By Lauren Brown
Burns Times-Herald

The Harney County District No. 3 School Board thanked Burns High School teacher Nancy Reid for her many years of service and acknowledged her retirement at the Feb. 12 meeting.

During the last 30 years Reid has been at BHS, she taught general business, crafts and yearbook.

Reid stood up and thanked the board and the district. “It’s a wonderful district to work for,” she said. “I’m going to miss the students. It’s been an absolute blessing to teach in Harney County.”

In other business:

• the board discussed the issue of student evaluations of teachers, which was broached at the January board meeting. Board Chairman Gordon Mallon brought up the topic thinking it could be a useful classroom tool for teachers.

After the January discussion, it was decided that teacher Jimmy Zamora, the local representative for the teachers’ union, would see what other teachers thought about the student evaluations. He noted that after speaking with a group of BHS instructors, they were not opposed to the idea, although they didn’t think the evaluations should be mandatory and the student evaluations should in no way impact their evaluations by Principal Ron Wassom, as per their union contract.

“If it was clear that it wouldn’t be used for that, would that take away that concern,” Mallon asked Zamora.

Zamora agreed that it would. He also noted that he already uses student evaluations in his classroom. “Student input is valuable,” he said.

Principal Wassom wanted to know how the evaluations would be created and implemented. Mallon said it would be up to Wassom to take charge.
Wassom had some concerns regarding the objective use of student evaluations when performing a formal evaluation of a teacher. “I think the No. 1 important thing is feedback for the teacher,” he said.

Mallon suggested making the evaluations anonymous.

The board voted to approve the use of student evaluations on an experimental basis;

• the board approved a leave of absence for Katie Baltzor, Hines Middle School Principal. The leave of absence will be for the 2008-2009 school year. Superintendent David Courtney said the district will open the position and accept applications.

• the board heard a report from Bond Project Manager Bill Renwick, who said great progress has been made on the new bus barn. He encouraged board members to drive by and see it;

• the board discussed the 2008-2009 school calendar, which has yet to be approved. Superintendent Courtney said that Hines Middle School has requested that the district take all of fair week off and then have students attend school on Fridays during the first part of the year to make up for it. However, this is problematic as Courtney said that attendance is notably lower on Fridays. He said he will continue to meet with administrators on calendar issues;

• the board acknowledged the resignation of Sara Kirby as the JV volleyball coach at BHS;

• the board appointed Steve Bull to the Education Services District board;

• the board approved the hiring of Christine Hutchison as a life skills education assistant at Slater Elementary School and the transfer of Jimmy Wagner from volunteer assistant golf coach at BHS to assistant golf coach at BHS.

The next Harney County School District No. 3 board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. March 11 at the district office.