May 15, 2013 regular meeting preview

May is a very busy month for the school board. I will likely be late to this meeting as I run from another meeting to seek support for the Local Control Funding Formula. Below are the items most likely to interest the public

C.16 Organizational Change / Job Description

Consent calendar items usually don’t earn mention, but this is a substantive change. Our departing Executive Director for Technology gives us an opportunity to rethink the position and create a Chief Technology Officer position. The new role acknowledges the inextricable nature of technology in every aspect of our system.

D1 Ivy League Summer Programs

The 2013 ILC Scholars will be acknowledged Wednesday evening.

D2 WCCUSD Common Core Standards Project Plan Update

The Common Core State Standards Project Plan will be presented in detail to the board.

D3 Review of Outstanding Bonds and Refunding Analysis

KNN Public Finance will present possible bond refunding opportunities.

F1 Restoration of Elementary Instrumental Music

Staff will present a plan that restores elementary music in two phases. Phase 1 of the proposal  will have elementary instrumental music restored in 2013/14 in the following schools: Riverside, Ellerhorst, Bayview, Valley View, Hanna Ranch, Olinda, Lupine Hills, Highland, Ohlone, Stewart, Murphy, Sheldon, Fairmont, Harding, Mira Vista Elementary, Madera, Kensington, Washington and Stege Elementary Schools. Phase 2 would occur during the 13-14 school year and solicit the remaining school communities’ preferences for types of music programming, leading to full restoration for all elementary schools in 2014-15.

Quick update

Over the last three weeks, the pace of events coupled with disability-related fatigue have kept me from keeping you informed. My apologies for not making this a higher priority, but we are engaged in very big things. On the plus side, WCCUSD has reincarnated its Facebook account.

Below are brief coverage of outcomes for our April 24 and May 1 regular meetings.

April 24 Regular meeting

 C.19 Resolution No. 87-1213: Local Control Funding Formula

The board adopted a resolution in strong support of Governor Jerry Brown’s Local Control Funding Formula. The LCFF would fundamentally reconfigure school funding in California, sensibly giving more funds to English learning students and those with low-incomes. I urge you to support this effort by contacting your legislators.

D1 Update on WCCUSD’s Integrated Food and Health Program

WCCUSD serves over a million meals each year, breakfast, lunch and dinner. Students that might otherwise go hungry have access to continuous nutrition year round. I deeply appreciate our Food and Health program’s ability to adapt to need in our community. It serves as a reminder that school performs many more roles than a classroom education.

D2. Gateway to College

Contra Costa College partners with WCCUSD to provide some of our most intriguing programs like Middle College High School. CCC continues in its innovation streak by offering Gateway to College, a program targeting at-risk students by placing them in the college environment. We heard from three students that struggled in our standard setting now thriving on the CCC campus.

F1. Tier III Categorical Flexibility- Public Hearing

The State of California send up to a third of its school funding through more than 60 protected programs known as categoricals. With serious restrictions and reporting requirements, they tend to be difficult pots of money to administer. In response to to financial crisis, the state allowed districts to use some categorical funds – the tier III programs- to use in lieu of cuts to the primary revenue limit funds. WCCUSD uses Tier III funds to stave further devastation in our classrooms, but it comes at a high price. We use over half of Adult Education’s allocated funds to support K-12 education. Adults without high school diplomas, English learners and new citizens must now wait for access to classes.

May 1 Meeting wrap-up

The May 1 meeting was heavily attended for a WCCUSD board meeting. I spent the earlier part of the day and most of the previous five at the American Education Research Association Conference. Needless to say, I entered the meeting running on fumes. Board meetings are intellectually draining. I try to reserve enough energy to give the work my full engagement, but am not always successful.

F1 Caliber Schools Charter Submission Staff Recommendation

If you’ve been around Richmond public education recently, you’ve probably heard from Caliber. This non-profit charter initiative is very eager to build a program in WCCUSD.They’ve conducted a series of community meetings to drum up family support. I’ve met with the team a number of times to discuss their vision and plans.

Caliber is presenting some very interesting ideas. They want to give each child a personalized education. I share this interest. They want to introduce computer programming as a “second language.” I also am interested in pursing this. Given these factors, I was initially leaned toward supporting their charter.

I then read their application and watched their presentation to the board. I found the application filled with aspiration, but short on specifics. The presentation to the board seemed designed to show community interest in a new schooling option, not a thoughtful examination addressing the needs of WCCUSD students.The Caliber team, while big on heart, was thin on experienced educators. The only WCCUSD teachers on their advisory team were early in their careers. Added together, these factors undermined my confidence in Caliber’s plan.

D3. Report on the District’s Families in Transition

We were presented with gripping account of our most vulnerable families. Hundreds of WCCUSD students lose their housing each year. District staff and Community Based Organizations step into support our students immediately on discovering these crises.

 

 

 

 

April 10, 2013 regular meeting wrap-up

Apologies for the long delay in reporting. I left for the National School Boards Association annual meeting on April 11, and this is the first free day since then.

D1. Teacher of the year awards.

We should all show our gratitude for the incredible professionals that choose to work in WCCUSD despite the low compensation. The Ed Fund’s 25th Teacher Excellence awards honored great teachers working to transform student lives. Again, this year’s winners were:

  • Nathan Jackson- DeJean Junior High
  • Beth Levine- Montalvin Elementary
  • Steve Mainini- Kennedy High
  • Mike Mannix- Richmond High
  • Eric Verspraukus- Lincoln Elementary, and
  • Kennedy High Counselor Fini Prak.

This event is truly a highlight of the year.

D.3 Common Core Standards Project Plan

A team of teachers, administrators and parents toiled over six facilitated sessions to create a common view of WCCUSD’s move to the Common Core State Standards over the next two years. The work is exciting and challenging, requiring some deep changes in the ways students are taught. Working with the United Teachers of Richmond -our teachers’ association- we made advances in defining a collaborative approach to enormous tasks ahead. Thanks to UTR President Diane Brown for her championing the teacher’s perspective throughout the process.

By no means complete, the task force product came down to a framework based on a cycle of inquiry. School sites and WCCUSD Educational Services will both develop greater capacity to support the complex changes required by the Common Core. The board will receive a regular update on progress made.

F.2 Scholar-in-Residence

WCCUSD like many large districts is subject to a litany of mandates, trends and policies not designed with our schools in mind. I proposed that we develop an internal research capacity through a visiting Scholar-in-Residence.By inviting a new scholar every year, we have the possibility of adding deep understanding to our collective capacity in different areas of need. You can read  my proposal here.

Given the relatively low expense and potentially high reward, I was surprised by the deep concern expressed by my fellow board members. In keeping with my campaign promise of frugal innovation, I will continue to offer ideas that have transformative potential while remaining fiscally responsible.

F.2 Restoration of Elementary Music

The arts must be part of a WCCUSD education. The board embarked on the steady path to restoring elementary music in phases over the next two years. We will allocate 2.5 positions to serve a set of elementary schools starting in 2013-14. We will add more positions growing to serve all schools in the following academic year. Phasing in the program allows WCCUSD to create well-planned, fiscally sustainable and highly effective music education for all elementary students. Implementing a district-wide program in one year would likely lead to a less effective result.

In the special meeting to address issues in the Portola-ECHS family, the board directed the ECHS establish a differentiating arts program to attract and retain students. To support this new program,  board member Ramsey offered a motion to assure that the ECHS feeder schools be in the first phase of the elementary music restoration. The remaining schools in the first phase will be decided in our May 15 meeting. If your child’s school is in the second phase, please know that elementary music arts are coming. It stinks that we can’t do everything all at once, but the benefits of a prudent start are large.

 

WCCUSD regular board meeting agenda preview, April 8, 2013

The April 8 meeting should be a long one. The topics most likely to elicit interest are:

D1 Teacher of the Year

Each year, WCCUSD and the Ed Fund select a handful of our best teachers for distinction in the Annual Excellence in Education Award. This year’s winners are:

  • Nathan Jackson- DeJean Junior High
  • Beth Levine- Montalvin Elementary
  • Steve Mainini- Kennedy High
  • Mike Mannix- Richmond High
  • Eric Verspraukus- Lincoln Elementary

You can join the community in celebrating these accomplished educators while furthering a good cause by attending the Excellence in Education Luncheon event- April 20, 11am at the Craneway Pavilion.

D3 WCCUSD Common Core Standards Project Plan

The WCCUSD created a Common Core Task Force to oversee the sweeping work of changing to these new educational standards. We met 6 times and covered different aspects of this detailed undertaking. Task Force members will report to the board their discoveries and suggestions.

F1 Scholar-in-Residence

My plan to bridge the gap between current research and present practice in WCCUSD.

F2 Restoration of Elementary Instrumental Music

If adopted, elementary music would be phased back in the district.

 

Special Board Meeting-March 27, 2013 regarding ECHS-Portola Family of Schools

The WCCUSD Board of Education convened a special meeting this past Wednesday, March 27 to hear the community’s vision for the new Portola campus.  A crowd of 50-80 attended with representation from across southern WCCUSD. Principal Matt Burnham received a thunderous ovation for his presentation- and his accomplishments. Around 20 speakers offered strong support for current school improvement efforts while sharing visions for the new Portola. The evening resulted in an overwhelmingly positive exploration of ways to expand on current successes.

Converging factors prompted the board to call this meeting.  After 10 long years, the new campus is becoming a reality. WCCUSD received six bids for the new Portola building. The contract should be approved at our April 10 meeting. The board also wants to honor growing elementary parent commitment through GoPortola, “an inclusive forum for potential, future, current, and past families of Portola Middle School to share information and foster long-term community involvement in Portola.” Additionally, the board acknowledges that schools in the El Cerrito family have significant attrition of students- the highest in WCCUSD- a trend we want to reverse.

Superintendent Bruce Harter gave a data rich presentation illuminating Portola-El Cerrito family of schools.  Dr. Harter’s data confirms that schools in the southern district lose more students than other regions. Neighboring Albany USD attracts 450 WCCUSD students with Berkeley and Accalanes serving close this amount. The student loss is a serious concern and a main reason for this meeting. Note that competitor districts receive higher per pupil funding than WCCUSD and serve fewer low resource students, a situation Governor Brown is trying to address with the Local Control Funding Formula.  Portola serves elementary schools with the highest and lowest API scores in WCCUSD, creating substantial challenges in serving all students well.

Principal Matt Burnham presented an overview of Portola’s current standing and future plans. Extreme student performance range presents challenge to academic growth. As the public education proponent Bill Daggett states, equity is in conflict with excellence. If we simply pick which kids to serve, we can achieve excellence easily, yet Portola’s greatest strength resides in student diversity. My daughter attends a highly selective East Coast college. Witnessing the effects of sheltered upbringing on her “privileged” classmates, she is thankful every day for the perspective given by her WCCUSD experience. We must strengthen learning for all students, but we offer an unrivaled lesson in community.

To better address individual learning needs, Mr Burnham requested support to implement Universal Design for Learning and all day learning center on campus. By providing more options and personalized support for all students, Portola will better serve its diverse student needs.

Speakers represented current and potential future Portola parents. Recurring themes centered on keeping a safe and well-behaved campus, improving academic rigor and offering more electives. Views were more mixed on physical education waivers. Many students play sports and may want to take more classes, an option sought by a few speakers. Others felt that PE brings the school together and provides important developmental, social and health education needed by all students. Parents from Washington Elementary’s dual Spanish/English immersion program sought assurance that the program will continue on through Portola to El Cerrito High School.

The Board then addressed specific proposals to enhance Portola’s attraction. To support strengthened middle school learning, I proposed that WCCUSD attain a Scholar-in-Residence next year versed in Universal Design for Learning. This one year position will add substantially to WCCUSD’s capacity to deliver a more personalized learning experience, moving away from  one-size-fits-all. The Board then directed staff to develop a vibrant “School-of-the-Arts”-type program centered around the ECHS Theater. To assure that all students have an equitable opportunity to participate, The board directed that elementary music be restored district-wide. Finally, the board made physical education waivers more accessible to parents wanting the option.

WCCUSD staff will develop ideas generated at our March 27 meeting into detailed plans to be adopted, most likely at our April 10 regular meeting. While the Brown Act precludes board members from publicly sharing our views of actions items until after our vote, we welcome your thoughts. This recap will be cross-posted on my blog on El Cerrito Patch.

 

 

 

 

Richmond City Council-WCCUSD Meeting March 26, 2013

Thank you to the Richmond City Council for so graciously receiving the WCCUSD Board on March 26, 2013,  the 4th joint meeting this year with our cities, leaving only El Cerrito yet to come.

Joint meeting take home

Serving our varied communities well proves a deep challenge to our organization. Each city takes a widely different approach to partnering with WCCUSD. Richmond and San Pablo contribute millions to programs for students. El Cerrito, Pinole and Hercules have a much clearer delineation between the city/school roles, with funding flowing to cities from the district to support programs like School Resource Officers and after school. Should we work toward school-city partnership model consistent across the district, or retain flexibility from city to city? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

 

 

 

 

March 20, 2013 meeting in a nutshell

March 20 became quite the evening, running from 5:30 to 10:30. We had a full and eventful agenda.

F1. No contract with United Teachers of Richmond

We began the evening waiting for word from our teachers’ association as to whether they accepted the tentative agreement reached between them and WCCUSD negotiating team. In an apparently close vote, UTR membership rejected the tentative agreement. Both sides worked diligently over a long period to get this far, and I thank both teams for their efforts.

UTR President Diane Brown has sought a district commitment to better pay for teachers. I believe our teachers deserve a better wage, as do our other employees. The added burden of higher insurance costs are causing real hardship. The most senior employees, attracted to WCCUSD by lifetime benefits, have lost much. Lower salaries translate into lower pensions, and none will now receive the promise of free health care for life. I understand the pain this causes.

Better salaries will come only with more revenue. Two paths exist. We can follow communities like Albany and Piedmont by supporting more parcel taxes. I would certainly pay a few hundred more dollars yearly for more effective learning. A near supermajority continually vote yes for more local school money, but not enough to cross the 2/3 threshold. Efforts are underway in the assembly to lower the threshold to 55%.

We can also get behind the governor’s Local Control Funding Formula. The LCFF would provide significant funding for districts serving high poverty and English learning students. Few districts will benefit more than WCCUSD. If you support this bold approach to real equity, tell your legislators Assemblymembers Nancy Skinner and Susan Bonilla along with Senator Loni Hancock.

As revenues pick up with a growing economy or legislative act, a deluge of pent up needs will vie for the funds. Students must be first in line for the money. I’ve pondered if lowered class size is the best use of new funds. We had low class sizes for a decade prior to the fiscal emergency with little to show for it. In fact, most of our high schools’ performance declined with the entrance of the first classes starting in 20 student K-3. Are there better uses for the money?

F2 Second Interim Report

WCCUSD is required to send two updates on financial status each each. The Second Interim Report covers finances from the fiscal year’s start to January 31, 2013. We appear to be in good fiscal health, although we are running a structural deficit barring increased revenues.

G1 Caliber Charter School

An enthusiastic crowd showed up to support a charter proposal from Caliber. As we still must vote on the application at our May 1 meeting, I can’t share my thoughts until afterward.

Item C11 Single Plans for Student Achievement (SPSA’s)

Buried in the consent calendar was an item to approve SPSA’s for the current year. I pulled the item out of dismay. SPSA’s constitute the bulk of our School Site Councils’ effort and comprise a great many hours of principals’ work. To have them adopted in such a cursory manner as a consent item is symptomatic of everything wrong in public education. We take a practice meant to prompt reflection and self-examination and turn into a empty compliance exercise. Stuff like this has to stop!

 

March 20, 2013 regular meeting agenda preview

After a great visit to Riverside Elementary, I returned home today to the biggest Friday packet I’ve ever seen. The board packet alone is the size of a phone book. Looks like a long, bleary-eyed weekend!

The Big Items

F1. Approval of Agreement with United Teachers of Richmond

After many months of negotiations, district and union teams have reached a tentative agreement. If ratified by UTR membership, the terms will be sunshined and the agreement will go before the board for approval.

F2. Second Interim Report

The second interim report is one of two reports required by the Ed Code each year to disclose our financial position. This report covers the period ending on January 31, 2013. I intend to curl up with this spreadsheet on steroids over the weekend and try to make sense of government accounting standards.

G1. Charter Hearing for Caliber Schools

We will listen to the charter application for Caliber Schools. The hearing gives the board a chance to question the applicants, probe their plans and weigh the impact on the community.

So much to read….

 

March 18, 2013 Joint Meeting with the City Council of San Pablo

The WCCUSD Board will meet jointly with the City Council of San Pablo this Monday, March 18. The agenda can be read here.

Joint meetings provide our distinct communities opportunity to address global and local concern. The City of San Pablo has championed extensive school-community partnerships and is a leader in full service community schooling. I’m looking forward to an evening of engaged dialogue.