JAG program approved for Cloverdale Middle School

CLOVERDALE — Seeking to build on the success of Cloverdale High School’s program, school leaders will work to implement a Jobs for America’s Graduates (JAG) curriculum at Cloverdale Middle School.

With JAG Region 7 Manager Greg Lee also in attendance, the Cloverdale School Board gave JAG Specialist Karl Turk and Principal Christian Frye the green light to do so at its meeting on Monday.

“I’ve seen a lot of our students in the JAG program at the high school, and I can see that correlating to success at our middle school level,” Frye said to introduce the proposal. “I think we can make this program our own, and really make Cloverdale JAG even bigger than what it is.”

Turk prefaced that JAG has a separate curriculum that focuses on developing workforce skills and career advancement. He is employed as a JAG specialist by Vincennes University, which promotes programs through the Indiana Department of Workforce Development.

Since its start in the 2016-17 school year, Cloverdale’s JAG program has distinguished itself at the state, regional and national levels. Crucially for Turk, it has continuously met all of JAG’s national metrics for graduation and employment.

“For us to be able to wedge and make our own niche within such a small community, kind of just speaks to you all,” Turk said. “I get to be the figurehead for the high school, but I know better. It’s because of the people in this room.”

The “heart of the matter,” Turk related, is the JAG Advantage, the framework of which is interweaving project-based learning, employer engagement and trauma-informed care.

The latter element, Turk said, is what makes JAG unique. The curriculum and immersion give students the tools to build resiliency, especially if they have faced adversity in different ways.

“We think that middle school time is one of the most impressionable times that young people have,” Turk said as to implementing the new program. “So why not get these lessons and ideas started there?”

The commitment is approximately four-to-six hours of classroom instruction in 42 competency skills, as well as employer engagement and community service. The focus overall is on students’ transition to high school.

“A middle school program can definitely help develop career skills, even though these career skills may be different,” senior JAG student Sierra Kelley said. “JAG creates a safe space where students can express themselves and their interests, and turn it into the future that they may desire.”

“Having this program at the middle school would be great for the students,” fellow JAG senior Savannah Holder added. “It is a class that is not only helpful for their future, but to become more involved in school.”

Holder also provided that introducing the program should be from class to class, in which JAG students from the high school can make personal connections. The smaller environments would encourage questions and interest.

“I appreciate all the efforts Mr. Turk makes with it, and appreciate the partnership with Vincennes,” board member Joe Mann commented before the board’s approval. “I’ve seen really good things happening with the kids.”

In other business:

• The board approved Area 30 Career Center’s interlocal agreement. While Area 30’s interlocal board adopted it in 2021, a new requirement stipulates the agreement being uploaded on Gateway with approval by the sending corporations.

• Supt. Greg Linton providing it as an opportunity to holistically look at programs’ needs “from top to bottom,” the board approved an agreement for auditing athletics at both the middle school and the high school. Though not named, the process will be done by an outside consultant.

“I feel like she’ll come in and do a good job in looking at our strengths and weaknesses,” Linton said, “and providing good feedback to help our athletic departments continue to grow and meet the needs of our athletes.”

• Picking up consideration in December, the board approved a job description for an elementary counselor shared with South Putnam Schools. The board previously approved a memorandum of understanding addressing the need.

While the counselor will be a Cloverdale Schools employee, his or her time and expenses are to be split equally between both corporations. The counselor is to be found before the end of this school year, while he or she would begin in August.

• The board adopted a resolution to approve the creation of six new coaching positions at the middle school and the high school. Linton explained that the positions will be set when the Cloverdale Education Association comes in the fall for negotiations.

• On a recommendation from Schmidt Associates, the board accepted to hire Building Associates, Bloomington, as the contractor for major upcoming projects within the corporation.

With five recently received and opened, Building Associates came with the lowest sealed bid at $1,482,700.

The board also recognized Cloverdale Schools’ Students of the Month: Justin Cook (Cloverdale Elementary School), Kyler Mann (Cloverdale Middle School) and Olivia Hemmerling (Cloverdale High School).

Cloverdale Middle School teacher Tammy Kemp was also recognized as the Staff Member of the Month.

The board also approved the following personnel report:

• Hires: Michael Nees, CMS boys’ track coach; and Heather Stokes - full-time bus driver;

• Resignations: Josh Stewart - seventh-grade boys’ basketball coach; Braden Bottorf - eighth-grade boys’ basketball coach; and Sabrina Byrns - pre-K teacher;

• FMLA requests: Billy Boyette - food service director; Lisa Mendenhall - CMS custodian; and Penny McPeak - CHS guidance secretary.

Executive Secretary Heather Stokes joined Linton and the entire board for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale School Board is set for Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Arthur L. Johnson Administration Office.