Palisades Charter High School

Minutes

Annual Goal Setting Board Retreat

Date and Time

Saturday September 18, 2021 at 9:00 AM

Location

Mercer Hall, Palisades Charter High School
15777 Bowdoin Street, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
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 of Palisades Charter High School may request assistance by contacting the Main Office at (310) 230-6623 at least 24 hours in advance.

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION:        
Supporting documentation is available at the Main Office of the School, located at 15777 Bowdoin Street, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272, (Tel: 310- 230-6623) and may also be accessible on the PCHS website at http://palihigh.org/boardrecords.aspx.
 
ALL TIMES ARE APPROXIMATE AND ARE PROVIDED FOR CONVENIENCE ONLY:
Notice is hereby given that the order of consideration of matters on this agenda may be changed without prior notice.  All items may be heard in a different order than listed on the agenda.

DIAL-IN NUMBER: (605) 475-5900. ACCESS CODE: 660-0134
Please note that the conference dial-in number above is only active when a Board Trustee has indicated they will calling from an off-site location to participate.

Trustees Present

Andrew Paris, Brenda Clarke, Brooke King, Dara Williams, Jack Seltzer, Jewlz Fahn, Lisa Saxon, Maggie Nance, Monica Batts-King, Sara Margiotta

Trustees Absent

James (Jim) Wells

Ex Officio Members Present

Dr. Pam Magee, Juan Pablo Herrera

Non Voting Members Present

Dr. Pam Magee, Juan Pablo Herrera

Guests Present

Amy Nguyen, Amy Okafor, Chris Lee, Christopher Clausen, Don Parcell, Mary Bush, Monica Ianessa

I. Opening Items

A.

Call the Meeting to Order

Dara Williams called a meeting of the board of trustees of Palisades Charter High School to order on Saturday Sep 18, 2021 at 9:10 AM.

B.

Record Attendance and Guests

Karen Koay - Dear PCHS Board of Trustees,
Please do not mandate Covid-19 vaccinations. Please support everyone's ability to do their own risk-benefit analysis and make their own choice. Those who chose to vaccinate are by their own definition, protected. Please respect each individual's personal health situation.
1. Vaccinated can still transmit the virus and has higher viral loads than those unvaccinated. Cornell has 95% vaccination rate and five times more COVID cases than last year.
2. Teens have been hospitalized due to vaccine reactions such as myocarditis.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/18-connecticut-teens-hospitalized-heart-problems-covid-vaccines/
3. Please review analysis from Physicians for Informed Consent.
Ages 0-17, Infection-Fatality Rate is 0.001% (Survival Rate of 99.999%)
All Ages not in Long Term Care, Infection-Fatality Rate is 0.35% (Survival Rate of 99.65%)
https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PIC-COVID-19-Disease-Information-Statement-DIS-August-2021.pdf
Thank you for your time and work! Abundant Blessings and Radiant Wellness! (Links were emailed to the trustees@palihigh.org.)Anonymous - I hope the board will follow LAUSD and require all students to be vaccinated by December.
Anonymous - I have chosen to remain anonymous because of the shaming comments I have received and the hateful conversations I have heard from co-workers regarding the subject of people who are vaccinated vs. non­vaccinated. I don't consider myself an "anti-vaxxer" or a "vaxxer". I make the choice to get shots and vaccines at the times when I need to get them and have no problem with that. I DO have a problem with that choice being taken away and that the school feels they have the power to dictate what is put into my body. Pali does not "walk in my shoes" each day and does not know and understand my body-I am the expert there and should be allowed to make choices regarding it. Who is this vaccination mandate protecting? Only a small portion of the total population at Pali may be mandated to be vaccinated. Will you now also mandate students 16 and over? Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people can GET and SPREAD Covid ! ! ! ! ! When we all go home at night to different parts of the city, go to different events and stores the possibility of any of us being exposed and spreading the disease will not change whether people are forced to get vaccinated or not. The protocols are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated people at school if they do end up catching it. Why would the school then approve this mandate that not everyone agrees with? When a doctor prescribes a new medicine to someone, they share the possible side effects with the patient. The doctor cannot guarantee that the patient will or will not get those side effects. THE PATIENT IS THEN GIVEN THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE if they want to take the risk of possible side effects or to not take the medicine and try something else. With this mandate, a person's right to choose has been stripped. Does Pali know something a doctor does not? For someone who has chosen not to get vaccinated and is now forced to -can Pali 100% guarantee that person will NOT get any possible long term side effects? Of course they cannot make that guarantee and if they can't, maybe it's not a choice they should be making. If you are on an airplane next to another passenger, sitting next to another table of people in a restaurant, at the movies, at a baseball game, or at Pali -what information would you rather know regarding the person/colleague/student next to you - their vaccination status OR that they have a negative Covid test result this week and are not spreading the virus? I am asking that Pali continues with weekly testing and face masks, but leave the choice of getting vaccinated or not to each individual. We should never lose the right to choose what happens to our individual bodies. Thank you.

C.

Public Comment

Michelle Ashley - I believe vaccine mandates are the most effective tool to keep our students, staff and community safe.  Physicians all over the country are seeing a deluge of unvaccinated Covid patients.  Hospital and ICU beds,  staff and oxygen may soon be rationed.  It is our responsibility to protect ourselves and our community.  No hospital beds means no care for anyone who needs hospital care.    Vaccination will also help to keep our schools open.  We are required to vaccinate for many communicable diseases.  Covid vaccines should not be exempted from this requirement.  It is not a political issue but a public health issue.  PCHS policy should follow LAUSD’s lead.

Anonymous -When the decision was made at the beginning of the school year to make Back-to-school Night a virtual event, COVID numbers had been rapidly rising [from 24.6 daily new cases per 100k on 7/29 to a peak of 34.6 on 8/18 -- the day classes started.] Now those numbers have declined significantly [down to 12.5 daily new cases --- way lower than when Back-to-school Night was originally announced as happening in person.] Since the cases are currently less than 1/2 of what they were when you decided to switch to a virtual format, it makes sense now to return it to an in-person event. So much is lost when parents remain off campus and cannot meet their children's teachers face-to-face. If we're vaccinated and/or show a negative PCR test result, and we're all masked, the risk is minimal. It's certainly no greater than it was when you originally announced it as an in-person event.

Anonymous - Please do not mandate Covid vaccines for kids. Vaccines are miracles of science but time is needed to ensure they are safe for kids long term. There have now been just 35 deaths in children under 18 in the past year and a half in our state of almost 40 million. Meanwhile, myocarditis in boys is still an issue with the vaccine. Please read the Emergency Use Authorization submitted by Pfizer. In it, they acknowledge that it will take 3 years before fully knowing the long term side effects.

Robert Ritger - Back in 2019, Governor Newsom signed SB 830 into law requiring that all CA high schools start no earlier than 8:30 am, yet for some reason Pali continues to start at 7:50 am. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, and the CDC all recommend that school not start before 8:30 for high school students—which is more in sync with the natural sleep patterns of those age groups. Inadequate sleep can lead not just to academic problems in teens and pre-teens, it also contributes to obesity, depression, and an increased risk of car accidents. In other words, the science is overwhelming that early start times harm students. Pali follows the science and the law when it comes to Covid mask mandates and weekly testing, so my question is simple -- why isn't Pali following the science and the law when it comes to school start times?

Lee Ann Daly - Expecting growing teens to be at school by 7:15 is unrealistic and places undue pressure on their sleep schedule-- also a public health issue. The law (and prevailing wisdom) is that an 8:30 start is the rule. Since we have a 7:50 start, perhaps for vaccinated kids, having classroom teachers approve covid test results is a better solution to timeliness instead of the bottle-neck that inevitably happens with the current approach. That or making school start a little later, like the law says it should.

Anonymous - All members of the Pacific Palisades Board of Trustees have all executed their California Government Code oath of office, as outlined herein.
There appears to be a mistake and as such I would like to address the issue of the emergency COVID measures being considered and currently implemented by this board concerning the mandatory wearing of masks, such as N95 Masks, when box itself informs that misuse of these masks can cause injury or death; the ongoing compulsory testing of healthy children that causes anxiety and anguish on a daily basis; the monstrous proposal of forcing our children to be effective guinea pigs in drug trail under the guise of a “vaccine” that has no long term studies, no effectiveness, and no recourse for compensation against an alleged disease that has never been even proven to exist.
Therefore, what evidence do you all have, what support, not just “We follow CDC and CHDP guidelines,” what proof of the claim do you have of the science behind this mandate? Where is the science? If you can’t produce the science, how is this not child abuse?
The maxim of law states that the proof relies on he who affirms, not upon he who denies. Right now, the science, the facts and the evidence denies that COVID is a threat; that COVID demands this emergency action. You haven’t produced the science. You haven’t produced the evidence. “We follow CDC and CHDP guidelines,” we find to be unacceptable as justification.
The Declaration and the Constitution are clear that private property shall not be taken without just compensation; the science is the just compensation.
Furthermore, it has been stated that any enterprise undertaken by the public official who tends to weaken public confidence and undermine the sense of security for individual rights is against public policy and the Courts have already determined with McNally v United States 483 U.S. 350 (1987), ensured and enhanced with the enactment of 18 U.S. Code §1346 by the Congress of the United States, that a public official is a fiduciary toward the public and if he deliberately conceals material information from them, he is guilty of fraud.
Therefore, the law commands that you are burdened with a duty of care with obligation to produce the facts, science and evidence relied upon as consideration for any emergency measure for any taking of the private property of the people; the failure of which tends to weaken public confidence and undermine the sense of security for individual rights which is against public policy and includes the deliberate concealment of material information in a setting of fiduciary obligation of which shall apply to all employees and elected officers of the state, including the Governor and constitutional officers and all employees and elected officers of all cities, towns, counties, and political subdivisions, including the educational system.
No proof of the facts, science and evidence = no proof of claim;
no proof of claim = no right;
no right = wrong
Whereas the maxim of law is: force + wrong = greatest enemy of peace which is anti-Christ, no proof of claim would constitute a violation of 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 4 of the California Constitution with promotion of acts dangerous to human life through a state sponsored religion employing state sponsored coercion to give the illusion that one has no choice but to comply and perform of which the courts have already declared with United States v. Kozminski, 487 U.S. 931 (1988) constitutes an involuntary servitude and for this board, its staff, and the teachers governed by this board, to engage in this activity without proof of claim is to engage in domestic terrorism as defined with Section 802 of the Patriot Act (Pub. L. No. 107-52) through the willful harming or injuring of a child or the endangering of the person or health of a child with unlawful corporal punishment or injury by mandated reporters as defined within the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act.
Therefore, due to your willful and intentional violation of your oath of office for your refusal to support the Constitution of the United States and of the State of California, you are given this notice to step down from your board position immediately, otherwise litigation will follow.
Govern yourself accordingly.

Jessica Williams -We received 2 communications about class photos, both by mail and online. One stated that seniors must take class photos in North Hollywood. The other gave info about on campus photo packages for grades 9-11. We are hoping our son can take senior photos on campus. Will this be possible? If so, when and ow should students prepare? It would be great if seniors and their parents are informed about senior photos, as well as community service, special class activities, and graduation, well in advance. I submitted a separate comment about community service. If it would help, I would be happy to volunteer to help keep seniors and their families informed and make their year a special one!

Anonymous - Now that LA's COVID numbers are among the lowest in the country, there's no reason that parents can't be allowed back onto campus -- particularly for Back To School night, which is the only opportunity we have to get acquainted with our children's teachers. Last year, parents felt very disconnected from the school and the classes -- and as a result, many parents didn't donate to the booster club or PTSA because we had no relationship with the teachers and other faculty/staff. Please make Back To School night an in person event again. There's no medical reason not to.

 
Karen Koay - Dear PCHS Board of Trustees,
Please do not mandate Covid-19 vaccinations. Please support everyone's ability to do their own risk-benefit analysis and make their own choice. Those who chose to vaccinate are by their own definition, protected. Please respect each individual's personal health situation.
1. Vaccinated can still transmit the virus and has higher viral loads than those unvaccinated. Cornell has 95% vaccination rate and five times more COVID cases than last year.
2. Teens have been hospitalized due to vaccine reactions such as myocarditis.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/18-connecticut-teens-hospitalized-heart-problems-covid-vaccines/
3. Please review analysis from Physicians for Informed Consent.
Ages 0-17, Infection-Fatality Rate is 0.001% (Survival Rate of 99.999%)
All Ages not in Long Term Care, Infection-Fatality Rate is 0.35% (Survival Rate of 99.65%)
https://physiciansforinformedconsent.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/PIC-COVID-19-Disease-Information-Statement-DIS-August-2021.pdf
Thank you for your time and work! Abundant Blessings and Radiant Wellness! (Links were emailed to the trustees@palihigh.org.)Anonymous - I hope the board will follow LAUSD and require all students to be vaccinated by December.
Anonymous - I have chosen to remain anonymous because of the shaming comments I have received and the hateful conversations I have heard from co-workers regarding the subject of people who are vaccinated vs. non­vaccinated. I don't consider myself an "anti-vaxxer" or a "vaxxer". I make the choice to get shots and vaccines at the times when I need to get them and have no problem with that. I DO have a problem with that choice being taken away and that the school feels they have the power to dictate what is put into my body. Pali does not "walk in my shoes" each day and does not know and understand my body-I am the expert there and should be allowed to make choices regarding it. Who is this vaccination mandate protecting? Only a small portion of the total population at Pali may be mandated to be vaccinated. Will you now also mandate students 16 and over? Both vaccinated and unvaccinated people can GET and SPREAD Covid ! ! ! ! ! When we all go home at night to different parts of the city, go to different events and stores the possibility of any of us being exposed and spreading the disease will not change whether people are forced to get vaccinated or not. The protocols are the same for vaccinated and unvaccinated people at school if they do end up catching it. Why would the school then approve this mandate that not everyone agrees with? When a doctor prescribes a new medicine to someone, they share the possible side effects with the patient. The doctor cannot guarantee that the patient will or will not get those side effects. THE PATIENT IS THEN GIVEN THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE if they want to take the risk of possible side effects or to not take the medicine and try something else. With this mandate, a person's right to choose has been stripped. Does Pali know something a doctor does not? For someone who has chosen not to get vaccinated and is now forced to -can Pali 100% guarantee that person will NOT get any possible long term side effects? Of course they cannot make that guarantee and if they can't, maybe it's not a choice they should be making. If you are on an airplane next to another passenger, sitting next to another table of people in a restaurant, at the movies, at a baseball game, or at Pali -what information would you rather know regarding the person/colleague/student next to you - their vaccination status OR that they have a negative Covid test result this week and are not spreading the virus? I am asking that Pali continues with weekly testing and face masks, but leave the choice of getting vaccinated or not to each individual. We should never lose the right to choose what happens to our individual bodies. Thank you.

D.

Welcome and Introductions (Ice Breaker)

BOT and attendees introduced themselves and shared POWS, CHOWS and WOWS

E.

Approve Minutes

D Williams made a motion to table the approval of the August 24, 2021 meeting minutes until the Board's next regular meeting on Sept. 21, 2021.
A Williams seconded the motion

The motion passed unanimously with the following votes in the affirmative:  Lisa Saxon, Maggie Nance, Brooke King, Andy Paris, Brenda Clarke, Jack Seltzer, Jewlz Fahn, Monica Batts-King, Sara Margiotta and Dara Williams.

II. Review 2019-2021 Schoolwide Goals

A.

Breakout Group(s) Session

In anticipation of the Breakout Groups, P Magee presented and reviewed Schoolwide Goals.  She noted that she enjoys this process as it is interactive and we are going to be discussing school wide and Board goals.  She is coming upon her 10th year and said that we need to reflect on what we have done well and areas of continued need to focus.  10 years ago Carpenter and Carver where the mantra.  Board maintains the overall goals and the managers work to ensure the execution of these school goals.  Goal evolution was discussed.  Our current goals were established in 2019 but it was noted that the execution of some of these had to be put on hold because of COVID.  She also reminded us that PCHS is Mission Driven:  PCHS will empower our diverse student population to make positive contributions to the global community by dedicating our resources to ensure Education Excellence, Civic Responsibility, and Personal Growth.  M Ianessa shared a longitudinal goal timeline from years past and looking forward.  The information can be found:  Longitudinal School Goal Timeline - Google Slides

PCHS Goals as included in the Board Materials were reviewed. It was noted that part of our current mission to drive Education for 21st Century Learners:  As a whole, the BOT then had discussion on what this looked like.  M Nance noted that we are trying to create flexible students who have tools to be prepared for jobs that we don't even know exist.  Technology is key.  B Clarke noted that the students should have the skills (emotionally, educationally, communication, ethics and physically) to be prepared for their goals post graduation.  C Clauson noted that he thinks curriculum is at the core of their education.  D Williams also agreed with the need for life skills education for students.  Adaptability was also stressed along with confidence and communication skills.  Peter Garff noted need for equity and climate justice to serve as an example for our campus.  M Ianessa noted that she appreciated the teachers coming together to collaborate over the summer to work on student assessments, grade equity, etc.  C Lee highlighted that we are a Charter school and that we need to be mission driven and that BOT decisions need to ensure that we are making decisions that are mission based.  The need to have skills and meaning behind what the students are doing/learning.  Emphasized that all stakeholders are important and the role the students play in their educational process which is part of 21st century education.  L Saxon also noted that we need to continue to work on student advocacy and that student media literacy and competency is important.  B King echoed an emphasis on life skills and student advocacy.  There was support for additional VEI classes.  Perhaps the goal should be the overall student with life skills and 21st century goals.  P Magee noted that the school is struggling to be data driven.  The bell schedule was discussed and start time will begin at 8:30 am beginning next year.  The need for SMART Goals was discussed.  (S -Specific M Measurable  A -Attainable R -Relevant - T Timeline).  Current school goals were reviewed.  

PCHS will continue to cultivate and expand opportunities for social-emotional wellness development and stress management both inside and outside the classroom was discussed.  Communication was highlighted.  The need for individual teachers/student interaction was stressed.  It was noted that these needs must be assessed.  It was also noted that we need to address potential barriers to achieving these goals.  

Groups were then broken out to discuss/update the school's current 5 Schoolwide Goals.
 

III. Update Long Term Schoolwide Goals (through 2025)

A.

Breakout Group(s) Session

Break out groups were done and then groups shared their updates.  Administration will work with updates to present short and long term goals with the Board for review and approval.  Suggested goals that were included.  Additional potential items to include are:  
1.  Student Achievement - Maximize the performance of each student in all academic areas balanced with emotional well-being and grading for equity.
2.  Maximize use of technology and state-of-the-art teaching tools and methods to enhance the work of staff and students.
3.  Promote the development of each student as a "whole" person utilizing intrinsic motivation to be prepared for post-secondary life.
4.  Maintain fiscal integrity, efficient resource use, transparency and accountability of PCHS.
5.  Strengthen community relations and communications.

IV. Additional Goal Setting Plan(s)

A.

Develop Short Term Goals for the 2021-2022 School Year

As noted above and will be presented to the Board (based on break-out group stakeholder feedback from today) at a future meeting.

B.

Develop Board of Trustees Goals for the 2021-2022 School Year

This item was not addressed and will be re-visited at an upcoming Board meeting.

V. New Business / Announcements

A.

Announcements / New Business

Next Board meeting on Tuesday Sept. 21, 2021.  It was also noted that Public Comment will be extended to 1 hour for that meeting.

B.

Announce items for closed session, if any.

No items for closed session.

VI. 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 11:53 AM.

Respectfully Submitted,
Sara Margiotta