DOWNEY - The Board of Education Tuesday honored assistant superintendent/personnel services Stan Hanstad and classified personnel services director/personnel commission director-secretary Pat Heineke with the superintendent's Vision Award for their "long and dedicated service" in the area of personnel.Both are retiring in June. Hanstad practically needs no introduction as he has been as much in the public eye as anyone else in the district distinguishing himself over the years as administrator, an expert on juvenile justice and delinquency as well as labor law, an astute negotiator, and community leader. Superintendent Wendy Doty couldn't find enough words to hail his many accomplishments but managed, in addition to mentioning a few highlights in his bio, to praise his "inspired" work with such affiliations as SARB, Gangs Out of Downey, Downey Rotary Club's pancake breakfast and Downey Federal Credit Union. She wondered aloud if anybody can "fill his shoes." (Hanstad, a former basketball player, stands 6-foot-4). Don LaPlante added: "[Stan] has done a fantastic job. He's the right person [indeed] for the right job." Possessed with a more subdued personality but no less distinguished, Pat Heineke, noted personnel commission chair Dianne Lumsdaine, has served the district also for over 30 years: "She worked her way up through the ranks, knows the education code backwards and forwards, and has always looked out for the best interests of the district and the classified employees, working collaboratively with both the board of education and the CSEA units. She has consistently put in very long work days, and then willingly commits time above and beyond her work day to serve at the local and state level in personnel-related organizations." Her leadership role as an active community volunteer and animator at a state and local level, especially her work with Arc and Soroptimist International of Downey, are well-known, Lumsdaine said, and being a true 'Renaissance woman' has her talents and interests engaged even in community theater. In short, she said, "Pat is the real deal" and she, too, "leaves some very big shoes to fill." The Board also heard a presentation by Warren High School teacher George Redfox recognizing Alexis Chanes, one of his photographer-students, for receiving seven first-place ribbons at the recent Los Angeles County Fair education expo, and noting that her prize-winning photos are currently on display at Kaiser Permanente. In other action, the Board: *Accepted with gratitude cash and in-kind donations from various donors, including $50,000 from the Downey Kiwanis Foundation to purchase computers for East Middle School; $10,000 from the Wells Fargo Foundation in support of the school program at Warren High School; $3,849.27 from Downey Council PTA H.E.L.P.S. to purchase toothbrushes for the district's elementary schools; and varying amounts from Downey Federal Credit Union, Gangs Out of Downey, etc., in support of True Lasting Connections (TLC); *Ratified/approved regular district programs/activities as the payment of convention and conference attendance expenses; payment of special education placements; the issuance of payroll orders for hourly, overtime and Civic Center work performed by classified personnel, Adult School and Food Services; B warrants covering Jan. 1, 2010-Jan. 31, 2010; the agreements between Downey Adult School Career and Education Center and several institutes/groups that furnish practical experience to students enrolled in its medical assistant/billing & coding/vocational nursing programs; and a few change orders affecting corresponding purchase orders; the indicated adjustments to the budgets under the General Fund, Adult Education Fund, Cafeteria Fund, Deferred Maintenance Fund, and Capital Facilities Fund; the purchase orders by the Purchasing Department; and routine Personnel items until subsequent action is taken by the Board of Education; *Also approved/ratified the proposed revisions to MAR 4141 (Administrative /Psychologist Salary Schedule A), effective July I, 2010; Part II of the consolidated application for funding categorical aid programs (EIA/LEP funds for all schools to serve English Learner students; Title I programs at 11 elementary schools, 4 middle school and St. Raymond and OLPH private schools, etc.; the quarterly uniform complaint (re: instructional materials, facilities, teacher vacancy and misassignment, CAHSEE intensive instruction and services) report summary; the Connect-Ed service agreement with Blackboard Connect to provide a school-to-parent communication system, effective March 6, 2010-March 5, 2013; the use of the master agreement entered into by the County of Los Angeles and Xerox Corporation for photocopying equipment, which the district can take advantage of on an as needed basis when ordering copiers and related items with the same economy-of-scale advantages, terms and conditions; *Also approved the abolishment of two positions, one (a senior instructional assistant position) at West Middle School and the other the food service operations coordinator position, and the establishment meanwhile of a corresponding new position); the establishment of two new limited-term positions for the TLC Center and Secondary Education; the reduction in hours (from 40 hours/week to 16 hours/week) for a vacant clerical position at Downey Adult School; and the changes pertinent to positions providing support services for students with special needs with effective dates indicated; *Accepted as complete the electrical, fencing, backhoe, plumbing, paving and concrete work performed by various contractors; *Acknowledged a claim dated Jan. 26, 2010 and received Jan., 2010 submitted by Rosanna R. Durazo, and denied said claim in compliance with Government Code Section 911-15 and 945; *Adopted Resolution No. 200910-06 (Reduction or Discontinuance of Particular Kinds of Service); *Approved the single plans for student achievement (prepared by all schools) and Title I parent involvement policies, required for all state and federal categorically funded programs, such as English Language Acquisition Program (ELAP), No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Title I funds, etc.; and *Endorsed the actions taken by the superintendent on all student cases, which were considered in closed session. The next regular public meeting of the board will be at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 9 at the Gallegos Administration Center, 11627 Brookshire Ave.

********** Published: February 19, 2010 - Volume 8 - Issue 44