The Academy of Alameda Board Retreat Minutes

January 8, 2017, 9:00 AM-3:00 PM

Sunday January 8, 2017 at 9:00 AM

980 Atlantic Blvd. Alameda, CA 94501 (Phocas Financial Office)

A. Price, C. Robie, D. Forbes, L. Cazares, R. Whittaker, S. Youngblood, W. Schaff

None

Cherie Spivey, Christina Greenberg, M. Huxley, N. Bullock, S. Hottinger, W. Williams

R. Whittaker called a meeting to order on Sunday Jan 8, 2017 at 9:00 AM.

Driving Questions:

Mission Statement:

On track for college – measuring with attendance, MAP, discipline data
Equity-centered – all students
On the ground statement (AoA at Pacific Ave) as opposed to an organizational mission statement
If we expand need to develop an organizational mission statement
Don’t have a vision statement – need to work on it
Matt does have a theory of action that the cabinet has been working on

Vision Exercise:
Students

1500 students (500 ES/MS/HS)
PreK - 12
1000 students total to stay intimate
PreK - 8
Neighborhood vs diversity
Expand diversity to include ethnicity, cultural definition, socio-economic
Help students improve circumstances and opportunity
Having diversity of all kinds
Needs to be pyramid (determine size of HS and work backwards with larger MS and even larger ES)
Will we move away from physical plant?
Most of the board was formed to improve MS (Do we need a new board to support expansion?)
Revamped structure to grow?

Program

Model school and model program
Org structure that supports our core mission – outsource elements that are not core (fiscal services)
Highest quality PD, Accountability and support for board and staff
Career paths or alternative plans for students who do not go to college
Engagement with community
Whole child – measure student success in all ways not just standardized tests
Fundraise at a level to provide extended day and extended year and teachers have built in 2 hours a day of built in PD (write and receive grants)

Diversity:

Broader than the color of skin
Learning challenges, Ethnicity, home language
Board definition of diversity – common understanding
Under served students in Alameda community first
Reflect diversity
Moving ALL students up no matter where they are
3 levers to ensure diversity:
- Recruitment
- Lottery Preferences
- Retention
ACTION: Pull data specifics on diversity and local school comparisons, get other examples of diversity definitions

Potential Growth Paths (Sequence):

What does “improve” program mean?

Summer Program
- Leverage current resources and connections
- Freedom school model
Reserve spending
Possibility of getting grants
- Better promotional and marketing to get the story of AoA out in the community
- Something that makes our program stand out as we aren’t known as “needy”
Intervention in general
- Literacy (MS) – staff with potential to be expert – needs cert.
- Participation in after school
- Staff member like case manager for Tier III w/ counseling experience, family liaison & student support
Math & Science
- Build internal pipeline to recruit teachers
Pre-K (kids under 5 yrs old)
- Market analysis for pre-K/TK need
- How does pre-k formation happen? Part of charter?
- Research other charters who have Pre-K

Next 6 months to do:

January
- ES $$ & model for summer program
- List of new positions needed for 17-18
- Post Math/Science position
- Communicate to families about summer school
- Matt bring literacy program and costs to board for literacy specialist
- Math/Science compensation review at Finance Committee Meeting
February
- MS $$ & model for summer program
- If we want to hire a Math/Science Teacher do so
  - Create pipeline with universities, intern programs, etc.
- Job Description or Intervention case manager/family liaison
March
- Review data on effectiveness of last year’s investments, propose next year staffing/program investments
April
May
June
- Revisit Pre-K growth plan and timeline
- Board Retreat – Program data

There being no further business to be transacted, and upon motion duly made, seconded and approved, the meeting was adjourned at 2:00 PM.

Respectfully Submitted,

R. Whittaker