[I. Welcome and Opening Remarks]
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UH, WELCOME TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
CIO RIVAS, CHAIR OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND I WELCOME YOU ALL THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING US REMOTELY AND THOSE HERE PRESENT WITH US.
UM, AS WE BEGIN THIS NEW YEAR WORKING TOGETHER.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FAMILIES, EDUCATORS, LABOR PARTNERS AND COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AND COMMITMENT TO ENSURING STRONG SUPPORT AND OVERSIGHT FOR OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS.
THIS COMMITTEE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A SPACE FOR MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE, TRANSPARENCY, AND COLLABORATION, AND LOOK FORWARD TO BUILDING THAT WORK THIS YEAR.
UH, TODAY'S AGENDA INCLUDES REMARKS FROM OUR LABOR PARTNERS, IF ANY, ARE PRESENT HERE TODAY, FOLLOWED BY A PRESENTATION FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION ON CHARTER RENEWAL CONSIDERATIONS FOR, FOR THE UPCOMING, UH, 25 26 CYCLE.
WE WILL THEN HEAR FROM MEMBERS FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND, UM, BEFORE WE ARE DURING THE MEETING.
[II. Labor Partners]
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN IF THERE ARE ANY LABOR PARTNERS PRESENT WHO WOULD LIKE TO, UH, COME TO THE PODIUM.I'M THE UTLA SECONDARY VICE PRESIDENT.
UM, I'M GOING TO BE YIELDING MY TIME TO THREE EDUCATORS AND A STUDENT FROM COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THAT ARE ALL BEING CO-LOCATED AT THE MOMENT BY GABRIEL GABRIELLA CHARTER.
ALL THREE SCHOOLS WILL SPEAK OUT AND HIGHLIGHT THE LACK OF OVERSIGHT FROM THE DISTRICT'S PROP 39 DIVISION.
YOU WILL HEAR HOW THIS LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY IS NEGATIVELY IMPACTING THEIR PROGRESS AT THEIR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
NOW I YIELD MY TIME TO OUR TRINITY EDUCATOR.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS RA ADO, AND I AM HERE ON BEHALF OF TRINITY STREET ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO SHARE THE CHALLENGES WE FACE.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE STABILITY AND CONSISTENT SERVICES TO THE FAMILIES WE SERVE.
MANY OF OUR STAFF HAVE BEEN AT TRINITY 80 FOR OVER 17 YEARS.
WE HAVE BUILT STRONG LASTING RELATIONSHIPS.
WE SEE FORMER STUDENTS COMING BACK TO VISIT AND INTRODUCING US TO THEIR YOUNGER SIBLINGS OR EVEN THEIR OWN CHILDREN.
THESE RELATIONSHIPS CREATE A DEEP SENSE OF SAFETY AND BELONGING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL, OUR VISION IS TO BE A HUB FOR THE COMMUNITY, A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES FEEL CONNECTED, SUPPORTED, AND SAFE.
BUT WHEN OUR ENERGY IS REQUIRED ELSEWHERE TO DEAL WITH ISSUES CAUSED BY GABRIELA'S PRESENCE, THAT VISION IS IMPOSSIBLE TO FULLY REALIZE.
IT PULLS US AWAY FROM OUR, OUR, FROM OUR OBLIGATIONS, AND IT KEEPS US FROM SERVING OUR COMMUNITY THE WAY WE KNOW HOW.
BECAUSE GABRIELA IS OCCUPYING OUR SPACE, WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO OFFER KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE, OR EVEN SPECIAL EDUCATION YET, GABRIELA IS OFFERING BOTH, WHICH IS SIMPLY UNFAIR.
IT'S CRUCIAL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO OFFER KINDER IN FIRST GRADE.
POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE RELATIONSHIPS ARE CRUCIAL FROM EARLY CHILDHOOD IMPACTING FUTURE MENTAL HEALTH, SELF-WORTH, AND SOCIAL SKILLS.
FAMILIES ARE FORCED TO SPLIT BETWEEN SCHOOLS FOR DROP OFF AND PICKUP, AND OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS ARE BEING LEFT WITHOUT SERVICES.
ONE OF MY OWN STUDENTS REQUIRES EXTRA SUPPORT, BUT WITHOUT PROPER RESOURCES, I'VE HAD TO PULL OUT OF CLASSROOM STAFF TO STEP IN.
WE REFUSE TO SEND OUR STUDENTS AWAY.
WE WANT TO HOUSE THEM, WELCOME THEM, AND SUPPORT THEM RIGHT HERE AT TRINITY.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS FEEL THE INSTABILITY STUFF.
MORALE SUFFERS BECAUSE WE CAN'T FULLY SERVE OUR COMMUNITY ENROLLMENT HAS DROPPED AS FAMILIES LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR COMPLETE SERVICES.
MEANWHILE, DAILY DISRUPTIONS CONTINUE.
GABRIELA BUSES IN SIXTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS DURING OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, EVEN THOUGH BUSING WAS NEVER PART OF THE SHARED USE AGREEMENT.
WHAT'S MORE? THE AGREEMENT FOR THE 25 26 ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR MAKES NO MENTION OF AFTERSCHOOL SERVICES FOR THESE STUDENTS.
YET THEY ARE OUR, THEY ARE OCCUPYING OUR SPACE.
THESE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS HAVE USED FOUL LANGUAGE AROUND OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS AND EVEN DISPLAYED PHYSICAL INTIMACY ON CAMPUS.
THERE IS A LACK OF SUPERVISION WITH STUDENTS.
THEY'RE ALLOWED TO ROAM THE CAMPUS AND ARE ACCESSING AREAS LIKE STAFF RESTROOMS. THIS CREATES AN UNSAFE, UNSTABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR LITTLE ONES WHO DESERVE BETTER.
WE ARE ALSO DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT TRANSPARENCY.
GABRIELA'S REPORTED ENROLLMENT NUMBERS DON'T MATCH THE MEALS SERVED IN THE CAFETERIA OR THE STUDENTS PRESENT DURING FIRE DRILLS.
OVERSIGHT FROM BOTH PROP 39 COMMITTEE AND THE JURISDICTION HAS BEEN WEAK.
GABRIELLA EVEN OWES LOGAN $900,000.
YET ACCOUNTABILITY HAS BEEN MISSING $900,000 TAKEN FROM OUR STUDENTS AT TRINITY.
WE KNOW WHAT STABILITY AND SAFETY LOOK LIKE BECAUSE WE'VE BUILT IT FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES.
OUR FAMILIES ARE TO HAVE THAT FOR EVERY CHILD.
THAT IS WHY TODAY WE ARE ASKING THE DISTRICT AND PROPERTY NINE COMMITTEE TO STEP IN TO ENFORCE ACCOUNT, TO ENFORCE ACCOUNTABILITY, RESTORE FAIRNESS, REMOVE SIX TO EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM
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OUR CAMPUS AND RESTORE OUR FIRST AND FIRST GRADE AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.OUR FAMILIES SERVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A COMPLETE, STABLE AND SUPPORTIVE COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
AND WITH YOUR ACTION, WE CAN MAKE THAT A REALITY.
MY NAME IS RON SWORD AND I'M THE CHAPTER CHAIR AT WEST VERNON AVENUE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL TWO IS CO-LOCATED ON OUR CAMPUS FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHTH.
WE HAVE BEEN CO-LOCATED WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THREE YEARS NOW.
WE WERE INFORMED WE WERE GOING TO BE CO-LOCATED IN THE SPRING OF 2023, THE SAME TIME WE WERE AWARDED TO BE A COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
DESPITE MOST OF OUR PARENTS CALLING INTO THE DISTRICT TO VOICE THEIR OPPOSITION TO HAVING A MIDDLE SCHOOL CO-LOCATED ON AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS.
THE FIRST YEAR WAS A DISASTER DUE TO THEIR DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY.
SMOKING MARIJUANA IN THE BOYS' BATHROOM, DEFECATING IN THE URINALS, HARASSING OUR STUDENTS, INCLUDING THREATENING TO BREAK INTO THE HOME AND THREATENING BODILY HARM TO A FIFTH GRADE BOY.
ALSO, BECAUSE OF THE OVERALL LACK OF SUPERVISION DURING RECESS, THEIR COUPLES WOULD SIT ON A BENCH IN FRONT OF OUR K THROUGH SECOND SPECIAL DAY CLASS BEING INAPPROPRIATE WITH THEIR BODIES, WHILE OTHER STUDENTS WERE THROWING BASKETBALLS AT THE METAL SECURITY GRATES ON THE WINDOWS OF OUR FIRST GRADE CLASSROOMS. AS WELL AS SITTING ON THE BENCHES UNDERNEATH THOSE CLASSROOMS, SAYING THE F WORD AND B WORDS.
FIRST GRADE STUDENTS SHOULD NOT BE GOING HOME, TELLING THEIR PARENTS, THOSE ARE THE WORDS THEY LEARNED IN CLASS THAT DAY.
IT WAS SO BAD THAT ONCE THEIR PRINCIPAL RETURNED FOR MATERNITY LEAVE, SHE APOLOGIZED FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR AND SAID SHE WOULD SPEAK TO THE SUPERVISION AIDES.
HOWEVER, THE AIDES DID NOTHING.
ALL OF THIS HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED AND SENT INTO THE DISTRICT LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS THEIR SECOND YEAR, THEY HIRED A DEAN OF BEHAVIOR, WHICH HELPED.
HOWEVER, DURING THE YEAR, THEIR PE COACH LEFT AND THE SUBS WOULD BE ON THEIR CELL PHONE, ALLOWING THE GIRLS TO JUST SIT, TALK, AND WANDER AROUND THE CAMPUS.
SOME BOYS DID PLAY SOCCER ON OUR GRASS AREA WHILE OTHERS SAT ALL THE WHILE THE SUB WOULD BE ON HIS PHONE.
CONSEQUENTLY, A SIGN WE HAVE ON THE FENCE NEXT TO OUR GRASS AREA, WHICH SAYS, EAGLE PRIDE MADE OUT OF THOSE CUPS YOU PUT INTO THE FENCE, HAS BEEN PICKED APART ALSO DUE TO THE DESTRUCTION AND PROBLEMS IN THE BATHROOMS. DURING THEIR FIRST YEAR OF CO-LOCATION, GCS HIRED A BATHROOM SAFETY AID MONITOR TO SIT OUTSIDE THE BATHROOMS. BUT MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR, HE TOO LEFT.
THIS LACK OF SUPERVISION LED TO MORE PROBLEMS WITH THE BOYS' BATHROOM AND THEM TRYING TO DESTROY IT BY STANDING AND JUMPING ON THE SINKS.
ALSO, GSC STUDENTS WOULD VAPE, WHICH WAS WITNESSED BY OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS.
ALL THIS IN ADDITION TO THE HIGH TURNOVER RATE AMONG THE TEACHERS, AS WELL AS THEIR BAND DIRECTOR LEAVING MIDYEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THEY LET GO OF THEIR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL DUE TO BUDGET CUTS.
THIS IS TROUBLING AS THEIR PRINCIPAL IS NOT ON OUR CAMPUS FULL TIME, BUT A SPLIT BETWEEN OUR SCHOOL AND TRINITY STREET, WHERE GCS HAS THEIR TK THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS.
THIS LACK OF SUPERVISION ON THEIR PART HAS ALLOWED THEIR STUDENTS TO MAKE RANDOM 9 1 1 CALLS FROM THE CLASSROOM, INCLUDING JUST THIS PAST WEEK.
THIS HAS ALSO BEEN DOCUMENTED.
FURTHERMORE, THIS PAST SPRING SUMMER, L-A-U-S-D DETERMINED GCS TWO DID NOT NEED THREE OF THE 13 ROOMS THEY HAD AS WEST VERNON IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
WE NEED THESE ROOMS. HOWEVER, WHILE NEGOTIATING AN ALTERNATIVE AGREEMENT WITH THE DISTRICT, GCS PROPOSED, EITHER THEY HAVE FULL SHARED ACCESS OF OUR LIBRARY NURSE, COMPUTER SCIENCE FOR GOOD CLASSROOMS, OR THEY WANTED ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS BACK FOR WHICH THEY WILL PAY RENT TO US FOR.
THIS PROVES THEY DIDN'T REALLY NEED THE CLASSROOM BACK IF THEY'RE WILLING TO GIVE IT UP IN ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO OUR LIBRARY AND OTHER SPACES.
FURTHERMORE, THEY HAVE ALSO ASKED FOR SPACE TO HAVE PARENT CONFERENCES MEETINGS IN THE SPACE THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS THE ROOM.
WE WANTED TO PUT LAUNDRY SERVICES IN FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE CONTINUING TO ASK FOR SPACE EVEN THOUGH THEIR NUMBERS HAVE DROPPED AND THEY'RE HAVING TO MAKE BUDGET CUTS.
I KNOW THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THEY REPORT VERSUS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS AS I HAVE ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY COUNTED THEIR STUDENTS DURING THE GREAT SHAKEOUT FIRE DRILLS.
IN FACT, THE FIRST YEAR THEY WERE CO-LOCATED ON OUR CAMPUS, THEY REPORTED 200 STUDENTS.
CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY DESERVED TO BE ABLE TO COME TO SCHOOL TO LEARN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
BUT HAVING GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL MIDDLE SCHOOL CO-LOCATED ON OUR CAMPUS DOES NOT ALLOW THAT.
IN FACT, WITH THEIR VALET DROP
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OFF, THEY HAVE TAKEN WHAT IS A TWO-WAY STREET AND FORCED IT INTO A ONE-WAY STREET WHERE CARS MUST WAIT TO PASS.THIS IS A DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR BOTH VEHICLES AND PEOPLE.
I KNOW THEIR CCEO, WHO IS A LAWYER, IS MORE THAN WILLING TO LITIGATE TO GET WHAT THEY WANT.
HOWEVER, I URGE YOU TO STAND UP FOR OUR CHILDREN AND PROVIDE THEM A SCHOOL THAT IS SAFE, A SCHOOL WHERE THEY CAN COME TO AND LEARN AND MAKE HAPPY MEMORIES.
I URGE YOU TO DENY THE RENEWAL OF THEIR CHARTER.
HELLO, MY NAME IS OLIVIA ROBLEDO AND I HAVE BEEN A STUDENT AT LOGAN ACADEMY SINCE KINDERGARTEN.
I'M CURRENTLY IN EIGHTH GRADE AND I'M SERVING AS OUR LOGAN'S LEADERSHIP SECRETARY.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK OUT ABOUT THE ISSUES I HAVE HAD AS A STUDENT WITH GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL.
IT'S AN AMAZING SCHOOL WHERE I HAVE MADE SO MANY FRIENDS, TEACHERS, AND STAFF BUILD COMMUN CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS AND MAKE US FEEL WELCOME AT OUR SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
OUR SCHOOL'S NAME IS LOGAN ACADEMY OF GLOBAL ECOLOGY.
WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LIVE UP TO THAT NAME.
HOWEVER, THERE IS ONE BIG ISSUE, AND THAT IS SHARING THE CAMPUS WITH GABRIELA CHARTER.
ONE OF THOSE PROBLEMS IS SPACE.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE SCIENCE CLASS WITH AN AMAZING TEACHER, BUT WITH MORE SPACE, THERE CAN BE SO MUCH MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE COULD HAVE AN ACTUAL LAB AS AN ECOLOGY SCHOOL.
WE SHOULD HAVE GREEN SPACES, BUT THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE WITH GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL THERE.
ANOTHER ISSUE WITH SPACE IS PE.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE INTO PE CLOTHES, BUT WE DON'T HAVE LOCKER ROOMS. MORE IMPORTANTLY, AN EIGHTH GRADE PE STANDARD IS TO LEARN HOW TO USE WEIGHTS, BUT WE CANNOT HIT THAT STANDARD WITHOUT A WEIGHT ROOM.
WE DON'T HAVE A WEIGHT ROOM, BUT GABRIELA HAS TWO GYM ROOMS. IT HAS BEEN REALLY HOT LATELY.
WHEN WE HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER, WE HAVE TO GO INTO ANOTHER TEACHER'S ROOM AND BE STUCK IN A CLASSROOM WHEN WE COULD, IF WE HAD THE SPACE, CONTINUE OUR EDUCATION AND BE IN A GYM.
ANOTHER ISSUE IS THE GABRIELA STUDENTS.
OUR TEACHERS TRY THEIR BEST TO KEEP US SAFE, BUT WHENEVER WE GO TO THE YARD, WE SHARE HALF OF IT WITH GABRIELA AND ALSO WALK THROUGH GABRIELA'S SPACE TO GET TO THE YARD.
WE ARE TOLD NOT TO TALK TO GABRIELA STUDENTS BECAUSE OF THE PAST AGGRESSIVE ISSUES.
IN FOURTH GRADE, I REMEMBER MY CLASSMATES AND I BEING YELLED AT AND INSULTED JUST BECAUSE WE'RE FROM LOGAN.
NOW AS MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, THAT HAS TURNED INTO THEM WANTING TO START FIGHT WITH FIGHTS WITH US ALL.
THIS HAS JUST MADE ME FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND FEEL UNSAFE.
I SHOULD FEEL SAFE AT SCHOOL BECAUSE I CAME HERE TO LEARN.
AND SINCE LOGAN'S STAFF DOESN'T HAVE AUTHORITY OVER GABRIELA'S STUDENTS, WHEN THE STAFF DO TRY TO STOP THEM, THEY DON'T CARE OR COOPERATE.
WHEN STAFF SPEAKS TO GABRIELA'S AUTHORITY FIGURES, I HAVE NEVER SEEN THE STUDENTS BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE DONE.
ALTHOUGH I'M IN EIGHTH GRADE AND LEAVING LOGAN NEXT YEAR, WHAT REALLY INSPIRED ME TO SPEAK UP IS FOR THE FUTURE KIDS IN LOGAN, WHERE MY MOM WILL CONTINUE TO TEACH KINDERGARTEN.
IT WOULD JUST MAKE ME FEEL SO MUCH BETTER IF I KNEW THAT THEY, AND SHE WON'T FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE LIKE I AND MY FRIENDS HAVE BECAUSE OF THESE STUDENTS AND HAVE MORE OPPORTUNITIES THAN WE DID IN LEARNING.
BUT THAT CAN HAPPEN IF GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL STAYS.
MY NAME IS YVONNE CHU, L-A-U-S-D, PROUD PARENT AND UTLA NORTH AREA BOARD OF DIRECTOR MEMBER AND A TEACHER AT, UH, COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE STOLEN OVER $900,000 IN RENT OVER THE COURSE OF FOUR TO FIVE YEARS.
GABRIELA HAS STOLEN SPACES THAT BELONG TO OUR STUDENTS.
THEY REPEATEDLY FAILED TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
THEY DO NOT COME OUT FOR EVACUATION DRILLS.
JUST, JUST THIS WEEK, FOUR TEACHERS HAD THEIR CARS DAMAGED DUE TO GABRIELA STUDENTS THROWING YOGURT AND OTHER FOODS ON OUR STAFF CARS.
THIS IS A YEAR'S AN ONGOING ISSUE.
THERE'S NO SUPERVISION, THERE'S NO ACCOUNTABILITY.
NO COLLABORATION WITH STUDENT BEHAVIOR SAFETY PLANS, WHICH IS COMMON, WHICH YOU'VE HEARD THROUGHOUT THIS MORNING AS YOU HEARD FROM OLIVIA.
WE HAVE CHALLENGES MEETING STANDARDS AND SCIENCE NPE BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE SPACE TO DO IT.
OUR ASSETS AND NEEDS SURVEY SAYS THAT WE NEED ART, MUSIC, THEATER, AND DANCE FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE SQUATTERS TAKING THE SPACE THAT IS OURS, WE CAN'T MEET THAT NEED.
DR. RIVAS AS THE CHAIR FOR CHARTER SCHOOL'S COMMISSION AND OUR DISTRICT TO CHAMPION.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR RIGHTEOUS STANCE ON CHARTER TRANSPARENCY AND LUSD OVERSIGHT TO PROTECT OUR SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, HERE WE ARE UNDER LUSD SUPERVISION OR OVERSIGHT.
GABRIELA SURMOUNTED A DEBT OF $9,000 TO LOGAN, NOT THE DISTRICT.
IMAGINE ALL THE SERVICES THAT WE COULD HAVE HAD WITH $900,000 BOARD.
AS A REMINDER, WE'RE A COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
DR. RIVAS, YOU HAVE BEEN TO OUR CAMPUS AND WE STAND WITH YOU ON YOUR SAFER GREENER SCHOOLS, SHADED SCHOOL YARDS AND SUSTAINABLE CLASSROOMS. THIS IS WHAT WHAT WE WANT, BUT WE CAN'T, WE'RE BLOCKED.
WE CAN'T MAKE OUR SCHOOLS COOL.
GABRIELA HAS BUNGALOWS ON OUR YARDS LUNCH, BENCHERS LUNCH BENCHES ON OUR PLAYGROUNDS.
AGAIN, OUR ANNA SURVEY SHOWS THAT OUR COMMUNITY WANTS AND NEEDS MORE PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVITIES.
BUT WHERE OUR PARENT CENTER IS, THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR'S OFFICE, THE PSA'S STORAGE, THE CONFERENCE ROOM, THE MEETING ROOM, THE LITTLE KITCHEN.
AT ONE POINT, THE PLANT MANAGER WAS
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IN THERE TOO, BUT HE'S BEEN UPGRADED AND BEEN RELOCATED TO A CLOSET.OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WANNA WELLNESS CENTER.
WHY SPACE? LOGAN STUDENTS AND FAMILIES KNOW WHY WE ARE HERE TODAY.
THEY KNOW ABOUT THE $900,000 DEBT.
THEY KNOW THAT LUSD IS ALLOWING THIS CRIME TO CONTINUE.
I'M HERE TO DELIVER A SIMPLE MESSAGE STRAIGHT FROM OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS PLEASE DO YOUR JOB.
I'VE BEEN TOLD FOR YEARS THAT LUSD HAS THEIR HANDS TIED BECAUSE OF A CONTRACT SIGNED BY GABRIELA.
BUT TODAY I AM LEAVING YOU WITH LEGAL ANALYSIS SHOWING HOW THE $900,000 DEBT CAN BE USED TO TERMINATE THE CONTRACT ONCE AND FOR ALL.
THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
UM, ARE THERE OTHER, ANY OTHER LABOR PARTNERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO COME FORWARD? NO.
SO NOW WE WILL MOVE FORWARD TO OUR MAIN PRESENTATION.
UM, OH, AND BEFORE WE START, I DO WANNA MENTION WE DO HAVE MS. TANYA ORTIZ FRANKLIN, UM, WITH US REMOTELY.
UM, SHE'S NOT HERE PRESENT, BUT SHE HAS JOINED US, UM, THROUGH ZOOM.
[III.1. Charter Renewal Considerations 2025-2026 (Part 1 of 2)]
SO NOW WE'LL HEAR FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION ON RENEWABLE CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.THIS IS A PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT CYCLE WITH 72 RENEWALS EXPECTED, 63 INDEPENDENT CHARTERS AND NINE AFFILIATED CHARTERS.
THE PRESENTATION WILL PROVIDE US WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE RENEWAL CRITERIA, INCLUDING ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE MEASURES, GOVERNANCE AND FISCAL STANDARDS, AND UPDATES ON THE RESIDENT SCHOOL MEDIAN METHODOLOGY, WHICH STRENGTHEN STRENGTHENS TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BOTH PETITIONERS AND THE PUBLIC.
UM, I WANT TO UNDERSCORE THAT RENEWABLE DECISIONS ARE AMONG THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE AS A BOARD, THAT THEY MUST BE FAIR DATA DRIVEN AND FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT EVERY SCHOOL PROVIDES EQUITABLE AND HIGH QUALITY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
JOINING US TODAY IS MS. MARLA WILMONT, UH, DIRECTOR OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DIVISION, WHO WILL WALK US THROUGH THE RENEWAL FRAMEWORK AND KEY CONSIDERATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND GOOD AFTERNOON.
MEMBERS OF THE CHARTER COMMITTEE AND BOARD MEMBER.
I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DIVISION.
I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE CHARTER RENEWAL PETITIONS AND PROVIDE SOME UPDATES TO OUR PRACTICE AS PART OF CHARTER SCHOOL'S DIVISION'S CORE VALUES, WHICH INCLUDE CONTINUOUSLY LEARNING AS A DYNAMIC ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYING AUTHENTIC, RESPONSIVE, AND EFFECTIVE LEADERSHIP AND TEAMWORK.
WE HOPE THAT THESE UPDATES WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY AS WE EMBARK ON THE UPCOMING RENEWALS.
SO, AS YOU HAD NOTED, WE HAVE 72 TOTAL CHARTER RENEWALS IN THIS 25 26 SCHOOL YEAR.
63 ARE FOR INDEPENDENT CHARTERS AND NINE FOR AFFILIATED.
SO THE FORECAST IS AS FOLLOWS.
I WILL NOTE THAT FOR THE OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER BOARD MEETINGS, THOSE PETITIONS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED AND THE REMAINING BOARD MONTHS ARE PROJECTIONS BASED ON THE CURRENT INFORMATION.
UM, I WILL ALSO NOTE THIS, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE POTENTIAL NEW SUBMISSIONS OR MATERIAL REVISIONS THAT MAY BE SUBMITTED OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
SO WHILE WE WILL GO OVER, UH, THE CHARTER RENEWAL CRITERIA, WE'LL JUST DO A BRIEF OVERVIEW TO GROUND.
UM, SO WE'LL START WITH CRITERION ONE.
AND SO CRITERION ONE, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A CHARTER RENEWAL, AND THIS IS FOR ALL CHARTER RENEWALS, WE WANNA ENSURE THAT IT'S A SOUND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND THAT THE PETITION SUBMITTED IS REASONABLY COMPREHENSIVE, UM, AS FAR AS THERE'S 15 ELEMENTS THAT THEY MUST SPEAK TO AND THEN NOT DEMONSTRABLY UNLIKELY TO SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.
I REALIZE THE WORDING ON THAT ONE IS A BIT CONFUSING WITH A DOUBLE NEGATIVE, BUT THAT IS THE CRITERION AS OUTLINED BY LAW THAT THEY'RE NOT DEMONSTRABLY UNLIKELY TO IMPLEMENT, SUCCESSFULLY IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM.
THEN CRITERION TWO IS BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE CATEGORIES.
SO EACH SCHOOL CHARTER SCHOOL IS ASSIGNED BY THE STATE, A PERFORMANCE CATEGORY OF EITHER HIGH, MIDDLE, OR LOW.
BASED ON THAT PERFORMANCE CATEGORY, THERE ARE DIFFERENT
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RIGHT RENEWAL CRITERION ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.SO FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOLS, UM, UNTIL JANUARY 1ST, 2026, WE ALSO, IN ADDITION, WE CONSIDER WHAT'S CALLED VERIFIED DATA, WHICH IS A CONSIDERATION OF MEASURABLE INCREASES IN ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE ARE STRONG POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES, AND I'LL GET A LITTLE MORE INTO THAT IN THE LATER SLIDES.
AND THEN ALSO FINALLY, CRITERION THREE, WHEREBY THE CHARTER SCHOOL MUST DEMONSTRATE NON-DISCRIMINATORY ENROLLMENT AND DISMISSAL PRACTICES AND NOT HAVE SUBSTANTIAL GOVERNANCE FACTORS.
SO THIS IS THE OVERALL CRITERIA WHEN WE ARE EVALUATING RENEWAL PETITIONS.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA DIG DEEPER INTO THE MIDDLE PERFORMING CRITERIA.
MAJORITY OF CHARTER SCHOOLS ARE IDENTIFIED AS MIDDLE PERFORMING, AND ESSENTIALLY IF A CHARTER SCHOOL DOES NOT MEET HIGH PERFORMING OR LOW PERFORMING, THEY ARE IDENTIFIED THEN IN MIDDLE PERFORMING.
OKAY? SO FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOLS, THE CONSIDERATION IS ONLY EITHER YOU RECOMMEND A FIVE YEAR TERM OR A DENIAL.
AND SO WHAT WE BASE, WHAT WHAT, WHAT IT'S BASED ON IS WE LOOK AT THE SCHOOLWIDE, UH, CONSIDERATION, THE ALL STUDENT GROUPS AND THE, UH, ALL STUDENT SCHOOLWIDE AND THE STUDENT GROUPS ON THE CALIFORNIA DASHBOARD, AND WE START WITH THE COMPARISON TO THE STATE.
SO HOW IS THAT CHARTER SCHOOL AS COMPARED TO THE STATE FOR ALL STUDENTS AND FOR THE NUMERICALLY SIGNIFICANT STUDENT GROUPS.
THEN ADDITION, GREATER WEIGHT IS PLACED ON THE ACADEMIC INDICATORS.
SO ON THE DASHBOARD THERE'S FOUR ACADEMIC ENG INDICATORS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, MATH, ENGLISH LEARNER PERFORMANCE INDICATOR, AND THE COLLEGE AND CAREER INDICATOR.
I WILL NOTE THE COLLEGE AND CAREER INDICATOR ONLY APPLIES TO HIGH SCHOOLS.
SO THOSE ARE THE FOUR ACADEMIC CRITER, UH, CRITERIA THAT WE PLACE A GREATER WEIGHT ON.
THEN IN ADDITION, AS WE TALKED ABOUT, IT'S VERIFIED DATA, WHICH IS TO END JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
I DO WANNA MAKE A NOTE HERE THAT WE ARE AWARE OF SOME CURRENT LEGISLATION.
IT'S SB 414, WHICH WE UNDERSTAND IS ON ITS WAY TO THE GOVERNOR THAT WOULD EXTEND VERIFY DATA UNTIL JUNE 30TH, 2028.
SO RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, THE END DATE FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS IS JANUARY 1ST, 2026.
BUT THERE IS THIS CURRENT LEGISLATION THAT MAY BE, UM, THAT MAY BE PASSED.
I DO WANNA TALK TOO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES.
SO AS I, UH, POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES IS A, A FORM OF VERIFIED DATA FOR HIGH SCHOOLS AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, WHAT IT'S, WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DEMONSTRATE IS COLLEGE ENROLLMENT, PERSISTENCE AND COMPLETION AT RATES COMPARED TO SIMILAR PEERS.
AND SO THE STATE IDENTIFIED, UH, APPROXIMATELY, I THINK IT'S ABOUT SIX DIFFERENT DATA SOURCES.
I'LL GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF THEM.
NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA ADMISSIONS, GRADUATION RATES.
SO THOSE HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER ONES, UM, AS THEY CAN SUBMIT IT FOR CONSIDERATION FOR POST-SECONDARY OUTCOMES.
UM, AND THAT'S FOR HIGH SCHOOLS, MIDDLE PERFORMING, HIGH SCHOOLS,
OKAY, SO AS WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, WE FIRST LOOK AT THE SCHOOL, THE CHARTER SCHOOL MIDDLE PERFORMING AS COMPARED TO THE STATE.
WE ACTUALLY DO THAT FOR ALL SCHOOLS.
THEN FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS, WE LOOK AT VERIFY DATA.
AND IN THAT ANALYSIS AS WE MOVE DOWN, WE MAY HAVE TO GO DOWN DEEPER IF INDEED IT'S NOT SHOWING MEANINGFUL PROGRESS AS THE LAW REQUIRES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE LOOK AT IS THIS RESIDENT SCHOOL'S MEDIUM.
AND WHEN WE'RE MEDIAN AND WHENEVER WE'RE CONSIDERING A DENIAL OF THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS PER THE LAW, WE MUST MAKE FINDINGS THAT DEMONSTRATE THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS FAILED TO MAKE SUFFICIENT PROGRESS TOWARDS MEETING STANDARDS THAT BENEFIT STUDENTS CLOSURE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST AND ONCE AGAIN, GREATER WEIGHT TO THE ACADEMIC MEASUREMENTS.
SO HOW WE OPERATIONALIZE THIS BEST INTEREST IS CLOSURE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST.
WE LOOK AT THE COMPARISON TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOL.
UM, AND SO THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS ARE THE SCHOOLS WHERE THE STUDENTS WOULD'VE OTHERWISE ATTENDED IF THEY WERE NOT ATTENDING THAT CHARTER SCHOOLS.
SO THE FOLLOWING SLIDES ARE GONNA DETAIL SOME IMPORTANT UPDATES THAT WHEN WE ARE HAVING TO DO THE FURTHER ANALYSIS IN THE COMPARISON OF THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS, UM, THERE ARE SOME UPDATES THAT WE ARE, UM,
[00:25:01]
PROVIDING.OKAY? SO AS I SAID, THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS, THE MEDIAN IS THE MEDIAN OR THE MIDDLE DATA POINT, IF YOU CAN RECALL BACK TO, UH, STATISTICS, RIGHT? MEDIAN MODE AND AVERAGE, WE USE THE MEDIAN DATA POINT.
AND SO ESSENTIALLY TO GET THAT MEDIAN, YOU, YOU LINE UP ALL THE, THE DATA, THE SCHOOLS AND THEIR DATA, AND IT'S THE MIDDLE NUMBER.
UM, AND SO LEMME PUT MY SLIDES.
SO IN, WELL HOW THIS IS ORGANIZED IS WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR AND THEN WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE DOING MOVING FORWARD.
SO IN 24, 25, UH, IN OUR BOARD MATERIALS THAT ARE POSTED PUBLICLY 15 DAYS PRIOR TO THE BOARD ACTION, AND THAT'S REQUIRED BY LAW.
WHEN WE HAVE TO U WHEN WE DR WHEN WE HAD TO GO DOWN TO LOOK AT A RESIDENT SCHOOLS COMPARISON, WE DID PUBLICLY PROVIDE THE MEDIAN, JUST THE MEDIAN OF ALL THOSE, UH, RESIDENT SCHOOLS.
SO THIS YEAR MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE THE LIST OF SCHOOLS.
SO IT'S A ADDITIONAL DATA THAT WILL BE PROVIDED AS PART OF THE BOARD MATERIALS.
SO ESSENTIALLY YOU WILL HAVE, UM, ALL THE LIST OF THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING DATA, AND THEN ALSO THE IDENTIFIED MEDIAN.
SO THAT WILL BE PART OF THE BOARD MATERIALS.
UM, AND THEN AS I SAID, POSTED 15 DAYS PRIOR TO THE BOARD ACTION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE GONNA PROVIDE THESE LIST OF SCHOOLS TO THE PETITIONERS SEVEN DAYS, SEVEN TO 10 DAYS PRIOR TO THE 15 DAY POSTING.
THIS IS ALL OF THE COURSE IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS IN OUR ANALYSIS.
SO ESSENTIALLY 70 DAYS PRIOR TO THE POSTING, IF WE ARE GONNA USE THE RESIDENT SCHOOL IN OUR ANALYSIS, WE WILL PROVIDE THOSE LIST OF SCHOOLS TO THE PETITIONERS.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SPAN GRADES.
AND SO A SPAN SCHOOL THAT SERVES SPAN GRADES IS, THERE'S SOME EXAMPLES UP THERE.
UH, YOU KNOW, A SCHOOL THAT SERVES K THROUGH 12 OR A SCHOOL THAT SERVES K EIGHT OR SIX THROUGH 12.
SO ESSENTIALLY NOT THE TRADITIONAL ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, OR HIGH SCHOOL GRADES.
UM, AND SO WHEN YOU'RE COMPARING, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE RESIDENT SCHOOL LIST, THE LIST OF RESIDENT SCHOOLS INCLUDES ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT SERVE THAT SAME GRADE SPAN.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD A CHARTER SCHOOL THAT WAS SERVING GRADES K THROUGH EIGHT AND WE HAD TO DO A RESIDENT SCHOOLS COMPARISON, YOU WOULD HAVE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS ON THAT RESIDENT SCHOOLS COMPARISON THAT WOULD, UM, BE FOLDED UP INTO THAT MEDIAN.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE DOING, UM, MOVING FORWARD, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW OUR FIRST COMPARISONS I SAID IS THE DASHBOARD COMPARISON.
WE DO THE DASHBOARD COMPARISON WHEN WE EVEN DRIVE DOWN TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS MEDIUM, WE START FIRST WITH THE DASHBOARD.
LET'S LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD INDICATORS AND HOW THEY'RE DOING AND COMPARE TO THOSE RESIDENT SCHOOLS.
WELL, THE DASHBOARD IS NOT DESEGREGATED BY GRADE LEVELS, IS THERE'S NO PUBLICLY AVAILABLE DISAGGREGATION BY BAY LEVELS.
SO WHEN WE DO THAT COMPARISON, THEN ALL THE SCHOOLS WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE COMPARISON WHEN YOU'RE DOING A DASHBOARD COMPARISON.
UM, BUT IF WE HAVE TO DRIVE EVEN FURTHER DOWN IN OUR ANALYSIS, AND THIS IS PART OF POLICY, IF WE LOOK AT THE MET AND EXCEEDED RATES, AND THAT'S CALLED THE CASP MET AND EXCEEDED RATES, THE CAS TESTING THAT ACTUALLY IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AND DESEGREGATED BY GRADE LEVELS.
SO MOVING FORWARD, SO LAST YEAR WHEN WE, WE DID DRAW, WHEN WE HAD TO DRILL DOWN TO A CASP COMPARISON, WE JUST USE THE MEDIAN.
BUT MOVING FORWARD WE WILL PROVIDE ADDITIONAL, UH, DRILL DOWN OF SORTS AND JUST FOCUS ON THE GRADE LEVELS SERVED BY THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO WE WILL ONLY BE LOOKING AT THE MET AND EXCEEDED RATES.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD A SCHOOL THAT WAS SERVING FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH GRADES, WE WOULD BE ONLY LOOKING AT THE FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, EIGHTH GRADE MET AND EXCEEDED RATES.
OKAY, ANOTHER, UM, CONSIDERATION IS MAGNET PROGRAMS. OKAY? SO THE DISTRICT, UM, ON THE RESIDENT SCHOOL LISTS, THERE ARE DISTRICT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE MAGNET PROGRAMS AS PART OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL THAT MAGNET PROGRAM DATA IS REPORTED OUT.
IT'S EMBEDDED IN THE SCHOOL-WIDE DATA OUTCOMES.
AND SO I WILL NOTE, UM, THAT THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF WHOLE SCHOOL ACADEMIC CRITERIA MAGNETS THAT L-A-U-S-D HAS.
THOSE ARE NOT INCLUDED ON THE RESIDENT SCHOOL MEETING LIST AND THEY WERE NEVER INCLUDED BECAUSE THEY DON'T HOLD A RESIDENT ATTENDANCE BOUNDARY.
SO WE'RE REALLY JUST SAYING THE PROGRAM THAT
[00:30:01]
IS PART OF THE SCHOOL AND WE ARE REALLY FOCUSING ON THE MAGNET CRITERIA BASED MAGNET PROGRAMS, GIFTED AND HIGHLY GIFTED, THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A CERTAIN CRITERION IN ORDER TO GET IN.SO LAST YEAR, THOSE SCHOOLS THAT HAD A MAGNET PROGRAM WERE ON THE RESIDENT SCHOOL LIST.
MOVING FORWARD, THAT SCHOOL WILL STILL BE ON THE RESIDENT SCHOOL LIST.
THE UPDATE WILL BE WE WILL IDENTIFY THE RESIDENT SCHOOL IF IT HAS A GIFTED OR A HIGHLY GIFTED PROGRAM, AND WE WILL ALSO INCLUDE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
AND THAT WILL BE AVAILABLE SINCE WE'RE PROVIDING NOW THE LIST OF SCHOOLS, UM, PART OF OUR BOARD MATERIALS.
IF ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS HAS A GIFTED OR A HIGHLY GIFTED MAGNET, IT WILL BE IDENTIFIED AS SUCH.
AND THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE PART OF THAT HIGHLY GIFTED OR HIGHLY GIFTED PROGRAM, JUST TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS TO THE COMPARISON SCHOOLS FOR FULL SO THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHAT SCHOOLS ARE THERE FROM BEING COMPARED TO.
ALRIGHT, SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL DATA CONSIDERATIONS.
UM, SO CORE GROWTH MODEL IS BASICALLY A, UH, METHOD OF LOOKING AT GROWTH BASED ON CA SCORES.
IT'S SOMEWHAT SIMILAR TO THE STATE GROWTH MODEL.
THERE'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THAT THEY HANDLE THE DEMOGRAPHIC PIECE, BUT I, IT WAS NOT ADOPTED BY THE CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD AS VERIFIED DATA.
IT IS NOT ONE OF THE MEASUREMENTS LIKE AN I-READY OR AN NWA HAS NOT BEEN ADOPTED, BUT PER THE STATE IT COULD BE MAYBE USED TO SUPPLEMENT DASHBOARD RESULTS AS LONG AS, AS LONG AS IT'S MUTUALLY AGREED UPON BETWEEN THE CHARTERING AUTHORITY, THE DISTRICT AND THE CHARTER SCHOOL.
SO LAST YEAR WE DID NOT LOOK AT CORE DATA AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO THE RENEWAL ANALYSIS ANALYSIS.
UH, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CHARTER SCHOOLS ACTUALLY SUBMIT CORE DATA FOR CONSIDERATION.
SO MOVING FORWARD THIS YEAR, UM, WE ARE GOING TO ENTER IN MUTUAL AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND A CHARTER TO IF THEY SUBMIT CORE DATA FOR CONSIDERATION, WE HAVE A MUTUAL AGREEMENT, UM, THAT WE WILL CONSIDER IT AS SUPPLEMENTAL.
I WILL NOTE WE ARE CONSIDERING IT SUPPLEMENTAL TO BOTH THE DASHBOARD AND VERIFIED DATA SUBMITTED.
SO AS PART OF OUR AGREEMENT, YOU NEED TO ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE YOUR, UH, VERIFIED DATA FOR CONSIDERATION AND THEN CONSIDER CORE AS SUPPLE SUPPLEMENTAL DATA.
ALRIGHT, RECLASSIFICATION DATA.
UM, THIS IS, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, THIS IS A DIFFERENT TOPIC.
UM, SO RECLASSIFICATION DATA HAS NOT BEEN PUBLISHED BY THE STATE.
THE OFFICIAL DATA HAS NOT BEEN SUB PUBLISHED BY THE STATE FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
SO WE BASICALLY HAD PLACEHOLDERS ON OUR MATERIALS AND IN IN IN OUR OVERSIGHT MATERIALS AS WELL, KIND OF STATING, YOU KNOW, OFFICIAL DATA IS NOT AVAILABLE, OFFICIAL DATA IS NOT AVAILABLE.
WELL, WE UNDERSTAND, WE DON'T, WE WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY INDICATION THAT THE STATE WILL BE PUBLISHING OFFICIAL DATA.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, UM, WE WILL REMOVE THAT PLACEHOLDER.
SO WE WILL NO LONGER HAVE RECLASSIFICATION IDENTIFIED.
OF COURSE, IF RECLASSIFICATION IS ONCE AGAIN PUBLISHED BY THE STATE, WE WILL ABSOLUTELY CONSIDER IT.
BUT WE WILL ASSESS, UH, ENGLISH LEARNERS JUST AS WE DID LAST YEAR WHEN WE DIDN'T HAVE RECLASSIFICATION.
'CAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT INDICATORS ON THE DASHBOARD AND OTHER DATA SOURCES TO ASSESS ENGLISH LEARNER PROGRESS.
SO WE LOOK AT THE ENGLISH LEARNER PROGRESS INDICATOR AS ONE DATA SOURCE.
WE LOOK AT PERCENTAGES OF AT RISK AND LONG-TERM ENGLISH LEARNERS.
WE LOOK AT COMPARISON TO THE STATE AND THE DISTRICT.
WE ALSO LOOK AT THE, UH, ENGLISH LEARNER AND LONG-TERM ENGLISH LEARNER PERFORMANCE ON THE DASHBOARD.
WE KNOW THE LONG-TERM ENGLISH LEARNER STUDENT GROUP IS NOW ON THE DASHBOARD.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER COMPARISON WE CAN USE WHEN WE DO THE COMPARISON TO THE STATE, UM, OR ANY COMPARISON THAT'S, THAT'S IDENTIFIED.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THE WAYS THAT WE'LL ASSESS ENGLISH LEARNER PROGRESS WHEN WE DO OUR RENEWAL, UM, EVALUATION.
OKAY, THE LAST PIECE, UM, NOW WE'RE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS CAN GET RECOMMENDED FOR A TERM FIVE YEARS OR ZERO YEARS OR NON-RENEWAL.
UM, LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS CAN ONLY GET RECOMMENDED FOR A TWO YEAR TERM OR A NON-RENEWAL.
HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOLS CAN BE CONSIDERED FOUR, OF COURSE, THE FIVE, THE SIX OR SEVEN.
SO IT'S IN THE LAW THAT WE HAVE, WE CAN CONSIDER LONGER TERM LENGTHS FOR SCHOOLS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED BY THE STATE AS HIGH PERFORMING.
THIS WAS IN PRACTICE LAST YEAR,
[00:35:01]
AND THIS IS OUR CONSIDERATION SHEET THAT WE, WE HAVE DEVELOPED THAT KIND OF OUTLINES.WHEN WE ARE CONSIDERING LONGER THAN A FIVE YEAR TERM, THESE ARE WHAT WE CONSIDER IN ORDER TO, UM, RECOMMEND THAT LONGER TERM.
SO THIS IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT'S THE SAME CRITERIA THAT WE USED LAST YEAR.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT, WE LOOK AT NUMBER ONE, IF THEY'RE HIGH PERFORMING CRITERION ONE AND ALL.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS THERE, THERE'S TWO WAYS TO BE HIGH CON PERFORMING.
ONE IS YOUR BLUE GREEN ACROSS EVERY SINGLE INDICATOR, EVEN THE NON-ACADEMIC ONES.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO BEAT TO CRITERION ONE.
CRITERION TWO IS IT'S LOOKING AT THE ACADEMICS INDICATORS AND HOW THE, HOW THE SCHOOL PERFORMED ACCORDING TO THE STATE.
AND SO IF THEY'RE HIRED THAN THE STATE IN A SCHOOL WIDE AND FOR THE STUDENT GROUPS, THEN THEY CAN POTENTIALLY BE CRITERION TOO.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE TO LOOK AT THEIR OVERSIGHT SCORES.
UH, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S BEEN NO, UH, TIERED INTERVENTION.
UM, AND THEN WE LOOK AT IF THERE'S ANY CURRENT BENCHMARKS, NO ISSUES WITH EQUITY AND ACCESS, UM, NO ISSUES WITH SCHOOL CULTURE AND CLIMATE.
SO WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH THIS CONSIDERATION SHEET.
EVEN MOVING FORWARD THIS YEAR, WHEN WE LOOK AT MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD FOR EITHER A SIX YEAR OR SEVEN YEAR TERM, UM, WE'LL ASSESS THIS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO SEE IF THIS NEEDS TO BE REVISED OR UPDATED IN ANY WAY.
UM, BUT FOR WE, IF WE USED IT LAST YEAR, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO USE IT AND THEN WE'LL REASSESS ON AN ANNUAL BASIS TO SEE IF THIS STILL, UM, SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE, UH, FOR CONSIDERATIONS OR IF YOU HAVE TO ADD ANYTHING.
AND SO THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
UH, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YES, A FEW.
WHAT ABOUT LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS? I KNOW, UM, HOW, HOW, WALK US THROUGH THAT PROCESS WHEN IT COMES TO LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
SO LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS, I WANNA SAY LAST YEAR THERE WAS A TWO PART CRITERIA.
THERE WAS THE, UM, UH, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A PLAN THAT IDENTIFIES MEANINGFUL STEPS THAT IS BOARD APPROVED.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, THERE WAS THE INCLUSION OF VERIFIED DATA.
SO THOSE WERE THE TWO CRITERIA UNDER THAT CRITERION TWO, WHERE I SAID IT'S DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT PERFORMANCE CATEGORY THEY ARE.
I WILL SAY, UM, FOR VERIFIED DATA, AS I MENTIONED, FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOL IS TO END IN JANUARY 1ST FOR LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
IT ACTUALLY ENDED JUNE 30TH, 2026.
SO GOING INTO THIS RENEWAL CYCLE RIGHT NOW, THE CRITERION BASED ON MEANINGFUL STEPS AS IDENTIFIED IN A PLAN THAT IS CURRENT, UH, CURRENTLY THE RENEWAL CRITERIA FOR LOW PERFORMANCE GOALS.
SO NOTHING CHANGED FOR LOW PERFORMING.
ARE YOU KEEPING THE SAME? YES, IT'S, IT WAS PER STATE LAW.
IT'S PER THE GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE, BUT IT DID CHANGE BECAUSE THE VERIFIED DATA ENDED.
SO VERIFIED DATA IS NO LONGER PART OF THE CONSIDERATION OF LOW PERFORMING.
WE'LL SEE WITH THE UPCOMING, AS I MENTIONED, THE CHANGE POTENTIAL LAW THAT'S IN MOTION, IF THAT WILL BE CHANGED.
BUT RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS, IT'S, IT'S JUST THAT ONE, ONE PIECE.
JUST ONE QUICK, UH, NOTE BOARD VICE PRESIDENT, YOU MAY, IT'S, UH, JUNE, 2025 FOR THE OH, 2025.
SORRY, I, I I GOT AHEAD OF MYSELF.
IT WAS LAST JUNE, JUNE 30TH, 2025.
UM, AND JUST WALK US AS TO THE, THE REASONING AS TO WHY THERE WERE CHANGES.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE NON-RENEWAL, WHY ARE YOU NOW PROVIDING THE LIST? WHAT WAS, UM, THE THINKING BEHIND THAT? WHAT MADE THAT CHANGE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
UM, SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT TYPES OF REQUESTS FROM DIFFERENT TYPES, UM, FROM THE CHARTER SCHOOLS, FROM BOARD MEMBERS OR DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, UM, PEOPLE INVOLVED THE RENEWAL PROCESS TO SAY, WELL, WHAT, WHAT OTHER SCHOOLS, WHAT SCHOOLS ARE WE, ARE WE BEING COMPARED TO? AND SO WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE DETERMINED THAT JUST FOR FULL TRANSPARENCY AND SO FORTH, FOR UNDERSTANDING TO JUST PROVIDE THE LIST.
UM, AS PART OF OUR, AS PART OF, UH, OUR MATERIALS.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE STREAMLINING, UM, YOU KNOW, WE KNEW THE NUMBER OF RENEWALS WE WERE STREAMLINING AND WE WERE JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE MEDIAN.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROVIDING THE LIST NOW.
THE WHY I DON'T UNDERSTAND MY OWN WRITING HERE.
UH, LIST OF SCHOOLS PROVIDED SEVEN TO 10 INFUSE WHAT DETERMINES IT? THIS, OKAY, I DON'T REMEMBER MY QUESTION THERE.
UM, ON PAGE NINE, RIGHT? SO ON PAGE NINE ON THE SUPPLEMENTAL DATA, UM, WHY WAS THIS DECISION TO ADD THE CORE, UH, GROWTH MODEL DATA AS SUPPLEMENTAL? WELL, THE DECISION WAS MADE BECAUSE THERE
[00:40:01]
WAS A REQUEST TO CONSIDER CORE.UM, WE, WE HAD SOME SCHOOLS SUBMIT CORE, AND SO IT WAS DETERMINED THAT TO LOOK AT AN ADDITIONAL DATA POINT AS SUPPLEMENTAL TO, TO FORWARD THE, THE SCHOOL TO GIVE ITS FULL DATA STORY, WE THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD DO THAT, THAT IT WAS FAIR.
AND SO, BUT WE DO HAVE CERTAIN, UM, CONFINES AROUND THAT, MEANING THE AGREEMENT IDENTIFIES CERTAIN THINGS THEY NEED TO PROVIDE, LIKE I SAID, THE VERIFIED DATA THEY NEED TO PROVIDE.
UM, SO IT WAS JUST TO PROVIDE A FULL ANALYSIS, FULL TREATMENT IF THEY WANTED TO SUBMIT CORE AS LONG, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT WAS ALLOWED BY THE STATE WITH CERTAIN, WITH THAT AGREEMENT.
AND SO WE DETERMINED THAT WE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AND DO THAT.
AND HOW, SO IF, UM, IT IS SUBMITTED THE COURT DATA, HOW MUCH WEIGHT WILL THEY CARRY IN THE OVERALL, UM, RENEWAL PROCESS OR, YEAH, WELL IT IS SUPPLEMENTAL AND SO WE WILL GO THROUGH OUR ENTIRE RENEWAL PROCESS AS WE DO WITH ANY OTHER SCHOOL.
AND THEN IT'LL BE ADDITIONAL DATA PROVIDED AS SUPPLEMENTAL AFTER WE DO ALL OF OUR CONSIDERATIONS.
I MEAN, THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT JUST CAME FROM MY HEAD, BUT I DID HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS HERE.
UM, FOR THE PUBLIC'S BENEFIT, CAN YOU WALK US THROUGH HOW THE DISTRICT BALANCES RELIANCE ON VERIFY DATA WITH CONTEXTUAL OVERSIGHT INFORMATION SUCH AS THE GOVERNANCE AND FISCAL PRACTICES WHEN MAKING RENEWAL RECOMMENDATIONS? ARE THERE CRITERIA TIERED OR, UH, APPLIED EQUALLY? I WOULD SAY, WELL, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES IS THE, IS IS THE, IS THE HIGHEST CONSIDERATION.
UM, BUT SO WE REALLY START WITH THAT.
SO THAT IS OUR, THAT'S HOW OUR MATERIALS ARE.
SO THE REMAINING, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT FISCAL, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT GOVERNANCE, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT OPERATIONS.
WE LOOK AT THE OVERSIGHT, UH, HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL.
WE LOOK AT ANY TIERED INTERVENTIONS, BUT WE ALWAYS START WITH THE ACADEMICS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY YOU CAN SEE IN THE CRITERION AS DEVELOPED BY LAW, THAT IS SHOULD BE THE FOCUS.
IS IS IS THE, THE PROGRAM, IT'S THE SOUND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
IT'S THE, IT'S THE PETITION THAT'S COMPREHENSIVE THAT LEADS TO A SOUND EDUCATIONAL POSE.
THESE ARE ALL CONNECTED, RIGHT? YOU HAVE A STRONG PETITION, YOU IMPLEMENT A STRONG PETITION THAT IS UM, COULD, UH, SHOULD HAVE A SOUND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND THEN YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT SOUND EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT'S ALL RELATED TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
THAT'S CRITERION ONE, CRITERION TWO, BACK TO THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM,
THERE'S ANALYSIS BASED ON ACADEMIC DATA.
SO WE LOOK AT THE ACADEMIC DATA.
SO THERE'S AN, IT'S FOCUSED ON ACADEMIC DATA AND THEN WE LOOK AT OTHER FACTORS.
I WILL NOTE FOR CRITERION THREE, UM, THAT CAN STAND ON ITS OWN.
SO IF YOU DO HAVE POTENTIALLY A SCHOOL WHO IS DOING, LET'S SAY, WELL ACADEMICALLY MEETING CRITERIA, IF YOU HAVE, IF THEY, IF THEY HAVE SIGNIFICANT, AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT POINT, SIGNIFICANT FISCAL AND OR GOVERNANCE ISSUE OR ANY SIGNIFICANT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, THAT COULD BE A BASIS FOR DENIAL.
EVEN IF YOU HAD A STRONG EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM, UM, THERE IS SOME NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AROUND THAT.
IF YOU ARE GONNA CONSIDER DENIAL FOR SCHOOL UNDER CRITERION THREE NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS, TIME FOR THE, ALLOWS TIME FOR THE CHARTER SCHOOL TO RESPOND AND PROVIDE A PLAN AND SUCH.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, AS I JUST BROKE DOWN, THE CRITERION ONE, TWO IS ALL ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM.
BUT WE DO WANNA ENSURE IN HEALTH AND SAFETY FACTORS THAT THEIR GOVERNANCE, THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE FOLLOWING ALL THE REQUIREMENTS UNDER, YOU KNOW, BROWN ACT FOR THEIR GOVERNANCE STAKEHOLDER RE YOU KNOW, HAVING, UM, DUE PROCESS SUSPENSION.
SO WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING TOTALITY.
BUT YES, THE FOCUS IS PRIMARILY ON THE ACADEMICS PER THE LAW.
SO WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT WOULD BE, CAN YOU PROVIDE SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT CONSTITUTES A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT? YEAH, AN EXEMP, AN EXAMPLE OF A SIGNIFICANT FISCAL, UH, ISSUE WOULD BE, LET'S SAY THE SCHOOL IS NO LONGER FISCALLY VIABLE.
SO MAYBE THEY HAVE, UM, SOME POSITIVE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES, BUT THEY ARE DECLINING IN ENROLLMENT AND WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR OVERALL FISCAL HEALTH AND THAT THEY MAY NOT BE ABLE TO CONTINUE ON, BASICALLY CONTINUE ON THE SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THEIR FISCAL HEALTH.
THAT WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT FISCAL CONCERN.
WE DEFINITELY DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, A SCHOOL TO HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT HAVING, NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE A CLOSE PARTWAY THROUGH THE YEAR OR SOMETHING.
'CAUSE THEY CAN'T MAKE THEIR BILLS, LET'S SAY.
SO THAT'S LIKE A VIAL, FISCALLY VIABLE.
UM, THAT WOULD RISE TO A LEVEL OF A POTENTIAL DENIAL.
WHAT ABOUT FOR GOVERNANCE? GOVERNANCE CONCERNS WOULD
[00:45:01]
PROBABLY BE KIND OF AROUND, I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.LET'S SAY YOU HAVE A SCHOOL THAT'S NOT, UM, UH, FOR NOT PROVIDING SPECIAL ED SERVICES OR NOT IMPLEMENTING THE SPECIAL ED PROGRAM.
ULTIMATELY THE GOVERNING BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THAT, UM, ON THAT SCHOOL.
SO IF YOU HAD MAJOR OPERATIONAL TYPE ISSUES THAT WERE RESULTING IN A, A IMPACT TO STUDENTS, THAT COULD BE A POTENTIAL GOVERNANCE ISSUE OR A CONFLICT OF INTEREST IF IT WAS IDENTIFIED, A SIGNIFICANT CONFLICT OF INTEREST WAS WAS PART, UH, WAS IT, WAS THERE, THAT COULD BE A SIGNIFICANT GOVERNANCE ISSUE.
I I REMEMBER WHAT MY QUESTION IS.
UM, THE LIST OF RESIDENT SCHOOLS WILL BE INCLUDED.
SO WHAT DETERMINES WHEN THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS IS GONNA BE USED FOR IN THE RENEWAL ANALYSIS? IT'S USED WHEN WE, SO WE'LL GO BACK TO THE INITIAL, WE WILL, UM, IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE, UH, OR SLIDE FOUR BACK THERE TO SHOW, OKAY.
SO I, I I WANNA BRING THIS SLIDE UP 'CAUSE THIS IS WHERE WE START, RIGHT? RIGHT.
SO WE START WITH, UM, IN MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
THIS IS FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
WE LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD, WELL, WE'LL LOOK, WE LOOK AT THE DASHBOARD COMPARED TO STATE FOR ALL SCHOOLS, BUT THE MIDDLE PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS, I'M GONNA FOCUS ON, BECAUSE THAT HAS WHAT WE GET TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOL MEDIUM.
SO WE LOOK AT THE SCHOOL WIDE PERFORMANCE AND THE STUDENT GROUP PERFORMANCE AS COMPARED TO THE STATE.
SOME CHARTER SCHOOLS, THEY MIGHT BE HIGHER THAN THE STATE, UM, IN MOST OF THE AREAS FOR A MAJORITY OF THE YEARS.
AND WE WOULD CONSIDER THAT AS IN THEIR ACADEMIC AREAS, WHICH I SAID ELA, MATH, LP AND CCI.
AND SO A SCHOOL LIKE THAT, THEY MAY MEET RENEWAL CRITERIA BASED ON THEIR DASHBOARD, UH, COMPARISON TO THE STATE, THEIR DASHBOARD PERFORMANCE.
SO THAT'S LIKE THE FIRST LOOK.
THEN WE ALSO, UM, AND, AND AS I SAID, GREATER WEIGHT TO THE ACADEMIC INDICATORS, WE GOTTA FOCUS ON THOSE THREE OR FOUR DEPENDING ON WHAT KIND OF SCHOOLS.
AND THEN IT'S KIND OF THE SECOND LOOK, THE VERIFIED DATA.
AND SO THAT'S THE, THE, WHAT WE LOOK AT TOO.
WE ALL, IF IT VERIFIED DATA SUBMITTED, REGARDLESS OF THE PERFORMANCE ON THE DASHBOARD, WE CONSIDER IT, WE'LL CONSIDER THE VERIFIED DATA, BUT LET'S SAY A SCHOOL PERFORMANCE COMPARED TO THE STATE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE, THEY, THEY AREN'T, THEY AREN'T AS HIGH AS A STATE.
THEY'RE LOWER THAN THE STATE, LET'S SAY.
UM, AND, UM, THEN, AND IT'S MIXED RESULTS, LET'S SAY.
THEN WE LOOK AT VERIFY DATA AND VERIFY DATA IS ARE YOU GROWING THE STUDENTS, ARE STUDENTS MAKING PROGRESS? AND THAT'S THE USE OF THE I-READY, LET'S SAY THE NWA.
AND SO WE LOOK AT, IT'S A MEASURABLE INCREASES.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THE VERIFIED DATA.
OKAY, SO MAYBE THE DASHBOARD COMPARED TO THE STATE.
WE HAVE, UM, SOME LOW LOWER AREAS.
WE LOOK AT THE VERIFIED DATA AND, AND IT'S USUALLY PROVIDED FOR ELA AND MATH, BUT OH, THEY'VE MADE GROWTH FOR TWO YEARS IN A ROW FOR SCHOOL-WIDE AND ALL THEIR STUDENT GROUPS BASED ON THE VERIFIED DATA.
THAT WOULD BE CLEAR AND CONVINCING TO US.
AND WE WOULD STOP OUR ANALYSIS THERE BECAUSE THAT'S THE CRITERIA.
BUT IF INDEED, LET'S SAY WE HAD A SCHOOL WHO WASN'T AS STRONG AS DASHBOARD, THEIR VERIFIED DATA WAS NOT CLEAR AND CONVINCING, AND IT COULD BE THEY DIDN'T MEET GROWTH OR THERE WAS PARTICIPATION RATE CONCERNS, OR THEY ONLY GAVE US ONE YEAR, THEN WE WOULD DROP DOWN, WHICH WE DO OUR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
AND SOMETIMES, LET'S SAY A SCHOOL MAYBE IS REALLY STRONG IN ELA, BUT MATH ISN'T SO STRONG.
AND SO WE WOULD DO A FURTHER ANALYSIS, LET'S SEE HOW THEY'RE DOING COMPARED TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS.
SO THAT'S WHEN WE DO THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS.
AFTER WE'VE DONE THE DASHBOARD, STATE THE VERIFIED DATA.
AND IF THAT IS NOT, DOES NOT MEET RENEWAL CRITERIA, THEN WE DROP DOWN TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOL COMPARISON.
UM, SO ON THE PENDING LEGISLATION, UM, IF IT'S NOT SUCCESSFUL, IF, AND VERIFY DATA PROVISIONS FOR MIDDLE PERFORMING SCHOOLS EXPIRE ON JANUARY, 2026, CAN YOU CLARIFY HOW RENEWALS WOULD BE EVALUATED BEYOND THIS CYCLE? WELL, THAT'S A, YEAH,
AND WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THAT.
SO ESSENTIALLY IT WOULD POST, LET ME CLARIFY TOO.
POST-SECONDARY IS CONSIDERED VERIFIED DATA.
IT'S JUST A, UH, VERIFIED DATA SHORTS THAT LOOKS AT A DIFFERENT DATA POINT FOR HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE VERIFIED DATA UMBRELLA.
SO A VERIFIED DATA WAS TO EXPIRE, UM, THAT WOULD BE ALSO NOT INCLUDED.
WE WOULD LOOK, START WITH THE DASHBOARD, OF COURSE, BECAUSE THAT'S
[00:50:01]
REQUIRED.AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO ASSESS, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UM, SOME, THE GROWTH DATA AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE.
WE, THAT MIGHT BE IN CONSIDERATION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF GENERAL COUNSEL TO DETERMINE WHAT THE REMOVAL OR VERIFY DATA, WHAT THAT IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT AND, AND WE'RE MONITORING THAT LEGISLATION AS WELL.
BUT RIGHT NOW, IT WOULD JUST BE REMOVED FROM THE LAW.
SO IT WOULD JUST BE THE, THE DASHBOARD COMPARISON, UM, FROM THIS YEAR'S CHANGES TO THE RESIDENT SCHOOLS MEDIAN PROCESS.
UM, ITS AIM IS TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY, RIGHT? BY SHARING THE SCHOOL LIST WITH PETITIONERS EARLIER AND ALIGNING GRADE LEVELS.
FROM AN OVERSIGHT PERSPECTIVE, HOW DO YOU SEE THESE CHANGES HELPING TO BUILD TRUST WITH FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES IN THE RENEWAL PROCESS? I'M, WELL, WE'RE HOPING, UM, THAT JUST TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT AND PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, UM, THAT IT, THAT WE, THAT, THAT THEY CAN SEE WHERE WE'RE, HOW WE'RE GETTING MORE DATA, LIKE HOW WE'RE GETTING A MEDIAN FROM.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THESE TRANSPARENCY PIECES AND THIS INFORMATION WILL BUILD TRUST NOT ONLY WITH, UH, STAKEHOLDERS, OUR CHARTER PARTNERS FOR JUST TO SAY, YOU KNOW, SHOW ALL THE DATA BASICALLY.
UM, AND WE HAD THE, YOU KNOW, WE WERE USING THE MEDIAN, IT WAS ACCURATE, BUT WE WANT TO BE VERY TRANSPARENT AND THESE ARE ALL THE SCHOOLS AND THIS IS THE MEDIAN.
AND SO THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT IT IN ADDITION TO THE OTHER PIECES THAT WERE, WE'RE DOING AS FAR AS THE MAGNET PROGRAMS AND SUCH.
ON THAT MAGNET, COULD YOU JUST GO BACK ON AND EXPLAINING, UH, THE MAG MAGNET CONSIDERATION, UM, JUST SO I, I GET THAT CLEAR ON, UM, LET ME GET TO THAT.
IT'S PAGE PAGE ON PAGE, ON PAGE.
YEAH, JUST ONE MORE TIME ON, UM, THE, UH, TAKING, UM, NOT USING MAGNET PROGRAMS SO WELL, SO THERE'S, SO MAGNET PROGRAMS, SO DISTRICT SCHOOLS HAVE MAGNET PROGRAMS, ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF MAGNET PROGRAMS, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE, MY, MY, MY, BOTH MY SONS ATTENDED A MAGNET PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT AT, UM, KING.
UM, AND SO IT'S, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THEIR DATA, IT'S EMBEDDED IN THE WHOLE SCHOOL DATA.
THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY WE'VE WORKED WITH ODA AND TALK WITH THEM TO EXTRACT ANY OF THAT PARTICULAR PROGRAM DATA FROM THE WHOLE SCHOOL DATA.
SO MAGNET PROGRAM DATA, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF MAGNET, IS PART OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL DATA.
SO, UM, AND EL SERINO IS ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS A GIFTED MONEY.
SO WE, WHEN WE COULD SAY, TALK, COMPARE EL SERINO, WE'RE STILL GONNA COMPARE TO EL SERINO.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO THOUGH IS WE'RE GONNA IDENTIFY THIS SCHOOL, LET'S SAY EL SERINO.
'CAUSE I KNOW IT DOES HAVE A GIFTED MAGNET.
EL SERENA MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL STILL BE ON THE LIST, JUST LIKE IT WAS.
I MEAN, JUST LIKE, WE USE THAT AS A COMPARISON SCHOOL.
UM, BUT WE'LL IDENTIFY GIFTED MAGNET AND THE PERCENTAGE OF SCHOOLS IN THAT MAGNET.
IT'S JUST TO PROVIDE FULL TRANSPARENCY AND UNDERSTANDING.
UM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES THERE'S, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THOUGHTS THAT MAYBE, OH, THE COMPARISON'S NOT APPLES TO APPLES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW GIFTED MAGNETS, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE FOCUSING ON THE CRITERION BASED MAGNET PROGRAMS WHERE YOU NEED AN IDENTIFICATION FOR THE GIFTED OR THE HIGHLY GIFTED IN ORDER TO ATTEND THAT MAGNET.
SO THAT'S OUR FOCUS BECAUSE CHARTER SCHOOLS DON'T HAVE MAGNETS.
THEY DON'T HAVE, THEY'RE NOT CRITERION BASED.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY CRITERIA SET FORTH PRIOR TO ATTENDING THEIR SCHOOL.
SO WE JUST, WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, LET'S SAY AN EL SERINO FOR EXAMPLE, 20, IT'S ABOUT 20% OF THE SCHOOLS ARE IN THAT GIFTED MAGNET.
UM, AND SO WE JUST WANNA POINT THAT OUT.
I ALSO WANNA MAKE A NOTE, THOUGH, THAT ALL SCHOOLS HAVE EITHER A GIFTED PROGRAM, RIGHT? OR SERVE STUDENTS HIGH, HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS.
UM, SO THAT, SO ALL SCHOOLS ARE DOING THAT EITHER THROUGH A GIFTED, EITHER THROUGH A GIFTED MAGNET.
IT COULD BE AN SAS SCHOOL FOR ADVANCED STUDIES PROGRAM, OR IT CAN JUST BE YOU HAVE A GIFTED PROGRAM.
ALL SCHOOLS NEED TO SERVICE HIGH, HIGH ACHIEVER, HIGH ACHIEVERS, WHETHER THEY'RE IDENTIFIED AS GIFT OR IS NOT.
CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
THEY HAVE TO IDENTIFY IN THEIR PETITION, HOW THEY'RE GONNA SERVICE HIGH ACHIEVING LEARNERS.
UM, THEY DON'T, ARE NOT REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY GIFTED STUDENTS OR HAVE STUDENT PROGRAMS. THEY'RE NOT REQUIRED.
IT'S PER THEIR PETITION, WHETHER THEY'RE GONNA DO IT OR NOT, BUT THEY HAVE TO SHOW HOW THEY'RE SERVING HIGH ACHIEVING STUDENTS.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION THAT WE KNOW GIFTED STUDENTS EXIST ALL THROUGHOUT SCHOOLS, UM, SOMETIMES WHETHER IDENTIFIED OR NOT.
BUT, SO, BUT WE JUST WANNA FULL PROVIDE FULL TRANSPARENCY.
HEY, THIS PARTICULAR DISTRICT SCHOOL DOES HAVE THIS GIFTED MAGNET OR HIGHLY GIFTED MAGNET AS PART OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL, AND ABOUT 20% OF THE STUDENTS ARE IN THAT MAGNET.
JUST SO EVERYBODY IS AWARE AND UNDERSTANDS WHAT THAT RESIDENT SCHOOL POPULATION IS.
[00:55:03]
I FEEL LIKE I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ON THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I'LL SAVE IT FOR LATER.UM, MS, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, MS. TANYA ORTIZ FRANKLIN IS ON IT, HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR WANNA WEIGH IN ON THE PRESENTATION? NO.
IS SHE THERE? OH, I GUESS SHE'S NOT THERE.
WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I APPRECIATE, UM, CLARIFYING THE CHANGES AND MOVING FORWARD FOR THE NEW RENEWALS, AND WE'LL KEEP AN EYE OUT ON, ON THAT LEGISLATION, SEE HOW THAT'S GONNA IMPACT, UH, THE RENEWAL PROCESS OR THE ANALYSIS OF THE PETITIONS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
[IV. Public Comment]
THANK YOU.UM, WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
UM, AS A REMINDER, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE UP TO TWO MINUTES.
YOUR VOICES AND PERSPECTIVES ARE VITAL TO THIS PROCESS, AND WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE, UM, OUR PUBLIC SPEAKERS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE, UM, ON THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, SO YES, SO MR. MCLEAN, ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
SO EACH SPEAKER HAS TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK.
ONCE THEY BEGIN, AS USUAL, I'LL CALL ON THE FOLKS WHO LISTED THEMSELVES AS BEING IN PERSON, AND THEN WE WILL TRANSITION TO THOSE AS LISTING THEMSELVES AS BEING REMOTE.
IT LOOKS LIKE MOST OF THE FOLKS ARE IN PERSON TODAY.
YOU HAVE THE FIRST SPOT, AND THEN AFTER MAGA IS NICO RUB KABA, AND THEN DR.
SO COME ON UP AND YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
UM, SO NICO, HE HE'LL BE THE ONE SPEAKING.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU JUST GET EACH ONE OF YOU GETS TWO MINUTES, OR ONE OF YOU GETS TWO MINUTES.
I'LL, I'LL I'LL GO AHEAD AND SPEAK YEAH.
FOR, FOR THE TWO MINUTES, RIGHT? OKAY.
SO I CAN FREE UP A SLOT IS WHAT I'M GETTING AT.
UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, ESTEEMED BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO SPEAK TODAY.
UM, BEFORE COMING TO GRANADA HILLS CHARTER, BOTH OF OUR CHILDREN, UH, WERE STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL.
MY DAUGHTER AND SON FELT UNSUPPORTED AND BOTH WERE FAILING.
MY DAUGHTER OFTEN FELT DISCONNECTED AND SOMETIMES WOULD COME WITHDRAWAL, UH, WITHDRAWN AND, UH, QUIET FROM SCHOOL.
UH, AT GHC, EVERYTHING CHANGED.
MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED LAST YEAR AND IS NOW THRIVING IN HER FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE.
UH, THE STRUCTURE, THE STRUCTURED CURRICULUM AND SUPPORTED TEACHERS PREPARED HER ACADEMICALLY AND GAVE HER THE CONFIDENCE IN HEALTHY FRIENDSHIPS.
AND SHE NOW FEELS THAT SHE HAS A VOICE.
UH, MY SON IS NOW IN EIGHTH GRADE.
HE'S ATTENDED GHC SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH.
AND, UM, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, THE TEACHER SHOWED GENUINE CARE.
I EVEN REMEMBER THIS TIME WHERE, UH, MULTIPLE TEACHERS, NOT ONE, NOT TWO
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT ME AND MY WIFE, WE WERE, WE WERE SHOCKED.
UM, IT SEEMED LIKE THEY HAD A GENUINE CARE.
AND I ATTRIBUTE IT TO THE, UM, THE POWERFUL CHARTER MODEL THAT THEY HAVE.
UM, THE, THE FLEXIBILITY THEY, THEY HAVE THAT THEY'VE DESIGNED SPECIAL PROGRAMS AROUND STUDENTS' NEEDS AND ABILITY TO INNOVATE, AND THE CULTURE OF ACCOUNTABILITY.
THEY FOSTERED, THEY ALLOW TEACHERS TO TRULY INVEST IN EACH CHILD.
IT FEELS SOMEWHAT LIKE A PRIVATE SCHOOL IN TERMS OF THEIR CARE AND QUALITY, BUT WITH THE ACCESSIBILITY OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL, UM, MY, MY SON HIMSELF, FOR THE FIRST TIME, HE SPEAKS POSITIVELY ABOUT SCHOOL AND ABOUT HIS TEACHERS.
HE'S FOCUSED, HAPPY, AND MOTIVATED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR SUPPORTING A SCHOOL THAT HAS CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY SON AND MY DAUGHTER'S LIFE.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
JULIE TI AND I'M THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF INGENIUM CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN WINNETKA.
I WANNA SHARE A SNAPSHOT OF WHY I CHOOSE TO SPEND EVERY DAY, WEEK, MONTH, AND YEAR WITH THE AMAZING STAFF AND STUDENTS AT ICMS WITH AN OVER 90% UNDUPLICATED COUNT.
[01:00:01]
OUR STUDENTS ARE PRIMARILY SOCIOECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED HISPANIC SPANISH SPEAKERS WHO COME TO US WITH DIFFERENT STORIES, BACKGROUNDS, AND EXPERIENCES THAT ARE SO VASTLY DIFFERENT THAN MY OWN FROM WHEN I WAS AN L-A-U-S-D STUDENT.MY STUDENTS HAVE BEEN HOMELESS, UNACCOMPANIED MINORS HELD IN IMMIGRATION DETENTION CENTERS.
THEY HAVE BEEN SENT TO AMERICA BY PARENTS WANTING A BETTER LIFE FOR THEM.
THEY ARE CHILDREN OF GANG MEMBERS, THEY'RE CHILDREN OF INCARCERATED PARENTS AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF INCARCERATED SIBLINGS.
THEY'VE, THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED FOOD INSECURITIES AND HAVE WITNESSED THE CONSEQUENCES OF DRUG AND ALCOHOL ABUSE.
MY STUDENTS ENTER ICMS, SCARED, SCARRED, DEFENSIVE, AND TRAUMATIZED BY THE EXPERIENCES OF THEIR YOUNG LIVES.
AT ICMS, WE BELIEVE THAT A MIND AND CRISIS CANNOT LEARN, WHETHER IT BE FROM HUNGER, TRAUMA, OR UNCERTAINTY.
AS A SPEAKER ON ADDRESSING TRAUMA IN THE CLASSROOM, I TRAIN MY STAFF ON RECOGNIZING TRAUMA AND MEETING STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE AT BOTH EMOTIONALLY AND ACADEMICALLY.
SINCE COVID, WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE EFFECT IT HAS HAD ON STUDENT LEARNING, COLLABORATING WITH TEACHERS, DEAN OF STUDENT, MY SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST, AND MY SCHOOL COUNSELOR.
WE HAVE CREATED SYSTEMS TO HELP ICMS FEEL LIKE A SAFE HAVEN FOR OUR KIDS.
STUDENTS KNOW THEY ARE TRUSTED, THEY'RE WITH TRUSTED ADULTS, AND NEITHER THEIR EXPERIENCES NOR THEIR ZIP CODES DEFINE THEM.
WE HELP THEM BECOME THE PERSON THEY WANNA BECOME.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK WHEN SHE BEGIN.
AND THEN AFTER MS. HARGINS IS ELLA RONSON AND THEN GREG PEREZ.
HELLO, I'M JANIA HARGINS, THE PRINCIPAL AT STELLA MIDDLE CHARTER ACADEMY, ESTABLISHED IN 2003.
IT'S THE FIRST OF NINE BRIGHT STAR SCHOOLS ACROSS LOS ANGELES AT STELLA MIDDLE.
WE ENSURE EVERY STUDENT IS SAFE, KNOWN, AND ENGAGED THROUGH OUR THREE KEY FEATURES.
OUR WHOLE STUDENT APPROACH, RIGOROUS STANDARDS BASED LEARNING AND BY CHAMPIONING EQUITY.
BRIGHTSTAR IS HAS A MODEL, UH, IN WHICH OUR COUNSELORS ARE THERE FOR EVERY SINGLE GRADE LEVEL, ONE FOR PER GRADE LEVEL TO SUPPORT STUDENTS SOCIO-EMOTIONALLY.
THEY, FOR NEARLY TWO, TWO DECADES, WE ENSURE THAT THEY GET TO FIND JOY AND FULFILLMENT IN HIGHER EDUCATION CAREER IN LIFE, INCLUDING STELLA CLUSTER SCHOLARS GRADUATING WITH BOTH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE AT NO COST, MAKING A HUGE IMPACT FOR OUR LOW INCOME COMMUNITY.
STELLA MIDDLE'S GOT THREE BIG TRUTHS.
OUR STUDENTS PERFORM BETTER THAN IF OUR SCHOOL WERE NOT AN OPTION.
WE PROVIDE BETTER OUTCOMES FOR MOST OF OUR SUBGROUPS.
AND THE LONGER SMCA STUDENTS ARE WITH US, THE BETTER THEY PERFORM ACADEMICALLY WITH 96% PARENT SATISFACTION.
AT SMCA, OUR FAMILIES CHOOSE US BECAUSE OF THESE ACADEMIC OUTCOMES AS WELL AS OUR SOCIO-EMOTIONAL LEARNING PROGRAM AND OUR HALLMARK BRIGHT STAR LIFE EXPERIENCE LESSON TRIPS, LIKE TAKING OUR SIXTH GRADERS TO CATALINA ISLAND FOR A STEM EXPERIENCE AND OUR EIGHTH GRADERS TO WASHINGTON.
DC AS EQUITY CHAMPIONS, STELLA MIDDLE SCHOLARS USE THEIR VOICES TO CREATE CHANGE LIKE FIFTH GRADERS ADVOCATING FOR UPHOLDING UNIVERSAL DECORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS OR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS.
UM, ENSURING THAT CHILDREN IN THE COMMUNITY RECEIVED TOYS AT WINTERTIME TO UPHOLD THE VALUE OF INTEGRITY.
THAT THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF OUR THREE SCHOOLS GOING THROUGH OUR RENEWAL PROCESS, INCLUDING STELLA MIDDLE CHARTER ACADEMY, RKO YANG ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND VALOR ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL.
LAST YEAR, STELLA ELEMENTARY'S CHARTER WAS SUCCESSFULLY RENEWED AND WE HOPE TO, UM, BE ABLE TO PROVIDE QUALITY EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCES FOR THEM THROUGH STELLA MIDDLE.
WE WOULD LOVE TO HOST YOU AND YOUR STAFF AT OUR CAMPUS TO SEE HOW OUR SCHOOLS THRIVE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS ITEL RONSON AND I'M THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF OPERATIONS AT ALLIANCE BIRD TECH HIGH SCHOOL.
TODAY, I'M NOT SPEAKING TO YOU AS AN AP, BUT AS A LITTLE GIRL WHO ONCE STARTED HER EDUCATIONAL CAREER AT CHARLES W. BARRETT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I CONTINUED IN CHARTER SCHOOL FOR MY MIDDLE SCHOOL AT SKIRBALL AND HIGH SCHOOL AT ALBERT TECH.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I ENDED UP IN U-C-L-A-A SCHOOL I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD ATTEND, WHERE I BECAME THE FIRST PERSON IN MY FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
EACH OF THOSE SCHOOLS AND EACH OF THOSE COMMUNITIES SHAPE THE PERSON I AM TODAY.
AS A STUDENT, I EXPERIENCED THE UNWAVERING COMMITMENT THAT ALLIANCE AND OTHER CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE FOR OUR KIDS.
THE SUPPORT OPENED DOORS FOR ME, AND
[01:05:01]
NOW I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF GIVING THAT SAME BELIEF AND ENCOURAGEMENT BACK TO THE NEXT GENERATION.EVERY DAY I SEE MYSELF IN OUR STUDENTS.
I HAD THE SAME HOPES, THE SAME CHALLENGES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE SAME POTENTIAL.
I ALSO WANNA TAKE AMENDMENT TO RECOGNIZE OUR BOARD MEMBERS, SPECIFICALLY OUR BOARD MEMBER TANYA FRANKLIN ORTIZ, AND ALSO DR. ROSA RIVAS.
IN A TIME WHEN MANY OF OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES ARE FACING FEAR, YOU BOTH HAVE LED WITH COMPASSION.
YOU'VE SHOWN OUR FAMILIES THAT THEY NOT ONLY HAVE A VOICE, BUT THEY HAVE POWER TO ADVOCATE.
THANK YOU FOR REMINDING US THAT WHAT KIND LEADERSHIP LOOKS LIKE, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, FOR REMINDING US OF WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN THE CENTER OF OUR WORK IS OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.
IT ALSO MAKES ME INCREDIBLY PROUD TO SEE BOTH CHARTER AND LUSD STANDING SIDE BY SIDE WITH OUR STUDENTS.
IN A WORLD WHERE DIVISION IS OFTEN PUSHED, WE ARE SHOWING WHAT IS POSSIBLE WHEN WE CHOOSE UNITY, COLLABORATION AND THE WELLBEING OF OUR KIDS ABOVE ALL ELSE.
DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, I AM ESPECIALLY PROUD OF THE JOURNEY OF MY FAMILY AND SO MANY OTHERS WHO COME BEFORE ME.
OUR STORIES, OUR RESILIENCE AND OUR DREAMS ARE WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR COMMUNITIES GREAT.
AND THEN AFTER GREG IS DWAYNE WASHINGTON, AND THEN CASEY KONDA.
YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
MY NAME IS GREG BEEZ AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS COORDINATOR AT ALLIANCE BIRD AND TECH.
UM, I'M ALSO A PROUD PRODUCT OF L-L-U-S-D AS A STUDENT.
I REMEMBER IN HIGH SCHOOL HAVING, UM, SOME REALLY GREAT TEACHERS THAT ACTUALLY CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY OF MY, MY LIFE, UM, WHICH LED TO THEM ACTUALLY HAVING ME PURSUE A POSITION AS A TEACHER ASSISTANT AT, UH, HENRY TKH, UH, MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THAT ROLE WAS MY FIRST JOB IN LUSD.
ALSO, GROWING UP IN HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS AWARDED THE COURT, SO I KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT IT FEELS LIKE TO BE, UM, UNDER-RESOURCED AND OVERLOOKED.
THOSE EXPERIENCES NOT ONLY SHAPED MY CHILDHOOD, THEY SHAPED MY PURPOSE TODAY.
UM, IT IT GAVE ME THE CONVICTION TO MAKE SURE NO STUDENTS FEEL UNSEEN AND THAT EVERY YOUNG PERSON HAS THE SUPPORT AND OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES THEY NEED TO THRIVE AT BIRD TECH.
YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LEADING THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND I THINK WITH THIS, THIS MODEL HAS REALLY OPENED MY EYES TO SEEING IT BEYOND A SCHOOL, BUT SEEN AS COMMUNITY.
I THINK OFTENTIMES THERE IS A LOT OF DIVISION.
EVERY TIME I TURN ON A A, AN APP OR SEE SOMETHING, I SEE A LOT OF DIVISIVENESS IN OUR, IN OUR COUNTRY, IN OUR CITY.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW THROUGH THIS MODEL OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, WHICH WE HAVE IN ALI, UC AND AN ALLIANCE, BIRD TECH, A LOT, A LOT OF SCHOOLS, THIS IS THE INITIATIVE THAT CAN REALLY HELP UPLIFT AND BRIDGE US TOGETHER AND REALLY STAND ON SOLIDARITY AND UNITY.
SO MY MESSAGE TODAY IS THAT WHEN, TODAY, WHEN WE COME TOGETHER AS CHARTER DISTRICT, SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, WE CREATE MUCH MORE CAPACITY, MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITIES.
AND IF WE THINK ABOUT COMMUNITIES FIRST AND NOT JUST AS INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL SITES, I THINK WE ALL WIN.
UM, SO TODAY IS JUST REALLY AN EXPRESSION OF APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK EVERYBODY IS DOING AND TO CONTINUE TO REALLY VALUE SOLIDARITY AND UNITY FOR OUR KIDS.
I DRIVE PAST MANY SCHOOLS WHEN I'M GOING TO WORK AND I DON'T THINK ABOUT, I JUST SERVE BURDEN TECH.
I'M SUPPOSED TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN ALL SCHOOLS.
DWAYNE WASHINGTON, COME ON UP, SIR, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
MY NAME IS DWAYNE WASHINGTON AND IT'S TRULY AN HONOR TO STAND HERE BEFORE YOU.
AS A PROUD PRINCIPAL AT WATTS LEARNING CENTER CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL, I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF A RICH LEGACY THAT HAS BEEN SERVING THE WATTS COMMUNITY FOR ALMOST TWO DECADES.
WATTS LEARNING CENTER CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, IS IN MANY WAYS THE ROWS THAT GROW FROM CONCRETE, A SCHOOL THAT BLOSSOMED DESPITE CHALLENGES, WATCH LEARNING CENTER'S, ORGANIZATION HAS BECOME THE BEACON OF HOPE, EXCELLENCE, AND OPPORTUNITY FOR MANY FAMILIES IN THE COMMUNITY.
OUR FOUNDERS, MR. EUGENE FISHER AND HIS WIFE, DR. SANDRA FISHER, ENVISIONED A PLACE WHERE CHILDREN COULD THRIVE.
THEIR STORY HAS BEEN POWERFUL, SO POWERFUL THAT A DOCUMENTARY HAS BEEN CREATED ABOUT THEIR WORK, UH, CALLED A SCHOOL THAT GROWS IN WATTS.
THE DOCUMENT, THE DOCUMENTARY IS NOT JUST ABOUT THEIR JOURNEY, BUT SERVES AS INSPIRATION AS A BLUEPRINT TO HOW TO REPLICATE SUCCESS, UH, FOR SCHOOLS, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AS PRINCIPAL IS MY PRIVILEGE TO CARRY ON THEIR TRADITION THAT HAS MADE THE SCHOOL A SUCCESS, UH, AS WELL AS BUILD AND CREATE NEW ONES TO PREPARE OUR SCHOLARS FOR THE FUTURE.
[01:10:01]
WATTS LEARNING CENTER, OUR PURPOSE IS CLEAR TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.WATTS LEARNING CENTER IS NOT JUST A SAFE PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND GROW, BUT A PLACE TO BECOME CURIOUS AND THRIVE.
WE CHALLENGE OUR SCHOLARS EVERY DAY TO TAKE PRIDE IN THEMSELVES AND THEIR SCHOOL, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AS DEDICATED SCHOLARS, BUT ALSO, UM, ETHICALLY AS RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THIS WEEKEND WE ARE HOSTING A WATTS LEARNING CENTER COMMUNITY CLEANUP, UH, WITH OUR STUDENT LEADERS, PARENTS, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY PARTNER PARTNERS.
TOGETHER, WE ARE LITERALLY WALKING THE WALK, ROLLING UP OUR SLEEVES AND GETTING OUR HANDS DIRTY, CLEANING UP THE SURROUNDING AREAS AROUND OUR SCHOOL TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND BEYOND.
AS I CLOSE, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU AND LET YOU KNOW HOW HUMBLE AND GRATEFUL I AM TO BE A PART OF THIS POWERFUL ORGANIZATION.
I'LL NOTE, AS THE AUDIENCE CAN SEE, MS. TANYA ORTIZ.
FRANKLIN HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A FEW MOMENTS.
UM, SO EVERYBODY'S AWARE AND DID SHE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? YEAH.
UM, NEXT SPEAKER IS JUSTINE GONZALEZ.
JUSTINE GONZALEZ IS ALSO WAIVED FROM THE AUDIENCE.
IT'S, IT MAY SEEM DUPLICATIVE, BUT I'M SAYING IT INTO THE MIC SO THAT WHEN WE RECORD THIS, THE VOICE CAN KIND OF GO THROUGH ME 'CAUSE NOBODY CAN HEAR THE AUDIENCE.
UH, TERRENCE WRIGHT, COME ON DOWN.
MR. WRIGHT, YOU'LL HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
I'M TERRENCE WRIGHT, THE PRINCIPAL IN NEW LOS ANGELES CHARTER MIDDLE SCHOOL IN MID-CITY.
TODAY I'M GONNA SHARE ABOUT OUR MENTORING PROGRAM WHERE EVERYBODY BELONGS.
OR WEB IS OUR SIXTH GRADE ORIENTATION PROGRAM THAT BEGAN LAST YEAR AND HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED OUR SCHOOL CULTURE.
DURING THE SUMMER, A TEAM OF 24 EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE TRAINED TO LEAD A SIXTH GRADE ORIENTATION THAT IS FULL OF TEAM BUILDING ACTIVITIES TO WELCOME OUR INCOMING SIXTH GRADE CLASS AND HELP THEM FEEL COMFORTABLE BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THESE WEB LEADERS MEET WITH THEIR SMALL GROUP TO MENTOR THEM ON TOPICS ESSENTIAL TO MIDDLE TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, SUCH AS HEALTHY COPING SKILLS, BULLYING, PREVENTION, INCLUSION, STUDY SKILLS AND MORE.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, WEBB HAS IGNITED A CULTURE OF LEADERSHIP AMONG OUR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS, PUSHING THEM TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES FOR THOSE WHO ARE COMING AFTER THEM THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THEY COME OUT OF THEIR COMFORT ZONE AND BUILD CONFIDENCE BY INTRODUCING THEMSELVES TO NEW PEOPLE.
PLANNING EVENTS FOR OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
WEBB TRULY STRIVES TO MAKE SURE ALL STUDENTS BELIEVE THEY BELONG TO OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
UM, BEFORE I CLOSE, UM, OUR SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MS. K DOZIER, UH, SHE LEADS THIS INITIATIVE.
SHE WASN'T ABLE TO BE HERE, SO I'M STEPPING IN FOR HER, BUT I REALLY WISH SHE WAS HERE WITH ME.
UM, WHAT SHE'S DONE WITH OUR COUNSELING PROGRAM, MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOL KNOWS HER, SEES HER.
SHE DOES ONE-ON-ONE, UH, CHECK-INS WITH EVERY SINGLE STUDENT.
SHE KNOWS THEM VERY WELL AND MAKES SURE THAT OUR STAFF ALSO KNOW WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE SO WE CAN BEST SUPPORT THEM.
HER WORK IN GENERAL HAS BEEN VERY TRANSFORMATIVE FOR NOT JUST OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR STAFF, UM, AND OUR FAMILIES.
SO, THANK YOU BOARD FOR LETTING ME SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT PROGRAM AND ITS POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
UH, LAURA JIMENEZ, COME ON DOWN.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS LAURA JIMENEZ AND I AM A PARENT OF A STUDENT AT LOGAN ACADEMY.
I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT HOW THE GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL'S USE OF OUR CAMPUS SPACE HAS FOR YEARS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED LOGAN ACADEMY STUDENTS AND STAFF.
WHEN OUTSIDE SCHOOLS TAKE OVER CLASSROOMS, HALLWAYS, AND FACILITIES, IT CREATES SERIOUS DISRUPTIONS.
OUR CHILDREN LOSE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SPACES FOR LEARNING, ENRICHMENT AND COMMUNITY BUILDING.
EVEN SIMPLE THINGS LIKE WHERE STUDENTS LINE UP PLAY, PARTICULARLY DURING SUNNY DAYS WHEN SHADE IS NOT ABUNDANT, EAT OR EAT, LUNCH HAVE BECOME MORE DIFFICULT.
DROP OFF AND PICK UP TRAFFIC IS ANOTHER CHALLENGE.
DUE TO LACK OF SPACE, THE CAMPUS IS ALWAYS IN NEED OF CLEANING, WHICH IS ULTIMATELY DONE ONLY BY LOGAN.
LOGAN ACADEMY IS A COMMUNITY SCHOOL THAT SERVES NEIGHBORHOOD CHILDREN.
OUR KIDS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO BE DEPRIVED OF THE MUCH NEEDED SPACE.
SHARING SPACE IN THIS WAY DISADVANTAGES OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
AND IT SENDS THE WRONG MESSAGE THAT PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE LESS IMPORTANT THAN OUTSIDE PROGRAMS. I URGE THE BOARD TO RECONSIDER HOW LOCATION AGREEMENTS ARE HANDLED AND TO PLEASE PRIORITIZE NEEDS OF LOGAN ACADEMY STUDENTS.
FIRST, OUR CHILDREN DESERVE A STABLE, SUPPORTIVE, AND FULLY
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AVAILABLE CAMPUS.PLEASE PROTECT OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY AND ENSURE LOGAN ACADEMY CAN THRIVE WITHOUT LOSING SPACE TO OUTSIDE SCHOOLS.
ARE YOU HERE? NEY? I MAY HAVE MISPRONOUNCED THAT NAME.
ARE YOU HERE? ARE YOU BEHIND? BEHIND THAT PILLAR? MM-HMM
YOU'D LOVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
AND THEN AFTER MR. TOSKI IS, UH, AVA.
AND THE TWO BOARD MEMBERS HOPEFULLY ARE ENVISIONING THE POST, UH, CONFRONTATIONAL WORLD, UH, WITH RESPECT, UH, TO THE LEARNING THAT GOES ON IN CHARTERS AND CO-LOCATIONS, AND ENVISIONING A WORLD IN WHICH BOTH CHARTERS AND DISTRICT ARE LOSING ENROLLMENT SO SIGNIFICANTLY.
LAST NIGHT I CELEBRATED WITH THE GREEN DOT, UH, UNION CHARTER SCHOOLS, UM, CTA 25 YEARS.
AND YET, UH, THEY JUST, UH, HAD A PROTEST IN FRONT BY THE TEACHERS.
IT WAS NOT A PICKET LINE, BUT IT WAS A PROTEST.
THEY, UH, GOT ABOUT A THREE OR 4% PAY RAISE, AND THERE WAS SOME CONCERN THERE, BUT THAT'S DEMOCRACY NUMBER TWO.
I, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT'S NOT A CELEBRATORY MOMENT.
THERE ARE 500 KIDS ON A GREEN DOT ANIMO ON THE CAMPUS.
THERE IS A SPANISH IMMERSION AND A MANDARIN IMMERSION THAT ADD UP TO ANOTHER ALMOST 600.
THERE'S 1100 KIDS ON A CAMPUS THAT 20 YEARS AGO WAS DOWN TO 140 KIDS.
IT SHOULD BE STUDIED AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT GOOD THINGS COULD HAPPEN, UH, WITH CO-LOCATION, WITH, UH, BRINGING KIDS IN FROM OTHER DISTRICTS AS YOU GET THE POSITIVE, THE MIDDLE AND THE LOW GROUND.
IT'S GONNA BE INTERESTING IF IN FACT, OCEAN CHARTER AND RENAISSANCE ARTS COME IN AS POSITIVE.
BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS DO NOT USE THE CURRICULUM DESIGN OF LA UNIFIED.
THEY'RE DOING WHAT THE CHARTER LAW ALLOWED, WHICH WAS TO ENVISION DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPROACHING LEARNING, AND YET THEIR SCORING AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS.
AND SIMILARLY, AS YOU DEVELOP ISSUES OF, OF LAND USE FOR HOUSING, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO ENVISION THAT COLLINS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR THE FAIRFAX LAND, THAT IT ALSO OUGHT TO BE NOT THE CONFRONTATION WE SAW AT BRIGHT STAR, WHICH WAS HOUSING THAT STILL HAS NOT HAPPENED AND ISN'T ON THE LIST OF THE HOUSING AND A CHARTER SCHOOL.
WE OUGHT TO BE ENVISIONING HOW TO STRENGTHEN PUBLIC SPACE PARKS, SENIOR CENTERS, UH, UH, SCHOOLS, UH, CULTURAL AFFAIRS, ALL SORTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO RE-ENVISION PUBLIC SPACE, UH, AND MAKE AL GORE VERY HAPPY.
UH, EVA, UH, REVA, COME ON DOWN.
YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
AND THEN WE HAVE TWO FOLKS WHO LISTED THEMSELVES THAT'S CALLING IN.
AND THEN A FEW QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBER ORTIZ.
AFTER NOON BOARD MEMBERS, THE FIRST THING I WANNA SAY IS THAT, UM, THINGS HAVEN'T BEEN CLEAR, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, INFORMING THE COMMUNITY AND LETTING THEM KNOW WHEN, UM, GABRIELA CHARTER SCHOOL IS GONNA HAVE AN INCREASE IN STUDENTS.
UH, THIS MEETING I JUST LEARNED TWO DAYS AGO.
SO WE NEED TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION WHEN, UM, THE COMMUNITY NEEDS TO BE INVOLVED WHEN IT COMES TO MEETINGS AND INFORMATION.
UM, SECOND, UM, WE HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
I HEARD COMMENTS FROM ONE SIDE.
I HEARD COMMENTS FROM THE OTHER, AND EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO BE PART OF WHAT THEY WANT TO BE.
UH, IN THIS CASE, WE DIDN'T, WE DIDN'T CHOOSE.
WE WERE, UH, FORCED TO TAKE, UH, A CHARTER SCHOOL INTO OUR SCHOOL LIKE MORE THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT HAS BEEN AFFECTING US.
AND YOU CAN HEAR THE COMMENTS FROM ONE SIDE AND THE COMMENTS FROM THE OTHER, BUT EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE.
UM, HOW DO WE FEEL? 'CAUSE I HAD THREE KIDS THAT, THAT, UM, STARTED, UM, A SCHOOL IN KINDERGARTEN THREE.
AND HOW DO WE FEEL? WE FEEL LIKE SOMEBODY CAME TO OUR HOUSE AND IT'S TAKING OVER EVERYTHING.
UM, THE RESOURCES THAT BELONG TO US IS BEING TAKEN AWAY AND THAT PERSON DOESN'T WANNA GO OUT.
RIGHT? THAT'S THE WAY MY KIDS FEEL BECAUSE THEY STARTED KINDER ALL THE WAY THROUGH EIGHT.
AND I STILL HAVE SOME, UH, LITTLE ONES.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, UM, I'M SORRY.
SO WE ALREADY KNOW HOW HAS IMPACTED US, BUT WE NEED A SOLUTION, UH, THAT OUR KIDS HAVE RIGHTS JUST LIKE THEM, BUT THIS IS HER HOUSE AND WE NEED THEM TO LEAVE.
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IT'S TIME FOR THEM TO LEAVE.ALRIGHT, WE HAVE CALLER STEVEN MENKE.
STEVEN M PLEASE PRESS STAR SIX TO UNMUTE YOURSELF.
AND YOU HAVE TWO MINUTES TO SPEAK ONCE YOU BEGIN.
MY NAME IS STEVEN MANDU AND I'M THE SCHOOL DIRECTOR AT ARTS AND ACTION.
COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL ARTS AND ACTION FOCUSES ON INTEGRATING THE ARTS THROUGH SOCIAL JUSTICE.
ARTS AND ACTION REFLECTS THE EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY.
ALMOST A HUNDRED PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE LATINO, AND 95% ARE CLASSIFIED AS LOW INCOME.
HOWEVER, ARTS IN ACTION IS ALSO UNIQUE IN EAST LOS ANGELES.
IN THAT 28% OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE DISABILITIES, AND ALMOST 15% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS HOMELESS.
ARTS IN ACTION HAS BECOME KNOWN IN THE COMMUNITY FOR SUPPORTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS.
IN FACT, LOCAL L-A-U-S-D SCHOOLS HAVE REFERRED STRUGGLING STUDENTS TO OUR PROGRAM WHERE THOSE SAME STUDENTS HAVE THRIVED.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO SHOW SIGNIFICANT GROWTH ON THE CAST IN BOTH MATH AND ENGLISH.
AND OUR INTERNAL I-READY DATA SHOWS THAT KIDS ARE GROWING ON AVERAGE A GRADE LEVEL AND A HALF EACH SCHOOL YEAR.
EVEN SO, THE DASHBOARD DOESN'T TELL THE FULL STORY OF THE TRANSFORMATIVE WORK WE HAVE DONE IN INTEGRATING SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVISM AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
OUR WORK IS EVEN MORE CRITICAL DURING A TIME WHEN THREATS FROM OUR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAVE CREATED A CULTURE OF FEAR FOR MOST OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES.
WE HOST IMMIGRATION WORKSHOPS, WE SERVE AS VOTING CENTERS, AND WE SERVE AS VACCINATION CLINICS.
WHILE THE WORK IS CHALLENGING, WE HAVE CREATED A JOYFUL AND INCLUSIVE SCHOOL CAMPUS WHERE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES BELONG.
I KNOW THAT YOUR WORK IS NOT EASY AND THAT YOU SERVE MANY SCHOOLS.
HOWEVER, ON BEHALF OF SCHOOLS LIKE OURS, I ASK THAT DURING RENEWALS, YOU CONSIDER THE STORIES BEHIND THE DATA AND VISIT SCHOOLS BEFORE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON CHARTER POLICIES AND RENEWALS.
YOUR PRESENCE AT ARTS IN ACTION WOULD BE ESPECIALLY MEANINGFUL DURING A TIME WHEN OUR EAST LOS ANGELES COMMUNITY IS BEING DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY ICE RAIDS AND HATEFUL ANTI-IMMIGRATION RHETORIC.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SHARE OUR PRACTICES WITH YOU BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE WORK WE DO WITH OUR FAMILIES AND STUDENTS IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
LET'S SEE, THE NEXT CALLER IS AMY BURFIELD.
YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, BUT I DON'T HAVE YOU SIGNED IN? ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? AMY BURFIELD? NO.
AND HOW ABOUT ALLISON? ELAINE VAN ALLISON.
ELAINE VAN, YOU'RE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK REMOTELY, BUT I DON'T HAVE YOU SIGNED IN? ARE YOU IN THE ROOM? NO.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE PUBLIC COMMENT PORTION.
[III.1. Charter Renewal Considerations 2025-2026 (Part 2 of 2)]
SO BOARD MEMBER ORTIZ FRANKLIN DOES HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS FOR YOU, MS. MARLA WILMONT, IF YOU DON'T MIND COMING BACK TO THE PODIUM SO SHE CAN, UM, THAT YOU KNOW.I THINK BECAUSE THE OTHER MEETINGS WERE AT ONE, OUR OUR TEAM WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED, AND SO I APOLOGIZE DEEPLY.
BUT I APPRECIATE YOU, UM, TAKING THE TIME AND, UM, UH, I WON'T TAKE TOO MUCH OF, OF ANYBODY'S TIME, I PROMISE.
UM, I WANTED TO ASK, UH, A COUPLE OF QUICK THINGS.
ONE IS ABOUT THE NUMBER OF RENEWALS COMING THIS YEAR.
AND I'VE SHARED THIS A LITTLE BIT, UM, WITH STAFF INTERNALLY, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR THE PUBLIC, CAN YOU HELP US THINK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS? I THINK NEXT MONTH WE'VE GOT LIKE 43 CHARTERS COMING, INCLUDING, YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THOSE FOR ACTION LIKE 35 IN NOVEMBER.
IT'S JUST A LOT OF ITEMS. DO YOU ANTICIPATE US ADDING ANY MORE MEETINGS OR, UM, HOW HAS THE TEAM THOUGHT THROUGH HOW WE CAN, YOU KNOW, USE OUR LIMITED TIME TO BE FAIR WITH ALL OF THE REALLY BIG DECISIONS THAT ARE COMING BEFORE US? WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
UM, AS TO THE NUMBER OF RENEWALS, YOU ARE CORRECT, THERE IS A LARGE NUMBER OF RENEWALS.
UM, WE ARE EXPECTING, UM, AS WE SAID, 18 RENEWALS AT THE OCTOBER 14TH MEETING IN ADDITION TO THE PUBLIC HEARING, THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, THE 60 DAY PUBLIC HEARING AS WE CALL IT, UM, FOR THE NOVEMBER ITEMS, WHICH IS 25.
SO, UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF ITEMS, UM, AS YOU KNOW, DUE TO, UM, THE, THE, THE POSTPONEMENT DUE, THE LACK OF DATA THEY'RE WE'RE NOW IN, WE DIDN'T HAVE RENEWALS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
AND SO NOW WE'RE IN, THEY POSTPONE THEM AND NOW WE'RE DOING THEM.
AND SO IT'S KIND OF CREATED THIS BUBBLE RIGHT NOW, THIS YEAR AND ALSO NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND AS FAR AS ADDITIONAL MEETINGS, UM, AT THIS TIME I'M NOT AWARE OF ADDING ANY ADDITIONAL BOARD MEETINGS.
IT WILL BE HELD, BEEN BE AT THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AND MAYBE THIS IS ALSO FOR MR. MCLEAN AND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TEAM.
UM, JUST AS WE'RE PREPARING, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS FULL-TIME BOARD MEMBERS, IF WE DO NEED TO TAKE MORE TIME,
[01:25:01]
I THINK SEVERAL OF US WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT.UM, WHAT I WORRY ABOUT IS THAT THE CHARTERS THAT COME EARLIER IN THE MEETING WILL HAVE OUR FULL ATTENTION AND THEN LATER IN THE MEETING, AS YOU KNOW, BOARD MEMBERS GET HUNGRY FOR DINNER AND NEED TO RESPOND TO OUR OWN FAMILIES, THAT WE WON'T HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF INVOLVEMENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD JUST ASK THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION, THE BOARD, SECRETARIAT'S OFFICE, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S TEAM, TO REALLY THINK THROUGH, UM, OUR EQUITABLE LIKE PROCESS OVER THE NEXT FEW, UM, MONTHS AS WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE RENEWALS.
AND SOME OF THAT MIGHT BE IN YOUR PREPARATION, WORKING WITH, YOU KNOW, WHO'S COMING AND, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY ARE BEING RECOMMENDED FOR RENEWAL VERSUS ANY THAT ARE NOT, IF ANY, ARE BORDERLINE OR YOU ANTICIPATE BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS GOING A LITTLE LATER.
I JUST, I'M ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF COLLABORATION HERE SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS, YOU KNOW, THE THE FAIR SHOT THAT THEY DESERVE.
LET ME ALSO, GOOD AFTERNOON BOARD MEMBER AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE NOTES.
UM, I'LL JUST ADD THAT, UH, THERE HAVE BEEN CONVERSATIONS LEADING UP TO THIS YEAR'S RENEWALS AND WE'RE REVISITING, UH, THOSE CONVERSATIONS GIVEN THE NUMBERS WITH THE OFFICES YOU INDICATED.
UM, SO FURTHER INFORMATION THERE AS TO ANY UPDATES.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS, UH, HAVE OCCURRED, WILL CONTINUE TO OCCUR, UH, TO TRY TO BE AS, UH, STREAMLINED BUT FAIR AS POSSIBLE PURSUANT TO LAW AND AND POLICY.
AND CONGRATS ON YOUR NEW ROLE.
I DUNNO IF YOU'VE BEEN PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, IN THIS POSITION SINCE THEN, BOTH OF YOU.
YOU KNOW, I ACTUALLY THINK THE RESIDENT SCHOOL COMPARISON IS HELPFUL FOR, UM, NON-CHARTER SCHOOLS AS WELL.
AND SO I WONDERED WHEN THE, UM, STATEWIDE DATA BECOMES EMBARGOED THIS SEPTEMBER OR OCTOBER, WHENEVER IT'S ACTUALLY COMING OUT, UM, FOR THIS YEAR, IS THAT INFORMATION WE COULD JUST SHARE WITH OUR OWN SCHOOLS, UM, SO THAT THEY KNOW, YOU KNOW, HOW THEY'RE DOING TO COMPARED TO ONE ANOTHER? I THINK BOTH TRADITIONAL AND CHARTER SCHOOLS, I THINK IT'S JUST AN ANNUAL GOOD PRACTICE FOR US TO SHARE, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE CHOICES AVAILABLE TO STUDENTS IN A PARTICULAR NEIGHBORHOOD, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER MODEL OF SCHOOL IT IS, CHARTER, YOU KNOW, AFFILIATED INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL, MAGNET SCHOOL, DISTRICT SCHOOL.
LIKE THERE ARE SO MANY CHOICES FOR FAMILIES.
UM, THE RESIDENT, UM, SCHOOL COMPARISON IS A GREAT TOOL THAT I WISH WE COULD JUST MAKE MORE BROADLY AVAILABLE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE TEAM HAS THOUGHT ABOUT THIS AND MAYBE JOSE, THIS IS ALSO WITH CAROLYN.
I KNOW YOU HAVE LIKE A BROADER STRATEGIC PLANNING KIND OF GROUP.
UM, BUT I WOULD, UM, SHARE THAT AS A, AN IDEA TO CONSIDER, UM, JUST SO THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER BUT ALSO REALLY GIVING OUR FAMILIES THE BEST INFORMATION AVAILABLE.
SO I DUNNO IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
LET US TAKE THAT BACK FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
AND THEN MY LAST ONE, UM, I THINK WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF HIGH PERFORMING, UH, SCHOOLS.
UM, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S JUST ONE THIS YEAR.
UM, MAYBE DR. RIVAS, THIS IS FOR THE COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER, BUT I'D, I'D LOVE TO LEARN FROM THEM.
UM, I THINK MAYBE WE HAD ONE LAST YEAR.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING SPACE FOR PRESENTATIONS, BUT AT SOME POINT, UM, I'D LOVE TO LEARN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO BE IN THAT REALLY TOP TIER THAT LOTS OF OUR SCHOOLS WOULD LOVE TO BE IN TOO.
UM, SO WHETHER IT'S THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THE CSDS RENEWAL PROCESS AND YOU GET LIKE A FEW HIGHLIGHTS OR NUGGETS, UM, I WOULD JUST LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, SHARE SOME OF THOSE BEST PRACTICES THAT WE COULD BE, YOU KNOW, LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE BROADLY FROM, AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN A PUBLIC SPACE LIKE THIS.
IT COULD BE IF, IF THERE'S SPACE FOR THE COMMITTEE TO HAVE A PRESENTATION OR IT COULD JUST BE LIKE A ONE PAGE OF HIGHLIGHTS OF, YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING THAT THE DISTRICT MIGHT CONSIDER, UM, AS WE, YOU KNOW, THINK ABOUT IMPROVING ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
SO THAT'S MY, MY LAST, YOU KNOW, IDEA QUESTION, UH, THOUGHT FOR THE DAY.
BUT JUST GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, UH, LOTS OF DISCUSSION THIS YEAR ABOUT OUR, UM, SCHOOLS WITH SOME FLEXIBILITIES AND, UH, I KNOW THE BOARD WILL HAVE, UM, A LOT COMING BEFORE US, SO APPRECIATE THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION TAKING ON SO MUCH.
I KNOW YOU ALL ARE GONNA BE DOING A LOT WITH OUR CHARTER PARTNERS AND PREPARING FOR THOSE, UM, RENEWAL MEETINGS.
SO JUST, UH, THANK YOU AND, UM, THANKS FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE TIME TODAY.
I DID WANNA ADDRESS ONE PIECE OF WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE, UM, HIGH PERFORMING SCHOOL SHARING.
WE DO HAVE, UM, IN OUR POLICY THAT THEY ARE TO ADD TO THEIR PETITIONS HOW THEY ARE SHARING PROMISING PRACTICES.
AND THEN WE DO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AS TO WHAT PROMISING PRACTICE THEY IDENTIFY.
UM, SO THAT IS PART OF OUR, THAT IS PART OF OUR POLICY AND PART OF WHAT WE DO WHEN WE ARE EVALUATING AND RENEWING A, UH, HIGH PERFORMING CHARTER SCHOOL.
WELL LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT THEN.
REVA FOR LETTING ME COME ON AT THE END.
UM, YEAH, THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT.
'CAUSE THAT WAS GONNA MENTION, I KNOW THIS PART OF POLICY AND I KNOW THERE WAS A RESOLUTION THAT, UM, THEN BOARD MEMBER GOLDBERG MEANT, YOU KNOW, ADDED THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COLLECTING THE BEST PRACTICES AND ALSO TO SHARE.
SO DEFINITELY WOULD, UM, LOOK INTO DOING A PRESENTATION WHENEVER Y'ALL ARE READY TO DO A PRESENTATION ON THAT.
UM, OKAY, WELL THAT IS, WE HAVE COME TO THE END, UM,
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OF OUR, UH, THE FIRST, UM, CHARTER SCHOOL MEETING OF THE, OF THIS ACADEMIC YEAR.SO ONCE AGAIN, I, I DO, UM, WANNA THANK THE STAFF AT THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION, YOU, OUR NEW DIRECTOR, MS. MARLA WILMONT, UH, FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR STAFF AS WELL.
EVERYONE THAT WORKS IN THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION FOR YOUR TIRELESS WORK.
IT IS A LOT OF WORK ANALYZING ALL OF THESE CHARTERS.
SO, UM, UM, I, WE DO APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU ALL ARE DOING, UM, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALIZE ALL THE STEPS, ALL THE OVERSIGHT AND VISITS AND ANALYSIS AND THE DATA, EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO COMB THROUGH TO GET US, UM, THOSE REPORTS.
AND ALSO TO OBVIOUSLY SHARE WITH THE, THE CHARTERS AS WELL SO THEY CAN, UH, VIEW THE REPORTS PRIOR TO THE BOARD MEETING.
SO WE DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR WORK.
I DO ALSO WANT TO SAY, UM, THANK YOU TO OUR LABOR PARTNERS AND THE, UM, THE, THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THAT CAME TO SPEAK BEFORE US.
UM, WE HEAR YOU, WE'VE TAKEN NOTES AND WE WILL TAKE THAT BACK, INFORM THAT INFORMATION AND YOUR EXPERIENCES, UM, TO THE CHARTER SCHOOL DIVISION AND ALSO TO, UM, IN CONSIDERATION, UM, TO, TO JUST KNOW THAT WE HEAR YOU AND WE UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH.
UM, SO, UM, AS WE BEGIN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I WANNA EXPRESS THAT, UM, THIS COMMITTEE, I REMAIN COMMITTED TO CONTINUING THIS WORK WITH INTEGRITY, WITH PURPOSE AND UNWAVERING FOCUS FOR ALL STUDENTS, FOR THE SUCCESS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WITHIN, WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME AND PARTICIPATION TODAY.
UH, THIS MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.