Escuela Avancemos! Academy
Minutes
Escuela Avancemos Special Board Meeting (Virtual)
Date and Time
Monday June 21, 2021 at 6:30 PM
Location
Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89432833321
Meeting ID: 894 3283 3321
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,89432833321# US (San Jose) +12532158782,,89432833321# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 894 3283 3321
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdleYu1YUJ
Meeting ID: 894 3283 3321
One tap mobile
+16699009128,,89432833321# US (San Jose) +12532158782,,89432833321# US (Tacoma)
Dial by your location +1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) +1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma) +1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) +1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) +1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) +1 646 558 8656 US (New York) Meeting ID: 894 3283 3321
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kdleYu1YUJ
MISSION STATEMENT: Prepare, educate, and inspire every child, every day to be lifelong leaders and learners in our 21st-century world.
Directors Present
C. Stamatin (remote), L. Chittum (remote), M. Gonzalez (remote)
Directors Absent
A. Bordeianu, M. Barbour
Guests Present
A. Ulloa (remote), Breenah Grace Donahue (remote), Dahime Gordon (remote), J. Joubert (remote), L. Coggins (remote), L. McClintic (remote), Michelle Hadous (remote), S. Johnson (remote), S. Yassine (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
C. Stamatin called a meeting of the board of directors of Escuela Avancemos! Academy to order on Monday Jun 21, 2021 at 6:40 PM.
II. Approval of Agenda
A.
Approval of Agenda
L. Chittum made a motion to approve June 21, 2021 board meeting agenda.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
III. Consent Agenda Item
A.
Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes
M. Gonzalez made a motion to approve the minutes from Escuela Avancemos Regular Board Meeting (Virtual) on 05-18-21.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
IV. New Business
A.
Monthly Extended COVID-19 Learning Plans (“ECLP”) Actions Resolution. Any public comment on the Extended COVID Learning Report?
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to approve the Monthly Extended COVID-19 Learning Plan ("ECLP") as previously presented to the Academy's board.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
B.
Election of Officers
M. Gonzalez made a motion to "postpone" the Election of Officers" until August 24, 2021 board meeting.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
C.
Approval of Board Corresponding Agent
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to appoint Shan'Ta Johnson as the Board Corresponding Agent.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
D.
Approval of McKinney-Vento Homeless Children and Youth Liaison
M. Gonzalez made a motion to made a motion to appoint the School Social Worker as the Homeless Children and Youth Liaison.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
E.
Approval of Chief Administrative Officer Designation
M. Gonzalez made a motion to made a motion to approve the Board Treasurer Linda Chittum as the Chief Administrative Officer.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
F.
Approval of Title IX Representative
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to appoint Stephanie Yassine as the academy's Title IX Representative.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
G.
Approval of Designation of Legal Counsel
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to appoint Dickinson Wright PLLC to represent the academy in all ongoing business matters.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
H.
Approval of Freedom of Information Act Representative
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to appoint Shan'Ta Johnson as the Freedom of Information Act Representative.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
I.
Approval of the Office of Civil Rights Representative
M. Gonzalez made a motion to made a motion to appoint Stephanie Yassine as the academy's Civil Rights Representative.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
J.
Approval of School Safety Liaison
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to appoint Ana Ulloa as the School Safety Commission Liaison.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
K.
Annual Calendar of Regularly Scheduled Meetings
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to approve the 2021-2022 Annual Calendar of Regularly Scheduled Meetings.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L.
School Calendar/School Day Schedule
M. Gonzalez made a motion to made a motion to approve the 2021-2022 Academic Calendar.
L. Chittum seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M.
Approval of the 2020-2021 Amended Budget
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to approve the 2020-2021 Amended Budget.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
N.
Approval of the 2021-2022 Projected Operating Budget
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to approve the 2021-2022 Projected Budget.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
O.
Escuela Avancemos! Contract Amendment No. 7
L. Chittum made a motion to made a motion to approve the Escuela Avancemos! Charter Contact Amendment No.7 to add grade eight and update the Academy Educational Goal and Related Measures into the Contract.
M. Gonzalez seconded the motion.
Ana Ulloa inquired if the academy could enroll more than the contract max enrollment. Jennifer Joubert, a contract amendment for increasing enrollment can be requested once the modular unit is installed. Stephanie Yassine, once the academy reaches the contract max enrollment additional enrollees will be placed on a waiting list.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
Roll Call | |
---|---|
M. Barbour |
Absent
|
M. Gonzalez |
Aye
|
C. Stamatin |
Aye
|
A. Bordeianu |
Absent
|
L. Chittum |
Aye
|
V. Reports
A.
21st Century Community Learning Centers Monthly Report
B.
Charter Schools Program Grant Monthly Report
Dr. Lorilyn Coggins presented to the Board of Directors an overview of the Charter School Program Grant data this is required to be presented monthly at each board meeting.
C.
May Financials
May 2020 financial reports were presented by Dr. Lorilyn Coggins highlighting cash on hand, year-to-date revenues, year-to-date expenditures, and the current fund balance in a summarized format. The financials are in order.
D.
Sanga Monthly Management Report
The Sanga Monthly Management Report was presented by Lyndsey McClintic, Ana Ulloa, and Stephanie Yassine. Lyndsey McClintic, Instructional Leader shared the NWEA End of Year (EOY) academic growth. According to the NWEA Growth Data, the academy did not meet the growth goals set with Central Michigan University this year across all grade levels. "The median growth percentiles reflecting fall-to-winter and fall-to-spring scaled score growth in grades Kindergarten to 7 on reading and math NWEA growth tests will be at or higher than 50." Comparison data for iReady platform that was introduced to the academy this school year results show that students overall did make progress. Though it is important to note that the USED, MDE, and CMU have all supported the waiving of state/benchmark assessment data for accountability purposes, it is equally important to note that, while there may be some unreliability in the administration of these tests, they are not vastly different from pre-COVID numbers. There have been some places of gain, places of loss, and many students who have been historically and currently remained below grade level.
Ana Ulloa, Sanga Management CEO responded to the presented results. Management has begun the necessary strategic planning for strengthening the student's skills that are needed for them to get back on target. For the 2021-22 school year, the academy will have two Instructional Leaders for K-3 and 4-8. An Instructional Leader has been hired to fill this position. Steven Ovares is a native of Southwest Detroit and has led the iReady initiative in Orange County Florida and is very well-rounded with working with ESL students. Ms. McClintic and Mr. Ovares will compliment each other, and are very hopeful of the academic progress that will be made in the upcoming school year. Ms. Ulloa is looking forward to in-person learning. Many parents have expressed their tiredness with remote learning and testing. Learning Labs will be offered this summer for students to continue using the iReady platform as an extra push to strengthen skills. In addition, another after-school program will be offered through the Detroit's Children Fund grant. More parenting workshops will be hosted to provide support. Madam President Cristina Stamatin stated that this is great to have a new leader added to the team; but the board needs to see the plan of action. Madam Treasurer Linda Chittum inquired about the ETA for the newly hired Instructional Leader to transition to Michigan. Mr. Ovares will be onboarding in early August. Ana Ulloa expressed to the Board of Directors that management is not promising miracles but is hopeful of the impact this plan will make. Stephanie Yassine is hopeful that this support will allow the academy to grow and departmentalized middle school. With the increased salaries of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, it has been challenging to hire qualified teachers for middle school who would be interested in self-contained positions. As the leadership team further analyzes this data, along with additional internal data, summer programming, and strategic planning are already focusing on the following priority areas to quickly address the loss in learning this year: additional access to instructional support this summer for students; WIN Blocks embedded into the daily schedule; targeted instruction focusing on 1st-3rd grade reading skills; differentiated Literacy Instruction; focus on mastering strategies for EL learners; academic Opportunity and Learning Environment. Imagine Learning and Tune into Reading training with planned implementation during the AM academic portion of the summer programming will be monitored and assessed for effectiveness with potential for before school/after school/pull-out sessions in the fall.
Ana Ulloa expressed the importance of knowing who the academy is serving and meet them where there are as a community school.
Ana Ulloa, Sanga Management CEO responded to the presented results. Management has begun the necessary strategic planning for strengthening the student's skills that are needed for them to get back on target. For the 2021-22 school year, the academy will have two Instructional Leaders for K-3 and 4-8. An Instructional Leader has been hired to fill this position. Steven Ovares is a native of Southwest Detroit and has led the iReady initiative in Orange County Florida and is very well-rounded with working with ESL students. Ms. McClintic and Mr. Ovares will compliment each other, and are very hopeful of the academic progress that will be made in the upcoming school year. Ms. Ulloa is looking forward to in-person learning. Many parents have expressed their tiredness with remote learning and testing. Learning Labs will be offered this summer for students to continue using the iReady platform as an extra push to strengthen skills. In addition, another after-school program will be offered through the Detroit's Children Fund grant. More parenting workshops will be hosted to provide support. Madam President Cristina Stamatin stated that this is great to have a new leader added to the team; but the board needs to see the plan of action. Madam Treasurer Linda Chittum inquired about the ETA for the newly hired Instructional Leader to transition to Michigan. Mr. Ovares will be onboarding in early August. Ana Ulloa expressed to the Board of Directors that management is not promising miracles but is hopeful of the impact this plan will make. Stephanie Yassine is hopeful that this support will allow the academy to grow and departmentalized middle school. With the increased salaries of the Detroit Public Schools Community District, it has been challenging to hire qualified teachers for middle school who would be interested in self-contained positions. As the leadership team further analyzes this data, along with additional internal data, summer programming, and strategic planning are already focusing on the following priority areas to quickly address the loss in learning this year: additional access to instructional support this summer for students; WIN Blocks embedded into the daily schedule; targeted instruction focusing on 1st-3rd grade reading skills; differentiated Literacy Instruction; focus on mastering strategies for EL learners; academic Opportunity and Learning Environment. Imagine Learning and Tune into Reading training with planned implementation during the AM academic portion of the summer programming will be monitored and assessed for effectiveness with potential for before school/after school/pull-out sessions in the fall.
Ana Ulloa expressed the importance of knowing who the academy is serving and meet them where there are as a community school.
VI. Extended Public Comment:
A.
This public comment section is reserved for all remaining comments.
No extended public comments at this time.
VII. Board Comments
A.
Authorizer Comments
The Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools Central Michigan University Field Operations School Lead, Jennifer Joubert informed the Board of Directors of The Center for Charter Schools in-person 2021 Annual Conference on August 17, 2021, in Novi, MI. Board members will receive three board member development credits, and State Continuing Education Clock Hours for educators. Innovation and Vision Award contest is an opportunity for CMU partner schools to celebrate what makes you unique and earn $5k for your school. Please check your email for more details.
B.
Escuela Avancemos! Academy Board of Directors Comments
A sincere expression of appreciation and congratulations to the management and leadership team, staff, and Board of Directors. The hard work and planning strategies that have been exhibited this school year have been phenomenal and are admired. Dr. Coggins was acknowledged for the detailed financial presentations. Looking forward to in-person learning in the fall. Madam President Cristina Stamatin encouraged the board members to try to attend the CMU 2021 Annual Conference on August 17, 2021. Have great summer everyone!
VIII. Closing Items
A.
Reconfirmation of Next Board Meeting
Tuesday, August 24, 2021, at 6:30 pm at Escuela Avancemos Academy; 2635 Howard St Detroit, MI 48216.
B.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 8:12 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
S. Johnson
presented the monthly programming report to the Board of Directors. The final budget amendments were made and submitted to the Michigan Department of Education. The 21st CCLC program has met all compliance requirements for the 2020-2021 school year.