[A. Meeting Opening]
[00:00:07]
I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE MEETING OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD FOR THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 17TH, UH, 2022.
WE'LL BE LED IN THE INVOCATION BY, UH, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MARK BELU.
AND, UM, AFTER THAT, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, UH, THE YOUNG CADET WHO WILL LEAD US IN THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED BY, UH, COLONEL HUGHES, UH, RETIRED SENIOR ARMY INSTRUCTOR.
FATHER, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO GATHER HERE.
WE ASK THAT YOU GUIDE OUR DISCUSSIONS AND GIVE US WISDOM TO ADDRESS THE CRUCIAL ISSUES WE FACE AS WE APPROACH THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY.
HELP US TO RENEW OUR SPIRITS AND FILL US WITH YOUR PEACE AND JOY.
WE GIVE YOU THE GLORY FOR WHAT WE ACCOMPLISH.
GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, MR. TAMAN.
NACY ESTEEM MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
IT IS MY DISTINCT HONOR TO INTRODUCE ONE OF THE MOST OUTSTANDING JUNIOR OFFICER RESERVE TRAINING CORPS CADETS OF PATRIOT BATTALION CADET CAPTAIN JEREMIAH CAMPBELL IS A JUNIOR AND HE'S IN HIS THIRD YEAR OF OUR J RTC PROGRAM.
CURRENTLY, HE SERVES AS A COMMANDER OF OUR NATIONAL COMPETING RAIDER TEAM AND IS OUR BATTALION OPERATION OFFICER.
HE IS A MEMBER OF THE COLOR GUARD AND IS ONE OF OUR JUNIOR LEADERSHIP ACADEMIC BOARD TEAM MEMBERS.
CADET CAMPBELL HAS BEEN BEFORE LEADING IN THE PLEDGE IN HIS FRESHMAN YEAR, AND HE HAS WON THAT LET ONE BOARD AND THEN HE'S HERE AGAIN AS THE DISTRICT.
UM, I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE LET THREE BOARD.
HE WAS THE CADET OF THE YEAR JUST RECENTLY.
AND SO, UM, AND LAST IN HIS SECOND YEAR, HE WAS PLACED, UM, AS A BOARD, UM, SECOND PLACE.
CURRENTLY, CADET CAMPBELL HAS ENROLLED IN SIX AP CLASSES.
HE HAS A GPA OF A 4.625, AND IT'S RANKED SECOND IN HIS CLASS.
UPON A GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL, CADET CAMPBELL'S ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO BE A CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER AND EVENTUALLY GO TO SUPREME COURT.
CADET CAMPBELL SHOWS WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A J RTC CADET, AND WE ARE PROUD TO HAVE WATCHED HIM GROW AND MATURE.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEASURE ALLEGIANCE.
I PRESENT TO YOU CADET CAPTAIN JEREMY CAMPBELL AT LIBERTY MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL.
ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS SAYING TO HIS GRANDMOTHER IS THAT HE'D PROBABLY BE ONE DAY A GENERAL.
THERE YOU GO,
MR. CAMPBELL, ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT, I'D LIKE TO PRESENT THIS TO YOU AND AS A FOUR YEAR, UH, MEMBER OF RTC IN MY OWN HIGH SCHOOL, CONGRATULATIONS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND I'M SURE YOU CAN MAKE A GREAT DEFENSE ATTORNEY.
AND I HOPE I NEVER HAVE TO USE YOU, BUT IF I DO, YOU'RE THE KIND OF PERSON I'M GONNA WANT TO COME AND LOOK FORWARD TO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH AND CONGRATULATIONS.
UM, A CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL.
MADAME SECRETARY, WILL YOU PLEASE CONDUCT THE ROLE DISTRICT NINE PRESIDENT HAPPEN.
PRESENT DISTRICT FOUR, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
MR. BLUE HERE, DISTRICT TWO, MR. LANIS, DISTRICT THREE.
UM, IF YOU HAVE NOT YET LOGGED INTO BOARD DOCS,
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BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE DO.[B. Minutes]
UM, WE MOVE NOW TO, UH, B ONE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES OF THE OCTOBER 20TH, 2022 REGULAR BOARD MEETING AND THE NOVEMBER 3RD, 2022 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING AS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL.DO I HAVE A MOTION MOVED BY MS. BERNARD? SECONDED BY MS. DIASON.
UH, SEEING NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, WE GO TO THE AUDIENCE.
ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THE MINUTES? I HAVE NO CARDS.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
I NEED A, SHE SHE'S GETTING, MAY HAVE TO REFRESH CUZ I, WHEN I STARTED THE MEETING, THE MOTION CARRIES.
MINUTES ARE APPROVED, THE MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
[C. Information Only]
MOVE NOW TO ITEM C1 MONTH, UH, FOR INFORMATION ONLY.AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF ITEMS THERE.
THE, UH, MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT, PERSONNEL CHANGES AND PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST, MONTHLY REPORT.
ANY, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? SEEING NONE, WE, UH, WE NOW MOVE
[D.1. Update from Superintendent]
TO ITEM D ONE, UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, DR.UH, THANK YOU PRESIDENT PRATTON.
UM, TAMAN, UH, WE JUST WE'RE SO EXCITED THAT, UH, AS WE ARE GETTING CLOSER TO THANKSGIVING, UH, JUST THE HARD WORK THAT MANY OF OUR 6,000 EMPLOYEES ARE DOING AND OUR 3,200 TEACHERS AND I WAS, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ALWAYS RECOGNIZE THEM FOR THEIR HARD WORK AS WE'VE GOTTEN THROUGH THIS FIRST, SO LET'S JUST GIVE THEM A HAND.
WELL, WE ALWAYS SAY THAT, UH, WE CANNOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT HARDWORKING PEOPLE AND THE STAFF AND ALL, ALL THE SUPPORT WE GET FROM OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
UM, WE'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE CEC FOR BEING HONORED WITH THE MERIT AWARD BY THE GREATER BATON ROUGE INDUSTRY ALLIANCE.
EXXON MOBIL NOMINATED CTECH FOR THE OUTSTANDING JOB BEING DONE, THEREBY OUR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
WE'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK EXXON MOBIL FOR THEIR $15,000 DONATION TO CTECH TO HELP FURTHER THE AWESOME WORK HAPPENING THERE.
AS MANY OF YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW, CTEC IS ONE OF OUR SPECIALIZED SCHOOLS WHERE YOU HAVE CLASSROOMS THAT LOOK VERY INDUSTRY BASED APPROACH.
UM, WE TRY TO GET STUDENTS WHO GO THERE THAT ONCE YOU HAVE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE INSIDE THE CLASSROOM THERE, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO HAVE EXXON MOBIL AND OUR ALL OUR, MANY OTHER PARTNERS, UH, CONTINUE TO SUPPORT US IN THAT WORK.
SO THE OTHER PART WE'D SAY IS OUR YEARLY ADOPT AND EL CAMPAIGN IS UNDERWAY.
UH, WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO ADOPT AN L VIRTUALLY OR IN PERSON FROM THE HOLIDAY TREE IN OUR LOBBY AT CENTRAL OFFICE.
UH, THESE GIFTS ARE GIVEN TO STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT WHO ARE SOME OF THE NEEDIEST.
SO HELPING TO SHARE SOME HOLIDAY CHEER WOULD BE MOST APPRECIATED.
UH, SO WE'D LIKE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO GO ONLINE TO OUR SCHOOL WEBSITE@EBRSCHOOLS.ORG, UH, SLASH ELF TREE, UH, WILL, UM, THE ADDRESS AGAIN IS EBR SCHOOLS.ORG/ELF TREE.
UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO DONATE, UH, FOR OUR, OUR USUAL ADOPT AND ELF, IF YOU GO, THE WEBSITE WILL ACTUALLY HAVE THAT FLASHING IN THE FRONT, UH, TO MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
AND IF THERE'S ANY CHALLENGE WITH THAT, YOU CAN ALWAYS CALL US AND WE WILL, UH, MAKE SURE TO FACILITATE THAT.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THE DISTRICT WILL BE CLOSED FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK FROM WEDNESDAY TO NOVEMBER 23RD THROUGH FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25TH.
UH, WE WILL BE, WE WILL REOPEN ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 28TH.
WE HOPE EVERYONE ENJOYS THIS BREAK WITH THEIR FAMILY AND THEIR LOVED ONES.
UH, THE LAST, UH, ITEM THAT WE HAVE IS, UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THIS WEEK, UH, THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE DATA WAS RELEASED AND OUR TEAM FINALLY, UM, UH, WAS ABLE TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND WE STILL HAVE A LOT MORE DISAGGREGATION OF THE DATA TO DO, BUT WE THOUGHT IT'D BE GOOD FOR THE BOARD TO HEAR FROM OUR CHIEF ACCOUNTABILITY OFFICER, UH, ANDREW KOSKI,
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TO GIVE US A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR CURRENT DISTRICT PERFORMANCE SCORES THAT WERE RELEASED.NACY, AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN FOR FORWARDING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE THE FACE AND THE VOICE OF DATA THAT REFLECTS THE WORK OF SO MANY.
SO, BEFORE WE GET INTO NUMBERS TONIGHT, LET'S JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE NUMBERS REPRESENT THE HARD WORK OF OUR STUDENTS.
THEY'RE TEACHERS, THEIR SUPPORT STAFF, OUR OPERATIONS TEAM, OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TEAM, AND THEN THEIR FAMILIES AT HOME THAT WE KNOW WENT A LONG WAY TO SUPPORT THEM OVER DIFFICULT TIMES THIS, THESE PAST TWO YEARS.
THE FIRST SLIDE THAT YOU SEE SHOWS THE FIVE YEAR TRAJECTORY OF THE DISTRICT PERFORMANCE SCORE.
YOU MAY SAY FIVE YEARS, ANDREA, BUT THERE'S ONLY FOUR REPRESENTED.
WE DID NOT RECEIVE A SCORE IN THE YEAR OF 2020.
WE INTENTIONALLY STARTED WITH THE YEAR OF 2018 BECAUSE IF YOU RECALL, IN 2017, WE SUCCESSFULLY RECEIVED A WAIVER FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
WE WERE COMING OFF OF FLOOD RECOVERY.
SO IN 2018, OUR FIRST YEAR OF FLOOD RECOVERY, THE DISTRICT TURNED AT 65.4.
THAT SECOND YEAR SAW A BOUNCE TO A 69.1.
LIKEWISE, WE'VE, OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, AS WE'VE LOOKED AT DATA TOGETHER, WE'VE, WE'VE APPLIED AND COMPARED THE DISRUPTION OF THE FLOOD TO THE RECOVERY OF COVID OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO THAT YOU SEE IN THIS YEAR'S SCORE, WE'VE REBOUNDED AND SURPASSED THE 2018 COMEBACK.
UH, AND OUR GOAL IS TO GET US BACK OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR, NOT ONLY TO THE 60, UM, NINE WHERE WE WERE, BUT TO SURPASS IT IN THE UPCOMING, UH, YEAR AHEAD.
OVER ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, YOU'LL REMINDED OF THE SCORE, THE SCALE THAT THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION USES.
AS YOU ALL ARE AWARE, THEY PROVIDE LETTER GRADES OVERALL, BUT ALSO IN KEY INDICES ACROSS STRATEGIC AREAS.
AND WE'LL GET INTO THOSE IN A MINUTE.
IF WE COULD JUST ADD, THIS IS A TOTAL OF SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR E ECOSYSTEM, WHICH INCLUDES BUS PLUS, BOTH TRADITIONAL CHARTERS AND EVERYONE.
SO THAT'S THE RIGHT EVERYONE UNDER OUR LEA INCLUSIVE OF THE TYPE ONE CHARTERS THAT YOU ALL HAVE AUTHORIZED.
SO THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS TWO KEY AREAS.
THE TOP BOX REPRESENTS THE FORMULAS USED BY THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THOSE TERMS THAT WE LIKE TO TOSS AROUND AN ACCOUNTABILITY WORD OF ALL, UH, A WORLD OF ALL OF THOSE INDICATORS ACROSS THE BOTTOM OF HIGHLIGHTED FOR YOU THE KEY WORDS FOR EACH OF THOSE INDICATORS.
AND WE'VE TRACKED THE ONE YEAR CHANGE AT BOTH THE DISTRICT AND THE STATE LEVEL.
IF YOU NOTICE THE GREEN BOXES, YOU'LL SEE THE TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING NOT ONLY IN THE DISTRICT BUT ACROSS THE STATE.
EVERY TIME YOU SEE THE WORD ASSESSMENT, YOU SEE AN INCREASE.
AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF YOU NOTICE IN THAT FIRST BOX WHERE WE PASTED A 3.3 GET POINT GAIN IN OUR OVERALL ASSESSMENT INDEX, THE STATE HAD A 3.2.
MOVING ACROSS, YOU CAN SEE THE AREAS WHERE WE TRACKED SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE STATE, UH, NOT ONLY IN K EIGHT AND HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENT, BUT ALSO IN A C T.
THERE ARE A COUPLE AREAS WHERE YOU SEE THAT WE DECLINED, BUT SO DID THE STATE DECLINE.
THERE ARE ONLY TWO DISCREPANCIES HERE.
THE FIRST WOULD BE A SLIGHT, UH, GAIN OF THEM BY 0.3 IN PROGRESS.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAD A SLIGHT DECLINE IN K EIGHT PROGRESS ON THE GRADUATION RATE SIDE.
THE STATE'S GRADUATION RATE DID APPRO, UM, IMPROVE BY 0.3 WHERE WE SAW A TWO POINT DECLINE ON THE DISTRICT END.
I WILL NOTE THAT INTEREST AND OPPORTUNITIES MIGHT BE SOMETHING NEW TO YOU.
UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS ONE, YOU SAY, WOW, THE STATE GAINED 9.7, BUT THE DISTRICT WAS 2.3.
WE OUTPACED THEM LAST YEAR, SO THEY CAUGHT UP TO US.
UM, SO THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE ARE EARNING AN A.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE EARN AN A, I WANNA SHOUT IT OUT.
SO THAT'S AN AREA WHERE OUR SCORE IS CURRENTLY AN A.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DCI, I GAIN THAT IS THE, UH, NINTH GRADE STUDENTS.
IT CREDITS THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOR THOSE COURSES EARNED HIGH SCHOOL COURSEWORK EARNED AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
YOU SEE THAT HUGE GAIN THAT WE HAVE OF 5.4.
AND SO THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE OUTPOST THE OUTPACE THE STATE.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, ALL OF THE TRADITIONAL, UH, RUN SCHOOLS BY THE DISTRICT EARNED AN A IN THIS METRIC.
THERE WAS ONLY ONE SCHOOL IN THE ENTIRE LEA THAT DID NOT.
SO THAT'S A GREAT REBOUND BY OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN OUR NINTH GRADE TEACHERS THERE.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE'RE OFTEN ASKED WHEN WE RELEASE SCHOOL AND DISTRICT PERFORMANCE SCORES IS HOW DO WE DO, HOW DO WE COMPARE TO OTHERS? THIS SLIDE IS NOT NEW TO YOU BECAUSE AT YOUR REQUEST, WE CREATED IT A FEW YEARS AGO.
ALL WE DID AS A TEAM WAS UPDATED.
THE UM, DEMOGRAPHIC DATA IS BASED ON FEBRUARY ONE COUNTS FROM THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION LIBRARY BECAUSE THE ASSESSMENTS REFLECTED IN THIS CYCLE WERE TAKEN DURING LAST SPRING SEMESTER.
AND SO YOU'LL NOTICE HOW, UH, THE TOP LINE, IT'S OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEN THE OTHERS IN THIS METRO REGION.
WHAT I WOULD CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO IS A COUPLE OF COLUMNS HERE.
THE FIRST IS THE NUMBER OF SITES YOU NOTICE.
WE MORE THAN DOUBLE THE NEXT CLOSEST TO OUR BASICALLY DOUBLE THE NEXT CLOSEST TO US.
AND THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED
[00:15:01]
AND LE PERCENTAGES, YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S DISCREPANCY, UH, BETWEEN THIS DISTRICT AND OUR NEIGHBORS.THERE ARE ONLY TWO SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT SERVE MORE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS THAN WE DO IN THIS METRO AREA.
UH, BUT THEY ARE MUCH SMALLER IN SIZE THAN WE ARE.
WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
IT'S THE SAME SLIDE, BUT IT'S A DIFFERENCE SNAPSHOT.
THIS IS A COMPARISON BY SIZE AND DEMOGRAPHICS.
THESE ARE YOUR LARGER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF, UH, COURSE OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
THE TOP ROW REPRESENTS STATEWIDE TOTAL.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL SITES ACROSS THE STATE, AND YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, THE BREAKDOWNS OF PERCENTAGES OF GROUPS AT THE STATE LEVEL.
YOU'LL SEE EBR FOLLOWED BY JEFFERSON AND CATO, WHICH OF THE THREE THAT WE'RE MOST OFTEN COMPARED WITH.
AND YOU NOTICE THAT FOREST DISTRICTS WHO SERVE OVER 75% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AND SERVE OVER ENROLLMENT OF OVER 35,000 STUDENTS.
THEY TENDED TO LAND IN THE C RANGE IN THIS CYCLE OF SCORES.
SO HOW DID ALL OUR SCORES OUR SCHOOLS DO IN THESE SCORES? THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE SCHOOL LETTER GRADE DISTRIBUTION.
REMEMBER, THERE WERE NO, IT WAS NO SCORE RELEASE IN 2020.
SO WE'RE COMPARING 2019 TO THIS.
THIS LAST RELEASE IN 2019, THERE WERE 10 A'S AS COMPARED TO THIS CYCLE WITH NINE.
IN THE MIDDLE SECTION THERE YOU SEE THE B COUNT ROSE BY TWO, UH, THE C COUNT AND THIS LAST CYCLE WAS 22.
THE D COUNT IS 26, AND THE F COUNT IS 12.
THAT SHOWS YOU THE BREAKDOWN OVER 2019 CYCLE AS COMPARED TO THE MOST RECENT RELEASE.
LET'S LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN, THE GRADE DISTRIBUTION.
AND LET'S LOOK AT, UH, AND THEN COMPARED TO ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, HIGH, REMEMBER, THE STATE CALLS A COMBINATION SCHOOL, ANY SCHOOL THAT COVERS AND ENROLLS BOTH MIDDLE GRADES AND HIGH SCHOOL GRADES.
AND THEN OUR ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS ARE, WHILE THEY RECEIVE THE SAME LETTER GRADES, THEY'RE ON DIFFERENT FORMULAS.
SO THEY'RE INCLUDED IN HERE AS WELL.
OVERALL, OUR DISTRIBUTION IS AS FOLLOWS, 11.3% EARNED DAYS, 12.6% EARNED BS, 27.8% EARNED CS 32.9 EARNED DS.
AND OUR F CATEGORY LANDS AT 15.1%.
IN LOUISIANA, YOU NOT ONLY GET AN OVERALL SCORE, BUT YOU ALSO GET A SCORE FOR PROGRESS.
WHAT DOES PROGRESS MEAN? PROGRESS MEANS ACCORDING TO THE STATE'S DEFINITION, REGARDLESS OF WHERE A STUDENT STARTED, THIS MEASURE LOOKS AT AND TRACKS WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ON PACE TO ATTAIN MASTERY.
SO YOU MAY HAVE ENOUGH SCHOOL THAT RECEIVES AN A IN PROGRESS.
YOU GUYS HAVE SEEN THIS OFTEN THROUGHOUT THE LAST FIVE YEARS WITH THIS MEASURE.
AND SO TO DATE, UH, WITH THIS RELEASE AND THE DATA RELEASED YESTERDAY, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 90% OF DISTRICT SCHOOLS EARNING AN A, B, OR C IN PROGRESS.
WE HAVE 63% THAT HAVE TOTALED EITHER AN ARB WITH THIS RELEASE.
THE STATE IS ALSO RECOGNIZING OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS OF CERTAIN CATEGORIES OF SCHOOLS.
THE FIRST THAT YOU GUYS MAY RECALL IS THE TOP GAINS HONORS STATEWIDE.
THIS DISTRICT OR THIS LEA THAT INCLUDES OUR TYPE ONE CHARTERS IS HOME TO 16 OF THEM.
THESE ARE SCHOOLS WHO'VE EARNED A PROGRESS INDEX EQUIVALENT TO AN A.
THEY DID NOT EARN ANY INTERVENTION REQUIRED LABELS FOR STUDENT GROUPS AND OR DISCIPLINE.
THERE'S ANOTHER CATEGORY THAT IS MORE PRESTIGIOUS.
THE STATE RENAMED IT THIS YEAR.
IT'S CALLED THE OPPORTUNITY HONOREE.
THERE WERE 172 STATEWIDE 13 CALLED THIS DISTRICT HOME.
THESE SCHOOLS WERE RECOGNIZED FOR BEING IN THE TOP 10% FOR PERFORMANCE AMONG STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS.
THEY MUST NOT HAVE ANY INTERVENTION LABELS OR THEY CANNOT EARN THE AWARD.
AND I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT ONCE AGAIN, EBR IS IN THE TOP TIER OF DISTRICTS FOR THIS AWARD.
WE'RE TIED FOR THIRD PLACE AS THE THIRD, UH, TIED FOR THIRD AS THE DISTRICT WITH THE MOST, UH, AWARD WINNERS IN THIS CATEGORY.
SO LET'S LOOK AT SOME OVERALL PIECES OR OVERALL TRENDS THAT WE'RE SEEING, SEEING IN THE DATA.
NOY MENTIONED, WE JUST GOT STATEWIDE TOTALS IN THE LAST 36 HOURS.
SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DIG A LITTLE BIT AND WE ARE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THIS DATA.
BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CHANGE RATE ACROSS ALL 79 SCHOOLS THAT RECEIVED A LETTER GRADE IN THIS CYCLE, THE AVERAGE CHANGE FOR A SCHOOL IN THIS LEA WAS POSITIVE.
THE STATE COMPARISON IN THIS MEASURE WAS 2.41 POINT CHANGE AVERAGE.
THEN WE LOOKED AT THE SCHOOLS THAT GREW OF THE SCHOOLS THAT GREW IN THIS DISTRICT, WE SAW A PLUS 5.8 POINT CHANGE.
SO THEY GREW TO AN AVERAGE OF OVER FIVE POINTS.
WE THEN ZONED IN ON ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATIONS AND
[00:20:01]
OUR SCHOOLS THAT SERVE 85% OR MORE OF STUDENTS CLASSIFIED IN THAT AREA.IF WE LOOKED AT ALL SCHOOLS ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH, WE SAW THE POINT GROWTH IN AN AVERAGE OF 3.09 POINT CHANGE.
BUT WHEN YOU ZERO IN ON THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, WE SAW IT AT 3.68 WHILST THE STATE YESTERDAY PUBLISHED THEIR AVERAGE AS A 3.2 POINT CHANGE.
CONTINUING WITH SOME NOTABLE IMPROVEMENTS AND SOME HEADLINERS HERE, THIS FIRST ONE EXCITES ME AS THE PERSON WHO GETS TO WORK WITH OUR ASSESSMENT TEAM AND OUR CIS TEAM WHO TRACKS INTERNAL AND STATEWIDE ASSESSMENTS AND OUR COURSE COMPLETION.
THAT CONTRIBUTES TO THE INTEREST AND OPPORTUNITIES IN D C I INDICES.
WE SAW GROWTH ACROSS ALL OF THESE, UM, MEASURES THIS YEAR.
ALL OF THE ASSESSMENT INDICES SHOWED GROWTH.
THAT'S A POSITIVE TREND AND IT SIGNALS TO US WE'RE SEEING A RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT OF THE STRUCTURES AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE SAW THAT UNFINISHED LEARNING AND WE'D BE ABLE TO PUT SOME PIECES IN PLACE THAT WE SEE ARE WORKING ON THE ASSESSMENT END AS CONTINUING WITH THAT THOUGHT, 47 SITES OR 63.5% OF SCHOOLS IMPROVE THEIR NUMERICAL SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
THE STATE REPORTED YESTERDAY THAT THEIR PERCENTAGE WAS 62.8.
THERE'S SOME HEADLINERS HERE AND THERE'S SOME NAMES THAT YOU MIGHT NOT, UH, THINK THAT WOULD COME TO TOP OF MIND, BUT WE WANNA CALL THEM OUT.
LEADING THE WAY FOR THE DISTRICT WAS PARK ELEMENTARY.
YES, MS. COLLINS PARK ELEMENTARY, 14.8 OUTSTANDING AND GET READY TO HEAR YES, PLEASE.
PARK ELEMENTARY HAS MOVED FROM AN F TO A C TO A MAZE.
OUTSTANDING WORK, ALSO OUTSTANDING WORK.
I KNOW DEAR TO MADAME VICE PRESIDENT'S HEART AS WELL IS BE FAIR.
BELL FAIRE, YOU'LL SEE NOT ONLY IN THIS CATEGORY, BUT THE NEXT ONE, ONE YEAR GAINS A 14.6.
THE THIRD SCHOOL THAT THAT GREW, THE THIRD HIGHEST RATE WAS WALL WOOD, 14.4 POINTS AND GREENBRIER 14.0 POINTS.
I COULD HAVE GONE WAY DEEPER INTO THE 47 SITES OUTSTANDING WORK BY MANY.
THOSE PRINCIPLES ARE PROBABLY TEXTING ME RIGHT NOW WHERE I CUT IT OFF.
BUT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS, UH, THEIR RECOGNITION FOR THIS WHEN WE COMPARE.
GOING BACK TO PRE COVID, CUZ REMEMBER, OUR GOAL IS TO GET BACK AND, AND REPAIR THAT UNFINISHED LEARNING.
WE SAW 24 SITES, OR 32% WHO EITHER NUMERICALLY EQUALED OR SURPASSED WHERE THEY WERE.
LOOK AT, BE FAIR, BE FAIR, IN THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS GAINED OVER 20.5 POINTS.
IT'S, IT'S AN OUTSTANDING WORK.
ARLINGTON ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PLUS 17.6, PROGRESS ELEMENTARY.
UM, WHO WE, WHO WE KNOW HAS PUT THE WORK IN AT 17.4.
WE SAW OUTSTANDING LEAP RESULTS FROM THEM.
AND THEN WOODBURN ELEMENTARY AT 15.2, UH, WITH THE GAINS.
I'M GONNA CALL THIS THE 100 CLUB FOR THE NEXT ITEM.
THE DISTRICT HAS SIX SCHOOLS WITH SCORES HIGHER THAN 100.
WHY IS THAT SIGNIFICANT? BECAUSE OVER THE NEXT THREE TO FIVE YEARS, WE WILL SEE THE GRADING SCALES CHANGE AND THE RIGOR WILL INCREASE.
BUT NO MATTER WHERE THESE SCALES CHANGE, IF THESE SCHOOLS MAINTAIN THESE SCORES IN 2025, THEY WILL REMAIN IN A AND SO THAT'S OUTSTANDING WORK FOR THEM.
AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE SAW, AND LET ME CALL THOSE SCHOOLS BECAUSE I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T LEADING THE WAY, WAS BATON ROUGE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL.
I NEED TO NOTE THE BATON ROUGE MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL RANKED SEVENTH OVERALL IN THE STATE OF THE HOT WITH HIGHEST GPA, UH, I'M SORRY, SPS FOLLOWED BY WHAM, LIBERTY MAGNET, MAYFAIR LAB, BATON ROUGE FLAME, AND SHERWOOD MAGNET.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST, 17 SCHOOLS IMPROVED THEIR LETTER GRADES FROM 2019.
REMEMBER, THERE WERE NO LETTER GRADES LAST YEAR.
SO WHEN WE GO BACK TO THE LAST RELEASE, WE HAD 17 THAT SAW POSITIVE CHANGE IN THEIR LETTER GRADES.
AGAIN, SHOUT OUT TO BE FAIR, ARLINGTON PROGRESS, WEYBURN EBR READINESS PARK ELEMENTARY, WEDGEWOOD WILDWOOD, MENTORSHIP CHARTER, BROADMORE HIGH SCHOOL, TARA HIGH SCHOOL, PARKVIEW ELEMENTARY, TWIN OAKS ELEMENTARY, LOBEL AIR ELEMENTARY, SOUTH BATON ROUGE CHARTER SCHOOL, AND GLASGOW MIDDLE SCHOOL.
OUR CONGRATULATIONS GO OUT TO ALL THESE TEAMS AND THE FAMILIES THAT SUPPORT THEM.
SO TONIGHT I'M GOING TO, UM, I'LL TAKE, BE HAPPY TO TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS, BUT BEFORE WE DO, JUST WANNA REMIND THOSE WATCHING AT HOME OR IN THE AUDIENCE IF THERE'S SEVERAL RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN USE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS DATA.
THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HOUSES A DATA ON LIBRARY.
THE REPORTS THAT I REFERENCED TONIGHT ARE, UH, FOUND THERE.
LOUISIANA ALSO HAS A SCHOOL FINDER WEBSITE WHERE ANY CONSTITUENT, ANY FAMILY MEMBER, ANY PERSON OUT THERE ONLINE CAN TYPE IN THE NAME OF A SCHOOL.
YOU'LL SEE THEIR ONLINE REPORT CARD.
AND IT EVEN ALLOWS YOU TO COMPARE SCHOOLS.
[00:25:01]
MONTH, OUR DISTRICT HAS A SCORECARD THAT WE UPDATE MONTHLY WITH OUR INTERNAL PROGRESS MEASURES OF HOW WE'RE TRACKING GROWTH.AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, FOR PARENTS, THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION MAINTAINS A FAMILY SUPPORT TOOLBOX.
THERE ARE YOUTUBE VIDEOS AND OTHER RESOURCES THERE.
SO FA UH, FAMILIES CAN BETTER UNDERSTAND LOUISIANA ACCOUNTABILITY AND SOMETIMES THE, UH, STRANGE WORDS THAT WE USE TO DESCRIBE IT.
AND AS ALWAYS, OUR TEAM IS AVAILABLE.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, WOULD BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH THEM.
SO I'LL PAUL'S THERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
I WAS WONDERING, HAVE YOU DONE A, UH, COMPARISON OF OUR, OUR SCHOOL, I MEAN OUR DISTRICT PERFORMANCE SCORE WITH OUR TITLE? I MEAN OUR TYPE ONE INCLUDED AND NOT, WE HAVE NOT BROKEN OUT THE WITHOUT YET.
CUZ WE JUST GOT THE WHOLE PICTURE ABOUT 36 HOURS AGO NOW.
UM, SO THAT IS ONE AREA WE CAN WORK ON FOR YOU AND WE CAN BREAK IT OUT FOR YOU.
AND, AND ALSO THERE'S AND OURS, AND THEN WHAT IT DOES TOGETHER.
DOES IT BRING IT UP? DOES IT BRING IT DOWN? WE CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
THANK YOU, MS. DYSON, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
I, UH, HAD A CHANCE TO PULL UP, UH, SOME SCHOOL SPECIFIC INFORMATION, UM, WHEN THE SCORES CAME OUT.
UM, NOT ONE THING I WANNA JUST GIVE A LITTLE CAUTION TO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE FLOOD IS A RELEVANT REFERENCE FOR US, BECAUSE THE WHOLE STATE WENT THROUGH COVID FOR A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, AND THE STATE AS A WHOLE WENT UP.
BUT WE WENT DOWN, UH, I THINK PERHAPS IN THIS CASE, UM, LOOKING AT, UH, THE STATE AVERAGE IS A BETTER POINT OF REFERENCE FOR US AS WE USUALLY DO, UH, AT ANY OTHER TIME.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, BECAUSE COVID HAD A WHOLE NOTHER SET OF ISSUES FROM THE THREE, FOUR MONTHS, SIX MONTHS OF THE FLOOD ACTUALLY HAPPENING, PEOPLE, UH, CLEANING OUT AND GOODING THEIR HOMES AND, AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, THEN THE, CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND, UH, AND MS. OSKY, I KNOW YOUR SCOPE, UH, MIGHT BE LIMITED ON SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE, BUT, UM, WHAT ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL ASSESSMENT SCORE BEING AN F AND THE K EIGHT? WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THAT? HOW IS THAT SCORE COMPILED? SO THE SCORE IS COMPILED WITH EACH UNIT OF TESTS THAT A STUDENT TAKES IN THE LEAP SYSTEM, OKAY.
GOES INTO WHAT THE STATE CALLS A CALCULATOR.
IT'S NOT A CALCULATOR YOU CAN BUY AT A STORE, IT'S A SPREADSHEET AS YOU KNOW, THAT THEY HAVE ON THEIR WEBSITE.
SO YOU ENTER THE UNITS EARNED BASED ON YOUR ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS.
WE GET POINTS FOR THOSE ACHIEVEMENT LEVELS.
THE MORE MASTERING ADVANCED POINTS YOU GET, THE HIGHER THAT TOTAL GOODS INTO THAT 150 POINTS SCALE.
SO WHEN THOSE NUMBERS WERE PLUGGED INTO THAT CALCULATOR FOR ADVANCED MASTERY BASIC, APPROACHING UNSATISFACTORY, THAT AT THE END PRODUCT, THE SCALE WAS BELOW THE SCORE FOR AD WHEN PEOPLE, WHEN PEOPLE WHEN EDUCATORS, THE TEACHERS AND, UH, ADMINISTRATORS, EXCUSE ME, ARE HELPING STUDENTS TO PREPARE.
AND IF THE POINT OF REFERENCE FOR THAT CALCULATION OR OUR MASTERY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, ON LEAP.
UM, WHAT ASSESSMENTS ARE WE USING DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT HAVE A STRONG CORRELATION TO WHAT THE STUDENTS ARE TESTED ON AT THE END OF THE YEAR? SO REMEMBER, WE'RE BENCHMARKING OUR STUDENTS USING ANET GRADES THREE THROUGH EIGHT.
ANET WAS RATED TIER ONE BY THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
SO THEY TAKE THE DIAGNOSTIC AND THEN THEY TAKE QUARTERLY ASSESSMENT, UH, EACH OF THE, THE NINE WEEKS ALONG THE WAY UNTIL THE SPRING CYCLE.
HOW, HOW COMPARABLE WAS THE ANET DATA TO WHAT WE FINALLY SAW AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR? SO ANET DOES NOT HAVE A COMPARISON THAT THEY WILL RELEASE TO US AS TO THIS SCORE ON THE ANET EQUATES TO THIS.
WE ARE ENGAGING IN A RESEARCH PROJECT WITH ANET, USING OUR STATISTICIAN ON STAFF TO TRY TO, TO TRY TO, UM, LOOK AT THAT CORRELATION.
SO I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION TONIGHT EXCEPT TO TELL YOU THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ANNETTE TO DO.
UH, DID THE ALI THE ALI DIDN'T HAVE ANY COMPARABLE THING EITHER, DID IT? UH, I, I, SO LIKE WHEN, WHEN
[00:30:01]
WE YOU MEAN LIKE THREE I? YEAH.SO ILE WAS WHAT YOU TOOK BEFORE THERE WAS A ELITE 2025 FROM THE STATE LEVEL.
SO THE LEAP 360, DID THAT SOFTWARE GIVE US COMPARABLE DATA? IT DOESN'T, NONE OF THEM WILL GIVE YOU A TRUE PREDICTOR.
NONE OF THEM GIVE YOU A TRUE PREDICTOR.
YOU CAN SEE, I MEAN, YOU CAN'T NECESSARILY ALWAYS PREDICT.
BUT YOU, BUT BOTH OF THEM WERE ON STANDARD BASED REPORTS.
THE ADVANTAGE WITH THE ANET IS ANET LET'S US GO A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE SUBGROUPS.
WITH THE REPORT, UM, I WAS, UM, SURPRISED AND DISAPPOINTED IN, UM, GLEN OAKS, UM, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE PUT SO MANY RESOURCES AND RIGHTFULLY SO ON THAT CAMPUS, UH, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR PATHWAYS TO BRIGHT FUTURE OR OUR AKA OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT PILOT.
UM, BECAUSE IT WASN'T JUST THE COURSEWORK, IT WAS THE STAFF THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT TO SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS.
AND SO IT WAS DISAPPOINTING TO ME TO SEE THAT GLEN OAKS WENT DOWN FROM A D TO AN F I DON'T KNOW, AGAIN CUZ YOU'RE JUST THAT DATA, NOT JUST, BUT THE DATA ANALYST SO TO SPEAK, AND NOT THE, UH, NOT THE PROGRAM IN PERSON OR, OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD BE THE ONE TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THE QUESTION, BUT WE PUT A, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF RESOURCES ON THAT CAMPUS.
AND SO THEN CAN SOMEBODY SPEAK TO PERHAPS WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT? UH, THE, THE, THE DECREASE IN THE SCHOOL SCHOOL SCORE? I CAN SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT IT, IT HAD A SIDE DECLINE AND YOU'RE CORRECT.
IT, IT DROPPED LESS THAN A POINT, BUT IT, IT MOVED THEM INTO THE F CATEGORY.
WELL, AGAIN, THAT SCHOOL GOT A WHOLE LOT MORE RESOURCES THAN OTHER SCHOOLS DID.
UM, AND, AND FOR THE DECLINE RATE TO BE, FOR IT TO DECLINE, NOT JUST CONSIDERING THE DUAL ENROLLMENT, BUT UM, SOME OF THE DATA ALSO SPOKE TO, UH, OTHER STRUGGLES ON THAT CAMPUS.
YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONCE SAID THAT 60% OF STUDENTS WERE ON TRACK, ET CETERA.
AND, AND, UM, IT WAS, UH, SURPRISING AND DISAPPOINTED TO SEE THAT WITH GLEN OAKS IN PARTICULAR.
UM, AND THEN ANOTHER ONE, UH, ARO HIGH, I'M, I'M HOPING A SUPERINTENDENT THAT WE CAN GET SOME EXTRAS, UH, RECONFIGURED SUPPORTS OR GET ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS.
I'M NOT FAMILIAR CUZ WE HAVEN'T NECESSARILY TALKED ABOUT A STROMER, BUT IT ALSO, UH, WENT DOWN TO AN F FROM A D UM, THE STUDENT PROGRESS INDEX YES, MA'AM.
IS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS TWO YEARS.
CAN YOU HELP ME UNDERSTAND THAT? SURE.
THERE ARE TWO WAYS THAT A STUDENT EARNS PROGRESS REPORT, UH, POINTS FOR THEIR SCHOOL AND THEIR DISTRICT.
ON EACH INDIVIDUALIZED STUDENT'S REPORT, THERE IS A GROWTH TARGET FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
IF A STUDENT ACHIEVES THEIR GROWTH TARGET, THEY RECEIVE THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF POINTS THAT ONE 50 A IF THEY DON'T, THERE'S A SECOND WAY THAT THEY CAN EARN IT.
AND THE SECOND WAY IS WHEN YOU RANK ORDER THEM ACCORDING TO THEIR PEERS STATEWIDE, IF I'M ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, IF I'M A LE STUDENT, IF I'M A SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENT, THOSE BOXES GET CHECKED FOR ME AND IT GETS FILTERED AND I'M RANK ORDERED ACCORDING TO MY, LIKE, PEERS BASED ON MY PERCENTILE RANK.
AND THERE'S SOME, THERE'S A CHART THAT WE CAN SEND.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE CHART, UH, POINT VALUES, YOU GET ASSIGNED SPECIFIC POINTS, THOSE POINTS GO INTO THAT CALCULATOR, AND THAT ENDS UP WITH THE DISTRICT TOTAL.
SO WHAT WE SAW BECAUSE OF THE UNFINISHED LEARNING OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE'RE NOT EARNING THOSE POINTS AT THE RATE THAT WE WERE PRIOR TO THE COVID DISRUPTION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, THE, AND THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING IN THE PRESENTATION A COMPARISON OF, UH, SIMILAR SIZE AND, UH, DEMOGRAPHIC PARISHES, NOT JUST THE SURROUNDING.
YOU'RE, UM, THE, THE INTERESTING THING FOR ME, I THINK IS THAT, IN PARTICULAR WITH JEFFERSON PARISH AND ORLEANS PARISH, UM, THEY DIDN'T JUST HAVE, UH, MORE STUDENTS, BUT THEY HAVE A HIGHER RATE OF ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS.
UM, AND THEY FARED BETTER THAN WE DID.
AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE TO COMPETE AND I'M READY TO SEE US CONTINUE TO COMPETE.
[00:35:01]
IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, AND I CLOSE MY, UH, QUESTIONS AND MY THOUGHTS WITH THIS.UM, THE, I WAS HOPING TO SEE A LARGER RETURN ON INVESTMENT FOR THE ESSA DOLLARS THAT WE SPENT.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A HUGE FOCUS, THERE WAS IMPROVEMENT WITH OUR LITERACY.
UM, I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE MORE.
UM, BUT DEFINITELY I WAS HOPING FOR US, BECAUSE WE USUALLY DO KEEP PRETTY CLOSE, IF NOT BETTER THAN THE STATE AVERAGE, UH, CONSIDERING, UH, THAT THE WHOLE STATE WENT THROUGH, UH, WHAT WE WENT THROUGH AND WE WERE BETTER RESOURCED, ESPECIALLY IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD THE ONE-TO-ONE.
WE JUST HAD TO GET 'EM OUT TO HOMES, UH, AND ONE-TO-ONE TECHNOLOGY, THE CHROMEBOOKS, ET CETERA.
LIKE WE HAD INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, IN PLACE TO HELP US BETTER NAVIGATE THAN MANY.
AND SO, UM, I'M GLAD TO SEE, OF COURSE, GREEN BRI AND BE FAIR WHERE, WHERE GIGI'S BABY IS AND, UM, AND THE OTHERS WHO HAD THOSE GREAT SIGNIFICANT GAINS THAT YOU POINTED AND, AND THE OTHER SCHOOLS WHO, WHO EITHER WERE STEADY OR HAD SOME GAINS.
BUT, UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO US, UH, KEEP PUSHING FORWARD.
UH, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU MR. KONSKI FOR A VERY GOOD REPORT DONE WITH I'M SURE A LOT OF EXTRA TIME INVOLVED IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO PERSONALLY AND FOR THE BOARD CONGRATULATE ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS AND STAFF AND CAFETERIA WORKERS AND EVERYONE ELSE WHO GOES INTO THESE RESULTS.
UH, I THINK THERE ARE SOME PO VERY POSITIVE THINGS IN THESE NUMBERS.
UH, I THINK SOME OF THE FOUNDATION THAT WE'RE ALLAYING IS STARTING TO BEAR FRUIT.
NONE OF THIS IS GONNA CHANGE OVERNIGHT, BUT IT'S A PROCESS THAT'S GONNA TAKE 5, 6, 7 YEARS, UH, TO GO THROUGH.
AND I THINK WE'VE LAID SOME GOOD FOUNDATIONS, UH, WORKING THROUGH THIS.
THE OTHER SOAPBOX I'M GONNA GET ON THOUGH IS ATTENDANCE.
UH, BETWEEN 2019 AND 2022, IF YOU GO BACK AND COMPARE ATTENDANCE RATES, THERE HAS BEEN PARTICULARLY IN THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL WITH DROP OFF IN CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE.
AND THAT COMES ABOUT FROM THE, UH, C ERA WITH VIRTUAL SCHOOLING AND EVERYTHING.
AND PEOPLE HAVE GOTTEN USED TO NOT COMING TO CLASS.
AND OUR WONDERFUL TEACHERS CAN'T TEACH THEM IF THEY'RE NOT IN CLASS TO RECEIVE THE EDUCATION.
SO THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN PUSHING TO HAVE ON THE, UH, WEEKLY REPORTS THAT WE GET AND HAVE MUCH MORE EMPHASIS PLACED UPON ATTENDANCE.
AND OUR METRICS ARE A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTING IN THAT AREA.
UH, CUZ I VIEW THAT IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD SOLVE THE ATTENDANCE, UH, ISSUE, ALL THE REST OF THESE NUMBERS WOULD JUMP UP DRAMATICALLY BECAUSE, UH, THOSE KIDS, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE 30, 35% OF KIDS NOT IN CLASS, UH, HOW DO WE EXPECT THE SCORES TO COME UP NO MATTER WHAT TEST WE'RE USING, NO MATTER WHAT PROGRAMS WE'RE USING OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IF THE KIDS AREN'T THERE, IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO DO THE TEACHING.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE PEOPLE FOR ALL THEIR HARD WORK, BUT I ALSO WANT TO REACH OUT THE COMMUNITY AND MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO HAVE STEADY REGULAR CLASSROOM ATTENDANCE.
BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, NO MATTER HOW HARD OUR TEACHERS WORK, NO MATTER WHAT PROGRAMS WE PUT INTO PLACE, NO MATTER HOW HARD EVERYONE TRIES, WE'RE NOT GONNA SEE THE IMPROVEMENT THAT THOSE KIDS NEED AND DESERVE.
BUT WE NEED THE COMMUNITY'S HELP TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UH, MR. BELU, THANK YOU PRESIDENT TAMAN.
AND, UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. KINSKI.
UM, THE ONLY THING I'M JUST ASKING, ONCE WE FINISH, UH, ANALYZING THE DATA, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THE, UH, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS PROGRAM.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S EXCITING TO SEE AND INCREASE THAT TERROR.
I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR SO MANY YEARS WE, WE, WE'VE USED TARA AS THE EXCUSE NOT TO ADDRESS ATTENDANCE LINES IN THE DISTRICT.
WE'VE HAD EXCUSES LIKE, WELL, WE CAN'T MOVE KIDS FROM WOODLAWN TO TARA BECAUSE, UM, THEN I'LL GET IN TROUBLE WITH MY CONSTITUENTS FOR, FOR MOVING THEM.
SO I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT WE, UH, SOON WE WILL NOT HAVE THAT EXCUSE AT ALL.
AND TO SEE THE PARK THAT PARK ELEMENTARY HAS DONE SO WELL.
[00:40:01]
KNOW, THAT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT.SO WE CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE DOING THERE DIFFERENTLY THAT WE CAN, UH, UH, WE CAN STICK A FEATHER IN OUR CAP ON THAT ONE.
UM, SOMETHING THAT, UH, I NOTICED THAT THAT'S DISAPPOINTING TO SEE IS, UH, I WAS LOOKING AT THE NUMBER COUNTING THE NUMBER OF, UM, UH, TYPE ONE CHARTERS, UH, THAT WE HAVE, UH, COUNTING 11 OF THEM AND ONLY THREE OF THEM ARE A C OR ABOVE.
AND A FEW OF THEM HAVE SEEN SOME DECLINE.
SO THAT'S VERY DISAPPOINTING, UH, TO, TO SEE THAT.
BUT, UM, OVERALL, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE HEARD WONDERFUL THINGS ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND I EVEN HEARD THAT, UM, CAPITAL HIGH SCHOOL HAD SOME, SOME REAL ACCOLADES.
UH, DO YOU KNOW, CAN YOU SPEAK ON TO THAT A LITTLE? I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
I WILL GET IT TO YOU, BUT I WILL SAY IT'S, AND ONE OF THE, UM, IT MAY BE IN ONE OF THE HANDOUTS THAT WE SHARE WITH YOU THROUGH APRIL, BUT IF NOT, WE CAN GET IT TO YOU.
BUT I WILL SAY WE LOOK FORWARD TO REPORTING THEIR DATA TO YOU PUBLICLY NEXT YEAR.
UH, BUT WE CAN DEFINITELY GET, GET THAT TO YOU'S IS THERE FOR US TO GRAB.
I I LOVE TO SEE WHAT THEY'RE DOING SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT, UH, THAT WE KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK THERE AND, AND, AND NOT, NOT KILL THAT, THAT GOOD PROGRESS.
AND TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE HIGHER RANKED STATEWIDE IS JUST PHENOMENAL.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M VERY PROUD OF THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WE'RE STILL ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE ONE THING PRESENT TIME BEFORE WE, UH, GO THROUGH.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO, UH, YOU ALWAYS THINK IT'S IMPORTANT AS A COMMUNITY, WE LEVEL SET.
UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, UH, WHEN WE GET THE SCORES FROM THE, THE STATE, WE TAKE THAT ALSO IN CONTEXT.
UH, WHAT WE LOOK FOR IS ALWAYS AREAS OF IMPROVEMENT.
UH, YES, WE'VE IMPROVED IN PARTICULAR AREAS MORE THAN OTHER PLACES.
AND I KNOW AT TIMES WE PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO WHAT ALPHABET
BUT THE REALITY IS, I TELL FOLKS, WHEN YOU LOOK AT AREAS OF PROGRESS, UH, THE DISTRICT IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION IN TERMS OF PROGRESS.
UH, WE SEE MORE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE NOT HAD ANY PROGRESS, HAD HAD DECLINES INCREASE MORE THAN WE HAVE.
AND WE'VE ALSO SEEN THAT COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS HAVE HAPPENED MUCH MORE STRUCTURALLY THAN EVER HAPPENED BEFORE.
AND MANY OTHER THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER.
UH, I ALWAYS TEND TO USE THIS AS A COMMENT.
MY WHITE VOICE SAYS, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T BECOME UNHEALTHY BY YESTERDAY.
YOU BECAME UNHEALTHY OVER TIME.
AND SO I TELL FOLKS, YOU KNOW, AS EXCITED AS WE ARE ALL THE TIME WHEN WE WANNA SEE PROGRESS, CHANGE IN TERMS OF IMPROVEMENT DOESN'T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
IT TAKES TIME FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND IT ALSO TAKES TIME TO STAY CONSISTENT WITH THE PLAN THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE FOR THAT.
JUST SAY, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR, WHETHER IT'S THE ASSESSMENTS WE'VE STARTED IN 2020 WHEN I ARRIVED, UH, MISS OWS AND HER TEAM WHO, UH, TALKED ABOUT HERE'S THE SHIFTS THAT THEY WANTED TO MAKE, THAT HAS MADE IMPROVEMENT.
OUR, OUR APPROACH RIGHT NOW IS WE START DOING WORK WITH COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS AND PARTNERSHIPS AND COMMUNITIES THAT'S BEGIN TO MAKE IMPROVEMENT, UH, PARTNERS THAT WE HAVE WHERE WE NOW ARE ORGANIZING ALL THE PARTNERS.
THE BOARD HAS ALLOWED ME TO ORGANIZE PARTNERS, THE BATON ROUGE AREA YOUTH NETWORK, 90 PARTNERS WORKING TOGETHER TO HELP SUPPORT COMMUNITIES.
UM, OUR EXPANSION AROUND MORE CHILDREN BEING IN, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD SEATS THAT WE INVESTED DOLLARS, THAT'S IMPROVEMENT.
UH, SO IT'S A PROGRESSION OVER TIME.
OUR WORKFORCE WORK, UH, THAT, THAT THIS BOARD HAS ALLOWED US TO DO WHERE WE ARE NOW GETTING PARENTS, SAVING PARENTS MONEY AND GIVING THEM OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE COLLEGE COURSES WHERE THEY WOULD'VE NEVER HAD OPPORTUNITY.
UH, IMPROVEMENT WHERE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, WE'VE ONLY HAD, YOU KNOW, X AMOUNT OF KIDS THAT WERE TAKING, UM, UM, ADVANCED COURSES.
NOW WE HAVE OVER OUT OF 10,000 HIGH SCHOOL KIDS, ALMOST, ALMOST, UH, FOUR TO 5,000 PLUS STUDENTS, UH, DOING THAT.
SO I ALWAYS TELL FOLKS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT PROGRESSION OVER TIME AND ALSO CONSISTENCY.
UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT I THINK WHAT IS CLEAR IS THAT, THAT WE'VE PUT A FOUNDATION ON THE GROUND AND NOW IS FOR US TO CONTINUE TO BE CONSISTENT IN THOSE SUPPORT STRUCTURES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS FOR PROGRESSION.
UH, SOME THINGS WILL ACCELERATE QUICKLY IN AND SOME THINGS WILL JUST TAKE US SOME TIME TO DO.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, IT'S IMPORTANT.
I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO LEVEL SET AS A COMMUNITY TO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT OVERALL PROGRESS.
UH, SOMETIMES THE TENSION THAT HAPPENS WITH THE SCORES IS IT'S EITHER UP OR DOWN.
WHO'S THE WINNER, NOT THE WINNER, AND WHO'S GAINED, WHO DIDN'T GAIN.
[00:45:01]
AND, UH, THIS WORK IS REALLY A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT WORK.AND IT TAKES US AS A COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY TO HELP SUPPORT ALL OUR KIDS, REGARDLESS OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME FROM, REGARDLESS OF THE TYPE OF SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE IN, TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE CHILDREN AND BATON ROUGE DO WELL.
UH, I'M PROUD THAT WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE HAVE CONTINUED A LOT MORE WORK TO DO.
UH, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT, YOU KNOW, PROGRESS IS HAPPENING AND CREATING A FOUNDATION FOR US TO BUILD OFF IS THE IMPORTANT THING.
UH, AND WE ALSO WANT TO CREDIT A LOT OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE FRONT LINES, THOSE TEACHERS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, THE BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS, EVERYONE THAT HELPS OUR CHILDREN AND OUR COMMUNITY TO DO WELL.
ALL THESE FOLKS WHO HELP WITH PARTNERSHIPS TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THAT THESE SCORES DO NOT DEFINE US IN WHAT WE DO.
UH, BUT IT DOES HELP US TO COMMUNITY THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GONNA IMPROVE AS A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
UH, AND AS I TOLD THIS MORNING WHEN I SPOKE TO THE LEADERSHIP CLASS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS KEEPER IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT OUR POTENTIAL IS GREAT.
AND AS A COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS, UH, YEAR ONE WILL LOOK, UH, TOTALLY DIFFERENT FROM YEAR THREE CUZ WE'LL CONTINUE INCREASE THAT.
WE HAVE DONE YEAR THREE LOOK BETTER THAN YEAR FIVE.
BUT IT'S THAT PROGRESSION THAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM A BETTER PLACE.
AND SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, PRESIDENT TAMAN, THAT IS MY REPORT.
[E.1. Community School Strategy]
E ONE RESOLUTIONS, UH, CONSIDERATION FOR REQUEST FOR THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION TO ESTABLISH TWO DEMONSTRATION SITES, CAPITAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY.MS. WE JACKSON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ THE, UM, RESOLUTION PLEASE? YES.
UM, EBR SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY RESOLUTION.
WHEREAS THE EBR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO BRINGING ASSETS OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH COMMUNITY, CITY PARISH AGENCIES AND NON-PROFITS TO BEAR IN THE REESTABLISHMENT AND SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS THAT BUILD PARTNERSHIPS TO EXPAND OPPORTUNITIES AND LOWER BARRIERS TO LEARNING THAT IMPEDE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF OUR CHILDREN.
AND WHEREAS WHEN COUPLED WITH HIGH QUALITY CORE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING, COMMUNITY SCHOOLS ARE A VEHICLE FOR SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION THAT CAN HELP CLOSE THE PERSISTENT AND DESTRUCTIVE OPPORTUNITY GAPS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND REVERSE THE GROWING INEQUALITY IN OUR SOCIETY.
AND WHEREAS THE EBR PARISH SCHOOL DISTRICT DEFINITION OF A COMMUNITY SCHOOL IS A PLACE AND A SET OF STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS AMONGST THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT PROMOTE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, POSITIVE CONDITIONS FOR LEARNING, AND THE WELLBEING OF FAMILIES AND COMMUNITIES MAINTAINS A CORE FOCUS ON CHILDREN, WHILE RECOGNIZING THAT CHILDREN GROW UP IN FAMILIES AND THAT FAMILIES ARE INTEGRAL PARTS OF COMMUNITIES BUILDS AND INTEGRATED STRATEGY THAT ENHANCES ACADEMICS AND STUDENT WELLBEING THROUGH ENRICHMENT HEALTH AND SOCIAL SUPPORTS, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND YOUTH AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT IS ANCHORED BY THE WORK OF A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AND EXPANDED HOURS AND, AND PROVIDES A BASE FOR PARENT AND COMMUNITY ADVOCACY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY.
AND WHEREAS THIS INTEGRATED STRATEGY WILL LEAD TO STUDENT SUCCESS, STRONG FAMILIES, AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
ALTHOUGH THE DESIGN OF EACH COMMUNITY SCHOOL MUST BE TAILORED TO THE SPECIFIC NEEDS AND ASSETS OF ITS CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND COMMUNITIES, EVERY COMMUNITY SCHOOL SHOULD INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL LEADERSHIP THAT IS COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL MODEL, TO SEEING IT AS A STRATEGY PARALLEL TO THE SCHOOL'S INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, INCLUDING THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AS INTEGRAL TO ITS LEADERSHIP TEAM, A SCHOOL FAMILY COUNCIL THAT INCLUDES PARENTS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, SCHOOL STAFF AND YOUTH, AND SUBSTANTIALLY AND REGULAR ADVISING THE PRINCIPAL AND SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM ABOUT ALL SCHOOL MATTERS THAT IMPACT THE WELLBEING OF THE SCHOOL'S CHILDREN, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE SCHOOL'S NON-ACADEMIC PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND THE USE OF THE SCHOOL BUILDING BEYOND REGULAR SCHOOL HOURS.
A FULL-TIME COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR WHO PARTNERS WITH THE PRINCIPAL AND SERVES AS AN ESSENTIAL MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL'S LEADERSHIP TEAM.
AND WHOSE ROLE IS TO DEVELOP, COORDINATE,
[00:50:01]
INTEGRATE AND ALIGN PROGRAMS AND PARTNERSHIPS THAT SERVE STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND THE COMMUNITY.A LEAD PARTNER, COMMUNITY BASED ORGANIZATION AND OTHER PARTNERS THAT ARE DEEPLY INVESTED IN IMPROVING STUDENT OUTCOMES AND INTEGRATED INTO DECISION MAKING, COORDINATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL PROGRAMS. A SERVICES SUPPORTS AN ADVOCACY PROGRAM INFORMED BY A COMPREHENSIVE NEEDS AND ASSESSMENTS IN THE SCHOOL AND IN THE COMMUNITY.
OUTCOMES STRATEGIES, LOCATION OF RESPONSIBILITY AND TIMELINES REGARDING ACCOMPLISHMENTS SHALL BE REFLECTED IN A THREE YEAR ANNUALLY UPDATED ROLLING STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN.
THE SERVICES SUPPORTS AN ADVOCACY PROGRAM SHALL INCLUDE A AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM FOR A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STUDENTS, INCLUDING THOSE MOST IN NEED, SUCH AS THOSE STUDENTS WHOSE HISTORY INCLUDES CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND B AND EVIDENCE BASED SYSTEMIC SCHOOL CLIMATE AND SAFETY PROGRAM SUCH AS RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND SUCH OTHERS THAT RESPOND TO THE IDENTIFIED NEEDS OF CHILDREN, FAMILIES, AND THE COMMUNITY.
ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, ALL STAFF, PARENTS AND PARTNERS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN THAT INCLUDE A POSITIVE AND SUPPORTIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE EFFECTIVE PARTNERSHIPS AND TRANSFORMATIVE PARENT AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
DEDICATED SPACE IN THE SCHOOL FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR, PARTNERS AND PARENTS SYSTEMS ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR TO COLLECT, ANALYZE, AND RESPOND TO REAL TIME DATA ON STUDENT AND SCHOOL INDICATORS SUCH AS ATTENDANCE, ACHIEVEMENT AND PROGRAM PARTICIPATION.
AS WELL AS WORKFLOWS FOR SCHEDULING, PROGRAMMING AND OTHER ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS THAT SUPPORT STUDENT SUCCESS.
COMMUNITY SCHOOLS STEERING COMMITTEE, A PUBLIC BODY DEVELOPED TO SUPPORT THE VISION POLICY AND RESOURCE ALIGNMENT FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL.
EVALUATION OF THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY SHALL BE PART OF THE ROUTINE ASSESSMENT OF THE SCHOOL'S EFFECTIVENESS AS A WHOLE.
ADOPTED AND SIGNED THIS DAY, BLANK OF NOVEMBER, 2022.
I SO MOVE ADOPTION OF THIS RESOLUTION MOVED BY MS. WE JACKSON, SECONDED BY, UH, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS.
THE THERE ARE NO QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
UM, MY NAME IS CORON DE COLEY, PARENT AND DISABILITIES ADVOCATE AND THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY.
WE WILL STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT AS FAMILIES AND CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, OUR CHILDREN ONLY HAVE A SELECT FEW SCHOOLS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT THEY CAN GO TO THEIR EXCEPTIONALITY DRIVE, WHAT SCHOOL THEY ACTUALLY CAN ATTEND.
MY CHILD HAS AN EXCEPTIONALITY OF AUTISM AND BECAUSE OF HIS EXCEPTIONALITY OF AUTISM, HE'S NOT AFFORDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BUT ONLY THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A AUTISM PROGRAM.
AS YOU KNOW, THE, UM, EARLY CHILDHOOD SCHOOLS, SOUTH DOWNS.
PRE-K IS ONE AND THE OTHER ONE IS DELMONT PRE-K.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO ELEMENTARY, KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH IS PUT IN ONE CLASSROOM.
IF THEY HAVE AUTISM, BROADMORE ELEMENTARY IS ONE, NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY IS ANOTHER.
BUT THERE'S ONLY SELECT CLASSES FOR OUR CHILDREN BASED ON THEIR EXCEPTIONALITY, WHICH ARE NOT, WHICH IS NOT INCLUSIVE.
THE REASON WE ARE SUPPORTING THIS ACTUAL STRATEGY IS BECAUSE THIS STRATEGY WOULD AFFORD OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES TO BE ABLE TO GO TO A SCHOOL THAT'S RIGHT WALKING DISTANCE FROM THEIR HOME, THAT WOULD ALLOW THEM, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THEIR EXCEPTIONALITY IS, WHETHER IT IS AUTISM,
[00:55:01]
SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY, SEVERE, PROFOUND, THEY COULD WALK TO THEY SCHOOL, THEY FAMILIES CAN GET THEM THERE.IT WOULD COST, IT WOULD NOT COST OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM A FINANCIAL HARDSHIP CUZ WE DO KNOW Y'ALL OWE ME MONEY FOR GAS AND, UM, FOOD.
BUT THAT'S A DIFFERENT STORY, A DIFFERENT DAY, RIGHT? BUT THIS WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US.
WE COULD HAVE GREAT SCHOLARS AT EVERY SCHOOL.
IT WOULD ALLOW PEOPLE TO TAKE PRIDE BACK INTO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE, AT NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY AND NORTHEAST HIGH EXEMPLAR, WE EXEMPLIFY PRIDE.
WE CALL OURSELVES VIKINGS PRIDE BECAUSE WE ARE A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY SCHOOL AND THAT THIS IS A MODEL THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO IMPLEMENT TO THE FULLEST, BUT WE NEED THE RESOLUTION TO GO THROUGH.
SO WE STRONGLY SUPPORTED THE DISABILITIES COMMUNITY, STRONGLY SUPPORTED CORINTH, IF HE WASN'T LISTENING THROUGH HIS HEADPHONES TO SOMETHING ELSE, WAS STRONGLY SUPPORTED.
AND SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU DEFINITELY GIVE THIS A THUMBS UP.
AND IT'S NOT TOO OFTEN THAT Y'ALL HEAR ME STOP.
SO I'M STOPPING, BUT I'M GONNA GET MY 20 SECONDS LATER.
THANK YOU MISS, UH, MR. JAMIE ROBINSON.
I'M HEARING SUPPORT TODAY OF THIS RESOLUTION BECAUSE THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY WORKS.
IT'S PROVEN TO WORK ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
IN ORDER FOR CHILDREN TO BE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL, WE HAVE TO BEGIN TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS THAT EXIST OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM AND EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOLS.
WRAPAROUND SERVICES FOR CHILDREN ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
CHILDREN MUST BE EMOTIONALLY AND SOCIALLY SUCCESSFUL BEFORE THEY CAN BEGIN TO BE ACADEMICALLY SUCCESSFUL WITHIN THE CLASSROOM SETTING.
WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL MODULE, IT ALSO BEGINS TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS TO ASSIST THE PARENTS.
A LOT OF OUR PARENTS ARE DEALING WITH A LOT OF MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS.
THEY'RE DEALING WITH THINGS THAT, THAT ARE EXISTING THAT PREVENTS THEM FROM BEING, UM, PRODUCTIVE PARENTS, SUCH AS NOT HAVING A QUALITY EDUCATION.
AND THIS MODULE WOULD POTENTIALLY CREATE AVENUES FOR THEM TO OBTAIN A G E D.
IT ALSO INCREASE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO HAVE JOB FAIRS AND RESOURCE FAIRS THROUGH COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, WHICH WOULD ADD TO THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF THE CHILD THAT THEY HAVE OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
AND SO TODAY I ASK THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THIS RESOLUTION AND VOTE FOR IT BECAUSE IT WILL AID IN THE FIGHT OF MAKING SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN ARE STRONG ACADEMICALLY.
THAT'S ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SORRY, I DIDN'T SUBMIT A CARD.
UH, I'M MARIA HARMON, UH, ONE OF THE CO-DIRECTORS OF STEP UP LOUISIANA AND ALSO A PARTNER OF THE LOUISIANA ALLIANCE TO RECLAIM MY SCHOOLS LA ROSES.
AND WE, UH, STRONGLY SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE FOR A RESOLUTION FOR A COMMUNITY SCHOOL STRATEGY TO BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT EBR SCHOOLS.
UM, AND WE'RE ALSO HAPPY TO HAVE THIS RETURN BACK TO CAPITAL ELEMENTARY AND CAPITAL MIDDLE.
CAPITAL ELEMENTARY EX IMPLEMENTED, UH, IMPLEMENTED THE MODEL, UH, VERY WELL.
I MEAN, FROM APPOINTING THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR TO SECURING THE RESOURCES AND PARTNERSHIPS FOR THAT SCHOOL, THEY WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THEIR SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE BY FOUR POINTS IN ONE YEAR, UH, IN THE YEAR OF 2019, AND ALSO RECEIVE TWO AWARDS FROM THE STATE.
UM, IT WAS AN, A PROGRESS SCHOOL AWARD AND ALSO A TOP GAIN SCHOOL AWARD.
AND, UH, TO SEE THAT COME BACK IS SO MEANINGFUL TO THAT COMMUNITY IN EDEN PARK AND THE 7,805 ZIP CODE AREA.
AND NOT ONLY WILL THIS MODEL IMPACT CAPITAL ELEMENTARY, BUT ALSO CAPITAL MIDDLE AND EACH SCHOOL SITE SHARE PARENTS THAT HAVE CHILDREN THAT GO TO EACH SCHOOL.
AND TO ALSO KNOW THAT THE SKILLSET OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AT THAT TIME WAS ABLE TO EVEN SECURE RESOURCES FOR PARENTS THAT EXTENDED FROM CONTINUING THEIR EDUCATION BY CONTINUING CLASSES IN A CERTAIN ROOM WHERE COMPUTERS WERE PROVIDED TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE COUNSELING, TO PARTNERSHIPS WHERE STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO TAKE FIELD TRIPS EVEN DURING THE SUMMER WITH A NON-PROFIT GOLFING COMPANY WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THEIR MATH AND ANALYTICAL SKILLS HANDS ON.
UM, WHERE RETURNING TO SCHOOL IN THAT FOLLOWING YEAR, UM, WASN'T SO MUCH OF A SETBACK OR, UH, HAVING TO RESUME OR HAVE REMEDIAL COURSES BECAUSE THEY KEPT LEARNING GOING ON YEAR ROUND DUE TO THE PARTNERSHIPS.
AND AGAIN, I HAVE TO ALLUDE THAT TO THE SKILL SET OF THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL COORDINATOR AND ALSO THE LEADERSHIP OF THE PRINCIPAL OF THE, OF THE PRINCIPAL, MISS CARLA JOHNSON.
SO, WITH YOUR FAVORABLE PASSAGE, WE WOULD TRULY APPRECIATE
[01:00:01]
IT AND STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO MOVE FORWARD ON THIS.AND MAKE SURE YOU FILL OUT FOR OUR RECORDS, FILL OUT ONE OF THE CARDS.
SEEING NO OTHER, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT BACK TO THE BOARD, UH, BOARD COLLEAGUE DIASON.
UM, I JUST NEED SOME CLARITY ON THIS RESOLUTION.
UM, IT SEEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE THINKING SCHOOL SPECIFIC, BUT THIS IS A BROAD ALLOWING, UH, BOARD TO GO FORWARD WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND WILL AT DIFFERENT POINTS ALONG THE WAY DURING THE MASTER PLAN AND REVISIONING OF OUR DISTRICT AND THE, THE, UH, FACILITIES PLAN AND ATTENDANCE LINES AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT THIS THEN WILL BE PART OF THAT.
AND THAT CHOICE OF WHERE WE'RE GONNA IMPLEMENT IS OPEN ENDED AT THIS POINT.
IS THAT CORRECT? UM, EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD IS, UH, WORKING ON THIS, THIS IS, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY, UH, DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO AT CAPA TO EXPLORE FIRST ACT, UH, CAPITAL ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE, UH, TO DO THIS.
AND SO, UM, UH, THIS WAS A MODEL THAT, UH, BEFORE COVID THAT WORKED FOR THAT COMMUNITY AND THE NEXT FLOOR.
WELL, HOW DOES THAT LOOK? UH, IF IT WORKS WELL, THEN HOW DO WE LOOK AT OTHER COMMUNITIES TO DO THIS WORK? SO, UM, THIS IS A DIRECTION WE WERE ALREADY MOVING.
AND, AND IT DOESN'T NAME SPECIFIC OTHER SCHOOLS THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO, THE BOARD THEN WILL DECIDE WITH YOU, I'M SURE.
UM, THERE'S A LOT TO BE DECIDED AS Y'ALL REIMAGINE.
BOARD COLLEAGUE, UH, WHERE JACKSON.
THANK YOU MADAME VICE PRESIDENT.
UH, IN THIS MODEL, THE, UM, ANY SCHOOL WILL BE ABLE TO APPLY ONCE, ONCE WE SEE THE PROGRESS AT THE DEMONSTRATION SITES, UH, CAPITAL ELEMENTARY AND, UH, CAPITAL MIDDLE.
UM, WHAT TO, TO ME IS VERY EXCITING AND DIFFERENT ABOUT THIS CONCEPT IS THAT THIS IS, THIS WILL BE THE VERY FIRST TIME, UM, THAT, THAT I CAN, AT LEAST A TIME THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, I DON'T KNOW ABOUT PREVIOUS, THAT THE DISTRICT HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO, UM, AN ACTUAL SYSTEM THAT WILL HELP STRUGGLING SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE DONE VERY WELL IN A LOT OF AREAS, BUT, YOU KNOW, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, WE'VE ASKED ABOUT PARTICULAR PLANS FOR THE SO-CALLED FAILING SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE D'S AND F'S.
AND WE'VE NEVER COME UP WITH A, A SOLID PLAN, SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY TANGIBLE.
UH, AND WITH THIS MODEL, WE DON'T HAVE TO REINVENT THE WHEEL.
EVERYTHING IS ALREADY PROVEN ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
ALL WE NEED TO DO IS FOLLOW THE SYSTEM JUST LIKE WE WOULD A PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION IF WE HAD A PARTICULAR AILMENT.
UM, AND A LOT OF IT IS DRAWN OUT IN THE RESOLUTION ON PURPOSE BECAUSE IT IS A FORMULA AND, UH, IT IS A STRATEGY.
SO I'M VERY GRATEFUL TO, UH, LA'S FOR BRINGING THIS TO, UH, TO MY ATTENTION AND TO, UH, AND FOR A INVITING ME AND ALLOWING ME TO JOIN THEM IN SOME OF THE TRAINING THAT WE RECEIVED IN THE SUMMER.
AND, UH, AND JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND, UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THERE IS, THERE IS ANOTHER CONVENING, I THINK LATE IN DECEMBER.
NACE, YOU, YOU MAY WANNA SEND SOME, I KNOW THERE WAS SOME STAFF THAT WAS LOOKING TO GO BEFORE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY BENEFICIAL IF, UH, IF SOMEONE FROM THE STAFF WOULD BE ABLE TO ATTEND.
SO, UM, SO IT'S, IT'S VERY EXCITING TO, UM, TO SEE THIS COME FORWARD AT LAST, IF IT PASSES.
SEEING NO OTHER REQUEST TO SPEAK FROM THE BOARD.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[01:05:01]
THE MOTION FAILS.[F. 1. Board Appointees]
F1.HUH? F1 ALL MOVING FORWARD WITH ITEM F ONE BOARD APPOINTEES, ANY REPORTS? OKAY.
I JUST WANNA SAY THAT BR IS VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE SCHOOL IN THE PARK, BUT ALSO THAT WE HAVE SOME HOLIDAY CAMPS BEING OFFERED AT BR THIS WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING.
AND I THINK THEY'LL DO IT AGAIN FOR THE WINTER BREAK AS WELL.
ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? ALL RIGHT.
SEEING ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO BOARD WITH ITEM
[G. Consent Agenda]
G ONE CONSENT VOTES, WELL, ITEM G.AND, UH, BOARD MEMBER BERNARD WILL READ THE CONSENT ITEMS. 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 WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF ITEMS UNLESS A BOARD MEMBER, SO REQUEST IN WHICH EVENT THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED AS AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA FOR A SEPARATE VOTE.
PRECEDING THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA, COOPERATIVE ENDEAVOR ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT.
BR CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST TO AUTHORIZE THE BOARD PRESIDENT AND GENERAL COUNSEL TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT ENDEAVOR AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EAST BAT ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND BRECK REGARDING THE USE OF THE OLD JEFFERSON TERRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SITE AS A PUBLIC PARK OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL OF SEMIANNUAL FINANCIAL TAX PLAN UPDATE AND THE 20 20 20 21 PRELIMINARY ACTUAL RESULTS FOR PROPOSITIONS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE ELIMINATED JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO ELIMINATE THE OBSOLETE JOB DESCRIPTIONS AS REFERENCED IN THE DOCUMENT.
ELIMINATED JOB DESCRIPTIONS, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AMENDED JOB DESCRIPTIONS, CONSIDERATION OR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING.
AMENDED JOB DESCRIPTIONS, A ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR, B, DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL SECURITY.
SUPERVISOR OF SCHOOL SECURITY.
TRANSPORTATION SERVICE TECHNICIAN.
F STUDENT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES.
SUPERVISOR OF HEALTH, PE ATHLETICS, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM, CMP, MULTI-UNIT MANAGERS.
SUPPLEMENTAL PAY UPDATE CONSIDERATION.
REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A SUPPLEMENTAL PAY UPDATE FOR THE CMP MULTI-UNIT MANAGERS.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, AND EXEMPLARY CUSTOMER SERVICE FUNDING SOURCE, FEDERAL FUNDS, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT.
FEDERAL CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR APPROVAL TO CONTINUE A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BAYS PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND IMAGINE LEARNING LLC IN THE AMOUNT OF 300 9330 $9,250 TO PROVIDE AN ONLINE CREDIT AND RECOVERY.
CREDIT AND CREDIT RECOVERY COURSEWARE PLATFORM.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE SR THREE, ACTION TWO, GRANT MANAGEMENT CONTRACT EXTENSION CONSIDERATION OR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE EXTENSION OF THE GRANT MANAGEMENT CONTRACT BETWEEN THE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND CSR TILL IN THE AMOUNT OF $300,000 TO COMPLETE FEMA REIMBURSEMENT FOR THE 2016 FLOOD.
STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE FUNDINGS SOURCE FUND 29 DISASTER RELIEF FUND BID.
WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY TAX PLAN PROJECT.
REQUEST FOR AUTHORIZATION TO DESIGN, ADVERTISE EXCEPT AND AWARD THE CONTRACT FOR THE CONS FOR CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLASSROOM EDITION AT WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE LOWEST BID MEETING THE PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS.
THE WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM EDITION IS PER THE, A PLAN TO IMPROVE FACILITIES, TECHNOLOGY, DISCIPLINE, AND COMPENSATION IN EAST
THE PLAN AS REVISED THROUGH FEBRUARY 22ND, 2018.
BIDS CAN BE REJECTED FOR JUST CAUSE IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC BID LAW.
LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE TITLE 38, CHAPTER 10, CONTRACT CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL CONTRACT BETWEEN THESE BEDROOMS, PARISH, SCHOOL BOARD AND BLUNT GENERAL CONTRACTORS IN THE AMOUNT OF $249,000 TO RELOCATE AND SET UP MODULAR BUILDINGS AT CEDAR CREST SOUTH MAR MONTEY FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS. STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT, OPERATIONAL EXCELLENCE, FUNDING SOURCE, PHYSICAL PLANT SERVICES.
CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION FROM GWEN SHAMIN, GENERAL COUNSEL, A B R P SB IN THE FOLLOWING MATTERS, A MARY YOUNG VERSUS EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM AT ALL.
DOCUMENT 69 6 3 26 SECTION 2319, JUDICIAL DISTRICT COURT, PARISH OF EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS.
B LESLIE STEVENS V KIMBERLY JOHNSON AT ALL.
SUIT NUMBER 64 4 11, SECTION 21 19TH JDC 19TH JUDICIAL COURT, PARISH OF EAST BE ROUGE PARISH, EAST BATON ROUGE, STATE OF LOUISIANA.
AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS AND A SO MOVE ADOPTION.
MOVED BY MS. BERNARD, SECONDED BY MR. GODDE.
[01:10:01]
TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? MS. WE JACKSON? YES.UM, ITEM SEVEN AND NINE, GATHER MEMBERS WISH TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE AGENDA.
SEEING NONE, WE ARE ON SEEING NO FURTHER.
WE ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA LESS SEVEN AND NINE.
UH, SEEING NO COMMENTS FROM THE QUESTION OR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
UH, AT THIS POINT WE GO TO THE AUDIENCE, UH, UH, DR.
WITH RESPECT TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, I'M IMPRESSED THAT THERE ARE SOME SALARY SCHEDULE NOTATIONS IN THE, THE BACKUP, ALTHOUGH THEY DIDN'T MAKE IT INTO THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATE, YOU'RE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT IS NOT TIED TO THE SALARY SCHEDULE, THOUGH THAT'S, UH, A COORDINATOR OF FINE ARTS, I BELIEVE.
AND THE NOTATION, THE BACKUP IS THERE'S NOBODY IN THAT POSITION.
SO WHAT HAPPENS IF ANYBODY'S HIRED? THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NO GUIDANCE IN TERMS OF THE SALARY SCHEDULE.
AND FURTHERMORE, IF YOU LOOK CAREFULLY AT THE PERSONNEL ACTION, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALREADY HIRED SOMEBODY UNDER THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR CATEGORY.
UM, APPARENTLY IF SOMETHING'S APPROVED AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, THE ADMINISTRATION ASSUMES THAT IT'S GONNA SAIL RIGHT THROUGH WITH THE REGULAR MEETING.
IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE BACKUP ON THE, ON THIS ITEM, IT SAYS, FOR SEVERAL OF THESE JOB DESCRIPTIONS, BOARD APPROVED, WHATEVER THE DATE FOLLOWING THE COMMITTEE OF THE HOLE WAS THAT FRIDAY.
NOW YOU DIDN'T APPROVE ANYTHING AT A COMMITTEE OF A HOLE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T APPROVE ANYTHING IN COMMITTEE OF THE HOLE.
SO AGAIN, THIS ADMINISTRATION IS GIVEN AN INCH AND TAKES A MILE AND YOU HAVE CONSISTENTLY ALLOWED THAT.
LET ME MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH REMAINS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THE REQUEST TO SPEND A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS TO MOVE A TEMPORARY BUILDING FROM THE EDGE OF CAMPUS CLOSER TO CAMPUS, A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS TO MOVE A TEMPORARY BUILDING, NO DOUBT TAKING PART OF THE PLAYGROUND AWAY FROM STUDENTS USE IN THE MIDDLE OF A SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU'VE BEEN TALKING FOR ALMOST TWO YEARS THAT DR.
NAIS HAS BEEN HERE ABOUT DOING SOME SORT OF COMPREHENSIVE MASTER PLAN.
SO WHY IN THE WORLD ARE WE STILL SHUFFLING AROUND TEA BUILDINGS WITH NO PLAN? A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS COULD HAVE BEEN SPENT FOR AT LEAST FOUR FACULTY POSITIONS, BUT IT'S NOT YET.
YOU'RE JUST GONNA APPROVE ALL THIS.
OKAY, SO CORONA CORLEY, PARENT AND DISABILITIES ADVOCATE.
UM, NUMBER FOUR, I AM EXCITED ABOUT ELIMINATING SOME JOB, UH, DESCRIPTIONS.
I COULD THINK OF SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WE CAN ELIMINATE.
UM, IF YOU JUST, IF YOU WANT ME TO PROVIDE THAT IN WRITING TO YOU, I CAN DO THAT ALONG WITH THE, UH, MORNING EMAILS THAT I SEND EVERY DAY, UM, THE AMENDED JOB DESCRIPTIONS.
UM, I DO SEE SOME THAT I, SOME OTHERS THAT I CAN THINK OF THAT SHOULD BE AMENDED.
UM, I CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS WE HAVE CURRENTLY THAT ARE NOT FILLED.
UM, BUT I NOTICE THAT'S NOT ON THE CONSENT, UM, AGENDA ITEM, BUT WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT.
I MEAN, MY CHILD DID NOT GET A TEACHER UNTIL ALMOST A MONTH AGO, AND THAT WAS A SPECIAL ED TEACHER.
AND WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, WE DID TALK ABOUT THE SCORES AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER THE SCORE THAT EBR WILL HAVE CUZ HE'S NOT TAKING LEAP DUE TO HIM NOT HAVING A TEACHER.
SO WHEN WE GO TO NUMBER SIX, THAT CHILD NUTRITION PRO, UH, SUPPLEMENTAL PAY UPDATE, WOULD THAT BE
[01:15:01]
GOING TO PEOPLE SUCH AS MS. PATRICE, WILLIAM, OR, UM, MS. RISBY, WHICH ARE NOT, WHICH ARE CHILD NUTRITION EMPLOYEES, BUT THEY DO NOT WORK IN THE CAFETERIA? OR WILL THIS BE GOING TO CAFETERIA, UM, STAFF.THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT BECAUSE, UM, PATRICE WILLIAMS AND MS. RISBY, THEY ACTUALLY MAKE MORE THAN OUR CAFETERIA WORKERS.
AND SO I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE ABUNDANTLY FAIR, EQUITABLE EQUAL FOR THEM TO GET, UM, A SUPPLEMENTAL PAY WHEN THE ONES THAT ARE DIRECTLY IN THE KITCHEN DOING THE COOKING ARE PUTTING IT IN THE MICROWAVE, IS NOT ACTUALLY BEING ABLE TO GET THAT EXTRA PAY, UM, EQUITABLY.
UM, NEXT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE PROJECT THAT'S AT WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS NUMBER THAT'S GONNA BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA.
OKAY, WELL THEN I'LL HOLD UP ON THAT.
MY FAVORITE ONE, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD PAY THEM.
I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY ASK FOR, JUST PAY 'EM SIMPLY BECAUSE WE VIOLATE THE LAW EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WE VIOLATED IT SINCE THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL BY NOT HAVING MY CHILD WITH A SPECIAL ED AND A REGULAR ED TEACHER.
WE STILL DON'T HAVE A MUSIC TEACHER OR A LIBRARIAN OR A CAFETERIA MANAGER.
WE ALSO DON'T HAVE A NURSE OR A MEDICAL CLINIC.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE LOOK AT THOSE.
I DID SEND Y'ALL A LIST UP IN MY EMAILS MULTIPLE TIMES SAYING THAT DR.
BARBARA ASH, UH, LASH WHO JUST LEFT, SHE COULD HAVE BEEN OUR LIBRARIAN SINCE HER FOCUS WAS LITERACY.
AND MS. OLA HALL HAS A CONCENTRATION IN, UH, CAFETERIA WORK.
SO SHE COULD BE OUR CAFETERIA MANAGER.
BUT I AM ASKING THAT WE DO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE THE STAFF THAT THEY NEED THAT'S IN ACCORDANCE WITH THEIR IEPS.
AND THAT'S WHAT I HAVE AS AS IT RELATES TO LITIGATION.
CUZ I KNOW I PROBABLY HAVE SOME HITTING YOUR NECKS.
SEE ANY OTHER CARDS? UM, WE COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
NA, CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT, UM, IS IT ITEM 10 AROUND CEDAR CREST? HOW MANY BUILDINGS ARE WE MOVING AND WHAT IS THE COST OF A NEW BUILDING? THOSE T BUILDINGS THAT ARE GOING TO, UH, CEDAR CREST SOUTHMORE? SO LET ME HAVE, UH, MR. RANDY MORALES AND MS. MONY CALL.
I'M THE CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER TO COME UP TO THAT QUESTION.
REMEMBER JACKSON? GOOD AFTERNOON.
HOW Y'ALL DOING? HEY, HOW ARE YOU? SO I INHERITED THIS.
UM, UH, SO I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THIS TO DATE.
UM, THE BUILDINGS WERE BID OUT TO BE RELOCATED.
UM, THE BUILDINGS WERE PREVIOUSLY MOVED TO CEDAR CREST ALREADY, BUT WERE NOT SET UP.
UM, SO THEY'RE RELOCATING THEM AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA SET THEM UP WITH YOUR CONCRETE, YOUR WALKWAYS, YOUR FIRE ALARM, YOUR CANOPIES, ALL OF THAT STUFF TO GET THEM UP TO OCCUPANCY CODE SO THAT THE SCHOOL CAN USE THEM.
UH, THAT PRICE WAS $249,000 WAS THE BID PRICE.
UH, AND THEY WENT THROUGH THE SEAL BID PROCESS TO GET THAT PRICE
THAT'S NOT JUST FOR THE BUILDINGS, THAT'S FOR ALL OF THE, EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO GO WITH IT.
WE'RE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA MINUS ITEM SEVEN AND NINE.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
THE MOTION CARRIES CONSENT AGENDA IS APPROVED.
WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM G SEVEN, UH, CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL SERVICE CONTRACT BETWEEN EAST BATON ROUGE POWER SCHOOL BOARD AND IMAGINE LEARNING LLC AND THE AMOUNT OF $339,250 TO PROVIDE AN ONLINE CREDIT AND CREDIT RECOVERY COURSEWARE PLATFORM, STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT STUDENT ACHIEVE ACHIEVEMENT FUNDING SOURCE S OR THREE ACTION TWO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION? UM, MOVE MOVED BY MR. BELU, SECONDED BY MR. GO DAY.
UM, AND SEE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? AND I DO NOT HAVE CARDS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
IS THIS ON? THIS ONE? THIS ONE? OKAY.
[01:20:01]
JAMES FINNEY, THAT'S MODEL MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND THE AUDIENCE EXPRESSED AT THE COMMUNITY OF THE WHOLE, SOME CONCERNS WITH REGARD TO THE VAGUENESS OF WHAT THIS INGENUITY MONEY WAS BEING SPENT ON.AND I DON'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE BACKUP THAT SUGGESTS ANY OF THOSE CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED.
SO AS IS YOUR CUSTOM, YOU'RE ABOUT TO APPROVE SPENDING $339,000 AND SENDING IT INTO A BLACK HOLE.
I WOULD SUGGEST VOTING AGAINST THIS OR DEFERRING IT UNTIL DECEMBER AND OR ONCE IN YOUR CURRENT TERMS, DEMANDING THAT THIS ADMINISTRATION ACTUALLY PROVIDE INFORMATION THAT ADDRESSES YOUR CONCERNS.
UM, SEEING OTHER CARDS FROM THE AUDIENCE, UH, WE COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
AT THE, UH, COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, I ASKED ABOUT THIS, UH, 2%.
THERE WAS SOME INFORMATION IN THE BACKUP THAT SAID THE GOAL OR IMPROVEMENT.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND THAT AGAIN.
UH, THE GOAL WAS 2% INCREASE IN IMPROVEMENTS AND I ASKED WHAT THAT 2% LOOK LIKE.
WHAT WERE THE NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR, UH, AND UNDERSTAND WE'VE BEEN USING THIS FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS.
AND THE OTHER QUESTION WAS, HOW DO WE ACCOMMODATE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN THIS CONTRACT? DR.
NACY, JUST TO MAKE SURE, UM, WE HAVE YOUR QUESTION CLEAR.
MR. BRICKHOUSE ALL HAPPENS BRICK HOUSE IS THE CHIEF OF SCHOOLS COME UP WHO WORKS WITH, UH, THE PROGRAM FOR THE STUDENTS? YEAH.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE HAVE YOUR QUESTION CORRECT.
YEAH, THERE WAS A, THERE WAS A GOAL AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, I'M, I'M LOOKING FOR IT NOW.
IN THIS BACK THERE WAS A GOAL OF AN INCREASE, UM, BY 2%.
AND I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THAT 2% REALLY LOOKED LIKE IN NUMBERS.
WHAT DID WE DO LAST YEAR AND WHAT WOULD A 2% INCREASE LOOK LIKE? SPECIF PAGE.
DID YOU,
THAT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WILL SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE THE ONLINE CREDIT COURSE BY TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN REAL NUMBERS, THE TWO PERCENTAGE? SO WHAT DID WE DO LAST YEAR OR IN THE PAST AND WHAT WOULD A 2% INCREASE LOOK LIKE? SO, UH, GOOD EVENING.
UM, SO LAST YEAR WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 10,000, UH, SO STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM.
WE HAD APPROXIMATELY, UH, 5,100 AND, UH, 30 105,000 126 STUDENTS, UH, PARTICIPATE.
THEY, UH, DID APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 19 POINT 30 HOURS.
UM, WE HAD 73% COMPLETION RATE, WHICH MEANS WE HAD ABOUT 6,794 STUDENTS, UM, COMPLETE THE PROGRAM OVERALL OUT OF 10,000.
NOW, ONE OF THE THINGS JUST TO, SO THAT WE'RE, UH, CLEAR ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING, THIS IS OUR MAJOR, UH, INITIATIVE IN TERMS OF CREDIT RECOVERY FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THIS IS USED BY ALL OF THE COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS IT'S USED AS OUR PRIMARY, UM, INITIATIVE FOR SUMMER SCHOOL.
UM, IN ADDITION, WE, IT'S USED IN A VARIETY OF CONTEXT.
IT'S USED AS A BLENDED LEARNING PLATFORM, UH, FULL VIRTUAL INITIAL CREDIT, CREDIT RECOVERY SUMMER SCHOOL.
SO IT'S USED A VARIETY OF PLATFORMS, WHICH MAY ACCOUNT FOR SOME OF THE NUMBERS IN TERMS OF THE COMPLETION.
CAUSE EVERYONE DOESN'T USE IT AS FULLY FOR A TRUE TOTAL COMPLETION.
SOMETIMES IT'S USED AS PART OF A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL.
AND SO THAT, THAT IS PART OF HOW WE'RE USING IT SOMETIMES.
SO, AS I SAID, WE USED IT IN A VARIETY OF CONTEXTS AND AS I SAID, IT'S USED IN, UH, ALMOST
[01:25:01]
ALL OF OUR DISTRICT'S SCHOOLS.UM, IT IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF CREDIT RECOVERY.
SO DID YOU SAY ABOUT 10,000 STUDENTS WENT, WENT THROUGH IT, BUT 6,000 COMPLETED IT? IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? UH, WE HAD, YEAH, 6,794 DID COMPLETE.
WE HAD A 6,794 COMPLETES RATE.
AND YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A 2% INCREASE? WELL, AS I SAID, FROM SOME OF THE, WITH SOME OF THEM ARE ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THE COMPLETION RATE WOULD BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY USE IT IN A LEARNING MODEL, FOR EXAMPLE, BACK, UM, UM, UH, BACK ON, UM, OUR CREDIT RECOVERY NIGHT SCHOOL USES IT AS WELL, BUT IT'S NOT USED AS FULLY AS, UM, AS THE PRIMARY PLATFORM IS USED AS A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL.
SO IF IT'S USING A BLENDED LEARNING MODEL, SOME OF IT THE, LET'S SAY THEY'RE USING, UH, SOME OF THE INITIATIVES FROM THE TESTING PLATFORM, THE PRE AND POST TEST, AND SOME OF THE CONTENT, BUT THEY'RE NOT USING THE FULL LEVEL OF PROGRAM.
SO STUDENTS WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE A COMPLETION RATE IN BLEND LEARNING MODEL.
ANY OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD, MS. DIASON? SO I JUST DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT THERE ARE TIMES, UH, MAYBE NOT AS OFTEN, BUT IN OUR, OUR, UH, DEDICATED MAGNET PROGRAMS AND OUR, UM, MAGNETS WITHIN SCHOOLS AND ALL, SOMETIMES YOU'LL HAVE A CHILD THAT EVEN THOUGH THEY CAN MAKE THAT TWO, FIVE, YOU KNOW, AND THEY STILL NEED SOME SUPPORTS.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT, UM, NOT INCLUDING THAT, UH, SUBGROUP OF CHILDREN THAT ARE IN OUR MAGNET SCHOOLS.
AND, AND THAT THIS WILL BE A AVAILABLE FOR THEIR USE AS WELL.
UH, LIBERTY USES ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
DESCRIBE, AND THEN I WOULD THINK THAT THERE'D BE SOME KIND OF A WAY IN THE FUTURE TO BE ABLE FOR YOU TO, UM, DISSECT OUT THE ONES THAT NEVER INTENDED ON, YOU KNOW, FULL FIDELITY OF THE PROGRAM, BUT IT WAS USED FOR THESE THINGS.
I THINK, UH, ANY BOARD WOULD BE, UH, HAPPY TO KNOW THOSE SPECIFICS SO THAT THE DATA CAN BE REAL.
UH, I JUST WANNA NOTE THAT ON THIS I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN.
I AGREE WITH THE PROGRAM WE'VE BEEN USING.
IT, UH, APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN HAVING SUCCESS, BUT AS I STATED IN THE LAST MEETING, I HAVE CONTINUOUS CONCERNS WITH USING ONE TIME MONEY FOR CONTINUED SERVICES.
I'M QUITE SURE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE, OR THE FUTURE BOARD IS GOING TO BE INTERESTED IN DISCONTINUING BECAUSE IT'S AN INTEGRAL SERVICE.
UM, AND SO I'M ABSTAINING CUZ I DON'T WANT IT TO APPEAR THAT I JUST DON'T LIKE THIS AGENDA ITEM, BUT I DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE FUNDING SOURCE.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
UM, WE MOVE NOW TO ITEM G NINE, REQUEST FOR THE AUTHORIZATION TO DESIGN, ADVERTISE EXCEPT AND AWARD THE CONTRACT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CLASSROOM EDITION AT WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO THE LOWEST BID MEETING, THE PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS, THE WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASSROOM ADDITION AS PER A PLAN TO A PLAN, IMPROVED FACILITIES, TECHNOLOGIES, DISCIPLINE, COMP AND COMPENSATION, THE EAST BEON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THE PLAN IS REVISED THROUGH FEBRUARY 22ND, 2018.
BIDS CAN BE REJECTED, UH, FOR JUST CAUSE AND ACCORDANCE WITH THE LOUISIANA PUBLIC BID LAW.
TITLE 38, CHAPTER 10, MOVED BY MS. BERNARD.
[01:30:01]
JACKSON.I PULLED THIS BECAUSE WE HAD CONVERSATION AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AND I'M NOT SURE IF THOSE QUESTIONS WERE, UH, ANSWERED AROUND THAT BILINGUAL, UH, PROGRAM THAT WAS AT, IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS A SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM THAT HAD SERVED UNDERPRIVILEGED, UH, LATINO FAMILIES AND WAS, UH, REMOVED.
SO, UH, THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD BEEN GETTING FROM, UM, MY FOLK AROUND THIS IS WHETHER THESE CLASSROOMS WOULD HELP TO BRING THAT, UM, SPANISH ER IMMERSION PROGRAM BACK TO THAT COMMUNITY THAT HAD BEEN SERVICED SO WELL BY THIS BILINGUAL PROGRAM THAT THEY, KIDS THAT REALLY NEEDED IT.
AND, UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY QUESTION.
WHETHER THAT SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM IS, UH, GOING TO BE PART OF THE GOAL FOR, UH, BRINGING THESE NEW CLASSROOMS BACK, DR.
NACE? SO, SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR, BOARD MEMBER, UH, JACKSON, YOU'RE NOT ASKING ABOUT ANYTHING IN TERMS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, YOU'RE JUST ASKING ABOUT THE PROGRAMMING.
IS THAT CORRECT? WHETHER THE CONSTRUCTION OF THESE NEW CLASSROOMS WILL HELP FACILITATE THESE, UM, THIS PROGRAM, WHETHER THIS IS PART OF THE PLAN? YES.
MS. ANDERSON, DO YOU MIND COME OUT IN TERMS OF, UM, THE MEETINGS WITH THE, THE PRINCIPAL AND, AND LEADERSHIP? IT HADN'T BEEN SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, UH, BILINGUAL PROGRAM.
IT'S BEEN CLASSROOM SPACE, UH, JUST ADDITIONAL CLASSROOM SPACE THAT WAS NEEDED CURRENTLY.
UM, I THINK THE TEA BUILDINGS THAT ARE THERE ARE JUST IN BAD SHAPE AND NEED TO BE REPLACED.
THE GRADES THAT ARE IN THERE CURRENTLY WILL MOVE INTO THOSE NEW ONES.
SO IT MAY BE THAT IT COULD STILL HAPPEN, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY TO REPLACE TWO, UH, OLD T BUILDINGS THAT NEEDED TO BE REMOVED.
SO NO CONVERSATION AROUND THAT? NO.
SO THE, SO THAT CONVERSATION AROUND SPACING, NOT NECESSARILY CHANGING ANY PROGRAM.
THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THAT QUESTION.
MS. BERNARD, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT FACILITIES AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT PROGRAMMING.
UM, MS. ANDERSON, I THINK YOU MAY HAVE COME ON.
AFTER WE MOVED THE TEA BUILDING ONTO THE CAMPUS, THE, UH, FUNDS WERE RAISED AND PROVIDED BY A COMMUNITY GROUP THAT HAS ADOPTED AND HAS A PROGRAM HOUSED ON THAT CAMPUS.
THEY RAISED $85,000 AMONG THEIR SMALL CHURCH GROUP, UM, AT CONSIDERABLE EFFORT TO THEMSELVES.
AND WE VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THEIR PRESENCE ON THE CAMPUS AND THE KIDS' HOPE PROGRAM THAT THEY PROVIDE TO SOME OF THE STUDENTS AT THE SCHOOL.
UM, SO THEY'VE RAISED THE MONEY TO PAY FOR MOST OF THE EXPENSES OF, OF SETTING, THET, BUILDING UP.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CSRS ALSO PROVIDED SOME THINGS GRATIS OR GOT SOME SERVICES DONATED, LIKE ELECTRICAL, UH, FROM SOME CONTRACTORS, LOCAL CONTRACTORS THAT CSRS SOLICITED TO MAKE THOSE, UH, TO DO THAT FOR GRATIS.
AND MAYBE MS. ANDERSON WAS CAME ON BOARD AFTER THIS ACTION TOOK PLACE? I WAS, IT WAS, I DID COME ON BOARD AFTER, HOWEVER, THOSE TWO BUILDINGS, UM, THAT WERE PROVIDED BY HOPE HAVE COME UP IN DISCUSSION.
THE TWO, TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THE TWO THAT WE ARE REMOVING IS NOT A PART OF WHAT WAS PROVIDED BY THAT PROGRAM.
THOSE ARE, ARE TWO SEPARATE ONES? THE TWO CLASSROOM TEA BUILDINGS? CORRECT.
THERE ARE, THERE WILL STILL BE PROBABLY FOUR OTHER TEA BUILDINGS.
AND THESE TWO, TO MY UNDERSTANDING, ARE NOT A PART OF WHAT HOPE PROVIDED.
THE FIRST TWO ON THE LEFT, THE ONES THAT ARE IN TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE CONDITION, I KNOW THE ONE, THOSE ARE THE ONES WE REPLACING, AND THOSE TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ARE NOT A PART OF THAT.
AND THEN BACK TO THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SPACE, YOU KNOW, WE DID NEED THE SPACE AT THE SCHOOL FOR ANY AND ALL OF THE PROGRAMMING AT THE SCHOOL.
UM, THEY ARE ALWAYS, THE SCHOOL IS ALWAYS AT 97 90 8% CAPACITY OR ONE, YOU KNOW, 99%.
SO WHAT THEY HAVE IS, I THINK THEIR CAPACITY IS AROUND 500 AND THEY'RE USUALLY AT 4 97 LIKE THAT.
SO THEY, THEY CAN'T REALLY AFFORD TO HAVE ANOTHER.
THEY ARE ON TOP OF EACH OTHER.
THE STUDENTS, THE CLASSROOMS, THERE IS NO SPACE THERE.
AND SO THE SIX CLASSROOMS ARE BADLY NEEDED AND WILL BE ABSORBED INTO THE PROGRAMMING THAT IS EXISTING,
[01:35:01]
WHETHER OR NOT WE CONTINUE THE DUAL LANGUAGE OR NOT.BUT THE DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER AGENDA ITEM.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US SUPPORT THE CONTINUED PROGRAMMING AT THE SCHOOL.
WE KNOW THAT THERE MAY NOT BE ROOM OR FUNDS TO EXPAND TO AN ADDITIONAL GRADE FOR THAT PROGRAM, BUT THOSE FAMILIES THAT ARE PARTICIPATING DO REALLY LOVE IT.
AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR SUPPORTING THE CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT REALLY NEEDED TO ALSO BE IN THE TAX PLAN.
BUT WHEN PUSH CAME TO SHOVE, WE HAD TO DECIDE TO JUST GIVE THEM AN EXPANSION BECAUSE WE COULD NOT REBUILD EVERY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, MS. ANDERSON, HOW ARE YOU? GOOD.
UM, THIS IS THE TAX PLAN ITEM, RIGHT? CORRECT.
IS THAT, SO THIS IS STRAIGHT UP NOT PROGRAM, JUST TAX PLAN.
IS THE VOTERS VOTED FOR IT OR IS IT SOME MODIFICATION TO IT? NO, NO, THIS IS IT.
RIGHT? IT'S WHAT THE VOTERS VOTED FOR.
PART OF THE TAX PLAN? CORRECT.
SEE, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? UH, THE AUDIENCE, UHON, CORLEY, CORON, CORLEY, PARENT AND DISABILITIES ADVOCATE? CORRECT.
CORLEY, UH, HE GONNA BE A DISABILITIES ADVOCATE, SELF ADVOCATE, SAY FUTURE.
UM, WE'RE SPEAKING ON WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY TAX PLAN PROJECT.
I THANK YOU SO MUCH MS. BERNARD, FOR BRINGING UP THAT A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS DID GET PUSHED BACK, ALTHOUGH THEY WERE APPROVED ON THE LIST.
SOUTH DOWNS PRE-K KINDERGARTEN WAS ONE THAT DID NOT ACTUALLY END UP GETTING BUILT YET.
AND WE HAVE NOT BROUGHT THEM TO THE TABLE YET, BUT THEY WERE ON THE LIST, UH, FOR THE SAME TAX PLAN.
BUT AS IT RELATES TO THIS ONE, SO MANY TIMES WE ACTUALLY CHOOSE CONTRACTORS THAT DO NOT MAKE OUR BUILDINGS OR OUR FACILITIES IN AMERICAN DISABILITIES AT COMPLIANCE.
AND THAT'S EXTREMELY PROBLEMATIC.
UM, I KNOW I'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS RENOVATION TO THIS ROOM, BUT WE GONNA TALK ABOUT WILDWOOD.
WILDWOOD HAS CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES THAT ATTEND THAT AND IT'S PART OF THE TAX PLAN.
IT'S IT'S BUILT INTO THE TAX ALL MY TIME.
THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES CONSTRUCTIONS BUILT INTO THE TAX PLAN FORWARD.
I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WE NEED WHOEVER IS GOING TO ACTUALLY BUILD THE BUILDING, ANY OF THE THINGS ON THE BUILDING, MAKE IT IN COMPLIANCE WITH ADA BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
WE HAVE IT WRITTEN IN OUR CONTRACTS.
WE HAVE IN OUR, IN OUR CONTRACTS, WRITTEN EQUITY, INCLUSION, DIVERSITY.
AND THAT'S NOT EVEN, AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING OR CURRENT.
SO I'M ASKING THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE IT WRITTEN IN OUR CONTRACT, THAT WE ACTUALLY MAKE IT A PRIORITY.
CAUSE HAVING IT IN OUR CONTRACT AND MAKING IT A PRIORITY ARE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
WE GOT A LOT OF STUFF IN THE CONTRACTS.
I MEAN, MY CHILD'S SUPPOSED TO HAVE MEDICAL AT THE SCHOOL THAT'S IN THE CONTRACT AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING.
SO I'M SAYING THAT WE SHOULD ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT THESE BUILDINGS ARE BUILT IN COMPLIANCE WITH AMERICAN DISABILITIES ACT TO MAKE SURE THAT INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES, WHETHER IT IS CHILDREN OR STAFF OR THEIR PARENTS, ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO MATRICULATE SAFELY INTO THOSE BUILDINGS AND UTILIZE THEM APPROPRIATELY.
THAT'S THE PROBLEM THAT WE ARE HAVING AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE.
AND IT WOULD JUST BE SO PROBLEMATIC AND ASHAMED THAT WE SPEND THIS TYPE OF MONEY TO DO THAT.
AND IT DOES NOT COME INTO FRUITATION WHERE IT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW.
AND THEN WE HAVE A LAWSUIT UNDER ADA EIGHT.
SO I'M JUST ASKING THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ADHERE TO THAT.
UH, JAMES FINNEY, TWO WEEKS AGO WE WERE TOLD YOU'RE REPLACING SIXT BUILDINGS WITH A SIX CLASSROOM BUILDING.
NOW WE FIND OUT THAT MOST OF THE TEA BUILDINGS ARE STAYING THERE REGARDLESS OF WHAT IS BUDGETED IN THE TAX PLAN.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ON AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR ANY OTHER CAMPUS, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO EXERCISE SOME LEADERSHIP AND MAKE SURE THAT WHAT'S BUILT IS WHAT'S NEEDED.
AND AS WE'LL DISCUSS IN A FEW MINUTES, THERE IS, THERE ARE IMPORTANT DECISIONS YOU NEED TO MAKE IN TERMS OF GUIDING WHETHER STUDENTS DRIVE ALL OVER THE PLACE OR WALK TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
AND THE ATTENDANCE AREA FOR THIS SCHOOL IS RIDICULOUS,
[01:40:02]
AS IS THE CASE FOR MOST OF ITS NEIGHBORS.BUT THE POINT IS, IF YOU'RE BUILDING AN EXPANDED CAMPUS, YOU SHOULD HAVE A CLUE AS TO WHAT THE PROGRAMMING WILL BE.
IT'S CLEAR THAT THE ADMINISTRATION HAS NO INTENDED CLUE AS TO HOW THEY'LL FILL THE SPACE OTHER THAN BUILD A BUILD.
THE T IS SUPPOSED TO STAND FOR TEMPORARY.
IF YOU CAN ONLY BUY SIX CLASSROOMS WITH A TAX PLAN WITHOUT RUNNING TO FOLLOW OF THE OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE, THAT'S FINE.
IF YOU NEED 10 CLASSROOMS, FIGURE OUT WHERE ELSE TO PAY FOR THE OTHER FOUR.
IF YOU NEED TO DO SOME SECURITY OR DISABILITY UPGRADES AND CAN'T DO IT OUT OF THE TAX PLAN.
LET'S THAT ALL HAPPEN WHEN THE CONTRACTORS ARE THERE.
THE FACT THAT THE TAX PLAN HAS YOU HAMSTRUNG INTO CERTAIN DECISIONS DOES NOT ABSOLVE YOU OF THE RESPONSIBILITY TO EXERCISE A LITTLE BIT OF FISCAL OVERSIGHT.
YOU'RE JUST GONNA FLUSH $3 MILLION INTO A BUILDING PROJECT.
THE COMMUNITY IS GONNA BE UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT, OH, COOL, WE'LL GET THOSE UGLY TWO TEA BUILDINGS OUTTA THE YARD AND WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE, BOY, ARE THEY GONNA BE SURPRISED? OH, WELL NO OTHER CARDS FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
WE, UH, COME BACK TO THE BOARD.
MS. BERNARD, I'M SO GLAD TO SEE THAT THE COMMUNITY SO OVERWHELMINGLY AND ENTHUSIASTICALLY SUPPORTS THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE SIX CLASSROOM ADDITIONS AT THE CAMPUS.
UM, AND I WANTED TO POINT OUT ALSO THAT THE, ONE OF THE TWO PREVIOUS SIX CLASSROOM ADDITIONS INCLUDED THE ADDITION OF A SEVERE, PROFOUND CLASSROOM IN A MILD MODERATE CLASSROOM ON THE CAMPUS, WHICH ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE FEDERAL LAWS REGARDING AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO, AND I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THIS ITEM, BUT IT JUST DAWNED ON ME, UM, I I'M BEING GOOFY WITH MY NAME USED IN MY STATEMENT.
Y'ALL AIN'T GOT NO SENSE OF HUMOR.
SO IN THE TAX PLAN, WE PUT T BUILDINGS IN THE, I MEAN, I'M FOR AN EXPANSION.
BUT DID WE USE THE LANGUAGE T BUILDING? WE CAN'T GO AHEAD ON IT.
WELL THEN I DON'T THINK WE DID ANY TT BUILDINGS CAUSE THAT WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE.
THAT'S WHAT I GET FOR BEING THAT'S OKAY.
I TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT TOO.
I THOUGHT IT WAST BUILDINGS BUILDING BRICK AND MORTAR.
I SEE NO OTHER, UH, COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
[H.1. Mayfair Lab Priority Zone Expansion]
ONE CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO AMEND THE CURRENT PRIORITY ZONE FOR MAYFAIR LAB TO INCLUDE THE PRIORITY ZONE EXPANSION AS IDENTIFIED IN THE MAP LABELED MAYFAIR LAB PRIORITY ZONE EXPANSION MAP AND BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION.MOVED BY MR. GODDE, SECONDED BY MS. BERNARD.
MOVED BY MS. BERNARD AND SECONDED BY MR. GODDE.
SEEING NO COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? WE GO TO THE AUDIENCE.
LIKELY PURPOSEFUL, UH, FAIRLY JACKSON.
SHIRLEY JACKSON, EVELYN WEIR JACKSON'S DISTRICT.
UM, YOU ALL PROBABLY RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ME WHERE
[01:45:01]
I OUTLINED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THIS ITEM.UM, NOT BECAUSE I AM AGAINST EXPANDING PROXIMITY OR PRIORITIES ENDS.
I THINK THIS ACTUALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN SPEAKING WITH MY DISTRICT MEMBER ABOUT FOR A FEW YEARS NOW.
SO, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IS, UM, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA TALK ABOUT THE MISINFORMATION IN THE BACKUP OR THE FACT THAT IT DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE COW, UM, EVEN THOUGH MY BOARD MEMBER TRIED TO PUT SOMETHING THROUGH THE COW LAST TIME, AND IT DIDN'T EVEN GO THROUGH WHEN SHE TRIED TO DO THE PROCESS.
BUT WHAT I AM GONNA SAY IS, UM, THE TIMING OF THIS IS REALLY STRANGE.
AND, UM, I THINK THIS SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE ALL CONSIDER.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A PART OF A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE LOOKING AT ACCESS AND EQUITY AND, AND NOT DURING THE MIDDLE OF AN APPLICATION PERIOD.
SO WE'RE SEVEN WEEKS INTO A MAGNET APPLICATION PERIOD.
AND, UM, WE ARE 10 DAYS OUT FROM EARLY VOTING, AND WE ARE LESS THAN A MONTH OUT FROM AN ELECTION RUNOFF IN TWO DISTRICTS.
AND WE ARE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED BY TWO BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE IN RUNOFFS.
WHY WASN'T THIS ADDRESSED BEFORE? APPARENTLY THESE CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN HAPPENING FOR OVER A YEAR WITH ONE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION THAT EXPANDS THIS IN ONE DIRECTION.
WHAT OUTREACH WAS HAPPENING WITH THE OTHER AREAS AROUND THIS BOUNDARY EXPANSION? WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT HAS HAPPENED? WHERE HAVE THE BOARD MEMBERS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS THAT AFFECTS THEIR DISTRICTS BEFORE THEIR RUNOFF ELECTION? I'M NOT AGAINST EXPANDING THESE PRIORITIES ENDS, BUT THIS IS POLITICAL FOSTERING.
AND IF YOU SUPPORT THIS, YOU'RE SUPPORTING THAT POLITICAL FOSTERING THIS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
IT'S ABOUT TIMING, NOT THE ACTUAL MOTION.
I'M ACTUALLY GONNA GIVE THE ADMINISTRATION A PASS ON THE INADEQUACY OF THE BACKUP BECAUSE I DOUBT THAT THEY HAD ENOUGH TIME TO PUT TERRIBLY USEFUL INFORMATION TOGETHER.
SO LET ME PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND.
MAYFAIR SCHOOL IS LOCATED IN ELECTION PRECINCT THREE DASH 55.
THE SCHOOL IS IN A BLACK NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE, UM, THE CURRENT PRIORITY ZONE THAT YOU'VE ESTABLISHED IN 2017 OR SO IS SOMEWHERE AROUND 50% WHITE.
THE PART OF, UM, PRECINCT ONE DASH 12.
MS. BERNARD IS SEEKING TO CONTINUE TO REPRESENT SURROUNDED BY, UM, DATION, UH, KENNELWORTH PARKWAY.
BOONE AND HIGHLAND IS 80% WHITE PRECINCT ONE DASH 47 CURRENTLY REPRESENTED BY MR. GODDE, WHO SEEKS REELECTION IN A RUNOFF, SOME OF WHICH WOULD GO INTO THIS EXPANDED PRIORITY ZONE AND SOME WOULD NOT, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO NARROW DOWN ANY CLOSER THAN THAT.
SO TO PUT THIS INTO MORE PERSPECTIVE, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IS 11.35% WHITE AND SECOND ONLY TO BASIS VENTURA CAMPUS.
MAYFAIR IS THE SECOND WHITEST STUDENT BODY IN THE DISTRICT.
THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE IS 81 POINT 12% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED MAYFAIR AT 36.82 IS SECOND ONLY TO WHAM IN ITS LEVEL OF ECONOMIC ADVANTAGE.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF YOU APPROVE THIS, YOU ARE MAKING ONE OF THE WHITEST WEALTHIEST SCHOOLS EVEN MORE INEQUITABLE.
AND AS I SAID IN AN EMAIL EARLIER TODAY, I AM EXPECTING A VOTE OF ALL FIVE WHITE REPUBLICANS IN FAVOR.
[01:50:01]
LEAST TWO AGAINST THIS IS A REALLY BAD IDEA.IT'S CLEARLY, AS MS. JACKSON STATED POLITICAL POSTURING.
YOU GUYS MUST BE PRETTY DESPERATE.
CARON CORLEY, PARENT DISABILITIES ADVOCATE.
KARIN CORLEY SELF-ADVOCATE WITH HAVING RARE DISEASE AND MULTIPLE DISABILITIES.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT AS IT RELATES TO THIS, UM, PRIORITIES ZONE EXPANSION IS HOW WOULD THIS IMPACT AND AFFECT OUR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES? SO I HAVE TO BE TRUE TO OUR TRUTH TO ME, RIGHT WHEN IT COMES TO OUR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
I KNOW I TELL Y'ALL ALL THE TIME AND I WISH THAT, OH, THEY'RE NOT HERE.
I WAS GONNA SAY THAT OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER OR SOMEBODY FROM ESS COULD ACTUALLY EXPLAIN TO Y'ALL HOW WHEN YOU CREATE ALL THESE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES, ZONES, THE ADDITIONAL PAPERWORK THAT THEY HAVE TO DO AS IT RELATE TO OUR CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES, BECAUSE WE'RE NOW PUTTING THEM SOMEWHERE THAT IS FAR AWAY FROM THEIR HOMES.
AND THIS ACTUALLY PUT PEOPLE LIKE MYSELF IN POSITION TO ACTUALLY GET PAID FOR TRANSPORTATION.
SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST SHOULD HAVE HAD WITH YOUR ESS DEPARTMENT AS IT RELATE TO TRANSPORTATION AND WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE, ESPECIALLY IF THEY HAVE ANY PROGRAMS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES.
SEVERE, PROFOUND, LET ME NAME THAT ONE TO BE ONE SEVERE, PROFOUND RIGHT NOW IS, UM, 11 KIDS IN ONE CLASSROOM AT JEFFERSON TERRACE.
BUT THAT IS A SCHOOL THAT WE ACTUALLY SEND THOSE CHILDREN TO.
AND IF THEY'RE, IF THEY DO NOT LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR JEFFERSON TERRACE, JUST LIKE WE DON'T LIVE ANYWHERE NEAR BROADMORE ELEMENTARY WHERE ESY IS, THEN YOU ACTUALLY END UP HAVING TO PAY US FOR TRANSPORTATION.
I DEA JUST, JUST IN CASE YOU WANNA GO LOOK IT UP, I I THINK THAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT ALSO, WHAT NEGATIVE IMPACT WOULD THIS HAVE ON THE REST OF THE SCHOOLS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM? HOW THIS WILL IMPACT AND AFFECT THEIR ZONES.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ZONE EXPANSION, I KNOW IF WOODLAWN WANTED ZONE EXPANSION, WHERE IS THAT GONNA, WHERE, HOW WOULD THAT LOOK AND WHAT SCHOOLS IN, UH, AND PROGRAMS WOULD THAT IMPACT? YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE OTHER RURAL SCHOOL, NORTHEAST ELEMENTARY AND HIGH BROADMORE MORE, UM, I'M SORRY, WHITE HILLS ELEMENTARY, BROWNSVILLE ELEMENTARY, WHICH IS MERGED WITH THEM RIGHT NOW.
BUT WHAT WOULD THE IMPACT LOOK LIKE IF YOU CONTINUE TO DO ZONE EXPANSION? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE NORMALLY TALK ABOUT AS IT RELATES TO CHARTERS, NOT NECESSARILY OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHY THE RESOLUTION IS WHERE JACKSON STATED IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
IT'S BECAUSE YOU CURRENTLY HAVE CHILDREN HAVING TO RIDE BUSES FOR OVER AN HOUR.
MY CHILD LIVES 10 MINUTE FROM THE SCHOOL AND THEY, AND IF HE WAS TO RIDE EBR BUS, HE WOULD BE ON THERE FOR OVER AN HOUR AND BYPASS THE SCHOOL BEFORE HE FINALLY MAKE IT TO THE SCHOOL.
THAT'S NOT MAKING HELP, HELPING OUR CHILDREN TO BE MENTALLY AND EMOTIONALLY READY TO LEARN.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE OPPOSED WITH MAKING SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY STUDENT EVERY DAY IS IN THE MIND FRAME TO LEARN.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A BIASED ZONE EXPANSION THAT IS GOING TO HURT THE MAJORITY AND NOT HELP THE MAJORITY.
EQUITY AND EQUALITY IS ALWAYS SUPPOSED TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EACH AND EVERY STUDENT, INCLUDING INCLUSION AND DIVERSITY.
I STAND TODAY BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
NOT ONLY DOES THIS NOT ADDRESS EQUITY, NOT ONLY IS THIS DOES NOT MAKE INCLUSION OR REALITY.
WE'RE GOING ABOUT DOING SOMETHING YET AGAIN THE WRONG WAY.
DO WE DO THINGS AND NOT DO IT THE RIGHT WAY? NOT TAKING THE INPUT OF THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
BECAUSE YEAH, YOU MAY HAVE ADDRESSED ONE HMO, BUT WHAT ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE? UH, WHAT ABOUT OTHER STAKEHOLDERS WHO WOULD'VE LIKED THE VOICE IN THIS? WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS
[01:55:01]
IN THIS DISTRICT THAT WOULD LOVE TO SEE THEIR PRIORITIES ZONES CHANGE AS WELL.I'M ASKING YOU TO DEFER THIS AND DO IT THE RIGHT WAY BECAUSE JUST AS MS. COOK SAID, IT DOES SEEM LIKE POLITICAL POSTURING.
WE HAVEN'T SEEN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BERNARD FOR WEEKS.
SHE NOW DECIDES TO RUN A GAME AFTER SAYING SHE WASN'T.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE BRING ONTO THE AGENDA.
NO, IT'S NOT ABOUT A PARTICULAR BOARD MEMBER, IT'S ABOUT THE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THAT BOARD MEMBER, YOUR STEINEM, MR. TAPPAN.
AND I'M ASKING YOU NOT TO GO FORTH WITH THIS.
YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO DIVIDE THIS DISTRICT.
YOU'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO DIVIDE THIS PARISH.
KATHY CARMICHAEL, DISTRICT SEVEN.
I'M BREATHING HEAVY BECAUSE I WAS AT WILDWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LITERACY NIGHT THIS EVENING.
AND THEN I DROVE MY SON ALL THE WAY HOME TO WILDWOOD, EXCUSE ME, TO HOME NEAR THE RIVER, WHICH IS QUITE FAR FROM WILDWOOD.
BUT I WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT THIS AGENDA ITEM BECAUSE I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT WHY IT WAS PUT ON THE AGENDA ON TUESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
UH, I SENT AN EMAIL TO PRESIDENT TAMAN ASKING FOR THE RATIONALE FOR WHY THIS ITEM WAS EXPEDITED.
NO, I WAS NOT DONE SPEAKING, SIR.
I GOT AN ANSWER FROM MR. CHAPMAN THAT ANY BOARD PRESIDENT CAN PUT ANYTHING THEY WANT, THAT THE BOARD PRESIDENT CAN PUT WHAT THEY WANT ON THE AGENDA, EVEN IF IT ISN'T DISCUSSED AT THE COW.
I CAN GO GET THE EMAIL ON MY PHONE.
I JUST ASKED FOR THE RATIONALE.
DO I GET MY THREE MINUTES BACK OR IS THIS NOPE.
DEAR MR. TAMAN, I'M WRITING TO INQUIRE ABOUT ITEM HX MAYFAIR LAB PRIORITY ZONE EXPANSION ON TOMORROW'S SCHOOL BOARD AGENDA.
IT APPEARS AS IF THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS ARE HOT OFF THE PRESS DEVELOPED BY ERIC JOHNSON ON FEBRUARY 14TH AND 15TH.
NUMBER ONE, WHY WAS THIS ITEM NOT DISCUSSED AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE? NUMBER TWO, WHAT IS THE RATIONALE BEHIND EXPEDITING ITS PLACE ON THURSDAY'S AGENDA? I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR RESPONSE.
IT IS THE POLICY OF THE BOARD TO ALLOW ANY MEMBER OF THE BOARD TO REQUEST AN AGENDA ITEM.
YOU CAN EXPRESS YOUR CONCERNS RELATIVE TO THE FACT THAT THE ITEM WAS NOT CONSIDERED AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR ITEMS TO BE ADDED TO THE FULL BOARD MEETING WHEN NOT CONSIDERED AT THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE DAVID TAMAN.
I I MEAN I KIND OF, IT DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH PRESIDENT.
THE BOARD PRESIDENT WASN'T IN THERE.
BUT WITH THE RATIONAL, NOW THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID.
I I I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE YOU QUOTED IT CORRECTLY.
CAUSE YOU MADE IT LOOK LIKE NO, I WAS TRYING TO RAILROAD IT THROUGH AND THAT'S NOT, I GAVE YOU THE POLICY.
AND I CAN'T PRONOUNCE THE LAST NAME, BUT DANIEL TERONE YEAH.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING UP THIS IMPORTANT PIECE OF BUSINESS AND ALLOWING ME A FEW MOMENTS TO GIVE YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT WHY IT MATTERS.
MY NAME IS DANIEL TERONE AND I AM THE PARENT OF ONE PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENT, AND I HAVE TWO MORE WILL BE JOINING HIM HERE OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS.
I'M ALSO A RESIDENT OF THE KENNELWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD AND A MEMBER OF ITS CIVIC ASSOCIATION WITH ME TODAY ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER MEMBERS OF THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION, INCLUDING OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, JOHN DAILEY KENWORTH IS A TREMENDOUS NEIGHBORHOOD IN WHICH TO LIVE WITH A VIBRANT MIX OF YOUNGER AND OLDER FAMILIES WHO COME TOGETHER FOR EVENTS SUCH AS OUR ANNUAL 4TH OF JULY PARADE AND A FANTASTIC LUMINARIES NIGHT HELD EACH YEAR.
ON THE LAST SUNDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, TWO YEARS AGO, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION BECAME AWARE OF AN OVERSIGHT COMMITTED IN 2017 BY A PRIOR ITERATION OF THIS BOARD WHEN IT CREATED THE PRIORITY ZONE.
UNDER DISCUSSION TODAY, THROUGH WHAT I AM SURE WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE, ONE BOUNDARY OF THE PRIORITY ZONE WAS SET TO FOLLOW KENWORTH PARKWAY WITH A CONSEQUENCE THAT IT COMPLETELY CUTS OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IN HALF.
AS I AM SURE YOU CAN APPRECIATE THIS, NOT ONLY VIOLATES THE PREFERENCES OF THE MAGNET OFFICE TO KEEP COMMUNITIES TOGETHER, BUT IT ALSO HAS AN UNNECESSARY NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR COMMUNITY.
SCHOOLS ARE CRITICAL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS THAT CREATE A SENSE OF CONNECTION AMONG NEIGHBORS AND ARTIFICIALLY AND UNNECESSARILY DIVIDING.
[02:00:01]
PUBLIC POLICY HAS HAD A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR CULTURAL AND CIVIC LIFE, DIVIDING FAMILIES AND CHILDREN IN A WAY WHICH DIMINISHES MANY OF THE POSITIVE BENEFITS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS CAN PROVIDE FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.IT WAS FOR THESE REASONS THAT THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION PRESENTED THIS MATTER TO OUR MEMBERS AT OUR ANNUAL MEETING IN THE SPRING OF 2021.
FOLLOWING A TREMENDOUS POSITIVE RESPONSE, WE SHORTLY THEREAFTER REACH OUT TO OUR REPRESENTATIVES TO EXPRESS OUR VERY STRONG DESIRE TO HAVE THE PRIORITIES ZONE REVISED TO INCLUDE THE ENTIRE NEIGHBORHOOD.
WE WERE VERY PLEASED THAT THEY WERE RECEPTIVE TO OUR CONCERNS AND THEY HAVE BEEN EXCELLENT PARTNERS IF WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM, THE SCHOOL, THE MAGNET OFFICE, AND THE DISTRICT TO PUT TOGETHER THE PROPOSAL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY BEFORE YOU.
GIVEN THE SLOW PACE AT WHICH POLICY IS MADE AND CHANGED AND THE NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED, IT HAS BEEN A PROLONGED PROCESS, ONE THAT HAS CONSUMED NEARLY A YEAR AND A HALF.
BUT WE IN THE COMMUNITY WE REPRESENT, ARE PLEASED TO FINALLY HAVE REACHED THIS POINT AND ARE HAPPY WITH THE PROPOSAL.
ON BEHALF OF MYSELF, THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, I URGE YOU TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.
IT IS A MINOR REVISION, BUT ONE THAT ADDRESSES A SIGNIFICANT THOUGH UNINTENTIONAL MISTAKE, AND THE CORRECTION WILL HAVE AN IMMENSELY BENEFICIAL IMPACT FOR THE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF THE KENWORTH COMMUNITY.
WE THEREFORE ASK YOU TO PLEASE MAKE OUR COMMUNITY WHOLE AGAIN AND APPROVE THIS ITEM.
NO OTHER COMMENTS OR CARDS FROM THE AUDIENCE? WE MOVE BACK TO THE BOARD.
MS. BERNARD, I HAVE A COUPLE OF NOTES THAT I'VE MADE WHILE LISTENING TO SOME OF THE SPEAKERS THIS EVENING.
I ALWAYS WANNA HONOR WITH COMMUNITY WISHES, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO ARE MOST CLOSELY AFFECTED BY THIS, WHICH WOULD BE THE FOLKS WHO ARE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
UM, I DO DISTINCTLY REMEMBER AN EMAIL AND I LOOKED EARLIER TODAY WHEN THE QUESTION CAME UP, AND MY FIRST RECOLLECTION WAS SEPTEMBER 21 AT, IT MAY HAVE BEEN PRIOR TO THAT.
AND THEN I LOOPED IN MR. GODDE, WHO ACTUALLY ONLY REPRESENTS PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BECAUSE I THOUGHT HE SHOULD BE INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION AT THAT TIME, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY FOR LETTING THE DROP, THE BALL DROP.
AND I TAKE FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
WE ARE PULLED IN SO MANY DIRECTIONS AT ALL TIMES.
THE NEXT DAY IT'S THE BUDGET AND FINANCES AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF IT.
AND I DO SPEND A LOT OF TIME TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH ALL OF IT, WORKING WITH OUR STAFF, OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
UM, EARLIER THIS YEAR, WE HAD A MEETING AT THE SCHOOL FEBRUARY 10TH AT THE REQUEST AGAIN OF THE LOVELY HOA THAT AGAIN REMINDED ME THAT WE NEEDED TO TALK ABOUT THIS.
AND WE ASKED THE MAGNET OFFICE TO BE PRESENT FOR THAT.
THEY WERE FAVORABLE TO THEIR REQUEST.
AND, UM, I DO FEEL THAT THESE CONSIDERATIONS, HAVING TAKEN PLACE UNDER THIS BOARD'S WATCH, MAKES THIS THE BUSINESS OF THIS BOARD AND IT IS OUR DUTY AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
UM, MY CHILD WENT TO PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND HE WAS OFTEN, MOST OF THE TIME THROUGHOUT HIS TENURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR 11, 13 YEARS, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THE ONLY CHILD IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR ONE OF TWO IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHO ATTENDED THE SAME SCHOOL THAT HE DID SINCE OUR NEIGHBORS, MANY OR MOST OF THEM, ALL OF THEM EXCEPT FOR ONE OR TWO EVERY NOW AND THEN ATTENDED PRIVATE AND PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS.
SO IT WAS KIND OF HARD BECAUSE WE HAD TO GET IN THE CAR AND DRIVE SOMEWHERE ELSE TO GO TO A BIRTHDAY PARTY OR A PLAY DATE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A NEIGHBOR TO CONNECT WITH AND WE DIDN'T HAVE OTHER MOMS TO CONNECT WITH.
I DIDN'T BECAUSE THEIR KIDS DIDN'T GO TO SCHOOL WITH MINE, AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT IN COMMON.
SO I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE A COMMUNITY TO LIKE THIS THAT IS NOW ABLE TO COME TOGETHER AROUND THE EXISTENCE OF A SCHOOL.
ISN'T THAT WHAT MOST COMMUNITIES HAVE? ISN'T THAT WHAT WE WANT HERE? WE WANT PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER AROUND THE SCHOOL AND AROUND OUR CHILDREN AND THEIR EDUCATION AND THEIR FUTURE.
I THINK THAT THIS BOARD DID MAKE A MISTAKE WHEN WE SET THE ATTENDANCE LINE THERE UNKNOWINGLY AND UNINTENTIONALLY.
WE DIDN'T WANNA SPLIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN HALF, WE DIDN'T WANNA SEPARATE OUT ONE PART OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO, UM, FOR, FOR ATTENDANCE PURPOSES.
SO I'M GLAD THAT IT'S ON THE AGENDA TODAY.
I HAVE A, A QUESTION THOUGH FOR THE HOA FOLKS.
DID I CONTACT YOU ABOUT THIS AT ANY TIME OR DID I REMIND YOU ABOUT THIS OVER THE TIMES WHEN I FORGOT? OR WAS IT COMING FROM YOU GUYS? DID, DID I EVER ASK YOU TO PUT THIS TO A, TO ASK US TO PUT THIS ON THE AGENDA OR DID MR. GDAY DO THAT EITHER?
[02:05:05]
THAT'S WHY DON'T YOU COME TO THE MIC.I SHOULD HAVE, YEAH, IT'S OKAY.
UM, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THE ONE INITIATING THE OUTREACH.
UM, AT SOME POINTS, OF COURSE, WE WANTED TO BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR BUSY SCHEDULES, BUT IF A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME HAD TRANSPIRED AND WE HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING, WE WERE ALWAYS REACHING OUT FROM THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION TO FOLLOW UP.
SO IT'S ALWAYS BEEN INITIATED FROM THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION SIDE.
AND PEOPLE WHO KNOW ME WHO CONTACT ME KNOW THAT MY REPLY VIA TEXT OR EMAIL IS ALWAYS, PLEASE REMIND ME.
PLEASE HELP ME REMEMBER TO TAKE ACTION AND MOVE WHATEVER THIS ITEM IS FURTHER.
UH, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS HERE.
UH, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE POPULATION AT MAYFAIR ARE ACTUAL RESIDENTS OF THE MAYFAIR NEIGHBORHOOD? PLEASE ANSWER THAT.
AND, UM, IF I'M A PARENT IN THE AREA AND I HAVE ALREADY APPLIED TO, UH, OTHER SCHOOLS IN THIS MAGNET PROCESS, AM I ABLE TO GET INTO THIS SCHOOL? UM, AND I JUST WANNA, I HAVE TO MAKE THESE, THESE COMMENTS.
UH, THIS, THIS IS VERY ODD THAT, UM, WE JUST WERE TALKING ABOUT THE MAJORITY OF, UH, STUDENTS AND NEIGHBORHOODS IN THIS CITY LOOKING FOR SOMETHING STRONG FOR THEIR SCHOOLS, FOR THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE WE HAVE THESE KINDS OF SPLITS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT.
FOR A DOZEN YEARS, I HAVE BEEN, I HAVE SERVED ON THIS BOARD AND HAVE ASKED COUNTLESS TIMES TO HAVE BOUNDARY LINES CHANGED SO THAT OUR NEIGHBORHOODS WOULD NOT BE SPLIT.
OUR CHILDREN WOULD NOT HAVE ONE SECTION OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD GOING TO ONE SCHOOL AND ANOTHER SECTION GOING TO ANOTHER, AND THEN FIGHTS BREAKING OUT BECAUSE OF SOME TERRITORIAL STUFF.
AND STRANGELY ENOUGH, ONE OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS ON THE BOARD THAT ALWAYS OBJECTS TO BOUNDARY CHANGES IS CONNIE BERNARD.
AND HERE WE ARE NOW SPEAKING ABOUT BRINGING NEIGHBORHOODS TOGETHER AND BEING ASKED TO DO SOMETHING WHEN WE HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR A VERY LONG TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
AND THIS IS THE WRONG THING TO DO RIGHT NOW, WHEN WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE NEED TO DO.
WE HAVE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOODS EVEN LISTED IN THE BACKUP.
THERE ARE SEVERAL NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, UH, MAGNET SCHOOLS RATHER, THAT HAVE PROXIMITY OR PRIORITY ZONE CHALLENGES ALONG WITH THE COUNTLESS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS.
THIS IS AN ITEM THAT NEEDS TO BE DEFERRED TO A MEETING WHERE ALL OF THESE ITEMS CAN BE ADDRESSED AT THE SAME TIME WITH CONSIDERATION OF EVERYTHING THAT IS AROUND IT AND EVERYTHING THAT AFFECTS IT.
SO MY MOTION IS TO DEFER THIS ITEM TO ANOTHER MEETING, WHETHER IT'S NEXT MONTH OR WITH THE NEW BOARD IN JANUARY WHEN YOU DO YOUR WORKSHOP.
AND YOU CAN FINALLY, FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS COMMUNITY AND THE DISPLACED PEOPLE THAT ARE ALL OVER THE DISTRICT THAT HAVE BEEN ASKING, BEGGING YOU FOR YEARS TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOODS BEING SPLIT UP AND CHILDREN GOING ALL OVER THE PLACE AND NOT SOUND LIKE YOU'RE JUST DOING SOMETHING AS, AS IF YOU'RE PRACTICING FAVORITISM BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S YOUR TERRITORY.
AND BOTH OF YOU, THREE OF YOU VOTED DOWN SOMETHING PRACTICAL FOR THE ENTIRE CITY.
AND NOW YOU WANNA DO PULL THIS LITTLE PIECEMEAL PIECE OUT AND LET'S JUST FIX THIS RIGHT NOW.
I, MY MOTION IS TO DEFER THIS TO JANUARY.
YOU HAVE A MOTION BY MS, WE JACKSON TO DEFER.
IS THERE A SECOND TO THE MOTION? I'LL GO AHEAD AND, UM, SUBSTITUTE, AND I PUT MY, UH, SECOND AND I PUT MY NAME IN THE QUEUE TO EXPRESS WHY I WAS WILLING TO SECOND, I, MY WILLINGNESS TO SECOND IS NOT IN DISAGREEMENT WITH, UH, THE CONCERN OF THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION.
UH, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAD TO EXPRESS CONCERN AROUND RACE OR WHAT HAVE YOU, YOU KNOW, ONCE I HEARD YOUR TESTIMONY ABOUT, UM, THE NEIGHBORHOOD AND BEEN ASKING, WELL, QUITE CLEARLY IT'S NOT A MATTER OF RACE, ET CETERA, EVEN THOUGH IT COULD HAVE THE APPEARANCE OF SUCH, IF ONE HAD NOT HEARD THE STORY, I'M WILLING TO SECOND HEARD DEFERMENT ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE, AND I EXPRESSED CONCERN AROUND PIECE MILLING, NOT JUST STUFF ABOUT ATTENDANCE ZONE, BUT
[02:10:01]
OTHER THINGS AS WELL.FACILITY USES, ET CETERA, PROGRAMMING AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS WHILE ARE WE LOOKING AT THE WHOLE PICTURE SO THAT WE, WE DON'T HURT ONE PIECE WHILE TRYING TO HELP ANOTHER PIECE.
SO I APPRECIATE AND DO RESPECT IF THE, IF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WOULD HAVE BEEN TO JUST COMPLETELY GO AGAINST YOU ALL TOGETHER AND NOT SIMPLY DEFER.
WELL, I WOULD NOT HAVE SECONDED, BUT I DO AGREE THAT WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF TAKING A LARGER LOOK AND MORE THAN JUST ONE CONCERN, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW AND WE ARE VERY AWARE OF VARIOUS CONCERNS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
UH, WE HAVE A MOTION, UH, TO DEFER IN A SECOND.
MR. SHAMIN, YOU WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT.
I JUST NEED CLARITY FROM MS. WE JACKSON, THE MAKE OF THE MOTION ON IS IT DEFER TO A PARTICULAR DATE OR IS IT JUST TO DEFER A DATE? UNCERTAIN.
I SEE NO OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE ON THE MOTION TO DEFER.
MARIA HARMON, UH, 25 25 O'NEIL RESIDENT OF DISTRICT SIX.
UM, I'M COMING UP HERE TO PRETTY MUCH SUPPORT THE MOTION TO DEFER THIS PROCESS MAINLY BECAUSE, UM, IT JUST SEEMS AS THOUGH WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE CERTAIN AREAS THAT SEEM TO BE FAVORABLE, WHERE WE LITERALLY HAD A RESOLUTION THAT COULD HAVE BENEFITED AND HAD A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN TO BENEFIT ALL NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO REALLY HAVE TO SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT ARE WE PRIORITIZING ALL STUDENTS OR JUST A PARTICULAR SUBSET POPULATION OF STUDENTS WHO MAY BE MORE DESIRABLE FOR ATTENTION AND RESOURCES.
SO AS DUALLY ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRIORITIZE THE WELLBEING OF ALL STUDENTS AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS THAT HAPPENS WHENEVER YOU DISRUPT NEIGHBORHOODS.
WE'RE ALREADY DEALING WITH SLEEP DEPRIVED CHILDREN GETTING BUSED ACROSS TOWN BY 5:00 AM COMING BACK HOME AROUND 6:00 PM BUT WE EXPECT THEM TO PERFORM AND BEHAVE IN ADEQUATE WAYS WHILE THEIR BRAINS ARE STILL DEVELOPING, BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING ADEQUATE SLEEP AT HOME.
WE HAVE TO ALSO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE STEMMING EFFECTS THAT COMES FROM MAKING DECISIONS LIKE THESE.
UH, ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, UM, KATHY CARMICHAEL, KATHY CARMICHAEL, DISTRICT SEVEN.
I WOULD LIKE TO SUPPORT, UH, DEFERRING THIS MOTION TO JANUARY.
I ALSO WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION FOR COMING TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THIS ITEM WAS BROUGHT UP 10 DAYS BEFORE EARLY VOTING FOR A RUNOFF ELECTION, WHICH IS SUSPICIOUS.
SO I THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO, AS FOLLOWING UP WITH MY COLLEAGUE HERE FROM STEP UP, LOUISIANA, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRE PARISH WHEN WE'RE DECIDING HOW WE'RE GONNA DRAW THE LINES AND WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE LINES FROM MANY, MANY DIFFERENT MEETINGS IN 2017 WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THESE THINGS.
AND IT'S ALSO UNFORTUNATE THAT MR. TAMAN IS NOT HERE BECAUSE HE'S GIVING SOME PEOPLE WHO PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT MORE THAN THREE MINUTES AND THREE MINUTES IS THE RULE AND THE POLICY.
SO I HOPE THAT THE BOARD PRESIDENT CAN, CAN STAND BY THAT.
I BELIEVE DEFERMENT WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE ACTION.
JUST HAD TO DO A QUICK COUNT AND MAKE SURE HE IS STILL OUTTA QUORUM.
UM, MY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE, MS. COLLINS, IS FAR TOO POLITE.
SHE MAY NOT WANT TO IMAGINE THIS IS A RACIAL OR EQUITY ISSUE, BUT DON'T BE MISTAKEN.
IT'S ABSOLUTELY A RACIAL, AN EQUITY ISSUE.
AND AS THE FOLKS FROM KENILWORTH MAYFAIR LAB IS NOT IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT'S NEAR YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S A SCHOOL THAT IS RATED WELL AND IT'S RATED WELL BECAUSE IT HAS A LOT OF WEALTHY STUDENTS AND NOT VERY MANY POOR ONES, RELATIVELY SPEAKING.
UM, SO I WOULD HOPE YOU'RE SUPPORTIVE OF THE SCHOOL THAT'S ACTUALLY IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
[02:15:01]
AND SOMETHING I HAVEN'T HEARD MENTIONED YET IS RIGHT SMACK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE KENNELWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD IS A SCHOOL THAT HAPPENS TO HAVE THE NAME KENNELWORTH.SO IS IT THE INTENTION, THE HOMEOWNER'S ASSOCIATION, THAT ANYBODY THAT CAN, SHOULD ESCAPE YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND GO TO SCHOOL SOMEWHERE ELSE AND THOSE THAT CAN'T ESCAPE GO TO SCHOOL.
THE KENNELWORTH MIDDLE OR MAGNOLIA WOODS.
ANYWAY, THIS SHOULD BE DEFERRED.
MAKE SURE YOU'RE STILL ON QUORUM.
CORON CORLEY, RHONDA CORLEY, PARENT DISABILITIES ADVOCATE.
IF I COULD TALK ABOUT SEGREGATION, THIS IS IT.
WE TALK ABOUT EVERY STUDENT EVERY DAY AND TEACHING THEM HISTORY.
THE MADAM OF THE MASSA ON THE PLANTATION ALWAYS MADE SURE THAT HE DIVIDED AND CONQUERED, HE TURNED THE HOUSE.
AFRICAN AMERICANS AGAINST THE FIELD, AFRICAN AMERICANS.
THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT HERE.
WHEN YOU HAVE AN EXPANSION PLAN THAT IS GOING BE NOTHING BUT A BIG PLANTATION OF WHERE WE ARE HAVING A PLANTATION SAY THAT, HEY, WE WANT TO CREATE OUR OWN ZONE TO NOT BE INCLUSIVE LIKE THE REST OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE WANNA BE OUR OWN SEGREGATED AREA.
YOU KNOW, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS WOULD DEFINITELY LOVE TO LOOK AT THIS.
IF IT WAS TO PASS, AND I DO SAY OFFICE OF CIVIL RIGHTS, CUZ IT WOULD BE FEDERAL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT.
NUMBER ONE, OUR BOARD, WE, WELL, HELL, WE JUST ELECTED A BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WASN'T EVEN IN LINE ACCORDING TO THE WAY THE BOARD IS SUPPOSED TO BE MADE UP.
BUT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO DO THINGS THAT IS GONNA APPEASE WHITE PEOPLE.
AND I'M GOING TO SAY IT THE WAY IT NEED TO BE STATED.
THIS IS HURTING BLACK AND BROWN PEOPLE.
THIS EXPANSION WILL HURT THEM.
AND WHAT WE ARE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A MUCH MORE SEGREGATED SCHOOL.
WHITE FLIGHT IS NOT COMING BACK TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WAKE UP PEOPLE, SMELL A COFFEE, SMOKE A BLUNT, DO WHATEVER YOU HAVE TO DO.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE REALISTIC ABOUT.
WE HAVE TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT MATTER.
AND THAT'S EACH AND EVERY CHILD, EACH AND EVERY CHILD, WHETHER THEY ARE WHITE, BLACK, BROWN, HISPANIC, LATINO, WHETHER THEY SPEAK ENGLISH AS THEY FIRST LANGUAGE OR ANYTHING IN BETWEEN.
THAT IS WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO ALWAYS BE AT THE FOREFRONT.
THAT IS WHY THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM WENT THROUGH THE LONGEST DESEGREGATION ORDER EVER IN THE COUNTRY.
AND YOU STILL LETTING MASTER HAVE A HAVE A POINT TO SAY, MASTER, GOTTA GET THE HAIR BACK.
AND THAT'S ME BEING NICE, CUZ I KNOW THAT WE CANNOT SAY ANY OTHER THINGS, WHICH I DON'T WANT TO BECAUSE MY CHILD IS PRESENT AND BECAUSE I LOVE GOD.
SOME OF THEM NEED TO LEARN TO LOVE GOD TOO.
BUT IF WE ARE GONNA BE REAL, WE HAVE TO BE REAL AND WE HAVE TO BE HONEST.
IT IS AN ELECTION SEASON AND ELECTIONS MAKE MASTER COME OUT IN MAJOR MASSES.
AND IF WE COULD SING SOME OLD NEGRO SPIRITUALS, I WOULD SING THE ONE THAT SAY GOODBYE CHURCH.
AND LET'S GO HOME, BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MASTER NEED TO GO BACK HOME.
IF IT'S GOOD FOR THE GANDER, IT SHOULD DEFINITELY BE GOOD FOR THE GOOSES.
WE ASKED YOU GUYS TO KEEP ALL COMMUNITY SCHOOLS INTACT THIS MORNING, THIS AFTERNOON, I'M SORRY, THIS EVENING WE ASKED YOU GUYS TO LOOK OUT FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES JUST AS YOU'RE ATTEMPTING TO DO FOR PREDOMINANTLY WHITE COMMUNITIES.
WE ASKED YOU, AND WE PRESENTED TO YOU THE URGENCY OF MAKING OUR COMMUNITIES ONE.
WE TOLD YOU THE FACTS AROUND US, A COMMUNITY SCHOOL MODULE WHERE ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES CAME TOGETHER, WHERE CHILDREN WENT TO SCHOOL WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS AND THEIR NEIGHBORS ALONE.
YOUR PRINCIPALS HAVE TOLD YOU THAT WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASING AMOUNT OF FIGHTS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY TERRITORIAL BEASTS.
WE SAID, ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO RESTORE THEIR COMMUNITY AND GO TO SCHOOL TOGETHER.
YOU VOTE THAT DOWN, IT WAS DISHEARTENED.
AND THEN YOU COME HERE WITH THIS AGENDA
[02:20:01]
ITEM AND WE ASKED YOU TO DEFER IT BECAUSE WE WERE GOING ABOUT IT THE WRONG WAY AND WE DIDN'T FOLLOW THE POLICY AND PROCEDURE.BUT YOU HAVE THE AUDACITY TO TELL US THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP YOUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER.
WHAT ABOUT THE BLACK CHILDREN? WHAT ABOUT THE CHILDREN? IN MY ZIP CODE, 7 0 8, 0 2 7 0 8, 0 5 7, 0 8, 0 6.
I WANT THEM TO HAVE A VOICE AT THE TABLE.
I WANT IN INCLUSION AND EQUITY TO BE A REALITY FOR THEM.
AND I WANT THEIR SCHOOLS TO REMAIN INTACT AS WELL.
STOP ONLY THINKING ABOUT YOUR CHILDREN.
THINK ABOUT EVERY CHILD IN THIS PARISH, BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY, THAT MEANS EVERY BLACK CHILD, EVERY LATINO CHILD, AND EVERY CAUCASIAN CHILD, YOU CAN SIT THERE AND ACT AS IF THIS IS NOT A MOVE.
AND MAYBE IN YOUR MIND YOU DON'T, YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS RACIST.
BUT LET ME ASSURE YOU, THIS IS, AND THIS IS A CONTINUED MODERN DAY SEGREGATION.
IT IS A CONTINUED EFFORT TO KEEP SYSTEMATIC RACISM IN PLACE.
AND I HATE TO SEE IT IN PLACE IN OUR LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEM.
GOOD EVENING, PAMELA TAYLOR JOHNSON, 2037 MAGNA COTA, BACHELOR ROUGE, LOUISIANA.
I STAND BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING TO SUPPORT THE MOTION ASKING THAT YOU SUPPORT THE MOTION TO DEFER.
UH, YOU'VE SEEN ALL THE EMOTIONS THAT HAS JUST BEEN STEERED UP AROUND THIS WHOLE IDEAL.
AND IT JUST APPEARS TO ME THAT THE BETTER THOUGHT WOULD BE TO DEFER THIS ITEM AND REFERRED BACK TO THE ADMINISTRATION, BACK TO YOUR STAFF.
SO THEY BEGAN TO LOOK AT THE ENTIRETY OF IT, NOT JUST THIS PARTICULAR EXPANSION, BUT WHETHER OR NOT IT SHOULD BE EXPANDED OR WHETHER OR NOT YOU SHOULD BE LOOKING AT SOME OTHER ATTENDANCE ZONES, EXPANSION OR KEEPING 'EM THE SAME AND LOOKING AT THE, BECAUSE THIS ONE WITH THE HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, AND IT MAKES GREAT SENSE THAT YOU DON'T WANT TO SPLIT A COMMUNITY, BUT NO COMMUNITY SHOULD BE SPLIT AND HAVE KIDS ATTENDING SCHOOL ACROSS TOWN.
THAT HAS BEEN MY MANTRA FOR A LOT OF YEARS.
LET'S RETURN CHILDREN TO THEIR OWN COMMUNITIES, TO THEIR OWN NEIGHBORHOODS.
AND IF YOU PULL THIS ITEM, IF YOU DEFER THIS ITEM, UH, WHETHER IT'S A DATE SPECIFIC OR JUST, UH, FOR WHATEVER PERIOD OF TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO DO A LITTLE BIT MORE STUDY ON THIS TO SEE TO NOT ONLY ADDRESS THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE, BUT THE OTHER ISSUES AS IT RELATES TO KIDS ATTENDING SCHOOLS AND THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEIGHBORHOODS OR COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE BEST METHOD, THE BEST PROCESS TO GO THROUGH.
AND, UH, IT WOULD ALLAY SOME OF THE EMOTIONS.
AND ALSO IT MAY SERVE TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY, OUR PARISH, OUR SCHOOL BOARD, OUR SYSTEM TOGETHER TO DO WHAT IS GOOD FOR CHILDREN.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO REALLY LIVE UP TO THE MOTTO EVERY STUDENT, EVERY EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY.
AND LET'S JUST INCLUDE IN THAT, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY DAY IN EVERY COMMUNITY TO GIVE THEM THE BEST LEARNING OPPORTUNITY THAT CAN BE AVAILABLE FOR THEM.
I ASK THAT YOU SUPPORT THE MOTION TO DEFER MS. JACKSON.
UH, FIRST I'D LIKE TO SAY, WELL, FAIRLEIGH JACKSON, DISTRICT FIVE.
UM, SO NOW I WILL SAY A COUPLE THINGS THAT I HAD ALLUDED TO BEFORE.
UM, THE, ONCE AGAIN, THE COMMUNICATION AROUND THIS ITEM WAS REALLY POORLY DONE.
THE MEMO IS COMPLETELY FALSE, WHERE IT SAYS THAT CERTAIN AREAS, CERTAIN SCHOOLS HAVE PROXIMITY ZONES, CERTAIN SCHOOLS HAVE PRIORITY ZONES.
IT BASICALLY SAYS THAT MAYFAIR DOESN'T EVEN HAVE ONE OR THE OTHER.
SO BASED ON THAT, YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BE EXPANDING ANYTHING.
SO HERE WE ARE ONCE AGAIN LOOKING AT AN ITEM THAT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN COMMUNICATED CORRECTLY IN THE BACKUP.
UM, I'M CURIOUS, WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR SEATS? I DON'T BELIEVE MISS, UH, PORTER IS HERE TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, DOES THIS EXPAND THE NUMBER OF SEATS IN THE SCHOOL? DOES THIS MEAN THAT THERE ARE MORE FROM THE INITIAL PRIORITY LOTTERY? DOES THIS MEAN THAT THIS INCREASES THE OVERALL LOTTERY? THESE ARE ALL QUESTIONS THAT THIS BEING RAMMED THROUGH
[02:25:01]
BECAUSE THERE'S A RUNOFF ELECTION.YOU KNOW, ALL THESE QUESTIONS NEED TO BE ANSWERED.
AND MR. GOODDAY, THANK YOU FOR STICKING AROUND AND HEARING THIS WHEN YOUR COLLEAGUE WHO IS ALSO PROPOSING THIS HAS LEFT THE ROOM.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, MR. CHAPMAN, PLEASE GIVE THE PUBLIC THE HONOR AND THE RESPECT THAT THEY DESERVE IN YOUR LAST TWO MONTHS.
WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
I TOO BELIEVE THAT THIS BOARD SHOULD MOVE TO DEFER, UM, AS SOMEONE WHO HAS LIVED AROUND THE COUNTRY IN DIFFERENT PLACES.
BUT I'M AN OLDEST TRU OF GRAD AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M PROUD OF CALLING BATON ROUGE HOME.
AND MY CHILDREN ATTENDED SCHOOL IN CLEAR CREEK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT AROUND THE HOUSTON AREA THAT ENCOMPASSED NASA.
AND WE DID HAVE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, AND IT WAS RICH SCHOOLS AND MEDIOCRE SCHOOLS OR MEDIUM WEALTH AND, YOU KNOW, SOME THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER THE, I GUESS, POOR.
BUT NONETHELESS, THEY, THEY ALL WERE GOOD SCHOOLS.
AND IT SADDENS ME TO SEE HOW THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM IS SO BROKEN.
I MEAN, YOU REALLY CAN'T SAY YOU'RE MOVING TOWARD HAVING PEOPLE BE INCLUDED WHEN YOU HAVE INCLUDE INCLUDED WHEN YOU ARE BUILDING MORE AND MORE CHARTER SCHOOLS.
SO KIDS CAN COME FROM DIFFERENT AREAS TO GO DIFFERENT PLACES.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT A GOOD CONCEPT.
AND AS A STUDENT OF LSU AND LOUISIANA POLITICAL SCIENCE, WHOSE CLASS WAS TAUGHT BY AN OLDEST JUMA GRAD THAT HAS HIS PHD, DR.
WAYNE PARENT, THE ROLE OF RACE IN LOUISIANA POLITICS, FOLKS, IT'S EVEN DOWN HERE AT THE LOCAL LEVEL IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I LOOK AROUND AND I MEAN, THE CRIME IS OUTTA CONTROL.
WHY? BECAUSE WE DON'T PULL UP THE ONES WHO ARE BELOW OR WHATEVER AND TRY TO BRING THEM WITH US.
IT'S LIKE DIVIDE AND CONQUER WHITE AND BLACK.
IT IS REALLY, IT'S SAD FOR THE KIDS.
IT'S SAD FOR THE FUTURE GENERATIONS.
I JUST SAY, BOARD, PLEASE LOOK AT WHAT'S GOOD FOR ALL CHILDREN.
AND IF THERE'S ANY WAY ON A BIGGER PICTURE TO MAKE THESE SCHOOLS WHERE THEY ARE MORE NEIGHBORHOOD FRIENDLY AND PARENTS CAN GET TOGETHER AND GO TO THE CARNIVALS AND GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, ONE CHILD GOING TO THIS SCHOOL, ONE CHILD GOING TO THAT SCHOOL.
SO PLEASE JUST DEFER, STUDY THIS ISSUE AND TRY TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING THAT BRINGS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND PUTS THE NEIGHBORHOOD CONCEPT BACK IN PLAY.
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE TIMING IN THIS MOTION HAS COME UP A NUMBER OF TIMES, AND WE DO HAVE TO TAKE SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT ON THE CIVIC ASSOCIATION END.
WITH THE ELECTIONS THAT WERE GOING ON, WE PULLED BACK A LITTLE BIT FROM KEEPING IN CONTACT WITH THE REPRESENTATIVES, KNOWING THAT THEY WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ELECTION.
AFTER THE INITIAL ROUND, WE THEN AT OUR CIVIC ASSOCIATION MEETING, DECIDED THAT IT WOULD BE WORTHWHILE TO REACH OUT AGAIN TO ONCE AGAIN, MAKE SURE THAT WE HADN'T BEEN OVERLOOKED, BECAUSE WE KNOW THE PERSISTENCE WAS GONNA BE KEY IN SEEING OUR OBJECTIVE ACHIEVED.
SO WE DIDN'T REACH OUT, UH, TO REINITIATE CONTACT WITH ANY OF OUR REPRESENTATIVES UNTIL AFTER THE ELECTION.
SO THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE SOMEWHAT ON US FOR NOT HAVING BEEN MORE PERSISTENT IN TERMS OF WHY THIS MAY BE COMING UP AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
THE OTHER THING IS WE FULLY AGREE THAT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS SHOULD BE TIED INTO THEIR COMMUNITY.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE ARE ASKING TO HAVE THIS UNDERTAKEN.
AND IF WE LOOK AT THIS, IT CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE THE INITIAL PRIORITY ZONE WAS SORT OF JUST A, AN ACCIDENT OF GEOGRAPHY.
LOOKING AT THE MAP, FINDING MAJOR LANDMARKS.
IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT THE MAJOR LANDMARK THAT WAS DETERMINED TO BE THE PERIMETER OF THE SCHOOL ZONE, IN THIS CASE, BISECT THE NEIGHBORHOOD, HAD THE MAGNET OFFICE KNOWN AT THAT POINT IN TIME THAT THE KENWORTH NEIGHBORHOOD FALLS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
I AM SURE THEY WOULD HAVE DRAWN IT AS WE ARE ASKING THEM TO DRAW IT TODAY INITIALLY.
AND SO ASKING TO CORRECT WHAT WAS, AGAIN, AN AN INNOCENT OVERSIGHT IN THE FIRST CASE IS NOT ANYTHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON SOME OF THE OTHER ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN COMMUNICATED TO YOU TONIGHT.
SO I THINK AT, YOU KNOW, THIS CHANGE, WHICH I WOULD FULLY ENDORSE GOING THROUGH WITH TONIGHT, AS IT HAS BEEN IN SOME CASES A YEAR AND A HALF, AND IN OTHER CASES WE CAN THINK ABOUT
[02:30:01]
THIS, ALMOST SIX YEARS NOW, SINCE A PRIORITY ZONE WAS INITIALLY CREATED, THIS CHANGE IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE POSITIVE FOR KENWORTH.IT WOULD SHOW THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS COM IS COMMITTED TO PUTTING THE COMMUNITY BACK INTO COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
AND I THINK IT COULD BE USED AS A PRECEDENT FOR OTHER POSITIVE CHANGES LATER ON.
THAT WOULD BE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT MANY OF MY OTHER FELLOW CITIZENS HAVE SPOKEN TO THIS EVENING.
SEEING OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I APPRECIATE THE KENNELWORTH COMMUNITY SPEAKING OUT AND REACHING OUT IN, UM, IN HOPE THAT YOUR, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD BE RESTORED AS ONE.
UM, AND THAT YOU TOO ALSO AGREE THAT, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ARE VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR CITY.
UM, THE LIFE OF A NEIGHBORHOOD IS RIGHT THERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
AND, UM, THE QUESTION STILL IS ON THE TABLE ABOUT HOW MANY ACTUAL, UH, RESIDENTS IN MAYFAIR NEIGHBORHOOD ACTUALLY GO TO THE MAYFAIR SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT UM, I JUST HAVE TO REITERATE THAT IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT THAT.
NOT ABOUT YOUR REQUEST, BUT IT'S ABOUT ALL OF THE OTHER REQUESTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE CONSTANTLY FOR SO LONG AND REQUESTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT INCLUDES ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH TONIGHT.
UM, AND THEN SOME, THERE ARE SO MANY, SO MANY, UM, ISSUES AROUND THIS THAT WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT A BROADER PICTURE.
UM, WE KEEP LOOKING AT ONE SCHOOL AT A TIME AND MAKING DECISIONS WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT IT ON A MAP TO SEE WHAT ELSE IS BEING AFFECTED BY IT.
AND, UH, I'M SURE THAT THIS IS A, A, A GOOD, A GOOD CONCEPT, BUT IT'S JUST ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE IN THE SAME POT OF ALL OF THE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SCHOOLS.
AND THIS HAS GONE ON FOR FAR, FAR, FAR TOO LONG.
AND I URGE THE BOARD TO, TO COME TOGETHER AND HANDLE THIS, TAKE CARE OF THIS ON A LARGER LEVEL AND STOP DOING THIS LITTLE PIECES AT A TIME AND NOT LOOKING AT WHAT ALL IS AFFECTED BY EVERYTHING.
UM, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S TAKEN PLACE.
UM, AGAIN, AND IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF THIS IS DEFERRED TILL NEXT MONTH OR, OR, OR WHENEVER.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THIS DID NOT GO THROUGH COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AND CLEARLY THIS ITEM SHOULD BE, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THROUGH COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
CAUSE LOOK, WE'VE SPENT TIME ON THIS, AS WE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE, UH, IN COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, AND NONE OF THE AN NONE OF THE QUESTIONS ARE ANSWERED.
WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE A MAP, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THIS LITTLE PIECE THAT YOU SEE IN THE BACKUP WITH JUST THAT NEIGHBORHOOD WITH NO OTHER SCHOOLS INVOLVED.
NOTHING ABOUT, UM, ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S SURROUNDED.
SO AGAIN, I'M ASKING TO DEFER THIS ITEM AND TAKE CARE OF THIS ITEM ALONG WITH OTHERS.
I'M NOT SAYING EVERYTHING, BUT AT LEAST GET STARTED AND INCLUDE THIS ITEM ALONG WITH SOME OTHER ITEMS SO THAT YOU HAVE SOME MOVEMENT TOWARD, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
AND, UH, AND IT, AND IT IS, IT IS VERY SADDENING THAT AFTER YEARS OF PEOPLE ASKING FOR THE SAME THING, I'VE GOT A NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT, RIGHT IN MY AREA WHERE THE LINE IS DRAWN STRAIGHT, SPLIT THE NEIGHBORHOOD RIGHT IN HALF, AND YOU'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF CONFLICT GOING ON AND ALL KINDS OF, UM, STUFF BREAKING LOOSE OVER AT CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, UH, AROUND THIS AND, AND OTHER SCHOOLS ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DEFINITELY KNOW THAT WE CAN START RESOLVING AND IT'S JUST TAKING TOO LONG AND IT'S TIME FOR US TO, TO HANDLE THIS ALTOGETHER AND NOT JUST A LITTLE PIECE AND HAVE OTHER PEOPLE TICKED OFF.
BECAUSE YOU'VE TAKEN THE, YOU'VE TAKEN OVER, YOU'VE TAKEN CARE OF THIS RIGHT BEFORE YOUR ELECTION TIME.
AND, UH, SO, SO IT LOOKS LIKE YOU WANT TO GET SOME LITTLE, YOU NEED SOME GOOD PRESS.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN SO MUCH STUFF THAT HAVE GONE ON.
WE'VE, WE'VE STOP IT EVERYBODY.
I MEAN, THIS IS, SO I'M JUST SAYING PLEASE DEFER THIS TO A LATER DATE AND HANDLE THE WHOLE PICTURE.
MR. BELU, THANK PRESIDENT TAMAN.
[02:35:01]
REFERENCED SEGREGATIONS AT JUST, UM, FOR CLARITY, COULD, UH, SOMEBODY GIVE US THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF, UH, THE SCHOOL, JUST SO WE HAVE IT.UM, MISS, UH, KOSKI, COULD YOU PLEASE COME UP, UH, THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND ASSESSMENT OFFICE, PLEASE, MR. BELU AND MS. WE, JACKSON, MY APOLOGIES TO YOU.
I DON'T HAVE THE SPECIFIC DATA TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TONIGHT.
HAD I HAD THE QUESTION BEFORE 5:00 PM RUSS ASSURED I HAVE WALKED IN WITH IT.
ONE QUESTION THAT HAS COME UP TONIGHT THAT I, WE DID RECEIVE EARLIER TODAY THAT I DO HAVE THE ANSWER FOR IS, HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THIS ZONE WERE IN PLACE TODAY, HOW MANY STUDENTS WOULD IT IMPACT? AND IT WOULD IMPACT 44 WHO LIVE IN THE AREA THAT HAS BEEN CALLED, THAT HAVE BEEN CALLED OUT 13.
OF THOSE 44 CURRENTLY ATTEND MAGNET SCHOOLS IN THIS SYSTEM.
SIX CURRENTLY ATTEND DISTRICT APPROVED CHARTERS.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS THAT YOU ASKED FOR.
AND ACT EVEN EVEN CLOSE TO IT IS, IS FINE.
IT THAT THAT SCHOOL IS BELOW 50% FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH.
AND, UM, BELOW 50% WHAT, UH, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
UM, WHAT, DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS OR CAN YOU I DON'T, I'D HAVE TO, I'D HAVE TO GO PULL 'EM AND I'LL HAVE 'EM IN HERE WITH ME.
SORRY, BUT IT'S NOT, UM, IS IT A PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOL OR, OR IS IT AROUND 50%? I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A WRONG NUMBER.
I REALLY DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU A WRONG NUMBER, BUT WE, I MEAN, WE CAN, WE CAN GET IT.
I'M JUST, SORRY, I DIDN'T HAVE THE QUESTION BEFORE.
THAT'S, I, I, I ASSUME THERE'S NOBODY ELSE IN THE ROOM THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO GET CLOSER THAN THAT, OR I CAN GO PULL IT.
MR. PENNY, YOU WANT TO GIMME THE, DO YOU HAVE THE, IF YOU, DO YOU HAVE THE REPORT? WELL, I MADE NOTES OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, WHICH ARE THAT THE FIGURE OF ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE FOR MAYFAIR IS 36.82%.
THAT IS THE SECOND LOWEST, SECOND ONLY TO WESTDALE HEIGHTS ACADEMIC MAGNET.
AND IT COMPARES TO THE, UM, DISTRICT OVERALL, INCLUDING TYPE ONE CHARTERS OF 81 POINT 12% ECONOMIC.
WHAT ABOUT RACE? DO YOU HAVE THOSE BREAKTHROUGH? YES.
THE, WHAT I MADE NOTE OF IS THE PERCENT WHITE, AND THIS IS ALL FROM THE STATE'S MULTIS STAT REPORT FROM FEBRUARY, WHICH IS THE MOST RECENT AVAILABLE.
THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, INCLUDING TYPE ONE CHARTERS, IS 11 POINT 35%.
WHITE MAYFAIR IS 50 POINT 54% WHITE.
SO IT'S FRIDAY THAT IS SECOND ONLY TO BASIS MANARA.
UH, THANK YOU, UH, MR. BELU FOR THAT QUESTION.
I DO HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR YOU FROM THE LAST, UH, THING, UH, AT MAYFAIR, THE AMERICAN.
I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU, MAKE SURE I HAVE THE RIGHT ROW HERE.
THE AMERICAN INDIAN IS THREE ASIAN 35 BLACK, 133 HISPANIC, 32 HAWAIIAN PACIFIC ISLANDER TWO WHITE 2 32, MULTIPLE RACES, 22.
AND FOR A TOTAL OF 227 MINORITY STUDENTS.
UH, AND THE PERCENT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGES, LIKE MR. FINNEY SAID 37%.
UH, I, I WANTED TO ADDRESS A FEW THINGS.
UM, YOU KNOW, SOME MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE COME UP AND RAIL UPON US TO RESPECT THE COMMUNITY, AND I JUST WISH THAT THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WOULD HAVE THE SAME LEVEL OF RESPECT FOR US.
UH, AS WE SIT UP HERE, WE ARE PEOPLE ALSO AND WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR JOB THE BEST WE CAN.
AND TO COME UP HERE AND YELL AND PREACH AND SCREAM AT US IS, IS NOT VERY PRODUCTIVE AT ALL.
SECONDLY, I WANT TO ADDRESS, PEOPLE HAVE, UH, POINTED OUT TO ME THAT THEY THINK I'M BEING HYPOCRITICAL BECAUSE I VOTED AGAINST THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL RESOLUTION.
THE REASON I VOTED AGAINST THAT RESOLUTION IS NOT BECAUSE I'M AGAINST COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, IS BECAUSE THAT RESOLUTION WAS SO PRESCRIPTIVE AND SO TIGHTLY BOUND, OUR SUPERINTENDENT BEING PASSED BY A BOARD, WHICH IS GONNA HAVE OVER A 50% CHANGE IN, UH, POPULATION.
I DID NOT FEEL THAT THAT RESOLUTION WAS APPROPRIATE.
AT THIS TIME, I AM A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
I A HUNDRED PERCENT SUPPORT NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
[02:40:01]
WE'LL ALWAYS, IF I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO BE REELECTED, I WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I DO SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF EVERY CHILD.AND IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT I'VE DONE IN MY RECORD, YOU WILL SEE THAT IN EVERY VOTE THAT I'VE TAKEN, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS.
A LOT OF THINGS HAVE ALSO BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT ATTENDANCE ZONES.
THIS IS NOT AN ATTENDANCE ZONE.
AND THE REASON WE'RE DOING IT NOW, AFTER COM, UH, TALKING WITH THE HOMEOWNER ASSOCIATION IS THE NEW MAGNET APPLICATION PERIOD IS COMING UP AND IT'S ABOUT READY TO CLOSE.
SO IF WE DON'T PASS THIS PRIORITY ZONE, NOW THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR MAGNET SCHOOLS WILL BE IN THE PRIORITY ZONE THAT CURRENTLY EXISTS AND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE PART OF THIS PRIORITY ZONE.
BUT IT IS NOT AN ATTENDANCE ZONE.
WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS ATTENDANCE ZONES.
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE ONES FIGHTING TO ADDRESS ATTENDANCE ZONES SAYING WE NEED THIS.
I HAVE BEEN A CHAMPION OF, UH, UH, COMING UP WITH STRATEGIC PLANS.
I'VE BEEN A CHAMPION OF THE FACILITIES PLAN, AND I WILL BE A CHAMPION OF THE FACILITIES PLAN, UH, AS IT COMES UP TO HAVE A MASTER STRATEGY ABOUT HOW TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS.
I AM NOT AGAINST ANY OF THOSE THINGS, BUT AGAIN, THIS IS A PRIORITY ZONE.
IT CAN BE CHANGED AT THE DROP OF A HEARTBEAT BY THE NEXT BOARD.
IT IMPACTS NO OTHER SCHOOLS FOR ATTENDANCE ZONES.
IT IS SIMPLY A PRIORITY ZONE FOR THIS SCHOOL.
AND TO TRY TO EQUATE IT WITH AN ATTENDANCE ZONE STRETCHING OVER MANY OTHER SCHOOLS IS JUST NOT TRUE.
AND WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS ATTENDANCE ZONES, AND I STAND READY AND WILLING TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, AS SOON AS WE'D HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY WITH A FULL MASTER PLAN.
THIS BOARD FOR SO LONG WENT WITHOUT STRATEGIC PLANS AND WENT WITHOUT MASTER PLANS.
UH, THAT'S WHY WE, WE ARE HERE WHERE WE ARE NOW, BUT THIS IS NOT AN ATTENDANCE ZONE.
NO OTHER SCHOOLS ARE IMPACTED THAN THIS.
SO I THINK I ANSWERED MOST OF THE QUESTIONS, AND I LOOK BACK ON MY, MY, UH, EMAIL.
MY FIRST EMAIL FROM THIS GENTLEMAN WAS IN JUNE OF 2020.
THAT'S HOW FAR BACK THIS DISCUSSION HAS GONE.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST COME UP.
THEY DID CONTACT US JUST RECENTLY BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO GET THIS CLOSED OUT BEFORE THE CURRENT MAGNET SCHOOL APPLICATION WINDOW CLOSED.
AND MS. PORTER SAID THAT THIS COULD BE DONE AND PUT IN, UH, FOR THE CURRENT, UM, UH, ALLOCATIONS OF MAGNET SEATS.
SO I THINK I'VE TRIED TO ANSWER ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP.
UH, NO ONE'S TRYING TO PULL A FAST ONE OVER HERE.
WE'RE TRYING TO RESPOND TO, TO THE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE RESPOND TO THESE PEOPLE, DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT GONNA RESPOND TO OTHER PEOPLE.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT RESPONDING TO OTHER PEOPLE.
I OUTLINED WHY IT DID NOT VOTE FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS BY FULLY SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
AND I WILL BE PRESSURING IF I'M STILL ON THIS BOARD, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, TO CONTINUE TO PUSH TO PUT IN THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CONCEPT.
I THINK IT'S A GREAT CONCEPT, AND I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED.
I WANT TO GO BACK TO MORE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS.
AND SO WITH THAT, I'LL BE QUIET.
UM, I TOO HAVE BEEN, UM, UM, JUST PERSISTENT IN MY ON DURING MY YEARS OF PUSHING FOR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS WITH LOGICAL ATTENDANCE LINES, BECAUSE I THINK IT BENEFITS EVERYONE INVOLVED, UM, ESPECIALLY THE CHILDREN WHO DON'T HAVE THESE LONG BUS RIDES.
UM, I DO KNOW THAT MINE AT TIMES, WELL, IT DIDN'T MATTER.
IT DIDN'T MATTER IF MY CHILDREN WERE ON THE LONGEST ELEMENTARY BUS RIDE, ZONED BUS RIDE IN THE PARISH TO THEIR TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, OR IF THEY WERE ON THE LONGEST GOING TO THEIR DEDICATED MAGNET, IT DIDN'T MATTER.
WE WERE ALWAYS ON THE LONGEST.
AND SO I, WE, MY FAMILY HAS SCARS FROM IT.
AND I HAVE BEEN PASSIONATE ABOUT TRYING TO BRING THESE KINDS OF CHANGES FORWARD.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, UM, I WON'T BE HERE TO SEE THE, UM, EXPERIENCE, THE JOY OF THAT BRINGING BATON ROUGE WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE WITH ATTENDANCE LINES, MAKING COMMON SENSE DECISIONS, LOOKING VERY FORWARD TO SEEING THAT.
UM, AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO ASK, BECAUSE A LOT OF REFERENCES BEEN MADE AS TO WHERE THE SCHOOL ACTUALLY RESIDES.
AND, UH, IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I GET CONFIRMATION ON THIS,
[02:45:01]
THAT THE AT, UM, PRIORITY ZONE DOES INCLUDE THE MAYFAIR SUBDIVISION OF WHERE IT RESIDES.SO I'D LIKE A CONFIRMATION, UM, FROM STAFF SO THAT THE COMMUNITY KNOWS THAT IT'S NOT LEAVING A GROUP OUT.
IT'S SIMPLY MAKING ANOTHER ONE WHOLE.
SO THE QUESTION IS, THE SCHOOL RESIDES IN MAYFAIR SUBDIVISION, AND THAT SUBDIVISION IS INCLUDED IN ITS PROXIMITY ZONE, CORRECT? MM-HMM.
LET ME, LET ME SAY IF I COULDN'T, MS. PORTER, MY COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND, REGRETS THAT SHE COULD NOT BE HERE TONIGHT.
UH, BUT YES, I JUST CONFIRMED WITH HER TEAM.
AND THE MAP IS ONLINE, AND IT DOES, YES.
I MEAN, I LOOKED AT THE MAP AND IT LOOKED VERY CLEAR TO ME, BUT I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE ANYTHING FOR GRANTED.
AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING THE OPPORTUNITY FROM A SUBSET OF A GROUP OF CLOSE PEOPLE THAT LIVE CLOSE TO THE SCHOOL.
AND OUR MAGNET ADMISSION CRITERIA, PEOPLE THINK IT'S SO HIGH IN EVERYTHING.
IT'S, IT'S JUST A C, IT'S A MIDDLE C.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE ASKING THEM ALL TO BE STRAIGHT A STUDENTS, BUT THEN THEY HAVE TO GET THERE AND THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN.
AND SO IT IS AN INCREASED RIGOR, AND NOT EVERY STUDENT IS WANTING TO GO TO SCHOOL IN THAT WAY.
AND SO FOR THOSE THAT DO, THEY HAVE, JUST AS IF THEY LIVE IN THE PRIORITY ZONE, THEY WILL HAVE THE PRIORITY AS WELL.
SO IT'S NOT ABOUT, UH, ANYTHING ABOUT SOCIOECONOMIC RACE, ANY OF THAT, BECAUSE THEY ARE INCLUDED AND THEY CAN EITHER CHOOSE OR NOT.
THAT'S A PARENTAL AND STUDENT, UM, RESPONSIBILITY AND, UM, PRIVILEGE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE KINDS OF DECISIONS WITH OUR OWN FAMILIES.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
WE ARE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION TO DEFER.
IF YOU ARE FOR DEFERRING, YOU VOTE YES.
IF YOU'RE AGAINST DEF DEFERRING, YOU VOTE NO.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
WE ARE NOW ON THE MAIN MOTION, WHICH IS TO APPROVE THE ITEM.
A VOTE NO IS TO NOT APPROVE THE ITEM.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE VOTE.
WILL WE FINISH WITH THE, WE WENT ON THE MAIN MOTION.
THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS NOT MADE UNTIL WE CAME BACK FROM THE PUBLIC.
AND, AND I HAVE IT RECORDED HERE.
I PUT SUBSTITUTE ON THAT, ON THOSE CARDS, AND MAIN ON THE OTHER ONES.
DOES THAT, CUZ I HAD SOME TECHNICAL QUESTIONS.
DOES THAT TECHNICALLY MEAN, I KNOW WE CAME BACK TO THE, BUT I WAS, I HAD QUESTIONS THAT I WANTED TO ASK BEFORE THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION CAME UP.
I HAD CALLED THE VOTE ON SUBSTITUTE MOTION, SUBSTITUTE MOTION'S GONE.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS ON THE MAIN MOTION, UH, BOARD, PUBLIC BOARD.
AND IN THE MIDST OF THE BOARD COMMENT, SHE MADE A MO UH, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GOING BACK.
AND IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANNA DO IT, I HAD CALLED FOR THE VOTE UP AND IT'S REALLY JUST RELEVANT TO HOW IT'S GOING TO IMPACT, YOU KNOW, ASSUME ANY PASSES.
[02:50:01]
HOW DOES, CUZ IT CAME UP, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE CLEAR MAGNET.I JUST NEED COUNSEL TO TELL ME WHAT, WHEN YOU, I'M SORRY, NUMBER.
YEAH, IT, IT'S AT THE LEISURE OF THE CHAIR.
UM, I BELIEVE WE WERE ABOUT TO TAKE THE VOTE ON THE MAIN MOTION.
WE HAD COMPLETED COMMENTS, BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ALLOW A QUESTION, I THINK SHE HAS A QUESTION.
I CERTAINLY DIDN'T, I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO INHIBIT TO ANYBODY'S ABILITY.
I JUST WENT TO THE MAIN, I WENT TO THE MAIN MOTION BECAUSE THERE WERE NO REQUESTS TO SPEAK.
WELL, I MEAN, IT HAD GONE, IT HAD GONE A GOOD WHILE, SO I AGREE.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IT'S CLEAR.
CAN I DO ONE TECHNICAL THING FIRST? CAN YOU CLEAR THAT? OKAY.
UM, IT DIDN'T APPEAR CLEAR TO ME WHETHER OR NOT, BECAUSE THE APPLICATIONS HAVE ALREADY STARTED FOR THIS MAGNET PERIOD.
UM, HOW IS THAT GONNA BE HANDLED? CUZ THIS DECISION IS HAPPENING IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MAGNET APPLICATION PERIOD.
UM, YEAH, I UM, AND THEN, AND THEN, UM, YOU, YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT CAN ASK IT.
SHE WANTS TO, I KNOW MS. PORTER ISN'T HERE, THEY'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF MAGNET APPLICATION.
HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES PASSING THIS IMPACT THAT? I MEAN, DO THOSE FAMILIES, THOSE 44 FAMILIES GET? WELL I, ADDITIONAL TIME OR MAY, MAY I HAVE PERMISSION TO SPEAK, SIR.
WELL, SHE HAS, I WANT TO ANSWER HER QUESTION.
IF, IF SHE ALLOWS IT, IT'S FINE.
I HAVE AN EMAIL FROM MS. PORTER.
CAUSE NO DISRESPECT TO YOU, BUT WE BOTH BOARD COLLEAGUES.
BUT, UH, IF, IF A DECISION HAS BEEN MADE, THEN PLEASE SHARE.
UH, THIS IS AN EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM MS. PORTER ON MONDAY, CUZ I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
AND IT SAYS YES, THE CHANGE WILL BE IN EFFECT FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
THAT IS THE APPLICATION PERIOD.
SO THE APPLICATION PERIOD WE'RE GOING IN NOW FOR THE 20 22, 23 SCHOOL YEAR.
THIS CHANGE WOULD BE IN EFFECT, UH, WOULD, WOULD THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, UH, UH, FEEL COMFORTABLE ANSWERING WHETHER OR NOT THE, CUZ IT'S ONLY HOW MANY WEEKS LEFT IN THE APPLICATION PERIOD? UH, DECEMBER 3RD.
AND SO THEN THE NATURE OF MY QUESTION, I APPRECIATE THAT PART CUZ IT DOES ANSWER FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT THE NATURE OF MY QUESTION IS THE APPLICATION PERIOD ITSELF, HOW DOES THAT IMPACT, DO THOSE 44 FAMILIES, UH, THEY STUCK WITH JUST THE THREE WEEKS RIGHT NOW AND MAYBE OVER TURKEY DINNER THEY MIGHT FIND OUT THAT, OH, I CAN APPLY.
OR HOW IS THAT GONNA BE HANDLED? I'M JUST TRYING TO BE, CUZ I KNOW THAT'S A QUESTION THAT'S GONNA BE ASKED.
SO IT'S, UH, I WANNA MAKE SURE VICE, UM, VICE PRESIDENT COMES, WE ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
SO YOU WANNA KNOW ABOUT THE TIMING AND THE PROCESS OF HOW LONG IT'LL TAKE WHEN, UH, IN TERMS OF THE APPLICATION PROCESS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING, WELL, CAN'T, LET ME WORD IT LIKE THIS.
IS THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, AMENABLE TO SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR PEOPLE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE APPLICATION PERIOD? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE, WE ARE AMENABLE TO THAT.
THAT'S REALLY ALL I WAS ASKING.
I, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COULD BACK WITH US AFTER THESE DISHES ARE MADE AND, AND THAT SOUND LIKE A QUESTION THAT WOULD BE ASKED.
UH, VICE PRESIDENT CONS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE ROADBLOCKS, SO IF WE WERE ABLE, OKAY.
I REALLY, UH, THAT'S ALL I HAD.
MS. SWEAR, JACKSON, A QUESTION, UM, WITH, WITH ALL OF THE, THE QUESTIONS AROUND THIS AND, UM, STILL ALL THE, THE CLOUDINESS, UM, COULD, COULD I MAKE A MOTION TO MOVE THIS TO COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WE'RE ON, WE'RE ON THE MAIN MOTION.
NO, SHE WANTS TO MAKE THE SUBJECT.
WE'RE, WE ARE, IS IT APPROPRIATE? LET ME, LET ME SPEAK TO THAT.
UH, SO OUR POLICY, UM, BASICALLY STATES THAT WHEN A MOTION FAILS THAT WE, WE CAN'T CONSIDER AGAIN FOR 60 DAYS.
UM, I BELIEVE THE INITIAL SUBSTITUTE MOTION WAS TO DEFER THE ACTION TO A DATE UNCERTAIN TO A DATE UNCERTAIN.
BUT YOU, YOU ARE NOW MAKING A MOTION TO AGAIN DEFER THE ACTION.
SO I WOULD STATE, I, I WOULD STATE THAT THAT MIGHT BE AN ISSUE WITH POLICY.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A DATE CERT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S YES.
MA'S COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE YES, MA'AM.
THE BOARD'S ALREADY CONSIDERED A DEFERRAL, WHETHER IT BE TO A DATE, CERTAIN OR NOT.
[02:55:06]
OKAY.WE ARE BACK ON THE MAIN MOTION.
MADAME SECRETARY, PLEASE CALL THE VOTE.
A VOTE NO IS TO NOT APPROVE THE ITEM.
[I.1. Council of the Great City Schools]
ONE EX, UH, COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS, EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT SERVICES REPORT FROM THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS.ESE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO LEAD THE CONVERSATION? YES.
UH, THANK YOU PRESIDENT TAMAN.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, UH, BEING A PART OF THE COUNCIL, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH WITH THE COUNCIL TO, UH, AUDIT MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, UH, FOR MORE EFFICIENCY.
WE GOTTA KEEP IT FORUM RIGHT, BOB? YEAH.
SO, UM, SO WE STARTED OFF WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCE DEPARTMENT.
WE MADE ADJUSTMENTS, UH, AS WE TALKED TO, AS WE CONTINUE, UH, WORK TOWARDS EFFICIENCY.
UH, THE COUNCIL HAS TWO MORE REPORTS TO DO FOR US.
UM, ONE WAS SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH JULIE HERE FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MR. RAHAR, WHO'S, UM, COME DOWN.
AND THEN, UH, WE WILL THEN DO A ALSO REPORT AT A LATER DATE ON, UH, ELL AS YOU CONTINUE TO HELP SUPPORT AND IMPROVE OUR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO, UH, I WILL ASK FOR MR. RAHAR, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE COUNCIL.
UM, THANK YOU FOR COMING FROM, UH, DOWN HERE TO, UH, PRESENT, UH, HIS RECOMMENDATIONS.
SUPERINTENDENT RC UH, PRESIDENT CHAPMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE.
I AM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAL THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS.
WE WERE ASKED TO COME IN AND DO WHAT WE, UH, CALL A STRATEGIC SUPPORT TEAM TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT IN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT, UM, THE STUDENTS, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED TO THEM.
DEBORAH BROOKS, UH, WHO IS A SPECIAL EDUCATION AND STUDENT SUPPORT, UM, LEADER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IN BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL, I WANT TO THANK, UH, SUE GA, WHO IS A FORMER CHIEF OF SPECIALIZED SERVICES, UM, IN CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
UH, JULIE WRIGHT HALBERT, WHO IS OUR LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.
UM, MYSELF AND KEISHA SARFO, WHO IS OUR, UH, THE COUNCIL'S, UM, UH, RESEARCH DIRECTOR FOR THEIR SUPPORT WITH, UH, THIS REPORT.
WE ALSO WANNA THANK THE, UH, STAFF HERE.
UH, WE INTERVIEWED A NUMBER OF STAFF MEMBERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS WE ALSO INTERVIEWED, UM, UH, AND HAVE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH STAFF OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS TO, UH, TO COMPLETE THE REPORT.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU, UH, WE SUBMITTED THAT REPORT, UH, TO THE DISTRICT THIS AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, WANNA PROVIDE JUST QUICKLY AN OVERVIEW FOR YOU.
THE DETAILED REPORT IS IN YOUR BOARD MATERIALS.
UH, WANNA PROVIDE JUST AN OVERVIEW OF OUR OBSERVATIONS, OUR RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE DISTRICT AT A HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW, UH, AND THEN, UH, TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO THE FIRST THING THAT WE WANTED TO NOTE IS SOME OF THE POSITIVE THINGS THAT WE SAW.
IT'S PART OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
UH, WE DID SEE, AS WE WERE, UH, INTERVIEWING THOSE THAT THERE IS, UH, STRONG SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS, UM, FROM THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
UH, WE NOTED THAT, UH, AS ONE OF OUR FINDINGS.
UH, WE ALSO NOTED THAT THE DISTRICT HAS CREATED A NEW OFFICE OF STUDENT SUPPORTS THAT ACTUALLY BRINGS TOGETHER A NUMBER OF OFFICES IN THE DISTRICT THAT ARE SUPPORTING STUDENTS ON THE GROUND.
UH, BRINGING THOSE INTO ONE CENTRAL LOCATION, UH, WE THOUGHT WAS A POSITIVE.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THERE WAS A NEW POSITION OF CHIEF OF LITERACY.
UM, AND FROM THAT WE NOTED THAT, UH, THE EAST BATON ROUGE, UH, LITERACY BLUEPRINT THAT WAS PUT TOGETHER WAS STRONG IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
AND THEN A FOCUS ON, UH, THE RENEWED FOCUS ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION THAT WE SAW.
AND FINALLY, UH, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE RECENT, UH, BILLMAN LYNN GATES FOUNDATION MATHEMATICS GRANT THAT YOU RECEIVED WILL, UH, SUPPORT, UH, STUDENT, UH, SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AS WELL.
SO, GIVEN THAT, I'LL GIVE SOME A LITTLE OVERVIEW, UH, REALLY QUICKLY.
UH, THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS BY REGION, BOTH FOR FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH, AS WELL AS, UH, STUDENTS WITH, WITH IEPS WHO ARE IN, UH, THE VARIOUS REGIONS ACROSS THE CITY, IS RELATIVELY CONSISTENT.
UH, IT VARIES SLIGHTLY, BUT IS RELATIVELY CONSISTENT.
UH, WE NOTE IN THE REPORT MORE DETAILS ABOUT
[03:00:01]
WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.I WILL NOTE, HOWEVER, THAT, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
THE FIRST OF WHICH IS YOUR PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WITH IEPS IS RELATIVELY SMALL, UH, COMPARED TO THE STATE, WHICH IS ABOUT, UH, 12.5% IN THE NATION, WHICH IS ABOUT 14.4%.
YOU ARE AT ABOUT 10%, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, IN OUR MEMBER DISTRICTS, WHICH IS 78 DISTRICTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THE LARGEST URBAN DISTRICTS IN THE COUNTRY, OUR DISTRICTS ARE ABOUT 16%, UM, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO YOU'RE SIGNIFICANTLY SMALLER, UH, IN TERMS OF YOUR IDENTIFICATION.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT, WHAT THAT MIGHT MEAN IN A FEW MOMENTS AS IT RELATES TO OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, THE DISTRICT'S PLAN USE OF A SINGLE STUDENT SUPPORT TEAM, UH, REFLECTS A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE FROM THE PAST.
AGAIN, IT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THE POSITIVES THAT WE FOUND AS PART OF OUR EVALUATION PROCESS.
REALLY QUICKLY, UH, OUR OBSERVATIONS, UM, UH, OUR OBSERVATIONS, FIRST OF WHICH IS LOOKING VERY CLOSELY, AND I MENTIONED A MOMENT AGO THAT YOU HAVE A SMALLER, RELATIVELY SMALLER NUMBER OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES THAN WHAT WE SEE ACROSS THE CROSS HEART MEMBER DISTRICTS.
UH, FOR EXAMPLE, STUDENTS WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITIES, WHICH IS THE BLUE LINE ON THIS CHART.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT THAT CHART RISES BETWEEN PRE-K, KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE.
THIS IS THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED.
THAT RISE REALLY INDICATES, UH, TO US THAT SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, ATTENTION NEEDS TO BE PAID TO.
HOW ARE YOU IDENTIFYING STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY IN THE EARLY GRADE LEVELS, UH, FOR, FOR DISABILITIES? AND MIGHT THERE BE OPPORTUNITIES TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS AT AN EARLIER, UH, PERIOD TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS TO THEM? UH, SO LOOKING REALLY CLOSELY AT THAT IS, IS IMPORTANT.
THE SECOND I'LL NOTE IS THE ORANGE LINE.
AND WHAT WE SEE, UH, IN, UH, SOME, UH, CIRCUMSTANCES IS THAT ALSO, UH, AND YOU'LL NOTE WITH THAT ORANGE LINE, AND I'LL COMBINE THIS WITH THE NEXT SLIDE, THAT THERE ARE A LARGER NUMBER OF KIDS WHO ARE, UH, THAT IS A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISABILITY.
THERE ARE A LARGER NUMBER OF KIDS AROUND FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE, THIRD GRADE WITH PEAKS, AND THEN IT BEGINS TO DECLINE OVER TIME.
ONE IS, AGAIN, WITH SPEECH AND LANGUAGE, REALLY UNDERSTANDING IN THE EARLY GRADE LEVELS WHETHER OR NOT THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO IDENTIFY STUDENTS WITH SPEAK AND SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS.
BUT AS I'LL SHORT SHARE IN A MOMENT, UH, THERE ARE QUITE OFTEN OPPORTUNITIES WHERE YOU MIGHT MISIDENTIFY STUDENTS.
UM, AND WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALLY LOOK CLOSELY AT THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS OF STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT, PARTICULARLY FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, WHICH I'LL SHOW IN THE NEXT SLIDE, MAKING SURE YOU'RE NOT CONFUSING LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES WITH A SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISABILITY.
AND SO WE'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT OVERALL, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE'RE ENCOURAGING AND WHAT I'LL SHARE IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS IS REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT HOW STUDENTS ARE IDENTIFIED, MAKING SURE THAT YOU AREN'T MISSING STUDENTS, PARTICULARLY EARLY IN THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS AND MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE GETTING THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED.
UH, THIS IS A SLIDE WHERE I'LL SHARE MORE ABOUT, UH, THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE.
THIS ORDER SPECIFICALLY IN THE HANDBOOK.
THE HANDBOOK TALKS ABOUT THE ADDRESSING THE SPECIFIC, AND THIS IS YOUR, UM, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES HANDBOOK THAT'S PROVIDED BY THE DISTRICT.
UH, BUT IN THAT HANDBOOK, UH, YOU TALK ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, UH, MAKING SURE THAT, AND I'LL USE DYSLEXIA AS AN EXAMPLE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S REQUIRED IS DYSLEXIA SCREENER, BUT THE DYSLEXIA SCREENERS ACTUALLY ARE DEVELOPED FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE ENGLISH AS THEIR NATIVE LANGUAGE.
SO IF YOU PROVIDE A DYSLEXIA SCREENER TO A STUDENT WHERE ENGLISH IS EXPECTED AS A NATIVE LANGUAGE, THERE MIGHT MIGHT BE A FLAG THAT THAT STUDENT HAS THEIA IF THAT STUDENT ACTUALLY IS NOT A NATIVE ENGLISH SPEAKER.
AND SO REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE ASSESSMENTS LOOK LIKE, LOOK LIKE, UH, MAKING SURE YOU'RE PAYING ATTENTION TO THAT AS PART OF THE EVALUATION PROCESS OR SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'VE MADE TO THE DISTRICT.
UH, IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU'LL SEE THE PERCENTAGE OF ELLS WITH IEPS.
UH, ELLS IS ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
YOU'LL NOTE THAT THAT IS THE BLUE AREA IN THIS CHART.
THAT BLUE AREA INCREASES, UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDER THAT SHOWED ON THE PREVIOUS GRAPH.
IT INCREASES AROUND SECOND GRADE, THIRD GRADE, IT GETS HIGHER.
SO AGAIN, WHERE YOU'RE SEEING STUDENTS WHO ARE DEVELOPING LANGUAGE, YOU'RE ALSO SEEING THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY IDENTIFY FOR SPEECH AND LANGUAGE DISORDERS, BUT THEN IT TAILS OFF AS THEY GET OLDER.
SO AS THEY DEVELOP THE LANGUAGE, THAT DISORDER TAILS OFF.
SO REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT HOW YOU'RE IDENTIFYING STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE THEY'RE GETTING THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED, EITHER FROM THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER OFFICE OR FROM, UM, THE SPECIAL, THE OFFICE'S SPECIAL NEEDS.
[03:05:01]
OF KEY FINDINGS, UH, I'LL SHARE REALLY QUICKLY.THE FIRST OF WHICH IS WE REALLY LOOK AT STUDENTS WHO ARE, UH, GETTING AT LEAST 80% OF THEIR INSTRUCTION, UH, IN THE CLASSROOM, UH, DURING THE DAY, AT LEAST 80% OF THE DAY, THEIR TIME IS IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND WE NOTE HERE THAT FOR SOME STUDENTS, UH, THE NATION WHERE YOU COMPARE TO THE NATION, UH, YOU ARE BELOW THE NATION FOR SOME, YOU ARE WELL ABOVE THE NATION FOR OTHERS.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UH, WITH, UM, UH, AUTISM STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, YOUR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM SPENDING A MUCH SMALLER PERCENTAGE OF THEIR TIME IN THE CLASSROOM 80% OF THE DAY COMPARED TO OTHER STUDENTS WITH AUTISM AROUND THE NATION.
UH, SO YOU'LL SEE THAT THESE CHARTS LAY OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE YOUR DISTRICT COMPARED TO THE NATION.
AGAIN, ASKING DURING THE IDENTIFICATION PROCESS, AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHARED, MAKING SURE YOU'RE PAYING REALLY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE TYPES OF SUPPORTS THAT STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS.
FINALLY, LOOKING AT, UH, ANOTHER KEY FINDING, AND THIS IS, UH, GENERAL EDUCATION SETTINGS BY RACE.
LOOKING AT HOW STUDENTS ARE, UH, ASSIGNED TO EITHER, UM, SEPARATE CLASSROOMS, WHICH IS GENERALLY UNDER 40% OF THE DAY, PARTIALLY PARTIAL INCLUSION, WHICH IS 40 TO 79% OF THE DAY, OR 80% OR MORE THE DAY IN A GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM SETTING.
AND WHAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE FAR LESS LIKELY TO SPEND, UH, THEIR DAY IN A GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING AT LEAST 80% OF THE TIME RELATIVE TO OTHER STUDENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
UH, SAME, THE SAME APPLIES FOR HISPANIC STUDENTS.
THEY ARE MORE LIKELY, UH, TO SPEND AT UNDER 40% OF THEIR TIME IN A GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING.
SO AGAIN, REALLY LOOKING CLOSELY AT HOW ARE STUDENTS BEING IDENTIFIED, WHAT IDENTIFICATIONS ARE THEY RECEIVING, AND THEN WHAT TYPES OF, UH, SUPPORTS ARE THEY RECEIVING IS CRITICAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE TYPES OF SUPPORTS THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
UH, FINALLY, SPECIAL EDUCATION, UM, AROUND ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
AGAIN, SAME, UH, SLIDE AS I JUST SHARED A MOMENT AGO.
BUT WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS THAT, UH, IN THE CENTER OF THIS CHART, THE MIDDLE BAR, 40 TO 79% OF THE DAY, ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, WHICH IS THE, UH, YELLOW, UM, DOT THAT IS IN THAT CENTER GRAPH, UH, WE IDENTIFY WHAT WE CALL RISK RATIOS.
AND A RISK RATIO IS LOOKING AT ANY TIME A STUDENT IS MORE LIKELY THAN THEIR PEERS TO BE IN A CIRCUMSTANCE.
WE IDENTIFY THAT A, A VALUE OF TWO INDICATES THAT A STUDENT IS TWICE AS LIKELY, UH, TO HAVE THAT CIRCUMSTANCE.
IN THIS CASE, IF YOU LOOK AT ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, THEY ARE FOUR TIMES AS LIKELY AS THEIR PEERS TO BE EDUCATED, PARTIALLY OR EDUCATED OUT OF THE REGULAR CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT, UH, PULLED OUT OF THE CLASSROOM FOR INSTRUCTION, UH, THAT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THEIR PEERS AROUND THE, AROUND THE DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, MAKING SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE GRADE LEVEL CONTENT INSTRUCTION IS CRITICAL, AND THEN PROVIDING THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED IN THE CLASSROOM, UH, IS WHAT WE, WE RECOMMEND.
AND IT'S IN THE REPORT, IN THE FULL REPORT, OUR RECOMMENDATION.
SO I'LL TALK REALLY QUICKLY ABOUT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WE'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS.
UM, IN TERMS OF SYSTEM WIDE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTE SYSTEM WIDE, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE SAW, IT'LL BE OUR FIRST, IT'S OUR FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS REALLY EXPANDING, UH, WHAT'S CALLED THE MULTI-TIERED SYSTEMS OF SUPPORTS PROGRAM.
AND WHAT IT DOES IS ACTUALLY SUPPORTS NOT JUST ENGLISH, UH, NOT JUST STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, IT SUPPORTS ALL STUDENTS IN THE DISTRICT.
SO IT IS REALLY DESIGNED TO LIFT UP THE SUPPORTS THAT STUDENTS NEED.
WE'RE RECOMMENDING THAT YOU CREATE A DISTRICTWIDE MTSS TEAM THAT, UH, REPORTS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TWICE A YEAR PROVIDING A, A GUIDE FOR HERE'S WHAT STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING, HERE'S WHAT THEY'RE GETTING, AND HERE'S WHAT OUR DATA LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF STUDENTS RECEIVING ACTUAL CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, HAVING SCHOOL-BASED LEADERSHIP TEAMS WHERE THOSE SCHOOL-BASED TEAMS EVALUATE WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR BUILDING WITH OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, SPECIFICALLY, HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING THEIR NEEDS AND HOW ARE WE PROVIDING SUPPORTS? WE GO THROUGH DETAILS ON SEVERAL OTHERS, UH, INCLUDING AS YOU SEE THE LITERACY PLAN, WHICH WE NOTED THAT YOU'VE JUST CREATED.
UH, IT WAS PART OF THAT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR TEACHERS ANALYSIS OF DATA.
UH, THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE DETAILED IN THE REPORT.
THAT FIRST ONE IS THE MTSS FRAMEWORK THAT I JUST WENT THROUGH.
THE SECOND ONE IS REALLY, AGAIN, WHAT I SHARED A FEW MOMENTS AGO, AND THAT IS LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT THE SPECIAL EDUCATION REFERRAL ASSESSMENT AND ELIGIBILITY PROCESS, MAKING SURE THAT KIDS IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS GET THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED, BUT GET THEIR SUPPORTS BY PROVIDING OR BY EDUCATING THEM IN THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE.
SO MAKING SURE YOU'RE REFLECTING
[03:10:01]
ON THOSE LOOKING VERY CLOSELY ACHIEVING THE OUTCOMES, SUSPENSION, ABSENTEEISM, EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS, ANALYZING THAT DATA, COMPARING THAT DATA TO THE STATE AND TO THE NATION, AND BEING REALLY CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING AS A DISTRICT, HOW YOUR STUDENTS ARE BEING SUPPORTED AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE SUPPORTING THEM AND THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS ALONG WITH THEIR PEERS.UH, PROMOTING ACHIEVEMENT AND WELLBEING OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UM, ALSO, I SEE, I HAVE A TYPO HERE, BUT IN OUR RAPIDS COLLABORATION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, UH, ARE RECOMMENDING AND IT'S DETAILED, UH, IN THE REPORT, IS ENSURING THAT THE OFFICES ACROSS THE DISTRICT WORK TOGETHER, UH, MAKING SURE THAT THE CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER, UH, THE, THE NEW OFFICE, UH, THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED FOR ENGLISH LEARNERS WORK TOGETHER TO DEVELOP JOINT PLANS AND JOINT STRATEGIC PLANS ABOUT HOW THEY'RE GONNA SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT ALSO SUPPORTING STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES WHO HAPPEN TO BE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THOSE ARE DEVELOPED JOINTLY AND THAT IT'S NOT A SEPARATE PROCESS.
UH, THE LAST IS, UH, LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATION.
WE DID MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT AROUND THE ORGANIZATION, UH, FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNER OR FOR, UM, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
UH, GIVEN THAT SOME OF THOSE THINGS WE KNOW HAVE ALREADY BEGUN TO TAKE PLACE, WE HAD ORAL, UH, FEEDBACK AT THE END OF OUR REVIEW FOR THE DISTRICTS.
AND SO A NUMBER OF THE THINGS THAT WE NOTICED WHEN WE CONDUCTED THE REVIEW, WE SHARED ORALLY WITH THE, UH, DISTRICT REPRESENTATIVES AT THAT TIME.
AND A NUMBER OF THESE HAVE BEGUN TO TAKE PLACE.
THIS IS ONE, UH, TALKED ABOUT, TALKED ABOUT SCHOOL-BASED, UH, PERSONNEL AS WELL.
WE MADE RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND THE SCHOOL-BASED PERSONNEL, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT, UH, BOTH THE NEEDS OF STUDENTS FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT ARE ADDRESSED AS WELL AS THE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS FOR STUDENTS.
AND SO WE LIFTED THAT UP ENSURING THAT THOSE THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, UH, COMPLIANCE AND SUPPORT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE RECOMMEND IS REALLY PULLING TOGETHER ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN THE DISTRICT, PULLING THEM TOGETHER SO THAT THERE IS A COHESIVE CENTRAL LOCATION TO FIND INFORMATION, TO FIND SUPPORTIVE INFORMATION, ET CETERA.
UH, LAST WE TALK ABOUT FISCAL CONSIDERATIONS.
THERE ARE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE REPORT FOR LOOKING AT ALL THE WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT SUPPORT STUDENTS AS WELL AS GETTING REIMBURSEMENTS, UH, FROM STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES, UH, AS IT RELATES TO, UH, STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
SO MAKING SURE YOU'RE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL OF THOSE.
AND THE LAST IS SHARED ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HEAR QUITE OFTEN, BUT MAKING SURE, AND WE, WE DID DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS, BUT MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT EDUCATING ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IS EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY.
UH, GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHERS, THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHO ARE ENGLISH LEARNERS, THOSE WHO ARE SUPPORTING STUDENTS WHO ARE, UH, HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS.
EVERYONE'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO SUPPORT THEM, UH, IN THE CLASSROOM AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
SO WITH THAT, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, MR. HARD, I KNOW YOU WERE, YOU WERE FLYING THROUGH THAT, BUT, UH, THERE WERE JUST, UH, OH, I, WHAT DOES THAT STAND FOR? OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS? OKAY, SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, AND WE DEFINE, UH, IF YOU NOTICE IN SEVERAL CHARTS, UH, WE HAVE LAID OUT THE SPECIFIC DISABILITIES WHERE WE LOOK AT THEM BY, BY DISABILITY GROUP, BUT IT'S OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENTS.
AND THEN ONE SLIDE, UM, UH, CLASSIFIED INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES.
WHAT, WHAT DIAGNOSES WOULD FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY? IT DEPENDS.
SO E EACH OF THE DIAGNOSES ARE DONE BY SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS OR OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATION COORDINATORS IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN THEY IDENTIFY FOR A CHILD'S INDIVIDUAL DISABILITY, WHAT IT, WHAT IT CLASSIFIES UNDER WHAT IT MEANS AND HOW TO ADDRESS IT.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE SLIDE THAT, UH, DEALT WITH THE, THE, UH, EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENTS BY ED, UH, ENGLISH LEARNER STATUS, UH, YOU WENT THROUGH THAT FAST, BUT, AND THERE WERE SOME DIAMONDS THAT, THAT, UH, IDENTIFIED RISK RATIOS.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN, GO REAL QUICK.
SO THE ONE THAT I REFERRED TO IN PARTICULAR FOR ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, UH, THE DIAMOND IS YELLOW AND REFERRED YOU TO THE CENTER PART OF THAT CHART.
SO, UH, THAT CENTER TWO-BAR AREA, YOU NOTICED THAT THE DIAMOND IS AT THE, IS A LITTLE HIGHER.
AND THE FIGURE, OR THE NUMBER THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, I THINK WAS 4.07.
UH, I DON'T HAVE IT ON THE SCREEN IF SOMEBODY JUST PULLED IT UP.
THAT 4.07 IS CALCULATED BASED ON, UH, THE FIGURES THAT YOU SEE THERE, WHERE THE PERCENTAGE OF ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, UH, IS ABOUT 61% IN THAT GROUP.
WHAT IT SHARES IS THAT THEY ARE FOUR TIMES
[03:15:01]
AS LIKELY AS THEIR NON-ENGLISH LEARNER PEERS TO BE EDUCATED OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.UH, AND IN A SEPARATE ENVIRONMENT FOR 40 TO 70% OF, OF THE DAY, 40, 79% OF THE DAY, FOUR TIMES AS LIKELY MEANS THAT THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO BE OUT OF THE CLASSROOM FOR EXTENDED PERIODS OF TIME OUT.
STUDENTS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM ARE MISSING, UH, GENERALLY MISSING GRADE LEVEL INSTRUCTION.
AND SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS STUDENTS ARE PULLED OUT, THEY MISS INSTRUCTION EITHER IN MATHEMATICS, READING, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES, BUT THEY MISS THAT INSTRUCTION.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK FOR IS HOW OFTEN ARE STUDENTS MISSING THAT INSTRUCTION AND CAN YOU GET STUDENTS BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT SO THEY DON'T MISS THAT INSTRUCTION, BUT YOU, YOU BRING IN SUPPORTS FOR THEM TO, UH, AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THE INSTRUCTION THAT'S GOING ON WITH, WITH SCAFFOLDS.
THANK I, AND THEN I, UM, I DID GET IT THAT SECOND TIME, SO I APPRECIATE IT.
UM, VICE PRESIDENT COLLINS ON THE SLIDE WITH PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS BY REGION, IS THAT ORANGE AT THE TOP OF THE SLIDE? AND, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I'M PERCENT, THE GREEN BAR IS THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH.
AND THE ORANGE BARS ARE THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE, UM, HAVE DISABILITIES.
AND THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT FOR, TO, TO LUMP EVERYTHING INTO ONE CHART.
THERE'S A SCALE ON THE RIGHT AND A SCALE ON THE LEFT.
THE ONE ON THE LEFT IS FOR, UM, STUDENTS WITH, UH, INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS.
THE ONE ON THE RIGHT IS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE FREE AND REDUCED PRICE LUNCH.
SO IT'S ABOUT NINE EACH OF ACROSS THE, THE REGIONS.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE ORANGE BARS ACROSS THE REGIONS, ABOUT 9.3% OF THE STUDENTS IN BROADMORE HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS.
UH, YOUR CHARTER SCHOOLS HAVE ABOUT 12.7% OF THEIR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS, HIGH 8.3%, UH, ET CETERA.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT SIDE, IF I CARRY THE ORANGE OVER, IF YOU CARRY THE GREEN BAR OVER TO THE RIGHT, SO THE GREEN BAR, OKAY, NEVERMIND.
ORANGE BAR GOES TO THE LEFT NOW, BUT AT THE TOP YOU SAY ENGLISH LEARNERS.
SO YOU COMBINING ENGLISH LEARNERS AND PULLED ENGLISH LEARNERS, PULLED ENGLISH LEARNERS OUT OF THIS ONE.
WE HAVE ENGLISH LEARNERS IN THE REPORT.
UM, BUT FOR THIS PARTICULAR PRESENTATION, WE PULLED ENGLISH LEARNERS OUT.
SO WE LEFT IT IN THE REPORT, BUT I TOOK IT OUT FROM THIS PRESENTATION.
SO THIS CHART IS JUST, IT SAYS E L I E P AND F R L FOR FREE AND REDUCED, BUT I SHOULD JUST CROSS OUT E L CROSS OUT E.
THAT'S, I WAS, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PART THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD ON THAT.
AND THEN THE MTSS FRAMEWORK, I, I, I GOT A LITTLE LOST ON, I THOUGHT IT WAS ALREADY DISTRICTWIDE IMPLEMENTATION.
AND SO THEN I MISUNDERSTOOD YOUR PART.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS STRENGTHEN THAT.
SO WE'RE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE MTSS PROCESS.
TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS GET THE SUPPORTS THAT THEY NEED.
SO THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE REPORT ARE RECOMMENDATIONS TO STRENGTHEN THE MTSS PROCESS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE REPORT.
I DID HAVE A CHANCE TO READ SOME OF IT,
ONE AREA THAT I DIDN'T SEE MUCH IN THE RESULTS, BUT IT'S ADDRESSED A LITTLE BIT MORE IN THE REPORT IS AROUND PUPIL APPRAISAL.
WHERE, AND PARTICULARLY WHERE WE DON'T HAVE MANY KIDS IN THE LOWER GRADES, AND I'VE HEARD CONSTANTLY THAT WE HAVE A BACKLOG OF PUPIL APPRAISAL.
CAN YOU, CAN YOU EXPOUND ON THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT? UH, DIDN'T GO BACK.
BUT AGAIN, GOING BACK AND LOOKING VERY CLOSELY AT HOW YOU'RE DOING THE PROCESS, UH, WE DID HEAR SOME OF THAT DURING THE INTERVIEW PROCESS THAT, UH, SOME OF THE APPRAISALS DON'T HAPPEN UNTIL LATER.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UH, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, KIND OF A POINT, UH, GRADE LEVEL POINT AT WHICH A NUMBER OF APPRAISALS ARE DONE.
UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE DONE AS A KIND OF A TARGETED POINT AT THAT POINT.
WE DID SEE A SPIKE IN THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WERE IDENTIFIED.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE, UM, NOTED IN THE RECOMMENDATIONS RIGHT, WAS REALLY THINKING CRITICALLY ABOUT NOT HAVING THAT POINT, BUT REALLY MAKING SURE YOU'RE IDENTIFYING STUDENTS EVEN BEFORE THAT CRITICAL GRADE LEVEL, UH, FOR SPECIAL NEEDS.
SO IT IS ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND WHEN I GOT IN THE BACK IN THE APPENDIX, I'M SORRY, I'M ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT READS APPENDIX.
UH, I, I GUESS IN LOOKING AT THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE,
[03:20:01]
THE, I GUESS TWO THINGS JUMPED OUT AT ME.ONE OF THEM IS TO ALIGN BY REGION, WHICH I THINK THAT'S A VERY WISE THING TO DO.
UH, AS WE GET TO MAKE OUR REGION STRONGER IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THESE THINGS.
I THINK ALIGNING BY REGION IS A VERY GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
UH, AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE GET ALL THESE REPORTS, I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S THE FINANCIAL IMPACT? BUT FROM READING THIS, UH, BASICALLY YOU'RE ONLY RECOMMENDING THREE PEOPLE, UH, I THINK AS, AS WE MIGHT NEED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS.
AND SO I, I THINK THAT'S VERY GOOD.
WE CAN JUST MOVE SOME THINGS AROUND AND GET SOME THINGS DONE, BUT WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A MAJOR HIRING SPREE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE JUST NEED TO DO, DO WHAT WE'RE DOING, BUT DO IT BETTER IN A MORE COORDINATED FASHION.
YES, THAT'S THE SHORT READER'S DIGEST VERSION AS A SHORT READER'S DIGEST VERSION.
AND WE TRY TO REMAIN AS CLOSE TO BUDGET NEUTRAL AS POSSIBLE.
NOT ALWAYS, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UH, SO SOMETIMES WE DO RECOMMEND, UH, ADDING ADDITIONAL POSITIONS, BUT WE TRY TO REMAIN BUDGET NEUTRAL.
SECONDLY, TO YOUR POINT, UH, ABOUT REGIONS, UH, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF, OF SUPPORT, UH, STAFF WHO ARE CROSSING REGIONS.
UM, AND WE, WE REALLY RECOMMENDED CLEANING THAT UP.
THANK YOU, MR. HART, FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANKS FOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
[J.1. Announcement of Meetings]
J ONE.I'M SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN READY.
UM, ANNOUNCEMENT OF MEETINGS, COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING IS TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 1ST, 2022 AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE BOARD ROOM.
AND THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING IS TO BE HELD ON DECEMBER 15TH, 2022 AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE BOARDROOM.
AND I MOVED TO ADJOURN WITHOUT OBJECTION.