[00:00:02]
>> GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY AND WELCOME.
[1. CALL TO ORDER-6:30 pm]
THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER.THANK YOU. WE'RE GLAD YOU'RE ALL HERE.
WE LOVE SEEING THE KIDS IN PARTICULAR. LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
[2. ROLL CALL-6:31 pm (ALL TIMES ARE ESTIMATED)]
SMITH. I THINK DIRECTOR SMITH IS ON ZOOM.>> HE HASN'T BEEN JOINED YET. DIRECTOR NOBLE.
>> EXCELLENT. I'M DIRECTOR KATIMS.
[3. LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT-6:32 pm]
NEXT, I'LL ASK DR. MINER TO DO THE LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT FOR US.>> THANK YOU, DR. KATIMS. WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS OF THIS PLACE, THE SNOW HOMELESS PEOPLE AND THEIR SUCCESSORS, THE TWO TRIBES WHOSE SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL HAVE TAKEN CARE OF, HUNTED, FISHED AND GATHERED ON THESE LANDS.
WE RESPECT THEIR SOVEREIGNTY, THEIR RIGHT TO SELF-DETERMINATION AND WE HONOR THEIR SACRED SPIRITUAL CONNECTION WITH THE LAND AND WATER.
BY ACKNOWLEDGING THESE HOMELANDS, WE COMMIT TO WORKING WITH TRIBAL NATIONS TO FURTHER THE EDUCATION AIMS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS.
[4. FLAG SALUTE-6:33 pm]
EVERYBODY WILL PLEASE RISE AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.[5. APPROVAL OF AGENDA-6:34 pm]
>> NEXT IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA?
>> THERE HAS BEEN A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS APPROVED AS PRESENTED.
NEXT, WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL PRESENTATION AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. MINOR.
[6. SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS-6:35 pm]
>> I'M VERY EXCITED THIS EVENING TO WELCOME OUR STUDENTS AND ADMINISTRATORS FROM COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY.
I'D LIKE TO WELCOME FOR FORWARD CARLA CARRIZOSA TO TALK ABOUT OUR COLLEGE PLACE TO ELEMENTARY STUDENT PRESENTATION AND INTRODUCE OUR STUDENTS.
DR. MINOR, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE OUR STUDENTS TODAY.
WE HAVE OUR DUAL LANGUAGE STUDENTS THAT WILL BE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
WE WILL HAVE OUR KINDERGARTENERS, SO KINDERGARTENERS, WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO STAND? WOULD YOU LIKE THEM TO STAND OVER HERE OR A FRONT? IS THERE A FRONT? WE'LL HAVE OUR KINDERGARTENERS COME UP.
TEACHERS IF YOU WANT TO BRING THEM UP.
KINDERGARTENERS, CAN YOU FACE THE GROWN-UPS OVER HERE? CAN YOU LOOK OVER THERE AT THE GROWN-UPS ON THAT SIDE? TURN AROUND KINDERGARTENER [FOREIGN] LOGHAN TURNAROUND, SWEETIE.
HERE WE HAVE OUR KINDERGARTENERS FROM [FOREIGN] AND [FOREIGN] CLASSROOM, AND THEY WILL BE READING TO YOU IN SPANISH.
>> WE'LL START WITH [FOREIGN] KAREN'S CLASS, SO I'M OLIVER, YOU GUYS ALREADY? [FOREIGN]
[00:06:10]
GOOD JOB. [APPLAUSE] [BACKGROUND]>> COULD YOU HAVE THEM SAY THEIR NAME REAL QUICK SO THE BOARD CAN HEAR THEIR NAMES, PLEASE?
>> SO YOU'LL SEE THEY'RE WRITING UP ON THE SCREEN.
[00:10:35]
>> THOSE ARE KINDERGARTEN IN THE DUAL LANGUAGE.
>> BEFORE THE STUDENTS SIT DOWN, LET'S HAVE THEM ALL JUST TURN AND MAYBE SO THAT PEOPLE CAN GET PICTURES WITH THEM IF THEY WANT TO.
MAYBE IF YOU WANT CAN STEP BACK THIS WAY A LITTLE BIT TO LINE UP AROUND HERE.
>> THEN PEOPLE WANT TO COME UP.
>> I JUST WANTED TO EXPLAIN TO THE BOARD AND DR. MINOR THAT THESE WERE STUDENTS THAT CAME IN WITH ZEROS SPANISH.
THIS PROGRAM WITH OUR AMAZING TEACHERS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH WHAT YOU JUST HEARD AND OF COURSE, WITH THE PARENTS SUPPORT.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT WAS REALLY AN IMPORTANT FACT TO NOTE HERE THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW HOW TO READ IN SPANISH, AND THEY DO NOW.
AGAIN, THANK YOU BOARD, DR. MINER FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
HAVING BEEN A CHILD JUST LIKE THEM IN A WORLD THAT DID NOT ACCEPT MY LANGUAGE AS IMPORTANT, I WANTED TO PERSONALLY THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THAT GREAT OPPORTUNITY YOU'RE GIVING OUR COMMUNITY AND THOSE AROUND OUR COMMUNITY TO LEARN AND HAVE THEIR CHILDREN LEARN SPANISH.
I APPRECIATE THAT ON A PERSONAL LEVEL TO ALL OF YOU.
AS I DO, I'M SURE A LOT OF THE PARENTS HERE.
[APPLAUSE] NOW WE HAVE OUR FIRST GRADERS.
MANY OF THEM WERE IN KINDERGARTEN LAST YEAR IN THE DUAL LANGUAGE WITH MAESTRA ERICA AND MAESTRA KERONS.
[BACKGROUND] THEY ALSO CAME IN WITHOUT ANY LITERACY IN SPANISH.
YOU'LL HAVE NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKERS WITH ALSO NATIVE SPANISH SPEAKERS.
>> [FOREIGN] THEY'RE PRESENTING A POEM THEY LEARNED IN CLASS.
>> NOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE READING A PAGE FROM THEIR WRITING.
[00:15:31]
>> [FOREIGN] NOW I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO CARLA AGAIN TO SHARE WITH US NOW SOME INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AGAIN, GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND DR.
MINER. MY NAME IS CARLA CARRIZOSA, AND I AM THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY.
I'M THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY.
AT COLLEGE PLACE ELEMENTARY, WE ARE A DIVERSE FAMILY OF STUDENTS, PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE A DYNAMIC, RIGOROUS [NOISE] CARING AND PASSIONATE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
>> THE COMMUNITY OF COLLEGE PLACE IS MAINLY COMPRISED OF 53 PERCENT HISPANIC AND LATINO.
[FOREIGN] AND OUR THIRD LARGEST COMMUNITY IS OUR BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY AT 12 PERCENT.
THESE ARE OUR LOVELY STUDENTS AT COLLEGE PLACE AT OUR MULTICULTURAL EVENT THAT I WILL GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION ON.
>> FIFTY PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS ARE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS AND 74 PERCENT QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE MEALS.
>> [FOREIGN] I WANT TO SHOW YOU PICTURES OF OUR MULTICULTURAL EVENT.
[FOREIGN] WE HAD THIS IN JANUARY [FOREIGN] AND IT WAS AMAZING.
WE HAD OVER 400 PEOPLE ATTEND.
AS YOU CAN SEE, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS DRESSED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE CULTURAL ATTIRE [FOREIGN] AND MANY OF THEM WERE THERE.
WE HAD LOTS OF GREAT FOOD, [FOREIGN] SPICES FROM DIFFERENT COUNTRIES.
THIS IS JUST A LITTLE SNAPSHOT [FOREIGN] FOR YOU TO SEE HOW AMAZING OUR STUDENTS ARE AND HOW AMAZING OUR COMMUNITY AT COLLEGE PLACE IS.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT PIECE WITH YOU.
>> OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLAN HAS A READING GOAL THAT STATES THAT THIS SCHOOL YEAR 80 PERCENT OF STUDENTS WILL MAKE ONE YEAR IS TYPICAL GROWTH IN READING SKILLS AS MEASURED BY I-READY.
TYPICAL GROWTH IS THE AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH FOR A STUDENT AT THEIR GRADE AND BASELINE PLACEMENT LEVEL.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF A FOURTH-GRADE STUDENT PLACES AT A SECOND GRADE LEVEL, THE PROGRAM USES THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF POINTS.
FOURTH-GRADE I-READY USERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AT THE SAME PLACEMENT GROW IN A YEAR.
[00:20:27]
>> [FOREIGN] SO THIS SLIDE SHOWS SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING [FOREIGN].
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT STUDENT LEARNING.
PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES ARE WHAT WE'RE DOING WHERE TEACHERS MEET [FOREIGN] AND DETERMINE WHAT THEIR NEXT INSTRUCTIONAL MOVES ARE GOING TO BE.
[FOREIGN] ALSO DURING THESE PLCS [FOREIGN].
WE TALK ABOUT THESE TIERED GROUPINGS.
THOSE TRIANGLE ON THE RIGHT EXPLAINS THESE TIERED GROUPINGS ACCORDING TO THE MTSS MODEL.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT OUR FIRST TIER THERE, THAT GREEN, [FOREIGN] WHERE YOU EXPECT ALL STUDENTS TO BE.
THAT'S ALL INSTRUCTION, CORE INSTRUCTION.
STUDENTS ARE THERE AT TIER 1, THEY'RE LEARNING AS THE TEACHER IS GIVING THE INSTRUCTION.
OUR TIER 2 STUDENTS ARE TARGETED STUDENTS, STUDENTS WITH SOME RISK FACTORS.
SO WHAT WE DO IN THIS PLCS IS WE LOOK AT THESE TIERED 2 STUDENTS WHO NEED EXTRA SUPPORT.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE TEACHER PROVIDING A SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION, WE ALSO NEED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
ONCE WE SEE THE DATA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE SLIDE, [FOREIGN].
SO OUR STUDENTS IN THE FALL DIAGNOSTIC OF I-READY, WHERE ABOUT 18% OF OUR STUDENTS WERE AT GRADE LEVEL OR ABOVE.
SO YOU SEE THE RED AND A LOT OF RED IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO SEE, BUT USUALLY EXPECTED IN THE FALL.
SO SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTATIONS THAT I FORGOT TO SPEAK TO ARE THE TIER 2 IS THAT WE USE 94% PHONICS CORE PROGRAM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE USE TO SUPPORT STUDENTS IN THIS TIER 2.
THAT'S PROVIDED BY OUR TITLE SUPPORT STAFF AND OUR ML STAFF, NOT 95%, BUT THEY PROVIDE THE GUIDED LANGUAGE ACQUISITION IN GLAD.
THEY CO-TEACH WITH THE TEACHERS.
SO OUR ML TEACHERS GO IN AND SUPPORT INSTRUCTION WITH THE TEACHER USING GLAD STRATEGIES.
ALTHOUGH GLAD STRATEGIES SUPPORT ML LEARNING, IT ALSO PROVIDES SUPPORT FOR ALL STUDENTS.
SO IT MAKES LEARNING COMPREHENSIBLE FOR OUR ML STUDENTS.
AS YOU SAW, WE HAVE 50% OF OUR STUDENT BODY IS OUR ML STUDENTS.
SO IT PROVIDES US SUPPORT THEY REALLY NEED IN LANGUAGE INSTRUCTION.
SO LOOK AT OUR WINTER DIAGNOSTIC.
IT WENT UP ABOUT 11%, WHICH IS REALLY GOOD TEACHING FROM OUR TEACHERS.
SO WE ONLY EXPECT IT TO GET BETTER.
AS WE GO THROUGH THE SLIDES, I'LL EXPLAIN HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
SO HERE YOU WILL SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR FALL AND OUR WINTER DIAGNOSTIC.
SO THAT'S SPECIFIC DATA AND I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH WHAT ADDITIONALLY WE'RE DOING TO SUPPORT STUDENTS. THAT'S ME AGAIN.
[00:25:04]
SO [LAUGHTER] HERE WE HAVE OUR PROGRESS MONITORING STUDENTS THROUGH I-READY.WE USE THE DIAGNOSTIC FALL, WINTER, AND SPRING.
[FOREIGN] WE'RE ALSO HAVING IT IN DUAL LANGUAGE, WHICH IS NEW THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE DID NOT HAVE THAT LAST YEAR.
SO I-READY HAS MADE THAT ADAPTATION FOR OUR STUDENTS IN DUAL LANGUAGE.
WE HAVE OUR PLC MEETINGS TO REVIEW THIS I-READY DATA AND SEE HOW WE CAN SUPPORT STUDENTS.
BUT ALSO A KEY POINT IN ALL OF THIS AND PROGRESS MONITORING IS MYPATH.
SO AFTER A STUDENT TAKES A DIAGNOSTIC IN THE FALL, THERE'S SPECIFIC DATA THAT'S GATHERED THAT WARRANT SKILLS THAT STUDENT NEEDS TO LEARN IN ORDER TO PROGRESS IN READING, AND IT DOES IT IN MATH ALSO, SO THAT STUDENT IS GIVEN A TAILOR-MADE MYPATH THAT THEY FOLLOW AND THEY GAIN THESE SKILLS SO THAT THEY CAN BUILD.
>> SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WE'RE USING TO ACHIEVE OUR READING GOAL INCLUDE TIER 2 INTERVENTIONS AND PHONICS, PHONEMIC AWARENESS, AND READING COMPREHENSION.
ALSO ARE MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS.
TEACHERS ARE COLLABORATING WITH CLASSROOM TEACHERS, CO-TEACHING, DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING EVIDENCE-BASED STRATEGIES.
THOSE ARE GLAD STRATEGIES, GUIDED LANGUAGE ACQUISITION, DESIGN.
ALSO, OUR TEACHERS ARE WORKING IN PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES FOR ASSESSMENT PLANNING, DATA ANALYSIS, PROGRESS MONITORING, AND COLLABORATIVE PRACTICES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PLANNING SO THAT THEY CAN CONTINUE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO STUDENTS LEARNING NEEDS AND HAVE A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH TO TEACHING.
SO 58% OF OUR STUDENTS MADE TYPICAL GROWTH.
AS ROBERT EXPLAINED WHAT TYPICAL GROWTH IS, SO WHERE WE WANT THEM TO BE, THEN THAT WAS K THROUGH SIX IS AT 50%.
SO WE'RE WELL IN THE RANGE THAT WE NEED TO BE TO SEE 100% GROWTH BY JUNE, AND LAST YEAR WE DID ACHIEVE THAT IN BOTH MATH AND IN READING.
SO OUR STUDENTS MADE THE GROWTH THAT WAS NECESSARY FOR THEIR GRADE LEVEL AND COMPARATIVE TO THEIR COHORT GROUP OR THEIR GRADE LEVEL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
SEVENTEEN PERCENT WERE AT GRADE LEVEL IN THE FALL DIAGNOSTIC, 28% ARE AT GRADE LEVEL OR ABOVE ON THE WINTER DIAGNOSTIC AND WE REALLY WANT TO MOVE THAT UP AND LAST YEAR WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT.
OUR PLCS, WE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC AND INTENTIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
THE PLC GROUPS, AGAIN, [FOREIGN] WE HAVE VERY INTENTIONAL, VERY SPECIFIC GOALS THAT WE HAVE WHILE WE MEAN IN PLCS.
WE STARTED THIS LAST YEAR AND WE'RE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT HOW WE DO THIS.
SO IN MARCH 9TH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SCHOOL-WIDE PLC.
WE HAVE THEM IN STAFF MEETINGS, BUT THEY'RE VERY SHORT.
THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO MEET AND BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THESE TIER 2 AND WHAT SPECIFIC TEACHER MOVES NEEDS TO BE MADE SO THAT WE CAN MAKE THIS GROWTH IN JUNE.
WE'LL HAVE THIS ON MARCH 9TH AND ON APRIL 27TH.
SO IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO COME BY AND OBSERVE THAT HAPPENING, YOU'RE WELCOME TO VISIT.
WE ALSO HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING AND READING.
THIS IS PROVIDED BY A RETIRED SECOND GRADE TEACHER AND A RETIRED PRINCIPAL.
FIGHTING THE SUPPORT FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THAT TIER 2 THAT NEED THAT SPECIFIC SKILL BUILDING OPPORTUNITY IN BOTH DUAL LANGUAGE AND IN ENGLISH.
WE PLAN ON HAVING COSTCO COMING REAL SOON WITH
[00:30:04]
VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT EVEN MORE OF OUR STUDENTS.SO THOSE ARE THE PLANS THAT WE HAVE TO UPDATE TO KEEP PROGRESSING SO THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE ALL PROGRESSING.
>> THANK YOU. ARE THERE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, FROM THE STUDENTS OR THE DIRECTORS?
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW THRILLED I AM TO SEE THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AS PRESENTED BY YOUR STUDENTS ALSO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE WONDERFUL WORK YOU'RE DOING IN A COLLEGE PLATES.
>> ALL MY TEACHERS THAT ARE HERE TOO.
>> OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
>> FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS GREAT SEEING YOUR KIDS AND I HAVE VISITED THE CLASSROOMS AND THEY'RE AMAZING WHAT THE KIDS ARE LEARNING AND DOING.
IT WAS ALSO INTERESTING TO SEE THE KINDERGARTNERS AND FIRST GRADERS.
SO YOU SEE THE GROWTH THAT'S MADE IN A YEAR.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT AND I SHOULD PROBABLY KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT TYPICAL GROWTH MEANS.
WHEN YOU SAID LET'S SAY THERE'S A FOURTH GRADER WHO'S READING AT SECOND GRADE LEVEL, AND THEN YOU SAID, TYPICAL GROWTH IS WHAT A STUDENT WHO'S SIMILARLY A FOURTH GRADER BUT AT SECOND GRADE MAKES OR IS IT WHAT A FOURTH GRADER AT GRADE LEVEL MAKES IN TERMS OF GROWTH?
IT'S BASED ON STUDENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WHO ARE IN THE SAME GRADE LEVEL AND AT THE SAME STARTING POINT, AND THEN THE AVERAGE PROGRESS THAT THOSE STUDENTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY ON AVERAGE MAKE IN A GIVEN YEAR.
>> DO THEY ALSO HAVE A METRIC OF THE PROGRESS THAT NEEDS TO BE MADE TO CLOSE THE GAP TO GET THEM MOVING UP.
MAYBE TYPICAL GROWTH WOULD BE GETTING THEM THERE, BUT MAYBE NOT, AND OF COURSE WE WANT TO CLOSE THAT GAP AND GET EVERYBODY TO GRADE LEVEL.
DO THEY HAVE A METRIC FOR THAT AS WELL?
>> YES, THEY DO, AND SO WHEN WE HAVE THE DATA FOR TYPICAL GROWTH, WE ALSO GET THE DATA FOR THAT YEARS WITHIN THEIR GRADE LEVEL, WHERE THEY'RE AT AND HOW THEY'RE PROGRESSING, AND WHEN WE HAVE THESE PLCS, WE HAVE I ALREADY CONSULTANTS COME IN TO SUPPORT TEACHERS AND HOW TO LOOK AT THE DATA AND HOW TO USE THE DATA.
LIKE THAT IN THE PRECISE QUESTION YOU JUST ASKED.
>> THAT'S GOOD AND SO IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT AS WELL BECAUSE THAT'S A KEY OBVIOUSLY, TO GETTING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS READING AT GRADE LEVEL.
>> I JUST LIKE TO ADD REALLY QUICKLY THAT STUDENTS ARE ALSO GIVEN A STRETCH GOAL, WHICH IS AN AMBITIOUS GOAL HIGHER THAN THE TYPICAL GROWTH GOAL, THAT WITH THE PURPOSE OF CLOSING THE GAP AND MAKING UP MORE THAN A YEAR'S PROGRESS IN THAT CALENDAR YEAR.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER? OKAY. THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY, ALL THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARENTS, OR IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU.
[APPLAUSE] BEFORE WE PROGRESS TO THE NEXT ITEM, IF THE STUDENTS AND THE PARENTS WANT TO GO AHEAD AND LEAVE, YOU'RE WELCOME TO LEAVE.
I KNOW THEY NEED TO GET TO BED ON TIME, GET THERE WHATEVER, DINNER, HOMEWORK.
THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE HOMEWORK THEY'RE TOO LITTLE [BACKGROUND] NO. NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. MINER.
>> NOTHING FOR THIS REPORT TONIGHT.
[LAUGHTER] WE ALWAYS GO FOR THAT.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF MINUTES.
[8. APPROVAL OF MINUTES-7:05 pm]
THE FIRST IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 3RD SPECIAL MEETING THAT WAS ON THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE?
>> GREAT. I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR THE FEBRUARY 3RD MINUTES.
SO THE SPECIAL MEETING FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION?
[00:35:02]
HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 3RD SPECIAL MEETING AND THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH ARE APPROVED.
NEXT IS A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 8TH SPECIAL MEETING, WHICH WAS ALSO ON THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.
DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR FEBRUARY 8TH?
>> I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
DO I HEAR ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NAY. ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY SPECIAL MEETING ON THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH ARE APPROVED.
NEXT ARE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 14 STUDY SESSION ON THE BUDGET.
DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND?
>> I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND FOR THE FEBRUARY 14 STUDY SESSION ON THE BUDGET.
I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
>> GOOD. ALL THOSE OPPOSED SAY NAY.
>> KEITH, DID YOU SAY YOU ABSTAINED?
>> YES. YOU WERE ABSENT FROM THAT ONE. THANK YOU.
THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 14 STUDY SESSION ON THE BUDGET ARE APPROVED, AND LASTLY, ON THE MINUTES WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 14TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND?
>> I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE AND A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE SAY NAY. ANY ABSTENTIONS?
>> OKAY. THE MINUTES FROM THE FEBRUARY 14TH REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING ARE APPROVED.
NEXT, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
[9. PUBLIC COMMENTS-7:15 pm]
THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION OF THE AGENDA IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR CITIZENS TO ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD.SINCE THIS IS A BUSINESS MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC COMMENTS IS FOR OUR STAKEHOLDERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE BOARD DIRECTORS ABOUT ITEMS ON THE AGENDA OR OTHER SPECIFIC WORK WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS IS NOT A TIME FOR THE AUDIENCE TO ADDRESS EACH OTHER.
WITH THAT IN MIND, WE ARE USING THE CONFIGURATION USED FOR YEARS PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT WILL BE DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THE BOARD AT THE TABLE FACING THE 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, THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND OUR STAFF AT A LATER TIME.
PEOPLE MAY SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR A BOARD MEETING IN THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
YOU MAY CHOOSE TO READ YOUR COMMENT ALONE IN PERSON, AND THOSE WILL BE ALL OF THE ONES TONIGHT.
YOU MAY CHOOSE TO READ YOUR COMMENT ALLOWED VIRTUALLY, OR YOU MAY CHOOSE TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT IN WRITING, AND WE HAD NONE OF THE OTHER TWO THAT PEOPLE WANTED TO DO TONIGHT.
THE BOARD READS ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS WHICH ARE LATER ATTACHED TO THE MEETING AGENDA AND AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ON THE BOARD DOCS WEBSITE.
THE BOARD ALSO ACCEPTS WRITTEN COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME THROUGH EMAIL.
WE READ EACH COMMENT, AND EMAIL WE RECEIVE, AND WE APPRECIATE THE TIME AND THE EFFORT THAT IT TAKES FOR THOSE WHO WRITE THEM.
WHILE WE ENCOURAGE AND APPRECIATE PUBLIC COMMENTS, PLEASE LIMIT YOUR COMMENTS THAT ARE READ ALOUD TO THREE MINUTES.
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 POLICE MAKE THEIR STATEMENTS IN A CIVIL MANNER WITHOUT DISPARAGING NAME-CALLING OR OTHERWISE TARGETING ANYONE, PERSON OR GROUP IN THE DISTRICT.
SIMILARLY, WE ASK EVERYONE IN THE AUDIENCE TO PLEASE SHOW RESPECT BY LISTENING QUIETLY, WITHOUT TALKING OR WHISPERING TO EACH OTHER SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR EACH COMMENT.
WELL, I HAD IT AND HERE WE GO.
TONIGHT WE HAVE 2, 4, 6, 8, I BELIEVE.
THE FIRST ONE IS BRENDA TORRES.
MINER. MY NAME IS BRENDA TORRES AND I'M A BIOLOGY TEACHER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
[00:40:08]
I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO ADVOCATE FOR THE DISTRICT TO FUND 0.4 FTE FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE YEARS AT LIQUID.TO CONTINUE THE COMMITMENT MADE BY THE DISTRICT TO OUR CURRENT FRESHMEN AND SOPHOMORES TO COMPLETE THEIR AVID PROGRAM.
AVID, WHICH AS YOU MAY KNOW, STANDS FOR ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION.
IT IS A PROVEN METHOD TO SUPPORT OUR FIRST-GENERATION STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE COLLEGE ADMISSION AND SUCCESS.
EVEN THOUGH THE DISTRICT HAS MOVED AWAY FROM FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF AVID AT ALL HIGH SCHOOLS, I STRONGLY BELIEVE WE NEED TO HONOR THE COMMITMENT MADE TO OUR CURRENTLY ENROLLED STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES WHO SIGNED UP IN GOOD FAITH, THAT THEY WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE BENEFITS OF AVID PROGRAM THROUGH THEIR FOUR YEARS AT LIMITED HIGH SCHOOL.
>> JOHN AMAJUKU THE BLACK CONTEMPORARY AUTHOR OF ERASED, PROVIDES AN OPPOSING VIEW FROM THAT OF THE IBRAM X KENDI.
JOHN SPEAKS WITH HOPE, NOT ONLY FOR THE BLACK COMMUNITY, BUT FOR ALL AMERICANS.
HE WRITES ABOUT FREDERICK DOUGLASS.
THOUGH DOUGLASS HAD GROWN UP IN A WORLD WHERE HE WAS CONSIDERED ANOTHER MAN'S PROPERTY, HE EVENTUALLY ESCAPED SLAVERY AND BECAME A PROMINENT ABOLITIONIST.
WHEN DOUGLASS WAS A YOUNG BOY, ONE OF HIS MASTERS WIVES TAUGHT HIM THE ALPHABET WITH THE LETTERS OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE AT HIS DISPOSAL, HE TAUGHT HIMSELF HOW TO READ AND WRITE.
SOON HE WAS TEACHING OTHER SLAVES TO READ USING THE BIBLE AS HIS TEXTBOOK.
LITERACY AND SCRIPTURE HELPED DOUGLASS JUST SEEING HIMSELF AS MORE THAN A SLAVE.
HE KNEW HE WAS MORE THAN PROPERTY, MORE THAN AN UNPAID SERVANT OR A BEAST OF BURDEN.
BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE DOUGLASS KNEW.
HE KNEW THAT AT ITS CORE, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA WAS A GOOD PLACE, OR AT LEAST IT COULD BE THE SEEDS OF FREEDOM AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL PEOPLE.
WHITE, BLACK, AND EVERY OTHER COLOR WERE SEWN INTO THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS, LIKE SEEDS THAT WOULD ONE DAY SPROUT WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT.
DOUGLASS WROTE, "THE SIGNERS OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE WERE BRAVE MEN.
THEY WERE GREAT MEN, TOO, GREAT ENOUGH TO GIVE FAME TO A GREAT AGE WITH THEM, NOTHING WAS SETTLED, THAT WAS NOT RIGHT.
WITH THEM JUSTICE, LIBERTY AND HUMANITY WERE FINAL, NOT SLAVERY AND OPPRESSION." NOW TAKE THE CONSTITUTION ACCORDING TO ITS PLAIN READING AND I DEFY THE PRESENTATION OF A SINGLE PRO-SLAVERY CLAUSE IN IT.
ON THE OTHER HAND, IT WILL BE FOUND TO CONTAIN PRINCIPLES AND PURPOSES ENTIRELY HOSTILE TO THE EXISTENCE OF SLAVERY AND "THOUGH FREDERICK DOUGLASS WAS A POWERFUL LEADER WHO DID MUCH TO PROMOTE THE CAUSE OF FREEDOM FOR BLACK AMERICANS IS RHETORIC WOULD BE OUT OF STEP WITH MOST OF TODAY'S BLACK LEADERS".
INSTEAD OF SEEING HOPE AND AMERICA'S HISTORY, THEY SEE SHAME.
INSTEAD OF SEEING PROMISE IN AMERICA'S FUTURE, THEY SEE AN UNENDING CYCLE OF WHITE SUPREMACY AND SYSTEMIC RACISM.
BUT IF ANYONE COULD SPEAK OF SYSTEMIC RACISM, IT WAS DOUGLASS.
IF ANYONE COULD COMPLAIN ABOUT THE LACK OF EQUITY OR EQUALITY, IT WAS DOUGLASS.
IF ANYONE COULD SUPPOSE THAT THE HISTORY BOOKS NEEDED TO BE REWRITTEN, IT WAS DOUGLASS AND YET HE BELIEVED THAT AMERICA IS STILL HELD PROMISE FOR THE FUTURE, THAT THE NATION'S BEST DAYS WERE AHEAD.
DOUGLASS FOUND OPTIMISM IN THE FOUNDING FATHERS.
RATHER THAN FOCUSING ON A DISMAL REALITY, THE LAND OF THE FREE HAD BECOME IN HIS DAY, HE WORKED TO CHANGE THE NATION'S THOUGH THAT IT MIGHT ONE DAY LIVE UP TO THEIR PROMISES MADE BY ITS FOUNDERS.
BUT DOUGLASS ALSO LOOKED TO THE SCRIPTURES.
HE UNDERSTOOD THE DEEPER TRUTH THAT NO LOB UPHOLDING SLAVERY AND NO WHIP FROM A CRUEL TASKMASTER COULD MAKE HIM A SLAVE.
HE WAS FREE BECAUSE CHRIST HAD SET HIM FREE.
WE CELEBRATE BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
IF AMERICA COUNTED MY ANCESTORS AS THREE-FIFTHS OF A PERSON, I'D BE MAD.
[00:45:04]
WHAT COULD BE GOOD ABOUT THAT? IN RETURN, CONGRESS VOTED TO END IMPORTING SLAVES IN 20 YEARS, 1787.THE WORDS SLAVE OR SLAVERY AREN'T IN THE CONSTITUTION.
ENSLAVED PEOPLE ARE CALLED PERSONS.
NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH, SLAVERY WAS IN SOME STATE LAWS, NEVER FEDERAL LAW.
1775, FIVE DAYS BEFORE LEXINGTON AND CONCORD, THE WORLD'S FIRST ANTI-SLAVERY GROUP FORMED PHILADELPHIA, THEN THE LARGEST EMANCIPATION IN HISTORY UP UNTIL THEN.
1777, VERMONT, THE WORLD'S FIRST EMANCIPATION BY CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.
1780, PENNSYLVANIA, THE WORLD'S FIRST EMANCIPATION BY COURT CASE.
1783, MASSACHUSETTS, WORLD'S FIRST EMANCIPATION BY LEGISLATION.
NEW HAMPSHIRE, CONNECTICUT, RHODE ISLAND, AND SLAVERY.
1787, THE NORTHWEST ORDINANCE CREATED SIX FREE STATES FROM OHIO TO MINNESOTA.
REPRESENTATION IN CONGRESS WAS BY POPULATION WITH THREE-FIFTHS OF ALL OTHER PERSONS, THAT IS, THOSE ENSLAVED, COUNTED FOR REPRESENTATION.
AS NOW THE NUMBER OF CONGRESSMEN, A STATE GOD WAS BASED ON HOW MANY PEOPLE THE CENSUS COUNTS.
BAD BEING COUNTED AS THREE-FIFTHS OF A PERSON, GOOD, NOWHERE ELSE DID THE CENSUS COMBINED COUNT ENSLAVED PEOPLE AND CALL THEM PERSONS.
THE SOUTH WANT TO GUARANTEE SLAVERY COULDN'T BE MESSED WITH.
THE THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE GAVE THEM MORE SEATS IN CONGRESS TO PREVENT LAWS ENDING SLAVERY.
BUT IF THE SOUTH DIDN'T GET SOMETHING, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE JOINED THE UNION.
ONE THING WORSE THAN BEING ENSLAVED IN A COUNTRY, HALF SLAVE, HALF FREE.
BE AN ENSLAVED PERSON IN AN ALL SLAVE COUNTRY.
1794, AN ACT PROHIBITING BUILDING SHIPS USED TO IMPORT ENSLAVED PERSONS.
1807, A LAW FORBIDDING COASTAL TRADE IN SLAVES AND SHIPS.
SLAVES CAN ESCAPE IF MOVED BY LAND, BUT NOT BY SEA.
1808, THE EARLIEST DATE THE CONSTITUTION ALLOWS THE SENATE VOTED 1611 TO END THE IMPORTS OF SLAVES.
FEW IMMIGRANTS WENT SOUTH, THEY COULDN'T COMPETE WITH SLAVE LABOR.
TOCQUEVILLE VISITED CINCINNATI, OHIO 1831, NO SLAVERY POPULACE AND PROSPEROUS MILE AWAY CROSSES THE RIVER, KENTUCKY.
A SLAVE STATE SOCIETY HAS GONE TO SLEEP, MAN IS IDLE.
OHIO HAD TWICE THE POPULATION GROWTH RATE.
THE SOUTH LOST CONGRESSIONAL SEATS EACH DECADE AS IMMIGRANTS POURED INTO THE NORTH, THEY DIDN'T GO SOUTH, THEY COULDN'T COMPETE WITH UNPAID LABOR.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS SAID NOT A PRO-SLAVERY WORD, AND THE CONSTITUTION.
1854, WISCONSIN REPUBLICAN PARTY FOUNDED THE WORLD'S FIRST MASS ANTI-SLAVERY ORGANIZATION.
FOUR POINTS ONE 193 UN MEMBER COUNTRIES, 192 HAD SLAVERY OR TREATMENT OF SLAVES WAS HORRIBLE, BUT LESS BAD THAN ANY PLACE ELSE.
DEMOCRATS SUPPORTED SLAVERY, REPUBLICANS OPPOSED.
TEACH BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY, THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. THANK YOU [APPLAUSE].
>> GOOD EVENING. SOME OF YOU MAY WONDER OR PONDER WHY OUR LITTLE GROUP HAS BEEN OUT HERE SINCE LAST MARCH ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT DISTRICT MANAGEMENT AND THE DIRECTION OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SOME OF OUR FELLOW CITIZENS HAVE ALSO CHALLENGED, WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE COMING TO THESE MEETINGS.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS IN SCHOOL.
THEY HAVE NO SKIN IN THE GAME.
WHY DOES IT MATTER TO THEM WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS? MANY HAVE ARGUED A CIVIL SOCIETY IS BASED UPON SOCIAL NORMS THAT HAVE BEEN PROVEN OVER TIME.
YET WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH THE MANAGEMENT OF A SCHOOL DISTRICT? WE HAVE BEEN SOWING SEEDS AND CONFUSION TO OUR YOUNGER GENERATION.
FEAR OF CLIMATE CHANGE, WHICH NEVER COMES TO FRUITION, GENDER CONFUSION AND HOW ONE GENERATION AND NOW HOW MY GENERATION GREW UP WITH NUCLEAR WAR.
IT'S NOT UNREASONABLE FOR TODAY'S CHILDREN TO BELIEVE THEY WON'T HAVE A FUTURE.
WHY SHOULD THEY EVEN BOTHER WORK AT LEARNING TO SAY THAT YOU CAN BE WHATEVER SEX YOU WANT TO BE.
WELL, NOT POINTING OUT WHILE ENEMA THAT HIS MOTHER'S WOMB, TWO SPHERES OF A BOY'S BRAIN IS DIVIDED WHEN WASH WITH TESTOSTERONE.
WHILE THE BRAIN OF A FEMALE DEVELOPS WITH BOTH SPHERES OF THE BRAIN INTERCONNECTED.
THUS, WE SEE GIRLS EXCELLING WITH COMMUNICATION, SAYING MANY MORE WORDS PER DAY THAN BOYS.
THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH GENITALIA, WHICH CANNOT BE TRANSFORMED BY SOME BRILLIANT SURGEON, OR SHOULD I SAY MAD SCIENTIST OR PUBERTY BLOCKING DRUGS.
I'M NOT DENYING THAT THERE'S A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE WHAT HAS BEEN TERMED GENDER DYSPHORIA, AND FEW ARE THERE THEN BEEN PLACED IN THE WRONG BODY, AND I AM NOT OUT TO DEGRADE OR DEHUMANIZE THEM.
BUT THE DISTRICT SHOULD NOT BE GLORIFYING THOSE THAT FEEL THIS WAY AND PUTTING THEM ON A PEDESTAL,
[00:50:02]
ENCOURAGING OTHER CHILDREN TO TAKE THAT PATH.OUR SOCIETY HAS BEEN ASLEEP AT THE SWITCH, NOT RECOGNIZING THE RAMIFICATIONS OF THESE OFF-KILTER TEACHINGS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE PRIMARY REASONS WHY THE STABILITY OF OUR SOCIETY IS BREAKING APART.
WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN TO SEE SIDEWALKS AND UNDERPASSES INUNDATED WITH DRUGGED OUT INDIVIDUALISM WHO DON'T HAVE THE MOTIVATION OR INTERESTS TO BE ACTIVE AND CONTRIBUTING MEMBER TO OUR SOCIETY.
OR WE FIND OURSELVES AND UPSCALE NEIGHBORHOODS BEING PULLED OUT OF OUR CAR AT GUNPOINT, AND THE PERPETRATOR DRIVES OFF WHILE THE POLICE CANNOT CHASE HIM.
ONE MIGHT ASK, IS THIS REALLY THE BLAME OF OUR SCHOOLS? YET HAVE OUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN IN PARTY IN A SENSE OF JOY OF LEARNING, INSTILLING DISCIPLINE WITHIN OUR STUDENTS, YIELD IN A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT WHEN A DIFFICULT ASSIGNMENT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED? OR DO YOU LET STUDENTS SIT IN CLASS STARING AT THEIR PHONES, NOT PAYING ATTENTION OR DISRUPTING THE REST OF THE CLASS AND THUS DISABLING THE TEACHER FROM IMPARTING THEIR LESSONS? THIS BOARD SHOULD CONSIDER INSTITUTING BASIC RULES OF ORDER TO HAVE ACCESS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE CLASSROOMS. IF THESE KIDS DON'T WANT TO FALL A CENTRAL ORDERS LET THEM SIT IN A GYMNASIUM WITH AN OVERSEER AND LOOK AT THEIR PHONES.
PERHAPS THIS MAY FORCE SOME PARENTS TO WAKE UP AND REALIZE THAT JOHNNY'S BEHAVIOR IS THE ISSUE AND ENABLE THE REST OF THE CLASS TO LEARN INSTEAD OF BEING DISTRACTED.
>> I DON'T USUALLY RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENTS RIGHT THEN AND THERE, BUT I VISIT CLASSROOMS ALL THE TIME AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, TONY.
I SEE STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGAGED, WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING.
[APPLAUSE] LOOK AT THESE KINDERGARTNERS AND FIRST GRADERS, LEARNING HOW TO READ IN SPANISH.
I VISIT ALL LEVELS OF CLASSROOMS AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY OF THAT.
I SEE POSTERS EVERYWHERE OF POSITIVE MESSAGES; IT'S EVERYWHERE.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME WAS THAT YOU VISITED ONE OF OUR CLASSROOMS, BUT YOU'RE NOT DESCRIBING OUR CLASSROOMS. NEXT UP IS KIANA WADE.
>> GOOD EVENING, DR. MINER AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.
MY NAME IS KIANA WADE AND I'M A SECOND YEAR STUDENT IN THE AVID PROGRAM AND I'M A SOPHOMORE AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL.
>> IS THE MICROPHONE ON? I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE CAN HEAR.
>> DO YOU WANT ME TO START OVER?
>> AVID, WHICH STANDS FOR ADVANCED VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION, IS A CLASS WHERE STUDENTS WORK TO FIGURE OUT AND PLAN THEIR PATHWAY THROUGH AND AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, AS WELL AS A CLASS THAT IS SUPPOSED TO SUPPORT AND PROVIDE RESOURCES TO THE MINORITY, LOW-INCOME, AND STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES DON'T OR HAVE LITTLE COLLEGE HISTORY.
I FIRST HEARD ABOUT AVID AT THE END OF EIGHTH GRADE YEAR, AND TO BE HONEST, I WASN'T VERY FOR IT.
BUT AS FRESHMEN YEAR STARTED AND I SAW IT ON MY SCHEDULE, I DECIDED TO GIVE IT A TRY AS A STUDENT WHO IS A MINORITY, LOW-INCOME, AND HAS LITTLE COLLEGE HISTORY IN MY FAMILY.
AS THE YEAR WENT ON, I DEVELOPED A STRONG LIKING FOR THE CLASS AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH MY CLASSMATE.
AVID TAUGHT ME HOW TO STAY ORGANIZED, PRIORITIZE MY GOALS AND LETS ME PURSUE MY CURIOSITY ABOUT MY FUTURE.
AVID HAS HELPED ME UNDERSTAND AND OVERCOME CHALLENGES I'M FACING IN A CLASS, BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL AND HAS OVERALL MADE ME A MORE MOTIVATED AND WANT TO BE MORE SUCCESSFUL.
WHEN AVID WAS INTRODUCED TO US, WE WERE CONSIDERED THE MEADOWDALE AVID PROGRAMS GUINEA PIGS.
WE WERE TOLD THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS A FOUR-YEAR PLAN THAT WOULD GROW AS WE GREW.
JUST RECENTLY AS THE LAST SEMESTER, THIS YEAR'S AVID WAS STARTING, WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR FUNDS HAD RUN OUT AND AVID WOULD NO LONGER BE A PROGRAM AT MEADOWDALE STARTING NEXT YEAR.
BUT SINCE LAST YEAR, I'VE BEEN PLAYING MY HIGH-SCHOOL PATHWAY AROUND AVID, BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING AVID, I WASN'T ABLE TO TAKE OTHER ELECTIVES SUCH AS CTE, ART OR GYM.
WITH AVID BEING GONE NEXT YEAR, WHAT GUIDANCE RESOURCES OR AVID EQUIVALENT COULD I USE TO CONTINUE MY GOALS AND ASSURE THAT I WILL BE ABLE TO GRADUATE AND GET INTO COLLEGE WITH THE SAME SUCCESS RATE I WAS PROMISED WITHIN THE AVID PROGRAM? WE HOPE TO HEAR BACK FROM YOU WITH SOLUTIONS ON FUNDS TO CONTINUE THE AVID PROGRAM AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL, AND OUR GOAL IS TO FIND A PATH AND MEETING THE GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. THANK YOU.
[00:55:01]
>> HI, MY NAME IS ADRIANA ALVAREZ AND THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR IN THE AVID PROGRAM AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT IS VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT OUR DISTRICT IS WANTING TO REMOVE THIS PROGRAM WE HAD TO SET UP FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS PROGRAM HELPED US FIND A PATHWAY AND GETS IT UP FOR THE NEXT STEPS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL.
ONE OF THE MAIN QUESTIONS WE HAVE IS WHERE ARE ALL THE OTHER SCHOOLS GETTING THEIR FUNDING FOR AVID FROM? SCHOOLS LIKE EVERETT, SEATTLE [INAUDIBLE] SHORELINE, LAKE WASHINGTON, MARYSVILLE, MOUNT VERNON, SPOKANE AND 80 MORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE ALL SUCCESSFULLY RUNNING THE AVID PROGRAM IN WASHINGTON.
SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS ARE GETTING THEIR FUNDING THROUGH GENERAL DISTRICT FUNDS, BUT WHY NOT AS? TITLE FUNDS WILL CONTINUE TO BE YOUR PRIMARY SOURCE FOR THE FUNDING OF AVID UNDER ESSA, JUST AS THEY WERE UNDER THE NCLB, NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND.
IT'S POSSIBLE FOR AN EDUCATION FOUNDATION TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL WITH THE FUNDS FOR AVID PROGRAM DESIGNED IN THE BUDGET.
IF OUR SCHOOL DOES NOT HAVE AN EDUCATION FOUNDATION, WE CAN TRY THE PTA OR A DIFFERENT RESOURCE IN OUR DISTRICT THAT THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE FOR US.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE COULD KEEP THE AVID PROGRAM IN THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT RUNNING.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NEXT IS RACHEL JENISEK.
>> COULD YOU SPEAK UP INTO THE MICROPHONE, SO WE CAN HEAR YOU. THANK YOU.
>> HI, MY NAME IS RACHEL JENISEK.
I'M IN THE AVID PROGRAM AT MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL.
I WAS ENROLLED IN THE AVID PROGRAM DURING MY FRESHMAN YEAR.
IT WAS IN THE FIRST AVID CLASS OFFERED AT MEADOWDALE.
I FORMED A STRONG BOND WITH MY CLASSMATES AND THE SUPPORT I RECEIVED FROM THEM, AND MY AVID TEACHER IS UNBELIEVABLE.
I WAS TAUGHT HOW TO ORGANIZE ALL MY SCORE ON PAPER OR ONLINE, HOW TO PROBLEM-SOLVE ON MY OWN OR WITH MY PEERS, HOW TO TAKE EFFECTIVE HIGHER-LEVEL NOTES, HOW TO BE AN EFFICIENT LEADER, HOW TO MOTIVATE MYSELF OR ANYONE ELSE, AND MOST OF ALL, AVID TAUGHT ME HOW TO BE MORE CONFIDENT IN PUBLIC SPEAKING THROUGH TUTORIALS, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE TODAY.
AVID IS A CRUCIAL CLASS TO STUDENTS WHO ARE LOW INCOME IN THE MINORITY OR HAVE VERY LITTLE KNOWLEDGE ABOUT GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL OR COLLEGE DUE TO PERSONAL FAMILY EXPERIENCE.
AVID BEING LEFT BEHIND BY OUR DISTRICT IS LEAVING THE STUDENTS STRANDED AND FORCING THEM TO CARRY MORE WEIGHT ON THEIR SHOULDERS.
ACCORDING TO THE OFFICIAL AVID WEBSITE, OVER 99% OF WASHINGTON STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE AVID PROGRAM GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, AND THREE OUT OF FOUR STUDENTS APPLIED TO A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY.
WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE AVID BECAUSE IT SUCCESSFULLY TEACHES STUDENTS HOW TO BE ORGANIZED AND HELPS THEM ACHIEVE THEIR GOALS, LIKE GRADUATING HIGH SCHOOL AND ATTENDING COLLEGE.
AVID'S PRIMARY GOAL IS TO CLOSE THE OPPORTUNITY GAP, AND NOW THAT GOALS BECOME MINE.
EIGHTY-SIX PERCENT OF AVID STUDENTS ARE IN THE MINORITY AND NOW ANOTHER RESOURCE OUT OF THE VERY FEW THAT ARE AVAILABLE IS BEING DEMOLISHED BECAUSE OF POOR PLANNING.
SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT OF AVID STUDENTS HAVE A LOW SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND AND OVER 50% OF AVID STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE A PARENT WHO GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL OR ATTENDED COLLEGE, AND THAT INCLUDES ME.
I JOINED AVID BECAUSE I WAS UNFORTUNATELY STUCK IN OPPORTUNITY GAP, AVID WOULD BE MY KEY TO SUCCESS.
AVID HAS BEEN AROUND FOR 40 YEARS AND OUR DISTRICT IS JUST STARTING THIS PHENOMENAL PROGRAM NOW.
WHY SHOULD WE STOP NOW? WE AS AVID STUDENTS ARE FIGHTING FOR THE RIGHT THAT EVERY STUDENT SHOULD HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN, GROW, AND ATTEND THE HIGHER LEVEL EDUCATION THROUGH THE AVID PROGRAM.
WE ASK THE ADMIN SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PRIORITIZE THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE OF THE ABUNDANCE OF OPPORTUNITIES IT OPENS FOR STUDENTS OF EVERY RACE, AGE, AND FINANCIAL BACKGROUND.
WE WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW THIS UP BY SPEAKING TO DR.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NEXT UP IS SARAH DILLING.
>> HELLO. I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE REPORT ON THE FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION RATE AND MY TOPIC IS THE PSAT IN THE 10TH GRADE.
CURRENTLY WE OFFER IT IN THE 11TH GRADE AND THERE IS NO OPTION TO TAKE IT IN THE 10TH GRADE.
I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT TAKING IT INTO TENTH GRADE WOULD GIVE STUDENTS AN EARLIER OPPORTUNITY TO DISCOVER THAT THEY'RE GOOD AT SOMETHING THAT WOULD LEND THEM TO BECOME COLLEGE BOUND.
OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO IN THE REPORT GRAPH, FIVE OF THEM OFFER IT IN THE 10TH GRADE.
MANY OF THOSE THAT OFFER IN THE 10TH GRADE ALSO OFFER IN THE 11TH GRADE, PERHAPS FOR A SMALL SEATING FEE SO THAT THEY CAN TAKE IT AS A NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST.
TO HAVE SEEN THE TEST ONCE BEFORE, AND THEN TAKE IT AS THE QUALIFYING TEST GIVES YOU A BETTER SHOT AT GETTING A NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP, PERIOD.
OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS THAT TACOMA EVEN OFFERS IT IN THE EIGHTH GRADE,
[01:00:05]
IN ADDITION TO THE 11TH GRADE.THE PSAT 8 IS NEW RECENTLY, SO THEY DON'T OFFER IN THE 10TH GRADE, BUT THEY DO HAVE A SEAT EARLY.
SEE IT AND REALIZE WHAT HIGH SCHOOL IS GOING TO TEACH YOU, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW YOU DON'T KNOW ANY OF THIS STUFF, WHICH I KNOW CAN BE DEMORALIZING FOR SOME STUDENTS, BUT OTHER STUDENTS CAN FIND IT INSPIRING AND MOTIVATING.
I PERSONALLY THINK THAT WE SHOULD OFFER IT IN THE TENTH GRADE AND HAVE AN OPTION PERHAPS A SEATING FEE THAT IS PERHAPS WAVE FOR THOSE ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH FOR 11TH GRADERS TO TAKE IT AS THE NATIONAL MERIT SCHOLARSHIP QUALIFYING TEST.
MY FIRST KID WENT THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL DURING THE PANDEMIC FOR BOTH 10TH AND 11TH GRADE.
THERE JUST WASN'T ANYTHING AND MY CURRENT CHILD WILL BE IN 11TH GRADE AND GET TO TAKE IT NEXT YEAR FIRST TIME, SEEING IT BLIND, AND WE'LL SEE HOW HE DOES IN STANDARDIZED TESTS, BUT TAKING THEM MORE OFTEN GIVES YOU A BETTER SHOT AT TAKING THEM WELL.
>> THANK YOU. [APPLAUSE] NEXT UP IS AMY EAMOND.
>> HELLO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS AMY EAMOND.
SAME ADDRESS. I DON'T REMEMBER.
>> I'M A TEACHER AT EDMONDS WOODWAY.
I'M ALSO A PROUD PARENT OF A NON-BINARY SENIOR, AND I RUN OUR RAINBOW WARRIORS, WHICH IS OUR QUEER STRAIGHT ALLIANCE AT EDMONDS WOODWAY, AND I HAVE SINCE 2006.
I NORMALLY DON'T SPEAK BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHAT I DO.
I TALK TO STUDENTS, NOT ADULTS.
IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR PEOPLE SAY GENDER CONFUSION.
THE PEOPLE THEY KNOW THEIR GENDER, THEY KNOW THEY'RE PRONOUNCED, THEY'RE NOT UP FOR DISCUSSION OR CRITICISMS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, "PLEASE LET THEM BE THE AMAZING PEOPLE THEY ARE AND START PUTTING THE FEAR AND HATRED OUT THERE THAT'S OUT THERE." AS FOR OUR CLASSROOMS AND STUDENTS, OUR STUDENTS HAVE FACED MULTIPLE CHALLENGES FROM COVID DISCRIMINATION, HATE SPEECH, AND THE FEAR OF BEING WHO THEY ARE, AND THEY ARE STILL COMING TO OUR CLASSES EVERY DAY, LEARNING AND THRIVING IN OUR CLASSES AND OUR SCHOOLS, AND EVERY DAY I SEE THE JOY OF LEARNING, THE RESPECTFUL RESPONSES TO DISCIPLINE.
I ASKED THEM TO PUT THEIR PHONES AWAY.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THEY'RE AMAZING STUDENTS AND WE JUST NEED TO LET THEM BE WHO THEY ARE AND LET THEM THRIVE AND LEARN IN OUR CLASSROOMS, AND YEAH THANK YOU.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[10. CONSENT AGENDA-7:45 pm]
THIS IS A GROUP OF ROUTINE ITEMS THAT WE TYPICALLY DISCUSS AND VOTE ON IN BULK AND GROUP, BUT WE CAN SEPARATE THEM IF WE WANT TO VOTE ON THEM INDIVIDUALLY.TONIGHT, WE HAVE NINE ITEMS ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
ONE HAS TO DO WITH PERSONNEL, ONE HAS TO DO WITH OUR MONTHLY BILLS AND VOUCHERS.
ONE IS AN AGREEMENT WITH THE BATES TECHNICAL COLLEGE FOR ONE OF OUR STUDENTS TO ATTEND.
ONE IS A SOLE SOURCE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PURCHASE OF SOME MATERIALS FOR YOUR PHONICS PROGRAM.
ONE IS THE REPLACEMENT OF WIRELESS ACCESS POINTS FUNDED BY OUR 2020 TECH LEVY, AND AGAIN, AS ALWAYS, WE THANK OUR VOTERS FOR THAT SUPPORT, AND WE ARE UPDATING AND CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE KIND OF SECURITY THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, AND FOUR ARE FOR FIELD TRIPS.
DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE OUR CONSENT AGENDA FOR TONIGHT?
>> I'VE HEARD A MOTION TO APPROVE IN A SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING? NONE. I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE INDICATE BY SAYING NAY.
ANY ABSTENTIONS? AND THE CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED TONIGHT AS PRESENTED.
>> WE HAVE TWO REPORTS THIS EVENING.
[11. REPORTS-7:55 pm]
FOR THE FIRST ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME FORWARD, GREG SCHWAB, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, TO TALK TO US ABOUT GRADUATION RATES.>> DR. MINER I'M HERE TONIGHT TO TALK ABOUT GRADUATION RATES.
>> SORRY TO INTERRUPT. USE YOUR MICROPHONE ON.
>> NOTES [LAUGHTER] I DO HAVE A CLICKER TOO.
[01:05:02]
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A REVIEW OF DISTRICT AND SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES.WE'RE GOING TO DO A REVIEW OF DISTRICT GRADUATION RATES BY COMPARISON DISTRICTS OVER TIME.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR DROPOUT AND PERSISTER DATA. OVER TIME.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR 4, 5, 6, AND 7 YEAR GRADUATION RATES OVER TIME, AND THEN WE'LL LASTLY TAKE A LOOK AT SOME DIS-AGGREGATED RATES BY RACE, ETHNICITY, AND BY SPECIAL PROGRAM.
I WANT TO START WITH THE FIRST SLIDE, WHICH IS "NOTHING'S HAPPENING." HERE WE GO.
OUR FIRST SLIDE, WHICH IS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF OUR GRADUATION RATES OVER TIME, AND AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS SLIDE, OUR 2022 GRADUATION RATE REMAINS LARGELY UNCHANGED OVER TIME WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, AND THEN LOOKING AT OUR INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE SOME SLIGHT FLUCTUATIONS IN GRADUATION RATE, BUT AGAIN, MOSTLY REMAIN UNCHANGED, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF TWO SCHOOLS, SCRIBE OR LAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND ELEARNING ACADEMY, IN BOTH OF THOSE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN GRADUATION RATES.
I ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT BOTH OF THOSE SCHOOLS WERE IDENTIFIED AS SCHOOLS FOR COMPREHENSIVE SUPPORT BY OSPI DUE TO HAVING LOW GRAD RATES, AND THEY'VE RECEIVED SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM THE STATE IN ORDER TO SPECIFICALLY ADDRESS THEIR ON-TIME GRADUATION RATES.
THEY ALSO HAVE A SMALLER SIZE.
AS YOU MOVE MORE STUDENTS TOWARD GRADUATION, YOU SEE MORE SIGNIFICANT INCREASES IN THEIR GRADUATION RATES.
BUT AGAIN, THEY ARE DOING SOME PRETTY SOLID WORK IN TERMS OF MAKING GAINS IN THEIR GRADUATION RATES.
ALSO WANTED TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR GRADUATION RATES, 2018-2022, FOR SELECTED DISTRICTS AND ALSO THE STATE.
THE STATE IS THE BLACK LINE THAT YOU CAN SEE RUNNING ACROSS THERE, AND THEN THE DIFFERENT COLORED LINES REPRESENT THE DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAT WE OFTEN COMPARE OURSELVES TO, AND MOSTLY WHAT YOU CAN SEE IS THE DISTRICTS ACROSS OUR COMPARISON DISTRICTS SO MUCH IN TERMS OF THE SAME FLUCTUATION AND GRADUATION RATES THAT WE SAW FOR OUR SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT, WITH THE ONE EXCEPTION BEING NORTH SHORE, THEY'VE CONTINUED ON A FAIRLY STEADY TREND, TRAJECTORY UPWARD THERE ABOVE 95 PERCENT.
AT THIS POINT. I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR DROPOUT AND PERSISTER RATES, AND SO I WANT TO FIRST DEFINE A COUPLE OF TERMS. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A DROPOUT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AS A STUDENT THAT HAS LEFT OUR SYSTEM AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO RE-ENGAGE THEM.
WE DO NOT KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
THEY'VE LEFT OUR SYSTEM, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THEM IN TERMS OF DID THEY LEAVE OUR DISTRICT TO GO TO ENROLL IN A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT? DID THEY LEAVE OUR DISTRICT TO GO TO A GED PROGRAM OR SOME OTHER EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM? WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THOSE STUDENTS ARE.
PERSISTERS ARE THOSE STUDENTS THAT CONTINUE WITH US BEYOND THEIR FOUR-YEAR GRADUATION DATE, AND SO THESE ARE STUDENTS THAT OFTENTIMES SPEND A FIFTH YEAR IN SCHOOL, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT LARGELY ARE DROPOUTS AND PERSISTERS HAVE STAYED FAIRLY STEADY, BETWEEN 8-9 PERCENT.
THOSE NUMBERS, ACTUALLY THEY INTERCHANGE ONE ANOTHER EACH YEAR IT SEEMS LIKE.
BUT BETWEEN 8-9 PERCENT REPRESENTS OUR DROPOUTS AND OUR PERSISTERS.
THEN THE STATE ALSO ASKS SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS TO TRACK 5, 6, AND 7-YEAR GRADUATION RATES.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW IS THAT THE PATH TO GRADUATION, IT LOOKS DIFFERENT FOR MANY STUDENTS, AND SOME STUDENTS TAKE MORE TIME THAN OTHERS.
BUT WHAT WE SEE HERE IS THAT OUR PERSISTERS, THOSE STUDENTS THAT HAVE CONTINUED WITH US, HAVE ADDED ABOUT FIVE PERCENT TO OUR ON-TIME GRADUATION RATE AS A DISTRICT IN THE FIFTH YEAR, AND THEN THEY ADD ABOUT ANOTHER ONE TO TWO PERCENT IN THE SIX AND SEVEN-YEAR GRADUATION RITES.
LOOKING AT OUR GRADUATION RATES BY RACE AND ETHNICITY ARE BLACK AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS AND OUR ASIAN STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHO ARE TWO OR MORE RACES SAW INCREASES IN THE 2022 GRADUATION RATES.
THE ONE SIGNIFICANT DROP THAT YOU SEE, WHICH IS THE RED DOTTED LINE THAT REPRESENTS OUR NATIVE HAWAIIAN OR OTHER PACIFIC ISLANDERS.
THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY SO SMALL THAT WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER TO REPORT IT.
SO IT DOES LOOK LIKE A SIGNIFICANT DROP.
THEY WENT FROM 100% IN 2021 TO ABOUT 73% IN 2022, BUT THE NUMBER IS SUPPRESSED.
WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MANY STUDENTS THAT IS, IT'S VERY LIKELY A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
LOOKING AT OUR GRADUATION RATES BY OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMS, THOSE ARE OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE SERVING SPECIAL EDUCATION, OUR HOMELESS STUDENTS, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND STUDENTS ON FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH PROGRAMS. ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF OUR FREE REDUCED LUNCH SEASONS, WHICH REMAIN CONSTANT, THOSE PROGRAMS WE SAW A SLIGHT DECREASES ACROSS THE BOARD AND ALL THE STUDENTS IN OUR SOCIAL PROGRAMS.
[01:10:02]
ONE SLIDE THAT IS, I ACTUALLY I DIDN'T HAVE IT IN THE AGENDA, BUT I DID WANT TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT IT, SO AS A RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC BACK IN 2020, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION IMPLEMENTED WHAT THEY CALL THE GRADUATION EMERGENCY WAIVER, OR THE GREW.THIS WAS A WAIVER THAT ALLOWED STUDENTS AS A RESULT OF CIRCUMSTANCES BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, AND THE PANDEMIC WAS DETERMINED AS THAT CIRCUMSTANCE THAT WAS BEYOND THEIR CONTROL, THE OPPORTUNITY TO WAIVE CREDITS AND STILL BE ABLE TO GRADUATE WITH A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STATE HAS ASKED ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO DO IS TO KEEP TRACK OF DATA ON HOW MANY GREWS ARE GIVEN EACH YEAR, AND ALSO TO DISAGGREGATE THAT DATA TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T SEE ANY DISPROPORTIONALITY FOR STUDENTS AND FOR RACE, ETHNICITY, OR SPECIAL POPULATIONS.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE REPRESENTS THE GREW APPLICATION, THE WAIVERS FOR GREWS IN THE CLASS OF 2022, WE HAD 557 APPLICATIONS.
WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP GIVING 365 GREW WAIVERS TO THE CLASS OF 2022.
THE REASON THOSE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE AT THE TIME WHEN COUNSELORS HAD TO SUBMIT A REQUEST FOR GREW WAIVER, WE ALSO HAD TO ALLOW STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO SUMMER SCHOOL OR FINISH UP COURSES.
COUNSELORS OFTENTIMES WOULD APPLY FOR A GREW WAIVER JUST TO COVER THEIR BASES AND MAKE SURE THAT A STUDENT WHO MAY HAVE NEEDED A WAIVER HAD THE APPLICATION IN SO THEY COULD GET THE WAIVER IF THEY NEEDED IT.
BUT WHAT WE ENDED UP SEEING WAS ABOUT 200 OF THOSE STUDENTS ENDED UP COMPLETING ADDITIONAL COURSEWORK AND ACTUALLY EARN THEIR HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA.
WHAT WE SAW WAS THAT OUR HISPANIC LATINO STUDENTS WERE OVERREPRESENTED.
THEY REPRESENT ABOUT 23% OF OUR DISTRICT POPULATION.
THERE WERE 30% OF THE WAIVERS THAT WERE APPLIED FOR.
STUDENTS WHO ARE TWO OR MORE RACES WERE ALSO OVERREPRESENTED.
THEY REPRESENTED ABOUT 5% OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION, AND 10% OF THOSE STUDENTS RECEIVED A REPLY FOR GREW WAIVER.
WHITE STUDENTS WERE UNDERREPRESENTED, 36% OF THE WAIVERS WERE APPLIED FOR WHITE STUDENTS, AND THEY REPRESENT 46%OF OUR POPULATION, AND OUR FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH STUDENTS WERE OVERREPRESENTED.
THERE 40% OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION AND 49% WAIVERS THAT WERE APPLIED FOR.
I DO WANT TO TELL YOU THAT BY WAY OF COMPARISON, I DID CALL THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION BECAUSE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO REPORT THE DATA AND THEY ARE GOING TO REPORT OUT AS A STATE.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE DATA READY YET.
HOWEVER, I DO KNOW A FEW PEOPLE, SO I WAS ABLE TO GET A LITTLE DATA.
BY WAY OF COMPARISON MUKILTEO SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH ABOUT 1,100 GRADUATES AWARDED 322 GREW WAIVERS, WHICH IS ABOUT 27% OF THEIR STUDENTS.
WE'RE PRETTY MUCH IN LINE WITH MUKILTEO SCHOOL DISTRICT ANYWAY, AND WE WILL SEE AS THE DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE FROM THE STATE, WE'LL COMPARE IT.
WE'LL SEE HOW WE LINE UP WITH OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE.
I THINK I TALKED ABOUT THIS JUST I THINK THIS IS JUST A RECAP OF THE GENERAL OBSERVATIONS THAT I TALKED ABOUT WITH EACH SLIDE.
WHAT I REALLY WANT TO DO NOW IS TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I WANT TO START BY SAYING THIS.
NONE OF US ARE HAPPY WITH OUR GRADUATION RATES.
I NEED THAT TO BE MADE VERY CLEAR.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT GRADUATION RATES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS, AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE STUCK.
WE'RE STUCK IN THE 83%, AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON THAT NUMBER.
HOWEVER, THIS REALLY FORCES US TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT ARE THOSE SYSTEM-WIDE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO ADDRESS OUR STAGNANT GRADUATION RATES, AND WHAT ARE THE CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE IN ORDER TO BE WANT TO IMPROVE OUR GRADUATION RATES.
THERE'S A NEED FOR US TO BE LASER-FOCUSED.
WE HAVE TO BE LASER-FOCUSED ON IMPROVING GRADUATION RATES.
WE ARE DOING SOME VERY SPECIFIC WORK TO ADDRESS GRADUATION RATES.
JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK FIT THAT DEFINITION OF WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE LASER-FOCUSED? ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE THREE SIP GOALS.
THEIR FIRST SIP GOAL IS A 95% GRADUATION RATE BY 2025.
THEIR SECOND SIP GOAL IS TO DEVELOP SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES THAT MONITOR ON TRACK CREDIT ACCRUAL FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 9, 10, AND 11, AND ALL OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE A THIRD GOAL AROUND BELONGING.
WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO CREDIT RECOVERY OPTIONS IN EACH OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY.
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO TWO PERIODS A DAY OF CREDIT RECOVERY SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS WHO FALL OFF TRACK, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THE SCHOOL DAY DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR TO MAKE UP CREDITS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A VERY ROBUST SUMMER SCHOOL
[01:15:03]
THAT OVER THE LAST TWO SUMMERS, STUDENTS HAVE EARNED ABOUT, I THINK LAST TIME I CHECKED IT WAS 1800 CREDITS OVER TWO SUMMERS BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.IN ORDER TO GET CAUGHT BACK UP AGAIN.
WE ALSO WILL BE APPLYING TO OSPI TO OPEN A SECOND OPEN DOORS PROGRAM, IN THE EDMUND SCHOOL DISTRICT, MUCH LIKE THE AVERAGE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING AND MUCH LIKE OUR CURRENT AD CAP PROGRAM.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW WHAT AN OPEN DOORS PROGRAM IS, IT IS A RE-ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES EDUCATION AND PROGRAMMING FOR STUDENTS AGES 16-21 WHO ARE CREDIT DEFICIENT, AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO GRADUATE ON TIME.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE FEEL LIKE THIS IS AN IMPORTANT MOVE TO MAKE IS TO OPEN.
THE SECOND OPEN DOORS PROGRAM IS TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH ACCESS TO MORE FLEXIBLE OPTIONS AND MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TO INTERVENE.
IN ADDITION, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THOSE ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS THAT WE CAN FIND FOR STUDENTS TO HELP THEM FEEL MORE CONNECTED IN A SENSE OF BELONGING IN SCHOOL.
WE HEARD A PRESENTATION FROM MARK MADISON ON CTE PROGRAMMING.
THE CTE GRADUATION RATE WAS IN ABOUT THE 94% RANGE.
STUDENTS WHO ENGAGED IN THE CTE PROGRAM DURING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CAREER HAD A 94% GRADUATION RATE.
WELL, LYNN HAWKINS AND I DID A LITTLE DAY TO DIVE TODAY, AND WE ALSO FOUND THAT FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE ENROLLED IN OUR EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS, THEIR GRADUATION RATE IS 97%.
FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE ENROLLED IN VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS.
THEIR GRADUATION RATE IS 87% IF THEY TAKE ONE CREDIT, OF VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS, AND IT'S 89% IF THEY TAKE TWO CREDITS OF VISUAL PERFORMING ARTS.
WHAT ISN'T IMPORTANT IS THE CLASSES. WHAT IS IMPORTANT? WHAT IS THE THROUGH LINE IS THE CONNECTION TO SCHOOL, AND THIS IS THE INTERVENTION THAT WE NEED TO SPEND MORE TIME AND ENERGY ON, IS FINDING THOSE WAYS TO CONNECT OUR STUDENTS TO SCHOOL.
THEY FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND WITH THAT SENSE OF BELONGING, THERE'LL BE A MUCH GREATER LIKELIHOOD THAT WE'RE GOING TO GRADUATE THEM ON TIME.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO STOP AND SEE WHAT QUESTIONS YOU HAVE ABOUT THE DATA PRESENTED.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING INFORMATION AND IT'S A GOOD REVIEW.
AS YOU'VE MENTIONED, THAT A CONNECTION TO SCHOOLS IS VERY IMPORTANT IN INCREASING OUR GRADUATION RATES.
DID YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON EXPANDING ON THAT? SUGGESTIONS ON INCREASING OUR CONNECTIONS TO SCHOOLS?
>> WELL, AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S THE MAGIC, IT'S TO FIND WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS THAT CONNECT STUDENTS? AND I THINK THAT THE THREE EXAMPLES THAT I GAVE, THERE ARE MANY WAYS THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN FIND CONNECTION IN SCHOOL.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS WHY OUR SCHOOLS HAVE A BELONGING GOAL IS THAT'S THE WORK OF FINDING WAYS TO CONNECT KIDS TO SCHOOL.
AND SO FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT PRINCIPLES NEXT WEEK ABOUT USING CT PROGRAMMING AS AN INTERVENTION, THAT STUDENTS THAT ARE STRUGGLING IN SCHOOL SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT CONNECTING THEM WITH THE CT PROGRAM.
WE HAVE 14 CTE PATHWAY PROGRAMS ON OUR DISTRICT, AND ANOTHER 60 PATHWAY PROGRAMS AT [INAUDIBLE].
THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERY STUDENT TO FIND A CONNECTION THROUGH A CT PATHWAY IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S OF INTEREST TO THEM.
WE CAN FIND THEM A CONNECTION.
>> ANOTHER THING WHICH GREG, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT SCHWAB AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT OF LATE IS OUR ATTENDANCE THIS YEAR, WHICH CANNOT BE EXPLAINED AWAY BY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE ACTUALLY SICK OR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT STAY HOME WHEN YOU'RE SYMPTOMATIC, ETC.
ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE, AND WHILE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT OF CHICKEN AND EGG, IF YOU FELT LIKE YOU WERE ENGAGED, WOULD YOU BE COMING TO SCHOOL? BUT IT'S ALSO HARD TO GET ENGAGED WHEN YOU'RE NOT COMING TO SCHOOL, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING ON A MORE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR ENCOURAGING ATTENDANCE AND WORKING WITH STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ON THAT ATTENDANCE AND REMOVING BARRIERS TO ATTENDANCE.
>> I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED CTE BECAUSE WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT CTE PROGRAM AT EDMONDS.
>> WE ABSOLUTELY DO, VERY MUCH SO.
>> I WONDER IF I COULD ASK A QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THIS ILLUMINATING PRESENTATION.
I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE CTE PRESENTATION EARLIER THIS YEAR, PARTICULARLY THE GRAD RATES.
MY QUESTION I GUESS IS ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT WE SAW WITH THE CTE, NOT WITH THE PROGRAM ITSELF, BUT ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I RECOGNIZED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS SOME KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING,
[01:20:03]
FOR INSTANCE, TO PASS THEIR ALGEBRA CLASS.THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE TIME AND THE DAY TO TAKE THE CTE COURSES THEY WANT TO TAKE, AND I KNOW THAT THE DISTRICT HAS BEEN DOING SOME THINGS TO HELP WITH THAT.
COULD YOU ELABORATE ON HOW WE CAN MAKE CTE MORE ACCESSIBLE TO KIDS WHO MIGHT BE STRUGGLING IN OTHER ACADEMIC AREAS?
>> WELL, I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN DO.
ONE IS AGAIN, PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO GET CAUGHT BACK UP.
IF THEY'VE FALLEN OFF TRACK AND FAILED THE CLASS, GETTING THEM BACK ON TRACK AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, IF YOUR CREDIT RECOVERY OPTION IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE ONE OF THE FIRST STRATEGIES THAT WE NEED TO EMPLOY.
I ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO IN MATH SPECIFICALLY, AND YOU MENTIONED MATH, THAT WE KNOW THAT ALGEBRA 1 IS WHAT WE CALL A GATEKEEPER COURSE.
STUDENTS WHO DO NOT PASS ALGEBRA 1 IN HIGH SCHOOL ARE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE LIKELY TO NOT GRADUATE ON TIME, AND SO WE ALSO HAVE WORK TO DO, NOT JUST AT HIGH SCHOOL, BUT AS A SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS, WHEN THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL ARE ALGEBRA 1 READY.
THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES I THINK OUR HIGH SCHOOLS FACE IS, WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN ALGEBRA 1 THAT ARE TWO, THREE, FOUR YEARS BEHIND IN MATH, AND WE TRY TO GET THEM CAUGHT UP WITH ALGEBRA 1, BUT THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT HOLES THAT WE NEED TO FILL, AND AGAIN, THIS IS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT I MENTIONED.
THAT'S WHY WE TALK ABOUT THIS AS A SYSTEMIC ISSUE.
WE HAVE SOME WORK TO DO AS A SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN OUR STUDENTS GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, THEY CAN DO ALGEBRA 1, THEY CAN BE READY TO DO THE WORK.
I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION DIRECTOR KILGORE IS THAT THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO IMPLEMENT A MASTERY-BASED CREDITING SYSTEM THAT WE ARE JUST FINISHING UP THE WORK ON THE PROCEDURES, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT READY TO GO SO THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO YET ANOTHER WAY THAT IF THEY CAN SHOW MASTERY IN THE CONTENT AREA BY PASSING ANOTHER COURSE, AND SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T STICK FOR A STUDENT IN ONE COURSE, BUT IT DOES STICK IN ANOTHER COURSE, AND SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO HELP SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS WITH OUR MASTERY-BASED CREDITING APPROACH THAT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY IN THE NEXT HIGHEST COURSE IN THE SEQUENCE, AND ALLOWS US TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO AWARD THEM CREDIT IN THAT CLASS THAT THEY MAYBE STUMBLED IN.
>> DIRECTOR SMITH, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
>> NOTHING SPECIFIC. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO DR. SCHWAB FOR PRESENTING US WITH THIS IT WAS VERY HELPFUL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AGAIN SOON.
>> I ALSO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS INFORMATION.
I THINK THE PHRASE, WE MUST SEE OUR GRADUATION RATE CHALLENGES IS A CRISIS FOR OUR SYSTEM.
I THINK THAT THE FACT THAT OURS HAS NOT CHANGED FOR I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY YEARS, AND THAT WE ARE NOW BELOW JUST ABOUT EVERY OTHER DISTRICT IN OUR AREA IS VERY TROUBLING, AND TO NOT SAY THIS PUBLICLY, I WOULD NOT BE DOING MY DUTY AS A BOARD MEMBER WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BE HOLDING THE DISTRICT ACCOUNTABLE.
I THINK PART OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU PEGGED WHEN YOU MENTIONED MASTERY-BASED CREDIT.
I THINK SOME OF OUR PROBLEMS COME FROM STUDENTS NOT EARNING CREDITS FOR THE WRONG REASONS.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF INCONSISTENCY IN THE GRADING PRACTICES THAT WE USE, AND THAT MANY OF OUR KIDS ARE BEING GRADED ON PARTICIPATION, BEHAVIOR, OTHER THINGS THAT ARE NOT RELATED TO ACTUALLY KNOWING THE CONTENT, AND THAT WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY USING BEST PRACTICES.
THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH TO SUPPORT WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE IN GRADING, IN GIVING FEEDBACK.
I JUST ACTUALLY SAW ON THE EEA WEBSITE RESEARCH THAT REALLY UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE OF GIVING KIDS FEEDBACK AND THE CHANCE TO DO AN ASSIGNMENT AGAIN, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK AND BE GRADED ON WHAT THEY SHOW THEY HAVE LEARNED.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE INVESTIGATE WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING IN TERMS OF PUTTING TOGETHER CONSISTENT GRADING PRACTICES, AS WELL AS OTHER STRATEGIES THAT THEY'RE USING TO MEET THIS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE.
I WANT TO GO ON RECORD AS BEING VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS?
>> YEAH, JUST ONE. I JUST SAW IT'S NOTABLE THAT WE REALLY
[01:25:04]
NEED TO TAKE A REALLY HARD LOOK AT WHY WE HAVE SO MANY DROPOUTS.I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FIGURE OUT WHY A PERSON DROPPED OUT AFTER THEY'VE DROPPED OUT, THAT'S A CHALLENGE.
BUT SEEING HOW IT'S AROUND EIGHT PERCENT, JUST OUR DROPOUTS GETS US DOWN TO THE GRADUATION RATE OF DROPOUTS PLUS ACADEMIC ISSUES FOR SEVERAL OTHER COMPARISONS SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
WE CAN'T POSSIBLY GET UP TO WHERE SOME OTHER DISTRICTS ARE AROUND US AND MAINTAIN THIS MANY KIDS THAT ARE DROPPING OUT, AND I KNOW THE WHOLE BELONGING ISSUE IS PROBABLY GOES A LONG WAYS TOWARD THAT.
BUT I HOPE THAT WE'RE DOING SOME RESEARCH ON WHY WE ARE LOSING THIS MANY STUDENTS BETWEEN NINTH GRADE AND 12TH GRADE.
>> ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING IS USING GRADUATION LINES SPECIFICALLY FOR DROP-OUT RECOVERY, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IS WE GIVE THEM OUR LIST OF STUDENTS THAT WE'VE LOST TOUCH WITH, AND THEY THEN HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO OUT AND FIND THOSE STUDENTS, AND TO DATE, GRADUATION ALLIANCE HAS FOUND 94 STUDENTS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY DROPOUTS IN OUR DISTRICT.
THEY'RE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO, AND THEIR END, SO WHEN THEY FIND THOSE STUDENTS, THEY BRING THEM BACK TO THE ADMIN SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEY RE-ENROLL THEM IN THE DISTRICT, BUT THEN THEY WORK WITH THEM AND HELP MOVE THOSE STUDENTS TOWARD GETTING THEIR DEPLOYMENT.
IT'S REALLY HAVING THE RESOURCES TO GO OUT AND FIND THOSE STUDENTS AND RE-ENGAGE THEM IN SCHOOL AGAIN, WE'VE GOT TO GET THEM BACK INTO SCHOOL, AND SO WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER ABOUT A SECOND OPEN DOORS PROGRAM, THAT'S REALLY THE WORK OF THE OPEN DOORS PROGRAM, IS TAKING THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE HEADING ON A TRAJECTORY TOWARD BEING SEVERELY CREDIT DEFICIENT AND VERY MUCH IN DANGER OF DROPPING OUT, AND AGAIN, HELPING THEM GET BACK ON TRACK, RE-ENGAGING THEM AND HELPING THEM BUILD THE CREDITS AND GETTING THEM BACK ON A PATH TOWARD GRADUATION AGAIN.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GET THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE AS WELL TO GIVE OUR STUDENTS MORE OPPORTUNITIES AND MORE FLEXIBILITY TO RE-ENGAGE IN SCHOOL AGAIN AND HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.
>> ANOTHER THING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING, AND I HAVE A MEETING COMING UP WITH SOMEONE WHO'S DONE THIS, OUR EXIT INTERVIEWS WITH BOTH SOME OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS TO SEE WHAT PROTECTIVE FACTORS ENABLE THEM TO STAY AND PERSIST.
MAYBE WHEN THEY FELT LIKE THEY COULDN'T CONTINUE ON, OR WHEN THEY WERE AT RISK OF STEPPING AWAY.
WHAT PROTECTIVE FACTORS DID THEY HAD? AND ALSO ENGAGING IN THE SAME EXIT INTERVIEWS, ALTHOUGH HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE MORE LIKE RE-ENGAGEMENT INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN OUR SYSTEM.
I HAVE A MEETING, I BELIEVE NEXT WEEK OR THE WEEK AFTER WITH SOMEONE WHO'S REALLY DONE A LOT OF THAT WORK TO DO SOME PLANNING FOR THIS YEAR SO THAT KELVIN AND I CAN ENGAGE IN THOSE INTERVIEWS WITH STUDENTS.
>> YOU ALSO GET INFORMATION FROM WHERE THE GRADUATION ALLIANCE ARE, AND WHEN THEY DO FIND A KID, WHY THAT KID DECIDED TO DROP OUT? OR DO YOU THINK YOU ALREADY MOSTLY KNOW?
>> MOSTLY I THINK THE REASONS THAT WE SEE ARE LACK OF ATTENDANCE, BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY STOPPED ATTENDING, I DON'T HAVE OR SEEN THAT DATA FROM THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY COLLECT THAT DATA SPECIFICALLY, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN, WITH THOSE STUDENTS THAT WE'VE RE-ENGAGED.
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> FOR YOUR CONTINUING WORK ON THIS, I APPRECIATE THAT.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS OUR BUDGET REPORT. GO AHEAD.
>> SO GOOD EVENING. IS THAT LOADS.
NICE TO SEE YOU. SORRY ABOUT THE DELAY.
WE HAD SOME TECH ISSUES ON THIS BUDGET STATUS REPORT, SO YOU WILL SEE ME AGAIN IN TWO WEEKS FOR THE JANUARY REPORT.
>> THANK YOU. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID THIS REPORT LOOKS AT TINY BIT DIFFERENT,
[01:30:03]
WE HAD TO RECREATE IT, BUT WE SHOULD GO BACK TO OUR NORMAL VERSION IN MARCH.THE HIGHLIGHT OF DECEMBER IS THAT THE DEBT SERVICE FUND WE PAY OUR SEMIANNUAL PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST, AND THE NEXT PAYMENT IS IN JUNE.
IF YOU LOOK AND YOU SEE THAT WE'VE EXPANDED 75 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET, DON'T BE ALARMED, IS BECAUSE DECEMBER IS BOTH PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST, IN JUNE IS JUST INTEREST.
WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT THIS REPORT, I NOTICED THAT WE HAD SPENT A LOT MORE ON SUPPLIES AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
THEN WE HAVE THIS YEAR, AND THERE WAS A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPLY IS STILL BEING PURCHASED FOR TECHNOLOGY SUPPLIES, CUSTODIAL SUPPLIES IN RESPONSE TO THE PANDEMIC.
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS SLIDE, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT LOCAL SOURCES, THE BIGGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF LOCAL SOURCES IS PROPERTY TAXES.
SO I JUST MAKE SURE THAT PROPERTY TAXES ARE ON TARGET.
THEY'RE AT 44 PERCENT THIS YEAR.
THEY WERE AT 44 PERCENT LAST YEAR.
PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS ARE GOOD.
THEN SOMETIMES ON THE OTHER LOCAL REVENUES, WHICH ARE MUCH SMALLER AS A PERCENTAGE, CAN FLUCTUATE OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
THEN I ALSO LOOKED AT, YOU'LL SEE THAT FEDERAL SOURCES THAT THIS LITTLE PIE GRAPH SHOWS THAT WE ARE BEHIND.
BUT WHEN YOU DIG DOWN AND THE DATA IS JUST THE TIMING CLAIMS, AND IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE ANY ACTUAL REAL STRUCTURAL CHANGES IN OUR GRANTS.
ALL OUR GRANTS STILL AWARDED. NO ISSUES THERE.
THEN ON THIS, JUST ON THE FAR LEFT, JUST A REMINDER THAT THIS PARTICULAR SYSTEM LOOKS AT TOTAL FUND BALANCE AS A PERCENTAGE OF THE WHOLE, AND WE ALSO LOOK AT UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO EVALUATE THAT FOUR PERCENT FOR TARGET.
THIS REPORT CAN ONLY SHOW THE TOTAL, AND THERE'S SOME BACKGROUND WORK TO GET TO THE FOUR PERCENT.
THEN THE EXPENDITURE PERCENTAGES ARE REALLY CONSISTENT WITH THE PAST.
I HAVE NO UNUSUAL ITEMS TO REPORT THERE.
THEN ON THIS GRAPH, I NOTICED A SLIGHT REDUCTION FROM PRIOR MONTHS.
IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'LL TAKE JUST A BIT BACK UP FOR THE JANUARY REPORT, AND AGAIN, WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR.
THIS IS LIKE A REAL JUMP AHEAD SINCE WE WON'T GET TO FEBRUARY FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BUT WE DID RECEIVE FEBRUARY APPORTIONMENT.
THAT IS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE KNOW WHAT OUR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS GOING TO BE.
JUST A LITTLE BIT CONCERNING TO BE HALFWAY THROUGH THE SCHOOL YEAR AND NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOUR TRANSPORTATION FUNDING IS.
SO WE BUDGETED THE AMOUNT THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR SINCE THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM AND THE PANDEMIC HAVE BEEN IN FLUX, AND IT IS HIGHER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR, WHICH MEANS IT'S SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN WHAT WE PROJECTED.
AS FAR AS THAT DEPARTMENT, THEY'RE IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE.
WE DID NOTICE A SLIGHT REDUCTION IN APPORTIONMENT FUNDING THAT TRUES UP IN NEXT MONTH, THE JANUARY REPORT, AND AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE NOTICED THAT DECLINE OF STUDENTS FROM BUDGET, WHICH IS PROJECTED ON THIS GRAPH.
THIS GRAPH, SORRY, IT'S ALSO NOT QUITE AS PRETTY AS IT WAS.
WE WILL GET OUR REGULAR GRAPH BACK IN THE FOLLOWING MONTH.
ALSO BECAUSE THIS REPORT IS A LITTLE BIT LATE TOO, HAVE A SNEAK PEEK AT JANUARY AND WE'RE HOLDING STEADY.
WE ONLY HAVE A DROP-OFF AFTER DECEMBER.
THAT IS IT FOR DECEMBER, UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
[01:35:04]
DIRECTORS KILGORE OR SMITH?>> I WILL JUST THANK EVERYBODY.
AS MOST OF THE PEOPLE, I'M SURE THE AUDIENCE KNOW THE DISTRICT IS REALLY KEEPING VERY TIGHT TRACK OF ITS FINANCES RIGHT NOW.
WE ALWAYS DO, BUT ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW AND SO IT'S A VALUABLE PATHWAY TO BE ABLE TO SHARPEN AND EXPLAIN THIS TO US AND KEEP US ABREAST.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
>> YES, THANKS FOR SAYING THAT, DITTO, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, AND IT'S OKAY IF THE COLORS AREN'T QUITE RIGHT.
[12. UNFINISHED BUSINESS- 8:25 pm]
>> NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS A PIECE OF UNFINISHED BUSINESS AND IT'S THE SECOND READING OF THE REVISED BOARD POLICY 2108 ON THE LEARNING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
>> AS YOU MAY RECALL FROM OUR FIRST READING OF THE JANUARY 24TH BOARD MEETING, THE CHANGES IN THIS POLICY ADDRESS THE UNIQUE NEEDS OF STUDENTS ARE IMPACTED BY THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC.
WE DIDN'T MAKE ANY CHANGES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND READING AND THE RECOMMENDATION FROM STAFF IS THAT THE BOARD ACCEPT THIS NEW POLICY.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT BACKGROUND.
DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE REVISED BOARD POLICY 2108 ON THE LEARNING ASSISTANCE.
>> MOTION TO ADOPT REVISED BOARD POLICY 2108.
>> I'VE HEARD A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE REVISED BOARD POLICY 2108.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> THE REVISED BOARD POLICY 2108 IS APPROVED.
[13. NEW BUSINESS 8:30 pm]
NEXT, WE HAVE A SINGLE READING TO APPROVE AN AWARD TO THE CDK CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INCORPORATED, WHO WAS THE LOWEST RESPONSIBLE BIDDER MEETING SPECS FOR THE METADALE HIGH SCHOOL AND CHASE LIKE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, STOREFRONT REPLACEMENT PROJECT.IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT NEEDS TO [LAUGHTER] GOING TO SAY IT SAY.
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND APPROVED TO AWARD THE CONTRACT TO THE VENDOR WHO HAD GAVE US THE LOWEST BID.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR ROLL CALL VOTE.
THE BID AWARD FOR CDK CONSTRUCTION SERVICES INCORPORATED IS APPROVED.
NEXT IS A SINGLE READING OR I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. MEDINA. [LAUGHTER]
>> YOU'RE DOING GREAT EITHER WAY, SINGLE READING THIS EVENING TO APPROVE RESOLUTION 2302, ACCEPTANCE OF PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE FALL PROTECTION FOR ELEMENTARY GUTTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
THE CAPITAL PROJECTS OFFICE RECOMMENDS THAT THE REFERENCE PROJECT BE ACCEPTED BY THE BOARD.
>> DO I HEAR A MOTION AND A SECOND?
>> IT'S BEEN MOVED AND SECONDED TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION 2302, ACCEPTANCE OF THE PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, I'LL CALL FOR A ROLL CALL VOTE.
>> AYE. RESOLUTION 2302 IS APPROVED TO ACCEPT THE PUBLIC WORKS CONTRACT FOR THE FALL PROTECTION FOR BREYER ELEMENTARY GUTTER REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
>> THE REST OF OUR ITEMS THIS EVENING DO NOT REQUEST ACTION.
FIRST READING OF REVISED BOARD POLICY 1,400.
THIS POLICY IS BEING UPDATED BY PER WATTS THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM JUNE OF LAST YEAR CONTAINS NEW PROVISIONS ABOUT WHEN THE BOARD CAN MEET FOR EMERGENCY MEETINGS, CLARIFIES THE PUBLIC COMMENT PROGRESS, AND ALSO MAKES IT ILLEGAL FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CARRY A DANGEROUS WEAPON INTO A FACILITY.
WE HAVE HAD MINOR EDITS FROM A RECOMMENDED BY A BOARD MEMBER TO PROVIDE CLARITY AND UNLESS WE HEAR SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM SOMEONE ELSE, WE'LL INCLUDE THOSE BEFORE THE SECOND READING.
>> I HAD ONE EXTRA COMMENT ON THE BASICALLY THE SECOND PARAGRAPH.
IT SAYS THE BOARD HOLDS MEETING AT TIMES OTHER THAN THE REGULAR MEETING TIME SHOULDN'T BE AT A TIME OR A LOCATION NEEDS TO BE NOTICED IF WE HOLD
[01:40:05]
THE BOARD MEETING AT A TIME OTHER THAN A REGULAR ONE OR THE LOCATION OF THE REGULAR LOCATION.YOU CAN THINK ABOUT IT FOR TWO WEEKS.
>> NEXT WE MEET AT ADMINS COLLEGE SOMETIMES.
>> I THINK ONE PLACE IT SAYS THAT WE MUST MEET WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF THE DISTRICT.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN IN THE POLICY A LONG TIME, BUT WE HAVE INDEED HAD RETREATS WITHIN THE MUSCLE TO SCHOOL DISTRICT OUTSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A LEGAL REQUIREMENT OR NOT, BUT THERE ARE SOME VENUES THAT ARE CLOSE IN AND AVAILABLE BUT ARE OUTSIDE OUR DISTRICT THAT COULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR MEETINGS AND RETREATS.
>> I THINK IT WOULD BE ON THE SECOND POINT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE LIKELY THAT THE THINGS HELD OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT BOUNDARIES WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING LIKE FOR EXAMPLE WE MIGHT GO TOWARD THE SNOW WHILE BUT THAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING VERSUS REGULAR MEETING LIKE THIS ONE.
I DO THINK IT'S AN EXPECTATION THAT TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE BOARDS HOLD. [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT WAS A BOARD AGREE. RETREAT WOULD BE A SPECIAL MEETING THAT WE WOULD POST SEPARATELY.
>> COME UNDER THE REQUIREMENT.
>> I THINK THAT THAT WOULD STILL BE ALLOWABLE UNDER THE SPECIAL MEETINGS.
THAT PARTICULAR ITEM I AGREE WITH THE ADDITION TO OR AT A PLACE A MEETING HOLDS, A MEETING OTHER THAN ITS REGULAR TIME OR OTHER THAN ITS REGULAR PLACE.
I BELIEVE THAT TO BE THE CASE AND WE CAN CERTAINLY ADD THAT.
THERE'S OTHER QUESTIONS AROUND THE POSTING OF OUR REGULAR MEETING TIMES AND WHETHER WE SHOULD ADD THAT WE DON'T HAVE THEM ON THE SECOND AND FOURTH TUESDAY OF EACH MONTH, STILL CHEWING ON WHETHER WE SHOULD SAY THAT WE HAVE THEM AND THEN JUST CANCEL THE FOURTH, WHICH WE DO IN JANUARY AND DECEMBER TYPICALLY, OR WHETHER WE SHOULD WRITE OUT THAT WE DON'T DO THEM, WE'LL FIGURE OUT A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY IN COMPLIANCE WITH OUR POLICY AND OUR ACTUAL PORT SCHEDULE.
>> EXCELLENT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR INPUT OR QUESTIONS?
>> CAN YOU SPECIFY WHERE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT?
>> I WAS LOOKING AT I'VE JUST STARTED LOOKING AT JUST A MINUTE.
NO, NEVER MIND. I WILL FIND IT.
JUST THE USUALLY HOLDS IT ON THAT SECOND FOURTH.
>> USUALLY HOLDS ON THE SECOND [OVERLAPPING]
>> THEN WE ARE NOT HELD TO IT.
>> TRYING TO FIND WHERE THAT IS.
>> YEAH, KNOW THAT YOU'VE GIVEN ME THE CONTEXT, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
>> I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE IT IS.
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THIS?
>> I WANTED TO WEIGH IN HERE ON TOWARDS THE END WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE A PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I THINK THAT IT IS VERY GOOD OVERDUE FOR US TO REALLY CLARIFY WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO ALLOW OR NOT ALLOW.
I'M SOMEONE WHO FIRMLY BELIEVES THAT THE TYPE OF SPEECH THAT NEEDS TO BE PROTECTED IN THIS TYPE OF SPEECH PEOPLE DON'T LIKE.
THAT'S THE ONE THAT WOULD BE PROTECTION NOT THE POPULAR SPEECH.
I COMPLETELY RESPECT PEOPLE'S RIGHT TO COME OUT AND EXPRESS THEIR VIEW BUT WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S DONE AN ORDERLY WAY.
THAT HASN'T ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE FOR MY TIME ON THE BOARD AND I DO BELIEVE THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO EFFECTIVELY MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMENTS ARE HEARD, WHILE ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T HAVE DISRUPTIVE SITUATIONS.
IN THE PAST, I DON'T THINK WE REALLY HAVEN'T THE RULES OR ANYTHING ELSE STAYING ON THE LEFT.
I'M VERY HAPPY THAT WE DID LOOK AT THAT AND REMEDY THAT SITUATION.
I GUESS, I STUMBLED BUT I'VE CHANGED MY MIND.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
I STUMBLED OVER HAVING UNDER PUBLIC ATTENDANCE AND COMMENT, THE BOARD WILL NOT REQUIRE PEOPLE TO SIGN IN ORDER TO ATTEND.
THEN LATER WE SAY, BUT WE MAY REQUIRE THEM TO SIGN IN IN ORDER TO SPEAK.
I GOT OVER THAT BECAUSE IT WAS PRETTY CLEAR.
BUT I GUESS IN THAT FIRST SIGNING AND IN ORDER TO SPEAK, I HAD THOUGHT THAT ONE OF THE PURPOSES WAS TO HAVE A COMPLETE RECORD SO THAT WE'RE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE PERSON'S NAME AND WHERE THEY LIVE AND SO FORTH, MORE FOR THE PUBLIC RECORD.
OF COURSE, IT IS ALSO FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO CALL THEM UP, BUT I JUST WONDER IF IT WILL BE WORTHWHILE TO ADD.
WE ALSO DO THIS FOR PURPOSES OF MAINTAINING A THOROUGH PUBLIC RECORD.
[01:45:05]
>> THANK YOU. WE CAN INCLUDE THAT.
IF WE SIT HERE LONG ENOUGH, THEY'LL HAVE A LOT MORE.
>> IT LOOKS PRETTY GOOD AND MY COMMENT WAS DIRECTED TO THE FIRST SENTENCE UNDER REGULAR MEETINGS.
>> THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE ON THIS PARTICULAR POLICY?
>> IN TWO WEEKS WE'LL HAVE THE SECOND READING.
>> I THINK WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.
>> THANK YOU. THE NEXT ONE IS A FIRST READING, NO ACCIDENT OF REVISED BOARD POLICY 1410, EXECUTIVE AND CLOSE SECTIONS.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT I RECEIVED ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS ON THIS ONE.
THE POLICY REVISIONS IN THIS ONE INCLUDES CORRECTING A TYPO IN PARAGRAPH 2, ADDING AN ADDITIONAL PURPOSE UNDER WHICH THE BOARD CAN MEET IN EXECUTIVE CLOSE SECTION REGARDING INFRASTRUCTURE NETWORK OF COMPUTER AND TELECOMMUNICATION NETWORKS.
UPDATE THE LANGUAGE TO THE VALUE OF DISTRICT KNOWN PROPERTIES, AS WELL AS ADDING A PROVISION THAT THE PURPOSE OF EXECUTIVE SESSION IS ADDED TO THE MEETING MINUTES.
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? I THINK WE CAN MOVE ON.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT ONE IS 13.6.
FIRST READING WITH NO ACTION OF THE NEW PROPOSED BOARD POLICY, 2025, SCHOOL DIRECTOR, LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALLISON, OUR INTERN ANDREA ON THAT ONE.
ANDREA, AS WELL AS DR. CHASE, WHO COLLABORATED ON THIS.
SPECIFICALLY THE REVISIONS TO THIS INCLUDE SENDING A TEAM TO THE WATSON LEGISLATIVE FRIENDS.
WE CHANGED THAT TO COMMIT TO SENDING REPRESENTATION OMITTED SECTIONS REGARDING THE LOCAL MEDIA ON THIS ONE.
MAYBE DIRECTOR CHASE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THAT IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS ONE.
>> I JUST REALLY AM THRILLED THAT WE HAVE A LEGISLATIVE POLICY COMING FORWARD THAT MORE CLOSELY MIRRORS OUR ACTUAL GOALS OF A MORE ROBUST ADVOCACY AND LEGISLATIVE COMMUNITY IN THE EDMOND SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT WAS A PLEASURE TO WORK ON THIS.
DID YOU WANT TO PRESENT ANY OF THIS AT ALL? THERE'S JUST THIS FIRST READING.
>> JUST READY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
ALL OF THE INTERNS ARE WORKING ON BRINGING FORWARD POLICIES THEY SHARE AS A PART OF THEIR WORK TO DEVELOPING UNDERSTANDING OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY AND I LOVE IT BECAUSE THEY CAN ENGAGE IN AUTHENTIC WORK OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY AS PART OF THIS.
>> I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOW ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THE ACTIONS THAT THIS POLICY WILL BE OUTLINING.
YOU HAVEN'T REALLY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT OR HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE POLICY?
>> I DON'T THINK I HAVE JUST YET, BUT I DID LOOK AT THE POLICIES THAT WE WERE ADDRESSING EARLIER WHILE AT THE CONFERENCE.
THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I FAMILIARIZED MYSELF WITH.
BUT I'LL DEFINITELY BE TAKING A LOOK AT THIS ONE.
>> IT'S RIGHT. NO. YOU ARE PART OF THE TEAM.
THE REPRESENTATION THAT WE JUST SENT TO WAZDA, WHICH IS IN NUMBER 4.
YOU'RE ACTIVELY ENGAGING IN PARTICIPATING AND THUS FULFILLING OUR POLICY REQUIREMENTS.
>> GRATEFUL TO THE CARE FOR READING OF A BOARD MEMBER.
WE WILL DO SOME CHANGE IN THE BULLETING MINOR WORDING CHANGES TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL CLARITY, BUT THIS POLICY BEFORE YOU SEE IT NEXT TIME.
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENT OR INPUT ON THAT POLICY?
>> THANK YOU. WE'LL HAVE IT READY FOR YOU FOR CONSIDERATION AND APPROVAL NEXT TIME.
13.7. FIRST READING, NO ACTION AND REVISE BOARD POLICY, 32, 31 STUDENT RECORDS. GO AHEAD. SORRY. [OVERLAPPING]
>> NO, GO AHEAD. FINISH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
>> JUST GOING TO SUMMARIZE IT.
IT'S UPDATED TO REFLECT CHANGES.
SUMMARIZE V AND OSPI BULLETIN IN 2021 TO PROHIBIT SCHOOL DISTRICTS FROM WITHHOLDING STUDENTS GRADES OR TRANSCRIPTS.
IN RESPONSE TO FINES, WE HAVE ALSO NOT ADDED LANGUAGE IN THIS POLICY THAT SAYS A DISTRICT MAY WITHHOLD A DIPLOMA BASED ON PREVIOUS CONVERSATIONS THAT THE BOARD HAD HAD IN NOT HAVING AN INTEREST AROUND WITHHOLDING DIPLOMAS FOR FINES.
>> MY COMMENT WITH REGARD TO THAT BECAUSE THE LINE YOU REMOVED SO THAT STUDENTS GRADES,
[01:50:07]
TRANSCRIPTS OR DIPLOMA CAN BE WITHHELD AND YOU REMOVED THAT LINE.WHAT'S LEFT IS TWO PARAGRAPHS THAT TALK ABOUT THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR PAYING FOR BOOKS AND IT DAMAGE AND THINGS THEY DID, WHICH HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH STUDENTS RECORDS.
THOSE TWO PARAGRAPHS REALLY AREN'T GERMANE TO THE SUBJECT OF STUDENT RECORDS ANYMORE, BUT IT SHOULD BE SOMEWHERE PERHAPS JUST IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOK.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THOSE TWO PARAGRAPHS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS POLICY ANY LONGER.
>> I GUESS IT DOES. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE HAS ANYWHERE ELSE.
LISA GONZALES AND I CAN LOOK AT THAT.
PERHAPS IT'S A TITLE CHANGE TO SET OF STUDENT RECORDS AND FINES OR SOMETHING ALONG THAT LINE.
>> IN MY MEMORY, DID WE HAVE ANOTHER POLICY? I REMEMBER TALKING ABOUT THIS AND I THOUGHT WE HAD HAD ANOTHER POLICY THAT HAD THIS INCLUDED AND MAYBE DID WE TALK ABOUT IT AND IT MAY HAVE BEEN REBECCA BEFORE YOU BECAME ON BOARD.
BUT I FOR ONE, I'M PLEASED THAT WE'RE MAKING THIS CHANGE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S UNACCEPTABLE TO WITHHOLD A TRANSCRIPT FROM A STUDENT AND ILLEGAL.
[OVERLAPPING] WE WON'T DO THAT.
>> MY COMMENT IS JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FOOTNOTE, WHICH IS AS I LIKED THIS POLICY AND ALL THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
I THINK THAT WE DO AS A BOARD, MAYBE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE WANT TO DO ABOUT COLLIDES WITH THE DISTRICT, MIGHT BE DOING THE COLLECTIVE OR NOT COLLECT THEM WHERE WE WANT THAT DONE.
I KNOW WE HAD A VERY BRIEF CONVERSATION ONCE BEFORE, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT I EVER GOTTEN REAL CLARITY ON WHAT THE PLAN IS FOR THOSE THINGS GOING FORWARD.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR US TO KNOW.
>> WE CAN CERTAINLY ENGAGE IN THE BOARD AT A TIME WHEN WE CAN FIRST HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THE SCOPE OF THIS, WHICH IS NOT AS GREAT AS YOU MIGHT THINK.
THEN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT WHETHER IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO REALLY DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT WITH.
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR INPUT? I'M SURE NONE OF OUR STUDENTS ADVISORS HAVE ANY DEBT OR HAVE LOST ANY EQUIPMENT.
>> IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, WE'LL BRING THEM FORWARD FOR A SECOND READING AND HOPEFULLY APPROVAL AT THE NEXT MEETING.
FIRST READING, NO ACTION OF REVISED BOARD POLICY.
24, 11 HIGH-SCHOOL EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE, 24.11 HAS ALSO BEEN BROUGHT TO US WITH SOME RECOMMENDED GRAMMAR CORRECTIONS BY BOARD MEMBER, WE'LL BRING THOSE FORWARD AND INCLUDE THOSE IN THE NEXT REVISION.
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR INPUT?
>> FINALLY THIS EVENING AT FIRST READING NO ACTION OF THE NEW PROPOSED BOARD POLICY 5009.
THIS IS AN ENTIRELY NEW POLICY FOR REMOTE WORK.
AS YOU RECALL, ROB BAUMGARDNER, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, PRESENTED A STUDY SESSION ON THIS WORK ON DECEMBER 6TH OF LAST YEAR AND GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD AND ATTACHES THE RESULTING NEW POLICY.
>> ANY COMMENTS OR INPUT ON THIS OR QUESTIONS?
>> I'LL JUST GO ON RECORD AS SAYING I AM A HUGE PROPONENT OF REMOTE WORK.
I'M SO GLAD THE DISTRICT IS LOOKING AT THAT.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO HELP US GET TALENT IN THE DOOR AND REALLY HELPS WITH WORK-LIFE BALANCE.
I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH SO UNTIL I GOT A JOB WHERE I WAS ABLE TO DO REMOTE WORK AND I JUST HAVE REALIZED HOW HELPFUL THAT'S BEEN FOR ME TO BE ABLE TO JUMP TO MY RESPONSIBILITIES.
BIG FAN, WE'RE TAKING THIS OFF NOW.
>> I WANT TO THANK MR. BAUMGARDNER AND ALL THE WORK HE DID.
PART OF THE DISCUSSION THAT WAS HELPFUL TO US WAS KNOWING THAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE SIMILAR POLICIES THAT THEY HAVE ALL ALREADY BEEN PUTTING IN PLACE.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO LOSE STAFF TO OTHER PLACES BECAUSE THEY SAY, WELL, I'M IN THE JOB WHERE I COULD WORK REMOTELY AND THIS OTHER DISTRICT LETS ME BUT YOU DON'T.
WE NEED TO STAY UP WITH THE CURRENT TRENDS AND EXPECTATIONS.
WE'VE ALL LEARNED A LOT ABOUT WORKING REMOTE SHIFTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I THINK THAT CONCLUDES OUR NEW BUSINESS FOR TONIGHT.
[01:55:07]
AARON, THERE'S NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS.NEXT, AND I KNOW THIS IS EXCITING,
[15. LEGISLATIVE UPDATES]
WE GET THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATE.I'LL LET DIRECTOR CHASE TAKE LEAD.
WELL, I'M SO THRILLED THAT WE HAD OUR FIRST READ ON LEGISLATIVE POLICY BECAUSE AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THIS WEEKEND TO ATTEND THE WSSDA WASHINGTON STATE SCHOOL DIRECTORS, THE WASA AND WASBO, THE SUPERINTENDENTS AND THE BUSINESS OFFICE.
>> WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS.
>> DAY ON THE HILL CONFERENCE WITH DR. MINOR AND ELIZABETH LOPEZ AND PETER GARCIA AS REPRESENTATIVES.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH OUR LEGISLATORS, THERE IT IS, YOU'VE GOT IT UP, WONDERFUL, MEET WITH OTHER SCHOOL DIRECTORS AND STUDENTS TO LOBBY FOR THE HOT TOPICS THAT ALL OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE ALIGNED ON, WHICH IS FULLY FUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION AND TRANSPORTATION.
THIS WE HAD AND WE HAVE GOT THE WONDERFUL SLIDESHOW THAT WE WOULD INVITE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT WITH US. ARE WE READY? ON SATURDAY AS WE WERE CHECKING IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SNOWMAGEDDON DID NOT MATERIALIZE.
WE WERE ABLE TO TRAVEL DOWN TO OLYMPIA TO THE LEGISLATIVE CONFERENCE AND YOU CAN GO AHEAD INTO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. YOU GOT IT.
>> ALSO AS WE CONTINUE ALONG THE SLIDES, I'M GOING TO INVITE OUR STUDENTS AND SUPERINTENDENT TO COMMENT ON SOME OF THEIR EXPERIENCES THEY HAD THERE.
THAT FIRST PICTURE YOU SAW WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE CAPITOL AND THERE WE GO. WAIT, GO BACK ONE MORE.
THE CONFERENCE, AS YOU CAN SEE, WHERE WE LEARNED ABOUT THE CURRENT STATUS OF BILLS AND THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
INFORMATION ON EFFECTIVE ADVOCACY FROM SHANKAR VEDANTAM AND HE WAS A PRESENTER LAST YEAR ALSO.
I REALLY ENJOY HEARING FROM THE HIDDEN BRAIN PODCASTER.
IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU FOUND PARTICULARLY INTERESTING ABOUT THAT, FEEL FREE TO SHARE.
>> I THOUGHT HOW WELL HE IMPLEMENTED HIS PODCASTS INTO THE WAY THAT WE WERE GOING TO WORK THE NEXT DAY ON ADVOCATING FOR FUNDING AND FOR BOTH CAUSES WAS VERY HELPFUL BECAUSE WE NOT ONLY GOT TO LEARN PSYCHOLOGY ISSUES, BUT WE ALSO LEARNED HOW TO APPLY THOSE IN A CONVERSATION WHERE WE CAN MAKE SOMEBODY CHANGE THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON A CERTAIN TOPIC OR JUST LEARN MORE ON A CERTAIN TOPIC THAT WE, THE STUDENTS ARE AFFECTED BY OR OUR CLASSMATES ARE.
I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY INTERESTING HOW YOU CAN APPLY THESE TOPICS THAT ARE TAUGHT AT A HIGHER EDUCATION TO IMPLEMENT INTO A SIMPLE SPEECH, AS SIMPLE THREE-MINUTE, FOUR-MINUTE SPEECH THAT YOU CAN JUST MAKE YOUR POINT ACROSS, BUT ALSO HAVE BOTH SIDES OF THE CONVERSATION BE HEARD AND UNDERSTOOD AT THE SAME TIME WHILE RESPECTED IN A IN A NICE ENVIRONMENT LIKE THAT.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY AMAZING.
>> I JUST WANT TO ADD A LOT OF WHAT HE TALKS ABOUT HAS BEEN TOPICS THAT WE'VE BRUSHED UPON OR I'VE STARTED LEARNING ABOUT IN MY ETHNIC STUDIES CLASS IN LYNNWOOD.
IT WAS LIKE ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS AND THEN MONDAY WHEN WE WERE ON THE HILL HAVING THESE REAL CONVERSATIONS WHERE THESE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND CONVERSATIONAL TECHNIQUES WERE AT WORK.
IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, WHAT I'M LEARNING IS ACTUALLY APPLICABLE.
I'M SEEING THIS IN ACTION [LAUGHTER] AND SOMETIMES YOU HAVE THAT MOMENT.
YOU'RE LIKE, I'M I EVER GOING TO USE THIS IN REAL LIFE AND I WAS LIKE, I WILL.
THIS IS ACTUALLY VERY HELPFUL AND IT MADE ME FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT SPEAKING TO THESE PEOPLE AND REALIZING THAT WE'RE ALL PEOPLE AND WE'RE ALL HUMANS, WE'RE ALL JUST TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT.
>> THAT'S GREAT. LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
BUT DURING THAT CONFERENCE, THE OTHER REAL PERSON YOU GOT TO MEET WAS CHRIS REYKDAL, WHO IS SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU.
THAT WAS QUITE EXCITING. GO TO NEXT SLIDE.
OUR FIRST MEETING WAS WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF REPRESENTATIVE LILLIAN ORTIZ- SELF AND STROM PETERS.
WHAT WAS FUN FOR ME TO INTRODUCE THE LEGISLATION WE'RE ADVOCATING,
[02:00:05]
BUT HAVE OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES SHARE PERSONAL STORIES AND ALSO CONNECT WITH THE LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANTS ON THEIR PATHWAY TO GET THERE FROM THEIR SCHOOL.WE ALSO RAN INTO STROM PETERSON AS HE WAS RUNNING FROM MEETING TO MEETING AND HE STOPPED TO SAY HI AND TAKE SOME PICTURES.
THIS IS WHERE THE STUDENT ADVOCACY, WHERE THE STUDENTS GET TO SPEAK WITH CHRIS REYKDAL FOR ABOUT AN HOUR AND WE WERE ALL SUPPOSED TO LEAVE, SO WE TOOK OFF.
THIS IS A SAMPLE OR JUST AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW A TESTIMONY WOULD HAPPEN.
WE'D HAVE THREE OF US TESTIFYING TO THE COMMITTEE AND THE STUDENTS WERE THE COMMITTEE IN THIS PARTICULAR INSTANCE.
IF ANY OF YOU SAW THE KING 5 LAST NIGHT, THIS WAS PART OF THE KING 5 NEWS REPORT ON STUDENTS ADVOCATING IN OLYMPIA.
ANY THOUGHTS ON YOUR TIME WITH CHRIS REYKDAL?
>> AS MUCH AS YOU THINK THEY'RE, I SPEAK NORMAL VOICE, BUT HE SPEAKS VERY LOUD, SO I WAS VERY TAKEN BACK BY THAT.
BUT IT WAS VERY NICE TO JUST HAVE THEM THERE AND SPEND MORE TIME THAN HE WAS ACTUALLY SUPPOSED TO, THE 30 MINUTES THAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY TOLD WE WERE GOING TO SPEND WITH HIM.
BUT HE TALKED IN DETAIL ABOUT THOSE STUDENTS QUESTIONS, WHICH WAS AMAZING.
I KNOW WHEN I ASKED MY QUESTION, HE APPRECIATED IT AND HE APPRECIATED EVERY OTHER QUESTION JUST AS MUCH AND ALL THE QUESTIONS REALLY DID EITHER HAVE A PERSONAL TOUCH OR SOMETHING THAT CONNECTED TO ONE OF THE OTHER STUDENTS, AND THE WAY THAT HE WENT ABOUT IT TO DESCRIBE IT WAS ALSO VERY EFFECTIVE IN OUR CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WOULD HAVE LATER THAT DAY ON HOW TO ALSO APPLY NOT ONLY THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED IN THE PODCAST PRESENTATION, BUT ALSO WHAT WE LEARNED IN THE MEETING WITH CHRIS REYKDAL, AM I SAYING THAT CORRECT? I TOOK SOME OTHER THINGS THAT HE WAS SAYING AND THEN ALSO APPLIED IT.
SO IT WAS THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE TWO DAYS I WAS GETTING PREP AND PREP AND PREP FOR THE MEETINGS TO ACTUALLY OCCUR AS SMOOTHLY AS THEY COULD.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL WITH ALSO GETTING INSIGHT ON OTHER THINGS THAT THE OTHER STUDENTS WERE BRINGING UP TO TALK WITH OTHER SENATORS.
>> I'LL JUST ADD, IT WAS AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE TO BE IN A ROOM WITH SUCH POWERFUL AND SUCH ENGAGE STUDENTS WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITIES, CARE ABOUT THEIR SCHOOLS, CARE ABOUT THE PEOPLE THEY'RE REPRESENTING, NOT ONLY WHEN THEY'RE ON THE HILL, BUT JUST IN EVERYDAY LIFE.
THEY RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE ALL PART OF A LARGER COMMUNITY, WE ALL HAVE A COMMITMENT TO EACH OTHER JUST AS MUCH AS WE HAVE A COMMITMENT TO OURSELVES AND IT WAS REALLY AMAZING TO BE AROUND STUDENTS WHO ARE ACTIVELY ADVOCATING FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE IN AND THEY'RE WILLING TO SAY SOMETHING WHEN THINGS ARE NOT GOING THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD BE.
>> THANK YOU. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
REPRESENTATIVE SHELLEY KLOBA ALSO WAS ENGAGED.
WE WERE ABLE TO MEET WITH HER DIRECTLY AND THAT WAS ONE OF THE FEW LEGISLATIVE I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO MEET WITH DIRECTLY, AND THAT WAS IN CONJUNCTION WITH SHORELINE, I BELIEVE, YES.
WHAT WAS EXCITING IS THE LEGISLATIVE ASSISTANT FOR SENATOR MARGOLIS IS A GRADUATE FROM EDMONDS WOODWAY HIGH SCHOOL AND SO IT FELT LIKE ALUMNI TIME.
>> IT WAS A VERY FULL CIRCLE MOMENT, I WOULD SAY.
HAVING SOMEBODY FROM THE DISTRICT AND THEN GOING THERE AS SOMEONE FROM THE DISTRICT AND IT WAS REALLY LIKE HEARTWARMING DIGITS TO BE LIKE, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE CONNECTIONS TO HERE, SO IT WAS VERY AWESOME.
>> AS IN JUST THIS NEXT PICTURE HERE.
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF EDMONDS SCHOOL DISTRICT GRADUATES THAT WERE INTERNING THERE.
IN THE PICTURE WE MET MAE CRAMER AND HER FRIEND GRACE.
MAE ACTUALLY GRADUATED FROM LYNNWOOD AND WE WERE ALL CHATTING ABOUT TEACHERS WE HAD AND IT WAS REALLY NICE TO HAVE THAT CONNECTION.
THEY WERE LIKE, MY ROOMMATE GRADUATED FROM EDMONDS AND THEN GRACE WAS LIKE, SO DO MINE, AND WE WERE LIKE, WHY ARE THERE SO MANY EDMONDS PEOPLE HERE? BUT IT WAS REALLY NICE WE WERE THEY ARE AND WERE BEING REPRESENTED, WHICH WAS REALLY GREAT.
>> I LIKE THE THREE-POINT OF THE ACTIVE, ENGAGED STUDENTS FROM EDMONDS. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
WE WERE ALSO ABLE IN OUR BREAK TIME BETWEEN MEETINGS TO VISIT THE SENATE AND HOUSE GALLERY AND MEET WITH LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DENNY HECK.
AS MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS RIGHT AFTER THIS.
[02:05:02]
HE WENT TO THE SENATE FLOOR, SO IT WAS NICE TO SEE HIM AS A PERSON DESCRIBING HIS JOB AND THEN THE JOB IN ACTION.[LAUGHTER] WAS YOUR GOAL TO SIT OVER THE DESK, RIGHT?
>> YEAH, IT WAS. I WAS OBVIOUSLY SITTING THERE JUST FOR FUN BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS SAT ON THE COUCH AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN I GOT MY PICTURE TAKEN, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
I THOUGHT IT WAS SO FUNNY. VERY NICE TO BE THERE.
>> THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE GOVERNOR, HOWEVER, DUE TO COVID RESTRICTIONS, ONLY 20 STUDENTS COULD BE THERE.
WE WERE ABLE TO GO NEXT DOOR TO SECRETARY OF STATE, STEVE HOBBS' OFFICE AND GET QUITE A LONG TOUR.
I THINK WE WERE THERE A HALF-HOUR, 45 MINUTES, TALKING ABOUT THE SECRETARY STATE'S OFFICE, HIS FUN HOBBIES AND YOU-ALL MADE A WASHINGTON STATE'S DCL, DID YOU NOT?
>> YEAH. HONESTLY, HE HAS THE COOLEST OFFICE.
THERE ARE VERY COOL GADGETS, AND IT WAS SO AWESOME.
>> I'M VERY THANKFUL YOU TOOK THE TIME TO ENGAGE AND TALK ABOUT THE OFFICE OF SECRETARY OF STATE AND SOMEONE WHO'S PATHWAY THERE FROM THE SENATE.
>> WHEN DIRECTOR CHASE SAYS WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, THAT MEANS DIRECTOR CHASE WALKED ACROSS THE HALL AND SAID, HEY, DOES SECRETARY OF STEVE HOBBS HAVE ANY TIME RIGHT NOW? MY NAME IS KAREN CHASE [LAUGHTER] AND LO AND BEHOLD, HE DID, SO THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS PLANNED.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT DIRECTOR CHASE WAS ABLE TO MAKE HAPPEN FOR OUR STUDENTS AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS FROM SHORELINE.
>> WE HAVE GREAT ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND MELISSA RATHBONE, IS OUR DIRECTOR OF STRATEGIC ADVOCACY THAT HELPED PULL ALL OF THIS TOGETHER.
SUPPLIES US WITH SO MUCH SUPPORT, WITH BILL TRACKING, WITH STUDENT ADVOCACY, WITH MATERIALS.
AND SHE IS ALSO HAPPY TO POSE FOR PICTURES WITH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
>> WE JUST HAD A WONDERFUL TIME.
WE ACTUALLY DID ADVOCATE FOR POSITIONS.
I'M HOPING, AND THE INTENT IS TO UNDERSTANDING THAT THIS IS A SMALL PART OF OUR YEAR-LONG ADVOCACY AND THEN WE'LL TAKE TIME WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON FLOOR SESSION TO EITHER ALSO GO TO OLYMPIA OR INVITE THEM TO SOME OF OUR BOARD MEETINGS SO WE CAN HAVE MORE DIRECT, AUTHENTIC CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE DIRECT IMPACTS OF THE DECISIONS THEY'RE MAKING, PARTICULARLY AROUND BUDGET IMPACTS AND THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW.
I WAS REALLY PLEASED THAT BOTH OF YOU WERE ABLE TO TIE IN SOME OF THE IMPACTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HAVING WHEN WE'RE NOT ABLE TO USE OUR LEVY DOLLARS FOR ENHANCEMENT, BUT RATHER FOR GENERAL EDUCATION.
I THINK THAT WAS IT, SO ANY FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE ATTENDEES?
>> I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG THANK YOU TO DR.
MINER AND DR. CHASE AND EVERYBODY ELSE WHO CONTRIBUTED IN US BEING THERE, IT WAS HONESTLY A VERY GREAT EXPERIENCE TO HAVE AND AS SOMEBODY WHO'S PURSUING A CAREER IN LAW, IT WAS VERY AMAZING TO SEE HOW EVERYTHING WORKS.
REALLY GETTING DOWN TO HAVING THE PERSONAL CONVERSATIONS WITH REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS THAT HAVE INTERESTS IN WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY AS A STUDENT BECAUSE THESE BILLS DO AFFECT YOU EVENTUALLY AND IT WAS VERY GREAT TO HAVE THIS AND GO BACK TO MY PEERS AND TELL THEM ALL ABOUT IT TOO BECAUSE THEY ARE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHAT I WAS DOING, WHO I WAS MEETING WITH AND WHAT I WAS THERE FOR, WHICH WAS FUNDING TRANSPORTATION AND FUNDING SPECIAL EDUCATION AND AS SOMEONE WHO HAS TIES TO TRANSPORTATION IN THIS DISTRICT.
IT WAS VERY EYE-OPENING TO SEE HOW MUCH OF THE FUNDING DOES ACTUALLY AFFECT AT THE END OF THE DAY, EDUCATION WITH STUDENTS JUST GETTING INTO THE BUILDING.
BECAUSE IF THERE'S NO TRANSPORTATION FROM HOME SAFELY TO SCHOOL, THEN WHAT IS THE NECESSITY OF EVEN FUNDING SCHOOLS AT THAT POINT? IT COMES DOWN TO AN EQUITY ISSUE FOR ALL STUDENTS TO HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO GO TO SCHOOL, TO HAVE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN LEARN ALL THE BASIC NECESSITIES, BUT ALSO DEVELOP FRIENDSHIPS AND DEVELOP HOW TO BE MEMBERS OF SOCIETY TO CONTRIBUTE AND HELP EACH OTHER LEARN AND DEVELOP.
IT WAS HONESTLY REALLY AMAZING.
>> SHE TOOK THE WORDS OUT OF MY MOUTH, [LAUGHTER] BUT I STILL CONSIDER MYSELF RELATIVELY NEW TO THE STATE, AND SO THIS IS INSANELY WONDERFUL WELCOME TO WASHINGTON.
I DON'T THINK I EVER MET THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF NEW YORK, BUT I DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT.
>> WE BETTER REMEMBER TO MENTION LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, SO HE DOESN'T FEEL LEFT OUT.
>> LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, WHICH WAS GREAT.
[02:10:01]
IT WAS JUST A REALLY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE AND I'M VERY PRIVILEGED AND VERY HAPPY AND HONORED TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REPRESENT MY SCHOOL AND MY DISTRICT AND TO BRING SOME OF THE STORIES THAT WERE SHARED WITH ME FOR EXAMPLE, BY MY ASB PRESIDENT OF HER FAMILY AND HER CONNECTION TO TRANSPORTATION AND SPECIAL EDUCATION.IT WAS A HUMBLING AND WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO TELL THOSE STORIES AND GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HEARD EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T THERE THEMSELVES AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY GREAT EXPERIENCE FOR ME. THANK YOU.
DR. MINER, DID YOU WANT TO ADD?
>> WELL, I WOULD ONLY ADD MY THANKS TO OUR STUDENTS FOR ATTENDING.
EARLY MORNINGS, WE DIDN'T GET BACK VERY EARLY IN THE EVENINGS AND THEY WERE REALLY FANTASTIC AND JUST ON 100% OF THE TIME AND JUST MADE ME VERY PROUD AND YOU USE THE WORD HUMBLED, PETER, PROUD AND HUMBLED TO REPRESENT YOU.
>> IT WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. THANK YOU FOR COMING.
>> THAT'S GREAT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? QUESTIONS?
>> JUST ONE FINAL COMMENT JUST ON THE ADVOCACY.
THE EXPERIENCE WAS PHENOMENAL, BUT ALSO THINKING ABOUT THESE ISSUES THAT WE'RE ADVOCATING ON, A REALLY A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE, AND ACCESS, AND STARTING TO FRAME THE CONVERSATION IN THAT, SO AS WE CONTINUE ON THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS, I THINK THERE'LL BE MORE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT NOT ONLY THE INEQUITY OF IT, BUT THIS IS A CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE.
WE NEED TO BE START FRAMING ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WAY SO THAT WE CAN ADEQUATELY SERVE ALL THE STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
>> I DO WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR TWO STUDENTS WHO WENT DOWN.
IF YOU EVER BE, SO THERE'S A BUILDING YOU ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED OR WHATEVER IT IS, SUCH A MIND-BLOWING EXPERIENCE, TESTIFY OR FOR ONE OF THOSE BELTS.
IF THERE'S ONE THAT YOU HAVE A LOT OF INTEREST IN, YOU CAN TRACK IT.
I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND GOING DOWN, TELLING YOUR STORY IN FRONT OF THE WHOLE COMMITTEE THAT'S CONSIDERING IT.
BECAUSE ONE, YOUR VOICES ARE GOING TO BRING A LOT OF WEIGHT TO THE TOPIC.
AND TWO, LIKE I SAID, IT'S UNLIKE ANYTHING I THINK I'VE EVER DONE BEFORE GETTING AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
I THINK THAT YOUTUBE WILL REALLY ENJOY IT BASED UPON THE WAY YOU DESCRIBE THIS.
>> WE DID FORGET TO MENTION THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH, THAT WE HAVE LOOPED INTO THE STUDENT ADVOCACY GROUP WITH LOGAN, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE HAPPENING SOON.
>> EXCELLENT. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
GREAT REPORT. NEXT WE HAVE BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS.
[16. BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS]
ZEDDY, YOU WANT TO START?>> JUST WITH WHAT MR. SCHWAB WAS SAYING ABOUT THE GRADUATION RATES.
WE'RE STUCK OUT TO ME WAS THE SPORTS AND ALL THE CLUBS.
BECAUSE I'M PRESIDENT OF A FEW CLUBS LIKE CLICKUP FCLE AND I AM PART OF THE TRACK AND CROSS-COUNTRY TEAM AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN IT.
THEY'RE SO DEDICATED AND THEY WANT TO EXCEL IN BOTH SCHOOL AND IN OUR SPORTS AND IT'S JUST A GREAT FAMILY ENVIRONMENT THAT WE CREATED.
BUT ANOTHER THING THAT MAKES IT A BIG PART IS THE COACHES.
BECAUSE THE COACH FOR TRACK AND FIELD TEAM, HE'S A FOOTBALL COACH AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT AN INTERVIEW AND TO SEE HOW HE WOULD REACT TO THE QUESTIONS AND IF HE WAS GOING TO BE READY AND THEN IT WAS FROM THAT INTERVIEW TO NOW, IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE.
MY TRACK TEAM HAS BEEN A CLOSE FAMILY UNIT AND HE LOVES SAYING THIS, BUT HE LOVES SAYING THAT HE LOVES EDUCATION.
RATHER THAN THE RESULTS OF SPORTS.
LIKE HE WANTS YOU TO FOCUS ON YOUR EDUCATION SUCCESS RATHER THAN FOCUSING AND PRIORITIZING SPORTS.
BECAUSE EDUCATION ALWAYS WILL COME FIRST WITH HIM.
AS THE SEASON HAS STARTED YESTERDAY, HE MADE ANOTHER BIG DEAL ABOUT IT AND THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE THAT DID LEAVE.
BUT COACHES MAKES SUCH A BIG PART AND THAT HAS AFFECTED MY SUCCESS AND THE MIGRATES AND EVERYTHING AND I REALLY APPRECIATE HIM SAYING THAT BECAUSE I CAN GREATLY REFLECT AND RELATE TO THAT.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU FOR THAT INPUT.
PETER, YOU HAVE OTHER THINGS YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
[02:15:04]
>> I WANTED TO ADD SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF AVID BECAUSE I USE THEM.
I'M AN AUDIT WELL, NOW ON AND OFF, BUT AN ABA TUTOR AND I SEE IT FROM THE TUTOR SIDE, BUT I KNOW THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN AND I KNOW THEY'RE HIGHLY MOTIVATED, THEY'RE HIGHLY ENGAGED, THEY WANT TO DO WELL.
I KNOW AVID REALLY HELPS THEM NOT ONLY WITH THEIR SCHOOLWORK BECAUSE THEY CAN GO TO THEIR PEERS AND THEY CAN BUILD THESE RELATIONSHIPS WITH EACH OTHER.
BUT THEY CAN BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH THEIR TEACHERS AND THEY CAN BE EMPOWERED TO ASK FOR HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT, WHICH I THINK IS SOMETHING EVERY STUDENT SOMETIMES STRUGGLES WITH IS ASKING FOR HELP WHEN THEY NEED IT.
I KNOW I HAVE STRUGGLED WITH IT AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY IN THESE PROGRAMS LIKE AVID HELP TO EMPOWER OUR STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY ONES WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED.
IT HELPS THEM TO FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A VOICE AND THAT THEM ASKING FOR HELP MEANS SOMETHING.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU ASK FOR HELP AND YOU FEEL LIKE IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE AND I KNOW AVID HAS HELPED A LOT OF THE KIDS THAT I USED TO TUTOR.
I KNOW THEY'VE COME OUT AS MUCH LIKE TRANSFORM STUDENTS.
I CAN THINK OF A FEW TO ONE OF THEM WHO'S JOINING OUR SOFTBALL TEAM AND SHE'S SO DEDICATED AND SHE'S SO SMART AND SHE'S SO BRIGHT.
I KNOW THAT WITHOUT AVID, I KNOW SHE MIGHT HAVE FELT A LITTLE MORE DISADVANTAGED THAN WITHOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT AVID HAS GRANTED HER.
I'M A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR AVID AND I KNOW IT, I SEE IT.
I'VE SEEN IT WORK AND I KNOW IT CAN WORK.
IF NOT BEHIND THIS CYCLE, WHICH WOULD BE A HUGE BLUNDER AND A HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT, I THINK IT SHOULD BE THE COMMITMENT THAT WE'VE MADE TO THE STUDENT'S WERE IN AND HOW IT SHOULD BE UPHELD BECAUSE THEY NEED IT AND THEY BENEFIT FROM IT IN THE END.
>> I AS WELL AGREE OUT WITH PETER.
I AM ACTUALLY THE LSU PRESIDENT AT MY SCHOOL AND ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT CAME UP TO HERE TO TALK WAS PUTTING IN GREAT EFFORTS TO PREP WITH ME, TIME YOUR SPEECH AND TELLING ME HOW MUCH YOU REALLY CARES ABOUT AVID, NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
SHE SAT DOWN AND TOOK HER TIME TO EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT AVID MEANT TO HER, BUT ALSO TO HER PEERS, AND SHARING THEIR SPEECHES AS WELL, AND TOOK MY INPUT TO HELP ORGANIZE HERSELF BETTER.
THOSE ARE SKILLS THAT SHE HAS LEARNED FROM AVID AND BEING FIRST-GENERATION STUDENT AND HAVING THAT THING IN COMMON WITH HER, I KNOW GOING INTO COLLEGE IS VERY DIFFICULT WITHOUT PRIOR KNOWLEDGE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PARENT WHO EVEN GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AT THAT.
AVID HAS BECOME A REALLY BIG SUPPORT FOR SOME OF THESE STUDENTS TO EVEN KNOW HOW TO APPLY, HOW TO DO SOME OF THE BASIC THINGS THAT OTHER STUDENTS HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO.
BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I AM ALSO A BIG SUPPORTER OF AVID AT OUR SCHOOL BECAUSE I DO SEE THESE KIDS GOING AND ASKING QUESTIONS LIKE, HEY, HOW CAN WE BETTER IMPROVE OUR AVID PROGRAM? THEN WANTING TO PUT THAT HANDS-ON LEARNING, LIKE THEY'LL GO UP AND ASK OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING IN THE BUILDING LIKE, ''HEY, DO YOU HAVE ANY CHANCE TO COME AND HELP US WITH OUR AVID CLASS DURING THIS TIME? ANYTIME WOULD BE APPRECIATED.'' IT REALLY IS WARMING TO SEE THAT THESE KIDS ARE TAKING TIME OUT OF THEIR DAYS TO NOT ONLY ATTEND AVID AND DO EVERYTHING NEEDED TO BE A BASIC PASSING OF AVID BUT ALSO HOW TO BETTER THEIR OWN PROGRAM THAT THEY HAVE AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT WITH THE WORK THAT WE DID, THE HILL, IT WAS VERY EDUCATIONAL TO ME AND PETER, I KNOW FOR SURE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO THINK THAT WE SHOULD MOVE ON FROM THE SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING THAT WE ARE DOING TO DEVELOP OUR STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, IT WOULD HAVE HONESTLY VERY VAST RAMIFICATIONS FROM WHAT WE HAVE NOW.
I FEEL LIKE STUDENTS WOULD FEEL VERY DISCONNECTED AND GRADUATIONS WOULD START TO DECLINE AGAIN BECAUSE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE THE CONNECTION THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD.
TEACHINGS LIKE EMOTIONAL LEARNING HELP STUDENTS FEEL WANTED, ACCEPTED, AND HEARD, AND FEEL THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE JUST LIKE AVID DOES.
AVID FEELS LIKE A SYSTEM THAT IS WORKING FOR THE STUDENTS, THAT IS MAKING THEM FEEL THAT THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE AND BETTER THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM, BETTER AVID.
THE ASPECT OF SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL LEARNING HELPS STUDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY CAN BETTER THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS THAT HAVE A FEAR OF GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY DON'T FEEL INCLUDED, DON'T FEEL WANTED THERE AND PROGRAMS SUCH AS CLUBS, AVID, AND OTHER SPORTS MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE THEY CAN GO IN THERE AND HAVE THAT DEVELOPMENT TO THEIR SCHOOL AND GRADUATE AND AT ONE POINT BECOME GREAT CITIZENS TO SOCIETY AND CONTRIBUTE ALSO WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY AND ENVIRONMENT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[02:20:03]
I'VE NEVER HEARD OF AVID [LAUGHTER] BEFORE.I DON'T HAVE IT AT MY SCHOOL, OR AT LEAST I'VE NEVER HEARD OF IT BEFORE, BUT IT SOUNDS REALLY HELPFUL.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THE CLUB WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY FROM THAT SCHOOL, BUT I DO UNDERSTAND FUNDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT I WISH I HAD THAT AT MY SCHOOL.
[LAUGHTER] I WOULD SO BE ON TOP OF THAT.
BUT WE DO HAVE A COLLEGE COUNSELOR.
THAT MIGHT BE WHY WE DON'T HAVE AVID, BUT YEAH, THAT'S ALL.
>> THANK YOU. THE PERSON I WANT TO MENTION IS I'M GLAD THAT SADIE HAD TALKED ABOUT THE COACH AND HOW HE IS EMPHASIZING THE ACADEMICS, EVERYTHING ELSE.
I WAS HAVING THIS SIMILAR CONVERSATION WITH SOMEONE EARLIER THIS WEEK ABOUT WHAT IS THE POINT OF HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS.
IT REALLY IS TO HELP SHAPE OUR KIDS TO BE RESPONSIBLE MEN AND WOMEN IN SOCIETY.
THE NUMBERS JUST DON'T BEAR DOWN.
MOST OF OUR STUDENT-ATHLETES AREN'T GOING TO GO ON TO BE PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, BUT THEY CAN STILL TAKE THE LESSONS THEY BEAR IN LEARNING AND APPLY THEM TO LIFE.
IT'S REALLY HEARTENING TO HEAR THAT THERE'S AT LEAST ONE COACH IN THIS SITUATION.
I KNOW CERTAINLY, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS I'VE SEEN IN ACTION.
ONE OF THOSE COACHES IS NALA SUE AT KNOWLEDGE HOUSE HIGH SCHOOL.
I WAS AT THE BOYS BASKETBALL GAME ON SATURDAY.
CAN DUMP THE LAST PLAY TARIFFS OF LOSING BY TWO.
I REMEMBER MR. SUE, HE WAS MY TECH TEACHER AND WHEN I WAS 16, I DIDN'T ALWAYS SEE EYE TO EYE WITH HIM BECAUSE I WAS A CHILD AND JUST DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WAS TELLING ME.
I CAN LOOK IT UP AND SAY HE IS A VERY GOOD MAN.
I KNOW THAT WHEN HE WENT BACK INTO THAT BLOCK OR THOSE BOYS, HE TOLD THEM TO HOLD THEIR HEADS HIGH AND WAS TEACHING THEM THE IMPORTANT LESSONS THAT MAYBE WE LOST TODAY.
THERE'S A LOT WE CAN GET OUT OF IT.
I THINK THAT IT'S FANTASTIC THAT WE HAVE COACHES LIKE THAT OUR SYSTEM.
I THINK THAT FOR THE MOST PART, EVERYONE I'VE SEEN IN THE ATHLETIC SIDE, IS DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THE LESSONS THAT CAN BE WORKED.
I THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT SADIE, AND GOOD LUCK TO I BELIEVE WE HAVE THREE TEAMS, BOISTEROUS STUFF, SO GOOD LUCK TO THEM IN THE COMING WEEKS.
I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR KINDERGARTNERS WHO CAME IN TODAY AND OUR FIRST GRADERS.
I'M VERY SAD THAT I COULDN'T BE THERE.
THOSE KINDERGARTENERS, ESPECIALLY MY FAVORITE GRADE, THEY JUST GET USED TO THE OLD SCHOOL THING, BUT IT'S GREAT TO SEE THEM LEARNING AND GETTING USED TO THE RIGORS OF OUR EDUCATION.
I THINK KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS DO PROBABLY THE HARDEST WORK IN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY TAKING BABIES AND THEY KEEP THEM INTO STUDENTS.
I AM VERY SAD THAT I COULDN'T BE THERE WHEN I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT WE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY HERE TODAY.
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO MENTION, I PULL IT AROUND IN MY HEAD.
I'M NOT REALLY QUITE SURE BUT WE HEARD FREDERICK DOUGLASS MENTION SO MANY TIMES THIS EVENING OTHER THAN, AS A WAY TO SAY, HERE'S AN AFRICAN AMERICAN PERSON.
THAT AMERICA'S GREAT, OR SOMETHING LIKE TRYING TO CO-OPT SOMETHING THAT HE HAD SAID IN THE PAST.
FREDERICK DOUGLASS IS AMAZING ORATOR, BUT THE SPEECH IN WHICH HE STATED THERE WAS NO SUPPORT FOR SLAVERY IN THE CONSTITUTION WASN'T SOME SPEECH WHERE HE SAID, AMERICA HAS GOTTEN FIGURED OUT.
THERE WAS A SPEECH WHERE HE WOULD SAY, A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AMERICA ARE TRYING TO ENSLAVE PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME AND THEY SHOULDN'T DO THAT.
IT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF YEARS BEFORE THAT THAT WE HAD DRED SCOTT, WHICH BASICALLY SAT IN WHICH THE SUPREME COURT BASICALLY SAID THE CONSTITUTION ONLY THINKS OF AFRICAN-AMERICANS AS AFRICANS, THEIR PROPERTY.
THEY'RE NOT PEOPLE WHO GET RIGHTS IN THIS COUNTRY.
IT WAS STATED VERY EXPLICITLY IN THAT DECISION THAT THEY WERE NOT SUBJECT TO ANY OF THE RIGHTS THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD GET.
ANY ATTEMPT TO WHITEWASH THIS IDEA THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WHITE, LAND-OWNING INDIVIDUALS OF EUROPEAN DESCENT DIDN'T HAVE IT WRONG.
IT'S BEEN A LONG AND HARD STRUGGLE.
WE'RE NOT ANYWHERE NEAR THE END OF THAT STRUGGLE.
I THINK THAT IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE DO TEACH THE WHOLE HISTORY TO OUR KIDS.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THEY KNOW THIS.
THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE 1807 ACT THAT PROHIBITED SLAVE IMPORTATION.
[02:25:05]
THAT IS A GOOD THING TO TEACH THEM.WE SHOULD ALL BE HAPPY ABOUT THAT, BUT WE SHOULD ALSO PUT THAT WITH THE FACT THAT THAT JUST MEANT THAT DOMESTIC SLAVE TRADE REALLY SKYROCKETED AFTER THAT.
IT'S GOOD AND BAD. LET'S TEACH OUR KIDS ALL OF THAT SO THEY COULD SEE IT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU, GUYS.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR SMITH. DIRECTOR NOBLE.
>> FIRSTLY, I'D LIKE TO THANK COLLEGE PLACE AND BRINGING THEIR KIDS IN.
IT'S JUST SO REFRESHING TO SEE THAT THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM IS WORKING SO SUCCESSFULLY.
I LOVED THE PROGRESS THE SCHOOL IS MAKING AS A WHOLE.
THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING IS REALLY GREAT. I'M PROUD OF THEM.
I WANTED TO MAKE A SHOUT OUT TO LUMIN HIGH AND MEADOWDALE HIGH FOR SENDING THE GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM AND [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL, SENDING THEIR BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM TO STATE.
IT'S A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR OUR DISTRICT.
THE LAST THING I WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY INVOLVED INCLUDING HARMONY, WHO MUST HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF PUBLICITY FOR OUR KINDERGARTEN FAIR BECAUSE I WAS THERE AND WE WERE TOTALLY OVERWHELMED WITH PEOPLE AT THE KINDERGARTEN FAIR.
IT WAS A JOYOUS OCCASION, BUT THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WAS A REALLY HUGE INTEREST IN IT.
HOPEFULLY WE HAD A LOT OF SIGN-UPS THERE.
WHEN I GOT THERE, THE MEADOWDALE HIGH SCHOOL HAS A LOT OF PARKING, HUGE PARKING LOT OUT FRONT, AND THEN STAFF PARKING.
THERE WERE PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND IN CIRCLES WAITING FOR PEOPLE TO LEAVE SO THEY COULD PARK.
IT WAS OVERWHELMED BY ITS SUCCESS.
I HOPE WE DID GET A LOT OF SIGN-UPS.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR NOBLE. DIRECTOR CHASE?
>> JUST BRIEFLY. I'M SUPER EXCITED THAT IT WAS SO WELL ATTENDED, KINDER FAIR.
LOOKED GOOD FOR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS, I HOPE IN THE FUTURE.
[LAUGHTER] I JUST WANTED TO SHARE HOW EXCITED I REALLY AM ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE PROGRAM POLICY AND WHAT A PLEASURE IT WAS TO COLLABORATE WITH PRINCIPAL COLLINS ON THIS.
WHAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT WE'LL HAVE NOW A POLICY TO DIRECT OUR PROGRAMS AND EMBED THIS INTO OUR CULTURE OF ENGAGEMENT AND PARTICIPATION IN THE DECISIONS THAT ARE AFFECTING US THAT OFTEN HAPPENED AT 30,000 FEET.
IT'S IN THE PRINCIPLE OF NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US.
I'M REALLY THRILLED THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BRINGING THIS POLICY FORWARD.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU, AND DIRECTOR KILGORE.
WE DON'T HEAR YOU, IN CASE YOU'RE MUTED.
>> I'M SORRY. MY MY SOUND CUT OUT FOR A MINUTE.
THANK YOU. WELL, I JUST WANTED TO ESPECIALLY THANK THE STUDENTS WHO CAME TO SPEAK AT PUBLIC COMMENTS.
I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS TO GET INVOLVED IN PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
I HOPE OUR STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION WILL TAKE THEIR COMMENTS SERIOUSLY AND GET BACK TO THEM AT LEAST TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN HEARD.
THERE WERE SO MANY WONDERFUL EXCITING THING, KINDER FAIR AND A LEGISLATIVE DAY ON THE HILL, THEY ALL SOUND LIKE JUST WONDERFUL ACTIVITIES AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO WAS INVOLVED IN MAKING THOSE EVENTS HAPPEN.
FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO REITERATE DIRECTOR KATIMS COMMENTS ABOUT GRAD RATES.
THEY'VE BEEN FRUSTRATING FOR ALL OF US.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STAY FOCUS THAT THIS IS A SYSTEM-WIDE PROBLEM.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS CAN SOLVE ALL BY THEMSELVES.
IT'S GOT TO BE ON EVERYONE'S MINDS FROM PRESCHOOL ON.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE ACTIVITY IN THAT RESPECT. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, DIRECTOR KILGORE.
I ECHO DIRECTOR NOBLE'S COMMENTS ABOUT KINDER FAIR.
IN FACT, IT WAS SO CROWDED, I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE.
BUT I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE DRIVING AROUND AND DRIVING AROUND.
I KEPT THINKING, THE STUDENTS HERE AT MEADOWDALE MUST THEY MUST BE PRACTICING SOCCER OR SOMETHING BECAUSE THE PARKING LOT WAS SO FULL, BUT IT WASN'T.
IT WAS ALL FAMILIES AND EVERYBODY WHO PARTICIPATED AND MADE IT HAPPEN WAS GREAT.
WE SAW HARMONY AND HELEN AND ALL OF THE ADMINISTRATORS.
IT WAS AMAZING AND PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS WERE ALL THERE, KIDS WERE DOING ROBOTICS IN KINDERGARTEN.
WE SAW MUSIC DONE BY EDMONDS WOODWAY STUDENTS FOR ENTERTAINING.
WE SAW PHYSICAL EDUCATION ACTIVITIES THE KIDS WERE DOING.
WE SAW THEM PLAYING WITH BLOCKS.
WE SAW FACE PAINTING, WE SAW BALLOONS.
[02:30:02]
ALL THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT WENT ON.CLEARLY, WE NEED A BIGGER VENUE BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY CROWDED.
WE DID NOT DO A DUNKING BOOTH.
THAT BEING SAID, I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT DR. MINER AND I VISITED MEADOWDALE MIDDLE AND MEADOWDALE HIGH LAST WEEK.
ONCE AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY WE SAW LEARNING, WE SAW ENGAGEMENT, WE TALKED WITH KIDS.
THEY'RE INVOLVED, THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT THEIR TELEPHONES.
THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
IT WAS AS ALWAYS DELIGHTFUL TO BE VISITING THOSE SCHOOLS.
THE LAST SHOUT OUT I WANT TO DO IS SOMEBODY WHO DOESN'T GET NOTICED VERY MUCH, BUT AARON FOR SURE DOES SO MUCH FOR US.
PARTICULARLY, WE SAW IT AND FELT IT DURING THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH, WHICH WAS OVER AND ABOVE ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU DO.
[APPLAUSE] YOU'RE REALLY APPRECIATED.
I DON'T THINK MOST PEOPLE KNOW SHE SUPPORTS THE SUPERINTENDENT, SHE SUPPORTS THE BOARD.
SHE ORGANIZES ALL OF THE EVENTS FOR THE BOARD, THE LOGISTICAL PIECES.
SHE KEEPS THE POLICIES OF THE BOARD AGENDA ANYWAY.
I JUST WANTED TO DO A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO YOU BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE DO THAT OFTEN ENOUGH, BUT WE REALLY APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU DO.
>> LET'S JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK COMMENTS THIS EVENING.
FIRST, LYDIA AND I WILL BE DOING OUR BUDGET ZOOM DELAYED AFTER TECHNOLOGY CHALLENGES SETS TOMORROW NIGHT AT 05:00.
IT'LL BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT HOW SCHOOLS ARE FUNDED HERE, ABOUT OUR CURRENT CONTEXTS IN THE DISTRICT.
ALSO SHARE OPINIONS ABOUT KEY FUNCTIONS THAT THE DISTRICT SHOULD MAINTAIN.
UNLIMITED NUMBER OF PEOPLE CAN ATTEND IN A WEBINAR.
JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE THREE TEAMS PLAYING.
THEY'RE ALL AT THE TACOMA DOME TOMORROW, WHICH IS A PRETTY SPECIAL DAY FOR THE DISTRICT, 09:00, GLENWOOD GIRLS BASKETBALL, MEADOWDALE GIRLS BASKETBALL AT 02:00, MOUNTLAKE TERRACE BOYS BASKETBALL AT 03:45.
IT'S PRETTY RARE DAY WHEN A DISTRICT HAS THREE TEAMS PLAYING IN ONE DAY.
UNFORTUNATELY, THESE ARE ALL I'M LOSER OUT SITUATIONS.
WE'LL BE SENDING ALL THE POSITIVE ENERGY AND SUPPORT WE CAN DO THE TEAMS, EVEN IF WE CAN'T ATTEND IN-PERSON.
FINALLY, I WOULD JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE DOZENS OF STAFF MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED KINDER FAIR.
I THINK AS A NEW PERSON WHEN YOU BRING AN INNOVATION OR AN IDEA THAT YOU'VE SEEN IN ANOTHER DISTRICT, THERE'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT OF APPREHENSION AND I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY IT WAS MET WITH SOME APPREHENSION BY SOME STAFF MEMBERS ABOUT THIS EVENT.
MAYBE THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT EDMONDS NEEDS.
MAYBE WE ALREADY HAVE OTHER THINGS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE.
THE NIGHT BEFORE, I WAS VERY NERVOUS THINKING ABOUT, GOSH, WHAT IF WE DO THIS AND NOBODY COMES TO IN MY HEAD, I THOUGHT IF 250 PEOPLE COME, I WILL CONSIDER THAT A SUCCESS.
WE OPENED AT 10:00 IN THE MORNING AND BY 10:10 I REALIZED WE HAD A DIFFERENT PROBLEM THEN WHETHER ENOUGH PEOPLE WERE GOING TO ATTEND, BUT A HUGE TURNOUT BY 10:15 PEOPLE WERE SAYING, NEXT YEAR, I CAN HELP YOU PLAN THE LINES A LITTLE BIT BETTER AND WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM PEOPLE.
BUT I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT-OUT TO HELEN AND HER ASSISTANT KERRY, WHO HELEN SAID I SAW SPARKING YOUR EYE WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT EVENT AND I WANTED TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SHE HELD SO MANY MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WE HAD CBOS, COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS THERE, AND SO MANY STAFF MEMBERS VOLUNTEERED, LARGELY COORDINATED BY HELEN.
THANK YOU TO YOU AND KERRY FOR ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS ON THAT.
>> THE LAST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS ALWAYS ARE THERE OTHER ITEMS THAT WE WENT ON FUTURE AGENDAS? I'M HEARING NONE, THIS REGULAR BUSINESS MEETING OF THE ADMIN SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF DIRECTORS IS ADJOURNED.
>> I'LL RUN IT.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.