Monterey County Grand Jury • 2017-2018 • Agency Response
Response to: The Role of Local School Boards

Dear Honorable Judge Hulsey: The 2017-18 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Final Report -*

Published: August 09, 2018 6 pages
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Findings and Recommendations 8 findings

F1
Student achievement suffers when school districts are unproductive or dysfunctional. It can be very costly and take years to address problems if the Monterey County Office of Education and/or California Department of Education have to step in to support or save a school district. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this finding.
Related Recommendations (1)
R1
School Boards should adopt a policy to commit to all National School Boards Association best practices. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees that school boards should adopt a policy to commit to all National School Boards Association best Practices. The Soledad Unified School District Board of Trustees has attended the National School Boards Association Annual Conference for the past 3 Years. They continue to seek out best practices from a National Perspective. The strands that have been presented at the National Conference include the following: New School Board Member Bootcamp Stop Doing Things that Don't Work, and Really Close the Achievement Gap Global Learning Initiatives, Discovery Education ٠ How the Best Schools and education Systems Keep Getting B Community and Adolescent Resiliency-Unifying Solution School Safety . Becoming a Lifelong Learner Disrupting Poverty: Where to Start...What to Stop School Boards and Superintendents Partnering for Innovation . School Board/Superintendent Relations What the Public Wants from our Schools Addressing Neighborhood effects in High Poverty Schools ٠ 10 Strategies Proven to Inspire & Engage Every Student You Have the Power of One to Start a Fire, But you Need the Power of Many to keep the Fire Burn- ing
F2
There are proactive steps that can be taken by the Monterey County Office of Education in col- laboration with school boards to prevent many pitfalls of poor governance.
Related Recommendations (1)
R2
School Boards should adopt a bylaw to make initial training and ongoing workshops mandatory. Response: The Soledad Unified School District partially agrees with this statement. It is important for school board members to develop their skills and knowledge to become highly effective board mem- bers. Our current bylaw on Board training indicates that training is encouraged by board members. Al- so, there are budgeted funds available for board members to attend the necessary trainings.
F3
The Monterey County Office of Education and local school boards can do more to promote ef- fective governance that is accountable to the community and produces better district outcomes. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this finding. The Soledad Unified School District has provided leadership for effective governance by participating in the biannual Education Leadership Forums hosted by the Monterey County School Boards Association (MCSBA). This board training event is a full day of training for school board members and covers such topics as: Keys to Effective Leadership and Governance: Lessons Learned Board Relations and Developing Cohesive and Effective Governance Teams Understanding the Legal Requirements of School Boards and Board Members Behind the Numbers: Where California Stands in School Funding and What School Districts Can Do to Inform Public Perceptions of Education The Shift of Future Ready: Technology Integration and Innovative School Programs . The Bully, The Bullied, and the Not-So-Innocent Bystander . California's Fiscal and Political Outlook for K-12 Education and Legislative Overview . The Role of Equity: California's New Accountability and Continuous Improvement System . Raising Results for English Learners • Preparing K-12 Students for the Rigor of College: What Districts Need to Do Grand Jury Response – Soledad USD
Related Recommendations (1)
R3
Schools Boards, along with their superintendent and teacher union representatives, should make annual public presentations on school district goals and student achievement. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this recommendation. This recommenda- tion has already been implemented in accordance with the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). This plan requires the engagement of all stakeholders in the process, including bargaining units. Also, the LCAP is presented at a public hearing and approved at a regular board meeting each year.
F4
Promoting effective local governance requires better public information, communication, and a strong commitment to board development. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees that better public information, communication, and a strong commitment to board development are important elements of effective governance for school districts.
Related Recommendations (1)
R4
Schools Boards should provide clear, concise, and easy to find communications on their dis- trict's goals and outcomes on their district's website. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this recommendation. The Soledad Uni- fied School District is required to post the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) on the website each year. Also, the LCAP includes the District's LCAP goals and student achievement results. In addition, the District is required to post their Annual Accountability Report Cards by February 1st of each year. Telephone: (831) 678-3987 * General Fax: (831) 678-2866 * Superintendent/H.R. Fax: (831) 678-1496 Grand Jury Response – Soledad USD
F5
Although each school district has individual priorities, school boards can each make a commit- ment to adhering to best practices, training, and ongoing professional development when it comes to school board governance. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this finding. The Board has been active in recent years in Monterey County School Boards Association trainings, as well as the National/California School Boards Association Annual Conferences, workshops, and trainings. The School Board has also participated in trainings locally regarding professional development and school governance. Some of the local training topics include: Ethics Training by Tom DeLapp for District Leadership Team and Board Members - May 2, 2017 ٠ Board Retreat – Communications Training with Tom DeLapp – August 2016 Nov 16, 2016 – Trainings by Lozano-Smith on: Conflict of Interest - fits • Form 700 – training ٠ Credit Card Usage – what is authorized and what is not • Misappropriation of Public Funds • Fraud Prevention • Soledad Leadership Summit with Board Members & Soledad City Council on November 2, 2017. Topics included: Services • Communication • Future Development • Facilities • Follow- Leadership Summit with Board Members & Soledad City Council on July 31, 2018 Two Board Members have completed the Masters in Governance Program (sponsored by the Cali- ٠ fornia School Boards Association); and one member is registered to start the program in September 2018 In April 2018, the Soledad Unified School Board of Trustees created a Governance Handbook for use as a Governing Board
Related Recommendations (1)
R5
School Boards should provide information on their district's website about the role and respon- sibilities of school board members to educate parents, the public and potential school board candidates Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees with this recommendation. The District has posted on the website the roles and responsibilities of school board members to educate parents, the public, and potential school board members.
F6
While the Monterey County Office of Education cannot dictate how school boards govern, they can provide strong leadership in promoting a culture of effective school board governance. Response: The Soledad Unified School District agrees that the Monterey County Office of Education can provide strong leadership in promoting a culture of effective school board governance. In recent years, the Soledad Unified School District has participated in effective school board workshops hosted by the Monterey County School Boards Association. Topics of these workshops include: Public Records – What You Need to Know – December 10, 2015 Annual Educational Leadership Summits – November of each year (November 18, 2015, November 16, 2017 MCSBA Annual Dinner & Organizational Meetings of each year (April 14, 2016; April 27, 2017; March 22, 2018) Back to School Legal Updates Workshop by Lozano Smith Telephone: (831) 678-3987 * General Fax: (831) 678-2866 * Superintendent/H.R. Fax: (831) 678-1496 - Grand Jury Response – Soledad USD Unifying To End Cyber Bullying – February 28, 2017 – at Soledad High School – Sponsored by the Pebble Beach Authors & Ideas Festival and Carmel Ideas Foundation & MCOE Participation in the Monterey County School Boards Association Scheduled Meetings Safe Schools - Safety and Crisis Plan Training A.L.I.C.E Training (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate) 2017 MCOE Trainings: Best Practices and Strategies for Effective Governance College and Career Pathways The Nuts and Bolts of LCFF and LCAP 2014 MCOE Trainings: Brown Act Jeopardy! Clarifying Tough Issues Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF)
Related Recommendations (1)
R6
School Boards should provide access to informational sessions to educate potential school board candidates on the duties and commitment associated with serving on a local school board. Response: The Soledad Unified School District Board of Trustees agrees with this recommendation. Potential school board candidates should attend school board meetings, and read information on the district's website, which includes board policies, administrative regulations, and board by-laws. Poten- tial candidates should also contact other board members or the district superintendent to learn more about board member roles and responsibilities. Telephone: (831) 678-3987 * General Fax: (831) 678-2866 * Superintendent/H.R. Fax: (831) 678-1496
F7
Information posted on Monterey County Office of Education and school district websites is in- sufficient and not user-friendly. It does not provide with adequate information about what school boards do, how to evaluate school board performance, or how to assess school district outcomes. Response: The Soledad school District has a comprehensive website with over # 187 webpages and over 378 documents that are accessible to the public. The District's link to the School Board is http://soledadusd.org/boardoftrustees/ Other links from the District's website include the following: Home – http://soledadusd.org/ Community - http://soledadusd.org/community/ Our District – http://soledadusd.org/our-district/ Parents – http://soledadusd.org/parents-portal/ Students - http://soledadusd.org/students/ Schools - http://soledadusd.org/schools/ Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/SoledadUnifiedSchoolDistrict Also Available in Spanish Language – -there is no link, but the option is available in the upper right hand corner Communication also includes Auto-Dialers, School Marquees, school website, and weekly Dis- trict/School Newsletters. The Soledad Unified School District continues to work to make the website accessible to the public and maintain it in accordance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The District is also working to ensure that each webpage conforms to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0.
No recommendations for this finding
F8
as well as Recommendations R1-R6. FINDINGS
No recommendations for this finding

* This report's PDF did not contain easily extractable text and required Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for analysis. There may be minor errors in the extracted findings and recommendations due to OCR limitations with scanned documents.