January 2014 Meeting Minutes
January 13, 2014, meeting minutes for the American Indian Education Oversight Committee.American Indian Education Oversight Committee Meeting
January 13, 2014
Present
Committee Members Present: Laura Lee George (Chair), Amber Machamer (Vice Chair), André Cramblit (Parliamentarian), Irma Amaro, Deborah DeForge, Rodney Lindsay
Excused Absence: Kathleen Marshall, Rachel McBride, Russell “Butch” Murphy
California Department of Education (CDE) Staff Present: Gordon Jackson, Barbara Pomerantz, Judy Delgado, Chavela Delp, Ramona Hoffman
Guests: Coleen Bruno, Jason Porter
Meeting convened at 10 a.m.
Item 1―CDE Updates
Presented by Judy Delgado, American Indian Education Consultant, CDE
- Update on how the American Indian Education Centers (AIEC) were funded for the AIEC Program.
- There is a call for readers (to read and score the AIEC Program grant application). The requirement is for readers from within the CDE and also from outside of the CDE who have read before and were qualified.
- Five appeals (for reconsideration for funding) were received by the CDE.
André Cramblit—Can we see score sheets for all the AIECs?
Judy Delgado—You can request to see all of the score sheets through a Public Records Act Request. The reader’s comments were not considered for scoring. They were provided for technical assistance.
Laura Lee George—How were the readers chosen?
Judy Delgado—Through our office.
Rodney Lindsay—It might be helpful to issue an invitation to readers in a larger venue like the state conference, outside readers who know more about Indian ways.
Judy Delgado—All of your recommendations are welcome, and I hope we can move forward in a positive way, and not in an adversarial way. We want everyone to be successful. In no way do we want an adversarial position. We want to work with the American Indian Education Oversight Committee (AIEOC).
André Cramblit—It is not meant that way (adversarial). We are the ones that set up the process.
Deborah DeForge—I am just concerned about the process where people from the division and individuals hand-picked from outside of the CDE were invited to read; but other individuals not affiliated with the American Indian Education Centers (AIECs) but knowledgeable in Indian ways offered to read, but were not included.
Rodney Lindsay—We appreciate your statement, Judy.
Laura Lee George—I’m just wanting to be sure the same thing doesn’t happen again.
Irma Amaro—Sometimes it is hard to get someone to come in from the outside on a timely basis when you have a process that is time-sensitive.
Laura Lee George—It is a five-year cycle.
Rodney Lindsay—We need to start today with these things. We need to support staff here, and we need to support the AIECs that didn’t get funded. We have the opportunity here to do more and to do it in a better way. CDE staff should be going out to visit the AIECs.
Amber Machamer—Thank you, André, for reminding us that we wrote the regulations. We did indeed say we need higher standards for our AIECs.
André Cramblit—Since it is being reauthorized now, do we change regulations?
Judy Delgado—Regulations can only clarify existing law. You may need to do something legislatively, not through the regulatory process.
Deborah DeForge—Fiscal compliance does not appear in the regulations.
Judy Delgado—Yes, it does appear in the regulations.
- Governor Brown proposed a less than one percent increase (approximately $1,000 per AIEC).
- American Indian Education Early Childhood funded the same agencies as in fiscal year 2012–13.
André Cramblit—What happened to the equipment of the non-funded AIECs?
Judy Delgado—Decisions are still being made, so I hesitate to report on that today. I want to make sure I give you accurate information.
Item 2―Reauthorization and Regulations of the AIECs
Presented by Irma Amaro, AIEOC member
Irma Amaro―I have had discussions with several of the AIEC directors. We need to start on the reauthorization and not wait till the twenty-fifth hour. We need to go through the regulations line by line.
Judy Delgado—If you are recommending to modify the regulations, you can only clarify existing law. If you are recommending modifying law, then you need to meet with the legislature. You may want to look at recommending legislation.
Laura Lee George—We need to keep in mind that our only authority is to make recommendations to the State Superintendent of Public Instruction (SSPI).
Irma Amaro—We need input from the directors and the consultants, too. We need to be clear on what we want and all be “on the same page.” This is not going to happen in a day or two.
André Cramblit—We can create a blueprint or model for the CDE.
Laura Lee George—Irma, could we ask the directors for their input at the conference?
Irma Amaro—Yes, but it is possible that not all of the directors are going to be attending the conference. Maybe at the directors’ meeting, André and I could spearhead that discussion.
André Cramblit—Judy, did you see an increase in your administrative budget so that you could go out and monitor more?
Judy Delgado—No.
André Cramblit—So that is something else we need to advocate for.
Amber Machamer—We can go through the regulations line by line, but if it clarifies law, we still need to refer to the law in our review of the regulations.
Laura Lee George—That could be homework.
Irma Amaro—We should start now. I would like to see an AIEC Office in the CDE and not just half of a consultant.
Amber Machamer—It might be a little narrow to only solicit the input of the directors. We could distill what the law and regulations say, so we could solicit a wider discussion.
André Cramblit—This could be a breakout session at the conference.
Amber Machamer—So one of the sessions would actually be a public meeting.
Judy Delgado—We can do a workshop on “what is reauthorization,” but it cannot be done as an AIEOC meeting.
Irma Amaro—Let me speak with Rachel and see if we have it in the budget to do, to rent a room for this workshop.
Laura Lee George—I still like the idea of a questionnaire at the conference to ask for input and feedback, and that we all do our homework. How do we address the Bagley-Keene Act requirements if we want to work on this outside of the AIEOC meetings?
Gordon Jackson—Partnership and collaboration is important. We agree that with 600,000 Native Americans, it is certainly important. I like the idea of collecting input from people to find out what issues they think are important priorities. Collecting some immediate feedback at the conference well before a public hearing would be a good idea.
Judy Delgado—The relevant California Education Code (EC) sections are EC Section 33370 and EC sections 33380–33385.
Laura Lee George—Are there any more public comments on Agenda Item 2?
Item 3―Public Comment
Laura Lee George—Are there any general public comments?Item 4―Committee Business
Laura Lee George—Asked for a motion to approve the November 19, 2013, AIEOC meeting minutes. Deborah DeForge moved to approve the meeting minutes. André Cramblit seconded. The motion was approved with one abstention.- Election of AIEOC officers
Deborah DeForge—Made a nomination for Laura Lee George as the AIEOC Chair. Amber Machamer seconded. All in favor.
Laura Lee George—Any other nominations?
Rodney Lindsay—Moved to close the nominations for AIEOC Chair. André Cramblit seconded. All in favor.
Laura Lee George—Any nominations for AIEOC Vice Chair?
Deborah DeForge—Made a nomination for Amber Machamer as the AIEOC Vice Chair. André Cramblit seconded. All in favor.
Rodney Lindsay—Moved to close the nominations for Vice Chair. Irma Amaro seconded. All in favor.
Laura Lee George—Asked André Cramblit if he would accept another year as parliamentarian. André Cramblit accepted.- AIEOC Annual Report
- Pay for credentialed Indian language teachers
- Native American cultural use of tobacco
Laura Lee George—The “use” of tobacco needs to be defined, because “use” of tobacco does not always involve burning or smoking tobacco.
Irma Amaro—It seems like Native American students are receiving a double message about this issue. Maybe we should send an advisory to the SSPI regarding tobacco use.
Amber Machamer—Made a motion that the AIEOC should send an advisory to the SSPI regarding the appropriate use of tobacco in the context of Native American culture. Irma Amaro seconded.
Deborah DeForge—Recommended that this subject be made an agenda item for the next AIEC directors’ meeting, as a breakout session.
Laura Lee George—Told André Cramblit that she would contact him for the links to the information regarding this subject. A vote was taken on the motion, all were in favor, and the motion was carried.
Irma Amaro—Made a motion for an AIEOC advisory to the SSPI regarding the need for more funding for CDE American Indian Education Program staff to travel to the AIECs.
Barbara Pomerantz—The Educational Options, Student Support, and American Indian Education Office has submitted a budget proposal for increased funding for the American Indian Education Program, and that an AIEOC advisory sent to the SSPI would definitely help.
André Cramblit—Made a motion to send an advisory to the SSPI recommending additional funding for the American Indian Education Program to include full-time staffing for more technical assistance and travel for outreach and assistance. Irma Amaro seconded. All in favor.
- Concerns with the official identification of the ethnicity of Native students, for example, in particular districts where Hispanic and Native students are grouped together. Because of the way this ethnic data is being compiled, resulting in undercounting of Native populations, funding for American Indian programs is being reduced.
Amber Machamer—The AIEOC could raise awareness that this issue of undercounting Native students is a serious one.
Deborah DeForge—The AIEOC should make this an agenda item to see what can be done.
Laura Lee George—Future AIEOC meeting dates.- Tentative dates for next AIEOC meetings: April 7, 14, or April 21, July 14 or July21, and October 6 or October 13
Laura Lee George stated that the AIEOC would not schedule the public meeting yet.
André Cramblit—The AIEOC may hold a public meeting.
Laura Lee George—Asked for a motion to adjourn the meeting. Rodney Lindsay moved to adjourn the meeting. Irma Amaro seconded. All in favor.