Saturday, May 17, 2014

Local Control and Accountability Plan (LCAP) Input from Teachers

The LCAP Input from Teachers, shared through a survey, faculty room posters is summarized below. And here are the notes of what was shared by OEA leadership with OUSD leadership. Comments are enabled in the document (you have to be signed in to Google to comment and comments are then not anonymous. Anonymous comments can be made at the end of this post by clicking on the 'comments' link.) Further details about LCAP can be found by clicking the LCAP tag at the end of this post.

LCAP INPUT FROM TEACHERS

LCAP 1 - Students have access to fully credentialed teachers, instructional materials 

that align with common core standards and safe facilities

• Need common core curricular materials.

• Need district office to underwrite cost of Columbia materials such as notebooks, easel pads,

• Need fully credentialed teachers for library and for tech.

• Fix classrooms that don’t reach Cal OSHA standards for heat and cooling.

• Assess old doors and windows for security.

LCAP 2 - Support for teachers to implement Common Core in all subject areas

• Need quality CCSS training with time for planning.

• Compensate teachers to create Common Core units/lessons/activities outside of contract

• More collaboration between schools with regard to vertical spelling alignment.

• Restoration of lost prep time at elementary.

• Utilize and compensate district teachers as staff developers.

• Need math curriculum delivered and distributed well BEFORE the start of school.

• Need IEP and 504 information accessible online like Kaiser does.

• Need alternative or supplement to Columbia Reading Program.

• Revisit and refine online resources ex. Wikis

• Enable full access to online resources such as youtube, forums, etc.

• OIS needs a library assistant/clerk

• Simplify report card process and provide release time for teachers to work on them

LCAP 3 - Community involvement and participation

• Provide parent/community information and education meetings regarding the education of

Orinda’s children, provided at convenient times, locations and methods.

• More accessibility to school board members ex. ‘office hours’ as done in Berkeley USD.

• Regular community surveys.

• Have a contact parent for under represented groups ex. minorities, ESL, LGBT, Students with

• On-going and responsive communication between School Site Council and Stakeholders

LCAP 4 - Improve student achievement by multiple measures

• Retain students who need it.

• Refine the SST process to make it more efficient and ensure that there is a cut-off point by

the end of March so there is time to begin full-assessments.

• Need clear, consistent, district-wide intervention program, especially Tier II intervention, to

support students, particularly writing in lower grades and reading in upper grades with the

goal of reducing the number of students referred to special ed.

• Provide honors math at OIS and math enrichment at all elementary schools

• Resurrect practice of teachers scoring writing in common.

LCAP 5 - Student engagement and attendance

• Allow teachers to bring in curriculum projects that individualize classrooms and emphasize

strengths and passions of teachers.

• More project based learning with student choice.

• Less emphasis on required assessments.

• Need more time and support for increased cross curricular collaboration.

• Pilot smaller learning communities (ex. vertical grouping like ‘houses’) at OIS

LCAP 6 - School climate with regard to student experience measures (suspensions,

expulsions etc.)

• Regular surveys of school community with regard to climate.

• Effective anti-bullying program at OIS ex. student-driven.

• Monitor SB48 (FAIR education act) implementation in schools.

• Bring fun and creativity into classroom by increasing autonomy of teachers to decide how to

teach to agreed goals.

NOT LCAP: School climate with regard to TEACHER experience

• Parents and administrators need to show respect for teachers ex. a communication protocol,

tone of communications and some coaching for parents on this.

• Administrators need to be more aware of workload impact of changes they propose. Decision

to add needs to be a decision and not a directive.

• Minimize phone call interruptions and early release of students from class.

• Regular faculty meetings at OIS.

• Training for teachers in how to run/participate in meetings.

• Training for teachers for how to deal effectively with difficult stakeholders.

• Administrators need mediation training.

LCAP 7 – Ensure student access to classes that prepare them for college for college

and careers

• Rather than teach to the test, engage students in the love of learning.

• More public speaking and performance opportunities for students.

LCAP 8 - Other student outcomes ex. PE, and the Arts

• Restore weekly art grades 1-5 and

• Kindergarten to participate in specialist programs (Ex. art and P.E.)

• Collaboration/Cross Articulation time for specialists and teachers.

• OT training for primary teachers.

• Integrate more arts across the curriculum.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

May 12, 2014 Trustees Meeting


Notes from OEA:
Video link.

Employees of the month: Rebecca Wilson (DR) and Sue Barnette (GLO).

Consent items A and E were pulled.

Declaration of certification of current staff. Requesting a permit to allow any new,  incoming teachers to be hired while they are working on CLAD certification.
Approved 5:0

Orinda-Moraga Joint Tech Director
60% - 40% share of cost
Hiring approved 5:0
OEA President requested that one or two OEA members participate on the hiring committee and that during site visits the tech director will elicit opinion from teachers about tech progress and matters.

Deletion of Board Policy 3111: the financial deferred maintenance program has become obsolete with the change to  LCFF.
Approved 5:0

District Procurement Cards. District no longer uses a Visa. The State of CA has entered into an agreement with US Bank to implement a Cal Card. OUSD is eligible to participate. This will reduce out-of-pocket expenses for district office personnel qualified to use the card. Some vendors require a credit card. The card would be used for travel arrangements, online vendors and emergency purchases.
Approved 5:0

 Trustee B utler requested that prior to adopting minutes of April 14 two amendments that would increase clarity of expenditures so that any member of the public would understand the expenses.
Votes for: Krumholz, Butler
Opposed: Moran, Severson, Rossiter

Budget update: Common Core Transition Funds: district has spent close to  $230,000.00 / @$500,000.00 thus far. Mrs. Farrell did not elaborate on expenditures.

Local Control Accountability Plan
Report on meetings held thus far, website and email availability for comments from the public. Parent survey distributed. The LCAP Draft Plan is available to view on the school district website with a link to comments. It is recommended that teachers read through the draft, especially columns that provide changes to curriculum and assessments.
OEA President suggested that OEA be included on an annual advisory committee for LCAP.

Budget for Facilities Task Force: Trustee Rossitor suggested that it would be helpful if there was more itemization on the budget presented. Total revenue available: 17,011,680.04. Rossitor, Butler, and Moran continued to recommend a detailed itemized list of projects aligned with expenditures. Board President requested a clarified list. Discussion about oversight of facilities’ changes and equity for students.

Educate Our State ballot initiative: in 2004 the CA legislature directed the county auditor to take property tax revenue allocated to schools and give it to local governments. The state was supposed to compensate the schools for lost property tax revenue from its General fund
A volunteer group (Educate Our State is seeking a to place a ballot called Protection of Local Schools Revenues Act. A Lafayette parent spoke to this need. Requested the Board to support the effort.