ED Report Highlights Community Engagement & Student Achievement

Many successful March events including the DC Charter Career Fair, a Spanish book fair, and biliteracy week at Mundo Verde J.F. Cook were highlighted. A spring garden party celebrating the solstice was held at Calle Ocho, led by Ms. Bionca. Notable collaborations included DCI teacher collaborating with Ms. Carissa to work with J.F. Cook students to create cutting boards for the garden market. Calle Ocho 3rd-5th graders participated and placed in the DC elementary math competition. City leader Deputy Mayor of Education Paul Kihn also visited the Calle Ocho campus. 

The board is invited to upcoming engagement opportunities.

The Executive Director's update on the 90-day plan centered on talent, organizational assessment, maintaining momentum, and fostering trust.

Key highlights include:

• Staffing & Recruitment: Most leaders and a significant number of staff plan to return. The chief recruiting process has yielded diverse candidates, and efforts are underway to recruit caregivers for the board. An updated organizational chart was shared, and an update was given on the chief application process.
• Strategic Planning: A contract for strategic planning has been awarded, with work expected to begin in late spring and include diverse stakeholder representation. An internal work plan is also in place to ensure a strong finish to the current school year and a prepared start to the next.
• Instructional Coherence: Principals have been engaged in cross-campus learning to build coherence in the implementation of the EL model interventions.
• Facilities: Construction is ready to launch, with demolition tentatively scheduled for late April.
• Professional Development: Management training is being provided to support staff in supervising teams and implementing progressive discipline.
• Community & Trust: Trust-building initiatives include meet-and-greets at each campus, meetings with parent groups and various community members (DME Kihn, council member, ANC, PCSB), transparent communication about staff safety, and efforts to foster a sense of belonging within the school community.
• Budget & Funding: Due to city and government funding uncertainty, there's a potential decrease in revenue. Three budget scenarios have been identified for planning the upcoming school year.

The board committee chair reported that monthly meetings highlight different campuses, with Calle Ocho principals attending last month. J.F. Cook principals and special populations teams will be featured next. The middle of year academic performance review showed growth in MAP data since the beginning of the year, with Calle Ocho students performing above the national norm: 55% scored at or above the 60th percentile overall, and 57% in reading.

Mundo Verde has nine charter goals aligned with its mission and is prepared for charter renewal. While not all goals were met in certain years, enrollment is an example where both campuses fell short annually. The team has implemented strong re-enrollment strategies to address this and drive improvement.

The Governance Committee Chair announced their continued effort to recruit new board members. A vote for these new members is scheduled for the next board meeting, as they couldn't attend tonight.

The Treasurer reported the Internal Committee is focused on revenue, which hinges on enrollment. The construction project is progressing and will break ground soon. The Internal Committee continues to monitor the budget, with receiving the quarter four funds being a positive development. A range of budget scenarios are being considered for financial sustainability. Hiring "chiefs" is expected to reduce costs by replacing contractors, as these necessary positions will fulfill previous contractor roles. Additionally, contractors have been cut back or renegotiated if their services were not fully utilized.