REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Redwood City, California APPROVED MINUTES OF BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. January 13, 2010

Transcription

1 1. Call to Order REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT Redwood City, California APPROVED MINUTES OF BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING January 13, 2010 President McBride called the meeting to order at 6:06 p.m. at the District Office, 750 Bradford Street, Redwood City. Present at the Board Meeting: President Dennis McBride, Trustees Shelly Masur, Hilary Paulson, Maria Diaz-Slocum and Alisa MacAvoy, and Superintendent Jan Christensen. Others present: John Baker, Raul Parungao, Patricia McRae, Rosemarie Perez, Jerald Stabile, Patricia Perez, Susanne Ruiz-Dunlap, Victoria Orozco, Sylvia Castro, Sara Morgan, Molly Krause, Laurie Hall, Juanita Ramirez, Fay Bohn, Jill Korengold, Kerry Dees, Terri Montgomery 2. Work Session Deputy Superintendent Baker explained that this was a continuation of the first reading of the board policies on Students, and that the Policy Committee would incorporate the board s comments and suggestions, and present a revised version for final approval at a future board meeting. BP (a), second paragraph, Trustee Paulson questioned whether suspended or expelled students are indeed denied participation in all extracurricular activities. Deputy Superintendent Baker responded in the affirmative, noting however that rare exceptions have been made in the recent past. BP (a), sixth paragraph, President McBride requested the second sentence be amended to This approach makes the removal of potentially dangerous students from the classroom a top priority and ensures consistent treatment for all students. BP (b), second paragraph, Superintendent Christensen suggested amending shall to may as relates to the establishment of a supervised classroom suspension program. In the section headed Post-Expulsion Placements under AR (t), Trustee Masur suggested striking both instances of junior, or senior high school. She further suggested that grades 7-12 be amended to grades 7-8. Also under AR (t), second paragraph, Trustee Paulson questioned whether city or county law enforcement is indeed contacted in every case wherein a student acts in violation of Education Code 48900(c) or (d), or Deputy Superintendent Baker responded in the affirmative, stating that in each case a police report is made. 1

2 BP (a), first paragraph, President McBride requested item be amended to and shall seize illegal and unsafe items, and may seize prohibited items. He further requested that of the same gender as the student be appended to the end of the fourth paragraph, as it relates to district employees searching of individual students. BP (a), second paragraph, Trustee Masur requested the deletion of male and female students with separate shower rooms and, as the district currently does not have such facilities. Under BP (b), Trustee Paulson opined that it is unclear who serves as Coordinator for Nondiscrimination and, accordingly, it may be unclear to students and employees to whom they should report perceived harassment. Deputy Superintendent Baker explained that, as Deputy Superintendent, he is the Coordinator for Nondiscrimination, and agreed to consider adding a notice to that effect to students first day of school take-home packets. BP (a), President McBride requested clarification of age-appropriate instruction and information on sexual harassment as it relates to the lower grades. Deputy Superintendent Baker and Assistant Superintendent McRae expounded on the topic. Also under BP (a), under the section headed Complaint Process, Trustee Paulson requested item be amended to to whom a complaint is made shall, as soon as possible and within no more than 24 hours of receiving the complaint, report it BP (b), third paragraph, Trustee Paulson questioned who maintains records of reported cases of sexual harassment. Deputy Superintendent Baker responded that his office maintains the records referenced. AR (d), numbered item 7, President McBride suggested item be amended to and shall present this report to the student who complained, his or her parent/guardian, and the person accused. BP 5146(a), third paragraph, Trustee Paulson requested be reworded to be more reflective of district practices. Trustee Diaz-Slocum requested that language be added to stress that pregnant or parenting students shall be provided a safe environment free of harassment. Trustee Masur requested striking altogether references to early marriage or married students from the policy. Also under BP 5146(a), fourth paragraph, President McBride requested the addition of the missing word and such that it read: to meet the needs of expectant and parenting students and their children. AR 5146(a), first paragraph, Trustee Paulson suggested rewording the first sentence to avoid its being misconstrued as mandating a judgment as to whether an abortion is medically necessary. Trustee Masur concurred, suggesting that it be rewritten while maintaining the intended meaning: that a student shall not be denied reentry to school following an absence of any length prescribed by a doctor s recommendation. Trustee Masur further suggested striking the section headed Cal-SAFE Program in its entirety. 2

3 BP 5147(a), fourth paragraph, Trustee Paulson requested that shall be amended to may since budget considerations may restrict the district s ability to provide outreach consultants. Deputy Superintendent Baker agreed to research pertinent education code. Trustee MacAvoy requested that the policy committee consider removing the section headed Dropout Prevention as it is primarily geared toward high school students. AR (b), second paragraph, President McBride questioned whether breakfast is indeed made available to students participating in the district s before-school programs. Deputy Superintendent Baker responded in the affirmative. AR (c), numbered item 5.a., President McBride questioned whether district before-school programs in fact operate for a minimum of one and one-half hours per regular school day. Deputy Superintendent Baker responded in the affirmative, clarifying that this regulation applies specifically to programs utilizing ASES funding. Spanning AR (d) through AR (e), President McBride suggested the deletion of the section headed 21 st Century High School After School Safety and Enrichment for Teens (ASSETs) Program in its entirety. He further suggested the deletion of AR (g), by the same rationale. The board recessed the meeting at 6:54 p.m.; the meeting was reconvened at 7:03 p.m. 3. Welcome President McBride welcomed those present. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited. 4. Changes to the Agenda None. 5. Approval of Agenda The Board approved the agenda as submitted (MacAvoy/Diaz-Slocum; 5-0). 6. Community/Staff Recognition None. 7. Oral Communication Jerald Stabile, teacher, distributed a resolution on behalf of the Redwood City Teachers Association and read it aloud to the board. The resolution defended RCTA s decision not to sign the district s recently submitted Memorandum of Understanding for California s Race to the Top. 8. School/Community Reports 8.1 EL Services 3

4 Director of English Learner Services, Rosemarie Perez, updated the board on district programs for English Learners. She began by introducing and recognizing several of her staff who were present at the meeting, including translators, interpreters, administrative assistants, and EL coaches. She then presented a PowerPoint presentation highlighting goals and outcomes of her department, current professional development efforts, and future endeavors. The presentation included various data concerning English Learners and their academic progress, reporting that 52% of RCSD students are currently classified as English Learners. Charts reported standardized testing scores for the EL subgroup and showed modest gains in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. It also summarized current English Learner professional development efforts, including equity training with consultant Al Gonzales and various teacher trainings. Ms. Perez noted that her department oversees a great deal of compliance with respect to Title III, EIA, and other categorical funds. She noted that work is continuing on both an Improvement Plan Addendum, which will be incorporated into the LEA Plan, and also on the EL Master Plan, which she expects to complete before the 2010/11 school year. In response to questions from the board regarding the status of the EL Master Plan, Ms. Perez explained that high turnover in her position in recent years combined with budget reductions and the subsequent dearth of time and personnel resources has consistently stalled progress on the plan. It was also noted that earlier drafts attempted by predecessors were now extremely out of date. She reported that currently, a team of four employees (comprised of administrators Linda Montes, Kerry Dees, Carla Torres, and herself) is currently dedicated to drafting and finalizing the EL Master Plan. Trustee Diaz-Slocum questioned how many district teachers will have received EL training by the end of this school year, to which Ms. Perez responded that slightly greater than 100, or roughly 20% of all teachers, will have been trained by yearend. Superintendent Christensen thanked Ms. Perez and her entire department for working collaboratively with administration and other district staff to support student achievement for English Learners, especially given that the subgroup comprises so substantial a portion of the total student population. 9. Discussion Items 9.1 Budget Update CBO Parungao distributed a supplementary budget update memo to the board, and reviewed the most current data and projections available to him. He reported that the state Legislative Analyst Office is currently projecting a budget gap of $19.9 billion over an 18-month period, including $6.6 billion for the current year and $13.3 billion for 2010/11. He cautioned the board to be wary of the governor s recent pledge to protect education, citing past reneging on similar promises and 4

5 the shaky nature of the governor s plan to balance the budget. He further reported that the COLA for 2010/11 is projected at -0.38% and discussed the resultant impact on district revenue, special education funding, and Tier II and III categorical programs. Having attended the governor s budget workshop in Sacramento on January 12, CBO Parungao reported that despite the rhetoric in support of preserving education funding, mid-year cuts are still possible in the view of both School Services of California as well as School Innovations and Advocacy. He briefly related other proposals proffered by the governor and responded to questions from the board. 9.2 Board Call to Action Subcommittee Update Trustees MacAvoy and Masur, who comprise the Call to Action subcommittee, reviewed draft PowerPoint slides with the board to solicit input and strategize avenues for community outreach and education. Trustee MacAvoy distributed a list of local school, community and social groups at whose meetings representatives of the district may be able to present. Christine Costanza, Administrative Assistant to the Board, agreed to research when the various groups meet and whether they are willing to agendize a presentation by the district. The board recessed the meeting at 9:02 p.m.; the meeting was reconvened at 9:09 p.m. 10. Consent Items The board approved the Consent Items (MacAvoy/Masur; 5-0), taking the following action: 10.1 Recommendation re: Approval of December 9 Board Minutes 10.2 Recommendation re: Approval of December 16 Board Minutes 10.3 Recommendation re: Acceptance of Donations 10.4 Recommendation re: Approval of Overnight Field Trip, Grand Canyon, Kennedy and MIT 10.5 Recommendation re: Adoption of Resolution 8, Sally Stewart, upon her retirement from the Sequoia Union High School District Board of Trustees 10.6 Recommendation re: Approval of Extended Hours Field Trip, Sacramento, North Star 11. Action Items 11.1 Recommendation re: Financial Audit Report for 2008/09 school year Terri Montgomery, of the certified public accounting firm Vavrinek, Trine, Day & Co., LLP, addressed the board to review highlights from the annual financial report. She noted that the data contained therein was current as of June 30, 2009 and that the report does not include data pertaining to the current school year. She explained that the purpose of the audit is to verify the accuracy of data presented in the unaudited actuals, which had previously been presented to the board. 5

6 Ms. Montgomery walked through the report with the board, noting that her firm had issued three separate opinions: unqualified, or clean, reports were issued with respect to district financial statements and federal awards, and a qualified report, identifying deficiencies, was issued with respect to state awards. She briefly reviewed the deficiencies, which involved principal s accounts and independent study. The Board approved the Financial Audit Report for the 2008/09 school year (Masur/MacAvoy; 5-0) Recommendation re: Waiver of Specific Credential Requirements Deputy Superintendent Baker explained that the board was being asked to approve a waiver to allow Amber Turner, a science teacher at Hoover, to continue employment while in the process of completing the CBEST requirement and the requirements for a CLAD certificate. The Board approved the waiver of specific credential requirements (MacAvoy/ Paulson; 5-0) Recommendation re: Waiver of Specific Credential Requirements Deputy Superintendent Baker explained that the board was being asked to approve a waiver to allow four district teachers, Wende Bitler, Jessica Navarrete, Roxanna Leazenby, and Mireya Puentes-Wall, to be properly credentialed while completing the requirements of the BCLAD certificate. The Board approved the waiver of specific credential requirements (MacAvoy/ Paulson; 5-0) Recommendation re: Ratification of School Calendar for 2010/11 school year Superintendent Christensen expressed appreciation for the work of the calendar task force, the school board, RCTA, and CSEA in collaborating on the school calendar for 2010/11. She reminded the board that per education code, they have the authority to decide the school start date, but that the remainder of the calendar must be negotiated by the two unions, as bargaining groups. On behalf of the administration, she strongly recommended that the board ratify the calendar. Deputy Superintendent Baker briefly reviewed the negotiations progress, including the voting undertaken by members of both unions, in creating the finalized calendar. He noted that the calendar, as presented, aligns closely with that of the Sequoia Union High School District, which was identified as a strong priority by early surveys of staff and parents. Patricia Perez, CSEA President, addressed the board on behalf of district classified employees to respectfully request that they vote to ratify the calendar. She reiterated the process by which CSEA membership was surveyed and reported 6

7 that 145, or roughly half, of their members had participated in the voting, and that the ballots had demonstrated a clear consensus. Susanne Ruiz-Dunlap, teacher, expressed displeasure with the process by which the finalized calendar was derived. She stated that the methodology was not well thought out and that she hopes to see the process run more smoothly next year, when negotiating the school calendar for 2011/12. She opined that the calendar presented to the board does not align closely enough with that of SUHSD and that it creates too lengthy a summer break. Trustee Diaz-Slocum acknowledged that the calendar would not appease everyone s opinions, but expressed appreciation for the collaborative work that went into its creation. Trustee Masur expressed some displeasure with the particulars of the calendar. She expressed concern that the long summer break would result in a significant learning loss, especially given the unavailability of summer school, which would disproportionately affect English Learner students. She stated that while she is appreciative of the work that went into creating the calendar, she would have preferred to see a truly blended calendar, drawing more elements from previous year-round calendars. Trustee Paulson questioned whether the spring break would align with that of SUHSD. Deputy Superintendent Baker responded in the affirmative. She echoed Trustee Masur s concerns about the eleven-week summer, and subsequent learning loss. Trustee MacAvoy thanked the leadership of both unions and stated she is pleased to see the year-round and traditional schedules merged into one unified calendar. She expressed her hope that, despite the absence of summer school, some summer programs could be coordinated to counteract the effects of summer learning loss. Superintendent Christensen discussed possibilities for summer programs, including Migrant Education, ESY (extended school year), and the possibility of partnering with various community groups and utilizing ASES funding. Assistant Superintendent McRae listed some opportunities that may be available to immersion students, whose language development may suffer from the absence of directed academic instruction over the summer, and agreed to work with Sandra Portasio, Director of School/Community Partnerships, to strategize proactive solutions. President McBride thanked everyone involved for their work rendering a finalized calendar, and recognized that an imperfect final product represents a compromise of multiple disparate ideals. The Board approved the school calendar for the 2010/11 school year (Paulson/ Diaz-Slocum; 5-0). 7

8 12. Board and Superintendent Reports 12.1 Report from Board Members and Superintendent Trustee Masur reported that she had aided in the planning of, and attended, the local government summit at Cañada College on January 9, along with Trustee MacAvoy and Superintendent Christensen. She also noted that the San Mateo County School Boards Association, to which she serves as President, will follow up on information gleaned therefrom. She reported that city council members, board members, superintendents, city and county staffers, city managers, and local legislators had comprised the attendees, and briefed the board on some of the basic conclusions reached by the summit, recounting that there had been a clear consensus to advocate for a constitutional convention. Trustee Paulson reported having spoken at the Chamber Education meeting on January 8. She expressed appreciation for Jane Yuster, Director of Testing and Assessment, who had been present to answer questions regarding data and statistics. She further reported attending a Wellness Committee meeting and noted that they are currently seeking volunteers for an event May 27 for fourth graders at the Red Morton Community Center. She also announced that North Star would be presenting a Seussical March 4 through 6. Trustee MacAvoy reported having attended the local government summit on January 9. She also reported that, before the winter break, she and Trustee Masur had met with Sean Foote, a local businessman who is currently working on a parcel tax campaign called community promise which would provide college tuition to eligible local high school graduates. She stated that, based on this meeting, it seems unlikely they will be able to change Mr. Foote s thinking on the parcel tax proposal and its potential negative effect on RCSD's ability to get a parcel tax in the future. However, Trustees Masur and MacAvoy do have a follow-up meeting with him in February. Trustee MacAvoy further reported having attended the brown bag budget lunch for district office staff on January 11, facilitated by Superintendent Christensen and CBO Parungao. Trustee Diaz-Slocum reported that she and President McBride had attended the graduation ceremony for Familias Unidas at Hoover School, and that she was especially pleased to see so many fathers participating. President McBride reported having attended the Familias Unidas event, and expressed appreciation for the life-changing work of the program, under the leadership of teacher Ninfa Zuno. He also announced the creation of a group called Californians for Improved School Funding, which is currently collecting signatures for a ballot initiative and raising money. Superintendent Christensen reported having visited Selby Lane on January 7 and stated that she was very impressed by her visit. She further reported having attended a Chamber leadership training meeting in support of Principal Michelle Griffith, who was presenting and received very positive feedback. She announced that the district would be holding at least four community forums to foster 8

9 communication and transparency with respect to budget issues, and encouraged the board to attend. She briefly described the agenda for the forums, distributing a draft of the instruction sheet for facilitators, who will be district staff Report Out on Closed Session for student expulsions ( /cases 6, 7 and 8) on December 16, President McBride reported out that the board unanimously accepted the administration s recommendations on each of the student expulsions Report Out on Closed Session for Negotiations (RCTA/CSEA) on December 16, President McBride reported out that the Board met in closed session with Superintendent Christensen and Deputy Superintendent Baker to discuss the progress of negotiations. 13. Information None. 14. Correspondence None. 15. Other Business/Suggested Items for Future Agendas Superintendent Christensen suggested agendizing an update on the census at the February 10 meeting. She further suggested adding a work session at 6:00 p.m. on the February 10 agenda to view a presentation from an online school board vendor. 16. Board Agenda Calendar 16.1 Changes to Board Agenda Schedule Superintendent Christensen reviewed the changes to the schedule of items for future board meetings. 17. Adjournment The board adjourned the meeting at 10:15 p.m. (Masur/Diaz-Slocum; 5-0). Hilary Paulson, Clerk 9