HIGHLIGHTING RECENT BOARD OF EDUCATION ACTIVITY
Board Briefs provides important information about the work of the 
San Rafael City Schools Board of Education. Following Board meetings on a
regular basis, SRCS will publish Board Briefs as a resource for the
greater SRCS community on Board discussions, actions and activity.

Below are updates from the Dec. 17, 2018 Board meeting.
Kertz and Tuatagaloa Begin New Terms

In November, Rachel Kertz and Natu Tuatagaloa were reelected by San Rafael voters to continue serving on the SRCS Board of Education. They were sworn for their new four-year terms on Dec. 17 by the San Rafael City Council. 

Congratulations!
Ed Trust-West to Conduct Equity Audit

Sarah Feldman, Ed.D. with the Education Trust-West provided an overview of the Education Equity Audit that SRCS is undertaking over the next few years. The Education Trust-West is a nonprofit educational equity organization focused on closing opportunity and achievement gaps through research, data, policy analysis and advocacy. 

Marin Promise Partnership, which SRCS is proud to participate in, is providing funding for the audit to help advance equitable outcomes for college and career readiness in SRCS. Ed Trust-West will review data and gather input and will then co-facilitate a steering committee to build a Blueprint for Equity Action Plan, which will also be incorporated into the District's LCAP. The initial scope will focus on SRCS' high schools. Click here to download the presentation . 

SRCS is excited about this new partnership with Ed Trust-West and is grateful to Marin Promise for their support!
Review of Administrators' Employment Agreements

The Board reviewed and considered employment agreements for key senior District administrators, which were set to expire on 6/30/19. Providing multi-year agreements is a common industry practice, as it is often in the best interest of the students and the District to retain the services and continuity of high-performing leaders.
 
Teachers, staff and parents who attended the Board meeting gave valuable feedback and input about the contract renewals, with many requests to understand more about the evaluation, contract process and District goals. 
 
The Board moved to conduct a mid-year evaluation for the Superintendent to take place in January 2019, delaying the contract review for the Superintendent so that it is more aligned with the evaluation process. The Board shared that they will develop a timeline with opportunities for members of the public to provide the Board with input for their decision-making process on how the Superintendent is meeting District goals. The Board President and Vice President will determine the process and detailed information about the timeline and opportunities to participate will be shared on the District's website (www.srcs.org) and other District communications. If you have any questions or suggestions for this process, please email communications@srcs.org.
 
Additionally, after discussion, the Board unanimously approved updated three-year agreements for the Deputy Superintendent; Assistant Superintendent, Business; and Assistant Superintendent, Human Resources. The renewed agreements contain the same salary, salary schedule and fringe benefit provisions as in the current employment agreements. The salaries for these positions are available in the applicable Management Salary Schedule (each has reached the top step on the applicable schedule) online at www.srcs.org/employees. 
SRCS to Get EV Charging Stations

Nicholas Nguyen, Principal Project Manager for the Transportation Authority of Marin, joined SRCS' Senior Director of Capital Improvements Dan Zaich, Ed.D., to share details about a collaborative project to bring Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations to nine SRCS campuses. The SRCS Board approved the project, which is possible thanks to the combined resources and support of the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), Marin Clean Energy and Pacific Gas & Electric. 

The schools identified for EV stations include: Terra Linda High School; San Rafael High School; Madrone Continuation High School; Davidson Middle School; and Glenwood, Bahia Vista, Coleman, Sun Valley and San Pedro elementary schools.

The District successfully applied for and acquired specialized grants and rebates to install and cover the EV charging equipment cost. There is no initial cost to the District.

Nicholas Nguyen of TAM shared, "Installing electric vehicle charging stations is an important, forward-thinking move by San Rafael School Board. TAM is glad to be a guiding resource and funding partner in this effort by the District to combat climate change and accelerate the transition to fossil-free transportation. While TAM advocates for carpooling and alternative modes of transportation to reduce congestion and emissions, we believe electric vehicles offers a clean choice when the other options are not available. Working together, we can make a big difference."

Click here to read more.
Knell and Llorens Gulati Continue in Board Leadership Roles

The Board conducted its annual reorganization and election of officers for 2019. They moved to reelect Greg Knell as the President and Maika Llorens Gulati as the Vice President. 
The next regular SRCS Board of Education meeting is 
Monday, January 14 at 6 pm at 310 Nova Albion Way.  
Board of Education
Greg Knell, President; Maika Llorens Gulati, Vice President;
Linda M. Jackson; Rachel Kertz; and Natu Tuatagaloa 

Superintendent
Michael Watenpaugh, Ed.D.