GO AHEAD AND START THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT
[1. CALL TO ORDER-6:30 pm]
[00:00:06]
BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR JANUARY 11TH 2022 IS CALLED TO ORDER.[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:33 pm]
BALDERAS, WOULD YOU PLEASE ADMINISTER THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT? ABSOLUTELY, PRESIDENT KILGORE.WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE THAT SNOHOMISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, THE TULALIP TRIBES.
WHO SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL HAVE TAKEN CARE OF, HUNTED AND GATHERED ON THESE LANDS.
WE RESPECT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY, THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, AND WE HONOR THEIR SACRED SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH THE LAND AND WATER.
BY ACKNOWLEDGING THESE HOMELANDS, WE COMMIT TO WORKING WITH TRIBAL NATIONS TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION AIMS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS.
CHARELL, DO WE HAVE A FLAG? THANK YOU.
[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:35 pm]
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.NEXT, WE ARE UP TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:37 pm]
DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING TONIGHT'S AGENDA PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS.
THE MOTION PASSES AND THE AGENDA IS APPROVED.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT.
[6. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-7:00 pm]
I'LL BE BRIEF BECAUSE A LOT OF MY COMMENTS WILL BE HAD DURING OUR PRESENTATION REGARDING OUR STATUS UPDATE WITH THE DISTRICT, BUT THIS MONTH IS BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH.SO FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR ALL THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY TO PROVIDE THE VISION AND THE SUPPORT TO STAFF TO SUPPORT OUR TWENTY ONE THOUSAND KIDS IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO I WANT TO READ A PROCLAMATION, IF I COULD, TO THE BOARD.
PROCLAMATION, WHEREAS THE MISSION OF WASHINGTON'S PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS ACHIEVE AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS AND POSSESS THE KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS TO BE RESPONSIBLE MEMBERS OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY WHO ENJOY PRODUCTIVE AND SATISFYING LIVES.
AND WHEREAS WASHINGTON'S TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE LOCALLY ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS AND NINE ELECTED EDUCATIONAL SERVICE DISTRICT BOARDS ARE THE CORE OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION GOVERNANCE SYSTEM IN OUR STATE.
AND WHEREAS THE DISTRICTS AND REGIONS THEY LEAD SERVE MORE THAN ONE MILLION STUDENTS AND HAVE A COMBINED ANNUAL BUDGET, OVER FIFTEEN BILLION DOLLARS AND EMPLOY APPROXIMATELY ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY THOUSAND PEOPLE.
AND WHEREAS SCHOOL DIRECTORS PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN PROMOTING STUDENT LEARNING AND ACHIEVEMENT BY CREATING A VISION, ESTABLISHING POLICIES AND BUDGETS, AND SETTING CLEAR STANDARDS OF ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL INVOLVED.
AND WHEREAS SCHOOL DIRECTORS ARE DIRECTLY ACCOUNTABLE TO THE RESIDENTS IN THEIR DISTRICTS AND REGIONS, SERVING A VITAL LINK BETWEEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY AND THEIR SCHOOLS, AND WHEREAS SCHOOL DIRECTORS AND EDUCATION SERVICE DIRECTORS PROVIDE A PASSIONATE VOICE FOR ADVOCACY FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THE WELFARE OF SCHOOL CHILDREN.
AND WHEREAS IT IS APPROPRIATE TO RECOGNIZE SCHOOL DIRECTORS AS OUTSTANDING VOLUNTEERS AND CHAMPIONS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
NOW, THEREFORE, I JAY INSLEE, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON, DO HEREBY PROCLAIM JANUARY 2022 AS SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH IN WASHINGTON.
AGAIN SO THIS IS SOMETHING FROM THE GOVERNORS PROCLAMATION AND JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK THE BOARD DIRECTORS FOR THAT AND APPLAUD YOU FOR YOUR TIRED [INAUDIBLE], YOUR WORK, YOUR EFFORTS TO CONTINUE THE VISION, THIS HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY TWENTY TWO MONTHS SINCE WE STARTED AND WE CAN SEE THE END, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF IT, BUT JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
ALSO, I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING A LEADERSHIP CHANGE HERE ON THE BOARD.
I WANT TO PUBLICLY COMMENT ON THE TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH PRESIDENT KILGORE.
THE SUSTAINABILITY OF LEADERSHIP HAS BEEN CRUCIAL IN GUIDING THE SYSTEM AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THIS COVID PANDEMIC THAT CONTINUE TO, THAT'S NOW IN YEAR THREE.
AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE ENTIRE BOARD
[00:05:03]
FOR THAT SUPPORT.BUT TO PRESIDENT KILGORE YOU I KNOW I THINK I'M IN DAILY CONTACT WITH YOU EITHER BY TEXT OR PHONE CALL, AND THE NEXT BOARD PRESIDENT WILL GET THE SAME.
I'M IN CONSTANT CONTACT WITH THE BOARD PRESIDENT OF A VARIETY OF ISSUES, BUT WITH THE BOARD AND BUT WITH YOU, THE STABILITY AND DURING VERY, VERY DIFFICULT TIMES, YOUR CALMNESS AS WE'VE GUIDED THE DISTRICT THROUGH REALLY A TIME THAT WE'VE NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE AS A SYSTEM, IT JUST AGAIN JUST WANT TO THANK YOU AND ALSO FOR THE SUPPORT OF ME AS A NEW SUPERINTENDENT COMING IN AND PROVIDING ME GRACE AS I LEARNED THE SYSTEM AND HELP GUIDE ME TO MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS POSSIBLE FOR THIS SYSTEM.
BUT FOR YOU, PRESIDENT KILGORE.
YOU KNOW, I CALL YOU ALL THE TIME, ESPECIALLY EARLY ON, SO I WANT TO REALLY, REALLY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS.
REALLY WANT TO THANK THE ENTIRE BOARD FOR YOUR SERVICE, BUT REALLY WANT TO COMMENT ON PRESIDENT KILGORE AND YOUR TWO YEARS OF STABILITY ON THE BOARD.
WHERE ARE WE? OK, NEXT, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, AND FIRST WE HAVE THE MINUTES
[7. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-7:05 pm]
FROM THE DECEMBER 7TH STUDY SESSION.DO I HEAR A MOTION? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE DECEMBER 7TH, 2021, STUDY SESSION.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE DECEMBER 7TH.
DECEMBER 7TH 2021 STUDY SESSION.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE, I WOULD REMIND OUR NEW DIRECTOR.
ACTUALLY, YOU'RE NOT OUR DIRECTOR QUITE YET, BUT YEAH, NEVER MIND.
YOU WILL BE IN A MINUTE, BUT FOR MINUTES WHERE YOU DIDN'T ATTEND THE MEETING, YOU WOULD ABSTAIN.
SO, OK, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 7TH 2021 STUDY SESSION PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS.
THE MOTION PASSES AND THE MINUTES FROM THE STUDY SESSION ARE APPROVED.
NEXT, WE HAVE OUR MINUTES FROM DECEMBER 14, 2021 BUSINESS MEETING IS THERE A MOTION? MOVE TO APPROVE.
IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 14, 2021 BUSINESS MEETING.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE BUSINESS MEETING MINUTES FOR DECEMBER 14TH 2021 PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY OPPOSED SAY NAY, ANY ABSTENTIONS.
THE MOTION PASSES AND THE MINUTES FROM THE BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE OATH OF OFFICE, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO DR.
[8. BOARD DIRECTOR OATH OF OFFICE 7:10 pm]
BALDERAS.AND FIRST TIME DOING IT AS VIRTUALLY FOR ME.
SO TYPICALLY WE'D BE FACE TO FACE DIRECTOR SMITH.
SO IF YOU COULD UNMUTE AND JUST REPEAT AFTER ME, IF YOU COULD, PLEASE? YES.
THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE LAWS AND CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY PERFORM AND DISCHARGE THE DUTIES.
THAT I WILL FAITHFULLY PERFORM AND DISCHARGE THE DUTIES.
OF THE OFFICE OF SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 15.
OF THE OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL DISTRICT OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOLS DISTRICT 15 .
ACCORDING TO LAW, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
ACCORDING TO LAW, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
WELCOME TO THE SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTOR SMITH.
I THINK YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO ME NOW.
SO ONE MORE TIME FOR DIRECTOR KILGORE.
THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
THAT I WILL SUPPORT THE CONSTITUTION AND LAWS OF THE UNITED STATES.
AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
[00:10:03]
AND THE CONSTITUTION, AND LAWS OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.AND I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY PERFORM AND DISCHARGE THE DUTIES.
AND I WILL FAITHFULLY AND IMPARTIALLY DISCHARGE THE LAWS AND DUTIES.
OF SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 15.
OF SCHOOL DIRECTOR OF EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT NUMBER 15.
ACCORDING TO LAW, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
ACCORDING TO LAW, TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY.
AND WELCOME BACK, DIRECTOR KILGORE.
DIRECTOR SMITH, WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE COMMUNITY? YEAH.
I AM THE NEW DIRECTOR FOR DISTRICT TWO ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THAT ENCOMPASSES BRIER MOUNTLAKE TERRACE IN THAT GENERAL AREA.
I AM A 2004 MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL GRAD.
I STAYED LOCAL AFTER THAT, GOING TO SHORELINE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THEN CENTRAL WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, THE LYNNWOOD CAMPUS.
I GRADUATED MAGNA CUM LAUDE WITH A DEGREE IN LAW AND JUSTICE.
I AM INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY QUITE A BIT.
I REFEREE YOUTH AND HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS IN THE AREA, SO I AM VERY MUCH INVOLVED WITH OUR DISTRICT.
I'M CURRENTLY A TEACHER IN THE GRANITE FALLS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
I ACTUALLY GOT HIRED RIGHT WHEN COVID HIT, SO IT'S BEEN A PRETTY INTERESTING TRANSITION INTO THAT.
AND I'VE ALSO SERVED ON THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY CHILDREN'S COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL ON AGING.
SO I TRY AND STAY INVOLVED AROUND HERE AS BEST AS I CAN AND GET BACK SO I'M EXCITED.
WELL, WELCOME TO THE GANG, THE GANG'S ALL HERE.
AND IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT ANY OF US CAN DO, PLEASE DON'T HESITATE TO CONTACT ANY OF US, I'M SURE.
MAKE SURE YOU HAVE DIRECTOR KATIMS AND DR.
[LAUGHTER] NEXT, WE HAVE OUR REORGANIZATION AND ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS.
[9. ANNUAL ORGANIZATION MEETING 7:15 pm]
FIRST, WE'LL GO WITH PRESIDENT.IS THERE A NOMINATION FOR PRESIDENT? MADAM CHAIR, THIS IS CARIN CHASE, DIRECTOR, AREA DISTRICT ONE, I RISE TO NOMINATE NANCY KATIMS FOR THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS FOR PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD THIS YEAR? HEARING NONE, I'LL GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF, I THINK IS THAT HOW I DO IT? STATE YOUR VOTE.
WHO DO YOU VOTE FOR? HOW'S THAT? A ROLL-CALL VOTE, PLEASE.
NANCY KATIMS. DIRECTOR KATIMS. I'M NOT SURE IF I'M SUPPOSED TO ABSTAIN OR NOT HERE.
NANCY KATIMS. AND CONGRATULATIONS, DIRECTOR KATIMS, PRESIDENT KATIMS AND I TURN OVER THE VIRTUAL GAVEL TO YOU AND YOU CAN CONTINUE THE MEETING.
DEBORAH TO TRY TO POSSIBLY DO AS GOOD A JOB AS YOU HAVE DONE FOR TWO YEARS.
MY FIRST JOB HERE IS TO ASK FOR NOMINATIONS FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
I'D LIKE TO NOMINATE DEBORAH KILGORE AS VICE PRESIDENT.
WE HEAR A NOMINATION FOR DEBORAH KILGORE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? HEARING NONE, I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A ROLL-CALL VOTE.
DIRECTOR KATIMS. DEBORAH KILGORE.
DEBORAH KILGORE AND I'VE GOT THE BEST JOB.
[00:15:03]
THE NO WORK JOB, THAT'S WHAT WE USED TO CONSIDER IN THE PTA ANYWAY.[LAUGHTER] WELL, YOU'RE GOING TO BE MY BACKUP AND MY HELPER AND MY ADVISOR, SO DON'T BE SO READY TO GO ON A VACATION QUITE YET.
NEXT, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR NOMINATIONS FOR OUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE CARIN CHASE TO BE OUR LEGISLATIVE REP FOR 2022.
SO I HEAR A NOMINATION FOR CARIN CHASE.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
I VOTE FOR MYSELF CARIN CHASE.
EXCELLENT, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S WILLINGNESS TO SERVE IN ALL OF THE CAPACITIES THAT WE TAKE ON.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE THE CONSENT AGENDA.
[10. CONSENT AGENDA-7:25 pm]
SO ARE THERE ANY DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS WRITTEN? MOVE TO APPROVE.THERE'S BEEN A MOTION TO MOVE, A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ONE QUESTION, AND IF STAFF AREN'T PREPARED TO RESPOND TO THIS, PERHAPS WE CAN GET THE INFORMATION.
BUT IN TERMS OF ITEM NUMBER 10.4, WHICH IS APPROVING THE REVISED CLASSIFIED SUBSTITUTE AND HOURLY PAY RATE SCHEDULE FOR 2022, I THINK IT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE BOARD TO SEE WHAT THE OVERALL IMPACT IS TO THE BUDGET AND TO KNOW WHAT THE SOURCE OF THE MONEY WILL BE SINCE IT HAD NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY BUDGETED, I DON'T BELIEVE.
ABSOLUTELY, I DO HAVE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS HERE, CARTER AND SELLIE, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME MORE BACKGROUND AND FEEDBACK TO THE BOARD.
WE DID A PRESENTATION OR NOT A PRESENTATION A DOCUMENT LAST FRIDAY AS BOARD BRIEFING THAT WE BELIEVE THAT ADDITIONAL HOURS WOULD COST AT MOST $10,000 DOLLARS FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR BASED ON LAST YEAR'S USE, AND THAT THE SUBSTITUTE RATE WE'RE ESTIMATING AT ABOUT $24,000 DOLLARS.
AND YOU ARE CORRECT THAT THOSE WERE NOT BUDGETED, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE ABSORBED IN THE CURRENT YEAR BUDGET.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS REGARDING ANYTHING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? DIRECTOR KATIMS. THIS IS DEBBIE CARTER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
I WANTED TO NOTE THAT THE CHANGE AT THE FIRST LEVEL IS A DIRECT RESULT OF THE MINIMUM WAGE GOING UP.
SO EVERY JANUARY, THAT BEGINNING LEVEL IS INCREASED IN JANUARY TO REFLECT THE MINIMUM WAGE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THE CONSENT AGENDA PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES.
[11. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:30 pm]
NEXT IN THE AGENDA IS THE TIME THAT WE ALLOW FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.I'D LIKE TO GIVE A LITTLE BIT OF JUST INTRODUCTION TO HOW WE DO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, SO THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO
[00:20:11]
ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD.ITEMS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD DURING THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ACTED UPON BY THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, AND QUESTIONS MAY ALSO BE REFERRED TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OR STAFF FOR THEIR EXAMINATION AND THEIR LATER RESPONSE.
THE AGENDA FOR EACH REGULAR BOARD MEETING ALLOWS FOR 30 MINUTES DURING WHICH THE PUBLIC MAY COMMENT.
IF THE ENTIRE 30 MINUTES IS USED BUT THERE ARE MORE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS, THEN THE AGENDA DOES ALLOW THE POSSIBILITY FOR ADDITIONAL COMMENTS LATER IN THE MEETING.
WHILE WE ENCOURAGE AND WE APPRECIATE PUBLIC COMMENTS, WE ASK YOU TO PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES.
IF A COMMENT BECOMES TOO LENGTHY, I MAY NEED TO INTERRUPT IN ORDER TO ALLOW EACH PERSON EQUAL TIME.
AND DURING THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS THE WAY WE'VE BEEN DOING IT IS, WE'VE CREATED A PROTOCOL THAT ALLOWS THOSE WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT TO REGISTER ONLINE UNTIL 3:00 P.M.
THERE'S A URL FOR REGISTERING THAT'S IN THE BOARD AGENDA THAT'S POSTED FOR THE PUBLIC THE FRIDAY BEFORE EACH MEETING AND THOSE WHO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR A BOARD MEETING ARE ALLOWED TO READ THEIR COMMENT THEMSELVES ALOUD DURING THE VIRTUAL MEETING.
THE BOARD ALSO ACCEPTS WRITTEN COMMENTS AT ANY TIME THROUGH EMAIL AS WELL.
WE READ EACH COMMENT AND WE READ EACH EMAIL THAT WE RECEIVE, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT IT TAKES FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WRITE THEM.
WE ASKED THOSE WHO ARE MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT DURING A BOARD MEETING TO PLEASE MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS IN A CIVIL MANNER.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE THREE PEOPLE WHO'VE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC STATEMENTS.
TWO OF THEM INDICATED THAT THEY WANTED TO JUST LEAVE WRITTEN COMMENTS, BUT NOT PRESENT THEM THEMSELVES, AND THOSE WRITTEN COMMENTS WILL BE ATTACHED TO THE MINUTES OF THE MEETING.
BUT TO QUICKLY SUMMARIZE, ONE OF THEM IS FROM AN EMPLOYEE WHO, WHILE SHE EXPRESSES SUPPORT FOR THE PAY INCREASE FOR THE CLASSIFIED STAFF SHE ALSO EXPRESSED DISMAY THAT THE PAY INCREASES WERE NOT ALSO GIVEN TO CLASSIFIED SUBSTITUTES WHO SUBSTITUTE FOR OFFICE SUPPORT AND OFFICE MANAGER POSITIONS.
THE OTHER WRITTEN COMMENT IS FROM SOMEBODY WHO IS BOTH A TEACHER AND PARENT IN THE DISTRICT, AND SHE EXPRESSED SUPPORT FOR THE DISTRICT GOING TO A HYBRID MODEL OF INSTRUCTION.
AND AS I SAID, THOSE COMMENTS WILL BE MADE PUBLIC IN THEIR ENTIRETY ATTACHED TO THE MINUTES.
AND THEN THE ONE COMMENT THAT WE HAVE THAT WILL BE MADE ORALLY HERE IS BY MARY ERICKSON, WHO'S A PARENT SPEAKING ABOUT THE TEST TO STAY POLICY FOR CLOSE CONTACT UNVACCINATED STUDENTS.
AND I BELIEVE MARY IS ON THIS CALL, SO I'M GOING TO ASK CHERELL FOR HELP ON SETTING THIS UP FOR MARY TO SPEAK.
HI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING MY COMMENTS TONIGHT.
I HAVE AN UNVACCINATED CHILD AND SHE HAS BEEN QUARANTINED ONCE ALREADY FOR CLOSE CONTACT.
SHE DID NOT GET COVID AND IT'S MANY WEEKS LATER, SO SHE DID NOT GET COVID FROM THE CLOSE CONTACT, BUT OF COURSE, HAD TO STAY HOME FOR FIVE DAYS.
AND AT THIS POINT, I KNOW THAT THE CDC AND THE WASHINGTON STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH HAVE BOTH APPROVED TESTS TO STAY FOR UNVACCINATED CHILDREN.
NOW, WHEN SHE IS QUARANTINED, SHE HAS NO INSTRUCTION AND NO CONTACT REALLY WITH THE SCHOOL OTHER THAN EMAILING HER TEACHERS.
THIS IS, OF COURSE, EXTREMELY HARD IN HIGH SCHOOL AND EVEN ON AN EMOTIONAL LEVEL.
SO THERE ARE ALSO SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOLS IN SNOHOMISH SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT ARE DOING TESTS TO STAY.
AND WITH OMICRON AFFECTING VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED CHILDREN, IT DOESN'T SEEM FAIR ANYMORE THAT THEY HAVE SORT OF A PUNISHMENT, IT FEELS LIKE FOR BEING UNVACCINATED.
IN FACT, SCIENCE IS SAYING THAT OMICRON MAY BE AFFECTING VACCINATED PEOPLE MORE, BUT I'M ASKING YOU TO GET THE INFORMATION TO WHOEVER NEEDS THIS THAT I LEGALLY DO HAVE TO SEND MY CHILD TO SCHOOL.
BUT FIVE EXCUSED ABSENCES WHICH COULD HAPPEN BACK TO BACK TO BACK TO A CHILD THAT
[00:25:01]
ABSOLUTELY LOVES SCHOOL, EVEN THOUGH SHE'S IN A MASK THE ENTIRE TIME.SHE LOVES THE TEACHERS, LOVES THE CLASSES, LOVES HER FRIENDS, AND IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THIS DECISION IS BASED ON SCIENCE AT THIS POINT, AND IT'S BEEN APPROVED BY THE CDC AND WASHINGTON STATE HEALTH.
SO I FEEL STRONGLY THAT YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT TEST TO STAY FOR UNVACCINATED KIDS, AND SHE'S ALREADY GETTING TESTED THREE TIMES A WEEK FOR SPORTS.
SO AND THAT FLIPPED OVERNIGHT, AND I FEEL LIKE IT'S A MINOR BIT OF WORK TO TEST UNVACCINATED KIDS, TO TEST, TO STAY.
IT'S NOT A HUGE IMPOSITION ON THE SCHOOL.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND STAFFING AND BUDGETS, BUT I AM JUST ASKING YOU TO REALLY TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THE SCHOOL YEAR LEFT AND IT COULD BE REALLY, REALLY DEVASTATING TO OUR CHILDREN AND THEY WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL AND LEARNING.
AND I THINK AT THIS POINT, THE SCIENCE REALLY SHOWS THAT THEY SHOULD BE.
THE NEXT PORTION OF THE AGENDA IS OUR REPORTS, AND THE FIRST REPORT IS THE
[12. REPORTS-8:00 pm]
STATUS UPDATE.I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.
BALDERAS AND STAFF FOR THAT UPDATE.
THANK YOU, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO STAFF HERE, BUT TO BEGIN WITH, I KNOW THAT AS WE'VE BEEN BACK TO SCHOOL SINCE THE WINTER BREAK, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN CASES COVID CASES ACROSS THE DISTRICT, ACROSS WASHINGTON STATE, ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
AND I KNOW THAT THE VARIANT IS MAKING ITS WAY ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND ON A CONVERSATION IN A ZOOM MEETING TODAY WITH DR.
SPITTERS, THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY OF THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH AUTHORITY.
HE HAD HOPES THAT WITHIN ONE OR TWO WEEKS, HE SPED UP HIS PROJECTION IN TERMS OF WHERE THE PEAK COULD BE, WHERE WE WOULD SEE THE PEAK FOR THIS CURRENT VARIANT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT KEEP YOUR FINGERS CROSSED ON THAT.
WE'VE ALSO PAUSED SOME ACTIVITIES AND WILL BE REASSESSING THOSE ACTIVITIES WEEK TO WEEK, DEPENDING ON THE NUMBERS WE GET.
BUT AGAIN, WE JUST WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD AND STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY THAT'S ON THE CALL THAT WE WERE AT A PEAK OF CLOSE TO FIVE HUNDRED CASES PER 100,000 AND THAT WAS THE PEAK.
IT DOUBLED TO A THOUSAND AND NOW WE'RE AT TWO THOUSAND OVER TWO THOUSAND PER HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO IT'S DOUBLED THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
WHEN WE GET THE ROLLING NUMBERS.
AGAIN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REASSESS THE SITUATION AND WE WILL MAKE DECISIONS.
THERE ARE TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT ALSO WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT GOING TO REMOTE IS NOT GOING TO BE LIKE REMOTE LAST YEAR WHERE WE WERE REMOTE IF WE HAVE TO, AND THAT IS SOMETHING WE DO NOT WANT TO DO.
WE'RE LOOKING AT IF WE HAVE TO AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, IF WE HAVE TO SHUT DOWN SOME CLASSROOMS FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, YOU KNOW, A FEW DAYS, THEN COME BACK.
THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD DO FIRST.
I KNOW [INAUDIBLE] IS MORE DIFFICULT TO DO IN SECONDARY BECAUSE OF THE INTERMINGLING OF MORE KIDS.
SO THE ONE THING THAT WE MET WITH ALL ADMIN THIS WEEK WAS TO REALLY WE NEED DATA, WE NEED DATA TO DRIVE DECISION MAKING TO HELP INFORM THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE.
AND THEY'RE NOT EASY DECISIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO USE DATA TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN.
I'M NOT LOOKING AT DATA TO SHUT DOWN SCHOOLS NOR CLASSROOMS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE THAT I'M USING INFORMATION TO TRULY, WE'RE USING INFORMATION AS A COLLECTIVE TEAM THAT WE MEET DAILY OFTEN TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT OUR KIDS NEED TO BE ON OUR CAMPUSES AND WE WANT TO KEEP THEM ON OUR CAMPUSES.
I'M GOING TO TURN OVER TO STAFF.
I THINK, DANA, MAYBE YOU'RE UP NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
GOOD EVENING BOARD OF DIRECTORS, WE WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME UPDATES SINCE WE'VE BEEN BACK FROM WINTER BREAK.
TO DR. BALDERAS POINT, SNOHOMISH COUNTY HAS TWO HUNDRED TWENTY THREE CASES PER 100,000 PEOPLE IN THE LAST 14 DAYS.
DEFINITELY THE HIGHEST SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC WITH THE OMICRON VARIANT.
THE OTHER THING THAT'S CRITICAL IS THAT THE POSITIVITY RATE HAS GONE UP TO THIRTY ONE PERCENT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS AT BOARD MEETINGS, AND WE'VE BEEN ANYWHERE FROM FOUR AND FIVE PERCENT TO EIGHT PERCENT.
BUT THIRTY ONE PERCENT SO OF ALL THE TESTS THAT ARE DONE IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY, THIRTY ONE PERCENT OF THEM ARE COMING BACK POSITIVE.
THEY'RE ALL THE TESTS THAT ARE POSITIVE IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY ARE PRIMARILY OMICRON, WHICH
[00:30:01]
BEFORE WINTER BREAK, THEY WERE PRIMARILY DELTA.AND THEN MANY OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS ARE SEEING THEIR HIGHEST DAILY COUNTS.
WE HAVE A COVID DASHBOARD THAT'S AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, AND WE ARE DOING OUR ABSOLUTE BEST TO RESEARCH ALL THE CASES, INVESTIGATE ALL THE CASES AND KEEP THAT DASHBOARD UPDATED.
THERE'S QUITE A BIT THAT GOES INTO EACH CASE IN THE CONTACT TRACING AND A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO OUR STAFF, OUR NURSES, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR HEALTH SCREENERS AND OUR WHOLE NURSING TEAM THAT'S RESEARCHING THAT FOR US.
WASHINGTON DOH HAD AN UPDATE THAT CAME OUT LAST FRIDAY NIGHT AND IT GAVE SOME NEW GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS AND THEN THE HEALTH DISTRICT ALSO TALKED TO US ABOUT SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THIS SURGE.
A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE LIKELY TO BE REINFECTED IF THEY'VE BEEN INFECTED BEFORE.
TYPICALLY, THE CASES ARE IN UNVACCINATED OR PEOPLE WITH ONLY TWO DOSES OF THE VACCINE.
THE THIRD DOSE HELPS NEUTRALIZE OMICRON.
THERE'S SOME CLEAR EVIDENCE AROUND THAT.
THE CONTAGION PERIOD HAS CHANGED WITH THIS VARIANT, WHICH IS REALLY UNIQUE TO THE TWO DAYS PRIOR TO SYMPTOMS, WHICH IS NOT HELPFUL.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE DAYS AFTER THREE DAYS AFTER.
SO THAT'S WHY THE CDC AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN MANY STATES HAVE CHANGED SOME OF THE GUIDANCE AROUND DOWN TO THE FIVE DAYS, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE ORIGINALLY HAD WITH SOME OF THE OTHER VARIANTS.
WE FEEL LIKE THAT THE RESEARCH IS SHOWING THAT THE CONTAGIOUS PERIOD IS SHORTER AND THEN IT SPREADS EASIER.
IT'S VERY CONTAGIOUS, AS I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD.
I SPOKE TO THE NEW WASHINGTON DOH GUIDANCE, AND IT IS LINKED HERE, I THINK THESE SLIDES ARE SHARED WITH YOU ALL.
IT MOVES US TO A FIVE DAY ISOLATION FOR COVID POSITIVE CASES.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD A SHORTENED TIME FOR ISOLATION, FOR COVID POSITIVE CASES WE HAD SHORTENED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE QUARANTINED, WHO ARE CLOSE CONTACTS, AND NOW IT'S SHORTENED FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE COVID POSITIVE.
AND IT'S A VERY SPECIFIC LANGUAGE HERE THAT YOU CAN READ.
BUT IF A PERSON TESTS POSITIVE FOR COVID 19, THEY CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL ON WHETHER THEY'RE A STUDENT OR A STAFF MEMBER.
THEY CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL ON DAY SIX IF THEY HAVE A NEGATIVE ANTIGEN TEST, AND FIVE DAYS HAVE PASSED OF COURSE SINCE THE SYMPTOMS AND THEN ALSO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE SIGNIFICANT SYMPTOMS. AND ONE OF THE SYMPTOMS THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE IS THEY CAN'T HAVE A FEVER OR BE TAKING IBUPROFEN OR TYLENOL OR ONE OF THOSE THINGS TO REDUCE THE FEVER.
SO THE SYMPTOMS HAVE IMPROVED.
A LOT OF TIMES THEIR SYMPTOMS AREN'T COMPLETELY GONE.
WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE HAVE HAD COUGHS FOR MONTHS AFTER HAVING COVID, BUT THEIR SYMPTOMS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVED.
SO WE'VE ALSO MOVE TO THE FIVE DAY QUARANTINE FOR CLOSE CONTACTS VERSUS THE SEVEN THAT WE WERE USING.
AND THERE'S SOME INFORMATION THERE AGAIN, BUT THE CRITICAL PIECE HERE IS THAT IF YOU'RE OVER 18 TO BE CONSIDERED FULLY VACCINATED, YOU DO HAVE TO HAVE A BOOSTER AND THEN UNDER 18, IT'S BEING FULLY VACCINATED IS CONSIDERED THE TWO DOSES, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE AS WELL.
WE DON'T NEED TO QUARANTINE OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT HAVE RECEIVED ALL THE RECOMMENDED VACCINE DOSES, INCLUDING BOOSTERS, IF THEY ARE OF THE AGE.
THE 17 YEAR OLD'S THAT ARE FULLY VACCINATED WITH THEIR PRIMARY SERIES AND THEN OR HAVE A CONFIRMED MEDICAL RECORD OF HAVING COVID 19 IN THE LAST 19 DAYS, THE LAST 90 DAYS NOT 19.
A QUICK UPDATE ON THE DISTRICT, WE ARE MONITORING THE DAILY ATTENDANCE OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS THROUGH A GOOGLE FORM THAT ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS ARE SUBMITTING BY ABOUT 11 O'CLOCK EACH DAY AND REVIEWING IT AT CENTRAL OFFICE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NUMBER OF STAFF AND NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE OUT AT EACH BUILDING AND WHAT THOSE ABSENCES REFLECT.
WE KNOW THAT THE OMICRON CASES ARE HAVING A HUGE IMPACT ON STAFFING AND OUR GOAL IS TO, OF COURSE, PAY ATTENTION TO THESE AND RESPOND APPROPRIATELY AND GET ENOUGH STAFF INTO OUR BUILDINGS TO KEEP OUR BUILDINGS RUNNING.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE UNFILLED ABSENCES, BOTH CERTIFICATED AND CLASSIFIED, AND WE HAVE SOME, UNFILLED POSITIONS AS WELL THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE.
WE'RE ADDRESSING THOSE WITH ADDITIONAL STRATEGIES AND USING SOME OTHER STAFF MEMBERS FOR ESPECIALLY FOR THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS WHILE WE KNOW THAT THIS SURGE IS HAPPENING AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET OVER THIS HILL AND GET BACK TO A LITTLE MORE NORMAL.
AND SO THAT'S OUR GOAL IS TO GET THROUGH THIS AND REALLY RESPOND AGAIN USING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US.
THEN WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR EMPLOYEE GROUPS TO ADDRESS THE SHIFT TO REMOTE LEARNING IF NECESSARY.
WE HAVE A FEW CLASSROOMS THAT WE'VE CLOSED DOWN DUE TO THE CASES AND DUE TO THE QUARANTINES.
BUT THERE'S ONLY FIVE CLASSROOMS RIGHT NOW IN DISTRICT THAT ARE CLOSED DOWN AND NO BUILDINGS THAT ARE CLOSED DOWN YET.
AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO GREG SCHWAB.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS GREG SCHWAB, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AND I WANT TO TALK
[00:35:01]
JUST A LITTLE BIT AGAIN ABOUT A RETURN TO IN-PERSON BOARD MEETINGS.I KNOW THAT THE OMICRON VARIANT HAS THROWN A WRENCH IN SOME OF OUR PLANNING AND HAVE CAUSED US TO PUSH PAUSE.
BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT WHEN WE ARE READY TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON BOARD MEETINGS WHENEVER THAT DATE IS.
JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU AGAIN, THE PHYSICAL SETUP WE HAVE A MAXIMUM CAPACITY OF 40 ATTENDEES, IN ADDITION TO STAFF AND BOARD AND STUDENT ADVISORS.
AND IN ADDITION, WE ALSO PLAN TO HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL SECURITY ON SITE AND WE'LL ASK THOSE WHO WANT TO ATTEND TO SIGN UP IN PERSON.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE THE LIVE STREAMING OF BOARD MEETINGS AS WELL.
BECAUSE AGAIN, WE THINK THAT'S BEEN A REALLY IMPORTANT FEATURE THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE EVEN WHEN WE DO RETURN TO IN-PERSON BOARD MEETINGS WHENEVER THAT DATE IS.
SO AGAIN, WE STAND READY TO IMPLEMENT THIS WHENEVER WE FEEL LIKE IT'S TIME TO DO THIS.
BUT AGAIN, JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU ALL THAT WE DO HAVE A REALLY SOLID PLAN IN PLACE FOR WHEN WE DO WANT TO RETURN TO IN-PERSON BOARD MEETINGS.
AND SO WITH THAT, I THINK I'LL HAND IT BACK TO DR.
BALDERAS FOR ANY CONCLUDING COMMENTS.
SO THANK YOU, GREG, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I AM GOING TO RECOMMEND TO THE SCHOOL BOARD IS SINCE WE'RE AT TWO THOUSAND PER 100,000 IN JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, WE'RE AT FIVE HUNDRED.
WE HAD PLANNED TO COME BACK IN PERSON AT THIS NEXT BOARD MEETING.
I'M GOING TO ASK THE BOARD TO REALLY PROVIDE DIRECTION.
I'D LIKE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TO NOT BE ABLE TO COME BACK UNTIL AT LEAST UNTIL FEBRUARY AND TO THE APPROPRIATE TIME WHERE THE CASES DO COME IN.
AS A REMINDER, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC BOARD MEETINGS, PEOPLE CAN COME IN AND WE WILL ENFORCE MASKS.
BUT AGAIN, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SCHOOLS AND ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW IN SOME SCHOOLS WHERE THERE'S VACCINATIONS AVAILABLE IS THAT PEOPLE ARE VACCINATED ON OUR SCHOOL CAMPUSES.
IN OUR BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY WE HAVE BOARD MEETINGS THAT MIGHT NOT BE THE CASE SOMETIMES.
SO JUST TO PROVIDE AN ADDED LAYER OF SAFETY FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED, INCLUDING STAFF.
HIS RECOMMENDATION IS TO WITHHOLD COMING BACK TO OUR FACE TO FACE BOARD MEETINGS UNTIL A LATER DATE, AND WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING LIKE TO JUST PROPOSE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO ARE THERE COMMENTS OR INPUT FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS ON DR.
BALDERAS' RECOMMENDATION? I AGREE.
I AGREE, TOO? YEAH, I ALSO AGREE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.
YEAH, I HAVE NO PROBLEM FOLLOWING THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I DID HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE PRESENTATION, THOUGH, JUST AND IT'S OK IF YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THIS.
THERE WAS A THIRTY ONE PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE, AND I KNOW THAT EARLY ON IN COVID, LIKE IN MARCH 2020, WE HAD A SUPER HIGH POSITIVITY RATE BECAUSE OF A LACK OF TESTING.
I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THE SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT HAD ANY MENTION ON THERE, IF IT WAS BECAUSE WE'RE HAVING SUCH A HARD TIME GETTING TESTING DONE OR IF IT'S JUST A HUGE EXPLOSION OR A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH, I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THEY HAD ANY ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT THAT.
SO IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS, WELL LAST SEVEN DAYS WE'VE DONE IN DISTRICT 2,076 CASES, PCR TESTS, CASES, WE'VE DONE TWO THOUSAND SEVENTY SIX TESTS, WHICH IS INCREDIBLE.
WE HAVE PCR TESTING AT ALL OF OUR SITES AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE IT IN A LOCALIZED DRIVE THRU AT EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I THINK THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF TESTS OUT THERE AND I KNOW SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH IS INUNDATED WITH REQUESTS FOR TESTS AND THOSE APPOINTMENTS, TO YOUR POINT, ARE FILLED UP AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
THAT SAID THIS, INCREASE IS SIGNIFICANT.
AND SNOHOMISH COUNTY HAS SAID THAT THE TWO THOUSAND FORTY THREE OR WHATEVER, IT WAS PER HUNDRED THOUSAND THEY THINK THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY LOW BECAUSE PEOPLE HAVE SO MANY HOME TESTS AND SO MANY PEOPLE ARE POSITIVE.
AND THERE'S SOME RECOMMENDATIONS LIKE, HEY, IF YOU ARE VACCINATED AND YOU ARE HAVING SYMPTOMS AND YOU'RE STAYING HOME AND YOU CAN'T FIND TESTING, THAT'S OK.
JUST STAY HOME FOR THE FIVE DAYS, YOU KNOW, FOLLOW THESE PROTOCOLS BECAUSE IT'S SO DIFFICULT TO GET TO TESTING.
SO IT'S REALLY WONDERFUL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS MANY TESTS IN DISTRICT TWO THOUSAND SEVENTY SIX LAST FIVE DAYS AND THEN THE TWO DAYS OF THIS WEEK.
SO I KNOW THAT NUMBER WILL BE WELL OVER THREE THOUSAND BY THE END OF THE WEEK.
AND ALSO JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE ARE DIVERTING A LOT OF STAFF FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE OUT TO BUILDINGS, INCLUDING SENIOR STAFF, THAT YOU'RE THERE ON THE SCREEN TONIGHT AND REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S EFFORTS TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S DOING DOUBLE DUTY, APPRECIATE ALL THE TEACHING STAFF THAT ARE
[00:40:01]
EXTREMELY RESILIENT.OUR ADMINISTRATORS AT THE BUILDING LEVEL, CUSTODIANS, EVERYBODY THAT'S WORKING DOUBLE DUTY RIGHT NOW TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE STAFF ON THE CALL THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY SUBSTITUTING AS PRINCIPALS, TEACHING, DOING EVERYTHING WE NEED TO DO AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND WE HOPE THAT THIS WILL BE A SOMETHING THAT AGAIN PEAKS HERE WITHIN A WEEK OR TWO AND WE GO BACK TO A MORE I HATE TO SAY NORMAL, BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN NORMAL SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, SO MORE PRIOR TO THIS, CURRENT SPIKE WHERE IT'S BEEN VERY AGGRESSIVE, SO JUST REALLY WANT TO APPRECIATE ALL STAFF FOR THAT.
ALSO JUST A QUICK NUMBERS REGARDING VACCINATIONS THAT DR.
I THINK FOR LITTLES AGE 5 TO 11.
I THINK THERE WAS A MENTION OF 29 PERCENT OF THOSE YOUTH HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
THAT'S 13 BEST IN THE COUNTRY FOR 12 TO 15 YEAR OLD'S FIFTY SEVEN PERCENT IN THE COUNTY.
AND FOR 16 TO 19 YEAR OLD'S SIXTY SEVEN PERCENT.
THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT WERE SHARED TODAY AT OUR REGULAR MEETING THAT WE HAVE.
SO IN CLOSING, I URGE EVERYBODY I KNOW THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT MAYBE DON'T AVAIL TO THIS BUT GET VACCINATED, GET VACCINATED.
I MEAN, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR KIDS VACCINATED.
THERE'S GOING TO BE MORE VACCINATION CLINICS HAPPENING HERE IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY BEFORE THE HEALTH AUTHORITY.
AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD THAT.
I KNOW AT THE STATE LEVEL THERE ARE COMMITTEES LOOKING TO MAKE THIS A MANDATORY VACCINE, NOT NEXT YEAR, MAYBE OUT A YEAR.
THERE ARE COMMITTEES RIGHT NOW MEETING TO MAKE THIS A MANDATORY VACCINE.
SO AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL STAFF FOR ALL THEIR WORK AND CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN CLASS.
SO ONE THING I'M GOING TO ASK ON BEHALF OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SPOKEN UP OR WRITTEN US ABOUT DIFFERENT PROCEDURES FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE UNVACCINATED VERSUS THOSE WHO ARE VACCINATED.
IF SOMEONE COULD GIVE US SORT OF A SUMMARY STATEMENT OF THE NEW PROCEDURES THAT WERE DESCRIBED IN THIS UPDATE WITH REGARD TO DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE VACCINATED STUDENTS AND OUR UNVACCINATED STUDENTS.
WE CAN DEFINITELY DO THAT IN THE MEMO IF POSSIBLE.
I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW THERE IS WE'VE ORDERED SOME ADDITIONAL TESTS AND THEY'RE FORTHCOMING AND I KNOW GOVERNOR INSLEE HAD A PRESS CONFERENCE WHERE THERE WAS A MENTION OF ADDITIONAL TESTS MOVING FORWARD FROM THE.
AND ALSO MORE TESTS BEING AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES.
THOSE ARE YET TO BE SEEN ON OUR DOORSTEP.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN A SHORTAGE IS FOR TEST.
IF YOU GO OUT TO TWO WEEKS AGO TO GROCERY STORES OR ANYWHERE, GO TO WALMART.
YOU CAN'T FIND A TEST ANYWHERE.
YOU CAN'T FIND A TEST ANYWHERE.
SO UNTIL I SEE THEM, I DON'T SEE THEM IN OUR IN OUR WAREHOUSE.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE ISSUES IS WE'RE REALLY SHORT TESTS.
WE'RE REALLY SHORT IN TERMS OF TEST, AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE CAUSING THE [INAUDIBLE] TEST.
YOU KNOW, WE DO TEST FOR ATHLETICS AND WE NEED TO.
BUT AGAIN, WE WILL HOPE TO HAVE MORE HERE VERY QUICKLY.
BUT DR. KATIMS WILL DEFINITELY PROVIDE SOMETHING TO THE BOARD REGARDING THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S REALLY EASY FOR FOLKS.
I KNOW THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT FLOWCHART.
IT'S BEEN THE EVER CHANGING GUIDANCE HAS CAUSED CONFUSION AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY REINFORCE AND REVIEW WITH ALL STAFF REGARDING WHAT THAT MEANS.
SO WE DEFINITELY WILL DO THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THE CONTINUAL CHANGE HAS CAUSED SOME CONFUSION, NOT JUST IN THE COMMUNITY BUT ON OUR CAMPUSES.
DANA, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD.
I THINK YOU HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS.
WE DID ORDER RIGHT BEFORE WINTER BREAK TWENTY ONE THOUSAND MORE TESTS.
THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO AND WE HAVE SEVERAL THOUSAND ON HAND.
BUT WE DO GO THROUGH THOSE PRETTY QUICKLY AND THE COMMITMENT THAT WE HAVE TO DO ATHLETICS WITH WAA AND THEN OUR PCR TESTS.
I THINK WE'VE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES.
WE WERE HAVING A PRETTY QUICK TURNAROUND PRIOR TO THE OMICRON AND WE ARE WORKING WITH THE SEATTLE [INAUDIBLE] NOW.
WE WERE HAVING TURNAROUNDS OF EIGHT HOURS WHERE PEOPLE WERE GETTING THEIR TEST RESULTS.
AND SO NOW IT'S TAKING ABOUT THIRTY SIX HOURS, WHICH IS STILL BETTER THAN WHAT WE WERE HAVING WHEN WE WERE SENDING IT DOWN TO THE TEST, THE LAB DOWN IN CALIFORNIA.
ON THAT FOR OUR FAMILIES YOU WILL BE CONTACTED IF YOU HAVE TAKEN A TEST.
IF YOUR CHILD HAS TAKEN A TEST OR A STAFF MEMBER HAS TAKEN A TEST, YOU WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL.
THE DISTRICT EMPLOYEES OR THE NURSES WILL HAVE THAT DATA, BUT IT'S REALLY MORE IT'S EASIER YOU HAVE IT THE MINUTE IT'S RELEASED TO US.
YOU WILL ALSO GET THAT EMAIL, SO WE DON'T HAVE IT AHEAD OF THAT.
SO IF YOU CALL AND YOU HAVEN'T GOT AN EMAIL, WE WON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL
[00:45:01]
INFORMATION.SO I THINK THAT'S WORTH SAYING.
BUT AGAIN, PCR TEST, TAKE A LITTLE LONGER.
SO WE CAN'T TEST TO STAY WITH PCR TESTS AND THEN THE RAPID TESTS, WE JUST NEED TO GET MORE SO THAT WE IF WE WANT TO CONSIDER USING SOME RAPID TESTS FOR KIDS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS OR FROM OUR STUDENT ADVISORS IN TERMS OF THE UPDATE? YEAH, I HAVE A GOOD QUESTION.
SO I HEARD THAT THERE WAS A DRIVE THROUGH TESTING AT WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL, IS THAT STILL A THING THAT'S AVAILABLE FOR OUR STUDENTS AND POSSIBLY FAMILIES? SO AT WOODWAY AT EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL, IT IS AVAILABLE.
THERE ARE SO MANY APPOINTMENTS A DAY AND LATELY IT'S BEEN FILLING UP.
BUT YES, THERE IS DRIVE THROUGH.
IT'S FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO THAT IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
ALSO AT EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL YOU COULD TEST ON SITE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
ALSO, WE HAVE PCR TESTS THAT ARE DELIVERED BY STAFF THERE, JUST LIKE AT EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
ANYBODY ELSE? OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT REPORT, WHICH WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.
APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HELP ON THAT.
AND NEXT IS A REPORT ON THE MCKINNEY VENTO FOSTER CARE AND MIGRANT STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
JUST THANK YOU [INAUDIBLE] DIRECTOR KATIMS BOARD DIRECTORS, SUPERINTENDENT, THANKS FOR HAVING US.
SO TODAY IS THE TIME FOR US TO DO A REPORT ON MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
WE HAVE WITH US TONIGHT, KARLA SANCHEZ SHE IS THE HOMELESS FOSTER CARE AND MIGRANT STUDENT COORDINATOR FOR THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU KARLA FOR BEING WITH US TONIGHT.
AS DR. VERGARA SAID I AM THE HOMELESS FOSTER CARE AND MIGRANT STUDENT COORDINATOR FOR THE DISTRICT.
I HAVE BEEN WITH THE DISTRICT FOR FIVE YEARS NOW AND IN THIS ROLE SINCE LAST APRIL, AND I WORK UNDER THE EQUITY AND STUDENT SUCCESS DEPARTMENT.
I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE WITH YOU SOME INFORMATION AND SOME WORK THAT WE ARE DOING TO SUPPORT THESE THREE PROGRAMS IN THE DISTRICT.
SO I'LL BE SHARING SOME DATA OVERVIEW OF PRACTICES AND SOME UPDATES FOR THE THREE PROGRAMS. NEXT.
AND I'M GOING TO START OFF WITH MCKINNEY VENTO.
SO I BELIEVE THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE WAS LAST MAY, AND I SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME OR A LITTLE MORE TIME GOING OVER THE LAW AND DEFINITIONS.
AND SO TODAY I'M JUST GOING TO DO A QUICK REFRESHER.
SO MCKINNEY VENTO IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES SUPPORT AND SERVICES FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE EXPERIENCING HOUSING INSECURITY.
AND THE LAW DEFINES HOMELESS YOUTH AND CHILDREN AS YOUTH, AS INDIVIDUALS WHO LACK A FIXED, REGULAR OR ADEQUATE NIGHTTIME RESIDENCE.
AND SO WHEN WE ARE WORKING TO QUALIFY STUDENTS, WE TAKE THESE THREE THINGS INTO CONSIDERATION AND USUALLY IF ONE OF THESE IS MISSING THE STUDENT MOST LIKELY QUALIFIES FOR SERVICES.
THERE ARE SOME LEGAL PROTECTIONS FOR STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR MCKINNEY VENTO, INCLUDING IMMEDIATE ENROLLMENT, EVEN IF THERE ARE SOME DOCUMENTS MISSING.
SO OFTEN WE'LL HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE COMING IN WITHOUT A FULL VACCINATION RECORD, AND SO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY GET ENROLLED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, ACCESS TO FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.
AND I SUBMIT THOSE REFERRALS TO OUR DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE ENSURE THAT STUDENTS REMAIN IN THEIR SCHOOL OF ORIGIN, EVEN THAT THEY REMAIN IN THEIR SCHOOL OF ORIGIN AND RECEIVE TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
AND WHAT THIS MEANS IS IF WE HAVE A STUDENT, FOR EXAMPLE, AT MARTHA LAKE ELEMENTARY THAT LOSES THEIR HOUSING TODAY AND MOVES OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES, WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION TO MARTHA LAKE.
AND WE WORK REALLY HARD WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRANSPORTATION IS SET UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
AND THEN SOME OF THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT STUDENTS DO NEED TO MEET.
AS FAR AS THEIR HOUSING STATUS IS, IF THEY'RE COUCH SURFING, IF THEY'RE LIVING IN A MOTEL, HOTEL TRAILER PARKS, CAMPGROUNDS AND TRANSITIONAL HOUSING OR SHELTERS, AND THEN DOUBLED UP.
SO FAMILIES ARE SHARING HOUSING DUE TO LOSS OF HOUSING OR ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS, AND THEN THIS ALSO INCLUDES UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH OR MIGRATORY CHILDREN WHO ARE EXPERIENCING ANY OF THOSE QUALIFICATIONS.
[00:50:01]
NEXT.SO I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT OF END OF YEAR DATA FOR THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, SO I DON'T QUITE REMEMBER WHAT THE NUMBER WAS WHEN I WAS HERE IN MAY, BUT BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAD QUALIFIED FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX STUDENTS.
AND I'VE INCLUDED THE BREAKDOWN BY GRADE LEVEL SO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN THE BREAKDOWN BY HOUSING OR LIVING SITUATION.
AND THIS SLIDE IS INFORMATION ON OUR CURRENT NUMBERS, AND SO THAT FIRST NUMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED ON 9-8-21, THAT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
AND SO WE HAD IDENTIFIED ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY STUDENTS, USUALLY DURING THE MONTH OF AUGUST AND EARLY SEPTEMBER.
WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME CALLING ALL STUDENTS THAT QUALIFIED THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
SO THE FIVE HUNDRED AND SIX STUDENTS.
WE CALL FAMILIES TO ASK WHAT THEIR CURRENT HOUSING SITUATION IS AND IF THEY ARE STILL IN UNSTABLE HOUSING.
MANY OF OUR STUDENTS THIS YEAR WERE IN STABLE HOUSING WHEN WE CALLED, AND THERE WAS ALSO A VERY SMALL NUMBER THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A HOLD OF.
OUR TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AS OF DECEMBER 17TH, AND I HAD TO RUN THIS REPORT TO SUBMIT THE PRESENTATION.
SO WAS THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY FOUR, BUT I RAN OUR NUMBERS TODAY AND WE ARE AT ABOUT FOUR HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE STUDENTS AS OF TODAY.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY BIG INCREASE IN ABOUT A MONTH.
AND I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU STUDENTS THAT ARE LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
AND SO THIS IS ALSO OUR NUMBERS FROM DECEMBER.
IT WAS SEVENTY TWO AND THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT WE ARE TRANSPORTING OUT OF DISTRICT.
SO STUDENTS LIVING IN EVERETT AND SHORELINE, I THINK WE HAD A STUDENT ALL THE WAY UP IN GRANITE FALLS AS WELL.
AND THEN I'M LISTING THE BREAKDOWN BY GRADE LEVEL AS WELL AND THEN THE BREAKDOWN BY LIVING SITUATIONS.
AND BOTH OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE HAD LAST SCHOOL YEAR AROUND THIS TIME.
SO NEXT, I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING ACADEMICALLY, AND SO THIS IS THE DISTRICT FOUR YEAR GRADUATION RATES BY PROGRAM, AND I APOLOGIZE WE DON'T HAVE THE 2021 CLASS INCLUDED IN HERE BECAUSE WE WON'T GET THOSE NUMBERS RELEASED UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, THE BLUE BARS ARE THE GENERAL POPULATION.
THE YELLOW LINE IS STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.
AND THE GREEN LINE ARE MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS ARE GRADUATING AT A LOWER RATE THAN THE REST OF THE POPULATION AND STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.
THIS ONE IS THE ANNUAL PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH ATTENDANCE OF 90 PERCENT OR BETTER OVER TWO OR MORE YEARS AND SO SIMILAR TO THE PREVIOUS CHART, WE HAVE THE GENERAL POPULATION IN THE BLUE BARS.
THE YELLOW LINE IS STUDENTS ON FREE AND REDUCED MEALS, AND THE GREEN LINE IS OUR MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
AND THE LINE FOLLOWS, I THINK, A VERY SIMILAR PATTERN AS BOTH OUR GENERAL POPULATION AND OUR STUDENTS ARE QUALIFIED FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS, BUT AT A MUCH LOWER RATE.
AND IF WE ADDED OTHER SUBGROUPS, IT WOULD ALSO OUR STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR MCKINNEY VENTO WOULD ALSO BE AT A LOWER RATE THAN MANY OF OUR OTHER SUBGROUPS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WE THINK ABOUT SOME OF THE REASONS WHY OUR STUDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING THESE LOW RATES IS REALLY DUE TO THE CRISIS THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING THROUGH AT HOME.
WE KNOW TRANSPORTATION, EVEN THOUGH WE WORK REALLY HARD TO SET THAT UP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, IT CAN STILL BE AN ISSUE.
AND I THINK NOW WITH COVID, WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING HIGHER NUMBERS AS WELL.
NEXT, AND THEN HERE, WE PULLED A CLASS GRADE PROPORTIONALITY FOR STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS, AND STUDENTS THAT QUALIFY FOR MCKINNEY VENTO.
[00:55:01]
AND SO IN THE FIRST ROW, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE POPULATION OF ALL SECONDARY STUDENTS, SO 7TH THROUGH 12TH GRADE, ABOUT NINE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND TWO, AND WE CAN SEE THAT MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS MAKE UP ABOUT TWO PERCENT OF THIS GROUP.AND IN THE SECOND ROW, WE HAVE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH LOW ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND OUR MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS ARE MAKING UP FOUR PERCENT OF THIS GROUP.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROPORTIONALITY, WE CAN SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY GETTING HIGHER F'S, HIGHER I'S, HIGHER NC'S OR U'S IN GENERAL.
AND SO WITH THE DATA THAT I PRESENTED, I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT STUDENTS ARE NOT PERFORMING AS WELL AS THEIR PEERS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THIS IS A POPULATION THAT IS CONSTANTLY IN CRISIS AND THEIR HOME SITUATIONS ARE DEFINITELY AFFECTING SCHOOL PERFORMANCE.
AND SO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING RESOURCES BOTH IN AND OUT OF SCHOOL AND OUT OF THE CLASSROOM.
AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I THINK COMES UP IS WHAT ARE WE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCREASING GRADUATION RATES, THAT ATTENDANCE IS INCREASING AS WELL.
I MENTIONED THAT I HAVE BEEN IN THIS ROLE SINCE APRIL, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY HARD ON TO ESTABLISH PROCEDURES BOTH IN THE BUILDINGS AND AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID THIS FALL WAS PROVIDE TRAINING TO ALL BUILDING STAFF.
AND SO THE TRAINING REALLY ALLOWED US TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT IDENTIFYING STUDENTS AND WHAT TYPES OF SERVICES COULD BE PROVIDED AT THE BUILDING LEVEL.
I'VE BEEN WORKING ON DEVELOPING SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOL TO MONITOR STUDENTS AS WELL, CREATING TRACKING SHEETS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH TEACHERS WHEN A STUDENT DOES QUALIFY AND THEN INCREASING COMMUNICATION WITH TEACHERS.
SO WE HAVE A GREAT FAMILY ENGAGEMENT TEAM IN ABOUT HALF OF OUR BUILDINGS, AND THEY WORK CLOSELY TO COLLABORATE WITH BUILDING ADMINISTRATORS AND WITH TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT IF A STUDENT IS IN CRISIS, THAT THAT INFORMATION IS BEING PROVIDED.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING SOME BACKGROUND SO THAT TEACHERS CAN LOOK AT GRADES AND ATTENDANCE AND PROVIDE AS MUCH SUPPORT AS POSSIBLE.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE GETTING LOWER GRADES AND ARE NOT SHOWING UP SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING OPTIONS FOR CREDIT RECOVERY AND OPTIONS TO MAKE UP COURSES THAT THEY HAVE FAILED.
THERE'S MANY OF OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING TUTORING AFTER SCHOOL, AND TEACHERS ARE ALLOWING FOR STUDENTS TO RETAKE TESTS AND ADDITIONAL TIME TO MAKE UP ASSIGNMENTS AS WELL.
AS A MCKINNEY VENTO LIAISON, I HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING NON ADVOCATE SCHOOLS, AND SO THAT'S ABOUT 18 SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, ABOUT HALF OF THE BUILDINGS.
I'VE BEEN PROVIDING SOME CASE MANAGEMENT FOR FAMILIES AS WELL WHO HAVE BEEN HAVING EMERGENT HOUSING NEEDS AND REFERRING TO RESOURCES.
AND AS OF DECEMBER, THAT WAS ABOUT SIXTY SIX STUDENTS ARE NOT CONNECTED TO AN ADVOCATE OUT OF THE THREE HUNDRED AND NINETY FIVE STUDENTS, AND WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON INCREASING COMMUNICATION TO THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE A NON ADVOCATE SCHOOLS AND THEN I CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO ALL OF THE FAMILY RESOURCE ADVOCATES WHENEVER THEY NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT WITH CASE MANAGEMENT OR REFERRALS TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
WHAT'S NEXT? SOME OF THE EXISTING PRACTICES, SO I MENTIONED THAT EVERY FALL, WE CONTACT ALL OF THE FAMILIES THAT PREVIOUSLY QUALIFIED.
SO THIS YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT AGAIN WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY RESOURCE ADVOCATE TEAM.
WE CONTINUE TO CONTACT ALL FAMILIES WHO SUBMIT A STUDENT HOUSING QUESTIONNAIRE AT INTAKE.
WE COMPLETE AN INTAKE AND A TRANSPORTATION REQUEST, AND THIS IS REALLY THE TIME WHEN WE GET TO KNOW THE FAMILIES WE GET TO LEARN WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE AND PROVIDE REFERRALS TO HOUSING SUPPORT.
I THINK WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE OF FAMILIES THAT ARE ACCESSING HOTEL AND MOTELS IN OUR DISTRICT.
FAMILIES DO HAVE ACCESS TO MANY OF OUR PANTRIES IN THE DISTRICT I BELIEVE WE HAVE FOUR OR FIVE THAT ARE RUN BY OUR SCHOOLS, AND WE CONTINUE TO REFER TO
[01:00:01]
MEDICAL, DENTAL, LEGAL AND IMMIGRATION SERVICES AS WELL.I PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED THAT WE PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO ALL OF OUR BUILDINGS AND THEN ONE FUN THING.
I THINK THIS DECEMBER WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR MCKINNEY VENTO FAMILIES FOR HOLIDAY RESOURCES, INCLUDING MEALS AND GIFTS.
AND I, ALONG WITH THE EQUITY AND STUDENT SUCCESS TEAM, WERE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE ABOUT GIFTS FOR ABOUT 40 STUDENTS IN OUR NON ADVOCATE SCHOOLS.
SO ONE ADDITIONAL RESOURCE THAT WE DO HAVE FOR STUDENTS IS THE EDMONDS HUB.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE NEW AND DON'T KNOW, LAST SCHOOL YEAR WE OPENED A SPACE THAT WE CALL THE EDMONDS HUB FOR STUDENTS THAT QUALIFIED FOR MCKINNEY VENTO TO HAVE ACCESS TO LEARNING SUPPORT DURING THE PANDEMIC.
WE HAD A PARA EDUCATOR AND STUDENTS HAD ACCESS TO AN EMERGENCY PANTRY AND A WASHER AND DRYER.
WE ARE STILL AT THE SAME CAMPUS EXCEPT FOR A DIFFERENT BUILDING, AND WE STARTED OFF WITH A SOFT OPENING IN DECEMBER, OPENING THE SPACE TWO DAYS A WEEK FOR THE FAMILY RESOURCE ADVOCATES TO DO SHOPPING FOR FAMILIES, WHICH CONTINUES TO INCLUDE THE EMERGENCY PANTRY, HYGIENE SUPPLIES, CLOTHING AND A WASHER AND DRYER.
WE HAVE HAD FAMILIES ACCESS THAT SINCE WE OPENED THE SPACE, AND IT'S BEEN FAMILIES FROM ALL GRADE LEVELS AS WELL.
AND THEN THIS LAST JANUARY, WE OPENED THE SPACE FOR STUDENTS, SO WE WILL HAVE AFTER SCHOOL A LEARNING SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS.
WE'RE STARTING OFF WITH SECONDARY.
WE WILL HAVE A PARA EDUCATOR AS WELL, AND THEN STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE EMERGENCY PANTRY, HYGIENE SUPPLIES, CLOTHING AND THE WASHER AND DRYER AS WELL.
AND WE ARE ACTIVELY RECRUITING STUDENTS TO ATTEND.
THIS OPENING HAS BEEN A LITTLE BIT SLOW BECAUSE OF COVID.
WE'VE HAD SOME FAMILIES THAT HAVE HAD TO MOVE HOUSING AND SO WE'RE WE'RE SUPPORTING WITH THAT FIRST AND THEN REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE AFTER SCHOOL SUPPORT FOR THEM.
AND THEN SOME OF THE CURRENT NEEDS, SO AS I MENTIONED, I'VE BEEN IN THIS ROLE SINCE LAST APRIL AND SOME OF THE I THINK THE TWO HIGHEST NEEDS THAT I'VE SEEN, THE FIRST ONE IS HOUSING.
I DO WANT TO SAY THAT I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE CONTRACT THAT THE DISTRICT HAS WITH HOUSING HOPE.
I THINK THAT IT IS A HUGE SUPPORT FOR OUR FAMILIES.
I MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LARGE INCREASE OF FAMILIES ACCESSING HOTEL AND MOTEL VOUCHERS.
AND SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE AGENCIES THAT WE WORK WITH THAT ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE FOR FAMILIES.
WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF ISSUES PREVENTING FAMILIES FROM ACCESSING HOUSING IN THE AREA, WHETHER IT'S EVICTIONS OR, YOU KNOW, FAMILIES ARE LOSING THEIR JOBS AND CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY RENT.
AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING AN INCREASED NUMBER OF IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, MANY THAT ARE DOUBLED UP.
SO IN SOME SITUATIONS, WE'RE SEEING TWO OR THREE FAMILIES LIVING IN A TWO BEDROOM APARTMENT.
AND SO HAVING ACCESS TO HOUSING AND HAVING THEM BE ABLE TO REFER THEM TO A SPACE LIKE HOUSING HOPE, I THINK IS GOING TO BE JUST GREAT FOR FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN THE SECOND THAT I SEE IS AND THIS IS A PLUG FOR THE FAMILY SUPPORT TEAM, JUST AN INCREASE IN ADVOCATES.
THIS YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO ADD THREE MORE ADVOCATES TO OUR BUILDINGS, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE NOW COVERING ABOUT 19 OF THE BUILDINGS AND IT'S BEEN JUST AMAZING TO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT AND TO BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE COMMUNITY RESOURCES FOR FAMILIES AND FOR MANY FAMILIES THAT HAVE IMMEDIATE NEEDS AND DO HAVE ADVOCATES WERE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE REFERRALS TO THE COMMUNITY RIGHT AWAY.
SO NEXT, FOSTER CARE AND THIS WILL BE REALLY QUICK.
SO I DON'T HAVE TOO MANY UPDATES.
OUR TOTAL NUMBER THIS YEAR SO FAR HAS BEEN ABOUT 60 STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN FOSTER CARE.
THIS NUMBER IS CONSTANTLY FLUCTUATING.
I THINK TODAY WE ARE AT ABOUT FORTY FIVE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN OUR SYSTEM.
SOME OF THE RESOURCES STUDENTS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE TRANSPORTATION AND REFERRALS
[01:05:03]
TO FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.I HAVE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILIES, JUST INCREASING COMMUNICATION AND PARTICIPATING IN YOUTH DETERMINATION MEETINGS.
AND THESE ARE MEETINGS THAT ARE HELD WHEN A STUDENT IS COMING EITHER INTO OUR DISTRICT OR LEAVING OUR DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING THE RIGHT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR THEM.
I'M CONSTANTLY MONITORING ALL THE ENTRY WITHDRAWS AND COMMUNICATING THESE WITH SCHOOLS, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP WITH TREEHOUSE FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND SO ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE TREEHOUSE EDUCATION ADVOCATE WHO MEETS WITH THEM A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK AND SUPPORTS IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET TO GRADUATION.
AND THEN LAST MIGRANT EDUCATION.
AND SO THIS IS MIGRANT ED IS A NEW ROLE TO ME AND A NEW ROLE, I THINK, TO THE DISTRICT.
I DON'T IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYBODY OVERSEEING THIS PROGRAM.
SO MIGRANT EDUCATION IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM, AND IT PROVIDES SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO MIGRATORY CHILDREN TO ENSURE THAT THEY GRADUATE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DEFINITION, THE TERM MIGRATORY MEANS A CHILD OR YOUTH WHO MADE A QUALIFYING MOVE IN THE LAST THIRTY SIX YEARS.
AND USUALLY THIS MOVE HAS WELL ALWAYS THIS MOVE HAS TO BE TO WORK IN AGRICULTURAL WORK OR IN FISHERY.
AND SO I MENTIONED THAT HERE IN EDMONDS, WE'VE NEVER HAD ANYBODY IN THIS ROLE, BUT WE HAVE HAD STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM AND THIS IS USUALLY THROUGH A REFERRAL TO THE ESD 189.
AND THEY HAVE A RECRUITER THAT DOES SOME OF THE WORK.
WE DO HAVE OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE ACCESS TO FREE AND REDUCED MEALS AS WELL AND OTHER RESOURCES THROUGH THE ESD.
SO THESE ARE OUR CURRENT NUMBERS FOR THE DISTRICT.
AS OF THE DECEMBER 17TH DATE, WE HAD 16 STUDENTS AND THIS NUMBER ALSO FLUCTUATES A LOT.
I PULLED THE NUMBERS IN NOVEMBER AND WE WERE ACTUALLY AT TWENTY FOUR.
AND SO SOME OF THE WORK THAT I HAVE BEEN DOING IS REALLY WORKING WITH MIGRANT EDUCATION TEAM FROM ESD 189, THE MIGRANT EDUCATION TEAM FROM OSPI AND THE RECRUITER AS WELL TO LEARN ABOUT THE WORK WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING AND HOW TO IMPROVE OUR IDENTIFICATION PROCESS HERE AT THE DISTRICT.
I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE MANY OTHER STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT COULD QUALIFY.
THERE JUST HASN'T BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT IN IDENTIFYING IN THE PAST, AND I AM WORKING ON EXPLORING SOME GRANTS FOR SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING THROUGH OSPI AS WELL.
AND THEN I'VE LISTED SOME OF THE GOALS, YOU KNOW, I TALK ABOUT IDENTIFICATION, BUT I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS REALLY WORKING ON COMMUNICATING AND COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES.
SO I AM SETTING UP MEETINGS FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY TO MEET WITH FAMILIES AS WELL AS MEETING WITH STUDENTS.
SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE WORK IS AND WHAT RESOURCES STUDENTS HAVE.
ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED TO REFER STUDENTS IS DARE TO DREAM ACADEMIES, AND THESE ARE FOR 9TH THROUGH 11TH GRADERS OFFERED AT DIFFERENT UNIVERSITIES THROUGHOUT THE STATE FOR CREDIT RETRIEVAL.
WHEN WE LOOK AT CREDITS FOR OUR CURRENT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT ARE QUALIFIED FOR MIGRANT EDUCATION, THE RATES ARE ALSO PRETTY LOW AS WELL.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING AS MANY RESOURCES AS WE CAN.
AND THEN I WANT TO END OFF TO SAYING THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE COMMUNITY AND AGENCIES THAT HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING THE FAMILIES IN THESE THREE PROGRAMS THIS YEAR.
WE'VE HAD HUGE DONATIONS OF BACKPACKS, MEALS, MOST RECENTLY LARGE DONATION OF COATS.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU SAW THAT.
SO WE'RE JUST VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALL OF THESE RESOURCES THAT ARE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS AND ENSURING THAT THEY ARE ATTENDING SCHOOL EVERY DAY.
ANY QUESTIONS? I HAD JUST A COUPLE OF NUMBERS QUESTIONS FOR YOU.
AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THEM, YOU CAN EMAIL THEM TO ME, BUT DO WE BREAK DOWN AT ALL FOR THE
[01:10:01]
STUDENTS, FOR MCKINNEY VENTO, THE ONES THAT ARE OUT OF THE HOME WITHOUT PARENTS VERSUS ONES THAT ARE WHERE THE WHOLE FAMILY DOESN'T HAVE HOUSING.SO LIKE IS THE FAMILY LIVING IN THE CAR VERSUS THEY SAID, GET OUT OF OUR HOUSE, WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE.
SO WE DO HAVE A LIST OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING? YES.
AND I THINK AROUND THE DECEMBER TIME WE WERE GETTING CLOSE TO ABOUT A HUNDRED UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH.
AND THEN I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT OUR AGAIN, MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
FIFTY ONE, I SAW THAT IN THE MOST RECENT YEAR 2020 FIFTY ONE PERCENT GRADUATION RATE IS WHAT WE HAVE THERE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON ONES BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE THAT WAS A DOWNTURN FROM SOME PREVIOUS YEARS.
SOME TRENDS THAT WE WERE SEEING.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DATA ON MAYBE KIDS THAT WERE ON.
I'M ASSUMING THAT THE 2020 GRADUATION WAS THE START OF COVID.
ANY KIDS WHO MIGHT HAVE BEEN SORT OF ON TRACK FOR GRADUATION AND THEN THE LACK OF ACCESS TO IN-PERSON EDUCATION MAY HAVE KNOCKED THEM OFF TRACK.
MAYBE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ACCESS TO ZOOM OR SOMETHING TO GET THOSE FINAL CREDITS.
I DON'T HAVE EXACT NUMBERS, BUT I DID FORGET TO MENTION THAT THE AVERAGE CLASS FOR ALL OF THEM WAS ABOUT 80 STUDENTS.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT ABOUT THE 40 STUDENTS DID NOT GRADUATE ON TIME.
I ALSO KNOW THAT WE DO LOOK A LITTLE BIT ON STUDENTS THAT COME BACK FOR A FIFTH AND SIXTH YEAR.
AND SO THOSE NUMBERS DO GO UP A LITTLE BIT.
YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN ALSO GET STUDENTS THAT ARE GONE FROM OUR SYSTEM FOR TWO TO THREE YEARS AND THEN COME BACK TO LIKE SCRIBER LAKE HIGH SCHOOL FOR A FIFTH OR SIXTH YEAR.
AND THEN JUST ONE LAST THING THE ADVOCATES THAT YOU HAVE IN THE SCHOOLS, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT THEIR CASELOAD LOOKS LIKE OR ARE THEY DOING LIKE TWO OR THREE KIDS ARE THEY DOING LIKE TWENTY KIDS? IT'S A HUGE CASELOAD.
SO YOU KNOW, ONE EXAMPLE I THINK, FOR EXAMPLE, SCRIBER LAKE HIGH SCHOOL HAS ABOUT 50 MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
THAT'S JUST THAT CASELOAD, RIGHT? BUT THEY PROVIDE CASELOAD TO ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS.
AND REALLY, THE GOAL IS, TO PREVENT FAMILIES FROM LOSING HOUSING.
AND SO IT'S HOUSING, IT'S FOOD INSECURITY.
AND SO IN A BIG HIGH SCHOOL, WE'RE SEEING A CASELOAD OF LIKE TWO HUNDRED STUDENTS.
THE REASON I ASK THAT IS JUST BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM IN THE PAST AND, YOU KNOW, SOCIAL WORKERS IS SUPER OVERBURDENED AND STUFF FALLS THROUGH THE CRACKS.
SO IF WE HAVE TO LOOK AT FUNDING TO GET MORE ADVOCATES IN THERE TO LOWER CASELOADS, THEN THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE HAVE TO LOOK AT.
HI, MY NAME IS ISABEL, AND I GO TO EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL.
FIRST OF ALL, THAT WAS A GREAT, VERY INFORMATIONAL PRESENTATION.
SO THANK YOU AND I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT POST GRADUATION OR POST-GRAD AND COLLEGE AND CAREER LIKE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT.
I KNOW YOU MENTIONED LIKE NEXT STEPS FOR THE MIGRANT STUDENTS.
I WAS WONDERING ABOUT THE MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS AND THE FOSTER CHILDREN AND THE IMMIGRANT OR NEWCOMERS AND ELL STUDENTS IF THERE'S LIKE ADDITIONAL COLLEGE AND POST-GRAD SUPPORT LIKE TARGETING THOSE STUDENTS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL OF OUR STUDENTS GET SIMILAR RESOURCES.
WE DO HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAVE COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS SPECIALISTS THAT WORK CLOSELY WITH STUDENTS.
IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS WE ALSO HAVE IS A GRADUATION SPECIALIST THAT ARE WORKING WITH STUDENTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M CONSTANTLY CURRENTLY GETTING QUESTIONS ABOUT HOW OUR UNACCOMPANIED YOUTH FILLING OUT FAFSA.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE RESOURCES IN OUR BUILDINGS FOR STUDENTS TO ACCESS.
AND KARLA YES, I WANT TO ALSO ADD, I MEAN, THOSE ARE REALLY GREAT QUESTIONS, AND WE WILL RECOGNIZE THAT 50 PERCENT OF STUDENTS GRADUATING IS NOT A GOOD NUMBER.
SO WE'RE REALLY OPENING THE DOORS TO REALLY GO IN DEPTH AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHO ARE THOSE STUDENTS AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO SUPPORT THEM IN CLASSROOMS? AND I SAY IN CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS BECAUSE I BELIEVE OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM, WE'RE DOING A REALLY GOOD JOB RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT LAYER IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO SUPPORT THEM ACADEMICALLY AND SUPPORT THEM WITH MAYBE EXTRA TUTORING SERVICES, ET CETERA, YOU NAME IT, WITH THE IDEA THAT THEY GRADUATE ON TIME.
AND ONE THING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS TO REALLY TALK.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATIONAL PLANS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO WE KNOW WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE PLAN IS.
WE KNOW THAT THE GOAL IS FOR THEM TO GRADUATE, HOPEFULLY ON TIME.
OK, SO WE ARE WORKING ON THAT.
BUT AGAIN, THE IDEA IS TO REALLY GET TO KNOW OUR STUDENTS BY NAME AND SPECIFIC NEEDS AND HOW TO SUPPORT THEM INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.
[01:15:01]
SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR KARLA? THANK YOU SO MUCH KARLA FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THAT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL INFORMATION FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THESE STUDENTS NEEDS.
AND SO THE NEXT UPDATE IS ON AVID.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS GREG SCHWAB, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT AGAIN, AND I'M GOING TO BE HERE WITH MARK MADISON TONIGHT TO SHARE AN UPDATE ON AVID, AND ACTUALLY, IT'S INTERESTING THAT WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT MCKINNEY VENTO STUDENTS.
AVID IS ONE OF THOSE SUPPORTS THAT WE ARE JUST IMPLEMENTING IN THE FIRST YEAR THAT TARGETS STUDENTS THAT ARE NONTRADITIONAL, THAT HAVE NOT TRADITIONALLY SEEN COLLEGE AS AN OPTION.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF AVID IMPLEMENTATION, AND MARK MADISON HAS GRACIOUSLY BEEN WILLING TO STEP UP AND SERVE AS OUR AVID DISTRICT COORDINATOR THIS YEAR.
AND SO HE'S GOING TO SHARE SOME UPDATES FOR YOU ALL ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AVID FOR THE 21 22 SCHOOL YEAR.
THANK YOU, GREG, AND THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT BALDERAS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHARE WITH YOU AN UPDATE AS TO WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR AVID IMPLEMENTATION, OUR FIRST YEAR HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO FOR BACKGROUND, AS MANY OF YOU ARE AWARE, BUT SOME MAY NOT BE, THAT AVID IS A NATIONAL MODEL FOCUSED AROUND PREPARING ALL STUDENTS TO BE CAREER AND COLLEGE READY.
IT IS BASED ON AN EMPHASIS ON IMPLEMENTING STRATEGIES AROUND HOW TO LEARN HOW TO BE ORGANIZED, PROVIDING WHAT IS CALLED OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE AND ENSURING STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING ACADEMIC AND I SHOULD SAY, RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PREPARATION WITH A FOCUS ON SOME FORM OF POST-SECONDARY STUDIES WHEN THEY LEAVE.
AVID STANDS FOR ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION.
I WILL JUST USE THE TERM AVID FROM HERE ON OUT, BUT IT IS A NATIONAL MODEL OF PROVEN RESULTS AND I SAY THAT IT IS FOCUSED ON ALL STUDENTS BECAUSE EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT A SUBGROUP OF STUDENTS IN WHICH WE CALL OUR AVID ELECTIVE, THE INTENT OF AVID IS THAT THESE STRATEGIES AND MINDSETS THAT FRAME THE AVID CAREER AND CALLING THIS FRAMEWORK BEGAN SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE SCHOOL WHERE THE AVID ELECTIVE EXISTS.
SO THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT UTILIZING CORNELL NOTES IN THE AVID ELECTIVE THAT THAT BECOMES A PRACTICE BUILDING WIDE OVER TIME, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE WHAT WE CALL THE AVID ELECTIVE IN FOUR PILOT SITES TWO HIGH SCHOOLS THAT'S MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL AND LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, AND TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS THAT BEING MEADOWDALE MIDDLE AND ALDERWOOD MIDDLE AND THOSE IN THE AVID ELECTIVE.
IT IS A CLASS OF THE STUDENTS TAKE AS ONE OF THEIR ELECTIVE PERIODS AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, AND THEY ARE IN THAT PROGRAM FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR, AND IT IS FOCUSED REALLY AROUND THOSE ELEMENTS I MENTIONED AROUND ORGANIZATION, STUDY SKILLS PRACTICES, DEVELOPING A CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS MINDSET, GETTING ACADEMIC HELP AND TUTORING, AND ACTUALLY GETTING AND VISITING WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS, GOING TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES AND INTERACTING WITH PROFESSIONALS AND CAREERS RELATED TO THE STUDENTS INTERESTS.
ORGANIZATIONALLY, THE AVID ELECTIVE IS SUPPORTED AT THE BUILDING SITE BY A SITE TEAM.
THAT SITE TEAM INCLUDES THE BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR, THE TRAINED AVID ELECTIVE TEACHERS, NON AVID TEACHERS, COUNSELORS AND OTHERS WHO ARE PART OF THAT TEAM TO REINFORCE AND SUPPORT THE AVID ELECTIVE, AS WELL AS THE IMPLEMENTATION AND TRAINING OF AVID PRACTICES OUTSIDE OF AVID ELECTIVE CLASSES.
SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT CLASSES IN THIS PILOT YEAR, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND TWO HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE TWO SECTIONS AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THOSE ARE BOTH EIGHTH GRADE AVID ELECTIVE SECTIONS.
AND AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WE HAVE TWO SECTIONS FOR EACH OF THE HIGH SCHOOLS, AND
[01:20:01]
THOSE ARE BOTH NINTH GRADE ELECTIVE SECTIONS.AS WE CONTINUE SUBSEQUENT YEARS, WE'LL ADD ADDITIONAL GRADE LEVEL SECTIONS TO THE POINT WHERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL, WE'LL EVENTUALLY HAVE SECTIONS FOR GRADES NINE, 10, 11 AND 12 AND AT MIDDLE SCHOOL SECTIONS FOR GRADE SEVEN AND GRADE EIGHT.
YOU GET A SENSE OF THE KIND OF THE BREAKDOWN OF OUR ENROLLMENT.
WE AVERAGE JUST ABOUT 40 TO 42 STUDENTS PER SECTION.
WE'RE DOWN A BIT AT MEADOWDALE.
MUCH OF THAT IS DUE TO THE CHALLENGE OF THE 7TH PERIOD SECTION, WHICH I'LL TALK ABOUT SHORTLY.
BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT DEMOGRAPHICALLY WE ARE DOING WELL IN TERMS OF REPRESENTING PROPORTIONALLY OUR DISTRICT DEMOGRAPHIC.
AND YOU'LL NOTICE ALSO I'VE ADDED A DATA ON LOW INCOME STUDENTS, WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE IN THE EARLIER VERSION I SENT OUT.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT WE ARE RUNNING AT ABOUT 50 TO 60 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM ARE LOW INCOME.
SO WE KNOW THAT WE ARE TARGETING THE RIGHT GROUP OF STUDENTS.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUM THAT HAS BEEN COVERED THUS FAR.
IN AVID, AVID HAS A VERY SPECIFIC CURRICULUM THAT FOLLOWS A VERY DETAILED SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IN WHAT IS KNOWN AS WEEKS AT A GLANCE OR WAAGS FOR SHORT.
AND THE TEACHERS FOLLOW THAT CURRICULUM AND PACE IT ACCORDING TO THE WEEKS AT A GLANCE THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR.
THE AVID PERIOD DURING TWO DAYS A WEEK, THERE IS INSTRUCTION USING THE AVID CURRICULUM.
TWO DAYS A WEEK IS FOCUSED ON WHAT THEY CALL THE TUTORIAL.
AND ONE DAY A WEEK IS FOCUSED AROUND THIS OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE SUCH AS FIELD TRIPS, SPEAKERS, ET CETERA.
TO THIS POINT WHAT HAS BEEN COVERED AT MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS BEEN HEAVY FOCUS ON ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS.
ALL STUDENTS HAVE A BINDER AND THEY DO GRADE CHECKS AND MAINTAIN PLANNERS AND CALENDARS.
THERE HAS BEEN A CONTRACT SIGNED WITH THE STUDENT AND THE TEACHER AROUND THEIR COMMITMENT TO AVID AND THE AVID LEARNING, AND A VERY STRONG EMPHASIS ON WRITING TO LEARN, AND THAT BEING A MAJOR FOCUS ON SPECIFICALLY FOCUSED NOTE TAKING TWO COLUMN NOTES, CORNELL NOTE TAKING SKILLS THAT THE STUDENTS PRACTICE BOTH IN THEIR AVID ELECTIVE AS WELL AS IN THEIR NON AVID ELECTIVE COURSES.
A LOT OF WORK ON THAT SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING, COMMUNITY AND TEAM BUILDING AND A FOCUS ON OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORK AROUND CAREER AND COLLEGE EXPLORATION.
WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THIS YEAR AN EVENING EVENT FOR BASICALLY ALL MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AROUND FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR COLLEGE AND AS WELL AS FOCUSING AROUND GUEST SPEAKERS AND COLLEGE TOURS.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE DOING THAT, GIVEN THE RESTRICTIONS OF BEING IN A COVID REMOTE VIRTUAL SITUATION, AS WELL AS A FOCUS ON GETTING THE TUTORIALS UP AND RUNNING.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL IT IS VERY SIMILAR IN TERMS OF WHAT HAS BEEN COVERED, VERY STRONG AGAIN, EMPHASIS ON BINDERS, PLANNERS PROGRESS, MONITORING COMMITMENTS, A LOT AROUND WRITING TO LEARN AND AGAIN, THE FOCUS NOTE TAKING CORNELL NOTES AND THEN A FOCUS AROUND AGAIN, CAREER AND COLLEGE EXPLORATION, EXTRACURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES AND MAKING STUDENTS AWARE OF ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND BEGINNING TO DIVE INTO SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW TO SEARCH AND WHERE TO SEARCH AND HOW TO APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIPS.
AGAIN, BEING NINTH GRADE STUDENTS, THEY WON'T ACTUALLY BEGIN APPLYING FOR THOSE SCHOLARSHIPS UNTIL A LITTLE BIT LATER, BUT THE FOCUS IS REALLY ON MAKING THEM AWARE OF WHAT IS AVAILABLE TO THEM.
AND AGAIN, THE FOCUS ON TUTORIALS.
SO I WILL HONESTLY SAY THAT I MEAN, OVERALL, IT HAS BEEN A GOOD START, BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN WITHOUT CHALLENGES AND DIFFICULTIES.
I DON'T WANT TO CREATE A FALSE PICTURE, BUT I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THOSE CHALLENGES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN PLACE TO HELP ADDRESS THOSE GIVEN SOME OF THE UNIQUE SITUATIONS WE ARE ENCOUNTERING.
[01:25:03]
THE FIRST IS WITH A SIX PERIOD DAY.IT BECOMES DIFFICULT TO GIVE UP AN ELECTIVE PERIOD WHEN THAT CAN CONFLICT WITH STUDENTS TAKING OTHER ELECTIVES THEY MIGHT ALSO WANT TO TAKE AN EXAMPLE BEING A STUDENT WHO IS IN MUSIC BUT ALSO IS TAKING A WORLD LANGUAGE.
AVID STUCK IN THAT SITUATION CREATES A PROBLEM.
AND SO AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS, THE HIGH SCHOOLS ARE OFFERING A SEVENTH PERIOD AVID SECTION FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THEIR REGULAR DAY FOR MORE ACCESS TO ELECTIVES.
AND THEY HAVE SECURED THOSE SECTIONS AND AS WELL AS SECURED AFTER SCHOOL TRANSPORTATION TO SUPPORT THOSE SEVENTH PERIOD STUDENTS.
ANOTHER CHALLENGE HAS BEEN TUTORS, AND THE TUTORIAL ITSELF IS MUCH MORE OF A FACILITATED LEARNING PROCESS FOR THE STUDENTS.
IT'S NOT WHAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY CONSIDER A TUTORING SITUATION WHERE I BRING IN A CONTENT EXPERT TO WORK DIRECTLY WITH A STUDENT, BUT IT'S MORE AROUND STUDENTS POSING A LEARNING QUESTION TO THE GROUP AND THE TUTOR FACILITATING THAT GROUP SO THAT THEY ARE ASKING GOOD GUIDING QUESTIONS TO THE STUDENT WITH THE ACADEMIC CHALLENGE AND HELPING THEM DISCOVER SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEM.
THERE IS ALSO SOME CONTENT SPECIFIC TUTORING AS WELL.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO BE ABLE TO GET TUTORS FROM OUTSIDE, PARTICULARLY AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL, TO COME IN AND SPEND THEIR TIME TWO DAYS A WEEK TUTORING IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THAT HAS PROVEN TO BE QUITE A CHALLENGE.
WE HAVE CREATED A POSITION, IT'S A PAID POSITION, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IT'S AT MINIMUM WAGE AND THAT HAS MADE IT DIFFICULT TO DRAW CANDIDATES TO APPLY.
ONE OF THE STRATEGIES WE ARE UTILIZING IS THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HIRING UPPER-CLASS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
SENIORS AND JUNIORS WHO EITHER HAVE TIME IN THEIR SCHEDULES BASED ON BEING ENROLLED IN RUNNING START OR ARE AVAILABLE TO TUTOR THE 7TH PERIOD SECTION, AND WE RUN ALL OF THAT THROUGH MY OFFICE IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS AND H.R.
TO DATE, WE HAVE 12 STUDENTS SERVICING OUR FOUR PROGRAMS. OF THOSE, WE HAVE SIX THAT HAVE FULLY COMPLETED ALL THEIR HIRING PAPERWORK AND TUTORING TRAINING.
AND WE HAVE ANOTHER SIX THAT ARE STILL EITHER WRAPPING UP THEIR HIRING PAPERWORK OR ARE STILL COMPLETING THEIR ONLINE TUTORING TRAINING.
SO WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING WITH EDMONDS COLLEGE IN PREPARATION FOR NEXT YEAR TO ALLOW FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN A PROGRAM THAT HAS A SERVICE LEARNING CREDIT REQUIREMENT TO UTILIZE AVID TUTORING AS A WAY TO FULFILL THAT COLLEGE CREDIT REQUIREMENT FOR THEIR PROGRAM.
AND I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH THE COLLEGE AND CONVERSATIONS AROUND GETTING THIS READY FOR THIS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, SO WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT FOR THE 22 23 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND THEN THE FINAL CHALLENGE I'LL MENTION IS THIS ACCESSING GUEST SPEAKERS AND COLLEGE TOURS WITH THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, AS YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE COLLEGES HAVE MOVED TO ONLINE, AT LEAST FOR A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
WE ARE FINDING THAT BRINGING GUEST SPEAKERS IN IS CHALLENGING WITH COVID AND ALSO IN TERMS OF GETTING OUT TO COLLEGE CAMPUSES WITH COVID IS BECOMING DIFFICULT.
SO WE PURCHASED THE SYSTEM ACTUALLY IT WAS PURCHASED WITHIN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, BUT WE ARE GIVING FULL ACCESS TO AVID STUDENTS CALLED NEPRIS.
AND THE NEPRIS TOOL ALLOWS TEACHERS TO REQUEST SPEAKERS OR VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS FROM ANY COLLEGE OR BASICALLY ANY PROFESSION FROM A HOST OF VOLUNTEERS ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY.
AND WE ARE BRINGING IN GUEST SPEAKERS, PROFESSIONALS AS WELL AS COLLEGE VISITS VIA THE INTERNET.
AND WE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN TRAINING STAFF ON HOW TO USE THAT.
WE STARTED THIS FALL, WE'RE CONTINUING TRAINING THIS MONTH AND IT HAS REALLY
[01:30:03]
PROVEN ITSELF TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT OPPORTUNITY KNOWLEDGE THAT INTERFACE WITH PROFESSIONALS IN A VIRTUAL WAY THAT DOESN'T PUT US UP AGAINST ANY COVID RESTRICTIONS DUE TO LACK OF VACCINATION OR INABILITY FOR SPEAKERS TO COME ON CAMPUS.SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND STRATEGIES THAT WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THIS YEAR.
I HAVE PROVIDED A COUPLE OF SLIDES ON BOTH STUDENT FEEDBACK AND STAFF FEEDBACK, AND I DON'T NEED TO READ THESE TO YOU.
YOU HAVE THEM AVAILABLE TO YOU.
BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS WE SURVEYED ALL OF OUR AVID STUDENTS LAST MONTH TO GET A SENSE FROM THEM.
WHAT IS THE EXPERIENCE LIKE FOR THEM? HOW ARE THEY PERCEIVING IT? WHAT IS WORKING WELL? WHAT ARE THINGS THAT AREN'T WORKING WELL AND AS YOU CAN SEE, AND I WOULD SAY THIS IS REFLECTED IN THE SURVEY RESPONSES, OVERALL, STUDENTS ARE REALLY ENJOYING IT.
WE'RE SEEING STUDENTS SEE A GREAT BENEFIT TO THE SUPPORT, THE TUTORIALS, THE ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS AND YOU HEAR A LOT OF STUDENTS USING THEIR BINDERS, THEIR CALENDARS, AS WELL AS THEIR CORNELL NOTE TAKING OUTSIDE OF THEIR AVID ELECTIVE, BUT ALSO IN THEIR REGULAR CLASSES.
AND IT IS MAKING A BIG DIFFERENCE FOR THEM, AND THEY'RE HAVING A GOOD TIME.
SO IT'S RIGOROUS PREPARATION IN A FUN AND COHESIVE ENVIRONMENT, AND THAT IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY HOPING FOR WITH THIS PROGRAM IN OUR FIRST YEAR.
WE ALSO ASKED FOR FEEDBACK FROM STAFF, AND I ASKED STAFF TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON BASICALLY TWO CATEGORIES OF STAFF ONE BEING STAFF WHO ARE AVID INSTRUCTORS AND THE OTHER BEING THOSE STAFF THAT ARE NOT AVID INSTRUCTORS BUT HAVE AVID STUDENTS IN THEIR CLASSES.
AND THE QUESTION WAS WHAT ARE YOU SEEING? ARE YOU SEEING ANY DIFFERENCE? ARE YOU SEEING ANY STRATEGIES BEING USED OUTSIDE OF AVID ELECTIVE IN YOUR COURSES? AND THERE WAS A STRONG RESPONSE.
I MEAN, ONE, OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY ENJOYING TEACHING THE AVID PROGRAM.
THEY'RE STARTING TO SEE A DIFFERENCE IN GROWTH IN THEIR STUDENTS.
BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO HEARING FROM THE NON AVID TEACHERS WHO ARE SEEING STUDENTS WHO ARE MUCH MORE ORGANIZED COMING INTO THEIR CLASS AND THAT ARE BECOMING, YOU KNOW, DEMONSTRATING MUCH MORE SELF AGENCY AND ADVOCACY FOR THEIR OWN LEARNING AND TAKING CHARGE AND UTILIZING THEIR PRACTICES OF NOTE TAKING.
AND ONE TEACHER SHARED WITH ME WHICH I DIDN'T HAVE ON THE SCREEN, BUT HE SHARED WITH ME THAT WHAT HE IS STARTING TO SEE IS STUDENTS IN HIS CLASSES WHO ARE NOT AVID STUDENTS WANTING TO LEARN SOME OF THE PRACTICES THAT OUR AVID STUDENTS ARE BRINGING IN SPECIFICALLY NOTE TAKING.
SO WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THAT MOVEMENT FROM NOT JUST THE AVID ELECTIVE, BUT ALSO INTO NON AVID ELECTIVE CLASSES.
SO OVERALL, IT'S BEEN POSITIVE.
SO I'LL CLOSE OUT BEFORE QUESTIONS IN TALKING ABOUT WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? OUR INITIAL PLAN FOR THIS YEAR WAS TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A COMMITTEE WITH DISTRICT STAFF AND EEA TO BEGIN COLLECTING DATA AND STUDY THE IMPACT OF AVID AT THE PILOT SITES AND LOOK AT RECOMMENDATIONS AND INTERESTS AROUND EXPANDING AVID TO ADDITIONAL SECONDARY AND EVENTUALLY ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT WE JUST SIMPLY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO GET GOOD INFORMATION THIS YEAR TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH THAT FULL DRAFT FIVE COLLABORATION PROCESS.
SO WHAT WE HAVE DECIDED IS THAT FOR NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE PUT A PAUSE ON ANY EXPANSION BEYOND OUR PILOT SCHOOLS, AND WE WILL USE NEXT YEAR TO SPEND THE YEAR IN A JOINT COMMITTEE LOOKING AT DATA AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE IMPACT OF AVID AND THE EXPANSION OF AVID ELECTIVE.
AND WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD WE PUT IN PLACE AROUND SUCH EXPANSION WITH THE GOAL THAT HOPEFULLY WE COULD HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR EXPANSION IN THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR? WITH THAT BEING SAID, FOR OUR AVID PILOT SITES NEXT YEAR, THEY WILL BE EXPANDING TO ADD ADDITIONAL GRADE LEVELS.
SO FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THEY'LL BE ADDING SEVENTH GRADE AVID IN ADDITION TO
[01:35:05]
THEIR EIGHTH GRADE AVID SECTION AND AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, WILL BE ADDING A 10TH GRADE AVID SECTION IN ADDITION TO OUR 9TH GRADE AVID SECTIONS.SO GREG, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS PIECE AROUND THE DATA STUDY AND THE DISTRICT COMMITTEE.
NO, I THINK JUST TO ECHO MARK YOUR COMMENTS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY FELT LIKE THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US A FULL YEAR OF DATA ABOUT AVID TO REALLY MAKE A MUCH MORE INFORMED DECISION WITH EEA THROUGH THAT [INAUDIBLE] PROCESS TO TALK ABOUT EXPANSION BEYOND THE PILOT SIDE.
SO WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE THIS FULL YEAR TO LOOK AT THE DATA.
AND SO WE REALLY ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO ENGAGING IN THAT PROCESS IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT WE CAN REALLY DO A DEEP DIVE INTO AVID AND REALLY TRY TO UNDERSTAND IF IT'S GETTING US WHERE WE WANT TO GO IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING OUR KIDS.
AND WITH THAT, WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND I WANT TO THANK YOU AND JUST ASK IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU SAID THAT THE HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE SEVENTH PERIOD AVID CLASSES AND DIDN'T THEY JUST ANNOUNCED A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO THAT THEY'RE SUSPENDING ALL AFTER SCHOOL BUSSES BECAUSE OF TRANSPORTATION, BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS? HOW IS THAT AFFECTING YOUR AVID CLASS.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO OFFER TRANSPORTATION FOR THE ZERO PERIOD CLASS IF IT'S BEEN A ZERO PERIOD, BUT WE HAVE HAD THAT AFTER SCHOOL CLASS.
AND AGAIN, THE PAUSE ON TRANSPORTATION IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A PERMANENT PAUSE.
IT'S JUST BEEN A SHORT TERM PAUSE.
SO I DO KNOW THOSE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE IT AS A 7TH GRADE CLASS, THAT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRY TO PROBLEM SOLVE.
WE DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TODAY, BUT WE JUST WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH DRIVERS TO GET KIDS TO AND FROM SCHOOL, SO WE NEEDED TO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS IT SEEMS FROM THE COMMENT SECTION THAT THE GREATEST VALUE IN THE COURSE IS THE ORGANIZATIONAL SKILLS THAT IT'S TEACHING.
AND ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS IN THE COMMENTS WAS THAT IT BE PART OF AN ADVISORY PERIOD OR SOMETHING.
IS THERE AN ABILITY TO TEACH THESE SKILLS DURING AN ADVISORY PERIOD OR SOMETHING OF THAT SORT FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL INSTEAD OF ONLY 40 KIDS THAT HAPPEN TO TAKE THE AVID CLASS GETTING THOSE SKILLS BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE PROBABLY THE MOST VALUABLE PART OF THE CLASS IF WE BELIEVE THE STUDENTS AND TEACHER COMMENTS.
YOU'RE RIGHT, AND THAT IS THE INTENT IS FOR THE SITE TEAMS TO LOOK AT HOW CAN THEY BEGIN PUSHING OUT THESE STRATEGIES TO ALL STUDENTS? AND SO EACH OF THE BUILDINGS HAS DEVELOPED THEIR BUILDING GOAL AROUND AVID PRACTICE EXPANSION.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON FOCUSED NOTE TAKING.
BUT THE INTENT REALLY IS THAT THROUGH THE AVID ELECTIVE AND WHAT IS LEARNED THERE THAT WE CAN BEGIN MOVING THAT OUT TO NON AVID COURSES.
AND GARY, I CAN ADD TO THAT, I KNOW LYNNWOOD HIGH SCHOOL IN PARTICULAR, THEIR WHOLE STAFF HAS REALLY EMBRACED THE AVID STRATEGIES ACROSS ALL OF THEIR CONTENT AREAS, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE TEACHERS ARE WORKING ON THROUGH THEIR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AT THEIR BUILDING SITES, IS HOW DO THEY INCORPORATE SOME OF THESE STRATEGIES ACROSS ALL COURSES? SO NOT JUST THE STUDENTS IN AVID ARE GETTING EXPOSURE TO THESE STRATEGIES.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THERE'S MORE TO AVID THAN, OF COURSE, THESE WONDERFUL STUDY SKILLS, I MEAN, THERE'S THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN IDENTITY, A SENSE OF SELF AS A FUTURE COLLEGE STUDENT, YOU KNOW, BUILDING SELF CONFIDENCE, BUILDING AWARENESS OF HOW TO GO ABOUT BECOMING A COLLEGE STUDENT AND WHAT FACES YOU IN THE FUTURE AND SEEING YOURSELF AS A FUTURE STUDENT.
SO I DON'T KNOW THAT MY HOPE, OF COURSE, WOULD BE THAT WE CONTINUE TO OFFER THIS TO STUDENTS WHO IN PARTICULAR ARE THESE KIDS WHO ARE KIND OF THEY JUST NEED THAT PUSH.
YOU KNOW THAT THEY THEY COULD BE HIGH ACHIEVING.
AND ALL WE NEED TO DO IS GIVE THEM THIS, KIND OF SUPPORT THIS COHORT, THIS SELF-CONFIDENCE, THIS ABILITY TO SUCCEED.
SO I'M STILL STRONGLY IN FAVOR OF CONTINUING TO LOOK AT AVID AS A UNIQUE CLASS FOR THESE PARTICULAR KINDS OF STUDENTS.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T BE.
AND I KNOW, I KNOW MY KID KNOWS THIS CORNELL NOTE STUFF FROM OTHER CLASSES HE
[01:40:04]
TAKES.SO BUT YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULDN'T OFFER THESE KINDS OF THINGS ELSEWHERE.
ONE WAS I NOTICED THAT IN THE COHORTS WE DON'T HAVE, THEY'RE I GUESS LOW INCOME STUDENTS ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN AVID.
AND I GUESS THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING TO ME, MAYBE.
SO JUST HOW ARE WE DOING THE THE RECRUITING FOR THE COURSE, [INAUDIBLE] I ASSUME THAT KIDS HAVE TO CHOOSE TO DO IT AND IT MEANS THAT THEY ARE SIGNING UP FOR AN EXTRA COURSE AT THE END OF THE DAY.
AND SO THAT SORT OF IF YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT AND THEN SECONDLY, IT'S REMINDING ME OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT KIDS WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS, DEFICITS AND ADHD OFTEN HAVE TO DEVELOP, YOU KNOW, FIND WAYS TO DEVELOP THESE KINDS OF SKILLS.
AND IF YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO OFFER THIS KIND OF TRAINING FOR KIDS WITH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE LIKE EVERYBODY, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS OF KIDS WHO HAVE SOME OF THESE OTHER CHALLENGES AS WELL.
WELL, I CAN SPEAK REALLY WELL TO THE FIRST ONE ON THE RECRUITMENT.
SO THE ONE THING IS THE FIRST YEAR OF RECRUITMENT IS ALWAYS THE HARDEST YEAR OF RECRUITMENT BECAUSE YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY RECRUITING FOR SOMETHING YOU CAN'T SHOW THEM YET.
SO IF I WERE TO TRY TO SELL YOU A CONCEPT CAR, BUT JUST TRUST ME, DEBORAH, IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT CAR.
YOU KNOW, IT'D BE TOUGH TO SELL.
THE OTHER CHALLENGE WAS WE DIDN'T GET TO SEE THE KIDS LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF TEACHERS KNOW KIDS BETTER.
SO IN TERMS OF RECRUITMENT, WE WILL BE WORKING.
THE BUILDINGS WILL BE REACHING DOWN TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND TEACHERS HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS.
THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET GOOD RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TEACHERS OF PARTICULAR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO REACH OUT TO.
THE SAME IS TRUE LIKE WITHIN OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, BECAUSE WE'LL NOW HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHO OUR STUDENTS ARE AND WHO WOULD BE THE BEST FIT FOR THE PROGRAM.
SO I DO ANTICIPATE WITH A YEAR UNDER OUR BELT AND THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT IN PERSON, WE WILL HAVE A MUCH STRONGER ENROLLMENT LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR.
AND AGAIN IN TERMS OF HOW TO MOVE THESE SKILLS AND PROVIDE SUCH TRAINING TO STUDENTS WITH LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AND EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING CHALLENGES.
AGAIN, IT'S THE STRATEGIES WHICH WITHIN AVID AS YOU KNOW, THEY UTILIZE WHAT'S CALLED WICOR WRITING, INQUIRY, COLLABORATION, ORGANIZATION, AND READING SKILLS, AND THEY FOCUS HEAVILY ON THAT IN THEIR CURRICULUM.
I KNOW IN JUST IN WORKING WITH THE SITE TEAMS THEIR GOAL IS TO AGAIN MOVE SOME OF THAT AND TRAIN TEACHERS ON HOW TO USE THOSE IN THEIR CLASSES AND USE THOSE WITH STUDENTS.
ONE OF THE REALISTIC CHALLENGES THAT I DID LIST IS JUST SIMPLY ACCESS OF TIME AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO BE ABLE TO PUSH THOSE OUT.
THAT BEING SAID, THAT IS A GOAL FOR THE BUILDINGS TO BEGIN TRAINING EVERYBODY ON HOW TO USE THESE SKILLS, BUT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEST REALLY TO PICK ONE OR TWO GOALS AND TRY TO COMPLETE THEM WITH INTEGRITY, THEN TRY TO DO EVERYTHING AND GET A MILE WIDE AND AN INCH DEEP.
SO I KNOW THEY'RE WORKING ON IT AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT THROUGH THE SPRING IN THE NEXT YEAR.
WELL, THANK YOU, AND I JUST WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH A COMMENT, AND I'LL BE QUIET AFTER THIS, THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK I FORGOT THAT IT WAS YOUR FIRST YEAR BECAUSE YOUR NUMBERS ACTUALLY WERE PRETTY GOOD, SO.
WELL, I GIVE KUDOS TO THE TEAMS. YEAH, TWO REAL QUICK ONES FOR YOU HERE.
THE FIRST ONE IS IT, YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD AT LEAST IF I UNDERSTOOD YOU CORRECTLY, SIX TUTORS THAT WERE BASICALLY READY TO GO AND SIX THAT ARE FINISHING SOME PAPERWORK ASSUMING THEY'RE ALL DONE, THAT WOULD GIVE YOU 12.
WELL, WE WANT TO GET OUR TARGET IS TO GET IDEALLY ONE TO EVERY THREE OR FOUR STUDENTS.
SO LOOKING AT THOSE CLASSES, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT HOPEFULLY SIX TUTORS PER
[01:45:01]
SECTION.WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THERE, NOT THIS YEAR.
SO ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE BEEN UTILIZING IS TRAINING THE AVID STUDENTS THEMSELVES AND HOW TO FACILITATE TUTORIAL ALONG WITH THE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THERE THAT ARE HIRED TO SERVE AS TUTORS.
SO, YEAH, THE TUTORIAL HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE TO GET UP AND RUNNING.
I DO KNOW JUST BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THROUGH ONE THING I WILL SPEAK TO AVID IS THERE IS A LOT OF GOOD TRAINING AND I'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN TRAINING AND THIS CHALLENGE OF TUTORING IS NATIONWIDE RIGHT NOW.
JUST GETTING PEOPLE TO APPLY FOR POSITIONS IS REALLY DIFFICULT.
SO I THINK FOR EVERY PERSON I'VE HIRED, I'VE HAD PROBABLY FOUR THAT APPLIED AND THEN BACKED OUT.
YEAH, I WILL SAY I LOVE THAT IDEA OF TRAINING PEOPLE, HAVING THEM TEACH OTHERS.
THAT IS ONE OF MY LEARNING STYLES.
SO I THINK THAT CAN BE A REALLY GOOD WAY TO DO THINGS.
THE OTHER THING I JUST WANTED TO MENTION IS, AS THE DISTRICT CONSIDERED, SINCE WE'RE GOING TO PAIR WITH EDMONDS COLLEGE, IT SOUNDS LIKE FOR SOME STUFF, JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE CAPTURE THOSE PEOPLE WHO COME IN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT MIGHT CREATE SORT OF A PIPELINE LIKE TOMORROW'S PARAS OR TOMORROW'S TEACHERS, LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO COME IN YOU ARE GOING TO HELP TUTOR THESE KIDS.
HEY, GUESS WHAT? YOU CAN ADVANCE DOWN THIS PATHWAY, AND THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS CHANCES FOR YOU TOO.
IF SOMEONE HAD DONE THAT FOR ME WHEN I WAS THAT AGE, MAYBE I WOULD'VE TAKEN 15 YEARS TO FIGURE OUT I LIKE TEACHING, YOU KNOW? RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND I SHOULD MENTION, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, EDMONDS COLLEGES ARE CLOSE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THAT STRONG PARTNERSHIP, BUT WE'RE ALSO REACHING OUT TO TEACHER EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN THE REGION AS WELL AND WHERE WE'VE RUN INTO THE CHALLENGE THERE HASN'T BEEN INTEREST, IT'S BEEN THE PAY SCALE, SIMPLY WORKING MINIMUM WAGE.
JUST LIKE I SAY, THE PEOPLE THAT APPLY AND THEN BACK OUT, IT'S DUE TO THE WAGE.
AND WELCOME ABOARD, BY THE WAY.
I HAVE A COUPLE OF SORT OF QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO DO A CHECK FOR UNDERSTANDING.
DEBORAH MENTIONED SHE FELT THAT THE FREE REDUCED MEAL THE PERCENT OF KIDS ON FREE REDUCED MEAL WAS NOT REPRESENTATIVE.
BUT MARK, AM I CORRECT THAT YOU SAID IT WAS 50 TO ABOUT 50 TO 60 PERCENT, WHICH REALLY IS A GOOD NUMBER CONSIDERING WE CURRENTLY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE 35 PERCENT OF THE KIDS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS LOW INCOME.
I MUST HAVE READ THE CHART WRONG.
OH NO, I JUST DOES THAT MEET YOUR TARGET, MARK IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU GUYS WERE HOPING FOR THAT DEMOGRAPHIC? YES, I WOULD SAY IN TERMS OF JUST THE OVERALL BREAKDOWN OF THE ENROLLMENT IN THE PROGRAM, WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT DISTRIBUTION.
THEN I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHAT KIND OF PD DID THE TEACHERS GET BEFORE TO WHAT EXTENT HAS THAT BEEN A CHALLENGE WITH OUR SORT OF PUTTING A PAUSE ON IT? OR WAS IT ALREADY DONE? AND WHAT KIND OF ONGOING OPPORTUNITIES ARE THERE FOR TEACHERS, THE AVID TEACHERS TO GET TO MEET, LIKE ACROSS SCHOOLS, TO SHARE STRATEGIES? SO THE FIRST PART OF THAT IS, YES, ALL THOSE THAT ARE AVID ELECTIVE TEACHERS WENT THROUGH SUMMER TRAINING THROUGH AVID.
TYPICALLY THAT WOULD BE IN PERSON, BUT THIS SUMMER IT WAS DONE VIRTUALLY WHERE THEY WENT THROUGH THE ENTIRE AVID MODEL.
THE AVID CURRICULUM AND THEY CONTINUE TO HAVE ONGOING SUPPORT FOR MYSELF AS COORDINATOR AS WELL AS OUR REGIONAL AVID COORDINATOR WHO WORKS OUT OF THE MUKILTEO OFFICE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PAY FOR IN AVID IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE LIBRARY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT MATERIALS AND TOOLS FOR TEACHER.
IT'S WITHIN WHAT'S CALLED THEIR MY AVID ACCOUNT, WHERE TEACHERS HAVE FULL ACCESS FOR ONGOING TRAINING.
WE HAVEN'T DONE MUCH NANCY TO YOUR QUESTION AROUND CROSS BUILDING CONNECTIONS.
IT'S ON MY GOALS TO BEGIN SETTING UP AT LEAST ONE MEETING WITH ALL THE AVID ELECTIVE TEACHERS TOGETHER TO BEGIN THAT CONVERSATION.
[01:50:01]
AND WITH REGARD TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR STAFF WITHIN BUILDINGS, MANY OF THE BUILDINGS HAD IN PLAY TRAINING ON AVID AND AVID STRATEGY FOR THEIR BUILDING COLLEAGUES IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY.AND THEN WHEN WE PUT THE PAUSE ON PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT REALLY KIND OF THREW A WRENCH INTO THINGS AND IT KIND OF MOVED THAT GOAL DOWN THE ROAD TO SPRING.
SO THEY WILL BE WORKING TO PROVIDE THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE DAYS WHEN THERE IS TIME AVAILABLE.
IT'S JUST THAT THERE NOW ARE FEWER DAYS AVAILABLE FOR THAT.
THAT SOUNDS GOOD MARK, AS EVERYTHING YOU DO.
ONE, THE LAST THING I HAVE IS REALLY MORE OF A COMMENT AND IT COMES ABSOLUTELY FROM MY THINKING AS A DATA AND RESEARCH PERSON.
SO WHILE I'M DISAPPOINTED THAT IT'S NOT AT ALL OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS YET SO THAT YOU KNOW, THERE THAT HALF OF OUR SECONDARY POPULATION DOESN'T HAVE ACCESS TO IT.
IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY SINCE YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING THIS STUDY THAT NOT ONLY TO LOOK AT THE KIDS WHO ARE TAKING AVID, BUT YOU HAVE AT THE OTHER SCHOOLS WHERE YOU CAN SELECT RANDOMLY KIDS WHO MEET THE SAME DEMOGRAPHICS AS THE KIDS WHO ARE IN THE AVID PROGRAM AND SEE HOW WELL DID THEY DO ON A VARIETY OF VARIABLES COMPARED WITH THE AVID KIDS? IT'S LIKE A NOT QUITE EXPERIMENTAL, BUT YOU DO HAVE A COMPARISON GROUP, EVEN THOUGH IT WASN'T RANDOM, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF SCHOOLS.
SO THAT PART GETS ME REALLY EXCITED THAT THE DATA IS MORE THAN JUST THIS IS WHAT OUR AVID KIDS DID, BUT WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT COMPARABLE STUDENTS, RIGHT? SAME DEMOGRAPHICS, WHATEVER AT THE OTHER SCHOOLS AND SEE HOW THEY DID WITHOUT AVID.
NANCY, YOU'RE READING MY MIND, OR MAYBE I'M READING YOURS, SO.
MAYBE IT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT WE SHARED CUBICLES BACK TO BACK FOR SO MANY YEARS.
ANYWAY, THAT REALLY PLEASES ME TO HEAR THAT THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE THINKING, IS AT BECAUSE WE DON'T USUALLY IN THE SCHOOLS GET THOSE KINDS OF RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT OUR PROGRAMS AND EVALUATE THEM TO THAT DEPTH.
SO ONE MORE MINUTE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD.
COMMENTS INPUT, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MARK AND GREG, AND EVERYBODY WHO'S BEEN WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE THOSE ARE OUR UPDATES FOR THE REPORTS.
WE HAVE ONE PIECE OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND THAT IS ITEM, THIRTEEN POINT ONE
[13. UNFINISHED BUSINESS-8:30 pm]
ON THE AGENDA.AND IT'S THE SECOND READING TO APPROVE THE NEW POLICY NUMBER 6901, WHICH IS THE USE AND DISPLAY OF THE US FLAG, THE STATE FLAG AND OTHER FLAGS.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
THANK YOU, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND SECOND ON POLICY 6901.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, HI, NANCY OR PRESIDENT KATIMS. MAY WE SHOW THE POLICY I JUST WANTED TO CONFIRM AND JUST HAVE A SLIGHT SMALL DISCUSSION ABOUT THE POLICY AS THIS RELATES SPECIFICALLY TO THE FLAGPOLES AND NOT TO OTHER DISPLAY AREAS.
SO IF WE COULD PULL THE POLICY UP SO EVERYONE CAN SEE IT.
SO, CHARELL, COULD YOU? THERE WE GO, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
SO CARIN, WOULD YOU GO AHEAD AND MAYBE CLARIFY THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT THIS IS AND OTHER PLACES FOR BANNERS AND THINGS? WELL, THIS IS WHAT I'M CHECKING.
THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CLARIFIED THAT THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE SPECIFIC FLAGPOLES ON CAMPUS AND WANTED TO CHECK WITH DR.
BALDERAS ON THAT UNDERSTANDING.
YES, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR FLAGPOLES.
WE DO ALLOW FOR THE BUILDING IN TERMS OF OTHER FLAGS, YOU KNOW, PRIDE FLAGS, OTHER FLAGS THAT HAVE BEEN PRESENT ON OUR CAMPUSES TO CONTINUE TO BE PRESENT ON OUR CAMPUSES.
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THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE FLAG POLE THAT GOES IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS FOLLOWS THE STATE RCWS.
AND THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS THIS LAST YEAR IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY, IN HONOR OF PRIDE MONTH, THE PRIDE FLAG WAS FLOWN ON ONE OF THE COUNTY FLAGPOLES FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH QUITE A CELEBRATION.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FLAGPOLES THAT THEY HAD, AND SO IT HAD TO DO WITH HOW THEY POSITIONED THE FLAG ALONG WITH THE COUNTY FLAG.
A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT SITUATION BECAUSE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF FLAGPOLES, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE USUALLY ONLY HAVE ONE FLAGPOLE PER SCHOOL AND JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE WAS WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SPACE TO DISPLAY BANNERS AND OTHER FLAGS AT DIFFERENT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS DO HAVE A VARIETY OF LOCATIONS WHERE THEY DO PLACE THEIR FLAGS AS WELL AS IN CLASSROOMS AND HALLWAYS.
I'VE SEEN FLAGS ON FENCES ON OUR SCHOOLS, SO SIDES OF BUILDINGS, SO I THINK YOU'LL SEE A VARIETY OF FLAGS BEING DISPLAYED PROMINENTLY ACROSS OUR SYSTEM.
COME THROUGH THE DISTRICT OFFICE ONCE IN A WHILE.
[LAUGHTER] I ALSO WOULD JUST LIKE TO ECHO WHAT DIRECTOR CHASE WAS SAYING THERE, I HOPE THAT THIS DOESN'T GIVE ANYONE THE IMPRESSION THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE THOSE OTHER FLAGS, OTHER PLACES.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME, REALLY ARTFUL DISPLAYS OUT THERE, AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE THAT AND EXPERIENCE THAT, SO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.
BALDERAS, WE DO HAVE ANOTHER POLICY THAT RELATES TO BANNERS AND FLAGS AND THINGS ON BANNERS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
DR. KATIMS. SO CARIN, ARE YOU ARE YOU OK WITH THIS IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE AT WITH IT? YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAD THE DISCUSSION AND IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BECAUSE I KNOW THE QUESTION HAD BEEN RAISED, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHERE CAN I PUT A CERTAIN FLAG AND THERE ARE OTHER MULTIPLE LOCATIONS IN OUR SYSTEM THAT WE CAN DO THAT? THANKS FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS OR POINTS OF DISCUSSION PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE? I GUESS JUST THE OTHER POINT I WANT TO MAKE IS WE CAN ALWAYS ADVOCATE FOR CHANGING RCW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE WISH TO DO TO CHANGE OUR POLICY.
WHICH IS WHY IT'S SO WONDERFUL THAT YOU'RE OUR LEGISLATIVE REP SO YOU CAN HELP US WITH THINGS LIKE THAT.
[LAUGHTER] ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE GO TO A VOTE? OK.
WE HAVE HAD A MOVE AND A SECOND, A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR POLICY 6901 THE USE AND DISPLAY OF THE US FLAG, STATE FLAG AND OTHER FLAGS.
COULD I GET A ROLL CALL VOTE, PLEASE? DIRECTOR SMITH.
I THINK MY [INAUDIBLE] WASN'T WORKING I'LL SAY AYE.
THE NEXT THING ON OUR AGENDA, OUR BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS, AND THIS IS A TIME
[15. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
FOR STUDENT ADVISORS AND BOARD MEMBERS TO GIVE WHATEVER INPUT THEY ARE WANTING TO GIVE AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.SO LET'S START WITH OUR STUDENTS AND I'M GOING TO LOOK ON THE SCREEN AND SEE WHO DO I SEE? FIRST, I THINK.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO SAY HAPPY BOARD MEMBER APPRECIATION MONTH.
I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM YOU ALL, AND I REALLY JUST APPRECIATE YOU AND EVERYTHING YOU DO FOR THE DISTRICT.
AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
[02:00:01]
VERY INFORMATIONAL.AND IT'S REALLY GREAT HAVING THE UPDATES ABOUT COVID AND EVERYTHING.
AND I'D LIKE TO MENTION THAT MY TEACHERS ARE ALREADY PREPARING US FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF GOING ONLINE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD KNOWING THAT THEY'RE PREPARED AND THEY KNOW THAT IT WILL IT COULD BE IF IT HAPPENS, IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ALL OF US, BUT IT'S NICE TO KNOW THAT WE WILL BE AS PREPARED AS POSSIBLE.
RITIKA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT? ALWAYS, FIRST OF ALL WELCOME TO DIRECTOR SMITH, IT'S GREAT HAVING A FELLOW HAWK ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE GOT YOU ON BOARD AND TRANSITIONS TONIGHT WERE ABSOLUTELY SMOOTH.
SO PRESIDENT KATIMS VERY SMOOTH TRANSITIONS.
IN TERMS OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
I THINK IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT ANY KIND OF CHANGE LIKE THIS WITH COVID SPIKING CASES AND INCREASING CASES IS GOING TO CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF PANIC.
A LITTLE BIT OF FEAR, A LITTLE BIT OF, OH GOSH, WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND IT CERTAINLY HAS FELT A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE FEBRUARY OF 2020 UNCERTAINTY OF, OKAY, WHERE ARE WE GOING WITH THIS? WHICH IS NEVER A PLEASANT FEELING CONSIDERING WHAT WE DID GO THROUGH, WHICH WAS TWO YEARS OF MADNESS.
BUT I THINK ONE THING THAT KIND OF GIVES ME COMFORT IS THAT THIS WE KIND OF KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT IN SOME WAYS WHEN IT COMES TO REMOTE LEARNING AND COMMUNICATION.
I KNOW DR. BALDERAS SAYS THIS ALL THE TIME.
YOU CAN NEVER COMMUNICATE ENOUGH.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF THAT, AT LEAST FROM LIKE THE STUDENT AND PARENT POINT OF VIEW WHERE IT'S LIKE, WHAT'S GOING ON? BUT AGAIN, WITH CHANGING SITUATIONS THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT, BUT AGAIN, NEVER ENOUGH COMMUNICATING SO LIKE OVER COMMUNICATING IS BETTER THAN NOT COMMUNICATING.
I THINK DEFINITELY KEEPING THAT IN MIND IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
HUGE KUDOS TO ADMIN I KNOW WHAT A [INAUDIBLE] THAT'S BEEN.
WE HAD, I THINK TWENTY THREE CASES JUST ALONE IN THE LAST LIKE TWO DAYS AT TERRACE FROM STUDENTS.
AND SO LIKE IT'S HEAVY LOAD TO BE LIFTING RIGHT NOW.
SO THANKS TO EVERYONE, BUT ALSO JUST A REMINDER TO ALWAYS LIKE I SAID COMMUNICATE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, AND HOPEFULLY WE DO NOT HAVE TO DO REMOTE LEARNING BECAUSE, OH BOY.
LIA, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? YES, SURE, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I WOULD LOVE TO SEND SOME LOVE TO ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS.
APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND ALSO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO [INAUDIBLE] INFORMATION, ESPECIALLY COVID UPDATE INFORMATION.
I CAME TO THIS [INAUDIBLE] HOPEFULLY LEARNING SOME MORE [INAUDIBLE] QUESTIONS WITH MY FRIENDS, WITH MY FAMILY, ALSO MYSELF.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF QUESTIONS ANSWERED AND [INAUDIBLE] TESTING THAT'S BEEN A HUGE ISSUE FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT I KNOW PERSONALLY AND ALSO MYSELF.
IT WAS REALLY HARD TO FIND TESTING SITES BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF THEM WHO EITHER THEY WERE JUST UNAVAILABLE OR THERE WAS JUST CLOSURE.
DANIEL, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO NEXT? YEAH, SURE.
SORRY, FOR SOME REASON MY CAMERA ISN'T WORKING.
BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH TO THE BOARD AND ALSO THE SUPERINTENDENT, DR. BALDERAS FOR DOING EVERYTHING YOU GUYS CAN POSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SAFELY IN SCHOOL IN-PERSON LEARNING EVERY DAY.
I ALSO HOPE YOU GUYS HAD A REALLY GOOD WINTER BREAK AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS.
AND I JUST APPRECIATE HOW MUCH TRANSPARENCY THERE IS NOW OVER REGARDING COVID 19 AND ITS TRANSMISSIONS.
BUT THEN THE SCHOOLS, I THINK THE NEW DASHBOARD REALLY HELPED WITH GAINING A PERSPECTIVE OF WHO ARE CURRENTLY OUT AND THEN WHO GOT COVID, BUT ALSO HOW EACH
[02:05:03]
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL IS FARING OUT.AND I THINK THAT'S JUST HELPFUL FOR BOTH STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF AND FAMILIES BECAUSE NOW THEY JUST HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE DISTRICT.
AND YEAH, IN-PERSON LEARNING HAS BEEN GREAT.
LIKE, YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE OMICRON SURGE, THERE HAS BEEN SOME RESTRICTIONS PLACED NOW, BUT THAT'S ALL FOR OUR SAFETY, OUR FAMILY SAFETY AND THE STAFF SAFETY.
AND I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT IS TAKING THIS ON.
THANKS, DANIEL, THAT WAS HELPFUL INPUT, AS IT HAS BEEN FROM EVERYBODY.
AND ROSHNI WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT FOR US? HI.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY HAPPY SCHOOL BOARD DISTRICT MONTH AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DOING WHATEVER YOU CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT SCHOOL STAYS OPEN AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
IN REGARDS TO COVID I HAVE HEARD A LOT OF CONCERN FROM PARENTS AND TEACHERS.
FOR PARENTS A LOT OF THEM ARE CONCERNED, LIKE EVEN IF WE DON'T SHUT DOWN THE SCHOOL, SOME OF THEM WANT A HYBRID OPTION FOR THEIR KIDS BECAUSE THEY ARE STILL CONCERNED THAT THEIR KIDS MIGHT GET COVID BECAUSE OF THIS NEW OMICRON VARIANT.
AND LIKE A LOT OF THESE YOUNGER KIDS, THEY COULD BE LIKE EVEN IF THEY ARE VACCINATED, THEY STILL COULD GET SICK, AND SOMETIMES YOU WILL HAVE GRANDPARENTS LIVING WITH THEM, WHICH WOULD BE REALLY HARMFUL IF THEY GOT COVID.
ALSO TODAY AT SCHOOL, MY ENGLISH TEACHER AND SOME OTHER TEACHERS TALKED ABOUT THEIR PLAN FOR IF WE DID GO ONLINE, WHICH WAS REALLY HELPFUL, AND I FEEL LIKE WE'RE A LOT MORE PREPARED IF WE HAD TO MAKE THAT TRANSITION, WHICH IS REALLY NICE BECAUSE LAST TIME WE WERE JUST KIND OF THROWN INTO IT BECAUSE NO ONE REALLY KNEW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
BUT MOST OF MY TEACHERS HAVE LIKE A PLAN SET UP FOR IF WE HAVE TO GO ONLINE, WHICH IS REALLY NICE, I HOPE WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT, THOUGH.
WELL, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY IN REGARDS TO THE COVID SITUATION.
AND LET'S START WITH DIRECTOR SMITH.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE HERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF MONTHS RAMPING UP TO THIS POINT, AND THAT CAN BE A LITTLE OVERWHELMING BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO ASK.
YOU KNOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT THAT EVERYONE WAS GIVING ME, BUT IT'S ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE IF YOU DON'T KNOW, YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
SO I'M HAPPY TO GET SOME OF THIS STUFF UNDER MY BELT AND BE ABLE TO DIG INTO SOME OF THESE THINGS WITH YOU GUYS.
REALLY EXCITED TO WORK WITH YOU.
AND I DID WANT TO SAY TO ALL OF OUR STUDENT REPS.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, I NEVER WENT TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY DID FROM MY GRADE OR NOT.
I JUST HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING.
AND SO I JUST THINK IT'S AMAZING THAT YOU GUYS ARE INVOLVED WITH THIS.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, JUST AS MUCH YOUR DISTRICT AS IT IS THE [INAUDIBLE] DISTRICT.
AND SO HAVING A VOICE IN IT? EXCUSE ME.
AND YOU KNOW, IT MAKES YOU GUYS GREAT MEMBERS OF OUR DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
SO I REALLY WANT TO GIVE KUDOS TO YOU ALL.
THANKS, KEITH, AND IT'S GREAT HAVING YOU HERE AND WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, SO WE KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE, WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE.
YEAH, FIRST, I'D LIKE TO WELCOME KEITH TO THE BOARD.
IT'S NICE FINALLY SEEING YOU AFTER ALL THIS TIME, AND MAYBE WE'LL EVEN SOMEDAY TRANSITION TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS, WON'T THAT BE EXCITING.
AND JUST CONGRATULATIONS AND WELCOME TO THE BOARD.
I ALWAYS TELL THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS, DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK QUESTIONS, BUT YOU PROVED TODAY YOU DIDN'T NEED THAT ADVICE, SO I APPRECIATE YOUR ABILITY TO SPEAK UP.
AND SECOND, I'D LIKE TO THINK DEBORAH FOR TWO YEARS AS PRESIDENCY.
THAT'S BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY.
YOU'VE DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OVER THOSE TWO YEARS AND REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
AND I GUESS THE LAST THING I'D LIKE TO KIND OF NOTE IS THE FANTASTIC WORK THAT OUR CUSTODIANS, OUR GROUNDS CREWS, OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS DONE DURING THE SNOWSTORM.
I KNOW THE SCHOOLS AROUND ME BECAUSE IT SEEMED TO SNOW EVERY OTHER DAY.
THE POOR CUSTODIANS WOULD JUST GET THE SIDEWALKS CLEARED FOR PREPARATION FOR THE STUDENTS COMING BACK, AND IT WOULD SNOW AGAIN.
AND SO MULTIPLE TIMES THEY SHOVELED OUT THEIR SCHOOLS.
I SAW A TRANSPORTATION ROUTE WITH A SNOW PLOW, PLOWING OUT SOME OF THE PARKING LOTS AT SCHOOLS AROUND ME.
AND THEN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT FIGURING OUT HOW TO GET THEIR BUSSES UP AND
[02:10:03]
DOWN ON SNOW ROUTES AND AROUND OUR DISTRICT.SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE PEOPLE IN THE BACKGROUND THAT MAKES MAKES OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT SO GOOD.
THOSE ARE GREAT POINTS, THANKS.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS, AND WELCOME TO YOUR NEW ROLE AS PRESIDENT, AND I DO WANT TO THANK DIRECTOR KILGORE FOR YOUR TWO YEARS DURING THE PANDEMIC OF BEING THE PRESIDENT.
AS WE KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE TWO YEARS AND ALL THE CHALLENGES, I THINK THAT THE PTSD THAT WE ALL POSSIBLY MAY BE FEELING OVER THESE CHALLENGES MAKES THE TIME SEEM TO HAVE GONE BY QUICKLY.
BUT OH MY GOSH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STAYING IN THERE AND PROVIDING THAT STABILITY DURING ALL THESE INCREDIBLY UNCERTAIN TIMES THAT WE'RE NOT OUT OF YET.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATED AND WELCOME, DIRECTOR SMITH.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING TOGETHER.
BRIEFLY, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, I WANT TO ACTUALLY THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONFIDENCE IN ELECTING ME AS YOUR LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE AGAIN.
THE WASHINGTON STATE LEGISLATURE STARTED AGAIN YESTERDAY AND IT'S A VERY SHORT SESSION, BUT WE'RE DOING A LOT OF WORK.
THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEKEND.
THE WSSDA LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE MET LAST WEEKEND IN PREPARATION, AND WE HAVE SOME UPCOMING DATES THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR EMAIL.
BUT I WANT TO JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT THE LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE AND WEEK ON THE HILL IS COMING UP AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
THE CONFERENCE IS A JOINT CONFERENCE BY THE SUPERINTENDENTS ASSOCIATION AND THE SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS ASSOCIATION, AND IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR UPDATES ABOUT LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES.
I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR A LOT OF OUR SHARED LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES WITH OUR LEGISLATORS.
WE ALSO, AS PART OF THAT, HAVE A PREPARATION REGIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE 18TH COMING UP THAT I THINK ALL OF YOU SHOULD ATTEND, INCLUDING STUDENTS AND THE STUDENTS WILL HAVE A SPECIFIC OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH STATEWIDE LEADERS.
AND I'M GOING TO BE SHARING THAT WITH OUR STUDENTS HERE SO THAT YOU MAY PARTICIPATE IF YOU SO CHOOSE.
LOCALLY OUR EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE IS GETTING UP AND RUNNING, AND WE'RE SETTING UP APPOINTMENTS WITH OUR LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS DURING LEGISLATIVE SESSION ALSO.
SO LOOK TO YOUR EMAILS FOR SOME UPDATES AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM OR SHARE ANY INFORMATION THAT I'VE GOT.
THANKS, CARIN, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO ALL THAT INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE SENDING OUT TO US.
WELL, WELCOME, DIRECTOR SMITH.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE FOR EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING.
I JUST WANT TO ESPECIALLY CALL OUT OUR PRESENTATION ON MCKINNEY VENTO AND OTHER VULNERABLE STUDENTS AND JUST REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THE CURE FOR ALL THIS IS HOUSING, WHICH KARLA DID BRING UP IN HER PRESENTATION.
AND I KNOW DIRECTOR CHASE PROBABLY HAS HER FINGER ON THE PULSE, BUT THERE SEEMS TO BE A VERY INTERESTING BILL TO HELP US WITH HOUSING AROUND THE STATE THAT HAS BEEN INTRODUCED AND CO-SPONSORED BY A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
SO I THINK IT'S EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT DIRECTLY OUR JOB AS SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTORS I JUST I FIND THIS THE SITUATION JUST PRETTY UNTENABLE TO CONTINUE TO PUT BAND-AIDS ON THIS PROBLEM.
AND IT FALLS TO US AND TO OUR STAFF TO HELP THESE CHILDREN WHO ARE IN COMPLETE CRISIS.
AND THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I COULD GET ON MY HIGH HORSE ABOUT, I GUESS.
BUT ANYWAY, THERE IS A BILL THAT MIGHT AT LEAST IMPROVE INCREASED STOCK AND HOUSING AROUND THE STATE AND MIGHT LIGHT A FIRE UNDER OUR LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES TO GET MOVING ON SOME HOUSING OPTIONS FOR REAL THIS TIME.
AND I CALL YOU OUT AND I GUESS I CAN, BECAUSE WE ACTUALLY DID SOME MOVING ON
[02:15:03]
HOUSING.[LAUGHTER] SO I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
WITH RESPECT TO COVID, THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR STAFF OUR TEACHERS OR EVERYONE FROM DR.
BALDERAS AND ON DOWN IS SUBBING IN THE CLASSROOMS AND IN THE SCHOOLS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN.
AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IT'S JUST SUCH A DIFFICULT SITUATION RIGHT NOW.
OUR PUBLIC HEALTH SYSTEM IS STRUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE OUR WE DON'T.
THERE ARE NO TESTS AVAILABLE THROUGH SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL RIGHT NOW, AND I'VE BEEN LOOKING EVERY DAY FOR THE LAST WEEK I GOT MAYBE THE LAST ONE THEY HAD OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY APPOINTMENTS.
AND SO THAT MEANS THAT I HAVE COVID AND TWO OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS HAVE COVID, BUT ONLY ONE OF US HAS BEEN TESTED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET IT BEFORE IT'S ALL OVER WITH.
AND SO WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US IS A SCHOOL SYSTEM IS JUST GIVE SOME GRACE.
WE ARE EVERYONE IS WORKING REALLY HARD AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN TO KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN.
AND AS FAR AS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT IF THEY ARE CLOSED OR IF A SCHOOL IS CLOSED, IT'S ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS.
THERE IS NOT A PLAN FOR THE DISTRICT TO SHUT DOWN AT THIS TIME, AND I'M SURE DR.
BALDERAS WILL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE THAT UNTIL IT'S NO LONGER THE CASE.
SO THANK YOU, AND I'VE HAD A GREAT TIME FOR TWO YEARS, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO DIRECTOR KATIMS PRESIDENT KATIMS LEADING US FOR THE NEXT YEAR AND PERHAPS BEYOND.
DEBORAH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE ON BEHALF OF THE WHOLE BOARD WHO HAS WE'VE ALL BEEN FORTUNATE TO BENEFIT FROM YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, AND I'D LIKE TO REALLY EXPRESS OUR DEEP APPRECIATION FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENTS AND THE SCHOOLS.
AS I'VE BEEN REFLECTING ON THIS ROLE I AM AWED BY THE CHALLENGES WE FACE DURING THESE LAST TWO YEARS OF HIGH UNCERTAINTY, AND YOU HAVE MANEUVERED THROUGH THESE TIMES WITH CALM AND SKILL, AND YOU HAVE CONTINUALLY STRIVED TO KEEP COMMUNICATIONS TRANSPARENT FOR EVERYBODY INVOLVED IN ANY ISSUE.
SO DEBORAH FOR ALL THE TIME AND ENERGY AND COMMITMENT THAT YOU'VE GIVEN SO GENEROUSLY TO THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT, WE ALL REALLY THANK YOU.
AND THAT BRINGS ME TO THE FACT THAT AS I SAID EARLIER, I HAVE REALLY BIG SHOES TO FILL IN THIS ROLE BECAUSE YOU'VE DONE SUCH A GREAT JOB.
I REALLY WANT TO THANK ALL MY BOARD COLLEAGUES FOR YOUR TRUST IN ME TO TAKE ON THIS ROLE OF BOARD PRESIDENT.
I AM HUMBLED BY YOUR SUPPORT, BUT I SEE OUR WORK TOGETHER AS TRULY A GROUP EFFORT.
I'LL TRY TO LISTEN CAREFULLY TO ALL SIDES OF A DISCUSSION AND TO DO MY BEST TO FACILITATE OUR REACHING MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, BUT ALWAYS WITH THE STUDENTS IN THE CENTER OF OUR MINDS.
I HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT YEAR, WE'RE ABLE TO NOT ONLY RETURN TO SOME NORMALCY WE CAN IN OUR SCHOOLS REGARDING THE HEALTH PROTOCOLS, BUT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO REALLY FINALLY MOVE AHEAD WITH THE AMBITIOUS AND IMPORTANT GOALS THAT WE'VE LAID OUT IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
I VERY MUCH LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING IN THIS NEW ROLE WITH DR.
BALDERAS AND THE DISTRICT STAFF, AS WELL AS WITH ALL OF YOU ON THE BOARD.
AND AS WE CONTINUE TO STRIVE TO HELP ALL OUR STUDENTS REACH SUCCESS IN THEIR LIVES.
I WANT TO ALSO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO CARIN FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO CONTINUE TO FILL THE ROLE OF LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE.
THE ADVOCACY ROLE IS A VERY IMPORTANT ONE FOR SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTORS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR HELP IN THIS PROCESS BECAUSE IT CAN GET VERY DETAILED.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I WANT TO WELCOME DIRECTOR SMITH TO THE BOARD, HAVING BEEN THE NEWBIE ON THE BOARD FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS I KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO BEGIN IN THIS ROLE AS BOARD DIRECTOR, WHERE EVERYTHING SORT OF SEEMS STRANGE AND UNKNOWN, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME IT'S SO IMPORTANT FOR THOSE FOR WHOM WE SERVE.
BUT PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'RE ALL HERE TO HELP YOU AND ANYTHING YOU NEED.
WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOU AND YOU CAN ASK US ALL THE QUESTIONS YOU WANT TO.
[02:20:03]
EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT KNOW THE ANSWERS, AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR.BALDERAS NOW FOR ANY COMMENTS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE.
I'LL JUST BE QUICK AND JUST APPRECIATE THE BOARD AND ALL THE REPORTS FOR TONIGHT.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF STILL QUESTIONS REGARDING SCHOOL CLOSURES OR CLASSROOM CLOSURES, AND AS HAS BEEN STATED, THOSE WILL BE DONE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS, USING DATA TO HELP INFORM DECISION MAKING WORKING WITH SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH DISTRICT.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT WE'LL BE MAKING DECISIONS THAT WELL ARE SHORT TERM IF NEEDED, INCLUDING PROGRAM STOPS.
THAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THOSE HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THOSE ARE PAUSES AND PAUSES TO TRY TO ALLEVIATE SOME OF THE EXPOSURE.
AND AGAIN, JUST CONTINUE WITH THE MITIGATION.
I KNOW THAT WE CONTROL THE KID WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S ONE THING I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IS WE'RE WORKING TO CONTROL THINGS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
WE DO BELONG TO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND SUCH AS WIAA AND WIAA, ALSO HAS PERFORMANCES.
THERE'S ALSO ACTIVITIES THAT GO ON WITH WIAA THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH TO SEE IF THERE NEEDS TO BE A PAUSE DOWN THE ROAD THERE AS WELL.
BUT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE WORKING TO CONTROL THOSE THINGS JUST STRICTLY WITHIN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO ON A WEEK BY WEEK BASIS TO HELP AGAIN WITH THE MITIGATION.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT TWO MONTHS AGO.
BUT THIS IS WE'RE HERE NOW AND WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.
AND AGAIN, WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS.
I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AS WELL.
WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS TO KEEP OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL, WHICH IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
OUR BULL'S-EYE IS OUR KIDS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT AS BEST WE CAN AND TO NOT TO REVERT BACK TO A REMOTE SETTING, BUT IF WE DO, IT WILL BE ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS AND FOR A SHORT DURATION.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AGAIN THAT THIS IS NOT THE REMOTE OF LAST YEAR WHERE WE WERE IN REMOTE FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
AGAIN THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND WELCOME TO DIRECTOR SMITH.
LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF YOU HERE AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK OUR WAY
[16. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AT FUTURE MEETINGS]
THROUGH THIS.BALDERAS, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
THERE'S ONE MORE ITEM BEFORE WE ADJOURN AND THAT IS ASKING THE BOARD DIRECTORS, ARE THERE ANY ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION FOR DISCUSSION AT FUTURE MEETINGS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO PUT ON THE DOCKET? PRESIDENT KATIMS, THERE MAY BE SOME LEGISLATIVE THINGS THAT ARE TIMELY THAT WE MAY WANT TO JUST PUT AN OPEN DISCUSSION ITEM AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD.
THAT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD IDEA, CARIN, THANK YOU.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT ANYONE WANTS TO BRING FORTH? ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST WAS WHETHER OR NOT TO COME FORWARD FOR TO COME BACK TO IN-PERSON MEETINGS OR WHEN, AND WE COVERED THAT IN THE UPDATE THAT WE'RE GOING TO SORT OF PAUSE ON THAT INDEFINITELY.
SO IF THERE ARE NO OTHER COMMENTS OR INPUT ON THAT.
HAVE A GREAT EVENING, AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.