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Foothills Sentry Page 2 January 2023 714 282 0828 | jadtec.com aco 4202 CHEERS TO 2023! jadtec.com $ 15 95 /mo SECURITY JADTEC Protecting your home and business from burglary, fire and medical emergencies. need to do. If we don’t need the meeting, we can cancel it.” Kris Erickson added that it was better to have them and not need them, than to need them and not have them. The board rejected the placeholder meetings in a four (Ledesma, Ortega, Angie Rum- sey, Miner) to three (Yamasaki, Erikson, Ana Page) vote. Consent with caution The agenda consent calendar consists of routine items that can be voted on as a whole; board trustees or members of the pub- lic, however, can pull any specific item for further discussion. On this night, the consent calendar became a tool for talking points when Ortega pulled two items relating to school programs and Miner pulled one relating to a parent involvement educational program. Ortega questioned a program designed to promote positive be- havior among students and anoth- er intended to prevent alcohol and drug use. The first, Positive Be- havioral Interventions and Sup- ports, has been ongoing at OUSD for at least 20 years and is admin- istered by the OC Department of Education (OCDE). It provides teachers with tools and resources to develop positive behavior. “What is being taught?” Ortega asked, “and what does developing positive behavior mean?” “It is a research-based program used na- tionwide,” Superintendent Gunn Marie Hansen explained. “It im- proves relations between teachers and students.” Ortega’s second query regard- ed OC Friday Night Live, a vol- untary program administered by OCDE and the OC Alcohol and Drug Education and Prevention team. It is essentially a club that meets after school to give stu- dents a safe place to interact. It is offered only in schools that have asked for it and are able to sup- port it. Both programs were ul- timately approved by unanimous vote. Parent program probed Madison Miner asked for more specifics on what was described as a parent education/engagement program led by an organization called 7 Mindsets. This particu- lar program is new to OUSD, but it follows previous outreaches that had a similar purpose. Its intent is to empower parents to be involved in student learning through professional develop- ment modules and customized re- sources. Its goal is to encourage communication between teachers and parents and generate trust. Title I schools are required to have such programs in place. “What are the seven mindsets,” Miner asked, “and what are the professional development mod- ules?” The mindsets were iden- tified as “everything is possible, passion first, we are connected, 100% accountability, gratitude, live to give and the time is now.” Those principles are described as a “common language for students, educators, staff and families.” A list of the specific development modules was not immediately available, but Miner was assured the list would be provided to her. Hansen noted that the program focuses on parents to connect teaching with the home and pro- vide a positive culture for learn- ing. The program, for example, gives parents tools to help stu- dents deal with cyber bullying and to help them with homework. “It’s the ultimate parent in- volvement,” Erickson said. “They have a say.” Not so fast Miner, along with Rick Ledes- ma, based their campaigns on parental rights and involvement. This program, however, did not have their support. “It sounds like too much government,” Ledesma advised. “I’d like to take a step back. It sounds like we’re raising parents.” Miner said she was not com- fortable taking action on the pro- gram until she gets information on the professional development modules. Ledesma asked why the vari- ety of OUSD programs weren’t “more strategic or more synergis- tic.” “What makes you think they aren’t?" Yamasaki interjected. “What makes you think staff isn’t doing that? Our staff is composed of educators. I trust that they know what they are doing.” “You’re welcome to your opin- ion,” Ledesma concluded. Ortega and Ledesma voted to reject the program, Miner ab- stained, but it was approved by the votes of Yamasaki, Erickson, Page and Rumsey. "OUSD" continued from page 1 Laying out what citizens can expect from him near term, Slater said he planned to create a task force to tackle homelessness and another to protect and preserve Santiago Creek. He noted that Denis Bilodeau had already vol- unteered to serve on the homeless task force and hoped that other council members would follow. “Santiago Creek,” he said, “is a grand central park running through the middle of Orange. It’s a treasure. It's time to clean it up and stop the development of pre- cious remaining land contiguous to it.” The creek task force, he added, will preserve undeveloped land and see that it is used in the best ways possible to benefit Or- ange residents. Slater intends to keep office hours on Wednesdays and Thurs- days from 5 to 7 p.m. “Repub- lican, Democrat or Independent," he said, "I’m interested in what you have to say and I will listen.” He also hopes to hold city council meetings twice a month instead of just once. After thanking his support- ers and the voters, he issued a warning to the purveyors of dark Arianna Barrios, District 1 "Orange Council" continued from page 1 money campaign flyers that ma- ligned him and several other can- didates. “To Fred Whitaker and the Republican party,” he said, “keep your dirty money out of Orange Elections. You’re not do- ing your party any good and it is beneath the standards of decency and respect that Orange residents expect.” His comment was met with en- thusiastic applause. Slater concluded his remarks by noting the Rotary Four-Way Test: Is it the truth? Is it fair? Will it build goodwill? Will it be ben- eficial to all concerned? “That’s how we’re gong to work at city hall,” he said, “and with you the citizens.” Slater and the new council will meet on Jan. 10. Kathy Tavoularis, District 3 Denis Bilodeau, District 4 John Gyllenhammer, District 6