Members of the public may address the Board on items listed on the closed session agenda. Speakers are limited to three minutes each (Board Bylaw 9323(5)).

This is an opportunity for members of the public to speak to the board on non-agenda items.  Comments on items that are on the agenda will take place during the discussion on that agenda item.  Members of the public may address the Board on matters within the subject matter of its jurisdiction. Please submit a Speaker Card to the Board Secretary prior to the meeting being called to order. Upon recognition by the Board President, please approach the podium. The Board shall take no action or discussion on any item not appearing on the posted agenda, except as authorized by law (BB 9323(2)). Speakers are limited to 3 minutes each (BB 9323(5)). Should a member of the public have comments that pertain to a complaint against an employee of the District, the Board advises that the matter should first be pursued using the appropriate district complaint procedure (BB 9323(6)).

All consent items are enacted by the Board in one motion, unless a Board member requests that an item be removed and discussed separately.  

The Board will consider approval of absent Board Member(s), if necessary, due to illness, jury duty, or a hardship deemed acceptable by the Board in accordance with Education Code Section 35120.

The Board will consider approval of the personnel transactions submitted. 

Staff is presenting Personnel Transaction items for Board approval.

Approved by vote on consent agenda.

The Board will consider approval of the vendor warrants submitted.  The attached warrant register lists all vendors for the period November 30, 2018, through January 3, 2019, for a total of $5,618,231.87. 

Staff is presenting the Warrant Register List for Board Approval.

Financially significant vendor warrants that highlight the largest check or invoice paid to a particular vendor:

Warrants (Current): November 30, 2018, through January 3, 2019 = $5,618,231.87
Warrants (Total 18/19 Fiscal Year): July 1, 2018 through January 3, 2019 = $38,396,768.95

Approved by vote on consent agenda.

The Board will consider approval of the donations and gifts submitted.

Parents, students, community members, and businesses make donations and give gifts to the schools on a regular basis. Donations come in the form of money, goods, or services. These donations are appreciated and welcomed by the schools and departments.

Donations received since December 13, 2018 = $28,515.57.
District-wide donations year to date = $368,553.91.

Approved by vote on consent agenda.

 The Board will consider approval of the contracts submitted.

Staff is submitting contracts on behalf of schools and departments for specified services to be performed by individuals, contractors or consulting firms.  For fiscal and learning impacts, see the attached summary sheet.

Total value of contracts = $301,393.21

The Board will consider approval of the Board Member School Site Liaison Assignments for 2019.   

Purpose

Approve the board member liaison assignments for 2019.

Consideration

In 1998, the Board established school-site liaison assignments so that all of the Districts' schools would be visited on a regular basis by at least one board member.  

Previous Board History
January 10, 2018 (Item E.6)

The Board will consider approval of the proposed Miscellaneous Salary Schedule for 2018-2019 effective January 1, 2019.

Purpose

An additional category has been added to the Miscellaneous Salary Schedule 2018-2019:

C. Board Member Salaries Monthly
1. Board Member Stipend $400.00

Consideration

The Board Member monthly stipend was previously not listed on the Miscellaneous Salary Schedule. This update ensures we are in compliance with Ed Code and Board Policy to ensure accurate compensation for Board members.

Board Policy
Board Bylaws 9250

Education Code
Ed Code 35120

The Board will consider approval of seven (7) CBEST Variable Term Waiver Requests to the State of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) for the following French-language elementary teachers:

Virginie Arnault Chasle
Jean-Cassien Pierre Arnaud
Benedicte Marie Berger
Boris Francois Catelin
Nathalie Renne Louise Delerue
Sandra Perez
Mohamed Teieb

These Variable Term Waivers will allow the district to fill seven (7) French language elementary teacher positions at the Santa Rosa French American Charter School for the 2018-2019 school year who are currently enrolled in a CTC credential program. 

The Board will consider approval of the Rotary District 5130- Fire Relief Fund for Sonoma County Community Grant application.

Purpose

The Board will consider approval of the Rotary District 5130- Fire Relief Fund for Sonoma County Community Grant application for the Santa Rosa High School Agriculture Department for $50,000.

Consideration

The Rotary District 5130-Fire Relief Fund for Sonoma County is seeking to award three grants, for $50,000 each, to a Sonoma County non-profit organization that was impacted by the October 2017 wildfires. Projects must involve one or more of the following areas of interest: Homelessness, Youth Services, Mental Health, or Reforestation.

The Santa Rosa High School farm facility was destroyed in the Tubbs Fire on October 9, 2017.  Grant funding would be utilized to offset costs associated with building a new school farm facility for the Santa Rosa High School Agriculture program. The facility directly impacts youth services, as it is utilized to provide on-site teaching and students in the program access to a facility to house Supervised Agricultural Experiences.

The grant applications are due on January 11, 2019.

Board Policy

BP 6178- Instruction, Career Technical Education 

January marks School Board Recognition Month.  The Board will be presented with a Proclamation from Santa Rosa City Mayor, Tom Schwedhelm, declaring appreciation to the members of the Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education. 

January is School Board Recognition Month and Santa Rosa City Schools is proud to acknowledge the dedicated service and contributions made by the members of the Santa Rosa City Schools Board of Education:  Jen Klose, Laurie Fong, Stephanie Manieri, Ed Sheffield, Evelyn Anderson, Jill McCormick and Omar Medina.

Our school board members are just ordinary citizens – your friends and neighbors – with extraordinary dedication to our community and our children.  Santa Rosa City Schools is fortunate to have these exceptionally talented and dedicated people leading our district.  Every action they take is filtered through the lens of what is best for the community of Santa Rosa City Schools, and each student and staff who make up that community.  They spend hours in meetings and on committees, advocating for our schools and our students.

Our board of education establishes a vision for the education program, maintains the structure to achieve that vision, and provides accountability to the community. Each member is a strong advocate for continuous improvement in student learning. They study, discuss and research so that they can make informed decisions on countless complex issues.

The month of January marks the annual observance of School Board Recognition Month. This is a time to show our appreciation for how our local board works together to prepare today’s students to be tomorrow’s leaders. In January, join with others from throughout our district and state to salute those who provide grassroots governance of our public schools.  Our School Board members deserve our thanks for their tireless dedication to the growth, development, and advancement of our District, our staff and our students.

The Board of Education will receive reports from each of the schools in our district over the course of the school year.  These school reports will coincide with the awards for students, certificated and classified staff, and the parent organization reports for each school.  James Monroe Elementary School, Albert Biella Elementary School and Proctor Terrace Elementary School will be presenting at this board meeting.

Purpose

The Board of Education approves the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) and the Single Plan for Student Achievement (SPSA) each year. The purpose of these school reports is to provide an opportunity for the Board to hear how their approval of these plans at the policy level manifest into the goals, actions, and impact for students and staff at the sites.

Consideration

Increased student learning and social and emotional well being are at the core of Santa Rosa City Schools' work.  This work has involved systems change and a tremendous amount of professional learning by SRCS educators. Changes to the system and institutionalized practices and the investment in our students and staff are beginning to show growth in learning and engagement in many areas.     

The vision and goals of the district are clear, however, the question arises about how that district focus aligns with impact on student learning and social-emotional growth at the sites.  Michael Fullan's Coherence Framework continues to be the guide to assists staff in making sense of the various programs and initiatives taking place in the district which then creates meaning (why") for students and staff. 

The Coherence Framework (Michael Fullan and Joanna Quinn): 

Making the complex more simple, "simplexity".  Initiative overload and fragmentation have kept the best plans from becoming a reality.  It is about leading differently. The key to bringing about successful and sustainable change is through the Coherence Framework which is a dynamic roadmap made up of four essential components:

• Focused direction to build collective purpose
• Cultivating collaborative cultures while clarifying individual and team roles
• Deepening learning to accelerate improvement and foster innovation
• Securing accountability from the inside out

Inquiry Cycle of Instructional Leadership (Center for Educational Leadership [CEL]): 

Improving teaching and learning is the most important task of school leaders and in conjunction with creating coherence, principals are using the Inquiry Cycle for Instructional Leadership to begin to collaboratively engage in a continuous process of instructional improvement and analysis consisting of four phases:

• Phase 1 Analyze Evidence: Gather and analyze evidence to identify student learning problems and problems of teaching or leading practice      

• Phase 2 Determine a Focus: Teachers and leaders analyze evidence to identify an instructional focus area

• Phase 3 Implement & Support:  Teachers and leaders engage in study and learning and then take actions centered on an area of focus

• Phase 4 Analyze Impact:  Teachers and leaders analyze the results of the instructional inquiry and reflect on the process and new learning    

Theory of Action:

If we improve the quality of practice through the continuous development of Leadership capacity to:

A.  Assure warm, safe, dry schools and facilities
C. Confront and address issues of equity and access
E. Engage in problem-solving through an inquiry cycle for growth
F. Facilitate the development of a sense of purpose
L. Lead and guide focused professional learning
P. Provide and strengthen social and emotional supports
R. Recognize and implement quality instruction
T. Target and align resources
U. Utilize data to inform the inquiry cycle for growth

Then, we have much work to do as a district.  No longer will student outcomes be predicted based on race, differently abled, socioeconomic status, and/or the language spoken at home.  

The Theory of Action has been 6 years in the making, it encompasses the intentional and explicit work currently happening in our district and the promise of the future for our students and the community. The Theory of Action is another source of guidance that aligns with the Coherence Framework as it emphatically focuses direction and holds accountable the entire school community to attain equitable access and equal outcomes for all of our students.

Board Policy

BP 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils
AR 0420 - School Plans/Site Councils
BP 0460 - Local Control And Accountability Plan

Previous Board History

The Board will be given an overview of the computer science immersion program, Code to the Future, at Albert F. Biella Elementary School.

Purpose:

Beginning in January 2019, Albert Biella Elementary school will begin a soft launch of a computer science immersion program in K-6 but not yet with every teacher.  School-wide immersion will begin in the 2019 – 2020 school year in that every teacher in every grade level will have a computer science component.

Code to the Future is a program that provides a systematic approach to coding in grades TK-8 and soon to high schools as well. CTTF is a comprehensive solution for computer science immersion and has shown to have an impact on students taking computer science courses in high school and overall student enrollment. Coding is a skill that provides for college and career readiness as well as a skill that applies to many career fields.

CTTF integrates computer science on a daily basis or multiple times a week. Three cycles of coding occur each year. Each cycle lasts about 10 weeks and ends in an epic build where students showcase their work. Depending on the grade level, students will be using physical blocks, analog, Scratch, Legos, text-based coding such as javascript and Minecraft to create their end of cycle project. Students in Code to the Future schools often use coding not only in their coding class but to create other projects in all curricular areas as they find applicability in many ways such as a California Mission project or in illustrating a storyline.

Biella Elementary is the first school to adopt a computer science immersion program in Santa Rosa City Schools.

Outcomes:

As the Code to the Future program provides lessons and support for grades TK - 8, the goal is to expand to middle school. There is currently no high school curriculum in place with Code to the Future but this curriculum is in development. However, a current goal for high school would be to look at our CTE programs to see how computer science could be embedded. The state of California adopted computer science standards as these standards will give students a deeper understanding of computer science to better prepare them for careers and college and help them to succeed in a fiercely competitive global economy. By having computer science in grades TK-12, a coherent instructional program is developed that may also lead to more students taking computer science and AP computer science in high school and beyond. The California Computer Science Standards Appendix is attached to this board reports.

Alternatives and Considerations:

From December through February, SRCS met with representatives from Code to the Future (CTTF) to learn about the program. As the program sounded promising, in Spring 2019, members of SRCS visited two Code to the Future Lighthouse Schools in San Jose and Santa Clara whose demographics were similar to ours. These visits were inspiring and further solidified the importance of bringing computer science immersion to Santa Rosa City Schools. Aida Diaz, principal at Albert F. Biella along with staff members who had visited a CTTF school, shared the program with the staff and there was agreement that the program would be of great benefit to their students.  A soft launch was planned for this school year with full school-wide launch in 2019-20. 

Ed Code:

Ed Code 51228

Assembly Bill 1539

The Board approved the $316,000 5 year contract with Code to the Future on July 25, 2018. 

Funding to support program will be allocated through the 2019-2020 LCAP.

On November 26, 2018, Santa Rosa City Schools Elementary District was awarded $1,038,102.73 from the California Department of Education as a recipient of the Student Support and Academic Enrichment (SSAE) grant. The Board is asked to formally accept this grant award and to approve the process of issuing bids to purchase musical instruments.

Purpose:

In October of 2018 Santa Rosa City Schools Elementary District applied for a Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant from the California Department of Education. On November 26, 2018, we were awarded the full amount requested in the grant proposal. The timeline for grant expenditures concludes on September 30, 2019.

The grant will support the following:

• Expanding the Instrumental Music Blitz program to include all 4th through 6th-grade students at our non-charter schools
• Performances for 4th through 6th grades and master classes for 6th grade Blitz students by the Santa Rosa Symphony
• 6th-grade field trips to the Santa Rosa Symphony Free concerts for Youth at Weill Hall on the Sonoma State University campus
• SRCS high school band visits and performances to the nine elementary schools
• The purchase of instruments, music curriculum and performance equipment (performance chairs and music stands) to ensure that all 4th through 6th-grade students have an instrument to check out for the year and the appropriate instructional materials
• Professional development for Elementary Music Blitz Team
• Professional development for K through 6th-grade teachers on arts integration
• Third party evaluation of the program provided by Sonoma State University

Actions:

Staff consulted with Santa Rosa Symphony staff, Luther Burbank Center for the Arts staff and various SRCS staff members including the Visual and Performing Arts department chairs on the needs the grant would fulfill. All nine elementary principals supplied letters of support for the grant application.

The grant required a detailed timeline outlining how the awarded funds would be used to support the goals of the grant.

Outcomes:

The grant will:

• increase access to instrumental music instruction for 4th through 6th graders
• increase students' exposure to band and orchestra performances including the opportunity to visit a world-class music venue
• support increased collaboration among the Music Blitz Team
• increase classroom teachers' understanding of curricular integration

Next Steps:

To purchase the necessary musical instruments, we must provide a Request for Bids (RFB). The anticipated release date of the RFB is January 15, 2019. Bids will be due to the District office no later than January 29, 2019. All bids will be reviewed, and a successful bid will be presented to the Board for approval on February 13, 2019.

The SSAE grant award to expand the SRCS Music Blitz program is $1,038,102.73 

 Any additional funding to support the program will be allocated through the 2019-2020 school year LCAP.

The Board will conduct a legally-required public hearing on the proposed California School Employees Association chapter 75 (CSEA 75) "Sunshine" proposal with Santa Rosa City Schools (SRCS) for contract reopeners for 2018-2019. 

Purpose

Following the public hearing, the Board will consider approving CSEA 75's "sunshine" proposal for contract reopeners with SRCS for 2018-2019 in the next item on this agenda.  The initial proposal for 2018-2019 contract reopeners include the following articles to negotiate:  

Article 13 Compensation

Considerations

Financial impact potential. Positive budget certification and governor's proposed budget. 

Board Policy
BP 4143.1

Government Code
Gov Code 3547

Previous Board History
F.3. 10/24/18 Board Agenda

The Board will consider approving the California School Employees Association Chapter 75 (CSEA 75)
"Sunshine" proposal for contract reopeners for 2018-2019 with Santa Rosa City Schools of which said proposals will be addressed through the meet-and-greet negotiation process. The District looks forward to working collaboratively with CSEA 75 to serve the staff and students of Santa Rosa City Schools.

Purpose

Per Government Code Sec. 3547, and Article 17.6 of the CSEA 75 collective bargaining contract, CSEA 75 has "Sunshined" their initial proposal for the 2018-2019 contract reopeners to negotiate the following: 

Article 13 Compensation

Considerations

As part of the collective bargaining process, CSEA 75 annually submits contract proposals they wish to discuss and negotiate with the district. This is CSEA 75's initial Board activity on the 2018-2019 contract reopeners.

Board Policy
BP 4143.1 Public Notice-Personnel Negotiations
AR 4143.1 Public Notice of Personnel Negotiations

Government Code
Gov Code 3547 and 3547.5

Previous Board History
F.4. 10/24/18 Board Agenda Item

The Board will consider approval of the attached revisions to board policies.

Purpose:

In an effort to keep the District’s policies current, staff is recommending these policy revisions pursuant to CSBA's March 2018 revision packet.

Consideration:

CSBA will periodically recommend policy revisions due to changes in the law, changes in the Education Code, and/or changes to the wording of policies to keep them current and up to date.  The revised policies being presented are:

BP 1312.3 – Uniform Complaint Procedures
BP 3551 – Food Service Operations/Cafeteria Fund
BP 3553 – Free and Reduced Price Meals
BP 4111/4211/4311 – Recruitment and Selection
BP 4119.11/4219.11/4319.11 – Sexual Harassment
BP 5022 – Student and Family Privacy Rights
BP 5145.6 – Parental Notifications
BP 6162.5 – Student Assessment
BP 6171 – Title I Programs

The Board will review the attached revisions to board policies and discuss any additional changes they deem appropriate.  If no changes are required, the Board may take action to approve the policies.

Purpose:

In an effort to keep the District’s policies current, staff is recommending these policy revisions pursuant to CSBA's May 2018 revision packet. 

Consideration:

CSBA will periodically recommend policy revisions due to changes in the law, changes in the Education Code, and/or changes to the wording of policies to keep them current and up to date.  The revised policies being presented are:

BP 4010 – Nondiscrimination in District Programs and Activities
BP 3514 - Environmental Safety
BP 3514.1 - Hazardous Substances
BP 3516 - Emergencies and Disaster Preparedness Plan
BP 4158, 4258, 4358 - Employee Security
BP 4161.9, 4261.9, 4361.9 - Catastrophic Leave Program
BP 5111 - Admission
BP 5111.1 - District Residency
BP 5125 - Student Records
BP 5131.2 - Bullying
BP 5145.13 - Response to Immigration Enforcement (new policy)
BP 5145.3 - Nondiscrimination/Harassment
BP 5145.9 - Hate-Motivated Behavior

These items are presented for informational purposes only.

Attached for reference is a list of educational acronyms and abbreviations. 

The Board will receive the quarterly report on SRCS Williams Uniform Complaints for the period beginning October 1 and ending December 31, 2018.  The District files with the Sonoma County Office of Education a quarterly report on Williams Uniform Complaints listing the number of complaints that have been resolved, and the number of complaints remaining unresolved.  The attached quarterly report on Williams Uniform Complaints is presented for your information only.

Purpose

To provide the Board with information submitted to the Sonoma County Office of Education;  a quarterly report on Williams Uniform Complaints listing the number of complaints that have been resolved, and the number of complaints remaining unresolved.

Considerations

During the quarter of October 1 - December 31, 2018, the district received a total of six (6) Williams Uniform Complaints (Five Facilities Condition complaints and one Textbooks and Instructional Materials complaint). Following the Williams Uniform Complaint procedures, the District investigated the allegations and immediately addressed the concerns.

We received an anonymous Williams Uniform complaint on October 22, 2018, regarding the heating system not working in room 16 at Brook Hill Elementary School. The allegation was investigated by our Maintenence and Operations (M&O) technician. Heating system motor was replaced and bot heat and cool modes are working fine. Therefore the complaint was closed on October 29, 2018.

On October 23, 2018, we received a Facilities Conditions complaint alleging a strong mold and mildew smell in the health and counseling offices of Santa Rosa High School. M&O had already investigated the building and repaired a water leak below the building on October 22nd. Contractors were brought in to test the air quality and set-up dehumidifiers and air scrubbers to dry out the building. The air quality was re-tested on November 6th and found clear.  Therefore the complaint was closed on November 6, 2018.

On November 1, 2018, we received a Facilities Conditions complaint alleging the restrooms were locked during class hours at Ridgway High School.  The site principal and custodian investigated and confirmed that some restrooms were closed while classes were in session and a sufficient number of restrooms were left open, which is in compliance with Ed Code 35292.5. Therefore the complaint was closed on November 5, 2018.

On November 6, 2018, we received a Facilities Conditions complaint alleging Room 226 was not being vacuumed on a regular basis at Santa Rosa High School.  Although this type of complaint should have been submitted through "SchoolDude", our custodial staff addressed the concerns the same day and have been directed to regular rotations of vacuuming classrooms.  Therefore the complaint was closed on November 7, 2018.

On November 14, 2018, we received a Facilities Condition complaint alleging inadequate filtration and monitoring of the air quality at Montgomery High School due to the Butte County fires. During this time the district and county were actively monitoring the air quality, with consideration to public health, air indexes and many other factors that affected our families, staff and their safety.  The same day, a letter was emailed to our school communities along with a chart displaying recommended guidelines on air quality information.  Therefore the complaint was closed on November 14, 2018.

On December 14, 2018, we received a Textbook and Instructional Materials complaint alleging a student did not have the correct account access to Newsela.  Although Newsela is not a required instructional material, the complaint was investigated by the district's administrative staff and the issue was resolved.  Therefore the complaint was closed on December 19, 2018.

The investigation of these Williams Complaints has now been closed. The district appreciates that these complaints have been brought to our attention to assist us in improving our facilities and instruction and to better serve our students, staff and the greater community.