Payne LSAT Meeting
November 2, 2022
Attendees: Josh Smith (Chair), Michelle Chapman (PTO President), Rebecca Hunt, Tim Gordon, Stacy Larracey, Tiffany L. Brown (Secretary), Principal Byrd.
Draft Agenda
- Title I Funding
- Lunch/Recess Conversation
Meeting Discussion Notes
Title I Funding:
There was a discussion regarding the possibility of losing Title I funds in the future. Members of the LSAT are looking to learn more when a school loses its Title I funding. If that is to happen at Payne, what will that look like? Ms. Byrd does not believe this will be an issue in the coming years. Models to look at will be Ludlow-Taylor and Watkins. One thought would be to formulate questions/inquiries to see what this means. Stacey Larracey will spearhead the effort to gather questions regarding Title I funding. There were questions regarding the flexibility regarding enrollment. Principal Byrd informed the group that students are allowed to enroll if this is their neighborhood school (K-5) or through the lottery for pre-k -5.
More information regarding Title I Funding in DCPS can be found here: https://dcps.dc.gov/TitleI
Lunch/Recess Conversation:
Discussion regarding the e-mail thread regarding Recess:
Principal Byrd reiterated what she has shared over email, that students at Payne have 30 minutes of recess (not including transitions) and 30 minutes of lunch each day and that school policy prohibits the use of recess as a consequence. Our policy explicitly states: “Recess shall not be withheld, unless the student’s misbehavior occurred during recess.” This policy is reviewed at the beginning of each year and monitored throughout the year.
Ms. Chapman reported that she is still hearing that recess is “being taken,’’ however, no one has reported this claim to Principal Byrd. If there is an issue with regard to recess and or other school operations, parents are encouraged to speak to their child’s teacher and/or Principal Byrd. In the event a parent feels the need to raise a community-wide issue, anyone can email the LSAT email address to raise the concern to this group for consideration and discussion.
Another suggestion was for the school to provide more detailed communication directly from the school regarding school events from Principal Byrd.
In an effort to build greater outreach with the parents, in accordance with Payne’s Comprehensive School Plan (CSP) goals, Principal Byrd is working on a few engagement initiatives:
- Payne Parent University
- Dads of Payne Elementary (DOPE)
- Coffee with the Principal
- Reopening the possibility for classroom volunteers
Payne has instituted the Payne Parent University. Payne Parent University is a monthly series of workshops where staff members along with the mental health team present information on how we can work together to improve the educational and social-emotional outcomes for all students.
Payne Parent University Topics and dates are:
- October 12th – A Community of Learners
- November 9th – Reading at Home
- December 14th – Math at Home
- January 11th – All Learners Learn
- February 8th – Learning Love
- March 8th – PARCC Prep
- April 12th – Summer Learning
- May 10th – Mentally Healthy Learners
Principal Byrd also mentioned the dad’s group that Dr. Crumb and Mr. Montes are spearheading, DOPE, Dads Of Payne Elementary. The first event will be a dads volunteer opportunity at Field Day on November 18th.
Principal Byrd is bringing back her “Coffee with the Principal” events on some Friday mornings in order to further build community and offer another forum for direct interaction with the Principal.
***A Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) is a group of elected and appointed members that shall exist in every DCPS school. The team consists of parents, teachers, non-instructional school staff, a community member, and in some cases students, to advise the principal on matters that promote high expectations and high achievement for all students. SY21-22 LSAT Guidelines https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn:aaid:scds:US:1d7b04c8-dd4a-3f50-80fd-37797416bd44
Payne Elementary School 