Environmental Charter Schools

Board of Directors' Meeting

By Teleconference/Zoom

Date and Time

Thursday October 28, 2021 at 5:00 PM PDT

Location

Zoom:       https://us02web.zoom.us/j/147466498?pwd=MnB5Vkc4aG41OEZ1dDdtcWoxQjV0dz09
 
OR 
 
Dial-In: (669) 900-6833, Meeting ID: 147 466 498, Passcode: 133043
 
Two-way Teleconference Location: 2625 Manhattan Beach Blvd, Suite 100, Redondo Beach, CA 90278.
ECS Board Members                              Term   and    End Date    
Mr. Anthony Jowid, President..................3 years June 30, 2022
Mr. Ken Deemer, Vice President.............3 years June 30, 2022
Dr. Denise Berger, Secretary...................3 years  June 30, 2023
Ms. Zena Fong........................................2 year June 30, 2023
Ms. Jenina Ramirez.................................3 years June 30, 2024
Dr. Madhu Chatwani................................3 years June 30, 2023
Mr. Kennedy Hilario.................................3 years June 30, 2023
Lawndale Elementary School District Representative, Rotating Position      

ECS Staff   
Ms. Farnaz Golshani-Flechner, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director
Ms. Danielle Kelsick, Chief Academic Officer/Director of Curriculum and Instruction
Ms. Alison Diaz, Director of Growth and Sustainability (Facilities)
Ms. Kami Cotler, Director of Strategic Initiatives
Dr. Beth Bernstein-Yamashiro, Director of Principal Development/Principal Coach
Ms. KC Fabiero, Principal at ECHS-Lawndale
Dr. Geneva Matthews, Principal at ECMS-Inglewood
Mr. Dave Trejo, Principal at ECMS-Gardena
Dr. Cindy Guardado, Principal at ECHS-Gardena  

Mission:

Reimagine public education in low-income communities of color to prepare conscious, critical thinkers who are equipped to graduate from college and create a more equitable and sustainable world.

Values:

JUSTICE - We examine bias, racism, and prejudice. We deliver culturally-responsive curricula. We succeed when students’ race and class cease to predict their level of achievement.

COMMUNITY - We care. We collaborate. We respect the rights and voices of our stakeholders.

CURIOSITY - We question. We explore. We innovate.

SUSTAINABILITY - We think globally and act locally. We adapt. We encourage systems thinking to create a sustainable future.

LEADERSHIP - We listen. We think critically. We advocate. We shift public discourse. We are our own superheroes.

THE ORDER OF BUSINESS MAY BE CHANGED WITHOUT NOTICE
Notice is hereby given that the order of consideration of matters on this agenda may be changed without prior notice.

PUBLIC SPEAKERS AT BOARD MEETINGS
Notice is hereby given that consistent with the requirements of the Ralph M. Brown Act, special presentations not mentioned in the agenda may be made at this meeting.  However, any such presentation will be for information only. The public should be aware that the Board is unable by law to deliberate or take action on items raised during the Presentations from the Floor section.

Environmental Charter Schools recognizes that it benefits greatly from public input and perspective. Individuals are invited to address the Board on any topic or subject matter that falls within the Environmental Charter School's purview. Speakers may sign up in person immediately prior to the beginning of the Board meeting by turning in a Speaker Form (available at the check-in table in English and Spanish).

Should a member of the public wish to speak on matters not listed on the agenda, they may speak during the Presentations from the Floor section of the agenda. Speakers will be given a maximum of three (3) minutes each to address the Board (non-English speakers utilizing translators will be given a maximum of six (6) minutes each). Please note that the Board allows a maximum of 10 minutes to each subject as determined by the Board's presiding officer.

Should a member of the public wish to speak on matters listed on the agenda, they may speak during the Presentations from the Floor section of the agenda. Speakers will be given a maximum of five (5) minutes each to address the Board (non-English speakers utilizing translators will be given a maximum of ten (10) minutes each).

The public should be aware that the Board is unable by law to deliberate or take action on items raised during the Presentations from the Floor section.

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION WILL BE PROVIDED FOR ANY INDIVIDUAL WITH A DISABILITY
Pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, any individual with a disability who requires reasonable accommodation to attend or participate in this meeting of the Governing Board may request assistance by contacting ECS at (310) 214-3408, option 5.

FOR MORE INFORMATION
For more information concerning this agenda or for materials relating to this meeting, please contact ECS at (310) 214-3408, option 5.

Agenda

     
I. Opening Items
 
Opening Items
  A. Record Attendance and Guests
   
  • Travis Collier, Lawndale Elementary School District (LESD) Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services (attending as LESD board representative for this ECS board meeting).
  B. Call the Meeting to Order
  C. Approve the agenda
   
  • Version en español está aquí
  D. Opener
II. Presentations from the Floor
  A. Presentations from the floor on non-agenda Items
   
Should a member of the public wish to speak on matters not listed on the agenda, they may speak during the Presentations from the Floor section of the agenda. Speakers will be given a maximum of three (3) minutes each to address the Board (non-English speakers utilizing translators will be given a maximum of six (6) minutes each).
  B. Presentations from the floor on agenda items
   
Should a member of the public wish to speak on matters listed on the agenda, they may speak during the Presentations from the Floor section of the agenda. Speakers will be given a maximum of five (5) minutes each to address the Board (non-English speakers utilizing translators will be given a maximum of ten (10) minutes each).
III. Reports/Presentations
  A. ECS leadership updates
  B. Principals updates
   
  • ECMS-I
  • ECMS-G
  C. Social Work at ECS update
  D. EdTec financial update
   
  E. Educator Effectiveness Funds Plan Update
   
IV. Consent Items A-I
  A. Approve previous meeting minutes for 9/23/2021 board meeting
   
  B. Approve previous minutes for 10/22/21 Finance Committee meeting
   
  C. Approve private donations over $1,000 as recommended by Finance Committee
   
  D. Approve check registers and credit card statements as recommended by Finance Committee
   
ECS management certification: ECS management attests to having reviewed and approved the individual line items on the attached check registers and credit card statements in accordance with current ECS Financial Policies.
  E. Approve contracts as recommended by Finance Committee
   
  F. Approve Outdoor Education Program Grant Authorizing Resolution as recommended by Finance Committee
   
Outdoor Education Program Grant Authorizing Resolutions
  G. Approve CA Coastal Commission's Whale Tail grant application submission
   
The City of Gardena has a natural watershed preserve in its own backyard. The Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve is a remnant wetland of a once-great watershed, a part of the native ecology that once made up an important part of the greater Los Angeles area.

 

The proposed project will expand ECMS-Gardena’s current partnership with the Gardena Willows Wetland Preserve and enable increased education and engagement between youth grades 6-8 and the Willows watershed in addition to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)-aligned curriculum development.
  H. Accept ECMS-I and ECMS-G Instructional and Governance Reviews
   
  I. Approve revised 21/22 ECS Academic Calendars
   
Revised 21/22 ECS Academic Calendars (changes highlighted by black boxes in Comparison):
Changes:

 

(1) # of teacher work days reduced from 196 to 195 to grant teachers on additional holiday at Thanksgiving - does not decrease # of instructional days.

(2) # of instructional minutes at ECMSI was reduced from 65705 to 65,570 to accommodate an earlier pickup on Tuesdays in an effort to reduce potential Covid exposure during lunch on early release day. ECMSI still exceeds the CDE minimum by 11570 minutes.
V. Action Item
  A. Approve ESSER III Expenditures Plans
   
VI. Upcoming Dates/Announcements
  A. Next ECS Board Meeting
   
  • December 9, 2021 at 5pm (virtual board meeting with in-person option)
  B. Next ECS Committee Meetings
   
  • Finance Committee - December 3, 2021 at 8:30am
  • Audit Committee - December 10, 2021 at 1pm
  • Governance Committee - January 18, 2022 at 10:30am
  • Facilities Committee - April 27, 2022 at 4:30pm
  C. Appreciations
VII. Transition to Closed Session
  A. Adjourn to Closed Session
VIII. Closed Session
  A. Conference with Labor Negotiator (Government Code section 54957.6)
   
  • Agency Negotiator: Anthony Jowid
  • Unrepresented Employee: Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director
IX. Report Out of Closed Session
  A. Oral Recommendation Regarding CEO's/ED's Salary and/or Fringe Benefits
  B. Ratification of CEO's/ED's Employment Agreement
X. Closing Items
  A. Adjourn Meeting