BERKELEY UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT
Board Policy Subcommittee Minutes Room 126 April 8, 2016 3:00-4:30pm ______________________________________________________________________________________ Director Daniels called the Policy Subcommittee Meeting to order at 3:01pm. Roll Call Josh Daniels, Chair – Present Ty Alper, Director – Present Donald Evans, Superintendent – Present Lyz Chairez, Recorder – Present Approval of Agenda Alper moved to address Recess Restriction first. Motion to approve agenda as amended: Alper/Daniels and unanimously 2-0. Public Comment Dana Clark, a parent, commented on the recess restriction policy with respect to the language recommendation, which she supports. She added that the last presentation left her feeling that the Board should give further direction about data gathering. Info should be broken down by school so that we know which school have reported it and which haven’t. She said that the policy does not make it clear that substitutes are receiving any training. The role of classified staff should also be clear. The disproportion in numbers is also a problem. It changes how students feel about school and it infringes on their rights. A Public Council rep commented on the expulsion policy saying that it can be used as a state wide model. She suggested that it may be useful to include some citations. She’d like to hear more on the District’s thoughts on what a student’s suspension would look like. Under the investigation portion, police policies should be cross referenced. Approval of Board Policy Meeting Minutes for Mar 8 & Mar 25, 2016 Alper/Daniels and unanimously approved 2-0 Recess Restriction This version includes language agreed upon at a Board meeting in November of 2014. The policy committee will direct the Board to approve the language. Motion to approve staff recommendation: Alper/Daniels and unanimously approved 2-0 Student Discipline – Expulsion Alper explained that while BP 5144 encompasses both suspensions and expulsions, the goal of this policy is to include some provisions for students going through the expulsion process and the accompanying education exclusion. Craig commented that the language should include that the student should take responsibility for his/her actions. Daniels added that this policy focuses on the student that is being expelled. He said we should think about how we incorporate the piece on restoring harm. EXPELLABLE OFFENSES Alper explained that we do not want to take away the District’s ability to expel; expulsion should be limited to extraordinary circumstances. Cory said that the language needs to be really precise. She referenced CA Ed Code 48915 (a), which mandates an expulsion recommendation for a school site for certain offenses. Participants discussed language with regards to mandatory expulsions v. discretionary mandatory expulsions. Daniels added that the policy clearly define “District”. SUSPENDED EXPULSIONS Daniels suggested that “District shall seek to suspend the expulsion . . .” be taken out. An EBCLC rep expressed concern with an expulsion case that is not mandated under the law. Participants discussed the language. The Public Council rep noted that we should be careful about sharing some information. Cathy Campbell expressed the need to remove “complainant” as a way to refer to the victim. EXTENSION OF SUSPENSION PENDING EXPULSION Participants discussed the language in this section Daniels added that a decision to extend a suspension should be justified in writing. Participants discussed an appeal process. The EBCLC rep said it was important to have a process in place for a student to have an opportunity to explain his/her actions as a way to reduce the suspension, thus his/her time out of school. Daniels suggested implementing a process less formal than that of an appeal that would involve a meeting with the Superintendent. The focus should be placed on providing resources for the student while out of school. We will revisit this policy at a later meeting. BUSDs Response to Community-Focused Threats Daniels explained that the policy should outline how we communicate what is going on in a way that staff and the community understand what is happening. Alper noted that BPD and UC BPD use Nixle to alert the community of any threats. Daniels suggested that there be rules around timing of protocol. Alper will find out more about how Nixle is used and will share information at a later meeting. Naming Policy Motion to approve the Board Policy as amended by Alper and the AR is as amended by Superintendent Evans. The policy is ready for publishing: Daniels/Alper and unanimously approved 2-0. Update Board Policy Calendar Policies to consider at the next meeting on May 4: - Response to community focused threats
- Board Bylaws 9321-9321.1
- Student Discipline
- Interaction with Law Enforcement
Meeting adjourned at 4:16 |