AIMS K-12 College Prep Charter District
Minutes
AIMS Board Meeting
Date and Time
Tuesday October 14, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Location
171 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
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Meeting ID: 661 426 6860
Passcode: 071330
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AIMS does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. Ahsjanae Hutchings has been designated to receive requests for disability-related modifications or accommodations in order to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in open and public meetings at AIMS. Please notify Ahsjanae Hutchings at (510) 504-6898 at least 24 hours in advance of any disability accommodations being needed in order to participate in the meeting.
AIMS does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or treatment or employment in, its programs or activities. Ahsjanae Hutchings has been designated to receive requests for disability-related modifications or accommodations in order to enable individuals with disabilities to participate in open and public meetings at AIMS. Please notify Ahsjanae Hutchings at (510) 504-6898 at least 24 hours in advance of any disability accommodations being needed in order to participate in the meeting.
Directors Present
J. Hinton, K. Kean, M. Sweet, S. Leung, T. Lacsado
Directors Absent
J. Colly
Directors who arrived after the meeting opened
J. Hinton
Guests Present
A. Hutchings, C. Ahmad, J. Brown, J. Li, Johnathan Winn, M. Menendez, Osundu Harambe, S. Chu, T. Tung
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance and Guests
C.
Adoption of Agenda
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Hinton |
Aye
|
| J. Colly |
Absent
|
| T. Lacsado |
Aye
|
| M. Sweet |
Aye
|
| S. Leung |
Aye
|
| K. Kean |
Aye
|
D.
Public Comment on Agenda Items
E.
Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items
II. Approve Board Meeting Minutes
A.
AIMS Board Meeting: Minute Approvals 9/16/2025
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Hinton |
Absent
|
| J. Colly |
Absent
|
| M. Sweet |
Aye
|
| K. Kean |
Abstain
|
| S. Leung |
Aye
|
III. Information
A.
Executive Director Memo
The Executive Director memo covered several key operational areas:
Safety and Emergency Procedures
- Fire drills conducted monthly with quarterly earthquake and lockdown drills scheduled for October
- Safety survey completed with low participation but positive feedback on safety standards
Teaching and Learning
- Both heads of school recruiting for Student Study Teams (SSTs) to kickstart the MTSS process
- Dr. Irene St. Roseman joining as new Director of Teaching and Learning
Business and Finance
- Opportunities for new state and federal funding being pursued
- Board budget workshop planning for transparency and collaboration
Enrollment
- Currently 80 students below goal but financially stable due to budget reductions of over $1 million
- Preliminary plans for increasing general and Latinx population enrollment
- Twice-weekly information sessions for prospective families
- Outreach at community events like Dia de los Muertos
Staffing and HR
- Most vacant positions filled, remaining vacancies primarily instructional
- Focus on hiring credentialed teachers to meet MOU deadline of 48% credentialed and properly assigned by February
Culture and Climate
- Professional development day planned with staff celebration at the Plank in Jack London Square
- Focus on inclusion, belonging, and strong community culture
The memo also addressed facilities issues including HVAC system repairs and security measures for the garage area.
B.
MOU Update
Based on the meeting discussion, AIMS must meet several specific MOU deadlines:
February 2025
- Achieve 48% credentialed and properly assigned teachers
December 2024 and February 2025
- Various compliance metrics with extended deadlines (specific details not fully specified in the meeting)
Ongoing Requirements
- Monthly submission of updated compliance reports to ACOE
- Resubmission of July and August reports with revised data
- Quarterly cycles for team implementation plans (next cycle ends October 24th)
The Executive Director reported that AIMS is "on track" with most metrics, though many items are rated as orange and yellow on their accountability tool because deadlines haven't been reached yet. The organization reduced teaching positions from 41 to 39 at AIPCS2 to help improve their credentialing percentage and meet the February deadline.
ACOE and their consulting partner WestEd are working with AIMS to ensure compliance, and they've requested that AIMS revise and resubmit all materials from July and August while maintaining current compliance with September and October requirements.
C.
Governance Work Plan
The governance work plan discussed was a Board-Led Community Engagement Framework developed by Director Hinton and Vice President Keene. The framework is designed to help the board set 3-5 year board goals by first engaging with the community to understand their vision and values for AIMS.
Timeline and Process:
- Fall/Winter (October-December 2024): Board members will pair up to facilitate focus groups with different community segments
- January 2025: First synthesis conversation and LCAP updates
- February 2025: Re-engage community with draft vision and values
- March 2025: Adopt final vision and values, then move into setting 3-5 year goals
Target Groups for Engagement:
- Special education families
- English learner families
- Latino families
- AIMS Parent Union leaders
- Community partners (Latino CBOs, Asian Pacific Islander organizations, Black and African Diaspora CBOs, Chambers of Commerce)
Board Member Participation:
Each board member is expected to participate in two community engagement focus groups during the fall. The framework requires developing protocols and data collection methods by the end of October.
Outcome:
The community input will help the board articulate a clear organizational vision and adopt values that reflect the diverse AIMS community, which will then inform the board's strategic 3-5 year goals.
IV. Action Items
A.
AIMS Way Plan Ratification
The topic focused on the implementation of the AIMS way plan, which involves organizing teams to achieve student-focused SMART goals through short-term cycles of inquiry. The discussion highlighted examples of team plans, including instructionally focused teams, central office teams, and an outreach team, with each team setting measurable goals and theories of action. The next steps include concluding the first cycle of inquiry and preparing for the second cycle, with a board presentation planned for future meetings to showcase progress and learning. Additionally, the board discussed a proposed budget workshop to clarify roles, responsibilities, and processes within the finance department, with an emphasis on aligning resources with student outcomes.
B.
Board Budget Workshop Proposal
The board budget workshop proposal was presented by the Executive Director and Director Hinton and focused on creating a more transparent and collaborative budget process. Here are the key details:
Purpose:
- Increase board transparency and involvement in the budget development process
- Provide deeper understanding of AIMS' financial operations and decision-making
Proposed Timeline:
- Early November 2024 - Workshop to be scheduled and conducted
- The Board Secretary was tasked with working with board members to coordinate scheduling
Workshop Goals:
- Give board members hands-on experience with budget development
- Enhance board oversight and financial literacy
- Improve collaborative decision-making between board and administration
- Ensure board members understand the financial implications of operational decisions
Context:
This proposal came as part of the Executive Director's collaboration with Director Hinton memo discussing business and finance matters, where they mentioned pursuing new state and federal funding opportunities and noted that while enrollment is 80 students below goal, AIMS remains financially stable due to over $1 million in budget reductions.
The workshop represents an effort to strengthen governance practices and ensure board members are well-equipped to make informed financial decisions for the organization.
C.
Conflict of Interest Policy
Tiffany Lascado made a motion to approve
D.
Nomination of New Board Director
Nominee: Tiffany Lascado was presented for nomination to fill a vacant board position.
Process: The nomination was brought forward as part of the formal board business, likely following their established procedures for board recruitment and vetting.
Board Action: The nomination was approved by the board members present at the meeting.
Context: This nomination comes at a significant time for the board, as they also announced that the current Board President is resigning from their position. The addition of a new board member will help maintain board capacity as they work through several important initiatives including:
- The community engagement framework
- Budget workshop planning
- MOU compliance deadlines
- Implementation of the AIMS plan
Next Steps: The newly nominated board member will presumably be sworn in and begin participating in upcoming board activities, including the planned community engagement focus groups where each board member is expected to facilitate two sessions during the fall.
The timing of this appointment helps ensure the board maintains adequate membership to handle their governance responsibilities during this transitional period.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| J. Colly |
Absent
|
| J. Hinton |
Absent
|
| S. Leung |
Aye
|
| K. Kean |
Aye
|
| M. Sweet |
Aye
|
E.
AIMS CTC Declaration of Need
V. Consent Calendar
A.
Videography Vendor (CCSA Referral)
B.
Contracts
C.
Linguabee CDI Contract
D.
NPS Spectrum Contract
VI. Non-Action Items
A.
Complaints Update
The complaints update was provided by Director Tung and covered the following:
Current Status:
- Director Tung reported on recent complaints that have been filed and processed
- The complaints appear to involve various operational and educational matters at AIMS
Board Action Required:
- Director Tung was tasked with providing redacted complaint reports to all board members - this ensures board oversight while protecting confidential information
- The redacted reports will allow board members to understand complaint patterns and resolution processes without compromising privacy
Process Improvements:
- The update was part of ongoing efforts to improve complaint handling processes at AIMS
- This represents enhanced transparency and board governance around complaint management
Context:
This complaints update comes as AIMS is working to strengthen its operations across multiple areas, including meeting MOU compliance deadlines and improving community relations. Proper complaint handling and board oversight of these processes is crucial for organizational accountability.
Next Steps:
- Director Tung will prepare and distribute the redacted complaint reports to board members
- This will enable better board oversight of complaint resolution and help identify any systemic issues that need addressing
The complaints update reflects AIMS' commitment to transparency and proper governance procedures around sensitive operational matters.
B.
Team Special Education Annual Plan
This item was not ready to be presented and was added to the submissions folder by accident.
VII. Closed Session
A.
Public Comment on Closed Session items
B.
Recess to Closed Session
The Board went to closed session at 6:36 PM.
The Board reconvened from closed session at 6:40 with no report outs.
Angel made a public comment during the AIMS Board Meeting. Angel commented about the recent holiday and the perception of AIMS being friendly or unfriendly to Indigenous families. Angel emphasized the importance of having Indigenous Day off and suggested changing the name of "Thanksgiving break" to something else like "Fall Break" or another name that isn't associated with historical atrocities.