The March 22, 2017 meeting of the Board of Education began with the following announcements out of Closed Session:
- The Board of Education promoted:
- Marilyn Lopez Cuevas, Vice Principal II Cooper Middle School to Principal II, Balderas Elementary.
- Tina Rodriguez, Vice Principal I on Special Assignment, School Leadership to Principal II, Ericson Elementary.
- Wendy Yocum, Vice Principal I, Del Mar Elementary to Principal II, Muir Elementary.
- Matthew Phanco, Vice Principal I, Lane Elementary to Principal II, Thomas Elementary.
Next, Mr. Steve Popeno and Mrs. Neva Popeno, parents that have had a positive impact at Lowell Elementary, led the Pledge of Allegiance.
The Board of Education approved the minutes from the February 8, 2017 regular meeting.
The Board of Education recognized the Bullard Girls Soccer Team and Head Coach Onesta Francis for becoming CIF Central Section Division I Valley Champions.
The Board of Education adopted a resolution proclaiming April 2017 School Library Month.
The Board of Education adopted a resolution proclaiming April 2017 “Remembrance of the Existence of the Armenian Genocide.”
The Board of Education adopted a resolution proclaiming March 19-25, 2017 as National Safe Place Week.
The Board of Education adopted a resolution proclaiming March 2017 Women’s History Month.
Students Lillian Simmons and Keerat Riar from Patiño High School provided a report to the Board of Education, sharing details of yesterday’s SAB meeting and thanked Board Member Mills and Board Member De la Cerda for attending and answering students’ questions. The students shared some of the ongoing events happening at Patiño including that a group of students from Patiño’s business start-ups have been funded to test their very own MVP ideas. On May 11th, Patiño students will pitch their business ideas to investors at Bitwise South Stadium. In addition, students from Hamilton Middle School shared their academic and career goals.
Next, Interim Superintendent Nelson provided a brief report to the Board of Education including:
- Late last week Fresno County Office of Education let us know that once again, Fresno Unified has a finalist for the county’s Educator of the Year awards. Moving on to the next step in the county’s process is Administrator for Teacher Development Teresa Morales-Young. Winners will be announced at the Educator of the Year Awards in November. Congratulations to Teresa and her entire team for the work they have been doing to support and develop our teachers, including those who are just beginning their journey as part of our many pipeline programs.
- The California Department of Education unveiled its new school accountability data dashboard last Wednesday. The dashboard replaces the Academic Performance Index (API) that based a school’s academic success solely on a single state test score. This new dashboard that in some ways resembles our own SQII, brings together test scores, graduation rates, suspension data and other significant measures to tell the story of academic success. District staff will make a more detailed presentation during our next board meeting. Nelson shared a short video from our friends at Alameda County Office of Education that really outlines the dashboard in a way parents and the community can understand.
Following Interim Superintendent Nelson’s remarks, the Board of Education took the following actions on the below consent agenda items:
- Approved personnel list.
- Adopted findings of fact and recommendations of the District Administrative Board
- Approved property and liability insurance for 2017/18
- Approved agreement with Ciber to upgrade the Lawson system (personnel/payroll) with changes to section 10.3.b
- Approved addendum to independent contractor services agreement with Goodfellow Occupational Therapy
- Approved award of Bid 17-14, Fresno High School Royce Hall acoustical improvements and remodel. Board President Ashjian abstained pursuant to Board Bylaw 9270
- Approved award of Bid 17-20, copy paper
- Approved proposed revisions for Board Bylaws (BB) 9122 Secretary and E9270 Conflict of Interest
- Denied claim #16-0919-0278
- Denied claim #17-0208-0023
- Denied claim #16-1025-0421
- Denied claim #17-0214-0021
- Denied claim #17-0215-0022
- Ratified addendum to independent contractor services agreement with Orchid Interpreting, Inc.
- Ratified submission of a grant applications to the California Department of Education for the Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Grant Program.
- Ratified purchase orders for January 1, 2017 through January 31, 2017. Board President Ashjian and Trustee Jonasson Rosas abstained pursuant to Board Bylaw 9270.
After the consent agenda, staff made a presentation to the Board in the conference/discussion section of the agenda as follows:
- Interviewed and Discussed educational leadership search firms identified by Evaluation Committee and approved the firm Leadership and Associates to conduct the search of a permanent superintendent.
- Presented and discussed the 2017/18 Strategic Budget Development (Summer School, After School, Information Technology and Communications)
- Discussed opportunity for public disclosure and ratification of the 2016/17 Negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement between Fresno Unified School District and the California School Employees Association, Chapter 143, Food Services.
- Discussed and approved the appointment of Blake Konezal of the Fresno County Workforce Investment Board to the JPA Board of Directors for the Center for Advanced Research and Technology by the Board of Education for Fresno Unified School District
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board of Education is Wednesday, April 5, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. at the Fresno Unified Education Center, located at 2309 Tulare St. in Fresno. Complete minutes and agendas are available online at https://go.fresnou.org/board.