On Aug. 6 three bad bills will be heard in the State Senate Housing Committee: AB 725, AB 2345 (lets developers override city standards on height, open space, parking, setbacks, side yards and other careful planning) and AB 3040 (lets cities "upzone" single-family areas to fourplexes) On Aug. 11, SB 1120 (co-authored by state Senator Lena Gonzalez, crushes single-family zoning, allows 4 market-rate homes where a one home now stands) will be heard in Ass'y Local Gov't Committee. SB 902, SB 1085, SB 995 remain problematic.
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Despite the substantive significance of the item, LBUSD simply agendized it as "Opening of School Update" with no accompanying written materials. Under LB's School Board rules, public testimony is heard first, and the Board heard nearly two hours of public testimony on agendized items and non-agendized items. (Our video is encoded to begin at 22:42, the start of public testimony. Parents/teachers spoke passionately in citing risks to their health, their families and students. Following public testimony, the Board took a break before LBUSD staff began its substantive presentation. Dr. Jill Baker, LBUSD senior staffers presented details of the reopening plans accompanied by Power Point slides. corresponding to the time codes below:. LBUSD staff said its plans address safety and described detailed instructional plans (some still being developed) for reopening classrooms at various grade levels at some point after Oct. 5 (date still uncertain.) Management's reopening plans do include use of online instruction and components, including hybrid options with parental choices at some grade levels.
Boardmembers asked questions; Boardmembers Kerr and Benitez cited equity concerns and operational issues; but no Boardmembers explicitly urged or made a motion directing LBUSD staff to allow the increased flexibility sought by parent/teacher testimony. There was no concluding motion or vote; the Board simply moved on to other items.
However at 5:18:20 on the video (nearing the conclusion of the meeting approaching 10:30 p.m.,) Boardmembers Kerr and Benitez offered additional statements following-up on the re-opening item. They both acknowledged receiving large numbers of emails from parents and teachers voicing concerns over LBUSD's reopening plans. However in a surprising turn, Kerr and Benitez also publicly chastised some online/social network comments sharply critical of LBUSD staff and its reopening plans. Boardmember Kerr said some comments had used quote-marks [to denigrate particular actions or persons.] Boardmember Benitez said some online comments had "run amok." Boardmembers Kerr and Benitez urged parents and teachers to work together with LBUSD staff as discussion of management's reopening plans continues. Further discussion of reopening issues is expected in a School Board "workshop" meeting is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 18-19.
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