PRINCIPAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE (pac)
PAC Operations
April
QSS
Include time in PD
Can we take it in parts
We also need more people to take the survey, who takes it impacts the data significantly, for example, like folks who are already thinking of leaving the district
Principals also want to check in with their admin assistants about that work
We don’t always know all the depts, and it would be helpful to have an org chart
We can link the org chart at the top of the survey
Operations calendar
Zoom is really hard - we will have more in person sessions next year
Lots of information and not enough time to digest & to process
How do we make it more engaging and supportive for adult learning?
Can we create more differentiated groups? Need the partners to be more proactive in offering support, not just waiting for a principal to ask for help
Having the operations time is just a lot of pivots, not a lot of processing time; need to have time to know what the principal next steps are
Build in processing time; can the presenters meet to talk about the flow for the day, processing time, etc. Not full information of what we need to really work on
Do a full day of instruction and a full day of operations?
Travel time is really hard--build in more time for PAC and travel
Principals don’t have the option of working at home; can we think about release time to work from home and be productive and focus
APs also need the operations training; We get a lot of information at the principal pd’s and it is on us to communicate all that information to our admin team. It’s too much to process and share.
Can we have more of a 1:1 process, ie 1 part instruction, 1 part work/reflection time
Deadlines
Lots hitting right around spring break, like SPSA and budget deadlines
Access to student data/assessments is one reason the SPSA starts later than we might want
How do we push the SPSA forward/earlier, before budgeting happens? So we work with SSC/campus teams earlier
Have this as a 2 year plan would also be helpful to plan for the next year
February
Do we have an opportunity to talk about how we do education differently? Go to a different schedule/ 4 day week, etc?
January
Kyla’s Opener
Really appreciate the time principals take to be here to improve our systems, especially as we are moving towards more budget scarcity and reductions in staffing - this work of systems improvement becomes even more important.
One issue we hear coming up year after year from our principals and also our community is safety, which is why I am grateful that Vilma and Rebecca are here tonight to talk about the work moving forward with Crisis Go and our Visitor Management system. I’m not in any conversation in Oakland where this isn’t a topic that doesn’t come up. This is also a national issue. For too many years, we had different systems across each and every one of our schools for responding to, communicating about, and preparing for safety incidents. We want the guidance to be clear and sites to know what to expect. Without our internal police department, we are in an environment where communication and coordination are critical for our system and our city as a whole to prepare for and respond to emergencies, should they arise. We can have our Chief of Staff who meets with the mayor’s office, to come in here. We need support from our city police.
You all are the present and future face of leadership in our district--I am daily grateful for the work that you do and for the integrity that you have in handling the daily challenges that come with leadership. It is in this spirit that I am looking forward to tonight’s conversation--to hear from you, openly and honestly, about the challenges you are facing and the systems we can build together to address them; about how we should engage other leaders at your sites as we roll out new safety processes and systems, and most importantly, how we ensure we are building out systems that are sustainable for you and for our central leaders to manage over time.
November
PAC Cadence of having meetings with just reps to plan - need to reorder? How do we revisit the cadence to make sure the issues are addressed in a timely manner. Can you send info ahead of time? Sailaja can meet with PAC reps outside of the Friday time, if requested.
Priorities for next time:
Ed Specs (Jan)
Safety updates: Crisis Go protocols and timeline, security at games, Milestone for all CKs/principals, visitor management; what else is missing (Dec)
Can we start to think bigger about what/ how we are doing school (e.g. 4 day work week? create a hybrid situation? Can we create a committee that thinks about how to be innovative?
October
Suggested Norms:
We center student learning in all discussions, decisions, and actions.
We ground our work in shared goals that further the success of the district in meeting the needs of students furthest from opportunity.
We support and challenge each other and others with love, compassion, and humility.
We plan collaboratively and share accountability for making progress towards shared outcomes.
We define and clarify roles and acknowledge how each role contributes to our collective success
September
Kyla's Opening
Kyla will join 2-3 meetings this year to focus on what we can do to improve safety/facilities at our schools, how to create joy and build on the first level of Maslow’s hierarchy.
Looking at staffing, as one of the high priority issues, how can we look at the specific root causes, but mostly we want principal voice
We have catastrophic levels of staffing and vacancies all over the country; how can we bring some more creativity into the staffing area; online schools are seeing waiting lists of educators who want to be there because it gives them flexibility
How can we connect entry level positions with other opportunities--these have the greatest vacancies
Lots of principals have been creative around innovating how to hire for these positions, can we pilot them and then work with labor partners
What are the issues coming up with principals in this month, let’s keep space to discuss them at this meeting.
Will look at the logistics of stipends for PAC.
Skyline update: no one was hurt; school went into lockdown; students left campus safely. Will have police at the school.
How do we support a school community and families when they go through a traumatic event? Like a shooting or a bomb threat?
How do we support without escalating?
Sailaja will share with PAC if Net Sups ask for additional support when these incidents arise
Special Education
February
Main topics from pre-planning meeting are about areas that we have control over
How to get support for outside agency staff?
Options for PD/Training for staff
Special Education Handbook: Launchpad on the first page shows you where to go for the latest information about who I should talk to, how to reach an agency supervisor, PD/trainings
Agency staff:
General Aides - generally deployed when there is a vacancy and can’t fulfill IEPs or if there are safety/hygiene issues where staff is needed
They have minimal training from their agency before they start - basic course in care/custodial techniques; how do you keep surfaces clean and sanitized; they must also take a course in PBIS, conflict de-escalation - this is state required. They are also doing basic CPR, life-support training and an introduction to disability awareness, which is provided by OUSD.
Registered Behavioral Technicians
40 hours of training in principals of applied behavior analysis and crisis response; must be supervised for 5% of working hours by BCBA-certified staff; They also get the general aide training
Where there is a gap is training new OUSD staff
We do not know when they are authorized to work, which happens throughout the year
We do a monthly training with new AFSC hires; SpEd is half the training, AFSC is half the training
We do not have the same structure with SEIU
We do live in person trainings during the year, we wend to all Paras and ISSs
We only get about 15-20% attendance
We asked classified staff about the barriers to attend PD - is it about the content? Time? School responsibilities? Duty day on Wednesdays - many paras/ISSs are leaving at the end of the minimum day, instead of working a full duty day. Others are doing work at their site, like attending PD, meeting with teachers, etc. Some respondents also didn’t think the content was relevant, which is what the SpEd leadership team is attending to.
Para mentorship training: we started last year, and this was a partnership opportunity with aFSC. Many paras/ISSs do not feel respected, we may default to teachers training paras, instead of experienced paras training paras. We paid them 5% over time to train; new paras did not consistently attend these trainings. Tried to pivot to push-in observation and support, this was a little more successful, but travel challenges prevented everyone from participating.
Next year: want to work with ESSs to get a better system for when someone is almost done with on-boarding, so we can get them trained before they begin work. 2 days paid PD before they start their assignment.
How can we further ongoing PD attendance?
Is the training always at Santa Fe? Or always elementary vs. secondary?
Training has been just on Zoom since COVID - which is higher attendance than in person before
Part of this is a UAOS issue - there are many classified staff a principal is expected to supervise, and as a result there is no accountability for what is happening with classified staff after the minimum day on Wednesdays
Is there a timesheet they have to sign?
Many classified staff leave early on Wednesday, but I thought they were 0.8FTE, and if they stay late on the other days, can they leave early on Wednesdays?
They are all pro-rated at 0.8FTE, which is a 6.5 hr duty day, 30 minute lunch, 2 15-minute rest periods
Start and end time is at the discretion of principal or AP
AFSC: can’t start before 7am or end after 4pm. Same times every day.
Handbook has info about each job and duties and hours of work.
2 barriers to trainings: if it’s not every Wednesday, it’s hard to not build in a habit around it. Maybe frequency increasing would be an expectation every week.
Links for PD are not available ahead of time - we have to wait for it to be sent ahead of time. Can it just be one Zoom link for the year?
We could increase the frequency and keep one Zoom link for the year
One option: Mandatory x number of times a month, we also want to allow staff to attend to work on site
How to ensure students are getting adequate service minutes
Need to ensure RSs have a compliant service delivery schedule - how can we ensure that RSs understand how to make a schedule and support site administrators in holding teachers accountable for following the schedule?
A few years ago, OUSD SpEd leaders worked with other districts to establish a standard for full-time work/caseload for RS, but we still see significant variation across identical job descriptions, ie different case loads for the same position at different schools
Some RSs have more classes in the master schedule or are doing more pullouts during the day
Standard in the program guide provides info about number of hours for a SpEd educator working directly with students - this is a staffing standard we use for assigning staff. 21 hours per week directly with students; this gives more than enough time to do OEA work, attend PD, do paperwork, etc.
SpEd dept staff will help develop a schedule if the teacher needs help
If teachers want to do more, they can
Support staff can do 22 hours a week--they do not receive a prep, other than 30 min lunch and 15 min breaks
This gives us the standard for staffing/IEP compliance
Last year there was a class action lawsuit in CA about support for students with disabilities; they found state of CA out of compliance, and they were ordered to ask all LEAs to create a consistent system for showing that IEP minutes were being implemented. Most districts use SEIS.
SEIS makes a service tracking system, don’t use a random spreadsheet, you have to use SEIS to show service minutes
At any point, a parent/state/attorney, etc, we have to provide service logs
Drop in hours 2x a week for all special educators, one during and one outside the school day
We have a tutorial on using SEIS, this is also a video and a handout
We provide scheduling support
Collaborative observation - we go with the principal to see if people are where they need to be according to the schedule
PPL next Thursday - for high school, we are doing a clinic about master schedule and how the MST Board should be setup based on student needs; where is the autonomy and where is there a standard
OEA agreement says the schedule will be shared with principals (Article 21) ; we provide a google template. It is the teacher’s responsibility to create the schedule for the day for the support staff, which students, what times, which rooms.
21 hours can be challenging, once lunch, time to support staff, etc. is taken out, including doing IEPs
I know my staff is working all day, but I don’t know if it is totally 21 hours
There is currently a lot of variance across school sites, where there is too few hours in front of students
If someone is out, what is the expectation to reach the service minutes?
Depends on what happens:
Another certificated person is available - like a sub, they can provide specialized instruction for 30 days
No certificated is available - no one does pullout that day, or the Para might shift schedule for the day; we would owe compensatory ed for that, but in this case, did it impact the student’s access to FAPE? If this was for 1-2 days, then this likely would not impact progress. If there is a habitual absence, like 1x week, and there’s no sub, then we would have a liability; principals have been good to let us know early, so we can message parents and we can offer compensatory ed for that time
Long term leave, like for medical issues - could have a sub cover for 20 school days at a time; if this happens for multiple months, and students are regressing, or we don't’ have a teacher to do progress reports, then we would offer comp ed.
Classified staff absences:
Self contained program: special ed teacher is still providing specialized instruction, even if it is really hard and not enough support for the teacher; there is not federal/state law around amount of staffing
Resource: if the teacher can’t cover the minute and needs the para to cover minutes - a few days is fine; if it is a consistent absence, the team needs to know to work on progressive discipline and will send temp staff out.
Progressive discipline - work hours has been the easiest to move forward, so let the team know if it is an issue
Department Redesign
Budget cuts will lead to a redesign of the Special Education department (among others) - a structure will be created to solicit principal feedback about the structure moving forward, but services will be expected to reduce
This year we moved away from the model of having 1 TSA do everything for each network; we moved to specialists of program type; hard to get expert in 6 different curricula and needs of K to 5 in all the different disability modalities; teachers were not getting enough deep, relevant coaching to their work. For example, MM TSAs were coaching teachers on MM, but didn’t have the SDC background for coaching support there.
We were being responsive to teachers, but were not as responsive to principals, so now we have 4 TSAs coming to some sites, instead of 1. This has been very confusing for principals to coordinate.
We have changed the structure 6 times in 9 years, we just need to know how many staff we will have, and then working with principals.
Depending on how many FTE we lose, that will determine the new structure.
Team has already talked with Net Sups about pushing into PPL to get principal feedback.
Hiring/Sub coverage
It is really awful to have a vacancy for students with severe needs, but OUSD has been much more successful in hiring staff than all the other Alameda districts. We have the highest fill rates for para positions across the county.
Compared to 3 years ago, we have cut the vacancies by half; 3 years ago we had 100 vacancies, now we have 50, which is still too many
We have made serious gains in how we think about Para
As cost of living has increased, we see retention rate decline; they get $22k per year for full time work
We are seeing more paras moving into other district positions, but we are in a constant state of hiring
We have to offer our own testing services to allow HS graduates to qualify for Paras - this was a huge barrier; we now offer the test, as many times they need to take it
Offer 2x month support at the library to apply in person online, write a resume, write a cover letter, etc. Otherwise the hiring process is all online, which can be a huge barrier
ISSs begin at $26k and end at the same place as Paras - they require bachelors degrees
CBEST requirement can now be met by coursework instead of exams
CBEST req went away for becoming subs
Sub salary is now set to $63k for new subs; so we see previous candidates who were ISSs qualify to become subs instead
We have been converting ISS positions to Paras, where we can, which allows for wider applicant pool, just HS degree
Educator Pathway Development
Working to get high school students and classified staff trained up into entry level classified and then credentialed positions
Support more early educators PK-3
Piloted very specific recruitment, advertising, events for special education vacancies, trying to do direct screening and hiring on behalf of principals
There are some sub paras, but there are very few
Given how low the pay is, this is also hard to recruit for. We do hire for this position.
Because we have so many para vacancies, the priority is hiring for that.
Working with labor team to improve classified salaries and classified sub wages
We can’t do per diem sub deployment with agency staff, but we did notify SEIU and AFSC that we will contract to fill for leaves
November
Para vacancies: We just had a hiring event for Paras - we have 30% fewer vacancies this year than last year. ISSs are very hard to find; with more stip subs, we see candidates go there.
Concerns about contracted staff: can we convene principals who are challenged by the contracted staff with Special Ed? This is an offering--if principals have concerns, we can convene together with PEC staff.
SDC placements: Take into consideration the physical layout of the school, play space for PK, bathroom accessibility. Asset management - visit school to ensure it is adequate for students
Concerns for new special ed classrooms: hearing about the staffing challenges, it makes newer principals to this work nervous.
How are PEC staff reprimanding when they are not doing the work? What support is there? OUSD and Contracted staff? PD for Para/ISS more visible - how can staff get PD?
How to make the Para positions more attractive? Can we centralize the pool of applicants? This narrower pool can be interviewed by principal
October
September
Talent
May
Feedback about principal mentorship program: appreciate the openness and flexibility of allowing mentors and mentees to focus on what they need in any given year. Would like a sophomore year option, if possible. OUSD is also starting their own Clear Credential Admin Coaching program next year. Share any feedback about the mentorship program to Maddie Noonan.
April
How to proceed with hiring? Talent Memo
February
Loss of STIP subs → loss of a teacher pipeline at school sites where the STIP has access to PD, ongoing student connections, etc. How can we ensure STIPS have more of a grounding at schools instead of just being deployed centrally to different sites each day?
Evaluation caseloads are high for principals - can this be shared with central office administrators?
Culture Keepers: can we get an org chart about who is who?
November
If there are additional trainings we need, please put these into PPL
Are these resources in Principal Central? Please make sure they are accessible--make the instructions accessible, ie for the hiring committee
What is the org chart? Can we get an updated one? Can it be a living document that gets updated?
Evaluation caseloads high for principals (esp Pre-k and SPED)
Can central coordinators support with evaluations since they are admin but don’t supervise/ evaluate?
Can we analyze positions at central to see what the impact is- esp new positions? Can the positions be looked at to see all the positions that are on payroll and are not working?
Can multi subject teachers be hired for extra prep? What are the credential expectation for arts funds? Can specialists have a multi-subject credential or only single subject? Can we get a refresh on bumping?
What is the soonest we can hire additional prep teachers?
October
How does group want to receive the answers? Will respond here and also send information
Separations - when do we know the PCN is vacant?
Employee fills out the separation form; we will see if we can add principals to the workflow.
What is the process for a separating employee?
If an employee tells the principal, they still need to fill out the form. Talent will share out the process.
Classified evaluations: Talent will share the timeline one-pager
Will find time for additional Recruit & Hire training.
This happens in the Personnel Committee Trainings
Will share back info about PK teacher evaluation & use of STIP for PK classrooms
Bill just passed extending sub coverage to 60 vs 30 days; Talent will share out more info from CTC.
September
We filled 927 vacancies this summer, but still have 266 vacancies (45 are teachers)
Sometimes people leave right after they are hired, which adds to the need
When we hire for TSAs, often this will create a teacher vacancy in the classroom
Late TSA vacancies are harder to hire for, because experienced teachers are all teaching, and we can’t place someone inexperienced there
With the addition of more STIPS, we have more new applicants go there instead of in the classroom teacher vacancy
This is also within the context of very challenging hiring across all districts - we are doing better or the same with teacher vacancies as compared to other districts
We start the school year earlier, so we have less time to hire for day 1
People are tied to contract until june 30, so we don’t get notices until July.
Onboarding: we have a lot of uncredentialed teachers we are hiring; this is longer because we have to apply for emergency credentials
All the Docusign processes are timestamped, so we can see how long is it really taking and what are the reasons behind the slowdowns.
Will reach out to the folks who dropped out of the process to ask what happened
Given the staffing shortages, what can we do that is innovative to help?
We can’t fill all the vacancies we have--more are created each day
What are the retention strategies that principals use to keep their staff?
Can we patch together some part-time jobs so we can more fully employ our staff?
Can we have kids in a classroom with classified staff and certificated person online? If we really had to?
Only want to support options that principals are ok with
We should figure out how to release the funds if those positions won’t be hired for; let’s free up that money for something else.
Maybe the TSA position, for example, is shared across 2-3 other people.
We have a number of high school students who do not have a full-time schedule, they can support, like Early Lit Tutors - can they be paid interns to do this work?
We did test this out last year
For Para sub placements, we could use teacher subs, but they have to be paid as a Para--reach out to the Special Ed director to ask about this option
Can network-wide staff have access to the list of STIPS covering classroom vacancies? Tara will check.
Do principals know they have to put in STIP in Frontline for vacancy coverage? Is this for every absence?
The STIP has been aamzing for Glenview and Hoover, to reduce reliance on splitting classes; it’s a good option for emergency-credentialed people
Retention
How can we standardize support across schools, like 1 TSA, not more than 1 TSA
Schools do not want to compete across each other to hire from each other
What does a complete team look like?
In a situation where a school CAN purchase additional positions, do we prevent them from doing so?
Deliverables: for example, in the GFR Village Response plan, there are many positions listed, but not all schools have these positions. How can we ensure that there is base staffing across schools, there aren’t extra positions at every school.
PARA/ISS - can we hire without BA?
Tara will connect with Jenn B; some student needs require Para, not ISS.
Safety
May
Update on the rollout of cameras in schools under the bond measure, with high schools already having cameras installed and plans to equip middle and elementary schools starting over the summer. Ana raised concerns about camera placement flexibility, which Sailaja confirmed can be changed during the updates.
Dexter discussed the progress of safety assessments at school sites, with half of the schools already completed and the remaining 50 planned for the fall. The city has worked hard to address issues with encampments and abandoned vehicles around schools and the reactivation of the Ed Partnership Committee.
We will be hiring a new leader to improve school safety and security systems, with the search for the ideal candidate still ongoing. They considered the potential for departmental realignment and the reorganization of roles to leverage expertise in addressing safety challenges. The team also discussed the new role's responsibilities, the importance of collaboration with existing staff, and the need to improve communication, particularly with area captains. Lastly, they explored potential partnerships, such as with Pac, to address vulnerabilities and improve relationships with schools and communities.
April
Unhoused man harrassing students and staff: This has been an issue in previous years as well
Temporary Restraining Orders can only be issued for specific sites, not for other sites; if it is violated, then he can be arrested
Unions can also file Temporary Restraining Orders on behalf of their members
Person was back at Frick yesterday; please communicate with Legal about each instance
We will share more information with administrators
Safety Transfers
concern about families and students who are safety issues at schools. We cannot issue a school initiated “safety transfer”. Middle school wants to know if there are possibilities for alternative schools or alternative programs for students who are not at all functioning at schools? The IEP Process isn’t always appropriate for students.
March
ECE suspension protocol
Legal will meet with principals on 4/18
Restraint and Discipline guidance for studentse with IEPs
Legal & SpEd will meet with principals in March
Culture Keeper: For vacancies, can we hire on our own or does this have to be central? We can hire for them from our communities. Can site principals hire?
Culture Keepers need to be hired centrally. However, if you have a candidate, please have them complete the application and then notify Jules Milstead. If the site and Jules agree that the candidate should be hired, then they can be placed at that site.
Safety: Need checklist for emergency protocol - template for messages to send out on PS
Will create template messages and share with principals (Vilma)
Visitor Management System - don’t want to force families to show IDs & need training for admin assts
Families will not need to show ID; vilma will share more info to principals at 3/7 mtg
At Early Childhood sites, we do not have front office staff to buzz in visitors from the main door; how can we solve this issue? Right now it buzzes into teacher classrooms, but they aren’t always there.
ECE suspension protocol: we will review with principals on 4/18 in ops session
Would like to get feedback about improving public safety with the city & safety leadership position with the district
We are creating a shared safety planning process across the city with schools
Shared messaging across the city; coordinated prevention and response; safe passage to school
Is it useful or strategic to pull together OUSD and charter leaders? Should we meet in person or survey?
Please loop back with principals to show what has done in response to their previous feedback and questions; we don’t have all our systems together enough to advise the city on their systems as well
Principals do not have enough time to sit on another panel, how can we build this work into existing spaces?
We are meeting regularly with ACC to advise about safety as well
OPD and Dept of Violence Prevention and Mayor’s Office, we are in regular communication about the needs at our schools
We want to make sure schools know who their area captains are - coordinating a walkthrough with them is helpful, so they know the site if there is an emergency
We need to improve communication back to principals about safety updates, which do go to the board every month; we can and should also send this info to principals
What do we need to prioritize for district safety position?
From the perspective of a principal, what are the 2-3 most important sets of knowledge, skills and mindsets/dispositions for a successful candidate in this role?
From the perspective of a principal, what are the 2-3 most important roles and responsibilities for this role?
As the role is defined, finalized and the recruitment and hiring process completed, what level and type of communication to principals, and to PAC would be helpful?
Is there anything else important to surface at this time?
Similar roles are in other districts like Philly, Boston, Milwaukee
Principals need more time to think about and provide additional feedback
Definitely need to have culturally responsive responses; everything varies so much by school site, grade level, location, layout, etc.
Strong people skills, holding hard conversations; asset based lens
Track record of moving big systems
Good at adult learning
February
Training on Crisis Go - March 7 in PPL
January
Focus is on crisis alert system - from phones or desktops
Can be used for drills like lockdown, earthquake
Will add the reunification feature soon
Everyone can login with their OUSD credentials
Individuals with multiple schools, like Net Sups, they can see all the schools
We can alert or panic button
Phone will announce panic alerts; desktops will also alert, but not if they are muted.
Vilma can provide a list to everyone registered at your school--you can add more managers who can send notifications to everyone
Any school can meet with Vilma on calendly
We want all schools to use it
Recommend managers just be folks on the safety team
Sailaja will schedule a PPL focused on the training of how to use Crisis Go
CDC: Can alerts be used in CG for CDC sites? So we don’t have to carry around the emergency phones - can we keep this with a teacher at the sites?
Next steps: schedule PPL, Vilma will look at usage data to see who still needs to download and will reach out to those principals for additional support
For CDCs on elementary sites: they should get the alerts, but Vilma is also checking to make sure they are getting them when there is an emergency alert and the updates.
If the school gets the notification that OPD is coming, they can also send that update to the school
Navigate360 purchased School Checkin
Visitors, volunteers, anyone can come in and print out labels
Each school had a really different system
This does require a computer at the front desk; not all schools have this and not all schools want to implement
Starting with just check-ins so any flags around custody, etc. gets raised
Works on an ipad but not a chromebook - ask tech exchange for older PCs for this
Our obstacle is that the office staff doesn’t know how to use it
Navigate 360 also provides training
Use the clerical mentors: Rosa Lidia Ayala at OIHS has used this system
We need to have the report of who had come to the campus
New volunteer requirements are a lot - does this also check Megan’s Law? This isn’t linked right now
The mindset shift is hard with new initiatives; make it clear when this will begin, like at the start of the year.
Do not leave it with the schools to figure it all out themselves, like where to find the computer.
People might be scared to scan their drivers license - not everyone has IDs
If we could standardize staff and student IDs, that would be amazing
This can be one stop shop, all students, staff, visitors, etc. sign in.
What are the budget implications?
We’re not always around when installations happen--we’d like to have a conversation about where the machines should go - please ensure installation of the computers happens with a principal and/or admin on site.
November
Israel/Gaza: Are there neutral parties who can facilitate something with Israel/Palestine? Even if it is not a district-facilitated conversation? OEA resolution has created some divisiveness. This is something that other districts are leaning into, as we have families leave our district. Please reach out to Kilian and Preston if you see families leaving.
Safety - we did not know there was a secure school from CDC administrator perspective; how can we know? How does it get into Crisis Go? Are these put in there? Lincoln is the example. Bella Vista also didn’t go out. Sailaja will follow up with Vilma. Network Sups should be communicating out. What is the timeline to download and get training on Crisis Go? Ensure offices located at schools are also notified.
Wondering about culture keepers- what do they do and when/ how do we call on them?
They are allocated to primarily secondary sites during budget development and work directly at their campus. If you need support for an unsafe situation at your site, you can call the emergency line at 510-874-7777
October
App that allows for communication during a safety crisis - can install as an app on the phone or Software Center on your computer. Alert system to communicate to staff and central about drills, emergencies, concerns.
Reach out to Vilma.Bermudez@ousd.org with questions
Office Hours are available.
Why is this optional? Shouldn’t it be mandatory?
Not all staff have a cell phone stipend
With this on the software center, you can use it on your computer
This will become required
Need to address mindset shifts when we bring something new - encourage testimonials with the shift of thinking, safety as the forefront.
OAL
November
OAL: Secondary - can we flip the JV/V games? This needs to go to the UAL Policy Committee--this meeting hasn’t been happening because we don’t have principals/quorum.
Recommend having the OAL policy committee meeting in HSN time - Franky is working with Vanessa about this
Technology
September
AI Models - we need to create guidance. Please reach out to Susan Beltz if you would like to be on the working group
Fiscal
April
Be sure $ is in the right object code to prepare for travel
We are working through the cycle time with the agency
Working with 2 different agencies around credit card options for principals; this isn’t just for travel, but for all things that we can’t pay for with checks/requisitions
We will also provide a summary of what we are seeing in our annual processes--in many instances the travel is cyclical, ie same conference every year
OEA Article 22 ECE - class size ratios for inclusion is a sticking point - financially, we need to stay with current caseloads/class sizes; this is also an issue that will result in additional staffing challenges
March
Position Control:
With budget development - if a position is added because we will have a new class, etc. do we have to go through the position control process?
No, positions will be created through budget development without additional work - if a position is in the one pager, we will add/adjust positions as needed
It is more strategic to do the position changes as a part of budget development, so we don’t have constant change requests
This is partially why we start budget development so much earlier, so we can plan in the fall and set the budget in the spring
How can we hire if we don’t have the new PCN posted? This might be a new teacher position or a new aide? We don’t have a PCN or a posting we can refer folks to
Trustee request was that we did not post anything until the board passed a budget - compromise was posting once the PCN exists. There is still a lag between PCN creation and posting.
We post Pools instead because we don’t have specific PCNs
Come back with: how do we manage postings before we have specific PCNs if we know these are new positions, so we can help principals hire earlier? Specifically to help a specific site hire, not just from a pool.
If a position already exists and we need to increase FTE, does this need Board approval? - Yes - ratified if there is adequate budget; separately, the board must also ratify any new funding resources
Issue this year took from September until January
If a new grant is coming - how does the Fiscal team know to expect the grant or where to apply it? Was this included in budget development? The more we know up front during budget development season, we can be proactive in preparing for how the funds should be used.
Board approved budget/grant in August - was hoping that the FTE could be changed within 2 months. Bring the accounting team into the process in the planning process, before the grant is accepted.
Let your accountant know if you are applying for new grants or will be receiving new funds and what it will be used for
We do need to make sure Talent has approved the FTE increase before they work the additional time.
Follow up offline: what happened with the delay with this position and how can we move forward with supporting schools with new position requests/new funds
When a principal starts the process, the amount of money needs to be fully expended, but if it takes multiple months, how can they recoup the funds for the amount of time taken to hire/post?
Depends on timeline of posting/hiring, as well as the specific resource. For site allocations, we don’t sweep the savings during the year, the savings are available at the school site.
Escape only encumbers actual salary and benefits cost for the remainder of the year; any remaining funds can be moved with the accountants
At each interim, we move any residuals to balance accounts
We do not have the staffing to make all the adjustments needed, as often as they are requested, given the large number of sites and resources.
Escape has a workflow/approval process, makes it easy to see. How do we know what is the workflow and where the status is during the overall process?
There isn’t currently a way to show this with the current system - last year, we lost our position control person mid-year, and we filled in with existing staff. We did fill the position this fall.
This year we had 270 position change requests
We are starting to look at the cycle time from form submission to approval email - communication via email can be hard to track; trying to make it more efficient.
Reimbursement Process
Some principals are booking with Linden Travel
Not working with every school site or department
Old travel agency closed their business
One option moving forward is bringing district credit cards online - after July 1, currently working with the dept of general services
If we plan ahead, we can set up POs for hotels, conferences, airlines
How can we hold schools accountable for paying their own debts?
Right now, many high schools are paying out of pocket for Linked Learning conference
LGD to follow up with high school network, Vanessa
There was previously a limit to the amount of monthly reimbursement - this is an OUSD policy created to reduce the surprises in the amount of reimbursements at the end of the year
We want to be proactive with principals to make sure they understand this information
February
Travel reimbursements take TOO long for principals → what is the update on using district credit cards? This will be a topic for March. This is preventing access to professional development
November
PCNs - this process is slow. Please reach out to james.gouthier@ousd.org if it seems like there is something particularly slow
Can fiscal do all the budget transfers for 1120 or stipend for teachers. We do one transfer & the benefits piece is taken care of.
HRAs - can we show we have the money for position and can be verified, can fiscal create the PCN and post the position.
Per county/state direction, we must follow the new position control process.
GP Discretionary? It’s so low. [see memo from Ty/LGD 11/15 - GP Discretionary per pupil is the same this year as last]
Budget Prop 28: can we send info? Will principals have choice about how to spend this money?
October
Staffing Allocations
For small schools, alt schools: the same formula may not apply; we start at a deficit to just offer A-G classes.
Small schools cost more: we need more staff; APs are an example of a position that may be needed even at small schools.
Take into consideration workload and deliverables across the staff needed to deliver
Safety of students, supervision across a giant campus for many students and multiple areas on a campus for lunch/recess.
This time gets covered by more expensive staff, like STIP, AP, etc.
How to create some buffer for when there are absences with one noon sup, etc.
All schools really need a TSA to retain high-quality staff and provide professional development
Use a formula to show what the BASE staffing looks like, including a principal, AP, TSA, etc.
Need to make sure teachers have a prep each day - secondary and elementary;
Advocate for CSM at al schools also - fewer staff at small schools to do all the work, to cover for absences, etc.
How do we sustain these positions in the base? If they are grant funded, they are not stable
This has been transformative for principals who did not previously have one.
Reduction in supplementary dollars to schools
we use Supplemental funds to buy Noon Supervisors and other positions. If we get less then how do we make sure we are staffed adequately for supervision across the campus.
Kinder: TK has a tutor, but we also need tutors
If we look at which K classes have tutors, we have data that shows that students are improving when we’ve maxed out class sizes
Cannot tell principals to use a staff member, like a CSM or Culture Keeper, to do work when not every school has that position.
How can we support these movements with the funds that are available? Right now, that is not the base, which is shrinking. We have to reduce some investments in order to increase these base investments across the board.
What are the tradeoffs?
What are the thoughts about getting $$ in supplemental vs an FTE, which is preferable?
Different site leaders will have different opinions about this
Bigger schools will want $$ and smaller schools will want base staffing
How can we have thought partners in making budget decisions?
1st and 2nd year principals need quality consultations
We will start reflection on last year’s budget decisions in November
We need to prepare some time for anticipatory thinking and planning, particularly for new principals
Can we hire some consultants who can advise us on how to maximize our budgets?
What does this look like at a small school, alt ed, etc. setting?
We do have Oakland-specific Board resolutions, funding regulations, etc. that complicate how we distribute funding and staffing, which can make it hard to change
How do we move forward as a unified school district - ensuring we have consistency across our school sites
Next steps: will provide space in PPL in November for principals to think about their investments and choices made for SY23-24 to anticipate any changes needed for SY24-25;
Position Control
Different platforms/systems - some principals don’t know about this at all until I had to use it.
New principal/New Finance person means that the process took even longer
This takes a lot of time, it is hard as a principal to wait for the budget moves or PCN creation to happen
Don’t feel like everyone is working 100% - long list of approvals, but also work ethic, not feeling fully supported by all central staff
Example: can someone take the tree out of the gutter? Lots of shifting of responsibility, passing of the buck, the site leader then has to hold it and take it to the finish line.
Need protected PPL time to spend time on all these issues that are constantly coming up operationally
Create more work time
This process was an ask from the county as a way to manage the closing of the year and the opening of the year with a large OEA cost increase, to ensure we aren’t overspending
September
Position control process was restarted - we have to slow down and show affordability
We did have a Public Works report to recommend district restructuring
One of the eliminations was to eliminate the ED for Early Learning
Some of the eliminations we will not be taking; we do plan on having an interim ED Early Learning
Will need to figure out how to provide more support with partnerships and Measure AA for Early Learning
State Trustee would not allow new positions unless we have the new process because of new $$ for compensation and because Board rescinded the school closures--the budget is not balanced in the MYP
This impacts schools feeling the cuts in central office, less support.
We have a lot of one-time funds, but they are ending in the next 1-3 years.
We have to prioritize staffing across the system
Need to ensure core positions like classroom teachers, sped, custodial over more specialized positions like TSAs
How do we support individual sites but also address system-wide issues?
Can we include this group to advise where the central cuts happen, to advise around how the pain will be felt when cuts are made?
How Talent/Fiscal will prioritize their time when there are different needs across the system, ie hiring all the paras before TSAs, etc.
Will bring central office adjustment recommendations here closer to November
Community Schools & Universal Extended Day
May
Working on implementation of a research-based framework for Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) in schools, emphasizing the importance of a positive school culture and strong integration of academic and cost systems in community schools. Heather also announced several new initiatives and the need for improved alignment and support within the team. The discussion concluded with Ana expressing concerns about the need for training for all staff, including support staff, and the importance of language consistency across schools. Heather acknowledged these points and committed to addressing them with her team
April
MTSS Program
Want to support the staff who help around SEL work, like harassment, bullying - need this training for staff; uniformity and alignment around how to do a safety plan, behavior plan, etc.
How do we ensure we have consistent standards for communication across schools and COST teams around this info; for example, what’s the training for case managers to align systems and structures
October
MTSS: how can we show up to support fellow adults in the district? - Sailaja will follow up with Heather to share guidance
SPED Contractors - how to ensure continuity of information?
Make sure SST notes and interventions are documented for all contractors
Aligning schools to capture interventions
Many schools have different forms/systems for SSTs and other teams
Can MTSS folks support how we capture intervention information so other schools can access?
September
Are all the elementary schools doing this? What is the quality control?
Not sure if this is sustainable in the long-run
Worried about different levels of quality across school sites
Would be more efficient to have principals + after school coordinators to be at the same meeting at the same time to get the same information
Lots of time spent on the paperwork, registration, etc. on all this stuff
Confusion about what it should look like and how it should be done. It is being done differently at all the schools. Is there a “right” way? Even at one school, different teachers are doing it differently.
Session was helpful, but some principals are still overwhelmed, they couldn’t share out
What are we getting out of this 30 minutes one day a week? Who is this benefitting and how do we measure progress?
Teacher discretion is great, but then how do we know if students are getting what they need?
What are conversations with the union? We also need to talk to them about quality control, is this something worth the cost and effort?
ECE issues: I manage three preschool sites. Two of my sites have a School Age Program that serves as an afterschool program for their neighboring elementary schools. One site has 100% of their kids in UED. The other site has 2 out of 26 kids in UED. The one with 2 students has wreaked havoc on us because it requires us to be out of licensing compliance because we have to pick up two sets of kids and two different times. As a former elementary principal, it feels great to know that the school with 100% is providing something (whatever the quality may be at this time) for our most vulnerable learners.
We will be measuring effectiveness: will be doing a specific evaluation about UED. We have to do evaluations of all after school programs. We are required to report to CDE, we want to make sure the investment is having an impact. We will also try to do a training for the whole teams to be together.
Share the evaluation tool/rubric to share with principles early.
Next steps: UED Team can share previous evaluations and rubric for this year.
Facilities
April
Ed Specs/Asset Management
We have a facilities bond and there is a lot of work happening at school sites around things like Living Schoolyards, window replacements, safety investments, door entry systems, etc.
Planning needs to happen multiple years in advance about what the priorities are
Conversations here, which get built into the ed specs, drive future designs for school upgrades/renovations
New design features, like single restrooms, science labs, etc. these are design features we put into the Ed Specs, which then tell us what new projects should include
We work with our partners and internally in Facilities to develop these Ed Specs
Ed Specs are the ingredients for school design to translate curricular intent into spatial requirements; helps Facilities communicate to architects, principals, and community members
Ed Specs are aspirational - not just about the status quo, but it’s about where schools should be with new renovations
Grouped by age levels, show the space use/activities, space requirements, infrastructure and furnishing required
The specific spaces at the school will change what is actually needed and which capital projects happen
Ed Spec planning team has worked with collaborator groups, advisory team, OUSD board, and a steering committee
Space transformation - addressing the evolving needs of education
What are the top 3 facility requirements from a principal perspective that we should integrate into upcoming building designs?
Safety is coming up as an important theme
Minneapolis redesigned their schools to have an atrium/foyer at each entrance, where their attendance clerk sits
Could also just be a window, doesn’t have to be a whole room
Easy ways to get in and out of spaces; pickup/dropoff
How can we get students in and out easily, particularly if there is an emergency--how do we manage all the keys access for different entry points
Why do we still have physical keys, can we just do key card entries
For schools that are located in high traffic area, dropoff can be scary
When we lock many gates, and there is a bolt lock, that is an issue when we need to get off campus, this creates other safety issues
Pullout spaces also another issue that has come up in many sessions
This is important for things like testing, pullout support, IEPs, etc. we don’t always have small office spaces for people to work
Visibility of students - need to be able to see all students to supervise, particularly in flexible spaces
Cultural interior design: build the assets of our students’ cultural identities, like murals, the furniture we choose; when we are in someone’s home, we can pick up on an identity, how do we create that for our students and families; also thinking about our kids and youth culture
What are the top spaces where you need increased flexibility and why?
Cafeteria/MPR
No more MPR -please set up two different spaces, when the weather isn’t nice, it’s hard to share and break it down to change for a different purpose
Separate room for parent meetings, not connected to other rooms, so they don’t have to walk through the school, so they don’t interrupt instruction
After school programs should have a space where they can store their stuff
If we have a parent workshop, we need a dedicated space for that, and also a childcare room for babysitting
What’s the need around flexibility for arts and music programming? Some schools have a separate classroom/portable, but some need to use the stage
Need a sink in art classrooms
HS Biology classrooms need a sink
We are using industry standards and research to inform this document, not just user feedback, but want to make sure we are not missing anything
Libraries: is that a space that can be used for these flexible purposes?
HS Linked Learning academies may have specific needs like if they have an Engineering Academy; how are these spaces flexible based on the program
Some spaces lend themselves to more flexibility than others; these school facilities will have to outlast the cycles of funding/staffing, like when we have librarians, we will want different things in our library space, vs. when there is no librarian
How do you integrate school values and identity into spaces?
When we want to offer a space seen by all, we want it to be very visible; it’s been hard to fund to buy all the flags that represent our students in our entry ways
Murals in our entry way, have all the different languages saying Welcome
College pennants
Teacher work room - represent students and school culture and values; teacher backgrounds don’t always match student backgrounds, so that should be present, centering students
Students First is something that has come up in our meetings
Oakland Unified - as schools get designed, is there a way to make all the schools unified in one of these places, like the main office or the entry way
Architectural design that reflects inclusivity, diversity, how can we feel it in our architecture
Color Corps and the work at Hoover really models this
We have been getting donations to have huge photos of our students in large frames. But it takes $
We think about teacher work rooms as a refuge for adults. Comfy, welcoming, clean.
Can we get something to take back to PAC to ask them for feedback?
Final draft will go for Facilities Committee review and then to board for adoption; will update every few years
November
Cameras update - most high schools are complete or underway. Then will begin on MIddle schools. Kyle has been very responsive. Door Entry systems are also getting updated - some principals have the cameras, but not Milestone to ensure they can see it. We need training for culture keepers and equipment for them to see Milestone. Best practice of using cameras is proactively, making sure students and staff are where they need to be--this shouldn’t sit on principals' plates.
Facilities update: Our facilities have been neglected for a very long time. We have the needs cataloged in the 2020 Facilities Master Plan. We need an elementary and a secondary principal to help us establish Ed Specs; these standards translate curricular/programmatic intent to spatial requirements. Preston will ask about compensation/stipend. Can we get Emiliano and students in design academies involved in this work? Can the student interns get paid? Can we also share what is happening nationally and internationally?
Can we think bigger about how we do school? Facilities, scheduling, etc.
B&G processes: If there is a Facility emergency, call the Customer Service/Work Order line and text Net Sup (can also text Preston). 510-535-2718. Identify a staff person who can put in work orders--office staff, head custodian, AP, this shouldn’t just be the principal. Most ECE principals + Hoover principal does not have access--we will get this fixed. Most work orders are getting responses, but it depends on the trade. How can we see all the orders at my site? Sailaja will add a how-to to the B&G guide. Retraining the B&G staff also - please ask principals to put in work orders and please close tickets after the issues are resolved.
Some options:
Principal takes a picture and sends info to Admin Asst. Not all custodians know how to use it.
Head custodian puts in School Dude
Custodian will call the Work Order number.
Provide multiple venues for people to report--ask staff to put in issues in a spreadsheet; weekly check in with admin asst about what work orders need. All info goes to Admin Asst to put in the tickets.
Google Form for one person in the network, and they put in the information to School Dude.
Responsiveness varies by shop; Painting is not urgent in some cases, but very quick when it is graffiti.
B&G responses - not every shop has full staff, ie we only have 2 glaziers for window repairs in the entire district. Safety issues will be addressed quickly, but then the fix may be there for a long time (ie boarded up window vs repaired window). The manager for each trade prioritizes each request, 6am daily.
We are working to create a compilation of B&G needs, ie when was the last time the school was painted. What is the process for requesting things, like murals on campus? We are starting with an assessment of each campus to determine where the next projects go; historically this was just held at each campus. Please advocate for the B&G team to make sure they are safe. Theft has been a huge issue overnight and on the weekends at the High St facilities.
Boilers are being turned on for heat right now at all schools.
Deferred Maintenance should be funded at least at 3% of our total expenses--this all stopped in the financial crisis in 2017. Board voted to increase funding in 2020, but they never fulfilled the funding. It is now at $3m a year and there is a $3B need. Our median facility is 75 years old
Facility rental - a lot is happening on the campuses after school. How do we ensure there is more security/cleanliness after & during these events? We need to also look at limiting rentals if certain groups are not treating our facilities well during rental events. State is also looking at tech that is more advanced than metal detectors.
October
Furniture & blinds - how do we get replacement?
On Blinds: We are getting a quote for the board for districtwide blind replacements across all schools as a safety investment. They are working on that now. Historically this has been a budgeting that was part of RBB and it has not been funded in the B and G budget. We should be able to report out at next meeting.
Facilities and Safety - have a Principal Oversight Committee to help with the planning
Not being able to get support when there is an emergency - 911 doesn’t respond
We are also lifting up to the mayor about 911 responsiveness
Sondra is arranging a visit with the area officers and network sups, she will arrange for more contacts with principals and the area officers
September
Door Entry systems: 56 schools complete; started with schools with high levels of crime activity in the neighborhood. This has a camera and buzzer at the front; phone has a video at the front desk.
Would like to give our communities a timeline for when the project will be done
Everything should be done by the end of the school year
ELOP funding is also supporting additional phones for after school program to let people in
We do need to train more people to ask questions and direct visitors to the office.
Would like to standardize how walking in the front door and what that looks like; how do we train culture keepers around safe entry; safe corners.
Can we create clear signage/path to main office with B&G support?
Safer Schools Solutions did walkthroughs and is creating a recommendation for standardized practices across the district
PPLs can we have a standardized place around safety
Cameras: training offered to all principals and APS
Let us know if more training is needed
Macs were a big barrier in accessing the Milestone software
Can we use PPL for Milestone training?
How/when would Culture Keepers learn how to use this? They don’t have computers. Takes principal time to look up the camera information.
Lockdown: some schools have blinds, others do not
Schools have been asked to pay for this, but it is expensive
We also need radios that work, we can’t just use our cell phones for this
Especially shared campuses need to have quick communication
What are the support structures if a campus is having a hard time? With staff, with parents; is there a keyword that can trigger an additional check-in, like a threatening shooting.
What is the MTSS support I should expect when we’re having a hard time? Would like a check in to see if we are doing ok.
What do principals want? How can we make sure that communities and/or principals feel supported?
Would like to address more of the SEL support of adults at our sites
Best thing to do is train staff on situational awareness, how to be ready at any point to respond.
Moyra visited every K-12 school in the last 2 weeks and every school except one had a buzzer. That is progress!
PPL
May
Providing work time for taking year-end surveys on 5/16.
November
So many trackers! Lots of things to fill out - how can we reduce the redundancy of what we need to fill out? School Site plan - needs assessment was similar to the reflection sheet. Everything that we’re currently doing to look at current investments with SSC, can we just put that information in.
Yes, the reflection sheet is not mandatory--it can be used with the SSC and to prep for the SPSA.
October
PPL - we have many operational platforms, how can we get training on them?
Question in the feedback form to get input from about desired sessions
Sailaja will set up a Operations Office Hours
October 19 setup as work time with optional drop-in support with central office
PK/ECE
February
ECE would like follow up about the PK suspension protocol for students from Legal. ECE leaders made a proposal based on the licensing guidelines; this is coming up in OEA negotiations, for article 22. We have been sending them home, but we shouldn’t be doing that.
New executive director for Early Childhood - when is this happening?
October
PK classrooms on the campus
Is the elementary school principal responsible for that program or is there another principal? We have to help find coverage, de-escalate parents, etc.
PK and TK-5 principals need support in knowing who is supporting/owning these programs, particularly ones that are on elementary campuses. Will provide more direction to these sites from Sondra. Can gather all co-located programs to provide information directly to them.
What are the shared responsibilities and what belongs to ECE?
Are PK SDC different than PK Gen Ed?
PK Special Ed is not regulated by CCLD, there is a different governing board
Can contact theresa.lozach@ousd.org for support
Nutrition Services
February
Breakfast in the Classroom - not happy, no hot options, no napkins. We do not have paper towels in the classrooms. (same issue as before)
November
Breakfast in Classroom: Why no longer hot options? We don’t get paper towels anymore. How are we supposed to clean up?
Communications
February
Truancy letters: they are signed by principals; can we see them before they go out?
November
Can we streamline central staff communication so we are not getting several communications about the same topic?
Truancy letters- why are they signed by principals? Can we reword them or can they not be signed?
The letters need to come from an identified person in the district. Parents need to be able to contact someone about their child's attendance if they have questions. A central person can't answer specific questions about a students attendance if a parent has questions. The site is also the one who verified that a student was absent or not. I am open to suggestions though.
What does PBIS as a district look like - what is our efficiency and effectiveness campaign? Try to improve all our systems and processes.
UAOS
September
How do we differentiate between Large School Principals and Small School Principals? How can we ensure everyone is on the correct placement?
Cell phone stipend not yet resolved for some principals in N3 and N4
Small vs. large school salaries (UAOS)
Can PAC reps be stipended for their time? (UAOS)