May 2, 2024

Mer’s C2C Proposal Approved Unanimously!

Source: Meredith Curry Nuñez, Executive Director of NCCPC

This is an update from the September 12, 2023 announcement.

On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, our Executive Director Mer Curry Nuñez presented her proposal to the Cradle to Career Data System Governing Board to codify student leadership on the advisory boards. Explore the meeting agenda and the staff report for Mer’s proposal which includese the proposed motion and the feasibililty study. The text of the motion was as follows:

Move to reserve two existing seats for current students on the Community Engagement Advisory Board and/or the Data and Tools Advisory Board, and to express the intent that the Governing Board seek additional funding and position authority for staff support to recruit and support student members.

The outcome of the meeting –> the motion was UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED with 16 Aye votes!

Mer would like to thank Member Meredith Lee for making the motion, and Member Nathan Evans for seconding the motion. She also thanks Raquel Morales at The Education Trust–West for giving public comment in support of the motion!

To read Mer’s presentation transcript, click here.

To close, thank you Chair Tagoda and the Governing Board for your thoughtful consideration of this proposal.

Youth Participatory Action Research defines “youth organizing” as a rights- and youth development-focused form of community organizing in which adolescents activate to “claim power and make change for themselves.”

We recommend that the Cradle to Career Data System leadership provide sustained opportunities for youth to express ideas and provide their perspectives as appointed board members.

Together, we can make an explicit statement that the CA Cradle to Career Data System values and recognizes the capacities and rights of youth to influence the social conditions, educational programs, policies, and systems that shape their development, health, and economic mobility.

Meredith Curry Nuñez

Executive Director, Northern California College Promise Coalition (NCCPC)

From the original post:

On Tuesday, September 12, 2023, our Executive Director Mer Curry Nuñez attended her first in-person board meeting as a Cradle to Career (C2C) Community Engagement Advisory Board Member. Check out the meeting agenda and materials HERE.

Mer is the first and only Advisory Board member to date to 1) submit a proposal to enhance C2C, 2) present on that proposal, and 3) receive approval for her proposal!

To learn more about the recommendation and approval process, read the Staff Report.
To learn more about Mer’s proposal, read the Community Engagement Member Proposal.

What was the proposal about?

Greater inclusion of all ranges of students (high school, certificate completers, CCC, and 4-year) in our governing and advisory boards by making it explicit in the Community Engagement Plan OR another grounding document (e.g., bylaws) that governing boards will set a goal of appointing them annually.

You can review Mer’s presentation slides HERE. View the recording of the board meeting HERE.

What happened at the presentation?

Mer presented for 10 minutes, highlighting important components of her proposal and expanding on it.

She shared an excerpt from newly appointed student board member Mike Nguyen from the August 2023 Governing board meeting, “As a first-generation student and the first in my family to seek higher education, I deeply understood the challenges of navigating the college process this past year. I would use this platform to shape the Cradle-to-Career Data System by providing insight from a youth perspective and raising awareness of equitability across every part of the process…I want to empower students to know they are not alone and that support is here for them. Their full potential is achievable.”

Mer shared the precedent for student appointees on other state bodies as well as examples of education code used to codify the requirement for students on those boards and commissions.

From CCC BOG Ed Code:

Two voting student members. Each student member may exercise the same right to attend meetings of the board, and its committees, and shall have the same right to vote as the members appointed pursuant to subdivisions (a) and (c).

From CSU BOT Ed Code:

Two students from the California State University, who shall have at least sophomore year standing at the institutions they attend, and who remain in good standing as students during their respective terms, shall also be appointed by the Governor to serve on the board for two-year terms.

She recommended the specific sections of the Governance Manual that could be enhanced in the future to codify this requirement, and she suggested that at least two (2) students be appointed to the same board to encourage peer learning and networking.

Mer wants to thank the following community members for their Public Comments:

Joe Herrity, Youth Liberation Movement
AJ Johnson, California Competes
Bao Vang, NCCPC

Mer wants to thank the following Advisory Board Members for their Member Comments:

Michelle Cheang, LA Promise Fund
Marcos Montes, SoCal CAN
Jackie Nevarez, Sac City Unified
Dr. Christopher Nellum, The Education Trust–WestAdam Gottlieb, UNITE-LA
Mike Nguyen, UC Berkeley first-year student
Alexis Takagi, Santa Clara University PhD student
and other members who voiced their support (sorry if we missed you)!

The motion to approve the proposal with amendments was made by Marcos Montes of SoCal CAN and was seconded by Michelle Cheang of LA Promise Fund. All members present gave Aye votes for unanimous approval.

What were the amendments?

Thanks to the feedback of members who gave comments, the amendments include:

Compensation for student leaders (e.g. stipends, scholarships, support covering COA)
Different ages of students, parent students, and even parents of younger students
C2C staff support needed for students
Different segment representation (e.g. CCC vs CSU vs UC vs AICCU)

What happens next?

The C2C staff will review Mer’s proposal, take into consideration the feedback shared on September 12, 2023, and produce a feasibility study that will be presented to the Community Engagement Advisory Board and the public in March 2024.

What else is new with C2C?

The Community Engagement Advisory Board approved the appointment of a Community Engagement Advisory Board Liaison whose role is to provide reports at a standing agenda item on the Data and tools agendas. Mer was appointed as the proxy/backup!

*****