Equitas Academy Charter School
Minutes
Board Meeting
Date and Time
Thursday October 21, 2021 at 3:00 PM
Location
Topic: October Board Meeting
Time: Oct 21, 2021 03:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
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Meeting ID: 895 6120 1043
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Meeting ID: 895 6120 1043
Time: Oct 21, 2021 03:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://equitasacademy.zoom.us/j/89561201043
Meeting ID: 895 6120 1043
One tap mobile
+13462487799,,89561201043# US (Houston)
+16699006833,,89561201043# US (San Jose)
Dial by your location
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 929 205 6099 US (New York)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)
Meeting ID: 895 6120 1043
Additional Call in locations:
1034 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
1040 N Gardner St #11, W Hollywood, CA 90046
4324 Franklin Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90027
PUBLIC COMMENT AT EQUITAS ACADEMY BOARD MEETINGS – An opportunity for the public to address the Board will be provided prior to discussion and action on agenda items. Members of the public who wish to speak on any item are requested to identify themselves and indicate on which agenda item they wish to speak. The Board will provide an opportunity for the public to speak for a maximum of three (3) minutes, unless granted additional time at the discretion of the Board. Testimony shall be limited in content to matters pertaining to Equitas Academy. The Board may not take any action on matters discussed during the public testimony period that are not listed on the agenda. Brown Act Compliance: Agenda posted at School.
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 a meeting of the Board of Directors, may request assistance in advance of the meeting by contacting Equitas Academy Charter School at 1700 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90015 or by phone (213) 201-0440.
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 a meeting of the Board of Directors, may request assistance in advance of the meeting by contacting Equitas Academy Charter School at 1700 West Pico Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90015 or by phone (213) 201-0440.
Directors Present
A. Santino, C. Langston, D. Krishna (remote), F. Spindler, O. Bajracharya, P. Reddy, T. Bell
Directors Absent
A. Perez
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
C. Langston
Guests Present
C. Melgares, D. Ortiz (remote), J. Rayas (remote), Jason Rudolph (remote), Jennifer Freeman, Jessica Edelman, L. Heisser, L. Lofton, Luis Aguilar (remote), M. Borrego, M. Ford, S. Sobkov, afigueroa@equitasacademy.org, jruley@mycharterlaw.com (remote)
I. Opening Items
A.
Record Attendance and Guests
B.
Call the Meeting to Order
T. Bell called a meeting of the board of directors of Equitas Academy Charter School to order on Thursday Oct 21, 2021 at 3:11 PM.
C.
Approve Minutes
A. Santino made a motion to approve the minutes from Board Retreat on 08-21-21.
O. Bajracharya seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| C. Langston |
Absent
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
II. Public Comment
A.
Public Comment
There were two members of public present and no comments were made.
III. Consent
A.
ESSER III Spending Plan
O. Bajracharya made a motion to Approve the ESSER III Spending Plan.
A. Santino seconded the motion.
The board VOTED to approve the motion.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Absent
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
IV. Brown Act
A.
Brown Act Training
Janelle Ruley with from the law offices of Young, Minney & Corr provided a training on the Brown Act Requirements. The Training included updates on AB 361 and Executive Order Number N-29-20 .
The following items were included in the training sharing called Understanding the Brown Act Overview:
1.What is the purpose of the Brown Act?
2.What is a meeting?
3.What are the notice and agenda requirements?
4.What are the public’s rights?
5.What are the permissible closed session topics?
6.What are the penalties and remedies for violating the Act?
The following language was provided by legal council in the event that future board meeting are held virtually:
Board findings pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e)
The Charter School Board of Directors determines, in accordance with Government Code Section 54953(e)(1)(B), that meeting in person would present imminent risks to the health or safety of attendees. Pursuant to Government Code Section 54953(e)(3), the Board has also reconsidered the circumstances of the State of Emergency declared by the Governor on March 4, 2020, and finds the State of Emergency continues to directly impact the ability of the Directors to meet safely in person and/or that State or local officials continue to impose or recommend measures to promote social distancing.
C. Langston arrived at 3:21 PM.
V. Org Updates
A.
Academic Focus: Return to Campus
Malka Borrego, Cecilia Melgares, Kyle Gouveia, and Jessica Edelman lead this months focus on Academic Focus: Return to Campus and Talent.
Ms. Borrego shared that each Board Meeting going forward will align with a meeting focus.
October Board Meeting: Academic: Re-Entry & Talent Focus
December Board Meeting: Academic & DEI Focus
February Board Meeting: Principal Voices & Strategy Planning
April Board Meeting: Budget, Real Estate, Enrollment and Parent Voices
June Board Meeting: Success & Budget
Vaccination mandates, enrollment, ADA, initiatives, one time funding, talent, teacher satisfaction, learning outcomes and organization dashboards were all discussed during this presentation.
Cecilia Melgares provided an update on a Strong Start of School and Return to Campus:
Ms Melgares highlighted:
- Safety:
- There have been no community Spreads and Equitas has a multiple layer approach to ensure that our community stays safe.
- Protocols are reviewed on a monthly basis. The team is currently reassessing for the November protocols update.
- All changes are based on qualitative and quantitative data.
- Vaccinations:
- Education and access for families is top priority.
- Statewide Vaccine mandate was announced October 1, 2021 and will apply to all students and staff as early as January 2022, Pending FDA approval.
In-Person, Independent Study, Enrollment & ADA statistics were shared:
- There are currently 5% enrolled in independent study and 95% in person.
- Overall Org ADA is 91.75%, compared to 97% - 98% in other years at this time.
Organizational Priorities and Initiatives include:
- Build a staff Culture of Trust and Collaboration
- Set goals of diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism
- Implement rigorous and culturally relevant curriculum to support multi-lingual students
- Implement restorative student cultural practices
Maggie Ford,COO, presented on how the Budget has been aligned to the organizational priorities and initiatives. Ms Ford highlighted the following three focus points:
- Investment in People - 3M investments
- Investments in Programs/Scholars - 2.1 M investment
- Investments in Family & Safety - 1M investment
Jessica Edelman, Director of Teacher and Talent shared statistics and updates on Talent Hiring.
- There were a total of 70 New Hires this year, comprised of teaches, school based leaders, counselors, instructional roles, operational roles, Network staff members and internal promotions.
- This year teacher retention was 80%.
- Additional staff vacancies are currently in the process of being filled.
- Teacher Satisfaction is being evaluated and is focused on strengthening the areas reported that teachers were least satisfied in.
Jessica Edelman also presented the following updates on EQ2.
- New School Director has started.
- New School Director built a strong internal leadership team.
- EQ2 saw a 16% increase in teacher retention.
Kyle Gouveia presented NWEA MAP Achievement Test Data and Organizational Dashboard EOY Targets.
B.
Updates to the EL Master Plan
C. Langston made a motion to Approve Updates to the EL Master Plan.
A. Santino seconded the motion.
Jennifer Freeman, Director of English Language Development presented
Emergent Bilingual Supports and EL Master Plan Updates.
Ms. Freeman highlighted the following areas of focus:
- Building EL Teacher Leader Capacity
- Designated ELD and Integrated ELD
- Progress Monitoring
- EL Master Plan Updates
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
C.
CEO Goals for FY21-22
D. Krishna made a motion to Approve CEO Goals for FY 21-22.
C. Langston seconded the motion.
Malka Borrego, CEO presented the CEO Evaluation update focused on Equitas Forward. Ms. Borrego grounded the evaluation presentation in Equitas Forward Initiatives and included Levers of Change, Outcomes & Impact.
- The CEO evaluation committee has requested that goals be selected earlier in the year in alignment with Equitas priorities and initiatives.
Ms. Borrego shared the CEO Goals for FY 21-22 including:
- Successfully Manage Senior Leadership Team and Direct Reports & Build Internal Capacity to Sustain Transformative Impact
- Win on Strategy & Initiatives
- Elevate the Equitas Board
Ms Borrego also shared Key Organizational Outcomes with FY 21-22 EOY Targets and Process for Evaluation, Support and Timeline.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
D.
Board Review of Monthly Financials
P. Reddy made a motion to Approve 2021 Monthly Financials.
F. Spindler seconded the motion.
Slav Sobkov shared a review of the September 2021 Monthly Financials including income statements, balance sheets, cash flow, variance analysis, and check register. Her shared an overview of the impact of COVID19 on FY21 revenues and spending.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
E.
Compensation Review
O. Bajracharya made a motion to Approve Compensation for Senior Leaders (As Amended).
A. Santino seconded the motion.
Malka Borrego presented on Senior Leadership compensation and Salary Differential.
Ms. Borrego proposed that the org Add 10% eligible Bonus for future Chief roles that work for an entire year and Retroactive the bonus eligibility for COO for FY20-21.
FY 20-21 is an amendment to the CEO presentation showing This is an amendment to the presentation showing FY19-20.
MS Borrego also discussed with Board the Staff Salary Differential.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
F.
EQ7 New Charter Petition
F. Spindler made a motion to Approve the EQ7 New Charter Petition Resolution.
O. Bajracharya seconded the motion.
Maggie Ford presented the EQ7 Charter Petition Resolution that was shared with the Board and the Board voted to approved the Resolution.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
VI. Governance Committee
A.
New Board Members
C. Langston made a motion to Approve Dakota Ortiz and Lindsey Heisser as new members of the Board.
F. Spindler seconded the motion.
The Board discussed the addition of new Board members.
Suggestions for future additional Board members include:
- Submission of Resume prior to appointment
- Written matrix that shows experiential gaps and identifying how future candidates are filling any gaps that are present
- All methods evaluation should be in writing.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| C. Langston |
Aye
|
| F. Spindler |
Aye
|
| A. Perez |
Absent
|
| T. Bell |
Aye
|
| P. Reddy |
Aye
|
| A. Santino |
Aye
|
| D. Krishna |
Aye
|
| O. Bajracharya |
Aye
|
B.
Committee Goals
Tyler Bell shared Governance Committee Goals for FY 21-22. The goals include:
- Expand the Board/Committees
- Succession Plan for Board Positions
- Accountability metrics method on how to govern the Board
- Cohort Development
- Advisory of Grads
VII. Academic Accountability
A.
Committee Goals
Alyssa Santino presented on Academic Accountability Committee goals for FY 21-22.
OVERARCHING GOAL: To hold Equitas Accountable for aligning with mission and stated strategic goals around academic achievement/curriculum across all subgroups of scholars to ensure excellent and equitable educational opportunities.
- Measure academic results against the goals laid out in the organizational charter, accountability plans and CEO Goals
- Assist in effective communication of academic performance to the board to ensure goal alignment, clear expectations, and shared knowledge base.
VIII. Finance
A.
Committee Goals
Prabhu Reddy presented on the Finance Committee Goals for SY 21 - 22.
Finance Committee Goals:
- Monitor ongoing health and sustainability by reviewing the materials that Slav prepares monthly.
- Provide feedback on the organizational long term financial plan
- Provide Feedback and recommendations to the Board annual plan and budgets
- Monitor and advise on future real estate developments, budgets and financings
IX. Resource Development
A.
Committee Goals
Deepa Krishna and Catie Langston discussed updates on Resource Development Committee Goals.
- Secure Give and approach Get and holistically approach the Get. Surveys will be sent out later in the year.
- Expect Realistic numbers. Establish the goal that we could realistically get.
- Holding Equitas accountable to $330,000 requires spending some time defining the numbers and tracking the numbers on quarterly goals.
- The board will strategize fundraising based on the Boards realistic commitment
X. Closing Items
A.
Adjourn Meeting
There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 6:25 PM.
Respectfully Submitted,
T. Bell