November Board Highlights from OEA

Board Study Session on Facilities: 

(topics covered: AC, Solar, Energy Efficiencies & Prop 39, Portables, total Project list & New projects)

Video link

November Board Highlights
Video link part 1
Video link part 2

Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) account to pre-fund post-employment benefits

Cost to district of OPEB is @$457,000. per year and has been ear-marked in he general fund. About 36 districts in CA use irrevocable trust accounts to fund this. OUSD lawyers have not reviewed the agreement and will not be included in decision-making.

Trustee Rossiter wants to take a prudent approach and deposit @$150,000 and leave it to roll forward and pay the $457,000 from the general fund. The $150,000 represents a 1% cost for all teachers sans benefits. Trustee Moran suggested $544,000 from Fund 17 (which has $1.3 million. Fund 17 is for ‘economic uncertainty’ aka a rainy day fund), and $457,000. from the general fund.  

Trustee Butler is encouraging a prudent step as funds may be added at a later date.

Trustee Krumholz asked for what purposes Fund 17 monies may be used. One-time.

The board approved 3-2 (Krumholz, Moran, Severson for, Rossiter and Butler voted against) to deposit funds following Trustee Moran’s suggestion.

Wagner Ranch School Plan – accepted

Northwest Capital Recovery Group: analyzes school district utility bills for errors and line-item expense reductions. Will look at retroactive statements. NWCRG specializes in recovering overcharges in electricity, natural gas, water, sewer, garbage and shredding. Contract unanimously approved.

Parcel Tax Independent Citizens’ Oversight Committee Appointment

Recommended Daniel Pier and Eileen Pummer to fill the four-year term appointments. Unanimously approved.

Glorietta Playground Project

Demolition of existing primary playground, curb and sand area. Will prepare the sub surface and install the pour-in-place surfacing. $98,192.50. Robertson Industries.

Unanimously approved.

District Goals: unanimously approved

Local Control Accountability Plan

Discussion about how to gather public comments.

2014-15 Professional Development Report

Kathy Marshall presented a plethora of staff development concepts for district

Information

Trustee Rossitor asked how information is collected from the teachers. KM responded that the Curriculum Committee collected information over a three-week period from teachers at sites. Information was collated at the October Curriculum Committee Meeting.

Trustee Butler asked if teachers are getting the materials they need in terms of instructional materials. KM assured that teachers have materials. Trustee Severson asked how new teachers are supported in learning Orinda methods. KM affirmed that new teachers receive support from site coaches.

Charles Shannon supported teachers helping teachers.

Board Committee Reports:

·      Trustee Moran met with Dr. Jaconette and Parents’ Club Presidents

·      Fire Drill at DR

·      Dr. Jaconette: Parents’ Club Meetings

·      Science night at Glorietta School on Wednesday, November 5

·      Trustee Butler requested AC and portables’ buyout on a near future agenda and LCAF again on agenda in a couple of months.

Orinda school board refuses to hear complaint against principal

By Jennifer Modenessi Contra Costa Times

POSTED:   04/21/2014 09:43:42 AM PDT         see comments at bottom of post

Link to original article

ORINDA -- Three years after hearing complaints from parents about what they claim is strict and overly harsh punishment of students by an elementary school principal, a majority of Orinda School District trustees have voted down an appeal to hear a new complaint filed by a teacher against the administrator.

Board President Chris Severson, Vice President Matt Moran and board member Julie Rossiter voted April 21 not to hear a teacher's complaint against Wagner Ranch Elementary School Principal Janis Arnerich. That followed an earlier dismissal of the complaint by Superintendent Joe Jaconette. Trustees Sarah Butler and Tyson Krumholz voted in favor of hearing the grievance.

Butler said later that she voted to hear the complaint because she believes the board serves as an appeals body, and is tasked with ensuring accountability. Krumholz wrote in an e-mail that he looks to the superintendent to "engage and improve" any school site situations and would continue to press the board to prioritize individual site visits.

The teacher later asked not to be named for fear of retribution.

Because the decision was made during closed session, board members did not discuss the matter publicly or give details of the complaint. Severson issued a statement that the board could not discuss personnel information but takes all complaints "seriously and investigates them."

"The district has investigated all complaints in accordance with district policy and procedures," Severson said.

Jaconette did not comment.

The vote came despite pleas from current and former Wagner Ranch parents to consider hearing the teacher's concerns. Three years ago, Arnerich's critics decried the school's high suspension rate and disciplinary tactics they said humiliated students. Parents also criticized the handling of suspensions and other punishments they say were meted out hastily and without full investigations. They also expressed concerns about videotaped interviews of students without parental knowledge, and about possible discrimination.

Supporters have argued in the past that Arnerich, principal of Wagner Ranch since 2004, is the target of an "orchestrated" attack.

According to data from the Department of Education, 13 suspensions were reported at Wagner during the 2009-10 school year, compared with four total recorded at the district's three other elementary schools.

Some parents are still critical of what they say is a lack of due process. And on April 14, residents again rallied and asked the school board to hear the complaint dismissed by Jaconette.

"My request is based on the fact that it is one more in a growing list of complaints against Principal Arnerich's abusive and unprofessional behavior, which has been ignored by (Superintendent) Jaconette," said former Wagner parent Neil Gilbert. "Jaconette has ignored Arnerich's pattern of disrespect toward parents and insensitivity toward students and bullying of teachers that continues to this day."

Commenting on a closed session performance evaluation of the superintendent, scheduled immediately following the board's consideration of the grievance, parent Lisa Copass told the board that based on years of complaints by parents, teachers and children, trustees should consider whether Jaconette is the "right person" for the job.

"Let me remind the board that the superintendent reports to you all and you all were elected to work for the Orinda people," Copass said.

The board did not comment publicly on the superintendent's evaluation, which must be completed each year by June 30th.