Mt. Diablo USD Board Meeting 4/16/2025 Part 2

001two board members. Oh jeez. Good evening everyone. Uh we're reconvening the meeting of the Mount Diablo board of education for April 16th uh 2025. Um and uh it is now 6:02 p.m. Welcome everybody. This is the open session. So item 6.1 is the land acknowledgement. We recognize that the Mount Diablo Unified School District sits on the territory of the Confederated villages of the Lan, the ancestral and unseated land of the Bay Miwok and Northern Yokut, the successors of the sovereign Verona Band of Contraosta County. As members of the Mount Diablo Unified School District community, it is vitally important that we not only recognize the history of the land on which we learn, but also we recognize that the land we inhabit and learn on is the ancestral land of these people who are alive and

002flourishing members of the Mount Diablo Unified School District uh community and the broader Bay Area communities today. Please stand for the pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisible with all. So, uh, item 6.3 is approval of the minutes for the regular board meeting held March 19th. Madame President, I move to approve the minutes for the regular board meeting March 19th, 2025. I will second that. So, we have a motion by Trustee Count with a second by Trustee Mason. Further discussion? Trusty OoA, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. It's great to see you by the way. And that is adopted on a 500 vote and support from our uh student trustee. Next, we will move on to the 6.4 review

003and potential approval of the agenda. Dr. Clark, are there any changes? No changes, Madam President. Madam Chair, I would move that we accept the agenda as presented. Second. So we have a trust a motion by trustee Mason with a second by trustee in Zei. Any further discussion? Trusty AOA, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. And the agenda is approved as presented on a 500 vote with support from our student trustee. Um, next we have the report out of action taken in close session. 7.1 was negotiations where the board uh can um receive or pro provide directions to its representatives regarding the represented employees. Uh, and we received information. 7.2 is dismissal, discipline, release or reassignment of public employees. We received information on that particular item. Let's see. 7.3 conference with legal counsel existing litigation.

004There were two cases. The board met in close session with legal counsel to discuss a matter of existing litigation pursuant to government code section 549569 by a vote of 50 in the manner of Bernstein versus Mount Diablo Unified School District Contraosta County Superior Court case C24-01544. The board approved a settlement up to the stipulated amount and according to the settlement terms. The second item under this particular uh agenda item, the board met in close session with legal counsel to discuss a matter of existing litigation pursuant to government code 54956.9 by a vote of 5000 in the matter of KK versus MDUSD office of administrative hearings case number 2025200032. The board approved a settlement up to the stipulated amount and according to the settlement terms. Um let's see what is the next one and then [Music]

005um I'm sorry they're on different pieces of paper. Um the for item 7.4 Four, the student matter 01-25 request for subpoenas. The board denied the request for subpoenas for student 01-25. The vote was 50 0. And for item 7.5 um which was the uh request for a continuence on the matter of student 01-25 in a discipline hearing. The board approved the request for the second postponement for student 01-25 with a 5000 vote. And finally 7.6 Six consideration to hear of an appeal of a decision in a complaint against an employee per board policy 1312.1. In one matter, the board voted by a vote of 500 to decide to not hear an appeal of complaint against a district employee pursuant to board policy administrative regulation 1312.1. And that concludes the report out of our close session

006items. I believe we are ready to move on to public comment. Okay. Um the public may address the board regarding any item not on the agenda. The public comment will also be allowed on each expense ex specific agenda item prior to board action thereon. And the presentations are limited to three minutes each or a total of 30 minutes for all speakers or the three minute time limit may be shortened. If there are multiple speakers on any one subject, the public comment period may be moved to the end of the meeting. Speakers not are not allowed to yield their time. So okay. So, uh, the first speaker for this evening is Corey Lynch Grant. Welcome, Miss Grant. Thank you. Good evening, Dr. Clark and board members. I come before you to respectfully request that you reconsider

007the decision to remove Miss Lorie Clark as principal of River Riverview Middle School. My name is Corey Lynch Grant and I am a teacher with over 20 years of experience in title one schools and I have had the honor of knowing Miss Clark both personally and professionally. She is an exceptional school leader who embodies integrity, compassion, and dedication to students, families, and staff. Under Miss Clark's leadership, Riverview has made remarkable progress. Number one, average daily attendance has increased, reflecting improved engagement and school climate. Two, when she began, only 50% of staff positions were filled. She has since hired and retained the majority of staff, restoring stability and consistency. With a stronger team and better attendance, Miss Clark has led instructional shifts that are yield yielding fewer D's and Fs, more targeted academic emotional supports. Three,

008redesation rates for multilingual learners have risen due to her focus on effective inclusive instruction. Five, suspension rates have decreased through restorative practices and positive behavior supports. And six, staff morale and cohesion have improved. Teachers feel empowered, supported, and proud to work underneath her leadership. These outcomes are not a coincidence. They are the result of focused, strategic, and compassionate leadership. Some concerns have been raised, and I'd like to clarify some of them with honesty concerning Ms. Clark's availability to families. Miss Clark used to hold a monthly event called Capesito with Clark to connect with parents and she was always available. However, no parents went. She is always also available by appointment. When she is unavailable, it is usually due to district meetings or pressing school matters, not a lack of access accessibility. Concerning Miss Clark's tone

009with students, claims that Miss Clark yells misrepresents her leadership style. When monitoring large groups, she uses a firm teacher voice to maintain safety and order. Standard practice in camp campus supervision. One-on-one, she communicates with a calm, direct, and respectful tone. Her patience is exceptional, even when addressing parents and students who challenge school policies. She is always professional and composed. We must not let isolated complaints overshadow the clear, positive impact that Miss Clark has had. Her leadership has improved Riverview in nearly every measurable way, from attendance and academic achievement to staff morale and school climate. To remove her now would disrupt our meaningful progress and send a troubling message about how we value effective principled leadership in our schools, especially in title one communities. Thank you very much. Have a lovely evening. Thank you, Mrs. Clark,

010and thank you, Riverview staff. The next speaker is Heather Hollis. Um, I'm here on behalf of the Bayoint community. A lot of families have been receiving retaliation. Their childrens have been direct targeted because we are the families that have been speaking out about Riverview. What our kids are facing. I'm also live streaming with lots of kids who are joining in who weren't able to make it today. This is 68 signatures. If we had more time, I guarantee you we'd probably have well over 200 in a day to get 68 signatures for the support of firing Clark says a lot. The fact this week, last uh not last week, but the week before that, ever since we submitted our uniform complaints, it has been just horrible for our students. I see I'm getting calls from my

011own child. They have their watch on them being yelled at just for little things. They're not being combative. The morale is completely down. The only positive changes that we have is Dr. Richardson. Kids don't want to be at school. There's always fights. There's always going to be fights. We need someone who represents us. We need someone who is not going to dodge us. I've gone into the office. I know many other parents have gone into the office. She'll run right the other way. We've attended Cafita with Clark. So, we're not no one. We're one of the loudest families at Riverview. We are very appreciative that the district is taking the time to actually listen to us and actually take our concerns seriously. So, please do not shut the door on us. We are coming here

012today with these signatures. If you give us another week, we'll have a lot more. Another thing we'd like to be brought up that during the school day today, the teachers were collecting signatures during the school day. Shouldn't they be teaching? I understand title one schools are hard, but this is not a prison. These kids, I've been on the phone with my daughter. Minute she walks in, she's yelled and screamed at. What kid wants to be yelled and screamed at the minute they walk into a class? Teachers ask, "What can we do different?" I don't know. Talk to your co-workers. Maybe if they treat with respect, the kids will too. As an adult, I fidget. I do everything. But no, we expect these kids to sit at their seat straight. Don't do anything. Otherwise, if they

013play with their hair, fidget with their paper, they're being rude and disrespectful. These kids need kindness and compassion. They don't need an iron fist coming down. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Hollis, and parents from Riverview. Jennifer Smith. Hello. I was asked to read a letter into the record uh signed by 30 of the Riverview Riverview staff members. Can you speak more closely into that mic? Sure. Sorry. Dear Mr. Clark and MDS MDUSD school board, we the staff of Riverview Middle School are writing with heavy hearts and a unified voice to express our deep concern and disappointment regarding the news that Principal Lorie Clark will not be returning to school next year. As educators who have worked through years of uncertainty, change, and challenge, we cannot overstate the impact Miss Clark has had on our school.

014Her leadership has brought about real and lasting change. Not just in the systems and structures, but in the hearts and spirits of our students and staff. Riverview is not an easy school. We are a title one site with a diverse population and a high need student body. We have weathered two excruciating years of a previous leadership structure that left staff feeling unsupported, unheard, and overwhelmed. The result, 14 teachers left. That exodus spoke volumes about the climate at the time. Morale was low. Trust was broken. Our community, school community was in survival mode. Then Miss Clark arrived. From day one, she brought with her a sense of calm, purpose, and direction. She did not come to fix us. She came to partner with us, to listen, to learn, and to lead with integrity. Under her leadership,

015we have experienced a complete shift in school culture. Students are more accountable and engaged. Discipline referrals have decreased. Student morale has significantly improved. Teachers feel safe, valued, and supported. There is trust. There is vision vision. There is progress. Miss Clark is more than just an administrator. She is a true instructional leader. She understands curriculum and the challenges of teaching and learning. She models professionalism and compassion. She makes herself available even in the toughest moments. Her presence has brought stability, clarity, and hope to a staff that once felt lost and burned out. Riverview Middle School has experienced frequent changes and leadership over the years, and at times our school feels like the foster child of the district, often overlooked and left to navigate transitions without the long-term support and stability our community deserves. To say that

016we are devastated by this decision to remove her from Riverview would be an understatement. It feels like just as we are beginning to rebuild to feel proud of the direction we are heading, the foundation is being shaken again. Our students deserve consistency. Our teachers and staff deserve continued support and our school deserves the opportunity to grow under a leader who has already begun to create meaningful and lasting change. We urge the district to reconsider this decision. Allow Miss Clark to stay at Riverview Middle School and continue the work she has started. Removing her at this critical moment not only risks undoing the progress we have made, but also sends a disheartening message to the educators who have fought hard to create a better future for our students. We stand united in this request, not only

017for ourselves as educators, but for our students. Sorry. Who thrive under Miss Clark's leadership and for the entire school community. Thank you. Can I have Thank you. Next speaker is uh Nicholas Selby. So I'm a math teacher over at Pleasant Hill Middle School and we have a systemic issue in math. It's not a secret. We've seen the CAST scores. They've been presented to the board. We know these things. But we talk about doing things like accelerating learning, building thinking classrooms, all these great things, but they're really just a band-aid. They're not really what is going to actually start moving things. All the studies are showing at this point that kids need more math, not less, if they're behind. We're getting them three, four years behind by the time I see them in seventh grade. And

018so when we get this, one way we can do this is we'd have to start talking about more math, which is more support classes, but that of course requires, you know, more teachers and more FTE. And so instead of doing things like that, the school district decides, hey, we're going to make sure the class sizes are up to 36, which of course means that we have less people being able to do that, right? were set in the FTE for the MAC max class sizes for my classes next year are set at 36. That's granted that's one less than my maximum class size of 37, but it means less individual attention. It means that we're not necessarily going to necessarily serve those students that are struggling and need us the most. Thank you. Next speaker is

019Tess Nicosa. Is it Nikicoia? I apologize. Welcome. That's all right. Good evening. I've never done this before, so bear with me. Um, I'm writing, this is a message I sent to you earlier today. I'm writing to say that I'm extremely disappointed in the district's decision to let my principal Nick Ray at Pleasant Hill Elementary go at the end of the school year. Nick has been an outstanding principal for our site. He had big shoes to fill. He filled Aurelia Bushimi's shoes. Those were big shoes um when he started with us and he did a great job transitioning to our school. He's always supported and respected the staff at our site and he recognized right away that our staff is a veteran staff and we know what we're doing when it comes to educating our students.

020He let us do our jobs. He's trusted us to do our jobs and he's always supported us with discipline issues. Oftentimes, he's pulled from our site as other people have said due to district meetings. We need a vice principal to help with discipline, which would be nice. Every school should have a vice principal. And because we have discipline problems, it happens. And he's always offsite for district meetings. He speaks up at those meetings in support of us. He helps us. He makes sure that he has our back. And my speculation is that people in the district don't like that he speaks up. There's also been a few issues at our school that in the last two years since he's been on our campus that have come up that are not his problem. They were HR

021problems, personnel problems, things that personnel should have taken care of. And he's the fall guy. We're not happy that he's being that he's being um let go. We were given a survey to give our suggestions as to um who we would like to see or what qualities we would like to see in our next principal after you did interviews. What was the point in that? They held interviews for a new principal who you're appointing tonight. Apparently, we found out by reading the agenda. You're appointing a principal tonight at our site. After we were given given an opportunity to give input, we weren't even asked to be on the interview panel. Don't you think the teacher at a site that's getting a new principal should have some say? I know you can't answer. Anyway, um it's

022just frustrating. I've been at PH for 20 years and Nick is of the principles I've had, one of two great principles I've had at PH. One of two. He filled the shoes of the greatest and he's the second greatest. It's disappointing. It's frustrating that you don't even take into consideration what the staff and the parents feel. Not one of you have been on our campus to see what he does for our students. Not one of you have been on campus. The last time you were on campus, Dr. Clark, was a photo op. It was after our lockdown when we thought there was a shooter in the campus. You wanted to be there when the news was there. That was the last time you were there. Yeah. Yeah. See, you even know that was the last

023time you were at PHE. Not right. It's not okay. Thank you. The next speaker is Sarah Timo. Sarah, by my calculation, we can go till 6:40. Does that make sense? Hi, my name is Sarah Timo. Um, I'm actually a parent um and a substitute teacher that just started at Pleasant Hill Elementary two days ago, which is crazy knowing that all these teachers have taught my kids. and um Mr. Ray asked me personally to come and help their staff. I feel honored but then heartbroken that Mr. Ray is not going to be there. Not going to be there for the kids or the staff. And I just don't know why. I know you're not allowed to tell me, but as a parent, a community member, someone who wants our kids to to to thrive, I think

024it's devastating. And we don't know why. because to me he's doing an amazing job for a 19-year-old and a 17-year-old and I see these teachers that that have stayed there that have nurtured my family through all the stuff. It's heartbreaking and I'd like to know why. Thank you. The next speaker is Karen Admo. Uh, my name is Karen Adamo. Actually, I apologize. No, it's okay. Um, and I came to Riverview to teach ELA in um, August of 2023 after 18 years away from teaching and 13 as a parent in MD MDUSD. Um, I expected my new job to be hard. Reigniting my skills would not be a joke and doing right by a population coping with poverty is ever its own art and science. I knew what I could not have known in advance were

025the shocks laid in wait for anyone arriving to find students and staff conditioned from a chaotic run of years. The environment was harsh. Over two years, I have had many intensive interactions with Miss Clark. Often not easy. These have been the work of two educators in desperate roles, starting with no history together, operating under high pressure. I admire Miss Clark's savvy at sorting the net of policy, law, and best practices that define what staff must do to manage issues that pop like whack-a-ole. It is on her to make decisions uh hard decisions and to see to it that her teacher steady on path to instruction and curriculum planning that must better support students to thrive. This much is half of it. A principal who calls good shots is nothing if a campus does not feel

026their voices reflected in these matters. I have relied on Miss Clark to lead without the kind of ego that impedes feedback and reconsideration. When the moment calls on her to be the authority, she does it. When the moment shifts, tenderness and humility unfold. Her fusion of command with abiding love is evident one-on-one, in staff meetings, and when crises occur. As mom to three children in the district, I have worked with many admin over the years. I know how genuinely my principal would show up were I to land in her office as a parent. My probationary path has been hard as it has coincided with two hard transitionary years in the history of the school. The course has yielded opportunity to build with Miss Clark the kind of trust that comes when two educators stay a

027path across a protracted dynamic process. If I'm going to keep a pace towards becoming who Riverview needs me to be, I am I uh I need the principal with whom I have built this trust. Okay. Uh pardon me, a little nervous. Starting over would make waste of all we have knit between us. Okay. I cannot say who doubts that Miss Clark has steer steered Riverview from the place where chaos and reactivity left staff and students at a loss. I'll go ahead and close out here because I I know you need time. But thank you so much for hearing me out. Very good to meet you. So we have 12 minutes left for our 30 minute public comment card. And I have four cards. So there are four speakers and if you can each um keep

028your comments short so you don't aren't repetitive then we can hear all four of you otherwise we will have to shift the public public comment to the end of the meeting per our rules. Uh the next speaker is M Maria Padroni. Maria welcome. Hi thanks for the time to listen. Um, I've been a teacher with Mount Diablo Unified School District for 23 years. I am also a parent of a fourth grade student at PHE Elementary. Um, I'm requesting that you reinstate Principal Ray to Pleasant Hill Elementary. Over the past three years, I've been working with Principal Ray as a teacher and a parent of a fourth grade student at Pleasant Hill Elementary. Principal Principal Ray has demonstrated strong leadership, effectively used conflict resolution to solve problems and has been totally dedicated to student success. Principal

029Ray has motivated and inspired the Pleasant Hill community with his strong leadership skills. He has effectively implemented consist consistent schoolwide math tasks that have helped students achieve successful collaboration and problem solving skills. These math tests were essential in boosting my overall math star scores. Principal Ray has also demonstrated strong leadership skills by facilitating schoolwide data analysis for student success. As a staff under his leadership, grade levels were able to implement tools to support the individual needs of all of our students before cash testing. students, parents, and staff and their community have been inspired and motivated by principles Ray's dedication and commitment to lifelong learning. Principal Ray has effectively used conflict resolution to meet the needs of students, staff, parents, and the PhD community. On a daily basis, he resolves student conflicts quickly and effectively. For

030example, this past year, I called Principal Ray after school because my daughter was scared and upset and crying after a school incident. He comforted my daughter, listened with deep understanding, and resolve the student issues the next school morning. On a daily basis, PhD students misunderstand playground and classroom situations which cause problems between staff, parents, and students. He has a unique ability to always be empathetic to everyone's perspective and provide mutual understanding. Principal Ray H always investigates problems carefully and promptly resolves conflicts in a fair, constructive manner. Students, parents, staff, and the community all feel deep gratitude for his ability to understand and to respond to all of our student needs. Principal Ray has showed a dedicated commitment to student success. While at PHE, Principal Ray has implemented ongoing PH schoolwide social emotional support groups. He

031also also facilitated ongoing data analysis through professional learning communities and staff development. As a teacher, this data has been extremely valuable to guide my instructional practices and improve student achievements. As a parent, Principal Ray has listened to my academic concerns for my daughter and implemented a plan for her individual success. Thank you. I'd like to give time for the other three speakers. Thank you for listening. The next one is Julie Rivers. Are you uh passing? No. Okay. Hello, my name is Julie River. I have two children attending PH. We moved here this year. We've had nothing but wonderful experiences with Mr. Ray. I can't say that we have had a even smooth transition schools. Um it's been very hard actually. It's been quite challenging. I have some social challenges with my children. And what we

032found is even though we struggled a lot in the beginning, the one person we could count on was Mr. Ray. He went above and beyond like calling me in and trying to help the problem. I wasn't even calling him in. I was calling other people trying to deal with problems immediately with like the person, the main source. And Mr. Ray wanted to involve himself and help solve all of the issues we were having and there were many at the beginning of the year. Um I think it's kind of shocking just because what most people's comment was as we approached various you know parents and community members was why right why did this happen the problem is none of us know why it happened it's a confidential manner that could only be discussed between employee and

033employer but the problem with that is that Mr. Ray has voiced to me directly that he was not given a reason. So if you continue to act in this manner without when you fire somebody or let them go without giving them a reason, that's going to scare away a lot of people from this district. That's going to scare away valuable candidates that want these jobs. People are not going to want to work for this district if this behavior continues. So I was not there. I did not have that conversation with Mr. Ray and whoever delivered the news, but we're all very upset about what happened and we hope that decisions can be made that can fix this going forward. Thank you. Thank you. Next is uh Kristen Tennessian. Hello. My name is Kristen Tennyson. I've

034been a PG parent for the last seven years. I'm here to present a petition with you signed by a 100 caregivers from PHE. Uh these were hand collected at morning drop off every morning. A few parents um when we learned that Mr. Ray had been uh it wasn't his choice to leave, we were shocked and decided to reach out to other caregivers. And I've had uh positive interactions with Principal Ray, but uh I was so s I was so pleasantly surprised to hear most people that walked by me were so happy to sign the petition and were shocked that he it was not his choice to leave. So this petition states, "I would like Principal Ray to continue being principal at Pleasant Hill Elementary for the 225 226 school year and beyond." And I have

035emailed this um scanned this in and emailed it to the board comments. We believe Principal Ray is excellent and he we have heard numerous stories about how positively Principal Ray affected families which is a tremendous achievement considering that PHE is one of the largest schools in the district and accepts every student. Uh changing a principal at an elementary school is extremely disruptive and you the board make these decisions that affect our daily life. But don't get too many opportunities to see the faces of the community you are affecting. So we are here tonight to give you an opportunity to interact with us and hear from us. We are not happy with your decision uh to not bring back principal Ray and we do not understand why you made this decision. The community at PHE reflects

036the values we are teaching our kids that kindness matters, that respecting each other is important. We would be hypocrites if we did not show up here tonight to speak with you. Uh, Principal Ray genuinely cares for every child at PH and is invested in their success. He is so invest invested in fact that his own child attends the school. We all recognize how challenging Mr. Ray's job is, yet he makes us feel valued, heard, and supported. It seems like an impossible task, but the culture he fosters is working for student happiness and success. Please realize fully the disruption you are causing to our PhD community with this decision decision for a reason we do not understand. Please consider asking students, parents, and teachers for their feedback before you dismiss a principal and find a replacement.

037And please consider extending the contract of Nicholas Ray for principal at PHE. Thank you so much for your Thank you for your comments. Next speaker is Aaron Matusenko. Hello. Um, I'm also a parent um at PhD. I have two children and I'd uh like to read what I wrote. We are writing from a place of deep emotion, unity, and love for someone who has made an unforgettable impact on our school, our principal, Mr. Ray. His leadership has not only shaped the direction of our school, but has touched the hearts of every student, staff member, and family within our walls. When he joined our school, he stepped into a place not of need, but of compassion, leadership, and connection. He held purpose and hope. He didn't just take on a role, he fulfilled a calling. He

038met the emotional, academic, and cultural needs of our school community in ways no one else could. He built a foundation rooted in trust, respect, and unwavering support. a foundation that our kids began to stand tall on. To now have him taken away is not only painful but deeply confusing for the children who have come to rely on presence. It sends a powerful and heartbreaking message that even someone who gives his whole heart and meets every need can be taken from them. Our kids deserve better. They deserve stability. They deserve the continued leadership of someone who has poured everything into making this school a home. Our students adore him, not just because he shows up, but because he shows up with heart. He listens, he inspires, and he leads with love and purpose. For many of

039them, he is a source of strength and encouragement in ways that cannot be measured in words or statistics. He is also a pillow for our staff, trusted, respected, and wholeheartedly supported by the people who work with him every day. Together, we are not just a school, we are a family, and he is the heart of it. We are devastated by the thought of losing him and we strongly urge those in decision-making positions to reconsider. We ask you by removing him is not just a change in leadership. It is a loss felt deeply by an entire community. We want him to stay not just because of what he does but because of who he is. Please hear our voices. He understands the depth of his impact and we ask you let him continue to lead, to

040guide, and to be the force of good that our school and our children so deeply need. Thank you. That concludes public comment. Thank you for turning out this evening. Next is uh communications from district organizations. uh a reg a single spokesperson from each recognized district organization may make a brief presentation. Mrs. Ortega, good evening trustees, Dr. Clark, members of the audience. First of all, I want to wish everyone a happy spring and to my media members, I hope you had a restful spring break. And I want to thank you to the members who are still sitting here who spoke boldly uh on behalf of their administrators, their principles. This is a very rare incident to see teachers coming out for their principles. So I am I applaud you for coming out. That is wonderful that

041you were able to do that. And Dr. Clark, I just want to thank you too for meeting with me for coffee cafesito uh before spring break. I appreciate our talks. I know we don't always get along or are we in agreement, but I do appreciate our efforts and and the efforts to work together. I I want us to move, Dr. Clark, I want us to move forward and to leave the past behind. We had a conversation about that. So, I think we owe this to our um students and our educators and our communities to work together. Speaking of efforts, I want to inform the trustees that I have signed a resolution in support of Proposition 30 and 55, school funding extension initiative plan for the November 2026 election time. As a CTA state delegate and

042some someone who supports our public schools, I am committed I am very committed to help pass this extension as this is funding that is necessary for our schools. I hope you will too. And in regard to negotiations, I appreciate the district's efforts to meet with our media's bargaining team next week. However, I want to remind the trustees that many of our media's asks do not have a cost attached to them. Many of our asks will benefit our students and yet I hear that the district continues to say no. However, I'm looking forward to our two teams working together to come to some agreements. I know Media's bargaining team has put a in a lot of hours as well as our executive board to make sure that we have supportive contract language and that that will

043benefit our students and our educators for the years to come. So, I want to keep this short and sweet because I know there's a huge agenda ahead of us. So, thank you. The next item is recognitions and resolutions. Dr. Clark 10.1. Thank you, Madame President. So, this evening before you, we have uh resolution 24/58 in um recognition of Earth Day and a call to action for climate change. So whereas the global impact, urgency and magnitude of the challenge of addressing climate change calls for leadership in all sectors of society, all institutions and among all elected leaders. Whereas district leaders have the ability to in approve infrastructure investments that advance stability and alternative energy and the ability to approve policies that meet or exceed international emissions regulatory standards. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Mount

044Diablo Unified School District Board of Education hereby recognizes April 22nd, 2025 as Earth Day, reaffirming our commitment to be part of climate change solutions and to educate our students about climate change. Madame President, I now leave this item in the hands of the board. Madame President, I move to approve resolution 242558 in recognition of Earth Day and a call to action on climate change. And I just want to note for the public that there's um a list of initiatives that our district has uh successfully um achieved in this arena as well. Thank you. Second. So we have a motion by uh trustee count with a second by trustee ini. Is there further discussion on this resolution? Mr. McDougall. Yes. I'd like to make some comments on this. I support Earth Day. I have since the

045early 70s. I recycle before it became popular. Separating green glass from brown glass and clear glass, aluminum from tin used to oil, so on. taught my kids to do the same, but connecting it to a call to action on climate change. I disagree with the statement that 97% of scientists agree. What scientists? Seems to be the only those funded by the climate change grants. I do say that climate change is real. I believe there are fluctuations in the world's climate, both cold and hot. The changes are cyclical. We heard about a coming ice age 40 to 50 years ago. Didn't happen. And global warming is possible, but within normal fluctuations. To call it humaninduced is giving too much credit to our human activity. There's too much hysteria about this subject. So what's necessary? What's necessary

046is to take care of our planet, pollute less, protect it, and conserve it more. I support Earth Day, but not this call to action. Thank you. So, any further comments? Trustee OA, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. So, the motion is adopted in favor of the recognition of Earth Day and call to action on climate change. Four in favor, one no um 00 and support from Trusty Ooa. Let's move on to 10.2. Dr. Clark. Yes, madame president. And I have before you resolution 24/25-65. And this is commemor commemorating Italian Liberation Day, April 25th. Whereas April 25th, liberation day marks a pivotal moment in in history commemorating the liberation of Italy from Nazi fascist occupation and the triumph of the Italian resistance. And whereas on this day in 1945, the Italian people united in their

047struggle for freedom rose up against oppression. and paving the way in a future of democracy and peace. Whereas, Italian-Americans recognize the importance of remembering and honoring the sacrifices made during World War II and the ongoing struggle for human rights and democracy. Now therefore, be it resolved that the Mount Alba Unified School District celebrates the past, present, and future contribution of Italian-Americans to American society in the state of California, recognizing and honoring April 25th to be Liberation Day. Madame President, I now leave this resolution in the hands of the board. Madame Chair, I move to approve resolution 24/25-65 commemorating Italian Liberation Day, April 25th. Um, it was one of the Italian-Americans was one of the biggest migrations of people to this country. I'm a third generation and the saying among the old Italians is that they

048all came here because they heard the streets were paved with gold. They just didn't know they were going to have to do the paving when they got here. Second. So, we have a motion in favor um for consideration by uh Miss Mason with a second by Mr. McD McDougall uh regarding the resolution 2425-65 commemorating Italian Liberation Day, April 25th. Is there further discussion? Trusty Ooah, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. And that motion is adopted on a 500 Z vote. Um, employee appointments. Dr. Clark 11.1. Uh, Danny from HR is going to handle these. Coming up. Good evening. Sorry. Good evening, Superintendent Dr. Clark, Madame President, and board members. The human resources department is bringing for the board's review and potential approval the appointment of Gilberto Parada Jr. Gilberto has been in education for

049over 15 years, starting as a monastery prek3 teacher. He was a founding member of the only public monastery charter school in Oakland. During his career, Gilberto developed a schoolwide PBIS system and two dual language summer programs that he led through the pandemic. He served as a curriculum coordinator, EL leader, foundational literacy expert supporting principles and their coaches on ensuring students learn to read. Gilberto worked as the interim principal at a bilingual mission district school in San Francisco and briefly served as a director of staff learning and development. Gilberto earned his bachelor's degree in English with the focus on modern and contemporary literature and premed a master of science in educational leadership with a focus on social justice and a monastery one two elementary credential at St. Mary's College of California. Gilberto considers himself a Bay

050Area native even though he was born in Hollywood, California. He enjoys traveling the world and meeting the people who represent the fabric of our beautiful existence. With that, I leave this appointment in the hands of the board. Madame President, I move to appoint Gilberto Para Jr. to the appointment of principal at Elmonte Elementary School. Second. So we have a motion by trustee count with a second by trustee McDougall um in the appointment of Gilberto Para Jr. for principal at Elmonte Elementary School. Further discussion trustee OOA. Yes. Thank you. We're not debating. There's just a This hasn't popped up on our screen yet. Just FYI. Trusty K motioned and um Trusty McDougall was the second. Congratulations Mr. Pada. Please come forward. um doc Dr. Clark um board I am very much in appreciation to continue the

051great work of Edmonton uh elementary school specifically to make sure that we are empowering our young uh young people to become change making agents for better. Thank you. Thank you. You got anyone here you want to introduce? Are you here alone? All right. All right. Good evening again. The human resources department is bringing for the board's review and potential approval the appointment of Carrie Nheim uh to the position of Highlands Elementary Principal. Carrie has worked in education as a teacher, principal, director of student services, and executive director of student support services. She is thrilled to be back at a school site working with students, staff, and families. Carrie earned her bachelor's of arts from UCLA, Masters of Arts from St. Mary's, and Doctorate of Education for Social Justice from CSU EB. Carrie believes that joy

052is a choice. When she is not at work having fun, she likes to go on adventures with her friends and family, especially her three grandchildren. With that, I leave this appointment in the hands of the board. Madame Chair, I would like to move to approve the appointment of Carrie Nam as the principal of Highlands Elementary School. Second. So, we have a motion by Trustee Mason with a second by Trustee Count. Um, Trusty Ooa. Yes. Thank you. Congratulations. The appointment is approved on a 50000 vote. Welcome. I'm so excited. Thank you so much, Dr. Clark and trustees. I'm thrilled to be here. Um what a privilege to be with such an engaged community. Um so proud of of this appointment. Apologize. I am allergic to the world right now. um 14 years as a teacher, eight

053years as a principal, eight years at the district office. I cannot wait to be back with the school community. So, thank you so much for this opportunity. Thank you. Thank you. Did you have anybody you wanted to introduce? Okay. Thank you. Next. Evening again. The human resources department is bringing for the board's review and potential approval the appointment of Madison Benz to the position of an elementary principal site to be determined. Madison Benz has been the vice principal of Cambridge Elementary School for the past two years. She has experience teaching various grades within the elementary setting. Madison earned her bachelor's of science in liberal studies and masters of science in educational leadership. Madison recently welcomed her daughter and enjoys music, spending time outdoors, and making memories with friends and family. With that, I leave this

054appointment in the hands of the board. I move, sorry, that we approve Madison Bins as principal at some place in the future. I second that. I do have a question. To be decided, how long does that take? Okay. So we have a motion by trustee and with a second by trustee McDougall. Um trustee OOA. How do you vote? Yes. Thank you. And the appointment of Miss Spence is approved on a 500 vote. Welcome Dr. Clark Ford. Thank you so much for the approval. Um, I also want to thank my husband and daughter um for their support as well. We want to see the daughter. I know those little coups were her. Sorry, like the circle of life. Have some music. Um, but I um I'm very Yeah, that I'm There you go. Um I'm very

055honored and excited to continue working um for the students, staff, and families of Mount Diablo. and I am eagerly awaiting my assignment where I will continue um my service and leadership. So, thank you. Thank you. Congratulations. 11.4 cards. Would you like me to Okay. Good evening, Madame President and board trustees. The human resources department is bringing for the board's review and potential approvement approval for the appointment of an McNamera Kim as the principal for Pleasant Hill Elementary. Anne brings over 30 years of experience in education having served as a teacher, a special education teacher, a reading specialist, a principal, and a program specialist. At the heart of her philosophy is the belief that every student is unique, each with their own gifts to share. She is deeply committed to placing students at the center of

056everything we do. Ann is excited to join the Pleasant Hill Elementary School community and looks forward to partnering with families and staff as their new principal. Anne holds her associates degree in child development from Los Madonnaos College, a bachelor's degree in elementary education from the University of Alaska Southeast, and a master's degree in special education from Chapman University. In addition, Anne earned her reading specialist certification from UC Davis and her administrative credential from St. Mary's College. While educator certainly describes Anne, the one thing she cherishes most is mom. She is the parent of two college age sons and finds great joy in watching them grow and thrive as they embark on their own journeys. Outside of work, Ann enjoys traveling, connecting with people from all walks of life, and spending quality time with friends. With

057this, I leave this appointment in the hands of the board. Thank you. We have three cards. We have a couple comments, so go ahead and have a seat. Thank you. The first is Courtney Kemperelli. Hi guys. Um, thank you for having me. Um, my daughter, I'm a parent. Uh, my daughter just started in first grade at Pleasant Hill Elementary. She's in the autism program there. Um, and we have had nothing but great things with Mr. Ray. Um, when I started there, I was really nervous because I was, if you're a parent of a special needs kid, you're always nervous. Um, and instantly we he met with me. He sat down with me. He answered all my questions. Um, our last IEP, I realized that he knows my daughter. He knows everything about her. He knows

058everything she needs and he really actually cares. Um, so I feel like if it's not broke, don't fix it. Um, and I want to end on this note. If anybody has read the Captain Underpants books, my daughter is a huge fan. Um, and she always says, "Mr. Crop is a mean principal, but my principal, I love him." Thank you. Next speaker is Danell Gadu. Please correct it if I mispronounced your name. It's very hard to pronounce. I'm Danielle Ghetto. I'm a parent of a son who's in first grade at Pleasant Hill Elementary. And what I want to say is my son uh he has an IEP. And he didn't have one last year. He had multiple suspensions. And Principal Ray was very supportive and caring during both the suspension process and the IEP process. And

059the results speak for themselves. My son has gone through an entire year of first grade almost. Knock on wood. No classroom disruptions, no being sent out, no suspensions. And I think this speaks well to his leadership and the relationships he develops with his students. More than that, however, I noticed that there are multiple uh schools getting new principles and I could find no information as a parent as to why this was happening. And I think that the principles of good government, transparency, and accountability mean that as voters and parents, we should be given more notice of this happening and we should be told why it's happening. And so I would encourage you even if you feel that you have a good reason to move forward with this to hit pause until you can explain your

060decision-m to the parents because otherwise as you can see from the number of people who came out you're going to really erode the faith of the parents and teachers of this school in the school board and you know to some degree in the process of local democracy itself. Thank you very much. Thank you. The next speaker is Danny Mils. Mr. Mils, welcome. Thank you. Hi, my name is Danny. Thank you for having us all here today. Um, I have three children who are at PHE and PHMS. I also taught at PHE, both under Miss Bushi and Mr. Ray. I'm there all the time volunteering. I'm on campus, bike to school every day with our kids. It's a very involved community. We love it there. Mr. Ray is part of that community. As parents who like

061him, we don't know why he's not being brought back next year. The children like him. They don't understand why he's not being brought back. The teachers are here and they like him. They don't know why he's being brought back. This is on you all to communicate the changes that our school needs to be better because so far we don't see that. We don't see why you've made this decision. That is wrecking our community. And I say that not lightly, but a principal of 650 or so students. That's a lot of students to take care of. It's one of the bigger school in this bigger elementary schools in the school district. If he needs help, then give him the help. Don't just say we're going to switch it out without really engaging with us on what

062we need to make progress for our children. Cuz we don't see it. You apparently do, but you haven't communicated that to us. And as a previous parent said, the transparency, the trust in the board to make the right decisions that's being eroded by this process has nothing to do with the incoming principal. I'm sure they're a great person and we will work and support that person. But I would ask that you actually pause this particular process right now until you can engage with us and determine what PH needs moving forward because we don't get it. We don't see it. Work with us to make that plan forward rather than imposing it from above blindly, quickly, surprisingly. We're very upset and we hope you reconsider this by pausing this particular agenda item until we can engage

063together. Thank you. I'm just going to speak. We don't reply to We don't reply to um public comments. We're not allowed to. However, I will say that personnel matters are legally confidential. That means legally we cannot talk about them. Thank you. I move to approve and McNamera Kim as principal of Pleasant Hill Elementary. Second. We have a motion by trustee and Zwi with a second by trustee McDougall regarding uh the appointment of an McNamera Kim to uh principal at Pleasant Hill Elementary School in the fall. Trustee OOA, how do you vote? Yes. And that appointment is approved on a vote. Miss Kim. Good evening everyone. Um board madame board president, rest of the governing board, Dr. Clark. I am so excited and so grateful to be appointed. Um, I'm realizing I'm stepping into some big

064shoes, but I'm committed to the community, to the staff, the parents to work together to make sure that all students are successful, all students feel included, and I have a feeling we're going to have a great upcoming year. Thank you so much. Thank you. Do you have anyone you'd like to introduce? Well, I have two students away at college, so they're somewhere out there, but I have a feeling my 84year-old mother is tuning in remotely, so Okay. Um, well, pull your ear. There you go. All right. Thank you. Thank you very much. One more. One more. would you like to proceed? I would love to proceed. I'm just like, okay. Um, hello again. Good evening. So, um, madame president and board trustees, um, the human resources department is bringing for the board a review and

065potential approval of the appointment of Luis Dea O for the position of the custodial and operations manager. Before joining the district as a custodial coordinator in 2024, Luis began his journey in educational work as a youth soccer coach for conquered AYSO. He had the honor of coaching a diverse group of students aged 6 to 14, both boys and girls. Luis pursued a degree in business administration from San Francisco City College in California State University, East Bay. Originally from San Francisco, Luis has made the East Bay his home since 2000, where he lives with his family. His previous career in the hospitality industry not only enriched his professional experience, but also granted him the opportunity to travel and immerse himself in various cultures around the world. With that, I leave this appointment in the hands of

066the board. Thank you, Madam President. I'd like to make a motion for Luis Dele to be the manager of custodial and operations. Second. So, we have a motion by Trusty McDougall with a second from Trusty Count regarding the appointment of Luis De Lao for custodial operations manager. Trusty OOA, how do you vote? Yes. So, welcome. You are appointed on a 500 vote. Good evening, Dr. Clark, esteemed members of the board, and um staff and uh members of the community. Uh I am here just to voice my my commitment to y'all uh to provide clean, safe, welcoming facilities uh with our district. Um I plan to uh uh apply all of my experience as mentioned that I gained from the hospitality industry where I spent 20 plus years just making hotels uh home away from home

067for our travelers. So I believe that we can replicate a lot of that uh into our uh schools and and uh facilities as well. So I'm looking forward to the challenge and thank you for this opportunity. Uh not not family but I do have my my my team here also. Thank you so much. Wait, this appointment is as important as any other across our district because we all want clean schools and welcoming schools. All right. reports and information. Dr. Clark, we have a report from our multilingual department. Um, I'm just going to preface this. There were 41 slides in the in the thing. We we Okay, I know. I'm gonna myself. Yeah, sorry. I got excited. the the team does a lot of good work, but I think uh in the I think you can

068get it out without slides. All right. I know that we can read those slides and have have previewed them. Yeah, there are a few that we'll hone in on and we'll we'll slide through a few. All right. Well, good evening, Dr. Clark. Uh Madame President and trustees, I do want to first introduce our thank my part of my team for support here. I have Lores Belche who is one of our elementary multilingual tossas. We have Amy Fritz here who is an elementary or sorry secondary uh EL support teacher and then we have Annne Winrich who is one of our secondary TOSAs um so they're here just to support and um and unfortunately Chitra is in India right now um visiting family so um she is not with me I offered for them to speak with

069us uh but they let me do this so I will move on I don't know why everybody cleared the room because what is our favorite thing to talk about but multilingual learners so um I'm going to hone in on a few kind of segments of this presentation Um, first we turned it in and then I got the it needs to be 15 minutes and let me start my timer. Um, so this first slide um is just um really a basic slide explaining the numbers of students that we serve in Mount Diablo Unified School District who are multilingual learners. So in the first tile to your left, you'll see the 6,000 number. Those are the multilingual learners that we serve in Mount Dav Unified School District TK through 12. Um the next number over is the

0702000 number. Those are in addition to the 6,000 those are 2,000 students who we monitor because we're required to monitor students for four years after they have reclassified. So that's a great number of students. We continue to monitor that they are making progress. Um 1146 students are dy identified students meaning that they are multilingual learners as well as have an IEP. The newcomer number 1853 are students. The definition of newcomers are students who were born outside of the United States and have been in US school system in the any school system in the United States for three years or less. A lot of times people think newcomer means their first year, but it's technically three. Um, and then we have 799 students who of the 6,000 who are at risk for becoming els. And we're

071going to talk mostly about Els tonight. Um and then that number um that's circled in green, the 1645 students are long-term English learners, meaning that they have been in a US school mostly. The ours have been in Mount Diablo Unified School District for 7 years or more and have not yet reclassified. Okay. Okay. So, I won't spend too much time, but I did just want to call draw your attention to the fact that um there is a California EL roadmap and it is something that we want to make sure that we are using as a roadmap for our district. It's was um adopted by the state board of education of California um in 2017 and we are require or we are asked to use this as a guiding document. So I will not spend too

072much time but there are four main principles there and we are slowly building this out with our teachers and administrators and this is an area we will really be focusing on next year. Um this is just to say that the multilingual learners kind of fit all kinds of categories. So I will move through that. I wanted to spend a little bit of time on this slide. Um we talk a lot about reclassification. We talk a lot about multilingual learners and I don't know if a lot of people know exactly what the process is from start to finish. So every student that comes to Mount Diablo Unified School District or any district in the United States when they enroll their families are asked to fill out a home language survey and there are four questions on

073our home language survey. Um basically what languages are spoken at home student what do they speak and if there is any one of those lines that says a language other than English for us that's a flag. So, our department gets really excited. Um, and what we need to do is within 30 days of enrollment, we need to provide that student with an initial IEP, sorry, an initial alpac, sorry. Um, so in 30 days, if a stu within that time frame, we test the kids. So, just so you guys are clear, at our elementary schools, that happens at the elementary school sites. The kids come in, we find out, and we let one of the our ML support teachers know that it's time to test and the clock is ticking. Um, for our secondary, um, we

074have our assessment center at Willow Creek. So, any kid coming in from 6th to 12th grade, we we invite them in and they take their initial alpac with us. If it shows that they are initially fluent in English, then they kind of move on their way. Nice to meet you. Congratulations. Move on. And you're not you're not um really we're not monitoring you anymore. However, the large majority of our students take that initial alpac and don't initially uh they're not initially English fluent and so they kind of come into the English learner family or multilingual learners as we like to say and this is really important. So sort of the middle left side of the slide is that those students are required to receive their designated EL and integrated EL every day. And that's a

075lot of the work that our department and all of our school sites and our administrators really need to be focusing on. Um because in order to improve our their language proficiency proficiency, they really need high level quality um designated EL or protected time during the day and integrated EL meaning in all their content areas their scaffolds and supports to allow those students to access the content. Um and then comes the spring. Spring is ELPAC season for for the 6,000 students that we just talked about. Every student in the district who is considered an English learner takes the summitive ELPAC once a year. We start on February 1. We're probably about 85% done. Each of those students need a one-on-one test of speaking and depending on their grade level. Some do group testing and kindergarteners it's

076all one to one. Um okay. So then um depending on what they're they take the summit of alpac and we are trying to have our students take a receive a four which is the score required for reclassification. So I'm sort of to the bottom right now. Reclassification has four areas four criteria. Um so we need an LPAC a summitative and overall score of an LPAC 4. And that's not all. So it gets tricky. So then there's a piece and if it's an alternate alpac for our students with cognitive severe cognitive disabilities they take the summitive they need a three. Then um we have teacher evaluation. So in our school district the teacher evaluation that we use right now is grades. So if you're in kindergarten through fifth grade you have to have a three or

077number four in all your ELA sections of the report card. And if you are in sixth grade through 12th grade, that means you need to have a C or better in your English classes. Okay? So, you need the LPAC 4, you need those grades that we just discussed, family consultation, that's generally usually the easiest one because I have never seen a family say, "No, I don't want my kids to reclassify." But then the fourth one is a basic skills test. And a basic skills test is a test that all students take. Um, so we're comparing multilingual learners with their English only peers like third graders and third graders or sixth graders and sixth graders. So for many years in our district, students were given I Ready. Everyone was and so our students used I Ready

078or we used I Ready for our students to um reclassify. Um now we've moved away from I Ready for everybody and we're moving to STAR testing for everybody. So we are going to follow suit and I'm sort of planting the seeds with you all because in a few months we'll come back and ask for uh approval of moving away from I ready for basic skills and moving into using the um star and then if they get all those they're reclassified. Um so that is quite a journey to reclassification. All right, I'm going to kind of um go through these ones quickly, but basically there's the comparison of the ELPAC levels along um and underneath them you can see the ELD standards. So we have ELD standards and they somewhat align well they do align um

079with ELPAC levels. Okay, and I already talked about integrated and designated ELD, but they are both required parts of the day for um our English learners. um basically that language is at the core of all the curriculum. And here's just another way of looking at the way the EL standards um are laid out. There are two parts interacting in meaningful ways and how English works. And our students really need to have access to all these pieces. Um I should have mentioned that the ELPAC has four domains, reading, writing, speaking, and listening. And so those are the productive and interpretive pieces that we talk about. Okay. So, I want to kind of hone in on in two areas tonight to really get my point across. Um, but for this criteria, sorry, I have a tickle in

080my throat. Um, we're we are moving towards Optel, which I mentioned and that we currently use um I Ready and moving towards STAR test. Okay. So, let me explain a little bit about Optel. That's one of my reasons for wanting to come um present tonight. So, the Optel is observation uh protocol for teachers of English learners. Okay. Okay, so the state board or the CDE, I'm sorry, they developed a rubric and this is a way that our teachers are going to be able to gauge the language proficiency growth for their English learners. Um, this is really important because right now what we use is grades and grades may or may not be relevant to English proficiency. So maybe my daughter turns in assignment late, zero credit for that. Maybe she bombs the test cuz she

081forgot to read whatever chapter she could get a D in an English class. That doesn't mean that she doesn't have strong English proficiency. Right? So, right now, one of our metrics for the uh teacher evaluation is grades. And that's tricky because it's not necessarily uh aligned to a student's language proficiency. Um so basically the optel um it has the alignment towards proficiency levels and it and the proficiency descriptors um and so we are working now on like baby steps of people tinkering and piloting optel and we have a lofty goal this spring where we're trying to have at least one teacher trying it out at every elementary school and we've picked I think five of our middle schools and a couple of our high schools where trying it out. So, we start getting feedback and

082people are starting to kind of get an understanding for this and then we'll get feedback and then we'll be broadening this for next year. Okay. And this is just a little bit of a glance of what it kind of looks like. So, stu um teachers would be observing students when they're interacting in a in a task or in an assignment in their classroom. And so it's the teachers are observing and marking um you know what they what they see their students are able to do with scaffolds without scaffolds in group um in group settings etc. Okay. And then the kind of the bring it home section um is I really wanted to talk a little bit more deeply about long-term English learners. Um if you don't know long-term English learners are now posted on the

083California dashboard. Okay. So, um, students, you have to be in sixth to 12th grade. Um, here's the act the definition. It's six or more years is what the definition is, but really the dashboard is calculating if it's been seven years or more. So, we're starting to shift our data to match the seven years. So, we're not kind of working with two sets of data points. Um, so you can see below where it says the dashboard is an English learner who has not attained English language proficiency with seven years of initial classification. Okay. And why did they put them on the dashboard? Because it's an um numerically significant group. Um and so we like I said we'll be using the seven years as our before we used six years but now I just want to make

084sure that we're aligning with the um dashboard. Okay. Um and this is sort of um who needs to like if you have more than 30 English learners in your district. We have more than 30 at almost every single school in our district. So, we definitely are part of that. Um, and just to give you a little bit of sense of where we are in the state, 47% of English learners are long-term English learners. When I say that and see that, that's really daunting and scary because that means that almost half of our English learners are long-term English learners. And I actually wrote down our districts, we're pretty close to that. We're actually under um I want to say we're 27% um of course my name's Edward. Um 27% of our English learners are long-term English

085learners. So we come in under that. I didn't know if they were calculating of their secondary students or not. Um anyhow, so um also it does say here at the bottom 32% of long-term English learners are dy identified. Again, students who have an IEP, in addition to being English learners, 40% of our students are dually identified. So, we're unfortunately above that. And that's a sort of chicken in the egg conversation. Okay. So, this is our dashboard. And the on the left, the third one down is where our long-term English learners fall. So, our progress, we're in yellow. Um, chronic absenteeism orange, suspension rate red, graduation rate green, and then we have our ELA, we're in the red, math in the orange, and college and career readiness in the orange. So, hopefully this is not new

086data, but um, we're just kind of honing in on the long-term English learners. So, these are this is our ELA aspect scores. On the left, you'll see the long-term English learners, and then I'm just comparing them to all students. So, all students in the LA are in orange. The long-term English learners are in red. That makes sense. Our long-term English learners have not been able to reclassify, probably because their reading and writing skills are not at an appropriate level. So, these are our ELELS, our long-term English learners on the ELA SPEC. So, about 75% of them are at standard notet. We don't want to see this. Okay, here's our math. Math is interesting. We're on par with all students. So, it's interesting to see that um the the types of assessment that are less language

087heavy, our students do um they're on par with their Englishonly um peers. Uh a little bit better in math, but not wonderful here with our ELELS in grades 6 through 12. Attendance, long-term English learners are in orange versus all students are in yellow. So slightly lower suspension rate red and what we know about kids who don't come to school, they're not accessing their education. So we have questions about um you know what what's going on there compared to all students um in orange. And then college and career ready, we're two gauges down from kind of the rest. So um that is something we're really looking at. do our students have access to all the classes that they um you know need and could use. And the tricky thing is until you reclassify, you have to

088have a period of EL or ALD in high school. So it sucks up one of your electives and therefore you have less time in your day to take some of these other classes. So it's a it's a negative cycle. So just so we know last year I'm checking my time. Dr. Clark, I'm close. Okay. So last year uh just to show um 2,884 students of our English learners had no growth or regression on our ELPAC. So we we're working on doing better much better. We have ideas for this. Okay. And here's just a breakdown. Um I did say 40% of our LEALs are duly identified. It turns out to I see I have a typo. 55% of our LTAs are male. Um 45% are female. And these are numbers broken down holistically just secondary. Okay,

089so this is 6th through 12th graders. You see our numbers about half uh a little less than half of our multilingual learners are in secondary schools. Um but that's how the breakdown is. Okay. And then I won't go through all these slides. I know you guys have had an opportunity to see them, but generally speaking, we know that our long-term English learners um have had inconsistent ELD, inconsistent teachers, often long-term subs, um transition from school to school, tend to come um from lower socioeconomics. Um and I will say I need to give credit. This is a lot of this is the research from our very own Dr. Rosie Reed. She is uh she read her dissertation on long-term English learners. So this is some of this is straight out of her dissertation. Um and they

090so mentioned here like I said have had substandard ELD services. Um but this is the one that's kind of the kicker in my mind that they have mostly started school in the United States in kindergarten. Okay. And that's true for our district too. So the students that we have mostly that are long-term English learners have been with us. Most of them are actually born here in conquered Martinez. So we need to do better. Um, and ideally we're reclassifying our kids before they graduate fifth grade if they've started with us. That gives us sixth year, sometimes seven if they're starting with us in TK to really get them the skills that they need. Because it's not all about reclassification. What it's really about is a proficiency level high enough that our kids can access their curriculum

091and all their classes and do well and that language is not a barrier. And I would say language and literacy are not a barrier. Um so um just to let you know what we're working on. Lots of things. Here are a few top ones. Um this year we did have our elementary teams, our multilingual um support teachers at all of our elementary sites focusing not only on newcomers, which has kind of been our past practice, but to focus on those kids who are right on the cusp and really do some intentional intervention to see if we can help those kids reclassify, get them out and go to middle school with no ELD needed in their schedule. Um we have specifically strategically focused on seven large sites this year as a department. So Mount Diablo, YV,

092Review, Oakrove, and three of our elementary schools um to lean in more um with coaching and admin support and providing PDs there because those are some of our largest EL sites and also some of our our lowest data in terms of long-term English learners. Um we were really excited that we partnered with the um the whole TOSA team. Our our multilingual elementary team um did great PDS with language and literacy professional development um because we know that the students who have access to high levels of literacy instruction are going to be much better off. Um all of our secondary teachers have gone to constructing meaning training that is about integrated EL. So humanities teachers, mathematics teachers, science teachers, they have all come through uh one and as part of that Katrina simo as well um

093we have trained I think upwards of 90% of our secondary student secondary teachers in um to know what the integrated EL strategies are. All right. And then um moving forward for next year I've kind of changed the allocation of where we're putting the support. So high need schools are getting higher levels of support. It's not just based on numbers. Um we've done EL walkthroughs at eight sites so far and we are piloting our OPTEL which is not just great in terms of reclassification not leaning on grades but I truly think that the OPTEL is an opportunity for our teachers to really look at language proficiency and then change instruction based on that. All right. Um I know I'm at time so I'll wrap it up here. So you guys have seen that, but we are

094just really excited to be continuing to build and have the conversations with our administrators, our teachers, um, and our district office. Um, so uh, and not to be siloed that we're working with our partners in special education and the elementary team and the secondary team because the multilingual learners are at every single school in almost every single classroom. And so everybody's needs to be really good at doing this work. All right. And here's our whole team. They're not all here tonight, but um we have a of a small but mighty department at Willow Creek. Um so we appreciate your time and hopefully you'll hear from us in a few months to have some approvals about Optel and um moving towards STAR testing. And I just wanted to see if anybody had questions 16. Yes, I

095have a question. Yes. Um I'm new so I'm learning all these acronyms so I'm slow at learning these things but I'm getting some of them. Um why moving on from I ready to star? What's the big difference here? So a couple things. One um so the basic skills test should really be a test that all students take. Oh and that um we're comparing English learners to English only peers. And I I don't even know the history cuz I haven't been here long enough to know when I Ready started. But back then everybody took I Ready. So our kids I mean the English learners took it just like everybody in their classroom. Um but we've moved away from I Ready. Now nobody else takes it except for English learners. So, in a sense, you got the

096initial ELP pack, you got the summitive LPAC, and then to take I Ready on top of the fact that the majority of our students are now taking STAR, it's more time away from instruction, another test. And so, if they're taking STAR anyway because their whole fifth grade class is taking STAR, then we just want to mirror that. And then we are creating our cut points because the point of the basic skills is to compare English only or English learners with English only grade level peers. Does that help? So we've phased out of I Ready for the rest of the district. We didn't quite phase out yet because until we were sure and we had the right metrics, we didn't want to kind of pull the rug yet and we'd be paying extra for the ready

097to be able to use that. It's another company, separate company from Star. Okay. All right. And then I have a question on why is it the definition from LTL LTL going from six years to seven and a half seven plus years. I'm trying to grasp what is our problem with getting them done earlier. Yeah. Why is it taking longer? Well, it takes more than that. That when you hit seven, that's when you turn into a long-term English learner. The ELTs, you did mention several things here. absenteeism and moving to different schools, that sort of thing. Yes, I think there's a lot of transition between sites. I there are a lot of I I think this is my own opinion, we need to get to a place where kids are getting super solid language um instruction,

098literacy instruction, day one, kindergarten. Like we we don't want our kids in the red already at the beginning because then we have further and further and further to kind of fill. So, we need to kind of come out swinging real hard. Hey, first day TK, kinder, first grade. And we need to build our teachers with more strategies for language because some kids come in and they don't have any English yet. And so we need to support our teachers to be able to artfully and scientifically researchbased ways to get them in and get um you know our kids reading and writing quickly, which it's tricky if you're this is your second or third language. Yeah. And that relates to the you mentioned the language and literacy PD that all it was all K through five. Can

099you just talk a little bit more about what that is? What what So the language and literacy PD that was we're in our uh five down one to go. Um so earlier in the year we I should say we but uh multiple departments together um provided really in depth the science of reading but it's you you can't read without language, right? Otherwise, you're just decoding stuff that you don't know what that means. So, really, Lord is back here in our other TOSA Maria um in tandem with a lot of people. We helped provide professional development. All kindergarten teachers, first grade and second grade teachers had three full days of that training and third, fourth and fifth are in it now. They have one day each left. Same thing. So, not just how we teach reading

100and writing, but with a language lens, right? So, and really our kids, many of our kids um speak perfectly. They listen. I mean, those are never the scores that hold our kids back. A lot of times our secondary teachers like, I had no idea this kid was an, you know, an English learner. And then if you see the writing, it's a lot of times it's our academic language. You have to have very high academic language to get a B or an A in a 11th grade English class. So, we really need to be building the academic language for our students. Excellent presentation. Thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. And I just want to appreciate how you have worked across um the silos that traditionally exist in education because you know when

101you talk about the number of students that are dy identified, we all need to be working together and we need to make sure that the students are getting all of the different pieces that they need. So, I love the way that you're talking about getting the science of reading, but also that language piece and also working with special education as well because so many of our students have all of those different things happening in the same same student body. So, thank you so much. Random question. It's not that deep, but but it's just how my brain works. Okay. So, when a student um has a language other than English spoken at home and you assess them and they're fluent in English, do they become part of um the two groups taking now Star moving to

102STAR? Are they still part of the multilingual measure or are they part of We know that they're out there where they're called ifs initially fluent but we're not really watching like our department's not really watching them. If later on down the road there are issues, we might say but um or what I mean is they won't take they don't need to reclassify. So right, I didn't mean that. What I mean is which pot are they in in the comparison? They're kind of in the English only if they speak both languages. They're amazing because they're multilingual. So we love them and we don't want them to lose their first language. But we as a department and as a state, we don't need to monitor them anymore because they've already gotten that like your language proficiency is

103high enough already that you're on par with your English only peers at the get-go. We don't have that many of them, unfortunately. Yeah. No, I just I just I just want to give kudos to to Katherine and and her and the the department. They're doing a lot of work. You heard her talk about um data and trainings. they they can't just sit in their office and just do this on their own. They have to get out and train folks, train teachers, train administrators so that our administrators know what to look for. So that's and again this can't happen in isolation. And the one thing that I've really noticed this year and and one of you hit on it is we have been getting out of those silos. We regularly are having meetings with our multilingual

104department, special education, um, homeless and foster, our our, um, elementary directors, secondary directors, getting all those folks in the room so that we're so that number one, we're all speaking the same language on how we can best support our students. But number two, we are we want to maximize the efforts that we're pulling principles off campus, but we're pulling teachers in to get trained and all that. And if we're all doing our own thing and not working collaboratively, then it's going to create more work for everybody. So, um, so anyway, I just really want to want to recognize the work that's taking place in the department. Yeah. Thank you. Remarkable. So, we're ready for board member reports. Um, let's start with Trusty Mason. been so long since we had a meeting. Um, I went to

105the adult ed medical fair that they had that we had a lot of our students there. I tell you, Dr. Clark, I continue to be impressed with our kids when they're out and about. They're so respectful. They were there eating a lunch provided by our own food services. I went to the DAC meeting where I heard a lot of what I just heard tonight with the shared with the parents. Um there they also had a group talking about a event that's happening I think tonight at DVC for parents to go to. Uh the P Gen does an annual wetlands program out at Riverview Middle School with the kids because half the kids have no idea of all the amazing things that are in the marsh out there. So they partner with a college, I believe

106it's Sacramento State, and the college kids come out, take the Riverview science kids out there and teach them all about footprints and plants. It's really, really cool. It's paid for by P Gen. I went to the pack meeting where they we had a good presentation from Dr. Fontella about the college and career programs that we're offering and I always continue to be impressed with all of the different things we offer for our students. Um, I went to Valhalla's art night that they had and they have a really amazing art teacher, Mr. Clark, which is part of the new art program. And he must be really passionate about what he does because the kids art was amazing. He really has a way of getting they had s superhero themes and all these different things. It I

107was very impressed. Big turnout, lots of parents there. Um and then I went to um Shore's ELAC meeting where they the uh English language department was there talking about how you help your kids at home, what the parents can do to work with their kids. And um I went to I was summoned to meet with with Congressman Garendi. He met with several leaders from East County and Martinez to share our concerns about the effects that the changes in DC are having on our programs. And I'll just say he his description of me is, "Wow, you're really passionate, aren't you, about what you do?" And then, um, lastly, but not least, um, I went to Mount Devil High School's baseball game last night. Shockingly, it was freezing out there. Um, but again, our kids, they they

108they didn't they were playing Mymani, and I don't know what the score ended up being, but they played with heart. And we have one heck of a pitcher, though. I will tell you that. So, I look forward to going to another game in the future. So, Trusty and Zi, it has been a while. We went to CASA, the California Oh my gosh. Association. I couldn't get a second a Association of African-American Superintendent and Administrators had the most fabulous learning experience. And so, I just want to share about one session. I could share about them all, but I'm going to share one session. And I think we were both in this one. Addressing racial trauma. Um that was amazing. So sorry if I steal your thunder. So I'll share this one and you just choose something

109else. Um it was so what I've learned about at least these the this is the only education K through 12 conference that I attend besides CSBA. So I guess it's both conferences. What I learn is that um in these workshops that they are presented by people who are selling things. um which can be annoying only in the spam that you get after because then they sell the list because that's how organizations make money. Okay, cool. That's an such an easy way. But um usually, and this is an an excellent example, you learn a lot. So, this was done by effective school solutions. Um and the topic was the impact of racial trauma. Um, and I just want I'm going to share there things that I say that I have said over these years that that

110are really important to me, which is having that all of our students deserve a sense of belonging and safety. Um, and that's what they really talked about, but really also around children's um, racial traumas and post PTSD and whatnot. Um we the challenges that our schools have are trust, safety, and security. And they were it wasn't just physical like safety and security. It's just feeling the feeling of safety and security. Um and we need to educate the adults to stop punishing bad behavior and not addressing the root cause um of the behavior. That in 2022, suicide was the third leading cause of death for black children. We need to hire the appropriate staff and we can't just put anyone in front of children. Um this was really this part was really important to me. We

111need people who know the community um where they're teaching um and working um they have to love children and understand the trauma of that community. Um and and because that is often not the case, that's a lot of reason why black children and families feel unsafe in their school. There isn't love at that school. Um we we need to learn. Dr. Francis did a session of this of however many years ago at the parent um conference at the beginning of the school year. We need to learn from the expertise of parents and families about their children. There is no one more expert on their child than the people who are raising them at home. Um we've we've heard this before. We should have positive phone calls home. Not just not just you know when there's

112a challenge. Um children need love and connection. Um speaking of chronic absenteeism that that's often just school avoidance. There's a reason that children don't want to come to school or families aren't pushing their children to come to school. Um, and that's when we need to actually uh build relationships with that family and and child to understand what what is keeping them from feeling that school is the place to be and that's that's a safe place to be. So we should work towards choosing people from the community who have similar experiences of the traumatized children who are highly qualified um and and know what the child needs psychological and not psychologically and not to forget about the family. So and then we have love, connection and belonging. So I loved it because I love love and

113I love loving on children. So thank you I too see that we have had a long time since our last meeting. In fact, I missed the last meeting because I was at my granddaughter's wedding and I'm pleased to say it went very well. Um I did tell some of you how the flowers got thrown away, but uh we got past that. uh March 27th. Uh I also went to the Bellhella art fair the next morning and saw their comic con and I thought that was really uh unique. Um all the artwork was very well done. There were some very talented students displaying their work and it was very impressive overall. On the 1st of April I had a town hall at El Monte Elementary and we had about 20 to 25 people in attendance. Our

114next one will be on the first Tuesday in May, May 6th. And this will be virtual on Zoom. So, we're trying to alternate a little bit to live with Zoom. Uh that'll probably be the last one we have for the school year. April 2nd, I went to the high school choir festival at College Park. And boy, did I enjoy that because it took me back to my high school days when I'd sing baritone in my high school choir. And um I guess my school is pretty large because we had as many in our choir in the in our choir from one high school as they had in the whole mass high school's choir from all four high schools here. So um I guess when you have 700 graduating people in one class, it's it's large

115in comparison to what we've got today. Uh I do wish we had more students interested in singing. That is such a great expression for them to to be able to to get out and do. So I hope this in encourages it. They said this was the first time that Mount Diablo High had participated in 15 years. So I was glad to see that. Very enjoyable. On April 3rd, I attended the last training session on Prometheian boards. Now it wasn't for board members. It was for teachers. And so I was just trying to sit in there and figure out what they're talking about when they're saying Prometheian boards. And so I really learned uh how they're used and it's really fantastic the the uh bit about the many things that can be done and how they

116can tailor it to their students and really use it as a good tool. And I I love becoming familiar with the technology that we have. Finally, I want to comment on an SEAL survey which is being conducted this week. Uh, a parent advised me on some of the questions. One question for fourth graders, that's 9 to 10 year olds. What is your gender? Uh, the answers were male, female, transgender, genderneutral, non-binary, other, and declined to state. I think this is not age appropriate for that age. Another question was for sixth graders, 11 to 12 year olds. Do you identify as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual? Questioning or declined to state. Again, I do not think this is age appropriate. In fact, I had a comment made to me that the survey may be illegal as it

117may be violating the federal law of PP or protection of pupil rights amendment. So, I hope that's not the case, but it is kind of sending up a red flag for me. Uh, and that's all I have to say. Thanks. Thank you, Trusty Count. All right. Yes, it has been a while. It's good to see everyone. Um, so yeah, number of things. Um, the DAC meeting was fabulous. Thank you for reporting on that. Um, I also, um, was invited to and attended the, uh, Ramadan ifar at the, uh, nor Islamic center, which was really beautiful. Um, and, uh, the mayor of Conquered was there as well. Um and it was just you know a whole focus on um peace in the world um and recognizing um people in our community who uh may be hungry

118and the the idea of um fasting to be able to feel that. Um so I appreciate our community partnerships um such as that organization. Um I attended the IB verification visit for Sequoia which um was great. It was really neat to see all of the things they have um built up um at SEOA and it went very well. um also for my um sort of intersection of my day job and my school board um organized an event um with Assembly Member Rebecca Barahan um at uh Los L um that was called anxiety technology and our schools and it was held on March uh 26th um and we had the schools they were breakout groups for each um for anxiety for technology and for schools um and for schools we had uh superintendent Dr. Nickerson um

119from Akalani's High School District and um we would have had Dr. Clark except it was the first day of CASA um and so we had uh Chris Clawson um there to speak about schools um and what um our school districts are doing um on the topic of anxiety and technology and and uh mental health for our youth. Um, and Chris did a fabulous job, so thank you for sending him. Um, and part of what he talked about was um, our um, yonder yonder pouches and how that's been going at a number of our schools. Um, and uh, I also attended the Casa conference and it was amazing. I cannot uh, recommend this conference more. Um, this is my second year attending and it was just incredible. It's just every every workshop that I go to

120at at this conference has always been um really helpful. But also the um the convenings of the of the whole conference when we have um speakers um has just been so high quality. Um and and just I think one of the biggest things is the for me is how it feels to be at the conference. It's just one of the most like welcoming inclusive spaces like you know how um they say you know do as I do not as I say do as I say not as I do. Anyway um the Right. Right. Right. But it's it's better to be able to model it what you want to see. Right. And so so what we want to see in our schools is an environment where everybody feels welcomed and included in all different ways. Right?

121It's not just also it's different ways of teaching, right? It's not just talking at people. It's interacting with them. It's including music. Um, and you know, dance. The dancing is always really great at CASA. Um, but just so many things that bring people together. Um, and so it was very uplifting to be there and I feel like I always want to bring that back um, you know, uh, when I come back into into the district. But mostly I want to congratulate the president of CASA, our very own superintendent, Dr. Clark. You did an amazing job. So thank you. And also that we had such an amazing big contingent from our district. We did. Yes. Many people in the audience were here. Yes. Um Yes. And presenters as well. Many different presentations. Yeah. Um, so to

122sum up a few of the learnings, um, I won't go through addressing racial trauma because you did that. I I did like one of the, um, analogies they had though was that, um, one of the things that they had was like a a picture, you know, when you go on a roller coaster ride and there's that bar that comes down and like you're you feel like, okay, I'm I'm I can go upside down now. I'm protected because there's this bar, right? So the idea of the adult as the adult you are the bar of that roller coaster. So you are to for the student you're that regulated calm adult. You're the one who's providing that sense of belonging as you said and you're the one who needs to be helping that student with their self-esteem.

123They the as a student I need to know I'm capable of learning this. And so if I'm reacting in a stressful PTSD kind of way, fight or flight, um sometimes I'd rather be the bad kid than the dumb kid, right? And so for the adult to be able to show that I believe that you are capable of learning this, you are somebody and you are enough just really um something that that stood out to me. Um and also um they talked about supporting students who are coming back from a non-public placement or some type of residential um mental health could be situation. Um a lot of different ways where students are coming back into our schools from some sort of um other place and um that we need to be very intentional about creating those

124pathways for them to return um and be contributing members to the school community. And there was a shout out there to our own Rosie Reid and her team for how as a district peop people out there um have seen that Mount Diablo is a place that is very intentional about making sure that those transitions are smooth for our students. Um so we're doing a great job out there. Um I did also um another workshop that I went to was um around fulfilling the promise of Brown um uh Brown versus Board of Education. Um and a few things from that. Uh there was a discussion about how um schools are the third most common location for hate crimes. That was surprising to me. Um, and the most common type is antilack. Um, and so they said,

125you know, if you're wondering about that, um, Google just instances of threat against black students in California and you will see plenty. Um, and so, uh, the, um, recommendation was that, um, us versus hate, um, is something that every educator should be using to disrupt these types of, um, things. and that after an incident, we have to make sure that we punish those who did it. We need to make sure we support the victim. Um and and then we also need to understand why. Um and use that to educate. Um and um yeah, so that was one of the other ones. There was I can't go through it all. There was so much good so much good stuff. Um but uh so I also attended the um El Dorado um multicultural fashion show which I

126think Dr. Clark and I were both speeding from the airport. Not speeding driving the appropriate speed from the airport to get over to El Dorado before their event ended. Um and so uh congrats to um the teachers and and parents and students who put that on. Um it was great to hear that that's their first annual um just you know so the community just came out there they were all there um and it's an example of when you do things that are relevant for people they they will show up you know um the community is is there um also attended the CCC SBA meeting um and um uh our president Mayo was there as well um were you there you were not there usually Miss Miss Ma uh Miss Mason is there as well. Um

127and we heard from Patrick Patrick O'Donnell um about the the state of the state of education uh right now. So a lot of really great information. Um one of the things he emphasized was the need um for our representation at their coast to coast um advocacy uh in Washington DC. Um, and uh, it looks like they are going to get representation from all California counties. So, that one's pretty exciting. Um, a few other things I want to mention. Sorry this is so long. Um, I just want to acknowledge the environment that we're in right now. um the way that people in our country are being disappeared uh without due process. Um that there are student visas being revoked for no reason. That ICE is approaching elementary schools without uniforms or identification. Um and it's just

128it's I feel like I don't recognize our country right now. Um and so I just want to reiterate that we need to keep each other safe. Um, and you know, in our in our own local communities, that's that's the one of the only things we can do. Um, and so please keep sharing those stand together cards, the green cards or the red cards with everyone. Um, and I just want to say that we will do everything that we can do to ensure a safe environment for learning. um what the staff in LA did worked. When the elementary school was approached by um people who did not even identify themselves as ICE, um the staff responded, they asked for ID. Um and uh they did not give out access to a student or student data, right?

129Um and in our district, that is our process, right? You would ask for ID and you would send them to the district office to verify the warrant. Um and you know so please everyone keep following our policies on that. Um I just want to also share that um uh our um brothers and sisters at at um sheet metal workers um union have an action that people can take part in. It's called bring our local 100 brother home and give him due process. Um you can look up uh smart union on Facebook to see the where you can take action there. Um and there's many more um actions to please take to keep everyone safe. Um so speaking of the importance of our voices in this democracy, um it is high school voter education week this

130week and next week. Um so I would love to hear about what our schools are doing. please invite us out um or share um with us as board members what you're doing on your school site um to make sure that our uh high school students understand about the democratic process and registering to vote. Um since 2016, over 1.3 million California students pre-registered, which is really great because once you're 16, you can pre-register, right? I know my daughter did that. Um and lastly, the California Coastal Commission is having an art contest um for middle and high school students. Um and encourages students in grades 6 through 12 to take part in a climate storytelling contest. Um and I've posted it on LinkedIn. It's at coastal.ca.govclimatechallenge. Um okay, I think that's everything. Thank you very much. Trustee

131OOA, what exciting news do you have to share with us? Hello. I hope everyone had a good um spring break. At the beginning of the month, I had the opportunity to visit Ogroveve Middle School for a student focus group. During our conversation, students shared honest feedback about their experiences on campus. Some of the cert the concerns students raised included wanting improvements in how bullying is handled and hoping for more support from trusted adults when issues come up. Students also wanted more privacy in in bathrooms in school restrooms and mentioned that taller walls in the boys' bathroom would help them feel more comfortable. Another hope was for more ex sorry exe right now. It's okay. Another another hope was for extendur. Yep. There you go. You got Thank you. Another hope was for more extracurricular activities,

132especially sports like ba baseball, basketball, which many students are excited to participate. Students were also interested in adding vape detectors and more bathroom supervision. On a positive note, students were clear about the things they really love at Orove Middle School. Many shared that they are appreciate the school counselors and mentioned that they feel listened to and supported and genuinely cared for. Students also said how they also enjoyed the robotics club which has created a lot of excitement and interest among the peers. They also spoke highly of the teachers positive energy and enthusiasm as well as the the quality of the cafeteria food. Thank you. Very nice. I look forward to your reports every meeting because we learn something about our students and our schools that maybe we wouldn't always hear. Thank you. So, um, first

133I want to thank the conquered city council members and in particular council member Nakamura and CA Mayor Oberinger for recognizing our Mount Diablo Unified School District robotics teams from Ignatio Valley High School and Mount Diablo High School on April 1st. Um the recognition by conquered our city promotes the promise of our youth for conquered and the entire Mount Diablo Unified School District community. And um what was also amazing to see was how the students from the Y High School robotics team cheered on the other two uh groups that were there to um receive recognition. and they are supporting not only uh the middle schools um in providing some robotics uh experience and training, but they're also supporting Mount Diablo High School and even supported the Clayton Valley Charter Robotics Team. So, it's great to see

134that impact. And they actually received an impact award by the judges at a competition they attended. They create the judges created the competi during the competition. and it wasn't a regular award because they were so impressed with the students passion about sharing and cheering other students along in their work um for the robotics program. Uh I also attended the high school choir concert held at uh College Park High School. Uh I want to compliment the um um instructors the coral directors for the selection of the music. It was many genres uh and the performances um like um Mr. McDougall shared the performance by the students was excellent and um they were attentive, they were well behaved and they also cheered one another along because they represented different schools. On April 3rd, like Miss Count uh

135mentioned, we had the Contraosta County School Boards Association meeting where um we welcomed CSBA's Patrick O'Donnell who's chief of uh governmental relations and he's the former chair of the California Assembly Education Committee and he provided information on the current state of legislation affecting education in changing times. So if you wish to review his PowerPoint, it's on uh posted on cccsba.org and on the um April 3rd events um title. Uh so there was good information about those slides. So that concludes my report and Dr. Clark, you're on stage. You guys have my PowerPoint. I'm joking. I'm joking. Inside joke. I'm sorry. Yes, I know. Um I I don't I just have a I just have a few things. I I do not have a PowerPoint. I'm playing a joke on them. Um first of all, I

136I want to welcome everyone back from spring break. I hope that um our families, our students, our employees all um you know just got to rest, got to I don't know go travel or just sleep in or just just do things out of the ordinary that they can't always do because of their um school responsibilities. Um there are, I believe, 35 days left in school and um and I just know that I was over at uh Olympic today and on the screen it said 35 days left in school. stuck in my head. Um so, um you know, so our current reality, you know, I just wanted to spend a spend a moment on that is um we're coming to the end of the school year. This is always just a difficult time because of transition

137because change is happening. We have our fifth graders getting ready to go to middle school. They're nervous and anxious and so are their parents. the teachers are nervous and anxious because they're trying to um prepare their students for that next level and they know time is running out. Um middle schoolers going to high school, there's going to be anxiety there and and things to that nature. I was speaking with Trustee A Choa today about that anxiety um that our seniors are feeling about moving on to that that next level. So, so it's just a it's a it's a joyous time, but it's also a very very stressful time. And um and there's always going to be issues out in the community and the state and the country that um you know that are going to

138cause us you know concern or things that we agree with or or don't agree with. But our reality in Mount Diablo um Mount Diablo is doing excellent things. I mean excellent things. whether I mean I could just go on literally for an hour and talk about all of the experiences that our students have and what we do as a board and as a governance team to ensure that those things that those things happen whether it's our visual and performing arts which I got all the invitation of of uh band concerts and choir concerts and everyone together um the work that we do in athletics um you know Mount Diablo High School just got a brand new state-of-the-art turf field. Um, you know, we're with the Title N work that we're doing over at College Park,

139we're going to really work to improve our facilities for our female athletes. Um, and and that's going to extend throughout the district. And then when you just think about all the different programs that we have, whether it's robotics, whether it's about having a a student board member who is able to go around and meet with other students or or whether it's about JOTC or just there's so many things happening in our district that I am extremely extremely proud of. Now, in difficult times, people are upset and say things. And as superintendent, I take responsibility for every single thing that happens on this district. it it comes to me and I and I take that responsibility very very seriously. And so I have thick skin when things are said about me that aren't true. Number one,

140the teacher who said tonight that I came to a site um first of all, she was wrong. It was I go to Pleasant Hill Elementary School all the time and I never ever post when I'm at a site and I go to all of our sites and I go unannounced and I go inconspicuous because I want to go and speak to the students and go see for myself what is going on. And on Friday before break I went to Mount Diablo High School at 7:30 in the morning and um hung out in the hallways in the cafeteria on the yard. I spoke to every single student that I came in contact with and I cannot just tell you how delightful each one of those students were. Um, just talking what are you going to do

141during break? What classes are you, you know, what classes are do you like? What are you going to do this summer? What are you doing after graduation? And things like that. And our students are just so engaging. I did the same thing over at Northgate. I went over to Northgate. I had Where's Mr. Shehy? I had Mr. she's son come up to me in front of 600 kids and come right up to me, look me in the eye, shake my hand, introduce themselves to me. Um, kids, students do that all the time. So, so when I go out to our schools, which I go, you know, I go to, I mean, we have 55 schools. I go to as many as possible. when I'm holding babies at the uh at at Crossroads, when um you

142know, when I'm over at Oak Grove in their wellness center and things like that, talking to students, talking to staff, I'm inspired by what I see each and every day. We are doing the work. We are doing what our goals say we're going to do by really putting students first at the at the at the front of all that we're doing. Number one, to make them feel safe and accepted. But what I see is what is lacking and what we really need to continue to build on is our instruction of our students and the support around that. Right? We put a lot on our teachers and and and rightfully so because the one who has the biggest influence on students while they are in school is the teacher. So therefore, we want to make sure

143that our teachers have all the tools um available to them that they need to meet to meet all different types of learners because again, they don't know who's going to come into their class, who has a 504, who has an IEP, who's homeless, who's foster, who's an English learner, who is exceptional, right, but is board stiff in our system, right? We have those students in our schools and we we can't apply a one-sizefits-all model to instructing our students, right? So, we have to be able to differentiate. We have to give our teachers as many tools as possible. And the person that's going to ensure that that happens is the site principal. So if you see with the principles who we hired tonight, you you read in their in their bios their vast experiences that they

144have of in being instructional leaders. And again, I expect you're not going to get through the door if you don't like kids and and if you don't accept kids, that's just a non-negotiable. but then finding folks who can really lead that instruction to make sure that we have, you know, 60 70 80 90% of our students working at or above grade level. What um Katherine Fireman did not share with you tonight is our ELTELS, they're scoring in the 1%s, the two 3% of being at or proficient at grade level in ELA and math. So we have a special focus on those students. The other group that performs kind of equally to them would be students with IEPs. So we have work to do um around supporting all of our students. So even though um you

145know even though we have all these great things happening at our at our schools, I'm always going to take the responsibility on myself and wonder what can I do more to support our students. But I will say, and you know, I don't like to talk about myself. I don't like to talk about the things that I do, but I do I do lead a statewide organization. I do meet with superintendent and leaders um throughout the country about educational things. Um there is not a person involved in the state of California in education who's a higher up, whether it's around finance, whether it's around special education, whether it's about instruction, whether it's about uh CSBA leadership, acts of leadership. I know them all. I have them all in my on my cell phone. I know I

146showed Linda Darling Hammond's number and things like that. And the the feedback that I'm getting from them are things that we are doing in this district. And so as we go through difficult times and as people are upset and people want to come and hopefully lash out at me and not lash out at the board or lash out at our teachers or lash out at at at staff, I want them to lash out at me. I know in my heart that we are doing the right things for our for our students. 29,000 students is a lot of students, but you take an LA Unified that has hundreds of thousands of students. We we we are tiny in comparison to them, but we're also very large to some of the superintendents who I know who lead

147a district of 300 students and the challenges that that they face. So this is extremely difficult work, but it is so rewarding when you can go and interact with our students. And so the the the proof is is in what our students are doing, how they talk about their experience. And that is my goal that when students leave us in graduations, which we all are getting ready to go on the on the uh graduation, you know, graduation tour, you know, all all of those all of those speeches, all of those high fives and all that stuff is when our students graduate and walk across that stage, I want them to look back and say, I had a positive school experience and I have the tools to do whatever it is that I that I want

148to go on and do. And that's the goal. So, um I'm up for the um you know, for the for the criticism, but I will put our district and what we're doing top to bottom against any district in the Bay Area or in the state of California with what with with how we provide opportunities and support for our students. So again, I just want to thank this board. Thank you for your leadership and guidance and partnership as we navigate these difficult times because spring is difficult. What we had to go through tonight was was difficult. I can acknowledge that and it's it's always difficult when changes need to be made. But um but we're going to continue to go forward and I can I hope that that that criticism continues to come my way. um

149you know because as a superintendent it all falls on my shoulders and so I'm I'm willing and able to meet the moment and continue to show up each and every day for our kids and that's what I'm going to continue to do as long as I'm here. So thank you. So we are ready to move on to the consent agenda. Thank you Dr. Clark. Yep. Um, as you all know, the items listed under the consent agenda are considered routine and will be approved or adopted by a single motion. There will be no separate consideration um or discussion of these items. However, any item may be removed from the consent agenda upon the request of any member of the board and acted upon separately. So, we have Mrs. Ortega, you wish to speak on this one.

150It looks like 510. Oh, I see it's 15.1 is where you're going to speak. You're addressing item 510 under consent. All right. So, I'm back again because when I was looking at the agenda, I came across this item and um I want to speak to this because I had a concern that the district feels that they need to create and hire another district administrator at a salary over $230,000. Why why does this one position how is this one position benefit our students? And Dr. Clark, you just talked about how you want to support our teachers, how you want to support our students. $230,000. This is This is insulting to me and to my members, especially since the district has only offered our educators a 1% pay increase. I am so confused to why the district

151feels that they can't justify spending this amount of money when we have high schools that do not have full-time librarians. This salary, this salary alone can fund two high school librarians or fund two or three intervention teachers at a title one school. the intervention teachers have been removed. And we talk about test scores over and over and over again. Katherine Fireman did an excellent job describing the program that she was just talking about. I was an English language learner. We didn't have those kinds of programs when I was growing up. We were told you cannot speak Spanish at school. I learned it at home. And yet we expect our students to learn these things. How are we going to support them? So my ask is please reconsider not funding another administrator who does not work

152directly with our students. Thank you trustees. Are there any items you wish to I have I have a comment um on item 15.2. We have a retirement in there. And I just wanted to call attention to Margie Calbeck who longtime administrator, longtime principal, um longtime team member. Um um she's she's buried in there somewhere in the retirements, but um and I know she's not here to be embarrassed, but did want to um did want to acknowledge her. And then and then just to respond to the comments is um um director of enrollment services as as you know first impressions mean a lot and we used to have um we used to have people go to the sites to enroll their students and so we have 55 sites that's going to be 55 different experiences for

153our families to go through. Some sites um have systems down and um they would have everything ready for parents when they came through the door and um um other sites they didn't have everything all organized and ready and so then parents had to come back multiple times. When families are enrolling in school are probably one of the most stressful times for them. You saw that little baby in here earlier. when that baby is um what three and a half almost four they're going to come register for TK and the director of enrollment services creates that environment so that when that parent comes through everything is ready we're able to roll out the red carpet for that family make sure that they have each and everything that they need so that they can um so that

154so that they can enroll in school and just so we're all crystal clear we're funded on um on a on average daily attendance, but we're funded by per student. So, if our enrollment systems are not um are not crystal clear and buttoned up extra tight, then there are no raises or salaries for anybody. Um, so I would just like the honorable um, President Ortega to understand how her members all get paid. Thank you. Are there any items the members of the board would like to hold for separate consideration? I would make a motion that we approve the agenda as presented. Second. So we have a motion by trustee Mason with a second by trustee and Zwi on approval of the consent agenda as u presented. Trustee OOA, how do you vote? Yes. I'm clicking but

155it's not actually doing anything. I don't know if you guys are having that situation. Oh. There we go. Uh, the consent agenda is adopted on a 500 vote with support from Trusty Ooa. Uh, we're ready to move on to the business items for tonight. Now, I have a problem with the screen. I feel like I'm at home when the screen blips out. I think all our screens are frozen. Excuse me. Is um Melissa Girtson still here this evening? She submitted a card earlier and it was submitted late. Okay, this was a public comment card. We'll reach out to her. All right. Okay. So, we need to sign back on. Right. I apologize. We could move on with um item 18.1 while the rest of us sign on. Mr. She have Mr. Sheini coming with some

156good news, huh? Great news. Yes. Good evening, Dr. Clark. Madam President, board of trustees. I'm honored to present the following two items. The first agenda item settles the reopener uh negotiations of salary and benefits for the 2025 2026 school year with Teamsters Local Union number 856. This agreement is a testament to the collaborative work between the district and Teamsters. I would like to thank Mark Jones and Moore and the negotiating team and all Teamster members. I would also like to thank Melanie Coslo, Adrien Vargas and our district team who supported a quick resolution to these reopener negotiations. With that, I leave this in the hands of the board. Madame President, I move to approve the tenative agreement between Teamster Local Union 856 and Mount Tablo School District for the reopeners in the 2023 to 2026

157collective bargaining agreement. I'll second that. And thank you to all who were part of that collaborative team. So, I'm still joining the meeting. So, we have a motion by Trusty K with a second by Trustee Mason. There further discussion on this item hearing. No further discussion. Uh, Trusty Aua, how do you vote? Yes. Ah, here we go. I think our screens are frozen again. All right. We only have one trustee that hasn't clicked. I clicked the button. The button just finally showed up and I clicked it, but it does not appear to be responding as of yet. While we're waiting, I just wanted to give a shout out to the electronic marquee at Olympic High School that was recently installed. That was so great to see. So um 18.1 with the approval with teamsters has

158been approved on a 500 zero vote. Thank you. All right. Thank you. Good accomplishment. Next item. Next item. The collaboration didn't stop there. As part of the current collective bargaining agreement with Teamsters Local Union 856, a study by Stu uh School Services of California confirmed that outdated roles and low wages have led to high vacancy rates, particularly among skilled and general maintenance workers through collaboration with Teamsters. Um, job descriptions have been updated and the salary rates for particular positions have been increased through theou process which is in front of you tonight. I want to thank Mark Jones and more Melanie Coslo, Adrien Vargas, both negotiating teams and more importantly our teamers representing employees who work each day to provide the best facilities for our students to learn and for for our staff to work in.

159With that, I leave this in the hands of the board. So, is there a motion? I move to approve. Oh, that's the wrong one on the Why would no one would I know um 18.2 I move we approve the memorandum of understanding with the skilled trades position between teams union local 856 and Mount Dav Unified School District. Second. So we have a motion by trustee Mason with a second by trustee McDougall regarding the uh memorandum of understanding with the skilled trades position between Teamsters Local Union number 856 and Mount Diablo Unified School District. And I just want to say congratulations again. Thank you to all the teams, the Teamster teams, the district teams. This is just an example, I think, of what it looks like when teams can work together, focus on the very specific

160issues that need to be worked out that benefit everyone. It's a win-win. Thank you to everyone. No, they're they're working on it. It's coming. While while we're waiting, I just um um and President Mayo, you brought it up. You talked about the marquee at Olympic. Um and I just want to thank Melanie Coslo for that because that was done strictly from M and Melanie wanted to make sure that um Olympic was represented just like all the other schools. So, people are quick to to throw stones at Melanie, but um but I'm throwing some throwing some hearts her way because those kids deserve it and your team your team put it together. So, thank you. Yeah, I was cut short by the vote. And throw that in there. Okay, we have two people that need to

161vote on this item. There it is. Um 18.2 is adopted on a 5000 vote with trustee ooa's supporting. 18.3 is information Dr. Clark. So this is just a a first read versus our March uh 2024 quarterly updates. And so um we're just presenting this as information for the board. Are there any questions from trustees? Not you know who to contact. Uh 18.4 is uh approvals of some board policies if we're ready to take action on uh several of them. Yes. So two two were for um for we're asking for two for approval and four for the first first re. Is there a motion on board policy 5144.1 and AR5144.1 would be the two that we would be considering for action waiting for our screens. So moved. Yep. server error review. Okay. I move to approve

162changes to board policies and administrative regulations per California uh school board association recommendation September 2024 quarterly update. No 1843 is not okay. So, there's been a motion made to approve the revisions to board policy 5144.1 and AR 5144.1 by Mrs. Mason. Who was the second? I'll second it. Thank you, Mr. McDougall. Trusty Ooa, how do you vote? Yes. Let's see. And while we're waiting, I just want to point out to the public, part of this item 5144.1 um includes um one of the things that students uh can be. One of the grounds for suspension and expulsion include creating a burn page, which is an internet website created for the purpose of causing a reasonable student any of the effects of bullying. um credible impersonation um to knowingly and without consent impersonate a student for the

163purpose of bullying the student and such that the student would regionally believe that the student was or is the student who is impersonated. This is uh I'm just reading what we just passed the regulation 5144.1 just to make sure that you know um that we are aware of this that that so these are updates that have come to us um you know in education code these are all education code that I was reading there. Um so um basically the point being that all of our school districts have been updating our uh policies for um issues of bullying that can happen um with the new technologies that exist these days, right? Um so these are um things that we take very seriously and um we're all updating our policies and people can read that. Okay. So

16418.4 was adopted on a 50 vote with support from trustee OOA. Uh we're ready to move on to 18.5. Um there are policies here that are being presented for the first time. There are two policies, board policy 3320 and AR 3320 that have pre been presented once and the board can take action on them tonight. If you're ready, I move to approve the revisions to BP 3320 and AR 3320 as presented. Second that. Okay. So, we have a motion by uh Trustee Enzi with a second by Trustee Mason. Trustee OOA, how do you vote? Yes. And I apologize, I didn't call for discussion. All right, we're all good. and I appreciate the effort of staff in updating our policies because uh it's important. Uh there we go. Um 18.5 is adopted on a 5000 vote.

16518.6 Six U is additional board policies being presented for information. Right. So if you do you have any questions you'd like to present now or would you reach out to Dr. Clark later? Okay, that one was pretty straightforward. Thank you. We don't need a meeting extension. Um we did have the one card. I will reach out to this speaker to find out uh because it looks like I'm not sure what they wrote. Looks like they would like to speak on item 21. So um um so future agenda items, nothing at this time. Well, let's adjourn the meeting at 8:36 p.m. Thank you everybody.