Members of the Einstein Charter School board of directors approved new bylaws at their monthly meeting, May 1.  The board had been revising the bylaws throughout the school year.

Member Laurin Jacobsen reviewed changes with the board prior to the vote:

• Terms will last two years, with a limit of two consecutive terms.
• Members may hold an office for one year, but may not hold the same office for consecutive terms.
• New members will be brought on in June.
• Elections for offices will be held each July.

The board made one final amendment before approving the bylaws as distributed. The original draft called for a minimum of seven board members. The resignation of TK Tieu in April reduced the board to six members, the number approved by amendment in order to pass the bylaws.

Principal Shawn Toranto updated the board on correspondence with the Recovery School District regarding building repairs. After forwarding a critical needs list to the RSD, Toranto was told a facility assessment would be completed but doubts it has been. She said she is concerned the renovations may not start in time to be completed when school reopens for the coming year. Renovations include extensive roof repair and kitchen work.

The board plans to meet with RSD representatives to discuss the matter.

The school’s business manager Doug Guidry said there were no major changes in the school’s financial condition but that $498,790 in reimbursements is outstanding.

“That’s an awful lot of money for us to be fronting at this time in the year,” Guidry said.

Member Ryan Bennett asked how the figure compares to accounts receivable at other schools.

“Yes, we’re all in the same boat,” Guidry said.  He believes Einstein will receive around “$300,000 in the next month or so.”

The board will hold a public hearing to review the school’s 2012-13 budget on June 5 at 5 p.m., offering the public a chance to comment. The budget will be available for review in the front office beginning 10 days before the hearing.

In other school updates, Toranto said she anticipates receiving LEAP scores by May 18.  She also informed the board of Einstein’s “Jazzed for Education” concert on May 24, the last day of school.

Board president Ramona Perkins asked members to form an ad hoc committee to oversee the interviewing and orientation of potential board members.  Jacobsen, Bennett and Susanna Evangelista volunteered to serve on the committee.

The board approved minutes from their April meeting.

Members Perkins, Bennett, Jacobsen, Evangelista and Margaret Nguyen were present. Toranto and Guidry were in attendance, as was a reporter from The Lens.

The meeting began at 6 p.m. and ended at 7:39 p.m.  The next meeting will be June 5, following the 5 p.m. budget hearing.

Einstein’s board of directors elected a new vice president and discussed bylaw revisions and a new budget policy at their monthly meeting, April 3.

The board nominated and elected member Ryan Bennett as vice president, he was not in attendance. The board also approved minutes of the March meeting.

Principal Shawn Toranto and assistant business manager Doug Guidry submitted their reports electronically, as both were out for spring break. Toranto’s report said summer school for 2012 had been cancelled and parents would be so notified during the week of April 9. Einstein will help place students in other programs as needed, the report said, adding that students and teachers are preparing for upcoming state tests.

Guidry’s presentation included a  preliminary budget for next year. The board discussed a budget policy draft that member James Pineda adopted from another charter school.  While discussing the draft the board resolved to hold an open forum on May 22.  The board did not vote on the draft policy as their attorney had not yet reviewed it.

Board president Ramona Perkins said she thought the preliminary budget’s layout was slightly confusing and asked that the budget available for public review be made easier to read.  The board agreed.

The board intended to vote on their new bylaws, but revisions were made so late in the day that not all members had had a chance to review them comprehensively.  Member Laurin Jacobsen and the board’s attorney Michelle Craig advised that the vote be postponed until next month.

Members Perkins, Pineda, Jacobsen, Suzanne Evangelista, TK Tieu, and Margaret Nguyen were present.  Former board member Chuck Gasho and attorney Craig were also present.  Gasho has submitted an application to return to the board.

The meeting began at 6:17 p.m. and ended at 7:25 p.m.

Einstein’s Charter School’s board of directors focused on a multi-year plan and bylaw revisions as they met on March 10 for a development retreat.

A visit from principal Shawn Toranto kicked off the meeting.  She addressed the board about the long-term goal of opening a high school.  Toranto is concerned with the lack of high school seats in New Orleans East, near Einstein.

Community groups interested in starting a high school are encouraged to work with an existing charter management organization, and several such group have approached her with that in mind, Toranto said.

“There are seats out there for pre-k but not high school,” Toranto told the board when asked which would be her priority.

As the board began discussing development of a three-year strategic plan, they racked up enough ideas to warrant limiting the plan to two years.

In year one they plan to focus on board infrastructure and board recruitment.  Included under the board infrastructure rubric was revision of the board’s bylaws and creating a book of board policies. Year one also includes an assessment of the school and principal. A protocol for board meetings will include  a template for data the principal presents and consistent rules for public comment. The board plans to send a welcome letter to the Einstein community as well.

In their second year the board will shift attention to procuring funds and other resources to support the school.  This includes a focus on grant writing.  The second year will also include a self-review.

The emphasis was on consolidation and stabilization rather than enlarging the school. “I’m not convinced yet that we should pursue growth,” member Ryan Bennett said.

The board reviewed their proposed bylaws section by section. Proposed changes include increasing the number of members from between six and nine to between seven and twelve. Members agreed they would like advance notice from Toranto of any staff or faculty terminations.

The board opted to continue the current policy that limits service to two consecutive two-year terms. Members said they hope to have the bylaws ready for review at their monthly meeting, April 3.

Joining Bennett for the three-hour session were members Ramona Perkins, James Pineda, Laurin Jacobsen, and Margaret Nguyen.

Einstein Charter School’s board of directors announced the resignation of former vice president Roland Doucette as they gathered March 6 for their monthly meeting.

Doucette submitted his letter of resignation a day after spirited debate at February’s board meeting. Board President Ramona Perkins acknowledged that his resignation was a big loss, especially in light of Doucette’s recent efforts to work with parents and the school’s Parent Teacher Organization.  The board will elect a new vice president in April.

The school is operating with about $370,000 in accounts receivable, assistant business manager Doug Guidry told the board.  He said the school has enough money for operating costs but that he wanted to make sure the board was aware of the sizable reimbursement that is pending, most of it for Title I and LA 4 spending.

Fielding questions from the board about next year’s budget, Guidry said the preliminary budget would be based on the school’s Feb. 1 enrollment, the date counts were taken for per capita reimbursement under the state’s Minimum Foundation Program.

Member James Pineda said he wants this budget to be reviewed by the board at April’s meeting.

The board was scheduled to go on retreat March 10 from 9 a.m. to noon on Dillard’s campus. The retreat agenda calls for a review and update of board bylaws and a discussion of their board mission, principal assessment, sub-committee roles, financial timeline, and proposed three-year strategic plan.

Principal Shawn Toranto informed the board of a comprehensive list of school needs she is submitting to the Orleans Parish School Board At the top of her list is replacement of the school’s portable rooms which she said are in deplorable condition. She said they are designated for gym classes but rarely used for that purpose since the classes can usually be held outdoors.

The board accepted the minutes of their January and February meetings.

In addition to Perkins and Pineda, members T.K. Trieu, Laurin Jacobsen, Ryan Bennett, and Margaret Nguyen were present.

The meeting began at 6 p.m. and adjourned at 7:05 p.m. After the retreat, the board’s next monthly meeting is scheduled for April 3.

View the details and agenda items for tomorrow’s board meeting below:

NOTICE

THE EINSTEIN GROUP, INC. Einstein Charter School
BOARD MEETING Village De L’est Community Bldg
Tuesday, March 6, 2012, 6:00 P.M. 5100 Cannes Street, NOLA 70129

The Board of Trustees of the Einstein Group, Inc. (“Einstein”) will meet on Tuesday, March 6, 2011, at 6:00 p.m., at Einstein Charter School, Village De L’est Community Bldg, 5100 Cannes Street, New Orleans, Louisiana70129.

AGENDA

Call to Order

Roll Call

Members Present: Absent: Guests:

Approval of Minutes
1. February ( submission by R. Perkins) and January (submission by suzanne evangalista)

REPORTS OF MANAGEMENT
1. School Report – Mrs. Shawn Toranto, Principal ( 10 minutes)
2.Financial Report – Dr. Doug Guidry ( 5 minutes)

OLD BUSINESS
1. Retreat – March 10, 2012 – 9:00a.m. – 12 noon – Dillard University – DUICEF Building

NEW BUSINESS

1. Acceptance of Letter of Resignation Board Member
2. Retreat Agenda (Discussion)
a. Einstein By-Laws (A Draft will be emailed for review prior to the Retreat)
b. Annual Assessment of Principal
c. Financial Timeline / Handbook of Procedures
d. Strategic Planning / Goal Setting for the Board

ADJOURNMENT

Einstein Charter’s board of directors has embraced a proposal for a new telecommunication service that is expected to save the school thousands of dollars, starting next fall.

At the board’s monthly meeting, Feb. 7, Phong Ha Tran, who manages the school’s information technology and data, presented the proposal to switch service providers.  The school currently pays the Orleans Parish School Board for telecommunication services.

With 93 percent of Einstein students eligible for free/reduced lunch, the school qualifies for a 90 percent discount on telecommunication services through the federal E-Rate rebate program.  By switching to an independent service provider under the E-Rate program, Einstein could realize telecommunication cost savings of more than 90 percent. The school likely will make the switch in the next academic year, after the OPSB contract expires.

In committee reports, the academic excellence committee said it will finish its evaluation of principal Shawn Toranto in time for discussion at the board’s March meeting.

-At the request of board president Ramona Perkins, the finance committee will create a timeline of requirements for producing the school’s budget projection for next year.

-The bylaws committee is aiming to have a draft of new bylaws available for review in March.

-The community outreach committee is continuing to look for additional parental and organizational support.

Member Roland Doucette and Toranto engaged in spirited discussion about how to get the community and parents more involved.  Toranto said he would like to see the board become more visible in the community.  Doucette said he has been working with the school’s parent-teacher organization, but  attendance at PTO meetings remains low. Both men agreed they are working toward the same goal: an improved school and community.

The board held a short executive session with attorney Lee Reid regarding pending litigation.

Members Ramona Perkins, T.K. Tieu, James Pineda, and Roland Doucette were present.  Member Margaret Nyugen arrived late.

At their monthly meeting, Jan. 10, Einstein Charter School’s board of directors approved the allocation of $28,500 to continue after-school enrichment for the remainder of the academic year.

With the current enrichment program, Open World, winding down, principal Shawn Toranto requested the funds to pay eight to 15 teachers to conduct after-school classes.  The program will accommodate 170 students through April 30.  Some of Open World’s teachers will be retained. Open World was funded through a 21st Century Community Living Centers grant. The $28,500 approved for after-school enrichment will come out of the school’s general fund as it was not in the original budget.

In other business, assistant business manager Doug Guidry presented the school’s financial report.  The school is still awaiting a final installment of $83,000 in Title I money for 2011.

Community Legion, a men’s group working for the betterment of eastern New Orleans wants to continue its support of the school, Community Legion member Wilfred Norris told the board. He mentioned the possibility of his organization helping out with a career day or by addressing blighted property near the school.

In committee reports, Lauren Jacobsen said she continues to review the board’s bylaws and will meet with board president Ramona Perkins to finalize them over the next month.  Roland Doucette, chair of the community committee, is working closely with the school’s parent-teacher organization.

Students will be taking practice LEAP exams this week.  The school will also be hosting meetings to educate parents on how to prepare their students for LEAP exams. Toranto estimated that about 15 percent of students had parent representation at these meetings in the past.

The board carried a motion to notify India James in writing of her failure to fulfill her duties as a board member as stated in the bylaws.  Perkins said the board will now be looking for two new members.

Toranto also distributed the school’s improvement plan to board members. For a look at the plan, click here.

Board members Ryan Bennett, James Pineda, Margaret Nguyen, and TK Tieu were present, along with Perkins, Doucette, and Jacobsen. Member Susanna Evangelina was traveling.

Approval of December’s meeting minutes was pushed to the February meeting.

The meeting began at 6:03 p.m. and ended at 7:14 p.m.  The board’s next meeting will be Feb. 7 at 6 p.m.  The board will hold a retreat on March 10 from 9 a.m. to noon to work through bylaw revisions.

A three percent raise is in the works for Einstein Charter School faculty. “It is something that the teachers deserve,” James Pineda, the board’s newest member, said. “It will help with retention and morale.”

The raises, approved at the board’s monthly meeting, Dec. 6, will take effect in January. The staff has not had a raise in three years, Principal Shawn Toranto said.

Toranto told the board the administration would have approve the raises regardless of the board’s decision. While there was some question whether board approval was needed, members decided to vote as a show of support for the school’s employees.

Lauren Jacobsen, a member of the Governance Committee, raised concerns about the ongoing process of revising the board’s bylaws. She stressed the importance of finishing the months-long process so that the board and the school’s administration could better acquaint themselves with the bylaws.

In school updates, the debate team recently placed fourth out of 12 teams competing at Tulane. Toranto said the young men’s luncheon was a big success. She said she would
now like to start planning for Einstein’s fundraising gala to be held in the spring.

The roof renovation project is still in the bidding stage, board members were advised. The project will be completed in phases so as not to take too many classrooms out of service at any one time.

Ryan Bennett of the board’s Academic and School Excellence Committee said he and Ramona Perkins, the board president, will present a report at the January board
meeting.

The board approved November’s meeting minutes.

Members present in addition to Pineda, Bennett and Jacobsen were Roland Doucette, Susanna Evangelista and TK Tieu. .

The meeting began at 6 p.m. and ended at 6:50 p.m. The next board meeting will be Jan.
10.

By Kelsey Foster, The Lens charter school reporter |

The Einstein Charter School board voted in three new members and elected officers at its monthly meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The new members are attorney Laurin Jacobsen, civil engineer Trang Tieu, James Panetta, a consultant to the city’s Office of Public Works, and Susanne Evangeline, who currently works for the Hair Club and has experience with the board of the Audubon Nature Institute. The new members were chosen by a nominating committee.

Panetta, who is currently working on his master’s degree in economics at Duke University, will join the finance committee.

“We’ve been looking for you for a long time,” Roland Ducette, the vice president said to Panetta.

Jacobsen has been working with other members on a review of the board’s bylaws.

The board expressed hope that Evangelista, who speaks Spanish, will be instrumental in reaching out to the Hispanic community, which is increasingly well-represented at Einstein.

Dr. Ramona Perkins and Ducette were elected president and vice president of the board. Evangelista was voted in as secretary.

Shawn Toranto, Einstein’s principal, gave an update on the roofing project that has been in the works for several years. A bid has been accepted and the roofing company has committed to finish the job in 90 days, once the work begins – probably next summer. Because summer break is less than 90 days, the board discussed how to handle the weeks of unfinished work with students in the building.

Canceling summer school, phasing the roofing to certain areas of the building, and using modular classrooms were all offered as alternatives should the roofing project cut into school time. Toranto said the school year will begin on time, in any case.

Eight of nine board members were present at the meeting. A reporter from The Lens was the only member of the  public on hand.

The next board meeting will be on Dec. 6.

The Einstein Charter School board voted in three new members and elected officers at its monthly meeting, Tuesday, Nov. 8.

The new members are attorney Laurin Jacobsen, civil engineer Trang Tieu, James Panetta, a consultant to the city’s Office of Public Works, and Susanne Evangeline, who currently works for the Hair Club and has experience with the board of the Audubon Nature Institute. The new members were chosen by a nominating committee.

Panetta, who is currently working on his master’s degree in economics at Duke University, will join the finance committee.

“We’ve been looking for you for a long time,” Roland Ducette, the vice president said to Panetta.

Jacobsen has been working with other members on a review of the board’s bylaws.

The board expressed hope that Evangelista, who speaks Spanish, will be instrumental in reaching out to the Hispanic community, which is increasingly well-represented at Einstein.

Dr. Ramona Perkins and Ducette were elected president and vice president of the board. Evangelista was voted in as secretary.

Shawn Toranto, Einstein’s principal, gave an update on the roofing project that has been in the works for several years. A bid has been accepted and the roofing company has committed to finish the job in 90 days, once the work begins – probably next summer. Because summer break is less than 90 days, the board discussed how to handle the weeks of unfinished work with students in the building.

Canceling summer school, phasing the roofing to certain areas of the building, and using modular classrooms were all offered as alternatives should the roofing project cut into school time. Toranto said the school year will begin on time, in any case.

Eight of nine board members were present at the meeting. A reporter from The Lens was the only member of the  public on hand.

The next board meeting will be on Dec. 6.