Novato Board Meeting Highlights – May 5, 2020

Press release from the Novato Unified School District:

May 13, 2020

All Board reports can be found on GAMUT Meetings. Not all items listed on the Board Agenda are included in these Highlights.

The Board of Trustees held their third virtual Board Meeting using Zoom Video Communications.

Non-Agenda Public Comment: There were public comments addressing hazard pay.

HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING:

Healthy Novato Initiative Update: The Healthy Novato Initiative has been an integral part of our community for a decade and continues to serve the needs of Novato youth. The focus of Healthy Novato is to support students in making healthy decisions around alcohol, tobacco, and drug use as well as supporting student engagement in school and community. The presentation and more information can be found under Item 12.a.

Teacher Leadership Team End of Year Report: The Teacher Leadership Team (TLT) was designed to model and facilitate change within schools and department teams through professional development, curriculum, pedagogy, and policy. Currently, there are 40 members and will continue in 2020-2021. The presentation and more information can be found under Item 12.b.

Secondary Grading – Spring 2020: The majority of the Board meeting was a discussion of a temporary change to grading protocols for secondary students in grades 6-12 for the spring of 2020 as a result of COVID-19 and to review the recommendation from the Spring 2020 Grading Committee. After much discussion and 20 minutes of public comment, the Board approved a grading model that included a choice between grades at March 13, 2020, or a credit/incomplete. The presentation and overview can be found under Item 13.a.

Resolution for Specifications of the November 2020 Election Order: This resolution calls for an election in November 2020 as there are four trustee vacancies for 2020-2024. A November 2020 election is required to fill the vacancies. Beginning in 2020, trustee vacancies will be elected in a by-trustee area election. Candidates must live within a specific trustee area and our elected by the voters of that trustee area. For the November 2020 election, candidates will be elected from Trustee areas 1, 2, 3 and 7. See Item 13.b.

Classified Employee Appreciation Week: The Board approved a Resolution recognizing that Classified school employees play a crucial role in the daily life of students. From transporting and feeding students, to assisting in the classroom and on the playground, as well as ensuring that schools are clean, safe, and operating smoothly, classified employees are integral to public education. Resolution No. 30/2019-2020 can be found here under Item 13.c.

Recordings of Board meetings can be found on NCTV’s YouTube Channel and NCTV reruns meetings on Comcast local Channel 30.

Next Board Meetings: May 19, 2020 6 pm Open Session

NISA Awards and Employee Recognition

June 6, 2020 Special Board Meeting

June 9, 2020 7 pm Open Session

This press release was produced by the Novato Unified School District. The views expressed here are the author’s own.