[00:00:02]
EVENING.SO, UH, I LOST MY KEYS, YOU KNOW, SO I LOVE Y'ALL.
SO WE HAVE FIVE PRESENT WITH ME, UH, JILL DYES, AND DID TEXT ME A BOY COLLEAGUE, JOE DYES, AND DID TEXT ME AND SAY, UH, THEY HAD A CRASH LINE AT 10.
SO SHE'S ALSO ON THE WAY AND APOLOGIZES FOR BEING DELAYED.
AND I CALLED THE MEETING TO ORDER.
CAN WE GET AN INVOCATION BACK? MS. BROTHERLINESS IS NOT PRESENT, UH, A BOARD MEMBER, BALLOU AND INVOCATION.
OH, DO YOU WANT TO PASS TO, UH, OKAY.
WHERE JASON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GIVE AN INVOCATION FOR US? AND THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY BOARD COLLEAGUE GOLDIE? NO WAS, OH, THIS IS SCHOOL.
WHEN CANTLEY HAS SCHOOL BOARD AND HE WILL GIVE YOU A NICE LITTLE MAILER AND EVERYTHING.
OKAY, FATHER, WE THANK YOU LORD FOR YOUR PRESENCE, LORD, WE THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE THIS EVENING.
LORD GOD, WE ASK FOR YOUR GRACIOUS FAVOR OVER THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD, ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS, ALL OF OUR CHILDREN COMING IN NEXT MONTH, FATHER, GOD, WE JUST PLAY PRAY BLESSINGS AND PROTECTION OVER EVERYONE IN THE DISTRICT.
WE PRAY, LORD GOD THAT YOU WOULD LEAD US TONIGHT IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND EVERY VOTE THAT WE MAKE, LORD GOD.
AND WE JUST PRAISE YOU AND GIVE YOU HONOR IN JESUS NAME.
UH, OUR CADET WILL BE RIDING THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
LEADING A SYDNEY PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE IS CADET LIEUTENANT COLONEL LAYLA COLLINS.
SO HE'S A SENIOR AND MCKINLEY SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL AND SERVES AS THE BATTALION COMMANDING OFFICER.
SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF GENEVA BANKS AND EDUCATOR AND PROUD MOTHER.
LAYLA IS THE 2021 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, UH, CADET OF THE YEAR ALSO WALLET, UH, MCKINLEY.
SHE HAS HELD MULTIPLE LEADERSHIPS IN JUNIOR ROTC FROM CLASS LEADER, SQUAD LEADER, UH, BATTALION STAFF OFFICER, AND NOW AS OUR BATTALION COMMANDER SERVING AS THE JRTC HIGHEST RANKING CADET.
LAYLA IS ALSO THE PRESIDENT OF THE BETA CLUB AND SECOND VICE PRESIDENT OF TOP TEENS OF AMERICA DEDICATED TO HER DUTIES.
AND SELF-IMPROVEMENT WHILE ATTENDING MCKINLEY CADET COLLINS CONTINUES TO SEEK PERSONAL AND ACADEMIC IMPROVEMENT.
AVERAGE OF 4.3, TWO HAS ATTAINED MASTERY LEVELS IN ENGLISH, MATH, SCIENCE, UH, LEAP TESTS, AND HAS ACHIEVED AN ACT SCORE OF 27.
UH, AS OF LAST YEAR, THIS SUMMER, LAYLA IS INTERNING AT THE BARE PROCESS ENGINEERING FIRM.
LAILA IS A MEMBER OF THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP PANTHER, BATTALION DRILL TEAM, CAPTAIN OF THE COLOR GUARD, A MEMBER OF THE JRTC LEADERSHIP AND ACADEMIC BOWL, THE JRTC ARCHERY TEAM AND CO-CAPTAIN OF THE PANTHER RAIDER TEAM.
SHE IS A MODEL CADET WHO HAS SUCCESSFULLY TAKEN ON THE CHALLENGE OF LIVING UP TO THE JRTC CADET CREED AND THE PANTHER PLEDGE.
FOLLOWING GRADUATION, CADET COLLINS PLANS TO ATTEND SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TO STUDY CHEMICAL ENGINEERING CADET COLLINS HAS A CA THAT COLIN'S QUALITIES INCLUDE HER HIGH CHARACTER INTEGRITY, EMOTIONAL GOVERNANCE, RESPONSIBILITY, AMBITION, AND MATURITY.
IT'S MY SINCERE PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE CADET LAYLA COLLINS.
PLEASE PUT YOUR HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
ALLEGEDLY AGENTS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
YOU MAY BE SEATED AND WAIT FOR YOUR BOARD MEMBER TO REACH YOU A MAIL AND GIVE YOU GREAT THINGS.
MS. COLLINS, AS A FORMER MEMBER OF A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP DRILL TEAM, AND ALSO A CHEMICAL ENGINEER I'D LIKE, AND LOOKS LIKE YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH METALS ON YOU.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO GIVE YOU THIS AT AN APPRECIATION FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND DON'T FALL ON THE RIVER BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER COME TO THE SURFACE WITH ALL THOSE METAL.
THANKS MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE
[00:05:01]
ROLL DISTRICT.NINE PRESIDENTS ADMINS DISTRICT FOR VICE-PRESIDENT COLLINS PRESENT DISTRICT ONE.
MR. LANICE PRESENT DISTRICT THREE, MR. HOWARD DISTRICT FIVE, MS. WARD JACKSON RESIDENT DISTRICT SIX, MS. DIASON DISTRICT SEVEN, MR.
[B. Minutes]
APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES OF THE JUNE 16TH, 2022 REGULAR BOARD MEETING AS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL, MOVED BY A BOARD MEMBER WHERE, UH, BERNARD, CAN I GET A SECOND? UH, I SAW BROTHER LAND IS OKAY.SO SECONDARY BY BOARD, UH, COLLEAGUE LANICE CNO BOARD COMMENT IN A PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MINUTES SEEING NO PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE MINUTES, BACK TO THE BOARD, SEEING NONE FROM THE BOARD.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE BOAT.
MR. LANA'S DISTRICT FOUR VICE-PRESIDENT OF COLLINS, THE DISTRICT FIVE.
MS. WARD JACKSON DISTRICT SIX.
[C1. Monthly Financial Report]
WITH, UH, INFORMATION ONLY ITEMS. SEE ONE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.[C2. Personnel Changes]
ITEM C TO PERSONNEL CHANGES,[C3. Public Records Request Monthly Report]
ITEM C THREE PER PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS, MALI REPORT DETAILS ARE IN BACKUP MATERIAL.[D1. Update from Superintendent]
MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM D ONE RECEIVED AS INFORMATION UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.UM, SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE A FEW THINGS AS WE GO, UH, GET CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, WE'RE EXCITED THAT THE EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION IS BEING RECOGNIZED AS A PRIORITY IN OUR STATE.
UH, RECENTLY GOVERNOR EDWARDS, UH, SIGN ACT FOUR 14 INTO LAW.
THIS ACT STATES THAT KINDERGARTEN IS NOW MANDATORY IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
OUR DISTRICT HAS PREPARED AND READY TO WELCOME THESE NEW LEARNERS.
PARENTS NEED TO CONTACT THEIR RESPECTIVE SCHOOLS OF INTEREST TO ENROLL THEIR CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, THE SECOND THING WE HAD IS THIS WEEK, WE'VE HAD BEEN, UH, HOSTING OUR SUMMER LEADERSHIP WHERE WE'VE HAD ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS, APS AND COACHES AND VARIOUS, UH, LEADERS, UH, PLANNED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AS THEY START TO PREPARE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WILL BEGIN FOR STUDENTS ON AUGUST EIGHT.
UH, THIS MORNING SCHOOL LEADERS HAD, UH, DR.
MICHAEL HANNAH HOSO, WHO WAS THE FORMER SUPERINTENDENT OF DALLAS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT.
HE JUST RETIRED, TALKED TO HIM THIS MORNING, UH, AND WAS VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, CONTINUE TO LEARN ABOUT THE PROGRESS WE ARE MAKING HERE IN OUR CITY.
AND SO OUR GOAL IS TO CONTINUE WITH OUR TRAINING SESSIONS WAS FINISHED UP AS SCHOOL YEARS TO PREPARE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AND FOR TEACHERS FOR THE TEACHER DEVELOPMENT WEEK, WHICH IS COMING UP IN ANOTHER TWO WEEKS TRANSPORTATION, WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK TO HAVE STUDENTS SCHEDULE ON BUSES, UH, TO BEGIN THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
UH, THERE'S BEEN ABOUT 34,000 ROUTES THAT'S ALREADY BEEN, UH, ASSIGNED, UH, PARENTS SHOULD EXPECT CONFIRMATION WITH THEIR CHILD'S WRITING ROUTING INFORMATION, OR THEY SHOULD EXPECT COMMUNICATION THAT, UH, THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ROUTED THEIR CHILD WITH INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO OBTAIN ROUTING INFORMATION WITHIN THE NEXT TWO BUSINESS DAYS.
UH, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL CHILDREN IN OUR PAIRS ARE ROUTED ON BUSES.
WE HAVE A FEW EVENTS COMING UP AS WE GET CLOSER TO THE SCHOOL YEAR.
UH, WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN THE STUFF, THE BUS CAMPAIGN ON WEDNESDAY, JULY 27TH FROM 6:00 AM TO 6:00 PM AT THE WALMART ON COLLEGE DRIVE.
UH, THIS IS OUR YEARLY ANNUAL, UH, STUFF, THE BUS DRIVE,
[00:10:01]
UH, WHERE WE PROVIDE, UH, SUPPLIES TO STUDENTS, UH, DRIVE AND HOSTED BY WBUR Z AND PARTNERSHIP WITH VIPS TO SUPPORT EBR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS THROUGH COMMUNITY DONATIONS.WE ENCOURAGED EVERYONE TO COME OUT AND DONATE SCHOOL SUPPLIES, UH, TO SUPPORT OUR DISTRICT.
UH WE'LL WE WILL ALSO BE HOSTING WHAT WE CALL WE CARE BLOCK PARTY IN DOWNTOWN BATON ROUGE, AS A WELCOME BACK SOCIAL FOR OUR EDUCATORS ON FRIDAY, AUGUST 5TH AS 6:00 PM.
UH, THIS EVENT IS BEING HOSTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH EYECARE TO SHOW OUR GRATITUDE FOR OUR EDUCATORS.
YOU'LL BE A FUN NIGHT FILL WITH FOOD, ENTERTAINMENT, RESOURCES, AND A FREE BIKE RIDE WITH GO RIDES.
UH, AND, AND IN WE'LL BE RIDING THROUGHOUT THE CITY AND ALSO, UH, ENCOURAGING, UH, FAMILIES ACROSS, UH, THE SEA CALLING YOU ROLLING WITH THE SOUP, HAVING A GREAT TIME, UH, AS WE GET READY FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, SCHOOL, WE'LL START OUR DISTRICT WIDE BACK TO SCHOOL BASH.
IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN, UH, THE, UH, THE BILLBOARDS OR, UH, FACEBOOK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, WE'LL BE, UH, THIS SATURDAY, THE SATURDAY OF AUGUST SIX FROM 11:00 AM TO 2:00 PM AT THE RAISING CANES RIVER CENTER.
WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF US SCHOOLS PRESENTED ALONG WITH ALL THE ESSENTIAL DEPARTMENTS, SUCH AS CHILD NUTRITION, TECHNOLOGY, UH, STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, ESS, AND MORE WE'LL BE GIVING AWAY FREE SCHOOL SUPPLIES, FREE HAIRCUTS AND OTHER COMMUNITY RESOURCES.
AS WE, ALL OF OUR PARTNERS WILL COME TOGETHER TO PREPARE FOR STUDENTS TO BEGIN SCHOOL ON AUGUST 8TH, THE DAY WILL BE FILLED WITH MUCH ENTERTAINMENT, FREE FOOD.
WE INVITE THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY ACROSS THE PARISH TO COME, UH, TO THE RIVER CANE RIVER CANE CENTER, UH, TO THAT AND MEN AND VICE PRESIDENT.
AND MOVING FORWARD THEN WITH A COMMENT FROM BOARD MEMBER, EVELYN, WHERE DECKS, THANK YOU.
NARCIS, UM, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE TRANSPORTATION AND IT BROUGHT TO MIND, UH, SOME CONVERSATION OR COMMUNICATION I'D BEEN FOLLOWING ALONG, UM, TRANSPORTATION ROUTES THAT WERE FOR, FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP OF ZIP CODES THAT WERE GOING TO, I BELIEVE IT WAS SHERWOOD MIDDLE.
UM, THERE'S A, UH, A GROUP OF FAMILIES THAT LIVE IN A CERTAIN AREA THAT ARE IN THE 700, 8 0 8 ZIP CODE.
AND THEY WERE LOOKING FOR TRANSPORTATION FROM ONE OF THE BUSES ARE, ARE FROM ONE OF THE, UH, DROP-OFF POINTS AT A, AT A PARK.
AND THAT PARK LIBRARY, UH, YOU FAMILIAR WITH THAT, UH, THERE WAS CONVERSATION AND I JUST WONDERED IF YOU KNEW WHETHER THEY WERE WIDENING, WIDENING THE AREA OF REACH WITHIN THOSE ZIP CODES SO THAT THEY COULD GATHER THOSE STUDENTS OR NOT, UH, WARD MEMBER JACKSON.
UH, I'M NOT AWARE OF THAT, BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
UM, UM, UH, I CAN HAVE A TEAM FOLLOW UP AS BACKUP TALK WITH MONICA SCOTT SPALDING, OUR TEAM TO, UH, BE TO A FOLLOW-UP ON THAT.
BECAUSE I KNOW THEY'D BE LOOKING FOR SOME HELP FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AND A HALF, UM, MAYBE TWO YEARS NOW.
AND, UM, SO I WAS WONDERING IF WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE A LOOP PROGRESS FOR THEM.
SO I'LL BE LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING ABOUT THAT.
AND NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM E ONE, OH, GENIUS SNUCK UP ON ME RECOGNIZING BOARD MEMBER.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN ASKING THIS FOR EVER EVERY MEETING WE'VE HAD JUST RECENTLY.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WITH OUR REDUCTION IN NUMBERS OF BUS DRIVERS, THAT WITH THAT BUDGET, UH, CUT, WE ARE STILL GOING TO ADEQUATELY, UM, PROVIDE EFFICIENT TRANSPORTATION.
AND I WANTED TO SEE IF WE COULD GET AN, A NUMBER ON, DO WE HAVE ALL OF OUR BUS DRIVER POSITIONS FIELD? ARE THEY ARE, DO WE HAVE UNFILLED POSITIONS THEY'RE STARTING THE SCHOOL YEAR? DOES ANYONE KNOW? SO ARE YOU ASKING WARREN EURYDICE IN ABOUT, UH, WHAT, WHAT OUR VACANCY NUMBERS FOR BUS DRIVERS IS? UH, UH, WE CAN GET MODI SCOTT SPALDING AND ALSO FOR VACANCIES AS HE BEYOND KOREA OR HIS HALL, IF WE HAVE THE NUMBER EXACTLY AS WELL.
SO, UM, W WE JUST WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS OF SENIORITY CHANGE OVER
[00:15:01]
THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.AND LITERALLY I WAS SPEAKING TO MS. DEVEL AS I WAS WALKING IN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THERE'S ABOUT 15 ROUTES THAT ARE UNCOVERED AT THIS TIME.
UM, WE WERE ACTUALLY EXPECTING A LITTLE BIT MORE.
AND SO, UM, WE HOPE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO FILL THOSE, UM, THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, THERE ARE SOME, UM, POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THE CDL CLASS THAT, OR, UM, POTENTIALLY READY TO GO THROUGH THE PROCESS TO COME ON BOARD.
I WANT TO SAY IT'S 12, BUT I'M NOT SURE OF THAT NUMBER.
UM, WE WERE WAITING TO SEE THE PASS RATE TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE THAT GROUP, BUT WE'RE WORKING ACTIVELY TO BE ABLE TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS WELL, IT'S OF COURSE, FAIR, VITAL, VITALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, UM, SO I THINK MAYBE IT MIGHT MAYBE GET IN TIME TO START THINKING OUT OF THE BOX AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT ALREADY HAVE THEIR LICENSE, HOW DO WE REACH OUTREACH TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS? UM, AND SO IF WE CAN PUT A REAL CONCENTRATION ON THAT, WE WILL DEFINITELY DO THAT.
I KNOW THAT HE'S REACHED OUT TO SOME OF THE OTHER PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORT TRANSPORTATION, AND HE WAS ACTUALLY ON, I THINK IT WAS W VLA CHANNEL 33 TUESDAY MORNING, UM, ASKING FOR BUS DRIVERS AS WELL, ASK HIM FOR SUPPORT.
UM, CAN YOU KEEP US POSTED ON THAT AND DO WE HAVE ADEQUATE, OR HAVE WE ALLOTTED FOR SOME TRAIL BUSES AND TRAIL BUS DRIVERS? WE HAVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH, UM, TRANSPORTATION, THE STANDARD DRIVERS, YOU HAVE THE ROUTES AND THEN THEIR TRAIL BUSES AND STANDBY BUSES IN ADDITION TO THAT.
AND SO I'M SURE THERE WILL BE NEEDS, BUT, UM, AT THIS POINT THE AREAS ARE COVERED AND THERE'S A PLAN FOR IT.
I ACTUALLY NEED TO ASK A QUESTION.
UM, SUPERINTENDENT YOU'VE MENTIONED HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY OPTED IN.
CAN YOU REPEAT THAT FOR ME, PLEASE? SMELLING, COULD YOU GIVE THE EXACT NUMBER OF HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE OPTED IN, ON TRANSPORTATION? SO OPT IN AND THE STUDENTS THAT WE ARE ROUTE THAT WE HAVE ROUTED IS DIFFERENT, RIGHT? WE HAD ALMOST 17,000 KIDS OPT IN FOR TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE'VE ROUTED ALMOST 35,000 KIDS.
SO THEN F LITTLE SUSIE MAMA MISSED THE NOTICE OR GOT CAUGHT UP WITH A LOT OF OTHER TASKS AND DUTIES.
THEN WE REALIZED THAT SHE CAUGHT THE BUS LAST YEAR AND SHE'S GETTING ROUTED THIS YEAR.
AND OUR EFFORT TO CONNECT WITH THE REMAINING STUDENTS ARE READING 41,000 STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
THERE WILL BE CARDS MAILED OUT NEXT WEEK THAT, UM, ANY, THE ROUTES WILL BE MAILED OUT, RIGHT? AND IF A FAMILY DOES NOT HAVE A ROUTE, THEY WILL ALSO RECEIVE A CARD STATING THAT THEY ARE NOT CURRENTLY ROUTED, AND THEY WILL HAVE A PROCESS TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT THE SCHOOLS, TO BE ABLE TO SUBMIT THE INFORMATION SO THAT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT CAN FOLLOW THROUGH AND ROUTE THE STUDENTS AND PACKETS ARE GOING TO THE SCHOOLS NEXT WEEK AS WELL.
UM, THERE IS UNDER BULLETIN ONE 19 A PROCESS FOR THE SCHOOLS TO FOLLOW WITH OBTAINING SIGNED LETTERS, UM, FOR THE, TO, TO ENSURE THAT THE FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THE, UM, PARAMETERS FOR RIDING THE BUS, DISCIPLINE ISSUES, OBLIGATIONS, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE FAMILIES AS WELL.
AND THE SCHOOLS WILL SUPPORT US IN SECURING THOSE LETTERS.
UM, BOARD MEMBER, DIASON, I'M SORRY.
UM, HAVE WE, UH, DEVISED A PLAN TO ADEQUATELY STAFF PHONE LINES, TRANSPORTATION PHONE LINES FOR THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL, MOVE SOME EMPLOYEES AROUND TO GET MORE MANPOWER AND LIVE HUMANS ANSWERING THE PHONE AND HANDLING RESOLVING ISSUES AND CONCERNS AND TALKING WITH PARENTS.
SO THERE IS A PHONE BANK AS THEY HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR, AND IT HASN'T BEEN PUBLICIZED YET.
WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES UNDERSTAND THIS, BUT THERE WILL BE, UM, A WEBINAR THAT'S AVAILABLE.
UH, WE OPEN PARENTS CAN JOIN VIA THE LINK, AND IF THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT IN THE CHAT OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
BUT SCHOOLS HAVE SUBMITTED THEIR TRANSPORTATION COORDINATORS THAT ARE ALSO GOING TO SUPPORT THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT IS WHEN PARENTS, WHEN YOU KNOW, LITTLE JOHNNY DOESN'T ARRIVE HOME ON TIME AND PARENTS ARE, ARE VERY CONCERNED.
THEY NEED A HUMAN BEING THAT CAN ANSWER THE PHONE AND DISCUSS WHAT'S HAPPENING AND FIND OUT WHERE THAT BUS IS.
W ARE WE, HOW ARE WE WITH OUR ROUTING GPS SYSTEMS AND ALL OF THAT? SO THAT, DO WE STILL HAVE THAT ABILITY FOR PARENTS TO GO ON AND SEE EXACTLY WHERE THEIR BUS IS? SO THE SYSTEM THAT'S IN PLACE IS THE CURRENT SYSTEM.
[00:20:01]
THE RFP IS NOT GOING TO END UNTIL THE END OF THIS MONTH.SO, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT THAT.
I SPOKE ABOUT THAT BEFORE THAT THAT WILL BE LATER, UM, IN COMING, BUT WE WILL HAVE THE SCHOOLS SUPPORTING THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
THEY WILL HAVE COMMUNICATION TO BE ABLE TO GIVE TO THE PARENTS.
AND THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT WILL HAVE THE PHONE BANK AS THEY'VE DONE IN THE PAST THE WEBINARS, JUST AN ADDITIONAL LAYER TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT FAMILIES.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE GPS, THAT THE PARENT COULD GO ONLINE AND SEE WHERE THE BUS IS, IS GOING TO BE ENDING IN JULY.
I SAID THE RFP IS GOING OUT FOR THE NEW, BUT FOR THE NEW AND THE RESPONSES ARE DUE BY THE END OF JULY, WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE ON OUR WEBSITE.
MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM D ONE MCKEON, NO
[E1. Board Appointees]
ITEM E ONE REPORTS FROM BOARD APPOINTEES TO COMMITTEES AND OR AGENCIES.ANYBODY WANT A REPORT FROM, UH, VEAL OR, UH, ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
[F1. Professional Services Contract: Arizona State University Prep Digital (ASU)]
BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, CONTRACT, ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PREP, DIGITAL ASU CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD, AND ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY PREP, DIGITAL STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND.CAN I GET A MOTION BOARD MEMBER BALLOON, A SECOND BOARD MEMBER GO THERE.
UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE THE GENERAL COUNSEL TO JUST BRIEFLY REVIEW THE CHANGES IN THE CONTRACT FROM WHAT WAS AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S BEEN SOME REVISIONS ON THAT.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST WALK THROUGH THE REVISION FROM WHAT WE SAW AT THE COMMITTEE THE WHOLE LOT.
ACTUALLY, THE REVISIONS ARE MINOR, BUT, BUT MAJOR, UM, THERE'S JUST ONE MAJOR CHANGE IN THE ORIGINAL CONTRACT.
THE MAXIMUM NUMBER, THE DISTRICT WAS OBLIGATED TO PAY FOR A 700 STUDENTS IN VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION AND ENROLLED.
UH, WE'VE NEGOTIATED THAT NUMBER DOWN TO FOUR 50.
THE DISTRICT STILL HAS THE OPTION TO ENROLL BEYOND THAT NUMBER, BUT WE'RE NOT OBLIGATED TO PAY THOSE COSTS UNLESS STUDENTS ACTUALLY SHOW UP.
SO WE'VE LOWERED THE CEILING FOR OBLIGATED COSTS.
UM, THE DISTRICT ALSO HAS THE OPTION WITH THE FOUR 50 THAT IF WE DON'T REACH THAT NUMBER, WE CAN REPURPOSE THAT MONEY FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND OTHER OPTIONS.
SO THAT'S ALSO WRITTEN INTO THE CONTRACT AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT REPURPOSING CAN ALSO GO TO STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS THAT THEY CAN RECEIVE, UM, UH, VIRTUAL, VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION AND THINGS IN THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL.
AND ALSO THAT CONTRACT, UH, THEY WERE FROM WHAT I READ IS 30 DAYS, UH, THAT WE CAN OPT OUT OF THAT CONTRACT AT ANY TIME, UH, WITH 30 DAYS NOTICE.
SO IT'S A THREE-YEAR CONTRACT, BUT DOWN THE ROAD, IF WE'RE SEEING, WE'RE NOT GETTING OUR VALUE OUT OF IT, THE ABILITY FOR US TO EXIT THAT CONTRACT IS IN THERE.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESSED ALL OF THOSE POINTS, UM, BEFORE WE GOT INTO THE DISCUSSION.
UH, DID WE GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE, AND, AND LET ME PREFACE THIS BY, I ACTUALLY MET A PARENT AT A, UH, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS CONFERENCE WHOSE CHILD IS ENROLLED IN OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL IN 11TH GRADE AND DOING EXCEPTIONALLY WELL.
AND SO THAT WAS GOOD TO HEAR, BUT I DID WANT TO ASK ONE, UM, UM, WHAT DID WE GET IN TERMS OF INFORMATION FOR THE SUCCESS RATE? SO WE HAD X NUMBER OF KIDS ENROLLED, UH, LAST YEAR BEING, WORKING THROUGH ASU.
AND THEN HOW, WHAT WAS THE PASSAGE RATE? WHAT WAS THE FAILURE RATE OF THOSE OF THOSE, UH, STUDENTS THAT PARTICIPATED LAST YEAR? CAUSE ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING WORKS AMAZINGLY WELL FOR SOME KIDS LIKE HERS, BUT NOT OTHERS.
AND SO CAN, CAN I GET THAT? YEAH, WE CAN PROVIDE WITH THAT.
UM, UH, MR. BRICK HOUSE IS HERE, HERE.
CAN YOU, DO YOU PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION TO THE BOARD AND, AND AS HE'S COMING UP, YOU KNOW, JUST WANT TO BE POSITIVE.
[00:25:01]
AS I ASKED MY QUESTIONS, I WAS PLEASANTLY PLEASED.I WAS PLEASED WITH HER SHARING OF HIS EXPERIENCE.
LIKE I SAID, IT WORKS AND HE'S A YOUNG BLACK, UH, THERE'S A BLACK FAMILY.
I KNOW THAT'S A GREAT CONCERN AS WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND, AND, AND ET CETERA.
BUT THEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS A GROUP, HOW WELL DO THOSE CHILDREN? FAIR.
UM, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, WE HAD A TOTAL OF, UM, 45, UH, STUDENTS WHO GRADUATED FROM THE VIRTUAL ACADEMY FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, WE HAD, UM, TOTAL NUMBER OF, UM, WE DON'T HAVE IT BROKEN DOWN SPECIFICALLY BY THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO, UM, DID NOT, UM, FAIL, UM, OR DID NOT DO WELL.
UM, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF ENROLLMENT WAS, UH, 630 STUDENTS FROM LAST YEAR.
UM, TOTAL NUMBER OF SENIORS WHO WERE 81.
UH, WE DID PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO THOSE STUDENTS WHO WERE NOT DOING WELL.
UM, AND WE HAD, UM, WELL, WE DID HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS, UM, THAT DID NOT DO AS WELL.
AND SO SOME OF THE STUDENTS, AS WE LOOKED INTO, UH, COMING TO THIS SCHOOL YEAR, CAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS YOU SAID, VIRTUAL LEARNING IS NOT FOR EVERYONE.
SO SOME STUDENTS OPTED TO GO BACK TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, CURRENTLY WE ARE ROUGHLY AROUND, UH, ABOUT 200 STUDENTS THAT ARE ACTUALLY ENROLLED IN THIS VIRTUAL SCHOOL AT THIS PARTICULAR POINT IN TIME.
BUT THE REST OF THE STUDENTS HAVE OPTED TO GO BACK TO THEIR, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
SO WE STARTED WITH 81 SENIORS AIR WATER OF THEM GRADUATED.
AND SOME OF THEM DID GO TO, UM, SUMMER LEARNING.
I DON'T HAVE THAT PERCENTAGE ENDS UP THIS PARTICULAR DATE.
UM, AND WE HAVE CURRENTLY 200 SOMETHING.
PEOPLE HAVE ROLLED AROUND 200.
SO WE ALREADY GOT TO PAY THESE PEOPLE FOR, WE ALREADY GOT TO PAY THESE PEOPLE WITH TWICE AS MANY CHILDREN.
UM, THAT'S ALL I GOT, BUT NOW BOY, MEN WOULD GO.
SO ALL OF THE BOARD COMMENT, THANK YOU, SIR.
I WAS WORKING ON, UM, OTHER THINGS TODAY AND DIDN'T HAVE A TIME TO LOOK AT WHATEVER REVISIONS WERE DONE TO THE CONTRACT, BUT I WOULD HOPE WE MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT EVERY TEACHER IS CERTIFIED AND ELIGIBLE FOR LOUISIANA CERTIFICATION.
OTHERWISE I'M NOT AN ATTORNEY, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS YOU'RE BREAKING EITHER BESSIE POLICY OR THE LAW OR BOTH.
AND I WOULD BE STUNNED IF EVERY TEACHER THAT ASU HAS PUT IN FRONT OF STUDENTS WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR LOUISIANA CERTIFICATION.
SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO NOT APPROVE THIS CONTRACT AND FIND ACTUAL QUALIFIED TEACHERS TO RUN THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
I KNOW THAT A YEAR AGO YOU WOULD HAVE EASILY BEEN ABLE TO FILL THOSE SLOTS WITH TEACHERS THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE COMFORTABLE TEACHING FROM HOME AND THE ADMINISTRATION DID NOT ALLOW THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY OUTSOURCING THIS WORK TO FOLKS FROM OTHER STATES IS A VERY BAD IDEA.
I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT THERE WAS NEGOTIATION.
UM, I AM IT'S MY AMAZINGLY ENOUGH.
MY DISTRUST IS NOT WITH EBR ON, UM, THE TEACHER CERTIFICATION PIECE, BUT IT'S WITH WHO ARIZONA PUTS IN BECAUSE OF THEIR NEW LAW.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF ASU STATUE AND WHAT TYPE OF SCHOOL THEY QUALIFY AS WITHIN ARIZONA AND HOW THERE MIGHT BE A LOOPHOLE WITHIN LOUISIANA'S, UM, WITHIN LOUISIANA STATUES WITH, UH, CHARTERS.
SO BECAUSE THE CONTRACT DOES STATE THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE TO FIT OUR, OUR LEGAL LIMITS OF WHAT THE TEACHERS HAVE TO BE.
I WOULD STILL LOVE TO SEE JUST A TAGLINE IN THERE.
MUST HAVE A DEGREE AND BE, TO BE CERTIFIED AND TEACH OUR STUDENTS.
[00:30:01]
I DO AGREE WITH DON IS STILL PAYING FOR 200 SEATS THAT WE DON'T HAVE KIDS IN.IT'S STILL A LOT IT'S WAY BETTER THAN THE 700 THOUGH.
UM, MAYBE WE COULD GET IT DOWN A LITTLE BIT MORE DON'T KNOW, BUT IT IS MUCH IMPROVED.
AND I THANK WHOEVER WORKED ON THAT.
UH, FIRST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M IN SUPPORTIVE ARIZONA STATE COMING, UH, I MEAN I'M SUPPORTIVE TO THEM, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PROGRAM AND ALSO I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD.
I'M TALKING ABOUT FROM THEIR ATLANTA'S TRAMELL HOWARD, MY GOAL DAY, EVELYN AWARE GEO DYSON, EVEN DAVID TABUN, THAT'S NOT HERE MS. COLLINS AND
I MEAN, AND I WANT TO THANK DR.
UM, IT'S AMAZING HOW WE JUST KEEP COMING HERE SAYING THE SAME THINGS LIKE STUFF IS SO WRONG AND EVERYBODY COME HERE TO HAVE SOME NEGATIVE.
SAY, GIVE ME AT LEAST ONE THING TO SAY GOOD ABOUT WHAT THE BOARD HAS DONE JUST THIS YEAR, BECAUSE I THINK THE U S PASS, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A GOOD FOUR YEARS.
THIS HAS REALLY BEEN A GOOD FOUR YEARS.
Y'ALL GOTTA REALIZE, LOOK WHAT, LOOK, LOOK AT ALL THE STUFF THAT WE HAVE GOTTEN DONE FROM FOUR YEARS AGO TO NOW.
I THINK THIS IS, THIS IS THE BEST BOARD THAT WE'VE HAD.
I'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH THIS FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS AND I JUST WALKED IN.
I SAW, UH, MR. WELL, HE'S BEEN PART OF THAT.
HE'S BEEN RIGHT PART OF THIS TOO.
HE CAN CONTEST WHAT I'M SAYING.
THIS IS, THIS IS NOT BRAND NEW, BUT IT JUST KILLS ME EVIL.
I'M GIVING YOU A PRIME EXAMPLE.
I'VE SEEN PARENTS THAT CAME AND SPOKE AGAINST, UH, ARIZONA STATE.
I MEAN, NOT PARENTS, TEACHERS THAT HAVE COME UP HERE AND HAVE SPOKEN AGAINST ARIZONA STATE.
AND I'M LOOKING LIKE THIS, THE SAME TEACHER THAT MS. TWO, THREE DAYS OUT OF A WEEK, THEN HE COME ANOTHER TEACHER COMING TO SCHOOL LATE EVERY DAY, COMING TO SCHOOL AT 7 35, 7 40.
AND GUESS WHAT SCHOOL STARTED AT 6 45.
SO I'M, I'M PAINTING A REAL PICTURE.
I'M NOT PAINTING A PICTURE WHERE WE TRIED TO JUST MAKE THIS SO BEAUTIFUL.
LIKE ONLY THE BOARD IS THE BAD PEOPLE HERE.
THIS IS THE BEST THING THAT COULD'VE HAPPENED TO BATON ROUGE.
WE JUST CANNOT KEEP BASHING THE BOARD.
IT JUST, IT DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY.
YOU'RE NOT IN THE FAITH LEADERS.
MADAM VP BOARD SUPERINTENDENT SAY THE SAME, SAME THING.
JUST ABOUT WHEN I COME UP HERE, THERE IS A GROUP WE'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH.
YOU KNOW, THE BOY WHO CRIED WOLF.
WE HAVE A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS.
WE PICKED, HE PICKED, OH, YOU ALL PICK THE BEST SCHOOL FOR THE JOB.
WHAT IN THE SHADE TREE MECHANIC, YOU NEED A SURGEON.
YOU DIDN'T GET A GENERAL PRACTITIONER.
I ASKED YOU TO STOP LISTENING TO THE CHILDREN ON THE BOARD AND THE CHILDREN BACK HERE THAT CRIED WOLF.
NO, THIS IS IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S AN EASY FIX.
THEY QUALIFY BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE.
THE CHILDREN THAT CRY WOLF HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO.
UH, SEEING ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT AND A SUPERINTENDENT, YOU SAID YOU WERE PASSING ON.
BOARD COLLEAGUE, WHERE JACKSON, I THOUGHT THE SUPERINTENDENT WOULD PROBABLY ADDRESS WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK.
DIDN'T WE TALK ABOUT THIS BEFORE, AROUND THE QUALIFICATIONS WHILE THOSE TEACHERS WOULD, WOULD YOU MIND PLEASE? UM, REVISITING THAT, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE, UH, I BELIEVE WE DID CLEAR IT UP, BUT I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP ON MR. SHAMBLIN.
UM, COULD YOU PLEASE SHARE, I THINK YOU'VE SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST, UH, UM, ANY TEACHER THAT TEACHES ARIZONA STATE IN TERMS OF ANY STUDENT FROM THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, THEY MUST HAVE QUALIFICATIONS TO TEACH A CHILD FROM STATE OF LOUISIANA.
UH, MS. WHITE JACKSON AND I WASN'T THE ONE THAT ADDRESSED IT, BUT I'LL JUST SPEAK TO IT IN THE CONTRACT TO DO REFERENCE TO REQUIREMENT THAT TEACHERS FROM ASU BE
[00:35:01]
MEET THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS OF LOUISIANA.AND I BELIEVE OUR HR DEPARTMENT IS WORKING WITH ASU TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT'S HAPPENING WITH HR DEPART.
I APPRECIATE YOU CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, DO WE DO, DO WE HAVE ANY, HOW WAS THEIR PRIVACY MANY COUNTRY? I KNOW THEY WASN'T NECESSARILY A GOOD VENDOR.
AND MATTER OF FACT, THAT PARENT THAT SPOKE TO SAY SHE DID NOTICE A POSITIVE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PROXIMITY AT ASU.
SO I'M NOT TRYING TO SAY SOMEBODY WOULD BE BETTER, UH, ET CETERA, BUT THE PROXIMITY SAY WE HAD TO GIVE THEM A CERTAIN NUMBER OF KIDS.
MS. COLLINS I'D HAVE TO PULL THAT CONTRACT.
I DON'T RECALL THAT TYPE OF PROVISION IN THE LAST PROXIMITY TO CONTRACT THAT I MANAGE THAT.
I DON'T RECALL THAT COMING UP AS WE DISCUSSED PROXIMITY, WHETHER IT WAS THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL OR THEM HELPING WITH TEACH VACANCIES IN INDIVIDUAL CLASSROOMS. BUT I WANTED TO TRY TO DOUBLE CHECK MY AWARENESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHO ELSE PUTS A, A MINIMUM NUMBER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO PROVIDE SERVICES, RABBIT, PRISONS, RABBIT, PRISONS.
IT HAS TO DO WITH ADD DISAGREE WITH THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF GIVING THEM A GUARANTEE NUMBER OF CHILDREN, WHERE ARE THEY GOING TO COME FROM? WE GO RECRUIT FOR THEM AND SELL THEM SOME KIDS.
UM, I DISAGREE AND I'M DISAGREEING ON BEHALF OF THE BLACK CHILDREN WHO DIDN'T GRADUATE OUT OF THE 81 SENIORS THAT WAS IN MAY GLAZE.
UM, I JUST DISAGREE AND IT'S NOT ABOUT IF IT'S REALLY ABOUT BLACK KIDS, THEN LET'S DO SOME ABOUT BLACK KIDS AND NO, WE CAN'T SAY THERE'S NO OTHER BETTER PROVIDER WAS THE RESEARCH DONE TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS NOBODY ELSE BETTER.
AND TO GIVE THESE PEOPLE TWICE AS MUCH MONEY THAN THE CHILDREN THAT THEY'RE GOING TO SERVE, YOU CANNOT LET ME COME UP WITH A CONTRACT AND SAY, I NEED AN, I NEED A GUARANTEED NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
AND THEN DON'T BOTHER WITH MAKING SURE BOY COLLEAGUE GOATEE, UH, WHERE YOU HAD A QUESTION.
NO, YOU WENT OKAY, BOY, COLLEEN, GO THERE.
I JUST WANT TO MOVE BACK TOWARD THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THIS DISCUSSION AND ANY CONCEPT OR MENTION OF PRISON VERSUS WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH ASU.
UH, WE ARE NOT IN THE PIPELINE TO PRISON.
WE'RE TRYING TO STOP THAT AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN WITH THAT.
AND TO HAVE THAT KIND OF IMPLICATION OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC, I THINK IS VERY, VERY MISLEADING.
ALSO, UH, THE KIND OF CONTRACT TO HAVE A MINIMUM NUMBER THAT YOU PAY FOR, UH, RECOGNIZE THAT WE IN THE NATION ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A TEACHER SHORTAGE.
UH, THERE IS A LOT OF, UM, RESOURCES THAT NEED TO BE THERE.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR, WE WENT FROM SEVERAL HUNDRED STUDENTS TO OVER A THOUSAND STUDENTS AND THE, OF ABOUT A MONTH, WHICH IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THEY FAIL PROXIMITY COULD NOT PERFORM.
SO SOME OF THIS IS RESERVING CAPACITY.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT COVID IS GOING TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW HOW ANY OF THIS IS GOING TO BE, AND WE'RE NOT JUST GIVING THE MONEY AWAY.
WE HAVE RESOURCES TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND USE IT IN OTHER AREAS, PARTICULARLY AROUND SOME OF THE BLACK CHILDREN AND OTHER CHILDREN WHO ARE IN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS.
SO I DON'T VIEW THAT AS BEING WASTED MONEY.
AND I ASSURE I'M ASSUMING THAT GIVEN THE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF, THAT ENTIRE MONEY WILL BE WELL USED AS IT GOES THROUGH.
AND IF WE SEE THAT THE NEED FOR SCHOOLS, THE SEATS ARE COMING DOWN, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO BACK NEXT YEAR AND REDUCE THAT NUMBER.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT COVID IS GOING TO DO.
I THINK THIS IS A GOOD COMPROMISE IT'S WAY DOWN FROM 750 DOWN TO FOUR 50.
SO THAT'S A MUCH BETTER NUMBER, BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IS IT EXACTLY WHAT I WANT? NO, IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT I WANT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD CONTRACT AND I HAVE NOTHING ELSE.
IF WE DON'T WANT THIS, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO WITH THOSE KIDS WHO WANT TO BE IN VIRTUAL SCHOOLS? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO WITH THE CHILDREN WHO ARE IN ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS THAT NEED ASSISTANCE AT VIRTUAL SCHOOLS WILL BE DO IT? AND I DON'T KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, HOW MANY OF THOSE KIDS WHO DIDN'T GRADUATE BECAUSE THAT'S A 55% GRADUATION RATE.
[00:40:01]
RUN ABOUT A 78 TO 80% GRADUATION RATE.I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE GRADUATION RATE WE HIT LAST YEAR, BUT I ALSO DON'T KNOW THE MAKEUP OF THE STUDENTS.
I DON'T KNOW AT ALL ABOUT WHAT PART OF THOSE STUDENTS WERE ALTERNATIVE STUDENTS OR THIS, THAT, AND THE OTHER.
SO I CAN'T MAKE A JUDGMENT JUST BASED UPON THAT NUMBER WITHOUT CONTEXT.
AND SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
AND I AM FOR THIS CONTRACT, UH, A, I THINK THEY DO A GOOD JOB AND B I DON'T HAVE A BETTER ALTERNATIVE AND THOSE KIDS DESERVE TO HAVE SOME EDUCATION AND SOME SCHOOLING.
UH, SUPERINTENDENT JUST WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THE BOARD, UH, JUST, YOU KNOW, EVERY CONTEXT MATTERS.
UH, I KNOW WE'RE ASKING A LOT OF QUESTIONS WHEN ARIZONA STATE CAME ABOARD, REMEMBER THAT WE DID NOT HAVE A VIRTUAL PROGRAM AND WE DID NOT DO WELL INTERNALLY WITH THAT.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AS THEY CAME ON BOARD TO TRY TO CATCH KIDS UP.
WE HAD CHILDREN WHO DID NOT ATTEND SCHOOLS.
SO THERE WAS SO MUCH MORE TO THAT.
UH, I KNOW THAT, UH, CHIEF BRICK HOUSE PROVIDES YOU, WHO GRADUATED AND THERE'S SETS OF KIDS ALSO GO INTO THE SUMMER AND THE FALL OF THE GRADUATE, BUT, UH, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF DIFFERENT COMPONENTS AND MORE CONTEXT AND DATA THAT WE CAN PROVIDE TO THAT ON, ON THE WHY.
BUT I STAND BY SAYING, UH, ARIZONA STATE, UH, HAS DONE AN EXCEPTIONAL JOB WITH STUDENTS, ALL COLORS.
UH, THEY HAVE LARGE NUMBER ACROSS THE NATION AROUND DOING THAT.
I WOULD JUST CAUTION THE BOARD FOR US TO RUSH TO JUDGMENT ON JUST THIS, BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A WHOLE PROCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION AND THOSE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD TO CATCH UP ARIZONA STATE AND ALSO THEIR PROGRAMMING AND THOSE THINGS.
AND SO, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT MANY OF THE PARENTS, AS YOU SAID, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS, YOU TALK TO A PARENT, MANY PARENTS HAVE HAD A GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH THEM THIS YEAR WILL ACTUALLY BE THEIR FULL YEAR OF ACTUALLY HAVING THE PROGRAM.
SO I WOULD JUST SAY FOR US NOT TO RUSH TO JUDGMENT BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, UH, SO FAR, UM, UH, IF YOU TALK TO MOST OF THE FAMILIES THERE OR LOOK AT WHICH WE'RE GOING TO TAKE SOME MORE SURVEYS AND THOSE THINGS, UH, THEIR EXPERIENCES, UM, HAVE BEEN POSITIVE, BUT THERE, BUT ALSO RECALL THAT, UH, OUR CHILDREN HAVE BEEN COME OUT OF A PANDEMIC.
AND SO WE'VE HAD CHILDREN GO INTO THE SCHOOL OUT OF THE SCHOOLS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT MOVING PARTS THAT HAVE IMPACTED WHERE CHILDREN ARE.
SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WITH THE FULL YEAR, THIS YEAR, UH, WITH WHATEVER CHILD THAT WE HAVE, THAT OUR PARENTS AND CHILDREN THAT CHOOSE THE PROGRAM, WE CAN PROVIDE A MUCH MORE, UH, VALID SET OF DATA SETS.
BUT I JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WERE COMING OUT OF COVID IN THAT SPACE.
NOT THAT IT'S AN EXCUSE, BUT, UH, FROM THE OVERALL EXPERIENCE SET THERE, UH, ARIZONA STATE HAS, HAS BEEN MAKING A TREMENDOUS PROGRESS WITH OUR STUDENTS.
UM, AND THEN I, TO CLARIFY, UH, MY SENTIMENT IS NOT A RUSH TO JUDGMENT.
THAT'S THE SAME SENTIMENT I HAD LAST TIME F IN MY OPINION, APPARENTLY FOR GOOD REASON, I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THAT I'M VOTING.
NO, BECAUSE I DON'T WANT, UH, THEM ALL TOGETHER, BUT WHEN YOU KNOW THAT IT DOES ASYNCHRONOUS LEARNING, REGARDLESS WHO DOES IT, OKAY.
ONLY WORKS FOR A SMALL SEGMENT OF STUDENTS, THEN THE TURNAROUND AND KNOW THAT ALL YOU HAVE IS 200 AND SOMETHING KIDS, WHICH HOPEFULLY THOSE STUDENTS, IT WORKS VERY WELL FOR.
AND THEN YOU TURN AROUND AND SAY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GUARANTEE THEY GET TWICE AS MUCH MONEY WITH NO PLANE OF, YEAH, THESE ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
BUT, UH, SEEING, AS WE KNOW, THEY'RE TWICE AS MUCH, THEY GETTING TWICE AS MUCH MONEY.
UH, WE WOULD SEEM LIKE WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE OF WHAT TO DO WITH THE 200 STUDENTS PLUS WORTH OF MONEY THAT WILL NOT GET DISTRICTS GET USED AND, UH, UH, WILL NOT GET USED BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT ARE WE, WHAT'S, WHAT'S OUR TRIGGER.
WHAT'S OUR, WHAT'S, WHAT'S THE MOMENT AT WHICH WE SAY, WE KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW, ALL THEY HAVE IS HALF AS MUCH AS WE'VE PROMISED THEM, BUT WE HAVE THESE OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
WHAT PLAN IS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT MONEY IS USED IS NOW.
UM, AND SO FOR THAT REASON, UM, I'M STICKING TO MY GUNS.
I'M GLAD IT'S WORKING FOR THE STUDENTS THAT IT'S WORKING FOR.
HOPEFULLY ITS WORK IS THIS YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO WORK FOR ALL 200 OF THEM.
UH, BUT I'M NOT GIVING THESE PEOPLE TWICE AS MUCH MONEY.
LIKE WE JUST HAVE MONEY TO WASTE.
BOY MEMBER DIES AND THANK YOU.
[00:45:01]
WANTED TO ASK, IS THERE A WAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE, UM, AND MAKE THIS BRIDGE TO OUR HOME BOUND STUDENTS? AND CAN THAT BE PART OF OUR PLAN? YEAH, SO THE, THE, WHAT WE PLAN ON DOING WITH THE NUMBERS WAS TO MAKE THIS, UM, GIVE, ALLOW THE PROGRAMS TO BE OPTIONAL.SO A LOT OF STUDENTS ACROSS SEE THAT, THAT THIS MAY NOT, THE TRADITIONAL APPROACH MAY NOT WORK FOR THEM TO GO INTO CLASSROOM.
SO, SO YES, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOSE, ALL THOSE CONNECTIONS.
AND THEN I'M ALSO THINKING ABOUT, I KNOW THAT THE HOME BOUND, NOT DON'T NECESSARILY, UM, THEY JUST CAN'T BE PHYSICALLY IN THE BUILDING AND, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE VIRTUAL LEARNERS EITHER.
AND I'VE HAD SOME COMPLAINTS ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, GETTING ASSIGNMENTS AND HAVING ENOUGH FACE TIME, INSTEAD OF JUST LIKE, THEY'LL GET AN ASSIGNMENT, GO ON GOOGLE AND DO THIS ASSIGNMENT.
AND JUST, IT WAS MORE LIKE CONTACT THE TEACHER IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, BUT IT WASN'T ACTUAL TEACHING THAT IT WAS BEING SELF-TAUGHT REALLY THAT THE CHILD WAS JUST ON THE COMPUTER.
SO I'M HOPING THAT WITH THESE OPEN SEATS THAT WE CAN REALLY SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, WHEN CHILDREN AND STUDENTS, STUDENTS HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, UH, OR JUST LEARN DIFFERENTLY OR JUST CAN'T, THEY DON'T NEED TO BE JUST TEACHING THEMSELVES.
AND SO I'M HOPING FOR A LOT OF FACE TIME ON THE COMPUTER WITH AN INSTRUCTOR.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF HE CAN SPEAK TO THAT, BUT, UM, I WANT THAT, I WANT THAT STUDENT TO GET, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WITH TECHNOLOGY, THERE'S SO MUCH ABILITY WE SHOULD, I BELIEVE I'D LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE SPECIFICALLY REQUEST THAT THEY HAVE SO MANY HOURS OF REAL TIME INSTRUCTION.
WE CAN SHARE WITH YOU THE ARIZONA STATE MODEL.
AGAIN, I MADE, I REMEMBER THEY DID A PRESENTATION FOR US TO SHOWED THEIR COMBINATION SO I CAN SHARE THAT.
WE COULD SHARE THAT WITH YOU AGAIN.
THANK YOU, MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE BOAT.
UH, SINCE THE CORE, CAN YOU COME GET YOUR BABY? HE DISRUPTED THE MEAT.
WE HAVE A BREAK IN BETWEEN AGENDA ITEMS. THANK YOU.
MOVING FORWARD NOW WITH ITEM G CONSENT AGENDA.
CAUSE I WAS TRYING TO GET HER TO GET UP BABY AND I DID VOTE IN A CAN.
ARE YOU ABLE TO UPDATE IT? OH, SHE SHOWED IT.
[G. Consent Agenda]
ALL RIGHT.SO THEN MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I AM PRESENT, BUT I WAS LATE CLICKING MY KNEE BECAUSE I WAS SO WE NEED TO REDO.
[00:50:03]
OKAY.NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH THE CONSENT AGENDA BOARD MEMBER BERNARD, SHE'LL READ IT FOR US.
MADAM CHAIR, INCENTIVE AGENDA.
THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE TO BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA AND ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION.
THERE'LL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF ITEMS UNLESS THE BOARD MEMBERS.
SO REQUESTS IN WHICH EVENT, THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDER AS AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR A SEPARATE, BUT PRECEDING THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA TO SCHOOL GRADE RELOCATION, YOU CAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO MOVE BUCHANAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES FOUR AND FIVE TO UNIVERSITY TERRACE ELEMENTARY HOUSED AT EBOLA GUARD LEARNING CENTER FOR THE 2020 TO 2023 SCHOOL YEAR THREE, SCHOOL GRADE RELOCATION, UNIVERSITY TERRORISTS ELEMENTARY CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO MOVE UNIVERSITY TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GRADES TWO AND THREE TO THE BEGINNING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE FOR THE 20 22, 20 23 SCHOOL YEAR THREE, SCHOOL RELOCATION BROWNSFIELD BROWNFIELDS ELEMENTARY CONSIDERATION REQUEST TO RELOCATE AND HOUSE BROWNFIELDS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AT THE WHITE HILLS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE FOR THE 20 22, 20 23 SCHOOL YEAR 5, 20 20 TO 2023 STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK AND DISCIPLINE POLICY CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF THE STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES HANDBOOK AND DISCIPLINE POLICY FOR THE 20 22 20 23 SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH NOTED CHANGES, SIX PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT LSU AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE CONSIDERATION OF REQUESTS FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD, AND LSU AND AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $123,891 TO PROVIDE STAFF AND PROGRAM SUPPORT AT THE EVAL ART LEARNING CENTER, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT STUDENT ACHIEVING ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE GENERAL FUND MAGNET SEVEN LOUISIANA COMPLIANCE QUESTIONNAIRE CONSIDERATION REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE LOUISIANA COMPLIANCE QUESTIONNAIRE AS REQUIRED FOR THE 20 20, 20 21 FINANCIAL AUDIT AT THESE BATTERIES PAIR SCHOOL SYSTEM EIGHT CHARTER CONTRACT RENEWAL HELIX MENTORSHIP CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO RENEW THE CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENT WITH HELIX MENTORSHIP AND PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
NINE LITIGATION CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION OF GWEN CHAMBERLAIN, GENERAL COUNTY COUNCIL EBY RPSS IN THE MATTER OF SOPHIA HUNT VERSUS KRISTI ELLE WOODS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IN BERKLEY INSURANCE COMPANY, DOCKET NUMBER 7 0 0 2 3 1 SECTION 25 19TH JUDICIAL COURT PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS, 10 POLICY BCB CONSIDERATION TO REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF POLICY BCP SCHOOL BOARD MEETING RULES AND PROCUREMENT, AND ALSO MOVE AND BOARD MEMBER HOUSE SECONDS.
IS THERE ANY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ANY COLLEAGUE THESE TO PULL FROM THE JUNK FROM THE CONSENT, IF EVERYONE WOULD AGREE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD JUST TWO WORDS INSERTED INTO THE POLICY THAT MR. HOWARD, SO GRACIOUSLY DEVELOPED WITH MR. SHAMBLIN ON THE CONSENT.
IF EVERYONE WOULD AGREE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD JUST TWO WORDS INSERTED INTO THE POLICY THAT MR. HOWARD, SO GRACIOUSLY DEVELOPED WITH MR. SHAMBLIN, I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU.
THERE IS A SECTION THAT SAYS THAT READS THE SUPERINTENDENT AND, OR HIS DESIGNATE OR CURRENTLY IS, WOULD HAVE TO BE A SEPARATE ITEM THAT WOULD HAVE TO PULL IT TO DO SO, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT IF PEOPLE DON'T LOOK AMENABLE TO IT, LET ME JUMP IN FOR A SECOND, UH, BOARD, IF YOU DON'T MIND, BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR ITEM REQUIRES SIX VOTES FOR APPROVAL.
WE NEED TO PULL IT ANY SEPARATELY.
SO I MOVE AND THEN SOMEBODY ELSE CAN PULL THAT ITEM.
AND THEN LET ME PULL A EIGHT ON THE HELIX.
A CONSTITUENT HAD A QUESTION ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS, UH, THAT THE QUESTIONS HAD OPPORTUNITY TO BE DISCUSSED.
SO WE MIGHT GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE MIDNIGHT, TONIGHT IS ONLY TWO ITEMS GETTING PULLED.
SO TO BE CLEAR, WE ARE PULLING ITEM EIGHT AND ITEM 10 FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA.
AND WE HAVE COLLEAGUES WITH NORB
[00:55:01]
AND COLLEAGUE HOWARD WITH THE MOTIONS AND SEEING NO REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD, GOING TO THE PUBLIC ON ALL CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS, EXCEPT THE CHARTER CONTRACT RENEWAL AND THE POLICY.THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PULLING THOSE TWO ITEMS. ALSO THANK YOU TO THE STAFF FOR HAVING THOSE VOTES SHOWN.
UM, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT ON NUMBER SIX, THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE MOVE TOWARD A, UM, FINAL IMPLEMENTATION WHERE THE WATER RESOURCES PROGRAM IS AT MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL, RATHER THAN AS A SEPARATE CAMPUS.
SEEING NO OTHER GOOD EVENING, KURANDA, QUARTERLY PARENT AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU ACTUALLY PULL NUMBER FIVE, UM, AND I CAN BE VERY, UM, OPEN AND HONEST WITH YOU.
SO SINCE THE COURT STEP, MY TIME, MY TIME IS ASAP ATTACK.
WE ARE PAST THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN PULL.
I KNOW THAT'S WHY I'M ABOUT TO SPEAK.
I WAS GOING TO ELABORATE ON IT, MY CLAP.
IT WAS A TWO, IT WAS A TWO MINUTES AND 41 SECONDS.
I ACTUALLY, I ACTUALLY KEPT HIM.
SO I'M NOT ACTUALLY TRYING TO STEAL TOO MUCH.
AS LONG AS YOU CLEAR THAT AS YOU SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, WE CANNOT PULL IT.
NINE, MS. APRIL, WAIT, DON'T START.
I WAS GONNA TELL YOU EXACTLY WHEN IT STARTED.
SO THE REASON BEING IS BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, ALONG WITH THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, UM, ON THE FEDERAL LEVEL HAVE ACTUALLY DISSEMINATED NEW POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AS IT RELATES TO INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, INCLUDING AS IT RELATES TO ROSE, CONSIDERING THAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS JUST POSTED ON THE 15TH, A NEW ROLE, A NEW JOB DESCRIPTION FOR SR ROSE.
AND THOSE SORROWS WILL BE DEALING WITH CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
IT DOES STATE HOW YOU WOULD BE LEGALLY LIABLE AND THE THINGS THAT THEY CANNOT DO AS IT RELATE TO THE CHILDREN AND THEIR PARENTS.
AND IT ALSO EXPOUNDS ON THE ACTUAL GUIDANCE ON ALL OF THE, UM, LEGAL RIGHTS, THE PARENTS OF THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES THAT HAVE 5 0 4 PLANS AND I E P S OR A 5 0 4 OR AN IEP.
SO MAKE SURE YOU TIED INTO THAT PARTICULAR STOMACH LIKE APRIL.
SO, SO THE REASON THAT I'M ASKING THAT IS BECAUSE WE DO NOT HAVE A POLICY IN THE HANDBOOK THAT REFLECTS ANYTHING DEALING WITH THE SROI, BUT WE DO HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE SRO IS THAT STATE THAT THE SRO IS, WILL BE HELPING TEACHERS TEACH AND THAT THEY WILL BE HELPING GUIDANCE COUNSELORS WITH GUIDANCE.
IF JUST IN CASE YOU WANT TO KNOW WHERE I GOT THAT INFORMATION THAT IS DIRECTLY ON YOUR WEBSITE UNDER THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, IT SAYS THAT THESE SROI WILL BE IN THE CLASSROOM MORE THAN 30%.
SO I DO THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM IN OUR CLASSROOM, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT ONE, WE ARE NOT PAYING THESE TEACHERS THE SAME AMOUNT THAT WE'RE GOING TO PAY THESE SR ROLES.
BUT TO THAT US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, ALONG WITH THE OFFICE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, ACTUALLY PUT OUT A NEW GUIDANCE AS OF JULY 18TH, THAT BEING STATED, WE NEED A POLICY THAT IS GOING TO RELATE ON HOW EBR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND HE'S SR ROSE WILL BE GOVERNING THEMSELVES AS THEY INTERTWINE AND INTERACT WITH OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, AS WELL AS THEIR PARENTS, IN ADDITION TO ANY AND EVERY, ANY, UH, COMPLAINT PROCESS THAT THE PARENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO DO AS IT RELATES TO EBR BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY TAKE IT TO A STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
AND LAST, BUT DEFINITELY NOT LEAST HOW EXACTLY WHAT TRAININGS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THEM DO, BECAUSE IT DOES ALSO STATE THAT THE, NOT A TRAIN IMPORT, REMEMBER THAT FOOD AND RICE AND RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT GO AHEAD THAT THEN NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PERSONNEL.
YOU, YOU, YOU NOT DIFFERENTIATING RARE WELL BETWEEN PERSONNEL POLICY AND STUDENT RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT YOUR TIME UP.
AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE A POLICY THAT ACTUALLY THANK YOU.
[01:00:04]
SEEING NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT BACK TO THE BOARD SCENE OR RECOURSE TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD.MADAM SECRETARY CRAWLED THE BOAT, PLEASE VOTE SEVEN O'CLOCK.
NOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM G EIGHT CHARTER CONTRACT RENEWAL WITH HELIX MENTORSHIP, CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO RENEW THE CHARTER SCHOOL AGREEMENT WITH HELIX MENTORSHIP AND PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
CAN I GET A FIRST BOARD MEMBERS? UH, HOWARD AND LANICE IS THE SECOND SIENNA REQUESTS TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD PUBLIC COMMENT.
AGAIN, I REVIEWED THE COPY OF THE CURRENT TERM FOR HELIX BASED ON THE COP, THE CONTRACT THAT WAS EMAILED TO ME BY THE GENERAL COUNSEL'S OFFICE TODAY UNDER THE SECTION THAT SAYS RENEWAL, IT SAYS, WELL, FIRST THE CHARTER SCHOOL CONTRACTS WILL BE EFFECTIVE UNTIL JUNE 30TH, 2023, UNLESS EXTENDED THE RENEWAL STATES THAT THE BOARD SHALL CONDUCT AN EVALUATION OF THE CHARTER SCHOOL BASED ON THE EVALUATION AND RENEWABLE STANDARDS OUTLINED IN DISTRICT CHARTER POLICY AND LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE, 17 COLUMN 39 98, THEN THE CHARTER CONTRACTS WILL BE REVIEWED BASED ON ACADEMIC FINANCIAL AND ORGANIZATIONAL STANDARDS SET FORTH IN AND DISTRICT CHARTER POLICY.
AND THE NEXT ITEM, THE CHARTER SCHOOL MUST RECEIVE A MINUTE OF A SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE OF 64 RENEWAL AND SO ON.
AND I DON'T SEE ANY EVIDENCE IN THE BACKUP THAT THAT REVIEW WAS DONE, OR AT LEAST IF IT WAS, IT'S NOT REFERENCED TO POLICY, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THE BACKUP THAT INDICATES THERE'S SOMETHING PENDING TOWARD THE BOND COMMISSION.
UM, AND I DIDN'T SEE ANY BACKUP WITH ANY DETAILS.
SO I CHECKED WITH THE LOUISIANA STATE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THEIR GENERAL COUNSEL.
I HAVE A PENDING RECORD REQUEST.
I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHO IS ASKING FOR WHAT THE REQUIRES PERMISSION OF THE BOND COMMISSION THAT WOULD PROMPT YOU TO DEFER FROM THOSE, UM, CHARTER POLICIES THAT YOU WORKED SO HARD TO ADOPT IN RECENT YEARS.
SO I DON'T THINK THAT THERE IS A GOOD REASON THAT I'VE SEEN EXPLAINED FOR HE LOOKS TO BE RENEWED EARLY.
AND SO IN THE ABSENCE OF THAT, I THINK AT A MINIMUM, YOU SHOULD DEFER THIS TO THE AUGUST COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE GET A FULL PRESENTATION JUSTIFICATION.
AND IF THAT'S PROVIDED AND IT FITS POLICY AND STATUTE, THEN BY ALL MEANS, GIVE THEM THE EARLY RENEWAL AT THE FULL MEETING IN AUGUST, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE THAT.
AND YOU'RE RISKING BREAKING POLICY AND VESEY POLICY AND PERHAPS A STATUTE.
AND I'VE NOTICED THAT SOME FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY CRY WOLF IN THE FORM OF OBSERVING A WOLF AND FIGURING THAT THE ONLY WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT WOLF IS TO FILE LITIGATION.
UM, MENTORSHIP IS ONE OF THE BEST CHARTER SCHOOLS IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
I VOLUNTEERED THERE FOR FOUR YEARS.
UH, THEY HAVE REAL, THE KIDS ARE 7 0 5.
HAD A HARD TIME WHEN THE STROMAL HIGH SCHOOL CLOSE MOST OF THE KIDS AT 7 0 5, THEY SAY IF THEY CANNOT AGREE, OKAY, WHERE THESE SAME KIDS WITH THE MENTORSHIP OF CABINET CAME FROM A FAILING SCHOOL, AND GUESS WHAT ALL OF THEM GRADUATED.
I MEAN, EVERY ONE OF THEM, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT, BUT I KNOW THE WILSON 7 0 5 MENTORSHIP TOOK CARE OF THEM.
SO PLEASE PASS, MEASURE AND RENEWED, UH, FOR MENTORSHIP, RIGHT? THANK YOU, SIR.
[01:05:05]
KAREN, THE QUARTERLY PARENT DISABILITY ADVOCATE, I WILL RESPECTFULLY SPEAK AGAINST MENTORSHIP.THE REASON BEING NUMBER ONE, THE SPEAKER BEFORE ME SAID THAT, UM, THAT WAS THE BEST CHARTER SCHOOL.
ACTUALLY THE BEST CHARTER SCHOOL IS CCL MADISON PREP, BUT OU SAYING WHO'S BEST, RIGHT? IF I'M GOING TO TELL THEM, IF I'M GOING TO TELL THE TRUTH AND SHAME THE DEVIL, THE BEST ONE IS CCI MADISON PREP.
BUT NUMBER TWO, MENTORSHIP IS A CHARTER SCHOOL.
WELL, THEIR WHOLE ENTIRE CHAIN IS A CHARTER CHAIN THAT DISCRIMINATES AGAINST CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
THEY DON'T HAVE CHILDREN LIKE MINE DATA TO ACTUALLY ABLE TO ATTEND THE SCHOOL.
HOW DO I KNOW THAT? BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WENT THERE AND TRIED TO ENROLL A COUPLE.
SO WHEN WE SPEAK ABOUT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES AND THEY'RE RECEIVING PUBLIC FUNDING, THEY CANNOT PRACTICE DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES, CHU, UM, SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVE FEDERAL FUNDING HAVE A LEGAL, OBLIGATED, RIGHT? TO ACCEPT EVERY SINGLE CHILD, INCLUDING CHILDREN WITH 5 0 4 PLANS AND CHILDREN WITH IEP.
AND THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT HAS EVER BEEN UPLIFTED.
AND THAT HAS EVER BEEN BROUGHT AS A CONCERN THAT ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
WE CANNOT GIVE MONEY TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE SEGREGATED.
I AM VERY MUCH AWARE THAT AT BETSY, THEY SHUT DOWN A CHARTER SCHOOL THAT WAS IN NEW ORLEANS BECAUSE IT WAS AN ALL BOYS SCHOOL.
SO IF THEY SHUT IT DOWN BECAUSE IT WAS AN ALL BOYS SCHOOL AND THEY CONSIDERED THAT AS SEGREGATES, SEGREGATION AND DISCRIMINATION, WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT? WHEN IT COMES TO MENTORSHIP, HE LIKES ME TO MENTORSHIP.
WHEN THEY'RE NOT TAKING CHILDREN WITH IEP, THAT'S A DISCRIMINATION IN A SEGREGATION.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS LEGALLY COVERED UP ONTO THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS.
SO WHEN I STATE THAT WE ACTUALLY NEED TO NOT GIVE THEM PUBLIC FUNDING.
WE SHOULD NOT BECAUSE WE WOULD THEN BE GIVING AN UPHOLDING, BUT ACTUAL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE.
WE DO TALK ABOUT HOW MANY CHILDREN WE HAVE IN THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE OVER 43,000.
BUT WE HAVE MORE THAN 4,000 THAT ACTUALLY HAVE IEP.
THAT'S NOT COVERING, THAT'S NOT CONSIDERING HOW MANY WE ACTUALLY HAVE THAT ARE FIVE OH FOURS.
AND WHEN WE ALSO TALK ABOUT DISCRIMINATION, I NEVER HEAR THE NUMBER OF HOW MANY CHILDREN, MENTORSHIP HAYES, THAT HELIX MENTORSHIP HAS THAT R E L L LEARNERS, OR SHOULD I SAY ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS OR STUDENTS THAT HAVE ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
SO UNTIL THEY CAN GIVE US THOSE STATISTICS AND ACTUALLY START MEETING FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS, I ALSO SHOULD BE.
NAZIS MEMBERS OF THE BOARD PASSED THE CANADA SUMMER.
I JUST HAD A QUICK STATEMENT REAL QUICK AS IT RELATES TO THE HELIX EXTENSION.
I'M, I'M REALLY SEEING OUR BOARD MEETINGS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I'M WATCHING NICKELODEON AND KIDS WITH THE CHARACTER ATTACKS OR IT'S THE SAME OLD DOG WHISTLES.
I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.
THAT'S WHY I HAVE MY JACKET ON TODAY.
WE CONTINUOUSLY DISRESPECT THE SUPERINTENDENT AND LEADERSHIP TEAM.
WHO'S TRYING TO PUT FORWARD A GOOD EFFORTS TO MOVE THIS DISTRICT FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, IT'S THE OLD SAYING THAT, UH, ATTORNEY GENERAL, JEFF LANDRY SAID, HE SAID THAT IF YOU DON'T LIKE LOUISIANA MOVE, I HEAR A LOT ABOUT CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
I HEAR A LOT ABOUT THINGS THAT'S NOT TAKING PLACE.
AND WE HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES THE QUESTION.
HE'S ACTUALLY TRYING TO ADDRESS THE THINGS THAT THE PARENT ADVOCATE SAYS AND THE THINGS THAT MR FINNEY AND MANY OTHERS HAVE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO STOP WITH THE DOG WHISTLES.
IF WE REALLY JUST WANT TO TRY TO GET TOGETHER AND MOVE THIS DISTRICT FORWARD.
I'M SPEAKING AS AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN.
I WANT MR. FINNEY AND I WANT OTHERS WHO COME UP HERE AND CRITICIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO COME IN NORTH BATON ROUGE AND SEE WHAT WE DO IN NORTH BATON OR SEE THE WORK THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN NORTH BATON ROUGE.
SEE THE POSITIVE PROGRESS THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION HAS PUT FORWARD, BECAUSE I HEAR A LOT OF COMPLAINING, BUT I DON'T EVER SEE THESE PEOPLE WHO COMING UP HERE COMPLAINING, AND THEN PLAYING THESE ADULT GAMES, THE ACCEPTS THE ADULT SERVICES GAMES.
I DON'T EVER SEE THEM IN THE COMMUNITY.
I SEE SOME OF YOU IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I'M APPEALED TO MR. FINNEY AND OTHERS COME TO NORTH BATON ROUGE, SPEND TIME WITH KIDS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE
[01:10:01]
TO GET A QUALITY EDUCATION.THE KIDS THAT CAN BARELY WASH THEIR CLOTHES AND WHO NEED THAT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE.
I HEAR A LOT OF THINGS THAT YOU SAY, MR. FINNEY, AND MANY OF US SPEND TIME IN NORTH BATON ROUGE.
'CAUSE I KNOW WHAT THE KIDS ARE GONE BECAUSE I DO THIS WORK EVERY DAY.
AND I SEE A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD GET UP HERE.
DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DAY TO DAY CHILDREN ARE GOING THROUGH.
AND THOSE CHILDREN, THAT MENTORSHIP ACADEMY, ME AND THE OTHERS SHOULD NOT BE ATTACK BASED ON, THEY MAY BE MISSING A FEW ITEMS. SO WHEN YOU GET UP HERE AND YOU CRITICIZE THIS ADMINISTRATION, I WANT TO ASK Y'ALL A QUESTION.
HAVE YOU BEEN IN OUR COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON? CAUSE THIS IS THE MOST WORK I'VE SEEN.
COME OUT OVER THE ADMINISTRATION.
AT LEAST WE ACTUALLY GOT LAUGH.
HUMANS ANSWERING THE PHONES NOW.
THERE ARE NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT.
LET ME JUST, UH, AS THE PRESIDING OFFICER OVER THIS MEETING, APOLOGIZE, I USUALLY DO A MUCH BETTER JOB OF MAKING SURE OR ENCOURAGING, UH, COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD AS WELL AS FOLKS WHO COME AND MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS TO COME AND OPERATE AND LOVE.
YOU CAN MAKE VERY VALID POINTS, UH, WITHOUT ATTACKING ONE ANOTHER.
AND SO LET'S TRY TO DO THAT NOW.
I CAN'T STOP YOU IF THAT'S HOW YOU CHOOSE TO ROLL, BUT IT IS UNNECESSARY BECAUSE YOU CAN MAKE YOUR COMMENTS AND MAKE THEM VERY WELL AND VERY ELOQUENTLY, UH, WITHOUT US PUTTING EACH OTHER DOWN.
OH, I DID, UH, BOARD MEMBER LANA'S.
AND THEN, UM, I DO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
UM, HAS THE REVIEW BEEN FIRST, UH, BOARD COUNCIL? CAN YOU GO AHEAD AND EXPLAIN, UH, WHY IS COMING BEFORE EARLY? MY BASIC UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, I THERE'S A BOND ISSUE THAT THEY, THEY TRYING TO DO SOMETHING WITH A BOND AND ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE SCHOOL WANTS TO BUILD A FACILITY IN ORDER TO DO SO TO GET TO SECURE A LOAN.
THEY NEED A SURETY THAT, THAT THERE'LL BE AN OPERATION.
AND SO AN EARLY RENEWAL WE'LL PROVIDE THAT ASSURANCE SO THAT THEY CAN MOVE AHEAD.
NOW DIDN'T THIS WITNESS, UH, DONE BEFORE? YES, MA'AM WITH THIS PARTICULAR JOB, I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS THIS, WE HAVE DONE IT BEFORE.
I'M JUST NOT SURE IF IT'S THIS PARTICULAR CHARTER HAS A REVIEW OF THE CHILD HAD BEEN DONE.
NOW WE HAVE A PORTFOLIO MANAGER MS. KIM BOUDREAU, WHO CONDUCTS THAT REVIEW IN ACCORDANCE WITH POLICY.
I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S SHE'S HERE TONIGHT, BUT IT HAS BEEN CONDUCTED.
UM, AND I BELIEVE THERE IS SOME BACKUP ON THE MEMO.
UM, I LOOKED ONLINE IF YOU GO PAST THE MEMO, THAT'S BACKUP AS TO ACCURATE, ET CETERA.
SO THEN THEY PASS THE MUSTER IN TERMS OF THE CHARTER POSITIVE.
I WON'T GET INTO THE WEEDS ABOUT HOW A PERSON BELIEVED THEY COULD FIND AS IT, WITH THE OTHER PROPERTIES THEY GOT WITH.
I JUST WANT TO AT LEAST MAKE SURE, UH, THAT WE DID OUR POINT IN TERMS OF MAKING SURE THAT THEY PASS THE MUSTANG TURNS OF OUR POLICY.
AND, UM, DID THEY, DID THEY PROVIDE DOCUMENTATION OF THE BOND INDIES? WAS IT JUST, THEY SENT A LETTER AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO DO, OR DID THEY SHOW SOME DOCUMENTATION THAT IS IN THE WORD? NO, THE DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED.
I'M NOT THE PORTFOLIO MANAGER.
SO I DON'T ACTUALLY DO THAT WORK.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF VISITS THAT HAVE TO OCCUR, UM, AS WELL AS DOCUMENTATION REVIEW, ET CETERA, AND ALL OF THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND OUR ACADEMIC FOLKS MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT IN MORE DETAIL.
UH, UM, MR. BRICK HOUSE, I DON'T KNOW IF MS. BOUDREAUX WAS HERE OR IF YOU CAN RESPOND TO A VICE-PRESIDENT COLLIN'S QUESTION.
AND THEN IN PARTICULAR, I JUST NEED TO KNOW, UM, WHAT DID THEY SHOW BESIDES JUST SAYING THEY GOING TO GET A BUILDING AND NEED A BOND? SO AS FAR AS BUILDING A BUILDING THE, FROM THE LDL REPORT, UM, THE TWO AND 8, 18 20 19 SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE WAS TO 69.2, WHICH IS A C.
UM, IN ADDITION, THEY ALSO HAD, UH, A AND, AND STRENGTH OF DIPLOMA AND A STRING IN THE AAN, IN GRADUATION, IN THE GRADUATION INDEX ALSO, UM, THEY, ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT REPORT CARDS, UM, THEY MET ALL OF THEIR INDICATORS.
UM, THE ONLY INDICATOR THAT THEY DID NOT MEET, UM, WAS THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, BUT ALL OF THE OTHER INDICATORS WERE ALL MET.
NOW I DO REFRESH MY MEMORY IF YOU WILL, ON HOW WE HANDLE WHEN, WHEN THEY DON'T, UH, DO THE SPIT WHEN THEY DON'T FALL IN THE LAND WITH THE SPECIAL NEEDS.
[01:15:01]
UM, RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY, UM, IT SAYS THAT, UM, AS FAR AS THE ACADEMIC, UH, OVERALL RATING WAS, UM, MET MOST, UM, FINANCIAL WAS MET ALL EXPECTATION ORGANIZATIONAL, OR WOULD THEY ON THE SPECIAL NEEDS PART? UH, RIGHT.UM, THEY WERE A LITTLE WAYS OFF.
UM, THEY HAD, UH, HIS RESULT WAS A 5.6% CORN.
UM, BUT AS A STATED, THERE ARE QUITE A FEW INDICATORS AND THIS IS THE ONLY INDICATOR THAT THEY DID NOT MEET.
AND NO OTHER REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
PLEASE VOTE THE MOTION CARRIES MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM G 10 CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF POLICY BCB, SCHOOL, BOY MEETING WOUNDS OF PROCEDURE.
AND I GET A MOTION BOARD MEMBERS.
HOW WOULD IT LANA'S RECOGNIZE AND BOARD COLLEAGUE BERNARD.
I WANT TO THANK MR. HOWARD IN PARTICULAR FOR BRINGING THIS POLICY TO US BECAUSE GOVERNANCE IS SOMETHING THAT I'M COMMITTED TO.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE MR. SHANNON'S WORK ON IT.
I KNOW THAT YOU WORKED VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW IN MAKING OUR MEETINGS MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, I DO HAVE ONE LITTLE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT THAT I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER TO THE MAKER AND THE SECOND OF THE MOTION, UM, WHERE IN THE PARAGRAPH WHERE IT SAYS THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OR HIS DESIGNATE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT SHALL PREPARE A WRITTEN AGENDA FOR EACH REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I WOULD LIKE TO INSERT THE WORDS SHALL PREPARE A CONCISE AND EFFICIENT WRITTEN AGENDA.
WOULD YOU ACCEPT THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, MR. HOWARD? IT'S NOT EFFICIENT.
IT'S NOT WISHING, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE, IF WE GET SO SPECIFIC OF LIKE, WHAT IS LIKE THE DEFINITION OF CONCISE AND EFFICIENT, I MEAN, CONCISE AND, UM, EFFICIENT, IT'S THE WORDS THAT YOU USE? UM, I THINK BASED OFF OF THE PROVISIONS THAT ARE, ARE ALREADY ALIGNED IN THE POLICY, I THINK THAT IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE ADMINISTRATION TO DEVELOP A CONCISE AND EFFICIENT, UM, AGENDA.
SO I DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW IF THE, THE WORDS ADD ANY SUBSTANTIVE VALUE, CORRECT.
CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MR. SHAMBLIN.
UM, SO I MEAN, IF IT, FOR THE SAKE OF PASSAGE YES, BUT I MEAN, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW IF IT ADDS ANY SUBSEQUENT VALUE TO THE POLICY AS AN OUTLINE, IF YOU CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE ENTIRE POLICY IS AIMED AT BEING CONCISE AND EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME AND TIME OF THE PUBLIC AND, AND ALL OF THAT.
IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, LITTLE PHRASE THAT I'M PRETTY COMMITTED TO IS SOMETHING THAT I DON'T SEE A LOT OF.
UM, AND I, I NEED EVERYBODY TO BE CONCISE BECAUSE IT'S A MATTER OF GETTING TO THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD AND NOT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON EXTRANEOUS THINGS, BUT I CAN UNDERSTAND YOU'RE YOU'RE RAISING.
SO THAT'S A NO THEN ON ACCEPTING THE FRIENDLY, I MEAN, NO.
YEAH, NO, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK IT, UH, I DON'T THINK IT'S NECESSARILY, BECAUSE I THINK THE WHOLE THEME OF THE POLICY IS CONCISENESS AND EFFICIENCY, IF IT MATTERS AS IT RELATES TO THE VOTE COUNT.
I WOULD SAY NO FOR NOW AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN, WELL, COLLEEN, WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU.
MADAM VICE PRESIDENT OF WE HAVE SPENT, UM, WE HAVEN'T SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON POLICY IN THE PAST, YOU KNOW, EXCEPT THAT WHEN, UM, WE DEVELOPED A NEW CHARTER SCHOOL POLICY AND WE, UH, WE WORKED ON THIS FOR QUITE A WHILE, MAKING SURE THAT WE
[01:20:01]
HAD ALL OUR I'S DOTTED T'S CROSSED AND THAT WE WOULD HAVE IN A VERY EFFICIENT ONE, UM, IN WITH THIS POLICY, THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.AND, UM, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN IT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SUCH AS WHAT MS. BERNARD MENTIONED AROUND, JUST MAKING SURE THAT OUR AGENDAS ARE, ARE VERY EFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, HAVING SOME ACCOUNTABILITY, UH, FROM STAFF AND ADMINISTRATION.
UM, THE POLICY THAT WE WERE LOOKING TO FOLLOW AS A GUIDELINE COMES FROM METRO COUNCIL, AND IT ALSO SPEAKS TO, UH, ACKNOWLEDGING, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE AREA OF, I THINK THEY SAY HOW MANY WERE IN FAVOR OF AN ITEM AND HOW MANY THAT WERE NOT IN FAVOR OF AN ITEM.
UM, AND THEN THERE WAS A PIECE THAT WE SPOKE ABOUT LAST WEEK AROUND, UM, THE TIME THAT STAFF CAN SPEAK TO AN ITEM, WHICH PARTICULARLY CONCERNS ME AT COMMITTEE OR THE WHOLE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN WE GET THE BULK OF OUR INFORMATION OR ANY EXPLANATIONS.
AND, UM, IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS, UM, ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE SEE IN THE BACKUP IS A VERY CRITICAL TIME FOR US WHEN WE'RE LOOKING TO MAKE DECISIONS.
AND, UM, SO, AND I'M, I'M SURE THERE ARE, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD, WE COULD LOOK AT THAT WOULD MAKE THIS EVEN BETTER THAN, THAN WHAT WE SEE HERE.
AND, UM, I APPRECIATE THE TIME AND THE EFFORT, ALTHOUGH IT, IT WAS VERY QUICKLY, UM, DONE AS FAR AS THE TIME THAT IT CAME TO US IN THE TIME THAT WE LOOKED AT IT AND, UM, HAD ANYTHING, ANY COMMENTS DURING COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
UM, SO FOR THAT REASON, I WOULD ASK THAT WE WOULD DEFER THE ITEM TO THE AUGUST BOARD MEETING WHEN WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE MORE INPUT AND KIND OF DISSECT IT AND, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT EVEN BETTER THAN IT IS NOW.
UM, I DON'T SEE A REAL PUSH FOR TIME.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S, UM, LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S, IT'S VERY CRITICAL AS FAR AS, UH, WE'RE NOT W WE DON'T HAVE ANY REAL TIME CONSTRAINT ON THIS, AND WE ALL WANT TO WORK TOWARD HAVING MORE EFFICIENT MEETINGS.
UH, ESPECIALLY I KNOW THIS CAME OUT OF THE IDEA OF, OF LIMITING THE TIME.
I MEAN, THE PHYSICAL TIME TO 9:00 PM, AND I KNOW ALL ON BOARD WITH THAT, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WOULD REALLY MAKE IT MORE EFFICIENT SO THAT WE CAN REALLY GET TO THAT GOAL, UM, WITHOUT LOSING ANY OF THE, UM, OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE MIGHT, UH, WE MIGHT NEED.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, UH, FIVE MINUTE LIMIT BECAUSE IT WILL HELP THE BOARD TO BE MORE, UM, UH, JUST A LOT MORE, MORE PREPARED AND WHAT THEY WANT TO SAY AND COLLECTING THEIR IDEAS AND, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THINGS ARE CONCISE AND PROBABLY WRITTEN.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND IT'LL HELP THE BOARD.
AND THEN THE, THE PIECE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE IMPLEMENT WHEN WE HAVE FIVE PEOPLE THAT ARE, ARE IN LINE TO COMMENT, AND THEN THE TIME AFTER THOSE FIVE MAY BE SHORTENED, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF LITTLE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT IF WE SPENT A LITTLE MORE TIME, UM, WHICH IS ONLY A MONTH TO, UH, TO REFINE IT, WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH BETTER PRODUCT.
AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST FOR THIS BOARD.
UM, THERE'S A NEW BOARD COMING ON AND WHAT WE DO RIGHT HERE IS GOING TO AFFECT THAT BOARD AND, UH, AND THE WAY THAT THEY OPERATE.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT AND RESPONSIBLE OF, OF US TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME AND CONSIDER THOSE THINGS THAT MIGHT BE MISSING FROM THE, UH, FROM THE ITEM.
SO, UH, I WOULD MOVE TO DEFER TO, UH, FOR ONE MONTH TO THE AUGUST, UH, BOARD MEETING.
[01:25:01]
SO WE, SO WE LOST OUR BOARD SECRETARY FOR A SECOND.YOU'RE MAKING A MOTION TO DEFER.
NOW, UM, I HAD PUT MY NAME IN THE QUEUE, UH, BUT A SECRET SECOND ON THAT MOTION, THIS ISN'T IN RELATION TO WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD DO A SECOND.
UM, I AGREE THAT, UH, WHAT BOARD COLLEAGUE BERNARD HAD MENTIONED, UM, YES.
UM, AND, UH, SOME PEOPLE HAD SHARED CONCERN ABOUT, UH, EVERYBODY SHARING THE RESPONSIBILITY OF, UM, MAKING SURE THAT THE MEETINGS MOVE EFFICIENTLY, ET CETERA.
IT'S DIFFICULT TO PUT TEETH INTO WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE OR THE ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE THERE MAY BE SOMETHING THAT REALLY NEEDS A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, UH, ET CETERA.
UH, AND SO THAT'S WHY I HESITANT TO, TO MYSELF SAY, WELL, F BOARD MEMBERS HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND PUBLIC HALF, THREE, AND ALL WANT, YOU KNOW, ONE MINUTE ON DIFFERENT ITEMS, THEN ADMINISTRATION SHOULD MAKE SURE THEY DO WHATEVER THEY DO IN FIVE OR 10 MINUTES.
CAUSE THAT'S JUST HARD TO GAUGE.
UH, BUT AS I BEGAN TO THINK ON IT, OFFERING THAT LANGUAGE AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, I THOUGHT MIGHT BE, MIGHT BE WORTHY.
YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? LIKE, OKAY, LET'S JUST MAKE SURE THAT THE, THE, THE SPIRIT OF THE POLICY IS ACKNOWLEDGING THAT EVERYBODY HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO, UH, KEEP THE MEETING GOING SMOOTHLY AND EFFICIENTLY.
AND SO I, UH, FOR ME, IT WAS SATISFIED AND I WOULDN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO, BECAUSE I DO HEAR MY COLLEAGUES CONCERNED ABOUT US ABOUT A, UH, DEFERMENT, IF WE COULD AT LEAST GET THAT GUIDING LANE, YOU KNOW, THAT LANGUAGE EXPRESSED AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE, THEN I WOULD APPRECIATE.
SO COLLEAGUE, WHERE JACKSON, UM, UM, WHICH, AND SPIRIT, WHEN I'M TRYING TO NEGOTIATE, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD HAVE IT ANY WAY.
SO WE GOT US A GOOD, WE GOT US A GOOD FRIENDLY AMENDMENT AND GETTING THE SPIRIT OF THAT.
AND SO, UH, THEN COLLEAGUE, UH, BERNARD, IF YOU WOULD, UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THAT SO THAT IT'S CLEAR THE FRIENDLY THAT YOU WANTED TO OFFER AND THEN I'LL COME TO YOU, UM, THE AMENDMENT.
AND SO TO BE CLEAR, WHAT I'M SAYING, WHAT I'M SAYING IS I WOULD HAVE SECONDED YOUR REQUEST TO DEFER, BUT SINCE THEY ARE WILLING TO DO A FRIENDLY AND INCLUDE THE GUIDING LANGUAGE, THEN I'M GOING TO STAND DOWN THAT WILL HELP COVER SOME OF THIS.
SO TO CLARIFY, MS. WET JACKSON MADE A MOTION TO DEFER, BUT DID NOT HAVE A SECOND, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
SO WE'RE BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION WITH AN AMENDMENT YES.
SO JUST REPEAT THE LANGUAGE FOR THEM SO THEY CAN MAKE SURE THEY HAVE IT ON THE RECORD.
IT'S JUST IN THE PLACE WHERE THE IT'S ONE SENTENCE THAT SAYS THE SUPERINTENDENT AND, OR HIS DESIGNEE WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE PRESIDENT SHALL PREPARE A, AND IT'S INSERT THE WORDS, CONCISE AND EFFICIENT WRITTEN AGENDA FOR EACH SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
IT'S JUST THOSE THREE WORDS, CONCISE AND EFFICIENT, AND THERE IS NO DEFINITION OF CONCISE AND EFFICIENT, AND I KNOW YOUR ATTORNEYS AND YOU WANT THAT TO FIND, AND I APOLOGIZE.
I'M, I JUST THINK THAT IT'S JUST IN THE SPIRIT OF IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARY FOR WORK, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF IT, BUT THANK YOU FOR ACCEPTING THE FRIENDLY.
SO, UH, YES, UH, BOARD MEMBER
THANK YOU, MR. VICE-PRESIDENT AND WE'LL RESPECT TO BOARD COLLEAGUE, UH, MS.
UM, I THINK IN ESSENCE OF THE REASON WHY THE POLICY WAS CREATED WAS TO, UH, OFFER MORE CONCISE AND EFFICIENT BOARD MEETINGS.
I KNOW FOR A FACT, NO ONE LIKES GETTING OUT OF A BOARD MEETING AT 12 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT, AND ONE O'CLOCK IN, I'M SORRY, 12 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING.
AND ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING IT'S, UH, IS BEYOND DREADING, UH, IN OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
I KNOW, UH, THAT THEY ARE, WE AS A BOARD SHOULD BE MORE WILLING TO LISTEN TO THEM.
THEY ACTUALLY HEAR OURSELVES TALK.
AND I THINK THERE WAS A PRESIDENT TAPPIN THAT SAID IT AT THE LAST MEETING, UH, PREPARING FOR BOARD MEETINGS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS
[01:30:01]
COMING HERE.AND WHEN WE START PREPARING FOR MEETINGS BEFORE WE GET HERE, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE A, LESS OF A LOAD OF QUESTIONS THAT WE WANT TO ASK THE PUBLIC, AND WE CAN HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC MORE, AND WE CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT AGAIN, AND BE MORE CONCISE IN THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE AS A BOARD.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO LIFT THAT UP AND SAY THAT, UH, I THINK THAT THIS ALSO COMMENTS, UH, ANOTHER POLICY THAT BOTH MYSELF AND ATTORNEY SHAMBLIN AND I HAVE TO WORK ON, AND WHICH IS GOING TO BE, UH, THE STANDING COMMITTEES, I THINK BY ALLOWING THE STANDING COMMITTEES, ALONG WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, IT'S GOING TO PUT US IN A MUCH BETTER PLACE IN TERMS OF GOVERNANCE.
AS A BOARD, THE STANDING COMMITTEES WILL ALLOW OUR COMMUNITY TO ASK THE MUCH NEEDED QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS, AS WELL AS STAFF, UH, ABOUT ITEMS THAT ARE GOING UP HERE ON EITHER THE COW OR THE REGULAR BOARD AGENDA.
AND WHEN THE TIME WE GET INSIDE OF THESE MEETING ROOMS, THAT'S LESS QUESTIONS THAT WE HAVE TO ASK STAFF AND MORE QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN RELY ON OUR PUBLIC TO ASK TOWARDS EITHER OUR BOARD OR EITHER STAFF MEMBERS.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS A NECESSARY POLICY.
I'M HAPPY THAT THE SECOND AMENDMENT, THE, UH, MOTION WITH THE, I'M SORRY, THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS PULLED BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A CANE.
I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO VOTE ON TONIGHT.
UM, MS. COLLINS AND, UH, TO MY, THE STOMATA YET AGAIN.
UM, BUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS LIKE THE WHOLE SPIRIT OF THE POLICY WAS ABOUT CONCISENESS AND EFFICIENCY.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO NAME THAT.
UM, I ALSO WANT TO OFFER UP TO MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES AND POTENTIAL COLLEAGUES OF THIS, UM, OVER IT BECAUSE I SEE MANY CANDIDATES AND THEIR AUDIENCE, UM, THE SPIRIT OF THIS BOARD AND WHAT YOU DO AS A GOVERNING BODY IS TO CREATE POLICY SOLUTIONS.
AND SO WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO WORDSMITH EVERY SINGLE THING THAT WE DO TO PROVIDE, UM, THE WORK THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AS A GOVERNING BODY.
THERE ARE INNOVATIVE WAYS THAT WE COLLECTIVELY CAN BE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THE PUBLIC IS BEING HEARD.
I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR FOUR YEARS, AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANYONE OFFER UP AN OPPORTUNITY AND AN ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE INNOVATION AROUND HOW WE HEAR THE PUBLIC.
AND SO, I KNOW LAST WEEK, IT WAS SAY SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT THIS BEING A PUBLIC GAG ORDER.
AND I WANT TO CONTINUE, CONTINUE TO DENOUNCE THAT MIS-CHARACTERIZATION OF THIS INTENT OF THIS POLICY.
AND THEN IN THE SPIRIT OF THE ANNOUNCING THAT ENCOURAGED FOLKS ON THIS BOARD TO DO THE HOMEWORK, TO CREATE INNOVATIVE OPPORTUNITIES TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC.
THANK YOU, BOARD COLLEAGUE, UH, HOWARD, AND I JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SAY THAT, UM, I, I BOUGHT COLLEAGUE HOWARD HAD ALREADY BEEN TRYING TO GET SOMETHING AND, UH, AND SO THEN I ALSO SAID, WELL, HE, RIGHT.
SO HE HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET THIS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO I, I PUSHED FOR THIS TO BE ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE IT IS RIDICULOUS FOR US TO BE IN HERE TILL MIDNIGHT.
BY THE TIME NINE, 10 O'CLOCK COMES, WE ARE ALL TIRED AND LET SOME OF US, SOME OF US ARE BLESSED TO BE RETIRED, BUT MOST OF US WORK ON NINE TO FIVE, ET CETERA.
UH, AND, AND, AND THE PUBLIC THAT ATTENDS WORK NINE TO FIVE AND THEY HAVE CHILDREN AND THEY GOT TO GET HOME AND DO, AND I WILL STAFF.
SO WE DO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR TIME.
AND WHEN I ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS IS VERY INTENTIONAL BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND DETAILS BEHIND STUFF.
NOW ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS CAUSE I DO MY HOMEWORK.
UM, SOME I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYBODY, BUT I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT AND I'M GONNA MAKE SURE I EFFICIENTLY ASKED MY QUESTIONS, UH, DURING THAT FIVE MINUTES THAT I'M ALLOTTED AND I'LL BE DOING LIKE SYSTEM MIXING UP SISTER, CONGRESS, LADY, MAXINE WATERS, AND RECLAIMING MY TIME.
I DON'T GET EFFICIENT ANSWERS FROM STAFF, ET CETERA.
SO WE ALL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, WE ARE RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF OUR TIME AND A PUBLIC'S TIME AND NOT BE CONTINUOUSLY BE IN HERE UNTIL MIDNIGHT.
AND SO, UH, UH, UH, COLLEAGUE BERNARD, YOU HAD SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY ON NO.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THAT THERE ARE PUBLIC BODIES THAT DO NOT TAKE A COMMENT ON EVERY AGENDA ITEM.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ONCE DURING THE MEETING FOR ALL AGENDA ITEMS. SO IN OTHER WORDS, UH, THE, THE POTENTIAL FOR 60 MINUTES THAT A PERSON HAS TO SPEAK THREE MINUTES ON EACH ITEM, 20 AGENDA ITEMS, AN INDIVIDUAL MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC COULD POTENTIALLY SPEAK FOR 60 MINUTES IN, IN OUR MEETINGS, THREE ON EACH ITEM WOULD NOT EXIST.
AND SO I DO FIND THAT THE POLICY THAT WE ARE OFFERING RIGHT NOW TONIGHT IS VERY PROGRESSIVE BECAUSE WE STILL DO ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON EACH ITEM.
SO, UM, I'M VERY MUCH IN FAVOR OF THE POLICY.
AND I, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU
[01:35:01]
GUYS OFFERING IT.JAMES FINNEY, A 20 YEAR RESIDENT OF NORTH BATON ROUGE AND PARA TO THREE GRADUATES OF MCKINLEY HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS POLICY HAS ONLY BEEN IN FRONT OF THE PUBLIC FOR A LITTLE MORE THAN A WEEK.
GRANTED, AT LEAST A COUPLE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, MAYBE SEVERAL WHO'VE BEEN BOUNCING AROUND IDEAS FOR LONGER THAN THAT, BUT I DON'T SEE WHAT THE RUSH IS.
I THINK THE SUGGESTION TO PUT THIS OFF UNTIL AUGUST WAS PERFECTLY REASONABLE.
IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO GET THIS RIGHT THAN TO GET IT FAST.
WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING, NOT DISCOURAGING PUBLIC COMMENT WITH RESPECT TO MS. BERNARD'S POINT.
THE PUBLIC IS ALLOWED TO COMMENT ON EVERY AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT SCHOOL BOARDS ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COMMENT ON EVERY AGENDA ITEM.
SO I STILL DON'T CONSIDER THIS PROGRESS.
I DON'T THINK THE PUBLIC COMMENT PART IS THE BIG PROBLEM THOUGH.
I THINK THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU, AS A MAJORITY WOULD SEEK TO HAMSTRING THE ABILITY OF MY REPRESENTATIVE, WHOEVER THAT MIGHT BE IN JANUARY TO COMMENT, TO FILIBUSTER, TO ASK PLENTY OF QUESTIONS, TO DEMAND ANSWERS.
THAT'S NOT EFFICIENT THAT'S GOVERNMENT.
SOMETIMES DELIBERATION TAKES TIME.
SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE, UH, MS. WARD JACKSON TO TRY ONE MORE TIME TO GET THAT SECOND AND CONSIDER DEFERRING THIS.
JUST TALK ABOUT IT SOME MORE AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AND THEN SETTLE ON SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY CAN AGREE ON.
THAT DOESN'T SEEM SO SCARY TO THOSE OF US IN THE PUBLIC THAT ARE WORRIED ABOUT THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, RUNNING, EVERYTHING THAT IS A LEGITIMATE CONCERN, WHETHER ANY OF YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT AS A PERSONAL ATTACK OR NOT.
AGAIN, I KNOW THERE ARE VOTES TO PASS THIS, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU WOULD PASS IN AUGUST WOULD BE A STRONGER POLICY, MORE LIKELY TO RESULT IN SHORT MEETINGS AND GOOD GOVERNANCE THAN WHAT YOU WOULD RUSH TO, UM, TO ADOPT TONIGHT.
THE THREE WORD ADDITION WAS A GOOD ADDITION.
THERE MAY QUITE POSSIBLY BE OTHER VERY BENEFICIAL AND WORTHWHILE ADDITIONS, CORRECTIONS, AND OTHER ADJUSTMENTS TO THIS PROPOSED POLICY.
UM, MY BIGGEST CONCERN WITH THE POLICY SHOCKING TO YOU ALL IS NOT THE PUBLIC COMMENT PIECE THAT I'M A GIRL FROM.
BEDFORD-STUYVESANT GOING TO SAY WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, AND I'M GOING TO GET IT IN.
UM, IT'S Y'ALL'S PEACE WHEN Y'ALL CALL SOMEBODY UP HERE TO ANSWER A QUESTION THAT SHOULDN'T COME OUT OF YOUR FIVE MINUTES.
I THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
I LIKE THE FIVE MINUTES, BUT I THINK THAT WHEN YOU CALL SOMEBODY UP HERE, IF THEY EAT UP YOUR TIME, POSSIBLY PURPOSEFULLY, THAT SHOULD NOT COME OUT OF YOUR FIVE MINUTES.
ALSO, CAN WE LOOK AT ADDING BOARD MEMBER DYSON'S, UM, ITEM, POSSIBLY AS A ATTACHMENT TO THIS OF THE ACTION ITEM OF GETTING ALL DOCUMENTS REQUESTED FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT WITHIN, WAS IT THREE DAYS? AND IF NOT, SO JUST SAYING IT WAS VERY FRIENDLY, UH, SAYING, CAN WE CAN'T GET THIS TO YOU IN THIS DAY? IT'LL BE ON THIS DATE THAT ALSO WILL MOVE THINGS MORE EFFICIENTLY THAT MAKES SURE YOU ARE ABLE TO BE PREPARED BY THE BOARD MEETING.
I THINK THAT COULD BE ADDED AS WELL.
LISTEN, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD START THAT DR.
I KNOW MS. DICE HAS BEEN ON HERE FOR A WHILE BECAUSE I'VE WATCHED MS. DICE AND WATCHED ME GROW UP.
SO THIS IS A GOOD POLICY AND THIS AGAIN HELPS THE FRAMEWORK FOR A SUPERINTENDENT.
WHO'S TRYING TO MOVE TO DISTRICT FOUR.
AND I DO THINK HE'S DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB TAMIA.
YOU'VE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN OUR DISTRICT TOO.
AND SO I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TRAVAIL FOR BRINGING THIS THIS FOR, BECAUSE IT DOES HELP, UH, ORGANIZE THE BOARD MEETINGS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK Y'ALL SHOULD PASS THIS.
[01:40:01]
WAIT, WAIT, NO STRATA TURNED ME DOWN WHEN WE LISTEN, EXPLAIN IT BETTER.THANK YOU, CHRONICLE OR THE PARENT AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE.
AND LET ME SAY THIS IS GOING TO BE STREAMLINE PROBLEMATIC NOW BECAUSE WE HAVE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT ARE NEEDED FOR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NUMBER 112 THAT WAS PASSED IS THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION BY REPRESENTATIVE REPRESENTATIVE AHMEDI AND GARETH FALLOW.
THAT SPEAKS ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT AND ABOUT THE PUBLIC ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO SUBMIT PUBLIC COMMENTS ELECTRONICALLY AS, AS, UH, VIA MAIL, UM, SO THAT THEY CAN PARTICIPATE TO THE FULLEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
THIS BILL WAS PASSED ON BEHALF OF INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
ANOTHER LAW THAT I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP IS LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE 42, COLON 19.
THAT SPEAKS ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO AS A GOVERNING BODY, AS IT RELATES TO PUBLIC COMMENT AND OPEN MEETING LAW.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PUBLIC COMMENT, NUMBER ONE IN REVISED THAT YOU FORWARD IT TO 19, HE SAYS THAT THE PUBLIC IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE RIGHT TO COMMENT.
THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO HAVE A LIMIT AS FAR AS IN YOU DECREASE IN THE LIMIT PAST THREE MINUTES, WHEN YOU GO TO BETSY AND WHEN YOU GO TO THEIR HOUSE AND THE SENATE COMMITTEES, YOU HAVE THAT TIMEFRAME.
SO THE TIMEFRAME OF THREE MINUTES IS WITHIN WHAT ALL GOVERNING BODIES ARE DOING HERE IN THE STATE.
SO WHY WOULD WE WANT TO CREATE A POLICY THAT IS GOING TO DECREASE THAT, AND THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE IN LINE NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, WE'RE NOT MAKING SURE THAT OUR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES CAN ACTUALLY FULLY PARTICIPATE INTO OUR ACTUAL GOVERNING OF THESE MEETINGS.
THERE'S A GENTLEMAN THAT IS A PARAPROFESSIONAL WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT ALWAYS COME UP HERE THAT HAS A DISABILITY, AND HE FAITHFULLY STATES HOW HE HAS A DISABILITY AND THAT HE NEEDED ACCOMMODATIONS TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO SPEAK.
SO IT MAY TAKE HIM A LITTLE LONGER THAN THREE MINUTES TO ACTUALLY GET HIS FULL STATEMENT OUT.
BUT UNDER THIS POLICY, WE WOULD ACTUALLY INTERFERE WITH THAT ACCOMMODATION THAT IS ACTUALLY PROTECTED BY CIVIL RIGHTS.
YOU CANNOT CREATE POLICIES THAT VIOLATE FEDERAL LAWS.
THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CONTINUE TO ACTUALLY TRY TO DO THINGS WITHOUT ACTUALLY DOING OUR REAL RESEARCH.
AND THAT WAS PART OF THE MAIN THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WAS RESEARCH.
THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE TO DO RESEARCH, RIGHT, BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF THE PROBLEM.
EACH BOARD MEMBER NOT PLAYING THEIR PART, BUT ALSO YOU CAN'T GET MAD AT WHEN THE PUBLIC COME UP HERE AND THEY CALL YOU OUT ON IT AND SAY IT, I ACTUALLY DID MY RESEARCH AND ACTUALLY PULLED UP THESE LOGS.
AND IF I WAS ABLE TO DO THEM VIA GOOGLE AND ACTUALLY BE IN THE CAPITOL WHEN A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION PASSED, THEN I THINK THAT IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT OUR BOARD ACTUALLY TAKEN TO STRONG CONSIDERATION TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE A PART OF THOSE GOVERNING BODIES AS WELL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH SEEING NO OTHER, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT BOARD, HUH? OH YEAH.
BACK TO THE BOARD BOARD, UH, COUNSEL.
UH, I DID NOT NECESSARILY NOTICE.
SO I'M ASKING THERE'S SOMETHING IN HERE THAT SAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE POLICY MUST BE IN COMPILED COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
WELL, IF THE GENERAL RULE IS ALL POLICY HAS BEEN COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS, GOOD WORK CAN'T PASS POLICY THAT, THAT VIOLATES LAW.
UH, SO I'M GLAD THAT, UM, SISTER CORALEE BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION, THOSE BILLS THAT WERE PASSED, BUT THEN THAT DOES MEAN THAT WE HAVE TO FALL IN LINE WITH THAT CORRECT WITH THE ELECTRONIC, UM, KIND OF MATES.
AND AS A REMINDER TO THIS BOARD, GENERALLY WHEN THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ENDS, WHICH IT DID, UH, WE AWAIT RECOMMENDATIONS FROM FORETHOUGHT AND FROM EXTERNAL COUNCIL FOR ADDITIONAL POLICY AMENDMENTS.
SO IT'S USUALLY COME THROUGH AUGUST, SEPTEMBER.
AND SO THOSE CHANGES WILL BE RECOMMENDED LATER.
UM, AND SO ANY, ANY CHANGES IN THE LAW WILL BE REFLECTED IN POLICY AMENDMENTS WITHIN THE NEXT 60 DAYS OR SO? WELL, THAT'S GOOD BECAUSE, UM, SHE DID REMIND ME THAT A CONSTITUENT HEAD CONCERNED ABOUT THE, UH, ELECTRONIC COMMENTS.
AND SO THEN HOW CONCERN OR THAT IS ADDRESSED THROUGH THAT LOT.
SEEING NO, UH, OH, UH, COLLEAGUE WHERE CA WHERE JACKSON,
[01:45:02]
THANK YOU, MATT.AND VICE-PRESIDENT, I APPRECIATE THE POLICY AND I APPRECIATE US BEING ABLE TO, UM, BE DONE BY NINE.
UM, THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL NOT BE ADDRESSED WITH THE POLICY AS IT IS, AND THAT'S OKAY.
WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME REVISIONS DOWN THE LINE IF WE'RE NOT IN, IN LINE WITH, WITH WHAT THE STATE IS, IS SAYING.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK, UH, DON'T WE HAVE SOMETHING IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, OR, UH, TO BE ABLE TO SEE PUBLIC COMMENT AS WE MOVE THROUGH THROUGH THE BOARD MEETING THROUGH BOARD DOCS OR YES.
MA'AM YOU MEAN THE, THE, UH, DIGITAL PUBLIC COMMENTS, ELECTRONIC PUBLIC COMMENT, RIGHT.
I REMEMBER SOME PEOPLE ASKED ABOUT THAT SOMETIME AGO ABOUT ACKNOWLEDGING THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS OR MAKING SURE THAT THE BOARD HAD THE ABILITY TO SEE THOSE COMMENTS DURING THE MEETING.
MA'AM UM, THERE'S A LINK UNDER THE BOARD SECTION OF THE WEBSITE THAT LINKS TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, BUT THE CURRENT MEETING IT'S UPDATED AS COMMENTS ARE ADDED, UH, YOU CAN, YOU HAVE TO LOG IN, YOU JUST CLICK.
WE NEED TO BE ON THE WEBSITE AT THE SAME TIME TO SEE, WELL, THERE'S A LINK.
I MEAN, WE COULD POTENTIALLY ADD A LINK TO BOARD DOCS IF YOU'D LIKE THAT.
MAYBE THAT, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE COULD SEE THOSE THINGS.
AND, UH, AS YOU MENTIONED THIS, I WANT TO THANK, UH, APRIL OUR BOARD SECRETARY FOR PUTTING THE LINK TO THE POLICY BOOK ON BOARD DOCS BEFORE IT WASN'T THERE.
SO NOW WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOMETHING IT'S A LOT EASIER TO JUST GO IN AND, UH, AND TAKE A LOOK.
I DO APPRECIATE THAT THIS IS WHERE JACKSON WILL IN APRIL SPEAK TO THE FIRST QUESTION AS WELL.
SHE'S GOT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO TO READ THE COMMENTS, WE CAN ADD A TAB.
LIKE WE HAVE YOUR REQUEST TO SPEAK TO THAT AT THE TOP.
YOU CAN PUT THE, WE CAN PUT A LINK THERE FOR YOU TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEM DURING THE MEETING, OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING, YOU CAN SEE THEM ON THE, UM, WEBSITE THERE'S TELLS YOU HOW TO SEE THE CURRENT ONES AND PAST MEETINGS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL FOR ALL OF US.
I ALSO WANT TO, AND I'LL DEAL WITH THIS OFFLINE, BUT I'M LETTING IT BE KNOWN THAT THOSE ONLINE COMMENTS, IF THEY CAN HAVE A ADDITIONAL OPTION TO CLICK.
SO YES, THEY CAN FREEFORM TYPE WHERE THEY WANT TO TYPE, BUT THEN YAY OR NAY FOR THAT ITEM.
JUST LIKE THEY JUST LIKE, THEY SUBMIT A CARD AND COMMITTEES OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND THAT'S NOT A POLICY THING THAT'S, YOU KNOW.
SO THAT'S THAT'S I HAVE NO OTHER COMMENTS.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER, YOU, YOU WANT TO MEET US UP.
MADAM SECRETARY, CAN YOU PLEASE CALL THE VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
MOVING FORWARD WITH NEW BUSINESS
[H1. Adoption/Ratification of Redistricting Plan]
ITEM H ONE ADOPTION RATIFICATION OF REDISTRICT PLANT DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION FOR THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION FOR THE ADOPTION RATIFICATION OF THE WHERE COLLINS PLAN ONE 11 REDISTRICTING LAND.I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE DEFER THE ITEM TO THE AUGUST MEETING, UM, DUE TO NEW INFORMATION, UH, AROUND.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS.
[01:50:01]
ALTHOUGH THIS IS THE ONLY PLAN THAT, THAT THE BOARD, UM, THAT THE BOARD, THE ONLY THE, THERE ARE TWO MAPS THAT, THAT MOVE FORWARD.THE OTHER ONE IS CAUGHT UP IN, YOU KNOW, IN MITIGATION, THIS ONE HAS BASICALLY BEEN STAYED AND THEN THERE'S NEW LITIGATION AROUND THIS AND, UH, WHICH WOULD ALTER THE RESOLUTION ITSELF.
AND ALSO THE, UH, BOARD ATTORNEY, UH, UNDER HIS ADVICE, UM, STATES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO ADVERTISE OR 20 DAYS BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO, UH, MOVE THAT WE DEFER THE ITEM AND, UM, TO THE AUGUST 18TH, UH, BOARD MEETING.
AND THIS WOULD ALSO ALLOW US TO, UM, ADVERTISE, UH, BEFORE ANY PUBLIC HEARING THAT MIGHT TAKE PLACE AFTER THOSE 20 DAYS.
SO MS. WAYNE JACKSON WILL SPEAK TO IT JUST SECOND IN ORDER TO ADVERTISE, WE WOULD REQUIRE BOARD ACTION TO DO THAT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, WE CAN'T ADVERTISE WITHOUT THE BOARD APPROVING THE ADVERTISEMENT MOVING FORWARD.
AND ALSO THAT HELPS FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH WILL BE HELD IN A SPECIAL MEETING.
THE BOARD WOULD BE TO APPROVE THE SPECIAL MEETING TO HOLD THE PUBLIC HEARING.
I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
UM, I WAS LIKE, IT DOESN'T TAKE A VOTE OF THE BOARD TO, UH, TO DO SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED BY A STATUTE.
WE DID ADVERTISE BOTH OF THOSE MAPS PREVIOUSLY.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO, ARE YOU SAYING THAT WE WOULD NEED TO VOTE AGAIN TO NORMALLY I'M OUT? I WAS JUST GOING BY YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ADVERTISE, WE WOULD DEFINITELY NEED TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AT A MINIMUM.
THERE'S BEEN NO PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS MAP.
IF IT WERE TO BE ADOPTED, THAT WOULD REQUIRE AN ACTION OF THE BOARD.
YOU'D NEED TO SET A PUBLIC HEARING TO, TO DISCUSS THAT MAP WITH THE PUBLIC BEFORE ADOPTING IT.
WE SORRY, MR. SHAMBLIN, WOULD YOU REPEAT THAT? SO THE LAW REQUIRES THAT YOU ADVERTISE A MAP FOR 20 DAYS IN ADVANCE OF A PUBLIC HEARING BEFORE YOU ADOPTED THAT'S.
THE PROCESS OF THE STATUTE REQUIRES IN THE PAST IS BOY'S PRACTICE HAS BEEN TO APPROVE THE ADVERTISEMENT, SET THE SPECIAL MEETING, AND THEN ADOPTED THE MAP.
AND SO I THINK YOUR REQUEST WAS TO CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE MAP.
SO WHEN WE TALK THAT SAID TO BE SAFE, MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE THE ADVERTISE, THE MAP, AND THEN HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING TO MAKE SURE YOU ADHERE TO THE LAW.
UM, AND THEN AS WE TALKED, YOU SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU WANT IT TO MOVE AHEAD WITH CONSIDERING THE ADOPTION.
MY UNDERSTANDING TONIGHT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DEFER THIS UNTIL AUGUST CONSIDERING SOME NEW INFORMATION.
I'M ONLY SUGGESTING THAT IF WE EVER ADOPT THIS MAP TO COMPLY WITH THE LAW, YOU WOULD NEED TO MAKE SURE IT'S BEEN ADVERTISED APPROPRIATELY.
AND THAT THERE'S BEEN A PUBLIC HEARING TO DISCUSS THE MAP.
AND IN LIGHT OF ALL OF THE LITIGATION THAT IS TAKEN PLACE, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE, UM, MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE, UH, FOLLOWING ALL THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AS THEY SAY.
SO, UM, SO IF IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO, YOU WERE SAYING THAT WE NEED TO VOTE TO ADVERTISE, BUT WE WOULD NEED TO INTRODUCE A MOTION TO ADVERTISE MAP.
AND THAT'S HOW WE HANDLED THE PREVIOUS PROCESS.
WELL, THEN I WOULD, I WOULD CHANGE THAT THEN TO, UH, TO THAT PARTICULAR EMOTIONS TO SHAME.
SO YOU ARE CHANGING YOUR MOTION TO A MOTION TO ADVERTISE THE MAP IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTE, RIGHT BEFORE WE WOULD HAVE A HEARING TO POSSIBLY ADOPT THE AT, SINCE THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT DOESN'T BREAK ANY STATE STATUTES OR FEDERAL LAWS.
SO WE NEED A SECOND AND IT'S TO ADVERTISE, UM, CALI CANNOT OFFER
[01:55:02]
A MOTION TO DEFER TO AUGUST 18TH AFTER WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT NEW LITIGATION.AND THAT WAY WE CAN KNOW HOW TO BEST MOVE FORWARD ON THIS PARTICULAR MAP.
BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, A BIG PIECE OF MY, MY CONCERN IS ALL OF THE NEW LITIGATION THAT'S COME FORWARD AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT WEEK OR MONTH.
UH, SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHY THE MAJOR PART OF YOUR CONCERN IS TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADDRESS THAT.
BECAUSE THERE'S JUST SO MUCH IN THE AIR NOW.
YOU WANT TO RETURN TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION TO DEFER TO THE AUGUST REGULAR MEETING 18TH MEETING MEDLEY? YES.
OH, AND I'LL SAY AGAIN, I'M SORRY.
UH, AND THEN BOARD KYLIE LANTIS.
IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO MOVE AN ITEM THAT IS CURRENTLY UNDER LITIGATION? MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS IS AN APPELLATE COURT, SO THERE ARE SEVERAL THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN.
ONE THE APPELLATE COURT COULD SAY, NO, WE DON'T GO WITH THE 11 NUMBER RULING.
AND THEN WENT BACK INSIDE OF A SITUATION WHERE, WELL, WE MOVE SOMETHING THAT CAN'T MOVE ANYWAY.
OR THERE COULD BE A SITUATION WHERE THE COURT CASE MAY NOT COME UP ON AUGUST 18.
SO WE'RE BACK IN A BIND AGAIN.
SO I JUST WANTED SOME CLARITY AROUND IT.
THE MOTION TO DEFER IS NOT A MOTION TO APPROVE OR MOVE AN ITEM.
IT'S JUST SIMPLY DEFERRING IT.
SO THERE IS NO BOARD, TECHNICALLY NO BOARD ACTION.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THIS MAP IS NOT BEFORE THE COURT IN TERM.
WELL, IT IS BEFORE THE COURT, BUT A DECISION IS EXPECTED TO BE RANDOM.
AND THIS IS PART OF THE REPORT I'LL MAKE LATER ON AUGUST 10TH AT THE COURT OF APPEALS LEVEL AS TO THIS MAPS, DETERMINATION, AND THE OTHER MAP, THAT'S ALSO BEEN APPROVED BY THE BOARD.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, YOU CAN DEFER THE ASSESSMENT.
I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH DEFERRING THIS, IF THAT, IF THAT'S THE INTENT OF MS. SQUARE JACKSON, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT ANY DECISION MADE BY THE COURT OF APPEALS ON AUGUST 10TH MIGHT MAKE THIS A MOOT ISSUE.
UH, OH, I GUESS I JUST WANTED TO PUT IT FOR LEGALITY PURPOSES.
SO WE, WE MOVED THIS ITEM TO DECEMBER, UH, AUGUST 18.
LIKE I UNDERSTAND THAT PART OF IT, BUT BEING THAT THIS IS IN COURT, LIKE, I JUST WANT YOU TO GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE BECAUSE LIKE, EVEN, SO LET'S SAY THE COURT DECIDES THAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, UH, TRIAL LEVEL MADE A BAD DECISION, THE COURT OF APPEALS SAYING IT'S LIKE, WE ARE WITH THROWING OUT THE WHOLE THING.
LIKE JUST GIVING US SOME GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT.
LIKE, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO START THIS PROCESS ALL THE WAY OVER? LIKE WE, LIKE WHAT? CAUSE I KNOW HE SAID LIKE THIS MAP WAS THE MAP, BUT THAT WAS ONE THAT WAS ONE JUDGE.
SO WHAT IS LIKE, DO WE HAVE TO START REDISTRICTING OVER? LIKE WE HAVE ELECTIONS COMING UP.
WE HAVE PEOPLE LIKE ALL OF THE THINGS, LIKE THERE ARE JUST SO MANY MOVING PARTS FOR US TO LIKE, EVEN BE TALKING ABOUT LIKE THIS, THIS LEGAL THING.
SO I JUST WANTED SOME GUIDANCE AS TO WHAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT PREPARING FOR, AS IT MOVES INTO COURT, DEPENDING ON THE DECISION THAT HAPPENS AUGUST 10TH.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT MATTERS, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME, CAUSE THAT'LL BE THE WEEK AFTER, LIKE WHAT SHOULD WE BE STARTING TO OVERSHARE, APRIL, BE PUTTING MAPS ON BOARD, LIKE OR WHATEVER.
AND I'M BEING HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, THE COLA, I CAN'T READ THE COURT OF APPEALS MINDS.
I WON'T SIT HERE AND TRY TO PRETEND TO TELL YOU WHAT THE WILL BE.
A NUMBER OF DECISIONS COULD BE MADE BY THE COURT.
UH, EACH ONE OF THEM WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT, UH, RAMIFICATION FOR THIS BOARD.
THERE'S A POTENTIAL THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO START THE PROCESS OVER.
THAT'S A POTENTIAL, WE'LL HAVE A MAP TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
AND SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT WITH ANY CERTAINTY TONIGHT.
AND I'M JUST BEING HONEST WITH YOU.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH DEFERRING THIS ACTION TO AUGUST.
IT MAY JUST BE A MOOT POINT AT THAT POINT.
AND THEN WHAT CLARITY ON THE APPEAL COURT DECISION? MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THE VEHICLE IS KEPT, UH, PORT AND, UH, AND DENIED ALL MY TERMS. I'LL MIX THE UP.
AND LIKE I JUST FINISHED LAW SCHOOL ACCEPTED PART OF THE LOWER COURT AND THEN, UH, THE NIGHT PART OF THE LAW COURT.
AND SO WOULD THEY ACCEPTED FROM THE LOWER COURT? WAS THAT THE VOTE THAT WAS TAKEN FOR THE NINE MEMBER MAP WAS THAT MAP IS, IS NO.
THE ONLY QUESTION IS NOW WHAT TO DO ON THE APPEALS LEVEL.
UH, AND, AND SO THEN WHAT THEY DIDN'T AGREE WITH IN THE 19TH JDC WAS THAT
[02:00:01]
PROCEDURALLY IT WAS IMPROPER OR, UH, THE JUDGE TO SAY WE HAD TO ADOPT THE WAY I COLLINS, BUT IT DOESN'T, IT DIDN'T HOLD THE WHERE COLLINS DIDN'T SAY THE WORD COLLINS IS NO, IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING EXCEPT THAT THE LAW COULD NOT HAVE US DO THE WHERE CONGRESS, BUT THE NINE MEMBER MAP IN FACT IS STILL, NO, KEEP IT SIMPLE.THERE'S BEEN NO DECISION BY THE COURT OF APPEAL.
OTHER THAN TO SAY, YOU CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH NEITHER MAP UNTIL WE MAKE A DECISION.
AND SO WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT, THE BOARD IS STOPPED UNTIL THE DECISION BY THE COURT OF APPEAL IS MAY FINALLY AS TO HOW TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THEY DID.
THEY HELD IMPORT AND THEY ALL RIGHT, I'M GONNA LET IT GO.
BUT THE READING I UNDERSTOOD WAS THE NON-MEMBER MAP IS NO.
AND THEY AGREED, OH, THEY STAYED THE USE OF IT.
SO WITHOUT GOING INTO TOO MUCH DETAIL, THE DISTRICT COURT, THE TRIAL COURT, UM, ORDERED THIS BOARD TO UTILIZE THE WHERE COLLINS MAP AND PROHIBITED THE USE OF THE NINE MEMBER MAP ADOPTED BY THE BOARD.
WHEN IT WENT TO COURT OF APPEALS, A DECISION WAS MADE IMMEDIATELY TO, UH, OVERTURN PART OF THAT DECISION.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO BASICALLY SAID.
WE COULD NOT MOVE AHEAD WITH IMPLEMENTING THE WHERE COLLINS MAP.
UM, AND THERE'S BEEN NO DECISION, BUT, BUT THE, IT DID NOT SPEAK TO, OR, OR DETERMINE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITH, UH, THE TROCCO'S DECISION AROUND THE MEMBER MAPS.
SO WE ARE ESSENTIALLY IN A PARK, IN A PLACE WHERE WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH NEITHER MAP UNTIL THE COURT OF APPEAL MAKES A DECISION AS TO HOW TO MOVE FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO LOOK BACK AT MY UNDERSTANDING LAST NIGHT AND YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, THE LEGAL PAID COUNSEL.
SO I RESPECT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT FOR ME TO PROCESS WHAT I READ, I'M GOING TO GO BACK AGAIN.
AND AS A REPORT ON THIS AGENDA THAT ACTUALLY PROVIDES YOU SPECIFICALLY WITH WHAT THE DECISION WAS, HOW THE DECISIONS WERE MADE AND WHERE WE ARE, BUT I CAN, UM, I CAN MEET WITH YOU AFTERWARDS IF NEEDED AS WELL AND TALK THROUGH IT.
YEAH, BECAUSE I WAS NOT HERE FOR THE PRESENTATION ON LAST WEEK.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
DID WE DIDN'T DO THE BOARD? I MEAN THE, UH, THE AUDIENCE.
NO PUBLIC COMMENT BACK TO THE BOARD.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
WELL, WE WENT FORWARD WITH ITEM H TWO.
WHEN I CLICKED OPEN THE BOAT, IT TOOK ALL YELLS OFF.
SO CAN Y'ALL PLEASE VOTE AGAIN.
[H2. ITEP: International Mezzo Technologies Inc]
YOU.MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM H TO DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION OF AN APPLICATION FROM INTERNAL INTERNATIONAL MESIAL TECHNOLOGIES INCORPORATED FOR AN INDUSTRIAL TAX EXEMPTION AND RELATED MATTERS, MOVED BY BOARD COLLIE BERNARD, A SECONDARY BY BORDER COLLIE BY BOOK CURRENTLY DYESS AND
[02:05:05]
SEEING A REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD.ANY PUBLIC COMMENT, TWO THINGS I'M GOING TO SAY EVERY TIME.
AND I TAP EXEMPTION COMES DIRECTLY TO A BOARD MEETING.
NUMBER ONE, THIS MAKES IT APPEAR TO BE AN EMERGENCY.
THERE'S NO REASON THIS SHOULDN'T HAVE COME THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, OTHER THAN THE EXPECTATION THAT YOU'RE JUST GOING TO RUBBER STAMP EVERY PIECE OF CORPORATE WOLF WELFARE THAT COMES BEFORE YOU.
NUMBER TWO, WHEN THE VOTERS APPROVED A PROPERTY TAX, THEY APPROVED THE PROPERTY TAX BASED ON A FAIR MARKET VALUE, NOT CORPORATE EXEMPTIONS.
I THINK YOU SHOULD DENY EVERY ITEP REQUEST THAT COMES BEFORE YOU FOR THE REST OF HER LONG.
UM, I AGREED TO SIT AND GO THROUGH THE COW.
IT'S KIND OF CONFUSING, BUT, UM, I DON'T LIKE I TIP EVER THAT MONEY BELONGS TO OUR STUDENTS.
THAT MONEY BELONGS TO OUR SCHOOLS.
WE JUST SPENT AN EXHAUSTIVE AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO NEED FOR NEXT YEAR.
ONCE WE RUN OUT OF ESTHER AND THAT COMES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO I DON'T THINK GIVING AWAY THAT MONEY THAT COULD BE COMING IN HAS A VERY GOOD IDEA.
SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT, MR. SHAMBLIN, DONNIE MILLER FOR THE BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER, TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS PROJECT, MAYBE GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS OF WHAT THIS PROJECT ENTAILS.
UM, THIS IS A INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR INTERNATIONAL MEZZO TECHNOLOGIES.
WHAT'S FASCINATING AS WE TALK ABOUT THE GROWTH OF COMPANIES, WE LIKE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TRAJECTORY IN 2019, THEY INVESTED NORTH OF $270,000 IN 21, NORTH OF $380,000.
AND TODAY WHAT'S BEFORE YOU IS NORTH OF $555,000.
SO THEY'RE CONTINUING TO GROW.
I THINK THAT'S THE STORY THAT THAT'S HERE, BUT THE PROJECT DESCRIPTION IS DESIGN ENGINEERING AND MANUFACTURING OF, UH, HEAT EXCHANGERS, WHICH IS THE CORE OF INTERNATIONAL BEZO TECHNOLOGIES.
THEY'RE ADDING NEW MACHINERY, MANUFACTURING, EQUIPMENT, TOOLING, NEW SOFTWARE, UH, AND CONTINUING TO GROW IN NORTH BATON ROUGE.
THEY'RE ESTIMATED TO ADD TWO ADDITIONAL JOBS, WHICH TAKING THEIR JOB COUNT FROM 44 TO 46, UM, ADDING ADDITIONAL PAYROLL OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, TAKING EXISTING PAYROLL FROM 3.5 MILLION UP TO 3.6 MILLION.
AND AGAIN, THAT IS CONTINUING TO GROW.
THOSE DOLLARS ARE BEING REDISTRIBUTED BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY.
SO WHAT DOES THE PROJECT LOOK LIKE IN A 10 YEAR ABATEMENT, UH, AND SLASH REVENUE? SO OVER 10 YEARS, THE REVENUE FROM THIS IS GOING TO ADD OVER 75,000 FOR 20 YEARS, OVER 138,000, UH, FOR YOU, I'D LIKE TO CARVE OUT WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ABATEMENT IS OVER 10 YEARS, WHICH IS $34,216.
UM, I THINK THIS IS AN INVESTMENT THAT CONTINUES TO ADD VALUE INTO THE COMMUNITY.
UH, THIS IS A COMPANY THAT WAS, UH, JUST ACQUIRED AND IT IS GOING TO BE GROWING EXPONENTIALLY.
UM, AS, UH, HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE HERE TODAY, UH, THIS 46 IS GOING TO BE DWARFED ON THE NUMBER THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE CONTINUING TO GROW.
SO THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE SUCCESS STORIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, TH THAT CAME OUT OF A SMALL OPERATION CONTINUES TO GROW HERE IN BATON ROUGE.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
SEE, I KNOW THE REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
UM, NO OTHER PUBLIC COMMENT BACK TO THE BOY, BOY COLLEAGUE GOLDIE.
UM, AND I GUESS THIS WOULD BE FOR YOU, MR. MILLER OR REPRESENTATIVE.
UH, I DID READ IN THE PAPER WHERE, UH, THIS COMPANY IS BEING ACQUIRED BY.
I THINK IT WAS A, UH, INVESTMENT BANK AND, UH, R SILLIEST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH, AND SO I JUST WANT, LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT CAN, THAT CAN GET CUT TWO WAYS.
AND I JUST WANT, IF SOMEONE IS HERE FROM THE INDUSTRY OR FROM THE COMPANY TO TALK ABOUT WHAT IS THE PLANS THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT THIS ASK IS I DO SUPPORT, UH, THE GROWTH OF THIS COMPANY.
UM, BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF ASSURANCES THAT THE INTENTION OF THEIR NEW OWNERS IS
[02:10:01]
TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND HERE IN BATON ROUGE, AS WE DO THAT, LET ME ASK MR. KEVIN KELLY TO COME.MAYBE HE HAS ANSWERED SOME QUESTIONS ON THE TRAJECTORY OF THE COMPANY AND IN THE GROWTH HERE IN BATON ROUGE, I KNOW BEING ACQUIRED IS, CAN BE A GOOD THING.
IT'S NOT, NOT NECESSARILY A BAD THING.
AND I'M JUST WANTING TO GET SOME MORE INPUT ON THAT.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING? YES, THEY, UH, THAT WAS AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE DEAL.
AND HEY, THEY LOVE OUR PEOPLE.
THEY'VE MADE A PRETTY BIG COMMITMENT TO KEEPING THE PEOPLE GOT, AND THEY HAVE NO INTENTIONS OF LEAVING BATON ROUGE.
AND I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO JUST HAVING MORE RESOURCES AND BEEN ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, ADD TO THE BUILDING AND ADD TO THE PEOPLE, BUT WE DON'T OWN THE COMPANY AS MUCH ANYMORE.
SO THEORETICALLY SOMETHING COULD HAPPEN, BUT I GET NO, NO SENSE THAT THEY'RE NOT HERE TO STAY IN BATON ROUGE.
I JUST WANT ME TO GET THAT ON THE RECORD, UH, BEFORE ANYONE ASKS QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH BOARD MEMBER, LANCE.
I THINK THE NAME OF THAT COMPANY WAS A ARC LINE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT.
THAT'S THE COMPANY THAT'S ACQUIRING, UH, MISA INTERNATIONAL MISA, UH, DONNY.
HAVEN'T SEEN YOU IN A WHILE, MAN.
LIKE THE BEARD, UH, QUICK QUESTION.
UM, HAVE THEY MET ALL REQUIREMENTS UNDER ITIP WAS EXEMPTION FOR THIS CURRENT? YES.
SO I JUST, AGAIN, FOR THE RECORD THEY MET ALL REQUIREMENTS.
THANK YOU, BOY, COLLEAGUE, UM, DAS AND YES, I JUST WANTED TO THANK Y'ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT.
UM, AND SHARING WITH US THIS, THIS GROWTH IS EXCEPTIONAL AND SO PLEASED THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO INVEST IN BATON ROUGE.
UM, I MEET ON THIS PARTICULAR ISLAND.
I'M JUST GLANCING AT THIS PARTICULAR BACKUP.
UM, THE PROJECT WAS STARTED IN COMPLETED ALREADY.
YES, PROJECT HAS STARTED, IT KICKS OFF WITH THE ADVANCED NOTIFICATION, WHICH GIVES WHICH NOTICE TO THE STATE, WHICH ALLOWS THE COMPANY TO START PURCHASING AND START INSTALLING.
THEN IT GOES TO THE BOARD OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY AFTER AN APPLICATION IS FILED, WHICH WAS APPROVED, BUT THEY DIDN'T START THE PROJECT BEFORE THEY SUBMITTED THE APPLICATION TODAY.
AND THEY WILL STILL BE AN AFFIDAVIT OF FINAL COSTS THAT WILL BE FILED, WHICH WILL AGAIN, WILL BE LIKE AN ITEMIZED RECEIPT OF THE ENTIRE, UH, SPEND AND ALL THE EXPENDITURES BACK TO THE STATE.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
PLEASE VOTE THE MOTION CARRIES
[H3. Teacher Sign-On Bonus]
MOVING FORWARD WITH, UH, ITEM H THREE CONSIDERATION DISCUSSION OF A REQUEST TO APPROVE AN ALLOCATION FROM THE ESTHER TO ACTION TO BUDGET FOR HALF A MILLION AND THE S THE THREE ACTION TO BUDGET FOR $572,500 STIPEND LINE ITEMS FOR THE PAYMENT OF A ONE-TIME SIGN-ON BONUS FOR $7,500 FOR NEW TEACHER HIRES FOR THE 2020 2 23 SCHOOL YEAR.CAN I GET A MOTION? LANA'S AND I WILL.
I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE SUPERINTENDENT FOR BRINGING THIS ITEM FORWARD.
UH, MY, UH, I THINK THIS IS A GOOD START.
MY ONLY HOPE IS THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE BRING IN TO RECRUIT, UH, MORE TEACHERS INSIDE OF OUR DISTRICT.
[02:15:01]
I DID WANT TO COMMEND THE EFFORT.THANK YOU, CNO, THE REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BALL CNO, A BOARD MEMBER, HOWARD.
I'M I, I TOO WANT TO SHARE THAT SENTIMENT.
AND I JUST THINK THAT THIS IS, IS, IT IS A START.
AND I THINK THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UM, FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AS WE, UH, VISIT THIS ISSUE, LIKE IT IS A, IT'S A SERIOUS ISSUE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UH, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT MORE TO A PAY TEACHERS.
LIKE WE ALL KNOW THAT, BUT LIKE, WHAT ARE THE INCENTIVES THAT WE'RE GIVING TO OUR TEACHERS TO COME INTO OUR DISTRICTS? AS WE LOOK AT NEIGHBORING PARISHES, UM, MANY OF THE CONVERSATIONS IS AROUND LIKE HOW THEIR PAY SCALES ARE OUTWEIGHING OUR PAY SCALES.
AND I THINK THAT, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK ABOUT WITH TEACHING IS LIKE HAVING PROPER REPRESENTATION INSIDE OF CLASSROOMS. AND IT'S JUST SUCH A, UM, SYSTEMIC ISSUE THAT GOES INTO LIKE WHO'S ACTUALLY ABLE TO TEACH.
AND SO FIGURING OUT WAYS TO OFFER ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, UM, FOR THIS KIND OF WORK TO HAPPEN.
UM, I THINK THAT EVEN POST ESSER, LIKE THERE SHOULD BE A COMMITMENT FROM THIS BOARD TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PROPERLY, UM, GIVE TEACHERS TO THE DESIRED SALARIES THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS DISTRICT, UM, AND REALLY RECREATE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A TEACHER.
AND HOW DO WE ELEVATE THE PROFESSION, NOT ONLY THROUGH INCENTIVES, BUT IN SUPPORTS INSIDE OF SCHOOL.
SO I DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD START.
I LIKED THE THREE-YEAR COMMITMENT, UM, THAT TEACHERS HAVE TO NOT ONLY GET THE SIGN ON BONUS, BUT COMMIT TO BEING A PART OF THIS DISTRICT, BUT MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING THE SYSTEMS AND STRUCTURES IN PLACE TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGHOUT JUST THE SIGN ON BONUS.
UM, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED AS A TEACHER IS THAT THE SALARY WAS ONE THING, BUT WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATED THE MOST WAS THE SUPPORTS INSIDE OF MY SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAS SUCCESSFUL AND HAD THE ABILITY TO ADVANCE MY PROFESSION.
SO I THINK THIS IS A GREAT START, BUT FIGURING OUT WAYS AS A BOARD, AS A COLLECTIVE BOARD TO CONTINUE THIS KIND OF INITIATIVE SO THAT WE CAN STAY IN THEIR POSTS AS OUR FUNDING.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE KINDS OF INCENTIVES FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
AND, UM, SO I AM IN FAVOR OF THIS AND I ALSO THOUGH WOULD, UM, WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT, WE'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS ABOUT POTENTIAL STIPENDS FOR OUR TEACHERS, AND I'D LIKE TO GET SOME CONCRETE TIMEFRAME ON WHEN WE CAN EXPECT THIS TO COME TO THE BOARD AS WELL FOR OUR CURRENT TEACHERS.
AND, UM, KEEP US UPDATED ON THAT.
UM, BASED ON OUR CONVERSATION WE HAD AROUND WHEN WE DID OUR COMPENSATION STILL, UH, I WILL BE BRINGING TO THE BOARD, UH, NEXT, UM, NEXT AUGUST, UH, I MEAN THIS AUGUST COMING UP THE, UM, UH, TWO STIPENDS ONE WILL BE THE RECOMMENDATION TO STIPEND EVERYONE IN THE SYSTEM FOR THE FALL, AND THEN EVERYONE MISSES THEM FOR THE SPRING.
UM, AS DISCUSSED WHEN WE STARTED DOING THE COMPENSATION GO, UM, THAT WE'LL TAKE HERE OF THE ENTIRE STAFF FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR, AS YOU KNOW, THAT WE WILL BE, OUR GOAL IS TO RAISE, UH, SALARIES UP A PERCENT, UH, SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT HAS COMPETITIVE IN THE ENTIRE REGION.
UH, THAT'S UH, PART OF OUR COMPENSATION STRATEGY AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR ON A, ON AND ON, ON AN ONGOING BASIS FOR, UH, CUTS AND WAYS THAT WE CAN BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE AT SAVINGS SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD TO DO THESE THINGS.
I KNOW THAT THE, UM, THE ACTUAL PAY RAISES AREN'T READY TO COME TO US, UM, FOR A VOTE.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE STIPENDS AT LEAST ARE COMING FOR THIS NEXT MONTH OR FOLLOWING MEETING OUR NEXT MEETING.
BUT, UM, BUT TO KEEP US UPDATED ALONG THE WAY ON WHAT IS LOOKING LIKE AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO GET TO THAT THREE-YEAR GOAL OF A 12% INCREASE FOR OUR TEACHERS.
UH, YEAH, MY, MY, UH, AS I SHARED BEFORE, MY COMMITMENT IS, UH, TO GET THE DISTRICT UP EVERY YEAR, UH, AS WE DISCUSSED AND ALSO MAKE SURE WE BRING A BALANCED BUDGET AREAS, RIGHT EXACTLY.
UM, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, UH, IS MS. HALL IN THE AUDIENCE? OH, THERE SHE IS.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU COULD FILL US IN, ON WHERE WE STAND RIGHT NOW.
UM, UM, THE NUMBER OF VACANCIES THAT WE ARE TRYING TO FEEL AND HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO PAST YEARS? I HAVE TO GET YOU UP HERE ONCE IN A WHILE.
SO RIGHT NOW, AS OF TODAY, UH, WE HAVE, UM, 233 VACANCIES TEACHER VACANCIES.
AND THE LAST THREE YEARS IN TWENTY NINETEEN, TWENTY, TWENTY ONE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY EIGHT, TWENTY, TWENTY
[02:20:04]
TO 21 TO 33 AND, UM, 21, 22 TO 19.SO, SO WE HAVE OUR WORK CUT OUT TO DO, BUT IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT HAS BEEN IN YEARS PAST.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTOOD THAT, THAT, UH, YEAH, WE HAVE A GOOD JOB TO DO, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD PERSON TO DO IT WITH A GOOD DEPARTMENT BEHIND HER TO, TO, UH, TRY TO MAKE THOSE THINGS HAPPEN.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
AND I HOPE THIS HELPS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED IN OUR SALARY CURVES IS WE TEND TO BE UNDER OUR NEIGHBORING PARISHES FOR BEGINNING TEACHERS AND THIS WILL HELP, UH, CURE THAT ILL UNTIL WE GET TO THE NEW SALARY SCHEDULES AND WORK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR WORK.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY THAT I'M GOING TO COMPROMISE ON THIS.
NO I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN BECAUSE I'M NOT AGAINST A BONUS.
WHAT I'M AGAINST IS FIGURING OUT HOW TO TAKE CARE OF BRAND NEW PEOPLE WITHOUT FIRST TAKING CARE OF EXISTING STAFF AND TEACHERS, ESPECIALLY AFTER IT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES.
I KNOW MYSELF, I KNOW A COLLEAGUE DOES, AND I KNOW MYSELF PERSONALLY, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING SINCE LAST YEAR, I KEPT SAYING, CAN WE DO SOME KIND OF TEACHER INCENTIVE, SOME KIND OF PAY RAISE, ET CETERA.
AS OTHER DISTRICTS IN LOUISIANA AND ACROSS THE NATION, THEY HAVEN'T DONE.
AND I HAVE BEEN GETTING A RUN AROUND ON THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
FIRST, WE JUST COULDN'T DO IT DESPITE EVERYBODY ELSE DOING IT.
THEN ONCE IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION THAT THE U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SECRETARY CARDOZO SAID, PLEASE DO IT THEN NO MONEY, OKAY.
FOR EXISTING TEACHERS AND STAFF.
AND THIS IS GOING TO CAUSE A LOT OF HEARTBURN FOR EXISTING TEACHERS AND STAFF.
IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, BE GOING TO DO SOMETHING IN 2024 IS ONE THING TO SAY, WE GONNA THROW THEM SOME MORE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET HIM 7,500 FOR PUTTING UP WITH US AND BEING RETURNED TO RETAIN THEM.
AIN'T GOING TO BE $7,500 FOR TEACHERS THAT HAVE CHOSEN TO STAY WITH US, UH, AT LEAST BASED ON OUR PREVIOUS, UH, STIPENDS.
UM, AND SO, BUT I AM IN SUPPORT OF TRYING TO ATTRACT NEW PEOPLE AS JUST BELIEVE IT WAS NOT DONE IN PROPER ORDER.
NO, BUT THE BEST I COULD DO IS ABSTAIN TO SHOW, TO SHOW SUPPORT OF THAT ASPECT.
YES, BECAUSE FOR ME VOTING, YES IS ME SAYING I'M NOT GOING TO FIGHT FOR EXISTING STAFF AND TEACHERS.
I WANT TO SEE SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE IN AUGUST.
AND SO THANK YOU A BOY, KALI DOESN'T.
AND I HAD, UH, VERY MUCH HOPE THAT WE COULD GET THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UM, BECAUSE I, I TRULY DO BELIEVE THAT WE NEED OUR EXISTING STAFF.
WHO'VE STAYED WITH US THROUGH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS.
THEY NEED TO BE REWARDED FOR AS A RETENTION STIPEND.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I DID WANT TO GET THE ASSURANCE DURING THIS PUBLIC MEETING THAT THAT WILL BE COMING TO OUR BOARD IN AUGUST.
UH, CNO OF THE REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD PUBLIC COMMENT.
SO ON MATTHEWS, I LOVE THE IDEA OF A SIGN-ON BONUS.
IN FACT, I ASKED FOR IT ON RECORD, WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE CSM AND THE IMPACT LETTERS, I'M ALSO THE ONE THAT SAID TO DO THE THREE YEARS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I SAID REWARD.
THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN IN THE TRENCHES.
I SAID THAT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THOSE 549 PEOPLE THAT WERE ON THE TRANSFER LIST, YEAH.
I CAN GO BACK AND WATCH THE TAPE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LEAVING.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS.
CAUSE I WENT IN AND WENT ON THE PERSONNEL CHANGES APRIL 68, TEACHERS LEFT MAY 75 TEACHERS LEFT JUNE 80 JULY AS OF JULY 11TH, 109 TEACHERS LEFT THAT AS A TOTAL OF 332 TEACHERS THAT HAVE LEFT THIS DISTRICT SINCE THE IMPACT, LET US, WE ARE TIRED.
[02:25:01]
PUT UP WITH ALL OF THIS WONDER A DOMINANCE.IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT STIPEND BOARD MEMBER DIASEM BOARDMAN, BLACKNESS, YOU HAVE FOUGHT FOR THE TEACHERS TO HAVE SCIFEST DAWN.
YOU HAVE FOUGHT THE TEACHERS TO HAVE STIPENDS.
YOU SAID FOR IT TO BE READY BEFORE AUGUST.
THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID WHEN THEY HAD THE COMPENSATION STEADY.
NO, I'VE HEARD IT'S READY TODAY.
THIS BOARD CAN ADD AN AGENDA ITEM.
YOU'LL GET THOSE TEACHERS, THE CURRENT TEACHERS THAT'S STIPEND TODAY.
THEN YOU GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THIS, BUT YOU GUESS WHAT? THOSE TEACHERS ARE WATCHING RIGHT NOW.
SEE, THIS WAS SLIPPED IN THE LAST SECOND SO THAT WE WOULDN'T SEE IT WOULDN'T KNOW THAT IT WAS ON THE AGENDA.
THEY COULDN'T MAKE IT, BUT THEY ARE FURIOUS.
AND YOU HAVE A GOOD HANDFUL OF THEM THAT STILL MAY AND ALREADY SAYING IT'S ALL RIGHT.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE QUIT THREE MORE.
QUIT MY SCHOOL THIS WEEK THAT REFLECTED IN THIS 330 TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR CURRENT EDUCATORS.
WE ARE TIRED, THIS MISCOMMUNICATION AND WE DON'T TRUST YOU, BABY.
WE DON'T TRUST YOU FOR NOTHING.
WE DON'T TRUST YOUR COMMUNICATION.
WHAT HAVE YOU GIVEN US TO TRUST YOU? AND YOU THINK WE GOING TO BELIEVE IN ASSURANCE, JILL I'LL DO RESPECTFUL.
WE DON'T TRUST IN ASSURANCE THAT IT'S GOING TO COME BACK.
THANK YOU, JAMES FINNEY, MS. MASSEY, MS. MATTHEWS IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
EVERY ACTION HAS CONSEQUENCES.
YOU SHOULD BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT THE VOTE YOU WERE ABOUT TO MAKE.
THINK ABOUT WHY THIS HAS COME IN BEFORE THE FULL BOARD MEETING AT THE LAST MINUTE AND WHY IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
THINK ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE BEING PUT IN A POSITION WHERE A VOTE.
NO, WHICH IS THE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE VOTE HAS BEEN ENGINEERED.
SO YOU LOOK LIKE YOU DON'T WANT TO ATTRACT TEACHERS THAT IS UNFAIR MANIPULATION BY THE VISITOR FOR MARYLAND.
AND YOU SHOULD NOT TOLERATE IT WITH THE TWO FUNDS WITH WHICH HE IS PROPOSING TO PAY FOR THIS STIPEND FOR NEW TEACHERS.
IT IS NOT CLEAR HOW THAT'S GOING TO MODIFY THE BUDGET THAT YOU PASS LAST WEEK FOR EACH OF THOSE.
WHAT ARE YOU NOT GOING TO SPEND HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN THE ONE FUND? AND WHAT DO YOU NOT GOING TO SPEND HALF A MILLION DOLLARS ON IN THE OTHER FUND? AND IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ABIDE BY THE BUDGET EVEN FOR A WEEK, WHY BOTHER PASSING THE BUDGET? OH YEAH.
CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE TWO THINGS.
THREE THINGS THAT YOU ARE LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO, YOU SHOULD USE THAT $10 MILLION AND WHATEVER HAS BEEN DESIGNATED, BUT NOT REVEALED YET FOR A TOKEN LITTLE STIPEND FOR THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE HUNG ON, PUT THAT MONEY IN A POOL AND REWRITE THE SALARY SCHEDULE.
SO EVERYBODY GETS A RAISE THIS YEAR.
SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAY GAMES ABOUT WHETHER YOU GET PUNISHED BECAUSE YOU MISSED 11 DAYS OR 21 DAYS.
HE DIDN'T HAVE THE DOCUMENTATION.
FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH YOU CAN AFFORD THIS YEAR.
THE VISITOR FOR MARYLAND HAS PROMISED A HUGE PHRASE FOR EVERYBODY.
THE FEAR FROM NOW, MR. FINNEY, TRY TO SPEAK IN KINDNESS, SIR.
YOU KNEW WHO I WAS TALKING ABOUT.
THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY COSTS.
IF YOU APPROVE THIS AND THEN SOME DETAILS I'M REMINDED OF THE LAST STIPEND AND SOME, SOME TECHNICAL DETAILS THAT WERE A PROBLEM FOR THAT.
FOR ONE THING, ONE OF THE BULLET POINTS IS THESE PEOPLE MUST BE HIRED AS FAR AS TWO MONTHS AGO, HAVE THE, WHERE THESE PEOPLE PROMISE THIS RE THIS BONUS.
I MEAN, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN HIRED.
WHAT IS THE POINT OF THE BONUS? YOU'RE GOING TO REWARD THEM FOR HAVING AGREED TO A CONTRACT TWO MONTHS AGO.
THAT'S NOT MUCH OF A RECRUITMENT TOOL UNLESS THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN PROMISED.
IT SAYS THEY MUST BE EMPLOYED IN A CORE AREA OF MATH, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES OR ENGLISH THAT WOULD SUGGEST THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION EDUCATION IS NOT A HIGH NEED AREA.
I'M HAPPY IF THAT'S AN ASSURANCE THAT SPECIAL ED IS FULLY STAFFED, BUT I DOUBT IF THAT'S THE CASE, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES? IF SOMEBODY DOESN'T ABIDE BY THEIR THREE YEAR COMMITMENT.
SO FOR THOSE AND MANY OTHER REASONS, PLEASE DEFER THIS CONSIDERATION UNTIL THE AUGUST COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
SEEING ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
[02:30:01]
VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.I AM A 42 YEAR EDUCATOR AND TWO IS INFLATION TIME TO AWARD $7,500 TO PEOPLE COMING IN, TEACHERS COMING IN.
BUT AS WAS SAID, YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE ONES THAT WAS HERE THROUGH THE PANDEMIC THAT STUCK OUT THEIR NECKS AND WORK WITH THESE CHILDREN, PUT THEIR LIFE ON THE LINE, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS.
I'M GOING TO AGREE WITH WHAT THE, UM, PREVIOUS MS. DR.
FEENEY SAID, PUT THIS OFF AND FIND THE MONEY FOR YOUR PEOPLE.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN THE SAME SHAPE OR WORST SHAPE AND PUT THIS KIND OF MONEY.
YOU'RE HURTING THEIR RETIREMENT.
THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO COME IN AND MAKE IT MORE MONEY.
THEN YOUR CURRENT TEACHERS THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE IS A NATIONAL SHORTAGE.
WE WILL DO ANYTHING TO GET TEACHERS OR TO RETAIN THEM OR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I WORK IN YOU, $6,000 TO RETAIN, UM, CERTIFIED PEOPLE.
WE'RE GOING TO GET IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
IT MADE PEOPLE STAY, BUT SOME OF THEM LEFT BECAUSE THEY WERE OFFERING MONEY LIKE THIS AND OTHER PLACES.
SO AGAIN, THE SALARY IS GOING TO SUB LAST SURPASS THE PEOPLE THAT YOU CURRENTLY HAVE HERE, WORKING THAT WITH STAY HERE BECAUSE THEY LOVE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
BUT YOU HAVE SOME THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE.
THEY'RE GOING TO DRIVE THE MOUSE ST.
IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME, CORRECT NEEDS 98 TEACHERS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET THESE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE GOING TO COP WHO THEY'RE GOING TO LEAVE.
EBR OUR SUPERINTENDENT NAZIS AND HIS BOARD.
IF YOU DON'T PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE I HAD OF AWARDING 75,000, I'M SORRY, $7,500 TO TEACHERS TO RETAIN AND KEEP THEM HERE.
AND YOU BETTER BE MAD FOR YOUR BUS OPERATORS AND YOUR SUPPORT STAFF TOO.
IT HURTS THE POCKETBOOK TO TRY TO PAY YOUR BILLS, FOOD, EVERYTHING HAS GONE UP.
SO YOU NEED TO LOOK FOR MONEY FOR THESE, THE BOARD, THE ENTIRE BOARD, BECAUSE HE CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT YOUR VOTE TO TAKE CARE OF THESE PEOPLE.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING HAD AMERICA ON BEHALF OF THE RETIREES AND ANY TEACHER.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT A NEW HIRE IS.
SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE $7,500 FOR A NEW HIRE, THEN I WANT TO BE A NEW HEART.
OKAY? SO I NEED TO KNOW WHO CAN AND WHO CAN'T COME BACK BECAUSE YOU GET READY TO GET INTO A PROBLEM NOW, BECAUSE YOU ALREADY HIRE.
LET'S SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE DO YOU HAVE ON STAFF? THEY HAVE THREE CHECKS.
LET'S GET TO THE REAL NITTY GRITTY RIGHT NOW.
THE PEOPLE WHO YOU HAVE KEPT, WHO HAVE THREE CHECKS.
YOU SEE, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE ON STAFF.
ONE DAY, CAME BACK THE NEXT DAY.
AND THE REASON IT'S STILL IN THE SYSTEM, THEY ALSO GETTING THE HUSBAND'S SOCIAL SECURITY BECAUSE WE DON'T PAY INTO SOCIAL SECURITY.
SO THEY'RE GETTING THE HUSBAND'S SOCIAL SECURITY.
THEY GET ITS IT'S BECAUSE HE BE DON'T RICH DRAW FROM TRSL.
YOU SEE THAT MONEY STAYS THERE.
BUT WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT A NEW HIRE, HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO STAY OUT SUPERINTENDENT NURSES TO BE A NEW HIRE.
SO ALL TO BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND BE THAT NEW HIRE, IS THAT CORRECT? OR YOU ALL HAVE A LIST? ARE YOU GOING TO BLACKBALL US THAT WE CAN'T COME BACK IN TO GET THIS MONEY? SEE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE PROBLEM'S GOING TO COME IN.
EVERYONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO BE GIVEN AN INCENTIVE.
NOW YOU CAN'T BE INTO TEACHING.
IF YOU'RE NOT IN LOVE WITH TEACHING, YOU GOT TO LOVE IT.
CAUSE IT WASN'T FOR THE MONEY.
YOUR PARENTS WERE IN EDUCATION.
I WAS TO SIT HERE FOR THE TEACHERS.
WHEN WE DID LESSON PLANNING COMMITTEE, WE DIDN'T DO A TALENT ON IT.
AND IT WAS STOLEN FROM THAT ON OUR FOOT.
AND ANOTHER STATE BOUGHT IT BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE A PATENT ON IT AND IT WAS STOLEN IN USE.
BUT THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS SITUATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO LET PEOPLE JUST WALK IN OUR SYSTEM, GET A $7,500 AT HIRE.
AND ALL THESE PEOPLE THAT WORKED FOR YEARS AND YEARS, WE DON'T
[02:35:01]
EVEN GET ANYTHING YEARS AGO.WE DON'T GET AN APPLE FOR 10 YEARS, FIVE YEARS, CONNIE, NOTHING.
YOU DON'T EVEN GIVE US A BAG OF POTATO CHIPS FOR STAYING TG APPRECIATION.
UNLESS THE PARENTS GET TOGETHER AND GIVE SOMETHING, TEACH YOU SOME, GET ANYTHING.
NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $7,500 TO SOME PEOPLE.
WHAT PEOPLE, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A BIG LAYOFF, NOT ONLY LAY OFF, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A WALKOUT.
AND THEY MENTIONED A BUS DRIVERS, BUT REALLY TO JUST GET THROUGH TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON, NOT ONLY ARE THE TEACHERS GOING TO WALK, THEY ALREADY HAVE A WITCH HOUSE OUT FOR THEIR SUPERINTENDENT IS NOT GOING TO START IN TIME.
PLEASE RECONSIDER THIS AND LET ALL OF US GET IN ON THE MONEY AND PROVIDE FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU, RHONDA QUARTERLY PARENT AND DISABILITY ADVOCATE.
I LOOKED TODAY ON EBRS WEBSITE AND I SAW THAT WE HAVE OVER, UH, OVER A SHORTAGE OF OVER 200 OPEN POSITIONS FOR TEACHERS.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDING THE 28 PARA-PROFESSIONALS PARA-PROFESSIONALS SERVE OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES.
SO WHAT I MEAN, PAINTERS WHO HAVE STUDENTS IN WRITTEN IN THEIR IEP FOR THEM TO HAVE A CHILD SPECIFIC, WE WON'T HAVE THEM.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER FEDERAL PROBLEM.
BUT ALSO IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE WHERE THE STAFF THAT ARE CURRENTLY TEACHERS, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET PROMOTED.
THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO STAY IN THOSE POSITIONS.
THAT'S SOMETHING YOU MIGHT WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH YOUR HR DIRECTOR, BECAUSE THAT'S A PROBLEM WHEN YOU'RE TELLING PEOPLE THAT THEY CAN'T MOVE UP THE LADDER.
WHY RIGHT NOW YOU JUST, YOU LAST MEETING, YOU APPROVED A POSITION FOR SR ROSE OF OVER $50,000 A YEAR, BUT PARAPROFESSIONALS NOT EVEN GETTING PAID 20, THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE THOSE PARAPROFESSIONALS WERE EQUALLY AS HARD AS A TEACHER, YOU HAVE BUS DRIVERS.
THAT'S NOT GETTING PAID THAT AMOUNT.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK IN MY FACE AND YOU MAKE PERSONAL CONTACT WITH ME, KNOW THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM BECAUSE NOW WE'RE HAVING REAL PROBLEMS, REAL PROBLEMS, BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD MULTIPLE TIMES THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE NO S OR FUNDING AND THE FUNDING SOURCE FOR THIS IT'S ESSER, HOW WE CAN'T KEEP HAVING IT.
AND EVEN THOUGH MY BOARD MEMBER, RIGHT, IS TELLING ME IT'S NOT TRUE.
IT WAS STATED ON RECORD MULTIPLE TIMES.
IT WAS EVEN STATED AT THE LAST MEETING, IT WAS EVEN STATED AT THE LAST MEETING.
AND WHEN WE SAY THAT, HEY, THESE THINGS ARE PROBLEMS. THEY ARE PROBLEMS BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING OUR CHILDREN.
EVEN WHEN COMMON THIEVES COME UP HERE AND TALK ABOUT THAT, WE'RE TALKING AGAINST THE MAN AND NOT THE CHILD AND NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CHILDREN.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE CHILDREN BECAUSE WHEN THE, WHEN THE STAFF IS NOT THERE, WE HAVE EMPTY CLASSROOMS WHERE THERE'S CHILDREN THAT ARE NOT BEING SUPERVISED, THAT THEN GOES INTO CHILD ENDANGERMENT AND NEGLIGENCE.
SO YES, WE HAVE A PROBLEM, $7,500 THAT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE STAFF.
THAT'S BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY DURING COVID.
THEY DON'T WANT WHAT YOU GAVE IN WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, RIDING BICYCLES FOR FREE.
THEY WANT MONEY SO THAT THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON.
THEY WANT MONEY SO THAT THEY CAN PAY FOR FOOD.
YOU KNOW, A PACK OF CHICKEN WINGS IS $13 RIGHT NOW LET'S BE REAL.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING PROBLEMS. AND AS MUCH AS WE TALKED ABOUT INFLATION AT THE LAST COMMITTEE, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THE INFLATION OF, OF THE RATE IN WHICH PEOPLE TO LEAVE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THIS IS AGAINST THE POLICIES AND STUFF THAT WE BRING IN BEFORE THE PEOPLE GIVES US THE COOLER, SEEING NO OTHER PUBLIC COM.
ALL RIGHT, BACK TO THE BOARD BOARD MEMBER, ATLANTA, THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S NEVER MY OPINION TO, UH, CHALLENGE ANYONE'S COMMENTS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO SPECIFY THIS AS A CHALLENGE.
I JUST LIKE TO CLARIFY THINGS FOR THE RECORD BECAUSE WE KEEP HEARING IT.
SO FUNDING JUST LAST MEETING, IT WAS SPECIFIED THAT WE HAVE $137 MILLION IN ESSA FUNDING STEEL INSIDE OF OUR ACCOUNTS.
I SAY THAT AGAIN FOR THE RECORD $137 MILLION STILL INSIDE OF OUR ACCOUNTS, THAT IS UNRESTRICTED FUNDS.
AND AS A BOARD, WE CAN REALLOCATE ANY MONEY FROM THOSE FUNDS.
[02:40:01]
NUMBER TWO.UM, MS. NICOLA, CAN YOU COME BACK UP TO THE MIKE? I HAD A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, STIPEND.
SO I START WITH STIPENDS FOR FALL AND SPRING OR THE SUPERINTENDENT BRING UP MR. LIEUTENANT, PLEASE JUMP IN, UH, FOR ANY OF THIS, UM, WILL THE NEW TEACHERS THAT ARE SIGNING ON, WILL THEY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THOSE SPRING AND FALL STIPENDS? UM, IT WOULD DEPENDS ON THE CRITERIA, THE CRITERIA, WHAT TYPE OF CRITERIA? UM, SO EVERY TIME WE HAVE, OKAY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OH, OKAY.
EVERY TIME THERE IS A STIPEND, WE ALWAYS PUT STIPULATIONS IN THERE.
SO NORMALLY THERE IS A TIME THAT A PERSON NEEDS TO BE HIRED.
UM, AND I THINK THE LAST ONE WAS BEFORE OCTOBER AND MAYBE I HAVING THE RIGHT DATES, BUT THERE IS A TIME LIMIT THAT WE PUT THAT YOU HAVE TO BE HIRED BEFORE A CERTAIN TIME.
HOW WILL THE $7,500 BE BROKEN DOWN OVER THREE YEARS? UH, IN TWO WE GIVE IT IN TWO PAYMENTS.
SO THE PROPOSAL AS PER THE MEMO THAT WAS UPLOADED AND SHARED WITH FIELD WITH THE ENTIRE AUDIENCE AND THE BOARD, UM, THE FIRST PAYMENT WILL BE AT THE END OF DECEMBER.
AND THE SECOND PAYMENT IS AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THAT'S ROUGHLY $3,250? YES.
SO JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE AVERAGE SIGN ON BONUS IN LOUISIANA IS $2,500.
SO IT'S NOT TOO OFF FROM THAT.
UM, MY NEXT QUESTION WOULD BE, I KNOW THAT THE USUAL POLICY FOR HR IS IF ANYBODY RETIRES OR LEAVES OR QUITS FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS A ONE-YEAR HOLD PLACED ON THEM BEFORE THEY CAN COME BACK.
UM, WOULD THAT BE ANY EXCEPTION FOR ANY TEACHERS THAT WANT TO COME BACK UNDER THIS NEW POLICY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? YES.
UM, SO THAT IS A INTERNAL POLICY.
SO WHEN I CAME ON BOARD, UM, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M BEING POLITICALLY CORRECT HERE.
SO DECISIONS WERE MADE ON RELATIONSHIPS.
SO NOW I TOOK THAT AWAY WHERE WE LOOK AT PERFORMANCE DECISIONS WERE MADE.
SO THIS IS MY DECISION MOVING FORWARD.
IT DEPENDS ON YOUR PERFORMANCE.
SO YOUR PERFORMANCE RATING AND YOUR ATTENDANCE, BECAUSE WE WANT TO REHIRE THE BEST IF THEY WANT TO COME BACK.
SO I UNDERSTAND IF YOU QUIT, LEAVE OR RETIRE AND YOU WANT TO COME BACK, AS LONG AS YOU READ THOSE TWO REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF PERFORMANCE AND WHAT WAS THE OTHER ONE AND ATTENDANCE, ATTENDANCE, THEN YOU CAN COME BACK BEFORE A YEAR AND BE ELIGIBLE FOR THE $7,500.
UM, BUT ALSO, LET ME BE CLEAR THOUGH.
I DON'T WANT YOU TO QUIT TODAY, QUIT TOMORROW, AND THEN TRY TO COME BACK.
CAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BEING RESPONSIBLE AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THE GOAL OF THE GOAL OF THIS IS TO BE, UM, COMPETITIVE, RIGHT? UH, THERE'S SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE DOING SIMILAR SIGN ON BONUSES, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STAYING AHEAD OF THE GAME AND WATCHING THE TREND.
UM, SO THIS IS THE REASON WHY ONE OF THE RATIONALE OR MANY RATIONALE IS TO COME FORWARD TO THE BOARD TO ASK FOR THIS.
AND FOR CLARITY, THE AVERAGE SIGN-ON BONUS IN LOUISIANA IS $2,500.
YOU ALL WENT ABOVE THAT THRESHOLD, WHICH WOULD BE 3000, $250.
SO THERE'LL BE TWO OF THOSE, BUT YOU ALL ARE JUST TRYING TO BE COMPETITIVE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE REST OF THE STATE OR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE DOING, WHICH IS THE SAME THING THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE COMPENSATION STUDY, BY GATHERING ALL OF THIS DATA AND INFORMATION.
WHEN WE PUT THE NUMBERS OUT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING IT ON FOR THE NEW SALARIES IS TO BE COMPETITIVE WITH THE REST OF THE STATE AS WELL AS THE SURROUNDING PARISHES ARE DISTRICTS.
UM, NOW MY LAST THING I'LL END WITH, I'M SORRY, MISS NICOLA.
LAST THING I END WITH IS I'LL COME BACK TO, CAUSE I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT BUS DRIVERS, RIGHT? AND WHEN WE GAVE OUT STIPENDS, I WANT TO SAY MAYBE THREE, FOUR MONTHS AGO, I SPECIFICALLY BROUGHT THIS UP AS A REASON WHY WE SHOULDN'T DO IT BECAUSE IT WASN'T FAIR THEN.
AND NOW WE'RE BACK IN A, A HUDDLE WHERE WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHAT WE DO FOR SUPPORT STAFF, FOR THOSE FRONTLINE WORKERS, LIKE CAFETERIA WORKERS AND BUS DRIVERS.
AND ALSO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO START THINKING ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE TREAT AND COMPENSATE OUR JANITORIAL WORKERS BECAUSE THEY DO JUST AS HARD OF A JOB IS EVERYBODY ELSE THAT WE'VE NAMED AS FAR.
BUT I THINK THAT WE JUST NEED TO BE MORE MINDFUL ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS BECAUSE THOSE POSITIONS ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS SOMEONE, UH, THAT IS INSIDE OF OUR SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF THE SCHOOLS ARE NOT CLEANED PROPERLY, ESPECIALLY IN A COVID PANDEMIC, UH, UH, AGE THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW THAT PUTS A LOT OF PEOPLE AT HARM AND IT ALSO STRESSES THEM OUT.
SO I JUST WANT TO LIFT THAT UP AS A POINT OF CONTACT, BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, MS. NICOLA FOR CLEARING THAT UP.
IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE MORE, A PIECE OF WHERE MEMBER LINUS AND TO
[02:45:01]
THE BOARD.UM, I JUST WANT TO REMIND US WHEN WE WENT DOWN THE CONVERSATION OF, UH, LOOKING AT ALL THE, UH, THE COMPENSATION SCALES AND ALL THAT STUFF, YOU KNOW, REMEMBER THAT WE SAID THAT WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO FIX EVERYTHING THIS YEAR.
AND OUR GOAL HAS BEEN TO, UH, GET THE SALARY SCALES FIXED AND ALL THAT, WHICH IS THE PROCESS THAT THE BOARD APPROVED.
AND THEN WHAT WE WOULD DO THIS YEAR IS STIPEND A FALL STIPEND AND A SPRING STIPEND, UH, TO THE ENTIRE STAFF THAT I WILL BE RECOMMENDING TO THE BOARD THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, UM, UH, ADDRESS THAT ISSUE UNTIL WE DO THE 8% SALARY IN THE NEXT BUDGET CYCLE.
SO, UM, UH, I THINK RIGHT NOW, THE REASON THAT WE'VE DECIDED THAT STRATEGICALLY WE NEED TO GO DOWN THIS PARTICULAR ONE IS BECAUSE WE HAVE VACANCIES AND WHEN, IF YOU'RE NOT COMPETITIVE WITH YOUR COMPETITORS AROUND YOU, YOU HAVE PROBLEMS. AND SO, YOU KNOW, UH, JUST WANT TO, YOU KNOW, BRING UP, UH, IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T VALUE THE EXISTING FOLKS.
UH, MAYBE IF WE WOULD HAVE PROBABLY PUT THIS ALL TOGETHER WITH THE STIPEND AND MADE IT FEEL PEOPLE DIFFERENTLY, BUT, BUT THE REALITY IS AT THIS POINT, RIGHT NOW, THE PRIORITY WAS LET'S DO THE BEST WE CAN TO CLOSE THE TEACHING VACANCY GAPS THAT WE HAVE NOW, BECAUSE SCHOOL IS IN TWO WEEKS AND THAT WAS THE PRIORITY.
AND THEN IN AUGUST WE WOULD BRING THE TOTAL STIPEND, UH, COMPONENT TO THE, UM, UH, FOR THE FALL, INTO THE SPRING, TO THE BOARD IN AUGUST.
HOW MUCH IS THE STIPEND GOING TO BE IN THE FALL AND THE SPRING? DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF THAT? I THINK THE AUDIENCE WANTS TO SLEEP.
SO, UH, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE IT JUST AS COMPETITIVE INTO, UH, SPACES FOR THE FALL AND THE SPRING.
SO I I'D HESITATE TO GIVE YOU A NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
UM, UH, I THINK WE'RE RIGHT NOW WORKING, UH, DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE WITH, UH, THE BUDGET OFFICE TO BE ABLE TO, UH, GET THAT OUT RIGHT AWAY AND TO ALSO PREDICT WHAT THE DATES WILL BE.
SO THE STAFF WILL BE GOOD WITH THAT, BUT IT, IT WILL BE, UM, UH, WE HEARD AS THE BOARD CHARGED ME, THAT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE, UH, MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, FOR THIS YEAR, AS WE WORK ON FIXING THE SALARY SCALES AND GETTING TOWARDS THAT INCREASE, THAT WE WOULD STIPEND, UH, A GOOD STIPEND IN THE FALL AND THE GOOD STIPEND IN THE SPRING IN ORDER FOR US TO, TO, UH, BE ABLE TO, UM, UH, UH, COMPENSATE OUR, OUR STAFF.
AND SO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE QUESTION HERE RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, WE PRIORITIZE TRYING TO SOLVE VACANCIES FIRST, AND THEN IN AUGUST WE WILL BRING THAT UP.
UH, AND THEN THE BOARD WILL BRING ONE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD ON WHAT THAT AMOUNT IS, AND THEN, UH, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
SO MY LAST QUESTION IS, WILL IT AT LEAST BE COMPETITIVE BECAUSE I WILL ARGUE THIS, THE STIPENDS THAT WE GOT A FEW MONTHS AGO AND MY PERSONAL OPINION, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION.
I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS COMPETITIVE.
WE SAID TEACHERS AND THE COVID YEAR, CAUSE THIS IS COVID MONEY.
WE SAID THAT WE BASICALLY SEGMENTED OUR EMPLOYEES BY SAYING, WELL, THIS ONE PARTICULAR GROUP OF TEACH OF NOT TEACHERS.
I HATE TO SAY THAT WAS ONE PARTICULAR GROUP OF EMPLOYEES SHOULD MAKE MORE THAN THIS OTHER GROUP.
AND THE OTHER GROUP JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE OUR BUS DRIVERS AND CAFETERIA WORKERS.
AND THAT JUST SIMPLY DID NOT SIT WELL WITH ME.
I THINK THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT THAT WAY, EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE A FAIR SHOT TO RECEIVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE THEY ALL DID THE SAME WORK IN THE SAME TIME PERIOD UNDER THE SAME CONSTRAINTS, W WE WILL BRING A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD BOARD MEMBER LANDIS.
UM, OUR GOAL IS TO, UH, ONE, UH, OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STIPEND IS A GOOD STIPEND, UH, AND ALSO THAT WE WANT OUR STAFF TO FEEL VALUED.
UH, UM, THE BIGGER PUSH FOR US IS NOT ONLY THIS YEAR WITH JUST THE STIPEND, BUT IT'S TO REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE PAYING MORE IN THIS ENTIRE REGION.
WE ARE THE SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE COMPLEXITIES.
THERE'S SO MUCH MORE THAT WE CAN DO AS A STAFF.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE A DUAL PROBLEM, BUT IN AUGUST I WILL BE BRINGING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD.
UH, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL GO FROM THERE.
I WANTED TO JUST LIFT UP SOMETHING.
UM, MY COLLEAGUE AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE ABOUT THE, UH, AS Y'ALL KNOW, I GENERALIZE ALL THOSE BUCKETS OF MONEY.
UM, I'M LIFTING THIS UP AGAIN BECAUSE IT'S VERY RELEVANT TO THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM THAT
[02:50:01]
WE HAVE ASKED SPECIFICALLY TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN EXISTING STAFF SO THAT SOME OF THESE VACANCIES MAY HAVE BEEN MITIGATED FROM PERIOD AND THE ANSWERS THAT WERE GIVEN.AND I DON'T THINK MY COLLEAGUE WAS PRESENT AT THAT PARTICULAR MEETING.
THAT WAS THE FIRST BOARD BUDGET WORKSHOP WHERE THE COVID MONEY WAS NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS, NOR WAS IT GOING TO BE DISCUSSED BECAUSE WE WERE TOLD IN THIS PUBLIC MEETING THAT THERE WAS NO COVID MONEY THERE.
SO JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE NOT CONFUSED ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE COVID MONEY IS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE SEVERAL OF US EXPRESS LEAP X TO USED THE COVID MONEY FOR THE PURPOSE OF RETAINING TEACHERS TO HELP AVOID SOME OF THE VACANCIES THAT WE TRY TO ADDRESS NOW, OKAY.
I NEED TEACHERS AND STAFF TO START SPEAKING UP FOR THEMSELVES.
THEY WATCH IN THESE MEETINGS, A NICE TEXT SAYING, THANK YOU, MS. COLLINS, PER VM FOR BEING MY VOICE IS NICE.
BUT I CAN'T DO NOTHING FOR YOU IF YOU NOT SHOWING UP FOR YOURSELF.
AND ONE OR TWO OF YOUR COLLEAGUES SHOW UP CONSISTENTLY FOR YOU, Y'ALL HAVE TO BE YOUR OWN VOICE.
START SHOWING UP TO THESE MEETINGS, START PAYING ATTENTION TO THESE MEETINGS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU'RE ON THE BACK BURNER AGAIN.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO PRAY THAT WHAT COMES IN AUGUST IS GONE TO BE FAIR TO YOU.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SAY, WHAT I HOPE COME TO US IN AUGUST HAS NO STIPULATION ON IT ON WHO GETS IT, BECAUSE THIS HAS NO STIPULATIONS IN TURN.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY NO STIPULATIONS.
I DON'T CARE HOW MANY DAYS THEY MISS.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DAYS THESE PEOPLE GONNA MISS BRING US SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HELP US RETAIN STAFF, UM, BOARD COLLEAGUE DYSON.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER AS WE'RE TALKING THROUGH THE STIPENDS, UM, AND, AND ALSO THIS WORDED BONUS.
AND I KNOW FOR A LONG, LONG TIME WE HAVE AVOIDED THE WORD BONUS AND ALWAYS USE THE WORD STIPEND.
AND I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW LEGALLY, UH, I SEE BONUS NOW AND THAT, I JUST WANT SOME CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UM, I THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER, AND I KNOW IT'S HARDER FOR STAFF TO GET THIS DOLLAR AMOUNT PER PERSON DIFFERENT FROM THE OTHERS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER LOOKING AT, AND I, I HOPE THAT THAT PART OF THE REASON FOR NOT BEING SURE HOW MUCH AND ALL OF THAT IS BECAUSE WE'RE THINKING THROUGH, UH, ALL KINDS OF OPTIONS AND ONE BEING PERCENTAGES AND, UM, PERCENTAGES OF CURRENT SALARY.
AND I THINK THAT IS, UH, A FAIR WAY TO CONSIDER THESE GOING FORWARD.
I'D LIKE FOR US TO, TO PUT A LOT OF THOUGHT INTO THIS AND HAVE SOME INPUT AS, AS BOARD MEMBERS, AS WE MOVE FORWARD TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE APPRECIATING, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHOWING OUR APPRECIATION TO OUR CURRENT STAFF AS WELL.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, AND I OFTEN I KNOW THAT IT'S A LOT ABOUT PEOPLE NOT WANTING DOLLARS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT TOTALLY THERE ARE OTHER WAYS AS WELL, THAT WE CAN SUPPORT OUR STAFF AND, UM, B BE SURE THAT WE ARE, ARE GIVING THEM A VOICE TO HAVE INPUT.
AND, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THEY FEEL VALUED IN THE WORKPLACE.
AND I, I, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CREATIVE WAYS THAT PRINCIPALS IN THE PAST HAVE, UM, AWARDED EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HAVING GREAT ATTENDANCE, WHO ARE DOING GREAT THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND, AND THEY CAN BE AS SIMPLE AS YOU'VE GOT A RESERVE PARKING SPOT RIGHT HERE
[02:55:02]
FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, NINE WEEKS OR SEMESTER OR MONTH OR WHATEVER IT BE MOVING IN AROUND THERE.UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE HEARD OF CREATIVE PRINCIPLES THAT SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU GET DUTY FREE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE MORNINGS IN THE AFTERNOONS, UM, THERE'S JUST LOTS OF WAYS, UM, THAT WE ALL, SO IN ADDITION TO THE STIPENDS NEED TO BE LOOKING AT, TO ENCOURAGE OUR PRINCIPALS TO AND GIVE THEM THE AUTONOMY TO, AND THE ENCOURAGEMENT TO DO SOME CREATIVE REWARDS AS WELL AT EACH SCHOOL SITE.
REMEMBER WHERE JACKSON, THANK YOU, MAN.
I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE AROUND BASICALLY THE PROCESS WHERE WE HAD A GROUP OF A GROUP OF TEACHERS THAT WERE LOOKING TO MOVE, AND THEN WE IMPLEMENTED A NEW STAFFING MODEL WITHOUT REGARD TO USING SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE IN THAT, IN THAT GROUP THAT REALLY WANTED TO MOVE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M WONDERING IF WE'RE ENDING UP BIG SAYING OF TRYING TO FIX A PROBLEM THAT WE PROBABLY COULD HAVE PREVENTED, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, I GUESS YES.
THEY SAY NEITHER HERE NOR THERE.
UM, THE, I'M WONDERING IF WE SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AVERAGE, UH, SIGNING BONUS STIPEND, UH, IN LOUISIANA BEING AROUND 2,500 TOTAL, IS THAT, IS THAT TOTAL, OR IS THAT IN TWO PARTS? IS IT 5,000? BECAUSE OURS IS GOING TO BE 7,500, WHICH IS IF THAT'S, IF 25 IS TOTAL THAT'S THREE TIMES WHAT WE'RE, UH, THREE TIMES THE AVERAGE IS, IS THAT RIGHT? IS IT IS THE AVERAGE 2,500 AND WE'RE OFFERING 7,500 AND WE'RE SPLITTING IT OVER THE FIRST PART OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER, THE SECOND HALF OF THE 75 WILL BE PAID AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M CLEARING YOUR QUESTION.
UH, SO, UH, THE 7,500, WE WERE GONNA PROVIDE IT INTO TWO, TWO SPLITS, ONE IN THE FALL, ONE IN THE SPRING.
UH, IT'S JUST HALF OF 75, 7500 DIVIDED BY THE TWO.
SO USUALLY, UM, WE'VE ALWAYS KIND OF PROVIDED MOUNTS IN THAT WAY, UM, UH, FOR STAFF.
UM, BUT, UH, ARE YOU, I GUESS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE YOUR QUESTION IS, ARE YOU ASKING, IS OUR STIPEND, I'M ASKING IF THE AVERAGE LOUISIANA SIGNING BONUS OR STIPEND, IS IT 2,500 TOTAL OR IS IT 5,000 SPLIT OVER, UH, WELL, FIRST, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT PARISHES AND BOARDS DECIDE ON HOW MUCH THEY WANT TO GIVE THEIR STAFF.
UM, SO THE AVERAGE, THE AVERAGE THAT, UH, PORTLAND ATLANTA IS PROBABLY REFERRED TO IS PROBABLY, UH, UH, THEY PROBABLY ADDED ALL OF THE AMOUNTS ACROSS THE REGION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TOOK AN AVERAGE AMOUNT.
SO, UM, BUT IS THAT TOTAL OR IS THAT FOR LIKE WE'RE SPLITTING HOURS? YEAH, SO OUR TOTAL AMOUNT THAT THE SIDEBARS WILL BE 7,500.
I UNDERSTAND THAT IS THE 20 IT'S THE 2,500, THE TOTAL AMOUNT.
WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE ALBUM ABOUT, I WOULD SUSPECT, I MEAN, I HAVEN'T, I DON'T HAVE THAT REPORT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I WOULD SUSPECT THAT AT 2,500 IS TOTAL.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO DO THREE TIMES THE, UH, THE AVERAGE, UH, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, UM, THAT IS CORRECT.
WE, WE WANTED TO, UH, PROVIDE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
I MEAN, WE, WE HAVE POSITIONS THAT WE WANT TO, OUR HARD FILL AND THOSE PIECES, AND ESPECIALLY IN DIFFERENT DIFFERENT CORE AREAS IN SCHOOLS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO WE, WE WANT TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE.
SO, UH, A TEACHER CHOOSES THIS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE WAS SOME MAYBE DIFFERING, UH, INFORMATION AROUND, UM, AROUND SR FUNDS, WHETHER WE HAD A LOVE TO DO THIS OR DO THAT, BUT WE HAVE 137 MILLION GOING INTO THE, THE, THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR OR THE, THE, UM, THE TIME THAT THE ALLOTTED TIME FOR, CAUSE I KNOW SOME OF THEM STARTED A CERTAIN DATE AND THEY END AT A CERTAIN DATE, YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT POTS OF, OF S OR FUNDING.
[03:00:02]
SO, UH, DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MANY VACANCIES WE HAVE THAT THAT WILL NEED TO BE, THAT WE'LL NEED TO FILL WITH THESE STIPENDS, UH, MS. HALL, CAN YOU COME UP TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? WE, WE HAVE THE WAY THAT WE PRIORITIZE WAS BASED ON OR SUBJECT AREAS.UM, AND SO THERE WAS A PROCESS THAT THE, UM, HR DEPARTMENT WENT THROUGH IN TERMS OF PRIORITY IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MATH, SCIENCE, ENGLISH, UH, THOSE AREAS FIRST.
UM, SO THOSE SUBJECTS ARE, HAVE ALWAYS BEEN HARD TO FILL, TO BE FRANK WITH YOU.
UM, AND ALSO AGAIN, I JUST, YOU KNOW, UH, NO, THE QUESTION BEFORE WAS, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE AMOUNT OF VACANCIES? I MEAN, WE'RE CLOSE TO MS. HALL.
WE, WE ARE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT OUR AVERAGE VACANCIES HAVE BEEN, UM, UM, IN GENERAL.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF TEACHERS WE HAVE ABOUT THREE, 200 TEACHERS TOTAL, UH, AND THE AMOUNT OF VACANCIES WE HAVE IS 200.
YOU HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER 2 33.
SO WHEN YOU SAW MS. HALL GAVE YOU THE AVERAGES OVER THE LAST, UH, THREE TO FOUR YEARS, WE WERE PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT THE NORMAL AVERAGE VACANCY IS IN EBR EVERY YEAR.
UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BE AGGRESSIVE IN TRYING TO CLOSE THAT GAP, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, BRING PEOPLE ON BOARD.
WE DON'T HAVE, UH, AS MANY, UH, TEACHERS LEAVING THE SYSTEM AS PREDICTED, BUT OUR AVERAGE IS STILL THE SAME.
SO, AND WE, WE PREDICT THAT BASED ON OUR NUMBERS AND WE ARE WHEREABOUTS TWO WEEKS OUT, UH, FOR SCHOOL TO START.
YEAH, I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE LEAVE BETWEEN, UH, APRIL AND, UH, AND IN JULY.
UH, WHAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE NEW TEACHERS AND THE EXISTING STAFF WHEN THEY COME ALONG, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST CAN'T HELP, BUT FEEL A, SOME, SOME KIND OF RIP.
SO, UM, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL ABOUT HOW WE HANDLE OUR EXISTING STAFF.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT WE NEED MORE TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE SOME OF IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, MAYBE NOT, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO DO SOMETHING NOW TO, UH, TO ATTRACT.
UH, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO PUT EVERY, EVERY EFFORT FORTH TO RETAIN, BECAUSE THERE'S, THERE'S SO MANY THAT ARE, ARE WATCHING WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, UH, YOU KNOW, MAY GET THE WRONG IMPRESSION, YOU KNOW, UH, BASED ON LIKE, WHEN WE SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, I KNOW THAT YOU WE'VE HAD TO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR A WHILE TO DO, YOU KNOW, TO COME UP WITH CERTAIN NUMBERS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEEDED TO, TO DECIDE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE 75, IT'S GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CERTAIN CRITERIA AND ALL, UM, AND TO HAVE IT COME THE DAY BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING MIGHT SEND A, A SIGNAL THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO SEND, YOU KNOW, SO WE JUST NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL ABOUT HOW PEOPLE WILL INTERPRET WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, UH, AND, YOU KNOW, BE CAREFUL ABOUT THAT.
SO IF SOMEONE COULD SPEAK TO WHAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, OR THEN WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO COME UP AND COMMENT ON ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, WHAT WAS IT ABOUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SOLVE FOR VACANCIES, JUST WANTING TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION ON VACANCIES CORRECTLY.
SO WE, WE, UM, WE, WE WILL CONSIDER, UH, YOU KNOW, TAKING CONSIDERATION, AS YOU SAID, BE MINDFUL.
OUR GOAL WAS NOT TO MAKE ANYBODY READ IN ANYTHING.
OUR GOAL WAS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM, WHICH IS, YOU ALWAYS SAY, NO GOOD DEED GOES UNPUNISHED.
SO, BUT THE GOAL IS, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE GAPS.
AND SO WE ARE TRYING TO BE AGGRESSIVE, UH, TO CLOSE THOSE.
UM, AS, AS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE HR STAFF AND TEAM HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE ON TRYING TO PRIORITIZE, WE'VE SAID LET'S RANK FIRST.
AND THE PRIORITY WAS WE LET'S CLOSE THE VACANCIES.
UM, AS THE BOARD KNOWS, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF OUR VACANCY CHALLENGES JUST EVEN WITH COVID.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.
WELL, WE THINK WE CAN, UH, GET A BETTER HANDLE WITH THE, THE BONUS WOULD BE COMPETITIVE ENOUGH THAT WE DON'T HAVE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ANY, UH, NEW TEACHER, UH, NOT, NOT CHOOSING US.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE BEEN STRATEGICALLY, RIGHT? YEAH.
WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO OFFER SOMETHING THAT'S VERY ATTRACTIVE.
SO NOW, CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT WHAT, ABOUT HOW
[03:05:01]
MANY VACANCIES THAT WE HAVE FOR TEACHERS? IT WAS THE ONES THAT 233 TEACHERS, UH, IS THE NUMBER 232 TO 233 TEACHERS VACANCIES RIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.BUT THE CORE, THE CORE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON, UM, THAT WE HAVE, UH, HISTORICALLY CAN NOT FAIL OR HAVE A HARD TIME FILLING.
SO THE CORE SUBJECT AREA, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME TO FILM.
AND THAT'S THE ONE THAT ARE, THAT'S THE, THE GROUP THAT THIS MONEY IS EARMARKED FOR, RIGHT? YES.
MADAM CHAIRMAN, I'M GOING TO CALL THE QUESTION NOW.
SO I'M GOING TO ASK THAT WE TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
I SAID, THANK YOU WHEN I'M DONE.
UH, COUNSEL SHAMBLIN, CAN YOU GIVE US THE, UH, PROCESS TO PROCEED ON CALLING THE QUESTION? IT WILL TAKE A MOTION TO SECOND AND TWO THIRDS MEMBERS, SIX AT THE VOTE.
UM, I GUESS THERE'S NO SECOND, BUT THERE'S A, SHE MADE THE MOTION.
AND I THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE, BECAUSE THIS IS A VOTE OF THE BOARD BOARD COMMENT, COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC AND BACK TO THE BOARD.
ANYTIME THIS BOARD TAKES A VOTE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND, YEAH.
SO THE INVOICE COMING ON, CALL IN THE QUESTION AND RIGHT FROM THE BOARD PUBLIC COMMENT.
THERE WOULD BE NO NEED TO CALL OFF TO SHORTEN DEBATE.
IF THE ADMINISTRATION HAD COME PREPARED, PLEASE DEFER THIS UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
CALL THE VOTE VICE PRESIDENT CALLS.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE THE SYSTEM.
DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO TAKE AN ELECTRONIC VOTE WITHOUT A SECOND.
SECOND, YOU MAY EVEN HAVE, RIGHT, BUT YOU COULD JUST PUT ME AS THE SECOND FOR THE SYSTEM TO WORK.
SINCE IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A SECOND, PLEASE VOTE.
MADAM SECRETARY, CALL THE VOTE ON THE, UH, ORIGINAL MOTION.
I WENT TO SYDNEY, I THINK MOVING
[I1. Redistricting Report]
FORWARD WITH A REDISTRICTING REPORT MANAGE VICE-PRESIDENT.MAY I SPEAK FIRST ON THIS PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
[03:10:01]
THE REPORT OF, UH, MR. SHALAN.THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT I ASKED FOR THE, THE LAST MEETING THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE THE INFORMATION ON, AND WE DO HAVE MORE, BUT THERE'S STILL A LITTLE MISSING AS FAR AS THE, UM, I HAD ASKED SPECIFICALLY AROUND ALL OF THE, UM, ALL OF THE STAFF AND INCLUDING YOUR HOURS.
AND NO YOU SAY HERE IN THE REPORT, THE APPROXIMATE SALARY OF STAFF BASED ON HOURS WORKED AND HOURLY WAGE HOURLY, UH, AVERAGE INCOME IS 17,008 40.
UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE HOURS THAT YOU PUT IN WERE ABOUT 90 HOURS.
UM, AND THERE WERE FIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AT APPROXIMATELY FIVE HOURS OF TIME.
THAT'S NOT INCLUDED IN THAT 17.
UM, COULD, COULD YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT COST IS? BECAUSE I DID ASK SPECIFICALLY AROUND BOTH, UM, GENERAL CONSOLE AND THE, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
SO THE 17,000 DOES INCLUDE ME.
AND SO WHAT WE DID MISS, WHERE JACKSON WAS THAT INCLUDES MYSELF, APRIL IT STAFF, BECAUSE THOSE ARE THE STAFF THAT REGULARLY WORKED, EVERY REDISTRICTING MEETING, A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE TRIED TO ACTUALLY FIGURE IN SOME HOURS FOR THE, THE WORK AT THE ACTUAL BOARD MEETING.
WHAT THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE IS THE RFP COMMITTEE STAFF.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING I'D HAVE TO BRING BACK TO YOU.
I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, I WAS LOOKING AT PEOPLE WHO ACTUALLY WORKING THOSE HOURS TO ACTUALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC WITH THOSE PUBLIC MEETINGS.
I WILL TELL YOU, I SPOKE TO LARRY WILLIAMS ON THE RP PROCESS.
HE SAYS, IT'S ABOUT A THREE HOUR PROCESS.
AND SO WE COULD PROBABLY GET THAT NUMBER PRETTY QUICKLY FOR YOU.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT'S GOING TO CHANGE THIS NUMBER VERY MUCH, NOT THAT MUCH, BUT FIVE COMMITTEE.
WHAT DID THAT TO BE CLEAR? BECAUSE HERE, YOU KNOW, IT JUST SAYS THE, THE, UH, HOURLY AVERAGE, AND I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE NOT ON, ON AN HOURLY RATE, SO THAT WAS A BIT UNCLEAR.
BUT, UM, WELL, WHAT I DID DO THOUGH, WAS I HAD THE CFO TAKE BY A SALARY, APRIL SALARY, AND THE ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS WOULD WORK AND WE FIGURED THE HOURLY RATES FOR EACH OF US.
SO THAT DOES, WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF GET AN, A PRO IT'S, AN APPROXIMATE, BUT WE DID THE BEST WE COULD TO GET CLOSE TO THAT NUMBER.
UM, AND IT MENTIONED, UH, ABOUT 150 PLUS STAFF HOURS.
UM, BUT, UH, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, AFTER ALL THIS WE'D HAVE EVERYTHING IN THERE.
UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AS YOU SAY, BUT, YOU KNOW, AFTER, AFTER ASKING FOR IT AND, AND, UM, HAVING THE TIME, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE COME UP BETWEEN NOW AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITH THIS NEW, UH, LITIGATION IN FEDERAL COURT, I EXPECT THAT THESE NUMBERS, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE, UM, ATTORNEY FEES WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER BECAUSE THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UH, ARE NUMBERS BEFORE ANY, ANY TRIAL OR ANY, ANY, UH, ANY OF THE CASES IN COURT FOR CLARITY, ACTUALLY, I SPOKE WITH EXTERNAL COUNSEL DEPENDING ON A DECISION THAT THE COURT OF APPEALS, THEY MAY NOT BE MUCH MORE IN TERMS OF HOURLY WORK WITH ATTORNEYS.
SO WE WON'T KNOW THAT NUMBER UNTIL THERE'S A DECISION.
SO I CAN, YOU KNOW, I CAN CERTAINLY PROVIDE THAT UPDATE WHEN THAT TIME COMES, IF NEEDED.
AND I ALSO INCLUDED THE INFORMATION ON THE NEW LAWSUIT AND THIS AS WELL.
WOULD YOU PROCEED NOW? THANK YOU.
UM, YEAH, SO WE'VE COVERED THE SALARIES.
UM, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL LAWSUIT FILED IN FEDERAL COURT, UH, WITH THE SAME IDENTICAL, UH, PLANETS WITH THE ADDITION OF TWO PLAINTIFFS.
UM, THE PURPOSE OF THAT LAWSUIT IN ESSENCE IS TO ATTEMPT TO STOP THE CURRENT ELECTION, UM, THE DIFFERENCES AS A FEDERAL LAWSUIT.
AND IT DOES NAME THESE BOARD, THE BOARD MEMBERS INDIVIDUALLY, AS WELL AS, AS THE BOARD AS A GROUP.
UM, AND SO THAT IS BEFORE THE FEDERAL COURT, UM, I DON'T HAVE A HEARING DATE.
I WAS HOPING TO GET SOMETHING TODAY, A FINAL, UH, DETERMINATION ON THE HEARING DATE BEFORE THIS MEETING.
I'LL HAVE TO BRING THAT BACK TO YOU NEXT TIME.
UH, I WAS KIND OF HOLDING THE, SEE IF I CAN GET THAT INFORMATION FOR YOU.
WE ANTICIPATE, UM, I BELIEVE THERE MAY BE A STATUS NEXT WEEK.
UM, BUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE HEARING DATE DETERMINATION WILL BE.
I'LL EMAIL THE BOARD ONCE THAT'S AVAILABLE.
AND THEN ALSO AROUND THE, UM, WHETHER OR NOT OUR DISTRICT IS THE ONLY DISTRICT
[03:15:01]
THAT IS RUNNING OR WOULD, WOULD BE RUNNING ON A CENSUS 2010 CENSUS MAP.YEAH, I'LL SPEAK TO THAT BECAUSE WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION, UM, WE DON'T HAVE, WE'RE NOT PRIVY TO THAT INFORMATION THAT WOULD NEED TO BE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST MADE TO, UM, TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO GATHER THAT INFORMATION, THE INITIAL REQUEST TO SAY THE INITIAL DISCUSSION WITH SECRETARY OF STATE LED ME TO THE FINAL CONCLUSION THAT THEY DON'T HAVE A DOCUMENT THAT PRODUCES THAT, UM, WHETHER THEY WOULD ACTUALLY PRODUCE THOSE, THAT INFORMATION AT A REQUEST, I CAN'T ANSWER.
UM, BUT THEY DON'T COMPILE THAT INFORMATION INTO, INTO A REPORT.
SO THERE WAS NO REPORT FOR THEM TO PRODUCE AS TO THE NUMBER OF DISTRICTS RUNNING ON REAPPORTIONED, UH, MALHEUR PORTION, UH, MAPS, IT JUST EXIST.
AND SO, AS WE DISCUSSED, UM, YOU KNOW, ANY INDIVIDUAL CAN MAKE A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST.
UM, THAT'S ALWAYS A POSSIBILITY.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE LEFT YOUR REPORT SAYS THAT A REQUEST HAS BEEN MADE FOR THE SAME INFORMATION FROM THEM, LOUISIANA SECRETARY OF STATE, BUT NO RESPONSE HAS BEEN RECEIVED.
WE REQUESTED THE INFORMATION, BUT THEY DON'T THERE'S NO, THERE IS NO DOCUMENT THAT EXISTS WITH THAT INFORMATION.
WE JUST CALLED AND ASKED, UM, UH, BUT SOMEONE CAN MAKE AN OFFICIAL REQUEST IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF THERE, IF, IF THEY'LL CREATE A DOCUMENT FOR YOU AS A COURTESY, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT COULD CERTAINLY HAPPEN.
UM, YEAH, I WOULD, I'D LIKE TO KNOW, UH, OF, OF ALL OF THE, WHAT IS IT LIKE 67 OR 69 SCHOOL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE, UM, UP FOR, THAT WILL BE RUNNING IN ON THE NOVEMBER 8TH ELECTION AND OF, OF MR. HEFNER'S GROUP.
HOW MANY DID YOU SAY IN THE REPORT? I BELIEVE I PUT THAT IN THE REPORT.
I BELIEVE HE SAID TO HIS KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF HIS CLIENTS ARE DOING SO THEY CAN ONLY SPEAK TO HIS CLIENTS.
SO OF ALL OF THE PLANS THAT HE'S DONE, OURS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT IS, THAT WAS INCOMPLETE AND MAY HAVE TO RUN ON THE 2010 CENSUS DATA.
WELL, OURS WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS LEGALLY CHALLENGED, LEGALLY CHALLENGED.
THERE'S NO DECISION YET ON WHAT THAT FINAL OUTCOME WILL BE.
I WAS, WAS THE OURS IS THE ONLY ONE WHO IS IN WE'RE IN COMPLETE SENSE.
PLAN 22 HAS BEEN DEEMED NULL AND VOID BY THE, THE STATE COURT.
HOW DO YOU DEFINE AND COMPLETE? UM, WELL, IF WE, IF WE, WE DON'T HAVE A, IF WE WERE ORDERED TO REDISTRICT AND WE'RE STILL ALMOST LIKE 40% OUT OF ALIGNMENT, WE HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL.
IT'S MY POSITION AS COUNSEL FOR THE BOARD MS. WADE JACKSON, THAT THE BOARD HAS REAPPORTIONED THAT THE MAP IS BEING CHALLENGED.
SO THE BOY WENT THROUGH THE REAPPORTIONMENT PROCESS.
SO WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME WILL BE UNTIL THE COURT OF APPEALS RULES.
SO IF THEY, IF THEY RULE THAT IF WE ARE IN VIOLATION OF FEDERAL AND STATE LAW, THEN WE, WE WOULD BE BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD POTENTIALLY, POTENTIALLY.
BUT THAT WOULD DEPEND UPON THE RULING OF THE COURT.
[J. Organizational Items]
FORWARD, MOVING.MOVING FORWARD TO ITEM J UH, ORGANIZATIONAL MEETINGS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MEETINGS, BOARD COLLEAGUE GO DAY.
THE EYE
THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE HELD ON AUGUST 18TH, 2022 AT 5:00 PM AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE BOARDROOM.