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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for San Miguel Joint Union. We found 8 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Spends $87,922 on “i-Ready” Screen-Time Software
The district’s curriculum update (Item VIII.v) confirms the use of “i-Ready” software for student ‘diagnostic’ testing and interventions. The accounts payable list (Item IX.iii) reveals recent payments totaling $87,922 to its vendor, Curriculum Associates, locking students into more screen-time instead of direct instruction.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board and Superintendent (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Item VIII.v and payments to Curriculum Associates, before any further use of i-Ready, please publish independent, non-vendor-funded evidence of its academic effectiveness in our district. Also, please disclose the total daily screen time this program adds for a typical student.’
💰 Impact: $87,922
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Hires “Certified Wellness Coach” for Elementary School
The district is reassigning an employee to a “Certified Wellness Coach” role at Cappy Culver elementary (Consent Item IX.iv). These roles often serve as in-school counselors or therapists, providing social-emotional interventions to students, sometimes without full parental knowledge or consent.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK FIRST: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the new “Certified Wellness Coach” in Consent Item IX.iv, what are the specific duties of this role? Will this coach be meeting with students, and if so, what is the parental notification and consent policy for any services provided?’
💰 Impact: Student Mental Health Interventions
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Spends $60,900 on “Be GLAD” Teacher Training
The accounts payable list (Item IX.iii) shows payments totaling $60,900 for “Be GLAD” teacher training, also mentioned in the curriculum update (Item VIII.v). This is a significant expense for a single professional development program that shapes classroom instruction and warrants public scrutiny.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the $60,900 spent on Be GLAD training under Item IX.iii, please provide parents with the full training curriculum for review. We need to ensure teacher training aligns with community values and focuses on academic excellence.’
💰 Impact: $60,900
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Pays $10,978 for More Screen-Time Software
The district paid $10,978 to Renaissance Learning, another major EdTech vendor known for student screen-time programs like Accelerated Reader and Star Assessments. This adds to the total amount of time students spend on screens instead of interacting with teachers and peers.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding payments to Renaissance Learning in Item IX.iii, what is the total daily screen time these programs add for students? Please provide independent evidence that these programs produce better academic outcomes than direct instruction before renewing this contract.’
💰 Impact: $10,978
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Pays $7,072 to “Harmony at Home” Vendor
The district paid $7,072 to a vendor named “Harmony at Home” (Item IX.iii). The name suggests services related to family life or social-emotional wellness, which could involve student data collection or interventions that bypass parental consent.
Recommended Action Plan
VERIFY THIS VENDOR: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the $7,072 payment to “Harmony at Home” in the Accounts Payable list (Item IX.iii), what specific services did this vendor provide? Were students involved, and if so, what was the parental consent process?’
💰 Impact: $7,072
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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District Adopts “Values-Aligned” Food Purchasing Policy
The board is voting to join a food purchasing co-op that prioritizes “values-aligned” foods, specifically citing “local, sustainable, climate-smart and organic offerings” (Item XI.i). This injects a political and environmental agenda into the cafeteria, potentially at a higher cost to taxpayers.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Item XI.i, what is the cost-per-meal comparison for “values-aligned” food versus standard procurement? Parents expect the district to prioritize nutrition and fiscal responsibility, not a political agenda, in the lunch line.’
💰 Impact: Ideological Litmus Test for Food
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board is renewing an agreement with a financial advisory firm to guide ‘potential bond sales or capital projects’ (Item IX.v). The agreement itself was not included in the agenda packet, hiding the fee schedule and scope of work from public view.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item IX.v attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the fee schedule and scope. We must know if the district is planning a bond measure before it’s too late for parents to have a say.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
The board is approving an annual agreement with ‘Champions for Child Care Services’ for ongoing child care programming (Item IX.vii). The contract details were not provided, preventing parents from reviewing the curriculum or policies of this before- and after-school provider.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item IX.vii attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm whether it contains sensitive policy or curriculum changes for the child care program.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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