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New Haven Unified board approves labor agreements, consultant contract and consent items; debate centers on $18,000 consultant funded from learning-recovery
Summary
The board approved a CSEA collective bargaining agreement, an MOU with Alameda County, a consultant agreement with Scott Pisani (up to $18,000 from learning-recovery funds), public disclosure of a CSEA settlement, and multiple consent items (one resolution number was corrected). Trustees questioned whether consultant funds should go to site needs.
At its Oct. 1 meeting, the New Haven Unified Board of Education approved several action items including a collective bargaining agreement with the California School Employees Association (CSEA), a memorandum of understanding with the Alameda County Office of Education for a teacher interim program, and a consultant agreement to provide instructional leadership support at Logan High School.
Vice President Kumar brought item 12.3 forward: a consultant agreement with Scott Pisani for the 2024–25 school year at a total cost of up to $18,000. The superintendent and staff described the work as coaching for instructional leaders at sites with newer administrators and said the funds come from the Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant, which was originally about $9 million for the district and has been drawn down to roughly $1.5 million remaining in allocations.
“It's up to $18,000 total for the year,” the superintendent said, describing the consultant as providing a framework of support "to help them find ways to grow professionally while still meeting the needs of the site." District staff emphasized most previous spending from the recovery funds had been directed to teachers, students and classroom programs.
Several speakers pushed back. Gavin Smith, a teacher at James Logan High School, urged the Board to table the consultant contract and argued that $18,000 is not the best use of funds when administrators and site staff are overwhelmed. “I do believe that hiring a consultant at any amount, 18,000 or others, is not the best use of funds,” Smith said during public comment, and asked board members to talk with site administrators first.
District staff and trustees defended the expenditure as a targeted effort to build instructional leadership capacity, which they said will benefit teachers and students. After discussion the Board moved, seconded and carried the consultant agreement.
Other actions that passed included approval of the CSEA collective bargaining agreement for 2024–2027, approval of the Alameda County MOU for a teacher interim program, and a motion to publicly disclose a settlement agreement with CSEA. The Board also approved the consent agenda and amended a resolution number to 0162425 for a continued funding application for child development services (Kydango) for the 2025–26 school year.
Votes on many items were taken by voice with motions carried; where roll call was used earlier in the meeting to approve the agenda trustees answered in the affirmative.
Outcome summary
- Collective bargaining agreement with CSEA (2024–2027): approved - MOU with Alameda County (teacher interim program): approved - Consultant agreement with Scott Pisani (2024–25; up to $18,000): approved; funding source — Learning Recovery Emergency Block Grant - Public disclosure of settlement with CSEA: approved - Consent agenda items (13.1–13.19, 13.21–13.23) and corrected resolution number 0162425: approved
The board’s approval of the consultant contract concluded after staff explained how the funds would be used and trustees debated whether funds should be prioritized for site-level services vs. administrative coaching.
