Allegheny Valley school directors disagree on, but ultimately approve, Portrait of a Graduate study

Allegheny Valley School Board members agree they want Springdale High School graduates to be productive members of the community, but how exactly to get there caused some disagreements among the board.

School directors Tuesday approved an agreement with the Consortium for Public Education to create a district-specific Portrait of a Graduate at a cost of $13,455.

Jeannie Haas, Paula Jean Moretti, Glenna Renaldi, Nicole Paulovich and Amy Sarno voted to approve the agreement. Mary Ellen Ecker, Nino Pollino and Larry Pollick voted against. Salvatore Conte was absent.

According to the contract, the McKeesport-based consortium would work with school district leaders to design and implement a process where people in the community identify skills and attributes they wish to see in district graduates.

It includes a consulting package where the consortium’s team would support planning, gathering input and developing content to comprise the district’s Portrait of a Graduate.

“The central role of the (consortium) team will be to create the various processes and strategies necessary for crafting an informed, dynamic portrait that represents the unique perspectives of (the district) and its stakeholders,” the agreement said. “In some cases, the (district) team will act as the facilitators, putting the recommended processes and strategies into action.”

But, according to Ecker, the district already has this information and is putting it in play.

“The Allegheny Valley School District has always focused on preparing students to be ready for their future,” Ecker said. “The district has a long record of relationships with the community. Countless hours of work have gone into preparing and updating mission statements, comprehensive plans, handbooks, curriculum and student opportunities. Do we need a $13,455 grant to have an outside agency, using a two-year process, tell us what we already know?

“With learning loss at an all-time high, would taxpayers approve of more staff time being diverted from the classroom with students and their academic interests? I believe the answer is ‘no.’ ”

Superintendent Pat Graczyk clarified the district would be using grant money to pay for the Portrait of a Graduate, which administrators previously sought.

“The grant we have specifies that we use it for Portrait of a Graduate. That’s not to say that we couldn’t change gears,” he said.

Pollino wanted to learn more about the organization and what its goals are.

Moretti recognized Pollino’s concern but felt the board should follow the district’s recommendation to move forward with the agreement.

“I think we have to go with our administration, that we have confidence in them, that they won’t be led a different way other than the mission statement of our district,” she said.

Sarno agreed and said the grant money was designed specifically to pursue the Portrait of a Graduate process.

“We hear all the time, we want more parent voice, we want more community member voice, and this is a great way to do it,” Sarno said. “Our administration is saying we want to partner with this consortium to help us do that, to bring in the community.”

Sarno pointed to a similar program in the Ephrata School District in Lancaster County.

“It is more than just a graphic or more than a mission statement. It is really a dynamic way forward where we get to engage an entire community … to really collaborate, to imagine a strong future for our district, to identify those transferable skills our students need to be learning and experiencing,” Sarno said.

Ecker wasn’t swayed. She believes the time and resources could be more focused on academic achievement.

“I think that it’s not a necessary thing for this district,” she said.