022525 Special Board Meeting Español

001After today's meeting, there will be simultaneous interpretation. Once the host has activated the interpretation function, all participants must choose their preferred language by clicking on the globe icon in the toolbar located at the bottom of the screen and then clicking on "Language of Choice." Thank you. I will now repeat these instructions in Spanish. When this meeting is being interpreted simultaneously, when the host activates the interpretation function, all participants must select their preferred language by clicking on the globe icon in the toolbar at the bottom of the screen and then clicking on the language in which they would like to listen to the meeting. Thank you very much, and we see that all the members of the board are here. Let's begin with the declaration: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of

002America and to the republic which it represents, one nation under God, with liberty and justice for all. I would like to invite the vice president to read our acknowledgment. We know that we are on this land. We have honored this land for many years, and we know that every member of the community continues to benefit from the use of this land. We also know that it is our responsibility to learn about its ways so that we may move forward. Thank you very much. So, let's approve the agenda. Are there any members of the public? Anyone who would like to speak, please raise your hand if you're here in person, or use the raise-hand icon online. I don't see anyone. Can we approve the agenda? I'd like to approve the agenda. Anyone else? Yes, thank you.

003Any discussion? We're all going to vote in favor of the agenda. And I also vote, "So, motion passed." We're on TR. TR stands for interviews with those who will be searching for the executive positions. This is the beginning of the process to search for the superintendent. It's a little strange to be talking about this, but what we have here are two different firms, and we're considering both firms to conduct the search for a new superintendent for our School District. [Music] The first thing I'd like to do is see if anyone wants to say anything. Anyone online who would like to comment, please use the raise- hand function. I don't see anyone. We're going to hear the presentations, and then we'll discuss. Welcome. Thank you all very much. If you could play the presentation, please. I'm

004the author, Aurora. We're going to share the Aurora collective. It's our honor to be here with you. Our process today is going to be to talk a little bit about our Mission and our Vision, and then we're going to talk about how we're going to... To do this search, the process, the time it will take, and then a summary of the process, I'd like to start with an introduction. I think it's very important to know who will be leading this search and where their heart lies. As I mentioned, I'm Candes. I have a doctorate in education and administration, and I'm truly honored to have that doctorate. I have many years of experience, more than 10 years teaching. I was an elementary, middle, and high school principal. My favorite parts were when I was a middle

005school teacher, especially eighth grade. That's where I felt that passion for more about social-emotional learning and also to continue my studies. So I pursued my master's degree and finally a doctorate so I could then enter administration. What I researched was social-emotional learning and the socio-emotional aspects of adults, and I was focusing on our teachers and administrators in schools. I'm also an immigrant; I came here when I was 16. So English is my second language. There were many cultural difficulties, as you can imagine. We didn't know if an immigrant who barely speaks English could achieve much, but I had many people who helped me. My high school and college counselors, with whom I still speak, told me... They taught me how to fill out college applications so I could take English classes, and it was because

006of them that I decided to get more involved in education. So the title of my research was "The Adult Who Cares About the Student." So this has really been my job—being the adult who cares about the students. I also want to support teachers in providing training and curriculum in many areas. We're also training people, so being here, trying to help with that search for a super understander, really makes me very happy. Do you have any questions? Can you hear me okay? Yes, thank you so much for the opportunity to speak with you today. My husband and I are married and also business partners. So I have to tell you, in case [Music] I'm very honored to be able to speak with her to support our districts. So I wanted to tell you a little bit

007about my background. I'm also the son of immigrants who came in the 70s. So we're on the trajectory to be middle school. I grew up in San Bruno. There I received many educational opportunities from teachers and many nonprofit programs. They helped me a lot. Seven years ago, I founded Aora. Collective because I benefited a lot from organizations like this. So it was very important to me. So, 7 years ago when we launched this collaborative, you're going to hear about us and that we're different in the way we work. I wanted to pause and also mention that I'm also an educator. I'm in City C. I see one of the challenges and opportunities is the city and the incredible history, but also all the differences that exist between the students and families. So, I'm going to

008let you talk a little bit about our team and our process. It's different. Thanks to what I've experienced with this. We're teachers, but we're also members of different communities, for example, the Indian Community Centre, also with community service centers. So, we have a small team, but we're very strong, and we're very different in our search process. We lead everything. We're not going to delegate anything to a second, third, or fourth person. Here are our team members. Probably the second person you see on screen will help us, but for everyone—for the search, for the interviews—we're going to lead everything, and all communication will be with us directly. So, I'd like to talk about our mission and the alignment of our vision, and that What I think is very interesting about both of our missions is that

009we are looking to empower organizations in different capacities, but what I find very interesting is that you prepare students to be able to learn, and we are doing the same thing but with adults. So, you are leaders in non- profit organizations, for example. But we have that same mission, which is to create equitable communities and create access. That struck me as very interesting. We can develop that global citizenship in those two parts of the community. So, I wanted to say that and tell you that our missions are so aligned in that aspect. So, I'm going to give you the floor so you can talk a little bit about the successes we've had with our clients. Thank you. So, some of the logos you see on the screen might look familiar. We've helped them find leaders.

010We have a sustainability program with them. We've done a lot of work. We've also worked with Men College to develop their programs. I think the important thing is that, in all of education, we've done a lot of work in the state. [Music] How do we see our process? I'd like to talk a little bit about what's different about us. We have a very good opportunity to learn what... The next step happens. We are very involved in the whole process. One thing we learned early on is inclusive practices. To find the right leader, you have to look everywhere. We had to rethink the whole process, how we communicate with people. So, of course, we post jobs at job sites, but we also do very different work. We work where the leaders work. So we can have

011those conversations, of course, but not only that, but also the feeling that they have a place, where they belong, in the community. Regarding our inclusive practices, we are doing very important work on that, and we want to have leaders who can represent the community. We not only want to collaborate with you to prepare that next person in terms of culture and administration, when we were creating these programs for the Community Center, we had to learn to trust each other. We have to listen to you. We bring all of that to you. Sustainability is also very focused on, and much of our follow-up work has to do with this so that we can succeed, you can succeed, and the students can succeed. Now I'm going to go over the step again. Thank you so much, Candis.

012So that's our process. I don't know if you can see everything because it's quite small, it's in the perfect package. So we have several phases, three phases in particular. So the first one, we're going to talk about that process. What we do is quite unique because we're part of the team, and we like to try to understand the culture. So first, we form a transition committee. That's very important for us, that we have an inclusive voice. So it may be that in other places they have members of the staff or parents, if possible, even some students, maybe high school students, for example. So what we do first is form that committee. And we're thinking about who should be involved in that process, whose voices we need to hear. Then we also want your input on

013the type of candidate you'd like to see there. That will tell us all the skills you're looking for, technical skills, etc., which we'll then incorporate into the job description. And we'll use all of that to write the job description. And we have a discussion about including people who have a PhD or a master's degree, but also the point of view of... I know that's very different. We need to know what kind of leader you would need so that students can also see that role model. So first, we'll look at it with the transition committee, and you'll also have input. Then, in the second phase, we'll have a public search. So, we'll see... and so on. But we also talk, and many of our searches are through our networks— our communities of leaders, nonprofit organizations, educators—and

014we ask them for references. We also receive applications through AirJoint, Indeed, and so on to start reviewing resumes. But what's unique about us is that we're collaborating with you. We're going to create the rubrics and interview questions with you as well. We're going to communicate with the candidates, we're going to give them training, and we want to have that equitable aspect. Maybe you've heard that there are many horror stories about how things went in the early interview phases, that maybe some of you need to improve. We've seen that. So we thought we should do it differently. So, in our process, we gather all the feedback from the transition committee, and we're very, very transparent with all the candidates, with you, and with the committee. We're saying there are some areas where you need to do

015a better job of showcasing your potential because having an interview for a position as big as this can be intimidating. There are many people who don't do well in interviews, even though they have all those skills behind them. And that's something that has to do with equity. People of color can feel intimidated when they have to speak publicly, so giving them that individual support helps create that access and that equity. That's part of the process. And then, of course, we work with you on the negotiations. And that will be partly with the human resources department to see, during the negotiation phase, the salary, what would be a good salary, the entire offer letter, and that whole process. And part of our search process is creating a plan for when the candidate arrives. Many other people,

016many other companies, end their work as soon as they find the person, but we help with the process because it's very important. We've already been evaluating how we can train you. So we're going to work with you, we're going to give you that information, we're going to continue collaborating with you, for a 30, 60, and 90-day plan. What are the priorities? What kind of training does this person need? What will the timeframe be? When will someone come to work with them, and what will that training look like? We've been in those positions and jobs, and those first 90 days are very important for success. We want to make sure the leaders feel like they're successful. So, we have to have some very difficult conversations if things aren't going well, and that's also part of our

017job. Maybe there's a problem with a board member or a director, so we have to find out what's going on, what the problem is, and help with that. So, with that, I'll leave it at one last thing. We have local experience; we're here in the community. We've had many successes that you can see for yourself. We've talked about equity as part of our experience, our work. We care a lot about that work. Thank you so much for letting us be here with you today. If you have any questions, we've already asked for audience feedback. So, if you have any questions, anything you didn't understand, you can ask us directly. And does anyone want to start during the process? How many meetings do you think we'll have each month? How many people do you think? What

018will you need in these parent committees? Like, who will be the different members? Normally, how many people are involved in the process? So there are a couple of different ways you can look at it. First, there's the committee, so it's you and staff members. There's no magic number. Normally, it's between five and nine people because it's harder to schedule meetings with more people. So, not everyone will necessarily be on every single one, but we make room for everyone when they need us. At least the finalists, we invite them to certain interviews. [Music] There's no magic number, but normally during the search, there are between four and nine meetings. I know that's a big difference, but it has to do with the time we have and what the current superintendent wants. But normally, between four and

019nine people. Do you have anything to add? I'd like to clarify something. So, the committee meetings... I would say that because the search is about to begin, we need to start the meetings soon. They will be at least an hour long. It can be via Zoom or in person, depending on people's preferences. We would also like to include district staff, but also directors in the community, and we also talk about the parents. I don't know if it would be appropriate to have students as well, but our recommendation is that you at least have parents for the interview process. There are times, or certain parts, where, as we say, you'll be able to meet with different people. So I think there will be a meeting with the community or with the [Music] finalists, just with some

020specific people, and you will help us identify them. Mich, do you have anything to add? I'd like to continue along those lines. Can we go back? Thank you so much for coming to share with us. We really appreciate it. It's somewhat connected to the committee, but maybe not. So, you have that committee. If you could talk a little bit about the other voices you mentioned, it's probably not just those people. So, what does that phase look like? So, that question has to do with what we told you about finding the candidate profile. So, we're going to have a survey of the parents so we can get feedback and opinions about the community. But it's also so we can be transparent with the parents. The districts are going to be wondering what will happen when we

021have a new leader. So, we want to get that feedback from the community, but also tell them this. This is what we found in that survey. These are the skills we want to include in the job description, and then communicate that to the community and specify how we've incorporated their feedback. What we also do during the process is write communication letters from that committee to all the districts, parents, and staff, giving them feedback and updates every month so they know how the process is going. This keeps them informed so they don't feel anxious about the change. It's very important to us that they're informed and that we're in communication. So the last part of that process will be for them to get to know the people in the district. That will be the final part

022so the community is also involved with the process, especially with the candidates [Music], through surveys that are sometimes more accessible, and also bringing together certain groups to launch the public search. We also facilitate those legal capabilities so that interested parties are available. Some respond to the surveys and others don't, but we have to think about that too. Yes, thank you. And another question I have has to do with your process and confidentiality. For the candidates, because I know that many times they're in a place that's good, and they don't want their current employment to be known. They don't want it known that they're also looking for another job. I 'm also thinking about the fact that the more people involved in the process, the less confidential it can be for the candidate. They can talk

023a little about that. We do n't usually hold in-person sessions when we know they 're in another location and it's not the right time to do it, but we do confidentiality orientation in the committee. It's part of our training, especially because we want them to be there because they want to be there, not because they're there to go to another district later. We want it to be a great opportunity for the right person. So we do a lot of work with the transitions and hiring committee, and for the candidates, confidentiality is very important. So we do our best to respect that. That's the approach we have. Thank you. And I wanted to keep the committee as small as possible for that same reason. Thank you very much for the very careful presentation you gave. I

024greatly appreciate the fact that you agree with our Mission and I am very grateful for your collaboration and transparency. I have a question about your past experience. I see that you have various types of experience with nonprofit organizations and places of employment that focus on education. I'm wondering what other type of search for superintendents you have done. To be transparent, we have never done a superintendent search for a District. We have done other leadership positions in nonprofit organizations, but we have never conducted a superintendent search, to tell you the truth. Well, as you mentioned, many of the candidates, in terms of gathering information and such, are done through networking. What networks do you use, and how confident are you that you can have a wide range of options to find the right person for us?

025Now, I want to back up and tell you the reason why we chose the district position. I want to talk a little bit about it, talk a little bit about the committee, and the fact that we have worked so hard at SAnivel. We chose to submit this application knowing that we have never done a superintendent search, and the reason we did that is because... We wouldn't have applied if we weren't 100% sure we had the connections in the community and the practical experience in education. I have a doctorate, and I have friends who are looking for a superintendent position. I can say with 100% confidence that we know people who are interested in the job, and if we weren't sure we could help them in this search, we wouldn't have applied. Before becoming an advisor,

026I was the executive leader of another organization that taught people how to be good citizens, how to treat others safely and kindly, and I've worked with state educators and leaders from all over the state. We've worked, for example, in State and C State, and we also worked in Los Angeles, which increased the networks we have. We foster a lot of relationships among the people we work with, and with great humility, we know how important this position is for you. We already have the existing networks, and I believe you will make the right decision for your district. But when we see other colleagues in the field who are doing a similar search, and all the positions are very similar, the job descriptions, we are here. So that we're not just another district looking for a superintendent,

027but because of our experience in education and the extensive networks we have, we have complete confidence. There's no doubt in our minds that we can find the right person. We need to make sure we're finding the right candidate without unconscious bias. We spend a lot of energy looking for the right candidates. We really appreciate you being here, and I love the proposal and your story. I love the training aspect, and I think it's very important. Going back to the transitions and hiring committee, I wonder if that committee—well, where the table can help in the review—what kind of work do you think the transitions committee needs? And what kind of work will it be? How much involvement will you need from the table, and how much will you be involved with us as a subcommittee composed,

028I hope, of several of you? We think that committee will be done in collaboration with you. We need to determine the role of each person on the committee, and I think it's a little different, but we're looking for people who are at this table to have Often, staff members have a very important voice, yet that voice isn't heard or shared. So, I think we need to divide things up and let you know what each person's role is. You all have so many other things you're doing. So, as part of this committee, you need precise input on what the district wants. You need to keep the district's best interests in mind, and we hope that you, as the board, know what your community wants. Surely, at least two members of this committee will be on that

029transition and hiring committee. And to clarify, the board is the governing body, the board that governs and will make the final decision. So, during and throughout the process, we will be in communication with the staff, the board, and the community members. So, to clarify a bit, when we create the candidate profile, that presentation will first be made to the board, which will make a decision and approve the job description. Then, the committee will draft everything and present the drafts to you for your approval. You, as the governing board, can make the final decisions on... The job description, who we're going to hire, the salary we're going to offer— all of that depends on you. The transition and hiring subcommittee will listen to ensure every voice is represented. They won't make recommendations; that's what they will

030do. They will recommend the candidate they deem most suitable, but you are the ones who make the final decisions. Are there any additional follow-up questions? Very well, I think we have everything we need. We're ready for the next presentation. Thank you so much for your time. We really appreciate you being here. Thank you. [Laughter] [Music] [ Music] Welcome. Thank you so much for having us here tonight. We are honored to have the opportunity to present our proposal, as well as the roles of the leadership associates. The goal we have is to help you. The Governor's team has found a new superintendent. That is the goal we have. We will work with you for as long as it takes to reach that goal, and we believe we know Sanibel, Santa Clara County, well. We believe we

031know California, and we also have a network across the nation. So, as we go through this process, we want you to Know that aspect of Cos that we truly believe we are the ones who can best help. I am Eric Andre, a retired superintendent from the C School District. It's a district very similar to S in many ways. I started as an assistant in a special education classroom, helping teachers for all grade levels. Then I became part of the cabinet. I was superintendent for seven and a half years. I retired eight years ago. Eric and I were actually superintendents in neighboring districts. I was superintendent for nine years in [district name missing]. We are not married, I want you to know that. But anyway, like Eric, I started teaching in Illinois. Then I went to

032the coast of Connecticut and started working as an administrator in all grade levels. I also taught for two years in France. My family lived there, and I was very fortunate. When I returned to the United States, I worked in the Walden School District as a school principal and director of instruction. I was also superintendent of educational services in Gilroy. I finished my career in Union School District as superintendent. I retired several years ago as well, and I have been searching since [year missing]. My retirement. So both he and I have a lot of experience doing searches for superintendents. Thank you. I want to go back to the important aspect, which is your search. Every search is different. We're going to adapt this search. Fortunately, if we can be part of this process to meet your

033needs, that's going to be our main focus. One of the unique features of our partnership is that we have designated executive assistants who can work with your executive assistants. They're going to work with your team to know what the appropriate language is to post on the website, what dates need to be taken into account, and what materials you need to have that will facilitate the process for you. So one of our assistants will be assigned to do this search and will work exclusively with your district. Here you can see the whole slide. Something I want you to notice is that in every section we talk about children. We focus primarily on children. We want to find leaders who are focused on children, who are ready to ensure that all children are having access to an

034education, following that promise. I did, in fact, three weeks ago. I was reviewing the information about your district, and we've actually done very similar searches. We believe this is very much in line with our work. Another aspect of the work we do is that we're committed to the field of education. Jacki is going to talk about how we ensure we're up-to-date with what's happening in the field in general so that as we present candidates, we know not only your backgrounds but also what's happening at the state, local, and national levels. We also want to make sure that... well, we have, I think, more than 12 administrators who are part of our subscription. So if we're fortunate enough to do this search, we'll immediately send that email to everyone who's part of the subscriptions. We currently

035have superintendents who are part of our network and who participate in the learning sessions we hold regularly. We also have about 200 more assistant superintendents who are part of our network. We meet with them at least once a month to have conversations so we stay up-to-date on the work they're doing. We strongly believe in the importance of governance teams. We know what's going on here in the California government, and we know very thoroughly what's happening in Sanvel and in Santa Clara County. That's why we're quite unique. Jacki and I are here as the leaders in the search. You would be working with me and Jacki; however, we have collaborators all over the country. Every name you see there are associates who are also leaders. We meet every two weeks to talk about searches, about education,

036about career opportunities. Every two weeks, so if we're fortunate enough to be able to do this search every 12, we're going to talk about the search, we're going to talk about the stage we're currently at, the possible candidates who can achieve what Sel is looking for. And in fact, some of us have been part of the Sanvel education system. I think we have two people who have done governance workshops here in the past, so we believe we know and understand quite well what's going on in this field. One of the things we're proud of is that we have a lot of experience doing searches. I think you see here—I don't know if it's more than 700—I think we've actually done Many more searches. We really understand the search business. In previous searches, we worked with

037you, and you elected Dr. Galager as superintendent. But we've also worked in Upper Gilroy, Milv, Morgan Hill Unif, and several other districts. So we're very committed to Santa Clara County and the districts, and we've been working with the districts over the last few years. This is actually one of my favorite slides because I think it really captures the difference between us and any other search firm. Why would you choose us? Because we believe from the bottom of our hearts that we can give you the most qualified candidates and more options. When we look around the state, we see that the people we know in the state—we know a lot of people. We're a huge network. When we meet two weeks a month, we can say, "Is that what you're looking for at the level?" Do

038you know any candidates who might be a good fit? And so, when we also have workshops for prospective superintendents or those who want to be superintendents, there are people who want to become superintendents, and they connect with us. So we truly believe that we can offer a wide range of candidates, anyone who... If you want to be a superintendent, you're on our subscription list. We're very committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion. I think over 66 percent of the finalists selected last year were women or people of color. Again, we're based in California, and we understand the situation there very well. You know California is a very unique state. Yes, we have other candidates from all over the nation. But there are other candidates who come from other states who are often less familiar with California's

039laws and financial structures. So, it will depend on you. But we are all collaborators; we are all owners of this company. So, success depends on all of us. We do n't fail; we want to find the right superintendents. That's very important to us, and we want every superintendent to succeed. We are all very involved. We do training, we do workshops for educational boards. We are a professional organization. And another thing—well, there are two more things I want to mention. The first is that we provide the new superintendent with a 90-day plan. It's the initial plan that we'll work on with you. What are the first priorities the superintendent should work on before that? We also have a workshop on... Three days for new and existing superintendents. We offer this workshop to new superintendents free of

040charge. Dr. Gallager has attended many of these workshops; they are incredible learning experiences and also help with networking. If you want to see what's there, the circle... We're going to go over them one by one. First, the search begins and ends with you. One of the first things we'll do, if we're selected, is hold the initial meeting. In that meeting, we'll determine every aspect of the search, every aspect of the candidate selection process. We'll consider all the input from interested parties. We reach interested parties because we hold sessions for them with each group, with whomever you want us to talk. It was very interesting today in the staff session. One of the forms we normally have has 60 sessions for interested parties. Most of us do 30 to 50 sessions. One of our staff members

041said, "We need the longer form because we need to do at least 25 more." So you can do as many sessions as you want. If you want to talk to someone who was an official three years ago, we can talk to that person. We involve the interested parties in this... By holding sessions, we believe it's very important to have input from interested parties and from you. This input, along with the surveys, helps us understand and thoroughly explore the job description. There are some recruitment offices that don't take into account the input from interested parties and the survey responses. We're going to give you all the raw data, the data as is. We're going to find the trends and incorporate what your community is specifically looking for into the job description. We'll send you the description

042for your approval. We'll also give you an executive summary of all the data we collect, and we expect to receive around 800 responses. You'll be able to see every comment, just like we can. So it's a lot of information, but we believe we're doing everything possible to gather input from the community and ensure we're listening to the community's voices. We handle recruitment, and it's very important because we have a network throughout the state. We don't just wait for people to send us applications; we're always trying to reach all the candidates in our network. We have many candidates and all that information. It will be available to you on a portal that you can access online. You'll just be able to click on each of the applicants' materials, and they will be available to you. Before

043we have the meeting with you for the candidate selection, you'll have a moment to review all that information. And when you're selecting the candidate, what we're going to do is share with you who we consider to be the best candidates, then the second tier of candidates, and then the third tier, which would be the tier of candidates we do n't prefer because we need to verify references. For example, since we know so many people in the state, we simply call the people listed on the application. If that name is there, we call that person and say, "Can we have an informal conversation with you?" to get what people are saying about these candidates, not only the people who admire them but also the people who criticize them. We also try to see if there's honesty,

044if they're self-aware, if in the previous interview, for example, we didn't get to see what they're seeing. References, we think. And why aren't we seeing the same thing? The other thing we do is that we thoroughly review all social media, the press, the media—anything that has come out about the candidates—because the last thing we want to see is a community member saying, "Oh, I was looking at this candidate's social media and I saw that they did such and such." No, no, no, we don't want that. But anyway, we do a really deep background check on each candidate. We also take the characteristics from the job descriptions and use them with you to develop interview questions. Because if that's what you're looking for, we need to ask questions that elicit the kind of answers you're looking

045for, to know if that person has the capacity to face the challenges they're going to have. And I can't say enough about the importance of having a full-time assistant who will also work with you in this process because there's a lot of logistics, and she's going to go through every single step of the process with you. Next slide, final thoughts: Your search is the most important decision you're going to make as a board. So, the way you want to do it is the way we're going to do it. A personalized and comprehensive high- tech search; any type of search you want. Another very important thing is that we have a reasonable fee that includes all our costs. We really feel that whatever we have to do, we're going to do. I spoke about full-time administrative

046support. That's the most important thing. We strongly believe in hiring people who will represent their community. I think that's very important. We have a lot of experience, as we explained before, and we're all passionate about this work. Leader Alo, we believe with all our hearts. Thank you. Do you have any questions? Many thanks. [Music] Ready to begin? Do you have any questions? So, if you could also answer the questions that another team answered. Thank you so much for coming and sharing with us. Oh, my only question, since you covered so much, is about the committee you mentioned. Have you done anything similar to that? Is it something you would consider doing? Yes, we have. It's very rare, but we do. I think I've done one, two, or three. It's as if it's going to change.

047There are many superintendents who won't apply if they know what that committee is going to be. Oh, and that's what we've seen each time. It doesn't mean we can't have a hybrid model, so we have two types of searches: open and a more closed one. The board does the interviews, and every time we do one... Open search. There are some superintendents who don't want to do it, and that's what candidates always ask us, even in this case. For example, if you decide to hire us, it will be a different process, and the superintendents will apply on the last day because they don't want any opportunity for the news to get out ahead of time. So, one thing that can be an obstacle is that several times when I've done open searches, a community advisory group

048likes one candidate, but the committee likes another. So, that causes that candidate to not succeed, and neither do you. So, there may be some good things, but there are also many downsides. When you mentioned a hybrid model, I wanted to ask what that means. But when you said that, I thought maybe you had a candidate who does the first step and helps with the description at the beginning, and then when they transition... So, no, I don't know exactly. If that's what you meant by hybrid... So, what it means is that the committee won't evaluate the candidates because we have to protect you so that you have the final say on the candidate, so that you're not working against any other person or entity if the candidate... An interview with the group, with the panel, they

049don't just ask the questions. I think I've heard that they have people on the panel who were in the audience taking notes, and then the panel received those comments. I think Morgan Hill did that. So there are two rooms. So first, maybe with, for example, the board, and then with the group, the committee, and then all the candidates go through that process. And then we say, what are the strengths of the first candidate? What questions do they have? And then the panel can read that to see if maybe it can have any influence. And hello, thank you very much for coming to present. So what I wanted to ask is, is it all inclusive? So if we're happy and encouraged, so just meeting other advisors in the area, I was wondering about Tom. Is he

050realistic? So if we don't find the right person, it's happened in the past. So I'd like to ask more about timing. I think timing is good. You have an advantage because you're a destination here. There are people who are part of other searches; they're going to want to come here. And what was the second part of the question? Oh yes, yes, we can. [Music] Oh, and if we happen to come to the meeting, if you choose us, we'll ask you to bring your calendars so we can set the dates according to your schedules. So, every two weeks or so, we'll send you a message to update you on our progress because people will ask you questions, and you can say, for example, "We have about 40 people who have applied, 13 who have already submitted

051their applications, and we have the next meeting on such and such a day." So you can answer the public's questions about each step in the process and have that information in advance. Oh, also, on the website, for example, you can have a section that says "Information about the search." So we can add information there as well so the public is informed. So, you mentioned the training period is part of the search, like the 90 days. For example, we have a 90-day onboarding plan for that new superintendent, and then we expect them to also attend the summer institute on June 12th or 14th. So, we're going to work with that group of new superintendents to build relationships with the other superintendents. So, we make sure they're ready. You go to the finalists' schools. It depends on

052you. Because of COVID, we haven't done it. What we have done is have Zoom meetings with the team in other groups, but we haven't done it. So if we do, we would do it via Zoom so you can have a Zoom call with the finalists. So that's another option. There may be others who can do it via Zoom. So that's another option. I have one more question. I think some people don't know what the board does, what the superintendent does. They don't know if they are the boss, but they don't know what they have to do. It's important that they have feedback about what the person at the top of the organization can do and all the different responsibilities that [Music] has. I would like to communicate a lot with the public to educate them

053about this position and to hear feedback. So we're going to bring this list that we were mentioning. It's an opportunity for you to communicate with people who are not normally part of the process. It's an opportunity for them to become part of the process. As we've mentioned, personal communication is very important, and to tell them that you really want to participate. So if you tell them this, it's very important to tell them personally. We know When they hear about the superintendent, maybe they don't know what he does. But they want to have a voice and they do n't want to be fudged about the process. So I wanted to mention that I was talking to some eighth- grade students and I was surprised when they made comments like being fiscally responsible. So I think people

054have a good understanding of responsibilities, maybe not at the micro level, but I think they know about money or issues or concerns about instruction, for example. So my question is about the survey. I don't remember the last time; maybe it was during COVID. Everything was very crazy; the board was very new. [Music] How are you going to support staff so they can comment and feel safe participating? So it's going to be an anonymous survey; it's 100% anonymous. Staff members really like to share their opinions. One more question: I know there are a lot of searches going on. I do n't know if you're doing any other searches that might interfere with ours. We don't have one in the next two weeks, so I would start yours then. I'm going to finish the Office of Education's

055in the next three weeks, so maybe just... During the beginning, we are very selective there, and we only apply for the places where we want to work because we are already retired. So we really are very selective about who we want to work with. [Music] I have no further questions. Thank you very much for your presentation. Thank you. [Music] Before deciding on the motion, if we want to discuss a little, first, I would like to make a motion for the purpose of discussion. I would like to make a motion to make a selection. Second, would you like to begin? I appreciate both groups and appreciate your ideas and comments. There are many parts of the Aurora thing that I find very interesting, but I'm thinking more about the leadership, for one thing, because of the

056cost, but also the specific experience with the search for superintendents. So those are my two reasons. I also want to talk about those same two reasons. I would like the Aurora Collection to still be here because the way they run the process model, for example, seems very good to me. I would like to give them a chance, but maybe not the first superintendent search with our district because it is a very important position. Oh, also, the price was very different. Yes, that seems like it might be a very good option. Anything else to add? I think maybe we are all... [Music] I agree, I also agree, but I also wanted to mention that I'm a little concerned about the proposal to abdicate our authority over the resumes. When it says that they read all the

057resumes, that really surprised me because one thing I appreciated about the process last time, even though the board was quite new, is that everyone here could read that information, get to know more about the people, and be able to process it and have a really good discussion with the rest of the board. So yes, I want us to be inclusive. Oh, and also to have information and communication, but it's our responsibility. If I had another council member from another district, or maybe with Michelle the other day, they told me, " And if you do it wrong, you'll never be able to forgive yourself," and I said, " Oh no, I'm already so stressed, there's so much pressure." But I am very aware of this responsibility. We have to know what our priorities are and what

058the district's priorities are, which I also agree with, and it seems like we're ready to vote. So one more thing that I do n't want to forget. So I think we're going to want the session closed, but maybe we have a group of stakeholders who... They help with the questions, so they can include the directors or staff members so we can include certain questions. I'd like to discuss that later because the way I understood it is that the questions will come from all the feedback. So they would be part of creating the questions. Maybe we'll have some questions, but what I understood is that we can ask them to make sure. I think I'm interested in having another committee, at least at that level. So are you ready to vote? So we talked about having

059another meeting next Tuesday and maybe having a discussion about what we would have to discuss at that meeting. When you go through the agenda, we have a minute to tell us what we're going to do. So before we vote, we'd like to understand more about what we would talk about next Tuesday. So, as I mentioned, you're going to have to bring your calendars. So, first, we're going to talk about the whole process and what dates we're going to select the candidates and also the interviews and also when we're going to open the online surveys and the focus groups, when we're going to do all the feedback in person or virtually, and as Eric mentioned, we're going to see Which stakeholder groups do you want to have meetings with? So, uh, classified staff, officers, executives, teachers,

060parents. Which parents, SSC people, uh, PTA people? So we're going to give you a list of groups that might be of interest to you. If you tell us which ones you want us to meet with, then we can schedule all the dates to decide when we're going to meet with those groups. Also, groups from outside, for example, we have the City Council, some other people who want you to be part of this process. So we're going to identify those groups and then we'll be able to schedule the time, who can come in person, for example, that we're going to be sitting in a room, or when it's going to be via Zoom, depending on everyone's schedules. So we're going to talk to you about the commercials. And we're also going to meet with you in

061a very brief closed session for some staff questions. And the main thing we're going to do is talk about that interview. So we asked all three of you the same questions. The first is, what characteristics do you want to see in the next superintendent? So we're going to ask you in the open meeting. So you can give us feedback, and it's going to be on Tuesday. Then we're going to ask you about the district's strengths, and then what are the areas of growth? What are the concerns? We're going to ask everyone the same three questions, and maybe you'll ask other questions too, but these are going to be the three main ones to create the job description. Thank you. Any other questions? Anything else you want to add? So I think we're ready to vote.

062Thank you so much for coming back after you vote. And if you elect us, so it's going to be next Tuesday at 6. Thank you. So everyone in favor of... I also vote for... Yes, it's 6. So we're going to come back at 6. So we're going to take a short break for a few minutes and then we'll come back. [Music] Back I Know [Music] Oh [Music ] [Music] [Music] has to [Music] nor [Music] you al al al al al al al al al al al al ya [Music] w [Music] She's there be Oh no [Music] question [Music] Very well, welcome back. It's 6:05 PM. We're here at the Sannivel School District for the education meeting. We're now in room 3B for candidate interviews and board member selection. On January 16th, the Education Board passed

063a resolution to establish procedures for creating an agency. That agency was created by the board, technically, because it won an election to the city council. And so, taking that resolution into account, we also made a public announcement. I'm very proud of the board for everything they've done to find more candidates. When we went into the area elections for board members, we thought we weren't going to have enough people for the positions, and we found the opposite. People are interested in representing their community. They're interested in being part of our board, and I hope they continue to move forward. We have four excellent candidates who are here as a result of the work we've done in the elections. What we're doing Tonight we need to conduct a scripted process, some interviews that will lead to conversations

064we'll have as the Education Board. It starts immediately. It's going to start in two days. So, Bridget, now you have the script. It's an administrative process we have to follow. I have the script, which I'm quite familiar with. The board currently has a vacancy. After the resignation of [name omitted], the board has scheduled this special meeting to give each applicant an opportunity to speak and ultimately select one candidate to fill the position. We appreciate the interest of each applicant in serving the District as part of the board, and we know it will be a difficult decision. Tonight we thank all applicants for coming forward as part of this process. Although we can only select one candidate to fill this position, we want you to know that there are many ways besides this vacant position in

065which you can support the district, and I hope you will take advantage of those opportunities. Many of you are already working on those opportunities, and thank you. I want you to know how we're going to conduct this meeting. We've reviewed all the applications, and we're ready to hear from the candidates after [name omitted]. The candidates will have the opportunity to give a two-minute statement and answer any questions we may have. Each applicant will have three minutes to answer the questions. We will do this in alphabetical order by last name to determine the order of the applicants. Applicants will wait in the conference room until it is their turn, and someone will show them where to come. Once all applicants have answered the questions, each member of the panel will have the opportunity to speak about

066what we are looking for in a candidate and the position we want to fill. We will identify the first two candidates. Once each member of the panel identifies the two leading candidates, they will ask each applicant to answer a second round of questions in the reverse order of the first round. After the second round of questions, the panel will begin deliberating again, focusing on what they are looking for in applicants to fill the position. If they wish to select a candidate, the panel may make a motion to confirm the approval of the candidate. A vote will be required. Two-thirds majority. We're going to have a ceremony to confirm it on February 27th. It's on the agenda, but if the new board member prefers, we can hold the ceremony on another day that better suits the

067elected candidate's schedule. [Music] Before we continue with the interviews, the board would like to ask for any public comments on the appointment of the applicants as board members. Each person will have a total of 2 minutes to speak, with a total of 20 minutes for all comments. If there is anyone in the room who would like to comment on this process, they can submit a card at the back of the room. We also accept public comments electronically. We have cards available. If you are online, please raise your hand electronically. Very good. It looks like we have a public comment. Thank you. Please continue. Thank you, Dr. Gallager, and esteemed councilors. I would like to speak in favor of Copy Johen regarding the application she submitted. I have seen the commitment she has to the community

068because she has been involved in many community initiatives that she believed in, and she has also shown skills in... Leadership and the ability to build coalitions in the areas of work she has done in San Miguel, the sustainability committee, and other initiatives, such as the association where she has also served as vice president. I love her meaningful and effective advocacy because she has shown not only her commitment to working with different stakeholders but also her ability to find common ground to expand the range of assemblies. For example, she is also thinking about holding discussion panels with the School District, and in the sustainability committee, she has been working on many initiatives. I have seen that she has been one of the few parents who has attended the board meetings and shown interest in the items

069on the agenda. She has shown a desire to learn more, a curiosity, and above all, a sincere commitment to the districts. She truly wants better outcomes for all children and has perfectly championed the rights of all students, especially with a focus on equity. So, considering these qualities, I think she can immediately begin to contribute and will be a wonderful choice. Thank you. Thank you. If there are no further public comments, let's see... there's one more announcement before we begin. We ask the candidates to wait in the conference room. We have a request as we are presenting this live meeting. We expect the candidates to respect the process, so we want the questions to be confidential for each candidate. We kindly ask that candidates not interact with other candidates who have already answered questions. This is

070a public and open meeting, but we want it to be fair to all candidates. We also want to remind all candidates that they will have a 2-minute statement and then time to answer all the questions. Romero and ILS will be keeping track of the time; you will see a timer on the screen. A printed copy of the questions will be available at the podium for you to use if you wish. When answering the questions, we encourage you to add as much detail as possible. We would like to ask all applicants to please wait a few minutes in the McKin Room, about 5 minutes, so the board can organize the questions. If you don't mind, you can now step out for a few minutes. Romero will show you where the conference room is. [Music] [Laughter] Very

071well, so we have some questions. We see, you have 3 minutes each. I hope the order is correct. The most important thing is that we cannot ask follow-up questions. We cannot deviate from the script at all. We want it to be as clear as possible. Anything you want to add, Mich, then, you have to read the question exactly as it is, without judging where it says, like the beginning of the question, or, like, there are 3 minutes for questions, or, how is it, one minute, or less, or, how is it, there are 3 minutes, and there are two questions that are reversed, which means we can ask those two questions if we have more time. The candidates will remain in the room, and then at the end, we'll make a decision. We'll choose our first

072two preferred candidates, and then I think the script says that Mike, I mean Mike, will continue. We're trying to choose two, not just one, and if there's someone who, in the end, we could have three candidates if necessary in the final round, but we would have to have a conversation. We hope it's best if there are two candidates at most. So, it's also possible that there will only be one candidate who gets to that point. So, if we have to ask clear questions, thank you. So, I think we're ready. How are we going to do this? I mean, how are you going to... Jesus is going to invite the person. I think the first person will be Miss Alvarez. Ah [Music] I'm thinking about the previous elections. Ah, welcome, welcome. Give your two-minute statement stating

073the reason why you are interested in serving the Sanibel School District as part of the Education Board, the skills required for the position. Thank you very much. It's a pleasure to be here. I've met each of you. It's a pleasure to be here. I've never... Um, I thought I was going to apply for this position, and then this opportunity came up. So, I was very excited. I mean, it's a really good way to contribute to my community and honor the district that served me when I was a child. One of the things I can offer is that I'm a very good communicator. I also feel that I work very well in a team. We're all here to serve the children, and it's the best, and I think the fact that we're here is the best

074way we can support the children in the school environment and in all their [Music] endeavors. I believe that for me, diversity and inclusion are very important. I think that's something I feel I can also bring to the table and offer as a first- generation college student. I have a different way of looking at things, and because of the school I went to, I had a slightly different experience compared to you. I think we've reached the time limit. What are the strengths of this level's School District, and what is the area that needs the most improvement, according to Ed? The question is, you have 3 minutes to answer. One of the strengths I see at this level is the diversity of all types of students. And the schools—there are several schools that have different themes for

075each student. Being in school, I remember that I always loved the field trips. The teachers were always wonderful. Some of the weaknesses, I would say, and I mean a little bit when I was in high school, are transportation difficulties. When I was in high school, I had to take the bus, and in a way, it's the school's responsibility to make sure the children get to school. More buses would be wonderful. It's a weakness of the district, and I'll have three minutes for this question. Also, the board meets more, on average, twice a month. There are things to read before the meeting, updates. You would be committed to professional training, to committing to being an active counselor on the board. We know that you are active in community activity. What are the challenges you think you

076will have considering this commitment? For me, I am a student at the community college, so navigating schoolwork is something I would have to do. I am also committed. I have meetings to attend at the school, but I think the key is to see what times are best for me to focus on this, to communicate so that I can say if Does it fit with my schedule to find those organizational skills and calendars? Calendars are very important. I have a couple of calendars that I take care of, and they help me a lot. Thank you. A related question that will only take a minute to answer. Please, as we want to hire a new superintendent, how much flexibility do you have to add a few more board meetings besides your existing schedule? I must say that

077I am quite busy in the mornings Monday through Thursday, but I am also busy in the afternoons and on Fridays. I am available all day and willing to commit a day to do this. This will be a 3-minute question. As a board member, you would have to make decisions where you must vote on what best suits your success and that of the entire district. Does that mean that you have to think about the students? I mean, try to see how I would be in your situation. It's almost like thinking about when I was in school, something like that. Thinking about the students, the teachers, and the situations they face. You have to do surveys sometimes, look at that kind of thing, if possible, talk with classes. Listening to the input of the community is the

078most important thing. This next question, you also have 3 minutes to answer. Our board consists of five people who work toward consensus, and sometimes there are difficult decisions we have to make. Describe your communication style in this type of situation and how you respond if the majority of the decisions go against your vote. I think that sometimes it's a good thing to have different points of view. Sometimes we all think the same thing, but challenging that can be a good thing because we can present different perspectives. It's very important to talk it out, to determine why the person thinks that way. I also think that, if we had different votes, it's to go back and... I think this way, to talk it out to see each side's perspective. No, thank you. It's a one- minute

079question. This term, this term until fall 2026, would you continue your service or run for the board again? Yes, I spoke briefly with a board member about this. As I am a community college student, I want to transfer in fall 2026, in August or so. I'm looking at the possibility of possibly going to another part of California, to Southern California, for example. So, yes, that. This is what might happen in August. You have 2 minutes for this question. What is the question we would have asked that we didn't? I don't actually have that same question. So, no, I don't really have another question. Thank you very much for your time. You can wait in McKin's Room, and then we'll come back. Now, on to [Music]. I wanted to say that I'm less nervous this time,

080but I'm more uncomfortable here doing board member duties. [Music] Okay, I have 2 minutes for the first question. As we know, in less than 2 minutes, it's interesting to know what skills you bring. If it's my time, yes. As we all know, the North Sano community hasn't had much access to many things. We don't have a public high school. Many of the parents don't speak English. They work more; they have more than one job. So, for me, I would like to work more with the community to have more transportation for those who need to get to Fremont, and also work on elections. And thank you very much to everyone who has worked on that project. I have also worked with the Neighborhood Association so that the public can ask questions. I have worked a lot

081on equity. I would like to serve on the board because It's the next natural step. I'd like to be able to support the District with teacher planning and build on what's already been done in terms of skills. I'm very organized; I can focus on the details and the big picture. I've worked with many different people and have allowed them to collaborate. I like connecting people; I like finding collaborations and relationships that help us work on our interests. I think I'm a good listener, although maybe my children won't agree, and I'm a San Miguel mother. Thank you. What are the strengths and what are the areas we most need to improve? I'll try to speak fairly, so as for the strengths, my children are in Sun and will be there for many years. I like how

082they've tried to work with different areas of the community and have different options, and I've seen a lot of success with the programs. It's been very interesting to hear what you have to say about the successes and how we can continue. We have some great teachers. Of course, I know more about San Miguel, but I've heard many good things about teachers in general; they're very passionate. Oh, and the principals are very good too. I like collaboration, not just in San Miguel. Oh, but we have many conversations with the parents; we see them from the Community, we saw what work is done in one school. How can we use that program in another school? It's very clear that everyone is very passionate. How can we improve our schools? How can we let our staff succeed? I

083know they help a lot and how they prioritize their work. So our schools generally care about the interests of our students. The areas we need to improve, I believe, are that we shouldn't have artificial salt anywhere. I've advocated a lot for having more after-school activities. It's very difficult for parents who work more than one shift. I think we need to have more enrichment opportunities for students. We have a variety of options for them. I know we already have some programs, but I think we can do more. Communication has improved a lot since I've been a parent in the district. I think we can continue to improve. Sometimes I get lost with Peach, Facebook, the district website, and there are many places where I can get information, but I forget some. I think this is something

084small, but I would like to make the agendas say that the scheduled session will be at 6:00, so I know that maybe they're going to finish soon. 3 minutes in general. The table meets twice a month. You have to read before the meetings, and there's also email correspondence. You also have to attend meetings and training. Uh, you'll be able to attend everything. Yes. So the reason I almost didn't apply is because I didn't know if I could do that because I have my job, I have two young children, and many other activities. So I've been thinking in the last few months about where I can cut back on time, and as I mentioned in my application, I have. And I'm no longer on the health committee. Oh, so I'm also going to finish my work

085with the PTA. So I'm looking for places where I can have fewer commitments. And I've worked with my husband too, but the short answer is that I'm committed to this. My children are also very excited to have more time with their dad. It's something that's difficult for me. It probably will happen, but I do n't remember exactly. But there's one thing at the beginning of December. And taking a vacation of several days from my job is going to be different. I think some of the meetings in the morning won't be that much of a problem. The rest doesn't really worry me. So I'll stop there and that's it. Related, please, less than a minute. We're going to hire a new superintendent. What's your flexibility in adding more board meetings, including a full day? I knew

086that was going to be part of the process, so I'm going to do my best to make it happen, even if it's not during the weekend or during the week. I'm generally very flexible, so my boss knows I need to make this commitment. I'll bring my calendar, but my goal is to be as flexible as possible, especially if you give me advance notice. Courtney, you have three minutes for this question. As a board member, you're going to have to make decisions that will require you to do what's best for all the children instead of what's best for you, your friends, or your family. What does that mean for you? It's very important. One of the concerns we had in preparation with the area counselor was that he wouldn't care about all the students. So maybe

087I'll be in this area as a counselor, but I'm a counselor for all the students in the district. I'd like to think that what 's best for me, my friends, and my family will be the same, but I believe it requires... So, for example, if there's something like an after-school program, but it's a schedule that works well for many but not for my family, then, and if my family is a minority, then I would do something different because I know there are many resources that many families don't have. So, I'm going to make my decisions based on what we can do when we have to do it. Not only for students from low-income families, but also for students who are doing well in school, in places where there is conflict. So, I would do it

088according to what the school staff says because they are the ones who are here every day to be able to make the decision that is best for the majority of people. And if you don't like something, then you can go cry at home. So, you also have 3 minutes for this question. We have five people trying to reach an agreement on difficult decisions. Write down your communication style in this situation and how you would respond if the majority vote is different from yours, and if you would do the opposite if the majority vote is different from mine. Okay, I've been in similar situations. But we know it does n't always have to be a complete agreement, but the important thing is... It's telling the public that this is the board's decision, and these are the

089decisions, even if people know I didn't agree. So if they have any concerns, they can talk to the president of the electoral board. For example, my job isn't to go around giving comments to other people. My communication style in this situation, as I mentioned, is that I like to listen. I like to know where people are coming from. I ask a lot of questions because I want to make sure I understand the data, for example, that I'm interpreting it correctly. For example, I always ask, "Do I have this right?" because I want to understand what people are saying. I always try to find something we agree on, even if we do n't agree here, but we can find something different. I work all day with people who have different opinions. Sometimes many people complain about

090what isn't going well. And that's fine, but I think we have to look for something where, even if not everyone wins, at least no one feels like it doesn't matter, even if they're not in the majority vote in the end. So, one minute for that question. This position ends in the fall of 2026 if everything goes You might want to apply to continue serving, so we don't have plans to move. We're going to be here. The only reason I might not be serving is if there's something at my job, but I don't think that's going to happen. So even though I'm here, I can contribute and enjoy the work, and I'm going to stay. The last question of two questions: What would we have asked you? Well, I usually ask about hobbies, but I think

091you want to do something more detailed. So, I'm sure you'll tell me what you did when people weren't working well. Well, I was on a team with two other people who weren't collaborating. One person had to build something, and the other person was going to use what they built, and they weren't working because they were n't communicating. So, we wanted to see what we could plan ahead, but it wasn't working. I told them I'd do it, but that didn't work either. So, in the end, I sat down with one of the people and asked them what was going on, and I let that person talk for 45 minutes about why they didn't feel appreciated and all the problems they had. I listened and asked them some questions, and In the end I said, "Okay, so

092what can I do to make it easier for you?" And then we kept talking and worked on a plan, and we were able to implement that plan in about three days. So we had everything we needed and we were able to finish the project. So what I learned is that it's very important to listen to everyone's opinions in order to have that common goal. Thank you very much. Let's talk about the other room. If I'm not mistaken, I'm nervous. I think it's Prophet recording. It has to be in alphabetical order, but it's going very well. Exactly, I have to focus on [Music]. That's it. Many times, many people don't want to go first, but when it's in alphabetical order, they always have to sing the song. Yes, that's right, it's a very good song. Okay.

093Hello, welcome. Sit here in the... Welcome, Miss Prophet! And here's your stopwatch. It's time for your 2-minute statement explaining why you're interested in joining the board and what skills you bring to the job. Hi, I'm [Name]. I've volunteered for many years at Fairwood and Freemont High. My daughters are here. My oldest is 21 and started at Fairwood in kindergarten before the Explorer program. When she was in elementary school, my other two, Lea and Mia, also started at Fairwood, and it was already the Explorer program. We have 2 hours a week per child, 6 hours a week total. I was active in the classroom with the Cornerstone Project in all of my daughters' classrooms. My youngest is in 4th grade. I've been active since she started kindergarten, initially via Zoom, helping with the class and assisting

094parents. Since then, I've been the Alliance President for the past year, the President of Parent-Teacher Association for several years, and the President of the Music Booster program. I'm compassionate, I like to advocate for students, I'm very organized, and I manage my time well. Thanks to my strengths. of the district and what are the areas we need to improve? You have 3 minutes for this question. The district's strengths: I like how the board holds its meetings and it seems like everyone is open-minded and everyone collaborates with their ideas to make decisions or help in decision-making for the district. For the areas to improve, they need one more member for the board, but for improvements there are always opportunities to improve. Maybe they can talk about things that can be improved in the schools, all the schools

095and throughout the district. Also, have community events so that families can come together. I think that would be a good place to [Music] improve. I'm trying to think of other strengths [Music]. I think the board goes to school events and listens to the parents and families to see what the district or the school needs and come and talk and then figure out what they can do to provide for those families, those parents, and to be able to succeed and for those concerns. That's a strength they have. I do n't have to speak for the 3 minutes. No, you don't have to, thank you. So you have up to 3 minutes. We normally meet in twos. times per month, and you have to read and prepare before the meeting. There's also correspondence by email. You also

096have to go to training sessions to be a more effective member. And we know you're a member of the community. What difficulties do you think you'll face? Oh, first, before I applied, I asked my boss if I could come in early because everyone meets at 6, but I work in Pleasanton. Oh, but he said I could leave early so I could get my kids out of kindergarten and arrive on time. That was a big challenge for me to see if I should apply, but when my boss said yes, then I decided I was going to apply. So here I am at the interview. You mentioned that you also receive a packet with the agenda before the meeting. I know I can make time because that's what I have to do to help the table and

097help myself understand what's going on and what we're going to discuss in the meetings. Related to that, please take less than a minute to answer. And we 're looking to apply for a new superintendent. What is your flexibility to add some extra meetings, including a full-day interview this spring? Although I'm very busy, I would make it a priority to attend. At the meetings in the application packet, I said I can't come to one of the meetings in May because it's Jin Day for my daughter, and I can't miss that because when she was little, she went, and my husband went, but I couldn't go because I had a newborn. So it's very important to me and my daughter that I can attend, but those are the only things I know I won't be able to

098attend. Oh, but I hope you can take this into consideration, and if it's not possible, I understand. But I'm flexible and will make time to be at the meetings, including the extra ones in the spring or earlier. Thank you. Hi, you have 3 minutes for this question. As a board member, you have to make decisions that aren't necessarily the best for you, your family, and your friends, in order to do what's best for the entire district. What does this mean for you? Well, as I was saying before, I have to be open-minded. I know I won't always do what you want, and we shouldn't get angry. I understand that it's what's best for all the students, and we have to work together. So not everyone is going to agree, but we have to learn to

099go with the flow and do what's best. Thank you to all the students. So, this next question is also 3 minutes or less. We have five people on the board and we work to reach an agreement on decisions that can be difficult. Describe your communication style in this situation. Also, share with us how you would respond if the final vote was different from your preference. So, it's related to what I just said. Five of us had to reach an agreement, but one of us might not like the decision. For example, if it were me, I would still agree with you because it's probably for the best. And maybe I didn't know it at the time, but it is for the best. And I wouldn't be upset; I would just work with the rest of the

100board and do my best. Thank you. This is a one- minute question. This position is until the fall of 2026, and everything is the same. Do you think you will be able to continue serving on the board? I would like to say yes, but I would like to know how the work will be. But yes, I always finish what I say, and I know that I love it. So, yes, I would continue to run with the support of my family, who always support me a lot. Last question of 2 Minutes, which is something you wish we had asked you. So the question I wish I had been asked is: Would you like to accept this position? What would you like to see in the district? I would like to see the whole district come together

101for some event. It's an annual carnival. Each school can take turns hosting, but not just that one school, but the whole district could plan everything so that families can get together and maybe form new friendships, and we can unite our community, have a stronger relationship with each other. I think that's going to be very important so that we can all get to know each other and not just say, "Oh, that person is going to Cherry Chase, that person is going to Fairwood." Oh, I think it would be very nice if everyone could get together and form friendships. These are all our questions for now. If you could go back to McKin' Room, we're going to interview the last candidate, and then we'll call you back. Thank you. [Music] [Laughter] [Music] We have this sheet of

102paper that we're going to go over in no particular order, and then we're going to check it. Please sit down. Welcome, welcome. There's the timer. It's time to... If you could give us a 2- minute statement in which you briefly explain why you are interested in serving as a member of the Education Board and the skills you will bring to the table. First, thank you so much for this opportunity. I would like to say first that I appreciate the beauty of the diversity in our community. I would like to contribute to the board. I am an immigrant educator and I have experienced firsthand the benefits of providing opportunities to students from diverse backgrounds. I strongly believe in advocating for all students regardless of their socioeconomic status. I believe that everyone has the right to a

103high- quality education, and I believe that my multicultural perspective and my experience in early childhood education will contribute valuable insights to the board. In particular, I am motivated to address educational equity, inclusion, and the importance of early childhood learning so that no child is left behind due to systemic barriers. I will continue to advocate for the rights of families and children by contributing my knowledge of early childhood education and by promoting inclusion and highlighting the importance of multilingual and multicultural education to support English language learners, bilingual education programs, and teaching practices. It responds to the needs of all students. [Music] Thank you. What are the strengths of the Esvel School District and the areas where we need improvement? You have 2 minutes. 3 minutes, sorry, yes, it's 3 minutes. The question was: What are the

104strengths of the Esvel School District and, in your opinion, what are the areas that most need improvement? The questions are also printed here. Ah, okay. Thank you. I believe that the Esvel district brings a lot of diversity, and I find it very beautiful that we managed to include several diverse celebrations of cultural diversity in our curricula. That is something that is very beautiful, especially in Fairwood and San Miguel, also with the Juntos program, the bilingual program. And I think that if there is one aspect that needs improvement, it could be... It's a very good question. It could be the way we communicate with our parents, with our families, the relationship and understanding of what the children do at school and what the school contributes. I think that can be improved sometimes because, as a mother,

105I have experienced a little of that. That's why it's something that, for me, could have been improved. You will have 3 minutes for this question. On average, we hold two meetings a month. There is preparation. And documents to read before each meeting. There is additional correspondence. You would also need to be trained, and we know that to be a better board member, we know you are active in the community. But what are some challenges you might have? It's been a matter I've been discussing with my family because I 'm a stay-at- home mom. I just went back to school to get my associate's degree in education, and my family and I—well, first of all, they support me pursuing this position. And if I were to commit to this position, my life—well, we've always adapted to

106create the space for me to be available. So I don't see any problems or difficulties in preparing for this new role and this new path. One related question—less than a minute to answer, considering we want to hire a new superintendent—how flexible are you in scheduling additional meetings, including a full-day interview? As I mentioned before, I'm very flexible. There's a lot of support from my family, and my teachers at school are also very flexible. They understand that I 'm also a mom and need to take care of my children. We have babysitters available for me if needed. I'm the type of person who, when there's something I need to do, I make sure that whatever is around me, I'm going to do everything possible to work it out step by step so that things turn out

107well. So I'll be able to be flexible in my schedule to be part of that all- day interview. You'll have up to 3 minutes to answer this question: As a board member, you're going to be asked to make decisions where you must discard what will best serve you and your family, but think about what would best serve all the students in the district. What does that mean to you? That's a very good question. First, I think we're all here to support everyone, not just myself, but everyone— Hispanic families—to advocate for the benefits and support for the community. And we're making decisions as a group, as a community, as a board. So, of course, it's not easy, but I feel it's an understandable path that must be taken to make decisions that will benefit the entire

108community. So, I think it's something that has to be done as part of this role, naturally. So, okay, thank you. As a board, our board consists of five people who work to reach a Consensus in decisions that are sometimes difficult. Describe your communication style and also describe how you would respond if the majority of decisions went against your vote. It's a very good question. My way of communicating: Well, I like to listen to each person's perspective first because when I listen to others' perspectives, it helps me broaden my way of thinking. I don't like to start by first listening to other people's ideas, their perspectives. So that's my way of communicating. And well, even at home things don't always go the way I want, and that's okay, it's part of life. But I do like

109to understand the reason, the why, why someone thinks a certain way or why things are the way they are. That's one of the reasons why I 'm here because I like to understand why things are happening a certain way. So I think I'll be okay if I understand the reason why it's happening. Thank you. Please answer this question in less than a minute. This term ends in fall 2026. Would you consider continuing to serve or running again as a candidate in the fall of 2026? Yes, I remember that's one of the questions I asked you as well. Yes, I think this would be a long-term role that I would like to accept for a good while, especially because I have children in the district. Last question, a question you would have liked us to ask.

110I prepared two questions. You have two minutes. I prepared two questions. One of the questions I already mentioned before, you asked me a little bit. I brought this because sometimes I forget things. [Music] The question would be: How can we ensure that parents are well-informed about students' standardized tests, including their purpose, format, and every part of the test? That's something very important to me. It's something I care about a lot, and I think we're doing a good job. I think the district is going above and beyond to inform parents. I know you communicate with me a lot. Colombia is about to hold a workshop on the NWA tests, an information session about those exams. But I think it's an aspect that can be improved a little. Thank you. Very well, I'm looking at my own

111script. We want to take a break of about five minutes before we come back to talk to people. Or are you Ready to continue, we're good, very good. [Music] uh, we want all the candidates to return. You can sit wherever you like. Thank you very much. First, yes, first we're going to talk. We need some time. I just wanted to clarify that. First we're going to talk, and then... We don't need to put you in order, but rather, first we're going to speak, and then we're going to speak before. Well, but we do have a script. I have a script. We're waiting a little longer for the candidates to return. Once they're back here, we'll continue. [Laughter] Uh, thank you very much to all the applicants for their answers to the questions from the panel.

112Before we decide if we want to do a second round of questions, I'd like to provide an opportunity for the other panel members to identify what the candidates are looking for to fill the position. Then we're going to pause to talk with the candidates to see who meets the criteria. That will allow us to get a narrower idea of what we're looking for, and if there seems to be a particular candidate that we'd prefer, we can make a motion of appointment. If not, we're going to ask the candidates who identify... well, by means of... I mean, if the... There's no consensus. We can do a second round of interviews. [Music] Talking with Dr. Galagar before the meeting. The idea is to try to choose two candidates. With whom we want to continue. Is there anyone

113who wants to start a conversation about what they're looking for in an applicant to fill the position? We can start with Isabel, go ahead, then talk. Yes, of course. When you asked that question earlier, I was noting some things before the interviews to consider. The four things I noted here: what I'm looking for is someone who is open and willing to learn, someone who represents the counselors' area, someone who brings diversity to our table, and someone who strongly values ​​equity and working against racism. Those are the four aspects I noted: someone who brings diversity to our table, open, willing to learn, represents the counselors' area, brings diversity to the table, and highly values equity and working against racism. Those are the four points. And it's difficult because each of those candidates has those aspects, some

114perhaps more than others, but that's one of the things I love, that each of you is excellent. At the table, it's harder to make a decision, but I'm grateful. That we have such excellent candidates, and I also noted the diversity that the community represents, being willing to learn, that is, to share what is already known and be willing to learn new things [Music]. I'm interested in having someone who can collaborate, who can communicate well and carefully with the community, specifically the schools. Title is another area of counselors, and for me, I'm so excited to see each person who has applied because I feel that if you all come to the table, this table with each of you... So for me, I feel that there's a level of service that interests me in the community. So,

115for example, I think there are a couple of candidates. All the answers were good, the whole conversation was good, the answers for me in the evaluation, and I said, "Well, yes, very good," but I think there were a couple of candidates who already have a deeper service in the community that impressed me a lot. So, I think that commitment and long-term service within the community is important to me because it's possible that others are also on that path but don't have that experience of contributing so deeply to the community. And what I really liked about when... I was looking at it and I realized that something that matters to me is when candidates have experience in multiple schools. I think that having experience in different schools and various perspectives, and, for example, knowing what happens

116when a child gets older and starts moving from one school to another, understanding those conversations between different schools and districts, is important because it provides a different focus and perspective. There were a couple of candidates who might have been a little lacking in that regard, in terms of the services they've provided to the community so far. I mean, I'm reading the letters of recommendation, and when I was teaching the... Second and third grade, something I always loved was writing report cards because you can think about how much the students and parents have contributed, and that's what's being done. Reading the letters of recommendation is an attribute; they express all the service and development the candidates have had so far. So I think that's important—those connections with the community and those diverse and cultural perspectives. Does

117anyone want to add something more specific, perhaps broader? I want to acknowledge how difficult this process is and congratulate each of you for applying. Reading, or rather, seeing these applications, is giving me an idea of ​​who this person is. So thank you for submitting your applications and for your service to our community. That means a lot to me. And it would be excellent if we could have seven open positions on the board. It would be easier that way, or nine positions, for example. A larger board would be great. I also appreciate the conversation about community connections, or rather, connecting with students. I heard a lot about that too, so I'm very happy overall with all the candidates. I did want to say that I wonder, I wonder how much flexibility we have because the new

118member From the board, I believe I'm also part of the governing board. We're talking about many more districts; there's a lot going on. Anyway, in the spring, that's the only thing I'm wondering about: is there flexibility to move the governing board meeting? We set that time based on the schedules of the people who are here. So, we need flexibility, and that's when we're going to do the interviews for superintendent. So, we might need to change the date, do it a little later. And of course, we're going to have some new board members, so we need to clarify that. One more thing before we write down the names of the preferred candidates on the sheet of paper: something I want to mention is knowledge of the School District, the entire district. I mean, not just the

119school where their children are attending. I think that's very important—to see the district from that broader perspective. Because it's been difficult for me as a new board member. I'm very connected to education in this area, so I think we need someone who has this knowledge, since they've already been collaborating in some way with the district. That would serve us well, especially now. We're going to move on to the search for a new superintendent, and having two new board members can be difficult, but at the same time, I think one of the candidates is perhaps more prepared, more ready to start than the other. Thinking about that, I also agree, but at the same time, I want to offer another perspective. I agree with everything you said; of course, it would be a great help to

120have two new board members, but at the same time, there's a lot I'm in favor of. I'm sorry I'm not looking at you, but it's difficult with the microphone. I mean, it's difficult to get close to the microphone, but anyway, I think that when I started, I wasn't connected to many things. I mean, I grew up here; my children were in Ellis. I only knew, I had only done things at that school, so when I started in this position, I knew the district very well. However, I had held another boarding position previously. So that's definitely a positive thing, but at the same time, it's not completely necessary. I just wanted to say that. We're ready to write the first two. It doesn't have to be in order; we have to go in order. We have

121to put our names. Yes, we have to do it. If it's part of the public record, you're going to count and then say the first two candidates. If there is a 332 So I'm going to pick a comment before instead of Jeremy doing Jeremy's music, no, don't make Jeremy do that when we have a break. So the joke is that Jeremy is going to play Jeremy's music. So for those who don't know, if my kids say they have memories of things because there's something new here, and I was saying it's very different. When I was interviewing, it was more scary, but being at the board, it felt more uncomfortable, and I remember that I was looking down, but it's because my work was over and I just had to see what the board was saying.

122I think that's more scary. But this is a little more uncomfortable. We have to decide who's going to take the position, and we have eight votes. We do n't know who it was. One and one, we have four for Evel Profeta, two for Camila Santos, and two for... So this is difficult. We don't have a one and a two. So the next action is: If we want those three people to answer the two questions, do they want to discuss more, do they want to open up an emotion? I think four and two is very definitive. So you think no more We should open up the excitement, so you can make the motion in the second round. So I move to nominate Evely Prophet to the board, and me second. So we can discuss it. So

123let's discuss who would like to start. It's difficult because I like all four of them, but we have to choose. I thought we were going to come down to two candidates. So I wasn't ready to make the decision. I would like to hear more, but it seems like all four of us put her down as one of our two preferred candidates. So I think that will be fine, but I was hoping for more. I think at this point I'm not sure if I'd like to continue with that. No, I'm not sure. Ah, I'm not sure if I'd like to continue without further discussion. Ah, I'd like to continue with the questions from the second round. If we can invite them back to answer those questions, I don't know if it's something that's in the conversation

124today. I think so, so we just take away the excitement. I don't know if this is going to help them or not. I wonder, it's kind of awkward because everyone is here, but if everyone is first or second, or if it's like in the middle, because if everyone could have Evely first, I don't know if That helps or not, talking, I definitely put her first because she has a long history of working for the district [Music] and in other districts as well. My other candidate, who I really liked, is the same, but Evely has so many years of experience working in the district and in different schools, and she has always worked hard. From day one, she was a volunteer before she was part of the program, but if I remember correctly, the program covered

125things that Faw Alli didn't. So she was forced to do things for the whole school, but the program is for the whole school, so I have little preference because one of my children is there. But for me, aside from that, when I really think about it, she has all that experience. I wasn't a mom of a student in the band, but I did have a student in volleyball, and I've been to a lot of things. Oh, so I talked to the moms of the students in vans because all the energy and time is needed to support the students. What can we do? What do we need? How can we support the teachers? My memory is, when I worked with her a while ago, she did things quite quietly, but she could bring the I would

126love for her to represent a group that doesn't have much representation in this area, in that Fairwood neighborhood. I think she has a lot to share, and a lot to offer. I think the others do too, but she's a little worried about the schedule. [Music] I think that to bring her on board, we're going to have to support her so she has her own voice and feels more confident. But I think I can do it because she can lead the PTA meetings in Fairwood and other places. There are a lot of students, a lot of adults. I think she can already do the job. So I really feel that not only does she have the experience, she's worked hard, and it's not that the others haven't, but I really appreciate community service in the community

127association. I really liked Camila's passion regarding certain students. [Music] Or going beyond the opinions of Jensen and Gis, who is a community college student, that passion to want to help the community is very beautiful. But I feel very comfortable voting for Evel. But if you want to continue to another round of questions to help in the decision-making, or if you want to advocate for someone else I would be very comfortable with that conversation. I would like to advocate for Courtney. The questions made a big difference to me in the way I envisioned each of you collaborating with us. Courtney speaks very well; she has a lot of knowledge. I think that Title One school is San Miguel, and that's very important, as is having someone represent us. That's very important to me. And we also

128have Fairwood, and it's a very different experience for the students. We have an equitable mindset that focuses on the students, and I also recognize that we want to have diversity. Courtney is a white woman, but I think she already has the qualifications we're looking for, or the qualities we're looking for. Yes, yes, it's not that I disagree, but the elementary experience is very different, and the population and the opportunities... I remember a little bit of all of that. I think it's what we were saying about the founding mothers of Fairwood Explorer. I remember that she worked very hard, and I really admire that she had time to work in the community. She was there talking about the non-Explorers because they weren't paying attention to the children in the neighborhood, and she was advocating for them

129all. Her children were there; they were younger, they had friends, and they shared activities. One of the few times I remember talking to her, maybe once or twice, I felt that she advocated for others. It's not that I remember her being a friend of mine; rather, I remember her role and her work, what she did, and I admire that a lot. I think it doesn't matter what we do, being here helping each other, and she's going to help the community a lot. Even though she's not part of the board, she's already doing a lot for the neighborhood and she's going to continue doing what you were saying. There are many different ways to say diversity and inclusion. I do appreciate that. Perhaps there would be higher representation here if we continue down this path, but

130all the comments... I don't think I would change my mind with another round. I'm ready to vote for Evely. I think most of the board would like to vote for her. So let's do it. Can you tell me something? Yes, how awkward would it be if I said no? I want to vote for her because, well, welcome to our world. What's your question? [Laughs] I'd like to say that my interest is in voting for Evely. Can I make the motion? No, it's already been done. Everyone in favor of Prophet. As part of the council, I said, " Yes, welcome to the table, and I wanted to thank you all for participating. I really enjoyed meeting you and learning more about you. I would like to have a larger board. I'm very excited to see what

131you're going to do in the future. I can say one thing: any one of you could have been part of the board, and I would be very happy. But there will be opportunities to be part of the board in the future, and there are other opportunities as well. I 'm not sure when, but we appreciate all three of you. Let's see if we could make a person from parts of what you showed us; that would be perfect. But thank you very much. We really value and appreciate all of you being even more involved in the district. If there's an open position for a Fairwood representative, I would really like to see one of you there. It's going to be a very excellent way to serve the community. Congratulations to our newest member! So today we're

132not going to [Music] do it. So if you'd like to invite people, we can do that another day. We can work on something more ceremonial, but so we can communicate with you, we're going to finish the swearing-in today so we have it done." And we're also at a moment in the future that's worthy of a [Music] photo, but before that, I'd like to say that one of the questions we had was what we can do to support you. I want you to be aware that we're ready to be part of the team. So, let's move on to the next part of the agenda. So, our superintendent, Dr. Gallager, is going to administer the [Music] taking of office. Are you ready? So, I'm going to read this. I, Evelen Prophet, affirm that I will uphold and

133defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, and I will bear allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California freely, without reservation, mental or physical, and I will do all the work that I am going to begin. [Applause] Congratulations, congratulations to you, along with the board. Or we should expect it's a [Music] moment that sometimes your face will hurt from smiling so much. [Music] with the [Music] family, all together here. Thank you, everybody. Ready? One, two, one. More, one, two [Music] We're going to end the meeting. We're in section 4. The next meeting will be on Thursday, February 27th, at 6:00 PM. It will be a regular meeting here in the district. We ended the meeting at

1347:52 PM. Thank you.