Jan 19, 2022
5.4 Board Committee CHS Bell Schedule
Community member spoke to 4×4 (Block, Bell Schedule): kids only take 2 courses, transferring kids challenges, AP exams timing cycle, kids out at 130pm, Mrs. Mellina, brought up issues with 4×4. Advocated for a study sooner vice later. Find out if parents and students are happy with 4×4, metrics…Recommended committee be independent on Administration.
-Youngblood provided background, 3 semesters in place, it is a source of high interest and in order to get to a better place it would be helpful to look at 4×4, evaluated by teacher, students and parents, even if no changes, we will be in better place; referenced old Board acknowledged 4×4 decision was a source of fracture. Proposed a Citizen Committee vice a Board sub-committee. Why did CUSD make decision to move from old schedule to new? (See Proposal link above) Desires all stakeholders represented. Present in Apr/May during regular board meeting.
–Sandie “change is hard”; our staff did an amazing job implementing the semester system. Most UC schools use the trimester; semester system is cutting edge, it is the way to go. The AP test schedule is not our fix; I feel like this is an attempt to take our schools backwards I will vote no on this proposal.
-Cavanaugh: I go back and forth, I know how much work Melina is going to present in May and I feel like the committee may be asking for this; at the same time it is important to hear other peoples , improve student’s learning achievement; solid recommendation on how to move student learning and achievement forward. I am a little concern about “rogue group of community members”. I would feel better about having some members of the Board being on the Board.
-Antrim: We made a commitment to support all parties in the implementation. I feel like it is a good time to check “user experience”…What I would support is an analysis, two buckets: Admin, professional educator perspective from Admin and User experience: businesses, students, parents, and teachers…I would support an idea of a Board sub-committee with students in high school, i hear negatives, but I hear lots of positives. Don’t’ make commitments of how a committee could sway decisions in anyway. I do not see us going backwards. Does it need any tweaks to make it best. Bell Schedule Committee
-Sandie “don’t’ want to go backwards”
-Luke Johnson, student representative: I am a big fan of this committee, 4×4 is good but there are downsides, taking APs are really hard and using the committee as a support tool is good.
-Peters: Establish a new committee that does not exist, I would want Superintendent to serve as a non-voting advisor, a concern to have right people that have the skills to conduct data collection but getting input from the users. Community, I would want members to be able to get data, every new program needs to be evaluated, I think we need to continuously look at data, I want to start a community…I want to have teachers on it that are voters and students; I don’t know if they are voting on much if I was going to be honest.
-Youngblood: The intent is not to debate the merits of 4×4 today; how to best address the controversy and ill feelings in the manner of this was in place and how it is working right now. It is really to get more input from stakeholders, it does not say decision making committee, it is to advise; Citizen vice Board sub-Committee, I assume there is one person each of knows who would serve, if the 4×4 schedule is doing so well, then if you support it there is no problem with; I assume parents have the best interests of their students in mind. I think there is some value of having separation from Board and Administration. In terms of voting, it is to resolve conflict.
-Antrim: Can Administration / PAO start a petition to get College Board to change AP test schedule?
–Sandie: I hear the same complaint about 4×4 that it is the exam schedule. Is that our fault? The College Board needs to get Mission-focused. “Nowhere is the mission to like it or be happy. I don’t think we need this committee.“
-Peters: Who brings the committee together? Youngblood: a group of citizens with as much latitude as possible. What are they voting on? Youngblood: Example: Google vs Monkey survey.
-Cavanaugh: The more voices we can have the better, the 2 members of the Board are facilitators; I want it open to whoever wants it to participate
-Peters: Committee would be open and abides by Brown Act
-Cavanaugh: I like the committee presented in May at the same time that Administration
-Peters: Move to create committee based on proposal
-Youngblood: seconded and then…
-Cavanaugh: Asked what are the goals? and then began slowly reading word by word the goals of committee; What if someone makes recommendation to improve then what if we do not have resources to execute?
–Cavanaugh: Requested amended motion: Support if it is a board subcommittee and if it is side by side in May with other presentation
–Sandie: Dr. Battle knows how to do analysis, but people on committee that don’t know how to do analysis
-Peters: 2 board members sit on committee; Youngblood asked, What if Citizen’s Committee and we just show up?
-Peters: I support us having to be here, only 5 voting members, 2 board members as facilitators
-Youngblood: I would prefer a citizen advisory committee, I do think there should be some independence, there is a bandwidth you will need and I do think that we should be able to delegate, but if the only way it would get passed; We are talking about citizen advisory committee with 5 voting members and 2 board members that will attend…
-Cavanaugh wanted it called a Board Subcommittee not a Citizen -Cavanaugh / Youngblood: Does Staff have a recommendation? Mueller said that the structure makes sense, and I appreciate a liaison from board to Staff. Because he takes direction from the Board and the Staff takes direction from him. I think it would be a heathy exercise for community to engage in.
Voted 4 – 1 (Sandie against)
-Youngblood: this is the Brown act on full display right here, this whole discussion is the product and attempted compliance with Brown Act
-Sandie: “We did not have a consensus” in response to Antrim complimenting the civil discussion that resulted in a consensus
6.3 Jenni Moore, Silver Strand Principal, referred to “amazing humans that are Silver Strand Villagers!” and “all children and all humans..” [Note: Humans- not boys and girls, men and women];
79% military-connected students influences school culture (25% turnover, but we look at individual growth)
Oblique reference to common core?: They are hosting a session for parents to see math, because “we were not exposed to strategies” kids are using today
Reading tutors program supported by Title 1 (SSES) funds: $89,000
I. CAASPP ELA (3rd year of implementing reading program)
21-22 3rd 88%, 4th 78%, 5th 78%
18-19 3rd 78%, 4th 63% 5th 86%
II. CAASPP Math (4th year of Bridges math)
21-22 3rd 85%, 4th 76%, 5th 69%
18-19 3rd 65, 4th 56, 5th 79%
III. CAST (ca science test)
5th 2018-19 71, 21-22 79%
IV. Third grade performance explained by Healthy class size 19-21 per class, daily reading, curriculum fidelity? He, who shall not be named, Boy’s 2020-21 High School Basketball Champion Coach was mentioned as positive contributor to CASSPP Math scores.
V. Met SPSA goal of 73%? Need for continued growth in inclusion practices? No explanation
Using SEL Harmony: Diversity and Inclusion, MTSS themes: restorative practices?, great kindness challenge, etc. Equity definition: all students valued, seen, and heard Student Success Team versus Student Study Team, Flagpole ceremony each Friday morning
6.4 Budget Update: None, Donnie traveling to Sacramento to learn about Governor’s budget
Trustee Youngblood called attention to the Attendance dashboard: missed absences resulted in $640,000, however budget takes into account planned 96% attendance; minor discussion on what to do to get parents to be aggressive about attendance.
6.5 Superintendent’s Long Range Plan Update: Mueller mentioned hiring of outside company to conduct a safety audit of CUSD campuses. Trustee Sandie bizarrely talked about hard and soft targets and commented, “Do not expect schools to be safe because of it [safety audit].” Trustee Youngblood replied it a matter of degree, increasing school safety is a matter of degrees — it will be a healthy exercise for the district, concur that parents do not want the school to become a hard target (over protected). Sandie: Disagree, [it is not a matter of degrees] it is binary, hard and soft targets. Cavanaugh brought up partnership with police departments and education about firearms at home. Sandie brought up Ulvade and how nothing will change until California bans 18 year olds from buying “assault weapons.” The other Trustees wisely did not politicize the conversation, since the safety audit had already been approved and California gun laws are outside the scope of school board authorities. Sandie concluded with: “Yes, it is a fine exercise, good for school’s insurance, but don’t think your kids are going to be safe because of it.”
8. Items pulled from consent calendar included 4.5 4.5 $12,000 Purchase order for Equity Conference (25 staff members during two school days) that had already occurred.
Community member comments. 1: Why are you approving something that Mueller has already spent money on and that is occurring as we speak (18-20 January)? 2. Why do we need to send 25 staff to an Equity conference? Was the fee a single group fee or a fee per participant? Who did we send? Activists, Students? Parents? Were any substitutes hired since the conference is during two school days?…that should be included in the cost; 3. Tragic disservice politicizing equity, treating people with bias or , promote and spend money on programs that fail to teach personal responsibility, equity or excellence; 4. “Things are not equitable in a lot of areas of our society….and if we can send teachers to make things more equitable that’s great.”
-Mal motion to approve, Antrim seconded it
-Peters asking for explanation of process…purchase order, warrant,
-Donnie: bp3300: transaction , board has delegated authority to make expenditiures consisten with long range plan, ratify witihin in 60days …DEC purchase order, approved in JAN…
-Peters: Education is evolving and changing…we should look into details, I don’t see a problem with an equity conference…we want all our kids to get to the same outcome, grades, there are some tings we have to look at to see ; 25 employees of the district 6months out, most people are going to know it is going to be controversial…Renee stduetn and teaching learning is not controversial…a new student go nervous with a new test, gave a different atmosphere he would beable to show me a material….
-Antrim: 4 goals: safe and supportive schools, physical is just as important as emotional safety, can’t learn unless they feel safe…equity and excellence must exist together…
-Youngblood: Devils in the details
– Vote: Antrim seconded; 4 vs 1 Youngblood
9.1 Future Board Meetings
Community member: Please take the time to define what education equity is and define when we know we have achieved it
Cavanaugh: communication for transparency for the community, email, using the governance protocol are coming out to discuss transparency,
Peters: discussion about committees, are board committees create…
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