September Board Meeting Minutes

September 8, 2025, 4:00-7:30 PM

Minutes Draft

Making Waves Academy

Minutes

September Board Meeting

Date and Time

Monday September 8, 2025 at 4:00 PM

Location

In-person at:

Making Waves Academy

4123 Lakeside Dr.

Richmond, CA 94806

And streaming on zoom:

https://mwacademy.zoom.us/j/87855022048?pwd=SVFZNGlTbVVHb1NFYUd2WWNTaW8wQT09
Passcode: 073032
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Webinar ID: 878 5502 2048
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International numbers available: https://mwacademy.zoom.us/u/keaPhEAWej

COMING SOON

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ para acceder a la agenda y portadas en español/CLICK HERE to access agenda and cover sheets in Spanish: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:b0d63deb-2b65-4e64-9482-9d332a156108
HAGA CLIC AQUI para acceder el reporte escolar/CLICK HERE to access the school board report in Spanish: https://bit.ly/4eLd72o

If you have questions about the board agenda and materials or you are in need of disability-related accommodations, please contact:
Si tiene preguntas sobre la agenda y materiales de la junta o necesita adaptaciones relacionadas con la discapacidad, comuníquese con:
Bryann Fitzpatrick at bfitzpatrick@mwacademy.org or (510) 994-6486.

Public Comment

The public may address the MWA Board regarding any item within the subject-matter jurisdiction of the MWA governing board.
Under Public Comment, members of the public may
- Comment on items on the agenda
- Comment on items not on the agenda
- Presentations are limited to two minutes each, or a total of twenty minutes for all speakers, or the two-minute limit may be shortened.
In accordance to the Brown Act, the MWA Board may listen to comments, but can neither discuss nor take action on the topics presented. Members of the board are very limited in their response to statements or questions by persons commenting on items not on the agenda.
Speakers may submit a request to speak before 9:00 AM on the day of the board meeting, fill out a comment card at the meeting, or raise their hand/use the raise hand function during the public comment sections of the meeting.
- If you would like to send your request to speak prior to the meeting, please email your request to bfitzpatrick@mwacademy.org in English or Spanish.
- Your submission should:
  - indicate if it is a general public comment for the beginning of the meeting or a comment for a specific agenda item (please include the item number).
  - include your name so that you can be called when it is your turn to speak.
- During the meeting, we will call your name and you should use the "raise hand" feature to identify yourself.
Under SB1036 the minutes from this meeting will omit student and parent names and other directory information, except as required by judicial order or federal law. If a parent/ legal guardian wishes a name be included, one must inform the board prior to their public comment.

Comentarios públicos

El público puede dirigirse a la Junta Directiva de la MWA con respecto a cualquier asunto dentro de la jurisdicción del tema materia por la Junta Directiva de la MWA.
Bajo comentario público, los miembros del público pueden:
- Hacer comentarios sobre los puntos del orden del día
- Hacer comentarios sobre puntos no incluidos en el orden del día
- Las presentaciones están limitadas a dos minutos cada una, o un total de veinte minutos para todos los oradores, o se puede acortar el límite de dos minutos.

• De acuerdo con la Ley Brown, la Junta Directiva de la MWA puede escuchar los comentarios, pero no discutirán ni tomarán medidas sobre los temas presentados. La respuesta de los miembros de la Junta Directiva a las declaraciones o preguntas de las personas que comentan temas que no figuran en el orden del día es muy limitada.

Mientras las reuniones se llevan a cabo virtualmente, los miembros del publico que desean hablar durante la junta pueden presentar una solicitud para hablar antes de las 9:00 a.m. del día de la reunión de la junta o usar la función de levantar la mano durante las secciones de comentarios públicos de la reunión.
- Si desea enviar su solicitud de uso de la palabra antes de la reunión, envíe su solicitud por correo electrónico a bfitzpatrick@mwacademy.org en inglés o español.
- En su solicitud:
  - Incluya su nombre para que pueda ser llamado cuando sea su turno de hablar.
  - indicar si es un comentario público general para el comienzo de la reunión o si es comentario público sobre un artículo específico del programa (incluya el número del artículo).
  - Durante la reunión, le llamaremos por su nombre y deberá utilizar la función de "levantar la mano" para identificarse.
En virtud de la SB1036, las actas de esta reunión omitirán los nombres de los estudiantes y padres y otra información del directorio, excepto cuando lo requiera la orden judicial o por la ley federal. Si un padre/tutor legal desea que se incluya un nombre, se debe informar a la junta antes de su comentario público.

If you have questions about the board agenda and materials or you are in need of disability-related
accommodations, please contact:
Si tiene preguntas sobre la agenda y materiales de la junta o necesita adaptaciones relacionadas con la
discapacidad, comuníquese con:

Bryann Fitzpatrick at bfitzpatrick@mwacademy.org or (510) 994-6486.
Please note that all agenda times are estimates.
Tenga en cuenta que todos los horarios de la agenda son estimaciones.

Directors Present

Alicia Malet Klein, Amy Obinyan, Enrique Romero, Esther Hugo, Felicia Selva, Janis Glover, Margaret Watson

Directors Absent

None

Guests Present

Alton B. Nelson Jr., Bryann Fitzpatrick, Elizabeth Martinez, Mindy Manzo (remote), Zubida Bakheit, vserrano@stu.mwacademy.org

I. Opening Items

A. Call the Meeting to Order

Alicia Malet Klein called a meeting of the board of directors of Making Waves Academy to order on Monday Sep 8, 2025 at 4:09 PM.

B. Record Attendance

C. Remarks by Board President

This meeting is dedicated to former board member Daryle Morgan, who died last month; he will be greatly missed.

Recognition for Janis Glover's recently deceased husband Federal, who gave himself in service to Contra Costa County for over 30 years, an example for us all.

Welcoming new board members: parent Felicia Selva and student Valeria Serrano.

Recognition for Alton Nelson's 15th year and Liz Martinez's 10th year.

Appreciation for positive environment on campus so far this year.

Reminder to the team that all coversheets (except minutes) should have brief summary descriptions; these are issued in Spanish as well as English.

D. Public Comment

No public comment.

II. Standing Reports

A. Mission Connection: New Leaders

New leaders introduced themselves, their backgrounds, and their vision for this upcoming year:

Zubida Bakheit - MS Division Director
Stephani Lopez - ELD Coordinator
Ahjia Moore - Director of Student Support Services
Tyler Levine-Hall - Director of SPED
Brissa Teodoro - Assoc. Director of Career Development and Internships

B. ASB Update

ASB students Bryan Marinez and Jared Rodriguez Perez noted how recent All School Meetings (ASMs) have helped to encourage positive energy on campus. They also noted struggles with securing physicals on-site this year for student athletes. Ideas for the upcoming Fall Club Fair and Fall Dance were shared, as was the concept of an ASB newsletter.

C. Deep Dive: Priorities for this Year.

Discussion centered around MWA's LCAP/WASC goals and noted that it is a WASC year for the school. Discussion focused on strengthening instructional practices and improving academic outcomes for vulnerable student populations including who is involved in this work.

D. Q&A on Chief Executive Officer Report (CEO)

Discussions included positive reflections from the new format for Back-to-School Nights from multiple perspectives, the approach taken to August PD for the start of this school year, and the role and support of the Instructional coaches for this year.

E. Q&A on Chief Operating Officer Report (COO)

Discussion included questions on staffing and hiring for vacant leadership roles, the decrease in long-term subs (LTS) this year, and the relationship between the Portrait of a Graduate and WASC self-study for our long-term plan as a school. Also discussed was the new platform being used to supplement the few upper school courses lacking a full time teacher, Edmentum (instead of Apex) and the fact that includes a real-time subject-proficient teacher online.

F. Q&A on Written Finance Report

The Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) recommended the board accept the unaudited actuals. Fractional CFO Mindy Manzo introduced herself.

G. Break

III. Non-Action Items

A. Board Work and Advisory Committee Updates

Reminder to the board that they need to complete their ethics and Brown Act training by January 1. Link to the webinar will be resent by YM&C.

New student board member Valeria Serrano introduced herself.

B. Portrait of a Graduate Work

An update on the process for the Portrait of a Graduate was shared, along with the draft of goals for where we would like our student to be once they graduate. Participants in the project were shared. More updates will be shared at the October board meeting.

C. Homeless Liaison for the Year

Sonja Jackson has been designated as MWA's Homeless Liaison for the 2025-26 school year.

D. Instructional Continuity Plan

MWA's Instructional Continuity Plan was shared with the board.

IV. Action Items

A. Appoint Expulsion Hearing Officer: Alton B. Nelson Jr.

Esther Hugo made a motion to approve appointment.

Margaret Watson seconded the motion.

Student board member cast her preferential vote first and stated that she supports approving this item.

Discussion focused on the purpose of appointing an officer and what this change will look like with Alton also acting as the current head of school.