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  Jessica Speiser

Notes on LASD


COVID Safety, Budget and TDR Sales

1/21/2021

 

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Monday, January 25, 2021 LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and it will be held using the Zoom webinar platform.  To register in advance for the meeting, click here.  The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.

First up, Jeffrey Baier will give us a School Reopening Update.  This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda item H.1.  As of today (1/21/21), all of our elementary grades (TK-6) have returned to hybrid learning at all of our elementary campuses.    Our Junior Highs have been halted from reopening because we had not reopened them to at least one full grade level before we moved into the Purple Tier.  Our Junior Highs can't return in person until we are in the Red Tier.  

Next, and in conjunction with the School Reopening Update, Jeff will present LASD's COVID-19 Safety Plan.  This an action item and his presentation is included in H.1 and supporting documentation can be found under H.2.  The Board is asked to approve LASD's COVID-19 Safety Plan to submit to state as part of California's COVID-19 and Reopening In-Person Framework of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy.  LASD's Safety Plan includes a state COVID-19 School Guidance Checklist and LASD's already approved Safely Reopening Our Schools in the 2020-2021 School Year. That is to say, LASD already has done what is required and this additional approval is a formality to be done before the District sends our reopening document along with the state's checklist.

Then, Randy Kenyon will present LASD's Collective Bargaining Agreement with LATA.   This is an action item and the Agreement, along with other supporting documentation can be found under agenda item H.3.  The Board is asked to approve the Agreement that gives our teachers 2% raises this school year and next.  Like I stated at the last board meeting, I am pleased to be able to give our hard working teachers this well deserved raise. 

Jeff, will next ask the Board to review LASD's Community Expectations to In-Person Reopening of Schools.  This is an action item and it can be found under agenda item H.4,  The Board is asked to make comments and offer additional direction to staff.  These expectations are the Compact we are asking all our community members (staff, students and families) to agree to in order to safely keep our schools reopened.  In short, LASD is asking that each community member make their health and safety a priority, as well as that of other community members through the practice of COVID safe behaviors.

Randy will then give the Board an update on the 2021/22 State Budget.  This is a discussion item and his presentation can be found under agenda H.5.  The short story is the CA economy as a whole is doing better than expected, so the state budget for education is slightly better, but not necessarily for LASD.  

Last up, Randy will present a Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Purchase and Sale Agreement with The Sobrato Organization. This is an action item and the agreement (and a summary of the deal terms) can be found under agenda item H.6. This is the first TDR purchase and sale agreement brought to the Board. Once certain conditions are satisfied from the agreement, LASD will receive a total of $10,400,000 for the transfer of 80,000 square feet of development rights (we own from purchase of the 10th site) to The Sobrato Organization.  The Board is asked to approve the agreement.     

Please note, these are just the highlights of what to expect at our 1/25/2021 meeting.  You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above.  As always, feel free to email me with any questions. 

Reopening Progress, LATA Contract, Teacher Induction Program, and Math Curriculum

1/8/2021

 

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Monday, January 11, 2021 LASD Board meeting will start its open session at 7:00pm and it will be held using the Zoom webinar platform.  To register in advance for the meeting, click here.  The entire agenda and supporting documentation for this week's meeting can be found here.

First up on the agenda will be the Disclosure of a Proposed Collective Bargaining Agreement with LATA. This is a discussion item and the Disclosure paperwork can be found under agenda item H.1 using the link above.  The proposed agreement calls for a 2% raise for this school year (20/21) and the next (21/22) for our teachers.   We will be asked to approve it the next board meeting (procedure calls for us to review in one meeting and approve in the next).  I am pleased to be able to give our hard working teachers this well deserved raise. 

Next up, Jeff Baier will give a School Reopening Update.  This is a discussion item and Jeff's presentation can be found under agenda item H.2.  LASD is set with all health and safety protocols in place to physically reopen again for TK-5th grade on January 11, 2021 and for our 6-8th graders on January 21st.  LASD's principles for reopening schools are as follows:
  • Health and safety of our students and staff is a top priority
  • Best instructional model for students is in person
  • Science guides our decisions and LASD will strictly adhere to public health experts' guidance
  • Collaborate with labor groups to negotiate agreements and adhere to those agreements
LASD has been reopened since September 28, 2020 and from the beginning has strictly adhered to state, county and LASD public health guidelines.  The mitigation protocols we have put into place have been effective.  To stay reopened we will continue to follow those protocols and ensure each and every LASD community member is doing the same.  As stated in the presentation, a partnership with families is essential to this success.  Families that choose hybrid learning MUST STRICTLY FOLLOW PROTOCOLS at school and at home.      

Then, Randy Kenyon and a representative from Terra Verde will present an Annual Performance Report on Solar Project.  This is a discussion item and their presentation/documentation can be found under agenda item H.3.  The short of it is that our solar panels across the District have produced 89% of the energy we expected (or our consultant expected) and somehow Oak School's electrical usage went up by 27.5%.  I look forward to hearing more from our consultants and Randy. 

Sandra McGonagle will next present the Institutional Approval of an LASD Teacher Induction Program.  This is an action item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.4.  The Board is being asked to approve this program.  Teacher Induction is a two year program for beginning teachers with a preliminary teaching credential.  It as a version of student teaching that will not only help LASD attract and retain up and coming teachers, but will also get them aligned to our culture and vision to hit the ground running in their teaching careers.  

Then Sandra will present the TK-5 Math Adoption Process.  This is a discussion item and her presentation can be found under agenda item H.5.  Sandra is asking for guidance as to whether the district should continue adoption of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD) Math Curriculum in lieu of the Envision math curriculum currently approved.  The SFUSD Math Curriculum has been developed by that district in partnership with the Silicon Valley Math Initiative, Bay Area Math Project at Lawrence Hall of Science, San Francisco State University and the Strategic Education Research Project and is in its 5th full year of implementation in that district.  LASD has been piloting it this year. 

Last, but not least, the Board will be asked to approve the 2021 Board Committees and Appointments.  This is is an action item and the changes in memberships we discussed in the Board's last meeting can be found in the documentation under agenda item H.6.      

Please note, these are just the highlights of what to expect at our 1/11/2021 meeting.  You can inform yourself about the rest of the agenda at the link provided above.  As always, feel free to email me with any questions. 

    Jessica Speiser

    Thanks to your support, I joined the Los Altos School District (LASD) Board of Trustees in December 2016.  I finished my tenure as Board President after serving as such from December 2018 to December 2019.  I am currently Board Vice President.  As usual, I will use this blog to continue updating you on upcoming Board meetings and make you aware of upcoming office hours and community events.  

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