THE EINSTEIN GROUP, INC.
4801 Maid Marion Drive
New Orleans, LA 70128
Board Meeting June 2, @ 9:30 A.M.
The Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc. held a Committee Meeting at 9:46 A.M. in the library at Einstein Charter Lake Forest, 4801 Maid Marion Dr., New Orleans, LA, 70128.
Due to the CMO’s imminent submission of a charter management application for Linwood School, the board members were asked to go immediately post meeting to Expert Drug Testing for fingerprinting (required as part of the submission) and must submit updated resumes. The packet resolutions contained 1) West Ed requirement that there be a board policy as well as an OPSB policy on school closure. Anything bought with federal dollars must be returned including federal grant funds so we must be clear about disposition of assets. 2) Einstein must only use EDGAR for federal grant funds.3) The board will authorize Ms. Toranto to work with attorneys to determine the best way to set up a multiple school structure to mitigate risk around individual schools and protect the whole organization. The board will also need to add an additional resolution to approve the budget. According to the bylaws, the board should hold elections today. However, they can vote to delay until September in order to recruit new members. The library is also set up so board members can do their required ethics training on site today.
Dan Davis reported that Ms. Torantowas the subject of a 2 -page spread in New Orleans Magazine around the founding of the school. He also reported on marketing for enrollment and grant submissions. The Shreveport charter application is due Tuesday and Einstein also received a planning grant to explore taking over a failing school in Nevada. Federal grant evaluators recently finished 1 1/2days of evaluation, as did WestEd. Everything went very well.We are currently involved in reporting for PLTW. Dan introduced Martha McKnight as the new Development Director.
Doug Guidry presented the financial report (see attachments). Einstein has 1.5 million in receivables. At the budget hearing on the 4th, ,there were no admonishing statements. Guidry requested board budget approval. Einstein has double the amount of money in reserve required by the OPSB and LDOE. The reserve is in a money market at Liberty. Katrina funds served us well. Einstein schools are 93% poverty, Title I. The CAO reported that all curriculum has been ordered including culinary for this year. Einstein will be testing the SUMMIT platform in ELA math, science, and social studies. Mastery must be achieved before students can move on. We will pilot all 7th graders. Parents and kids can opt in or out. If families opt out, kids receive traditional teaching. Students must read at grade level to participate in this blended learning model.. There are different curriculums for individualized instruction. The teacher concentrates on small groups. Homework also appears on the platform, which is excellent for cognitive skills development. We will measure the pilot’s success by scores and see if it makes differentiation easier. We will have a SUMMIT facilitator. SUMMIT runs through 10th then 11 and 12 and all AP courses. WE will seek $300K in NSNO funding to help get this going. Parents are eligible for COX $10 per month rate for internet access. Students must master 80%. of the content to advance or will attend summer school.
Ms Toranto reported that staff vacancies almost filled. We will have a principals summit, 2-3 days with new teachers, and the usual week of PD with regular teachers. The schools will be closed July 3-17th for school cleaning. Tran is transitioning LEA reporting systems from OPSB to Einstein esp. Powerschool. We have 10hrs free for implementation but the overall cost is still under discussion at $20K. Have reports due to OPSB July 1 and the state afterwards. Board members encouraged the staff to remember to take vacation. Tran has 7yrs of data to pull, clean, and put in. Einstein’s modular buildings are being repaired as we are stuck in them for another year. They are reworking ac and the flashing. An Einstein student again made it to the Scripps Howard national spelling bee’s 3rd round. Shawn will be presenting at the national charter conference in Washington, DC on closure vs take over and USDOE on June 14th and 15th.
Dan reported o Einstein’s application to take over Linwood school in Shreveport and transform it into 2Type 5 schools (elementary and middle).66% of any charter board must be in the same parish as the school. We will need to develop a Shreveport board in 2 years, but Dan is already working with LAPCS to identify members (1 cardiologist and 1 banker). Money stays at school locations but need school/CMO relationship needs to be defined. Shawn is working with our attorneys to create a flexible, transparent, and low risk system. Reporting lines must be clear between and among strategy services, academic services, HR, leadership, and the financial office. All schools must have PBIS, data driven instruction, blended learning, and similar calendars. Schools will have autonomy to implement the Einstein way and work with families. We will supply a leader from Einstein and send and instructional coach for local teachers. 1.5 yrs until 2018 opening. Sean will be there once a month for the first year and other members of senior staff will visit.
In the next week do your ethics training. We need a parent rep. on the board and two additional members to have a full compliment. Last week in June would be good for tours 22-30th . We are still in talks with the Walton Foundation around a facility and financial support for a school in Arkansas. It will take $2.4 million to renovate Garland school.
Board Meeting called to order at 11A.M.
Present: Lauren Narcisse, Chris Bowman, Clarice Kirkland, Durrell Laurent, Angela Vance, Shawn Toranto, Phone Tran, Anna Fay Caminita, Dr. Douglass Guidry, Dan Davis, Martha McKnight
Bowman moved for approval of the May minutes, Kirkland seconded, and the board approved them unanimously.
Davis requested that the board add two additional resolutions to approve the budget and postpone officer elections until Sept. Bowman moved and Kirkland seconded. The board approved unanimously.
Through this resolution, the Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc., agrees to collaborate with charter school authorizers in the event of school closure and will follow all policies, regulations and laws related to school closure.Vance proposed; Durrell second. Board approved unanimously.
Through this resolution, the Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc., amends its bylaws to restrict expenditure of federal grant funds to strict adherences to EDGAR and only for allowable costs as dictated by the United State Department of Education.Bowman proposed; Laurent seconded. Board approved unanimously
Through this resolution, the Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc., authorizes the Chief Executive Officer to work with attorney to implement best practices for multiple LEAs and possible restructuring. Bowan proposed; Vance seconded. The board approved unanimously.
Through this resolution the Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc., adopts the budget as a proposed. Durrell proposed; Kirkland seconded. The board approved unanimously.
Through the resolution the Board of Trustees will extraordinarily suspend elections for officer until September of 2017. Kirkland proposed; Vance seconded. The board approved unanimously.
Durrell motioned to adjourn the meeting at 11:17 Vance seconded and the board voted unanimously to adjourn.