Michelle-Kerry Khatib, Program Director, and Dahime Gordon, Site Coordinator for the 21st Century Learning Program (21st CCLC) presented the monthly programming and budget report for the after-school program.  Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) has increased the academy's site capacity to 200 students. Ana Ulloa inquired if 21st CCLC grants are sought out and completed by employees of Sanga. Michelle-Kerry Khatib stated that the 21st CCLC applies grants that are always approved by the school's administration. The submission of the grants is solely based on the needs of the academy that are mentioned to members of the program. Ana Ulloa asked if ESSER funds could be used to provide transportation for the after-school program to increase student participation. The after-school program grant expires within a year. The application to reapply starts in January 2023. Madam President Cristina Stamatin mentioned that the after-school programming planning and logistics should be conducted outside of a board meeting. 

Dr. Lorilyn Coggins presented the Charter School Program Grant current month and cumulative amounts with the Board of Directors as required to be presented monthly at each board meeting.  A meeting will be scheduled soon with Dr. Steven Ovares and Ana Ulloa regarding funds that will need to be utilized by November 2022. 

July 2022 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. Preparation for the upcoming audit is ongoing by Dr. Coggins. 

The Sanga Monthly Management Report was presented by Dr. Steven Ovares (Principal), Stephanie Yassine (Sanga Consulting Executive Director), and Ana Ulloa (CEO, Founder). Updates to the organization chart and school leadership were presented to the Board of Directors.  After Stephanie Yassine's upcoming maternity leave, she will not be returning to the academy for the rest of the school year and will work on a contractual base for Sanga Consulting, Inc.  New roles consist of Dr. Steven Ovares K-8 School Principal, Lyndsey McClintic, Assistant Principal, and Shan'Ta Johnson, Director of Operations. Madam Vice President Andreea Bordeianu inquired if Shan'Ta Johnson will remain the Board Liaison.  Ana Ulloa stated that Ms. Johnson's support for the Board of Directors will not change.  Ana Ulloa mentioned that leaders have been doing the work. Grooming and promoting staff from within is important.   

Dr. Steven Ovares presented the academic portion of the report.  Leadership has crafted a 2022-2023 school-level strategic plan.  The plan was developed based on feedback and input from the academy's teachers and co-developed with the academy's school leadership team.  The school-level plan has three main focus areas:  Academic Growth, Quality Instruction, and School Culture.  Madam Vice President Andreea Bordeianu requested for acronyms to be spelled out in reports to ensure that everyone is aware of the meaning of the acronym. Madam President Cristina Stamatin requested a two-minute or less monthly update on the School-Level Strategic Plan. Start-of the year kick-off is going well.  This year's kick-off is designed to support staff bonding and strengthen school culture, and provide new teachers with an orientation to Escuela Avancemos expectations and best practices.  English Language Learners' strategic planning has been vetted through the lens of supporting students. Madam Vice President Andreea Bordeianu thanked Dr. Ovares for incorporating calendar and resource links in the monthly report. 

The Special Education Department is fully staffed with a 1.5 FTE Resource Room Teacher, Full-Time School Social Worker, a Part-Time Speech Pathologist, and a Limited Part-Time Occupational Therapist.  Wendy Cortes has moved into the Dean of Culture role but is still School Social Worker. 

The academy's current student enrollment is 399.  Beatriz Hill was acknowledged for her exemplary student recruitment efforts. The academy and the 21st CCLC are following the CDC and the Wayne County Health Department Covid guidance for schools. Board Trustee Mariva Gonzales inquired if the academy had a protocol in place in case of a Monkeypox virus outbreak.  Madam President Cristina Stamatin stated that we all must do our due diligence in researching viruses. Dr. Ovares and Madam President Cristina Stamatin both agreed that the Monkeypox virus is spread through body fluids from a person with monkeypox. 

Stephanie Yassine presented the academy's new hires:  Hayden Dry-Kindergarten, Alina Lawson-Kindergarten, Annabel Aquino-2nd Grade, Aiisha McLean-6th Grade, Spencer Main-7th Grade, John Paul Lewis-Paraprofessional, Alicia Montes-Paraprofessional, Javier Saucedo-Flores-School Social Worker, and Maura Brown-Part-Time Resource Room Teacher. With two 3rd and 4th grade vacancies. 

Stephanie Yassine shared upcoming events with the Board of Directors. The academy is celebrating its 10-year anniversary; Open House is scheduled for Thursday, August 25, 2022, between 3 pm-6 pm; SEL Skill Monthly Initiative for students. 

Madam President Cristina Stamatin mentioned that the Michigan Integrated Continuous Improvement Process should be a living breathing and visible document.

The HVAC replacement unit installment has been delayed due to the unit shipment date having changed. The installment is tentatively scheduled for September. 

Planned Parenthood representative Natalie Elliott, requested for the Board of Directors to state on record that the sex education curriculum taught last school year was approved and works. Madam President Cristina Stamatin commented that the Board of Directors cannot respond to her request.  Ms. Elliott will need to speak with the academy's management company Sanga Consulting, Inc.

Jennifer Joubert thanked members of the Board of Directors and school leadership that was able to attend The Governor John Engler Center for Charter Schools 2022 Annual Conference. As always, great job on the presentation at the conference. 

Madam President Cristina Stamatin inquired if parent surveys were conducted. If yes, the Board of Directors needs to receive parent feedback.  We must hear from the parents to cultivate success as a team. Ana Ulloa mentioned that the main office staff makes calls to each family to receive survey questions and feedback. Board members should be a part of the discussion and committee meetings planning. 

Madam Vice President Andreea Bordeianu asked if there were any Escuela Avancemos Alumni updates. It's very important for the academy's alumni to know that they always have a home at Escuela Avancemos Academy. Ana Ulloa would like to explore the additional high school of choice options for students. Ana Ulloa and Stephanie Yassine stated that Escuela Avancemos Academy needs to become a K-12th grade school in the future. The academy's 8th Grade Teacher Tiffany Rhymes has been appointed the Middle School Program Coordinator to assist students with transitioning to high school. Board of Directors Treasurer Linda Chittum would like to attend CMU's conference as opposed to the National Charter Schools due to the overwhelming amount of resources that are presented. Board of Directors Secretary Monica Barbour and Board Trustee Mariva Gonzalez thanked the team for their great reports, presentations, and great work. 

Tuesday, September 20, 2022, at 6:30 pm, at Escuela Avacemos! Academy; 2635 Howard St Detroit, MI  48216.