Special Board Meeting, March 31st 2025

001I'd like to call this meeting to order at 50:01 and this is the Monday, March 31st, 2025 meeting, a special board meeting of the Almani City School District Board of Education. I'll go ahead and call roll. Mrs. Kobian, present. Mrs. Mendes Garcia, present. Mr. Feralta, present. Mr. Seagris, present. And Rivas is here. Will you please join me for the flag salute? Please stand. Ready. To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. Okay. And uh we have no cards for public communication. And Dr. Garcia, is there any written communication? No written communication has come forward. Okay. then it's time for us to begin our study session and I'll turn it over to you Dr. Garcia. Thank you, President

002Reva. So, good evening everyone. Thank you so much for agreeing to a special study session um to discuss where we are with the strategic plan. Um so, this evening I want to make sure that I reintroduce I know that you all know uh Dr. Susette Lovely who's been helping us with our strategic plan. So, she's joining us this evening to be a part of the conversation. And um there are two outcomes that I would like for us to consider as we have this conversation this evening. Uh one is we're going to give you an update on where we are with our um the three uh components for the strategic plan, the mission, the vision, and the portrait of a learner. So you have those in front of you. So I would like for us to

003have consensus on those items by the end of our meeting today. And the second thing is to really start having a conversation around where we see priority areas for the district. And I'd like for us to also reach a consensus on the areas that we would like to prioritize so that we can develop goals and look at the metrics that we have within our district. And then I I'll briefly explain some of the work that we're doing internal internally to prepare for the strategic plan. Um, but I wanted to stop there to see if there are any questions for this evening around those two areas or those two conversations. We good? Okay. So, as we um as we've been we we as you know, we started this work in the summer. We started thinking about

004the need for a strategic plan previously really this idea that we wanted to create a district focus. Um we're doing a lot of wonderful things um but we really want to create a focus internally and externally and then really align all of our resources with our district focus. Uh we invited Dr. Lovely to join us and so in the fall months uh we put together a guiding coalition. It was representative of all of our educational partners within the district. Uh there was over 90 people in this room. I think we've brought back some experiences to the board and we've just shared some of the progress that we were making. It was pretty exciting to see so many voices and so many different different opinions but all shared values around educational outcomes and outcomes for students.

005And so um those four meetings we discussed a mission and a vision. And so this evening um we have some of the recommendations that the guiding coalition has put forward uh for mission and vision and portrait. At the conclusion of our um guiding coalition meetings, we created a subcommittee. So we invited people who would like to continue being on the committee and then made sure there was representation from once again all of our educational partners to start talking about some of the portrait dispositions that we wanted to bring forward. So we landed on on some ideas at our last guiding coalition meeting in December. We brought those forward to the subcommittee and then the subcommittee really started getting into the nitty-gritty and the details around the portrait of a learner. So there you have the

006different dispositions that we uh landed on. So let me start off with the mission and vision and I'm going to invite uh Mr. Peralta and Mrs. Koban to be a part of the conversation as well as we discuss some of the work from the guiding coalition. Uh so number one the mission statement excuse me vision statement I I uh the vision statement there were two preferred vision statements that the guiding coalition uh came upon. The first one was cultivating young minds to achieve the unimaginable and the second was nurturing young minds to dream without limits. I took the liberty of of morphing the two based on some input from our student advisory group and um and so there is a not a third one but really just the idea of the two statements put together

007nurturing young minds to achieve the unimaginable that I'd like to share with you and then the preferred mission statements that we landed on in the guiding coalition the first one was where passion purpose and voice come to life and the second one was we shape generations through learning, leadership, and a thriving community. So once again, I took the liberty of of giving you just an edited version of based on the conversation with the student advisory group. We empower generations through learning, leadership, and community. So I'll stop there and really open it up for the board to have a conversation around the mission and the vision. The vision and mission statement. I keep saying mission first, but it's vision first and then mission. Mr. Seagris, I find it outstanding. I really enjoy reading what it says

008here because it's so powerful. It really is great. I love it. Thank you. Thank you. Um I I would agree. I I think um you know and and again our two ms could speak to the to it. It was really empowering to just be in a room where there were so many there was every group came up with a statement, but the alignment was pretty remarkable and it was it was you know something along the lines of making sure that our kids felt supported and encouraged by the district and resourced by the district and at the same time that all the possibilities were there for them to to capture and to engage in and yeah so so I'm trying to like just say that without saying these words but that was really I think the

009the the the sentiment in the room. So, I'll just I'll say I mean I I think in terms of the statements unless somebody has other words they want to add. Um I I like I mean we have young minds, right? That was kind of consistent. Um I like achievement as a word there better than dreaming. Um just because it seems more concrete and more actionable. Um and then in terms of the final bit of it, I prefer unlimited or without limits rather than um unimaginable only because unimaginable is like like you can't imagine it or it has that that connotation a little bit in in um in terms of the the language. Um, and I like just the idea of not being limited rather than not not in your imag. It's the same thing with

010dreams, I guess, in terms of imagination and dreams. We'd ra like focusing more on actual, you know, like a real life accomplishment as opposed to um something you're thinking about, I guess. So, that's just where I am with it. Um, and then in terms of cultivating or nurturing, I they're very similar. So just to kind of share my thoughts on the wording. So what would your preferred one be? Something along the lines of like nurturing young minds to achieve without limits or or you said you didn't like the limit the without limits part, right? Yeah. So without limits or or um to um unlimited achievement but without limits. So so kind of you know nurturing young minds to achieve without limits. Yeah, would be I was thinking about adding something there also. Nourishing young minds

011and empowering all students to achieve the unimaginable without limits. I like that without limits. That's really well put what you said. No limits. Yeah. I like empowering because you're you're now empowering them to do it. I I was also leaning towards the nurturing and I think changing that word from dream to achieve. I think I think kind of pushed it more towards that one. Um I I would be concerned and I hate to put it out there like this, but there's a certain undercurrent element right now that if they read that word cultivating, they might misinterpret that and take it to a different dimension than we would like. So I think nurturing would be uh a better metaphor for for what we want to do. You know, the students caught on to that. They felt

012that cultivating was already kind of preconceived, right? Yeah. Yeah. Was very interesting. It it brings it brings to mind farming, right? So, so, uh, you know, we're, you know, we're not growing you to be a piece of corn. We're growing you to be a thinker, you know, something, you know, not, you know, we don't know what your future is, but we're going to give you all the tools and resources that that you need versus Yeah. Yeah, nurture makes it sound like there's something already there, which which there is, right? And that we're supporting that. Um, and I like I like what you both have said, the nurture, the achieve. Um, without limits is great. Um, unimaginable. I've gone back and forth. Um, I think I reacted to it similarly at first, but because we it's

013hard to imagine the future and where we're going with our futures, there's there's a piece of like futuristic thinking that is allowed for in in the word unimaginable. So So I I think I'm good either way with the ending with either without limits or unimaginable. Okay, I'm next. Yeah, when I was um going through all of this, I'm thinking from perspective of of two things, right? A perspective of I'm going to be a new parent, right? And I'm also thinking perspective of someone who's been a and currently a public school employee and kind of have been through this process and thinking about how have how has my district used their vision and mission and has it connected to me as a school employee through the last 14 years? How does it connect when we're doing

014PDs? Because every time we do a PD or something, right, they're always connecting it to the vision and mission. And one of the things that's been really hard is when it's too wordy, right? And I kind of think of these as hashtags, right? Where from a student perspective, they want and employees too, they want something quick as well and students that they can reference that they can put on their bulletin boards. Um, so I really appreciate the process that our students and employees have g have gone through because there's two things I've always hear when I've done let a task for special education, right? We're trying to get information like what is something that you see a need a need and two things happen. They always say, well, what does the district want us to

015do? What's the direction of the district? So people do want direction. I think it's so important. That's where we tie in like our goals. like this is our direction, but at the same time, we want your buy in. We want to know from you because you're the ones going to implement it. So, I see the vision and the mission really coming from a place of what our students and our employees and our families are connecting with because they need to own it and believe it. Um and then the goals is something then that we're showing okay this is the direction of our district that is also aligned with the mission and the vision that you're um wanting. So I'm fine with either one. I like the nurturing young minds to achieve without limits or unimaginable.

016I just think it's just um they're both phrases and words that are expressing the same thing. Um but I really appreciate that at the end we have these two and we're getting input from our student advisory team. And so I really also want to respect that. I want to make sure it's connecting with our students and our employees because they're the ones that are going to have to be doing this on a daily basis and trying to and even with our administrators trying to have employees understand this is why we're doing this initiative. You know, I know every year you feel like we're doing different initiative, right? Where it's like no because we always wanted to connect to our vision and our mission. So for I'm fine with nurturing young minds to achieve the unimaginable

017or without limits. I feel at the end of the day it's still respecting what is connecting with our employees and our children. And then um I do really do like the word empower. That's I know the one they picked. We empower generations. And I love that our students are thinking not just on themselves but thinking about their families and then um the students that are coming after them. So I really again that thoughtfulness that they are really thinking about um what they want the Almani City School District experience to be. You know, I will say this that when I first heard where passion, purpose, and voice come to life, I said, "That's it." You know, like I sat back and we were in this room, I I it was sit on this side of the

018room, you know, because I thought that's so powerful. And Teresa happened to be in the room with the students and it just didn't speak to them. And so I loved how they contextualized their position in our society. They talked about, you know, the people before them, the people after them and the importance of generations. This is the same, you know, our our students have been advocating a lot for their parents and how their parents need to have a say in the LCAP and different different things where it matters um their voice matters in in our plans and our you know, our initiatives and so forth. And so, um, yeah, it was it was it really caught me off guard that that resonated with them more so than where passion, purpose, and voice come to life.

019Um, and so I I agree with you like they're both great. Um, just really it was it was interesting. And I do want to say that um, you know, I remember when we were working on our the existing mission and vision that we have now and we just wanted to get every word right. we just needed to say, you know, capture the things that we wanted to do as a district and it was long and then we couldn't repeat it afterwards, right? And and so after after having gone to Anaheim Union and and and have seen how their vision statement, you know, unlimited you is everywhere and I still know their vision statement as a result of that. It just makes sense. This idea that things need to resonate. Keeping it short and sweet, but

020but with context, right, is really important. Don't ask me what what my vision for where I work. Don't I don't but I remember the hashtag. That's what I remember. It's the hashtag and it makes a difference. Yeah. It It's a shift for us, but it's exciting. But you're right. I think we there's so much going on in our society that sometimes we forget like, oh, the children are not messy paying attention to other maybe watching TikTok, but they are. They're seeing what's happening when they maybe are losing their voice and their choices, especially for their families. Agreed. I think you've got consensus right on the I think so on the vision statement I was trying to take notes and listen but nurturing young minds to achieve without limits is that consensus on the vision statement

021just the only last hesitation or or really question would you know just to put out there is um are we okay with just ending on limits and like kind of drawing attention to the fact that there might be limits but we don't want there to be limits. So that's that's the one kind of where unimaginable becomes a little bit more open because you're not drawing attention to limits or is it helpful like you're talking about the context in the schools to say without limits like I don't know which is are we debating between without limits and unimag or or those the sense that those words bring right could even be another word but so I Susette is my witness I I went to her and I said unimaginable I I I I stopped at first

022I think that was meeting number two and the more I thought about it like I I sh I changed my perspective uh because at first I thought is that negative right like something that you can't imagine Um, but then I think about all that we've been through in the last five years alone. A lot of unimaginable stuff, right? Um, and then the way we've navigated it. And I just think that we continue to conquer um, some things that are unimaginable. Um, which just changed it for me. Put it into a instead of a deficit really just something positive and really wide open. I can see why kids connect to imag unimaginable. Yeah. because again we we were a kid and so I see the that imagination. I see why kids would connect with that word

023and I I understand why as an adult we're like you know we're maybe not connecting with it as much because it's not as can concrete without limits. Yeah. Maybe I I personally like unimaginable. It's it's you know I I think it even just thinking ahead it's a good hashtag. Um, but really it's, you know, what what resonates with you. I'd like to make a comment unimaginable. None of you are old enough as I am. There was a time when there was a comic strip called Dick Tracy. Dick Tracy had a watch, which he could communicate with everybody. At in those days, it was said that would never happen. So, I'm looking at all the watches that we have now and the the technology that we now have. And so, anything's possible up there, right? I

024think of Disney. What I think when I see unimagic castle and that's why kids connect so much to that and we use that as our example when we were working with the groups is you know that notion of practical dreaming and we gave the example of Walt Disney when he was conceiving this amusement park that had nobody could see what it was really going to become. So that was a lot of of that. But I think what the students Which word did the students say they preferred? They preferred without limits. Isn't that what No, they liked unimaginable. Oh, they did. Yeah. What what interestingly they didn't like dreams. Oh, so Teresa, you were there for that. Uh the nurturing young minds to dream without limits. Um and what they said is dreams. There's no action

025behind dreams, you know. So, so everybody can dream, but it's what you do with those dreams that matters. So, in a very Yes, it was a big wow. It was a big wow. I My my worry is like I know I struggled with unimaginable. Sounds like you struggle with unimaginable. You struggled with unimaginable. If we are struggling with unimaginable, how is the community going to Is it because we're adults? you know, the kids didn't struggle with unimaginable and so maybe still using a form of unimaginable imagine maybe and shoot me down. I don't care. I'm I'm just trying to figure out a way to like work through this because we've all struggled with this. Nurturing young minds to achieve through imagination. I think imagination is more of a uh positive action word versus unimaginable. And

026the un is what's I think the un is the part that that's really bringing me down. Like I don't you know I I try to visualize the phrase, right? Um and that's why I was I was leaning towards without limits but I like this discussion about imagination and and that the students want some form of imagination imaginable unimaginable in their in their uh vision statement. This is their vision statement. So I just think we need to be a little more positive action with that with the word and the un is what brings me down and I would yeah and so I think the the part I like of without limits is you know then the action is breaking down barriers and I think that's you know always something we kind of see like the what's

027the role of the school district as it as this vision projects right um and I know that the students are an important component of it but they also the only component of who's enacting this and and putting that out there. Um but maybe instead of you know like without maybe we say beyond um limits or beyond imagination something like that so we take out the negative bit of it. Um so that throwing that one out there like that I feel like we're going somewhere. Yeah. Well, if we keep the imaginable, we're sis I'd recommend is to nurture young minds to achieve the imag. Is it the imaginable through imagination? Through imagination or beyond I would say beyond like or beyond. Yeah. I I do beyond like beyond. Yeah. I do understand we're trying to I

028think the hard part for me with imagination is it's it's almost like like I just for me it's gets stuck like dreams like it's it's what you think rather than what you're doing. Um but I know you need to have one before you get to the other. So the the fewer the words you have and I love that what you um shared trusty Mendes Garcia it you won't remember and you're the employer so the actually the employer creates the vision and the mission for your employees and your constituents. So Starbucks doesn't ask you what you want their mission statement or vision statement to be when you go there. They have their vision and mission statement. The employees come and they know what it is. So unimaginable does have a lot of syllable, you know, because

029the more syllables you have in a word, things are harder to remember, right? As as well. So, just you can do what you know you think sounds the best. I worry if you try to twist imagine into it, it may not then fit. Without limits is a phrase that people understand. And I think as you're bringing up a really great point, uh, Trusty Peralta, if it seems like it's a negative or a double negative or something like that, but without limits, we can envision that. I think students, a third grader, if you said, I want you to do this assignment today without limits. A third grader would see I've got a green light here. Now, they're still probably going to ask the teacher, well, what do I what do you mean? But it's not a

030term that they wouldn't necessarily understand. But if you can work imagine in there in a positive without adding I would just caution the board about adding more words. Yeah. Because the more words one word is like a hundred in a vision statement as far as being able to memorize it and commit it to memory. So just be thinking about that if there is another word. I'm trying to look I'll look at my notes too to see if anything else was similar because I could see like if we were gonna you know have this is the vision but then like the hashtag or the short version like could be achievement beyond imagination or achievement beyond limits like that's the you know like the beyond goes well with limits like um I pulled up Anaheim's just because

031the word unlimited. So that their vision is to create a better world through unlimited you and their hashtag is unlimited you and it could be limits beyond limits. Nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits. And I I hear that I think of Buzz Lighter. I'm a millennial so I that is Toy Story. I could do Toy Story. Oh, it's Toy Story. Toy Story. I can connect, right? I see it infinity and beyond. I was thinking that like I think our vision is infinity and beyond. Have to remember those things like we're trying to connect it to kids, right? And I can see I see now I see a whole theme around beyond. We can get Mr. Solom breakfast. I'm trying to see what Chetchi TP is coming up with though. I see it. We'll put

032your cost and order in. Are we thinking beyond limits then? Is that nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits? How does that sound? And beyond. Beyond limits. Good job. You found the word. Okay. Check that one. I like it. You like it, Mr. Secrets. And I like it that it's visual. Like even though we're joking around, it's still admit it's some type of image for all of us. What do you think? I think I think we got Yeah, we're feeling pretty good. We'll bring it back. We'll bring it back at the end to to look at it all holistically. Um, nurturing young minds to achieve to achieve beyond limits. Um, the preferred mission statements where passion, purpose, and voice come to life. We shape generations through learning, leadership, and a thriving community. And then the

033more we empower generations through learning, leadership, and community. And I would almost I mean I know it's adding more words, but I I like the thriving community. And that goes to my thought about Thrive, but I like using it there rather than somewhere else. Um, so I'm just going to throw that one out there, but I I think that's a really good place for empowering generations. um because that you know what the students were talking speaking to and I think just this idea of it's it's not just right now it is it's it's us educating children into the future but also what those children will go on and do out into the community beyond beyond yes kids are thinking about climate change thinking about how the decisions are impacting future generations so I love that

034and you're I feel like it's more specific about empower generations through leader and leadership committee rather passion, purpose and voice because it's very broad. It's a very broad language. So I do I I see that empower gener I do like the word empower generations and it's more specific through learning leadership. I can see that through learning right obviously instruction achievement through leadership. I connect that to all of our our e-op and experiences we're giving kids and our community how we're encompassing their families um and then their siblings. Well, and we refrain the idea of leadership from a position to leader in me, right? We all are have the ability to lead our destiny with the support of our community. Yeah. I I thought that those words learning, leadership, community sum up the district really, really

035well. Leader in me is such a prevalent part. Like you visit any campus and you're experiencing leader in me and community. I think people often use the word family to describe the way the district kind of functions together. So, I think community is a great word there, too. Yeah. Any other thoughts on the mission statements? I I like the we shape generations. Um it's a reminder to us that we are responsible for this. the what happens with that next generation is our responsibility. So that's it's a reminder to us to the employees to the teachers that we have a a duty here to to to be wise and to and and to really help this next generation. And I was thinking empower was one of those uh overused words that we discussed in one of

036those first meetings. Oh, tired term. That's that's that was what was called tired terms. Trying to remember what that so similar to cultivate the students reacted to shape. Okay, I see that too. Okay, which I also found fascinating because again I went in there thinking the first one was going to be the slam dunk. Um, but they felt that it was they're being molded. Molded. There you go. As opposed to whatever empower wasn't on one of the tired terms. Okay, then never mind. It's still I have the attire terms. We can use the tired terms. So, so just to share with you, we did this activity on tired terms and it was it was it was hard to sit through as superintendent because every table discussed words that are overused. Not that, you know, they're

037not powerful words or they're words that we stand by, but words that we tend to overuse. And so, you know, there were words there that I was like, "No, not that word." Right? Uh but but it's true. So I think you know there's there's there are words that just become prevalent in conversations in different seasons in education and we overuse the words and then we move on to something else. Um and so the list was long um rude awakening and I've been very mindful of some of our words. What's that 89 words terms and some were said, you know, two or three times like lifelong learner was an example that people felt that term's just been Yeah. And it's not that you don't believe it's a wonderful term, right? It's not a bad term at

038all, but it's been used for so many years in schools. So, and we tend to tune out after we hear the word, you know, over and over. Yeah. And then for thriving because I I know jumping to portrait of a learner because I just kind of quickly went through each one and really quick thought to myself what is the first thing that comes to mind and thrive was the only one that I couldn't immediately think of like of an action that there was no action there is an action there like just uh on in my own mind got it right when I went through change agent I was able to connect it to some or connect it to something um but I maybe as we discussed portrait learner and the why behind the thriver um

039and whether or not we even need it in in our mission. I think just kind of like I said, keeping it simple, just empower learning, leadership, community. Yeah, I I think what's in the bold there is is works with what we've talked about. I'm good with the bold. All right. Any other comments on the preferred mission statement? I'm glad the students suggested empower the Power Rangers. Taking it back. Very graphic design oriented. I'm sorry that Robert's not here to start thinking about how we uh brand these two, but Power Rangers and Buzz Lightyear that Jose now has something to wear for the first day. There you go. Well, that's exciting. It is exciting. Nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits. We empower generations through learning, leadership, and community. How does that sound? Yes. Yep. Okay.

040Moving on to Portrait of a Learner. And so at the last meeting, uh I'll just repeat that process once more. the last meeting of the guiding coalition, we just started throwing out um not the right now, but really sharing um the characteristics that would embody um the work that we do um to really build our students and and and create this alignment to potential the preferred vision and mission statements. So, we had the preferred vision and mission statements up as we were discussing what does that look like? What does a learner look like in that environment? Um and so we brought that work back to the subcommittee and um again really exciting. I mean there was some some minor um differences but but really just a strong alignment around uh change agent, knowledge seeker, forward

041thinker, empowered communicator, globally conscious and then the last one um it represents resiliency, adaptability, um unstoppable and and we did not agree on the term. So we could not there was there was a few that liked Thrive. there was a few that felt like it didn't say enough or or didn't automatically connect to those descriptors. Um and and some pros and cons. So, bringing that here to the board, I I caught what Jennifer said last time about it didn't fit like um you know, the others all have maybe you weren't thinking this, but the others all have two words, right? and thrive doesn't. I like the idea of thriving or flourishing or um like you said resilience because it um yeah because of the resilience right that it it it brings up but also it's

042one of the only just kind of like I'm a human being and I'm great because I'm a human being words that we have because the others are a little more focused on action actionoriented Right. Yes. So, a lot of what we do is whole child stuff. And so, if we could capture that resilience, but also that as a district, we we think about we value just them just for being who they are. Um, I I would love that. So thriving something could work or flourishing something. What if we did thriving learner? Because we don't necessarily we have thinker in here, communicator, I don't know. I mean we use learning in the mission but we don't really have like if this is who the students are we don't have them as learners listed in this um

043section which is you know sort of a core part of school and I guess and and I think a little bit to what Mr. Peraltto was saying with the previous thing I I think I the other hesitation on Thrive is that I feel like it would involve explanation beyond what it is and it may be in the same way it was kind of divided in the room. We don't want to put this out and then have the community be divided as to what it means and and that as well. So I that's you know I want it to be something where people understand what it means and can can kind of come together around the goal that it sets forward. Just to throw a little brunch to that um we we are going to have

044a descriptors for each of these. So that's something that we'll we'll continue to build and bring to the board to to really build it out. So, so there is, you know, we will describe what a change agent looks like and we will describe every single one of those. So, but unlike the other terms in the mission and the vision or the vision and the mission, um these will have descriptors. But point taken. So, the other option I think I missed part of this. So, the portrait of learners all of these things in Yes. Okay. They're like it's not just one of them in combination, right? Resilient, flourishing, thriving were the other. Yeah, it was they had flourishing learner, resilient learner, and then thriver. Those were the three that were and you were at the um

045second guiding coalition meeting. So, it was between those three. Okay. Flourishing learner. And the point that you're bringing up, uh, trusty gobian is a good point that everything else is two words. Yeah. So, it there was that discussion, too. Some people it just didn't resonate with in the room. some people who were there too. I think Jose some people couldn't imagine it. Flourishing learner, resilient learner were okay. Two others. The other two. Yeah. Or but but that's a great option too. Thriving learner if you have the two words potentially. And then the definition one of the definitions uh that people came up with under thrivver was resilient bold unstoppable or learns to overcome and adapt to challenges. So as Dr. Garcia is saying there will be a small brief definition not encyclopedia version but short

046I to give a context. Okay go ahead. I will share that I had a recent conversation with with um with with one of our employees around the word resilient. Um, I was sharing this with Susette just a few minutes before we got started. Um, who who who said like, you know, kids shouldn't have to be resilient if we live in equitable systems. The fact that we acknowledge people that overcome these really big things in their life, poverty and trauma, you know, which which we know is happening day in day out. But if we're really trying to disrupt systems, we're trying to eliminate the need for kids to be resilient at that, you know, in in that context. And it just made a lot of sense because we tie the idea of resiliency or people that

047overcome poverty and so forth and we applaud it and at the end of the day, we want to disrupt it, right? And and so so I just want to put that out there because I've been thinking a lot about the word resilience which I've embraced and I use and I think a lot of us talk about it as our personal story. Um but in a perfect world our kids should [Music] be you know have unlimited options and without those societal barriers. I think thriving brings up um them being everything that they are. We we had talked about Early on I feel like in this process we talked about students really discovering their own strengths. Yeah. And their own interests, right? So feel like thriving is part of that. And we have musical theater. We have

048um all these after school options and love to see them you know having a wonderful childhood. So I I feel like our goal is a thriving childhood. I I don't think that is a work maybe a phrase that fits there, but um I see a thriving learner kind of connects with that. Yeah. I I just don't love like learner tied to this because it's just in one more expectation. Yeah. In just a word that I would love to see untied from. I mean, it's all part of the portrait of the learner, right? Maybe something like thriving minds. So, or thriving um I want to say like people, kids, thriving um like the whole self, right? Um Dr. If I may add, so one of the things that came up in our discussion was the human

049touch, right? Um and so I believe this disposition uh we were really trying to highlight in the discussions the uh because if you look at these these are all things that an AI software could be they could be an arm seeker for thinker right um and so that was the one maybe it's not the right word in Fiverr but it's something that is really the most unique of all of this of the dispositions and that only um maybe it wasn't captured in the work but they were looking for what is that human experience that can come forward uh in the portrait of a learner I don't know what the right word is but that's that was the uh the the background uh when the committee was having discussions about uh these different uh categories. Yeah.

050Because what was the description for it going to be? It was resilient. People had Yeah. grows, adapts, excels in the face of challenges. people wrote some different dis um draft definitions at our second session around resilience. So the draft definition around resilient learner was grows, adapts, excels in the face of challenges. Flourishing learner was developing skills to adapt and thrive. But there's combinations. That's why we didn't come up with any final definitions. But Jose's got a great point. The word human is a is a great word too. I I mean that was really a big discussion at your table group and it was well articulated, right? You know, just being a good human being. People talked about that they're here for eight years with you, but there it's a in four years in high school,

051but really it's a lifetime elsewhere. I know it's not I've never seen the word human learn used in a portrait of a learner, but that's what we are. We're all humans. When I was thinking about this, I thought thriving human or thriving child. It doesn't sound quite right, but but that's the concept. Right. Yeah. I want Yeah, I think we want to get the concept of it. Yeah, it was a really rich discussion at that second meeting we had of the guiding coalition makes it broad where So, so what if I suggest this because I think there's consensus around similar to where we landed. There's consensus around what we want to see in that last word. So, we can all take like I I don't want us to rush through something. We can all take

052some time to really think that through, even bring it back to a discussion at the end of our April meeting. Um, how does that sound? Sure. And so, looking at the words um or the the the the previous um ideas, change agent, knowledge seeker, forward thinker, empowered communicator, globally conscious. Do we like that for our portrait? Yes. Yeah, I do. And I think it's if you ask, you know, sort of if you were to say who are we? We are change agents. We are knowledge seekers. We are So if you have the students self-identifying as these things, I think they're very um very actionable, very concrete, and very empowering. So I like, you know, a part of it for me is the descriptions, right? So I was reading reviewing those descriptions today and I noticed

053that for globally conscious there was a lot of this idea of like making the world a better place right so as long as that concept is reflected in the description then then I'm good because um globally conscious I mean if I'm just thinking like if you're thinking on a business like global business you recycling Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Recycling with or or Yeah. Considering Yeah. other people and the planet was in some of the descriptions, but um yeah, globally conscious by itself doesn't quite capture that maybe the humanity that you were referring to a bit ago, but I think in a the descriptions that were already there pointing us in a really good direction. I agree. So, um, so we'll we'll come back on the last one, right? Is that the idea for I just

054don't want something to just hold us up. Um, so here's here's the ask. Um, is to think about that. Um, and feel free to to share any thoughts that you have. Um, and and um, you know, I can compile any thoughts that you share between now and our next board meeting. And then we can add this to the discussion at the end um to to discuss what that looks like. Yeah. And then are we are we moving on to what those descriptors are or are we taking that later? So So I I it's agreeing to those terms and now we can build out those descriptors because every table group came up with some descriptors and so now we want to morph it and make sure that it reflects these ideas here. So we can bring

055that back. Any other thoughts on portrait of a learner? And did you refer to circling back to the vision as well? Feel like you, you know, said, "Oh, we could circle back to this." Well, I thought initially um when we were stuck on unlimited, unimaginable, without limits, but I I think we landed on something. So I'll get clarity and I can definitely you know so we're not approving this until June holistically. Uh but this now gives us I think a very clear road for the next steps. Um so the question would be is there consensus around nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits? That was a yes for me. Yeah. Yeah. And I think what you had mentioned is circle back this evening just to see. Right. That's what I meant. As opposed to Got

056it. Got it. Sorry. Thank you for clarifying. But I portrait of a learner. We're circling back in April. We'll circle back on Thrive. Thor. Yes. Right. It's the only one I didn't have checked off. Okay. Okay. So, there's consensus on nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits. And we empower generations through learning, leadership, and community. Correct. Yeah. Change a portrait of a learner, change agent, knowledge seeker, forward thinker, empowered communicator, globally conscious, something something representing thriving, adaptability, flourishing. And maybe it could be in the de thriving could be in the definition if it's not in the term potentially. If there's not the right term that grammatically seems to fit with rising. Yeah. All right. So, we have homework. And so, then at that meeting, you'll come back with those combined descriptors also, right? To kind

057of Or are we doing that tonight? No, we're going to come back with that. Okay. Got it. So, we agreed. And so, now we'll come back with that. Yes. All right. Do we need to take a little break or do we want to keep powering through? I'm okay. Keep going. Everybody get it. Sorry, we're comparing chat GDP suggestions for thriving thriving. You don't you don't want to hear it. It's all over the place depending on what you put in. Thriving leader, thriving self- advocate, which there's nothing in here about self- advocacy. Think about that. Thriving leader that really coincides with your leader and me things too. And I don't think you have that. The wheels are turning. There we go. Okay. So then transitioning to the second part of of our meeting is is creating

058priority areas. So um we have a vision. We have a mission. Uh we have a portrait with one more word to to fully define. Um and so our next steps would be to start having a conversation or continue a conversation, not start, continue the conversation around what are the priorities. Um so as a district we have been very responsive to anything and everything when it comes to our community, our staff, our students, and we do a lot. and and we feel that it's really important for us to be that entity that just supports wholeheartedly during the pandemic. Anytime somebody suggested a resource, anytime somebody suggested a program, anytime somebody suggested a shift, we said yes. It was this mentality of whatever it takes to meet the moment. And so over time when you continue to

059layer and layer and layer the idea of whatever it takes you have a lot. And so the time has come and and this is something that you know I think to your point earlier um Lette is is this idea that our our staff really needs direction. They want focus and they want priorities. And and when you create priorities we all know this then we know that you know there's There's this precision amongst your enterprise around what things matter and not that other things don't matter but the idea that you know we resource the things that we believe are important and are really going to make a difference and now meet the needs for us to achieve our vision and mission statement. And so um I'd like to spend you know the remaining time that we

060have together discussing what some priority areas are for us. Um, as a board, I would love for us to have consensus on some priority areas and and and Susette is really here like the expert on how we we get to this place, right? Because we can have 20 priorities, but then they're not priorities, right? They're really just a lot of ideas. But if we dwindle it down and find consensus amongst us on what the priorities are moving forward for the district, then we can establish some goals and bring back a strategic plan that's built out with the goals and the metrics. Now, internally as a district, um, we have been doing a deep deep dive on all things ZMCSC. You would be pretty impressed if I showed you the spreadsheet because it contains every program,

061every initiative, every strategy, every tool that we use in every single department. I mean, down to some tasks, right, that are just kind of standalone because they exist because we do things this way. And and so we've been doing this inventory of all the things that we do and it's just become more evident that the need for us to have priorities is now. Um and and so your priorities this evening are going to help with the next step when we do the audit of all things EMCSD, right? and and we're going to ask ourselves, is there alignment to the priorities that the board has has put forth? Is there alignment to the vision, the mission statement, and is there alignment to the resources that we're going to be allocating to really meet the needs of

062the strategic plan? So, so your conversation this evening is is probably the pinnacle to what the strategic plan, you know, is really all about because it's going to create the priorities for all the work that we do and the massive alignment that's going to happen with our school plans, our LCAP next year, not the one you're going to see in June because this goes into effect next year. School plans, LCAP, um our inventory, and all things CMCSD. It's exciting. So, every time we meet uh to discuss our inventory and I'm looking at cabinet because they're in it. Um you know, there's a little sense of of wow, there's a lot going on. And then there's this relief. There's this light at the end of the tunnel because we know that when we come out of

063this process, we're just going to be so much more focused and the alignment is something that everybody is really looking forward to. So the conversation is what do you see as priority areas? Um and Susette shared some examples um I think in her work and I won't speak to this is work that you've done in other districts where people have identified some priorities. So for example um academic achievement or teaching and learning and then the idea is that we discuss what that looks like. What are the descriptors right? What are the things that we're looking for in that priority? And then what are some success indicators? And it could be that we already have them and that's what we focus on or it could be that we don't have them and we need to go

064looking for the right metric to measure our success. Susette, do you want to add anything here? I I think um you shared it well, Dr. Garcia. If everything is important, nothing is important, right? And what happens in schools, we only have 180 days with our wonderful scholars and young people and we only have six and a half hours. The day the school year and the school day hasn't been expanded for decades. And so we keep piling on but nothing comes off and it's it makes it challenging for teachers as well. Certainly makes it challenging for the budgeting too because again there's so many priorities. So what you know I work with boards on is how can we stay focused and using the model it's called four disciplines of execution. It's a business book. It's wonderful.

065It's a Franklin CVY book and it was written in 2012 and essentially how the most successful businesses work as well. Now we understand we're not a business because we our raw materials are children. They're young people and so we have a little different responsibility there. But there's some concepts there that we can follow which first and foremost is they call them in the book wigs wildly important goals and and their recommendation is that an organization not have more than three of them a year because everybody then in that organization focuses no matter what you know if you're building helicopters there's someone working on different parts of that everybody plays a role that's the board's job in a school district is to set those pri priority areas and and then we stick with those for a

066few years. They're recommending now that we don't have strategic plans that go on for 10 years because with things that happen like a pandemic that is so unpredictable, the board has to shift the changes that you were talking about Trusty Seagris that are just so remarkably fast. So a strategic plan should be three to five years and it shouldn't change when just new board members come in or a new superintendent comes in. that's going to be your grounding as your mission and vision will be. So what are those key priority areas or those wildly important areas first and foremost and you see some categories here on the left hand side? Those are samples that other districts have had. You want a brief descriptor of it so that when you say academic achievement, what does that

067mean to you? It's not a long descriptor, but it's a brief descriptor. So you see that sample and then and that's the board's work. That's the what. And then staff comes back with the who and the how with the success indicators that they recommend to the board. You want to have success indicators which are metrics with meaning because you can't say we're going to just improve academic achievement and not have ways that you're going to measure that. And so your success indicators or your metrics will be more detailed from X to Y by when. And so those will be coming as well. But you will have those maybe in you know five six most boards are doing about five priority areas six most at the most. And it doesn't mean that next year a priority

068priority area couldn't change. Let's say you were going to do a bond initiative or something and you didn't have facilities as a priority area. You would want to make sure that that would be on there. But something like academic achievement or teaching and learning, whatever you call that, or you could call it student learning or academic growth, that should be up there in the top because that's the business of our business is learning. So you see this example, the model comes from business and uh and I and I think it applies well to schools. It helps us. I shouldn't say this, but I'm going to. The LCAP is a requirement. It's right. It's a statutory requirement. It's not necessarily what's driving the work every day. You want your strategic plan to be driving your work.

069And then LCAP you fill in to meet the requirements that the state has. Thank you. So would you like us to go one by one through each of these areas? Is that do you want us to talk about examples I think you know um we could use this as a reference or not like what are some ideas that you have and I think it would be helpful if if you share ideas and then they resonate with others to understand you know where there's consensus and then kind of really start creating a list right um that we can dive into and then um on our end it's it's asking you know for some of those descriptors in advance from you right if if if for example academic achievement is a descriptor or excuse me a focus

070area it's understanding what is it that you would like to see I have some thoughts anybody want to jump go first um I'll go second sounds good so I've I talked well first I I just want to say I I feel I mean I was a teacher and I would you know all my kids went through the district but at the same time I don't feel as qualified to speak on this as people who are working you know doing the daily district work. Thank you Beth. So um but but I I will say that I've I asked um I asked my kids what what would be a what's a big thing you know what's a what would be a priority for you? and they talked about grading because they experienced the transition to the high

071school district which uses percentages and letter grades and feeling how important grades are for their future for college. So I started thinking about the way we do grades and what do they mean to students? Um, how do how do our kids, especially as they get older, um, you know, do we have a as the kids grow, do we do we have a a progression to how they're understanding the feedback that they're getting? Um, when I've visited schools, I just went to the leadership symposium at Petro and the students really knew like what their goals were. They showed us their notebook and um, a couple of them were asked what was the biggest like what's the goal that you achieved that you're the most proud of and they were able to name it like a really

072meaningful goal for them. Um so yeah so it made me think about yeah how are we how are we communicating to this with the students and also with the families um giving them feedback on their academic progress. Um, so I I I would I I do think there's something there. There's something there that we could um really focus in on that perhaps would help the students in the transition, but I think the the bigger issue is that it would mean something to the students, especially as they're getting older. And then I also asked a teacher about, you know, how are the students doing? Again, it was this was um somebody who teaches older kids and they're just unengaged, right, with the the older kids. And so I think engagement um when I see teaching and

073learning, right, making sure that our students are in are or finding ways, right? Finding ways for our students to be engaged and have meaningful goals that they're working toward. I love that because then I was able to kind of write some words that you said that resonated some of my points. Um, so some things I wrote down is tying it back to what we had discussed and also presented with the floor of academic expectations. Right? So that would be one priority, the floor of academic achievement expectations. And I want to link it back to us creating that floor, which I know we did because when I think about IQ testing or the standardized assessments we use for academic achievement, it tells it tells a child what tells a parent whether their child is average or

074not or even what is grade level, right? As that's all man-made, right? and and we have to do two things because no matter what we're being measured on these things but then I think providing that direction would make it so would make it very clear to our students and to our parents and our staff like yes I know we have to give these assessments but we have our floor of expectations right our kids are going to leave here knowing how to read knowing how to write an essay and it's very clear and in black and white rather than an arbitrary kind of number of we meet this score. Um, so it connecting more of like that's why like our floor of of academic um expectations or our floor of academic achievement and again I understand

075we have to kind of do both but I think it would resonate more to it and um and that's what we're wanting to do. That's what we're rolling out. have our floor. So then that way we're creating our common assessments and we're monitoring students based on that floor, based off of how many words can they read, you know, what's their reading level at? What's their read um their reading comprehension at? Rather than this like, oh, they got a 500 and something on I Ready. What does that mean? They colored in the box on their I Ready chart. What does that mean? you know, um, and I think that's also then good data for parents to see because parents all they're seeing is my child got this score on the Sback, but then we're able to

076show, no parent, but let me show you their reading assessment. Let me show you how they're able to do math and we have those other points of reference to let parents know like, no, your child is growing, but we do understand again explaining the difference between like again I go on and on about testing. So, that would be one for me. Second thing is this I um the strength-based learning slash the experiences we're giving our kids. That's something that have we have been so proud of, right, that we've been rolling out is again musical. That's one thing we always had our musical theater, our field trips, our steam experiences and it all goes back to what we want. We want our students to leave here knowing what their strengths are. Um so that would be

077a second priority, strength-based learning experiences. Um and then the third thing I kind of was referencing some of the samples you gave here which is that inclusive um learning environment inclusive environment. When I think of inclusive environment, tying in that that safety, that secl that least restrictive environment. I don't know if inclusive is kind of like one of those buzzwords that people keep saying, but again, how are we connecting that safety that our kids are are u we're making sure that our kids feel safe at school that we're also addressing their needs and also kind of tying in that least restrictive environment, right? Um so that would be number three. Um, four for me would be responsible use of resource of resources and I think facilities management ties into that and then the financial piece

078and then I really do like that last one of leadership development because at first I thought of it like leadership development for our administrators. like no that leadership development is with our administrators, our teachers, and our classified staff. And it ties into all the professional development. And that is huge in our in in education, right? Um all the when we're thinking about how we're going to make sure that our all of our staff um are experts in their fields and have the knowledge that they need to support our students and all these other priority areas. So that's five. Nice. Yes. All right. Um, okay. I I guess we'll go around. Um, so I, yeah, on the academic side, um, I really like what Beth was saying. Um, in terms of engagement, keeping students engaged. Um,

079one of the things I was thinking about is um I know and and it's partly because of state testing and all of that and and it's important to have a focus on reading and language and math, but I feel like um students may get short changed particularly below middle school in history and science. they tend to um be things and and I think we heard that from some of the students feeling like you know if you're not really getting a solid science class until you're in seventh grade and not to say there aren't teachers doing certain things but I'm not sure it's something consistent across the district um that you know our our students aren't prepared and those are some of the the subjects I think that engage students more um I think with history

080too there there's also the component of, you know, sort of looking at the world around us and feeling like, you know, do do people, young adults, older adult, you know, do we understand what being a good citizen is, what being, you know, a part of our country, the systems that we have and why they work or don't work and the role that we have as citizens. Um so it not just you know like our not we're not just educating students to be um you know work in a specific job or a career path but we want you know it's it's a part of democracy is is an educated citizenry and so I think maybe a need to reassert that as part of our role. Um you know and it looks like different things at different

081age levels. Um, I I think I'd also like to see, you know, I don't know what this looks like in real life, but some um intent with the things that get done. So, example, like I I know classes, you know, we'll do an egg drop, but is that just for like a novelty project or is it tied into something specific? So, I think there's a lot of fun, engaging, we'll just say science activities or anything else. Um, but I I I you know in the in the world of like reigning in or consistency, I'd want to make sure that they are tied into something specific because we have that limited time with students, making sure there's intent behind all of the activities that go on. Um, and you know, I I think there's room for

082a lot of a lot of, you know, different opportunities within that, but I think making sure that the things that are being done in the classroom are significant to the academic goals that we have. Um, and then yeah, so I I think that and I and I think looking at um the measurements we use. So, one of the things um I've been thinking about, I know we get reports um you know, on our state test scores and and things like that um but creating, you know, maybe kind of an accountability time frames where we get to hear back maybe on what the students grades are. Um how they're doing on some of these other measures that are, you know, how are are students learning history? How are students learning in science? even with art, you

083know, is there a a kind of progressive curriculum that students can have with music and things like that so that it's it's more than just that broader view of more than just looking at what the state is asking us to do because that's kind of I think we all agree like that should be the minimum of what we do and I think um having that that larger framework um so that was kind of one area that's one yeah there you got one. Um the other one I so I had one that was like opportunities. So similar to what you're saying with the trips um really kind of thinking about you know what um you know families with all the resources in the world, what are the things that they can offer their students that maybe

084our students may or may not have access to that at home that the schools can provide. And so um you know we do a lot of really great things. I think there's just opportunities to look at at, you know, either continuing those or expanding the programs that we offer. Um, another component to that, and I know, you know, we do we're limited, you know, we go up to 8th grade, but I think there's sort of academic and career counseling um, opportunities. Um, and I know we have, you know, the counselors at each school and they they want the opportunities to do some of that as well. But I think starting younger helps a lot so that students in younger grades, not just college-minded, but like future-minded and what that looks like for them. Um, and

085then so then connected to that is is sort of a category of like real world skills, I guess. Um, so hands-on things. I mean, I know like CTE pathways is kind of the the current trend of things, but I think there's a real value at all grade levels for kids to have, you know, renewing some of those skills, whether it's cooking or building something or growing something. Um, connecting beyond the digital world um with with real life things. Um, it could include, you know, more language. I know Mr. Crisis talks about different language opportunities and you know maybe having um you know I know where our elective capacity is limited because of the size of our schools but maybe there's an opportunity to do more of a rotational thing where students can have maybe a

086quarter of you know learn a little bit of Spanish learn a little bit of Mandarin at all a you know whether or not you're in the dual language program just so that they can be exposed to things that then they may choose to pursue. do later. Um, and then addition to that would be like financial literacy and um, so I was remembering when some of the students came in, they were talking about wanting to just understand budgeting and looking at a credit card report and looking at, you know, how do you write a check? Those kind of basic things um that I think we can, you know, provide opportunities with as well. Um, and then along that in in the kind of real world skills is the interpersonal stuff. So, and I I really like

087all the work that we currently do as well in that just reminding people how to be in community with each other in a positive way because it's so easy right now with social media and all the negativity um to for students to get, you know, for that to be their model as opposed to showing that there's, you know, a a more positive constructive way to do that. Um and then the last kind of bit of is um kind of related to what I was saying about being good citizens, but I think I think we need to do some um broad proactive um responsible digital um consumer kind of things. So how can students um understand what you know is real and what is not real in the world? things that they're being advertised versus entertainment.

088Um what kinds of um you know how how you determine what the truth is. And I I've seen and I I shared with Dr. Garcia there's um this program I saw a little um segment on in the news on Finland where they start kids in kindergarten understanding, you know, what does an ad look like? What is it trying to tell you? and all the way up through high school so that they're more discerning consumers of all there's just inundated with information and how do you know what is real you know trustworthy sources of things um and and not just you know like it's hard for us to you know kind of transition beyond what we we know and what we've grown up with but there's just so much more that kids are exposed to and

089how they can trust and you know understand why why certain things are being pushed out the way that they are, the way the algorithms work in social media to feed them more of the the um extreme stuff. So, kind of with that, you know, it's it's basically giving them a little bit of armor to kind of go into the world in a way that they don't get um, you know, kind of swept away, I guess, with with whatever the fake news or the current, you know, trend or whatever is. Um, and I think that was, yeah, that was sort that covers my list. So, I like what you said about like real world real world learning. That was very because it connects to, you know, that CTE or the field trips or musical theater, right?

090All those I was thinking about all those actions. Yeah. And I and I think too it's part of that resiliency thing. So, you know, you think about kids that in in previous generations on their own could build something, could make something on their own. And um and the the confident feeling that you get from from struggling and overcoming the struggle as opposed to having something kind of just handed to you as a kit or whatever it is. Um so I think that that helps the social emotional side of it too. I I'll tell you a quick little story when you were talking about financial literacy. The kids in the student advisory said, you know, I think early on or they created vision boards for the LCAP and so they want financial literacy and I said

091that's great, right? And I was thinking transactional like credit card, debit card, checks, checks are kind of obsolete and they're like no, we want to know how tax systems work. like we want to know what our paycheck is going to look like and you know how we can deal with that because at the end of the day we need to know how much money we're going to have and I was like yeah Bitcoin I was not thinking about taxes when I was in seventh and eighth grade but yeah so so I think I'm gonna have to invite Mr. to come in to talk about our tax system. Can you do that? Okay. And crypto and crypto. We have a major job. By the way, if you're all aware of the media, they're reporting that American

092schools compared to 40 countries, we're number 40 at the bottom. That's because the NAP. Now, people link us into that, which is not fair. But I will do not shoot the messenger. There are people actively reporting in our community that our eighth graders are going into the high schools unprepared in math. That's something we really have to work on and fix because our reputation is really affected by that. So, we really have to do something to turn that around. It is it's totally untrue, but that's what they're saying. Do not shoot the messenger. No. Thank you for sharing that, Mr. Seagris. Is is that something is that an area of pri priority that you would like to see for the district? That's number one. Okay. And may I add my another priority is declining enrollment.

093We're not doing anything about it. I'm meeting local employees here who do not know that even though their children are in other districts, they can re come here. I just recruited a young lady's children from the Wells Fargo. She's going to enroll her child. She said, "You mean I can enroll my child in your district?" I said, "Yes, but I don't live in it." I said, "You don't have to. Check it out." And as soon as I mentioned the dual language, the immersion, she bought into it right away. And I have to apologize. The last meeting I said, "Sell the district." I meant market the district. Sorry, it's not for sale. Okay. Thank you, Mr. Palta. Do you have any to share? I I I like this idea, this thought of what we say about

094the floor of academic achievement. We should be having our students uh prepared when they get to that next level. I I um it's something that I've heard of uh a bit recently. Now, you know, my wife started teaching at the high school, so she's starting to be the recipient and she's teaching a freshman class. So, she's like right off the bat getting them fresh in as they come in. Um, and it's it it's hard to do that though because everybody has their own level of academic achievement as well. So, that's the part that I know we're struggling with at the district that I work for where we started testing some of our foster youth and this new testing system. The purveyors of this new system are trying to us to change our mentality and think

095about the student within within their own peer group. So if this student comes in and tests at this level and then we test them again six months down the road, how did they compare to similar students who tested at the similar level? Right? Like did they grow as much as this student? did not compare them to everybody within their grade level more but more specifically if they underachieved in the beginning how are they doing now they might still be underachieving but did they make up ground right so they really got us to start thinking outside of that framework of are they achieving at grade level you know don't start thinking of them as are they achieving at grade level but how did they grow did they grow within their own within their own uh ability

096within their own uh peer group to be able to achieve, right? Um because if a student's already at grade level, they can't get any more at grade level, right? They can only just keep going, you know, a little bit higher. But then if our if what we're teaching them is only within the grade level, then they really won't be able to get much further without outside of that grade level. So then the goal becomes to help these students grow at a better rate. Acceler acceleration. Yeah. you know, and to help them get prepared. I guess that I ultimately what I'm trying to get at is how prepared are they for when they do get to high school? And that should be probably our a number one goal is when they get to high school, are

097they going to be in a position to be able to continue that growth, continue that achievement, continue uh to be successful if they were already successful? And if not, then are are they achieving or are they growing at that rate where they will become more successful? That's the part that I'm trying to get at. I mean, it's, you know, been just a a few short months, but I I see that connection happening between, you know, especially the middle school and the high school. Um, the the principal and the assistant principal. I it I you know they have a relationship with my wife now and and now they're they're always communicating about certain students that had potential but just didn't have the home life or the resources or the encouragement from home to be able to

098achieve. And so then they're working you know they've been collaborating on working with these students on trying to help them get um better. So, you know, something along those lines of working with the high school district, what do they need for us to deliver to them, right? Um, I remember when my two oldests finished 8th grade and before they started high school, and I even think back to when I finished eighth grade and I went to high school, and I'm sure everybody else did it, a few of us did it as well. Our high schools had a summer school course because they wanted all the kids to start at the same level. Did a math did a math course of some sort, some type of intermediate algebra or something along those levels and then uh

099English composition. I know that's what I did and I think that's what both my daughters did. How can we get to the point where the high schools maybe don't need to do that as much? A partial answer is provide additional resources outside the school. I get so concerned about grade level. If you go into the Khan Academy, Khan, it's totally free. A child can go as far as they want to go and there are no limitations. Mexico offers a pren.org everything you want to know about math. The point being resources and I think that we should really try to recruit high school kids to come train them how to come in and tutor some of our kids and maybe retired teachers and just build on the resource base. And yes, I agree with what you're

100saying. Find out solutions to this. to make sure we can get them at grade level and even beyond because if they fall behind, I'll confess that I went to 11 elementary schools, four high schools, and I was behind a lot of times. What saved me? Caring teachers and resources like my grandma. So, the resources we have to build into like the library. I I just recovered a wonderful resource called audio live audio books online for free. I'm now listening to Huckleberry Finn being read to me. Our kids need to know about these resources and families. And again, it's not for everybody, but some people if they buy into it, it helps. Thank you. I like what you said. It was really on target. And so then all these other items should then feed into that.

101How does improving our facilities work towards this? How does our how does uh developing leaders work towards preparing students to succeed in high school? we we should start answering questions in in in like that I ultimately like these other items below it should then feed into how does this and if it doesn't then we don't do it you know the idea is to get it as simple as simply aligned as possible then that you know I as as much as I like this is stuff I'm bringing from my other job from from my work and it's you know things that I thought didn't make sense at the time but now I'm starting to see how how it aligned And I was like, man, you know, all these things do make sense. Although with 400,000 students

102is different to 6,000 8,000 students. So, um, it's I when you start thinking in that lens, it it simplified things for me as as a staff member there. I was like, okay, so how do I get this program to meet a goal a number one, right? How do I align my ideas here to meet this goal? And if it doesn't, then I move on to the next pro program and we just eliminate that one. Yeah, I really like that having that one main focus area. I I I have a a couple of thoughts related to the alignment, you know, with the high schools because our students go into the high schools with so many strengths and I'm not sure that everybody always knows what they are. Um, and so maybe in some of our alignment

103work, we can think about how to communicate what our students have got going on. I mean, I'm so impressed with our students. Um, you know, I walk into a classroom, the greeters of every age, walk up. I I walked into a first grade classroom with teachers from um they were from Georgia and this was at the symposium and the teacher wasn't there yet because they had let us they had released us early and so there was like a supervisor in the room but you know nobody directing the students in any way and the first grade greeter came up to us and introduced himself and told us what was happening in the classroom, which was we just finished lunch. It was rainy day schedule. But the kids know um they know they're little leaders, right? And

104as they grow older and older, they're just so articulate and um they're they're proud of what they've accomplished. And so um we we send our students off with so many strengths. Um so figuring out how to communicate those really really well. I think with the high school uh teachers or whatever that looks like I I think could be nice. I I envision even a portfolio or or whatever that the a student can bring or or just a sample or or you know there there could be a thousand ways to to share that with with the high schools. Um and and I you know there's the conversation about math and and preparation for the future. Um I I do always think about STEM and that there's this math funnel for preparing um students for STEM. So

105I love that math um achievement has been part of the stated floor in reference to what you were talking about for our district. um so that we are keeping all of those options open and there's always multiple pathways and um making sure that students know what all those pathways are so that they can get to STEM careers and and when I say STEM careers I've seen the charts right there are so many people that go into kind of tech related like medical tech um STEM careers which don't require a bachelor degree but I'm talking about like bachelor mast's PhD D, right? Talking about graduate level or MD, right? Um, graduate level STEM careers that um, our students might aspire to. Making sure, you know, like I said, math ends up being that a funnel for

106for some of that. Not that we would choose it to um to to remove students from from the pathway, but that's um, one of the systems that we are working with. And something that you were talking about, um, I can't remember exactly what you were saying, but it made me think about AI and the presence of AI in our students lives. Apparently, now there's some like AI that's like built into Tik Tok. Do we know about this? AI is getting built into AI is getting built into everything now. Yes. So, yeah, it's a workaround for chat TPT's like photo limitation. apparently is super useful in class. So the students are finding ways, right? Um but what what I'm thinking is um you know, we were talking about voice and students feeling empowered, right? We're looking

107at the portrait of a learner um forward thinker, change agent, empowered communicator. um with how useful AI is in just kind of getting ideas out and helping us think of words or whatever. Um the students themselves have experiences and ideas and creativity and voice um that can be developed alongside um the the use of AI. So um again I'm speaking in vague terms but thinking about how we um teach writing um alongside AI and also um along with your citizenship comments thinking about how we we teach citizenship or um talking about the humanity of of students and and our connectedness to the rest of the world. Um, how do we teach that alongside history, um, science, even literature? If you want free lessons in AI, go to the Khan Academy. It's there. And if you

108want in Spanish, intelligencia, it's there. It's free. It's online. State-of-the-art. And they keep adding to these things. And don't be afraid of artificial intelligence. He's using it right now. Everybody does with our phones and everything else. Okay. Well, and I like to to kind of pivot off of that, I just heard um somebody was interviewed over the weekend and they were talking about um AI and they were comparing it to like calcs with math. So when calculators come in, right, we're able to take away the need to worry about basic computational things and you can start to use math and and move beyond and and do more with it. And what is the human element that you bring to it? And I think framing that was kind of a little bit of aha for me

109like like teach the kids how to use it. Teach them how to do these things and use it as a tool so that then we can step back and say you know away from this what is how does this help us as people to do more and think beyond and inspire us to do other things. Um so I I think there's a component in there. I'm not sure we've really clarified a goal, but I think that digital awareness and all of that. Um although along with that, I I I kind of would be interested in some kind of a maximum screen time for kids in school. Um because I think it's very easy to replace a lot of things with computer and technology. And I I think for young kids in particular, um we know

110and even if it's academic, just the the act of sitting in front of a screen, the act of you know being and you know Chromebooks are great and convenient, but it's ergonomically not good to be on for long periods of time. Um and I think, you know, it's time to kind of reassess and go back to what what value does it add? Where can it be a valuable tool? and where is it just a book or reading on the screen. I I would rather see us go back to things that you know books writing by hand some things like that that are appropriate. Yeah. So, um because um I can see I've seen with some of my kids in other settings outside of this district that they can spend all their classes on the computer

111and so they're just on the screen all day. And then that's not even to consider times on phones and after school and all of that. And I think you know part of our role even, you know, that society has put on us is to help balance that for kids and teach them that as well. So I like that. I hate to bring it up again. If you go online, go to Santa Ana Unified School District, they're a leader in AI classroom teachers are using it to do lesson plans and I just sent it to Miss Reeves and also our superintendent. They are state-of-the-art. I was at CSB and I went to their presentation. The superintendent was speaking in English, then he pressed a button. AI had him speaking in Spanish, then he spoke in Vietnamese,

112then he did it in Mandarin. check it out. Santa Ana Unified School District. It's wonderful what they're doing and and they're willing to share because I asked them, they said yes, they will. Thank you. And I think to your point, if we're not teaching our students how to use AI, you know, they're going to use it in ways that's very transactional, like write my essay and do this and do that, and really not unleashing the power behind artificial intelligence. So, it's on us to to teach our kids. So, can I do a quick And I'm going to ask um this side of the room here because I took some notes, but if I missed something, I saw you guys jotting down some stuff. I'm going to speak in priorities um to make sure that I've

113captured um so uh grades engagement floors uh for academic achievement strength-based learning experiences inclusive learning environment responsible use of resources leadership development academic um opportunities real world skills responsible digital consumers uh math instruction, declining enrollment, uh floors, uh transitions to the high school, um reframing or or looking at achievement, um kind of defining our idea of what it looks like. Um aligning another the idea of alignment work for our high school, but uh focusing on our students strengths, STEM careers, [Music] AI, the humanity of students, um, screen time for kids, and I I know there's so much more, but that's okay. There were like more little things that Yes. I like the way the set tied it inclusive learning environment. That means safety seal. Let's like she she morphed it all into one. Like, let

114me get one in. It's a mega one. And then our job is what to then have our priority areas because I really do like what um Cesler was saying with um if it doesn't connect to that that one goal then our you know then analyzing like is it something that we should be focusing on and I referenced someone I referenced a training that I went to and Teresa was there too. It's called the Christmas tree effect. At first it may seem, oh my god, this district is so great. They have so many different things going on. But then your energy is being taken. You're not focusing on that one area. So it's called like that Christmas tree effect, right? Because of all the different lights that we're Yeah. You're like, "Oh my god, that's great.

115This district has so many things going on, but then they don't have a focus area." So again, then you're then your teachers are expressing we're all over the place. What's our direction? What what what what's the um what's our what's the direction of our district so that we can make sure we're focusing on that? So when we are doing things with students like the egg drop as simple as that can be is it connect is it connecting to this floor or this preparedness for high school or this that goal area that we have and speaking to engagement how do we create how do we reinvigorate our curriculum so that maybe we're taking away the egg drop but there's other things that are more engaging captured it all. Everything you said? All right. Well, we still

116we we have a lot of priorities. Yeah. All right. So, how do we dwindle down? Well, I think probably it it gives and it's so great that staff is here, you know, to process because the staff has to be the funnel and you know, how do we capture this maybe in three wildly important goals because they're really I I did kind of hear and as we were repeating there were three things. The academic floor piece which was really related to students being ready to go into high school. Here's our minimum and this is what these are our non-negotiables that we feel here in Elmani are are the biggest priority. the engagement piece and then that whole component around the digital citizenship and all of those elements that were kind of bundled a little bit in

117opportunities because there were opportunities that you talked about there that could be maybe um chunked together. So that that's going to be the staff's what I would suggest is let the staff come back to the board with what would be some three maybe or four priority goal areas and what trustee Peralta said is exactly right. if you can weave in if facilities isn't doesn't need to be its own standalone priority goal that was just on here because a lot of districts have bonds and things but how does safe facilities or a classroom that's clean and inspiring help get students off the floor for achievement that's it's just threaded doesn't have to be its own priority goal you're right I like that tying it to students and then connecting what we're doing and connecting and then

118the the responsible use of resources the resources. Then when you adopt your budget, the core of your budget in those buckets will be to support these main goals. So I like that if I can give you just one other opportunity to to maybe make connections to things that others said that resonate. Not that it moves things up in terms of an order, but just is there anything else that is there something that was said that resonates with you? Is there something that wasn't said that I'm opening it up right now, right? I think and I know it was something I said and I I think both of you said it as well, but um we were talking about testing and I think um I I I sort of feel like we're kind of like the

119idea of of moving beyond just what the state testing is. Um, yeah. Yeah. And and creating more of what does it mean for the Almani City School District to be successful, whether it's with grades and and test scores and things like that and making sure that students understand how that relates to the work that they're doing. It's not just, oh, I got my report card. It has all threes. I'm good. you know, it's and I know I and I feel like with the standardsbased report card, there's a window into it, but I'm not sure students understand it. I And they may not really be the audience anyways, but it's it's more of a a checkbox of where you've gotten um as opposed to a sense of I'm learning a progression that will lead me to

120this and to the next thing. I'll I'll jump off of what you just said. Yeah. Because um I think it also relates to grading or or how we communicate, how we give students feedback. Um, I'll I'll say that when the students named their their most proud goals that they accomplished, their most proud achievement. It wasn't like, "Oh, I got this on the I Ready." And if they go to high school, can they be like, "But I got this on I Ready." Although the I Ready, the scores, like the the check-ins, they're they're happy. My I'm talking about my own students, my own kids now, right? they're they're happy or sad based off of kind of where they're lining up if they're showing progress, but it maybe it's not that most meaningful thing for them or

121connecting to what you were saying. Thank you for sharing. What is the most meaningful? Um it was it was um I'm going to say it wrong. Reassessing what is it the reclassif reclassifi reclassification was the um most proud achievement for a couple of students. Yeah. And then another one mentioned um passing the mile time. Mile time. Yeah. Which I mean it's a meaningful goal. It's a big deal. Yeah. But that also speaks to, you know, students have different interests and engagement, you know, is what keeps them coming back for, you know, they do all the other stuff because they get to do XYZ school and they were thinking about high school. Yeah. Yeah. I really appreciated what you said, Jennifer, about the hands-on stuff and the um beyond digital to use your word beyond. Yeah.

122Um for so many reasons, right? The creativity, the human element, the um just the flourishing, the thriving. So, I would like to see us use the social print media. I don't see anything in the Mid Valley News Tribune. There should be the I meet people in other districts and they say, "You sent your kids to Sacramento and DC." Impossible. I said, "No, because we did it." The spelling bee, thank you again. We got into that. People need to hear about these things because there's so much negative publicity now about the schools that we have to answer back. Thank you again. The parents are ready for next year. And then to chime in with some last thoughts, um I like that we're taking the the this opportunity to align things. I think that's something that we

123really want to do. So, you know, we've aligned our our mission, our vision and mission. So, then I just circled back to our mission and just took those three words, learning, leadership, and community. So, keeping that in mind when we're then um creating our our priority areas, do they connect to the vi to our our mission and those three words that we chose? Um, and then I really like what you point out is that about keeping our pur areas student focused because you're right because I a lot of times I with when I initially saw for and these were just examples about facilities management, responsible use of resources. I'm like, oh, I guess just you're right, that's kind of how other districts do it. That doesn't mean that we have to do them that way.

124And I like what you were saying about then when we're looking at these are power. I'm a big believer on the power of three. when we have our three student focused priority areas, everything else is going to fall into place. Our facilities management, our PD, our administr, our our leadership development. So then really focusing then on what are those three student focused priority areas that are then also supporting our vision and our mission. Hashtag what was it? Hashtag beyond limits. Yeah, that's good. I think, and I was circling back over the list, um, the leadership development component. I didn't know if we'd gone back around with that, but I I think for students and for all the staff, that component of of continual learning and development and the leadership, you know, like leader in me,

125of course, is is embedded in in all of it. And I I I think somewhere that needs to be in our priorities because I I think it really has served our school well. So I'm not sure in which category that falls into but you know leader and me not just being for the students but for all levels of staff within the district. And I see that digital citizenship and real life experiences falling under community. Yeah. Yeah. Because we're doing it with intent. We want them to be um global citizens being aware of the decisions that they're making and being able to distinguish between fact and reality. Not true. Yeah, that's about aligning things, right? And then it turned into a little visual into a little triangle. Yeah. Too bad Robert's not here. He would have

126already had a graphic design. She's got one going. I totally have one going here. Yeah. Save it for him. He loves that because then it does help when you're an administrator and you're planning your PDs. It does help to know is this aligned with what we're doing? We're making this and I will I'm having to do I'm part of this book study. It's about the power of trust, right? And it's like if people know what your intent is, they know what to expect. There's going to be more trust in your organization. Yeah. But if you don't know what your intent is and you're start mentioning things about say um inclusion, but then it's like well again and if you haven't really spelled that out to no, this is remember this is how this is built

127into our priority areas of real world experiences. Our students are going to leave here not in special education. They're going to leave here in the real world. And this is why we're wanting to have more inclusive opportunities for our students because they're these are real world experiences that they're going to have. Life is not a self contained class. I like getting my soap box. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. I guess just a quick do you guys have any questions of anything that needs clarification or anything? you described and and I struggled just kind of naming off the themes because I wrote down the descriptions. So, I don't want to um you know just kind of like I feel like you really described what it looks like enough for us to try to make those connections and

128to bring back distilled. I don't know that we can do three to five, but I think we'll give it a shot. Um and then you can select or you'll bring us 10 and you have to pick three, right? This is great. This is really really good. Okay, any other thoughts or comments? Okay, so should we wrap it up? Okay. So, it sounds like we This is a lot of homework now for cabinet and homework, but you want to sign GPT. Yes, I totally would. We're going to we're going to do the non the group's assignment will be to think about that last descriptor, right? Driver, driving learner, driving human. Yeah. Can you email us again the the descriptions or the conversations around it because we want to keep it? Yeah, I can do that conversation

129around and we have a draft. I'm going to call it draft until we finally approve it, but we have a draft of a vision and a mission. Our vision is nurturing young minds to achieve beyond limits. Our mission statement is we empower generations through learning leadership and community. And our portrait is change agent, knowledge seeker, forward thinker, empowered communicator, globally conscious and blank driver blank and our hashtag and our hashtag. We have that too. And we have some costumes um from Amazon that we make Power Rangers and I'm Kitty. That's that's funny. I like how you made those connections. Um, and then we have some really good um, discussion here um, to think through about some of the district priorities that might bring back to the board. Okay, great. Thank you. Okay, so last last

130chance. Any last thoughts? No. Okay, then we will adjourn the meeting. It is 652.