Western
Nebraska Distance Learning Consortium
Governing
Board Meeting
Monday,
May 8, 2000
ESU
#13 & Chadron State College
WNDLC Coordinator B.
J. Peters called the meeting to order at 10:00 a.m. Peters stated that the
meeting notice was posted to the WNDLC Web on April 17, 2000.
Members present: Jim Calder-Bridgeport, Dale Eberhart & Linda
Brown-Chadron, Gary Fisher-Crawford, Gary Schmucker-Gering, Shirley
Adkinson-Gordon, Gayla Fredrickson-Hay Springs, Ed Hollinger-Hemingford, Don
Wagner-Mitchell, Randy Marymee & Kent McLellan-Morrill, Lew
Gellett-Rushville, Rob Winter-Scottsbluff, John Cruzeiro-Sioux County, Terry
Miller-ESU #13
Members absent: None
Also present: B.J. Peters, Jim Copley
Phase Two Timeline - Peters told the Phase Two schools that he was still
asking for their DL classrooms to be ready by July 1. But he asked that all
schools have their fiber room ready by June 1. This actually means two things.
The schools need to have the 4 by 4 foot piece of plywood hung and dedicated
power run to the board. This is what is needed for the "blue box" to
be hung by the phone company. The blue box will probably be hung before the
fiber is plowed into the school. Cytek can install the classroom equipment if
the blue box is hung and can test without the fiber being activated. That will
allow Cytek to come in earlier even if the phone company is not completely
done.
US West Site Visits - Site visits were conducted with a US West field
engineer on April 25 to Harrison, Crawford, and Chadron. This completes all
site visits for the Phase Two schools. Fiber is up to the school building at
Hemingford. Fiber is being placed during the month of May to Hay Springs,
Rushville, and Gordon. The US West schools (Harrison, Crawford, and Chadron)
will probably be done in June & July.
Distance Learning
Training - Peters noted that over
20 teachers went through the two-day training session in March. He commended
the schools for the high caliber of teachers that will be teaching over the
distance learning system next fall. Peters will be holding a one-day distance
learning training session during the second week of August for those teachers,
staff, and administrators that were unable to attend the March sessions. He
will announce the date before school is out.
EIE Grant - Peters said he went to Lincoln last week to accept
the latest lottery grant award that the consortium was funded. The $154,912
grant will allow Minatare and Kimball to join WNDLC. The grant starts Sept. 1
with both schools actually being hooked up to the DL system in the summer of
2001. The governing will need to act on their membership next fall.
Statewide Backbone - Jim Copley addressed the group on the statewide
effort to tie all the distance learning system together as well as help to
provide higher speed internet access to all communities in the state. The state
is looking at going to a prime contractor process to provide broader buying
power to lower the price. Copley doubted it would benefit education that much
because we are already doing a group buy with the phone companies and are
receiving a pretty substantial discount already. Copley said he is proceeding
with the plan to add a third circuit to carry the Phase two DL schools to the
Internet. This will in effect divide all the schools in the Panhandle into
three circuits by thirds and reduce the load and increase the speed for
everyone.
E-Rate Applications - Peters said he has received Year 3 funding
decisions for 7 schools so far on e-rate discounts. Four Phase one schools have
received full approval of discounts (Gering, Bridgeport, Mitchell, and
Scottsbluff). Three Phase two schools have been notified, Chadron and Hay
Springs have been approved while Rushville was denied. Peters said the
Rushville decision would be appealed since all the applications were identical.
Teacher Stipends - Peters shared with the group information that he
had received from the DL consortiums in Northeast Nebraska and Southwest
Nebraska on how those schools are handling extra compensation for distance
learning teachers. In the Southwest some individual schools are paying $600 per
class extra for teachers and some give teachers an option of an extra free
planning period. In the Northeast some school districts are paying 1%-2% of
base salary, similar to extra duty pay. The Northeast Nebraska Learner's
Academy Consortium are moving towards a stipend of $500 shared by all sites
taking a course. The ESU will act as the fiscal agent and pay the teachers.
The discussion of the
WNDLC board said that they really didn't have enough information to act on this
issue now but have the executive board spend the 2000-2001 school year
researching the workload of DL teachers and tries to come up with a proposal
that the entire consortium could agree to. They generally liked the idea of the
ESU handling payment to the teachers in order to get it away from general
payroll and from becoming a negotiated item.
Nebraska Distance
Learning Association - Peters shared
with the group a draft copy of the bylaws of the proposed Nebraska Distance
Learning Association. The new group is being organized by a group of K-12 and
higher education representatives. The intent is to have a broad cross section
of members from DL coordinators to administrators to actual DL teachers. The
new group would be able to be a clearinghouse of resources for all people
involved with distance learning. Final organization is expected to take place
this summer.
Statewide DL
Statistics - Peters shared with the
group a set of statistics gathered by the Dept. of Education. It shows a
snapshot of the state's K-12 distance learning consortiums. (http://www.edneb.org/TECHCEN/dist/RESULTS.PDF)
It shows total course numbers, types of courses, student numbers, etc.
New Officer Elections
- After a short
discussion the group decided that they should stay with the same slate of
officers for the second year. President-Don Wagner, Mitchell; Vice
President-Gary Fisher, Crawford; North Rep-Dale Eberhart, Chadron; South
Rep-Gary Schmucker, Gering; ESU Rep-Terry Miller, ESU #13. Motion by Ed
Hollinger, Hemingford, Second by John Cruzeiro, Sioux County to re-elect the
same slate of officers for the 2000-2001 school year. Motion approved
unanimously.
From the Floor - Peters said he was trying to finalize course and
student numbers for the Fall 2000 semester. He is asking principals to get him
this information in the next couple of weeks. He noted that there was still a
need for Spanish I & II for Hay Springs and Crawford for next year and was
hoping some schools would step forward and help out.
Four of the Phase two
schools (Sioux County, Hay Springs, Rushville, & Gordon) have gone together
to buy tables and chairs for their distance learning classrooms. The tables are
being ordered this week through ESU Coop Purchasing.
Peters said that he
had just received a letter from Nebraska ETV about a satellite matching grant
program. If any school would like to buy a satellite dish, ETV is willing to
pay half of the cost. Total cost to the school would be $2,975. Please contact
B.J. if any school is interested.
Meeting was adjourned
at 11:15 a.m.
