The Board is adjourning from close session where the following items permitted by law were considered.
Item 1 be public employee appointment, employment evaluation, pursuant to government code 54957, title assistant, superintendent, instructional services and principles.
Bill Gorbach made the motion to approve the appointment of Veronica Johnston as Assistant Superintendent Instructional Services, seconded by Karen Sylvester, Motion Carried 5-0.
Cindy Goldberg made the motion to approve the appointment of Carla D. Damizio, as principal
Sequoia Middle School seconded by Bill Gorbach, motion carried 5-0. Bill Gorbach made the
motion to approve the appointment of Michael Namchak as principal Wesley Kill's elementary school
seconded by Cindy Goldberg, motion carried 5-0. I don't want to see conference with legal counsel
existing litigation, pursuant to government code 54956.9.
Senegalberg made the motion to approve the settlement agreement for case OAH-202020263.
Seconded by Karen Sylvester, motion carried 5-0.
Item 1D Labor Negotiations, pursuant to government code 54957.6.
The agency negotiator is Gini Valentine, Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources, Employment
organization, California School Employees Association.
I would like to welcome everyone to the meeting and make the following announcements.
As there are COVID-19 restrictions in place, we understand it's critically important for people
to limit in person interaction. Education is an essential function and we value your input
on the important education matters we face. Therefore, the district is providing appropriate opportunities
for public participation. Members of the public, desiring to address the board by submitting
a written comment on a topic in lieu of a public comment, we're provided the option to submit
their comment by email to sfellman at kenehousd.org by 2pm today Tuesday, May 18, 2021.
Board members were provided these written comments prior to the board meeting.
In addition to the written comment opportunities, the district will also permit members of
the public to address the board through the following options.
By telephone members of the public, desiring to speak on an agenda item, we're provided
the option to contact the district by 5 p.m. on the day before the meeting Monday, May 17th,
2021, and submit their request to speak by email to us, film, and it can echo usd.org,
or by calling the superintendent's office at 805-497-9511 extension 1101-01. Members of the
public were required to provide the district with a telephone number where they can be reached
to address the governing board when the item is being discussed during the governing board
meeting.
In person, members of the public deciding to speak on an agenda item in person should fill out a blue speaker's card and hand it to Ms. Fomin at the Secretary's desk.
If you wish to speak on an agenda item, please turn in your card prior to that item section of the agenda.
If you wish to speak on an agenda item that is not on the agenda, please turn in your card before the public comment section of the agenda.
All speakers have three minutes at the podium.
However, speaker times may be reduced when they're a large number of public comments submitted
for an item.
Because these meetings will be held in public, we ask all speakers to show sensitivity and
respect for our students' equal rights of privacy.
If you wish to register your concern, but not speak at the podium, please fill out a yellow
public statement form and turn it in at the secretary's desk.
Smoking is not prohibited in this building or anywhere else on district property and police
and all cell phones.
Do I have a motion to approve the agenda? President Fitzgerald. Yes, Ms. Goldberg. I move that we approve the agenda with the following items pulled from the consent agenda. Item B, item G, item H, item I, and item G, G.
Is there a second?
Second.
session. Okay, seeing none, please vote. Trustee Sylvester? Yes. Trustee Gil? Yes.
Trustee Goldberg? Yes. I'm a yes. Trustee Gorbache? Yes.
Trustee Craig? Yes. Motion carries 5-0 with an honorary yes vote by Trustee Craig.
We're going to move to item 2E report from parent support organization and tonight it's the district advisory council and we will be joining Zoom for this portion of the meeting.
So can I make a quick announcement? Because of feedback through our sound system, those that are in the audience, the TV out in the lobby is available for you to hear the conversation we can't have the sound in here because of that loop.
So, if you're interested in the DAC report,
we would ask you to step out in the lobby to hear that
and then you're welcome to come back in
once we're done with Zoom.
We're just waiting to get everyone on,
so give us just a couple minutes.
We're still just getting everyone lined in just so those
who aren't in the room, no it's still not.
Okay, we've got everyone on the joys of our virtual world.
So we, I see, are back better than in Heather Stelly.
Thanks for joining us.
and we're ready for your report if you'd like to share.
Thank you so much.
I feel like I need a mask on, seeing all y'all and masks.
It's very strange.
Today's main secret intended board members and CVUSD staff.
Thank you so much for inviting me to speak with you guys tonight.
Coming into the role of DAC chair person this year,
of leading the largest parent representative group
in the district and its significance in this moment
was not lost on me.
DAC was uniquely placed to be a conduit of information, but to the district and back from the
district to school sites.
So let's get into it.
What a year.
DAC executive board met early in August to make one of the biggest changes to DACs inside
served.
In order to accommodate persistently changing schedules as we headed into the unknown of
the pandemic school year, we decided to move our meaning times from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This change, while difficult for many families with young children who need to feed them
dinner and get them off to bed, had some surprising results.
We had the highest attendance in DACA in the years.
And while engagement was difficult in the Zoom format, accessibility.
To the meetings improved. This year, we were able to work on LCAP goals, talk about remote teaching, student progress, learning loss mitigation, blended programming, shine, independent study, and century academy school models.
We had presentations on the breakthrough program, and the California Health Healthy Youth Act, which resulted in the formation of an ad hoc committee, who worked vigorously on proposed health education curriculums in child compliance.
The presentation by the ad hoc committee at our April meeting led to thoughtful discussion about how best to meet the needs of our students.
Jack members were able to discuss what has been successful this school year and should continue and what didn't work.
Our last meeting of the year we were so lucky to have a presentation on the equity task force by Dr Miller and several members.
This sparked active engagement from members on diversity equity and inclusion.
Moving into next year, DEI will remain an important topic for DAC. DEI will be considered as we make important decisions such as meaning dates and times next year.
As we look forward to next year, we have formed a new ad hoc committee to look at health education in elementary ages.
And at our last executive board meeting, there was some discussion about a committee where parents and teachers can connect.
At this time, I would like to take just a brief moment to thank Alexandra Kichel, who is served on
DAF, but this school site rep and on the executive board for seven years. Her reports and input
will be missed. But I would also like to thank Ann Marie Paglia for her time on our executive board
and we are hopeful she'll be able to continue to serve on DAF as a site rep next year.
Also, I would like to link Mr. Lulittal. Your patience and your guidance throughout this unusual time was greatly appreciated.
On behalf of DAC members, I would also like to thank the district for its open communication and transparency through this pandemic year.
The emails and invitations for input webinars and surveys, let us parents know our voice is very important and heard. Thank you.
Thank you so much for joining us and for that helpful report.
We appreciate it.
Okay.
So we are now at item 2f public comments.
We have one public comment. Okay, so I'm going to read a statement before our public comment. The CVLSD Board of Education respects and wants to hear from students, parents and employees in our community regarding the important education matters we face. Individuals have the right to make public comments during our school board meeting. Comments are granting specific items listed on the agenda must be made when that agenda item is called. Please be advised that our meetings are held in public.
each speaker will have three minutes and because they're held in public your comments may be heard by those who are present in this room and those watching a broad cast of this meeting
Please remember to make your comments factual and to offer them in a respectful manner that provides a good model for students and meets the expectation of our community
And an effort to maintain order during our meeting and in compliance with all applicable state and federal laws the governing board strives to respect the privacy rights of students and employees during our meetings
We ask that all speakers show sensitivity and respect for our students' privacy rights, including the right in many situations for their identities to remain confidential.
We also ask that speakers be sensitive to our employees' legal rights to privacy and confidentiality.
At this time, I would like to highlight that anyone who makes a defamatory statement during the board's meeting is out of order.
Defamation is the intentional publication of a statement of fact that its false unprivileged
and has a natural tendency to injure, or which causes special damage.
Defamatory statements may subject the speaker to civil liability.
No action or discussion shall be undertaken on any item not appearing on the post to the
agenda, except that members of the board or at staff may briefly respond to statements made
or questions posed by persons exercising their right to provide public comment under government
code section 54954.3. In addition on their own initiative or in response to questions posed
by the public a member of the Board or staff may ask a question for clarification make a
brief announcement or make a brief report on their own board-related activities. Please be assured
that the school board members value your input, your active and respectful participation in
our meeting process is appreciated.
We have one speaker at this time, Liz Pierce, and you're
to go to the podium for your time. Thank you.
Thank you.
Hi, my name is Liz Pierce and I have a son who is a junior at
Newbury Park High School and a daughter who is a seventh grader
whom I am homeschooling right now.
I'm here to address the new dress code which I'm very
uncomfortable with.
I'm trying to understand the reasons in an objective way
and I'm going from the Acorns article about the dress code. The first reason they list is
shaming. If this is happening, I agree. This definitely shouldn't be done and is an administrative
issue and would be addressed through training. The second reason the article list is that discrimination
by race. And honestly, I think the dress code is more of a size of your body issue than the color
your skin. So I see this is not a rational argument. Just still trying to understand this.
The third reason it lists is discrimination by socioeconomic status. And I also don't
see that at all because like a crop top that a girl is wearing costs more than a t-shirt.
So I don't understand why that is discriminating by socioeconomics. It does not make sense.
The fourth reason is that the oldest code is exclusive due to its vagueness. And I do agree with
it. I read it and it is vague. It doesn't give enough specifics. So I do agree that that should be clarified.
And I will hide consistently across the district. The fifth reason that it lists is that the old dress code inhibits learning.
I don't see this at all because a girl or boy gets up in the morning gets their clothes on and they think about it then and they shouldn't have to think about it at the rest of the day.
If they do, that's their choice and their responsibility.
But there's no reason to.
And then the last reason that the article list is that the old dress code
is not inclusive, does not provide for equality and diversity.
And I know that those are three popular words of the day.
But of course, if you apply the dress code consistently, it does include everyone
because everyone has to follow it.
It does have equal application, as long as the administrators all do it.
properly and it does allow for diversity because you can wear anything you want as long as
a falls into the code. So I don't see how those apply either. So honestly trying to find the
reasons for the new dress code is my objective and I would really like to ask all of you that
of present if you would truly send your son or daughter to school under a dress code that only is
to cover nipples, genitals and buttocks, is according to the article.
Truly, this is embarrassing.
I think schools should be taken seriously,
and you should be wearing something similar to what you would wear to a work meeting
and a nice dinner or an educational seminar.
Private schools require uniforms,
where color, style and measurements are specified.
Are we that different?
You can wear your more relaxed casual closet school after school and at home.
Thank you. You're welcome.
Your time's up. Thank you for your comment.
I did just want to mention on any of our topics that are covered in our board meetings.
You can go back on our videos, or post it on our website if you're interested in any topic and kind of the discussion that went on.
You can go and find them and you can watch them there on anything on any of our topics.
Just so folks know at home as well.
Thank you.
And we will move at this time on to item 2G, comments by the Board of Education. And we'll start with Trustee Gorbache.
Good evening. This month is a lot of recognitions and solutes. The first one I want to do is this is classified employees week. And we know that our classified employees are a
The glue that holds our district together, it serves all of our students and I just want
to congratulate them and let them know that we certainly recognize the good that they
do and the benefit they provide our students.
Second, May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Recognition Month.
We need to recognize the contributions that these Americans have made to our country and do
Everything we can to eliminate the rash of crimes directed against these peoples, instigate by ignorance, comments against them.
So, May is also recognition of our indigenous peoples' month, that we're here when we are of various immigrants,
when we are of various immigrant backgrounds came and minimize those who were indigenous when we got here.
The values of borrowing the earth to make better, to pass on to those left behind, would be a great value had we learned from them.
May is also Jewish American heritage month.
Finally, as far as recognition, may is mental health awareness month.
I will refer back to the importance of this awareness in a couple minutes as I discuss concerns universally brought up in various stack meetings that I observed.
Since our last meeting, the next evening, the next evening, after our last meeting, on
SyncoDemio, I virtually attended the presentation at Canahoe Elementary with County Superintendent
Dr. Morales. Many of the parents attending express their emotions of having this great leader
as a person for their children to look up to and Dr. Morales shared some of his family and personal
history as to how his parents inspired him.
The importance of all parents taking the time to talk and read
with their children could not be emphasized enough.
I attended our reopen and redesigned committee.
It appears, correct me, if I say anything wrong here.
It appears that there may be slight regulations and restrictions,
but overall we are getting close to the ability to reopen the year
and party like it was 2019.
Last Tuesday, I virtually attended the DAC meeting.
You heard from our DAC leader, but again, I want to salute Mrs. Kichel, who will be leaving
after seven years of service.
And I do want to appreciate Mrs. Skelle, who you heard just recently, for her strong leadership
of DAC this year.
They also acknowledge the importance of emphasizing diversity, equity, and inclusion as
a priority for the next year.
Dr. Miller gave a great presentation of the E.I.
They also discussed the Wednesday middle school counselor talks for students as part of the addressing
student mental health needs after many are anxious about the social and emotional aspects
of returning to campus live and in person.
Another concern that was brought up was also mentioned in mail that I received this week was
the inequity between some of our campuses, athletic programs, and resuming live and many
of our performing arts programs, not and how that has affected them both socially and financially.
So we need to think about funding these programs more and certainly, certainly, when the
participants of performance arts come to you and ask for donations, please donate graciously.
Additionally, there was questions for those parents who still chose to have their student
participate in distance learning.
Will we be able to accommodate them starting next year?
Then this morning, I observed this special ed deck meeting.
Again, there were concerns about the most important aspects of returning to campus,
and for the general welfare of the students and families on the social
and mental health of students returning to campus.
concerns were expressed about kids ressocializing with their peers and adults face the face.
There seems to be universal recognition that at all times and particularly this year,
the importance of including mental health aspects into the regular school day
is the foundation upon which the academics are built.
If we don't emphasize the social and emotional health foundations,
the academic building will not endure.
There was recognition that through this year there was greater parent awareness of what was happening and being presented to kids in class and questions about how better presentations from teachers to parents about what is being presented could in some way continue from what we did this year.
There are questions whether funds, funds from e-log, could be directed toward mental health.
And I hope on quoting this as was said, there were strong sentiment that kids are adults.
Kids like adults are reluctant to see a mental health deliver if they will only be able to
see that person for limited sessions and then know that they will be passed on to the next.
One more sentence I heard that I'd like to bring up is as stated earlier, mental health is important to deliver as part of their instructional day, not an elementary for out.
And again, doctors, doctors, doctors, Miller and Chamberlain gave great presentations on diversity, equity and inclusion. Thank you.
Thank you, Trustee Gorbach. Next we'll go to Trustee Sylvester.
Thank you. It's been a busy two weeks, but I do know we have a full agenda. So I'm going
to try to focus my remarks and build Mr. Grabback to cover some of it. First, I would
like to thank Heather Skelly, not just for the report. You gave tonight, but your leadership
up back throughout this crazy year. You've done an amazing job, and you should feel good about
that. Let's see. I attended the monthly Chamber of Commerce Education Committee meeting.
where Matt trouts from Athens services was the featured speaker. Athens is the provider who's taking
over waste services in Thousand Oaks next year. He talked about their sustainability center,
which is at 2251, Thousand Oaks Boulevard, where you can see all of the innovative work
his company is doing in terms of recycling, composting and education.
And in that vein, he had mentioned he is willing and happy to work with our schools,
including arranging field trips to their facility in Sun Valley.
So this to me, Sun's like it could be a great opportunity for all grades up to and including
our high school environmental classes.
Also, as part of the Chamber of Education Committee, just a few short hours ago, I, along
with many of my fellow trustees, attended the teacher of the year presentation.
We're a brin Hutchinson of Banyan and Shine, was recognized as a very deserving recipient.
This is a big deal.
Just getting chosen, teacher, the month, is a tremendous honor.
And then being called out as teacher of the year, is even more so.
So what an honor to...
To be recognized as a teacher of the year during such a challenging and demanding time.
I was fortunate to attend a two-day Master's in governance training class on school finance,
which was sponsored by the CSBA, which is the California School Board Association.
And while I recognize that this isn't a ways the most exciting or sexiest topic,
I really appreciate the time and attention all of my fellow trustees as well as Dr. McLaughlin,
to the subject.
Financial stewardship is just a vital role of the school board, so the better we can understand
the complexities of school finance and our role in managing expenditures, the better
we will be able to responsibly navigate through tough times when money is very tight.
I know we've seen that in prior years.
As well as times like now where we seem to have or we do have an influx of funds, both one
time stimulus dollars and potentially, if you look at the governor's revised budget, potentially
some more ongoing state money.
So again, our top priority has to be offering the bus programs to our students, so they
can achieve their best outcomes, but this really requires us to remain financially solvent
and wise about our spending.
So I thought the training class was excellent, well done, and important.
And I'm going to echo both, Heather Schelley's comments as well as Mr. Garbax.
The DAC meeting, they're final one of the year.
Dr. Miller did just a wonderful job presenting on all of the diversity equity and inclusion
initiatives that are taking place within the district, as well as the work of the equity
task force.
And I really felt she was able to truly capture the breadth and depth of all of the work
accomplishments that the district and many of the parent and community groups have been
undertaking on behalf of our various student groups. I would like to thank all of the members
of the equity task force who showed up and attended the meeting and shared from their heart,
their personal stories, their own experiences with this group, the bonds and trust that they are
developing and all of the important work that they see beginning. And then furthermore, as a trust
He was really gratifying to hear the reaction of the DAC parents to this presentation, because
across the board, their feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and their comments reaffirmed
that the direction the district has taken on this work, that it is the right path, and it
is in brief by our parent leaders.
And this morning at the CDAC meeting, I was too shared that all of the DAC chairs actually
did get together and have committed to the work of diversity, equity, of inclusion, and
to have this as a priority, and jointly support each other's efforts.
And then, finally, I was going to go much more into detail with this, but we're not covered
it.
I haven't reached out to by several parents regarding the performing arts programs.
Since all three of my kids were former theater kids, it's something I understand, I understand
how important that experiences in terms of the connections to your school sites and the connections
and finding your own community.
And for many, it's really the reason they show up and go to school.
So I know we may not have many of the answers right now in terms of guidelines, but I'm
hopeful that we will let them sing and let them drum, and that we can perhaps find some
money somewhere to help address the inequities that exist across campus in terms of booster
club funding, because that's a primary source of funds.
So, and then finally, Happy Classified School Employee Week and a shout-out to all the absolutely critical work that our classified staff has done over the past year and the vital role they played in getting our students' back to campus and keeping the CVSD humming a lot.
Thank you.
Thank you, Trustee Slevester and next we'll turn to Trustee Gill.
Thank you.
I'd like to say thank you to our public commenter tonight and to all those who took time to communicate directly with us.
I appreciate the engagement.
I appreciate the time it takes to share personal experiences, concerns, and insights.
I want to second the comments of my fellow trustees, Mr. Gorbak and Ms. Sylvester, and
I won't repeat a rundown of the sessions that we all participated in together.
I'll just add that, Mr. Sylvester spoke about the school finance learning that we did
last week and coming up this week. Some of us are engaged in sessions on human resources
and collective bargaining. And I'm really appreciative of the commitment to professional development
I'm learning a ton and I think it's just a great experience for us. We are at a very emotional
hinge point in the years we approach the final days. Still the trauma and suffering of a pandemic
year is close by and we feel it. But we're also going through process of taking stock of just
how much we've learned about what works and what doesn't. And we're looking forward to the
graduations and the promotions, celebrations that mark the extraordinary accomplishments
of our students in what is an unprecedented year. I want to thank Heather Skelly, Chair of
and the thank all of the district advisory committees for their dedicated engagement communication and collaboration through this extraordinary year.
I learned so much.
I think it's a model of distributed leadership and engagement in this very caring school community and I'm deeply appreciative.
Thank you, Trustee Gill. Next up we have Trustee Craig.
Thank you. I also want to start off by thanking our public commenter and thanking Mrs.
Skelly, not only just for her work within the DAF, but being able to know as an individual,
this pastures you the collaborative DAF, PTA meetings, it was just such a great experience,
and everyone involved in that district advisory committee. I really just appreciate everything that they do.
I also want to say happy classified staff week. We really appreciate you speaking on behalf of all
students you really make our campuses amazing in welcoming places. So we appreciate all your work.
I'm happy to announce that we finally have the lectern results from our student district advisory
executive team for the 2021-2022 school year. So I'm happy to announce that our S-DAC recorder
and Westside High School member at large is Yenelle Mendoza, our Century Academy member at
is Camille Oleski, our 1000 Oaks high school member at large is Gabby Lopez, our new
very park high school member at large and vice chairperson is Michael Lingerath and our
S-DAC chairperson is Catherine Juve from Westlife high school.
So thank you again to everyone who has involved with that process in the election and I
really look forward to seeing what they have to do for the next year.
Speaking of S-DAC, we have our last meeting, next Monday, May 24th at 330 will where you
executive board, as well as updating our bylaws. I'm also happy to announce that we're going
to be introducing the position of student representative to the Bond Oversight Committee,
as well as selecting a student representative for the Kenejo School's Foundation stakeholder
group. So I'm looking forward to that process. Within S-DAC, we've had a couple more
subcommittee meeting.
As well as we wrap up this school year, we had another meeting with the 1,000 Oaks Chief of Police Chief
Fryhoff this past week. Previously we had a discussion with them at our last S.Dak meeting, but
we opened up this meeting to all affinity clubs in CVSD and we had a really great conversation
about student resource officers as well as policing in general in our community. So I want to thank
him for his time and willingness to discuss this as well as looking forward to the continued
conversation and collaboration that we intend on having more meetings next year to expand
of these conversations.
Our reopen redesign subcommittee meeting has also met to discuss the use of stimulus funds,
as well as an overall discussion about our past experiences this year and what we want
to see in education moving forward, which was a really great conversation, and we also
intend on continuing these meetings over the summer as policy regarding school next year changes.
Our mental health subcommittee has been working to put together a project, featuring our
CVSD high school counselors on our Instagram page, which is at CVSD
underscore student DAC if you want to check it out, just really
appreciating all our counselors during mental health awareness
month and sharing what they do to celebrate mental health.
I also want to give a shout out to the wellness classroom on campus,
and this is available for all middle schoolers and high schoolers.
They've been hosting webinars every Wednesday at noon.
The one tomorrow is building a stress management plan, which we can all use
after this year, I'm sure, so be sure to register via Canvas on your classrooms.
So to check that out, I've also attended a lot of the meetings.
Other board members have attended the Reap and Re-Design, C-DAC.
I was also fortunate to attend a curricula meeting with all the other DAC, ETF, and stakeholder
group members, and had a really great conversation about curriculum overall in the district
moving forward.
So I want to thank everyone that was involved in that, and last but not least, I also
I want to praise Brian Hutchington, teacher of the year, I know that every single teacher this year has worked so hard, especially in this environment, but it's really such an honor and I just want to congratulate them on everything that they've done this year.
So with that, I conclude my comments. Thank you.
Thank you, Trustee Craig, and our next report is from Trustee Goldberg.
So, the beauty of going to all the same meetings is, I can just say, dido to a lot of what was just said.
I do want to highlight a couple of things.
One is at the program, the outreach program that Mr. Gorbache spoke of with says on Marales.
He had a couple of things that he wanted parents to know, and I thought they were really important.
He said that parents, his parents modeled the importance of going to school, and he said
it's always better to ask questions, and there's no shame in not knowing things, and I
thought that was a really good takeaway because sometimes we think we have to have all the answers
and we don't, but you always have to ask the question, he said fight to learn, to open up
options. He said you have to support a child's spirit as well as their mind. He also said
that it's really really hard in a world of instant gratification to remember that sometimes
things take time. And he was talking about reading in particular and the importance of reading,
But he extrapolated it to lots of things.
He also said specifically to our English learner families that sometimes you may not feel like you have a place in school offices or in conferences with teachers.
But you should never miss those opportunities to advocate to teachers for your child.
You should get involved. It raises your own self-esteem as well as it teaches your kids how to advocate for themselves.
And he said that you should demand that schools create programs that are good for your children.
We all have to help each other.
And I thought that was so very important.
He said we multiply our successes when we do things like this.
And then our families are the people who make our district stronger.
And I can't echo his sentiments enough.
At the DAC meeting, Alice Chu shared that the Living Resources Center offers services like ASL interpreting and peer support, assistive technology, transition opportunities, housing advocacy, and more, and they're looking to connect students, 14 to 24, and I guess all students, and you should contact a Sandy Quitsberg at the independent living association,
it for deaf and independent living resource center.
Like everybody else, I was deeply appreciative of Dr. Miller's presentation at
DAC, on the equity task force, and it wasn't just Dr. Miller's presentation, which I
really appreciated hearing the authentic voices of those task force members.
It's really, really critical, I think, for everybody to see that there's a lot of work going on and a lot of hearts in the balance.
And so I want to thank you for that.
Like everyone said, that all of the debtors have done herculine efforts.
Heather Skelly, Alice Chu, but Jay E. Claudia, who's the last name I will butcher, so I won't try.
So, sorry Claudia, Carla, from D-Lack, and all the translators, Susie Stanziano, and everybody else who keeps me able to understand what's going on in those meetings, our own adi-creg, leading this year has been really hard, and all of your work has been so important and great, and I'm grateful.
It's been mentioned that Alex Kichel is graduating out of Keneo Valley Unified School District and I can't say enough about her contributions to our schools and communities.
I've spent a lot of years together on DAC with Alex and I appreciate her openness and willingness to share her perspectives and her expertise.
Her sons have made an impact here as reporters from the very park high school as well as on their campuses.
What is it they say about apples and trees?
Alexandra is going to be missed.
I told her please don't be shy that we still need her.
Even though she's no longer parent in our district.
She's part of us.
I can't thank Dr. Chamberlain and Dr. Miller enough for that amazing presentation on mental health.
You hear me say about that a lot and everybody else has touched on it.
Bren Hutchinson, teacher of the year, it was the perfect pick for me, so if you don't know her, follow her on social media, you'll learn a lot.
As it is classified and please, I would like to give a shout out to the IMT over at Los Doritos Middle School, Kerry Donoho, who of her own position taught a cooking club, or teaches a cooking club.
Those students are lucky to have a reaction.
Or she's an amazing cook, and it's joyful, mouthful learning, and so thank you, Mrs. Donahoe. And also, to Ruby Hernandez, a
fantastic CSEA custodial staff at Banyan Elementary, there were some baby birds that were hiding
and starving under the cubbies in the kindergarten yard, and Lori Marzelax kindergarten class
by them and asked for help, Ruby fished out the birds, saved them, put them in a box under
the tree for the mom to feed and take care of.
So, other duties as a sign goes way beyond what we think of on the campuses.
So, thank you very much to our CA folks who just get the job done.
And lastly, completely unrelated and sort of note with the arts emphasis, because that's definitely a passion of mine.
I cannot recommend highly enough the exhibit at the California Science Center.
There is a Lego exhibit, which sounds kind of silly, but it's unbelievable.
It's an art exhibit through Legos.
So they've created the great masters out of Legos.
So even if you're kids like mine or you weren't a Lego kid,
it's unbelievable it's not to be missed.
Make your time reservation and highly recommend it.
And social distancing is observed.
So thank you, Trustee Goldberg.
I'll start just by saying I'm really God, the baby bird story, how to have the ending.
I don't remember for a minute.
I'm not going to tell a bad one.
Okay, good.
I want to just take a quick moment to think our school sites for all the work I've seen underway to celebrate
our graduating seniors and our promoting fifth and eighth graders.
I've seen so many yard signs around town and it's really nice to have that spirit of celebrating our students.
again this year, so I appreciate all of the hard work I know is going into all of those plans.
And I will echo our congrats to our teacher of the year, Brian Hutchinson, and our
thank you to our doctor and our mental health providers for the support that you have provided
to our students every year, but with this year being so critical as well. And also a huge thank you
to our classified staff who have done a wonderful job keeping our schools running, especially again
during this challenging year.
And finally, congratulations to the new student DAC executive board members.
We're excited to see what you have in store for us next year.
I know there's a tough act to follow, but I'm sure that no question that you'll be able
to do so and continue growing that program that's already doing so many amazing things.
So, congratulations again.
And with that, we'll move to comments from our superintendent.
Good evening to our community. Just a couple of quick announcements. We are working on our latest
and next survey that we'll be going out to families just in regards to possible selection
of the different learning opportunities for next year. Obviously, the first choice would be
would look like on our school campuses is a choice. Obviously the shine home school program,
which is a TK through 12 program will be an option for families to select from
century Academy, which is a 6 through 12 blended program that has been in place for many years
in our district, will be available. And then the other program is the virtual learning program,
which we're obviously still waiting for some language and verbiage about what it is that we
and can't offer what it would look like.
And so if we do, and you are interested in the virtual learning
and we get more details, we may have you select as an option
this go around with a follow-up, two-pronged survey with folks
who select that just as more details come out from state legislature
and the governor on that.
With master's in governance, many of our board members have spoke about it.
We all know in our community that our board here is engaged, along with
Cabinet and myself, but now the whole state knows that our board is engaged as
They were very engaged in in the first round of
Training which we were working on budget and so I do appreciate our board members who
Really shared the experiences that they were learning within their groups and I think
It was definitely obvious to those who were participating in the training that we have an engaged board.
So thank you for your engagement and we'll need us to go through the Masters in Governance.
This Friday and Saturday will be on negotiations.
So I look forward to being on that with many of our board members and texting back and forth and
and learning together as I feel is the best way for us to continue to work as a full-fledged team.
Congratulations to Carla D. D. Muzio, who was approved as Sequoia Middle School New
Principal in Mike Nemchek, as the West Lake Hills Elementary School Principal, so
congratulations to them to Bren Hutchins, fantastic teacher, well deserving of our teacher
of the year for Canal Valley Unified School District, and just the work that she puts in and
transition from a traditional setting to an independent study setting as a teacher was
phenomenal. So thank her for her efforts and I know that her students both in the traditional
setting and in the independent study setting has really, it's awesome really great growth
and her ability to work with them has been fantastic. And then once again to all of our classified
folks. Thank you for the work that you do. Making our campuses look great. Our offices run.
The list goes on and on and on. So with that happy classified employee week. Thank you.
Thank you, Dr. McLaughlin. And we'll move on to item two eye business services measure
oversight committee and overport an update. Are we logging on to Zoom for this one? Yes, okay.
So give us just a minute.
You may be able to hear some old conversation.
We have everybody on Zoom, and I'm going to go ahead and hand this over to Dr. Hayek.
Thank you, Mr. Gerald.
The citizens,
well, the citizens bond oversight committee.
Meet regularly throughout the course of the year, part of their responsibilities to present an annual report to the Board of Education.
And I'm going to introduce Mr. Tony Geth, the chair for the committee for the 2020-21
school year, and he'll go over the highlights and information regarding the Bondo
or State Committee's work for this past year.
Mr. Geth?
Good evening, President, Fitzgerald, Dr. McLaughlin, members of the Board of Education and
District staff.
That most importantly fellow citizens, my name is Tony again, and I'm the chairperson of the bond oversight committee, and tonight I want to talk to you about our annual report.
Can we go to the next slide, Victor, please?
The members of the bond oversight committee are shown here.
The Cindy Lu is our parent representative, Kelli Goble is our community.
A large representative, Melanie Nizzabikian is the community, a large representative.
Marshall Denniger is the taxpayer Association representative.
Andrew Fletcher is the business organization representative.
And Melissa Cannon is our parent, PTA representative.
Go to the next slide, please.
The measure I bond oversight committee responsibilities are to provide oversight and the following ways to inform the public concerning the district's measure I expenditures, review expenditures, especially the district reports to ensure that the bond proceeds are spent only for measure I purposes and ensure that no bond proceeds are used for teacher or administrator salary salaries.
We prepare and present, we prepare and present a written report each year on what we're doing.
And we review the audit that is done, the independent audit next slide please.
We normally need every other month, although we can meet more often.
And we did that in December.
We had a special meeting to review the audit.
So you can see the dates that we met here.
next slide, please. Just a little background for those of them might have not been here in November of 2014.
The voters of the Canale Valley overwhelmingly approved measure I, $197 million general bond obligation to support the school renovation and modernization products in the Canale Valley Unified School District.
The district currently operates 31 sites with total buildings and excess of 2 million square feet and California state law requires an independent bond oversight committee be established to monitor the expenditures in view of what was promised to the voters next slide please.
The language on the ballot that the voters approved starts out with to upgrade, maintain the
Canadian Valley schools with funding that cannot be taken by the state.
That was really important because in 2008 after the recession, a lot of the state funding
to the schools was cut.
And so the question was, shall the Canadian Valley Unified School District upgrade all
science career training labs update maintain classroom technology and network infrastructure
provides safe well maintained classrooms repair replace electrical plumbing roofing repair
construct acquire equipment sites and facilities and improved school safety security by
issuing $197 million in bonds at legal rates with citizen oversight and annual audits
no money for administrators and without increasing the tax rates. Next slide, please.
So the $197 million worth of bonds is divided into two care areas.
The capital or infrastructure portion, which is the largest is $146 million in the technology,
which has to do computer and digital learning is $51 million.
The first bond issued in 2015 for $37 million in 2018 for $50 million and the district was actually able to improve the rating in 2018 by making presentations to the bond and underwriters about how greatly canal valley school district is in 2020 the third issue of the bond was for $50 million.
And in 2023, the fourth and last issue of the bond will be for $60 million.
Up until now, the low interest rates have been favorable to the bonds.
And so the rates that the citizens pay are reduced.
We would expect if things go as they're planned, these days that the rates will be up by 2023.
three and so the district may want to consider going a little earlier than that if they can figure
out how to spend money faster next slide, please.
Some highlights from the committee this year, first of all, were required to certify the annual
audit per a bylaws and so we year by affirm that the district is in compliance with the state
requirements. A little background on the audit. In previous audit, so we had hoped to be able
see the items that the auditors selected in the previous auditors didn't
were interested in doing that. The district contracted with a new auditor
starting this last year and so we decided that the committee would meet
with the auditor and we did that on May 13th to talk about what we would like
to see in the audit in addition to all the normal things. The auditor told us
there's requirements for a bond oversight audit.
And when we asked about whether we could see the what was in fact actually audited,
they said that's not one of the requirements, but as a concession to the district,
they would give us a separate report through that. And they did. And that proved very
interesting. We were able to see which items were audited. And we were also able to see a list of the sample
a labor charge is that we're audited because there is some labor being charged for
program management and other activities to the bonds.
Not, not labor for teachers or administrators. So it was a successful audit next slide, please.
The committee decided that in looking at the new West Lake High School STEM building, which is the largest measure I program undertaken at $14.4 million that we wanted to pay a special attention to that, especially since the district is acting as its own general contractor.
And so in every meeting we regularly look at the bid schedules, the construction schedules, and the construction cost estimating reports, and I'm happy to report to you that the district is doing an outstanding job and measure in enacting this or carrying out this project.
They are on schedule and the cost remain as projected. I'll show you some pictures and a little while of what's going on there if you haven't been out to look at the site.
We're also looking at adding a student representative to the board.
Just as the Board of Education has a student representative, we think it would be a good idea to have a student representative.
And so we're looking at what's required to do that.
One of the things is that we'll probably have to change the bylaws a little bit because the bylaws limit people to be 18 and over.
and we'll also have to look at other requirements but we think it's a good idea and we're going
to continue with that. Next slide that shows the typical expenditure summary if you want to know
what your school site is getting in terms of measure I you can look at the expenditure summary on
our website and it will show by school what the budget is, how much has been spent, how much remains
to be spent. And the next slide goes into even more detail. So if you want to know what the
construction or capital portion of these penetrors are and what the technology portion of the
expenditures are, and I know you can't read this slide, but this is just a typical example.
Every school has a detailed report from the beginning of the bonds funding back in 2015 to
in this case up to March 31st of this year of what's been spent on a cumulative basis by detail.
The next chart, I want to talk about the capital portion of the bond. As I mentioned before,
the $197 million has $146 million in capital money. That's divided by high schools,
$52 and a half million dollars middle schools, 30 million elementary schools, 41 million
other sites, 14 million and a contingency of $7 million.
Next slide, please.
I won't try to read the slide to you, but this shows how the each school, what the funding
is or the allocation is for each school, the elementary schools, at $41.6 million dollars,
the middle schools at $30 million, the high schools at $52.5 million and other sites at $21.9 million.
Next slide, please.
So, a graphical format, if you look on the left, you can see that the elementary schools have an allocation of $41.6 million.
And to date through March 31st, $17 and half million dollars has been extended in the middle
schools of $30 million allocation, $10 million has been expanded.
The high schools of $52.5 million and rupt to $31 million expenditures in the other areas
and the contingency 5.8 million of the $21.9 million has been spent next slide, please.
The capital budget is divided into several categories in the instructional technology and network infrastructure, the science mathematics and career preparation labs, the modernization, maintenance and repairs, and safety and security and program management. Next slide, please.
So if you look at the total expenditures of $64 million, $64.9 million through March 31 from inception,
you can see that the modernization, the MMOR portion of the bar is the biggest portion at $48.4 million.
If you go down to the next slide, we'll talk about the technology allocation.
Whoops, I missed a slide here, sorry.
So in 2021, these were the way the monies were spent out of the elementary schools,
the middle schools, the high schools, and the other sites.
And again, the MMR, the modernization activity is taking the balance,
the bulk of the money. Next slide, please. On the technology side, it's broken the $51 million
is broken into two portions.
The $38 million goes to technology equipment or what we call
the endowment and the program management takes $13 million. The important statistic here is that
The goal here is to spend $100 per student per year at each of the schools and sites.
Next slide, please.
Again, this slide shows the breakdown by elementary schools, 15.5 million dollars of bond allocation,
the middle schools, 7.8.
The high schools at $13 million dollars and the other sites at $13.5 million dollars.
Next slide, please.
There are many more categories in the technology area, computers, tablets, laptops, audio
visual, printers, and print accessories, software, installation services, charging stations,
miscellaneous, electrical engineering equipment, the general and civil engineering equipment,
robotic equipment, science equipment and accessories, next slide, please,
another chart
before that lecture.
Yes, that one.
Um, so in terms of the technology expenditures, you
can see that the, um, category V the tablets and the laptops are the biggest expenditure
category A of the computers on the top is also big and then the program management, which we'll
and you can see that the total through March 31st to 16.8 million that's been spent today.
The way the technology works is the site.
So, figure out what they would like in their technology-indowment allocation for the year. And then the district
commonizes them by putting all of the same kind of equipment into one type. So it's easier for the district to administer and maintain them. And they issue a catalog so that the sites can order from the catalog. And this is updated every year.
Next slide. One of the big things that has been added now is the Permitian Active Panel, which is interactive technology for the classroom.
It's touchscreen enable and mirrors mobile devices that are in the room and also wireless share capabilities and of course laptops and tablets are a big item.
So for technology,
the program management activities include providing technology input to
the schools, initiating and receiving the technology orders, working with the vendors
on pricing, receiving the orders, setting up the devices and deploying them at the school
sites, and providing continuous support.
So, in a lot of activity that goes on to support all of this.
Since we're on program management, I also want to talk about the program management for the infrastructure or the capital expenditures.
The planning and facilities department meets with the principles annually to review their site project priorities.
programs. The projects start based on budget availability and priority of the projects project that require
architectural designs follow the design bid and build process laid out by the state. All of the capital
projects program management is handled by department staff. Some years ago that used to be
little money by doing it by in-house personnel who are deeply committed and individually understand
the details of what's going on at each site. The staff develops cost estimates for each project
in the scope of work, they develop a master schedule, they provide contract management, including
bid and award for public contract code, they oversee projects, conduct final inspections and close
projects, they conduct internal project audits, and they liais with the California division
of state architecture, DSA, because DSA must approve all of the changes or new structures
that are being installed or done. Next slide, please talk just briefly about the COVID-19 impacts.
The word no direct impacts on measure I projects do the pandemic actually when the students were not on campus, it allowed the continuation of construction without impacting other activities.
It did prevent the committee from visiting sites and that's understandable.
So, one impact is that the demand for building materials increased as material availability
decreased and the increased material costs caused an increase in expected project budgets.
So, the district is working on that to try to see how we can stay within the budgets.
We do have a small contingency in the West Lake High School.
The district is acting as its own main contractor and that helped to save overall costs
to meet the goal of the $14.4 million.
And one other comment is that measure iPhones
were not used for laptops and other devices.
The devices that the district need were funded by other funds
and not measure I. Next chart, please.
So I want to talk about some planned activities.
The Aspen Elementary School may entrance modernization.
It will be a single point of entry, reconfiguration, public access to campus will be modified
and private students and staff access to the nurse's office will be provided, and this
is a $1 million budget next slide please.
The Collinor Middle School has some unique things based on its location.
You know that as you go up and down, he'll crest you, the entrance to the middle school was right at the bottom of the hill and so cars often pick up some speed and then as the crossing guard crosses they have to slam on the brakes.
So we're doing, we're doing a couple of things that's here to try to improve that situation.
One is the music building, which is located up near Hillcrest is being moved to the back of the campus,
and also we're going to modernize the science classrooms as part of that.
But there's being designed a new drop-off and pick-up pathway.
You can't really see it in this picture very well, but there's a pathway to the left on Hillcrest that will come around
circle around so that's pickup and drop-off will be much easier. But most importantly,
the district is working with the city and they're going to put a light at the bottom of the hill
there and that should improve things directly immensely. The budget for this is $5.5 million and
It will also rebuild and modernize the locker rooms.
Next slide, please.
Close the Redo's middle school campus modernization will
exit will include exterior building facade improvements.
New out to our student plaza and assembly area window
additions in the student stairwell and the budget is 1.3.2 million dollars.
And this construction was supposed to start in April.
The Redwood Middle School campus modernization
knew how to do our student plaza, including assembly
areas, modernization of all classrooms, upgraded music
and science classroom amenities, and the budget is $5 million.
The Sequoia Middle School art and music modernization
will include a remodel of the music and science
classrooms upgrading furnishings and lab amenities exterior building facade modernization
and the budget is $4.8 million.
The century Academy campus modification will look at the exterior of the buildings, campus
separation from the rise in the circular driveway that had been planned has been reduced
that has been eliminated because of the scope cost,
but the budget is $3 million.
At Nubari Park High School, there's a plan for a new stem building.
It will have 12 new stem classrooms, a center courtyard.
There'll be exclusive all-gender restroom stalls. And the budget for this is $10 million. There's been a lot of learning injected into this design based on the learning from the West-like high school stem building.
And the cost is significantly reduced because there's more land available. So we don't have to go up three stories. It can all be single stories. And the budget for this is $10 million.
The Numerary Park High School Softball Athletic Field included a remodel and upgrade new
dugouts and scoreboard of parking lot expansion and budget for that was $1.2 million.
And finally, I want to talk about the West Lake High School STEM building.
It's a three-story building, it has seven science classrooms, four laboratory classrooms
in the budget, as I mentioned, is $14.4 million.
This is a picture taken in the last August where the site was prepared
in the next, can you
pop down another two charts, Victor, when were you going to go to the next chart, please?
Yes.
So this is the concrete slab laying, which happened in December.
next chart, please. This is the steel structure in January and the next slide, please.
One
more slide. Nope. Yeah, that one. This was taken in April and there's been a lot of progress
since then, but the construction is moving right along. If you haven't seen the structure
you can drive through the upper parking lot on at West Lake High and look down on it and it's
going to be magnificent building.
So I want to make sure that everybody knows that anything that's
going on on measure I can be found on the measure I portion of the district website. The detailed
expenditures that I showed earlier are there, the living document, which is updated quarterly
has every detailed expenditure by site, and there are the master plans, site surveys, and
other work that went into developing all of these plans.
Next slide, please.
You can find us on Twitter and, of course, on the Measure I Web site.
In conclusion, I want to read a better for the excellent works you get in putting these charts together.
I want to thank the voters for proving measure I.
And I now served three terms on the measure I committee.
And so my turn ten years up based on the bylaws.
And I want to thank the district for all the support they have given to the.
as your eye committee, basically everything that we could have wanted, we asked for the district
supported us that have done an outstanding job.
So thank you very much and I'm glad that's your any questions.
Thank you, Mr. Kitt, for that really thorough and excellent presentation and I do agree
the slides are very helpful and just digesting all of that information.
I do want to echo that thank you to our community for supporting all of these amazing improvements
through the bond measure and also thank you to all of the committee members for all of your work on our
measure committee. I'm going to open it up now to questions or comments from the Board of Education
and if you'll just unmute yourself, so I can see you on the screen if you have a question or
comment.
Trustee Solvester?
I thank you. Mr. Gip, that was an excellent report and I know first
just how much work goes into being on the committee and putting together this annual report.
And it was very thorough and easy to understand. So that's sometimes hard to achieve.
I was happy to see all the slides and the progress on the West Side High School STEM building
because I do know initially there were some concerns about the district being the general contractor
on this project, but it seems to have worked out not good, really, really well.
So it was only happy to hear the progress on that.
And I am very happy to hear about the stop light at Kalina,
because that is definitely an issue.
One of the questions I do have,
and this has actually been a question I've asked,
since I've been on the BuzzRight committee,
and that is the outreach to the community,
because one of the responsibilities is to inform the public.
So I feel very well-informed now,
and I've been on the website and we all have,
There's a ton of information there.
So this isn't really about transparency.
This is about broadcasting and promoting all of the great work
that's been done at our school sites to the public at large.
People who are not necessarily on the school sites
or are not necessarily watching the board meeting.
So I see some tweets on Twitter.
But if someone from our community goes,
hey, what's up, building, rising up behind West Lake High School?
What is it, and they get on the West Lake High School?
website. It doesn't mention Medcharide. And none of our school websites acknowledge the work
that's been done through Medcharide. So I mean this is a long comment and I've mentioned this
before so it's not in the news. But I do want us to think about ways we can think outside the box
and to really inform our community of all the wonderful projects we've undertaken. So we may need to
back out to the community in a few years, if we think we need to issue another bond, and the more
that we can kind of lead them along and show them all the work that's been told, and I think the better.
So, I don't expect to hear a great answer right now, but I do think it's something we need to discuss.
We may want to consider more order to the world for hiking, I'm not sure if you can hear it.
Can I say something?
I have talked to our communication department frequently.
They got through the concern and I know that they are working on ways in brainstorming ways to make sure that we are addressing more of a communication and a progression through the projects.
So that is something that has been in conversation and something that they are brainstorming on.
So. Thank you, Mr. Good. I think you also had a response.
Yeah, I agree with Karen. And I think that one of the items that we might take better advantage of is to make more releases or press releases to the acorn.
Because that is pretty widely read. And so we haven't really been giving reports that get published there. So that's a good idea.
and anything else we can do mark obviously is would be appreciated so that the citizens know what's going on and how we're spending their money.
I'm going to echo Trustee Sylvester's sentiments and also state. It's in keeping with the original when measure I was first passed, we put stickers. Thank you, measure I on everybody's website and we put we put it on things that were funded through measure I so that people would see it because when people see it, then they they know where that extra funding came from and then without that we wouldn't have all the computers or this year.
new building or whatever it is. So it's important not to lose that momentum that we had when we
started. I also want to thank you for whoever's great idea it was to partner with the city on
that stoplight at Collina because that is pretty much one of the worst spots in the city.
And I was incredibly grateful to see the new buildings for our arts and music on many of our campuses.
And then that redwood thing is unrecognizable.
So could those to that design as well?
And then I want to thank you all for your hard work on this.
I know, Norea Becker and Tim McCabe and that whole crew and Dr. Hayek.
And the whole measure I committee have spent a lot of time on this.
And it's deeply appreciated.
So great report and Mr. Get it?
It's been a long time.
It's been with us in the beginning, but we'll talk about that in a bit.
I do want to share that the sunlight is a working progress and we are going back from
the birth of the city on figures, costs, just not all about the birth of the wind.
You're partying with another governmental agency.
I want to make sure that we're clear on that.
It's still we're still working to that season.
Am I correcting that?
Dr. Hype?
Yes, that's always been our intent.
The next step was a traffic study.
I was done.
You might notice the hose going down across the coast.
I'm trying to measure the traffic so we've been having ongoing discussions because there's a whole host of criteria that has to be established before a stop light is put in.
I ask a follow up then yes.
So it's interesting to me we're going to do a traffic study during COVID when our traffic patterns aren't the same is that.
We're going to wait till we get you next year when it opens up because as much as I want that thought that I'd like to have accurate information because
I feel like it would be skewed right about now.
Yeah, we did have that conversation and we just asked them to do the traffic study now anyway we could do another one subsequently at a later time.
It's not going to impact our design because we still think that the modified parking area
and the pick up and drop off zone gets the car's off of Hillcrest while they're waiting
and creates a safer space for students to walk through. So we are still planning on aligning
the exit into that intersection. It's just a question of the the late piece of it that
may come at a later time. But as we work through with the with the city and going over the
those pieces that's that's essentially a separate project from what we're doing inside on the interior of the campus.
I figured you had a plan.
And I mentioned one more thing.
Dr. I, it's being assigned to the traffic commission.
We hope we'll have a big impact on doing that.
I think we do look forward to that successful partnership outcome with the city as someone who's got a former little leader and has used that running across that straight there feeling like we're taking our life into our hands. I think there'll be a lot of families and kids that appreciate that.
I think I saw a light off, Mr. Gorbeck.
Yes, going along with what we were talking about about the light,
I can see where that element.
Having the drop off pattern on campus,
eliminates those coming down, don't press.
But my concern is the many people I've seen park on that side street
the opposite Collina that park there and let their kids walk across the campus won't that be affected by the
won't the traffic pattern of that impact the light that I mean that doesn't get counted in.
Well, they started the cross field press at some point in time.
So there is a crossing guard at the intersection right now and there there's no plans to discontinue that crossing guard at all.
But yes, we'll have an impact on it, but also keep in mind that, you know,
where our schools are still operating, they've been open.
We do have the morning and you have a new chip that buses are running twice a day.
And the last couple of last month or so, and it's speaking with the city.
I mean, traffic has been has increased substantially over the last few months,
as we come out of the COVID pandemic.
So again, we, this is, this is the first traffic measurement that we can do.
The city is really, really cooperative with us, and if we ask to do another one in a couple
of months or at the beginning of the next school year, I'm sure that they'll work with us.
So we've never had a problem working together with the city.
So we'll see what the numbers bring.
I believe this intersection was measured at some point in time in the past,
So at least we have some comparison point to look at this latest study, but again, if we, if we have to and we can request or the city can on the wrong, just say they want to measure the intersection once again, but we're we're planning on still aligning the intersection and however the light pans out, we're just going to continue that conversation, we're working with the city council.
Thank you. I noticed that the Newbury Park High School edition and the presentation noted that
it would include all gender restaurants. I think that's also the case for the West Lake High School STEM building.
Is that correct? I just wanted to confirm.
The design and Newbury Park High School is actually it's it's
when working with our architect and we met with some students and we ran a design by by staff in the administration
And it is one of the first designs that we've done that have been done for first school in that nature here in California.
Actually, we've had other school districts reach out to our architect and ask to see those plans and designs and they want to use them to model their future and renovations to bathrooms.
The bathroom at the West Lake High School Stem Building was designed and stamped out of DSA prior to this design, but there are gender neutral bathrooms going in single soil bathroom going in at the West Lake I believe there's two that are being put in we did add one more after the fact that will be installed as well.
But the style of the bathroom at the Newberry Park High School is the first of its time.
And...
That's what we're hoping to get the stamp out of the essay to an image all the requirements in such which I don't think we see any issues with that, but that is something that we are proud of to this day. And we can we can we'll share it at the, we're going to do an update or the response to the student concerns with the restrooms at the next board meeting and will include a layout and a picture of what that looks like into the design.
Great. Thank you for that additional information.
And I did want to clarify one other item as it relates to the student representative.
I believe Trustee Craig mentioned earlier that that was moving forward.
And Mr. Get I heard you mentioned that steps were taking place to get a student on there.
I just wanted to find out are we still in the phase of determining whether that's possible or are we in the phase of taking the steps to enact that.
So the board is in favor of doing it and at our next meeting at the end of May, we hope to
an actor move authorize the steps to be taken. The bylaws have to be updated, I think, which you
will have to approve. And there's a couple of other minor items, but Dr. Hyatt has been studying the
issue, and I hope you'll present that us with the list of things we need to approve at the next meeting.
Thank you.
Are there any other questions or comments on this item?
Trustee Craig.
Thank you.
Just want to apologize.
In my board member comments.
I'm a discussion at our next SAC meeting.
We're Dr. Haydich.
We'll be there and speaking to us about the introduction to your presentation.
I apologize for the miscommunication.
And I also just want to say thank you so much for the amazing presentation.
I know when the agenda was released on Thursday.
And I saw that low-streetest middle school would have windows.
I shared that with my fellow alumni, and they were extremely grateful and happy.
So the work that everything that this community has worked on,
it's really appreciated by the students.
And as Tresty Govug mentioned, the measure I stickers, we see them on all of our Chromebooks and the classroom.
So that is effective.
And I just want to thank you for all the work, Mr. Get and the entire committee.
And trusty Craig, no apologies necessary. It's helpful to have the additional information just to kind of understand where we are.
Excuse me in the process of a student representative on that committee.
I appreciate that.
Any other questions or comments?
Okay.
Seeing none.
Thank you, Mr. Good.
I know you're going to be.
I think joining us for our next item.
And I believe we're staying on zoom for that item.
So we will go.
Let's move on to item 2J recognition of Mr. Tony Gett and Marshall Deninger for their service to the community serving
three full terms on the measure I independent citizens bond oversight committee. And I will hand this over to again Dr.
Thank you, Mr. Get appreciate your time staying on. Mr. Marshall Deninger could have joined us this evening, but we wanted to take a few minutes and recognize Mr. Get and Mr. Deninger for all the time that they put into the bond oversight committee.
In 2014, the measure I bond passed at the voters and as part of the requirement for any public bond for school district, a citizen's bond oversight committee has to be formed.
Mr. Get and Mr. Deninger were two of the original members from the beginning from day one, the first meeting was June 3, 2015.
It seems like not that long ago, but it's been, it'll be six years next week.
Mr. Daninger was actually appointed the first chair of the committee and served as a chair for three years, 2015 through 2018.
And actually that first year, that first meeting also Mr. Gorbache was the vice chair of the committee, appointed at that time.
And then after the third year, Mr. Get assumed that was selected to be the chair of the committee and Mr. Good has been the chair of the committee for the last three years.
So since at the inception of the citizens bond over site committee, we've had two chairs have both of you have done a tremendous job.
We've met 35 times in six years and went back and counted and I will say that both of you
have done an excellent job not only as a chair but representing the public and keeping us on
our toes and keeping us making sure that we're addressing all the concerns brought up by our constituents
and we just wanted to say thank you. We do have two certificates here that we will send out to
you and Mr. Deninger acknowledging your time spent for the school district and for the residents of the community and overall just thank you and appreciate your time and we wish you well.
Thank you.
Yes, as Dr. Hayek mentioned, I worked with Tony and with Marshall at the beginning.
Unless you're on the committee, you don't know the dedication that these two gentlemen have made the organization, the hard work, the everything.
Mr. Get, I just want to thank you for your hard work over these years and just the work that you've done with the bond.
And Mr. Deninger, I thank you also and just for these, I mean, I think tonight was a perfect example of the hard work of making these presentations so that our community gets to see what the bond committee is doing.
So again, Tony, congratulations on your, on your hard work and I just appreciate it. Thank you.
Thank you.
Other comments from the board?
Okay, thank you, Mr. Get and Mr. Dunnager,
for your incredible service and impact you've had
to our school community.
It's very much appreciated.
And I do see Trustee Goldberg's light office as well.
I just want to thank Mr. Get and Mr. Dunnager
because I can't really imagine this committee
without the two of you.
Mr. Dunnager was on measure I was actually a thing.
And I'm not sure that we would have it without his efforts along with many people who got that past, but Marshall Deninger was highly instrumental in helping us pass, measure I, and stayed active and engaged ever since.
And so it's going to be a loss of institutional memory for both of you.
So I would hope you will stay watching and let us know when you see something.
Because what does it basically say at schools when you see something say something?
So please, and thank you both for your service.
Thank you. Any other comments?
Okay. Thank you, Mr. Good again for joining us for both items. We appreciate that.
Thank you, everybody.
And we're going to transition off Zoom again, you can stay in no Zoom will need to go in later in the meeting.
Okay, moving to section 3 action items, beginning with item 3A, is there a motion?
Ms. President.
Trustee Gorak.
I move that we approve the contract for assistant superintendent, that we approve the contract for assistant superintendent of instructional services.
Is there a second? Trustee Gorak. Thank you.
It's been moved and seconded. Hopefully we have any public comment, and I'll hand this over to Dr. McLaughlin.
The board needs to take a vote first and then once the vote is taken, I will have Dr. Johnson
come up and introduce herself to the community and address the board.
Okay, thank you.
And before that time, are there any comments or questions from Board members?
Okay, I just did want to note before we vote.
How excited I am for Dr. Johnson to join us.
It's clear she brings such a wealth of knowledge and experience with her.
I know she's excited to join the team here in our district
and continue the work that's been started, especially as it relates to equity diversity inclusion.
And I know she's already been engaged and I think we're
pending a board vote going to be very lucky to have you as part of the district team.
So before we vote, are there any other questions or comments?
Okay, seeing none, please vote, Trustee Solvester?
Yes.
Trustee Gilbert?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbach?
Yes.
I am a guest.
Trustee Gil?
Yes.
Trustee Craig?
Yes.
Motion carries 50 with an honorary yes vote by Trustee Craig.
So with that, I would like to congratulate Dr. Johnson and ask her to come up to the podium to address our board and say hello to the community.
Good evening, Dr. McLaughlin, Board of Education and Community.
Thank you for the opportunity to join this outstanding team.
The Kenejo Valley Unified School District has an outstanding reputation for excellence,
but more importantly for providing an exceptional standard of student care.
The district is engaged in the very important work of diversity, equity and inclusion,
And I'm very excited about this next chapter and about supporting our students supporting our educators and becoming part of this community.
Thank you.
Thank you and welcome.
Thank you again for coming tonight so that we can congratulate you and meet you officially here as part of our district.
We'll move on now to item 3b. Approver, actually, do I have a motion on that item?
I move that we approve the adoption of the expanded learning opportunity grant e-log plan as submitted.
Is there a second?
I second.
It has been moved and seconded. There's no public comment on this item.
And we are going to move to Dr. Miller.
Yeah, good evening, everybody, this may take just a moment so that I can log on to show the brief PowerPoint that I have for this.
Oh, got it. Okay, no problem. We'll just actually, we could, if it's going to be a few minutes, we could take a break.
Yeah, I don't know if it'll be a few minutes. We are having some technical difficulties behind the law here, so that's why there's been some commotion floating around here this evening.
My, you could discuss the plan.
You have the plan, the PowerPoint, I don't know,
provides much more additional information.
Let's move forward with that.
It's three, yeah, there you go.
And we're just pulling up the attached documents in the agenda.
Yeah, so thank you, everybody.
Good evening, Board.
So as was presented at our last meeting,
And we, as a school district, are going to be in receipt of AB86 stimulus funds, also known
as extended learning opportunity grant, we were required to go through a process in order
to bring the grant proposal for two tonight, hopefully for a vote ever approval.
So next slide.
So this is just a very quick synopsis of what the next few slides will show, which is, again,
What is the allocation breakdown of the funds?
What stakeholder engagement did we do?
You'll have an opportunity to review the plan, the proposed plan.
And then if you have any feedback or questions,
I'd be happy to try and answer those.
So this is the same slide I brought forward,
a previous meeting, which provides a breakdown of the funds.
You'll see that there is some earmarking of the funds
and those have been captured in the draft plan.
We do want to share and make sure all of our community stakeholders know this is only one of the stimulus funds that we are receiving.
We had already received ESSER-1, S1, we anticipate receiving S2 funds and S3 funds.
So again, this is just one of the layers. Additionally, we also have our LCAP.
So that is another document that we'll be talking about in the future.
So I don't want anybody to think it's all or nothing here.
So what engagement and input did we receive?
There were 26 school site council meetings.
We so appreciate the quick and fast work by our school site.
Administrators and the members of these meetings and the input they provided.
We received over 1,200 responses to the survey that was in English and Spanish.
We held facilitated to reopen and redesign meetings and received input there and then we
had communication with our labor partners.
So we gathered a lot of input.
In reviewing the input, there were a couple of themes that really stood out against the
others and these themes are connected to what the purposes were defined in the ELOG grant.
There were some recommendations brought forward that were inconsistent with the purpose of the grant so unfortunately we could not bring those forward.
The first one that really was most common was providing mental health services to our students.
Next was addressing learning loss through targeted supports and interventions.
increase staffing to allow and maintain smaller class sizes and to also provide some more individualized instruction in those classrooms.
If we can maintain smaller class sizes and lastly provide instruction and enrichment opportunities during the summer.
So those themes really did drive what we added into the ELOG plan.
So, the next steps would be Board of Education adoption tonight, that would allow us to send this to the County of Office of Education by June 1st, which is the date that it's required to do that.
Again, happy to receive your recommendations tonight or feedback and try to answer any questions.
Should we get it approved?
And VCU, we approved that we would be coming back to Board of Education meetings at the beginning of the year to share with you what we were able to do over the summer.
and what we have prepared for this school year.
With that, I'll take any questions or feedback.
Thank you, Dr. Melner.
Are there any questions?
Trustee Sivester?
A couple of specific ones, but broadly,
because I've seen the plan and it shows
what you're putting in each bucket.
And then I know at some point,
you have to then report back
because what was actually spent.
What if the district for whatever reason
doesn't spend in a particular categories?
I mean, does someone hit us or, you know,
so I'm just for a room?
I mean, I, like, you know, like, you know,
there's things in there for, you know, summer school
and we don't know how many people will actually want to do that.
So, you know, this is a pretty good gas,
and I'm very impressed at the quick turnaround.
I have to say.
I'm just wondering, like, what happens if we
are the actual numbers are very different?
So there's, of the way that the grant works,
There are only two required allocations.
One is four power professionals, which was 10% of the overall grant, which was roughly 1.1 million.
And the other was a rather just small allocation for our McKinney Ventil students, which was $157,000.
The rest of it was our supposed to be meet within those pots that were specified, but there's no specific restrictions saying that
you have to stay in one or the other. So it's incumbent upon us to monitor what we're
doing throughout the year. And if we're not going to do A, we would need to repurpose
those funds to do B. So this is the preliminary plan. Dr. Miller and her team instruction
started a great job putting it together. But it is just a plan and we're going to have to
monitor and just make adjustments as the year goes by to make sure that we'll spend
every, every last nickel by August 31st of 2022.
I am, yeah, clearly not worried about that.
One of the,
Our very specific questions, because I know mental health keeps coming up and included in the plan is eight additional mental health clinicians.
And I know we currently have five. Is this an increase of another eight, or are we going to cover some of the salary of the five?
This is an increase above the five.
Okay. Thank you.
I had a follow-up to Custys Lovester's question on the mental health clinicians.
Are they going to be assigned to specific schools or grades spans or is it across the district?
So,
we definitely are seeing a need for the mental health intervention across all grades and across all schools.
So we will be working closely with Dr. Chamberlain to identify how we structure these resources to maximize the support that's available to students.
I would be remiss to say an explicit example of what that structure would look like.
Okay, thank you. And I know I recognize it was a quick turnaround so some of those details probably still definitely need to be worked out by I appreciate the addition of those clinicians to support our students.
Trustee Goldberg. So first off I want to say thank you because this is so much work and so little time.
All the meetings gathering the information I can see that you, because I went to a lot of those meetings you put it all in here.
So I have a couple of questions.
The first one is one of the things that I had heard about was the parents and students
so that they were interested in was visual performing arts, extra and co-curriculars.
Is that, is the plan for that to be in some like other grant or other pot, or we just
because I get that this is just one space, but it was also, it also rose, so I just,
does it not fit? Or it's better serve somewhere else?
So that would be something for us as an overall district to discuss in terms of how we use the
subsequent stimulus funds. When looking at the purpose for this explicit grant and looking at
All the input, yeah, performing arts did come up.
It was a recommendation, but when we think about or review the students' needs, as a result
of learning loss, we quickly went way over budget, the 11 million.
Right.
In fact, we had a brief meeting on Friday at Cabinet to already trim another two million,
because I couldn't get it down enough.
So, gosh, we wish we could include all of that, and this is not meant to be a message
that we don't value and see the real importance and benefit of performing arts, but it did
not make the cut into this particular stimulus fund. That doesn't mean to say we won't
consider it and try to maximize that in subsequent stimulus funds.
So I appreciate the willingness to keep it on the table even if it's on the buffet table
over on the side of the room. And the other question I had was I had reached out to by a number
teachers who were excited as I was about the one-to-one with Chromebooks, but they were curious
because they have little's. And if there's, they said that developmentally the touch screen
doesn't really work for the little, so is there a, I mean, touch pad. Touch screen, what
hurts about the touch pad is, like, their motor skills don't handle that. So is there a plan for
for the youngest students or so
there is a trip shortage we've gone out to multiple vendors to
look at different types of Chromebooks. The in order to do a full one to one we're not able to
do touch screen Chromebooks. Touch screen Chromebooks are 30% higher in cost so at a cost of
$4 million in Chromebooks, if we decide to get touch screens, it would bump it up to
$6 million approximately.
There have been some ongoing discussions about that, but just even if we broke it apart and
only what a portion of them, it still puts us over the budget and we wouldn't be able to go
a full one-to-one.
It's not the initial cost that is the challenge.
it's next year we probably we have about 5,000 devices that are, quote unquote,
expiring because that's what Chromebooks do that we have to replenish. So we don't want to
put ourselves in a situation where we buy less and then we're not able to maintain it and then
next year you know you're asking or you know the public ask I mean what happened to the one to one
and we just didn't we weren't financially able to sustain it. So we took a long term approach
Yes, they are less expensive Chromebooks, but they don't have a touch screen.
So I guess my question is, what are we going to do for the youngest students?
Are they not going to be one to one, or are we going to just buy machines that are harder for them to use?
Or are we just not going to do that?
I'm going to jump in because I think this is the advantage of Dr. Johnston and being in a district that is a TKA district in which they've had a rollout of one to one.
and we will have some real good insights into how we can service our younger students and the best
match from a technology to a maturity wage level.
Oh, that's good.
I'll tell Mike and your teacher friends.
Trustee Gorbache?
Just an observation.
First of all, Dr. Miller, thank you so much for this report and the limited amount of time that you had and a lot of work that you did.
Just an observation, my concern is, as we've discussed before, these are limited time period grants,
is it two years?
It's August actually 2022, so it's just over a year.
That's just over a year, so I guess I see a conflict in what we need to do.
We talked about the additional needs of mental health.
On the other hand, the morning I heard at C-DAC, and I've expressed before too that the preference
not to have temporary resources that kids go to because they want to go to someone that
they know it's going to be there next year or maybe even the year after.
So we can't, we can't hire additional permanent people because the grant's going to run out
and yet temporary people don't, aren't as comfortable for the students as long term.
How do we talk about reconciling that difference?
a few things
This first, as much as I appreciate the praise, I was just a consolidator. There was so much work in input from so many other people, so I definitely need to share that with all my colleagues and other people who really helped here.
I thank you all.
Yeah. So, you know, one of the things that we're intending to do is, as we put these things in place next year, we're going to be evaluating the effectiveness of it and the access of it, and if it's proving to be something that we really shouldn't go without,
But then those are the conversations we need to have as a district when we're writing our
LCAP again for the subsequent year and looking at our resources and our priorities.
So, while these are one-time funds and we do need to go into that eyes wide open, you know,
that not all of these roles are guaranteed year over year, I think we'd be, you know, really
remiss to not closely evaluate the effectiveness of them, again, the access of them.
And if we believe as a district that this service is really necessary going forward, that we wouldn't
figure out our priorities and allocate the budget accordingly.
Thank you for considering it for that consideration.
Trustee Craig?
And then Trustee Solvester.
Thank you.
I also want to echo all of the other board members, and they can Dr. Miller and everyone who
is involved in the process.
I was able to attend several of the gathering input meetings and it really was organized so
and all of the information presented here was thoroughly discussed at the meetings.
I do want to touch back on the one-to-one district with the Chromebooks because some of the
meetings, this is brought up and I've discussed with other students, not only in Estac, but beyond that
is concerned over what exactly that looks like, how are we just immediately one-to-one for every student
CVUSD, constraints, students may not have the need to have an additional Chromebook.
I've also spoken to other members of the 1,000x high school class of a 2021, they're
freshmen here.
They introduced a one-to-one style where each of freshmen were given a Chromebook, and their
experience was that over time it eventually wasn't really used, you know, a certain teachers
didn't incorporate that into the lesson plans, some students used their own devices, and
My concern is moving forward with the two million spending on becoming a one-to-one technology where
That may not be necessary for some of our students. I'm
Just wondering how that process is it going to be an immediate one-to-one for each student or is there going to be some kind of survey as
Whether the technology is needed
So that's going to be a site by site decision. So and it's four million it shows us two million here on the ELL grant
but as Dr. Miller referred to earlier,
the two million we shaved off, we shaved off the one to one,
and we pulled it from the future coming S or two funds
to make up that difference.
So the discussions that I went back and forth
were that schools have flexibility.
So what we are providing is there'll be enough devices
to give to every student at the same time
throughout the whole district.
Now how the schools implement that would be up to them
whatever their instructional plan is going to be.
There will be some schools I'm sure that will keep them on campus
and have them accessible to teachers any time they want.
And there'll be some schools that may want to issue them as a one to one.
We do have a couple of schools now that are one to one.
I know that there is a one to one.
So also included in the plan, there's an additional technology
Tosa, right, and there are, there's additional supports from the, the portion of the grant that's that doesn't have to be included in this and isn't a part of this, which is the in person instruction grant.
We're hiring additional computer site text to make sure that the, the influx of that technology is supported and is functioning in the classroom when it has to be.
So, there are other pieces that are attached to it, but ultimately it's the teachers who decide how they want to use that technology and what the philosophy is on that campus, whether they're going to issue them to the students and have them take them home back and forth, or you want them in the classroom to be able to access them at any time, and you don't have to sign up to share a car or you don't have to wait until Thursday until the car is available.
If you want to use technology in the classroom, those devices will be available for you anytime that you want.
I would add that, now that we have our technology committee back up and running,
I would assume that we'd be working through some sort of level of expectation.
There are teachers and stakeholders on that committee on that level of use and the expectation of teachers continuing to incorporate
technology, Canvas, Zoom, all the pieces that we know turned out to be a great resource over
the course of the last 15 months. So that will be a piece of this as well. I think that expectation
pieces is going to be really important so that folks know that they, you know, the expectations are being used.
Thank you. I just wanted to clarify to make sure, and I know after this year, we're all much
better at using technology in the classroom, so making sure, you know, surveying students
and teachers and staff members in the classroom to make sure that's actually happening.
But thank you.
There's a saying, early on, when one to one became a hot thing,
there was a term called spray
and spray.
So what happened was school districts would just give the vices out or just buy a ton of devices
But then there was no support behind it
What COVID did was just accelerate everything and in our our reliance on that technology and I think there have been a lot of things done over the last
year
that have that have helped our students and
There has to be this bridge to be able to continue that because
Just because we're opening back to normal in August, it doesn't mean that everything that we've done to date is going to go away completely.
So there are still some elements and pieces that we are going to retain and we're going to keep.
And even within this plan, within our other stimulus dollars, there's still technology subscriptions, there's other things that have now are going to stay with us.
And the goal is really just to provide the accessibility to all kids at any time all the time.
And yes, you're absolutely right. There has to be some support behind it.
And we're moving quickly in a short period of time.
But there will be some thought behind and some plans behind that.
Thank you.
And I do want to emphasize and both Dr. Mike and Dr. Miller mentioned this that there are
actions and services in here that are split funded. So we know that we have additional dollars
coming in from either LCAP planning, general fund grants and or other stimulus dollars coming in,
that will complete the full funding of those services and actions. It's just a piece to the budgeting.
Thank you. Trustee Sylvester, thank you. I had a question. Just a couple. I was really glad to see the class
size reduction in there because I know that has emerged as a mantra for many parents and teachers
that students. So that's a good, that's almost, that's more than a quarter of this money
going toward that. So I appreciate that. And then my other question is on the summer programs, which I think is
rate and incredibly necessary. But do we have any idea of, first of all, the available interest
of teachers to teach those? Because I know that is a potentially an issue and then students
who, I mean this has been a year where everyone has burnt out students who are willing
and able to participate as well.
Should this get approved tonight? That will be the first thing we start doing tomorrow is
recruitment and trying to incentivize to have staff stay with us during the summer to
provide these important services. So I don't have a gauge, I don't know what the receptivity
or response rate will be to that, but we will make every effort to try and fulfill that with
the staff. I do think that we have been doing some recruiting for some of our summer programs,
not just at our traditional summer school, but also the site levels that are planning on running
some type of intervention. So I do think that some of those numbers are in a community in the
place, so maybe Ms. Valentine has an update on what rat was some of those the fillings of some
of those positions. I do know we have some hard to feel positions. I heard that today, but I think
better than we anticipated. Yes, and for the plan that Dr. Miller is talking about, we did
Dr. Wilson Elementary Education did send out a survey to teachers to gauge their interest
in wanting to do summer school and dates they would be available.
So she did get quite a bit of feedback from that.
That was positive that we felt like we would get quite a few teachers moving forward.
And as Dr. McLaughlin said, we are in the recruitment right now for a summer school
in for get ahead and for the charter.
So and those have been briskly recruited so we've been getting quite a few people for that and think we're covered there.
So that's good news.
I think the timing as well of when the actual site determines their intervention.
I think coming following right after school ends is tough.
But then once you get, you know, the, you know, some time in June and July,
the excitement of getting the school year up and running,
we tend to see more individuals who are willing to come back
for and like an early start, those type of programs.
Thank you, any other Trustee Gill?
I just want to say thank you for this plan,
which while it had to be prepared so quickly,
is so thorough and thoughtful.
It has certainly been difficult to hear about needs
And know that our resources were too constrained to meet all of them.
I know that we will have conversations going forward about how we measure and evaluate the impact of this investment.
And I look forward to that.
And as far as the prospect of these funds not continuing and what we, the situation will find ourselves in,
I think with the evidence of the impact of the investment in hand, it's incumbent upon all of us to be loud about the essential need to continue that investment in our people or students at a level that is commensurate with their needs and I pledge to do my part in that.
Thank you, any other questions or comments on this item.
Okay, seeing none, please vote.
Trustee Goldberg?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbach?
Yes.
I'm a yes, Trustee Gil.
Yes.
Trustee Sylvester?
Yes.
Trustee Craig?
Yes.
Motion carries 50 with an honorary yes vote by Trustee Craig.
Do we have a motion on the remainder of the consent agenda as amended?
Presidents, yes, you go for a back.
I move that we approve the remainder of the consent agenda as amended.
Second. Okay, it's been moved.
And second, did please vote? Trustee Goldberg?
Yes. Trustee Gorbach?
Yes.
M.A.S. Trustee Gil?
Yes.
Trustee Sylvester?
Yes.
Trustee Craig?
Yes.
Motion carries 50 with an honorary yes vote by Trustee Craig.
I do believe we are hopping on Zoom.
to have an introduction or reintroduction to Shane Craven, recently announced as the new principal of
Aspen Elementary School.
Yes, last board meeting, Mr. Craven was approved as the principal at Aspen Elementary School tonight.
In the P.A.O., his salary was approved, and so with both of those pieces taking place, we would like to have him
folks sign on to Zoom, so he could say hello to our board, introduce himself, and introduce
himself to the Canale community.
Okay, looks like we have everyone on.
I'm trying to document welcome.
Good evening, and thank you for your patience tonight.
It's fragrant.
With that, I just, when we'd like to congratulate you and welcome you to be in the principal
of Aspen Elementary School and in Cherokee,
just to say hello to the board
and put your infection to yourself to the community.
Good evening, President Fitzgerald,
talking about Glockman, members of the board
and members of executive cabinet.
Thank you for this opportunity
as I'm extremely grateful and honored
to be the next principal at Aspen Elementary School.
My work has been, as an educational leader,
has been rooted in equity, collaboration,
innovation, and student-centered decision making.
I look forward to continuing to employ these values
as I closely collaborate and support our incredible
ask and students, teachers, staff, and parents.
I would also like to thank Dr. Sony Wilson,
Ms. Mayteigen, and the Ask and Community for
the very warm welcome of last two weeks.
Thank you again for the opportunity
to lead this extraordinary school.
Great.
Thank you and congratulations.
Thank you for staying and joining us in congratulations.
We appreciate your hanging on so this time, sir.
No problem at all.
Thank you.
We do not need to sign off. We, I think, are the next item correct.
I'm going to see before we move on to the next item if there's any objection to taking a break.
Okay, seeing then, let's try to come back in in, you know, five minutes or as close as we can. Thank you.
We're now moving on to the consent agenda. We'll begin with the items that were pulled from the consent agenda. The first item is item 4b, and I believe we are joining Zoom again for that item. Is that correct?
Okay, I'm going to, I'm going to ask if there's a motion on this item, as it imputes
Cheryl.
I move that we approve the new contract with niche.com incorporated as submitted.
Thank you.
Is there a second?
Second.
Okay.
It has been moved and seconded.
And to give us a moment, we figure this piece out.
We have two.
First of all,
as a district, we've made a commitment to diversity.
equity and inclusion. I think it's reasonable for this board to scrutinize any potential partner
to ask whether they share our commitment. And in that regard, I have some questions about
niche.
Just once, I just want to make sure you're camping you here, board a number of go.
Okay, so we're going to go ahead and sign back into Zoom, and then we'll have a trusty girl
for your peer question.
I
didn't hear her through, I felt multiple screens happening, so I think that she said we're going to go ahead.
Okay, I got it. We'll just we're all on here, so we'll stay with it for a moment.
Thank you for letting us know as we trust us out of everything.
And we have a question, so I'm going to have a repeat it just everyone can hear it and we'll go from there.
As a district, we've made a commitment to diversity equity and inclusion.
I think it's reasonable for this board to scrutinize any potential partner to ask whether they share our commitment.
And it's in that regard that I have some questions about niche.
To arrive at its rankings, niche heavily weights standardized test scores like state assessments and SAT ACT scores.
Currently, hundreds of colleges and systems, like our own UC system,
are discontinuing their reliance on SAT, in favor of more holistic, inclusive admissions policies.
The reason for this shift is that evidence shows the SAT and ACT to be exclusionary and discriminatory.
If news continues to base its rankings on these instruments, we have to ask if they are encoding and perpetuating bias.
A search of K12 districts in Ventura County shows a pattern that disturbs me.
CBSD is given an excellent rating, which I totally agree with.
But some of our neighboring districts offering excellent learning environments are graded so harshly, and I struggle to understand why.
Where patterns of inequity and exclusion exist, they perpetuate unless we actively disrupt them.
We need to know if Niche will be a partner in this work with us.
I'd like to ask that we delay action on this contract and ask for more transparency from Niche on the methodology and philosophy behind its ranking system.
We have a small, but mighty communications team doing great work, reaching our existing and prospective families with stories about the extraordinary learning experiences happening every day in our district.
I completely support the intent to amplify those efforts.
I simply want us to be confident that any partner in that work is committed to our core values.
Thank you. Thank you for the comments and the engagement.
And I really appreciate the conversation on on this topic this evening.
I definitely understand your concerns.
And I think it's safe to say that there's not one perfect platform out there right now.
but there are some unique benefits to niche
and niches stated mission is, quote,
making research in schools easy, transparent, and free.
So the metrics that they use, they decide annually
and whatever metrics they decide upon
for that particular, they use across the board.
And what I found as a positive to niche
as opposed to other districts was they really do take
into account personal experiences more so than others.
And I hear the drum means, but they are great schools, right?
So great schools uses a zero to 10 ranking and we
use a regular grade ranking ABCs.
So I haven't looked at what are the
brain school districts ranking, sorry.
But I was focusing on what are our school rankings, right?
So our title one school, how are they
sharing on niche and, you know, I wasn't just pleased with what I saw. I thought it was a fair
evaluation of this school. So I'm not going to put out any names, but for for one particular
title in school that the lowest ranked title in school on niche has a B minus grade versus
on great schools. They have a four out of ten ranking. And I think what comes into play with niche
is that they are looking at to those comments,
those publicly reported experiences,
to help pull together their grades,
which, in my opinion, seem more fair
than other competitor websites.
And I think what's really important and valuable
with this partnership are the people
who find themselves on niche.
So these are individuals who are on the platform,
because they're researching...
Schools and our communities to live. And if you open a web browser and just search anything in the realm of best places to raise a family and venture or best schools north of Los Angeles, the beaches results are the top listing and that's something that we independently can't really compete with because that's such a cost prohibitive search engine marketing terms.
And that's where a niche I think goes about and beyond is they've really invested in owning that content.
And they want to be that place where prospective families land.
So over the last year, they said that 27 million families research chief K through 12 schools on their platform.
So at that in the LA area there were 1.7 million families.
And our particular profile had about 4,000 views over the last year, and 21% of them were
views from individuals who resided outside of California State.
And so to me, what's really fascinating and what could be a great opportunity is these
are families who are not necessarily familiar with the city of Thousand Oaks or Los Angeles,
and they're possibly relocating here and they're just looking at where do they want to live,
where would be a great fit for their school and that's where telling our stories can become enhanced
on the profile. We can work prominently place the links to the content that we want. We can create
our unique learning pages, have them, friends, and center. I'm really help guide these families who
are doing what we all do, which is googling for answers to help make their leg easier and I know
I am a victim of that all the time when I don't know the answer or trying to find something for
young children, what did I do? I Googled. And I think that that's really what helps that
this particular partnership apart and the timing of it all is what I think is so important
right now because we're at the juncture when a lot of families plan to move right before the
start of the new school year and with COVID and the recovering of the pandemic and changing
work styles. I think it's an opportunity where a lot of families based in Los Angeles might be
looking to move north and if they're going to make that move, they're going to do it now.
And if we could get a partnership like this, that sooner rather than later, it's advantageous for us
to get our face out in front of these families as soon as we can because again, if they're like me,
they're Googling. And unfortunately, I think many people know this video thousand else, which is a great thing,
But there don't necessarily know that can a whole value
unified school district is the public school district.
That serves that area.
And again, that's where that Google, I think, really
comes into playing and niche owning all those super valuable
key search terms.
And I just threw out a lot so I apologize.
Because they saw that stuff.
Oh, thank you.
I do hear the concerns of Trustee Gill.
But I do believe that we're in a world of declining
involvement. We're in a world where we receive revenue based on our enrollment and our ADA.
We're in a world where we know in a couple of years we have an enrollment cliff coming. I just believe
of district we've got to do what we can. We have a responsibility to do what we can to aggressively
market our schools and our programs to both retain existing students, bring back the ones maybe
who took off last year during COVID and get the word out to attract new students. And expanding
digital footprint, I think it's critical. So I did get on and Google some search terms and
niche.com comes up almost to me. Great schools is the other one but niche.com comes up
in almost every search that I could think of to do. So my only question and I'm a little unclear
because we do have a profile net and it ties directly to our website and our Roman page,
What does funding the extra money get us?
And I know a, a, a, a, a musical that you did talk to a Dondo Beach, because they have
used it, so you might have a little more clarity on that.
I, yeah, so there's obviously different partnerships you can do with them, and the foundation
of the partnership would be what's called a premium profile.
So, right now if you actually look at our clinical value unified school district profile on
It's temporarily elevated to that premium profile and I went in and I customized it and it's only been
active for about a week and one of the online inquiry forms which goes to one of our lesons.
Here it has received two submissions and that's a format that doesn't get too much traction.
Especially at an off time of year.
So I can't 100% say that they got to it from that profile, but that's my hunch.
So the premium profile allows you to have customized buttons on it.
It allows for photos.
It allows for videos and we have a wonderful promotional video about our district and that
can be front and center.
It allows for our Instagram account to be placed on the page as well.
I pulls from the feed and it allows for short write-ups.
So if you look at our profile and it's right now compared to like any of our surroundings
neighbor districts that don't have it, you'll see real quickly the start contrast of what that
premium profile looks like. And then in addition to that, it also has what they call a remarketing
campaign, which is more closely known as like a retargeting campaign, right? So if folks end up on
our page on niche, which means that they're hopefully they're interested in moving or relocating
to our area or interested in learning more schools, our content is going to start following them.
and it's going to follow them on their Google searches, it's going to follow them on social media,
on social media ads, and what I like about it too is that because they've been on niche,
so it's a brand that they recognize our content is going to show up, but it's going to be content
posted by niche, which is sort of like that third-party endorsement feeling, and, you know,
we do run our own Facebook campaigns with our own targeted reach, but I think that would be a
valuable addition as well. And as part of the partnership to it has the opportunity to promote
events. So we have like our TK and kindergarten enrollment and information night. So that's
something we could promote there. And if we end up not having a ton of events to promote,
we can of course throw those funds that go to that part of the campaign and you know retargeting.
and then hope would be that we would have, you know, 350,000 impressions. So our content is just
hopefully getting into these, into the faces of people who are just really considering us,
which is so valuable because when you run an ad with a different agency or like a newspaper,
yeah, it might have impressions of, you know, hundreds of thousands, but what percentage of that
hundreds of thousands are really interested in, you know, what you have to sell.
And then this particular partnership, it's really catered to individuals who are our have shown interest in moving or learning about a specific area, are particularly TQTK through 12 schools.
So that's kind of the big head of what this particular partnership does.
And I did have the opportunity to speak, actually, with the superintendent of Redondo Beach.
They do not have a communications person there.
I was surprised to hear from the superintendent himself, but he called me back really quickly and excited to talk to me about it.
So he, for Rodondo Beach, they are not in the exact same position where they've actually had enrollment increasing over the last several years.
But what they were really hoping to do with their partnership was to increase awareness about their programs.
they, he just felt like they weren't necessarily getting the boost that they needed from what
they had to test to what a great school district they were. And he felt very confidently that
it was worth it for them that he's heard back from families who landed on there and ended up coming
in to learn more. And this all happened during the time of COVID. So they started their partnership
And then the middle of the pandemic, if not right before, so even through that, he said that he recommended it, which I appreciated, because I just knew that they had it and I kind of called cold called them because I was curious what they would say and I was very thankful that they took the time to connect.
Thank you. That was a thorough response. And I do agree with your assertion that.
Now is the time to to market.
Chris, think we're back.
Yeah, I heard two kind of conflicting things that niche uses test scores as part of their evaluation.
But also that they use a lot of anecdotal information of people who have, in this case, experience the school district.
Do they wait these? How do they use them both?
Yeah, so they do actually have all of the housing tickets is broken down publicly available on their website.
I don't have it open right now, but it was like 50% of the score had to do with, you know, grades post secondary opportunities as AT scores.
So it's not 50% had to do with, you know, students cast scores.
course. I think it was closer to around 30% was those particular scores and then that was coupled
along with SAT scores and postsecondary destinations and then there was other percentages in
regards to like surveys and stakeholder feedbacks and that's something I can certainly send
to to everyone later on. How do you definitely can include the algorithm and one of our order
or it's just sort of a words of words.
And I know that the same formula for every single school
and school district.
And I do agree with you that this is the time that even,
even the two weeks or whatever it is
until our three weeks, I think,
until our next meeting would be a loss.
So I think it's important that we decide
to go in this direction that we do it now.
Other comments or questions? I have one, but I want to see if anyone else has any.
First. Okay. I do understand the timing piece. I think you explained that well.
And certainly we're in a difficult position in terms of enrollment just based on the impacts of COVID.
In general years we are, but I think particularly this year and we're not alone in that there's districts up and down the state that are working to recapture enrollment numbers for next year.
So I see that that's an opportunity. We don't want to miss on on the same.
And the same hand, I think that, hold on just a minute, Trustee Gorrett, can you put your mic on mute, it just echoes? Thank you so much.
I do understand Trustee Gill's point as well, though, that if we are as a district and as a board saying that we are committed to equity and diversity and inclusion, it's very simple to say those words.
but if we're truly committed, that means that our actions have to back those words, even when
it's difficult and inconvenient for us to do so. I see that this is a one-year contract. So,
for me, given the timing, I could see a provenness for one year. However, I think to be honest,
in my view, it should be standard operating procedure moving forward that we evaluate and look
or vendors through an equity lens. Now I'm not familiar off-hand with the concerns that
Trustee Gil erase, but I think they're important concerns. They're important questions that we
should be asking about all of our vendors that we work with in our district. So I would hope that
you know if this is something that comes back after a year should the order prove it that that's
me a broader conversation that we could have to as a board when we discuss schools and things like that,
but I do think the question of how our vendors look at things and approach things and whether they're
using an equity lens is important for us and as it relates to this specific vendor, what I'm hearing
is a question about whether this vendor is committed to following and adapting the racial and social
economic equity developments that have come up around standardized testing. They've existed for a
long time, but I certainly think COVID has highlighted them even more so over this past year,
and whether they are going to be adapting, willing to adapt their scores and the metrics they use
based on those developments, and also based on what colleges decide to do with this information
And that has been looked at more closely, I think, this past year.
So, and that was kind of a lot, but I really find validity in those concerns.
I do understand the timing, so again, you know, it's a one-year contract, but I think this
is something for my perspective, we should start coming to with that information just with
equity piece as well.
Other questions, comments?
Seeing none, I will move to a vote on this item.
Starting with...
Mr. Gorbach?
Yes.
Trustee Gil?
No.
I'm a guest, Trustee Sylvester?
Trustee Goldberg?
Yes.
Trustee Craig?
Yes.
Okay, motion carries 4-1.
Trustee Gil, voting no.
With an honorary guest vote by Trustee Craig?
Moving on to the next item, 4G.
And thank you, Miss Gold, for joining us and providing that information for your time this evening.
Thank you so much.
I think we are going to switch off of Zoom offices.
Okay.
As I said, moving on to item 4G, which was pulled from the consent agenda, is there a motion?
President Fitzgerald. Yes, Trustee Goldberg.
I move that we approve amendment to board policy and administrative regulations 5131.2 bullying.
Is there a second? Second. Thank you. It's been moved and seconded. I don't have any public comments on this item.
I had one question on the board policy and I asked it in advance, but I think that the answer would benefit the community.
So on page 6 of the board policy, it talks about, in the middle in the bold, it talks about a victim of being able to transfer.
And it struck me about why are we talking about the victim transferring and not the perpetrator.
And I would like Dr. McLaughlin or somebody to please give that answer so that people can understand.
The interesting thing in it's coming through in our county agreement on transfers is that
if individual does feel that they have been bullied or it shows that they were bullied
that they do have the opportunity to transfer districts and I think that that just aligns
with the piece of this language that they do.
Now, student, we have other avenues on the individual
who is doing the bullying that may lead to some type
of a change in campus as well.
So this particular ed code is dealing with the bully
itself, but they're the victim.
But we have other board policies and avenues to handle the perpetrator itself.
Thank you for that.
I think I just think it's important to know that it's not just one sighted.
I don't know if we want to put a CF in here.
But I don't know if that's even appropriate.
But I just wanted to clarify.
Thank you.
Any other discussion on this item?
Okay, seeing none, please vote.
Trustee Gil.
Yes.
I mean, yes.
Trustee Sylvester?
Yes.
Trustee Goldberg?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbach?
Yes.
Trustee Craig?
Yes.
Motion carries 50 with an honorary
Yes, vote by Trustee Craig.
Next item is for each, is there a motion, Trustee Goldberg?
I move that we approve amendment to board policy and administrative regs 5145.3 non-discrimination and harassment.
Is there a second?
Second.
It's been moved and second did, no public comment, Trustee Goldberg.
So, um, bear with me, please, on the AR, there's a few things.
I'm trying to go in order on page
4, number 7.
I see that the word age-appropriate information has age-appropriate has been struck out, and
I'm curious as to why I personally know that we're not going to give students a handbook.
That's not age-appropriate, but I think that there are people who might wonder about the material
that we're going to give to students that are going to describe the policies, so I'm just curious.
If people would be willing to put age appropriate back in or why that particular piece is omitted.
Did that relate to our conversation during the last meeting about that term?
I'm not sure it was in this specific context.
But I would say most of, if not all, the appropriates and the policies were adjusted based on
direction.
So, but also, you know, now it's then identified that there may be some cases where that's
going to work and the description and it may need to be in there.
So, that's one.
And then I have a similar instance with number 10 on page 5.
Also, age appropriate.
Trustee Fitzgerald, if I may.
I'm looking at my notes, and I'll continue to look at previous documents.
But I think that might be a strike from gamut, which doesn't mean that we have to strike it.
It just for reference.
That may have been struck by gamut.
We can leave it in if we choose.
These are just questions on none of them,
although knowing if it's a gamut strike or if it's an
us strike would be beneficial to me. And then on page 7,
number 5,
there's a he-she in the last line.
But also, this one hits me when we say that it takes disciplinary action as permissible
by statute against perpetrators, it hit me, and maybe it's just me that we're only doing
this because of statutory reasons, not because it's good for kids, and I actually think
that it would be good for kids.
And maybe it's just the way I was reading it in the mood, I was in when I was reading it.
Also on that page, further down the paragraph 3 from the bottom, where it starts when a report of unlawful, the third line down has a hishie,
on page 8, just above the bold, again, is another hishie,
page 9,
Number three, another he-she,
page 10 in the first paragraph,
you'll see the word required
is sort of sticking out just before that.
There's a he-she,
number four, on page 11, again, he-she, and that's all my questions for the AR.
That's all I have on this one.
I do agree, I think it would be helpful to know those are gamut strikeouts on the disciplinary
action one.
And again, I can't recall if it was this specific AR or not, but taking appropriate disciplinary
action, I see that appropriate as struck out, which in this context I think is helpful
because that's fairly subjective and I think when we talk about disciplinary action, it should
be clear to everyone what action is going to be taken so that we know it's going to be applied
uniformly to students or anyone else based on particular actions and not that it's subjective
because I think that's where we get into things being applied differently. I think that
as permissible by statute the way I read that is just that and I may be wrong but the disciplinary
action that we take can't go beyond what is outlined in statute. Now, I don't know what statute
this is referring to. But. Education code. Right, but what statute within the education code.
So,
but again, I think it's, I think it's probably an outer barrier on the discipline action we can take,
But I do think that we need to be clear what
disciplinary action our district is going to take.
So that folks are on notice of that.
And it's applied uniformly.
Maybe we could say take consistent.
Is this a vulnerable action?
I don't know.
I just something about it struck me, and maybe again,
maybe it's moved, and I'm willing to just leave it.
But I just wanted to raise a question since this
is important.
Yeah.
I mean, I think it's about a point when we say we're going to take either appropriate or take
disciplinary action against anyone to turn into a engaged and wrongdoing and violation
of district policy, including a student who's found to have made a complaint of discrimination
that they knew was not true.
What is our policy for that discipline?
What discipline do we apply as a district in that situation?
I'm sorry to repeat this situation, I'm excited quite hear that.
Okay, so when it's saying taking disciplinary action against perpetrators and anyone
determined to have gaged in wrongdoing, in violation of district policy.
So what is the disciplinary action that we apply in this context?
Well, that could be a warning, it could be a restorative justice conference, it could be
of either detention or some kind of a Saturday school, it could.
We need to lead up to a suspension and an expulsion depending on the severity of the action, and based on the education code, typically 48900, which delineates the suspendable and expelable offenses.
So, you know,
the board policy delineates kind of our global action, if you will, and then, at the school sites, they create those practices and policies, at the school site, based on what we have
put forward and based on what the education code reads in order to provide you know
progressive discipline for students because we obviously don't want to suspend students
for something that the ad code doesn't sustain or doesn't approve of and that's why
the language in there per statute was put in there so that because you know the word
appropriate, it seems to be kind of a universally agreed upon code, if you will, that we
all agree, this is proper at school, this is proper comportment or behavior on campus.
So when we remove that word, I was kind of literally searching for, well, what should we
stand on if it's not what we typically all agree is appropriate, then in that case, I feel
back on the Ed Code, which is the language statute.
So it's really hard to say what we do for any particular case,
because it all should be individualized based on the circumstance
within reason, and it should be progressive in nature.
So I have to disagree that the word appropriate
is commonly has a common definition among individuals.
I think that's actually how we get into
to disciplinary actions that differ based on things that they should not differ on, whether
it's race or gender or socioeconomic status or whatnot.
And I think if you ask one person, my definition of what's appropriate is my guest likely
different than the definitions of others, even just in this room.
And so my other concern is that if we're saying that how what disciplinary actions are applied
where the statute gives us flexibility, varies by school site.
I'm very concerned about that too.
What discipline is applied to you, whether you're at elementary school X
or elementary school Y, should be the same.
I don't know what the basis of us having different disciplinary policies per school site is.
And if that's the case,
Honestly, I think that opens up a whole other kind of worms that we need to, I would hope we would want to look at as a board, as it relates to this policy, but this is the way we, one of the ways in which we minimize and hopefully stop differential discipline
is to have it clearly defined on what's going to be applied.
If you violate X, this is the discipline and if it's a progressive type of discipline, we need to spell that out.
There should be no guessing as to what action is going to happen.
And we also shouldn't have to guess based on whether it's, you know, you go to this middle school or that middle school in my opinion.
Mr. Gorbache.
Yeah, I tend to agree that appropriate is wide, I see a great difference between appropriate
in this setting versus the age of appropriate that we talked about a couple minutes
ago.
On the other hand, I don't know if it's our job as a board to hand cuff, whoever is handling
the situation because each case is an individual situation. Each case is the severity of it,
the frequency of it, the volume of it from one particular perpetrator. I'm not sure
that we here should handcuff the individual site. I definitely agree with you. It should not
be based on whether you go to Redwood versus whether you go to Kalina or something to that
effect.
But I think that we here in general can't determine the consequences for every situation
that may vary.
And just to clarify, I'm not suggesting that as board members we sit here and develop a list
of what we think the disciplinary actions should be for every potential issue that falls
under this policy.
But as a board, it is our job, one of our main jobs,
to pass policy.
And I view part of that responsibility, a major part of that responsibility, to ensure
that the policy is thorough and equitable.
And so what I would want to see is not from me, but what are the disciplinary actions?
is what is our district's policy under this AR in terms of discipline, district-wide?
And I also don't think that means that there's not, like, Mr. Lickville reference, there
is progressive discipline.
It doesn't mean that, you know, it has to be an exact thing for, and there's no wiggle room
for students.
But certainly, I mean, I've seen policies that build that in from an equity perspective.
And I think one of the things we had mentioned last time was, was seeing if there are other
districts who have boarded this policy or other similar policies where they address that appropriate
link that quote-unquote appropriate terminology and I'm wondering if there was research done
on that.
No, I don't recall that conversation as a matter of fact, other times when I've referenced
other districts I've been told that it's not really important what's happening to
the places we're concerned with that's happening here.
So if I miss that, I apologize and we're happy to double back and get back to you on
that.
Yeah, I think that I know I've certainly said that in certain context, but that's very context specific.
So for example, when we talked about other topics and we had differences in our district, certainly just mirroring another district out of context doesn't make sense, but I do recall that being asked at the last board meeting.
So I would personally like to see what alternatives
are to this language.
Again, if we're committing to being a district that puts equity
and inclusion in diversity first, our policies have
to demonstrate that.
Trustee Goldberg, I guess you're laying on that.
So I'm just going to, because I reckon we've
sent a lot of time on this.
So since I brought it up, I'm going to retrap some of it.
I would like to see, I would like to know, ultimately, if age-appropriate was struck out by
gamut or us and then potentially revisited at a point, but I'd like to see just the
she's turned into days and then adopt these policies with those adjustments and then
If we need to revisit, we will.
Okay, other comments or questions?
Okay, seeing none, we will vote on the amended motion.
Ms. Goldberg.
With the items that you referenced.
Okay, and is there a second to that amended motion?
Second.
Okay, thank you.
Please vote. I will begin with myself.
I'm a no, trustee semester.
Yes.
Trustee Goldberg? Yes. Trustee Gorbach? Yes. Trustee Gil? Yes. Trustee Crane? Yes.
Okay, motion passes for a zero with myself voting no and an honorary yes vote by Trustee Crane.
Did I say if I won? Oh, thank you. Okay, let me make a correction.
Motion carries for one with myself voting no and an honorary yes vote by Trustee Crane.
Thank you for correcting me.
We'll move on to item 4, aye. Is there a motion? President Goldberg. I mean, it's too low. Wow. It's been a long day. I never want to do that again. Please retract.
No. Yes. Trustee Goldberg. Oh my god. Who am I? I move that we approve amendment support policy and replacement of administrative regulations.
by one, work by 0.7, sexual harassment as, yes, sexual harassment.
Is there a second?
Second.
There's no public comment, Trustee Goldberg.
So in this one, in the AR, we, we, trying to keep everything the same, we added that
language that I will say, trust that we worked on with Trustee Gill on page 4, number
eight. It strikes me as it's as odd in that spacing because it's a copy of the district's
harassment policy and regulation shall and then there's a long list and then that just
doesn't seem to fit there with the heading. So if we could move that just to the end of the
or somewhere else, that would be, would read more smoothly.
Is there any objection to that?
Okay, see none.
Okay.
Any other discussion?
Do you want to...
So I move that we amend with...
I move that we approve Board Policy and Replacement AR-5145.7 sexual harassment as amended.
Is there a second?
Second.
Thank you.
Any discussion?
Okay.
Seeing none.
Please vote.
Trustee Sylvester?
Yes.
Trustee Goldberg?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbache?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbache?
Motion carries 5-0 with an Honorary.
Yes.
Vote by Trustee Craig.
Moving on to item 4, gg, is there a motion?
Yes, I move that we approve child care approval of contracts. Is there a second?
Thank you, it's been moved in second. Did we have a public comment on this item? No, okay, thank you.
by way of. There's none submitted.
There's none. Okay. Great.
Is there any discussion on this item?
That's too good.
We did have a community member who was very
concerned it would like us to know that
these vendors do not necessarily
have their insurance in place.
A couple of them and that
that a couple of them have
opportunities in the contracts, and she wanted those things called out, and was curious whether
those were standard operating procedure, or she actually objected to those things and wanted
that for the record. My question would be if the insurance, if these vendors don't have
the required insurance, is there a plan? Are you just expecting it? And we're moving it forward
because we know they're getting it.
We follow a process when we review the contracts, so we don't
bring the contracts forward unless they have the proper insurance in place. Is there a particular
contract that was brought up about insurance?
She had two, one with wax creations and one with, I didn't catch the name of it, but it
talked about rockets 200 feet in the air.
It sounded like a science thing. And I have to
look at that I don't have it up because I was trying to decipher my notes. So let me go back
and see if I can figure that one out.
What?
Okay, but I'm just trying to remember, yeah, but I'm just trying to, and she also mentioned
that perhaps, oh, maybe it's mad science, is that it? Yeah, that's perhaps.
The wax creation one, there's a note in exhibit B, the statement of work. So it's
is in a process of renewing the insurance, so they have the insurance.
We wouldn't execute the contract until we get the insurance certificates.
The question about the rocket launch, I understand the concern,
and we're not, it's not a make or break on this.
So if there's a little bit of discomfort with doing these kinds of things,
that's fine, so we can we can see an alternative piece, but so there is a it's a science-based program that takes place at Earth's.
And then the culmination of that whole experience is they they launch a rocket and it's 200 feet in the air.
So from my understanding the concern is the issue with a potential fire or that it being an illegal activity.
I did search through the city of T.O. code.
I didn't find anything pertaining to rockets.
I did find something in the Ventura County Fire Department
website related to rockets.
But the statement in that, which it's letter V number 104.8,
defines it as rockets that are not to be launched in HFA's,
which are hazardous fire areas.
And those areas in particular, this is going to be at university preschool, I believe, I'm not, it might be at some of the other summer camps.
So, none of our schools are designated as a fire, fire areas, they do a but some open spaces, but similar to what we do with fireworks.
We do have fireworks that pre-COVID that we used to do for certain games and such.
This company in particular does have insurance and we've done this for the last couple
of years and the safety precautions are put in place.
So as far as compliance, we haven't found anything that says it's not permitted.
It's also been reviewed by our risk manager and he has signed off on it, which we abide
by whatever is stipulated by, you know,
and recommend that by our joint powers authority,
as far as for these types of activities.
Now again, it's not a deal breaker,
so if there's any level of discomfort,
we don't have to pursue this.
As you could see, what we try to do is give the kids
during the summer camps,
different kinds of experiences,
which entails bringing vendors in from the outside
to give these experiences to the kids.
And if this isn't something that we're comfortable with, we have no problem taking it off and then pursuing something different.
Yeah, I'm going to say it's just brought to me, I don't have a problem.
I remember those rockets at Earth, and they were safe.
And if they're permitted, and I would assume if they're doing business in this town, they are so.
And a lot of times those small rockets, there's a few that is like for two or three seconds only and then it launches the rockets.
So, and typically there's very little flammable things because the rockets are really very, very small.
So even when they do fall down, all the fuel is burned, the little bit of fuel that's in them is burned on the initial launch of it.
And by no means on the expert, but I'm just going over to-
and the kids love it, and it's all about gas and the effects of gases and such, and the part about the insurance pieces a lot of for some reason and I don't know why, frankly, a lot of people's insurance renews June 1st.
So what we do is we get, we have, we would get a, their current certificate, but we won't execute the contract until we get the new insurance that's dated June 1 and the insurance company won't send it to us until June 1.
So we do update our contracts and records there, that's it.
I just was, again, the messenger.
So I know we're not going to move forward without a contract.
I've seen too many times where we haven't moved forward.
Because the contract wasn't in place.
So I trust that.
Any further discussion on this item?
Casey, then, please vote.
Trustee Goldberg?
Yes.
Trustee Gorbach?
Yes.
Trustee Gil?
Yes.
I mean, yes.
Trustee Sylvester?
Yes.
Trustee Craig? Yes. Motion carries 5-0 with an honorary yes vote by Trustee Craig.
Okay.
So we are going to move to item 5A. Information discussion item, sure the Board of Education
recommend to staff to create an African American parent advisory council committee task force.
And we do have a public speaker on this item, Liz Allen, and if you thank you so much for
waiting. If you'd like to speak at the podium, thank you.
Good evening board of trustees and district personnel. I am Liz Allen and I live in the very park.
I am both an employee of the CVS-D as well as a single mother of two multiracial
sons. They are a beautiful blend of white African-American, Japanese, and Native American.
I have had the honor of meeting several other parents of byracial and multiracial
I come to you this evening to encourage the board, district leadership, and district personnel
to support our formation of an African American parent advisory committee.
There's so much work to do in our community regarding equity and racial sensitivity.
Tuning into the Thousand Oak City Council meetings.
You can hear people say
there's no racism here in the Canale Valley.
At least, none that I've seen, I beg to differ.
Kids of all ages currently experience racism first-hand, or in the form of microaggressions,
in and outside of our canoe schools.
I remember my oldest son personally experiencing racism at five years old,
at both bordered and pepper tree parks.
I was in shock and sick to my stomach.
No child at any age, especially one so young, should have to deal with this kind of pain.
As a result of our collective experiences,
several parents and I have been collaborating over the last few months
to form an African American parent advisory committee here in the Canadian Valley.
Since meeting these other parents,
I have been able to open up and discuss my fears, concerns,
and hopes for my sons. I finally feel I am no longer alone. Since the death of George Floyd, I had not slept through the night. I would wake up playing different scenarios in my head and fear for both my son.
For the first time, I have other parents who are going through the same thing.
Many other school districts have an APAC committee.
Please review the work of committees in Marietta Valley Palm Springs just to name a few.
We would like the opportunity to collaborate with CVUSD to create a discrimination free learning environment.
Our primary focus is to help create a safe space for Black families to collaborate and share resources
to enhance their children's educational experiences.
We want to raise awareness about our African-American communities.
You need cultural experiences and social emotional needs here in the Cano Valley.
Thank you.
Thank you for your comment and for waiting in order to be able to give it at this time.
We are going to Dr. Miller.
Are we going to hop on Zoom at this time?
Yes, Dr. Miller, if I can hand it over to you.
Yeah, good evening.
So we received a request from a parent for our district to consider the formation of an African-American parent advisory committee.
Several weeks ago, I did reach out to Dr. Latund who's on here with us. Thank you so much for waiting.
In our communication, she shared with me the purpose of an APAC, you know, how to form one,
some things to think about and tonight I just wanted to make sure that we heard it from the expert on this,
as the Board considers this item, so she's joining us via the Zoom.
Good evening, everyone.
Thank you so much for the invitation, Dr. Miller.
I appreciate you all for the space and time.
I can't imagine how long of a day you've had,
but I appreciate the work that you do every day
and I can't even imagine the decisions you've had
to make in this time period.
So hats off to you.
Thank you.
So I just wanted to share a little bit briefly
about African American parent advisory councils.
Sometimes they're also called Black Family Advisory Councils
depending on where it's situated. They are similarly situated like a
D-Lat, a district, English Language Advisory Committee would be or a special
education parent advisory committee would be. So some districts have used the data
about black student success and made the decision to use things like the White House
initiative for African American Academic Achievement, or the new initiative that is centering
racial equity, which really looks at working with communities that support Black students.
And a part of that community would be Black families, which are really closely connected
to Black communities.
So the purpose of their advisory council is basically to partner with schools, to engage
and empower families. It's really using a dual capacity building framework in which families
are looking at what the data says in the school and working as a council to increase those
families and communities, capacity to support learning based on the data, but also working with
district personnel to increase their capacity to save focus on mastery in the classroom or demonstrate
value on for students and care. So some of the training is basically set up like a
Thank you very much.
Developmental and Interactive Academy, because as you know, Black families tend to be very collective and relational.
And so what we do is use a lot of that cultural knowledge about what makes them feel safe and certain environments.
How to work with them. We use that to engage them, right? There's very nuanced strategic strategies that work with Black families, that don't work with other families.
And that's why some of the generic involvement strategies haven't worked with those families
because they have a different context and history and relationship with schools.
So it's really looking at using their own communities to engage with them and build their capacities.
And actually partnering with those communities, if there's an important information that we want to get to them,
we will work with those communities to help get that information to them.
One of the unique things about the academy is the team approach.
We recommend that we have assistant superintendent, principals, directors,
usually parent or two, a family liaison, they would come as a team to build background knowledge
and develop common language around what the literature says about African-American family engagement,
what's happening with Black students and evidence-based and culturally informed strategies
to change those narratives. So basically, that's kind of how the program is set up.
Thank you so much for that hopeful background. I know what I'll appreciate it.
Absolutely. And I'm glad we have you here for any questions for
members. Might have if you don't mind hanging out for a little bit. Okay.
Questions or comments from board members?
I'm not seeing any,
I'm not saying just wave at me if I am. I did want to just mention that
a parent, another parent had also reached out to me sometime back, requesting the creation of an
African American parent advisory council and walked through some of the things similar to what
you mentioned and described as well in the benefits to having one and also making sure that we
have supports for our African American families and students and it seemed like a really excellent idea.
There is one, this is a discussion item tonight, and there is one consideration I wanted to bring up with the board.
I know that I've spoken with Dr. Miller and Dr. Naglockland about the potential creation of this committee or task force or council for some time now.
And then doing so, there's been a lot of questions and considerations as to the form that this group should take and also some of the other groups that have been requested recently of our district.
And so I'm only going to speak to the consideration as it relates to the formation of an APAC since that's our agenda item and we can discuss it under another context with our next item.
But one thing I wanted to mention in that context is that, and it's some background that I learned to, just in speaking, with staff about our other committees, and they can correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe we have one required doc, which is our English language.
but there's also previously a gate DAC and a special
DAC that we're established and more recently
a student DAC of course.
Additionally, we have an overarching DAC
made up of school site reps
and more recently an equity task force
that was established and a group also to work
on LGBTQ plus issues.
So some of the questions that have come up
in the context of talking about an APAC
and then some of the other requests that we've had
are one, how each of these groups were established and the differences between the format of the group.
So are they subject to the brown act or are they subject to the green act?
Are they not subject to any of it and they can have kind of more closed meetings?
And certainly there are benefits to different formats that should be considered.
And we want to make sure we have the right one for the purpose of any particular group.
Also, there's been some questions about whether groups are open if there's a broad application process and the formation of a group.
And then also concerns about hampering work of groups that have been established and making good progress balanced with wanting to ensure their options to meet the needs of our different populations of marginalized groups.
And so given this, what I'm finally getting out and I've holidays but is the two considerations I wanted to bring up and one is as this is a discussion item tonight and I want to personally be very clear that I'm in full support of establishing
and a pack, I clearly see the value in it and it's been requested and I think that we need to
really listen to those requests from our students and our parents about what's needed to support our
marginalized students, students from our marginalized groups as a district. So I'd like to throw out
setting up a working session for our board because I think it's important that we
delve into the current structure of all of our committees and groups that we have get some feedback
from stakeholders. I don't think there's a clear history of how each group has been established and
formed and why summer formed differently than others. And I think the goal for me would be to
establish a structure for our current groups and new groups that may be requested and serve
a need in our school community so that there's some longevity there because honestly I'm
hoping that we've had this request, there's another one we're going to talk about tonight and I would
imagine and hope that honestly there'll be requests from others as well as we're talking about equity
an inclusion and how we can support all of our students. So instead of kind of creating committees
and different formats in this piecemeal type of manner, I think if we can come up with a structure
that we believe will be the most effective at serving our students and can be utilized for
hopefully a long time to come. And the second consideration with that for me would be timing. Certainly
This request, for example, has been with us as a district with myself and with staff for a bit of time now.
And I don't want us to put off the creation of this for any real length of time because I think there is a need.
But I think that as a board we can ask staff.
Off to present information and options in a working session and a timely manner, so that we can look at the best structure to establish and get these groups up and running. Hopefully my hope will be for next school year.
I know that's been a request I've heard from a number of parents and I think that it's worth devoting an extra specific board session to this topic.
I think it really goes along with our equity and inclusion and diversity goals and making sure that we get it right.
Because
while all of these groups that I think in APAC certainly is going to serve a good purpose.
I want to make sure we're looking at the full structure of all of our equity groups, how they work together, what they serve separately.
and really have the ability for groups to come in and have a process that set up in place that's
uniformed and not just kind of like I said piecemeal. So again, I want to be clear and not my intent
is not to put this off. My intent is to devote a working session to it and get it right so that we can
move forward. I hope with this group but also have a process that's most effective for
or for the support that's been requested.
So with that, I want to open it up to any other questions or comments or feedback on that
idea.
Can I just make a quick cut?
Please.
So I think that's a great idea and I would just invite the board to work with the specifically
the culturally diverse and linguistic groups to understand how to structure it loosely because
there's a lot of research about how, like specifically with our families from Hispanic backgrounds
when things are overly structured, it might end their participation pretty early.
So it's just important that you know, get some input from those groups about how to structure
it in a way that still feels safe and where they can feel like they can be leaders and
the work as well. I also wanted to speak to the great concern about creating a bunch of
separate groups. So there's a lot of research about affinity groups, but one of the strategies
that we use in the way we format the African American family councils is there's a strategy
to actually integrate them into the school better.
So a part of the strategy is to build their capacity
to be a part of school side council,
to be a part of PTA, to be a part to support D-Lat
or the other organization.
So a part of that they have a leadership track
where they're building their capacity as a leader,
to actually lead their work, right?
How to facilitate meetings, how to negotiate
conflict resolution. At the same time, there's strategically saying, who's going out to
get information, who's bringing information in, right? And they're also sharing information
strategically with other entities on campus. So, a big part of it are partnerships with
in the school and then looking out to community partners, right? So, if African American students
and families attend church almost five times as much as others, how are we partnering with
those entities to give advanced support with math, right, by direct supports and those kind of services, so that's a part of the strategy.
Those are great points, thank you. And I think that goes to some of what the balance needs to be in terms of creating a structure like you mentioned, that's not.
So, prohibitive that folks can't have the conversations
to hard conversations that need to happen also.
But then balancing the request that it really be
some kind of group that's more formally tied
to our district as well.
Mr. Gorbache, I saw your light on.
Just thank you.
First of all, thank you Dr. Luchund.
You know, I just want to thank you
for the information of bringing to,
I get an echo.
bring to us how to integrate the culture into the schools and to make sure it's integrated instead of separate.
I also want to go back to our speakers first line, Ms. Allen.
And the fact that she said that she is running into people that have said that there's no racism.
that what you said. No racism. The fact that people who aren't involved in the racism,
think that there's no racism is exactly why we need a group like this because that's part
of the problem is the ignorance of what exists for kids like your like Ms. Zalem's own and
and black all the other kids.
So, yes, I think this is a great,
I think it'll be great learning experience for us,
for the district as a whole,
and certainly increase the learning experience
for the kids.
So, thank you.
My pleasure.
Just people, Burke.
So, I like the idea of looking at the whole thing
holistically and seeing how everything fits.
And the point that you may, Dr. Lieutenant, about building leadership and building capacity.
I've seen that be tremendously effective here with our English learner families.
There were programs put in place and we will gave them the tools and watch and it's been amazing.
So, I think that it just, it builds capacity all over the place.
So, I'd like to keep that in mind as we look at the best ways and the culturally appropriate ways to have everybody get involved.
Really quickly, I'd love to just quickly add some of the benefits that we've seen for students.
Some districts that have that are well-oiled and have been doing it for a while.
And our very collaborative, again, it's supposed to be integrated in schools and not some separate entity.
What we've seen is the teams that come a lot of the conflict that was there.
I watch the conflict resolve in some of these processes as they are learning material together and building common knowledge and developing common language.
So when they use the time, they all know what it means and what the context is and even having them in the same room to hear other people's stories
And have a better context
It has changed the way that the teams are operating and some of the teams came
I mean, with pretty hostile interactions between one another, between some of the family members, and some of the, let's say, school leaders and principals.
Another thing that we're seeing is what was mentioned is a leadership development.
So now you have a development of leaders, which are helping more in schools and communities, and able to better support not only their children, but other people's children, which we find in African American communities.
They are really eager to advocate and help with not only their child education, but others as well.
We've also seen an increase in the number of evidence-based strategies
actually being used in the classroom.
So a lot of the research I look to are come from the National Urban Center for School Transformation
out of San Diego State University where they have identified 300 schools that have no achievement
gaps based on race, gender, economics or abilities.
And they have identified eight teaching practices and eight leadership practices.
So what we do is we look at dual capacity building and go, okay, everyone's struggling with
advanced math.
What would capacity building look like for families?
Perhaps we're teaching them three specific learning strategies to use with their child for that grade level.
What would that look like for teachers to build their capacity around advanced math?
Maybe it will be helping them to focus on mastery and to teach vocabulary and engaging in culturally appropriate ways.
So it's using the dual capacity around one thing that's related to research.
Thank you so much.
And thank you for saving me because I was talking on mute before you thankfully jumped in.
No, I appreciate it. Thank you.
Okay, so I wanted to see also, and I'm just going to repeat it because I think I was on mute.
If there's interest by the board and if you can just kind of nod your head.
So I can see you in setting up a working session on the topic.
Okay, so it looks like yes, and so we will work to get that on the calendar in a timely manner, and I do want to thank the parents who brought this idea to our attention.
It's really important that I appreciate that you did that, and I also want to thank Dr. Lichon for your time and sharing your expertise with us on this topic.
We really appreciate it.
Thank you so much for your time. You all have a good evening.
Thank you, you too.
Okay, so we are switching off soon.
And we're going to go...
To item 5B, which is should the Board of Education recommend to staff to create a unity, district, advisory council committee task force, and Dr. Miller or Dr. McGlockland, did you want to start with some background on this or any comments?
No, okay. Well, I will quickly mention that again, this is certainly a request that I've received.
I think it's a request that the board in general and our district has received and for my perspective, there is clearly a need to continue and develop even, you know, more further supports as well.
for a CVUSD LGBTQ plus community and my note would be,
I would ask that we include this in that working session
because, again, I think it will allow us to find the format
that's going to most effectively serve what has been requested
and just as Dr. Lichun mentioned in the last item,
I do think it's important that we do get the input
of students and parents in this community so that we can kind of figure out the best, the
best way to move forward with this. Again, in a timely manner, but also establishing
something that's going to have longevity and going to be effective with the goals of these
groups. So I'll open it up to questions or comments from the board.
Okay. So seeing nine, I'm going
ask just by nods of heads. Again, if you're on board with, including this in our working session as well.
Okay. And I just, again, I want to be, since I'm putting it out there, I want to be clear that this is something I personally support and it's more just about figuring out the right method to go about it. So any other comments? Okay.
With that we will
Move on to item 5C, business services, child care enrollment update, and Dr. Hight, did you have anything you wanted to mention on this?
We promised to come back in May after the registration for child care program. We wanted to share the numbers with the board here.
You can see the comparison on the table where we're roughly just over 800 students enrolled for next year.
We're still getting enrollments coming in every single day.
We see and expect a number to continue increasing.
We do have wait lists that several of the schools, and that's mostly because of the spacing requirement right now.
We are expecting some changes sometime in June, whether we June 15 or June 30th in relation to some updated guidance related to spacing and if that does take effect for the beginning of the school year.
We will, we will be able to clear those waiting lists.
So we were kind of up in the year before whether or how to what extent we would run childcare next year, but we will be we plan on and would like to continue operating childcare
back to a normal capacity of we've done in years past. We would obviously maintain the level
of staffing required and as a number of students in enrollment increase, we would add staffing
accordingly and move forward in the most normal way possible to provide services to the community.
Thank you. Questions or comments on this item?
Do you have a question coming in from a board member on the wait list and it dawned on me like 20 minutes ago that I didn't send out a response?
So you can't see it very well out there and I usually don't do this, but I'm usually good and I know Dr. Hayek's department put together this information so I do have a little guilt that I didn't actually send it out for the request.
But so Banyan has two on their weightless kindergarten
enrichment.
Earth has three on their weightless for kindergarten
enrichment only.
LaDara has one on the weightless for AMPM.
Lang Ranch has three on the weightless for kindergarten and six
on the weightless for AMPM.
Weatherfield has three on the weightless for kindergarten and four
on the weightless for AMPM.
West Lake two on the weightless for kindergarten enrichment,
wildwood seven on the wait list for a Kinder Enrichment and 14 on the wait list for
AIM and PM. That's a large number. So I want to make sure I provided that information since it was requested and I didn't send it out.
Thank you. I appreciate that. Any other questions or comments?
It's a quick question.
Would the distancing is it based on six feet or three feet?
So it's a weightless based on three feet.
Yeah, if you look at our numbers, I mean, as we reported in the past,
with a six-foot distancing, we're barely above 300 students.
But the staffing remains the same for supervision.
So when we're looking forward and we're able to change
and adjust that to three feet, we do have limitations
in some of the rooms because they can, they're only so big.
And in a school like, which was at Wildwood,
what's so many on a wait list that I'm assuming there's
no other classrooms that could be co-op did or that's a lot of students.
And it's a pretty essential service.
Yeah, we, we have not been in the practice of using teacher classrooms for childcare.
There are dedicated childcare spaces on the campuses.
That is a discussion we could have moving forward.
If the spacing requirements don't change, and we're not able to clear those, then we can have a conversation closer to when school starts as to possibly utilizing additional spaces on those campuses.
Thank you. Other questions in the comments?
Okay.
Seeing that, we'll...
We move to item 5D instructional services, California Health Youth Act, Material Selection.
Was there a public comment on this item? No, okay. Thank you.
And I believe Mr. Liu is going to speak to us about this topic.
Is it there? I'm also wondering, I assume this works.
Alright.
Well, good evening everyone. Thank you so much and happy to provide just a review of the materials that we shared with our Board of Education and with our public.
So I do want to share that the document here that I'm going to kind of just do a quick overview on.
really is a reflection of the input from many of our stakeholder groups, including our teachers,
parents, and guardians that sit on our C-DAC, DAC, as well as all of our advisory councils
in the district, as well as students from S-DAC.
And so the materials here really do provide a foundation for our recommendation of team talk
to be implemented at the middle school and high school levels for students for comprehensive
of sexual health pursuance of the California Health
that you've backed.
So this is just a brief summary,
and I believe we've provided this information in the past
in many formats.
I do just want to highlight for rights respect responsibility
that is K through 12, the cost is free
because the all the materials are online and for free.
There is not a modified curriculum
for rights respect responsibility,
modified curriculum in this sense is specifically referring to a designated curriculum for
students with disabilities who receive modified curriculum pursuant to their IEP.
And you can see team talk and positive prevention plus there are costs associated with
that and those are just at this time 6 through 12.
So the brunt of the information that really is very new is we wanted to share with you the
results from the Adolescent Sexual Health Orc group, and as stated there, the CDE does
not explicitly provide adopted or recommended sets of materials to be in compliant with
the California Health or Youth Act. They do however reference Ashwig or the Adolescent
Sexual Health Orc group for curriculum guidance on implementing the California Health
the Youth Act. You can see a description of Ashwick, but really they are the experts in terms
of public health as well as Department of Education and medical experts that are reviewing
the materials specifically to look to see how compliant each of the curriculum are with
the California Health Youth Act. We were able to receive the information from Ashwick
on the Friday, the last Friday, I believe, the 14th in the morning, and a big thanks to
them, they actually provided our district this information in advance of the public release
of information, because of perhaps our persistence in requesting the materials.
So we're grateful.
We weren't able to include the actual full reports because they've not been released, but
they did allow us to provide the information that I'll share.
So, just to kind of talk a little bit about kind of the format, you can see that the adolescent sexual health
of work group looked at each of the criteria and instructional objectives that's required by the California Health
Youth Act and that's in education codes 51933 and 51934 and so for each of those specific what they describe as criteria or in our case really the law.
They provided a score of compliant or green needs minor adaptions, which means that a district could provide
make small changes, and those small changes may be, you know, adding some small additional pieces of information to be in full compliance.
Red indicates major adaptations would be required.
This would perhaps be in the case of a particular topic that is totally left out of a possible curriculum and that would need a major adjustment, which a district could make.
The gray and you can see that for D1, D2 and D3.
Actually, it was really clear in their report out that it is the districts where the LEA's
responsibility to be in compliance with those particular codes.
And the reason for that, and if you look more specifically, those three codes specifically
address really making sure that the curriculum, and more important to the curriculum, that
the instruction is accessible for students with disabilities, English learners, and all student
groups.
And that releasing comment of course upon the district and through instruction to, for instance,
make sure that IEP accommodations and modifications are provided or that we're providing adequate
language support for English learners.
that is, as Ashwig, you know, wants us to note is, is our district's responsibility.
And so they do, however, and you can see the notes that are within here, they do provide
comments about the materials. So the instruction kind of one way to think about it is on us as a
district to make sure that it's accessible, but the materials, they do provide feedback on whether
They feel like the materials are, in the case of D1,
inclusive and appropriate, and indeed too,
if they're appropriate for an accessible for English learners,
and D3 if they are appropriate and accessible for students with disabilities.
So although they don't say necessarily,
you know, green, yellow, or red,
they do provide some information in an assessment on the materials themselves.
And so moving through, again, if you look to the top, this is just for high school, so we're looking just at high school right now, and it goes on, this is specific to the 51934, which are the specific instructional topics.
If you look here, I do want to highlight that in eight for 51934.
This also is the LA's responsibilities specifically because it calls out the district's
responsibility to provide information about local resources and how to access those local
resources.
The CDE and Ashwig do provide separate guidance to districts on how to do this, but that is
included in the 3P.
So again, that is our district's responsibility outside of the curriculum.
And then we move on into middle school.
And certainly, I'll be able to answer questions at the end. But just to give you all a sense. And then this is for the modified curriculum. Again, just to reiterate rights, respect, responsibility. They do not provide a specific curriculum for students with disabilities who receive a modified curriculum.
The next part are our teacher recommendations, and you can see here a description of the 15
secondary teachers that we reviewed all three of the curriculum.
We're really happy and proud to have a very inclusive group of educators that represented
our English language development teachers, special education teachers, as well of course,
as our health teachers at the high school level and our seventh grade science teachers.
You can see there overall responses to the question about whether or not they would recommend
the or would use the curriculum.
You can see for rights respect responsibility, about 40% indicated that they would use the curriculum
but with some reservations.
100% teachers said that they would use positive prevention plus but with 35% having some reservations
and for teen talk, a total of 92%, would use the curriculum, but with 61% having some reservations.
If the, so Ashley provides a review of how compliant each of the curriculum are,
it doesn't necessarily provide an educator's view on how accessible the materials are for diverse students.
And so, when we work with our teachers, we really wanted to get a better understanding of
in their view how accessible each of the curriculum were.
And so, we created, in partnership with our teachers, a particular instructional rating criteria
that was completed for each of the three.
This criteria was based off of the organizing principles of UDL.
The universal access criteria and sections in the current California Health Education Framework as well as taking some of the materials from the California Adoption Toolkit for ELA.
And so you can see the rating scale for being strong evidence, one being no evidence.
The way to interpret this is that there are individual criteria on the left side and the results are disaggregated with any box.
So we did want to see what the overall average score was, but wanted to also note if there were any
differences, significant differences from our special education teachers and ELD teachers.
And then we went ahead and just highlighted in yellow, the, essentially, the curriculum that scored the highest for the overall for each of the rows.
So just as a visual.
And so you can see that there.
Just in terms of totals, rights, respect, responsibility, had four in the yellow, which is sort of that top score.
Positive prevention plus had eight in teen talk, had seven of those yellow highlights.
The next is the stakeholder feedback section.
And again, a huge thanks to not just our staff, but also the students on S-DAC, as well as members of our district advisory council, that provided specific feedback on each of those
of the three curriculum. And you can see it here. I will say that it's not inclusive, of course,
all the feedback. We did our best to, you know, summarize and fit us much as we could into a
single chart. And so you can see some of the wise and way not from each of those various groups.
And then we were also given a lot of great just general feedback when we look at, you know, providing
comprehensive sexual education in our district overall.
And so our special education district advisory council provided a strong recommendation
for a more comprehensive approach that really goes beyond the California Health
of the Youth Act and to really, you know, not just meet the needs of students with disabilities
but to provide a more robust approach within our district and they also provided nine key
takeaways that are listed there.
We also had the opportunity to provide an update and send a survey to all of our advisory
councils and some of the feedback is listed there as well.
And then the very last page is sort of a kind of just a description of what each of the very
stakeholders did and their sort of methodology in terms of who was involved and how that involvement
worked, and then we've linked all the presentations that they've provided in the past sort
of just in one place. So that's just a brief overview of the document. I'm certainly
happy to answer any questions.
Thank you, Mr. Lily. I appreciate that thorough presentation
in the slides as well. I'll open it up to discussion from the board.
Any questions or comments?
Okay, I have a couple.
Thank you for the explanation about the difference between what Ashwig evaluates and what
our teachers evaluated, because I didn't see that going through that there was some discrepancy
in the feedback on the three different curriculums, so that was really helpful.
I wanted to, I think it is hard though, because if Ashwig is saying that one is not compliant,
It creates a barrier from the get-go, but it doesn't really let us get to the point of evaluating
necessarily how accessible it is if we aren't even at the compliance standpoint.
One thing I noticed in the information that was attached was that there was a notation by CDAC,
And also, I think, perhaps, parents just through
DAC and general, that there was a comprehensive approach
needed of build up from younger grades.
And I did note that somewhere in here, it said that
teen talk and positive prevention plus are 6 through 12,
but there seemed to be indication that there was material for younger grades
available. Can you just expand on that a little bit and if that's something potentially we could
incorporate and what that includes?
Absolutely. So for Team Talk and Positive Prevention Plus, there are materials for fourth
and fifth grade that specifically, you know, provide an introduction to some of the materials
in middle school. We have not reviewed those materials.
But those materials do exist. Again, for teen talk, positive prevention plus, for grades 4 and 5. Whereas,
the rights or security responsibility, they go to the, I think, believe, at the kindergarten level and
provide materials there.
Okay, and then I do think it would be helpful for us just to have some
information on those options and it relates to another question, which is, are we able, if teen talk, being
what's recommended and kind of the obvious one that doesn't have the same compliance issues
from Ashwig and given that our purposes were trying to come into compliance, at least
one of the main purposes, are we able to supplement lacking areas or format so one would
be that buildup that's needed for at least some of our student population but potentially more,
And then also there are references to multimedia resources that we're potentially lacking topics that we're lacking like sexing and pornography that parents felt were important.
So are there supplements that we could add that would be compliant to teen talk?
We could certainly add supplements, you know, I think that go beyond and above, you know,
what the California Health, California Health, the Youth Act require, and that also
goes, you know, of course, looking at the elementary level as well.
The, you know, rights respect responsibility, for example, you know, if we wanted to look at
that for some of the lower grades,
we certainly could because, as I've had conversations before,
it's not necessarily that we're looking,
and this is specific at the elementary level,
that each of the curriculum,
like if we adopted something for a middle school in high school,
that if we don't have something in the elementary,
like we couldn't move forward with it,
each of the curriculum really are dressing the same set
of objectives, and you could think of it kind of like
as standards, and so there would be alignment
and parity between, you know, similar definitions and concepts,
even if we were using a different sort of like supplemental
or another type of a curriculum.
Okay, that's really helpful.
And then do all three weave LGBTQ plus topics throughout each lesson,
or do any of them have standalone lessons on those topics?
Do you know off-hand and if not, that's okay.
I don't know off-hand, but I can certainly get that to you.
I do know that there are, I think, one or two of them,
and I'll provide the details in a communication that do provide a stand-alone lesson or
section, specific for LGBTQ, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're also not weaving
in that specific criteria throughout all the lessons, too, but I can certainly follow up.
Okay, thank you.
And last question I had was the agenda description said that there have been steps taken to pilot
the programs. Have there been steps taken to pilot all three programs or is it one program that
our teachers have piloted today? We have looked at all three of them. Our teachers have
looked to have reviewed them. I am not aware for instance of any of these materials been provided
specifically to our students in the classroom.
Okay, so it's more of the all three have been reviewed
or about that.
Other questions or comments from the board on this topic?
Thank you again.
Wait.
What are your questions?
So, next steps would be what?
Tonight's discussion.
Are we bringing the materials just for a team talk to for parent review?
I mean, I know that we're not voting tonight.
We're just...
Well, I guess part of, I mean, we've had the materials out for parent review already.
So it's, I mean, we could add another, I mean, it's hard to say that we would bring one out
versus the other if we don't have, you know, action hasn't taken on, team talk itself.
So I anticipated us moving forward with an action item and the board taking action on either
recommendation or a different avenue based on.
I think I'm confused because I thought what I read was once we made a decision so I guess I'm confused
Then we would make because we don't have the materials in very easy format because we haven't bought the contract
Then there would be a parent review session of the materials that their kids would be teaching right and that's that is
Okay, so the board takes action to select the materials and then we make we start making that material available. Okay. I was confused
Yes, and I should ask
And just, you know, if you can give me some signal,
if the supplemental information that we were discussing
in my questions kind of about fourth and fifth grade
and some of these additional items that were noted
as lacking is information that other board members
would want presented when this comes back as an item.
And yes, okay, I see two, three, okay, thank you.
Okay, other questions or comments?
Trustee Craig, did you have one?
Yes, it just came to me, but one of the topics that I know we discussed frequently in the focus
group that we had led by a student doc, and it was students beyond student district advisor
committee.
We were just facilitating the discussion, but also in some of the notes of the parent groups
and the presentation as well was concerns about specific.
I don't want to say lessons, but specific activities that were in some of the curricums that we were able to review and I was just curious as to what the process is, you know, if we do adopt a certain curriculum, you know, excluding certain parts of that curriculum or certain activities not an entire lesson, if that's doable, because I noticed that throughout the notes and in discussion with the other stakeholder groups, there were similarities between like specific activities that we thought they were concerned.
if that's possible removing those areas?
I would guess that once the material is selected,
we would have our teachers come back together
basically create the pacing guide for when those lessons are taught
within the pacing guide itself.
It should identify what particular activities
or either worksheets or just, I guess,
the different engagement pieces that are built within.
I think it would be identified through some type of a pacing guide on what the suggested suggestions would be from an instructional standpoint.
Mr. Louis, would you agree or just agree with that?
Yeah, I would agree.
That would be our common practice.
Once we adopt new materials would be to work with our teachers to identify that common course of study.
I will also share trustee Craig that some of the teachers also shared.
I think some of those similar concerns.
So those concerns being that some of the activities, you know,
actually resulted.
And some disengagement, for instance, asking students to very publicly share personal views or ideas.
And certainly there's a time and a place for that, but I think our teachers are really focused on making sure
that there's high quality engagement and that we're providing that really safe space for students to learn and also share.
And I role-playing was that I was thinking of, because there are some pieces in some of these
worthy activities.
That's what my mind became to me as a concern, so that's where I think we would be identifying
those activities through the curriculum, guys.
And that would be district wide, and then one more follow-up question was, once we do adopt
the curriculum, I know we'll go through the process of piloting and all that sort of stuff.
Maybe this is asking a question to far ahead, but the process of gathering the teacher, staff,
and student input after this has been in place for a year.
I know we'll obviously gather input from that piloting program, but what would that exactly
look like, or is that to far ahead down the timeline?
No, I don't think that's too far ahead down the timeline at all.
In fact, when I think Cardi services provided that review for us, one of the really important
things at the end, which engages us in that cycle of continues to improve and is that I'm
going monitoring and I would be really, especially for this particular curriculum.
We ought to continue to survey our teachers and our students who are going through the curriculum
and then hopefully continue to hold meetings with perhaps S stack and other students as
of their teachers to look at that course of study that we've identified and then continue to
make some good changes.
I think, especially with the first year rollout, if the recommendation is to hold with
the team talk, there's a minimal cost, obviously if we were with something else, there's a higher
level cost to the implementation of the workbooks and then the teacher material, so that's
I do think that we're probably going down the right path of being able to have some quality
implementation and then quality survey and feedback backed to really make some determination
in another year.
Are we on the right track and is this the material we want to continue with and how do our
teachers feel about it?
Thank you.
Trustee Goldberg.
And in that feedback loop, I would really like it to like to see that our parents and
community have the opportunity to see the student facing materials, not the teacher books,
but what the students are actually seeing, because I think that's really important.
I totally support that 1,000%.
Okay, thank you.
Any other questions or comments on this topic?
Okay, thank you, Mr. Lowe.
Thank you.
Good evening, the Keneha Valley Unified School District Board of Education, regular board meeting of May 18, 2021. We'll please come to order.
Pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act, this is a meeting of the Board of Education and Public, and only items on the agenda will be discussed this evening. Please join us in the pledge of allegiance.
Next up, we have item 5E Instructional Services Approval of New Middle School Court Literature Title Hatchet. Are there, oh, go ahead, Dr. Buffer.
I just can say Mr. Lou Rahn, a session last week. In regards to this, and another one scheduled, scheduled in the next week.
So, any feedback from last week's meeting?
I did, yes, we held a preview for Hatchit.
I believe last Wednesday, we had 15 participants join me.
And I didn't receive any questions about Hatchit.
There were lots of questions about comprehensive sexual health.
So I was able to answer some of those questions.
But I received no feedback.
We also, I provided a Google form for some anonymous feedback
and have yet to receive any feedback from families.
Thank you. Any questions or comments?
Okay, thank you.
And I didn't say a future board topic, so you can see on our agenda, we have quite a few.
On there, the board study session on proposed district goals and objectives was scheduled.
And I think that's also hopefully going to include a discussion around the budget committee recommendations that were previously presented to the board.
And we'll add the working session discussed tonight to include discussion about the most
effective ways of creating groups such as APAC, Unity, District Advisory Council, and
door and LGBTQ plus council and just overall the district structure of groups and the format
we can use going forward.
Are there any others that folks would like add in?
Trustee Craig.
I would like to say just an update to the Board by law for the student board member position.
That's number 9150.
Is it just a specific update that you want to suggest?
Yeah, there were just reviewing the ed code.
The appointment of the student board member to committees that other board members are
on so the ad hoc. Okay, that sounds good. Is there any objection to adding that? No, okay, so we'll put that on a future agenda. Thank you.
Any others? Okay. Seeing none, our meeting is adjourned. Thank you.