assessment Test by 70% or greater. Duties and Responsibilities: Demonstrate proficient organizational skills, good written and oral communication. Must be a self-starter; student activity treasurer; purchasing/receiving on the Walker system; payroll (monthly/biweekly); budgets (site, Reading Sufficiency); prepare agendas, parent letters, weekly bulletins, telephone correspondence, and arrange substitute teacher schedules. Will serve as Kronos time manager and perform other duties as assigned. Compensation: Grade 8 hourly Date of Notice: August 25, 2008 Clerk (12-month position) Reports to: Coordinator of Before and After School Programs Minimum Qualifications: High school diploma or its equivalent. 1 – 2 years of clerical experience. Must have a pleasant personality, positive attitude, and a willingness to learn; must be able to work well under pressure and tight deadlines; must have exceptional communication skills. General knowledge of TPS operations and child care licensing is preferred. Strong organization skills a must.
APPROVED MATERIALS
Aldersgate United Methodist Church – Afterschool Program Brookside Baptist Church – Angel Food Ministries Calvary Baptist Church – Life Development Child Evangelism Fellowship Inc. – Good News Club Darlington Park Neighborhood – Block Party Gym Time Hoops – Basketball Skills Camp Red Fork Church of God – Back 2 School Party Sequoyah Hills Baptist Church – Angel Food
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Superintendent’s Bulletin • August 25, 2008
Assist the Plant Operation Department
There are open custodial positions available at various school sites. The positions are both full-time with benefits and part-time. Apply on line or call (918) 833-8055
Calendar of Meetings and Events
September 1 Labor Day—No Classes September 2 Board of Education Meeting—ESC, 7:00 p.m. September 15 Board of Education Meeting—ESC, 7:00 p.m.
Helping Families Cope with Rising Costs
Skyrocketing fuel and grocery prices have forced even middle-income families to choose between food, medications, school supplies and a tank of gasoline. Tulsa Public Schools' Child Nutrition Services can help save TPS families hundreds of dollars each school year through its Free and Reduced Meal Program. More than 85% of the students in the District's 58 elementary schools qualify for free and reduced meals through the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, and the After-School Snack Program. Households with incomes as high as $46,280 may qualify for free meals, while those with incomes as high as $65,860 may qualify for reduced-price meals. Anyone may apply. Tulsa Public Schools is the largest school district in Oklahoma with approximately 42,000 enrolled students. The District has a total of 89 school facilities: 9 high schools, 15 middle schools, 58 elementary schools and 7 alternative schools. Of the students currently enrolled, 35% are African American, 19% Hispanic, 10% Native American, 1% Asian, and 34% Caucasian. For more information: 918-833-8690 or 918-833-8673 or email cns@tulsaschools.org.
TULSA PUBLIC SCHOOLS STATEMENT OF NONDISCRIMINATION "Tulsa Public Schools is an equal opportunity organization and does not discriminate in its educational and employment policies and programs on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, veteran status, or disability. For information, contact the Director of Compliance at (918)746-6357."