[00:00:02]
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I WANT TO CALL TO ORDER THIS MAY 12TH,
[1. Call to Order]
2025 REGULAR BOARD MEETING.WE WILL BEGIN WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>> NEXT, WE HAVE OUR ROLL CALL.
PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 1, MARY SCHITY.
DIRECTOR STITLEY HAS A PRE ARRANGED ABSENCE.
VICE PRESIDENT AND DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 5 JACKIE MADDOX.
HERE. DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 2, DEBBIE JOHNSON?
>> DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 3, TED CHAMPAGNE.
DIRECTOR CHAMPAGNE HAS A PRE ARRANGED ABSENCE, ALSO.
DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT 4 TERRY TATE?
>> STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE JULIA STIFFLER?
>> STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE CONTRAS MONTO.
>> MADAM PRESIDENT, WE HAVE A QUORUM.
>> THANK YOU. WE DO NEED A MOTION TO EXCUSE OUR TWO BOARD MEMBERS.
>> I MOVE THAT WE EXCUSE TED CHAMPAIGN AND MARY STILEY FROM THE MEETING.
>> I WOULD ASK IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? PASSES 3-0. NEXT UP,
[4. Agenda Approval (Board Vote w/Student Voice)]
WE HAVE OUR AGENDA APPROVAL.ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, WE HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS, SUPERINTENDENT STAFF UPDATES, CITIZENS COMMENTS, OUR CONSENT AGENDA WITH ITEMS A THROUGH F. THERE'S NO OLD BUSINESS TONIGHT.
THERE'S THREE ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS, AND IF TIME ALLOWS, WE WILL HAVE TIME FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. ANYTHING THAT ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS ON OR WOULD LIKE REMOVE FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA? T. HEARING NONE? I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
>> THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVES THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. I'D LOOK TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THEIR ADVISORY VOTE. PRO?
>> THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES 3-0.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED WITH STUDENT VOICE. THANK YOU.
[5. Communications]
WE WILL BE HEARING FROM OUR STUDENTS FIRST WHO DID SIGN UP.TO MAKE SURE ARE THERE ANY STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO SIGN UP FOR STUDENT VOICE TONIGHT? GREAT. I DID WANT TO GIVE A THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO CAME AND SPOKE AT OUR LAST MEETING.
IT WAS A REALLY HARD NIGHT, AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PASSION AND A LOT OF EMOTION AROUND OUR UPCOMING CUTS.
WHILE WE ALWAYS APPLAUD OUR STUDENTS, I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE YOU THAT EVERYTHING MAY NOT BE POSITIVE, AND IF WE COULD JUST PLEASE HONOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO WHEN IT COMES TIME FOR CITIZENS COMMENTS, WE WILL REFRAIN FROM CLAPPING AT THAT TIME.
I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
I WANT TO JUST SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE WHO STAFF CITIZENS WHO HAVE E MAILED IN ABOUT THEIR COMMENTS, WHAT PROGRAMS TO SAVE.
IT'S ALL TRULY HEARTBREAKING, BUT VERY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HOW GRATEFUL WE ARE.
TO HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET YOUR E MAILS AND HEAR YOUR VOICE AS WELL.
WITH THAT, WE WILL START WITH OUR STUDENT VOICE.
TONIGHT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL, OUR ASB PRESIDENT ELI WILHELM, AND VICE PRESIDENT HARLEY HENDERSON TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD, IF YOU COULD COME UP TO THE PODIUM. FANTASTIC.
>> IF ANY PARENTS WANT TO COME UP IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PICTURES OR ANYTHING, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TOO.
>> YOU CAN JUST COME RIGHT HERE BEHIND US SO YOU CAN GET.
>> BASED ON SHOT. YOU CAN BEGIN WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS ELI WILHOM, AND I'M THE PRESIDENT OF DAYBREAK ASP.
I'M VERY PROUD TO BE A BIG PART OF OUR SCHOOL AND A ROLE MODEL FOR MY PEERS.
OUR SCHOOL HAS GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS.
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING MAGIC, BOOK CLUB, MULTICULTURAL CLUB, JAZZ BAND, MARCHING BAND, HOMEWORK HELP, ROBOTICS, MATH CLUB, ANXIETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUPS.
I EVEN STARTED A CHESS CLUB IN SIXTH GRADE.
ANY STUDENT IS WELCOME TO FIND A TEACHER TO SUPERVISE AND SOME STUDENTS WHO WANT TO JOIN, THEN PRESENT THEIR CLUB IDEA TO MISS CALMER PRINCIPAL.
[00:05:01]
SO WE WON'T HAVE ANY AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES OR SPORTS NEXT YEAR.EVERY YEAR, WE HAVE TWO BOOK FAIRS.
BEFORE EACH BOOK FAIR, STUDENTS VOLUNTEER TO HELP SET UP AND TAKE DOWN THE DISPLAYS AND SIGNS FOR THE EVENT.
THIS YEAR, OUR LIBRARY MADE $15,000.
SCHOLASTIC TOOK HALF, BUT MISS MARLO OUR LIBRARIAN USED THE EXTRA MONEY TO BUY NEW BOOKS AND IMPROVE OUR LIBRARY.
WE ALSO HAVE A MONTHLY CHARACTER TRAITS THAT STUDENTS TRY TO DISPLAY IN ORDER TO BE RECOGNIZED AS STUDENTS OF THE MONTH.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, WE HAVE HAD CREATIVITY, PERSEVERANCE, COOPERATION, GRATITUDE, EMPATHY, RESPONSIBILITY, HONESTY, RESPECT, AND COURAGE.
EVERY MONTH DURING OUR ADVISORY PERIOD, THE WHOLE GRADE GOES TO THE GYM AND WE HAVE AN ASSEMBLY.
MISS OLSON, OUR COUNSELOR SHOWS US HOW TO PORTRAY THE MONTHLY CHARACTER TRAITS.
MISS OLSON IS FANTASTIC TO HAVE IN OUR SCHOOL.
SHE HELPS US IF WE ARE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING PERSONAL AND SUPPORTS OUR ACADEMICS THROUGH THE FORECASTING PROCESS.
THE END OF THE YEAR, EVERY GRADE HAS AN EVENT CALLED DAYBREAK ON DISPLAY.
AT THE END OF THE YEAR, EVERY STUDENT IN EVERY CLASS IS A FUN PROJECT TO BE SHOWN OFF FOR ALL THE PARENTS.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE DOING IT ON MAY 28.
WE'RE HAVING PIZZA FOR EVERYONE AND WE'LL SHOW OFF OUR PROJECTS.
THIS YEAR, I'M MAKING A STATE REPORT ON ARKANSAS A POSTER ON THE RATES OF SKIN CANCER AND A STAINED GLASS MATH ART PROJECT.
ALL OF THESE WILL BE ON DISPLAY.
EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS, WE HAVE A SPIRIT WEEK.
WE DO THEM TO IMPROVE THE SCHOOL SPIRIT AND KEEP STUDENTS ENGAGED IN THE SCHOOL.
ASP MEMBERS WILL ALL VOTE ON WHICH THEME WILL BE THE MOST FUN.
EVERY TIME WE DO THIS, WE HAVE A BLAST AND WE HAVE SO MUCH PARTICIPATION.
AT THE END OF THE SPIRIT WEEKS, WE HAVE AN ASSEMBLY WHERE WE PLAY GAMES AND DECIDE ON WHICH GRADE DID THE BEST.
WHOEVER WINS THE SPIRIT WEEK GETS A DRAGON TROPHY.
THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, THE TROPHY GOES TO DIFFERENT GRADES AND IT WOULD BE BORING IF WE GOT THE SAME TROPHY EACH TIME.
EACH CLASS THAT GETS THE TROPHY DECIDES ON SOMETHING TO ADD TO IT.
RECENTLY FIFTH GRADE EVEN ADDED A GOLDEN CHICKEN NUGGET.
DAYBREAK IS A SCHOOL THAT HAS SUPPORTED ME OVER THE YEARS.
THESE PROGRAMS AND THE STAFFS THAT HAVE MADE THEM POSSIBLE ARE A BIG PART OF WHAT MADE ME A LEADER AT THE SCHOOL.
I'M LUCKY THAT I HAD SUCH GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, AND I WILL TAKE THESE SKILLS INTO MY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
>> HELLO, I'M HARLEY HENDERSON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE DAYBREAK ASSOCIATED STUDENT BODY.
THE BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT CONTAINS MANY OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS, BUT DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL STANDS OUT IN NUMEROUS WAYS.
THE ASB TEAM ORGANIZES ACTIVITIES TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY AND ACHIEVE OUR GOALS.
FOR INSTANCE, DAYBREAK RECENTLY HELD AN IMPRESSIVE CANNED FOOD DRIVE TO ASSIST THOSE IN NEED.
WE COLLECTED 2001 POUNDS OF FOOD THAT WAS DONATED TO THE NORTH COUNTY FOOD BANK.
WE'RE ALSO PLANNING SITING DANCES THAT ENGAGE STUDENTS FROM ALL GRADES FIFTH THROUGH EIGHTH.
RECENTLY, WE HOSTED PIZZA FUNDRAISERS, ADER DANCES RAISING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE DEDICATE CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO CREATE IMAGINATIVE SPIRIT WEEKS AND ASSEMBLIES.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT FOR BUILDING AN INCLUSIVE SCHOOL CULTURE.
WE ALSO IMPLEMENT LARGE SCHOOL WIDE REWARDS FOR GOOD BEHAVIOR SUCH AS SNACKS AND EXTRA RECESS PERIOD OR FUN ACTIVITIES THAT BENEFIT OUR WHOLE SCHOOL.
DAYBREAK ALSO HAS A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM OF ALL KINDS.
WE HAVE AMAZING SPORTS TEAMS AND THEY ALL WORK HARD TO DO WELL TO REPRESENT OUR SCHOOL.
THE DAYBREAK STAFF ALSO SUPPORTS EACH STUDENT TO MAKE SURE THEY GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING IN LIFE.
THEY ALSO PASS OUT THESE SMALL SLIPS OF PAPER CALLED DRAGON DOLLARS.
THESE ARE AWARDED TO STUDENTS FOR USING THEIR DRAGON ARMOR, AK BEING ALWAYS SAFE, BEING RESPECTFUL, MAKING GOOD CHOICES, BEING ON TASK, AND BEING RESPONSIBLE.
ONCE YOU'RE IN THESE, YOU CAN USE THE MATTER DRAGON STORE THAT HAS MANY PRIZES.
THIS PUSHES KIDS INTO DOING THE BETTER THING.
TEACHERS RECOGNIZE STUDENTS FOR DEMONSTRATING THE BEHAVIOR THAT IS EXPECTED IN OUR SCHOOL, AND STUDENTS ARE REWARDED FOR IT.
WE ALSO HAVE SMALL TRINKETS AT THE BOOK FAIR, INCLUDING BOOKS AND SMALL TOYS.
IT'S A TRADITION ON OUR CAMPUS THAT KIDS IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL HELP THE YOUNGER ELEMENTARY STUDENTS COUNT THEIR MONEY AND FIND WONDERFUL ITEMS THEY ENJOY AND WANT TO PURCHASE.
OUR SEVENTH GRADE STUDENTS ALSO HELP PRIMARY KIDS OVER IN THE BUILDING AS AN OPTION DURING THEIR ENRICHMENT PERIOD.
MANY OTHER STUDENTS HELP THESE KIDS AFTER SCHOOL, GIVING UP THEIR FREE TIME TO HELP THE PRIMARY TEACHERS TEACH AND ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO REACH BEFORE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A SPECTACULAR PLACE WE'VE IMPROVED AND CHANGED THIS YEAR.
I KNOW WE'LL CONTINUE GROWING AND EXPANDING EACH YEAR.
NOW THAT WE HAVE FINISHED, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I HAVE A QUESTION. ARE YOU GUYS ALLOWED TO HAVE GUM AT YOUR SCHOOL?
[00:10:01]
YOU'RE THE SCHOOL WHO CAN'T HAVE GUM?>> YOU MISS GUM? DO PEOPLE SNEAK GUM?
>> ARE YOU GOING TO LEAVE US HANGING? WHAT'S YOUR OPINION ON THE WHOLE?
>> HERE'S THE THING IS I MYSELF AM NOT A GUM PERSON.
BUT I FEEL LIKE THE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE GUM.
BUT I ALSO KNOW THE BACKSTORY AND WHY YOU GUYS DON'T HAVE GUM ANYMORE.
WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK? DO YOU GUYS THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE GUM OR NOT?
>> A LOT OF PEOPLE GET VERY FRUSTRATED THAT THEY CAN'T HAVE GUM.
ALTHOUGH THEY DO LITTER A LOT AND THEY PUT IT UNDER THE TABLES AND THROW THE TRASH EVERYWHERE.
>> I UNDERSTAND WHY THEY DON'T HAVE IT.
>> I'M TRYING TO HELP YOU OUT OVER HERE. PRINCIPLES.
>> HONESTLY, I FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD GO BECAUSE IT HELPS STUDENTS FOCUS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THERE SHOULD BE LIMITATIONS ON WHERE AND THAT IT SHOULD GET THROWN AWAY WHEN YOU'RE DONE WITH IT AND THAT THEY SHOULD PAY ATTENTION TO CERTAIN STUDENTS THAT JUST LIKE LITER IT AND PUT THE UNDER DESKS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT OBVIOUSLY PAYING ATTENTION AND PUTTING WHERE IT'S SUPPOSED TO
>> THERE'S NOTHING WORSE THAN GETTING BUBBLE GUM ON YOUR SHOE, THOUGH I HAVE TO SAY.
>> WE'VE MORPHED INTO A GUM DISCUSSION.
>> I JUST WANT TO SAY, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING, A LOT OF YOUR SERVICE MINDSET THINGS.
I'M REALLY THRILLED TO HEAR THAT.
I WAS THE FIRST PRINCIPAL AT DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL, OPENED IT IN 2007, AND TO HEAR THAT YOU'RE DOING SOME OF THOSE ACTIVITIES JUST MAKES MY HEART HAPPY. GOOD JOB, YOU GUYS.
>> COULD YOU COMMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW YOU'RE HELPING THE LOWER GRADE CLASS KIDS.
I MEAN, THE OTHER KIDS IN THE PRIMARY.
IS THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR YEARS? YOU JUST STARTED DOING THAT? HOW'S THAT GOING? IS IT WELL RECEIVED?
>> IT'S A MORE RECENT THING, BUT THEY'VE BEEN HAVING THE SEVENTH GRADERS DURING ENRICHMENT PERIODS GO DOWN AND HELP THE STUDENTS JUST LEARN IN GENERAL AND STUFF, I GUESS.
THEY HELP THEM WITH A LOT OF THINGS ON HOW.
FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD, IT'S GOING VERY WELL.
I'M NOT A SEVENTH GRADER, SO I WOULDN'T KNOW.
BUT I'M PRETTY SURE IT HAS STARTED HAPPENING, LIKE, THIS YEAR LAST YEAR, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THEN, MAYBE A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT I'VE HEARD IT'S GOING PRETTY WELL.
THE SEVENTH GRADERS SEEM TO ENJOY IT IN HELPING THE KIDS, AND THE PRIMARY STUDENTS SEEM TO LOVE HANGING OUT WITH OLDER KIDS.
>> I'M PRETTY SURE. BUT ONLY CERTAIN KIDS GO DOWN THERE BECAUSE SOME KIDS.
FOR ME, AT LEAST, AND I WASN'T IN THAT CLASS, BUT ONE OF MY FRIENDS WAS LIKE, YOU SHOULD REALLY COME WITH ME. IT'S SO MUCH FUN.
WE WENT OVER TO THE RECESS AND WE JUST HELPED THE RECESS AIDES MANAGE THEM.
>> I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT OF KIDS THAT GO AFTER SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE'S AN HOUR BETWEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL GETS OUT AND THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THEY GO OUT AND HELP WITH THEIR EXTRA TIME IF THEY E MAIL OLD ELEMENTARY STENT TEACHERS OR SOMETHING, AND IT SEEMS TO HELP THE TEACHERS OUT A LOT DEPENDING WHICH TEACHERS NEED IT.
>> BOTH OF YOU ARE EIGHTH GRADERS? YOU SEEM TO HAVE EMBRACED THIS IDEA OF BEING LEADERS IN YOUR SCHOOL, AND YOU CAN TELL THAT, YOU'RE BOTH VERY GOOD AT IT.
HAS IT ENCOURAGED YOU TO WHEN YOU GET TO HIGH SCHOOL, ARE YOU PLANNING TO CONTINUE ASB INVOLVEMENT, STUDENT GOVERNMENT, THAT THING?
>> THEN I WOULD LOOK TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES.
MOST OF THE UPDATES I HAVE PERTAIN TO MY OWN SCHOOL.
BUT ONE THING I WANT TO ANNOUNCE IS EVERY SPRING SPORT NOW IS EITHER DONE WITH THEIR SEASON OR THEY'RE IN POST SEASON, WHICH MEANS THEY MADE IT EITHER TO A DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP OR THE REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OR THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
FOR TRACK SEASON, WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP THIS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, AND THEN A FEW OF US WILL GO TO REGIONALS, AND THEN AFTER THAT, SOME OF US WILL PROBABLY GO TO STATE.
THAT'S FOR BOTH PRAIRIE AND BATTLE GROUND.
THEY'RE ON THE SAME DAY. THAT'LL BE REALLY FUN.
SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR ME IS SENIORS GRADUATION STARTS IN 23 DAYS, AND I'M THE FIRST SCHOOL TO GRADUATE RIVER HOME LAK, JUNE 4TH.
YOU CAN COME. THERE ARE NO TICKETS. I WOULD LOVE TO SAY THAT TO YOU.
>> HAS SENIORITIS SET IN FOR YOU YET?
[00:15:01]
>> IT'S JUST ONCE YOU HAVE ALL OF YOUR POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANS, THEN YOU'RE LIKE NOW I GOT TO FINISH ALL MY CREDITS THAT I ALREADY HAVE BECAUSE I HAVE MORE THAN 24 ALREADY.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE A HUSTLE. BUT I LOVE SCHOOL.
BUT ANOTHER EXCITING THING GOING ON AT RIVER HOMELINK IS MAY 30TH, WE HAVE OUR ANNUAL ZOO DAY.
RIVER HOMELINK, MAY 30TH, WE DON'T HAVE SCHOOL.
THE WHOLE SCHOOL GOES TO THE ZOO, WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING, EXCEPT SENIORS ARE ACTUALLY DONE WITH SCHOOL, AND I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE GOING TO THE ZOO, BUT IT'S OKAY.
>> YOU WENT LAST YEAR, RIGHT, TO THE ZOO?
>> I DIDN'T GO LAST YEAR. I DON'T REMEMBER WHY.
>> YOU CAN'T HAVE IT BOTH WAYS, THOUGH. YOU CAN'T.
YOU MISS OUT SOMETIMES. IT'S OKAY.
BUT K-12 AND ESPECIALLY HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF STATE TESTING, AP TESTING, A LOT OF TESTING.
WE'VE HAD A TON OF ATHLETES ON THE TRACK TEAM COME [INAUDIBLE] AND THEY'RE LIKE, "I'M SORRY, I HAD MY AP SEMINAR TEST, I WAS THERE FOR THREE HOURS." I JUST FEEL BAD FOR THEM.
THAT'S BEEN GOING REALLY WELL. IT'S HONESTLY BEEN GOING REALLY SMOOTHLY THIS YEAR, WHICH IT DOESN'T ALWAYS, BUT THIS YEAR, IT'S BEEN GOING VERY SMOOTHLY, ESPECIALLY AT RIVER.
WE HAVE THREE PROMS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON MAY 17TH: SO WE HAVE RIVER HOMELINK'S PROM, BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL'S PROM, AND CAM'S PROM ALL ON MAY 17TH, WHICH MEANS A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIMITED TO ONE PROM, INCLUDING ME, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
RIVER HOMELINK, WE HAVE OUR MOVIE NIGHT.
WE'RE WATCHING HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON ON MAY 28TH.
IT'S $5, AND THERE'LL BE FREE FOOD, AND YOU SHOULD TOTALLY COME.
OUR THEATER DEPARTMENT AT RIVER HOMELINK IS PUTTING ON THEIR ANNUAL SHOWCASE ON MAY 23RD, AND IT'S CALLED BACK TO THE STAGE.
BASICALLY, THE IDEA IS THEY ARE RECREATING MANY OF THEIR HIT SCENES OR SONGS, OR, WHAT'S THE OTHER WORD? THEY ARE RECREATING MOMENTS FROM PAST SHOWS.
THEY'LL HAVE MOMENTS FROM MOANA, THEY'LL HAVE MOMENTS FROM ANNIE, ALADDIN. IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY COOL.
YOU SHOULD TOTALLY COME. THAT WILL BE AT THE MAPLE GROVE SMALL GYM.
THAT'S THE SAME CAMPUS AS RIVER HOMELINK.
THAT'S ACTUALLY ALL I HAVE TO REPORT. A LOT OF RIVER HOMELINK.
>> MY TURN NOW. LIKE JULIA SAID, THERE'S NOT REALLY A LOT AS THE YEAR LESS DAYS IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, LESS PEOPLE SHOW UP OR JUST LESS EVENTS, IF I'M BEING HONEST, BUT A FEW OF THE THINGS THAT IS [NOISE] [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL IS JUST GETTING READY FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE DO WANT TO DO A LOT WITH THE NEW FRESHMAN COMING IN BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE IN A GOOD ATMOSPHERE AND BLEND IN AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, SO EVERYTHING GOES SMOOTHLY AND THEY HAVE A POSITIVE LOOK ON HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FRESHMAN ORIENTATION AND TRYING TO IMPLEMENT A NEW THING CALLED FALCON MENTORS, WHERE WE HAVE A SPECIFIC GROUP OF KIDS WHO VOLUNTEER THEIR TIME TO MEET WITH US, THEY'LL BE ASSIGNED TO A SPECIFIC NUMBER OF FRESHMEN AND THEY'LL MEET WITH THEM DURING FUNK AND SPORT SOMETIMES AND JUST CHECKING IN ON THEM AND MAKING SURE THEIR FRESHMAN YEAR IS GOING SMOOTHLY BECAUSE YOUR FRESHMAN YEAR IS THE YEAR THAT YOU SET WHETHER YOU GO REALLY GOOD IN HIGH SCHOOL OR LEAN BACK ON HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR FRESHMEN HAVE A GOOD YEAR AND GOOD HIGH SCHOOL MEMORIES AND ALL OF THAT.
LIKE JULIA SAID, AP TESTING, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY AP TESTING, SO I'M HAPPY ABOUT THAT.
I DIDN'T HAVE TO SIT IN A ROOM FOR THREE HOURS.
A LOT OF KIDS ARE GETTING THROUGH IT FAST, AND IT'S JUST BEEN PRETTY GOOD AND PRETTY SMOOTH.
THEN OUR CTE CLASSES DID DO MOCK INTERVIEWS FOR STUDENTS, WHICH IS WHERE THEY A SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF COMMUNITY MEMBERS COME IN AND THEY JUST PRACTICE THEIR INTERVIEWS AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT AND HELP THEM MAKE THEIR RESUMES, MAKE THEIR LETTERS, AND JUST A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO HELP KIDS GET READY FOR AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, GETTING THOSE JOBS AND ONCE THEY TURN 16 AS WELL.
THEN OUR PROM WAS PRETTY EARLY.
WE HAD IT MAY 3RD, BUT WE HAD IT AT THE BLACK PEARL, WHICH WAS SUPER NICE, SUPER FUN.
GOT REALLY COLD, BUT AT LEAST IT DIDN'T RAIN BECAUSE IT SAID IT WAS GOING TO RAIN AND EVERYBODY WAS SUPER BUMMED ABOUT THAT.
BUT THEN IT WAS SUNNY. THE PICTURES CAME OUT GOOD.
THEN A LOT OF KIDS HAD FUN HAVING IT AT THE BLACK PEARL.
I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS WENT INTO THE LAKE AFTER PROM, WHICH I WENT HOME AFTER THAT BECAUSE I WILL NOT BE GOING IN COLD WATER AFTER PROM, I'LL GO AND GO TO SLEEP.
>> JULIA, IS TRACK SEASON OVER?
>> NO. WELL, IT IS FOR SOME PEOPLE.
WE HAD OUR LAST CONFERENCE TRACK MEET, WHICH IS LIKE NORMAL SEASON TRACK MEET, WE HAD THAT ON MAY 6TH.
THEN FOR THOSE WHO QUALIFIED [OVERLAPPING].
>> YEAH. WE STILL HAVE OUR DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIPS [OVERLAPPING].
>> DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP, THEN REGIONALS.
[00:20:01]
>> THEN REGIONALS, THEN STATE.
>> THEN STATE. YOU'LL KEEP US UPDATED.
>> YEAH. I'M RUNNING ON WEDNESDAY.
YOU SHOULD COME. THREE EVENTS.
IT'LL BE FUN. THEN [OVERLAPPING].
>> DISTRICT IS AT MCKENZIE STADIUM.
THAT'S WHERE EVERGREEN HIGH SCHOOL AND HERITAGE HIGH SCHOOL HAVE THEIR FOOTBALL GAMES.
>> YOU NEED A NINE-LANE TRACK TO RUN DISTRICTS, AND WHICH IS WHY WE CAN'T RUN DISTRICTS HERE.
>> YEAH, WE COULD NEVER DO IT.
>> WHAT EVENT ARE YOU RUNNING?
>> I'M RUNNING 100 HURDLES, 4*100 RELAY, 4*200 RELAY. VERY FUN.
IT'S A LOT. BY THE TIME WE HAVE THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, THAT'LL BE THE WEEK BEFORE STATE, SO I'LL HAVE WHO QUALIFY FOR STATE.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE OUR COLLEGE ATHLETE SIGNING RECOGNITION.
I THINK I SAW STEPHANIE WATTS HERE.
I DO. DID YOU BRING TREVOR WITH YOU?
>> I DID NOT [INAUDIBLE]. I DID BRING NICK [INAUDIBLE] WITH ME.
>> AT PRAIRIE THIS YEAR, WE HAD 16 ATHLETES SIGN.
WE DID IT ALL TOGETHER ON ONE DAY LAST WEEK.
WE WAITED UNTIL THE SPRING BECAUSE ATHLETES CAN SIGN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT IT JUST FELT MORE PERSONAL WHEN WE COULD DO IT TOGETHER.
THAT WAY, PARENTS AND FELLOW ATHLETES AND COACHES COULD COME AND SUPPORT OUR KIDS.
WE HAD RAN THE GAMUT, WE HAD VOLLEYBALL, FOOTBALL.
I HAD TO MAKE SURE I SAY FOOTBALL THIS TIME.
WE HAD AN E-SPORTS ATHLETE, WE HAD TRACK AND FIELD, WE HAD BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL, AND DANCE, AND VOLLEYBALL.
DO I SAY VOLLEYBALL? ANY QUESTIONS? I CAN LET [OVERLAPPING].
>> WE HAVE A SLIDE SHOW PREPARED.
>> MAYA IS GOING FOR DANCE TO THE UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO.
WHAT YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE SLIDES, I PUT WHERE THEY WOULD GO.
[OVERLAPPING] PAYTON BLUNT PLAYING SOFTBALL TODAY.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ATHLETES STILL PLAYING [OVERLAPPING].
>> BUT PAYTON'S GOING TO BE GOING TO CLACKAMAS COMMUNITY COLLEGE TO CONTINUE PLAYING SOFTBALL.
NICK, RIGHT HERE IS GOING TO GEORGE FOX TO PLAY FOOTBALL.
AVA DHANENS IS GOING TO BE PLAYING SOCCER AT CARROLL COLLEGE, VLAD IS GOING TO WHITWORTH UNIVERSITY TO SWIM.
HE BROKE A LOT OF OUR SWIM RECORDS THIS YEAR WITH THE STATE.
WE GOT A LOT OF BASEBALL PLAYERS.
OWEN DIRKS IS GOING TO CLARK COLLEGE, AIDEN EMERY IS GOING TO CLARK COLLEGE, DAKOTA IS GOING TO BE RUNNING CROSS COUNTRY AND TRACK AND FIELD AT CLARK COLLEGE.
HE'S ONE OF OUR DISTANCE RUNNERS.
ABBY MENDOZA IS GOING TO BE RUNNING AT CLARK.
SHE ALSO WAS A GYMNAST, BUT SHE'S GOING FOR TRACK.
CLAIRE NEWMAN JUST SIGNED RECENTLY TO LOWER COLUMBIA COLLEGE TO PLAY VOLLEYBALL.
NOLAN NUNN IS GOING TO SHORELINE FOR BASEBALL.
KAYLA SCHOLL IS GOING TO ARIZONA CHRISTIAN FOR SOFTBALL.
UNFORTUNATELY, SHE JUST BROKE HER HAND RIGHT BEFORE PLAYOFFS.
THEN CODY SIGLER IS GOING FOR E-SPORTS TO WINTHROP UNIVERSITY.
THEN ISAAC WATSON FOR BASEBALL TO CENTRALIA COMMUNITY COLLEGE. I BELIEVE THAT'S IT.
>> NICK, WHAT POSITION DO YOU PLAY?
>> CONGRATULATIONS. THAT'S OUTSTANDING.
>> CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE]
>> THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND REPRESENTING YOUR CLASSMATES.
>> THANKS FOR BEING HERE AND REPRESENTING PRAIRIE ATHLETES TODAY, WE APPRECIATE THAT.
>> I DO WANT TO DO A SHOUT-OUT TO NICK. NICK IS ONE OF OUR VALEDICTORIANS.
COLLEGES DON'T OFTEN RECRUIT UNLESS THEY CAN PERFORM IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL.
ALL OF THESE KIDS THEY'RE RIGHT ON TRACK, THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK IN THE CLASSROOM AND ON THE FIELDS IN WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I'M REALLY PROUD OF WHAT NICK'S DONE AND HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
>> YEAH, WE ARE TOO. [OVERLAPPING] THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> NEXT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL, AND MR. TRAVIS DRAKE, IS GOING TO FILL IN AND DO HIS THING.
DO WE HAVE ANY BATTLE GROUND ATHLETES HERE? WE'LL JUST GO THROUGH IT THEN.
>> I'D JUST BE MY MOMENT TO TALK ABOUT MY ATHLETIC CAREER AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL.
[00:25:02]
[LAUGHTER] I HAVE THE HONOR OF CELEBRATING BATTLE GROUND ATHLETES TONIGHT.I AM NOT GOING TO TRY AND PRETEND I KNOW THE STUDENT ATHLETES THAT ARE UP ON THIS SLIDE SHOW, SO IF I DO MISPRONOUNCE THEIR NAME, I APOLOGIZE.
>> I KNOW THEM. I'LL TELL YOU.
>> DO YOU WANT TO ANNOUNCE THEM?
>> YOU ARE JUST GOING TO JUDGE ME IF I GET THE NAME WRONG? THIS WILL BE FUN.
MCKENZIE ENRIGHT IS GOING TO GO PLAY SOCCER AT MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY BILLINGS.
>> ALISEYAH LINDERSMITH IS GOING TO PLAY FASTPITCH SOFTBALL AT LCC UP IN LONGVIEW.
BOSTON WALKER, GOING TO PLAY FOOTBALL AT WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY, DIVISION 2, SO THAT'S A GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR BOSTON.
KRISTINE BRIGANCE, FASTPITCH SOFTBALL AT MT.
LORELEI BROWN, WOMEN'S WRESTLING AT PACIFIC UNIVERSITY.
>> IT'S ALWAYS NICE TO RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENT ATHLETES.
I DO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE SCHOOLS.
THEY DO A GOOD JOB WITH THE SIGNING EVENTS THAT THEY HAVE, SO THESE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED BEFORE, BUT WE ALWAYS LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE THEM THROUGH THE BOARD AND AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
THANK YOU AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR OUTSTANDING ATHLETES.
>> NEXT UP, WE HAVE OUR NATIONAL HISTORY DAY RECOGNITION.
ALSO, MR. DRAKE COME BACK UP [OVERLAPPING].
>> AGAIN, IF THERE'S ANY PARENTS IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WANT TO GET UP HERE FOR PICTURES, YOU'RE WELCOME TO JOIN US. [LAUGHTER]
I AM THE MAGNET GIFTED ASPIRE TEACHER CHIEF.
I TEACH SEVENTH AND EIGHTH-GRADE LANGUAGE AND HISTORY.
I HAVE BEEN DOING NATIONAL HISTORY DAY I THINK 15 YEARS.
WE HAVE THESE GIRLS, MY FIRST GROUP, EVER TWIN.
WE HAVE GONE TO NATIONALS SINCE 2017, EVERY YEAR, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO PANDEMIC YEARS WHEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT.
THIS YEAR, IT'S ABOUT SOME RESPONSIBILITIES IN HISTORY, AND WE HAD ALL 46 OF MY STUDENTS DO THE COMPETITION, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO COMPETE.
I THINK WE HAD, ABOUT 30-SOMETHING? I THINK 36 KIDS COMPETED AT REGIONALS, 16 MOVED TO STATE, AND WE HAVE JUST THESE TWO THAT ARE MOVING ON TO NATIONALS, AND WE HAD ONE THAT WAS AN ALTERNATE.
THEY CAN TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR PROJECT.
>> OUR PROJECT IS ABOUT THE RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK AND ABOUT HOW DURING WORLD WAR.
>> 1800S, THERE WAS A LOT OF LOGGING IN WESTWARD EXPANSION AND IT WAS CUTTING DOWN A LOT OF THE SEQUOIA TREES, WHICH WAS HARMING THE NATURAL LAND OF THE TREES.
>> AFTER THE CALIFORNIA GOLD RUSH, THERE WAS NOT MUCH GOLD LEFT, SO THEN PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, LET'S GO TO LOGGING INSTEAD.
>> BENJAMIN HARRISON OR WHO WAS IT?
>> YES. JOHN NEWARK WAS AN ADVOCATE FOR IT.
HE WAS A BIG ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVIST AT THE TIME.
HE BASICALLY MADE A GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT WANTED TO FIGHT FOR THE TREES AND THAT KIND OF THING.
THEY FOUGHT FOR IT AND THE GOVERNMENT EVENTUALLY MADE AND SIGNED LEGISLATION FOR SEQUOIA NATIONAL PARK, WHICH IS IN CENTRAL CALIFORNIA.
>> WHEN THEY MADE IT A PARK, THERE WAS ORIGINALLY NATIVES LIVING IN THE LAND THERE.
THEY PUSHED THE NATIVES OUT OF THE LAND AND MADE IT A PARK, WHICH THEY WERE DOING THE RIGHT THING, BUT THEY HAD BAD CONSEQUENCES BECAUSE THEY WERE TAKING THE NATIVES LAND, AND THEY JUST RELOCATED THEM IN SOMEWHERE THAT WASN'T THEIR HOMELAND THAT THEY OWNED, AND IT TOOK AWAY THE NATIVES RIGHTS, BUT IT DID A GOOD THING, SO PEOPLE ALMOST OVERLOOKED IT BECAUSE OF WHAT THEY WERE DOING.
>> SOME OF THE NATIVES THEY USE AS PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL FOR THE PARK AND EXPLOITED THEM FOR TOURISM PURPOSES.
BUT A LOT OF THEM, THEY RELOCATED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AND THEN THEY DESTROYED THEIR HOMES THAT WERE THERE BECAUSE THEY WERE A THREAT TO TOURISM AND STUFF.
THE NATIVES THAT DID LIVE THERE NEVER GOT A COMPENSATION FOR IT, THEY WERE JUST RECOGNIZED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT LIKE, OH, SORRY, WE TOOK YOUR LAND, BUT THEY NEVER GOT ANY MONEY FOR IT.
>> THE GREAT THING ABOUT NATIONAL HISTORY DAY IS THAT
[00:30:02]
THE KIDS CAN CHOOSE ANY TOPIC THEY WANT, IT'S NOT PRESCRIBED BY ME.I TALK TO THEM ABOUT HOW TO DO PRIMARY RESEARCH, SECONDARY RESEARCH, AND HOW TO DO ANALYSIS, BUT THEY CHOOSE WHATEVER TOPIC.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY CHOSE ON THEIR OWN, AND THEY DID AN EXHIBIT BOARD.
THE KIDS CAN CHOOSE A 10-MINUTE DOCUMENTARY, 10-MINUTE PERFORMANCE, AND EXHIBIT, A PAPER, OR A WEBSITE, AND THEY CHOSE TO DO A REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING FUN EXHIBIT BOARD.
>> WHAT DOES THE ACTUAL COMPETITION LOOK LIKE FOR YOU GUYS WHEN YOU GET THERE?
>> FOR EXHIBIT BOARDS, THERE'S A ROOM AND YOU HAVE TO SET UP YOUR EXHIBIT BOARD AND THERE'S SPECIFIC JUDGING TIME.
ALL THE DOORS ARE CLOSED AND ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE JUDGING CAN GO IN, AND THEN THEY JUST ASK YOU A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR BOARD.
>> WE MADE OUR BOARD THIS YEAR HAVE INTERACTABLE THINGS.
THERE WAS THESE LOGS THAT HAD INFORMATION ON IT TO SHOW IT'D BE MORE INTERESTING FOR THE JUDGES. I GUESS THEY LIKE THAT.
>> YEAH, I GUESS SO. GOOD FOR YOU GUYS.
>> WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE PART OF THE PROJECT SO FAR?
>> I THINK TRAVELING HAS BEEN FUN BECAUSE THE STATE COMPETITION WAS IN SEATTLE, AND THAT WAS REALLY FUN.
THEN ALSO JUST WORKING ON THE ACTUAL EXHIBIT BOARD, LIKE PUTTING THINGS TOGETHER.
>> THERE WAS A REGIONAL COMPETITION, WHICH YOU OBVIOUSLY DID VERY WELL IN?
>> YEAH. WE ACTUALLY GOT FIFTH PLACE AT REGIONAL, SO WE BARELY MADE IT TO STATE AND THEN WE GOT FIRST PLACE AT STATE.
>> THAT'S FANTASTIC. THAT'S VERY COOL.
CONGRATULATIONS. [APPLAUSE] [INAUDIBLE] WE GOT MORE QUESTIONS, I JUST GOT TO [INAUDIBLE] FOR THE FIRST PLACE.
[LAUGHTER] [INAUDIBLE] CLAPPING.
>> STUDENTS WERE ACROSS EVERY STATE AND THEN SOME FROM OUT OF THE COUNTRY AS WELL.
THERE'S ABOUT 5,000 STUDENTS THAT'LL BE COMING TOGETHER AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
>> THEN WE'LL BE [OVERLAPPING].
>> I THINK THERE WAS LIKE 3,000. [OVERLAPPING]
>> SHOULD MAKE YOU MORE NERVOUS NOW THAT'S IT'S 5,000.
>> LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL. WE'LL MISS THE LAST WEEK OF SCHOOL.
>> WE'LL MISS EIGHTH-GRADE GRADUATION.
>> [INAUDIBLE], YOU HAD A QUESTION.
>> I WAS [NOISE] JUST CURIOUS, HOW DID YOU FORM YOUR INTEREST IN HISTORY? WAS THERE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED OR MAYBE A FAMILY MEMBER THAT TALKED TO YOU ABOUT A STORY AND IT PIQUED YOUR INTEREST, AND NOW YOU'RE [OVERLAPPING]?
>> OR IT'S JUST THE OUTSTANDING TEACHING OF MS. DOWDY?
>> DEFINITELY COULD BE THAT TOO.
>> I THINK YOU'RE JUST LIKE GIVEN A LIST AND THEN WE WENT OFF THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT.
BUT A LOT OF IT WAS FROM MS. ADDISON.
BECAUSE WE HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT ONES WE WANTED TO DO, AND SHE HELPED US NARROW IT DOWN.
>> SPEAKING ABOUT AN INSPIRING TEACHER, BETH WAS RECENTLY PUBLISHED IN A NEWSLETTER, SPRING NEWSLETTER ABOUT WHEN SHE DID HER MASTERS IN AMERICAN HISTORY.
IT WAS NEAT BECAUSE WITHIN THE ARTICLE, SOME OF THE STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE THAT SHE'S MAKING BRINGING HISTORY ALIVE IN HER CLASSROOM, SO THANK YOU, BETH FOR THAT AS WELL.
>> IT'S EXCELLENT. NEXT UP, WE HAVE COMMITTEE REPORTS STARTING WITH THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE?
>> I DON'T HAVE A LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE REPORT THIS EVENING.
I'M WAITING THROUGH THE RESULTS OF ALL THE STUFF.
WHAT I THOUGHT WAS GOING TO BE A REAL NICE REPORT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO PUT OUT IS PAGES AND PAGES OF STUFF.
>> YEAH. HARD TO FIGURE IT OUT.
>> EXCUSE ME. AUDIT COMMITTEE WILL BE MONDAY THE 19TH, SO I HAVE NOTHING TO REPORT AT THIS TIME.
>> BATTLE GROUND EDUCATION FOUNDATION.
THEIR MEETING IS COMING UP THIS THURSDAY.
MORE TO COME AT THE NEXT MEETING.
THEN WE HAVE THE RETREAT COMMITTEE UPDATES ON THAT?
>> YES, WE HAVE SECURED DOCTOR CARL TO COME AND SPEAK TO THE BOARD ON AUGUST 6TH 4:30-9, AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED.
WE TALKED TO HER TODAY ABOUT VARIOUS TOPICS AND SHE'S GOING TO FOCUS ON THE EFFECTIVE BOARD, WHICH I THINK WILL BE REALLY HELPFUL.
THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO TALK TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY, AND I HAD HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MARY, AND SO SHE ASKED ME TO BRING IT TO THE BOARD ABOUT INTERACTING WITH POTENTIALLY INVITING CANDIDATES THAT ARE RUNNING ACTUALLY NOW AND POSSIBLY COMMUNITY AND MAKE IT AN OPEN MEETING.
I COMMUNITY MEMBERS WANTED TO HEAR MORE ABOUT THE ELEMENTS OF BEING AN EFFECTIVE BOARD MEMBER, THEN THAT WOULD BE TAUGHT FROM WAZDA.
[00:35:03]
IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT, AND I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL.
I THINK FOR THE CANDIDATES TOO, IT'D BE GREAT FOR THEM TO GET SOME MORE INFORMATION SO THAT THEY COME IN WITH SOME MORE KNOWLEDGE AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE SITTING BOARD MEMBERS.
JUST WE'VE GOT SOME FOOD RESTRICTIONS FOR HEATHER AND HER OTHER TEACHER THAT'S COMING.
I GUESS I'LL PASS THAT ON JUST TABLES AND CHAIRS SET UP AND SHE WANTS IT TO BE VERY INTERACTIVE.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY EXCITING.
THE RICHFIELD REGIONAL WAS AMAZING, AND IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO BE IN THAT SAME VEIN.
>> I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE GREAT.
>> YOU SAID THE 6TH OF AUGUST.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THAT.
>> DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD?
>> NO, I DON'T THINK. YOU SAID IT ALL, I THINK.
>> NEXT UP WOULD BE OUR TOURS COMMITTEE WHICH ARE ALL COMPLETE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, SO THAT WILL TAKE US TO DIRECTOR REPORTS.
YOU READY HAVE ANYTHING TO SHARE?
>> I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT THE SCL COMMITTEE.
WE WILL BE MEETING ON MAY 30TH AND TO EXPRESS SOME OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THE COMMITTEE, REVIEWED BOTH CURRICULA THROUGH LENS OF FEDERAL AND STATE REQUIREMENTS.
WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH VENDORS ON LANGUAGE AND CONTENT TO ENSURE IT'S RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO CROSSWALK THE CURRICULA WITH OTHER DISTRICT REQUIREMENTS.
THE TIMELINE THAT WE NOW HAVE IS SPRING, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THE MAY 30TH, A PROGRAM WILL BE SELECTED.
INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS COMMITTEE WILL LOOK AT IT JUNE 5TH, AND THE BOARD WILL REVIEW JUNE 23RD.
WE WILL HAVE A WORK SESSION ON THE 28TH FOR THE FIRST READING TO THE BOARD, AND THEN THE SECOND READING AND FINAL DECISION WILL BE AUGUST 11TH.
THAT'S MY UPDATE. THEN I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS. IT'S OKAY, JACKIE.
>> WAZDA HAS A COUPLE OF GREAT OFFERINGS THAT I REALLY WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW ABOUT THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES NETWORK, WHICH PROBABLY YOU BOTH ALREADY KNOW ABOUT AUGUST 28, WHICH IS PASSED.
BUT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU GUYS MAYBE WOULD WANT TO REPORT ON IF YOU ATTENDED IT.
BUT WAZDA PUT THAT OUT, AND THEY'RE DOING THAT QUITE OFTEN.
IT'S REALLY GREAT FOR THE REPRESENTATIVES TO BE A PART OF THAT.
THEN ALSO, THEY'RE DOING A CANDIDATE WORKSHOP, WHICH IS VIRTUAL.
THERE'S FOUR DIFFERENT DATES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
I WAS JUST GOING TO OFFER IF ANYONE THAT OUR CANDIDATES ARE INTERESTED, THEY CAN E MAIL ME AND I'D BE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE LINK SO THAT YOU CAN GET SIGNED UP.
BUT IT'S FOUR DIFFERENT DAYS, JUNE 3RD, 5TH, 9TH AND 12TH, COMING UP PRETTY QUICK HERE.
BUT DEFINITELY WORTH YOUR TIME TO TAKE A PEEK AND TO GET THAT TRAINING IF YOU'RE INTERESTED.
>> WOULD YOU SAY THAT STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE NETWORK DATE AGAIN? I THOUGHT YOU SAID AUGUST.
>> I APOLOGIZE. I THOUGHT YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW ABOUT IT AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANYTHING TO REPORT ON IT.
>> WE CAN SPEAK ON THAT. [INAUDIBLE] AND I ARE ACTUALLY BOTH PART OF THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE NETWORK.
THEIR MEETINGS ARE TYPICALLY ON MONDAYS AT 6:00 P.M.
IN MY TWO YEARS ON THE BOARD, I THINK I'VE BEEN TO TWO OR THREE OF THEIR MEETINGS. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO VERY MANY.
THEY JUST HAD OR NO, I'M CONFUSING THEM WITH AWSL.
SORRY. WHEN YOU'RE A STUDENT, YOU'RE PART OF ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
STUDENTS, ACTUALLY, WE TAKE OUR OWN POSITIONS AND WE DO SEND THEM OVER TO WAZDA AND SINCE I HAVEN'T BEEN GOING TO THE MEETINGS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR POSITIONS ARE ON.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE TALKING A LOT ABOUT GETTING STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ON EVERY BOARD IN THE STATE.
WE DID NOT MAKE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON THAT, BUT I THINK IN THE NEXT COMING YEARS, WE'LL BE SEEING MORE OF THAT COMING UP, ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE'S BEEN PROGRESS IN OTHER STATES, HAVING STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES ON EVERY BOARD.
BUT THEY MEET MONTHLY OR THEY MEET ABOUT EVERY SIX WEEKS DEPENDING.
HEATHER CURL OR MISSA RATHBONE USUALLY LEAD THAT. IT'S PRETTY COOL.
>> DID YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE MUSICAL?
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY TO YOU THAT WE WENT TO THE YAKA MUSICAL.
THE WHOLE STAGE WAS FULL OF LITTLE PEOPLE AND THEY JUST SANG THEIR HEARTS OUT.
[00:40:02]
IT WAS SO CUTE.THE GYM WAS FULL, THERE WERE PEOPLE STANDING.
IT WAS REALLY GOOD AND A REALLY GREAT TIME.
IT WAS SO CUTE TOO BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY EACH CHILD, DIFFERENT CHILDREN ACTUALLY DID THEIR OWN LITTLE PICTURE FOR US.
>> YOU GOT A PROGRAM AND THEN ON THE BACK, EACH CHILD TOOK TIME TO DRAW A REALLY NICE LITTLE PICTURE FOR US.
IT WAS REALLY NICE. IT WAS A VERY NICE EVENING.
>> I WOULD JUST ADD THAT WENDY HOUSER IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB WITH THOSE KIDS, AND IT WAS JUST REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE TO CHAT WITH HER A LITTLE BIT AFTER THE MUSICAL, LIKE DEBBIE SAID IT WAS I JUST REALLY FILLED YOUR HEART WITH SOME POSITIVE STUFF WATCHING THOSE LITTLE KIDS JUST SINGING THEIR HEARTS OUT.
SO THAT WAS GREAT. ANYTHING ELSE, DEBBIE?
>> NOT FOR ME, TERRY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING? I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
I WANTED TO SHARE BECAUSE I DO SHARE A LOT OF PASSION FOR OUR ANNUAL PLANT SALES THAT I ATTENDED BOTH BATTLEGROUND AND PRAIRIES PLANT SALES, AND THEY WERE FANTASTIC AND GOT TO SEE CINDY ARNOLD AT BOTH OF THEM.
SHE WAS ALSO SHARING HER SUPPORT FOR THE PROGRAMS. BUT I HAVE A LOT OF NEW PLANTS. LET'S JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.
WE MET WITH THE CITY OF BATTLEGROUND OVER THE ROAD PROPOSED.
I WILL GIVE KUDOS TO KEVIN JOLMA, WHO REMINDED THE CITY ENGINEERS OF A PIECE OF ROAD THAT WE GAVE TO THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF GAVE US THE RIGHT WORD, BUT.
>>DEDICATED IT TO THEM WHEN WE DID IMPROVEMENTS AT CHIEF MIDDLE SCHOOL OR REBUILT CHIEF.
>> THAT WAS PART OF THE 2005 BOND?
>> OKAY. WITH THAT, WE MAY HAVE FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE TO GOING THROUGH OUR FIELD.
THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT NEW DATA, BUT AS FROM THAT MEETING, AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY HAVE A NEW PROPOSAL FOR US SOON.
>> THANKS FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
I DO APPRECIATE THAT. I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I DO APPRECIATE THE CITY REACHING OUT.
THEY REACHED OUT TO US AND ASKED US TO COME TO THE MEETING, AND THEN THERE WAS A BRAINSTORMING SESSION, AND I THOUGHT THAT THE END RESULT OF IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE.
I JUST WANT TO THANK THE CITY OF BATTLE GROUND FOR THEIR PARTNERSHIP, AS YOU SAID.
LASTLY, THERE WAS A STUFF THE BUS EVENT THAT WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MAY 3RD.
I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND, BUT I DID HEAR IT WENT REALLY WELL.
THAT WAS COLLECTING FOOD FOR THE NORTH COUNTY FOOD BANK.
THANK YOU TO ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO HELPED WITH THAT.
THEN THE LAST THING I WANTED TO POINT OUT IS LAST WEEK WAS FILING WEEK IN CLARK COUNTY.
THERE ARE THREE OPEN POSITIONS ON THIS BOARD FOR THE ELECTION THIS FALL.
ONE WOULD BE DISTRICT 5, DISTRICT 3, AND DISTRICT 1.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO ARE OFFICIALLY FILED FOR CANDIDACY.
I WOULD LOVE IT IF YOU WOULD STAND UP AND JUST GIVE A FACE TO THE CITIZENS SO THEY KNOW WHO TO REACH OUT TO IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS.
IT IS A REALLY CHALLENGING TIME FOR THIS SCHOOL BOARD.
WITH THAT, I REALLY COMMEND YOU FOR CONTINUING TO PROCEED AND FILE BECAUSE IT TAKES A LOT OF TIME, AND IT TAKES A LOT OF DEDICATION TO THIS DISTRICT.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO DO THAT.
WITH THAT WRAPS UP OUR DIRECTORS REPORTS, AND WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO SUPERINTENDENT WATERS FOR SUPERINTENDENT STAFF UPDATES.
[6. Superintendent and Staff Updates]
>> I JUST WANTED TO GIVE EVERYBODY AN UPDATE ON THE POTENTIAL CUTS THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT.
I WANT TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT WHAT WE INTRODUCED LAST BOARD MEETING, AROUND $20 MILLION IN CUTS WAS A WORST CASE SCENARIO, BUT WE NEEDED TO PROCEED BECAUSE OUR TIMELINE IS SO TIGHT.
BETWEEN OUR LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING,
[00:45:01]
WHAT WE WERE BUSY DOING WAS FINALIZING THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD RECEIVE A REDUCTION IN FORCE NOTICES.WE HANDED OUT ABOUT 65 REDUCTION IN FORCE LETTERS.
THAT IS COMBINED WITH ABOUT 25 POSITIONS THAT WILL BE ELIMINATED DUE TO RETIREMENT.
I HAVE TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT THIS IS ONLY FOR OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF BECAUSE OF THE TIMELINE ASSOCIATED WITH CERTIFICATE STAFF.
I'D LIKE TO THANK FORMALLY HERE, OUR HR DEPARTMENT FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID.
IT'S NOT EASY WORK SORTING THROUGH.
IT'S NOT AS THOUGH YOU JUST TAKE THE BOTTOM SENIORITY INDIVIDUALS AND ELIMINATE THEM.
YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT POSITIONS AND QUALIFICATIONS AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, SO IT'S VERY COMPLICATED.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THOSE AT DISTRICT OFFICE THAT PARTICIPATED IN THAT, THE DIRECTORS THAT CAME IN AND SHARED THEIR VIEWPOINTS.
I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR PRINCIPALS FOR BEING A PART OF THAT.
THEY KNOW THE EMPLOYEES BEST, AND THEY WERE STOOD SIDE BY SIDE.
ALL OF THESE NOTIFICATIONS WERE DELIVERED BY HAND WITH MEETINGS WITH THE EMPLOYEES.
I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR EMPLOYEES FOR THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, UNDERSTANDING, AND JUST COMPASSION FOR EVEN US HAVING TO DO THE WORK, WHICH IS, THEY FEEL BAD AND WE'RE THE ONES ELIMINATING THEIR POSITIONS.
I KNOW WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, SORRY AGAIN.
BUT ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE WAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE HANDLED IT.
AS TERRY INDICATED, WE ARE STILL SORTING THROUGH THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE WILL BE GETTING.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, OUR CFO, MICHELLE SCOTT, ATTENDED THE WSB CONFERENCE LAST WEEK AND GOT SOME GOOD INFORMATION, BUT EVEN THEY'RE STILL SORTING IT OUT.
WE ARE DOING A LOT OF EXAMINING OF OUR FUND BALANCE TO DETERMINE WHAT IS POSSIBLE FOR US TO USE OUT OF OUR RAINY DAY FUND? WE ARE MEETING WITH THOSE THAT UNDERSTAND AND KNOW OUR PROGRAMS BEST BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO COLLECT INFORMATION AND LOOK AT POSSIBILITIES OF IF WE DON'T HAVE TO ELIMINATE PROGRAMS, CAN WE OFFER REDUCED OFFERINGS VERSUS TOTAL ELIMINATION? THAT'S COMPLICATED TOO BECAUSE I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
FOR INSTANCE, WE HEARD MANY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS AND PARENTS TALK ABOUT THE ASPIRE PROGRAM.
WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF WE WERE TO ELIMINATE JUST A PORTION OF THE PROGRAM OR REDUCE TRANSPORTATION, THEN THERE'S COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, AND THAT HAS IMPACT EVERYWHERE.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS.
IF WE CAN'T OFFER MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS AS AN ENTIRETY, CAN WE OFFER TOURNAMENTS DURING THE YEAR, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE COACHES, BUT WE HAVE ADVISORS THAT WE PAY STIPENDS TO INSTEAD OF A FULL SEASON.
THEY'RE JUST WORKING FOR A PART SEASON, AND AT LEAST WE GIVE THE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE AND TO WORK WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS.
WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE THAT.
IF WE BRING BACK COUNSELORS, CAN WE BRING BACK, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT SOME OF THEM.
DO WE HAVE DIFFERENT MODELS FOR OUR NURSES? WHAT CAN WE DO WITH ALL OF THOSE? A LOT OF THOUGHT HAS BEEN GOING IN.
TO TERRY'S POINT AGAIN ABOUT THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
OFTENTIMES THEY INCREASE YOUR FUNDING IN ONE AREA, BUT THEY PLAY FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE OFFENSIVE TO ANYBODY.
THERE'S A SHELL GAME INVOLVED, AND THEY'LL MOVE THINGS AROUND.
WELL YOU'LL GAIN MONEY IN ONE AREA, YOU'LL LOSE MONEY IN ANOTHER AND WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SORT.
WE KNOW THAT WE WILL BE RECEIVING MORE FUNDING FROM THE STATE, BUT TO TERRY'S POINT, WE DON'T HAVE A BOTTOM LINE YET.
MICHELLE AND SHELLY AND I ARE ACTUALLY ATTENDING A WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE ESD 112 FOR OUR REGION SPECIFICALLY TO RE EXAMINE SOME OF THOSE FUNDING OPTIONS.
[00:50:06]
>> IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WHATEVER MONEY WE ARE GOING TO USE FROM THE FUND BALANCE TO OFFSET THESE CUTS, IT HAS TO BE SPREAD OVER TWO YEARS.
THE REASON IT'S SPREAD OVER TWO YEARS IS BECAUSE WE'LL RECEIVE HALF OF A LEVY THIS YEAR.
THEN EVEN IF WE WERE TO PASS A LEVY EVENTUALLY, THE FOLLOWING YEAR WILL ALSO BE WITHOUT HALF OF A LEVY FUNDING.
FOR INSTANCE, IF WE CAN USE $10 MILLION FROM OUR FUND BALANCE, WE'RE SPREADING THAT OUT OVER TWO YEARS, SO IT'S REALLY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN REDUCTIONS THIS YEAR, BUT THEN FIVE MILLION DOLLARS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IF WE WERE TO USE 12 MILLION, AGAIN, THAT'S SIX MILLION EACH YEAR, EIGHT MILLION, FOUR MILLION EACH YEAR, YOU GET THE POINT? THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHILE FUND BALANCE CAN BE USED TO BRING BACK THE PROGRAM.
IT'S LIKE A SAVINGS ACCOUNT, AND ONCE WE USE THE FUND BALANCE, THAT SAVINGS IS GONE, AND IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE GOING TO RECEIVE FUNDS FROM THE STATE TO REPLENISH THAT.
THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DON'T WANT TO DO, AND I KNOW THE BOARD HAS STRESSED THIS AS A PRIORITY IS WE HAVE TO KEEP SOME MONEY IN OUR FUND BALANCE, AND WE HAVE A BOARD POLICY THAT SAYS WE WON'T GO BELOW 4%.
WELL, 4% IS A GREAT NUMBER, I DON'T THINK AND NOBODY I'VE TALKED TO THINKS GOING BELOW 3% IS AN OPTION FOR US.
WE CONTINUE TO EXAMINE THE FUND BALANCE AND COME UP WITH IDEAS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EVEN WITH THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH FUND BALANCE, THAT WOULD ONLY REDUCE THE CUTS BY 25%, WHICH MEANS THAT 75% OF THE CUTS THAT WE HAVE INDICATED WE WOULD BE MAKING, WE WILL BE HAVING TO MAKE.
THE FOCUS RIGHT NOW FOR US, WITH THE DIRECTION WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE BOARD IS THAT WITH DIPPING INTO FUND BALANCE, OUR FOCUS SHOULD BE STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING, AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT PROGRAMS THAT IMPACT THE MOST STUDENTS.
IN A SENSE, A BANG FOR OUR BUCK THERE.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT.
NO PROGRAM HAS BEEN ELIMINATED IN TERMS OF WE'RE NOT DECIDING TO BRING IT BACK.
WE ARE EXAMINING ALL PROGRAMS CAREFULLY.
AS WE'VE SAID, WE ARE LOOKING AT, CAN WE BRING BACK PIECES OF PROGRAMS? OUR HOPE IS TO HAVE A RECOMMENDATION OR A DRAFT OF WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT FOR THE BOARD AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
>> WHILE KNOW THAT YOU DON'T NEED A RESOLUTION, WE DON'T NEED A RESOLUTION FROM YOU IN ORDER TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE HAVE A MINIMUM FUND BALANCE POLICY AND WE DON'T INTEND TO TAKE IT BELOW THAT, WE WOULD LIKE YOUR INPUT IN THOSE THINGS.
LIKE BOTH OF US, YOU'VE ALL BEEN RECEIVING INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HEAR THOSE PIECES OF INPUT FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF AND TO BALANCE THOSE THINGS.
I DON'T THINK THAT NECESSARILY WE NEED TO ASSUME THAT BECAUSE A PERSON DIDN'T COME, THAT IT'S NOT IMPORTANT OR THAT BECAUSE A LARGE GROUP DID COME, THAT IT'S MORE IMPORTANT THAN OTHER THINGS.
I THINK WE NEED TO PROVIDE THE TOTALITY OF THE IMPACTED PROGRAMS SO THAT YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THOSE LIKE WE GAVE PRIOR TO THE LEVY, AS WELL AS THE INFORMATION WE'VE GIVEN SINCE.
I THINK WHAT MAKES THIS EVEN MORE CHALLENGING THAN CUTS THAT WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST ONE, BECAUSE IT'S VERY DEEP.
BUT I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT MAKES IT INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING IS THIS YEAR, WE NEED TO HAVE OUR BUDGET COMPLETED MUCH EARLIER THAN WE TYPICALLY DO BECAUSE WE ARE TRANSFERRING FROM OUR SKYWARD SYSTEM OVER TO CUE AND WE HAVE TO MIGRATE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE SUMMER.
>> THAT'S OUR STUDENT MANAGEMENT AND FISCAL MANAGEMENT PROGRAMS.
>> BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WILL BE BRINGING TO YOU THROUGH A BOARD WORK SESSION
[00:55:02]
AND OUR REGULAR BUDGET HEARING AT THE END OF JUNE.WE'RE TRYING TO GO THROUGH THIS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE TO FIGURE THESE THINGS OUT.
BUT IT ALSO IS MAKING IT VERY CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE'RE NOT CLOSE TO THE END OF OUR FISCAL YEAR.
OUR FISCAL YEAR ENDS AUGUST 31ST, BUT YET WE'LL BE BRINGING A PROJECTION THE FOLLOWING YEAR TWO MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ENDING OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO BE A BIT CHALLENGING THIS YEAR, WHICH MEANS, OF COURSE, THAT WE COULD END UP ASKING YOU OR BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU A 25% SAVINGS AS DENNY WAS TALKING ABOUT AND SAVING 25% OF OUR PROGRAMS, AND WE COULD BE LOOKING NEXT SPRING AT SAYING, WE BROUGHT BACK A LITTLE TOO MUCH.
WE MAY HAVE TO CUT ANOTHER MILLION OUT.
OR WE COULD BE SAYING, WE TIGHTENED OUR BELTS APPARENTLY IN THOSE LAST FEW MONTHS OF THE FISCAL YEAR LAST YEAR, AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE AS TIGHT AS WE CAN AND AS ACCURATE AS WE CAN, BUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT THERE'S SOME ADDITIONAL LIMITATIONS THIS TIME AROUND THAT TYPICALLY WOULD NOT BE A CHALLENGE FOR US THE WAY THEY ARE THIS YEAR.
I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO KNOW.
>> OUR APPROACH AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, AND I'D LIKE TO GET THE FEEDBACK OF THE BOARD ON THIS, WOULD BE UNDER COMMUNICATIONS TO HAVE A SECTION ADDED THAT JUST LIKE WE HAVE STUDENT VOICE, WE WOULD HAVE A SECTION ON A BUDGET PROGRAM CUT DISCUSSION.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A FORMAL VOTE OF THE BOARD.
BUT I THINK HAVING A DISCUSSION IN A PUBLIC FORUM WITH THE OPPORTUNITY OF STUDENT CITIZENS COMMENTS AFTER THAT DISCUSSION WOULD BE APPROPRIATE.
I SEE TERRY IS SHAKING HIS HEAD.
>> WE WOULD PLAN TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION BEFORE SUPERINTENDENT THE STAFF UPDATES, BUT IN THE COMMUNICATIONS PORTION OF OUR MEETING. ANY QUESTIONS?
>> CAN YOU JUST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CUTS AND HOW ENROLLMENT HAS IMPACTED THOSE AS WELL?
>> THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION AROUND STATEMENTS THAT WERE MADE AT THE LAST MEETING.
WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST WAS THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE CUTS IN STAFFING AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH ENROLLMENT? THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT THE ENROLLMENT FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING DOWN.
IT'S THAT WE HAVE A POPULATION THAT'S AGING OUT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT WE HAVE A BIGGER POPULATION COMING IN IN OUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS.
THE OVERALL ENROLLMENT FOR THE DISTRICT WILL NOT BE DECLINING SIGNIFICANTLY.
IT'LL BE HOLDING FIRM OR GROWING A LITTLE BIT, BUT WE WILL SEE A DECLINE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
OFTENTIMES OUR TEACHERS ARE CERTIFIED BY K-8 AND THEN 9-12.
IF OUR ENROLLMENT DECREASES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE NEED TO ELIMINATE TEACHERS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
BUT WE CAN'T RE-ALLOCATE THEM TO THE YOUNGER GRADE LEVELS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE CERTIFICATION FOR THOSE GRADE LEVELS.
THERE ARE RIFFS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
BUT IT IS NOT TO ASSUME THAT OUR OVERALL ENROLLMENT IS DECLINING.
WE SAW THAT WHEN WE DID OUR ENROLLMENT STUDY.
WE SAW OUR NUMBERS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WERE GOING TO GO DOWN AND OUR NUMBERS AND THE LOWER GRADES WOULD GROW, AND THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD SEE OUR GROWTH OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
THOSE CUTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT WOULD HAVE OCCURRED ANYWAY BESIDES THE LEVY.
BUT WHAT WE WOULD HAVE SEEN IS WE WOULD HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN STAFFING AT THOSE PRIMARY LEVELS, AND NOW WE'RE HAVING TO HOLD A LITTLE TIGHTER THERE.
>> AT THE HIGH SCHOOLS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW, DENNY SAID IT REALLY WELL THAT THOSE CERTIFICATES ARE 9-12, SOME OF THEM ARE 5-12, BUT THEY'RE CONTENT-SPECIFIC.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT BECOMES VERY CHALLENGING, AND HATS OFF TO OUR HR TEAM FOR ALL THIS WORK, IS TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT PEOPLE ARE ENDORSED IN.
WHEN YOU'RE REDUCING STAFF, YOU HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHO THE LEAST SEEING YOUR PERSON IS, WHO MIGHT BE TEACHING ENGLISH OR MIGHT BE TEACHING MATH, AND THAT'S HOW YOU MAKE THE DETERMINATION OF WHO MIGHT RECEIVE A REDUCTION IN FORCE NOTICE.
[01:00:05]
THERE'S MANY ASPECTS TO LOOKING AT THIS, BUT YEAH, THE ENROLLMENT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HAS DECREASED, AND TO DENNY'S POINT, OVERALL DISTRICT WIDE, THOUGH, WE HAVE GONE UP BECAUSE OF OUR ADDITIONAL PRIMARY ENROLLMENT.THE OTHER THING I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW IS THAT AS WE LOOK AT REDUCTION IN SPECIFIC PROGRAMS, WE HAVE MANY SENIOR STAFF THAT ARE FILLING SOME OF OUR MORE SENIOR ROLES AS INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, AS TEACHER LIBRARIANS, AND SOME OF THOSE ROLES, AND MANY OF THEM HAVE VERY SPECIFIC ENDORSEMENT AREAS.
WHEN THEY GO BACK INTO THE POOL, THERE IS A HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT THEY WILL SLIDE INTO A POSITION THAT IS MATCHING THEIR ENDORSEMENT AREA, THAT MIGHT ALSO IMPACT HIGH SCHOOL.
FOR INSTANCE, MANY OF OUR TEACHER LIBRARIANS HAVE ELA ENDORSEMENTS AND CAN TEACH ENGLISH, AND SO MANY OF THEM WILL MOVE INTO THOSE POSITIONS.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU MAY SEE AND SOME QUESTIONS I KNOW THAT SOME OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED OR SEEN IN YOUR E MAILS THAT HAVE A LOT TO DO WITH THAT CERTIFICATION AND THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO FIGURE OUT WHAT PEOPLE ARE HIGHLY ENDORSED TO DO AND ABLE TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN SERVE OUR STUDENTS AS BEST THEY CAN.
>> I THINK IT JUST SHOWS THE LEVEL OF COMPLEXITY THAT GOES INTO THESE DECISIONS AND THESE CUTS.
LIKE YOU SAID, IT'S JUST NOT WE LOOK AT EVERYBODY WHO'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SENIORITY LIST AND THEY GO, IT HAS NOTHING.
>> THEY'RE IN LINE AND SAFE HERE.
THANK YOU TO OUR HR TEAM AND TO BOTH OF YOU AND ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO'S WORKING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES.
I KNOW IT'S ON YOUR LIST OF THINGS TO DO EVERY DAY FOR TOO MANY HOURS.
>> KUDOS TO EVERYBODY ON THE TEAM, STAFF.
A $200 MILLION BUDGET HAS GOT TO BE, MY GOSH.
I HAVE A QUESTION AND THEN I HAVE JUST A SUGGESTION IF IT'S OF ANY VALUE AT ALL.
THE QUESTION IS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION OR DISCUSSION OR THOUGHTS ABOUT, AGAIN, SOME INCENTIVE TO RETIRE EARLY, LIKE A BONUS OR SOMETHING TO OFFER THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST?
>> WE DEFINITELY LOOKED AT EXTENDING.
WE DO HAVE A PIECE IN OUR CERTIFICATED CONTRACT THAN ANYONE WHO RETIRES BEFORE MARCH 15TH, THAT IF THEY RETIRE BEFORE MARCH 15TH, THERE'S A $1,000 BONUS.
WE DID TALK ABOUT EXTENDING THAT AND WE DID HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALSO DID IS WE LOOKED AT THE SENIORITY LIST AND LOOKED AT OUR EXPERIENCE LEVEL.
IT'S ACTUALLY QUITE SURPRISING.
WE'VE HAD MANY PEOPLE RETIRE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, AND WE ONLY HAVE A HANDFUL OF PEOPLE THAT I WOULD SAY ARE IN THAT ELIGIBLE AREA.
THERE'S ABOUT 20 STAFF MEMBERS AT THE VERY TOP, MY MOST SENIOR PERSON WITH 43, AND THAT GOES DOWN TO PEOPLE RIGHT AT 30 YEARS.
TYPICALLY, WE'VE HAD A MUCH HIGHER NUMBER THAN THAT.
AT THIS POINT, YOU'D HAVE TO OFFER ANYTHING MORE THAT YOU DO BEYOND THAT $1000, YOU'D HAVE TO OFFER IT TO EVERYONE WHO'S RETIRED ALREADY.
WE DID THE MATH AND IT DOESN'T BEHOOVE US TO DO THAT.
>> IT'D BE REALLY RETROACTIVE OR SOMETHING.
>> [LAUGHTER] TO PEOPLE FROM PREVIOUS YEARS, TERRY.
>> [LAUGHTER] FIVE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO.
>> THE THOUGHT, IT'S A SUGGESTION, BUT I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF IT'S EVEN A GOOD ONE.
DON'T PASS OUT IN THE CHAIR ABOUT THE WORK.
[LAUGHTER] IF THERE IS ANY WAY OF BRINGING COMPARATIVE DATA TO IF WE DID THIS OR IF WE DID THAT, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
WHAT IF WE DID THIS OR WHAT IF WE DID THAT? I'M NOT SURE THE PRESENTATION WHEN IT COMES DOWN IN JUNE.
BUT IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT CAN BE PUT ON THE TABLE IN THE PRESENTATION THAT SAYS, WELL, HERE'S A PICTURE OF HOW WE LOOKED AT IT ONE WAY AND IT CAME OUT LIKE THIS, AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBERS HERE.
THEN WE CAME OUT WITH THIS, AND THEN THAT'S HOW WE ARRIVED AT THIS.
ANYTHING LIKE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>> WE WOULD WELCOME THOSE THOUGHTS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC EXAMPLES, LIKE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS OR PROGRAMS OR STAFFING, YOU COULD SHOOT THEM OUR WAY, AND I PROMISE THAT WE WOULD GO THROUGH IT, AND LOOK AT THAT.
THANK YOU. I HOPE EVERYBODY WAS LISTENING.
>> ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT TOPIC?
[01:05:02]
I HAVE ONE OTHER THING I'D LIKE TO BRING UP.ON THE CONSENT AGENDA TODAY, FOR OUR PERSONNEL REPORTS, YOU WILL SEE THE RESIGNATION OF MRS. LISA RANDALL.
LISA IS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT.
>> LISA HAS BEEN WITH ME FOR ALMOST 17 YEARS.
SHE SERVED AS MY EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT WHEN I WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION.
SHE MOVED OVER WHEN I BECAME THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT.
SHE WAS THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT.
WHEN SANDY RETIRED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, SHE MOVED INTO THE EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE BOARD.
LISA IS OUR CHAMPION OF CULTURE AND CLIMATE AT DISTRICT OFFICE.
SHE DOES SO MUCH FOR ALL OF US TO KEEP US SANE AND SMILING.
SHE'S LIKE OUR MOTHER HAN, WE WOULD ALL SAY.
SHE CERTAINLY PUTS ME IN MY PLACE AND TAKES CARE OF ME AND I JUST WANT TO STATE CLEARLY FOR THE RECORD.
I COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS JOB.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU, LISA FOR THAT AND THAT SHE WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY MISSED.
LISA IS LEAVING FOR FAMILY REASONS.
SHE'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF HER ELDERLY PARENTS.
I HOPE IT'S OKAY IF I SAY THAT AND TOO LATE BECAUSE I SAID IT ALREADY.
BUT I KNOW SHE LOVES THIS DISTRICT, AND WE WILL ALL MISS HER.
SINCE I'M RETIRING, TOO, WE'RE GOING OUT, WE'RE CALLING IT OUR THELMA AND LOUISE.
THAT'S COOL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT TO THE ATTENTION OF THE BOARD AND TO PUBLICLY THANK LISA FOR THE IMPACT THAT SHE'S MADE ON THIS DISTRICT IT'S BEEN TREMENDOUS.
>> NEXT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO TEACHING AND LEARNING.
>> A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I HAVE FOR YOU TONIGHT.
AS YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A ROUGH MONTH OR SO IN OUR DISTRICT BETWEEN THE LEVY AND HAVING TO GO THROUGH REDUCTIONS IN FORCE.
BUT I DO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE AND DO A COUPLE OF CELEBRATIONS.
FIRST OFF, LAST WEEK WAS STAFF APPRECIATION WEEK, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, DESPITE THE THINGS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, I STILL BELIEVE AND WE'LL ALWAYS BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST STAFF THAT YOU WILL FIND ANYWHERE.
JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY MY APPRECIATION FOR EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO.
AGAIN, KUDOS TO A LOT OF OUR PTOS AND OUR OUTSIDE ORGANIZATIONS.
I KNOW LISA DID SOME THINGS HER AND CARLA FOR OUR DISTRICT TEAM AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR AD SUPPORT, DID SOME THINGS TO CELEBRATE PEOPLE LAST WEEK.
JUST THAT CULTURE OF APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT WE ALL DO TOGETHER TO TRY AND SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS, I JUST APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT DESPITE THE HARD THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, THERE'S STILL A LOT TO CELEBRATE.
THE OTHER THING IS, I DO WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN VERY DISTRACTED WITH BUDGET RELATED THINGS, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING US BACK TO A CELEBRATION OF RECOGNITION OF SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED MANY OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, FIVE SCHOOL BUILDINGS THIS YEAR.
OR FOR THE '23, '24 SCHOOL YEAR ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HEAR THAT ACROSS THE STATE, 16% OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON WERE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR THIS, OUR SCHOOLS MAKE UP 26% OF THESE RECOGNITIONS.
WE'RE EXCEEDING WHAT THE DISTRICT AVERAGES FOR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT.
[01:10:06]
I JUST WANT TO SHARE THE AREAS THAT WE'RE GROWING IN AND THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.IF YOU REMEMBER WHEN WE DID OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS, DAVID AND HIS TEAM DID A PRESENTATION ON THE WASHINGTON STATE INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK AND HOW THEY'VE REDONE THE WAY IN WHICH THEY ASSESS SCHOOLS QUALITY AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENT GROWTH.
IT'S NOT AS SIMPLE AS IT ONCE WAS.
IT'S MORE COMPLEX, BUT IT ALSO IS MORE MEANINGFUL.
IT USED TO BE, DID YOU PASS THE SBAC OR NOT? DID YOU PASS THE STATE TEST OR NOT, AND THAT'S ALL THAT WAS LOOKED AT.
NOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE MEASURES THAT ARE LOOKED AT.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY NINE MEASURES THAT ARE LOOKED AT, AND THEY FALL INTO THREE AREAS.
THE FIRST AREA IS CLOSING GAPS.
SCHOOLS IN THAT CATEGORY ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS IN AREAS IDENTIFIED FOR IMPROVEMENT IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
IF THEY HAD AN AREA THAT THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH PREVIOUSLY AND THEY MAKE GOOD GROWTH, EITHER IN THE AREAS OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS MATH ASSESSMENT SCORES, OR IT COULD BE IN ELL LEARNERS OR ENGLISH LEARNERS OR IN GRADUATION RATES, THAT THEY MIGHT BE IDENTIFIED FOR CLOSING THE GAP.
WE HAVE TWO SCHOOLS THIS YEAR THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS CLOSING THE GAP.
DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS IDENTIFIED IN THE AREA OF ENGLISH LEARNER PROGRESS MEASURED ON THE WIDA.
THE WIDA IS THAT QUESTION THAT WE GOT A FEW BOARD MEETINGS AGO.
THAT'S THE WORLD CLASS INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN AND ASSESSMENT TEST THAT ALL OF OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS TAKE EACH YEAR TO MEASURE THEIR PROGRESS.
DAYBREAK MIDDLE SCHOOL IS DOING A GREAT JOB WITH THAT.
TUKES VALLEY PRIMARY, THEY'RE ALSO CLOSING THE GAP WITH STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIFICALLY ON THE SBAC TEST AROUND ELA.
THEY'RE MAKING GOOD PROGRESS IN THE AREA OF ELA.
IN THE AREA OF GROWTH, SCHOOLS THAT ARE RECOGNIZED FOR GROWTH HAVE AT LEAST ONE STUDENT GROUP THAT HAS SHOWN SOME OF THE STATES LARGEST ANNUAL GAINS ACROSS MULTIPLE MEASURES.
THOSE MEASURES COULD BE THAT THEY'RE BEING LOOKED AT ATTENDANCE, ASSESSMENT SCORES, SO ENGLISH OR MATH.
ENGLISH LEARNER, ELL STUDENTS AGAIN, GRADUATION RATES OR THE PERCENTAGE OF NINTH GRADERS WHO SUCCESSFULLY EARN THEIR ATTEMPTED CREDITS IN THEIR NINTH GRADE YEAR.
THAT'S THE GROWTH AREA HAS MULTIPLE MEASURES THERE.
CHIEF UMTUCH MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS RECOGNIZED THIS YEAR FOR THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS ON MULTIPLE MEASURES.
THEY WERE IDENTIFIED FOR ATTENDANCE FOR SBAC AND FOR THEIR WIDA SCORES.
YAKULT PRIMARY WAS ALSO RECOGNIZED FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS ON MULTIPLE MEASURES, AND AT YAKULT, THAT WAS ATTENDANCE AND SBAC SCORES.
THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THEIR GROWTH AREAS.
ONE OF OUR LONG STANDING SCHOOLS THAT OFTEN IS RECOGNIZED IS ALSO BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ACHIEVEMENT.
THIS CONTINUES TO BE OVERALL, JUST BLOWING THE RESULTS OUT OF THE WATER, AND THAT'S CAM.
CAM IS RECOGNIZED IN THE TOP 20% OF SCHOOLS IN WASHINGTON STATE.
THEY ARE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ELA PROFICIENCY RATE, MATH PROFICIENCY RATE, FOUR YEAR GRADUATION RATE, REGULAR ATTENDANCE RATE, NINTH GRADE ON TRACK RATE, AND DUAL CREDIT COMPLETION RATE.
ALL OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED FIVE SCHOOLS AND IN ALL OF THOSE AREAS.
I GAVE YOU THIS HANDOUT FOR YOUR REFERENCE IF YOU NOTICE YOU HAVE THAT IN YOUR LIST.
IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THOSE OR EVEN REFER THOSE TO DAVID TO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.
BUT THIS RECOGNITION COMES FROM THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND JUST CAME OUT THIS LAST WEEK.
WE WERE PRETTY EXCITED TO SEE SO MANY SCHOOLS AT THIS TIME BEING RECOGNIZED.
IT CERTAINLY IS MORE THAN WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST. IT'S GREAT NEWS.
>> CONGRATULATIONS TO THOSE SCHOOLS.
>> MICHELLE, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING?
>> I THINK YOU COVERED MOST OF IT, BUT I JUST WOULD ADD ONE MORE PIECE THAT WE ALSO HAVE IN THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DISPLACED.
[01:15:01]
WE HAVE WE ARE GOING TO FIND POSITIONS FOR THEM, AND AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE ABOUT 45 STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE DISPLACED, BUT WE HAVE OVER 53 OPEN POSITIONS.OUR HOPE IS IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT WE WILL GO THROUGH THAT DISPLACED PROCESS OF ASSIGNING PEOPLE TO SOME OF THOSE OPEN POSITIONS SO JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT.
>> BUT THE PROCESS WILL WAIT UNTIL AFTER THE NEXT BOARD MEETING SO THAT WE KNOW IF THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT ARE ALSO BEING PULLED BACK, CORRECT.
>> GOOD EVENING BOARD I JUST WANTED TO REPORT TO YOU THAT LAST WEEK, I, ALONG WITH SEVERAL KEY BUSINESS OFFICE STAFF MEMBERS, ATTENDED THE WASHINGTON ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL BUSINESS OFFICIALS ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO COMPLETE LEARNING WORKSHOPS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO THE WORK THAT WE DO.
IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THAT.
CINDY CLEMS OUR LEAD FISCAL ACCOUNTANT I CO PRESENTED ON OUR AUDIT COMMITTEE OUR SCHOOL BOARD AUDIT COMMITTEE, WHICH I WAS REALLY PROUD TO SHARE THE BENEFITS AND ESTABLISHING AND MAINTAINING AN AUDIT COMMITTEE.
THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION THAT CINDY AND I DID TOGETHER.
AS WELL AS MINDY RU AND I DID A TWO HOUR WORKSHOP ON TRAINING SCHOOL SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS.
SOME REALLY GOOD PRESENTATIONS THAT WE GOT TO SHARE WITH OTHER BUSINESS OFFICIALS ACROSS THE STATE OF WASHINGTON.
ALSO, IN ADDITION, THE WASBOW BOARD PUTS FORTH A SLATE OF CANDIDATES FOR BOARD POSITIONS AND OFFICER POSITIONS, AND FOR THE '25, '26 SCHOOL YEAR AND BEYOND, I WILL BE SERVING A THREE YEAR TERM AS STARTING AS VICE PRESIDENT OR INCOMING PRESIDENT AND WHICH WILL THEN GO TO PRESIDENT AND THEN FINALLY OUTGOING PRESIDENT.
>> THAT'S GREAT. THEN I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT IS AT NO COST TO THE DISTRICT, ALL OF MY TRAVEL WILL BE PAID FOR, AND IT WILL BE COVERED UNDER THE WASBOW.
THEN I HAD A SECOND THING TO SHARE.
HOT OFF THE PRESS. THANK YOU, JACKIE.
THIS AFTERNOON, THE CLOMBIAN RELEASED AN ARTICLE AND IT'S TITLED FCC BATTLE GROUND SCHOOLS COMPLIED WITH USE OF FEDERAL PANDEMIC GRANT MONEY.
THIS STEMS FROM SOME CHROME BOOKS THAT WE RECEIVED IN 2022.
THERE WAS THE STATE AUDITORS FOUND THAT DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE AND NATION WE DIDN'T HAVE A PROPER DOCUMENTATION.
THERE WERE MANY FINDINGS ISSUED TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS, LIKE I SAID, ACROSS THE NATION, ACTUALLY.
THE FCC ACTUALLY READ EVERY AUDIT REPORT AND RESPONDED, AND BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS FOUND THAT WE DID COMPLY WITH THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS AND SO WE WERE HAPPY TO SEE THAT THE FCC DID SIDE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THAT AND MANY OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ON DOCUMENTATION.
THIS JUST REINFORCES THE EXCELLENT WORK THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, SCOTT MCDANIELS IS DOING.
AS WELL AS SHERRI DALEY, OUR GRANTS MANAGER IS DOING.
IT WAS NICE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
THE ARTICLE ALSO DOES TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR OTHER CLEAN AUDITS THAT WE'VE HAD FOR MANY YEARS, SO IT'S A GOOD ARTICLE. THANK YOU.
>> FOURTEEN CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
>> YEAH. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY SINCE 2010.
JUST TO SAY, 14 CONSECUTIVE CLEAN AUDITS. THANK YOU, MICHELLE.
>> NEXT UP, AMANDA, WITH THE COMMUNICATIONS REPORT.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUICK HIGHLIGHTS TO SHARE WITH YOU, STARTING WITH RYE DILLEY FROM TUKES VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHO YOU HEARD AT A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING.
RYE RECENTLY COMPETED IN THE REGIONAL CIVICS BEE.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF REQUIREMENTS.
ONE WAS WRITING AN ESSAY, AND RYE'S ESSAY WAS ALL ABOUT BATTLEGROUND AND PAST BOND MEASURES.
THEN THERE ALSO WAS A WRITTEN SPEECH COMPONENT OF IT, AND AS YOU HEARD RYE IS AN ACCOMPLISHED SPEAKER.
THEY PLAY SECOND IN THE REGIONAL COMPETITION AND NOW HEADED TO STATE, SO WE WISH THEM ALL THE BEST.
THEN OVER AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAD TWO STUDENTS, TWO CADETS WHO WERE SELECTED FOR THE AIR FORCE FLIGHT ACADEMY THIS SUMMER.
THIS MEANS THAT THEY'LL GO TO AN EIGHT WEEK TRAINING PROGRAM IN OKLAHOMA, AND THIS PUTS THEM CLOSER TO THEIR GOALS OF EARNING PILOTS LICENSES.
[01:20:02]
ONLY 250 STUDENTS ACROSS THE NATION ARE CHOSEN OUT OF ABOUT 1,100 WHO APPLIED.THIS IS THE SIX YEAR IN A ROW THAT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL HAS SENT CADETS TO THIS PROGRAM, WHICH REALLY SPEAKS TO THE STRENGTH OF WHAT THEY OFFER THERE.
LIEUTENANT COLONEL WOODROW AND WHAT HE DOES FOR STUDENTS AS WELL.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEW EPISODE OF THE BG CAST PODCAST.
THIS ONE TALKS ABOUT SCHOOL, NURSES, AND THE REALLY COMPLEX WORK THAT THEY DO.
IT'S NOT JUST PUTTING BAND AIDS ON SCRAPED KNEES.
THERE'S A LOT TO IT. THIS EPISODE GOES IN REALLY IN DEPTH ABOUT THAT.
IT ALSO HAS AN INTERVIEW WITH ZAC FRENCH, WHO WAS A STUDENT AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL AND SERVES ON THE CITY'S PARKS ADVISORY BOARD.
HE TALKS ABOUT THE VARIOUS WAYS THAT HE GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY.
THEN CASEE RECENTLY CELEBRATED THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THEIR AMPHIBIAN DATA COLLECTION EFFORT.
THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
THEY HAD A TWO PART EVENT. LAST WEEK.
ONE WAS A PANEL DISCUSSION WHERE THEY BROUGHT IN SCIENTISTS FROM A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT SCIENCE BASED CAREERS, GEOLOGY, HEALTHCARE, ALL SORTS OF OFFERINGS.
THEN THE SECOND PART WAS THAT STUDENTS PRESENTED THE RESEARCH THAT THEY'VE COLLECTED OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, AND THERE'S A LOT OF PRECISION THAT GOES INTO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DATA IS CLEAN, AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER COLLABORATIVELY TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT EFFORT IS ACCOMPLISHED THE WAY IT SHOULD BE.
I WANT TO GIVE PROPS TO IRENE KALIN TEACHER THERE, CASEE STAFF, WITH THE CASEE STUDENTS, AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WHO'VE BEEN INVOLVED, NOT ONLY LAST WEEK, BUT OVER THE YEARS.
I'LL LEAVE YOU WITH A QUICK REEL THAT CHRIS BROWN CREATED ABOUT THE CASEE POND STUDY OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
>> WELL, THAT BRINGS US TO CITIZENS COMMENTS.
[7. Citizens' Comments]
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE SIGNED UP.WE WILL LIMIT COMMENTS TO TWO MINUTES TONIGHT.
I WOULD LIKE TO START BY SHARING THIS IS A MEETING OF THE BATTLE GROUND PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD OF DIRECTORS, AND IT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND VIEW PRESENTATIONS AND HEAR BOARD MEMBERS DISCUSS TOPICS DURING OPEN SESSIONS.
THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS DURING CITIZENS COMMENTS AND ASK THAT THOSE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD SIGN IN ON THE SIGN AND SHEET PROVIDED, WHICH IS LOCATED CLOSE TO THE ENTRANCE, AND NOW IN MY POSSESSION.
PLEASE FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES FOR CITIZENS COMMENTS BY STATING YOUR NAME.
LIMITING YOUR TIME TO TWO MINUTES AND REFRAINING FROM DISCUSSING CONFIDENTIAL MATTERS, AS WELL AS HOLDING ANY APPLAUSE.
THE BOARD REQUIRES THAT ALL COMMENTS SPOKEN AT THE MEETING BE APPROPRIATE FOR A FAMILY AUDIENCE AND COMMENTS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A FAMILY AUDIENCE CAN BE SUBMITTED IN WRITING.
BOARD MEMBERS DO NOT NORMALLY RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR PETITIONS DURING CITIZENS COMMENTS, THEY WILL LISTEN AND GIVE DIRECTION TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE TEAM IF IF ACTION IS DEEMED NECESSARY.
ISA WILL BE NOTIFYING YOU WHEN YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS REMAINING AS WHEN IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO STOP AND THERE WILL ALSO BE A TIMER ON THE BOARD.
AND FIRST UP, WE HAVE JERYN FRESEN. TWO MINUTES, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JERYN FRESEN.
I AM A MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN THE DISTRICT.
I AM ALSO A PARENT OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL STUDENT.
AT FIRST, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AND DENNY AND SHELLY FOR ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS THAT I STRUGGLE TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH IMPACT THEY'RE GOING TO BE BY CUTTING SCHOOL COUNSELORS, PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
AS A SCHOOL COUNSELOR, I BELIEVE THAT IT'S MY JOB TO STAND IN THE MIDDLE SOMETIMES BETWEEN ADULTS AND KIDS.
IN THIS PROCESS, I EMPOWER STUDENTS TO USE THEIR VOICE, GROW,
[01:25:03]
AND GAIN THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE A THRIVING MEMBER OF SOCIETY.I PARTNER WITH TEACHERS TO SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS AS THEY REACH TO LEARN NEW THINGS IN MATH AND SCIENCE AND READING.
DO THIS ALL BY CAREFULLY BALANCING THE NEED TO BE READY FOR CONVERSATIONS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN THROUGHOUT THE DAY.
EACH SUPPORT POSITION BEING REDUCED REPRESENTS A LOSS OF VITAL CONVERSATIONS.
UNTIL YOU SIT IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, YOU WILL NOT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE WEIGHT OF WHAT IS SHARED.
SOMETIMES THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE EXACTLY WHAT YOU EXPECT.
MY GRADES ARE STRUGGLING, I'M FIGHTING WITH MY FRIENDS.
OTHER DAYS, I SIT BESIDE STUDENTS AS THEY SHARE ABOUT THEIR WORST DAYS.
IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, THEY SHARE WITH ME THEIR PLANS AND THEIR DESIRE TO DIE, AND OFTENTIMES THEY SOMETIMES SHARE HOW THEY'VE BEEN MADE TO FEEL UNSAFE BY SOMEONE CROSSING THEIR BOUNDARIES.
THESE CONVERSATIONS ARE NOT SHORT, NOR SHOULD THEY BE SHORT.
EACH KID DESERVES A PERSON TO SIT BESIDE THEM AND TALK ABOUT THE WHAT IFS, HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THAT THING IN THE MOMENT, AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO THE PEOPLE IN THEIR LIFE TO GET THEM SUPPORT.
I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A LINE OF STUDENTS STANDING BESIDE ME TO SHARE THEIR STORIES, BUT THAT WOULD NOT BE FAIR FOR ME TO ASK OF THEM.
I STAND HERE TODAY TO BE THEIR VOICE.
COUNSELORS ARE THE THINGS THAT MOVE THE SCHOOL AND WE DO LITTLE THINGS IN EVERY POCKET OF THE SCHOOL.
I KNOW THAT THE FUNDING REALITIES THAT WE FACE ARE DIFFICULT AND THERE ARE MANY DECISIONS TO BE MADE, AND I STAND HERE TO REQUEST THAT THE BOARD ACCESS ADDITIONAL FUNDS TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL COUNSELING POSITIONS, PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POSITIONS TO BE BROUGHT BACK.
>> THANK YOU, JERYN. LEXI GROVES.
>> GOOD EVENING. CAN YOU HEAR ME? GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS LEXI GROVES, AND I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF SERVING AS ONE OF SIX HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO OVER 1,800 STUDENTS AT BATTLE GROUND HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR.
I WANT TO BOTH THANK AND EMPATHIZE WITH THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION DURING THIS UNTHINKABLE TIME.
MY HEART IS WITH YOU AS YOU CONTINUE TO NAVIGATE THE IMPLICATIONS OF OUR [INAUDIBLE].
TONIGHT, I SPEAK NOT ONLY FOR MYSELF, BUT FOR EVERY STUDENT WHO'S EVER WALKED THROUGH MY OFFICE FEELING OVERWHELMED, ANXIOUS, OR SIMPLY IN NEED OF SOMEONE TO LISTEN.
TO THE FAILURE OF THE RECENT LEVY, TWO HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELOR POSITIONS, INCLUDING MY OWN ARE BEING ELIMINATED.
THAT MEANS THE REMAINING COUNSELORS WILL SEE THEIR CASE LOADS INCREASE DRAMATICALLY FROM ALREADY STRETCHED LIMITS TO NEARLY UNIMAGINABLE NUMBERS.
HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE MORE THAN SCHEDULED PLANNERS.
WE ARE FRONTLINE MENTAL HEALTH RESPONDERS.
WE CONDUCT SUICIDE RISK ASSESSMENTS, INTERVENE IN CRISES, CONNECT FAMILIES WITH VITAL COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND HELP STUDENTS FACING HOMELESSNESS, ABUSE, ANXIETY, AND DEPRESSION.
WE ARE THE ADULT STUDENTS TRUST WHEN THEY ARE TOO SCARED TO TALK TO SOMEONE ELSE.
THIS ISN'T JUST ABOUT JOB LOSS, IT'S ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY.
WHEN THERE'S A STUDENT IN CRISIS AND FEWER OF US TO DO THE JOB, OTHER STUDENTS MAY WAIT HOURS, IF NOT OR MAY NOT BE SEEN AT ALL.
THIS IS NOT TIME THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO LOSE.
WHEN CASE LOAD NUMBERS SKYROCKET PER COUNSELOR, PROACTIVE CARE BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE, WE ARE FORCED TO LEAD IN REACTIVE MODE AND KIDS WILL FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS.
ADDITIONALLY, WITH THE ANTICIPATED LOSS OF THE DEANS, ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS, SECURITY, PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALISTS, MENTAL HEALTH THERAPISTS, AND SROS.
THE LOSS OF SUPPORT BEYOND COUNSELORS WILL BE DEVASTATING.
STUDENTS HAVE VOICED THEIR CONCERN TO ME KNOWING WHAT NEXT YEAR COULD POSSIBLY HOLD.
THEY ARE SCARED, SAD, AND ALREADY GRIEVING THE LOSS OF STAFF WHO MAKE THEM FEEL LIKE SCHOOL IS BEARABLE, WHO THEY HAVE TRUSTED RELATIONSHIPS WITH, AND WHO ARE THERE WHEN THE DAYS FEEL THEY ARE NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE OR UNCERTAIN.
I URGE YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER RESTORING THE TWO HIGH SCHOOL COUNSELORS ALONG WITH MY FELLOW KA RIFT COUNSELORS, AND CONSIDER THE LONG TERM IMPACT OF THESE DECISIONS. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS LORI SIBLEY, AND I TEACH SECOND GRADE AT DAYBREAK AND I AM CURRENTLY THE VICE PRESIDENT OF BGA.
I'VE BEEN UP HERE BEFORE REGARDING SUPPORTS NEEDED IN OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP STUDENTS AND STAFF TO BE SAFE, AND THOSE SUPPORTS WERE NEEDED WHEN WE HAD A FULL LEVY.
NOW WITH THE RECENT LEVEE FAILURES, I REALIZE YOU HAVE TO CUT.
IT'S GOING TO HURT NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO, AND FRANKLY, THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO SEE AND FEEL THE CUTS AS WELL SO THEY CAN REALIZE THE NEEDS.
WE SAID WE CUT, WE NEED TO DO THAT.
YOU HAVE A DIFFICULT JOB AHEAD OF YOU.
[01:30:03]
HOWEVER, I STRONGLY EMPLOY YOU TO KEEP MANY STUDENTS IN THE FOREFRONT OF THOSE DECISIONS.IF WE DO NOT HAVE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND FULL TIME COUNSELORS, WHO'S GOING TO DO THE ROOM SERVICE CALLS WHEN WE HAVE EXPLOSIVE STUDENTS HARMING THEMSELVES, OTHER STUDENTS AND THEIR TEACHERS AND OTHER STAFF? THESE TYPES OF BEHAVIORS HAPPEN DAILY THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND WITHOUT COUNSELORS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TO BE A PART OF THAT TEAM? I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO. I JUST DON'T SEE IT.
ON ANOTHER NOTE, OUR LPNS, HOW CAN WE LIVE WITHOUT LPNS WHO PROVIDE THE MEDICAL TREATMENT, THE MEDICINE, WHEN A STUDENT'S DIABETIC NUMBERS AND THE ALARMS ARE GOING OFF.
WE HAVE KIDS WITH CYSTIC FIBROSIS, WE HAVE KIDS WITH FEEDING TUBES.
WHERE ARE THOSE SERVICES GOING TO BE? WE NEED OUR LPNS EVERY BUILDING.
THESE THINGS TAKE A NURSE'S LICENSE.
YOU CAN'T JUST PASS IT OFF TO A SECRETARY AND HAVE THEM DO IT.
SO I JUST IMPLORE YOU TO LOOK AT THOSE NEEDS AS WELL AS BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
PLEASE KEEP ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, LPNS, AND COUNSELORS ON A FULL TIME BASIS.
>> YEAH. THESE ARE ESSENTIAL IN RUNNING ALL OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, LORI. KIMBERLY SCOTSKY.
AND IF I JUST SAID THAT WRONG, I'M SO SORRY.
YOU THINK BY NOW, I WOULD KNOW IT.
>> SORRY. YOU WERE REAL CLOSE.
>> MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PRESENT TONIGHT, DENNY SHELLY.
I'M GOING TO GO A LITTLE OFF. YOU ANSWERED A LOT OF MY POINTS EARLIER.
I AM THANKFUL TO SEE YOU HERE TONIGHT AND WAS DISHEARTENED TO LEARN THAT TWO BOARD MEMBERS WERE UNABLE TO BE PRESENT DURING SUCH AN IMPORTANT TIME FOR OUR DISTRICT WITH DECISIONS IMPENDING THAT IMPACT STUDENTS STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY.
I'M SORRY, I FORGOT I AM KIMBERLY SCOTSKY, AND I TEACH IN THE ASPIRE MAGNET PROGRAM.
I WAS HERE LAST MEETING AS WELL.
LAST MEETING, WE DISCUSSED THE POTENTIAL FOR A COMMITTEE TO BRING FORTH IDEAS TO SAVE AND ADJUST THE ASPIRE MAGNET PROGRAM.
MANY OF US ARE STILL VERY WILLING TO DO SO, BUT HAVE NOT HEARD FROM THE DISTRICT OR THE BOARD ON FOUNDING THIS COMMITTEE. WE WANT TO.
PLEASE LET US HELP WITH SOME IDEAS ON THAT.
WHILE WE ARE WAITING FOR THE DECISIONS, THE FOLLOWING THINGS ARE OCCURRING IN OUR CLASSROOMS. STUDENTS ARE FEELING THE LOOMING END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WONDERING IF THEY WILL KNOW WHERE THEY WILL BE ATTENDING SCHOOL NEXT YEAR.
PARENTS ARE STRUGGLING TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY FOR TRANSPORTATION AND SUCCESS FOR THEIR FAMILIES.
ASPIRE MAGNET KIDS ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR INTENSE EMOTIONAL NEEDS AND TEACHERS ARE HELPING PROCESS THIS DAILY.
TEACHERS ARE WONDERING IF THEY NEED TO PLAN FOR NEW CURRICULUM PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, PACKING UP THEIR CLASSROOM, OR MAYBE EVEN A NEW GRADE LEVEL.
IN DELAYING THIS DECISION, THIS IS CAUSING EXTRA STRESS AND STAFF ARE NOT ABLE TO SUCCESSFULLY PLAN ON CHECKING OUT AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WITHOUT KNOWING IF THEY'RE REMAINING IN THEIR BUILDING OR NEEDING TO TRANSFER TO A NEW LOCATION.
SCHOOL OFFICES ARE STRUGGLING TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL SCHEDULES AND CLASS PLACEMENT DECISIONS TO PREPARE FOR NEXT YEAR WITH UNCERTAIN STAFF NUMBERS AND CONTENT AREAS FOR GRADE LEVELS.
PLEASE HELP US. PLEASE CONVENE THIS COMMITTEE TO HELP US MAKE DECISIONS FOR THE ASPIRE PROGRAM AND OTHER PROGRAMS. WE WANT TO HELP YOU MAKE THESE DECISIONS. YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING YOUR WORK.
I HOPE WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO MAKE A DECISION ON WHAT IS BEST FOR THE STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT AND RETAIN THE ASPIRE MAGNET PROGRAM. THANK YOU.
>> HI. MY NAME IS REBECCA OLSON, AND I'M A HOMEOWNER HERE IN BATTLE GROUND.
I HAVE THREE CHILDREN IN THE BATTLEGROUND SCHOOLS.
THIS YEAR, I HAVE ONE AT EACH LEVEL, PRIMARY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
I AM A MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR AND TRACK COACH FOR THE DISTRICT AS WELL.
I AM DEEPLY INVESTED IN THE HEALTH AND WELL BEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND THE SYSTEM IS MEANT TO HELP THEM LEARN AND GROW.
I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE, THIS DISTRICT IS THE MOST FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE I'VE WORKED IN.
WE'VE HAD THE LOWEST TAX RATE IN THE COUNTY EVEN WITH THE LEVY IN PLACE.
YOU DON'T ASK FOR MONEY YOU DON'T NEED.
YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR THE FUNDS YOU ARE ENTRUSTED WITH AND YOU GET SOME REALLY GREAT THINGS OUT OF EVERY DOLLAR FROM WHAT I CAN SEE.
YOU HAVE ADULTS AND SUPPORT POSITIONS WHERE IT IS TRULY NEEDED.
YOU OFFER ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE THE ENVY OF COMMUNITIES AROUND THE STATE? IT IS PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO APPRECIATE WHAT WE HAVE WHILE WE HAVE IT.
IF ONLY WE COULD LEARN TO RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE GOOD THINGS
[01:35:01]
BEFORE THEIR ABSENCE IMPRESSES ON US, THEIR IMPORTANCE.AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.
SECURITY STAFF, THE DEAN OF STUDENTS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, COUNSELORS, AND PIS, WE ARE AGENTS OF PREVENTION AND SUPPORT.
IT IS SO DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO SEE THE EFFORTS OF THOSE WHO FOCUS ON TRYING TO PREVENT BAD THINGS FROM HAPPENING.
HOW CAN WE SHOW THAT SOMETHING DIDN'T HAPPEN? WE CAN'T SAY THAT STUDENTS DIDN'T LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY BECAUSE THEIR SCHOOL COUNSELOR HELPED THEM LEARN A SKILL OR STRATEGY THAT HELPED THEM STAY, OR LOOK, SEVEN KIDS DIDN'T KILL THEMSELVES BECAUSE A FRIEND LEARNED HOW TO RECOGNIZE WHEN THEY ARE IN TROUBLE AND SOUGHT OUT A TRUSTED ADULT TO HELP KEEP THEM SAFE.
OR A FIGHT DIDN'T HAPPEN AT LUNCH BECAUSE AN ADULT WAS AVAILABLE TO HELP THEM WORK PROBLEMS OUT WITH WORDS INSTEAD OF FIGHTING.
WE CAN'T KNOW WHAT MIGHT HAVE HAPPENED.
WE CAN'T SHOW WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THAT CAN MAKE IT VERY DIFFICULT TO APPRECIATE THE BENEFIT OF INVESTING IN PREVENTATIVE MEASURES.
WHAT DO MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELORS DO? SOME MAY ASK.
IN SHORT, WE MAKE BETTER HIGH SCHOOLERS, AND CONSIDERING THAT A SCHOOL CAN RELIABLY PREDICT GRADUATION RATES BASED ON FRESHMAN PASS RATES.
IT WOULD SEE EFFORTS WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS BEFORE THEY GET TO HIGH SCHOOL ARE PRETTY DARN IMPORTANT.
AN OUNCE OF PREVENTION IS WORTH A POUND OF CURE.
AS YOU MAKE DECISIONS REGARDING THE FUND BALANCE, PLEASE CHOOSE TO INVEST WHAT WE CAN IN RESTORING SOME OF THE AGENTS OF PREVENTION AND SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOLS.
MAYBE IN DOING SO, WE CAN REDUCE THE COST OF RECOVERY MOVING FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
>> THANK YOU. MICHELLE CATHCART.
I'M THE PARENT OF TWO KIDS IN THE ASPIRE MAGNET PROGRAM.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE FOCUS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS PUTTING ON STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL BEING, AND ALL OF THE HARD WORK THAT'S GOING TOWARDS MAKING THESE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT DECISIONS.
THE WORK THAT THE DISTRICT HAS LOOKED AT THAT SUPERINTENDENT WATERS TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF LOOKING TO SAVE PARTS OF PROGRAMS. I JUST WANTED TO BE HERE TO REMIND YOU THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE.
KIMBERLY ALREADY MENTIONED THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HAVING A COMMITTEE.
WE HAVE PARENTS THAT YOU HEARD FROM LAST TIME THAT HAVE EXPERIENCE IN GRANT WRITING, IN FUNDRAISING, IN STRATEGIC PLANNING, IN BUDGET PLANNING, PROJECT PLANNING, AND HOW TO WORK WITH THE PTO AND THE BOOSTER CLUBS, INCLUDING THE PRESIDENTS OF BOTH.
JUST WANTED TO SAY, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT THAT YOU HAVE TO DO OVER THE COMING WEEKS AS YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS [NOISE] ON ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT ALONE.
WE'RE JUST A PHONE CALL OR AN E MAIL AWAY.
SO IF THE BOARD OR THE DISTRICT WOULD LIKE TO ENGAGE WITH US, THEN PLEASE LET US KNOW AND WE ARE READY TO STEP UP.
YOU'VE SEEN HOW MANY PARENTS ARE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS ISSUE. THANK YOU.
>> I KNOW. I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU.
IT'S GREAT TO SEE SOME FAMILIAR FACES.
>>THANK YOU BOARD, DENNY, SHELLY, AND COMMUNITY.
MY NAME IS SOLINA ADELSON JOURNEY, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE SERVICE, YOUR VOLUNTEERING THAT YOU PROVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STUDENTS.
IN THE WAKE OF OUR DISTRICT'S RECENT DOUBLE LEVY FAILURE, YOU FACE DIFFICULT DECISIONS THAT WILL IMPACT THE MERE FABRIC OF OUR SCHOOLS.
ONE SUCH DECISION TO ELIMINATE ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL COUNSELORS WILL HAVE PROFOUND IMPLICATIONS ON OUR STUDENTS' WELL BEING AND SUCCESS.
I'M ASKING FOR CONSIDERATION TO MAINTAIN THE POSITIONS OF ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL AND SCHOOL COUNSELORS.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPLES ARE VITAL TO THE DAILY OPERATION OF OUR SCHOOL.
THEY ARE NOT ONLY INSTRUMENTAL IN MANAGING LOGISTICS AND STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS BUT THEY SERVE AS KEY PARTNERS TO HEAD PRINCIPALS, HELPING LEAD SCHOOL CULTURE, RESPONDING TO CHALLENGES, AND IMPLEMENTING INITIATIVES SUCH AS YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
WITHOUT THEM, THE BURDEN OF LEADERSHIP BECOMES UNSUSTAINABLE, AND THE QUALITY AND SUPPORTS OF OUR STUDENTS RECEIVE IS DIMINISHED.
SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE THE HEART AND HEALTH OF OUR SCHOOL ECOSYSTEM.
ACCORDING TO THE AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION, ASCA, COUNSELORS SUPPORT THE WHOLE CHILD.
THEY FOSTER COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS, GUIDE ACADEMIC SCHEDULING, PROMOTE STUDENT SAFETY,
[01:40:02]
BEHAVIOR, AND CREATE MEANINGFUL SCHOOL FAMILY PARTNERSHIPS THAT STRENGTHEN STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND ACHIEVEMENT.THEIR WORK IS ESSENTIAL IN PREPARING STUDENTS, NOT JUST FOR GRADUATION BUT FOR LIFE.
BUT COUNSELORS DO NOT WORK IN ISOLATION.
ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS ARE ESSENTIAL PARTNERS IN ENSURING THAT STUDENT SUPPORTS ARE DELIVERED CONSISTENTLY, EFFECTIVELY, AND EQUITABLY ACROSS THE SCHOOL.
WHETHER IT'S RESPONDING TO CRISIS, COORDINATING INTERVENTIONS OR SIMPLY BEING PRESENT IN HALLWAYS AND CLASSROOMS, ASSOCIATE PRINCIPALS AND COUNSELORS ENSURE THAT THESE SYSTEMS FUNCTION SMOOTHLY AND COLLABORATIVELY.
MAINTAINING THESE ROLES IS NOT AN EXPENSE.
PRESERVING THESE POSITIONS SHOW OUR COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL NOT COMPROMISE WHAT STUDENTS NEED MOST, STRONG LEADERSHIP, WHOLE CHILD SUPPORT, AND SCHOOLS THAT ARE EQUIPPED TO HELP EVERY STUDENT.
>> GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
MY NAME IS KARI KOLLER OBERG, AND I'M A PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALIST AT PLEASANT VALLEY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL, AND I WAS WONDERING IF IT WOULD BE OKAY IF I GAVE YOU A MARBLE.
WOULD THAT BE OKAY? THANK YOU.
EVERY YEAR, THE PIS ACROSS THE DISTRICT GIVE EVERY FIFTH GRADER IN OUR DISTRICT, AT THEIR FIRST PREVENTION EDUCATION LESSON, WE GIVE THEM A MARBLE.
IT'S A REMINDER TO NOT LOSE THEIR MARBLES.
AS WE TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAIN DEVELOPMENT, THEY LEARN THAT THEIR BRAIN WILL NOT BE FULLY DEVELOPED UNTIL AROUND THE AGE OF 25.
DURING THIS TIME, THEIR BRAINS ARE ESPECIALLY VULNERABLE TO ADDICTION AND THEY LEARN HOW THEY CAN PROTECT THEIR BRAINS AND NOT LOSE THEIR MARBLES.
HAVING BEEN A PI FOR BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ALMOST A DECADE NOW, I HAVE PRAIRIE STUDENTS COME UP TO ME WITH A SMILE ON THEIR FACE AND SAY, MRS. KOLLER, I STILL HAVEN'T LOST MY MARBLE.
IT CHOKES ME UP TO THINK THAT THESE HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT THEIR BRAIN AND PROTECTING THEIR BRAINS SINCE THEY WERE FIFTH GRADERS.
I KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW, WE'RE HAVING TO FOCUS ON DOLLARS.
WE CAN'T PUT A DOLLAR VALUE ON THE LOSSES.
FAMILIES HAVE SUFFERED DUE TO THE ADDICTION AND OVERDOSE CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT ULTIMATELY, PREVENTION SAVES MONEY.
MISUSE OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND OTHER DRUGS COST THE US MORE THAN $740 BILLION ANNUALLY DUE TO CRIME, LOST WORK PRODUCTIVITY AND HEALTH CARE.
PREVENTION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO REDUCE THOSE COSTS DRAMATICALLY.
EVERY DOLLAR INVESTED IN AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL BASED PREVENTION PROGRAM LIKE OURS SAVES ABOUT $20 FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
WHILE INVESTMENT IN PREVENTION DOESN'T SHOW IMMEDIATE RETURN, HAVING AN UPSTREAM APPROACH AND INVESTING IN PREVENTION INTERVENTIONS WILL SAVE LIVES AND DOLLARS.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO FUND THE PREVENTION INTERVENTION PROGRAM AND HELP STUDENTS NOT LOSE THEIR MARBLES.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD. MY NAME IS SHARICE LEE, AND I'M A PREVENTION INTERVENTION SPECIALIST AT PRAIRIE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE PI PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL BEING.
ANYONE WHO'S WORKED IN EDUCATION FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME HAS HAD THE HUMBLING EXPERIENCE OF HAVING FORMER STUDENTS COME BACK AND EXPRESS THEIR GRATITUDE.
I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE FORMER STUDENTS COME BACK IN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
WHEN I HEARD THAT OUR PROGRAM MIGHT BE CUT, I ASKED EACH OF THEM TO WRITE A SHORT NOTE ABOUT THE IMPACT THAT THE PROGRAM HAD HAD ON THEIR LIVES.
I'D LIKE TO JUST READ A SHORT BIT FROM EACH OF THEIR NOTES TO DEMONSTRATE TO YOU THE LASTING IMPACT THAT A PROGRAM LIKE THIS CAN HAVE.
THE FIRST FORMER STUDENT SAYS, "AS SOMEONE DIRECTLY BENEFITING FROM THIS PROGRAM, I CAN SAY WITH ABSOLUTE CERTAINTY," I'M GOING TO CHOKE UP HERE, "THAT IT CHANGES LIVES AND IN MANY CASES, IT SAVES THEM.
THROUGHOUT MY TIME IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IN THE PROGRAM, I GOT PERSISTENT STRUCTURED AND DEEPLY IMPACTFUL SUPPORT.
BECAUSE OF THAT INTERVENTION, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE HELP I NEEDED.
I GOT CLEAN AT 18-YEARS-OLD, AND I AM NOW NEARLY 30.
I CAN SAY WITHOUT HESITATION THAT I WOULD NOT BE HERE TODAY WITHOUT THE CARE AND CONSISTENCY I RECEIVED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM." THE SECOND ONE SAYS, "DURING MY HIGH SCHOOL YEARS, IT WAS A VERY DIFFICULT TIME FOR ME, AND WERE IT NOT FOR THE PI PROGRAM AND THE HARD WORK
[01:45:04]
PUT INTO IT DURING THE REST OF MY YEARS AT PRAIRIE, THERE'S A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT I WOULD HAVE TAKEN MY OWN LIFE.THE PROGRAM TAUGHT ME SKILLS THAT ALLOWED ME TO LEARN TO COPE WITH MY EMOTIONS SO THAT NOW I CAN BE A SOURCE OF STRENGTH FOR OTHERS." IT'S AN HONOR AND A PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO BE THERE FOR STUDENTS IN THEIR TIME OF NEED AND WHEN THEY'RE READY TO SEEK HELP.
THE HEART OF THIS WORK IS THE MANY SMALL MOMENTS THAT OCCUR EACH DAY.
THANK YOU. WEEK AFTER WEEK AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS, ALLOWING CHANGE TO TAKE ROOT AND GROW. THANK YOU.
SPECIFICALLY, I WANT TO LEAVE NAMES OUT OF THE SITUATION.
BUT I'M MAINLY COMING HERE BECAUSE OF BULLING ISSUE, RACIAL ISSUES, AND ALSO VIOLENT ACTS WHERE PRINCIPALS AND OTHER PEERS THAT HAVE CAME AND WORKED WITH ME AND SHARED WITH ME.
I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN GOING INTO CIRCLES THIS WHOLE TIME TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH MY SON.
MY SON IS LITERALLY NOT GOING TO SCHOOL ANYMORE.
HE DOESN'T WANT TO BE AT SCHOOL BECAUSE THIS VIOLENT STUDENT IS STILL THERE.
I'M DEEPLY SCARED FOR MY SON BECAUSE HE WAS BULLIED.
WHEN WE FIRST CAME OUT HERE, HE HAD TWO AMAZING YEARS OF GROWING AND LEARNING.
HIS READING LEVELS HAVE GONE UP.
TO KNOW THIS IS ALL HAPPENING TO HIM AND NOBODY IS DOING ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
THE STUDENT IS STILL HARASSING AND STILL DOING THE THINGS THAT HE'S DOING TO THIS POINT.
I FEEL HOPELESS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE, WHICH I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT I COULD DO HOME SCHOOLING OR MOVE HIM TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL WHEN HE'S BEEN THERE FOR TWO YEARS AND THIS OTHER STUDENT HAS BEEN THERE FOR THREE MONTHS.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO ANYMORE OTHER THAN TRY TO GET MY SON BACK TO SCHOOL SO HE COULD BE BACK WITH HIS PEERS AND HIS LOVED ONES WHO ENJOY HAVING HIM AROUND.
I DO REALLY WANT SOME MORE HELP OR ADVOCATING TO GET MY SON BACK INTO SCHOOL. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. CAN WE FOLLOW UP WITH STAFF ON THAT, PLEASE. THANKS. JESSICA COLE.
>> HELLO, BOARD. I'M JESSICA COLE.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT SHARICE AND KARI ARE AMAZING AND I WILL DEEPLY MISS LISA.
I WAS AT THE PRAIRIE RESOURCE FAIR I THINK LAST MONTH.
JEN MILLER PUT THAT TOGETHER WITH PROJECT AWARE, CTE, AND THE FCRC.
A FEW OF THE RESOURCES I LOVED WERE PAX LEARNING CENTER.
THEY HELP FOR FREE GEDS FOR PEOPLE 16 AND ABOVE WHO ARE NOT ENROLLED IN SCHOOL.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE RESOURCES MIGHT OVERLAP WITH THE DISTRICT OR BE SIMILAR BUT THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE.
THEY DO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON YOUTH NAVIGATION TEAM, AND THERE IS NO INCOME OR INSURANCE PARAMETERS AND THEY HELP CONNECT STUDENTS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
MY UNDERSTANDING, IT'S NEW TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT BUT IT'S IN OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE.
I THINK IT'S BASED ON PEOPLE'S INCOMES.
WHAT THEY DO IS THEY COME TO THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS EVERY SIX MONTHS OR TWICE A YEAR SO THE STUDENTS COULD GET CARE AT THEIR SCHOOL.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU SIGN UP.
I DON'T KNOW WHO TO CALL, PROBABLY YOUR SCHOOL BUILDING SO THEY COULD HAVE ENOUGH STUDENTS TO GET THAT RUNNING AT EACH BUILDING.
ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY SUPER COOL ABOUT BLOODWORKS THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IS THEY HAVE EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM, AND THAT'S FOR HELPING WITH COLLEGE STUDENTS, NOT ACTUALLY DISTRICT STUDENTS, I GUESS.
BUT THERE'S ANOTHER PROGRAM THEY HAVE.
IT'S A STUDENT GROUP INCENTIVE PROGRAM, AND IT WOULD GO TOWARDS MONEY FOR THINGS AT THE STUDENTS' SCHOOLS HERE.
[01:50:06]
YOU COULD CHECK INTO THAT. THANK YOU.>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD. MY NAME IS DORIE MILLER.
ONE THING THAT DID NOT COME UP IN THE LAST MEETING WAS THE VOTER TURNOUT, 36.67%.
THAT IS JUST SHY OF A 40% TURNOUT, WHICH IS TWO FIFTHS.
THAT MEANS THAT THREE OUT OF EVERY FIVE PEOPLE WITH WHOM YOU SPEAK POSSIBLY DIDN'T VOTE IN THE LAST ELECTION.
AS YOU ARE HOPEFULLY AWARE, THE VOTING RECORD IS A PUBLIC RECORD.
I REQUESTED THIS INFORMATION ONLINE THROUGH THE WASHINGTON SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE JUST AS ANYONE CAN.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO ASK EACH PERSON WHO EXPRESSES CONCERN TO YOU ABOUT THEIR JOB OR A PROGRAM, DID YOU VOTE? THIS WILL BE A STRONG INDICATOR OF HOW WILLING THEY ARE TO ADVOCATE FOR THE END THAT THEY ARE ASKING YOU TO HELP THEM MEET.
I LOOKED UP EVERY ADULT THAT SPOKE AT THE LAST MEETING AND I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT 100% OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE VOTED, 100%.
THERE WAS A LOT ON THE LINE FOR THE LAST ELECTION.
LET'S LOOK AT A DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE NOW.
LET'S LOOK AT THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD.
NOT THE STUDENT REPS, BUT EVERYONE ELSE ON THE BOARD.
OF THE MEMBERS ON THE BOARD, ONE OF YOU DID NOT VOTE IN APRIL.
MY RESEARCH ALSO FOUND THAT DENNY WATERS DID VOTE.
WHERE MY RESEARCH GAVE ME PAUSE THOUGH IS THAT THERE IS A SHELLY A WHITTEN, VOTER ID NUMBER 2383145, WHO LIVES IN BATTLE GROUND BUT DID NOT VOTE IN APRIL.
I HAVE SUBMITTED COPIES OF THE APPROPRIATE SECTIONS OF THE VOTER DATABASE FOR YOUR REVIEW TO SUBSTANTIATE MY STATEMENT.
UNLESS THE INCOMING SUPERINTENDENT IS REGISTERED UNDER A DIFFERENT LEGAL NAME, INCLUDING DIFFERENT LAST NAME, THEN IT WOULD APPEAR THAT SHELLY WHITTEN DID NOT VOTE.
IF THIS VOTER THAT I HAVE REFERENCED IS THE INCOMING SUPERINTENDENT, THEN I WOULD ASK THIS BOARD, IS THAT THE PERSON YOU WANT GUIDING THIS DISTRICT IN THE TURBULENT TIMES AHEAD? I ALSO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH. THANK YOU.
>> SOMETIMES SOME THINGS ARE A LITTLE OUT OUT OF ORDER I THINK.
WHEN SOMEBODY SPEAKS ABOUT SOMEONE LIKE THAT, I DON'T KNOW, IT MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT INFORMATION IS VALID OR ACCURATE OR WHAT? TO MENTION PEOPLE'S NAMES, I FEEL IT'S REALLY OUT OF ORDER.
>> AS LONG AS THERE'S NO SPEAK OF.
>> I THINK OUR COMMUNITY IS SEEKING ACCURACY, I WOULD HOPE.
IF THAT'S INDEED THE CASE, I DON'T LIVE IN BATTLE GROUND SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I LIVE IN LA CENTER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> THERE YOU GO. COMING UP HERE TO MAKE REMARKS LIKE THAT WHEN WE DON'T REALLY KNOW THE STORY, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT'S NOT APPROPRIATE ABOUT THAT.
I'VE HAD PEOPLE MAKE REMARKS ABOUT ME.
IT'S NOT APPROPRIATE TO SINGLE PEOPLE OUT.
>> I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE THINGS BUT I'M VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
>> YEAH, BULLYING. YOU KNOW WHAT?
>> BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE CITIZENS HAVE A RIGHT TO COME AND SAY WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY, THEY HAVE FREEDOM OF SPEECH, NO DISRESPECT TO SHELLY OR INACCURACIES.
BUT WE HEAR INACCURACIES EVERY MEETING AND THEY'RE ALLOWED.
IT IS UP TO YOU EVERY CITIZEN IN THIS ROOM ONLINE, IN THIS COMMUNITY TO REACH OUT AND DO THEIR OWN RESEARCH AND VALIDATE AND KNOW THE TRUTH.
THERE ARE MANY FALLACIES THAT ARE SHARED, AND WE LIVE WITH THOSE EVERY DAY.
WHILE I UNDERSTAND IT'S UPSETTING, WE CANNOT NOT HAVE STUDENTS.
>> BUT DON'T WE HAVE IN OUR POLICY SOMETHING ABOUT CALLING PEOPLE OUT BY NAME?
>> ONLY IF IT'S THE DEROGATORY.
>> WELL, THAT SOUNDED A LITTLE DEROGATORY TO ME. I DON'T KNOW.
>> IT'S PERCEPTION. AGAIN, IT'S FREEDOM OF SPEECH I DON'T THINK YOU WANT THAT LAWSUIT.
>> THAT TAKES US TO OUR CONSENT AGENDA.
[8. Consent Agenda (Board Vote w/Student Voice)]
ON TONIGHT'S CONSENT AGENDA WE HAVE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 28TH, 2025 REGULAR BOARD MEETING, PERSONNEL REPORTS, STUDENT TRAVEL FINANCIAL REPORTS, AND COMPLETED PROJECTS' REQUESTS FOR APPROVAL.IS THERE ANY ITEMS THAT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS ON OR WOULD LIKE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO BE TALKED ABOUT AT ANOTHER TIME, DURING YOUR BUSINESS? HEARING NONE, I WOULD ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
[01:55:02]
>> I MOVE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I WOULD LOOK TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THEIR ADVISORY VOTE.
>> ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES 3-0.
WE HAVE NO OLD BUSINESS TONIGHT, AND WE HAVE THREE ITEMS OF NEW BUSINESS.
[10. New Business (Board Vote w/Student Voice)]
FIRST UP IS THE FIRST READING OF CTE AGRICULTURE CURRICULUM.ALLISON, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COME FORWARD.
>> GOOD EVENING. I AM HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE FIRST READING OF THE TEXTBOOK THAT YOU HAVE HAD TO REVIEW, PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND NATURAL RESOURCES, LIKE THIS ONE.
NICE HEAVY TEXTBOOK TO REVIEW.
WE HAD THE IMC REVIEW, THE PROCESS FOR THE ADOPTION OF THIS TEXT, AND IT DOES MEET THE CRITERIA FOR THE PROCESS OF REVIEW, AND SO WE ARE RECOMMENDING FOR THE FIRST READING THAT IT BE APPROVED TO MOVE TO A SECOND READING.
WE DO HAVE CINDY AND ANNETTE HERE IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEXT.
>> THAT MAKES AGRICULTURE TEACHERS EXTRAORDINARY.
>> I DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DID LIKE THE DETAILED EXPLANATIONS THAT WERE IN THE BOOK.
I WAS VERY PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE WEREN'T ANY BIASES TOWARD FOOD PRODUCERS, WHICH A LOT OF TIMES WE'RE SEEING IN CURRICULUMS. I WAS REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THAT.
ALSO, THERE'S A STEM CONNECTION IN THE BOOK, WHICH IS ALSO VERY GOOD.
THE ONLY THING THAT CONCERNED ME WAS CHAPTER 14.3 DOES ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE AND NO OTHER THEORIES ARE BEING PRESENTED WHICH, I PERSONALLY, I LIKE TO HEAR ALL THE THEORIES.
I DON'T LIKE ONE THEORY BEING PRESENTED.
THAT WOULD BE MY ONLY CONCERN AND FEEDBACK ABOUT THE TEXTBOOK, BUT I THINK OTHER THAN THAT, IT'S A VERY WELL-WRITTEN BOOK.
I THINK IT'S A HIGH-SCHOOL LEVEL.
I THINK THEY WOULD BE VERY APPEALING TO THEM. IT'S A GOOD CHOICE.
>> I JUST REALLY LIKE THE VARIETY OF THE BOOK.
JUST THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND HOW YOU CAN RESEARCH AND FOLLOW UP.
>> ANNETTE, I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND SHARING YOUR THOUGHTS OF THE BOOK.
I KNOW YOU WERE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS, BUT I TOTALLY RESPECT YOUR VIEW ON IT.
>> THANK YOU, DENNY. DEBBIE, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS YOUR CONCERN.
WE USE OUR TEXTBOOKS TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT WE TEACH.
WE DON'T USE OUR TEXTBOOKS AS THE CURRICULUM.
IN THE CASE OF THE CONCERN THAT THERE'S ONLY ONE VIEWPOINT PRESENTED, ALL OF US, IN FACT, I COUNTED, THERE'S 12 AGRICULTURE TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT, WE GO AND WE FIND OTHER SOURCES TO BE ABLE TO PULL IN, TO BE ABLE TO ADD TO AND PRESENT ALL OF THOSE VIEWS.
THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY LIKED ABOUT THIS TEXTBOOK IS THAT IT SUPPORTS ALL THREE CIRCLES THAT AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION NEEDS TO BE ENGAGING IN, THE CLASSROOM, THE WORK-BASED LEARNING, AND THE LEADERSHIP.
WHEN YOU GO THROUGH THERE, IT SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT WHAT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES ARE WITH EACH TOPIC.
IT ALSO ALLOWS FOR AN ADDITIONAL LAYER OF DIFFERENTIATION FOR US.
AS WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE VARIED STUDENTS IN SKILL LEVELS AND LANGUAGE, WE NEED THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUR STUDENTS UNDERSTAND BETTER, AND THIS TEXTBOOK AND ITS RESOURCES ALLOW US TO DO THAT.
FINALLY, THE CAREER PIECE IS HUGE IN THIS TEXTBOOK.
THERE ARE CAREER PIECES WITHIN EACH OF THE CHAPTERS THAT WERE VARIED AND ALLOW FOR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOME OF THEIR OPTIONS THAT THEY CAN MOVE ON TO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER THOSE OPTIONS INCLUDE COLLEGE OR APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING, OR A HIGH-SCHOOL DIPLOMA WITH ON-THE-JOB TRAINING.
THOSE WERE SOME OF THE PIECES THAT WE ALL REALLY TALKED ABOUT WITH THE BOOK, IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED AS FAR AS THE BIAS AND TOPICS.
>> HOW LONG DO WE PLAN ON USING THIS BOOK OR HAVING IT AVAILABLE FOR OUR CLASSES?
[02:00:01]
WHAT'S THE SHELF LIFE?>> WELL, THE LAST ONE WAS BOUGHT IN ABOUT 2003 WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN THE DISTRICT.
>> HAVING TAUGHT SCIENCE, THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE THINGS CHANGE SO MUCH FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
IS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION THAT MAYBE A TEXTBOOK ISN'T AN APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURE AND MAYBE ONLINE RESOURCES AND THINGS? COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT FOR US?
>> WE DO GET UPDATES ON THE BOOKS PERIODICALLY, AND WHEN WE GET NEW ADDITIONS WE CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT TO PURCHASE THEM, BUT ALSO, AS ANNETTE TALKED ABOUT THE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS, THAT'S WHAT REALLY HELPS US STAY CURRENT IN AGRICULTURE, IS KEEPING CURRENT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE INDUSTRY SO THAT WE CAN BRING IT INTO THE CLASSROOM.
>> IS THERE AN ONLINE COMPONENT TO THIS-
>> IS IT POSSIBLE TO INVEST IN SOMETHING LIKE THIS WITHOUT PAYING FOR A BOOK AND JUST USING THE ONLINE RESOURCES THAT ARE UPDATED?
>> GO AHEAD. I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT THE ONLINE RESOURCES ARE PART OF THE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION.
THERE'S THE BOOK COMPONENT AND THEN THERE'S THE ONLINE COMPONENT.
I WILL LET ANNETTE TALK IN JUST A SECOND, BUT TYPICALLY WE DO SOMEWHERE BETWEEN A SIX-YEAR AND AN EIGHT-YEAR ADOPTION OF A TEXTBOOK THAT GIVES US THE ONLINE COMPONENT FOR THAT AMOUNT OF TIME, AND THEN DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS, WE EITHER EXTEND THAT OR WE LOOK AT OTHER RESOURCES.
CTE USUALLY HAS A DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCE THAN A GEN ED ADOPTION DOES, SO WE DO THAT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
SOMETIMES TEXTBOOKS LAST MUCH LONGER THAN THEY NORMALLY WOULD.
THEY GO BEYOND THE SIX YEARS, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FUNDS TO UPDATE A TEXTBOOK.
BUT OFTENTIMES WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, ESPECIALLY THROUGH CTE, SO THOSE CAN BE DONE MORE OFTEN TYPICALLY.
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT FROM A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE, IT'S AMAZING HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WHILE THEY ARE VERY DIGITALLY DIALED IN, WHEN IT COMES TO ASSIGNMENTS, THEY PREFER PAPER AND PENCIL, THEY PREFER TEXTBOOKS.
WHEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO UTILIZE ONLINE VERSUS THE ACTUAL TEXTBOOK, BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS WITH THE HORTICULTURE TEXTBOOK THAT WE ADOPTED FROM THIS COMPANY AS WELL, THE STUDENTS WILL OFTENTIMES CHOOSE THE TEXTBOOK BECAUSE THEY TALK ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY HAVE WITH SOME OF THE SCREEN PIECES, WHETHER IT IS THE READING OR TRYING TO JUGGLE THE SMALL SCREEN TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE ASSIGNMENT ALONG WITH THE TEXTBOOK.
IT'S REALLY FASCINATING, AND SOMEBODY SHOULD DO A STUDY ABOUT, AGAIN, PREFERRED LEARNING METHODS WITH STUDENTS.
WHILE THOSE THINGS ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM, THAT'S NOT OFTEN WHERE THEY GRAVITATE TO.
THEY'LL OFTEN STILL GRAVITATE OLD FASHIONED [LAUGHTER] BACK TO THE TEXTBOOK THAT IS IN THE CLASSROOM.
>> I'D ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT OUR TEACHERS WEREN'T NECESSARILY TRAINED TO BE CURRICULUM WRITERS, AND SO FOR THEM TO HAVE SOMETHING TO WORK FROM IS A MUCH EASIER AND BETTER STARTING POINT THAN HAVING EVERYBODY HAVING TO GO FIND THEIR OWN RESOURCES FOR ALL OF IT.
GIVING THEM AN ADOPTED TEXT AS A BASE, IS A GREAT PLACE TO START, AND THEN THEY CAN PULL IN SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS AS NEEDED, AND IT GIVES US THE CONSISTENCY.
HOW MANY TEACHERS DID YOU SAY, 12?
I BELIEVE IT'S 12 AGRICULTURE TEACHERS.
>> RATHER THAN HAVING 12 TEACHERS DOING 12 DIFFERENT THINGS, THEY HAVE THE BOOK AS THE BASIS TO GET STARTED WITH AND THEN CAN SUPPLEMENT AS NEEDED.
>> YOU SAID THIS WAS A GENERAL EDUCATION.
>> IT IS NOT AP, BUT IT IS CTE, SO CURRENT TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
>> DOES IT MEET THE PATHWAY REQUIREMENT?
>> IT'S THE FOUNDATION FOR THE AGRICULTURAL PATHWAY AT THE COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS.
>> I THINK IT'S REALLY WELL WRITTEN.
I READ QUITE A FEW CHAPTERS OUT OF IT, AND IT'S REALLY REAL.
THE PICTURES AND EVERYTHING JUST REALLY FITS TOGETHER WELL. IT'S A GOOD BOOK.
>> NO OTHER QUESTIONS, STUDENTS.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
>> THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS ACCEPTS THE FIRST READING OF THE PRINCIPLES OF AGRICULTURE, FOOD, AND NATURAL RESOURCES TEXTBOOK.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
I WOULD LOOK TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THEIR ADVISORY VOTE.
>> ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[02:05:03]
>> ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES 3-0. THANK YOU.
>> WE COULD PUT THIS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR THE NEXT MEETING, BUT BEING THAT TWO BOARD MEMBERS AREN'T HERE WE PLEASE MAKE IT OLD BUSINESS. THANK YOU.
>> NEXT STEP, WE HAVE REVISION OF POLICY 2420, GRADING AND PROGRESS REPORTS. MR. DRAKE.
>> LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE STRUGGLING TO GET OUT OF THAT CHAIR REAL QUICK.
>> YOUR MIC WASN'T ON. [LAUGHTER]
>> I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT GRADING POLICY 2420.
LAST YEAR, I CAME TO THE BOARD ROUGHLY THE SAME TIME TO PRESENT CHANGES TO THE HIGH-SCHOOL GRADING POLICY.
I WENT THROUGH A SIMILAR POLICY OR SIMILAR PROCEDURE WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS AND RECEIVED FEEDBACK FROM MULTIPLE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS FOR MULTIPLE BUILDINGS TO LOOK AT CHANGES IN OUR GRADING PRACTICES.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT POLICY DOESN'T CHANGE HABITS, IT DOESN'T CHANGE PHILOSOPHY.
THE PURPOSE OF TRYING TO CREATE SOME CONSISTENCY BETWEEN TEACHERS IS THAT GRADING CAN BE USED AS POSSIBLE DATA TO IDENTIFY NECESSARY SUPPORTS, AND IF GRADES ARE NOT CONSISTENT, IT MAKES THAT PIECE OF DATA REALLY CHALLENGING TO UTILIZE.
WHAT WE DID IS REALLY JUST MIMIC THE SAME THING WE DID WITH THE HIGH-SCHOOL GRADING POLICY.
WE LOOKED AT FOUR DIFFERENT CHANGES OR STATEMENTS.
A GRADE SHOULD BE A REFLECTION OF THE STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OR ATTAINMENT OF THE DISCIPLINE-SPECIFIC GRADE-LEVEL STANDARDS.
BASICALLY, THAT GRADE SHOULD REFLECT A STUDENT'S UNDERSTANDING OF THE COURSE MATERIAL.
EXTRA CREDIT NOT ALIGNED TO THE COURSE STANDARDS SHOULD NOT BE INCLUDED IN COURSE GRADES, AND WE'VE ALL HAD DIFFERENT EXPERIENCES WITH GRADES.
EXTRA CREDIT HAS BEEN UTILIZED IN MANY DIFFERENT WAYS.
IT COULD BE FROM BRINGING IN CLASSROOM SUPPLIES, IT COULD BE FROM ATTENDING AN AFTER-SCHOOL EVENT, AND NO TEACHER IS INTENTIONALLY, OF COURSE, DOING HARM, BUT WHEN THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ENTER A GRADE, THAT GRADE IS NO LONGER A REFLECTION OF WHAT THE STUDENT KNOWS AND THEIR UNDERSTANDING OF THE STANDARDS.
TEACHERS OF IDENTICAL COURSES, SO SAME CONTENT, SAME GRADE LEVEL WILL UTILIZE COMMON GRADING PRACTICES TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
FINALLY, GRADES SHOULD BE UPDATED AT LEAST EVERY THREE WEEKS, UNLESS OTHERWISE COMMUNICATED BY THE TEACHER TO THE STUDENT AND THE PARENTS, AND THE GUARDIANS.
PROBABLY THE MOST PUSH-BACK I RECEIVED FROM TEACHERS WAS THEY FELT LIKE THREE WEEKS WAS NOT FREQUENT ENOUGH, BUT THERE ARE SOME DIFFERENT ASPECTS.
IF A TEACHER IS PROVIDING PROJECT OR WORKING ON A PROJECT, SOMETIMES THE GRADING WON'T COME AS FREQUENT AS MAYBE A DAILY WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT OR SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENING ON A DAILY BASIS.
THE IDEA WASN'T TO COMPLETELY CHANGE THE WORLD WITH ANY TYPE OF GRADING POLICY.
WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TURN THE SHIP SO WE CAN INCREASE CONSISTENCY BETWEEN CLASSROOMS. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>> I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS. IS THAT OKAY?
>> MY FIRST QUESTION IS THE ONE I CARE ABOUT MORE.
IT'S ABOUT POINT 2, TEACHERS OF IDENTICAL COURSES WILL UTILIZE COMMON GRADING PRACTICES TO ENSURE CONSISTENCY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS JUST, IS THERE GOING TO BE A PROCEDURE IN PLACE FOR THAT OR HOW WILL THAT BE CARRIED OUT?
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION. REALLY, THE WAY IT WILL BE CARRIED OUT WILL BE THROUGH THE PLC PROCESS, AND THIS IS MORE RELEVANT TO THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL.
AT MOST OF OUR TRADITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THE PRINCIPALS ARE WORKING TOWARDS HAVING TWO CONTENT AREA TEACHERS WITHIN THE SAME GRADE LEVEL WHEN POSSIBLE.
IF TERRY AND I WERE BOTH SEVENTH GRADE TEACHERS, INSTEAD OF ME TEACHING ALL ONE CONTENT, AND TERRY TEACHING ALL ONE CONTENT, I WOULD TEACH TWO, HE WOULD TEACH TWO, SO THAT TERRY AND I COULD THEN PARTNER AND PLC AROUND WHATEVER THAT CONTENT AREA WAS.
THIS JUST REALLY GIVES A THIRD POINT FOR THE PRINCIPALS AND THE TEACHERS TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND THE DATA. DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? [OVERLAPPING]
>> YEAH, MY SECOND QUESTION. WHAT WAS IT? MY QUESTION WAS, YOU SAID AT THE BEGINNING THAT YOU FORMED THIS POLICY AFTER RECEIVING FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS. HOW DID YOU DO THAT?
>> GOOD QUESTION. I REACHED OUT TO BUILDING PRINCIPALS AND GOT EMAIL ADDRESSES OF ALL THE TEAM LEADS OF EACH BUILDING.
I SENT OUT A SURVEY AND THEN I ASKED ANYONE WHO WANTED TO MEET ME IN-PERSON.
IF THEY WANTED TO, I WOULD GO OUT AND MEET WITH THEM.
I MET BETWEEN 12 AND 15 TEACHERS, I THINK, REPRESENTING THREE OR FOUR OF THE DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND SO THAT I'D HAVE IN-PERSON CONVERSATIONS.
GRADES BEING UPDATED EVERY THREE WEEKS.
AS A PARENT, THAT WOULD CONCERN ME BECAUSE I WOULD WANT TO KNOW IF MY STUDENT WAS FAILING,
[02:10:03]
AND I WOULDN'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT IT THREE WEEKS LATER.THAT'S A LITTLE CONCERNING FROM A PARENT PERSPECTIVE.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT THOSE COULD BE UPDATED MORE OFTEN THAN THREE WEEKS?
>> I THINK THAT IS A REALLY GOOD QUESTION, AND I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL ASPECT OF THIS ENTIRE PROCESS.
PRIOR TO THIS, THERE WASN'T ANY LANGUAGE IN OUR BOARD POLICY AROUND FREQUENCY OF UPDATING GRADE BOOKS.
WE WERE SEEING A VARIETY OF ONCE EVERY SIX WEEKS IN SOME COURSES, NOT NECESSARILY AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, ONCE A SEMESTER, ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE PROJECT-BASED.
I WILL SAY THAT EVERY TEACHER I TALKED TO WHEN THEY SAW THREE WEEKS, THEY SAID, WELL, I DO IT MUCH MORE FREQUENT THAN THREE WEEKS.
WHAT I WAS TRYING NOT TO CREATE IS A POLICY THAT AT THIS POINT WOULD BE A POINT OF CONTENTION BETWEEN BUILDING PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS.
THERE ARE DISTRICTS WHO SURROUND US WHO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC POLICY AROUND GRADING PRACTICES THAT AREN'T NECESSARILY IMPLEMENTED.
I KNOW THAT AS A PARENT IN ANOTHER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS, LIKE I SAID, JUST TURN THE SHIP A LITTLE BIT, DEBBIE, AND WORK WITH TEACHERS TO DETERMINE WHAT WOULD BE A FAIR FREQUENCY.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU EVERY TEACHER THAT I TALK TO IS UPDATING THEIR GRADE BOOKS MUCH MORE FREQUENT THAN THREE WEEKS.
>> THIS IS JUST MORE OF A PARAMETER.
>> I WOULD SAY THIS IS A BASE LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN START THE CONVERSATIONS.
>> I REMEMBER YOU ALSO SPEAKING ABOUT THIS AND IT VARY GREATLY BY SUBJECT MATTER, THAT IF IT WAS A MATH TEACHER, OBVIOUSLY, THREE WEEKS IS CRAZY BECAUSE THEY'RE PROBABLY PUTTING THREE OR FOUR THINGS IN PER WEEK, BUT IF IT WAS A SOCIAL STUDIES CLASS WHERE THEY WERE DOING A PROJECT THAT MIGHT TAKE A LITTLE BIT, THEY DON'T NECESSARILY COLLECT ALL THE ASPECTS OF THAT PROJECT ALONG THE WAY.
THAT WAS A PIECE THAT I THINK I RECALL.
I THINK SOCIAL STUDIES IS A GOOD EXAMPLE.
A BETTER EXAMPLE WOULD BE SOME OF THE ELECTIVE COURSES, THE SHOP COURSES, THE ART CLASSES, WHERE IF THEY'RE DOING A PROJECT THAT LASTS MORE THAN THREE WEEKS ISN'T NECESSARILY REALISTIC THAT THEY WOULD UPDATE THAT GRADE PRIOR TO THAT.
IT WAS MORE JUST QUESTIONS, ESPECIALLY FROM OUR ELECTIVE TEACHERS.
>> BUT THIS IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION FOR US AS A DISTRICT BECAUSE PRIOR TO YOUR RECOMMENDATION, WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THERE REGARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL.
>> CORRECT. WE HAD SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY GENERAL THAT REALLY DIDN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
I THINK THIS WILL TIE PERFECTLY INTO THE WORK THAT DAVID AND HIS TEAM ARE DOING WITH OUR PLC PROCESS TO GIVE US ANOTHER SOURCE OF CREDIBLE DATA FOR US TO USE FOR STUDENT INTERVENTION, ESPECIALLY AS WE LOOK AT POSSIBLY REMOVING IRD, WHICH WAS A SOURCE OF DATA FOR OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS.
>> I HAVE THE SAME CONCERNS AS DEBBIE.
FROM A PARENT PERSPECTIVE, FROM WHEN I WAS IN THIS DISTRICT, GRADES DID NOT GET UPDATED EVERY THREE WEEKS CONSISTENTLY, NOT EVEN EVERY WEEK, SOME, AS TO DENNY'S POINT, EVERY SIX WEEKS WAS A COMMENT OR SHELLY'S POINT.
I WOULD JUST HAVE THAT CAUTION WITH THIS BY PUTTING A NUMBER ON IT, AND I GET THE WORDS SO BE UPDATED.
BUT WHAT DO YOU DO IF THEY AREN'T? THAT'S NOT THE BOARD TO DECIDE.
HOWEVER, I WOULD JUST ADVISE THAT MAYBE THERE IS SOME IDEA AROUND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE DON'T MEET THESE EXPECTATIONS, AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING TEACHERS TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS UPFRONT, THIS IS HOW I GRADE, WE'RE PROJECT BASED, IT WILL BE YOU WILL NOT SEE GRADING EVERY WEEK VERSUS THE MATH TEACHER WHO CAN SAY, YOU SHOULD SEE ASSIGNMENTS IN THEIR WEEKLY DAILY BECAUSE I THINK IT SETS THAT EXPECTATION FOR PARENTS THAT THEY HAVE A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING, WHAT THEY SHOULD EXPECT FROM EACH OF THEIR TEACHERS' CLASSROOM.
IF YOU ADD THEN MULTIPLE STUDENTS IN A FAMILY AT DIFFERENT LEVELS AND ALL.
NOW YOU'VE GOT, I DON'T KNOW, 18 TEACHERS, 15 TEACHERS YOU'RE DEALING WITH.
IT'S VERY CONFUSING AND VERY HARD TO FOLLOW WHEN EVERYONE'S DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THIS IS FANTASTIC THAT WE'RE BRINGING IT IN, BUT I WOULD ALSO ENCOURAGE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE WHERE WE'RE COMMUNICATING THOSE EXPECTATIONS WITH OUR PARENTS UP FRONT.
I THINK THOSE ARE VERY FRUSTRATING AS A PARENT.
>> WELL, I THINK THOSE ARE FAIR QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS THAT MAYBE THIS DOESN'T GO FAR ENOUGH, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT.
>> FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD?
>> I MOVE THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVE THE REVISIONS OF POLICY 2420 GRADING AND PROGRESS REPORTS.
>> THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR FOR POLICY 2420.
I WOULD LOOK TO OUR STUDENTS FOR ADVISORY PRO.
[02:15:03]
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.
>> OUR FINAL ORDER OF NEW BUSINESS IS RESOLUTION D25 REQUESTING A WAIVER OF THE 180-DAY SCHOOL REQUIREMENT, MR. KENNEDY.
>> GOOD EVENING. LAST BUT NOT LEAST.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO YOU ON THE REQUEST FOR A WAIVER FOR 180 DAY SCHOOL YEAR.
THE OLD LOGO IS ON THE SCREEN BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING.
YES. I'M EMBARRASSING THE FAMILY.
APOLOGY. [LAUGHTER] THAT IS REALLY POOR OF ME.
I WANTED TO SOME NOSTALGIA, I GUESS I WAS GOING FOR GOODWILL AND NOSTALGIA WITH ALL OF YOU WAS MY INTENTION THERE.
AS WE TRADITIONALLY DO, I'D LIKE TO SHARE SOME DATA THAT WE RECEIVED FROM OUR CERTIFICATED STAFF.
THIS YEAR, WE HAD WELL OVER 320 CERTIFICATED STAFF RESPOND TO OUR SURVEY.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE LIKE TO DO WITH THE SURVEY IS REALLY JUST GET THEIR TRUE AND HONEST FEEDBACK ABOUT HOW WELL THE WAIVER DAYS HAVE WORKED FOR THEM.
WHAT YOU'LL SEE ON THIS FIRST GRAPH, WE ASKED HOW VALUABLE DID YOU FIND THIS YEAR'S WAIVER DAYS IN ACCOMPLISHING PLC QUESTIONS 1 AND 2, WHICH AGAIN, ARE, WHAT DO WE WANT STUDENTS TO KNOW, AND THEN DETERMINING HOW WILL WE KNOW IF THEY KNOW IT? YOU CAN SEE THAT WE HAD ROUGHLY 73% OF OUR STAFF SAY VALUABLE OR EXTREMELY VALUABLE FOR THE WAIVER DAY.
THAT NUMBER IS VERY STRONG AND CONSISTENT WITH PREVIOUS YEARS.
THE SECOND THING WE ASKED THEM WAS, DID THE FULL RELEASE WAIVER DAY PROVIDE YOU ADEQUATE TIME FOR THE DESIGNATED STEPS, PLC WINDOW? LET ME JUST GO BACK HERE TO SECOND.
HOW VALUABLE DID YOU FIND IT, AND THEN WAS THE WAIVER DAY ENOUGH TIME TO ACTUALLY COMPLETE THAT? WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS 72% SAID, YES, IT WAS ENOUGH TIME.
INTERESTING TO NOTE IN THE ORANGE, THERE WERE 6% OF STAFF WHO SAID IT WAS TOO SHORT.
ROUGHLY ABOUT 80% OF STAFF SAID IT WAS EITHER THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF TIME OR EVEN TOO SHORT, AND WE HAD ABOUT ONE AND EVERY FIVE STAFF SAY IT WAS TOO LONG.
FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS, WE HAVE UTILIZED WAIVER DAYS, AND THE QUESTION WAS ASKED, DO WE CONTINUE WAIVER DAYS FOR THE NEXT YEAR, OR DO WE LOOK AT SOMETHING DIFFERENT, LIKE A TWO-HOUR LATE START OR A THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASE? YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN HERE FROM STAFF, 56% SAID CONTINUE WAIVER DAYS, AND WE HAD 44% SAY, LET'S TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
WHEN WE ASKED THEM, THIS WAS A NEW QUESTION.
WE SAID, IF WE TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, CHOOSE.
THE TWO OPTIONS WERE YOU CAN CHOOSE A THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASE OR A TWO-HOUR LATE START, AND THE DATA WAS PRETTY DEFINITIVE.
OVER 76% SAID THEY WOULD PREFER AN EARLY RELEASE.
THE COMMENTS FROM THE SURVEY ALSO ECHOED THAT.
WE DID DO A TRIAL RUN OF A TWO-HOUR LATE START.
I CAN'T SEE FROM HERE, BUT THE FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT IN THE COMMENTS IT WAS PRETTY RUSHED.
IT TAKES SIGNIFICANT TIME TO SET UP THESE PLC CYCLES TO REALLY GET INTO THE ESSENTIAL STANDARD AND UNPACK IT, AND DO THAT WORK, THAT COLLABORATIVE WORK, TAKES TIME TO SET THAT UP.
THE MAJORITY OF STAFF WOULD PREFER THE THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASE.
THE QUESTION HAD BEEN ASKED WHAT DATA DO WE HAVE AROUND THE PLC WORK? THIS IS OUR SEVENTH YEAR OF PRETTY DESIGNATED OR FOCUSED WORK ON THIS INITIATIVE.
SOME OF THE ADVANCES THAT WE'VE MADE ON THIS AND THE THREE FOUNDATIONAL IDEAS OF THE PLC.
FIRST, ON THE FOCUS ON LEARNING, WE HAD A NUMBER OF PLCS THIS YEAR START TO WORK TOWARDS IMPLEMENTING INTERVENTIONS, NOT ONLY AT A TIER 1 LEVEL, BUT ALSO AT A TIER 2 LEVEL.
WHAT DO WE DO WITH STUDENTS WHEN THEY'RE NOT RESPONDING TO THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS? WHAT ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DO WE PROVIDE THEM COLLABORATIVELY TO HELP THEM ACHIEVE SUCCESS? THE COLLABORATIVE CULTURE, ONE OF THE BIG EMPHASIS POINTS FOR US THIS YEAR, WAS ESTABLISHING COMMON SMART GOALS.
PRIOR TO THIS YEAR, THAT WAS NOT AN EXPLICIT EXPECTATION OF TEAMS IS HAVING A SMART GOAL FOR EVERY PLC CYCLE.
THEN THE THIRD PIECE IS THE RESULTS ORIENTATION.
YOU'LL NOTICE, WE REALLY MADE SOME SIGNIFICANT STRIDES HERE IN NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT SUCCESS BEING,
[02:20:06]
HOW WELL DO WE FOLLOW A PROCESS BUT MEASURING OUR SUCCESS ON WHAT TYPE OF RESULTS WE GET WITH KIDS.WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF THAT PROCESS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT? THAT'S REALLY BEEN SOME OF THE SHIFT IN THE MOVEMENT AS A WHOLE DISTRICT OF THAT EXPECTATION GOING UP AROUND A RESULT ORIENTATION.
ONE OF THE WAYS WE ACCOMPLISHED THAT THIS YEAR WAS THIS DOCUMENT HERE.
THIS ISN'T ACTUALLY A PLC, BUT IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THIS IS A SMART GOAL SPREADSHEET, AND WE HAD TEAMS COMPLETE THIS FOR EVERY PLC CYCLE.
THIS WAS INTRODUCED TO REALLY INCREASE THE RESULTS ORIENTATION FOR OUR PLCS, PROVIDED A CONSISTENT FORMAT FOR TRACKING PLC PROGRESS.
IT WAS A TOOL FOR THE BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAM TO REALLY PROVIDE SUPPORT AND FEEDBACK, NOT FROM A MICRO-MANAGING STANDPOINT, BUT MORE ABOUT MAKING THE WORK VISIBLE.
WHAT DO THE SMART GOALS LOOK LIKE? WHAT FEEDBACK CAN WE PROVIDE TEAMS? NOW WE HAVE LAYERS OF LEARNING HAPPENING, AND WHEN ADULTS LEARN, KIDS BENEFIT.
THIS WAS REALLY CRITICAL FOR US.
I DO WANT TO CALL OUT ONE BUILDING IN PARTICULAR, LAUREN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THEY DESERVE RECOGNITION FOR THEIR WORK ON THE RESULTS ORIENTATION.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS AN ENHANCED SMART GOAL SPREADSHEET THAT THEY MADE INTO A SCHOOL-WIDE DATABASE, CONSOLIDATING ALL THE PLC CYCLES INTO A SINGLE DATA SET.
THEY WERE ABLE TO THEN DESEGREGATE BY STUDENT GROUPS.
ON THE LEFT SIDE, YOU WILL SEE THAT THEY'VE IDENTIFIED IF A STUDENT IS IN HIGH-CAP OR BILINGUAL SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND WHAT THEIR PRE-TEST, FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS, AND POST-TEST WERE.
ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE GRAPH ILLUSTRATES THE POSITIVE STUDENT GROWTH FROM PRE-TEST TO POST-TEST DURING THEIR PLC CYCLE 2.
IN THAT WINDOW FROM NOVEMBER TO JANUARY, WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS ON THE PRE-TEST.
THEY HAD 789 KIDS SCORE TO LEVEL 1.
THAT'S NOT WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, LEVEL 4 IS THE HIGHEST LEVEL.
IT'S REALLY QUITE INCREDIBLE TO SEE THE REDUCTION FROM THE PRE-TEST TO THE POST-TEST AND THE NUMBER OF ONES.
I REALLY WANT TO CALL OUT TO LAUREN THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN LEVEL 4.
WE OFTEN THINK ABOUT JUST GETTING KIDS TO BE PROFICIENT.
WHAT WE SEE IN THE DATA AS TEAMS ARE GETTING BETTER AT THEIR COLLABORATIVE PROCESSES, IT'S NOT ONLY THAT THEY'RE GETTING KIDS PROFICIENT, BUT THEY'RE HAVING KIDS BECOME EXCEEDINGLY PROFICIENT ON THESE ESSENTIAL SKILLS.
THEY HAD 444 KIDS IN THIS CYCLE THAT SCORED AT A LEVEL 4.
CUMULATIVELY, THEY HAD OVER 766 KIDS ABOVE PROFICIENCY ON THE ESSENTIAL SKILLS FOR THAT PARTICULAR WINDOW.
IT'S COOL. I GEEK OUT ON THAT STUFF, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT AS EVIDENCE.
HOW ARE OUR PLCS DOING? LAUREN, ONE OF THE THINGS THEY DID WAS REALLY MAKE THE WORK VISIBLE AT A BUILDING LEVEL SO THAT WE COULD SHARE THAT WITH YOU AND YOU COULD SEE AS A WHOLE.
HERE'S SOME OF THE DATA THAT'S STARTING TO COME FROM THIS WORK. LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO CONTINUE WITH OUR WAIVER DAY PROPOSAL.
IT WOULD BE TWO WAIVER DAYS, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO SET UP FOUR PLC CYCLES.
OUR FIRST WINDOW WOULD RUN FROM AUGUST 20TH TO OCTOBER 22ND, RIGHT BEFORE PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES.
THE NICE THING ABOUT THAT IS THERE IS SOME COLLABORATIVE DATA THAT CAN BE SHARED WITH PARENTS IN THAT FOLLOWING WEEK THAT JUST HAPPENED PRIOR TO THE PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES.
THE SECOND WINDOW, THE FIRST WAIVER DAY, WOULD BE NOVEMBER 4TH.
THE THIRD WAIVER DAY WOULD BE FEBRUARY 4TH, AND THEN WE WOULD TRY A THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASE, INSTEAD OF A TWO-HOUR LATE START THIS YEAR THAT WE DID THIS YEAR, WE WOULD TRY A THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASE FOR THE FOURTH WINDOW.
DID CHECK WITH SHERRI DALEY, INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES-WISE.
THIS PROPOSAL WOULD GIVE US AN ADDITIONAL NINE HOURS.
WE WOULD BE AT ABOUT 1,036 INSTRUCTIONAL HOURS WITH THIS PLAN, AND THE STATE REQUIRES 1,027.
THEN FOR KINDERGARTEN, WE'D BE ABOUT 19 HOURS OVER.
BUT I'M ASKING THAT THE BOARD GIVE SOME CONSIDERATION TO CONTINUING THIS FOR ONE MORE YEAR.
THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO LOOK AT A PROPOSAL IN WHICH IT WAS ALL THREE-HOUR EARLY RELEASES, BUT I THINK THE STAFF WAS PRETTY CLEAR IN THEIR COMMENTS AND THEIR DATA FROM US OR FROM THE FEEDBACK IN THE SURVEY THAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO CONTINUE WAIVER DAYS FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
[02:25:02]
>> THANK YOU FOR THE DATA THAT CHART ON LAUREN, MILAM MODER.
>> IS THAT PRE POST DATA THAT WE SHOWED US FOR LAUREN, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH IRD?
>> THESE ARE ACTUALLY FROM THE ASSESSMENTS THAT WERE GIVEN BY THE PLC TEAMS THAT WERE WITHIN THAT CYCLE.
IRD IS MORE OF A DIAGNOSTIC ASSESSMENT THAT'S HAPPENING THREE TIMES A YEAR.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY FIT WITHIN THE WINDOW OF A PRE TO POST.
THESE ARE MORE TEAM GENERATED.
IT'S THE COMMON FORMATIVE AT THE TEAM LEVEL, SO IT'S THAT LEVEL BELOW IRD, WHICH IS THE DISTRICT ASSESSMENT.
THIS IS CLOSER TO THE CLASSROOM.
>> THEN NOT HAVING THE IRD FOR THE YEAR, IF WE HAVE TO CUT THAT BECAUSE OF THE COST AS ONE OF THE PLACES WHERE WE CAN CUT, WE COULD STILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS DATA.
>> YEAH, I THINK IT'S A PART OF THE PUZZLE.
WE WOULD STILL NEED TO SUPPLEMENT ON TOP OF THIS DATA BEYOND THAT, AND THERE'S CERTAIN PROVISIONS, ESPECIALLY AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL, FOR DYSLEXIA LEGISLATION THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MEET, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT OPTIONS [OVERLAPPING]
>> CORRECT. YEAH, AND SOME THAT MAY BE CHEAPER OPTIONS TOO FOR US TO GIVE CONSIDERATION TO.
BUT THIS IS DEFINITELY A HELPFUL PIECE BECAUSE THIS IS ACTIONABLE.
THE DATA HERE, TEAMS ARE THEN INTERVENING ON AND ABLE TO DO THINGS WITH STUDENTS THE NEXT DAY WHEN THEY'RE SEEING THE DATA PLAN.
>> EVEN THIS, THE CREATION OF THOSE COMMON ASSESSMENTS IS BIG FOR US BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AS WELL.
THE FACT THAT THEY'RE USING COMMON INFORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS IS.
>> IT'S A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
IF WE WERE TO GO BACK TO 2018 AND YOU WOULD HAVE SHOWED ME THAT THIS EXISTED, I WOULD HAVE SAID, GET OUT OF TOWN, THAT'S INCREDIBLE. YEAH, IT'S SIGNIFICANT.
THERE HAS BEEN SOME REAL PROGRESS THAT TEAMS ARE MAKING.
AGAIN, IT'S REALLY NEAT TO SEE HOW EACH BUILDING TAKES THE CHALLENGE THAT WE PUT BEFORE THEM.
WE SAID, WE WANT MORE RESULTS ORIENTATION, AND EVERY BUILDINGS, THE WAY THEY'VE EXPRESSED THAT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT I THOUGHT THIS WAS A REALLY NICE EXAMPLE TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD.
>> IS THERE ANY PUSH FOR LONG TERM CONSISTENCY ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS USING A SIMILAR FORMAT? I'M NOT SAYING THIS IS THE ONE.
BUT SOME OF THE PLC WORK THAT WE SEE, WE WALK INTO A SCHOOL AND EVERYBODY'S LEARNING THE SAME THING.
IT'S BEEN REALLY EYE OPENING TO SEE I SHOULDN'T WANT TO GO TO THIS SCHOOL MORE THAN THIS SCHOOL BECAUSE THIS ONE HAS BETTER OPPORTUNITIES.
UTILIZING EVEN DATA CONSISTENTLY ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO DOWN THE ROAD, BRINGING THAT IN MORE CONSISTENCY?
>> I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT A LOT OF THAT WORK IS HAPPENING IN THE PRINCIPAL PLC MEETINGS BY LEVELS.
THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TOOLS THAT THEY'RE USING, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'VE SEEN SCHOOLS SAY, TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING OVER THERE SO THAT I CAN BRING THAT BACK AND SHARE THAT WITH MY TEACHERS.
IT'S A FOUNDATIONAL BELIEF IN TERMS OF OUR COHERENCE WORK THAT THERE IS A LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM THAT WE GIVE TO OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.
THEY KNOW THEIR STUDENTS BEST, THEY KNOW THEIR SCHOOL BEST, THEY KNOW THEIR PARENTS BEST. WE GIVE THAT.
BUT WE'VE ALSO HAVE COME TO THIS IDEA, WHICH IS, AGAIN, PART OF OUR COHERENCE WORK, THE IDEA THAT IF WE CELEBRATE AND WE BRING ATTENTION TO THESE KINDS OF TOOLS, THAT PEOPLE FROM OTHER SCHOOLS WILL LOOK AND SAY, "HEY, THAT'S PRETTY COOL.
WHAT ARE YOU DOING OVER THERE?" THEY'LL MOVE THAT BUTTON THEMSELVES.
WHAT WE KNOW IS THAT WE KNOW THAT A TOP-DOWN APPROACH TO THINGS WHERE WE SAY, "HEY, HERE'S THE WAY WE WANT YOU TO DO IT," IT DOESN'T WORK BECAUSE WE DON'T GET THE BUY IN.
AS LONG AS WE'RE GETTING DATA AND AS LONG AS WE'RE SEEING STUFF AND AS LONG AS WE'RE SHARING INFORMATION LIKE THIS, OUR HOPE IS THAT THAT SHIP WILL TURN ON ITS OWN.
WHEN WE GET THAT TO TURN ON ITS OWN, THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE BUY IN.
I THINK THAT'S A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THAT.
TO YOUR POINT, YOU CAN GET FRUSTRATED WITH THE IDEA THAT, GUYS, HERE IT IS, THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO DO IT, AND YOU SHARE IT WITH THEM.
>> IT'S INTERESTING TOO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MANY TIMES MARY WILL BRING FORWARD THAT SHE WAS A PART OF PLCS WHEN SHE WAS WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AND SHE HASN'T SEEN A DISTRICT GOING AS FAR.
ONE OF THE FOUNDATIONAL THINGS THAT WE LEARNED WHEN WE WERE FIRST STARTING THIS PROCESS WAS THAT THERE'S TWO REALLY IMPORTANT FACTORS TO THINK ABOUT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT CHANGE.
[02:30:01]
ONE IS TECHNICAL CHANGE, AND EVERYBODY USING THE SAME FORM WOULD BE A TECHNICAL CHANGE.BUT THEN THERE'S CULTURAL CHANGE.
CULTURAL CHANGE, IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN SIMULTANEOUSLY OR AT THE SAME TIME, THE TECHNICAL CHANGE CAN'T HAPPEN EITHER BECAUSE PEOPLE RESIST IT.
YOU HAVE TO CREATE THE CULTURE AND WHAT DENNY WAS DESCRIBING AS OUR ABILITY TO HAVE THE BUMPERS, ASK PEOPLE TO STAY WITHIN SOME LIMITS, AND USE THEIR OWN TEAM EXPERTISE, THEIR TEAM'S KNOWLEDGE, THE WAY THEY WANT TO EXPRESS THE INFORMATION TOGETHER TO BE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORK BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO ACTUALLY MEET THOSE STEPS AND THEN LEARN FROM EACH OTHER AND CELEBRATE WHAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE THE BEST IDEAS WE'VE SEEN HAVE COME FROM THEM.
>> I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
MANDATING IT WILL PROBABLY GUARANTEE THAT IT WON'T WORK.
>> I DON'T KNOW THAT I WAS NECESSARILY RECOMMENDING IT.
>> [LAUGHTER] I FIND OUT TOO. I GET THAT, JACKIE.
>> SPEAKING FROM A BOARD PERSPECTIVE, SOMETIMES IT'S NICE TO SEE APPLES TO APPLES.
>> HOWEVER, WE CAN TAKE THE DATA THAT THEY'RE USING AND ALIGN IT TO SHOW PROGRESS AT EVERY SCHOOL WOULD BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
>> THAT'S CERTAINLY AN EXPECTATION.
WE'VE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH OUR PRINCIPALS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN VERY CLEAR WITH THE BUILDINGS THAT THIS IS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAT THE BOARD IS.
WHEN YOU GRANT THE WAIVER DAYS, THE LATE STARTS, THAT IS A GIFT OF TIME, OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE, SO WE WANT TO MAXIMIZE THAT.
WE FEEL THAT WE OWE IT TO THE BOARD TO DEMONSTRATE EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF THAT TIME BECAUSE IT MATTERS.
I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT WE ARE MAKING REALLY STRONG STRIDES IN THIS AREA.
WE'RE NOT WHERE WE WANT TO BE, BUT WE HAVE COME SO FAR.
>> WE HAVE COME SO FAR, AND WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THINGS EMERGE FROM THE SYSTEM IN WHICH WE'RE LIKE, YES.
>> WE CERTAINLY WANT TO HONOR THE COMMITMENT THAT YOU'VE MADE TO US AS WELL AS THE COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR ENSURING THAT WE'RE GETTING RESULTS.
THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS, EVEN THOUGH THE STATE ALLOWS US TO REQUEST THREE YEARS WORTH OF WAIVERS AT THE SAME TIME, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE COME EVERY SPRING AND SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE AND GET YOUR BLESSING AGAIN BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TIME TO GO BY WITHOUT US BEING ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PROGRESS THAT WE'RE MAKING BECAUSE THAT'S AS IMPORTANT TO US AS I THINK IT IS TO YOU AND THE COMMUNITY, SO IT'S CRITICAL TO US THAT YOU GET EYES ON THIS GROUP FREQUENTLY.
>> I WOULD SAY THE BENEFIT TO THE STUDENTS IS THE PRIMARY COURSE OF ACTION.
IT'S ALWAYS GREAT TO PLEASE THE BOARD, BUT IT'S ALL ABOUT STUDENTS.
WITH THAT, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? I'D ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
>> I JUST WAS WONDERING ABOUT WHEN I'M LOOKING AT YOUR GRAPHS HERE. YOU'RE FINE.
ABOUT THE PLC WORK, AND WE STILL HAVE LOOKS LIKE 20% OF THE FEEDBACK.
IS THAT RESISTANT TO CHANGE OR WHAT IS THAT ABOUT? I SEE THAT ALMOST ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE CHARTS.
>> ARE TALKING THE PIE CHARTS?
>> YEAH, THE PIES. IT'S LIKE 20% OF OUR TEACHERS ARE PUSHING BACK SAYING NO, THIS IS NOT VALUABLE.
>> WELL, I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH IF YOU DESEGREGATE THAT DATA BY A SUBGROUP AND BY THAT LIKE GEN ED TEACHERS VERSUS SPECIALISTS VERSUS ESA TEACHERS VERSUS SPECIAL ED, THOSE NUMBERS CAN LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I THINK FOR A GEN ED TEACHER THAT HAS A, LET'S JUST SAY A FOURTH GRADE TEAM, THEIR TEAM NATURALLY EXISTS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO LOOKING FOR THEIR TEAM.
THEY ARE SELF-CONTAINED AND THEY ARE A TEAM.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES FOR SOME OF OUR SINGLETONS THAT ARE JUST ONE PER BUILDING IS THEY HAVE TO REACH OUT AND BECOME A TEAM ACROSS MULTIPLE BUILDINGS.
I WANT TO STILL COMMEND THOSE TEAMS FOR MAKING SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, BUT THE WORK IS HARDER, AND I THINK SOMETIMES YOU WILL SEE IN SOME OF THAT DATA THAT IT ISN'T ALWAYS AS NEAT AS WE'D LIKE IT TO BE.
>> BUT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE, RIGHT? WE'RE GOING TO SEE 100%.
>> WE ARE WORKING IN THAT DIRECTION, FOR SURE.
I CAN TELL YOU THE WAIVER DAYS.
THE FIRST YEAR, WE DID THEM 65% OF STAFF FOUND THEM VALUABLE OR EXTREMELY VALUABLE.
[02:35:01]
THOSE NUMBERS THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN THIS YEAR WAS 73, THE YEAR BEFORE WAS 75.WE'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT GROWTH THERE.
I THINK PEOPLE ARE LIKE, "HEY, THIS IS REALLY AN IMPORTANT THING FOR US."
>> I KNOW FROM A CHANGE STANDPOINT, IF YOU CAN GET 80%, YOU'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD [LAUGHTER]
>> WELL, DAVID, COULD YOU IDENTIFY ONE OF THESE SINGLETON TEACHERS, FOR EXAMPLE?
>> YEAH. IT MIGHT BE A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.
NOW, DEPENDING ON THE SCHOOL, SO SOME PE TEACHERS AT THE PRIMARY LEVEL, THERE'S TYPICALLY LESS PE TEACHERS IN A BUILDING THAN, SAY, AT A HIGH SCHOOL.
AGAIN, BACK TO DENNY'S POINT, THE TEAM CONFIGURATIONS, THEY HAVE SOME AUTONOMY IN WHICH TEAMS THEY'RE CHOOSING.
WE DO HAVE SOME PARAMETERS LIKE, HEY, STAY ON ONE TEAM FOR THE CYCLE SO YOU CAN SEE IT ALL THE WAY THROUGH.
BUT THEY HAVE SOME AUTONOMY, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO MEET IN A SMALLER, MAYBE IT'S THE SLPS IN SOME SOUTH END SCHOOLS OR IT MIGHT BE ALL THE SLPS, K-12.
THEY FIGURE THAT OUT. WE DON'T MICROMANAGE THAT.
>> SURE. MY POINT BEING THAT SOME TEACHERS SAID IT WAS TOO LONG A PERIOD OF TIME.
WELL, IF YOU'VE GOT A PE TEACHER WHO'S GOT OTHER THINGS TO DO, AND WE'RE SITTING AROUND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS PLC GROUP WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT GATHERING DATA AND THE DATA THAT THEY GATHER IS REALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE MATH TEACHERS DATA, IT GETS A LITTLE FRUSTRATING FOR SOME TEACHERS BECAUSE THE TIME INVESTED MAY NOT SEEM AS VALUABLE TO THEM AS THE TIME INVESTED FOR THE MATH TEACHERS.
>> I WOULD SAY WITH THE PE TEACHERS, IT'S INTERESTING.
>> BUT THERE'S SOME GREAT EXAMPLES OF, AGAIN, ALSO VERY DATA RICH.
WE ARE BECOMING MORE DATA-DRIVEN EVERY YEAR IN A GOOD WAY.
I THINK WE'RE LEARNING FROM THE DATA, THAT'S THE OTHER PIECE.
MAKE THIS STUFF VISIBLE SO WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM IT.
WE WANT THE SMART GOALS TO GET OUT FROM THE BUILDING LEADERSHIP TEAM TO GO, "HEY, HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE WAY YOU'RE STRUCTURING THIS PLC CYCLE?" BECAUSE OUR TEAMS NEED FEEDBACK TOO, AND THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
IT'S THE LAYERS OF LEARNING AND MECHANISMS THAT WE CREATE SO THAT WE'RE, AS ADULTS, LEARNING FROM ONE ANOTHER AND JUST CHALLENGING OURSELVES TO GET THAT MUCH BETTER THE NEXT TIME WE DO IT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
>> [LAUGHTER] THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS APPROVED THE SUBMITTAL OF RESOLUTION D25, REQUESTING A WAIVER OF THE 180-DAY SCHOOL REQUIREMENT FOR THE 2025/2026 SCHOOL YEAR.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR. I WOULD LOOK TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES FOR THEIR ADVISORY VOTE.
THAT'S REALLY HARD TO WAIT, ISN'T IT? ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? HEARING NONE, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
>> AYE. ALL THOSE OPPOSED? MOTION PASSES 3-0. THANK YOU.
>> THE LAST THING ON OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS AND BOARD EVENTS.
[11. Future Agenda Items and Board Events]
I CAN'T ACCESS THAT DOCUMENT RIGHT NOW, SO I WOULD SAY THERE'S AN APPRENTICESHIP SIGNING LUNCH LATER THIS WEEK.>> THANKS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CELEBRATIONS OF STAFF AND STUDENTS COMING UP NEXT TUESDAY, MAY 20TH.
NOT MANY HAVE RESPONDED TO THOSE INVITES.
IF YOU COULD PLEASE LET LISA KNOW IF YOU ARE ABLE TO MAKE IT TO EITHER CELEBRATION ON THE 20TH SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE DON'T HAVE A QUORUM THERE.
THEN OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING IS TUESDAY, NOT MONDAY, TUESDAY, MAY 20TH AFTER THE MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY.
ANYTHING TO ADD BEFORE WE ADJOURN?
>> JUST A QUESTION. ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE WORK SESSION FOR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE CANDIDATES?
>> YES. WE HAVE OUR CANDIDATES AND WE'RE FINALIZING EVERYTHING.
>> COULD YOU ALSO SEND US A LIST OF THE CANDIDATES ONCE THE LIST IS READY.
>> YOU'LL GET ALL THAT INFORMATION.
>> I HAVE TILL THE 19TH? I'M READY JUST SO YOU KNOW [LAUGHTER]
>> I DON'T THINK YOU PARTICIPATE.
>> I DON'T THINK YOU PARTICIPATE AS A SENIOR.
>> YEAH, I DO. SO DID LAST YEAR.
[02:40:01]
>> I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR ANYTHING YOU GUYS HAVE TO SUGGEST ABOUT HOW WE COULD IMPROVE OR CHANGE OR ANYTHING THAT SHOULD BE DONE DIFFERENTLY WITH THE WAY WE HANDLE THESE JOBS TOO.
IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS, I'D LOVE TO HEAR THOSE.
>> COME WITH THOSE THOUGHTS OR GIVE THEM TO WHOEVER, SHELLY OR WHATEVER.
>> ANYTHING ELSE? MEETING ADJOURNED, 08:40. THANK YOU, EVERYONE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.