December 18, 2007 Parent Meeting Notes

GOGA Parent Discussion Group Meeting
Tuesday, December 18, 2007 – Nichols School Library

Follow-up Action 
Next GOGA meeting 

Person

All 

Date/Time

Jan. 8, 2007  5:30-6:30 (Spanish-only) 6:30-8:30 (English-only)

Location
Cottage Grove School, DLC (Learning Lab)

Other Follow Up Action/Person

• Contact missing nominees for the GOGA Advisory Board to determine their acceptance or not/Carol Cain Before next meeting
  
• Contact Madison School administrator to set up meeting to discuss how MMSD is working to improve minority students relations as well as recruitment and retention of minority staff/ Beth Johnson for Carol Cain After Holidays
  
• Recruit GOGA representative and interpreter for our Hmong population/Carol Cain Before next meeting
  
• Reserve mini bus for transportation of families to GOGA meeting on Jan. 8, and school board meeting on Jan. 9. / Julia Torrez Before next meeting

Present
Carol Cain (Chair)
Beth Johnson 

Charlie Ellis
Bobbie Amelse 

Julia Torrez
Linda Elsberry  

Agenda

• Review and approval of GOGA’s Mission Statement
  
• Votes on members of GOGA’s Advisory Board
  
• Update on grant application status
  
• Update on upcoming activities and meetings.
  

Discussion, decisions, assignments
Low attendance today due to preparation of many families for the upcoming holidays next week.

Ms. Cain shared a information from her meeting with Superintendent Gary Schumacher on December 7th, 2007. She shared with them his idea of having a program set in the district that would recruit former minority MGSD students, who pursued teaching careers, to come back to the district to teach. In exchange the district would pay their student loans. In general the idea of recruiting minority staff is one that is liked by all, however, the idea that the district would ever have the funds for something like this was highly doubted. Nevertheless, Ms. Cain expressed an interest in connecting with representatives of other school district to see how they are managing to recruit and retain their minority staff. Ms. Johnson has connections with such an individual and will work on setting this up for her.

No one for the Spanish-only GOGA meeting showed up.  Ms. Torrez and Ms. Amelse mentioned the difficulty for some parents to participate due to childcare and transportation. Both offered to take on the responsibility of childcare for parents during the meetings and Ms. Torrez offered to reserve the shuttle bus and pick up and drop off parents who needed the ride.  Ms. Cain will send out a letter to all our parents offering this option during the next scheduled meeting.

It was decided that the GOGA Parent Discussion Group will meet every second Tuesday of the month.  If this falls on a half-day, holiday or no school day, then it will be the third Tuesday of the month. Ms. Torrez introduced the web address for the GOGA blog. Further discussion on this will be done at next meeting when more parents are present.

The present group reviewed the first draft of the mission statement, edited, and did first round of approval.  Will present mission statement on web page and at next GOGA meeting for second review.

The group discussed coordinating a mid-year GOGA student recognition and celebration beginning of February.  Ms. Johnson mentioned her husband as a DJ for the dinner/dance/recognition ceremony. More information to come.  Ms. Cain informed the group that the students will be traveling to Marquette University on Feb. 15, 2008.  The trip will be funded with the grant money received from the Monona Grove Education Foundation ($1,000).

Next month, January 9th at 7PM. Ms. Cain has been invited to present the GOGA Program to the School Board.  Ms. Cain requested that parents attend to show their support and has left a message to Mr. Norton to request that he co-present with her.  We are still waiting on his response.  The group shared their nomination for GOGA Advisory Board as follows:

Nominees for GOGA’s Advisory Board are:
Carol Cain (Chair)
Zong Her (Waiting for response)
Lionel Norton (Waiting for response)
Elaine Moore (Waiting for response)
Bobbie Amelse (Accepted)
Charlie Ellis (Accepted)
Linda Elsberry (Accepted)
Nayith Pedroza (Accepted)
Sarah Hughes (Accepted)
Jodie Pope (Accepted)

GOGA Program Support:
Carol Cain 

Program Coordinator and Media Contact/Latino Community Liaison and Interpreter
Zong Her

Hmong Community Liaison and Interpreter

Julia Torrez

Manager, Blog/Webpage

Linda Elsberry

Grant writing Assistant 

Elaine Moore, Beth Johnson, and Bernadette Norton

Administrative Assistants (Waiting for Confirmation)

Charlie Ellis & Jodie Pope, 

BSU Liaison

Tentative agenda for the next meeting
• Review and approval of GOGA’s Mission Statement (Second Draft)
• Review of votes on members of GOGA’s Advisory Board (more nominations?)
• Update on upcoming activities and meetings.
• Discuss on GOGA Student Mid-Year Recognition Event

Call or email Carol Cain 608-209-5530 carol_cain@mononagrove.org with additions or corrections to these notes.