Janice Parker

Andrea will make a great match with GGA Board.

She works in Georgetown University.

She is interested in working as a Board Member to share her resources and contacts.

She has received the application.

She is out of the country.  When she returns, we will propose her as a candidate and then move her for nomination in the November Board meeting. 

Karen Venable-Croft

Andrea is pro-school, pro-mission.

She is interested in social justice at the school

Karen endorses Andrea to join the Board.

Beth Blaufuss

Andrea runs a program, which teaches peace making strategies, for girl-students.

Suggestions: Andrea should consider joining community engagement & academics.

Beth thanks Maureen for suggesting Andrea to join the Board. 

Maureen Colburn

Andrea and Maureen have taught together.

She vouches for Andrea's passion to support girls. 

Elaine Harris 

Elaine is very impressed with Wisler background. 

To Elaine, she seems like a great fit for the community engagement committee.  

Love the potential adds to academics, too.
 

Because YOU Matter Culture: Progress, Data, and Updates

Levers discussed at June 2022 meeting -  Below is follow up on Leadership Team's feedback

1. Academic lever

 a. Staff members are normalizing routines with effective instruction

 b. In Initiation Phase, staff members are building relationships in classrooms via professional development and classroom observations. 

 c. Teaching plan, rubric and personal instructional coach have been provided to staff members.

 d. Implementation phase is next

 e. Next steps

     i. Deep Dive and reflect on progress in student non academic and academic data

     ii. Identify best practices and peer to peer learning from inspecting what from teachers on what to expect

    iii.  Board Committee work - metrics-reports at next Board meeting 

 f. Example of student life in school

    i. Ms. Kang founding teacher sees why we focus on normalizing strong routine of effective instruction

   ii. ownership and pride appears when there are academic interdisciplinary connections. Ex. The Handmaid's Tale combined with English class to create book cover.

2. Sisterhood lever

  a. Every adult and student believe that they can thrive together.

  b. Staff weekly facilitates community circle with student to build understanding, connection and trust.  Additionally to create pride and togetherness culture.

  c. Experiences in and out of the classroom operationalize sisterhood culture with students and teachers.

  d. Nadia presented how Sports build sisterhood culture, where 97 students have signed up to participate one sport.

 e. Safety, belonging, curriculars and discipline metric-review shows retainment of student body.

 f. Mary asks, "What is the strategy to get the 50% up? Or is that not required by all staff members?" 

 Karen responded, "On Friday, 50% of teachers are out of compliance in conducting community circle. Next steps are to show teachers how to do this belonging-exercise with feedback and plan." 

Education Forward DC and Bellweather

• Karen and Shamira are participating in a strategic planning coaching process, which is sponsored by Education Forward DC.  
• Bellweather is coaching GGA with 3 other schools on a strategic planning cycle.

Goals

1. Revise 3 yr strategic plan
2. leadership growth
3. get training to operationalize strategic plan

Bellweather's 1/2 day,walk-through findings to date

• Evidence of shared and warm culture

Next steps

1. Coaching Karen and Shamira
2. cohort of 4 schools continue with training
3. Stakeholder feedback to help move strategic plan forward
    

GGA enrolled 162 students instead of 236

• We didn't enroll as many students as anticipated.
• $1.3 deficit in revenue meant reducing expenses in salary reduction, curriculum and student supplies for a total of $816K

Additional cuts 

 also include Development Specialist and adjust rent

Assumptions 

need to have 30 days of cash on hand, no rent relief, net neutral and reduce expenses by an additional $70

Enrollment strategies

5 efforts underway (ex. referral campaign)

Implementing levers will increase opportunities for students/parents to be GGA ambassadors

Get in front of more middle schools

Julie Shepperson & Shayne Swift's efforts to attract more student to GGA

Julie & I will co-run a focus group with some current GGA families to discuss their why and what about the materials or people led them to enroll with us.
Will get input on brochures, brand, IB material promotion, open house attendance, reasons to join GGA

Nadia McCrimmon's input

Athletics will begin going to middle school athletic events and tournaments to recruit students, as well as, building a winning athletic programming. 

Recruiting Phases

Sept - Oct  Pre-Work Phase

Oct - Feb   Recruitment Phase

April - Oct  Enrollment Phase

Feb - Aug Re-engage phase
 

Laura's input

Finance

1. Adjust expense budget efforts over next 4 weeks for need to have 30 days of cash on hand
2. Opportunity = lease review for rent relief for either this year and/or next year
3. For Nov Board meeting, update on net neutral budget and lease-negotiation will be provided.

Facilities

1. Expansion project update - School looks great
2. OSSE Loan will be used to pay invoice
3. Costs was higher by $82K and PM is trying to negotiate this cost down to less than $25K

Elaine Harris asks, "What are the current students most excited about at GGA?  Just curious so I can use if I have the opportunity.  Have any students left since the start of the school year?"

• Lakisha Myrick said, "My daughter stated that she is most excited about the growth of GGA the fact that we are marking towards 4 years."
• Shayne Swift said, "Attending Ron Brown’s homecoming dance and having them as guests at the community meeting tomorrow has gotten our students excited in addition to our purple out and spirit week"

 Elaine asks, "Are these things highlighted in social media?" and "How many prople are in a circle?"

 

November Board meeting
KPI review over next 4 weeks with Committee input 

Budget revision for vote 

Community Engagement input on recruitment

Board Chair's efforts

Dashboard ready for review by mid-month

Informing Board member on Committee meetings

Board Chair's inquiry on making Dashboard more useful

Beth asks, "Are there efforts to complete to make the Dashboard more helpful?"

Mary Pendleton responded, "Dashboard is helpful.  If there something missing, pls share when the missing information will be shared.  Push status on when there is a delay in delivering missing information."

Capitalize on BOT advantages

Committee Chairs should calendar meetings in BOT for reminders to be sent

Shobha and Janice will ask BOT about how best to support Committee Chairs: set up meeting in BOT, share documents and collaborate on documents

Zoom Czar 

Audit 

Underway status per Karen

Field work began on October 24, 2022