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Heads up! We have scanned the upcoming agenda for Newhall. We found 10 items that need your immediate attention before the vote.
| HIGH CONCERN (LEVEL 8) |
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District Rushes Vote on Six Governance Policies
Under item M.3.ii, the Board is scheduled for a ‘First Reading’ of six policies governing its own operations, including rules for closed sessions. However, the recommended motion is to ‘waive additional readings’ and approve them immediately, cutting off the normal opportunity for public review and comment before a final vote.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website) before Tuesday’s meeting. ‘Regarding Item M.3.ii, I demand the Board follow standard procedure and allow for a second reading of these six governance policies. The public deserves adequate time to review changes to how the district is run before you vote.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Scrutiny
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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New Restrictions on Public Comment
The agenda under item K, ‘Public Comments,’ states that the ‘total allocated time for public comments on any item is no more than 21 minutes.’ This severely limits the number of parents who can speak on controversial topics and allows the board to shut down debate after only a handful of speakers.
Recommended Action Plan
PACK THE ROOM: Sign up for public comment on Item K to protest this rule. Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘The 21-minute total comment time on agenda items is an unacceptable restriction on the public’s right to be heard. We demand you remove this arbitrary limit and respect parental input.’
💰 Impact: Silencing Parental Voice
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Renews ‘Accelerated Reader’ EdTech Contract
Hidden in the Consent Calendar’s recurring contracts (Item L.3.iv, Attachment 6) are two renewals with Renaissance for its ‘Accelerated Reader and STAR products’ totaling $10,969.05. The district has not provided any independent evidence that this software improves academic outcomes or specified how much daily screen time it adds for students.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND PROOF: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Pull the Renaissance contracts from Consent Item L.3.iv. Before voting, please publish the independent, non-vendor-funded evidence showing Accelerated Reader produces academic gains and state the total daily screen time it requires of students.’
💰 Impact: $10,969.05
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 7) |
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District Pays for i-Ready EdTech Software
A payment of $1,855.64 to Curriculum Associates, the maker of i-Ready, is listed in the Warrant Report (Attachment 3). The district has not presented evidence that this program is effective, nor has it disclosed how much instructional time is being replaced with screens.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the payment to Curriculum Associates in the warrant report, I demand the district publish independent evidence of i-Ready’s effectiveness and the total daily screen time it adds before any further renewals or payments are made.’
💰 Impact: $1,855.64
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Funds ‘Equine Psychotherapy’ for Students
Under Consent Item L.3.iv, the district is approving a $2,000 contract with ‘SRD Straightening Reins Foundation’ for ‘Equine based psychotherapy and learning sessions.’ This is a form of school-based mental health service, raising questions about parental consent, oversight, and what is being discussed with children during these sessions.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND OVERSIGHT: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Pull the SRD Straightening Reins contract from Consent Item L.3.iv. Parents must be provided with the full curriculum and the specific parental notification and consent forms for these psychotherapy sessions before any contract is approved.’
💰 Impact: $2,000.00
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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District Pays for BrainPop EdTech Subscription
The warrant report (Attachment 3) includes a $4,500 payment to BrainPOP LLC, a student-facing educational software. The district has not provided evidence of this program’s academic effectiveness or disclosed how much class time is being diverted from teacher-led instruction to screens.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND PROOF: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the payment to BrainPOP, please provide the independent, non-vendor-funded studies proving its academic value and a clear statement on the daily screen time it adds before any future payments are approved.’
💰 Impact: $4,500.00
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| NEEDS REVIEW (LEVEL 6) |
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Student Data Collection Vendor Paid by District
The warrant report (Attachment 3) shows a payment of $13,279.55 to Data Recognition Corporation. This company provides student assessment and data services, raising questions about what student data is being collected, who it is being shared with, and for what purpose.
Recommended Action Plan
OPT-OUT ALERT: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding the payment to Data Recognition Corporation, what specific student data is being collected and who owns it? Please provide the parental opt-out form for this data collection before any further contracts are considered.’
💰 Impact: Your Child’s Data
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| MONITOR (LEVEL 5) |
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University Partnership Pushes ‘Diverse Setting’ Requirement
The district is approving an agreement with Loyola Marymount University for student teachers (Item M.2.i). The MOU requires that student teachers be placed in ‘diverse school settings,’ potentially embedding DEI metrics and ideology into teacher training and classroom placement within the district.
Recommended Action Plan
ASK QUESTIONS: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Regarding Item M.2.i, what are the specific criteria for a ‘diverse school setting’? The district should focus on placing student teachers based on academic need, not on meeting a university’s ideological quotas.’
💰 Impact: Ideological Teacher Training
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| ALERT (LEVEL 4) |
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District to Approve Complaint Report Without Public Review
Under item M.3.iii, the Board will vote to approve the ‘Williams Quarterly Summary Report,’ which details complaints about instructional materials, facilities, and teacher vacancies. The agenda does not include the actual report, so parents cannot see if it accurately reflects ‘zero complaints’ or if it omits complaints that have been filed.
Recommended Action Plan
DEMAND TRANSPARENCY: Email the Board (contact info on district website): ‘Before voting on Item M.3.iii, the full Williams Quarterly Summary Report must be made public. Parents have a right to know what complaints have been filed and how the district is handling them.’
💰 Impact: Undisclosed Complaint Data
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| ALERT (LEVEL 2) |
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Vague Title — Manual Review Required
Item M.2.ii, ‘Memorandum of Understanding with the Newhall Education Support Professionals for Site Technicians’ Number of Days,’ references an attachment that was not included in the public packet. This is a labor agreement that should be reviewed.
Recommended Action Plan
INVESTIGATE: Open the file for Item M.2.ii attached in the Official Agenda (linked above) to confirm the details of this labor agreement.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed
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