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DRAFT MEETING MINUTES: DECEMBER 11, 2009 Ad Hoc Committee on the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) Meeting Minutes

(Will be submitted for approval at the next Curriculum Commission meeting – Date TBD)

Preliminary Report of Action

December 11, 2009

3:30 to 4:20 p.m.

EEI Ad Hoc Committee Members Present at the California Department of Education (CDE):

Commission Chair, John Brooks

Committee Chair, Connie Tate

Committee Vice Chair, Monica Ward

Hope Bjerke

Christine Lanphere

Bama Medley

Will Parish

EEI Ad Hoc Committee Members Present via Teleconference at Additional Sites:

Linda Childress, Riverside County Office of Education, Riverside, CA

EEI Ad Hoc Committee Members Absent:

Kevin Wooldridge

CDE Staff Present:

Thomas Adams

Veronica Aguila

Susan Martimo

Ken McDonald

Deborah Franklin

Lillian Perez

Tracie Yee

Members of the Public Present at CDE:

Andrea Lewis, California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA)

Alyson Thomas, OPR

Clete Bradford, California Teachers Association

Daly Jordan-Koch, California Teachers Association

Missy Kozacik, McGraw-Hill

Members of the Public Present via Teleconference:

Dr. Gerald Lieberman, Principal Consultant, EEI

Item 1: Ad Hoc Committee on the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI)

1. EEI Revised Curriculum Units (Information/Action)
   1. Report on the Revised Curriculum Units
      
      

Chair Tate called the Ad Hoc Committee on the Education and the Environment Initiative (EEI) to order at 3:30 p.m. She noted that the purpose of the meeting was to make final recommendations on the nine EEI revised curriculum units. Andrea Lewis briefly introduced the revised units, and commented on the revisions that were made to meet the State Board’s evaluation criteria.

2. Public Comment
   

There were no comments from members of the public.

3. Recommendation to the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency on the Revised Curriculum Units
   

The members of the committee discussed the nine revised EEI units. Chair Tate first polled the committee members to identify which units they wished to discuss in more detail. Commissioners made suggestions for minor edits to a number of the units, including units 4.2.1., 5.4.1., 7.7.1., 7.7.3., and 12.3.1. Staff recorded all suggested edits.

In addition to specific edits, Commissioner Bjerke stated that the supplemental materials booklets should not be printed on both sides of the page when students or teachers are expected to cut out elements for classroom use. Dr. Lieberman stated that these were just demonstration materials and that the final versions would not be printed on both sides of the page.

Commissioner Ward also made comments on the User Guides for the curriculum, and the examples provided for elementary, middle, and high school classrooms. Dr. Lieberman noted that the final version will have more real-world examples.

Commissioner Ward made the following motion:

1. To recommend the nine revised curriculum units to the Secretary of the California Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretary of the Natural Resources Agency, with substantive edits and corrections as discussed today and to be noted in the forthcoming Curriculum Commission Advisory Report.
2. To delegate approval of the final Curriculum Commission Advisory Report on the nine revised units to the Chair of the Curriculum Commission, John Brooks, and the Chair of the EEI Ad Hoc Committee, Connie Tate.
   

Commissioner Lanphere seconded the motion. There was no discussion on the motion, and no public comment on the motion. The motion passed unanimously.

Executive Director Adams presented Certificates of Appreciation from Superintendent Jack O’Connell and a Resolution from the Legislature to departing Commissioners Brooks and Tate. The documents will be mailed to Commissioners Wooldridge and Wagoner, who are also concluding their terms but were not present at the meeting.

EEI Ad Hoc Committee Chair Tate called for any final public comment. Hearing none, the meeting was adjourned at 4:20 p.m.