No action was taken.

No action was taken. The case name remains unspecified because disclosure would jeopardize service of the process.

The overall strong start to the new school year as evidenced by the reports was noted, as was the absence of ED Liz Martinez for a family emergency in Los Angeles.

Members were reminded to complete the newly required trainings on sexual harassment, sexual abuse and manadated reporting.

Focus Area: Teaching & Learning

WASC/LCAP Goals: 

LCAP Goal 1: Support for All Learners

LCAP Goal 2: College and Career Readiness

 The board welcomed the new Chief of Staff, Bianca Muonekwu, and 3 new members:

Jeremy Cruz Perez

• Member of the 24th Wave, the second student board member to serve in office.

Eleanor Boli

• Former Dean and Associate Director at MWA for 8 years, now working on economic and community development with an eye to small business.

Kyle Cooper

• Executive in the finance technology industry, has consulted with MWA pro bono and started his career as a high school science teacher with TFA. 

Two public comments were made.

A MWA alum sharing concerns about MWEF's new scholarship policies. 

A MWA parent shared kind regards and appreciation at the starts of the school year and encouraged parents to become involved.

The Board received an overview of the 2026 - 2027 professional development (PD) plan, including the schedule for the year and the focus on instructional practices, student and family support, teacher development, and feedback-driven priorities. Board members discussed the integration of parent engagement opportunities and also encouraged sharing the PD presentation with faculty.

ASB President Dipika Thajali and Vice Predisent Jasmin Fajardo gave an update highlighting strong student engagement, including 38,000 views across five ASB media posts and a student voice form to gather feedback and ideas. ASB also identified communication and coordination as areas for improvement, including creating a form for morning announcements.

The upper school ASB intends to invite the middle school ASB members to an upcoming meeting to share their process and help connect students across grade levels. 

The Board reviewed the progress on the strategic plan’s shift in the North Star from college attainment to economic mobility, including 10-year goals, 3-year targets and 1-year operational steps. Academic outcomes, preliminary test score results, employee retention, and positive impacts of restorative practices were all discussed. The Board identified a need to determine measurable career-focused goals to match the academic goals and discussed potential metrics,such as number of interviews, creation of personal budgets and resumes/brand presence strategies, number of internships, and evidence of networking.

In discussion of the coming integration of college coaching and support into MWA's CCC, it was noted that MWA does not and will not issue college scholarships; that function will continue to live at Making Waves Education Foundation.

It was noted that board members can email any questions to the ED, since she was absent.

The Board reviewed the start-of-year school reports, including the use of Wayfinder curriculum across all grade levels and the focused instructional coaching in ELA and math. Discussion highlighted the need to continue building content-specific support in science and history through content leads and outside providers.

Regarding the middle school report, it was noted that board members can submit questions to the ED or division director, since they were absent.

The board noted the strong start-of-year results including 97% ADA, improved retention and suspension rates, and increased diversity in the fifth-grade class resulting from the priority changes in the charter. The Board also recognized the leadership team’s start-of-year retreat and emphasis on building alignment around instructional priorities, particularly support for English Learners and students with disabilities.

Board questions can be submitted to the ED.

The Board noted the Finance Advisory Committee’s recommendation to approve the unaudited actuals later in the meeting and recognized the work of the school's Controller Lawrence Lee while the search is underway to fill vacancies on the finance team.

Culture and Climate Committee: Enrique Romero 

• The committee is currently looking to identify the appropriate scope and members. They look forward to having their first meeting with new leadership this semester.

Parent Leadership Team (PLT) and 5C: Felicia Selva

• The PLT has already hosted several outreach events this semester, including the parent/guardian assembly, Back to School Night activities, and the 5C Family Leadership Institute. Their next meeting is on September 30, 2026. 

Student Perspectives: Jeremy Cruz Perez

• The Student Board Member shared positive feedback on increased staff and teacher engagement at the start of the school year, and identified inconsistent Wi-Fi access as a concern. The Managing Director of IT and Operations Damon Edwards shared  ways to address the issues and will collect broader information from faculty and students. 

Enrique Romero and Felicia Selva were unable to attend the meeting, so the board president read updates they provided.

The board has been notified that Lindsey De Leon Rodas, School Counselor, is designated as the homeless liaison for the 2026-27 school year for Making Waves Academy.

Appreciations for staff, student leadership, ong-serving Board members, and CEO Alton Nelson in his final year were shared. Strong student engagement, growth in academic outcomes, and the huge expansion of student clubs were also noted.

• Oct 19, 2026 at 4pm
• Dec 14, 2026 at 11am
• Jan 25, 2027 at 11am
• Mar 8, 2027 at 4pm
• May 3, 2027 at 4pm
• June 14, 2027 at 11am