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SHOULD OUR MEETING EXTEND BEYOND THAT TIME?
[B. Pledge of Allegiance]
IF EVERYONE, IF YOU ARE ABLE TO, PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.I WILL NOW CONDUCT A ROLL CALL.
[C. Roll Call (Including Action on Absences if Necessary)]
I, PRESIDENT CHON AND PRESENT.WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
[D. Set the Agenda]
I WILL NOW ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA.SO MOVED. MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECONDED BY TRUSTEE LARI.
TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
I'LL HAVE TO DO A VERBAL, YES.
OKAY. A VERBAL YES FROM TRUSTEE MAH, PLEASE.
IT SHOULD SAY TO APPROVE, TO SET THE AGENDA WITH ITEM 4B PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.
COULD WE EDIT WHAT IT SAYS? OKAY.
THANK YOU. AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SIX YESES AND ONE NOT PRESENT AT VOTE.
[A. Livestream the Board Meeting: https://tinyurl.com/sccboardmeeting]
A LIVESTREAM OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IS AVAILABLE AT HTTPS://TINYURL.COM/SCCBOARDMEETING.ONCE ON THE WEB PAGE, SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM AND CHOOSE LIVE LANGUAGE.
SUPPORT FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING IS AVAILABLE IN SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE VIA PHONE.
FOR SPANISH SUPPORT, PLEASE CALL 1(669)900-6833, THE MEETING ID IS 727 334 810# . FOR VIETNAMESE SUPPORT, PLEASE CALL 1(669)900-6833.
THE MEETING ID IS 921 8153 9516#.
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE IN BOTH SPANISH AND VIETNAMESE IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
HEADSETS MAY BE PICKED UP AT THE AT THE TABLE AT THE BACK OF THE ROOM.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR SPECIAL RECOGNITION SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS FOR THIS EVENING.
THIS EVENING WE HAVE TWO SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS TRUSTEES.
DR. DEWAN, COULD YOU PLEASE JOIN ME AT THE SIDE PODIUM? ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 23RD, WE WILL CELEBRATE OUR 53RD ANNUAL SANTA CLARA COUNTY TEACHER RECOGNITION CELEBRATION.
[A. Recognition of the 2023 Santa Clara County Board of Education Authorized Charter Teacher of the Year and the Santa Clara County Office of Education Teacher of the Year]
THE EVENING EVENT IS IN CELEBRATION OF THE TEACHERS OF THE YEAR HONOREES, AS WELL AS A SPECIAL RECOGNITION AWARDS FOR ARTS, CIVIC LEADERSHIP AND STEM.THE CEREMONY WILL HONOR 30 TEACHERS OF THE YEAR SELECTED BY THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, INCLUDING OUR COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION TEACHER OF THE YEAR, VIRGINIA CALANCHE, FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM.
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PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS, SCHOOL, AND COMMUNITY.VIRGINIA AND JAZZ, IF YOU COULD PLEASE JOIN US UP HERE.
AND DR. DEWAN, IF YOU COULD HELP US INTRODUCE OUR 2023 COUNTY HONOREES.
IT IS AN HONOR TO RECOGNIZE VIRGINIA CALANCHE.
SHE IS A CONSISTENT COMMUNICATOR WITH FAMILIES ABOUT THEIR STUDENT'S PROGRESS AND SUPPORT.
MS. CALANCHE ADVOCATES FOR FAMILIES BY GUIDING THEM TO RESOURCES FOR HELP AT HOME, AND HER IMPACT ON STUDENTS AND FAMILIES LASTS FAR BEYOND THEIR HIGH SCHOOL YEARS. HER CLASSROOM SERVES AS A MODEL TO TEACHERS AND STAFF FROM OTHER SCHOOLS DISTRICTS, AND THIS YEAR, THE LINKS CURRICULUM.
CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. CALANCHE . THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND YOUR WORK.
MS. CALANCHE ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, PLEASE ACCEPT THESE GIFTS.
CONGRATULATIONS. NEXT, WE WOULD LIKE TO HONOR OUR BOARD APPROVED CHARTER SCHOOL TEACHER OF THE YEAR, JAZZ DHILLON.
COULD YOU PLEASE STEP FORWARD? THANK YOU. MR. DHILLON IS AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT TEACHER.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT MATH TEACHER WITH 17 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS AN EDUCATOR.
JAZZ HAS SPENT 13 OF THEM AT THE UNIVERSITY PREPARATORY ACADEMY.
AS A STUDENT, MR. DHILLON FOUND REFUGE AND COMFORT IN MATH.
INSPIRED BY HIS MATH TEACHERS, HE PURSUED A CAREER AS A MATH TEACHER.
HE TAKES GREAT CARE IN CREATING A STRESS FREE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR HIS STUDENTS.
AND WHILE MATH IS OFTEN A SUBJECT THAT CAN CAUSE FRUSTRATION FOR STUDENTS, MR. DHILLON IS QUICK TO REMIND STUDENTS EVERY DAY IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE AND SCORES DO NOT DEFINE THEIR SUCCESS.
MR. DHILLON SUPPORTS HIS STUDENTS IN AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
HE IS NEVER HESITANT TO VOLUNTEER AS SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND HIS COLLEAGUES, AND HE IS ALSO FOUND SUPPORTING A STUDENT PLAY, CHAPERONING FOR A DANCE, PARTICIPATING AS A JUDGE FOR TALENT SHOWS, OR ADVISING A STUDENT CLUB.
STUDENTS OFTEN QUOTE MR. DHILLON AND DUB HIM THE FUNNIEST AND WITTIEST TEACHER AT THEIR SCHOOL.
CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION, PLEASE ACCEPT THESE GIFTS OF AN IPAD AND A PLAQUE FROM THE COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS AND THE COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS? YEAH. GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
DEWAN HAS SAID, THIS IS MY 50TH YEAR TEACHING.
30 YEARS IN THE PHILIPPINES AND 20 YEARS HERE IN THE COUNTY.
SO THAT JUST TELLS YOU HOW MUCH I LOVE TEACHING.
AND TO BE HONORED ON TOP OF WHAT YOU LOVE TO DO IS LIKE ADDING A LOT OF SPRINKLES ON YOUR ICE CREAM.
AND THIS IS FOR MY STUDENTS AND FOR THE PARENTS AND FOR THE PARENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
I'M VERY HUMBLED TO BE HERE NEXT TO MS. CALANCHE AND ALL OF YOU.
[00:10:07]
AND I'M SURE ALL OF YOU CAN CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.AND I FEEL SO BLESSED EVERY DAY TO BE DOING WHAT I'M DOING.
AND THANKS TO ALL THE TEACHERS IN THIS ROOM AND IN EVERY ROOM.
THEY SERVED ME SO WONDERFULLY AND HOPEFULLY I CAN PAY BACK THAT IN A SMALL MEASURE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'D LIKE TO INVITE ALL THE TRUSTEES TO PLEASE JOIN US FOR A PHOTO.
THE TEACHER RECOGNITION CEREMONY PROVIDES US WITH A UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE GREAT WORK OF EDUCATORS, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FORMALLY RECOGNIZING VIRGINIA AND JAZZ AND OTHER HONOREES AT THE ANNUAL CELEBRATION ON OCTOBER 23RD.
[B. Recognition of Silver Creek High School Advanced Placement Students and Teacher]
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR ADVANCED PLACEMENT CALCULUS TEACHER, LEENA GUTTAL.THIS SPECIAL RECOGNITION WILL BE PRESENTED BY TRUSTEE LARI.
THIS EVENING, WE ARE RECOGNIZING TWO STUDENTS AND AN AMAZING EDUCATOR FROM SILVER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, RITWAN NARRA NOW A JUNIOR AT SILVER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL, AND KAYLEE NGUYEN, NOW A FRESHMAN AT UC SAN DIEGO.
BOTH SECURED A PERFECT SCORE ON THEIR ADVANCED PLACEMENT CALCULUS BC EXAM.
SO A TOTAL OF 136,000 STUDENTS TOOK THE TEST WORLDWIDE, AND RITWAN AND KAYLEE WERE TWO OUT OF THE 16 STUDENTS WORLDWIDE WHO EARNED 108 POINTS.
BOTH STUDENTS WERE TAUGHT BY SILVER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL'S AP CALCULUS TEACHER, LEENA GUTTAL.
BOTH KAYLEE AND RITWAN ARE INTELLIGENT, SELF-DRIVEN, MOTIVATED, AND VERY CAPABLE.
THIS IS THE SECOND TIME A STUDENT FROM MS. GUTTAL CLASS HAS SCORED A PERFECT SCORE ON THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT CALCULUS EXAM.
THE OTHER PERFECT SCORE WAS IN 2014.
CONGRATULATIONS RITWAN, KAYLEE AND MS. GUTTAL.
TRUSTEES. I THINK WE CAN GO OVER THERE FOR ONE MORE PICTURE OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE.
[INAUDIBLE]. SO KAYLEE WAS NOT ABLE TO BE WITH US TONIGHT, BUT WE HAVE A STATEMENT FROM
[00:15:09]
HER. AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE EAST SIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT PRESENT, AND WE INVITE YOU TO JOIN FOR THE PHOTO AS WELL.SO, KAYLEE SAYS, ALTHOUGH I AM UNABLE TO ATTEND THIS MEETING TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. GUTTAL FOR THE DEDICATION AND CONSISTENCY IN TEACHING ME CALCULUS FOR TWO YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL.
I NEVER IMAGINED BEING ABLE TO ACHIEVE A PERFECT SCORE ON THE AP CALCULUS BC EXAM, BUT WHEN I REFLECT ON THE PASSION I HAVE DEVELOPED IN CALCULUS OVER THE COURSE OF HAVING MS. GUTTAL AS MY TEACHER, THIS ACHIEVEMENT DOES NOT SEEM SO FAR FETCHED.
NOW THAT I AM IN COLLEGE, I HAVE REALIZED HOW MUCH I MISS THE WELCOMING CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT THAT MS. GUTTAL CREATED AND I WISH THAT I COULD EXPERIENCE IT AGAIN.
OKAY, SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK MS. GUTTAL MY TEACHER.
SHE'S SUCH AN AMAZING TEACHER, AND I LOVE THAT SHE SETS THE BAR HIGH.
AND HER PASSION FOR CALCULUS REALLY MAKES ALL OF HER STUDENTS LOVE THE SUBJECT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENT! OKAY. WELL, NOW, THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING OUR SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS THIS EVENING.
WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[A. At this time, members of the public may address the Board on any issue within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Board that is not listed on this agenda. Members of the public may also address the Board on an agenda item before or during the Board's consideration of the item.]
NOW IS THE TIME FOR THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ITEMS THAT ARE NOT LISTED ON THE AGENDA AND WITHIN THE SUBJECT MATTER JURISDICTION OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.MODERATOR DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? YES, WE HAVE TEN CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
PLEASE PRESENT THE TWO MINUTE TIMER.
A TIMER WILL BE DISPLAYED AND IF LANGUAGE SUPPORT IS NEEDED, AN ADDITIONAL TWO MINUTES WILL BE ADDED ON TO THE TIME WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME IS UP, THE BUZZER WILL SOUND, YOU WILL BE MUTED, AND YOUR TIME TO SPEAK WILL END.
SPEAKERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO AVOID REPEATING COMMENTS MADE BY OTHER SPEAKERS.
SPEAKERS MAY CHOOSE TO SIMPLY STATE THEIR AGREEMENT WITH THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.
MODERATOR. CAN YOU PLEASE BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT? THANK YOU, FOR THOSE IN OUR OVERFLOW ROOM, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE SAN JOSE ROOM.
LINE UP ALONG THE WALL IN THE SAN JOSE ROOM TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT.
OUR FIRST BATCH OF FIVE SPEAKERS ARE [INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE], [IAUDIBLE], EXCUSE ME. AMANDA HAWES, PLEASE LINE UP BEHIND THE PODIUM.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
DR. DEWAN THIS IS DIRECTED TO YOU.
WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE PUSHED US WITH HARASSMENT, GETTING THREATS BY EMAILS, PRETTY MUCH PUSHING ME TO THE POINT WHERE TO JUST TO CHOOSE A SCHOOL THAT YOU GUYS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HIS DISABILITY.
[00:20:02]
I'M NOT GOING TO STOP UNTIL WE GET GATEWAY BACK.IT WAS MADE AND MEANT FOR THEM.
NOT FOR ME, NOT FOR BUDDY, BUT FOR THEM.
AND I'M TELLING YOU FACE TO FACE THAT I'M NOT STOPPING UNTIL I GO TO STATE.
YOU'RE GOING TO REMEMBER MY NAME UNTIL THE DAY YOU'RE OUT OF THIS PLACE! YOU'RE GOING TO REMEMBER FABIOLA VARGAS, MOTHER OF ALEXANDER VARGAS, A KID WITH DISABILITIES THAT HAS NO VOICE, BUT THAT HAS A MOTHER THAT'S GOING TO FIGHT FOR HIM, FOR ALL THE KIDS IN THE COUNTY.
AND IF I HAVE TO GO TO STATE WITH THIS, I GOT NO ISSUE AND I GOT NO PROBLEMS. AND YOU CAN THROW ME ALL YOU WANT.
THROW THE SOCIAL WORKERS, THROW THESE LITTLE.
OH, IF I DON'T SIGN THESE DOCUMENTS, HE MIGHT LOSE HIS PLACEMENT AT GATEWAY HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M READY FOR YOU. I'M NOT HIDING.
I'M NOT RUNNING. I'M STANDING TALL AND I'M STANDING STILL FOR HIM.
BECAUSE HE'S GOING TO COME UP HERE NEXT.
I'M NOT HERE TO PROTECT ANY OF YOU GUYS, BUT HIM AND THE KIDS THAT CAN'T TALK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ALEX [INAUDIBLE].
HERE'S ALEX [INAUDIBLE] 13 YEARS OLD, FORMER STUDENT FROM GATEWAY.
THAT'S ALEX [INAUDIBLE], THE KID YOU'RE PLAYING WITH, HIS FUTURE, HE MIGHT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, IS CARLOS [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
[SPANISH] HELLO. GOOD EVENING OR NOT A GOOD EVENING AT ALL DUE TO WHAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH.
I AM ALEX [INAUDIBLE] FATHER AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE.
[SPANISH] UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T KNOW WHO THE MONSTER WAS THAT DECIDED TO CLOSE GATEWAY.
FOR YOU, IT'S EASY TO JUST MOVE THEM.
YOU DON'T KNOW HOW DEVASTATING THIS IS FOR US.
EVERYTHING THAT GOES ON WITHIN, NOT JUST EMOTIONALLY, BUT ALSO MENTALLY.
[SPANISH] THE SCHOOL THAT WAS MADE FOR THEM THERE WAS A STUDENT IN ONE CLASSROOM.
[00:25:03]
THERE WAS A ONE STUDENT IN A CLASSROOM, AND THAT WAS IN A PUBLIC CLINIC.THE PRESIDENT WENT TO A CONSULT OR A MEETING AND SHE DECIDED TO EAT TACOS.[SPANISH] . UNFORTUNATELY, THE CHILD THAT WE CONSIDER FAMILY, HIS MOM WAS TAKING CARE OF HIM AT THE HOSPITAL.
OH, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT WE DO ASK THAT THE SPEAKER MAKING COMMENT CONTINUE.
[SPANISH] . PLEASE LET THE INTERPRETER SAY WHAT I AM SAYING.
PLEASE HAVE HER INTERPRET WHAT I AM SAYING.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE] FOLLOWED BY AMANDA HAWES.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
AS AN SEIU, REITERATE THAT SCCOU MUST SPEND ITS RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED REVENUES, AND THE CARRYOVER OF $99 MILLION ON STUDENT SERVICES PAY LIVABLE WAGES TO THE STAFF SO THAT WE CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN STAFF AND HIRE MORE STAFF SO THAT WE CAN HAVE SAFE CLASSROOMS AND EFFECTIVELY MEET STUDENT NEEDS.
AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS, I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED AND THAT'S BEING OVERLOOKED.
SO AS I LISTENED TO THIS, A HINDI PHRASE REALLY CAUGHT ON TO ME.
[HINDI] WHICH MEANS JUST BELOW THE LIGHT THERE IS DARKNESS BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHY DO WE NOT HAVE WELLNESS CENTERS FOR OPPORTUNITY YOUTH ACADEMY STUDENTS? WHY IS IT THAT OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR PARENTS, EVERYBODY IS CRYING OUT FOR HELP? THESE ARE SERVICES THAT ARE LISTED ON THEIR IPS.
WE HAVE BEEN ASKING OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND STILL WE DON'T HAVE THOSE SERVICES.
YES, WE ARE REFERRED TO SERVICES OUTSIDE.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE NEED.
WE NEED SCCOU TO SPEND MONEY FOR THE STUDENTS WHERE THE SERVICES ARE NEEDED MOST.
WE NEED ON SITE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PERSONNEL FOR OUR STUDENTS IN [INAUDIBLE] SOMEONE THAT STUDENTS CAN GO TO IN THE MOMENT OF CRISIS, AND NOT SOMEONE WHO IS OUTSIDE, SOMEWHERE FAR OFF. THESE ARE REAL CONVERSATIONS AND I WILL PASS THESE OUT.
PLEASE. WE NEED ONSITE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT SERVICES AND LET US PUT WHERE MONEY IS NEEDED THE MOST.
SAFE CLASSROOMS, LIVABLE WAGES FOR STAFF.
STUDENTS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMANDA HAWES.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMANDA HAWES.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M AMANDA HAWES, THE FOUNDER OF SAFE JOBS, HEALTHY FAMILIES.
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WARNING OR PROTECTION.I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU WHAT OUR PROJECT IS.
IT IS TO DETERMINE HOW MANY CHILDREN IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY WHO HAVE BEEN IN SPECIAL ED BECAUSE OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY, ARE THE OFFSPRING OF WORKERS WHO WORKED IN THE SO-CALLED CLEAN ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY.
THESE YOUNG WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE, I CAN PROVE, WERE NOT WARNED OR PROTECTED FROM EXPOSURE TO NEURODEVELOPMENTAL TOXICANTS IN COMMON USE IN SEMICONDUCTOR FABRICATION AND ELECTRONICS ASSEMBLY.
WHY IS THE PUBLIC BEEN PAYING FOR ALL THE SERVICES THESE CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES NEED AND DESERVE, WHEN THE DAMAGE TO THEIR DEVELOPING BRAINS COULD AND SHOULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED? I URGE COOPERATION FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION SO THAT QUALIFIED RESEARCHERS ARE ABLE TO HAVE THE DATA NEEDED TO ACCESS TIME, RELEVANT PARENTAL OCCUPATION INFORMATION FROM THE RESEARCH VERSIONS OF BIRTH CERTIFICATES.
THIS IS INFORMATION KEPT BY THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH.
BUT WE GOT TO LOOK AT IT AS THE PROCESS HAS SEVERAL STEPS.
WE WELCOME QUESTIONS AND FURTHER DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THE MEETING, BECAUSE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IN HOLDING AN INDUSTRY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE MOST VULNERABLE AND THE MOST EXPLOITED.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS ARE [INAUDIBLE], ENRIQUE MUNOZ. CHRISTINA MOORE.
[INAUDIBLE] AND YOLANDA GONZALEZ.
FOR THOSE IN OUR OVERFLOW ROOM, PLEASE PROCEED TO THE SAN JOSE ROOM.
LINE UP ALONG THE WALL IN THE ROOM TO MAKE YOUR COMMENT.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER, SARA [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
EDUCATORS, YOUR TEACHERS AND DIS STAFF.
I'M [INAUDIBLE], SEIU CHAPTER PRESIDENT.
WE ARE HERE IN SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS, AND WE'RE HERE IN SUPPORT OF STAFF.
SCCOE MUST SPEND ITS RESTRICTED REVENUE ON STUDENT SERVICES, HIRING MORE STAFF SO WE CAN EFFECTIVELY MEET STUDENTS NEEDS INSTEAD OF RETURNING MONEY TO THE GRANTORS BECAUSE WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE STUDENTS THE SERVICES THAT STUDENTS NEED DUE TO LACK OF STAFF.
THE TREND SHOWS THAT THE PERCENTAGE SPENT ON ADMINISTRATION SALARIES AND THE OVERALL NUMBERS OF ADMINISTRATORS HAVE INCREASED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WHERE ACE AND SEIU HAVE DECREASED. THE CHARTS DON'T LIE.
NONE OF OUR MEMBERS EVEN MAKES HALF THAT MUCH.
WE AREN'T ASKING TO BECOME RICH.
WE'RE SIMPLY ASKING FOR SALARIES TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION AND COSTS.
SCCOE MUST INVEST IN STUDENT SERVICES.
SCCOE MUST ENSURE ALL STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE SAFE CLASSROOMS. ALL EDUCATORS NEED DE-ESCALATION AND CRISIS COMMUNICATION TRAINING.
AND NOW THAT WE'RE NO LONGER ALLOWING RESTRAINTS IN AN EMERGENCY, WE MUST HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE [INAUDIBLE] ALREADY TAUGHT US THAT RESTRAINTS WERE A LAST RESORT ONLY IN AN EMERGENCY, AND THERE WAS SIMPLY NO ALTERNATIVE TO LET US KEEP STUDENTS SAFE.
NOW, THAT STRATEGY HAS BEEN REMOVED AND WE'RE LEFT WITH NO ALTERNATIVES.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ENRIQUE MUNOZ.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA MOORE.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY.
STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
CHRISTINA. HI, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU TONIGHT.
WHY ARE THERE MULTIPLE UNFILLED PARA POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT DISTRICTS ARE BEING BILLED FOR? WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THAT FUNDING? I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO ASK WHY IT TAKES SO LONG TO ASSIGN AN ONBOARD PEREZ ONCE THEY INTERVIEW AND RECEIVE AN OFFER.
[00:35:05]
IN MANY CASES, IT HAS TAKEN MONTHS WHILE POSITIONS REMAIN UNFILLED.DOES THE SCCOE SAVE MONEY BY DELAYING FILLING POSITIONS? WHILE OUR CLASSROOMS ARE STRUGGLING WITH UNSAFE CONDITIONS DUE TO LACK OF APPROPRIATE STAFFING? IT IS DOWNRIGHT SPOOKY TO THINK ABOUT THE ANSWERS TO THESE QUESTIONS, BUT EVERY ONE OF US IN THIS ROOM AND IN THE OVERFILL ROOM, WHO I THANK FOR TURNING OUT, WANT TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE] PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
MODERATOR CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT THE NAME [INAUDIBLE].
WE EDUCATE THEM, OUR STUDENTS, GIVE THEM CARE AND TEACH THEM SKILLS.
LIKE IT'S VERY EXHAUSTING, VERY CHALLENGING.
YOU NEED TO BE PHYSICALLY FIT, PSYCHOLOGICAL AND THEN EMOTIONALLY FIT.
SO WITH THIS, ALL THAT WE DO, WE ARE VERY VALUABLE.
TOGETHER WITH ALL THE INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAM IN THE FIELD.
SO IN THIS I CAN SAY WE DESERVE A HIGHER SALARY INCREASE AND ONE TIME STIPEND.
IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE MANAGEMENT TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY.
IT'S NOT LIKE SOME OF US ARE HAPPY.
WE SHOULD. EVERYBODY SHOULD BE HAPPY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTELLIGENT AND EQUITABLE ACTION.
OUR LAST SPEAKER IS YOLANDA GONZALEZ.
YOLANDA, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
HE WAS PROMISED TO BE THERE UNTIL 22.
KIDS ARE BEING SENT SOMEPLACE ELSE.
PLEASE DON'T PUT MY CHILD THROUGH A LOT OF PAIN.
DON'T MESS ON THEIR EDUCATION.
DON'T SEND HIM TO ANNEX OR SAN JOSE ANNEX.
AND THE CONDITIONS OF THE ROOM, THEY'RE NOT SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM.
HE HAS BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL AND THE ICU UNIT FOR MORE THAN TWO WEEKS.
THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
MODERATOR THAT, DOES THAT COMPLETE PUBLIC COMMENT? YES IT DOES. THANK YOU.
PRESIDENT CHON. I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE SPEAKERS WANTED TO GIVE US SOME MATERIALS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GOT THOSE.
THANK YOU. OKAY, THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU. I DIDN'T GET CALLED.
[00:40:01]
DID YOU SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD? MODERATOR. YES.LAST NAME? MUNOZ. YES, YOU WEREN'T, DIDN'T APPROACH.
IF YOU COULD JUST WAIT FOR US TO GET THE TIMER UP.
OKAY. THANK YOU. PLEASE BEGIN.
WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON BUSINESS INSTEAD OF THE INTEREST OF THE KIDS.
EVERYONE, ALL THE KIDS DESERVE MORE.
SO WHEN I'M HERE ASKING FOR A BETTER LIFE FOR ME AND MY COWORKERS, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY FOR US.
IT'S FOR OUR KIDS WHO NEED US.
WE ARE MAKING DECISIONS WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FOR THE FUTURE FOR THESE KIDS.
WE ARE GOING ALONE TO THE BATHROOM.
ONE STAFF PER KID SHOULD BE TWO AND PARENTS ARE NOW MAKING DECISIONS TO LET THEIR KIDS STAY AT HOME IF CERTAIN STAFF IS OUT.
I WILL TAKE A VACATION IN JANUARY.
IF I'M NOT THERE TO TAKE CARE OF HIM.
WHY? BECAUSE WE ARE SEVERELY UNDERSTAFFED.
PLEASE. THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU GAVE MARY ANN DEWAN FOR HER RAISE CAN HIRE ABOUT FIVE STAFF.
PLEASE HIRE STAFF WHO ARE FLUENT IN ASL.
I CAN PHYSICALLY CARRY ALEXANDER, ALEX FOR SAFETY REASONS, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
IF EVERYONE'S SMALLER AND NEEDS HELP.
SO PLEASE MAKE, DON'T MAKE BUSINESS DECISIONS.
MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR KIDS.
THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
MODERATOR DOES THAT COMPLETE PUBLIC COMMENT? IT DOES. THANK YOU.
WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, CONSENT ACTION ITEMS.
[4. CONSENT ACTION ITEMS]
I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE CONSENT ACTION ITEMS 4A AND C AS 4B WAS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION.MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE ROCHA.
TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
. THANK YOU. AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SEVEN YESES.
[B. Request Adoption of Resolution Recognizing National Homeless Youth Awareness Month]
YOU WANTED TO PULL THIS ITEM FOR DISCUSSION? YES, EXACTLY. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THAT HOMELESSNESS IS A PUBLIC HEALTH ISSUE.IT EXPOSES YOUNG PEOPLE TO SERIOUS HEALTH RISKS AND MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO TAKE CARE OF ONE'S HEALTH AND ACCESS HEALTH CARE, AND IT CAN EXACERBATE CHRONIC AND ACUTE HEALTH CONDITIONS. ALSO, IT'S A RACIAL JUSTICE ISSUE.
THE DEEP RACIAL INEQUITIES IN WHO EXPERIENCES HOMELESSNESS IN CALIFORNIA WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLACK, LATINO, LATINX, AMERICAN INDIAN, OR ALASKA NATIVE AND PACIFIC ISLANDER INDIVIDUALS.
THEY FACE A DISPROPORTIONATE RISK OF BEING HOMELESS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE LARI.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON THIS RESOLUTION? SEEING NONE. I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.
MOVE FROM TRUSTEE LARI AND TRUSTEE MAH WAS THAT? AND TRUSTEE MAH WITH THE SECOND.
[00:45:04]
THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SEVEN YESES.WE ARE NOW MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE, ACTION ITEMS.
[A. Request Approval of the Budget Revisions for the Month of September 2023]
DR. DEWAN, COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THE FIRST ITEM? YES. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CHON.GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEW FUNDING WE RECEIVED IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
WE RECEIVED $8 MILLION FOR STATEWIDE RESIDENCY TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER GRANT, WHICH IS TO SERVE AS A STATEWIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE SUPPORT CENTER TO SUPPORT TEACHER AND SCHOOL COUNSELOR RESIDENCY PROGRAM.
WE ALSO RECEIVED $1 MILLION FOR TEACHER RESIDENCY IMPLEMENTATION OF EXPANSION AND EXPANSION GRANT, WHICH IS TO SUPPORT A COLLABORATIVE PARTNERSHIP TO IMPLEMENT A NEW RESIDENCY PROGRAM OR TO EXPAND AN EXISTING CURRENT PROGRAM.
THE BUDGET REVISION REPORT ALSO REFLECTS SOME REDUCTIONS IN RESTRICTED FUNDING, BASED ON UPDATED PROJECTIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 22 2023-24. THERE HAS BEEN A BUDGET REDUCTION OF APPROXIMATELY 313,000, WHICH INCLUDES TITLE FUNDS AND CHILD AND ADULT CARE FOOD PROGRAM.
THAT CONCLUDES THE BUDGET REVISION REPORT FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE BERTA.
YES. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE WHAT WAS INVOLVED WITH THE BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR PERSONNEL SERVICE OPERATIONS THAT HAD THE INCREASE.
[INAUDIBLE]. SO THAT AMOUNT IS FOR PERSONNEL OPERATIONS.
CAN YOU SHARE WHY THERE WAS AN INCREASE? CAN YOU PLEASE REPEAT THAT? YES. THANK YOU.
WHAT PAGE OF THE BUDGET REVISION WERE YOU LOOKING AT? LET ME SEE IF I CAN PULL THAT UP.
OKAY. THANK YOU. AT THE BOTTOM.
[INAUDIBLE] THIS WAS A PREVIOUS MOU WE HAD FROM THE PRIOR YEAR, AND THIS WAS FOR AN MOU THAT WE HAD WITH STANFORD UNIVERSITY.
SO THERE WAS AN AMENDMENT FOR THE FUNDING FOR THE 23-24 YEAR.
AND SO IT WAS WORK THAT WE WERE DOING WITH STANFORD.
AND SO IT WAS AN ADDITIONAL 18,000 TO SUPPORT THAT WORK.
AND THAT'S JUST GOING TO COME OUT OF OUR GENERAL FUND THEN TO SUPPORT THAT INITIATIVE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION.
TRUSTEE ROCHA AND THEN VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
IT'S A MORE OF A GENERAL QUESTION ON THESE MONTHLY BUDGET REVISIONS THAT COME BEFORE US.
WHAT'S THE THRESHOLD FOR SOMETHING TO BE SHOWN UP HERE? BECAUSE I'M LOOKING AT ONE THAT'S $722.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST CURIOUS, JUST FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, IS IT ANY CHANGE FROM $1 TO 700, OR IS THERE A THRESHOLD IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU CHOOSE TO REPORT OUT ON OR NOT? SO WE INCLUDE ANYTHING THAT IS ADDITIONAL REVENUE OR REVENUE REDUCTIONS FROM OUR ADOPTED BUDGET.
[00:50:05]
SO THAT COULD BE A DOLLAR OR IT COULD BE SOMETHING.THERE'S NOT A THRESHOLD, BUT IT'S ANY ACTIVITY THAT WASN'T PART OF OUR ADOPTED BUDGET.
SO THIS IS LITERALLY ANY CHANGE IN THE ADOPTED BUDGET THAT WE DO MONTHLY? CORRECT. IT COULD BE ANY REVENUES THAT WE GOT FROM MOU'S OR GRANTS.
THANK YOU. AND SO MY LAST QUESTION THEN UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE ARE ACTUAL CHANGES NOT FORECASTED ONES, THESE ARE STILL FOR THE BUDGET. SO THEY'RE STILL THEY STILL ARE PROJECTED BUDGET CHANGES.
BUT THE ACTUALS COULD BE DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON WHAT WE ACTUALLY SPEND IN RELATION TO THAT BUDGET.
SO YOU WOULD EVEN PUT ON HERE PROJECTIONS THAT WE THINK MIGHT CHANGE.
WE WOULD INCLUDE IT IN THE MONTH THAT WE GOT THAT NOTIFICATION.
AND WE WOULD ALSO BUDGET THE CORRESPONDING EXPENSES FOR THAT WORK.
THEN AS WE GO THROUGH THE BUDGET YEAR WHEN WE GET TO OUR END OF THE YEAR UNAUDITED ACTUALS, WE WOULD ACTUALLY THAT'S THE REPORT WE DID LAST MONTH TO SHOW WHERE WE LANDED WITH THAT GRANT. THANK YOU.
TRUSTEE ROCHA, VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
DO THOSE COME IN CHUNKS? BECAUSE I SEE THE 8 MILLION.
SO THAT IS THE PORTION THAT WE HAVE AT THIS TIME THAT WE HAVE RECORDED.
DO WE KNOW WHEN WE'LL GET THE FULL 20 MILLION OR IS THERE A TIMELINE THERE.
YEAH IT IS A MULTI YEAR GRANT.
SO IT WILL BE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEARS.
AND ALSO AS THE STATEWIDE LEAD WE'LL BE SUPPORTING REGIONAL AREAS.
SO SOME OF THE FUNDING WILL GO TO THE REGIONAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTERS THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING.
DO WE KNOW OVER THE COURSE OF HOW MANY YEARS? I BELIEVE IT'S FIVE.
DO WE KNOW OF THE 20 MILLION? WHAT WILL GO TO THE DISTRICTS WE'RE SUPPORTING? YEAH, THE FUNDS DON'T NECESSARILY GO DIRECTLY TO THE DISTRICTS.
THEY GO TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE DOCUMENTS, TEMPLATES, MODEL MOU'S, WORKSHOPS, WORKING WITH THE PARTNERS TO HELP THEM SET UP EFFECTIVE RESIDENCY PROGRAMS. OKAY. AND YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE FOR THE BOARD TO BE UPDATED, YOU KNOW, AS THAT FUNDING IS SPENT.
SO WE'RE WORKING ON A COMPREHENSIVE REPORT FOR THE BOARD.
TRUSTEE LARI SO WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO HAVE A LOOK AT THE INCOME STATEMENTS FOR THE INDIVIDUAL PROGRAMS, SO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF WHY THERE IS AN INCREASE IN EXPENDITURE OR AN INCREASE IN REVENUE, BECAUSE THAT WOULD PROVIDE US GREATER DETAIL.
OKAY, THAT IS ALL FOR ITEM 5A THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM.
TRUSTEES, CAN I GET A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE BUDGET REVISIONS FOR SEPTEMBER 2023? SO MOVED. MOVED BY VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? A SECOND FROM TRUSTEE ROSHA.
TRUSTEES, PLEASE VOTE IN BOARD DOCS.
[00:55:03]
ARE YOU MISSING A VOTE? WHICH ONE?TRUSTEE LARI, ARE YOU ABLE TO VOTE? OH, A VERBAL YES.THANK YOU AND THAT MOTION CARRIES WITH SEVEN YESES. THANK YOU, TRUSTEES.
[A. The members of the Board may give reports on activities related to their duties as members of the Santa Clara County Board of Education]
INCLUDE THOSE ACTIVITIES SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO OUR DUTIES AS TRUSTEES OF THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION.I'LL BE, I WILL BEGIN BY INVITING OUR STUDENT BOARD MEMBER TO PRESENT HIS REPORT.
TRUSTEES AND SUPERINTENDENT DR.
DEWAN. WE ARE GETTING INTO THE HALLOWEEN SPIRIT HERE AT BLUE RIDGE BY DECORATING ON CAMPUS.
WE'LL BE HAVING A PUMPKIN DECORATING AND CARVING CONTEST.
TEACHERS AND STAFF WILL BE VOTING ON WHICH PUMPKIN THEY LIKE THE BEST.
THE WINNER WILL RECEIVE A SMALL PIZZA PARTY.
WE HAVE A DIVERSE CAMPUS AND OBSERVE THE DAY OF THE DEAD.
WE MADE AN ALTAR FOR LOVED ONES WHO HAVE PASSED.
OUR CLASS STARTING HERE AT BLUE RIDGE.
THIS WAS A GREAT TIME TO HELP SHOW OUR CAMPUS AND STAFF AS WELL AS TEACHERS, HELP US STUDENTS STAY ON TRACK FOR PURSUING HIGHER EDUCATION AND USING OUR VALUES TO THE FULLEST ABILITY. THE COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES SHARED THEIR JOURNEY THROUGH COLLEGE AND ALSO HELPED A GOOD INSIGHT TO COLLEGE AND WHY THESE COLLEGE REPRESENTATIVES CHOSE THE MAJOR THEY ARE PURSUING.
IT BENEFITED ME BY ALLOWING ME TO ASK QUESTIONS SINCE I AM CURRENTLY DOING HIGH SCHOOL IN COLLEGE.
OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR REPORT.
WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S GOING ON OVER THERE.
TRUSTEES ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO REPORT, WONDERFUL.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO FROM TRUSTEE LARI AND THEN GO AROUND.
TRUSTEE LARI? SO OCTOBER 6TH, I ATTENDED A CALIFORNIA CLEAN AIR DAY SPEECH COMPETITION JOINTLY BY CALIFORNIA CLEAN AIR COALITION AND EVERGREEN ISLAMIC CENTER.
ON OCTOBER 10TH, WITH LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, BAY AREA ORGANIZED AND CO MODERATED A PANEL WITH DR.
EVERGREEN COLLEGE ENROLLMENT AND PARTNERSHIP WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
TO EXPAND HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS AT THE EVERGREEN COLLEGE.
I ALSO WORKED WITH TRUSTEE BERTA ON A STATEMENT IN OUR PERSONAL CAPACITY TO CALL FOR AN END TO THE HUMANITARIAN CRISIS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, AND TO CALL FOR RESTORATION OF BASIC SERVICES IN AN AREA WHERE MORE THAN 50% OF RESIDENTS ARE CHILDREN.
I QUOTE HERE FROM UNICEF, IN EVERY WAR, THE ONE WHO SUFFERS THE MOST ARE CHILDREN.
THIS IS TRAGICALLY TRUE TODAY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE LARI.
TRUSTEE DI SALVO? YES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, PRESIDENT CHON.
IN MY JUSTICE STUDIES DEPARTMENT AT SAN JOSE STATE, THERE WAS A TEACH-IN SPONSORED BY A COUPLE OF FACULTY MEMBERS ON THE PALESTINIAN-ISRAELI SITUATION IN THE MIDDLE EAST, AND I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WE AS EDUCATORS IGNORE THINGS THAT ARE SO CONTROVERSIAL IN THE WORLD AND DON'T TEACH THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS, HISTORICAL ELEMENTS, AND THE FACTS AS THEY ARE SEEN BY MOST PEOPLE.
SO I'M ASKING WE AT DIFFERENT TIMES, THE COUNTY OFFICE, WHEN THERE HAS BEEN IN MY 15 YEAR CAREER AS A TRUSTEE, THAT WE'VE PUT OUT INFORMATION TO HELP SCHOOLS AND EDUCATORS DEAL WITH TENSE SITUATIONS AND PROVIDE THE PROPER INFORMATION. SO I'M JUST ASKING IF THAT'S SOMETHING, AND IT'S RHETORICALLY BEING ASKED IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER DOING AT SOME TIME, BECAUSE I THINK THE TEACHING WAS VERY HELPFUL TO STUDENTS.
[01:00:01]
AND THE PRESIDENT OF SAN JOSE STATE PUT OUT A MEMO ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT IF THERE ARE PROTESTS ON EITHER SIDE, THAT IT'S DONE IN A NONVIOLENT WAY.AND SO I THINK THAT WAS GOOD FOR THE PRESIDENT TO DO.
AND I READ THAT MEMO TO MY STUDENTS, BUT I THINK MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND TEACHERS AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS NEED MORE INFORMATION AND WHETHER THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT TEACH SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.
THIS TRAGIC CONFLICT THAT EXISTS TODAY.
I AM SO SORRY THAT I MISSED THE LGBTQ+ EVENT IN SOUTH COUNTY.
I WISH I COULD HAVE BEEN THERE.
I THINK IN THIS TIME OF BIGOTRY AND INCREASED PREJUDICE, IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO MORE OF.
AND I WHEN I READ THE RESOLUTION, IT ACKNOWLEDGED CAMPBELL UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, FREMONT UNION HIGH SCHOOL DISTRICT, METRO MOUNTAIN VIEW, WHISMAN AND SANTA CLARA UNIFIED AS AS DOING HAVING EXEMPLARY PRACTICES.
AND I THANK THE OFFICE AND KEN YEAGER, FORMER SUPERVISOR AND CITY COUNCIL-MEMBER KEN YEAGER, FOR BEING THERE TO GIVE THOSE RECOGNITIONS OUT ON BEHALF OF THE ASSEMBLY MEMBERS, BERMAN, [INAUDIBLE], AND LOWE.
LASTLY. I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS.
THAT WAS, I THINK, MY LAST OP ED THAT I WROTE ABOUT THAT TEST DATA NEEDS TO BE AVAILABLE AND NEEDS TO BE MADE NOT ONLY AVAILABLE, AND THE MAYOR AGREED TO DO IT ON A LINK FROM THE CITY WEBSITE.
BUT I THINK WE NEED TO DO WHATEVER WE CAN TO MAKE THOSE DATA EASY TO UNDERSTAND BY THE PUBLIC, READILY AVAILABLE AND OVER TIME LONGITUDINALLY.
SO WE SEE WHETHER THERE'S IMPROVEMENTS OR NOT.
BUT EDSOURCE CAME OUT WITH A PUBLICATION, I THINK, TODAY OR YESTERDAY, THAT FLAT TEST SCORES.
FLAT TEST SCORES LEAVE CALIFORNIA FAR BEHIND PRE-COVID LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT.
SO IN THAT CONTEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO HELP PUBLICIZE THAT DATA.
IT'S READILY AVAILABLE ON THE CD.
CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WEBSITE, BUT IT'S DIFFICULT TO FERRET OUT AND GET.
SO WHATEVER WE CAN DO TO DO THAT SO WE CAN TRACK IT OVER TIME.
AND MY QUESTION TO ALL OF US, AND SUPERINTENDENT IS I'VE ALWAYS SAID THE SILVER BULLET IS HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING. AND I KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING MORE THAN BEFORE.
ARE THE PROGRAMS IN EARLY LEARNING SO FRAGMENTED? DISCONNECTED? THAT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY MAKING THE KIND OF DIFFERENCE.
OR WILL WE BEGIN TO SEE A DIFFERENCE WITH THE INCREASED DOLLARS GOING TO HIGH QUALITY EARLY LEARNING? THAT'S RHETORICAL, BUT THAT'S MY QUESTION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE DI SALVO.
SO ON OCTOBER 7TH, I ATTENDED COMMUNITY SAVE US ANNUAL GALA.
THEN THE NEXT DAY, I HAD A MEETING WITH AVA CHIAO, WHO'S A TRUSTEE AT CUPERTINO UNION SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND SO GOT TO GET SOME UPDATES FROM THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SHE'S ESPECIALLY INTERESTED IN NOT JUST SUSTAINABLE SCHOOL GARDENS, BUT SUSTAINABLE PLAYGROUNDS.
SO I SENT OVER SOME RESOURCES FROM OUR COUNTY OFFICE.
THEN ON THE 13TH, I TOURED SILICON VALLEY CAREER TECHNICAL CENTER.
AND I KNOW SOME COUNTY OFFICE OF ED STUDENTS ATTEND CTE, AND PERHAPS THIS CAN GO IN THE INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, BECAUSE I'D LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR WORK WITH THEM.
[01:05:04]
YEAR BY THEIR PTA.AND I THINK THERE WAS ABOUT 3000 PEOPLE ON THEIR FOOTBALL FIELDS ALL DANCING TOGETHER.
SO THAT WAS AN ALL FUNDS, OF COURSE, GOING TO THE SCHOOL AND STUDENTS.
AS WELL. THEN ON THE 14TH AS WELL, I ATTENDED AN EVENT HOSTED BY THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOL DEMOCRATS AND GOT TO SPEAK TO SOME YOUNG LEADERS, AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS THEIR FIRST EVENT IN THE BAY AREA.
THEN EARLIER TODAY I MET WITH ENOCH, AND SO I'VE MENTIONED THIS NONPROFIT BEFORE.
AND A WORLD SIGHT DAY WAS THIS PAST MONTH, OCTOBER 12TH.
SO I WILL BE REQUESTING THAT NEXT YEAR.
THEN LASTLY, I'VE BEEN GIVING A FEW UPDATES ABOUT AB285 AND THAT BILL WAS SIGNED INTO LAW.
SO, AND I KNOW THE COUNTY OFFICE OFFERS COMMUNITIES OF PRACTICE TOOL KITS AND YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AROUND ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY.
AND I'M HOPING WITH THE ROLLOUT OF AB285, THAT'LL BE LAW IN NEXT YEAR.
WE CAN SORT OF ENHANCE OUR EFFORTS AND, YOU KNOW, MARKET THIS ROLLOUT TO HELP LOCAL EDUCATORS.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE WHAT WE'LL BE DOING IN THAT REGARD AS WELL.
VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN, I HAVE A LITTLE QUESTION TO ASK YOU.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE? OR HOW ARE THEY RELATED? SILICON VALLEY CAREER, TECH EDUCATION AND METRO ED.
YEAH, AND ANYONE JUMP IN IF I'M WRONG, BUT I BELIEVE METROEDS THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S THE NAME OF THE DISTRICT? YES.
AND THEN. SVCT IS THE PROGRAM OR IS THE CENTER THAT THEY.
SITE? YES, IT'S A PHYSICAL SITE AND METRO ED IS LOCATED AT THE SAME SITE.
DISTRICT, WHICH IS LOCATED AT THAT SAME SITE.
OR I WOULD SAY THE SITE IS LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT.
OH, SILICON VALLEY CT IS LOCATED IN THE DISTRICT AT THAT SITE.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL AT HILLSDALE, RIGHT? YEAH. ON THAT SITE? YEAH.
I JUST WASN'T SURE IF THEY RENAMED METRO ED SVCT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THANKS FOR CLARIFYING AND MOVING ON TO TRUSTEE BERTA.
THANK YOU. I FIRST JUST WANTED TO ASK.
I'M NOT SURE IF THE ITEM THAT'S ON THE AGENDA FOR THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW.
WAS THAT INTENDED TO ADDRESS MY AGENDA ITEM REQUEST? FROM PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
YES, IT IS TO DO THAT AND ADDITIONAL THINGS AS WELL.
OKAY. WILL THERE BE A DIFFERENT UPDATE? BECAUSE I WAS JUST GOING THROUGH THE SLIDES AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS ASKING, THEN THAT I REQUEST OR ASK SPECIFIC TO WHAT I'VE REITERATED AT PREVIOUS MEETINGS, WHICH IS IN ADDITION TO SPECIAL ED, CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND ADDRESSING THE CONCERNS THAT WE'VE HEARD TRANSPARENTLY AND PUBLICLY IN TERMS OF PROGRAM CHANGES.
I BELIEVE THAT STAFF ARE PREPARED TO RESPOND TO YOUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU. AND IF NOT, WE DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, CAN BRING.
DEWAN AND I APPRECIATE HER COLLABORATION AND CONSIDERATION AND DRAFTING A THE COUNTY OFFICES STATEMENT, BUT WE REACHED OUT TO HER SPECIFICALLY TO EXPRESS CONCERN AROUND BIASED, ONE SIDED STATEMENTS THAT WE SAW COMING OUT OF SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND LOCAL AGENCIES AND THE IMPACT THAT HAS ON CHILDREN.
SPECIFIC TO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN PALESTINE AND GAZA.
I ALSO APPRECIATED SEEING THE STATEMENT, WHICH WE ALSO SHARED WITH DR.
DEWAN, THE STATEMENT FROM SANTA CRUZ COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AS WELL AS RESOURCES THAT WERE PUT TOGETHER WITH SAN DIEGO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, AND THESE ARE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I HOPE OUR COUNTY OFFICE WILL ALSO CONSIDER SHARING SIMILAR RESOURCES.
[01:10:01]
I KNOW THIS BOARD HAS TAKEN ACTION TO DENOUNCE ANTI-SEMITISM AS WELL AS ISLAMOPHOBIA, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT IN THESE TIMES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF AND EDUCATORS WITH ADDRESSING THOSE CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY IN THE WAKE OF INCIDENTS.LIKE THE HORRIFIC HATE CRIME ON A SIX YEAR OLD MUSLIM PALESTINIAN-AMERICAN CHILD IN ILLINOIS.
SO I HOPE THAT OUR COUNTY OFFICE AND SUPERINTENDENT ARE PREPARED TO OFFER SUPPORT AND RESOURCES THAT AFFIRM OUR COMMITMENTS TO SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS OF EVERY BACKGROUND.
TRUSTEE MAH? THANK YOU. PRESIDENT CHON.
I ONLY HAVE A FEW THINGS TO REPORT.
I ATTENDED THE CHALLENGE TEAM MEETING, WHICH WE HAVE EVERY MONTH IN NORTH COUNTY, AND THERE WAS AN UPDATE BY ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENTS OF WHAT WAS GOING ON.
THE ONE INTERESTING POINT, WHICH CAME UP AND TIES INTO OUR HOMELESS STUDENT RESOLUTION, IS THAT THE MOUNTAIN VIEW WHISMAN SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS ONE SCHOOL THAT'S CALLED CASTRO, THAT IS LOCATED IN LARGELY, IF YOU WILL, THE POORER SECTION OF TOWN.
AND THE SUPERINTENDENT REPORTED THAT 20% OF THE STUDENTS AT CASTRO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ARE HOMELESS.
AND I WAS QUITE SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT.
AND I GUESS MY QUESTION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT IS, DO WE HAVE DATA ON HOW MANY MCKINNEY-VENTO STUDENTS ARE LOCATED IN EACH? I MEAN, IN THE WHOLE COUNTY AND THEN IN BY DISTRICT.
IS THAT DATA THAT WE HAVE OR IT'S DATA THAT WE CAN GET OUR IT'S REPORTED DIFFERENTLY AND AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE YEAR. BUT OUR HOMELESS, OUR DIRECTOR WHO OVERSEES BOTH FOSTER YOUTH AND HOMELESS PROGRAMS, IS GENERALLY ABLE TO GET THAT DATA.
COULD WE GET A LIST NUMBERS OF JUST HOW MANY HOMELESS STUDENTS ARE IN WHICH DISTRICT AND JUST NUMBERS. SO WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO THAT, HAVE A FEEL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE MAGNITUDE OF THE PROBLEM.
I ALSO ATTENDED THE SILICON VALLEY LEADERSHIP GROUP.
THEY HAD A REGIONAL BRIEFING ROUNDTABLE, WHICH FEATURED SUPERVISOR ELLENBERG AND OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE, JAMES WILLIAMS, FORMER COUNTY COUNSEL, WHO HAD WORKED WITH US IN THE COUNTY OFFICE OF ED MANY, MANY YEARS AGO.
HE SENDS REGARDS TO OLD TIMERS LIKE JOSEPH, AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING.
THEY TALKED ABOUT COUNTY ISSUES, COUNTY BUDGET, ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THE COUNTY IS CERTAINLY INVOLVED IN SO MANY THINGS, MANY THINGS WHICH INCLUDE SOCIAL SERVICES AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH.
BUT THERE WERE SOME QUESTIONS BROUGHT UP BY SOME OF THE OTHER ATTENDEES ABOUT THE COMMITMENT OF THE COUNTY TO EARLY LEARNING AND EARLY EDUCATION. AND SO THEY TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON AT THE COUNTY LEVEL, WHICH WERE REALLY INTERESTING.
AND I CAN WRITE THAT UP IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN FINDING OUT MORE ABOUT THAT.
AND THE THIRD THING I ATTENDED WAS THE COMMITTEE OF 100, WHICH HAD A.
AND THEY HAD THE THREE PANELISTS.
ONE WAS A STANFORD PROFESSOR, ONE WAS A CORPORATE PERSON.
I DON'T REMEMBER NOW BUT AGAIN, IS YOU KNOW, A HOT TOPIC ABOUT HOW THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISION AND THE LAWSUIT.
IF YOU WILL, LED BY A WHITE LAWYER, BUT USING A NUMBER OF ASIAN STUDENTS FOR THAT LAWSUIT ENDED UP BEING A LITTLE BIT BIASED IN ITSELF AS FAR AS THE REAL DIRECTION THAT THE LAWSUIT IS PUSHING, AND THERE WERE COMMENTS ABOUT ADDITIONAL LAWSUITS THAT LAWYER IS NOW PURSUING, INCLUDING LAWSUITS AGAINST PRIVATE COMPANIES OR PRIVATE LAW FIRMS WHICH HAVE.
SCHOLARSHIPS OR FELLOWSHIPS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, RACIALLY BASED.
[01:15:02]
AND SO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE LAW FIRMS THAT HAVE FELLOWSHIPS FOR BLACK LAWYERS OR LEARNING TO BE LAWYERS, THEY ARE NOW BEING TARGETED BY THIS LAWYER AS BEING AS SUPPORTING A, YOU KNOW, ANTI-AFFIRMATIVE ACTION OR AFFIRMATIVE ACTION, WHICH IS NOW, YOU KNOW, ILLEGAL KIND OF THING.SO IT'S REAL INTERESTING HOW NOT ONLY WHAT WAS DONE AT THE SUPREME COURT FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS IS NOW MOVING INTO KIND OF THE PRIVATE SECTOR OR POTENTIALLY MOVING INTO THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND NONPROFIT SECTOR AND AFFECTING SO MANY MORE PEOPLE THAN THAN JUST STUDENTS.
I JUST HAVE ONE THING TO SHARE.
HE HAD SENT THE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR 2 AP PERFECT SCORES EARLIER, BUT I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT TRACY WILLIAMS, WHO IS THE EAST SIDE UNION HIGH SCHOOL'S DISTRICT'S DIRECTOR OF ADULT EDUCATION, EARNED THE DR.
DEWAN SAID YOU HAD ATTENDED, AND JUST HIGHLIGHTS ON THAT AS TRACY ATTENDED OR SORRY, SERVED THAT DISTRICT SINCE 2001 AND IS CURRENTLY A LEADER IN ADULT EDUCATION AND THE CO-CHAIR OF THE SOUTH BAY CONSORTIUM FOR ADULT EDUCATION AND BOARD MEMBER TO WORK TO FUTURE.
AND HER WORK EXTENDS TO THE YOUTH PROGRAMS THROUGH HER SORORITY AS WELL AS SHE HAS JUST LIVED A LIFE, DEDICATING SERVING STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AS A CIVIL RIGHTS CHAMPION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE HER ON THAT AWARD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK GETTING THAT INFORMATION.
I ALWAYS APPRECIATE HEARING THAT.
SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT FOR OUR PUBLIC AND THE BOARD.
AND I THINK THAT'S IT FOR OUR BOARD MEMBER REPORTS.
SO I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR INFORMATION ITEMS. DR. DEWAN, COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE OUR FIRST ITEM? OUR FIRST ITEM THIS EVENING, TRUSTEES IS OUR STANDING AGENDA ITEM ON CHARTER SCHOOL UPDATES.
[A. Charter Schools Update]
AND OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, MEFULA FAIRLEY, WILL PROVIDE THE UPDATE.I DON'T KNOW THAT THE MIC IS ON.
ON OCTOBER 10TH, 2023, THE CHARTER SCHOOLS DEPARTMENT RECEIVED FROM BULLIS CHARTER SCHOOL A RESPONSE TO SCCOE'S AUGUST 4TH, 2023 REAFFIRMATION OF NOTICE IN ACCORDANCE WITH EDUCATION CODE SECTION 47607 E AND NOTICE OF CONCERN, INITIALLY ISSUED TO BULLIS ON MAY 21ST, 2021.
STAFF IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING THE RESPONSE TO DETERMINE OUR NEXT STEPS.
AS A RESPONSE INCLUDES 2023-24 DATA FOR BULLIS THAT WE DID NOT PREVIOUSLY HAVE.
THIS CONCLUDES MY REPORT FOR THE EVENING.
THANK YOU, TRUSTEE ANY? TRUSTEE DI SALVO. THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
IT'S NOT RELATED TO WHAT WAS JUST SAID, BUT IT'S ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS.
I CAN BARELY HEAR YOU. YOU CAN'T HEAR ME? BARELY. I HAVE HEARING ISSUES.
SO GOVERNOR NEWSOM VETOED THE BILL.
I WAS WONDERING IF WE TOOK A STAND ON 1604.
WE DID NOT. I DON'T BELIEVE SO.
AND THE GOVERNOR VETOED IT, THINKING THAT.
NOT MY WORDS. RICK HARRISON FROM EDSOURCE.
GOVERNOR NEWSOM THOUGHTFULLY CENTERED THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES OVER PARTY POLITICS AND LABOR ENDORSEMENTS AND VETOED THIS BILL, NOTING IN HIS VETO MESSAGE THAT THE BILL PROVISIONS COULD HAVE UNINTENDED
[01:20:08]
CONSEQUENCES, INCLUDING INCREASING FACILITIES COSTS OR ELIMINATING FINANCIAL OPTIONS FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS.SO WHEN I READ THAT, I SAID, I WONDER IF WE TOOK A POSITION YOU DON'T THINK WE DID? I DON'T BELIEVE WE DID FOR OUR J LAC PRIORITIES, THEY WERE MORE FOCUSED ON THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLNESS AND EARLY LEARNING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO I DON'T BELIEVE SO, BUT WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK.
THAT'S ALL I HAD. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
DR. DEWAN, COULD YOU PLEASE PRESENT THIS ITEM? YES, OUR NEXT INFORMATION ITEM IS JUST FIRST READING OF THE BOARD POLICY ON EDUCATION FOR FOSTER YOUTH.
[B. First Reading of Board Policy 6173.1 Education for Foster Youth]
WE MENTIONED THIS AT OUR LAST MEETING AS THAT WAS THE DAY POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE HAD MET.AND IN THIS REVISION, IT IS UPDATING TO REFLECT NEW LAWS WHICH REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPES OF REPORTS REGARDING THE NUMBER OF FOSTER YOUTH WHO FOR THE PRIOR YEAR, GRADUATED WITH AN EXEMPTION FROM THE ESTABLISHED GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
IN ADDITION, WE TWEAKED SOME OF THE LANGUAGE TO MAKE IT MATCH OUR GUIDANCE ON GENDER NEUTRALITY IN THE POLICY, AND IT WILL COME BACK FOR SECOND READING AND ADOPTION ON NOVEMBER 1ST.
DEWAN I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE DID MISS ONE CROSS OUT FOR GENDER NEUTRALITY.
IT'S IN THE. THANK YOU. IT'S IN THE BIG PARAGRAPH.
YEAH. GREAT. THAT'S THE ONLY ONE.
THAT'S WHY WE DO FIRST READING.
THANK YOU. QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEES. YES, TRUSTEE DI SALVO.
APPROXIMATELY FOUR YEARS AGO, MAYBE FIVE, MAYBE SIX.
I WAS APPOINTED TO A TASK FORCE CHAIRED BY SUPERVISOR CHAVEZ AND AT THE TIME, OUR COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT, NOT DR.
DEWAN. AND IT WAS ABOUT FOSTER YOUTH, AND IT WAS ABOUT COMING UP WITH A PLAN, AND IT WAS A LARGE COMMITTEE OF JUDGES AND THE CHIEF PROBATION OFFICER, MANY PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE IN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAMBERS.
WE PRODUCED A REPORT, AND WHEN I SAW THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA, I SAID, I WONDER HOW WE'RE DOING WITH THAT, WITH OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. SO, OFTEN WE DON'T GET UPDATES ABOUT THINGS LIKE THAT.
CERTAINLY, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT.
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS DEVELOPED AN ACTION PLAN FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY, AND THEY REGULARLY PROVIDE UPDATES.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE PLAN THAT WERE VERY SPECIFIC TO THE COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION, INCLUDING OUR FOSTER VISION PROGRAM, WHERE WE'VE BEEN ENHANCING AND EXPANDING THE SERVICES AND THE USE OF THAT PROGRAM SO WE CAN TRACK DOWN SOME THINGS FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA AS WELL AS SHARE. BUT ABOUT OUR FOSTER VISION WORK.
DEWAN, THAT I KEPT REFERRING TO DURING THE YEAR AND A HALF OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS WAS THAT AS A PRINCIPAL, WHEN YOU GOT A FOSTER YOUTH, YOU DIDN'T GET A CUMULATIVE FOLDER FAR TOO OFTEN, AND THAT CHILD COULD HAVE BEEN SPECIAL ED.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S ANY BETTER.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I WOULD LOVE AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT, AND WHETHER WE COULD DO SOMETHING OR PUT SOME MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE USING TECHNOLOGY OR WHATEVER TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THE BEST INFORMATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE FOR THAT SCHOOL AND THAT PROFESSIONAL STAFF TO SERVE THAT CHILD.
OKAY. SEEING NO ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, WE WILL MOVE ON.
WE'RE NOT VOTING ON THAT ONE TODAY.
DR. DEWAN, COULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE THIS NEXT ITEM? YES. TRUSTEES AT A MEETING NOT TOO LONG AGO, WE PROVIDED THE BOARD WITH A STATUS UPDATE ON OUR EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT A
[C. Solar Energy Project Update]
[01:25:02]
SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT.TONIGHT, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT GOMEZ WILL PROVIDE A STATUS UPDATE ON THAT ONGOING WORK.
THE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT IS IN ALIGNMENT WITH OUR COUNTY OFFICE COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABILITY AND CLIMATE ACTION, AS IT MINIMIZES THE IMPACT TO THE ENVIRONMENT THROUGH CARBON FOOTPRINT, EDUCATION, AND CARBON FOOTPRINT REDUCTION.
IT WILL ALSO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY EDUCATION THROUGH STEAM AND CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION PATHWAYS, AND SUSTAINABILITY SUSTAINABILITY LESSONS.
GOOD EVENING. PRESIDENT CHON, SUPERINTENDENT DEWAN, TRUSTEES, STAFF MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
THIS EVENING, I'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE SCCOE SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCT, PROJECTS AND THE GREAT PROGRESS THAT HAS BEEN MADE SINCE THE LAST REPORT THAT WAS PRESENTED AT THE JUNE 21ST BOARD MEETING ANDTHIS SLIDE HERE, THIS SHOWS THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE SINCE THAT MEETING.
JUST TO REFRESH THE ITEMS, THE PROPOSED LOCATIONS FOR THE SOLAR ENERGY PRODUCT PROJECT WERE RITTER PARK, SNELSON AND WALDEN WEST, AND THE ENERGY ANALYSIS FOR THESE FOUR SITES WAS COMPLETED IN AUGUST 2023.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, I HAVE THE NEXT PART OF THE PROCESS THAT DR.
DEWAN HAD MENTIONED, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC HEARING THAT WILL BE HELD ON NOVEMBER 1ST.
THE NEXT PHASE OF IT WOULD BE THE FINANCING PROCUREMENT PIECE THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE MID NOVEMBER TIMEFRAME, WITH THE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT PROPOSAL BEING FINALIZED BY THE END OF NOVEMBER. WITH THAT TIMEFRAME, IT WILL ALLOW US TO HAVE THE SOLAR ENERGY PROJECT FINALIZED AND UNDERWAY BY DECEMBER 31ST, 2023.
TRUSTEES, ANY QUESTIONS? I DID HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
SO AT THE NOVEMBER PUBLIC HEARING OR AT OUR NOVEMBER MEETING, WHERE WE'LL HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THIS, IS THIS WHEN WE'LL GET LIKE MORE DETAILS, LIKE WHERE IT SAYS IN SEPTEMBER WE HAVE PROPOSED SITES APPROVED FOR ELIGIBILITY.
SO ALL THAT INFORMATION COME AT THE PUBLIC HEARING TIME.
CORRECT. I'LL GIVE AN UPDATE ON THE SITES THAT ARE ELIGIBLE.
WE CAN ALSO INCLUDE THE DESIGNS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN FINALIZED.
AND THEN IT WILL ALSO GO OVER THE SOLAR ENERGY SAVINGS.
IT'LL HAVE THE REDUCTION OF OUR FOOTPRINT BY DOING THIS PROJECT.
AND THEN WAS THE FUNDING FOR THIS PROJECT, WAS IT A GRANT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED? THIS WOULD BE A LEASE FINANCING AGREEMENT THAT IS TIED TO THE FEDERAL REBATES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO IT WOULD BE A PROJECT WE WOULD BE FINANCING.
CORRECT. THAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FOR THAT FEDERAL REBATE.
THE SOLAR ENERGY CREDITS HAVE CHANGED.
SO THE TAX INCENTIVE FOR THE REBATE WILL ALSO BE EXPIRING DECEMBER 31ST.
DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION, VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
AND I KNOW THIS WAS MENTIONED IN OUR LAST UPDATE, BUT CAN I GET A REMINDER ABOUT HOW STUDENTS WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THIS PROJECT AND THE EDUCATION COMPONENT OF IT.
WE ALSO THERE'S A PROGRAMMATIC PIECE OF THIS WORK THAT WE'VE MET INTERNALLY WITH ANGIE, AND SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS TO CONTINUE TO INTEGRATE THAT INTO OUR CURRICULUM AS WELL AS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THEY ARE SUPPORTING IN THAT WAY AS WELL.
AND WE CAN BRING AN UPDATE BACK ON THAT.
SO IT'D BE COUNTY OFFICE STUDENTS THAT WOULD GET THESE, YOU KNOW, CTE OPPORTUNITIES.
YES, IT WOULD BE COUNTY OFFICE STUDENTS.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU.
MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM 7D, OUR REPORT ON SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW.
[D. Report: Special Education Department Overview]
DR. DEWAN? PRESIDENT CHON AND TRUSTEES, THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT PROVIDES SPECIALIZED SERVICES FOR CHILDREN AND STUDENTS,[01:30:07]
WHO ARE REFERRED INTO OUR PROGRAM BY LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS.THIS EVENING, OUR TEAM IS HERE.
OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, TERESA SHIPP OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT, AND JEN ANN OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, WILL PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH AN OVERVIEW OF THE PROGRAM AND ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MAY HAVE.
OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO STUDENTS FROM BIRTH THROUGH AGE 22, AND OUR DEPARTMENT WORKS TO IMPLEMENT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S PLACEMENT DECISION ANNUALLY AND REVIEWS ENROLLMENT AND ENSURING ACCESS TO THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT CHON, TRUSTEES.
MYSELF AND THE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, DR.
THE DEPARTMENT REVIEWS ENROLLMENT DATA AND ACCESS TO THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS.
THANK YOU. THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT CURRENTLY SERVES 1099 STUDENTS, WITH THE MAJORITY OF PROGRAMS LOCATED ON THE PUBLIC SCHOOL CAMPUS.
STUDENTS RECEIVE SERVICES BASED ON THEIR NEEDS, WHICH CAN INCLUDE SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION, ADAPTIVE PHYSICAL EDUCATION, SPEECH AND LANGUAGE COUNSELING, OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY, ORIENTATION AND MOBILITY, AND OR VISION SERVICES.
AS DEPICTED HERE, THE TREND HAS BEEN FOR DISTRICTS TO CREATE MORE OF THEIR OWN PROGRAMS IN ORDER TO INCREASE THEIR ABILITY TO SERVE STUDENTS IN THEIR HOME, SCHOOLS AND OR DISTRICTS.
WE VALUE THE PARTNERSHIP AND COLLABORATION WITH DISTRICTS IN SERVING STUDENTS.
I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, DR.
STAR AND LINKS IS AN EVIDENCE BASED, COMPREHENSIVE CURRICULUM DESIGNED TO TEACH STUDENTS TO BE INDEPENDENT ACROSS SCHOOL, COMMUNITY, AND VOCATIONAL ROUTINES. TOUCH MATH IS A MULTISENSORY MATH PROGRAM THAT MAKES CRITICAL MATH CONCEPTS APPEALING AND ACCESSIBLE FOR STUDENTS WHO STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND GRADE LEVEL CONTENT AND UNIQUE LEARNING SYSTEMS, HELP STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL LEARNING NEEDS AND MASTER THEIR STATE STANDARDS.
NEXT SLIDE. WE INVITE OUR FAMILIES TO BE PART OF THEIR CHILD'S EDUCATION.
NEXT SLIDE. INCLUSION AND BELONGING IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF OUR STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE.
STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO A WIDE ARRAY OF INCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES, INCLUDING SCHOOL RALLIES, RECESS GRADE LEVEL FIELD TRIPS, SCHOOL ASSEMBLIES, AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS. NEXT SLIDE. WE HAVE POWERFUL PARTNERSHIPS THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN HANDS ON, INCLUSIVE LEARNING.
THE WORKABILITY ONE GRANT PROGRAM PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN WORK, EMPLOYMENT, PLACEMENT, AND FOLLOW UP FOR HIGH SCHOOL AND POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WHO ARE MAKING THE TRANSITION FROM SCHOOL TO WORK, INDEPENDENT LIVING, AND POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION OR TRAINING.
WE HAVE PLACEMENTS FOR BOTH EXPLORATORY AND PAID WORK EXPERIENCE.
SOME WORK LOCATIONS INCLUDE RESTAURANTS, RETAIL STORES, PHARMACIES, PARKS, AND OFFICES.
[01:35:03]
NEXT SLIDE. THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO AN EXCITING SCHOOL YEAR AHEAD.OKAY. THANK YOU. SO, TRUSTEES, BEFORE WE GO TO DISCUSSION, WE'LL TAKE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU. MODERATOR CAN YOU LET ME KNOW HOW MANY WE HAVE? WE HAVE TEN CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU. CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND START PUBLIC COMMENT.
PLEASE LINE UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEHIND THE PODIUM LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM.
THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS ARE HEATHER BASS, YVETTE SIMON.
RACHEL. EXCUSE THE MISPRONUNCIATION.
[INAUDIBLE] MIKE BART KOWALSKI.ANNA MENDOZA.
HEATHER BASS. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS HEATHER BASS.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE GILROY COMMUNITY.
GILROY HAS HAD GATEWAY SCHOOL FOR 50 YEARS, AND FOR 20 OF THOSE, I'VE BEEN ON THE CAMPUS WORKING IN MULTIPLE GRADE LEVELS, ANYWHERE FROM THIRD GRADE THROUGH AGE 22.
WE ARE A CENTER BASED PROGRAM, AND LIKE ANNE DARLING, THAT IS A CENTER BASED PROGRAM.
AND SEVEN TREES, THAT IS A CENTER BASED PROGRAM.
WE ARE ON AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUS.
AND FOR SOME REASON, GILROY HAS BEEN SINGLED OUT AND TARGETED.
AND WE'RE BEING TOLD THAT OUR KIDS NEED TO BE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA.
SO WE'VE BEEN APPEALING TO THE BOARD AND TO THE ADMINISTRATION TO PLEASE CONSIDER KEEPING OUR KIDS IN GILROY, WHERE WE CAN GO TO SCHOOL, WHERE WE LIVE, AND WE CAN GO TO SCHOOL WITH OUR COUSINS AND BROTHERS AND SISTERS RIGHT IN TOWN.
AND THEY'RE SAYING THERE'S GOING TO BE SWIMMING AND COMMUNITY EVENTS AND INCLUSION.
BUT THE SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX IS THREE MILES OUT OF TOWN.
BUT I DID HEAR THAT THERE GOING TO BE GIVING BUSSES.
BUSSES ARE ABOUT $500 TWICE A WEEK, SO $1,000 EVERY WEEK TO GO SWIMMING AT A COMMUNITY POOL IN MORGAN HILL AND TO GO TO THE COMMUNITY CENTER IN MORGAN HILL TO GO BOWLING, I BELIEVE THAT'S NOT GILROY.
OUR GILROY KIDS CAN BE IN GILROY.
GATEWAY SCHOOL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
WE CAN WALK TO OUR COMMUNITY CENTERS, THE LIBRARY WE ARE WE HAVE A POOL RIGHT ON CAMPUS.
WE WANT OUR GILROY KIDS IN GILROY AT OUR SPECIALTY CENTER, WITH OUR TRAINED STAFF AND GREAT PROGRAMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YVETTE SIMON.
YVETTE SIMON. PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
IS THAT TOO CLOSE? GOOD EVENING TRUSTEES, I AM YVETTE SIMON.
I AM A CO-CHAIR, WHICH IS COMMITTEE ON POLITICAL EDUCATION.
I HELP ELECT ELECTED OFFICIALS TO THEIR POSITIONS.
ME AND MY TEAM, WE INTERVIEW AND WE EVALUATE CANDIDATES.
I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE GATEWAY SCHOOL FAMILIES.
I DID SEE THE REPORT DONE ON GATEWAY SCHOOL DONE IN 2022, ABOUT THE REDEVELOPMENT OF THE LAND, WITH GLENVIEW ELEMENTARY NEXT TO IT AND REDOING ALL THE LAND AND THE PLAYGROUNDS AND THE BUILDINGS.
BUT YOU I SAW IN THE REPORT ALSO THAT THEY CHECKED FOR ENVIRONMENTAL REPORTS, GASES, YOU KNOW CARBON DIOXIDE INDIAN LAND, IF THERE'S INDIAN BURIAL GROUND THERE, WHICH I BELIEVE THERE IS THEY HAVE TO REPORT THAT.
YOU CAN'T TAKE AN AUTISTIC CHILD AND PUT THEM IN A NEW ENVIRONMENT TO LEARN.
THEY CAN GO INTO LIKE HEAVY STRESS.
MY NIECE TEACHES AUTISTIC CHILDREN.
SHE'S HEARD ONE OF THEM SPEAK THEIR FIRST WORD.
THOSE CHILDREN DEVELOP A BOND WITH THEIR PARAEDUCATOR THAT YOU CANNOT REPLICATE.
[01:40:02]
IT'S ALMOST LIKE A PARENT.SO I WANT TO JUST STATE TO YOU THE IMPORTANCE.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO CARE FOR OTHER COUNTRIES, CARE FOR YOUR OWN FIRST.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RACHEL [INAUDIBLE].
RACHEL, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
MY NAME IS RACHEL [INAUDIBLE].
I RETIRED FROM THE COUNTY AFTER 30 YEARS AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, THAT WAS 12 YEARS AGO AND I'M STILL VERY ACTIVE WITH SEIU 521 AS CHAIR OF THE LATINO CAUCUS AND ALSO THE DISABILITY CAUCUS IN THE UNION.
WE HAD A MEETING THIS PAST SATURDAY WITH THESE PARENTS THAT CAME FROM GILROY, LETTING US KNOW THAT DISTRESSFUL SITUATION THEY'RE IN, THE NEED THAT THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN WITHIN THEIR AREAS, NOT BUSSED TO DIFFERENT AREAS, NOT BUSSED TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, NOT BUSSED TO DIFFERENT TEACHERS.
THEY NEED THEIR TEACHERS THAT THEY'RE VERY WELL AWARE OF RIGHT NOW AND THAT THEY NEED, AS YOU CAN SEE AND HEAR, THESE CHILDREN ARE SPECIAL NEEDS LITTLE ONES.
THEY NEED THE AREAS THAT THEY'RE FAMILIAR WITH SINCE THEY WERE BABIES, LITERALLY.
AND NOW THEY'RE BEING TOLD THEY'RE GOING TO GET BUSED.
WE HAD REPORTS OF THEM BEING BULLIED AT THE CURRENT SCHOOLS.
WE HAD REPORTS OF THEM BEING BUSED 2 EVEN THREE HOURS AWAY FROM WHERE THEY WERE PICKED UP.
THEY'RE PICKED UP AT 6:00 IN THE MORNING AND ON THE BUS FOR AT LEAST 2 OR 3 HOURS.
IF IT'S NOT BROKE, DON'T FIX IT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MIKE [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
MY DAUGHTER, ADRIANNA, ATTENDS MARTIN MURPHY.
SHE NEEDS INTENSIVE OT, PT AND ST.
THESE ARE INTRUSIVE NEEDS IN ORDER TO REACH HER FULL EDUCATION POTENTIAL.
ADRIAN WAS ON A THREE HOUR BUS RIDE ONE WAY TO SCHOOL.
TODAY, SHE STILL SPENDS 2.5 TO 3 HOURS ON THE BUS A DAY.
I'M SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT SOME OF THE KIDS ARE STILL ON THREE HOUR BUS RIDES ONE WAY.
WHILE IT IS UP TO GILROY UNIFIED TO PROVIDE THE TRANSPORTATION.
AND IT WAS A JOINT DECISION OF GILROY UNIFIED AND COE TO MOVE THOSE PROGRAMS OUT OF GILROY.
I HAVE THE INCIDENT REPORTS AND TEXT MESSAGES TO PROVE IT.
WE STAND IN SUPPORT OF COE STAFF AND DEMAND THAT YOU DO WHAT IT TAKES TO ADD AND RECRUIT STAFF.
DEMAND THAT COE FINDS FACILITIES FOR THE HEAD START KIDS, ONE THAT MEETS THEIR NEEDS.
THE COE STAFF CAN ONLY WORK WITH THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE RESOURCES THEY ARE GIVEN.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNA MENDOZA.
ANNA, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY.
STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ANNA MENDOZA.
I WORK WITH [INAUDIBLE] I AM THE ADVOCATE FOR THIS PARENTS.
YOU WERE OUR OFFICE NOT TOO LONG AGO AND WE INVITED YOU.
[01:45:02]
THE REPORT YOU MADE RIGHT NOW DOESN'T HAVE DOESN'T TALK ABOUT OUR KIDS.WE HAVE SPECIAL DEPARTMENT, YOUR BUILDING, YOUR PRESENTATION.
BUT IT NEVER TALKS ABOUT KIDS WITH SEVERE DISABILITIES.
YOU SAW ALEX RIGHT HERE, RIGHT? HOW HE GETS WHEN HE GETS FRUSTRATED.
THAT'S NOT AN [INAUDIBLE] FOR HIM.
THEY DON'T GO. THEY DON'T HAVE ALL THAT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ACTIVITIES THEY USED TO HAVE.
SO FIRST YOU GUYS GOT TO DO I MEAN, I'M PRETTY SURE YOU KNOW ABOUT GATEWAY.
TEACHERS HAVE BEEN TEACHING FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS AT GATEWAY, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, IT'S OKAY.
SHE'S BEEN HARASSING ONE OF MY PARENTS, CALLING HER AND SAYING, WHO INVITED YOU TO THE BOARD MEETING? I HAVE PARENTS CALLING FOR VIOLA, AND AT 9:41 P.M.
TELLING HER, EITHER YOU SIGN THIS OR WE'RE SENDING YOUR SON TO MOUNT MURPHY.
SO IT'S LIKE, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO A REPORT, DO IT CORRECTLY, VISIT THE FAMILIES, TALK TO THEM.
JUST GETTING STARTED. YOU OPEN SOUTH COUNTY ONYX.
WE'RE TAKING IT EVERY SINGLE DOOR, EVERY SINGLE HOUSEHOLD, EVERY SINGLE FAMILY.
WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT A MOVEMENT.
THIS IS NOT GOING TO END WELL.
HE GOT SICK. WE'RE LOOKING FOR THE PROOF WHERE HE GOT SICK.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNE MARIE MCCAULEY.
[INAUDIBLE] AND YOLANDA GONZALEZ.
PLEASE LINE UP BEHIND THE PODIUM.
MY NAME IS ANNE MARIE MCCAULEY.
SANTA CLARA COUNTY IS THE THIRD WEALTHIEST COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES, YET ITS SOUTHERNMOST CITY OF GILROY DOES NOT HAVE THE SAME FINANCIAL RESOURCES MANY OF OUR SISTER CITIES HAVE.
I WONDER IF YOU WOULD DARE TAKE A PROGRAM LIKE THIS AWAY FROM MOUNTAIN VIEW OR LOS GATOS.
WHILE IT MAY NOT SEEM A RELEVANT QUESTION TO YOU, CITIZENS LIKE MYSELF CAN'T HELP BUT WONDER HOW IT'S POSSIBLE FOR A PROGRAM THIS CRITICAL TO OUR MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN FINANCIALLY CHALLENGED FAMILIES CAN BE TAKEN AWAY WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A MEETING.
IS THIS NORMAL? THEN THIS IS A PRECEDENT THAT NEEDS TO BE CHANGED.
PLEASE DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE STRENGTH OF THE GILROY CITIZENS.
I AM PRIVILEGED, I CAN AFFORD THE EDUCATION FOR MY SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER.
I CAN'T IMAGINE BEING TOLD SUDDENLY THAT IT WILL BE TAKEN AWAY.
MANY OF OUR CITIZENS IN GILROY HAVE TO FIGHT EVERY DAY FOR EVERY SINGLE THING THEY HAVE.
EDUCATION FOR THE DISABLED SHOULD NOT BE ONE OF THEM.
WHEN I HEARD OF THIS INJUSTICE, I TOO AGREED TO FIGHT.
AS A MOTHER AND A PROUD RESIDENT OF GILROY, YOU ARE ELECTED TO FIGHT FOR US TOO.
THE CODE OF CONDUCT OF SANTA CLARA BOARD SAYS SPECIFICALLY THAT YOU WILL CONDUCT YOURSELVES LAWFULLY WITH INTEGRITY IN THE HIGHEST ETHICAL STANDARDS AND UPHOLD THE DUTY OF THE ELECTED OFFICE BILL.
TRUST, PUBLIC CONFIDENCE AND CREDIBILITY.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TRINA [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
I'M TRINA [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M A MEMBER OF THE GATEWAY SEVEN PLUS.
I'M ALSO A SEIU LOCAL 521 MEMBER WITH THE LATINO CAUCUS.
I'M HERE TO STAND WITH THESE FAMILIES BECAUSE HOW ARE THEY BEING TREATED IS COMPLETELY WRONG.
BUT AS EDUCATORS, I'M GOING TO EDUCATE YOU BECAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN AWAY ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS AWAY FROM THESE KIDS FROM GATEWAY SCHOOL.
SO I BY NO MEANS AM I AN EXPERT OR AM I SCHOOLED IN THIS MANNER, BUT THIS MAKES SENSE.
[01:50:04]
I HAVE CONDUCTED SOME RESEARCH ON THE BENEFITS OF WATER THERAPY, AND TRULY BELIEVE THAT A CHILD'S QUALITY OF LIFE IS REDUCED WHEN WATER THERAPY IS REMOVED FROM THE CHILD'S IEP PLAN. THINGS HAVE BEEN REMOVED FROM THEIR IEP PLANS, WHICH IS AGAINST THE LAW.ADDITIONALLY, THE WARMTH OF THE WATER CAN HELP RELAX THE MUSCLES AND REDUCE PAIN.
FOR ONE, DIAGNOSIS DIGEORGE SYNDROME.
AQUA THERAPY CAN ALSO HELP IMPROVE CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH AND.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREA HIGHTOWER.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PROVIDE YOUR COMMENT.
MY DAUGHTER ATTENDED GATEWAY AND IS NOW AT MARTIN MURPHY.
THE PICTURES THAT WERE SHOWN IN THE POWERPOINT.
OUR KIDS DO NOT TAKE LUNCHES WITH THEIR SAME AGED PEERS AT MARTIN MURPHY.
THEY DON'T TAKE BREAKS AND THEY ARE NEVER OFFERED EXTRACURRICULAR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.
IN FACT, OUR KIDS ARE BEING SEGREGATED AND HAVE BEEN PLACED IN SMALL FENCED AREAS.
THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE A BENCH OR HARDLY ROOM FOR A BENCH TO SIT ON.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE ROOM OR THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED FOR THEIR THERAPY NEEDS.
I'M STILL SHOCKED TO HEAR THAT THERE ARE STILL KIDS ON THREE HOUR BUS RIDES.
OUR KIDS ARE NO LONGER IN AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT.
PLACING KIDS IN THOSE SMALL FENCED AREAS ON DISTRICT CAMPUSES AND LITTLE CAGES AND SEGREGATING THEM AWAY AND CALLING THAT LEAST RESTRICTIVE AND INCLUSIVE IS APPALLING.
YOU TOOK AWAY WHAT OUR KIDS HAD.
AND WE WANT GATEWAY BACK AND WE ARE GOING BACK TO GATEWAY, AND WE STAND 100% BEHIND THE STAFF AND THEIR STAFFING NEEDS BECAUSE THEY ARE ONLY WORKING WITH THE RESOURCES AND THE ENVIRONMENT THEY ARE GIVEN.
THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE].
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
OKAY. MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] MOTHER OF ALEXANDER [INAUDIBLE] AND A PERSON FROM GATEWAY SEVEN.
IF YOU WANT TO BLAME SOMEBODY, BLAME ME.
I'M NOT GOING TO YOU DON'T ATTACK MY PARENTS.
COME TO ME. YOU GUYS HAVE MY NUMBER.
PRESENTATION WAS PRETTY AWESOME.
I'M NOT GOING TO LIE. BUT IT'S NOT THE WHOLE TRUTH.
YOU ONLY CAME TO ONE MEETING AND WE HAD MORE THAN ONE MEETING.
WE ASKED YOU TO COME TO OUR MEETINGS.
YOU HAVE NOT COME TO OUR MEETINGS.
THE TEACHERS TAKE THE TAKE OUR STAFF AWAY IN A WAY THAT THESE KIDS ARE USED TO THEM.
THEY'RE JUST HAPPY LITTLE LIFE AND MY PEACE OF MIND.
TO THE POINT WHERE I'M OVER HERE STRESSING IF I'M GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY RENT NEXT MONTH.
TALK ABOUT BEING HOMELESS AGAIN, RIGHT? BECAUSE I WAS A FORMER HOMELESS AND I'LL TELL YOU HOW I GOT OUT OF IT USING THE PROGRAMS THAT COUNTY OFFERED.
WHY IS IT SO DIFFERENT FOR KIDS WITH DISABILITIES? ARE YOU GUYS SO AFRAID OF THEM? YOU GUYS ARE SO SCARED OF THEM? YOU THINK THEY'RE SO FRAGILE THAT THEY CANNOT JUST GIVE THEM THEIR SCHOOL BACK RIGHT NOW? THE POINT IS, AND I DON'T THINK I'M GOING TO SAY THIS, AND I PROBABLY THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY, IS I'M DEMANDING BACK GATEWAY WITH ALL THE STAFF THAT IT HAD BEFORE AND PLUS MORE. IF YOU WANT TO GET TO KNOW US, DR.
DEWAN, DR. CHON, TARA, JOSEPH, ALL YOU GUYS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME.
COME TO [INAUDIBLE] ON THURSDAY AT 6:30 TO 8.
COME AND SEE WHAT WE'RE ABOUT.
BECAUSE LIKE I SAID BEFORE, AND I WILL SAY IT AGAIN, I'M NOT BACKING DOWN.
[01:55:02]
I'M NOT GOING TO COVER YOUR GUYS'S BUTTS BECAUSE YOU GUYS DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT MY KIDS.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS YOLANDA GONZALEZ.
PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY, STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
GOOD AFTERNOON. GOOD EVENING AGAIN.
THIS IS YOLANDA GONZALEZ, THE MOM OF EMMANUEL MENDEZ.
LIKE I SAID BEFORE, HE'S AN EIGHT YEAR OLD THAT HAS BEEN ATTENDING GATEWAY SINCE HE WAS THREE.
WHEN I LEARNED THAT THESE CLASSES WERE THESE KIDS WERE BEING SENT AWAY, I STARTED ASKING QUESTIONS.
I SAID, WHY ARE WE NOT GETTING OUR KIDS BACK? I WAS BEING TOLD NOT TO WORRY BECAUSE MY SON HAS TWO MORE YEARS.
STOP TELLING ME THAT BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO SHIP HIM OUT JUST BECAUSE HE HAS AN IEP, JUST BECAUSE HE HAS VERY BAD DEVELOPMENTAL, JUST BECAUSE HIS MEMORY IS REALLY BAD.
HE DOES HIS JOB HAND OVER HAND.
HE DOESN'T SPEAK. HE'S NOT GOING TO BE A WRITER.
DON'T SEND HIM TO ANY INCLUSION CLASSES WHERE HE'S GOING TO GET WORSE.
GATEWAY OPEN AGAIN FOR ALL THE STUDENTS.
AND NOT TO DISRESPECT [INAUDIBLE] BUT THE DAY YOU CALLED ME WHO BROUGHT ME HERE? AND I'M A GROWN UP WOMAN AND I DRIVE.
LIKE I TOLD YOU, IF HE DOESN'T SPEAK, I SPEAK FOR HIM.
AND I DO WORRY BECAUSE I KNOW I'M A LATINA.
PROBABLY MY ENGLISH IS NOT THE BEST.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS ARE CLOSING OUT GATEWAY.
BECAUSE IF IT WAS ONLY WHITE PEOPLE, I BELIEVE YOU GUYS WILL KEEP IT OPEN.
I DON'T SEE NONE OF YOUR KIDS GOING TO THAT SCHOOL.
RIGHT. AND I JUST WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING.
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL WIN [SPANISH] . THIS CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.
THANK YOU, MODERATOR. WAS THAT THE END OF PUBLIC COMMENT? FOR THAT ITEM? YES, FOR THAT ITEM.
THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO GO TO OUR BOARD MEMBERS NOW.
TRUSTEE LARI, VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN, TRUSTEE BERTA, AND THEN TRUSTEE MAH.
SO I BELIEVE THE TWO ROOMS THAT ARE STILL EMPTY AT GATEWAY.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO REVERSE THE DECISION UNTIL WE FIND ANOTHER ALTERNATE FACILITY WHICH HAS THE SAME ACCOMMODATIONS THAT GATEWAY USED TO HAVE? FOR IT AS A TEMPORARY MEASURE.
SO SOME OF THESE KIDS CAN ACTUALLY GO TO SCHOOL RATHER THAN BEING AT HOME RIGHT NOW.
I, ARE YOU DIRECTING YOUR QUESTION TO OUR DIRECTORS? I CAN RESPOND, YEAH.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE PLACEMENTS FOR OUR SOUTH COUNTY STUDENTS THAT ARE SERVED IN K THROUGH 22 IN GILROY.
OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM IS AT MARTIN MURPHY, WHICH IS IN MORGAN HILL SITE.
MANY OF OUR SOUTH COUNTY FAMILIES ARE.
MORGAN HILL DISTRICT STUDENTS.
AND ACTUALLY FOR SOME OF OUR FAMILIES, MARTIN MURPHY IS THEIR HOME SCHOOL.
SO IT DOES ALLOW FAMILIES THAT ARE IN GILROY TO CHOOSE THAT LOCATION.
THIS WAS A PARTNERSHIP DECISION WITH GILROY UNIFIED AND MORGAN HILL.
THEY DECIDED TO OPEN UP THIS CLASS.
IT'S ONLY FOR STUDENTS FROM THOSE TWO DISTRICTS.
AND IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THEIR STUDENT ATTEND THAT SITE TO LET THEIR PRINCIPAL KNOW.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE HEARD FROM SEVERAL FAMILIES AND WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE TWO DISTRICTS TO OFFER THIS LOCATION AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.
THEN IT'S OPENING BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER.
[02:00:06]
AND IT HAS SIMILAR FACILITIES THAT GATEWAY OFFERED.I'M SORRY. CAN YOU ASK THAT AGAIN? DOES IT HAVE SIMILAR FACILITIES THAT GATEWAY OFFERED? THERE ARE SIMILAR FACILITIES.
THE ONE PIECE THAT THE SITE DOES NOT HAVE THIS.
I'M JUST GOING TO WAIT UNTIL I WOULD ASK THE PUBLIC TO GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION FROM OUR BOARD MEMBERS, TO ANSWER THAT HONESTLY.
THE SITE HAS A DOES NOT HAVE A POOL.
THAT IS DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE.
GATEWAY IS OUR ONLY SITE WITH A POOL ON SITE.
WE'RE WORKING ON AN OT SENSORY ROOM THAT WILL BE READY BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER WHEN THE CLASS OPENS.
AND THERE, YOU KNOW IT'S A DIFFERENT SITE.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE SERVICES AVAILABLE, WE HAVE A SCHOOL NURSE WHO SERVES MULTIPLE SITES.
SHE SERVES MARTIN MURPHY, SHE SERVES SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, GILROY HIGH GATEWAY, ALL OF THOSE SITES.
RIGHT NOW, SHE'S AT MULTIPLE SITES.
SO SHE WOULD BE PRESENT AT THAT SITE AS WELL.
SO I DO WANT TO SAY I'M HEARING THE PUBLIC BEHIND ME, AND I'M GIVING YOU THE BEST INFORMATION I HAVE AT THIS MOMENT, AND I'M DEFINITELY HEARING BEHIND ME.
THERE COULD BE THINGS THAT ARE DIFFERENT.
WHY DO I HAVE TO REQUEST A ONE ON ONE.
TRUSTEE LARI, DO YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? SO WHATEVER IS LACKING, HOW IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS IN SOUTH COUNTY, WHATEVER THE DIFFERENCES ARE? HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THEY ARE AVAILABLE FOR THE STUDENTS? I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RESEARCH AND GET BACK TO YOU, JUST IN ORDER TO REALLY GIVE A FULL, COMPREHENSIVE ANSWER AND MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE ALL THE INPUT THAT I NEED, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
TRUSTEE I'M GOING TO GO IN AROUND OUR DIAS TRUSTEE DI SALVO.
GRACE, WHEN YOU, A WHILE BACK YOU ASKED FOR THIS TO BE BROUGHT BACK, THIS ISSUE TO BE BROUGHT BACK FOR AN INFORMATION ITEM AND DISCUSSION. AM I CORRECT? IS THIS WHAT YOU ANTICIPATED FROM YOUR REQUEST? I BACKED UP THAT REQUEST THAT NIGHT, WHICH WAS SIX WEEKS AGO.
IS THIS THE REPORT THAT YOU ANTICIPATED OR WERE YOU EXPECTING MORE? SO TRUSTEE DI SALVO ACTUALLY HAVE A MORE EXTENSIVE COMMENT ANSWERING THAT QUESTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
NO, I DON'T MIND, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY, THIS WAS NOT WHAT YOU THIS IS NOT.
AND IT'S NOT WHAT I EXPECTED AS EITHER.
OBVIOUSLY I DON'T MIND ATTENDING A MEETING ON A THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT WE NEED TO DO MORE.
WE HAVE SO MANY STAKEHOLDERS THAT FEEL AGGRIEVED BY WHAT THE OFFICE HAS DECIDED TO DO WITH GATEWAY AND MOVING STUDENTS FROM GATEWAY TO OTHER PROGRAMS IN MORGAN HILL AND IN SAN JOSE.
BUT I DO BELIEVE WE DON'T HAVE A CLEAR PICTURE.
I'LL DEFER TO YOU SINCE YOU'RE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THIS, BUT I'VE ALWAYS WANTED A CLEARER PICTURE THAN WHAT I HAVE, AND I THINK WE HAVE BUDGET RESERVES.
WE COULD AFFORD CERTAIN OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THOSE BUDGET RESERVES.
WE ARE IN CHARGE OF THE BUDGET.
THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'RE ELECTED TO DO.
SO I DON'T MEAN TO GRANDSTAND AND I DON'T NEED THE APPLAUSE.
I JUST I KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WOULD LIKE TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT FOR CHILDREN, AND WE HAVE A VERY BLURRED PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON NOW AND HOW THE DECISION WAS MADE AND WHY IT WAS MADE.
SO I'D LIKE TO HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
I'LL DEFER TO MY COLLEAGUE TRUSTEE MAH.
I'M JUST GOING TO CONTINUE TO GO IN THIS ORDER.
SO, VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN.
TRUSTEE DI SALVO I WAS GOING TO MENTION THAT TOO.
[02:05:12]
AND I FORGOT TO MENTION IN MY READING REPORT THAT I DID ACTUALLY ATTEND LAST NIGHT'S MEETING AND SPOKE TO SOME OF THE FAMILIES HERE TODAY.AND I THINK I AGREE WITH THE SENSE FROM MY COLLEAGUES THAT HAVE SPOKEN AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF US, IF I CAN SPEAK FOR THE BOARD, FEEL VERY BLINDSIDED BY THIS DECISION.
AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE THE BOARD WAS NOTIFIED OF THE CHANGE AT GATEWAY.
YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE FAMILIES WERE.
SO MY FIRST FEW QUESTIONS ARE WHEN WAS GILROY UNIFIED NOTIFIED? WHEN WERE THE FAMILIES NOTIFIED, AND WHEN WAS THE BOARD NOTIFIED OF THE DECISION TO MOVE FAMILIES OUT OF GATEWAY? I DON'T HAVE THOSE EXACT DATES WITH ME, BUT WHAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT.
WE GO THROUGH A PROCESS EVERY YEAR WITH OUR DISTRICTS LOOKING AT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE DECLINING ENROLLMENT, AND CERTAINLY SOUTH COUNTY IS AN AREA THAT THE CLASSES THAT ARE OFFERED HAVE CHANGED. THIS IS MY FIFTH YEAR HERE, AND CERTAINLY DECLINING ENROLLMENT HAS IMPACTED THE AMOUNT OF CLASSES THAT WOULD BE LOCATED IN SOUTH COUNTY.
I ALSO WANT TO SHARE THAT OUR SYSTEM THAT WE GO THROUGH EVERY YEAR.
IT WE DO WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STAKEHOLDERS ARE NOTIFIED.
AND EVEN WITH THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST IMPACTING SOUTH COUNTY.
WE HAVE OTHER CLASSES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THAT HAVE CONSOLIDATED DUE TO ENROLLMENT, AND WE HAVE GREAT PROGRAMS. WE HAVE INCREDIBLE STAFF.
WE HAVE PEOPLE THAT MAKE SUCH AN IMPACT ON STUDENTS, AND THE RELATIONSHIPS ARE SO STRONG.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY CLEAR.
LISTENING TO OUR FAMILIES HERE, THAT EVEN WITH OUR PROCESS AND NOTIFICATION.
I DEFINITELY CAN WORK ON THOSE DATES FOR YOU.
AND IT IS HARD FOR OUR FAMILIES AS STUDENTS AGE UP TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL, MAYBE GOING TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL OR A DIFFERENT TEACHER. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO MENTION AS WELL.
YEAH. AND I JUST ASK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WHEN DRASTIC DECISIONS LIKE THIS ARE MADE, I DO THINK THE BOARD SHOULD BE NOTIFIED AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE OUR INPUT ON THESE TYPES OF DECISIONS.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST HEARING ANECDOTALLY FROM LAST NIGHT'S MEETING THAT I ATTENDED AND TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, THE ACCOMMODATIONS AREN'T THERE IN THESE OTHER LOCATIONS.
SO THE TRANSFERS OF STUDENTS DOES NOT SEEM SMOOTH.
SO THAT'S A MAJOR CONCERN AND SO I WANTED TO ASK HOW LONG WAS GATEWAY OPERATING AS K THROUGH POST-SECONDARY AND WHAT OTHER COUNTY SITES ARE K THROUGH POST-SECONDARY? AND WHAT OTHER COUNTY SITES ARE K THROUGH POST-SECONDARY AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CAMPUSES? I THINK WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO YOU.
I DON'T WANT TO MISS ANYONE I KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD SEVERAL, BUT WE HAVE HAD SOME CHANGE OVER THE YEARS AS AND REALLY HAVE BEEN WORKING ON STUDENTS BEING WITH THEIR GRADE LEVEL PEERS.
GATEWAY IS NOT THE ONLY SITE THAT HAS THAT.
WE HAVE TRIED VERY HARD TO MIRROR THE STUDENTS ATTENDING, MATCHING THE GRADE LEVEL OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE EITHER RIGHT NEXT TO OR A PART OF THE SAME SCHOOL. I CAN JUST TELL YOU.
[02:10:02]
AND AN OI PROGRAM AND PREVIOUSLY HAD A K THROUGH 22 PROGRAM.AND ALSO MENTIONING THAT A SEPARATE SCHOOL, A SCHOOL THAT STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR GRADE LEVEL OR TO THEIR GRADE LEVEL PEERS, THAT IS CONSIDERED A SEPARATE SCHOOL. IT IS MORE RESTRICTIVE, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER WHEN DESIGNING PROGRAMS AND PLACEMENTS.
SO WE ARE REALLY ARE WORKING HARD TO HAVE ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS MATCH THEIR GRADE LEVEL PEERS.
OKAY, I THINK I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, SHOULD I? THAT'S FINE, BECAUSE I THINK THE DIFFICULTY I HEARD LAST NIGHT WAS SO MANY FAMILIES LIKE THROUGH THEIR IEP, THEY WERE TOLD THEY CAN STAY AT GATEWAY FOR THIS AMOUNT OF TIME IS AT LEAST WHAT I'M SORT OF HEARING.
AND THAT WAS MENTIONED IN PUBLIC COMMENT TOO.
SO THAT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF CHANGE.
SO MY LAST QUESTION FOR NOW IS WE HEARD ABOUT THE BUS TRIPS AND TRANSPORTATION AS WELL.
DO WE KNOW THE TIMES BECAUSE THREE HOURS WAS MENTIONED A FEW TIMES DURING PUBLIC COMMENT? I ALSO WANT TO GET A SENSE OF THAT.
BUT ALSO, IS THERE STAFF ON THESE BUSSES? SOME, IT DEPENDS ON THE STUDENT.
SO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS DO HAVE A BUS RIDER AS PART OF THEIR SERVICE.
WHAT I CERTAINLY CAN DO IS SOMETHING THAT WE WORK WITH DISTRICTS REGARDING TRANSPORTATION.
TRANSPORTATION IS PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICT.
SO WE WHEN WE, WHEN THEY ARE REALLY WORKING ON THEIR ROUTES THEY THERE'S DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY LOOK TO.
AND THEN WE'LL DO OUR VERY BEST TO SUPPORT, WHICH IS SOMETIMES LOOKING AT AN ALTERNATE SITE THAT MAY HAVE SOMETIMES LOOKING AT A ADDING A ROUTE. I KNOW GILROY ADDED A ROUTE THIS YEAR THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE LAST YEAR.
I WILL CERTAINLY I WANT TO GO BACK AGAIN AND LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS.
I WAS AWARE OF SOME LONGER RIDES LAST YEAR AND THREE HOURS DOES SOUND CONCERNING, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I CAN CHECK BACK IN WITH GILROY AND MORGAN HILL.
YEAH, THREE HOURS SOUNDS VERY INHUMANE.
SO IF WE COULD, YOU KNOW, GET AN UPDATE ON AT LEAST THE FAMILIES THAT WERE MOVED FROM GATEWAY ON THEIR TRANSPORTATION. THANK YOU.
AND I THINK WE'LL DO OUR BEST TO DO THAT WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
IT'S A SMALL GROUP, BUT CERTAINLY WE COULD MAYBE GIVE SOME GLOBAL INFORMATION ON BUS RIDES.
YEAH, DEFINITELY WANT TO KEEP CONFIDENTIALITY AS WELL.
I'M GOING TO CONTINUE AROUND THE BOARD.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AS WELL THOUGH.
I SHARE LOTS OF SENTIMENTS WITH MY COLLEAGUES ALREADY, BUT I GUESS, FIRST OF ALL, AS I MENTIONED IN MY BOARD REPORT, BECAUSE THIS WAS AN AGENDA ITEM REQUEST THAT I HAD REQUESTED WEEKS AGO.
I GUESS I'M JUST BAFFLED AS TO WHY THE MAIN PREMISE OF WHAT THAT REQUEST WAS NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE INITIAL REPORT THAT YOU JUST GAVE, WHICH WAS A TRANSPARENT EXPLANATION TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL, AND TO US AS TRUSTEES FOR WHY THE CHANGES OCCURRED AT GATEWAY TO BEGIN WITH AND HOW THAT WAS DETERMINED.
I DON'T THINK THE INTENT WAS TO NOT GIVE YOU INFORMATION THAT YOU NEEDED.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE IS THE SMALL AMOUNT OF STUDENTS AND WANTING TO BE REALLY CAREFUL TO NOT GO INTO INFORMATION THAT WOULD THEN BE IDENTIFIABLE TO A STUDENT.
[02:15:01]
UNIQUE, AND A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE SOME REALLY EXTENSIVE SUPPORT NEEDS AND SERVICES.AND SO BY PROVIDING AN OVERVIEW AND SHARING THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, THE INTENT WAS TO SHARE THAT THIS IS KIND OF THIS IS THE PICTURE OF THE ENTIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THIS IS WHAT IS DONE ON A LARGER SCALE.
BUT I CERTAINLY AM HEARING YOUR MESSAGE THAT YOU REALLY WOULD HAVE LIKED MORE SPECIFIC TO THIS SITE.
I DO WANT TO JUST LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT.
IT IS VERY IMPORTANT TO THE SPECIAL ED DEPARTMENT AND WORKING WITH OUR OTHER SPECIAL ED DIRECTORS.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL SITES THAT HAVE SOME WORK TO DO, AND WE ARE ALWAYS WORKING ON THAT.
SO I CERTAINLY WILL CONTINUE TO.
THESE ARE OUR DISTRICT STUDENTS.
AND SO DISTRICTS DO WANT TO CREATE WELCOMING SPACES.
AND WHEN WE HEAR THAT THERE'S MORE WORK TO BE DONE WE WILL CERTAINLY WORK IN COLLABORATION.
I KNOW THAT'S A LONG WINDED ANSWER.
MAYBE WE WENT A LITTLE FURTHER THAN YOU WISHED.
BUT I RESPECTFULLY JUST ASK THAT YOU ANSWER THE QUESTION, WHICH IS WHAT IS THE TRANSPARENT REASON THAT THESE CHANGES WERE MADE? I'M NOT ASKING ABOUT THE STUDENTS.
I'M ASKING ABOUT THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
WHY WAS THE CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM MADE? THE REASON IS VERY SIMPLE.
IT'S DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN SOUTH COUNTY, DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN SOUTH COUNTY.
WE HAVE REDUCED THE AMOUNT OF CLASSES.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS IN COLLABORATION WITH MORGAN HILL AND GILROY AND ALSO ALL DISTRICTS.
SO ALL DISTRICTS IN THE REINVENTING PROCESS, LOOK AT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS CLASS SIZES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY, ACROSS THE ENTIRE EVERY CLASS.
AND SO FOR SITES THAT HAVE DECLINING ENROLLMENT, GILROY IS CERTAINLY GATEWAY IS CERTAINLY A SITE THAT HAD LESS AND LESS STUDENTS.
AND THAT IS THE REASON WHY THAT IS THE REASON WHY THIS IS NOT THE ONLY SITE WE HAVE MULTIPLE SITES THAT HAD CONSOLIDATION AND GATEWAY STILL REMAINS A K THROUGH FIVE PROGRAM AND WILL STAY A K THROUGH FIVE PROGRAM.
AND I'M SORRY THAT I WASN'T DIRECT BEFORE, BUT IT REALLY IS DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND DECISIONS MADE WITH ALL DISTRICTS REGARDING WHAT CLASSES WOULD REMAIN BASED REALLY ON STUDENT NUMBERS AND STUDENT NEEDS, AND THAT STUDENTS NEEDS BE MET AT OTHER SITES.
THAT'S THE REASON I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING A DIRECT REASON, BECAUSE MY FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS HOW IS IT DIFFERENT TO HAVE THOSE IF IT'S THE SAME NUMBER OF STUDENTS, RIGHT, WHETHER THEY'RE AT GATEWAY IN THOSE TWO EXISTING CLASSROOMS OR AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, IT'S THE SAME NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD GO IN EITHER DIRECTION.
SO WHY IS IT AN ISSUE OF DECLINING ENROLLMENT IN THE SAME CLASSROOM SPACES, WHICH TRUSTEE MAH AND I WENT AND TOURED? YEAH, NO. IT'S ACTUALLY IT INCLUDES THE MARTIN MURPHY SITES.
SO MARTIN MURPHY IS A SOUTH COUNTY SITE.
MORGAN HILL AND GILROY STUDENTS ACCESS THAT SITE AND HAVE FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
SO IT'S REALLY A COMBINATION OF THE NUMBERS FOR THE ENTIRE SOUTH COUNTY AREA AND MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS IN THAT PARTICULAR CLASS THAT WAS CONSOLIDATED, THAT THEIR NEEDS COULD BE MET IN OTHER CLASSROOMS AND THEIR GRADE LEVEL, WITH THEIR GRADE LEVEL PEERS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST A MATTER OF SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX AND GATEWAY NUMBERS.
RIGHT. BUT NOW IT'S, NOW THEY'RE AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.
SO NOW IT'S LITERALLY JUST A SHIFT.
THIS CLASS THAT'S BEING OPENED IS THROUGH GILROY AND MORGAN HILL.
THEY HAVE DECIDED TO OPEN THIS CLASS.
IT IS ONLY FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
THEY ARE PAYING FOR THE PROGRAM SEPARATELY FROM THE REINVENTING PROCESS.
WHAT IT DOES DO IS IT MAKES IF QUITE A FEW FAMILIES FROM MARTIN MURPHY WOULD LIKE TO GO TO SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, THEN IT DOES CREATE MORE OPENINGS IN MARTIN MURPHY. AND THEN THAT KIND OF IS A QUESTION TO REMAIN IF WE WILL GET MORE REFERRALS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, OR WILL MARTIN MURPHY BECOME VERY
[02:20:06]
SMALL AND WILL IT STILL HAVE TWO CLASSES? THAT'S KIND OF THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'LL LOOK AT THIS YEAR.BUT THIS NEW CLASS IS NOT FUNDED IN THE SAME WAY.
BUT IT WAS DECIDED TO THEY THE TWO DISTRICTS WOULD WANTED TO OPEN IT, GIVE ANOTHER OPTION.
AND THE COUNTY IS DOING THAT IN COLLABORATION WITH THEM.
SO CAN I MAKE SURE I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS CORRECTLY? SO THE SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX PROGRAM, YOU'RE ANTICIPATING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET MORE STUDENTS THAN CAN BE ACCOMMODATED AT GATEWAY SCHOOL.
AND THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT PLACEMENT AND PROGRAM.
SO WE DO WANT TO WITH THE DISTRICTS.
THE DISTRICTS WOULD LIKE STUDENTS TO BE SERVED WHERE THEY CAN ACCESS PEERS.
WE DO HAVE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ON THE SITE AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX AND THE AD PROGRAM, AND THEY WOULD BE DOING SOME INCLUSION ACTIVITIES WITH THIS CLASS.
OKAY. AND THAT WAS THE SAME FEEDBACK THAT WE HAD GOTTEN FROM PARENTS, WHICH WAS THAT THE INCLUSION WAS NOT HAPPENING RIGHT NOW, EVEN AT MARTIN MURPHY. SO THAT'S JUST MY CONCERN IS WHETHER OR NOT THAT INCLUSION, THE TYPE OF INCLUSION THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING WITH THE EXISTING PROGRAMS AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, WOULD THAT TRULY BE AN APPROPRIATE FIT FOR THOSE STUDENTS? THERE ARE MULTIPLE SITES THAT WE HAVE WITH STUDENTS THAT HAVE SIMILAR SUPPORT NEEDS THAT DO HAVE INCLUSION AND INCLUSION WITH SOME OF OUR AED STUDENTS.
AND IT HAS BEEN VERY POSITIVE THAT HAS WE HAVE THAT AT HESTER SCHOOL.
AND THEN THAT HAS ALSO BEEN AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX CURRENTLY AND THE CLASS THAT IS THERE RIGHT NOW AND WERE THERE OPTIONS EXPLORED IN TERMS OF REVERSE MAINSTREAMING? BECAUSE I HEAR YOU IN TERMS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUSION, I AM A SPECIAL EDUCATOR.
I ABSOLUTELY WANT THESE STUDENTS TO FEEL INCLUDED.
AT THE SAME TIME, HAVE WE LOOKED AT OPPORTUNITIES AT GATEWAY TO PROVIDE SOME TYPE OF REVERSE MAINSTREAMING OPPORTUNITIES? IT SEEMS LIKE THEY WERE VERY WELL CONNECTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE HAD A LOT OF SETUP THE CLASSROOMS, THE BATHROOMS BEING LOCATED IN THE CLASSROOMS, ALL THE EQUIPMENT, THE,YOU KNOW, THEIR PROCEDURES. WE HAVE EXPLORED AND IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DISTRICT, THE PREFERENCE IS FOR STUDENTS TO BE ON SITES WHERE THEY CAN BE WITH THEIR GRADE LEVEL PEERS.
I'VE BEEN OUT SEVERAL TIMES THIS YEAR, AND IT'S AMAZING.
THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS WOULD HAVE NO PEERS TO MAINSTREAM WITH, AND GILROY AND MORGAN HILL WOULD LIKE THEM TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, WHICH IS WHY MARTIN MURPHY IS STILL AN OPTION AND SOME OF OUR FAMILIES WILL STAY THERE.
OKAY. I'LL LET MY OTHER I KNOW MY COLLEAGUES HAVE QUESTIONS AS WELL, BUT THE OTHER BIG ASPECT OF THIS THAT WAS ALSO NOT ADDRESSED WHATSOEVER WAS MY REQUEST ALSO INCLUDED INFORMATION ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION.
THAT MEANS SINCE OCTOBER 18TH.
SO THAT MEANS SINCE AUGUST, THESE KIDS HAVE NOT BEEN IN SCHOOL.
AND I MEAN, WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM, THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IS THOSE ARE ACTUAL KIDS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE ACCOUNTABLE TO THESE KIDS.
[02:25:01]
AND I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW WE'RE ADDRESSING THAT ISSUE SPECIFICALLY.THANK YOU. THANK YOU TRUSTEE BERTA, TRUSTEE ROCHA.
I'M GOING TO USE POLITE WORDS HERE.
TO ME, IT JUST SEEMS BLATANT TO BE OMITTED, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR ANSWER AS TO WHY.
BUT YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN SITTING HERE HEARING, LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC FOR A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC FOR TAKING TIME OUT OF YOUR LIFE AND YOUR DIFFICULT SCHEDULE TO COME HERE AND TELL US WHAT YOUR EXPERIENCES ARE, SO YOU CAN TELL THAT I'M PROBABLY A LITTLE FRUSTRATED AND EMOTIONAL ABOUT THIS.
I WANT TO THANK VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN FOR HER COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
THOSE ARE ONES THAT I HAD, SO I DON'T NEED TO REPEAT THOSE.
YOU KNOW, FOR ME, AS A I'M GOING TO PLAY THE NEWBIE CARD ON THIS ISSUE, NOT KNOWING A NUMBER OF THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THIS DECISION AND THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED ALREADY.
BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN TERMS OF THE SITE, THE OWNERSHIP, OUR STAFFING, THE TRANSPORTATION, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND US, AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT AND HOW THESE DECISIONS ARE MADE.
SO I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.
BUT I THANK MY COLLEAGUES FOR THEIR INPUT.
TRUSTEE MAH. THANK YOU PRESIDENT CHON.
SO MY COMMENTS ARE NOT ONLY ON THE PRESENTATION, WHICH WAS FINE AS GIVEN, BUT THAT AGAIN, OUR ORIGINAL MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 6TH BECAUSE I WENT BACK TO LISTEN TO THAT BOARD MEETING.
WE HAD SPECIFIC REQUESTS AT THAT MEETING, AND THEY INCLUDED FROM TRUSTEE BERTA A PUBLIC UPDATE ABOUT CHANGES TO THE GATEWAY SCHOOL, ABSENTEEISM OF SPECIAL ED STUDENTS.
WHAT ARE THE RULES AND THE JUSTIFICATION OF THE CLOSING OF THAT SCHOOL? AND BY CLOSING THE ROOMS, WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS ON THE MOUS WITH MORGAN HILL AND GILROY? SO THAT WAS NOT COVERED AT ALL.
WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON THE STUDENTS? NOT CONFIDENTIALLY INDIVIDUALS, BUT HOW MANY STUDENTS WERE TRANSFERRED TO WHERE? I DON'T THINK THAT'S PARTICULARLY CONFIDENTIAL, SO I ASK FOR THAT.
TRUSTEE DI SALVO ASKED THAT THE STAFF REPORT BE GIVEN WITH MORE INFORMATION, AND HE ACTUALLY EVEN PUT DOWN A TWO WEEK, YOU KNOW, TENTATIVE DATE OF SEPTEMBER 20TH.
SO FOR ME, THE SPECIAL ED MEMO, WHICH WAS INCLUDED IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S WEEKLY A FEW WEEKS AFTERWARDS, I THINK IT WAS A MEMO BY ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SHEP THAT DID NOT ADDRESS THESE QUESTIONS.
AND I AM SORELY DISAPPOINTED THAT THESE QUESTIONS, WHICH WERE ASKED BACK IN SEPTEMBER 6TH, WERE NOT ADDRESSED, EVEN IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME DISCUSSION ON THE REASONS THAT WERE TALKED ABOUT, FOR INSTANCE.
IT WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO SEE IN THE REPORT TONIGHT WHAT THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT IS.
I MEAN, WHAT ARE THE TRENDS, WHAT WAS THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT AND THEREFORE THE REASON FOR THIS? YOU KNOW WHAT ARE THE NUMBERS AND IF THERE'S MIDDLE SCHOOL PEERS AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND.
I'M NOT SURE IF I HEARD IT CLEARLY.
ARE THOSE PROGRAM MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS OR IS IT ED? I DIDN'T IT'S AE THE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION OKAY, SO THESE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM STUDENTS ARE STUDENTS WHO HAVE.
[02:30:06]
TO OUR SPECIAL ED MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.I HAVE ATTENDED AND MET WITH A NUMBER OF THE PARENTS, AND THEY HAVE SAID SPECIFICALLY THAT THEIR FAMILY INCLUSION FOR THEM ARE THE OTHER MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS, AND THAT'S WHERE LISTENING TO THEM AND UNDERSTANDING FROM THEIR SHOES.
THEY FEEL THAT THOSE ARE THEIR PEERS WHEN THEY'RE ALL IN WHEELCHAIRS.
THE FAMILIES ALL RELATE TO THAT.
THEY OF ALL AGES, I MEAN, AND SO SAYING THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO PUT PEERS BY AGE, MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES, ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES, THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A.
IN MY OPINION, A TRULY INCLUSIVE WAY TO DO IT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE STUDENTS.
HAVE MENTAL AGES WHICH ARE NOT MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEY HAVE SUCH A RELATIONSHIP AND CLOSE COMMUNITY WITH THE OTHER MEDICALLY FRAGILE STUDENTS THAT THOSE ARE THEIR PEERS.
AND SO FORCING THEM TO BE PEERS WITH OTHER AGED KIDS IS NOT, AGAIN, IN MY OPINION, APPROPRIATE FOR THEM AND IS NOT INCLUSIVE.
SO I WOULD ASK THEN THAT WE STILL GET FURTHER ANSWERS TO THESE VERY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED AND THAT BE BROUGHT BACK AND THAT.
AND STILL, I DON'T THINK I HEARD A CLEAR ANSWER TO TRUSTEE LARI'S QUESTION OF WHAT IS THE POSSIBILITY? OR HOW ABOUT REVERSING THIS GATEWAY DECISION BECAUSE THERE'S TWO EMPTY CLASSROOMS? IF THEY'RE NOT BEING USED, WHY CAN'T THE STUDENTS GO BACK THERE, EVEN TEMPORARILY UNTIL NOVEMBER? I MEAN, IT JUST SEEMS THAT IF YOU'RE OPENING THIS NEW CLASSROOM.
AND IF THEY'RE STAYING AT HOME, THEN WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE EDUCATION AT HOME.
I MEAN, HAVING NO EDUCATION IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE MAH.
I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE MY COMMENT QUICK.
I ECHO WHAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HAVE STATED.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION OR A COUPLE, BUT THE FIRST I WANTED TO ASK IS ON THE SLIDE PRESENTATION FROM 2022 THIS YEAR WE'VE CLOSED 41 CLASSROOMS, SO 154 TO 113, AND I BELIEVE STATED IN THE REPORT WAS BECAUSE DISTRICTS HAD TAKEN ON THOSE PROGRAMS. INSTEAD, THERE ARE SPECIFIC SPECIFICATIONS, OF COURSE, TO EVERY SPECIAL ED CLASSROOM.
SO ARE THE SAME PROGRAMS THEN BEING ADOPTED BY DISTRICTS? SO IF WE'RE CLOSING A MILD MOD CLASS OR WE'RE CLOSING A C CLASS OR A MEDICALLY FRAGILE CLASS, IS THAT SAME CLASS THEN BEING OPENED BY THE DISTRICT? THE LIST HERE.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS.
AND DISTRICTS FEEL THAT THEY HAVE THE PROGRAM THAT THEY CAN SERVE THE STUDENT WITHIN THEIR OWN SITE.
SO SOME OF THIS IS JUST NOT WE'VE NEVER SEEN THE STUDENT LIKE A DISTRICT.
JUST STOP REFERRING AS MANY STUDENTS TO US.
I WOULD ALSO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT IN CONSIDERATION IF IP DETERMINE PLACEMENTS.
AND SO IF THEY DON'T JUST CHANGE.
EYEPIECE IN ORDER TO FIT A PLACEMENT IN A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO I WANT TO ENSURE THAT IF WE'RE KEEPING IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PROGRAM THAT'S BEING OPENED OR IF A SPECIFIC PROGRAM IS OPENED BY AND RAN BY US AND THEN IS CLOSED IF THE DISTRICT IS NOT OPENING THAT SAME PROGRAM, BUT THERE'S STILL STUDENTS THAT ARE IN NEED OF IT, THEY'RE NOT JUST BEING PUT INTO OTHER PROGRAMS. BECAUSE THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE WITH THE PRESENTATION IS THIS WORD OF LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR.
[02:35:06]
NEEDS. AND SO THAT IS THE CONCERN I HAVE WITH THE SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CLOSURES THAT WE HAVE.WE ARE NOT JUST SAYING THIS IS A BETTER PLACEMENT BECAUSE IT'S A LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT, RIGHT? WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS STILL SUPPORTING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, WITH THE CLOSURE OF GATEWAY, PARENTS ARE BEING OFFERED SOUTH COUNTY, IS THAT CORRECT, OR MARTIN MURPHY? WELL, I DO WANT TO SHARE THAT I THINK THE WORD CONSOLIDATION IS REALLY IMPORTANT HERE BECAUSE THE CLASS THERE IS A VERY BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A CLOSURE AND CONSOLIDATION.
CONSOLIDATION FOR US IS THAT WE THE THE ENROLLMENT HAS DECLINED.
AND SO THAT THAT IS REALLY A KEY PIECE TO KEEP IN MIND.
THE CLOSURE IS VERY DIFFERENT.
AND SOME OF OUR DISTRICTS, LIKE EVERGREEN, DID A VERY BIG PROGRAM TAKE BACK SEVERAL YEARS AGO, AND THEY DID TAKE OVER. THEY, YOU KNOW, WE GAVE PROGRAMS BACK TO THEM AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS.
BUT THE CONSOLIDATION OF THE GATEWAY CLASS RESULTED IN STUDENTS BEING OFFERED OTHER CLASSE THAT ARE IN THE SAME TRYING NOT TO USE TOO MANY OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION WORDS, BUT THE SAME BLOCK THE SAME, WHICH JUST MEANS WITH THE SAME CREDENTIALED TEACHER, SAME AMOUNT OF STAFFING.
AND IT NOT JUST AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX, IT DEPENDED ON THE GRADE LEVEL OF STUDENTS.
SO THAT WAS A VERY THAT WAS A WIDE GRADE LEVEL RANGE CLASS.
SO THERE SOME STUDENTS WENT INTO A SPECIALIZED ACADEMIC INSTRUCTION CLASS AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.
SOME WENT TO GILROY HIGH SCHOOL AND SOME STUDENTS TO MARTIN MURPHY.
SO ALL OF THOSE CLASSES HAVE THE ARE SIMILAR IN TERMS OF WHAT WE OFFER AND THE TYPE OF CLASS ON THEIR IEP. SO THAT I HOPE THAT ANSWERS THAT QUESTION.
DR. ANN CAN YOU JUST SAY THAT FOR THE YOU MENTIONED THE AGE RANGE AND THE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS BY AGE RANGE AND THE OPTIONS THAT YOU CONSIDERED? YES.
SO I DIDN'T PRINT OUT MY LIST OF THE STUDENTS, SO I CAN'T BE SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF TWO HERE.
BUT WHAT I WANT TO SHARE IS THAT FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, THE THE OFFER WAS MARTIN MURPHY.
AND FOR OUR POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS, SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.
AND WE ARE THROUGHOUT OUR PROGRAMS, WE DO LOOK AT EACH STUDENT INDIVIDUALLY.
THERE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE BUT IT'S BASED ON AN IEP DECISION.
IF A STUDENT MAY BE A BETTER FIT AT ONE SITE OR THE OTHER.
OKAY. I THINK I WOULD STILL LIKE SOME MORE CLARIFICATION AS TO EXACTLY WHAT GRADE LEVELS ARE OFFERED AT WHICH SITE, BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS BECAUSE JUST THROUGH A SIMPLE GOOGLE MAPPING OF THE SCHOOLS BETWEEN I BELIEVE THIS ADDRESS IS GATEWAY AND MARTIN MURPHY.
IT'S 21 MILES AND THAT OR 22 AND GIVEN IF I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT AND I UNDERSTAND THAT MARTIN MURPHY COULD BE CLOSER TO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS HOMES, WHICH IS GREAT.
BUT IF YOU'RE LIVING IN ANYWHERE BETWEEN GILROY, SAN MARTIN, MORGAN HILL, IT'S NOT.
AND SO I JUST WANT TO SEE IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT ELSE IS BEING OFFERED, AT LEAST IN SOUTH OF MORGAN HILL. FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE IN GILROY, BECAUSE THREE HOURS ON A BUS, THAT IS QUITE BELIEVABLE BECAUSE I'VE HAD TO SIT IN THIS TRAFFIC BEFORE. AND SO AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERNS, I UNDERSTAND CONSOLIDATING CLASSES FOR STAFFING, FOR STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
[02:40:02]
BUT WE HAVE IT HERE.LET'S MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT IN ALL AREAS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY.
SO I JUST WANT US TO CONSIDER THAT AS WELL AS INCLUSION PRACTICES, I AM FOR INCLUSION.
I DO BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD BE WITH APPROPRIATE GRADE LEVELS, ALL AGES, MENTAL CAPACITY, AGE AND PHYSICAL AGE. I DO AGREE WITH THAT.
HOWEVER, I THINK I'M GOING TO BE VERY BLUNT.
I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A COP OUT THE WAY THAT THE INCLUSION.
I HOPE THAT THERE'S MORE INCLUSION PRACTICES BEING PUT IN HERE AND MORE IS BEING DONE.
IF IT IS WITH THE MEDICALLY FRAGILE, FANTASTIC.
IF IT'S IN ANOTHER PLACE, THAT'S FANTASTIC.
BECAUSE WHEN I ATTENDED THE I'M SORRY, IT WAS NOT A MEDICALLY FRAGILE.
I BELIEVE IT WAS THE OI PROGRAM.
MY CORRECTION THAT SCHOOL IS MADE FOR THEIR NEEDS.
AND SO WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE I DO APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.
I WOULD LIKE MORE CLARITY ON SPECIFIC ITEMS. SO THANK YOU. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS THIS EVENING, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE STILL SOME FRUSTRATIONS.
BUT I DO APPRECIATE YOUR EFFORT IN ANSWERING THOSE FROM OUR BOARD.
AND I THINK VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN DID HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I WANTED TO GET A BETTER SENSE OF HOW STAFF HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THIS DECISION.
HAVE THERE BEEN REDUCTION IN STAFFING OR STAFFING TRANSFERS AT ALL AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN SHARE? RELATED TO OPENING THE NEW CLASS OR ALL INCLUSIVE, RELATED TO THE RECENT CONSOLIDATION AND THE RECENT EVENTS AT GATEWAY.
OKAY, I THINK I WOULD I WANT TO RESEARCH THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU WITH SPECIFIC INFORMATION.
ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE THERE IS AN IMPACT NOT JUST ON STUDENTS AND STAFF, BUT IN TERMS OF MORE DATA.
I JUST WANT TO RESEARCH TO GET IT BACK TO YOU.
DEWAN, GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE'VE WAITED FOR TO RECEIVE THIS UPDATE, THAT AND WE ACTUALLY, AS A BOARD, DID ADD A SECOND MEETING IN NOVEMBER.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT THIS IS TREATED WITH THE SENSE OF URGENCY TO WHERE WE'RE NOT WAITING MONTHS AGAIN TO GET THE NEXT UPDATE, THAT IT'S AGENDIZED QUICKLY FOR OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YOU HAVE MY COMMITMENT.
AND TRUSTEES, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE AND I THINK OUR STAFF WOULD TOO, IF WE COULD HAVE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION, THE SPECIFIC REQUEST THAT WE HAD, IF WE CAN GET THAT EMAILED SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT IT'S IN THE NEXT PRESENTATION, OR AT LEAST BE ABLE TO BE ADDRESSED IN SOME SORT OF WAY.
I'M GOING TO BRING US BACK AT 7:58.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE ON WITH OUR INFORMATION ITEMS. SO WE ARE ON TO ITEM SEVEN E OVERVIEW OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
[E. Overview of the Head Start Program]
DR. DEWAN. YES.GOOD EVENING. FOR THIS REPORT, WE BROUGHT THIS INFORMATION FORWARD PARTLY TO BE RESPONSIVE TO SOME OF THE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD AT OUR LAST MEETING REGARDING WAITLIST AND CARRYOVER FUNDS, BUT ALSO TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH AN UPDATE AND JUST OVERVIEW OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM ITSELF.
UNFORTUNATELY, HE BECAME ILL TODAY AND IS UNABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
THANK YOU, DR. DEWAN PRESIDENT CHON, TRUSTEES.
SO TONIGHT WE WILL BE GIVING AN OVERVIEW OF THE HEAD START PROGRAM.
[02:45:03]
BOTH HEAD START AND EARLY START ARE FEDERALLY FUNDED PROGRAMS. EVERY HEAD START PROGRAM MUST PREPARE STUDENTS TO BE KINDERGARTEN READY THROUGH SCHOOL READINESS GOALS.THE HEALTH GOALS ALSO SUPPORT KINDERGARTEN READINESS BY WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY ORAL HEALTH, NUTRITIONAL, MENTAL HEALTH, AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELLBEING, AND HEALTH STATUS AND CARE NEEDS OF STUDENTS ARE DEVELOPMENTALLY, CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY APPROPRIATE AND SUPPORT EACH CHILD'S GROWTH FOR SCHOOL READINESS.
SO WHO ARE WE AND WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHAT IS HEAD START? HEAD START IN THE SCCOE CURRENTLY SERVES OVER 1600 CHILDREN AND FAMILIES AT 77 CLASSROOMS, 33 SITES IN BOTH SANTA CLARA AND SAN BENITO COUNTIES.
WE OFFER OBVIOUSLY OUR CLASSES, OUR CHILD DEVELOPMENT AND EDUCATION CLASSES, AS WELL AS THE HEALTH GOALS THE MEDICAL, DENTAL, NUTRITION, MENTAL HEALTH. WE HAVE OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CENTERS AND OUR COORDINATORS TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING OUR FAMILIES SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT KINDERGARTEN READY MEANS.
SERVICES FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
AND WE HAVE OUR GOVERNANCE STRUCTURES WHICH ARE MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
WE APPRECIATE TRUSTEE LARI, WHO IS ONE OF OUR MEMBERS ON OUR POLICY COUNCIL.
AND WE'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF SOME OF THOSE STRUCTURES.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
THE NEXT THREE SLIDES, WE WILL LOOK AT THE PROGRAM DESIGN FOR THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR.
HERE WE ARE LOOKING AT THE HEAD START PROGRAM WITH FUNDED ENROLLMENT OF 1217 SEATS.
HEAD START IS THE 3 TO 5 YEAR OLD PROGRAM AND IS PRIMARILY FOCUSED ON CENTER BASED PROGRAMING.
CENTER BASED IS CLASSROOM BASED INSTRUCTION.
BASED ON OUR COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT AND PARENTAL PREFERENCES, HOME BASED AND FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS SERVICES ARE NOT OFFERED TO FAMILIES IN OUR HEAD START.
BUT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WE WILL SEE THE OPTIONS DELIVERED TO EARLY HEAD START.
EARLY HEAD START HAS FUNDED ENROLLMENT OF 391 CHILDREN.
OUR FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDER PARTNERS SERVE 87 FUNDED ENROLLMENTS.
CLASSROOMS ARE FULLY LICENSED HOMEOWNERS THAT PROVIDE SERVICES IN THEIR RESPECTIVE HOMES.
HEAD START EARLY HEAD START PROGRAMS SERVE A TOTAL OF 1608 FUNDED.
ENROLLMENT. CENTER BASED OPTION MAKES UP 88% OF THE FUNDED ENROLLMENT, WHILE HOME BASED OPTION MAKES UP 7%, AND FAMILY CHILD CARE PROVIDERS SERVE 5% OF THE FUNDED ENROLLMENT.
IN OUR PROGRAMING SERVICE CHILDREN 3 TO 5 YEARS OF AGE IN 2019 2020, THE SCCOE HAD ACHIEVED 98% OF ITS CUMULATIVE ENROLLMENT FOR THE YEAR BY THE TIME OF THE MARCH 13TH LOCKDOWN, ENROLLMENT BETWEEN FALL 2020 INTO THE SPRING 2023 AVERAGED ABOUT 61%.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF HEAD START REGIONAL OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO, THE PROGRAM WAS ADVISED TO REVISIT ITS COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT IN THE EFFORT OF SETTING SUSTAINABLE GOALS AND APPLY FOR A NO COST ENROLLMENT REDUCTION.
THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE 23-24 NUMBERS.
INCREASED SERVICE HOURS TO CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DUE TO THESE NEEDS IDENTIFIED IN THE HEAD START COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT ALSO SHOW THOSE NUMBERS IN THE 23-24. SIMILARLY, THE TAKEAWAY OF THIS SLIDE OBSERVING OUR CUMULATIVE ENROLLMENT TRENDS GIVES PERSPECTIVE ON ENROLLMENT PRE, POST AND DURING THE PANDEMIC.
BUT THERE IS A NUANCE IN OUR PROGRAMING SERVICE.
ENROLLMENT BETWEEN FALL 2020 INTO THE SPRING 2023 AVERAGED ABOUT 58%.
EARLY HEAD START, ALSO IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE OFFICE OF HEAD START REGIONAL OFFICE IN SAN FRANCISCO, WAS ADVISED TO REVISIT ITS COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT IN THE EFFORT OF SETTING SUSTAINABLE GOALS AND TO APPLY FOR A NO COST ENROLLMENT REDUCTION.
[02:50:04]
WAITLIST EXPLANATION.SO IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A GRANTEE SUCH AS SSCOE MUST DEVELOP AND MAINTAIN AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH ENROLLMENT YEAR AS PART OF THE FEDERALLY FUNDED HEAD START PROGRAM MAINTAINED DURING THE YEAR A WAITLIST THAT RANKS CHILDREN ACCORDING TO THE PROGRAM'S SELECTION CRITERIA.
THE SELECTION CRITERIA MUST BE ANNUALLY ESTABLISHED AND MUST WEIGH THE PRIORITIZATION OF SELECTION OF PARTICIPANTS BASED ON COMMUNITY NEEDS IDENTIFIED IN THE IDENTIFIED IN THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT.
FAMILY INCOME WHETHER THE CHILD IS HOMELESS.
WHETHER THE CHILD IS IN FOSTER CARE.
THE PROGRAM STRIVES TO MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO ENROLL CHILDREN TO ACHIEVE ITS FULL ENROLLMENT.
MOST CHILDREN ARE CURRENTLY ON THE WAITING LIST BECAUSE THE CLASSROOMS IN A NUMBER OF LOCATIONS HAVE ACHIEVED THEIR RESPECTIVE CAPACITY PER CALIFORNIA LICENSING. A SMALL NUMBER OF CHILDREN ARE ON THE WAITLIST AS THEY AWAIT THE COMPLETION OF DOCUMENTATION, AND AN EVEN SMALLER NUMBER ARE ON THE WAITLIST DUE TO PARENTAL CHOICE AS THEY AWAIT ENROLLMENT OPENING IN A CLASSROOM.
SO THE THREE THINGS LISTED THERE, SOME OF THEM MAY INCLUDE A MISSING REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION, IMMUNIZATION RECORDS, BIRTH CERTIFICATE, PROOF OF ADDRESS CLASSROOM WHICH INVOLVES SOME WORKFORCE LICENSE CAPACITY, AND MAYBE IT'S FULLY ENROLLED.
AND THE PARENT AND GUARDIAN ACTION INTERESTED IN A FULL DAY PROGRAM OPTION.
THEY DECLINED THEY'RE NOT GOING TO ENROLL THEIR STUDENT BY A SPECIFIC DATE, AS THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY INDICATED, OR THE PARENT HAS NOT FINALIZED THEIR START DATE YET. I'M GOING TO NOW TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE.
THANK YOU. THIS SLIDE HERE PROVIDES THE HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START FEDERAL OPERATIONAL FUNDING OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SINCE 2019-2020. IT DEMONSTRATES THAT THE FEDERAL FUNDING HAS BEEN CONSISTENT THROUGH THE PANDEMIC.
THE EARLY HEAD START INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT IN FISCAL YEAR 2019-20, AS REFLECTED ON SLIDE EIGHT, PROVIDED THE PROGRAM WITH AN ADDITIONAL GRANT AWARD WITH THE START OF FUNDING TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM.
FOR HEADSTART AND EARLY HEADSTART.
FUNDING AND ENROLLMENT ARE CORRELATED, AND FISCAL YEAR 2021-22 IS PRESENTED HERE AS AN EXAMPLE.
DECREASES IN PROGRAM ENROLLMENT AND FUNDED ENROLLMENT WERE OBSERVED, A DECREASE IN PROGRAM ENROLLMENT TO FUNDED ENROLLMENT WERE OBSERVED IN BOTH HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START PROGRAM, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE CHALLENGES OF THE PANDEMIC.
THERE WAS A DECREASE OF 587 FOR HEAD START AND 33 FOR EARLY HEAD START IN FISCAL YEAR 2019-20.
THE UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE FOR 2021-22 WAS 6.3 MILLION, AND RELATED TO THE CHALLENGES TO ENROLL DURING THE PANDEMIC AND MEETING THE FUNDED ENROLLMENT.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS SLIDE HERE PROVIDES A CUMULATIVE UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE.
THE PROGRAM HAS HAD AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF UNEARNED AWARD, PRIMARILY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC.
ANOTHER CONTRIBUTING FACTOR IS THE TO THE UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE WAS AVAILABILITY OF ONE TIME FUNDING TO SUPPORT STAFF, CHILDREN AND FAMILIES DURING THE PANDEMIC. THE PROGRAM WAS A RECIPIENT OF CARES FUNDS, ARP FUNDS, AND [INAUDIBLE] FUNDS AS WELL.
THE AWARD IS OPERATIONAL FUNDING THAT WAS NOT EARNED AND ELIGIBLE TO CARRY OVER INTO THE NEW FISCAL YEAR FOR ONE TIME PROJECTS THAT BENEFIT INTENDED PROGRAMING FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH GOVERNANCE APPROVAL AND WITHIN THE FIVE YEAR GRANT PERIOD.
FISCAL YEAR 2023-24 IS THE FINAL YEAR FOR THE FIVE YEAR GRANT PERIOD ENDING JUNE 2024.
THE COUNTY SCHOOL SERVICE FUND UNAUDITED ACTUALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 22-23, PRESENTED ON OCTOBER 4TH, 2023, REFLECTED A DECREASE IN HEAD START FEDERAL REVENUES BY 25.4 MILLION FROM 22-23.
THIS AMOUNT INCLUDED APPROXIMATELY 6.3 MILLION BUDGET REALIGNMENT FOR GRANT YEAR TRANSITION, 300,000 UNEARNED GRANT AWARD FOR COVID FUNDS, AND THE POTENTIAL CARRYOVER OF 18.6 MILLION.
THAT IS REFLECTED IN THE 2023 ANNUAL ONE UNEARNED AWARD.
[02:55:06]
THROUGH JUNE 30TH.AND I'LL NOW HAND YOU BACK OVER TO ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT TERESA SHIPP.
THANK YOU. THE SCCOE CONTINUES TO WORK WITH THE OFFICE OF HEAD START AND THE REGIONAL OFFICE ON FINDING THE MOST SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
PARTNERSHIPS PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN PROVIDING ONGOING, SUSTAINABLE PROGRAMING BY FINDING THOSE CHILDREN THAT ARE HOMELESS, [INAUDIBLE] ELIGIBLE AND IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM TO QUALIFY AS CATEGORICAL STUDENTS FOR OUR PROGRAM.
MOREOVER, THE PROGRAM CONTINUES TO REACH OUT TO RETIRED TEACHING STAFF TO OFFER SERVICES.
OUR VISIBILITY IN THE COMMUNITY CONTINUES TO CONTINUES TO RECRUIT STAFF.
WE HAVE RECENTLY ATTENDED JOB FAIRS AT EVERGREEN VALLEY COLLEGE, CITY OF SAN JOSE, THE CITY OF BERKELEY, SANTA CLARA UNIVERSITY, AND SAN JOSE STATE. IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, WE ALSO HAVE SOME MORE JOB FAIRS COMING UP IN TRYING TO RECRUIT SOME MORE STAFF.
WE WILL BE ATTENDING JOB FAIRS AT WEST VALLEY COLLEGE AND SAN JOSE CITY COLLEGE.
SO WE OFTEN COME TO YOU ALL AND WE SHARE OUR UPDATES.
AND I WANTED TO JUST GIVE YOU A KIND OF A LOOK IN THE FUTURE.
YOU WILL EXPECT TO SEE US AGAIN WHEN WE COME BACK IN FEBRUARY FOR THE BUDGET REVISIONS, AND WHEN WE COME BACK IN MARCH TO SHARE OUR OBJECTIVES AND PLANNING PROCESS, AS WELL AS OUR GRANT APPLICATION, AND IN MAY, IF BUDGET REVISIONS ARE NECESSARY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEES, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? TRUSTEE BERTA AND THEN TRUSTEE MAH.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
HAVE A COUPLE AREAS OF CLARIFICATION.
ONE WAS ON THE EXPLANATION OF THE UNEARNED AWARD BALANCE.
I KNOW THAT ON THE LAST BOARD MEETING THERE WERE SOME NUMBERS THAT WERE SHARED.
AND I BELIEVE THE AMOUNT THAT WAS SHARED WAS 25.4 MILLION.
BUT THEN ON THE GRAPHIC, I BELIEVE IT SHOWS 18.6.
IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT DISCREPANCY? YES. COULD YOU PULL THAT SLIDE UP, PLEASE, SO WE CAN LOOK AT IT? GO AHEAD. DIRECTOR. IT'S SLIDE 12.
I SAID THAT THE LAST MEETING, WHICH WAS THE OCTOBER 4TH MEETING, IT WAS SHARED THE HEADSTART.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT, THE 6.3 MILLION BUDGET WAS FOR THE REALIGNMENT.
SO THE ACTUAL CARRYOVER AMOUNT, THE POTENTIAL CARRYOVER AMOUNT INTO 2324 WILL BE THE 18.6 MILLION.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE TWO.
CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT CORRECTLY.
SO THE 6.3 MILLION IS FOR THE BUDGET REALIGNMENT FOR THE GRANT TRANSITION.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER 300 K FOR THE UNEARNED GRANT AWARD FOR THE COVID FUNDING.
ALL OF THAT ADDS UP TO THE 25.4 MILLION.
OKAY. AND THIS 18 MILLION FIGURE IS BECAUSE THAT'S TAKING OUT THOSE OTHER.
CORRECT. THAT IS THE 25 MINUS SIX 6.5 AND THE COVID FUNDING.
SO THAT LEAVES US WITH A CARRYOVER AMOUNT OF 18.6 MILLION.
[INAUDIBLE] OKAY AND THIS 18 MILLION IS MONEY THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BE GETTING IF WE HAD THOSE STUDENTS BEING SERVED IN HEAD START PROGRAMS. IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, THE 18.6 MILLION, THE POTENTIAL CARRYOVER HAS TO GO THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS BY THE REGIONAL OFFICE.
[03:00:01]
AND ONCE THAT IS APPROVED, ONLY THEN IT IS GOING TO BE CARRIED OVER.BUT IT WILL NOT BE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE'RE GOING TO BE SERVING.
IT'S BASED ON THE FUNDING CRITERIA.
RIGHT. THERE'S CERTAIN CRITERIA TO EARN THE AWARD.
YES. TO FULLY EARN THE CARRYOVER AMOUNT.
YES. AND I'LL JUST SHARE THAT THE HEAD START, FEDERAL HEAD START AND ALSO THE REGIONAL OFFICE HAVE BEEN NOTICING THIS NATIONAL TREND OF GRANTEES BEING UNABLE TO FULLY EARN THEIR AWARD BECAUSE A BIG PART OF THAT IS THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FAMILIES BEING ELIGIBLE BASED ON INCOME, FOR EXAMPLE.
AND HISTORICALLY THEY HAVE BEEN ALLOWING THESE CARRYOVERS.
BUT THE PROGRAM HAS TO DEVELOP A USE OF THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE ONE TIME AND THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THAT INTO THE FUTURE, THE REGIONAL OFFICE AND FEDERAL HEAD START WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW FOR THAT.
BUT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS OR SO, THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVING AND ALLOWING FOR CARRYOVER.
AND THEN I GUESS MAYBE THIS IS LIKE A MORE BROAD QUESTION, BUT.
YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I HEARD SOME OF IT IS PARENT PREFERENCE.
SO WHAT IS PREVENTING US FROM BEING ABLE TO CREATE THOSE PROGRAMS, STOP THOSE PROGRAMS TO MEET THAT NEED SO THAT WE ARE FULLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE POTENTIAL FEDERAL DOLLARS AND SERVING MORE KIDS.
TRUSTEE BERTA. AND THAT'S WHY I KEPT REFERRING TO WORKFORCE.
SO WHEN I SAY PARENT PREFERENCE, OFTENTIMES IT'S THEY WANT A CERTAIN SITE OR THEY HAVE AN INFANT, BUT WE HAVE A TODDLER CLASSROOM AT THAT SITE. SO I KNOW SOME OF YOU HAVE REFERRED TO I SAW AN EMPTY CLASSROOM.
WHY IS THAT AN EMPTY CLASSROOM? WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO BUILD UP OUR WORKFORCE SO WE CAN OPEN UP MORE CLASSROOMS AND MEET THE PARENT PREFERENCE, AS WELL AS THE DEMAND THAT WE HAVE.
IT'S FINDING THE QUALIFIED CANDIDATES TO WORK IN OUR CLASSROOMS. YES. OKAY.
AND BECAUSE I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC BEYOND EVEN JUST SCOEY.
MAKING SURE THAT OUR STAFF IS OUR CHILDCARE PROVIDERS ARE HISTORICALLY ONE OF THE MORE UNDERFUNDED PROFESSIONS. SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT IN TERMS OF, ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING FOLKS ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THIS AS A PROFESSION? AND I SAY THAT AS SOMEONE WHO'S LEFT THE TEACHING FORCE AT THIS POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE IT'S NOT COST PRODUCTIVE FOR ME TO BE PUTTING TWO KIDS IN CHILDCARE AND WORKING AS A TEACHER, IT JUST FINANCIALLY DOESN'T ADD UP, RIGHT? THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE QUESTION.
SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN THE BEST RIGHT.
SO WE CAN STAFF I KNOW THAT WE ANDDR.
DEWAN CORRECT ME WHERE I'M WRONG.
I THINK WE DID A HISTORICAL STUDY AT WHERE WE WERE FOR THE SALARIES ACROSS THE DIFFERENT AREAS IN TERMS, AND WE'RE ON PAR, IF NOT ONE OF THE HIGHER ONES FOR SALARIES, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING ON OUR WORKFORCE, WE ARE REALLY INTENTIONALLY LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR TEACHER ASSISTANTS TO SEE HOW CAN WE HELP THEM GO BACK TO SCHOOL OR GET THE TRAINING THEY NEED TO BECOME THE HEAD TEACHER.
WE'RE WORKING, LIKE I'VE MENTIONED, WITH MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE RECRUITING AND RETAINING STAFF.
YEAH, I HEAR THE PIECE ABOUT BEING ON PAR, AND I THINK IT'S A BROADER ISSUE WHERE IF WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT IT ACTUALLY TAKES TO BE ABLE TO SURVIVE IN THIS AREA, I'M JUST WONDERING IF, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS WE COULD PRIORITIZE THAT MORE SO THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE MORE STUDENTS, BECAUSE THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO EARN MORE OF THESE DOLLARS, AND IT WILL ACTUALLY FULFILL A NEED THAT FAMILIES HAVE.
[03:05:08]
JUST ANOTHER CONSIDERATION IS THE HEAD START REGULATIONS, THE FEDERAL REGULATIONS AND THE WAYS IN WHICH WE BUILD OUT THE BUDGET FOR THE GRANT APPLICATION HAVE TO ALIGN WITH SOME OF THEIR STANDARDS.SO THERE ARE SOME REGULATIONS THAT IMPACT SOME OF OUR ABILITY TO DO THINGS WITH STAFFING AND COSTS.
DOES THAT INCLUDE BUT THAT DOESN'T PREVENT US FROM PAYING STAFF MORE.
IT JUST MIGHT COME FROM OTHER SOURCES BEYOND JUST HEAD START.
IS THAT CORRECT? AND REGULATIONS WOULDN'T PREVENT US FROM PAYING STAFF, WELL, POTENTIALLY IT DEPENDS ON ALSO WHAT THE FUNDING SOURCE IS.
AND THEN THERE WOULD BE SOME OTHER EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS.
OKAY, LET ME JUST GO BACK TO MY QUESTIONS.
AND WE HAVE INVESTED QUITE A BIT.
AND WHAT WAS DESCRIBED AS FAR AS HELPING COVER THE TUITION COST AND HELPING STAFF TAKE THE COURSES THAT THEY NEED TO EARN THEIR BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, AS WELL AS INCENTIVE AND RETENTION.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD WAS ON I BELIEVE IT'S SLIDE SEVEN AND EIGHT.
THE PROJECTION TO BE FULLY ENROLLED BY JUNE 2024.
SO THAT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT.
I JUST I'M LOOKING AT THE SMALL CAPTION AT THE BOTTOM.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE AND HOW THAT TIES INTO THE UNEARNED BALANCE? YES. WELL, WHY DON'T I TALK ABOUT HOW WE PLAN TO BE FULLY ENROLLED AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT UNEARNED BALANCE? IS THAT OKAY IF WE DIVIDE IT LIKE THAT? OKAY. SO EXACTLY WHAT YOU WERE JUST DESCRIBING.
TRUSTEE BERTA WE ARE BACKWARDS MAPPING IT.
SO NOT ONLY WE DID WE DO THE ONE TIME NO HARM REDUCTION IN OUR SEATS, BUT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING EXTENSIVELY WITH THE COMMUNITY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY WANT? WHERE DO THEY NEED OUR CLASSROOMS, HOW CAN WE BEST SERVE THE COMMUNITY? AND SO WE HAVE A REALLY AGGRESSIVE TIMELINE TO DEVELOP OUR WORKFORCE, TO HIRE MORE STAFF, TO BE IN THE CLASSROOMS SO WE CAN ABSOLUTELY BE FULLY ENROLLED, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE FULLY ENROLLED IN THE CLASSROOMS THAT WE HAVE OPEN.
BUT AS WE'VE SAID, WE HAVE AN EMPTY CLASSROOM AND WE NEED TO NOW FULLY ENROLL THAT EMPTY CLASSROOM.
AND HOW MANY OF THOSE CLASSROOMS ARE EMPTY RIGHT NOW? I CAN GET YOU AN EXACT NUMBER.
I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER, BUT I CAN GET YOU THAT.
YEAH, THAT WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE GOOD TO KNOW, BECAUSE IT GIVES US AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE AND HOW MANY KIDS COULD POTENTIALLY BEING SERVED WHO AREN'T BEING SERVED NOW.
THANK YOU. AND THAT WAS ALL MY QUESTIONS FOR NOW.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE BERTA.
TRUSTEE MAH? AND THEN OVER TO TRUSTEE LARI AFTER.
THANK YOU. I GUESS I WAS WONDERING FOR THAT 25 MILLION DOLLARS.
THAT IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S NOT, OR AT LEAST AS IT WAS PHRASED IN OUR LAST MEETING SLIDES, BECAUSE I PULLED THAT SLIDE DECK UP AND IT SEEMED TO SHOW SPECIFICALLY THAT THERE WAS.
YOU KNOW, EXACT QUOTE, $25.4 MILLION UNEARNED GRANT AWARD.
THAT WAS NOT THE SAME NUMBER AS HIS 18.6 MILLION, WHICH IS NOW LISTED.
AND I DON'T SEE THE, YOU KNOW ADDED 6 MILLION.
6 MILLION FROM DID YOU SAY FY 21-22? THE 18 MILLION WAS FROM FISCAL YEAR 22-23, RIGHT? AND THEN THE 6.3 MILLION WAS A BUDGET REALIGNMENT FOR THE GRANT YEAR TRANSITION.
THE GRANT TRANSITION FROM THE HEAD START GRANT YEAR TO THE FISCAL YEAR.
I'M SORRY, THAT'S CALLED A GRANTEE TRANSITION, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY.
SO. AND SO THAT TRANSITION IS NOT LISTED ON THIS SLIDE DECK.
[03:10:06]
AND IT WASN'T LISTED IN THE LAST.LAST MEETING'S SLIDE DECK EITHER.
YEAH. THE FULL AMOUNT OF THE 25.4 MILLION.
THAT WAS THE DECREASE FROM THE SECOND INTERIM BUDGET REPORT TO THE UNAUDITED ACTUALS.
SO AT THAT TIME, IT WAS THE AMOUNT PROVIDED WAS THE 25.4 MILLION.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF THE BUDGET REALIGNMENT OF 6.3 AND 18.6 MILLION, THE CARRYOVER POTENTIAL CARRYOVER INTO 23-24, AS WELL AS A 300,000 UNEARNED GRANT AWARD IN COVID FUNDS.
SO THIS OVER HERE DOES NOT INCLUDE COVID FUNDING.
THIS IS ALL THE HEAD START AND EARLY HEAD START FEDERAL FUNDING THAT'S PRESENTED HERE TODAY.
IF I COULD JUST GET A LITTLE STATEMENT FROM YOU, IF YOU COULD JUST WRITE IT DOWN IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S WEEKLY, EXACTLY HOW THOSE NUMBERS AND WHAT EXACTLY THOSE COME FROM, TO ADD UP FOR THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 25.4 AND 18.6, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
TRUSTEE LARI?. SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE 18 MILLION.
SO DO WE EXPECT TO BE GET THE MONEY WITH THIS MONEY AMOUNT WOULD BE DISBURSED TO US, OR IS THIS GOING TO BE HELD LIKE WHAT ARE THE EXPECTATIONS? SO THE EXPECTATION IS THAT WE ARE LIKELY TO GET IT, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A WHOLE APPROVAL PROCESS.
THIS IS A POTENTIAL CARRYOVER AFTER THE CLOSE OF THE HEAD START GRANT FOR LAST FISCAL YEAR, AND THIS STILL HAS TO GO THROUGH THE REGIONAL OFFICE FOR REVIEW AND APPROVAL. ONLY ONCE APPROVED DOES IT BECOME CARRYOVER FUNDING THAT CAN BE CARRIED OVER.
AND THEN WE'LL DECIDE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THE AMOUNT.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS? WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO PROVIDE THE PLANS BEFOREHAND.
OKAY. AND WHAT HOW ARE WE PLANNING TO USE THE FUNDS? BECAUSE ACTUALLY I WENT TO THE POLICY COUNCIL MEETING AND THERE WERE TWO PEOPLE IN THE ON THE POLICY COUNCIL WHOSE CHILDREN WERE ON THE WAITING LIST.
ONE OF THEM HAD BEEN ON THE WAITING LIST FOR TWO YEARS.
SO THAT SEEMED LIKE A LONG TIME TO BE ON A WAITING LIST.
AND SO I'M JUST HOPING THAT SOMEHOW THAT AMOUNT CAN BE USED IN MEETING THIS UNMET DEMAND.
AND THAT WILL ALSO GO TO POLICY COUNCIL.
TRUSTEE LARI. FOR THEIR INPUT AND CRAFTING BEFORE IT COMES TO THIS BOARD FOR THEIR REVIEW.
THANK YOU. I GUESS I ALSO HEARD THAT THERE'S SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH SOME OF THE FUNDING BECAUSE OF A NO COST ENROLLMENT.
REDUCTION, AND THAT GIVES US SOME FLEXIBILITY IN FUNDING THAT CAN GO TOWARDS STAFF SALARIES.
IS THAT REFLECTED? HERE IT IS IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ENROLLMENT SLIDE.
SO IF YOU SEE THE NUMBERS FOR FUNDED ENROLLMENT, 22-23 WAS 498.
AND NOW OUR FUNDED ENROLLMENT IS 391.
SO ESSENTIALLY, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS SAYING YOU CAN SERVE FEWER STUDENTS AND WE'LL KEEP YOUR FUNDING AT THE SAME LEVEL. AND THAT ALLOWED US TO PROVIDE PAY INCREASES TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO THAT WAS THAT ONLY FOR THE EARLY HEAD START STUDENTS? NO, IT'S FOR BOTH.
YOU CAN GO TO THE OTHER SIDE AND WE CAN SHOW YOU THAT NUMBER AS WELL.
AND SO WERE THOSE SALARY INCREASES ONLY FOR HEAD START STAFF THOUGH.
WELL, WE CAN ONLY USE HEAD START FUNDS TO PAY THE HEAD START, SO ONLY THE HEAD START STAFF WERE ABLE TO GET SALARY INCREASES BASED ON THIS ENROLLMENT. WELL, THE ENROLLMENT, THIS CHANGE WHERE THEY ALLOWED US TO SERVE FEWER STUDENTS
[03:15:07]
FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY, ALLOWED US TO AFFORD THE PAY INCREASES AND SO THOSE INCREASES HAPPENED LAST YEAR OR IN 22-23. YES.THERE WERE PAY INCREASES LAST YEAR.
OKAY. YEAH, THAT WAS MY OTHER QUESTION.
THANK YOU TRUSTEE. THANK YOU TRUSTEES.
OKAY. WE'RE MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND WE WISH ANTONIO A SPEEDY RECOVERY I KNOW HE WANTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
[F. Report of AB 1703 California Indian Education Task Force]
FORCE. AND OUR OFFICE HAS BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING THE SUPPORT FROM THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.AND THIS EVENING, OLIVIA SANTILLAN, OUR DIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE SERVICES AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, IS GOING TO PROVIDE A REPORT ON THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO DATE AND OUR TIMELINE. NO.
YES. AS STATED, THE PURPOSE OF THIS PRESENTATION IS TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON AB 1703.
CALIFORNIA INDIAN EDUCATION TASK FORCE.
BEFORE I BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, I WANT TO COMMUNICATE THAT THE LANGUAGE INCLUDED TO IDENTIFY THE COMMUNITIES OF FOCUS ARE TAKEN DIRECTLY FROM AB 1703 AND THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING CALIFORNIA INDIAN, AMERICAN INDIAN, INDIAN PUPIL, AND NATIVE AMERICAN.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AB 1703 WAS SIGNED INTO LAW ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2022.
THEIR ROLE IS TO PROVIDE INPUT AND ADVICE TO THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION ON ALL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN INDIAN EDUCATION PROGRAMS ESTABLISHED BY THE STATE. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA INDIAN EDUCATION TASK FORCE WILL WORK WITH CALIFORNIA INDIAN TRIBES LOCAL TO THE REGION OR HISTORICALLY LOCATED IN THE REGION.
THE TASK FORCE WILL ADDRESS ISSUES OF MUTUAL CONCERN, CURRICULUM MATERIALS, AND EDUCATIONAL DATA.
I WILL EXPAND ON EACH OF THESE THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
NEXT SLIDE. THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCES THROUGHOUT THE STATE IS OVERSEEN BY THE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES DIVISION AT THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND ALIGNS WITH OTHER ONGOING CURRICULUM PROJECTS THAT WILL BE EXPLAINED LATER IN THIS UPDATE.
NEXT SLIDE. AS PART OF THE FOCUS ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH QUALITY CURRICULAR MATERIALS, TASK FORCES WILL DEVELOP A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF PROPER AND IMPROPER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WHEN THEY INCLUDE DEPICTIONS OF NATIVE AMERICANS.
NEXT SLIDE. IN ORDER TO ENSURE THAT INDIAN PUPILS ARE MORE ENGAGED AND LEARN MORE SUCCESSFULLY, AND TO ENSURE THAT ALL PUPILS LEARN ABOUT THE HISTORY, CULTURE, GOVERNMENT AND EXPERIENCES OF THEIR INDIAN PEERS.
NEXT SLIDE. THE TASK FORCES WILL ALSO LOOK AT EDUCATIONAL DATA IN ORDER TO IDENTIFY STRATEGIES TO CREATE IMPACTFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR INDIAN PUPILS.
NEXT SLIDE. THE TASK FORCES THROUGHOUT THE STATE SUPPORT THE MODEL CURRICULUM PROJECTS PASSED IN 2021 THROUGH ASSEMBLY BILL 167, WHICH AMENDED CALIFORNIA EDUCATION CODE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND MAINTENANCE OF MODEL CURRICULA RELATING TO NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES, CAMBODIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, HMONG HISTORY AND CULTURAL STUDIES, AND VIETNAMESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCES.
THESE PROJECTS ARE BEING LED BY COUNTY OFFICES OF EDUCATION.
SCCOE IS WORKING WITH ORANGE COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON THE MODEL CURRICULUM PROJECTS RELATED TO CAMBODIAN AMERICAN STUDIES, HMONG HISTORY AND CULTURAL STUDIES, AND VIETNAMESE AMERICAN EXPERIENCES.
[03:20:03]
THE WORK OF THE TASK FORCES AROUND THE STATE WILL SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES MODEL CURRICULUM PROJECT, AS WELL AS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ETHNIC STUDIES AS A HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENT, AS THE LESSONS COULD ALSO BE USED WITHIN THOSE COURSES.NEXT SLIDE. THE NEXT TWO SLIDES PROVIDE TIMELINES FOR PREPARING FOR AND IMPLEMENTING THE SCCOE CALIFORNIA INDIAN EDUCATION TASK FORCE.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND SAY THANK YOU TO THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION FOR ENDORSING THIS EFFORT BY PASSING THE RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF AN INDIAN EDUCATION TASK FORCE LAST NOVEMBER.
NEXT SUMMER, SCCOE WILL HOST A WEBINAR TO SHARE THE WORK OF AND RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE TASK FORCE AND WILL SUBMIT THE REQUIRED REPORT TO THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
PRESIDENT CHON. WE DO HAVE ONE CARD.
THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE'LL GO WITH QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
OUR SPEAKER IS JORGE PACHECO JUNIOR.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
MY NAME IS JORGE PACHECO JUNIOR, AND I'M A TRUSTEE OF THE OAK GROVE SCHOOL DISTRICT, TEACHER OF THE MENLO PARK CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND PRESIDENT OF THE CALIFORNIA LATINO SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION, AS WELL AS A PROUD MAYA AND THE ONLY MALE INDIGENOUS ELECTED OFFICIAL IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY.
ALMOST A YEAR AGO, I COAUTHORED THE RESOLUTION WITH INCREDIBLE LEADERS AND FRIENDS SITTING IN THOSE IMPORTANT SEATS RIGHT BEFORE ME, WHICH WAS THEN VICE PRESIDENT VICTORIA CHON, TRUSTEE TARA SREEKRISHNAN AND PRESIDENT PETER ORTIZ.
A RESOLUTION WHICH IS FINALLY BROUGHT US TO THIS POINT WHERE SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA INDIAN EDUCATION TASK FORCE IS ABOUT TO LAUNCH THIS WINTER, A TASK FORCE THAT WILL CENTER OUR LOCAL INDIGENOUS TRIBES AND BENEFIT ALL KIDS THROUGHOUT OUR COUNTY.
IN OUR COUNTRY, NATIVE KIDS HAVE THE LOWEST HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATE SCORE AMONGST THE LOWEST ON STATE TESTING, AND HAVE HIGH RATES OF SUICIDE AND DRUG ABUSE THAT ROB FAMILIES AND OUR COUNTRY OF THAT BEAUTY, HUMOR, AND RESILIENCE THAT I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED AS A NEAR HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT WHO HAS SURVIVED SUICIDE AS A KID AND SURVIVED ALCOHOL ABUSE DISORDER AS AN ADULT THROUGH SOBRIETY.
I CAN TELL YOU PERSONALLY THAT THESE STATISTICS ARE REAL AND THERE EXISTS A SOLUTION EDUCATION.
IN ADDITION, OUR HISTORY HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE LIFE TRAJECTORIES OF NOT JUST OUR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, BUT THAT OF ANYONE WHO IS LUCKY ENOUGH TO ENCOUNTER THE POWER OF THAT KNOWLEDGE TO ENSURE THAT THAT OUR PILLAR OF OUR COUNTRY, OUR NATIVE PEOPLES, THRIVE WELL INTO THE FUTURE WITH HEALTH AND STRENGTH.
NATIVE STUDIES MUST THRIVE THROUGHOUT OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DOING SO WILL EQUIP ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WITH THE SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE THEY NEED TO NAVIGATE OUR DIVERSE AND GLOBALIZING WORLD, APPRECIATE AND EMBRACE OUR HUMANITY, AND SOLVE CRITICAL ISSUES IMPACTING THE LIVES OF OUR NATIVE COMMUNITIES AND EVERY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITY IN OUR COUNTRY AND COUNTY.
I MYSELF WAS TAUGHT NATIVE STUDIES AND INSPIRED ME TO BECOME A NATIVE STUDIES TEACHER.
TO THIS DAY, THIS KNOWLEDGE FUELS MY DREAMS AND AMBITIONS TO THIS AND THIS COUNTY OF OFFICE OF EDUCATION HAS THE ABILITY TO CREATE THAT SAME FIELD FOR SO MANY OTHER NATIVE KIDS. THANK YOU, TRUSTEE AFZAL BERTA, FOR PRESSING HARD TO GET US TO THIS POINT TO PRESIDENT CHON, VICE PRESIDENT SREEKRISHNAN AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO IS LEADING THIS EFFORT.
TRUSTEES COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TASK FORCE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING BEHIND THE SCENES SINCE THE RESOLUTION WAS PASSED.
AND I HAD A COUPLE QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF THE MAKEUP OF THE TASK FORCE WITHIN THE COUNTY OFFICE, HOW THOSE MEMBERS ARE SELECTED. I'LL START WITH THOSE QUESTIONS.
[03:25:04]
AND SINCE THE FOCUS IS ON CURRICULAR MATERIALS, IT IS A GOAL TO HAVE CURRENT PRACTITIONERS IN THE CLASSROOM WHO CAN SPEAK TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.AND THEN, OF COURSE, WITH THE TASK FORCE ITSELF, AS IT'S DESCRIBED IN THE LEGISLATION REPRESENTATION OF CALIFORNIA INDIANS OR TRIBES LOCALLY OR HISTORICALLY LOCATED WITHIN THE REGION.
SO WILL THAT BE A COMPONENT OF THIS IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION AND SEEKING, LIKE TO MAKE SURE IT'S AUTHENTIC? WHAT ARE THOSE EFFORTS LOOK LIKE? SO A MAJOR PURPOSE OF THE TASK FORCE IS TO GET INPUT.
THAT COLLABORATION WITH TRIBES IS A BIG EMPHASIS IS.
SO IT WOULD WHAT IT ENTAILS IS, AS SANTA CLARA COUNTY LOOKING TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT SERVE NATIVE AMERICANS, FOR EXAMPLE, OR.
YOU KNOW, SCHOLARS WITH EXPERTISE, PERHAPS WITHIN CALIFORNIA INDIAN HISTORY AND THEN THINKING ABOUT ALSO WORKING WITH OTHER EFFORTS THAT EXIST WITHIN THE STATE THAT ARE REPRESENTED ON A LOCAL LEVEL.
FOR EXAMPLE, NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES MODEL CURRICULUM IS A STATEWIDE EFFORT.
SO THERE ARE LOCAL EDUCATORS WHO ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THAT EFFORT.
AND THEN WITH THE ETHNIC STUDIES MODEL CURRICULUM, THERE ARE LOCAL EDUCATORS WHO ARE WORKING TO CONTRIBUTE TO CREATING THE REPOSITORY OF MODEL LESSONS AND TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT IS, THAT PROJECT IS BEING LED FROM SAN DIEGO COUNTY OFFICE OF EDUCATION. SO THERE'S A LOT OF WORK AND RESOURCES THAT CAN BE PULLED FROM ON A LOCAL LEVEL, AS WELL AS A STATEWIDE LEVEL.
I'LL JUST ADD TO THAT THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN CURATING AND DOING RESEARCH IN ORDER TO SUPPORT LOCAL COE'S AND LEA'S IDENTIFYING THE GROUPS, THE ENTITIES, THE AGENCIES, EVEN INDIVIDUAL PERSONS THAT THEY ASSIST AND RECOMMENDING THAT WE REACH OUT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT AUTHENTIC REPRESENTATION.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO ALONE.
WE'VE GOT SOME GOOD SUPPORT FROM CDE.
SO A LOT OF THIS IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM THE STATE IN TERMS OF WHO TO REACH OUT TO, OR THEY HAVE SOME OF THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO DO OUR I'M ASSUMING WE'LL STILL DO OUR DILIGENCE.
THERE'S A LINK TO THE WEBSITE ABOUT THIS PROJECT.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE.
AND THEN OF COURSE REPRESENTING OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY.
AND SO WHAT ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE FOR LOCAL ENTITIES WHO AREN'T REACHED OUT TO LIKE HOW COULD THEY POTENTIALLY GET INVOLVED OR SHARE FEEDBACK? SO WE'RE LOOKING TO THE COMMUNITY THAT MAKES UP THE TASK FORCE TO HELP INFORM THOSE TYPES OF DECISIONS.
SO WE WILL USE THE GUIDANCE FROM THE CDE.
WE'LL USE OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND BRING TOGETHER THE TASK FORCE.
THROUGH THOSE EXPERIENCES, WE'VE LEARNED THAT LISTENING TO THE COMMUNITY HELPS TO FURTHER THE EFFORTS, RIGHT? SO TO SOME EXTENT, IT'S ALSO BRINGING IN THOSE WHO REPRESENT LOCAL TRIBES OR TRIBES HISTORICAL TO THE REGION AND LISTENING TO WHAT THEY ARE WANTING US TO DO, OR MAYBE WHO THEY WOULD WANT US TO TALK TO EXPAND WHO'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND GIVING INPUT ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YEAH, I THINK THAT WAS JUST ONE OF MY ONE PIECE THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
THAT I WAS CONSIDERING WAS WHAT EFFORTS WE WERE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT.
SO I'M GLAD TO HEAR THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS AND HOW IT'S BEING PLANNED.
OKAY. WELL, THOSE WERE MY MAIN QUESTIONS.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO HOPEFULLY MANY MORE UPDATES ON THIS TOPIC.
THANK YOU. YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION.
SO I'M JUST KIND OF LOOKING AT THE TIMELINE AND WHAT WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED SO FAR.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE OUR COLLABORATION AND THAT FOR FALL OF 2023.
[03:30:07]
SO WHAT IS THE WORK THAT THEY'RE LIKE, WHERE ARE THEY IN THAT? SO WITH THE ANTICIPATED LAUNCH IN DECEMBER, WHAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED HAS BEEN A SHARED AND SUCCINCT UNDERSTANDING, A WAY OF COMMUNICATING WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THE PROJECT IS.LANGUAGE AROUND A DESCRIPTION TO INVITE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS, OR MAYBE INDIVIDUALS, OR INVITE LOCAL EDUCATORS TO APPLY TO COMMUNICATE WITH DISTRICTS THAT WE ARE PREPARING TO START THIS WORK AND TO INVITE.
EDUCATIONAL LEADERS WHO ARE FOCUSED ON CURRICULUM AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL TO APPLY TO BE PART OF IT.
SO WE HAVE DISTRICT REPRESENTATION AS WELL.
BUT THAT PRACTITIONER LENS INCLUDED.
AND THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
HOW ARE WE SHARING? I ASSUME WE'RE GOING TO SHARE IT WITH ALL THE LOCAL DISTRICTS.
NOW, DO LOCAL DISTRICTS ALSO HAVE THEIR OWN TASK FORCE OR IS THIS REALLY JUST MORE DONE ON A COUNTY LEVEL? SO THE LEGISLATION INCLUDES LEA'S CHARTER SCHOOLS AND CEOS.
SO THERE COULD BE DISTRICTS WHO DO WHO ARE DOING THIS WORK AT A DISTRICT LEVEL.
OKAY. DO WE KNOW HOW MANY ARE THAT INFORMATION PROBABLY WILL NOT COME OUT UNTIL NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE CDE JUST POSTED THE REPORT TEMPLATE IN SEPTEMBER.
OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THOSE UPDATES.
YEAH. I JUST ALSO WANTED TO THANK TRUSTEE PACHECO FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP.
AND YEAH, I REMEMBER ABOUT A YEAR AGO HE WORKED WITH OUR BOARD TO PASS THIS RESOLUTION.
AND I KNOW ALL OF US HAVE BEEN REALLY EXCITED FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS.
THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANTED TO DO.
THANK TRUSTEE JORGE PACHECO JUNIOR FOR HIS ADVOCACY ABOUT THIS WITH OUR PREVIOUS BOARD.
FOR US BECOMING AN EARLY ADOPTER, WHICH I THINK IS FANTASTIC.
AND FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT TRUSTEE PACHECO SAID THAT HE HAD TO OVERCOME TO BE AS EFFECTIVE AS HE WAS THIS EVENING IN HIS DELIVERY TO COUNTY BOARD MEETING.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU, TRUSTEE PACHECO, AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THIS IS MOVING FORWARD IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAD BROUGHT THE RESOLUTION FORWARD.
YES. MY COLLEAGUE TRUSTEE BERTA HERE.
YES, COUNCIL-MEMBER PETER ORTIZ.
ABSOLUTELY. YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAD ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION.
AND SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE AN UPDATE.
AND I HAVE TO REPEAT WHAT TRUSTEE DI SALVO SAID.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE THAT WE'RE KIND OF ONE OF THE FIRST TO BE DOING THIS AND PUTTING IN EARLY EFFORTS.
SO WE WERE TRULY, YOU KNOW, EARLY ADOPTERS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ANXIOUSLY COLLABORATING WITH SAN DIEGO AND COUNTY OFFICE OF ED AND REACHING OUT TO CDE FOR THE FRAMEWORKS TO GET IN PLACE SO WE COULD MOVE FORWARD.
AWESOME. OKAY SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS.
ALL RIGHT. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO AGENDA ITEM EIGHT.
[A. Committee members may provide or report on recent committee activities.]
OUR BOARD, OUR COUNTY BOARD COMMITTEE REPORTS 2 COMMITTEES HAVE MET SINCE OUR LAST MEETING THE STRONG START COALITION AND THE HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL.CAN YOU PLEASE PRESENT BOTH REPORTS? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
SO THE STRONG START COALITION MET VIA ZOOM ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 10TH, 2023.
COALITION MEMBERS HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM HEIDI AMBLING OF FIRST FIVE SANTA CLARA COUNTY ON THE PARENT VOICE COMPONENTS OF THEIR 2024-27 STRATEGIC PLANNING EFFORTS.
[03:35:07]
PROFESSIONALS AND THE FAMILIES WHO RELY ON THEM.THE NEXT STRONG START COALITION MEETING WILL BE ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 2023, AND THE HEAD START POLICY COUNCIL MET ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14TH, 2023 IN THE FRANKLIN-MCKINLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARDROOM TO CONDUCT ITS ANNUAL TRAINING OF NEWLY ELECTED POLICY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES. THE TRAINING WAS INTENDED TO DEVELOP THE CAPACITY OF POLICY COUNCIL REPRESENTATIVES TO UNDERSTAND THEIR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS PC REPS.
THE TRAINING HELPS ORIENT PC REPS WITH THE BACKGROUND PHILOSOPHY AND RULES FOR SHARED GOVERNANCE.
THE NEXT MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH, 2023 VIA ZOOM.
PC REPS WILL ENGAGE IN A FOLLOW UP IN-PERSON TRAINING ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2023.
MOVING ON. ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS WE MAY HAVE MISSED? OKAY. NO. SO MOVING ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM, THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT, DR.
[A. The superintendent may give a report on any activities related to her duties.]
DEWAN. AND YES, I'D LIKE TO START BY ACKNOWLEDGING KEN YEAGER AND CELEBRATING THE EVENT THAT WE HAD ON OCTOBER 5TH AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.IN ADDITION TO CELEBRATING LGBTQ+ HISTORY MONTH, PROVIDING SOME RECOGNITIONS, HOSTING A RESOURCE FAIR WHICH INCLUDED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ENTITIES AND AGENCIES, AND SHOWCASING SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO SUPPORT LGBTQ PLUS COMMUNITY MEMBERS, STUDENTS AND ALSO FAMILIES.
WE RAISED THE PROGRESS FLAG AT SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX AND HAVE BEEN FLYING IT PROUDLY.
KEN YEAGER PROVIDED A KEYNOTE ADDRESS AND ALSO SIGNED SOME COPIES OF HIS BOOK THAT WE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS IN OUR ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION PROGRAM AT THE COURT AND COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
I ALSO WANTED TO SHARE THAT ON OCTOBER 12TH, I ATTENDED THE CALIFORNIA POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION SUPPORT CONFERENCE.
THIS IS THE STATEWIDE CONFERENCE.
THAT SAME DAY, WE HOSTED THE FALL WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP NETWORK EVENT AT METRO EDUCATION DISTRICT.
I WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT TOMORROW IS THE GREAT SHAKEOUT.
SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO PARTICIPATE AND BE EARTHQUAKE READY.
TODAY WE ANNOUNCED THE BOOKS AND THEMES FOR SILICON VALLEY READS THIS YEAR.
OUR THEME IS A GREENER TOMORROW STARTS TODAY.
OUR SECOND BOOK IS CALLED ONE GREEN THING.
IT'S A SERIES OF ARTICLES WHERE IT INSPIRES INDIVIDUALS TO TAKE ONE ACTION THAT CAN HAVE A CONTRIBUTION TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL MOVEMENT, AND THEN A NON-FICTION BOOK, THE LIGHT PIRATE.
FIRST MONDAY, OCTOBER 23RD IS OUR TEACHER RECOGNITION CELEBRATION.
WE ARE HOSTING AN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE SUMMIT.
IT IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 13TH.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE RSVP TO JAMIE.
WE'LL BE COVERING EVERYTHING FROM HOW AI WORKS TO HAVING KEYNOTE SPEAKERS WITH EXPERTISE, ADDRESSING SOME OF THE POLICY CONSIDERATIONS, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS AROUND AI.
SEVERAL OF YOU HAVE ALREADY REGISTERED, BUT THERE IS STILL TIME.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE LET ME KNOW SO WE CAN REGISTER YOU.
THE DINNER IS SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 25TH AND WE WILL BE FEATURING YOUTH AND AS WELL AS OUR STAFF ON THE TOPIC OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION AND CLIMATE SUSTAINABILITY.
REGISTRATION IS OPEN BUT FAST TO CLOSE.
[03:40:01]
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ATTEND, PLEASE LET US KNOW.IT IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 30TH THROUGH DECEMBER 2ND.
JUST LET ME KNOW SO WE CAN REGISTER YOU TIMELY AND MAKE SURE TO GET A HOTEL ROOM FOR YOU.
IT WILL BE HERE AT CISCO FROM EIGHT TO NOON.
I DO HOPE ALL OF YOU CAN ATTEND.
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST TIME EVER THAT WE'VE BROUGHT A LARGE NUMBER OF OUR PARTNERS.
AND THE EVENT DOES PROMISE TO BE WELL ATTENDED.
SO I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU ALL TO JOIN.
ON APRIL 27TH, WE'LL BE HOSTING OUR ENVIRONMENTAL LITERACY SUMMIT, AND I DO HAVE SOME REALLY COOL INVITATIONS THAT OUR STAFF HAVE ASKED US TO DISTRIBUTE, WHERE WE'RE SHOWING SOME OF THE NEW THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND SUSTAINABILITY.
THIS IS A SPECIAL KIND OF PAPER THAT'S MADE WHERE IT CAN BE PLANTED AND.
SO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE WHAT YOU THINK.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU CAN ALSO JOIN US FOR THE SUMMIT.
ALSO ON NOVEMBER 7TH, WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING A TOUR OF BLUE RIDGE AND ALSO OUR BLUE RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL AND ALSO THE ELLIOTT WELLNESS CENTER IN GILROY.
IF YOU CAN JOIN US, WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO DO SO.
MORE INFORMATION IS IN THE WEEKLY, BUT ALSO JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU'D LIKE TO ATTEND TODAY.
THE [INAUDIBLE] RESULTS CAME OUT AS WELL AS THE SMARTER BALANCE SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT RESULTS.
ESSENTIALLY, YOU KNOW, REALLY SEEING THE IMPACTS OF COVID CONTINUING TO IMPACT OUR DATA, SOME FLAT RESULTS AND JUST SOME AREAS WHERE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE INVESTMENT, NOT JUST IN EARLY LEARNING, BUT ALSO IN RECOVERY OF STUDENTS INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
AND THEN OUR CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM RESULTS ARE ALSO BEING RELEASED.
SO WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO THE BOARD ABOUT THAT.
SORRY. I'M GOING TO GO PUBLIC COMMENT FIRST, AND THEN I'LL GO TO TRUSTEE MAH.
YES. IS THERE PUBLIC COMMENT? THERE ARE. THERE ARE TWO CARDS.
OKAY. THANK YOU. COULD YOU PLEASE BEGIN PUBLIC COMMENT? THANK YOU. AS YOU HEAR YOUR NAME, PLEASE LINE UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEHIND THE PODIUM LOCATED AT THE CENTER OF THE ROOM.
OUR SPEAKERS ARE ANNA MENDOZA AND ANDREA HIGHTOWER.
ANNA, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM CLEARLY.
STATE YOUR NAME AND BEGIN YOUR COMMENT.
MY NAME IS ANNA MENDOZA AND I WORK FOR CARAS MARY ANN DEWAN, SHAME ON YOU FOR TAKING WHAT OUR KIDS HAD AT GATEWAY AND PLACING THEM IN A SUBSTANDARD CONDITIONS AWAY FROM THEIR COMMUNITY.
IT WAS CRAZY COMING UP HERE RIGHT NOW, SO I'M ACTUALLY CHANGING AND SAYING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND I'M ALSO REQUESTING THE PUBLIC, THE COMMUNITY.
PLEASE HELP ME SIGN A PETITION TO REMOVE MARY ANN DEWAN FROM OFFICE.
I SPEAK FOR GATEWAY SEVEN PLUS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE CALL THIS FAMILY.
THEY'RE BEING HIGHLY IMPACTED.
YOU KNOW, THEY MADE THE REPORT.
IT'S NOT TRUE. HOW CAN YOU ADD THIS KIDS WITH CHILDREN WHO ARE GOING TO SOUTH COUNTY ANNEX.
WHERE THEY HAVE KIDS WHO CAME OUT OF JUVENILE HALL, MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL KIDS.
I MEAN, I THINK EVERYBODY SAID IT RIGHT HERE.
SO OUR PHONE NUMBER AT CARA'S IT'S (408) 847-4978. ALL.
STATEWIDE. HELP ME SIGN THIS PETITION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREA HIGHTOWER.
PLEASE CLEARLY STATE YOUR NAME AND PRESENT YOUR COMMENT.
I'M A PARENT FROM FORMER GATEWAY, PART OF THE GATEWAY SEVEN.
[03:45:02]
I HEARD A LOT OF GOOD REPORTS TONIGHT.AND THAT'S ALSO THE CONCERN IS THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF GOOD REPORTS.
WHEN WE KNOW NOW, YOU TRUSTEES KNOW NOW THAT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN SOUTH COUNTY WAS NOT FACTUAL. YOU WEREN'T TOLD THE IMPACT THAT THIS WAS HAVING ON OUR KIDS.
THE IMPACT THAT WHEN THESE PARENTS WHO CAN'T TAKE THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL AND ARE GETTING THE TRUANCY NOTICES, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE ALL AWARE, BUT I WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH DFCS.
SOME OF YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHERE I DO WORK.
AND WHEN OUR KIDS WHEN A PHONE CALL COMES IN REGARDING NEGLECT AND ABUSE AND AN ALLEGATION INTO DCSFS, DCSFS CALL CENTER.
OUR KIDS ARE AUTOMATICALLY MARKED UP AS HIGH RISK.
SO YOU SO THE DISTRICT SO COE ALONE.
SENDING THOSE NOTICES IS PUTTING OUR KIDS AT FURTHER RISK OF REMOVAL.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO LOOK AT THE POPULATION THAT WAS IMPACTED BY THIS.
IT IS PRIMARILY A LATINO POPULATION AND IN DFCS LATINO KIDS IN SANTA CLARA COUNTY GET REMOVED AT RATES FOUR TIMES HIGHER THAN WHITE CHILDREN.
I JUST ALSO WONDER WHERE ELSE THIS IS HAPPENING AND WHERE THERE IS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY.
I ALSO KNOW THAT THE UNIONS WERE TOLD.
THAT WHEN THEY WENT FOR THEIR PAY INCREASES THAT THEY COULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE WE WERE MOVING.
THEY WERE MOVING THE KIDS INTO THE DISTRICT SCHOOLS, MERGING THE PROGRAMS. AND THAT'S WHAT THE PARENTS WANTED.
THANK YOU. THIS CONCLUDES COMMENT.
THANK YOU. TRUSTEE MAH? THANK YOU. PRESIDENT CHON.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION ON THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT.
COULD WE GET A LIST OF ALL THE PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE? I MEAN, KIND OF WHO ARE THEY? IT'D JUST BE NICE TO KNOW.
YEAH. SO I MEAN, WE HAVE THE INVITE LIST, RIGHT? SO IF WE COULD JUST GET A LIST OF THE PARTNERS, THAT'D BE GREAT.
I DIDN'T FORGET TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE A COPY OF THE WASTE EQUITY PLAYBOOK ENHANCEMENT THAT WE JUST RELEASED ON STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND THE INCLUSION COLLABORATIVE CONFERENCE IS COMING UP. I THINK IT'S NEXT WEEK AS WELL.
AND I WILL BE FOLLOWING UP WITH BOTH OF THE DISTRICTS TO SEE WHAT MIGHT BE POSSIBLE.
ALL RIGHT. I THINK THAT NOW BRINGS US TO CLOSED SESSION.
[10. CLOSED SESSION]
THE BOARD IS ABOUT TO ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION.CLOSED SESSION INVOLVES CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION.
AND ONCE IN CLOSED SESSION, I WILL CALL THE CLOSED SESSION TO ORDER AND REQUEST THAT EACH TRUSTEE STATE THEIR NAME TO RECORD WHO IS IN ATTENDANCE, AND TO AFFIRM AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE PARAMETERS OF THE CONDUCT OF BUSINESS IN CLOSED SESSION.
OUR CLOSED SESSION AGENDA ITEMS INCLUDE TWO ITEMS. ITEM 10A INTERDISTRICT ATTENDANCE APPEAL FILED ON BEHALF OF STUDENTS RESIDENT DISTRICT MORGAN HILL UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT, DESIRE DISTRICT SAN JOSE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. ITEM 10B CONTINUED DISCUSSION REGARDING TIMING AND PROCESS RELATED TO COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT EVALUATION.
THE BOARD WILL NOW ENTER INTO CLOSED SESSION, AND CLOSED SESSION SHOULD TAKE ABOUT TWO HOURS.
WE WILL RETURN APPROXIMATELY OR AFTER 11 P.M..
[A. Report of Actions Taken in Closed Session]
WE ARE READY TO RESUME THE OPEN SESSION.A MOTION WAS MADE BY TRUSTEE DI SALVO AND SECONDED BY MYSELF PRESIDENT CHON TO APPROVE THE APPEAL BASED ON FACTORS 3, 6 AND 12 THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL WITH A VOTE OF SEVEN AYES TO ZERO NO'S AND ZERO ABSTENTIONS AND ZERO ABSENT WITH ITEM 10B, THERE ARE NO REPORTABLE ITEMS. SO THIS THEN BRINGS US TO ADJOURNMENT.
THE NEXT SANTA CLARA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR NOVEMBER 1ST.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. MOVED BY TRUSTEE DI SALVO.
WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 11:13 P.M.
THANK YOU EVERYBODY. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.