The Dexter Leader
A Heritage Newspaper
Weekly Publication
Superintendent explains role, purpose of ISD
PUBLISHED: February 1, 2007
The following is the first of a two-part Q&A with William Miller, superintendent for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Miller talks about his role as superintendent, what the ISD does for area schools and the services the ISD provides for not only students but teachers.
Advertisement
How long have you been Superintendent for the Washtenaw Intermediate School District?
I became superintendent on July 1, 1999. I was hired at WISD in 1988 as Director of Special Education and then served for several years as assistant superintendent. But, my history with the district goes back to 1975 when I student taught for WISD at Sullivan School, the predecessor to High Point School.
What are some of your responsibilities?
I serve as CEO and educational leader of the district, act as a resource to the Board of Education so it can set informed policy, carry out district policies, work with the board to set district goals, provide leadership and direction to staff to achieve district goals, work collaboratively with local superintendents and their boards of education to ensure continuous improvement and achievement for all students.
I am also responsible for the delivery of direct student services within the many programs operated by WISD and for working with the communities to assure that we have high quality schools in Washtenaw County.
Why is the intermediate school district an important part of the education process?
WISD is one of 57 regional educational service agencies created by Michigan law in 1962 to help local school districts educate students by making the best use of district resources.
WISD does this by coordinating programs and services – like special education – that are highly specialized or too expensive for any single school district to offer.
Since 1962, WISD has worked with its member schools and districts – collectively and individually – to help meet the educational needs of their students, parents, support staff, teachers, administrators and board members.
What does the WISD provide?
* We provide school improvement consultation, assessment services and curriculum and instruction assistance to support improved student achievement.
* We offer the latest workshops, seminars and classes for teachers, administrators, transportation department staff, bus drivers, secretaries, board members, other school staff and parents, featuring up-to-date technologies, techniques and methods.
* We provide consultant assistance, research assistance and resources including journals, books, curriculum materials, Internet access, videotapes, digital videodisks, computer software and assistive technology.
* We coordinate programs and services that are too expensive for a single school district to operate or that are very specialized for only a few students, including direct educational services for youth/adults with special needs from birth through age 26.
* We perform regulatory functions on behalf of the Michigan Department of Education, including pupil accounting and special education monitoring and compliance. This function continues to grow as the number of MDE staff continues to shrink.
* We secure educational resources and share them equitably.
What are the challenging aspects of your job?
Securing financial resources to maintain the quality of public schools in our county is extremely challenging due to the structural deficit in school funding at the state level.
What are the enjoyable parts of the job?
It's exciting to be part of WISD. For years, it's enjoyed a statewide and national reputation for excellence in educational leadership and service. I am pleased to be part of that continuing tradition, am proud to be part of its past and look forward to helping shape its future. I also have the opportunity to work with a diverse group of extremely talented and committed educators.
What are some of your goals for 2007?
Some of WISD's Goals for 2006-07 are:
A) Community Collaboration Identify and complete requirements needed to apply for North Central District Accreditation (NCA)
B) Develop and implement a communication plan to address the implications of state legislative and ballot proposals on local public schools funding and instruction.
C) Achievement initiatives. Expand the implementation of the district plan to improve student achievement through leadership, and support for personalized learning.
D) Continue the work with the Washtenaw Superintendents' Association to implement High School Transformation initiatives.
E) Work with the community to increase early childhood education options.
One of the areas you are involved is coordinating special education programs. Explain how this works and how many students are involved?
In Michigan, schools are required to provide special education services for children who need them from the time they are born through age 26, or until they graduate from high school. In Washtenaw County there are about 7,000 students who receive some kind of special education service. Most of these services are delivered in the local school districts where many students with special needs are included in regular classrooms.
Some examples of the many special education services supported or provided by WISD are:
* Teacher consultants who support children with learning needs such as: dyslexia, hearing or vision impairments or physical disabilities, autism, or other developmental disabilities.
* Special education teachers who are specially certified to address the learning needs of children with disabilities.
* Assistive technology and specialized materials to help students succeed in school.
* Training for teachers on the best instructional practices for children with disabilities.
* Speech, physical and occupational therapy for children identified with these needs.
How has special education programs improved over the years?
Since 1988, there has been:
* Increased participation in the general curriculum.
* Special Education students, on average, spend more than 80 percent of their time in general education.
* Decreased number of students needing separate programs.
* Identifying and promoting effective instructional practices for all students.
* Increased emphasis on the prevention of early learning failure.
* Early childhood initiatives.
* Building-based student study teams.
* Literacy programs.
* Improved transition support from school to work and other activities of adult life.
* Beginning at age 14 or earlier, implementation of positive behavioral supports.
* Increased parent and student participation in educational decisions.
How important are these programs?
These programs are essential. The most frequently identified special need is a learning disability, which with the proper intervention, can be positively impacted. Research shows that the earlier an intervention is made, the better it is for the child.
Another area you deal with is providing teachers with resources to improve their craft. How does the Intermediate School District do this?
WISD supports teachers, their schools and students in a myriad of ways. Currently, WISD provides more than 50 teaching and learning services, including:
* Administrator assistance to local school district programs.
* Assessment services and technical support.
* Assistance for priority schools as defined by the No Child Left Behind Act.
* Assistive Technology and Augmentative Communication tools and lab.
* Bus driver/supervisor training and safety education programs for schools.
* Business services support to public schools, public school academies and non-profit corporations.
* Career Pathways/Career and Technical Education program coordination
* Child Find Program for special education
* Communication and marketing consultant services and conference on teaching and learning
* Cooperative purchasing programs for equipment and supplies
* Countywide sub registry and data warehousing
* Directory of countywide educational services and statistics
* Distance learning and Educational Development Plans (EDPs)
* Electronic reporting (including Single Record Student Database)
* Fingerprinting and grants and development assistance
* Home schooling information and homeless education assistance
* Instructional Consultation Teams (ICT)
* Information Resource Network (IRN) and teacher workroom
* Internet connectivity via fiber optic network and multi-media and technology training, including Video on Demand and video production instruction
* Leadership and design team support and literacy support
* Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) support
* Pupil accounting, audits, consulting and assistance
* Regional educational media center services and school improvement assistance
* Senior Exit Survey and Graduate Follow-up Survey
* Staff development coordination and services
* Teacher consultants for students with physical, hearing and visual impairments
* Teleconferences (administrative and instructional)
* Workshops, seminars and classes for school and agency staff
Do enough teachers take advantage of these services?
Yes. Those who want assistance from WISD can receive it. And, all school districts in Washtenaw County avail themselves of WISD's services. They are free to choose (or ask for assistance in customizing) the ones that will best meet the needs of their students.
Dedicated to teaching and learning, WISD's employees serve: more than 48,000 students in 10 communities; more than 4,800 public school employees in 80 plus buildings including teachers, principals, administrators, aides, secretaries and bus drivers; more than 70 public school board members; 10 public school districts; nine public school academies and 35 non-public schools.
What are some challenges teachers are facing today that the intermediate school district resources can help with?
Increasing demands for improving teaching and for raising standards mean that teachers need more help with professional development and curriculum assistance. We also need to help teachers put testing and assessment data to use to help all students learn. Meeting the increasing mandates from the state and federal level like NCLB, school safety, screening/fingerprinting are some of ways we help staff in our schools.
Classroom sizes are growing all over the state. How can teachers deal with that and still be successful?
Class size has been shown to have a direct impact on student learning. With diminishing state resources teachers have been forced to cope with increases in class size. Some instructional technology solutions can help, but there is no way to manage the negative impact on instruction of increasing class size.
Time is probably one of the reasons teachers don't use your services. Are there things you are doing to make it easier for teachers to take advantage of your resources?
We offer imbedded professional development in local districts along with an increasing amount of resources available on-line. In the last few years, we have gone digital with many of our resources so that teachers and others can access them 24/7.
How is the Intermediate School District funded?
WISD is able to provide its services through a combination of funding from the State of Michigan, local allocated and voted millage and some federal sources. Nearly 71 percent of WISD's 2006-07 budget is projected to be transferred to local schools to help pay for their (special and general education) programming.
Under the law, ISDs can levy countywide millages (taxes approved by voters) to help fund programs for general, special and vocational/technical education programs. They may also levy, with voter approval, an enhancement millage. Since the passage of Proposal A, intermediate school districts are the only school districts that can raise operating funds through voted millage. WISD is funded, in part, by millage that is levied for its general and special education programs, only.
The 2006-2007 millage levied for WISD (with the Headlee rollback) is: General Education .0984 (approved for 0.12 mill); Special Education 3.8761 (approved for 4.5 mills); total mills levied 3.9745.
WISD receives a fraction of a mill to fund its general education services like school improvement, professional development, assessment services, curriculum support, and compliance with the No Child Left Behind Act. The allocated or approved amount of 0.12 mill cannot be increased. But, it can be (and has been) decreased or rolled back under a provision in the law called the Headlee Amendment.
WISD also levies a millage to fund countywide special education services. This millage, which is also subject to the Headlee rollback, can be increased by a vote of the people. It supports programming for the 7,000 plus students who receive special education services in the10 local school districts of Ann Arbor, Chelsea, Dexter, Lincoln, Manchester, Milan, Saline, Whitmore Lake, Willow Run and Ypsilanti and nine public school academies.
How is WISD accountable to customers and the community?
WISD has a multi-faceted accountability system including:
* A countywide special education plan that is reviewed and approved by local districts
* A countywide Parent Advisory Committee that reviews the special education plan and meets regularly to discuss special education issues. Members are recommended by their district's board of education for appointment.
* The Washtenaw Association of School Boards
* The Washtenaw County Superintendents' Association which has a Six Point Plan—developed in concert with the local schools.
* An annual budget review.
* The Special Education Administrators who meet monthly to ensure cooperative planning and effective, efficient and equitable service.
* The WISD 2010 Long-Range Plan that is published and reviewed.
* The WISD board goals that are set and published annually.
* The High Point Parent and Staff Organization which meets regularly.
* Individual Education Planning meetings that are held with parents and professionals to plan student programs.
* Independent financial auditors who review WISD's books annually.
* The Michigan Department of Education (MDE) that monitors WISD programs to ensure compliance with the law.
* MDE state reports that are completed quarterly, annually or as required, e.g. Single Record Student Database, student head counts.
* Advocacy groups and associations that are dedicated to ensuring that individuals with special needs receive appropriate services, e.g. Center for Independent Living.
WISD is also accountable under these State and Federal laws: Open Meetings Act; Annual public budget hearings; Freedom of Information Act; School Code; Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act and Michigan's Rules for Special Education.
At a time where districts are struggling to pay bills, forcing students to pay for sports for example, could this money be spent in a better way. How long can districts and the state afford to fund the intermediate school districts?
Michigan's Intermediate School Districts make it possible for us to have the quality public schools citizens expect for all our children.
With the support of ISDs, Michigan schools offer equal access to quality and funding, are cost-effective and affordable, help students with special needs, focus on continual improvement and are technologically up to date.
Intermediate school districts partner with local school districts to make quality Michigan schools possible. And, there are similar versions of intermediate units across the nation. By working together with their ISD, the districts save money and share resources and services, this benefits the students and the entire community.
Not all stories are guaranteed to appear
online. The Web edition contains a reasonable
sampling of the print edition stories.
For the most complete news coverage, we invite you to
subscribe
to the print edition of the paper.
Expanded
Web
Coverage
TOP JOBS
