001Good morning. Seeing all of the board members here, bright and shiny. Uh we'd like to begin uh our waiver consent calendar this morning. Uh W1 through W8 will open the phone line for public comment. So, we'll need somebody to get that slide up there for us. Thank you very much. Uh anybody wanting to call in for public comment can use the telephone number and access code shown on the slide. Is there anyone waiting to provide public comment in person? Was that a no? I think they're checking the phone line. Okay. Okay, and is there any public comment on the phone? There are no caller callers in the queue. All right. Uh do I have a motion? Thank you, member Lewis. Member Rodriguez, thank you. Uh show of hands for those in favor. All right. I
002all around. Um we're going to move on to item 11. Item 11 is a public hearing regarding the petition for the renewal of a charter school authorized by the California State Board of Education. This is consideration of the Vista Springs Charter. The California Department of Education recommends that we approve the charter school's renewal petition with the technical amendment outlined below for a term of 2 years beginning July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2028. And uh the item will be presented by Rick Reyes. Hi. Good morning. Yeah, good morning. Uh President Darlingham and Vice President Lever Woods, members of the board, Executive Director Allen, and Chief Deputy Superintendent Shapiro. I'm Rick Reyes, Director of the Charter Schools Division, here again to present um a charter school appeal for the renewal of a state board authorized
003charter. Um this will be the last of these for this school year for this school year. Um so item 11 here is the renewal petition for Vista Springs Charter. Uh similar to last time, just a quick glance at some of the many abbreviations we will be using in this presentation. And a refresher on the types of appeals that you see, and this one is a de novo review, not an abuse of discretion review. So this is the same as last time where we are looking at the program itself, giving it a fresh look. Um And because with charter schools we can't keep anything simple, there are several um considerations for the board today. First, whether to approve or deny the charter school uh for a term of 2 years. And then if approving, um whether
004to accept, reject, or modify the proposed technical amendment to the petition. Whether to adopt, modify, or modify the proposed findings in support of renewal um in found in attachment two, or draft new findings in support of renewal. And then as a separate motion, designate either the district or the county board of education as the charter one authority. Looking back, March 2018, the state board granted the petition to establish the Vista Springs Charter School. It was approved for a 5-year term effective July 1st, 2018 through June 30th, 2023. And with COVID-19 related charter extensions, that term was extended until June 30th of this year, 2026. Um following the path laid out in education code, the charter school petitioned renewal to its local district, Vista Unified, uh who denied the charter school's renewal by a vote of
0054 to 1. And the charter school submitted its appeal to the state board on December 17th, 2025. Vista Unified denied the renewal petition, citing three findings: that the charter school has failed to meet or make sufficient progress toward meeting standards that provide a benefit to pupils, that closure of the charter school is in the best interest of pupils, and that the district gave greater weight to academic performance in making its decision. The department recommends approving the renewal petition with the technical amendment I'll describe later for a term of 2 years beginning July 1st, 2026, and ending June 30th, 2028. Our recommendation is based on the charter school's performance on the dashboard, which places it in the low-performing category and makes it eligible for a 2-year renewal. Verified data showing measurable academic growth equivalent to 1
006year's progress, and the school's written performance improvement plan demonstrating the school is taking meaningful steps to address the underlying causes of its low performance, which the law requires for the renewal of a low category charter. Uh quick note that we noted last time also that verified data was once required to be considered um as of January 1st of this year, it is no longer required to be of consideration, but we include it um in case the board finds it relevant to its decision. At the April ACCS meeting, the commission you know voted unanimously to recommend that the SBE approve the charter school's renewal with the technical amendment proposed by the CDE and adoption of the proposed finding for a term of 2 years, so concurring with the CDE's recommendation. Our standard of review, as I've
007said, is a de novo review. And so, the board must determine whether the program is consistent with sound educational practice and the interests of the community. And must consider the charter school's performance on the dashboard state and local indicators. As a reminder, education code sets forth three categories for charter renewal. Um high, middle, and low. Um and now this year we've seen all of them. We had high and middle last time, and now we hear have a low category school. And that is determined by performance on the dashboard, which I'll walk through now. Those categories are determined by two different criteria. For the criterion one, the school's evaluated uh it's evaluated whether the school received the highest or lowest performance colors on the dashboard for all indicators in the past 2 years. And for criterion
008two, it is only the academic measures, and it is the single year status for the past 2 years looked at both school wide and by student group. Uh Vista Springs was identified as a low category school based on criterion two. For a low category school, there is a presumption of denial, but the board may renew upon finding that the charter school is taking meaningful steps to address the underlying cause or causes of low performance and those steps are reflected or will be reflected in a written plan adopted by the governing body of the charter school. Um if a low category charter is approved, it is eligible for a term of two years. Looking at the dashboard, we will first see a table of the school's performance colors from the last two years, which are determined
009by the school's status for that year and change from the prior year. And then we will also look at status for the academic measures, which is just the the data for that one year. So here are the 2024 and 20 25 performance colors for Vista Springs. This would be a determiner for criterion one, uh but the school did not meet either the low or high criteria for criterion one. Looking at the status for the academic measures, here we have the school-wide ELA and math for the past two years. And we can see for these all of the schools' statuses are below the statewide and these numbers are um for now still distance from standard. Here we have the schools' um English learner progress indicator and science statuses. LPI as we know is a percentage of
010English learners making progress on the ELPAC and science measured in science points and we see these are all below the statewide average also. Looking at English language arts by student group by the numerically significant student groups for the charter school. This slide shows English language arts performance for the past 2 years for English learners, Hispanic students and socioeconomically disadvantaged students compared to those groups statewide averages. And we can see these are all below the statewide average also. And here the same layout for math. Looking at the dashboard measures of academic engagement, we have the chronic absenteeism figures here. As you can see the same performance color and lower chronic absentee uh figures compared to the statewide average. And then suspension rate. >> [sighs] >> And then including the growth data the school placed in accelerated
011for English language arts and moderate for math. Um I know I always have to remind myself what the what level those words are. So, moderate is the second level uh below average. Um I do think it's worth noting that the average Oh, sorry. Growth span starts at -5. And their growth score was -6 in math. So, they were right on the cusp of average. For a local growth assessment, the charter school uses the i-Ready assessments by Curriculum Associates, which is one of the assessments previously approved by the board as uh for the verified data list. And the way that i-Ready is used to measure 1 year's progress is they measure students percent progress toward typical growth. So, they identify a point that they would consider typical. And then they look at each student and say,
012"Well, how much What percent of that did they make?" So, 100% would be equal to the typical growth for 1 year. And then the group or school-wide typical growth percentage is the median. So, what we'll see is median to medium percentage progress toward typical growth um for the groups on the next slides. And so, the target for these is 100%. Um so, again, that would be targeting a median of 100%. And they administer the test three times the year a year. Worth noting that the last 2 years the participation rate was 98% up from 91% but 3 years ago. And so, here are the i-Ready assessment results for reading for the past 3 years by grade level, and then the bottom row shows school-wide. The cells highlighted in green are the groups that achieved 100%
013median typical growth or more. And so, you'll see for the the most recent year all grade levels achieved that target goal. and for the last 2 years in most grade levels. And then school wide for all 3 years they've exceeded their target for reading. Looking at reading results by their student groups. You can see in the the most recent year, all of those student groups were above 100% and two out of three for the 2 years prior. Looking at math, these are by grade level and the bottom row is school wide. So you can see school wide exceeding 100% for all 3 years. And then for 2 years ago and 3 years ago the majority of grade levels and the most recent year, half of the grade levels achieving 100% average typical growth. Looking at
014their student groups, we can see all of their student groups achieved that target for the past 2 years and then two out of three um in 2022-23. For a brief description of the educational program at Vista Springs Charter because Vista Springs is considered a non-classroom based school, um which is sort of a broad category that encompasses a lot of different program types. Vista Springs operates three separate instructional programs, a 5-day classroom based dual immersion program, a 3-day classroom and home school hybrid, and a home based program. And so while considered a non-classroom based school, last year at the year second principal apportionment, the school reported 75% classroom based ADA. Um so very different from what we often imagine for non-classroom based schools, which be completely or mostly virtual. We do We are proposing one technical
015amendment for the petition, which is an update to the suspension and expulsion policy to remove language pertaining to willful defiance. The school has already submitted an updated policy and had it approved by their board, so they've already completed um the work for this amendment. In reviewing the 15 required charter elements, the CDE um found that with the technical amendment um just described and detailed in the petition, the petition does provide reasonably comprehensive descriptions of all elements. And that includes the educational program, measurable pupil outcomes, governance, student missions, student admissions, among other elements. As part of the requirements for renewal for a low category charter, the school must have a written plan to address the underlying causes of low performance. The Springs submitted a performance improvement plan, which we reviewed. Uh the plan and the our
016review of that plan are attached to the item. It covers a root cause analysis driven by available data, a clear action plan, and early evidence improvement from the current school year. And so we've concluded that the performance improvement plan addresses multiple aspects of dashboard academic data and are targeted at student and teacher action, reflecting sound educational practice. And we believe that this performance improvement plan does address the underlying causes of low performance and is evidence that the school is taking meaningful steps to address them. As always, we review the school's finances. We want to make sure that the school is fiscally sustainable so that the students don't have um surprise um school issues throughout the term. We looked at enrollment projections, financial history under SBE oversight, the current fiscal position, and their multi-year projections, and
017we have found that the school is fiscally sustainable. Here we have their projected ADA through 2030-31. And we did find that while some of the projection projected increases are rather large, um we've seen we've had the school under our oversight, and we've seen them adjust as needed to enrollment fluctuations, and they do have adequate reserves um to adjust if these projections are not realized. And as you can see for their current fiscal position, um their audit came back with an unqualified status. They have about $2.6 million ending funding balance from last year, equaling about 69% of total expenditures. And for the first interim budget for this year, 2. Just about $3 million and projected reserves around the same number of 16.53%. Um and our MOU with our schools recommends keeping above 5%, so we can
018see that you have adequate reserves. And so as I said, looking at their [clears throat] multi-year projections, uh they're forecasting operating surpluses and increasing reserves. We think their projections are reasonable, and that the school is fiscally sustainable. Oversight and compliance, again, the school has been under state board authorities since it opened in 2018 with the CDE Charter Schools Division conducting an oversight. And the charter school has been in good standing throughout that time. We did issue one letter of concern in 2021 that, if you recall from previous renewals, uh similar letters of concern went to a lot of different charter schools around this time uh when the new whether requirement for conflict of interest policies was newly enacted into law. And they did have a conflict of interest policy, uh but there was a lot
019of confusion about which uh was the appropriate governing body to approve the conflict of interest policy. And they responded timely with evidence of compliance, and we've had no outstanding concerns. And so, our overall assessment is that they've been in compliance with their charter and the MOU uh between the state board and the charter school. As part of our ongoing oversight, uh we conduct annual site visits and monthly meetings covering all aspects of charter school operations, including academics, student culture and climate, fiscal health, governance. And we've observed the charter school engaging in continuous improvement cycles uh driven by the available data and root cause analysis, and making instructional adjustments throughout that time. Which we believe is We believe is relevant to our conclusion that their improvement plan um is evidence of taking meaningful steps because it
020is a reflection of regular ongoing work that they do. It's not just something that they put together for the purpose of renewal. And through our monthly meetings, we know that the school began that analysis as soon as their 2020 2025 cast scores were released, again, not just when it came time for renewal. And so, as a quick overview summary of our review, the school does fall into the low-performing category based on its dashboard data. And the dashboard indicator the academic indicators um for status are all below statewide averages and for um overall um the majority of indicators are below statewide indicators. Their verified data does demonstrate um growth consistent uh with both reading and math schoolwide across grades and within student groups equivalent to or exceeding one year's progress. And their improvement plan uh is
021meaningful. It includes meaningful, actionable steps to address the low performance. And so, as a reminder, even though there is the presumption of denial, the board may renew a low category school if it finds that the improvement plan meets the requirements of education code, which is that the school is taking meaningful steps to address the underlying causes of low performance and that those steps are reflected in a written plan adopted by the governing board. If the board does approve, uh there will need to be an action to designate a chartering authority, and we note for the board that the school requests to be assigned to the San Diego County Board of Education. And that concludes the CD's presentation, and if the board ends up moving the CD's recommendation, we do have a helper slide here for
022you um that lays out the language. All right? Uh, we are here to answer any questions as needed and I believe the school is going to give a presentation next. All right. Thank you. Um, at this point, uh, I want to open the public hearing uh, and uh, it is 8:54 um, a.m. Uh, we'll hear first from the representatives for the petitioner. They have up to 10 minutes to make their presentation. Following the petitioner, we'll then hear from representatives of the school district should they choose to make a presentation. They will have up to 10 minutes to make their presentation. After the presentation, we'll open up the phone line for public comment from individuals who are not part of either presentation. Uh, petitioners, you may begin. You have 10 minutes. Where are the petitioners? They're
023there. Good morning, President Darling Hammond and members of the board. My name is Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer and I am the superintendent of the Springs Charter Schools Network. I'm here today on behalf of Vista Springs Charter School to respectfully appeal our charter renewal. Our presentation today will focus on three things: who we are, how we got here, and most importantly, our clear plan for student success. Last year, our network celebrated 25 years serving over 13,000 students across 24 locations in Southern California. Our mission is to empower students through personalized learning. Across our schools, we have a strong track record of financial stability, positive authorizer relationships, and academic growth. Notably, Stanford's CREDO report uh, recognized Springs as a gap buster in closing learning gaps for typically underperforming students. This is the foundation behind Vista Springs. We have
024served the Vista community for over 20 years, including the last seven as a state authorized school. And you've heard the details of our situation, and we're delighted to be recommended by the CDE and by the ACCS. What matters most is this. Vista Springs is not defined by a low-tier label. We are a high-quality school demonstrating meaningful academic growth with the students who choose us. Um and we are already executing a focused, data-driven plan to accelerate this growth even further. Today, we're here to show you both the urgency of this work and our the strength of our plan driving it forward. Now, I'd like to introduce you to Vista Springs Student Center Principal Kim Bagby to talk about the Vista community. Thank you, Dr. Hermsmeyer. Vista Springs' nearly 250 students reflect the strength and diversity of
025our community, serving 25% English learners, 6% students experiencing homelessness, 13% students with disabilities, and 71% socioeconomically disadvantaged students. We're a small, relationship-driven school where every student is known not just by their name, but by their story. That connection is the foundation for everything we do. Our program is anchored in three models that meet the needs of our families. First, La Fuente, our seat-based 50/50 dual immersion program, serves nearly 2/3 of our students. It is a vibrant, bilingual environment where students build academic proficiency in both English and Spanish while developing competence and cultural connection. Second, Mosaic, our hybrid program, offers a model where students attend in-person instruction at least three days a week and engage in personalized learning at home on the remaining days. This model is especially powerful for our family speaking both structure and
026flexibility. Of course, we also offer home school for families who prefer this option. Our community has grown significantly when two lower-performing district schools closed in 2023. Many families turned to Vista Springs and others continue to join us mid-year, often in grades three and above because they're actively seeking a better fit for their children. In fact, nearly 60% of the students tested in 2025 were hours for less than 2 years. And we are seeing incredible growth with the students who come to us. Across programs, students set goals, reflect on their progress, and engage in learning that is personalized, purposeful, and connected to their lives. And that is what drives our results. To walk you through our analysis and action plan, I'd like to introduce our assistant superintendent of education, Dr. Vivian Price. Good morning, and thank
027you, Kim. When Vista Springs Charter School was placed in the state's low-performing tier, we did not simply accept that status. We used it as a catalyst to refine our academic achievement plan. We do understand the second look criteria, and because we are a small school with only three subgroups, we recognize the imperative to lift these groups. This is addressed in our performance improvement plan. In this plan, we identified root causes that contributed to the low-performing tier, including demographic shifts, staffing stability, and instructional gaps. Regarding demographics, Principal Bagby noted that many students enroll at Vista Springs Charter mid-year, often already performing below grade level. 60% of our testing students are enrolled for less than 2 years. This impacts overall proficiency rates, but does not impact annual growth. In fact, we consistently see stronger growth the longer
028students remain enrolled. Two years ago, the former principal was promoted to the central office. We hired three new teachers and had a vacancy in that same year. This was the year before renewal. And as you know, leadership changes affect both enrollment and achievement. Now, 2 years later, Principal Bagby has developed a team of teachers and student achievement is rising. Our performance improvement plan focuses on four broad goals. The goals are to increase math achievement, English learner achievement, staff retention, and ELA achievement. The improvement plan includes many specific actions. Some of the most significant include adopting a new math curriculum that is high rigor and state-approved. We hired an EL interventionist and an EL coach who focuses on integrated and designated instruction. To improve ELA achievement, we increased writing volume and our focus on early intervention.
029Finally, we are supporting teachers through academic coaching and new teacher development. Here, we have the most recent results from our i-Ready ELA testing. The green box in the middle is the target expectation. You can see that we met and exceeded the target overall and for subgroups. Our current year math results are equally strong with notable progress overall. These results indicate that our systems are working and most importantly, students are growing. We have met the state's renewal standard, are actively addressing the root causes of low performance, and are executing our board adopted performance improvement plan. CDE staff has vetted this plan and made a two-year recommendation based on its strength and viability. Vista Springs students are meeting and exceeding annual growth goals, which is our top priority. This school is supported by the strength of the
030Springs network. We are improving outcomes, closing gaps, and serving a community that chooses us. We remain fully committed to our students, authorizer, and a focus on achievement and growth. I'll now turn it back over to Superintendent Dr. Kathleen Hermsmeyer. Thank you, Dr. Price. It's important to address student mobility. We serve families who need change, families seeking flexibility and personalized option, whether for 1 year or for many. We're proud to be that option, regardless of how long students stay. The real question is not how long students stay, but it's how well they do when they're here. Are they growing with us? And the answer is yes. Even students who attend Vista Springs just for 1 year are growing and benefiting from our program, and this is seen in the most recent state growth model prepared by
031CDE on the California dashboard. When we look at our local indicators, we focus on trends over time, and the trend is clear. Students at Vista Springs are consistently exceeding growth targets year after year in both reading and math. This is not about one strong year, it's about sustained upward progress over time, and it's important to note that this growth is happening across student groups. Every subgroup is showing positive growth trends over multiple years. Um this tells us something important. The students who need us most are benefiting the most. And this shows um a clear and consistent pattern. Students who remain at Vista Springs for 3 years or more significantly outperform the new students who are coming into our program. Uh while many of our uh incoming students are well below grade level, their growth accelerates
032the longer they stay, demonstrating the strength and impact of our academic model. Regardless of how long they stay, they grow, and if they stay a while, they thrive. The progress and excellence that I'm reporting to you today is not merely our own opinion. The state's accountability system and staff report affirm this progress. At the same time, we're clear about our responsibility, and we're proud of our growth, but we're not satisfied. Uh the performance improvement plan is how we are accelerating outcomes, building on our strengths, and moving Vista Springs forward out of low tier. So, uh granting us a 2-year charter will allow Vista Springs to continue to build upon this momentum and ensure continued growth for every student we serve. The data shows we're growing, and our actions show that we have only just begun.
033Thank you. much. Um We I understand that the uh district was not planning to present today, but to double-check, do we have any representatives from the school district? All right. Are there any clarifying questions? Then we'll move ahead for um opening the phone line for public comment. Thank you so much. Public [clears throat] comment is limited to 1 minute. It is for people who are not part of any presentation. Uh members of the public wishing to provide comment may do so by calling the telephone number and using the access code provided on the slide that is shown now. Uh we encourage you to please state your name and affiliation for the record. Uh please remember to turn down the speaker volume of your computer if you are following the live feed. Speakers will be limited
034to 1 minute each where speakers require interpretation, 2 minutes will be provided. Are there speakers signed up to provide public comment in person? Yes, we have 10 people signed up for in-person public comment. Please remember to state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Will the first five people please line up at the microphone in the back of the room? David Venegas, Miley Rio, Lauren Espinoza, Mark Henderson, and Steve McDougall. Hello. Good morning. My name is David Venegas. I am the school counselor at Springs Charter School, Vista Student Center. I'd like to take a moment to introduce our eighth grade students. Today they will be presenting on how the Vista Student Center has impacted their educational journey. Over time, this space has become more than just a place to
035complete assignments. It has become a place where students grow, connect, and build confidence. They will share how the support they received has helped them succeed academically. Just as important, they'll highlight how it has shaped their growth outside of the classroom as well. From building relationships developing important life skills, Their experiences reflect meaningful purpose. Each student brings a unique perspective and together they represent the impact of a supportive environment. We are incredibly proud of the growth they've demonstrated. We appreciate your time and attention as they share their experiences. Thank you. Hello, I'm Miley and today I will be talking about this amazing school. I have been at Vista Springs since I was in first grade. When I first started to this school, I came to this school, I never realized how much I would learn, grow,
036and succeed. This school does not just focus on academics every day, but the teachers and staff encourage students to believe in themselves. Also, hard work they thought they could. They There was a time when I was surprised surprised myself because I got ahead of what I was planning on. I began achieving goals I did not think were possible. And happened because of the support around me. One thing that makes this school so special is how the teachers and staff go the extra mile to bu- to make the every student feel welcome, safe, never judged, support, help students feel comfortable themselves asking questions, growing both in school as a person. I am truly grateful to be part of a school community that cares so much about students. Thank you to all the teachers and staff for
037everything you do each day to help us learn and grow and succeed. Thank you truly. Hello, my name is Lauren. I am 14 years old and I've been a student at Vista Springs since second grade and today I would like to talk about my school Spring Charter School and why it is important to me. My school is a place where I learn new things and grow as a student and a person. The teachers and staff and principal are very supportive and always help the students do their best. They always make the school a positive and welcoming place for everyone. The school also helps me stay focused and not and motivated. Overall, my school plays a big role in helping me prepare for my future. Besides of helping me prepare for my future, my school also
038helped me build an important friendship. The most special is friendship I have is with my best friend, who I have been friends since friends with since second grade. We are now in eighth grade, which means we have been friends for 7 years. We trust each other and no matter how much time passes, we always understand and care for each other. Over these 7 years, we had made many memories together at Springs. I learned that friendship is not about the number of friends you have, but about having someone who is kind, supportive, and understands you. Hello, my name is Mark Henderson. I am 14 years old and I have been a student at Vista Springs since 2018. I would like to tell you why Vista Springs deserves to have the appeal approved. At Springs, I've learned
039many different and unique things that have not only helped me, but the people around me. I've learned how to speak in Spanish, develop social skills, learn life skills, and how to overcome my fear of public speaking. Vista Springs also has provided great opportunities and personalized learning experiences for all students. Thank you for your time. President Lenny Darling Darling-Hammond, members of the board, Steve McDougall with CFT. Although we may not always agree, I love it when I see students engaged in civic action. With that, in keeping with the spirit of 1505, please honor legitimate local decisions with respect to charter renewals. Vista Unified's decision should be upheld. Thank you for listening. Will the following five individuals please line up? Gemma Zazueta, Georgie Vinton, Maria Montoro, Nicholas Watson, and Laura Kerr. >> [clears throat] >> Good morning.
040My name is Heman and I've been in this school since second grade. When I first came here, I didn't know any English. EOD helped me a lot. We would read stories, answer questions, and summarize. The teachers The teachers are also really helpful. They give you alternatives when asked. For example, in ELA, I told Mrs. Rosales that I couldn't read and take notes at the same time. So, she gave me sticky notes so I could write down page numbers to go back to and take notes. Me and my family trusted this school and so can you. Hello, my name is Georgie Vinton and I'm going to be talking about my experiences as a dyslexic student at Vista Spring Charter School. When I first got here, I was very bad at math and reading. For reading, I
041couldn't understand my peers what they were talking about in the story. And I couldn't cope with um any of them and how to understand. My teachers had to ask my parents to read at home and it really helped me so much. I could understand my peers and what they were talking about in stories and it just felt so amazing. For math, it was really difficult for me and I hated subtraction. I hated regrouping. It just wasn't for me. With the help of my friends and my teachers, I could finally do it and it was just so great. A person who has really helped me a lot and has been with me throughout the school is Ms. Stephanie. Her office is just a so safe place and I hope other kids can feel that way. Thank
042you. Good morning board members. My name is Maria Montaño and I'm a teacher at Vista Springs Charter School. For the past two school years I've had the honor of serving as our MTS coordinator. During this time we have welcomed many students from neighboring schools and have made it our mission to create a system where every child is supported and given the opportunity to succeed. Together we have expanded interventions, strengthened collaborations through our PLCs, closely monitor student progress to ensure no child is overlooked. I'm currently proud of our teachers who have embraced this work with passion and persistence. I'm especially proud of our commitment to our English learners. Our dedicated ELD teacher, Mrs. Muñoz, not only ensures students receive their designated support time, but also partners with teachers to help students thrive in the classroom. As
043a former English learner myself, it means so much to be part of a school that does not label students or lower expectations. Instead, we work tirelessly to close the opportunity gap. When results are not immediate, we do not stop. We reflect, adjust, and keep moving forward. That commitment to growth, equity, and student success is the heart of our charter and I respectfully ask for your renewal. Thank you. Good morning, uh President Joiner Hammond and members of the board. I'm Nicholas Watson speaking on behalf of the California Charter Schools Association and uh strong support of the renewal for Vista Springs. Uh this is a quality school uh with a um quality operator with a long track record of success. Um we'd like to thank CD staff for doing the difficult work of really diving into the
044school's data to looking at the CD growth data and the verified data uh to see all the fantastic work that's going on at the school. We ask that you vote uh in support of the staff recommendation. Thank you. Madam Chair and members, Laura Kerr with the Charter School Development Center. Also here in strong support for Springs Vista. And um again, we'd also like to thank the department for their analysis and uh we hope that you'll support the staff recommendation for approval. Thanks. We can now move to the public comment on the phone. Uh there is one caller in the queue. I will open the phone line now. Um caller with the last four digits 8945, you are now live. Please start your public comment. You have 1 minute. Hi, this is Suzanne Cue. Also from
045the Charter Schools Development Center. I just really want to emphasize how important it is to adjust our dashboard so that growth can come into charter renewal. Um this is one of the strongest schools I've seen. I mean, this is just a very strong school in terms of both ELA and math growth across the board and I ready data. Especially considering that 24 and 1/2% of their tested cohort last year were students with disabilities. Yet, their growth is very very strong across the board. Um so this renewal would have been in the middle category if ELA and math growth had been full indicators. But, they're not used in calculating the categories currently. Also, if ELA and math growth had been a full indicator on the dashboard it the dashboard then would have showed the school's growth
046scores alongside the state growth scores including for student groups, which really would have highlighted how this school is exceeding student growth. >> Thank you, caller. Uh that concludes public comment for item number 11. All right, thank you very much. Uh, we'll now open for board discussion uh, and um, I want to see if our liaisons would like to give us some um, indications. Vice President Glover Woods and Member Olken. Sorry about that. Don't want to interrupt, but I think we have to close the public hearing. Yes, given that there's no other public comment, I hereby close the public hearing at 9:17 a.m. All right, now we'll begin board discussion and I'd like to turn to our liaisons, Vice President Glover Woods and Member Olken. Well, good morning. Um, thank you, President Darnley Hammond and first
047and foremost, thank you so much to all of the phenomenal students who spoke this morning. Um, just kudos to all of you for sharing your passion about your school. Uh, board, as we consider the renewal option in front of us, I just want to point out I think what has been evident in the presentation. Uh, this school uh, demonstrates a lot of growth. It is in the low performing tier as um, Rick mentioned in his presentation from the department. Um, but they have a track record of showing strong growth. They also have a very strong plan to address the dips in achievement that have placed them in the low performing category. And this renewal, if approved by the board, would be for 2 years. So, it provides 2 years to implement the plan and uh,
048after the 2 years, they will go in front of their chartering authority for consideration again. Um, um, for all of those reasons and um, just again on behalf of the students who have spoken, I would encourage us to consider um, renewing this charter um, as recommended by the department. Thank you. Um, just want to concur with everything you said. Uh, and um I just really appreciate the school community coming up. Thank you for being here and for the work you do on behalf of students. Seeing them grow and thrive is the point of our schools. So, thank you. And and for our consideration, I just want to add one piece to what Vice President Glover Woods said, which is um in this new It's not even that new anymore era of 1505, um when a
049school is designated in the low-performing tier, it's true that there is a presumption of denial. However, there's also the opportunity for the school to create a plan to address the performance. Um And with that plan, um the the law allows us to to to approve the charter so that the school, the kids, the teachers, the community is not disturbed as they as they try to grow over the 2 years. And as we look at what they put together, it feels like there's there's evidence of growth. The plan is strong, and so I too um would would support renewal of this charter. Thanks. All right. We're open for board discussion. Any comments, questions? I will simply note how valuable the growth data are, the growth model data, and the verifiable growth data because it's what we
050need to see to know what's happening for the students. So, I appreciated both being able to see those data and being able to understand the context for the school and students. Any other questions, comments? If not, I will take a motion. Member Rodriguez. Yes, I would just like to commend the students who went up and presented. I know it took a lot of courage and I really appreciated hearing from you. Thank you. I'll second to that. If I don't have any questions, I'll take a motion. Vice President Glover Woods. Thank you. I am going to move the CDE's recommendation. Thank you, Alex, for putting up the slide as well. So, I move that we approve Vista Springs renewal petition with the technical amendment that is set forth on page 13 of the item for a
051term of 2 years beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2028 based on the written findings with specific facts to support those findings set forth in attachment two of the item. That one, Vista Springs is taking meaningful steps to address the underlying causes of low performance. And two, those steps are reflected in a written plan adopted by the governing body of Vista Springs. Also, I move that we adopt the written findings and supporting facts consistent with education code 47607.2A3 as set forth in attachment two. All right. Do I have a second? Member Okin. All right. Any further discussion of the motion? If not, all those in favor say I and so indicate. Any opposed? Thank you. Any abstentions? All right. Uh motion passes. Um Thank you to those who turned out for this uh
052hearing and to Rick for presenting the item. Uh we're reopening item one. I second the motion. I have a second motion. Oh, that's right. I'm sorry. We need to take up the motion to designate either the district or the county as the charter school school authoring uh schools uh chartering authority. Do I have a motion? Yes, Vice President Glover Woods, thank you. I move that we designate the San Diego County Board of Education as the designated chartering [snorts] authority. Second. Member Ocean. All right. Uh again, any further discussion of that motion? All in favor, please signify. Any opposed? All right. Motion passes. Thank you. Uh and again, thank you Rick for your presenting the item. Uh we are now reopening item one to take action on the preliminary report of actions draft March 2026 meeting
053minutes and to report on our liaison assignments. Um are there any um speakers love Well, I guess we'll get the public comment slide up. Here we go. Anybody who wants to comment, uh please call in to the phone number and access code shown on the slide. Uh and are there any speakers signed up to provide public comment in person? None. I will give it a moment and then we'll see if there's anyone on the phone. Are there any speakers who've come onto the phone? There are no callers. Okay. Um I'll now see if we have a motion to pass the uh draft minutes. Member Rodriguez. Yes, pass the draft minutes. Thank you. Is there a second? Member Lewis, thank you very much. Uh all those in favor, so signify. We've got everyone. Um and all
054opposed, any abstentions, none. Um now we're going to report out on our liaison activities, not related to any items on the May agenda. Uh and I will call on you in reverse alphabetical order. This is alphabetical equity. Um >> [laughter] >> No. Yeah. Member Yoshimoto-Tcherev. When I was in elementary school, we used to also sit by alphabetical order and line up by alphabetical order, so it always shocks me to go first. All right. Um I just wanted to uh say for community schools, uh we have the Empower Summit coming up on September 10th and 11th. It's going to be in Ontario, California this year. And uh there will be a pre-conference offering to visit uh Montaria Ontario Montclair School District um and I believe Jurupa um the day before on on September 9th. So, I
055highly encourage anybody who's interested in community schools to check out the website and uh to please join the community this year. It's all the grantees as well as the our tax and the the regional and the state technical assistance centers uh transformational assistance centers. And for special education, at the last uh Advisory Commission for Special Education, we had the Special Olympics uh come to present and share an update on its program called the Unified Champion Schools program that uses inclusive sports and student leadership to build belonging, reduce bullying, and improve outcomes for all students with and without disabilities. So, we had an opportunity to hear directly from a student athlete who spoke about the program and how it built his confidence and sense of community. So the Special Olympics addressed expressed interest in expanding awareness
056and partnership opportunities statewide. So I wanted to share this opportunity with the schools and the public today. Their website is www.specialolympics.org. Thank you very much. Good morning. So behind every policy discussed at the CTC's April Commission meeting is a real classroom and a student whose experience depends on whether that teacher was truly prepared for the moment. The agenda items and discussions were centered around a connective set of priorities strengthening California's teacher pipeline using the annual teacher supply report to pinpoint persistent shortages in high need areas. Modernizing preparation through a more authentic practice embedded teaching performance assessment and improving assignment monitoring in a way that balances accountability with practical support for districts. Several agenda items focused on strengthening California's teacher pipeline while also making sure schools are placing appropriately credentialed educators in classrooms. Commissioners reviewed the
057annual teacher supply report which tracks the number of credentials permits waivers and other authorizations issued across the state. The data helps California better understand where teacher shortages continue to exist particularly in high need areas such as special education, math, science and rural communities. The discussion emphasized the understanding that understanding workforce trends is critical if we want to recruit, prepare, and retain strong educators for students statewide. The Commission also continued discussions around improving the teacher preparation system itself through the development of a possible commission-designed teaching performance assessment. The goal is to ensure that teacher candidates can demonstrate the real-world skills needed to effectively teach students before earning a credential. Commissioners emphasized that the assessment should feel connected to authentic classroom practice rather than a disconnected compliance exercise. Key highlights of the proposed teaching performance assessment model
058included um the assessment would be embedded into teacher preparation programs. Candidates would move through instructional cycles that mirror the actual work of teaching, understanding learners, designing instruction, teaching lessons, and gathering evidence of student learning. While adjusting instruction based on the student needs. The process would include opportunities for feedback, reflection, coaching, and revision before final scoring, recognizing that strong teaching develops over time. Uh the proposal also addresses the growing role of artificial intelligence and technology, making clear that while technology tools may assist candidates, final evaluation of readiness remains grounded in trained human judgment. Another discussion explored ways to simplify how candidates demonstrate subject matter competency while maintaining rigorous preparation standards. Commissioners were mindful of reducing unnecessary barriers for fewer teach a little bit about yesterday. And proposed sanction thresholds for districts with significant educator misalignments. Commissioners
059repeatedly emphasized that the purpose of this work is not to punish school districts, but rather to ensure students are being taught by appropriately prepared educators and to provide support when systems fall out of alignment. Much of the discussion focused on balancing accountability with practical support for local educational agencies, especially rural and hard-staffed districts facing ongoing workforce challenges. Overall, the meeting reflected California's continued effort to strengthen teacher preparation, improve educator pathways, and ensure that every student has access to well-qualified and well-supported teachers in the classroom. Thank you. Member Patel Bronson. All right. Um good still morning. >> [laughter] >> Um the um early ed um liaison assignment that I wanted to lift up was a recent conversation that we had with near um on the uh which is the National Institute for Early Education Research um
060which looked at uh a comparative look across all of the states in uh the nation um and reported out on how not just California is doing, but uh how um many states across the nation are doing. Um the very exciting news, I think, is that really California is absolutely a frontrunner in terms of growth um in terms of serving more young children um and with an eye towards clear school readiness. Um the growth of uh transitional kindergarten over the last couple of years and the uh multi-year implementation has surged and also made it such that um much of the growth of the nation really has been uh undergirded by the state of California, which is a pretty exciting accomplishment. Um it is also true that the growth of three-year-old early ed is also driven in
061in a significant part by California's investments. Um which is not through the transitional kindergarten program, but through the California State Preschool program, which is exciting. All of this is, I think, um much to be proud of. And as is true um with so many of of the things that we all work on, um it's not cause for us to sit on our laurels and and uh sort of call it done. Um A, there is uh room for continued growth, particularly among three-year-olds. Um I was just at the Getting Down to Facts Pace convening earlier this week. Um and some of the emerging literature um out of UC Berkeley is showing um incredible effects where you look at the compounding synergistic effects of having California State Preschool for three-year-olds, TK for four-year-olds, and then the LCFF
062investments that we have all seen um and applauded over the last couple of years uh particularly around literacy and early strong foundations in K-3. Um and what's extraordinary is when you look at the effects for low-income children, um it you almost grade a you almost uh earn a full grade level uh of increase. Um for for those of you who um also have have um hearkened back and I I often do, actually, to um a Sean Reardon report from Stanford many many moons ago, the the starting point for most California students in third grade, where we have standardized testing, is um at is a place of catch-up um as compared to many of our national peers. And it's not that our school system is lacking in the annual yearly progress, but our starting point is
063often times with greater disparities in third grade. So, this idea of the combination of state preschool, TK, K3 doing the work of prevention rather than asking our elementary schools and middle schools and high schools to do the work of catch-up and remediation is exactly the right place to be. Um the other thing I'll I'll note is that uh there are quality metrics that NIEER, the National Institute for Early Education Research, um tracks every year in terms of progress. Um and what is also, I think, a step in the right direction is that California has gone from meeting um two, I think, uh benchmarks in transitional kindergarten and in this next year, because of a number of investments, we're doubling the number of quality metrics uh that we will be satisfying according to national metrics. The
064last thing I'll I'll just note is that they do an incredible job at NIEER on sort of spotlighting the path ahead for states for improvement, and I appreciate that and uh take that as work of a loving critic um in all the best ways. And part of, I think, what has been really uh helpful about the California model is that California has defined quality not as just sort of the traditional markers, um but also as equity, um as thinking about who you educate and who you include. Um so, California's work around um prohibiting expulsion and suspension in preschool settings um is something, I think, that that uh isn't necessarily integrated into a lot of these national benchmarks, but I think is really important to recognize that that is absolutely a marker of quality. Um many
065of the things that we discussed yesterday in Portrait of a Learner around multicultural, multilingual education are things that have been built into the early ed system um and deserve to be celebrated as markers of quality and also of impact that translates to academic achievement in elementary and beyond. Thank you. Well, assessment updates were deeply discussed yesterday as always but however I wanted to briefly highlight that the annual California assessment conference sponsored by the CDE will take place in October 27th through the 29th in Riverside and this year's theme is elevating best practices inspiring teachers and students and I think that theme really reflects the direction California continues to move forward connecting assessment instruction and student engagement in meaningful ways. The conference always brings together educators researchers practitioners and leaders from across the state to share
066innovative practices and important conversations around teaching learning and assessment. It's just a great opportunity to connect with what matters most to our students and just directly with the field and what is working in our classrooms and the systems across California and I highlight it now because I know that LEAs are making their budgetary decisions and teachers are submitting for interest in attending some of these workshops. Um, like in my school district so I hope that uh we have more practitioners in the classroom participate so that they can also give um their wisdom at some of these conferences because it's always great to have practitioners in the in the forums. Um, member member Olkin. Thank you. Um, I have three quick updates. Um, the first is related to the personal finance curriculum guide and new requirement.
067So as you know um at the March meeting we adopted the personal finance curriculum guide, which took just over a year from initiation to completion. As the graduation requirement quickly approaches, the curriculum guide will equip districts and schools with the tools they need to design their own high-quality courses that best meet the needs of their students. And it's a big lift. So, in order to support this effort, CDE is hosting the first of a six-part webinar series titled launching your personal finance course on May 20th. Registration is available on the CDE website. And some of the the some of the other webinars coming this fall include exploring comprehensive providers of personal finance curriculum, enhancing personal finance with special curricular resources and other supports for students, voices from the field, insights and professional learning for professional
068for personal finance educators, etc. So, there's lots of support to help schools as they get this up and running. The second update I want to give is related to the ongoing work across the state related to artificial intelligence in schools. The statewide AI work group, which is being led by CDE, is meeting regularly to finalize a model AI policy for schools as well as draft its report to the legislature. And that is going to be that is a will be a really helpful tool for schools thinking about AI from all sorts of angles, the ways it can support teaching and learning, the risks, thinking about how to integrate it into existing curricular programs. Um, sort of wholesale, um, a wholesale approach to thinking about AI. Um, and then complementing that work, um, the governor's innovation
069council is looking, um, is working hard at, um, developing a clearinghouse of tools for LEAs, um, related to the procurement of AI tools as well as acceptable acceptable use. Um, but this work is really focused on mitigating the risks posed by AI for students, um, things such as, um, the creation and propagation of non-consensual explicit imagery, um, and other types of harms that, um, are popping up across schools in the state. Um, and, um, from what I have seen and heard, schools are really eager to get this type of support, um, because this is a whole new area, um, that we need to be prepared to support students and teachers and families in. So, that work is ongoing. Um, and then the last report that I'm going to give briefly is going back to a
070project I worked on, um, when I first joined the state board, which is, um, developing a new, um, template for IEPs across the state. Um, that work was, um, led by teachers and, um, leaders and families across the state, um, and that new statewide template, um, which is not a requirement, but is a an incredible tool, um, is being programmed into a special education data system right now and will be ready for LEAs to use next school year. Um, and what's really exciting about this new IEP template tool, um it's not just a form. Um it's really a shift toward um leveraging the strengths and the um personal expertise of students and families as part of the IEP process. Um it's focused on trying to capture the best practices that support individual students. Um um
071so it's really um intended to be a strengths-based student focused tool um for supporting students um with IEPs. And the fact that it'll be easily accessible with lots of support to help um IEP teams bring it into practice um next school year is exciting. So, and that's it for me. Thanks. Thank you. Uh member McQuillen. All right, thank you. Rolls right into our recognition of uh May being Mental Health Awareness Month, as well as a celebration of Asian American and Pacific Island Islander Heritage Month here in May. I just want to uh recognize that we should be very proud of the um model curriculum that's uh a lot of trainings being done on that throughout the state as it rolls out on the Southeast Asian uh model curriculum as well as a Native American Studies.
072Uh lots of training happening. >> [clears throat] >> Last week I got to spend uh the week with rockstar uh James Ramos, Assembly member. And um there was lots of uh training in recognition of the missing and murdered indigenous peoples uh week on the month of May. Uh the Capitol building was lit up in red, the dome, last week. And there were uh cultural presentations and training that took place uh uh trying to bring attention to that topic, as well as the high rates of suicide, uh bringing attention there. Just want to share that out. That's it. Thank you. Okay, I'll give an update on [clears throat] the activities of the instructional quality commission. We didn't have a meeting in March, but the commissioners began the process of the ELA EOD follow-up instructional materials adoption
073in April. It took place the first event was the training that took place for the facilitators facilitators and the reviewers uh the last week in April April 27th through the 30th and both Vice President Glover Woods and I attended the week-long training. Uh it was very well coordinated and very engaging and there the 220 reviewers that we approved in January and March meetings were in attendance. From that, there were 73 programs that will be under review by all of the reviewers. Uh I believe they began getting their materials. I've received some and they'll receive those and then we'll we'll reconvene again in July after they've had a chance to review those and begin begin deliberations. There are 73 programs that are being reviewed and I'll read you what the submissions are. There are 13 programs
074for basic English language arts ranging from grades K through 6. There are 17 programs for basic ELA EL English language development ranging for grades K through 8. There are three programs for basic biliteracy ranging from grades K through 6. Three programs for intensive intervention ranging from grades 1 through 5. Two programs for specialized ELD for grades 4 through 8. 14 programs for transitional kindergarten including one bilingual program. There are 21 partial programs, mostly for K through 5 foundational skills, as well as programs for reading, writing, up through eighth grade, speaking, listening, and language. So, as I mentioned, IQC will reconvene again with the reviewers to help facilitate the reviewer deliberations at the end of July. That's 2 weeks of deliberations. Uh different panels come each week, and then at their September meeting, they'll make the
075final recommendations to the State Board of Education for consideration at the November meeting for adoption. And that concludes my report. Um Vice President Clover Woods. Thank you. I'd like to provide the board uh with an update on the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. Uh three key things to keep in mind. First, the second statewide uh statewide system of support virtual conference titled Connecting California Statewide Virtual Conference is scheduled for Wednesday, November 18th. And the focus for this virtual conference will remain on integration to drive student impact at the local level. There will be feature stories from the field and access to universal resources and support provided during the conference. Uh the event in 2025 was quite a success, so there's an anticipation of matching or exceeding the number of registrants uh and they will reach
076throughout the state. Just a note that call for presenters will be released uh in April or I'm assuming has already been released, and the selection of presenters in May. Uh the registration launch planned for June 15th. The second item I'd like to share with you is regarding the CCEE Advisory Council. This is a council that's composed of 22 superintendents across the state, 11 local LEAs, and 11 County Office of Education Superintendents. They met April 17th. The group discussed special education challenges across the state and what the state, county offices of education, and local districts are doing to address the challenges faced by our students with disabilities. If you are interested in finding out more about the advisory council, please visit the advisory council webpage on the CCEE website. You may go to that now. Last
077one is on the secondary redesign. Just a note that on March 19th, 2026, the secondary school redesign pilot convening brought together approximately 250 educators and system leaders from across our state to accelerate a shared vision for student-centered middle and high schools rooted in relationships, deep learning, and real-world application. As a part of the state-funded initiative AB 121 that's led by CCEE with CDE and the State Board of Education, there are 14 networks that represent over 100 schools across 65 districts. The event highlighted relationships as the key driver of redesign while also underscoring the need to address policy barriers and expand collaboration, student voice, and cross-network learning. So, that concludes my update for you on the CCEE. Please stay informed. Again, you may go to the CCEE website for much more detailed information at any point
078in time. And do note our next governing board meeting will be June 18th, 2026, where the governing board will receive an update from all three centers. Thank you. But first, we're going to hear from member Escobedo before you go to the website. >> [laughter] >> And member GK Hold yourself back. >> [laughter] >> Let me just shift my screen here. I had a a great time April 28th. Trusty Yoshimani Tower and I had a celebratory event with the Rails Group and that's the Regional English Learner Specialists. It was a great event. We had 11 County Office of Education representatives there. Everyone said their story and and hugged each other and and shared their accomplishments. It was just a great meeting. I want to highlight the 11 County Offices of Ed, Sonoma, Butte, Sacramento, Contra Costa,
079Santa Clara, San Joaquin, Tulare, Kern, San Diego, Riverside, and Los Angeles. Amazing team. It was beautiful to see them connect in such a intimate way and just want to highlight Riverside who served as a Rails Liaison for the state-wide system of support for the last three years as well. So, just a great meeting and looking forward to a whole reimagining of that support for English learners in the following years. Also want to share the CDE recently approved two screening instruments for identification for multilingual learners for TK. And it will be field tested and I'm sure we'll know more about it, but just wanted to let everyone know that that screening instrument in a volunteer basis is is occurring. In the area of NASBE, there's a great May article. It's called Reimagining Goals of Teachers and
080leaders. I I read through it. It has a lot of provocative um articles. One um on the Aspen Institute who focuses on how do we elevate school leaders. They are able to show that teachers will leave at a 50% less rate if they're part of a team and they have some real specific roles to move that team forward. Great, great article. Um lastly, NASBE is open for a call for proposals for the 2026 annual conference in Baltimore. The proposals are due May 26th. So, if anyone has uh a proposal that they would like to share during that time, please uh let me know and Cheryl Brooks will help coordinate it. But, just want to let you know, proposals are due May 26th and that concludes my report. Thank you. Member of GK. This past month,
081I was able to attend the Community Engagement Initiative or CEI's Professional Learning Network Committee, which is in collaboration with the CCEE and the San Diego County Office of Education. And throughout the conference, I was really just able to learn about the greatness that CEI is able to give their communities. I had the opportunity to go around to tables and rooms that consisted of students, teachers, and other education stakeholders. And I asked them how CEI was supporting them or how CEI was able to support them. And they all just raved about the resources and the confidence and empowerment that CEI was able to give them to transform their communities. And so, I'm just really grateful to have attended that, and I also want to give a shout out to Stephen Mitchell for just being the best.
082Um I also want to give a congratulations to my upcoming successor, Elizabeth Flores. Elizabeth is bright and smart, and I can't wait to see uh how she shapes this role starting next school year. And that concludes my report. Thank you so much. And thank you for this year of service. We have greatly benefited from your presence and your comments on the board. Um I'm just going to say a word about the um Getting Down to Facts, which we've heard a little bit about in dribs and drabs over this couple of days, um because it will shape some of the discourse that we will be engaging in over the coming months, perhaps. Um Brooks gave a terrific uh presentation. This is 55 studies uh summarized in 27 briefs, and you know, etc. I can't give all
083the numbers. Um and I was involved in a couple of the studies with uh teams from uh Learning Policy Institute and Stanford. Um but this is something that's been done three times in the state. The first Getting Down to Facts uh was many years ago, and actually sort of set the table for the LCFF to be instantiated when the um Governor Brown came in. The second Getting Down to Facts was a collection of studies that really uh in part helped us get early childhood education launched, and as you heard from Kim, um you know, the TK and and uh child care. Uh this one really acknowledged the many things that have happened, uh the sol- more solid foundation on which we're building um with LCFF, with TK now, with expanded learning time, with meals, and
084teacher investments, and community schools and literacy investments. So, it acknowledged that compared to where we were when the first Getting Down to Facts occurred, we have a much more solid foundation for education. Achievement has improved and schools have improved in a variety of ways. And there's a greater need for coherence. So, that was just a big theme and we're hearing that in lots of different ways from the coherence test hearings that the legislature held earlier this year. We've got a lot going on. It needs to come together in a connected coherent way that is undergirds part of the governor's governance proposals and it also undergirds a lot of the work we're thinking about and doing with the department around how do we simplify and and consolidate reporting and and programmatic initiatives. The end of the
085the sort of the summary of the Getting Down to Facts I came up with an ABC sort of plan. A is for alignment and accountability and really aligning a lot of the programmatic and accountability pieces. That's part of what we're doing with differentiated assistance. And DTA is trying to get to a much more aligned approach. The B is a balance between state and local governance. One of the things that came out in the studies was the you know, sense that uh sometimes the state needs to offer a little more guidance when we approve 50 some math programs and districts have to figure out what to do within that. That's a lot of additional work at the district level. But an acknowledgement that the flexibility that was brought by LCFF is important as well. That that
086local context matters etc. So, again we'll be thinking a lot about how do we think about what's appropriate and needed at the state level, what flexibilities are needed at the at the local level. We have a curriculum study going on that we'll hear more about, which is looking at how other states, for example, design curriculum guidance materials, adoptions, and so on, as one just one example of that of that question. And then the C is for capacity, building the capacity of local districts, building the capacity of the teacher and leader workforce, making those investments in ways that hopefully eventually resolve shortages and ensure that everyone gets access to the kind of capacity that they need as well as the local district capacity to manage all of these things that schools these days are having to
087do, you know, much more effectively. So, I think it's going to be a really interesting conversation. Uh all of us will have reasons to be involved in various ways over the coming months. The intention is to inform the next governor and legislature. That's another interesting question for us to be awaiting the result resolution of. But, I think that it will be a useful thing for us to really um engage with and help to guide. Um and with that, we have completed our liaison reports and we'll go to public comment. If the public comment slide could go up now. We're taking up agenda item 12, general public comment. Public comment is invited on any matter not included in the printed agenda. Um members of the public wishing to provide comment may do so in person or
088by calling the number and using the access code shown on this slide. Uh is there any public comment in the room? There's one person signed up for public comment. Please remember to state your name and affiliation for the record when it's your turn to speak. Will the following person please line up at the microphone at the back of the room? Angela Stegall. Good morning. Angela Stegall. I'm a classroom teacher representing the California Teachers Association. I'm also a local association president and I've served on our bargaining team for over 20 years. The SBE has established standards and criteria for school district budget review. It is time to revisit them. California is one of only five states that requires districts to submit multi-year budget projections. This process should serve as a tool for fiscal transparency and student
089investment. However, we consistently see school districts exploiting this framework to manufacture the appearance of future financial hardship, to stockpile funds in reserves, and to avoid making the investments in students and educators that today's revenues make possible. The board has the authority and the responsibility to strengthen these standards to require projections that reflect actual fiscal conditions, not strategic ones. We request the SBE take action to revise these standards and criteria to ensure that today's dollars are being spent on today's students. Thank you. Is there any public comment on the phone? Uh there are no callers in the queue. Right. Uh since we've completed all of our agenda, I hereby adjourn our May 26th State Board meeting at 10:01 a.m. Wow. Thank you and I look forward to seeing you in July. >> Mhm.