April 2013 State Council Meeting Minutes

Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children
California State Council - General Business Meeting

April 24, 2013

Marine Corps Family Team Building Office
Camp Pendleton, California

Present

• State Council Members: John Burns, Jerry Dannenberg, Jacie Ragland, Joyce Temporal, Kate Wren Gavlak
• Department of Defense Liaison Representatives: Kelli May, Shannon Milder
• Invited Guests: Brigadier General Vincent A. Coglianese, Brigadier General (Retired) Norman Arlack, Jenny Callison, Laurie Crehan, Sylvia Crowder
• Staff: Leah Cleveland (Recorder)

Welcome and Introductions

Jacie Ragland, State Superintendent of Public Instruction Designee, called the meeting of the California State Council to order at 9:15 a.m. On behalf of the State Council, she thanked Brigadier General Vincent Coglianese, Marine Corps Installations-West Commanding General, for hosting the meeting and a reception at his home the prior evening.

• Jacie Ragland introduced Kate Wren Gavlak, Chair of the California State Council and California’s Commissioner to the Military Interstate Children’s Compact Commission (MIC3).
• Commissioner Wren Gavlak introduced State Council members and invited participants. She stated that the purpose of the meeting was to continue the Council’s work in writing the required Report to the California State Legislature, which is due on December 1, 2013.

Opening Remarks

• Commissioner Wren Gavlak introduced Brigadier General Vincent A. Coglianese. He shared the regrets of Rear Admiral Dixon Smith, Commander, Navy Regional Southwest, who was called elsewhere and unable to attend the meeting. General Coglianese shared his support for the State Council, the Interstate Compact, and MIC3. 
• Commissioner Wren Gavlak introduced Brigadier General (Retired) Norman Arflack, MIC3 Executive Director, who provided his Executive Director’s Report.
• Brigadier General Norman Arflack shared the history of the MIC3 organization, which became fully functional in early 2009, and officially formed in May 2010, after 10 states had joined the organization. Membership rapidly increased. Montana’s legislation to join is currently on the Governor’s desk. There now are 46 states with membership in MIC3, representing 98.5 percent of the U.S. military population.
• Brigadier General Norman Arflack reported on the MIC3 annual business meeting to be held in San Diego on November 21–23, 2013, the MIC3 publications that are ready for distribution, and shared an informational video.

Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

• Jerry Dannenberg moved and John Burns seconded to approve the minutes of the February 7, 2013, California State Council meeting as presented. The motion passed unanimously.

Commissioner’s Update

• Commissioner Wren Gavlak reported on her process for addressing MIC3 issues that come to her desk, including conversations with other State Commissioners and school personnel to resolve issues in the best interest of students. She commented on the types of requests she receives, many of which are not covered in the Compact.

Status on Appointment of Assembly Member to State Council

• Assembly Member Al Miratsuchi (D-Torrance) has been appointed to fill the Assembly Member seat on the State Council.

Discussion of Items to be Included in the Report to the California State Legislature due December 1, 2013

• John Burns provided some history on the State Council and the governing legislation. He led the Council discussions, language amendments, and public input as the Council continued its work on the Report to the California State Legislature.
• The Council reviewed and amended Draft Six of the Nine Areas of Impact Report to the California State Legislature line by line, resulting in Draft Seven.
• Commissioner Wren Gavlak stated that once the Report to the Legislature is completed and submitted, the Council can work on a statewide education plan to reach out to every California school district.
• Joyce Temporal, Senator Marty Block’s designee on the State Council, suggested the Council collaborate with Senator Block when the Council is ready to move the statewide plan forward.

Public Comments

• Kimberly Shapazian, San Diego Unified School District, relayed the issue she has encountered regarding differing grading systems and grade point average (GPA) calculations among California schools, as well as among states.
• Francisca Del Carmen-Aguilar, Mira Mesa High School Vice Principal, San Diego Unified School District discussed Physical Fitness Testing, Special Education Waivers for the California High School Exit Examination, and GPAs.
• Rebecca Benner, San Diego Unified School District, (comments relayed by Francisca Del Carmen-Aguilar after Ms. Benner left the meeting) discussed how identification of military dependents would help schools assist incoming, current, and departing military students.
• Paula Emmert, Navy Region Southwest School Liaison, recommended using the “Best Practices” approach in which, for every negative impact, a recommendation also is included.
• Commissioner Wren Gavlak said more conversations are needed in order to do what is best for students, even when the issue is not covered in the Compact.
• Laurie Crehan, a member of the original Taskforce on the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children stated that some issues were intentionally left out of the Compact—specifically grades.

State Council Member Comments

• John Burns noted that the Council made a lot of progress on the Report to the Legislature today. He requested that Council members seek out the stories and actual case histories for the Council to incorporate into the report.
• Jacie Ragland thanked everyone on behalf of the California Department of Education (CDE), and said she is looking forward to having more substantive Interstate Compact information on the CDE Web site.
• Shannon Milder said she is excited about the progress made on the Report to the Legislature so that the Council can move on to the next step of communicating it. She will review the Draft Report with the school liaisons and seek their input and case scenarios.
• Joyce Temporal said she looks forward to becoming informed and participating on the Council. She will debrief Senator Block, as well as Senior Consultant Kevin Powers in Sacramento, following the Council meetings.
• Kelli May thanked everyone for coming to Camp Pendleton. She said she was pleased that the school liaisons were present to see the workings of the Council and to spark more conversation among themselves to bring back to the Council.
• Commissioner Wren Gavlak said she will send the Draft Report to the California State Legislature (Draft Seven) with the day’s amendments to Council members before the next meeting so the Council can have an efficient conversation and identify anything that needs to be added or deleted in order to complete the final report this summer.
• Leah Cleveland, Administrative Assistant, will renumber the report items for easier reference, and will e-mail the Assistance Request Intake Form to Council members.

Next Meeting: June/July 2013

• The next meeting of the State Commission was tentatively set for Thursday, June 13, 2013, at the CDE in Sacramento. Some members indicated their desire to attend telephonically.

Adjournment

• The meeting was adjourned at 1:22 p.m.