Special BOARD MEETING
Santa Rosa City Schools
December 20, 2023
4:00 p.m. – Closed Session
5:30 p.m. – Open Session
Hybrid (Santa Rosa High School Auditorium 1235 Mendocino Ave. Santa Rosa, Ca.
*** streamed ***
A live link will be posted on the SRCS website (link).
Board of Education / Video Board Meetings
Please take time to review the following abbreviated version of the agenda. Click here to see the entire agenda. It has live links on many items with more information. If you want to comment to the board about any upcoming items, email agendacomments@srcs.k12.ca.us. Please CC wearesrta@gmail.com on your email.
Closed Session Items:
A.1. Public Comment On Closed Session Agenda Items To comment, email Melanie Martin at mmartinsrcs.k12.ca.us.
B.1. Student Readmissions (Case Nos: 2022/23-11, 2022/23-26, 2022/23-34 )
C. RECONVENE TO REGULAR OPEN SESSION (5:30 p.m.)
C.2. Report of Actions taken in closed session
C.3. Special Presentation for Outgoing Board President
D. Public Comment on Agenda Items Only
SRTA members are invited to complete ‘blue cards.’ Online comments have been suspended. Please be prepared to observe the imposition of a possible two or even one minute limit. Only items on the agenda are addressed at this time.
Comments are requested at the board meeting to bring a member’s perspective and share real experiences of the impact of district policies and practices.
Please commit to watching or attending at least one board meeting this year, and speaking to an agenda item that impacts you or your students. Speakers are limited to those in person. Comments are most impactful when they are well spoken, composed and reasonable.
E.1. (Discussion) District-Wide Data Presentation: Graduation Rate and College Readiness
The California Dashboard SRCS data shows an overall graduation rate of 82.7%, a decrease of 1.8% from the prior year which puts the district in the orange ranking. Four subgroups are listed as red. The English Learner graduation rate was 62.9%, a decline of 5% from the year before. The Foster Youth graduation rate was 65.4%, an increase of 6.8%% from the year before. The homeless graduation rate was 55.4%, a decline of 3.8% from the year before. The Student with Disability graduation rate was 63.6% a decline of 4% from the year before.
SRTA has a resolution about A-G. A-G Resolution
SRTA had a community forum Tuesday night about A-G.
Will Lyon shared this Slide deck: A-G for All Is Hurting Students. This is not just a HS problem- it is systemic. Successful programs should have implementation plans with timelines and metrics. The parents who were upset that their students were in ‘Regular’ classes when they didn’t understand these were not college prep courses have every right to be upset now that their students have taken A-G courses but are not qualified to attend a UC/CSU, because there has been no communication about the C or better requirement.
Margie BradyLong, Math Teacher at Maria Carrillo HS, spoke as a math teacher. Math is hard. Social promotion allows students to arrive at high school where everyone is placed in Math 1 without the necessary foundation. Having students who are not competent with integers and fractions (elementary curriculum) lowers the content and rigor of the Math 1 course. The students who are ready for on level rigor are denied the content they deserve.
There are many students failing and needing to retake the course. At a prior meeting this board asked for early identification of uprising freshmen students to provide early intervention and support. Not only did that not happen, but SRCS has not allowed readiness classes, and has said we can not offer the Math 1 over two year course again, even though these are on the A-G list. Instead there are two periods of a TOSA on each HS campus. This is a stop gap that helps some students.
Ramon Ramirez, History Teacher at Ridgway HS, shared concerns arising from the revolving door of administrators. Currently students can earn a semester of credit in a quarter. With the enormous need for students to recover units since the A-G implementation, there has been a recent shift. The Carnegie Unit practices that received a phenomenal 6 year WASC accreditation and awards for a model alternative program have been abandoned.
Melissa Baker, Counselor at Montgomery HS, suggested that counselors have a unique perspective with many ideas for improving our situation. Review possible pathway options for a diploma. Offer more CTE (Career Technical Education) courses, incorporating more work experience and internships into our campuses. Re-establishing the Transitional program that gave work experience to our students with disabilities. Students and families deserve freedom of choice, not one size fits all.
E.2.(Action) First Read and Possible Waiving of Second Read, Board Policy 6146.1 – Graduation Waiver Extension to the Class of 2025
This waiver is a welcome relief to the 75 or so seniors it is expected to help. Unfortunately, too many students are seeing a diploma as unreachable in the middle of their sophomore year when they are signing up for Junior year courses. Waiting until the second half of senior year to offer this waiver is too little, too late for too many.
Students need relief from more than just the third year of math and the second year of Language Other Than English. (LOTE).
Permanent off ramps are needed, until they aren’t.
E.3. (Action) CSBA Delegate Assembly Nomination