[A. Notice and Instructions]
[00:00:02]
LIGHT'S CALL TO ORDER THIS MEETING OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD FOR THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2021.
LIKE TO READ A NOTICE, THE PUBLIC WILL BE ALLOWED TO ATTEND AT A REDUCED RATE OF 50% CAPACITY OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER MEETING ROOM SPACE.
ONCE THE CAPACITY HAS BEEN REACHED ADMISSION INTO THE MEETING SPACE WILL BE CLOSED.
ALL AUDIENCE MEMBERS WILL BE REQUIRED TO WEAR A MASK AT ALL TIMES, MASKS WILL BE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST THE MEETING SCHEDULED FOR SIX SEPTEMBER 16TH, 2021 AT 5:00 PM WILL BE STREAMED LIVE VIA YOUTUBE.
A LINK TO WATCH THE MEETING CAN BE FOUND ON BOARD DOCS LOCATED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD'S WEBSITE.
THE PERIOD FOR WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING, AS WELL AS BEFORE EACH ACTION IS TAKEN BY THE BOARD ON AN ACTION ITEM, INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT ANY OF THE POSTED ACTION ITEMS WILL NEED TO CLICK ON THE AGENDA ITEM AND BOARD DOCS AND SUBMIT VIA THE HIGHLIGHTED PUBLIC COMMENT.
HYPERLINK ON THE AGENDA ITEM DETAILS ONLINE COMMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW.
[B. Meeting Opening ]
TO AT THIS TIME, UH, ASK THAT EVERYONE SILENCE THEIR CELL PHONES OR OTHER NOISE MAKING DEVICES, AND, UH, WE WILL BE LED IN THE INVOCATION BY A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OF CONNIE BERNARD AND IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, BY A CADET WHO WILL BE INTRODUCED BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL.KENNETH COPPLE, PLEASE RISE, PLEASE BOW YOUR HEADS, DEAR GOD.
THANK YOU FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL DAY AND EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME THE CHANCE TO SEE THIS DAY.
THANK YOU FOR LOVING ME, DESPITE MY SINS, FORGIVE ME FOR ALL MY SINS.
EVEN THE ONES COMMITTED UNKNOWINGLY.
AS I START THIS MEETING, WE PRAY FOR YOUR GUIDANCE AND YOUR PROTECTION DIRECT OUR PATHS AND TEACH US THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
LET OUR WORDS AND OUR ACTIONS BE ONES THAT BRING HONOR TO YOUR HOLY NAME.
THANK YOU LORD, FOR AN ANSWERED PRAYER THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
IT'S MY HONOR TO SEE EVENING, UH, TO INTRODUCE A CADET THAT I'VE HAD THE HONOR OF WORKING WITH FOR, UH, GOING ON THE FOURTH YEAR, LEADING US THIS EVENING, AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE HAS CADET COMMAND.
SERGEANT MAJOR ZARI PATTERSON.
HE'S A SENIOR AT MCKINLEY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND SERVES AS OUR BATTALION COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR, HIS DUTIES INCLUDE BEING THE SENIOR ENLISTED ADVISOR AND HAVING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE PROMOTIONAL BOARDS FOR ALL 100 ENLISTED CADETS AT MCKINLEY.
HE IS THE SON OF
WHILE AT MCKINLEY, HE HAS HELD SEVERAL LEADERSHIP POSITIONS IN ROTC FROM CLASS LEADER, SQUAD LEADER, BATTALION STAFF, STAFF, OFFICER, TO WHERE HE IS NOW COMMAND SERGEANT MAJOR DEDICATED TO HIS STUDIES.
AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT WHILE ATTENDING MCKINLEY CADET PATTERSON CONTINUES TO SEEK PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT.
HE HAS A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF 3.55 IS ATTAIN MASTERY LEVEL IN US HISTORY.
AND ON OUR LAST LEAP TEST, THIS SUMMER ZARI ATTENDED THE JUNIOR ROTC CADET LEADERSHIP CAMP, WHERE HE LEARNED ADVANCED METHODS OF MANAGEMENT TEAM BUILDING AND MOTIVATION TECHNIQUES.
CADET PATTERSON IS THE CO-CAPTAIN ON OUR STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PANTHER BATTALION TEAM DRILL TEAM MEMBER OF THE JUNIOR ROTC LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC BOWL AND THE JUNIOR ROTC ARCHERY TEAM.
ADDITIONALLY, HE IS A MEMBER OF OUR PANTHER RAIDER TEAM.
HE'S A MODEL CADET WHO HAS TAKEN ON THE, ON THE CHALLENGE OF LIVING UP TO THE JUNIOR ROTC CADET CREED AND THE PANTHER PLEDGE.
FOLLOWING GRADUATION, CADET PATTERSON PLANS TO ENLIST IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY AS AN INFANTRY MAN, CADET PATTERSON'S QUALITIES INCLUDE HIS HIGH CHARACTER INTEGRITY, EMOTIONAL GOVERNANCE, RESPONSIBILITY, AMBITION, AND MATURITY.
WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I HAVE THE HONOR OF INTRODUCING CADET SALARY PATTERSON.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG FOR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
SUPERINTENDENT WOULD LIKE TO PRESENT YOU WITH THIS FOR ALL THE HARD WORK AND OUR FUTURE.
SAY IN THE HANDS OF YOU LIKE YOURS.
NOW MOVE TO ITEM TWO, ROLL CALL.
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NOW I'M PRESIDENT'S ADMIN PRESENT DISTRICT FOUR, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS DISTRICT ONE.MR. BLUE DISTRICT TWO, MR. LANA'S DISTRICT THREE, MR. HOWARD DISTRICT FIVE, MS. WARD JACKSON PRESENT DISTRICT SIX, MS. DIASON PRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN.
IF YOU WOULD MIND JUST A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE.
UH, ALL OF US ARE MANY OF US, I THINK, RE UH, KNOW AND LOVE, UH, THE FARMER MEMBER AND PRESIDENT OF THIS BOARD, UH, MR. ROGER MOSER.
AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, THIS WEEK, HIS LOVELY WIFE PASSED AWAY AND I JUST WANTED TO EXTEND THE SYMPATHY OF THIS BOARD TO MR. MOSER AND THE ENTIRE MOSER FAMILY, BECAUSE SHE WAS A, SHE WAS A DELIGHT TO BE WITH.
AND I WORKED WITH ROGER FOR MANY YEARS.
IN FACT, HE'S ONE OF THE INSPIRATIONS THAT, UH, THAT CAUSED ME TO RUN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MR. BRADLEY.
LET'S MAYBE WE LET'S HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE IF YOU WOULD ALL, PLEASE.
UH, WE MOVE NOW TO, UH, ITEM C
[C. Minutes]
ONE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES OF THE AUGUST 19TH, 2021 REGULAR BOARD MEETING AND THE SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2021 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING AS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL.DO I HAVE A MOVE BY MR.
SO, YOU KNOW, COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON THE MINUTES FROM THE AUDIENCE SEEING NONE, UH, BACK TO THE BOARD, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
DISTRICT SEVEN, MR.
MR. TOTMAN THE MOTION CARRIES.
[D.1. Hurricane Ida Recovery ]
D ONE RECOGNITION OF EXXON MOBILE AND OTHER PARTNERS FOR THEIR GENEROUS DONATIONS TO THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR HURRICANE IDA RECOVERY MASSAGE FIELD.GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT HAPMAN MEMBERS OF THE BOARD SUPERINTENDENT.
UM, I AM HERE AS A REPRESENTATIVE AND THE EX EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION FOR EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, AND I'M HERE TO RECOGNIZE DONORS TO THE RECOVERY EFFORTS FOR HURRICANE IDA.
UM, AND WE ARE SO FORTUNATE TO HAVE HAD, UM, CONTACT WITH PEOPLE ON A LOCAL REGIONAL AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
AND TODAY WE HAVE TWO OF OUR LOCAL FAVORITES, OUR LOCAL CHAMPIONS HERE, UM, TO RECOGNIZE THEM TODAY.
SO FIRST, UH, I'LL CALL IT PAT PAT VAN BERKELIUM THE FOUNDATION'S CAMPAIGN, UM, TOWARD THE RECOVERY EFFORTS WAS CALLED FILL THE MINDS, FILL THE BELIZE AND FILL THE GAPS, UM, WHICH WERE THREE OF THE TOP NEEDS THAT WE HAD CONCERNING FOOD CONCERNING GETTING OUR KIDS TO, UH, THE EDUCATIONAL SOURCES AND TO FILL IN THE GAPS AS TO WHATEVER ELSE WAS NEEDED DURING THE HURRICANE RECOVERY EFFORTS.
SO PAT VAN LEO REPRESENTS AND IS THE I'M THE PRESIDENT CEO OF BOYS AND GIRLS CLUBS, METRO LOUISIANA, UM, AND HE CONTRIBUTED TO HELPING THE FILL THE BELIZE PART OF OUR, OF OUR MISSION, UM, TO HELP STUDENTS THROUGH THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM, GET FED, UM, BY PROVIDING TO GO BOXES.
HE DID ABOUT 5,000 OF THEM, UM, DURING THE DRIVE-THROUGH FEEDING PROGRAM AND ALSO THE HOME DELIVERY PROGRAM FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO WE WANT TO THANK PAT AS HE REPRESENTS THOSE
[00:10:01]
WHO CONTRIBUTED TO HELPING TO FEED OUR KIDS AND HONOR HIM TODAY.PAT, DO YOU WANNA SAY A COUPLE OF WORDS? WE HAVE A LONG STANDING RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WHERE WE'RE CURRENTLY RUNNING SCHOOL PROGRAMS THAT UNIVERSITY TERRORISTS BUCHANAN, MAGNOLIA WOODS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH A VIRTUAL SCHOOL TO START AN OBSTACLE PROGRAM THERE SINCE OUR MERGER WITH THE NEW ORLEANS.
AND WE'RE NOW SERVING KIDS IN NEW ORLEANS, THE WEST BANK AND IN SLIDELL AND COVINGTON.
SO WE'VE REALLY EXPANDED OUR FOOTPRINT.
WE ALSO DO AN IN-SCHOOL PROGRAM CALLED BE SAFETY SMART, WHICH IS A BULLYING PREVENTION PROGRAM.
AND THEN WE DO A YOUTH MODEL YOUTH LEDGE PROGRAM THAT YOUR KIDS FROM SCOTLAND THEY'LL MIDDLE AND, UM, MAYFAIR ALSO ATTEND.
SO THIS PARTNERSHIP HAS BEEN LONG GOING AND JUST HAPPY TO PLEA, HAPPY TO SERVE YOU GUYS IN THIS TIME OF NEED.
HEY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MIKE.
NEXT WE'D LIKE TO REPRESENT EXXON MOBILE BATON ROUGE.
SO EXXON BATON ROUGE, UM, HELPED A SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE FILL THE MINDS COMPONENT AND THEY HELP GET OUR KIDS TO THE SCHOOLS.
UM, AND AS WE ALL KNOW, FROM EXPERIENCING THOSE LONG GAS LINES, UM, THAT FUEL WAS AT A CRITICAL PREMIUM AS WE RECOVERED FROM THE HURRICANE.
UM, SO THEY, UH, MADE A DONATION OF DIESEL GAS TO OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WITHIN EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL SYSTEM SO THAT THE SCHOOL BUSES COULD GET OUR KIDS TO OUR FACILITIES.
UM, SO WE'VE GOT REPRESENTATION FROM STEPHANIE CARGILL WHO IS THE PUBLIC AND GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MANAGER FOR EXXON MOBILE BATON ROUGE.
AND SHE'S BOUGHT TWO OTHER CRITICAL EMPLOYEES THAT HELPED US THROUGH THIS CAMPAIGN.
AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE HER AND LET HER INTRODUCE HER, HER COWORKERS.
UM, AS YOU GUYS KNOW, WHETHER IT'S COVID, UM, HURRICANE WHATEVER CHALLENGES ARE THROWN OUR WAY, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOK TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY, OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WE GO TO AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY HURRICANE TEACHES US A DIFFERENT LESSON, I THINK, AND THIS ONE TAUGHT US ABOUT FUEL AND TRANSPORTATION SUPPLIES.
SO WITH A LOT OF OUR REFINERIES IN THE STATE, DOWN THROUGH THIS HURRICANE, UM, D GASOLINE AND DIESEL BECAME A GREAT NEED.
AND IN THAT WEEK AFTER HURRICANE IDA, AS WE CALLED CATH AND REALLY SAID, WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE FOUNDATION TO PROVIDE SUPPORT? SHE CONNECTED US VERY QUICKLY WITH MONIQUE SCOTT SPALDING, WHO I BELIEVE WAS IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS OF HER JOB AS YOUR TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR.
AND IT WAS HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THE KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL? AND SO WE TURNED IN PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
UM, I AM NOT THE FUELS GIRL AND WE, SO WE TURN TO BAHRAINI ROBILLARD AND PAT HINKLE, WHO COULD HELP US FIND A VERY UNIQUE WAY TO GET GASOLINE AND DIESEL OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SO WITH THEIR INNOVATION, WE ACTUALLY HAD OUR REFINERY FUEL TRUCK, UM, BRING DIESEL DIRECTLY TO YOUR, YOUR FUELING STATION FOR YOUR BUSES, AND WE'RE ABLE TO DONATE 16,000 GALLONS OF DIESEL.
UM, AND IT WAS DONE WITHIN GOSH, I THINK A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO THANKS TO THESE TWO FOR MAKING IT HAPPEN.
UM, AND THANKS TO OUR REFINERY MANAGER FOR THE MINUTE WE ASKED, HE SAID, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, GET, LET'S GET IT DONE.
SO WE'LL ALWAYS BE THERE FOR YOU GUYS.
UM, NO MATTER IF IT'S THE FUNDING OR IF IT'S THE DIESEL AND WE APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.
UM, I JUST WANT TO SAY STEPHANIE, UH, TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM, THANK YOU.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO START SCHOOL, UH, WHEN WE DID, IF YOU GUYS WOULDN'T HAVE STEPPED UP.
AND, UM, WHEN I WAS ON MY WAY OVER TO BE A PART OF THE, UH, DONATION, UH, I PASSED LOTS OF LONG GAS LINES, UH, AND SO WE WOULD HAVE HAD, UH, BUSES RUNNING OUT OF FUEL AND ALL KINDS OF STUFF, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STEPPING UP IN SUCH A SIGNIFICANT WAY AND THANK YOU ALL.
AND AT THAT POINT, GASOLINE WAS NOT $3 A GALLON.
UH, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT GOLD, UH, CONTRIBUTION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
TATMA I TOO WANTED TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HELPING TO GET US ROLLING AND TO KEEP US ROLLING.
YOU GUYS JUST DO THINGS ALL THROUGH THE YEAR AND WE DO SO APPRECIATE THAT.
AND SO PRESIDENT TATLIN IN CLOSING, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE DONORS WHO, UH, COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY AND WHO ARE ON A NATIONAL BASIS FOR HELPING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGH THE
[00:15:01]
FOUNDATION.AND I WILL SAY THAT, UM, IF ANYBODY OUT THERE WOULD LIKE TO HELP FILL THE GAPS AND THE OTHER COMPONENTS THAT ARE STILL UNMET, THEY CAN CERTAINLY GO TO THE FOUNDATION FOR EAST BATON ROUGE SCHOOL SYSTEMS WEBSITE, WHICH IS FOUNDATION EBR.ORG.
[D.2. VIPS "Partners in Education" ]
D TO, UM, RECOGNITION OF VIPS PARTNERS IN EDUCATION FOR THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER.UH, MS. SIMMONS, GREETINGS DR.
CECIL NAZIS SUPERINTENDENTS, PRESIDENT TAP MEN MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
UH, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
WE, I WANT TO START WITH A PERSONAL INVITATION TO OUR PARTNERS IN EDUCATION LUNCHEON.
THIS IS A BIANNUAL LUNCHEON THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
THE TOPIC THAT WE HAVE THIS THIS TIME IT'S ON THE 27TH, UM, MONDAY THE 27TH AT THE MAINE GOODWOOD LIBRARY, IT IS A HYBRID OPTION.
UM, AND WE KNOW THAT THIS SUBJECT IS VERY CLOSE TO DR.
THE SUBJECT IS THE FUTURE OF CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION.
UM, WE'RE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE PANELISTS THAT AREN'T AN AUTHORITY ON THIS TOPIC.
UM, FROM BRCC, THE CHANCELLOR, UH, DR.
WILLIE SMITH, WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVE FROM BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER TO NEESHA ELLIS.
ALSO JOHN WILLIAMS WITH THE MAYOR'S OFFICE WORK, UH, YOUTH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT.
AND OUR VERY OWN BEEN KNEE CASE IS I'M REPRESENTING THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AS WELL.
UM, SO PLEASE, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, YOU CAN MAKE THEM VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO REGISTER FOR THAT EVENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO ACKNOWLEDGE OUR AMAZING PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE, UH, WITH, UM, MOUNT ZION FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
TODAY, WE HAVE MR. DERRIUS SPURLOCK AND THEIR VERY OWN PASTOR BROWN IS HERE JOINING US TO BE, UM, HAVE, HAVE, UH, A WORD ABOUT THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH VIPS AS A PARTNER.
THIS CHURCH HAS BEEN SO IMPACTFUL WITH RYAN ELEMENTARY, SHARON HILLS ELEMENTARY, AS WELL AS SCOTLANDVILLE MAGNET, UH, WITH THEIR ALUMNI, WHICH IS, I THINK IS A WONDERFUL APPROACH TO, UM, ENCOURAGE VOLUNTEER PARTICIPATION, WORKING WITH THE ALUMNI FROM THESE SCHOOLS SO THAT THEY HAVE, BUY-IN WHERE THEY SERVE.
UM, MOUNT ZION HAS DONE BOOK DRIVES.
THEY DONATED ABOUT A HUNDRED CHILDREN'S BOOKS TO RYAN ELEMENTARY.
THEY DOVE RIGHT IN WITH FIRST DAY HELPERS, WHICH IS AN ANNUAL EVENT WE DO AT THE BEGINNING OF EVERY SCHOOL YEAR, WHERE WE MOBILIZE OUR VOLUNTEERS TO HELP ON THE FIRST DAY AND THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
UM, THEY ALSO WERE GUESTS, AS YOU CAN SEE ON DR.
JAMES GILMORE'S RADIO SHOW, WHERE WE TALKED ABOUT THE VALUE OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, AND THEY SPOKE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHY IT WAS SO IMPORTANT TO PARTNER WITH AN ORGANIZATION LIKE VIPS AND SERVE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UM, THEY ALSO DO TEACHER APPRECIATION.
SO THIS CHURCH IS VERY INVESTED IN OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND WE ARE SO PROUD TO HAVE THIS INVOLVEMENT WITH A CHURCH THAT HAS SUCH A HISTORICAL, UM, UH, BACKGROUND WITH THE BEING THE FIRST ORGANIZATION THAT, UH, MOBILIZED THE BUS BOYCOTTS IN, IN, UH, DESEGREGATION AREAS.
SO WE WANT TO HAVE MR.
FIRST, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK GOD.
UM, VIPS, MS. SIMMONS, THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DR.
NAZIS FOR RECOGNIZING US MOUNT ZION FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH FOR PARTNERING WITH SEVERAL SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
OUR MISSION AT MOUNT ZION IS TO EMBRACE THE COMMUNITY, EVANGELIZE THE LOSS IN COURAGE, TO SAVE ELEVATE THE SAVIOR AND EXPECT THE CHRIST, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH VIPS AND THE SCHOOLS, AND THESE SCHOOLS HAVE ALLOWED US TO FULFILL A PART OF OUR MISSION BY EMBRACING THE COMMUNITY THROUGH SUPPORTING AND SERVING THE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND STAFF AT OUR LOCAL SCHOOLS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SPONSOR TEACHERS APPRECIATION, DONATE NEW SUMMER READING BOOKS, SCHOOL SUPPLIES, SERVICE, FIRST DAY HELPERS AND AID WITH VOLUNTEER RECRUITMENT.
I'LL PASS IT OVER TO PASS THE BROWN.
AND I DID EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN SAID.
I'M JUST THIS CHIEF SERVANT THERE.
I'M JUST THANKFUL TO BE ABLE TO SERVE A HISTORIC CHURCH LIKE MOUNT ZION.
IT'S 163 YEARS OLD, AND IT'S DEEPLY ROOTED IN THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE'VE ADOPTED THE TWO SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN OUR COMMUNITY, MCKINLEY, MIDDLE MAGNET, AND, UM, POLK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO I'M SIMPLY JUST DOING WHAT THOSE WHO CAME BEFORE ME DID.
AND I'M JUST HERE TO SAY, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING US FOR WHAT WE'VE DONE
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SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR ALL THE HARD WORK WE APPRECIATE THANK YOU SO MUCH.
[E.1. & E.2. ]
WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM E INFORMATION ONLY THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT PERSONNEL CHANGES ITEM TWO E TWO.WE MOVE NOW TO, UH, TO RECEIVE AS
[F. Receive As Information]
INFORMATION, THE UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, DR.SO, UH, THIS MONTH, UH, STARTING ACTUALLY SEPTEMBER 15TH HAS BEEN HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
NATIONAL DISPARATE HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH BEGAN YESTERDAY, AND OUR HISPANIC STUDENTS ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST GROWING POPULATIONS OF STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SPEND THE MONTH CELEBRATING AND LEARNING ABOUT THEIR CULTURE.
WE ARE A DISTRICT THAT'S HOME TO STUDENTS FROM MANY DIFFERENT COUNTRIES, INCLUDING EL SALVADOR, HONDURAS, MEXICO, AND OTHER LATIN AMERICAN COUNTRIES WHO ATTEND SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT FROM LABELLE AIR TO RIVER OAKS TO BROADEN WHERE THEIR DISTRICT IS HOSTING A OF DURING TO THAT.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CREATE EVENTS AND THINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE FEEL EMBRACED IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THE DISTRICT IS HOSTING A COLORING CONTEST IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
WE ENCOURAGE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO PARTICIPATE AND UPLOAD YOUR FINISHED COLORING BOOK PAGE TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND TAG IT WITH HASHTAG EBR CONTEST.
UH, WE WILL, UM, CHOOSE THE WINNER ON OCTOBER 15TH AND WE WILL GO AHEAD AND BE ABLE TO, UH, CONTINUE TO CELEBRATE ALL THE MULTIPLE CULTURES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES, MEETING DATES AS A PART OF OUR FACILITIES, MASTER PLAN AND UPDATE.
WE'LL BE MOVING INTO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PORTION OF OUR PLAN.
TOGETHER WITH CSRS, WE WILL BE HOSTING A SERIES OF SIX COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
EACH OF THE FIVE REGIONS ON OCTOBER 13TH, WE WILL DO IT AT LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL ON OCTOBER 19TH, NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL, OCTOBER 27TH, THE BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL, NOVEMBER 3RD, SCOTLANDVILLE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL, NOVEMBER 10TH, TARA HIGH SCHOOL AND NOVEMBER 16TH AT WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL.
EACH MEETING WILL BEGIN AT SIX O'CLOCK AND CONCLUDE AT SEVEN 30, WE INVITE ALL INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO JOIN US.
AS THE COMMUNITY KNOWS, WE CREATE A FACILITIES REVIEW PLAN, AND OUR GOAL NOW IS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO MOVE IT TOWARDS A MASTER PLAN.
SO WE WILL LOVE TO HEAR FEEDBACK FROM VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS AT THESE MEETINGS, RESCHEDULE CONSERVATORY, MEETING DATES.
AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TOWARDS MOVING TOWARDS CREATING A VISUAL PERFORMING ARTS SCHOOL WAS AS A RESULT OF HURRICANE IDA.
WE ARE FORCED TO POSTPONE SEVERAL OF OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO SHARE OUR VISION FOR A FIRST OF ITS KIND ARTS CONSERVATORY HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
WE LIKE TO INVITE THE PUBLIC TO JOIN US FOR THE PUBLIC MEETING.
EACH MEETING WILL BEGIN AT SIX O'CLOCK ON THE FOLLOWING DATES, OCTOBER 4TH, UH, CLAYBORNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, OCTOBER 5TH, LABELLE AIR HIGH SCHOOL, OCTOBER SIX, TARA HIGH SCHOOL.
IF YOU GO TO OUR WEBSITE, EBR SCHOOLS.ORG, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ALL THOSE DATES.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO EMAIL OR CONTACT US LAST ON MY UPDATE.
UH, I WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL, AS YOU KNOW, THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO MEET THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES ACROSS THE DISSERT.
WE VASTLY EXPANDED THE EBR VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
SO I'D LIKE TO INVITE THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS, DR.
SHARON WILLIAMS, UH, UH, UP TO THE MIC TO BEGIN TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE.
WHEN WE STARTED TO OPEN UP OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL, AS MANY OF, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE COVID, UM, RESTRICTIONS AND CHALLENGES, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE FAMILIES WITH A DIFFERENT CHOICE, UH, AS A TEMPORARY SPACE, AS WE BEGIN TO MOVE THIS WORK, OUR SCHOOL HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY.
[00:25:01]
TIME DOING SUCH A MODEL, UH, WE WANTED TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOME UPDATES AS WE ENGAGE THE FAMILIES.BOARD PRESIDENT TAT MEN, BOARD MEMBERS, DR.
I'D LIKE TO SPEND JUST A FEW MOMENTS UPDATING YOU ON OUR EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY, AND WE SHOULD HAVE A PRESENTATION.
SO I FIRST WANT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE CERTAINLY HAD A, UM, EXCITING TIME GETTING OUR EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY UP AND RUNNING.
AS YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HAD A VIRTUAL ACADEMY FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT LAST YEAR, WITH THE ADVENT OF THE COVID PANDEMIC, IT WAS GREATLY EXPANDED AND EVEN MORE SO NOW EARLIER THIS YEAR, YOU APPROVED FOR US TO EXPLAIN, EXPAND OUR EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY TO A PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE SCHOOL WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE NOT ONLY WANT THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS AN OPTION FOR PARENTS DURING A PANDEMIC.
OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS A THRIVING ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE FOR STUDENTS.
UM, IF THEY ARE CHOOSING THEIR VERSION OF A VIRTUAL OPTION FOR THEIR SCHOOLING.
SO WE HAVE SEVERAL KEY COLLABORATORS THAT WORK WITH US TO HELP MAKE THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL A SUCCESS.
NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE EVERY DEPARTMENT IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ASSISTING IN SOME WAY WITH ENSURING THAT THIS IS A THRIVING EDUCATIONAL SETTING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I ESPECIALLY WANT TO THANK THE HEROIC JOB THAT OUR SCHOOL LEADERS HAVE DONE TO WELCOME PARENTS TO THIS NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, WELCOME STUDENTS TO THIS NEW LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
AND THEY HAVE TRULY DONE SOMETHING THAT MANY OF OUR LEADERS HAVE NOT DONE.
AND THAT IS OPEN A SCHOOL WITH APPROXIMATELY 700 STUDENTS AND WHERE THEY SIT TODAY, IT'S AT 1,290 OR SO STUDENTS.
DIXON, STEPHANIE DIXON, MS. GRIMMER, DR.
MANDELA ASSERT MS. TAMRA JOHNSON ARE OUR MAIN CHAMPIONS FOR THIS PROJECT, INCLUDING ALL OF OUR OTHER DISTRICT DEPARTMENTS.
BUT I CERTAINLY WANTED TO THANK THEM PERSONALLY FOR THEIR HARD WORK.
WE ALSO PARTNERED WITH PROXIMITY LEARNING AND THEY'RE HERE THIS EVENING.
IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, THEY ARE WORKING WITH US TO HELP STAFF OUR EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
SO JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW STUDENTS ARE EDUCATED AT THE ABR VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
SO WE DO FOLLOW THE GUARANTEED AND VIABLE CURRICULUM THAT ALL OTHER SCHOOLS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOLLOWS.
WE HAVE A BLENDED APPROACH AND MET AS RECENTLY AS THIS AFTERNOON WITH OUR ASSESSMENTS AND ACCOUNTABILITY DEPARTMENT FOR A BLENDED APPROACH TO OUR DISTRICT ASSESSMENTS, STUDENTS AT THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY WILL PARTICIPATE IN ALL OF THE DISTRICT BENCHMARKS AND DIAGNOSTICS.
UH, THE PLA CONNECT IS A TOOL THAT PROXIMITY LEARNING USES IT'S ON THE CANVAS PLATFORM, WHICH MANY OF OUR EDUCATORS ARE ACCUSTOMED TO, AND THAT'S FOR OUR SIXTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE SCHOLARS, WE'RE UTILIZING GOOGLE CLASSROOM FOR A PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS.
AND WE ALSO UTILIZE EDGENUITY FOR INDIVIDUAL COURSES THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED AND ALSO CREDIT RECOVERY.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR QUEST TO EXPAND THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY, WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD PARTICIPATE AND BE EDUCATED AT THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY, WHAT HAPPENED IF AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
SO WE DO HAVE, UH, CONNECTIONS AND WE HAVE ALL TYPES OF STUDENTS WHO ARE ENROLLED IN THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY, INCLUDING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WHO WERE ENROLLED IN MAGNET PROGRAMS. AND WE'VE BEEN SUPPORTED BY THOSE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS HAVE BEEN MET.
SO THIS GRAPH SHOWS THE QUITE STARK CHANGE IN ENROLLMENT FOR THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY BEGINNING THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WHEN WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 700 STUDENTS.
AND TODAY, UH, THIS WEEK WE HAVE 1,290 STUDENTS.
THERE ARE ONLY A FEW SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT ARE, HAVE HIGHER ENROLLMENT THAN THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
AT THIS POINT, AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT'S A CHANGE OF ABOUT HUNDRED AND 80 STUDENTS.
MOST NOTABLY WE'VE HAD AN INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY 330 STUDENTS IN GRADE SIX THROUGH 12, WHICH HAS BEEN CHALLENGING BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE NEEDS AND PATHWAYS THAT STUDENTS IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS TAKE.
[00:30:01]
WE HAVE A PARTNER PROXIMITY THAT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH US TO HELP STAFF FULLY OUR EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY.SO WE HAVE A BLENDED APPROACH TO STAFFING.
WE HAVE ABOUT 51% OF OUR EMPLOYEES RIGHT NOW, A TOTAL OF ABOUT 70 SOMETHING TEACHERS WHO ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE EBR PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, ABOUT 33% OF OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES ARE EMPLOYED BY PROXIMITY.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT A 16% VACANCY.
WE DO HAVE A PLAN FOR THOSE VACANCIES, AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT JUST WHERE WE HAVE THOSE VACANCIES IN MIDDLE AND PRIMARILY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
WE ALSO HAVE A NEED FOR A FULL-TIME COUNSELOR.
SO MS. DONALDSON AND STAFF, UM, THE STAFF AT THE EBR VIRTUAL ACADEMY AND PROXIMITY HAVE BEEN WORKING DAILY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO RECRUIT, HIRE ONBOARD TEACHERS.
AND WE'RE ALSO PRESENTING MS. DONALDSON HAS LATER TODAY FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, A PROPOSAL FOR HYBRID TEACHERS.
SO THERE ARE SOME IMMEDIATE NEXT ACTIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE ARE WORKING TOWARD THIS WEEK TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE FULLY STAFFED AND THAT FAMILIES ARE FULLY SERVED AND THAT STUDENTS ARE FULLY SERVED.
THE FIRST OF WHICH IS TO ENSURE THAT EACH SCHOLAR HAS A FULL SCHEDULE.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE A NEED OF A COUNSELOR.
AND THAT PERSON IS PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR SECONDARY SCHEDULING, REVIEWING TRANSCRIPTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH SCHOLAR HAS WHAT THEY NEED IN ORDER TO MATRICULATE TO GRADUATION.
WE'RE ALSO CONTINUING TO COLLABORATE WITH THE ACADEMICS AND LITERACY TEAMS TO ENSURE THAT EACH STUDENT IS ON PACE.
WE'VE HAD STUDENTS COME AT AT VARIOUS POINTS DURING THIS FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SCHOOL.
SO WE'LL BE WORKING WITH THOSE TEAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT TEACHERS CAN KEEP THOSE STUDENTS ON PACE AND DEVELOP A PLAN FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT QUITE ON PACE.
WE'RE ALSO PLANNING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FULLY STAFFED EACH POSITION IS, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, UM, ALLOCATED FUNDS TO PROVIDE FAMILY SUPPORT SESSIONS EACH EVENING.
WE'RE PAYING TEACHERS IN ORDER FOR THEM TO BE AVAILABLE FOR T UH, FOR FAMILIES AFTER HOURS TO GET SUPPORT LOGGING ON TECHNOLOGY ISSUES, CURRICULUM ISSUES, ET CETERA.
THAT IS OUR UPDATE FOR THIS EVENING.
AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS MS. WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU, MR. DEDMAN.
UH, IT'S GOOD TO HEAR THAT WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING ALONG WITH, UM, GETTING SOME MORE TEACHERS INVOLVED.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN QUITE A SHORTAGE, ESPECIALLY LIKE IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
UM, WHAT I'M WONDERING ABOUT IS THE, UH, KIDS THAT CAME IN EARLY IN, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND DIDN'T HAVE TEACHERS IN PLACE AND MAY HAVE FALLEN BEHIND SOME, DO WE HAVE SOME PLANS FOR GETTING THOSE KIDS CAUGHT UP TO FROM THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL UNTIL NOW? YES.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE PLAN WORKING WITH, UM, OUR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM, UM, AND DOLLARS SET ASIDE FOR THAT.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE EXAMINING WHERE STUDENTS ARE IN TERMS OF THE PACING, UM, AND WHERE THEY ARE.
WE, WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE A PROGRAM LIKE EDGENUITY TO HELP STUDENTS CATCH UP AND GET ON PACE.
UM, HOWEVER, WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING INDIVIDUALLY WITH STUDENTS, AS WE KNOW, MANY OF THEM HAVE HAD SUBSTITUTES OR HAVE NOT HAD, UM, ACCESS TO LIVE INSTRUCTION, UM, AS WE WOULD LIKE.
SO, UH, WITH THE CORE SUBJECTS, IT SEEMS LIKE THOSE WERE THE MAIN ONES THAT WERE IN QUESTION.
UH, HOW'S IT LOOKING TO GET THE SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES AND MATH TEACHERS ON BOARD IN PARTICULAR THOSE SUBJECTS.
SO WE HAVE, UM, OUR PARTNER PROXIMITY HERE TO HELP ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT RECRUITING AND MS. DONALDSON CAN ALSO SPEAK TO THE RECRUITING EFFORTS FOR THOSE HIGH NEEDS VACANCIES.
UM, PRESIDENT HAPMAN, UM, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS, DR.
UM, SO THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH, UM, THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL TO WORK ON, UM, HIRING MORE TEACHERS AND ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN HOSTING SEVERAL INFORMATIONAL EVENTS ACROSS THE SYSTEM AT DIFFERENT SITES.
SOME ARE LIVE EVENTS THAT ARE FACE-TO-FACE SOME HAVE BEEN, UH, VIRTUAL EVENTS.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A VIRTUAL JOB FAIR SCHEDULED FOR, UM, THE 21ST, UH, WE HAVE 40 CANDIDATES THAT ARE IN THE QUEUE TO ATTEND THAT FAIR.
[00:35:01]
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO VET THOSE CANDIDATES, UM, AT THE VIRTUAL FAIR TO DETERMINE WHERE, WHERE THEY, THEIR SKILLSETS ARE AND THEIR ELIGIBILITY TO TEACH IF IT'S TEACHING OR SUBSTITUTING.SO WE HAVE THAT EVENT SCHEDULED, UH, THIS, THIS COMING UP TUESDAY.
SO WE DO THESE EVENTS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AND, UM, DO LIVE INTERVIEWS AND, UH, VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS EVERY DAY, UH, WITH CANDIDATES AS WE GET APPLICATIONS IN, UH, FOR TEACHING POSITIONS AND FOR ALL OTHER POSITIONS, BUT FOR THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL, DEFINITELY, UM, IS, IS ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES TO, TO, UH, GET STABBED.
WE'VE BEEN ALSO COLLABORATING WITH, UM, PROXIMITY AND, UM, WE MEET PRETTY MUCH EVERY OTHER DAY TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF WHERE THEIR STAFFING IS, IS, AND, AND SOME OF THEIR STAFFING, UH, STRUGGLES THAT THEY'VE HAD AS WELL.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ALL WORKING TOGETHER TO, UH, TRY TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL WITH, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE SEVERAL TEACHERS, I BELIEVE ANYWAY, THAT WE HAVE SEVERAL TEACHERS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO, UM, WHO, WHO COULDN'T BE IN THE CLASSROOM PHYSICALLY WITH THEIR OWN HEALTH CONDITIONS.
AND I'M WONDERING IF, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO MAYBE RECRUIT SOME OF THOSE OR WHERE DO THEY STAND IN, IN THE WHOLE MIX OF BRINGING IN TEACHERS THAT WE NEED.
SO WE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, AND I CAN'T GET INTO DETAILS ABOUT DIFFERENT EMPLOYEES, BUT, UH, WE DO HAVE EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE SYSTEM.
UM, AND SO WE DO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, UM, DEPENDING UPON THE EMPLOYEE, IF THEY NEED TO BE ON LEAVE BECAUSE THEY ARE UNABLE TO ACTUALLY WORK WORK.
UM, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE RESPECT THAT AND, AND WE, WE, WE HONOR THAT PARTICULAR LEAVE REQUEST, BUT WE DO HAVE, OF COURSE HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE MEDICAL, UH, REASONS WHY THEY CAN'T GO INTO THE CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW.
AND SO THIS IS ACTUALLY GIVEN THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UH, PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO STUDENTS.
AND SO WE CAN'T GIVE DETAILS OR, YOU KNOW, WHO IDENTIFY THEM OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT WE, WE DO WE'VE, WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE THOSE SKILLS.
DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR PROXIMITY.
AT THIS POINT IN TIME, WE HAVE STAFFED OVER, OR WE HAVE OVER 400 CANDIDATES THAT WE'RE VETTING TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN DELIVER INSTRUCTION THROUGH THIS MEDIUM.
UH, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE RUN INTO.
WE WANT TO GET QUALITY TEACHERS BEFORE THE STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THEY CAN DELIVER A QUALITY INSTRUCTION.
AND SO THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE MAJOR CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE BEEN FACING JUST AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTRY, BUT WE DO HAVE CANDIDATES IN THERE.
WE'RE LOOKING PROBABLY IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS TO FINISH FILLING ALL THE VACANCIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU, MS. SQUARE JACKSON, MS. VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
WHAT DEADLINES ARE WE GIVING OURSELVES TO FILL THESE POSITIONS ENTER? AND ALSO WITH DEADLINE TO PROVIDE A FULL SCHEDULE, UH, TO STUDENTS, WE SET A GOAL FOR FULLY STAFFING OF NEXT TUESDAY, THE 21ST OF SEPTEMBER, WE'VE SET A GOAL FOR FULL SCHEDULES.
UM, NEXT WEEK WE'RE STILL AUDITING SOME STUDENTS TRANSCRIPTS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, UH, WE HAVE PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COUNSELING DEPARTMENT WHO HAS WORKED HAND IN HAND WITH THE CURRENT COUNSELOR AT THE BUILDING.
AND SO WE'LL BE CHECKING ON THAT PROGRESS DAILY TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE SCHEDULES BY NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN, UM, IT'S PROBABLY AT HR QUESTION, UM, HOW MUCH, I MEAN, AS A GENERAL TEACHER SHORTAGE, UM, WHICH SEEMS TO BE EXACERBATED HERE RECENTLY, BUT, UM, WHILE I APPRECIATE AND AGREE THAT SOME OF OUR DISTRICT IN PERSON TEACHERS MAY WANT TO AND NEED TO, AND I PERSONALLY BELIEVE WE SHOULD ACCOMMODATE THOSE, THEY NEED TO DO VIRTUAL.
IT SEEMS KIND OF OBVIOUS TO ME THAT IT WOULD JUST CREATE, THERE WOULD BE A SHORTAGE SOMEWHERE.
UM, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING LIKE IN TERMS OF WHAT OUR CURRENT NUMBERS IN TERMS OF TEACHER, UH, VACANCIES, UH, AT THIS TIME, I KNOW WE HAD GOTTEN A REPORT MAYBE A WEEK AND A HALF AGO.
AND AT THAT TIME IT WAS MAYBE IT WAS CLOSE TO ONE 50.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE AT 91, UH, TEACHER CLASSROOM, UH, VACANCIES.
[00:40:01]
SOME OF THOSE VACANCIES AS WE START TO BALANCE OFF, UM, SCHOOLS, WE'LL, WE'LL BE CONSOLIDATING THEM CAUSE WE LIST THEM STILL AS A VACANCY BECAUSE WE PROJECTED THE NEED.UM, AND SO AS WE, AS STUDENTS CONTINUE TO ENROLL AND, AND, UM, BEGAN CLASSES, WE, WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT FROM THE SCHOOLS, UM, YOU KNOW, START DOING THOSE SHIFTS AT THIS POINT.
BUT, UM, WE, WE DO HAVE 91 THAT ARE, THAT ARE LISTED ON AS FIRST TEACHING VACANCIES.
AND THEN JUST FROM ALL OF OUR PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE WITH THOSE AT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, CHANGES JUST LIKE THE LIFT UP AND I'M, I'M SURE YOU'RE MINDFUL, UH, UH, THAT I HOPE WE NOT USING BLACK AND WHITE PERSONNEL FORMULAS BECAUSE SOME CAMPUSES HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT OUR FORMULA IS NOT GONNA HELP.
UH, AND SO THAT WHATEVER MED MATRIX OR METRICS MET, WHATEVER MEASUREMENTS ARE BEING USED, THAT IS BALANCED WITH THE VOICE OF WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS EXPRESSING AND EXPLAINING THAT THEY NEED ON THEIR CAMPUS.
AND NOT JUST YOU BEING HERE, YOU HAVEN'T BEEN IN YOUR PARTICULAR ROLE IN A WHILE.
I KNOW YOU'RE FAMILIAR, BUT I'M LIFTING IT UP FOR EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM TO BE COGNIZANT THAT WE CAN'T JUST TREAT THIS AS A BLACK AND WHITE PEER FORMULAIC ISSUE WHEN IT COMES TO FOR THE SAKE OF SAFE SEATS OR FIELD.
CAUSE WE CONSOLIDATED, UH, VACANCIES, UH, CAUSE WE STILL HAVE TO DO OUR BEST TO, AND I KNOW EVERYONE'S HEART IS THERE FOR EVERYBODY TO DO THEIR BEST, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS GET THE NEEDS, UH, AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT THEY NEED, UH, DONE.
AND THIS, I SEE IT, I BELIEVE.
THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
UH, SEE, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS.
UM, I'VE HEARD FROM A FEW PEOPLE THAT THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES, UH, RELATIVE TO PROXIMITY WITH REGARD TO LOG IN, LOG ON CREDENTIALS, A DELAY.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND TALK ABOUT A, WHAT DOES THAT DELAY LOOK LIKE TODAY AND WHAT ARE WE DOING TO REMEDIATE THAT AT THIS POINT IN TIME, SIR, WE'VE CREATED A WHOLE SYSTEM WHERE PARENTS CAN ACCESS AND GET THOSE LOGINS.
THOSE ARE ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE GET, UH, THE, FOR GETTING THEIR LOG-IN, THERE IS A FEATURE ON THERE THAT THEY CAN ASK FOR IT, BUT MOST STUDENTS OR PARENTS ARE NOT AWARE.
SO IT'S A PROCESS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE TO SOLVE THAT ISSUE.
SO THE, SO THE ISSUE IS NOT REALLY GETTING THEM SET UP ON PROXIMITY.
THIS, THE ISSUE IS THAT THEY'RE LOSING MISPLACING OR I'M FORGETTING THEIR PASSWORD AND THEY DON'T QUITE KNOW HOW TO GET IF WE HAVE THEM IN OUR SYSTEM.
THERE IS SOME COMMUNICATION THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON ON BOTH SIDES, MAINLY OURS WITH THE CAMPUSES AND WITH THE DISTRICT TO GET THOSE STUDENTS LOGGED INTO PLA CONNECT.
BUT ONCE THEY'RE IN, WE STILL SEE THAT AS A COMMON ISSUE, PARENTS WERE GETTING LOG-INS OR STUDENTS WERE GETTING LOGINS, BUT WE HAVE A SYSTEM IN PLACE TO HELP THOSE KIDS OUT.
SO IF A STUDENT GOES TO THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY, JUST HUMOR ME.
SO THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY TOMORROW, W HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR YOU GUYS TO GET HIM SET UP ON PROXIMITY? THEY ARE ABLE TO GO TO THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY TOMORROW AND WE'VE GOTTEN THE INFORMATION FROM THE DISTRICT.
THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE SET UP WITHIN THAT DAY OR TWO.
ON LET'S SEE, I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
SO THE ORIGINAL PROJECTION WAS 700 STUDENTS AND WE'RE RIGHT AT 13, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, HUMOR ME BALLPARK, RIGHT? 1300 IS THEIR EXPECTATIONS THAT THAT IS GOING TO GROW.
UM, WELL LET ME ASK, LET ME JUST MAKE A STATEMENT.
THAT'LL KIND OF LEAD TO THE QUESTION.
ARE WE PREPARED FOR EVEN MORE PEOPLE COMING INTO THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY? AND CAN WE HANDLE THAT? I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PLAN TO SLOW DOWN OUR ENROLLMENT AND EVEN, UM, A BRIEF MORATORIUM.
WE HAVEN'T SPOKEN BROADLY WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM AT THIS POINT, BUT BECAUSE WE HAVE 16% OF OUR TEACHERS AS A VACANCY AT THIS MOMENT, I CAN'T PREDICT HOW MANY MORE WILL ENROLL, BUT IT'S BEEN A STEADY INCREASE.
AS YOU CAN TELL, WE'RE SLOWING DOWN WITH INTEREST.
WE HAVEN'T HEARD AS MUCH, UM, PARENT INTEREST AT THIS POINT, BUT, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT HAS GROWN.
UM, AND I THINK IT DEPENDS ON THE CURRENT LANDSCAPE OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, AS TO HOW MANY STUDENTS WE MAY ENROLL AND AGAIN, AS, UM, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT AS MS. COLLINS MENTIONED, WE ARE IN MISS DONALD.
SO WE ARE COLLABORATING AROUND THE REALLOCATION OF STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT.
[00:45:01]
I THINK THAT THAT WILL ALSO HELP, UH, WITH OUR VACANCIES THERE AND ELSEWHERE.WELL, THAT LEADS RIGHT TO MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO THE STUDENTS HAVE TO BE, I GUESS I'M GOING TO SAY AGAIN, HUMOR ME COMING FROM SOMEWHERE OR IS THERE, UH, ARE YOU, ARE YOU, ARE WE TRACKING WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE COMING FROM AND, AND DO WE KNOW, IS, IS THERE, ARE THERE SCHOOLS OR AREAS WHERE WE ARE FINDING A LARGER CONCENTRATION? YES.
ABOUT A WEEK AGO, I BELIEVE BEFORE THE HURRICANE, UM, MS.
UM, SO, UH, WE CAN RUN THAT AGAIN.
IT HASN'T BEEN UPDATED SINCE THE HURRICANE TO DETERMINE, UH, THE PERCENTAGES OF WHERE STUDENTS ARE COMING FROM.
I ACTUALLY, I I'M, IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR ME IF I COULD SEE SOME OF THAT, IF IT WOULDN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE INTERESTED, BUT I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO SEE BECAUSE HE LEADS TO, I GUESS, MY NEXT STATEMENT, WHICH IS HOW DO OUR, HOW ARE OUR STUDENT COUNTS LOOKING ACROSS THE DISTRICT? UM, AND THIS ISN'T REALLY JUST A VIRTUAL THING.
THIS IS A LARGER ISSUE OF OUR STUDENTS COMING BACK TO SCHOOL ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I HEARD YOU SAY YOU TALKED ABOUT THE REALLOCATION OF STAFF, OBVIOUSLY BECAUSE OF THE FORMULAS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
UM, BUT, BUT, BUT IT MIGHT BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO GET REGULAR, UH, SUPERINTENDENT, REGULAR REPORTS ON STUDENT COUNTS, JUST SO WE CAN, I REALIZE, WHAT IS IT, OCTOBER IS ONE OF THE BIG DATES FROM THE STATE PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND THEN, UM, BUT I, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, AS A SCHOOL BOARD, AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WE OUGHT TO BE LOOKING AT THAT.
AND, UH, SO IT JUST GIVES US ANOTHER TOOL, UH, THAT WE CAN WORK FROM.
AND THEN I GUESS, UH, YOU KNOW, HATE TO BE, UH, I KNOW YOU ALL ARE VERY BUSY AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
THIS IS JUST MEANT FOR ME TO GROW AND BETTER UNDERSTAND.
UM, I, I REALLY LIKE TO SEE SIMILAR INFORMATION ON, ON TEACHER ACCOUNTS, VACANCIES WHERE WE'RE SHORT, UM, BOTH ON REGULAR, UH, INSTRUCTION AND IN SUBSTITUTES, UM, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A BOARD AND OUR, UH, INFORMED AS WE MAKE DECISIONS MOVING FORWARD.
AND THE PRESENT TIME A WEEK AND PROVIDE THAT FOR YOU RIGHT AWAY.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE A DASHBOARD THAT WE'VE CREATED THAT HAS ALL VACANCIES AND WHAT SCHOOLS, WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM.
UH, AND ALSO WE ACTUALLY HAVE AN ENROLLMENT COUNT NUMBER THAT WE DO ACTUALLY PRETTY MUCH EVERY DAY.
WE CAN SEND THAT TO YOUR IMMEDIATELY, UH, WHILE YOU'RE ACTUALLY GOOD, MAYBE WHAT WE COULD DO.
SO YOU COULD DUMB IT DOWN FOR, AT LEAST ME, IT MAY BE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES IS EITHER SEND US A LINK TO THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS, MAYBE ON A FRIDAY OR MONDAY OR WHATEVER, SO THAT WE CAN GO RIGHT TO IT AT THAT POINT AND HAVE SOME REGULAR POINT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO CREATE WORK, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS AND FIGURES IN FRONT OF US.
I THINK I MIGHT'VE LIT UP THE BOARD.
UM, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT SAM, THAT, UM, AND WE DID USED TO GET REGULAR.
I CAN REMEMBER IT WAS WEEKLY ON BARKLEY, UH, BUT AT LEAST, AND SO, UM, AND WE WOULD GET A SPREADSHEET TO SEE, AND SO WE COULD RESUME THERE.
THERE WILL BE AMAZING, UH, AS WELL AS WHAT MY COLLEAGUE MENTIONED IN TERMS OF THE TEACHER, UH, AND SUB REPORTS FOR EACH SCHOOL, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO, UH, ALSO MENTIONED THAT WHAT WE SEEN WITH THIS VIRTUAL SCHOOL ARE, UH, ALSO POINTS TO OUR NEED TO BE ABLE TO, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THIS PAIN, THEY MAKE AN, UM, PRAYERFUL AND HOPEFUL, UH, BUT ALL ALSO SO ON THAT BEING THE PESSIMISTS, BUT I'M ALSO A REALIST AND WE REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS PANDEMIC IS GOING TO DO.
WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE RIGHT BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED THAT IT WOULD START IMPACTING STUDENTS AND CHILDREN MORE THAN ADULTS.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PRAYERFULLY THE RATES DON'T SPIKE AGAIN, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
BUT IF IT DOES, UM, WE'RE ALREADY STRUGGLING JUST TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT'S CAPABLE.
UH, WE'RE ALREADY STRUGGLING TO MAKE SURE THAT IF A TEACHER HAS TO QUARANTINE, BUT THEN IT'S NOT ALLOWED TO TEACH VIRTUALLY, UH, IF A STUDENT IS, HAS THE QUARANTINE, BUT NOT ALLOWED TO GET THAT DAY-TO-DAY VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.
UH, IF A CLASS HAS TO GO OUT BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF EXPOSURE, UH, WHICH, WHICH HAS BEEN RAN TO THIS POINT, I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY IT'S A COMPLETE CATASTROPHE.
I'M NOT COMING FROM THAT PLACE.
WHAT THE PLACE I AM COMING FROM IS WE DO NOT KNOW
[00:50:01]
HOW BAD OR HOW GOOD IT'S GOING TO GET.AND HE MADE THE ABILITY TO PIVOT, NOT JUST TELL PEOPLE TO ENROLL, NOT TELL PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO CATCH UP WITH CLASSWORK BECAUSE THAT'S NOT A LOT, UH, IN OF OUR STUDENTS ALREADY HAVE A HARD TIME KEEPING UP FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
UM, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE THREE OR FOUR KIDS IN A WHEEL TO DO HOUSEHOLD MY MAMA, HAVING A HARD TIME KEEPING UP WITH, OKAY, I NEED TO GET THIS AND THIS AND THIS CAUSE ALL FOUR OF MY BABIES HAVE TO QUARANTINE BECAUSE THE YOUNGEST ONE CAUGHT COVID.
AND SO WE ALL NEED TO STAY HOME.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE WHERE IF A TEACHER, A STUDENT OR A WHOLE CLASS NEEDS TO BE OFF OF THE CAMPUS, THAT THEY NOT MAKING IT UP ON THE BACK END.
UH, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE I'M OPEN PEOPLE HAVE MADE DIFFERENT SUGGESTIONS.
WE HAD PROCESS PROCESSES IN PLACE PREVIOUSLY.
WE DON'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY GO BACK TO THOSE PROCESSES, BUT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT SOMETHING, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DO NOT KNOW HOW GOOD OR BAD IT'S GOING TO GET, AND IT'S JUST BEST FOR US TO BE PREPARED.
AND I JUST WANT TO LIFT THAT UP, UH, BECAUSE THIS, UM, SITUATION WITH THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY SIMPLY ILLUSTRATES THE NEED FOR US TO FIND WAYS TO PIVOT.
UH, AND SO I'LL LEAVE MY, I SAID THAT.
SUPERINTENDENT, WOULD YOU PLEASE REFRESH MY MEMORY ON WHAT IS OUR POLICY FOR STUDENTS TRANSFERRING IN AND OUT A VIRTUAL ACADEMY? BECAUSE I KNOW, I THINK WE CHANGED THEM AT THE LAST MINUTE OR WHATEVER, SO I'M JUST NOT CLEAR WHERE THAT IS NOW.
WILLIAMS, CAN YOU PROVIDE THE EXACT LANGUAGE FOR THAT? SO THE PROCEDURE IS, UM, AND THE AGREEMENT IS THAT STUDENTS IN PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH GRADE WILL STAY ENROLLED THROUGHOUT THE NINE WEEK PERIOD AND CAN TRANSFER BACK OR RE-ENROLL TO ANOTHER SCHOOL.
AFTER THAT NINE WEEK PERIOD WITH OUR UPPER, UH, OUR NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE, WE WOULD ASK THAT THEY STAY THIS SEMESTER AND RE-ENROLL AT THE SEMESTER BREAK.
I JUST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS A CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD CAUSE I HAD IT WRONG IN MY MIND.
UH, THE OTHER THING IS I WANT IT TO ALSO POINT OUT THAT BETWEEN AUGUST 11TH AND SEPTEMBER 15TH ENROLLMENT, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE A LITTLE CHART ON A LITTLE LINES ON THE GRAPH, BUT THE SIX TO 12, THAT WAS AN 85% INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT FROM THE 11TH IN BASICALLY A MONTH.
AND TO TRY TO MAKE THAT KIND OF PIVOT WITH THE HURRICANES AND EVERYTHING ELSE AND COVID AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
UH, I'M NOT THROWING ROCKS AT YOU GUYS.
IT'S A, IT'S A VERY TOUGH JOB TO DO.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO THAT.
UH, BUT THAT ALSO BRINGS UP AN, UH, ANOTHER COUPLE OF THINGS ON DATA.
UH, AS WE GO THROUGH THE DATA AND YOU PROVIDE US SOME OF THIS DATA ON ENROLLMENT BY SCHOOLS, I WOULD ALSO ASK IF POSSIBLE WHAT THAT DATA COULD HAVE, WHAT WAS THE BUDGET NUMBER AND THEN WHAT IS THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING? SO WE HAVE SOMETHING TO COMPARE THAT WITH, UH, AND MAYBE EVEN THE NUMBER FROM LAST YEAR.
UH, I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE WORK, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING A PICTURE, A SNAPSHOT AT ONE POINT IN TIME, DOESN'T GIVE YOU THAT MUCH INFORMATION IF WE CAN DO THAT.
SO, UH, WE CAN DO THAT IF I COULD JUST ADD, UH, THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL IS BRAND NEW.
SO, UH, UM, UH, I COULD ADMIT, UH, WE HAVE, IT HAS BEEN A LEARNING CURVE FOR US IN THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, UH, UM, AND IT'S BEEN ALSO AN ADJUSTMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT AT TIMES, UH, WE ARE EXPECTED TO HAVE EVERYTHING PERFECT, BUT I TELL FOLKS WE HAVE NOT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE HAD, UH, WHEN PARENTS HAVE REACHED OUT, WE'VE MADE SURE WE ENGAGE WITH PROXIMITY LEARNING.
THEY'VE BEEN VERY OPEN AROUND, UH, TRYING TO SOLVE THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD.
UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS WE'VE BEEN GOING TO, TO TRY TO GET IT RIGHT.
BUT, UH, UH, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S ALMOST LIKE A STARTUP COMPANY AND WE'VE HAD TO LEARN, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY.
UH, AS YOU SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IN A MONTH WE HAD AN 85% GROWTH IN ONE AREA.
THE ALLOW, THE PART I JUST WANT TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT IS, UM, WE WERE VERY, UM, WE WERE VERY CAUTIOUS ABOUT PUTTING A CAP BECAUSE WE DID NOT WANT FAMILIES WHO DID NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE TO STAY GOING IN PERSON.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE STILL UNDER COVID.
AND SO WE'VE, UH, MADE SURE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, AND SO, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, AS WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS, UH, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IT HAS BEEN CHALLENGING.
WE ARE, WE DO HAVE, UM, WHERE WE HAVE SOME SOLUTIONS FURTHER INTO THE,
[00:55:01]
UH, THE BOARD MEETING AND AGENDA ITEM WHERE WE DO HAVE SOME SOLUTIONS THAT WE THINK WILL ALSO HELP.UM, AND WE'RE WORKING, UH, PRETTY, UM, UH, PRETTY HARD TO BEGIN TO TRY TO PROBLEM SOLVE BY HER PRESENCE WHEN THE TIME IS QUESTIONS AROUND STAFFING, UH, PRETTY QUICKLY TO, UH, ONCE WE GET OUR NUMBERS FOR A BALANCE, UH, TO BE, TO, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT STAFFING, UH, TO MAXIMIZE THAT ACROSS OUR VACANCIES.
AND I JUST REITERATE, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE CURVE BALL.
THAT'S BEEN THROWN WITH BOTH COVID AND THE HURRICANE INTERRUPTIONS AND ALL THESE THINGS.
IT'S A, IT'S A FAST MOVING TRAIN THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO JUMP ON.
AND I UNDERSTAND, UH, BUT YOU DID A STRAIGHT LEAD IN FOR ME ON MY OTHER SUBJECT.
UH, IT IS RELATED TO THIS, UH, DO YOU, DO WE HAVE ANY UPDATES ON, BECAUSE I'LL GO BACK TO SEEING THAT ALL THE NUMBERS, I SEE SHOW THAT THE COVID RATES HAVE PEAKED AND ARE COMING DOWN RATHER DRAMATICALLY, THE HOSPITALIZATIONS ARE LEFT LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT THEY WERE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
DO WE HAVE ANY INFORMATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE ON WHAT IS OUR CURRENT COVID STATUS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL IN INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AND CLASSES? YES, WE DO HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, UH, MS. DUPREE, UH, CAN, UM, UH, SHARE THAT WITH YOU, UM, ON OUR CURRENT RATES ARE, WE'VE ALSO AS, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTED WITH TESTING, THAT'S THIS A LOT AND ALL THESE OTHER ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS, SO YES, WE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THAT INFORMATION.
UM, SO ALL OF THIS, UM, WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO THINK ABOUT, AND REALLY WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND WHAT'S HAPPENING IN ONE AREA, THEN THERE'S ANOTHER AREA THAT'S GOTTEN A, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST A JUGGLING OF, UM, OF PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THE KIND OF THING THAT I FEEL LIKE WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THAT 10 DAY COUNT OF WARM BODY COUNT.
UM, BECAUSE IN THE TIMES WHEN WE WERE SPEAKING ABOUT THE BUDGET, THERE WERE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WITH STAFFING, THIS CAMPUS ESTIMATING THIS MANY, BUT YET, YOU KNOW, IT CHANGES.
AND SO A LOT OF TIMES THAT 10 DAY COUNT CAN GIVE US INFORMATION ON, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE TOO MANY AT THIS SITE AND NOT ENOUGH AT THIS SIDE, IS THERE SOMEBODY THAT CAN TRANSFER? UM, AND SO I THINK WE NEED TO BE REALLY LOOKING AT THAT.
THE OTHER THING, UH, I APPRECIATE MY COLLEAGUES REQUESTING THIS INFORMATION SO WE CAN SEE HOW MANY VACANCIES ARE AT WHAT SCHOOL EACH WEEK.
UM, I THINK THAT'LL BE VERY BENEFICIAL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS, UH, BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A CHALLENGE IS OUR, UM, GIFTED INSTRUCTION, OUR GIFTED TEACHERS, AND I, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO, ARE WE REALLY MAXIMIZING THE GIFTED INSTRUCTION, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR CHILDREN.
AND SO WHEN WE STARTED OFFERING GIFTED SERVICES AT ADDITIONAL SITES, WE HAD TO PROVE THAT WE COULD HAVE AT LEAST 16 OR 17.
I THINK IT WAS STUDENTS IN THAT CLASS, AT THAT SCHOOL TO, UM, WARRANT OFFERING IT AT THAT SCHOOL.
OTHERWISE THEY WOULD THEN BE TAKEN TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL NEARBY THAT MIGHT BE OFFERING IT AND CONSOLIDATE THOSE RESOURCES OF OUR GIFTED TEACHERS.
AND THEN THERE WAS NO TRACKING.
MAYBE YOU GOT IT INITIALLY 16, BUT DID YOU KEEP IT? YOU KNOW, AND SO FOR THESE YEARS THAT HAVE GONE BY, I'VE BEEN WANTING TO SEE THAT TRACT TO SEE, I MEAN, ARE WE OFFERING THIS FOR FIVE STUDENTS HERE WHEN THERE'S A SCHOOL, TWO MILES DOWN THE ROAD, OR, YOU KNOW, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
SO I THINK WE CAN MAXIMIZE SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND PROVIDE BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS IF WE START REALLY LOOKING AT PROGRAMS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
CAUSE THE GIFTED TEACHER IS A HARDER THING TO FEEL BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS TO TEACH GIFTED CLASSES.
AND SO REALLY, I THINK WE, WE MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT HOW MANY STUDENTS IN WHICH GRADE LEVELS AT EACH,
[01:00:01]
UH, YES, AS MORGAN EURYDICE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING.UH, SO OUR GOAL IS NEXT WEEK, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT STAFFING AT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL, LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS IN THE CLASSROOMS AND ALL THE PROGRAMS TO BEGIN, TO MAKE SOME DIFFERENT SET OF DECISIONS, TO NOT WANT TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COVERING VACANCIES AND ALSO MAKING SURE WE'RE EFFICIENT WITH OUR RESOURCES.
THANK YOU, MS. TYSON, AND THANK YOU ALL.
UH, PRESIDENT TAT MAN, WITH THAT MARATHON REPORT.
[G. Presentation ]
TO ITEM G ONE OVERVIEW OF THE REAPPORTIONMENT AND REDISTRICTING PROCESS.MR. GARRETT, GIVEN YOUR MR. CHAPMAN, THE COLLINS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
UH, I KNOW MOST OF YOU, UM, HAVING MET YOU EITHER THE LAST TIME, UH, WE DID THE REDISTRICTING OR THROUGH MY ASSOCIATION WITH THE LOUISIANA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION AND THIS IS MY HOME.
SO THERE'S MY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, MR. GAUDETTE.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'M WORKING WITH STRATEGIC DEMOGRAPHICS, UH, WHICH IS OWNED BY DR.
BLAIR AND I WORKED TOGETHER WITH GLEN CAP WHO RECENTLY PASSED AWAY THROUGH REDISTRICTING LLC, WHICH WAS HIS COMPANY 10 YEARS AGO.
BLAIR AND I, WE WORKED TOGETHER ON 32 SCHOOL SYSTEMS, OUR 32 JURISDICTIONS LAST YEAR, INCLUDING EAST BATON ROUGE.
SO THEY ASKED THAT WE PUT TOGETHER JUST AS SORT OF A SNIPPET OF SEE WHAT WE'RE SORT OF IN FOR WHAT'S THIS PROCESS GOING TO BE LIKE, I'VE GOT A POWERPOINT.
I'M NOT SURE HOW IT STARTS THOUGH.
SO ESSENTIALLY, WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CONSULTANT AND WHAT IS THE PROCESS AS THE CONSULTANT? WE'RE GOING TO ADVISE YOU INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS ON WHAT HAS TO BE IN A PLAN.
HOW DO YOU CRAFT A PLAN? WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE PLAN WHERE WE DON'T DRAW THE PLAN WE TAKE, WE DO WHAT Y'ALL TELL US TO DO.
WE JUST HELP YOU MAKE SURE THAT THE PLAN THAT YOU'VE PROPOSED IS MEETS ALL OF THE GUIDELINES, BOTH AND STATE LAW, FEDERAL LAW, AND FEDERAL JURISPRUDENCE.
SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME, FOR SOME PEOPLE, THERE'S A MISCONCEPTION THAT THE CONSULTANT DRAWS THAT WRITES A BILL, IT GOES IN A ROOM, TYPES UP A PLAN, AND THEN JUST SUBMITS IT TO Y'ALL AND SAYS, YOU HAVE TO DO IT.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY WE'VE EVER DONE IT.
AND IT'S NOT THE WAY WE'RE EVER GOING TO DO IT.
ULTIMATELY Y'ALL ARE THE ONES AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO MAKE THAT DECISION.
AND SO WHAT IS THE GOAL? FIRST OF ALL, YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH DISTRICT IS AS CLOSE TO EQUAL POPULATION AS POSSIBLE.
YOU DO HAVE A LEEWAY OF ABOUT PLUS OR MINUS 5%.
AND THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE DONE THIS BEFORE, KNOW THAT SOMETIMES THAT CAUSES YOU TO, IT'S WHY YOU HAVE TO MOVE POPULATION BACK AND FORTH.
THAT ALL COMES FROM THE CONCEPT OF ONE PERSON.
IF ONE SCHOOL, IF, IF ONE DISTRICT HAD 10,000 PEOPLE AND ANOTHER DISTRICT HAD 5,000 PEOPLE WILL THAT ONE REPRESENTATIVE WOULD ESSENTIALLY HAVE TWICE THE VOTING POWER, WHICH IS WHY THE DISTRICTS HAVE TO BE ABOUT THE SAME.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST PLACE YOU START.
UM, NEXT, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU COMPLY WITH THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
PRIMARILY YOU DON'T IMPAIR MINORITY VOTING STRENGTH ON THE BOARD.
THERE'S A LOT OF MISCONCEPTION OUT THERE WITH WHEN THE SUPREME COURT'S RULING IN SHELBY COUNTY V HOLDER, THAT THEY SOMEHOW WERE APPEALED TO VOTING THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT.
WHAT THEY DID IS THEY FOUND THAT THE LIST OF JURISDICTIONS IN SECTION FOUR OF THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT HAD NOT BEEN PROPERLY UPDATED BY CONGRESS.
SO THEY ELIMINATED WHICH EFFECTIVELY ELIMINATED THE PRE-CLEARANCE PROCESS THAT MANY OF YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH LAST TIME YOU USED TO BE, AND TO GET YOUR PLAN DONE ABOUT THREE MONTHS EARLY SO THAT YOU GET IT TO JUSTICE AND THEY CAN REVIEW IT.
ONE NOTE IN THE 32 JURISDICTIONS THAT WE DID LAST TIME, NOT ONE PLAN WAS REJECTED BY JUSTICE.
UM, I TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF PRIDE IN THAT.
SO THE VOTING RIGHTS ACT STILL APPLIES AND I'M NOT GOING.
THAT'S PART OF WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A CONSULTANT FOR IS TO TELL YOU, LOOK, THIS IS A PLAN.
THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO PASS MUSTARD.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T HAVE TO, PRE-CLEARANCE ME RECOMMENDING YOU ADOPT A PLAN THAT YOU GET SUED ON AND THAT YOU LOSE ON THAT'S ON ME.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT ANY PLAN THAT ANY OF YOU PROPOSE, MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.
UH, NEXT YOU TRY TO MAKE SURE THE DISTRICTS ARE AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE IN A WAY.
I LIKE TO EXPLAIN IT AS YOU WANT THE DISTRICTS TO LOOK MORE LIKE SQUARES OR RECTANGLES OR TRIANGLES OR CIRCLES, AND LESS LIKE A STAR OR AN OCTOPUS, UH, NOW SOMETIMES GEOGRAPHY AND WHERE THE JURISDICTION IS SET MAKES THAT VERY DIFFICULT.
AND SOMETIMES YOU DON'T GET THOSE PERFECT SQUARES,
[01:05:01]
NOT A WHOLE LOT IN LOUISIANA, IT'S SQUARED.NOW YOU GO OUT WEST AND EVERY STATE'S A RECTANGLE AND EVERY COUNTY IS A SQUARE, BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE HERE.
AND PARTICULARLY BECAUSE WE HAVE FOUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, WITHIN, WITHIN THE PARISH OR PRESCHOOL DISTRICTS, RATHER WITHIN THE PARISH, YOU, YOU RUN INTO THAT PROBLEM OF TRYING TO MESH UP THOSE BOUNDARIES BECAUSE THOSE BOUNDARIES ARE NOT STRAIGHT LINES.
IN FACT, Y'ALL ARE ONE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE THAT ACTUALLY IS BIFURCATING.
ALL Y'ALL HAVE A PORTION OF YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THAT'S NOT CONTIGUOUS AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF IT.
BUT, AND SO YOU HAVE TO ADAPT WITH IT, BUT YOU TRY AS BEST YOU CAN TO KEEP IT AS COMPACT.
THE NEXT THING IS YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE TO TRY TO AVOID SPLITTING WHAT ARE TERMED COMPLETE COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
EASY WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT IS IF YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPLIT A NEIGHBORHOOD INTO TWO DIFFERENT DISTRICTS THAN DUMPED.
NOW, SOMETIMES THE NUMBERS ARE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE AND YOU CAN'T AVOID IT, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE THE CONSULTANT RELIES ON YOU BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT THOSE COMMUNITIES INTERESTS ARE.
AND COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST ARE NOT JUST RECOGNIZED SUBDIVISIONS THEY'RE AREAS OF TOWN.
I MEAN, I GREW UP IN BATON ROUGE.
I REMEMBER WHEN CENTRAL WAS JUST AN AREA.
SCOTLANDVILLE IS AN AREA IT'S NOT INCORPORATED, BUT EVERYBODY KIND OF KNOWS WHERE IT IS.
THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST.
YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU TOGETHER NOW, HOW DO WE ACHIEVE THAT GOAL? FIRST THING IS YOU TAKE YOUR CURRENT DISTRICTS AND YOU INPUT THE 2020 CENSUS DATA STATE LAW REQUIRES YOU USE 2020 CENSUS DATA.
SCHOOL BOARDS ACTUALLY DO HAVE A PROVISION OF LAW, SAYS THEY CAN DO THEIR OWN CENSUS IF THEY WANT AND USE THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE AND I'VE NEVER KNOWN ANYONE TO DO IT.
UM, THE, UH, SO YOU'RE UTILIZING THOSE 2020 CENSUS NUMBERS.
NOW I'VE DONE SOME LITIGATION IN THIS AREA AND I CAN TELL YOU JUST LIKE I TOLD THE FEDERAL JUDGE IN THE LITIGATION, THE CENSUS IS NOT ACCURATE.
IT'S NOT, IT CAN'T BE, FIRST OF ALL, IT WAS DONE A YEAR AGO OR PLUS MO MORE THAN A YEAR AGO.
AND SECONDLY, IT'S NOT PERFECT, BUT IT'S IMPERFECT ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO IT'S THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE TO USE.
AND SO IT SOMETIMES GETS VERY FRUSTRATING WHEN YOU'RE LIKE, I GOTTA MOVE 76 PEOPLE INTO THIS DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE WE STAY WITHIN THAT ACCEPTABLE POPULATION CRITERIA.
AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE MOVING THE, THE, THE PORTION OF A PRECINCT.
THAT'S GOT THAT 76 PEOPLE IN IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE CENSUS BUREAU HAS TOLD YOU IS IN.
SOMETIMES YOU KNOW, THAT MORE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED IN AND MORE PEOPLE HAVE MOVED OUT, BUT YOU'RE, YOU'RE OBLIGATED TO USE THOSE CENSUS NUMBERS.
BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE SIT DOWN WITH YOU.
WE SHOW YOU WHERE THE ALL THAT IS, AND IT'S OUR HOPE THAT AT YOUR RETREAT, WE ACTUALLY CAN SUBMIT THOSE, THAT FIRST BENCHMARK NUMBER.
SO YOU'LL KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE CENSUS HAS SAID HAS HAPPENED EACH OF THE DISTRICTS.
NOW THAT'S WHEN WE LISTENED TO YOU, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TELL US WHAT'S THE BEST WAY IN YOUR OPINION, TO EITHER ADD POPULATION TO YOUR DISTRICT.
IF YOUR DISTRICT IS TOO SMALL OR TO REMOVE POPULATION FROM YOUR DISTRICT, IF YOUR DISTRICT IS TOO LARGE, THAT AND YOUR COLLEAGUE IN THE DISTRICT NEXT TO YOU, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW WHAT PRECINCTS BEST FIT WITH THE OTHER PRECINCTS THAT ARE STILL IN YOUR DISTRICT.
WE TAKE THAT LEAD FROM YOU AND WE CAN DRAW AS MANY PLANS AS YOU WANT.
WE CAN DRAW SOME JUST TO SEE IF IT WORKS.
SEE IF ADDING THIS PRECINCT AND WORKS CFA.
IF ADDING HALF OF THIS PRECINCT 10 WORKS, WE JUST CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE JUST KEEP YOU WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS.
NOW, THE, THERE, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WHAT WE HAVE TO TELL YOU IS WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
THE EXAMPLE I GIVE IS THE PARISH GOVERNMENT SETS THE PRECINCTS.
THEY SET THEM IN 2019 AHEAD OF THE CENSUS AND THEY ARE FIXED AND THEY CANNOT BE CHANGED UNTIL THE LEGISLATURE FINISHES.
YOU'RE STUCK WITH THOSE PRECINCTS.
YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BUILD DISTRICTS WITH WHOLE PRECINCTS, BUT SCHOOL BOARDS, BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY ROLE IN DRAWING.
THOSE PRECINCTS DO HAVE AN ACCOMMODATION IN THE LAW.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE EXACTLY IN HALF.
NOW YOU HAVE TO USE WHOLE CENSUS BLOCKS, WHICH ACTUALLY WE'LL SEE ESSENTIALLY CENSUS BLOCKS IS HOW THE CENSUS POPULATES CENSUS BLOCKS ARE THEN COBBLED TOGETHER TO MAKE PRECINCTS AND THEY'LL HAVE VISIBLE BOUNDARIES.
SO YOU CAN SPLIT A PRECINCT IF YOU NEED TO, TO MAKE THE REDISTRICTING WORK.
BUT ANOTHER RESTRICTION IS YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN THREE SPLIT PRECINCTS IN A DISTRICT.
SO SOMETIMES THE DESIRE MAY BE, AND IT MAY BE, MAKE MORE SENSE TO DO IT A DIFFERENT WAY, BUT THAT RESTRICTION KEEPS YOU FROM DOING IT.
UM, I SAID, I'VE DONE A FEW OF THESE.
[01:10:01]
AND I ACTUALLY HAD SOMEONE TELL ME ONE TIME.THAT'S OKAY, BUT I HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE IN MY DISTRICT.
I DON'T MIND WORKING THAT HARD, BUT WE CAN'T DO THAT.
YOU CAN'T HAVE A DISTRICT THAT'S OUTSIDE OF THAT ACCEPTABLE POPULATION BANNER.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE US THERE FOR IS TO KEEP YOU WITHIN THOSE GUIDE RAILS SO THAT YOU CAN BEST ACHIEVE WHAT YOUR GOAL IS WITH REGARD TO PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WITH YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND WHEN WE MEET WITH YOU INDIVIDUALLY, YOU CAN INVITE ANYBODY TO THOSE MEETINGS THAT YOU WANT.
IF THERE IS A COMMUNITY LEADER IN YOUR AREA THAT YOU WANT INVOLVED IN THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE NO PROBLEM DEALING WITH THEM, WORKING WITH THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE AN EXTENSION OF YOU.
AND WE WILL PROVIDE, WE WILL DO THAT IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT US TO DO.
AND WE ALWAYS TRY TO MEET WITH MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY.
IF WE, IF WE'RE HAVING DIFFICULTY MAKING TWO BOUNDARIES WORK, WE SIT DOWN WITH BOTH MEMBERS AND SAY, LOOK, LET'S FIGURE IT OUT.
WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO MAKE THAT BOUNDARY WORK BETWEEN YOUR TWO DISTRICTS.
WE'LL ALSO SET UP A DAY AND WE DID IT AT THE RESOURCE CENTER, UH, 10 YEARS AGO.
AND THAT IS WHERE ANY PLANS THAT ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE PROPOSED.
A MEMBER OF SAID, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE THIS PLAN.
WE'LL MAKE LARGE EAST SIZED MAPS.
THESE BIG THREE FOOT MAPS WE'LL HAVE REPORTS ON THE POPULATIONS OF ALL OF THOSE ITEMS. WE'LL PUT THOSE UP AT THE RESOURCE CENTER, OPEN IT UP FOR A DAY ON A SATURDAY, I'LL BE THERE.
BLAIR WILL BE THERE OR WE'LL BOTH BE THERE AND WE WILL LET THEM LOOK AT THE MAPS, LET THEM LOOK AT THE NUMBERS.
IF THEY WANT TO LOOK, IF THEY WANT TO ZOOM IN AND SEE SOMETHING REALLY CLOSE, WE'LL HAVE THE COMPUTERS THERE.
WE CAN LOOK AT EXACTLY WHERE ON THE STREET THAT THE LINE ENDS.
WE'LL ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS WE CAN.
AND THAT WAY THEY, THEY, THEY ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REPRESENT.
SO THAT'S NOT A BURDEN FOR US THAT HELPS THIS PROCESS MOVE ALONG.
THEN CONTINUED, UH, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT.
Y'ALL HAVE A SPECIAL PROVISION OF LAW, ALWAYS ENTER VIA STATUTE 1750 8.2 ACTUALLY REQUIRES THAT ANY PROPOSED REDISTRICTING PLAN THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO VOTE ON, IT'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD, HAS TO HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED IN THE ADVOCATE FOR 20 DAY FOR AT LEAST, FOR AT LEAST 20 DAYS PRIOR TO WHEN Y'ALL CONSIDER IT.
SO THAT GIVES EVERYONE WHO TAKES THE ADVOCATE.
THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT WHAT PLANS ARE BEING CONSIDERED.
AGAIN, WITH THAT 20 DAY LEAD, YOU THEN GO INTO A OPEN MEETING JUST LIKE HERE AND THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT ON ANY PLAN BEFORE YOU VOTE ON IT.
SO THE PUBLIC CAN TELL YOU WHICH OF THE PLANS THEY THINK IS THE BEST FOR THESE FACTORS PAIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT, YOU HAVE MULTIPLE LEVELS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN GET INVOLVED.
NOW TIMELINE, TECHNICALLY UNDER LOUISIANA LAW SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE UNTIL JUNE 22ND, 2022, TO GET A PLAN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE BECAUSE THE LAW SAYS YOU HAVE TO HAVE IT TO HIM FOUR WEEKS BEFORE QUALIFYING.
I REALLY HOPE THAT WE ARE NOT RUNNING DOWN TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S OFFICE BECAUSE THE LAW ACTUALLY SAYS WE HAVE TO HAVE IT TO HIM BY 4:30 PM.
UH, YOU CAN ADOPT A PLAN AS FAST AS YOU WANT NOW WITH THE PROVISOR THAT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND, Y'ALL HAVE THAT 20 DAY PUBLICATION PROVISION.
SO YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT, BUT IF Y'ALL WANTED TO GET STARTED IN OCTOBER AND, AND MEET DILIGENTLY AND OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER AND PUBLISH, UH, ONE OR MORE PLANS IN THE ADVOCATE AND HAVE A MEETING BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, YOU COULD GET IT DONE.
YOU DECIDE WHEN THE PLAN IS ADOPTED.
SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST A SNAPSHOT OF WHAT YOU'LL BE INTO FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DID IT LAST TIME.
UH, IT CAN ACTUALLY KIND OF SOMETIMES BE A LITTLE FUN BECAUSE YOU'RE LIKE, WELL, LET ME JUST SEE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IF I ADDED THIS PRECINCT? NOW, IT IS SORT OF INTERESTING TO SOMETIMES BE AWARE OF WHAT, UH, GEOGRAPHY YOU'RE ADDING, BECAUSE I WAS SITTING DOWN WITH TWO CITY COUNCILMAN 10 YEARS AGO.
AND ONE OF THEM SAYS, YEAH, I THINK PUT THAT PRECINCT IN HIS AND GIVE THAT PRECINCT TO ME.
AND THE OTHER ONE LOOKED AT HIM AND SAYS, I DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO DO THAT.
SHE GOES, WHY HE GOES, BECAUSE YOU JUST PUT YOUR MOTHER IN MY DISTRICT.
AND I DON'T THINK SHE'S GOING TO CARE FOR THAT.
THAT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS YOU DO.
UM, WE ALSO, WE CAN TURN ON VARIOUS FILTERS TOO.
WE CAN, WE CAN SHOW YOU WHERE THE PHYSICAL SCHOOLS ARE LOCATED.
UH, WE CAN SHOW YOU WHERE YOUR HOUSES ARE LOCATED, BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU PROBABLY WANT TO, IF YOUR INTENTION IS TO RUN AGAIN, YOU PROBABLY DON'T WANT TO REDISTRICT YOURSELF OUT OF YOUR DISTRICT.
NOW, THE ONE INTERESTING THING THAT YOU'LL ALL LEARN ABOUT REDISTRICTING IS THERE IS A PROVISION OF LAW THAT SAYS AFTER THE, IN THE FIRST ELECTION, AFTER A REDISTRICTING PLAN HAS BEEN ADOPTED, IF YOU DON'T LIVE IN THE DISTRICT,
[01:15:01]
IF YOU'VE GOT ESSENTIALLY MOVED OUT OF YOUR DISTRICT, YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES.YOU CAN RUN IN THE DISTRICT WHERE YOU NOW PHYSICALLY LIVE, OR YOU CAN LIVE IN THE DISTRICT THAT YOU USED TO LIVE IN.
AND IF ELECTED, YOU JUST HAVE TO MOVE AND THERE HAVE BEEN, I HAVE KNOWN PEOPLE THAT DID THAT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF HOW IT'S GOING TO GO.
UH, WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASSIST YOU.
LIKE I SAID, YOU'RE, YOU'RE MY HOMETOWN SCHOOL DISTRICT.
UH, UH, UM, I, I WENT TO THE EBR SCHOOLS, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND, UM, I HAD, YOU KNOW, I HAD, MY SONS WENT TO BUCHANAN, ONE WENT TO GLASGOW, HE WENT, HE WENT TO MCKINLEY.
SO I KIND OF, I KIND OF HAVE A SOFT SPOT.
AND SO THANK YOU, MR. GARRETT.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, MIKE, MR. GOODAY HAS REQUEST.
UH, JUST A REAL QUICK QUESTION.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE NOT BEEN THROUGH THE PROCESS, IT WAS VERY BENEFICIAL, UH, ON THE INFORMATION ABOUT, UH, WHERE THE CURRENT REDISTRICTING, HOW ARE THE CURRENT DISTRICTING, HOW THE POPULATION OF THE 2020 CENSUS MATCHES WHAT WE HAVE TODAY IN OUR DISTRICTS.
COULD WE GET THAT INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE, UH, FRIDAY WORKSHOP, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE? SO WE HAVE A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT AND DIGEST IT, UH, INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING IT PRESENT, WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO ENDEAVOR TO GET IT TO YOU AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
BLAIR IS MORE OF THE TECHNICAL SIDE.
AND, UM, AS A, AS A CONSEQUENCE, FRANKLY, OF, UH, UH, MR. CAP STAFF, MR. CAP HAD ACTUALLY BEEN HIRED BACK AT THE SENATE TO ASSIST THEM WITH EVERY DISTRICT GATE.
THEY KIND OF HAD TO RE-ESTABLISH.
BLAIR HAS ACTUALLY TEXTED ME, HE'S IN A LEGISLATIVE MEETING TODAY AND HE MAKES A PRESENTATION ON FRIDAY, BUT HE AND I ARE SCHEDULED TO WORK TOGETHER THIS WEEK, THIS WEEKEND TO MAKE SURE WE GET THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO GET IT.
IT WOULDN'T BE APPRECIATED IF AT ALL POSSIBLE.
THANK YOU, MR. GARY, I WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL ON VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
UM, SO, UM, ON THIS, SO THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, I KINDA ACTUALLY WAS EXPECTING A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE WAY TO AGENDA ITEM IS WORDED, AND THIS IS MY FIRST RODEO.
SO, UM, PROBABLY MY QUESTION, AS I'M THINKING THROUGH THIS QUESTION MIGHT BE A BOARD LEADERSHIP QUESTION OF WHICH I AM PART OF BOARD LEADERSHIP.
SO IF SO, JUST TAP THE MIC AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT I WASN'T LOOKING TOWARDS A, LIKE WHAT YOU PRESENTED WAS FINE, BUT THEN, UM, OKAY.
PUBLIC COMMENT, COMMENT ON SUCH AND SUCH DATE, UH, PLANS, INDIVIDUAL PLANS WOULD BE DONE BY SUCH AND SUCH DAY TYPE OF THING.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF MORE OF A BOARD LEADERSHIP FOR, I THINK, UM, AND I'LL JUST KIND OF DIALOGUE WITH NO, IT'S OKAY.
I THINK YOU'RE, I THINK YOU'RE ON POINT.
I MEAN, YOU, YOU HEARD THAT, THAT DANNY GAVE US, UM, WITH THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT WAS THAT WE CAN PUT THE PLAN FORWARD.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY ON, OR I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM ANYBODY ON THE BOARD THAT WANTS TO WAIT THAT LONG.
I THINK PEOPLE, AND I THINK THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO KNOW WHAT THOSE DISTRICTS ARE GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND SO, IN MY OPINION, AND I'M JUST ONE BOARD MEMBER.
SO IF YOU KNOW, THE BOARD CAN CHOOSE TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION, BUT, YOU KNOW, I, I, I WOULD LIKE TO DIVE INTO IT AND BEING DELIBERATE ABOUT IT SO THAT WE CAN DO A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE IS, UH, REALLY ABSORB THE INFORMATION.
I AGREE WITH DANNY, THERE WERE PARTS OF IT THAT IT WORKED FINE TO JUST KIND OF LOOK AND SEE WHERE POPULATION SHIFTED AT GREW AND, AND THEN WHERE I'M SURPRISED, RIGHT.
AND IT, IT SURPRISED ME BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WELL, I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT IT.
I WOULDN'T HAVE THOUGHT POPULATION GREW HERE OR WHATEVER.
UM, BUT TO, TO A COUPLE OF REASONS, ONE IS, I, I THINK I'M GONNA INVITE THE COMMUNITY TO REMIND, MEETING WITH YOU BECAUSE I DON'T, I, I KNOW THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW ME IF I'M OUT OF LINE.
AND WHEN I SAY I'M OUT ALIVE, MY DISTRICT'S OUT.
I MAY BE OUT OF LINE TO MY DISTRICT SIDE OF LINE.
UH, I HAVE TOO MUCH POPULATION OR NOT ENOUGH POPULATION.
AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH ME AROUND ME, WHO'S MAYBE NEEDS TO SHED, UH, PRECINCTS OR PICKUP PRECINCTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THAT'S THE FIRST TIME YOU CAN SORT OF WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND IT A LITTLE BIT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT GETTING US, PERHAPS, UH, SOME INFORMATION AT THE RETREAT.
I I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO SEE US.
I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU START SCHEDULING INDIVIDUAL MEETINGS ASAP.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE HAVE TO MOVE THE PLAN FORWARD ASAP.
WE CAN PUT IT OFF IF WE WANT TO, BUT, UM, I'M CONFIDENT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, BE ABLE TO GET TOGETHER AND MOVE DELIBERATELY, UH, AND GET SOMETHING DONE.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GET SOMETHING DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO THAT, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE A YEAR FROM OUR ELECTION,
[01:20:01]
RIGHT.AND WE'RE WAY UNDER A YEAR FOR QUALIFYING.
AND I JUST THINK BOTH, I THINK IF PEOPLE WANT TO RUN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, THEY OUGHT TO KNOW WHAT THEIR DISTRICT IS.
IT FAR ENOUGH AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THEIR PLANS, WHETHER IT'S AN OPEN SEAT OR, YOU KNOW, WHETHER SOMEONE'S RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
I THINK THE SOONER WE CAN DO THAT WITHOUT SACRIFICING QUALITY, THE BETTER THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
AND I THINK IF WE GET INTO THAT, UH, SO WE DIVE INTO IT AND PEOPLE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE BOARD.
WE CAN BACK OFF OF IT AND SAY, WELL, MAYBE DECEMBER'S TOO EARLY.
I THINK THE, WHERE THE BRASS TACKS COME IS WHERE THE LAW REQUIRES US ON THE PUBLICATION.
AND YOU PUT THE ADVOCATE UP THERE, BUT IT'S THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL, RIGHT? YEAH.
I FIGURED JOHN GEORGE HAS PROBABLY PAID YOU TO DO THAT.
UH, THAT'S GOOD WHEN YOU CAN GET THE NAME OF SOMETHING IN THERE, BUT THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL, THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS TO GET WHERE WE GET INTO SOME TIGHT TIMELINES.
SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE JUST GENERALLY HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS ANSWER THE QUESTION.
I DIDN'T KNOW HOW QUICKLY HE WAS GETTING THE DATA INTO THE SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE KEY THING, BUT I MEAN, I'M READY TO MEET WITH YOU TOMORROW.
I CAN BE WITH YOU TOMORROW, BUT I'M READY TO MEET SOON TO TRY TO GET THAT PART OF IT, YOU KNOW? OKAY.
SO AM I TYPICAL NATURE WITH STUFF? IF MAYBE ME YOU COULD GET TOGETHER AND THEN WAS REASONABLE BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF LEGWORK, IT'D BE PUT A TENTATIVE TIMELINE TOGETHER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I ACTUALLY HAVE ALREADY LOOKED AT LIKE, SORT OF WHAT'S THE, IF YOUR GOAL IS AT THE END OF THE YEAR, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTED TO BE HAVING A MEETING ON DECEMBER 31ST, BUT ON MISSING THE MEETING ON DECEMBER 30TH, I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY WORKED BACK WHAT THE DAYS ARE WHEN THE PUBLICATION WOULD HAVE TO BE, BECAUSE YOU COULD HAVE THE PUBLICATION IN WITHIN THAT 20 DAY PERIOD.
THAT'S WHEN YOU ALSO HAVE THAT PUBLIC EVENT, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THAT WAY THEY WILL COME OUT IN THE PAPER.
PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN A FIRST LOOK AT THEM, THEY'LL THEN END THAT YOU COULD ACTUALLY NOT ONLY NOTICE THE MEETING AT WHICH THEY WERE GOING TO BE ADOPTED, BUT ALSO THE FACT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME GET A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION MORE CLOSELY.
VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS, MS. SQUARED JACKSON, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
UH, THE CENSUS HAS ALREADY COME OUT, RIGHT? UM, THEY RELEASED THE RELEASE, THE BASIC CENSUS NUMBERS IN EARLY SEPTEMBER.
WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TAKING THE BLOCK LEVEL DATA AND INSERTING IT INTO YOUR EXISTING DISTRICTS.
UM, YOURS IS, UH, IS, IS A BIT MORE CHALLENGING BECAUSE IN MOST SPACES, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE SOUTH PARISH, IT'S MUCH EASIER BECAUSE THEY'LL SELL A PAIR OF SCHOOL BOARD HAS THE EXACT SAME BOUNDARIES AS LASALLE PARISH.
AND SO WE'RE ABLE TO INPUT THE DATA MUCH FASTER IN THOSE PARISHES.
BLAIR HAD HOPED TO HAVE HAD IT FOR TODAY, BUT HE GOT SIDETRACKED AT THE, UH, LEGISLATURE, AND HE WILL HAVE IT DONE THIS WEEKEND.
SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET IT TO YOU AHEAD OF YOUR FRIDAY, UH, RETREAT.
SO THE CENSUS DATA WILL REPORT ANY CHANGES IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS IT'S CURRENTLY DRAWN.
AND THEN, UH, WILL THE NINE VOTING DISTRICTS REFLECT THE OVERALL CHANGES IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS? YEP.
WHAT YOU'LL GET IS YOU'LL GET WHAT THE NINE CURRENT LAW DISTRICTS ARE AS THEY ARE GEOGRAPHICALLY DRAWN.
YOU WILL GET HOW THE, WHAT THE CENSUS DATA IS OF EACH DISTRICT, BUT BROKEN DOWN DEMOGRAPHICALLY.
SO YOU WILL KNOW THAT CAUSE THAT'S THE FIRST THING YOU HAVE TO DO IS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AND SEE OF YOUR NINE DISTRICTS.
ARE ANY OF THEM PLUS, OR MINUS 5% OFF YOUR IDEAL.
AND HAVING DONE THIS FOR, YOU KNOW, THE IDEAL IS YOU TAKE THE TOTAL POPULATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT DIVIDED BY NINE AND THAT'S YOUR TARGET.
SO WHAT YOU WILL HAVE IS YOU WILL KNOW WHICH DISTRICTS WENT UP IN POPULATION, WHICH WENT DOWN AND, AND THEN AS A, WHEN YOU, AND THEN WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WHOLE DISTRICT AS THE WHOLE SCHOOL DISTRICT, YOU'LL THEN BE ABLE TO SEE WHICH DIRECTION DISTRICTS HAVE TO PUSH IN ORDER TO PICK UP OR SHED POPULATION.
SO, UM, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT THE BOUNDARIES OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE NOT JUST YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE RE IT'S NOT ENTIRELY OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE BAKER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DOESN'T INCLUDE THE ZACHARY SCHOOL DISTRICT.
DOESN'T INCLUDE THE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT AS YOU ARE AWARE, WE DO HAVE A PIECE OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THAT'S ACTUALLY JUST NORTH AND IS ACTUALLY CUT OFF BECAUSE BAKER AND A RATHER, UH, UH, CENTRAL AND ZACHARY MEET AND THEY KIND OF CUT YOU OFF.
UM, AND THEN THE BOUNDARY AROUND BAKER IS, IS RATHER INTEGRATED, BUT IT'LL JUST BE YOUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO YOU'LL, YOU WILL KNOW THE TOTAL POPULATION, ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF THE ENTIRE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, YOU WILL KNOW THE POPULATION
[01:25:01]
OF EACH OF THE NINE DISTRICTS AS CURRENTLY DRAWN WITHIN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WILL TELL YOU WHICH DISTRICTS NEED TO GET LARGER OR SMALLER TO KEEP THEM APPROXIMATELY AN EQUAL IN POPULATION.NOW IT DOESN'T, I KNOW WE'VE HAD, I'VE HAD PEOPLE BRING UP, IT'S NOT GOING TO TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT STUDENTS.
IT'S NOT GOING TO TELL YOU HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE IN IT.
NOW WE ARE ABLE TO BREAK THE CENSUS NUMBERS DOWN BY 18 AND OLDER.
UH, WE CAN, WE CAN ALSO GET REGISTERED VOTER DATA, BUT THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT REGISTERED VOTER DATA, IT'S NOT LINKED TO THAT ONE CENSUS STATE REGISTERED VOTER DATA CHANGES EVERY DAY.
SO WHEN YOU GO PULL A REGISTERED VOTER DATA, THAT'S REGISTERED VOTER DATA JUST FOR THAT DAY.
SO WE WILL PULL REGISTERED VOTER DATA FOR A SPECIFIC DATE BECAUSE THAT'S, SOMETIMES THAT IS A CONSIDERATION ON, ON A DISTRICT, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH A SECTION TWO ISSUES.
SO THE, THE, UH, THE NEW DISTRICTS, THE NEW VOTING DISTRICTS THAT WE PUT TOGETHER WILL BE REFLECTIVE OF THE DEMOGRAPHICS THAT WE FIND FROM THE CENSUS, WHETHER IT WOULD WHICHEVER KIND OF CHANGES WE MAKE OR THE, THE WHATEVER SORT OF CHANGES WE SEE IN THE DEMOGRAPHICS THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE MAP, SO TO SPEAK.
THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON, MR. LANICE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
MY QUESTION IS A WORM OR COMMUNITY INPUT.
HAVE WE HERE? DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF HOW MANY, UH, POSSIBLE TOWN HALLS WE CAN DO? UH, MAYBE THAT'S A QUESTION FOR OUR BORDERS, UH, POSSIBLY IMPLEMENTING TOWNHOUSE.
I'M NOT, I NEED TO TALK CAUSE WE HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK YET.
UM, BUT I THINK WE OUGHT TO, I MEAN, IF, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY A COUPLE OF THEM AROUND THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, UM, WE CAN HAVE AS MANY AS Y'ALL WANT, LIKE I SAID, WE, YOU KNOW, UH, IN SOME PLACES, THESE THINGS COME TO RATHER QUICKLY, UH, DR.
BLAIR AND I DID THE CITY OF NEW ORLEANS 10 YEARS AGO, WE DRO, WE, WE, THEY INTRODUCED 11 PLANTS.
I'M NOT GOING TO TELL YOU HOW MANY WE ACTUALLY DREW.
AND THEN WE DREW THREE PLANS AT THE SIX HOUR MEETING.
LITERALLY SOMEONE MADE A MOTION OF A PLAN THAT HAD BEEN INTRODUCED TO CHANGE THESE PRECINCTS FROM HERE TO THERE.
WE RECESSED THE MEETING, WE TOOK OUR COMPUTER, WE GENERATED THE DATA, CAME BACK AND PRESENTED WHAT THAT WOULD DO.
WE WILL, WE WILL DO WHAT Y'ALL NEED US TO DO.
WE'RE A TOOL FOR Y'ALL TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER COURSE I WOULD MAKE IS THAT, UH, IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT CANNOT ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS, THEY HAVE SOME LEVEL OF ACCESS TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE COULD, I'M SURE WE COULD, UH, BROADCAST IT, UH, VIRTUALLY AND, UH, YEAH, I'M SURE WE COULD DO, UH, I'M LOOKING AROUND AND ALL THE SMART PEOPLE IN THE ROOM ARE SHAKING THEIR HEAD.
I DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I THOUGHT THE LAST PROCESS WE DID WAS VERY, VERY OPEN AND TRANSPARENT.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S THE SAME HERE.
UM, JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND I DON'T MEAN TO THROW A CURVE BALL AT YOU.
I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE CALLED YOU, BUT, UM, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT UNDER THE CURRENT DISTRICTS, NOT THE ONES WE'RE GOING TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL CHANGE, WELL, FIRST OFF, LET ME ASK YOU THIS.
WHAT KIND OF ANIMAL DOES MY DISTRICT LOOK LIKE? BECAUSE I'M ALL THE WAY I BOUGHT A WATERSLIDE AND I FINISHED UP AT INDEPENDENCE PARK ON FLORIDA BOULEVARD.
SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T, I'M KIDDING.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO, I'M HAVING A MAP RIGHT HERE.
AND AGAIN, WE DO IS YOU DO, IS YOU SAW IT, YOU, YOU TRY TO BE AS COMPACT AS POSSIBLE, BUT SOMETIMES PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP COMMUNITIES OF INTEREST TOGETHER, ODDLY ENOUGH, PEOPLE TEND NOT TO FLOCK IN SQUARE BLOCKS.
AT LEAST NOT IN THE WORLD, IN MY DISTRICT IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT.
I MEAN, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THE PRECINCTS, I PICKED UP WAR TO KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER.
THAT'S WHY I WAS OKAY WITH IT.
UM, I THINK MY DISTRICT SHOULD BE MORE OF A CIRCLE, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I, YOU KNOW, ONE THING I, UH, UM, DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE SIZE THOUGH, OF THE DISTRICT? I MEAN, DO YOU WOULD HAVE, HOW MANY, SO IT'S ABOUT, UH, IT'S ABOUT THE POPULATION OF EACH OF OUR DISTRICTS.
DO YOU KNOW HAND OF YOUR CURRENT, UH, FROM THE PRIOR? I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE IT OFF THE TOP.
I JUST THINK WHAT I CAN DO IS I CAN ACTUALLY, AND I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO IT.
I CAN SEND YOU THE, UH, DISTRICT SUMMARIES FROM THE PLAN THAT WAS PRE-CLEARED BY JOSH.
AND I THINK I JUST, I ASKED THAT BECAUSE I REMEMBER THEY'RE SIMILAR TO THE SIZE OF LIKE A HOUSE DISTRICT, RIGHT? MY OR THE, YEAH.
WELL, I MEAN, IF YOU, YOU KNOW, EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH IS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF WHAT WE'RE 50 ISH.
UM, BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE NOT ALL OF THESE VETERANS PAIRS, BUT
[01:30:01]
YOU ARE THE FIRST SCHOOL SYSTEM IS THE BULK OF THAT.PROBABLY AT LEAST A LITTLE BETTER THAN SAY 65 OR 70%.
AND, AND I, I JUST A COUPLE OF POINTS THAT I WANT TO MAKE.
UM, I THINK LAST TIME, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MAPS YOU CAME UP WITH, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF MAPS.
I MEAN, I WANT TO SAY THERE WERE LIKE 13 OR 14 DIFFERENT MAPS AND JUST LIKE LAST TIME WE HAD SEVEN MEMBER, UM, MAPS WHERE YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, THE BOARD WOULD REDUCE THEIR SIZE.
UH, WE HAD ONES THAT EXPANDED IT AND MADE IT LARGER.
WELL, WE WERE, I THINK 11 Y'ALL WERE 11 Y'ALL WENT TO NIGHT.
WE WENT TO NINE, BUT THAT, THAT, I'M JUST MAKING THIS FOR PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
IF THERE'S A, IF A BOARD MEMBER WANTS TO PUT A PLAN FORWARD, UH, TO MAKE IT NINE OR 13, WHICH THE LIMIT 16, 50, 50, 15, 15, OH MY GOODNESS GRACIOUS.
SAINT ANTHONY IS 15 AND IT'S THE LARGEST, UH, IT COULD BE, SO ANY MEMBER CAN PUT UP ANY, UH, ANY ONE.
AND THEN I WOULD, I WOULD JUST TELL YOU THAT, UH, I DIDN'T VOTE FOR MY PLAN, UH, LAST TIME, WHICH MIGHT SAY SOMETHING ABOUT MY PLAN, BUT, UH, IT WAS A FREEMAN TWO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT WAS, UH, GREG FRIEDMAN, UM, UH, UH, PLAN TO, SO, UM, I JUST, UM, MY GOAL IS TO HAVE, UH, PUT FORTH A PLAN THAT WE APPROVE UNANIMOUSLY.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US ALL COME TOGETHER.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE HARDER THAN, THAN I THINK FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO I KNOW EVELYN AND JILL AND, UH, CONNIE HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN IT, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU, IT'S NOT REALLY JUST GOING TO PICK UP A PRECINCT, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF YOU PICK UP THAT PRECINCT AND IT THROWS YOUR DEMOGRAPHICS, YOUR POPULATION, YOUR MINORITY POPULATION, THEY CAN'T DO IT.
YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SPLIT A PRECINCT, BUT YOU KNOW, THEN YOU MIGHT HAVE TO TAKE TWO PRECINCTS IS KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A PUZZLE, BUT I DO THINK THAT WE, UH, SHOULD AND, AND CAN WORK TOGETHER, UH, TO PUT TOGETHER A PLAN THAT WE WILL ALL AGREE ON.
THAT WILL BE GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, BUT I, I'M NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, TAKE, YOU KNOW, FALL ON THE SWORD FOR THEM.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE OUR DISTRICTS WITH MORE CLOSELY RECORD, UH, UH, RESEMBLE SOME OF OUR ATTENDANCE LINES AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
SO THAT THERE'S SOME CONTINUITY THEY ARE.
UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE CAN ALWAYS DO, BUT I THINK THERE ARE OTHER CONSIDERATIONS LIKE THAT, THAT WE COULD, UH, THAT WE COULD DO.
UM, I I'M, I'M ALL OVER THE PLACE.
AGAIN, MY DISTRICT STRETCHES, IT'S NOT AS BAD, A BAD, IT'S NOT AS CHALLENGING AS IF YOU HAVE NORTHEAST, BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO CROSS SORT OF NO MAN'S LAND TO GET THERE.
BUT, UH, AND LOOK, IF MY DISTRICT, THE WAY IT'S LINED UP IS THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE IN AND THAT'S FINE.
I JUST THINK WE CAN WORK TOGETHER.
I THINK WE CAN DO IT EFFICIENTLY.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US DO IT IF WE CAN, BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
AND IF WE CAN'T, UH, SOONER THAN LATER, SO THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LET THE PUBLIC SO THAT THE PUBLIC WILL HAVE A GREAT UNDERSTANDING.
I LOVE MR. LANDIS, HIS IDEAS ABOUT, UH, COMMUNITY FORUMS, UH, AND I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE GEOGRAPHIC SO THAT WE CAN GET OUT INTO DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY AND, AND, UH, AND HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK WORKS BEST AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO HAVE YOU, AND I'M GOING TO ASK ONE MORE QUESTION AND I REALIZE YOU'RE STILL PUTTING THE DATA IN, WE'VE SEEN SOME BIG DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS IN BATON ROUGE.
BURT LAYER HAS BEEN PUTTING THE DATA AND I HAVEN'T SEEN IT.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THIS WEEKEND IS REALLY WHERE I'M GOING TO GET THE FIRST LOOK AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
UM, BUT IT'S LOOK, IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO HAVE SHIFTS.
I MEAN, I'VE SEEN SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE TELL ME, WELL, WE DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO REDISTRICT AND AS OUR POPULATION DIDN'T GROW OR IT DIDN'T FALL, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T SHIFT.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S SOMETIMES THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR PEOPLE TO GRAPPLE WITH IS YOU HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE ON THE GROUND AND, AND SEE HOW YOU GET FROM POINT A TO POINT B.
SO, OH, I THOUGHT YOU DID A GREAT JOB LAST TIME.
I THINK YOU AND I MET FOUR OR FIVE TIMES, UH, I THINK WE MET AS NEEDED, UH, AND I KNOW OTHER MEMBERS MET WITH YOU A LOT, AND SO I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO BE VERY ACCESSIBLE TO US, UH, AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AND I, THE BOYS CLEAR.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU ALL AGAIN.
[H. Reports from Board Appointees to Committees/Agencies]
NOW TO ITEM H ONE, A BOARD APPOINTEES TO COMMUNITY AGENCIES.ARE THERE ANY REPORTS, UM, FOR ANY BOARD MEMBERS SERVING ON MR. LANDIS? SO THANK YOU AGAIN, PRESIDENT TAT, MAN.
UH, I JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO, UM, MY BOARD COLLEAGUE, MS. MENORAH AND US, AS I SAID, UH, LAST BOARD MEETING YOURSELF ALSO FOR, UH, YOUR DILIGENCE AND HELPING ME TO JOIN THE EBR FOUNDATIONS BOARD.
UH, IT'S BEEN A VERY PROMISING PROCESS,
[01:35:01]
DOES FALL, AND I JUST HAD A FEW UPDATES TO GIVE, UH, IN REGARDS TO HURRICANE IDLE RESPONSE THAT I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO GIVE LAST TIME.SO THE FOUNDATION HAS REACHED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY ON A LOCAL STATEWIDE AND NATIONAL LEVEL ON BEHALF OF HURRICANE IDA, UH, RECOVERY NEEDS OF EBR, UH, IN THE MIDST OF DOING SO THE FOUNDATION HELP FACILITATE A LONGTERM, A LONG TIME, A DONOR, UH, EAT, I'M SORRY, EXXONMOBIL'S DONATION OF 16,000 GALLONS OF FUEL FOR EBRS TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, A FEW HAS AT PES AT A PREMIUM THAT WAS AT A PREMIUM THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, WHICH MAKES THEIR GIFTS THAT MUCH MORE VALUABLE.
I'M SORRY, THIS MASS WAS BOTHERING MY MOUTH.
UM, WE HAVE A VERBAL COMMITMENT OF FIVE TO $10,000 OF UNRESTRICTED FUNDS THAT ARE GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FROM, UH, ONE OF OUR NATIONAL PARTNERS, THANKS TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB OF METRO LOUISIANA FOR MAKING AN IN-KIND DONATION TO GO A FOOD BOX CONTAINERS TO HELP FILL THE BELIZE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE EFFORTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY, UH, UH, HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, CREATED FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
THE FOUNDATION IS IN DISCUSSION WITH THE BERRIES BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION, CAPITAL AREA, UNITED WAY, AND SEVERAL OTHER FUNDERS FOR LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS AND THE COMMUNITY CAN TO HELP EVERY DOLLAR COUNTS INDIVIDUALS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE EMERGENCY FUND EFFORTS FOR EBR STUDENTS, BY GOING TO WWW FOUNDATION EBR.ORG THAT'S WWW.FOUNDATION, EBR.ORG TO GIVE ANY AMOUNT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
COMPANIES MAY ALSO FILL OUT A CONTACT FORM IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO CONTRIBUTE AS WELL.
THIS CONCLUDES MY THANK YOU, MR. LANDIS, AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE ON THE BOARD.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE ON THE BOARD.
UM, SEEING OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WISHING TO MAKE A REPORT, WE'LL MOVE TO THE CONSENT
[I. Consent Agenda]
AGENDA, MS. WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TADEMAN CONSENT AGENDA.THE FOLLOWING ITEMS THAT WILL BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION.
THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF ITEMS UNLESS A BOARD MEMBER.
SO REQUESTS IN WHICH EVENT, THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED AS AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR A SEPARATE VOTE PRECEDING THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA TO GRANTS CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING GRANTS, A 2021 SUPPLY BUILDING AND ACCESS EXPANSION GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $100,000 TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC PLAN, TO EXPAND SEATS AND SUSTAIN FUNDING FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, B PROJECT LEAD THE WAY DOW SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $90,000 TO PROVIDE STEM TRAINING PROJECT BASED LESSONS AND MATERIALS NEEDED TO NINE SCHOOLS, 10,000 PER SCHOOL, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, THREE COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT, CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY AND THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000 FOR ACT ONE 19 OF THE 2021 REGULAR LEGISLATIVE SESSION STATE AID TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO PROVIDE MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES FOR EBR PATHWAYS TO BRIGHT FUTURES, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS.
PRE-K CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE FOLLOWING A KIT TOMBA MANAGEMENT INCORPORATED IN THE AMOUNT OF 200,000 TO PROVIDE DATA COLLECTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE FUNDING SOURCE AS ARE TO BE RESOURCEFUL CONSULTING, LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF $75,000 TO PROVIDE A MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO SUSTAIN FUNDING AND EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, FIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS AT SIR CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE FOLLOWING A ARBINGER AND THE AMOUNT OF $211,810 AND 50 CENTS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RATHER, AND SCHOOL SUPPORT, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT, FUNDING SOURCE S OR TO ACTION TO AN ESTHER THREE ACTION TO BE LOUISIANA BUSINESS INCORPORATED
[01:40:01]
DBA THE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN THE AMOUNT OF $182,720 TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE THE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND PROFESSIONALISM OF EVR PSS, CENTRAL OFFICE LEADERS, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT FUNDING SOURCE AS THREE ACTION TO SEE EDGENUITY INCORPORATED IN THE AMOUNT OF $161,633 TO PROVIDE GRADES K THROUGH TWO E EL EDUCATION WEB-BASED LICENSES, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCEJ D DISCIPLINE, J C D A B STUDENT ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE J C D A C DANGEROUS WEAPONS AND FIREARMS ARMS JDD OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION, J D D A IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND J D E EXPULSION, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, 11 LITIGATION CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM MR. GWEN SHAMBLIN GENERAL COUNSEL EBR, PSB, AND THE FOLLOWING MATTERS A NICHOLAS PEYRON VERSUS BERKLEY INSURANCE COMPANY AT ALL SUIT NUMBER 6 6 0 4 6 5, SECTION 27 19TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, B FRANCIS STAGE VERSUS EBR, P S B AND JESSICA SMART SUIT NUMBER 6 6 7 2 0 5 SECTION DIVISION 2219 JDC PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE.
AND THAT'S THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND I, SO MOVE, WE HAVE A SECOND ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, SECONDED BY MR. ATLANTIS.
UM, I SEE WE HAVE SOME PEOPLE TO MS. BERNARD FIVE AND NINE, FIVE AND NINE.
UM, MR. COLLINS, I NEED TO REMOVE IDOL FOR WHICH ONE FOR, UM, THANK YOU, MISS
I'D LIKE TO REMOVE ITEM EIGHT.
SO I MAY RECUSE MYSELF AND MS WHERE JACKSON ITEM 10, JUST SO THAT OUR COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THESE.
OKAY, SO WE ARE VOTING ON, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ON THE REST OF THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, AND 11.
[01:45:01]
ANY, UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARDS ON THOSE ITEMS, SEEING NINE, UM, TO THE AUDIENCE ON THOSE ITEMS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11.HI, MY NAME IS DANIEL LAMP FORD.
UM, AGAIN, I'M A PARAPROFESSIONAL FOR EBR SCHOOL SYSTEM AT JEFFERSON TERRACE ACADEMY.
AND, UH, I WAS, UH, I APPRECIATE, UH, FUNDING FOR ALL THESE GOOD PROGRAMS AND EVERYTHING.
I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF THERE'S, YOU COULD CONSIDER FUNDING FOR, TO TEACH STUDENTS, UH, SKILLED TRADES, SUCH AS, UM, MALE, RIGHT.
AND, UH, WELDING, THAT KIND OF THING.
I KNOW I'VE, I'VE PARTICIPATED ONCE IN A, UH, GOOD PROGRAM WITH, UH, BRECK W WHAT WAS BY BRECK AND IT WAS A MILLWRIGHT PROGRAM.
WE'LL BOTH MILL RIGHT IN WELDING.
ONE OF THEM WAS THAT THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER ON BAKER BOULEVARD AND NEVER WAS AT, UH, BAKER HIGH SCHOOL.
BUT, UM, ANYWAY, MY POINT IS, I WAS WONDERING IF WE COULD ALSO CONSIDER, UM, HELPING STUDENTS OUT IN THOSE SKILLED TRADES.
SO THOSE ARE VERY MUCH NEEDED.
UM, I ONLY HAVE MY PHONE BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I CALL OUT ON THE RIGHT ONES THAT Y'ALL STAYED.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, NUMBER FOUR IS NOT UP RIGHT NOW.
WHICH ONE ARE WE ON? UH, WE'RE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS 1, 3, 6, 7, AND 11.
2, 3, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 11, 6, 7.
AND ALL THE OTHER ITEMS WERE PULLED FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION.
UM, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD REALLY CONSIDER PULLING, UM, NUMBER 11, THE LITIGATION, BECAUSE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM ALWAYS HAVE LITIGATION AND WE NEVER SEEM TO ADDRESS THE REASONING FOR WHY OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM CONTINUED TO GET PLAGUED WITH SO MUCH LITIGATION.
MOST OF THE TIMES IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT ARE NOT VERY WISE, LIKE MAKING SURE THAT WE INCLUDE ACTUAL STAFF SUPPORT, UM, STAFF INPUT, PARENTAL INPUT, PROVIDING THINGS FOR OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, WHICH IS THE MOST FEDERALLY PROTECTED CLASS.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT LIKE WE DON'T HAVE RIGHT NOW FOR THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT MITIGATION.
SO I HOPE THAT Y'ALL WOULD CONSIDER RECONSIDER AND PULL THAT ONE, UM, GRANTS.
UM, I DON'T THINK I NEED TO REALLY SPEAK ABOUT GRANTS.
I MEAN, I LOVE EVERY GRANT THAT WE CAN GET AS LONG AS IT'S NOT GOING TO COST US ANYTHING, OR IT'S NOT GOING TO COME BACK AND BITE US.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDER.
I MEAN, I DON'T WANT US TO ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL IN ANY MANNER, BUT I DON'T WANT MIKE TO COME AND BITE US FOR NOT DOING SOMETHING THAT'S RIGHT.
SO I THINK WHEN IT COMES TO GRANTS, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE PAY ATTENTION TO WHO WE'RE RECEIVING THE GRANT FROM AND THE REST OF MY COMMENTS.
I WILL YIELD MY TIME FOR WHEN WE ACTUALLY TALK ABOUT THOSE ACTUAL CONSENT ITEMS. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? SEEING NON BACK TO THE BOARD, SEEING NO COMMENTS, FURTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
[I.4. Professional Services Contracts: Pre-K]
WE MOVED NOW TO, UH, ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION, FOR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL[01:50:01]
SERVICE CONTRACTS BETWEEN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE FOLLOWING A CONTIN KATOOMBA MANAGEMENT, INC IN THE AMOUNT OF $200,000 TO PROVIDE DATA COLLECTION AND SUPPORT SERVICES, BE RESOURCEFUL CONSULTING, LLC, IN THE AMOUNT OF 75,000 TO DEVELOP A MULTI-YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN TO SUSTAIN FUNDING AND EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY CARE AND EDUCATION FOR CHILDREN UNDER FIVE, WE HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY MR.WE HAVE A SECOND BY MR. LANDIS, MS. COLLINS, VICE-PRESIDENT UH, JUST GOING TO MEET.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO KEEP MY COMMENTS BRIEF AND I HOPE NOBODY ASKS OR MAKE PRESENTATIONS THAT'S GOING TO CAUSE ME TO SAY MORE THAN I SEE IT AT THE LAST MEETING.
UM, MY REASON WHY I NEVER VOTED FOR THIS IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PLANNING.
UH, WE HAVE THIS ONCE IN A LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY WITH THIS FEDERAL FUNDS.
UM, AND, AND IT, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S CAUSING US TO TAKE FOR GRANTED THE NEED TO THOROUGHLY PLAN WHEN THIS WAS PRESENTED LAST WEEK, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS PRESENTED IS WE NEED TO COLLECT DATA AND PLAN FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD.
MAYBE JUST, WE HAD JUST, UH, WITH THE PRE-K EXPANSION, UH, PROVED AS A BOOMER, UH, BETWEEN SIX AND $8 MILLION.
UH, AND SO THIS, THIS, THIS IS THE TYPE OF WORK THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE.
ELF THE NATURE OF THE CONTRACT THAT'S REQUESTED HAS MAGICALLY CHANGED OR GOT MORE DETAILED TO STRAY AWAY FROM WHAT WAS EXPLAINED LAST TIME.
AGAIN, I DON'T REALLY GET INTO A WHOLE LOT OF DETAILS.
I'M REAL PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
I'M JUST MAKING IT CLEAR WHY I'M VOTING.
NO, I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK AND FORTH WITH ANYBODY.
THANK YOU, MS. COLLINS, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS FROM SORRY, SLIPPING BEEN A LONG DAY.
I'M SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
UM, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON ITEM FOUR? UM, I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT W WE DEFINITELY WANT TO, UM, SUPPORT OUR YOUNGER LEARNERS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE UNDERSTANDING THAT I KNOW FOR ME IN PARTICULAR, I WAS A SLOW LEARNER AND, AND I, I LEARNED AS, AS PROBABLY ABOUT SIX YEARS OLD WHEN I WAS FIRST LEARNING TO READ AND STUFF.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, UH, ARE RESPECTFUL AND UNDERSTANDING OF, UH, UM, PARENTS WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL THAT EARLY AND THAT, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE AGE OF FIVE.
AND, UH, I, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY YOU'LL GET.
UM, SO W WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THAT.
MS. LAMB, ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENTS? I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU WANT TO WASTE $75,000 ON THE NEW ORLEANS CONSULTANT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT PRE-K KIDS WHEN YOU ALREADY HAVE CSRS ENGAGED.
I ALSO DON'T THINK IT'S REASONABLE THAT YOU DO A NON-COMPETITIVE AGREEMENT WITH A NEW JERSEY COMPANY TO STUDY PRE-K DATA, JUST BECAUSE THE DC SCHOOL DISTRICT USED GITANO DOESN'T MEAN IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR YOU.
SO I'VE HEARD BOARD MEMBERS CLAMORING FOR HOW ARE WE PUTTING ALL THIS STUFF WITHOUT BAWLING THE ENTIRE SR BUDGET ON THESE NON-COMPETITIVE CONTRACTS.
AND I STILL HAVEN'T SEEN THAT BE PRODUCED.
I MEAN, THEY'RE TIED TO THE CRAPPY, UM, STRATEGIC PLAN, BIG DEAL, BUT WE CAN'T TELL HOW MANY TIMES YOU SPENT THE SR MONEY.
AND I SUPPOSE THAT'S BY DESIGN.
SO I THINK THE GOAL HERE IS FOR DR.
NARCISSE TO SPEND AS MUCH MONEY AS
[01:55:01]
HE POSSIBLY CAN BEFORE HE LEAVES TOWN WITHOUT EVER ACTUALLY ACCOMPLISHING ANYTHING OTHER THAN PROVIDING CONTRACTS FOR PEOPLE HE'S WORKED WITH IN THE PAST.SO AT SOME POINT I WOULD HOPE THERE IS A LIMIT THAT YOU WON'T LET THIS GO PAST.
I DOUBT IT CAUSE I'VE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
SO I SUPPOSE YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND PASS THIS, BUT THESE ARE A BAD IDEA.
THE ONES ON THE NEXT SIDE OF THEM ARE EVEN WORSE.
SO PLEASE TELL HIM NO ON SOMETHING.
I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN SPEND $275,000 ON, BUT HELPING, UH, TO LOOK AT, UH, UH, TO CREATE AND LOOK AT DOING A, ANOTHER STRATEGIC PLAN WHEN WE JUST DID ONE.
I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER HOW MUCH IT COST THE BOARD TO CONSTANTLY MEET IN HALF THE BOARD MEETINGS TO CREATE THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN THAT HAD FOUR CORNERSTONES.
AND WE DID BRING PEOPLE FROM OUT OF STATE FOR THOSE, UM, FOR THOSE FOUR CORNERSTONES THAT STILL DOESN'T, UM, ADDRESS OUR, OUR MOST, UM, UM, MOST PROTECTED STUDENTS.
SO, UM, INQUISITIVE ON WHAT ELSE WE COULD HAVE.
WE COULD SPEND 275,000 ON BRINGING NORTHEAST ELEMENTERIES PLAYGROUND UP TO CODE BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN ADA COMPLIANCE.
WE CAN USE $275,000 TO BRING SOME OF THE OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS PLAYGROUNDS UP TO CODE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT IN ADA COMPLIANCE.
WE CAN USE 275,000 TO BRING THE ESS TRANSFER AREA UP TO CODE BECAUSE IT'S NOT IN ADA COMPLIANCE.
I MEAN, HAVE YOU ACTUALLY SEEN THE ESS TRANSFER ALL THE MUD THAT THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES THAT ARE IN WHEELCHAIRS HAVE TO ACTUALLY TRY TO BE PUSHED THROUGH.
IT IS NOT EQUIVALENT TO WHAT THE REGULAR TRANSFER LOOK LIKE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ALL THIS MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING, I CAN LOOK AND THINK OF MANY THINGS AT THE OTHER 80 AT THE 83 SCHOOLS THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAVE, THAT WE CAN USE 275,000 FOR, TO ACTUALLY HELP OUR CHILDREN, INCLUDING OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO RECEIVE FREE, APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BUT TO TELL ME THAT WE'RE GOING TO USE 275,000 TO CREATE A, ANOTHER STRATEGIC PLAN MAKES NO SENSE HOW MANY STRATEGIC PLANS DO WE NEED TO CREATE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT? THAT'S MY QUESTION THAT I LEAVE ON THE BOARD MEMBERS TONIGHT.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE SEEING NONE BACK TO THE BOARD, MS. SORRY.
UH, THIS CONTRACT HAVE COLEEN.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE PAYING SOMEONE TO THINK ABOUT PRE-K FOR US WHEN, UH, WHY DON'T YOU GUYS JUST THINK ABOUT PRE-K AND HOW WE CAN FUND IT BETTER AND SAVE US THE $275,000.
UM, SINCE WE'RE ALREADY PAYING SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS AND PEOPLE THAT DR.
NURSES HAS ALREADY BROUGHT ON, WHY DON'T THEY COME UP WITH A PLAN TO FUND PRE-K? I CAN TELL YOU ONE RIGHT BACK OFF THE BACK.
WHY DON'T WE, UH, ACTUALLY TAX EXXON INSTEAD OF JUST WAITING FOR THEM TO GIVE US GAS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? SO YOU CAN GOING BACK TO THE BOARD AND MR. GODADDY.
YEAH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO MAKE A FEW QUICK COMMENTS, FIRST OF ALL, UM, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT.
UH, IT SEEMS LIKE SOME MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE DOES NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO DEBATE AN IDEA WITHOUT THROWING OUT PERSONAL SLURS.
UH, I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT I KNOW THAT YOU'RE DOING EVERYTHING YOU CAN WITH THE INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS AND HEART, AND A DEBATE OF IDEAS IS CERTAINLY OPEN AND ENCOURAGED, BUT DEBATES OF IDEAS DO NOT NEED TO GET PERSONAL, UH, ON THAT.
SO FOR YOU, I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
SECONDLY, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT CHILDHOOD EDUCATION FOR YEARS, AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE OR VERY LITTLE HAS BEEN DONE, UH, TO IMPROVE THIS.
WE'VE ALSO SAID IN OUR MAJOR STRATEGIC PLAN, CAUSE THIS IS THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUSED JUST ON PRE-K AND HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING IT.
OUR MAJOR STRATEGIC PLAN HAS KEY ITEMS IN THERE ABOUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION TO IMPROVE BECAUSE WE'RE CONSISTENTLY BEHIND THE EIGHT
[02:00:01]
BALL ON LISC.WHEN WE GET KIDS IN THIRD GRADE, WHO CAN'T READ.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SOME CHANGE AND FOR A MIDDLE, WE WANT TO MAKE SOME PROGRESS.
WE CAN'T STAY WITH THE SAME OLD IDEAS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AND EXPECTING A DIFFERENT RESULT.
SO I, FOR ONE GREATLY APPLAUD THIS EFFORT AND WE DID SAY, READ, JUMPING INTO THIS PRE-K RIGHT NOW, WE HAD SOME MONEY.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW IT'S GOING TO WORK OUT, BUT TO SIT AND NOT DO ANYTHING AND JUST PLAN AND PLAN AND PLAN WAS ALSO NOT AN OPTION.
WE ARE TRYING TO CATCH THOSE KIDS THIS YEAR, WHO ARE IN THAT TO TRY TO START BRINGING THEM UP AND IMPROVE THEIR FUTURE.
AND SO WITH THAT, WITH THIS, WE CAN COME IN AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE WILL SUSTAIN ALL OF THIS WORK.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S VERY ADMIRABLE AND I AM I FOR 1:00 AM HAPPY TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH YOU, AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO PROD YOU INTO DOING MORE THINGS, BECAUSE THESE ARE ISSUES THAT WE, AS A BOARD HAVE BEEN SAYING, NEED TO BE ADDRESSED FOR YEARS, AND WE'RE FINALLY ADDRESSING IT.
EVERYONE MIGHT NOT AGREE WITH EXACTLY THE WAY WE'RE ADDRESSING IT AND THAT'S OKAY.
BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IT IS TO BE COMMENDED.
THANK YOU, MS.
WE HAVE THE EXPRESS DUTY AS BOARD MEMBERS TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
THE PRE-K EXPANSION THAT WAS APPROVED BY THIS BULLET TO THE TUNE OF SIX TO $8 MILLION WAS APPROVED BEFORE WE BROUGHT OUT A FULL BLOWN STRATEGIC PLAN THAT, THAT COMPLETED AND WHY WE TURNED IT AROUND AND WOULD NEED TO PAY SOMEBODY TO COME UP WITH AN EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIFIC PLAN.
IF WE APPROVE THIS, WE ARE IN MOODLE, BUT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE APPROVED THE PRE-K EXPANSION BECAUSE WHAT WAS IT BASED ON ALSO MEANT TO JUST CLEAR UP THEIR ACCOUNT WAS MADE BASS, UH, CONSTITUENT ABOUT THE SPEAR TRANSFER SITE.
UH, I HAD BECOME AWARE OF, UH, SOME MEANS AT THE SPIRIT TRANSFER SITE.
AND SINCE THAT WAS MENTIONED IN PUBLIC IS BEING BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THOSE CHANGES HAVE BEEN CORRECTED FOR THE SPEED, THE SPECIAL TRANSFER SITE, UH, INSIDE.
I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT OUT THERE FOR THE PUBLIC TO THINK THAT THERE ARE SOME MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH THE TRANSFER SITE FOR THE SPECIAL ED.
AND JUST TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DISCUSS, UH, I TOTALLY DID NOT AGREE WITH THAT VIEW THAT WE WERE DEALT WITH, UH, NOT DILIGENT IN OUR BUDGET FOR THE PRE-K EXPANSION.
WE DID THAT EXACTLY FOR THAT YEAR, AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT MORE WORK TO DO TO CONTINUE AND SUSTAINABLY FUND THAT.
AND SO THAT IS THE REASON IN MY OPINION, FOR THIS OR TJ PLAN TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THAT.
SO I DID NOT, I DO NOT WANT TO BE VIEWED AS BEING, UM, NOT PHYSICAL FISCAL AND RESPONSIBLE, UH, IN THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE I WAS, AND I BELIEVE I VOTED FOR EXACTLY WHAT I KNEW I WAS VOTING FOR.
THANK YOU, MR. GOODELL, SEEING THE OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOYD, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE.
[I.5. Professional Services Contracts: ESSER]
RAN OUT TO ITEM FIVE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONSIDERATION OF THE REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACTS BETWEEN THE SPANISH POWER SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE FOLLOWING A HARBINGER IN THE AMOUNT OF $211,810 AND 50 CENTS TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SCHOOL SUPPORT ITEM B LOUISIANA BUSINESS.AGAIN CAN DEVIATE A LEADERSHIP ACADEMY IN THE AMOUNT OF $182,720
[02:05:01]
TO DEVELOP AND ENHANCE ORGANIZATIONAL LEADER, SKIP SHIP SKILLS AND PROFESSIONALISM OF THE M R P S S CENTRAL OFFICE C EDGENUITY THE AMOUNT OF $161,633 TO PROVIDE GRADES K THROUGH CHIMP E EDUCATION WEB-BASED LICENSES D EDGENUITY INC IN THE AMOUNT OF $119,364 TO PROVIDE GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE GUIDEBOOKS AND WEB BASED LICENSES.DO I HAVE A MOTION MS. BERNARD, MR. CHAPMAN? I WOULD LIKE TO BIFURCATE IT INTO TWO PARTS.
I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE DO FIVE A AND B TOGETHER AND FIVE C AND D TOGETHER AS TWO SEPARATE ITEMS. OKAY.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THAT MOTION? UH, OKAY.
UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ON BIFURCATION OF FIVE, UM, BREAKING UP A AND B INTO ONE AND, UM, C AND D INTO ANOTHER, SEEING NO COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE RELATIVE TO THE BIFURCATION OF ITEM FIVE? SEEING BACK TO THE BOARD AND MADAM SECRETARY POLICE CONDUCT A VOTE ON BIFURCATION.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE.
OKAY, SO WE'RE ON BACK ON FIVE.
UM, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE IT AS IS MOVED BY MR.
I SEE NO COMMENTS AT THIS POINT, FROM THE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARDS.
WE'LL TAKE ALL COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON ITEM FIVE.
MERCY'S QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
DON'T EVER APOLOGIZE FOR ANYTHING I SAY AGAIN, PLEASE.
SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY FOR EDGENUITY LICENSES SEEMS QUESTIONABLE, BUT I'M GOING TO CONCENTRATE ON ITEMS AND I'VE SEEN THE QUALITY OF OUR MERGERS WORK, BOTH IN
[02:10:01]
THE LOADER CONDUCT MEETINGS AND IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN THAT SOMEHOW CAME OUT OF THAT.I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE HIRED TO DO ANYTHING FOR THIS WORD EVER AGAIN.
THERE HAS TO BE SOMEBODY MORE QUALIFIED FOR ANY WORK YOU NEED DONE MORE CAPABLE AND ABLE TO PRODUCE A BETTER FINISHED PRODUCT.
HAS THE ITEM B IF YOU HAVE NINE CHIEFS, EACH MAKING $130,000 A YEAR, I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ROTH MALA RALPH MCALLISTER'S ORGANIZATION NEEDS TO BE PAID $200,000 TO TEACH THE PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE, HOW TO DO THEIR JOBS.
THAT JUST SEEMS LIKE AN ABSURD EXPENDITURE.
THAT MAKES ABSOLUTELY NO SENSE, BUT I DO HAVE TO THANK YOU FOR FAILING TO PASS THE LAST MOTION THAT WAS ENCOURAGING.
FENNY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? OKAY.
SO I CALCULATED A, B, C, AND D, AND THAT BRINGS US TO A TOTAL OF CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS.
NOW I CAN THINK OF A LOT OF THINGS THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN USE A MILLION DOLLARS TO ACTUALLY HELP OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
BUT RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THIS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING IS CAUSING FATIGUE TO THE STAFF.
I CAN CALL CENTRAL OFFICE AND I NEVER GET A CHANCE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH ANYONE, NOT ONE PERSON CHECK THE VOICEMAILS.
I CAN'T TALK TO ANYBODY BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS IN A MEETING IN A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OR TRAINING.
PRINCIPALS CAN NOT SUPERVISE THE STAFF AS NEEDED BECAUSE THEY'RE ALWAYS IN SOME TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE TEACHERS, THEY GO HOME ON THEIR PERSONAL TIME AND ACTUALLY HAVE TO DO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT BUSINESS, BUT THAT WE ACTUALLY CARE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND OUR STAFF.
I DO RECALL US PASSING SOMETHING ABOUT SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING, BUT WE'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THE SOCIAL IMPACT ON THE STAFF THAT HAVE TO WORK WITH OUR KIDS.
THERE'S NO WAY ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH, THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE SOMEBODY MONEY, TO TRY TO GIVE A LICENSE SHIRTS FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING ON THE INTERNET.
I DO STUFF ON THE INTERNET DAILY, AND I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A LICENSE TO DO IT.
WE CAN ALL ACCESS GOOGLE ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB.
YOU DON'T NEED A LICENSE FOR THAT CHROME EITHER.
AND WE DO USE MS. TEAMS AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO USE HAVE ANY WEB LICENSING FOR THAT.
WHY DO WE KEEP JUST THROWING MONEY AWAY? SOME OF THAT MILLION DOLLARS WE CAN USE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIRE AND FIELD THE 143 VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE IN THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
AS MS. DYSON SAID, WE NEEDED MORE PEOPLE TO WORK WITH THE GIFTED AND TALENTED, BUT ACTUALLY WE NEED MORE TO WORK WITH THOSE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES UNDER IDA.
IT REQUIRES THAT HAVE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND CERTIFIED INDIVIDUALS TO WORK WITH THEM.
PLEASE MAKE IT AN EFFORT TO STOP FATIGUING OUR STAFF, TO STOP FATIGUING EVERYONE.
AND TO ACTUALLY ALLOW THE STAFF TO ACTUALLY DO MORE WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE PEOPLE THAT THEY ACTUALLY SERVE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYWHERE IF WE FORGET ABOUT THE SOCIAL IMPACT OF OUR LEADERS.
AND RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYONE AT THESE BOOKS AT THIS TABLE, ALL OF THEM ATTACK ALL OF THEM.
SO LET'S GIVE THEM A BREAK FROM THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ALLOWED HIM TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE.
THANK YOU, MS. CORLEY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? OKAY.
I NOTICED THAT A LOT OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE DURING CLASS TIME WHEN TEACHERS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING AND PARAPROFESSIONALS LIKE ME, BY THE WAY, I DO HOPE TO BECOME A TEACHER AS WELL ARE SUPPORTING STUDENTS.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO LEAVE OUR POSTS AND, UM, JOIN THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, ESPECIALLY WITH HOW SHORT STAFF THAT SCHOOL SYSTEM IS.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE PROVIDING SUPPORT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE UNLESS THERE'S AN EMERGENCY OR SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ATTEND TO.
[02:15:02]
SO I GUESS IF THERE ARE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS, I WOULD SAY WE SHOULD DEFINITELY DECREASE THEM, BUT ALSO MAYBE DO THEM ON AT DIFFERENT TIMES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS.LIKE MAYBE EVEN ON A SATURDAY AND YOU COULD EVEN MAKE IT VIRTUAL.
SOME OF THEM ARE VIRTUAL, BUT, UM, MY MAIN POINT IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MORE AND MORE OF THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENTS ARE DONE OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL HOURS WHEN SCHOOL EMPLOYEES LIKE ME NEED TO BE SUPPORTING STUDENTS AND CLASSROOMS. THANK YOU.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS FOR THE VOTE ON THAT LAST ONE.
LOOKING AT THESE CONTRACTS AND THE OTHER CONTRACTS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE HISTORY, IT SEEMS LIKE DR.
SAYS PLAN AS A LEADER OF THIS DISTRICT IS TO SAY, LET'S PAY SOMEONE ELSE TO DO IT.
THERE ARE 21 PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, PRESUMABLY WORKING FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
WHY DON'T WE EXCUSE SOME OF THEM FROM THESE MEETINGS? AND THEY CAN DO SOME OF THIS STUFF IN THE TIME THAT THEY WOULD BE HERE.
UM, LET ME BE CLEAR TO MR. GODIN, THAT WHEN I SAY THAT ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP, I'M TALKING ABOUT HIS LEADERSHIP AND WHAT HE'S SHOWN US, US AS A DISTRICT.
NARCIS IS THEY FIND INDIVIDUAL.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO INVITE HIM TO MY HOUSE.
I WOULD BE HAPPY TO MEET WITH HIM.
I'VE MET HIM AT SCHOOL EVENTS AND WAVED AT HIM FROM A DISTANCE.
SO WHEN I SAY HE'S NOT DOING A GOOD JOB, IT'S ABOUT HIS JOB, NOT HIM AS A PERSON.
AND WHEN I SAY THE BOARD IS NOT DOING A GOOD JOB FOR THIS DISTRICT, IT'S NOT ABOUT ANY ONE OF YOU PERSONALLY, MOST OF YOU EMAILED ME BACK.
I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL VERY LOVELY.
WOULD LOVE TO MEET WITH YOU AND CHAT WITH YOU.
NORMALLY WHEN I SAY THE BOARD IS DOING A BAD JOB FOR YOU, MR. GOODAY IT'S A LITTLE PERSONAL BECAUSE ONCE YOU PRETENDED TO BE ASLEEP, INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT ME DURING A PUBLIC COMMENT, WHEN I ASKED YOU TO LOOK AT ME, SO IT'S A LITTLE PERSONAL FOR YOU, THE REST OF YOU, YOU'RE FINE.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? SEEING NON BACK TO THE BOARD? JUST A POINT OF CLARIFICATION.
THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE THAT THESE ITEMS ARE A MILLION DOLLARS.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RECORD WAS CLEAR ON THE AMOUNT.
IT'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 6 75 AND A MILLION.
JUST AGAIN FOR RECORD CLARIFICATION, SEEING ALL THE COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE.
[I.8. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU): Our Lady of the Lake Children's Health]
WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM EIGHT CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF AN MOU BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AND OUR LADY OF THE LAKE CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL TO PROVIDE ATHLETIC TRAINING SERVICES, THREE FULL-TIME ATHLETIC TRAINERS TO SUPPORT MIDDLE SCHOOLS.DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY MS. BERNARD SECONDED BY MR. ATLANTA'S COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD SEEING NONE.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS ON NUMBER EIGHT? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THIS IS ABOUT SUPPORTING, UM, STUDENTS MATHLETICS, WHICH IS GOOD.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR MAIN FOCUS, UM, FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS AND SUPPORTING STUDENTS, UH, ACADEMICALLY.
UM, I KNOW IN PARTICULAR WITH SCHOOLS SUCH AS SCOTLANDVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY USED TO BE REALLY GOOD SCHOOLS, MAGNET SCHOOLS, AND THEY'RE STILL CALLED MAGNET SCHOOLS, BUT THEY'VE GOTTEN SO GOOD.
THE STUDENTS HAVE BECOME SO GOOD ATHLETICALLY, BUT THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS HAS FALLEN WAY BEHIND.
IN FACT, SCOTLANDVILLE HIGH SCHOOL, EVEN THOUGH IT'S CALLED A MAGNET SCORE IS ACTUALLY BELOW, UM, THAT STATE AVERAGE ACADEMICALLY, I LOOKED
[02:20:01]
IT UP.SO LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UM, OUR MAIN FOCUS IS ON SUPPORTING STUDENTS, UH, ACADEMICALLY AND NOT JUST ATHLETICALLY.
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
WE GO BACK TO THE BOARD VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
I JUST WANT TO THANK, UH, UH, THE PUBLIC COMMENT THERE WAS MADE SOME VERY VALID, UM, CONCERNS RAISED.
I DO JUST WANT TO CLEAR, UH, MAKE CLEAR, SINCE SOME, SOME POINTS WERE RAISED, UM, SCOTLANDVILLE IN PARTICULAR, I WAS AN EAGLE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, BETWEEN 90 AND 93, AND IT WAS A DEDICATED MAGNET.
UH, IT STILL HAS SOME AMAZING MAGNET PROGRAMS OF WHICH MY SON GRADUATED FROM THE ENGINEERING PROGRAM IN 2015.
AND THAT'S WHY SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE NOT DEDICATED MAGNETS STILL HAVE THE, UH, ARE STILL REFERRED TO AS MANGLE.
SO JUST SO THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE SOME TYPE OF MAGNET PROGRAMMING ON THOSE CAMPUSES.
SO JUST WANTED TO EDUCATE OUR PER HOUR, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT TO HER.
I APOLOGIZE THAT I DON'T RECALL YOUR NAME, BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT.
UM, SO YOU CAN KNOW WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT AND THEN ALSO TO, UM, THE, I WILL HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, I'M ALWAYS ABOUT MY MIGHTY, MIGHT'VE BEEN GOES OVER THERE, BILL, AND I'M STILL AM, UH, BUT I AM A LITTLE JEALOUS AND SCALABILITY ATHLETICS BECAUSE THEY DO, THEY IN PARTICULAR DO A GOOD JOB OF BEING A STRONG ATHLETES AND THOSE STUDENTS, THOSE PARTICULAR ATHLETES, MANY, IF NOT, MOST OF THEM HAVE STRONG GPA'S.
SO IN THAT PARTICULAR EXAMPLE THAT YOU LIFTED UP THAT THAT SCHOOL DOES PRETTY WELL IN THOSE TWO REGARDS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS ALSO WANT TO MAKE A PLAN ON THIS ITEM IS I APPRECIATE HER TO DONATION IT'S DOESN'T COST US ANYTHING.
THERE ARE NO RESOURCES BEING EXPENDED.
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THAT ALREADY THE LAKE IS GOING TO PROVIDE FOR US AT NO COST TO THE DISTRICT.
AND SINCE THEY OFFERED IT, WE FREEZE A GOOD PRICE AND THEY'RE, I KNOW THERE ARE QUALITY ORGANIZATION.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT POINT.
MR. LANDIS, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT TAB, BUT I TOO, LIKE, YOU JUST WANT TO EXTEND A THANK YOU TO CHILDREN'S HOSPITAL FOR THIS, UH, CHARITABLE DONATION.
SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[I.9. Pupil Progression Plan]
WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM NINE CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE 20 21, 20 22 SCHOOL YEAR DISTRICT PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN.DO I HAVE A MOTION, MR. TOTMAN I HAVE A MOTION.
UM, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN WITH LANGUAGE AMENDING THE PROVISIONS ON PAGE 34 AND 35 TO PROVIDE VALEDICTORIAN SALUTATORIAN HONORS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS AND ALL OTHER STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOLS WITH BOARD-APPROVED GIFTED PROGRAMS AND DEFER OTHER CHANGES UNTIL THE COMMITTEE PROVIDES RECOMMENDATIONS ON THIS MATTER IN THE SPRING OF 2022.
UM, THE REASON I'M MAKING THAT SUB THAT SUBSTITUTE LANGUAGE IN THE DOCUMENT IS THAT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE INCEPTION OF THE GIFTED HIGH SCHOOL AT MCKINLEY MAGNET SCHOOL MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL, UM, WE HAD TWO VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS.
ONE WAS FOR THE GIFTED STUDENTS.
AND ONE WAS FOR THE STONE STUDENTS, THE PROGRAM THAT IS THE FIRST, UM, AFRICAN-AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL IN BATON ROUGE AND IN THE STATE.
AND I DON'T WISH TO HAVE THEM COMPETING WITH A GIFTED PROGRAM THAT IS REALLY A SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL.
UM, THAT IS A SPECIAL PROGRAM.
AND I THINK THAT BOTH GROUPS OF STUDENTS TO SERVE THE DISTINCTION OF HAVING THOSE HONORS.
SO THAT'S THE REASON FOR MY SUBSTITUTE IN THAT LANGUAGE.
UH, IT WAS ALSO EXPLAINED TO ME THAT THE MCKINLEY ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AT THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM, WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THE PROGRAM, PRECEDED ALL OF US ON THE BOARD.
OF COURSE, WHEN WE FIRST BOUGHT, BROUGHT THIS PROGRAM TO THE SCHOOL, THEY
[02:25:01]
DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THE GIFTED PROGRAM AT MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL.THE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION DID NOT.
AND WHEN WE TOLD THEM THAT WE WOULD INSTEAD HAVE TWO VALEDICTORIANS AND SALUTATORIANS, THEY WERE WILLING TO ACCOMMODATE THE GIFTED STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL.
SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO DO THAT FOR THOSE, WE ONLY HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS THAT THIS APPLIES TO, LIKE I SAID, IT IS A SCHOOL, THEY ARE SCHOOL, THE GIFTED PROGRAM IS A SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL.
SO DO YOU HAVE THAT? UH, YES SIR.
I WANT SOME, I NEED TO GET SOME CLARIFICATION.
I KNOW THAT THE L THE LANGUAGE INCLUDED THE PROVISION THAT WE DEFER CHANGES UNTIL THE RECOMMENDATIONS BY THE COMMITTEE IN SPRING OF 2021.
UM, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE, DO YOU WANT TO DEFER CHANGES PERHAPS AS BEST TO ALLOW THE OTHER CHANGES TO COME THROUGH? UM, I THINK YOU JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THE LANGUAGE IN THE PROVISIONS RELATED TO, UH, GIFTED AND ALL OTHER STUDENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS GIFTED IN QUOTATION MARKS AND ALL OTHER STUDENTS IN QUOTATION MARKS, BECAUSE THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE POPULATIONS AT THE TIME.
AND I WAS JUST FOCUSED ON THE LIGHT ON YOUR, YOUR MOTION LANGUAGE THAT SAID DEFER ALL OF THE CHANGES.
SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER CHANGES IN THE
I THINK WE SHOULD ALLOW THOSE TO GO THROUGH IMMEDIATELY.
SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF A, UM, AN ERROR IN SUGGESTED LANGUAGE.
SO WE'LL JUST, WE'LL, WE'LL GOOGLE OMIT THE SECOND PART OF THE MOTION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE INTENDED FOR IT TO ALLOW THOSE OTHER CHANGES TO GO THROUGH WHEN YOU SECOND SECONDED BY MS. WHERE JACKSON, UM, MS. W OH, YOU ARE DOING THAT TOO.
AND WOULD YOU LIKE THE FLOOR? GOOD.
UM, MS. DYSON, UM, I APPRECIATE THOSE THAT CHANGE AS WELL.
I KNOW THAT, UM, AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, IN MY AREA DID THAT AND HAD TWO SEPARATE ONES THIS PAST MAY.
AND SO I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY NICE THING TO DO FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
UM, I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A RE UH, WELL, I HAVE A REQUEST THAT, AND I KNOW THIS IS ALL DEPENDENT ON, YOU KNOW, CHANGES IN THE LEGISLATURE AND TRACKING THOSE AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR POLICIES ARE ALIGNED WITH CHANGES MADE AT THE STATE LEVEL.
BUT I AM A STRONG BELIEVER THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THIS PRINTED AND READY FOR PARENTAL SIGNING ON THE FRONT BY THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN SEPTEMBER, BECAUSE THINGS ARE ALREADY HAPPENING AT OUR SCHOOL SITES THAT NEED TO BE, UH, ADDRESSED.
AND SO DO, DO THEY GO WITH THE OLD, DO THEY GO WITH THE NEW, YOU KNOW, IT'S, I THINK, UM, I KNOW FOR MY CHILDREN, WE WOULD JUST GET A MASS OF PAPERWORK THAT ALL NEEDED TO JUST, WE HAD TO SIT DOWN THERE AND JUST LOOK AND SIGN AND READ AND SIGN.
AND I THINK IT'S MUCH BETTER TO SEND THAT HOME ON THE FIRST DAY.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A BIG TASK, UH, AND A BIG ASK, BUT I THINK FOR THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS, AND FOR OUR ADMINISTRATION PRINCIPALS SCHOOL SITE, ADMINISTRATORS, THEY NEED THIS CONFIRMED ON WHAT TO DO STARTING ON DAY ONE OF OURS EACH SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THANK YOU, GREG AND MR. BERLIN.
I, UM, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THE, UH, W UH, CHANGES, SUGGEST I JUST WANTED TO HEAR FROM, UH, EITHER SUPERINTENDENT NRCS OR SOMEBODY, AND THEN, AND REGISTRATION, JUST MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT OVERLOOKING SOMETHING, OR IF THERE'S ANY REASON, UH, WE SHOULD CONSIDER NOT MAKING THAT CHANGE.
THE COMMITTEE SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UM, THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I HAVE, UH, THAT I DO GRAZE IS, UM, MY CONCERN ALL THE TIME IS EQUITY.
UH, IF WE DO SOMETHING FOR ONE SCHOOL, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR OTHER SCHOOLS? AND IT DOESN'T OPEN UP US INTO ANY CONCERNS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE DIFFERENT SETS OF PROGRAMS, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT FALLS INTO DIFFERENT CLASSES, BUT WE HAVE MANY SCHOOLS THAT HAVE VARIATIONS.
AND SO, UM, MY ONLY, UM, CONSIDERATION, WHICH I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST TO THE COMMITTEE IS THAT IF WE DO SOMETHING FOR ONE OR TWO SCHOOLS, IT SHOULD BE A PRACTICE WE SHOULD DO ACROSS ALL SCHOOLS.
UH, AND I DO UNDERSTAND, UH, OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW THIS UPLIFTS CHILDREN, UH, BUT I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S, THAT'S A CONCERN THAT I, THAT I HAVE.
AND WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IS SOMETHING I THINK THE COMMITTEE SHOULD TALK THROUGH ABOUT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THEM.
THANK YOU, MR. BALLOU, I'M SEEING NO OTHER,
[02:30:01]
UH, QUESTIONS FROM THE OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARDS.UH, IS THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THIS ITEM? FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK BOARD MEMBER OF THE NORD, UM, FOR THAT MOTION.
UM, I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND AND ENCOURAGE THAT YOU ACTUALLY, UM, FOLLOWED THAT RECOMMENDATION AND APPROVE IT SECOND.
UM, WE HAVE IN THERE CHANGES IN REGARDS TO THE APRIL TO HELP BRING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM UP TO REGULATIONS AND IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE APRIL DAWN ACT, WHICH IS ALSO NOT, WHICH WAS RUNNING ON IS 8 33, AND ALSO, BUT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD ALREADY BE IN MY OWN WEDDING.
THE ONLY THING THAT CHANGED, UM, BY 8 8, 8 33 WAS THE NAME.
WE CHANGED THE NAME OF AT 8 30, 3 TO EIGHT FOR DUNN EGG, BECAUSE APRIL DONE WAS, UH, UH, GLEN OAKS HA ALUMNUS FROM EBR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT ACTUALLY SPOKE ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS FOR HER AS A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, NOT BEING ABLE TO RECEIVE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, BUT ATTEND SCHOOL ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL THE AGE OF 21.
I WAS SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SUPPOSED TO FOLLOW THAT LAW.
SO TO HEAR THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND READ THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS NOT IN LINE OR THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET IN LINE IS A PROBLEM, BECAUSE NOW THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE KNOWINGLY ADMITTED THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN PROVIDING THE CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN ON THAT TRACK FOR ALL THESE YEARS, EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO GET ACCORDING TO THE LAW, I I'M, I'M STRONGLY ENCOURAGING OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, A SCHOOL BOARD TO ALSO HAVE OUR STAFF TO LOOK AT WORKIES.
WORKKEYS IS ALSO SOMETHING THAT OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES HAVE TO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES ACTUALLY DO.
SO CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, LIKE MY CHILD WHO ACTUALLY CAN MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS TO GRADUATE CAN ACTUALLY RECEIVE A REAL HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, BUT THEY ACTUALLY JUST HAVE TO HAVE SOME LITTLE MANIPULATIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE STANDARDIZED TESTS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS CALLED WORKKEYS.
I THINK THAT WHEN WE BRING PROPOSALS LIKE THIS TO THE TABLE, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE THAT IS VERY, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE WITH THE LAWS AS IT RELATES TO THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
SO AS OF RIGHT NOW, I WOULD STRONGLY ASK THE BOARD TO APPROVE BOARD MEMBER MENARD'S MOTION, BUT DO NOT APPROVE THE REST OF THE PLAN UNTIL WE CAN ACTUALLY LOOK AT WHAT ELSE, WHAT OTHER PROBLEMS WE HAVE AS IT RELATES TO APRIL DONE ACT AND WORKINGS.
I THINK I FORGOT TO INTRODUCE MYSELF THE FIRST TIME.
UM, THANK YOU, MR. BERNARD, AND MS. DYSON FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
I THINK MAKING THOSE CHANGES WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENT TO THE PLAN, AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE THERE'S PLENTY OF TIME NOW TO PUT THE PROCESS IN PLACE TO HAVE THIS READY BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
WELL, A FEW THINGS HAPPENED THIS YEAR THAT MIGHT'VE INTERFERED WITH THE SCHEDULE C MY CAN BE NICE.
UM, I'M COMING UP HERE ON BEHALF OF STORM MATTHEWS.
SHE IS ON THE PHONE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON A PUPIL PROGRESSION PLANNING COMMITTEE FOR SEVERAL YEARS, AND I SUPPORT THIS PLAN AS IT WAS DISCUSSED AND APPROVED IN OUR MEETING DUE TO COVID.
WE HAD TO HAVE SMALLER MEETINGS AT THE LATER MEETING, CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF PULLED THE GIFTED ZONE VALEDICTORIAN THAT HAD BEEN IN PLACE FOR AS LONG AS WE ALL CAN REMEMBER.
BASSA, PROBABLY DC, THE ZONE CHILDREN HAVE WORKED HARD TO ATTAIN THAT DISTINCTION PULL US THE REAL ISSUE THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT IS TO ATTAIN THE GIFTED STATUS.
UM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO HAVE THAT.
SO THAT'S A SOCIOECONOMIC ISSUE RIGHT THERE.
THE VAST MAJORITY OF CHILDREN DON'T HAVE THAT ACCESS.
ALSO ANOTHER THING, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM, AND JUST BECAUSE I'M STILL ON MATTHEWS, I'LL BE THE ONE TO SAY IT.
THIS IS A HISTORICALLY BLACK SCHOOL.
AND IF WE ONLY HAVE ONE VALEDICTORIAN, IT'LL BE A WHITE OR ASIAN CHILD.
IF IT'S THE GIFTED, THE VALEDICTORIAN EVERY YEAR, THAT IS SILLY ZONED BLACK SCHOOL.
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IS THAT WHAT WE FINNA DO? THANK YOU.ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE SEEING NINE BACK TO THE BOARD, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE.
UM, YEAH, IT'S AN ORIGINAL MOTION.
UM, IT'S JUST NOT IT'S, IT'S AMENDED FROM THE AGENDA, BUT IT'S NOT A SUB, SO YEAH, IF YOU NEED TO, IF YOU WANNA RE YOU WANT TO READ IT, IT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO READ THE MOTION? YEAH, SURE.
I JUST DO IT MOTION TO ADOPT THE PEOPLE PROGRESSION PLAN WITH LANGUAGE, AMENDING THE PROVISION TO PROVIDE VALID VALEDICTORIAN AND SOLITARY SALUTATORIAN HONORS FOR GIFTED STUDENTS AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOLS WITH BOARD APPROVED GIFTED PROGRAMS, ABOUT A CLEAR AND THE OTHER, SEEING NO OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
[I.10. Policy]
ITEM 10 CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL BOARD POLICY REVISIONS AND RELATED MATTERS.J D DISCIPLINE, J C D A B STUDENT ALCOHOL AND DRUG USE J C D A C DANGEROUS WEAPONS AND FIREARMS. J D D OUT OF SCHOOL SUSPENSION, J D D A IN SCHOOL SUSPENSION AND J D E EXPULSION.
DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY MR. LANA'S? UM, SECONDED BY MS. WHERE JACKSON, UM, ANY COMMENT MS. WADE JACKSON? YES.
I'D LIKE, UM, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THESE POLICIES AND ANY CHANGES THAT WOULD, UH, SHOW UP IN, UM, IN OUR HANDBOOK.
UM, SO THIS IS ACTUALLY THE RECOMMENDATION OF GENERAL COUNSEL TO AMEND, UH, FIVE POLICIES CURRENTLY IN EXISTENCE.
IF YOU RECALL BACK, UH, IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, UH, WE, WE AMENDED THE STUDENT HANDBOOK TO REFLECT, UH, THE NEW LEGISLATIVE CHANGES RELATED TO DISCIPLINE AND HOW WE, UH, IMPLEMENT AND EXECUTE DISCIPLINE AT SCHOOLS.
AND SO WHAT THIS DOES IS IT TAKES OUT OUR CAPS POLICY, THE DISTRICT POLICY, AND ALIGNS IT WITH THE CHANGES MADE TO THE HANDBOOK.
SO THAT NOW LEGISLATIVELY, WE LINE UP IN OUR HANDBOOK AND OUR DISTRICT POLICY, UH, AND WE COORDINATE EVERYTHING AND IT COMPLIMENTS, IT WORKS TOGETHER.
AND SO THESE ARE, THESE ARE AMENDMENTS THAT ARE LEGISLATIVELY BASED.
UM, PRIMARILY THE, THE THRUST OF THE CHANGES IS TO SHIFT DISCIPLINE, UH, TO AN APPROACH WITH A FOCUS ON EVIDENCE-BASED INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORT.
SO POSITIVE BEHAVIOR SUPPORTS AND A TIERED APPROACH TO HOW WE, UH, HOW WE ADMINISTER DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS.
AND SO THESE POLICY CHANGES REFLECT THAT, UH, ONE CHANGE, UM, THAT, THAT PROBABLY DOESN'T ALLOW WITH THAT POLICY CHANGE, BUT IT'S ALSO LEGISLATIVE IS THE JCD, UM, CHANGE, WHICH IS STUDENT DRUG AND ALCOHOL USE.
AND THAT'S REALLY MUCH MORE ABOUT CHANGING THE POLICY.
UH, AND ALSO, UH, THIS, THESE CHANGES REFLECT, UM, A MOVE AWAY FROM THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NO LONGER ALLOWED TO BE MANDATORY IN TERMS OF, UH, ZERO TOLERANCE, UH, EXECUTIONS OF POLICY.
SO ALL OF THIS WAS LEGISLATIVE, UH, ACT 4 73 OF THE REGULATORS OF THE REGULAR SESSION WAS ENACTED, UH, AND IT IMPACTED AND CHANGED REVISED STATUTE 17 4 16, WHICH IS THE LAW THAT DEALS WITH DISCIPLINE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND SO THESE CHANGES ALL ALIGN OUR, OUR CAPS POLICY WITH THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES.
THANK YOU, MR. JACKSON, AND SEEN NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON NUMBER 10, POLICY CHANGES? I WAS WAITING ALL NIGHT FOR THESE POLICY CHANGES.
WE HAVE A STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK PRINTED BY EBR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT REFLECTS AUGUST OF 2021 OF ITS EFFECTIVE DATE.
AND TONIGHT WE BRING IT FORTH POLICIES TO CHANGE IN THAT HANDBOOK THAT PARENTS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN HOME
[02:40:01]
AND READ CHILDREN HAVE ALREADY TAKEN THEM HOME AND READ THEM.AND WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD THESE PARENTS SAYING, SAYING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ADD HERE TO THAT BOOK AND HAVE SENT IT BACK IN.
SO RIGHT NOW I AM PUBLICLY SAYING I AM NOT AN APPROVAL OF THE STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK PRINTED BY EBR.
THAT WAS A LOT OF PAPERWORK, A LOT OF PAPER THAT Y'ALL USE THAT WAS A WASTE OF MONEY KILLING TREES.
FINISHED SHOULD APPRECIATE ME BRINGING UP OUR TREES AND I, UH, UH, UH, ATMOSPHERE.
NOW WE WASTED MONEY PRINTING IT, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PRINT UP THESE POLICIES AND SEMINATE THAT OUT TO ALL THESE STUDENTS, WE HAVE OVER 43,000 KIDS TO NOW DISSEMINATE THESE POLICIES TO, AND THE NEW CHANGES IN THESE POLICIES.
IT DOES NOT SAY THAT IF A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY, DO ANY OF THIS, WHAT THE STEPS WOULD BE SUCH AS A MANIFESTATION DETERMINATION REVIEW TO FIND OUT IF IT IS AN ACTUAL MANIFESTATION OF THEIR DISABILITY THAT IS FEDERALLY REQUIRED.
WE DEFINITELY DO NOT NEED TO APPROVE ANY MORE POLICIES THAT IS GOING TO IMPACT OUR KIDS.
WHEN THE FIRST NINE WEEKS HAVE ALREADY PASSED, WE ALREADY HAVE GREAT FOR OUR KIDS FOR THE FIRST NINE WEEKS.
SO I THINK THAT IF I I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT WITH MS. DYSON, WE NEED TO ISSUE POLICIES AT THE VERY BEGINNING BEFORE SCHOOL START AND HAVE ALL OF THIS IN PLACE.
SO WHEN WE TAKE OUT THE TIME TO PRINT THESE BOOKS, THAT IS OVER A HUNDRED PAGES THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY POLICY IS UP TO DATE AND INLINE.
THIS ONE HERE, WE SHOULD NOT APPROVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH BOARD PRESIDENT.
THANK YOU, MS. CORLEY, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE SEEING NON BACK TO THE BOARD MS. COLLINS? UM, IT SAYS THE KURANDA.
I KNOW SHE USUALLY HAS A SON WITH HER AND SHE PROBABLY HAS HIM IN THE BAG AND MAY NOT HAVE HER GENERAL COUNSEL ALSO TOO, FOR THE SAKE OF GENERAL PUBLIC.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T KNOW, UM, THERE'S LEGISLATIVE POLICY LAW, WHICH THEN IMPACTS DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF POLICY.
THE STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK IS THE GUIDE.
WE HAVE OUR MAIN BOOK OF POLICY, IF YOU WILL, IS LARGER THAN A BOOK, BUT WE HAVE OUR MAIN BOOK OF POLICY AS A DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE TURN AROUND AND CONDENSE WAS, UH, WE CONDENSE THAT INTO A STUDENT'S RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK FOR WHAT'S MOST PERTINENT TO STUDENTS.
COUNCIL HAD JUST EXPLAINED THAT NONE OF THIS HAS CHANGING WHAT'S IN THE HANDBOOK.
THESE ARE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS THAT ALL JUST GETTING ALIGNED ON UP.
SO I JUST WANT TO RELIEVE, HOPEFULLY OUR CONSTITUENT, A BAD CONCERN, AND ANY OTHER CONSTITUENT WHO MAY NOT REALIZE THE DIFFERENT MOVING PIECES INVOLVED.
THANK YOU, MS. COLLINS, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO GET CLARITY.
SO WHAT WE'LL DO IF THIS PASSES IS WE WILL PRINT JUST THE, UH, ADDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE OR THE CHANGES WE WON'T HAVE TO REPRINT THE ENTIRE STUDENTS RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOKS, RIGHT? AND WE WON'T HAVE TO REPRINT ANYTHING.
UM, THESE CHANGES DON'T IMPACT THE STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK.
THEY CHANGED THE CAPS POLICY AND ALIGNS IT WITH THE HANDBOOK.
SO ALL OF THESE CHANGES ARE, ARE THE SAME CHANGES.
WE JUST MADE THE FIRST SET OF CHANGES IN THE HANDBOOK.
SECOND SET WITHOUT ONLINE CAPS POLICY, SO THAT ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS ALIGN WITH THE NEW LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS.
SO NO CHANGES TO THE HANDBOOK, NO MORE PRINTS REQUIRED.
SO, UM, JUST FOR ME TO GET THIS STRAIGHT IN MY HEAD, SO WERE THEY READY FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THIS YEAR? THE, THE, THE HANDBOOK, NO.
MA'AM AND IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO HAVE THEM READY.
I'M A LEGEND AND I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES.
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU A ROUGH TIMELINE.
THE SESSION ENDED, AND WE HAD A SPECIAL SESSION, WELL IN THE SESSION RAN LATE THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO WE COULD NOT CONVENE A DISCIPLINE REVIEW COMMITTEE UNTIL LATE JUNE.
SO WE COULDN'T EVEN BRING THESE PROPOSALS TO THE BOARD UNTIL JULY.
AND IT GENERALLY TAKES ABOUT 30 TO 40 DAYS.
[02:45:01]
YOU GUYS APPROVE SOMETHING TO THEN GO TO PRINT AND ISSUE IT TO THE DISTRICT.AND SO IT'S A CHALLENGE REALLY.
UM, IT'S, IT'S REALLY ALWAYS A RACE, A HORSE RACE FOR US, RIGHT? FROM THE TIME SESSION ENDS UNTIL THE TIME WE GET IT TO YOU UNTIL THE TIME WE GO TO PRINT AND WE WORK WITH ALL DUE SPEED.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT WAITING AROUND.
WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR CERTAIN THINGS TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE CAN MOVE AHEAD.
UM, AND SO NOT MAKING EXCUSES.
IT, IT IS WHAT IT IS IN TERMS OF A TIMEFRAME.
WE, IN FACT, I WAS INFORMED YESTERDAY THAT THE BOOKS ARE PRINTED AND SHOULD BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE SCHOOLS.
NOW WE'LL SAY THE DIGITAL VERSION OF THE HANDBOOK IS UPLOADED THE DAY AFTER THE BOARD APPROVES IT.
AND SO THOSE ARE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC IMMEDIATELY.
IT'S, IT'S EASY TO DO BECAUSE IT'S BEEN APPROVED AND IT'S, IT'S, IT TAKES A SECOND TO UPLOAD.
SO THAT'S BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE THE DAY AFTER THE REGULAR MEETING IN JULY, BUT IT'S TAKEN US TIME TO GET, UH, THE PRINT COPIES OUT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS HEARING WAS THAT THE PRINT COPIES WERE JUST AVAILABLE YESTERDAY.
THANK YOU, MR. TYSON, SENIOR, OR THE COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, A MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[J. New Business ]
J NEW BUSINESS ITEM, WRONG CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A STIPEND OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, PER SEMESTER FOR EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM TEACHERS WHO TEACH STUDENTS VIRTUALLY AND FACE-TO-FACE BASED HYBRID FOR THE 20 21, 20 22 SCHOOL YEAR.DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY MR. LANICE SECONDED BY MR. BALLOU.
I SEE NO COMMENTS UP MR. LEE, MR. ALANIS.
CAN WE GET A, UH, SOMEONE TO SPEAK TOWARDS THE NEW YARD WHILE WE, UH, CREATING THIS PARTICULAR POLICY? YES.
UH, MS. DONALDSON JUST COME ON.
SO THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES IN COLLABORATION WITH DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO ADDRESS OUR SHORTAGE OF TEACHERS AT THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL AND ALSO ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND SOME OF THOSE SHORTAGES AREN'T FULL DAY SHORTAGES.
THAT'S BEING OFFERED AT A PARTICULAR HIGH SCHOOL THAT THEY ONLY HAVE FIVE OR SIX STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING THAT COURSE.
AND SO WE WERE TRYING TO THINK OF A CREATIVE WAY TO, UH, UTILIZE THE STAFF AND EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS.
AND SO WE, WE KNEW THAT WE HAD TEACHERS LAST YEAR, MANY OF OUR TEACHERS, THEY ACTUALLY PARTICIPATED AND HAD TO DO THE HYBRID LEARNING, UM, WITH STUDENTS.
SO MANY OF OUR TEACHERS BUILT UP A LOT OF SKILLSET, UH, IN THAT AREA.
AND SO WE WANTED TO GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE WANTED TO UTILIZE OUR CURRENT INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF TO PROVIDE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TEACH HYBRID IF ALLOWABLE, AND IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN DOING IT.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REQUIRING.
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MAKING SCHOOLS DO.
UH, THERE IS A PROCESS WITH THIS, UH, WHERE IF A TEACHER IS INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN THIS OPPORTUNITY, THEY WOULD GO ONLINE AND APPLY FOR IT IS A SHORT APP.
SO IT'S NOT A FULL APPLICATION BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY OUR EMPLOYEE AND THEY CAN APPLY ONLINE, GET A RECOMMENDATION FROM THEIR PRINCIPAL, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO IMPACT THE INSTRUCTIONAL ENVIRONMENT AT THE SCHOOL IN ANY, UM, HAVE ANY TYPE OF IMPACT IN THAT CAPACITY.
AND THEN THEIR INFORMATION COMES TO HR AND AS NEEDS FROM, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CONTACT THOSE TEACHERS, FOLLOW UP WITH THEIR PRINCIPAL AND POTENTIALLY, UM, CONNECT THEM WITH SOME STUDENTS THAT ARE SCHOOLS THAT MAY HAVE VACANCIES OR NEED A VIRTUAL TEACHING.
HOW WE SET IT UP IS THAT THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT MODELS.
UM, AND SO THOSE THREE DIFFERENT MODELS IS THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL COLLABORATION HYBRID JUST TO GIVE.
AND THESE ARE REALLY EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS CAN BE UTILIZED.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO COMBINE IT, BUT WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME CLEAR EXAMPLES OF HOW THIS COULD BE USED.
SO THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL COLLABORATION MODEL WOULD MEAN THAT THAT HYBRID TEACHER WOULD PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO AN EBR VIRTUAL SCHOOL STUDENTS DURING THE REGULAR SCHOOL DAY BASED ON COURSES, THEY ARE CURRENTLY TEACHING.
SO IF I'M CURRENTLY A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AND I'M TEACHING, UM,
[02:50:01]
AMERICAN HISTORY, AND THERE MAY BE FALSE, SAY AP AMERICAN HISTORY, THERE MAY BE AN AP STUDENT, UM, IN THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL THAT WANTS TO TAKE AP AMERICAN HISTORY THAT STUDENT COULD, UM, STREAM INTO MY CLASSROOM, OR MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE STUDENTS, OR MAYBE, UM, MAYBE 10 STUDENTS BEING COGNIZANT OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT I HAVE IN THE CLASSROOM AT THAT BLOCK THOUGH, THAT STUDENT WOULD BE ABLE TO STREAM IN.AND I WOULD BE ABLE TO TEACH BOTH CLASSES IN BOTH SETS OF STUDENTS.
AND THAT'S AT THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
WE ALSO HAVE A PLANNING PERIOD HYBRID TEACHING AND THAT'S FOR, FOR, UH, TEACHERS WHO MAY HAVE MULTIPLE PLANNING PERIODS BASED UPON THE MASTER SCHEDULE.
AND SO IF THEY HAVE TWO OR THREE PLANNING PERIODS IN THE COURSE OF A DAY, DEPENDING UPON HOW THE SCHEDULE WAS BUILT FOR THAT PARTICULAR, UH, TEACHER, THE TEACHER MAY, YOU MAY WANT TO UTILIZE ONE OF THEIR, ONE OF THEIR PLANNING PERIODS TO TEACH A COURSE AT THE, AT THEIR, UM, TIME.
SO IF I'M OFF SECOND BLOCK, THIRD BLOCK, AND, UM, UM, FOURTH BLOCK, I COULD ACTUALLY TEACH, UM, ONE, ONE OF THOSE BLOCKS TO ANOTHER SET OF STUDENTS.
AND THEN THERE'S THE CONCURRENT HYBRID TEACHING, WHICH IS THE HYBRID TEACHER WOULD PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONS TO STUDENTS AND VACANT POSITIONS AT SCHOOLS AROUND THE PARISH.
SO AFTER WE DO SOME OF THE BALANCING, WE KNOW THAT WE'LL PROBABLY HAVE STILL HAVE SOME VACANCIES.
THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO BE REALLY CREATIVE AND STRATEGIC AND FIND THOSE SMALL ONE-OFF CLASSES THAT STUDENTS MAY NEED TO, TO, TO PAIR UP ON.
AND THAT, THAT WOULD NOT REQUIRE THE TEACHER TO LEAVE THEIR CAMPUS OR ANYTHING.
THOSE STUDENTS WERE STREAMING.
AGAIN, THIS IS TOTALLY VOLUNTARY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO DICTATE.
WE DON'T WANT TO DICTATE AND MAKE TEACHERS TO DO THIS.
UM, BUT WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TEACHERS REACH OUT TO SAY, HEY, I LIKED KIND OF THE HYBRID TEACHING THING.
AND WE HAVE SOME TEACHERS THAT SAID, NO, I DO NOT LIKE IT AT ALL.
UM, AND SO THIS IS AGAIN A VOLUNTARY, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR TEACHERS AND WE WOULD PAY, UM, PER SEMESTER.
AND THE REASON WHY WE DO THIS SEMESTER IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE IN THE MASTER SCHEDULE.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE CLASSES THAT YOU KIDS ARE MAKING UP A COURSE, OR YOU HAVE A CIVICS CLASS THAT'S ONLY A SEMESTER.
AND SO YOU ONLY NEED IT FOR FIRST SEMESTER VERSUS SECOND SEMESTER.
SO WE THOUGHT ABOUT THE SEMESTER PIECE.
AND YOUR TEAM, MY HAT GOES OFF TO YOU, UH, FOR CLEARING OFF THE TABLE AND TRYING TO BE AS INNOVATIVE AS POSSIBLE TO TRY TO MITIGATE A LOT OF THE, UH, I GUESS TEACHER LOSS THAT WE HAVE INSIDE OF OUR CLASSROOMS. I GUESS MY ONLY TWO REMAINING QUESTIONS.
AND THEN I'LL BE, THAT'LL CONCLUDE MY QUESTION THEN IS, UH, DO YOU HAVE AN ANTICIPATED CAPACITY FOR TEACHERS FOR THIS, UH, FOR THIS PROGRAM OR, AND ALSO HOW MUCH WILL IT COST? SO WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO WE, WE WERE LOOKING AT MAYBE 40 TO 50 TEACHERS AND WE MIGHT NOT NEED THAT MANY.
UM, WE WERE, WE'RE JUST KIND OF, CAUSE WE'RE STILL RECRUITING AND WE'RE STILL HIRING.
SO THIS MAY NOT REQUIRE THAT MANY TEACHERS.
UM, BUT WE, WE WANT TO JUST HAVE THAT LEEWAY.
SO WE MAY NOT USE IT ALL WE'RE GOING TO, OUR INTENT IS TO USE STAFFING MONEY BECAUSE IF WE DON'T FILL A VACANCY, THEN THAT'S MONEY THAT WE WOULD, WE COULD SPLIT ACROSS, UH, TO, TO, UH, COVER THIS.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT REALLY TECHNICALLY ASKING FOR EXTRA MONEY.
WE'RE ASKING TO KIND OF USE OUR STAFFING ALLOTMENT BASED UPON, UH, PROJECTED VACANCIES AND, UH, USE THAT MONEY TO COMPENSATE TEACHERS WHO ARE, UM, WHO MIGHT BE WILLING TO, TO HELP THE DISTRICT OUT AND DO THIS SERVICE.
THANK YOU, MR. MANIS, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
UH, I ACTUALLY, UH, I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE A QUESTION IN THIS MOMENT.
I KNOW WE'RE NOT, UM, THIS BECAME AN AGENDA ITEM I KNEW THE NEED HAD TO BE ADDRESSED AND I QUITE HONESTLY WAS CONFUSED ON HOW I WAS GOING TO GET X, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY THE LITTLE THREE EXAMPLES THAT YOU GAVE HELPS ME PROCESS IT BETTER THAN I APPRECIATE THAT.
VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS, MS. DYSON.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS AND THEN, UM, I DID SEND AN EMAIL AND I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD KIND OF, I WAS TRYING TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP THAT THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT I'M BEING ASKED.
UM, SO I, I DON'T KNOW THIS IS A FAST MOVING ITEM, BUT, UM, I DO THINK WE NEED SOME CLARITY AROUND THE, THE SPECIFIC SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT IS ACTUALLY BEING OFFERED BY
[02:55:01]
US.ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UM, IS OF NOTICE IS THAT YOU'VE GOT THE THREE DIFFERENT, UM, OPTIONS, RIGHT.
AND A TEACHER IS SO FIRST OF ALL, WE NEED TO MAKE IT CLEAR.
AND I THINK YOU ALREADY HAVE, BUT I WANT TO RESTATE THAT THIS IS A OPTION THAT A TEACHER WOULD SHOW INTEREST IN AND NOT ANY KIND OF REQUIREMENT.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THE TEACHER WOULD BE AGREEING OR ENTHUSIASTIC LET'S EVEN GO THAT FAR, UM, TO ACCEPTING THIS SITUATION.
AND THE PRINCIPAL ALSO WOULD HAVE TO BE ON BOARD WITH IT AS TO NOT HURT THE OTHER CLASSES THAT THAT TEACHER IS TEACHING.
SO THERE ARE SOME SAFEGUARDS THERE.
UM, AND CAN THIS TEACHER REALISTICALLY HANDLE THIS? UM, BUT IN THE THREE DIFFERENT OPTIONS, IT IS A PARENT THAT BASED ON COURSES THEY ARE CURRENTLY TEACHING IS NOT IN THE LANG IT'S, IT'S IN THE LANGUAGE ON TWO OF THE OPTIONS, BUT NOT IN THE PLAN PERIOD HYBRID TEACHING.
SO FOR THAT PARTICULAR ONE, AND AGAIN FOR EITHER, UH, WELL FOR THAT ONE IS BECAUSE IT'S DURING THE PLANNING PERIOD.
SO AS A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, I COULD TEACH RURAL GEOGRAPHY.
I COULD TEACH AMERICAN HISTORY AND I COULD TEACH AFRICAN-AMERICAN HISTORY, RIGHT.
SO I COULD TEACH ALL THREE OF THOSE THINGS.
I MAY ONLY BE TEACHING TWO AND YOU GOT A BUNCH OF THEM, BUT I MAY BE TEACHING ONLY TWO, BUT HEY, I WANT TO TEACH, UM, ECONOMICS.
AND SO THIS WILL BE, GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE I LIKE ECON TO TEACH US A SECTION OF ECON IN THE VIRTUAL THING.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO CONFINE IT BECAUSE AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, WHEN YOU'RE CERTIFIED SECONDARY, YOU CAN GENERALLY TEACH ACROSS MULTIPLE SUBJECT AREAS BECAUSE YOU'RE TEACHING KIDS FROM NINTH THROUGH 12TH GRADE IN, IN DIFFERENT AREAS, DEPENDING UPON WHAT'S BEING OFFERED ON THE MASTER SCHEDULE.
SO THAT TEACHER WOULD BE, IF THEY'RE INTERESTED IN, INTERESTED IN ACCEPTING WHAT COMES ALONG WITH TEACHING THAT ADDITIONAL CLASS, AS FAR AS, UH, PLANNING, UH, A DIFFERENT CLASS, A DIFFERENT COURSE THAN MAYBE THEY'RE TEACHING FOUR OR FIVE OTHERS HAVE.
AND SO THERE IS THAT ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WILL BE REQUIRED OTHER THAN JUST THE TIME WHEN THEY'RE ACTUALLY TEACHING.
AND THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP WAS IN, UH, SAY IN GIFTED CLASSES, WELL, SO NON GIFTED STUDENTS CANNOT JOIN THOSE BY LAW.
SO IT WOULD ONLY BE IN THAT CASE, OTHER GIFTED STUDENTS THAT COULD BE JOINING VIRTUALLY IN THAT CLASS, RIGHT? YES.
AND THERE'S A LIMIT ON HOW MANY, JUST LIKE IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION, HOW MANY STUDENTS THAT TEACHER CAN TEACH IN A SCHOOL YEAR OR PER SEMESTER OR WHAT, HOWEVER, THAT IS.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD BE EYEING THAT, AND MAYBE THIS TEACHER COULD ACCEPT FOUR ADDITIONAL STUDENTS AND NOT GO OVER THAT THRESHOLD, BUT THEY CAN'T TAKE FIVE OR, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER THE NUMBERS ARE 15, AND MAYBE THEY HAVE TWO PLANNING PERIODS BECAUSE IF THEY TOOK A WHOLE NOTHER CLASS, IT THROWS THEM OVER THERE, A MAXIMUM ALLOWED, RIGHT.
AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY DO THAT, BUT THEY DO.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M VERY PLEASED TO KNOW THAT THE PRINCIPAL HAS TO BE ON BOARD WITH THIS.
THE ACTUAL WHOLE SCHOOL TEAM HAS TO BE ON BOARD WITH THIS, BECAUSE THEN THAT TEACHER ISN'T GOING TO BE AVAILABLE FOR DUTY OR THESE THINGS.
AND IT WILL, IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE SCHOOL TEAM IS NOT JUST GONNA AFFECT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT IS FOR THE PURPOSE OF EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS AND GETTING TEACHERS THAT ARE CERTIFIED IN WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING, UM, IN FRONT OF THEIR STUDENTS.
AND, AND SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD WIN-WIN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE LITTLE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP THAT, BECAUSE THIS IS NEW, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING WE'VE DONE BEFORE.
UM, SO I'M TRYING TO BE AS PROACTIVE
[03:00:01]
AS POSSIBLE.UM, ONE OF, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT CAME TO MY MIND WAS WILL THEY BE ABLE TO FIRST ACCEPT AN ADDITIONAL CLASS TO TEACH IN PERSON AT THEIR HOMESCHOOL SITE? SO THESE ALL SEEM TO BE ABOUT, I THINK, I THINK THE FIRST TWO OPTIONS ARE ABOUT VIRTUAL, BUT THOSE STUDENTS MIGHT BE THERE AT THAT SCHOOL.
AND THAT SCHOOL CAN'T, HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO HIRE SIX POSITIONS AND THERE MAY BE SOMEONE THERE AT THAT SCHOOL THAT CAN TAKE ON THIS CLASS.
UM, NOT FULL-TIME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ONE CLASS, MAYBE TWO CLASSES, WHATEVER IT IS THAT THEY CAN TAKE ON.
UM, AND SO WILL THAT BE TO ALLOW THEM TO STAY AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE AND WITHIN PERSON INSTRUCTION, IS THAT INCLUDED IN ONE OF THESE N NO.
SO THEY, IT, THE, THE BIG PIECE OF IT IS TO CAUSE, CAUSE YOU CAN CON YOU CAN CONSOLIDATE CLASSES AND, AND, AND GET ADDITIONAL SECTIONS.
SO, AND WE DON'T WANT TO, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SECOND OPTION, JUST TO KIND OF GO BACK TO THAT, WE'RE NOT WANTING TO TAKE THE PLANNING PERIOD FROM A TEACHER WHO ONLY HAS ONE PLANNING PERIOD WHERE WE DON'T WANT TO OFFER THAT.
BECAUSE GENERALLY DURING THE PLANNING PERIOD, YOU ARE PLANNING, YOU'RE DOING PLC MEETINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND WE DON'T WANT TO HURT THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME SCHOOLS WHERE WE HAVE TEACHERS WHO ONLY TEACH, LIKE THEY, THEY HAVE TWO PLANNING PERIODS ON MAYBE A DAY.
AND SO THAT MEANS, AND THEN THEY HAVE A PLANNING PERIOD ON B DAY.
SO THAT MEANS THEY HAVE THREE PLANNING PERIODS WHEN YOU'RE IN THE BLOCK SCHEDULE.
AND SO FOR THOSE TEACHERS, THAT ADDITIONAL PLANNING PERIOD ON A DAY MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION FOR THEM TO UTILIZE.
BUT THIS IS PURELY FOR A TEACHER WHO WOULD TEACH FACE-TO-FACE AND VIRTUAL SIMULTANEOUSLY.
SO NOT FOR SOMEONE THAT WOULD GIVE UP A PLANNING PERIOD AND TEACH AN ADDITIONAL CLASS AT THEIR SCHOOL.
YOU FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING THAT.
WELL, IT'S NOT THE FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD ALREADY BE DOING IT, BUT IF IT'S A CONSOLIDATION OF THE, THE SCHEDULE THAT MAY OCCUR ON CAMPUS, THIS IS BECAUSE EVERY SCHOOL IS GONNA LOOK DIFFERENT, RIGHT? SO YOU HAVE SOME MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS THAT, UM, LOOK VERY DIFFERENT AS FAR AS HOW THEY'VE BUILT OUT THEIR MASTER SCHEDULES BASED UPON, UM, STUDENT COURSE REQUESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THIS IS ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THE HYBRID PIECE WHERE THEY'RE DOING SOME SIMULTANEOUS WORK, UM, WITH STUDENTS IN A VIRTUAL SETTING, AS WELL AS, UH, DOING WORK FACE-TO-FACE.
UM, BUT THE OTHER PIECE IS, LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY TEACHING AT THE SCHOOL.
AND SO THERE, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN THE SCHOOL HAS TO DO SOME CONSOLIDATION AND RECONFIGURING OF THE MASTER SCHEDULE TO I'M SORRY TO, UM, ADDRESS THE NEED.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE COULD BE AT SOME SCHOOLS, THERE COULD BE SOME THAT WOULD CAUSE SOME CHA I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE WORD CHAOS, BUT AS FAR AS YOU'VE GOT YOUR SCHEDULE, YOU THINK YOU'RE IN LIKE FLYNN WITH YOUR SCHEDULE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU'RE MOVED TO THIS OTHER TEACHER OR SOMETHING.
SO SOME OF THAT'S GOING TO BE HAPPENING.
SO, SO YOU, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT DEPENDS UPON COURSE REQUESTS.
SO I COULD BE TEACHING CERTAIN SUBJECTS.
FIRST SEMESTER, SECONDARY LEVEL LOOKS VERY DIFFERENT FROM ELEMENTARY.
I COULD BE TEACHING CERTAIN SUBJECTS FIRST SEMESTER AND BASED UPON COURSE REQUEST, I MAY TEACH, YOU KNOW, A DIFFERENT SET OF SUBJECTS SECOND SEMESTER, AGAIN, BASED UPON THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS.
SO IT'S ALL REALLY FOCUSED ON THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS.
AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK, SO IS THIS, SO THIS IS GONNA, THIS IT, IT'S STILL READING THAT THIS IS ONLY BEING OFFERED TO TEACHERS THAT ARE IN, AND TWO OF THE VERSIONS ARE THAT ARE CURRENTLY TEACHING THAT SUBJECT.
SO WHAT ABOUT IF, SAY A DEAN WANTS TO PUT THEMSELVES UP FOR THIS AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, BRING HOME OR STAY LATER OR COME EARLIER TO GET THEIR RE DEAN JOB RESPONSIBILITIES DONE AND STAY ON TOP OF, CAN THEY OPT IN BECAUSE THERE'S NO
[03:05:01]
MENTION OF ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR TEACHERS THEY'RE CERTIFIED TEACHERS.SO TECHNICALLY THERE IS A CERTIFIED EDUCATOR.
UM, WE, WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM.
SO WE'RE GONNA ADD IF ALLOWABLE WITH THE PRINCIPAL, BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THEIR ACTUALLY JOB, RIGHT? YES.
BUT I THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ASKING THEM TO COVER CLASSES AND THINGS, APS, UM, DEANS, UM, POSSIBLY LIBRARIANS, POSSIBLY SCHOOL COUNSELORS, YOU KNOW, DO THEY HAVE, IF THE PRINCIPAL AGREES TO IT THEN, AND THEY CAN SATISFY THAT CERTIFIED CRITERIA.
THEN IT'S OPEN FOR THEM AS WELL.
THEY CAN APPLY TO, I MEAN, WE JUST WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE WE VET IT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE DON'T WANT TO HURT THE INTEGRITY OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL EXPERIENCE OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE FACE-TO-FACE ENVIRONMENT OR THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO THAT WILL BE VETTED THROUGH THE PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS AND A CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, SO THAT, OKAY, THIS DEAN IS GOING TO TEACH SOME, UH, JUST TO GET US OUT OF THIS SITUATION UNTIL A HIGHLY QUALIFIED T-SHIRT CAN BE HIRED.
AND IT COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE START TO SEE SOME PEOPLE.
AND ALSO HAVE WE GONE BACK TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS THAT HAVE, UH, DECIDED TO TAKE LEAVE DURING THIS TIME AND APPROACHED THEM ON RESCINDING THAT AND TEACHING FOR THESE SCHOOLS VIRTUALLY THAT THEY MIGHT FEEL COMFORTABLE VIRTUALLY, BUT THEY DIDN'T FEEL OKAY.
SO FLASHES, YOU HAVE TO BE KIND OF CAREFUL WITH THAT TYPE OF THING.
SO EMPLOYEES WILL CONTACT US AND WE DO COUNSEL THEM WITH REGARDS TO WHERE THEY ARE IN THEIR ABILITY TO DO THE, THIS, THIS TYPE OF THING.
SO WE'VE HAD EMPLOYEES WHO SAID, OH, I'M SO EXCITED.
SO I CAN, UM, CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, UM, COME BACK IN AND WORK, BUT I HAVE TO DO IT IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT.
UM, EVERY CASE IS GOING TO BE VERY DIFFERENT.
WE HAVE TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THOSE CASES, BUT WE ALSO, UM, WE DON'T APPROACH THEM JUST BECAUSE BEING MINDFUL OF WHATEVER THEIR PERSONAL SITUATION IS, MEDICALLY, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, WE, WE JUST, WE HAVE TO BE VERY RESPECTFUL OF THAT.
UM, AND SO I'M GLAD I'M ASKING THESE QUESTIONS BECAUSE IF THEY HEAR THIS, UM, OR THIS GETS REPORTED OUT, THEN MAYBE THEY WILL CONTACT US.
AND MAYBE THERE IS A WAY THEY CAN DO SOME THINGS TO HELP US DURING THIS TIME.
UM, BUT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO COME BACK.
FULL-TIME IN PERSON AND MAYBE NOT FULL TIME IN VIRTUAL, BUT THEY COULD COME HELP US.
SO WE, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, IF THERE IS AN EMPLOYEE THAT IS CURRENTLY ON LEAVE, THAT IS INTERESTED, THEY CAN CONTACT THE OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES.
THERE'S SOME LEGAL THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE COVER.
UM, BUT WE WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WORK WITH EACH INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE, UM, ABOUT THEIR PARTICULAR CASE.
APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON ANSWERING ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS.
SEEING NO FURTHER QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, ANY PUBLIC COMMENT NO ONE WAS HOLDING MY BOOK.
I'M ART TEACHER AT MCKINLEY MIDDLE.
UM, SO I ACTUALLY WOULD LIKE TO PUT A FOOTNOTE ABOVE MY LITTLE BOOK HERE, UM, THAT, UH, I HAD THE CHANCE TO SPEAK WITH MS. DONALDSON OUTSIDE EARLIER ABOUT THIS, AND NOW BEING ABLE TO HEAR HER FULL PRESENTATION.
UM, THIS SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY GOOD PLAN.
Y'ALL I'M ONE OF THE VERY FEW TEACHERS WHO WAS LIKE, YEAH, I WANT HYBRID BECAUSE HYBRID RIGHT NOW IS THE ALTERNATIVE TO MY KIDS HAVING TO LOSE THEIR ART PROGRAM, TO GO TO THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL WHERE THEY'RE NOT GETTING ANY KIND OF EDUCATION AT ALL, OR BEING QUARANTINED SO MANY TIMES THAT I'VE LITERALLY HAD A STUDENT WHO'S BEEN IN SCHOOL FOR THREE DAYS, BECAUSE SHE'S BEEN QUARANTINED FOR SO MANY, SO MANY TIMES.
SO EVEN MY KIDS IN PERSON, IN MY KIDS WHO HAD TO LEAVE THEIR PROGRAM, THAT THEY LOVED ARE STILL NOT GETTING AN EDUCATION RIGHT NOW.
AND THEY'RE ALREADY BEHIND BECAUSE OF HURRICANES AND BECAUSE OF COVID.
[03:10:01]
THAT NOTE WANTED TO SAY THAT I AGREE WITH MS. COLLINS WHEN SHE SAID THAT WE NEED TO HAVE THE ABILITY TO PIVOT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE WORD THAT I WOULD HAVE USED.I WANT TO USE THE WORD ADAPT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE'RE ADAPTING, UM, HYBRID LAST YEAR DIDN'T REALLY WORK FOR US BECAUSE WE HAD SO MANY KIDS IN PERSON, SO MANY KIDS ONLINE THAT DAH, DAH, DAH, RIGHT.
IT WAS DIFFICULT AND IT WAS HARD, BUT WE DID IT AND WE FIGURED IT OUT.
AND SOME OF US GOT REALLY GOOD AT IT.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO BRAG, BUT I WAS REALLY GOOD AT IT.
UM, AND THIS PLAN FROM EVERYTHING THAT I'M HEARING FROM MS. DONALDSON UP HERE TONIGHT, SOUNDS LIKE AN EVEN BETTER VERSION OF HYBRID THAT WE DID LAST YEAR, A PLAN THAT HAS BEEN EDITED TO FIX THE PROBLEMS THAT WE HAD LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT COULD OFFER EACH SCHOOL, ITS OWN VIRTUAL COMPONENT.
AND WE MAY EVEN BE ABLE TO CARRY THAT OUT SO THAT EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL HAS A VIRTUAL COMPONENT.
AND MAYBE THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO HIRE PROXIMITY.
I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE HIRING PROXIMITY.
WE HAVE SO MANY TEACHERS HERE THAT NEED JOBS THAT CAN'T TEACH IN PERSON.
UM, I THINK THIS ALSO WOULD ALLOW THE PARENTS TO ACTUALLY HAVE A CHOICE.
CAUSE A LOT OF MY PARENTS ARE REALLY MAD BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO SEND THEIR KID BACK IN PERSON CAUSE THEY'RE SCARED, BUT THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER CHOICE, BUT THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL AND RIGHT NOW, TO BE HONEST, IT SUCKS.
SO IT'S NOT WORKING AND THIS COULD ACCOMMODATE OUR QUARANTINED KIDS AS WELL BECAUSE ONCE MY KIDS GET QUARANTINED, THAT'S IT.
THEY DON'T GET AN EDUCATION UNTIL THEY COME BACK BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A HYBRID OPTION FOR THEM.
ANY OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT? HI, UH, I'M ANNA LACEY.
AND MY QUESTION FOR THIS IS WHETHER OR NOT THIS IS GOING TO BE OFFERED TO THE TEACHERS WHO ARE ALREADY HAVING TO TEACH BOTH IN-PERSON AND AT THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL, BECAUSE I DO TALENTED VISUAL ARTS AND I AM ASSIGNED TO BROWNFIELDS ELEMENTARY RYAN ELEMENTARY AND THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
SO MY QUESTION IS IF THEY'RE OFFERING THIS STIPEND, IS IT GOING TO JUST BE TO THESE CLASSROOM TEACHERS OR IS IT ALSO GOING TO BE OFFERED TO THOSE OF US WHO DIDN'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE? WE WERE JUST TOLD YOU'RE GOING TO BE THE BEST FIT FOR TOWN TO VISUAL ARTS AT THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
UM, WE TECHNICALLY DO NOT AS A RULE TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC, BUT AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'LL TAKE UP THE QUESTION AND JUST FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, ANSWER THAT I SAW MS. DONALDSON NOD HER HEAD.
GOOD EVENING, JENNIFER HARDING.
UM, I KNOW YOU ALREADY KIND OF KNOW MY SITUATION BECAUSE I'VE BEEN SENDING A LOT OF EMAILS AND REACHING OUT TO TRY TO EXPLAIN THE DEBACLE THAT IS THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL TO ALL OF YOU.
SO YOU ARE AWARE OF THE SITUATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN SCHOOL STARTED, UM, MY PERSONAL SITUATION IS THAT MY SON HAD A CLOSE CONTACT TO COVID THE WEEKEND BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
SO THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL HE WAS IN QUARANTINE, I CONTACTED THIS, HIS PRINCIPAL AT HIS SCHOOL AND, AND ASKED HIM TO ASK HER TO PUT ME IN TOUCH WITH HIS TEACHERS.
UM, JUST SO I COULD KIND OF GET THE BALL ROLLING.
SO HE WOULDN'T BE SO, YOU KNOW, BEHIND HIS CLASSMATES, WHEN HE CAME BACK IN AFTER CORN TEAM, SOME OF HIS TEACHERS WANTED TO PROVIDE ME SUPPORT VIRTUALLY, BUT WERE TOLD THAT THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO.
SO I FELT LIKE VERY CONCERNED AT THAT POINT.
SO EVERY TIME HE GETS QUARANTINED, HE GETS LEFT BEHIND HOW IS THIS GOING TO WORK? UM, ON JULY 1ST AND THE ADVOCATE, UH, THERE WAS A GREAT STORY ABOUT THIS NEW EXPANDED VIRTUAL SCHOOL, WHERE IT TALKED ABOUT A STEM PROGRAM AND COMPETITIVE E-SPORTS AND UH, ALL KINDS OF GREAT PROMISES.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY ON SEPTEMBER 11TH OR SEPTEMBER, WHATEVER DAY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT DAY IT IS RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
UH, WHY ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, WHERE WAS THAT? WHERE WAS THAT? I DON'T UNDERSTAND.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY PROXIMITY LEARNING.
WE HAD LIKE WHAT THAT GRAPH SHOWED HUNDREDS OF KIDS ENROLLED ON DAY ONE.
WHERE WERE THE TEACHERS FOR THOSE KIDS? UM, WE HAVE LIKE 600 FAMILIES IMPACTED BY THIS RIGHT NOW IN THE SIX THROUGH 12.
MANY OF WHOM HAVE HAD ZERO INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES.
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL, WE ARE VIOLATING ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
[03:15:01]
WE'RE IN A CRISIS.UM, I THINK IT'S PERSONALLY OFFENSIVE.
UM, YOU KNOW, TO UBER A FI AND PRIVATIZED, UH, OUT TO SOME TEXAS COMPANY WHEN WE HAVE TEACHERS HERE THAT WANT TO DO IT FOR OUR KIDS.
UM, I THINK IT'S OFFENSIVE TO THROW A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A SEMESTER BONE AT OUR TEACHERS WHEN WE'RE, UH, OUT HERE WEEK AFTER WEEK, APPROVING $12 MILLION FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND $200,000 FOR LET'S GET, DO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXECUTIVE STAFF.
WHEN ARE WE GOING TO PUT OUR KIDS FIRST? WE DO HAVE AN OPTION HERE.
WE COULD OFFER HYBRID AT EVERY SCHOOL AND KEEP THE KIDS WITH THEIR PEERS AND CONNECT IT TO THEIR HOMESCHOOL.
THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING.
OUR REALLY HOPE THAT YOU THINK THIS THROUGH AND GET IT RIGHT BECAUSE YOU ARE LEAVING THESE CHILDREN BEHIND.
I HAD TO PICK UP A SOBBING 11 YEAR OLD BOY ON FRIDAY BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN SO LET DOWN BY THIS DISTRICT.
UH, FRANKIE ROBERTSON, LOUISIANA SAFE SCHOOLS, AND COMMUNITIES JUST WOULD LIKE TO ECHO WHAT JENNIFER SAID ABOUT MAKING THE OPTION OF HYBRID AVAILABLE AT EACH CHILD'S HOME SCHOOL, APPRECIATING THE INNOVATIVE MODEL THAT WAS PRESENTED BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE STAFF, BUT ASKING THAT IT GO A STEP FURTHER, UM, FOR VARIOUS REASONS THAT JENNIFER OUTLINED, BUT THEN ALSO ASKING FOR RECONSIDERATION OF THE BUDGET TO COMPENSATE TEACHERS FOR WHAT THEY'RE TRULY BEING ASKED TO DO, UM, BY WAY OF EXECUTING THE HYBRID MODEL, LOOKING AT THE BUDGET THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE, THE BUDGETS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED IN THE PAST AND ASKING THAT WE REALLY DO RIGHT BY OUR PROFESSIONALS IN THE CLASSROOM WHO WERE ALSO DEALING WITH PANDEMIC LIFE, NATURAL DISASTERS, THEIR OWN PERSONAL, EVERYTHING THAT THEY GO THROUGH EVERY DAY AND ASKED TO TAKE ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE LIVES.
AND ALL OF THE TRAUMA THAT STUDENTS ARE DEALING WITH AND FAMILIES ARE CONTINUING TO DEAL WITH.
SO CAN WE PLEASE DO BETTER AND GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD WITH A BUDGET AND IDENTIFY A MUCH BETTER COMPENSATION LEVEL FOR THEM.
THAT'S MUCH MORE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE QUALITY WORK THAT WE ARE EXPECTING OF THEM AND ASKING FOR THEM TO DO.
I HAVE A COPY OF THE MEMORANDUM THAT YOU GUYS SHOULD HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU.
I WANT TO, UH, BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LAST BULLET POINT, PROVIDING INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND MAKEUP WORK FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE GAPS FROM THE FIRST FOUR WEEKS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO INCLUDE RECORDED LESSONS.
UM, IN LAYMAN'S TURNED, WE FAILED AT OUR JOB, BAIL US OUT BY DOUBLING YOUR WORK TEACHERS OF EVR AND FOR $1,000, BECAUSE LET'S BE CLEAR, THIS IS TO FILL EMPTY JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN EMPTY.
UM, SO YOU'RE ASKING TEACHERS TO DOUBLE THE AMOUNT OF WORK THEY ARE DOING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOW TEACHING TWO CLASSES OR ADDING A CLASS.
UM, BUT WE'RE GIVING THEM A THOUSAND DOLLARS INSTEAD OF DELEGATING THEIR SALARY.
I DON'T THINK ANY TEACHER SHOULD DO IT.
THEY SHOULD HOLD OUT UNTIL YOU GUYS ARE SO DESPERATE.
YOU'RE WILLING TO ACTUALLY PAY THEM A DECENT AMOUNT.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THESE FOUR WEEKS.
MY KIDS ARE IN ELEMENTARY AT THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
ONE OF THEM RAN HER HOUSE OFF A GENERATOR, SO SHE COULD COME IN AND TEACH FOR THREE DAYS BEFORE HER POWER CAME BACK ON.
UM, BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY FOR THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS THERE ARE.
AS OF BEFORE I LEFT FOR THIS MEETING, 102 KIDS, 102 KIDS.
AND IN SECOND GRADE, TWO TEACHERS, HOW THEY GOING TO DO GRADES FOR ALL THOSE KIDS? NO IDEA.
UM, MY KINDERGARTEN CLASS FOR MY KINDERGARTENER HAS 40 KIDS IN IT.
UM, AND WHEN WE GOT BACK FROM THE HURRICANE, WE HAD TO DO THE REQUIRED KINDERGARTEN TESTING.
SO FIVE DAYS OF ZERO CLASS BECAUSE THE TEACHER HAD TO MEET WITH EACH KID ONE-ON-ONE TO DO THE REQUIRED TESTING.
AND I FEEL LUCKY, RIGHT? BECAUSE MY KIDS AREN'T IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY TEACHERS.
HOW HAS PROXIMITY NOT IN BREACH OF CONTRACT FOR NOT PROVIDING ANY TEACHERS? UM, YOU HEARD FROM JENNIFER, SOME OF THOSE KIDS ONLY HAD A TYPING AND A PE INSTRUCTOR IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
LIKE I HAVE A NINETIES CD OF MAVIS BEACON TO TEACH TYPING.
SO WE DON'T REALLY NEED A TYPING TEACHER, RIGHT.
JUST BY A COUPLE OF THOSE ARE REAL CHEAP.
WE SHOULD NOT BE PAYING PROXIMITY.
WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING IS SEEING IF WE CAN GET OUR MONEY BACK FROM THEM AND GET ONTO THEM FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT.
UM, AND, AND THEN RAISING THE PRICE ON THIS STIPEND AND PAYING OUR TEACHERS
[03:20:01]
TO SET UP A HYBRID OPTION IN THE HOMESCHOOLS.I WOULD LOVE FOR MY KIDS TO NOT BE IN THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
I WOULD LOVE FOR IT TO BE HYBRID WITH THEIR HOME TEACHERS UNTIL EITHER CASES ARE DOWN OR WE GET TO THE END OF THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY, AND HAVE A VACCINE.
THEN MY KIDS WILL GO IN PERSON IN REGARDS TO THE POWERPOINT AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MEETING, UM, ABOUT ADDING AFTERSCHOOL TIME FOR STUDENTS TO DO THE WORK, TO CATCH UP ON THESE FOUR WEEKS THAT SOMEBODY HAS FAILED TO PROVIDE THEM TEACHERS FOR, UM, DOING AFTER-SCHOOL WORK IS NOT A BAND-AID FOR FAILING TO DO YOUR JOB, RIGHT.
THESE KIDS HAVE LOST INSTRUCTIONAL TIME BECAUSE THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY WAS NOT READY FOR THEM.
AND Y'ALL BEEN KNOWING ABOUT COVID PROBABLY WHAT'S BEEN HERE.
SO LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIT THREE DIFFERENT COMMENTS INTO THREE MINUTES.
FIRST SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF A CERTIFIED MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, SHE APPLIED AT THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL AND WAS TOLD THERE WERE NO MIDDLE MIDDLE SCHOOL POSITIONS.
I DON'T REMEMBER WHEN YOU DECIDED TO SPEND 526,000 OR 562,000 WITH PROXIMITY THAT YOU ALL AGREED THAT YOU WERE PRIVATIZED IN THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY'S HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM.
I LOOKED AT TWO SOURCES OF DATA, MY END OF AUGUST, UM, SALARY REPORT THAT I ASKED FOR EVERY MONTH.
AND ALSO SOMEBODY IS PUBLIC RECORD REQUESTS THAT CAME IN A FEW DAYS LATER.
THERE ARE TWO HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS EMPLOYED BY THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AT THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY.
WELL, TWO SECONDARY TEACHERS, I THINK WE'RE COVERING SIX THROUGH 12TH GRADE.
SO SOMEBODY MADE A CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO EVEN TRY TO HIRE LOCALLY TO STAFF THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THE ONE PERSON THAT YOU'VE HIRED IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT DECISION.
EVEN IF HE DIDN'T MAKE A DIRECTLY, THAT WAS THE DECISION MADE BY THAT DISTRICT.
AND I THINK IT WAS A POOR DECISION.
THE REASON I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT HOW MANY SCHOOL TEACHERS THERE ARE, AND I WILL CONDENSE THIS GENTLEMAN'S MESSAGE, BUT A FRIEND OF MINE AS A STUDENT WHO WAS IN-PERSON THAT ARLINGTON FOR THE BEGINNING OF HIS HIGH SCHOOL CAREER VIRTUAL FROM APPROXIMATELY THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC AND WAS TOLD OVER THE SUMMER THAT ARLINGTON NO LONGER WOULD SUPPORT VIRTUAL EDUCATION FOR HIS KIDS.
SO BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, HE MADE EVERY EFFORT POSSIBLE TO GET HIS KID ENROLLED, SIGNED UP, GET A SCHEDULE.
HIS SON STILL DOESN'T HAVE A WORKING, UM, LOGIN FROM PLA CONNECT OR WHATEVER THAT SOFTWARE IS.
AND HE HAS GOTTEN ZERO INSTRUCTION.
AND THIS IS A PERSON WITH SIGNIFICANT EXCEPTIONALITIES THAT NEED TO BE REFLECTED BY HIS IEP.
ALL RIGHT, NOW, BACK TO MY HAT ON MONDAY, I GOT A MESSAGE FROM DR.
NARCISSE IN RESPONSE TO AN AGENDA ITEM REQUESTS, I PLACED PRESIDENT'S ADMIN HAD ASKED THAT ALL ITEMS GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE BEFORE FINAL CONSIDERATION BY THE BOARD.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS STRIKING THAT SOMETIME BETWEEN 4 55 AND 4 58 YESTERDAY AFTERNOON, AN ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS SUDDENLY APPEARED.
NARCY SAID, MR. CHAPMAN WOULD PREFER THAT EVERYTHING GOES THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, APPARENTLY THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE.
SO I CONCUR WHAT SOMEBODY SAID EARLIER.
I THINK THIS STIPEND IS INSULTING.
IF YOU CAN FIND TEACHERS THAT ARE WILLING TO DO IT FOR $3 AN HOUR OR WHATEVER THIS AMOUNTS TO FIND, BUT IT DOESN'T REALLY SOLVE THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM, WHICH IS THAT YOU OPEN THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY THAT YOU WEREN'T READY TO OPEN.
I HAVE SPOKEN WITH MANY PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES STILL DID NOT HAVE A TEACHER FOR THEIR KIDS AS A MONDAY.
AND THEIR KIDS WERE REGISTERED BEFORE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
WE CANNOT SAY THAT THE EXCUSE IS BECAUSE OF HURRICANE IDA OR TROPICAL STORM NICHOLAS, BECAUSE THEY HADN'T CAME INTO EXISTENCE YET.
BUT WHAT WAS IN EXISTENCE WAS A VIRTUAL SCHOOL THAT DID NOT HAVE STAFF.
WE KNEW PRIOR TO THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD OPEN POSITIONS AND HAD NO BODIES TO ACTUALLY OCCUPY THEM.
[03:25:01]
ARE WE TELLING OUR CHILDREN? BECAUSE OUR NEW MODEL IS SUPPOSED TO BE EACH ONE IN EVERY CLASS, EVERY DAY IN EVERY WAY, EACH AND EVERY SINGLE MINUTE OF THE DAY.AND THAT'S NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WHAT'S HAPPENING IS I WILL ROB PETER TO PAY PAUL AND NOT CARE ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR CITY.
OUR STATE, MY CHILD HAS A FUTURE, WHETHER ANYBODY WANTS TO REALIZE IT OR NOT.
AND WHAT HE DESERVES BY LAW IS A FREE, APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
NOW HE IS ACTUALLY RECEIVING THAT FROM TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IN A BRICK AND MORTAR BUILDING.
BUT SHOULD THAT SITE PLACEMENT CHANGE? HE WOULD NOT HAVE A TEACHER.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I DEA SAYS IS NOT WHAT AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT SAYS.
AND THAT WITH SECTION 5 0 4 STATES, IT'S A FAILURE ON EACH AND EVERY LAST BOARD MEMBERS BACK AND EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE CABINET, MAYBE WE SHOULD LOOK AT DOING WHAT LIVINGSTON PARISH DID, WHICH WAS GIVE ALL THEIR STAFF A RAISE IN ADDITION TO ANOTHER STIPEND.
WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT FOR ALL OF THE STATE, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IS DOING SEGREGATION.
WE'RE CHOOSING WHAT POPULATION WE WANT TO GIVE A STIPEND TO.
I REMEMBERED OUR LEADER TELLING US EQUITY, EQUITY EQUAL.
AND SO I CHOOSE THIS TODAY, NOT TO, AND I CHOOSE TO COME HERE TODAY WITH COMPASSION, BUT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT THAT IS NOT MAKING PROGRESSION BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A TEACHER AND WE HAVE COMPLETED THE FIRST NINE WEEKS.
HOW WOULD THAT IMPACT THEM WHEN IT COMES TO CARNEGIE UNITS FOR GRADUATION? HAVE WE TRULY VIOLATED? I D E THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE? NO.
UM, I, THE BOARD IS CLEAR, BUT I WANT TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I, UM, DID NOT WANT TO ADD THE AGENDA ITEM.
UM, I AM GOING TO WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MAJOR ITEMS OF THIS BOARD GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, I WAS MORE FLEXIBLE, UH, WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT CAME IN, UM, BECAUSE IT WAS A LOT OF CHANGES IN STAFF AND I WAS TRYING TO BE VERY FLEXIBLE, BUT I DO THINK THAT ISSUES LIKE THIS, YOU'D GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE, THE HALL AT THE URGING OF A COUPLE OF BOARD MEMBERS WHO CONTACTED ME AND THOUGHT THAT THIS ITEM WAS IMPORTANT BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE HAVING, UH, SERVING OUR CHILDREN VIRTUALLY.
UH, I AGREED TO, UM, PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, BUT, UM, I W I'M JUST, UM, THIS IS FOR MY COLLEAGUES, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC.
I W I WANT, I WANT THE, THE MAJOR ITEMS GOING THROUGH, UH, THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, IF WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY SITUATION OR SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH, THAT'S ONE THING.
UM, BUT I THINK IT DESERVES THE EXTRA VETTING.
SO AT THE URGING OF SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES, I PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT YET.
WELL, IT WAS PUT ON YESTERDAY.
UM, I WILL BE HARD PRESSED TO DO THAT MOVING FORWARD.
SO JUST FYI, UM, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
I DIDN'T HEAR IT IN A PRESENTATION.
I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO MYSELF BE CONFUSED.
AND IF I'M A LITTLE DRAMA WITH THE PUBLIC TO BE CONFUSED ABOUT THE NATURE OF THIS, UH, STIPEND, UM, DOES THIS AGENDA ITEM ADDRESS ISSUES WITH TEACHERS NEEDING TO BE OUT WITH QUARANTINE OR STUDENTS NEED TO BE OUT WITH QUARANTINE? NO.
SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR AND NOBODY WAS CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.
UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND OWN THAT.
I WAS ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS THERE THAT I AGREE WITH THE POLICY THAT THE CALL SHOULD BE, WHAT EVERYTHING IS VETTED THROUGH AND QUESTIONS ASKED AND THEN REGULAR MEETING.
I AGREE WITH THAT, UH, POLICY, BUT I'LL ALSO ADMIT THAT ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, I PERSONALLY FELT UNCOMFORTABLE WAITING UNTIL THE NEXT KYLE,
[03:30:01]
I ALL THE JUST, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE REACHED OUT TO HIM, BUT I I'M, I'M MENTIONING NEXT, THE PERSON WHO EXPRESSED THAT IS ONE OF MY CONSTITUENTS, MY FAVORITE CONSTITUENT DON'T LET THE OTHER FAVORITE CONSTITUENTLY MILL.UM, AND SO, BUT I MENTIONED THAT TO SAY, I DON'T JUST LIFT THAT UP TO, UH, TAKE HEAT OFF THE PRESIDENT.
I MENTIONED THAT TO, UH, I'M REALLY CONFLICTED ABOUT, UH, I MEAN, I'M, UH, LIKELY TO VOTE.
MY CONFLICT COMES FROM, YOU KNOW, IF IT HAD GONE THROUGH THE COW AND WE HAD REALIZED, AND I'M JUST USING A GENERAL WE TERM, OKAY.
WE HAD REALIZED THE URGENCY OF THIS MATTER AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH, INSTEAD OF AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, UH, OR THE MIDDLE OF THIS MONTH, RATHER THEN SOME OF MY CONCERNS AND PERHAPS OTHER CONCERNS THAT WERE LIFTED, UH, COULD HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED, UH, THE $1,000 PER SEMESTER.
FOR EXAMPLE, MEGAN'S A VERY VALID POINT BECAUSE THE AMOUNT OF TIME, YOU KNOW, I SOMETIMES REFER TO THAT ONE LITTLE YEAR TEACHING.
I HAD, UH, 10, 12 YEARS AGO, THAT WAS AN EYE OPENER FOR ME ON THE, HOW MUCH WORK IT TAKES TO PREPARE FOR A CLASS.
UH, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S APPETITE FOR A SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT.
IF THERE WAS AN APPETITE AT THIS MOMENT, IT PROBABLY WOULD BE PRETTY ARBITRARY, UH, THE AMOUNT TO RECOMMEND.
UM, AND, UH, WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PERMISSION, PERHAPS I COULD REACH OUT TO, UH, MS. DONALDSON'S OFFICE WITH YOU, SUPERINTENDENT, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO HANDLE IT.
WHAT'S A NON ARBITRATOR WAY TO ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE FOR THE ACTUAL AMOUNT OF HOURS THAT WE KNOW IT WOULD TAKE TO PLAN AND IMPLEMENT THE LESSON, ET CETERA.
UM, I HAVE, UH, ANOTHER QUESTION DO TEACHERS WITH TEACHERS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THE, THIS IS JUST ADDRESSING THE VACANCY ISSUE FROM MOMENT OF HIRE FOR WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FOUR WEEKS OR FIVE WEEKS, OR WHENEVER THE SPOT IS FIELD, HOW DO WE ADDRESS, HOW WILL THAT BE ADDRESSED? DOES THAT TEACHER HAVE TO COMMIT TO AFTER SCHOOL OR WEEKEND, OR, YOU KNOW, HOW WOULD THAT BE ADDRESSED THOSE FOUR OR FIVE WEEKS THAT HAVE GONE SO WITHIN THE, UH, AGREEMENT THAT IF THE TEACHER SIGNS UP FOR THIS, UM, WHAT WE ARE ASKING, BECAUSE THEY'RE TEACHING KIDS VIRTUALLY, UM, IN A HYBRID MODEL THAT THEY SET UP AT LEAST TWO HOURS PER WEEK, THAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS CAN CONNECT WITH THEM AFTER HOURS.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WHEN YOU'RE IN THE BRICK AND MORTAR SCHOOL WITH YOUR TEACHER, YOU CAN WALK BY THEIR CLASS BETWEEN CLASSES AND SAY, HEY, MS. YOU KNOW, MS. DONALDSON, I NEED HELP WITH THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM.
OR, BUT IF A KID IS VIRTUAL, THEY MAY NOT HAVE THAT ACCESS.
AND SO WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE OFFICE HOURS, UM, AVAILABLE.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE IS WE'RE ASKING THESE TEACHERS TO, UM, PROVIDE SOME INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND MAKE IT WORK FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE GAPS, BECAUSE ANY TEACHER, WHEN YOU GET STUDENTS, YOU ASSESS WHERE THEY ARE ACADEMICALLY.
AND SO JUST IF THERE ARE SOME GAPS AND IN LESS THAN SO MANY OF OUR TEACHERS ARE ALREADY, UM, ESPECIALLY TEACHERS WHO MAY CONSIDER DOING THIS, THEY'VE ALREADY KIND OF DONE THIS WORK BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY RECORD THEIR LESSONS ARE PRERECORDED.
SO IF KIDS NEED TO GO BACK IN AND REVIEW SOMETHING THAT WAS COVERED IN CLASS, MANY, MANY TEACHERS HAVE SOME OF THAT STUFF ALREADY BUILT AND SET UP.
AND SO IT'S REALLY JUST A MATTER OF SHARING THIS WITH THE NEW STUDENT WHO WOULD, WOULD BE, UH, PARTICIPATING.
BUT THAT WOULD BE, IT'S NOT, I'M NOT TRYING TO ATTACK.
BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT PIECE IS NOT QUITE THOUGHT OUT BECAUSE SOME OF THESE TEACHERS ARE NOT ALREADY RECORDING.
AND I KNOW YOU KIND OF LIKE THIS ITEM, PUTTING EVERYBODY ON THE SPOT, SO I'M NOT TRYING TO COME AT YOU SIDEWAYS, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT PIECE NEEDS TO REALLY BE THOUGHT OUT.
[03:35:07]
OKAY.I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU, OUR SUPERINTENDENT I'LL REACH OUT TO YOU.
AND THEN HOWEVER YOU WANT ME TO ENGAGE WITH, UH, MS. DONALDSON, UM, SOME CLARITY THEN OUT.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO ECHO SOMETHING THAT MS. COLIN SAID THAT I TOO WAS IN FAVOR OF PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA ITEM TO ME.
AND I HAVE SAID THIS FROM THE FIRST DAY I BECAME A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF OUR, OF WHAT WE DO IS THE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND IF YOU GO ALL THE WAY BACK, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN THAT.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE ONE ASKING ABOUT VACANCIES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND TRYING TO GET THAT KIND OF INFORMATION.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO ANYWAY MAKE EXCUSES, BUT I'M TRYING TO PUT SOME OF THIS INTO CONTEXT.
UH, YEAH, WE HAVE SOME KIDS THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE, THE JOB THAT WE, THEY DESERVE.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SAY IT.
WE HAVE NOT DONE THE JOB THEY DESERVE, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO PUT THAT IN CONTEXT.
IF I GO BACK TO MY FIRST YEAR ON, UH, ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, I THINK WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BEGINNING OF 20, 19 20 18.
UH, AT THAT TIME I ASKED OUR HEAD OF HR, WHAT OUR STAFFING AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL.
AND THEY WERE VERY PROUD TO TELL ME THAT THEY HAD GOTTEN THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES IN THE TEACHING RANKS DOWN TO BELOW 100.
AND SO THIS IS A PROBLEM WE'VE BEEN FACING YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND IT'S NOT A PROBLEM THAT WE FACE HERE NOW THAT I'M NOT, AGAIN, I'M NOT MAKING ANY EXCUSES BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MATTER TO THE KID WHO HASN'T HAD A TEACHER FOR THOSE FOUR WEEKS THAT THEY HAVEN'T HAD A TEACHER.
WE DO HAVE THE HURRICANE AND WE HAVE TO FACE UP TO THE FACT THAT THE ONLY WAY THAT WE WILL SYSTEMICALLY CHANGE THIS IS CHANGE THE PAY THAT WE PAY OUR TEACHERS.
AND WE HAVE TO ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
YOU KNOW, IN MY, IN MY VIEW, WE OUGHT TO HAVE EVERY CLASSROOM FULLY STAFFED DAY ONE AND, AND WORKED THROUGH THAT.
AND IF WE END UP WITH A FEW EXTRA TEACHERS, THERE'S ALWAYS EXTRA THINGS TO DO.
AND I KNOW I'M AN OPTIMIST IN THAT.
UH, I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO PAY OUR TEACHERS MORE, PARTICULARLY THE YOUNGER STARTING TEACHERS TO GET THEM INTO THE PROFESSION.
WE HAVE TOO MANY TEACHERS THAT LEAVE EARLY, UH, AFTER JUST A FEW YEARS, SOME OF THEM FOR PERSONAL REASONS, BUT A LOT OF THEM, BECAUSE THEY CAN GET BETTER JOBS ELSEWHERE.
AND SO THE TEACHERS WE DO HAVE, I WANT TO JUST LET YOU KNOW THAT I THINK ABOUT YOU EVERY DAY.
MY HEART GOES OUT TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS REALLY A CALLING THAT YOU'RE OUT HERE GIVING OF YOURSELF FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THESE KIDS.
SO I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT WE'RE TURNING A BLIND EYE TO THIS.
I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT WE'RE MAKING EXCUSES ABOUT THIS, BUT WE'RE IN A TOUGH POSITION.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THE TOUGHEST POSITION ARE THOSE POOR KIDS THAT DON'T HAVE A TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM, AND MY HEART GOES OUT TO THEM AND I WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY TO REMEDIATE THAT SITUATION.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I WAS FOR BRINGING THIS UP.
IS THIS SOLUTION PERFECT? I'M SURE IT IS NOT, BUT IT'S A START.
AND IF WE COME BACK AND SAY, WE NEED TO RAISE THE AMOUNT TO ATTRACT PEOPLE, THEN WE CAN COME BACK AND RAISE THE AMOUNT.
IF WE GOT TO COME BACK AND MODIFY A PLAN, WE CAN COME BACK AND MODIFY A PLAN, BUT I JUST COULD NOT SIT HERE AND DO NOTHING, UH, FOR A TIME PERIOD.
WHEN I KNOW WE HAVE KIDS WITHOUT TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO I JUST WANT IT TO BE CLEAR ON THAT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, ONE, I SO GREATLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING.
I SO GREATLY APPRECIATE THOSE TEACHERS WHO MIGHT STEP UP AND DO SOME EXTRA WORK, BECAUSE I KNOW A THOUSAND DOLLARS A SEMESTER IS NOT FULL COMPENSATION FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
I KNOW THAT, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, I HOPE WE CAN MAYBE DO BETTER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TEACHERS WILL BUILD OR HIRE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE, UH, THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WE, AS A BOARD NEED TO DO SOME HARD WORK OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS TO DO THINGS WITH OUR BUDGETS IN THE LONG-TERM THAT WILL ALLOW US TO CHANGE HOW WE PAY OUR TEACHERS, PARTICULARLY IN THEIR INITIAL YEARS IN THAT CAREER.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU TEACHERS OUT THERE, UH, FOR ALL THOSE PARENTS WHO ARE HAVING
[03:40:01]
STRUGGLING CHILDREN WITHOUT TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM, MY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY TO YOU.AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, WE, WE REALLY DO WANT TO DO, UH, SOMETHING BETTER IN THAT SITUATION.
UH, AND THIS IS THE FIRST STEP WE CAN TAKE TO TRY TO DO THIS.
THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY HAD A BUMPY START, BUT IT'S OUR FIRST TIME I HAD IT.
IT'S ALSO, LIKE WE SAID EARLIER, HAD AN 85% ENROLLMENT CHANGE FROM WHEN IT STARTED IN AUGUST, MIDDLE OF AUGUST 11TH, THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
AND WE JUST COULD NOT REACT FAST ENOUGH.
BUT THE BEST THING WE CAN DO IS TRY AND MAKE IT BETTER FROM WHERE WE ARE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR LISTENING TO MY LONG WINDED SPEECH.
THANK YOU, MR.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THIS A FEW THINGS, UM, UH, JUST MAKE SURE THAT, UH, TO THE TEACHERS, UM, IN NO WAY, WAS US PUTTING THIS, UH, AGENDA ITEM IN ANY WAY TO INSULT ANY TEACHER CONCERNING THEIR PAY.
UH, CURRENTLY WE HAVE 91 VACANCIES.
AND, UH, THE REALITY IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT, HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE HAD VACANCIES BEING UNDER COVID HURRICANE AND OTHER CHALLENGES HAS PUT US IN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.
AND ALTHOUGH IT MAY ALWAYS FEEL LIKE IT IS A NEW THING.
ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I ASKED, CAUSE I DON'T ALWAYS MAKE EVERY DECISION IN ISOLATION.
ALSO TRY TO LISTEN TO VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROBLEM SOLVE SOME OF THESE HISTORICAL CHALLENGES IN WAYS THAT WE CAN BE CREATIVE TO PUT AT LEAST A STOP GAP INTO THE CURRENT CONTEXT THAT WE'RE IN.
UH, AS PRESIDENT OF TAP SAID, UH, YOU KNOW, I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AS A SUPERINTENDENT WHERE WE ARE AS AN ORGANIZATION PRESENT HAPMAN UM, UH, USUALLY CAUSE HE VERY ORDERLY DOES NOT PUT ANYTHING ON AN AGENDA IF IT DOES NOT GO THROUGH THE COW.
UH, BUT I DID GO AND AXE PRESENT IT'S HAPPENING.
AS I CALLED EVERY BOARD MEMBER AND SAID, FOLKS, WE ARE AT A SPACE WHERE WE HAVE TO TRY TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND WHEN I WENT TO SAID THAT, UM, THAT'S WHEN I WENT, UH, PRESENT, TAP ME, GAVE ME THE, OKAY, SHE PUT IT ON THE AGENDA.
AND THE WHOLE SOLE PURPOSE THAT WAS TO DO THAT WAS BECAUSE I GOT EMAILS LATE AT NIGHT, NOT JUST FROM FAMILIES, BUT IT'S FROM CHILDREN WHO ASKS ME AND SAID, CAN YOU PLEASE GET ME A MATH TEACHER? AND THE ALL OCCURRED EXISTING MATH TEACHER OR THESE HARD SUBJECT TEACHERS THAT WE HAD WERE THE ONES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN OUR SYSTEM.
AND I KNOW BASED ON MY LEARNING SINCE I'VE ARRIVED AND I THINK I'M IN WHAT MONTH, EIGHT OR NINE IN THIS JOB, WHAT I HAVE SEEN BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY, TALKING TO TEACHERS, SCORE LETTERS, UH, VARIOUS COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS IS THAT OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE SUFFERED A LOT OF TRAUMA IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MINIMALLY, WE CAN MANAGE THROUGH GETTING NOT ONLY FOR US TO HAVE THE PERFORMANCE THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOL AND OUR CHILDREN DO WELL, BUT ALSO AS A COMMUNITY, WE ARE IN A GOOD SPACE TO MOVE FORWARD AS A DISTRICT.
UH, I SAY THAT RESPECTFULLY TO EVERYBODY THAT IS IMPORTANT, AT LEAST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHETHER YOU WOULD AGREE WITH ME OR NOT, THAT WE CANNOT DO THING AND THINGS IN TRADITIONAL WAYS, AND THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET A BETTER RESULT.
THIS IS WHY I WOULD TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY, TOLD THAT THE SENIORS TEAM AND STAFF, WHEN WE HAD TO PROBLEM SOLVE THAT I WILL TAKE THIS TO THE BOARD AND WE ARE OKAY, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR.
I HAD NO INTENTION ON INSULTING ANYBODY TO TRY TO GIVE TEACHERS A THOUSAND DOLLARS STIPEND TO AXE FOR DOING ADDITIONAL DUTIES.
I PERSONALLY THINK AS MANY BOARD MEMBERS WHO'VE TALKED TO ME AND IN DIFFERENT FOLKS THAT WE DO NOT PAY OUR STAFF ENOUGH, GOES FROM BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS ALL THE WAY UP TO TEACHERS.
AND I KNOW THAT AS A LARGER ISSUE THAT WE HAVE, THAT'S WHY WE ARE PUTTING A COMPENSATION STUDY TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT.
SO I CAN PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD AROUND THESE CHANGES.
[03:45:01]
IS WE HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE IN SCHOOL NOW, AND IT IS OUR DUE DILIGENCE WHILE WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE THE BIGGER ISSUES IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE IMMEDIATE ISSUES.AND SO THAT HAS BEEN THE THINKING THAT I'VE HAD IN TRYING TO DO THIS AS A SUPERINTENDENT.
I CANNOT DO THIS WORK ON MY OWN.
AS MUCH AS PEOPLE MAY BELIEVE THAT I HAVE THE SOLE POWER TO DO THINGS.
I TELL FOLKS IT IS NOT MYSELF BY MYSELF THAT DOES THIS WORK.
I AM ONLY THE COORDINATOR AT TIMES OF THE VILLAGE.
AND SO, AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WE ARE IN A BEAUTIFUL, DIVERSE COMMUNITY, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE IN THIS CITY, THERE ARE NEEDS FROM ONE PART OF THE CITY TO THE OTHER.
AND SO THE CHALLENGE THAT WE ALL HAVE, AND ALSO SAY THE CHALLENGE THAT THE BOARD HAS, BECAUSE I KNOW EVERYBODY'S ALWAYS UNDER THE PRESSURE IS HOW DO WE ACCELERATE OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT IN A WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT CHILDREN ARE PERFORMING OUR COMMUNITY FEELS WHOLE ABOUT THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION THEY GET.
WE IMPROVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, MAGNET SCHOOLS, OUR CHARTER SCHOOLS, WHATEVER TYPE THAT WE HAVE, THAT WE'RE A CITY THAT'S ACCELERATING IN THE WORK.
AND THAT IS THE SPACE THAT I'M COMING FROM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT PUBLICLY, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THIS IS AN ISSUE OF BLAME.
THIS IS AN ISSUE OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF I WOULD TELL FOLKS, I WOULD HAVE THOUGHT SOMETHING DIFFERENT AROUND THIS PARTICULAR STRATEGY.
WE VETTED AND TALKED IT THROUGH AND I CREDIT THE STAFF TO TRY AND HELP ME PROBLEM SOLVE THE ISSUE OF HAVING A TEACHER IN FRONT OF A STUDENT.
WE HAVE GREAT STAFF, BUT WE ALSO HAVE PLACES WHERE WE CAN MOVE TEACHERS AROUND BECAUSE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER.
THERE'S A LOT OF CREATIVE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT TOGETHER TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THAT WORK.
AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE IN, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS IN OF SCHOOL.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO TELL FOLKS, I KNOW IT MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE BEST DECISION THAT PEOPLE MAY THINK OF, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE NEED.
AND, AND WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON A LONG-TERM CHALLENGE TO MAKE SURE WE CAN SOLVE ISSUES LIKE PAY AND ALL THAT.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CHILDREN SITTING IN SCHOOL WITHOUT A CHILD.
IF SOMEONE HAS A BETTER SOLUTION THAT CAN HELP US SOLVE THAT PROBLEM, I AM MORE THAN WELCOME AND OPEN TO THAT.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT WHEN OUR TEAM CAME UP WITH A SOLUTION, IT WAS A STOP GAP TO SOLVE SOMETHING.
NOW I KNOW WE'RE GETTING INTO A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER CONVERSATIONS, BUT THAT IS THE PROBLEM THAT WE WERE TRYING TO SOLVE IN FOR THAT DECISION.
I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY AS A SUPERINTENDENT THAT I FEEL WE MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE IN BRINGING THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE.
WE MOVED NOW TO ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEETINGS.
MS. DIAS WE'LL HAVE A SCHOOL BOARD RETREAT TO BE HELD ON SEPTEMBER 24TH AT 9:00 AM AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE MEETING TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 4TH AT 5:00 PM AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE CONFERENCE CONFERENCE ROOM, A SOME OR ALL BOARD MEMBERS MAY ATTEND COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 7TH AT 5:00 PM AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER, THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING TO BE HELD ON OCTOBER 21ST AT 5:00 PM AT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
I HAVE SOMEONE ON THE BOARD, MS WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU, PRESIDENT ATMAN.
MAY I HAVE A MOMENT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE PLEASE? SURE.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF REQUESTS I'D LIKE TO MAKE ON BEHALF OF, OF, UM, THE PUBLIC.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN GET THE, UH, UH, HAND THE HANDOUT POSTED ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, THE PRESENTATION AROUND REDISTRICTING AND REAPPORTIONMENT.
[03:50:01]
UH, MAYBE WE HAVE THAT DONE, PLEASE.THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INTEREST IN THIS, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR TOPIC AND, UM, WHEN IT'S PLACED ON THE AGENDA, THERE WAS NO, UH, THERE WAS NO MODES IN BOARD DOCS, SO PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT WAS ABOUT.
AND, UH, IT ACTUALLY WAS JUST A GENERAL OVERVIEW OF THE, UM, THE, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE PROCEDURES.
AND, UH, SO THERE, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN THE EMAIL.
WE MAYBE GOT FIVE OR SIX REQUESTS FOR, UM, PUBLIC COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT IT WAS ABOUT, WE MAY HAVE, WE MAY HAVE HAD A LOT OF, UH, COMMENTS THAT MAY HAVE NOT BEEN GERMANE TO WHAT THE, WHAT THE TOPIC WAS ACTUALLY ABOUT, JUST THE GENERAL OVERVIEW.
AND, UM, SO I'D LIKE TO REQUEST THAT, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO REQUEST A COMMITMENT FROM THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD TO, UM, FORM A TASK FORCE OR A SPECIAL COMMITTEE THAT WOULD INCLUDE, UM, VENDORS OR, YOU KNOW, OTHER INTERESTED PEOPLE THAT WOULD BE INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AROUND RFQ QUEUE AND RFP PROCESSES SINCE, UM, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SO MUCH DISARRAY, IT SEEMED IN THE, UH, IN THE PREVIOUS PROCESS AND MANY SMALL BUSINESSES AND VENDORS WERE A LITTLE BIT, UM, PUSHED AWAY OR, OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S, THEY'RE A LITTLE DISCOURAGED IN, IN USING OUR FAIR SHARE AND OUR RFQ PROCESSES.
AND FOR YEARS, WE HAVE REALLY BEEN TRYING TO BUILD THAT AND ENCOURAGE THAT.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT WE WOULD, UM, WE WOULD INCLUDE THEM IN THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND, UM, MAYBE ADJUSTING SOME OF OUR PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES SO THAT IT WOULD BE EASIER FOR THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RFQ AND RFP PROCESSES.
AND THEY WOULD KNOW EXACTLY WHAT'S EXPECTED OF THEM AND WHAT IS EXPECTED OF US IN THOSE PROCESSES.
SO, UM, MAY I HAVE A COMMITMENT FROM THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD TO, TO DO SOME OF THIS IS ESPECIALLY AROUND THIS, UH, TASK FORCE OR SPECIAL COMMITTEE THAT WOULD INVOLVE SOME OF THESE, UH, THESE VENDORS? OH, UH, I PERSONALLY, I'M WILLING TO TAKE UP THE CHARGE.
UM, I HAD ALREADY KIND OF WANTED TO REVISIT WITH THE, I AIN'T GET A CHANCE TO TALK TO HIM YET.
SO, UH, BUT I WANTED TO REVISIT WITH THE BOARD PRESIDENT, CAUSE I KNOW HE WAS PART OF STARTING THE WHOLE FAIR SHARE AND HOW WE COULD ENHANCE.
SO I WAS ALREADY WANTING TO TALK TO HIM ABOUT THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU PUTTING THE QUESTION OUT THERE.
AND IF YOU'RE ASKING IF THE QUESTION'S DIRECTED AT MANNY'S WHERE JACKSON, WELL, THE BOARD LEADERSHIP AND, UH, AND THE, UH, ATTORNEY.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE WHOLE RFP.
I THINK LARRY WILLIAMS DOES A GOOD JOB WITH IT.
I THINK IT WAS A FIRST CLASS DEAL.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US REALLY LOOK AT IT AND I HAVE SOME IDEAS AND I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH, UM, WHERE W UH, SO I'M HAPPY TO LOOK AT IT.
I'M NOT SURE IT'S GOING TO WHAT I'M THINKING IS GOING TO PLEASE EVERYONE, BECAUSE I, I WANT TO THROW OUT ANOMALIES.
IF I SEE A SCORE SHEET THAT HAS AN ANOMALY ON, AND I WANT THE ABILITY TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE, UM, I PUT IN RFPS ALL THE TIME AND SOMETIMES I DON'T GET THEM, BUT I JUST DON'T GET THEM.
MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE I DIDN'T WEAR THE RIGHT TIE.
BUT IN THIS PROCESS, I WOULD, I HAVE SEEN IN THE PAST ON SCORE SHEETS, ANOMALIES, I'LL CALL THEM THAT, UM, WHERE ONE PERSON WAS WAY OFF.
AND, UM, I THINK I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE THAT, THAT WAS MY FEAR.
WHEN I WAS ON THE COMMITTEE, I ALWAYS LOOKED AND SAID, AM I, AM I AT LEAST IN LINE? I MAY NOT AGREE WITH EVERYBODY, BUT AM I POINT OFF OR AM I FIVE POINTS OFF? AM I 25% OR 50% OFF? AND SO I'D LIKE TO SEE A PROCESS I'D LIKE TO SEE CHANGES TO THE PROCESS TO, AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT MR. WILLIAMS KNOWS, I THINK HE DOES A GREAT JOB.
UM, BUT PERHAPS LOOKING AT SOME, MAYBE NATIONAL STANDARDS ON HOW THAT'S HANDLED AND TO ELIMINATE WHAT I CALL NULLIFICATION, WHICH IS, UH, WHERE SOMEONE, UM, MAY SCORE SOMETHING FOR OTHER REASONS IN A PARTICULAR WAY.
AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE CUMBERSOME BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE ON THAT SELECTION COMMITTEE.
I'D LIKE TO SEE CHANGES BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO SEE PEOPLE WITH SOME AREA OF EXPERTISE TO BE ON THOSE AREAS.
SO BY, I THINK MY WANTING TO LOOK AT IT, UH, AND I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH MR. GODIN ABOUT THIS,
[03:55:01]
UM, CAUSE HE OBVIOUSLY WAS INVOLVED IN A LOT OF THAT STUFF IN HIS REAL JOB.UH, NOT THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A REAL JOB NOW.
UH, BUT YEAH, I, I DEFINITELY THINK IT'S SOMETHING I THINK WE OUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
I THINK WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT PREVENTS IT ALL.
I MEAN, I, AGAIN, WANT TO BE, I WANT TO BE FAIR.
UH, AND I WANT TO BE, I WANT TO BE DILIGENT ABOUT, I WANT THE BEST PEOPLE WORKING FOR, SO, UM, UM, I THINK I WAS ALREADY HEADED IN THAT DIRECTION.
UM, AGAIN, OUR ENDS MAY BE DIFFERENT THOUGH.
W WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH MINE IS JUST SIMPLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE DO THAT PROCESS, WE HAVE PEOPLE ON THAT, UM, THAT ARE REVIEWERS THAT HAVE, UH, AN AREA, AT LEAST SOME, UH, AREA OF EXPERTISE AND, UH, THE ABILITY TO MAYBE THROW OUT A HIGH AND LOW SCORE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, I'M NOT SURE THAT SOLVES IT, BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY ORGANIZATIONS OUT THERE, NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT SPECIALIZE IT'S LIKE A RFP ASSOCIATION OR AN RFQ ASSOCIATION THAT MAYBE WE COULD TAP INTO.
AND MAYBE WE COULD HAVE, UH, MR. WILLIAMS HELP US, UH, BECAUSE I'M SURE HE'S AWARE OF THOSE, BUT I WANT, I WANT, I WANT FAIRNESS.
UM, AND I DID NOT HAVE ANY CONSTITUENTS CONTACT ME ON THAT.
I GOT SOME EMAILS, BUT NOT FROM ANY CONSTITUENTS.
I GOT LOTS OF EMAILS AND CALLS ON OTHER THINGS, BUT NOT ON THAT.
UM, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, THAT, THAT WE OUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PROCESS AGAIN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE IF MR. WILLIAMS IS, IS LISTENING TO THINGS HE NEEDS TO GO TO BED.
AND, UH, THE SECOND THING IS I JUST WANT TO TELL HIM, I THINK HE DOES A GREAT JOB, UH, BUT, UM, I, I THINK WE'VE, WE'RE KIND OF MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION AND I'M HAPPY TO HAVE YOU SERVE AND, AND, AND, AND WHOEVER WANTS TO SERVE ON THAT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, EVEN ON THAT COMMITTEE, I WANT SOME AREA OF EXPERTISE, SO, RIGHT.
SO IF WE COULD RECTIFY SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP IN THE, IN THE LAST PROCESS, UH, SO WE DON'T DISCOURAGE FUTURE WITH THE SQUARE JACKSON.
I MEAN, ARAMARK CONTRACT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE BIGGEST EXAMPLE OF THAT.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT, THAT'S HUGE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CONTRACTS WE HAVE, AND WE DIDN'T GO WITH THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO AGAIN, TO ME, THAT'S A WATERSHED, UH, UH, UH, TYPE DEAL.
AND I DIDN'T GET ANY FEEDBACK LIKE THAT ON THESE PARTICULAR RFPS, BUT YEAH, WE, I DEFINITELY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO ANYWAY, YOU HAVE THE FLOOR.
YEAH, THAT'S IT I'VE, I'VE SAID MY PIECE AND, UM, AND I'M, I'M GLAD TO HAVE THE COMMITMENT OF THE BOARD AND, UH, AND BOARD LEADERSHIP AND OUR, OUR, UM, BOARD ATTORNEY.
WELL, MR. SHANNON SAID HE WANTS TO SAY SOMETHING.
I DON'T SAY MUCH, BUT I WILL SAY THAT HE'S GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I CAN'T MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, BUT I WILL SAY IN RESPONSE TO, UM, MR. JACKSON'S REQUESTS, AS SOMEBODY TRIES TO KEEP THE BOARD ALIGNED WITH POLICY, I DO THINK THAT THIS IS AN ITEM THAT SHOULD PROBABLY BE ADDED TO THE OCTOBER AGENDA.
UM, IF IT'S A TASK FORCE, YOUR ASS COULD BE FORMULATED.
I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD PROBABLY TAKE AN ACTION FORMING THAT, THAT TASK FORCE, AND THEN GIVING SOME SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS AS TO HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION.
WE CAN TALK MORE ABOUT IT, UM, NEXT WEEK OR TOMORROW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. DYSON USE THAT WE ADJOURN.