Summary of the 11/17 Monthly Meeting

As in my preview post, I'm only going to address two items. One was a BIG item of discussion at the meeting and one wasn't mentioned at all. I'll start with the one that wasn't mentioned, because I get to choose!

Superintendent's Contract - Discussion of a new contract with Dr. Pitts was reportedly conducted during the Closed Session. According to the Board's report out on Closed Session activities, "no action" was taken on any items in the closed session. What exactly does this mean regarding the status of negotiation of a new contract? Who knows. I did, however, decide to send an email to President Mangan regarding when and whether any discussion of the projected timing for signing of a new contract would be discussed during the open portion of the meeting, or if parents would be actively solicited for input. What I heard back was - "Valerie's contract negotiation is a confidential discussion matter...The approved contract will appear in the Consent Section of the December meeting." In case this is at all cryptic, let's put it in English. The new contract is planned to be negotiated and signed sometime in the next few weeks, and it will only appear on the agenda lumped in with other cursory items that are approved, as a group, with one vote.

I have to say that after the conversations that took place at last May's meeting regarding the superintendent's contract, I expected a bit more from the Board as it approached the negotiation of a new contract. Granted, the actual negotiation part is, and must be, confidential. Would you want your salary/contract negotiation to take place in public? Me neither. However, the Board could choose to conduct greater outreach regarding the general issue of the superintendent's contract if it felt like it. Apparently, they weren't/aren't in the mood. However, that can't keep you from sending your thoughts to the Board at trustees@larkspurschools.org. I, for my own self, sent an email expressing my concern over the timing and process used. I won't bore you with the whole text, but the words "extremely frustrating" were prominently featured.

Facilities Bond Discussion - I could drone on about this issue. Instead, I'm just going to hit the highlights. Trustees Wade and Ritter were appointed to lead a subcommittee of the Board that will lead an effort, over the next three months, to prepare for the likelihood that a facilities bond will be placed on the November 2011 ballot. The Board expects to receive a status report each month on progress of the subcommittee's work, which will include: public outreach (presumably including public meetings with open discussion of options), updating of the 2008 Facilities Master Plan document to include current financial assumptions (interest rates, construction cost projection, etc.). Trustees Wade and Ritter will be taking the lead on citizen input, and indicated that they would very soon publish the appropriate email address to which folks can send comments, suggestions, etc. So, we'll all have a few months here to review, re-hash, debate, etc. the various options (two campuses at NC site, re-building on San Clemente site, etc., etc.) I'm sure some of you out there are having flashbacks, but hold on, we'll get through it together. Remember, its for the kids!

For today, I can summon no more. Until next time...

-Rob

Previewing the Agenda for the 11/17 Monthly Meeting

No hesitating today; let's jump right into the deep end. After the initial shock, it will feel really good, I promise!

Agenda Item 5 - Bond Funding for Facilities Needs: I hear the ground abuzzin' about the Board starting discussions related to a potential facilities bond measure to go on the ballot in November 2011. The discussion item included on the Agenda for Wednesday's meeting will provide the first substantive, on-the-record, discussion where the Board can weigh the pros and cons of pursuing a facilities bond next November. In the packet materials are multiple supporting items that will be referenced during the discussion. The two most interesting to me were the draft timeline of activities that would be required to support a bond campaign (pgs. 5-7), and the results of a resident survey conducted in 2008 regarding support for a potential bond measure (pgs. 5-8 through 5-22). Click here to access packet materials on the district website.

Wednesday night would be a great time for any and all of you to come to the Board meeting and get involved in the discussion early on. The survey results from 2008 showed relatively broad support for a facilities bond, but significantly weaker support for the two-campus plan for the Neil Cummins site. Therefore, it seems other potential ideas are clearly still up for discussion, including potentially renovating or building new at the San Clemente site. I'm guessing that most of us have an opinion about a preferred option, so come on out and be heard. Or, send an email in advance of the meeting to trustees@larkspurschools.org.

Closed Session - Superintendent's Contract: After two aborted attempts, the Board finally addressed the Superintendent's performance evaluation during closed session at a special meeting on Saturday, Oct. 30. Now, on the closed session agenda for 11/17, is listed the item "Superintendent's Contract." From having reviewed Dr. Pitts' contract with my own two eyes, I can inform you that it expires on June 30, 2011. I know some of you out there came to a Board meeting last May to discuss concerns regarding the value and structure of Dr. Pitts' contract. It is unknown how long it will take the Board to deliberate on, then eventually adopt a new contract with Dr. Pitts. So, if you have opinions on this matter, regarding appropriate compensation, duration, etc., now would be the time to start weighing in. FYI, Dr. Pitts' current salary is $198,000+. Her existing three-year contact included a significant (about $25,000) increase in year 1, and 5% annual increases in years 2 and 3. Whether the trustees are considering a similar structure in a new contract, only they know. You can send your input to trustees@larkspurcshools.org.

Consent Calendar - Recycling/Disposal of Obsolete Equipment: This item requests that the Board approve the "recycling" of obsolete equipment. This seems all well and good on its face. However, the list of items that are to be "recycled" includes 54 imacs and an Apple G3 Tower computer. I think these must be the old, colorful imacs with the funny, bulbous shape. I'm sure these computers aren't worth a lot, but aren't they worth something? Could they not be given away, or sold for a nominal amount to families that might like an extra computer for the kids?

-Rob

Report from the 11/6 Strategic Planning Session

So in the final flurry of planning a surprise 40th birthday party for my wife last Saturday, I didn't make time for a pre post advertising the strategic planning session that was hosted by the Board on the morning of 11/6. Apparently no advertisement was needed, because the event was very well attended. I estimate that 25 people were in attendance for the four-hour session.

I highly encourage you to review the slide show presentation from the meeting, and other detailed strategic plan documents by clicking here. After Dr. Pitts gave a brief presentation supported by the slide show, we moved on to the core of the session, which was reviewing different pillars of the strategic plan in small groups. Each participant chose their three priorities and spent about 30 minutes discussing how the district is doing in that area, what pros and cons in the current environment are affecting performance, and other related observations. I personally had quite interesting chats about the district's fiscal integrity, the challenges of facilities planning, and the state of communication among district stakeholders.

I could talk at length about the details of some of these conversations, but instead I'd like to focus on a bigger picture thought. We have an abundance of engaged, dedicated and smart people who are committed to the success of our kids and our schools. It was a pleasure to meet a few more of them on Saturday.

For those of you who were not in attendance, let me encourage you again to click the link up above and review the elements of the current strategic plan. The meeting that was held Saturday was but one workshop in a series of events - Superintendent coffee chats, Board meetings, etc. - that will take place over the next two months or so leading up to Board consideration and eventual adoption of a revised Strategic Plan. So, keep an eye and ear out for future opportunities to provide your input to the process. The more the merrier!

-Rob

p.s. As a group we reviewed a fascinating presentation by Sir Ken Robinson, creativity and education expert, called Changing Education Paradigms. You can view this 12-minute presentation on you tube by clicking here. I highly recommend it.

Summary of the 10/27/10 Monthly Meeting

So the World Series coming to town didn't cancel tonight's Board meeting, but it sure shortened it! The Board deferred all agendized items that were not time sensitive, conducted a streamlined meeting and finished at 6:50 just as the Giants were finishing off their six-run fifth inning.

While the meeting was short, the Board did discuss a few items of note:

Facilities / Bond Planning - The last time the Board discussed the pursuit of a bond measure to finance new facilities (primarily at Neil Cummins), concern was expressed that the district could not plan toward a November 2011 election date because the Tam High School district is already planning a bond measure for that date. Well, recently, Trustee Mowbray had a discussion with a member of the Tam High District Board, who advised her that our district should proceed with whatever date works for us. Given that input, the Board directed staff to start preliminary work to create a timeline of necessary activities that would lead to a facilities bond on the November 2011 ballot. Stay tuned...

Budget Status  - The budget sure is a fast-moving target. Between the time the packet materials were posted to the website last week and the time of the meeting, Business Manager Becky White generated a new revision to the budget. The latest revision shows a +$93,960 change from the budget adopted in June (The version posted last week showed a -$53,618 change).

Technology Assistants - Dr. Pitts reported that the district is about to complete the hiring of two technology assistants. These staff will be responsible for installing newly purchased computer equipment and working with teachers to incorporate technology into their classrooms.

That's it - short and sweet.

Fear the Beard!

-Rob

Previewing the Agenda for the 10/27 Monthly Meeting

As I write, the Giants are still alive in the playoffs (Don't Stop Belivin'!). Alas, time must be made in our life for other things, too, so here we go. The Board will be gathering for its regular monthly meeting this coming Wednesday, October 27th, at 6:00 pm in the Hall library. I have reviewed the agenda and the accompanying packet materials, and the following items intrigued me the most.

Superintendent's Evaluation (Closed Session) - The Board was scheduled to provide Dr. Pitts with her annual evaluation during Closed Session of last month's meeting, but that plan was delayed. This month, Dr. Pitts' evaluation is once again on the schedule. This discussion will take place in private, but any of you concerned parents out there who have any input regarding the Superintendent's performance should take this opportunity to email the trustees at trustees@larkspurschools.org.

Board Self Evaluation (Agenda Item 11) - According to the Board's bylaws the Board shall annually conduct a self evaluation of how well the Board has been performing its duties. The Board members will discuss how they think they have been performing individually and how well the Board as a whole has performed over the past year. To review the criteria that will guide the evaluation discussion, you can review the detailed packet material on pgs. 40-41 of the document Agenda Items 6-10. Board procedures do not ensure the ability to ask questions or provide comment at the time an individual item is discussed, so if you have input your would like to be sure the Board considers when evaluating its performance, I recommend you send an email in advance to trustees@larkspurschools.org.

Budget Update (Agenda Item 8) - The state adopted a budget! I'm not exactly sure that celebration is in order, but having an adopted budget beats the continued uncertainty that's been hanging over public agencies in the state for the last few months while the budget stalemate dragged on. District staff have updated the projected revenues and expenditures for the year based on the school funding components of the adopted budget, and the bottom line for our district is a reduction of only $53,618 from the original budget adopted by the Board last June. For more detail, see pgs. 19-32 of the document Agenda Items 6-10.

Facilities Planning (Agenda Item 10) - The Board will not be acting to approve any specific facilities item at the upcoming meeting, but it will hold a discussion regarding the overall facilities needs outlined in the Facilities Master Plan generated in 2008 and potential strategies for moving forward with projects included in the plan. On the short-term front, the Board will discuss progress on the planning stages of a project to add 4 1/2 portables to the Neil Cummins campus this year. See details at pgs. 34-35 of Agenda Items 6-10.

Technology Plan (Agenda Item 4) - Over the last few months the district has made significant investment in computers and technology infrastructure, funded by $275,000 from the general budget and $154,000 donated by SPARK (thanks to you contributors out there!). The Board will discuss how the new purchases are being implemented in the classroom and how they fit in with the district's overall technology plan. Now's your chance, tech professionals, to weigh in on how our schools are integrating the latest and greatest new tools into our students' educational pursuits! Share your thoughts at the meeting or by sending an email to trustees@larkspurschools.org.

Those are my agenda and packet highlights, everybody. Please share comments below if you have them, and check back on Thursday morning for a summary of the meeting.

-Rob

Previewing the Agenda for the 10/8 Special Meeting

That's right, it's special meeting time...again. At 10 am on Friday, at the District Office, the Board will hold a special meeting to consider exactly one item, which is to approve the solicitation of bids for the installation of a new set of portables at Neil Cummins.

This will come as no surprise to regular readers of these very pages, because the inevitability of more portables at NC was discussed in the summary of last month's regular meeting. At that time the Board directed staff to continue down the road toward new portables being installed this year. The first task was to review exactly how many portables could fit on the site between the playground and the creek, the next was to solicit bids for the actual construction.

I would happily tell you right now exactly how many portables are in the plan that will be put out to bid (it was projected to be 3 to 5) but no supporting staff report has yet been posted to the district website. If you want to know more about the proposed plan before the Board votes to authorize bid solicitation, it seems you will need to bring your own self down to the District Office on Friday morning for the meeting. Otherwise, I presume packet materials reviewed at the meeting will be posted to the district website shortly thereafter, or will be discussed at the next regular meeting.

-Rob

Board Operations 101 (a.k.a. What the Heck is the Brown Act?)

So, as you probably know by know, I am a professional public servant. I work for the City of San Francisco. If you know a "government employee" joke, I can almost guarantee you I've heard it. And, once people hear I work for government, I have to bear my share of "why is government so..." questions. On the plus side, I've learned a lot about how government agency boards/councils work, and why they do certain things in a certain way. Many of the perceived peculiarities of how government agency boards work has to do with something you may have heard of called the Ralph M. Brown Act (Brown Act for short.) This is the state law that governs how public agency boards must conduct business in California.

Now, many consultants and lawyers (who know way more than I) make a living as Brown Act experts, and I am certainly not in their league. But I feel qualified enough to hit some high points that may answer some basic questions you may have had about why/how our Board conducts its business.

The Board must...

...publish an annual schedule of "regular" meetings. (Any meeting that is not a "regular" meeting is considered either a "special" or "emergency" meeting.) - Our Board publishes this schedule in the summer for the upcoming year, and the meetings are usually on the fourth Wednesday of the month at 6:00 pm.

...publish an agenda of all items to be discussed at a regular meeting at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting (24 hours for a special meeting, and 1 hour for an emergency meeting). - Our Board publishes the agenda through an email distribution (sent to anyone who has requested to be on the list) and by posting the agenda on the school district website.

...conduct Board business (i.e. deliberate then vote to take action) in "open and public" meetings. Any gathering of more than two members (of a 5-member Board) in considered a meeting and is in violation of the Brown Act if it has not been noticed, agendized, etc. - Considering this requirement along with the agenda requirement above leads to the next item , which can really frustrate people who don't fully understand the rules under which the Board operates, which is that...

...can only take action on items that are on the agenda, given the aforementioned posting and agendizing requirements. - This means that if you show up at a Board meeting and, during public comment, bring up the most insightful, fabulous, award-winning idea, but the idea happens to have nothing to do with an item on the published agenda, the Board by law can't take any action. The lesson here is that if you have a concern/burning issue/great idea that you think requires deliberation and potential action by the Board, simply showing up at one meeting isn't going to get your item heard. You need to work through staff and or individual Board members (by email, phone, etc.) in advance to request that the item be put on the agenda (agendized). Or, at a given regular meeting, you can address the Board members and directly request that the item be agendized for the next regular meeting. By the way, this public participation in the creation of Board agendas is supported by the California Department of Education, which says on its website that...

..."adopt regulations governing the procedures to be followed to...ensure that members of the public may include items on the agenda for consideration..."

...consider only specifically defined items during "Closed" session, to which members of the public are not admitted. - These items are almost always related to either personnel or litigation issues, e.g. taking disciplinary action against an employee or conferring with the Board's attorney regarding a claim or lawsuit to which the district is a party.


I think that's plenty for one post. If you have any questions or comments, or if you have an issue or area you'd like to see addressed in this blog, don't hesitate to leave a comment or send an email.

-Rob (your friendly neighborhood bureaucrat)