Board Meeting Dates

Additional Details

Board of Education Meeting

AGENDA

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

5:00 PM

John Milne Community Board Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Minutes of Board of Education Meeting

Albuquerque Public Schools

A Board of Education meeting of Albuquerque Public Schools was held Wednesday, January 15, 2014, beginning at 5:00 p.m., in the John Milne Community Board Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE.

I.        Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 5:02 p.m.

A.    Color Guard Presentation Provided by Albuquerque High School Army JROTC

I.      Pledge of Allegiance and Moment of Silence

B.    Roll Call

Present: Dr. Analee Maestas, Kathy Korte, Lorenzo Garcia, Martin Esquivel, and Dr. David Peercy

Absent: Steven Michael Quezada and Dr. Don Duran

C.    Adoption of the January 15, 2014, Board of Education Meeting Agenda and Approval of the December 13, 2013, Special Board of Education Meeting Minutes and the December 18, 2013, Board of Education Meeting Minutes (Discussion/Action)

Mr. Garcia motioned to adopt the agenda and approve the minutes.  Dr. Peercy seconded the motion.  Board members Maestas, Korte, Garcia, and Peercy voted to adopt the January 15, 2014, Board of Education meeting agenda and approved the December 13, 2013, Special Board of Education meeting minutes and the December 18, 2013, Board of Education meeting minutes.

II.       Recognition of Students, Staff and Community

A.     Albuquerque High School Army JROTC, under the command of Gary R. Gomez, LTC (Ret), was recognized for the presentation at the Council of Great City Schools conference and the board meeting tonight.

B.     APS volunteers were recognized for generously sharing their time, talents and hospitality with the delegates of the Council of the Great City Schools 2013 Annual Fall Conference

C.     The Jardin de Coronado Club led by teacher Sarah Lopez, Coronado Elementary School, was recognized for the  presentation about work in the school garden, how the students donated the crops to a local charity, Encuentro, and what the students learned.

III.      Public Forum

Participants in public forum expressed support for the excellence of the Albuquerque High School Army JROTC and the potential opportunity to compete nationally, appreciation for the work of board members to inform the community and address the issues and concerns of APS teachers and schools.

IV.      Matters of Information

1. A. Superintendent's Report

Superintendent Brooks reported on the following:

• Gratitude for generous community donations to the APS Clothing Bank
• Sombra del Monte Elementary School, Coronado Elementary School, and Polk Middle School support for the APS Clothing Bank
• Goodwill partnership with the APS Clothing Bank
• APS student musicians to perform at the annual New Mexico Music Educators Association All-State conference
• Fifty (50) Albuquerque Public School teachers received National Board certification in 2013 placing APS fifth in the nation for the number of National Board Certified teachers
• Upcoming grand openings of Robert F. Kennedy Charter High School, the Boys and Girls Club at Emerson Elementary School and the new after-school program that serves the children of Pajarito Mesa

V.       Special Issues

A.    Consideration for Approval of Capital Funding from U.S. Department of Defense for Wherry Elementary School (Discussion/Action)

Michele Tigelaar, grants writer/manager, presented the details regarding funding available for Wherry Elementary School. In 2010, Albuquerque Public Schools was contacted by the U.S. Department of Defense Office of Economic Adjustment, that was undertaking a review of educational facilities on military installations.  During that review the U.S. Department of Defense visited Wherry and Sandia Base elementary schools to evaluate the facilities.  After the evaluation was complete Wherry Elementary was determined to have the eleventh highest need of any educational facility in the country.  On January 8, 2014, Albuquerque Public Schools was notified that the U.S. Department of Defense has awarded Albuquerque Public Schools $16,250,000 to correct facility deficiencies.

Ms. Tigelaar requested that board members approved the funding. Dr. Peercy motioned for approval of accepting the funding.  Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. Board members Maestas, Korte, Garcia, and Peercy voted to approve the capital funding from U.S. Department of Defense for Wherry Elementary School.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Collaboration of APS district administration Brad Winter, Joseph Escobedo, Karen Alarid, John Dufay, Marty Eckert and Chief of Staff of the Air Force Civic Leader Program, Sherman McCorkle and NM State Office of Military Base Planning and Support director, Brigadier General Hanson Scott, USAF Retired.
• Inference of the sustainment of the airbase implied by supporting educational infrastructure for the Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB) community

B.    Consideration for Approval of Grant from the Bridge of Southern New Mexico College and Career High School (Discussion/Action)

Michele Tigelaar, grants writer/manager, presented the details regarding funding available for the APS/CNM College and Career High School. In 2013, Albuquerque Public Schools applied to the New Mexico Public Education Department for a grant for the expansion of early college high schools.  The Bridge of Southern New Mexico contacted the district and invited APS to apply for funding from its private foundation that is supported by the Daniel’s Fund.  On January 8, 2014, Albuquerque Public Schools was notified that the Bridge of Southern New Mexico had awarded Albuquerque Public Schools $99,965 for College and Career High School.

Ms. Tigelaar requested that board members approve the funding. Dr. Peercy motioned for approval of accepting the funding.  Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. Board members Maestas, Korte, Garcia, and Peercy voted to approve the grant from the Bridge of Southern New Mexico College and Career High School Support for the APS/CNM College and Career High School.

C.    Presentation of the APS K-12 Summer Learning Programs Redesign for 2014 (Discussion)

Shelly Green, chief academic officer, and Jami Jacobson, executive director of Curriculum and Instruction, explained the APS K-12 summer learning programs redesign.  APS Summer School programs traditionally have used a remediation model for instruction.  Under this model, APS students have not made gains toward proficiency and a change of model and focus was needed to improve the programs and support students.  Summer school, with negative connotations of remediation, is shifting to summer learning with project-based enrichment experiences.

This APS Summer Learning model is the proposed, research-based model for the upcoming 2014 sessions K-12.  In addition, non-traditional choices for students at all levels are proposed to address the academic needs and interests of students K-12.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Research-based success of project-based programs
• Understanding enrichment as the richness of the curriculum engaging students to think about, talk about and interact with projects
• Plans for district-wide implementation include finding funding
• Importance of extending the school year learning opportunities
• Importance of including the Office of Innovation to build transformations, especially for students in the sixth through ninth grades
• Importance of the programs collecting data to show results and needs
• Request for clarification of budgeting process for this program, such as how many students are qualified, how many have participated, and how many have declined
• Providing credit recovery for high school students is the largest part of the budget for this program
• Results show 95 percent attendance rate, which is up from 80 percent previously
• Transportation only provided for summer school based on students with IEP requirements
• Vacation interruptions cause absences for summer school programs
• Number of students on the waiting list
• Qualifications for program are based on the student’s reading grade level
• K-3 plus and Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (SMART) grant funds usage requirements and limitations
• Title 1 plans include reading intervention
• Importance of communicating with students’ prior teachers to prepare for successful summer learning experiences
• Parent/teacher conferences scheduled for the end of summer program
• Recommendation to research long- term effects on students in the program

D.    Legislative Update (Discussion)

Carrie Robin Menapace, legislative liaison and policy analyst, explained that the plan to review and process the bills introduced during the 2014 legislation session will include daily review of new legislation introduced, consulting with leadership on legislation, emailed reports of all the tracked legislation and priority tracked legislation, emailed links to legislative language and current status of bills, bill progress updates, analysis reports, and best methods of contact.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Bills with significant risk to the budget are placed on the priority list
• Breakdown of specific legislation can be made available upon request
• Fiscal reports and bill language analysis won’t be released until session starts
• Request for guidance from board members regarding any particular bill will include complete analysis and administration recommendations
• Time sensitive issues may need quick action from the board

E.    Consideration for Approval of Release of the FY13 Audit Presentation to the Board by the Independent Auditor, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP (Discussion/Action)

Don Moya, chief financial officer, requested that board approve the release of the audit.  Dr. Peercy motioned for approval of the release.  Dr. Maestas seconded the motion.  Board members Maestas, Korte, Garcia, and Peercy voted to approve the release of the FY13 Audit by the Independent Auditor, CliftonLarsonAllen, LLP.

VI.      Approval of Consent Calendar Items (Discussion/Action)

A.    Consideration for Approval of Policy and Instruction Matters (Discussion/Action)

I.      Approval of 2014-2015 Alternative Calendar

Mr. Garcia motioned for approval of the consent calendar.  Dr. Maestas seconded the motion. Board members Maestas, Korte, Garcia, Esquivel, and Peercy voted to approve agenda item VI.A.I.

VII.     Board Member Comments

Board members commented on the following:

• Support for continued development of the security program for the APS district, especially considering easy access to some schools due to the architecture
• Recommendation to  use resources at Sandia Labs to increase security
• Manzano High School meeting for students and teachers to give feedback regarding evaluations and testing
• Concern that students are indicating confusion and stress about testing
• Importance of critical thinking and students explaining their thought processes so that teachers can understand assessment and determine where the student needs help
• SuperTAC meeting highlighting need for teachers to have direction on the time and level of involvement on performance
• Recommendation to research developmental assessments as an alternative to understanding student academic achievement
• Request that La Cueva High School’s Science Department’s C.U.R.E. alternative teacher evaluation plan be presented at an upcoming Policy and Instruction Committee meeting
• Request for continued updates on Senate Bill 34 so parents can be completely informed about testing requirements and ramifications
• Request for information of how and what is being relayed to parents from APS
• Concern that end of semester grades are not released in a timely manner
• End of course exam results should not delay the release of end of semester grades
• Request report of issues discussed and collaborated with the NMPED, specifically what changes have been made and what are the ramifications of the changes
• Request for meeting of the APS leadership with charter school boards to determine viable collaboration efforts and key issues
• Request that the APS Board of Education take a stand to support the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) lawsuit regarding providing sufficient funding for education in New Mexico
• Support for APS to have an independent police department
• Importance of gun owners being responsible to use gunlocks
• Support for continued APD Police Department procedures to recruit appropriate personnel to work with students

VIII.     President's Report

President Esquivel had nothing further to report.

IX.      Announcement of Upcoming Board Meetings

President Esquivel announced that the next Special Board of Education meeting will be held on Friday, January 24, 2014, at 7:30 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room and the next Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, February 5, 2014, at 5:00 p.m., in the John Milne Community Board Room.

X.       Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 7:20 p.m.

APPROVED: ____________________________

Martin Esquivel, President

ATTEST: __________________________________

Steven Michael Quezada, Secretary