2013-07-25July 25, 2013 (Adjourned Meeting)
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An adjourned meeting of the Board of Supervisors of Albemarle County, Virginia, was held on July
25, 2013, at 12:30 p.m., Department of Forestry Building, Fontaine Research Park, 900 Natural
Resources Drive, Charlottesville, Virginia. This meeting was adjourned from July 10, 2013.
PRESENT: Mr. Kenneth C. Boyd, Mr. William B. Craddock, Ms. Ann Mallek, Mr. Dennis S.
Rooker, Mr. Duane E. Snow and Mr. Rodney S. Thomas.
OFFICERS PRESENT: Mr. Thomas C. Foley, County Executive, Ms. Lee Catlin, Assistant to the
County Executive for Community & Business Partnerships, Mr. Larry W. Davis, County Attorney, Ms. Ella
W. Jordan, Clerk, and Mr. Travis O. Morris, Senior Deputy Clerk.
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SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS: Mr. Jason Buyaki, Mr. Ned Gallaway, Mr. Steve Koleszar, Ms.
Diantha McKeel, Ms. Barbara Massie Mouley, and Ms. Pamela Moynihan.
ABSENT: Mr. Eric Strucko.
SCHOOL STAFF: Dr. Pam Moran, Superintendent, Dr. Matt Haas, Assistant Superintendent for
Organizational and Human Resources Leadership, Ms. Melissa Anderson, Assistant Director of Strategic
Planning & Organizational Improvement, Mr. Vincent Scheivert, Chief Information Officer, Ms. Debora
Collins, Executive Director of K-12 Instruction, Mr. John Blair, Senior Assistant County Attorney, and Ms.
Jennifer Johnston, School Board Clerk.
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The desired outcomes of the meeting are as follows:
Explore the meaning of "thriving" and "excellent" in the context of the County's Vision
statement and Goals 1 and 3 of the County’s Strategic Plan related to Education
Consider existing and future possibilities of alignment between the School’s and County’s
Strategic Plans
Build on shared understanding and productive working relationships
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To accomplish the desired outcomes, the following agenda was proposed:
Welcome and Overview.
Review Vision/Mission/Values.
Discussion: What does “thriving” look like for education? What does “excellent
educational opportunities” mean?
Past, Present, and Future: County Goal 1 (Provide excellent educational opportunities to
all Albemarle County residents) and County Goal 3 (Encourage a diverse and vibrant local
economy:
o Staff Presentation and Joint Board Discussion of Future Possibilities
Wrap-up and Next Steps.
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At 1:28 p.m., Mr. Foley and Dr. Moran welcomed everyone to the meeting.
Mr. Foley addressed the Boards, stating that this is the first time in his 14 years with the County
that the two Boards have come together to talk about future long-term strategic issues. He mentioned that
the two Boards have been working over the past year on fund balance policies and other difficult issues,
and are now adding collaboration in the five-year financial planning, a shared vision for the future. Mr.
Foley noted that the Board of Supervisors had adopted a new strategic plan the previous July that they
would focus on that at this meeting, particularly the vision statement and direction for the future.
Mr. Foley read the vision statement: “A thriving County, anchored by a strong economy and
excellent education system that honors its rural heritage, scenic beauty, and natural and historic
resources, while fostering attractive and vibrant communities.” He said that what’s prominent in that
statement is “a thriving County anchored by an excellent education system,” so staff would focus on that
with both Boards today in the context of their adopted strategic plans. Mr. Foley stated that it is important
that the Boards focus specifically on education at this meeting, and on August 21 the Board of Supervisors
have another retreat plan in which they will address what a “thriving County” means.
Dr. Moran addressed the Boards, stating that the schools’ vision for Albemarle County is that
every young person needs to be able to learn what they need to be successful; as they embrace learning,
they excel and they own their future. She said that “excel, embrace, and own” are verbs that are part and
partial of what they’d like for the kids being educated today. Dr. Moran stated that the School Board wants
children to be lifelong learning-ready, which means regardless of where they live and what type of post-
secondary education they will pursue, they will carry with them a portfolio of competency and skills that will
allow them to be successful as they move through life.
Ms. Mallek stated that the seven items on the Board of Supervisors’ strategic plan focus first on
education – to provide educational opportunities, which comprise a large part of the County’s budget and
the community’s interest. She said that the second priority is to provide community facilities that meet
current and future needs, which includes taking care of buildings and planning ahead for future
investments. Ms. Mallek reported that the third priority is to encourage a diverse and vibrant economy,
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and the County has made good strides in the last several years to streamline processes and be a more
visible locality interested in economic growth. She stated that the fourth priority is to protect the County’s
parks and its natural, scenic and historic resources in accordance with growth management policies. She
said that the fifth priority is to ensure the health and safety of the community, enhancing the collaborative
work of agencies and other communities. Ms. Mallek said the sixth priority is to promote individual
responsibility and citizen ownership, to increase activity in volunteerism and encourage people to do more
for themselves. She stated that the seventh priority is to promote a valued and responsive County
workforce.
Mr. Koleszar stated that the School Board’s overall goal is that all students who graduate are
lifelong learners, and the way to accomplish that is to engage them through instruction and activities that
motivate them. He said that the Schools would be using balanced assessments that go beyond SOLs and
measures whether students are actually learning lifelong learning skills. Mr. Koleszar stated that the
Schools continue to strive to close the opportunity gap and provide additional opportunities for students
who come in with educational deficits. He said that the Schools also want to create and expand
partnerships, as preparation for lifelong learning includes getting students out and engaged in the
community with internships and other opportunities. Mr. Koleszar said that another objective for the
schools is optimizing resources, focusing on those things that are most effective.
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Ms. Catlin addressed the Boards, stating that she and Mr. Haas would present at the meeting,
and indicating that she wanted both Boards to reflect and react to the vision, mission, and core values of
each organization. She asked each board member in attendance to share a comment about their
perceptions of those items.
Mr. Thomas said that it is important to him to continually enhance the wellbeing and quality of life
for all citizens of Albemarle County to the fullest extent possible, and to improve the way that they do it in a
way that is transparent. He stated that on the school side, he likes the statement “one student at a time.”
Mr. Boyd said that he is impressed by the diversity of the community in which they live, and is
aware that different people expect different things and weigh those things differently in importance. He
stated that it is important to him that all of those things are balanced, and the two Boards must keep that
in mind moving forward.
Mr. Koleszar stated that to him education is of course most important, and he loves the vision
statement for the schools and its use of action verbs. He said that as a school division and a County, they
are facilitating – but what makes it great is what citizens do.
Dr. Moran commented that she appreciates that the values on both sides when combined make a
wonderful, integrated package representative of the work that they own together.
Mr. Snow said that both sides focus on the opportunity and importance of continual learning, and
as board members they must keep their minds open and look for opportunities. Things they may not have
considered before and ensuring they too are constantly learning.
Mr. Craddock stated that both sides are trying to get to the same end, one going through
education and the other going through general government. He said that he feels that lifelong learning is a
valuable goal.
Ms. McKeel said that both the School System and County government are striving for excellence
and a high-quality product for citizens, and both divisions have high goals.
Mr. Rooker stated that the local government vision statement starts out by talking about
excellence in education, and ends talking about lifelong learning which shows how important the concept
of continual learning is on the Board side as well as the School side. He said that both also include
references to respect and creativity, and they have come up with a lot of the same ideas for developing
visions as to how to deliver services to constituents.
Mr. Buyaki said that he sees a lot of mutual dependence with both vision statements, and having
students own their own futures means they are responsible citizens.
Ms. Massie Mouly said that the interrelation strikes her as well, and noted the references in each
statement to education and learning. She stated that the schools function in part to train students as to
how to be good citizens, and the Board needs to let them know how the education piece fits in with all of
the other planning.
Ms. Mallek said that she is impressed with the “one student at a time” focus in the mission
because it shows the School Board’s awareness of the wide diversity of challenges each of the students
have depending on their background, experiences, and skill level. She stated that this is similar to the
diversity of interest among citizens as Mr. Boyd mentioned.
Ms. Moynihan commented that the focus on education seems to infuse the missions and core
values of both Boards, and that reflects the priority the community holds for education, and how important
it is to support education. She stated that she also sees a lot of respect for citizens and what they think
and feel, and they members need to work in partnership with the community. Ms. Moynihan added that
she is also impressed by the forward outlook both visions embrace.
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Mr. Gallaway said that as public officials they need to maintain respect and integrity when
addressing the differing priorities of the County’s citizens.
Mr. Foley stated that both Boards are really striving for a high bar, and both visions embrace a
consistent belief in the importance of lifelong learning.
Ms. Catlin said that it is important to get a grasp on how the Boards define “thriving” and “excellent
education,” etc., and asked them to break into small groups and discuss what those terms mean and how
to measure achievement in those defined areas.
The Boards broke into small groups at 2:01 p.m. to address the terminology, and reconvened as a
full group at 2:18 p.m.
Ms. Mallek reported for Group 2, representing Jack Jouett and White Hall districts, and said that
their group established that “thriving” means striking a balance between all the schools in the system,
providing learning opportunities that are fun and engaging, devoting attention to each child, having
students who are eager and happy to do their work, and involving experiences both in school and out.
She said that thriving also means that parents have jobs and meaningful work that create a happy home
environment for students, and homes are thriving due to good economic wellbeing; families have
confidence in the schools and are actively participating in schools and government. She stated that the
group found “excellent education” to mean a low dropout rate, student opportunities for internships with
local businesses, consistent high test scores at all levels, programs focusing on future skills needed,
curriculum that enhances creative thinking and arts, culture, languages and sciences. Ms. Mallek said
excellence also means that opportunities exist for all – not just some – and students become responsible,
knowledgeable and informed citizens and workers. She stated that teachers would be competent and
highly trained, with enough time to teach, and students would be able to think independently in addition to
achieving measurable scores.
Mr. Gallaway said that Group 3, representing Samuel Miller and Rio Districts, felt that “thriving”
meant acknowledging that different people have different definitions of what success and prosperity is,
critical thinking is vital, and continued learning is appreciated. He said that the group felt parents should
be engaged as lifelong learners as well as be involved with their children’s schools and homework. He
said that thriving also means encouraging respect and character for role modeling. Mr. Gallaway stated
that the group felt that “excellent education” meant education that was engaging, motivating, and fun for
students – a service provided based on their choice, leading to pathways, careers and continued learning.
Reporting for Group 1, representing Rivanna and Scottsville Districts, Mr. Koleszar stated that a
“thriving” educational system is one in which students have the skills to do what they want to do. He said
that thriving allows for opportunity for every individual no matter where they are in life, including
individualized instruction. Mr. Koleszar said that “excellent education” should include both traditional
measures – such as the percentage of students graduating with college credits, etc., but the simple
definition is that all students can go onto the next level. He said that the group also found it was important
to get feedback from businesses as to whether students are employment- ready, and from colleges as to
whether students are prepared.
Ms. Catlin asked the groups to consider what things in the community and education system are
close to thriving.
Ms. Mallek said that after meeting with students in MESA, she met a young man who needed
some assistance but is now headed to MIT.
Ms. Massie Mouly said that she feels that the County is thriving in the area of having a lot of
volunteers and engaged parents.
Ms. McKeel said that she feels the County is thriving in terms of arts and cultural experiences
offered to children, opportunities through the schools and the community in general for things like band,
chorus and drama.
Ms. Moynihan stated that she feels the County is thriving in terms of individualized education and
knowing the students, and engaging those students.
Mr. Rooker said that he has noticed an emphasis in the schools on creative teaching, which
recognizes that different students learn in different ways.
Mr. Thomas stated that he had met a MESA student also, and the program encouraged her to go
to Virginia Tech Engineering School – which she would not have considered without MESA.
Mr. Snow said that programs like MESA, CATEC, and other opportunities encourage more
student engagement.
Mr. Boyd stated that Albemarle is a thriving community and has a thriving school system, and if
you take snapshots of all of the things going on here, it is impressive.
Mr. Koleszar said that having teachers and administrators taking pay cuts to come work in the
County is an indicator of the level to which the community is thriving.
Ms. Catlin asked Board members to comment on the status of lifelong learning in the community.
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Mr. Rooker said the community has a variety of lifelong learning opportunities that is somewhat
unique, with UVA, JABA, the Senior Center, etc., having those programs.
Ms. McKeel mentioned that Monticello has those opportunities also.
Mr. Gallaway noted that having retirees volunteer at the schools and in other areas show the
commitment to lifelong learning, as well as the desire to have a strong learning system.
Mr. Craddock said that there are many opportunities for people here to rise to whatever level they
wish.
Ms. McKeel stated that this is one of the few communities that has actually added park land over
the last few years.
Ms. Catlin asked what areas Board members feel the County is further away from thriving.
Mr. Boyd said career-ladder jobs.
Mr. Rooker said that world languages in education are a bit weak.
Mr. Gallaway said that transitional education programs for special education students are also
lacking.
Ms. McKeel mentioned that Utah’s public school systems have embraced some great programs
for foreign languages such as Arabic and Chinese. She added that there are some challenges with
modernizing the career and technical programs at CATEC.
Ms. Moynihan noted that there seems to be some stalling among students with the transition to
adulthood and what it means to be a member of the community.
Mr. Rooker added that part of that is familial, and today a lot of schools are expected to do things
for kids that used to be done at home. He also stated that the expectations are different, and kids are
allowed to string out their decision as to what they want to be.
Ms. Moynihan agreed, but said it needs to be address in the lowest possible grade levels.
Ms. Mallek stated that a lot of it is related to the economy and the lack of jobs available to young
people. She added that having work opportunities and internships along with connections to business will
help them gain independence and confidence.
Mr. Koleszar commented on the importance of task -based learning, and stated that the schools
currently don’t have enough of it.
Mr. Boyd said that the breakdown of family system s has a big impact on kids, and there is not a
lot the schools or local government can do about that.
Ms. Catlin asked where the gaps exist with lifelong learning.
Mr. Buyaki responded that the challenge for the schools is that they are mandated by the state to
offer certain courses, so there must be some self -directed learning on the part of students.
Mr. Koleszar said that he sees a “lost generation” between the ages of 30-50 or 60, as they have
been educated under an older model.
Ms. McKeel stated that some communities are moving toward education that spans pre-K through
16, rather than K-12.
Mr. Boyd noted that there seems to be a lot of programs for highly achieving and lower achieving
students, but not much for those in the middle.
Mr. Gallaway responded that schools are moving towards performance-based learning instead of
standardized learning as the main assessment, which will bring everybody on board.
Mr. Koleszar mentioned that the kids in the middle are getting a lot more opportunities than they
were even five years ago.
Ms. McKeel said that the “one student at a time” philosophy gets to that.
Mr. Boyd said that it seems a lot of resources are going into the academies, early education
programs, etc.
Ms. Massie Mouly said that the Advancing Via Individual Determination (AVID) program is geared
toward the kids in the middle. She also stated that the Boards need to look at adult education in the
County and have some comprehensive view of it, as there are inputs from many different sources.
Mr. Rooker said that it seems there are a lot of opportunities for those who are already somewhat
educated to continue to learn, but not really at the bottom level.
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Ms. McKeel mentioned that the schools are lacking in resources for staff development, which will
become increasingly critical.
At 2:51 p.m., the Boards took a break, and returned at 3:02 p.m. (Note: Mr. Thomas left the
meeting.)
Mr. Matt Haas addressed the Boards, stating that he would discuss the County’s strategic plan
goals. He mentioned that he had served on Lori Allshouse’s team working on excellence in education.
Ms. Lori Allshouse, Director of the Office of Management and Budget, said that she was assigned
the strategic planning goal related to excellent educational opportunities, and introduced others who had
worked on her team: Melissa Anderson, Matt Haas, Debbie Collins, Josh Davis, Miller Stoddard, Mike
Culp, John Freeman, and Pam Dumas.
Ms. Debbie Collins addressed the Boards, presenting a map of where the County preschool
programs are located and noting that 11 schools out of 16 have preschools. She said that they include
some Head Start, Title I and Bright Stars programs – with a total of about 230 preschoolers each year.
Mr. Rooker asked who provides transportation. Ms. Collins responded that it is provided by
Albemarle County Public Schools.
Ms. Collins said that during the summer, they have a Jump Start program in which preschoolers
attend along with summer school students to the school they would attend in kindergarten.
Ms. Mallek asked if the programs were just for disadvantaged and at-risk students. Ms. Collins
said that for the last six years, they’ve operated as a preschool network with a common application, and
they are typically free and reduced lunch students who exhibit some risk factors at home. She said that
the funding for Bright Stars comes from the Virginia Preschool Initiative through DSS and the schools;
Title I and Head Start are supported through federal funds.
Mr. Snow asked if sequestration had impacted the programs. Ms. Collins responded that it may
be a challenge in the future, and the preschool network is working to establish local funding sources.
Mr. Rooker asked if there were family support workers for programs other than Head Start. Mr.
Freeman said that everyone in those classes gets the same level of support.
Ms. Mallek asked if they knew how many preschool-age children in the County were not getting
these services. Ms. Collins responded that they are serving about 80% of families that apply.
Mr. Freeman said that they can estimate from food stamp recipients how many eligible kids are
not participating, and in FY13 there were 86 children on the wait list, with 85% of those meeting eligibility
requirements. He referenced a concept paper developed by DSS Director Kathy Ralston, which
addresses the wait list problem and how to serve more kids through public-private partnership. Mr.
Freeman mentioned that the new library property could possibly accommodate a preschool classroom,
which addresses the need in the northern corridor area where the demand is greater. He noted that long-
term research demonstrates a 10 to 1 return on pre-K investment with success beyond school years.
Ms. Susan Stimart, Economic Development Facilitator, addressed the Boards, stating that she
was assigned to Goal 3 – encouraging a diverse and vibrant local economy. She said that the highlights
of County staff’s work to fulfill the objectives of the strategic plan and economic vitality action plan include
documenting the current regional workforce training resources, working with local businesses to help
identify gaps in the workforce, and building a pipeline of the County’s four target industries. Ms. Stimart
mentioned that PVCC had formed an advisory council at a regional level to assess needs, particularly
manufacturing. She stated that they are also continuing partnerships for entrepreneurial training.
Ms. Melissa Anderson addressed the Boards and said that local government and school staff had
addressed Goal 1 – provide excellent educational opportunities to all Albemarle County residents. She
said that they presented a concept for this in Richmond and received positive feedback from other
localities, and have reached out to the local government workforce to ask representatives from each
department to be a contact for career specialists in schools.
Mr. Haas said that the last activity for the meeting would be to have Board members talk in small
groups and discuss how the two strategic plans align.
When the group reconvened, they discussed the importance of internships, job readiness, and
career-ladder jobs.
Mr. Boyd said that his small group talked about consolidating outcomes and goals, as all of these
things are tied in together on both the school and local government sides.
Ms. McKeel said that her group talked about an adult education study to help identify gaps, and
then see where to go from there.
Mr. Rooker said that private partners would need to be included, and if holes are identified those
partners could be utilized to help address those.
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Ms. McKeel said that her group discussed financial ways to expand pre-K and the possibility of
partnerships, integrating professional development opportunities with the County, City of Charlottesville,
UVA, TJPDC and Chamber of Commerce. She said that they also talked about having the County more
aggressively promote the school system to use it as a recruitment tool for businesses. Ms. McKeel said
that UVA will be replacing 50% of its faculty within seven years, and their faculty wants strong public
schools.
Mr. Snow said that they would also need to enlist the Chamber of Commerce.
Mr. Rooker said that TJPED puts together a lot of the brochures and information about the area.
Ms. McKeel stated that her group would like to see the two Boards come together to create a
shared portfolio as to how education, quality of life, and a thriving economy work together. She said that
they also discussed closing the digital divide, providing access to everyone in the County, and coming
together to address this in a strategic manner.
Mr. Rooker said that the County had applied for part of a $2 million grant fund to address the gap
but did not receive any money, and it would be helpful to include the education system in the next
application.
Mr. Boyd said that he felt the County is already promoting the schools here, and with GIA local
government collaborated with school representatives for an employment day in D.C. He stated that
they’ve also had an internship program, and a collaborative entrepreneurial program is important because
that’s where job growth will occur.
Mr. Snow commented that the School Board and Board of Supervisors have come light years
from where they were even four years ago.
Ms. Catlin reviewed the priorities coming out of the meeting, noting the Boards’ desire to have
shared facilities, the digital divide and how it’s being addressed, economic development, and pre-K
education.
Mr. Foley concluded the meeting by stating this was a good start to continued collaboration, and
said that staff would be coming back to them in the future for more clarity.
Dr. Moran said that they are all in this together, and it’s nice to meet outside of the budget cycle to
talk about big-picture goals.
Mr. Foley said that this type of meeting is atypical around the state, and this sets an example of
how both Boards can come together around a shared vision.
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At 4:11 p.m., with no further business to come before the Board of Supervisors, Ms. Mallek
adjourned the meeting. (Note: The School Board adjourned into closed meeting.)
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Chairman
Approved by Board
Date: 11/13/2013
Initials: EWJ