I.Roll Call Of Members

II. Pledge Of Allegiance To The Flag

III. Students' Concerns

Student Members Ben Motz from the Sherman Oaks Center for Enriched Studies, Laura Humber from the Los Angeles Center for Enriched Studies, and Idolina Delgado from Foshay Learning Center

School Accountability Proposals Before the State Legislature

Mr. Ron Prescott, Government Relations and Public Affairs
Mr. Kevin Gordon, California School Boards Association

Our Kids, Our Schools - Review of Proposition BB Progress

(Approval of Negative Declaration and Approval of Project - 59th Street Primary Center)

Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 1

Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 2
(Ratification of Revised Unique Multitrack Year-Round Calendars for Morningside Elementary School for School Year 1997-98)

School Management Services No. 1
(School Calendars--1998-99 School Year)

VIII. Regular Calendar ­ Communications Dated April 27, 1998

C.Board of Education Report No. 2 ADOPTED

D.Board of Education Report No. 3 ADOPTED

(Agreements and Amendments, Audit Services Agreement, Health and Human Services Agreement, Personal/Professional Services Agreement, Health and Human Services Agreement Aggregating $50,000 and Over, Personal/Professional Services Agreements Aggregating $50,000 and Over, Amendment to Personal/Professional Services Agreements, Amendment to Personal/Professional Services Agreements Aggregating $50,000 and Over)

E.Board of Education Report No. 4 WITHDRAWN BY STAFF

F.Board of Education Report No. 5 WITHDRAWN BY STAFF

G. Business and Operations/Personnel Committee Report No. 1 ADOPTED
Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 1

(Nonroutine Budget Adjustments to establish Mental Health Coordinator Positions, for Technical Adjustment to Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Funds, Establish Additional Coordinating Financial Manager Position)

H.Board of Education Report No. 6 ADOPTED

I.Board of Education Report No. 7 ADOPTED

J.Board of Education Report No. 8 ADOPTED

K.Board of Education Report No. 9 ADOPTED

L.Board of Education Report No. 10 ADOPTED

(Authorizing the Issuance of up to $190 Million in 1998-99 Tax and Revenue Anticipation Notes (TRANs) and Entering into Agreements with Financial Advisors, Underwriters, and Co-Special Counsels for the Issuance of These TRANs)

M.Mr. Tokofsky - Motion to Establish an Office of Inspector General (Noticed November 3, 1997)

Whereas, the Los Angeles Unified School District projects one billion six hundred million dollars ($1,600,000,000) annually in business, construction, and consulting contracts for the next 10 years, adding an additional approximate four hundred million dollars ($400,000,000) in voter-approved Proposition BB funds;

Whereas, such funds should be allocated in the most cost-effective basis that prevents tax dollar waste or abuse; and

Whereas, the District wishes to avoid even the appearance of lax controls over these new expenditures; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles establish the Office of Inspector General and appoint an Inspector General to a term of office of five years, which may be renewed once for a total of 10 years; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles convene a panel of at least three members of the Association of Inspectors General to screen and recommend candidates for the selection of an Inspector General; and be it

Resolved further, That the selection panel use the following criteria when making their selection: That the inspector general shall have verifiable experience in criminal investigations and prosecutions, the conducting of audits, public administration, conflict of interest and campaign finance laws, and any additional skill or knowledge necessary to carry out the duties and responsibilities of an inspector general; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles shall select the inspector general from the candidates recommended by the panel of Inspectors General; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles establish policies and procedures for the removal from his or her position as Inspector General if 1) a two-thirds majority of its members votes for the removal; or 2) if the Inspector General is found to have violated a state or federal law or regulation, local ordinance, or a policy or practice of the Board, relative to ethical practices, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of gifts or contributions; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles define the duties of the Inspector General as being responsible for auditing and investigating any and all matters regarding the operations, activities, construction, and expenditures of the Los Angeles Unified School District, the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles, District and Board staff, and District contractors and subcontractors. The authority of the Inspector General shall also include investigation of possible conflicts of interest, improper communications with Board Members on potential contracts before contract awards, or other ethical violations and be it

Resolved further, That the Inspector General shall have subpoena power as authorized by state and local codes or granted powers and the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles acknowledges that any investigatory file compiled by the inspector general is an investigatory file compiled by a law enforcement agency subject to disclosure pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 6254 of the Government Code; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Inspector General to establish procedures to require that a prequalification questionnaire be completed by each construction company, engineering firm, consultant, legal firm, product vendor, and any other business entity seeking to contract with the board for the furnishing of goods or services. The Board will establish polices and procedures to prohibit the District from entering into a contract or doing business with any firm that knowingly provides false information on the questionnaire. The questionnaire shall solicit information regarding the firm including, but not limited to the following subjects: (1) Experience; (2) Quality and timeliness of past performance; (3) Reliability and responsibility; (4) Compliance with wage, hours, and other fair; (5) Compliance with equal employment requirements; (6) Subcontractors used by the firm; (7) Integrity of the firm and its key personnel; (8) Gifts given, or contributions made, to members, alternate members, or employees of the Board; (9) Lawsuits filed against the firm and their dispositions; and be it

Resolved further, That the Inspector General shall, at a noticed public meeting of the Board of Education, report quarterly on the following: (a) School construction, design, and repair contracts, including expenditures on such projects for consultants, attorneys, developers, and construction firms; b) Expenditures of funds allocated by Proposition BB and any future bond measures approved by the voters for school construction, design, or repair; (c) Travel, meals, and refreshments, private club dues, membership fees and charges, and any other expenditures which are specified by the Board; (d) A report on savings or recommendations for savings; and be it

Resolved further, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles fund the Office of Inspector General using existing District resources, which may include redirecting funds which would otherwise be allocated to the Independent Analysis Unit or the recently established Special Audits Branch.

N.Mr. Horton and Ms. Fields - Support of Senate Bill 6 (Alpert) Repeal of Existing Sunsetted

Law Governing Bilingual Education and Substitution with Firestone-Alpert English Learners Education Report Act of 1998, as Amended March 23, 1998 (Waiver of Board Rule 72) ADOPTED

Whereas, Senate Bill 6 (Alpert), as amended March 23, 1998, repeals existing sunsetted law governing bilingual education and replaces it with the Firestone-Alpert English Learners Education Reform Act of 1998, which supersedes all policies, guidelines, and regulations concerning the identification of, assessment of, and services provided to English learners;

Whereas, This measure requires all programs for English learners to develop fluency for each child as effectively and efficiently as possible, strives to redesignate pupils at the end of the third year in a program, develops academic skills in the core curriculum at a level equivalent to other pupils in the district of the same grade level, enables pupils to acquire the knowledge and skills to successfully compete in the work force and to actively participate in a democratic culture, and promotes cross cultural understanding;

Whereas, Senate Bill 6 requires each school district to design, in consultation with the district advisory committee, a program for English learners based on sound and legitimate educational theory that includes, among other items, the district's long-term strategy to recruit and train teachers as appropriate, provision for necessary services and resources at each school, and an assessment system that provides data disaggregated as specified;

Whereas, The legislature declares that "submersion" is not a sound educational theory and prohibits its use under this act;

Whereas, Districts will be required to comply with federal law regarding services for English learners;

Whereas, Districts will be required to establish their own procedures and criteria for reclassifying English learners as English-proficient, following State Board of Education regulations and including designated criteria;

Whereas, Senate Bill 6 requires districts to provide certain information to parents of English learners and assures parents certain rights in the instructional placement of their children;

Whereas, Districts with more than 50 English learners will be required to establish school district advisory committees and schools with more than 20 English learners will be required to establish school advisory committees, with the majority of each committee to consist of parents;

Whereas, The State Board of Education will be required to adopt an English language development test to determine all pupils' primary language at the time of enrollment, and within 60 days of enrollment, districts will be required to assess the pupils' speaking, comprehension, reading, and writing skills in their primary language;

Whereas, The State Board of Education will be required to provide any test approved for use under this program in any language spoken by English learners constituting at least 10 percent of the State's K-12 population;

Whereas, English learners will be included in the administration of the statewide assessment, except in those circumstances where the State Department of Education determines that the testing will lead to invalid and/or unreliable results; and

Whereas, Provisions will be established for district accountability for instructional programs for English learners; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles urge the Governor to approve this measure to assure appropriate educational services for English learners, access to the core curriculum, equal opportunity for academic achievement, and the ability to compete successfully in the work force and to participate fully in the nation's democratic culture.

O.Mr. Tokofsky, Ms. Fields, and Mr. Kiriyama (Noticed April 13, 1998) - Morgan-Hart -

Whereas, Most students benefit from a lower student-to-teacher ratio;

Whereas, In 1983 the state legislature passed the Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction Act which provided class size reduction in high school English classes;

Whereas, The District has been implementing such a secondary school class size reduction in its English classes; but chose to implement in only the 11th grade;

Whereas, Many high school students will drop out prior to receiving those benefits in 11th grade;

Whereas, Students need class size reduction in English in the earliest grade possible‹namely 9th grade according to the law; and

Whereas, Many districts across California implement Morgan-Hart in the 9th grade; and now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles direct the Superintendent to come forward with recommendations by May 21, 1998, that provide flexibility to the local schools to implement the Morgan-Hart Class Size Reduction; and be it

Resolved further, That until such time schools may choose to implement class size reduction in the 9th grade with the extra resources they receive from the Morgan-Hart Act; and be it

Resolved further, That the Superintendent provide plans to reduce class size in English at a level that would be as complete as is presently provided in 11th grade.

Whereas, Classified school employees provide essential services in support of the educational programs of the Los Angeles Unified School District;

Whereas, Classified school employees contribute to the establishment and promotion of a positive instructional environment;

Whereas, Classified school employees serve a vital role in providing for the welfare and safety of the Los Angeles Unified School District's students; and

Whereas, Classified school employees employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District strive for excellence in all areas relative to the educational community; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles recognizes and wishes to honor the contributions of classified employees for their role in public education in the Los Angeles Unified School District and declares the week of May 18-22, 1998, as Classified Employee Recognition Week.

R. Accounting and Disbursements Division No. 2 WITHDRAWN

S. Budget Services and Financial Planning Division No. 1 REGULAR
(Adoption of Adult Education Schools Calendar for School Year 1998-99)

T. Business Services Division No. 1 REGULAR

(Agreements and Amendments, Construction Inspection Services Agreement, Professional Services Agreements, Personal/Professional Services Agreements Aggregating $50,000 and Over, Audit Services Agreement Aggregating $50,000 and Over, and Health and Human Services Agreement Aggregating $50,000 and Over)

V. Facilities Services Division No. 2 CONSENT
(Approval of Negative Declaration and Approval of Project‹Nordhoff/Willis Primary Center)

W. Facilities Services Division No. 3 REGULAR
(Purchase of Modular Buildings for 1998-99 Relief of Overcrowding)

X. Facilities Services Division No. 4 CONSENT
(Prevailing Wages Requirements)

XII. Approval of Minutes APPROVED

Y. 12 Noon, Closed Session, April 23, 1998
9:30 a.m., Closed Session, April 27, 1998

XIII. Correspondence and Petitions APPROVED

Z.Report of Correspondence

XIV. Miscellaneous Business

AA. Mr. Horton, Ms. Castro, Ms. Fields, Mr. Kiriyama, and Mr. Tokofsky - California Children and Families First Initiative (Noticed April 27) - ASSIGNED TO STUDENT HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE

Whereas, The California Children and Families First Initiative aims to be placed before the California voters, November, 1998;

Whereas, The goals of this Initiative are to generate $700 million annually for infant and early childhood education, parent education, domestic violence programs, anti-smoking and health programs;

Whereas, The monies to fund these said programs would be generated by an additional $.50 sales tax on each pack of cigarette;

Whereas, The revenues from this Initiative would be received and administered by newly created County commissions which will be funded by this Initiative;

Whereas, These County commissions would determine how best to support and fund programs which promote early education, parent education, anti-smoking and health issues;

Whereas, All children who enter school would benefit academically, socially and emotionally from early education, parental involvement, and a healthy start in life; and

Whereas, Early education, family support and a healthy start in life are cost-effective measures both educationally and socially; now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Board of Education of the City of Los Angeles strongly support the California Children and Families First Initiative for the November 1998 election.

BB.Motions and Resolutions (Initial Announcements)

CC.Meeting, Conference and Convention Motions and Announcements

DD.This Week In Education

• Latino-Jewish Conference

Mr. Horton will comment on the following:

• Celebrating Opportunities for Hispanic Students

Mr. Tokofsky will comment on the following:

• Yom Hashoah, April 26 - Holocaust Remembrance Day

• Palisades High School - AIDS Quilt

• Ms. Foundation - Take Our Daughters to Work

• North Valley Occupational Center

• Cinco de Mayo Celebrations: Fiesta Broadway and U.S. Postage Stamp

• Garfield High School - UCLA Chancellor Carnesale

• Kennedy Elementary School - Honorable Jane Harman and Patrick Kennedy
  
  
• Graduation Ceremony - Rowan Elementary, Garfield High School, East Los Angeles Skills

• Garfield High School Academic Decathlon Team Dinner

• Korean Youth Community Center Dinner

• Sunset Hall Garden Party

• "Youth at the Greek"

EE.Speakers

Please Note That The Board Of Education May Refer Any Item On This Order Of Business For The Consideration Of A Standing Committee Of The Board Of Education Which Meets On The Thursday Immediately After This Meeting.