March 17, 2015 - Alta Public Schools

 at Alta Public Schools, Inc., 2665 Clarendon Ave., Huntington Park, CA 90255 MINUTES of the MEETING of the Board of Directors: March 17, 2015 1.
Call to Order – 7:30pm Present: Sue Jin Kim, Jess Pelayo, Ricardo Ortega, Jeffry Phillips Absent: Patricia Rogers, Bobbi Shimano 2.
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Public Comment: 3 minutes unless permitted by Chairperson – Parents Marcelina Becerra, Luicia Naranjo, Marycarmen Magana, Maria Garcia, Tessy Garcia, Rosalinda J. Mercado, Cristina Nunez, Vladimir Padilla, Carolina Gayosso commented to the Board on the importance and support for the Prepa Tec , LA High School LACOE appeal. Approval of Minutes: 2/10/15 – Sue Jin Kim moved for approval of the minutes; Jesse Pelayo seconded the motion. Motion was APPROVED unanimously. Consent Agenda ‐ These items are routine matters that are non‐controversial in nature and can be taken with one action by the Board. ‐ NONE Discussion, Action Items, and Reports A. Financial Report – Informational, NO REPORT B. Prepa Tec, LA HS appeal to LACOE – Board Chair Dr. Jeffry Phillips asked that this item be placed ahead of order to allow parents in attendance to hear the discussion on this item. Mr. Xavier Reyes, CEO, reported to the Board that LAUSD had voted against the Prepa Tec, LA High School, as recommended by the LAUSD Charter School Office staff. Mr. Reyes reported that the “findings of fact” reported to the LAUSD Board and the public by the Charter School Office was, in some parts, a fabrication on behalf of the District. In other parts, the District used the same history and track record used to approve the middle school to turn down the high school, which is an obvious contradiction of facts. Mr. Reyes also reported to the Board that the education program “findings” referred to the track record of Prepa Tec middle school and to Academia Moderna elementary schools, both sister schools under APS, and which both have shown a strong growth record. Academia Moderna showed the largest percentage growth of any other elementary school in LAUSD. On the financial side, the District’s concern was the co‐borrowing between the elementary schools. This is a legitimate concern, but a concern that has been fixed since last year. Given the parent support and the weak “findings” by LAUSD, Mr. Reyes recommends that the Board approve the Prepa Tec High School appeal, which includes the complete petition, to the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the Appeal, as directed by and to LACOE for the Prepa Tec High School; Jesse Pelayo moved to approve and Ricardo Ortega seconded the motion to approve the Appeal, as directed by and to LACOE for the Prepa Tec High School. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the Appeal, as directed by and to LACOE for the Prepa Tec High School. C. Superintendent Report – Mr. Barry Baxter, Superintendent, thanked the Board for their support last month of the Extra‐Curricular Culmination Participation Policy for Prepa Tec and reported that already 23% of students below the 2.0 raised their grades. Also, Mr. Baxter reported that the State of California Department of Education has suspended any school academic accountability or APIs. However, schools will receive unofficial scores so that it is known where schools are in their educational practices. Mr. Baxter reported that Academia Moderna teachers went to GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Design) training and were very excited to implement practices. Also, 5th grade students completed the first ever IBPYP Exhibitions where parents and community attended to hear students’ presentations. Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the Superintendent’s Report; Jesse Pelayo moved to approve and Sue Jin Kim 6.
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seconded the motion to approve the Superintendent’s Report. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the Superintendent’s Report. D. CEO Report – Mr. Xavier Reyes, CEO, reported to the Board that the Prepa Tec Middle School lottery had been held and all applicants were accepted for 6th grade. However, APS would need to accept the Prop. 39 offer to occupy Drew Middle School or wait for a third party site to lease to accommodate all new students. Also, on the Academia Moderna facility, according to the General Contractor, the construction is moving on schedule and will conclude in early August as the Prop. 39 lease at Mile Elementary school will terminate at the end of June. Mr. Reyes asked the Board to review and approve the Charter School Compliance Certification binders for Academia Moderna and for Prepa Tec, LA middle school. Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the Charter School Compliance Certification for Academia Moderna; Sue Jin Kim moved to approve and Ricardo Ortega seconded the motion to approve the Charter School Compliance Certification for Academia Moderna. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the Charter School Compliance Certification for Academia Moderna. After which, Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the Charter School Compliance Certification for Prepa Tec, LA MS; Ricardo Ortega moved to approve and Sue Jin Kim seconded the motion to approve the Charter School Compliance Certification for Prepa Tec, LA MS. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the Charter School Compliance Certification for Prepa Tec, LA MS. Mr. Xavier Reyes, CEO, reported that Alta Public Schools needed to approve a Public Records Act policy for all schools that would guide staff on how to respond to public records requests. Mr. Reyes reported to the Board that the language of the policy before them was language used by LAUSD for the same purpose to be used by the same personnel. Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the APS Public Records Policy; Jesse Pelayo moved to approve and Sue Jin Kim seconded the motion to approve the APS Public Records Policy. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the APS Public Records Policy. Additionally, Mr. Reyes reported to the Board that the annual Builders Gala would take place on June 6, 2015 at the USC Radisson. And, Brown Act training would take place on Saturday, April 4, 2015 at 1930 W 120th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90047 at 8:30am in conjunction with Teach Public Schools. Mr. Reyes asked the Board to fill out their Form 700s. Dr. Phillips, Board Chair, sought an approval for the CEOs Report; Ricardo Ortega moved to approve and Sue Jin Kim seconded the motion to approve the CEOs Report. The Board unanimously APPROVED the motion to approve the CEOs Report. Closed Session – No items Next Meeting – Second Tuesday of the month (April 14, 2015) Adjournment – 8:43pm POSTED on March 17, 2015 at 2:00 pm