Board Briefs: May 14, 2024

 

Here are a few highlights from the May 14 board meeting (the agenda and the agenda packet are available):

Board hears update on proposed strategic plan

Last fall, the district engaged in a strategic planning process by collecting input and feedback from a variety of educational partners that represent interests in our educational system, including students, families, community members, staff and others. 

The voice collected was used by a representative group to identify four strategic directions that the district should focus its efforts on to ensure students are prepared and hopeful for their future. A second group then considered the voice collected and worked to ensure the language suggested was achievable and could be aligned. The work of both teams yielded a draft strategic framework, published in March, that was then taken back to students, families and community members for feedback. 

Based on the feedback collected on the draft strategic framework, the teams made revisions to the strategic framework. Those revisions were reviewed by the superintendent and the strategic planning facilitation team to produce the proposed strategic plan. The proposed strategic plan maintains four focused strategic directions:

1. Advance Student Success

2. Prioritize Equitable Practices

3. Enhance Employee Support Systems

4. Invest in Efforts to Assist Students and Families to Empower Themselves. 

Each strategic direction identifies a purpose statement to help clarify its intended meaning and priority outcomes that identify what we will see in San Juan Unified should our efforts in these areas be successful. Additionally, the district’s current mission and beliefs were reviewed and updated to reflect where San Juan Unified stands today and to incorporate a vision of what we hope to achieve in the future. 

The proposed strategic plan identifies the framework from which district efforts will be guided for the next three to five years. Should the board adopt the strategic plan at the May 28 board meeting, the next step will be for staff to operationalize the plan by developing specific action plans aligned with the strategic directions and their identified priority outcomes for the next school year. This work will begin in the summer and lead into the fall with feedback from students, staff, families and the community.

Staff provides update on district’s English learner programs

The board heard an update regarding programs, data and support provided to English learners. Staff reviewed changing English learner demographics, language proficiency levels and programs implemented to promote academic progress and welcoming environments. Currently, the district serves more than 8,000 students that are English learners. View the full presentation.

In other news…

• The board adopted a resolution proclaiming May 18 as National Speech Pathologist Day, as well as a resolution proclaiming May 19-25 as Classified School Employee Week.

• The board approved the tentative agreement between the San Juan Teachers Association and the San Juan Unified School District. Additionally, the board heard public comment regarding the bargaining interests of the Teamsters Union Local No. 150.

• The board discussed the practice of incorporating land acknowledgments into San Juan Unified formal occasions and ceremonies. 

• The board held a public hearing regarding the proposed conveyance at Katherine Johnson Middle School and adopted a resolution conveying one permanent easement at Katherine Johnson to SMUD.

• The board held a public hearing and adopted a resolution to permit temporary interfund borrowing of cash.

The next regular board meeting will be held on May 28 at 6:30 p.m. Visit www.sanjuan.edu/boardmeeting for details. You can also view videos of prior board meetings on the district’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/SanJuanUnified.