Antioch School Board votes to hire superintendent search firm, splits on vote for Common Core textbook adoption
By Nick Goodrich
The Antioch Unified School District Board of Trustees met on Wednesday, February 17th and opened with the unveiling of a new AUSD commercial aimed at increasing attendance in Antioch schools, which has been a problem in recent years.
During public comments section, several parents of District schoolchildren brought complaints or questions before the Board. One parent, Julie Young, informed the Board that the California Department of Education recently released the records of some students in the District, as a result of an ongoing court case. As a result of Concerned Parents Association vs. California Department of Education, records were authorized for release of some students who have attended schools since up to 2008. Information made available in the Department of Education’s archives include these students’ state test scores, GPA’s, and attendance records, among others. The Board was able to waylay these fears to some extent by acknowledging that only students involved in the case would have their records released.
Soon after public comments, the Board made their choice of Leadership Associates official in their hunt for a new Superintendent. The search firm was voted in 5-0 Wednesday night, after being decided on during the last Board meeting on January 20th to glowing reviews. With the search heating up, the Board can begin the next steps to finding the District’s new Superintendent.
One issue raised during Wednesday’s meeting was that of digitalization. It is common practice for school districts to adopt new textbooks and update course materials that will last for up to a decade or more, and districts almost always pay in advance for the new set of books. The board voted to do so on Wednesday, as a result of the District’s adoption of Common Core.
However, as part of a larger conversation dating to last year, some members of the Board wondered whether paying in advance for 8 years of books is a good idea in what is rapidly becoming a paperless world. In fact, Wednesday’s meeting marked the first time the Board has been able to review their full meeting packets on computers, rather than receiving stacks of paper to sort through. This came about as a result of Claire Smith’s suggestion to save paper and condense the packets.
“What is the logic in paying eight years in advance for Common Core textbooks and curriculum?” asked tew Trustee Fernando Navarro. “We’re in an election year, and the next administration may not agree with Common Core.”
He also noted that several Districts have begun experimenting with digitalizing some aspects of their curriculum. Smith echoed this concern, wondering if the District would be “locked in” to a paper curriculum in the event that digitalization became a viable option in the near future. Board staff answered that while the books were Common Core, they still presented a good curriculum and could be used even if Common Core was thrown out in the next several years; and they informed the Board that it did not appear digitalization of the District would be likely within the time frame of the 8-year book contract.
Board Member Debra Vinson was on board with the adoption of the textbooks, but had some cautionary advice in the careful choosing of which books to adopt. She reminded the room that in the past, the District has bought books that sat unused for years, as they became obsolete soon after being adopted.
The Antioch School Board last adopted books in 2003. After a spirited debate among the Board, they voted 3-2 during the February 17th meeting to adopt the textbooks, with Navarro and Diane Gibson-Gray dissenting.
The Board then turned to a discussion of the vendors they employ to run mentor and college preparation programs, among others, in the District. These vendors are contracted by the District to increase students’ knowledge and ability in the college application process and prepare them for state tests, while also offering programs to help students in their classes.
However, as noted by the Board, oversight and accountability has been lacking in the District’s vendor process. This was brought to a head when a vendor working for the District asked for a $25,000 increase in pay from the previous years’ deal, or they would not be able to fully meet the contract’s requirements in serving District schoolchildren.
The Board was not pleased, and discussed how to better oversee vendor operations and revamp the vendor selection process to avoid situations like this one in the future. Board Member Walter Ruehlig suggested unannounced visits to vendor-hosted programs, in order to increase accountability and keep vendors on track. Daily reports on vendor expenditures were raised as a solution. Debra Vinson said that some groups, which get Title I funding without having to report much information to the District or the government, should be held to the same standard as those who don’t receive the funding. “We need to be more vigilant about monitoring data from all our vendors,” she said.
Members of the vendor in question were present at the meeting. Synitha Walker told the Board that her organization, Parents Connected, offers financial aid workshops, summer programs, and college tours for students, among other opportunities, and that the vendor employees do not receive a salary; they work full-time on a volunteer basis, and all the funding from the district goes straight to the students. If there is a rise in costs, she stated, it is for the students’, and not the vendors’, benefit.
In all, after another lengthy consideration, the Board voted against the extra $25,000 for the vendor. However, they promised to shore up processes and set new standards for vendor contracts in the future, and will look into taking action in future meetings.
