GOOD EVENING, I AM TAMMY RICHARDS, BOARD PRESIDENT AND PRESIDING OFFICER,
[1. CALL TO ORDER: 6:00 P.M.]
[00:00:07]
NOTING THAT A QUORUM IS PRESENT, I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD MEETING OF THE PLANO ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT 6:01 P.M.ON TUESDAY, MAY THE 4TH, 2021 ON THE BOARD'S BEHALF.
I WISH TO WELCOME OUR VIEWERS AND ALL WHO ARE PRESENT WITH US THIS EVENING.
DUE TO HEALTH CONCERNS RELATED TO COVID-19, THE DISTRICT WILL FOLLOW GUIDANCE FROM THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY.
TODAY'S MEETING IS HELD IN THE BOARDROOM WITH LIMITED SEATING CAPACITY AND OVERFLOW LOCATION IN THE LOBBY WITH LIVE STREAMING IS PROVIDED ENTRY TO THE BOARDROOM AND THE LOBBY IS ON A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE BASIS.
EVERYONE PHYSICALLY PRESENT MUST WEAR A FACE MASK AT ALL TIMES, EXCEPT WHILE GIVING A SPEECH TO AN AUDIENCE.
AND EVERYONE MUST PRACTICE SIX FEET SOCIAL DISTANCING.
ALL VISITORS MUST BE SCREENED FOR SYMPTOMS OF COVID-19 VISITORS WITH SYMPTOMS OR WHO OUR TEST CONFIRM POSITIVE WITH COVID-19 SHALL REMAIN OFF DISTRICT PROPERTY VIOLATORS MAY BE REMOVED FOR TRESPASSING.
ADDITIONALLY, DUE TO THE HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS NOTED ABOVE, THE MEETING MAY BE CONDUCTED IN PART BY VIDEO CONFERENCE.
FURTHER, PURSUANT TO GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S TEMPORARY SUSPENSION OF APPLICABLE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, SOME PARTICIPANTS IN THE MEETING MAY PARTICIPATE VIA ELECTRONIC MEANS.
NOW LET ME INTRODUCE MY FELLOW TRUSTEES AND STAFF SEATED TO MY LEFT ARE MRS. SARA BONSER, SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS.
DR. THERESA WILLIAMS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER AND SECRETARY.
SEATED TO MY RIGHT ARE VICE PRESIDENT JERI CHAMBERS, TRUSTEE DAVID STOLLE, TRUSTEE NANCY HUMPHREY, TRUSTEE CODY WEAVER AND TRUSTEE ANGELA POWELL.
AT THIS TIME I WILL ASK SUPERINTENDENT BONSER TO VERIFY THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT REGARDING THE NOTICE FOR THIS MEETING.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
I VERIFY THAT THIS MEETING HAS BEEN POSTED AND IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT AS TEMPORARILY AMENDED BY GOVERNOR ABBOTT.
[2. RECOGNITIONS]
WE WILL BEGIN THIS EVENING WITH RECOGNITION'S.TONIGHT WE ARE CELEBRATING MANY STUDENT ACHIEVEMENTS AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
YOU CAN SEE THE SLIDESHOW OF AWARDS ON THE MONITOR'S 12 NATIONAL MERIT.
CORPORATE SPONSORED SCHOLARSHIPS WERE ANNOUNCED FOR PLANO ISD SENIORS.
THE PLANO WEST JAZZ BAND IS AN ESSENTIALLY ELLINGTON FINALIST FOR THE THIRD TIME.
IN SPEECH AND DEBATE JASPER HIGH SCHOOL, HAD LONGHORN TOURNAMENT AND TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPION WINNERS AT THE TEXAS HISTORY DAY COMPETITION.
SEVENTEEN STUDENTS ADVANCE TO NATIONAL COMPETITION IN CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.
ELEVEN BUSINESS PROFESSIONALS OF AMERICA STUDENTS ADVANCED TO NATIONALS AND TWO DISTRIBUTIVE EDUCATION.
CLUBS OF AMERICA STATE WINNERS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS AT THE TEXAS STATE AND ENGINEERING FAIR.
THIRTY TWO PLANO ISD STUDENTS EARNED AWARDS, INCLUDING THREE BEST IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AWARDS.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN APPLAUDING THESE TALENTED STUDENTS.
[APPLAUSE] WE HAVE A SPECIAL TEACHER RECOGNITION THIS EVENING, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR ACADEMIC SERVICES, DR.
KATRINA HASLEY WILL INTRODUCE THIS RECOGNITION.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
I'M HAPPY TO INTRODUCE ROBIN BAILEY, COMPUTER SCIENCE TEACHER AT PLANO WEST SENIOR HIGH, WHO HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED BY THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AS A 2021 ASPIRATIONS IN COMPUTING EDUCATOR DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA AFFILIATE AWARD WINNER.
ROBIN, PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT SO THAT WE MAY RECOGNIZE YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THE NATIONAL CENTER FOR WOMEN AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IS A NONPROFIT COMMUNITY THAT INCREASES THE INFLUENCE AND MEANINGFUL PARTICIPATION OF GIRLS AND WOMEN FROM EVERY COMMUNITY IN THE INFLUENTIAL FIELD OF COMPUTING.
ROBIN IS A 27 YEAR VETERAN TEACHER.
OUR PLANO ISD STUDENTS HAVE ENJOYED THE BENEFITS OF HER TECHNOLOGY EXPERTISE FOR THE PAST NINE YEARS OF HER CAREER IN EDUCATION AT PLANO WEST SHE IS CURRENTLY TEACHING HONORS AND AP COMPUTER SCIENCE.
ROBIN IS AN INCREDIBLE EDUCATOR AND MENTOR WHO HAS WORKED THROUGHOUT HER CAREER TO PROMOTE GENDER EQUITY IN THE FIELD OF TECHNOLOGY.
SHE ENCOURAGES GIRLS TO ENTER CODING CHALLENGES AND COMPETITIONS AND TO BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO EXCEL IN HER CLASSROOM.
THE LOVE OF CODING IS ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE.
DAN [INAUDIBLE] OUR COMPUTER SCIENCE CURRICULUM SPECIALIST, SENDS HIS CONGRATULATIONS AND SAYS ROBIN IS A ROLE MODEL FOR GIRLS IN TECHNOLOGY.
EVERY YEAR, HER COMPUTING CLUB EXCELS IN COMPETITION, AND SHE SETS THE BAR HIGH AND LEADS HER STUDENTS TO SUCCESS.
JOINING HER TONIGHT TO CELEBRATE IS ASSOCIATE PRINCIPAL TODD WILLIAMS FROM PLANO WEST.
AND WE HAVE ASKED ROBIN TO BRING HER AWARD TROPHY TONIGHT SINCE THE ORIGINAL AWARD WAS GIVEN VIRTUALLY.
SO WE WANTED TO PRESENT THAT TO HER TONIGHT AND GIVE A CHANCE FOR PICTURES.
SO PLEASE JOIN ME IN CONGRATULATING ROBIN ON THIS WELL-DESERVED AWARD.
[00:05:17]
ROBIN WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT WHAT YOU DO? I AM BLESSED TO BE ABLE TO TEACH AT THIS ISD.I PARTICULARLY ENJOY HEARING THE SUCCESS STORIES OF OUR TEACHER, MRS. MARJORIE VALENTINE WAS MY CALCULUS TEACHER IN SAN ANTONIO, AND SHE SENT ME ON A PATHWAY THAT ALLOWED ME TO HAVE SUCCESS IN ENGINEERING SCHOOL.
AND I KNOW YOU'RE DOING THE SAME FOR MANY YOUNG WOMEN AND YOUNG MEN.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, ROBIN CONGRATULATIONS.
I KNOW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DO EVERY DAY.
AND THEN TO GO OVER AND ABOVE WITH THE SPONSORING OF CLUBS AND ACTIVITIES IS MORE AND SO ON BEHALF OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME AND SERVICE TO STUDENTS.
AND PLEASE THANK YOUR FAMILY AS WELL, BECAUSE EVERY TIME YOU'RE WORKING, YOU'RE AWAY FROM THEM.
AND WE REALLY WE REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THAT YOU DO.
AT THIS POINT, VICE PRESIDENT JERI CHAMBERS WILL PRESENT THE CERTIFICATE OF EXCELLENCE TO MS. BAILEY.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOU DO FOR OUR STUDENTS.
[APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT RECOGNITION IS FOR A SPECIAL GROUP OF EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE BEEN VITAL TO STUDENTS, THEIR FAMILIES AND ALL EMPLOYEES DURING THIS PANDEMIC, THESE EMPLOYEES STEPPED UP TO KEEP US SAFE.
I INVITE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR EMPLOYEE SERVICES DR.
BETH BROCKMAN TO INTRODUCE THIS RECOGNITION.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU TAKING IT A FEW MINUTES OF TIME OUT THIS EVENING TO RECOGNIZE THIS GROUP OF EMPLOYEES.
THE PANDEMIC HAS CREATED DIFFERENT WORK FOR EVERYONE IN PLANO ISD.
THE HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF IS NO DIFFERENT.
CAMPUS NURSES, NURSE LEADS, NURSES ON SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT AND DEPARTMENT LEADERSHIP HAVE SINCE LATE JANUARY OF 2020 PIVOTED THEIR WORK TO LEAD OR LEAD US THROUGH THIS PANDEMIC.
THROUGH THE COURSE OF THAT WORK, THEY HAVE MANAGED AND COMMUNICATED WITH FAMILIES OF NINETEEN THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED AND TEN STUDENTS REPORTED AS EXPOSED OR POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 2012.
OF THOSE WERE POSITIVE TEST RESULTS FOR STUDENTS THEY HAVE MANAGED AND COMMUNICATED WITH SIX THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED AND TWENTY FIVE EMPLOYEES REPORTED AS EXPOSED OR POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 IN THIS LAST YEAR, WITH 834 POSITIVE TEST RESULTS FOR EMPLOYEES, THIS WORK MEANT SEVEN DAYS A WEEK AND MANY WEEKS.
IT FELT LIKE IT WAS 24 HOURS A DAY.
IT WAS SATURDAY AND SUNDAY EVENINGS.
THEY SUPPORTED PRINCIPALS WITH REQUIRED COMMUNICATION TO FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES, DESIGNED REPORTING FORMS AND SPREADSHEETS TO SUPPORT MULTIPLE PURPOSES.
THEY CONSULTED WITH EACH DEPARTMENT AND CAMPUS REGARDING HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS ACROSS A VARIETY OF SETTINGS AND ACTIVITIES, ITEMS THAT STACI PROBABLY NEVER PLANNED TO BECOME AN EXPERT IN.
CONSISTENTLY UPDATED INFORMATION ON COVID TEST AND VACCINE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF MAINTAIN CONSISTENT COLLABORATION WITH THE COLLIN COUNTY HEALTH SERVICES DEPARTMENT, PROVIDED WEEKLY UPDATES TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY AS REQUIRED DETERMINED INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL STATUS ON A DAILY BASIS.
THE LEVEL ONE, THE LEVEL TWO THE LEVEL THREE AND OCCASIONALLY A LEVEL FOUR AND PROVIDED WEEKLY BRIEFINGS TO DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AS NEEDED.
AND THIS WAS ALL IN ADDITION TO THEIR USUAL RUN OF THE MILL DUTIES DURING A YEAR.
FINALLY, THIS TEAM HAS LED THE WAY TO VACCINATE A THOUSAND ADULTS THROUGH PISD VACCINATION CLINICS AT THE SOCKWELL CENTER AND AT GUINN SPECIAL PROGRAMS CENTER.
[00:10:01]
THOSE WILL BE COMPLETED WITHIN THE NEXT TWO SATURDAYS.NONE OF THIS COULD BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF STACI ANTELO, OUR DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL HEALTH SERVICES.
SHE HAS DEFINITELY BEEN AN MVP DURING THIS PANDEMIC AND I'M GRATEFUL TO HAVE HER ON THE PISD TEAM AT THIS TIME.
I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE STACI TO SAY A FEW WORDS AND INTRODUCE MEMBERS OF THE TEAM JOINING US THIS EVENING VIA ZOOM.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES SUPERINTENDENT BONSER AND DR.
WILLIAMS, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ACCEPT THIS RECOGNITION.
IT HAS BEEN A CHALLENGING AND A TOUGH YEAR, BUT IT'S BEEN A PRIVILEGE TO SERVE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE SERVED THE SCHOOL YEAR.
I'VE GOT MY TEAM AND HEALTH SERVICES AND I HAVE AN ARMY OF CAMPUS SCHOOL NURSES WHO DO IT DAY IN AND DAY OUT ALSO.
SO I DO HAVE A FEW MEMBERS OF MY TEAM AND A FEW CAMPUS NURSES WHO ARE ALSO OUR DISTRICT NURSE TEAM LEADERS JOINING US VIA ZOOM.
SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT.
JOAN BOSWELL IS THE NURSE OVER AT MURPHY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SHE'S ONE OF OUR SECONDARY NURSE TEAM LEADERS.
DOTTIE JORDAN IS THE NURSE AT JASPAR HIGH SCHOOL AND ANOTHER NURSE, TEAM LEADER STACY NICHOLS, WORKS IN HEALTH SERVICES.
SHE IS MY RIGHT HAND, DEFINITELY.
SHE IS OUR CLINICAL NURSE MANAGER.
AMBER PARKS IS ONE OF OUR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT NURSES.
PROBABLY WHEN AN EMPLOYEE CALLS US IN AND WE CALL THEM BACK AND TAKE REPORT CASES AND EVERYTHING, SHE'S PROBABLY MOST FREQUENTLY THE VOICE THAT THEY HEAR.
CAROL ROWDEN DOWN AT THE BOTTOM IS ALSO ONE OF MY SPECIAL ASSIGNMENT NURSES.
JULIANNE SHERBERT IS THE NURSE AT ANDREW'S ELEMENTARY AND IS ONE OF MY ELEMENTARY NURSE TEAM LEADERS.
AND MEGHAN FRANZKE IS THE NURSE AT BRINKER ELEMENTARY AND ANOTHER NURSE TEAM LEADER.
SO OUR GOAL, OUR OBJECTIVE, OUR WORK THIS ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR HAS SOLELY BEEN BASED ON KEEPING OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF HEALTHY AND SAFE DURING THIS PANDEMIC YEAR.
IT'S BEEN A LOT OF EXTRA WORK.
I'VE ASKED QUITE A BIT OF OUR STAFF, QUITE A BIT OF EXTRA WORK THAT GOES INTO IT.
SO I'M ETERNALLY GRATEFUL, THANKFUL TO THEM FOR THEIR HOURS AND HOURS OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS SACRIFICING FAMILY TIME THAT WENT INTO THIS.
BUT THE CARE THAT ALSO GOES INTO THIS ONE, WE'RE TALKING TO OUR DISTRICT EMPLOYEES, OUR PARENTS.
THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ANXIETY THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE WERE A COMFORTING VOICE TO THEM ON THE OTHER END OF THAT PHONE LINE, WHETHER WE WERE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FOR THEM, GUIDING THEM THROUGH QUARANTINE PROCESSES, THE COVID ILLNESS, WHATEVER QUESTIONS WE WERE HAVING TO ANSWER OR GUIDE THEM THROUGH, I JUST HOPE WE WERE A CALMING PRESENCE FOR THEM.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE RECOGNITION.
WELL, JUST THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU AND ALL OF YOU ON ZOOM DO FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR FAMILIES.
IT HAS BEEN A VERY WORRISOME AND TRYING TIME.
AND TO HAVE SOMEONE SPEAK IN A REASSURING TONE AND WITH SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE HELPFUL WAS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DID AND THE SACRIFICES YOU MADE, TIME YOU TOOK AWAY FROM YOUR OWN FAMILY.
SO, STACI AND TEAM, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE AND WHO ARE WATCHING FROM HOME, I JUST I WANT TO SAY A HUGE THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WAS UNCHARTERED TERRITORY FOR ALL OF US AND HEALTH SERVICES SUPPORT AND CONSTANT GUIDANCE AND GRACE AND KINDNESS AND REALLY HELPING PEOPLE THROUGH UNDERSTANDING AS THE CHANGES OCCURRED.
AND IT JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU THOUGHT YOU UNDERSTOOD AND THEN THINGS CHANGED.
AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, PIVOT BECAME THE WORD RIGHT.
AND THEN YOU HAVE TO CHANGE DIRECTION.
AND SO PLEASE, KNOW HOW MUCH WE THINK ALL OF THE TIME AND WORK AND CARE YOU PUT INTO YOUR JOBS EVERY DAY AND THEN SOME WEEKENDS AND EVENINGS.
AND I DO WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, BEHIND THE SCENES, THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT ON.
BUT THEN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WE STARTED OUT WITH WHAT ARE THE PROTOCOLS NEED TO BE? AND THEN IT BECAME, WHAT DO WE DO WHEN WE HAVE A POSITIVE CASE? AND THEN ONCE WE GOT THROUGH THAT, IT WAS AND NOW WHAT DO YOU DO ABOUT VACCINATING? AND SO EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, WHATEVER WAS ASKED, THE TEAM STEPPED UP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I JUST KNOW THAT YOU'VE DONE EVERYTHING YOU CAN TO KEEP PEOPLE SAFE AND HEALTHY IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW THAT YOU ALL ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO MORE NORMAL TIMES LIKE ALL OF US ARE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE VERY OPTIMISTIC BY WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR COMMUNITY AND THIS COMMUNITY'S COMMITMENT TO BEING SAFE AND BEING RESPONSIBLE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST KNOWING THAT NEXT YEAR WHEN WE GO BACK TO
[00:15:05]
SCHOOL FACE TO FACE, WHICH IS THE PLAN, BEING ABLE TO RELAX THE PROTOCOLS AND GO BACK TO MORE NORMAL HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS.AND, YOU KNOW, THOSE WILL BE COMING IN A VERY SHORT TERM OF WHAT THOSE PROTOCOLS WILL LOOK LIKE NEXT YEAR.
BUT WE'RE VERY OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE OF ALL YOUR HARD WORK THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO MORE NORMAL OPERATIONS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, INCLUDING HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK, BECAUSE KIDS IN SCHOOLS AND LEARNING AND TEACHERS AT SCHOOL TEACHING HAVE MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE.
WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
AND I WISH TO ALSO THANK THE NURSES WHO ARE WATCHING FROM HOME.
NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
WE'VE SEEN AND APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
AND PLEASE JOIN ME IN APPLAUDING THESE IMPORTANT HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS.
[APPLAUSE] YES, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
STACI, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
I KNOW THAT YOU'VE PUT IN A LOT OF LONG HOURS, SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND I WANT TO THANK ALL OUR NURSES THERE ON OUR VIDEO RIGHT NOW.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
AND I WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO MY FAVORITE NURSE, JOAN BOSWELL.
YOU WERE MY SON'S NURSE AT MURPHY MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I STILL LOVE YOU.
WELL, IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, ANGELA, I HAVE TO CALL IT MY FAVORITE NURSE, BECAUSE NURSE CAROL UP THERE WALKED MY CHILDREN AND ME AS A TEACHER THROUGH ALL SORTS OF INTERESTING CHALLENGES AND TRIALS WHEN WE WERE TOGETHER AT WELLS.
SO KNOWING YOUR HEART AND KNOWING YOU SAID IT STRAIGHT ON STACI, THE CALMING PRESENCE AND THE CALMING PRESENCE IS THERE ON A DAILY BASIS FOR CHILDREN WHEN THINGS ARE NORMAL.
AND IT'S SO WONDERFUL AND EXCITING TO HEAR THAT CALMING PRESENCE WAS THERE IN HYPERDRIVE FROM ALL OF YOU.
IF YOU ALL ARE ANYWHERE NEAR LIKE CAROL ROWDEN THAN YOU ARE ALL SUPERHEROES WITH CAPES FLOWING BEHIND YOU.
AND SO WE APPRECIATE THAT VERY MUCH.
THIS CONCLUDES OUR RECOGNITIONS FOR THE NIGHT.
WE WILL NOW HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS, DR.
[3. PUBLIC COMMENT SESSION]
THERESA WILLIAMS, CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, WILL ADVISE IF ANYONE HAS SIGNED UP TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.DR. WILLIAMS. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
WE DO HAVE A VARIETY OF COMMENT CARDS, AND I DON'T HAVE THEM RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME [INAUDIBLE] HAS THEM.
AND I'M GOING TO ASK JUST FOR SAKE OF FLOW, DO YOU WANT TO CALL THE NAMES OUT? WILL THAT BE OK? THAT'S FINE, THANK YOU.
I THINK THE NUMBER MAYBE IS AT THIRTY SEVEN CARDS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.
SO JUST SOME GROUND RULES, AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION AT A MEETING OF THE BOARD IS LIMITED TO THE PORTION OF THE MEETING DESIGNATED TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY AT ALL OTHER TIMES DURING A MEETING OF THE BOARD, THE AUDIENCE SHALL NOT ENTER INTO DISCUSSION OR DEBATE ON MATTERS BEING CONSIDERED UNLESS REQUESTED BY THE PRESIDING OFFICER.
INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO PARTICIPATE DURING THE PORTION OF THE MEETING DESIGNATED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING AGENDA OR NON AGENDA ITEMS SHALL SUBMIT A SINGLE PUBLIC COMMENT CARD.
WHEN AN INDIVIDUAL SIGNS UP, THEY MUST INDICATE WHETHER THE COMMENT PERTAINS TO AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA AND IF SO, WHICH ITEM OR ITEMS. IF THE COMMENT PERTAINS TO A NON AGENDA ITEM, THE SUBJECT OF THE COMMENT MUST BE INDICATED.
PUBLIC COMMENT CARDS MUST INCLUDE THE SPEAKER'S FIRST AND LAST NAME AND ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE TO OTHER SPEAKERS.
COMMENTS ARE LIMITED SOLELY TO THE IDENTIFIED TOPIC LISTED ON THE COMMENT CARD.
THE INFORMATION SHARED IN PUBLIC COMMENT PROVIDES THE OPINION OF THE INDIVIDUAL SPEAKER ONLY, NOT THE DISTRICT IN THE INTERESTS OF TIME AND THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF BUSINESS.
THE BOARD RESERVES THE RIGHT TO DECREASE THE PER SPEAKER TIME LIMIT, TAKE ITEMS IN A DIFFERENT ORDER THAN SHOWN ON THE AGENDA.
RECOMMEND THAT COMMENTS INVOLVING THE PERFORMANCE OF DISTRICT EMPLOYEES BE MADE THROUGH GRIEVANCE POLICY REQUIRE THAT COMMENTS INVOLVING PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE STUDENT INFORMATION BE MADE THROUGH GRIEVANCE POLICY.
MOVE A MEETING OR AGENDA ITEM TO ANOTHER DAY IN ORDER TO ALLOW ADEQUATE TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR MAKE OTHER REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE TIMING OF PUBLIC COMMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW, COMMENTS WILL BE HEARD IN THE ORDER OF THE CORRESPONDING AGENDA ITEM UNTIL ALL AGENDA ITEM RELATED COMMENTS HAVE BEEN HEARD.
IF TIME REMAINS DURING THE ALLOTTED THIRTY MINUTES, COMMENTS ADDRESSING NON AGENDA ITEMS MAY BE HEARD, NON AGENDA ITEM RELATED.
COMMENTS NOT HEARD DURING THE ALLOTTED THIRTY MINUTES MAY BE HEARD AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
[00:20:01]
INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS MAY NOT EXCEED THREE MINUTES TOTAL FOR AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS COMBINED.AN INDIVIDUAL WHO COMPLETES A PUBLIC COMMENT CARD IS ALLOWED AT LEAST ONE MINUTE OF COMMENT FOR ALL ITEMS AND ONE MINUTE OF COMMENT FOR NON AGENDA ITEMS AT THE BOARD'S DISCRETION.
ALL PUBLIC COMMENT TIME FOR AGENDA AND NON AGENDA ITEMS MAY BE COMBINED INTO ONE SLOT.
IF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SPEAKERS AT THE MEETING EXCEEDS TEN, WHICH TODAY IT DOES THE PER SPEAKER TIME MAY BE REDUCED DUE TO THE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS AND THE LENGTH OF THE BOARD'S AGENDA.
THIS EVENING, SPEAKERS WILL HAVE ONE MINUTE TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
A TIMER IS DISPLAYED ON THE SCREENS AND IF YOU ARE NOT FINISHED SPEAKING AT THE END OF YOUR TIME, YOU WILL BE EXPECTED TO STOP OR I WILL INTERRUPT YOU AND THE MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM.
SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION OR RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INCREASE, BUT THE BOARD SHALL NOT DELIBERATE OR DECIDE REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA POSTED FOR THE MEETING.
THE BOARD MAY ALSO REFER A SPEAKER TO A STAFF MEMBER IN AUTHORITY OVER THE ISSUE.
THE PRESIDING OFFICER OR DESIGNEE SHALL DETERMINE WHETHER AN INDIVIDUAL ADDRESSING THE BOARD HAS ATTEMPTED TO SOLVE A MATTER ADMINISTRATIVELY THROUGH RESOLUTION CHANNELS ESTABLISHED BY POLICY.
IF NOT, THE INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE REFERRED TO THE APPROPRIATE POLICY TO SEEK RESOLUTION.
IT IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE FOR A PERSON WITH INTENT TO PREVENT OR DISRUPT A LAWFUL MEETING TO SUBSTANTIALLY OBSTRUCT OR INTERFERE WITH THE ORDINARY CONDUCT OF A MEETING BY PHYSICAL ACTION OR VERBAL UTTERANCE AND THEREBY CURTAIL THE EXERCISE OF OTHERS FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.
THE BOARD SHALL NOT TOLERATE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING BY MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.
IF, AFTER AT LEAST ONE WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO DISRUPT THE MEETING BY HIS WORDS, HIS OR HER WORDS OR ACTIONS, OR REFUSES TO STOP AND LEAVE THE PODIUM WHEN INSTRUCTED, THE PRESIDING OFFICER MAY REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE PERSON REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
MS. RANGE-STANTON, PLEASE CALL OUR FIRST SPEAKER TO THE PODIUM.
PRESIDENT RICHARDS, I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
ARE ARE WE CALLING ALL COMBINED? YES, WE DO PLAN TO DO ALL ITEMS AT THIS TIME.
AND ALSO BOARD SECRETARY AND DR.
HEATHER WANG WILL BE THE TIMEKEEPER.
OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS DENISE HUNTER.
PRESIDENT RICHARD, IT'S ALL TOPIC COMBINED ONE MINUTE, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
SO EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE A TOTAL OF ONE MINUTE FOR ALL THEIR TOPICS.
DO I NEED TO ANNOUNCE MY AGENDA ITEM? YES, PLEASE.
OK, THE AGENDA ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE TEXTBOOKS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS.
CAN I START? OK, WE ALL KNOW AND APPRECIATE THE IMPORTANCE OF ANNUAL PHYSICAL CHECKUPS, OUR DOCTORS CONDUCT AN OVERALL PHYSICAL EXAMINATION TO GET TO THE ROOT OF OUR PROBLEMS IN ORDER TO ENSURE A THOROUGH EXAM.
WE NEED TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST ABOUT OUR HISTORY, OUR MEDICAL HISTORY AND OUR FAMILY'S HISTORY.
THAT'S WHAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS, IT'S NOT A RACIST INDOCTRINATION, IT'S A DIAGNOSIS TO THE SYMPTOMS DISPLAYED IN OUR SOCIETY IN A HISTORICAL CONTEXT.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY CRITIQUES THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCT OF RACE, WHICH WAS NOT, BY THE WAY, CREATED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR, AND HOW INSTITUTIONALIZED RACISM PERPETUATES A RACIAL SYSTEM OF CASTE THAT RELEGATES PEOPLE OF COLOR TO THE BOTTOM.
AS EDUCATORS, WE OWE IT TO OUR CHILDREN, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, TO TEACH THEM THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY.
RACISM IS NOT A BYGONE RELIC OF THE PAST.
YOU MUST TEACH THE TRUTH, THE WHOLE TRUTH, AND NOTHING BUT THE TRUTH.
NEXT SPEAKER, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KAREN PETROSKEY, TEXTBOOK APPROVAL.
SO YOU SAID IT'S WHY I DON'T HAVE TO ANNOUNCE IT THEN, OK? I WANT TO BE CLEAR.
SO I AM HERE ADVOCATING FOR ALL CHILDREN BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED WITH THE EDUCATIONAL INTEGRITY OF THIS DISTRICT, WHICH YOU ALL ARE THE KEEPERS.
I HAVE OBSERVED SEVERAL HALF TRUTHS REGARDING HISTORY THUS FAR, AND CONTINUING THIS WAY ISN'T REALLY GOING TO FURTHER ANYTHING.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN HIGH SCHOOL, MY SON HAD A TEXTBOOK THAT SAID STATED THAT SLAVES COULD KEEP THEIR RELIGION ENSLAVED.
FROM THEIR CULTURE, NO LANGUAGE, NO CULTURE NO RELIGION, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS ARE LEARNING THAT THREE FIFTHS OF THE POPULATION REGARDING THE THREE FIFTHS RULE MEANT THAT THREE FIFTHS OF THE SLAVE POPULATION WERE COUNTED IN THE CENSUS.
SO THAT MEANS OUT OF FIVE, THREE PEOPLE.
BUT IT ACTUALLY MEANT WAS THAT THEY LOOKED AT EACH ENSLAVED HUMAN AND SAID, YOU ARE THREE FIFTHS OF A HUMAN.
SO TWO ENSLAVED HUMANS, IF YOU DO THE MATH AND YOUR FRACTIONS EQUALS ONE AND A HALF PEOPLE.
MY CONCERN IS THAT CHILDREN ARE LEARNING HALF TRUTHS.
IF WE USE THESE TEXTBOOKS AND HAVE THESE CLASSES, THEY WILL LEARN TRUTHS IN THEIR ENTIRETY THAT COULD HELP END DIVISION.
[00:25:01]
THANK YOU.OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CONNIE HOFFMAN.
MY NAME'S CONNIE HOFFMAN, AND I'M HERE TO I GUESS PLEAD MY CASE OF NOT BEING TERMINATED, MY PRINCIPAL, DR.
LINDA PATRICK, HAS TOLD ME THAT THE REASON FOR BEING TERMINATED IS BECAUSE I'M NOT FULFILLING MY CONTRACT.
BUT WHEN I READ THROUGH THE CONTRACT, MY PROBATIONARY CONTRACT, AND I READ THROUGH ALL THE STUFF THAT SHE QUOTED IN HER LETTERS TO ME, I COULDN'T FIND ANY REASON THAT SHE HAS GROUNDS FOR TERMINATION.
I READ THE SHE QUOTES DIFFERENT THINGS AND I READ ALL OF THE THINGS AND I YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATORS CODE OF ETHICS AND THE TERMS OF MY CONTRACT, AND I FEEL LIKE I'VE FULFILLED THOSE.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DOMINIQUE ALEXANDER SEMARION.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MINISTER DOMINIQUE ALEXANDER, PRESIDENT AND FOUNDER OF THE NEXT GENERATION ACTION NETWORK.
I AM EXHAUSTED THAT I HAVE TO BE HERE ON THIS SITUATION.
SEEMS LIKE THIS IS THE ONLY TIME THAT I'M ABLE TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
BUT I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THIS REAL QUICK, SUPERINTENDENT.
WE DON'T WANT TO MEET WITH PEOPLE THAT CANNOT MAKE DECISIONS ON ANYTHING.
WE WANT TO MEET WITH PEOPLE THAT CAN MAKE THE DECISIONS TO PUT PREVENTATIVE PLANS AND NOT REACTIVE PLANS, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, PLANO ISD HAVE NOT LACKED POLICY.
IT HAS LACKED ENFORCEMENT ISSUES.
SO TO GIVE US A WHOLE BUNCH OF PLANS, TRYING TO BE YET REACTIVE REALLY DOESN'T ANSWER.
BUT I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES TO KEEP ON COMING OUT HERE.
AND I DON'T CARE HOW MANY MEETINGS YOU HAVE.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO COME OUT HERE UNTIL OUR VOICES ARE HEARD.
WE WANT A PLAN TO ADDRESS SEMARION HUMPHREY'S AND MANY OTHER CASES, BUT SUPERINTENDED, WE'RE JUST ASKING YOU TO KEEP YOUR PROMISE IN FRONT OF MY FACE, MR. ALEXANDER.
AM I GOING TO GET THE TIME FROM THE AGENDA ITEM IS ON THE CARD? NO, IT'S JUST ONE SPEAKING TIME PER PERSON.
TALK TO YOU LATER SUPERINTENDENT.
OK, OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LYDIA ORTEGA, AGENDA ITEM EIGHT.
I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH SOME PERSONAL INTIMIDATION TACTICS OR THREATS, AND I REALLY AM SORRY THAT THAT'S GOING ON.
I LIKE WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND YOU DO DESERVE A LOT OF RESPECT.
BUT IT'S REALLY NOT AN EXCUSE FOR FOLKS TO PUT SO MANY ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT SHOULD REALLY BE DISCUSSED.
I'M ASKING FOR TRANSPARENCY ON ISSUES LIKE THE AVID PROGRAM.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THIS EXCELLENT PROGRAM HAS TRAINING FOR TEACHERS THAT INVOLVES CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
I'M CONCERNED THAT THE RESOURCES THAT YOU ARE PROCURING UNDER EIGHT I AND EIGHT J MIGHT INCLUDE CRITICAL RACE THEORY TOPICS OR READINGS.
AND I'M SURE THAT THE TRUSTEES HAVE NOT HAD THE TIME TO GO THROUGH THOSE MATERIALS TO REVIEW THEM CRITICALLY AND TO SEE WHAT TYPE OF MATERIAL IS THERE.
SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU REMOVE THESE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND TABLE THEM.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS Q CARBONARO, AVID.
BUT I COME FROM A COUNTRY WHICH WAS TAKEN OVER BY COMMUNISM.
LET ME THANK ALL OF YOU FOR THE GREAT JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING.
DURING THE PROCESS OF SUPPOSED PROGRESS
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IN MY COUNTRY.PEOPLE WERE TURNED AGAINST PEOPLE, CLASS AGAINST CLASS, CHILDREN AGAINST THEIR PARENTS.
ALL IN THE NAME OF JUSTICE AND PEACE.
I SEE A LOT OF THAT HAPPENING NOW.
AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY, I HEAR, THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
THIS IS NOT CRITICAL RACE THEORY, THIS IS COMMUNIST RACE THEORY, AND IT'S NOTHING BUT THE OLD CLASS WARFARE.
AND I HOPE YOU WILL ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU'RE DOING AT THE MOMENT.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AARON BOYD, CRT.
GOOD EVENING, THIS IS MY FIRST TIME ADDRESSING THIS BODY, AND I DO SO WITH A SENSE OF FOREBODING, CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND ITS ACRONYMIC TWIN CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING OUR IDEOLOGICAL CANCERS AND THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
PONDER FOR A MOMENT THE ASCENT OF GEOPOLITICAL FOES LIKE CHINA AND ASK YOURSELF IF THEY ARE SQUANDERING THE PRECIOUS MOMENTS OF THEIR YOUTH EDUCATION BY ENGAGING IN NAVEL GAZING AND PSEUDOSCIENTIFIC THEORIES OF RACE, GENDER AND INTERSECTIONALITY.
THE ANSWER IS EMPHATICALLY NO.
AMERICANS DO NOT SHARE A COMMON BLOOD, A COMMON RELIGION, A COMMON ETHNICITY OR RACE.
ALL WE EVER HAD WAS THE EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD LUCK TO BE CITIZENS OF THIS COUNTRY IN WHICH WE SHARED A UNIQUE AND AN INALIENABLE LIBERTIES.
WE HAD BETTER AND RIGHT SOON RETURN TO A PATRIOTIC EDUCATION THAT EMPHASIZES THESE SHARED VALUES AND DISPENSES WITH ABHORRENT JUNK THEORIES THAT BREED ANIMOSITY AND ASSIGNED BROAD ETHNIC GUILT.
PARENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE REMOVING THEIR CHILDREN FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN RECORD NUMBERS AND TEACHING THEM AT HOME, WHERE AT LEAST THEIR VALUES AND THEIR RACE ARE NOT THE SUBJECT OF SCORN AND LOATHING.
PLEASE REJECT CRITICAL RACE THEORY AS THE POISON THAT IT IS.
SHALL I BEGIN? I'M [INAUDIBLE] LOWMAN, I'M A 27 YEAR RESIDENT OF PLANO AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO HEAR THESE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
FIRST, LET ME SAY I COME IN PEACE.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A REALLY TOUGH JOB.
I WROTE A LETTER THIS AFTERNOON, SO IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT WHAT I SAID IN THAT LETTER EXCEPT TO REMIND YOU AND HOPE THAT YOU WILL BE MINDFUL THAT WE ELECTED YOU.
WE DIDN'T ELECT THE CDC OR THE NEA OR THE TEA.
WE ELECTED YOU TO REPRESENT US AND WE'RE HOPING THAT YOU WILL DO THAT.
WHICH LEADS ME TO WHY I'M HERE.
I'VE COME TO ASK YOU TO PLEASE REMOVE THE ALL THREE OF THE CURRICULUM ITEMS, EIGHT D NINE, EIGHT J AND EIGHT I FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA BEFORE YOU VOTE ON IT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON THIS AGENDA MOVING FORWARD.
BUT IT WOULD ALSO GIVE YOU THE TIME FOR DUE DILIGENCE WITH REGARD TO THIS CURRICULUM.
IT WOULD GIVE THE PARENTS TIME TO HAVE A PEAK.
IT WOULD GIVE US ALL TIME TO HAVE AN OPEN AND MORE THOROUGH DISCUSSION.
AND IT WOULD DO A LOT TO ALLAY THE FEARS THAT ARE DRIVING THE CURRENT CONCERNS.
SO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL JUST GIVE ALL OF US TIME TO TAKE A BREATH HERE AND LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS CURRICULUM.
I'M NOT SUGGESTING THERE'S ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PATRICK [INAUDIBLE] CRT.
I WOULD LIKE TO JUST MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TO THE BOARD REGARDING CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
I'VE RAISED TWO CHILDREN, TWO BOYS HERE.
ONE IS IN HIS THIRD YEAR OF MED SCHOOL.
HE WENT TO PLANO AND ACTUALLY WENT TO THE DAMS PROGRAM.
AND I HAVE A SON WHO GRADUATED AND GOT HIS MASTERS AT 22.
THE PLANO SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS EXCELLENT AND OUR KIDS ACHIEVING WHAT THEY DID.
[00:35:05]
MY ISSUE WITH THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS THAT IT'S DIVISIVE AND HURTFUL.IF YOU LOOK AT HOW THIS IS BEING IMPLEMENTED, THERE ARE KIDS GOING TO THEIR PARENTS FEELING NOT GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S A HEALTHY THING.
IT'S ALSO A FORM OF SOCIAL INDOCTRINATION.
OUR SCHOOLS NEED TO CONCENTRATE ON TEACHING CHILDREN THE BASICS OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP THEM GET TO A HIGHER EDUCATION.
IT'S ALSO PART OF A GOVERNMENT AGENDA THAT WE NEED TO GO AHEAD AND SEPARATE OURSELVES FROM AND CONTINUE THE EXCELLENCE THAT PLANO HAS DONE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT SEGREGATES THE RACES AND IT'S NOT PROMOTING UNITY.
I'M JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER CRITICAL RACE THEORY AS BEING HARMFUL TO THE EXCELLENCE OF PLANO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
OUR NEXT OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN LOPEZ.
SO I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL THE VETERANS IN THE OFFICE TODAY OR IN CHAMBERS WHATEVER.
I SERVED IN THE FIGHT [INAUDIBLE] AND I'M BLESSED I'M BLESSED TO BE THE FATHER OF A SUPREME COURT JUSTICE IN ARIZONA.
SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A UNIT, A PORTABLE UNIT TO KILL THE COVID-19 VIRUS THAT'S BEING USED.
IN GOVERNOR ABBOTT'S OFFICE, AS WE SPEAK AND IN THE LEGISLATIVE CHAMBERS KILLS ALL VIRUSES.
HYPOTHETICALLY, IF YOU HAD THE UNIT IN A CLASSROOM THAT KILLS ALL THE VIRUSES ON THE DESK SURFACE UNDER THE SURFACE AND ALL ANY VIRUSES THAT MAY BE ON THE KID'S CLOTHING.
SO YOU CAN RELAX, SMILE, LET'S GET BACK TO LIVING AND NOT STOP WORRYING AND BEING CAGED IN FEAR BECAUSE THERE IS A SOLUTION TO THIS THING.
THIS UNIT CELLS I'M SORRY, IT HAS A LIFE CYCLE OF SEVEN YEARS.
THE COST FOR THE UNIT OVER A SEVEN YEAR LIFE CYCLE IS A DOLLAR AND NINE CENTS A DAY.
SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL THE POSITIVE BENEFITS OF PROTECTING OUR KIDS AND TEACHERS AND ANYONE IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, LET'S DO THIS.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BERNADETTE [INAUDIBLE] CRT AND MASKS.
I AM ALSO HERE TO SAY THAT I WILL HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER STRIPPING OFF THE CRT HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LABEL IT, WHETHER IT'S CULTURE OR CRITICAL THEORIES.
I BELIEVE IT'S VERY CAUSES A LOT OF DIVISION, AND I BELIEVE THAT.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WAY PLANO SCHOOLS HAVE HANDLED THE RACES.
I'M A MINORITY AND MY CHILDREN ARE MINORITIES, AND I LOVE THE INCLUSIVENESS OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO SPEND ANY MORE MONEY ON THAT KIND OF A PROGRAM THAT I BELIEVE WILL DIVIDE PEOPLE.
ALSO, I'M AN ADVOCATE OF UNMASKING THE KIDS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG KIDS NEED TO LEARN FROM FACIAL EXPRESSIONS AND SOCIAL INTERACTIONS.
THEY NEED TO SEE THE WHOLE FACE AND BREATHING.
ALL THIS CARBON DIOXIDE IS NOT GOOD ALL DAY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
NEXT IS VIVEK SERAN, TOPIC IS TEXTBOOK ADOPTION.
I AM A PLANO ISD PARENT AND MEMBER OF HINDU AMERICAN COMMUNITY, AND I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY OF REVIEWING THE TEXTBOOKS FOR AP WORLD HISTORY, FOUR OUT OF SIX TEXTBOOKS ARE COMPLETELY BIASED AND THEY ARE NOT REFLECTING OUR RELIGION IN A CORRECT MANNER AND LEAVING OUR KIDS VERY EMBARRASSED AND ASHAMED OF THEIR HERITAGE AND CULTURE AND RELIGION.
THEY ARE NOT ONLY REFLECTING THE NEGATIVE THINGS, THERE IS NO FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE FACTS OF HINDUISM.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU NEVER SEE ANY MENTION OF YOGA AND MEDITATION, WHICH IS BASICALLY COMING FROM THE HINDUISM.
THERE IS NO MENTION OF THE FACT THAT HINDUISM IS THE IS CONSIDERING THE ENTIRE WORLD AS A FAMILY.
AND THERE ARE MANY EXAMPLES IN THE HISTORY WHICH CAN PROVE THAT FACT.
YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND CONSIDER THIS FACT THAT INDIA, WHICH IS THE BIRTHPLACE OF HINDUISM, HAS BEEN UNDER COLONIALISM FROM LAST 1000 YEARS.
AND OFTEN ALL THE COLONIAL POWERS HAVE SPONSORED THE HISTORIANS AND THEY HAVE TWISTED THE HISTORY AND WRITTEN IN THE WAY THEY WANTED.
SO MY REQUEST IS TO LOOK AT THE LATEST RESEARCH AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS INCLUDED IN THE HISTORY THAT YOU ARE TEACHING TO THE KIDS AND REFLECT IT IN A POSITIVE LIGHT.
DAVID [INAUDIBLE] NON AGENDA ITEM.
[00:40:04]
GOOD EVENING, I'M A FATHER OF TWO BOYS THAT WENT TO PLANO SCHOOL DISTRICT.THEY'RE BOTH COLLEGE GRADUATES AND I'M PROUD OF BOTH OF THEM.
THERE WAS AN AIRPORT DOWN BY THE TOWN THAT I GREW UP IN.
I WENT DOWN THERE ON WEEKENDS AND AFTER SCHOOL AND I SCRAPE BUGS AND PUMP GAS ON AIRPLANES.
AND I TRADED MY TIME FOR FLIGHT TIME AND I GOT MY PILOT'S LICENSE WHEN I WAS 17.
I READ LAST WEEK THAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY TEACHES THAT THAT'S MY WHITE PRIVILEGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHITE PRIVILEGE.
HARD WORK SHOULD THE SCHOOL COUNCIL EVER BE ASKED TO CONSIDER THE INCLUSION OF ANYTHING CLOSE TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND ITS CURRICULUM YOU MUST REJECT IT AS YOU WOULD A POISON.
AS ANY COUNTRY SERIOUS ABOUT ITS LONG TERM SURVIVAL, LET ALONE DOMINANCE, WOULD LOOK ABOUT YOU ONCE AGAIN AND REFLECT ON THIS.
AMERICA CAN NO LONGER AFFORD THE LUXURY OF HATING THEIR COUNTRY.
HITESH [INAUDIBLE] TEXTBOOK ADOPTION.
CAN I START? HI, I'M A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN IN PLANO ISD, I PARTICIPATED IN THE TEXTBOOK REVIEW EARLIER THIS YEAR FOR AP WORLD HISTORY.
I'M VERY DISTURBED THAT EVEN AFTER ALL OF US ARE MEETING MANY, MANY COMMENTS, ALONG WITH THE PETITION LETTER, WITH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS, WE ARE BEING SIDELINED.
WE WANT TO PREVENT HINDU PHOBIA.
WE WANT TO STOP TEACHING ALL PLANO STUDENTS THE RACIST THEORY, WHICH IS CALLED THE ARYAN INVASION THEORY IT WAS MADE UP BY BRITISH [INAUDIBLE] 150 YEARS AGO TO RULE OVER INDIA.
AND IT IS IN EACH OF THE TEXTBOOKS THAT WE HAVE REJECTED.
THE ARYAN INVASION THEORY ASSUMES WHITES ARE THE SUPREME RACE.
THIS ARYAN THEORY IS WHAT HITLER USED, AND IT IS USED TODAY BY NEO-NAZIS TO ATTACK PEOPLE OF COLOR.
IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, THEN YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN BRITISH COLONIAL RULERS WHO BELIEVED IN WHITE SUPREMACY.
WE ALSO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH UNFAIR REPRESENTATION OF HINDU FAITH FOR WHICH WE SUBMITTED MANY, MANY EXAMPLES DURING OUR TEXTBOOK REVIEW PROCESS.
IF YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT MCGRAW-HILL [INAUDIBLE] AND PEARSON YOU WILL ALSO ENGAGE WITH THE HINDU AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME IN FRONT OF YOU ALL.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY I'M A PLANO ISD PARENT AND A MEMBER OF THE HINDU AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
I RECENTLY LEARNED THAT PISD IS PLANNING TO CONSIDER SOME OF THE AP WORLD HISTORY TEXTBOOKS FROM MCGRAW-HILL, W.W.
NORTON OR BFW MACMILLAN, WHICH IS VERY CONCERNING TO US.
THIS BOOK'S SPREAD HINDU PHOBIA AND CONTAINED RACIST MATERIAL.
I DO NOT WANT MY CHILD TO LEARN INDIAN HISTORY FROM ANY OF THEM AS THEY NOT ONLY CONTAIN INCORRECT BUT INSULTING FACTS ABOUT OUR RELIGION.
THIS HATEFUL IDEAS WILL MAKE OUR CHILDREN ASHAMED OF THEIR ANCIENT AND RICH HERITAGE.
PLEASE DO NOT ADD UP THESE TEXTBOOKS THAT CALL MY RELIGION A CULT OR [INAUDIBLE] THEM, OR DEFINE MY SACRED SCRIPTURES AS MYTHOLOGY, WHICH IS EVEN AGAINST THE ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE.
YOU MUST ALLOW HINDUISM TO BE TREATED FAIRLY AND STOP TEACHING RACIST AND ANTI HINDU HATE TO PLANO ISD CHILDREN.
PLEASE DO NOT ALLOW POISONING MINDS OF THESE INNOCENT CHILDREN.
NEXT IS MARTHA TATE MASKS AND EIGHT J., THANK YOU.
GOOD AFTERNOON PISD BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS MARTHA TATE AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR WORK THAT YOU DO HERE IN PLANO ISD WE'RE MOVING HERE BECAUSE OF THE GREAT SCHOOLS.
PLANO ISD ONE OF THE GREATEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND I AM HERE TODAY.
FIRST OF ALL, TO REMIND US THAT WE WANT TO REJECT THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS JUST AN INDOCTRINATION.
AND AS YOU HAVE SEEN TODAY, THERE ARE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD, DIFFERENT RACES, LANGUAGES, RELIGIONS.
AND WE ALL CAME HERE BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA IS THE
[00:45:05]
GREATEST COUNTRY OF THE WORLD AND THAT WE DON'T NEED TO CHANGE THAT HISTORY.THERE ARE [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE ALL NEED TO LEARN FROM, BUT WE NEED TO MOVE ON.
AND I ADVOCATE FOR UNMASK OUR CHILDREN, PLEASE.
THERE IS NO SCIENCE BEHIND THE MASK.
YOU'RE MAKING THE KIDS, WEARING MASK SO PLEASE UNMASK THE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS YOUR CHILDREN TOO THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS [INAUDIBLE].
OK, I'M HERE AS THE PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN CURRENTLY STUDYING IN PISD.
MY CHILDREN HAVE IN THE PAST POINTED OUT INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT HINDUISM IN THEIR SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS.
AND WHEN I REVIEWED THEM, I FOUND THEM TO BE RIGHT IN JANUARY 2021 AS A PART OF THE PISD AP HISTORY TEXTBOOK SELECTION PROCESS, WE REVIEWED SIX TEXTBOOKS.
FOUR OF THEM WERE ESPECIALLY TROUBLESOME.
AND THROUGH OUR PETITION, WE URGE THE TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE TO REJECT THEM.
HOWEVER, ONE OF THE FOUR TEXTBOOKS TODAY IS GOING TO BE RECOMMENDED BY THE TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE.
THESE TEXTS TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO LEARN FROM THIS FAULTY TEXTBOOKS AND REGURGITATE THEM AS TESTS AND ESSAYS TO MAKE THE GRADE.
THIS IS INDOCTRINATING OUR CHILDREN AND VIOLATES THE CIVIL RIGHTS OF OUR CHILDREN.
THE INTENT IS TO SHAME OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THEIR RELIGIOUS AND CULTURAL IDENTITY, DESPITE MAJOR PROGRESS AND ETHNIC STUDIES IN THE 21ST CENTURY.
IT IS DISAPPOINTING THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE STILL STUDYING TEXTBOOKS THAT ARE RACIST AND BIASED TOWARD HINDUISM.
SO WHEN THE AP WORLD HISTORY TEXTBOOK IS RECOMMENDED TO YOU TODAY BY THE TEACHING TEXTBOOK COMMITTEE, WE REQUEST YOU TO SAY NO TO MCGRAW-HILL NO TO W.W.
NORTON, NO TO BFW MACMILLAN FOURTH EDITION AND NO TO PEARSON.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RAJESH FERMA, TEXTBOOK ADOPTION.
I AM A PARENT WITH TWO CHILDREN IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF HINDU AMERICAN FAMILIES IN PLANO ISD REPRESENTING OVER 10 PERCENT OF THE STUDENT POPULATION.
AND YET THERE IS MASSIVE IGNORANCE ABOUT US MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE BELIEVE AND MANY PEOPLE DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO CALL US.
AN EXAMPLE BEING ONE OF YOUR TRUSTEES REFERRING TO US AS HINDIS IN A RECENT BOARD MEETING.
FOR THE RECORD, WE ARE NOT HINDIS.
HINDI IS A LANGUAGE THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE SPOKEN BY HINDUS.
IF WE ARE TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN CORRECTLY, WE NEED TO USE THE RIGHT TEXTBOOKS.
I'M HERE TODAY TO TELL YOU THAT LATER IN THIS MEETING, THE WRONG KIND OF TEXTBOOK FOR AP WORLD HISTORY WILL MOST LIKELY BE RECOMMENDED BY THE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION COMMITTEE.
IT IS CLEAR TO US THAT STATUS QUO MATERIALS ARE BEING GIVEN PREFERENCE, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE HIGHLY BIASED, FULL OF INCORRECT INFORMATION ABOUT HINDUISM AND PERPETUATE DESPICABLE RACIST THEORIES.
TODAY, YOU MUST SAY NO TO TEXTBOOKS BY MCGRAW-HILL, W.W.
NORTON PEARSON AND BFW FOURTH EDITION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEPHEN GELMAN, CONSENT AGENDA EIGHT D NINE.
MS. STANTON, CAN YOU CALL THE NAME ONE LAST TIME? AGAIN, THE NAME IS STEVEN GELMAN CONSENT AGENDA EIGHT D NINE.
MS. RANGE-STANTON LETS GO TO THE NEXT PERSON, ALL RIGHT, NEXT IS SARAH HUNT, UPSTANDER TRAINING.
AGAIN THAT'S SARAH HUNT UPSTANDER TRAINING.
I'M GOING TO CHANGE THE TOPIC TONIGHT.
I'M A MOTHER TO TWO GIRLS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND LIKE SO MANY, I WAS ANGRY AND OUTRAGED WHEN I LEARNED WHAT HAPPENED TO SEMARION AT HAGGARD.
THERE WAS NO DOUBT THIS WAS A RACIST HATE CRIME THAT CULMINATED AFTER A YEAR OF RACIALLY MOTIVATED BULLYING.
STATISTICS SHOW US THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL IS THE MOST COMMON AGE WHERE BULLYING
[00:50:03]
OCCURS, BUT THE SEEDS ARE PLANTED MUCH SOONER.HOW CAN WE RESPOND? OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY, STUDENTS, STAFF, TEACHERS NEED THE TOOLS AND LANGUAGES TO PROPERLY NAME, IDENTIFY AND DISRUPT PATTERNS OF RACISM THAT START EARLY.
I PARTICIPATED IN THE VERY FIRST LISTENING ROUND SESSION, AND THE OVERWHELMING FEEDBACK FROM MY GROUP WAS THAT RACE AND RACISM ARE NOT DISCUSSED IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND THEY ARE TREATED AS TABOO TOPICS.
BUT THIS DENIES THE LIVED REALITY OF WHO OF WHO KIDS ARE AND WHAT THEY FACE.
RESEARCH SHOWS THAT AS SOON AS SIX MONTHS, BABIES START TO NOTICE SKIN COLOR AND AT TWO TO FOUR YEARS OLD, THEY'RE ALREADY INTERNALIZING RACIAL BIAS.
RACISM DOESN'T WAIT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M ENCOURAGED THAT THE DISTRICT RESPONDED WITH THE RELEASE OF THE UPSTANDER MODULES.
BUT LET ME TELL YOU WHY THIS EFFORT FELL SHORT.
FIRST, THE STUDENTS WERE INFORMED BUT NOT REQUIRED TO WATCH THE MODULES.
THE ONUS IS ON THE STUDENT TO PROCESS IN THE SLIDES CONTAIN A WHOLE LOT OF WORDS.
IF YOU'D LIKE TO JUST DO ONE CONCLUDING REMARK, PLEASE.
I WANT TO STATE THAT COLLECTIVELY WE CAN DISRUPT THIS PATTERN AND CREATE A SAFE AND INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR KIDS.
RACISM DOES NOT WAIT TILL MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO STEVEN GELMAN, BUT NO, OK, ASHLEY CAMPBELL, AFRICAN-AMERICAN, MEXICAN AMERICAN FORCES.
HELLO, MY NAME IS ASHLEY CAMPBELL.
AND MY TWO CHILDREN ATTEND A PISD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND I AM THE 2021-22 PTA PRESIDENT.
I WORK FOR RICHARDSON ISD AND I WAS A CURRICULUM WRITER FOR RICHARDSON ISDS BLACK HISTORY COURSE.
ADDITIONALLY, I'M A DOCTORAL CANDIDATE IN EDUCATIONAL STUDIES AND I UTILIZED CRITICAL RACE THEORY AS A FRAMEWORK TO EXAMINE THE TEACHING PRACTICES OF BLACK MALE ELEMENTARY TEACHERS.
WHILE NOT ADDRESSED DIRECTLY, THERE WAS A LOT OF MISCOMMUNICATION SURROUNDING CRT THAT I WANT TO CLEAR UP.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS A FRAMEWORK AND IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT TEACHERS WOULD TEACH TO STUDENTS.
SECONDLY IT IS A FRAMEWORK THAT ALLOWS US TO CHALLENGE OPPRESSION, INJUSTICE AND MISEDUCATION, WHICH IS WHAT MOST OF US HERE ARE IN FAVOR OF.
SPECIFICALLY, WE WANT TO CHALLENGE THE NOTION THAT BLACK HISTORY AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY COURSES AREN'T AMERICAN HISTORY COURSES.
WE WANT TO CHALLENGE THE NOTION THAT OUR STUDENTS DON'T DESERVE TO HAVE THE CHOICE TO HEAR HOW BLACKS AND MEXICANS CONTRIBUTED AND BUILT THIS NATION.
WE WANT TO CHALLENGE THE NOTION THAT THESE COURSES AREN'T ROOTED IN DEMOCRACY AND WON'T HELP OUR STUDENTS THINK CRITICALLY.
THESE COURSES ALLOW STUDENTS TO THINK CRITICALLY AND DEVELOP AS CIVIC MINDED INDIVIDUALS WHO EXPAND THEIR NOTION OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE PATRIOTIC AND AMERICAN.
FOR THOSE WHO WORRY THAT THESE COURSES OPEN THE DOOR FOR MORE, WELL, THEY DO.
NEXT IS GRANT PARSLEY, CRT IN SCHOOLS.
HELLO, MY NAME IS GRANT PARSLEY, A PLANO RESIDENT, AND I'M HERE IN STRONG SUPPORT OF A BAN ON CRITICAL RACE THEORY, OR CRT, WHICH IS VERY AGGRESSIVE AND VERY INTERESTED IN ACHIEVING DOMINANCE IN OUR SCHOOLS, WORKPLACES AND LIVES.
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE CITY TO PROHIBIT TEACHING AS UNCONTESTED FACT OR MANDATING TRAINING AND RACIAL AND SEX STEREOTYPING, SCAPEGOATING AND DISCRIMINATION, AS WELL AS POSITIONING THE STATE INSTITUTIONS CETERA AS INTRINSICALLY RACIST IN A SYSTEMIC WAY.
EVERY AMERICAN AND EVERY PLANER DECISION SHOULD NOT WANT DISCRIMINATION, STEREOTYPING AND SCAPEGOATING TO BE A PART OF THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
OPPONENTS OF A BAN WILL SAY THAT THE BAN SEEKS TO RESTRICT SPEECH, BUT THE SITUATION IS QUITE THE OPPOSITE.
THE CRT PROGRAMS VIOLATE FOR VERY MANY PEOPLE BOTH FREEDOM OF CONSCIENCE AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
THEIR FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS VIOLATED BY COMPELLING THEM TO ADMIT TO COMPLICITY IN RACISM.
AND SEXISM, AMONG OTHER SOCIAL VIOLATIONS, ARE UNLIKELY TO BE TRUE.
IT ALSO COMPELS THEM TO ADOPT A PARTICULAR APPROACH TO ANTI-RACISM, AN ANTI SEXISM THAT IS VERY NARROW AND JUST SPEAK ON ITS BEHALF.
IT IS NOT THE STATE'S PLACE TO BE DICTATING OR FUNDING THE DICTATORS OF HOW ONE IS TO FEEL ABOUT THE ISSUE OF RACISM AND SEXISM.
FINAL STATEMENT, PLEASE BAN THE TEACHING OF CRT.
NEXT SPEAKER SHUBAD G TEXTBOOKS, SHUBAD G LOOKS LIKE HE DID NOT COME FORWARD.
MAY I REMIND THE AUDIENCE THAT IF YOUR BEHAVIOR BECOMES DISRUPTIVE, YOU WILL BE CLEARED FROM THE BUILDING, YOUR BEHAVIOR MAY ACTUALLY INFRINGE ON SOMEONE ELSE'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS? NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
NEXT SPEAKER IS GIATHA [INAUDIBLE].
[00:55:01]
WELL, I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE I MAY NOT HAVE PRONOUNCED IT RIGHT, BUT THE FIRST NAME IS GIATHA [INAUDIBLE].OK, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
IS [INAUDIBLE] I'LL SAY THAT AGAIN, BECAUSE I SAID IT WRONG.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER, KELSEY RICHARDS, MASK'S CRT.
NEXT, WE HAVE MANUEL FLORES ZUNIGA.
I KNOW THERE ARE A LOT OF FOLKS THERE CHECKING OUTSIDE TOO.
OK, NEXT, WE HAVE [INAUDIBLE] TEXTBOOKS.
DEAR CHAIRPERSON AND THE SCHOOL BOARD, I'M HERE, TOO, AS A MEMBER OF INDIAN HINDU COMMUNITY AND WANT TO REPRESENT THE TEXTBOOKS AND HOW THEY'RE DEPICTED, NOT SO WELL THAT A YOUNG MINDS ARE VERY CRITICAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY'RE READING IN THE TEXTBOOKS HAS A LONG IMPRESSION.
AND THE LASTING IMPRESSION, THE WAY THAT HINDUISM IS DEPICTED IN THE TEXTBOOKS IS NOT ON PAR WITH THE OTHER RELIGIONS.
AND I FEEL IT'S A VERY UNFAIR [INAUDIBLE] OR NOT.
IT HAS BEEN WRITTEN BY COLONIAL BRITISH RULERS WHO RULED FOR 200 YEARS AND BASED ON THE CURRENT FACTS AND ALL THESE DO NOT HOLD EVEN BARELY EVEN ANY TRUTH ABOUT THE BASIC VALUES OF HINDUISM.
SO I WOULD REQUEST THE FOUR TEXT BOOKS THAT IS MY MCGRAW-HILL, PEARSON, W.W.
NORTON AND BFW TO BE REVISED AND HAVE SOME FEEDBACK FROM SCHOLARS WHO ARE VERY WELL AWARE OF THOSE AND THE BACKGROUND AND NOT BASED ON THE COLONIAL DEPICTION THAT HAS BEEN SOME, MANY, MANY YEARS BACK.
NEXT IS ADAM CHRISTENSEN, AVID ADAM CHRISTENSEN.
I'M A COMBAT VETERAN OF FOREIGN WARS.
I'VE BEEN TO 13 DIFFERENT COUNTRIES AND I SPEAK FOUR DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
I KNOW THAT AMERICA HAS ITS FAULTS, BUT FROM MY SEAT, WE'RE THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
WE ARE THE ONLY COUNTRY WHERE HALF A MILLION YOUNG MEN DIED TO END RACISM.
I AM SPEAKING IN OPPOSITION TO ANYTHING RELATED TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
THIS IS A THEORY THAT HAS BEEN PEDDLED TO MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES.
THESE DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY SEEING NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF THIS THEORY.
AT A SCHOOL IN MANHATTAN, TEACHERS PUBLICLY COMPLAINED ABOUT EFFORTS TO ENCOURAGE WHITE STUDENTS TO CONSIDER THEIR PRIVILEGE AND AFFINITY GROUPS BASED ON RACE.
IF THESE THEORIES WERE TAUGHT IN A [INAUDIBLE] ENVIRONMENT, PERHAPS THEY COULD YIELD INTELLECTUAL CONVERSATION.
HOWEVER, IT WON'T BE TAUGHT IN A [INAUDIBLE] ENVIRONMENT.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SATURATED AND POLITICS AND POLITICAL AGENDAS.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS THE EPITOME OF INSTITUTIONAL RACISM.
IT IS A LEAP BACKWARDS IN OUR COUNTRY.
[01:00:04]
NO GOOD WILL COME FROM THIS CURRICULUM BEING TAUGHT TO OUR CHILDREN.I WAS ASTONISHED TO HEAR THE AMOUNT OF FROM BLACK LIVES MATTER REPRESENTING SIR, YOUR TIME IS UP.
NEXT, WE HAVE NEXT WE HAVE CINDY WALKER, NON AGENDA ITEM.
MY HUSBAND AND I INTENTIONALLY BOUGHT A HOME IN PLANO EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO AND FIVE YEARS BEFORE WE EVEN STARTED A FAMILY.
WE WANTED OUR KIDS HERE BECAUSE OF A GREAT ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF.
GREAT TEACHERS, GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE AND A GREAT EDUCATION, THE BEST FOUNDATION POSSIBLE FOR OUR KIDS.
I HAVE TWO WHITE SONS, ONE IN ELEMENTARY AND ONE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL HERE IN PLANO ISD.
BUT THIS YEAR I'VE BEEN EMBARRASSED BY SOME OF THE THINGS COMING OUT OF OUR DISTRICT, OUR STAFF AND OUR PARENTS, THINGS THAT SHOULD BE EMBARRASSING FOR ALL OF US.
SCHOOLS SHOULD BE A SAFE PLACE FOR OUR KIDS, A PLACE WHERE WE CAN TRUST THAT THEY WILL BE PROTECTED AND NOT JUST IF THEY'RE WHITE BOYS.
AND HOW ELSE WILL WHITE BOYS OR FOR THAT MATTER, WHITE PARENTS, WHITE ADMINISTRATORS AND WHITE TEACHERS EVER UNDERSTAND WHAT EQUITY, NOT JUST EQUALITY, BUT EQUITY REALLY IS? IF WE'RE TOO SCARED TO ALLOW ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL BOOKS AND MATERIALS THAT TEACH THE REAL HISTORY OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND MEXICAN-AMERICAN STUDIES, SHAME ON ANY OF US THAT WILL NOT PROTECT AND SUPPORT THESE CRITICAL LEARNING MATERIALS AND PREPARE OUR KIDS FOR A GLOBAL COMMUNITY THAT IS DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE.
NEXT IS [INAUDIBLE] TEXTBOOKS.
MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I AM MOM TO TWIN 8TH GRADERS IN PLANO ISD, AS PART OF A RECENT REVIEW OF TEXTBOOKS BEING CONSIDERED FOR AP WORLD HISTORY.
I NOTICED THAT FOUR OF THE SIX BOOKS BEING CONSIDERED WERE FULL OF NEGATIVES AND FALSE PORTRAYAL OF HINDUISM.
THIS AFFECTS OUR CHILDREN, OUR CHILDREN'S SELF-CONFIDENCE, AND DESTROYS THEIR PRIDE IN THEIR HERITAGE.
I HAVE SUBMITTED COMMENTS ON THESE TEXTS AND REQUEST THAT WHEN YOU ARE ASKED TO ADOPT THE AP WORLD HISTORY TEXT, YOU REJECT MCGRAW-HILL, W.W.
NORTON, BFW MACMILLAN, FOURTH EDITION AND PEARSON.
OH, AM I REQUIRED TO WEAR ONE? AND WHILE YOU'RE SPEAKING, YOU CAN HAVE IT OFF.
FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU ALL FOR LETTING ME HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I HAD NOT PLANNED ON SPEAKING, BUT I'M THANKFUL TO HAVE A VOICE IN TODAY'S MEETING.
SO I QUICKLY GATHERED MY NOTES TO HAVE A SAY.
AND PLEASE LET ME INTRODUCE MYSELF.
MY NAME IS REAGAN GLOVER AND I GREW UP IN THE PLANO ISD SCHOOL SYSTEM FROM 1991 TO 2000 GRADUATING FROM PLANO SENIOR HIGH.
LIKE MYSELF, I WANTED TO HAVE MY TWO CHILDREN ALSO GO THROUGH THE PLANO ISD EXPERIENCE.
NEXT YEAR I WILL HAVE A CHILD IN KINDERGARTEN AND ONE IN SECOND GRADE.
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO ALLOW THE PARENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHOOSE WHETHER THEIR CHILDREN SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK AT THE SCHOOL.
MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS HAVE FOUND THAT CHILDREN ARE NOT AFFECTED BY COVID-19.
WHY WOULD WE CONTINUE TO REQUIRE CHILDREN TO WEAR A MASK WHEN THEY ARE NOT AFFECTED BY THE VIRUS? HAVE BEEN FOUND TO NOT SPREAD THE VIRUS? AND GIVEN THE CURRENT VACCINE ENVIRONMENT ALSO, PLEASE ALLOW US.
THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL.
NEXT, WE HAVE AARON HILL, MASKS CRT.
[01:05:07]
HI THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING OUR VOICE.
MY NAME IS AARON HILL, I'M A FORMER PLANO TEACHER AND A CURRENT PLANO ISD PARENTS.
I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE LIFT THE MATH MANDATE FOR OUR CHILDREN.
IN ADDITION, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ALLOWED INTO MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL SO THAT I CAN ENJOY LUNCH WITH MY FIRST GRADER AGAIN.
PLEASE REMOVE THE THREE AGENDA ITEMS PRIOR TO VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA TO THIS EVENING, EIGHT D NINE.
AND EIGHT I, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE TIME TO REVIEW THIS BEFORE YOU PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA AND UP FOR A VOTE.
AND AS A PARENT, WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO REVIEW THIS AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HEARING US TONIGHT.
THANK YOU, CODY, FOR OUR SUPPORT.
HI, THANKS FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TONIGHT.
THE REASON I'M HERE IS BECAUSE I AM ASKING THAT THE MASK MANDATE BE LIFTED FOR OUR KIDS.
THIS YEAR WAS HIS KINDERGARTEN YEAR SCHOOL'S FIRST YEAR.
I ACTUALLY UNENROLLED HIM FROM PLANO ISD BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH WEARING A MASK FOR SEVEN HOURS A DAY AND ENROLLED HIM IN PRIVATE SCHOOL.
I'D REALLY LOVE TO PUT HIM BACK IN PLANO.
WE LOVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HERE.
THIS IS WHY WE MOVED TO PLANO AND I JUST DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE BRINGING HIM BACK INTO THAT ENVIRONMENT.
HIS PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT HE WAS ENROLLED IN, HE STARTED ON AUGUST 11TH.
HE HAS NOT MISSED ONE DAY, NOR HAS NOT ANY OTHER KIDS AND NO CHILDREN HAVE HAD TO WEAR MASKS IN THE SCHOOL.
SO I'M JUST ASKING YOU GUYS TO RECONSIDER.
OK, PRESIDENT RICHARDS, OUR FINAL SPEAKER IS ALICE [INAUDIBLE] CURRICULUM.
IT LOOKS LIKE ALICE IS NOT HERE.
WE'RE GOING TO CHECK REAL QUICK IN THE LOBBY TO MAKE SURE NO ONE GOT MISSED.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE NO MORE SPEAKERS, THANK YOU.
IT IS PART OF OUR PROTOCOL THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ADDRESS ANY INACCURACIES THAT MIGHT BE BROUGHT UP BY SPEAKERS.
SO AT THIS TIME SUPERINTENDENT BONSER HAS A FEW ITEMS THAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK DR.
HASLEY TO GIVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THE HINDU TEXT BOOKS THAT SHE THINKS WOULD PROVIDE CLARITY TO THIS COMMENT RELATED TO WHAT THE SPEAKER SAID.
AND THEN ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON CRITICAL RACE THEORY AND HOW THAT IS OR IS NOT A PART OF INSTRUCTION IN PLANO ISD.
MS. BONSER, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THESE CONCERNS.
IN THE TEXTBOOK ADOPTION PROCESS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE INCLUDED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PREVIEW AND ALSO PROVIDE COMMENT.
AND ALL OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE GIVEN WERE, OF COURSE, SHARED WITH THE APPROPRIATE SUBCOMMITTEES.
AND WERE CONSIDERED IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND DECISIONS.
OUR SOCIAL STUDIES COORDINATOR, ERIC HAGGARD, HAS WORKED WITH THE REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE HINDU COMMUNITY GROUP.
THAT ORGANIZATION AND THEY'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS AND IN FACT, THE COMMITTEE ASKED THE GROUP TO REVIEW ANOTHER RESOURCE THAT WAS FOUND.
SO WE CONSIDERED THEIR CONCERNS.
JUST AS A REMINDER, WHEN TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS ARE ADOPTED, THEY ARE NOT THE CURRICULUM, WE NEVER USE A TEXTBOOK COVER TO COVER, AS IF THAT WERE THE WHOLE CURRICULUM FOR A COURSE.
TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS ARE ADOPTED TO SUPPORT THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, WHICH IS WHAT OUR COURSES ARE DESIGNED AROUND.
AND ALSO AS WE DEVELOP CURRICULUM FOR COURSES, WE DEVELOP OBJECTIVES INTO UNITS OF STUDY.
AND WE HAVE TEAMS OF TEACHERS, AS YOU KNOW, WHO WORK ON DEVELOPING CURRICULUM WITH OUR CONTENT COORDINATORS AND IT'S BASED ON THE CURRICULUM FROM THE STANDARDS, NOT A
[01:10:07]
RESOURCE, SO WE USE RESOURCES TO PULL IN ACTIVITIES AND PAGES OF CONTENT THAT'S RELEVANT THAT GO ALONG WITH UNITS OF STUDY.SO THAT IS HOW WE UTILIZE TEXTBOOKS WITH OUR CURRICULUM.
AND SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE AP WORLD HISTORY TEXTBOOK RECOMMENDATION, AS I SAID, WE DID WORK WITH THE HINDU COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION AND THEY HAVE EXPRESSED CONCERNS AS SOME SHARED TONIGHT THAT THEY VIEW IN THE TEXTBOOKS BEING REVIEWED.
THERE ARE DISCREPANCIES, INACCURACIES AND SLANDEROUS LANGUAGE.
AND SO, AS I HAVE SHARED WITH THE BOARD, OUR SOCIAL STUDIES DEPARTMENT HAS AGREED TO CONSIDER THE ADDITION OF SOME SCHOLARLY ARTICLES TO SUPPORT ADDITIONAL PERSPECTIVES AND VIEWPOINTS ON SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT FORTH AS CONCERNS.
WE'VE ALSO AGREED TO WORK WITH THE GROUP TO FIND OUT WHICH TERMS ARE SLANDEROUS OR INAPPROPRIATELY OFFENSIVE AND TO WORK WITH TEACHERS TO PROVIDE A LIST OF THOSE TERMS TO ENSURE THOSE ARE NOT USED IN THE CLASSROOM.
ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INCLUDE IS.
IF THE ORGANIZATION BRINGS FORWARD ANY MATERIALS OR RESOURCES OR LESSONS THAT THEY RECOMMEND, WHICH THEY HAVE THEY HAVE VOLUNTEERED TO DO, WE WOULD GLADLY ACCEPT THOSE AND REVIEW THEM AND SUBMIT THEM TO SOME EXPERTS IN THE FIELD AND THEN BEFORE CONSIDERATION OF ADDING THOSE TO OUR CURRICULUM.
THE OTHER TOPIC WAS CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
AS I STATED BEFORE, ALL OF OUR COURSES, AS THE CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED, IT'S BASED ON THE STANDARDS THAT THE STATE PUTS FORTH AND CRITICAL RACE THEORY DOES NOT APPEAR IN ANY OF THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR COURSES THAT WE HAVE.
THEREFORE, IT IS ALSO NOT INCLUDED IN OUR CURRICULUM.
THE ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, AS I SAID, THAT'S WHAT WE BASE OUR COURSES ON, AND AS WE DESIGN UNITS OF STUDY FOR EACH COURSE, WE DO BRING IN OTHER RESOURCES AND MATERIALS LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT.
BUT NONE OF THOSE INCLUDE ANY ITEMS THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
ALL RIGHT, AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE FINISHED OUR COMMENT SESSION AND NOW IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS FROM THE BOARD, WE WILL NOW ADJOURNED TO CLOSED SESSION AS AUTHORIZED
[4. CLOSED SESSION]
UNDER SECTION 551.001 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FOR THE FOLLOWING PURPOSES, SECTIONS 551.071 , 551.074, 551.082 AND 551.0821.ON TUESDAY, MAY THE 4TH, 2021 CLOSED SESSION WILL BE CONDUCTED IN THE BOARDROOM.
SO AT THIS TIME I ASK EVERYONE WHO IS NOT PART OF CLOSED SESSION TO PLEASE EXIT.
[5. RECONVENE OPEN SESSION]
PLEASE STAND AND JOIN ME IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE UNITED STATES AND TEXAS[6. PLEDGES OF ALLEGIANCE]
FLAGS.AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
ONE STATE UNDER GOD, ONE AND INDIVISIBLE.
TONIGHT'S INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE WILL BE DELIVERED BY BOARD MEMBER NANCY HUMPHREY.
[7. INSPIRATIONAL MESSAGE]
SEE IF I CAN GET MY NOTES OUT.ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THIS OPPORTUNITY TONIGHT.
AS WE CONDUCT OUR MEETING, LET'S FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF OUR WORK ON THOSE WE SERVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND HELP SPREAD THE HOPE THAT THE WORK DONE IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT WILL PREPARE OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THIS WORLD.
WE CELEBRATE THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF OUR STUDENTS, THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OUR STUDENTS HAVE MADE DURING THIS CHALLENGING SCHOOL YEAR.
YET WE KNOW THAT EVERY GRADE IN BETWEEN HAS A MEANINGFUL STEP IN EVERY STUDENT'S EDUCATION.
AS OUR PRE KINDERGARTNERS TAKE THE STEP INTO KINDERGARTEN AND OUR KINDERGARTNERS MOVE INTO FIRST GRADE, WE WISH THEM THE ABILITY TO EXPLORE WITH
[01:15:06]
AN INFINITE CURIOSITY.IS MY MICROPHONE STILL WORKING? OK.
AS OUR FOURTH GRADERS MOVE ON TO THE ROLE OF BIG MAN ON CAMPUS, WE WISH THEM THE COURAGE TO LEAD AND SET EXAMPLES FOR THE YOUNGER GRADES.
AND AS OUR FIFTH GRADERS MOVE ON TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEY SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED THEIR ELEMENTARY YEARS, WE HOPE THEY EMBRACE THE MANY CHALLENGES OR CHANGES THAT ARE AHEAD AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MAKING NEW FRIENDS AND EXPLORING ELECTIVE COURSE OFFERINGS AS OUR EIGHTH GRADERS MOVE INTO HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HOPE THEY ARE TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE TO EXPLORE VARIOUS ACADEMICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS.
WE KNOW NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THAT, AS COLLEGE IS WHEN PARENTS START TO PAY TUITION.
AS FOR OUR 11TH GRADERS, AS THEY MOVE INTO SENIOR HIGH, WE HOPE THEY HAVE A FABULOUS YEAR EMBRACING THE TEAM SPIRIT OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOL AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO FOCUS ON PERSONAL GOALS FOR THE FUTURE AND FOR OUR SENIORS WHO ARE GETTING READY TO GRADUATE.
WE APPLAUD THEIR SUCCESSES AS THEY NEAR THE COMPLETION OF THEIR SECONDARY EDUCATION.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO CELEBRATING OUR TRIUMPHANT GRADUATES ON JUNE 2ND, 3RD, 4TH AND 5TH TO CHEER THEIR SUCCESS.
AND AS THE WORLD AWAITS THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT LIFE HAS EVEN MORE WONDERFUL THINGS IN STORE FOR THEM.
SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING ALL STUDENTS IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR TO ENSURE PLANO ISDS EDUCATION MAXIMIZES THEIR MAXIMUM POTENTIAL.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE DR.
LAUREN TYRA, WHO HAS JOINED US TONIGHT.
LAUREN WILL BE SITTING UP HERE IN TWO WEEKS.
DR. TYRA, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TONIGHT.
WE WILL NOW ADDRESS THE CONTENT AGENDA BECAUSE CONSISTING OF ROUTINE ITEMS
[8. CONSENT AGENDA]
GROUPED TOGETHER FOR APPROVAL AS ONE ITEM UNLESS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, THESE ITEMS WILL BE ACTED ON AT ONE TIME WITH NO DISCUSSION BOARD MEMBERS.ARE THERE ANY REQUEST TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? YEAH, I'M GOING TO REQUEST THAT WE REMOVE EIGHT D NINE.
BOARD MEMBER STOLLE HAS REQUESTED THAT ITEM EIGHT D NINE, BE REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA.
THIS ITEM WILL BE MOVED TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION AS ITEM NINE I AND WILL BE DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD AT THAT TIME.
THERE WILL BE NO DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.
ARE THERE ANY REQUEST TO REMOVE ANY OTHER REQUEST TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? PRESIDENT RICHARDS, I REQUEST THE ITEM EIGHT D SEVEN APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASE OF "LET'S TALK." K-12 SOLUTIONS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ENGAGEMENT BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
BOARD SECRETARY WANG HAS REQUESTED THAT ITEM EIGHT D SEVEN BE REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA.
THIS ITEM WILL BE MOVED TO DISCUSSION AND ACTION AS ITEM NINE J AND WILL BE DISCUSSED BY THE BOARD AT THAT TIME.
THERE WILL BE NO DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER REQUESTS TO REMOVE ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE CONSENT AGENDA AS PRESENTED.
SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY DAVID STOLLE AND A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE CONSENT AGENDA AS AMENDED, REMOVING ITEMS EIGHT D SEVEN AND EIGHT D NINE.
WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
SO WE HAVE FIVE VOTES IN FAVOR, ALL THOSE OPPOSED, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
TWO VOTES OPPOSING THE MOTION PASSES FIVE TO TWO.
I MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION AND ACTION PORTION OF THE AGENDA, DR.
[9.A. Approval of the Recommendation to Terminate Employment of Chapter 21 Term Contract Employee Corina Burton]
BETH BROCKMAN WILL PRESENT THE FIRST ITEM APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO TERMINATE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE CORINA BURTON.ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS BOARD TERMINATE EMPLOYMENT OF THIS CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TERMINATES THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21
[01:20:03]
TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE CORINA BURTON EFFECTIVE APRIL 2ND, 2021, AND I SECOND I HAVE A MOTION BY NANCY HUMPHREY, A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS AT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TERMINATES THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE CORINA BURTON EFFECTIVE APRIL THE 2ND, 2021.IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.
HEATHER, DID YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP? I'M SORRY? MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
[9.B. Approval of the Recommendation to Terminate Employment of Chapter 21 Term Contract Employee Tammy Shirley]
THE NEXT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION ACTION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO TERMINATE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE TAMMY SHIRLEY.ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS THE TERMINATION OF THIS CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TERMINATES THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE TAMMY SHIRLEY EFFECTIVE APRIL 26TH, 2021.
I HAVE A MOTION BY CODY WEAVER, A SECOND BY NANCY HUMPHREY, THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TERMINATES THE EMPLOYMENT OF A CHAPTER 21 TERM CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, TAMMY SHIRLEY, EFFECTIVE APRIL 26TH, 2021.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN ZERO.
THE NEXT DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO
[9.C. Approval of the Recommendation to Terminate Chapter 21 Probationary Contract Employee Veronica Dixon]
TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE VERONICA DICKSON.ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS THE TERMINATION OF THIS CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE AT THE END OF THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE VERONICA DICKSON AT THE END OF THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE A MOTION BY NANCY HUMPHREY, A SECOND BY CODY WEAVER, THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE VERONICA DICKSON AT THE END OF THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOT PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN ZERO.
[9.D. Approval of the Recommendation to Terminate Chapter 21 Probationary Contract Employee Connie Hoffman]
THE NEXT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION ACTION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE CONNIE HUFFMAN HOFFMAN, RATHER.THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS TERMINATION OF THIS CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE AT THE END OF THE '20-21 SCHOOL YEAR.
MAY HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE, CONNIE HOFFMAN, AT THE END OF THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
I HAVE A MOTION BY CODY WEAVER, A SECOND BY NANCY HUMPHREY, THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT TO TERMINATE THE EMPLOYMENT OF CHAPTER 21 PROBATIONARY CONTRACT EMPLOYEE CONNIE HOFFMAN AT THE END OF THE 2020 2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.
MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY SEVEN ZERO, THANK YOU.
ITEM NINE E HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA AT THE REQUEST OF ADMINISTRATION, WE NOW
[9.F. Approval of the Recommendation to Authorize the Superintendent to Hire Professional Employment Positions]
PROCEED TO ITEM NINE F.THE NEXT ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HIRE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS.
WE ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER APPROVING THE AUTHORIZATION FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HIRE PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT POSITIONS BETWEEN THIS MEETING AND THE REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING, THE FIRST ONE IN AUGUST OF 2021.
AS YOU KNOW, OUR EFFORTS FOR RECRUITMENT ARE ACCELERATING AT THIS TIME OF YEAR.
THE ABILITY TO ISSUE CONTRACTS QUICKLY AS WELL AS HANDLE ANY DOMINOES THAT MAY FALL WITH NAMING PEOPLE TO POSITIONS WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND ENSURE US TO HAVE THE BEST QUALIFIED STAFF IN PLACE FOR WHEN SCHOOL STARTS.
MAY HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THE RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HIRE ALL PROFESSIONAL
[01:25:05]
POSITIONS BETWEEN MAY 4TH, 2021 BOARD MEETING AND THE FIRST REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN AUGUST OF 2021.I HAVE A MOTION BY NANCY HUMPHREY, A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, APPROVES THE RECOMMENDATION TO AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HIRE FOR ALL PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS BETWEEN THE MAY 4TH, 2021 BOARD MEETING AND THE FIRST REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING IN AUGUST 2021.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? SEEING NONE WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO, THANK YOU.
[9.G. Approval of the Interlocal Cooperation Agreement By and Between the Plano Independent School District and the City of Dallas]
OUR NEXT DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM IS APPROVAL OF THE INTER LOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE PLANO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER RANDY MCDOWELL WILL PRESENT.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
THIS AGENDA ITEM IS CONSIDERATION OF AN INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO CONSTRUCT A COMMUNITY PARK ON PLANO ISDT PROPERTY THAT'S LOCATED ON THE WEST SIDE OF FRANKFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOU ALSO HAVE A COPY OF THIS IN YOUR PACKET.
THIS PROPERTY IS NOT CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR USE BY PISD AND IS IN AN UNIMPROVED STATE.
THE CITY OF DALLAS CONTACTED US ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO EXPLORE THE OPTION OF A JOINT USE PARK.
THE CITY'S PARK PLAN IDENTIFIED A SHORTAGE OF NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS IN THAT AREA.
AND SO WE DEVELOPED A PLAN THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH PISD AND THE CITY OF DALLAS BY PROVIDING A PARK FOR THE FRANKFORD NEIGHBORHOOD.
UNDER THIS AGREEMENT, THE CITY WILL HAVE TWO YEARS TO CONSTRUCT THE PARK FROM THE CITY OF DALLAS FUNDS AT A COST NOT TO EXCEED ONE POINT TWO DOLLARS MILLION.
PLANO ISD WILL NOT CONTRIBUTE ANY FUNDS TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PARK.
THE PARK WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PISDS EXCLUSIVE USE WHEN RESERVED BY PISD.
AT ALL OTHER TIMES THE PARK WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND WILL NOT BE RENTED OUT FOR SPECIFIC GROUPS.
THIS AGREEMENT HAS A 30 YEAR TERM.
THE PARK WILL INCLUDE A WALKING TRAIL, A PAVILION, A PLAYGROUND AND SHADE STRUCTURE, EXERCISE STATIONS AND ALSO A LARGE GRASSY AREA.
WE HAVE MANY SIMILAR AGREEMENTS WITH THE CITY OF PLANO.
WE ARE PLEASED THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY OF DALLAS TO UTILIZE PROPERTY THAT IS NOT CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR THE BENEFIT OF BOTH PISD AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOPE THAT THE CLOSE PROXIMITY TO A VERY NICE NEIGHBORHOOD PARK WILL ATTRACT MORE FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN TO THAT AREA FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I KNOW THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN KEPT UP TO DATE ON THIS AGREEMENT AND RECOMMENDED SOME CONTRACT LANGUAGES THAT HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THIS FINAL PROPOSED AGREEMENT.
WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT THE BOARD MIGHT HAVE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I JUST I APPRECIATE YOU WORKING ON THIS, I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF BACK AND FORTH AND YOUR TEAMS' PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS ON IT.
AND I'M GLAD WE CAME TO A FINAL SOLUTION THAT ALL PARTIES ARE HAPPY WITH OR I ASSUME ALL PARTIES ARE HAPPY WITH.
ALL RIGHT, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS.
WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE, DO I HAVE A MOTION? IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE INTER LOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE PLANO SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.
I HAVE A MOTION BY ANGELA POWELL, A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE INTER LOCAL COOPERATION AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE PLANO INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF DALLAS.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND MOTION, CARRY SEVEN ZERO.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CARA MENDELSOHN, WHO WAS A MEMBER OF OUR PLANO COMMUNITY ISD COMMUNITY FOR A LONG TIME AND NOW IS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR DALLAS PLACE 12.
AND SHE ACTUALLY WAS THE ONE WHO INITIATED THIS CONVERSATION ALMOST TWO YEARS AGO.
AND I JUST THANK HER FOR THE WORK SHE'S DONE TO CREATE A WONDERFUL COLLABORATION THAT WILL BENEFIT THE CHILDREN OF PLANO ISD.
[9.H. Approval of the Resolution to Modify District Policies and Procedures on Grade Promotion]
OUR FINAL ITEM FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION IS THE APPROVAL OF THE RESOLUTION TO MODIFY DISTRICT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON GRADE PROMOTION.BOARD POLICY, EIE LOCAL ADDRESSES, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, RETENTION AND PROMOTION.
AND THIS REQUIRES THAT PROMOTION BE BASED ON MASTERY OF CURRICULUM.
OUR LOCAL POLICY IS ACTUALLY MORE STRINGENT THAN THE LEGAL POLICY ON THIS MATTER OF PROMOTION REQUIREMENTS FOR KINDERGARTEN THROUGH GRADE EIGHT.
THE POLICY REQUIRES THAT KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE STUDENTS ASSESSED BY PORTFOLIO
[01:30:01]
MUST DEMONSTRATE SATISFACTORY PERFORMANCE IN LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, HEALTH AND SOCIAL STUDIES TO BE PROMOTED TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE TO BE PROMOTED FROM ONE GRADE LEVEL TO THE NEXT IN GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE.A STUDENT SHALL ATTAIN FOR THE YEAR AN OVERALL AVERAGE OF 70 OR ABOVE, WHICH IS DERIVED BY AVERAGING THE FINAL NUMERIC GRADE FOR LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE, HEALTH AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
IN ADDITION, A STUDENT SHALL ATTAIN AN AVERAGE OF 70 OR ABOVE IN BOTH LANGUAGE ARTS AND MATHEMATICS FOR GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHT.
PROMOTION TO THE NEXT GRADE LEVEL SHALL BE BASED ON AN OVERALL AVERAGE OF 70 ON A SCALE OF ONE HUNDRED BASED ON COURSE LEVEL GRADE LEVEL STANDARDS, ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS FOR ALL SUBJECT AREAS AND A GRADE OF 70 OR ABOVE IN LANGUAGE ARTS, MATHEMATICS, SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
STUDENTS IN GRADES SIX, SEVEN AND EIGHT WHO FAIL TO MEET THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS SHALL ATTEND SUMMER SCHOOL AND SUCCESSFULLY MASTER THE REQUIREMENTS PRIOR TO BEING PROMOTED.
SO THESE PROMOTIONAL REQUIREMENTS ARE SOLELY BASED ON GRADES AND WE ARE SEEKING A ONE TIME MODIFICATION OF THIS POLICY ON GRADE PROMOTION IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT UNPRECEDENTED CIRCUMSTANCES BROUGHT ON BY THE PANDEMIC, RESEARCH SHOWS THAT RETENTION HAS MANY POTENTIAL NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON A STUDENT'S FUTURE.
THEY ARE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO DROP OUT OF SCHOOL.
THEREFORE, RETENTION SHOULD ALWAYS BE A LAST RESORT AND ONLY USED IF A STUDENT TRULY NEEDS ANOTHER FULL YEAR OF ALL THE SAME CLASSES AGAIN.
FLEXIBILITY IN THIS POLICY WOULD ALLOW US TO REVIEW ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON EACH STUDENT TO MAKE A MORE HOLISTIC EVALUATION OF THEIR LEARNING PROGRESSION, STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT MADE PASSING GRADES WOULD BE IDENTIFIED, AND A CAMPUS COMMITTEE WOULD THEN REVIEW ALL RELEVANT INFORMATION SUCH AS ASSESSMENT PERFORMANCE, MAP TEST RESULTS, OTHER FORMATIVE AND DISTRICT ASSESSMENT DATA, STUDENT RECOMMENDATION, PARENT INPUT, ANY RESPONSE TO INTERVENTIONS IN PLACE, AND OTHER ACHIEVEMENT TRENDS IN ORDER TO DETERMINE PROMOTION OR RETENTION.
DURING THIS PROCESS WE'LL BE IDENTIFYING STUDENTS TO RECOMMEND FOR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, AS WELL AS DEVELOPING ACCELERATED INSTRUCTION PLANS TO BE PUT IN PLACE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR TO START INTERVENTION EARLY FOR THOSE WITH ACADEMIC CONCERNS.
THIS WOULD, OF COURSE, BE IN ADDITION TO THE CURRICULUM ADJUSTMENTS WE ARE MAKING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FILL POTENTIAL GAPS FOR ALL STUDENTS.
SO IN SUMMARY, THE PROPOSED RESOLUTION PROVIDES A HOLISTIC REVIEW OF A STUDENT'S EDUCATIONAL HISTORY, ACADEMIC GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENT TRENDS.
IT PROVIDES A CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS WITH SUPPORTS IN PLACE.
PROVIDES A CONSIDERATION OF THE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF RETENTION AND PROMOTES ITS USE AS A LAST RESORT STRATEGY AFTER OTHER OPTIONS HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.
THE RESOLUTION HAS NO IMPACT ON GRADING POLICY OR GPA AND RANKING PROCEDURES.
THE RESOLUTION ADDRESSES PROMOTION AND RETENTION POLICY FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES K THROUGH EIGHT ONLY.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDS THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO MODIFY THE DISTRICT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON GRADING PROMOTION.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, APPROVES THE RESOLUTION TO MODIFY DISTRICT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON GRADE LEVEL PROMOTION AS PRESENTED.
I SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION BY JERI CHAMBERS, A SECOND BY NANCY HUMPHREY THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RESOLUTION TO MODIFY DISTRICT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON GRADE PROMOTION AS PRESENTED.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? YES, I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUESTION UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO THIS IS FOR K THROUGH EIGHT.
AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS IN LIGHT OF THE LEARNING DIFFICULTIES THAT STUDENTS HAVE EXPERIENCED OVER THE PAST YEAR.
ARE THERE STILL GOING TO BE SITUATIONS WHERE STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED THAT THEY SHOULD BE RETAINED OR TO REPEAT THAT GRADE.
YES, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO TAKE THAT HOLISTIC EVALUATION, CONSIDERING ALL THOSE ELEMENTS AND THEN THE DETERMINATION IF A RETENTION OR PROMOTION IS APPROPRIATE.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO ELIMINATE THAT AS AN OPTION ALTOGETHER, BUT JUST CREATE A DIFFERENT CRITERIA FOR ONE YEAR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT, THEN, WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY JERI CHAMBERS, A SECOND BY NANCY HUMPHREY THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE RESOLUTION TO MODIFY DISTRICT POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ON A GRADE PROMOTION AS PRESENTED ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND MOTION.
WE NOW ADDRESS THE TWO ITEMS THAT WERE LIFTED FROM CONSENT AGENDA, THE FIRST
[8.D.9. Approval of the Purchase of AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) Program from AVID Center]
ITEM IS NINE I, THE PURCHASE OF AVID ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION PROGRAM FROM AVID CENTER.THIS WAS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION.
AT THIS TIME, I ASK SUPERINTENDENT BONSER TO PRESENT THIS ITEM TO THE BOARD.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
I'D LIKE TO TURN THE ITEM OVER TO DR.
[01:35:01]
KATRINA HASLEY SO SHE CAN DISCUSS THE PURCHASE OF THE AVID PROGRAM FOR PLANO ISD.WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD THE CONTRACT TO CONTINUE TO USE THE SERVICES OF AVID ADVANCEMENT VIA INDIVIDUAL DETERMINATION PROGRAM CENTER.
WE'RE IN OUR FIFTEENTH YEAR IN THE DISTRICT.
USING THESE RESOURCES TO SERVE STUDENTS IN PISD.
AVID'S MISSION IS TO CLOSE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP BY PREPARING ALL STUDENTS FOR COLLEGE READINESS AND SUCCESS IN A GLOBAL SOCIETY WHICH VERY CLOSELY ALIGNED TO OUR PISD MISSION.
THROUGH THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS, STUDENTS RECEIVE SUPPORT IN RIGOROUS ACADEMIC PREPAREDNESS, OPPORTUNITY, KNOWLEDGE AND STUDENT AGENCY.
AND BY PLACING STUDENTS IN LEARNING SETTINGS THAT ENGAGE THEM IN RIGOR WITH SUPPORT, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER PREPARED FOR FUTURE OPPORTUNITIES.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION IS RECOMMENDING APPROVAL OF THIS PURCHASE TO CONTINUE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF AVID IN OUR DISTRICT.
YEAH, AND I ASKED TO HAVE THIS ONE PULLED, SO I'M GOING TO JUST KIND OF MAKE A HANDFUL OF COMMENTS AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION.
SO THE BOARD RECEIVED NUMEROUS EMAILS YESTERDAY AND TODAY ON THIS TOPIC.
AND WE HEARD FROM NUMEROUS SPEAKERS TONIGHT REGARDING THE APPROVAL OF OUR CONTRACTUAL AGREEMENT WITH AVID.
I'D SAY THAT THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE EMAILS AND VAST MAJORITY OF THE SPEAKERS WHO CAME WEREN'T TALKING ABOUT AVID.
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
THERE'S A FORM EMAIL WE ALL GOT THAT URGED THE BOARD TO VOTE NO ON PURCHASING CRITICAL RACE THEORY MATERIALS.
WE NEED TO MAKE A VERY CLEAR DISTINCTION HERE, WHAT IS HAPPENING, WE ARE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE A CONTRACT FOR HOW MANY YEARS, 15 YEARS WE'VE USED.
YEAH, THIS WILL BE YEAR 16 OF OF APPROVING A CONTRACT WITH AVID.
THAT IS NOT PURCHASING CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
MATERIALS IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM, THERE SEEMS TO BE A DISCONNECT BETWEEN WHAT AVID IS AND WHAT AVID IS NOT AND WHAT AVID IS, AND IF ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING DOESN'T KNOW WHAT AVID IS, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK TO OUR NOVEMBER 5TH, 2019 BOARD MEETING WHEN KATRINA DR.
HASLEY PRESENTED TO US AN UPDATE ON WHAT AVID IS DOING.
AND AS OF THE END OF THE 18-19 SCHOOL YEAR.
AND IF YOU DO GO BACK AND WATCH THAT, WHAT YOU'LL SEE THAT AVID IS A TREMENDOUS PROGRAM THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS HAD FOR A LONG TIME.
THAT IS THE ORIGINAL INTENT WERE TO SERVE STUDENTS WHO WOULD BE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS IF THEY WERE TO MATRICULATE THROUGH AND TO HAVE TO TEACH THESE STUDENTS STUDY SKILLS, WORK ON WRITING, WORK ON NOTETAKING, WORK ON HABITS, COMMUNICATION, CRITICAL THINKING, ALL THINGS THAT MANY OF US WHO GREW UP WHERE OUR PARENTS WENT TO COLLEGE WERE INNATE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED FROM A VERY YOUNG AGE THAT THESE KIDS JUST DON'T HAVE.
AND SO WHAT AVID IS NOT IS IT'S NOT A REQUIRED COURSE.
IT'S AN ELECTIVE THAT IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP ACADEMIC SKILLS.
IT'S NOT AN IDEOLOGY OR COURSE ON RACE OR CULTURE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S NOT A TROJAN HORSE IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM FOR PLANO ISD TO BRING IN CRITICAL RACE THEORY INTO THE DISTRICT.
SO HOW WE GOT FROM RENEWING A CONTRACT ON AVID TO CRITICAL RACE THEORY, DOZENS AND DOZENS OF EMAILS ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
HOW WE GOT FROM AVID TO THAT IS BEYOND ME.
THERE'S NOT A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE TWO, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE.
I ASKED TO HAVE THIS PULLED BECAUSE I WANTED IT TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS A PROGRAM THAT HAS BEEN HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL AND HAS BEEN IN THIS DISTRICT FOR A LONG TIME.
IN FACT, MY OWN SON PARTICIPATED IN AVID AND IT HELPED HIM TREMENDOUSLY IN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND FOR THAT REASON AND FOR MANY OTHER REASONS, I AM GOING TO VOTE TO APPROVE HIS CONTRACT AND I ENCOURAGE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES TO DO THE SAME.
AND WITH THAT, UNLESS I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO PRESIDENT RICHARDS, AND IF NOT, I'D LOVE TO MAKE A MOTION.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES.
SO FIRST, I WANTED TO OR NANCY DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK YOU CAN GO FIRST.
WELL, I WANT TO ALSO TALK ABOUT AVID.
I'VE TOURED THE AVID CLASSROOMS AND I'VE SEEN IT IN MOTION.
AND IT IS AMAZING WHAT IT DOES FOR THE STUDENTS.
IT HELPS BRIDGE THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FOR STUDENTS WHO MIGHT NOT BE THINKING
[01:40:03]
ABOUT COLLEGE.AND IT AS FAR AS CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT, I KNOW THERE'S ALL THOSE ACADEMIC NOTETAKING, CORNELL NOTES AND ALL OF THAT THAT DAVID TALKED ABOUT.
BUT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT THAT IT PROVIDES, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S KIND OF BEEN CALLED INTO QUESTION A LITTLE BIT.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT IT'S ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS SELF-AWARENESS, SETTING GOALS, COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL ENGAGEMENT AND OWNERSHIP OF THE LEARNING.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY USE THIS THING CALLED SLANT, WHICH MEANS SIT IN THE FRONT, LEAN FORWARD, ASK QUESTIONS, NOD YOUR HEAD AND TALK TO THE TEACHER.
AND I KNOW AS A PARENT, IT'S HARD TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOUR STUDENT HAS THE COURAGE TO GO AHEAD AND ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES WITH THE TEACHER WHEN PERHAPS, LET'S SAY THERE'S A GRADE ISSUE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THIS COURSE GIVES THEM THAT KNOWLEDGE THEY HELP TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOALS AND WISHES? SO THEY ARE ABLE TO SET GOALS FOR THEIR FUTURE AND THEY ARE ENCOURAGED TO CREATE A SIX YEAR ACADEMIC PLAN FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF THEIR EDUCATION AND IDENTIFY COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL INVOLVEMENT.
WE'RE TEACHING FUTURE LEADERS HERE TO BE INVESTED IN THEIR COMMUNITY.
AND THE BIG PART THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS OWNERSHIP OF LEARNING.
THEY WILL UNDERSTAND WHEN TO SEEK HELP AND CLARIFY THE ASSIGNMENTS WITH THE TEACHER.
THAT PIECE IS GOING TO BE SO VALUABLE FOR THEM IN COLLEGE SO THAT WHEN MOM AND DAD AREN'T GOING TO BE THEIR ADVOCATE HERE ANYMORE, THEY WILL HAVE THE SKILLS TO BE ABLE TO WALK TO A COLLEGE PROFESSOR AND SAY, I NEED HELP WITH THIS CONTENT, WILL YOU PLEASE HELP ME? AND THESE ARE VALUABLE SKILLS THAT THEY MAY NOT BE LEARNING AT HOME.
AND I FULLY SUPPORT THE AVID PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THIS EVER GOT TIED UP AND ENTANGLED WITH SOME CRT ISSUE, BUT IT'S NOT.
SO I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT I MYSELF AT MACARTHUR HIGH SCHOOL IN SAN ANTONIO WAS AN AVID STUDENT.
I KNOW THE BENEFITS OF BEING AN AVID STUDENT AND I KNOW THE BENEFITS TO OUR STUDENTS HERE IN PLANO ISD TO BE A PART OF THE AVID PROGRAM.
AND SO I'M FULLY IN SUPPORT OF AVID AND THE CONTRACT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
THE QUESTION COMES IN AND THE YOU KNOW, THE EMAILS THAT WE RECEIVED, YOU KNOW, TO RESPOND TO THOSE, I WANT TO START BY ASKING JUST A FEW QUESTIONS.
AND I THINK WE CAN CLEAR UP A LITTLE BIT OF THIS AND TOUCH ON THE CRITICAL RACE THEORY ASPECT OF IT AND KIND OF GO FROM THERE.
SO FIRST, I WANT TO START BY ASKING SARA THE CONTRACT THAT WE'RE SIGNING, WHAT IS IT THAT IS BEING PROVIDED FOR THAT CONTRACT TO YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE VOTING ON? YEAH, I'LL ASK DR.
HASLEY AND KRISTIN TO GO INTO THE DETAILS OF WHAT'S INCLUDED IN OUR CONTRACT WITH AVID.
SO OUR CONTRACT, YOU MAY HAVE TO ADD TO WHAT I SAY IS EXTENDING THE MEMBERSHIP FOR ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES.
AND WE ARE ADDING A NEW CAMPUS TO AVID, WHICH IS ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR.
SO WHEN WE PURCHASE A NEW MEMBERSHIP, IT COMES WITH A LIBRARY SET.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE PURCHASING WITH THE PACKAGE.
IT INCLUDES SOME TRAINING REQUIREMENTS AS WELL FOR NEW CAMPUSES.
AND WHAT ARE WITHIN THAT TRAINING REQUIREMENTS? SUMMER INSTITUTE, IT'S ACTUALLY DIGITAL THIS YEAR.
AND SO, LIKE THE AVID TEACHER WILL GO TO THE AVID TEACHERS STRAND THE MATH TEACHER WILL GO TO A MATH STRAND.
THE ENGLISH TEACHER WILL GO TO AN ENGLISH STRAND.
SO EVERY CONTENT AREA HAS A SPECIFIC STRAND THAT THEY ATTEND RELATED TO THEIR CONTENT.
SO WHEN WE RECEIVE THE LIBRARY SET WITH ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR AS EACH CAMPUS RECEIVED THEIR FIRST YEAR OF MEMBERSHIP.
THESE ARE REALLY RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS, THEY'RE NOT STUDENT MATERIALS, THEY RECEIVE A SET OF BOOKS, AND THE BOOKS ARE FOR THE AVID TEACHER TO BUILD THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF TECHNIQUES AND STRATEGIES FOR INCREASING ENGAGEMENT, COLLABORATION, INQUIRY, THOSE STRATEGIES THAT HELP THEM DO THE THINGS THAT MR. STOLLE AND MS. HUMPHREY TALKED ABOUT.
THEY ALSO FOCUS ON HOW TO TEACH STUDENTS SKILLS SUCH AS NOTETAKING, HOW TO STUDY ORGANIZATION, TIME MANAGEMENT, GOAL SETTING AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO ALL THOSE SKILLS ARE EXPLICITLY TAUGHT IN THE AVID ELECTIVE CLASS, WHICH WILL BENEFIT STUDENTS IN ALL AREAS.
SO THE RESOURCES ARE REALLY USED BY THE TEACHERS TO INFORM THE WAY THAT THEY SUPPORT STUDENTS.
NOW, ONE OF THE BOOKS ON THE LIST THAT IS INCLUDED IS CALLED CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING.
[01:45:02]
WHICH HAS THE SAME INITIALS, CRT, CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING IS A RESOURCE WITH STRATEGIES TO BETTER EQUIPPED TEACHERS TO TEACH IN A DIVERSE CLASSROOM.THE STRATEGIES PROMOTE CREATING AN INCLUSIVE, RESPECTFUL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERY STUDENT FEELS VALUED.
AND SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING STRATEGIES INCLUDE RECOGNIZING AND VALIDATING A STUDENT'S CULTURE BELIEF THAT TRULY ALL STUDENTS WILL SUCCEED.
RECOGNIZING THAT TEACHING REALLY BEGINS WITH A RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE STUDENT AND THE TEACHER, INCLUDING CONTENT RELEVANT TO A STUDENT'S CULTURE.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS ARE STRATEGIES THAT WOULD.
HELP YOU SUPPORT A CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING IN A CLASSROOM AND OF COURSE, WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO BE AWARE OF THE EXPERIENCES AND CULTURAL BACKGROUNDS THAT STUDENTS BRING TO THEIR CLASSROOMS. AND AS A DISTRICT, YOU KNOW THAT WE VALUE THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
THAT IS A CRITICAL PART OF ENGAGEMENT AND TRULY LEARNING.
THE AVID CENTER WORKS WITH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE NATION AND HAS THOUSANDS OF RESOURCES AND PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, AND AS WE PARTNER WITH AVID, YOU KNOW, KRISTIN ANDERSEN HERE, OUR COORDINATOR WORKS CLOSELY WITH AVID TEACHERS FROM EVERY CAMPUS AND WE DECIDE WHICH RESOURCES TO USE WITH OUR TEACHERS.
SHE WORKS WITH THOSE TEACHERS TO TO HELP THEM IN DEVELOPING STRATEGIES, SHARING IDEAS AND PROVIDING TRAININGS THAT ARE RELEVANT TO OUR STUDENTS AND MEET THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO ALONG WITH THAT REFERENCE MATERIAL THAT'S SENT, WHETHER REQUESTED OR NOT, YOU KNOW, THAT FIRST YEAR SET OF BOOKS, I THINK THE CONCERN THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAD WAS THAT IF YOU GO INTO THE AVID WEBSITE AND YOU GO ON TO THE CULTURALLY RELEVANT TEACHING RESOURCES RECOMMENDED BY AVID, THERE ARE SOME BOOKS AND RESOURCES VIDEOS THAT ARE CONCERNING AND THAT DO AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE A CLARIFICATION ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY THAT IT'S A FRAMEWORK.
TEACHER THAT WAS HERE EARLIER MADE THAT POINT THAT THERE ISN'T A TOPIC OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY BEING TAUGHT.
AND THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S TAUGHT IN SCHOOL, BUT IT'S A FRAMEWORK FOR HOW TO TEACH CERTAIN THINGS.
AND SO SOME OF THESE MATERIALS HAS A CRITICAL RACE THEORY FRAMEWORK.
NOW, TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF THESE ARE BEING REQUIRED BY ANY OF OUR TEACHERS.
AND NONE OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE NONE OF OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO THESE TEACHER REFERENCE MATERIALS.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO I THINK THERE WAS A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF WHAT THESE MATERIALS ARE, HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE USED IN THE DISTRICT AND WHAT ACCESS OUR STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO THEM.
SO I HOPE I CLEARED THAT UP ENOUGH, IF NOT OR IF ANY ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE.
THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS NOT A CONCERN OF MINE AND THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M HIGHLY SKEPTICAL OF AND HONESTLY FEARFUL OF.
BUT I DON'T SEE THAT IN THIS IN TERMS OF, YES, THESE ARE THIS FALLS INTO THAT CATEGORY IN MY PERSONAL OPINION.
BUT NOTHING ABOUT THIS IS BEING FORCED INTO CURRICULUM.
NOTHING IS BEING FORCED INTO TEACHER TRAINING.
THESE ARE OPTIONAL REFERENCE MATERIALS THAT ARE ARBITRARILY SENT WHEN YOU BRING ON A NEW CAMPUS TO AVID.
YES, THOSE REFERENCES THAT YOU JUST REFERRED TO ARE NOT SENT, THEY'RE NOT EVEN SENT.
IT'S JUST ON THEIR WEBSITE FOR TEACHERS TO KNOW.
SO WE'RE NOT EVEN SENDING THESE RESOURCES.
IT'S ONLY IF TEACHERS GO OUT OF THEIR WAY TO GO FIND THEM.
THAT IS ABOUT COLLABORATION AND INQUIRY AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT IS SENT.
SO, I THINK THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
I THINK THAT THAT MAY HAVE BEEN SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND AND THEY WERE THINKING IT MIGHT BE A TROJAN HORSE FOR SOMETHING ELSE.
AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT NONE OF OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE GOING TO FUND THOSE BOOKS COMING INTO OUR CLASSROOMS. CORRECT.
LET ME CAUTION YOU, IF YOU'RE DISRUPTIVE, WE WILL ASK YOU TO LEAVE AND IF YOU ARE BLOCKING THE VIEW OF ANYONE SITTING BEHIND YOU WITH YOUR SIGNS, PLEASE MOVE OVER.
OK, I WANT TO SAY THAT I DO REALLY THINK THAT AVID PROGRAM IS A VERY GOOD PROGRAM.
A FEW YEARS AGO I WENT AND TOURED SOME SCHOOLS WHERE THEY HAD THE AVID PROGRAMS AND I LOOKED THROUGH THEIR BOOKS, YOU KNOW, FOR THE STUDENTS AND FOR THE TEACHERS THAT WERE SHOWING IT TO ME.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN THEM.
AND I THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE GOOD CURRICULUM FOR THEIR STUDENTS WHO NEEDED THEM.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT AVID IS DEFINITELY A PROGRAM THAT BUILDS STRONG RELATIONS BETWEEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, FROM ALL THE EMAILS I'VE GOTTEN.
[01:50:02]
I HAVE A COMMENT.YOU KNOW AVID.ORG HAS A LOT OF RESOURCES.
I MEAN, IT'S THERE FOR TEACHERS TO USE.
I JUST WONDER, DO WE EVER USE THEIR PRIVILEGE WALK IN OUR CURRICULUM? I MEAN, AVID CURRICULUM? AND DO YOU PUT LIKE, IF YOU ARE WHITE, STEP FORWARD? DO YOU EVER USE SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN YOUR PRIVILEGE WALK? THE PRIVILEGE WALK IS NOT INCLUDED IN OUR STUDENT IN THE CURRICULUM IN THE ELECTED CLASSROOM, AND WE DO NOT USE THAT ACTIVITY.
HASLEY, YOU JUST SAID AGAIN, IT'S AN ELECTIVE ACTIVITY.
HOW ARE STUDENTS SELECTED RECOMMENDED FOR THE PROGRAM? AND WHAT'S THE ROLE OF THE PARENTS IN THE AFFIRMING THAT PARTICIPATION? I'M SORRY, JERI WILL YOU STATE THAT WHOLE QUESTION AGAIN.
HOW ARE STUDENTS IDENTIFIED AND SELECTED TO PARTICIPATE? AND THEN ONCE THEY ARE IDENTIFIED TO PARTICIPATE, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE PARENT IN APPROVING THAT PARTICIPATION OR AUTHORIZING THAT PARTICIPATION? AGAIN, SAYING THAT IT IS AN ELECTIVE COURSE.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT EVERY STUDENT IN PISD IS TAKING.
BUT HOW IS THE PROCESS? JUST A LITTLE NUANCE ON THAT.
YEAH, STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO A TEACHER CAN RECOMMEND A STUDENT, A COUNSELOR, A PARENT, A STUDENT CAN RECOMMEND THEMSELVES OR A STUDENT CAN RECOMMEND THEIR FRIEND.
AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE MAYBE SOME UNTAPPED POTENTIAL.
YOU KNOW, HAVE THE DESIRE TO WORK TOWARDS GOALS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL, WHETHER IT BE COLLEGE OR CAREER, AND SO THEY DO GO THROUGH AN APPLICATION PROCESS AND INTERVIEW PROCESS.
AND ONCE THEY HAVE COMMITTED TO THE CLASSROOM, THERE IS A CONTRACT THAT THEY SIGN FOR THEIR COMMITMENT THAT THE STUDENTS SIGN AND THEIR PARENTS SIGN SAYING, YEAH, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO, OK, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASE OF THE AVID PROGRAM FROM AVID CENTER AND I SECOND I HAVE A MOTION BY DAVID STOLLE, A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE COOPERATIVE PURCHASE OF THE AVID PROGRAM FROM AVID CENTER.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO, THANK YOU.
THE APPROVAL OF THE PURCHASE OF LET'S TALK K-12 SOLUTIONS FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE
[8.D.7. Approval of the Purchase of Let's Talk! K - 12 Solutions for Customer Service Engagement]
ENGAGEMENT WAS REMOVED FROM CONSENT AGENDA FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS TIME, I ASK SUPERINTENDENT BONSER TO PRESENT THIS ITEM TO THE BOARD SUPERINTENDENT BONSER.I'D LIKE TO ASK LESLEY RANGE-STANTON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, TO PRESENT THIS ITEM FOR BOARDS CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BONSER.
LET'S TALK IS A COMMUNICATION TOOL, SPECIFICALLY A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE PLATFORM THAT WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO BETTER CONNECT WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
IT PROVIDES A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION SYSTEM THAT ADDRESSES A GOAL LISTED IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH IS ALLOWING US TO RECEIVE, RESPOND TO AND TRACK QUESTIONS, CONCERNS, SUGGESTIONS OR OTHER FEEDBACK FROM STAKEHOLDERS IN ORDER TO ENSURE ACCURATE AND TIMELY RESPONSES.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS INFORMATION CAN BE SHARED WITH BROADER AUDIENCES IN AN FAQ AS NEEDED.
SO IT STRETCHES THE CAPACITY OF NOT JUST ASKING QUESTIONS, ANSWERING QUESTIONS, BUT THEN SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH THE BROADER COMMUNITY.
IT IS A MORE EFFICIENT WAY TO MANAGE COMMUNICATIONS COMPARED TO OUR CURRENT SINGLE EMAIL BOX SOLUTION, WHICH WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH CALLED ASK PISD BACK IN DECEMBER, I SHARED IN A BOARD MEETING THAT OUR VOLUME OF EMAILS TO ASK PISD HAS INCREASED CONSIDERABLY.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT A THOUSAND EMAILS OR MORE THAN A THOUSAND EMAILS PER MONTH IN 2020, COMPARED TO 30 EMAILS PER MONTH IN 2019.
A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH COVID, BUT WE DON'T SEE IT SLOWING DOWN VERY MUCH.
THE CURRENT VOLUME OF COMMUNICATION COMING INTO THE DISTRICT IS REALLY OUTPACING OUR ABILITY TO RESPOND AND PROVIDE THE VERY BEST CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES THAT WE CAN.
SO THIS TOOL IS OUR WE'RE ASKING FOR THE PURCHASE OF THIS TOOL TO HELP IMPROVE
[01:55:05]
THOSE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE BOARD.THANK YOU, LESLEY FOR YOUR CLARIFICATION.
THE REASON I PULLED THIS FROM CONSENT AGENDA IS I HAVE SEEN EMAILS, LINKS TO SLIDESHOWS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE.
LET'S TALK IS A CUSTOMER CLIENT MANAGEMENT TOOL.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT SO PEOPLE KNOW WHAT WE ARE VOTING THIS IS NOTHING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH CRITICAL RACE THEORY, NOTHING TO DO WITH ANY CULTURAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM.
IT'S JUST A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM.
I DID REVIEW THAT SLIDESHOW AS WELL.
AND ALTHOUGH THE SLIDESHOW SEEMED SOMEWHAT INTERESTING, IT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON TODAY OR WHAT LESLEY JUST DESCRIBED.
SO ABSOLUTELY PREPARED TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE IT DID NOT MEET MUSTER ON ANY OF THAT.
WE CERTAINLY RECEIVED A DELUGE OF EMAILS RECENTLY, AND THERE HAVE BEEN PAST TIMES IN OUR HISTORY, WHENEVER WE WOULD NEED TO REZONE REDISTRICT SIMILAR, WHERE YOU WOULD GET THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TYPICALLY CUT AND PASTE EMAILS.
AND SO I THINK WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED TECHNOLOGY THOUGHTFULLY THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
AND I REALLY THINK IT'S TIME THAT YOUR STAFF, LESLEY, HAS THAT SAME HELP.
AND SO I'M VERY PLEASED THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE ARE LISTENING TO PARENTS IN AN EFFICIENT WAY THAT DOESN'T COMPLETELY DRAIN OUR STAFF.
IS THERE A MOTION? I MOVE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF LET'S TALK K-12 SOLUTIONS FROM K-12 INSIDE FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ENGAGEMENT, UTILIZING THE OMNIA PARTNERS COOPERATIVE.
I HAVE A MOTION BY HEATHER WANG, A SECOND BY NANCY HUMPHREY THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES THE PURCHASE OF LET'S TALK K-12 SOLUTIONS FROM K-12 INSIGHT FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE ENGAGEMENT, UTILIZING THE OMNIA PARTNERS COOPERATIVE.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO.
THE BOARD WILL NOW CONSIDER APPROVAL OF POLICY FNCA LOCAL STUDENT CONDUCT DRESS
[10.A. Approval of Policy FNCA(LOCAL) Student Conduct: Dress Code on First Reading]
CODE, ON FIRST READING.PRESIDENT RICHARDS PROPOSED REVISIONS TO POLICY FNCA LOCAL REQUIRE STUDENTS ATTENDING SECONDARY LEVEL CAMPUSES TO WEAR AN APPROVED STUDENT IDENTIFICATION CARD.
THIS POLICY IS PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL UNDER FIRST READING.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD TRUSTEES APPROVED POLICY FNCA LOCAL STUDENT CONDUCT DRESS CODE, ON FIRST READING.
I HAVE A MOTION BY ANGELA POWELL, A SECOND BY JERI CHAMBERS THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVES POLICY FNCA LOCAL STUDENT CONDUCT DRESS CODE ON FIRST READING.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN A PREVIOUS BOARD MEETING, THERE IS A BILL IN I THINK THE HOUSE RIGHT NOW THAT'S TALKING ABOUT HAVING THE CRISIS HOTLINE ON THE BACK OF AN ID CARD.
SO I PRESUME THIS DOESN'T HAVE TO BE SET IN POLICY, BUT IT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT.
COOPER TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST MEETING.
DO YOU WANT TO REFRESH US, DR.
COOPER? IF IF WE CAN'T GET IT ON THE BACK OF THE CARD, WHAT WE WOULD DO IS PROVIDE.
AN ADDITIONAL BASICALLY A CARD OR SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE DURABLE, THAT WOULD GO ON THE SAME HOLDER THAT MANY OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK INTO THAT.
IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WE WILL NOW PROCEED TO VOTE ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR HAND.
MOTION CARRIES SEVEN ZERO, THANK YOU.
THE BOARD WILL NOW HEAR REPORTS FIRST WE WILL HEAR A SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY
[11.A. School Health Advisory Council (SHAC) Report]
COUNCIL REPORT.ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR STUDENT ENGAGEMENT AND DISTRICT SERVICES, DR.
KARY COOPER WILL INTRODUCE THIS ITEM.
MS. RICHARDS MS. MOLLY PIPAK HAS MADE HER WAY TO THE PRESENTATION STATION AND WILL BE PRESENTING OUR
[02:00:07]
SHAC INFORMATION TO TO THE BOARD THIS EVENING.ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO TO MS. PIPAK AND ALSO TO STACI ANTELO.
STACI WAS HERE EARLIER AND THEY WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER AS THE FACILITATING THE MEETINGS, THE SHAC, THE VOLUNTEERS THAT YOU NOMINATE AND THEN ALSO THE THE STAFF MEMBERS THAT WE HAVE FROM FROM THE DISTRICT, THAT SERVE ON THAT, BUT THEY DO A LOT OF GREAT WORK, GOOD CONVERSATIONS, AND WE APPRECIATE THEM.
AND ALSO JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO MOLLY AND TO STACI FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN FACILITATING THAT THAT GROUP.
LIKE DR. COOPER STATED, I'M MOLLY PIPAK THE K THROUGH 12 PE AND HEALTH COORDINATOR FOR PLANO, AND I WILL TAKE THE TIME TO REINTRODUCE STACI ANTELO.
I KNOW SHE'S A HOT TOPIC TONIGHT AND RIGHTFULLY SO, SO I'M GOING TO REINTRODUCE HER.
SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF DISTRICT HEALTH SERVICES.
STACI AND I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING COCHAIRMAN OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL, BETTER KNOWN AS SHAC, AND WE BOTH WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REPORT TO YOU THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR.
SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU TONIGHT.
THE SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY COMMITTEE HAS BEEN A STATE MANDATED COMMITTEE FOR OVER 15 YEARS, WE'RE REQUIRED TO MEET A MINIMUM OF FOUR TIMES PER YEAR AND IN THAT, IN OUR EXPECTATIONS, IS ALSO INCLUDING A REPORT TO THE BOARD STATING PROGRESS TOWARDS OUR GOALS AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FUTURE WORK.
OUR MEETING DATES THIS YEAR WERE OCTOBER 5TH, NOVEMBER 16TH, JANUARY 11TH AND MARCH 1ST.
THIS IS A SLIDE SHOWING STACI AND I TYPICALLY SHOW THIS AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR TO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS JUST TO REMIND THEM OF OUR PURPOSE, AND WE LIKE TO TELL THEM, YOU KNOW, OUR PURPOSE HERE IS TO ASSIST THE DISTRICT IN ENSURING THAT OUR LOCAL COMMUNITY VALUES ARE REFLECTED.
SO THIS IS JUST SOMETHING THAT WE LIKE TO INCORPORATE AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR, EVEN FOR RETURNING MEMBERS, JUST TO REFRESH THEM OF WHAT OUR PURPOSE IS.
SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THIS YEAR'S GOALS.
THIS SLIDE SHOWS OUR 2020-2021 GOALS, AND IT'S FOCUSING HERE ON GOAL NUMBER ONE, WHICH WAS TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CURRENT STUDENT WELLNESS RESOURCES AND THEIR AWARENESS.
AND BY AWARENESS, I MEAN, WHAT PLATFORMS ARE WE USING AS A DISTRICT TO SHARE WITH OUR STUDENTS THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THEM FOR WELLNESS? OUR COMMITTEE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW ESTABLISHED RESOURCES, WHICH WERE PROVIDED FROM A PRESENTATION MADE BY THE LOVELY SHARON BRADLEY, OUR DIRECTOR OF FAMILY AND SOCIAL SERVICES, WE COLLECTIVELY REVIEWED THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, OR SEL POSTER AND OTHER RESOURCES, SUCH AS STUDENT WELLNESS, CHECK INS, ELEMENTARY VIRTUAL CALM ROOMS, SECONDARY VIRTUAL CHILL NOTEBOOKS, AND THE [INAUDIBLE] SEL INTEGRATION GUIDE PLATFORMS USED THAT WE REVIEWED AS A COMMITTEE WHERE THE PLANO ISD SEL WEBSITE, PLANO ISD SEL YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND THE PLANO ISD SEL TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM.
SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY OUR COMMITTEE INCLUDED INCREASING STUDENT AWARENESS BY INCORPORATING CAMPUS ORGANIZED CLUBS, INCLUDING CREATING STUDENT DEVELOPED YOUTUBE VIDEOS FOR A PLANO ISD APPROVED YOUTUBE CHANNEL.
THESE VIDEOS WILL INCLUDE SEL CONFIDENCES, BRAIN BREAKS AND WELLNESS SUGGESTIONS.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WILL BE AN ONGOING ACTION, ESPECIALLY AS OUR FACE TO FACE RETURN INCREASES, AS WELL AS INVOLVEMENT WITH OUR STUDENT GROUPS.
THIS SLIDE HERE FOCUSES ON GOAL NUMBER TWO, WHICH WAS TO REVIEW IT'S VERY SIMILAR, BUT IT IS TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING CURRENT STAFF, WELLNESS RESOURCES AND THE AWARENESS.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S MEANING WHAT PLATFORMS ARE WE USING AS A DISTRICT TO SHARE WITH OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHAT WELLNESS RESOURCES WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR THEM? INCLUDED IN SHARON BRADLEY'S PRESENTATION ABOUT STUDENT WELLNESS RESOURCES, SHE ALSO INCLUDED STAFF WELLNESS RESOURCES.
WE COLLECTIVELY REVIEWED THE ESTABLISHED PLANO ISD RESOURCES SUCH AS THE MONTHLY ADULT SEL WELLNESS LETTER EAP OR EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM ON DEMAND TRAININGS, DAILY DOSE SEL, FILING CABINET MINDFULNESS WITH MARTIN AND SEL PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TRADE.
HOUR OPPORTUNITIES PLATFORMS USED THAT WE REVIEWED WERE THE PLANO ISD EMPLOYEE WELLNESS WEBSITE AND SELF CARE ASSESSMENT WORKSHEET.
AN EMPLOYEE SURVEY DEVELOPED BY STACI AND MYSELF WAS SENT OUT TO A NUMBER OF
[02:05:06]
DEPARTMENTS AND SOME OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS INCLUDED IN THE SURVEY WERE PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH, [INAUDIBLE] THEATER.AND WE WE GOT I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT NUMBER.
IT WAS ROUGHLY AROUND 200 RESPONSES FROM THE SURVEY.
AND FROM THAT SURVEY, WE FOUND THAT THEY EXPRESSED THEY PREFER CONTENT OR INITIATIVES ABOUT WELLNESS RESOURCES SHARED WITH THEM VIA EMAIL INSTEAD OF HAVING TO SEARCH THROUGH A WEBSITE.
AND THEY ALSO PREFERRED THE EMAIL OVER EVEN SOCIAL MEDIA HAVING TO FIND IT ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
MAJORITY ALSO EXPRESSED THAT THEY DO ENJOY OR PREFER A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER FROM THEIR CAMPUS LEADERS.
THE DATA COLLECTED FROM THE SURVEY WILL BE SHARED WITH THE PROPER DEPARTMENTS, WHICH STACI AND I HAVE STARTED THAT WORK OF SHARING THAT THE COLLECTION OF THAT DATA, IN HOPES THAT THIS WILL IMPROVE COMMUNICATION TO STAFF OF OUR ESTABLISHED RESOURCES, THAT WE HAVE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE COMMITTEE WERE TO INVOLVE COMMUNITY FITNESS, WELLNESS RESOURCES SUCH AS THE YMCA AND LOCAL REC CENTERS.
THEY ALSO RECOMMENDED PROVIDING TEACHERS WITH AN APP CHEAT SHEET, WHICH STACI AND I ACTUALLY HAD A MEETING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY, AND WHAT THEY MEAN BY THAT IS WE'RE FINDING JUST FROM DATA COLLECTION THAT OUR TEACHERS PREFER EASY ACCESS, EASY TO NAVIGATE, SOMETHING THAT'S QUICK TO THE FINGERTIP FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO MINDFULNESS OR EVEN PHYSICAL FITNESS.
WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE EASIEST WAY FOR THEM TO ACCESS IT? SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS IF WE SUPPLY THEM WITH AN EASY RECOMMENDATION OF SOME APPS THAT THEY COULD PUT ON THEIR DESKTOP OR ON THEIR CELL PHONE, THAT HAVE TO DO WITH PHYSICAL FITNESS, WELLNESS AND MINDFULNESS.
SO WE'VE STARTED THAT WORK AS WELL.
STACI AND I HAD A MEETING ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY, IN FACT.
SO STACI AND I BOTH AGREE THAT WE REALLY FEEL LIKE THE BEGINNING OF SOME GREAT WORK STARTED THIS YEAR WITH THESE TWO GOALS, BUT WE DO FEEL MORE WORK CAN BE DONE WITH EACH OF THESE GOALS, WHICH I WILL BE HONEST, AS AN EX COACH, I'M VERY COMPETITIVE.
SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO STAND BEFORE YOU AND TELL YOU WE CAN'T CHECK THESE GOALS OFF.
BUT WE DO AGREE THAT THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR SOME REALLY IMPACTFUL WORK WITH THESE GOALS.
AND SO THAT KIND OF LEADS ME INTO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR'S GOALS, GOAL ONE, WHICH IS TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HEALTH, EDUCATION AND COORDINATED SCHOOL HEALTH CURRICULUM, INCLUDING A RECENT ADOPTION OF NEW STATE STANDARDS.
HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION FOR 2021 WE HAVE A LOT OF NEWLY ADOPTED STANDARDS THAT OUR CURRICULUM WRITING TEAMS WILL BE TAKING A VERY DEEP DIVE INTO OUR CURRICULUM ACROSS THE BOARD K THROUGH 12 AND LOOKING AT WITH THESE NEW STATE STANDARDS, DO WE ALREADY ADDRESS THEM IN OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM? AND IF NOT, THEN WHERE ARE WE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THEM IN OUR YEAR AT A GLANCE? AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADD THEM INTO OUR CURRICULUM AND WHAT RESOURCES ARE WE GOING TO USE? SO THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY OUR VERY FIRST MEETING, THAT WILL BE NUMBER ONE ON OUR AGENDA FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT ANY CHANGES WE ARE WANTING TO MAKE OR ANY OTHER OUTSIDE RESOURCES WERE WANTING TO IMPLEMENT, LETTING THEM REVIEW THEM AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS GOAL TWO, WHICH IS KIND OF CARRYING OVER FROM OUR GOALS FROM THIS YEAR.
SINCE STACI AND I AND THE COMMITTEE FEEL LIKE WE DO WANT TO CONTINUE THAT WORK, WHICH IS TO REVIEW AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING STUDENT AND STAFF WELLNESS.
BUT YOU'LL SEE HERE WE'VE ADDED INCLUDING SOCIAL RECONNECTION, STACI AND I, EVERY TIME WE WOULD TALK, WE KEPT USING THOSE TWO WORDS ABOUT SOCIAL RECONNECTION, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE YEAR AND A HALF THAT WE'VE HAD AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND SO WE JUST KEPT ASKING OURSELVES, ARE THOSE THE TWO RIGHT WORDS, SOCIAL RECONNECTION? AND WE JUST KEPT SAYING IT.
SO WHEN WE WENT TO THE COMMITTEE, WE TALKED TO THEM ABOUT THIS.
THEY FULLY AGREED THAT JUST REBUILDING THOSE CAMPUS COMMUNITIES, ALSO STUDENT TO STUDENT RECONNECTION, STAFF TO STUDENT RECONNECTION AND ALSO STAFF TO STAFF RECONNECTION AND REBUILDING THAT.
AND I THINK THAT A LOT OF GREAT CAN COME FROM THAT GOAL.
AND ONE OF OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS MADE A BRILLIANT POINT ABOUT THAT.
AND HE SAID IT'S ALMOST AS IF WE NEED TO DEFINE AND PROVIDE THEM WITH WHAT SOCIAL RECONNECTION MEANS.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT CAN BE SHARED THROUGH MAYBE CAMPUS NEWSLETTERS, IF WE CAN GET THAT MESSAGE OUT.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.
AND THEN LASTLY, THESE ARE AMAZING COMMITTEE MEMBERS, I FEEL LIKE I BRAG ON THEM EVERY TIME I SEE YOU, AND RIGHTFULLY SO, I WILL JUST SAY THAT EVERY PERSON ON THIS SLIDE.
WITH EVERY THOUGHT, EVERY RECOMMENDATION, EVERY SUGGESTION THAT THEY GIVE,
[02:10:05]
IT IS SO TRANSPARENT THAT OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING THAT THEY THINK.SO AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE, STACI AND I ARE VERY, VERY HONORED.
SO THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK IF ANYBODY HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
I'VE GOT A JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION ON YOUR SECOND GOAL OR THE RECOMMENDED GOAL FOR NEXT YEAR.
TO ME, THAT SEEMS LIKE WORK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO, LIKE RIGHT AWAY, BECAUSE SOCIAL RECONNECTION IS GOING TO START AUGUST, WHATEVER THE WHEN OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS AND COME BACK TO CAMPUSES AND WHEN STUDENTS COME BACK FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, THAT'S ALL GOING TO BE GOING.
SO I KNOW YALL HAVE BEEN DOING SOME WORK.
WILL THERE BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOU TO PRESENT? YOU KNOW THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS SOONER RATHER THAN END OF YEAR, LIKE WE TYPICALLY SEE? I ABSOLUTELY THINK SO.
AND I THINK THAT GIVEN OUR IT DEPENDS ON THE PROGRESS OF OUR FIRST GOAL WITH THOSE STATE STANDARDS, HOW QUICKLY WE CAN GET THOSE REVIEWED AND GET RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE COMMITTEE.
BUT I THINK THAT THAT WORK WELL, I KNOW THAT STACI AND I, WE WE WILL START THAT VERY SOON.
JUST TRYING TO PREPARE ON WHAT THE NEXT YEAR WILL LOOK LIKE FOR US.
BUT I THINK THAT THERE IS NO REASON WHY.
AND STACI AND I PRIDE OURSELVES IN WHEN WE DO GET RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR COMMITTEE, WE TRY EVERY EFFORT WE CAN TO IMMEDIATELY GET THOSE THINGS INTO ACTION AND GET THEM MOVING.
SO IF WE DO HAVE THAT AS OUR GOAL AND WE DO START WORKING ON THAT IN THE FALL, THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE CAN'T IMMEDIATELY START COMMUNICATING THOSE THINGS WITH OUR STAFF.
YEAH, I GUESS I WAS JUST TRYING TO CONNECT THE DOTS ON THE TIMING BECAUSE REALLY WE WOULD NEED THE SECOND GOAL ADOPTED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY SO THAT Y'ALL COULD WORK AND IMPLEMENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE SOCIAL RECONNECTION ISSUES.
[INAUDIBLE] DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT? YEAH, I LOVE HEARING THIS AS A SECOND GOAL BECAUSE AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT TONIGHT AND PART OF OUR WORK AND I KNOW I SAY OUR OUR PRINCIPLES, THEY'RE STARTING THEIR PLANS RIGHT NOW ON HOW TO RECONNECT WITH STUDENTS PRIOR TO SCHOOL.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE ON TRANSITIONING BACK TO CAMPUS IF IT'S THEIR FIRST TIME AND GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH IF YOU'RE A FIRST TIME, YOU MAY HAVE A FIRST TIME SENIOR AT ONE OF THEIR SENIOR HIGH CAMPUSES.
AND SO JUST THAT ACCLIMATION AS WELL AS THEN AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE YEAR AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT YOU KNOW, I'M SPEAKING PART FROM WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN JUST A COUPLE OF MINUTES, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT.
THERE'S THE ACADEMIC PIECE, BUT THERE'S THIS SOCIAL PIECE FOR STUDENTS TOO AND WHEN WE CAN'T JUST FOCUS ON ONE AND NOT FOCUS ON THE OTHER, WE NEED TO FOCUS ON THE WHOLE CHILD SO THAT WE'RE SERVING HOLISTICALLY STUDENTS, THEIR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL ANY MENTAL HEALTH, ANY SOCIAL RECONNECTION, AS WELL AS THE ACADEMIC PIECES THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED SUPPORT WITH.
BUT I WOULD JUST SAY, I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL FOR THE ACADEMIC TO FALL INTO PLACE.
LET'S TAKE CARE OF THE ACADEMICS AND LET'S TAKE CARE OF THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL.
AND I REALLY THINK IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO THE ACADEMICS, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE THAT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL, THAT RECONNECTING WITH HOW TO BE, YOU KNOW, SIMPLE THINGS ABOUT HOW TO WORK ON A PROJECT IN A TEAM WHEN YOU'RE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER AND ALL OF THAT.
BUT ALLOWING STUDENTS TO HAVE THAT COMFORT AND THAT SENSE OF BELONGING, THAT SENSE OF BELONGING IS NOT TO THE CURRICULUM.
THE SENSE OF BELONGING IS THAT INTERACTION THEY HAVE WITH THEIR PEERS AND WITH THEIR TEACHER.
AND HOW WE ESTABLISH THAT WILL THEN FEED.
I THINK GREATER ACADEMICS MOLLY, MOLLY ITS ANGELA, THE QUESTION I HAVE IS THE SOCIAL RECONNECTION, IS THAT IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN OR IS THAT GOING TO HAPPEN DURING SCHOOL HOURS? OR ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT LIKE AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES? I THINK IT CAN BE BOTH.
HONESTLY, ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT THIS YEAR'S GOAL WAS INVOLVING THOSE STUDENT GROUPS.
AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE WELLNESS ASPECT.
BUT I THINK EVEN FOR SOCIAL RECONNECTION, YOU KNOW IF WE REACH OUT TO STUCO AND PALS AND ALL OF THESE OTHER FABULOUS STUDENT GROUPS.
I THINK THAT WHATEVER RECOMMENDATIONS WE GET, WE CAN INCORPORATE THE STUDENT GROUPS TO HELP WITH, EVEN AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES, EVEN ATHLETICS AND FINE ARTS.
AND I MEAN, I THINK THAT I THINK IT'S KIND OF THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS THAT WE CAN APPROACH IT AND GET A LOT OF PEOPLE INVOLVED WHERE IT IS DURING SCHOOL HOURS AND AFTER SCHOOL.
MOLLY I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
[02:15:02]
GOAL NUMBER TWO, I THINK IS A GREAT GOAL TO HAVE.I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT THERE'S WORK TO BE DONE FOR THAT SOCIAL RECONNECTION AND THE ACADEMIC RECONNECTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, HAVING THAT AS THE GOAL, THE SOCIAL RECONNECTION KIND OF CONCEDES THE POINT THAT THERE THERE'S A SOCIAL DISCONNECTION THAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
AND PART OF THAT'S DUE TO VIRTUAL LEARNING AND PART OF THAT'S DUE TO ALSO KIDS ON CAMPUSES STILL WEARING MASKS.
AND SO I JUST I'M NOT GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION ON THIS, BUT MORE I DON'T SEE THE SOCIAL RECONNECTION BEING EASY TO COMPLETE OR SUCCEED ON IF THAT'S STILL PART OF NEXT YEAR.
I THINK ESPECIALLY FOR OUR K TO FIVE THOSE STUDENTS, I THINK IT'S BEEN VERY DIFFICULT FOR THEM AND I THINK THE GOAL IS ADMIRABLE AND DEFINITELY THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO BE GOING AND SO I ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE THE FORETHOUGHT AND THE CONVERSATIONS YOU HAD TO LEAD YOU TO SOCIAL RECONNECTION, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A PHRASE I'VE HEARD YET.
AND I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
AND I THINK STUDENTS WILL NOT RECONNECT ACADEMICALLY UNTIL THEY RECONNECT SOCIALLY BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO START LEARNING UNTIL THEY FEEL SAFE AND COMFORTABLE IN THE ENVIRONMENT THEY'RE IN AND THEY SEE OTHER PEOPLE AROUND THEM.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT GOAL AND IT'S VERY EXCITED.
AND LIKE DAVID SAID, AND I THINK SARA INDICATED, WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
AND I'M VERY INTERESTED IN THIS.
DAVID, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION ON DO WE NEED TO BRING BACK THE GOALS SOONER RATHER THAN RATHER THAN THE NORMAL TIME IN SEPTEMBER? WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO IMPROVE THE GOALS IN SEPTEMBER, BUT THE WORK IS GOING TO BE.
IT'S GOING TO BE STARTED WELL BEFORE THEN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE BOARD WILL NOW HEAR FROM SUPERINTENDENT BONSER REGARDING ADVOCACY EFFORTS
[11.B. Advocacy Efforts for the 87th Texas Legislative Session]
FOR THE 87TH TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION.SUPERINTENDENT BONSER, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
AT THIS TIME, I'D LIKE TO ASK TRICIA WINDHAM FROM TRINITY AFFAIRS TO COME AND GIVE US A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE FOR THE 87TH SESSION.
WELL WE HAVE JUST LESS THAN A MONTH LEFT IN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, FIRST OF ALL, FOR EVERYBODY WATCHING, I'M TRICIA WINDHAM THE PUBLIC POLICY CONSULTANT FOR THE PLANO ISD.
SO I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL A QUICK UPDATE.
IS THAT THIS ONE? OK, LOOKS DIFFERENT, SO I'M GOING TO KIND OF JUMP INTO IT, CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE SHORT ON TIME AND WE WENT INTO A LITTLE MORE DEPTH LAST MEETING.
WE ARE RUNNING INTO OUR LEGISLATIVE SLOWDOWN RULES.
SO JUST A REMINDER, THE NEXT BIG ONE COMING UP IS MAY 13TH.
THESE RULES ARE DESIGNED TO ESSENTIALLY KILL LEGISLATION SO THAT WE GET TO THE END OF THE SESSION AND WE'RE KIND OF DOWN TO THE LAST BILLS THAT HAVE A CHANCE.
SO THE NEXT BIG ONE IS ON MAY 13TH.
ALL HOUSE BILLS, ALL BILLS THAT HAVE ORIGINATED IN THE HOUSE MUST HAVE THEIR SECOND READING BY THE END OF THE DAY ON MAY 13TH.
SO WE ARE STARTING TO SEE THE FLURRY OF ACTIVITY AS PEOPLE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR BILLS GET OUT OF COMMITTEE AND HEARD ON THE HOUSE FLOOR BY THEN.
SO JUST REVIEWING SOME OF THE TOP PRIORITIES THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON FROM A LEGISLATIVE STANDPOINT, FIRST IS THE BUDGET SENATE BILL ONE, THIS IS THE ONLY BILL THAT THE LEGISLATURE IS REQUIRED TO PASS EVERY SESSION.
THE CONFEREES HAVE BEEN APPOINTED FROM THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE AND HAVE STARTED TO MEET ON THE 29TH OF LAST MONTH.
THEY HEAR THEIR JOBS GOT A LITTLE BIT EASIER.
THE COMPTROLLER ANNOUNCED AN UPDATED BUDGET FORECAST YESTERDAY, WHICH INCLUDED ANOTHER THREE POINT SIX BILLION DOLLARS.
THAT WAS UNEXPECTED WHEN HE RELEASED HIS FIRST BUDGET OFFICIAL FORECAST IN JANUARY.
SO WE ARE KIND OF BACK TO THE BLACK ESSENTIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE TEXAS BUDGET AND MAKES THE COMPROMISING THAT'S HAPPENING BETWEEN THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE A LITTLE BIT EASIER, AS YOU ALL KNOW.
NOW, I'LL ADD THAT FROM A PUBLIC EDUCATION STANDPOINT, BOTH THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE VERSIONS FULLY FUND PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THE HOUSE BILL THREE FROM LAST SESSION, AS WELL AS ENROLLMENT.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MADE SOME PROGRESS ON THE FEDERAL FUNDING, THE AID THAT TEXAS ANNOUNCED LAST WEEK OR MAYBE THE START OF THIS WEEK THAT THEY ARE RELEASING FOR SCHOOLS.
I WANTED TO CLARIFY, THERE ARE THREE ROUNDS OF SORT OF ESSER FUNDS, NANCY.
I KNOW THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS ESSER ONE.
THESE ARE RELATED TO EACH OF THE COVID RELIEF PACKAGES THAT WE'VE SEEN COME OUT OF WASHINGTON OVER THE LAST 15 MONTHS ESSER ONE WAS ONE POINT THREE DOLLARS BILLION.
AND TEA HAS INDICATED THEY ESSENTIALLY USE THAT FOR THE HOLD HARMLESS.
ESSER TWO IS STILL BEING DISCUSSED.
AND THERE'S SOME WRANGLING GOING ON BETWEEN STATE LEADERSHIP AND D.C.
[02:20:02]
OVER THE MOE THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.SO THEY HAVE TIED SOME OF THE STRINGS IN EACH PACKAGE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING, TEXAS NEEDS TO MAINTAIN ITS LEVEL OF FUNDING, NOT JUST WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION, BUT WITH HIGHER EDUCATION.
AND SO I KNOW THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED A WAIVER AND THE FUNDING FOR ESSER TWO, WHICH IS FIVE POINT FIVE BILLION FOR TEXAS, IS STILL OUT THERE.
AND THEN ESSER THREE IS WHAT IT WAS JUST RELEASED.
THE TOTAL WAS TWELVE POINT FOUR BILLION FOR TEXAS.
THEY'VE RELEASED TWO THIRDS OF IT RIGHT NOW.
THAT MATH IS NOT QUITE RIGHT, BUT PART OF IT WAS WITHHELD BY TEA TO FUND SOME OF THEIR EFFORTS.
THE REST OF THE TWO THIRDS IS HEADED FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE IT HAS TO BE IN FUNDED BY MAY.
TWENTY THIRD AND THE OTHER THIRD IS GOING TO BE FUNDED SOMETIME LATE THIS SPRING WAS LAST I HEARD THAT ONCE THE STATES GET IT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO IT'S JUST THAT APPLICATION THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS APPLY THROUGH TEA TO RECEIVE THAT MONEY THIS SPRING.
SO YOU GUYS PROBABLY GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN UPDATE ALREADY ON THAT.
BUT HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
LAST TIME WE TALKED, WE WERE FOCUSED ON HOUSE BILL FIFTEEN, TWENTY FIVE AND SENATE BILL FIFTEEN THIRTY SIX, WHICH WERE THE HOUSE BILL THREE CLEAN UP BILLS, NOTHING MAJOR.
AND THESE BILLS FROM A POLICY STANDPOINT FOR PLANO ISD, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE POTENTIAL AMENDMENT THAT WOULD CAP YOUR FUND FOR I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE WHAT THE LIMIT WAS.
BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT HAPPENED WAS CHAIRMAN SORRY, REPRESENTATIVE [INAUDIBLE] DECIDED NOT TO PROPOSE HIS AMENDMENT.
HE KNEW THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES FOR IT IN THE COMMITTEE OR THE HOUSE.
AND HIS BILL CONTINUES TO PEND IN COMMITTEE TODAY AND IS ESSENTIALLY DEAD.
SO FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT SENATE BILL.
TWENTY EIGHT WAS THE BILL THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME.
THIS BILL LIMITS THE POWER OF THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO A SUPERMAJORITY TO VETO CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS.
WE HAVE SUBMITTED A LETTER OPPOSITION TO OUR DELEGATION AND CONTINUE TO WATCH THAT BILL ITS PASSED THE SENATE AND IS PENDING ACTION IN THE HOUSE PUBLIC GOOD AT THIS POINT? HOUSE BILL 14 68, WHICH WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, TRUSTEE WEAVER HAS PASSED THE HOUSE AND BEEN RECEIVED IN THE SENATE, THIS IS THE ONE THAT WOULD ALLOW VIRTUAL LEARNING TO CONTINUE AND BE FUNDED TO BE COUNTED AS PART OF ADA FOR FUNDING FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THAT ONE'S BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO PLANO ISD.
AND I WANT TO NOTE THAT WE DID REACH OUT TO OUR DELEGATION AND THEY ALL THE THREE HOUSE MEMBERS DID SUPPORT THAT ONE THAT WAS ON THE FLOOR.
SENATE BILL, SORRY, I'M NOT KEEPING UP WITH MY POWERPOINT SENATE BILL 10 AND HOUSE BILL SEVEN FORTY NINE, THESE WERE THE TAXPAYER FUNDED LOBBYIST BILLS.
THE SENATE BILL TEN DID NOT APPLY TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
IT IS CONTINUING TO PEND REMAIN PENDING IN HOUSE STATE AFFAIRS AND HAS BEEN SINCE.
LATE LAST MONTH, HOUSE BILL 749 WOULD APPLY TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS, AND IT HAS ALSO HAD A HEARING IN STATE AFFAIRS BUT HAS BEEN PENDING SINCE MARCH 25TH.
I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE FUTURE LIES FOR THESE BILLS.
AND I GUESS WE'RE GOING TO FIND OUT AS SESSION GETS DOWN TO THE WIRE.
HOUSE BILL, FIFTEEN FIFTY SIX AND HOUSE BILL FORTY TWO FORTY TWO ARE THE EXTENSIONS OF CHAPTER THREE THIRTEEN TOOK A LONG TIME FOR THESE BILLS TO HAVE ANY MOVEMENT AND THE FACT THAT IT'S THIS LATE IN SESSION AND THEY'RE JUST STARTING TO MOVE IS CONCERNING HOW STILL FIFTEEN FIFTY SIX WOULD MAKE SOME MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE REAUTHORIZATION OF CHAPTER THREE THIRTEEN WHICH EXPIRES IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO.
AND WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE IS HAPPENING IS THE HOUSE BILL FORTY TWO FORTY TWO BY [INAUDIBLE] OUT OF DALLAS, MAYBE THE ONE THAT PEOPLE ARE KIND OF RALLYING BEHIND BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY IT JUST CONTINUES CHAPTER THREE THIRTEEN AS IT IS RIGHT NOW FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS AND LETS THE LEGISLATURE BUY A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME AS THEY TRY TO CONSIDER WHAT THEY WANT.
CHAPTER THREE THIRTEEN TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM HOUSE BILL.
YOU MENTIONED WAS THAT FUND BALANCE BILL, THAT OF [INAUDIBLE] THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE THE VOTES TO GET OUT OF COMMITTEE AND HAS NOT SUCCESSFULLY ADDED TO ANY OF OUR BILLS.
SO WE'RE ALSO WATCHING CAME ON OUR RADAR LAST WEEK, SENATE BILL THIRTEEN SIXTY FIVE, WHICH PASSED A SECOND READING TODAY IN THE SENATE.
THIS BILL IS FAIRLY EXTENSIVE.
AND I WOULD JUST CATEGORIZE IT AS AN INCREASE OF AUTHORITY FOR THE TEA COMMISSIONER OVER A VARIETY OF ISSUES.
IT EXEMPTS CHARTERS FROM THEIR TEA SPECIAL INVESTIGATION PROCESS.
IT ALLOWS IT INCREASES TEA'S ABILITY TO APPOINT A BOARD OF MANAGERS, AND IT ESSENTIALLY LOWERS THE STANDARD OF EVIDENCE FOR TEA TO IMPLEMENT SANCTIONS AGAINST A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS CAME ON OUR RADAR FROM TEXAS SCHOOL ALLIANCE.
AND OBVIOUSLY MOST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS ARE OPPOSED TO THIS AND ARE
[02:25:02]
WORKING AGAINST IT.IT HAS, LIKE I MENTIONED, WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH THE SENATE.
IT DOES HAVE A HOUSE COMPANION BILL THAT HASN'T GOTTEN AS FAR.
SO WE WILL SEE THE HOPE WILL BE THAT THOSE TWO BILLS ARE NOT THE SAME WHEN THEY REACH THE END OF THEIR CHAMBERS, IF THEY BOTH DO AND ULTIMATELY DON'T COME OUT OF SESSION.
BUT THAT ONE WE'RE CLOSELY WATCHING.
WHAT DID YOU CALL IT? A BOARD.
BOARD OF MANAGERS SO IS THIS TAKING AUTHORITY FROM THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION? NO, THE BOARD OF MANAGERS IS I'M SORRY SUPERINTENDENT BONSER COULD EXPLAIN THIS BETTER THAN ME, BUT THE BOARD OF MANAGERS IS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED IN HOUSTON OR EL PASO WHEN THEY REMOVED THE ELECTED BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND APPOINTED A BOARD OF MANAGERS TO AFTER A.
IT'S YEAH, I'LL BUTCHER IT IF I EXPLAIN IT TO YOU, BUT IT'S THE END OF A LONG PROCESS OF TEA WHEN THEY DECIDE THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN NO LONGER FUNCTION.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING WITHIN TEA.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD APPLY TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
IT WOULD APPLY A BOARD OF MANAGERS WOULD GOVERN.
A SCHOOL DISTRICT IF TEA DEEMED THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS NO LONGER ESSENTIALLY COMPETENT .
AND SO WHAT I WAS GOING TO POINT OUT IS THAT I JUST FOR ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING THIS AND EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM KNOWS THIS, THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION SORRY, I CAN'T SEE YOU TALK AND I APOLOGIZE FOR SPEAKING OVER YOU.
THE COMMISSIONER OF EDUCATION IS NOT AN ELECTED POSITION.
SO IT ALWAYS CONCERNS ME WHEN THEY GIVE MORE POWER TO AN APPOINTED POSITION RATHER THAN PROVIDING THAT AUTHORITY TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, WHICH I THINK HAS TWENTY FIVE REPRESENTATIVES STATEWIDE.
SO I'M JUST POINTING THAT OUT.
THERE'S A LITTLE KNOWN FACT ON THAT BILL THAT IT ACTUALLY REQUIRES US ALL TO REFER TO HIM AS HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS.
TRICIA ON SENATE BILL TWENTY EIGHT.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S A COMPANION BILL IN THE HOUSE THAT'S IDENTICAL, THAT HAS BEEN IN PUBLIC ED COMMITTEE SINCE THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER, MARCH.
SHOULD WE READ INTO THAT THAT HOUSE PUBLIC ED IS NOT INTERESTED OR WERE THEY WAITING ON THE SENATE BILL? THEY MIGHT BE WAITING ON THE SENATE BILL.
I WOULDN'T THINK THAT THIS WOULD PASS THE HOUSE, BUT THE HOUSE IS THE HOUSE PUB ED IS JUST A DIFFERENT ANIMAL THIS SESSION BECAUSE IT HAS A NEW CHAIRMAN.
SO I HATE TO SPECULATE BECAUSE I THINK WE'RE KIND OF LEARNING.
EVEN THEN IT'S BEEN IN THE HOUSE.
IT GOT REFERRED OVER TO THE HOUSE.
FOUR 15, YES, YES, SO THAT I'M READING THAT IS A GOOD SIGN.
IT IS NOT A GOOD SIGN FOR THE BILL.
BECAUSE IT IS A CONCERN FOR US AND ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR PLANO ISD WE CONTINUE TO WATCH IT CLOSELY.
I THINK DAVID ECHOED MY FEELINGS ABOUT WHERE I SEE AUTHORITY BEING VESTED IN THE WRONG PEOPLE AND OPPOSING LEGISLATION THAT WOULD YOU DID AND YOU DID IT BETTER THAN I COULD HAVE.
THOSE WERE THE POINTS THAT WE MADE IN OUR OPPOSITION TO SENATE BILL 1365 WAS JUST WE EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND TAKING AWAY THAT REPRESENTATION FROM CITIZENS.
SO, AGREED AND THAT WAS PISD'S POSITION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY OR TO BE VESTED IN ANYBODY OTHER THAN THE TEA COMMISSIONER IN WORST CASE SCENARIOS.
SO THIS IS IT FOR ME, I WANTED TO BE SHORT AND SWEET TONIGHT, AND LIKE I SAID, WE'RE GETTING DOWN TO THE WIRE.
SO NEXT TIME YOU SEE ME, WE MAY BE DONE WITH SESSION.
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY FOR MANY, MANY SPECIAL SESSIONS THIS YEAR.
AND PREPARE YOURSELVES, BECAUSE WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE ONE, AS I MENTIONED, FOR REDISTRICTING.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS OUT THERE, WHETHER OR NOT THEY GET ADDITIONAL FEDERAL AID FROM ESSER-2 COULD PROMPT A SPECIAL SESSION.
AND A COUPLE OF OTHER ISSUES, TOO.
NEXT, WE WILL HEAR THE 2021-2022 SCHOOL YEAR INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN, PART
[11.C. 2021 - 2022 School Year Instructional Plan - Part 2]
TWO, DR.WILLIAMS WILL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION.
SO TONIGHT, WE'RE PRESENTING PART TWO OF OUR RETURN TO SCHOOL PLAN PART THREE, WHICH WE WILL BRING LATER THIS MONTH, WILL COVER OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
SO TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION IS GOING TO FOCUS ON DATA RELATED TO THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON STUDENT LEARNING.
THIS PANDEMIC HAS CERTAINLY SURFACED CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS REGARDING ACADEMIC SETBACKS AS WE'VE NAVIGATED THIS YEAR.
BUT I WANT TO SHARE A QUOTE FROM AN ARTICLE THAT I RECENTLY READ THAT HAS RESONATED WITH ME THROUGHOUT THIS PLANNING PHASE.
AND THE QUOTE SAID, STUDENTS ARE RESILIENT, BUT THEY ARE NOT BROKEN AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO FEEL THAT THEIR ONLY PURPOSE FOR COMING TO SCHOOL IS TO BE FIXED.
[02:30:02]
THAT BEING SAID, AS WE EVALUATE THIS YEAR'S DATA AND MAKE PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR, OUR FOCUS WILL BE ON SUPPORTING THE WHOLE CHILD IN ADDITION TO SUPPORTING THEIR ACADEMIC GAPS OR ANY LEARNING LOSS.IT'S GOING TO BE ESSENTIAL, AND WE HEARD THIS EARLIER, THAT WE RECONNECT WITH OUR STUDENTS WHO WILL BE RETURNING TO IN-PERSON LEARNING, REENGAGE OUR STUDENTS AS THEY'RE COMING TO OUR CAMPUS, OR MANY OF THEM WILL BE RETURNING TO CAMPUS FOR THE FIRST TIME IN OVER A YEAR.
AND PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN A HOLISTIC AND COMPREHENSIVE WAY.
STRONG RELATIONSHIPS, PARTNERSHIPS, AND AS WE LEARNED EARLIER, OUR NEW TERM SOCIAL RECONNECTION ARE GOING TO BE KEY FOR STUDENTS, STAFF AND OUR FAMILIES.
THERESA, WILL YOU REPEAT THAT QUOTE AGAIN, PLEASE, THAT YOU SAID? STUDENTS ARE RESILIENT, BUT THEY ARE NOT BROKEN.
AND THEY SHOULD NOT BE MADE TO FEEL THAT THEIR ONLY PURPOSE FOR COMING TO SCHOOL IS TO BE FIXED.
SO TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO BE REVIEWING SOME STUDENT DATA.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME INTERVENTION, SOME THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE THIS SPRING AND WHAT SOME OF OUR WORK OVER THE SUMMER WILL BE WITH REGARD TO ACADEMICS.
AND THEN JUST BRIEFLY HIT SOME THINGS ON SOME PRELIMINARY PLANS FOR ESSER DOLLARS AS WE SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS TRANSITIONING INTO THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM AND THEY WILL TAKE IT FROM HERE.
WILLIAMS. SO WE'RE GOING TO FIRST LOOK AT ATTENDANCE.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IT TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
THE FIRST WAY IS LOOKING AT OUR ATTENDANCE BY SEMESTER OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
YOU CAN SEE THAT THIS YEAR OUR ATTENDANCE RATE IS MUCH HIGHER THAN THE LAST FEW YEARS, REALLY, THAN THE LAST MANY YEARS.
THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTING FACTOR TO THAT IS THAT THIS YEAR WE HAD MANY, MANY OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO RECOUP OR RECONCILE THEIR ABSENCES THROUGH ASYNCHRONOUS MEANS.
AND THAT WAS JUST UNIQUE FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU SEE, OUR CURRENT ATTENDANCE RATE IS NINETY SEVEN POINT FIVE ONE.
I JUST SUSPECT THAT IT'S PROBABLY GOING TO GO DOWN BECAUSE SECOND SEMESTER IS USUALLY ALWAYS LOWER THAN FIRST SEMESTER.
I'LL BE CURIOUS TO SEE IF IT HOLDS.
ANOTHER VIEW OF OUR ATTENDANCE IS BY LEVEL OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
THIS ONE'S A LITTLE BIT SURPRISING TO ME BECAUSE OUR ELEMENTARY OUT OF OUR TWO LEVELS HAD THE LOWER RATE THAN THE SECONDARY, AND THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT TREND THAN NORMAL.
BUT AGAIN, THE HIGHER RATE IS DUE PRIMARILY BECAUSE OF ALL THE WAYS WE HAD TO RECONCILE ATTENDANCE.
OUR NEXT SLIDE, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT DISCIPLINE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
YOU KNOW, GIVEN OUR CURRENT SITUATION, WE HAD SO MANY STUDENTS WITH THE SCHOOL AT HOME OPTION AND THEN SO FEW STUDENTS IN OUR ACTUAL SCHOOLS, WE JUST HAVE VERY LOW DISCIPLINE PLACEMENTS THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT IT'S LOOKING LIKE BOTH IN SCHOOL, OUT OF SCHOOL.
OUR SPECIAL PROGRAM CENTER, WHICH IS THE DAEP AND THEN OUR JUVENILE JUSTICE ALTERNATIVE EDUCATION CENTER.
NEXT, WE'LL HAVE LAURIE TAYLOR, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR ELEMENTARY ACADEMIC SERVICES, WILL SHARE SOME ACADEMIC DATA WITH YOU FROM HER LEVEL AND THEN FOLLOWED BY ASHLEY HELMS, OUR SECONDARY ACADEMIC SERVICES EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR.
AND FIRST, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF YOUR ACADEMIC DATA THROUGH THE LENS OF COVID--THANK YOU, LESLIE--THROUGH THE LENS OF COVID IMPACT, AND TODAY'S TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY, SO AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE DATA, I WANT TO START BY THANKING OUR TEACHERS WHO'VE POURED THEIR HEART INTO LEARNING, TEACHING AND GROWING THIS YEAR.
SO, AS YOU WILL RECALL, FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR BALANCED LITERACY MODEL, ALONG WITH NEW RESOURCES AND NEW STANDARDS IN ELEMENTARY BEGAN LAST YEAR AND ASSESSING READING LEVELS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF OUR LITERACY INSTRUCTION SO THAT TEACHERS CAN USE THAT INFORMATION TO DESIGN SPECIFIC INSTRUCTION IMPLEMENTED THROUGH GUIDED READING, WHICH IS SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION.
THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND YEAR THESE SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN IN PLACE CONSISTENTLY IN EVERY CAMPUS AND EVEN IN THE PANDEMIC.
WITH THE INTERRUPTION LAST SPRING AND BEGINNING THE SCHOOL YEAR, VIRTUALLY STUDENTS ARE STILL MAKING PROGRESS.
THEY WERE TRAINED ON HOW TO COMPLETE THESE RUNNING RECORDS AND CONDUCT GUIDED READING GROUPS VIRTUALLY.
AND EVEN FROM THESE CHALLENGES, OUR STUDENTS AT THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR
[02:35:02]
ARE CLOSE TO THE PERCENTAGES FROM LAST YEAR AT THIS TIME, WHICH WAS BEFORE THE PANDEMIC.SO JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THIS DATA THAT YOU SEE.
THE REASON FOR THE LARGER GAP BETWEEN KINDER AND FIRST GRADE AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BULLETS WE HAVE ON THIS PARTICULAR SLIDE IS FIRST GRADE HAS THE MOST READING LEVELS TO GROW IN THE YEAR.
SO YOU MAY NOTICE A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE THERE.
SO THEY'RE USUALLY LOWER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND MIDDLE OF THE YEAR THAN OTHER GRADE LEVELS.
ACTUALLY, FROM THE BEGINNING OF KINDERGARTEN INTO FIRST GRADE, THEY HAVE NINE READING LEVELS TO GROW.
SO IT'S THE BIGGEST LEAP THAN IN ANY GRADE.
WE LOOK CLOSELY AT GRADE LEVELS FOUR AND TWO THAT SHOWED THE BIGGEST GAP IN BEGINNING OF YOUR COMPARISON FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
BUT THE GRADE LEVELS WITH THE MOST GAINS THIS YEAR FROM BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO MIDDLE OF THE YEAR WERE THOSE VERY GRADES, FOURTH AND SECOND GRADE.
SO REALLY, ALL GRADE LEVELS IMPROVED FROM BEGINNING OF THE YEAR TO MIDDLE OF THE YEAR THIS YEAR.
SO WE DON'T SEE SIGNIFICANT LOSS WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT MIDDLE OF YOUR DATA THIS YEAR, WE ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT SOME NATIONAL DATA.
SO WHEN COMPARED TO NATIONAL DATA, THIRTY FIVE PERCENT OF FOURTH GRADERS WERE AT OR ABOVE THE NATIONAL ASSESSMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRESS.
AND FOR TEXAS, THAT PERCENTAGE IS ABOUT 30 PERCENT FOR FOURTH GRADERS.
SO OUR DATA REFLECTS A MUCH HIGHER PROFICIENCY IN READING.
SO AS WE TOOK A LOOK AT THIS AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR NEXT YEAR, WE KNOW BY LOOKING AT OUR FOURTH GRADE DATA, OUR FIFTH GRADE GUIDED READING INSTRUCTION WILL REALLY NEED TO BE CONSISTENT, FOCUSED AND TARGETED TO SUPPORT STUDENT GROWTH NEXT YEAR AND THE IMPORTANCE OF CONTINUING THAT FOCUS ON BALANCED LITERACY IN ALL GRADE LEVELS TO STRENGTHEN GUIDED READING.
WE'VE GOT STUDENTS WITH BOOKS IN HANDS, WITH TEACHERS AT THE TABLE.
AND THEN THE IMPORTANCE OF ASSESSING TO MONITOR PROGRESS THROUGH THIS YEAR AND PROVIDING EARLY INTERVENTION FOR STUDENTS WHO END THIS YEAR BELOW GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE PREPARING OUR TEACHERS TO USE THE DATA AND RESOURCES FROM OUR NEW IN-CLASS ASSESSMENT FOR K-2.
AND THIS WILL PROVIDE SOME DATA DRIVEN INSTRUCTION FOR OUR TEACHERS TO BUILD THOSE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS SO THAT THEY CONTINUE TO BECOME EVEN MORE PROFICIENT READERS.
SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT MAPP DATA FOR READING.
AND SO I'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT AROUND THE TABLES THAT ARE ON THIS PAGE.
THE FIRST TWO TABLES ON THE LEFT IN THE MIDDLE.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY STAAR PROJECTIONS THAT WE'LL LOOK AT FIRST AND THEN CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTILE AND DASH IS NOT HERE WHO I WAS HOPING HE WOULD BE.
I'M GOING TO EXPLAIN CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTILE AS BEST I CAN.
BUT ANY QUESTIONS IN THE WEEDS ON THAT WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT HE ADDRESSES THAT FOR YOU.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN THE FIRST TABLE IS AND AGAIN, THIS IS WINTER TO WINTER MAP DATA APPROACHES AND ABOVE.
SO THAT INCLUDES APPROACHES MEETS AND MASTERS FOR THOSE PROJECTIONS.
SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 19-20 AND THEN 2021 THIS YEAR AT THIS POINT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT'S KIND OF GET YOU ACQUAINTED WITH THE TABLE.
THE SECOND TABLE, THE ONE IN THE MIDDLE IS MEETS AND MASTERS.
SO AGAIN, YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAST WINTER AND THIS WINTER, WHICH IS THE MIDPOINT.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK DIAGONALLY ACROSS EACH OF THOSE TABLES, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE YOU LOOK FROM SECOND TO THIRD GRADE AND THIRD FOURTH, YOU CAN SEE THAT THESE GRADE LEVEL COHORTS FOR THE MOST PART, ARE STILL GROWING.
THE CONSISTENT EXCEPTION TO THIS YEAR IS OUR FOURTH GRADERS, WHICH KIND OF ALIGNED WITH OUR READING RECORD DATA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT CLOSELY.
AND THEN THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT, THIS IS THE READING WINTER TO WINTER MAP GROWTH, THE CGP, WE CALL IT, WHICH IS THE CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTILE.
THIS COMES FROM THE STUDENT GROWTH SUMMARY REPORT COMPARING LAST WINTER TO THIS WINTER AGAIN.
THE DEFINITION OF CGP IS THAT'S A STUDENT'S PERCENTILE RANK FOR GROWTH.
SO IF A STUDENT CGP IS 50, THEN THAT MEANS THE STUDENT'S GROWTH WAS GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT OF SIMILAR STUDENTS IN THE [INAUDIBLE] NORM GROUP.
AND THIS WOULD BE COMPARED TO NATIONAL NORMS. SO A VALUE OF ZERO CORRESPONDS TO THE TYPICAL GROWTH OR THE MEAN, INDICATING THAT GROWTH EXACTLY MATCHES THE PROJECTIONS.
SO ANYTHING ABOVE ZERO WOULD INDICATE THAT THEY'RE ABOVE THE FIFTIETH PERCENTILE.
SO YOU CAN KIND OF SEE THE DIFFERENCE THERE BETWEEN LIKE WINTER 2019 TO WINTER 2020 AND THEN LAST WINTER TO THIS WINTER.
AND THEN THE LAST COLUMN IS THE CHANGE.
SO, LAURIE, I MEAN, LOOKING AT THIS, THIS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, I MEAN, GIVEN THAT WE HAD COVID.
ARE YOU KIND OF ARE WE A LITTLE BIT STARTLED AND A BIT THRILLED? PLEASANTLY SURPRISED AND THRILLED, BUT REALLY NOT SURPRISED EITHER.
I MEAN, OUR TEACHERS HAVE JUST DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF CONTINUING TO PROVIDE AND DOING THEIR BEST TO PROVIDE THOSE THREE TIMES A YEAR, THOSE BEGINNING, MIDDLE.
AND THEN THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF ASSESSING FOR END OF THE YEAR RIGHT NOW WITH THOSE READING RECORDS IN FOR MAP.
[02:40:01]
WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE THEM THE TOOLS TO DO THAT VIRTUALLY.SO THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT AND PROVIDE SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION AS WELL, VIRTUALLY SO.
I THINK IT'S GREAT TO COMPARE LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT FOR FOREVER.
IF WE WERE TO HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE LONGITUDINAL LOOK AT THIS, DO YOU HAVE ANY SENSE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, AND WE'RE REALLY THIS WEEK, THE MAP WINDOW CLOSES, SO WE ARE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT TAKING A LOOK AT THE END OF YEAR GROWTH FOR THIS YEAR.
I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO MAYBE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION AGAIN WITH YOU NEXT WEEK SO WE COULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
AND, OF COURSE, WE CAN UPDATE YOU FOR SURE.
BUT I'M HOPING THAT'S PROMISING AS IT COMES IN AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
ANY TRENDS BY INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL? HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT DIVE IN YET? OH, YEAH WE AND CAMPUSES DO THAT AS WELL.
WE'VE LOOKED AT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AND WE'VE LOOKED AT AND CAMPUSES DO AS WELL, STUDENT GROUP DATA AS WELL.
AND WE AND CAMPUSES AND THIS AGAIN IS JUST A REALLY BIG BROAD LOOK AT THE DATA ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
BUT CAMPUSES DISAGGREGATE THAT DATA.
WE'VE MET MULTIPLE TIMES WITH RB WITH A MILLION QUESTIONS TO TAKE A LOOK AT TRENDS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, YEAH, THAT'S A PART OF THE DATA ANALYSIS WE DO BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AND WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
LIKE I SAID, THIS WEEK, THE WINDOW CLOSES, SO WE'LL DO IT AGAIN.
SO ARE THERE ANY SORT OF INTERVENTION ACTIONS THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO CONSIDER FOR SOME SCHOOLS OR SOME STUDENT GROUPS? YEAH, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AGAIN AT WHERE OUR TARGETED FOCUS NEEDS TO BE FOR NEXT YEAR AS WE LOOK AT END OF THE YEAR DATA.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL ABSOLUTELY DO.
WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN A LOOK AT THIS AS A DEPARTMENT AND HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT OUR FOCUS NEEDS TO BE WITH SPECIFIC GRADE LEVELS.
WE WILL DO THAT FOR SPECIFIC CAMPUSES AS WELL AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE THAT WE'VE DONE THIS YEAR? WHAT WE NEED TO DO DIFFERENTLY.
AND WE'LL LOOK AT IT FROM A CURRICULUM LENS AS WELL.
WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN TO DO THAT.
AND TAKE A LOOK AT IN A MINUTE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT MAP, MATH MAP DATA LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND SO WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN A LOOK AT, OK, THAT'S THE REASON WHY OUR THIRD GRADERS PERFORMED IN THAT WAY IN THINKING ABOUT PIECES THEY MISSED AT THE END OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR AND HOW WE SPIRALED THAT BACK IN APPROPRIATELY AND DEVELOPMENTALLY, APPROPRIATELY.
SO WE'RE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS AS WELL WHAT THAT NEEDS TO LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND ARE YOU ALSO WORKING WITH DR.
BROCKMAN IN TERMS OF ANY SORT OF PERSONAL RESOURCE ALLOCATIONS THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE? WELL, I MEAN, WE ALWAYS WORK WITH DR.
BROCKMAN ON ANY TYPE OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND AND ESPECIALLY WITH TITLE.
PRE-K, I SUPPORT PRE-K AS WELL AND WORK WITH ASHLEY DAVIS ON THAT.
SO WE'RE IN AND OUT WITH HER ON CONVERSATIONS.
YOU KNOW AS WELL WHEN THAT'S NECESSARY.
JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON JERI'S COMMENT, SARA, I THINK IF AFTER YOU GUYS GET DONE LOOKING AT THE YEAR END STUFF, IF YOU COULD PUT THAT IN AN UPDATE FOR US, BECAUSE I THINK WE UNDERSTAND NOW HOW TO READ THE CHART.
I'M SUPER FASCINATED IN THAT AS WELL, TO SEE WHAT THE YEAR-END LOOKS LIKE.
WE'LL GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THAT.
SO JUST KIND OF A SUMMARY IN THAT LOOKING AT GRADE LEVEL TO GRADE LEVEL WHEN COMPARING WINTER TO WINTER MEAN RIT FROM '19-20 TO '21.
THAT'S WHAT THAT LAST CHART IS ABOUT.
THERE'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT VARIANCE FROM GRADE LEVEL TO GRADE LEVEL.
AND THEN AGAIN, IN THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO FOR NEXT YEAR, I MENTIONED THE FOURTH GRADE COHORT, SO WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON THAT, SO WE KNOW THAT OUR FIFTH GRADERS ARE PERFORMING WELL NEXT YEAR.
OUR HOUSE BILL THREE EARLY LITERACY ASSESSMENT, I MENTIONED THAT EARLIER, THAT WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR K-2 TEACHERS TO CONTINUE TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN THEIR LITERACY PRACTICES, DATA ANALYSIS AND PLANNING FOR INSTRUCTION, USING SOME OF THOSE RESOURCES, WHICH IS JUST GOING TO BENEFIT OUR THREE FIVE ONCE THEY MOVE UP INTO THREE FIVE.
AND THEN IN LITERACY, OUR TEACHER SPIRALED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THIS JUST AUTOMATICALLY HAPPENS IN LITERACY, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM MATH.
SO THIS WILL BE OUR SECOND YEAR OF THAT IMPLEMENTATION IN OUR FIRST FULL YEAR OF IMPLEMENTING THE NEW TEKS IN ALL OF OUR NEW ADOPTION MATERIALS.
AND THEN IN GRADES THREE FIVE, OUR TEACHER KNOWLEDGE IS REALLY GROWING ON TRACKING ESSENTIAL STANDARDS FROM UNIT ASSESSMENT TO UNIT ASSESSMENT.
THAT'S ANOTHER DATA PIECE WE HAVE.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS WITH THAT NEXT YEAR.
LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY, BUT AGAIN, I WON'T GO BACK OVER AND EXPLAIN THE CGP TO YOU UNLESS YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS.
AND I'LL TELL YOU AGAIN, WE'LL JUST DIRECT THOSE TO DASH; HE DOES A FAR BETTER JOB OF EXPLAINING THAT THAN I DO.
BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME THING HERE.
THE FIRST TWO TABLES, THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS OUR PROJECTIONS USING MIDDLE OF THE YEAR MAP APPROACHES AND ABOVE.
THAT INCLUDES APPROACHES, MEETS, AND MASTERS.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR.
AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO MOVE DIAGONALLY, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THESE GRADE LEVELS,
[02:45:04]
FOR THE MOST PART, HAVE MADE GROWTH OR THERE'S A LITTLE LESS GROWTH.IT JUST DEPENDS ON THE GRADE LEVEL.
AND THEN AGAIN, THE SECOND TABLE INCLUDES MEETS AND MASTERS.
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO YEARS AND THEN AGAIN, THE TABLE ON THE FAR RIGHT, THAT'S THAT COMPARISON OF GROWTH FROM LAST WINTER TO THIS WINTER, THE CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTILE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FROM READING, WHICH IF YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, FOLLOWING ANY NATIONAL TRENDS ON DATA, IT REALLY IS IN LINE WITH NATIONAL TRENDS AS FAR AS MATH GOES.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THAT? YEAH.
SO IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOTICING FOR THOSE SAME GRADES, THAT MATH WAS IMPACTED A LITTLE MORE THAN MAYBE NOT ON THE FIFTH GRADE TO SIXTH GRADE AS MUCH.
IS THERE ANY KIND OF THOUGHT TO THAT, HOW WE'RE ABLE TO EDUCATE STUDENTS, EITHER IN PERSON OR VIRTUALLY FOR READING COMPARED TO MATH, THAT MATH HAS PRESENTED MORE DIFFICULTIES AND DIFFERENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE ANY DATA MYSELF TO REALLY TO SUPPORT THAT.
I KNOW THAT ONE THING THAT WE ARE TRUE BELIEVERS IN IN OUR DEPARTMENT, MY MATH COORDINATOR HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB OF SUPPORTING TEACHERS WITH THIS IS MOVING FROM CONCRETE TO ABSTRACT, USING, MANIPULATIVENESS TO HELP THEIR UNDERSTANDING.
SO WE WERE DETERMINED TO CREATE VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVE FOR OUR SCHOOL AT HOME KIDS.
AND SO SHE WAS ABLE TO PUT THAT TOGETHER.
SO THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE VIRTUAL MANIPULATIVES.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE JUST SOME OF THOSE MORE DIFFICULT MATH CONCEPTS.
IT'S MORE OF A CHALLENGE, MAYBE VIRTUALLY.
I DON'T HAVE DATA TO SUPPORT THAT.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT.
SO I GUESS ONE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE WHEN WE DO GET THAT LAST BIT OF DATA AS AN UPDATE, A BOARD UPDATE, AS DAVID HAS REQUESTED, IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO HAVE COHORT DATA TO SEE HOW THESE BREAKDOWN BETWEEN STUDENTS THAT ARE DOING SCHOOL AT HOME VERSUS STUDENTS THAT ARE DOING FACE TO FACE.
OK, THEN I'M GOING TO DORK-OUT AND BE INTERESTED IN THE STRANDS AND KNOWING THE MATH STRANDS FOR THE DIFFERENT MATH, I'D BE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF THERE'S CERTAIN MATH CONCEPTS.
THAT BECAUSE OF THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT, NOT ONLY COMPARING STUDENTS VIRTUAL TO IN PERSON, BUT WHAT MATH CONCEPTS MAY BE MORE MANIPULATIVE BASED.
AND THAT'S WHY THEY DID WELL OR NOT WELL.
I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT IN THE WEEDS, BUT AS YOU HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL LOOK AT IT, I'D LIKE TO SEE.
ONE OF THE THINGS I JUST WANT TO JUST KIND OF REMIND EVERYONE OF IS THAT PARENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT EVERY NINE WEEKS.
SO WHICH NINE WEEKS? I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY IT WENT BACK AND FORTH AND THEY COULD CHANGE THEIR MIND.
THAT'S A PRETTY BIG GYMNASTIC THING.
SO, I'M NOT SAYING IT CAN'T BE DONE, BUT I'M SAYING IS IT I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WILL.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'LL FIND ALL OF THAT THROUGH EDGENUITY OR THROUGH THE SYSTEM THAT HOUSES IT, [INAUDIBLE] I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD TRACK COMPLETELY EXACTLY PURE THE SAME STUDENTS FROM EACH TIME.
SO, I MEAN, WE COULD GIVE YOU KIND OF BEGINNING TO END OF YEAR.
AND IT MAY BE AT THE BEGINNING OF YEAR, IT WAS MORE STUDENTS WHO WERE AT HOME END OF THE YEAR AND IT WILL BE LESS STUDENTS THAT ARE AT HOME.
SO I WOULD SAY IF BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND HOW EACH SEMESTER OR EACH NINE WEEKS COULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET ALL THAT DATA THAT WAY.
IF YOU WERE TO JUST DO IT BASED ON WHATEVER THE STUDENT WAS DOING IN THE FINAL NINE WEEKS.
BECAUSE FOR ME, I'D ASSUME THAT, OK, IF THEY WERE VIRTUAL IN THE LAST NINE WEEKS, THEY WERE PROBABLY VIRTUAL MOST OF THE YEAR, IF NOT ALL OF THE YEAR.
SO I'D BE FINE WITH HAVING THAT DATA JUST BASED ON WHAT THE STUDENT'S CHOICE WAS IN THE LAST NINE WEEKS.
I ALSO HAD THIS CONVERSATION, LAURIE I'LL GIVE IT RIGHT BACK, BUT I HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMISSIONER ABOUT MATH VERSUS READING.
HE CALLED AND WANTED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IT AND HIS FEELING BECAUSE IT'S THIS WAY NEARLY EVERYWHERE.
I MEAN, THIS IS NOT UNIQUE TO PISD WHERE READING LOOKS LIKE LESS OF AN IMPACT THAN MATH AND, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TEA'S RESEARCH ON THIS KIND OF BOILED IT DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, TEACHER DEPENDANCE.
YOU KNOW, THE ABILITY FOR A PARENT TO HELP A STUDENT READ ABOVE, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY CAN READ, THEY CAN GET HELP WITH READING MORE EASILY AT HOME.
MATH IS MUCH MORE TEACHER DEPENDENT.
AND SO, IT'S JUST DIFFERENT, THE HIGHER THE LEVEL, THE HARDER THE MATH, THE HARDER
[02:50:02]
IT MIGHT BE FOR SUPPORT FROM HOME.SO THAT WAS THE THINKING OF TEA.
THAT'S WHY I'D BE INTERESTED ABOUT THE STRANDS.
THAT COULD BE THAT KIND OF UNDERSTANDING.
WELL, I KNOW PISD DOES A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO FIND BRIGHT SPOTS, AND I'D BE VERY INTERESTED TO SEE IF THERE WERE SPECIFIC TEACHERS THAT WERE DOING VIRTUAL THAT THEIR MATH SCORES WERE VERY GOOD TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT DID THEY DO DIFFERENT THAT THEIR STUDENTS OUTCOMES WERE SO MUCH BETTER.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT'S DEFINITELY AN INTO THE WEEDS THING, BUT IF THERE WAS SOMETHING FOUND THAT WAS IN PARTICULAR THAT A TEACHER OR MULTIPLE TEACHERS DID OR SOME CORRELATION BETWEEN SOME STUDENTS THAT DID BETTER ON MATH, I'D BE VERY INTERESTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY DID BETTER THAN OTHER PEOPLE IN VIRTUAL OR OTHER PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, JUST FROM A TEACHING STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DID BETTER IN PERSON LEARNING, WHICH IS MUCH MORE LONG TERM BENEFICIAL FEEDBACK, JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WITH VIRTUAL LIKELY BEING A PART OF OUR DISTRICT GOING FORWARD AND THE STATE GOING FORWARD, I'D BE REALLY INTERESTED TO SEE IF THEY DID SOMETHING SPECIAL.
I GUESS JUST TO THROW IN MY TWO CENTS, I WOULD REALLY WANT TO PUSH WHAT DO WE PLAN TO LEARN FROM THE RESEARCH, LOOKING BACKWARD AT HYBRID OR BACKWARD AT VIRTUAL, IF IT'S GOING TO BE A SMALLER PART OF OUR DISTRICT? I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS OR WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DEMOGRAPHICS AND PUT THE TIME AND ATTENTION THERE BECAUSE THAT'S A FORWARD LOOKING OPPORTUNITY VERSUS LOOKING BACKWARD AT A PRACTICE THAT WITH ANY GOOD FORTUNE WE WON'T HAVE TO DO STARTING IN AUGUST.
SO I JUST THAT'S MY TWO CENTS I THROW IN.
HOW MUCH TIME OF THE ADMINISTRATION DO YOU WANT TO USE DOING BACKWARD LOOKING RESEARCH-- ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT THE DAMAGE IS.
AND WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THAT THEN, CODY? I MEAN, DO WE NOT WANT TO KNOW? I MEAN-- I WANT TO KNOW HOW TO HELP KIDS, BUT I DON'T THINK ANY SORT OF FINGER POINTING ABOUT HYBRID OR VIRTUAL.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY SAID ANYTHING ABOUT FINGER POINTING.
I ASKED FOR DATA SO I CAN ANALYZE IT AND SEE WHAT THE DATA SAYS AND TO JUST BRUSH IT UNDER THE RUG AND LOOK THE OTHER WAY, WHICH I DO NOT THINK THE DISTRICT IS SAYING TO DO.
BUT I WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.
I DON'T SEE WHY THAT'S A PROBLEM.
WELL, I THINK THAT'LL BE A DECISION THAT THE BOARD CAN MAKE IN GENERAL IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF HOW MUCH ATTENTION WE WANT TO GIVE TO DATA THAT'S BACKWARD LOOKING VERSUS WHAT'S FORWARD LOOKING FOR KIDS.
WELL, I THINK MY TWO CENTS, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LOOKING AT SPECIFIC TECHNIQUES THAT A TEACHER MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE DONE WITH A SET OF STUDENTS, I THINK THERE'S MORE VARIABLES INVOLVED, BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SUBSET OF STUDENTS AND MAYBE A HIGHER PERFORMING SCHOOL, IT MAY NOT BE RELEVANT.
I MEAN, IT MAY NOT HAVE A CORRELATION, IS WHAT I'M SAYING.
BUT UNTIL WE TAKE A LOOK, WE DON'T KNOW.
MY POINT IS THERE'S DATA AND OUR JOB AS TRUSTEES IS TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THINGS, AND I'M REQUESTING DATA AND I MEAN, DO WE NOT LOOK BACK AT HOW THINGS WERE OR DO WE NOT LOOK BACKWARDS ON OTHER THINGS SO WE CAN TRY TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A VIRTUAL LEARNING COMPONENT IN THIS DISTRICT IN THE FUTURE? ARE WE NOT? I BELIEVE THAT'S THE GOAL THAT WAS EXPRESSED TO US IN THE PAST.
SO LOOKING AT DATA IN REGARDS TO VIRTUAL LEARNING, I WOULD SEE THAT AS BENEFICIAL.
I GUESS IT MIGHT JUST BE MY OPINION.
SO WE DUG A LITTLE BIT DEEPER IN THE DATA.
AN EXAMPLE I MENTIONED EARLIER AS WERE LOOKING AT CURRICULUM, WE KNEW THAT IN SOME GRADE LEVELS THERE WERE STUDENTS IN THE SPRING OF 2020 WHO HAD NOT HAD EXPERIENCE WITH SOME CONTENT.
SO THE EXAMPLE FOR THAT IS LIKE GEOMETRY AND MEASUREMENT FOR SECOND GRADERS WHO THEN THEY COME TO THIRD GRADE AND IN THE FALL OF 2020 AS A THIRD GRADER, THEY TAKE THEIR WINTER MAP.
THEY'VE MISSED SOME SECOND GRADE GEOMETRY AND HAD NOT RECEIVED THAT INSTRUCTION POSSIBLY SINCE FIRST GRADE.
SO THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT AS WELL.
WE'VE SPIRALED THAT CONTENT BACK IN.
BUT AGAIN, WE DO THAT VERY INTENTIONALLY AND WHERE IT'S DEVELOPMENTALLY APPROPRIATE.
BUT SO OUR RESPONSE AND RESPONSIBILITY AS A CURRICULUM DEPARTMENT WAS TO SPIRAL THOSE STANDARDS INTO NEXT YEAR'S UNITS, WHICH WE DID.
AND WE ALSO HAD AN ALIGNMENT TO HELP THEM FILL THE GAPS FOR TEACHERS.
SO IT WAS A RESPONSE TO COVID DOCUMENT.
SO HOPEFULLY END OF THE YEAR DATA WILL SHOW US SOME GROWTH.
SO, AGAIN, AS WE'RE THINKING TOWARDS NEXT YEAR, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SPIRAL THOSE ESSENTIAL STANDARDS TO TRACK STUDENT GROWTH IN OUR UNIT PLANS AND ASSESSMENTS.
WE'RE GOING TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION USING ALL DATA SOURCES THAT WE HAVE THROUGH MANY MULTIPLE RESOURCES AND DATA POINTS THAT WE DO HAVE FOR TEACHERS, AND THEN TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PREVIOUS GRADE LEVEL RESOURCES AND CONNECTIONS TO LEVERAGE FOR FILLING ANY GAPS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED.
AND THEN I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECALL, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BRING THAT SECOND AND THIRD ENRICHMENT PIECE FOR TEACHERS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED THAT CHALLENGE
[02:55:01]
TO CONTINUE THEIR GROWTH.SO THAT'S WORK WE'RE DOING THE SUMMER.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED ON THAT.
AND THAT'LL BE THERE TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR OUR KIDS KIDDOS WHO DO REALLY WELL IN MATH, BUT STILL NEED TO CONTINUE TO SHOW GROWTH.
AND THEN FOR SCIENCE, WE DON'T HAVE QUITE AS MUCH DATA FOR SCIENCE WITH OTHER GRADE LEVELS, BUT THE STORY'S REALLY THE SAME FOR SCIENCE.
WE'VE SEEN A LITTLE LESS GROWTH THIS YEAR FROM '19-20 TO 2021 AS FAR AS THAT MEAN RIT IS CONCERNED, THAT OUR STUDENTS WHO WERE FOURTH GRADE LAST YEAR, WHICH ARE FIFTH GRADERS THIS YEAR, ARE GROWING.
THEY'RE STILL MAKING PROGRESS.
AND THE SAME IS TRUE FOR OUR CURRENT SIXTH GRADERS, WHICH, OF COURSE, WERE OUR FIFTH GRADERS LAST FALL.
WE'LL DO THE SAME THING WE WILL BE SPIRALING.
THOSE ESSENTIAL STANDARDS AND TRACKING GROWTH THAT WAY.
STRESSED THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY INTERVENTION IF NEEDED AND ACCELERATION USING ALL DATA SOURCES THAT WE HAVE AND CONTINUE TO PROVIDE PREVIOUS GRADE LEVEL RESOURCES, TEACHERS NEEDED TO FILL GAPS.
SO WE HAVE LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESEARCH AROUND LEARNING ABOUT THE IMPACT OF COVID.
SO IN SUMMARY, WE KNOW THAT STUDENTS COULD BE RETURNING TO SCHOOL WITH SIGNIFICANT ANXIETY AND LIKELY TRAUMA.
SO AS WELL AS CONSIDERABLE UNFINISHED LEARNING FROM THE PAST SCHOOL YEAR.
SO, UNTIL WE HAVE THE END OF THE YEAR DATA AND THAT'S COMING TO US RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK, IT REALLY IS UNFINISHED LEARNING LOSS.
HOWEVER, WHILE THE SCALE OF THE CHALLENGE, OWING TO THE SHARED NATURE OF THE EDUCATIONAL DISRUPTION MAY BE NOVEL, UNFINISHED LEARNING IS REALLY NOTHING NEW FOR OUR TEACHERS.
ADDRESSING SKILL GAPS AND INCOMPLETE LEARNING AND MISCONCEPTIONS IS A NECESSARY AND NATURAL PART OF TEACHING AND LEARNING PROCESS.
SO THERE WILL BE A FINE BALANCE BETWEEN PLANNING FOR AND DESIGNING REALLY STRONG TIER ONE INSTRUCTION FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO ACCELERATE THEIR GROWTH AND THEN, OF COURSE, EARLY INTERVENTION TO ADDRESS ANY GAPS THAT WE NEED TO FILL.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO ASHLEY? ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
I AM REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SHARE WITH YOU OUR SECONDARY DATA.
I'M ALSO REALLY EXCITED THAT LAURIE WENT FIRST.
SO I WAS ABLE TO LOOK UP A FEW ANSWERS TO SOME QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE HAD ALONG THE WAY.
SO AS WE LOOK AT OUR SECONDARY DATA BEFORE WE DIVE IN, I'M JUST GOING TO REMIND US OF THESE CHARTS AND JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT MY TEAM LOOKED AT AS WERE KIND OF DIVING INTO THIS DATA.
SO THE FIRST TWO CHARTS, THESE ARE COMPARING TWO SEPARATE GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
SO IT IS LAST YEAR'S STUDENTS AND THIS YEAR'S STUDENTS.
THE RED CHART IS ACTUALLY COMPARING THE SAME STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF TWO YEARS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT IT THAT WAY, IT KIND OF GIVES US TWO DIFFERENT PICTURES OF THE SAME DATA AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD.
SO MY TEAM REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON THAT AS WE MOVE IN.
SO THE FIRST ONE WE ARE LOOKING AT STAAR PROJECTIONS.
OUR MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WE ALWAYS REALLY RELY ON THAT FOR INTERVENTION FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WE MOVE INTO OUR END OF YEAR TESTING.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR STAAR PROJECTIONS FROM THIS YEAR'S WINTER MAP, ONE OF THE THINGS WE SHOW ON OUR CHARTS IS ABOUT APPROACHES AND ABOVE.
SO THERE'S ONLY ONE PERFORMANCE LEVEL BELOW THAT, WHICH IS DOES NOT MEET.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THESE PERCENTAGES, I JUST WANT TO YOU KNOW, WE HAVE DOES NOT MEET, WE'VE APPROACHES, WE HAVE MEETS STANDARDS AND THEN WE HAVE MASTERS.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, THAT JUST KIND OF SHEDS A LITTLE BIT OF LIGHT ON THE PERCENTAGES AND THE WAY THAT THEY'RE MOVING.
SO WE LOOK AT THE WINTER CHART AND I'M TALKING ABOUT THE CHARTS FIRST, BECAUSE THEN WE'LL LOOK ABOUT GRADE LEVELS AS WE GO ACROSS.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR GROWTH, WE ARE COMPARING WHERE THIS YEAR'S KIDS WERE LAST YEAR TO WHERE THEY ARE THIS YEAR.
AND SO THAT GIVES US A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT DATA.
SO OUR TEAMS HAVE DISAGGREGATED THIS AND ANALYZED AND INVESTIGATED THIS DATA IN COMPARISON AND IN COMPLEMENT TO THE DATA THAT WE HAVE FROM TEACHER FEEDBACK FROM OUR UNIT ASSESSMENTS OR DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS FOR PROGRESS MONITORING THAT WORK ALONG THE WAY TO MEASURE ESSENTIAL STANDARDS AND PROGRESS TOWARDS GROWTH.
WE'VE ALSO LOOKED AT OUR GRADE DATA, SO WE'VE KIND OF PUSHED ALL OF THESE THINGS TOGETHER TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THE IDENTIFIED AREAS OF NEED IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT SIXTH GRADE FIRST.
SO WHEN WE LOOK ACROSS FOUR SIXTH GRADE, OUR PREDICTED APPROACHES AND ABOVE RATES HAVE DECREASED BY TWO PERCENT, WHICH THAT MEANS THAT IT ALSO HAS INCREASED TWO PERCENT OF THE KIDS WHO ARE NOT GOING ARE NOT PROJECTED TO MEET STANDARD.
SO THAT GIVES A REALLY GOOD INTERVENTION POINT FOR THIS YEAR FOR US TO LOOK AT WHICH KIDS WE NEED TO PROVIDE INTERVENTION FOR RIGHT NOW.
BUT IT ALSO GIVES US SOME INFORMATION ABOUT NEXT YEAR AS WE KIND OF MOVE FORWARD.
THE SECOND CHART, THE SECOND GOLD CHART ALSO GIVES US THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHEN KIDS ARE
[03:00:05]
APPROACHES, APPROACHES OR ABOVE WE HAVE ON THE FIRST MEETS AND ABOVE.SO WHAT WE SEE IS WE'VE GOT TWO PERCENT, WHICH IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN SECOND AND SIXTH GRADERS NOT MEETING STANDARD.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A FOUR PERCENT DECREASE OF KIDS WHO ARE MEETS AND ABOVE, IF YOU SEE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO FROM SIXTH GRADE OUR 2019 PROJECTION TO OUR '20-21 PROJECTION IS FOUR PERCENT LESS.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE REALLY STARTED TAKING A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE DATA IS WHAT IS THIS SHOW US.
AND WE'RE SEEING NOT AS MANY LIKE WE DON'T HAVE A HUGE COVID IMPACT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TWO PERCENT.
BUT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR KIDS WHO ARE NOT AT THE MEETS AND MASTERS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US? SO WE LOOKED AT THIS ALONG WITH THIS YEAR'S GROWTH OF SIXTH GRADERS FROM WINTER TO WINTER.
HOWEVER, AS WE STUDY THE DATA FURTHER, WE LOOKED AT THE QUINTILES ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO MATH ACTUALLY PUTS OUR STUDENTS INTO FIVE PERFORMANCE GROUPS AND WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR HIGHEST PERFORMING STUDENTS AND THEN OUR LOWEST PERFORMING STUDENTS.
AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH OUR SIXTH GRADE DATA ESPECIALLY, IS IT'S OUR STUDENTS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE THAT HAVE HAD THE MOST CHANGE.
SO AS A WHOLE, OUR SIXTH GRADERS REMEMBER, ZERO IS GOOD.
ZERO IS ONE YEAR'S GROWTH IN A YEAR.
SO ZERO IS SO NEGATIVE ONE IS NOT A HUGE CONCERN.
AND WE'RE REALLY PLEASED WITH OUR SIXTH GRADE READING AS A WHOLE, WHICH IS JUST REFLECTIVE OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE DONE IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. BUT AS WE LOOK AT THOSE AT A LITTLE BIT DEEPER LEVEL, WHAT WE HAVE NOTED SPECIFICALLY IS OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE ON LEVEL STUDENTS LIKE OUR LOWEST LEVEL STUDENTS, ARE PERFORMING PRETTY WELL.
OUR HIGHEST LEVEL STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING PRETTY WELL.
IT'S THE STUDENTS WHO GENERALLY PERFORM WHERE THEIR GROWTH TRACKS GENERALLY IN THE MIDDLE THAT WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT.
SO AS WE MOVE INTO SEVENTH GRADE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE DOING IS WE'LL BE MAKING SURE THAT WE FOCUS ON THOSE ON LEVEL CLASSES IN OUR SEVENTH GRADE, THAT WE PROVIDE TARGETED INTERVENTION AND SUPPORTS WITHIN THE CURRICULUM TO ENSURE THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED AS THEY GO INTO INTERVENTION AND THEY ARE TRYING TO MINIMIZE COVID IMPACT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
SO FOR SEVENTH GRADE, OUR STUDENTS PREDICTED TO BE AT NOT MEETS, BUT IT'S REMAINED STEADY.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN SEVENTH GRADE.
AND WE'LL SEE A SIMILAR TREND IN MATH WHEN WE LOOK AT SEVENTH GRADE.
BUT WE ALSO SEE JUST A TWO PERCENT DECREASE ON THE MEETS AND ABOVE.
AND THEN IN SEVENTH GRADE, READING LIKE THIS IS AMAZING, RIGHT? SO FROM SIX TO SEVENTH GRADE, LIKE A TWO PERCENT ON THE CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTAGE OR TWO POINTS, IT'S NOT PERCENT, RIGHT, THIS IS ABOUT STANDARD DEVIATIONS AND ALL OF THOSE FANCY THINGS THAT DASH WAS SUPPOSED TO ANSWER FOR US.
SO BUT AS WE LOOK AT THAT, THE OTHER THING ABOUT THE CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTAGE IS WE USE THE MEDIAN THERE, NOT THE MEAN.
AND SO THE MEDIAN GIVES US A LITTLE DIFFERENT LOOK BECAUSE IT ALSO TAKES OUT ALL OF THE OUTLIERS.
SO THIS IS LIKE AS A STANDARD FOR THIS GRADE LEVEL.
WE ARE SEEING THAT THEY'RE GROWING FROM SIX TO SEVENTH GRADE.
AND THAT IS REALLY, REALLY ENCOURAGING AS WE MOVE INTO THEIR EIGHTH GRADE YEAR, SPECIFICALLY WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON THE IN OUR CURRICULUM WORK, TARGETED INTERVENTION FOR EIGHTH GRADERS IN THE FALL, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT'S THE GROUP THAT WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE QUINTILES FOR THIS GROUP, SAME THING THAT WE SAW WITH SIXTH GRADE IS IT'S REALLY THOSE STUDENTS RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR GROWTH PERFORMANCE THAT SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING MORE THAN OTHERS, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT A MAJOR DIFFERENCE.
IT'S JUST WHERE WE IDENTIFIED THE MOST NEED.
SO THEN IN EIGHTH GRADE, OUR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE PREDICTED TO BE AT APPROACHES AND ABOVE HAVE DECREASED AS WELL AS THE STUDENTS WHO ARE PREDICTED TO BE AT MEETS AND ABOVE.
BUT EIGHTH GRADE WHEN WE LOOK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER.
SO WE REALLY INVESTIGATED THAT.
SO, LIKE, WHY IS 8TH GRADE THE ONLY ONE THAT KIND OF WENT DOWN IN BOTH AREAS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT MAJOR DECREASE? IT'S NOT MAJOR, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT DECREASE THAN WE SAW CONSISTENTLY ACROSS THE OTHER TWO GRADE LEVELS, BUT WITH A POSITIVE ONE GROWTH.
AND SO WE DID SEE IS THAT OUR GROWTH FOR EIGHTH GRADE IS ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITING BECAUSE WHAT WE SAW HERE IS EACH INDIVIDUAL QUINTILE MADE COMPARABLE GROWTH TO PREVIOUS YEARS.
SO IT'S IT REALLY IS ACROSS THE BOARD.
OUR EIGHTH GRADERS GREW FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR.
SO IN THIS SPECIFIC GRADE LEVEL, WE WILL BE FOCUSING FOR OUR NINTH GRADERS NEXT YEAR.
A FOCUS ON WRITING WILL BE A SPECIFIC FOCUS THROUGHOUT THAT COURSE.
WE USUALLY RELY ON OUR SEVENTH GRADE STAAR WRITING DATA TO HELP PREDICT SOME DIFFERENTIATION AND SOME TARGETED INSTRUCTION FOR NINTH GRADERS BEFORE THEY TAKE THEIR ENGLISH ONE EOC.
AND WITHOUT THOSE STAAR SCORES FROM LAST YEAR, WE REALLY WILL BE FOCUSING ON CURRICULUM SUPPORTS FOR WRITING FOR THOSE FRESHMEN BECAUSE THEIR READING LOOKS REALLY GREAT.
[03:05:02]
SO IT IS A GOOD NEWS HERE AND REALLY ATTRIBUTABLE TO OUR TEACHERS REALLY PROVIDING THAT INTERVENTION THAT IS NEEDED FOR EIGHTH GRADE.SO FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL ELAR IN GENERAL, WE'RE JUST FINISHING UP YEAR TWO OF OUR NEW STANDARDS AND RESOURCE ADOPTION.
SO THIS SUMMER WE ARE GOING TO BE REVISING AND REFRESHING OUR ESSENTIAL STANDARDS THAT WE STARTED WORKING WITH LAST YEAR WILL BE WORKING AND TO PROVIDE OUR ASSESSMENTS THAT ARE ALIGNED BY UNITS AND WE'VE GOT VERTICAL ALIGNMENT TEAMS. WE HAVE CURRICULUM TEAMS RESPONDING TO FEEDBACK, BOTH FROM TEACHERS AND FROM GRADES.
SO IT'S KIND OF WHAT OUR ELAR PICTURE LOOKS LIKE WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT MATH, A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT FOR MATH IS THAT LIKE SARA WAS TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT THE SPECIFIC DATA FOR MATH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO SEE ACROSS THE STATE IN THE COUNTRY IS THAT THE SCORES ARE LOWER IN MATH.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THERE'S ACTUALLY A STUDY REFERENCED BY NWA THAT TALKS ABOUT COVID IMPACT, AND IT REALLY IS TIED TO THAT, YOU DON'T GET BETTER AT DOING MATH BY SITTING DOWN TO DO MATH.
RIGHT? SO YOU REALLY DO NEED FOCUSED INSTRUCTION ON MATH OR MOST PEOPLE DO.
I DON'T GET BETTER AT MATH BY SITTING DOWN AND TRYING TO DO MATH, BUT STUDENTS DO BECOME BETTER READERS AND WRITERS BY READING AND WRITING.
SO THERE IS A CORRELATION TO THE INSTRUCTION IN THE CLASSROOMS AND THE TYPE OF INSTRUCTION AND THE FORMAT OF INSTRUCTION WHEN WE LOOK AT COVID IMPACT BETWEEN READING AND MATH.
SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT [INAUDIBLE], WE'RE GOING LOOK AT IT THE SAME WAY.
OUR SIXTH GRADERS, ALTHOUGH SIXTH GRADE WERE PREDICTED TO PERFORM AT OR ABOVE APPROACHES HAS DECREASED BY TWO.
ADDITIONALLY, THE STUDENTS PROJECTED TO PERFORM AT GRADE LEVEL HAS ALSO DECREASED BY SIX.
SO THAT'S OUR LARGEST PERCENTAGE.
BUT THE DATA FROM THE NWA'S STUDY SHOWS ABOUT FIVE PERCENT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MATH AND READING.
AND THAT'S BASED ON A CONVERSATION THAT I HAD WITH DASH, LIKE LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT ALL OF THESE THINGS.
BUT IT'S ONE OF THE NOTES THAT HE LEFT FOR ME WAS SO THAT DIFFERENCE IN MATH AND READING IS NOT AS MUCH OF A CONCERN AS IT WOULD BE IN A REGULAR YEAR.
OVERALL, FOR THIS GRADE LEVEL, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN GROWTH.
BUT AS WE STUDY THIS FURTHER, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED SOME STUDENTS THAT WILL NEED TO PROVIDE SOME INTERVENTION FOR.
SO, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUINTILES THAT WILL BE REALLY FOCUSING ON AND WHAT COURSES THOSE GO IN.
SO TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT REPORTING CATEGORIES ON MATH, IT'S THE CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH IS GEOMETRY.
AND AS WE LOOK AT SOME OTHER THINGS THAT WE KNOW IN OUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I CAN SHARE WITH YOU IS THAT WHEN WE HAD SCHOOL CLOSURE IN SPRING OF 2020 ALL OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL HANDS ON GEOMETRY UNITS FALL WITHIN THE LAST NINE WEEKS.
SO IT WAS NOT A SURPRISE TO US THIS YEAR THAT WE SAW A LOWER REPORTING CATEGORY ACROSS MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT ALSO IS AN AREA THAT WERE NOT SUPER CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN WE DIDN'T SEE A HUGE INCREASE FROM FALL TO WINTER BECAUSE THEIR UNIT IS STILL IN THE SPRING.
SO WE WILL HOPE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN THAT PERFORMANCE AREA WHEN WE HIT THAT FINAL MAP IN THE SPRING.
SO CAN I JUST ASK YOU A REAL' QUICK QUESTION.
YOU SAID THERE WERE SOME TARGETED GROUPS THAT WOULD NEED INTERVENTION.
SO WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THOSE GROUPS BECAUSE THIS IS LIKE A HUGE, LIKE ZOOM OUT FROM A CURRICULUM PLAN.
SO WE DIDN'T LOOK AT THE GROUPS, AT LEAST FOR THIS REPORT.
WE HAVE LOOKED AT AND TALKED TO CAMPUSES ABOUT SPECIFIC GROUPS ON THEIR CAMPUS BECAUSE THAT ACTUALLY RANGES DIFFERENTLY.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THOSE QUINTILES AND PERFORMANCE GROUPS.
SO WHEN YOU SAY TARGETED GROUPS, YOU MEAN DRILLED ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE CAMPUS LEVEL? WE DID.
OK, SO LET ME GO BACK TO A PREVIOUS STATEMENT THAT YOU MADE ABOUT THE KIDS IN THE MIDDLE BEING THE ONES THAT KIND OF STRUGGLED, I THINK.
SO, ARE YOU SEEING THE SAME ON MATH THAT YOU WITH THAT GROUP OF KIDS AS YOU DO IN READING AND WRITING? AND IF WE ARE WHAT IS THAT INSTRUCTING US? SO FOR SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE, WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE QUINTILES, IT DOESN'T SHOW US EXACTLY THE SAME PICTURE.
SO THERE ARE SOME THAT THE QUINTILE MIGHT BE MOVED OVER JUST A LITTLE BIT.
SO INSTEAD OF IT BEING QUINTILE LIKE TWO AND THREE, IT MIGHT BE QUINTILES THREE AND FOUR.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HELPS US DO IS DRILL DOWN ON WHICH COURSES STUDENTS IN THAT QUINTILE GENERALLY TAKE.
SO AT SECONDARY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT KIND OF MAKES US A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, THAT ELEMENTARY IS INSTEAD OF EVERYONE TAKING THE SAME THING, Y'ALL KNOW FROM ALL
[03:10:01]
OF THE MATH PRESENTATIONS, ESPECIALLY THAT THEY TAKE A LOT OF DIFFERENT COURSES WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MATH.SO WHEN WE LOOK AT SIXTH AND SEVENTH GRADE, SPECIFICALLY, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TAKE THE MAP TEST.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE ALL IN THE SAME COURSES.
SO WE HAVE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS IN ON LEVEL MATH 6TH.
HONORS MATH SIX IS ACTUALLY A COMBINATION, A COMPRESSED STANDARDS BETWEEN SIX AND SEVEN, THE SAME FOR SEVENTH GRADE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO BY LOOKING AT QUINTILES IS WE CAN IDENTIFY STUDENTS BY COURSE WITHIN THOSE QUINTILES TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT DEEPER, TO SEE LIKE IS IT OUR ON LEVEL STUDENTS OR IS IT OUR HONOR STUDENTS WITHIN THOSE? AND WHAT INTERVENTION WILL WE NEED TO PROVIDE IN THE NEXT LEVEL, OF COURSE, FOR THEM? SO THAT'S REALLY INTERESTING.
AND I'M GLAD THAT THEY'RE ARE GOING THROUGH THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL, BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME TO ARTICULATE; I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SAY IT.
THOSE KIDS IN THE MIDDLE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE KIDS TO ME THAT ARE THE HARDEST FOR US TO GET TO ACHIEVE, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU GET IN MIDDLE SCHOOL BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT KIDS DIFFERENTIATING WITH HIGHER LEVEL CLASSES.
YOU'VE GOT INTERVENTION WITH KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
AND WE'VE GOT A WHOLE SLEW OF KIDS IN THE MIDDLE THAT WE CANNOT FORGET ABOUT.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE TRIED TO LOOK AT IT BY QUINTILE AND NOT JUST AN OVERARCHING OR BY SPECIFIC DEMOGRAPHIC, BUT LOOK AT THAT OVERARCHING VIEW SO THAT WE CAN PROVIDE SPECIFIC COURSE INTERVENTION.
AND NOT BECAUSE ESPECIALLY IN MATH, IT LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT.
SO IN ENGLISH, WE REALLY CAN MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON THE GRADE LEVEL.
IN MATH, THEY ARE VERY DIFFERENT COURSES THROUGHOUT.
SO WE HAVE WE HAVE LOOKED AT THAT.
THE OTHER PIECE, WHEN WE SAY STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE, THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO PERFORM OR GROW IN THAT MIDDLE AREA THAT ARE ALSO IN ADVANCED COURSES, RIGHT? I THINK THE MOST ENCOURAGING THING THAT WE SAW IN SOME OF OUR DATA IS THAT OUR STUDENTS, WHO TRADITIONALLY HAVE NOT SHOWN A LOT OF GROWTH THAT ARE IN ONE OF OUR LOWER QUINTILES, HAVE SHOWN THEY'VE GROWN AT LEAST A YEAR OR MORE THAN A YEAR IN THIS YEAR OF LOSS.
SO THE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE OVER THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR, WE'RE STILL SEEING THAT ZERO, WHICH IS EVIDENT FROM THE CHANGE IN GROWTH IN THE RED CHART.
I GOING TO TELL YOU THIS IS SUPER ENCOURAGING TO ME.
ALL THE INFORMATION THAT BOTH THE ELEMENTARY AND SO FAR MIDDLE SCHOOL SUPER ENCOURAGING TO ME IN TERMS OF I THINK THAT THE NARRATIVE IS VERSUS WHAT IS REALITY.
YOU KNOW, THE ASK I WOULD HAVE FOR YOU ALL ON THE MIDDLE AND MAYBE THIS IS FOR SARA AND THERESA IS LET'S LOOK AT THIS AT A COVID YEAR VERSUS A NON COVID YEAR.
A TREND OF THE SAME STUDENT GROUPS WHO AREN'T PROGRESSING AT THE SAME RATE AS OTHER OTHER STUDENT GROUPS.
THAT TO ME IS INDICATIVE OF A LARGER PROBLEM THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START LOOKING BACK AT TRENDS, THAT'S THE ONE THAT I'D LIKE TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M ASKING ON THAT? YEAH.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THOSE QUINTILES MOVING FORWARD, IT DOES HELP US AS SCHOOLS LOOK AT THE INTERVENTION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING SPECIFICALLY, BUT AS A COUSE LEVEL, IT HELPS US HIGHLIGHT THOSE COURSES AS WELL.
BUT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT ARE ALL KIDS GROWING? RIGHT.
SO NOT JUST OUR KIDS AT THE TOP, NOT JUST OUR KIDS THAT ARE HAVE TRADITIONALLY STRUGGLED OR HAD SOME MAYBE DIFFERENCES IN THEIR LEARNING STYLE OR NEEDED INTERVENTION.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT IS WE SHARE ADDITIONAL DATA WITH YOU IS ON MAP, WE HAVE LESS ROOM TO GROW THE CLOSER WE GET TO EIGHTH GRADE.
SO LIKE LAURIE POINTED OUT EARLIER, OUR KINDER TO FIRST HAS THE LARGEST JUMP TO MAKE.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT MAP SCORES, WE DO SHOW SMALLER GAINS AS WE MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE KIDS GENERALLY DON'T HAVE AS FAR TO GO TO THE END OF THAT ASSESSMENT.
SO IT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING.
SO WE TALKED ABOUT SEVENTH GRADE.
OK, SO WHEN WE LOOK AT EIGHTH GRADE, OUR EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS, NOT ALL OF THEM TAKE MAP.
OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN ALGEBRA ONE HONORS OR GEOMETRY HONORS.
SOME CAMPUSES TEST MAP, SOME DO NOT BECAUSE THE STAAR PROJECTION DOES NOT ALIGN TO ALGEBRA ONE.
IT ALIGNS TO EIGHTH GRADE MATH.
SO IT'S JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT.
OUR EIGHTH GRADE INCLUDES SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE IN OUR USUALLY THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE TOP QUARTILE OF MATH OR QUINTILE OF READING, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENT PICTURE OF STUDENTS.
I JUST WANT TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT.
THE DATA IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHEN WE LOOK AT EIGHTH GRADE, BUT OUR STUDENTS ARE PREDICTED TO BE AT APPROACHES AND ABOVE STANDARDS IS DECREASED BY TWO PERCENT IN THAT AREA AND THEN ARE ON GRADE LEVEL.
YOU CAN SEE IT'S GOING FROM FIFTY SEVEN TO FIFTY TWO, WHICH IS ABOUT WHAT IS
[03:15:01]
PROJECTED THROUGH THAT COVID STUDY FROM NWA.SO OUR FOCUS FOR EIGHTH GRADE BASED ON THIS DATA REALLY WILL BE ABOUT ARE ON LEVEL KIDS RIGHT NOW.
AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR ALGEBRA ONE AND ALGEBRA ONE HONORS IN THE FALL FOR NINTH GRADE.
WHAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS DO WE NEED TO PUT IN FOR THEM, INCLUDING GEOMETRY, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GOING INTO ALGEBRA ONE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THOSE STANDARDS POP UP AT DIFFERENT TIMES.
SO WE'LL LOOK AT SCIENCE IF YOU ALL ARE READY LOOK AT SCIENCE.
SO SCIENCE JUST LIKE ELEMENTARY, WE DON'T HAVE THE CONDITIONAL GROWTH INDEX OR PERCENTAGE FOR SCIENCE, AND THE REASON IS LAST YEAR THE WINTER MAP FOR SECONDARY FELL RIGHT AT THAT SPRING BREAK TIME.
SO SOME CAMPUSES HAVE TAKEN IT, AND SOME CAMPUS HADN'T.
SO WEREN'T ABLE TO GET A CLEAN CONDITIONAL GROWTH PERCENTAGE THAT ACTUALLY REFLECTED THE WHOLE DISTRICT.
SO, WHEN WE LOOK AT THESE TWO OUR STUDENTS PREDICTED NOT MEETS REMAINED STEADY WITH JUST A SLIGHT DECREASE IN WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR MEETS AND ABOVE.
AND OUR FOCUS FOR CURRICULUM AND STUDENT SUPPORT NEXT YEAR WILL BE ON FILLING GAPS WHERE STUDENTS WERE UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN HANDS ON SCIENCE.
SO IN SCIENCE, OUR REPORTING CATEGORY, THAT'S THE LOWEST IS EARTH AND SPACE.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS WHERE MOST OF OUR CURRICULUM UNITS FALL IN THE SPRING.
SO WE DO HOPE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN STUDENT GROWTH WITHIN THAT REPORTING CATEGORY.
SO A STUDY OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR HIGH TARGETED AREAS LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO USE DIFFERENT DATA POINTS.
WE DON'T GIVE MATH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
IT'S NOT AN APPROPRIATE ASSESSMENT FOR MOST OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL COURSES.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE SPECIFIC AREAS FOR 9-12 AT A DISTRICT LEVEL, WE'VE ENGAGED IN A STUDY OF EACH CONTENT AREA THAT IS INCLUDED EVALUATING CURRENT AND HISTORICAL GRADE DATA, DISTRICT ASSESSMENT DATA, COLLABORATIVE TEAM FEEDBACK, TEACHER FEEDBACK ON CURRICULUM AND ESSENTIAL STANDARDS, LOTS AND LOTS OF DATA POINTS.
AND SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO CONSIDER ADDITIONAL DATA POINTS AS THEY'RE AVAILABLE, SUCH AS EOC DATA, AP DATA, PSAT 9 AND 10, WHICH NOW HAS A STANDARDS OR TEKS ALIGNMENT, AND ALSO OUR END OF YEAR GRADES FROM '20-21.
SO A COUPLE OF THE OTHER THINGS.
SO THESE ARE THE THREE CONSIDERATIONS THAT I WANT TO KIND OF TALK THROUGH AND GIVE SOME EXAMPLES OF FOR HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR HIGH.
SO WE DO LOOK AT THE TYPE OF COURSE, AND THE SEQUENCE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ELAR AND OUR LOTE COURSES, THOSE STANDARDS SPIRAL ALL THE WAY FROM SPANISH 1 TO SPANISH 4 ENGLISH 1 TO ENGLISH 4.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE COURSES SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AS AT IS PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCAFFOLDING, DIFFERENTIATION BASED ON IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF THE PREVIOUS GRADE LEVEL.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN ELAR, WE'LL BE FOCUSING ON ENGLISH THREE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE THERE COULD BE A GREATER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO NEED TO RETAKE STAAR NEXT YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE A DIFFERENT KIND OF IMPACT ON OUR ENGLISH TEACHER.
SO WHAT KIND OF INTERVENTION WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN AT THAT GRADE LEVEL? AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ENGLISH 2 JUST FROM THE SAME LIKE HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THAT INTERVENTION FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL? TO THE CONTRARY, MANY OF OUR MATH AND SCIENCE COURSES DO NOT HAVE REITERATIVE SKILLS, BUT RATHER BUILD ON ONE OTHER STANDALONE COURSES.
SO WE'VE WORKED HARD TO IDENTIFY WHICH OF THE COURSES WILL NEED SPECIFIC SUPPORT BASED ON CORE SEQUENCE.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN SCIENCE WE HAVE HAD AN INCREASE IN STUDENTS TAKING COURSES SUCH AS LIKE ELECTIVE SCIENCE COURSES SUCH AS ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND IPC IN LIEU OF OUR TRADITIONAL FOUR YEAR SCIENCE PATHWAY.
AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE RESEARCHING, IS WHY ARE WE HAVING STUDENTS MAKE THAT CHOICE? WHY ARE THOSE NUMBERS GOING UP AND WHAT ARE THE INTERVENTIONS THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE FOR THOSE COURSES WITH THOSE TEACHERS? SO WE ALSO LOOK AT THE GRADE LEVEL AND THE LEVEL OF OUR COURSE.
AND SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR OVERALL DATA FROM FAILURE REPORTS ACROSS THE YEAR, WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN THE FAILURE RATE OF SOME OF OUR ON LEVEL COURSES.
IT'S NOT OUT OF PACE WITH, I THINK, WHAT WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE BOARD, BUT WE'VE IDENTIFIED COURSES FOR SPECIFIC INTERVENTION THERE.
SO THERE'S YOU KNOW, GEOMETRY IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND THAT KIND OF PLAYS IN A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AREAS OF CONCERN AS FAR AS JUST GAPS FROM SCHOOL CLOSURE AND THEN ALSO THE GRADE LEVEL THAT COURSE, BECAUSE IT USUALLY IS A YEAR BEFORE THEY'VE HAD EXPLICIT GEOMETRY INSTRUCTION.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT COURSES SUCH AS ENGLISH 2 HONORS AND CHEMISTRY HONORS, BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAST HONORS JUMPING POINT BEFORE YOU GET TO AP.
SO THEN OUR GAPS FROM SCHOOL CLOSURE IN SPRING '20 WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT GEOMETRY, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE BY COURSE AND BY CONTENT AREA AS WELL.
SO ACADEMIC INTERVENTION AT THE SECONDARY HAS TWO MAJOR COMPONENTS.
[03:20:02]
ONE IS WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, ABOUT ACADEMIC INTERVENTION THAT LOOKS LIKE SKILLS AND BUILDING SKILLS, AND THE OTHER IS REALLY ABOUT ON TRACK, ON TIME GRADUATION.SO WE'RE WORKING IN BOTH OF THOSE VEINS TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR KIDS BOTH HAVE GRADE RECOVERY AND SKILL RECOVERY AND REALLY AND TRULY IT IS A POSITIVE OUTLOOK.
I LOVE IT THAT WE'RE GETTING TO SHARE SUCH A POSITIVE OUTLOOK OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE DONE ON TEACHER APPRECIATION DAY.
I THINK THAT I'M JUST CONSTANTLY AMAZED AT THE WAY THAT THEY'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE EXACTLY WHAT STUDENTS NEED.
AND AS WE TALK ABOUT GRADE AND COURSE, DIFFERENT TYPES OF INTERVENTION FOR SECONDARY, THAT LEADS REALLY WELL AS LITTLE SEGUE INTO DR.
GOBER, UNLESS THERE'S ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME.
SO WE'RE GOING TO JUMP RIGHT INTO SOME OF OUR CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAMS THAT WE SET UP.
THIS IS A NEW PROGRAM WE SET UP IN JANUARY WITH PARTNERSHIP WITH ACADEMICS, AND IT'S CALLED ILEAP.
THE ILEAP PROGRAM IS INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR ACADEMIC PROGRESS.
AND SO THIS IS AN ONLINE COURSE PLATFORM WHERE STUDENTS CAN TAKE A PRE ASSESSMENT ON THE COURSE THAT THEY HAVE FAILED AND GET A CUSTOMIZED COURSE ON ONLY THE SKILLS AND OBJECTIVES THAT THEY NEED TO PASS FOR THAT COURSE TO SHOW MASTERY.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER, RIGHT AROUND THE MID TO END OF JANUARY, WE STARTED CLOSE TO TWENTY SIX HUNDRED COURSES.
AND AS OF APRIL 30TH, WE HAD ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THOSE COURSES COMPLETE.
AND IT'S TYPICAL THIS TIME OF YEAR THE KIDS ARE GOING TO START RUSHING TO GET EVERYTHING COMPLETE BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT I'M BRINGING UP ILEAP BECAUSE I HOPE TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE IN SUMMER SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY'RE ABLE TO RECOVER THESE CREDITS DURING SCHOOL.
THE OTHER THING WE STARTED THIS SEMESTER IS CYCLE RECOVERY.
AND SO THE THIRD NINE WEEKS WE STARTED THE CYCLE RECOVERY.
AND YOU CAN DO THAT WITHIN A CYCLE OR RIGHT AFTER THE CYCLE.
SO THAT'S WHERE A SAME TYPE OF PROGRAM WHERE YOU ARE GOING TO GET AN ASSESSMENT ON THAT COURSE AND THE AREAS THAT YOU DID NOT SHOW MASTERY THAT'S THE AREA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKING THAT ONLINE COURSE ON.
SO THAT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA FOR THAT BECAUSE WE'RE STILL IN THE CYCLE.
BUT ANYWAYS, ALL OF THAT HOPEFULLY WILL LEAD TO LESS NUMBERS IN SUMMER SCHOOL.
I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE HAVE THE EXACT SAME PROGRAMS WE'VE HAD IN YEARS PAST.
THESE PROGRAMS ARE WE HAVE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WELL, WE HAVE MANY SCHOOL PROGRAMS. THE FIRST ONE IS OUR TRADITIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL FOR STUDENTS WHO JUST HAVE YET TO SHOW SOME SUCCESS AND SOME COURSES.
WE HAVE OUR LANGUAGE ACADEMY, OUR SUMMER BRIDGE ACADEMY, ENGINEERING AND HIGH SCHOOL, SUMMER SCHOOL, THE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM IS THE ONE I EXPECT TO SEE LOWER NUMBERS THAN IN THE PAST.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE EOC PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT SUCCESSFUL ON THE EOC THE FIRST TIME AND THEN OUR EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S TO MITIGATE REGRESSION FROM OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS.
THAT PROGRAM, BY THE WAY, THE EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR PROGRAM, WILL BE AN IN-PERSON PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S SECONDARY SUMMER SCHOOL.
I'M GOING TO PASS IT TO-- MAY I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? YES, SIR.
SO THE EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM, THAT'LL BE IN PERSON, BUT THE REST OF THEM WILL BE ONLINE? CORRECT.
OK, HOW LONG ARE THESE? LET'S TAKE THE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL.
HOW LONG IS THAT TYPICALLY IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS? I WANT TO SAY 20.
BUT NOT EVERY PROGRAM IS THREE WEEKS.
SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE LIKE ONE WEEK.
OK, DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO FOR CREDIT RECOVERY? WELL, THE HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER SCHOOL IS THE ONLY CREDIT RECOVERY PROGRAM.
SO THAT IS ABOUT THREE WEEKS THREE REALLY WE GIVE THEM A WINDOW TO COMPLETE AN ONLINE COURSE.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONES VARY IN DAYS DEPENDING ON WHAT THEY'RE TRYING ACCOMPLISH? IT COULD BE ONE WEEK TO TWO OR THREE WEEKS, DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAM.
AND I DID WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NOT EVERY PARENT CAN COME SPEAK.
BUT I HAVE HAD PARENTS HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME THAT HAVE STRUGGLED THIS YEAR AND PART OF THE STRUGGLE WAS WITH HYBRID.
AND THEN THEY WERE ABLE TO GET TO FOUR DAYS A WEEK AND WORK ON A 504 AND DO BETTER
[03:25:04]
ON CAMPUS.AND THEY'VE STRUGGLED WITH THE ONLINE TECHNOLOGICAL ASPECT OF THE VIRTUAL LEARNING AND ASYNCHRONOUS DAYS.
AND ONE OF THEIR FRUSTRATIONS WAS THAT THERE WASN'T AN IN-PERSON COMPONENT FOR THE SUMMER SCHOOL.
SO, I WANT TO AT LEAST EXPRESS THOSE THOSE PARENTS HAVE REACHED OUT.
I WANTED TO GIVE THEM A VOICE ON THAT AND LET YOU KNOW THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PARENTS WERE LOOKING FOR AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE AREN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE.
AND I WASN'T SURE IF THAT WAS A LOGISTICAL ISSUE OR COVID RELATED ISSUE.
BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PARENTS HAVE EXPRESSED A DESIRE FOR.
NO, AND WE'VE HEARD THE SAME AS A RECENT.
WILLIAMS WILL BE SHARING ONE OF OUR IDEAS THAT WE HAVE TO START THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO TRY TO GIVE SOME RELIEF FOR THAT.
IT IS THE TIMING--ALL THE ABOVE ARE THE REASONS.
COURTNEY CAN ASK A QUESTION ON THE ILEAP PROGRAM.
YES I GUESS, TWO PART QUESTION.
A.) IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE GOING FORWARD? YES.
AND THEN B.) EXPLAIN TO ME, BECAUSE YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT CREDIT RECOVERY DURING THE SUMMER BEING A SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAM.
I MEAN, WHEN CAN WE USE THE ILEAP PROGRAM? IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ONLY SET GOING FOR WINDOW? OR CAN KIDS WHO NEED CREDIT RECOVERY, CAN WE SAY YOU COME INTO THIS PROGRAM AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET YOUR CREDIT RECOVERY THROUGH HERE? GREAT, GREAT QUESTION.
IT'S ILEAP BECAUSE IT'S DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, BUT IN THE SUMMER, IT'S SUMMER SCHOOL.
SAME PROGRAM, SAME PLATFORM, IT'S JUST WHEN IT'S OFFERED.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE IS, SINCE IT IS AN ONLINE PLATFORM, IS THERE A REASON WHY WE CAN'T OFFER IT? YOU KNOW, KIND OF ON A JUST A CONTINUAL BASIS THAT SOMEBODY COULD COME IN AND SAY, OK, WELL, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T DO THREE WEEKS IN JUNE, BUT I CAN DO TWO COURSES IN JULY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IS THAT AN OPTION FOR THIS PROGRAM OR WOULD THAT NOT BE AVAILABLE? THAT IS AN OPTION.
YOU'RE STEALING SOME OF MY THUNDER FOR THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY UPDATE WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU PRETTY SOON.
[LAUGHTER] BUT YES, THAT IS AN OPTION.
I JUST WANT TO ADD TO IT, YOU KNOW, WITH TRADITIONAL SUMMER SCHOOL AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, I MEAN, IT'S ABOUT OBTAINING CREDITS TOWARDS YOUR GRADUATION.
AND SO BY HAVING ILEAP, WE MOVE AWAY FROM THE WAIT.
LET'S WAIT TO FAIL THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR AND THEN GO TO SUMMER SCHOOL.
WHAT IT ALLOWS STUDENTS TO DO IF THEY'VE HAD A BAD NINE WEEK PERIOD, THEY HAVE AN INDIVIDUALIZED COURSE ON WHAT THEY DID NOT MASTER AND THEN IT ALLOWS THEM TO RECOVER IT.
HIGHEST GRADE IS 70 THAT THEN CAN GET AVERAGED IN BECAUSE IT'S AN AVERAGE PASS FOR THE WHOLE YEAR.
AND SO IT'S MOVING AWAY FROM THE WAIT TO FAIL TO RECEIVE TRUE INTERVENTION BASED ON AREAS AND CONTENT OF WHICH THEY DID NOT MASTER THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
WELL, YOU KNOW, IF YOU FOLLOW KIND OF WHAT COLLEGES ARE DOING NOW AND COLLEGES STILL HAVE THE TRADITIONAL SEMESTERS, BUT THEN YOU CAN DO A MINI MASTER IN MAY, YOU CAN DO A MINI MASTER IN DECEMBER.
AND SO THERE'S ALL THESE OPPORTUNITIES TO TAKE ADDITIONAL HOURS IF YOU NEED TO.
AND SO I WOULD SEE THIS PROGRAM AS BEING SOMETHING KIND OF ANALOGOUS, THAT IF WE CAN TURN IT ON AND OFF AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN JUNE AND IN JULY.
AND SO THESE KIDS WHO NEED THAT WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO JUMP IN AND USE IT YEAR ROUND.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GREAT IDEA.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT CONNECTS BACK TO DR.
GOBER'S PRESENTATION EARLIER ON MOVING THE ACADEMIC SUPPORTS THAT WERE AT GUINN SO KIDS HAD TO GO TO GUINN TO NOW EACH CAMPUS CAN OFFER THEIR OWN PERSONALIZED LEARNING LAB TO THEN SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO MAYBE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO GO IN JUNE OR IT'S GOING TO TAKE THEM A LITTLE MORE TIME THAT ONCE SCHOOL STARTS AND THEY COME BACK, THEY CAN THEN PICK UP IN THAT LAB SETTING FOR THAT ONE COURSE.
WHEN YOU DO YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOU SAY ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE, JUST SAY, I TOLD YOU SO.
GOBER, HOW ARE ALL THESE THINGS FUNDED? ARE THESE JUST LINE ITEMS IN YOUR BUDGET TO PAY FOR THESE DIFFERENT ITEMS. THE SUMMER SCHOOL ITEMS? YEAH.
IS THERE ANY ADA GIVEN FOR SUMMER? SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS ARE FEE BASED.
I KNOW THE ENGINEERING ONE I THINK IS ABOUT ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS.
THE REST OF THEM ARE PROBABLY FREE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN ANSWER THAT RIGHT THIS
[03:30:01]
SECOND, HOW THEY'RE FUNDED.I DO HAVE A BUDGET FOR IT, THOUGH, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
YES, WE DO HAVE A SUMMER SCHOOL BUDGET EVERY YEAR THAT DR.
AND I KNOW THE ENGINEERING PROGRAM IS A FEE BASED PROGRAM.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S COVERING THE FULL COST OF IT ALL, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE FREE, WE HAVE A BUDGET FOR THAT.
YOU APPROVED THE BUDGET FOR THAT.
SO NOW I'LL SHARE JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ELEMENTARY SUMMER SUPPORT, THESE ARE THE PROGRAMS OFFERED AND EVEN THOUGH TEACHERS HAVE BEEN WORKING ON INTERVENTIONS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, SOME STUDENTS NEED MORE INTERVENTION AND SUPPORT THROUGH THE SUMMER.
SO AS LAURIE AND ASHLEY MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE'RE USING DATA AND WILL CONTINUE TO USE THE END OF THE YEAR DATA TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC KIDS, TO INVITE TO SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS FOR THE ONES WHO NEED THE ACCELERATION.
AND THAT'S AN ONGOING IN PROCESS.
RIGHT NOW, CAMPUSES ARE BEGINNING TO WORK WITH FAMILIES TO GET STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THOSE PROGRAMS THAT THEY NEED TO SUPPORT THEIR GROWTH.
SO AS WE THINK ABOUT RETURN TO SCHOOL AND STUDENT SUPPORTS, LAURIE AND ASHLEY SHARED WITH YOU DURING THEIR PIECE OF THE PRESENTATION SOME OF THE WORK IN THE TARGETED AREAS THAT THE ACADEMIC SERVICES TEAM WILL BE FOCUSING ON FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND AS YOU ALSO HEARD FROM THEM, ACCORDING TO OUR DATA, REALLY THE IMPACTS OF COVID ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT WERE NOT THE BLANKET DECLINES THAT MANY HAD EXPECTED, WHICH WAS AGAIN, A PLEASANT DISCOVERY.
BUT THEY WERE UNEVEN ACROSS SUBJECTS AND GRADE LEVELS.
AND OF COURSE, WE SAW THAT MATH WAS HIT WORSE THAN READING.
SO WE HAVE A GREAT START ON THIS DATA ANALYSIS, AS YOU CAN TELL BY THEIR REPORTS WHAT THEIR TEAMS HAVE ALREADY DUG INTO.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THE DATA AS WE LOOK AT THE END OF THE YEAR ASSESSMENTS AND STAAR WHATEVER STAAR DATA WE'RE ABLE TO GET BACK.
BUT WE KNOW THAT MOVING INTO NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, THERE'S A CRITICAL NEED, PERHAPS MORE THAN EVER, FOR CLEAR DATA TO REALLY CONTINUE TO ASSESS WHERE STUDENTS ARE FALLING BEHIND AND TO GUIDE WHERE WE NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
SO WE'RE EAGER TO GET THOSE STUDENTS BACK IN CLASS WITH TEACHERS IN A MORE NORMAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN BE RIGHT THERE AND TRACK THEIR LEARNING AS THEY'RE GOING.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT OTHER THINGS IMPACT LEARNING, AS HAS BEEN MENTIONED TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, ATTENDANCE, ENGAGEMENT, COMPLETION OF ASSIGNMENTS, GETTING THEIR GRADES TURNED IN, ALL THOSE THINGS COMBINED, AS WELL AS THAT SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING.
SO THESE ARE ALL PIECES THAT ARE IN THE WORKS WE'RE FOCUSING ON AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL.
THEY ARE ALSO FOCUSING ON BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT THEIR RETURN TO SCHOOL PLANS.
WE HAVE MENTIONED TO YOU THE MULTITIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORT, IMPLEMENTATION AND HOW THE ACADEMIC RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PART OF THAT.
AND WE'RE BUILDING UP A REALLY WELL-DEFINED SYSTEM FOR SECONDARY CAMPUSES NEXT YEAR WITH CHECKPOINTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR FOR DATA POINTS TO MEASURE THAT PROGRESS.
SO EACH CAMPUS IS BEGINNING TO THINK ABOUT NEXT YEAR AND THOSE WELCOME BACK ACTIVITIES.
WILLIAMS WILL BE SHARING A LITTLE MORE.
I DIDN'T PUSH THE BUTTON ALL THE WAY.
DO WE STILL HAVE THE SIGT SUMMER INSTITUTE FOR GIFTED AND TALENTED? WELL, IT HAS A NEW NAME BECAUSE IT'S VIRTUAL THIS YEAR.
SO JUST PLAIN OLD REMOTE ENRICHMENT PROGRAM FOR SUMMER.
SO JUST TO WRAP UP, [INAUDIBLE] HAD SHARED WITH US THE EXCITEMENT OF RECEIVING OR NOW HAVING ACCESS TO OUR ESSER FUNDS AND OUR ALLOCATION FROM THE STATE WAS FORTY THREE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS.
AND WE'LL BE USING THESE ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO HELP SUPPORT OUR RETURN TO SCHOOL, SUPPORTING STUDENTS, LEARNING NEEDS AS WELL AS THEIR SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL NEEDS.
SO JUST TO BRIEFLY, AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE, TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR THIS ONE TIME FUNDING, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SAY, IS THAT IT'S A ONE TIME THING.
AND SO SOME OF THESE DOLLARS WILL BE ABLE TO USE THROUGH 2023, I BELIEVE.
AND SO THINKING ABOUT SOME THINGS SHORT TERM NEXT YEAR AND POSSIBLY THE FOLLOWING SUMMER, BUT SOME RETURN TO SCHOOL ACTIVITIES AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, FOCUSING ON BOTH ACADEMICS AND STUDENT WELLNESS, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS AND PROGRAMS AROUND CTE AND SUMMER PROGRAMING, ADDITIONAL STAFF TO SUPPORT LITERACY AND DYSLEXIA.
ANY LEARNING GAPS THAT WE MAY HAVE FOR STUDENTS, ADDITIONAL TRAINING OR
[03:35:03]
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR STAFF, ENHANCED TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ALL ONLINE LEARNING FOR STUDENTS AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES NOT ONLY FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT ALSO FOR FAMILIES AS THEY PREPARE TO TRANSITION TO COME BACK.THIS IS NOT LISTED ON THE SLIDES, BUT ALSO THOSE FUNDS CAN BE USED TOWARDS FACILITY REPAIRS AND ANY OTHER WAYS TO MITIGATE ANY HEALTH HAZARDS OR TO SUPPORT HEALTH NEEDS OF STUDENTS.
SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
WE'RE GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO USE AND HAVE THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THIS DIFFERENT TYPE OF BACK TO SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL BE APPROACHING THIS NEXT YEAR.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
JUST HOW EXCITED ARE YOU TO HAVE THIS MONEY? THIS IS KIND OF A ONCE IN A GENERATION THING.
IT'S DEFINITELY A GIFT AND, YOU KNOW, AS RANDY TALKED ABOUT IT AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL TWENTY FOUR MILLION DOLLAR DEFICIT IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET, HAVING ACCESS TO THIS REALLY POSITIONS US IN A BETTER PLACE THAN WERE SEVERAL WEEKS AGO, NOT KNOWING WHAT WE WOULD GET AND HOW.
I THINK ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING, TOO, THAT WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR IS THAT USUALLY WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS WERE SUBJECT TO THE SUPPLEMENT SUPPLANT RULE, AND WERE ABLE TO DO SOME SUPPLANTING WITH THESE DOLLARS SO THE RULES ARE A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBLE THAN THEY HAVE BEEN WITH LIKE TITLE I OR TITLE III OR SOME OF OUR OTHER FEDERAL FUNDS.
BUT WE'RE STILL HOPING THESE WILL BE ADDITIVE PROGRAMS FOR KIDS? YES.
I SEE YOU KIND OF SMILING, DR.
YOU HAVE SOME REAL PLANS FOR THIS MONEY? OK.
RANDY IS STILL WEARING HIS MASK, HOWEVER.
[LAUGHTER] SO WE'RE FINALIZING OUR PLANS.
AND THAT APPLICATION IS IS DUE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND WE WILL BE SHARING THAT WITH THE BOARD PROBABLY IN A BOARD UPDATE.
SO, THERESA OR MAYBE RANDY KNOWS THE ANSWER.
JUST IS THE APPLICATION ONEROUS OR IS IT SOMEWHAT SIMPLE? I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.
I HAVEN'T OPENED IT UP COMPLETELY TO SEE, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE THAT WE'RE PROVIDED WITH QUITE A BIT OF FLEXIBILITY AS FAR AS HOW WE CAN USE THE DOLLARS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
NO, I WOULD AGREE, I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, IT DOES LOOK LIKE IT'S PRETTY FLEXIBLE.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS AND WITH OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND, YOU KNOW, COME UP WITH IDEAS.
BUT IT LOOKS PRETTY FLEXIBLE AT THIS POINT.
AND EVEN THOUGH THESE ARE ONE TIME DOLLARS, HOPEFULLY THEY CAN HELP YOU BUILD SYSTEMS OR CURRICULUM OR OTHER PROCESSES THAT WILL THEN OUTLAST THIS MONEY.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO? TAMMY, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO THINK STRATEGICALLY AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE WISH WE COULD DO BEFORE THAT, NOW WE WILL BE ABLE TO CONSIDER.
RIGHT, WELL, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT, WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA.
YOU WANT TO STAND AND STRETCH? SURE.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THE INTRODUCTION THEN.
[11.D. Review of Community, Student, and Staff Listening Rounds]
NOW WE WILL HEAR A REVIEW OF COMMUNITY STUDENT AND STAFF LISTING ROUNDS.SUPERINTENDENT BONSER WILL BEGIN THE PRESENTATION.
SUPERINTENDENT BONSER, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT RICHARDS.
I FIRST WANT TO JUST START OUT BY GIVING A SINCERE THANKS TO THE.
TO THE BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN ALL THE LISTENING ROUNDS, BUT THEN REALLY TO THANK ALL OF THE PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS WHO PROVIDED THEIR FEEDBACK FOR THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT, THE VOICES FROM OUR COMMUNITY WILL HELP SHAPE OUR WORK TOGETHER AROUND THE ISSUES OF BULLYING, HARASSMENT, DIVERSITY, INCLUSION AND ACTS OF RACIAL HATRED.
WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS, AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK TIRELESSLY TO PUT THEM FIRST IN OUR PROCESS.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE TRIED TO CAPTURE THE ESSENCE OF THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED, IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO INCLUDE EVERY STATEMENT THAT WAS RECORDED IN THE NOTES.
SO OUR GOAL WAS TO TAKE THE COMBINED LISTENING ROUNDS, INFORMATION AND SHARE
[03:40:05]
WHAT, THE BEST THAT WE COULD, THEMES THAT EMERGED AND THEN SOME OF THE FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS THAT WERE PROVIDED AND THE LISTENING ROUNDS REALLY WERE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO SHARE WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE US TO KNOW AND HOW TO HELP PROVIDE SUGGESTIONS TO THE DISTRICT THAT THEY'RE THINKING OF.AND WE SO APPRECIATE THAT THE LISTENING ROUNDS WERE NOT USED AS A TIME FOR THE DISTRICT TO RESPOND TO THE FEEDBACK.
AND THIS PRESENTATION DOES NOT INCLUDE DISTRICT ACTIONS RELATED TO WHAT WE HEARD IN THE LISTENING ROUNDS.
IT DID NOT ALSO ADDRESS EXISTING POLICIES, CURRENT PRACTICES OR PROCEDURES, WE DIDN'T RESPOND IN THAT WAY IN THESE ROUNDS.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY'S KIND OF CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE NEXT STEP IN THE PROCESS IS TO SHARE WHAT WE'VE LEARNED TONIGHT WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, AND THEN LOOKING AT ANY ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE, I THINK, THREE ROUNDS LEFT TO HOLD BEFORE WE COMPLETE ALL ROUNDS.
MOVING FORWARD WILL UTILIZE THIS INPUT TO REVIEW THEMES THAT HAVE EMERGED AND TO EVALUATE AND ENHANCE WHERE APPROPRIATE OR TO UPDATE POLICIES OR PROCEDURES AS THE DISTRICT SEES THE NEED.
AND SO AS WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, WE WILL PAUSE AFTER EACH THEME SECTION FOR DISCUSSION AS THE BOARD SEES FIT.
SO THE FORMAT OF OUR LISTENING ROUNDS AND YOU ALL WERE THERE, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC, I DON'T KNOW, I'M NOT GETTING A CLICK.
AT THE END OF ALL THIS, WE WILL HAVE CONDUCTED THIRTY FOUR ROUNDS AND MOST OF THE ROUNDS WERE 90 MINUTES.
SOME OF THE SMALLER GROUP SESSIONS, LIKE WE HAD ONE SESSION WHERE WE ONLY HAD LIKE SIX PEOPLE IN AROUND.
SOME OF THOSE CONCLUDED WITHIN ABOUT AN HOUR AND THEY WERE ALL CONDUCTED VIA.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE HAVE THIRTY ONE COMPLETE AND THREE TO GO.
AND WE DID HAVE ESTABLISHED NORMS THAT WE SHARED WITH EACH GROUP.
AND WE'RE DELIGHTED WITH THE PARTICIPATION OF ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE WITH US FOLLOWING THE NORMS THAT WERE IN THE ROOM, THE SUPERINTENDENT MYSELF, THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER, DR. WILLIAMS AND CABINET MEMBERS AND BOARD MEMBERS ATTENDED EACH AND EVERY SESSION IN THE BREAKOUT ROOMS. WE ALSO HAD A FACILITATOR AND A NOTE TAKER IN EACH SESSION AND WE RECORDED COMMENTS, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS EVENING.
AND THEN JUST NOTING AGAIN THAT THESE ROUNDS WERE NOT USED FOR US TO TALK, BUT FOR US TO LISTEN, AND THAT THIS PRESENTATION DOES NOT REALLY INCLUDE ANY ACTIONS REGARDING EXISTING POLICIES, CURRENT PRACTICES OR PROCEDURES, BECAUSE THAT WASN'T THE POINT OF LISTENING ROUNDS THEMSELVES.
SO A LITTLE BIT OF STATISTICS.
WE HAD 15 ROUNDS WITH PARENTS, WE HAD ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FIVE PARENTS SIGN UP AND EVERY ONE OF THEM WAS IN A ROUND.
THE ROUNDS RANGED BETWEEN I SAID, I THINK SOME OF THE SMALLER GROUPS WERE AROUND SIX.
SOME OF THE LARGER GROUPS WE LIMITED TO, WE REALLY TRIED TO KEEP IT AT 15 SO THAT EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK.
WE HAD STAFF ROUNDS AND THEN OUR PLANO AFRICAN-AMERICAN EDUCATOR GROUP, WE HAD SEVEN ROUNDS WITH STAFF FOR A TOTAL OF EIGHTY NINE PARTICIPANTS AT ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SECONDARY STUDENTS.
WE HAD THREE GROUPS OF THIRTY FOUR KIDS.
WE HAD MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS AND WE HAD HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR HIGH KIDS.
AND THEN WE HAD NINE DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE MET WITH FOR A TOTAL OF 50 PARTICIPANTS FROM THOSE GROUPS AND THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THEY SUBMITTED THE MEMBERS THAT THEY WISH TO ATTEND FROM THEIR GROUP.
SO THIRTY FOUR ROUNDS, THREE HUNDRED AND FORTY EIGHT PEOPLE PARTICIPATING.
AND SO WE ALSO DID DO ONE SPANISH SPEAKING SESSION AND APPRECIATE TRUSTEE WEAVER FOR FOR HIS PARTICIPATION AS A BOARD MEMBER IN THE SPANISH SPEAKING ROUND WITH TRANSLATION.
AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THERESA FOR THE NEXT.
SO SARA STATED, THESE WERE THE COMMUNITY GROUPS THAT WE MET WITH, THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO RECONNECT.
AND AS WE'VE WORKED WITH WE'VE WORKED WITH SOME OF THESE GROUPS IN THE PAST.
[03:45:04]
AND SO WE HAD OUR DAT COMMITTEE OR COUNCIL PTA'S GALA, LULAC, NAACP, OUR ROTARY CLUBS AND PLANO COMMUNITY FORUM, MCOR, AND OUR COMMUNITY FAITH LEADERS.AND THEY PROVIDED US GREAT FEEDBACK.
AND WERE SO GRATEFUL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THESE ROUNDS.
AS CONVERSATION STARTERS, WE HAD GUIDING QUESTIONS FOR EACH GROUP AND THEY WERE SLIGHTLY TAILORED AND ADJUSTED SO THAT THEY WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS, STAFF AND COMMUNITY PARTICIPANTS WERE INVITED TO SHARE ANYTHING THAT THEY WANTED OUTSIDE OF THESE QUESTIONS.
SO THIS WAS JUST TO GENERATE CONVERSATION IN THE ROOM AND, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ALLOWED TO PRETTY MUCH SHARE ANYTHING THAT THEY HAD ON THEIR MIND, EITHER RELATIVE TO THE QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING THAT THEY WANTED TO SHARE OUTSIDE OF THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THIS JUST ALLOWED US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS AND QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND SUGGESTIONS.
AS WE COMPILED ALL OF THE NOTES AND THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS AND LOTS OF NOTES, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL WAS TO LISTEN AND WE TOOK ALL OF THE NOTES AND WE COMPILED AND REVIEWED.
AND AS WE STARTED TO REVIEW, THESE WERE THE CATEGORIES THAT EMERGED.
AND SO AS WE SHARE OUR SUGGESTIONS AND FEEDBACK FROM EACH GROUP, IT'S UNDER THESE CATEGORIES.
SO WE GROUPED IT UNDER COMMUNICATION, COMMUNITY, CURRICULUM, PERSONNEL, POLICY, PROCEDURES, STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING TRAINING AND PARENT RESOURCES.
SO I'M GOING TO KICK US OFF WITH THE FIRST THEME, WHICH IS COMMUNICATION.
AND YOU WILL BE THANKFUL TO KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO READ THE SLIDES.
BUT COMMUNICATION WAS ONE OF THEMES THAT EMERGED FROM THE LISTENING ROUNDS.
AND YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP MAYBE WITH TRAINING OR STUDENT WELLNESS OR WELL-BEING.
BUT REALLY, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN KIND OF BOIL IT DOWN TO PARENTS WANT MORE INFORMATION.
THEY WANT TO KNOW AND THEY WANT INFORMATION THAT HELPS THEM UNDERSTAND HOW THE REPORTING WORKS, WHAT CAN BE EXPECTED FROM THE PROCESS AND HOW TO FOLLOW UP THROUGHOUT THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS WITH PARENTS.
THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND THEY WANT FOR RESEARCH, RESOURCES AND INFORMATION TO BE READILY AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
AND WE HEARD VERY SIMILAR THEMES FROM STAFF IS THEY WANT TO CLEARLY UNDERSTAND HAVE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PROCESSES AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
SO SOME COMMON, SOME COMMONALITIES THERE.
SO OUR LISTENING ROUNDS ALSO PROVIDED INPUT TO OUR BACK ONE.
SORRY, THINGS PROVIDED INPUT THAT OUR COMMUNITY WOULD LIKE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT BEHAVIORS ARE EXPECTED OF STUDENTS AND STAFF ALIKE AND THAT THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING OF EACH OF THEIR ROLE.
SO PARENTS STATED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND BETTER WHAT TRAINING TEACHERS AND STUDENTS RECEIVE SO THEY HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THEMSELVES.
AND THAT'S A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY.
ONE OF THE MOST RECURRING DISCUSSIONS WE HEARD WAS THAT PARENTS DID UNDERSTAND THE RESTRICTIONS OF PRIVACY LAWS THAT PREVENT THE DISTRICT FROM SHARING SPECIFIC STUDENT CONSEQUENCES.
BUT THEY DID SAY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE MORE INFORMATION.
AND WERE NOT CLEAR ON WHAT THE RANGE OF CONSEQUENCES WOULD BE FOR STUDENTS ENGAGING IN ACTS OF BULLYING, HARASSMENT OR RACIAL HATRED.
AND SO CERTAINLY THOSE WERE THOSE WERE FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS.
THE ROUNDS ALSO SAID THAT BOTH PARENTS AND STUDENTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THIS TYPE OF INFORMATION AND THAT THOSE TYPES OF COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES WOULD HELP BUILD TRUSTING AND STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SCHOOL AND HOME.
EACH STAKEHOLDER GROUP STATED ALSO THAT THEY LIKED THE LISTENING ROUNDS FORMAT AND WERE ENCOURAGING US TO CONSIDER USING THIS STRATEGY OF ZOOMING WITH GROUPS OR SMALL GROUPS OF STAKEHOLDERS ON OTHER TOPICS IN THE FUTURE AND USE IT AS A STRATEGY FOR COMMUNICATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, ANOTHER KEY TAKEAWAY FROM THE COMMUNICATIONS SEGMENT IS THAT THE PARENTS NEED TO HAVE ADEQUATE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON A CAMPUS SO THAT THEY KNOW HOW TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR CHILD.
AND, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE EXAMPLES OF THAT WAS IF I GET A LETTER ABOUT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AT THE SCHOOL, BUT I DON'T KNOW, EVEN LIKE WHAT GRADE LEVEL IT IS, I DON'T
[03:50:04]
KNOW, LIKE, DO I HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH MY CHILD ABOUT IT? IT IT WAS ANOTHER GRADE LEVEL, THEN MAYBE I'LL HANDLE THAT CONVERSATION DIFFERENTLY.AND SO COULD WE BE MORE STRATEGIC, ABOUT GIVING AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN WITHOUT CROSSING THE LINE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS TO SUPPORT WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
THEY JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION TO BE EMPOWERED TO DO THAT.
AND THEN IN ADDITION, SOME OTHER COMMUNICATION SUGGESTIONS THAT SURFACED WERE CONTINUING TO PROVIDE COMPUTER WI-FI ACCESS, BECAUSE WE DO SEND COMMUNICATION TO FAMILIES VIA ELECTRONIC MEANS.
SOMETIMES YOU SEND A VIDEO, YOU SEND AN EMAIL, YOU SEND A LETTER.
AND SO IN ORDER TO ACCESS THOSE EMAILS AND THINGS, PARENTS NEED TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND THEN ALSO MULTILINGUAL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITH COMMUNICATION ON AN ONGOING BASIS.
SO THOSE WERE KIND OF THE IN A NUTSHELL, TALKING THROUGH WITHOUT READING THE SLIDES, THE COMMUNICATION THEMES.
AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD, ANYTHING YOU HEARD THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
SO I WANT TO START BY TALKING ABOUT THE SPANISH SPEAKING SESSION, LISTENING AROUND THAT I DID, AND ABOUT THE MULTILINGUAL SUPPORT THAT YOU MENTIONED.
I THINK THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
I THINK THE SESSION KIND OF ACTED AS A MICROCOSM OF THEIR EXPERIENCE, NOT JUST WITH PLANO ISD, BUT IN GENERAL.
I THINK THAT THERE'S DIFFICULTY ACCESSING THE TECHNOLOGY.
THERE WAS DIFFICULTY EXPRESSING THEIR CONCERNS, DIFFICULTY IN SOCIAL NORMS AND ETIQUETTE ETIQUETTE.
AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THE STAFF ON THE CALL HANDLED IT BEAUTIFULLY AND THAT THEY WERE PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, KIND OF RESOURCES IN REAL-TIME BECAUSE THERE WAS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, A NEED FOR THAT.
AND ONE THING THAT WAS EXPRESSED IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE DIFFICULTIES COMMUNICATING WITH THE CAMPUSES.
THEY HAVE DIFFICULTIES FINDING THE RESOURCES FOR THEIR KIDS.
AND IN PARTICULAR, IT WAS KIND OF LIKE TEENAGE BOYS OR TEENAGE GIRLS, LIKE THEY SAID, LOOK, I KNOW I NEED HELP.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE OR HOW TO ACCESS THEM.
AND SO KIND OF SEEING THAT IN REAL TIME AND BEING A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION AND SEEING THE BOTH THE FRUSTRATION BY THE PARENTS, BUT ALSO THE HOPE THAT WAS OFFERED BY THE DISTRICT AND THEIR RESPONSE, I THINK WAS GREAT.
AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT KIND OF SEES SOME OF THIS STUFF MUCH MORE OFTEN THAN TRUSTEES DO, BUT THIS WAS THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR ME TO SEE THAT AND, YOU KNOW, REALIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF MULTILINGUAL SERVICES AT EVERY CAMPUS AND BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES.
AND SARA, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE STATISTIC, HOW MANY LANGUAGES ARE SPOKEN IN PISD? ONE HUNDRED AND THREE? SO A LOT AND SO, YOU KNOW, JUST HAVING THOSE IN PLACE SO EVERY FAMILY CAN BE NOT JUST SUPPORTED BUT HAVE EQUAL ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT THEY'RE ENTITLED TO.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS THEIR COMMUNITY, TOO.
SO IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE RESPONSE FROM THE DISTRICT WAS GREAT.
AND I KNOW THAT THE FEEDBACK FROM THAT LISTENING ROUND WILL ENHANCE OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE WRAPAROUND SERVICES AND OTHER COMMUNICATION ON AND OFF THE CAMPUS.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK PROBABLY ALL OF US HEARD COMMUNICATION, I WOULD SUSPECT THIS WAS THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE ALL HEARD.
AND AS I WAS LISTENING OR PARTICIPATING IN OUR LISTENING ROUNDS, I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, THERE'S A DISCONNECT HERE BECAUSE I THINK WE DO A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF PROVIDING INFORMATION.
AND SO IF OUR PARENTS ARE TELLING US WE WANT MORE INFORMATION, PERHAPS THE TAKE AWAY FROM THIS, FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IS EFFECTIVENESS OF OUR COMMUNICATION.
AND SO IS THAT WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON? BECAUSE I THINK WE REALLY DO PUT A LOT OF INFORMATION.
I MEAN, IF YOU EVER GO TO OUR WEBSITE, IT'S TOO MUCH INFORMATION.
AND SOMETIMES I THINK MAYBE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN INEFFECTIVE METHOD OF COMMUNICATION WHEN YOU PUSH OUT SO MUCH INFORMATION.
AND SO THERE'S A REAL BALANCE THAT HAS TO BE STRUCK WITH PROVIDING COMPLETE TRANSPARENCY, BUT AT THE SAME TIME MAKING SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS RELEVANT AND THAT THE PARENTS RECEIVE THE INFORMATION.
AND I HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT COMMUNICATION NOW WITH THE NEW PLATFORM WE ARE PURCHASING.
WE ARE APPROACHING THE LET'S TALK WHERE WE HAVE A BETTER ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WHEN PARENTS SEND AN EMAIL, THEY WANT A RELEVANT RESPONSE FAST, SO
[03:55:06]
IF WE CAN DO THAT WITH THE HELP OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THEN WE IMPROVE THE IMPRESSION THAT WE'RE NOT BEING RESPONSIVE, NOT FAST ENOUGH.AND I'M HOPING TO IMPROVE THIS COMMUNICATION SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE NEW PLATFORM.
AND I THINK IT'S PARTLY, WHAT I TOOK AWAY TOO WAS NOT NECESSARILY ALL THE DISTRICT COMMUNICATION.
I MEAN, THEY WANT THAT TOO, BUT THEY REALLY WANT IT AT THE CAMPUS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THEIR RELATIONSHIP, YOU KNOW, MORE SO BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
AND SO HOW DOES THE TEACHER COMMUNICATE? WHAT DO THEY COMMUNICATE? HOW OFTEN DO THEY COMMUNICATE? WHAT IS THE FOLLOW UP WHEN SOMETHING HAPPENS? YOU KNOW, I HAD ONE PARENT JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, IF MY CHILD IS INVOLVED IN SOMETHING, THE FIRST THING I WANT TO DO IS I WANT TO HEAR A CARING VOICE.
I DON'T WANT AN EMAIL LIKE CALL ME UP AND TALK TO ME BECAUSE I KNOW YOU LOVE MY KID.
SO JUST LET ME HEAR YOUR VOICE.
AND I JUST THINK SOME OF THOSE SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS ABOUT COMMUNICATION ARE REALLY WELL, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE CAN DO THOSE THINGS TO HELP OUR PARENTS.
BUT I ALSO THINK THE FOLLOW UP, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE WHAT IS HAPPENING, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE STATUS, EVEN IF IT'S WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE KIND OF INFORMATION THAT OUR PARENTS WANT TO HAVE, IS JUST TELL US WHAT HAPPENED AND THEN TELL US WHERE WE ARE WITH IT, AND THEN I CAN FEEL BETTER ABOUT EVERYTHING.
WELL, THAT'S NOT UNIQUE TO EDUCATION.
THAT'S THE CORPORATE WORLD AS WELL.
AND ALL OF US CAN TELL YOU THAT I COACH OUR ASSOCIATES.
YOU ANSWER, YOU RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.
AND IF YOU DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER OR IF YOU NEED TIME, YOU TELL A CLIENT THAT.
AND THESE ARE OUR CLIENTS AND WE HAVE TO TREAT THEM THAT WAY.
I JUST ALSO WANT TO MENTION SO SOME OF OUR PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, COUNSELORS ARE NOT COMFORTABLE MAKING PHONE CALLS TO PARENTS.
I THINK THEY NEED MORE RESOURCES AND TRAINING HANDLING THIS COMMUNICATION.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I HEARD WHAT YOU KNOW, ONE FORMER PRINCIPAL ACTUALLY SAID SHE WAS ACTUALLY TRAUMATIZED AFTER A CALL TO A PARENT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ALL THE NEGATIVITY AND DIRECTED AT HER AND THAT'S WHY SHE ACTUALLY QUIT BEING A PRINCIPAL, STOPPED PURSUING THE ADMINISTRATIVE JOB.
AND FOR ME, THIS IS A CULTURAL SHOCK IN THE SENSE EVEN THOUGH I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, BECAUSE IN MY CULTURE WHERE I GREW UP, YOU NEVER I MEAN, WE RESPECT TEACHERS.
THAT'S EDUCATION TEACHER IS ALMOST SACRED.
YOU KNOW, IF A TEACHER CALLED ME, YOU KNOW, FIRST THING I BLAME IS MY KID.
[LAUGHTER] SO I WOULD NEVER THINK TO TALK DISRESPECTFULLY, LET ALONE ABUSE A TEACHER.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF PROBABLY NEED SOME SUPPORT AND TRAINING IN HOW TO HANDLE THIS.
AND I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT COMMUNICATION, BECAUSE BEING ON SEVERAL OF THE LISTENING ROUNDS, I AGREE WITH SARA THAT WHEN THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNICATIONS, THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE COMMUNICATION AT THE CAMPUS LEVEL.
ALSO, SORRY, [INAUDIBLE] CONVERSATION, I THINK OF ONE THING.
COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT, THE WAY IT'S PERSONAL, IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
I MEAN, MY KIDS STILL RECEIVE THAT POSTCARD FROM HER SECOND GRADE TEACHER, ANNIE.
I MEAN, SHE STILL RECEIVES IT AND ALSO PARENTS, I REMEMBER WHEN MY KIDS WERE A VERY YOUNG AGE TEACHER COMMUNICATION INCLUDES A NOTEBOOK THAT'S CARRIED IN MY KID'S BACKPACK BACK AND FORTH FROM THE TEACHER TO SCHOOL, THE KIDS DOESN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO READ IT.
SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, SHE DID THIS AT HOME AND SHE READ THIS BOOK.
SHE LIKES WHAT? AND I SAID MY NAME.
AND TEACHER WOULD SENT BACK THE SAME BOOK THAT IS SIGNED IT'S A PERSONAL NOTE, ALMOST LIKE EVERY OTHER DAY, EVEN EVERY WEEK, NOTHING GOING ON.
BUT THE TEACHER ALWAYS FINDS SOMETHING NICE TO SAY OR SOME REMINDERS TO ME.
AND I THINK THAT KIND OF COMMUNICATION IS ALWAYS WELCOMED AND IT'S JUST
[04:00:06]
LITTLE THINGS THAT BUILD RELATIONSHIPS THAT ENCOURAGES RESPONSIBLE PARENTING BECAUSE YOU CARE AND PARENTS SEE THAT.SO I WAS GOING TO JUMP IN AND SAY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD ABOUT COMMUNICATION IS THAT.
PARENTS FELT LIKE STUDENTS NEEDED TO KNOW AND BE COMMUNICATED TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO GO TO A TRUSTED ADULT ON CAMPUS WHEN THEY NEED THAT.
SO THAT WAS PART OF THE COMMUNICATION THAT I HAD HEARD.
AND LISTENING TO WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING TONIGHT AND HEARING ALSO THAT THE LISTENING ROUNDS IS SOMETHING PEOPLE WANT TO REPEAT, HOW INTERESTING WOULD IT BE FOR CAMPUS PRINCIPALS TO LEAD LISTENING ROUNDS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES? THAT DID COME UP AS WELL THAT DID COME UP AS WELL? I MEAN, TO HEAR WHAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING.
SO I WANTED TOUCH ON SOMETHING THAT NANCY SAID AND SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AND I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING.
ONE DAY I DID A MIDDLE SCHOOL LISTENING ROUND, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY I DID A LISTENING ROUND WITH PLANO COMMUNITY FORUM.
AND A LOT OF THE SAME SENTIMENTS WERE ECHOED.
AND ONE OF THE STATEMENTS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, THE COMBINATION OF THOSE TWO WAS THAT BOTH FROM THESE ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND ALSO THESE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS EXPERIENCING IT EVERY DAY WAS THAT STUDENTS WANT OR NEED SOMEONE THAT BELIEVES IN THEM, AN ADULT ON CAMPUS, MORE THAN THEY NEED SOMEONE TO BELIEVE IN THEIR DESIRE, SUPPORT, AND THEY DESIRE SOMEONE THAT BELIEVES IN THEM.
AND WHEN THEY KNOW THERE'S SOMEBODY ON CAMPUS, AN ADULT THAT BELIEVES IN THEM, THEY KNOW THEY HAVE SOMEONE THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH AND SOMEBODY THAT CARES ABOUT THEIR SUCCESS AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THOUGHT THAT WAS SO PROFOUND AND IT MADE ME REFLECT ON THE TEACHERS I HAD ON CAMPUS THAT I FELT BELIEVED IN ME AND THAT DID MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR ME.
AND EVEN IF I HAD A BAD DAY OR BAD TEACHER OR, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING DIFFICULT, KNOWING THAT THERE WAS SOMEONE ON CAMPUS THAT I COULD GO TO THEIR CLASSROOM BEFORE OR AFTER TO HANG OUT OR JUST BE A PART OF, IT MADE ME REALLY REFLECT ON THAT AND HEAR AN ADULT PERSPECTIVE SAYING THAT.
AND THEN THE MIDDLE SCHOOLERS SAYING THE SAME THING.
AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, IT IT MATTERS THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT.
AND IF A STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE THAT, THAT COULD BE VERY DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR EXPERIENCE ON CAMPUS, BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIALLY.
TO BUILD ON JERI'S POINT ABOUT POSSIBLY PRINCIPALS DOING THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN THE SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND FORMAT THAT YOU USE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO TAKERS.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO WERE GIVING CULTURAL NORMS FOR THE CONVERSATION THAT I THINK HELPED MAKE THEM VERY PRODUCTIVE AND FORWARD LOOKING.
IN CONTRAST TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE HEARD TONIGHT IN AN UNREGULATED FORMAT, I THINK I WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO PROVIDE THAT SORT OF SUPPORTIVE PRINCIPALS DO THEM SO THEY'RE NOT JUST OFF ON THEIR LIMB KIND OF BEING HOLLERED AT.
SO I THINK WE'LL HOP TO THE NEXT ONE.
BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE ONE LAST REMARK ABOUT THE YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR FROM GROWN UPS, BUT WHEN YOU HEAR FROM KIDS, IT'S A PROFOUND EXPERIENCE TO HAVE KIDS COME TO A ROOM AND TALK AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS, I MEAN, ALL THE KIDS WERE JUST AMAZING, BUT IN ONE OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ROUNDS, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS SAID, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THEM IS IF THE TEACHERS WOULD TELL THEM A LITTLE BIT OF THEIR OWN STORIES, YOU KNOW, OF MAYBE WHEN THEY WERE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR HIGH SCHOOL AND THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH AT LEAST SOMETHING SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, I GOT PICKED ON OR, YOU KNOW, I YOU KNOW, I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO TALK TO.
AND ONE OF MY TEACHERS WAS THAT PERSON.
SO I WANT TO BE THAT PERSON FOR YOU, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THE KIDS REALLY TALKED ABOUT THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO RELATE TO THE TEACHER AND THEY THOUGHT IF THEY COULD HEAR THOSE STORIES, THEY WOULD FEEL LIKE THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING SOMEBODY THEY COULD TRUST AND SO KIND OF EVEN HAVING THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT COULD TEACHERS COMMUNICATE THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND STILL REACH OUT TO KIDS IN A WAY THAT THEY RELATE TO IN THESE ISSUES? BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION WAS, WHY DON'T THEY REPORT? WHY DON'T THEY REPORT? YOU KNOW, WHY, IF IT'S HAPPENING, DO THEY NOT SAY SOMETHING? AND THESE KIDS WERE, YOU KNOW, VERY ARTICULATE ABOUT WHY THEY DON'T REPORT, AND PART OF IT IS THE TRUSTED ADULT PART OF IT IS THEY DON'T YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S NOT QUITE THE RELATIONSHIP THERE.
WELL, HOW DO YOU BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP? THIS WAS A VERY EMPATHETIC AND ENGAGED GROUP OF KIDS TALKING.
AND THAT IDEA CAME UP IN OUR SESSION.
AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS INCREDIBLE.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO NAME ANY NAMES, BUT SOMEBODY SHARED WHAT THEY DID ON THEIR CAMPUS
[04:05:01]
AND HOW THAT IMPACTED AND KIND OF SET THE TONE FOR THEIR CAMPUS AND THAT THEY WOULD GO INTO THOSE DIFFERENT CLASSROOMS. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN A STUDENT CAN LOOK AT A TEACHER AND SEE IN THEM WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH, WHICH THEY CAN'T, IF THE TEACHER DOES NOT SHARE AND I HAVE NOT MET ANYONE IN MY LIFE THAT DID NOT EXPERIENCE AT SOME POINT IN TIME A FORM OF BULLYING OR DISCRIMINATION OR EVERYBODY HAS AN EXPERIENCE THAT THEY CAN SHARE.AND TO HAVE A TEACHER START THE YEAR OFF, ESPECIALLY WITH THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING FOCUS THAT WE HAVE, I THINK THAT DOES NOT ONLY DOES IT SET A TONE FOR POTENTIAL VICTIMS OF BULLYING THAT THEY HAVE SOMEONE TO COME TO, BUT ALSO LETS POTENTIAL BULLIES KNOW, GUESS WHAT, THE TEACHER IS IN SOMEBODY'S CORNER AND MAYBE I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS.
I THINK POTENTIAL BULLIES NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
THERE'S REPERCUSSIONS AND THERE'S ADULTS IN THE ROOM THAT ARE NOT GOING TO STAND FOR IT.
AND SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FROM MIDDLE SCHOOLERS WAS THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THAT WAS HOW TEACHERS REPRESENT THEMSELVES.
SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY AND CREATE THAT ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS FEEL THAT THOSE TEACHERS ARE THERE, THEY'RE THE ADULT IN THE ROOM AND THEY HAVE THEIR BACK.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO PICK UP WITH THE NEXT THEME, AND OUR NEXT CATEGORY IS COMMUNITY, AND WE HEARD THROUGHOUT THAT THE COMMUNITY IS STRIVING TO PARTNER AND WANTS TO PARTNER WITH THE DISTRICT TO BETTER SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES.
THERE WAS A STRONG VOICE OF WANTING TO COME ALONGSIDE US IN COLLABORATION AND WORKING TOWARDS THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE DISTRICT, AS WELL AS STUDENTS IN ADDRESSING THEIR STUDENT NEEDS.
THEY WANT TO PARTNER AND SERVE AS A RESOURCE AND THEN ALSO SERVE AS A RESOURCE OR TO TAP INTO THEM FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
WE ALSO HEARD THAT LEANING INTO OUR STRATEGIC PLAN IN PILLAR FOUR IS THIS IS THE TIME TO DO IT AND TO PICK BACK UP THERE AND THEN ALSO TO FULLY IMPLEMENT VOLY.
WE STARTED VOLY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, AND MUCH LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE, WE IT GOT DISRUPTED.
AND SO THAT WILL ALLOW CAMPUSES AND DISTRICT LEVEL TO SOLICIT, I GUESS, AREAS OF NEED THAT OUR PARTNERS AND COMMUNITY CAN THEN SUPPORT AND VOLUNTEER ADDITIONALLY AND CONTINUE WITH COMMUNITY, WE HEARD THE NEED FOR GREATER EMPHASIS ON DIVERSITY, INCLUSION ACROSS OUR DISTRICT, AND YOU'LL HEAR THAT KIND OF THROUGHOUT SOME OF THE OTHER THEMES, AS WELL.
INCREASING OUR CELEBRATION AND CELEBRATING DIVERSITY AND THE FREQUENCY OF CELEBRATIONS.
AND THIS WILL ALSO SURFACE AGAIN IN ANOTHER CATEGORY.
AND THEN THEY WANT TO CONTINUE, THEY REALLY APPRECIATED THE LISTENING ROUNDS.
AND I THINK EACH GROUP SAID WE WANT TO CONTINUE THIS TYPE OF DIALOG AND CHECK IN AND CONVERSATION WITH THE DISTRICT.
THEY WERE VERY GRATEFUL AND APPRECIATIVE TO HAVE BEEN INVITED AND INCLUDED AND WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS MUCH LIKE THE LISTENING ROUNDS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT GOING FORWARD.
AND I WILL PAUSE BEFORE WE MOVE INTO CURRICULUM.
OR I CAN MOVE INTO CURRICULUM AND WE CAN TAKE THOSE TWO TOGETHER.
OK, SO MOVING ON TO CURRICULUM AND WE RECEIVED FEEDBACK, IT WAS HEAVILY, HEAVILY FOCUSED ON SEL AND WE HAD SUGGESTIONS TO INTEGRATE SEL LESSONS ACROSS THE DISTRICT AT ALL GRADE LEVELS, ESPECIALLY WITH AN EMPHASIS AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
THEY FELT LIKE IF OUR KIDS UNDERSTOOD AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL HOW TO CARE, HOW TO BE EMPATHETIC, HOW TO BE ACCEPTING OF DIFFERENCES, WHAT BULLYING IS, WHAT IT ISN'T, THAT IF THEY HAD THAT FOUNDATION, THAT WE WOULD SEE LESS OF IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
SO A NEED FOR CONSISTENCY AND THE NEED TO START EARLIER.
AND THIS WAS ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE SAW THE SUGGESTION, OUR RECOMMENDATION TO EXPAND HOW WE CELEBRATE DIVERSITY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND WE HAVE OUR OUR TRADITIONAL WAY AND CALENDAR.
BUT ARE THERE WAYS AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE CAN CELEBRATE DIFFERENT CULTURES ALL YEAR LONG AND NOT JUST WAIT UNTIL CERTAIN TIMES OF THE YEAR TO CELEBRATE? AND THOSE WERE THE BIG ITEMS WITH CURRICULUM.
SO I WILL PAUSE FOR ANY COMMUNITY OR CURRICULUM FEEDBACK.
ON THE COMMUNITY, ONE OF THE COMMENTS ON YOUR PRESENTATION WAS HAVE
[04:10:07]
TRUSTEES, OR MORE LEADERS SERVING ON BOARDS AND ATTENDING COMMUNITY EVENTS.I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S PRETTY EASY FOR US TO IMPLEMENT.
IF WE COULD GET LET'S COORDINATE, YOU KNOW, IN AUGUST AS TO WHAT COMMUNITY EVENTS THERE ARE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE REPRESENTATION THERE, WHETHER THAT'S A TRUSTEE OR A CABINET MEMBER OR SOMEBODY IN AND WORK ON ENGAGING AT THAT LEVEL.
I'M NOT SURE IF THIS FITS, BUT I'M GOING TO PUT IT IN CURRICULUM BUT I HEARD A KIND OF A THEME OF THE DISTRICT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE AN INNOVATIVE LEADER AS IT HAD BEEN.
THERE HAVE BEEN THINGS IN THE PAST THAT HAVE BEEN DONE THAT FOR WHATEVER REASON HAVE STOPPED BEING, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS OR THINGS THAT WE USED TO DO? WE'RE NOT DOING ANYMORE, AND THE ABSENCE OF THOSE IS FELT.
OK, SO NOW WE GO INTO THE THEME OF PERSONNEL.
SO IN MOST OF THE ROUNDS, HIRING DIVERSE STAFF AT THE CAMPUSES, EVEN MORE AT THE CAMPUS THAN EVEN THE DISTRICT LEVEL WAS MENTIONED AS A CRITICAL NEED FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT AND I THINK IN ONE OF THE ROUNDS, IT WAS EXPLAINED THIS WAY THAT SO THAT STUDENTS AND PARENTS COULD FEEL MORE AT HOME IN THE SCHOOLS.
AND SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS AN INTERESTING WAY TO DESCRIBE IT AND TO SHARE THE GOALS AND PROGRESS TOWARDS DIVERSITY HIRING WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO WE WORK ON THAT, BUT WE DON'T REALLY NECESSARILY SHARE ALL THAT INFORMATION OUT.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO DISCUSSION OF THE TRAINING OF STAFF.
AND WE HAVE A WHOLE SECTION ON TRAINING.
BUT IT KIND OF BLED INTO PERSONNEL AS WELL.
BUT THE TRAINING FOR STAFF ON CERTAIN TOPICS AND THEN SHARING THAT WITH.
PARENTS AND COMMUNITY OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, AND SO BEING VERY TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT AND THEN CONTINUING ON PERSONNEL, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE HEARD WAS THAT STUDENTS AND PARENTS ALSO SAID THAT IT WAS, THEY NEED TO HAVE A TRUSTED ADULT IN THE BUILDING THAT A STUDENT CAN GO TO FOR HELP AND IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR HIGH SESSIONS, THERE WERE STUDENTS WHO JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, THE LGBTQ STUDENTS, FINDING A TRUSTED ADULT FOR THEM SEEMS MORE CHALLENGING.
AND FINDING SPONSORS FOR THE NON CURRICULAR STUDENT GROUPS THAT THEY WANTED TO HAVE FORM IS MORE CHALLENGING.
AND SO CERTAINLY THERE'S PERSONNEL ISSUES THAT THE STUDENTS SURFACED ABOUT WHAT THEY SEE AS A NEED FROM ADULTS WITHIN THEIR BUILDING AND.
THERE WAS SUGGESTIONS ABOUT MENTORING AND HOW TO HELP STUDENTS WITH PEER MEDIATION, KINDNESS, EMPATHY, BUILDING A CULTURE OF STUDENT ACCEPTANCE THAT WE CARE ABOUT EVERYONE IN OUR BUILDING, AND THEN HOW ARE WE USING OUR ADVISORY TIMES TO GENERATE SOME OF THOSE RELATIONSHIP BUILDING OPPORTUNITIES BETWEEN STUDENTS WITH EACH OTHER AND STUDENTS WITH THE STAFF? SO I WAS JUST GOING TO COMMENT, BEING IN ON THAT PARTICULAR SESSION AND HEARING, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR PERSON IN THAT SESSION THAT WAS A GRADUATE OF PISD THAT DISCUSSED THEIR EXPERIENCE AND PISD.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEY SAID OBVIOUSLY THE LACK OF RESOURCES THAT THEY FELT AT THE SENIOR HIGH AND EVEN IN THE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT THEY SAID THAT THE BULLYING WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT THEY EXPERIENCED A LOT OF IN HIGH SCHOOL AND SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE IT WAS THE WORST FOR THEM AND THAT THEIR FEEDBACK WAS THAT FOR A LOT OF STUDENTS, THAT'S WHERE THAT BULLYING IS THE STRONGEST AND THE MOST JUST DIFFICULT TO HANDLE.
IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL TIME FOR STUDENTS.
AND THAT THEY FOUND WHEN THEY GOT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AND GOT TO THE SENIOR HIGH
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SCHOOL LEVEL, MATURITY KICKED IN A LITTLE AND THEY DIDN'T FIND THE SAME DIFFICULTY.SO IT WAS INTERESTING TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS, IN TERMS OF BULLYING, THOSE ARE THE CAMPUSES THAT MIGHT NEED A LITTLE MORE FOCUS ON THAT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT OTHER CAMPUSES DON'T NEED TO FOCUS ON IT, BUT THAT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SEEMED TO BE THE MOST DIFFICULT FOR STUDENTS-- DIFFERENT AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL.
YEAH IN ONE OF MY PARENT SESSIONS, I THE EXPRESSION WAS ELEMENTARY WAS VERY NURTURING AND THE TRANSITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL SEEMED TO BE A BIT LESS COMMUNITY [INAUDIBLE].
AND THEN THAT GOES BACK TO INNOVATION.
WE HAVE DONE AND NOT DOING AS MUCH FOR THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL CONCEPT OF HAVING TEACHERS BE ON A TEAM AND THE KIDS HAVING THE SAME TEACHERS AND BEING KIND OF A COMMUNITY WITHIN THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO LOOK AT TO BRING BACK.
THE NEXT SECTION IS ON POLICY, AND SO THIS CAME UP ENOUGH TIMES THAT IT MADE THE THEME, SURFACED IN MULTIPLE ROUNDS AND THE PRIMARY SUGGESTION WAS REVOLVING AROUND REVIEWING POLICIES WITH AN EQUITY AND STUDENT WELFARE AND SAFETY LENS.
SO THAT AS WE'RE REVIEWING THINGS, IF IT'S IN POLICY, THEN THEN IT HAPPENS, AND YOU ARE YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WORD ACCOUNTABLE CAME IN.
AND I THINK THE WORD ENFORCEMENT COMES IN AND POLICY SETS BEHAVIOR, YOU KNOW.
AND SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO CHANGE BEHAVIOR, SOMETIMES YOU CHANGE POLICY TO DO THAT.
AND SO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK INCLUDED REVIEWING OF POLICIES AROUND GENDER EXPRESSION, SEXUAL IDENTITY, RACE AND RELIGION.
CURRENT AND REVISED POLICIES SHOULD THEN IT WOULD BE SUGGESTED TO BE A PART OF TEACHER TRAINING TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS UNDERSTAND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT POLICIES.
AND THEN A RECURRING SUGGESTION WAS MADE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PROCESS, THE STUDENT CONDUCT CODE OF CONDUCT, WHAT TO DO IF YOU'RE EXPERIENCING BULLYING OR RETALIATION AND EXPECTATIONS ARE ALL A PART OF POLICY SO THAT GUIDES ALL OF THE PROCESS THAT WOULD FOLLOW.
AND SO AND THEY THEY WANT IT IN A WAY THAT IS EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
SO, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAD ANY POLICY COMMENTS, OR WE CAN DO POLICY AND PROCEDURES TOGETHER.
KEEP GOING? OK, SO THE MOST PREVALENT THEME AROUND PROCEDURES WAS THE NEED TO ENSURE WE ARE PROVIDING CLEAR GUIDELINES AND STEPS FOR RESPONSE AND FOLLOW UP WITH A SENSE OF URGENCY, THE IMPORTANCE OF TAKING EACH REPORT A STUDENT MAKES SERIOUSLY AND THEN FOLLOWING THE PROCEDURE EVERY TIME.
THIS CONSISTENT APPLICATION OF THE PROCESS, COUPLED WITH COMMUNICATION AND FOLLOW UP TO THE STUDENT AND PARENT MAKING THE REPORT IS IMPORTANT.
IF THERE IS NO COMMUNICATION AND FOLLOW UP, IT IS HARD TO KNOW WHAT, IF ANYTHING, IS BEING DONE TO ADDRESS THE REPORTED CONCERN.
AND THIS IS AN AREA FOR THE DISTRICT TO BRING ABOUT POSITIVE CHANGE THAT SHOWS THE VICTIMS THAT THEY ARE BEING HEARD AND HELPED.
AND I THINK THAT WAS KIND OF MY HOW I ENCAPSULATED THE FEELING ABOUT MAKING SURE THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE IN PLACE ARE UNDERSTOOD AND COMMUNICATED AND FOLLOWED.
AND CONTINUING ON ANOTHER TOPIC FOR PROCEDURAL CONSIDERATION AND DISCUSSION WAS THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL MEDIA ON STUDENTS, AND THIS SURFACED MULTIPLE TIMES.
THIS IS DO KIDS UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT ON THEIR LIVES AND IN THEIR HANDS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEN HOW MUCH TIME A STUDENT IS ON THEIR PHONE OR ALLOWED TO BE ON THEIR PHONE AT SCHOOL WAS ALSO DISCUSSED.
AND THEN TO BUILD A CULTURE WHERE WE SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING IS BEING AN UPSTANDER AND NOT A TATTLETALE, AND THAT IS THE CULTURAL NORM, THAT'S THE EXPECTATION THAT IS CELEBRATED, THAT WE PROMOTE STUDENTS AND STAFF ALIKE, THAT REPORTING IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO AND IT IS WHAT IS VALUED.
AND I THINK THE WORD INCENTIVIZED ACTUALLY LIKE HOW IS IT INCENTIVIZED FOR A STUDENT TO REPORT OR A STAFF MEMBER TO REPORT WHAT THEY ARE SEEING.
SO BEING AN UPSTANDER, SOME PARTICIPANTS SAID, ALIGNS WITH THE CORE VALUES OF THE DISTRICT.
AND THAT WAS SAID THROUGHOUT THE ROUNDS.
PARENTS AND STUDENTS ALSO STATED THAT THEY NEED A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF WHO THEY SHOULD GO TO WHEN THEY WANT TO REPORT.
AND THEN IF THEY DON'T GET THE HELP THAT THEY THINK THEY NEED, WHO DO THEY GO TO
[04:20:04]
NEXT? AND SO THEY REALLY WANT CLARITY.AND THAT IS THE KIND OF THE PROCEDURAL NUTSHELL, AND I'LL STOP THERE AND WE CAN TALK POLICY OR PROCEDURE.
I WAS GOING TO SAY THAT SOMETHING THAT CAME UP IN ONE OF, I THINK A THEME THAT I HEARD MORE THAN ONCE WAS PARENTS WANT TO KNOW, HOW ARE WE ASSIMILATING THE REPORTS THAT GET REPORTED TO, SAY, A TEACHER, A COUNSELOR, THE S.R.O.
OR THE TIP LINE OR THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
AND THEY THEY'RE JUST CURIOUS ABOUT IS THAT REPORTED IN A MANNER TO GET CONSISTENT RESOLUTION? SO I THINK, AGAIN, THAT SORT OF GOES BACK TO THAT COMMUNICATION PIECE.
THEY'RE ALL INTERTWINED IN A WAY.
BUT I HAD HEARD THAT ONE IN A THEME A COUPLE OF TIMES.
SO THE NEXT ONE, AND I THINK NEXT TO COMMUNICATION, THERE IS A LOT AROUND STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING.
SO I WOULD SAY THIS WAS A PRETTY LARGE CATEGORY AS FAR AS RECEIVING FEEDBACK AND SUGGESTIONS FROM ALL OF THE GROUPS.
AND SOME OF THESE ALSO HAVE REOCCURRED, SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT WE HEARD SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, A GREATER EMPHASIS AT ELEMENTARY FOCUS ON MENTAL HEALTH AND MORE GUIDANCE AND COUNSELING.
THE NEED FOR COUNSELORS TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH STUDENTS COUNSELING AND LESS TIME IN PAPERWORK OR ACADEMIC PLANNING SEEM TO BE STATED SEVERAL TIMES AND THEN TEACHING STUDENTS TO BE UPSTANDERS WHILE ENSURING THAT KIDS FEEL SAFE WHEN THEY COME TO SCHOOL, THAT THEY FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND MOVING ON TO THE NEXT ONE, ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK AROUND STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING WAS THE NEED TO CHECK IN REGULARLY WITH KIDS AT SCHOOL AND HOW THEY'RE DOING.
SO, AGAIN, PART OF THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING AND ALSO MAYBE TAKING OPPORTUNITIES DURING THE MORNING CIRCLE TIME AT ELEMENTARY OR DURING ADVISORY PERIODS THAT ARE AT THE SECONDARY, TAKING TIME TO CHECK IN ON KIDS AND THEN ENSURING THAT TRAINING IS AGE APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND.
SO KNOWING THAT YOU KNOW HOW YOU DESCRIBE BULLYING OR HARASSMENT FOR A KINDERGARTEN STUDENT WOULD NEED TO LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT IT NEEDS TO BE FOR AN OLDER STUDENT OR VICE VERSA.
AND THEN I THOUGHT THIS REALLY KIND OF STUCK WITH ME.
AND BUT THE STUDENTS NEED TO BE TAUGHT AND TAUGHT AT AN EARLY AGE WHAT THEIR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT MEANS AND THE IMPACT OF THAT AND THEN ANY MISUSE AND CONSEQUENCES ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THAT THINGS ARE PERMANENT.
AND IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND, YOU KNOW, KIDS THINK THAT SNAPCHAT IS JUST FOR A MOMENT, BUT IT'S NOT.
AND SO EDUCATING OUR KIDS AND EVEN HAVING SOME TRAINING MODULES FOR KIDS EACH YEAR AS FAR AS WHAT POTENTIAL DANGERS AND CONSEQUENCES ARE THERE IS WITH SOCIAL MEDIA.
WE RECEIVED LOTS OF FEEDBACK AROUND ITEMS THAT ARE RELATED TO STUDENT SAFETY AND WELL-BEING, BUT IT'S AROUND CULTURE.
SO BUILDING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE.
KIDS FEEL LIKE THEY NOT ONLY BELONG, BUT THAT THEY BELONG TO A FAMILY OR A TEAM AT SCHOOL AND CREATING A SCHOOL CULTURE THAT'S INCLUSIVE, WHERE WE BUILD EMPATHY AND RESPECT AND ACCEPTANCE OF OTHERS, AND A PLACE WHERE STUDENTS FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE A SAFE PLACE TO GO OR A SAFE PLACE TO GO AND TALK AND COMMUNICATE.
IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE HAVE A GREATER AWARENESS ON SEL AND CERTAIN THINGS THROUGH EITHER FOCUS SCHOOL EVENTS OR CAMPAIGNS.
AND SO AND THEN THE LAST PIECE THAT I'LL HIT ON HERE IS JUST PROVIDING BETTER MONITORING IN AREAS LIKE LOCKER ROOMS AND BATHROOMS AND JUST A REAL SENSE OF STUDENTS NEEDING TO FEEL SAFE IN ALL PLACES IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
AND THEN TO CONTINUE KIDS NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY CERTAIN SLURS OR CERTAIN WORDS CAN BE HURTFUL AND WHERE THE LINES CROSS OF USING THOSE TYPES OF WORDS OR SLURS, HOW THAT CROSSES OVER INTO HARASSMENT OR BULLYING OR HATE.
[04:25:04]
SO BUILDING NOT ONLY BUILDING SOME COMMON VOCABULARY THAT SOMEONE HAD SUGGESTED, MAYBE IT'LL COME UP, BUT REALLY TEACHING KIDS LIKE THESE ARE THINGS YOU SHOULD NOT SAY AND HERE'S WHY, AND THEN PROVIDING RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND RESOURCES TO VICTIMS AND BULLIES AND BYSTANDERS AS THINGS OCCUR IN CAMPUSES AND EQUIPPING OUR TEACHERS TO KNOW HOW TO PROVIDE RESTORATIVE PRACTICES.SO, I WANTED TO TOUCH ON A FEW THINGS FROM THE MIDDLE SCHOOL ROUND.
THEY FELT THAT SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND THEIR ADVISORY PERIOD WAS VERY IMPORTANT.
BUT THEY ALSO FELT THAT THE MATERIAL WAS NOT VERY ENGAGING AND THEY FELT THAT IT WAS KIND OF A LOST OPPORTUNITY FOR OTHER STUDENTS THAT COULD PROBABLY USE IT MORE THAN THEMSELVES TO PARTICIPATE.
AND SO THEY'RE ABSOLUTELY IN SUPPORT OF IT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO ENGAGE A MIDDLE SCHOOLER.
BUT I THINK JUST A FURTHER EVALUATION OF, YOU KNOW, HOW WE COMMUNICATE THAT AND HOW WE COULD GET THEM MORE ENGAGED IN THAT ADVISORY PERIOD AND HAVE THAT REGULAR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING ASPECT FOR THEM.
ON THE DIGITAL FOOTPRINT PART, I THINK THAT IS SO IMPORTANT AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE TAUGHT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, AT SEVERAL DIFFERENT GRADES, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT STUDENTS DEPENDING ON THEIR AGE OR BACKGROUND OR ECONOMIC STATUS, ARE GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO DIFFERENT TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY AT DIFFERENT TIMES IN THEIR LIFE.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO KNOW WHAT THEIR DIGITAL FOOTPRINT WILL LOOK LIKE AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS MUCH OF WHAT YOU STATED.
AND THEN ONE THING I WANTED TO BRING UP WAS YOU TALKED ABOUT SNAPCHAT AND THERE'S ACTUALLY A SUPREME COURT CASE RIGHT NOW ON OFF CAMPUS, EACH INVOLVING SNAPCHAT AND A STUDENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE SOME REAL WORLD THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH HUGE IMPLICATIONS.
AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE, LIKE ON ONE OF THE SEL CLASSES, WE TALK ABOUT THE SUPREME COURT CASE FOR THIS CHEERLEADER, THEY'RE GOING TO BE PRETTY INTERESTED IN HOW SNAPCHAT BECAME A SUPREME COURT PRECEDENT.
SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY GREAT.
AND THEN AS FAR AS THE SLURS PART THAT CAME UP MANY TIMES AND, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT FOR STUDENTS, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
I THINK ALSO THOSE STUDENTS, WHEN TEACHERS HEAR IT IN THE BACKGROUND, THEY WANT TO SEE THE TEACHER, SEE SOMETHING, SAY SOMETHING.
THEY WANT TO SEE THE TEACHER CATCH THAT, NOT JUST KIND OF IGNORE IT IN THE BACKGROUND OR NOT WANT TO HAVE TO ADDRESS IT.
I PERSONALLY THINK A TEACHER SHOULD STOP CLASS RIGHT IN ITS TRACKS WHEN THEY HEAR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND ADDRESS IT IMMEDIATELY.
AND FOR THERE TO BE A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO BE SAID.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.
IF I WAS A PARENT AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF IT WASN'T TARGETED AT MY CHILD, IF IT WAS TARGETED ANOTHER CHILD, I'D WANT MY KID TO SAY SOMETHING.
BUT I THINK IT'S THE TEACHER'S JOB TO SPEAK UP AND NOT ALLOW THAT, BECAUSE THEN MAYBE MY KID'S GOING TO THINK THAT IT'S OK TO SAY THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THE TEACHER IS NOT SPEAKING UP ABOUT IT.
AND SO I THINK THE YOUNG AND IMPRESSIONABLE MINDS RESPOND WELL TO AUTHORITY.
AND IF THEY SEE AUTHORITY NOT RESPONDING TO SOMETHING THEY PERCEIVE AS BAD, THEY STOP THINKING OF IT AS BAD.
AND SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ADDRESS THAT HEAD ON.
AND THAT CAME UP FOR ME WITH MY HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ONE AND THE MCOR THE MULTICULTURAL ROUNDTABLE FOR PLANO IS THAT WHOLE IDEA OF TEACHING KIDS ABOUT SLANG AND SLURS AND MAKING SURE THEY KNOW WHAT IS OFFENSIVE AND ISN'T.
AND I THINK IT'S REAL' IMPORTANT FOR US TO NOT SHAME A KID WHEN THEY DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, BECAUSE EVEN AS AN ADULT, I'M LEARNING ALL THE TIME THINGS THAT I SAY THAT I COULD BE MORE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE TO.
AND HAVING THAT SAFETY FOR PEOPLE SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT A GOOD THING VERSUS I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT.
JUST TEACHING PEOPLE THAT THERE'S BETTER WAYS OF SAYING THINGS AND THAT CAME UP IN TWO DIFFERENT AREAS ABOUT THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW WE ADDRESS IT, BUT SOMEHOW.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'M GOING TO PICK BACK UP WITH TRAINING, SO TRAINING WAS DISCUSSED IN EACH ROUND FOR STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, ADMINISTRATION AND BOARD.
IN THAT REGARD, TRAINING IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS WERE SUGGESTED, SO TRAINING AROUND DIVERSITY, CULTURAL AWARENESS, IMPLICIT BIAS.
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN AND THE IMPACT IN THE CLASSROOM.
TRAUMA INFORMED PRACTICES, MENTAL HEALTH SE, PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, AND COMMUNITY COMMUNICATING AND COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS.
IT WAS ALSO SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS AND STAFF WOULD BENEFIT AT EACH GRADE LEVEL
[04:30:04]
WITH TRAINING ON VOCABULARY AND COMMON LANGUAGE SO THAT EVERYONE ACROSS THE BOARD WOULD HAVE A CONSISTENT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S ACCEPTABLE AND WHAT ISN'T.AND THEN PARENTS ASKED, AND WE HEARD THIS SEVERAL TIMES THAT THEY WISH TO SEE THE TRAINING MODULES FOR STUDENTS IN ADVANCE.
ADDITIONALLY, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT PERHAPS ADDITIONAL TRAINING FOR TEACHERS NEEDS TO TAKE PLACE, THAT THEY HAVE ALSO A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN AND BEHAVIOR, AND THE LAW WOULD EMPOWER AND EQUIP THEM TO DEAL WITH ISSUES WITH REGARD TO BULLYING, HARASSMENT AND RACIAL HATRED SO THEY KNOW, AS THINGS ARISE OR AS THEY SEE THINGS, THEN WHAT THEY SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO AND WHAT IS OR ISN'T ACCEPTABLE AS FAR AS CONSIDERING CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN AND THEN TRAINING ON PROCESSES AND DEALING WITH THINGS WHILE THEY ARE SMALL CAN KEEP FROM THAT THEY CAN KEEP FROM ESCALATING, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
IN ADDITION, HELP STAFF TO KNOW WHAT TO COMMUNICATE TO PARENTS AND THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS SO THAT STUDENTS KNOW THAT THINGS ARE BEING HANDLED.
AND SO AGAIN, IT'S NOT IN THE COMMUNICATION SECTION OF.
BUT THAT SEEMS TO BE A TREND THAT KIND OF FLOWS THROUGH A LOT OF THESE AREAS.
THE ROUNDS ALSO SURFACED CONVERSATIONS THAT'S IMPORTANT TO DEFINE DIVERSITY AS IT'S MORE THAN RACE AND THAT WE SHOULD HONOR AND DEFINE OUR UNIQUE DIVERSITY IN PISD OR AS A COMMUNITY IN PISD.
ONE OTHER SUGGESTION WAS TO REFRESH TRAINING FOR STAFF, PARENTS AND STUDENTS IN SMALL SEGMENTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR SO THAT THERE'S ONGOING LEARNING AND SUPPORT.
AND IT'S NOT JUST A ONE AND DONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BIG THEME AND MOST OF THE LISTENING ROUNDS THAT I WAS IN AND IT WAS TRAINING STUDENTS, TRAINING PARENTS, TRAINING STAFF, TEACHERS ARE PRETTY MUCH TRAINING WAS A HOT TOPIC.
SO I'M GLAD THAT WE PUT A SECTION IN THIS.
AND I THINK AS FAR AS TRAINING GOES SPECIFICALLY ON THE STUDENT SIDE, I THINK THE KEY TO THAT AND THE FEEDBACK I'VE RECEIVED FROM PARENTS IS THE TRANSPARENCY IN WHAT EXACTLY THAT TRAINING WILL BE FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
I THINK AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LEVEL, THAT'S WHERE THE HIGHEST CONCERN THAT I SAW, JUST BECAUSE THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AS WELL AS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY SEE AND INTERACT WITH IN A DAY TO DAY.
SO I THINK A LOT OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PARENTS WANT TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS AND BE ABLE TO PUT THEIR EYES ON WHAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE DOING FOR TRAINING.
THAT WAY, THEY FEEL TRANSPARENT AND THEY CAN TRUST THE PROCESS.
SO, WE DID HAVE A PARENT RESOURCE SECTION BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN EACH OF THE PARENT ROUNDS IS WHAT WOULD YOU KNOW, ONE OF THOSE QUESTIONS BACK ON THE FRONT WAS WHAT RESOURCES WOULD YOU LIKE TO HAVE OR ARE YOU INTERESTED IN? AND SO WE ADDED THIS AS A SEPARATE STANDALONE SECTION.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE ARE WORDS THAT SURFACE AND I THINK THE WORDS THAT SURFACE ARE IMPORTANT.
AND SO WORDS LIKE PARENT FRIENDLY, FREQUENT, STREAMLINED FOR CLARITY, FLOWCHARTS, COMMUNICATE EXPECTATIONS.
THOSE WERE THINGS THAT WERE RELATED TO THE TYPES OF RESOURCES AND NOT JUST.
WHAT THEY GET, BUT HOW IT'S PACKAGED FOR THEM AND SO THEY WANT RESOURCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE, THAT ARE EASY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY CAN GET TO AND UTILIZE.
AND SO THEY THEY ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT THE SEL LESSONS AND TRAININGS IN ADVANCE SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN ALONGSIDE THE STUDENTS AND THAT THEY CAN DO SOME SUPPORTING THINGS AT HOME AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS AT HOME TO EXTEND THE LEARNING OF THE KIDS, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SEL LESSONS AT SCHOOL.
AND THEY ALSO WERE INTERESTED IN MAYBE SOME CHECK INS OR LITTLE SURVEYS OF PARENTS OR STUDENTS ON AN ONGOING BASIS, KIND OF FOR QUICK DATA OF HOW THINGS ARE GOING.
YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE A QUICK CHECK OF, YOU KNOW, ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT SCHOOL THIS WEEK? GOOD, BAD? IS IT SAFE? DID YOU ENCOUNTER ANYTHING? YES.
[04:35:01]
JUST TO KIND OF GAUGE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE CLASSROOM OR THE CAMPUS TO SEE HOW PEOPLE WERE FEELING.AND SO THEY WERE INTERESTED IN THAT AS A POTENTIAL RESOURCE FOR THE CAMPUS TO HELP CHECK IN WITH PARENTS AND KIDS.
THEY ALSO SUGGESTED THAT USING MULTIPLE CHANNELS TO MAXIMIZE COMMUNICATION IN ADDITION TO THE PARENT PORTAL WOULD BE A GOOD RESOURCE FOR THEM.
AND WE MIGHT HAVE TO DIG A LITTLE MORE INTO WHAT SOME OF THOSE CHANNELS MIGHT BE.
PARENTS WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE PLAN WILL BE FOR THE FALL, FOR STUDENTS TO BE WELCOMED BACK TO SCHOOL, FEELING SAFE AND WELCOME, AND THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW HOW TO GET TO RESOURCES, SUPPORT, TRAINING AND PROCESSES IN ADVANCE.
AND THAT WOULD HELP FACILITATE THAT SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEY'RE ALSO INTERESTED IN, YOU KNOW, DATA ON, YOU KNOW, IF WE DO SOME OF THESE THINGS, HOW WOULD YOU MEASURE YOU WERE BEING SUCCESSFUL OR NOT? AND SO HOW DO YOU DEFINE SUCCESS OR PROGRESS IN ANY OF THE GOALS THAT WE SET RELATED TO THINGS OF THIS NATURE? SO THAT WAS A LOT OF THE PARENT RESOURCES AND SO LOTS OF GOOD SUGGESTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST KIND OF WRAP UP, SO JUST SOME ACTIONS THAT WE'VE TAKEN TODAY.
SO REALLY THE MONTH OR, YOU KNOW, SINCE SPRING BREAK AND LEADING THROUGH APRIL, AND WE HAVE PROVIDED REFRESHER TRAINING MODULES ON BULLYING, HARASSMENT SPECIFICALLY TO ADMINISTRATORS, COUNSELORS, STAFF, DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND THE BOARD.
AND THIS IS A REQUIREMENT EACH YEAR.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE CALLING IT A REFRESHER BECAUSE WE DID IT AGAIN.
ADDITIONALLY, WE PROVIDED TRAINING MODULES TO OUR STUDENTS ON WEB DESK BECAUSE IT IS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT WAS NOT A MANDATORY FOR EVERY STUDENT, BUT WE PROVIDED IT TO EVERY STUDENT.
IT'S ON THEIR WEB DESK AS WELL AS I BELIEVE OUR PRINCIPAL SENT HOME LETTERS TO PARENTS TO LET THEM KNOW THAT IT WAS THERE FOR STUDENTS.
I KNOW THAT SOME PROVIDED SOME TIME DURING CLASS OR DURING ADVISORY.
AND SO IT WAS DELIVERED IN DIFFERENT WAYS AT DIFFERENT CAMPUSES.
THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WILL DO ANNUALLY AS WE START OUT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'VE CREATED A DEDICATED WEB PAGE WITH MORE PARENT RESOURCES, A PARENT GUIDE FOR ADDRESSING BULLYING, HARASSMENT CONCERNS.
AND SO WHAT STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE? WHERE DO YOU GO? HOW DO YOU REPORT? WE HAVE HARNESSED SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LESSONS THAT WE HAVE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR SO THAT TEACHERS CAN HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO USE THEM IN EITHER CIRCLE TIME OR IN ADVISORIES WITH STUDENTS.
WE CONCLUDED OUR INTERNAL INVESTIGATION PURSUANT TO PROVISIONS UNDER DAVID'S LAW.
PARENTS WERE INFORMED OF THE CONCLUSION OF THAT INTERNAL INVESTIGATION.
WE HOSTED COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS IN A TOWN HALL MEETING THAT WAS HOSTED BY NAACP.
WE'VE ALSO HELD IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PLANO POLICE DEPARTMENT AND COLLIN COUNTY JUVENILE JUSTICE SERVICES.
WE HAD A SUMMIT ON BULLYING AND HARASSMENT THAT WAS HOSTED THIS MONTH.
AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO MAKE REFINEMENTS AND ADJUSTMENTS AS WE FINISH OFF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE'LL INCLUDE SOME OF THIS WORK IN OUR PLANS FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SARA.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? YOU KNOW, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BECOME EVEN MORE PROACTIVE.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE BY CONCLUDING OUR LISTENING ROUNDS, THE INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION, AND THEN THE IMPACT OF THAT OF THAT ON ANY APPLICABLE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES WOULD BE WORK THAT'S AHEAD OF US.
WE'LL UTILIZE THE INPUT RECEIVED AROUND THESE THEMES TO EVALUATE AND ENHANCE WHERE APPROPRIATE AND UPDATE PROCEDURES, POLICIES AND ACTIONS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN REPORT TO REPORT BACK TO THE COMMUNITY ON THESE EFFORTS.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AS WE DEVELOP WORK AROUND THEMES THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, THAT THEN THAT BECOMES PART OF THE PLAN OF WORK FOR NEXT YEAR AS PART
[04:40:02]
OF THE DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, SO THAT IT'S A PART OF THE FORMAL WORK OF THE DISTRICT BY DESIGN.AND THAT'S PART OF THAT BEING PROACTIVE.
AND THEN THERE WILL BE THINGS THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE ACCOMPLISHED ALL IN ONE YEAR.
AND SO AS WE LOOK AT THE WORK AHEAD TO REALLY LOOK AT THE LONGER TERM PLAN AND THEN IN THE ALIGNMENT TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN, WHICH I THINK THIS WORK, YOU KNOW, NICELY FITS INTO THE WORK OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S BEEN DESIGNED BY THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY COLLABORATIVELY.
SO THAT IS OUR REPORT ON LISTENING ROUNDS.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY LAST COMMENTS TO THE BOARD, BUT THAT CONCLUDES THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION THIS EVENING.
WELL, THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE PART OF THE LISTENING ROUNDS, NOT JUST TRUSTEES AND YOURSELF AND THERESA, PART OF PRETTY MUCH EVERY ONE OF THEM, BUT A LOT OF THE SUPPORT STAFF AND PEOPLE THAT HELPED MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS APPRECIATIVE.
AND I SAW A LOT OF TRUSTEES NODDING THEIR HEAD WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THIS POTENTIALLY BEING SOMETHING THAT'S DONE IN THE FUTURE.
AND I THINK ALONG WITH DAVID'S COMMENT ABOUT US BEING AT COMMUNITY EVENTS, AT ON COMMUNITY BOARDS AS INVITED, THAT'S A GREAT STEP.
BUT THERE'S ALSO JUST GOING TO BE GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO HAVE A VOICE AND WANT TO SPEAK TO SOMEONE.
AND THEY MIGHT BE A GROUP THAT ARE SINGLE MOMS THAT JUST CAN'T MAKE IT TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, THAT THERE'S JUST TOO MANY OTHER THINGS OR GROUPS THAT DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE AND THEY DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE COMING TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
SO I THINK HAVING THIS OPTION IN A VERY DIFFERENT CAPACITY THAN WE'VE BEEN EXPERIENCING IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL, NOT JUST TO THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT, BUT TO OUR COMMUNITY IN ANOTHER AVENUE FOR THEM TO VOICE COMMENTS, CONCERNS AND IN SOME SITUATIONS PRAISE.
YEAH, WELL, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR ALL OF THE STAFF THAT IT TOOK TO ORGANIZE AND IMPLEMENT AND THANKFUL TO THE BOARD FOR YOUR TIME AS WELL.
I THINK THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOURS THIS MONTH WAS FIFTY ONE HOURS [INAUDIBLE] LISTENING ROUNDS.
AND I JUST WANT TO PIGGY BACK AND GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO LESLIE AND THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM TO MATT FREY AND INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY, AND I WANT TO GIVE A BIG KUDOS TO IVAN CANTU AND OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TEAM AND ALSO TO STUDENT FAMILY COMMUNITY SERVICES.
AND SO COURTNEY'S TEAM AS WELL.
AND I HOPE I DID NOT LEAVE ANYONE OUT.
BUT WE'RE MOST GRATEFUL BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DID A LOT BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET THE ZOOM MEETING SCHEDULED AND THE FACILITATION WAS EXCELLENT.
WELL, SARA AND CHRIS, I WANT TO THANK YOU, BECAUSE YOU SPENT THESE HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS IN ADDITION TO DOING YOUR YOUR TYPICAL JOBS DURING A VERY CHALLENGING TIME PERIOD.
SO THANK YOU FOR WORKING 24/7 TO GET THIS DONE.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? WELL, BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WE HAVE SET A NEW RECORD.
IN MY 11 YEARS ON THE BOARD, WE'VE NEVER HAD A MEETING THAT ENDED THIS LATE.
THE OTHER RUNNER UP WAS ACTUALLY MY BIRTHDAY IN JUNE.
SO OVER SIX HOURS AND FORTY TWO MINUTES OF GREAT VOLUNTEER LABOR.
SO IF THERE'S NO FURTHER BUSINESS OR ANY OBJECTIONS FROM THE BOARD, THE MEETING WILL BE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.