HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03-25 City Schools Liaison Committee Agenda PacketAMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA): Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with
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BIG CREEK ELEMENTARY
Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD) City of Palo Alto
Shounak Dharap, President Patrick Burt, Vice Mayor
Jennifer DiBrienza, Board Member Greg Tanaka, Council Member
Staff
Don Austin, PAUSD, Superintendent
Chantal Cotton Gaines Assistant to the City Manager
1. Oral Communications
2. Approval of Minutes From December 17, 2020 and February 18, 2021 Meetings
3. Superintendent’s Comments and City Manager’s Comments
4. Review of Recent City Council and PAUSD Board Meetings
a. CITY: Recent City Council Agendas Recap
b. PAUSD: Recent Board Agendas Recap
5. City and Schools Collaborations (Initial Discussion)
6. Update on Ongoing Matters:
a. Grade Separation (Rail Crossings) Update
7. Future Meetings and Agendas
8. Adjournment
Thursday, March 25, 2021
8:30 AM to 10:00 AM
***BY VIRTUAL TELECONFERENCE ONLY***
Click Here to Join Meeting ID: 739 622 589 Phone: 1-669-900-6833
Pursuant to the provisions of California Governor’s Executive Order N-29-20,
issued on March 17, 2020, to prevent the spread of Covid-19, this meeting will
be held by virtual teleconference only, with no physical location. Members of
the public who wish to participate by computer or phone can find the instructions
at the end of this agenda.
City/School Liaison Committee
Special Meeting
Agenda
AMERICANS WITH DISABILITY ACT (ADA): Persons with disabilities who require auxiliary aids or services in using City facilities, services or programs or who would like information on the City’s compliance with the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990, may contact (650) 329-2550 (Voice) 24 hours in advance.
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Page 1 of 7
Special Meeting
December 17, 2020
Chairperson Collins called the meeting to order at 8:31 A.M. on this date via
virtual teleconference.
Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives
Greg Tanaka, Council Member
Lydia Kou, Council Member
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager
Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives
Jennifer DiBrienza, Board Member
Todd Collins, Board President (Chair)
Don Austin, Superintendent, Palo Alto Unified School District
Oral Communications
None.
Minutes Approval
2. Approval of the November 19, 2020 Meeting Minutes.
MOTION: Council Member Kou moved, seconded by Council Member
DiBrienza to approve the minutes as presented.
MOTION PASSED: 4-0
Agenda Item Number 6 was heard at this time.
6. Project Safety Net Update.
Eileen Altman, Board Chair of the Project Safety Net, announced that Project
Safety Net was no longer a City program. She introduced the new Board
Members which included two young adults who had graduated from Palo Alto
Unified School District schools.
Mary Cheryl B. Gloner, Chief Executive Officer of Project Safety Net disclosed
that Project Safety Net started as a Task Force and over time evolved into a
non-profit. The work of Project Safety Net was to facilitate ongoing
City/School Liaison Committee
Special Meeting
Draft Minutes
DRAFT MINUTES
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
collaboration, coordination, and communication; enhance evaluation and
shared measures; and build a backbone of sustainability for collective
impacts for youth suicide prevention and mental wellness. The most
challenging issues that were causing hardship among youth was the
Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19) and racial inequality. With help from the
School District, the City, and Youth Community Services, Project Safety Net
adopted the Collective Impact Framework 5-years ago which brought
community leaders and stakeholders together, in a structured way, to
achieve social change. Included within the framework were key principles of
practice. Design and implement the initiative with priority placed on equity,
including community members in the collaborative, recruit and co-create
with cross-sector partners and use data to continuously learn, and build a
culture that fosters relationships, trust, and respect across participants were
among the key principles. For the year 2020-2021, the Collective Impact
Priorities included being a convener and collaborator; education, training,
and outreach; policy and advocacy; and evaluation and shared
measurements. After separating from the City 6-months ago, Project Safety
Net has accomplished securing the 501c3 IRS Tax exemption and the Project
Safety Net Board approved a budget of $281,000. For operations, the group
has hired new employees who served as the backbone support and the
group developed a 9-month scope of work. The City was committed to
contributing $100,000 annual to Project Safety Net for the next 5-years and
the group continued to build partnerships within the community.
Meghan Singh, Board Vice-Chair of Project Safety Net disclosed that she had
graduated from Gunn High School in 2019 and was now attending college at
the University of Michigan. She gave a summary of how she became
involved with Project Safety Net. In terms of Community engagement,
Project Safety Net had signed a proposal with the County Behavioral Health
Department to secure the Mental Health Services Act in hopes of launching a
community-based mobile health crisis team as well as to conduct
conversations among various groups to discuss a community-wide
community mobile response program. For community outreach, a suicide
postvention response was conducted in July of 2020 which promoted safe,
consistent, and unified messaging from all stakeholders. In June of 2020,
the group worked with a committee of youth to learn more about youth
mental health in the COVID-19 environment, sources of support, and self-
care tips. In October of 2020, a discussion was held with Gunn High School
students and Palo Alto High School students to identify opportunities for
youth advocacy and suicide prevention. In terms of nation-wide statistics, 1
in 6 adolescents experienced a mental health disorder each year and suicide
are the second leading cause of death among ages 10-34. After a 3-year
decline of suicides within Santa Clara County, the rates increased in years
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
2018 and 2019 and during the current pandemic, 1 in 4 young adults have
considered suicide.
Shashank V. Joshi, Project Safety Net, briefly summarized the formation of
Project Safety Net from the formation of the task force to its now self-
sustaining non-profit organization. The key focus of the early task force was
to promote conversations among youth and highlight available resources
which resulted in the formation of the K-12 Toolkit for Mental Health
Promotion and Suicide Prevention. Through the City and School District
partnership, the People Suicide Prevention Policy was signed into law that
mandated that all schools have a policy that teaches about what stress is
and how to deal with it. He invited Palo Alto Unified School District Trustees
and City Council Members to attend future Project Safety Net meetings and
collaborate, inform, and participate in high profile activities.
Board Member DiBrienza thanked Project Safety Net for their work within the
community.
Council Member Tanaka concurred with Board Member DiBrienza’s
sentiment. He disclosed that there were discussions about using funding
from Project Safety Net to fund the Palo Alto History Museum. He called for
thoughts on that idea from the Project Safety Net group.
Kristen O’Kane, Community Service Director indicated that the City Council
would have to make that decision.
Council Member Tanaka agreed but restated if Project Safety Net needed the
funding from the City or if the group was financially sustainable.
Rob George, Treasurer of Project Safety Net expressed that there is a need
for funding. Project Safety Net still needed to fundraise the remaining
$160,000 for the budget that was approved by Project Safety Net’s Board.
Chair Collins wanted to know why Project Safety Net decided to become a
separate entity from the City.
Ms. Gloner explained that after the second suicide clusters, the community
had indicated that suicide prevention should be long-term work. The group’s
goals were not only to educate but to advocate and shape policies and under
the City those efforts had constraints. Also, many Project Safety Net
partners served youth not only within the City but outside the City as well,
and becoming a separate entity provided flexibility to expand into other
communities.
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
Chair Collins noticed that the School District had no representation on
Project Safety Net’s Board and it did not provide funding to the program.
Ms. Gloner shared that former Trustee Terry Godfrey had served on the
Executive Advisory Board and several School District Board Members attend
meetings. The School District has provided small amounts of funding for
community meetings in the past.
Chair Collins felt that it was a missed opportunity to not have the School
District formally involved with Project Safety Net. He suggested having an
Ex-Officio seat on the Board for a School District member.
Mr. Joshi declared that the School District was on the leadership team as
well as the stirring counsel before Project Safety Net became a 501c3. He
indicated that the group called Partner’s Council was an avenue that could
be used to engage the School District more.
Ms. Gloner agreed that the School District should be involved more and
suggested that involving the School District more formally should be a
priority for Project Safety Net.
Chair Collins felt that there were governance, direction, and role in the
community relationship that required more engagement.
Council Member Kou agreed with Chair Collins that the School District should
be more engaged. She predicted that the intention all along was to
transition Project Safety Net to a separate entity.
Ms. Gloner confirmed that was correct.
Council Member Kou shared that not focusing on politics was very important
and she wanted to know how that would be handled.
Ms. Gloner explained that the Collective Impact was not a mental health
model but a social community organization. She mentioned that the
Collective Impact was to foster discussions with different opinions rather
than have sidebar conversations among different groups.
Council Member Kou advised Project Safety Net to reach out to the program
called Screen Agers as well as have discussions and education with specific
ethnicities who struggle with mental health stigmas.
Mr. Joshi added that several initiatives were studying the impacts of screen
time across a person’s lifespan. Santa Clara County had initiatives regarding
cultural engagement and adaptation.
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
3. Superintendent and City Manager Comments.
Monique Ziesenhenne, Assistant City Manager highlighted that Foothills Park
Reserve has opened to all members of the public.
Kristen O’Kane, Community Services Director added that the City has been
working with other partners to ensure that the park was opened successfully
under current pandemic conditions as well as ensuring the protection of the
natural resources.
Ms. Ziesenhenne announced that free COVID-19 testing will continue
through February of 2021 and that the testing site will be moved to the El
Palo Alto Room at Mitchell Park starting January 8, 2021. Upcoming testing
dates were January 8, January 22, February 5 and February 26, 2021.
California Avenue, as well as University Avenue, have been reopened to
vehicular traffic. City Hall was closed on December 24, 2020 and reopened
on January 4, 2021 due to the holiday season.
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager disclosed that a meeting will be
held with the School Board regarding the easement request from Pacific Gas
and Electric (PG&E).
Don Austin, Superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District reported
that the Palo Alto Unified School District was the only school district open to
students in the entire Santa Clara County. On January 25, 2021, middle and
high schools will begin to bring students back to campus for in-person
teaching.
4. Review of Recent City Council and PAUSD Board Meetings.
Chair Collins shared that the Palo Alto Unified School District Board meeting
was an organizational meeting that resulted in the election of a new
President and Vice President of the Board as well as farewell to Deputy
Superintendent Karen Hendrix.
Board Member DiBrienza added that the meeting also focused on equity
issues and concerns.
Council Member Tanaka disclosed there were discussions at City Council
regarding the overcharge to residents on their utility bill. The Council had
passed an Ordinance regarding Firearms Safety. He asked if the School
District was tracking how kids were performing in distance learning.
Chair Collins explained that the School District had a report called the DF
Report that tracked how many students were going to receive a D or an F in
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
a class. The report that was received in late October/early November of
2020 did not indicate any substantial changes when compared to the prior
year.
Don Austin, Superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District agreed
and disclosed there is still work that needed to be done to capture the small
percentages of students who were struggling.
Council Member Kou expressed the Palo Alto History Museum was a topic of
the last City Council meeting and that the museum will provide many
benefits to the community. The Palo Alto History Museum has put together
a program that will involve youth within the community.
5. COVID-19 Coordination Update.
Council Member Kou urged the community to support local businesses and
retail.
7. Updates on Ongoing Matters.
a. Connecting Palo Alto (Grade Separation) Update
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager shared that the Expanded
Community Advisory Panel (XCAP) expected to finish their final report in
January of 2021 and present it to City Council in February of 2021. Staff
plans to bring another update to the February 2021 Committee meeting.
The City has sent a letter to Santa Clara County Valley Transportation
Authority (VTA) regarding their proposal to not provide funding from
Measure B for grade separations. Due to the overwhelming push back from
other cities as well, VTA drafted a process with assistance from the cities to
determine the region's priority.
Chair Collins believed that the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) Counsel had
sent a communication to the City regarding their perspectives on grade
separations.
Ms. Gaines confirmed that the City/School Traffic Liaison Committee will be
discussing the topic at their meeting.
Don Austin, Superintendent of Palo Alto Unified School District confirmed
that the School District had sent a letter to the City Manager.
Chair Collins emphasized that the process the City was following had been a
difficult process for the School District to engage in. He felt that the School
District would have strong opinions regarding grade separations.
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Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Final Minutes: 12/17/2020
Ms. Gaines articulated that another opportunity for folks to weigh in on the
topic will be when the final report is presented to Council and that the
process is nowhere near completion.
Chair Collins said that with the current circumstances of the pandemic and
school closures, the School District did not have the bandwidth to provide
comments earlier in the grade separation process.
Future Meetings and Agendas
Chair Collins announced that Alcove will be presenting to the Committee in
the new year of 2021 and there will be no meeting in January of 2021.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 A.M.
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Special Meeting
February 18, 2021
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager, called the meeting to order on
this date in virtual teleconference at 8:30 A.M.
Present: City of Palo Alto Representatives Patrick Burt, Vice Mayor
Greg Tanaka, Council Member
Chantal Gaines, Deputy City Manager, Staff Liaison
Palo Alto Unified School District Representatives
Jennifer DiBrienza, Board Member (arrived at 8:32 AM)
Shounak Dharap, President
Don Austin, Superintendent, Palo Alto Unified School District
Absent:
Oral Communications
Rebecca Eisenberg wanted to see better coordination between City Council
(Council) and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD). She encouraged all
the City School Liaison Committee Members to attend each other’s meetings.
She disclosed her concern regarding Castilleja School and its long history of
equity issues.
Minutes Approval
2. Approval of the December 17, 2020 Meeting Minutes.
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager announced that normally new
members do not vote on the minutes.
Board Member DiBrienza requested that the word Counsel be changed to
Council.
MOTION: Board Member DiBrienza moved, seconded by Council Member
Tanaka to approve the minutes with the following changes:
City/School Liaison Committee Special Meeting Minutes
SUMMARY MINUTES
Page 2 of 8 Sp. City School Liaison Committee Meeting Summary Minutes: 02/18/2021
A. To change from the wording from “PTA Counsel” to “PTA Council.”
Vice Mayor Burt specified that he did not view the meeting recording and felt
uncomfortable voting on the minutes.
Board Member DiBrienza confirmed that only two members could vote on
the minutes and there needed to be three.
Vice Mayor Burt shared that he would review the meeting recording and then
vote at the next meeting to approve the minutes.
Monique leConge Ziesenhenne, Assistant City Manager agreed that approval
of the minutes will be held over to the next meeting.
Board Member Dharap confirmed that he would also review the recording
and vote at the next meeting.
MOTION FAILED
THIS ITEM WAS CONTINUED TO NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING
3. Selection of Committee Chair.
Chantal Cotton Gaines explained that each year the Chair position alternates
between City Members and Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)
Members. For 2020, PAUSD held the Committee Chair position.
NOMINATION: Board Member Dharap moved, seconded by Board Member
DiBrienza to nominate Vice Mayor Burt as Chair for the City School Liaison
Committee for 2021.
Rebecca Eisenberg emphasized that there is a crisis regarding racial equity
within the City and country. While she supported Vice May Burt, she
requested that Council Member Tanaka be Chair.
NOMINATION OF VICE MAYOR BURT PASSED: 4-0
4. Brief Superintendent’s Comments and City Manager’s Comments.
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager mentioned that Staff had
presented the Bikeway Project along Churchill Avenue to the Board of
Education (Board) at their last meeting. Coronavirus (COVID-19) testing
continued to be available at various sites throughout City. In terms of the
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21-day Equity Challenge, the City has partnered with Youth Community
Services (YCS), Parent Teacher Association Council (PTAC), and Palo Alto
Unified School District (PAUSD) to have a conversation regarding equity
within the community.
Yolanda Conaway, Assistant Superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School
District, announced that the program was on day 18 of the 21-day
challenge. Roughly 2,000 people signed up for the program and discussions
commenced regarding housing, awareness, and impacts regarding equity.
Every Thursday a discussion is held with various speakers and questions and
answer sessions.
Don Austin, Superintendent of the Palo Alto Unified School District declared
that the pipeline project regarding Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) has been
resolved. Currently, over 2,100 students were back in school for in-person learning, 120 students rode the bus, 400 high school students were
attending sports, and well over 100 teachers were back. PAUSD planned to
have the 6th grade return to school on March 1st, 2021, and grades 7th
through 12th would return shortly after March 1st, 2021.
Chair Burt reported that City Council (Council) had approved the next Bike
Plan element that was to begin the design phase of improving the bike
system on Fabian Way, Charleston Road, and East Meadow Drive. A study
session was held regarding the Teacher Housing Program near the Court
House and the Council strongly supported it. The Expanded Community
Advisory Panel (XCAP) has finished their work and the important issues
regarding PAUSD were the recommendation to close Churchill Avenue as
well as the recommendations regarding Charleston Road and East Meadow Drive. The Council also discussed the upcoming City Budget and the Council
will revisit and recalibrate the Capital Plan to accommodate the pandemic
and revenue shortfalls.
5. Brief Review of Recent City Council and PAUSD Board Meetings.
a. Update on the 21-day Habit Building Equity Challenge.
b. COVID-19 Coordination Update.
Rebecca Eisenberg remarked that Ms. Conaway has done incredible work
regarding the 21-day Equity Challenge. She requested that all City School
Liaison Committee (Committee) Members take part in the challenge and
possibly discuss in each meeting one issue that was raised during the
challenge. She reemphasized that Palo Alto Unified School District (PAUSD)
needed to be involved in the Castilleja School Project discussions, the closure of Churchill Avenue, the Cubberley Community Center discussions as
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well as the conversion of retail space converting to the medical office at
Town and Country Shopping Center.
Board Member DiBrienza mentioned that the 21-Day Equity Challenge was
very successful. She announced that the D-F Report was distributed at the
last Board of Education (Board) meeting and there were fewer kids receiving
grades Ds and Fs. PAUSD has pushed to help teachers receive the
Coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccinations, which was successful and teachers
will begin to receive them soon. She concurred that the closure of Churchill
Avenue will greatly impact PAUSD’s buses and she wanted to know how the
closure will impact the bike plans that were discussed for Churchill Avenue.
Chair Burt explained that two alternatives go along with the closure and both
alternatives include extensive options for improving bicycle and pedestrian
access.
Board Member Dharap commented that the Board of Education (Board) had
a deep discussion on equity and the potential creation of a Board Committee
that will be tasked with oversight over the equity measures the PAUSD is
taking. The Board acted to allocate $1.5 million to modernize the I Building
at Cubberley Community Center. He shared that in terms of COVID-19
coordination, there have been zero transmissions of the virus within PAUSD.
Chair Burt added that PAUSD has taken drastic steps to reduce airborne
virus transmissions within the schools themselves through air filtration and
other various methods. He encouraged PAUSD to communicate more on
how PAUSD is fighting against the spread of the virus.
6. Allcove Presentation and Update.
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager shared that the item was an update on the conversations that were happening related to Community
Economic Recovery. Allcove’s mission was to address youth mental health
within the community.
Jules Villanueva-Castano, Allcove Representative requested that the team
introduce themselves.
Steve Adelsheim, Allcove Representative shared he is the Director for the
Center of Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing.
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Catherine Aspiras, Allcove Representative expressed she is with the Santa
Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department and is the Program
Manager who oversaw the school base of behavioral services.
Ana Lilia Soto, Allcove Representative announced she is the Youth
Development Manager at Stanford Center for Youth Mental Health and
Wellbeing. She also worked with the Youth Advisory Group (YAG).
Simrum Rao, Allcove Representative voiced that she is a Member of the Palo
Alto YAG at Allcove as well as the Social Media Officer.
Myra Xu, Allcove Representative was also a YAG Member and a Senior at
Palo Alto High School.
Stephanie Peng, Allcove Representative confirmed she was also on the Palo
Alto YAG and a senior at Palo Alto High School.
Mr. Villanueva-Castano, Allcove Representative specified that he is the Support Education Employment Specialist with Allcove in the City of San
Jose and in the City.
Steve Eckert, Allcove Representative disclosed that he is the CEO of Alum
Rock Counseling Center.
Mr. Adelsheim disclosed that the City is facing a mental health crisis among
its teens and it is very important to have early mental health support. To
encourage more mental health support for teens outside of school, there was
a collaboration among several entities to start two Allcove sites. The core
services provided at the Allcove sites included mental health, physical
health, supported education and employment, substance use support, peer
support, and social support. One of the key aspects of the Allcove model
was the youth voice and services and supports that were guided by young
people.
Ms. Xu shared that Allcove practices inclusivity. The name is meant to be
inclusive as well as an understanding of having autonomy in service and
support.
Ms. Rao noted that youth struggle with hardships but rarely talk about them.
To encourage youth to reach out and engage in discussions, Allcove provided
three key moments. At the entrance and check-in, youth are greeted in an
accepting way, services are tailored to each youth to provide an
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understanding offering and then youth are guided and connected with
services. YAG continued to work with Allcove to ensure that there was
transparency as well as the right services available to youth.
Ms. Peng articulated that the Allcove space will be a non-clinical space with
warm tones and have a variety of seating areas and textures.
Ms. Aspiras reported that the discussion around creating such a space for
youth started in 2015 with a Feasibility Study that looked at Allcove sites.
In 2017, County General Funds were invested in the implementation and a
contract with Stanford University was formed to help with technical
assistance. In 2017, the Mental Health Services Act Stakeholder Leadership
Committee approved the project. In 2019, Allcove became the official name
and the Board of Supervisors approved the leases of the sites located in Palo
Alto as well as the City of San Jose. In 2020, a virtual youth wellness support program was implemented online to help with the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) Pandemic. Construction is to be completed for the Palo Alto site
in April 2021 with a site activation on May 14, 2021. The lead agency was
the Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department. The YAG
provided input on Staff hiring as well as peer supportive services. The
providers and subject matter experts included Alum Rock Counseling Center,
Santa Clara County Behavioral Health Services Department, Stanford Center
for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Valley Medical Center. The City
site is located at 2741 Middlefield Road. She briefly described the layout of
the site.
Ms. Rao explained that the YAG ensures that there is a youth voice at the
core of all Allcove touchpoints and that each center has its own youth advisory group. The engagement of the YAG within the center builds
community and trust among youth.
Ms. Peng shared that the mission of Allcove YAG was to empower young
people to become the leading voice in redefining mental wellness, reducing
stigma, and increasing access to mental health support. The vision was to
revolutionize mental wellness for young people and the core values were
youth voice, accessibility, and mental wellness.
Ms. Soto highlighted the principles of youth participation which included
youth involvement, youth expertise, youth direction, learning, leadership,
collaboration, and shared decision making.
Ms. Peng noted that youth advisors share similar living experiences and
situations as other youth. For this reason, members can empathize and
support other youth with their mental health and build empowerment.
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Ms. Xu emphasized that youth inclusion made sure that Allcove effectively
responses to the needs of young people. YAG continued to work with
marketing Staff to ensure as many youths as possible become aware of
Allcove and its services.
Mr. Villanueva-Castano explained the supported education and employment
service cycle of change model. The model included six stages that Staff
focused on. Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action,
maintenance, and learning experiences. When youth seek out services from
Allcove, Staff discovers what stage they are in and then works with the
youth to move them forward to the next stages. Education pathways
provided at Allcove included academic advocacy support, academic skill-
building support, academic placement support, and community connections.
Employment pathways included skill-building, job seeking, and communication connections to local workforce development agencies,
employment skill-building organizations, and connections to
certificate/union-based programs. Workshops and training will also be
offered to help.
Mr. Eckert shared that Alum Counseling Center has been in business for 46-
years and is a multi-service agency that provided 13 programs. Allcove’s
peer support specialists would serve the population of youth from age 12 to
25. Alum Counseling Center will provide non-clinical services at Allcove and
lead and coordinate the Community Consortium. The Community
Consortiums met quarterly and the 12 members included Elected Officials,
community college representatives, and other service providers.
Rebecca Eisenberg expressed excitement about the Allcove Program and she
urged the Council to financially assist and support the program.
Council Member Tanaka asked how students get involved.
Ms. Soto mentioned that the application process has started for YAG and
that is how youth can become involved. Also, other opportunities were
available if youth are interested.
Council Member Tanaka requested if the YAG is only available for high school
students.
Ms. Soto answered that the YAG was for youth ages 16 to 25. Allcove will
provide services for youth starting at age 12.
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Board Member DiBrienza was excited about the program.
Chair Burt expressed awe at how fast the program is moving. He wanted to
understand more about the Community Consortium and the roles that exist
with Stanford University, PAUSD, the City, and Project Safety Net. He
requested that a follow-up discussion take place regarding the Community
Consortium. He shared that Mayor DuBois has launched an initiative that at
the beginning of Council meetings, community partners will have 15-minutes
to promote their programs to the community.
Mr. Adelsheim announced that he would follow up with the City School
Liaison Committee (Committee) regarding collaboration.
Council Member Tanaka left the meeting at 10:00 A.M.
Future Meetings and Agendas
Chair Burt asked for future agenda topics.
Board Member DiBrienza wanted to see a standing update on the railroad
crossing project.
Chair Burt urged the Board of Education (Board) to participate in the
upcoming City Council (Council) meetings.
Board Member Dharap supported having a standing agenda item that
discussed shared interests between the City and Palo Alto Unified School
District (PAUSD).
Matt Savage, Health Policy Analyst of the Santa Clara County Board of
Supervisors was excited about Allcove opening in the coming months.
Chair Burt shared an outline with the City School Liaison Committee
(Committee) on a possible way to structure discussions around shared
interests. He suggested that at the next meeting the Committee discuss the
outline.
Board Member DiBrienza concurred with that suggestion.
Chantal Cotton Gaines, Deputy City Manager added that Staff will work with
the Chair to agendize a discussion regarding the Cubberley Community
Center and the railroad crossing project.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:05 A.M.
1
To: City/School Liaison Committee
From: Vice Mayor Pat Burt, Committee Chair
Date: March 25, 2021
Subject: City/School Collaborations
This document is intended to initiate a brainstorming effort to better understand how the City
and the School District collaborate to meet our shared mission of serving the needs of Palo Alto
youth and families.
Throughout their history, PAUSD and the City have developed a range of programs and services
to meet the needs of youth and families. Many of those efforts have been coordinated between
the agencies while others have been performed independently. The pandemic has created new
needs while making more apparent the importance of stronger strategic collaboration among
the agencies.
This list is not exhaustive. It is intended to facilitate a better understanding of the areas of
overlap and current or future collaboration. The discussion item for this City/School meeting is
to identify, refine, and initiate work towards a master framework for City/School collaborations.
In addition, the Committee could help identify changing and new needs resulting from the
pandemic that are opportunities for City/School collaboration.
Next steps may be to explore a consensus within the Committee of the need for a strategic
framework for City/School collaboration to be presented by Committee representatives to the
PAUSD Board and the City Council for endorsement in principle, to be followed by development
of a strategic collaboration framework and plan.
City/School Collaborations
Shared Mission: “Serving the needs of our youth and families.”
Current Programs
Transportation
Safe Routes to School (SRTS)
Crossing guards
Shuttle buses
Teen leadership programs
Project Safety Net (PSN) youth mental health
Railroad grade separations and bike/ped improvements
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Recreation
Middle school athletics
School playing fields after hour rental and management
Libraries and Community Services
Libraries
Community Centers
o Cubberley
Arts programs
o Teen Arts
o Children’s Theatre
Childcare/PACCC – infant, pre‐school, and school‐age
Planning
Area Planning to include school needs and SRTS impacts
Grade Separation planning
Other
Public Safety (formerly School Resource Officers)
Needs and opportunities
Pandemic needs, responses, and budget reprioritization
Childcare survival and expansion
Youth mental health (PSN)
Enlisting and leveraging community non‐profit, business and individual resources
Healthy buildings
Prospective future Collaboration
Cubberley plan collaboration
Social equity initiatives within Palo Alto and with East Palo Alto
Healthy communities/nutrition
Sustainability and Climate Change
Stanford collaborations
Business and non‐profit collaborations to serve youth
Grade separations