Special Meeting

Introduction

• Special Meeting held in 2023 to fill a vacant Board of Education seat following the resignation of Member Bowen Zhang.
• Key themes: Candidate interviews, board appointment process, and oath of office administration.

Agenda Items

Board Vacancy Appointment Process

• Description:

  • Resignation filed on February 17, 2023; applications opened March 3–22, 2023.
  • Four candidates interviewed: Julie Dell Catanchio, Carina Valencia-Plancarte, Peter Natale, and Delsina Wadia.
  • Structured process:
    • Candidates answered identical questions (e.g., priorities, challenges in public education, board characteristics).
    • Public comment followed interviews, focusing on positive feedback for candidates.
    • Board ranked candidates using a 4-3-2-1 point system.

• Decisions made or actions taken:

  • Carina Valencia-Plancarte appointed with 14 points (highest tally).
  • Oath of office administered immediately after the vote.

Public Comments

• Key themes:
  • No public comments submitted during the meeting.

Follow-Up and Commitments

• Oath of Office: Newly appointed member sworn in during the meeting.
• Integration: Valencia-Plancarte to begin serving immediately, with a term ending December 2024.

Conclusion

• Outcome: Successful appointment process concluded with unanimous board support for Valencia-Plancarte.
• Next steps: New member to participate in future meetings; remaining candidates encouraged to engage with the district or run in future elections.

---

Summary tailored for:

• Parents/Guardians: Direct impact via board representation focused on student achievement, safety, and equity.
• Teachers/Staff: Reaffirmed focus on retaining qualified educators and addressing resource gaps.
• Community Members: Transparent appointment process with emphasis on collaboration and inclusivity.

1. CALL TO ORDER

[166] Nancy Thomas: Special meeting of the Board of Education is called to order. Please join me in the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Unless anyone has a motion to pull an item from the agenda, I would entertain a motion. Well, before that, though, let's have roll call.

1.2 Roll Call

[205] Jodi Croce: Thank you. Student member Torres. Here. Member Nguyen. Here. Member Jones. Here. Member Hill. Here. And President Thomas.

2.1 Approval of the Agenda

[215] Nancy Thomas: Here. Thank you. OK, next we move on to the approval of the agenda. I would entertain a motion.

[222] Aiden Hill: Move to approve the agenda.

[224] Nancy Thomas: I'll second. Motion made by Member Hill, seconded by Member Jones to approve the agenda. Please vote.

[236] Jodi Croce: Sorry, I'm having trouble with board docs. Can we do it as a roll call vote? Absolutely. Thank you. So motion to approve the agenda, motion by Hill, second by Member Jones. Student member, how do you vote?

[251] Diego Torres: Yes.

[252] Jodi Croce: Thank you. Member Nguyen, how do you vote? Yes. Member Jones, how do you vote? Yes. Member Hill, how do you vote? Yes. And President Thomas? Yes. Thank you. Four ayes.

2.2 Public Comment on Agenda Items

[264] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Next, we move on to public comment on agenda items. Do we have anyone that is wishing to speak?

[273] Jodi Croce: I received no requests. Thank you.

[275] Nancy Thomas: OK. I'm going to revert back to our superintendent to give an introduction to how we're going to conduct this evening's meeting.

[289] Michael Milliken: President Thomas, I would love to give an introduction, but how about we take action on the consent agenda, and then we can move to the interview process, and I'll introduce that.

[303] Nancy Thomas: Sounds good. OK, then we move on to the consent agenda, field trip. No one wishes to pull this item. Can we have a motion? I move to approve.

[319] Aiden Hill: I second.

3.1 FIELD TRIP: Curricular, Overnight Trip for Newark Memorial MCA Seniors to travel to Los Angeles. (Approved on Consent)

[319] Nancy Thomas: OK. Member Nguyen moves to approve. Member Hill moves to second. Please vote.

[326] Jodi Croce: Thank you. Sorry, we're having trouble tonight. Thank you. So student member Torres, how do you vote? Yes. And member Nguyen, how do you vote? Yes. Member Jones, how do you vote? Yes. Member Hill, how do you vote? Yes. And President Thomas, how do you vote? Yes. Four ayes. Thank you.

[345] Nancy Thomas: So next up, we will ask the superintendent to introduce the meeting and how we are going to conduct the meeting this evening.

4.1 Board Member Appointment Candidate Interviews

[355] Michael Milliken: Thank you, President Thomas. Hello and good evening to everyone. I'll give a little background and then I'll speak to how we will go through our appointment process this evening. On February 17th, 2023, member Bowen Zhang filed his resignation with the county superintendent of schools. On March 2nd, the board decided to proceed with an appointment process to fill that vacancy. On March 3rd, applications were made available to the public with a closing date of March 22. Four applications were received, and those four applicants have made themselves available this evening to interview with the school board. Thank you to those committed community members that have offered to serve on the school board. Carina Valencia-Plancarte, Peter Natale, Delsina Wadia, and Julie Del Catoncio. For the interview process, the four candidates have drawn a number for the order in which they will be interviewed. The board will interview each candidate one at a time, asking the same questions. The candidates will have two minutes to answer each question, and we will ask the candidates to turn off their phones and wait in another room with our Executive Director of Human Resources, Catheerine Ingham-Watters, before they interview. Once each interview is complete, the candidate may sit with the audience. After the interviews are finished, the board will call for public comment. The persons who are in person and have requested to make a public comment will go first, and then we will continue with the virtual comments. We ask that those making public comment focus on their positive interests or arguments and avoid criticizing any candidates. Following public comment, the board will have the opportunity to share comments and or discuss their interests, followed by a ranking of the candidates using a point system. with four points for an individual member's first choice, three points for their second choice, two points for their third choice, and so on. Those rankings will be shared and tallied publicly. The candidate with the highest number of points will be considered to be the board's preference for appointment. Should there be a tie for first place, we'll repeat the process for those candidates tied for first place. The process will be complete when the board takes action and votes on a candidate to be appointed to the board. Finally, the new appointed member will be administered the oath of office. Any questions regarding this process? Then President Thomas, when you are ready, we can excuse the candidates who drew positions two through four, and then let the first candidate, Ms. contentio, get settled, and we can get started.

[543] Phuong Nguyen: Well, I do have a clarifying question. Apologies. I do have one clarifying question. We will be ranking after we've heard all of the candidates, after we've interviewed all the candidates, not after each individual candidate, correct? Correct. OK. Thank you.

[563] Michael Milliken: And also after public comment, and then an opportunity for the board to have a discussion or share any comments, should they care to.

[572] Nancy Thomas: So if there are no other comments or questions, we can proceed with.

[577] Michael Milliken: Wonderful. Ms. Egan-Waters, thank you so much. So our first candidate is Julie Dell Catanchio. Catanchio, yeah. OK, Catanchio. Thank you so much. I appreciate your patience with me.

[612] Nancy Thomas: OK, hello, Julie, and welcome this evening. We will be asking you questions one by one, rotating among the board. And after that, So we will begin with a student member. Would you read the first question?

[633] Diego Torres: Hello. Welcome.

[633] Nancy Thomas: Excuse me. I should have clarified. There are two minutes for each answer, maximum.

[640] Diego Torres: Welcome. So the first question I would like to ask you is, why are you interested in becoming a part of the NUSD school board team?

[647] SPEAKER_22: The reason why I'm really interested in being part of the NUSD school board team is I really want to give back to the community. So I do have a daughter that attends Newark Memorial High School. Her name's Jelilah. She's in the 10th grade. But I also have a lot of neighbors, a lot of community people that I feel like I'm more of a second mother too. And so sometimes they're at the junior high, sometimes they're at the different elementary schools. And so I'm always at their house. They're always at my house. And I feel like I'm really like a community person. So I want to be able to represent everyone's needs, not just my own daughter. But for example, I also have students that live on my own block that suffer from different disabilities and learning disabilities. And I also want to be able to see their perspective and give a voice for those people too. So I know that I'm an Asian American, but a lot of my neighbors are Latina and Latinos. And they're also part of the, I don't want to say like dual immersion, because sometimes as you keep getting older, then you start learning more English, but I'm also part of a first generation. My family had came here, they're farmers, and I didn't learn English until I was in second grade. And so I was also in the ELL program or English Language Learners Program. And then I passed the test that they kept teaching us English. And I feel like I really want to represent the different people and diversity of the community because in Newark, it's such a diverse melting pot community from different strands. Even when we look at our economics, We have people here that are coming from the Silicon Valley, and we also have people here that are living in apartments. And so I have some students sometimes that they just call my daughter really late at night at 1 o'clock in the morning or 2 o'clock in the morning. They haven't had dinner for two days. They're looking for food. And so we do allow them to come over to eat at our home. I'm also in touch with their parents. And sometimes it's sad, you know, really, but we have students in our community who in some ways they're looked at as homeless, but they're really kind of forgotten because their parents often they have one parent and they're in between three different jobs. So the parents have also come to call on me and text me at different times saying, can you provide shelter for my student or for my kid? And I'm like, okay, we could do this. So, you know, what can we do? How long do they need to be with us? how can we provide for you? So those are the different types of things that I feel like it's really like unspoken of or forgotten because we're so close to Silicon Valley. And I want to be able to represent the different diversity and the diverse needs that are in the communities. Even though, for example, I live in the Lake area, but I know that everyone lives in so many different areas and we really need representation. And that's what I really love the most about Newark is it has one high school. So there's really one, voice one type of student, and that is a diverse student. Thank you.

[840] Jodi Croce: And I'm sorry, just for clarification, we'll give the other candidates three minutes on the first question. My timer only goes for three minutes. So when it gets to one for the following questions, that'll be the end. OK. Thank you.

[854] Nancy Thomas: OK. Thank you. Ms. Wynn will ask the second question. Thank you.

[859] Phuong Nguyen: Welcome. In a board member's role, we often have to choose between two good things, but we can only afford to select one. Knowing that, whatever you choose, half of the organization will not be happy with your decision. How would you handle this?

[876] SPEAKER_22: OK. So it sounds to me like you're asking a question about prioritizing. choosing between two things. So the way that I usually choose between two things is I really try to take a step back and ask myself to step out in my own person and to try to see it from different perspectives and point of views. And then I try to do a plus and a negative paperwork so I could see what are all the benefits that this would bring us versus what are all the detriments that this would bring us. And then I try to do a point value to the positive and negative aspects. And then I try to weigh the points to ask myself, okay, how many positive points in total is this going to be versus how many negative points is this going to be? And then if it's still somehow equal, then I have to reevaluate and ask myself, okay, am I associating the right amount of points with each of these criterias? And so I understand that everyone's not going to be happy with every decision. And that's part of life. So I also have a Juris Doctorate degree. I have a Master's of Education in Administration. I went to school at UC Santa Cruz, and I graduated in three years with an A average. So that way I could start early into law school. And I've also worked as a paralegal and as an attorney and as an educating teacher. I have a multi-subjects credential. So I understand that everyone's never going to be happy. So when I make my decisions, I don't make it depending on who's going to be happy or not, but rather what precedent that the decision is going to make and what impact the decision is going to make. Because sometimes I realize that the decision isn't going to just impact today, it's going to make impact on tomorrow. So there's going to be this future of people that are going to be impacted by my decisions. So that's what I try to concentrate on as well.

[998] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Jones, next question.

[1006] Kat Jones: In our efforts to become more welcoming for students, parents, staff, and the community at large, please give us an example of how you would improve our district's customer service.

[1020] SPEAKER_22: In order to be more welcoming, The way that I would try to improve our district's customer service, I think right now we're doing a really great job. I noticed that it is aired and it is always open to the public. But I think also getting more students to come to the event, maybe acknowledging also students as they can achieve, make achievements. that could be something that we could also adopt as well. Perhaps even going to the community or social media to promote more events as things come up. I think in that way it could be welcoming, as well as just having this open door policy. I think in many ways we do have that, for example, Everyone knows the names of the board members here and the president, but if we also had more community outreach so that the people in the community could see that it's not just people sitting down making decisions, but also it's people who are part of the community who are understanding what's in the community and to be part and involved in the community. So I think in that way, I think it's a very welcoming atmosphere, and we could just add to what we already have.

[1108] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Hill.

[1114] Aiden Hill: Thank you, Ms. Catanzio. Is that right? Yeah. OK. What do you think are the biggest funding challenges facing public education in California?

[1126] SPEAKER_22: I think some of the biggest funding challenges facing public education in California. I'm going to look at the need for the teachers to be able to stay and reside in the communities which they teach is one of the funding issues because it's my understanding that we do have some teachers that are commuting from Fresno taking taking trains to come in, riding bicycles to come in. I think those are really great things. But it's also taxing on the community every time that the teachers do need to come back to the table to ask for a raise. And I think in that way, it's challenging to be able to satisfy the teacher's needs, to feel like they're appreciated and to give them what they want. And at the same time, balancing the need for new textbooks and the need for more technology and STEM programs and the need to attract qualified teachers to stay inside the districts. Because it's my understanding that We also lost some really great teachers, even mid-year. And in order to attract more teachers, then sometimes they want to have a higher pay. And I think that's going to be challenging in order to accommodate the needs of those teachers, as well as the needs of the students, as well as updating the materials that are already there. There's going to be costs that's involved with all of these things. And so just trying to find a common ground of what we value, what we need, and what's absolute at this time, and just really focusing.

[1239] Nancy Thomas: Thank you, Ms. Caccio. Thank you. What are the three characteristics you believe are critical for a high-functioning school board?

[1251] SPEAKER_22: I think that the three characteristics that are critical, I would say communication, The ability to communicate is really important. The ability to think outside of the box is also important. And I think honesty, because sometimes we can't be transparent, fully 100% transparent. We have to be transparent, of course. But there are some things that are going to be confidential. And because of the rules of ethics and confidentiality, when someone comes and approaches someone on the school board and asks them direct information, I want to know this specifically about this teacher or why is this happening or why is this person being reprimanded, we can't directly share confidential information. So in that perspective, we can't be transparent about the ongoing things that are happening during meetings that are closed session. So those are the things that I could understand. And I think sometimes in our bigger community, people might not understand and they feel that the school board's not being transparent. But the school board is being transparent with what they're allowed to share. And so sometimes it might come out as being and sounding a little general. And so people are feeling like, wait, the school board's being standoffish. But that's not really true. They just can't share all the facts, all the information that people want to hear. And so I think in that way, that's what I mean about being honest, being honest about what we can share, what we can't share. And I think just really understanding that and communicating with the public, I think those are really the most crucial things that we really have as cornerstones. Thank you.

[1371] Diego Torres: Member Torres. Top priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our school district.

[1381] SPEAKER_22: I think the top three priorities that I would have is to really work as a team to find a permanent superintendent. I know that our superintendent right now, thank you so much for being here. I know that you're right now as the interim superintendent and I think we really need to find a permanency so that way the people in the schools could feel like we have a foundation. I think that's number one priority is to find a superintendent that really cares about the students, that understands their needs, that's willing to endorse policies. And I think that's number one is the superintendent. Number two is going to be to satisfy the teachers so that we don't have a lot of turnover. It seems like we're getting a lot of turnover with teachers who even students were expecting to be here next year and they're leaving mid-year, mid-semester, and it's been difficult for the current students, especially at the high schools, to try to understand what to expect for their next year or the year after because they don't have teachers and people have been even told that certain AP classes are being taken out because we don't have the teachers or we don't have the students to fill those. So I think that'd be a second is to satisfy the teachers. And then in addition, I think the priority is to get goals for the students and look at the data of the students to see where it is that we really need to spend time and money to increase their testing scores, because test scores are really important for students to be accountable for what they're learning, as well as to hold the teachers accountable for what they're teaching the students. So I think those are the three areas that are prioritized for me. Thank you.

[1508] Richelle Piechowski: Ms. Lynn.

[1512] Phuong Nguyen: Last question. Please share with us the greatest strengths you would bring to our school board?

[1518] SPEAKER_22: Okay. I think that the greatest strengths that I bring to the school board is just really a loving heart. I really believe that the reason why I pursued going into education and all the education that I have is because I really want to dedicate my time and my life to education. And so that's the reason why I have different degrees and different diplomas is because I know that my grandparents were not given a lot of opportunity, for example, nor were my parents. And so they really instilled in me that they really wanted me to go to school. And in fact, they wanted to stop me from learning to continue speaking our own native dialect because Back then, our teachers were like, no, don't speak to her anymore. Speak to her only in English. And they're like, we're going to help you. We're going to try the best that we can. We're going to make you into the greatest American. I'm like, OK. But unfortunately, they don't really know a lot of English. So they're giving me broken English in the best that they could do. And so I was relying heavily on my parents in the neighborhood. I was heavily relying on the teachers, heavily relying on different people to come and mentor me and help me through it, other students, and they really were the ones who always helped me. So at this time, I really want to give back and help pull up other people and help show them that there is this other There's this end of this dark hallway where you're going to learn English. It's going to be okay. You're going to be able to pick your job. You're going to be able to go to college if you want to go to college. You're going to be able to do whatever it is that you want to do that you could set your mind to. And so that's the type of spirit that I have. That's what I want the community to have. And that's why I open my doors. I open my phone. I open, you know, text, DMs, whatever, to the community. And people can contact me and count on me. And that's what I want them to find, too, as a school board. And that's why I want to be a member.

[1643] Nancy Thomas: Well, thank you very much, Ms. Catanzio. We would invite you to sit in the audience, and we will get ready to bring in our next applicant. Thank you. Hello. Hello, Carina. We're going to be asking you questions rotating among the board members. And you have two minutes to answer each question. The timer starts at 3, doesn't it?

[1729] Jodi Croce: Yes. For the first question, I'll give her three minutes.

[1731] Nancy Thomas: You get three minutes for the first question. And then after that, you'll have to stop at one minute when it counts down. Does that make sense? Yes. Should we start when it's best to have? Yeah. I think we'll start this time with me. OK, and then we'll do it that way. Ms. Valencia, why are you interested in becoming part of the NUSD school board team?

[1758] SPEAKER_28: I am interested because this is my community.

[1760] Carina Plancarte: My kids come to the schools here. I've been living here for 17 years. And I want to ensure that not just my kids, but all of the kids have have a student, they achieve success with their academics. And I want to ensure that our public system continues to always prioritize every individual student and not just, you know, just some. All of them are important. And I am also a product of public education. So public education is near and dear to my heart. And I want to ensure that this is something that is important and it's a part of all of us here as a collective.

[1823] Nancy Thomas: Thank you very much. Next member, Hill.

[1830] Aiden Hill: Thank you, Ms. Concordia. In a board member's role, we often have to choose between two good things, but we can only afford to select one. Knowing that whatever you choose, half of the organization will not be happy with your decision, how would you handle this?

[1849] Carina Plancarte: I think that first and foremost, we have to look at what's going to directly impact student achievement the most, where we are going to be able to provide equity for all students. And I would also say that I understand that the superintendent is the one who is going to be bringing a lot of these issues to the board for governance and oversight. And so I trust that The superintendent will also be doing their very best to ensure that this is something that overall, the main thing that we end up deciding on has been vetted and that the research is there, that we have data to show that this is the one decision that we must make. that we never lose sight of the students and their success. And I think that we will make as a collective the right decision that's gonna impact all students. And I just hope that the community also trusts the board and the superintendent that we are always looking at the best interest of our most important resource, our students.

[1941] Aiden Hill: Thank you.

[1943] Nancy Thomas: Ms. Jones.

[1946] Kat Jones: In our efforts to become more welcoming for students, parents, staff, and the community at large, please give us an example of how you would improve our district's customer service.

[1962] Carina Plancarte: My background is overseeing communications. And I believe that that is the most important aspect of ensuring that parents and families are active participants. Because as we know, we're all busy. We're all very busy. And it is our duty to ensure that we're providing timely communications that were transparent so that we can give our community the opportunities to become involved and to be active participants in all of our students' achievements because As it's been shown, parent involvement is necessary for the success of our students, and then that in turn turns to the success of our district.

[2014] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Nguyen.

[2026] Phuong Nguyen: Hello. Hello. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing public education in California?

[2035] Carina Plancarte: I think, well, obviously the biggest, there's a few. So I think enrollments, you know, those are down, right? I also think that there's a lot of opportunities where we need to really look at the resources that are available for every student that really shares the equity, distributes equity equally to the students. And I think that that really is where a huge focus needs to lie is where are the shortcomings, right, of a school district and, you know, in all of the schools, right, because there's disadvantages, right, to some students and we always have to look at how we can give the upper hand to all of them. And so I think that's another one. And then also, too, I think another challenge is possibly lack of more structured and more timely communication as well. I mean, I think that's always important. I think that it can be daunting for families to sometimes not know where to go when they need the resources. And so I think that's another challenge, too, that they face.

[2123] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Torres.

[2126] Diego Torres: Hello. Welcome. What are three characteristics that you believe are critical for a high-functioning board?

[2134] Carina Plancarte: I think number one is to be a listener. We need to ensure that we understand where families are coming from. We need to understand what are the issues that our community is looking at us to oversee and to really provide. And then I think also, Another important aspect is really just to work collaboratively. I know that, you know, board members don't always see eye to eye, but I think at the end of the day, once understanding once a decision has been made, you know, understanding that it's been vetted and really just, you know, having it be the focus for student success and achievement, I think that's also, that's also really big and really important. And then also just, you know, providing understanding where the board does their job and oversight and governance and then really giving the reins to the superintendent to really just go ahead and manage those goals and to then effectively lead the staff too. to make the right decisions for the school. Thank you.

[2231] Nancy Thomas: I guess I'm next. OK, what are your three top priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our district?

[2244] Carina Plancarte: I believe that we need to really focus on student achievement, ensuring that We bring up all of the kids, all of the students in the areas that they're lacking so that we can go ahead and ensure that they have access to the resources that they need. And then can you repeat the question? I apologize.

[2275] Nancy Thomas: What are your top three priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our district?

[2282] Carina Plancarte: I think another thing that's important is safety in our schools. I think that is something that, as a community member, I hear about it a lot, and as talking to my neighbors and such, that is something that we want is to ensure that we have safe spaces and a safe environment for children, for all the students. And then also, I think that, just give me a minute. Can you repeat the question again? Yeah.

[2333] Nancy Thomas: What are your three top priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our school district?

[2341] Carina Plancarte: And then I also think that another thing is just providing the adequate resources, ensuring that the resources that we're investing in are directly impacting student success.

[2356] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Torres? Oh, you're next. We're going this way? OK. OK. I'll get it right next time.

[2367] Aiden Hill: Please share with us the greatest strength you would bring to our school board.

[2374] Carina Plancarte: I'm a great listener. I love to really absorb the information and just see where see what the feedback is, see, you know, understand what the challenges are, and, you know, set that in motion to, you know, to plan an action plan to make changes.

[2401] Nancy Thomas: Great. Thank you, Ms. Plancart. So we would invite you to join in the audience. And we'll bring forward the next applicant.

[2410] Carina Plancarte: I appreciate it so much. I'm very happy to be here. And it's different watching from home and being here. But I appreciate the opportunity. Thank you so much. Thank you.

[2462] SPEAKER_18: Thank you.

[2493] Nancy Thomas: Hello, Peter. I mean, Mr. Natale. Hello. Thank you very much for joining us and for your application. We will be asking questions one at a time. You have three minutes for the first question and two minutes for the questions thereafter. Our countdown timer, oh, it does start at 2? No, it starts at 3, so you have to remember to stop at 1 for your subsequent questions. And I think we will start this time, because of the way we've been doing it, we will start with Member Jones and go clockwise.

[2529] SPEAKER_35: OK, great. Thank you.

[2531] Kat Jones: How are you doing tonight?

[2533] SPEAKER_35: Fine.

[2533] Kat Jones: Good. Why are you interested in becoming a part of the NUSD School Board team?

[2540] SPEAKER_35: Great. Thank you. I'd actually like to just first by saying thank you for this opportunity. I'd also like to thank all the volunteers who showed up today to provide their feedback as to why they'd like to be a part of this group. To your question, I feel that there's three guiding principles that I lead my life by, and that's to be moral, ethical, and legal. I feel that those personal principles about being moral fit my personality trait. And that is, again, why I want to be part of the board. I'm an introvert. I'm intuitive. I'm feeling as well as judging. That's one of the 16 Myers-Briggs personality traits. One of the other guiding principles that I have is being ethical. What's right versus wrong? Regardless if it's legal, I still understand the difference. And then, of course, what is legal? Being able to operate within the law. Again, why do I want to be a part of this board? I have three children. Two are currently in the Newark School District. I was able to participate earlier this year as a contestant judge at the Alameda County Fair and Engineering Fair. Because of that, I wanted to actually introduce my daughter to science and technology. And something that I did recognize while I was there, I asked every single student, Where did they go to school? Not one actually said Newark. They all said Fremont and other areas. That sparked a lot of interest as to why. I then also found out that there weren't any school students that participated in 2022 and 2021. Again, I feel that with the right people in the board providing the right direction, we could have a stronger presence within the Bay Area. It's often heard that housing is too expensive for the people of Newark, for the people of the Bay Area. But I'd actually like to say that that is a direct result of did we prepare our people for the future? Did we teach and educate our students to be the top of the top? I'm an engineer. I compete against other engineers from all over the world that are the top of the top. Our students are going to be competing against other engineers that are coming from every part of the country. And I think it's our duties as a board team to create the best of the best so that when they graduate, they are looked upon as the students that go to these schools. They go to Cal Berkeley. They go to Stanford. They go to University of Santa Clara. So again, this is what I want to instill in our students and provide the best for them. Thank you.

[2718] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Number one.

[2722] Phuong Nguyen: Hi, Mr. Natale. In a board member's role, we often have to choose between two good things, but we can only afford to select one. Knowing that whatever you choose, half the organization will not be happy with your decision, how would you handle this?

[2740] SPEAKER_35: Great question. I'd actually like to elaborate a little bit more on that. I actually consider it a triangle. So there's three items. You have to make sure that they all end up equaling 180 degrees. So normally in my line, you have cost, quality, and time. So those are the three elements that I'm constantly balancing. Within the school board, you mentioned two. maybe there's a third that we actually need to look at. Maybe not, but again, once I have the opportunity to be a member of the board, I'll be able to further understand and know what I would need to be focusing my time on. Yeah, thank you.

[2788] Jodi Croce: Thank you.

[2791] Diego Torres: Hello, welcome. In our efforts to become more welcoming for students, parents, staff, and the community at large, Please give us an example of how you would improve our district customer service.

[2806] SPEAKER_35: Well, engagement is number one, and not just engaging, but listening. I think it's very important to listen and to reiterate that what you heard is actually what you did here. And by repeating what you heard multiple times, it's important to get buy-in from the community It's also important to get buy-in from the teachers. It's important to get buy-in from the board. And I think it's also important to get buy-in from the local companies that represent the businesses within NORC. I think that if you can get everybody to collectively agree on a path forward, then everything else would just be very easy to succeed with. I also feel that Being able to show compassion, as well as empathy, and trying to understand what it means to walk in someone else's shoes is very, very important. I've had the opportunity to live throughout the Bay Area in different neighborhoods. I've had the opportunity to travel throughout the world, working for different companies, understanding what different cultures, how different governments, and how different religion aspects affect the dynamics. Here in Newark, we do have a very diverse group. And I see that that group is always going to be diverse. And that is because, again, the Bay Area is where the best of the best come from. We're always going to be competing against individuals that come from all over the world that will settle and consider Newark their home. Thank you.

[2914] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. What do you think are the biggest challenges facing public education in California?

[2928] SPEAKER_35: Well, it's a great question. I'm not sure if I would actually agree and say that it's budget. And the reason I say that is because when I was looking at some data, the cost per child participating in a public school actually exceeds the cost of a child going to a private school. So if we're just talking about numbers and budgets, we can't say that that's the reason anymore. But what I do want is I would like to have the Newark school system have the highest paid teachers, the highest paid positions, I'd like to see the best sports programs. I'd like to see the best music programs. I'd like to see the best of the best. And again, that's because we are competing against the world's top talent. So if we're not considering ourselves to be number one and putting our children first is number one, many, many ways to do that, then of course, we're always going to be failing and falling second, falling third, and basically never having any students participating, as an example, in the Alameda County Science Fair, which I don't know if you guys know, but it was actually held here in Newark at Ohlone College, less than two miles away from here, across the street from the high school. I mean, that alone should be a wake-up call to everybody that we are not succeeding in what I consider our number one priority as a local government. Again, I think the number one priority of a local government is to produce the best students possible that then will become productive individuals within our society. They'll become business owners like myself. They'll be looking to be working for companies that represent products that are used in every single person's day-to-day operation. Thank you.

[3051] Nancy Thomas: Thank you.

[3054] Aiden Hill: Thank you, Mr. Natale. What three characteristics, what three characteristics that you believe are critical for a high-functioning board? What are the three characteristics?

[3070] SPEAKER_35: Well, definitely it would be having various opinions, being able to bring something unique to the group, and not just agreeing. I participate in a very large HOA. And I would say one of the downfalls of that HOA is that everybody collectively thinks the exact same. So it's not representing the whole community. What happens is you get 20%, maybe even less than 20% of the community being represented. I also think it's important to be realistic. But at the same time, I think it's very important to see what's on the other side. If you do not have very high goals, and you're not always reaching for the stars, then you're always going to be accepting the bare minimum. And the bare minimum is not what we need with our students. They need to be pushed. They need to be provided with opportunities to excel. And having the board provide that to the students is important. And then the third would most likely be supporting the superintendent. I think it's really important to stand behind the person that we have hired. to represent us to the rest of the school system, the teachers, as well as the students, and all of the faculty. May they be the groundskeeper, the bus driver, or the lunchroom lady. If the board does not collectively support the superintendent, then everybody else will see that, and you'll lose respect throughout the entire organization.

[3195] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Jones.

[3201] Kat Jones: What are your top three priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our school district?

[3215] SPEAKER_35: That's a difficult question because I really think They all are the top. Unfortunately, budget is probably going to be the number one constraint. And being able to extend that budget, stretch that budget, so that no one is left behind. Of course, I would like to see more advancement opportunities for the students. A great example would be Ohlone College, for example, they provide opportunities for students in grammar school to participate in some of their college level courses. They also provide high school students to participate in college level courses that actually count towards college credit. I'd like to see more and a bigger push for advancement. Oftentimes, I hear and I think it might be an excuse that, oh, we have individuals that maybe do not speak English as a first language. Well, that shouldn't be a reason why we do not want to push any individuals to succeed even further. I don't see how that would be an excuse in any other country, especially when trying to put the students number one. Another one would be, electing and hiring a superintendent. I know that that's been a very hot topic over the last few years. I have been participating remotely online, listening in over the last two years. I do a lot of listening. I felt that after the last two years, I saw an opportunity where I might be able to add value based upon my experiences within the industry. Thank you.

[3340] Nancy Thomas: Time's up. Thank you.

[3347] Phuong Nguyen: Last question when you're ready. Yes, please. Please share with us the greatest strength you would bring to our school board.

[3359] SPEAKER_35: Well, I hope that would be my unique personality. As I mentioned earlier, the Myers-Briggs personality trait. I think it's really important. If you guys haven't done it yet, that's what I usually do when I create a group. I'm an engineering manager. I lead multiple teams throughout the world. And the first thing I do is I'd like everyone to sit down and actually understand who they are so that everyone else understands who they are when communicating. My personality trait, as I mentioned earlier, I'm an INFJ. It's actually one of the most unique personality traits for the male population. I think I make up less than half of 1%. for the entire male population. Even though I have a strong engineering and technical background, there's something inside me that helps guide my moral compass, my underlining principles that were instilled early on, going to the various schools that I've attended throughout my life. Especially when it goes back to being ethical, just because something is right and it's within the law, doesn't always make it right. Sometimes it is wrong, and that's where I would stand up and advocate for what we should be doing. Just because it's legal, just because on paper it checks off the box, I will be that individual to speak up. There will be times that I will agree with everybody, and there will be times where I'll disagree. And most importantly, when I do disagree, I will provide a long list of bullet points that would help everybody else understand my point of view. And again, I'm always learning. My views are not always set in stone. The more I talk, the more I listen, my views are constantly evolving and hopefully making a better person.

[3483] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Nsali. Well, that's the last question. So we appreciate your answers. And we invite you to join in the audience. And we will be calling up our last applicant.

[3498] SPEAKER_35: Thank you. Great. Excellent. Thank you guys for the time today.

[3562] Michael Milliken: Just a reminder to our board members to just make sure you turn on your microphones when you're asking questions. Thank you. So that both the audience and the people at home can hear.

[3583] Nancy Thomas: Hello, Ms. Wadia, and welcome. Hi. We have a group of questions we're going to ask you. We'll start with a board member and rotate counterclockwise asking you those questions. You have three minutes to answer the first question, and then two minutes to answer each one after that. But we only have a three minute timer, which means you have to kind of watch out when it gets down to one minute that your time is up on that question. Sure. But take as much time in that. window that you need, but you don't have to take it all. OK. Thank you. So I'll begin with having student member Torres ask the first question.

[3624] Diego Torres: Hello. Welcome. Why are you interested in becoming a part of the NUSD school board team?

[3632] SPEAKER_26: So I have a vested interest because, obviously, I live in Newark. My husband and I moved here about seven years ago. I have two children who are three and five. My daughter goes to TKET, Kennedy. I am also on the advisory committee for the Schilling DLI program. And I'm an educator. I've been a teacher. This is my 19th year being a teacher. And I'm passionate about improving the education system for our children, especially since I have a child now and children who will be in this district. You know, and as a teacher, I work closely with committee members, with parents, with administration, and I think that my experience and expertise will help me to be a board member.

[3685] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. So, in a board member's role, we often have to choose between two good things, but we can only afford to select one. Knowing that whatever you choose, half of the organization will not be happy with your decision, How would you handle this?

[3706] SPEAKER_26: I think the first thing you have to ask yourself is, what are the values of the board? And how will the choice I'm making coincide with the values that the board has set forward? After that, you have to decide what is better for the students in terms of educational needs. What are the long-term implications? What are the pros and cons of whatever choice you're making? And also, what are the benefits and the drawbacks? Something else I would ask is how would it impact schools and faculty and staff as well? I also have to keep in mind what is most valuable to the community.

[3767] Nancy Thomas: Thank you. Member Hill.

[3770] Aiden Hill: Welcome, Ms. Wadia. In our efforts to become more welcoming for students, parents, staff, and the community at large, please give us an example of how you would improve our district customer service.

[3791] SPEAKER_26: I think something that everybody probably needs to work on, and not just the school board, but all governing ordinances, would be inclusivity. So just generate a culture of inclusivity by welcoming the public. I think something else would be transparency. communicating a clear vision of what you see happening and definitely getting feedback from stakeholders. I think self-reflection is part of the process of improvement.

[3846] Aiden Hill: Thank you.

[3855] Kat Jones: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing public aid, sorry, public education in California? If you want me to repeat the question, I'm happy to do that.

[3869] SPEAKER_26: I don't know where to start. I think some, I'm sorry, please repeat the question.

[3880] Kat Jones: What do you think are the biggest challenges facing publication? public education in California. Still can't do it.

[3893] SPEAKER_26: I think I think some of the greatest challenges are funding challenges because funding trickles down to other parts of the district. So you know unequal distribution of funds where as in California I believe the per pupil Spending is less than even the national average per pupil spending, which is a big deal. I think that California schools depend heavily on state funding, which makes it imbalanced. I think as of the last few years, and a lot of people resort to this as an answer, but I really have seen it firsthand, I think that COVID-19 has played a great deal in the effects because a lot of the funds that were allocated for education were redirected toward the COVID-19 crisis. And another thing I would feel are just in general school safety, which is lacking.

[3982] Penny DeLeon: Thank you.

[3986] Phuong Nguyen: Hello, Ms. Wadia. Welcome. What three characteristics that you believe are critical for a high functioning board?

[4000] SPEAKER_26: I think the first one would be to communicate a clear vision and goals. The objective should be clearly defined and communicated to stakeholders, to parents, to community members, to staff, to administration. Something else I would think would be effective communication and collaboration among members, staff, the superintendent, community members, and transparency and accountability to whom the board serves. I think that decisions should be weighed with evidences, best practices, and self-reflection.

[4050] Marie dela Cruz: Thank you.

[4063] Diego Torres: What are your top three priority areas that NUSD must work on in order to improve our school district?

[4077] SPEAKER_26: I think the first thing the district needs to do is to work on student achievement. which I think is challenging for disadvantaged students. So the question I would ask is, how can we fix this? What can we put into place that might help the students? I think that budget constraints also limit availability for resources such as newer books. newer technology, and definitely site maintenance, which needs to be worked on at many of the sites. And lastly, like I mentioned in the last point, I think more measures are needed for school safety, especially in the wake of the threats we face, our kids face, you know, such as gun violence, bullying, cyber issues. There's a lot of, there's a lot of that going on. And so I think those are the key issues.

[4144] Nancy Thomas: Swati, the last question. Please share with us the greatest strength you would bring to the school board.

[4155] SPEAKER_26: You know, I've been an educator for so long and I'm so committed and I'm so invested in what I do. It's hard for me to see past student achievement. And so I think that's the greatest strength that I would bring is keeping the students at the forefront in the decisions that I make.

[4188] Nancy Thomas: Thank you.

[4189] SPEAKER_26: Thank you so much.

[4203] Nancy Thomas: Well, next we move on to the, pardon? Yeah, next we move on. Sorry. I was going to say to this next phase, to me it's been so revealing and so insightful from all of you. It's going to be hard for us, I know. But we want to hear from the public. Do we have any public members that have asked to speak? Since we haven't, it rests on us. So superintendent?

[4251] Michael Milliken: Well, at this time, as we outlined at the beginning, the board does have the opportunity to have a discussion or share interests. And then once that opportunity has been given and considered, then the board would move on to their ranking.

[4276] Nancy Thomas: I for one would like some time to meditate on my notes and think about think about this, so shall we take at least five minutes to go over what we've heard and written down and what you have provided to us in your applications and give it some deep thought? OK.

[4588] SPEAKER_18: Thank you. you

[4785] Nancy Thomas: Could have a discussion, but I have a feeling that we have four first place candidates that any one of you, I personally would be so happy to sit on this dais with you. And this is the hardest decision I can remember for myself having to make to rank you. I just want you to know that. I love each one of you and love your answers. I love your understanding. I love your commitment and compassion and passion for our school district and our students. That's all I can say. And it's not going to be fun having to thank you. It really isn't. I mean, just thank each and every one of you. If you're not chosen, thank you for your continued involvement and caring. And what else can I say? Please run in 24. Yes, please. Please run in. Because I'm not going to. Whoops. No, I'm not. I'm not going to. Oh, 24. Yeah, unless I relinquish my term. But I won't run in 26. But OK, let's just do it. Oh sure. All of us can add something if we want.

[4871] Aiden Hill: And I just I want to echo President Thomas's sentiments. I really do think that we do have four first place candidates here and it is a difficult decision and I just want everybody to know that unfortunately because of the process we have to rank you but but again I think that you're all excellent candidates and I hope that every one of you if you if you don't make it that you figure out a way to work with us to be a part of future activities, and again, run later on during an election, because I think you're all excellent. Thank you.

[4907] Phuong Nguyen: Yes? Thank you for putting in your application and making yourself available to the community and wanting to serve. It's really so important. And I think it was just really hard last time, even during the election for this last term, We were getting nervous because it got down to the wire and appreciative that President Thomas and Ms. Jones here put in to run. But as you can see, it's a really hard process to be able to get involvement from our parents to even be on the board. So I just really appreciate your guys' time and effort. for wanting to be a part of this process, so thank you.

[4958] Diego Torres: I would like to echo everyone's words as well. I hope you guys are not stressed at all, because this is very stressful, actually, being up here, having to decide. So I hope you guys are like, take a deep breath and relax, because that's what I'm trying to tell myself right now, because this is really difficult, because you guys are all such wonderful candidates.

[4978] Kat Jones: I just want to reiterate that as well. And it was obvious in reading the applications that you all did put in a lot of thought and really tried to make your answers as complete as possible. And that was very much appreciated as I was reading through the applications. It was just tough to see you on paper and go, I'm not sure where I would go. So appreciate your candor in your written work as well as in your responses tonight. So thank you again. It is a very difficult decision.

4.3 Candidate Selection and Appointment

[5009] Nancy Thomas: OK. And I would invite my fellow board members and myself to record your rankings, which we will then pass down to the superintendent or where?

[5019] Michael Milliken: Yes, to me. And remember that four points for your first choice. So write the number four next to your first choice, three next to the second. So you're writing down points, not the ordinal rank order.

[5037] Nancy Thomas: And we can't give everyone four?

[5041] Michael Milliken: No, the process we've generated is a forced ranking. It's this one. It should say ballot at the top. And student member Torres, because this is something of a personnel item, we'll take your submission, but it won't go toward the tally.

[5109] Nancy Thomas: We had to put her name on it. I didn't put my name on it. That's important. I'm the one without a name.

[5114] Phuong Nguyen: Oh, it's OK. Did you fill out your column?

[5117] Nancy Thomas: Oh, I filled out my column, so you know who it is. That's right. It's OK.

[5124] Terrence Grindall: I feel better.

[5125] Michael Milliken: You just put your name on the top. Thank you.

[5176] Cary Knoop: I don't know.

[5183] SPEAKER_11: So for Ember Jones, which is a contagio received at one point in Mr. Vitale's two months. And Ms. Guadia, 3 points. That was for Member Jones. Next, here for Member Nguyen. Ms. Cattaccio received 4 points. Mr. Intelli, 1 point. Ms. Plancarte, 2 points. And Ms. Guadia, 3 points. Next, Vice President Hill. Ms. Catancia, 2 points. Mr. Natale.

[5282] SPEAKER_11: Thomas. Pardon. President Thomas.

[5286] SPEAKER_18: You got a promotion there. That'll go to my mind.

[5289] Mark Triplett: Toncio, one point. Natalia, two points.

[5321] SPEAKER_11: That's the rate.

[5360] Nancy Thomas: Well, thank you all. Our next step is to decide, probably based on the scores, who will be our appointed school board member. I would entertain a motion.

[5389] Kat Jones: Remind me of how to start.

[5392] Nancy Thomas: I move that.

[5393] Kat Jones: I move that we appoint Carina Valencia-Placar to the school board for the term ending in December of 2024.

[5410] Nancy Thomas: Second. Please call the roll, vote. And the student board member does not vote for this item.

[5420] Jodi Croce: Thank you. Voting is open. Or did you want me to do roll call? Roll call. OK. My apologies. Yes, I can make it. OK, so. Member Thomas, how do you vote? Yes. Thank you. And I'll go around the room. Member Hill?

[5445] Kat Jones: Yes.

[5446] Jodi Croce: And Member Jones?

[5447] Kat Jones: Yes.

[5448] Jodi Croce: And Member Nguyen? Yes. Yes. Thank you. All the votes are in. Four ayes.

[5458] Nancy Thomas: Congratulations. And thank you all. Every one of you, thank you for applying. And thank you for the good work you're doing in the community, doing in your schools, for our students. which we could have appointed each of you.

[5485] Phuong Nguyen: President Thomas, the community members weren't able to see the final scores. Can you please read them out so that they weren't able to see it from the YouTube? So if you wouldn't mind reading the final scores out.

[5500] Nancy Thomas: OK, the final scores were Miss Catanzio, a total of eight points. Mr. Natale, eight points. Miss Plancard, 14 points. Ms. Wadia, 10 points.

[5522] Phuong Nguyen: I'm sorry, Superintendent Milliken. I know that Diego, our student board member, also voted. Is it possible for us to be able to display his score so that it shows?

[5533] Michael Milliken: With his permission.

[5544] Jodi Croce: And the vote should not change. Put all that to your numbers.

[5548] Michael Milliken: Let's just share his world, because the folks can't see it online. So I'll just report it out loud. Thank you. So student member Torres gave Ms. Catancio four points, Mr. Natale two points, Plan Carte 1, and Ms. Wadia 3.

[5584] Nancy Thomas: As you can see, there was a lot of variation here. It was a hard decision for us. And I believe there is a next step.

[5596] Michael Milliken: Yes. Now that the board has taken formal action and made the appointment, Our agenda has us administering the oath of office. That is something done for all public officials in the state of California. And once that is complete, the newly appointed member can join the board at the dais.

[5624] SPEAKER_11: OK.

[5626] Nancy Thomas: Shall we?

[5627] Ray Rodriguez: Shall we? I'll do it.

4.4 Oath of Office

[5643] Michael Milliken: We'll have, I believe this is the camera that's on. So why don't you stand right here. And then I'll stand here.

[5657] SPEAKER_11: Wonderful. And so the, do you prefer to square it with, I mean, couple of Cs on the screen?

[5665] Michael Milliken: So then I'll just read out the oath of office in phrases, and you'll repeat each phrase after me, okay?

[5677] Michael Milliken: I, Carina Valencia-Plancarte.

[5680] SPEAKER_28: I, Carina Valencia-Plancarte.

[5683] SPEAKER_11: Do solemnly swear.

[5684] SPEAKER_28: Do solemnly swear.

[5685] Michael Milliken: That I will support and defend.

[5687] SPEAKER_28: That I will support and defend.

[5689] Michael Milliken: The Constitution of the United States.

[5691] SPEAKER_28: The Constitution of the United States.

[5694] Michael Milliken: And the Constitution of the State of California.

[5696] SPEAKER_28: And the Constitution of the State of California.

[5699] Michael Milliken: Against all enemies.

[5700] SPEAKER_28: Against all enemies.

[5702] Michael Milliken: Foreign and domestic. foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith, that I will bear true faith, and allegiance, and allegiance, to the Constitution of the United States, to the Constitution of the United States, and the Constitution of the State of California, and the Constitution of the State of California, that I take this obligation freely, that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation, without any mental reservation, or purpose of evasion,

[5733] SPEAKER_28: or purpose of evasion.

[5735] Michael Milliken: And that I will.

[5737] SPEAKER_28: And that I will.

[5738] Michael Milliken: Well and faithfully.

[5739] SPEAKER_28: Well and faithfully.

[5741] Michael Milliken: Discharge the duties.

[5742] Carina Plancarte: Discharge the duties.

[5744] Michael Milliken: Upon which.

[5745] SPEAKER_28: Upon which. I am about to enter. I am about to enter.

[5748] Toni Stone: Congratulations.

[5749] SPEAKER_28: Thank you.

5.2 Adjournment

[5764] Nancy Thomas: Well, you will have the opportunity to make your first vote. I would entertain a motion for adjournment.

[5782] Maria Huffer: I move to approve.

[5785] SPEAKER_28: I move to approve.

[5787] Nancy Thomas: Is there a second? I'll second. Second. Would you like to call the oral vote?

[5798] Jodi Croce: Yes, thank you. Member Contarte, how do you vote? Excuse me, student member, thank you. Student member Torres, yes, thank you. Member Contarte? Thank you. Member Nguyen?

[5814] Elisa Martinez: Yes.

[5815] Jodi Croce: Thank you. Member Jones? Yes. Thank you. Member Hill? Yes. Thank you. President Thomas? Yes. Thank you. It is 8.02.

[5825] Michael Milliken: So at this point, the meeting is concluded. And now that we have a new board, a new board member, we ask that we'll take a photo up front in front of the dais so that we have that photo to share on social media and other announcements. Can we take a couple of minutes? Absolutely. Why don't we take a couple of minutes you're welcome to turn those materials back, and you can keep it, or you can turn it in for us to take care of. And yes, we can absolutely recess for a few minutes, but then we'll take a group picture afterwards.

4.2 Public Comment on the Board Vacancy (Not Found)

5.1 PLACEHOLDER - Extend Meeting (Not Found)

[166] 1. CALL TO ORDER

[205] 1.2 Roll Call

[215] 2.1 Approval of the Agenda

[264] 2.2 Public Comment on Agenda Items

[319] 3.1 FIELD TRIP: Curricular, Overnight Trip for Newark Memorial MCA Seniors to travel to Los Angeles. (Approved on Consent)

[355] 4.1 Board Member Appointment Candidate Interviews

[5009] 4.3 Candidate Selection and Appointment

[5643] 4.4 Oath of Office

[5764] 5.2 Adjournment

[99999] 4.2 Public Comment on the Board Vacancy (Not Found)

[99999] 5.1 PLACEHOLDER - Extend Meeting (Not Found)

1. CALL TO ORDER

Meeting Introduction

Type Information, Procedural IN-PERSON MEETING INFORMATION NUSD has opened its boardroom for in-person meetings and will follow the State's and Alameda County's safety guidelines for public gatherings. Please refrain from attending in-person meetings if you have any of the following symptoms: Loss of taste/smell Difficulty breathing Vomiting Diarrhea Fever Cough Headache Sore Throat Runny Nose

For additional COVID-19 information please go to https://www.newarkunified.org/covid-19 or https://www.acoe.org/guidance

OBSERVE THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING Members of the public may observe the meeting via the NUSD YouTube Channel, live transmission on Comcast Channel 26, or in- person at the NUSD Boardroom. Spanish translation will be available via Zoom.

PUBLIC COMMENT The public will have the opportunity to address the Board of Education regarding non-agendized matters and agendized items with a live audio-only comment via Zoom with advance notice requested by email at PUBLICCOMMENT@newarkunified.org, a written comment by submitting a speaking card via email at PUBLICCOMMENT@newarkunified.org, or with live in-person comments by submitting a speaker-card with the Executive Assistant.

Roll Call

Type Procedural TRUSTEES President Nancy Thomas

Vice President/Clerk Aiden Hill Member Phuong Nguyen Member Katherine Jones Member VACANT

STUDENT BOARD MEMBER Member Diego Torres

2. APPROVAL OF AGENDA

Approval of the Agenda

Type Action, Discussion

Recommended It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the agenda for this meeting. Action PURPOSE: Members of the Governance Team may request that the agenda be amended or approved as presented.

Motion & Voting It is recommended that the Board of Education approve the agenda for this meeting.

Motion by Aiden Hill, second by Katherine Jones.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Phuong Nguyen, Aiden Hill, Diego Torres, Katherine Jones, Nancy Thomas

Public Comment on Agenda Items

Type Procedural PURPOSE:

The Board of Education encourages the community's participation in its deliberations and has tried to make it convenient to express their views to the Board.

BACKGROUND:

Please see the instructions on the link below for public comment information on agenda items.

http://go.boarddocs.com/ca/nusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=C4Q2D4019F40

3. CONSENT AGENDA: NON-PERSONNEL ITEMS

FIELD TRIP: Curricular, Overnight Trip for Newark Memorial MCA Seniors to travel to Los Angeles.

Type Action

Fiscal Impact Yes

Dollar Amount $19,932.00

Budgeted Yes

Budget Source MCA CPA Grant funds

Recommended The recommendation is that the Board of Education approve the field trip for Newark Action Memorial MCA Seniors to travel to Los Angeles. PURPOSE:

The Newark Memorial community requests permission to take MCA Seniors on a curricular, overnight field trip. Students will travel to Los Angeles. Student will be exposed to post-secondary opportunities in the greater Los Angeles region in the fields of Arts, Media, and Entertainment.

     School: Newark Memorial High School
     Dates: April 4 - April 7, 2023
     Location: Los Angeles, CA

Chaperones:

     The ratio of adults to students on school-sponsored trips shall be based on the following formula:
            K-3 1 adult for every 5-8 students
            4-9 1 adult for every 10 students
            10-12 1 adult for every 10 students where strict supervision is required (tours, theaters, etc.)
     Overnight trip supervision must be gender appropriate. However, in the event that the supervisors, who stay overnight in proximity to
     students, are of a gender other than that group of campers, adequate planning, and preparation of campers and the physical
     arrangements of the camp shall be made to ensure optimal safety and privacy of students (AR 6153).

No student will be denied due to a lack of funds.

BACKGROUND:

According to Board Policy, all trips in excess of 100 miles, non-curricular trips, and overnight trips require Board approval. The site principal and Media Arts teacher request permission to take Newark Memorial MCA Seniors on an overnight curricular trip to Los Angeles.

Motion & Voting The recommendation is that the Board of Education approve the field trip for Newark Memorial MCA Seniors to travel to Los Angeles.

Motion by Phuong Nguyen, second by Aiden Hill.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Phuong Nguyen, Aiden Hill, Diego Torres, Katherine Jones, Nancy Thomas

4. INTERVIEW AND APPOINTMENT

Board Member Appointment Candidate Interviews

Type Discussion, Information PURPOSE:

The Board of Education has received four applications to join the school board. The Board will interview the four candidates.

BACKGROUND:

On February 17, 2023, Board Member Bowen Zhang resigned from the NUSD Board (effective February 28) via email to the County Superintendent. Based upon board policy, state education code, discussion at the Special Meeting on February 22, 2023, and formal action at the March 2, 2023 Regular Meeting, the Board is proceeding with an appointment process to fill the vacancy created by Member Zhang. The Board has 60 days to do this from the date on which Member Zhang filed his resignation to the County Superintendent on February 17, 2023. That deadline for an appointment is April 18, 2023.

On March 3, 2023, applications were made available to the public, with a closing date of March 22, 2023. Four applications were submitted, and four candidates confirmed their attendance for this Special Meeting on April 3, 2023.

Immediately before this evening's meeting, the candidates will randomly draw their order for interviewing. The Board will interview the candidates one by one, asking each candidate the same questions. To keep the process fair, the candidates will be asked to wait in a separate room before they are interviewed. In other words, the candidates will not be able to hear the interview questions and answers of the candidates before them.

The applications of the candidates for board member appointment are attached.

Candidates to be interviewed: Julie Del Catancio Peter Natale Carina Valencia Plancarte Delcina Wadia

File Attachments 2023-0403 - Board Vacancy Application - Julie Del Catancio.pdf (1,091 KB) 2023-0403 - Board Vacancy Application - Peter Natale.pdf (213 KB) 2023-0403 - Board Vacancy Application - Carina Valencia Plancarte.pdf (433 KB) 2023-0403 - Board Vacancy Application - Delcina Wadia.pdf (255 KB)

Public Comment on the Board Vacancy

Type Discussion, Information PURPOSE:

The Board of Education encourages the community's participation in its deliberations and has tried to make it convenient to express their views to the Board. Given the nature of this evening's agenda, we encourage public comment to be positive and to avoid critical comments of individual candidates.

BACKGROUND:

Please see the instructions on the link below for public comment information on non-agenda items and agenda items.

http://go.boarddocs.com/ca/nusd/Board.nsf/goto?open&id=C4Q2D4019F40

Candidate Selection and Appointment

Type Action, Discussion

Recommended The recommendation is that the Board of Education appoint a candidate to the open position Action on the NUSD Board of Education. PURPOSE:

To select and appoint a candidate to fill the open position on the NUSD Board of Education.

First, the Board will have the opportunity to discuss the qualities, experience, and/or perspective that they believe are important in a Board Member. Second, the Board will rank the candidates by preference (4 points = first choice, 3 points = second choice, 2 points = third choice, and 1 point = fourth choice). Third, the Board will take action to appoint a candidate to the NUSD Board of Trustees.

BACKGROUND:

Consistent with the Brown Act, the Board may not conduct secret ballots as a part of this process. Therefore, the rankings of the candidates by each of the individual Board Members will be displayed and tallied in public.

At times in the past, the Board has used two rounds of voting to narrow the field of candidates. However, given that there are only four candidates, the Board will be using a single round of voting at this meeting, unless there is a tie for first place. In that case, there will be a second round of voting focusing only on those candidates that tie for first place.

File Attachments April 3, 2022 - Vacancy Appointment Selection.pdf (100 KB)

Motion & Voting The recommendation is that the Board of Education appoint a candidate to the open position on the NUSD Board of Education Carnia Valencia Plancarte.

Motion by Katherine Jones, second by Aiden Hill.
Final Resolution: Motion Carries
Yea: Phuong Nguyen, Aiden Hill, Katherine Jones, Nancy Thomas
Not Present at Vote: Diego Torres

Oath of Office

Type Procedural Purpose:

The newly appointed NUSD Board Member will recite the oath of office required of all public officials in California. They will be a Board Member, fully participating in all board meetings, communications, and activities, effective immediately.

Background:

The superintendent will administer the following Oath of Office to the appointee, phrase by phrase:

"I, _____________________, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of California; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties upon which I am about to enter."

5. ADJOURNMENT

PLACEHOLDER - Extend Meeting

Type Action

Recommended The recommendation is that the Board of Education extends the meeting to ____ P.M. Action

PURPOSE:

This is a placeholder, only to be used if the Board adds a motion and action to extend the meeting.

Adjournment

Type Action, Procedural

Recommended The recommendation is that the Board of Education adjourns this meeting. Action PURPOSE: No items will be considered after 10:00 p.m. unless it is determined by a majority of the Board to extend to a specific time.

This action will conclude the meeting.

Motion & Voting

No minutes available.