School Board News! July 13, 2011
For those interested in running for School Board, forms will be available on October 17, 2011. Three seats will be available, with one incumbent termed out and one incumbent announcing she is “unlikely” to rerun
And more – read the full report from June Monach
Highlights from the July 13, 2011 Board Meeting by June Monach, Board of Education Trustee
Summary:
The Board Voted:
- 5-0 to elect Board President Roy Tolles to serve a second year as President-
- 5-0 to elect Board Vice President Rick Raushenbush to serve a second year as Vice President
- 5-0 to elect Superintendent Constance Hubbard to continue to serve as Secretary to the Board
- 5-0 to increase the daily rate for substitute teachers
- 5-0 to adopt Board committee assignments for 2011-12
Board Review & Discussion:
- February 7, 2012 Municipal Election – Board Member Monach Termed Out; Board Member Jones Unlikely to Run for Re-Election; For Those Interested in Running for Office – Forms Available on October 17, 2011 from City Clerk
Other Business:
- Agenda Item VII. A – Architectural Fees to Murakami/Nelson Architects for the Beach construction project – was pulled and will be reviewed on August 24, 2011-
- Minutes from the June 22, 2011 Board Meeting were pulled and will be on the August 24, 2011
- Consent Calendar
Welcome – Board President Tolles welcomed Assistant Superintendent Randall Booker to his first Board meeting as a District Administrator.
Annual Board Reorganization – The reorganization of the Board’s officers takes place every July. In election years, terms of service are from July through February, followed by a second reorganization in March when the Board convenes with newly elected members. We elected into office: Roy Tolles as President; Rick Raushenbush as Vice President; and Superintendent Constance Hubbard as Secretary. Board Member Ray Gadbois thought it was a good idea for Board President Tolles to continue for a second year if he was willing and interested, citing that he had done a good job working with the District administration on agenda planning, and facilitating open and closed session meetings in a challenging budget year. Board Member June Monach added that she thought President Tolles had fostered a culture of continuous improvement and self evaluation as the President. Both Board Members thought that serving a second year as President would provide continuity and stability to the governance team in an election year. Board Member Monach nominated Vice President Raushenbush for a second term identifying his significant contributions on the team as a clear communicator and effective critical thinker, and for his decisiveness in making complex decisions after thorough review and analysis of the issues. President Tolles and Vice President Raushenbush graciously accepted the nominations to serve and thanked Board Members for their votes of confidence.
Substitute Teacher Pay – In order to attract and retain qualified, experienced substitutes to our school district, the Board approved the half-day pay rate increase from $50 to $60; and the full-day pay rate increase from $100 to $120. Assistant Superintendent Randall Booker provided a background on the proposal to increase the pay rates. Included in the proposal was a comparative analysis of what Piedmont pays in comparison to other school districts in Alameda County. According to Mr. Booker, the rates have not been increased in 10 years. The long-term substitute rate will remain at $150 per day. When compared to the 18 districts in Alameda County, with these approved changes, Piedmont’s pay rates place us in the middle of the range of compensation offered. Assistant Superintendent Michael Brady explained that the estimated financial impact to the District of adopting the proposal would be upwards of $20,000 per year. Assistant Superintendent Booker noted that being able to retain qualified substitutes is good for students and the District, as they get to know students better and learn and understand our systems and practices.
For details see pp 8-9.
Timeline for February 7, 2012 School Board and City Council Election Superintendent Hubbard announced that Monday, October 17, 2011 is the date when forms from the City Clerk’s Office will available for those interested in running for school board. She will confer with the City Clerk that the deadline for filing nomination papers is November 10th instead of the currently published date of November 11th, which is Veterans Day. Of the three seats, Board Member June Monach will complete her second and final term; Vice President Raushenbush and Board Member Jones will complete their first terms and may run for re-election. At the last Board meeting, Board Member Jones announced that, “It is unlikely that I will be running again.” She explained that her husband is a Mathematics professor at UC Berkeley, and has taken a leave and will be teaching at Vanderbilt University. She will therefore not be able to dedicate the time necessary to school board work as she will be traveling more next year. Board Member Jones explained that she was announcing her news early in an effort to interest good candidates in our community to think about running for office. Superintendent Hubbard encouraged members of the public to contact the City Clerk with filing and election timeline questions, and the Superintendent’s office or individual Board Members with questions about the responsibilities and time commitments for serving as a member of the school board.
For details on the timeline, go to pp 10-12.
Board Assignments: Board Members thanked President Tolles for making assignments this year that integrate their individual interests. It is hoped that changing the expectation for meeting attendance on the Liaison assignments to be on an as-needed basis will lighten the load for Board Members. Meeting attendance has become a very time consuming responsibility for the Board.
