QUESTIONS  AND  COMMENTS  

TOWN  HALL  MEETING  AT  JGHS  

MARCH  12,  2014  

1. When  you  say,  “give  us  your  feedback”  does  this  include  input?    Yes,  off  course.    We  have  been  collecting  input  in  a  variety  of  ways.  We  have  provided  surveys,  both  online  and  on  paper  and  have  been  meeting  with  various  stakeholder  groups-­‐  District  English  Learner  Advisory  Committee  (DELAC),  District  Site  Leadership  Team  (DSLT),  Secondary  Action  Team  (SAT),  Principals,  Associations,  etc.      

2. Did  you  provide  teachers  with  results  of  the  surveys  we  filled  in?  We  received  over  1700  responses  from  parents,  teachers,  students,  administrators  and  classified  staff,  which  took  over  a  month  to  compile.  We  are  currently  reviewing  this  data  and  will  be  asking  the  DSLT  on  March  27  to  help  us  identify  the  major  trends  and  then  that  will  be  posted  on  the  District  website.    

 

3. How  do  we  know  that  the  input  gathered  at  this  evening’s  hearing  will  be  given  serious  consideration?  Although  collecting  input  is  a  requirement  of  the  LCAP  process,  we  are  seriously  interested  in  hearing  from  various  stakeholders  about  ways  to  improve  our  schools  for  our  students.  We  realize  that  it  takes  a  collaborative  effort  and  we  are  appreciative  of  all  input  and  points  of  view.  

 

 4. Please  implement  programs  in  all  the  schools,  not  only  in  certain  communities.    All  the  

students  deserve  quality  education.      

5. How  will  the  plans  eventually  become  public  and  we  will  know  how  these  monies  will  be  spent?  The  LCAP  draft  will  be  presented  to  the  DSLT  on  June  3,  posted  on  the  website,  the  public  at  a  school  board  meeting  on  June  8  and  the  DELAC  on  June  12.  The  plan  will  include  a  budget  describing  how  the  LCAP  plan  will  be  implemented.  

 

6. How  do  we  know  that  stakeholder  input  is  fairly  considered  in  the  decision  making  process?  We  have  hired  a  facilitator  and  have  formed  two  strategic  plan  committees  to  ensure  that  we  have  an  inclusive  and  fair  process  to  determine  priorities  to  “increase  and  improve”  services  to  our  English  Learners,  Low  Income  and  Foster  Youth  students  that  will  be  included  in  our  plan.  

 

7. Who  makes  the  final  decision  on  the  LCAP  Plan?  The  School  Board  will  have  the  opportunity  to  vote  to  approve  the  plan  on  June  30.    

8. What  are  we  doing  to  retain  highly  qualified  teachers?  We  provide  a  competitive  salary,  excellent  working  conditions,  high  quality  professional  development,  and  well-­‐trained  staff  to  support  students  and  teachers.      

9. It  seems  as  if  the  District  might  already  have  a  plan  for  the  money.    When  will  the                proposed  budget  be      available  to  the  public?  (How  far  before  the  deadline).

The  proposed  budget  will  publicly  adopted  on  June  30,  2014.      

10. Can  we  build  facilities  that  attract  other  students?  The  proposed  Bond  for  2014    contemplates  modernizing  buildings,  possible  new  computer  labs,  new  classrooms  instead  of  portables  etc.  The  Facilities  Master  Plan  that  is  developed  based  on  needs  identified  from  all  stakeholders  will  be  released  on  June  2014  to  the  Board  of  Education.  

   11. How  can  we  support  and  highlight  the  already  successful  programs  at  the  schools?    

It  is  always  our  intention  to  maintain  and  support  both  District  and  Site–based  data  driven  successful  programs.  Many  of  these  are  outlined  in  the  District’s  Local  Educational  Agency  Plan  (LEAP)  and  the  school  site  plans  developed  by  the  School  Site  Councils.    

11. Can  we  offer  more  courses  throughout  the  day  so  both  electives  and  classes  are  supported?  This  is  an  option  that  reflects  the  intent  of  state  priorities  7  and  8  and  will  be  considered  as  part  of  the  development  of  the  LCAP  goals  and  action  steps.    

12. How  will  this  information  get  to  teachers?    This  was  an  excellent  presentation:      Informative,  interactive  and  engaging.    I  learned  a  lot  and  would  hope  I  could  present  this  to  my  staff.    Congratulations!    Thank  you.  Our  presentations  and  other  documents  will  be  posted  on  a  separate  section  of  the  Norwalk  La  Mirada  Unified  School  District  website.    

13. Evaluation  Phase:    How  will  participants’  comments,  sticky-­‐notes,  and  green-­‐yellow-­‐red  dot  evals  be  utilized?    The  dots  still  do  not  provide  specific  input,  only  priority  “points.  The  sticky  notes  are  another  form  of  data  in  addition  to  the  surveys  and  the  achievement  data.  The  dots  were  part  of  the  state  requirement  to  consider  the  legal  (Ed  Code)  ,  educational,  and  economic  priority  areas  for  schools  in  the  state  of  California.  The  programs  listed  were  only  intended  to  be  examples  and  not  a  specific  list  of  programs  to  be  voted  on.  We  will  use  a  process  to  synthesize  and  summarize  the  data  to  support  the  writing  of  the  LCAP  plan.    

14. How  are  you  going  to  make  sure  the  money  is  spent  wisely  and  everyone  gets  a  voice?  We  have  developed  an  open  process  that  allows  for  multiple  forms  of  input  in  the  development  of  the  plan.  Although  it  is  a  three-­‐year  plan,  it  has  to  be  reviewed  annually  in  order  for  it  to  align  to  state  and  local  guidelines.  The  State  Board  of  Education  is  working  with  the  California  Department  of  Education  (CDE)  to  further  develop  the  regulations  for  the  accountability  and  monitoring  of  the  LCAP  and  Local  Control  Funding  Formula  (LCFF)  in  school  Districts  and  charter  schools  throughout  California  

 

15. Ask  students  their  suggestions  and  ideas.    Listen  and  actually  make  changes  as  soon  as  possible  so  students  will  know  you  (school  district  administration  and  teachers)  actually  CARE  about  the  students  and  not  seem  that  you  just  care  about  money  for  raises,  etc.  The  Superintendent  is  meeting  with  students  to  get  their  input  in  ways  to  improve  and  increase  services  for  our  students  and  their  families.  We  have  also  received  survey  input  from  our  350  students.  We  are  interested  in  hearing  all  voices  to  help  improve  our  services  to  our  students  and  staff  but  many  changes  take  time  and  money.  That  is  one  of  the  reasons  we  are  developing  a  strategic  plan  in  conjunction  with  the  LCAP  Plan.      

16. When  students  have  needed  medical,  dental  appointments,  the  teachers  don’t  count  this  against  the  student.    Parents  try  to  schedule  these  after  school,  but  some  are  emergencies  or  some  dentists/orthodontists  have  each  patient  alternate  appointments  during  school  then,  next  time,  after  school.    Some  teachers  don’t  allow  make  up  so  students  get  downhearted.    

 

 

17. In  the  performing  arts  departments  at  each  school  site,  there  is  a  great  gap  in  equality  from  LMHS  to  JGHS  and  finally,  NHS.    Can  we  look  at  each  school’s  needs  and  create  equal  access  for  all?  We  will  definitely  consider  as  many  ways  as  possible  to  develop  an  equitable  distribution  of  the  state  funds  to  our  schools.    

 

COMMENTS  

 1. Availability  of  the  programs  that  are  going  to  be  implemented  should  be  at  all  the  

schools.    Not  only  in  the  areas  where  you  see  families  with  a  higher  economic  level  like  the  city  of  La  Mirada  where  they  enjoy  programs  than  at  the  Norwalk  schools  

2. Every  time  you  have  a  parent  meeting  and  parents  only  understands  Spanish  it  would  be  nice  if  you  brought  the  interpreting  devises.    Thank  you  for  bringing  them  tonight.    

3. Please  always  bring  the  interpreting  devises  because  I  feel  much  better  that  way.    4. Availability  of  the  programs  that  are  going  to  be  implemented  should  be  at  all  the  

schools.    Not  only  in  the  areas  where  you  see  families  with  a  higher  economic  level  like  the  city  of  La  Mirada  where  they  enjoy  programs  than  at  the  Norwalk  schools.        

5. Every  time  you  have  a  parent  meeting  and  parents  only  understands  Spanish  it  would  be  nice  if  you  brought  the  interpreting  devises.      

6. Please  always  bring  the  interpreting  devises  because  I  feel  much  better  that  way.    7. More  counselors.    Maybe  use  college  students  whose  major  is  “counseling”  can  help  the  

school  counselors  just  as  student  teachers  may  help  teachers.      8. You  need  to  better  explain  what  LCAP  is  for  the  community  members.    They  are  

confusing  it  with  the  Bond  Measure.    9. Bring  back  Drivers  Training.    Now  my  daughter  is  in  the  12th  grade  and  18  years  old  but  

does  not  have  a  driver’s  license.    Show  actual  photos  of  accident  scenes,  etc.  to  stress  safe  driving.    I  have  been  out  of  work  for  a  very  long  time  and  don’t  have  money  for  a  driving  school  to  help  my  daughter.