Additional Details

Special Board of Education Meeting

AGENDA

Friday, June 14, 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, June 14, 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 7:33 a.m.

A.     Roll Call

Present: Dr. Analee Maestas, Kathy Korte (by phone), Lorenzo Garcia, Martin Esquivel, Dr. David Peercy, and Dr. Don Duran

Absent: Steven Michael Quezada

B.     Adoption of the June 14, 2013, Special Meeting Agenda and Approval of the May 10, 2013, Special Board of Education Meeting Minutes (Discussion/Action)

David Peercy motioned for adoption of the agenda and approval of the minutes. Lorenzo Garcia seconded the motion. Board members unanimously adopted of the June 14, 2013, Special meeting agenda and approved of the May 10, 2013, Special Board of Education meeting minutes.

II.     Special Issues

A.     Update of Goal 3: Family and Community Involvement (Discussion)

Monica Armenta, Communications executive director and Dr. Kristine Meurer, Student, Family, and Community Supports executive director, reviewed the action steps to achieving Goal 3: APS will meaningfully engage families and enhance partnerships with the community to maximize student achievement:

1. Albuquerque Public Schools will fully develop and implement effective, district-wide parental/legal guardian access to student information.
2. All staff will be provided professional development on strategies which assure that families and other visitors experience safety, comfort, friendliness and respect at all APS sites.
3. APS, in partnership with the community, will plan and launch a parent university model.
4. A comprehensive district volunteer services program will be developed and implemented to support schools.
5. Recognizing that each school community is different and reacts differently to the tools that are used, a consistent triad of communication using established web, phone and print-based methods will be maintained.
6. Strategies to establish both formal and informal opportunities in individual schools for families and school staff to form stronger partnerships will be developed and implemented.
7. A focused and aligned district direction for all required or existing internal/external groups will be developed.
8. APS will implement pilot community school sites.
9. The district’s community fundraising and in-kind donation mechanism will be organized and strengthened.

10. Necessary translation and interpreter services for essential school and district information will be made available.

11. Technical assistance for creating or strengthening family organizations will be provided to schools.

12. The foundations of cultural proficiency will be applied in all APS policies and practices.

13. Engage families and community partners for truancy prevention and intervention.

Public forum comments regarding Goal 3 reflected concern that members of the community do not have a mechanism to give input.

Issues discussed regarding this agenda item:

• Gratitude for comprehensive effort
• Concern about bilingual families
• Request for how to contact the APS internal auditor
• Signage at schools volunteer coordinators
• Community school funding commitment
• Data production to help make budget decisions based on demographics of schools
• Cultural proficiency as an evaluation tool, for example, bidding preference for minorities
• Comparison of school administration and school population demographics
• Concern that parents and guardians are not considered as resources for student success
• Suggestion of using bilingual students as part-time employees to help with translation
• Resource guides (specific to that school and school community)
• Concern about the walk-through process, especially following changes in administration
• What are the components, implementation timeline and initial locations of the Parent University program pilot?
• Will cultural proficiency elements be ready for the next school year?
• Employee volunteering program
• Resolution with the Student Services Center
• Student services center survey availability
• How do we know if we are making progress?
• Cultural proficiency is about making sure that it doesn’t make any difference what your race or cultural background is because everyone is valued and accepted
• Support for public forums to gather input from community groups
• Support for increasing the variety of community groups giving input because groups that are the most vocal do not represent the community
• Concern about directing staff away from educating students to implement programs

B.     Consideration for Approval of Joint Board of Education Resolution expressing concerns raised by the Albuquerque Public Schools and Rio Rancho Public Schools Board about the New Mexico Teacher and School Leader Evaluation System (Discussion/Action)

Carrie Robin Menapace, legislative liaison and policy analyst, introduced the resolution created jointly with Rio Rancho Public Schools Board of Education and requested that board members approve the resolution.

Lorenzo Garcia motioned for approval of the resolution.  Kathy Korte seconded the motion.  Dr. Peercy recommended that all board members have the opportunity to sign the resolution.  Ms. Menapace requested permission to use board member digital signatures on the resolution.  Board members unanimously approved the resolution and permission to use digital signatures.

C.     Consideration for Approval to Rename eCADEMY@Albuquerque Public Schools to eCademy Virtual High School (Discussion/Action)

Joseph Escobedo, chief of staff, clarified that approval is requested for the name of the school that is listed on the action memo, eCADEMY Virtual High School.  He also explained that the procedural directive for naming the school was not followed due to the unusual nature of the school being online.

David Peercy motioned for approval renaming the school.  Kathy Korte seconded the motion. Board members unanimously approved renaming eCADEMY@Albuquerque Public Schools as eCADEMY Virtual High School.

III.    Superintendent Report

Superintendent Brooks reported on the following:

• Introduction of Paul Romero, chief technology officer
• Communication regarding the maintenance of effort

IV.    Board Reports

Board members reported on the following:

• Gratitude for administration’s efforts to make sure that highest percentage of funding is directed to support the student in the classroom
• Concern for the funding cuts to services for regular education students based on the implications of the status of the maintenance of effort

V.     Announcement of Upcoming Board Meetings

President Esquivel announced that the next Board of Education meeting will be held on Wednesday, June 19, 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, June 28, 2013, at 7:30 a.m., in the DeLayo Martin Community Room.

VI.    Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at 8:45 a.m.

APPROVED: ____________________________

Martin Esquivel, President

ATTEST: __________________________________

Steven Michael Quezada, Secretary