June 5, 2024
REDWOOD CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Redwood City, California
APPROVED MINUTES OF BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING
June 5, 2024
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
1. Call to Order
President Lawson called the Regular Session to order at 7:00 p.m.
1.1 Roll Call
Present at the Regular Board meeting: President Janet Lawson, Vice-President Mike Wells; Trustees Alisa MacAvoy, David Weekly, and Cecilia Márquez; and Superintendent Baker
Others present during the Regular Board meeting: Assistant Superintendent Anna Herrera, Deputy Superintendent Wendy Kelly, Chief Business Official Rick Edson, Gonzalo Cordova, Jude Noyes, Bernadette Garcia, Katherine Rivera, Maeve Mulholland, Hayley Dupuy, and many others.
2. Welcome
President Lawson welcomed those present.
3. Changes to the Agenda
None.
4. Approval of the Agenda
The School Board approved the agenda as submitted (Weekly, MacAvoy; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
5. Oral Communication
None.
6. Community/Staff Recognition
6.1 Recognition of International Staff
Deputy Superintendent Wendy Kelly addressed the School Board and audience to recognize the 62 international staff members who moved from other countries and filled some of the most hard-to-fill positions in the district. These educators have traveled great distances to work with the district's students, making a significant transition to settle in Redwood City. Their dedication highlights the effort to support and enhance the educational experience in the district.
Superintendent Baker recounted his first meeting with the international staff, during which he shared his experience of living in Asia during his middle school years. He described the significant adjustment this entailed. Superintendent Baker expressed gratitude for the international staff's journey to a new country and their dedicated work. He thanked them for their courage to travel and experience a different way of living. Superintendent Baker extended his gratitude to Ann Berljafa, Catherine James, and Sarah Cullum for their hospitality and for ensuring the international staff were well taken care of. He also thanked the SPED team for their support of the international staff.
Vice President Wells echoed the previous sentiments. Vice President Wells expressed his appreciation to the international staff for their dedicated work.
Trustee MacAvoy emphasized the district's commitment to cultural awareness. She expressed appreciation for the opportunity to have the international staff work for the district.
Public Comment:
Regis Mvenge, an international Instructional Assistant, addressed the School Board to state that in Zimbabwe it is customary to say goodbye when leaving. Mr. Mvenge expressed gratitude for the warm welcome he and his colleagues received. Moreover, he also appreciated the experience and praised his colleagues for their hard work.
The School Board recessed the board meeting at 7:17 p.m. for the staff recognition and reconvened at 7:27 p.m.
7. School/Community Reports
7.1 Connect Community Charter School Presentation for the 2023-2024 School Year
Hayley Dupuy, Principal of Connect Community Charter School (“Connect”), along with teachers Amanda Vaughn, Dominique Berritto, and Adam Center, addressed the School Board. They showcased how Connect is addressing academics, enrichment, mental health, and social and emotional learning (SEL), highlighting student voices and school events.
Trustee MacAvoy thanked Ms. Dupuy for presenting to the school board and praised her efforts to organize field trips for the students. Additionally, Trustee MacAvoy expressed interest in seeing academic data presented in the future from Connect.
Trustee Weekly thanked the Connect Community Charter School team. Trustee Weekly emphasized the goal of serving Redwood City students by comparing and evaluating different approaches to determine the most effective methods. Additionally, Trustee Weekly expressed interest in using a data-driven approach to understand the charter school’s differences and identify what is working. Moreover, Trustee Weekly asked Ms. Berritto to elaborate on the differences between teaching in high school and middle school and Ms. Berritto answered. Lastly, he expressed interest in understanding the perceived differences in approach between the district and the charter school, seeking advice on how the district can improve based on these findings, and conversely, how the district can support Connect.
Trustee Márquez praised the Connect Community Charter School team for the presentation and their dedicated work with the students. Trustee Márquez noted that the district has a Director of Student Services to handle student and teacher issues and inquired about who is responsible for these tasks at the charter school level and Ms. Dupuy answered.
Vice President Wells, President Lawson, and Superintendent Baker praised the Connect Community Charter School team for the presentation and their dedicated work.
8. Discussion Items
8.1 Discussion of the Board Meeting Calendar for the 2024-25 School Year
The School Board and Superintendent Baker reviewed and discussed the proposed calendar of board meeting dates for the 2024-25 school year.
9. Consent Items
The School Board approved the Consent Items (Wells, Weekly; 5-0), taking the following action:
9.1 Recommendation re: Approval of Consent Items
9.2 Recommendation re: Approval of the May 22 Board Meeting Minutes
9.3 Recommendation re: Approval of the Agreement between the Redwood City
School District and San Mateo Community College District for the 2024-26 School Years
9.4 Recommendation re: Approval of the Agreement between the Redwood City
School District and Catalyst Family Inc. for the 2024 Summer Session
9.5 Recommendation re: Approval of the Agreement between the Redwood City
School District and Air Education Inc. for the 2024 Summer Session
9.6 Recommendation re: Approval of Title I School-Wide Program for Clifford
School
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
10. Action Items
10.1 Recommendation re: Adoption of Resolution No. 11, Year-End Budget Transfers
No questions or comments.
The School Board adopted Resolution No. 11, Year-End Budget Transfers (MacAvoy, Weekly; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
10.2 Recommendation re: Approval of the Prop 28 Expenditure Plan for the 2024-25 School Year
Vice President Wells inquired about the likelihood that the estimated funding would remain the same and CBO Edson provided clarification. Vice President Wells also inquired about the board-approved report and the website detailing how funds were spent.
The School Board approved the Prop 28 Expenditure Plan for the 2024-25 School Year (Wells, Márquez; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
10.3 Recommendation re: Approval of the Updated RCTA Contract Language and RCTA/RCSD Tentative Agreement
Trustee MacAvoy expressed appreciation for the efforts of the district team and the Redwood City Teachers Association (RCTA) in updating the contract.
The School Board approved the Updated RCTA Contract Language and RCTA/RCSD Tentative Agreement (MacAvoy, Wells; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
10.4 Recommendation re: Approval of the School Plans for Student Achievement
Trustee Weekly expressed frustration regarding the lack of substantive discussion on the extensive data presented, emphasizing the importance of rigorously discussing student achievement. Trustee Weekly emphasized the need to discuss the data for each school, evaluate current actions, and consider further steps to improve outcomes. He urged the board to allocate time and agenda space for such discussions in the future.
Superintendent Baker proposed a solution to address time constraints in reviewing the SPSA reports, suggesting that upon returning in the fall, they begin each meeting with reports and deep discussions with principals.
Trustee MacAvoy commended aligning the school site plans with LCAP goals, noting improvements over time. Trustee MacAvoy suggested hearing mid-year updates from school staff regarding plan implementation and outcomes to gain insight into what's working and what's not. She emphasized the importance of understanding how plans are executed at the school level, suggesting attendance at site council meetings for deeper dives into data and need assessment, acknowledging that while the board may not dig as deeply during meetings, such discussions occur at the school level. Trustee MacAvoy praised the principals for their hard work gathering data to compose the reports.
Vice President Wells acknowledged the effort put into the detailed school site plans, praising their alignment with district LCAP goals. He expressed excitement for the implementation of Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) and highlighted the importance of diagnostic assessments for monitoring student progress. Wells raised concerns about potential overemphasis on diagnostic testing and emphasized the need to balance data collection with student enrichment activities.
President Lawson reflected on her experience serving on a school site council and acknowledged all the extensive effort that goes into developing the SPSA plans together. She praised the principals and all individuals involved in developing the documents.
Superintendent Baker inquired about current reporting legislation and Trustee MacAvoy and Assistant Superintendent Anna Herrera provided insights.
Superintendent Baker expressed his concern regarding over-testing the students and is collaborating with the Gardner Center for possible solutions.
Trustee Weekly emphasized the importance of gathering actionable data.
The School Board approved the School Plans for Student Achievement (MacAvoy, Wells; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
10.5 Recommendation re: Approval of Declaration of Need for 2024-2025
The School Board approved the Declaration of Need for 2024-2025 (Wells, Weekly; 5-0).
Trustee Márquez (Ayes)
Trustee Weekly (Ayes)
Trustee MacAvoy (Ayes)
Vice-President Wells (Ayes)
President Lawson (Ayes)
11. Board and Superintendent Reports
11.1 Report from Board Members and Superintendent
Vice President Wells reported on the events he attended including the Retirement Ceremony, and Kennedy’s and Roosevelt’s open house.
Trustee MacAvoy reported attending the Retirement Ceremony, the Wellness Meeting, and Back to School Night for Orion, Henry Ford, Kennedy, and Roosevelt. Additionally, Trustee MacAvoy visited some of the classrooms at Clifford School.
Trustee Márquez reported attending the Redwood City Together Meeting, Clifford’s Family dance, and the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee meeting. Trustee Márquez praised Director of Communications Jorge Quintana and Community Liaison Michelle Remond for their constant attendance at the Superintendent’s Advisory Committee meetings.
President Lawson reported attending the Retirement Ceremony.
Trustee Weekly had nothing to report.
Superintendent Baker attended the previously mentioned events.
12. Information
12.1 Information on San Mateo County Investment Fund - April 2024
No questions or comments.
13. Correspondence
Trustee Márquez received an email about the request to change a school's name.
Trustee MacAvoy received emails from some of the retiree guests expressing gratitude for the retirement ceremony.
14. Other Business/Suggested Items for Future Agenda
Superintendent Baker informed the school board about the possibility of a future resolution coming to the board regarding the school’s name change.
15. Board Meetings Calendar
15.1 Changes to the Board Meetings Calendar
Principal Lawson reminded the School Board that the June 20th board meeting will fall on a Thursday due to a holiday.
16. Adjournment
The School Board adjourned the meeting at 8:55 p.m. (Weekly, MacAvoy; 5-0).