OK. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, AND WELCOME THIS REGULAR BOARD MEETING OF THE EDMONDS SCHOOL
[1. CALL TO ORDER-6:30 pm]
[00:00:09]
DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR FEBRUARY 22ND, 2022 IS CALLED TO ORDER.IN TERMS OF OUR ROLL CALL, DIRECTOR NOBLE IS UNABLE TO BE WITH US AND I SEE THAT WE HAVE DIRECTOR CHASE, DIRECTOR KILGORE AND DIRECTOR SMITH AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:33 pm]
BALDERAS FOR OUR LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT.WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE, THE SNOHOMISH PEOPLE AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, THE [INAUDIBLE] TIME [INAUDIBLE] HAVE TAKEN CARE OF HUNTED, [INAUDIBLE] AND GATHERED ON THESE LANDS RESPECT OUR SOVEREIGNTY, THE RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION, AND WE HONOR THE SACRED SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH THE LAND AND WATER.
BY ACKNOWLEDGING THESE HOMELANDS, WE COMMIT TO WORKING WITH TRIBAL NATIONS TO FURTHER THEIR EDUCATION AIMS THAT THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND IN OUR SCHOOLS.
BALDERAS. AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN SAYING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.
[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:35 pm]
TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:37 pm]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS APPROVING OUR AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, DO I HEAR A MOTION FOR APPROVING THE AGENDA? SO MOVED, THIS IS DIRECTOR CHASE.THANK YOU, I HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR APPROVING THE AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. EVERYBODY IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT IS APPROVED.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH IS OUR SCHOOL PRESENTATION, AND
[6. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS 6:40 pm]
TONIGHT WE HAVE MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY WITH MARIA [INAUDIBLE].I'M NOT SURE I'M SAYING YOUR NAME, RIGHT, MARIA? MARIA LOCY, THANK YOU.
LOCY, IT IS NICE TO MEET YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO VISITING YOUR SCHOOL.
THANK YOU. WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU.
THANK YOU. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND YOUR STUDENTS, AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO TELL US ABOUT MOUNT TERRACE ELEMENTARY.
IF I COULD REALLY QUICK BEFORE WE GET STARTED, CAN I HAVE DR.
LOCY JUST QUICKLY TELL A LITTLE BIT OF I'VE HERSELF SHE'S NEW TO THE DISTRICT.
MARIA, CAN YOU JUST SAY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND JUST THANK YOU FOR THE FINE WORK YOU'VE DONE IN YOUR FIRST YEAR HERE.
YES, I AM NOT NEW TO EDUCATION.
I'VE BEEN IN EDUCATION FOR 36 PLUS YEARS.
I'M A RETIRED EDUCATOR FROM THE ANCHORAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I'VE WORKED THE LAST 17 YEARS FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON'S CENTER FOR ED LEADERSHIP, AND I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH MANY DISTRICTS IN THE WASHINGTON STATE AREA AND SUPPORT THEM WITH TEACHING AND LEARNING.
I AM SO THRILLED TO BE AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY THIS YEAR.
I LOVE THE COMMUNITY, OUR STUDENTS, THE EXCELLENCE IN OUR STAFF AND OF COURSE, IN OUR DISTRICT. I AM HONORED TO BE A SERVICE LEADER AT OUR SCHOOL.
AND JUST A TINY BIT OF TRIVIA IS THAT WHEN I CALLED BOTH MY BROTHERS TO TELL THEM I HAD GOTTEN THE JOB AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY, THEY BOTH WERE STUNNED BECAUSE THEY WERE STUDENTS IN THE 1950S AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY.
SO OUT OF ALL THE SCHOOLS I COULD HAVE LANDED AT, FOR SURE, THIS IS THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT YEAR SO FAR AND LIKE I SAID, I JUST FEEL SO HONORED AND LUCKY TO BE AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE.
I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TONIGHT, THOUGH THE MOST EXCITING PART FOR ME IS TO HEAR MY FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS FROM TIM MCCARTHY AND PENNY [INAUDIBLE] CLASSROOM TALK ABOUT OUR THE ART PROGRAM AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE AND SO MR. MCCARTHY, [INAUDIBLE], WOULD YOU PLEASE ASK YOUR STUDENTS TO TURN THEIR MICS ON AND UNMUTE? AND WOULD YOU INTRODUCE YOUR STUDENTS AND LET THEM GO AHEAD AND SHARE? YES. WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WELL, I AM TIM MCCARTHY AND I WORK WITH PENNY [INAUDIBLE].
WE BOTH TEACH FIFTH GRADE AT AT MOTLEY TERRACE ELEMENTARY, AS WE SAID, AND HERE'S WHAT I
[00:05:06]
WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT THE STUDENTS.THEY'RE GOING TO BE HIGHLIGHTING THEIR CELEBRATION OF THE THINGS THEY LOVE ABOUT ART AND THE PEOPLE THAT HELP THEM MAKE THAT ART.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, AS YOU WATCH THIS, THESE FIFTH GRADERS MADE THE SLIDESHOW.
THEY TOOK PICTURES WITH THEIR CHROMEBOOKS.
THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING SO HARD FOR WEEKS TO MAKE THIS LIKE AMAZING, AMAZING.
AND SO WE'RE JUST SO PROUD OF THEM.
AND SO I THINK THAT I CAN'T REALLY SEE WHO'S HERE VERY WELL.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE IF YOU'RE HERE, WOULD YOU JUST PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND SAY, HI, I'M BROOKLYN, I'M FROM FIFTH GRADE.
AND BECAUSE I THINK WE DID IT AT THE END.
BUT IF YOU DO THAT RIGHT NOW, THAT WOULD BE TOTALLY GREAT AND THEN WE WILL BEGIN.
DOES THAT SOUND GOOD AND MS. [INAUDIBLE] YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO READ, THE GIRL THAT WAS ABSENT TODAY, SO YOU WOULD READ [INAUDIBLE].
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. OK, SO BROOKLYN IS A FIFTH GRADER.
BROOKLYN, WOULD YOU SAY HELLO, PLEASE? HI, I'M BROOKLYN.
AND [INAUDIBLE]. IS [INAUDIBLE] WITH US? YES, [INAUDIBLE] IS HERE WITH US.
WILL YOU TURN ON YOUR MIC [INAUDIBLE] UNMUTE, PLEASE? AND I CAN'T SEE, IS THERE SOMEBODY ELSE I'M MISSING FROM YOUR CLASS.
WELL, I'M LOOKING, AND I DON'T SEE THAT DIEGO HAS LOGGED ON YET.
SO IF DIEGO DOESN'T LOG ON, I'LL READ HIS SLIDE.
OK, WELL, THAT WOULD BE PERFECT.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO BEGIN MS. [INAUDIBLE] BECAUSE MARIYANN, WHO DID SUCH A GREAT JOB ON THIS, ISN'T WITH US TO READ YOUR SLIDES. SO [INAUDIBLE] WOULD YOU GO FIRST, PLEASE? YES. SO THIS PRESENTATION HAS BEEN PUT TOGETHER BY FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS AT MTE.
WE THANK THEM FOR THE TIME IT TOOK TO TAKE PICTURES AND ARTFULLY ARRANGED THEM.
WE THANK THEM FOR SKILLFULLY USING GOOGLE SLIDES AND THE CAMERAS ON THEIR CHROMEBOOKS.
THIS IS A CELEBRATION OF ART AT OUR SCHOOL AND THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE ART HAPPEN.
THIS ART WAS ONLY FIFTH GRADERS WORK, BUT THERE ARE ART PROJECTS LIKE THIS HAPPENING THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL.
ART IS PRIZED AT MTE, CELEBRATING ART AT MTE.
[INAUDIBLE]. MS. JULIE PERRINE IS A CERAMICS CLASS TEACHER WHO HAS DONE MANY CLAY PROJECTS WITH MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY.
MS. JULIE HAS BEEN DOING ART FOR SEVEN YEARS AT OUR SCHOOL.
SHE ALWAYS TELLS US TO SCRATCH, ATTACH OUR CLAY PIECES SO OUR PROJECT STAYS TOGETHER IN [INAUDIBLE]. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU IF YOU DON'T SCRATCH AND ATTACH YOUR DOG'S HEAD, LOOKS LIKE HE NEEDS GLUE.
[INAUDIBLE]. LITTLE HAWK ART INSTRUCTOR AND DIRECTOR BRANDY HOULLAHAN, A LOCAL ARTIST AND EXPERT, BRANDY CENTERS FOR ART LESSONS AROUND INSPIRATION FROM ARTISTS.
THEN SHE MASTERFULLY WEAVES AN ELEMENT OF ART AND PRINCIPLES OF DESIGN.
MS. BRANDY TAUGHT US HOW TO DRAW AND SHADE GRAPES BY PUTTING A WHITE COLOR PASTEL CRAYONS ON THE SIDE OF A CIRCLE NEXT USING PURPLE, PINK, BLUE, WHITE, LIGHT GREEN AND DARK GREEN.
MS. BRANDY AND THEIR TEACHERS TAUGHT US HOW TO DRAW APPLES, GRAPES, PEARS, OCTOPUS, SEAHORSES AND [INAUDIBLE] THIS YEAR, THIS ART BELONGS TO [INAUDIBLE].
MS. BRANDY TEACHING US ABOUT THE VALUE OF COLORS.
I LIKE THAT WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT ART SUPPLIES AT OUR SCHOOL.
I LIKE THAT WE HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ART TEACHER, MS. BRANDY, TEACHING US OUR I REALLY LIKE THAT IT WHEN SHE USES FAMOUS ART PIECES AS INSPIRATION FOR OUR ART LESSONS, WE LEARNED ABOUT CREATING DIMENSION IN LIGHT TO DARK COLORS, WHICH IS VALUE FOR THIS PROJECT.
I JUST WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK TO SEE IF DIEGO HAS MADE IT ON.
WE CELEBRATED THE OTHER'S MOTTOS BY JOINT SCHOOLS.
EVERY CLASS IN A SCHOOL PARTICIPATED.
THIS WAS A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE CULTURE.
[00:10:18]
. THERE THAT THAT'S QUITE AN ART PROJECT.DATA DOES SUCH AN ART PROJECT.
I REALLY LIKE WHEN WE ADD COLOR TO OUR DRAWINGS.
I LIKE USING DIFFERENT COLORS OF PAPER, BLACK, GRAY AND WHITE.
THIS PROJECT WAS REALLY FUN BECAUSE I GOT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT MY FAMILY DOES FOR DIA DE LOS MUERTOS. THIS IS A PICTURE OF MY UNCLE.
WE MAKE DAY OF THE DEAD BREAD AND SET UP A TABLE WITH OUR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE PASSED AWAY. THEY TAKE THE BETTER FOOD TO THE PLACE THAT THEY ARE NOW.
I LIKE DOING THIS ART PROJECT BECAUSE WE LEARNED SO MUCH ABOUT OCTOPUS AND THEN GOT TO DRAW THEM. IT WAS VERY INTERESTING FOR ME.
ART IS RELAXING FOR ME, I LIKE THE OCTOPUS WITH GEL PENS, WATERCOLOR PAINTS AND WATERCOLOR PENCILS.
I REALLY LIKE LEARNING HOW TO DRAW AN OCTOPUS.
IT WAS FUN WORKING WITH THE METALLIC WATERCOLORS FOR THE FIRST TIME.
WE JUST LOVE THIS BEAUTIFUL OCTOPUS.
WE LOVE ART MADE BY STUDENTS MARIYANN, TESA, SUZANNE, BROOKLYN, SASHA, CHEVEYO, DIEGO AND ANANIA. THAT'S IT.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE THAT DID THIS PROJECT, AND I THINK THAT YOU WERE PROBABLY QUITE AMAZED THAT ALL OF THIS DONE BY FIFTH GRADERS.
THANK YOU. MOUNT LAKE TERRANCE, FIFTH GRADERS.
I'M SO PROUD OF YOU AND YOUR ART IS BEAUTIFUL.
WE'RE SO LUCKY TO HAVE TEACHERS THAT WORK HARD WITH THIS PROGRAM.
MS. HOULLAHAN TAPES HERSELF ON ZOOM FOR EVERY GRADE LEVEL, AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR.
LESSONS FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL AND TEACHERS PLAY THOSE LESSONS AND THEY TIE THEM TO THE CURRICULUM. AND, OF COURSE, THE ART STANDARDS.
WASHINGTON STATE ART STANDARDS.
SO. AND STUDENTS ARE REALLY PROUD OF THEIR ART, AND YOU CAN SEE WHY.
THANK YOU, STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I REALLY WANT TO SAY HOW BEAUTIFUL THE ARTWORK IS AND HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THE STUDENTS COMING AND SHARING IT WITH US.
I'M CURIOUS IF SOME OF THE REALLY DETAILED PICTURES LIKE OF THE OCTOPI.
IS THAT THE PLURAL? HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO DO ONE OF THOSE? OUR FIFTH GRADERS STILL ON MR. MCCARTHY AND MS. SIEBEL. YES.
COULD YOU UNMUTE AND CAN SOMEONE SAY, HOW LONG DID IT TAKE YOU TO DO YOUR OCTOPUS WORK? BROOKLYN OR SASHA, DIEGO, ANANIA? LOOKS LIKE YOU WANT IT.
OKAY. IS THAT JUST LIKE TWO DAYS FOR ME TO FINISH MY ART? AND IT WAS LIKE IT WAS HARD, BUT YOU COULD LIKE IT'S WHEN WE DID IT WITH LIKE ADDED PATTERNS AND STUFF. SO IT WAS LIKE, YOU HAVE TO TAKE YOUR TIME AND DO IT.
SO THAT'S NOT TWO FULL DAYS, IT'S LIKE TWO CLASS PERIODS, YEAH.
[00:15:02]
THEY'RE BEAUTIFUL.I WOULD PUT ONE OF THESE IN MY HOME.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD OR OUR STUDENT ADVISERS, WE HAVE SOME HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO SIT ON THE BOARD.
I'LL ECHO WHAT YOU SAID, DIRECTOR KATIMS, THIS IS AMAZING STUFF I COULD COULD NEVER MAKE ANYTHING TO LOOK THIS GOOD. IF YOU HAD TO TAKE TWO FULL DAYS, I STILL WOULD HAVE BEEN IMPRESSED. SO THIS IS REALLY QUITE AMAZING WORK.
I REALLY LOVE THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR, I MEAN, I LOVE THEM ALL, BUT ARE ONE OF THE STUDENTS, THE ARTISTS FOR THIS ONE.
THINK THAT MIGHT BE ANGELS? I DON'T KNOW. YEAH, I BELIEVE THAT STUDENT ISN'T HERE, BUT THEY ALL THE KIDS GOT TO HELP CHOOSE WHAT WAS GOING ON.
SO THANKS FOR WE WILL GET THAT MESSAGE TO THAT PERSON THAT YOU LOVE.
YEAH. WELL, I JUST LOVE THE CREATIVITY WITH WHICH YOU MADE THESE OCTOPI.
YES. I'M WONDERING IF THE STUDENTS STUDIED OCTOPI AT THE SAME TIME THEY WERE DOING THIS, FOR EXAMPLE.
MY HUSBAND AND I WATCHED A MOVIE, A MOVIE THAT WON AN AWARD ABOUT, I THINK IT'S CALLED MY FRIEND, THE OCTOPUS AND WHATEVER.
THEY ARE AMAZING CREATURES THAT COMMUNICATE AND ARE SO SMART.
SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THEIR ART HERE AND THE SCIENCE PIECE.
WE ALSO HAVE WATCHED OUR OCTOPUS, MY OCTOPUS TEACHER, ABOUT THAT SCUBA DIVER.
AND BEFORE THE ART LESSONS, BEFORE THE LESSON WE WERE WE WERE STUDYING IS STUDYING IT.
BROOKLYN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I JUST LIKE LEARNING ABOUT THE DESIGN AND LIKE COLORING AND ALL THAT STUFF.
COOL. WELL, I SURE APPRECIATE LEARNING FROM THESE, THE STUDENTS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YOUR ART WITH US.
AND NOW I DO WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ART THAT YOU'RE STUDYING.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING TONIGHT.
SO IF THERE ARE NO MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, DR.
LOCY, THEN IF YOU THE STUDENTS CAN STAY ON OR IF THEY NEED TO GO TO DO HOMEWORK OR READ OR WHATEVER I GET, THAT'S FINE.
AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN FOR THE FOR LAKE TERRACE. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR HAVING US ON TONIGHT AND BEING GIVING US YOUR TIME FOR US TO SHARE OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN WITH YOU, AS WELL AS THE STUDENT PRESENTATION.
THAT'S A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW, THOUGH, I HAVE TO SAY.
I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT OUR READING GOAL.
SO I WORKED WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM THAT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE ANALYZING OUR PAST AND CURRENT DATA, AND WE CAME UP WITH THE GOAL THAT IN ALL OF OUR STUDENTS IN FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE WHO DID NOT MEET STANDARD IN READING IN THE FALL OF 2021 ARE SMARTER, BALANCED ASSESSMENT, AS WELL AS OUR RUNNING RECORDS WILL ACHIEVE WHAT'S CALLED THEIR TYPICAL GROWTH GOAL EACH YEAR FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS, AS MEASURED BY IREADY. ON THE READING DIAGNOSTIC.
SO WHY DID WE CHOOSE READING, WHY THIS GOAL? WELL, AS WE ALL KNOW, READING IS THE LINCHPIN TO ALL LEARNING, RIGHT? IT'S THE KEY TO MULTI-LINGUAL LEARNING AS WELL, AND AS WAS SHOWCASED ON OUR STUDENT PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
TWENTY SEVEN PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
IT'S VITAL TO SUCCESS IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY.
AND FUNDAMENTAL TO THE EMOTIONAL HEALTH AND SENSE OF WELL-BEING FOR EVERYONE, SO WE FEEL REALLY STRONGLY ABOUT READING AS A GOAL AT MOUNT LAKE TERRACE.
THE THEORY OF ACTION THAT WE DEVELOPED IN ORDER TO REACH THIS GOAL IS THAT IF WE FOCUS AS
[00:20:05]
A STAFF OVER THIS NEXT THREE YEARS ON INCREASING OUR DATA LITERACY, IN OTHER WORDS, HOW WE LOOK AT DATA, THE DATA WE GATHER IN THE FIRST PLACE, HOW WE ANALYZE THAT DATA.WHAT DOES IT MEAN? WHAT IS IT TELLING US AND THEN HOW WE USE THAT DATA TO IMPLEMENT HIGH LEVERAGE SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION, THEN OUR STUDENTS WILL RECEIVE MORE DIFFERENTIATED LITERACY INSTRUCTION IN ORDER TO READ AT GRADE LEVEL STANDARD.
I'VE BEEN WORKING LATELY WITH OUR TEACHERS AROUND A THEORETICAL CONCEPT CALLED TARGETED UNIVERSALISM. AND SO IF YOU HAVE A UNIVERSAL GOAL, RIGHT, THAT YOU SET FOR EVERYONE, NOT EVERYONE WILL REACH THAT GOAL UNLESS WE PROVIDE TARGETED INTERVENTION OR SCAFFOLDING TO GROUPS THAT DON'T TYPICALLY REACH UNIVERSAL GOALS.
TARGETED UNIVERSALISM BEGAN IN LOOKING AT SOCIAL PROGRAMS AND THEN TRANSFERRED TO EDUCATION. SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THAT NOTION OF BECOMING BETTER AT WHAT THAT DATA IS TELLING US AND THEN GETTING SMARTER ABOUT OUR INSTRUCTION.
HOW ARE WE PROVIDING WHAT THOSE SMALL GROUPS OF STUDENTS NEED AND THEN TRACKING THE DATA YOU WANT TO BE AS RESULTS FOCUSED AS WE CAN? NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO AGAIN, OUR STRATEGY IS TO ACTUALIZE THAT GOAL, OUR GRADE LEVEL TEAMS MEET EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY TO COLLABORATE REGULARLY AND ANALYZE DATA AND PLAN.
THEY ALSO MEET WITH OUR MULTILINGUAL TEACHERS SPECIAL ED TEACHERS, TITLE ONE TEACHERS.
THEY MEET WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS IN THE BUILDING.
WE'RE ENGAGING IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AROUND SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION IN SOME OF OUR STAFF MEETINGS, ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T DONE AS MUCH AS I HAD HOPED THIS YEAR WITH, YOU KNOW, THE BURDEN OF COVID.
AND THEN WE USE IREADY 40 MINUTES A WEEK IN EVERY CLASSROOM.
WE FOUND A DIRECT CORRELATION LAST YEAR IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS, THE NUMBER OF MINUTES STUDENTS ACTUALLY LOGGED INTO IREADY AND READING ACHIEVEMENT IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE'RE USING DATA TO PROGRESS MONITOR.
OF COURSE, OUR SMALLER, SMARTER, BALANCED ASSESSMENT DATA, WASHINGTON STATE.
OUR TEACHERS TAKE RUNNING RECORDS.
THEY SIT ONE ON ONE WITH STUDENTS AND HAVE THEM READ ALOUD AND ANALYZE THAT READING AND THEN TALK TO THEM ABOUT THEIR READING COMPREHENSION.
WE JUST ADMINISTERED OUR SECOND EYE READING DIAGNOSTIC OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WE DO THREE A YEAR TO MONITOR THAT DATA.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, OUR TEACHERS USE CURRICULUM EMBEDDED ASSESSMENTS.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ASSESSMENTS THAT WE'VE COMMITTED TO TO MONITOR OUR PROGRESS, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT OUTCOMES.
I-READY THE READING DIAGNOSTIC, CURRICULUM EMBEDDED, THE RUNNING RECORDS AND OF COURSE, SMARTER BALANCED.
THAT'S HOW WE'RE MEASURING NOT ONLY THAT UNIVERSAL GOAL, THAT HOW OUR SMALLER GROUPS OF STUDENTS ARE GROWING TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
NEXT SLIDE. AS I SAID, WE JUST DID OUR WINTER ASSESSMENT ON I-READY OUR DIAGNOSTIC, SO YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT ARE AT OR ABOVE READING LEVEL AS MEASURED BY I-READY IN THE FALL IS THAT BLUE BAR AND IN THE WINTER IS THE ORANGE BAR. SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE FALL, ONLY TWENTY SIX PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS WERE AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL AND NOW MIDWINTER WE'VE BUMPED THAT NUMBER UP TO THIRTY SIX PERCENT. FIFTH GRADE, WE'VE GONE FROM RIGHT AT TWENTY FIVE TO ABOUT 34 PERCENT AND THEN SIXTH GRADE WHERE WE HAD OUR LOWEST ACHIEVEMENT, WE WERE AT ABOUT 22 PERCENT AND NOW WE'RE CLOSE TO 30 PERCENT AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
SO WE'RE GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR QUESTIONS.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT SO MUCH AS I HAVE A COMMENT GOING THROUGH THERE, I THINK THAT YOUR PLAN IS PRETTY SOLID KNOWING HOW TOUGH IT'S BEEN THIS YEAR COMING IN WITH KIDS THAT ARE JUST FLAT OUT BEHIND.
[00:25:02]
I'M NOT SURE WHERE YOUR NUMBERS HISTORICALLY HAVE BEEN, BUT I THINK THOSE ARE SOME PRETTY IMPRESSIVE ACHIEVEMENTS TO GO FROM ROUGHLY A QUARTER OF YOUR STUDENTS NOW TO CLOSE TO A THIRD IN A LOT OF CASES.AND THAT'S A TOUGH ROAD TO HOE BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT TO NOT ONLY TEACH THE GRADE LEVEL STUFF TO THEM, BUT THEN YOU ALSO HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO GET THE STUFF THAT THEY'VE MISSED IN THE LAST TWO YEARS JUST TO TEACH THEM THE GRADE LEVEL STUFF.
SO EVEN THOUGH THOSE NUMBERS ARE STILL LOW, THEY'RE IMPRESSIVE CONSIDERING WHERE WE'VE BEEN. AND SO HOPEFULLY THE DISTRICT CAN CONTINUE TO SUPPORT AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO GET THOSE KIDS UP TO GRADE LEVEL. AND I JUST WANT TO COMPLIMENT YOU ON THE WORK YOU'RE DOING THERE. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH.
YES, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON MEETING OUR STUDENTS WHERE THEY'RE AT AND ACCELERATING THEIR LEARNING. AND WE HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR EACH ONE OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THEY WON'T GET THERE WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, EXCELLENT INSTRUCTION.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO FOCUS ON THAT AND LEARN AND GROW AS A STAFF AS WELL.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE THREE YEAR LOOKING FOR THREE YEARS OF WHAT YOU'RE CALLING TYPICAL GROWTH, AND I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT'S MEANT BY THAT, BUT YOU CAN EXPLAIN THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY WONDERING ABOUT IS SINCE YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS, HOW YOU'LL KNOW THREE YEARS OF GROWTH IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THOSE AS COHORTS BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE IN YOUR SCHOOL FOR THREE YEARS, AT LEAST THE FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADERS.
AND SO I'M WONDERING HOW YOU PICK THOSE THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES INSTEAD OF, FOR EXAMPLE, FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD WHERE YOU CAN FOLLOW THE SAME COHORT OF KIDS WITHIN THE SCHOOL? YEAH, THOSE ARE TWO VERY GOOD QUESTIONS.
DIRECTOR KATIMS, IS THAT CORRECT? THANK YOU. SO THE FIRST QUESTION I'LL ADDRESS THE TYPICAL GROWTH GOAL.
THAT'S WHAT HOW I-READY LABELS THAT GROWTH GOAL.
THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT GROWTH GOALS A TYPICAL GROWTH GOAL, AS WELL AS A STRETCH GROWTH GOAL. THE TYPICAL GROWTH GOAL IS NORM REFERENCED ACROSS THE 12 MILLION STUDENTS THAT USE I-READY.
SO THEY LOOK AT THAT STUDENTS FALL GROW, FALL SCORE, AND THEY SAY, HOW MUCH WOULD THE TYPICAL STUDENT BE EXPECTED TO GROW BY WINTER? AND THAT'S THAT GOAL.
THE STRETCH GOAL WOULD BE HOW FAR WE WANT THEM TO GROW IN TERMS OF REACHING THEIR GRADE LEVEL GOAL. THIS YEAR, WE WROTE OUR PLAN AT TYPICAL KNOWING THE OBSTACLES THAT WE'RE FACING. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF ABSENTEEISM, WE WERE AT ONLY AT SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT ATTENDANCE THIS YEAR WITH QUARANTINE AND STUDENTS BEING OUT SICK AND A LOT OF OBSTACLES TO OVERCOME. SO WE SET A MORE REALISTIC GOAL THIS YEAR.
WE MAY CHANGE THAT OVER THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND IN TERMS OF THE COHORTS, WHAT I'VE TOLD MY TEACHERS IS EVEN THOUGH WE'RE MEASURING AT FOURTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE, WE KNOW THAT WE'RE MEASURING LEARNING THAT BEGINS AT KINDERGARTEN. SO REALLY, WE'RE MEASURING WE'RE MEASURING GROWTH THAT HAPPENS ACROSS THOSE THREE YEARS, NOT FOR JUST THOSE THREE COHORTS THAT JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE THREE GRADE LEVELS WE'RE MEASURING AT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WELL, I'M JUST WONDERING HOW YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW AFTER THE KIDS GRADUATE AND GO ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL IF THEY'VE MADE TYPICAL GROWTH? ARE YOU FOLLOWING THEM LONGITUDINALLY OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING AT FOURTH GRADERS EACH YEAR? SO IT'S A DIFFERENT COHORT OF KIDS THAN FIFTH GRADE THEN SIXTH.
EXACTLY. IF WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT I-READY, THEN YOU'RE RIGHT, WE WOULD ONLY BE LOOKING AT FOURTH GRADE. BUT IF WE LOOK AT THE UNIVERSAL GOAL MEASURED BY THE SMARTER BALANCED ASSESSMENT, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE SCORES INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THANK YOU. I ALWAYS SORT OF HAVE THIS QUESTION FOR PEOPLE WHAT IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WHAT ELSE COULD THE DISTRICT DO TO SUPPORT YOU IN BRINGING ALL YOUR STUDENTS UP TO GRADE LEVEL READING? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS HELPING A LOT THIS YEAR IS MY KINDERGARTEN FIRST AND SECOND GRADE TEACHERS ARE TAKING A COURSE CALLED LETTERS.
AND THE DISTRICT IS SUPPORTING THAT COURSE FINANCIALLY.
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AND THAT COURSE REALLY FOCUSES ON THE SCIENCE OF TEACHING READING AND HELPING OUR TEACHERS HONE THEIR PRACTICE AROUND PHONEMIC AWARENESS, PHONICS AND FLUENCY, WHICH ARE THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF READING.THAT'S THE FOUNDATION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN PLACE BEFORE WE CAN GET TO READING COMPREHENSION. YOU CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU CAN'T READ, RIGHT? SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR MY KINDERGARTEN FIRST AND SECOND GRADE TEACHERS, AND MOST OF THEM ARE TAKING THAT COURSE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW THIS, THE OTHER SUPPORT THAT I'M APPRECIATING AS WELL IS THE CURRICULUM THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
THE IT INCLUDES ASSESSMENT TOOLS.
AND SO AGAIN, OUR TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO MONITOR STUDENT PROGRESS.
SO EDMONDS IS GREAT ABOUT PROVIDING FUNDING FOR EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE RICH CLASSROOM LIBRARIES AS WELL AS SCHOOL LIBRARIES.
AND WE KNOW ACCESS TO TEXT IS HUGE.
I THINK THE PIECE THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE IS MORE SUPPORT WITH OUR TEACHERS AROUND INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR OUR MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
OK. YEAH, I JUST IN THE IN THE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, FROM THE THE UPPER VIEW, I AM OF COURSE, CONCERNED ABOUT LEARNING LOSS THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO GET THESE KIDS TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND IN TIME FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, BASICALLY, I GUESS, OR IF THAT'S IF THAT'S NOT POSSIBLE OR AT LEAST BY THE TIME THEY GRADUATE.
AND WHAT ELSE CAN WE BE DOING? AND I GUESS THAT'S THE QUESTION.
I KNOW THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING SOME OF IT WITH SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WITH SUMMER SCHOOL TO CONTINUE THEIR EDUCATION DURING THAT TIME.
BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER IDEAS, I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT IF WE HAD THE RESOURCES, COULD WE DO IT? SO IN THAT SAME VEIN, SOMETHING I JUST WANT TO THROW ACROSS FOR THE BOARD'S INFORMATION IS THAT SO I SEEN I-READY TEST IN A DIFFERENT DISTRICT.
TYPICAL GROWTH FOR A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT I WAS SEEING IN FIRST SECOND GRADE DOESN'T GET THEM TO GRADE LEVEL.
STRETCH GROWTH MIGHT SOME OF THEM STILL WITH STRETCHED GROWTH, DON'T GET IN FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS ARE COMING IN AT K AND PRE-K LEVELS.
SO AS THESE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO COME ACROSS OUR DESKS LIKE BEST CASE SCENARIO WITH OUR BEST TEACHERS WORKING AS HARD AS THEY CAN THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO LAG FOR A LITTLE BIT. I WISH WE COULD MAKE IT TO LOOK BETTER TOMORROW, BUT WE JUST CAN'T JUST THERE'S TOO MUCH LOSS THERE. SO YEAH, WE'LL BE SEEING THIS FOR A FEW YEARS.
AND SO WE SHOULD JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND, THAT WE JUST WANT TO SEE THAT CONTINUAL GROWTH.
WE WANT TO TRY, TRY AND GET THE STRETCH GROWTH FOR THESE KIDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND PUSH THEM AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
SO THAT, YEAH, MAYBE BY MIDDLE SCHOOL OR SOMEWHERE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE GET THEM TO WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY TOUGH FOR THEM.
I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION THAT YOU DID LAND AT MONTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY, AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE IN GOOD HANDS, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, DIRECTOR CHASE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
DO ANY OF OUR STUDENT ADVISERS WANT TO WEIGH IN? HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THEY'RE USUALLY VERY TALKY, BUT WELL, WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, WE ARE SO GLAD THAT YOU CAME TO EDMONDS AND THAT YOU CAME TO MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO MEETING YOU IN PERSON.
THIS IS A LITTLE HARDER THIS WAY, BUT WE KNOW IT'S A BIG, BIG LIFT COMING IN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC.
BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE DIRECTOR SMITH SAID, EVERYBODY WORKING HARD, WE WILL WE WILL MOVE THEM IN THAT DIRECTION AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING.
AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE KIDS.
[00:35:01]
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE SUPERINTENDENT REPORT, SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.[7. SUPERINTENDENT REPORT-7:00 pm]
BALDERAS FOR HIS COMMENTS RIGHT NOW.THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS. AND I WON'T BE LONG ON THESE BECAUSE WE HAVE A LITTLE UPDATE LATER ON, BUT I WANT TO JUST DO A SHOUT OUT NATIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS WEEK THIS WEEK.
SO I WANNA THANK ALL THE STAFF THAT WORK HARD EACH AND EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT OUR KIDS AND FAMILIES FROM OUR TEACHERS, NURSES, YOU KNOW, OUR PRINCIPALS.
WE JUST HAD ONE RIGHT THERE, ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL PRINCIPALS, DRIVERS.
IT TRULY TAKES ALL OF US TO MAKE IT ALL WORK AND OF COURSE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS UNDER YOUR GUIDANCE AND VISIONS.
ALSO WANT TO THANK THE STAFF, PARTICULARLY GREG SCHWAB AND HARMONY WEINBERG, WHO HELPED WITH OUR COMMUNITY FORUM THAT WE HAD ON SAFETY AND REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARTNERS THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
I THOUGHT IT WAS WENT REALLY, REALLY WELL WHEN WE HAD THAT, AND WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING MORE OF THESE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
BUT I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY WONDERFUL.
ALSO, JUST BE REMISS TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR LEVEE DID PASS AT 62 PERCENT, SO THAT'S A BIG, BIG KUDOS TO ALL OF US AND THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT TAKES THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, I REALLY WANT TO THANK OUR VOTERS FOR THEIR TRUST AND ALL THE FOLKS THAT DID GET OUT TO VOTE.
AND AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO A TO PREPARING FOR THE NEXT ONE TO TWO LEVEES DURING A DURING A PANDEMIC, I THINK THAT'S PRETTY PHENOMENAL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
ALSO, WE KNOW THE GOVERNOR'S MANDATE LIFTING THE MASK MANDATE, SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT IN A BIT.
BUT DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE THAT'S FORTHCOMING, THAT WILL HELP FRAME OUR OUR WORK.
AND ALSO THAT WE WOULD NEED TO WORK WITH ALL OF OUR ASSOCIATION PARTNERS, ALL THE PARTNERS. WE HAVE EIGHT ASSOCIATIONS HERE AT 13 CONTRACTS.
WE WILL WORK WITH ALL EIGHT ASSOCIATIONS ON ANY CHANGES THAT THAT NEED TO BE MADE ON WORKING CONDITIONS BASED ON THEIR MOUS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT STILL NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, AND WE HOPE TO GET MORE GUIDANCE HERE SHORTLY FROM THE FROM THE STATE.
AND YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR MORE A LITTLE BIT LATER ON.
SO AGAIN, I'LL BE SHORT TONIGHT.
SO JUST WANT TO REALLY APPRECIATE THE BOARD AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE.
I THOUGHT THAT ART PRESENTATION WAS PHENOMENAL BY THOSE KIDS AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE LEADERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL LOSEE AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE.
BALDERAS. WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK EVERYBODY IS DOING.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT MEETINGS THAT WE NEED TO APPROVE THE MINUTES
[8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-7:05 pm]
FOR.THE FIRST ONE IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022 STUDY SESSION. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND, ALTHOUGH IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 1ST STUDY SESSION, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
AYE. ALL THOSE WITH AGAINST SAY NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 1ST, 2022 STUDY SESSION IS APPROVED.
SECOND, WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY SEVENTH STUDY SESSION.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THAT MEETING? MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND.
THANK YOU, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 7TH STUDY SESSION, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 7TH STUDY SESSION, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? I ABSTAIN. THANK YOU.
AND THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED FROM THE FEBRUARY 7TH STUDY SESSION.
THE NEXT IS THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH STUDY SESSION.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH, 2022 STUDY SESSION ANY DISCUSSION?
[00:40:05]
OK, THEN ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH STUDY SESSION PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.AYE. ANYBODY AGAINST PLEASE SAY NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH, 2022 STUDY SESSION ARE APPROVED.
AND THE LAST SET OF MINUTES IS FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. THANK YOU, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH, 2022 BUSINESS MEETING PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
AYE. ALL THOSE AGAINST PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THE CONSENT AGENDA IS A COLLECTION OF ITEMS
[9. CONSENT AGENDA-7:40 pm]
THAT ARE BASICALLY ROUTINE IN NATURE.TONIGHT WE HAVE 10 OF THEM, SIX ARE FIELD TRIPS FOR HIGH SCHOOLERS.
THREE OF THE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA RELATE TO STAFF, AND ONE IS THE COLLECTION OF JANUARY BILLS AND VOUCHERS BASICALLY THAT WE GET TO SEE TO MAKE SURE ALL THE FINANCES ARE WORKING PROPERLY.
SO DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE OUR CONSENT AGENDA? I MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION FOR ANY OF THE ITEMS? I DO HAVE A QUESTION OR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AROUND ITEM 9.3 ON THE MOU WITH EDMONDS HEIGHTS REGARDING EDMONDS HEIGHTS K THROUGH 12.
AND I REALIZE THIS IS JUST AN UP, YOU KNOW, A RE-UP OF AN EXISTING MOU.
BUT I WAS CURIOUS IF THERE IF STAFF WERE HERE AND I SEE DEBBIE CARTER'S HERE COULD KIND OF WALK US THROUGH WHAT THE STAFF MODEL IS THERE AND SORT OF AND THEN THEREFORE HOW TRIGGER APPLIES HERE.
SO OUR EDMONDS HEIGHTS IS OUR PARENT PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM THAT SERVES K THROUGH 12 AND PART OF A PRIMARY TEACHER OF THE STUDENTS THAT ATTEND ARE THEIR PARENTS.
SO THE STANDARD TRIGGER THAT WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR NON-ALE SCHOOLS LOOKS MUCH DIFFERENT, AND IT'S BASED ON EITHER SINGLE CLASSES OR TOTAL CLASS LOAD AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
ANOTHER UNIQUE FEATURE, THIS IS THAT THEY SUPPORT STUDENTS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.
SO WHAT THIS TRIGGER REALLY REFLECTS AS THE DIFFERENT WAY THAT THEY DELIVER THE PROGRAM, REALIZING THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS ARE THERE FOR DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE DAY AND ON DIFFERENT CLASS LOADS.
AND IT ALSO REFLECTS LONGER DAYS THAT K-12 IS PART OF THEIR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
SO EVERY YEAR THE STAFF WORKS ON, ALONG WITH THEIR ADMINISTRATOR ON HOW BEST TO SUPPORT STAFF WITH TOTAL NUMBERS OF STUDENTS IN THEIR CLASS LOAD AND HOW BEST TO RECOGNIZE THAT.
AND OUR REGULAR CLASSROOMS LOOK AT THAT FOUR TIMES A YEAR BASED OFF OF QUARTERS AND SEMESTERS AND EDMONDS HEIGHTS IS REFLECTED DIFFERENTLY BASED OFF OF HOW THEY STRUCTURE
[00:45:02]
BOTH THEIR DAY AND THEIR YEAR.SO IT'S UNIQUE TO THE PROGRAM AND UNIQUE TO THE STAFF WORKDAY AND HOW THEY DELIVER THEIR PROGRAM. THERE ARE FURTHER QUESTIONS, DIRECTOR KILGORE.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION, WHY IS THE TRIGGER LOWER FOR THE CLASSES THAT THEY TEACH COMPARED TO THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL? YEAH. PART OF IT ALSO REFLECTS THEIR STUDENT LEARNING PLANS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.
SO STUDENTS MAY NOT BE IN THE CLASS, BUT THEY'RE OVERSEEING THEIR INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LEARNING PLANS, SO IT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THAT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT ISN'T REFLECTED IN THE REGULAR NON-ALE CLASSES.
SO YOU MAY HAVE A HIGHER WORKLOAD, BUT YOU HAVE LESS STUDENTS IN YOUR ACTUAL CLASSES ON THERE.
SO THAT'S WHY TRIGGER IS REFLECTED LOWER, BUT YOU'RE WHAT'S NOT BEING REFLECTED IS THE ADDITIONAL WORK WITH THEIR INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLANS.
THANK YOU. OH, AND I JUST HAVE ONE MORE SORRY.
AND THIS IS MAYBE FOR ANOTHER TIME, BUT MORE GENERAL, DO WE KEEP DATA LIKE HISTORICAL DATA OF, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH YOU KNOW, WE SPEND ON TRIGGER AND AS A KIND OF A REFLECTION OF OUR CLASS SIZE HITTING OUR CLASS SIZE LIMITS? YES, WE DO HAVE HISTORICAL INFORMATION THAT IS MANAGED BOTH IN THE HR DEPARTMENT AND THEN FINANCE HAS THAT INFORMATION AS WELL.
SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE LOOK AT PERIODICALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE COST OF ADDING STAFF IN RELATIONSHIP TO OUR COST OF TRIGGER.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? OK. HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE CONSENT AGENDA PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OUR TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[10. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:10 pm]
THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION OF THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD.ITEMS BROUGHT FORWARD DURING THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING ARE NOT TYPICALLY ACTED UPON BY THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, BUT MAYBE FOLLOWED UP BY THE BOARD STAFF OR AND OR THE SUPERINTENDENT AT A LATER TIME.
THOSE WHO ARE SUBMITTING PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR A BOARD MEETING ARE ALLOWED TO READ THE COMMENTS ALOUD DURING THE VIRTUAL MEETINGS THAT WE ARE HAVING, AND THEY MAY CHOOSE TO SUBMIT THEIR COMMENTS IN WRITING TO BE ATTACHED TO THE PUBLIC MEETING MINUTES OF THE MEETING IF THEY SO CHOOSE.
THE BOARD ALSO ACCEPTS WRITTEN COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME THROUGH EMAIL AS WELL.
WE READ EVERY COMMENT AND EMAIL WE RECEIVE AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND EFFORT THAT IT TAKES FOR THOSE WHO WRITE THEM.
WHILE WE ENCOURAGE AND APPRECIATE PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS TO THREE MINUTES. AND IF A COMMENT BECOMES TOO LENGTHY, I MAY NEED TO INTERRUPT IN ORDER TO ALLOW EACH PERSON EQUAL TIME.
WE ALSO ASK THOSE WHO ARE MAKING A PUBLIC COMMENT DURING A BOARD MEETING TO PLEASE MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS IN A CIVIL MANNER.
TONIGHT, WE HAVE 12 PEOPLE WHO SIGNED UP WITH PUBLIC STATEMENTS FOUR WILL BE PRESENTING COMMENTS TONIGHT. I SEE THAT THEY ARE ON SO THAT THEY'RE READY, WHICH IS GREAT, AND THE OTHERS WILL BE INCLUDED WITH THE MINUTES OF TONIGHT'S MEETING IF THEY REQUESTED THAT.
SO WE'LL START WITH AND JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF THE FOR THE WRITTEN COMMENTS THAT YOU WON'T BE HEARING TONIGHT, THE EIGHT ARE ALL ABOUT MASK WEARING, SIX ARE REQUESTING THE DISTRICT TO CONTINUE THE MASK MANDATES IN THE DISTRICT.
ONE IS THANKING THE DISTRICT FOR PROVIDING KN95 MASKS FOR STAFF AT WORK, AND ONE IS
[00:50:04]
REQUESTING THE DISTRICT TO DISCONTINUE THE MASK MANDATE AS OF THE MARCH TWENTY FIRST DATE. SO WE CAN START WITH KIRA [INAUDIBLE], KIRA.ARE YOU READY? YES, I AM, THANK YOU, IT'S KIRA [INAUDIBLE], HELLO.
KIRA. THANK YOU FOR CORRECTING ME.
THANKS FOR BEING HERE. YOU CAN GO AHEAD.
THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TIME TO SPEAK.
MY NAME IS KIRA [INAUDIBLE], AND I AM HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THAT STAFF BE ALLOWED TO REQUIRE MASKING IN THEIR WORKSPACES AND CLASSROOMS BEYOND MARCH 21ST.
I AM A TEACHER AT MEADOWDALE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE I TEACH A HIGH TRANSMISSION SUBJECT CHOIR. I'M ALSO HERE AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND AS A PROUD MAMA TO MILES, WHO IS A SEAVIEW KINDERGARTNER WHO NEEDS AN INHALER WHEN HE'S SICK.
AND ALSO BERNADETTE, OUR YET TO BE VACCINATED FOUR YEAR OLD.
I'M HERE AS AN ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF MY STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, DISABLED AND THOSE WITH YOUNG SIBLINGS AND ELDERLY FAMILY MEMBERS AT HOME. I'M HERE AS AN ADVOCATE FOR MY COLLEAGUES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND THOSE WHO CARE FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, YOUNG AND OLD, AND ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE, REGARDLESS OF THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES LIKE ME, NOT YET READY TO UNMASK OR HAVE UNMASKED STUDENTS IN THEIR CLASSROOM.
I'M SURE THAT THE DISTRICT LEADERS AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD WILL CONCEDE THAT THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT OVER.
WHILE SOME MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY MAY BE READY TO UNMASK ON THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED DATE OF MARCH 1ST, MANY OF US ARE NOT.
I AM SCARED FOR MY STUDENTS AND FOR MY FAMILY.
MANY OF MY STUDENTS HAVE ALSO EXPRESSED THAT THEY TOO ARE SCARED.
AS A DISTRICT, I AM SO PROUD THAT WE ARE GOVERNED BY OUR ETHICS, THAT WE SEEK EQUITY AND INCLUSION, AND THAT WE BELIEVE THAT ALL STUDENTS DESERVE THE HIGHEST QUALITY EDUCATION POSSIBLE. IF WE ARE TO CONTINUE TO UPHOLD OUR MORAL PRINCIPLES AND IF WE TRULY BELIEVE AS WE SO OFTEN PREACH, THAT ALL MEANS ALL, THEN WE CANNOT IGNORE THE RIGHTS OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
AS A FULL TIME WORKING MOTHER OF YOUNG CHILDREN AND AS THE WIFE OF ANOTHER FULL TIME TEACHER IN OUR DISTRICT, THIS HAS BEEN BY FAR THE HARDEST YEAR OF MY 11 YEARS TEACHING IN WASHINGTON PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR A JOB THAT WOULD PUT ME AND MY CHILDREN AT RISK.
I BELIEVE THAT ALLOWING TEACHERS TO REQUIRE NOT SIMPLY RECOMMEND STUDENTS TO BE MASKED AT ALL TIMES IN THEIR CLASSROOM IS A SIMPLE AND PRACTICED MEASURE THAT HAS KEPT OUR COMMUNITY SPREAD LOW AND OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS SAFE.
IT ALLOWS US AS TEACHERS TO HAVE CONTROL OVER OUR HEALTH AND THEREFORE CONTINUE PROVIDING THAT EQUITABLE EDUCATION THAT WE VALUE.
IT IS MY FERVENT HOPE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL HEAR MY REQUEST IS A SENSIBLE AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT SOLUTION WHICH CAN KEEP ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF SAFE.
MASKING UP WHEN MY STUDENTS ARE NOT IS SIMPLY NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP ME AND MY CHILDREN SAFE.
I URGE YOU TO ALLOW TEACHERS TO BE ALLOWED TO REQUIRE MASKS IN CLASSROOMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, KIRA, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
NEXT, WE HAVE CAMMY [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M SAYING YOUR NAME CORRECTLY.
CAMMY, ARE YOU ON? YES, I AM. IT'S TAMMY AND IT'S [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.
OK. HI, MY NAME IS CAMMY [INAUDIBLE].
I'M A PARENT IN THE EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
MY STATEMENT TONIGHT IS TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN AND OUR EDUCATORS.
THE MASK MANDATE SHOULD BE LIFTED IN OUR SCHOOLS.
IT IS A DETRIMENT TO MOST OF OUR STUDENTS AND MOST OF OUR TEACHERS, AND THWARTING THE JOB THAT THEY ARE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN.
I SAY TO MOST OF OUR STUDENTS AND MOST OF OUR TEACHERS BECAUSE THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WHO WOULD BE WISE TO WEAR AN N95 OR RESPIRATOR DUE TO THEIR IMMUNOCOMPROMISED STATUS OR THE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED STATUS OF A CLOSE LOVED ONE.
PARENTS ARE WISE AND KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND SHOULD BE TRUSTED WITH THIS DECISION WITHOUT INTERFERENCE FROM OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
TEACHERS LIKEWISE ARE ABLE TO DECIDE WHICH DECISION IS RIGHT FOR THEM.
IF THE DISTRICT MANDATES AND FORCES ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO MASK, THIS IS NOT EQUITABLE FOR EVERY STUDENT AND EVERY TEACHER, FORCED MASKS CAN RESULT IN DIRE
[00:55:05]
CONSEQUENCES. HIGHER ANXIETY, HIGHER MENTAL STRESS.HIGHER POSSIBILITY OF MISCOMMUNICATION.
LOWER OXYGEN LEVELS, BREATHING CARBON MONOXIDE CARBON DIOXIDE.
EXCUSE ME, FEELING LIGHTHEADED.
NOT BEING ABLE TO READ FACIAL EXPRESSIONS.
NOT BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND SPOKEN LANGUAGE.
HAVING TO BE CLOSER TO ONE ANOTHER IN ORDER TO COMMUNICATE.
DECREASED COMMUNICATION BETWEEN PEERS.
DECREASED COMMUNICATION IN STUDENTS THAT FIND COMMUNICATION DIFFICULT ALREADY.
AND THEN SPEECH PATHOLOGIST ARE FORCED TO WEAR MASKS WHILE TRYING TO DO SPEECH THERAPY WITH STUDENTS.
THE MANY NEGATIVE EFFECTS ACTUALLY OUT FAR OUTWEIGH ANY POSITIVE THAT WEARING A MASK PROVIDES FOR MOST STUDENTS.
THIS IS A PERSONAL DECISION THAT SHOULD BE MADE BY AN INDIVIDUAL AND THEIR PARENTS, NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CAMMY, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
NEXT IS HOLLY [INAUDIBLE], YOU CAN CORRECT ME.
HOLLY, ARE YOU ON? HI, I'M HERE.
OK. HOW DID HOW DO WE REALLY SAY YOUR NAME IS HOLLY [INAUDIBLE].
OK, GREAT. SO MY NAME IS HOLLY, AND I'M A PARENT OF TWO KINDERGARTNERS AT WOODWAY CENTER.
TWIN GIRLS. AND I ASKED ONE OF MY KINDERGARTNERS RECENTLY HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT THE MASKS WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT. SHE SAID, I HATE THEM SO VEHEMENTLY.
I HATE THEM. I WAS LIKE, REALLY? YOU HATE THEM? TELL ME WHY.
AND SHE SAID IT MAKES IT NOT AS FUN TO PLAY WITH MY FRIENDS, AND I CAN'T TELL WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THE GAME OR IF THEY LIKE IT OR IF THEY THINK IT'S FUNNY OR IF THEY DON'T WANT TO PLAY WITH ME ANYMORE.
AND LISTEN, I RECOGNIZE THAT IT MIGHT SEEM LIKE LOW STAKES IN CERTAIN WAYS.
KINDERGARTEN, LIKE, OH, PLAYING ISN'T AS FUN.
LIKE, WE'VE GOT BIGGER PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW WITH COVID.
BUT ISN'T THAT WHAT CHILDHOOD IS PLAYING WITH FRIENDS? FORGING HUMAN CONNECTIONS, LEARNING SOCIAL CUES AND SOCIAL CUES ARE NOT ALWAYS EXPRESSED IN WORDS BY ANYONE, LET ALONE BY YOUNG KIDS.
WHAT ABOUT THE NUANCES IN A FRIEND'S EXPRESSION WHEN YOU HURT THEIR FEELINGS BY ACCIDENT? OR WHAT ABOUT A LITTLE KID WHO'S YEARNING TO JOIN A GAME BUT FEELS TOO SHY TO ASK? THESE MOMENTS OF CONNECTION ARE CRITICAL TO THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT OF OUR KIDS. AND I ASK YOU, WHO ARE WE PROTECTING AND FROM WHAT? ARE WE PROTECTING THE KIDS FROM COVID? WELL, GUESS WHAT? THE MASKS THAT MOST OF THESE KIDS ARE WEARING ARE SCRAPS OF T-SHIRT FABRIC WITH UNICORNS ON THEM FROM TARGET, AND THEY DON'T EVEN WEAR THEM PROPERLY.
THESE MASKS DON'T PREVENT TRANSMISSION AT ALL, AND TO SAY THEY DO IS PATENTLY ABSURD.
AND EVEN IF THE MASKS DID WORK, LET'S GIVE THEM THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT.
EVEN IF THEY DID PROTECT THE KIDS, UNVACCINATED CHILDREN ARE AT AN EQUIVALENT RISK FROM OMICRON AS THEY ARE FROM THE FLU.
AND HERE ARE SOME DATA FROM YEAR ONE OF COVID FROM THE PEAK OF COVID BEFORE THE VACCINES, KIDS AT THAT POINT WERE EQUALLY LIKELY TO DIE IN A FIRE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DROWN, SEVEN TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE OF CANCER, AND NINE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DIE IN A CAR ACCIDENT. WITH OMICRON, THE COVID RISK IS SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER.
ARE WE PROTECTING THE TEACHERS? THE DATA HAS PROVEN THAT ONE WAY MASKING WITH A PROPERLY FITTED N95 IS FAR MORE EFFECTIVE THAN EVEN TWO WAY MASKING WITH SURGICAL MASKS.
ANY VULNERABLE ADULTS CAN DON THEIR N95.
THEY CAN GET THEIR BOOST THEIR BOOSTERS AND THE MASKING OR THE UNMASKING OF KIDS IN THE SCHOOL DOES NOTHING TO CHANGE THE OUTCOMES FOR THOSE ADULTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE ARE SCARED.
IT'S AN INSTINCT. IT'S NOT SCIENCE, AND IT'S NOT FACT.
DEPRESSION AND SUICIDES IN KIDS ARE UP.
WE CAN'T ATTRIBUTE ALL OF THAT TO THE MASKS, BUT THE MASKS ARE DEFINITELY NOT HELPING.
AND I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS EXPERIMENT ANYMORE.
KIDS DON'T NEED TO SPEND ANOTHER MONTH, LET ALONE ANOTHER SCHOOL YEAR, WITHOUT SEEING SMILES. I ASKED THE BOARD TWO THINGS I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR MASKING KIDS OUTDOORS IMMEDIATELY.
THAT IS SO BEHIND THE TIMES AS TO BE SCIENTIFICALLY SILLY.
IT'S NOT MANDATED AND IT'S YEAH, IT'S JUST SILLY.
AND SECONDLY, ON MARCH 21ST, I ASKED THAT MASKING BECOME A PARENT'S CHOICE.
IT'S AN INEFFECTIVE INTERVENTION AT BEST AND IS ACTIVELY HARMING OUR KIDS AT WORST.
AND ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, HOLLY. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
AND NEXT, WE HAVE CHERYL PASSAGE.
CHERYL, ARE YOU ON? YES. DIRECTOR KATIMS I'M HERE.
SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTORS AND ADMINISTRATORS.
[01:00:02]
THERE WAS ONCE A SAILOR ON A SUBMARINE.LOTS OF EXPERIENCE DESCENDING DOWN INTO THE DEPTHS OF THE OCEAN AND ASCENDING BACK UP TO THE SURFACE. BUT FINALLY, TOWARD THE END OF HIS NAVY CAREER ON AN EXCEPTIONALLY LONG VOYAGE, HE JUST COULD NOT STAND IT ANYMORE.
HE KNEW THAT HE WAS CLOSE TO THE SURFACE OF THE OCEAN, BUT HE JUST COULD NOT STAND IT ANYMORE. HE OPENED THE HATCH.
YES, IT IS TRUE THAT MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS THINK OF THEMSELVES AS K THROUGH 12 LEARNING INSTITUTIONS, BUT PLEASE KEEP IN MIND THE EARLY LEARNING PROGRAMS OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. THESE THREE AND FOUR YEAR OLD CHILDREN DO NOT EVEN HAVE ACCESS TO A VACCINE.
MASK WEARING BY ALL PERSONS IN THE PRESCHOOL CLASSROOM IS THE WAY TO KEEP THEM SAFE AT THIS TIME. YES, I UNDERSTAND.
I TOO, AM READY TO DO AWAY WITH THESE MASKS AT THE MINIMUM SO THAT OUR CHILDREN CAN BE BETTER UNDERSTOOD AND CAN HEAR US BETTER.
BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE UNVACCINATED TRUMPS ANY MASK FRUSTRATION.
AND THEREFORE, THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY MUST BE THE UTMOST CONCERN, AND THEREFORE WE MUST ALL KEEP MASKS ON FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
PERHAPS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR WILL BE DIFFERENT.
BUT PLEASE ALSO CONSIDER THIS IF MASK WEARING CUTS DOWN ON SPREAD AND THEREBY CUTS DOWN ON THE POSSIBILITY OF LARGE NUMBERS OF STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVING TO QUARANTINE.
THEN MASK WEARING IS GOING TO BE WHAT KEEPS US PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS FROM HAVING TO SWITCH TO REMOTE LEARNING BETWEEN NOW AND JUNE.
BUT PLEASE DO NOT OPEN THE HATCH JUST YET.
AND SO ARE ALL OF MY STUDENTS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU, CHERYL, FOR TAKING THE TIME TO SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE.
AND JUST FOR ALL OF YOU WHO MADE COMMENTS TO KNOW WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN THE UPCOMING STATUS REPORT, SO WE APPRECIATE HAVING YOUR INPUT.
AND THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE THE DISTRICT REPORT, THE
[11. REPORTS-7:45 pm]
STATUS REPORT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.BALDERAS. THANK YOU, AND I APPRECIATE THE STAFF THAT PUT THESE UPDATES EVERY BOARD MEETING, I THINK THEY'VE BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD AND COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF JUST HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE DOING WITHIN DISTRICTS.
TURN IT OVER TO DANA ON THE SCREEN HERE OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT.
BALDERAS AND ALSO MARA MARANO-BIANCO, WHO IS OUR STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES MANAGER WILL BE SPEAKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GOV.
INSLEE'S, THE REPEAL OF THE MASK MANDATE AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
SO SHE'LL BE JUMPING IN HERE AS NEEDED.
SO EVERY TIME WE'VE GOTTEN TOGETHER FOR LIKE THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT KIND OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY, THEN ALSO WHAT'S GOING ON IN EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT AROUND COVID 19 OUR CASE COUNTS ARE STILL DECREASING.
WE WERE AT NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY TWO PER 100000.
MAYBE TWO WEEKS AGO, WE WERE IN THE SIXTEEN HUNDRED RANGE.
SO THOSE THAT IS REALLY GOOD NEWS.
THE POSITIVITY RATE CONTINUES TO GO DOWN, IF YOU REMEMBER, AND DURING THE OMICRON SURGE, IT WAS IN THE HIGH 30S.
TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF OUR HOSPITAL BEDS ARE OCCUPIED BY COVID 19 PATIENTS.
SIXTY EIGHT PERCENT OF THOSE FIVE PLUS YEARS OF AGE ARE FULLY VACCINATED IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY.
AND THEN THE IMAGE BELOW IS THE STATE RATE OF 72.7 OF PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON STATE THAT ARE FULLY VACCINATED. SO THOSE NUMBERS CONTINUE TO RISE, AS YOU CAN SEE WITH THE GRAPH BELOW.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT PICTURE OUR DISTRICT REPORTED COVID POSITIVE CASE RATE IN THE LAST 14 DAYS, IT WAS 212, AND THAT IS DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE AGAIN STILL HAVE OUR PCR AND RAPID TESTS.
SO WE PROVIDE A TWO HUNDRED AND NINETY THREE PCR TESTS IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS WITH A 10 PERCENT POSITIVITY RATE ON THOSE.
THE RAPID TEST, WE HAD FORTY SEVEN POSITIVE CASES AND AGAIN, WE ONLY REPORT THE POSITIVE ONES THERE. AND WE ALSO RECENTLY RECEIVED LATE LAST WEEK TWENTY THOUSAND MORE RAPID
[01:05:03]
TESTS, WHICH IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO USE THOSE AND OFFER THOSE AS A MITIGATING STRATEGY.NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARA.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME THIS EVENING, BOARD AND COMMUNITY.
SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE.
AS YOU'VE HEARD, GOVERNOR JAY INSLEE AND THE SECRETARY OF HEALTH, DR.
UMAIR SHAH, HAVE ANNOUNCED THAT THE STATEWIDE ORDER REQUIRING MASK COVERINGS IN PUBLIC WILL BE ENDING ON MARCH 30.
SORRY, 21ST IN MOST INDOOR SETTINGS, INCLUDING SCHOOLS.
MASKS HOWEVER, WILL STILL BE REQUIRED IN HEALTH CARE SETTINGS SUCH AS HOSPITALS, DENTAL OFFICES, LONG TERM CARE FACILITIES AND CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES.
HOWEVER, UNDER FEDERAL LAW, MASKS ARE STILL GOING TO BE REQUIRED ON SCHOOL BUSSES, SO THAT WILL NOT CHANGE FOR OUR DISTRICT.
NOW, WE HAVE NOT HAD OUR MEETING YET WITH DR.
SPITTERS FROM SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT, BUT HE HAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE IS PLANNING ON ADOPTING. HE HAS HE WILL BE PLANNING ON ADOPTING THE STATE PROCLAMATION ISSUED BY DR.
NOW, DR. SPITTERS, I WASN'T ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH HIM, BUT HE DID ASK US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SHARE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR BOARD.
NOW, HE HAS INDICATED THAT IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT DOES NOT SIGNAL THE END OF THE POSSIBLE NEED FOR MASKING NOR THE END OF COVID.
THIS IS A CHANGE IN REQUIREMENT FOR A UNIVERSAL INDOOR MASKING AT THIS CURRENT TIME.
HE STATED WHAT HAS BEEN ANNOUNCED REFLECTS THE ONGOING EVOLUTION OF OUR COVID RESPONSE.
MASKS THEMSELVES ARE NOT GOING AWAY AS A PREVENTION MEASURE.
I STILL STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT ALL PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT UP TO DATE ON THEIR VACCINES OR THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED SHOULD CONTINUE TO WEAR THEM IN PUBLIC, INDOOR AND CROWDED OUTDOOR SETTINGS.
DR. SPITTERS HAS ASKED THAT SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO REMAIN VIGILANT AND FLEXIBLE FOR A FUTURE TIME, SUCH AS AN INCREASED NUMBERS OF COVID 19 CASES WHEN IT MAY BECOME ADVISABLE AGAIN TO RESUME UNIVERSAL MASK WEARING, TO PROTECT OURSELVES AS A COMMUNITY, TO PROTECT OTHERS AROUND US, AND TO HELP PROTECT OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM.
AS BOTH GOVERNOR INSLEE AND DR.
SHAH INDICATED IN THEIR PRESS RELEASE LAST WEEK, IS THAT THEIR REALLY GOING TO CAREFULLY MONITOR OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM TO DETERMINE HOW WE'RE GOING TO BE UTILIZING OUR MITIGATING MEASURES IN THE FUTURE.
SO AS WE KNOW, THIS GUIDANCE IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED, SO GUIDANCE FOR SCHOOLS.
IT IS EXPECTED TO BE RELEASED THE WEEK OF MARCH 7TH WITH AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF MARCH 21ST.
AS WE KNOW AS SCHOOLS, WE ALWAYS TAKE OUR GUIDANCE FROM THE WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IN REGARDS TO HOW TO DETERMINE AND UTILIZE MITIGATING FACTORS IN OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. THEY ARE PLANNING TO RELEASE THE GUIDANCE A LITTLE EARLIER THAN EXPECTED.
AND PART OF THAT IS TO ALLOW DISTRICTS TO PREPARE FOR THIS TRANSITION.
AT THIS TIME, I DON'T FULLY KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING TO BE COVERED IN THOSE GUIDELINES BECAUSE THERE IS GOING TO BE SOME SHIFT IN OTHER MITIGATING FACTORS IN ADDITION TO MASKING CHANGES.
SOME OF WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS SCHOOLS WILL STILL BE REQUIRED TO REPORT COVID 19 CASES AND ANY OUTBREAKS TO THEIR LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION, WHICH IS SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT.
STUDENTS AND STAFF MUST STILL HAVE ACCESS TO TESTING WHEN NEEDED AND MASKS IF REQUESTED, AND ANYONE WITH SYMPTOMS OR IF THEY'VE TESTED POSITIVE MUST ISOLATE AT HOME.
MASKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE REQUIRED FOR ISOLATION AND QUARANTINE PRACTICES WITHIN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.
IF SOMEONE WHO HAS COVID POSITIVE IS RETURNING TO WORK SCHOOL, THEY ARE EXPECTED AFTER THEIR FIVE DAY ISOLATION PERIOD TO STILL WEAR A WELL-FITTED MASK FOR UP TO SIX TO 10 DAYS AFTER THEIR SYMPTOM ONSET OR POSITIVE TEST RESULT.
AND ANYONE WHO IS EXPOSED TO SOMEONE WITH COVID 19 MUST CONTINUE TO WEAR A MASK WHEN AROUND OTHERS FOR A FULL 10 DAYS AFTER THEIR EXPOSURE.
DR. SPITTERS HAS ASKED THAT SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THE CURRENT STATE REQUIREMENTS, INCLUDING THE CURRENT MASK ORDER THAT REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MARCH 20TH, AS WELL AS OTHER STATE REQUIREMENTS STILL IN EFFECT BEYOND MARCH 20TH.
[01:10:02]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.WE ALSO NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT OUR EMPLOYERS AND WORKPLACE SAFETY, SO COVID 19 STILL REMAINS A RECOGNIZED WORKPLACE HAZARD.
THE DISTRICT WILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO FOLLOW COVID RELATED WORKER PROTECTIONS FOR COVID 19 RELATED TASKS.
STAFF STILL HAVE THE RIGHT TO WEAR A MASK AT ANY TIME.
STAFF ARE STILL REQUIRED TO NOTIFY THE DISTRICT OF POTENTIAL EXPOSURES AS A SUSPECTED OR CONFIRMED CASE OF COVID 19, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY AWAITING AN UPDATE FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES TO HELP US GUIDE US IN THESE NEXT STEPS.
THE DATE OF THIS RELEASE IS NOT YET KNOWN.
SO OUR TIMELINE RIGHT NOW, WE HEARD LAST WEEK ON FEBRUARY 17TH THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION. WE WILL BE MEETING ON MARCH 1ST WITH SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THEIR GUIDANCE AS OUR LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION REGARDING TO THE REGARDING THE GOVERNOR'S PROCLAMATION.
BY THE WEEK OF MARCH 7TH, SOMETIME WITHIN THAT WEEK, WE SHOULD HAVE NEW GUIDELINES FROM WASHINGTON DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AS TO HOW WE NEED TO LOOK AT OUR MITIGATING MEASURES ASSOCIATED WITH COVID IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE WILL MEET WITH SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT TO DETERMINE WHICH OF THESE THEY ARE PLANNING TO ADOPT AND WHAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW.
AND AGAIN, WE ARE ANTICIPATED ANTICIPATING MORE INFORMATION FROM LABOR AND INDUSTRIES TO DETERMINE HOW WE WORK WITH OUR STAFF TO ENSURE WORKPLACE SAFETY.
THIS HOPEFULLY WILL ALL OCCUR BEFORE MARCH TWENTY FIRST, WHERE THEN WE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL ADOPT THOSE SCHOOL CHANGES.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS AT THIS TIME? THANKS, MARA. AND AGAIN, I THINK WHAT WE WANTED TO RELATE TO THE BOARD IS WE'RE GOING TO WAIT FOR ADDITIONAL GUIDANCE BEFORE WE MAKE ANY DETERMINATION IN TERMS OF NEXT STEPS.
I KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN VERY, VERY DIFFICULT FOR ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, COMMUNITY AND WE'RE GOING TO BE TORN ON THIS ONE.
WE KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
SO WHATEVER WE DECIDE, WE'RE GOING TO BE BASED ON SNOHOMISH COUNTY IN TERMS OF THEIR RECOMMENDATION, BUT AGAIN, WE NEED TO SEE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND ALSO WORKING WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS, WE NEED TO WORK WITH OUR LABOR PARTNERS ON IMPACT.
MARA MENTIONED EARLIER, IT'S LABOR AND INDUSTRY HASN'T WEIGHED IN YET IN TERMS OF THEIR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO AGAIN, DON'T WANT TO JUMP TO SOMETHING UNTIL WE GET FULL INFORMATION, GET FULL RECOMMENDATIONS, COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND HAVE A COMMENT.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH SNOHOMISH COUNTY HEALTH HERE NEXT WEEK AND BE ABLE TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH THE BETTER IDEA IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE.
I KNOW THAT YOU'RE HEARING OTHER DISTRICTS DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION FIRST BEFORE WE INFORM THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE THINKING.
SO WE WANT TO BE VERY INTENTIONAL AND GET ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE PEOPLE THAT ARE REALLY TAKING CARE OF THE SCIENCE.
AND THAT WE AND THEY HAVE BEEN SINCE SINCE IT STARTED, SO ANY BOARD QUESTIONS.
THAT I CAN ANSWER, OR THAT IT CAN HAVE A PHENOMENAL MARA MARANO-BIANCO ANSWER OR DANA OR ANY OTHER STAFF MEMBER.
WHAT'S THE BEST WORD HERE, A LITTLE CONFUSED, BECAUSE ON THE ONE HAND, IT LOOKS LIKE FROM THE SLIDES THAT IT'S A DONE DEAL THAT SNOHOMISH COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH IS GOING TO GO ALONG WITH THE MARCH 21ST DEADLINE.
ON THE OTHER HAND, THEY'RE SAYING GUIDANCE WILL COME OUT THE WEEK OF MARCH 7TH.
WHAT OTHER GUIDANCE? I'M ASSUMING SOMETHING ABOUT SOCIAL DISTANCING, PERHAPS CONTACT TRACING, BUT I JUST HAVE TO SAY IT CONCERNS ME A LITTLE BIT THAT WE'RE A MONTH AWAY FROM THAT DEADLINE TO JUMP AT THAT WITHOUT WATCHING THE DATA THAT OCCURS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
DANA DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THIS ONE? YES. I'LL START IF YOU COULD FILL IN.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT. YOU KNOW, NANCY, I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY ABOUT THE DETAILS, RIGHT? SO WE GET WE GET GUIDANCE AND THEN WE GET THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH WORKING WITH US AND GIVING US AND IT'LL BE A PROBABLY A 40 PAGE, 50 PAGE ALL THE DETAILS AND HOW THAT LOOKS.
[01:15:03]
AND WE'VE HAD THAT HAPPEN A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND IT IS ABOUT KIND OF WHAT MARA WAS SPEAKING ABOUT, HOW IF SOMEBODY POSITIVE, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE TO MAYBE COME BACK AND MASK, THAT COULD BE ONE OF THE THINGS.OR IF SOMEBODY IS NOT VACCINATED AND THEY MIGHT HAVE TO MASK IF THEY HAVE AN EXPOSURE.
I'M NOT SAYING THOSE ARE GOING TO BE EXACTLY, BUT THOSE COULD BE SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
MARA, IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AS WELL? SORRY. STILL TRYING TO FIND MY UNMUTE BUTTON AFTER ALL THIS TIME ON ZOOM.
SO JUST QUICKLY MS. KATIMS WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS WASHINGTON DOH DOES PUT FORTH GUIDELINES FOR LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTIONS TO REVIEW.
NOW, AS A LOCAL HEALTH JURISDICTION, SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT WILL REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THEIR COMMUNITY PICTURE TO THEN DETERMINE WHAT PARTS OF THE EDICT THAT JAY INSLEE AND OR DR. SHAH HAVE PUT FORWARD.
AND SO BASED ON OUR LOCAL PICTURE, THEY THEN WILL MAKE ADAPTATIONS, POSSIBLY TO THE STATE REQUIREMENTS. NOW, AT THIS POINT IN TIME, DR.
SPITTERS HAS INDICATED HE IS PLANNING ON ADOPTING REMOVING MASKS IN INDOOR PUBLIC SPACES.
HOWEVER, BASED ON HIS COMMENTS, IT DOES LOOK LIKE HE WANTS TO MAKE A FEW CHANGES IN THE SENSE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF THOSE WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, ALLOWING MASKING STILL TO OCCUR AND ALSO IN REGARDS TO THOSE THAT ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED.
HE MAY REQUIRE CONTINUED MASKING, SO IT REALLY LENDS ITSELF TO OUR LOCAL PICTURE FOR DR.
SPITTERS, THEN TO MAKE THAT FINAL DETERMINATION.
AND WE REALLY WON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE MEET WITH SNOHOMISH.
I ALWAYS WANT TO SEE SCHOOL DISTRICT SNOHOMISH HEALTH DISTRICT TO REALLY DETERMINE WHAT IS HIS BIGGER PICTURE FOR SNOHOMISH COUNTY AND HOW WOULD THAT DIRECTLY AFFECT SCHOOLS.
SO I THINK WE'RE WAITING FOR THAT MEETING FOR MARCH 1ST TO REALLY MAKE A FULL DETERMINATION BASED ON ALL THOSE FINER DETAILS DANA WAS TALKING ABOUT AS TO HOW WE MOVE FORWARD AS A DISTRICT.
JUST TO ADD, IT SOUNDS LIKE HE'S LEAVING THE DOOR OPEN THAT IF WE HAD A SPIKE IN TRANSMISSION RATES, HE COULD THEN ASK US TO MASK UP AGAIN AND DO OTHER THINGS, POTENTIALLY. THAT'S CORRECT.
MS. KILGORE. AND SO IF YOU'VE HEARD KING COUNTY HAS SAID WE'RE NOT READY YET.
AND SO I THINK AT THIS POINT, DR.
SPITTERS IS SAYING, YES, WE'LL MOVE AHEAD AND ADOPT.
BUT IF ANYTHING CHANGES, WE MAY HAVE TO RELOOK AT THAT SITUATION.
SO THIS IS WHY THE MEETING ON MARCH 1ST AND THEN AGAIN ON MARCH 15TH ONCE WASHINGTON DOH PROVIDES SCHOOL GUIDELINES BECAUSE AS WE'VE KNOWN WITH COVID, AS SOON AS WE LESSON ONE MITIGATING MEASURES, SOME OTHER MITIGATING MEASURES STRENGTHEN.
AND SO WE HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT LARGER PICTURE IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AND BEING RECOMMENDED FROM THE STATE.
SPITTERS IS GOING TO ADOPT AND OR ADAPT . AND SO JUST TO REINFORCE FOR THE COMMUNITY WE'RE NOT ABLE BY LAW TO DO ANYTHING LESS THAN WHAT OUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDES US TO DO.
WE COULD DO MORE, BUT WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO LESS.
THAT IS CORRECT, SO WE CAN DEFINITELY DO MORE, BUT WE CANNOT DO LESS AS A DISTRICT.
SO ONE THING THAT I DOUBT THAT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT WILL ADDRESS, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT FOR US AS A DISTRICT TO ADDRESS IS WHEN THE TIME COMES THAT THE MASK MANDATE IS REMOVED OR ADJUSTED.
AND PEOPLE HAVE AN OPTION TO EITHER FOR SOME REASON THEY WILL HAVE TO WEAR A MASK BECAUSE OF THE GUIDELINES, OR THEY'RE GOING TO CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK BECAUSE THEY WANT TO, THAT WE HAVE TO, AS A DISTRICT, HAVE IN PLACE HARD AND FAST RULES THAT WILL PROTECT OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS FROM ANY BULLYING AND ANY HARASSMENT ABOUT WEARING A MASK, IF YOU CHOOSE TO WEAR A MASK, IT SHOULD JUST BE.
THAT'S WHAT I'M WEARING TODAY, AND IT SHOULD HAVE NO MORE MEANING THAN THE COLOR OF THE SHIRT THAT YOU WERE IN THAT DAY.
AND I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THAT IS A CRITICAL PIECE THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
[01:20:07]
SO THIS DOESN'T BECOME A DIVISIVE ISSUE, BUT THAT EVERYBODY GETS TO DO WHAT THEY ARE COMFORTABLE WITH BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE, AS WE'VE HEARD, BOTH IN THE WRITTEN AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THAT WE HEAR EVERYWHERE ELSE, AND IT'S TRUE OF A NUMBER OF US. WE HAVE VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN OUR FAMILIES AND WE WILL PERHAPS CHOOSE TO WEAR MASKS IN VARIOUS PLACES WHEN WE VISIT SCHOOLS OR WHATEVER.IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THIS BE SOMETHING THAT'S JUST SIMPLY ACCEPTED.
NO BIG DEAL, AND THAT'S GOT TO BE THE ATTITUDE AND CULTURE THAT WE REALLY PUSH IN THE DISTRICT AND THAT WE NOT ONLY ENCOURAGE, BUT WE REALLY ENFORCE.
SO I JUST I WANT TO MAKE A VERY STRONG STATEMENT ABOUT THAT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THOROUGH DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE ON THIS, AND I DO LOOK FORWARD TO THE UPDATES AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION SO THAT WE AS A SCHOOL BOARD CAN MAKE DECISIONS BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT ARE BROUGHT FORWARD TO US.
SO AT THIS TIME, IT SOUNDS AS THOUGH WE ARE AWAITING FURTHER INSTRUCTION AS THIS UNFOLDS.
AGAIN, WE'RE WAITING FOR FURTHER GUIDANCE, AND THIS CAME OUT REALLY QUICKLY, AND I THINK PEOPLE ARE STILL TRYING TO WRAP THEIR MINDS AROUND WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE AGAIN, WE STILL HAVE MOUS.
WE HAVE OUR EIGHT ASSOCIATE OUR EIGHT ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE NEED TO WORK THROUGH AS WELL AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR WORKING CONDITIONS.
AND I SEE HARMONY, AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO REALLY HELP GET THAT COMMUNICATION OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE AFTER WE GET IT, SO I'M GOING TO THANK YOU IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I KNOW HOW GREAT YOU ARE DOING THAT.
DR. KATIMS, COULD I POSE A QUESTION REAL QUICK ON THE STUFF? PLEASE DO.
OK, SO I REALIZE AGAIN THAT THIS DID COME OUT REALLY QUICKLY AND THAT THERE ARE PROBABLY THINGS THAT WE HAVEN'T REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT.
BUT LIKE ON THE TOPIC OF ENFORCING SOMETHING LIKE THIS, WE ALL KNOW THAT THIS PEOPLE HAVE VARYING OPINIONS ON MASK WEARING.
AND IT WAS JUST POINTED OUT IN THE PRESENTATION THAT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE BEEN EXPOSED OR IF YOU ARE COMING BACK FROM COVID, THAT YOU ARE STILL EXPECTED TO WEAR MASKS AND LIKE FOR THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS AND STAFF, HAVE WE THOUGHT AT ALL ABOUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY BE ENFORCED? BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO TRY AND ENFORCE.
YEAH. SO IF I MAY, DANA, SO RITIKA, I ALWAYS LOVE YOUR QUESTIONS.
I ACTUALLY MY HEART PITTER PATTERS EVERY TIME YOU ADD ONE BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRETTY INTENSE.
SO JUST QUICKLY, WE DO ANTICIPATE SOME FORM OF CONTACT TRACING TO STILL REMAIN IN THE GUIDELINES MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE WILL TRACK ALL OF OUR POSITIVE CASES AND OR IF ANYONE HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS A CLOSE CONTACT WHO IS GOING INTO QUARANTINE.
SO WE WILL KNOW THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WE HAVE EITHER PLACED IN QUARANTINE AND OR HAS INFORMED US THAT THEY ARE POSITIVE THROUGH EITHER THEIR VOLUNTEERING THAT INFORMATION AND OR THROUGH OUR OWN TESTING DEVICES.
SO WE DO CONTINUE TO MONITOR THAT DATA.
SO I ANTICIPATE THAT WILL BE MORE THE SAME.
OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, THE BOARD STUDENT ADVISORS? I THINK THAT BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT THAT I COULD SAY ON THIS, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO HOLD OFF ON COMMENTS UNTIL WE GET MORE FROM DISTRICT, FROM THE DISTRICT ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SO THAT I CAN MAKE SURE THAT I'M ON POINT WITH WHAT I WANT TO SAY WITH IT.
BUT LET'S JUST SAY I WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW THAT WHATEVER THE DATA SAY IS WHAT'S GOING TO GUIDE ANY DECISION THAT I MAKE.
AND I THINK I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE SPEAKING FOR MY BOARD MEMBERS AND SAYING THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO DO.
SO. THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH.
I ALSO WANT TO JUST EXPRESS TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED HEARING COMMENTS FROM EVERYONE AND SO KEEP THEM COMING.
[01:25:01]
FEEL FREE TO TESTIFY AS WE CONTINUE ON TALKING ABOUT THIS SUBJECT.SO THE ONE THING THAT WE MAY WANT TO ADDRESS IS THE NEED TO REALLY NEEDS OF STAFF IS THE OUTDOOR MASK WEARING.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW THAT THE STAFF HAVE BEEN CONTEMPLATING THAT FOR A BIT OF TIME. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I'LL RELATE TO THE BOARD, MAYBE SOONER THAN LATER.
SO IS IT CORRECT THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE ALLOWED TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, ALLOWED TO REDUCE THAT NOW? WE CAN. YES.
YES. SOMETHING THAT CAN CIRCLE BACK WITH STAFF IN TERMS OF WHEN WE CAN DO THAT, AND AGAIN, WE CAN POSSIBLY DO THAT AS SOON AS AS SOON AS WE CAN AGREE TO IT, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE COMMUNICATIONS PIECE AND SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO COMMUNICATE TO FOLKS, BUT WE FULLY EXPECT BEING ABLE TO LET THAT SOONER THAN THE MANDATE ON MARCH 20, THE MANDATE BEING LIFTED ON MARCH 21ST.
SO JUST MORE TO COME ON THAT ONE, BECAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS IT WAS IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT WAS ALWAYS RECOMMENDED.
IT WASN'T SOMETHING THAT WAS REQUIRED.
IT WAS RECOMMENDED AND WE DID WITH SOME OTHER DISTRICTS DID.
BUT AGAIN, LOOKING AT POSSIBLY LIFTING THAT ONE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COMMUNICATE WITH ALL PARTNERS.
AND I HAVE A ANY WELL, I'LL WAIT FOR DATA, I KNOW THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE MEETING WITH LABOR AND INDUSTRIES ON THIS TOO.
YEAH. ALSO, IT GETS COMPLICATED BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DO HAVE AGAIN EIGHT DIFFERENT ASSOCIATIONS THAT WE HAVE TO COMMUNICATE WITH AND IT LOOKS DIFFERENTLY, FOR EXAMPLE, ON BUSSES COMPARED TO IT JUST LOOKS DIFFERENT.
SO IT'S HOW TO ROLL OUT THE COMMUNICATION PLAN TO OUR PARTNERS.
I JUST SAY I, FOR ONE, REALLY APPRECIATE THE EFFORT AND THE DEDICATION FROM EVERYONE ON THIS CALL AND WORKING IN THE DISTRICT TO THOUGHTFULLY AND TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY, KEEP EVERYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE UPDATES AND THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY'S DOING ON THIS.
I AM WONDERING, AS WE THINK PROACTIVELY AS A DISTRICT SINCE WE CURRENTLY ARE ALREADY EXPERIENCING STAFF SHORTAGES.
ANY CONCERN IN MITIGATING STRATEGIES FOR ADDRESSING THE POSSIBILITY OF STAFF CHOOSING TO TAKE A LEAVE OR LEAVE THE DISTRICT IF AND WHEN THE MASK MANDATE IS REMOVED AND THEREBY CREATING A LARGER STAFF SHORTAGE PROBLEM, POTENTIALLY.
YEP. WORKING THROUGH ALL THOSE WORKING THROUGH ALL THOSE PRESIDENT KATIMS AGAIN, A LOT OF QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED, A LOT OF WORK YET TO BE DONE AND A LOT OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR PARTNERS. SO AGAIN, I KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH A LOT OF THE BACK.
WE HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS MEETING WITH PEOPLE IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE, SO I KNOW THAT PEOPLE WANT AN ANSWER IN TERMS OF WHAT EXACTLY IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
BUT AGAIN, WHEN WE GATHER THAT INFORMATION, IT TAKES TIME LIKE, DANA SAID.
IT'S SOMETIMES A 40 50 PAGE DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE TO REALLY GET THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AGAIN, DON'T MISS ANYTHING.
I THINK I CUT YOU OFF. OH, I WAS.
IT'S JUST AS PART OF THAT, I WAS GOING TO SAY, HAS THE DISTRICT THOUGHT ABOUT SOME SORT OF A SURVEY OF TEACHERS BECAUSE IT WILL PROBABLY THERE WILL BE SOME TEACHERS WHO ARE LIKE, OH, WAIT, I CAN GO TEACH IN SNOHOMISH WITHOUT A MASK, YOU KNOW, LIKE IT COULD GO THE OTHER WAY, TOO.
AND JUST KIND OF TRYING TO GAUGE THIS FALLOUT, WHICHEVER WAY WE GO, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AS EVERY DISTRICT DOES, AS EVERY DISTRICT DOES.
JUST REMIND US ALL THIS IS ABOUT KEEPING EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY SAFE.
WELL, AS ALWAYS, WE APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THE STAFF IS DOING BECAUSE IT'S JUST ONE THING AFTER ANOTHER THAT I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE TO FACE THIS, THESE CHANGES KEEP BEING THROWN OUT AT US, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
[01:30:02]
OK. ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS READY TO GO ON? THANK YOU, DR. BALDERAS, ALSO FOR THAT UPDATE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND AS WELL AS MARA AND DANA.THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS NEW BUSINESS, AND THE FIRST IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE
[12. NEW BUSINESS 8:00 pm]
THE PROJECT AND PRELIMINARY BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR SOFTBALL FOR SOFTBALL FIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL.DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE.
THANK YOU. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR THE PROJECT AND PRELIMINARY BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE SOFTBALL FIELD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL. IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I DID WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ON THIS MOUNTLAKE TERRACE HIGH SCHOOL, MY ALMA MATER, FROM 2004.
I HAVEN'T BEEN AROUND THE BACK OF THE SCHOOL SINCE I'VE LEFT, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD A MAJOR ATHLETICS UPGRADE TO THEIR BASKETBALL, GYM OR FRONT AREA WHERE THE TRACK AND FIELD IS. SINCE I'VE LEFT, IT LOOKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME.
AND SOME OF OUR OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE HAD THEM IN OUR OTHER SCHOOLS DEFINITELY DESERVE THEM.
MEADOWDALE NEEDED A NEW BASEBALL DIAMOND BECAUSE A LOT OF THEIR GAMES ARE BEING RAINED OUT. THE EDMONDS WOODWAY AREA HAS A BEAUTIFUL AREA NOW WHERE A LOT OF KIDS GO AND COMPETE, WHICH I THINK IS FANTASTIC, AND LYNNWOOD OBVIOUSLY NEEDED A NEW SCHOOL, SO THEY HAVE A WHOLE NEW GYM AND EVERYTHING.
SO I AM JUST HAPPY THAT THERE'S SOME MONEY THAT IS BEING DEDICATED NOW TO MTHS TO GET THEM THIS PROJECT.
GO AHEAD. YEAH, NO, I AGREE, WE DEFINITELY AM REALLY PLEASED THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THIS PRELIMINARY BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE SOFTBALL FIELD IMPROVEMENTS.
I AM PARTICULARLY INTERESTED AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON TAKING A LOOK AT THE DESIGN AND THE EVALUATION OF THE RANGE OF THE ALL WEATHER SURFACE OPTIONS AND COSTS AS WE GO THROUGH.
BECAUSE AS WE KNOW, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT SURFACES THAT CAN BE USED TO REPLACE GRASS AND I WOULD LIKE AS THE BOARD FOR US TO BE ABLE TO HELP IN THE EVALUATION OF THESE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. I AGREE WITH YOU.
CARIN, I'M ALSO INTERESTED IN SEEING THE THE OPTIONS THAT WILL BE BROUGHT TO US AND FOR THE PUBLIC, I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT THIS IS COVERED UNDER THE 2020 LEVY SO THAT WE APPRECIATE THE TAXPAYERS HAVING APPROVED THIS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP OUR ATHLETIC FIELDS UP TO DATE AS WELL.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALISON, I'M GOING TO CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE, PLEASE.
DIRECTOR KATIMS. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES, THE NEXT ITEM IS A SINGLE READING FOR AN ADDITIONAL BUDGET AUTHORIZATION FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE OAK HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. THANK YOU, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I DO HAVE A QUESTION IS AND I DIDN'T HAVE TIME TO LOOK BACK AND I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT TO SEARCH ON, I MEAN, WE OFTEN APPROVE THESE KINDS OF ITEMS, BUT IS ARE WE GETTING SOME ECONOMIES OF SCALE FROM WORKING, YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE BEEN BUILDING THESE SCHOOLS? THEY'RE STARTING. I MEAN, THEY'RE ALL GORGEOUS AND THEY'RE ALSO STARTING TO SHARE SOME DESIGN FEATURES. SO DO WE GET SOME BENEFIT OF HAVING DESIGNED OTHER SCHOOLS BEFORE? I DON'T KNOW IF ED'S STILL ON THE CALL OR NOT.
THERE YOU ARE. WE ABSOLUTELY DO GET THE BENEFIT OF LESSONS LEARNED.
THAT'S A DIFFERENT THING FROM ECONOMIES OF SCALE.
IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT THING.
ECONOMIES OF SCALE WOULD BE IF WE WERE BUILDING FIVE SCHOOLS AT THE SAME TIME AND COULD USE EXACTLY THE SAME MATERIALS BECAUSE OF BECAUSE THE CODE CHANGES.
WE COULDN'T, FOR EXAMPLE, JUST TAKE THE DESIGN FOR LYNNWOOD ELEMENTARY AND PUT IT ON THE
[01:35:02]
SITE EVEN IF WE WANTED TO.WE DON'T WANT TO. IT DOESN'T FIT.
BUT EVEN IF WE WANTED TO, THERE WOULD BE NO ECONOMY OF SCALE IN DOING THAT BECAUSE IT WOULDN'T MEET CODE.
THE CODE WILL CHANGE VERY SIGNIFICANTLY.
SO, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE LEARNED ANY NUMBER OF LESSONS ABOUT WHAT WORKS AND DON'T WE DO POST OCCUPANCY EVALUATION ON ALL OUR PROJECTS.
AND IN FACT, THAT WAS THE FIRST STEP IN THIS OAK HEIGHTS PROCESS ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY DOING THINGS THAT SUPPORT OUR EDUCATIONAL GOALS.
SO I GUESS MAYBE I MISUSE THE TERM, BUT I GUESS I'M LOOKING TO SEE, DO WE DO WE SAVE TIME? DO WE SAVE TIME? DO WE SAVE MONEY AND IN DESIGNING OR IS IT JUST A DO OVER? EACH PROJECT IS UNIQUE.
WE DO STANDARDIZE DESIGN DETAILS, SYSTEMS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, SO WE GET WE GET EFFICIENCIES FROM THAT.
EVERY SITE IS UNIQUE AND SO AND IN THIS CASE, THE SCHEDULE IS BEING DRIVEN BY THE CASH FLOW OF THE LEVY, WE WON'T ACTUALLY HAVE MONEY TO BUILD THIS UNTIL 2025.
WE ARE DESIGNING IT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN SO THAT IF FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, WE CAN PROCEED MORE QUICKLY AND GET STUDENTS INTO A BETTER SCHOOL SOONER.
NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, IT'S A PERFECTLY VERY UNDERSTANDABLE QUESTION, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT I GUESS I'LL JUST THE SIMPLEST WAY TO SAY IT IS THE WHERE YOU SAVE MONEY IS BY DOING A THOROUGH DESIGN PROCESS.
CUTTING OUT CUTTING BACK ON THE DESIGN PROCESS IS NOT IS A FALSE ECONOMY.
WE HAVE ASSEMBLED A REALLY GOOD TEAM.
WE HAVE THE CONTRACTOR WORKING WITH US FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, HELPING US FIGURE OUT THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO EVERY ASPECT OF THE PROJECT.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BIGGEST WASTE OF PUBLIC MONEY IS TO EXECUTE PERFECTLY THE WRONG PROJECT ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AREN'T DOING THAT AND WE ARE DOING THAT COST EFFECTIVELY, QUICKLY, EFFICIENTLY, BUT THERE ARE NO MAGIC BULLETS THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY GIVE YOU THE BEST PROJECT FASTER AND QUICKER AND CHEAPER.
THANKS. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, ED. I'M HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE ALISON.
AYE. DIRECTOR KATIMS. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES AND ON THIS, I'D LIKE TO ALSO THANK THE VOTERS AND THE TAXPAYERS BECAUSE OAK HEIGHTS ELEMENTARY BEING REBUILT AND IT DESPERATELY NEEDS IT IS BEING COVERED BY THE APRIL 2021 LEVY.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW WE ARE USING THE MONEY VERY WELL.
THE NEXT ITEM IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AUTHORIZATION AND CONTRACT AWARD TO SECURITY SOLUTIONS FOR THE PURCHASE AND INSTALLATION OF NEW SERVER AND SECURITY CAMERAS. DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I MOVE TO APPROVE.
SECOND. THANK YOU. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT AFTER HAVING ATTENDED THE TOWN HALL ON SAFETY AND SECURITY, I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT AND VALUABLE USE OF MONEY TO HAVE UP TO DATE SECURITY CAMERAS AND HAVE THEM IN ALL OF THE APPROPRIATE PLACES AROUND THE SCHOOLS FOR KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING ON AND WHO'S IN OUR BUILDING AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
[01:40:03]
OK, ALISON, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.DIRECTOR KATIMS. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES AND THE LAST ITEM UNDER NEW BUSINESS IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE RFP, THE REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? SO MOVED.
SECOND. THANK YOU, I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I JUST HAVE A QUESTION HERE, SO I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT I'M VOTING ON.
IS THIS TO RUN THE PROGRAM OR JUST TO MARKET THE PROGRAM? OK. DIRECTOR SMITH, THIS IS TO MARKET, TO GO OUT AND IN THE MARKETING OF THAT, WE ARE LOOKING FOR A VARIETY OF SERVICES.
SO THEY WOULD BE OPERATING OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS. THEY HAVE SOLD THE BUSINESS.
WE BELIEVE IT'S A CRITICAL BENEFIT STILL TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
SO WE'LL GO OUT AND MARKET THE SERVICES WE WANT.
WE'LL RUN THROUGH THAT REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL THROUGH THE RUBRIC AND THEN WE WILL BRING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD FOR ACCEPTANCE OF THAT.
ALL RIGHT. SOUNDS GREAT. THANK YOU.
ONE COMMENT I'D LIKE TO MAKE IS I HOPE THAT AS PART OF THE RFP, THERE'S A SOLICITATION FOR THOSE WHO SUBMIT PROPOSALS TO ADDRESS ANY STRATEGIES, THEY MIGHT HAVE TO HELP OUR FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE IN THE MIDDLE OF WORKING WITH A COUNSELOR OR SERVICE PROVIDER THROUGH OUR CURRENT EAP VENDOR.
TO HAVE SOME SORT OF SMOOTH TRANSITION, BECAUSE I CAN IMAGINE THAT ONCE YOU SORT OF GET TO KNOW SOMEBODY AND YOU'RE WORKING WITH THEM ON SOME SERIOUS PROBLEM IN YOUR LIFE, THAT IT'S HARD FOR ALL OF A SUDDEN THAT TO BE PULLED OUT FROM UNDER YOU.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY, BUT IF IT IS, I'D LIKE THAT TO BE PERHAPS INCLUDED IN OUR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THEM TO TALK ABOUT HOW THEY WOULD HELP IN THE TRANSITION PROCESS FOR THOSE WHO ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF SERVICES.
YEAH. DIRECTOR KATIMS, WE DO EMPLOY THE SERVICES OF A STILL THE BROKER WE USED WHEN WE MANAGED OUR OWN INSURANCE.
THEY ARE GOING TO WORK AND BE THE GO BETWEEN.
SO WE WILL DISCUSS WE'RE HAVING A MEETING WITH THEM NEXT WEEK.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS AND WE WILL TALK THROUGH THAT AS WELL AS WE KNOW THEY OUR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED REALLY IMPORTANT AND CRITICAL SERVICES.
ALSO WHEN OUR DISTRICT FACES ISSUES AROUND GRIEF.
THEY BRING IN COUNSELORS THERE.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY HAVE WITH OUR CURRENT STAFF AS WELL. SO I'LL MAKE A NOTE OF THAT AND WE'LL WORK TO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE TO ENSURE THERE'S A SMOOTH TRANSITION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALISON, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
AYE. DIRECTOR KATIMS. AYE. AND THE MOTION PASSES.
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK FOR THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FROM DIRECTOR
[14. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES]
CHASE, WHO HAS BEEN WONDERFUL AT KEEPING US APPRIZED, AND IT WILL BE GOOD FOR THE PUBLIC TO HEAR THIS AS WELL.THANK YOU. DIRECTOR KATIMS. WELL, TODAY WE ARE.
IT IS CRUNCH TIME WE'RE ENTERING THE LAST THREE WEEKS OF THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
AND AS SUCH, I TOOK A QUICK LOOK TO SEE HOW MANY BILLS ARE STILL ALIVE IN OUR BILL TRACKER FROM WASDA.
WE STARTED WITH OVER 100 AND IT'S BEEN WHITTLED DOWN TO JUST OVER 40 THAT ARE LIVE.
[01:45:03]
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ACTION RIGHT NOW WITH THESE LAST WITH THE ACTION THIS WEEK.WE ALSO HAVE HAD THE MUCH AWAITED BUDGETS FROM THE HOUSE AND THE SENATE, AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT WE DO HAVE SOME ALIGNMENT WITH OUR PRIORITIES, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ENHANCEMENTS TO THE PROTOTYPICAL SCHOOL FUNDING AND STUDENT SUPPORT STAFFING. AND THIS IS PARTICULARLY IN THE HOUSE BILL.
THESE ARE LARGE DOCUMENTS, SO I JUST HAVE A VERY I WOULD JUST LIKE STONE SKIPPING OVER THE SURFACE OF VIEW OF THIS.
BUT IN THE HOUSE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET, THE STUDENT SUPPORT STAFFING IS PHASED IN OVER THREE YEARS TO INCREASE STAFFING RATIOS FOR NURSES, SOCIAL WORKERS, PSYCHOLOGISTS AND COUNSELORS TO SUPPORT THE PHYSICAL AND SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS AS REQUIRED FOR THE CURRENT HOUSE BILL SIXTEEN SIXTY FOUR.
REMEMBER, THOUGH, THAT WE HAVE THREE BUDGETS AND THEY WERE ALL.
THEY WILL ALL BE CONDENSED AND NEGOTIATED DOWN TO ONE.
BUT IT IS REALLY GOOD NEWS THAT WE'RE HAVING SOME SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE. THE OTHER IS ENROLLMENT STABILIZATION, AND WE HAVE THE CURRENT SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 15 90, WHICH IS ALSO ADDRESSED IN THE HOUSE OPERATING BILL AS ENROLLMENT STABILIZATION, WHICH THIS ONE IT'S FUNDING TO PROVIDE TO LOCAL EDUCATION AGENCIES WITH ACTUAL ENROLLMENTS OF 2021 22 LOWER THAN BUDGETED ENROLLMENTS, AND IT'S CAPPED AT STABILIZATION AMOUNTS BASED ON THE 19 20 ENROLLMENT.
AND SO THE LOCAL EFFORT ASSISTANCE IS STABILIZED TO THE 19 20 ENROLLMENTS IN 2022 AND 23 CALENDAR YEARS, AS IS REQUIRED.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN ASKING FOR.
SO, SO THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRACKING.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, IN THE SENATE, TRANSITIONAL KINDERGARTEN AS 13 MILLION FOR 21 23 AND THIRTY FIVE MILLION TO FOR THE EXPECTED INCREASES IN ENROLLMENT.
I'M GOING TO FORWARD ON THE DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE THESE PARTICULAR AREA INCREASES RELATED TO K-12 PUBLIC SCHOOLS TO THE BOARD, AND I CAN MAKE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IF THEY'RE INTERESTED. ONE COMMENTS WE'VE BEEN GETTING TOO IS ON THE RESIDENTIAL OUTDOOR SCHOOL. THERE'S BEEN 10 MILLION, 10 MILLION.
THIS IS IN THE SENATE OPERATING BUDGET IN THE 2023 BUDGET PROPOSAL AND 50 MILLION IN 23 25. AND ITS FUNDING IS PROVIDED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO SUPPORT RESIDENTIAL OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS.
AND SO THAT'S ONE THAT I'VE BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN TO SEE HOW THAT ONE'S GOING.
THIS WEEK, THERE'S ANOTHER CUT OFF SO THE BUDGET COMMITTEES WILL BE GETTING TOGETHER TO NEGOTIATE THESE TWO BUDGETS, ALONG WITH THE GOVERNORS, AND COME TO THE LEGISLATURES WITH PROPOSED BUDGETS. SO WE WILL KEEP THAT APPRIZED.
THREE WEEKS IS VERY COMPRESSED.
I HAVE HEARD NOISE THAT THERE COULD BE POSSIBLY AN EXTENSION OF THIS SESSION, BUT THAT IS TO BE DETERMINED.
AS WE'RE KIND OF GOING FORWARD TOO I THOUGHT I WAS TAKING A LOOK AT SOME OF THE BILLS AND I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE THERE WERE A COUPLE OF INTEREST.
ONE IS SENATE BILL FIFTY EIGHT SEVENTY EIGHT THAT WAS SEEN IN COMMITTEE TODAY AND THIS IS RELATED TO IT ADDS VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS TO THE LIST OF SUBJECT SCHOOLS MUST INSTRUCT STUDENTS.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING GIVEN THE PRESENTATION WE HAD BY THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE STUDENTS TODAY ON ART.
SO I THOUGHT THAT MIGHT BE OF INTEREST TO US ON THE BOARD TODAY.
AND WE ALSO HAVE A COUPLE BILLS THAT ARE STILL MOVING FORWARD, ONES ALIGNING STATE AND SCHOOL HOLIDAYS.
THAT'S BEEN AN INTERESTING ONE WE'VE BEEN FOLLOWING.
AND THE OTHER IS CONCERNING AUDIO RECORDINGS OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
IT WOULD REQUIRE RECORDINGS OF SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS THAT ONE HAS YET TO HAVE A COMMITTEE HEARING. SO WE'LL SEE.
SO I'M GLAD TO SAY SEE THAT WE ARE AHEAD OF THINGS IN EDMONDS AND WE ARE ALREADY DOING RECORDINGS. SO AS THESE NEXT THREE WEEKS ARE COMING, IT'S FAST AND FURIOUS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF BILLS THAT I HAVE SIGNED IN ON AS PRO WITHOUT TESTIFYING.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE SOME OPPORTUNITIES COMING UP AS WE FIND OUT BETWEEN NOW AND THURSDAY WHICH BILLS ARE GOING TO GET THEIR COMMITTEE HEARINGS OR NOT.
[01:50:03]
AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SENSE OF HOW MANY LIVE BILLS WILL HAVE.COMING FORWARD AT THE END OF THE WEEK.
I'M ALSO, LYDIA, I BELIEVE IF LYDIA IS STILL ON THE CALL, HAD SOME SPECIFIC THAT EARLIER TODAY AT OUR SCHOOL BOARD STUDY SESSION ON THE BUDGET, IF LYDIA, YOU WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING PARTICULAR BECAUSE I WANTED TO THANK YOU, THAT WAS A VERY INFORMATIVE AND I THOUGHT A VERY WELL DONE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WAS GOING ON IN THE LEGISLATURE.
I APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK WE'RE JUST IN THE WAITING GAME NOW.
PRETTY MUCH. DIRECTOR CHASE, THANK YOU SO MUCH, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE ACTIVE ROLE THAT YOU'RE TAKING AND KEEPING US APPRISED.
THIS IS A PARTICULARLY INTERESTING LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND COULD BE VERY POSITIVE FOR US.
LET'S HOPE THAT ALL THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT WE WE KNOW WE REALLY NEED.
THEY WILL COME THROUGH ON AND REALLY HELP US OUT.
YOU KNOW, I DO ALSO WANT TO GIVE A PARTICULAR SHOUT OUT TO THE WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL DIRECTOR ASSOCIATION STAFF.
THEY DO AN EXCELLENT JOB OF HELPING TO INFORM SCHOOL BOARD DIRECTORS AND LEGISLATIVE REPS ON THE CONDENSED CONDENSING A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION DOWN, AS I SAID, WITH GOING FROM 100 BILLS DOWN TO FORTY FOUR AND TRACKING EVERY SINGLE ONE.
IT'S A LOT OF WORK AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THEIR WORK AND I OFTEN AM NOT SURE THAT THEY KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE THEM.
THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW, AND THE DISTILLATION OF IT IS VERY HELPFUL FOR US.
AND YOU'RE SUMMARIZING IT AS WELL HELPS US BECAUSE BILLS CAN BE VERY LENGTHY AND DETAILED AND MORE DIFFICULT TO GET THROUGH WHEN WE WANT TO GET TO THE CRUX OF WHAT IS THIS? WHAT DOES THIS DO FOR US, RIGHT? SO THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE? OK, WELL, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WATCH THE BILLS THAT ARE LIVE AND THAT MATTER TO US.
SO LET'S GO TO COMMENTS AND LET'S GO TO THE STUDENTS.
[15. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
I KNOW THAT BELLA HAD TO LEAVE.SHE LEFT A COMMENT IN THE CHAT SHE HAD BEEN HERE.
DO YOU HAVE COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE? YES, I'M HERE, AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS BOARD MEETING TODAY WAS VERY INFORMATIVE.
I REALLY LIKED THE ARTWORK THAT THE STUDENTS FROM MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY REALLY SHARED WITH US TODAY. IT REALLY JUST BROUGHT ME BACK MEMORIES FROM WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY AND JUST WORKING ON THOSE ART PROJECTS AND JUST REALLY EXCITED TO SHOW OUR PARENTS AND JUST OUR STAFF OF THE CREATIONS THAT WE MADE.
REGARDING THE MASK MANDATE CHANGING FOR THE STATEWIDE.
I'VE BEEN TALKING TO A LOT OF MY FELLOW FRIENDS AND STUDENTS HERE AT EDMONDS WOODWAY, AND THEY ALL MAKE IT SEEM PRETTY CLEAR THAT WHILE THE MASK MANDATE WAS LIFTED BY GOVERNOR INSLEE STARTING MARCH 21ST, I BELIEVE A LOT OF THE STUDENTS HERE STILL WANT THE MASKS TO CONTINUE BECAUSE WE KNOW THEY'RE EFFECTIVE.
I KNOW WE'VE BEEN WEARING THEM FOR ALMOST A YEAR NOW IN SCHOOLS, MAYBE A BIT MORE, BUT THEY'RE JUST WORKING AND WE'RE JUST REALLY CONCERNED, YOU KNOW, IF THE MASKS DO COME OFF AND IT'S JUST UP TO THE DISCRETION OF WHOEVER WANTS TO WEAR ONE AND THEN THE CASES DO INCREASE, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GO BACK TO REMOTE LEARNING, AND NO ONE REALLY WANTS THAT.
AS FAR AS WHAT I'M HEARING AND JUST I REALLY HOPE THAT THE BOARD MAKES A DECISION WITH THE BEST OF THEIR ABILITIES.
AND LIKE DIRECTOR SMITH SAID, THE DATA REALLY SHOWS WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T, SO I REALLY HOPE THAT A GOOD DECISION WILL BE MADE.
DANIEL, THANKS AND THANKS FOR BRINGING THE PERSPECTIVE OF YOUR FELLOW STUDENTS AT EDMONDS WOODWAY, THAT'S VERY HOPEFUL.
HI, SORRY, MY CAMERA IS WORKING, BUT SO REGARDING THE COVID LIKE COVID AND THE MASKS NOT BEING REQUIRED ANYMORE, STARTING LIKE NEXT MONTH, A LOT OF I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF MY FRIENDS AND KIDS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT.
THERE ARE SOME REALLY VARIED OPINIONS LIKE ON BOTH ENDS LIKE SOME KIDS ARE LIKE, YAY, NO MASKS. I'M NOT WEARING MASKS AND SOME KIDS ARE LIKE, I REALLY NEED TO WEAR A MASK, AND I REALLY NEED KIDS AROUND ME TO WEAR A MASK.
OTHERWISE, I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO COME TO SCHOOL.
I'VE SEEN ACTUALLY A LOT OF THOSE WHERE KIDS ARE SAYING THAT IF THERE'S OTHERS AROUND THEM THAT AREN'T WEARING MASKS, IT MIGHT BE DIFFICULT FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY ATTEND SCHOOL
[01:55:04]
BECAUSE OF THEIR OWN ISSUES OR PEOPLE IN THEIR FAMILY IN ONE OF MY CLASSES WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS AND WE WERE JUST GETTING A POLL IN HOW MANY KIDS WOULD LIKE, JUST CONTINUE TO WEAR THEIR MASKS AND WHO WOULDN'T.AND MOST OF THE CLASS SAID THEY WOULD CONTINUE WEARING MASKS JUST TO KEEP THEMSELVES SAFE AND THOSE AROUND THEM.
THESE OPINIONS, LIKE VARY FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL BECAUSE I HAVE FRIENDS IN OTHER SCHOOLS WERE LIKE MOST OF MOST OF THEM LIKE DON'T WANT MASKS AT ALL.
BUT LIKE, I'M IN EDMONDS WOODWAY ACTUALLY A LOT OF KIDS WANT TO CONTINUE WEARING MASKS, WHICH IS EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN OPINION, BUT THAT'S JUST WHAT KIDS AT MY SCHOOL ARE SAYING. SO I THINK IT'S UP TO LIKE EVERYBODY'S PERSONAL PREFERENCE, BUT SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO HELP KEEP THOSE AROUND THEM SAFE.
AND SOME PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO ATTEND SCHOOL IF PEOPLE CAN'T WEAR THEIR MASKS OR AREN'T.
SO THAT'S THAT AND I LOVE SEEING THE ARTWORK FROM ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THOSE WERE SO THOSE REMINDED ME OF WHEN I WAS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I HAVEN'T DONE ART IN A WHILE, SO MAYBE I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO DOING THAT.
THANK YOU, ROSHNI I'VE, WE APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE FROM YOUR SCHOOL AND FROM OTHER SCHOOLS, AND YES, ART IS A LOVELY THING TO BE ABLE TO DO TO RELIEVE STRESS UNLESS YOU'RE TERRIBLE AT IT LIKE ME AND THEN IT MIGHT CREATE STRESS, BUT GOOD POINTS.
YEAH, I AGREE WITH ROSHNI AND DANIEL ABOUT WHAT MY PEERS HAVE BEEN SAYING, BUT ALSO THANK YOU TO ALL THE PRESENTERS FOR GIVING US THAT VERY VALUABLE INFORMATION, AND IT'S REALLY GREAT TO KNOW LIKE WHERE THE GOVERNOR IS AND WHAT LIKE WHERE WE'RE AT AS A COUNTY AND KNOWING I LIKE I APPRECIATE THAT WE KNOW LIKE A MONTH AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE, LIKE THE MASK MANDATE LIFTS, THAT IT MAY HAPPEN BECAUSE I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN THIS WAY WEARING MASKS FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS, I BELIEVE.
SO IT'S NICE GETTING A HEADS UP BEFORE ALL OF A SUDDEN LIKE THE MASK MANDATE LIFTS, BECAUSE THAT'S A BIG CHANGE FOR US AND FOR EVERYONE.
AND. YEAH, I PARTLY HOPE THAT THE MASK MANDATE LIFTING HOPEFULLY ENCOURAGES MORE PEOPLE TO GET VACCINATED.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I DON'T KNOW IF I PERSONALLY WOULD BE READY TO TAKE MY MASK OFF THE REST OF THE YEAR. AND AT THE SAME TIME, LIKE THERE'S ONLY THERE WILL ONLY BE ABOUT TWO MONTHS LEFT AT SCHOOL.
SO IT'S LIKE, WHY NOT JUST WAIT IT OUT? BUT I'M GLAD THAT IT'S UP TO STUDENTS.
AND HOPEFULLY IF IT'S MORE SPLIT HALF AND A HALF WITH STUDENTS WHO WANT TO KEEP WEARING MASKS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE READY TO TAKE THEM OFF.
HOPEFULLY, THERE WON'T BE ANY LIKE BULLYING OR PEER PRESSURE TO DO ANYTHING.
I REALLY LOVED SEEING THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY ARTWORK AS WELL.
ALSO HEARING ABOUT THEIR I-READY PROGRAM AND HOW THAT'S WORKING BECAUSE I REMEMBER DOING I-READY, AND ALTHOUGH IT WAS DIFFICULT, IT WASN'T MY FAVORITE THING.
I KNOW IT REALLY DID HELP, ESPECIALLY SINCE IT'S TAILORED TO EACH STUDENT.
SO I REALLY IT'S REALLY GREAT HEARING THAT IT'S WORKING FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
YEAH, HI. I WOULD LIKE TO, FIRST OF ALL, SAY THAT PRETTY MUCH MY OTHER ADVISORS, STUDENT ADVISERS, HAVE PRETTY MUCH COVERED WHAT I WANTED TO SAY.
BUT JUST LIKE OUR SCHOOL, IT'S PRETTY MUCH SPLIT WITH THE MASKS.
THERE'S SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE MASK MANDATE BEING LIFTED, AND THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE WHO REALLY WANT TO KEEP THE MANDATE OR CONTINUE TO WEAR THEIR MASKS.
SO ALSO, I LOVED SEEING THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ART.
ONCE AGAIN, IT BROUGHT ME BACK TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND DOING ALL THE ART PROJECTS.
THEN I'M SO EXCITED THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY ALSO LEARNING ABOUT THE DIFFERENT TYPE OF ART MATERIALS THEY COULD USE.
LIKE, I SAW THAT THEY HAD WATERCOLORS AND I THINK THEY HAD GEL PENS AS WELL.
I THINK I ONLY HAD WATERCOLORS WHEN I DID WHEN I WAS DOING ART IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BUT JUST LIKE THE OTHERS, I'M THINKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO DO ART AGAIN.
ALSO, I HAD A QUESTION FOR THE BOARD, AND I THINK DR.
BALDERAS HAD BROUGHT THIS UP A FEW WEEKS AGO.
DOES THE MASK MANDATE BEING LIFTED OPEN UP ANY OPPORTUNITIES OF US HAVING THESE BOARD
[02:00:08]
MEETINGS IN PERSON? THANKFULLY RIGHT NOW WE'RE STILL SCHEDULED TO TRY AND HAVE THESE MEETINGS, IF WE CAN NEXT MONTH AND DEPENDING ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THE MASK MANDATE AGAIN IN OUR LEADERSHIP TO SEE IF WE WANT TO COME BACK THE FIRST MEETING IN MARCH AS PLANNED OR WAIT UNTIL THE MANDATE IS LIFTED AND GET MORE INFORMATION TO SEE IF IT'S JUST AGAIN.WE NEED MORE INFORMATION RIGHT NOW.
BUT RIGHT NOW, AND I'LL TALK TO BOARD LEADERSHIP, BUT WE ARE PLANNING ON HAVING BOARD MEETINGS IN PERSON HERE SOMETIME THIS HOPEFULLY NEXT MONTH THAT NEED TO TOUCH BASE WITH BOARD LEADERSHIP IF I CAN. OK, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE STUDENT ADVISORS.
ARE YOU COMFORTABLE COMING BACK IN PERSON TO THE BOARD MEETINGS, WHICH ARE OBVIOUSLY PUBLIC AS OPPOSED TO IN YOUR CLASSROOM? YEAH, I'M PRETTY COMFORTABLE WITH THAT, YEAH.
I SEE ISABEL SHAKING YOUR HEAD.
YES, I'M COMFORTABLE WITH IT ALSO.
DANIEL. YEAH, DEFINITELY, I THINK IT'LL BE A FUN EXPERIENCE TOO YEAH.
WHY DON'T I SEE YOU'RE HERE, RIGHT? THERE YOU ARE. I KNEW YOU'D MAKE YOURSELF KNOWN, GO AHEAD.
OK. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S SO COOL TO SEE THE SOFTBALL IMPROVEMENT PLAN BUDGET END UP ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
IT'S KIND OF FUNNY BECAUSE WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THINGS IN CLASSES AND THEN THEY'LL COME UP DURING THE BOARD MEETINGS AND I'M LIKE, YUP.
YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE BEING ACKNOWLEDGED.
WE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION TODAY IN A LITERATURE OF SOCIAL JUSTICE CLASS JUST ABOUT.
WELL, ACTUALLY, IT STARTED WITH CAPITALISM AND THEN STARTED TALKING ABOUT HOW DIFFERENT GROUPS IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS JUST TEND TO BE UNDERREPRESENTED JUST BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF, LIKE HOW THINGS GO THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
SO ART USUALLY ENDS UP TAKING THE THE LOW END OF THE STICK WHEN THINGS COME UP.
OR, YOU KNOW, LIKE SOME SPORTS ARE TREATED DIFFERENTLY THAN OTHERS BASED ON LIKE HOW POPULAR OR HOW WELL THEY DO.
IT'S JUST KIND OF A NATURE, THE NATURE OF HOW THINGS WORK.
SO IT WAS VERY NICE TO SEE THAT THIS IS GETTING THE IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND ALSO SEEING THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY PROMOTION OF ART AND MAKING SURE THAT KIDS ARE REALLY INVESTING IN ART IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT IS KIND OF THE WELL-ROUNDED EDUCATION OF LEARNING TO READ, MAKE THE LOVE OF READING THE LOVE OF ART, ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE FOSTERED.
AND IT'S JUST IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT BECAUSE GOING FORWARD, WE ALL KNOW HOW IMPORTANT ELECTIVES AND ART AND JUST SELF-EXPRESSION REALLY ARE.
REGARDING THE MASK MANDATE, OH BOY.
BASICALLY, WE IN OUR CLASS IN OUR FORTY FIVE PEOPLE CLASS FOR AP GOVERNMENT, YES, THERE ARE FORTY FIVE PEOPLE IN THIS CLASS STILL, I THINK WE ALMOST TO A TEE.
EVERYONE WAS LIKE, YEAH, NO MASKS ARE STAYING ON, EVEN IF THE MASK MANDATE LIFTS.
AND I KNOW THAT THE OPINION IS VARYING ACROSS PEOPLE LIKE, YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS AND STUDENTS AND STAFF. AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF WHAT WE'VE DONE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
BUT YOU KNOW, EITHER WAY, I WAS BRING UP THE ENFORCING SITUATION EARLIER.
IT'S SO HARD TO ENFORCE IT EITHER WAY BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, OK, NOW, EVEN WITH THE IDEA OF THE MASK MANDATE, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO START TO REALLY NOT WEAR THEIR MASK PROPERLY.
NOT THAT THAT WASN'T AN ISSUE BEFORE.
BUT THEN YOU BRING IN THE PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING BACK AFTER A COUPLE OF DAYS OF COVID, HAVING COVID AND THEN NEEDING BEING TOLD TO PUT ON MASKS, LIKE THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE SO DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE.
BUT SO I DO NOT ENVY STAFF OF THE STAFF AND ADMIN AT ALL.
BUT THAT SAID, THERE'S GOING TO BE MIXED OPINIONS EITHER WAY.
AND DR. BALDERAS PUT IT PERFECTLY EARLIER SAYING THAT WE CANNOT MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY.
BUT I KNOW THE MASKS ARE WORKING AND I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN SCHOOL THE LAST SIX MONTHS, THANK GOODNESS, IS BECAUSE OF THOSE MASKS.
AND I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF THERE'S A LOT OF CREDIT OWED TO THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, THANK YOU TO THE STAFF.
AS ALWAYS, I DO NOT KNOW HOW I, AS A SENIOR FEEL LIKE I HAVE GROWING GRAY HAIR FROM THE
[02:05:06]
LAST THREE YEARS, TWO YEARS, WHATEVER IT IS.BUT IT'S SO HARD TO BELIEVE THAT DR.
BALDERAS JOINED US IN 2020 AND HAS HAD TO DEAL WITH THIS AS SUPERINTENDENT THE ENTIRE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. BUT I KNOW IT'S ONE MEETING AFTER ANOTHER AND JUST THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU GUYS DO LIKE.
IT IS REALLY HIGHLY APPRECIATED.
GOOD POINTS, DIRECTOR SMITH, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT KATIMS. THE LIA BEAT ME TO THE PUNCH, I WAS GOING TO ACTUALLY ASK THAT WE PUT AN AGENDA ITEM FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS ON THE NEXT AGENDA, SO WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND.
BUT I WANTED TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE MASK MANDATE IS SORT OF FRONT AND CENTER ON EVERYONE'S MIND AS IT SHOULD BE.
AND AS I SAID EARLIER, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING THROUGH MY MIND ON IT, AND I CAN SEE BOTH SIDES OF THAT ISSUE.
AND SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAVE ALL OF THAT GUIDANCE IN FRONT OF ME BEFORE I DECIDE WHAT COMMENTS I WANT TO MAKE SO THAT I KNOW THAT THEY'RE ON POINT IMPACTFUL.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY IS THE PRESENTATION FROM MTE REALLY SHOWS US HOW MUCH WE'VE GROWN THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED AND ALSO THE DANGERS THAT WE HAVE AND THE ONE CORNER WE HAVE THOSE I-READY SCORES, WHICH UNDOUBTEDLY ARE SUBSTANTIALLY LOWER THAN THEY OTHERWISE WOULD BE CHILDREN WHO ARE SUFFERING FROM DISTANCE LEARNING.
I HAD TO TEACH DURING SOME OF THAT WHERE, YOU KNOW, TRY AND GET A SECOND GRADER IN FRONT OF A ZOOM FOR AN HOUR OR TWO HOURS.
THERE WAS NO, YOU JUST WEREN'T GOING TO DO IT.
KIDS ARE GOING TO DISAPPEAR, THEIR CATS ARE GOING TO MAKE APPEARANCES.
WE WERE GOING TO DEVOLVE INTO SHOW AND TELL IT JUST IT WASN'T GOING TO HAPPEN.
BUT ON THE OTHER HAND, WE SEE THAT NOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WHOEVER IT WAS.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE NAME, BUT THE ARTIST WHO WAS ABLE TO RECORD THESE PROJECTS FOR THEM AND SHOW THEM VIA ZOOM TO MULTIPLE CLASSES AND A COUPLE OF TIMES A WEEK, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT MAYBE WE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO IN THE PAST.
SO WE'VE LEARNED HOW TO DO SOME THINGS BETTER, BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN WHAT THE DANGERS ARE, AND I DEFINITELY KNOW THAT IF WE MOVE TOO QUICKLY OR DON'T TAKE THE RIGHT PRECAUTIONS AND WE END UP HAVING KIDS GO BACK HOME TO DISTANCE LEARNING THAT THAT IS THE SORT OF THING THAT WE CANNOT BE DOING NOW.
WE'VE ALREADY LOST TOO MUCH GROUND BECAUSE OF THIS PANDEMIC.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, WHATEVER WE DO, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE KEEPING KIDS SAFE.
WE'RE KEEPING THEM IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND I WILL TELL YOU, AS A TEACHER, I MY DISTRICT WILL 100 PERCENT TAKE AWAY MASKS ON THE DAY THEY CAN. I ALREADY KNOW IT'S A FAR MORE CONSERVATIVE DISTRICT.
THEY WILL GO AWAY. I WILL NOT TAKE OFF MY MASK BECAUSE IF I WALK INTO THAT CLASSROOM AND I GET ONE OF MY STUDENTS SICK AND THEY DIE, I WILL NEVER WALK IN THAT CLASSROOM AGAIN.
SO THIS ISN'T, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S JUST THE FLU FOR MOST PEOPLE, BUT IT JUST TAKES ONE KID. AND WE HAVE A TRAGEDY, SO THAT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON MY MIND.
THANKS, KEITH. DIRECTOR CHASE.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AND THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CARING FOLKS THAT REALLY DO CARE ABOUT PUBLIC HEALTH HERE AND THAT WE USE DATA TO INFORM OUR DECISIONS.
SO I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING MORE INFORMATION AS WE MOVE FORWARD ON THE MAT ON THE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT ENGAGE IN OUR ACTIONS WITH THIS PANDEMIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE.
THE OTHER THING I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IS ART, AND I SO APPRECIATED THAT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SEE THE ART THAT IS BEING PRODUCED AND INSPIRED IN OUR DISTRICT, AND I HOPE WE CAN DO THIS AT EVERY SINGLE MEETING BECAUSE IT DOES HELP SHOW THE WONDERFUL AND JOYFUL LEARNING THAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT AS WE GRAPPLE WITH THESE REALLY TOUGH DECISIONS. SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR RIGHT NOW.
THANKS, CARIN DIRECTOR KILGORE.
HEY. I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I REALIZED WHEN I WAS JOTTING DOWN MY NOTES ABOUT WHAT I MIGHT WANT TO SHARE.
I'VE BEEN A LITTLE BUSY, SO I DID GO AND GO TO WASDA LEADERSHIP OR LEADERSHIP WASDA
[02:10:01]
TRAINING SOMETIME DURING THIS TIME, I GUESS LAST WEEK.AND I THINK THE MOST BENEFICIAL ASPECT OF IT IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET DIRECTORS FROM ALL OVER THE STATE.
AND GOSH, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW OUR I'M SO GRATEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR BEING CIVIL.
LET ME JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE DIRECTORS ACROSS THE STATE WHO ARE HAVING TO MEET, YOU KNOW, HAVE HAVE TO HAVE POLICE PRESENCE AT THEIR MEETINGS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, BEING THREATENED, BEING FOLLOWED HOME, HAVING THEIR CHILDREN.
IN FACT, YOU KNOW, AND WHEN YOU'RE IN A SMALL SCHOOL DISTRICT, SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY KNOWS EVERYBODY HAVING THEIR CHILDREN APPROACHED.
SO A LOT OF OUT-OF-BOUNDS ACTIVITY IN SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS.
AND SO I JUST REALLY APPRECIATE THAT OUR DISTRICT IS SO CIVIL AND WILLING TO DISCUSS.
AND WE'RE NOT ALL GOING TO AGREE, BUT I HOPE THAT WE ALL ALWAYS, ALL OF US APPROACH THE THE CONFLICTS WITH GOOD INTENTIONS.
AND OF COURSE, I'M JUST LEARNING TO BE A LEADER, BUT I GUESS.
BUT THAT WAS DEFINITELY VERY VALUABLE, HOW THERE HOW DIFFERENT DISTRICTS ARE ADDRESSING THE PANDEMIC.
ANOTHER THING THAT I DID, IF YOU LIVE IN LYNNWOOD OR IF YOU DRIVE IN LYNNWOOD AND PASS BY OUR CONVENTION CENTER, YOU'LL SEE OUR NEW BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF ART CALLED I THINK IT'S ENTITLED I LOVE LYNNWOOD AND IT'S A HUGE HEART IN FRONT OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND THE DESIGN ON IT IS INSPIRED BY KOREAN.
I CAN'T REMEMBER THE THE NAME OF IT, BUT IT'S A KIND OF QUILTING.
TROY, IS A KOREAN AMERICAN WHO CAME UP IN OUR DISTRICT, AND SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT PIECE OF ART. BUT THE REASON I MENTION IT IS BECAUSE I ALSO GOT TO MEET WITH SOME OF OUR PARKS DEPARTMENT PEOPLE AND THIS IS CALLED CROSSING THE ROAD A CHICKEN THEME JOURNEY THROUGH LYNNWOOD HISTORY.
AND IT IS A GRAPHIC, YOU KNOW, A COMIC BOOK.
AND I LEARNED THAT AT ONE TIME, LYNNWOOD WAS THE SECOND LARGEST EGG PRODUCER IN THE COUNTRY. AND SO BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I DID LEARN AND THAT I'D LIKE OUR DISTRICT TO CONSIDER IS SO LYNNWOOD HAS HERITAGE PARK, WHICH IS PRETTY CLOSE BY.
AND IT IS A IT'S GOT SEVERAL BUILDINGS, SOME, YOU KNOW, HISTORIC BUILDINGS.
IT'S GOT A TROLLEY FROM THE INTERURBAN TRAIL.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE IT'S GOT A WATER TOWER, SOME OTHER THINGS AND THEY DO PROGRAMING FOR KIDS AND THEY HAVE GRANT MONEY TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR KIDS.
AND THEY ARE LOOKING FOR THIRD GRADE CLASSES TO COME VISIT HERITAGE PARK.
SO I'M THROWING THIS OUT THERE.
I'LL FOLLOW UP JUST TO REMIND PEOPLE.
FRED WONG IS THE IS THE PARK'S POINT OF CONTACT, I BELIEVE, AND I KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN APPROACHING SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS INDIVIDUALLY.
BUT I THINK THAT BECAUSE IT'S FREE, FREE, FREE AND IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY FUN THING AND PROBABLY THEY'LL HAND THESE OUT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A REALLY NICE LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR THIRD GRADERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE OF US WHO LOVE LYNNWOOD AS I DO.
AND THEN AS OUR AS THE DISTRICT ONE.
CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ANYMORE, BUT THE DISTRICT ONE NORTHWEST INTERSCHOLASTIC ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATION REP FROM WASDA.
THAT'S ME. I'VE BEEN SORT OF HEARING ABOUT OUR WASHINGTON WIA EVERY YEAR THEY HAVE THEIR AMENDMENTS TO THEIR POLICY AND NEW THINGS, AND I'VE MENTIONED THAT
[02:15:08]
BEFORE THAT THIS YEAR, WE ONLY HAVE SEVEN OF THEM, BUT TWO OF THEM ARE REALLY COOL.ONE IS TO ADD CHESS AND THE OTHER ONE IS TO ADD E-SPORTS.
AND THEN THERE'S A COUPLE OF OTHER ONES THAT I CAN'T REMEMBER, BUT I'LL BRING THEM.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IT ON A FUTURE BOARD MEETING THAT WE SPEND FIVE MINUTES JUST SORT OF POLLING OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
THERE'S JUST SEVEN AMENDMENTS.
I ASSUME EVERYBODY WILL SAY, YEAH, I WANT CHESS, AND YES, I WANT E-SPORTS.
THE OTHER ONES ARE KIND OF TECHNICAL, YOU KNOW, LIKE INSTEAD OF THIS MANY GAMES IN SOFTBALL, WE'LL HAVE THAT MANY GAMES.
SO I'M NOT SURE I DON'T SEE ANYTHING CONTROVERSIAL, BUT WE'LL JUST NEED A FEW MINUTES FOR ME TO JUST GET EVERYBODY'S INPUT ON THAT IN MARCH, HOPEFULLY BECAUSE I THINK THE MEETING IS THE 29TH TO BRING BACK.
AND OF COURSE, I'M ASKING ALL THE DISTRICTS AND DISTRICT ONE TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK ON THOSE AND I'LL BRING THEM BACK.
SO AND THAT IS REALLY ALL I'M GOING TO SAY TONIGHT.
YOU GET THE AWARD FOR THE MOST ENTERTAINING AND ENLIGHTENING BOARD COMMENTS THAT I THINK I'VE HEARD SINCE I'VE BEEN A BOARD MEMBER, PARTICULARLY THE I LOVE LYNNWOOD PEACE AND ALL OF THE PARTS WITH IT ANYWAY.
THIS IS AN INTERESTING MEETING THAT HAS SORT OF THE BOTH SIDES OF THE VERY SERIOUS TOPIC OF MASK WEARING.
AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY SEEING BOTH SIDES TO THIS.
IT'S A DIFFICULT TOPIC AND IT'S DIFFICULT FOR US TO THINK IT THROUGH.
BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT TWO PARTS OF IT ARE ONE THAT WE FOLLOW THE DATA AND PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT'S GOING ON AND TWO THAT OUR PRIMARY CONCERN CONTINUE TO BE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
SO WE HAD THAT VERY SERIOUS TOPIC AND THEN WE HAD THE LOVELY PRESENTATION FROM THE STUDENTS AT MOUNTLAKE TERRACE ELEMENTARY.
I NOT ONLY LOVED THE ART PIECE, BUT I LOVE THE FACT THAT THEY INTEGRATED IT AND WE'RE STUDYING OCTOPI AT THE SAME TIME AND SAW THE MOVIE ON MY OCTOPUS TEACHER THAT THAT KIND OF BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER IS IS SUCH A LOVELY PIECE OF LEARNING.
SO I REALLY JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE MOUNTLAKE TERRACE PEOPLE, AND ESPECIALLY TO ALL OUR STAFF THAT CONTINUE TO DO THE HEAVY LIFTING AND THAT HOPEFULLY WE'RE NEARING THE END IN THIS LAST PIECE SHOULDN'T BE AS CHALLENGING AS IT IS, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS GOING TO CONTINUE.
IT'S NOT LETTING US OFF EASY, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY.
DR. BALDERAS, YOU HAVE SOME CLOSING REMARKS FOR US.
JUST REALLY BRIEFLY APPRECIATE THAT DR.
KILGORE BRINGING UP THE E-SPORTS.
I KNOW GREG HAS A PRESENTATION THAT HE'S GOING TO BE BRINGING FORWARD TO THE BOARD IN TERMS OF HAVING SOME OPPORTUNITY TO COUPLE AT LEAST A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT HERE. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S A THAT'S A THAT'S ALIVE AND WELL.
AGAIN, IN CLOSING, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE COMMENTS.
AND AGAIN, I KNOW THAT AS WE GET THROUGH THIS, JUST CONTINUE TO SHOW GRACE TO EACH OTHER AS WE CONTINUE TO WALK THROUGH THIS PATH BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A VERY DIFFICULT FOR EVERYBODY IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH THE LAST FEW NOT EVEN A FEW MONTHS ANYMORE.
IT'S BEEN TWO YEARS. SO BUT AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE SPIRIT AND THE LEADERSHIP OF ALL THE ALL THE STAFF, BUT ALSO THE RESILIENCE THAT ALL THE STUDENTS HAVE SHOWN AND THE FAMILIES HAVE SHOWN THROUGH AS WE CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THIS.
SO JUST WITH GREAT APPRECIATION, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
BALDERAS. AND THE NEXT ITEM IS, IN FACT, ITEMS WE WANT TO BRING TO FUTURE MEETINGS, AND
[16. ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION AT FUTURE MEETINGS]
I'VE ALREADY HEARD TWO.SO KEITH, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DISCUSS AND WHEN AND PROTOCOLS FOR IN-PERSON BOARD MEETINGS? CORRECT.
OK. AND DEBORAH, YOU WANT US TO TALK ABOUT THE WIA POSSIBLE AMENDMENTS? I HOPE PICKLEBALL IS ONE OF THE NEW THINGS THEY WANT TO BRING ON.
IT'S GOING TO BE THIS YEAR, COME ON, I'LL BRING IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHERS THAT FOLKS WANT AS ITEMS FOR FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS?
[02:20:02]
OK, WE'RE GOOD. YOU CAN ALWAYS EMAIL DR.BALDERAS OR MYSELF WITH OTHER IDEAS THAT YOU HAVE.
IT'S A GOOD BOARD MEETING AND THIS CURRENT BOARD MEETING IS NOW ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.