Urban Montessori Charter School
Minutes
Executive & Governance Committee Meeting
Date and Time
Monday February 12, 2024 at 1:15 PM
Location
4551 Steele Street, Oakland, CA 94619. Ring the front bell or call/text 510-290-4005 for entry. Signage on campus will direct you to the correct room, generally the Head of School's Office.
3921 Enos Ave, Oakland Ca 94619. Ring the front bell for entry.
The public may comment and participate via Zoom if they prefer. The public may also email comments to christinag@urbanmontessori.org to be shared during the meeting. Please make that intention clear in your email. Please make that intention clear in your email.
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Meeting ID: 825 9285 5160; Passcode 510 842 1181
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Meeting ID: 825 9285 5160
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The public can find documents related to this agenda either linked directly on the agenda or under "Documents" after selecting the meeting in BoardOnTrack prior to viewing the agenda. Downloading the "packet" may not include all of the "Documents" that are still otherwise available to the public.
Members: Sarah Morrill (Chair), Greg Klein, Evan Sequoia
Urban Montessori Charter School welcomes your participation at Board meetings. The purpose of a public meeting of the Board of Directors (“Board”) is to conduct the affairs of the organization in public. Your participation assures us of continuing community interest in our school and assists the Board in making the best decisions for our school. To assist you in the ease of speaking/participating in our meetings, guidelines are provided at the bottom of this agenda. All materials for all board and committee meetings, including audio recordings of Regular Board Meetings, are available on our BoardOnTrack public portal and also through the UMCS School Calendar.
Committee Members Present
E. Sequoia, G. Klein (remote), S. Morrill (remote)
Committee Members Absent
None
Guests Present
K. Feeney
I. Opening Items
A.
Call the Meeting to Order
B.
Record Attendance
Greg had his camera on and no persons over 18 were with him during his remote participation.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| G. Klein |
Abstain
|
| E. Sequoia |
Aye
|
| S. Morrill |
Aye
|
C.
Approve Minutes from prior Executive & Governance Committee Meeting
No questions or public comments on this item.
| Roll Call | |
|---|---|
| G. Klein |
Aye
|
| E. Sequoia |
Aye
|
| S. Morrill |
Aye
|
D.
Review of Action/Discussion Items
E.
Presentations from the Floor
No public comments on items not on the agenda.
II. Executive and Governance
A.
Board Structure Evolution & Long Term Goal Alignment
Sarah asked for the conversation about organizational structure wait until a new incoming Head of School is identified so that they can also be included in the deliberations. Greg confirmed with Sarah that the Finance committee should continue with its plan to understand different financial scenarios and impacts of the proposed financial investments. The committee agreed to wait to include an incoming Head of School in the organizational structure conversation, to understand what they say will best support them in their new role.
No public comment on this item.
B.
Board Membership, Recruitment, and Training
Greg shared his appreciation to Evan for joining the board and for completing his onboarding requirements and steps. Greg reminded the committee about completing their Form 700 and shared a little about how he completes it and offered his assistance, and then also getting help as needed from the Commission, or CharterSafe, or even our legal counsel. Greg reminded the committee that this is Donald's last month on the board, and that he recently met an new interested candidate for Board service, and Greg encouraged them to starting attending and participating in meetings as a good next step in learning more about volunteer Board service.
No public comments on this item.
C.
Head of School Evaluation Process
Sarah needs to reschedule the listening session with staff. She and Krishna will coordinate on options, considering February 28th, 2024. Greg can open up the BoardOnTrack evaluation survey after Sarah and Krishna confirm the direct reports that should receive the survey from BoardOnTrack.
No public comments on this item.
D.
Head of School search and selection process
Sarah shared that the school has received the application of one qualified candidate, verified by two other board members as well. Krishna will schedule the student panel. Kara plans to hold the staff and parent panel before the next Board meeting. Sarah shared that the Board panel will be at the February regular meeting. Sarah is pulling together the panel questions in partnership with the other panel leads. The committee discussed communications with families and staff, some of which have already gone off, and preparing the compensation analysis. The soonest a contract could be approved would be at the March regular board meeting.
No public comments on this item.
E.
Discuss Proposal for new Investment in Growth and Development Capacity
Tabled -- this is a repeat item on the agenda
III. Updates on School Policies and Required Documents
A.
Review of Board Policies
Krishna shared the draft UMCS Calendar for 2024-2025 with a start date of Wednesday, August 14th, and that she will recommend the calendar for approval at next week's meeting. Krishna shared the updated UMCS Comprehensive School Safety Plan, which this year includes two new legally required components, including a response to opioid overdose. Krishna shared that the process for developing the 2024-2025 LCAP is just beginning, and was at a county training the prior week. This will be the start of a new three-year cycle, with updated templates.
No public comments on these items.
IV. Closed Session
A.
Closed Session Items
Tabled. This item did not occur.
B.
Report out of Closed Session
Tabled. This item did not occur.
No changes needed. Krishna announced the Measure G1 process and updating our enrollment numbers of middle schoolers with OUSD, and shared about upcoming board engagements for further discussion.