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Home My WebLink AboutMINUTES - 05091995 - PC.2 /1 i PC. 11 PC.2, PC. 3 , PC.4 & PC.5 THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA DATE: May 9, 1995 MATTER .OF RECORD PC. 1 Terry Weaver requested the Board to declare the week of May 14, 1995, through May 20, 1995, as Emergency Medical Care Week in Contra Costa County. PC. 2 Henry Clarke, Contra Costa Employees Association, Local 1, read a letter on behalf of the Labor Coalition urging the Board to approve a utility tax to fund County operations; and Jim Hicks, AFSCME, also spoke in support of the utility tax proposal. PC. 3 Faith Boone-Johnson alleged discriminatory practices in the placement of group home children in public schools. PC.4 Captain Frey requested the Board to reinstate the five-point credit to all veterans applying for jobs in County government. The County Administrator advised that this issue would be listed on the Board Agenda in approximately two weeks. PC.5 Alfred Simmons, African American Group Home Association, spoke on the placement of black children in foster care homes. Board members noted that the issue of foster care is on referral to the Family and Human Services Committee and requested C. L. Van Marter, Assistant County Administrator, and R. Hofmann, Acting Social Services Director, to confer with Mr. Simmons and notify him os the Committee's meetings. THIS IS A MATTER FOR RECORD PURPOSES ONLY NO BOARD ACTION TAKEN KECEIVED MAY 9.p,95 CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISQRS CONTRA COSTA CO. Ply name is Faith Boone Jackson and I am an assistant to Dr. Willia Gray — the administrator of Imani Facilities, Inc. ln _±- r....:':�, Inc. operates two group homes in Contra Costa County. Dr. Gray has asked that I represent her and Imani Facilities, Inc, in expressing our strong and grave concerns over the differential Idmission processes for groxy, home children practiced by the West Contra Costa Unified School District. Ns. Gray cannot be here in person because of conflicting appointments but will be pleased to come to future meetings Icwoougd nrs h� kee eaasD"r� Wsuy A letter of Feb 6, 1995 expressing; concern about the inherent discriminatory practice as related to all group home children in the 'Nest Contra Costa Unified School District. Read letter to Mr. Cole I would like to now share Dr. Cole's reply to this letter. Read letter to Dr. Willia Gray Comments on Dr. Cole's letter The children placed at Imani House are dependent wards of the court, placed in proun homes because of deficiencies in their home environment — AND NOT DUE _. _... TO L?Y JtiVE] ILE RECORD BASED Oi, THEIR MISCONDUCT. We do not accent *9W school district' interpretation that Education Code 49079 refers to such children.,,.' ,e maintain that the referral process does point out to the schools those children who are group home resddident-- and this "pointing out" allows schools the opportunity to respond to their inefac n appeareT ogbeaindu y . s�to�ilour chr1dr n.schools do this — but that some In addition, we have trong concerns about the long length of time that ;is requir$d �r� prior to +?ramp fi ally being allowed to enter the schools. We have one recent resident who finally got in school on yesterday, May 8 after being placed in the �=xoup home on March 9, 1995. 'KITH: Get a cony of my letter to lir. Cole and his letter to me and give it to e chair k at the Board of Supervisors meeting. Read it before you Eet there and feel free to change your part of statement,if it doesn't seem to hang togethdr for you. Thanks , Willia ...may Fundraiser Opportunity!!! For Religious & Non-Profit Organizations As independent representatives of Excel Telecommunications, Inc., the nation's eighth largest long distance carrier, we are able to introduce your organization to a unique and innovative fundraiser program!!! • NO RISK • NO INVENTORY • NO COLLECTIONS • NO DELIVERIES On behalf of your organization, parents, family and friends simply switch to Excel for long distance. Excel will donate to your organization 5% of the total charges EVERY month. One fundraiser can lead to continuing monthly income! Please contact an Independent Representative at (510) 758- 3506 to arrange a brief presentation! RECEIVED MAY 9 ioo IMANI FACILITIES, INC. CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OFFICERS: CONTRA COSTA CO. Aniece Jackson,M.S.W. President February 6, 1995 Willla Gray,M.S.W.,Ph.D. Marilyn Griffin,M.S.W. Social worker Secretary Carrie Reese,R.N.,M.PH. Diane Tobin,M.P.H. Health Educator k Mr. Herbert M. Cole, Superintendent West Contra Costa Unified School District 1108 Bissell Avenue Richmond, CA 94802 Dear Mr. Cole: I am the Executive Director for Imam Facilities, Inc. And in this capacity have overall responsibility for the administration of two group homes located in San Pablo and Richmond, California. An important part of this administrative duty is the responsibility for facilitating the education of the fifteen young women who are parts of the Imani family. We appreciate the efforts of the school district to provide for their educational needs. However, this letter is written to express our grave concerns over the legality and appropriateness of their being exposed to a differential process of special screening for all group home residents. In past years, our children came to. the residential facilities and were enrolled as all other students-by our going to the schools assigned to each facility based on geographical location. In more recent times we are required, due to the children's status as "group home children", to go through the process of taking each child for an appointment at Mr. Greenwood's office for assignment to schools. We are extremely alarmed and our children are stigmatized by this discriminatory process. Please be advised that this letter in no way reflects negatively on the service of Mr. Greenwood as an individual. The delay in school placement caused by this additional process is detrimental to the children-but we do not consider this delay intentional on Mr. Greenwood's part. OUR ISSUE IS THE INHERENT DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE AS RELATED TO ALL GROUP HOME CHILDREN IN THE WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT. We respectfully request a response to this correspondence detailing the basis of differential admission procedures that group home children must experience in this school district. Respectfully submitted, Willia Gray,Ph.D. Executive Officer cc: West Contra Costa School District: Mr. E. Greenwood -Imam House I Facility Manager: Ms. L. Sims Imam House III Administrator: Ms. C. Reese Contra Costa County Placement Supervisor: Ms. J.Whitney Contra Costa County Director DSS: Mr. R.Hofmann 2786 Fifteenth Street, San Pablo, CA 94806 (510) 233-7074 Mailing Address: 2623 EI Portal Drive, #9, San Pablo, CA 94806 t�tt;t�vtu WEST CONTRA COSTA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT MAY 1108 Bissell Avenue Richmond, CA 94801-3135 CLERK BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Herbert M. Cole,Jr., Ed.D. Telephone: (510) 2 N o"CO. Superintendent of Schools FAX(510)236-6784 March 22, 1995 Dr. Willia Gray 2786 15th St. San Pablo, CA 94806 Dear Dr. Gray: I am in receipt of your letter dated February 5, 1995. In your letter you stated your concern regarding our process of requiring group home students to meet with Mr. Greenwood prior to being assigned to a school. You feel this is a discriminatory process bent on stigmatizing group home students. I am sorry you feel this way, but this is a district rule that is mandated by Education Code 49079. Occasionally, a group home student will have a juvenile record and it is now a mandated law that school staff members coming in contact with any student who has a record have the right to know about the disciplinary background of the student. In fact, the law stipulates that disciplinary records be made available for the last three years. Mr. Greenwood has been assigned this responsibility of meeting with all group home students, as well as those students who are coming out of the juvenile justice system. He has been meeting with these students for the last four years. This procedure insures the consistency in handling these admissions, and the District avoids any perceived stigma that could,result from these discussions occuring at the school site. If you would like to discuss this matter further or if this does not satisfy your concerns, please contact Mr. Greenwood's office to set an appointment. Sincerely, Herbert . Cole, Ed.D Superin endent HMC:af _�,�� `f �� f 1{y �'y Q �. l>��.� � �U� ,�� ice. , ;� ,�;�;�,�= ��- �?��.-�:y `� ,��-, �.�-�� c� �� c;_