[A. Meeting Opening]
[00:00:03]
TODAY, WE ARE HERE THURSDAY, JANUARY 16TH, 2025, 5:00 PM WE HAVE OUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
UH, WE HAVE OUR INVOCATION AND PLEDGE.
THE INVOCATION WILL BE LED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER EMILY SOLE AND CADET.
SECOND LIEUTENANT MACKAY MATTHEWS WILL LEAD THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FROM MAREMA HIGH SCHOOL, ACCOMPANIED BY SENIOR ARMY INSTRUCTOR, LIEUTENANT COLONEL, RETIRED STEVEN W. JOHNSTON, AND THAT WILL BE IN ASSISTED WITH, UH, PAUL LEWIS.
WILL YOU PLEASE STAND? LET'S PRAY.
FATHER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRIVILEGE IT IS TO SERVE THE KIDS AND FAMILIES OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE STAFF AND THE STUDENTS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AND FOR THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE MADE OUR COMMUNITY PROUD.
AND THIS MEETING, MAY OUR HEARTS ALIGN TO WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE FOR THE KIDS OF EAST BATON ROUGE.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRIVILEGE IT IS TO SERVE.
AND FOR OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE STRUGGLING, MAY THEY BE CLOSE TO YOUR HEART TONIGHT.
MADAM PRESIDENT, UH, BOARD MEMBERS SUPERINTENDENT COLE AND PHILIP CITIZENS OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IT'S MY HONOR AND PRIVILEGE TO INTRODUCE THIS MOTIVATED YOUNG AMERICAN BEHIND ME CADET'S.
SECOND LIEUTENANT MACKAY MATTHEWS, WHO IS A SECOND YEAR CADET, REPRESENTED ARUN OF MAGNET HIGH SCHOOL, UH, J-R-O-T-C, AT THE MOST RECENT PARISH WIDE HONOR BOARD FOR FIRST YEAR CADETS LAST YEAR.
HE ALSO SERVES ON THE CADET STAFF AS A SOPHOMORE, WHICH IS A, AN HONOR AS THE S ONE, WHICH IS THE HUMAN RESOURCES STAFF MEMBER.
HE'S TAKEN ON THE CHALLENGE OF LIVING OUT THE JUNIOR RESERVE, UH, OFFICER TRAINING CORPS CADET CREED.
FOLLOWING GRADUATION AT THE END OF MAY, 2027.
CADET MATTHEWS PLANS TO BE EMPLOYED BY THE BATON ROUGE POLICE DEPARTMENT IN ADVANCE OF BECOMING A POLICE CADET AT THE AGE OF 21.
CADET MATTHEWS IS THE SON OF MS. ROCHELLE MATTHEWS, WHO'S ALSO HERE WITH US.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, HERE TO LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
I PRESENT TO YOU WITH GREAT PRIDE CADET.
SECOND LIEUTENANT MACKAY MATTHEWS UNDER GOD EN ROUTINE AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
RIGHT, LOOK RIGHT,
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY AND FOR LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE ON BEHALF OF DISTRICT THREE AND THE ENTIRE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.
I WOULD LIKE TO TELL YOU THANK YOU.
CONGRATULATIONS, AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR YOUR SERVICE AND FOR COMMITTING TO THE SERVICE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
NEXT WE HAVE OUR CALL TO ORDER ENROLL CALL DISTRICT FOUR.
PRESENT, DISTRICT SEVEN, VICE PRESIDENT GODDE.
[B. Minutes]
B, THE MEETING MINUTES, UM, APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES OF THE DECEMBER 19TH, 2024, REGULAR BOARD MEETING.THE DECEMBER 5TH, 2024 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING.
AND THE DECEMBER 5TH, 2024 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING IS PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL.
ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
[00:05:01]
OH, REQUEST TO SPEAK YOU.UH, IS THERE A MOTION MOVE? APPROVAL? THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. MARTIN.
IS THAT SECOND BY MS. LEWIS POWELL.
ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? MADAM SECRETARY, CALL FOR A VOTE, PLEASE.
YOU WANNA DO A ROLL CALL? YES, PLEASE, MADAM.
PRESIDENT, MAY WE DO A ROLL CALL THEN? YES.
DISTRICT FOUR PRESIDENT STEWART? YES.
UH, VICE PRESIDENT GODDE? YES.
DISTRICT EIGHT, MS. SOLE? YES.
[C. Information Only]
INFORMATION ONLY.UM, NUMBER ONE, MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT.
ANY BOY COMMENTS? BOY COMMENTS.
[D.1. Update from Superintendent ]
RECEIVE AS INFORMATION ONLY UPDATE FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT.CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN, AND GOOD AFTERNOON AND HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU WHO ARE HERE WITH US FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TO SERVE AS A SUPERINTENDENT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING.
UH, IN 2025, WE ARE CONTINUING WITH OUR EVALUATION OF PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
UH, SHIFTING THE FOCUS OF OUR WORK, UH, TO STUDENT OUTCOMES AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS, UH, HAS BEEN A TREMENDOUS INITIATIVE THIS WEEK.
LAST WEEK WE WERE AT BATON ROUGE HIGH SCHOOL, UH, VISITING WITH THOSE, UH, MEMBERS OF THE FACULTY AND THE STUDENT BODY AND LEARNING MORE, AS MUCH AS WE COULD ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
THIS WEEK, WE HAD A DELIGHTFUL VISIT AT BROADMOOR HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO I THINK STAFF, UH, WHO WORK IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE ARE LEARNING A GREAT DEAL ABOUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND HOW WE CAN BETTER SUPPORT, UH, THE SCHOOLS, PARTICULARLY THE TEACHERS AND THE LEADERSHIP, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON, UH, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
UH, WE ARE UTILIZING OUR NIET STRUCTURES TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS SOME GUIDANCE AROUND, UH, THE WORK, AND THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON A PARTICULAR GOAL, WHICH IS TO IMPROVE OUR OVERALL SCHOOL DISTRICT BY A LETTER GRADE.
THIS PARTICULAR SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WE CALL PROJECT 75, WE STILL HAVE SOME TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS TO MAKE.
WE HAVE NOT BEGUN, UH, WORKING WITH A THIRD PARTY.
WE ARE STILL, UH, WORKING WITH OUR BUS OPERATORS TO COVER ROUTES THAT ARE IN NEED.
AND I WANT TO THANK THOSE BUS OPERATORS FOR STEPPING UP, UH, AND TAKING ON ADDITIONAL DUTIES IN OUR EFFORTS TO PROVIDE, UH, TRANSPORTATION, TRANSPORTATION SERVICES TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE DID THIS WEEK WAS HAD A CONVERSATION WITH SOME STUDENTS ABOUT OUR BUDGET PROCESS.
WHILE WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN THE COMMUNITY WITH VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS ABOUT BUDGET, IT'S VERY INTERESTING TO HEAR FROM 14, 15 AND 16 YEAR OLDS HOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SHOULD BE SPENDING THE MONEY TO BETTER SERVE THEM.
UH, VERY ENLIGHTENING CONVERSATION, AND I THINK IT'S ONE WORTH HAVING.
UH, CONSISTENTLY OUR STUDENTS WILL DO TWO THINGS.
THEY WILL BE BRUTAL, BUT THEY WILL BE HONEST.
AND I THINK THAT FEEDBACK WE RECEIVE FROM THEM AT BATON ROUGE HIGH IS GOING TO HELP SHAPE HOW WE PROVIDE THE RIGHT TYPE OF ASSISTANCE TO THOSE WHO ARE, UH, WELL BELOW GRADE LEVEL, BUT ALSO HOW WE HELP THOSE WHO ARE ON GRADE LEVEL AND ABOVE GRADE LEVEL ACHIEVE THEIR OVERALL
[00:10:01]
GOALS.UH, IN THE CULMINATION, IN THE COORDINATION OF THE FIRST 100 DAYS, UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A TENTATIVE, UH, PRESS CONFERENCE ON FEBRUARY 7TH TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK IN MORE DETAIL.
AND SO WE WILL PROVIDE, UH, INVITES TO INDIVIDUALS OF THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND ASSIST.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST REFRESHING THINGS WE ARE LEARNING, UH, ABOUT OUR VISITS TO SCHOOLS, OUR VISITS WITH TEACHERS, OUR VISITS WITH FAMILIES, AS WELL AS OUR VISITS WITH STUDENTS, IS THAT THERE ARE WAY MORE DEDICATED TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS WHO ARE WORKING IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM DEDICATED TO DOING THIS WORK AND DOING IT THE RIGHT WAY.
UH, TONIGHT WE HAVE ONE OF THOSE DEDICATED LEADERS HERE WITH HER STAFF, MEMBERS OF HER STAFF TO TALK ABOUT HER AMAZING SCHOOL.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GOING TO ASK THE PRINCIPAL FROM GREENBRIER TO COME FORTH AND TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT GREENBRIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
CAN WE GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE? THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT COLE.
MY NAME IS SHAYLA HOLLANDS AND I AM THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF GREENBRIER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND I DO HAVE THE P PRIVILEGE OF PRESENTING TO YOU TONIGHT, JUST TELLING YOU A LITTLE BIT, GIVING YOU A JUST A GLIMPSE OR A SNAPSHOT OF OUR SCHOOL.
AND I PROMISE I WILL BE BRIEF.
I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO STOP BY AND TAKE A VISIT BECAUSE IT'S WHAT I PRESENT TODAY IS NOTHING CLOSE TO WHAT WE TRULY ARE.
UM, BUT WE ARE LOCATED INSIDE.
FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, WE'RE IN LOCATED INSIDE OF THE MONTICELLO SUBDIVISION OR NEIGHBORHOOD HOME OF THE MONTICELLO CITIZENS ASSOCIATION, WHO WE RECEIVE SO MUCH LOVE AND SUPPORT FROM.
WE ARE WHAT I CALL A TRUE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL.
WE HAVE NO SPECIAL PROGRAMS. WE DON'T HAVE GIFTED OR TALENTED, WE DON'T HAVE MAGNET.
AND SO WHEN PARENTS COME TO OUR SCHOOL, THEY SAY, WELL, WHAT DO YOU HAVE HERE? WE HAVE GROWTH
WE ARE A TRUE SCHOOL OF GROWTH.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT TH 335 STUDENTS TOTAL.
83% OF THOSE ARE FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH.
AND WE HAVE ABOUT 24% OF STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE EITHER AN IEP OR A 5 0 4 ACCOMMODATION PLAN.
I'M NOT GONNA READ OUR MISSION AND VISION, BUT SO NOW YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE, BUT THIS IS TELLING YOU WHAT WE DO AND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
WE RECITE THIS EVERY DAY, BUT WE COME EVERY DAY TO PROMOTE A COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE.
OUR THEME THIS YEAR, OUR, ACTUALLY OUR THEME FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS IS LEVELING UP TO EXCELLENCE.
BEFORE THAT, WE WERE BUILDING, UM, A COMMUNITY OF EXCELLENCE.
NOW WE'RE LEVELING UP TO EXCELLENCE HERE.
SO NOW YOU KNOW WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE DO, WHY WE DO, AND HERE ARE JUST A FEW RESULTS OF THE WORK THAT WE DO.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE GROWN FROM A 59.4 ALL THE WAY TO A 72.2.
BUT WE ARE, WE NEED THAT 75, JUST LIKE SUPERINTENDENT COLE SAID, PROJECT 75.
UH, WE DO TRULY BELIEVE THAT WE WILL GET A 75, BUT I NEED SOME OF MY PEOPLE TO, TO TOUCH AND AGREE 'CAUSE WE JUST NEED TWO OR MORE.
SO BY YOUR HEAD, STRETCH OUT YOUR HANDS
EBR WILL RECEIVE THAT 75 THIS YEAR.
THIS IS, UH, THIS NEXT SLIDE JUST SHOWS HOW WE RECEIVE THE GROWTH THAT WE RECEIVE.
WE BELIEVE AT GREENBRIER THAT IF WE FOCUS ON THE FOUNDATIONAL BUILDING, THAT FOUNDATIONAL LITERACY AND GET THEM READY FOR THIRD GRADE, THEY CAN CONQUER THE WORLD.
AND SO THAT IS WHAT WE FOCUS ON, MAKING SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE THIRD GRADE READY.
AND SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE OUR ELA SCORES FOR GRADES THREE THROUGH FIVE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE, UM, GREW FROM A 25% OF STUDENTS WHO WERE MASTERY.
AND NOW WE'RE HOVERING AROUND THAT 50% STUDENTS THAT ARE MASTERY SCORING MASTERY AND ABOVE.
AND SO THIS YEAR WE'VE BEEN FOCUSING A LOT OF ON, UH, MATH, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES.
WE WANNA DO THE SAME THING IN MATH, SCIENCE, AND SOCIAL STUDIES AS WELL, BECAUSE WE KNOW FOR SURE THAT THAT WOULD GET US THE B THAT WE HAVE BEEN, UM, STRIVING FOR.
AND SO THIS JUST SHOWS A, JUST A SNAPSHOT OF THE GROWTH AT GREENBRIAR.
AGAIN, I SAID GREENBRIAR IS A SCHOOL OF GROWTH, AND, UH, WE'VE BEEN RECOGNIZED FOUR TIMES AS A LOUISIANA, UH, TOP GAMES HONOREE SCHOOL.
AND WE ARE LOOKING TO GET OUR FIFTH TOP GAMES HONOREE AWARD THIS YEAR.
AND THIS, THESE ARE JUST SOME, UH, SNAPSHOTS OF OUR TEACHERS WORKING.
WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN OUR TEACHER GROUPS EVERY WEEK.
OUR TEACHERS MEET WITH EACH OTHER GRADES PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH
[00:15:01]
GRADE, AND THEY COLLABORATE.THEY, UH, LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, AND THEY ALSO ADJUST THEIR INSTRUCTION BASED ON WHAT THEY LEARN IN THESE MEETINGS.
WE FOCUS A LOT ON SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION BECAUSE WE BELIEVE THAT, UM, STUDENTS NEED MORE INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION.
AND SO WE DO TAILOR WHAT WE DO, UH, TO THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE LOW LEVEL OR ABOVE LEVEL.
EVERYONE, UM, DOES MEET IN A SMALL GROUP.
EVERYONE CONDUCTS A SMALL GROUP IN, IN INCLUDING I AND HERE ARE, UM, OUR SUPPORT STAFF BECAUSE WE COULDN'T DO WHAT WE DO WITHOUT OUR SUPPORT STAFF.
AND AS YOU SEE IN THE MIDDLE, MS. HELEN PERKINS WAS RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF THE EBR PARAPROFESSIONALS OF THE YEAR.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME OTHER OF OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS WHO WERE HONORED ON PARAPROFESSIONAL DAY.
AND HERE ARE A FEW OF OUR, IS IT A FEW OF OUR EXTRACURRICULAR PROGRAMS? OUR DRAMA CLUB WHO PERFORMED THE WIZ JUNIOR ON LAST YEAR.
AND, UM, WE DO NOW HAVE A DANCE TEAM AND A BASKETBALL TEAM THIS YEAR.
THEY'RE NOT PICTURED HERE, BUT, UM, AND WE ALSO HAVE KIDS ORCHESTRA WHO WE STARTED, UH, AGAIN THIS YEAR.
AGAIN, I DO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO TAKE A VISIT TO GREENBRIER.
UM, WHEN EVERYONE WALKS IN, THEY SAY, THIS IS JUST SUCH A WARM AND WELCOMING, UH, SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT.
SO I DO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A VISIT SO YOU CAN FEEL WHAT EVERYONE ELSE FEELS.
UH,
THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING OVER AT GREENBRIER.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH YOU, UH, VERY CLEAN INSTITUTION.
A LOT OF GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN THE SCHOOL.
AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THOSE OF YOU NOT ONLY ON THE BOARD, BUT THOSE OF YOU IN THE COMMUNITY WHO ARE NOT AWARE OF SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS HAPPENING IN MONTICELLO AT GREENBRIER TO GO AND VISIT.
UH, I POPPED UP AS I POP UP AT SCHOOLS EVERY SINGLE DAY AND ASK TO WALK AROUND AND SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING, UH, IN THE CLASSROOMS WITH OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
AND SO I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED.
OTHER BOARD MEMBERS MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
I WANT TO GIVE YOU YOUR FLOWERS WHILE YOU CAN SMELL 'EM, SO DON'T LEAVE, UH, THE PODIUM.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS.
AND IN PARTICULAR, THANK YOUR STAFF, UH, FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S VERY ENCOURAGING TO SEE THE TYPES OF GAINS THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, THE QUESTION, ONE QUESTION I HAVE IS, UH, CAN YOU DESCRIBE, ARE THERE ANY SPECIAL PROGRAMS THAT YOU'RE DOING AT YOUR SCHOOL THAT, UH, CAN HELP LEAD TO THESE GAINS? THE ONLY SPECIAL PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS OUR AUTISM, OUR EXCELLENT AUTISM PROGRAM.
WE HAVE ABOUT 10 STUDENTS WITH AUTISM, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER SPECIAL PROGRAMS. THAT'S GREAT.
AND THERE ARE NO, YOU'RE TOTALLY OPEN ENROLLMENT.
THERE'S NO MAGNET COMPONENT, NO MAGNET NO GIFTED.
BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE GET COMMENTS THAT YEAH, Y'ALL ARE JUST STUFFING THE MAGNET SCHOOLS.
BUT I HAVE TO DOUBLY COMPLIMENT YOU ON YOUR GROWTH IN THE FACT THAT YOU'RE DOING THIS AT A FULLY TRADITIONAL SCHOOL, UH, WORKING WITH THE KIDS AND WORKING WITH THE STAFF THAT YOU HAVE.
MR. LEWIS, THANK YOU FOR BEING THE EMBODIMENT OF WHAT MR. UH, COLE JUST SAID ABOUT HARDWORKING, DEDICATED TEACHERS.
SAYING IT IS ONE THING, BUT SEEING IT ON THAT BOARD IS SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I'LL GO INTO THE QUEUE.
UM, JUST WANNA THANK YOU PERSONALLY, OF COURSE, UH, AS A PART OF MY DISTRICT, DISTRICT FOUR MONTICELLO, UM, AND ALL OF THE EFFORTS THAT YOU, YOU AND YOUR TEAM HAS DONE.
AND OF COURSE, I'M ALWAYS HERE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. HOL.
ELIA, WILL YOU WANNA RECOGNIZE THE TEAM YOU HAVE OR YOUR TEAM MEMBERS WITH YOU TODAY? YES.
I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR LOVELY ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, MS. ROBERTSON, OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE SECRETARY, MS. ROBERTSON, OUR WONDERFUL SCHOOL COUNSELOR, MS. WISE, AND OUR PE COACH, COACH LUCKETT.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ALL OF YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED SCHOOL.
WE CANNOT DO THIS WORK WITHOUT YOU, AND WE SINCERELY APPRECIATE YOU.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. HOLLAND.
UH, AS WE CONTINUE TO GO FORWARD, JUST A FEW MORE THINGS.
ONE, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY AND THOSE WHO ARE AT HOME ARE WATCHING, UH, UNDERSTAND.
WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING, UH, THE WEATHER FOR NEXT WEEK.
UH, WE RECOGNIZE THAT EARLY, UH, REPORTS TELL US THAT MAY BE SOME ICY WEATHER ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
[00:20:01]
WE ARE MONITORING, UH, THE WEATHER AND, AND WORKING WITH THE METEOROLOGIST TO ENSURE THAT WE MAKE A DECISION EARLY ENOUGH TO, UH, GIVE PARENTS TIME TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.AND I WANNA MAKE SURE, UH, AS THE CONVERSATIONS BEGIN ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT WHEN WE MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON WHY WE WAIT SO LATE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
WE ARE THE LARGEST PROVIDER OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN THIS REGION.
AND WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION TO CANCEL SCHOOL, IT HAS AN IMPACT THAT RIPPLES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS.
WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UH, OUR SERVICE PROVIDERS AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE IMPACTED, UH, IF WE MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT THEY ARE NOT PREPARED FOR.
SO WE WORK, UH, WITH THOSE AGENCIES.
WE WORK WITH THE CITY GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE MAKE A DECISION, IT DOESN'T HAVE AN IMPACT THAT IS NEGATIVE IN THE EVENT THAT ARE SOME CRITICAL CONDITIONS.
WE WILL SHARE THAT INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA SO EVERYONE IS AWARE.
LAST, BUT SO NOT LEAST, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A POINT, PERSONAL PRIVILEGE TO RECOGNIZE TWO INDIVIDUALS WHO, WITHOUT THEM I PERHAPS WOULD NOT BE HERE.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, UH, MS. KATIE BLANCY, WHO GAVE ME MY FIRST JOB IN 19 98, 27 YEARS AGO AS A GREEN INEXPERIENCED TEACHER.
AND, UH, MS. CHY MEANS A WHOLE LOT TO ME, UH, SIMPLY BECAUSE, UH, FOR ME, SHE'S ONE OF THE BEST PEOPLE I KNOW.
UH, AND THIS IS NOT EVEN ABOUT RACE.
ONE OF THE BEST PEOPLE I KNOW.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR ME.
UH, THEY WANT YOU TO STAND UP, MS. BUNCHES, SITTING ON THE FRONT WALL.
DOES SHE NEED TO TELL US ANY STORIES? I WOULD HOPE NOT ABOUT YOU.
I WAS ROUGH AROUND THE EDGES BACK THEN.
UH, AND SECONDLY, UH, MY MENTOR, UH, WHO'S BEEN LIKE A FATHER FIGURE TO ME AND TAUGHT ME A GREAT DEAL OF WHAT I KNOW ABOUT NOT ONLY HOW TO BE A GOOD EDUCATOR, BUT HOW TO BE A GOOD MAN, HOW TO BE A GOOD FATHER, AND HOW TO BE A GOOD HUSBAND.
MR. HERMAN BRISTER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT COMPLETES MY REPORT.
[F. Consent Agenda]
HAVE, UM, F ITEM F OUR CONSENT AGENDA.THE FOLLOWING ITEMS ARE TO BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS 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 PROCEEDING.
THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA.
ITEM F TWO, TEST SECURITY POLICY.
CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE 20 24, 20 25 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEMS TEST SECURITY POLICY.
NUMBER THREE, CALL FOR ELECTION CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION.
CALLING TO CALL FOR ELECTION OF THE RENEWAL OF THE PROPERTY TAXES ON MAY 3RD, 2025.
ITEM FOUR, CONTRACT RENEWAL, CITY OF BATON ROUGE ADULT EDUCATION EBR PRISON.
CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL TO RENEW A CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE IN THE AMOUNT OF $134,110 TO ALLOW FOR THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, DEPARTMENT OF ADULT AND CONTINUING EDUCATION TO CONTINUE PROVIDING ADULT EDUCATION CLASSES AND HIGH SET TESTING FOR INMATES AT THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH PRISON FROM JANUARY 1ST, 2025 THROUGH DECEMBER 31ST, 2025.
FUNDING SOURCE IS THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE GRANT NUMBER 5 20 25 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH STRATEGIC PLAN.
CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE 2025 EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
STRATEGIC PLAN WITH METRICS PROVIDED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT NO LATER THAN MAY, 2025.
NUMBER SIX, GUIDING PRINCIPLES, CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE ALIGNMENT, GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND TIMELINE.
NUMBER SEVEN, RESOLUTION IEP CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION TO APPOINT THE BOARD PRESIDENT AS THE IEP COMMITTEE REPRESENTATIVE.
THAT'S THE END OF THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND I MOVE APPROVAL.
IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? GOT A PUBLIC COMMENT
[00:25:03]
YOU CAN COME FORWARD.MY NAME IS DARREL DORSEY, PARENT AT WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I SEE THAT WE HAVE TEST SECURITY POLICY.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS PERTAINING TO, BUT SINCE SECURITY IS IN THERE, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TONIGHT.
TODAY, WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL, WE HAD A GUN ON CAMPUS.
THIS IS NOT THE FIRST GUN THIS YEAR.
THIS IS THE SECOND I COME HERE AS A PARENT AND AS A CONCERNED PARENT.
AS A PTO AND ALL THE PARENTS AT WOODLAND HIGH SCHOOL, WE UPSET RETIRED AND OUR KIDS SHOULD BE AFFORDED THE SAME LUXURY THAT YOU ALL HAVE IN THIS OFFICE RIGHT HERE.
'CAUSE IF IT'S A LUXURY TO BE SAFE AND SECURE, WHY AREN'T OUR KIDS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AFFORDED THAT SAME LUXURY? I GET SCANNED IN EVERY TIME I COME HERE.
CAN'T GET TO YOU OR ANYBODY ELSE BACK THERE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO BE BUZZED IN TO GET TO THE SUPERINTENDENT.
OUR KIDS ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN THIS DISTRICT.
THEY'RE THE REASON EVERY ONE OF YOU ON THIS BOARD, AND EVERYBODY THAT WORKS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAVE A JOB TO EDUCATE OUR KIDS AND PROTECT THEM.
AND WHEN I SAY PROTECTION, IT'S NOT THE PARENTS WE SUPPOSED TO TELL OUR KIDS, BUT WHEN THEY GET ON YOUR CAMPUS, YOU ALL ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR 'EM.
AND LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, THERE WAS NO UNDERSTANDING TODAY.
IT HAD A LOT OF PARENTS WHO HAD OVER 300 PARENTS OUT THERE WAITING FOR THEIR KIDS BECAUSE I GOT A PHONE CALL NOT KNOWING WHAT, BUT YOU NEED TO GET TO SCHOOL.
AND WHEN IT'S A HURTING FEELING, WHEN YOU CAN'T REACH OUT TO YOUR CHILD AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, AND THEY TELLING YOU TO STEP BACK AND YOU SEE 20 COP CARS, THAT'S A HURTING FEELING.
IT'S A COLD FEELING AND IT'S UPSETTING.
AND WE NEED TO PUT OUR KIDS FIRST BECAUSE HOW MANY TIMES ARE WE GOING TO GET WARNINGS BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENED? AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA MEET WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND TALK TO THEM, BUT IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S DEEP.
WE NEED PEOPLE TO DO THEY JOBS TOO, BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA HEAR SIT HERE AND PLAY AND PLAY AND POINT FINGERS AND PLACE BLAME ON ANYBODY, ANYBODY.
BUT IT'S A LOT OF HOLES IN THE SYSTEM THAT HAVE TO BE FIXED TO, TO PROTECT OUR KIDS.
AND I'M TIRED OF IT HAPPENING BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO COME HERE OR HAVE TO COME DOWN HERE BECAUSE SOMEBODY LOST THEIR CHILD.
BECAUSE ONCE AGAIN, THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON WHY WE ALL ARE HERE, WHY I'M HERE RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE OF THE KIDS.
SO ARE WE GONNA GET SERIOUS ABOUT PROTECTING OUR KIDS OR WE GONNA KEEP ON PUSHING THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS? AND IT WILL NOT BE NO UNDERSTANDING FOR NOBODY BECAUSE THE KIDS ARE THE MAIN REASON WE HERE AND THEY SHOULD BE SAFE JUST AS YOU ALL ARE IN THIS OFFICE, IN THIS BUILDING TONIGHT.
AND I DO AGREE THAT SAFETY IS A NUMBER ONE COMPONENT.
WAS THAT THE END OF YOUR, YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT? YES.
UM, I JUST WANT TO, UM, I GUESS PROVIDE CLARIFICATION IF WE CAN, SUPERINTENDENT COLE FOR MR. DORSEY AND ANYONE ELSE WHO'S LISTENING, AND I'LL THROW OUT MY THREE POINTS AND THEN IF YOU CAN JUST ASSIST MOVING FORWARD.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE, IS THERE A PROCESS OR HAVE WE BEGAN TO CONFIRM THAT THE METAL DETECTORS ARE BEING USED AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE USED, UM, IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS? THEN ALSO, IF YOU CAN PROVIDE CLARIFICATION ON WHAT TEST SECURITY IS, BECAUSE THAT IS HOW MR. DORSEY STARTED OFF BY SAYING HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THIS ITEM WAS IN REALLY IN REGARDS TO.
AND THEN ALSO, COULD YOU PROVIDE A BIT OF CLARIFICATION ON THE SITUATION FROM TODAY? SURE.
WE HAVE VERIFIED THAT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE USING METAL DETECTORS AND WALKTHROUGH DETECTORS.
UH, BUT WE HAVE NOT VALIDATED WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE USING THEM EFFECTIVELY, UH, BECAUSE AS A RESULT OF THIS INCIDENT.
SO WE'RE STILL INVESTIGATING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THE BREAKDOWN WAS IN TERMS OF THE SECURITY OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO FIRST, LET ME APOLOGIZE TO THE STUDENTS AND THE FACULTY AND STAFF AND THE FAMILY AT WOODLAWN HIGH SCHOOL AS A RESULT OF THIS UNFORTUNATE INCIDENT.
TODAY, HOWEVER, I WANT TO THANK, UH, THE INDIVIDUAL WHO CALLED TO INFORM US, UH, THAT THERE PERHAPS WAS A, A WEAPON ON CAMPUS.
AND THANK THE, UH, SECURITY TEAM WHO WORKS THERE AND WORKS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO QUICKLY RESPONDING TO THE SITUATION AND CONFISCATING THE WEAPON AND TO ENSURE OUR FAMILIES ARE SAFE.
SECONDLY, TEST, TEST SECURITY SIMPLY IS HOW DO WE ENSURE, UH, THAT THERE ARE SECURE ENVIRONMENTS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO TEST DURING LEAP 2025 THIS YEAR, AS WELL AS A CT TESTING THIS YEAR? UH, THE STATE HAS VERY
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SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AROUND WHAT THOSE ENVIRONMENTS SHOULD LOOK LIKE.AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE ANY ADULT WHO IS ON CAMPUS, UH, WHO IS GOING TO BE AROUND TESTING OR ADMINISTERING TESTING, KNOWS WHAT THE GUIDELINES AND PROPER PROCEDURES ARE IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO THAT IS WHAT TEST SECURITY IS.
UH, AS FAR AS THE UPDATE TODAY, WE ARE VERY DISAPPOINTED, NOT ONLY MYSELF, BUT ALL OF US WHO WORK IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED, UH, IN WHAT TOOK PLACE TODAY ON CAMPUS.
WE HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE FOR THAT TYPE OF BEHAVIOR, AND WE ARE GOING TO EVALUATE, IMPROVE, AND GET BETTER IN TERMS AS KEEPING OUR STUDENTS SAFE.
UH, I HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH LAST SEMESTER AND AS RECENT AS TUESDAY MORNING WITH REPRESENTATIVES, UH, FROM THE LEGISLATURE TO TALK ABOUT HOW DO WE DEPLOY EVEN MORE RESOURCES IN OUR SCHOOLS TO DO BETTER, UH, TO KEEP THEM SAFE.
WE'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT AND WE'RE CHANGING, UH, IN OUR COUNTRY AROUND, UH, SAFETY OF OUR FACILITIES AND BUILDINGS, PARTICULARLY WHERE OUR KIDS ARE.
SO WE ARE ALWAYS GOING TO MAKE, UH, THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS A PRIORITY.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE HAVE TO DO BETTER.
WE, WE HAVE TO DO MORE, AND WE HAVE TO DO BETTER TO ENSURE, UH, THAT WE ARE KEEPING OUR KIDS SAFE.
AND I'M GONNA ASK THE COMMUNITY, AND I'M GONNA ASK THOSE WHO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING, YOU HEAR SOMETHING OR YOU SEE SOMETHING, PLEASE SAY SOMETHING.
UH, BECAUSE AS MR. DORSEY SAID, WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AROUND THE LOSS OF LIFE IN LIGHT OF WHAT IS HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND GEORGIA, WHAT TOOK PLACE IN NEW ORLEANS.
WE ARE TAKING EVERY PRECAUTION NECESSARY, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PROTOCOLS, AND ARE WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL LEADERS TO ENSURE THEY ARE FOLLOWING POLICIES, PROCEDURES, AND PROTOCOLS IN THEIR EFFORTS TO KEEP KIDS SAFE.
SO, UH, WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHY, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON IN SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AS IT RELATES TO SOME OF THE CHALLENGES SOME OF OUR STUDENTS MIGHT BE HAVING, WE ARE TRYING TO DO OUR VERY BEST TO ENSURE WE ARE, UH, UPDATING AND IMPROVING OUR PROTOCOLS TO DO SO.
ARE THERE ANY ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WOULD LIKE TO PULL AND SEPARATE FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? OKAY.
UM, WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO I HAVE A MOTION? MARK HAS MOVED TO APPROVE.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY COACH.
UM, COACH LEWIS
AND I DO APOLOGIZE, BUT I DID, UH, MISTAKENLY BYPASS, UM, ITEM E, WHICH WAS THE REPORTS FROM BOARD APPOINTEES.
ARE THERE ANY, UM, REPORTS FROM BOARD APPOINTEES? OKAY, THANK YOU.
[G.1. Charter Application: Collegiate Academies]
IS ITEM G, NEW BUSINESS SUPERINTENDENT.AT THIS TIME, WE HAVE, UH, ENGAGED TO SUPPORT AND HELP, UH, MS. KATIE CHY, UH, A A FIVE YEAR VETERAN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AS YOU CAN TELL, SHE'S ONLY ABOUT 22 YEARS OLD AND HAS WORKED IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HELP US WITH, UH, NAVIGATING THE, THE CHARTER SCHOOL PROCESS.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, I'M GONNA ASK HER TO COME FORWARD AND SHARE SOME INFORMATION.
UH, SHE HAS WORKED WITH KIM BOROW AND HER TEAM, UH, TO EVALUATE, UH, THOSE NEW CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS, AND SHE'S GONNA PROVIDE A REPORT FOR US NOW.
THANK YOU, MR. COLE, FOR YOUR VERY KIND WORDS.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT STEWART, VICE PRESIDENT GDAY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT COLE, AND TO OUR VIEWING PUBLIC.
I'M KATIE BLANCHE, AND I'M PLEASED TO SERVE AS YOUR THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR FOR CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS.
I'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE A CAREER THAT SPAN 42 YEARS IN EDUCATION WITH MANY VARIED EXPERIENCES.
I WAS A TEACHER AT PRESCOTT MIDDLE SCHOOL, A MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL FOR 17 YEARS AT A STREAM OF MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL AND AT CAPITAL MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT BEAUTIFUL NEW FACILITY.
I WAS ALSO A CENTRAL OFFICE ADMINISTRATOR IN CHARGE OF MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AND I'VE SERVED AS YOUR THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR FOR NINE YEARS.
TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION BY TALKING ABOUT THE PROCESS I USE TO
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EVALUATE THE APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THE PROCESS IS SO VERY IMPORTANT.IT'S IMPORTANT IN ORDER TO BE FAIR TO EACH APPLICANT IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH BULLETIN 1 26.
AND IN ORDER TO ALIGN THE EVALUATION PROCESS WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, THE EVALUATION ITSELF CONSISTS OF THE APPLICATION REVIEW USING THE RUBRIC DESIGN BY THE LDOE, THE INTERVIEW AND THE INTERVIEW RESPONSES.
IN THE APPLICATION AND INTERVIEW PROCESS, THE TEAM LOOKED AT FIVE MAJOR AREAS ON THE RUBRIC FOR EXPERIENCED OPERATORS.
THE FIRST IS THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, THEN THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM AND CAPACITY, THE GROWTH PLAN, THE ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN AND CAPACITY, AND THE FINANCIAL PLAN AND CAPACITY.
EBR RECEIVED THREE CHARTER SCHOOL APPLICATIONS IN THIS CYCLE.
ALL ARE EXPERIENCED AND ARE CURRENTLY OPERATING AS TYPE TWO CHARTERS IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
I READ EACH OF THE APPLICATIONS THOROUGHLY MANY TIMES OVER.
THE CHARTER SUPPORT TEAM SELECTED AND SCHEDULED THE INTERVIEW.
THE APPLICANTS WERE INTERVIEWED ON DECEMBER 11TH AND DECEMBER 12TH.
THE INTERVIEWS LAST A LITTLE MORE THAN AN HOUR, WITH 20 MINUTES FOR THE APPLICANTS TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, AND ABOUT 40 MINUTES FOR THE INTERVIEW TEAM TO ASK AND TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
APPLICANTS WERE THEN GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND TO THE TEAM'S QUESTIONS AND CLARIFY THEIR RESPONSES PRIOR TO MY RECOMMENDATIONS.
AS STATED IN BULLETIN 1 26, THE FINAL EVALUATION AND CORRESPONDING RECOMMENDATIONS WERE MADE PUBLIC FIVE BUSINESS DAYS.
PRIOR TO THE BOARD MEETING, THE INTERVIEW TEAM HAD THE CHARTER APPLICATION RUBRIC, WHICH IS ADOPTED BY THE LDOE, TO GUIDE THEIR QUESTIONING THE SAME RUBRIC THAT I WOULD USE IN THE EVALUATION.
AFTER THE INTERVIEW, I COMPILED COMMENTS FROM THE DISCUSSION OF THE RUBRIC AND IF THERE WERE ANY FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS, THEY WERE SENT TO THE APPLICANTS, AND THEIR RESPONSES WERE FOLDED INTO THE EVALUATION RECOMMENDATION.
THE CHARTER SCHOOL INTERVIEW COMMITTEE CONSISTED OF CHRISTINA ANDERSON, SHERRY ELSON, BEVERLY TATE, ERICA JONES, BIANCA BRUMFIELD WILLIAMS, MELVIN HOLLIS, DR.
DAISY LAN, DR. JANET HARRIS, STACEY DUPREY, I KNOW I'M GONNA GET THIS ONE WRONG.
MARIELLE SHON, GLENN SHERMAN, KIMBERLY RINGOLD, BOUDREAUX, AMY NORSWORTHY, JOANIE, SAM, AND DR.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE TEAM HAD EXPERTISE IN CHARTER SCHOOLS, CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT AND FINANCE.
SO TO THE INTERVIEW TEAM, MANY THANKS FOR YOUR VERY VALUABLE SERVICE TO THIS IMPORTANT TASK.
IN KEEPING WITH THE THEME OF PROCESS, I WANNA ASSURE THE BOARD THAT THE EVALUATION WAS HANDLED WITH INTEGRITY, PROFESSIONALISM, AS UNBIASED AS I KNOW HOW TO BE, AND AS KNOWLEDGEABLE AS I KNOW HOW TO BE, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICLY THANK THE APPLICANTS.
THEY WERE VERY PROFESSIONAL, VERY KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND THEY SUBMITTED ANY INFORMATION THAT I ASKED FROM THEM IN A TIMELY FASHION.
AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FOR THE FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS.
AFTER GOING THROUGH ALL OF THIS PROCESS, I RECOMMEND THAT YOU DENY THE APPLICATIONS FOR COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES AND DENY THE APPLICATION FOR GEO NORTH BATON ROUGE ELEMENTARY AND GEO NORTH, BATON ROUGE UPPER ELEMENTARY.
NOW, MS. STEWART, IF IT MEETS WITH YOUR APPROVAL AND THE BOARD'S APPROVAL, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF SUMMARY OF WHY I ARRIVED AT THESE DECISIONS.
EACH OF YOU RECEIVED A PACKET.
THE FIRST FEW PAGES OF THE PACKET IS THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION TO THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD.
AND THAT'S THE DOCKET DOCUMENT THAT I'M GOING TO READ FROM NOW.
AFTER THAT, YOU'LL FIND THE RUBRIC THAT I USED.
AND IN THE RUBRIC THAT'S ABOUT 30 PAGES LONG, THERE ARE THREE SECTIONS.
THE FIRST IS THE SECTION THAT TELLS YOU WHAT GUIDES THE IN INFORMATION.
THE NEXT IS THE INDICATOR THAT I USED FROM THE RUBRIC.
AND THE LAST IS THE EVIDENCE THAT I FOUND IN THE APPLICATION.
SO OUR FIRST APPLICATION IS FROM COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES.
THEY'RE APPLYING FOR A TYPE ONE CHARTER.
THEY WOULD SERVE THE DISTRICT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
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THEY PLAN TO OPEN IN YEAR 2026.CONFIGURATION AT START WOULD BE GRADE NINE.
GRADE CONFIGURATION AT SCALE WOULD BE GRADES NINE THROUGH 12.
ENROLLMENT AT START WOULD BE 160 STUDENTS.
ENROLLMENT AT SCALE IS 640 STUDENTS.
THE MISSION OF COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES IS TO BUILD WORLD CLASS PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT PREPARE ALL SCHOLARS FOR COLLEGE SUCCESS AND LIVES OF UNLIMITED OPPORTUNITY.
COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES CURRENTLY OPERATE SIX SCHOOLS, ALL OF WHICH ARE TYPE TWO CHARTERS, ABRAMSON SCI ACADEMY, GW CARVER HIGH SCHOOL, LIVINGSTON COLLEGIATE ACADEMY, AND WALTER COHEN HIGH SCHOOL ALL RESIDE IN NEW ORLEANS COLLEGIATE.
BATON ROUGE IS LOCATED AT ON DALE BOULEVARD AND COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES ALSO OPERATES OPPORTUNITIES ACADEMY, WHICH IS DESIGNED FOR STUDENTS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 18 AND 22 YEARS.
THE SCHOOL FOCUSES ON BUILDING FUNCTIONAL SKILLS TO INCREASE STUDENTS' INDEPENDENCE AND EMPLOYABILITY THROUGH WORKING STUDENT JOBS AND PRACTICING LIFE SKILLS.
COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES ORIGINALLY REQUESTED A TYPE ONE CHARTER WITH 160 STUDENTS IN GRADE NINE AT START, AND 640 STUDENTS IN GRADES NINE THROUGH 12 AT SCALE.
THE PROPOSED SCHOOL PLANS TO OFFER INDIVIDUALIZED SUPPORTS THAT ENABLE ALL SCHOLARS TO ACHIEVE THEIR MOST RIGOROUS LEVELS, A STANDARDS ALIGNED AND RESPONSIVE CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES BASED ON REALTIME DATA AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE.
THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE OF A COLLEGIATE BATON ROUGE IN 2023 WAS A D 58.1.
ASSESSMENTS WERE RATED AS AN F.
THEIR PROGRESS RATING WAS A B, THEIR A CT SCORE WAS AN F, THEIR GRADUATION RATE WAS A C, AND THEIR STRENGTH OF DIPLOMA WAS A B.
THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE FOR COLLEGIATE BATON ROUGE IN 2324, SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE WAS A D.
PROGRESS RATING WAS AN A A CT RATING WAS AN F, THE GRADUATION RATE WAS A D, AND THE STRENGTH OF DIPLOMA WAS A 72.5.
COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES, BECAUSE IT IS COLLEGE, IT EDUCATES COLLEGE BOUND STUDENTS DOES NOT OFFER A JUMPSTART 2.0 PATHWAYS.
COLLEGIATE ACADEMY'S RIGHTS ITS OWN CURRICULA IN SOME INSTANCES, AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIER ONE IN A CONVERSATION WITH COLLEGIATE.
AFTER DECEMBER 19TH, WHEN I SUBMITTED THESE DOCUMENTS, THE COLLEGIATE ACADEMIES TEAM INDICATED THAT THEY WERE ALSO INTERESTED IN BEING CONSIDERED FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER.
THE CURRENT COLLEGIATE ACADEMY SCHOOLS ARE A TYPE TWO CHARTER, ACCORDING TO BULLETIN 1 26.
AND I QUOTE, THE APPLICANT MUST APPLY FOR A TYPE ONE OR TYPE THREE CHARTER TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD IN WHOSE JURISDICTION THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED AND HAS BEEN DENIED BY THE MOST RECENT APPLICATION CYCLE AS EVIDENCED BY A MOTION OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD FOR BESSIE TO CONSIDER APPLICANTS FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER.
SO THAT SAYS, IF THEY WANT A TYPE TWO CHARTER, THEY MUST BE DENIED BY THIS SCHOOL BOARD BEFORE THEY CAN TAKE THEIR APPLICATION TO BESSIE.
FOR THESE REASONS, I RESPECTFULLY RECOMMEND THAT THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD DENY THIS APPLICATION.
SIRAM BEFORE, MA'AM, BEFORE YOU GO TO, UM, THE NEXT ONE, WE WANNA STOP WITH THAT ONE TO SEE IF WE HAVE ANY, UM, COMMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS AS IT RELATES TO ITEM G ONE? BOARD COMMENTS? OKAY.
UM, ARE THERE ANY REPRESENTATIVES FROM COLLEGIATE HERE? OKAY, WELL, YOU MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THE COLLEGIATES IN NEW ORLEANS ARE TYPE TWOS.
I BELIEVE THE, THE 'CAUSE NEW ORLEANS I DON'T BELIEVE HAS ANY TYPE TWO CHARTERS.
I THINK NEW ORLEANS ARE ALL TYPE ONE CHARTERS.
AND I THINK THE COLLEGIATE BATON ROUGE IS THE ONLY TYPE TWO CHARTER THEY HAVE.
UH, DID THEY GIVE ANY, UH, REASON AS TO WHY THEY WERE TRYING TO, UH, EXPAND THEIR SCHOOL WHEN THEIR CURRENT SCHOOL BARELY SCRAPED ABOVE AN F TO A D INSTEAD OF FOCUSING THEIR ATTENTION ON GETTING THEIR CURRENT SCHOOL UP TO AT LEAST A C? NOT THAT I RECALL.
[00:45:03]
THANK YOU.ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? OKAY.
YOU ARE WELCOME TO CONTINUE MSY.
OH, Y'ALL WANNA DO IT? I APOLOGIZE.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION? THERE'S A MOTION BY, YOU GOTTA SAY THAT AGAIN.
I MOVE TO DENY THE APPLICATION.
AND COACH SECONDS, IT, ANY, ANY COMMENTS? OKAY, MR. GOEY? YES, I, I WOULD JUST WONDER IF THE, UH, MAKER OF THE MOTION AND A SECOND WOULD ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT TO SAY THAT THIS BOARD SHOULD WRITE A LETTER TO BESSIE, UH, OUTLINING THE REASONS OR, OR STATING THAT WE THINK THAT COLLEGIATE SHOULD FOCUS ON IMPROVING THEIR CURRENT SCHOOL, UH, BEFORE, UH, COMING AND TRYING TO GET ANOTHER SCHOOL.
BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IN THE, IN THE BESSI, 'CAUSE I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR YEARS IN THE BESSI PROCESS, THE LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT BASICALLY HAS NO VOICE AS YOU GO THROUGH IT.
THERE ARE STRICT PROCEDURES AND OUTLINES ABOUT CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE APPLICANT AND BESSI AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT NOWHERE DOES THE VIEWS OF THE, UH, LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT MADE THE FIRST, UH, PASS AT THIS NOWHERE.
IS THAT INCLUDED, UH, SUCCINCTLY IN THE PROCESS? I THINK THEY TRY TO DO IT AS IT COMES AROUND AND DOES, AND TRY TO GET SOME COMMENTS, BUT IT'S JUST A, IT IS JUST A THOUGHT.
I'M NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, DIE ON THAT HILL AT ALL.
BUT I THINK SOME KIND OF WAY WE OUGHT TO MAKE A FORMAL, UH, DEC DECLARATION TO BESSIE THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT SHOULD GET, UH, ANOTHER SCHOOL UNTIL THEY PROVIDE THE, UH, PROGRESS AND THE SCORES OF WHAT IN THE SCHOOL THEY HAVE TODAY.
MR. GOD'S REQUESTED A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UM, MY, MY CONCERN WITH THAT, AND I'M NOT SAYING YES OR NO, MR. GODDA, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS THAT, THAT EACH BOARD MEMBER MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT REASON FOR WHY THEY WANT TO DENY IT.
ONE, ONE MAY FEEL THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MARGINAL AND NEED TO DO BETTER BEFORE THEY COME.
ANOTHER MAY FEEL, HEY, THEY ASKED TO BE DENIED, I'LL DENY 'EM.
AND SO WE, I WOULDN'T WANT US TO HAVE TO SPEND A WHOLE LOT OF TIME DISCERNING EXACTLY WHAT THE BOARD'S GOOD POINTS WISHES ARE.
SO ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? NOPE.
UM, MADAM SECRETARY, CAN YOU CALL FOR A VOTE, PLEASE? VOTE.
OKAY, MS. BLANCY, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
[G.2. Charter Application: GEO North Baton Rouge Elementary (K-5)]
APPLICANT IS GEO NORTH BATON ROUGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.THEY HAVE APPLIED FOR A TYPE ONE CHARTER, BUT THEY'RE REQUESTING A TYPE TWO CHARTER, AND THEY MADE THAT KNOWN AT THE INTERVIEW.
THEY WOULD SERVE THE DISTRICT IF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, THEY PLAN TO OPEN IN 2026.
THE GRADE CONFIGURATION AT START IS KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE.
THE GRADE CONFIGURATION AT SCALE IS KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH.
ENROLLMENT AT START WOULD BE 180 STUDENTS.
ENROLLMENT AT SCALE WOULD BE 540 STUDENTS.
THE MISSION OF GL NORTH BATON ROUGE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS TO PROVIDE ALL CHILDREN WITH A QUALITY EDUCATION REGARDLESS OF RACE, INCOME, AND ZIP CODE.
THE VISION OF THE PROPOSED SCHOOL IS TO PROVIDE A STUDENT CENTERED CONTENT RICH EDUCATIONAL MODEL USE, UTILIZING A PERSONALIZED AND COMPETENCY BASED APPROACH TO LEARNING TO CLOSE OPPORTUNITY GAPS BEGINNING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, AND PREPARE LOW INCOME STUDENTS TO BEGIN COLLEGE COURSEWORK ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES AS EARLY AS NINTH GRADE.
THE APPLICATION FOR THE PROPOSED SCHOOL IS FOUR ACADEMIC PILLARS, BLENDED LEARNING, STRATEGIC HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE, EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM.
[00:50:01]
ACHIEVE THIS MODEL OF THE PROPOSED SCHOOL, WE USE A FOUR-PART STRATEGY.BLENDED LEARNING TAP PROGRAMMING FOR EDUCATOR EXCELLENCE, TEACH LIKE A CHAMPION TEACHER AFFECTED IN STRATEGIES AND DEAR ONE, CURRICULUM, GEO ACADEMIES OPERATES FOUR SCHOOLS IN LOUISIANA.
GEO PREP ACADEMY, GRADES K THROUGH EIGHT GEO PREP MID-CITY, GREATER BATON ROUGE, ALSO GRADES K THROUGH EIGHT, GEO NEXT GEN HIGH SCHOOL GRADES NINE THROUGH 12.
AND GEO PREP BAKER GRADES K THROUGH FOUR ACCORDING TO THE LDOE.
THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE FOR GEO PREP, THAT'S K THROUGH EIGHT IN 2023 WAS A C.
AND IN 2020 3 24, THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE WAS A B.
ASSESSMENTS WERE A D AND A PROGRESS RATING WAS AN A.
ALSO, ACCORDING TO THE LDOE, THE PERFORMANCE SCORES FOR GEO MID-CITY, WHICH IS K THROUGH EIGHT FOR 2223 WERE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE OF C ASSESSMENTS D AND A PROGRESS RATING OF A.
IN 2324, THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE WAS A B, ASSESSMENTS WERE A D, AND THE PROGRESS RATING WAS AN A.
DURING THE INTERVIEW HELD ON DECEMBER 12TH, THE ACADEMY'S TEAM INDICATED THAT THEY WANTED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER INSTEAD OF A TYPE ONE CHARTER.
THE CURRENT GEO ACADEMY SCHOOLS ARE TYPE TWO CHARTERS, ACCORDING TO BULLETIN 1 26.
AND I QUOTE, THE APPLICANT MUST APPLY FOR A TYPE ONE OR TYPE THREE CHARTER TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD IN WHOSE JURISDICTION THE CHARTER SCHOOL HAS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED AND HAS BEEN DENIED IN THE MOST RECENT APPLICATION CYCLE, AS EVIDENCED BY A MOTION OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD FOR BESSIE TO CONSIDER THE APPLICANT'S FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER.
THEREFORE, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DENIED THIS APPLICATION.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? ARE THERE ANY BOARD COMMENTS? AND WE HAVE MR. GOD ACUTE.
I'M GONNA MAKE A HABIT OF THIS.
UH, ANY GEO REPRESENTATIVES HERE? THANK YOU, SARAH.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, COMMEND YOU AND YOUR SCHOOLS ON THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, WHEN I LOOK THROUGH ALL OF THE RESULTS OF THAT, I SEE THE FOUR SCHOOLS YOU HAVE GOING, WELL, I GUESS THREE OF 'EM HAVE GRADES NOW.
UH, HAVE, UH, LETTER GRADES OF B AND YOU KNOW, DESPITE A LOT OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE GET, I LOOK THROUGH ALL OF THE SUBGROUP DATA AND, UH, YOU'RE DOING VERY WELL THROUGH ALL OF THE SUBGROUP DATA.
AND YOUR PERCENT ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGE IS ACTUALLY ABOVE THE AVERAGE OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
SO TO ME, THAT SAYS YOU'RE PROVIDING QUALITY EDUCATION TO THE STUDENTS THAT NEED IT THE MOST.
AND I WANT TO SALUTE YOU FOR THAT.
UH, AND YOU'RE DOING A VERY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
UH, AND I'M GONNA DO WHATEVER YOU GUYS, YOU KNOW, WISHES TO DO.
MY REGRET THOUGH IS THAT YOU DON'T CHOOSE TO BE PART OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I REALLY WISH YOU WOULD BE A TYPE ONE CHARTER.
I UNDERSTAND THAT BEING A TYPE TWO WITH YOUR OTHER SCHOOLS TYPE TWO, I TOTALLY, I I GET IT.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW, AS OF LAST YEAR ANYWAY, YOU HAD ALMOST 1900 OF OUR STUDENTS IN YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEMS WHERE WE HAVE NO INFLUENCE, NO CONTROL, NO, UH, ANYTHING OVER OVER THE SCHOOLS OF THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND WE'RE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY TO INTERACT WITH YOUR SCHOOLS TO UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE ACHIEVING THE RESULTS YOU ARE, AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO MIMIC SOME OF THOSE AND BRING THOSE INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU AND SALUTE YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, AND REALLY REQUEST THAT, UH, YOU REALLY TRY TO WORK WITH US SO WE COULD TRY TO EMULATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING AND UNDERSTAND HOW YOU ARE ACHIEVING THE SUCCESS THAT YOU ARE.
I WANNA PIVOT BACK JUST FOR A SECOND TO THE LAST APPLICATION.
UM, I HAD READING THAT APPLICATION WAS ALMOST COMICAL.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEIR SCORES, I AGREE WITH WHAT MR. MARTIN STATED ABOUT THE LETTER TO BESSY, AND I AGREE WITH MR. GODDE.
WE DON'T WANT TO GO DOWN, BUT WHEN A CHARTER SCHOOL IS ENTRUSTED WITH OUR CHILDREN IN PUBLIC FUNDS
[00:55:01]
AND THEY PERFORMED THE WAY THE PREVIOUS APPLICANT WHEN THEY PERFORMED THE WAY COLLEGIATE PERFORMS AND THEY HAVE THE AUDACITY TO ASK ANYBODY FOR ANOTHER CHARTER, I'M NOT EVEN GONNA SAY WHAT I WOULD SAY.I MEAN, THAT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
BUT WHEN YOU ARE A, WHEN WE HAVE DIRECT RUN SCHOOLS THAT PERFORM BAD UNDERPERFORM, WE CAN TAKE ACTION.
WE CAN, WE CAN CHANGE LEADERSHIP, WE CAN PUT PROGRAMMING IN, WE, WE CAN DO A LOT OF THINGS TO ADDRESS THAT DIRECT RUN SCHOOL.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO OPERATES UNDER A CONTRACT AND THEY DON'T MEET THE TERMS OF THAT CONTRACT, THEN THE AUDACITY TO COME BEFORE THIS BOARD AND ASK THIS BOARD OR BESSIE BOARD ANY BOARD AND ASK FOR THE RIGHT TO EDUCATE CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, YOU GOTTA WONDER WHAT THEY'RE DRINKING.
I MEAN, I MEAN, I'M, I'M READING THIS THING TODAY AND, AND I HAD TO CALL MS. APRIL AND I'M GOING, WHAT IS THIS? IT WAS AN INSULT THAT YOU WOULD ASK THIS BOARD OR THE BESSIE BOARD TO GIVE YOU A LICENSE TO EDUCATE CHILDREN WHEN YOU'RE DOING A MISERABLE JOB EDUCATING THE ONES YOU GOT.
BUT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN, YOU GOT, UH, GEO DOING A WONDERFUL JOB.
SO I, MR. GDAY, I WISH THEY WERE TYPE ONES TOO, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, NOW, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, MS. BUNCHE, IN THE TRUE SPIRIT OF CHARTER SCHOOLS, THERE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A CO A, UM, WHAT'S THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR? A, A CONSORTIUM.
IF THEY WERE A TYPE ONE, THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO WORK WITH THE DISTRICT.
THESE ARE PROGRAMS THAT ARE WORKING HERE.
YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN USE THE, SEE HOW THEY WOULD INTER MINGLE IF, IF, IF, IF YOU GET MY POINT.
BUT BECAUSE OF LINES THAT WERE DRAWN IN THE SAND AROUND HERE A COUPLE DECADES AGO, THAT NEVER EVEN HAPPENED.
IT'S A DANG GONE SHAME THAT GEO CAN BE DOING A GREAT JOB THAT THEY'RE DOING AND THEY CAN'T WORK WITH US.
AND ALSO, IT'S A SHAME THAT SCHOOLS LIKE WHAM OR WESTDALE OR UH, MCKINLEY MIDDLE MAGNET CAN'T WORK WITH SOME OF THE TYPE ONE CHARTER SCHOOLS AROUND THAT GRADE CONFIGURATION WHO ARE DOING WONDERFUL THINGS.
I UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESS OF THE BUSINESS OF THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION, BUT IT'S ABOUT CHILDREN'S LIVES.
AND IF YOU JUST FOCUS ON PUTTING PEOPLE IN CHAIRS AND CASHING CHECKS, YOU NEED, YOU DON'T NEED TO BE IN BUSINESS, PERIOD.
AND WHILE, IF I'M SITTING UP HERE FOR HOWEVER LONG I'M SITTING UP HERE, IF SOMEONE HAS THE AUDACITY TO COME TO THIS BOARD WITH NUMBERS LIKE I JUST SAW FROM, UH, THE OTHER GUYS, I'M NOT EVEN CALL THEIR NAMES COLLEGIATE.
'CAUSE I'M GONNA CALL IT LIKE I SEE IT.
I WANT TO AGREE WITH COACH LEWIS ON, ON MOST OF WHAT HE SAID.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE NOT HAD OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS AS HE NOTES THE, IN MY VIEW, THE HEALTHIEST RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS AND OUR DISTRICT AND OUR CHARTERS.
UM, I THINK, UM, WE HAVE COLLECTIVELY AS A BOARD, SINCE I TOOK OFFICE, BEEN MAKING GOOD STRIDES TO SAY, WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS.
WE NEED TO HOLD CHARTERS ACCOUNTABLE.
CERTAINLY WE ALSO NEED TO HOLD OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE TO NOT BE PUTTING NEEDLESS BUREAUCRACY OR, OR SHORTCHANGING THEM IN, IN DIFFERENT AREAS.
AND I CERTAINLY COMMEND MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND SUPERINTENDENT COLE FOR THE LEADERSHIP.
HE'S, HE'S DISPLAYED IN HIS SEVEN MONTHS OR SO ON THE JOB.
UM, SO WITH THAT SAID, I, UH, MOVE THAT WE DENY THE, UH, APPLICATION.
OH, I CAN'T, I WOULD, YEAH, I WOULD ADVISE YOU A SECOND.
ANY COMMENTS? PUBLIC COMMENTS? ANY BOARD COMMENTS? UH, MADAM SECRETARY, CAN YOU CALL FOR A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[01:00:25]
MOTION CARRIES.[G.3. Charter Application: GEO North Baton Rouge Upper (6-12)]
APPLICANT IS GEO NORTH, BATON ROUGE UPPER ACADEMY.THEIR HOME DISTRICT WOULD BE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
THEY APPLIED FOR A TYPE ONE CHARTER, BUT THEY'RE REQUESTING TO BE A TYPE TWO CHARTER.
THEY WOULD SERVE THE DISTRICT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
GRADE CONFIGURATION AT START IS SIXTH AND NINTH GRADE.
CONFIGURATION AT SCALE IS SIX THROUGH 12TH.
THE ENROLLMENT AT START IS 210 STUDENTS IN THE ENROLLMENT AT SCALE IS 750 STUDENTS.
THE MISSION AND VISION ARE THE SAME AS I READ FOR THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL.
GEO ACADEMY'S ACADEMIC MODEL INCLUDES FOUR MAJOR PROGRAMMATIC ELEMENTS OR PILLARS.
FIRST IS COLLEGE IMMERSION AND DUAL ENROLLMENT, STRATEGIC HUMAN CAPITAL MANAGEMENT, EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE, AND EVIDENCE-BASED CURRICULUM.
ACCORDING TO THE LDOE, THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE FOR GEO NEXT GEN ARE AS FOLLOWS, A 65.6 C ASSESSMENTS ARE FA, CT IS D, AND PROGRESS RATING IS B IN 2024.
HOWEVER, THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE WAS A B.
ASSESSMENTS WERE AN FAC, T WAS AN F, AND PROGRESS RATING WAS A B.
DURING THE INTERVIEW HELD ON DECEMBER 12TH, THE GEO ACADEMIES TEAM INDICATED THAT THEY WANTED TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER INSTEAD OF A TYPE ONE CHARTER.
THE CURRENT GEO ACADEMY SCHOOLS ARE TYPE TWO CHARTERS.
ONCE AGAIN, ACCORDING TO BULLETIN 1 26, THE APPLICANT MUST APPLY FOR A TYPE ONE OR TYPE THREE CHARTER TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD IN WHOSE JURISDICTION THIS CHARTER SCHOOL IS PROPOSED TO BE LOCATED AND HAS BEEN DENIED IN THE MOST RECENT RECENT APPLICATION CYCLE AS EVIDENCED BY A MOTION MOTION OF THE LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD FOR BESTY TO CONSIDER THE APPLICANT'S FOR A TYPE TWO CHARTER.
THEREFORE, I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU DENY THIS APPLICATION.
ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS, ANY BOARD COMMENTS? IS THERE A MOTION I MOVE TO DENY THE APPLICATION? IS THERE A SECOND? OKAY, SO WE HAVE MR. MARTIN WITH THE MOTION TO DENY AND MR. LEWIS WITH THE SECOND MADAM SECRETARY.
OH, ANY COMMENTS? MADAM? SECRETARY, CAN YOU CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
[G.4. Charter Contract Renewal: CSAL]
HAVE, UM, NUMBER FOUR, THE CHARTER RENEWAL FROM CS A L.IS THERE SOMEONE TO COME UP AND SPEAK ON THAT? THANK YOU SO KINDLY.
I THINK I NOTICED GENTLEMEN JUST A LITTLE BIT.
I HAVE, I HAVE NO BIAS TO THIS RENEWAL AT ALL.
UH, BUT I DO WANT TO SAY TO YOU, MR. JOHNSON, THANK YOU FOR, UH, YOUR, YOUR LEADERSHIP OVER THE LAST 27 YEARS OF C SAL'S EXISTENCE.
AND PERSONALLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND ALLOWING ME TO GROW, DEVELOP, AND GET BETTER AND WORK WITH YOU FOR THE PAST 22 YEARS.
I APPRECIATE YOUR FRIENDSHIP, THE BROTHERHOOD, AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR CONTINUED EFFORTS.
UH, BUT I DON'T HAVE A VOTE ON THIS MATTER TONIGHT.
WELL, MADAM PRESIDENT, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, SUPERINTENDENT COLE, UH, WE COUNT THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY, UH, TO BE, UH, BEFORE YOU AS MR. COLE INDICATED.
UH, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE OLDEST AUTHORIZER CHARTER OPERATOR RELATIONSHIP, UH, THAT EXISTED IN THE STATE.
UH, WE OPENED OUR FIRST SCHOOL IN 1997 C CELL MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND, AND THE ONE THING, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN AROUND LONG ENOUGH TO SEE IS HOW, UH, THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FOR SCHOOLS HAVE GROWN, UH, NOT ONLY IN THE CITY, BUT IN THE STATE.
[01:05:01]
BUT OUR RELATIONSHIPS PREDATES ALL OF THAT WHEN THERE WAS NO INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, FOR CHARTER SCHOOLS.AND I'VE ALWAYS FELT, UH, THAT OUR SCHOOL AND THIS BOARD AND, AND THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS OP ALWAYS OPERATED IN GOOD FAITH WITH ONE ANOTHER.
SO, UH, I'D LIKE TO THANK, UH, THE BOARD FOR, UH, AND MR. COLE FOR THE SUPPORT, UH, THAT YOU HAVE GIVEN US IN, IN THE PAST AND THAT YOU, UH, CONTINUE TO GIVE US.
AND SO, UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I, I'D LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUE, OUR PRINCIPAL AT, UH, CCL ELEMENTARY TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THE OPERATION OF OUR SCHOOL.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OF US, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN THOSE INGREDIENTS TO YOU ALL.
MY NAME IS ANDREA MATHIS AND I AM THE PIONEER PRINCIPAL OF CIL ELEMENTARY.
UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UM, WE ARE WORKING VERY HARD TO MOVE OUR SCHOOL.
WE ARE RIGHT NOW CURRENTLY A C AND WE HAVE A LOT OF GREAT THINGS GOING ON.
UH, FOR AN EXAMPLE, OUR FIFTH GRADE STUDENT HAS JUST BEEN NOMINATED REGIONAL STUDENT OF THE YEAR AND THE YEAR BEFORE, OUR FIFTH GRADE STUDENT WAS SELECTED AS STUDENT OF THE YEAR.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, UH, IT'S BEEN, UH, A LEARNING EXPERIENCE WORKING.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME WORKING WITH A CHARTER AND MR. JOHNSON HAS BEEN, UH, VERY SUPPORTED.
AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU ALL FOR ALLOWING US, UM, TO BE A PART OF E-B-R-S-H CHARTER ONE.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? THAT'S A G THREE.
IS THIS PERTAINING TO, UH, ITEM G FOUR OR DO YOU WANNA SPEAK ON G THREE? THAT'S WHAT THE CARD SAYS.
OH, OKAY G THAT I KNOW, BUT IT'S G FOUR CG THREE.
UM, MS. UH, STORM MATTHEWS WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK.
SORRY, I'M ON A DIFFERENT MEETING ON MY COMPUTER, SO I WAS DEPENDENT ON APRIL.
UM, SO Y'ALL KNOW NORMALLY ANYTIME IT'S A CHARTER SCHOOL, I'M GONNA GET UP HERE AND I'M GONNA SAY ABSOLUTELY NOT BECAUSE I'M PRO-PUBLIC EDUCATION AND I DO NOT LIKE CHARTERS EVER EXCEPT FOR THIS ONE.
UM, THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT I'M GONNA GET UP HERE AND I'M GONNA SAY YES, THIS IS A HOMEGROWN, OH, THIS, THIS IS ONE WE'LL AGREE ON PATRICK.
UM, THIS IS A HOMEGROWN, THEY ARE NOT FOR PROFIT OFF OF OUR CHILDREN.
UM, AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH, LOOK, MINE AIN'T EVEN LOOKING AT ME,
THEY, UH, ARE ABSOLUTELY WORKING WITH OUR KIDS AND IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OUR CHILDREN, UM, AND WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BETTER OUR KIDS.
AND I 100% SUPPORT THE WORK THAT THEY ARE DOING AND THEIR COUNTERPART ARE DOING.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENTS? ARE THERE ANY BOARD COMMENTS? MS. LEWIS? OH, WAIT, PATRICK? NO, NO, NO.
LIKE I SAID, THIS, THIS IS A MUTUAL
UM, UH, I'D LIKE TO MOVE APPROVAL OF THE, UH, RENEWAL APPLICATION.
SECOND YEAH, HE MADE THE, OKAY.
SO MR. MARTIN MADE THE MOTION AND MR. LEWIS SECOND, I'M GONNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UH, AT THE PROMPTING OF, UH, ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS.
THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION IS FOR THREE YEARS IN LINE WITH POLICY, IF THE MOTION COULD JUST REFLECT THE RENEWAL FOR THREE YEARS.
UM, DID WE, UH, APPROVE THE, UH, APPLICATION FOR A PERIOD OF THREE YEARS? THANK YOU.
MR. MARTIN APPROVED IT FOR THE THREE YEARS AND MR. LEWIS SECONDS.
UM, DO YOU STILL WANNA COMMENT, MR. LEWIS OR MISS? OKAY.
[01:10:01]
WELL, I'M, I'M JUST GONNA COMMENT THAT MY COLLEAGUE STOLE MY THUNDER FOR CS SALE THAT IS WITHIN MY DISTRICT, AND I WANTED TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE RENEW THEIR CHARTER, BUT I WILL FOLLOW ALONG WITH THEM.THANK, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO, HAPPY TO WITHDRAW THE MOTION.
AND LET MY COLLEAGUE MAKE IT'S OKAY.
SO IS, IS THAT ALL THE COMMENTS? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SAY, UH, KEEP UP THE EXCELLENT WORK.
MS. MATHIS AND MR. JOHNSON, ARE THERE ANY OTHER MEMBERS OF THE TEAM WITH YOU YOU'D LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE TODAY? YEAH, WE HAVE, FROM WHAT I SEE, TWO OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR TEAM, UH, MS. MONIQUE BELLARD, WHO'S, UH, OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL AT CCL ELEMENTARY.
AND, UH, AND DR. HERMAN BRESTER, WHO'S OUR CHIEF ACADEMIC OFFICER.
MADAM SECRETARY, CAN WE CALL FOR A VOTE? YEAH.
AND THEN MR. LEWIS, PLEASE VOTE.
UM, ATTORNEY SHALIN, UH, JUST FOR THE VIEWING AUDIENCE AT HOME, I'D LIKE YOU TO MAKE MENTION, UH, WHEN A SCHOOL LIKES CSAW, UH, MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS, WHAT THE, WHAT, WHAT'S THE MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM THIS BOARD CAN PROVIDE FOR THOSE SCHOOLS BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE? UH, YEAH.
SO ALL OF THAT'S LAID OUT IN THE POLICY ADOPTED BY THE BOARD BACK IN 2019.
UH, IN THE CASE OF A SCHOOL WITH A C IT'S A MINIMUM OF THREE YEARS.
UH, AND THEN IT GOES UP FROM THERE.
IF YOU HAVE A B AND AN A, UH, THERE'S A MINIMUM OF FOUR YEARS.
AND THEN IF THEY MEET ALL REQUIREMENTS, ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS, THEY CAN GET AN ADDITIONAL TWO OR THREE YEARS BASED ON THE MAXIMUM ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS THEY MEET UNDER THE STANDARD.
SO IT STARTS AT THREE YEARS WITH A C, AND THEN IT, IT GOES UP FROM THERE.
[G.5. Charter Contract Renewal: BASIS Midcity]
UM, ITEM FIVE UNDER G, UM, WHICH IS BASIS MED CITY.IS THERE SOMEONE HERE? NO, NO.
YEAH, WE GOT A CELEBRITY IN THE HOUSE.
YOU GOT LIKE 260,000 FOLLOWERS ON INSTAGRAM,
HI, UH, MADAM PRESIDENT STEWART, UH, VICE PRESIDENT GOE.
UH, WE, UH, WE ARE SO PROUD OF THE WORK HAPPENING ACROSS, UH, BASIS BATON ROUGE, UH, AND SPECIFICALLY OUR MID-CITY CAMPUS.
UH, OUR, OUR STUDENTS, OUR FACULTY, OUR STAFF, UH, HAD A HAD AN EXCELLENT, UH, YEAR THIS PAST YEAR.
AND, UH, WE SAW A GROWTH IN THE SCHOOL FROM, UH, A SCHOOL PERFORMANCE SCORE OF A 57 ALL THE WAY TO A 76.
UH, AND, UH, MOVING THE SCHOOL FROM A D LETTER GRADE TO A B LETTER GRADE, UH, UH, THE CAMPUS HAD SOME OF THE HIGHEST GAINS ACROSS, UH, THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF OUR HARDWORKING FACULTY AND STAFF.
WE HAVE INCREDIBLE TEACHERS AT THE SCHOOL, UH, THE FAMILIES, ALL THE SUPPORT WE GET, UH, FROM, UH, FROM, FROM THE FAMILIES AND THE HARD WORK OF THE STUDENTS.
UH, IT, UH, IT WAS REALLY A TRUE CELEBRATION, UH, WHEN, WHEN LETTER GRADES, UH, CAME OUT AND WE'RE JUST, WE'RE SO PROUD OF THE TEAM.
AND WE ARE SO PROUD OF YOU GUYS TOO.
THANK YOU FOR IN, IN EDUCATING OUR STUDENTS AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT YOU DO, UH, IS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATED.
UH, ARE THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? SO WE HAVE BOARD COMMENTS, AND WE HAVE MS. CARLA, PAUL LEWIS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING.
MR. LAMB, IF YOU COULD JUST GIVE US JUST SOME POINTERS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO SHARE.
WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SOCIAL MEDIA STAR.
BUT I DO WANNA ASK JUST FOR SOME OF OUR, UH, OTHER LEADERS THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING IN.
WHAT, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE SOME THINGS THAT YOU GUYS DO DIFFERENTLY THAT OUR OTHER SCHOOLS MIGHT BE ABLE TO MIMIC? SURE.
I THINK THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT OUR, OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY FOCUSED ON GETTING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO AND ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE DO THAT IS JUST OUR TEAM PROVIDES EXCELLENT INTERVENTION.
SO REGARDLESS IF YOU'RE A STUDENT WHO'S COMING IN A COUPLE GRADE LEVELS BEHIND, OR IF YOU'RE ALREADY COMING IN ON GRADE LEVEL, OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING A LOT OF SMALL GROUP WORK, A LOT OF INDIVIDUALIZED INSTRUCTION, REALLY TO MEET THE TARGETED NEEDS OF, OF THE STUDENTS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID AT THE MID-CITY CAMPUS THIS PAST YEAR WAS WE HAD, UH, THE FIRST HOUR OF THE DAY WAS TARGETED INTERVENTION WHERE EVERY SINGLE TEACHER ACROSS THE SCHOOL, THE ADMINISTRATORS ALSO TAUGHT SMALL GROUPS.
UH, AND IT WAS JUST REALLY ALL HANDS ON DECK TO SUPPORT WHATEVER THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS WERE.
SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW.
UH, AND WE JUST HAVE, HONESTLY, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S NO REAL MAGIC
[01:15:01]
BEHIND IT.I THINK PART OF IT IS WE JUST HAVE AN OUTSTANDING TEAM OF TEACHERS, UH, AND THEY'RE DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS, AND THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE AN AWESOME, UH, PLAN EACH AND EVERY DAY.
I'VE ALSO NOTICED TOO, AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, DO YOU GUYS HAVE TWO TEACHERS PER CLASS AT THE, AT THE, UH, LOWER GRADE LEVEL? YES.
IN, UH, K THROUGH, UH, THIRD GRADE.
ALTHOUGH, ALTHOUGH LAST YEAR, UH, WITH, UH, WHERE OUR ENROLLMENT WAS, WE ACTUALLY HAD A ONE TEACHER MODEL AT MID-CITY CAMPUS, UH, LAST YEAR.
'CAUSE I WAS GONNA SAY, MAYBE THAT'S A DREAM FOR US, THAT ONE DAY WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE TEACHERS PER CLASS.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MAKE MY MOTION NOW AS WELL.
UM, MR. MARTIN, UH, ACTUALLY CAME AND, AND GAVE ME PERMISSION TO MAKE THE MOTION ON THIS, ON THIS PARTICULAR RENEWAL.
SO BASED ON THE CONDITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN BY, UM, GENERAL COUNSEL, UH, I MOVE THAT WE RENEW THE BASIS MID-CITY CHARTER.
SO WE HAVE MS. CARLA POWELL LEWIS, WITH THE MOTION TO RENEW FOR SIX YEARS, AND WE HAVE MS. EMILY SOLE SECONDED IT.
ANY BOARD COMMENTS OTHER THAN MR. MARTIN? YES, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE NATIONAL CHARTER SOMETIMES GET A, GET A BAD RAP, BUT PARTICULARLY WITH MID-CITY, I WANT TO REALLY COMMEND, UH, THE WORK OF, OF COURSE, PRINCIPAL A AND ALSO THE NATIONAL BASIS ORGANIZATION HAVING ONCE SERVED ON THE BASIS BOARD HERE.
UM, I REMEMBER WHEN MID-CITY OPENED AND NOBODY AT THE ORGANIZATION WAS HAPPY WITH ITS INITIAL PERFORMANCE.
AND, UM, THE NATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF A SAW THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY COMMITTED TO TURNING THAT AROUND FOR THE SAKE OF THE STUDENTS THAT WERE ATTENDING THERE, UH, AND, UH, MADE THE PERSONNEL CHANGES AND OTHER STRUCTURAL CHANGES THEY NEEDED TO MAKE, BROUGHT IN PRINCIPAL LAMB TO OVERSEE KIND OF BOTH SCHOOLS AND, UH, AND, AND HAVE BEEN REMARKABLY SUCCESSFUL IN TURNING THAT SCHOOL AROUND.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO PRINCIPAL LAMB AND TO THE BASIS ORGANIZATION FOR DOING THAT.
UH, MR. MARTIN, I DID WANT TO COMPLIMENT, UH, OUR HEAD OF SCHOOL FOR BASIS MID-CITY MI.
MARISSA CARROLL HAS BEEN A DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THE SCHOOL.
SHE'S SO DEDICATED TO THE SUCCESS OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, SO I JUST WANTED TO GIVE HER KUDOS AS WELL.
THANK YOU, MS. CARROLL, WHERE DID YOU SPEND A GREAT DEAL OF YOUR TIME LEARNING AND PRACTICING AND HONING YOUR SKILLS? I SPENT A GREAT DEAL OF MY TIME UNDER YOU, MR. COLE AT OH, NO, I WOULD LOSE
WELL, BUT YOU WERE ONE OF MY FIRST PRINCIPLES IN EBRI AM VERY PROUD FOR THE WORK THAT I DID, NOT ONLY AT BASIS SO FAR, BUT ALSO IN EBR.
I ALSO WANNA MAKE MENTION THAT I VISITED, UH, UH, THE BASIS MATRA CAMPUS IN DECEMBER.
MS. SOLE AND I VISITED, AND MR. LAMB AND I TALKED A GREAT DEAL ABOUT COLLABORATION.
UH, HOW CAN WE WORK TOGETHER TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE SAME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR TEACHERS, UH, THAT'S BEING PROVIDED FOR SOME OF THE BASIS TEACHERS.
SO TO YOUR POINT, UH, UM, MS. POWELL LEWIS, WE, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE LEARN FROM EACH OTHER.
UH, I THINK IN ITS INCEPTION, CHARTER SCHOOLS WOULD DEVELOP TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND THEN ONCE THEY WERE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT, THE CHARTERS LOCAL, UH, EL, UH, SCHOOL SYSTEMS WERE TO LEARN FROM THEM AND THEN DEPLOY THOSE, UH, SYSTEMS AND STRATEGIES IN THEIR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO FOR ME, UH, WHILE BASIS IS A CHARTER SCHOOL, ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND BASIS, WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE MY STUDENTS.
AND WE HAVE TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THEM ALL.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO COLLABORATE AND LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO WORKING TOGETHER TO SHARE IDEAS, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, UH, BE AT GRADE LEVEL OR ABOVE.
THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT COLE.
UH, AGAIN, AS I'VE BEEN SAYING FOR SOME OF THE OTHERS, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING, UH, TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN.
AND I KNOW THAT BASIS HAS GOTTEN SOME, SOME COMMENTS, BELIEVE IT AT THAT, ABOUT NOT EDUCATING THE NORMAL CHILD OR THE CHILD.
THAT IS TYPICAL OF WHAT WE HAVE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THAT BASIS, MID-CITY HAS AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATION THAT IS ESSENTIALLY EQUAL TO THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED POPULATION WITHIN EBR.
UH, AND SO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE HEAR BASIS, THAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY SAY, BUT THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH BASIS MID-CITY.
AND I CONGRATULATE YOU GUYS ON TAKING THAT AS A TASK, UH, AND MAKING THAT COME TO FRUITION.
I HOPE YOU CAN WORK WITH YOUR BRETHREN THE OTHER SCHOOL TO, TO IMPROVE THAT.
[01:20:01]
I GREATLY CONGRATULATE YOU AND YOUR TEAMS ON, ON THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING AT MID-CITY.A COUPLE YEARS AGO, WE HAD A NOT SO NICE EXCHANGE ABOUT HOW I FELT LIKE BASIS DID BUSINESS.
UM, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY THIS TO, IT'S ALL PUBLIC EDUCATION.
KIDS WHO ARE GETTING EDUCATED IN A CHARTER SCHOOL AND KIDS WHO ARE GETTING EDUCATED IN DIRECT RUN SCHOOLS, THEY'RE ALL RECEIVING PUBLIC EDUCATIONS.
IF THEIR PARENTS ARE NOT WRITING YOU A CHECK EVERY MONTH TO EDUCATE THEIR KIDS.
FOR THE MOST PART, IT'S PUBLIC EDUCATION.
I JUST THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE DIVISIVE, THE DIVISIVE TOOLS THAT PEOPLE LIKE TO USE WHEN THEY'RE LINING UP TO PICK A FIGHT.
CHARTER SCHOOLS THIS, DIRECT SCHOOLS, THAT THEY'RE ALL PUBLIC DOLLARS AND IT'S ALL PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND MAKE SURE I'M ON THE RECORD FOR SAYING THAT
YOU AND I'M GONNA COME SEE YOU.
LET'S GO TOGETHER AND THANK YOU FOR BEING THE TYPE ONE
IS THAT ALL THE COMMENTS? OKAY.
UM, MADAME SECRETARY, CAN YOU CALL FOR A VOTE PLEASE? PLEASE VOTE.
I JUST WANNA TAKE A STEP BACK.
UM, I DID REALIZE, UH, OUR SCREENS HAD TO BE UPDATED FOR THE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, COMMENTS, UH, ONLINE.
UM, THERE WAS A PUBLIC COMMENT FOR ITEM F FOUR, WHICH WAS THE CONTRACT RENEWAL FOR THE CITY OF BATON ROUGE, THE ADULT EDUCATION EBR PARISH, UM, BY MS. TRITA WILLIAMS. LET'S CONTINUE SUPPORTING THIS PROGRAM AS IT PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN REDUCING RECIDIVISM RATES MOVING FORWARD.
PLEASE PROVIDE MORE DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE PARTICIPANTS.
LET'S WORK TO ENSURE PARTICIPANTS HAVE ALL THE NECESSARY TOOLS TO IMPROVE GRADUATION RATES WHENEVER FEASIBLE, GIVEN ANY RESTRICTIONS IN ENHANCING GRADUATION RATES SHOULD REMAIN A PRIORITY.
THEN THERE WAS ONE LAST ONE, WHICH WAS G ONE, WHICH WAS THE CHARTER, UM, APPLICATION FOR COLLEGIATE BY THE SAME PERSON, MS. WILLIAMS. GIVEN THE POOR PERFORMANCE AND HISTORY OF FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH THIS CHARTER SCHOOL SYSTEM IN NEW ORLEANS AND BATON ROUGE, I DO NOT SUPPORT APPROVING THIS APPLICATION OR ANY APPLICATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
MOVING ALONG, THE NEXT UM, IS NUMBER SIX, CHARTER
[G.6. Charter Surrender: IDEA Public Schools, Inc.]
SURRENDER, UM, IDEA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THAT? ANY BOARD COMMENTS, MS. SOLE? YEAH, I WANNA, I WROTE IT DOWN SO I GET IT RIGHT.
AND I WANNA AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ENTER INTO THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH CHARTER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXISTING CHARTER TERM.
UM, AND SO I WANNA PUT THAT IN THERE ALSO SAYING THOUGH, THAT YOU'RE GONNA COME BACK AND GIVE US UPDATES AND TELL US WHAT'S HAPPENING.
IS THERE A SECOND? I I WILL SECOND WITH THE, THE CAVEAT THAT COMES BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL OF THE FINAL AGREEMENT, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU.
APPROVAL OF THE AGREEMENT WITH THE CHARTER OPERATOR.
OH, WITH WHO, WHO THE SUPERINTENDENT PICKS? YES.
WI CHOOSE IF THAT'S, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND YEAH, I SERVE AT THE PLEASURE.
YOU AND MS. PAUL LEWIS SECONDED.
YEAH, I BOTH, I'M JUST
[01:25:01]
COMMENTS? NO.IS THAT A SECOND OR IS THAT AN AMENDMENT? NO, I SECOND IT.
I ASKED YOU IF YOU WOULD ACCEPT THAT.
IS THAT OKAY WITH YOU? I DON'T, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WANNA WANT CLARIFICATION? OH, WILL YOU ASK IF, IF THEY CAN RESTATE THE MOTION, PLEASE? THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
I WAS GONNA ASK YOU TO RESTATE THE MOTION SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND IT.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS, LOUISIANA CHARTERS FOR IDEA BRIDGE AND INNOVATION, AND AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ENTER INTO ADMINISTRATIVE AGREEMENTS WITH CHARTER MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE EXISTING CHARTER TERMS, AND TO RETURN TO THE BOARD FOR THE FINAL APPROVAL OF THOSE AGREEMENTS.
MADAM SECRETARY, CAN YOU CALL FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE? VOTE.
[G.7. Student Expulsion]
SEVEN, UH, WHICH IS THE STUDENT EXPULSION.UM, BOARD MEMBERS, HAVE YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE CASE? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO HEAR THE MATTER? UM, NEXT REGULAR MEETING IF NO MOTION, UM, HEARING NO MOTION.
AND SECOND, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION STANDS.
[H.1. Announcement of Meetings]
H, ORGANIZATIONAL ITEMS, ANNOUNCEMENTS OF MEETINGS.UH, THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 6TH, 2025 AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE BOARDROOM.
AND THE REGULAR MEETING WILL BE HELD ON FEBRUARY 20TH AT 5:00 PM IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
MR. GODDE, I MOVE, WE ADJOURN.