2021 PUSD Annual Report

Each year, the PUSD Annual Report provides an overview of the District and highlights the accomplishments and successes of our staff and students.

2021 ANNUAL REPORT Reconnect. Restore. Reimagine.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Letter from the Superintendent

District Profile

Budget Profile

Facilities & Measure I1 Progress

Reopening Schools - Reconnect, Restore, Reimagine

Division Highlights

Classified Employee of the Year Profile

PUSD Teacher of the Year Profile

Alameda County Teacher of the Year

LETTER FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT Dear PUSD community,

Three calls to action have helped frame our collectivework over the last year: Reconnect,Restore, and Reimagine. While we have faced new challenges and opportunities as a community, I carry a renewed sense of hope as we continue to move forward to serve the diverse needs of each student and family. Less than a year ago inMarch 2021,we became the first school district in the County to reopen all K-12 schools and begin reconnecting students to the classroom. Keeping our schools open to this day is a shared accomplishment by each member of our community as we continue to navigate safety requirements from County, State and Federal health agencies. Vital to our response, has been our Pandemic Services team’s herculean effort to administer over 21,000 COVID-19 tests, distribute over 14,000 at-home kits, as well as to partner with the City of Pleasanton and health care providers to administer over 5,500 vaccine doses to PUSD staff, students and families. We have worked tirelessly to restore and strengthen relationships within our school communities as we continue to navigate the ongoing effects of the pandemic through academic and social-emotional support. We celebrated the return of competitive sports, music and other extracurricular activities that help anchor our students to school. And in a year where the elbow bump became the new handshake, both PUSD Classes of 2020 and 2021 got to walk across the stage to celebrate the milestone of graduation. New classroom buildings transformed the way our students learn thanks to the generosity of our community through Measure I1. Science and CTE classroom buildings at Amador Valley and Foothill High School as well as the three new classroom wings and a new library near completion as part of the rebuilding and renovation of Lydiksen Elementary have helped us reimagine our school campuses. With the addition of Pleasanton Virtual Academy as PUSD’s 16th school serving grades K-12, we’re also rei magining how teaching and learning benefits our students through a flexible, online and in-person blended learning model. I invite you to read on to learn more about your school district and how our collective work and success helps ensure our students become responsible, resilient and engaged world citizens. Sincerely,

David Haglund, Ed.D. Superintendent of Schools

Our students will make a better world DISTRICT PROFILE

2021-2022 Organizational Goals

Leverage personalized learning strategies and growth-based assessments to increase achievement and identify opportunity gaps

Strengthen intervention and support structures to effectively improve the physical, mental and social wellness of students, families, and staff

Understand the systemic barriers to equity and inclusion in order to work strategically to deconstruct them

Promote a professional culture that values collaboration and supports efforts to recruit, develop and retain a diverse and highly qualified workforce

Sustain effective customer service, communication and stakeholder engagement

14,066 Students

14,066 students

Team PUSD 1,419 Employees

BUDGET PROFILE

Learn more about how

PUSD is funded

Where 2021-2022 PUSD Funds Came From

How 2021-2022 PUSD Funds Were Spent

Key Facts

• 74.6%: PUSD relies on the Local Funding Formula (LCFF) for a majority of the funds we receive currently based on pre- pandemic enrollment • One-time (not ongoing) pandemic-related funds increased revenue by ~$24M. • LCFF Funding is

• 81.2%: A majority of PUSD expenditures are invested in employee salary & benefits • District CalSTRS & CalPERS pension contributions will increase dramatically in 2022-2023 Key Facts

3% of budget invested in maintaining school facilities Charts reflect first interim data

Measure I1: $121.5M invested in schools to date

FACILITIES & MEASURE I1

25K Square feet of new buildings constructed 25K Square feet of 1K Wireless access points installed

500 Nearly Classroom smart display boards installed

150 HVAC units replaced 125 Securvity cameras installed

parking & drop off constructed

School fencing projects completed

Roofing projects completed

Foothill Science Classroom Buildings The Measure I1 science classroom buildings, which opened on February 15, 2022, add three engineering classrooms, two computer labs, and two science classrooms for our Falcons. The project also included parking and walkway improvements, fencing as well as new landscaping.

PROGRESS

Amador Valley Science Classroom Building The Measure I1 Amador science classroom building, which opened February 15, 2022, includes six standard classrooms, two special day classrooms with support spaces, and three science classrooms. The project also included parking and walkway improvements, fencing as well as new landscaping.

Lydiksen Rebuild and Modernization: Phase 2 Phase two of the Measure I1 Lydiksen rebuild is moving forward at a rapid pace with construction of a new Kindergarten wing, library, administration building, field and school entrance.

CELEBRATING OUR PUSD COMMUNITY

Founded by PUSD parent and local business owner Todd Utikal, We Are Pleasanton continues to strive to bring much needed upgrades to schools through the support of businesses and community members. We Are Pleasanton Celebrates Completion of First Facility Imrovement Project

We Are Pleasanton celebrated the completion of its first improvement project at Amador Valley High School with four massive shade structures to provide much needed shade in the center of campus. A total of $225,000 was raised to fund the project. Learn more at WeArePleasanton.com.

We are Pleasanton Founder Todd Utikal and past Amador Valley PTSA President Larry Damaser

Aerial photo of Amador Valley Shade Structures

PUSD and Cricket for Cubs celebrated the ribbon cutting of Pleasanton’s first cricket field at Alisal Elementary School in May 2021. Made possible through a partnership between the two organizations, the new cricket field fulfills a significant need for a sport that has become increasingly popular in the area, in large part, thanks to the efforts of Cricket for Cubs. PUSD & Cricket for Cubs Open First Cricket Field in Pleasanton

Cricket for Cubs, a Dublin-based non-profit, was founded by Rameshu Immadi in 2015. What began with an international tournament of 36 players has grown to reach more than 300 Tri-Valley children and introduce Cricket to over 4,000 students through P.E. and after-school programs. PUSD, as part of its ongoing efforts to improve school fields, agreed to invest $60,000 in refurbishing the Alisal Elementary School field in November 2020. Cricket for Cubs agreed to fund the construction of the cricket pitch.

REOPENING SCHOOLS AND STAYING OPEN March 4, 2021

PUSD elementary schools reopen for TK-5 students. Students walk onto campus for the first time in nearly a year

March 11, 2021 PUSD middle and high schools reopen for grade 6-12 students. Students walk onto campus for the first time in nearly a year

14K At-home test kits distributed More than 16 Vaccine clinics hosted through City and health care providor partnerships

21,605 Covid tests administered 5,544 Covid vaccine doses administered to PUSD staff, students & families

RESTORING SCHOOL COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Vintage Hills Dragons in Mrs. Loughran-Smith’s 2nd grade class learning on the first day of school for the 2021-2022 school year

Lydiksen Lancers in Mrs. Gossett’s Kindergarten class participate in their first Fun Run

Harvest Park’s Mr. Dankwardt leads a reading of ‘There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Fly’ for elementary students at the school’s annual Pumpkin Patch

Amador Valley Director of Bands Jon Grantham hugs newly appointed Harvest Park Band Director Patrick Dandrea

AMADOR VALLEY GIRLS WHO CODE

Congratulations to Amador Valley High School’s Girls Who Code (GWC) program for receiving statewide distinction as a 2021 California School Board Association (CSBA) Golden Bell Award recipient in the area of Equity and Access! Part of a national organization whose “mission is to close the gender gap in technology and to change the image of what a programmer looks like and does,” Amador’s GWC students and advisors have been inspiring more young women in grades 3 - 8 to pursue careers in computer science and STEM since August 2016. Amador Valley’s GWC program, advised by math teacher Kevin Kiyoi, has expanded beyond this mission to offer career education, mentoring events, and volunteer opportunities to AVHS students. “When I was a Freshman [at Amador] I couldn’t believe there weren’t more girls who are interested in computer science, which helped lead me to Mr. Kiyoi and the Girls Who Code club,” said Amador Senior and GWC President Anusha Maheshwari. “T his program has supported the school in raising female enrollment in computer science and STEM courses.” Faced with the restrictions of social distancing and COVID, the second GWC summit in 2021 was virtual. Despite being remote, the event increased attendance by nearly 50 percent from it’s first year crowd of 90 students. The summit hosted over 130

girls from Pleasanton and beyond, who learned about non-traditional routes to find a career in coding, as well as how to build web pages using HTML, CSS and JavaScript. The GWC Summit was back in-person in February 2022 attracting its largest attendance to date, hosting 170 students in grades 3 - 7. Participants had the opportunity to learn from student mentors, have lunch with engineers and computer scientists, work on projects using Python Turtle and more. As shown by its resilience in both live and virtual settings over the past three years, the GWC Summit is a thriving program, fueled by the passion of students to increase the number of women in the computer science industry. By creatively finding new and innovative ways to teach programming through different coding languages and environments, students will be able to attend multiple summits throughout their schooling. Mr. Kiyoi remains humble yet an enormous presence for Amador computer science students and GWC club members. “We believe the Summit is a very unique project that can be easily blueprinted and replicated across the Country. We’re moving in the right direction, but we can do better,” said Kiyoi. “We will do better!” Anusha responded.

REIMAGINE: PLEASANTON VIRTUAL ACADEMY

Sixth grader Rainbow Lin was homeschooled her entire life. But when her family moved to Pleasanton, they wanted to find a way to connect with the community while keeping the flexibility that homeschooling gave them. That’s when they decided to enroll Rainbow and her brother Da-Ni into the Pleasanton Virtual Academy, or PVA as it is known by students. PVA, Pleasanton Unified’s newest educational option, allows students to learn from home, in- person and online, taught by the District’s world class educators.

advisor Lisa Highfill on what they call “writing lessons,” she has been able to condense them down to less than 5 minutes, better summarizing the story and holding the audience’s attention. Rainbow has also learned the importance of understanding who her “customer” is and delivering a final product that has value to them. She tries to ask video participants questions that elicit responses that don’t just give an answer, but effectively show the exciting things going on at PVA. “It’s not about me and not just about Rainbow,” Mrs. Highfill said. “It’s about the audience.” Rainbow has many goals for the Video Club’s future. For now, though, she is working on a website to showcase her work exhibiting what a special place PVA is.

“PVA is where imagination and creativity starts”

Because the school is so new, students have had the unique opportunity of creating the overall school culture. They have gotten to choose the

school’s mascot (a phoenix), form school spirit and even organize clubs surrounding topics they’re interested in. “PVA is where imagination and creativity starts,” Rainbow said. Rainbow’s passion for storytelling led her to create the school’s Video Club. By

Learn more

filming and editing short videos, she is able to visually share PVA with those who may be unable to attend in-person events or aren’t aware of what the school has to offer. In past videos, she has showcased the school’s Fall Festival, vlogged pumpkin patch and hiking field trips, and shared tours of her and her classmates’ desks. “I can be a reporter for these events and share stories for people who can’t go,” Rainbow said. As a reporter and editor for the Video Club, Rainbow has learned a lot about storytelling. Her first projects were nearly 20 minutes long, but after working with PVA teacher and club

TEACHING & LEARNING

The Teaching and Learning Division strives to: • Fully support each and every student in having a successful learning experience - academically, socially, emotionally and mentally. • Ensure that teachers have sufficient instructional materials, receive high quality professional development on instructional and engagement strategies, and administer and utilize assessment tools according to state and district timelines. • Provide instructional leadership for all educational initiatives, ensuring educational equity is

reflected in practice, policies and planning. Ensuring a Quality Educational Program During the Pandemic Transitioned students from full remote learning to full in-person instruction while providing choice in educational options and social-emotional learning while minimizing disruption to class assignments

All Means All - A Focus on Equity Transitioned students from full remote learning to full in-person instruction while providing choice in educational options and social-emotional learning while minimizing disruption to class assignments

Focus on Systems to Support Students and Staff Developed transcript protocol for high schools, consolidated UC A-G list, updated graduation requirements, implemented temporary grading policy based on analysis of grades data, and formalized heritage language process.

Strengthening Assessment Practices Provided meaningful opportunities for assessment and progress monitoring in remote and in person settings using Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) Growth

The Student Support Services Division leads efforts to provide a safe, supportive learning environment for all students and staff as well as provides specialized academic instruction, behavioral intervention, mental health support and special education services to students with exceptional needs in order to fully engage them in high quality learning in all school and district programs. STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES

Leading Through a Pandemic PUSD Pandemic Services team continues to collaborate with County and State health agencies to lead with best health and safety practices for schools. Pandemic Services has enlisted a team of nearly 50 individuals to support testing and contact tracing efforts district wide, enlisting Tri- Valley ROP students for real world work experience.

Supporting Mental Health & Wellness Continuing to support the physical, mental and social wellness of students, staff and families through

partnerships with Care Solace as well as lead and curate information and resources on the PUSD Wellness website. Nine PUSD schools were recognized for efforts to create positive, safe learning environments for students,

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Restoring Connections Mrs. Hartman supports students’ connection to school and learning during PUSD’s Saturday Academy.

Inclusive Environments A new inclusive playground compliments Harvest Park’s iPal Preschool thanks to collaboration with the County and an IEEP grant. PUSD continues to promote inclusion and supports for our students with special needs.

BUSINESS SERVICES The Business Services Division plays an integral role in the ability of PUSD to provide a quality education for our students. As the financial and operational center of the District, Business Services is responsible for business operations of the District, including budget and accounting, facility maintenance and operations, the bond construction program, student transportation, nutrition services, purchasing, warehouse and technology support.

4,000+ Maintenance Work Orders Completed

Reopening Safely Maintenance & Operations led the districtwide installation of MERV-13 filters and dispatched HEPA air filtration units to every classroom to support the safe reopening of PUSD schools.

3,900+ Tech Support tickets responded to

Feeding our Families With the universal meal program, PUSD’s Child Nutrition Services team is serving more than double the meals served in 2020. This remarkable team supported the service of over 500K meals during the first semester of 2021- 2022.

HUMAN RESOURCES The Human Resources Division strives to deliver the best customer service to all of our employees. The Human Resources team focused on retention, leadership development, employee assistance and safety this school year. These efforts provide support for our employees as they deliver the best instructional program for our students.

New Administrator Academy Human Resources supports new leaders through the development of a two-year new administrator academy: six sessions that focus on non-academic aspects of site administration (building community, connections and support, CBA, student discipline, evaluation, hiring, meeting facilitation).

Retaining World-Class Educators Thanks to a world-class Pleasanton Teacher Induction Program, over 90% of educators that start in Pleasanton stay in Pleasanton

Over 90% retention rate

Classified Academy Working with Adult Education, Human Resources is working to develop a Classified Academy for current employees so that they may be successful in their current roles and advancing within the organization

Aligning to Organizational Needs HR Analysts have shifted to reimagine support for school sites and district departments.

CELEBRATING KAY DORP: 2021 CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

PUSD’s 2021 Classified Employee of the Year Kay Dorp may work behind the scenes, but she is a key contributor to the overall success of the district. For the past 20 years, Kay has played an integral role in ensuring the district’s budgets are balanced and sound fiscal practices are in place and followed consistently. “Kay Dorp is truly one of PUSD’s

Kay has been a team player since I’ve known her, making me feel like we are all part of the same team.” Kay’s experience and leadership in training new employees at both school sites and the district office has been invaluable.

“Kay Dorp is truly one of PUSD’s unsung heroes”

“She is the most patient person on the planet,” Vintage Hills Administrative Secretary Lisa Grozier said of Kay. “She always makes herself available and answers all correspondence efficiently.

unsung heroes. Her job is not flashy, and it isn’t one of those that is out there for all to see,”

Donlon Administrative Secretary Adrienne Herz said. “However, I assert that what Kay brings to the Fiscal Services office is critical to the functioning of not just her department, but the work that happens out at the school sites as well.

She doesn’t hesitate to offer her guidance and expertise and it’s all done with a smile and a great attitude.” PUSD is thankful for Kay’s longstanding leadership and commitment to its schools!

CELEBRATING RUSSELL SATO: 2021 TEACHER OF THE YEAR Throughout Russell Sato’s past eight years teaching

does care and that there are people that want me to succeed. He makes sure to let everybody know that they matter, that he’s here to help.” Known as ‘Sato’ around campus, he’s beloved for the connections he makes in the classroom by engaging each student.

at Village High School, he has been a valuable source of support and motivation for the school community. Sato, PUSD’s 2021 Teacher of the Year, serves the

Village community as an English and College and Career Readiness teacher, and is a leader among campus peers. He’s involved in school site and district

“Russell is exactly the kind of teacher that I only hope that every child is able to work with every school year”

“It’s hard to capture all of the amazing qualities of Russell. I can only say that as a lifelong educator, Russell is exactly the kind of teacher that I only hope that every child is able to work

committees and has led the Village WASC team. Following the abrupt shift to remote learning in March 2020, Sato collaborated to create the Village Virtual School to provide easier access to academic resources for students. “He’s the embodiment of the spirit of Village,” said Village High School graduate Brian Glasco. “The support that he’s given and shown let me know he

with every school year,” Director of Educational Options Heather Pereira said. “The combination of high expectations with a warm demeanor produces tremendous gains with our students. They emerge from Russell’s class a more confident and competent person.” Thank you, Russell, for the constant inspiration you provide our students!

CELEBRATING JOSH HILL: 2021 COUNTY TEACHER OF THE YEAR

Alameda County’s 2021 Teacher of the Year Josh Hill has played an essential role in the expansion and innovation at Foothill High School. Hill, who has served PUSD for over 12 years, has been teaching Biomedical science since it started as a career pathway at Foothill. He has been integral in the push for numerous grants

Mr. Hill’s labs and I learn about different career paths available to me. You learn about yourself and what path is the best fit for you.” Part of the team at Foothill that participates in the Tri-Valley Education Collaborative (TEC), Hill helps identify collaborative opportunities between Tri-Valley high schools and community colleges.

to support the expansion of CTE courses and Project Lead the Way (PLTW) programs at Foothill High School. Most recently, Hill helped secure a $3M grant through the California Department of Education to expand Foothill’s new CTE classroom buildings.

“The way Mr. Hill teaches, you can get interested in anything”

“The way Mr. Hill teaches, you can get interested in anything, I’m interested in the medical field but I was only aware of the larger professions,” said Foothill Sophomore Megha Dinesh. “What we do in Mr. Hill’s class mirrors the

“Mr. Hill makes what we learn relatable so we actually understand the material and so it sticks. He always makes sure to ask how we feel and gets our input,” said Foothill Junior Sana Jayavarapu. “We get hands-on experience every week through

real world and I’m able to learn what it’s like in specific medical careers and the skills needed to pursue each career.” Thank you, Josh, for your dedication to current and future Falcons!

PUSD Executive Cabinet

PUSD Board of Trustees

David Haglund, Ed.D Superintendent of Schools

Mark Miller Board President

Ed Diolazo Assistant Superintendent of Student Support Services Julio Hernandez Assistant Superintendent of Human Resources Ahmad Sheikholeslami Assistant Superintendent of Business Services Janelle Woodward, Ed.D Assistant Superintendent of Teaching & Learning

Steve Maher Board Vice President

Mary Jo Carreon Board Trustee Joan Laursen Board Trustee Kelly Mokashi Board Trustee Saachi Bhayani Student Trustee Not pictured

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