Right,
we can go ahead and get started. Evelyn,
will you start us off with the roll
call?
Trusty Lee
here. Trusty King here. Trusty Marquez
here. Vice President Weekley present.
President Wells here. Um, good evening.
Sorry, it's a tough act to follow there.
Um uh welcome to the June 11th, 2025
meeting of the Redwood City School
District Governing Board.
CCON
situ
and then this is our first meeting since
the last day of school. So I just wanted
to start us off by congratulating all
the students and families for their
accomplishments this year. Special
congratulations to all the students that
celebrated promotion ceremonies to
middle school and graduation ceremonies
to high schools. And of course, you
know, congratulations and thank you to
the office staff, the custodians, the
transportation drivers, maintenance
teams, child nutrition, mental health,
par educators, reading specialists, the
teachers, community school coordinators,
site admins, um district staff, you
know, really all the staff that just is
so instrumental in uh seeing our
students um and families succeed. Uh so,
thank you. Thank you all that uh work
for the district and members of the
public that are joining us. You know,
you are our partners in education. Um
and the board encourages you to
participate and provide comments on
issues of concern and regardless of
whether they are on the agenda um to
speak, please complete a speaker card
online. If you are here or if you're
here in person, you'll find them
available at the entrance and then hand
them to Evelyn. And if you're addressing
a subject listed on the agenda, we'll
call you at the time that that item is
being considered. And if the issue is
not on the agenda, you'll be called
shortly during the oral communication
agenda item uh that comes right after we
approve the agenda. And of course, to be
fair to all speakers, we limit uh
comments to three minutes per person per
topic unless it's otherwise noted. Um
and so with that, uh do we have any
changes to the agenda?
Nope. Okay, then uh let's go ahead and
we need a motion to approve the agenda.
I move to approve the agenda.
All right. All in favor? I. Okay. Agenda
approved. And we will move on to public
comment which I forgot to open. Evelyn,
maybe you have it open. You can tell me
if
Okay.
Is this for agenda number?
Oh, it's for public. Okay. Great. Uh
then we will start with Maria Stockton.
Um, and if you wouldn't uh if you turn
on the microphone, it's the person with
the Yeah.
Apologize. Hi there, Maria Stockton. Uh,
uh, Redwood City 5 chapter president.
Uh, I'm first I I all day I was so happy
to come and talk to you and then
something happened. I'm not so happy.
So, I'm going to try and get over this.
I'm sorry. But first, I want to tell you
how delightful it was for us to go over
to the schools Thursday and Friday, our
representatives from CSEA to give five
of eight graduate five of eighth of
graduating students from eighth grade.
Uh it was a $100 scholarship. Our people
loved doing it. it was uh put the names
were given by the principles and the
reasons and so it was a delight and we
are hoping and really working toward
making this happen again next year. So
we're really happy. So the other thing
that may be upset is we are working very
very hard to settle issues in this
school district. We respect the
district. we expect to be respected and
it's very hard for us to have meetings
when we don't feel dis we don't feel
respected by this district. We set
meetings. We come here and we are told
that the meetings are online and it's
very disrespect disrespectful when we
know there are people in this district
behind closed doors on their computers
instead of down here speaking face to
face with us. It really makes us feel
that this negotiations of whatever we do
and trying to deal fairly with the
district is not being recognized.
And so we would like things to change.
It's hard enough. You have an HR
director that lives out of the town. We
have to work our schedules for her to be
here if she's here. But the other people
on your team are here in this office.
And when we go upstairs and we see
they're here when they should have been
down here, we feel is a waste of time
and it is not good negotiations. We
would hope that to improve, please.
Thank you.
All right. Thank you for your comments,
Maria. Um, let's move on to
bond. Uh, let's see. Or communication.
There's no program consent items. So,
we'll move on to bond program action
items. And our first item is 7.1
adoption of the final facilities master
plan.
Good evening members of the board. Uh
tonight I'll welcome Aaron Jobson from
Qka back to discuss the final version of
the facilities master plan uh as well as
what's happened with the plan since the
last time it was presented to uh the
board a couple of weeks ago. So with
that, I'll hand it over to Aaron.
Thanks, Rick. I'm just going to share
the master plan document
successfully. All right. So, uh just a
quick kind of process overview to start
since we met last time, which I think it
was just two weeks ago, right? Uh then
we uh we did some work to incorporate
comments we got from you. We also got
some additional comments from uh some of
the school site leaders. Um so we made a
few changes to the document based on
that. Not a lot of changes really uh
adjusted a few IOQ scores based on some
feedback from you guys on on the uh for
the charter schools specifically. uh
made a few tweaks to some of the
relatively minor adjustments to some of
the plans based on feedback from a
couple of the principles and uh and then
and you know kind of crossing the tees,
dotting the eyes, kind of a few
corrections here and there to fix a few
errors that we had noticed. And then
late last week we published the updated
draft for for today that we're reviewing
today. Um, and then the goal here is
hopefully to get your approval on that
tonight. And then we'll publish the
final draft. And there may be a few
things that we need to incorporate
between now and then, which is which is
totally fine. There's a couple of minor
corrections we noted already. And if
there are additional comments or things
like that today, we can kind of take
those as part of the approval and
incorporate them into the final kind of
approved draft that we would then
publish, you know, late this week or
early next week. Um, so just kind of
overview, that's what we're we're
talking about. We got a few comments
even yesterday that we're um that we're
already working on. and that we can
incorporate into this and have they're
relatively uh simple to address so that
we feel like we can do that without
changing materially the the document or
anything like that. Um, so that's all
part of the process we've been through
for the last nine months, I guess, at
this point. Uh, and really kind of
trying to have as much engagement in
this process and with the community as
possible to make sure that we're
reflecting
um the the broadest possible sense, the
needs of the community and the desires
of the community for what's most
important to improve the educational
experience and really how to best use
each dollar the district has to benefit
education. So, that's kind of overall
where we are. Um, we we've been through
this document a number of times, so I'm
happy to take any questions or uh look
at anything you want to look at. We have
the whole document here, and I'll make
any any kind of comments and notes on um
on it that um that we come up with
today, but I think I wasn't planning to
kind of formally present any parts of it
today.
Thank you. And then just to confirm
because I I think this is what you said
and I did not notice anything that was
materially different between the last
time we reviewed it but it sounds like
what you're saying is that there no real
material changes. Some some suggestions
rolled in but nothing really significant
to the suggested plans or what would
happen at each site. Correct. Yeah. I
think there were a few, you know, kind
of moving make this classroom pre-K and
this classroom, uh, you know, TK and
then some of the relatively minor
changes, but didn't change like the
scope of projects and we're able to do
that accommodate those most of the
comments that we got by doing that
without having significant changes,
right? And of course, the details we
won't know until we actually
we're at the top level and we'll get
into a lot more detail on all these
things as we go forward. Kind of the big
boxes, not the not the little ones.
Okay. Um, do any of the trustees have
anything they'd like to discuss, comment
on, or ask questions about?
This is our third time um, reviewing the
plan, so I think that that's not too
surprising. Um, and then Rick, I
couldn't quite tell if you had anything
that you wanted to um, add. You were
kind of looking I wasn't sure if you had
a comment you wanted to make or no.
Uh no comment on that reason but um
happy with the document knowing that
it's a living document. Yeah. Uh that's
subject to modification as we move
forward as we identify plan and identify
future projects that this uh can come
back for amendments or additions or
deletions. Uh and thanks to Aaron and
the QKA team for the work on this.
You're welcome. Yeah. I think one of the
things one of the things we talked about
was talking about today Rick was is just
the the context that you know this
document is based on a set of
assumptions and information that we have
now and it's the best just choices that
we can make based on that information
and as that information changes in the
future it's expected that the document
will be revised. It's required by Prop 2
that you update the master plan every 5
years. So that's kind of a good
benchmark to use as a cycle. But if
something significant changes before
then and you want to update it sooner
than that um you know that's easy enough
to do as well. Yeah. And that's a really
good reminder because I feel like there
were flavors of questions that had come
up around well what if this scenario
happened three years from now um have
you locked your you know and of course
not uh you can come back and revise it.
So yeah classic example of that is if we
were to look back five six years ago
then all of a sudden we're adding TK
that's a pretty big change in context.
Yeah. And so that requires updating a
whole bunch of master plans and we don't
expect necessarily something that
significant in the near future. But
enrollment trends obviously are the kind
of most obvious thing that can change
and and require revisions whether that's
just to one part of one school or you
know more than that. Yeah. Okay. Um I
agree with Rick. Thank you for the the
work that's been gone in here and for
the engagement with the board coming to
our meetings and sort of answering all
our questions and the engagement with
the community at the two school sites.
the the actual the community meetings at
the two school sites, the one online and
then numerous I don't know actually how
many times you went and met at the um
school sites themselves to be able to
pull the information. So at least two at
each school. So not sure what that adds
up to in total, but that would be a good
over 20. So that's a good amount. Um
okay, so this is a this is an action.
Yes, this is an action item and so we'll
need a vote to approve. Um can I get a
motion to approve? Uh, I move to adopt
the facility master plan. And is there a
second? Second. All in favor? I
pass. Thank you. It's been a pleasure
working with you all and look forward to
working more in the future. Likewise.
Okay.
Okay. Um, our next item is 7.2, which is
the approval of the seaman's building
management uh system for the mechanical
controls for the school sites getting
HVAC. Um, Rick. Yeah. And I'd like to
invite Nick Olson up from VPCS, our bond
program manager, and Marvantes uh who we
all know to talk about the Seaman's
building management system. Thank you
for that introduction, Rick. Uh good
evening, members of the board. So 7.2 2
is the recommended approval of the
seaman's building management system
specifically for the mechanical controls
for this summer's four campuses where
we're replacing and upgrading the HVAC.
So just as a reminder that's Hoover,
Taft, Roosevelt, and Adilante Selby. Um
the reason that we're recommending
Seammens is because the district
actually standardized with Seammen's uh
building management control a while
back. So we want wanted to continue that
for ease of maintenance and consistency.
So that was what was specified in the
project. Uh the reason that we're
recommending contracting with them
directly is so that we can take
advantage of uh the cooperative
purchasing agreement through Sourcewell
uh to get us the best price for the
scope. So we're happy to take any
questions, but uh the recommendation is
to approve this contract with sequence.
All right. Thank you. Uh do do anyone
have um questions or comments?
Okay. The one the one question I had is
for this one and it kind of relates to
the next one, Rick and I think we had
talked about this once before, but I
mean I joined measure T way down through
the implementation process and there was
kind of a detailed budgeting process
around it to be able to track it. With
only like one or two projects going on,
it's pretty easy to kind of keep it, you
know, float. when when do you think
we'll move into that kind of here it is
you know here's the contingency here's
the board reserve here's the budget and
the moving of transferring of funds
between projects and etc. Yeah so we're
still uh we're finalizing the
implementation of the financial system
for measure S uh and we're starting to
get I'll say valid reports out of that
where we'll be able to present those to
the board on a regular basis. Okay,
great. Yeah, I keep asking like what's
the budget? I can't remember. So, it's
been it's been helpful. Okay. And we'll
be able to include that for as well with
specific projects as they come back for
discussion or Okay. updates. Okay.
Great. Perfect. Um Okay. Uh is there a
motion to approve this?
I'll make a motion to approve 7.2. And
is there a second?
All in favor? I perfect. Um okay. Okay.
Then 7.3 is the guaranteed maximum price
amendment for the lease with block
constructions for the HVAC updates going
in this summer. I'll just turn it over
to Nick and Martin again. Yeah, thank
you. Uh 7.3 as you said is recommended
approval of the GMP for uh block
construction. If you recall at the May
14th meeting, uh the board approved the
lease lease back contract with block
construction to kick off the
pre-construction portion of that work.
Um that started our subcontractor
bidding period. Um, so we went through a
whole collaborative process with Block
um to for the pre-approved
subcontractors to bid um and they're
pre-approved based on prior experience
um ability to meet the contracts uh or
schedule um and so we did a open book
competitive process. We got good bid
coverage. I think we got really
competitive bids. Um, so,
um, now this is all the rest of the
scope outside of the controls. Remember,
we pre-ordered the actual mechanical
units. Um, and if the board approves
tonight, uh, we would spend the next
couple days getting bonds and insurance
and all that in place and actual start
actual construction on Monday. So, uh,
that's the hope. Uh, I also wanted to
note that this also includes some
contingencies for possible unforeseen
because this is a modernization project
and it includes the scope to install the
temporary air conditioning units that we
delivered to all the other schools uh
that will happen over the summer. So, in
both cases, the goal is to be ready for
students and staff to come back in
August.
Great. Sounds good. Um, does anyone have
questions or comments?
Nope. Okay. Um, well, thank you for
locking in the GMP before or right as
summer is starting. Um, it was a tight
timeline and so I appreciate everyone's
diligence in getting that in there. Um,
and I know that it's a tight timeline
between now and when school starts in
August. But I think it's going to make a
tremendous difference because even
though we've had a very temperate May
and most of June, um, you know, who
know, we've seen historically how August
and September can just be such hot
months. So, I'm excited to see all this
work kind of land over the next few
weeks. Um, can we get a motion to
approve?
I move to approve. Is there a second? A
second. All in favor? I. Perfect. Great.
Thank you guys. Yeah. Thank you. Have a
good evening. Um, okay. We're on to 8.1,
which is the discussion of the board
meeting calendar for the 2526 school
year.
Uh, is there a preamble for this or
should we just get right into our
discussion? Get right into the
discussion. Okay, you all see it in
front of you. Um, I am going to actually
kick off the discussion because I have a
have a request at the very top of the um
of the schedule there. Um, August 13th
for me personally would be amazing if we
were willing to move that to the 20th if
that works for other people. I have a
personal commitment the next day. Um,
and that would prevent me from having to
catch a midnight flight to make it to my
nephew's wedding. Um, as opposed to
being able to catch an earlier flight.
20th is music in the park at which my
wife is performing. So I would prefer if
we made it like maybe Tuesday the 19th
would work or Thursday the 21st or
can we are able to change it if we do it
a prior
weeks ahead of time which we are doing
right now. So
August 6 just to keep Did you want did
you want to keep keep it consistent on a
Wednesday? I'm going to be gone August.
Oh you're going to be gone August 6.
Okay.
What about the others? and August August
6, by the way, there's this Shebach
meeting, but we could move that one.
Okay. Yeah,
I think
um the the Yes, we we talked about that.
It's the 12th. Um I need to check I
still need to check with Mr. Weekly.
Yeah. Yeah. August 12th works.
So, we are The other thing I wanted to
point out about the 13th that I forgot
is first day of school, right? It's the
first day of school. Yeah. And so, um,
while obviously school is not going on
at 7:00 at night, I'm sure everyone here
is going to have a very exciting and
vigorous day and would we're all running
around at different school sites. Yeah.
And so, we would, you know, I think the
normal people that come to attend and
participate um might appreciate having
an a free evening that evening as well.
Um,
but now, but it's I've selfishly started
this for me just to be clear. So, so
what works for 19? Turn that microphone
on. All right. The 19th is fine. The
Tuesday. Yeah. Okay. August 19th.
Tuesday.
Okay. Yeah.
Okay. Discussion. Sorry.
Oh, yeah. I was going to say any others.
Yeah. Any others that
see I'm just checking my calendar for
August 19th, which is 27th. That looks
good down here.
September 10th.
That looks good.
At some point the calendar's too far out
to know if it's really good or not. So
17th I probably can't make se September
17th. Okay. I could do literally the
next day or the next week the 24th.
Uh yeah, I think the September September
run holidays. I can't remember. Um, we
do have Rashana. Yeah. Okay. Um, the
22nd through the 25th of September,
right? Got it. Um, but yeah, if we were
able to bump the 17th to the 18th and do
that on a Thursday night, that would I
probably also cannot make any anytime
that week, honestly. Oh, yeah.
But we can't punt it to the next week
because of Russia. Yeah. Okay. That's
stupid. Um
like September.
Yep. September 30th or October 1st.
Yeah, October 1st is wide open for me.
That'd be no problem. First, but then we
have one right on the 8. There's also um
this attachment that kind of like Oh,
yeah. It makes it a little easier to
see. Oh, here we go. Yeah. Yes. Perfect.
Thank you. Okay. Yeah. Now I'm in Evelyn
mode. I got my three screens. Yes.
Okay.
They're highlighted in green squares.
Yeah, I think that September to early
October are kind of challenging. Um,
okay. Well, we can keep the 17th, but
there's a very good chance I just can't
make that then. Um, okay. I mean, it
might be better to do the 18th. I can't
make either of those, but if it
increases the likelihood of you being
there, then any quorum issues are
probably mitigated. C can we move it to
Thursday, the 18th?
What's on the district calendar? Can we
look and see on the 18th in the district
calendar? The only thing that is
happening at that time or the parent
teacher conference has done that. So we
could move to the 18th. Okay.
And you you'll double check all these to
make sure that something else scheduled
for that night. Okay. I mean probably
things at school sites and stuff. Right.
Right.
All right. I think everything else after
that is probably like too hard to say
for sure. So maybe schedule. Yeah. Yeah.
I think that's about right. Okay. So, it
sounds like we've got uh two changes in
here. One for the August 19th for the
first meeting and um September 18th uh
for that week instead of the 17th. Okay.
Any other items to discuss
on the this topic? No. Okay. Um All
right. Then more items to discuss. Uh
we're going to move on to 8.2, which is
the first reading and discussion of
board policy 1250. Uh this is about
visitors and outsiders.
It's windy. Thank you. So, there are a
few board policies and ARs coming to you
tonight. This is the first one as a um
update from a current policy that we
have with stronger language in about a
new concept called a registration where
essentially a visitor would come in and
need to show documentation that's listed
out in the ARS. Um visitors tend to be
there are some good questions about
that. um somebody dropping off something
for their child but not staying, a guest
speaker for an assembly. Um a
salesperson that walks up to the school
and we turn them away. So there's a
variety of opportunities where somebody
comes to literally visit the school but
not isn't necessarily intending to stay
and is certainly not considered a
volunteer. So those are two different
distinctions. We have separate board
policy on volunteers.
Um so that is one um piece of it that
would that is going to require staff
training because that would be newer
than what we've experienced. Certainly
when we have a parent that might come or
is familiar on a regular basis we would
of course check but then there would be
an ongoing acceptance of that person. Um
but certainly for for people that are
not familiar and non-regular people this
process would definitely be in place. So
that would require uh training. The
other piece is um the portion about
um
when a registered sex offender is
requesting to be on campus. Um so that
certainly is a piece that CSBA updated
and of course board policy reviewed this
a few months back and then CSBA also um
you know obviously contributed to it
which came to these updates.
So the BP and the AR are there any
questions
regarding this particular one?
I had just one question about the proof
of identity. You know, it totally wasn't
clear to me from the language either,
but it sounds like it shifted from a
could provide to must provide proof of
identity and then are like
is that going to be a barrier? Like what
if someone doesn't what are the forms of
identity that they have to provide and
what if someone doesn't have that photo
identification with their name on it?
Okay. Yeah. But it doesn't necessarily
have to be a like a driver's license or
a government issued one. Those would be
preferred. Um but the we're going to
have to verify it because what we don't
want is somebody that we don't accept on
campus or have some other reason.
Interestingly enough, this is done all
the time right now. It's just the level
of scrutiny uh is is being increased
here. So we would expect to see um
identification. So all of this will be
communicated out okay uh in the first
day packets and and the communication
the early August communication from the
principal. Okay. Um it might be some
bumpy along the way, especially when
somebody just walks in and isn't
expecting that, but that's typical when
we're rolling out something. So
expecting it to be Yeah. I just wouldn't
want it to be accidentally exclusive to
some families and some members of the
community. Yes. I think as as a school
district in general, our employees are
conservative when it comes to strangers
on campus. We really want to make sure
students are safe. It's part of our
comprehensive safety plan in general.
Uh, so we'd have we're gonna have to
take that into account, but the
identification is an important part of
this up updated policy. Okay. Yeah. Um,
anyone else have questions, comments?
Okay. Only building off of yours. It
obviously you mentioned there's going to
be staff training on on this. Um, will
there also be similar community sort of
communication on this specifically with
families knowing that they need to have
this if they're a to visitor or anyone
else like that? Yes, that would go out
in the first day packet. It's or and the
before school starts welcome to
certainly the school community where it
might be new to people that are walking
in off the street. That that's just
something we're going to have to adapt
to um
because we wouldn't typically advertise
that in a city of Redwood City. in the
city. What we will do uh David is we
will definitely in the welcome
announcement that is we'll put all these
new board policies and a summary at what
is required. Um but as you said to the
Redwood City public as a whole, what I
can have Jorge do is um on a website new
policies to you know be aware of and
there's like a star that flashes off and
on. I could do that so that everyone who
gets on the website, even if they're not
up here in our school district, but want
to learn more about it, could see that.
Yeah, that that sounds great. Obviously,
you know, we'll work through the bumps,
but that sounds like a great plan.
Okay, I'll say it three times. Um, but
thank you staff and policy committee
for, you know, for reviewing the
policies here. Um, the one I like about
this is that I think a clear process
always is going to, you know, help
everybody know what to expect, um, and
be able to get into that. So, I think
that's good. Uh, let's move on to 8.3,
which is the first reading discussion of
BP 5131.8, the mobile communication
devices. We do have two public speakers,
so I'm going to have, um, Wendy, if you
want to do an introduction first and
then we'll have the comments. Sure. So,
thank you so much for tonight. uh with
this particular board policy has a
little bit of a story that goes with it
um other besides other policies but we
do have a a new law. So, first of all,
we have had our mobile device um mobile
communications actually board policy in
effect, but there was an update back in
September um through AB 3216
and it's called pupils use of
smartphones. And essentially what the
law is is stating is that by July 1st,
2026
um the board needs to instate a policy
and review every 5 years the use of
smartphones and smart watches, smart
devices that students bring to school.
And the law through AB 3216 also
outlines
um that
really the board needs to decide about
how phones will be used or not used. So
it's encouraging certainly not having
cell phone usage at school and except
for a certain group of of students that
fit in four different situations. One is
in case of emergency, a student can have
access to a smartphone. When a teacher
or administrator
uh gives permission to possess one in a
certain situation or when a licensed
physician or surgeon determines that the
possession is necessary for health or
well-being and then when the possession
is required in a student's IEP. So those
would be the exceptions to this. So in
processing through this information, um
Dr. Baker gave us direction uh to staff
and then eventually the board policy
committee to look at the law and really
gain stakeholder input which is part of
what the law requires as well. So a
survey went out. It was quite
comprehensive
uh some of the highlights of the survey
which is attached to the board uh memo
here. So you can those in the public can
also view it because there's quite a bit
of data in here about what parents um
noted regarding cell phone usage, what
staff noted, and what students noted. So
we had about uh 1,794
responses to the survey spanning all
grade levels. So we recognize that well,
we don't want to assume, but it's the
issues tend to occur um really in
primary grades. our TK um doesn't have
so much of this. However, uh the cell
phone use at school was something that
was really we were inquiring about why
parents, why staff, why students felt it
was important, how was it being used? Um
were students and teachers abiding by
and enforcing the rules that we
currently have in place with cell phone
um policies and so forth. So it was
interesting to know that the two primary
pieces of importance for
parents certainly was that they really
wanted to make sure that they could
communicate um like the coordination of
drop off and pickup was one of the top
items but the reasons why the students
needed cell phone service and a device
and safety. Safety being the number one
item. Um, and you know, we as a school
district still have phones in
classrooms, phones in the offices. So,
prior to cell phones, that was really
the source of communication. I recognize
with school shootings and some
unfortunate incidences that really
increased the desire for parents to want
to be in contact. But certainly this law
is supporting that we've sort of come to
a point in schools where these cell
phone devices and their usage is
becoming really a distraction to
learning and the law outlines that as
well. And so really what we did in this
policy committee is to think through
what processes we already have in place.
Um, we presented this information to a
group of parents in Spanish and in
English and and walked through all of
the items through the survey and really
came to the realization that our schools
are doing the handling cell phone
collection pretty well. It's a little
bumpy. MIT and Kennedy um that have
larger middle school situations
certainly with MIT just rolling it out
recently that's been pretty bumpy. But
there are processes in place to have
students either have phones off in their
backpacks or they are actually
physically collected and then returned
at the end of the day. There was one
item that we had that we noted in our
slide deck um a yonder pouch. It happens
to be just one brand where a student
essentially checks it in and then checks
it out at the end of the day. It's also
coordinated with afterchool program so
they're involved with this process as
well. So, in on one hand, we felt like
we were in pretty good shape with this
the information with the law, but it was
nice in the board policy committee
because we really discussed and and feel
free Jennifer and David to pipe in here
that um we we appreciated the parents uh
contributions about the concerns of cell
phones either never being used in
school, not being used during
instructional time, or only being used
during breaks, which would actually be
very difficult to advantage. If you
think about it, the other concern that
had popped up um was that in the primary
grades there was usage of games and and
not socializing, not running out and
playing at recess. Just kind of being on
your watch or on your phone, so to
speak, wasn't really what our desires
were for socialization and collaboration
in with students. Um, we also heard from
a nice guest speaker who happened to be
in the audience tonight um, who spoke
really about um, how this can sort of be
harm harmful socially. There's some
safety concerns and so forth. So, it was
a really nice discussion I thought uh,
of this stakeholder group that um, was
on this call. And so with all of that
information and after that whole process
was complete, the board policy committee
met, took all of that into account and
that is how we arrived at this updated
board policy and ARS that are presented
to you tonight.
So we are here for discussion. Perfect.
Uh and oh, one more item I'd like to
add. I'm sorry. I do want us to be very
clear that this is um part one. We are
uh presenting this to you as an update,
but as we progress along the year, Dr.
Baker really wants us to watch and
listen and learn to find out if anything
else needs to be modified because, as I
mentioned, it actually goes into effect
July 1st, 2026. We're doing this
somewhat early, but we'd like to get
sort of all the kinks, all the issues
worked out, uh making sure we're fully
communicating to everybody. Um the
principles reacted pretty well to this.
We had them fill out a Google form. Is
it working? Is it not working? What are
your weekly concerns with cell phones?
It was very minimal except for our two
middle schools that still see about five
issues a week pop up. And part of the
problem is students not turning in their
phones, not putting their phones in
their backpacks. Um or saying, "I don't
have one," which is dishonest. But so
those are some things we need to work
out through our communication with
parents really. you know, we always
believe parents are partners, but
wanting to make sure that that is
solidified maybe more than it has been
in the past, sending out information um
and the reinforcement of the rules uh
that are in place at the school with the
staff, right? So, we're we're sort of
upping our game a little bit, but
knowing that this is somewhat of a pilot
year to work out these things. So, it
may come to you again next year once we
learn new things about this process.
Sounds good. And we do have two
speakers, one in the audience. So, we'll
start there with Mercedes Kuya.
Uh, there's a button on the left that
looks like a person and the light will
turn red. Perfect. You got it. Can you
hear me? Yeah. And you'll have three
minutes, which you'll see up on the TV
screen. Okay. All right. Thanks. I'm on.
Okay. It's so good to see you all in
person. I'm Mercedes. I'm a child
psychiatrist. I think I've emailed all
of you. I'm also a parent of two middle
schoolers in the district, so this is
like a daily conversation. So, feels
very relevant to me. I really appreciate
the proactiveness that we're taking with
this. I think a pilot's great. Now, you
have all this great data that we can
compare to after you've implemented some
things. Um, I've shared a lot. I think
the focus for me would be on the safety
piece because I think as a parent, as
staff, teachers, everyone, we shouldn't
have to worry about that, but it is a
daily concern we have when we drop our
kids off.
I think just keeping in mind there's
some growing data that actually having
access to these devices can make the
classroom less safe. Um, and some of the
arguments there is that it can be a
distraction. If the students are texting
their parents, they might miss crucial
information of where they're going to
hide or what they need to be doing. So,
that would be important. It also if it
buzzes or beeps or something that could
draw attention to where the students are
located. Um there's been some situations
where it's actually spread rumors that
have interfered with um the safety
personnel's ability to do what they need
to do. And then also parents, we are
wonderful, but also sometimes our
anxiety gets in our own way because then
we show up on campus and that has
actually gotten in the way of um safety
personnel trying to do what they need to
do to respond in the moment. So those
are just things I think to keep in mind.
Um, and that is also a hopefully
theoretical risk. Whereas we have a lot
of data about the daily harm that having
these phones out is causing to our
students really quickly, you know, I can
I've gathered some information for you
that in schools where smartphone bands
are in place, first of all, the students
are so grateful actually after about the
month of withdrawal. They are telling
their families like we're so glad that
we don't have to be in this constant
struggle and that the school is deciding
for us and then we can just be free to
be present and engaged and there's not
this like who's on their phone, who's
not, who's listening to music, whatever.
Um there's also evidence that there's an
improvement in grades when these phones
are, you know, not available and that
actually a significantly reduction in
the education achievement gap. So they
find those improvement in scores and
grades are specifically with the kids
lower SCEs or you know learning
differences. Um there's actually one
study that showed that banning phones
equivalent to an additional hour a week
in school of learning or five extra days
per year. So I mean like that's really
impressive that we can get students
engaged that much more. Um, there's also
increase in engagement in the classroom,
physical activity, and I think we all
know, you know, you addressed this, but
cell phones are not only distraction,
they aid in cheating. I've heard about
it from my own 13-year-old. Um, they can
be used to violate privacy, and there is
some d that there's increase in cyber
bullying. So, I really appreciate that
we're even talking about it. I know it's
a really nuanced issue. So, thank you so
much. Thank you, Mercedes. and perfect
um and for providing that information
and of course being engaged in the whole
process. Um our next speaker is online
on Zoom. It's Wyatt Hammond.
Hello. Can you hear me? We can. And
you'll have three minutes as well,
Wyatt. All right. Terrific. Thank you. I
appreciate you guys taking the time to
to talk about this as well. As a general
statement, I'll say that I I agree that
cell phone use and access should be
limited or or essentially banned during
class and learning times. Um pockets,
you know, on the door, similar to how
the high school operates, I think these
are good ideas. I agree with the last
speaker in a lot of ways. Um I struggle
a little bit with the questionnaire
because
um what we what we provide our middle
school age daughter is a smartwatch
um that we enable the school time
function on and we give her the watch
for multiple reasons but we live a
couple miles away from the school at Roy
Cloud. We're at the bottom of the hill
down in the flat area. Um there's no
good way to get here from there. There's
uh no sidewalks down Jefferson. It's not
safe for riding a bike. Her backpack
weighs probably 30 pounds or more with
the books and the computer and
everything else in it. So, we utilize
program called hop, skip, drive to get
her home. Um, and and the smartwatch is
how she's able to know that her driver's
there or not there. And if if not there,
um, she has to figure out her her plan
B, plan C options on what she's going to
do and how she's going to get home. She
is a rising seventh grader. We actually
kept her in uh kids' corner.
She was the oldest kid by probably two
grades. Um but we we just don't have a
good way to get her down the hill. Um
until we we came into this. So again, a
lot of the questions were really like
cell phone related in my opinion. Um and
I agree with with with a lot of those
limits as I said. Um, but I want to talk
about or I just wanted to share this
concern or this need um in addition to
the safety and and and the school
shooting issues that we're that we hate
to talk about and are and are also
gravely concerned about. But um you know
that is why we give her a watch is we
don't want her easily chatting doing
games and and I realize a watch does
enable a lot of those things but it also
uh we shut it down with the school time.
So I don't know if there's a way that
the conversation can kind of bifurcate a
little bit along those two technologies.
Okay. Thank you. Uh thanks for sharing
your perspective there.
Um let's open this up to the board for
discussion. Does anyone have uh
comments, questions or something to
start off with? David. David Weekly.
Yeah. So, I mean, I think Wyatt speaks a
lot of my mind that I feel like the when
it comes to phones and if we just to
consider smartphones in particular, the
evidence is pretty overwhelming, right?
And so, and that that's actually the
language that was used in AB3 2016 was
explicitly about smartphones. They
didn't actually consider in that bill
other kinds of communication devices,
which are our our board policy here does
kind of lump together those two things.
So, I I feel like it would be
interesting to tease that apart and to
almost have separate conversations about
smartphones and what our policies are
there. And I think, you know, Yonder
pouches seem like a pretty reasonable
take in terms of what to do there. I
think I' I'd be very supportive of going
that direction. Um, where I feel more on
the fence is about smart watches. that a
lot of the parental concerns about being
able to contact uh their kid be able to
know where they are, be able to have the
kid be able to call them um make sense
to me. And at the same time, like it's a
lot less distracting. There's a lot less
surface area. Games are not super fun to
play on a screen this small. I can't
really watch cool videos on something
this small. Uh you can't take pictures,
right? So, privacy violations have
become a lot smaller. That said, it
could turn out that on a after review,
after research, like we really do need
to crack down um on smart watches and
maybe even put them in the same category
as smartphones, but I feel like it's
nuanced enough that it deserves a
different discussion. And I do feel like
both the poll and the language of the
board policy that's put in front of us
right now um consider them as equals and
and sort of lump them together and and I
I feel like that's not right. So, I I
feel like we ought to have a discussion
that's a little bit more nuanced about
uh watches with cellular versus
smartphones,
right? Uh David Lee, you look like
you're ready to jump in.
Yeah, I I think part of my concern with
teasing these things out is that I think
the way it's intentionally phrased is to
capture the possibility of additional
devices coming in. And I little
concerned about having the need to add
another policy each time. So for
example, if we don't have a policy, if
we limit to phones and smart watches,
then if there's like the smart glasses
for example, we need a third policy
continuously and technologies obviously
continue to evolve. Um when I think
really the concern is we understand that
there are techn technology
devices that are causing distractions as
well as other issues that have been
mentioned and in the case of the um of
what I just mentioned I actually think
that that would be permitted under this
policy under one of the exceptions
number two right so I I would think that
we want to be flexible in understanding
what the use cases are specifically for
the exceptions but I I think the
intention of the way that we shape this
policy as proposed is to make clear that
there's a strong default against um
these sorts of devices while still
living leaving some flexibility. So for
for discussion
may I add one item? Yeah. So, um, just
in honoring Wyatt's comments too, the
idea, should smart watches be included
or any other technology advice that
comes to be? Because the the board
policy is mobile communication,
communicating with assumingly some
device outward um, or inward or texting
or what have you. But if we are holding
true to what we are doing, a cell phone
and a smartwatch or or glasses or
anything else that comes to be would
still be collected, held and then
returned at the end of the day so that
the transportation at home and so forth
going home would help. I recognize that
doesn't solve the school shooter
situation, although we do have practices
and safety plans and so forth in place
for that. But to that point, I think it
the idea would be to collect in the
morning and then return when the child
would leave whatever comes to school.
That would be considered a mobile
communication device.
One point of clarification, I I thought
uh at least in my initial thinking about
the the policy, it was that could that
could be one of the ways in which that
this is enforced, right? The daily
collection through whatever. I I thought
we also wanted to leave room for the
possibility of um of administrators to
determine whether or not that is the
most appropriate uh enforcement
mechanism or if there are other ways. So
I I think I had understood that there
are some elementary schools that
currently have kind of a self-
enforcement policy and they don't seem
to have the same issues. But yes, so I
correct myself either collection or in
your backpack. Okay. With the trust the
trust that you're not going to take it
out during the school hours. the
elementary grades seem the principles
seem to be okay with that. They it seems
to be working. The kids are listening to
the rules so to speak from what we
understand. I think there might be a
little bit more scrutiny certainly as we
go forward in this next year of our
pilot. Um and once again the
communication more training reminders of
rules. But in general for the elementary
school the collection or excuse me the
put it away in your backpack and then
take it out after school is working. I
think for the upper grades, maybe upper
elementary possibly or even u middle
school, certainly middle school, the
collection is a better way to go. That's
what they've been doing at least. Yeah,
thank you for that. But Wendy, I think
when we got the feedback from the
principles, and correct me if I remember
this incorrectly, we saw in the in the
elementary schools, everyone was putting
their watches in the backpack, but were
they being collected in the middle
schools? It was just phones, right?
Right. So it right now it's just phones.
So they still the middle schools still
have their watch on them. We have three
schools that are using yonder but the
other schools are using other
tube school sorry using yonder but still
a collection method whether it's in a
bin in the office. Um, the high schools,
I think, as the speaker mentioned, have
almost like a sho a hanging shoe rack
with a number and you have a student
number and you go and you just put your
phone in, but and that might work for
sort of a self-contained situation, but
when you have kids moving from class to
class, that might be difficult. But
anyway, be that as that may, the
collection process is is in place now at
the middle school level.
And then I just want to I guess there's
two things that I wanted to clarify. Um
the pickup it it sounds like the
students going to have their devices
back at pickup time. And so if that is
to be used for coordination, which we
saw in the survey results or we heard
from our speaker tonight, that shouldn't
be impeded by this policy. It's really
about what's happening during the school
day. Um and they should be able to
coordinate with their ride down the hill
in this case or their parent pickup if
they're around the corner or whatever.
Correct. So it would be what it would
look like. And what it looks like now in
these situations is a student walks into
school, they go to that identified
location to drop off their device, they
drop it off at the end of the day of the
school day when the last period is over.
They pick it up or the device goes to
the afterchool program who collects it,
the adults in the after school program,
and then they disperse it when the child
leaves at the end end of the day, six
o'clock or what have you. Yeah. Okay.
Yeah, that makes sense. And then the
other one was on on smart watches. Um I
don't I don't own a smartwatch, so I
can't speak from firsthand experience,
but I can speak from like observing it.
And man, they seem pretty distracting to
me, too. Um I know that the people that
I see wearing them are constantly
checking the notifications and the
messages that are on there. So, they
really do feel like in the class of
mobile communication device, that would
be um the sort of thing. And if you're
thinking about that, we would want to
limit during the school day. Um, if
you're thinking about like why we would
do that, it's not just the distractions,
but the, you know, the side channel
communication that's hard to be able to
monitor from the adults in the room, um,
to ensure that everybody's having
healthy, happy conversations. Um, so I
feel like they do fit into the same
class and I really appreciate Trusty
Lee's comment about we don't want to
have to come and litigate every single
device. It's really a a characteristic
in classes of devices that are doing it
as technology changes.
This is um I don't know Cecilia, did you
want? Yeah, I just wanted to say um I I
I agree with um what David Lee said. Um
I also don't own a smartwatch and my
kids didn't get watches. I mean, I'm
sorry, didn't get phones till 8th grade
and freshman year. So, when they were in
elementary, I was like, I'm dropping you
off. I'm picking you off. They shouldn't
be a problem, right? Um, and then as far
as what we're going to do, I think too
is if we want to say we want to trust
the students to have them in their
backpack, and if they don't, at one
point they're going to probably get
collected from the teacher and kept in
the office. So hopefully the students
would learn that if they want to be
trusted with their cell phones, they
would keep them in their backpacks if
that's the way we want to go. Um but I
um
I'm fine with and I totally agree with
what um the
policy says and um again when they're
younger I feel they should be learning
in the classroom with no disruptions.
to um when we when we do post the
policy, I think Dr. Baker, in the first
parent session, you gave them examples
of our safety policy. I think that would
also help kind of alleviate concerns to
know what the school safety situations
are. Correct. And each school has a
safety plan. And matter of fact, one of
the um issues that was brought up, I was
at the um Spanish speaking uh meeting
and the parent was really concerned in
regard to
uh being at at after school. You're
after school and they're in after school
program and there's an incident that
takes place and they not able to get a
holder child. I go, "All right, were you
here several years ago when something
like that just happened?" And I went
through that that um experience that
took place at the school site. And I
said, "You were here." And she goes,
"Yes, I was." All right. Do you
remember? Can you tell me what the
district did to inform you and make you
aware that your child was safe not to
come to school? Don't worry about your
child. Once we are um allowed to release
children, we will notify you in the same
fashion. And we did it several times by
text, by email, by phone call. We did it
during that. I think it was a 2 and 1/2
hour period. We were notifying parents
every 30 minutes. And so the parent was
relieved. Yes, I remember that. So you
can disregard my comment.
And we'd have that in place at each of
our school sites.
I guess building I think to the same
point and maybe we're getting ahead of
ourselves because I know this is just
first readings of just discussion but if
this were to come into place it does
seem like from the slides and the data
there's a pretty substantial concern
over safety uh and what those cause. I I
imagine I know it's not exactly policy
but the plan I think I think Wendy you
might have mentioned would be to like
pretty clearly at first a day pack or
whatever make sure that all the families
know hey this is specifically one you
know this the policy on cell mobile
communication devices alto
safety here's how it's going to be dealt
with so you're aware and here's how
we've actually had it play out in the
past is that right that's correct and
plus it's going to be in the welcome
back piece too on so it's going to get
about multiple methods.
Okay.
Yeah, thanks for bringing that up
because I I mean I I strongly support
not allowing phones, mobilei
communication devices during the school
day. It just seems like a real
distraction and can take away. Um I want
to thank Mercedes for presenting the
some of the evidence and discussing
about that about the benefits of it. Um,
but I we should address the concerns
that people have around it and make sure
that they're heard um and that we
understand what they are and how the
school uh handles that because they are
legitimate concerns um that that they
have and we should be we should
acknowledge them and make sure that
they're being addressed. Um the one
thing I was was wondering was originally
when I first read the policy over the
weekend was sort of, you know, what
would we see changes in behavior? or
like is there anything that we're
already measuring that we'd be able to
catch it even if it's anecdotal. I know
Mercedes spoke about a bunch of those
things tonight. So even if we don't have
empirical uh evidence, I'm hoping that
next year we'll hear from the principles
as we're collecting over the course of
the year about what sort of changes
they're seeing either in behavior,
engagement, are they getting five days
back, 10 days, one day, like those kind
of things. Um I think that's uh that'll
be really positive. Um and the other one
is of course phones aren't going away.
um or mobile communication devices. Um
so a real success is teaching
responsible use as well, not just not
just banning. Um I know that's not part
of the policy here or even part of the
ARS, but I don't know if something like
that could be folded in. I'm not even
sure how to consider that or folded in,
but it was something that I was thinking
about of like, you know, just taking it
away is one thing, but really teaching
responsible use would be, you know, kind
of an even better outcome. And I think
that includes like what is our preferred
stance? like what do we think the ideal
world looks like in terms of you know at
what age do we think it's appropriate
that somebody gets a phone? When do we
think that it's appropriate to nudge
parents towards have you thought about
if you are thinking about getting them a
phone for the following set of reasons?
Have you considered maybe getting them a
smartwatch instead? Right. Um, and do we
put language like that into a policy
that the the district is going to try to
nudge things in the direction of the
best possible outcome for the student?
Um, yeah, I don't know if that would go
into the policy or so. Like that's why I
was saying I don't know how this would
actually get filled it in to what the
best thing is. But the one thing I'm
pretty certain about is that um for
these to be the these commun phones
smartwatches um they're there's they're
so powerful and invasive in you know our
daily society that unless there's an
externality that's kind of removing them
then it's they're just it's there's such
pressure to bring that in just so and we
are that externality. Exactly. That's
why this is an important policy to do.
Right. Right. And and so just um I think
there is a component of parent
communication and collective expectation
like this sets expectation for like uh
our area of jurisdiction which is the
school sites, right? Um but
there are things for which we have
opinions that we offer guidance to
parents around, right? Um, and so where
do we put those things where this is the
stance of the district? This is our
preferred outcome and yeah, you get to
do what you want to do, but if you're
looking for advice um from the district
on what would be best for your kid, like
here's here's some material that we have
on this. Yeah. I don't know if we have
that. I don't know if anyone's put that
together as like a it's kind of like the
same thing. Yeah. Yeah. It's common
sense media and then also common sense
media. also the information that we all
garner from professionals such as
Mercedes and others in the field that um
make recommendations to to um I must say
the pediatricians to parents when
they're meeting with them in regarding
to mobile devices. My nephew who's a
pediatrician I know was his stance on it
and the recommendations he makes based
off of a lot of research and data that
they've collected at UCSF.
So, um I mean it really wouldn't
surprise me if it ended up into like
health curriculum mandated by the state
as it gets up and older kind of put it
in like so many other things that come
around it. But yeah, I don't know if
Anna wanted to speak to this, but
there's standards called the ISTY
standards and the T is technology and
that does include education for students
on SA internet safety, other safety, use
of technology,
um some of the harms. Um so there's all
kinds of lessons that are delivered um
within that u within those standards
that the teachers have and they're
outlined by grade level too. So I think
it is a nice nod forward with with some
of the work, but it's really a
partnership. You know, when you have a a
family decision on on use of mobile
devices in your home, you know, the
school is either compatible with those
that thinking or possibly against it. Um
I know the first sentence of this board
policy, the governing board recognizes
student use of smartphones and other
mobile communications on device um could
be harmful and disruptive to the
instructional program in some
circumstance. I recognize that doesn't
that's not strong about one opinion or
another, but it is really speaking about
the value of the time during the
instructional day and how we want to
prioritize, you know, non non- tech uses
for tech sake. And I also sort of want
to be clear about what we're talking
about free time using your cell phone
and other games or what have you.
Possibly using it as a research device,
although not needed because we have
plenty of devices, laptops, etc. in the
classroom. Um, at recess, it can come
out sneakily with videotaping people.
That's a whole another issue. So, when
you're asking about data about whether
this policy is going to progress forward
and what some of our changes will be, we
already see data on things surrounding
tech devices like this uh mobile
communication. The videotaping for sure
is in the disciplinary logs of some
schools. Um and and has been in years
past. I think things are tightening up,
but there's still it creeps up. Um
things that are recorded in the
bathroom, right? I I put my cell phone
in my my pants and I go into the
bathroom. Um games and sort of
antisocial behavior that then has
problems with friendships that lead into
the classroom. I mean, so these are
outside of just the instructional time.
some of the other things that we're
seeing and have been noted in
disciplinary behavior logs and so forth
with appropriate consequences and
instructional learnings about it. So it
could be let's go back to a common sense
media lesson. Let's figure out why that
caused harm. Oh, cyber bullying. Let's
let's review that. So there's an
educational component as well when when
things happen. Um, but the goal would
be, you know, with tightening it down,
better communication, the teachers
really, you know, being a little bit
more firm than possibly have, wiping out
the free time with the cell phone piece,
you know, five minutes at the end of the
day or what have you. Those are all, you
know, ways to progress forward and we'll
see, you know, as we progress along with
our little dipsticks that we're going to
have. I mean, I feel like people could
really benefit just from clarity,
though. It's like we think as a matter
of policy it's a bad idea for elementary
school students to own a cellular phone.
Like full stop. Look if if Right. And
it's just like we could put that in as a
sentence, right? And look, if you if you
need location, if you need security, if
you need communication, hey, maybe
consider getting a smartwatch. Don't
wear it during the school day. It's
disruptive. Um, you know, we don't think
it adds to the educational experience.
There's a bunch of downsides to it. So,
we're we're going to have students turn
it off and keep it in their backpack.
Um, but it'll be there for emergencies
and it's there for like pickup and drop
off. But for the love of God, don't get
your kid a phone. Right. I mean, I I I
think like we we we're dancing around it
in the language here. And if if parents
aren't getting clear directive from the
district about our expectation for the
students overall educational
environment, which includes what happens
when they leave our campus, I I I think
they're they're going to give give in to
defaults. they don't want to be the
uncool parent. So, I think it would be
helpful to give them clarity. And to
that point, this bill, this AB 3216
clearly lays out is the governing
board's
uh community community um representation
of what our community believes is
important, which is why the survey was
great to see, right? You saw, I think it
was over 75% or what have you. Excuse
me. Crystal clear. Crystal clear, right?
I mean, it was firm. um in in a large
percentage. And so that's, you know,
like all board policies, but certainly
this one, there's sort of this allowance
and acceptance for the board to really
put their spin on what they think is
important to be in this board policy
specifically, aside from like a typical
CSEA read, CSA, excuse me, CSBA read of
of what this what this is. So, it is an
opportunity to do that.
Can can I just add in um thinking about
watches having been at the elementary
level and not too long ago being seen at
the sites.
I think the smart watches really do
affect the little ones and we have a lot
of little ones that have smart watches.
You can see them.
You know, they're they're tinier and
they're smaller and they're definitely
I've asked several like what are you
doing? I'm playing my game right now.
And I'm like but you're in class. You
need to turn that off. So you do see it
in the elementary level. um as much as
it's a distraction for us as adults, but
you do I think our younger kids tend to
have them more. I've seen them more and
more in the elementary level. Little
first graders and second grade, even
kindergarten have some. I know. I know.
But they're still there, right? And it
it does cause a And there are parents
who can, you know, do those controls so
that they're not on during the day, but
not everybody does it. I think that's
the education part. parents need to know
how do we turn these off during the day
so that during the school hours it's not
that distraction and I think we want to
educate that's the way to go how do we
educate and really teach that because
that's a whole other level especially
for the little ones um older kids are
very savvy and we'll learn around it
having had a child who did that myself
so I know they're very savvy you know
they learned they don't need the phone
they can use the computer and they learn
to chat on the computer our kids are
very savvy savvy nowadays. But I do
think we have to think about how do we
educate the families about if you're
going to have a smartwatch, how do you
turn it off so that the settings during
the day are not coming on and children
can't don't have access to playing. So
not against smartwatches, but I do think
there that we have to educate.
All right. Um should we wrap this up?
Any other comments, questions?
Okay, one more. Sorry, very quickly. It
I just want to say thank you for like
all the work that you guys have done in
Dr. Baker and Wendy and Mercedes,
everyone in the stewardship for this
because like it's super important
obviously because we're having this full
this very large discussion about it. Um
the survey data I know it looks like one
slide deck and it's a very small policy
but I clearly there was a lot of work
that went into it. So I just want to say
thank you for that.
Yeah, I agree and doing it a year ahead
so that we can have a year before
implementation has to come in and put it
in. I know that we had the policy in
place, but tightening it up and really
looking at how it's being implemented
across the different sites to make sure
that we're we're doing the best for our
students. So, thank you. I would like
some closure on um Trustee Weekly's
comment if we if the board is interested
in adding because that would be
something I would need to bring a second
reading for next time. Do we want a sort
of a firmer statement
um that represents the survey data where
personally I don't think I could
advocate for that at this time. I would
want to consider it. Um, I can think of
numerous cases where having a phone is
beneficial for a student. Um, both in
having like, for example, the tra
translation app with them if they need
to be able to use it outside of it or
perhaps um, the language of the policy
talks about maybe they need it for their
IEP or they're using it for health
monitoring because they have, you know,
some medical device that's attached to
their phone and they need to be able to
use it. So, I would really would not I
would recommend that we don't try and
add that into the policy right now um
until we have a much longer time to be
able to I would like time to at least be
able to research that if we were to go
in and say um into the policy something
along the lines of for the quote for the
love of God don't get your child a
phone. Um, so precise language I think
should be important. Um, I I I you know,
like yes, I think that there's generally
speaking like some solid solid advice in
that. Um, but I just don't know that I
think there's a lot of nuance in it. Um,
that I just don't have the time to be
able to u consider this evening. I don't
know about anybody else.
Um, same thing. I was going to say not
necessarily write it on the board
policy, but I mean we could again on the
first day of school packet or whatever.
I mean at the end of the day parents are
going to want it do whatever they're
going to want to do and at the end of
the day it's going to be whether their
phone is going to be in the backpack
turned off or put in a pouch. Um,
obviously they're going to follow the
policy, but as far as
it's it's almost like the I don't know
teaching of the parents, that's I don't
see why that should be written on the
policy. So, I think it would have to be
something more of, you know,
notification
um to the parent and then they can
decide what they want to do.
Well, I think we kind of already are
moving towards a more no phone. That's
what we want to go direction. So, I
think by striking out beneficial, we're
already moving in there. Let's see how
it goes this year and then we can firm
it up if we if it's not working at the
schools.
I think I'm in the same spot. I'm a
little bit torn. I'm not against the
idea of it eventually, but I'd like
trusty Wells, I'd like to get more
thought into it of like what that
language looks like because I think
you're right like we have responsibility
to like advocate for what we believe the
actual policy is. Um I'm not sure I'm
clear beyond the scope of like the
school site jurisdiction what that
necessarily looks like, but something to
revisit.
And like the the I just want to thank
you all because we didn't have to go
forward with this at this point in time.
So this is going to allow us a year to
really look at it and then possibly
bring it back and tweak again.
So you know thank you all of you and
Mercedes. Thank you so much for being
proactive and doing everything you did.
I really appreciate it.
Wendy, are you planning on sending out
that principal survey like on a regular
cadence or kind of what are we going to
be monitoring for
the actual cell phone survey itself like
we did last time? Yeah. Or we got the
feedback from the principles on like how
many they had or what their issues were
or how it was going. Yes. No,
definitely. So, there'll be a few
tracking systems that we're going to
look at. certainly the anecdotal but
then the disciplinary logs where maybe
and we do have schools that are still
rolling it out and they're in their
early phases and we expect that but we
do have schools that have been using
nonder patches for I think two years now
like Clifford so you know we have some
more experts in that area and it's still
not perfect I think our our biggest
hurdle in those situations with the
yonder patches is students actually
relinquishing their phone at the
beginning of the day and that you know a
parent partnership a stronger parent
partnership to sort of support that at
home is usually the best course and then
it usually comes with a consequence. So,
so tracking that um which is what they
do already. We'll see with this deeper
communication, the extra announcements
and rule enforcement at the school sites
and the conversations about that and how
it it changes things. Um and if not, you
know, maybe we need to look at other
other means as well. So, it'll be nice
to to see how the year progresses.
All right, wrapping up that discussion,
we'll move on to our next discussion
item, which is 8.4. This is also a first
reading discussion of board policy and
administrative regulation. This time
it's 5123, which is on promotion,
acceleration, and retention.
Yeah, I think we found it a little odd
that these three items are lumped
together. Sort of an interesting um way
to do it. Part of this board policy
update is to reorganize some of the
information and make it a little bit
more clear. uh and certainly the ARs
that go with it. Uh but the other
portion of this is to really take a look
at
um how we are how we view essentially
retention and the peel process and how
the steps go in the ARS. um but also to
ensure that the acceleration portion is
is gives us enough wiggle room and um
the ability to work within it. Right now
we offer acceleration for math in middle
school starting in sixth grade. But
there are conversations about looking at
other uh content areas and you know the
finances that go with that, the training
that go with that, the the student
groupings and so forth or some out of
the box ideas, right? Independent study,
partnering with you know potential
colleges or other institutions or
organizations.
And so I'm looking at this like a part
one part two situation. In the fall,
there is going to be a group that gets
together to look at some of these more
unique ways of offering opportunities
for students, but we're not quite there
yet. So, what we did do in the ARS is
put clarity in there about the
enrichment portion. So, that was sort of
our one step forward knowing that in the
fall we're going to come back. So, this
policy will come back to you again next
school year um as we tease out and work
through some of those things. That's the
acceleration portion. Uh it also
includes uh the retention portion. I'm
going to rely on Anna Herrera more so um
uh in this conversation too, but uh the
idea of bringing in some of our local
assessments that support
uh the the work that already happens
when a student is considered for
retention uh from
in kindergarten, but then as the grades
progress too. That's very rare. We don't
encourage that for lots of reasons.
There's could have a whole discussion on
that alone. Um Anna, do you want to add
anything else?
Um I think you know I think at the end
of the day we have had some people who
we've gotten submissions about retention
and I've turned them all down. Many of
them have become and I think some one of
you brought it up in our questions about
um English learners, right? So we often
have time where our newcomers have been
retained. Um so we have really talked
about not doing that as they need time
in the in the country. They need support
systems. I think one of the things that
we we've been working on to really
solidify is our MTSS process. What are
we doing to identify because you can't
just retain just because the child
didn't made progress. Did they did you
put into play as a teacher interventions
around the world? did he did did the
child receive all the support? So, we're
really trying to make sure we're
tracking that a lot better versus just
saying I'm going to retain this child
and no evidence is given. So, when they
send me the paper, I'm always asking
where's their data? Where's the samples?
Because I'm not going to base it just on
a paper. I want to make sure I see the
evidence as well. Um, so we haven't
retained Dr. Baker and I have we don't
both neither I or him really believe in
retention. We believe that we need to
intervene and we need to provide the
interventions at the school site as much
as we can um so that the child can be
successful. Um the thing that's not in
here too is that TK and Kinder are a
two-year program. So if a child is in TK
and then goes to Kinder, they actually
can't be retained because it's a
two-year program of Kinder. So that is a
whole other thing. So, when I looked at
this, I'm like, we didn't put that in
there. But that was something that that
the county shared with us that it's a
two-year, it's a KK and kinder. It's a
two-year kinder program. So, you really
cannot retain a student if they've
already been in TK and K. They've
already repeated Kinder twice. Um, so
just let you guys know that, you know,
and if there's any time to any time to
it would be in the kinder area, but as
the older grades, it really does get
harder to retain students. Um, for many
reasons, emotionally, social
emotionally, maturity wise, um, and we
definitely don't retain if they have an
IEP.
How many students did we retain beyond
kinder and in the last decade? Um well
since I've been superintendent we have
not done one. Uh the research is out
there. The data is out there. You do not
if you're going to retain it's got to be
but beyond that the research there's
policy work for our policy around
retentions beyond kinder are kind of
academic because we don't do it. We're
not going to be doing it. We we have had
and when Liz before Anna came in, I
think it was Liz's last year, we had a
parent that was so disgusted with us.
She left the district. I go, it's up to
you. That's your call, but we're not
retaining the child and the child was in
fourth grade. Yeah. So, so this gets
actually to something that was a little
bit part of the earlier prior policy
discussion which is like uh how do we
what is the right venue for us to
express because this is like um the
language that's in here is like what do
we do? How do we handle the case of when
we retain a student um that's beyond
kindergarten, right? And and I think the
answer is like we we we don't because
it's a really bad idea because the data
is crystal clear, right? And it's like
why doesn't the policy say that? Because
when I think about what what policy is
is policy describes what does the
organization believe to be true. What
does the organization think is a good
idea at a high level. It's not it's not
the mechanical details, right? That's
that that's why we've got the uh the
administrative rags that are the
mechanical details. The policy is the
philosophy of like what do we think is
true? And it's crystal clear what we
think is true is retention beyond
kindergarten is a terrible idea. So,
shouldn't the policy say this district
believes that retention beyond
kindergarten is a terrible idea and the
ARS can spell out the how we actually
live that? Yeah, we can. I I think
that's right.
questions because the ED code actually
it's a so we John and I kept reading the
ed code the other day and and really in
the ed code you can retain and it's like
your due diligence and oftentimes we get
and this is one of the things that
private schools and our charter schools
do they retain the kids and then we get
them and they have had no intervention
so there is a lot of practices out there
of still retaining kids a lot and um
it's really sad to see that when they
retain them they not retain retaining
them in kinder, they're retaining them
in second and third grade. So, you know,
it's do do we do we try to do our due
diligence here, but yeah, so this is why
we're here because we really want to
make sure what is our policy. We can
review it tomorrow and I think the last
paragraph kind of already leads to that
like what our what our usual steps are,
but we can kind of firm up the wording
that we're going to do this first before
any retention, right? all the
intervention in the
right which is actually ed code. The
very last paragraph on the on the board
policy basically says that the district
will need to offer an appropriate
program of remedial instruction to
assist the student in meeting grade
level expectations.
So however there is an appeal process
you know for the for the parent. Um but
we are meeting tomorrow so we can look
at
a sentence or two that might yeah for
you know for discussion purposes I'm
perfectly fine with adding a sentence. I
I I mean I think this is in my mind this
is different from the last one because
this is clearly within our purview of
like yeah we have if we have a sense of
what is right and it sounds like I will
acknowledge that I am not as deeply into
the academic research as so clearly
others are but if it is the case that
like we know that that that retention is
not often very helpful then I think
there's a perfect place to add a
sentence that's basically like we
strongly discourage retention except in
the most exceptional circumstances and
then if that happens here is kind of the
process. I don't know if others have
ideas.
Love it. I think it's great to have that
as an introduction into the retention
section and put it in there because it
it definitely felt icky um reading it.
So, it'd be nice to Yeah, I think it'd
be a good start. Sweet. I mean, I I and
I I kind of feel uh like on the other
side of the fence with acceleration,
um it's something that not a lot of
parents advocate for in terms of like
whole grade acceleration is not a very
popular thing for parents to do. And for
uh home room teachers generally, they
also uh don't tend to be big advocates
for it. But the data is actually really
clear that like net it ends up
overwhelmingly a good thing. those kids
end up that are accelerated ends up end
up going to uh have much higher academic
attainment and career success than than
those that don't. So acceleration is
unpopular but highly efficacious and
highly supported by data in showing
really good outcomes. And this is where
I think it would be really helpful if
the district and it could offer a nudge
to say like if it seems like you have
kids who are academically outperforming
and may be ready to go and skip a grade,
we should lean into exploring that with
kids even taking parents along for the
journey uh for why it may be a good idea
for them because acceleration is a whole
grade acceleration's also been somewhat
rare in this district is my
understanding. this last school year,
how how many um how many kids did we
grade skip? We didn't. We didn't. None.
We didn't. But we have looked at
children coming into the district,
especially at kindergarten, who have had
um additional experiences who are way
are beyond the kindergarten grade level.
And after we've done some testing and
also we had our psychologists work with
them, it was determined that yes, they
should be in first grade and not in
kindergarten. So we have done that and
matter of fact an and I were talking
about a student who's coming into TK and
the parent feels very strongly that this
child should be in kinder. And so what
we said, okay, your child turns four,
isn't it in December? in dis on
December. Let's start there and then
we're gonna start then we're going to
test. It gives us time to see maturity
in action and then we're going to test
and if it's true then we'll have to
let's discuss. Sure. And I feel like
with the number of students we have,
more than 6,000 students, the the odds
that 0% of the kids who um were in a
prior year with us were ready to jump a
year um seems much lower than I would
expect. You know, I I I would expect
somewhere between like two to something
in the 2% range, maybe we could say. um
you know and and based on some of the
data I've seen around acceleration um
and with the quantity we have it's
statistically significant enough that I
would expect like a couple dozen sk kids
in the district to be to be grade
skipping every year and the fact that
it's zero is like we're I think as a
matter of policy because this is a
policy discussion that we're having
right now underpromoting acceleration as
a very helpful and efficacious proven
technique for long-term academic
performance and investing in kids. So,
it's just it I'm not seeing a lot of
nods around the around the table. Um,
it's an area where I I would like us as
a board to explore more and to learn
more because I acknowledge it's it's not
popular, but it's highly effective and
it's something that I would like to see
us collectively lean more into. I would
like to see more research on myself um
on it and I also want to see the
research on those students who have gone
in that direction and have suffered
and then we have this discussion because
there is there are studies that children
have skipped one two grade levels and by
a certain time they're at middle school
or high school it goes the other
direction. So, I would really like to
balance the both before we determine
that we're going to do this. Let's lean
into doing the research and seeing
what's out there because I I I think I
think our community deserves that. Yeah.
Yeah. I'm similar. I think I'm in the
same boat as Dr. Baker. are open for
sure open to the research like we should
just know what the answer is for just I
think intuitively it feels a little bit
different because there's a more I feel
like there's a more obvious
perniciousness of the retention um than
there is necessarily promotion or you
know beneficial qualities to
acceleration just because it's uh I
think there are also emotional
components to it that change over the
elementary middle high school lifetime
that I do wonder if there are different
dynamics And I I just don't know what
the answer is. I feel like retention
it's just all stigma. Um which seems
like an easier answer, but I'd be
curious about the research as well.
Yeah, I agree. I don't know anything
about grade skipping or or putting along
those lines. Totally unfamiliar with it.
Um haven't haven't seen anything talking
about pros or cons for it. Um and I
don't know. So, so what's the right way
to ask for a study session for us to go
and pull in some research, pull in some
data and see what we want our policy
because this is a policy discussion.
We're having a policy discussion about
acceleration. It would be nice to have
our policy be grounded in data. Um, and
so I I this is my formal request that we
we bring together some data to go and
review to figure out what our board
policy on acceleration should be.
Yeah. I think that um what might be nice
is to get a little bit of individual
research to pull in there um there
because there one thing I will say is
that you know if we're not deliberate
about what we want to do study sessions
on and this may be the important one
that we want to do but if you know at
every every board meeting we're like hey
there's a study session here or a study
session there we're going to end up
missing the ones that are prioritized so
I would kind of like to have a way for
and I don't know exactly how this is
going to work maybe it can be our August
offsite where we can put it in and say
what are the topics where we feel like
we should be able to put in the the
study session because otherwise um we're
either going to have so many study
sessions that we're not studying
anything or we're studying the wrong
stuff it's not the ones that we like it.
I do I do think it's interesting and I
encourage us all to go and get you know
educated on our own and also bring it up
with the with the superintendent and if
we do start finding things that look
really interesting let's bring it into
you know kind of the prioritization of
what do we think as the board um we want
to be able to to study you know where we
want to spend our time and and study for
it. Um, I I do, you know, I think that
this is something that could impact a
few students. Um, and I don't know if
that's, you know, if that's the one
that's going to make it to the very top
of our list of, hey, these are the
things that are going to affect, you
know, 1500 students or 2,000 students
and be able to pull it together. The
grade skipping one particularly,
sure, it's just if it's something that
we did decide to do, it's actually an
incredibly cost-effective intervention
because we we get the student for a year
less, right? And so yeah, just bang bang
for the buck is sorry. The the return on
investment that we get for that is is is
pretty. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not I'm not I'm
not against it. I'm just saying that
like I think that we should kind of
educate ourselves a little bit and then
see if we can bring it into a
prioritization framework which I admit
we don't have for study sessions and we
should probably start putting one
together and finding a way to bring this
in. We brought this up before with some
of the other items that we wanted to. So
do we have meta question? Do we have a
parking lot where we are tracking here
are the things that we need to have
study sessions on? I think you have the
parking lot.
All right. We um
um I I have some of them written down. I
don't have them in front of me now that
have come up before in the past um that
we've said, "Hey, let's bring it to and
figure out where we want to put it." Um
but I I will fully admit that I haven't
been rigorous about like, "Hey, let's
collect them all and then we can come in
and do like a detailed rubric evaluation
and things like that, which which, you
know, historically we haven't done as a
board. Um, and so it might be, you know,
it's something that we want to do and
bring it in. But I think it should be
boardled. Um, not not with staff input
of course, but I don't I wouldn't look
to the staff to say like, hey, obviously
I think you should come to us and say,
you guys need to study this. This is an
important thing. Um, but I think that
these additional ones um, we should
figure out what those are, what we want
to prioritize. And then the discussion
should be how many items do we want to
take on in, you know, in a board year? U
pull that stuff together.
May I add one more item? So grade
skipping isn't a new concept for our
district. I mean even when I was former
Northstar principal, we had about two
kids every year that would pass a
endofear post assessment to measure
endofear knowledge at the beginning of
the year and would score at least a 90%.
That is, you know, check my goodness
that person really knows it. Let's move
on. And there there was a relationship
with Sequoia certainly for math. We had
a science program online back in the
day, that type of thing. Um, similar to
your other question about retention, how
many parents are actually requesting
grade skipping?
Do you know, Anna? We have one. We have
one right now for next year. Okay. Now,
we have Do we have
Yeah. Yeah. Um, course skipping might be
interesting. There is a domino effect in
middle school about this though because
the way the courses are laid out you
would literally need to know an entire
year of something before you and a whole
different subject right so you you know
more earth science biology science
physical science so somewhat similar to
that and they weave an eb and flow so
middle schools become a little bit
different with common core um but you
know it's I mean I am a big fan of
enrichment and opportunities for kids to
stretch themselves and challenge
challenge themselves just in my
background in work. Uh however, it is a
systematic process. It involves
staffing, it involves funding, it
involves bandwidth. Um there are more
simple opportunities which is some of
the things we were looking at exploring
next year for some unique and usual
situations or in addition to you know
that also is another option for kids
too. So I think there's a lot to
explore. I was going to say I'm also
very interested in the research that you
have because um there is a lot of things
out there that lead to an interest in
really challenging students in school
and what that means for every student
quite frankly, but certainly kids that
are seeking and wanting more. Um so
anyway, I appreciate the conversation
tonight. Our board policy committee is
going to look at some of the sentences
too to to look for some strength in
there. Um so thank you for that. Just
two more things and one of you brought
to my mind because y uh I did not this
did not it was not immediately intuitive
to me until we had lots of conversation
about this but that there is a
distinction between I guess terminology
of u acceler course acceleration great
acceleration and then enrichment um and
so whereas I am currently ambivalent on
the acceleration piece I am happy also
to make a policy statement that says
like we very much encourage enrichment
as appropriate um because my
understanding is like that is a lot of
uh what Northstar for example will do uh
to enrich the existing curriculum to
make it more um a fuller deeper dive
into things and that seems appropriate
when that's the capacity is available
which I think is a less less of a jump
than um acceleration we believe every
student should be challenged to the full
limits of their capabilities I I I
certainly believe that I don't right
maybe that could be a statement of
policy right we can find different ways
to enact that policy. Yeah. Um the other
thing was I just wanted to make sure
because this is obviously a policy disc
discussion among the full board but want
to invite Trusty Marquez or Trusty King
to opine on any of this.
Yeah, I just wanted to point out I mean
I I I think I would also want to add
that enrichment piece and we did it's
not obvious in this red line but we did
add the word strength because we wanted
to that wasn't even in the policy
before. So we are going to try to focus
on that piece when we um update the
wording.
Cecilia, did you have anything to add?
No, the only thing is um with
acceleration,
obviously I don't know much other than
you guys said that there might be a
parent, but do we want to
take in what the parent says versus what
the teacher sees? because as a parent
you could think okay you know my my
child is
ex
you know smart um but what the teacher
actually sees on a daily basis it could
be that they're lacking something. So at
the end of the day when it comes down to
if there's going to be any acceleration
then how do we how would we weigh that
in? Um it would be more of a teacher
recommendation which it sounds like we
we don't do. Um or again the
intervention
my question with intervention is are we
talking about intervention like maybe
um the pull out method or the what do
you call it? Push in. Um so what do we
what what are we doing um as far as
intervention for retention or for all
dis so there's different types most most
of them are done by pull pull out yeah
but I also know that for example at Roy
Cloud a couple of years ago um Miss
Bowen had a student who needed it who
was TK and was definitely in grade level
needed advancement so the teacher who
was an interventionist actually was
supporting that child. So that was a
pull out program to help that child
continue learning but still because the
child socially was having a lot of
issues but academically was on target.
So there there was the social aspect and
then there was academic so she was able
to do that with that child. So she had
someone available to do that but we
often don't see that in in with like a
student who's ready to accelerate you
know go ahead or move forward. we look
at I mean we don't have it in place we
do have test scores we do all but have
um the data just like what we would we
would need to do to create something
um to help support that child or those
children yeah I don't we don't have the
system in place right now but if it's
something that the board wants us to
give direction I think it's it we do
have to actually work with the teachers
too because again it's a philosophy you
know it's a change of philosophy of what
we've been doing and practices
I had one more item. This this policy
says promotion, acceleration, retention,
but
I I I really just want to make sure that
we are truly talking about grade
skipping or course skipping and the
concept of acceleration because there
are very different ways to meet the
needs of high achieving students. deep
enrichment is one of them where you
still work within the grade level
standards for the student but you go
much deeper. You allow that child to
really explore, research, show interest,
create projects and information because
their surface knowledge is enough to
sort of get by so that you can allow
them time to go deeper in various
subjects. And then there might be other
pieces where they actually need direct
instruction like you know like when you
when you grade skip you are saying that
the child is accelerated in all four
core subjects
at the same time which is unique and
rare to be honest. If you have a student
pass a post assessment, it's not
impossible a post assessment at the end
of the year. Perhaps in math they might
excel. Perhaps in English language arts
including writing they may excel. But
it's very unique to see all four
subjects in one child. So that's why the
idea of enrichment or course skipping is
a little bit more attractive because you
can still keep kids with their peers.
There's ramifications in middle school
and high school for those decisions. um
socially, developmentally, on a maturity
level. So, the idea of enrichment is
still really challenging the kids in in
a in a good, healthy, productive way
with keeping some of those developmental
pieces intact as they progress over the
years. Because it's not so much you see
it in kindergarten, everyone's like,
"Oh, they can read." But it's really
when you when they start getting into
middle and high school where you start
seeing the ramifications, good, bad, and
ugly, of that decision. So enri dive of
enrichment is sort of a a middle ground
to manage all of the elements that
unfold as a result of those earlier
decisions usually that parents make um
for that. So something to think about um
as we progress because that was one of
my first questions to the committee. Are
we talking about enrichment? Are we
talking about acceleration? Those are
two very different pieces but enrichment
is not listed in this title at all.
Yeah. And I I mean I do want to talk
about that course acceleration a little
bit, but before we do that, um I think
the beginning conversation was was about
grade changes. Um I think you were
talking about skipping a grade or I
think of course we started with
retaining um retention a grade, but I
think that's what we were talking about.
I don't think aside from what uh Trusty
Lee brought up around like hey
enrichment and supporting that um I
don't think we've gone into that
conversation yet. is that at an even
higher level I was seeing some nods
around every student should be
challenged to the full extent of their
capabilities and then we can talk about
some of these different mechanisms like
enrichment like course grade skipping
like full grade skipping um as different
mechanisms of action to enact that.
Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I think
accelerated courses um like the math
pathway in middle school or or other
options there are are you know they're
interesting and they provide unique
opportunities. The thing that always
worries me about them is the rig if they
become rigid tracking with hard gates in
it. Um and this policy does talk about
state test as the admission for those
classes. Um and it just it feels like a
lot to put that on a high stakes test.
um particularly for you know a student
that might have you know a bad day on
that one test day or maybe they're um
you know they're emerging bilingual
student and so there's language stuff
but it's not knowledge problems um how
does should the policy address that I
mean how is that addressed how is that
addressed today to ensure that um as
let's take the math for example in
middle school that as many students as
possible can get into the advanced math
um so that they can benefit from uh
because I do think that that's a case
where um the more students that get into
it, the more students benefit from it.
Um and so it does feel like something
that should be expansively offered. I
know they've done this similar things at
the high school level around AP courses
where the more students that get into AP
courses, the more students that get four
or fives on the AP. Um, and so
for sure, you know, but uh, and so I
think I just wanted to make sure there
aren't hard gates, there's not things
that are ex exclusionary. Um, and how we
handle that today.
It's a little different between an
elementary district and a high school
different because there's different
units or credits and, you know, there's
there are different elements. um sort of
our responsibility and really the high
schools but our responsibility is to
ensure that all students are meeting the
grade level standards at a minimum right
um but there are no units or credits and
this is why it's a different philosophy
of promotion than you see at the high
school graduation for example and and
failure in the high school versus um
other acceptable means. So there's a
little bit of different nuance for that.
But there's also and always has been and
feel free Anna to pipe in here um a a
concern in general of our multilingual
learners that need to access language
within math word problems. I mean aside
from the language arts portions, right,
that are a little more evident, but
there is a lot of language in common
core math. And so those those are
already obstacles that the teachers need
to work with and through through their
ELD strategies and other methods to have
students obtain and gain access to the
understanding. We have a lot of
brilliant students that can understand
math concepts, but the nuances within
common core require a level of academic
language. And so that is the work that's
being done in the classroom. So that's
not to say students would necessarily it
would be a barrier but um they would
need to be able to perform on some sort
of indicator to know that they were are
ready for that additional challenge
because usually in acceleration classes
they can also be more fast-paced. So
it's not it's not a deal breaker by any
stretch, but those are elements to think
about. Um and and quite frankly the the
bigger worry is work habit work habits
for students when they're um taking
acceleration classes needing to balance
it out having to turn things in you know
the rapid pace and so forth. So there's
other elements as well that can be
barriers too and and because of that
developmental difference in these ages
when these kids are growing and
developmentally changing so fast. Um not
to say that they don't do that in high
school but it's at a slower rate.
did want to add Anna. Okay. Okay. I I
think Mike, what you're asking also is
in regard to our multilingual students
and we do have m multilingual students
who definitely um we give them that
opportunity to accelerate especially in
the math piece. So, as Wendy was was
indicating that um there could be a
barrier with the language and the
reading. So there is
um there are tools out there right now
that you know will read to them exactly
what you you what they need to do and
then they're able to do it because we've
seen these kids at Hoover that that was
a barrier but we fixed that barrier
because we brought in the device that
can help them. Yeah. And I know that,
you know, over the past several years,
you've done a great job of expanding the
accelerated math to all of the middle
schools. U so that, you know, every
student in the district has the
opportunity at their school site um to
be able to participate in those advanced
classes. Um you know, I'm just trying to
make sure that those remain
opportunities that as many students as
possible can, particularly ones that,
you know, may not score as well on the
state test. Do they have other
opportunities to be able to get into
those programs so that it's not a rigid
rigid program with rigid gate with no
alternative ways in and and in in our
classroom visits, you know, Anna even
said um there's these kids need to be in
the advanced math. They they should not
be here. Of course, they were um with us
maybe a year or so or even recent
arrivals, but they need to get into the
advanced class and not be in this class.
Yeah. and we and they're fine but that
we have the other support systems in
place right because if it's you know if
it is language academic language um you
know maybe their wind block or whatever
it is the week before introduces that
vocabulary so that when the material
starts to be taught they've already
familiar with whatever that academic
language is um and and can be able to
get to it. So,
um, and then, uh, Jennifer had mentioned
adding strengths into the board policy
and teaching to to student strengths,
but I noticed that like some of the old
language talked about academic
deficiencies, and I was just wondering
if um, people would be immunable to
changing it to like more assetbased
language around like opportunities for
growth, opportunities to meet their
strengths or or something along those
lines. I think there's one in the board
policy and one in the AR. It wasn't like
it was, you know, epic everywhere else,
but like areas for growth or something
like that. Just more acid based.
No objections. No, no objections from
me. All right, cool. Um, yeah, those
were kind of like my two two topline
comments.
Any other uh any other discussion items
here?
All right, we have discussed um
let's move on to the
Thank you. I feel, you know, so often I
feel like a lot of the things that we do
are sort of mechanical and we don't
actually get to discuss matters of
policy like what do we want to be when
we grow up and like that that actually
was a discussion like that which is
great. No, that's true. That's true.
There's there's some things are you know
there just requirements and don't don't
worry there's plenty more agenda ahead
of us where we will do things that are
you know just we have to go through we
have to do it. um it's part of the job,
but there are parts where it's like
there are meaty, interesting things to
discuss and um yeah, I I'm glad that we
took advantage of it. So, yes, thank you
everyone for participating and engaging
with the topics. I think that these are
important ones. Yeah. Um okay. Well, we
have the consent items. Uh and we're
going to approve all 14 in a single
vote. So, can I get a motion? I move we
approve the consent agenda. And is there
a second? Second. Okay. All in favor? I.
Perfect. Perfect. Yeah. Okay. Now we are
on to action items. Um this is 10.1 and
it's the approval of the RCAA proposal.
[Music]
Uh so these three action items coming to
you tonight regarding um proposals. This
first one is for the administrators, the
management group within the Redwood City
School District. Not a union but a group
that comes together um to be considered.
So, are there any questions regarding
the proposal or the increases in
compensation?
Questions, comments? Um, anyone have
concerns? I think we've uh we you've
kept us updated through the whole
process. So, I don't think that any of
these are new to us. Um, okay. Then I
think we can go ahead and move to
approve. Uh, can I get a motion to
approve? Move to approve the RCA
proposed. Seconded. All right. All in
favor? I I. All right. We'll move on to
10.2. This is for RCTA, the tenative
agreement. We had a very productive um
four in-person meeting sessions with
RCTA to review the contract which
expires in 2026. So, we were negotiating
for 2526 as you know. Um and this
tenative agreement addresses
compensation but other contract language
that needed to be updated. The next
contract um negotiations will actually
be the successor agreement. So that's a
three-year period. We open up all the
articles, but for this one, as you
notice, there's only a handful that are
open, two from each side of the table
and then compensation for both groups.
So are there any questions regarding
RCTA's ratified um and the they ratified
and then also the tenative agreement.
questions, comments? Now, again, we
we've been kept along through this, so
thank you for the updates um to keep us
up to date. Uh can I get a motion to
approve?
I'll make a motion. And is there a
second? Seconded. All in favor? I. All
right. Um and the last is the tenative
agreement with CSEA.
And once again we met with CSEA for five
um meetings, four in person and one
agreed upon um remote one. And it was
really productive. We talked through
different issues and different concerns
um in order to make the betterment of um
the work environment for employees and
some good conversations, some that we'll
need to continue into the future um
because we're inching towards progress
and and so forth. But in general, um, it
it was nice to have conversations back
and forth and really understand each
other's points of view on the various
topics at hand. And I also do want to
thank at this at this time Rick who is
our partner at the table. Um, we have
two administrators for both unions that
come and meet and our attorney. So, we
all it was a good effort um, from the
district's part and in CSEA's case, they
have representatives from different
classifications. So it's a larger group
which is nice um because there's
viewpoints from the different
classifications. So this tenative
agreement really represents the work
over this session.
Does anyone have questions or comments?
No. Okay. And then I will just echo uh
your appreciation there, Wendy. Um thank
you to the district staff um and of
course to our bargaining units um and
our staff members that make up the
executive team uh for their bargaining
units for the work that's gone on. I
know um this is not classroom time, but
it's an important thing to be able to
do. So, I appreciate everyone's effort
and thank you to the board for the
consistent support of the union groups
and the comments that are made. Yeah. Uh
can I get a motion to approve?
I'll make a motion. Seconded. Okay. All
in favor? I I Great. Okay. Last one. Uh
this is the year-end budget transfers.
As the name says, it's we do this every
year at the end for budget transfers.
Rick, do you want to just give a
preamble for it? Sure. I just want to
make sure we are grounded in a
mechanical item to end the meeting
tonight.
U
a standard uh yearly occurrence uh
allowing us to transfer on balances to
pay obligations. Uh we shouldn't have to
use it much, but in case we need to, we
have the authorization. So, with that,
I'll hand it back to the board.
Does anyone have questions or comments
for Rick?
Okay. Then, can I get a motion to
approve? I move we approve this
mechanical. Is there a second? All in
favor? I I. Excellent. We're on to board
and superintendent reports.
Who wants to start? Pick wisely because
we'll just rotate around from there. So,
All right, Trusty Lee, I was sitting
down there by at the end, you're going
to start and we're going to just move
around. Like many of us uh did the
circuit of the promotion ceremonies at
Northstar, Clifford, and Taft. It was
great to see great to see all the
different communities and all the
different flavors of um of each school
site and it was great to see everyone in
celebration together.
Did we also have um our I'm forgetting.
Did we also have our health and wellness
meeting or was that close?
Um I was at uh MIT. Um and then I was at
Adilente for Principal Warren's
retirement. That was nice. And then we
also had uh I also had um I was at Ford.
That was nice for fifth graders.
Cecilia. Yeah.
Um I attended the um Kennedy's mural
celebration. That was very nice. Um
it was beautiful. I mean, everyone that
spoke from the teacher that I was so
impressive to see her with this baby
and, you know, a little pouch and she
was talking um about all the great um
students are at Kennedy. They performed
the
they did a part of the play, I guess. I
wasn't I was towards the end, so I
didn't really hear what they were. It it
was a group of students, but I think it
was part of whether it was part of the
play or a play. Um it was from the drama
program that that's taught that the
drama electives, the students performed.
Yeah. There. Thanks. Um so it was really
nice and obviously the mural. It's just
fabulous. And obviously all the students
that put their um efforts into
helping bring color to it. Um,
I attended the
last Spanish superintendent advisory
committee. Um,
the ladies actually got a certificate
and they're very gracious. One of them
is moving on to the high school and so
we're going to be sad to see her go and
hopefully they will have their homework
is to bring at least two more parents
next year to um, be part of this. Um, I
also came to the retirement reception
and um went to the Hoover and the
Kennedy um graduations
and that's it.
All right. Um, we had uh the 2 by 2 by
two. That's the first one that we've
ever been to. Um, so that's uh David Lee
and I and Dr. Baker. Um two trustees
from the school union high school
district and two uh council members. Um
the chief of police shared their plans
for having community leaison officers.
It's not final yet, but they're bringing
community leaison officer to the high
school. Um Dr. Baker gave updates from
city school district. Then we heard some
updates from the school union one. It
was about an hour. U yeah also went to
graduations. Uh and it it is really neat
to see how different each one is. um the
personalities that the principles bring
to it, the communities bring to it and
everything that's there. Um Garfield,
Roosevelt, Roy Cloud, and Orion. Also,
having gone to just the fifth grade
promotions for a while, then then
suddenly showing up to middle school,
you're like, "Oh man, they're so much
older." You know, so,
you know, it's Yeah. Yeah. It's
remarkable. I was at the mural
celebration with Cecilia. I'd forgotten
about that. And the staff retirement
celebration. And then the one thing that
I wanted to report on is that I think we
have all our paperwork in to be able to
do the board self- evaluation. Um so
that should be coming in. Thank you
Evelyn for your help and for for getting
that all finalized. Um the that should
be coming via email to us all starting
on the 16th for like a two to two week
window or so to be able to fill it out.
Haven't done it before. Don't know
what's going to be in it. Um but just
look out in your email. Uh and I just
wanted to share that now that that uh
that that'll be coming um I guess that's
Monday the 16th.
Is that self-evaluation going to be for
open discussion at one of the sessions
in June? We will do it at our offsite in
August. Uh we'll have a session there.
Yeah. So we're doing it now. Um
originally I had intended for the
timeline to be to do the evaluation in
June, but then it made sense to just
kind of do it in an offsite. Um, and so
yeah, it'll sit there for a while. Uh,
and this is run by CSBA. They'll do an
evaluation and a plan and sort of um,
we'll see and we can evaluate the
evaluation and see if we think that it's
a helpful tool that that's useful for us
and I think you'll get one too. Yeah.
And also remember that uh, the off-site
is an it's open. It's not a closed
meeting. So um, attended many of the
same uh, events that many of you have
attended. Uh the promotion, the
graduations were just a lot of fun. Just
just fantastic. Uh Hoovers was really
quite large and you knew so many people
there
from being, you know, within the
community. So um Lupa did a great job.
Her her students were amazing, the
people that spoke. And then uh with
Warren, I promised I was not going to,
you know, roast him or anything, and I
didn't. Um, but you know, we really just
wanted to I wanted to acknowledge him
there with the kids and the parents, you
know, of his, you know, 11 years being,
you know, an administrator at that
school site. Now he's on his way. So,
but it was great. It was great times. No
hot Well, some of you got in the really
in the heat, right? There was Yeah.
Yeah. Hottish. Yeah. You don't know. You
honestly You have no idea. This was This
was warm. Uh there have been times where
it's like clearly like almost 100.
You're in the sun and it's just this was
very comfortable.
Yeah, that's it. Okay. Um anyone have
correspondence to share?
I guess there's my own correspondence,
but I I for giggles went and wrote a uh
scraper that goes and pulls down all of
our district's policies because we don't
actually have them in machine readable
format. They're published in you can
download PDFs. And so I wrote some open
source software that goes and breaks
that apart um and then uses AI to go and
analyze each one of the policies and see
if I can um find if there were any
issues. um found a couple small nits
that I sent onward uh to the board and
to uh Dr. Baker and then later to Wendy
and Jolene per Jennifer's suggestion. Um
but yeah, I'm going to uh see if this
goes anywhere with being able to help us
uh get an extra set of eyes just on
these policies and look for
opportunities for uh improvement, look
for opportunities to align it with uh
California Ed Code. Um it is open source
if anyone's interested in checking it
out. It's on GitHub uh under
dweekly/rcsden
policy. Um so if anyone wants to take a
look at the source code and analysis
that uh I did and build on that because
now it's uh you can do your own
experiments on a machine readable corpus
of the district's policies. So cool
fun. Thanks for sharing. You want to
have more correspondence? No. Okay. Um
possible other business suggested items.
I know we had one earlier to add to our
list of um study session the parking lot
that I'm apparently maintaining. Yes.
Yeah. Um
any other No. Okay. We've gone change
the other one. Are there any changes?
There's only two more. So, no changes.
Okay. No, no changes to the remaining
few of the board meetings. Are there
other things I should put in the parking
lot that are occur to people? Um well,
you had an email at one point where you
had a list of items. Yeah, those are the
ones that I think should go in there.
Yeah. Cool.
Um, I think that's it. Uh, let's make
him, uh, we're at the adjournment. Would
someone like to move to? Yes. Thank you.
Is there a second? Second. Okay. All in
favor? I. Thanks. Meetings adjourned.