District updates board on Belong initiative to shift to proactive, coherent student supports

Deputy Chief Dara Ajendari and Belong coordinator Kathy Genesia updated the board on the district's Belong initiative (formerly ICS/PSEC), describing implementation progress, staff training and next steps for scaling C3 teams across schools.

Ajendari said Belong is intended to shift the district from a reactive posture to proactive systems design, with a focus on shared responsibility, consistent student experience and long-term supports rather than temporary fixes. The district has trained leadership teams, rolled out modules and is using MobileMind for module make-up work and attendance tracking.

Genesia described operational changes: schools use school leadership teams (SLTs) to train staff on modules 0— and are progressing into later modules; the district is aligning this work to Danielson standards so staff can use module learning for educator effectiveness evaluation. The presenters emphasized C3 teams' role in planning instruction and supports ahead of lessons and noted examples where C3 membership (EL teacher, social worker) prevents last-minute accommodation failures.

Early outcomes cited were a shift toward strength-based thinking, improved teacher collaboration and more proactive behavior supports. Planned next steps include four two-day C3 cohort trainings in summer, targeted professional learning for 2026-27 and refinement of processes for special populations (early learning and nonpublic title teams) to make training appropriate for different contexts.

Board members thanked the presenters; staff apologized for any logistic issues and committed to ongoing updates as the modules and C3 teams expand across the district.