BY JESSICA STEELEY
Clarkston News Staff Writer
The Board of Education gave Clarkston Schools Superintendent Rod Rock an “effective” rating in the superintendent evaluation, or a score of 3.
It is the second highest score, behind “highly effective,” or a 4.
“The board thanks you for inspiring our students, staff and community and setting higher standards of excellence every day at Clarkston Community Schools,” Board President Elizabeth Egan wrote in the superintendent evaluation letter.
The board evaluated him in seven categories: governance and board relations, community relations, staff relations, business and finance, instructional leadership, student growth, and progress toward district-wide goals.
Governance and Board Relations has a weight of 20 percent and was split into six parts. Rock received a 3 on policy involvement, a 3.5 on goal development, a 3 on information, materials and background, and board questions, and a 4 on board development; 3.25 overall.
Community relations is weighted at 15 percent. Rock received a 3 on community feedback, a 3.5 on parent feedback and media relations, and a 4 on communication with community, district image, and approachability; 3.7 overall.
For staff relations, weighted at 15 percent, Rock received a 3 in staff feedback and staff communication, a 3.5 in personnel matters and recruitment, and a 4 in delegation of duties, labor relations, and visibility in district; 3.6 overall.
Business and Finance had a weight of 20 percent. Rock received a 3 in resource allocation, a 3.5 in budget development and management and financial controls, and a 4 in facility management and budget reports; a 3.6 overall.
In instructional leadership, with a weight of 30 percent, Rock received a 3 in student feedback and student attendance, a 3.5 in performance evaluation system, school improvement, curriculum, and support for students, and a 4 in professional knowledge, staff development, and instruction; 3.5 overall. These five categories combined gave the superintendent a score rounded to 3.5 or 88 percent, which is called the professional practice rating.
Additionally, with a weight of 25 percent, Rock received a 3 on student growth, and a 2.5 on progress towards district-wide goals, weighted at 10 percent. These scores added with the professional practice score give Rock a 3.3 or 82 percent, this is the summarize evaluation score. Some numbers included are rounded.
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Phase I of Clarkston Community Schools’ bond project is almost complete, with new secure entry and sitework completed at Andersonville Elementary and Bailey Lake Elementary, as well as sitework and playground updates at Springfield Plains Elementary and athletic and sitework improvements at Clarkston High School. The cost of this phase came in at $5,807,395.
Phase II incldues creating secure entrances for North Sashabaw, Clarkston and Pine Knob elementaries. Springfield Plains and Independence Elementary will also have be getting secure entrances by additions to the building, as well as classroom technology and interior renovations. Independence will also have updates to their parking lot and roof.
Clarkston Junior High will also have new secure entry and some sitework completed in this phase. Phase II work is scheduled to take place in the spring/summer of 2018 and is estimated to cost a total of $14,000,000.
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The Clarkston Board of Education accepted two donations at their Nov. 27 meeting – a claw foot bathtub for Clarkston Junior High School’s Construction Tech program for their Bailey House restoration project. The second was a monetary donation of $500 to North Sashabaw Elementary for classroom supplies.
The school board also approved three changes to their support staff, two additions and one subtraction. They added a preschool teacher at the Early Childhood Center and a payroll assistant, $35,370. A paraprofessional at Pine Knob Elementary resigned.
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Shared Services Director Billie Pambid presented an update of Clarkston Community Schools Shared Time Program to the Board of Education.
Clarkston currently partners with 10 schools through this program: Our Lady of the Lakes Waterford, Orchard Lakes St. Mary’s, Oakland Christian, Everest Academy, St. Regis, Loyola, University of Detroit—Jesuit, Most Holy Trinity, Grosse Point Academy and Auburn Hills Christian.
Clarkston has 132 teachers, full and part time at shared schools, with 3,318 students served and 290 students taking one or more online courses.