Board Meeting Dates

Additional Details

Special Board of Education Meeting

AGENDA

Friday, August 2, 2013

7:30 AM

DeLayo-Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE

Albuquerque, New Mexico

Minutes of Special Board of Education Meeting

Albuquerque Public Schools

A Special Board of Education meeting of Albuquerque Public Schools was held Friday, August 2, 2013, beginning at 7:30 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room, Alice and Bruce King Educational Complex, 6400 Uptown Blvd. NE.

I.      Call to Order

The meeting was called to order at 7:30 a.m.

1. A. Roll Call

Present: Dr. Analee Maestas, Kathy Korte, Lorenzo Garcia, Martin Esquivel, Steven Michael Quezada, Dr. Don Duran and Dr. David Peercy

1. B. Adoption of the August 2, 2013, Special Board of Education Meeting Agenda and Approval of the July 17, 2013, Board of Education Meeting Minutes (Discussion/Action)

Dr. Maestas motioned for adoption of the agenda and approval of the minutes. Steven Michael Quezada seconded the motion. Board members unanimously adopted the August 2, 2013, Special Board of Education meeting agenda and approved the July 17, 2013, Board of Education meeting minutes.

II.     Special Issues

A.     Consideration for Approval of Bond Underwriting Services RFP 13-055SS-AM (Discussion/Action)

Chief Financial Officer Don Moya explained the request for proposal process (RFP) and timeline.  The following firms were recommended to receive awards for bond underwriting services based on meeting specifications, best and final offers, meeting the sufficient needs of the district, and pricing:

• Robert W. Baird & Co., Inc. (RWB&C)
• JP Morgan Securities (JPMS)
• Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith (MLPF&SI)
• Stifel, Nicolas & Company, Inc. (SN&CI)
• Wells Fargo Bank N.A. - Municipal Products Group (WFBNAMPG)

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Conflict of interest of competing companies giving financial advice about their competitors
• Extremely low scoring RFP submissions
• Benefits and possible conflicts of Paul Cassidy of RBC as a voting member of the RFP submission rating committee

Kathy Korte motioned for approval of the RFP. Dr. David Peercy seconded the motion.  Board members approved the bond underwriting services RFP 13-055SS-AM, with Kathy Korte, Lorenzo Garcia,  Steven Michael Quezada and Dr. David Peercy voting favor, and Dr. Analee Maestas and Dr. Don Duran voting against the motion.

B.     Update on New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA) Leader's Retreat (Discussion)

President Martin Esquivel and Vice President Kathy Korte reviewed documents from their experience of participating in the New Mexico School Boards Association (NMSBA) Leader's Retreat.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Importance of transparency in creating policies and procedural directives
• Global view of what is happening across the state
• Survey results of attendees at the retreat
• Request for complete report of the survey results from Joe Guillen, NMSBA executive director
• 80 percent of participants agreed teacher evaluations were needed but pessimistic about the results of the state’s evaluation system
• Santa Fe Public Schools pursuing an attempt to sue the state to increase educational funding
• Concern about using operational dollars for legal fees
• Importance of APS involvement with NMSBA
• Significance of having full board committees compared with two- person committees of some other districts
• Satisfaction ratings of board members high, but tainted with disappointment at the lack of funding and state mandates

C.     Update on School Boards Working Group Meeting at Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis (Discussion)

Steven Michael Quezada, reviewed his recent discussions with the Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Representing the largest school district in attendance at the meeting
• Same issues on the state level are happening on the national level
• Techniques and results of evaluations
• Funding
• Importance of listening to parents, students and educators to make decisions for the district
• Concern that federal-level policies do not increase student achievement
• Research results released can often depend on who is funding the research
• Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis encourages districts to submit possibilities for research projects that will assist board members and administrators to make appropriate decisions
• APS has been working with Stanford University’s Center for Education Policy Analysis for six years and is currently assisting with a cultural proficiency plan
• Dual language programs have been successful on impacting achievements in education that are often stymied by poverty

III.    Superintendent Report

Superintendent Brooks reported on the following:

• APS booklet and video available to be distributed to the community
• Successful, interactive legislative forum this week resulting in lots of questions from legislators and answers from administrators and board members
• Common Core presentation with Rio Rancho Public Schools for Intel staff and family members
• New elementary principal forums
• Gratitude for the dedication of the Associate Superintendents of Elementary Education Diane Kerschen and Raquel Reedy
• Concern about the illogical standards of school grading
• Upcoming visit of Secretary Arne Duncan regarding his interest in the Emerson Elementary School redesign
• Concern about the lack of coverage of very significant national educational news by the local Albuquerque newspaper

IV.    Board Reports

Board member reported on the following:

• Thanks to leadership team for getting us through the summer
• Gratitude for the extraordinary efforts of the Maintenance and Operations (M & O) Department to resolve issues caused by the recent storm
• Concern for work force development in APS schools and opportunities for students to obtain education and training in trades
• Realization that not all students have the same aspirations for higher education
• Request for a report of the status of how APS provides for education in trades and preparation for students to successfully achieve higher education in trades
• Possibilities for mentorship and internship for APS students
• Concern for schools scandals regarding changing grades of students and schools in some areas across the country
• Consideration that APS students are part of the staffing of a local research facility honored for excellence by the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce
• Concern about the negative perception of New Mexico
• Concern that booster groups supporting extracurricular activities are required to raise large amounts of funding to have excellent programs
• Request for a report of the amounts that booster clubs must raise, that parents need to pay for their individual student and of funds available to the extracurricular activities through the APS budget to fund the different programs across the APS district
• Gratitude for the efforts to create the legislative forum
• Recognition for the APS autism program and request for a report on the programs available for students with autism and their families
• Anti-racism conference and importance of continuing engagement of the community on this issue
• Atrisco Heritage Academy (AHA) Health Clinic opening providing more opportunities for students and the community
• Request for final resolution for the parent engagement procedural directives
• Concern that retirees seem to be waiting for the final outcome of the retiree insurance subsidy
• Reiteration that the retiree insurance subsidy has been voted on and is final
• Anti-bullying film to be shown at the Kimo in the near future
• Need to empower students to stand up for themselves
• Request that board members consider anti-bullying with a higher priority
• Importance to create evaluations that cannot be manipulated
• Concern that APS is not ranked highly in the New Mexico Public School Facilities Authority maintenance report
• Request for a report of the progress to maintain AHA within capacity
• Thorough response to the Jefferson Middle School community to address the safety issue, which included engaging the community members and professionals

V.     Announcement of Upcoming Board Meetings

President Esquivel announced the next Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 7, 2013, at 5:00 p.m., in the John Milne Community Board room and the next Special Board of Education meeting will be held on Friday, August 16, 2013, at 7:30 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community room.

VI.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 a.m.

APPROVED: ____________________________

Martin Esquivel, President

ATTEST: __________________________________

Steven Michael Quezada, Secretary