Dear DSUSD Board
Advice: Do NOT approve Agenda Item 20.2 General Functions-Personnel Services
Dear Readers, please feel free to use the letter below to send your own letter or comment to the DSUSD board members. Names and contact information are at the end.
Dear Desert Sands Unified School District Board Trustees:
I write to strongly advise against passing Agenda Item 20.2 General Functions-Personnel Services on your March 18, 2025, board agenda. Agenda Item 20.2 is an agreement with Alder Graduate School of Education (Alder GSE), a non-profit organization that could put DSUSD federal funds at risk due to violating President Trump’s Executive Orders “Defending Women From Gender Ideology Extremism And Restoring Biological Truth To The Federal Government,” and “Ending Radical And Wasteful Government DEI Programs And Preferencing,” but also puts DSUSD at risk of being reported to the Department of Education DEI tipline.
Please read the following article in the California Globe for more information and remember to click on the links which provide source material. https://californiaglobe.com/fr/desert-sands-unified-to-approve-agreement-for-bargain-basement-deib-teachers/
In addition, you should think of your veteran teachers who spent two years getting a teaching credential and probably more than two years for a Master’s Degree in Education—this agreement will put poorly trained teachers into classrooms-- who will receive both in just one year! That will not be good for morale.
I would also make the board aware that according to the Brown Act, section 54957.5 states:
(a) Agendas of public meetings are disclosable public records under the California Public Records Act (Division 10 (commencing with Section 7920.000) of Title 1), and shall be made available upon request without delay and in compliance with Section 54954.2 or Section 54956, as applicable. However, this section shall not apply to a writing, or portion thereof, that is exempt from public disclosure.
(b) (1) If a writing is a public record related to an agenda item for an open session of a regular meeting of the legislative body of a local agency and is distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the members of a legislative body of a local agency by a person in connection with a matter subject to discussion or consideration at an open meeting of the body less than 72 hours before that meeting, the writing shall be made available for public inspection pursuant to paragraph (2) at the time the writing is distributed to all, or a majority of all, of the members of the body.
No Exhibits mentioned in the Agenda Item 20.2 contract/agreement, which were numerous, were attached to the agenda item.
Exhibit A details Alder's financial contributions
Exhibit B details on the program, or courses student teachers take at Alder
Exhibit D details partner rules
Exhibit E details DSUSD financial obligations
Exhibit G details Alder's faculty development
Exhibit A-1 details the number of residents
None of these were included on the agenda, only the agreement.
Inquiries are being made if this is a violation of the Brown Act. Please make these documents available to the public immediately and notify me when available.
Regards,
To send an email, see contacts below. To send a comment:
You may also choose to submit a written public comment. If so, please provide your written comments by 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, March 18, 2025, at this link. These comments will be shared with all board members prior to the board meeting. If you wish for your written comment to be read aloud, please indicate this specifically in your communication. Requests for written comments to be read aloud are subject to the Board’s usual time and content limits on public comment (BB 9323).
PRESIDENT
KAILEE WATSON, OD
Trustee Area 1
Term expires: December 2028
VICE PRESIDENT/CLERK
MICHAEL DURAN
Trustee Area 5
Term expires: December 2026
BOARD MEMBER
HUMBERTO ALVAREZ
Trustee Area 2
Term expires: December 2026
BOARD MEMBER
TRICIA PEARCE
Trustee Area 3
Term expires: December 2028
BOARD MEMBER
LINDA PORRAS
Trustee Area 4
Term expires: December 2028
UPDATE 3/17/25 6:50 pm: The district responded that Item 20.2 has been removed from the agenda due to the missing exhibits. The district DID NOT mention that the agenda item was a bad idea. This is no guarantee it remains off of the agenda and as of now it has not been removed from the online agenda.