Monrovia Unified School District
Board of Education Meeting Highlights
June 2022
Recognitions
The Board of Education recognized Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, Dr. Sue Kaiser, as she moves into retirement. She has dedicated 42+ years of her life to education, with 9+ years at Monrovia Unified. While we’ll miss Dr. Kaiser’s presence at MUSD, we look forward to her spending time with family. Thank you for your service!
The Board welcomed two new members to MUSD’s leadership team. Assistant Superintendent Human Resources Dr. Greg Puccia (first picture) and Director of Secondary Educational Services Dr. Paula Hart Rodas (second picture) were introduced to the Board before officially joining the Monrovia Unified family.
Dr. Puccia was previously the Regional Director of the 21st Century School Leadership Academy for LACOE. Before joining LACOE, Dr. Puccia was the Senior Director of Secondary Education for Compton Unified School District. He has been a high school principal and assistant principal in the Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District and Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District, respectively.
Dr. Hart Rhodes was previously the Principal of Lawndale High School and had experience as an Assistant Principal and Athletic Director at Mira Costa High School and Manhattan Beach Middle School. Dr. Hart Rodas is an experienced instructional leader who has created and led many professional development opportunities for her staff to increase student engagement and achievement.
Actions Taken by the Board of Education
The Board of Education ratified a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Vision to Learn (VTL) to provide free eye care services to MUSD students. VTL provided free eye screenings to all interested MUSD students and followed up with eye exams for those who failed the screenings. VTL provided glasses to all those who needed them based on eye exams.
Board members ratified an MOU with various community organizations that will provide students internship opportunities to MUSD students. This partnership is part of MUSD’s Career Technical Education (CTE) program. For more information on CTE pathways, visit our College and Career Readiness page.
The Board of Education approved MUSD’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) plan. To meet the California Department of Education mandates for Universal Pre-Kindergarten, Monrovia Unified must submit a Universal Pre-Kindergarten Plan that addresses specific questions from the Universal Pre-Kindergarten Planning Template.
Board members approved an agreement with NEWA for their master subscription. The subscription will give the district access to MAP® Growth™ interim assessments up to three times a year to get an accurate view of how much each student has grown over time and what students are ready to learn. This tool will help plan instruction and group students based on their specific needs. MAP Growth is available in English and Spanish.
The Board of Education approved an agreement with Curriculum Associates for iReady licenses for the district's five elementary schools, two middle schools, and Mountain Park School and to provide professional development for the Instructional Specialist and iReady trainer during the 2022-23 school year. This agreement will expand iReady’s use to include all elementary and middle school students, all teachers in grades K-5, and all English and math teachers in grades 6-8, providing personalized support for students in both English and math.
The Board approved an agreement with Committee for Children for the Second Step Program to pilot the program at one elementary and one middle school for the 2022-23 school year. This agreement will help bolster social-emotional learning opportunities with MUSD.
Board members adopted the 2022-23 Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP). With the approval of the LCAP, MUSD will add a school counselor to each of our elementary school sites. This significant addition gives each site more resources to better support our students inside and outside the classroom. The LCAP is a tool for schools to set goals, plan actions, and leverage resources to improve student outcomes. Click here to see more information.
The Board of Education approved the 2022-23 Adopted Budget for all district funds. Click here to see the 2022-23 Adopted Budget.
The Board approved Monrovia Unified’s Universal Pre-Kindergarten Plan and the Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Plan.
The Board approved an agreement with Athens Services to remove and dispose of district-wide general and organic waste. This agreement will train MUSD staff to dispose of these items properly and ensure the district complies with safety protocols.
Staff Presentations to the Board of Education
Universal Pre-kindergarten (UPK) & Expanded Learning Opportunities Programs (ELO-P) - Dr. Sue Kaiser, Asst. Supt. of Ed. Services, and Tom McFadden, Director of Expanded Learning Programs, presented an informational report on the UPK program & the ELO-P at Canyon Early Learning Center.
Facilities Needs Assessment - Dana Smith, Asst. Supt. of Business Services presented an update for the Facilities needs assessment. This assessment outlines maintenance projects needed at each of our district/school sites while categorizing them by importance or necessity.