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EVERYONE.[Item A]
THIS IS THE TUESDAY, APRIL 21ST, 2020 REGULAR MEETING OF THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD WILL BE NOW BE CALLED TO ORDER.THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WILL BE A NOTICE AND INSTRUCTIONS AS WRITTEN IN OUR BOARD DOCS INFORMATION.
THIS NOTICE IS IN REFERENCE TO THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD CERTIFICATION, PURSUANT TO GUBERNATORIAL PROCLAMATION, J V E 2020 DASH 30 REGARDING BOARD MEMBER PARTICIPATION BY TELEPHONE OR VIDEO CONFERENCE, AS IT RELATES TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT DUE TO THE PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCY CAUSED BY THE KONA DISEASE 2019 COVID DASH 19, AND THE STAY AT HOME ORDERS ISSUED BY PRESIDENT TRUMP AND GOVERNOR EDWARDS, THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD MAY FOR THE DURATION OF THIS EMERGENCY CONDUCT BOARD MEETINGS AND COMMITTEE MEETINGS ELECTRONICALLY VIA TELEPHONE AND OUR VIDEO CONFERENCE ACCORDINGLY, THEIR REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 21ST, 2020 SCHEDULED TO BEGIN AT 5:00 PM, WHICH IS NOW WILL BE STREAMED LIVE VIA THE MICROSOFT TEAMS EVENTS.
A LINK TO WATCH THE MEETING CAN BE FOUND ON THE SCHOOL BOARD'S WEBSITE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE HOMEPAGE UNDER EVENTS.
SO THAT MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY VIEW THE MEETING, SIMPLY CLICK ON THE WORD BOARD DOCS, AND YOU WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE MEETING.
A PERIOD OF WRITTEN COMMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT WILL BE PROVIDED BEFORE THE MEETING, AS WELL AS BEFORE EACH ACTION IS TAKEN BY THE BOARD ON AN ACTION ITEM, INDIVIDUALS WISHING TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT ABOUT ANY POST-IT ACTION ITEMS WILL NEED TO CLICK THE AGENDA ITEM ON BOARD DOCS AND SUBMIT THEIR, THE HIGHLIGHTED PUBLIC COMMENT HYPERLINK ON THE AGENDA ITEM DETAILS UPON THE CLOSING OF COMMENTS, THE BOARD PRESIDENT WILL READ INTO THE RECORD THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO GIVE A FEW ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, UH, FOR THE PARTICIPANTS WHO WILL BE SPEAKING, UH, ON THE, ON THE VIDEO LINK.
UH, PLEASE HAVE YOUR MICROPHONES IMMEDIATE AND YOUR CAMERA'S TURNED OFF BEFORE YOU SPEAK, PLEASE UNMUTE AND TURN YOUR CAMERA ON.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE THE PUBLIC DIRECT RECOGNIZE THAT THERE IS ABOUT A 20 TO 32ND TIME DELAY BETWEEN WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY SAYING AND WHAT IS, UH, SHOWN ON THE COMPUTERS AND ON THE TV.
SO WE WILL ALLOW TIME, UH, FOR THAT TO PASS THROUGH.
AS WE ASK FOR COMMENTS, UH, NEXT ORDER, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE BOARD MEMBER, UH, MS. CONNIE BENARD FOR A POINT OF PRIVILEGE, MS. BERNARD, PLEASE UNMUTE.
AND WE'RE GETTING SOMETHING UP.
I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TO THE SAD LOSS OF MS. BERNETTA SHAMBLIN, UM, WHO LIVES IN MY DISTRICT.
UH, WHEN I MET MS. BERNETTA SHAMBLIN SEVERAL YEARS AGO, SHE STRUCK ME AS DETERMINED, ELEGANT, AND DISTINGUISHED, UM, AS A MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND SHE TOLD ME THAT SHE AND HER BELOVED HUSBAND, DR.
GWEN SHAME ON SR, WANTED TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY AND THAT THE BEST WAY THAT WOULD BE THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO THEY WENT INTO THE TEACHING PROFESSION.
UH, SHE WAS ALSO AN ORDAINED MINISTER AND A MEMBER OF WESLEY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
SHE WILL BE MISSED BY THE COMMUNITY, BUT MOSTLY BY HER CHILDREN, GWEN, DR.
TASHA AND MARK SHAMBLIN IN WHOM HER LEGACY LIVES ON.
MR. GODDARD, MS. COLLINS ALSO HAS A, UM, PERSONAL POINT OF PRIVILEGE.
YOU READY FOR ME TO SPEAK? YES, PLEASE.
UH, I JUST ALSO WANTED TO LIFT UP, UH, IN MY DISTRICT, BILLY OR HAD THE PRINCIPAL MS. AL, UH, MS. ANGELA JONES,
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HER FATHER PACED.AND SO, UH, IF WE COULD JUST LIFT HER UP IN SPIRIT, UM, AND, UH, OFFER SOME PEACE, UM, TO THEIR FAMILY AS WELL.
I KNOW SHE WAS VERY CLOSE WITH OUR FATHER AND, UM, THIS IS A TRYING TIME.
NOW WE WILL GO TO, UH, THE INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
MISS EVELYN, WHERE JACKSON, WOULD YOU PLEASE LEAD US IN THE INVOCATION? OKAY.
THANK YOU, MR. GOLDIE FATHER IN HEAVEN.
LORD, WE JUST PRAISE YOU AND WE THANK YOU FATHER, FOR ALL OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT YOU DO, LORD GOD, WE THANK YOU FOR THE HEDGE OF PROTECTION, LORD GOD, THAT YOU'VE PLACED AROUND OUR DISTRICT, AROUND OUR ADMINISTRATORS, OUR TEACHERS, THE FAMILIES THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OUR CHILDREN, LORD GOD, WE JUST THANK YOU, LORD GOD FOR PROTECTING THEM.
LORD FROM THIS SERIOUS VIRUS, LORD GOD.
WE LIFT UP EVERY FAMILY WITH THE LOSS FATHER AND WE PRAY LORD THAT THEY'D BE COMFORTED BY THE HOLY SPIRIT.
AND LORD, WE JUST PRAISE YOU AND HONOR YOU THIS DAY.
AND THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO MEET THIS WAY, FATHER AND LORD LEAD US AND GUIDE US THROUGH EVERY DECISION IN JESUS NAME.
NEXT, WE WILL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE LED BY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, MR. DERRIUS LANTIS.
IF YOU WERE WEARING A HAT LIKE I WAS, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REMOVE IT AND RECITE AFTER THE BEEP, AS OUTSIDE A LOUD, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
UM, NOW MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CALL THE ROLL MARK BULLET DISTRICT ONE, MARK BLUE HERE, DISTRICT TWO.
DEANDRE'S ATLANTIS HERE JUST FOR THREE TERMS IN OUR PRESENT DIFFERENT FOUR LONG COLUMNS PRESENT TO DISTRICT FIVE AT LAMAR JACKSON HERE, DISTRICT SIX DEAL BISON PRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN MICHAEL GO DAY HERE DISTRICT EIGHT COUNTY RENARD, DISTRICT NINE, DAVID DANNA PRESENT.
[Item B]
IS ITEM B ONE MEETING MINUTES, THE APPROVAL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 20, 20, 20 REGULAR BOARD MEETING MARCH 5TH, 2020 AND MARCH 23RD, 2020 SPECIAL BOARD MEETING AND THE MARCH 5TH, 2020 COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE MEETING AS PUBLIC PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL.SO MR. UH, TATLIN MOVED AND MS. BERNARD SECOND, IS THAT CORRECT? YES.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BY THE BOARD MEMBERS, ANY QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE I AM REFRESHING NOW, AND I WILL GIVE A FEW MOMENTS FOR THAT TO COME THROUGH 30 SECONDS SEEMS LIKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF TIME SEEING NONE, NO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC, BACK TO THE BOARD, SEEING NONE MANNER OF SECRETARY, THE WAY WE WILL DO VOTE IS WE'LL DO A ROLL CALL, VOTE AND A VOTE ON BOARD DOCS TO RECORD THE VOTE.
SO MS. ARMAN, WOULD YOU PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE
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MR. BALOO? YES.JACKSON, CAN YOU PLEASE CHECK YOUR BUTTON? CHECK MY BUTTON ON BOARD ON BOARD.
[Item C]
FOR INFORMATION ONLY IS THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT AS SHOWN IN THE BOARD DOCS.ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, SEEING NONE WE'LL
[Item D]
MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM, WHICH IS ITEM D ONE, THE UPDATE FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT.UH, FIRST THING I'D LIKE TO SAY IS I WANT TO, UH, SPEAK OUT TO THE FAMILIES, UH, OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES AND SAY WHAT THE ABRUPT ENDING SCHOOL ON MARCH 13TH, WE'RE DOING THE VERY BEST WE CAN TO GET THAT EDUCATION OUT TO YOU.
AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT DISTANCE EDUCATION HERE IN JUST A MOMENT, BUT I JUST WANT ALL THE FAMILIES AND ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND EMPLOYERS TO KNOW THAT WE'RE PRAYING FOR YOU.
WE WANT YOU TO KEEP SAFE, DIFFICULT TIME.
SO WE'LL BRING UP THE, UH, THE DISTANCE FROM TANGENCY PLAN SHANE.
THE, UH, WHEN SCHOOL ENDED ON MARCH, WE WENT, THEY ONLY HAD A TWO HOUR WINDOW.
AND SO WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HAND OUT ALL OF THE COMPUTERS.
NOW, SOME SCHOOLS DID HAVE COMPUTERS THAT WERE OUT INTO THE SCHOOLS, AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND YOU, UH, THROUGH DISTANCE EDUCATION RECENTLY, WE'VE, UH, CONVERTED FROM THE PAPER PACKETS, WHICH WE'RE STILL DOING SOME OF THOSE TO A DISTANCE EDUCATION PROGRAM BECAUSE THIS OF COURSE IS THE FUTURE.
SO TAKE A LOOK AT THE PURPOSE IN BOARD MEMBERS.
I SENT THIS TO YOU EARLIER TODAY, WHERE YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT ALL, BUT BASICALLY IT'S, IT'S IT'S TO OUTLINE A FRAMEWORK THAT TRANSITIONS OUR DISTRICT TO A VIRTUAL LEARNING MODEL.
CHARMAINE RUTLEDGE, UH, HR, UH, IT, AMY DAPHNE, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE WORKED EXTREMELY CLOSE TOGETHER WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TEAMS WITH OUR EIGHT DAYS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS TO BEGIN THIS PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE, OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS YESTERDAY, AND TODAY WE HANDED OUT MANY, MANY LAPTOPS, I THINK 2000 OR SO AT CURRENT TIME RIGHT NOW.
BUT IF YOU'LL TAKE A LEARNER, LOOK AT THIS BEGINNING.
WHEN WE FIRST GOT OUT ON MARCH 13TH, WE WERE DOING ENRICHMENT LEARNING, UH, PACKETS WITH TWO WEEKS WORTH OF CONTENT.
AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT WE WERE DOING THERE WITH A SHIFT TO THE DISTANCE EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, WE WERE, WE ARE A ONE-TO-ONE DISTRICT.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 40,000 DEVICES IN THE SCHOOLS.
NOT ALL STUDENTS TOOK THEM HOME, AND THAT WAS THE PROBLEM.
SO WE'RE TRANSITIONING TO A DELIVERY WHICH WILL BE VIRTUAL, UH, FOR ALL STUDENTS, EVERY STUDENT WILL BE EQUIPPED WITH A DEVICE AND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, AND I'M NOT GOING TO READ ALL OF THAT, BUT YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, SUPPORT THROUGH VIRTUAL LEARNING.
AND, UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, THAT WE HAVE HAD A TREMENDOUS GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS, AND I'LL GO BACK AND SAY, DR.
TAMALE AND ALL OF THEM WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING
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ON THIS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.NEXT SLIDE WITH, WE STARTED OFF WITH SURVEYS.
WE SENT SURVEYS TO OUR EDUCATORS.
WE SENT SURVEYS HOME, AND I KNOW THIS MAY BE DIFFICULT TO SAY, BUT BASICALLY WE WERE SURPRISED, HAPPILY SURPRISED THAT WE HAVE MORE CONNECTIVITY THAN WE THOUGHT WE DID IN THE HOMES AND IN OUR, UH, WITH OUR EDUCATORS.
SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING TOO.
I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT SLIDE.
IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, OF WHERE WE ARE.
YOU CAN SEE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL MARCH 13TH WAS OUR LAST DAY, UH, OF SCHOOLING MARCH 23RD, STUDENT ENRICHMENT BEGINS THROUGH ACT PREP, UH, FOR PACKETS AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE SENT HOME.
WE GAVE OUT THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PACKETS ON APRIL 6TH.
A DISTANCE EDUCATION PLAN WAS COMMUNICATED THROUGH THE, UH, LEADERSHIP FACULTY AND STAFF ON THE 10TH.
WE STARTED SPRING BREAK AND WE BEGAN TO GET, UH, OUR WORK DONE WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP FROM APRIL 15TH THROUGH 17TH.
IF YOU LOOK AT APRIL 20TH, THAT STARTED DEVICE DISSEMINATION, WHICH WAS YESTERDAY INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS I CAN TELL YOU IS WE HAVE HAD TREMENDOUS SUPPORT FROM MS. COLLINS HAS A QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED YOU ON THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE.
IF YOU COULD JUST GO BACK, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PEOPLE ARE CLEAR BECAUSE IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT ANIMAL.
WE USED TO GRADING, UH, ASSIGNMENTS FOR A GRADE THAT'S GONNA ACCUMULATE.
AND WE USED TO DOING ATTENDANCE, UH, TO MAKE SURE NO ONE IS TRUANT, ET CETERA.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST KIND OF GO BACK TO THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, UM, EITHER AT THIS MOMENT OR TOWARDS THE KNOW TOWARDS THE END OF YOUR PRESENTATION AND MAKE SURE THAT, UH, PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND TEACHERS UNDERSTAND WHAT WE MEAN BY, UH, THE GRADING AND ATTENDANCE.
WELL, SHANE, CAN YOU GO BACK A SLIDE? IF NOT, I CAN JUST, ONE OF THE THINGS, UH, WE WILL TELL YOU IS THIS, THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A WHOLE HARMLESS, UH, PURSUIT WHERE STUDENTS ENDED ON MARCH 13TH.
NO ONE IS GOING TO GET WORSE THAN THAT BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE WON'T HAVE EVERY STUDENT IN ATTENDANCE ALL OF THE TIME.
THE ATTENDANCE PART OF IT IS NOT TO TAKE IT TO THE STATE LEVEL WHERE YOU HAVE TO ATTEND SO MANY DAYS IT'S TO KNOW WHO IS DOING THE DISTANCE LEARNING.
SO THAT'S TWO THINGS WE REALLY WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE WANT YOU TO ON THE VIRTUAL LEARNING ATMOSPHERE, WE WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK AND GET YOUR GRADES BETTER, BUT IT'S ALSO A HO HOLD HARMLESS.
AND ANDREA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER ON WHEN WE'RE ASKING YOU TO WAIVE A PUPIL PROGRESSION.
SO WE, AS A STATE SAYS, AND WE SAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE ALL FOUR SEMESTERS.
SO IT HAS A FARM, A HOLD HARM PLAN.
MR. DRAKE, MR. HOWARD HAS A QUESTION.
HE SAID THAT AFTER THE PRESENTATION IS FINE.
NOW, DEVICE DISSEMINATION STARTED YESTERDAY, INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
AND WHAT I WAS GETTING TO SAY IS WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF, UH, NOT ONLY INDIVIDUALS, BUT CORPORATIONS WHO'VE HELPED, HELPED US GET CONNECTIVITY FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I THINK THAT'S REALLY VERY, VERY GOOD.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.
AND LIKE I SAID, WE WERE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED TO SEE, UH, THE, UH, NUMBER OF THE AMOUNT OF CONNECTIVITY WE HAD ON MAY 4TH.
UH, THAT IS WHEN WE'RE OFFICIALLY BEGINNING DISTANCE EDUCATION WILL BE IN PLACE WHERE ALL EBR STUDENTS AND STRUCTURAL INSTRUCTION WILL COVER THE REMAINING STANDARDS FROM THE CURRENT ACADEMIC YEAR.
NOW THERE'S AN ENDING POINT, WHICH WE KNOW WHICH WILL BE MAY 22ND.
I BELIEVE IT IS WHICH THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR WILL END.
AND AT THAT TIME WE WILL TRANSITION INTO THE SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM.
THERE WILL BE A REMEDIATION FOR STUDENTS, UH, BUT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE OUR FUTURE.
SO I, AGAIN, I WANT TO SAY TO THE, THE, THE STAFF WHO WORKED ON THIS, DR.
RUTLEDGE, DAPHNE DONALDSON, AMY JONES, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE WHO'VE WORKED ON THIS HAVE REALLY, REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB ON IT.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THE LAST DAY, WHICH IS JUNE 2ND, A STATE ACT, DATE AND ACCOMMODATIONS.
AND THAT ALSO INFORMATION CAME FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT TODAY WOULD SHOW HOW WE WERE GOING TO DO THOSE THINGS, UH, OVER THE SUMMER.
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SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE, UH, DISTANCE EDUCATION PLAN WILL BE SELF-PACED STUDENT LED ALSO REAL-TIME TEACHER LED, AND I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THAT TO YOU, BUT IT WILL BE A COMBINATION OF THESE THINGS.IT WILL BE, UH, LIVE, UH, FIRST NAIL, SUCH AS COUNSELORS, PARAPROFESSIONALS THERAPIST WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION AND SERVICES, MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL LEARNERS.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, THIS IS GOING TO BE AN EXCITING TIME FOR US NEXT LAP.
AND THERE'S THREE PHASES TO IT.
WE'RE CURRENTLY, EXCUSE ME, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN PHASE ONE, NOT GOING TO READ IT ALL TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN SEE ALL OF THE WORK THAT'S GONE INTO THIS.
AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU GO BACK TO MARCH 13TH, WE ONLY HAD A TWO HOUR NOTICE BEFORE WE LEFT FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET DEVICES OUT PHASE TWO.
YOU CAN SEE, UH, WHEN THAT WILL START AND, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION OF IT.
AND THEN THE EXECUTION OF IT BEGINS ON THE WEEK OF MAY 4TH.
AND EVEN THOUGH WE ONLY HAVE TWO AND A HALF WEEKS AFTER THAT IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, TECHNICALLY IT'S A HOLD HARMLESS PROGRAM.
SO WE WANT, UH, STUDENTS WILL NOT GO LOWER THAN WHAT THEY HAD WHEN THEY LEFT SCHOOL ON MARCH 13.
SO THIS IS AN EXCITING, UH, REALLY AN EXCITING PROGRAM THAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO LET'S, UH, LET ME MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM HERE, THE NEXT ITEM.
AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT DOWN NOW.
EXCUSE ME, MR. DRAKE, MS. DYSON HAS A COMMENT.
UM, WITH SO MUCH TIME BEHIND US, I AM WONDERING, AND I'VE HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR SUMMER DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM, AND IF IT WILL BE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS THAT OPT IN, WE INTEND TO MAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE.
THERE WILL ALSO BE, STUDENTS WILL BE MAKING UP WORK IN OUR REGULAR SUMMER PROGRAM, BUT YES, WE INTEND TO CONTINUE LEARNING OVER THE SUMMER.
WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW THAT'S GOING TO LOOK.
WE'RE BUILDING THAT OPPORTUNITY RIGHT NOW.
ANYONE ELSE? UH, SHANE, LET'S GO, LET'S TAKE THAT DOWN AND LET ME GO INTO THE CHILD NUTRITION PIECE THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION.
UH, EVERYTHING SOUNDS PRETTY GOOD.
THUS FAR, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT GRADUATION AND COMMENCEMENT AND HOPE I'M NOT OVER JUMPING THE GUN, BUT I ASKED SEVERAL CONCERNED PARENTS THAT HAVE CONTINUOUSLY REACHED OUT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR ITEM.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, DID YOU HAVE ANY UPDATES ON THAT PARTICULAR ISSUE? WE SENT OUT OF SENIOR LETTER.
I THOUGHT THAT Y'ALL GOT A COPY OF THAT, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T, WE'LL GET YOU A COPY OF THAT, UH, ON GUIDANCE FOR THE SENIORS.
UH, AS FAR AS THE, THE ACTUAL CEREMONIES, WE HAVE NOT, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH PRINCIPALS ON EXACTLY HOW THAT WILL HAPPEN AND AT WHAT, WHAT TIMEFRAME THAT WILL HAPPEN.
OF COURSE, WE CAN'T ALL GET TOGETHER RIGHT NOW, SO WE COULDN'T HAVE THEM IN THE LOCATIONS THAT WE NORMALLY DO.
BUT THE SENIOR PIECE OF THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.
UH, OUR STAFF, ADAM, THEN WHEN TINA, ANDREA, ALL OF THEM ARE WORKING ON THAT.
AND, UH, WE SENT OUT A SENIOR LETTER TO PARENTS TO GIVE THEM GUIDANCE ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD, THE ACTUAL CEREMONY PIECE WE DECIDED ON YET.
AND THE TIMELINE FOR THAT, ANYONE ELSE, MS. WARD JACKSON WOULD LIKE, UM, MAKE A COMMENT.
UM, MR. DRAKE, I'M WONDERING ABOUT THOSE STUDENTS OR PARENTS THAT DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION IN ORDER TO, UM, PICK UP THE CHROMEBOOKS.
WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE PASSING OUT THE CHROMEBOOKS, IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY.
WE HAVE BEEN PASSING OUT CHROMEBOOKS, UH, YESTERDAY AND TODAY.
IS THERE SOMETHING IN PLACE FOR THOSE PARENTS THAT DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION, OR IF THEY ARE SOME OF THOSE WORKERS THAT ARE THERE STILL IN PLACE STILL WORKING THAT ARE WORKING DURING THE HOURS THAT WE'LL BE DISSEMINATING THE CHROMEBOOKS, UH, HOW WILL WE GET THE, UH, CHROMEBOOKS TO THOSE STUDENTS? DO WE HAVE A PLAN FOR THAT, OR ARE WE CONSIDERING THAT THAT PLAN IS IN THE WORKS, BUT EACH TEACHER IS GOING TO CONTACT THEIR STUDENTS.
SO THEN THEY'LL KNOW IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE OR THEY DO HAVE ONE.
AND THEN FROM THAT POINT FORWARD WE'LL PLAN TO GET THOSE STUDENTS
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FROM BOOKS, UH, DR.TAMALE, OR ARE YOU ON THE, UH, CALL? CAN YOU HEAR ME? YOU MAY WANT TO EXPAND ON THAT A MOMENT.
THIS IS, UH, QUINTINA UM, TO YOUR QUESTION, UM, MS. JACKSON, WE DO HAVE, UH, TEACHERS WHO ARE MAKING THOSE PERSONAL DELIVERIES TO A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE INDICATING THAT THEY NEED CHROMEBOOKS SECONDARY TO THAT.
WE ALSO, AS A PART OF OUR DIGITAL READINESS SURVEY, WE DID ASK PARENTS UPFRONT IN THAT SURVEY WHO WOULD NEED TRANSPORTATION ASSISTANCE, AND WE'VE RECEIVED ABOUT 10,000 RESPONSES.
AND OUT OF THAT 10,000, WE ONLY HAD ABOUT 8% OF OUR PARENTS INDICATING THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT.
SO A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO MANAGE THAT INDIVIDUALLY.
AND AS I ALSO MENTIONED, WE'VE HAD, UH, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT GROUPS WHO ARE HELPING OUR STUDENTS GET CONNECTED IF THEY'RE NOT.
I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT SUCCESS.
WE ARE, UH, FADING MEALS NOW IN ACTUALLY THREE DIFFERENT WAYS.
UH, WE'RE DOING THE, A BOX MEALS THAT ARE WEEK LONG BOX MEALS.
SO WE WILL BE PASSING THOSE OUT ON MONDAYS AND THEY'LL BE FOR A WEEK.
WE'RE GOING TO A 10 DAY BOX AT SOME POINT.
WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED THE, UH, CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY GROUP.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANTED TO DO, UH, BALLARD JUMPED IN THERE VERY QUICKLY AND DID A GREAT JOB AND IS CONTINUING TO DO A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB FOR ON THAT.
BUT WE'VE ALSO ENGAGED THE CITY HOSPITAL CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY GROUP, AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE COOKING MEALS, HOT MEALS, AND THEN LASH FREEZING THEM.
AND SO THERE, WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE HANDING THEM OUT ON THE SAME SITES.
AND SO, UH, THIS IS A WAY TO ENGAGE, UH, A GROUP, A CONSORTIUM OF ABOUT 65 TO 70 RESTAURANTS IN BATON ROUGE AND HELP KEEP OUR PEOPLE WORKING.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH BALLARD AND WITH THE CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY, UH, I DO WANT TO SAY, UH, THE CHILD NUTRITION PIECE, I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, STARTING IN MAY, WE WILL BE DOING CHRIS, UH, GOING, WE'LL BE HANDING OUT ON MONDAY, MAY 4TH, 11TH, 18TH, AND 25 FIFTH, FOR EXAMPLE, A BALLARD 10 DAY BOX, UH, CITY GROUP FIVE DAY BOX.
UH, AND WE'RE DOING THAT AT CREST WORK.
THEY'LL MOCK PROGRESS, SCOTLANDVILLE, MIDDLE AND WHITE HILLS.
AND THEN EACH DAY THERE'LL BE FIVE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS, UH, BALLARD AND CITY GROUP, WE'LL BE PASSING OUT FIVE AND 10 DAY BOXES.
UH, THE FIVE DAY BOXES WILL HAVE FROZEN MEALS IN THEM AS WELL.
AND I WANT TO REALLY COMMAND, UH, NOT JUST DR. MANN, BUT THAT ENTIRE STAFF, UH, THEY HAVE BEEN JUST INCREDIBLE THIS WHOLE TIME.
AND I WANT Y'ALL TO, I DO WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE COULDN'T, UH, WE, WE HAD TO TRANSITION OUR STAFF THAT WE NOW HAVE EIGHT, EIGHT, UH, EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE COVID-19, WHO WERE WORKING THAT STARTING BACK A WAY A MONTH AGO.
SO, UH, WE NEED TO KEEP THEM IN OUR PRAYERS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE DON'T THINK THOSE CASES ARE VERY SERIOUS, BUT THEY ARE CASES.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS, THIS HAS BEEN A TRUE SUCCESS STORY AS WELL.
NEXT, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FOUNDATION FOR A MOMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO APPLAUD ALL THE EFFORTS, THE TEAM EFFORTS ON, UM, GETTING ALL OF THESE MEALS DISTRIBUTED.
UM, I DO WANT TO ASK A QUESTION.
UM, ONE THING THAT, UM, I WANTED TO TO ASK IS, UM, HOW W WHAT KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY IS FAR AS ASSURING THAT THE BALLARD BOXES ARE, UM, FRESH AND, UM, NOT SOILED OR NOT, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S GOT FRESH FRUIT IN THERE THAT IT'S STILL FRESH AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, DO WE HAVE ANYTHING IN PLACE? UM, FOR SOME ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES THERE? UH, YES, MA'AM THE BALLARD BOXES ARE SHELF STABLE, SO THERE'S NO FRESH FOOD IN THERE.
NOW WITH EVERY BOX, IF IT'S A FIVE DAY BOX, THEY WILL GET A HALF A GALLON OF MILK AS WELL.
SO FOR EACH, FOR EACH DAY, THEY WILL GET A BOX AND FIVE, HALF GALLONS OF MIL, A CLIMB.
THEY'VE, THEY'VE DRIVEN A TRUCK TO EVERY LOCATION.
SO THOSE ARE SHELF STABLE BOXES, OTHER THAN THE FRESH MILK.
THOSE ARE CANNED GOODS AND FOUR OR FIVE DAY PERIOD.
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RUN A NATIONWIDE ON THE SMALLER CANNED GOODS.AND SO WE'RE PUTTING THE LARGER CANNED GOODS AND WENT TO A FIVE DAY OR A 10 DAY BOX, BUT THOSE ARE ALL, UH, VERY HIGH QUALITY, UH, CANNED GOODS.
THERE'S A GRANOLA BARS IN THEM, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT AS WELL.
BUT, UH, BALLARD IS GETTING IN 18 WHEELERS FROM ACROSS THE NATION ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO SERVICE THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SITTING SOMEWHERE.
AND, UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY GROUP AND TO TRY TO HELP SUPPORT ALL OF OUR SMALL BUSINESS RESTAURANTS IN THE REGION, AND, UM, VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THAT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, I DO ALSO, AND YOU YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO SEE WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT IN PLACE AS FAR AS MAIL, DISTRIBUTION AND RESTRICTIONS AS TO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, UH, SOME SITUATIONS WHERE BUSES HAVE COME IN AND LOADING UP ALL OF THE, UH, FOOD, AND THEN, UH, THAT MIGHT BE BY 11 OR 1130, AND IT'S SUPPOSED TO STAY OPEN UNTIL TWO.
SO ARE WE REALLY LOOKING AT MAKING SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THAT, THAT THEY CAN'T TAKE THE REMAINING UNTIL MAYBE 10 MINUTES BEFORE TO CLOSING TIME, SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO ALLOW FOR THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES THAT ARE IN LINE TRYING TO RECEIVE FOOD? YES.
UH, FOR ONE THING, WE'RE GIVING IT TO EVERY CHILD, EVERY CHILD, EVERY FAMILY, EVERY PERSON WHO COMES BY THAT PARTICULAR GROUP IS LIMITED TO 100 BOXES.
AND MOST OF THE TIME IT'S AT THE END OF THE SERVICE, THEY HAVE A LIST OF ABOUT 600 FAMILIES THAT THEY ACTUALLY PERSONALLY DELIVER THEM TO.
SO IF THEY'RE GETTING TO FAMILIES, WE'RE OKAY WITH THAT.
SO, BUT EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, SO, BUT WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP IT FROM BEING ALL SENT OUT AT ONE TIME.
UH, WE'RE LIMITING, LIMITING THAT TO 100 BOXES.
THERE'S ABOUT 2000 BOXES PER SITE, PER DAY.
WELL, SO IF WE COULD JUST REINFORCE THAT RIGHT AT CLOSING TIME, THEN THEY GET THEIR ALLOTMENT.
UM, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WHERE PEOPLE ARE SAYING THAT THEY'D BEEN STANDING, UH, PARKED IN LINE AND THEN THE BUS ARRIVES, AND THEN THEY TAKE, AND THEN BY THE TIME THEY GET UP THERE, IT'S ALL GONE.
AND THAT HAPPENING, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AN HOUR OUT BEFORE NOON, UM, WHEN THEY WERE THINKING THEY COULD GO AS LATE AS ONE 30, ONE 45.
UM, SO IF WE COULD JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT PARAMETERS IN PLACE FOR THESE HUNDRED BOXES THAT ARE GOING OUT AT A TIME, AND MAYBE THERE'S A BETTER PLACE FOR DISTRIBUTION FOR THOSE THAN OUR SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU, MR. DRAKE, MR. SMITH, THAT WE HAVE MOVED TO THE 10 DAY BOX WITH A GALLON OF MILK AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PRE-ORDER, I'M NOT SURE IF MR. SMITH WANTS TO SPEAK.
AND THEN I HAVE MS. COLLINS WITH A COMMENT.
UM, BEFORE, UM, BEFORE I'M SORRY.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO, UH, SEE IF MAYBE WE CAN HAVE THOSE GROUPS MAYBE GO TO CENTRAL OFFICE OR THE PDC OR SOMEWHERE OTHER THAN THE SCHOOL FOR THE BUSLOADS TO COME, POSSIBLY THAT MIGHT HELP WITH OUR PARENTS.
AND I'M AWARE OF SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT YOU MENTIONING.
IT HAPPENED AT A FEW OF OUR ELEMENTARY SITES WHEN I TALK WITH DR.
MANN AND SHE SAID THOSE GROUPS ARE SUPPOSED TO COME AT A CERTAIN TIME BEFORE ACTUAL SERVING.
UH, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO REINFORCE, UM, THE SCHEDULED AT THE TIME THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO COME AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO PRE-ORDER THE MALES MOTION DETECTED AT THE CAR ON.
SO ANY OTHER QUESTIONS MS. COLLINS HAD A COMMENT AND THEN MR. UH, I HAD SEEN, UH, MRS. SMITH'S COMMENTS AND I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK HIM TO EXPOUND ON IT AND HE DID, UM, HE DID.
UM, SO, BUT, BUT REAL QUICKLY, THE CONCERNS THAT, UH, MY COLLEAGUE JILL DYSON MENTIONED, UM, WHAT'S THE LIGHT, HAS THAT BEEN RESOLVED OR THOSE
[00:35:01]
OLD, OLD COMMENTS IN THE SENSE THAT WE'VE SUFFICIENTLY ADDRESSED THOSE ISSUES OR, OR IS THERE STILL WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE? UM, AND THEN, UM, DEFINITELY WE DEFINITELY WANT TO MAKE SURE EVERY CHILD IS, IS SERVED AND SOME PEOPLE DO HAVE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES.SO, SO IN THAT REGARD, I'M GLAD THAT THIS COMMUNITY GROUP IS STEPPING UP, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, JUST WANT TO BE A GOOD, MAKE SURE WE'RE BEING GOOD STEWARDS, OR ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE SOME KIND OF ACCOUNTABILITY IN PLACE, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, BECAUSE THIS PARTICULAR GROUP MAY NOT BE DOING ANYTHING, UM, IMPROPER IF YOU WILL, BUT, UM, OTHERS MIGHT GET IDEAS AND, AND I JUST HATE TO SEE, UH, OUR GOOD WORK GETTING EXPLOITED.
YES, MA'AM, UH, IT WAS REITERATED MONDAY WHEN, UH, THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, UH, TALK WITH DR.
MANN AS WELL AS, UH, ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS, UH, ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY SITES.
AND SO I ASKED HER TO VERIFY THAT THE NIBBLER MALES THAT THEY RECEIVED WAS, UH, ACCURATE AND THAT THEY CAME AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
SO THERE'S NO MORE HAPPEN FROM SCHOOL SITE TO SCHOOL, SCHOOL SITE TYPE OF SITUATION.
I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING AS OF TODAY, AND THIS IS TUESDAY.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS CONTINUE.
UH, THE NEXT THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THE FAMILY WE HAD MR. LANDIS.
THAT'S OKAY, GO AHEAD, MS. LLANAS.
SO I JUST HAD SOME SPECIFICS TO ASK.
I KNOW A FEW WEEKS AGO ASKED SPECIFICALLY, I THINK ABOUT TWO TIMES, DO WE HAVE SPECIFIC NUMBERS THAT WE CAN SEE, UH, TO SHOW US, OR ALLOW US TO SEE HOW MANY FAMILIES ARE RECEIVING MEALS EVERYDAY PER SCHOOL SITE? SO THAT WILL BASICALLY MEAN, UH, HOW MANY MEALS ARE BEING RECEIVED, UH, VERSUS HOW MANY MEALS ARE BEING LEFT OVER AT THE REMAINING SCHOOL SITES.
JUST SO IT GIVES ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AN IDEA OF WHETHER THERE ARE SPECIFIC NEEDS AND ALSO JUST TO COME IN ON THE BALLARD, UH, INITIATIVE AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
I APPLAUD EVERY SINGLE COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO HELPING US AT THIS TIME.
HOWEVER, I DID HAVE SOME, UH, NOT NECESSARILY CONCERNS, BUT JUST, I GUESS, A OVERARCHING QUESTION, UH, SURROUNDING AGAIN, I THINK I EXITED INSIDE OF THE EMAIL ABOUT THE THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT AND THE REASON IT WAS BECAUSE THESE WERE FREE SERVICES THAT WE WERE RECEIVING AND THEY WERE FEEDING OR GIVING OUT ABOUT.
I HAD THE CAPACITY AND STILL HAVE THE CAPACITY TO FEED ABOUT, UH, GIVE OUT 12,000 TO 15,000 MEALS A WEEK, UH, DIRECTLY IN COMMUNITIES OF NEED.
SO THEY ARE LITERALLY GOING INSIDE OF NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE PARENTS DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION AND THEY'RE DELIVERING FOODS OR THEY WATER WE'RE DELIVERING FOOD.
SO I WAS JUST WANTING TO KNOW, ARE THERE ANY UPDATES ON POSSIBLE COORDINATION OR IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH THOSE TYPES OF TYPE TYPES OF PARTNERS TOO? BECAUSE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I DON'T WANT US TO MISS IS A LOT OF FAMILIES ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GO TO THOSE SCHOOL SITES.
I HAVE BEEN DIRECTLY ON THE GROUND AT SEVERAL OF THESE SCHOOL SITES.
AND WHILE MANY PARENTS ARE PULLING UP A LOT, A LOT OF MORE PARENTS CAN'T MAKE IT TO THOSE AREAS.
SO I JUST WANT TO KNOW, IS THERE ANY WAY THAT WE ARE DIRECTLY GOING INTO THOSE AREAS, WHETHER IT'S A SPECIFIC NEED WHERE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE THE FOOD WHERE WE CAN GIVE IT TO THEM TO GIVE IT TO THEIR PARENTS, TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS AND THOSE FAMILIES ARE ALSO BEING FED WELL, THOSE ARE ALL GREAT QUESTIONS.
FIRST THING, WE WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THREE 11 GREAT BLOCK PROJECT.
WE'VE ACTUALLY PARTNERED WITH HIM.
THEY COME, WHEN WE WERE COOKING HOT MEALS, THEY, THEY WENT AND TOOK ALL THE HOT MEALS THAT WERE FOOD THAT WAS LEFT OVER AND DELIVERED.
UH, THEY'RE ALSO WORKING WITH, UH, I'M PRETTY SURE THE, UH, CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY GROUP, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING, UH, SO LET ME, LET ME SAY THAT, UH, I'M GOING TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT WHERE WE'RE SERVING.
WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THE SITES AROUND THAT RANGE, WHERE THEY ARE NOT BEING DELIVERED FROM ONE LOCATION, WHICH TO YOUR POINT, MR. LANDIS MAY HELP PEOPLE THAT MAY BE IN A NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY MAY BE ABLE TO WALK THE SCHOOL CLOSEST TO THEM, BUT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DRIVE.
WELL, THESE ARE SOME OF THE SCHOOLS WE'RE GOING TO BE DELIVERING TO FROM MAY 4TH, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH MAY 29TH, WEST WORTH ELEMENTARY CAPITOL, MIDDLE BELLAIRE, HIGH LEHIGH, CREPT, CEDAR CREST, ART VIEW, MCKINLEY METAL BROADMORE, MORE HIGH LABOR AND ELEMENTARY DELMONT PROGRESS, LINUX HIGH GREENBRIAR PARK ELEMENTARY, SOUTHEAST MIDDLE WILDWOOD, TARA HIGH ART FOREST, MIDDLE OF A STREAM OF HIGHEST SCOTLANDVILLE METAL, WHITE HILLS, MARY DALE, ELEMENTARY RIVER OAKS, WESTDALE ELEMENTARY AND WOODLAWN ELEMENTARY.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT DR.
MANN HAS CHOSEN TO DO THIS, UH, UH, SCHOOLS,
[00:40:01]
UH, EIGHT OVER EACH SCHOOL WILL HAVE A DELIVERY ONCE A WEEK IN THE MONTH OF MAY.SO THAT DOES HELP THAT, UH, SO NO MEALS HAVE BEEN WASTED WHEN WE WERE SERVING HOT MEALS.
THOSE MEALS WERE BEING GIVEN TO THE THREE O'CLOCK PROJECT AFTER WE CONTINUE TO PARTNER WITH THEM.
AND NOW THAT WE HAVE, UH, AN AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY GROUP HOSPITALITY, THAT'S PUTTING ALL OF OUR RESTAURANT WORKERS BACK TO WORK, HOPEFULLY, AND THEY ALSO PARTNERED WITH BALLARD.
SO WHEN VALERIE FIRST STARTED WITH ART MEALS, THEY ENGAGE THE CITY GROUP, DO THEIR WORK BALLARD.
UH, FOWLER HAS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN BATON ROUGE AND THEIR SUPPLIERS ARE LOCATED IN BATON ROUGE AS WELL, BUT WE'RE GOING TO, UH, NOW WHERE WE CAN, WE'RE GIVING OUT ALL OF THE FOOD EVERY DAY.
AND IF SOMETHING IS LEFT OVER, LET'S JUST SAY THERE'S 30 OR 40 BOXES LEFT OVER.
THOSE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SITE THE NEXT DAY.
SO WE'RE NOT WASTING ANYTHING NOW.
AND THE, OF THE CITY GROUP IS COOKING IN THE RESTAURANTS AROUND TOWN.
AND MANY OF THEM FIND RESTAURANTS THAT YOU ALL KNOW, AND JUST 65 TO 70 RESTAURANTS, AND THEN THEIR QUICK PHRASING THIS FOOD.
AND THAT IS WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE HANDING OUT, UH, STARTING SOON.
SO IT IT'S, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO DO IT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
WE'RE TRYING TO WHERE PEOPLE CAN DO, WHO DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION COULD WALK UP.
LET ME JUST GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MANY MEALS WE'VE SERVED HERE.
UH, THROUGH YESTERDAY, ROUTE YESTERDAY, WE HAVE SERVED 682,174 MEALS IN BATON ROUGE.
AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY GOOD THING.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR QUESTION.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN, UH, GET TO AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.
ANYONE ELSE ON THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM.
SO LET ME, LET ME UPDATE YOU ON THE WORK THAT THE FOUNDATION HAS BEEN DOING.
UH, KATHLEEN SOURCE FIELD, OUR, OUR, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE FOUNDATION HAS REALLY BEEN AGGRESSIVE WITH CORPORATIONS IN TOWN.
AND, AND I'M JUST GOING TO NAME SOME PEOPLE WHO ARE SUPPORTING US THROUGH NOT ONLY THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM FOR THE FIRST MONTH, BUT NOW IN THE DISTANCE ASSOCIATED GROPE GROCERS, MAYOR, PRESIDENT, FRIENDS, UM, THROUGH MOST OF THAT, THAT WAS 27,000 TO GO BOXES, 11,000 PLASTIC GROCERY BAGS, A THOUSAND PAPERBACKS BATON ROUGE AREA FOUNDATION, AND THE SNYDER PAPER PRODUCT 129,000 TO GO BOXES, BATON ROUGE, FOOD BANK, CAPITAL AREA, UNITED WAY, 375 TO GO BOXES FOR ALL MORE BAPTIST CHURCH THROUGH THE BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER 14,250 CUTLER WITH KIDS OSCHNER HEALTH SYSTEM.
ROB ALIGHT, THANK YOU, MR. GODADDY, UH, 200 MASKS FOR OUR STAFF, UH, EXXON MOBILE, 100, UH, MANY, 100 BOXES.
I THINK OF THESE SMALL BOTTLE AND SANITIZERS FOR OUR STAFF.
LIPSEY'S 24,192 BOTTLES OF WATER FOR OUR STAFF OF THE LOSER COMPANIES IN THE BATON ROUGE AREA CHAMBER 110,000 MCDONALD'S PAPER FAGS FOR DELIVERY OF OUR FOOD PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL CENTER, FIFTH, THE MONITORS OF THE MONITORS ON LOAN FOR STAFF TESTING, A REPRESENTATIVE SEAT TO NACE, MARCEL, AND THAT THROUGH EVELYN WHERE JACKSON, UH, 50 MASKS AND 50 GLOVES FOR STAFF, WE WERE IN GREAT NEED OF THAT, UH, SAM'S CLUB, SEGUN LOCATION, SOUTHERN REGION, MINORITY SUPPLIER DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL, A THOUSAND BOTTLES OF WATER FOR STAFF AND 10 BOTTLES OF SUNSCREEN FOR STAFF OUT THERE WORKING, UH, BEN BEN FORMATICS, INFORMATICS VOLUNTEER, WEBSITE MANAGEMENT, AND YMC OF THE CAPITAL AREA MONITORS FOR, UH, FOR STAFF TESTING.
SO THAT WAS BE AS SOME OF THE THINGS THAT KATHLEEN HAS SECURED THROUGH THE FOUNDATION.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY BEEN TREMENDOUS.
SO, UH, LET ME GO BACK TO THE SENIOR LADDER FOR A MOMENT.
I MENTIONED THE SENIOR LADDER.
WE HAVE PUT THAT ON THE FAMILY RESOURCES, UH, SECTION OF THE WEBSITE, YOU GET TO SEE AND FAMILIES TO SAY, I BELIEVE WE EMAILED FAMILIES WHERE THEY CAN GO TO IT AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
UH, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, UH, MOVING FORWARD, THE TAX PLAN FOR GLEN OUTSIDE SCHOOL IS CONTINUING, UH, GETTING IT'S GETTING READY TO BID.
UH, SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT, UH, ALSO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE ITEMS FROM THE LAST TIME ITEMS THAT I'VE ALREADY APPROVED WITH YOUR PERMISSION.
UH, WE PR I APPROVED THE BALLARD CONTRACT AND I WILL NOW APPROVE THE CITY GROUP CONTRACT TO ENGAGE OUR RESTAURANTS, UH, THE THIRD PARTY EVALUATOR FOR OUR CHARTERS OF THE CANE.
MR. DRAKE, I HAVE A COMMENT FROM MS. BERNARD.
[00:45:06]
MS. MINNAAR, YOU MIGHT BE MUTED.WHERE, WHERE ARE WE WITH THE LAND THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT THAT MR. CARF WAS LOOKING AT FOR US, MR. DRAKE? UH, I HAVE NOT TALKED TO GEORGE IN A WHILE, BUT I WILL ENGAGE WITH HIM TOMORROW TO FIND THAT OUT.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT JUST WITH ALL OF THIS GOING ON, IT SORT OF GOT LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
SO I WANTED TO JUST PUT IT BACK OUT THERE.
WELL, I THINK, I THINK THE LAST TIME HE TALKED TO US, HE SENT, HE SENT YOU GUYS FIVE POSSIBLE LOCATIONS TO DISCUSS, AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT IS RIGHT NOW.
WE HAD THAT MEETING AT THE IRC WITH HIM.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER MEETING I THINK WAS A BOARD MEETING MAYBE, AND WE PRETTY MUCH HAD NARROWED IT DOWN TO ONE LOCATION FOR HIM TO CHECK ON AND HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MEETING WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER AND GETTING BACK TO US.
I WILL CHECK ON THAT TOMORROW TO MAKE SURE I APPRECIATE IT.
BYE-BYE BEFORE YOU GO ON MR. DRAKE, I HAVE MR. LANDIS WITH A COMMENT.
SO MY QUESTION, AND THEN YOU, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE ANSWERED THIS AND IF YOU HAVE, I COMPLETELY APOLOGIZED, BUT I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT SOME, UH, THE MOBILE HOTSPOTS.
I KNOW WE ARE GIVING OUT CHROMEBOOKS TO OUR STUDENTS, WHICH I COMPLETELY APPLAUD.
UH, GRINNELL'S HIGH SCHOOL IS ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS TO DO IT, WHERE TO GO GEO.
UH, BUT I DID HAVE A, UH, AGAIN, I DID HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT, UH, MOBILE HOTSPOTS BECAUSE IT'S ONE THING FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE CHROMEBOOKS, BUT IF THEY CAN'T USE THEM DUE TO LACK OF INTERNET CONNECTION OR CONNECTIVITY, THEN IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL, IT'S ALMOST ALL FOR NOTHING.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY PLANS TO ROLL THOSE OUT FOR PARENTS TO PICK THOSE UP OR DO WE HAVE ANY AT ALL, ARE WE IN FACT WORKING WITH ANY COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT HAVE THE CAPACITY TO HELP US IN THOSE AREAS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, MR. LANICE YET WE'RE WORKING ON TWO FRONTS WITH THAT NUMBER ONE.
UH, ONE OF OUR, UH, THE WILSON FOUNDATION IS WORKING WITH US TO POTENTIALLY GET US HOTSPOTS.
SO, UH, I HAVE, UH, KATHLEEN THROUGH THE FOUNDATION WORKING WITH THE WILSON FOUNDATION.
I TALKED TO MR. BEACH LAST WEEK AND SHE IS WORKING THAT RIGHT NOW.
THE SECOND THING IS THROUGH OUR SURVEY, WE'VE REALIZED AND A CONTAINER OR DR.
RUTLEDGE, ONE OF Y'ALL CORRECT ME ON THIS, IF I, IF YOU, IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK ABOUT 85% OF OUR FAMILIES ARE CONNECTED.
SO THAT WAS HIGHER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT.
SO WE, WE ARE AWARE THERE IS A SHORTAGE OF CONNECTIVITY.
AND SO, UH, THROUGH, UH, JIM BERNARD BERNHARD, HE HAS AGREED TO, UH, HELP FAMILIES, UH, AND PAY SIX MONTHS OF, UH, CONNECTIVITY FOR FAMILIES.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW, ADAM SMITH IS WORKING ON THAT.
AND SO, UH, I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT THROUGH THOSE TWO EFFORTS, THROUGH JEN BARNHART AND THROUGH THE WILSON FOUNDATION, WE CAN GET THAT OTHER 10 TO 15% CONNECTED.
MR. DRAKE, MAYBE AMY CAN ELABORATE ON SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE'RE DOING LOCALLY WITH IT, WITH, UH, POSSIBLY BUSES AND, UM, AND, UH, MOBILE SPOTS FOR OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH SOME OF OUR VENDORS THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUT HOTSPOTS ON BUSES THAT WE CAN SCHEDULE OUT AND PUT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.
WE ALSO HAVE THE OPTION TO EXTEND OUR WIFI OUT OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND INTO OUR EXTERIOR PARKING LOTS.
SO THOSE ARE TWO GREAT OPTIONS THAT WE ARE EXPLORING AND WORKING ON AT THE MOMENT.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING WITH OUR VENDOR PARTNERS FOR HOTSPOTS.
THEY ARE IN A GREAT HIGH DEMAND THAT WE ARE, UM, PARTNERING TO SEE IF WE CAN GET IN ON WHAT THE STATE OFFERED TODAY WITH THE LDL CONSORTIUM, WITH HOTSPOTS.
IN ADDITION, ONCE, UH, THE DISTRICT RECEIVES THE CARES ACT, WE MIGHT HAVE SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE INTERNET SERVICE CONNECTIVITY TO OUR FAMILIES WOULD MAYBE PARTNER WITH AT AND T AND COX CABLE.
THE QUESTIONS I MR. DIASON WITH A COMMENT THEN, UM, DR.
QUINTINA AND THEN MS. COLLINS, GO AHEAD, MISS DYES.
UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED TO HEAR OF THOSE EFFORTS ON CONNECTIVITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THOUGHT WAS JUST SO GREAT, UM, WAS WHEN I READ OF A,
[00:50:01]
UM, LEGISLATOR WHO HAS, UM, WORKED WITH AN INTERNET, UH, COMPANY, NOT HERE IN ABR, BUT IN LOUISIANA TO PROVIDE, UM, UH, HOTSPOT CAPABILITY, I GUESS, UM, IT'S HOTSPOT, BUT, UM, IN HER PARKING LOT SO THAT, UM, ANYONE CAN COME TO THE PARKING LOT AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR CARS AND BE ABLE TO GET THE INTERNET.SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME PLACES LIKE THAT AND MAYBE SOME PARTNERS WHO WILL HELP US IN THE INTERIM.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER PUTTING UP DR.
I WAS GOING TO ASK AMY TO SPEAK TO A FEW OF THE OTHER ACTIVITIES THAT WE'RE DOING AROUND INTERNET CONNECTIVITY, BUT, UM, SHE'S ALREADY SPOKEN, SO I'LL STOP HERE.
UM, WE JUST GETTING STARTED AND, AND THIS MIGHT NOT EVEN SEEM LIKE A POSSIBILITY, BUT, UM, I KNOW SOME FAMILIES PROBABLY ARE HAVING ISSUES WITH, UM, WITH THEIR CONNECTIVITY, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE INTERNET SERVICE.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH, UH, INTERNET SERVICE CAN STAY IN, IN A HOUSEHOLD, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF, UH, CONNECTIVITY THE FAMILY HAS.
UM, AND SO IF RESOURCES PERMIT AT SOME POINT, UH, I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER, UM, GIVING HELP TO FAMILIES WHO MAY HAVE INTERNET CONNECTION, BUT IT'S MAYBE THE BARE MINIMUM MOM OR DAD OR MOM AND DAD HAVE TO WORK FROM HOME.
AND THEN THE STUDENT NEEDS TO GET ONLINE TEXTS TO TEACH US SOME QUESTIONS ALL DURING THE APPOINTED TIME OF THE DISTANCE LEARNING CLASS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LIFT THAT CONCERN UP BECAUSE I'M HEARING A LOT OF THAT.
UH, I KNOW OF COURSE WE HAVE THE FIRST GOOD FOLKS, SOMETHING WHO HAVE NOTHING, BUT IF I JUST WANTED TO LIFT THAT CONCERN OF AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, LET ME GO AHEAD AND CLOSE OUT.
UH, THE ONE THING I LEFT OFF WAS THE JEFFERSON TERRACE ATTENDANT ZONE.
I ALSO APPROVED THAT, UH, ZONE, SORRY, MR. VEGA HAD, OH, GO AHEAD.
OH, FINALLY, I WANT TO THANK, UH, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT THIS WORKING FROM HOME STUFF IS A LOT HARDER THAN WORKING FROM AN OFFICE.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN WORKING EIGHT, 10, 12 HOUR DAYS DOING THE HARD WORK.
UH, I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT EVERYONE HAS DONE.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A YEOMAN'S JOB TO DO THIS.
WHAT HAS BEEN ACHIEVED WHEN YOU HAVE A TWO HOUR WINDOW TO CLOSE SCHOOLS, YOU DON'T HAVE TIME TO GET THOSE COMPUTERS OUT.
WE'RE A ONE-TO-ONE DISTRICT PRETTY MUCH.
AND IT'S WHAT YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED BOARD MEMBERS OVER THE LAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS ABOUT GETTING THOSE MACHINES OUT INTO THE SCHOOLS AND OUT INTO THE STUDENTS' HANDS.
SO I JUST WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING SO HARD.
THIS CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF HAS BEEN AMAZING.
OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLE.
THEY ARE REALLY GOING TO WORK AND OUR TEACHERS NOW COMING UP ONCE THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF TRAINING AND SOME OF THEM HAVE HAD BEEN DOING IT ALREADY ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK ALL OF YOU BOARD MEMBERS, CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF, OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR TEACHERS, AND ALL OF OUR STAFF FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'VE PUT IN TO KEEP OUR STUDENTS LEARNING AND FED AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND THAT CONCLUDES MY REPORT, MR.
AND I CERTAINLY ECHO YOUR COMMENTS COMPLEMENTING THE WORK DONE BY STAFF AND TEACHERS.
AND I THINK MOST PARENTS TODAY WILL HAVE A MUCH GREATER APPRECIATION OF THE EFFORT AND TIME IT TAKES GOING INTO TEACHING THE STUDENTS.
UH, NOW THAT THEY'VE HAD A TASTE OF DOING IT THEMSELVES, I KNOW I HAD A WEEK WITH MY GRANDKIDS TRYING TO DO IT, AND IT'S A TOUGH JOB AND IT TAKES SPECIAL PEOPLE TO DO IT.
SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE, UH, ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE.
I WOULD ASK, I WOULD ASK, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
UM, MR. HOWARD HAD A QUESTION AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
I'M NOT QUITE FINISHED YET WHEN YOU'RE ASKED THAT, UH, YOU TAKE THE PRESENTATION YOU HAD AND PASS IT ON TO MISS.
UH ARMAUN SO SHE CAN POST IT ON
[00:55:01]
BOARD DOCS SO THAT THE PUBLIC CAN SEE THAT IT CAN HAVE A, UH, ABILITY TO GO BACK AND READ THROUGH IT.UH, MR. UM, HOWARD, THANK YOU, MR. GOLDIE.
UM, THAT, THAT LAST PART WAS ACTUALLY PART OF MY QUESTIONS FOR MR. DRAKE, IF YOU COULD SEND OUT THAT POWERPOINT PRESENTATION SO THAT FOLKS CAN SEE THE PHASES OF THE PROCESS OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE.
UM, AND I'VE ALSO RECEIVED SOME QUESTIONS REGARDING THE DEVICE DISTRIBUTION.
UM, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LACK OF, UM, CONSENT OR COMMUNICATION AS TO WHEN AND HOW PARENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO PICK UP THEIR ACTUAL DEVICES AND FROM WHAT SCHOOLS AND WHAT'S THE TIMELINE.
SO THERE'S LIKE A CLEAR INDICATION OR A TIMELINE OR A TIMEFRAME THAT YOU CAN SEND OUT TO US TO DISTRIBUTE TO THE PUBLIC.
I THINK THAT WILL BE HELPFUL BECAUSE A COUPLE PARENTS CALL ASKING THEY STARTED A NEWS RELEASE ABOUT THE DEVICES AND THEY DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW HOW TO ACCESS THE DEVICE FOR THEIR PARTICULAR STUDENTS.
SO IF YOU COULD SEND THEM SOMETHING REGARDING THAT.
UM, AND THEN MY LAST POINT, UM, IS ABOUT THE SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
I KNOW THAT YOU SAID THAT IT WILL BE, UM, THERE WILL BE SOME KIDS WHO LIKE MAKING UP WORK AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME THAT'S IT'S HELL HORNLESS.
AND THEN OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ASKS ABOUT PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY, JUST THAT THEY WANTED TO, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY, OR HOW ARE WE DETERMINING WHAT STUDENTS ACTUALLY ARE MANDATED TO GO? AND THEN THOSE THAT IS BASICALLY AN OPTION FOR, UM, AND THEN IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT SAME, UM, SUMMER PROGRAM BEFORE TEACHERS, AND WHAT DOES IT LOOKS LIKE FOR TEACHERS OPT IN OR OPT OUT OF THAT THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO, UM, YES.
SO, UH, THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS AN ENDING AND WHEN THAT SCHOOL YEAR ENDS AND NINE MONTH EMPLOYEES ARE BASICALLY OFF.
SO NOW THAT WE'RE IN THE REGULAR SCHOOL YEAR, WE CAN, UH, UTILIZE ALL THE TEACHERS IN THIS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM.
ONCE THE SCHOOL YEAR ENDS MAY 22ND, THEN WE CAN TRANSITION TO A SUMMER PROGRAM.
UH, THE CHILD NUTRITION PROGRAM HAS ALREADY TRANSITIONED INTO THEIR SUMMER PROGRAM, WHICH GIVES THEM SOME FLEXIBILITY, WHICH CHANGES A COUPLE OF THINGS.
FIRST OFF, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD HARMLESS, EVERY STUDENT AND ANDREA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER ON A DIFFERENT ITEM, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO WHEREVER A STUDENT WAS ON MARCH 13TH.
THEY CANNOT, THEY WILL NOT RECEIVE ANYTHING LOWER THAN WHERE THEY ARE FOR THE WORK WE'RE DOING BETWEEN NOW AND THE INFAMOUS SCHOOL YEAR WOULD BE AN ENHANCEMENT FOR THEM, BUT NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THEM.
WHEN WE TRANSITION INTO THE SUMMER PROGRAM, THEN WE WILL UTILIZE A WAY FEWER TEACHERS TO TEACH THE SUMMER PROGRAM.
WHEN WE HIRE TEACHERS FOR OUR SUMMER SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WE MAY HIRE THAT NUMBER OF TEACHERS TO DO VIRTUAL LEARNING.
AND SO THERE'S TWO GROUPS THERE.
THERE'S GOING TO BE GROUPS WHO ARE MAKING UP WORK.
MAYBE THEY FAILED A CLASS OR WHATEVER THEY CAN MAKE UP WORK.
THERE'S ALSO GOING TO BE STUDENTS WHO THAT WE WANT TO ENHANCE OR THROUGH VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS, VIRTUAL DISTANCE LEARNING.
SO THERE'S GOING TO BE AN THAT'S BEING BUILT OUT RIGHT NOW, WHAT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW IN THIS DISTANCE LEARNING CONTINGENT PLAN, WE'RE GOING TO WORK THE BUGS OUT OF THAT AND BE READY FOR THE SUMMER LEARNING PROCESS.
IT'S NOT ALL COMPLETELY DONE YET.
RUTLEDGE WILL GET US INFORMATION.
IT SHOWS WHAT THAT SUMMER PROGRAM WILL LOOK LIKE.
UH, SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, IT DOES.
AND I WOULD JUST ASK THAT WE, UM, IN THIS BUILDING, OUT OF THIS PROGRAM, IF WE COULD PRIORITIZE SENIORS, BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR IT TO BE ANOTHER LIKE CLUSTER OF FOLKS, LIKE NOT KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GRADUATE, WHETHER THEY'RE GOING TO GRADUATE.
SO THAT COULD BE LIKE TOP OF THE LINE OF PRIORITY.
AND I THINK THOSE FOLKS THAT WILL APPRECIATE IT AS WELL.
I HAVE ONE MORE, UM, QUESTION FOR MS. COLLINS AND THEN DR.
REGARDING, UM, REGARDING INTERNET CONNECTIVITY.
I KNOW WE DO AN EXCELLENT JOB WITH OUR STUDENTS.
UH, WHAT ABOUT STAFF WHO HA, WHO ARE HAVING INTERNET ISSUES? ARE WE ALSO ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT, UH, DR.
TAMALE IS COMING UP NEXT AND SHE CAN GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION? OH, DR.
BALL, WOULD YOU ANSWER THAT QUESTION PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
SO, UM, MS. COLLINS, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE DID HAVE A SURVEY THAT WENT OUT TO OUR TEACHERS AS WELL.
AND SO WITH THE SURVEYS THAT TEACHERS COMPLETED, WE HAVE ABOUT 60% OF OUR TEACHERS ALREADY RESPONDING.
AND OF THAT 60%, WE HAVE 91% OF OUR TEACHERS SAYING THAT THEY HAVE INTERNET ACCESS.
SO AGAIN, JUST AS WE ARE LOOKING FOR, UM, CONNECTIVITY, READINESS, AND CONNECTIVITY PROVISIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS, WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING FOR OUR, UM, FOR OUR TEACHERS AS WELL.
[01:00:01]
THE ONE THING THAT I WOULD ADD WHEN WE ROLLED OUT OUR DISTANCE EDUCATION, UM, PLAN, WE PRIORITIZED OUR SENIORS.SO ANY DEVICES THAT ANY DEVICES OR HOTSPOTS THAT WE HAD AVAILABLE, WE MADE SURE OUR SENIORS HAD ACCESS TO THOSE SO THAT WE CAN ENSURE THAT THEY MEET THEIR GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS IN A TIMELY MANNER.
SO AT THIS POINT, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOTSPOT DEVICES, WE ARE JUST LIKE, WE'RE IN LINE, LIKE ALL OTHER DISTRICTS, TRYING TO GET ACCESS TO THOSE, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE STARTING TO INVESTIGATE OTHER OPTIONS.
SO THE, AS AMY TALKED ABOUT THE WIFI BUSES, THE, UM, THE SCHOOLS AS INTERNET, UM, AS INTERNET HUBS, AS WELL AS CONNECTING WITH OUR LOCAL LIBRARIES TO SEE WHAT, UH, CAPACITY THEY HAVE.
SO WHILE WE'RE ON HOLD, WAITING FOR THOSE CONNECTIVITY DEVICES, WE ARE INVESTIGATING OTHER SOLUTIONS AND MAKING SURE OUR PARENTS ARE AWARE OF THOSE SOLUTIONS ALSO TO SPEAK TO THE SUMMER LEARNING.
I'LL JUMP THERE TO ANSWER, UH, SEVERAL OF MR. HOWARD'S QUESTIONS WITH SUMMER LEARNING.
WE HAD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATIONS WITH PRINCIPALS AND WE'RE REALLY ASKING THEM TO STRETCH THEIR, THEIR MINDSETS AROUND WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, VERSUS WHAT CAN WE SHAPE FOR OUR STUDENTS CONSIDERING THE ACADEMIC REGRESSION AND ALSO THE TYPICAL SUMMER LEARNING LOSS THAT WE JUST EXPERIENCED WITH STUDENTS.
SO TODAY, WHEN WE MET WITH SEVERAL LEADERS, WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT A HYBRID APPROACH.
SO FOR OUR SENIORS, WE WILL PROVIDE OUR SENIORS AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHAT THEY NEED AROUND CREDIT RECOVERY.
BUT A LOT OF OUR PRINCIPALS ARE STRETCHING US TO SAY, WE WANT TO DO MORE.
WE WANT TO SERVE MORE STUDENTS.
AND SO WE ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH THE APPROACH, BUT AS MR. HOWARD INDICATED, IT WILL NOT BE LIMITED TO WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.
WE WILL STRETCH IN ORDER TO MEET THE DEMANDS OF OUR, OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES JUST DUE TO, UM, TRYING TO CATCH UP AND THINK ABOUT THE ACADEMIC REGRESSION THAT A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WILL EXPERIENCE.
LET ME ADD ALSO THAT ALL THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO GO, WE'LL KEEP DEVICES OVER THE SUMMER.
SO AS WE ENGAGE WITH THEM, THANK YOU, MR. DRAKE, A COUPLE OF COMMENTS FOR ME.
ONE, I HAVE A NOTE FROM THE FOUNDATION TO MAKE SURE WE SAY THAT EXXON MOBILE HAS COMMITTED $10,000 TO CONNECTIVITY.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC WAS AWARE OF THAT.
AND THEN ANOTHER COMMENT IS THAT WE RECOGNIZE THROUGH ALL OF THIS, THAT THERE ARE GOING TO BE A LOT OF BUDGET QUESTIONS, AND WE HAVE NO IDEA OF WHAT OUR REVENUE IS GOING TO BE IMPACTED BY THIS AND HOW IT WILL BE IMPACTED.
AND WE ALSO DON'T HAVE A GREAT IDEA OF HOW OUR COSTS WILL BE IMPACTED AND NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHAT THINGS WILL LOOK LIKE FOR NEXT YEAR.
UH, SO WE, THERE IS WORK BEING DONE NOW ON AN, UM, AMENDMENT TO THE BUDGET, UH, FOR THIS YEAR TO PROVIDE FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO KNOW, AND SOME WORK BEING DONE ON THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR, UH, THAT IS BEING PULLED TOGETHER BASED UPON WHAT WE KNOW.
AND, UH, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE SHARING THAT WITH THE, UM, WITH THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC RELATIVELY SOON.
BUT RIGHT NOW THERE ARE JUST A LOT OF UNKNOWNS IN THAT AND HOW THOSE THINGS WORK OUT.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA MAKE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THAT MS. DYSON HAS, UH, AFTER MR. DRAKE SPEAKS ON THAT.
MS. DYSON HAS A COMMENT, MR. GODIN.
MR. GORDY, WE'RE GOING TO SEND, UH, WE WILL EMAIL YOU GUYS THE, UH, REVISED BUDGET WHERE Y'ALL CAN TAKE A LOOK AT IT AND THEN WE CAN GET IT ON THE NEXT MONTH'S MEETING AGENDA AND PUT IT OUT THERE.
UH, WE ARE CONTINUING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE A LOT OF WAYS WE MAY HAVE SAVED MONEY RIGHT NOW IN THIS, IN THIS CRISIS BECAUSE OF THE, THERE'S NO VERY LOW FUEL COSTS.
WE KNOW THAT WE'VE MOVED TEMPERATURES AND BUILDINGS UP SOME THAT, UH, WE'LL SAY SOME ENERGY COSTS, BUT, UH, WE ALSO DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THE FULL FRONT OF THIS IS.
WE ARE, WE ARE ENGAGING CSRS ON A VERY ON A, ON A, ON A, UH, FREMONT PIPE REIMBURSEMENT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE AN RFP OUT ON THAT TO HELP
[01:05:01]
WITH REIMBURSEMENTS.AND I THINK RIGHT NOW THE REIMBURSEMENTS ARE AT 75, 25% OF 75% FOR THE DISTRICT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THERE'S SO MUCH UP IN THE AIR RIGHT NOW, BUT WE ARE LOOKING AT BUDGET SITUATION EVERY DAY.
KELLY AND JAMES ARE DOING THAT AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET IT.
THEY'LL GET US MORE INFORMATION.
SO WOULD YOU LIKE US TO SEND YOU ADDITIONAL INFORMATION? NO.
I JUST WANTED EVERYONE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT WORK IS BEING DONE AND THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWNS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH, BUT, UH, THERE IS WORK BEING DONE ON IT.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE PROGRESS ON IT.
MS. DYSON HAD A COMMENT, MR. GODIN, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING UP THE BUDGET.
I, UM, HAD SOME QUESTIONS AROUND, UM, AND HOPING THAT OUR, OR THE, OR MAXIMIZING ANY POTENTIALS FOR, UM, FEDERAL DOLLARS.
UM, AND I WAS, UH, VERY HOPEFUL THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH REGARDS TO FOOD DISTRIBUTION WAS IN A REVENUE NEUTRAL SITUATION ARE ALL HANDLED UNDER THE CHILD NUTRITION BUDGET AND NOT THE GENERAL FUND.
DO WE HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT? YEAH.
SO I JUST UNMUTE HIM UP MY PHONE.
EVERYTHING IS OUT OF THE CHILD NUTRITION BUDGET.
NO NOTHING HAS CHANGED AT ALL.
UH, ACTUALLY WE'RE SERVING A LOT OF MEALS.
SO THE REIMBURSEMENT THERE, THERE'S PROBABLY SOME, UH, IN TALKING TO JOHN
UH, WE ARE GOING TO, UH, SEEK REIMBURSEMENT ON EVERY MEAL THAT WE DELIVER.
AND, UH, THERE'S BEEN SOME LOOSENING OF THE, OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRICTS.
WE'LL DO THAT AROUND THE STATE.
THANK YOU, MR. GAUDIN, MISS, UM, MS. WARD JACKSON.
AS A COMMENT, UM, YOU'RE MUTED IN THIS WORD, JACKSON.
I REALIZE I'M BACKTRACKING WITH THIS QUESTION.
UM, CAUSE THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UM, UM, MAGNET PROGRAMS AND PARENTS THAT ARE WAITING TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT NEXT YEAR.
UM, I JUST RECALL, I'M SORRY THAT I GOT A FEW CALLS ABOUT IN PARTICULAR, UM, DO FROCK AND, UM, PEOPLE IN THE PIPELINE, UH, WAITING TO FIND OUT WHETHER THEY'LL BE IN SCHOOL OR ARE OUT, UH, CAN SOMEONE COMMENT ON THAT PLEASE? I KNOW I'M A BIT LATE ON THAT, BUT I WOULD APPRECIATE IT.
WELL, MS. WHERE JACKSON, WE DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO BEGIN BACK NORMALLY ON OUR NORMAL CALENDAR, UH, I BELIEVE SCHOOL IS GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT WHEN WE GO BACK, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, UH, W WE JUST HAVE TO WAIT ON, ON DIRECTION FROM THE STATE AND WHAT THE GOVERNOR DECIDES AS WELL.
SO WE REALLY DON'T HAVE AN ANSWER TO THAT RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT SCHOOL'S GOING TO LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
I THINK THAT OUR VIRTUAL SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE UP AND STRONG AS WELL, AND IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A NEW WORLD WE LIVE IN RIGHT NOW.
SO THE MORE INFORMATION WE GET, WE'LL GET IT TO YOU GUYS.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A SUPERINTENDENT, RIGHT? YES, I CAN.
CAUSE YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT REALLY, UH, I GUESS CAUGHT MY EAR.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOOKING INTO IS TO BRING THEM BACK VIRTUAL SCHOOLS OR, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST A GENERAL QUESTION.
WELL, YOU KNOW, MR. LANDIS, I DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOL'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL.
YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD, I'VE HEARD DIFFERENT PEOPLE SAY THAT A SCHOOL MAY BE IN SHIT.
IF IT WERE TO START BACK ON THE REGULAR CALENDAR, LET'S SAY AUGUST 8TH W WHATEVER THAT DATE IS, UH, THEY MAY HAVE SHIFTS IN SCHOOL JUST TO TRY TO KEEP NUMBERS OF STUDENTS DOWN.
UH, THEY MAY, THEY MAY, UH, NOT HAVE BE ALLOWED TO HAVE ASSEMBLIES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW, UH, THAT, THAT, UH, WILL COME FROM THE GOVERNOR, OF COURSE.
AND THEN ALSO THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
UH, THE SUPERINTENDENTS GROUP IS IN TOUCH WITH THEM VERY CLOSE ON A DAILY BASIS.
AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS, BUT THERE'S SO MANY UNKNOWNS RIGHT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS SOON AS THE CURVE IS FLATTENED AND THESE BUSINESSES BEGAN TO OPEN VERY SLOWLY,
[01:10:01]
UH, YOU KNOW, I SAW YESTERDAY WHERE OIL FOR THE FIRST TIME IS $37 IN THE NEGATIVE.UH THAT'S I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S EVER HAPPENED, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE CRUISE SHIPS AND AIRPLANES SITTING ON THE GROUND AND JUST STATIONARY, THAT'S A LOT OF FUEL THAT WE USE.
AND SO THAT THIS IS JUST A NEW WORLD WE'RE IN.
SO SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE GOING TO BE DECISIONS WEEKLY THAT HAVE TO HAPPEN.
AND, BUT I DO FOR YOUR QUESTION, I DO THINK THAT WE NEED A VIABLE, VIRTUAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THAT'S WHY I WAS SO EXCITED WHEN, WHEN DR.
RUTLEDGE, AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BEEN BUILDING, THIS CAME UP WITH THIS PLAN.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHY WE WANT TO LEAVE THOSE, UH, UNITS WITH THE STUDENTS, LET THEM ENGAGE THEM MORE OVER THE SUMMER, NOT JUST IN THE MAKE-UP WORK, BUT IN NEW WORK TO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES AT ENRICHMENT.
AND WHEN WE BEGIN NEXT YEAR, I THINK WE WILL HAVE A VIRTUAL FOOTPRINT IN ADDITION TO OUR BRICK AND MORTARS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A, A QUICK, UM, LIKE GET SOME CLARITY AROUND IT.
WELL, IT DOESN'T, IT PROBABLY CAN'T BE ANSWERED NOW.
SO IF WE CAN START, I KNOW THAT, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FOOD AND NUTRITION PIECE AND THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GETTING REIMBURSEMENTS FROM THAT.
BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WITH THE CARES ACT, DISTRICTS AND STATES ARE GOING TO GET ADDITIONAL MONIES, UM, RELATED TO WHAT'S HAPPENING TO KOBE.
DIDN'T HELP THEM SUPPLEMENT SOME OF THE BUDGETARY THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY GOING ON.
IF WE, AS A DISTRICT CAN START WORKING, OR IF THERE IS A WORKING DOCUMENT OF PRIORITIES, ONCE WE RECEIVED THIS MONEY, UM, I'LL, I THINK THE REST OF THE BOARD AND MYSELF WOULD LIKE TO SEE JUST WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT AS A DISTRICT.
ONCE WE STARTED GETTING THIS SUPPLEMENTAL MONEY INTO, TO OFFSET SOME OF THE COSTS ON WHAT WE PLAN TO DO IT.
SO IF THAT'S CAN BE A WORKING DOCUMENT, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU GUYS START THINKING ABOUT.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US IN, SO WE WON'T HAVE TO MAKE SO MANY LIKE MRS. DRAKE SAY SOME OF THESE DECISIONS WILL BE WEEK TO WEEK, BUT NOT EVERY DECISION HAS TO BE WEEK TO WEEK.
WE HAVE A LIST OF BUILT OUT PRIORITIES DEVELOPED ON WHAT IS MONEY THAT WE KNOW IS COMING THROUGH BECAUSE OF THIS CRISIS.
UH, MR. HOWARD, SO JAMES AND KELLY, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, Y'ALL START UP LIST OF WHAT THIS MONEY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE.
YOU KNOW, A MOMENT AGO I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
WE MAY SAVE MONEY ON FUEL OFF, BUT WE MAY NOT GET AS MUCH ON SALES TAX BECAUSE A LOT OF BUSINESSES ARE CLOSED.
SO WE JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE WILL DEFINITELY START THAT LIST.
THANK YOU FOR THAT, MR. TROY, CAN I ADD, WE HAVE BEEN HAVING CONVERSATION AND SOME OF THE CONVERSATION MR. HOWARD HAS CENTERED AROUND TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH ONE-TO-ONE IN OUR UPPER GRADES, UH, BUT IT PRE-K TO, UH, MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS DON'T HAVE DEVICES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS PROVIDING THOSE STUDENTS WITH ADDITIONAL DEVICES IN THE LOWER ELEMENTARY GRADES.
SO THAT'S SOME OF THAT IN SUMMER LEARNING AS WELL.
WE, WE ARE EXPECTING THAT FUNDING TO COME IN SOMETIME IN MID MAY.
WE DON'T KNOW THE AMOUNT YET, THOUGH.
I THINK MS.
UH, MR. DRAKE, THERE'S A LOT GOING ON.
WE APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND ALL THE HARD WORK OF YOUR STAFF AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE DOING AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB.
[Item E]
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS REPORTS FROM BOARD APPOINTEES.UH, FIRST WAS MS. BERNARD, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM GREAT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO LET EVERYBODY KNOW, GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON BRICK.
UM, BRECK IS STILL MEETING VIRTUALLY AND OF COURSE, SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION GOT PUSHED BACK BY ALL OF THIS, BUT AT THIS POINT WE ARE PLANNING TO HAVE SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION, MAY 1ST AND BREAKFAST, LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND WE HAVE, UM, RIGOROUS PROTOCOLS FOR SANITATION IN PLACE FOR ALL OF THE BREAKFAST FACILITIES.
SO I THINK THAT THE BRECK SUMMER CAMP REGISTRATION WILL BE MAY 1ST, UNLESS THAT CHANGES.
BUT RIGHT NOW THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE SET UP FOR BRECK.
I KNOW PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO PLANNING THEIR SUMMERS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. BERNARD, UH, MS. COLLINS.
UH, VIPS, UH, IS STILL GETTING SOME AMAZING THINGS DONE DESPITE, UM, HAVING TO PUT MOST THINGS IN, IN VIRTUAL MODE.
[01:15:01]
STAFF CONTINUES TO ADVOCATE THEIR MISSION.UM, IT, WITH PARTNERSHIPS WITH SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TO CREATE, UH, STORYTELLING VIDEOS, PARTNERSHIPS WITH LSU STUDENTS TO CREATE VIDEOS OF STEM ACTIVITIES, UH, ENLISTING VOLUNTEERS AND PARTNERS TO PRODUCE POSITIVITY POST AND HOSTING, UH, VIRTUAL VOLUNTEER TRAININGS.
UH, THEY BEEN WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT TO SEE IF SOME OF THEIR VOLUNTEERS CAN HELP WITH SOME OF THE MEALS SITES, UH, IN TERMS OF, UM, THEY HAVE AS ALWAYS SOME WONDERFUL FUNDRAISING OPPORTUNITIES, WAYS TO SUPPORT VIPS.
AND SO THE LATEST ONE IS AROUND MOTHER'S DAY AND, UH, THERE'S A BEAUTIFUL, DEEP AND SULLIVAN FLAP LEATHER BACKPACK.
IF PEOPLE WILL GO TO VIPS WEBSITE, UH, TO GET A RAFFLE TICKET, TO SUPPORT VIPS IN, IN HOPES OF WINNING THAT BEAUTIFUL BACKPACK.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S MY REPORT FROM VIPS.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO WOULD LIKE TO REPORT ON, UH, ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD? SEEING NONE? WE WILL MOVE TO THE NEXT
[Item F]
ITEM, WHICH IS UNFINISHED BUSINESS, THE BANKS ELEMENTARY SALE.THIS IS CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST AUTHORIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT AND STAFF TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE SALE OF THE BANK'S ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FACILITY AND GROUNDS TO IDA PUBLIC SCHOOLS PURSUANT TO LOUISIANA REVISED STATUTE, 17 COHEN, 39 82 B.
NOW THIS IS AN ITEM THAT WAS REFERRED TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE.
IT WAS AS IT WAS, UH, PROPOSED IN THE MEETING.
UH, MR. LANICE WOULD YOU LIKE TO PREPARE A MOTION? THANK YOU, PRESIDENT.
I'D LIKE TO, UH, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO CONTINUE TO A DATE.
MR. LANICE HAS EMOTIONAL ON THE FLOOR TO CONTINUE THIS ITEM TO CERTAIN SECOND.
AND THAT WAS MR. BERNARD? YES.
SO WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND, UH, IS THERE ANYONE WHILE I'M DOING THIS TO THE BOARD, REMEMBER FOR THE PUBLIC, IF YOU'D LIKE TO COMMENT ON THIS ITEM, UH, PLEASE GO TO BOARD DOCS AND YOU CAN SEE THE COMMENT, UH, LINK THERE.
UH, ANYONE ON THE BOARD, WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO SPEAK TO THIS ITEM? I'M SORRY, WHAT IS THE MOTION WAS I'M SORRY, CAN YOU GIVE IT TO ME AGAIN? THE MOTION IS TO DEFER THIS ITEM TO A DATE UNCERTAIN.
AND WE HAVE MS. AND THE Q WE HAVE MS. COLLINS, MRS. DIASON AND THEN MR. HOWARD.
MS. COLLINS, MS. COLLINS, THAT SCREEN WAS, UH, BEING DIFFICULT.
I APOLOGIZE BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THE MOTION.
I'M OLD, I'M OLD, PULL BACK MY REQUEST TO COMMENT.
I'M WONDERING IF WE HAVE ANY UPDATE, UM, ON THIS, HAS ANYONE REACHED OUT TO, UM, THE IDEA OF SCHOOL, UM, ARE THEY CONTEMPLATING, UM, OTHER PROPERTIES AS WELL? ARE THEY, UM, WILLING TO HOLD OFF, UM, LONGER? OR WHAT ARE THEIR PLANS? ARE THEY, WHEN ARE THEY TRYING TO OPEN IF THEY HAVE THIS SITE? DOES ANYONE KNOW THOSE? I CAN.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT GIVEN THE ACTIVITIES AND THEY'VE ANSWERED CORONAVIRUS, THAT NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AND THERE'S BEEN NO COMMUNICATIONS, UH, MS.
I KNOW THAT THAT'S, I THINK YOU CAPTURED IT.
I KNOW MR. SHAM ONE WAS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE IDEA TEAM SINCE WE'VE BEEN WORKING REMOTELY.
I HAVEN'T RECEIVED AN UPDATE FROM HIM ON THAT.
SO I THINK YOU'VE CAPTURED IT.
WHAT I TALKED TO MR. SHAMBLIN BEFORE HE TOOK A LEAD, WAS THAT THERE HAD BEEN BASICALLY
[01:20:01]
NO COMMUNICATION GIVEN THE ACTIVITIES THAT WERE GOING ON RELATED TO THE, TO THE CORONAVIRUS, TRYING TO MOVE TO VIRTUAL EDUCATION.SO I THINK THAT'S JUST WHERE WE ARE FOR NOW.
I THINK THAT, UM, IT'S HARD TO, TO VOTE, UH, ON THIS ONE WAY OR THE OTHER WITHOUT, UM, HAVING REACHED OUT TO THEM.
UM, AND IF WE PUT IT TO ANOTHER DATE UNCERTAIN, UH, THEN THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW WHEN WE WILL BE BRINGING IT BACK UP.
WOULD THERE BE A WAY, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD ACCEPT A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM, MR. LANA'S TO, UM, MOVE THIS TO THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE SO THAT IT SHOULD ALLOW A LITTLE TIME TO AT LEAST REACH OUT.
I FEEL LIKE WE OWE IT TO THEM TO MAKE SOME KIND OF CONTACT ON THIS.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY I'M GOING TO HAVE TO DENY THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK TO THAT WE, THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH, UH, SEVERAL FOLKS ON INCLUDING ATTORNEYS CHAMBLIN HE HAS BEEN REACHING OUT AND UNFORTUNATELY THEY HAVEN'T GOTTEN BACK WITH HIM.
AND THE REASON IS BECAUSE, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON IS, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UH, WHAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON, AND WHICH IS THE REASON WHY I MADE THAT PARTICULAR MOTION SO THAT IT GIVES US TIME TO REACH OUT TO THEM, EVEN IF THEY DON'T GET BACK WITH US.
SO LET'S SAY THAT THEY DON'T GET BACK WITH US, UH, BEFORE, UH, THE COMMITTEE, AS A WHOLE, IT GIVES US TIME TO FURTHER REACH OUT TO THEM AND TRY TO FIGURE THINGS OUT AND WORK OUT ALL OF THE, I GUESS, THE LITTLE SMALL NUANCE THINGS A BIT IN TERMS OF ASKING THEM WHAT PROPERTIES ARE THEY CONSIDERING? WHAT COULD WE POSSIBLY MOVE THEM, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF QUESTIONS.
UM, SO AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO AT LEAST HAVE SOME KIND OF A DATE IN HERE THAT WE WILL MOVE ON THIS IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO RESPOND OR IF THEY ARE, UM, I'M WONDERING IF, UM, WE, WE MAKE AN THEN PUT IT TO THE NEXT, UH, REGULAR BOARD MEETING, UM, WHETHER IT BE VIRTUAL OR LIVE OR ACTIVE.
UM, I JUST, I'M HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF TREPIDATION AND JUST HAVING IT OUT THERE WITH NO DATE IN MIND.
AND I HAVEN'T RECEIVED ANYTHING FROM OUR ATTORNEY ON, YOU KNOW, THE, IF HE'S REACHED OUT AND WHEN, AND THERE WAS NO REPLY IN THAT KIND OF THING.
SO, UM, WITH TOO MANY UNKNOWNS DURING THIS MEETING FOR ME, I DON'T KNOW THAT I JUST WANTED OUT THERE IN PERPETUITY.
SO, UM, I DO HAVE SOME RESERVATIONS WITH THAT.
I'D LIKE US TO BE ABOUT THE BUSINESS, UM, THAT WE NEED TO DO.
SO, UM, MR.
MAYBE HE CAN ANSWER SOME OF THIS.
I DID SPEAK WITH, UM, MR. SHAMBLIN WITH REGARD TO THIS ITEM, AND IT WAS, UM, HE, UH, HAS REACHED OUT TO KEN CAMPBELL ON BEHALF OF IDEA HAS NOT RECEIVED.
UM, I THINK, UH, BOTH EBRA AND IDEA.
I HAVE BEEN, UH, LARGELY IN THE SAME BUSINESS OF TRYING TO QUICKLY PIVOT TO REMOTE LEARNING, TO DISTANCE LEARNING.
AND, UH, THAT IS, I THINK THE NATURE OF THE REQUEST THAT'S IN THE MOTION IS SORT OF CONSISTENT WITH HIS RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WAS, UM, TO A DATA UNCERTAIN ALLOWS, UM, BOTH PARTIES, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GET THEIR FEET UNDER THEM AND BRING THE ITEM BACK TO THE BOARD.
IT DOESN'T, IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO MOVE, BUT IT, IT, UM, OBVIOUSLY GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEIR FOOTING IS WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE WHEN THEY REACH BACK OUT TO, UH, MR. SHAMBLIN.
YEAH, I DON'T THINK IT'S AN IN THERE'S IN ANY WAY IN THE INTENT TO LEAVE THE MATTER, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DEAD ON THE TABLE.
IT IS GENUINELY AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERYBODY IS, UM, FOCUSED ON WHAT'S CRITICAL RIGHT NOW, WHICH IS, UM, EDUCATING TO THE END OF A SCHOOL YEAR.
WE HAVE MR. HOWARD WITH A COMMENT.
[01:25:01]
JUST GOING TO, UH, REITERATE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THE LEGAL COUNSEL JUST STATED ABOUT THE DATA ON SEARCH.AND, UM, ALSO THAT I REACHED OUT TO THE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF IDEA HERE IN BATON ROUGE TO, TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION FOR US REGARDING THIS MANNER TODAY.
SO I'M WAITING ON A RESPONSE FROM HER.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THAT, LIKE HE SAY THAT IT'S, IT'S A DATA AND SEARCHING BECAUSE WE JUST WANTED TO SIT AND WAIT.
UM, I THINK BOTH PARTIES ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THE CONCERNS OF THE BOARD AND THEY COME BACK TO US WITH AN ACTUAL PROPOSAL PRESENTATION ON THE WHY AND HOW THEY GOT TO THAT PARTICULAR LOCATION AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO, UH, REACH A COMPROMISE AS A COLLECTIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS HAPPENS.
SO, UM, THAT'S SORT OF ALL THE ONES TO SAY.
OKAY, MS. BERNARD HAS A COMMENT.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU MR. BLONDE.
THAT'S SOME OF WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.
ALSO, I THINK I'M LEAVING THE DATE.
UNCERTAIN JUST GIVES US THE ULTIMATE FLEXIBILITY TO BRING IT BACK TO THE AGENDA WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE, WHEN EVERYBODY IS SATISFIED THAT THE AGREEMENT IS SOLID.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANY BOARD MEMBERS SEEING NONE? I WILL NOW MOVE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AS SUBMITTED, AND I WILL JUST BE READING THESE AS THEY GO THROUGH.
AND I WANT TO REITERATE FOR THE PUBLIC THAT, UH, THERE WERE SOME MISINFORMATION ABOUT A HUNDRED CHARACTER LIMIT.
THE LIMIT ON THE COMMENTS ARE 500 CHARACTERS, UH, TO GIVE PEOPLE THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEIR VIEWS.
I'M GONNA READ THESE AND TIME ORDER OF WHEN THEY WERE SUBMITTED.
JAMES FINNEY AND SAYS, BACKUP DOES NOT INCLUDE ANALYSIS OF WHETHER THE PROPERTY IS SURFER, SURPLUS NOR A PURCHASE OFFER VOTE.
NO, THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM ANNE MARIE BLANK.
I AM CONCERNED THAT WE'RE SELLING OUR ASSETS TO A CHARTER COMPANY THAT HAS ONLY BEEN OPERATING IN EBR SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR A FEW YEARS, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO CEO RECENTLY STEPPED DOWN BECAUSE OF QUESTIONABLE SPENDING.
IF THIS CHARTER COMPANY FAILS AS OTHER HALF, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE SCHOOL SITE? DOES IT REVERT BACK TO EBR? THE NEXT COMMENT IS FROM MARIA HARMON, PLEASE DO NOT SELL THE BANK'S CAMPUS TO IDA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
THIS WILL HAVE A NEGATIVE IMPACT IN THE CURRENT ENROLLMENT OF STUDENTS AT THAT CAMPUS.
THERE MUST BE AN ALTERNATIVE TO THIS.
I STRONGLY ENCOURAGED THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ANOTHER LOCATION THAT WILL NOT NEGATIVELY IMPACTED POPULATION OF STUDENTS.
I ALSO ENCOURAGED THE BOARD TO TABLE THIS ACTION ITEM UNTIL WE CAN MEET IN PERSON.
JASMINE OPPOSE, SEEING HOW THAT WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT SCHOOL WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE NEAR FUTURE, WE SHOULD NOT SET UP ANY SELLING A PROPERTY NON-ESSENTIAL BUSINESS SHOULD BE SUSPENDED UNTIL RESUMING IN-PERSON MEETINGS AT THE VERY LEAST SET UP A LEASE.
THOSE ARE THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT I'VE HAD.
SO NOW WE MOVED BACK TO THE BOARD.
UH, THE MOTION IS TO DELAY THIS ITEM UNTIL A DATE UNCERTAIN.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD SEEING NONE? MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE.
WE'RE GOING TO DO A ROLL CALL AND THEN, UH, MR. BLUE.
MS. MOORE JACKSON, YOU STILL WEREN'T ABLE TO VOTE? NO, IT DIDN'T POP UP.
CHEFS FOR CLARITY FOR THE PUBLIC, THE OFFICIAL VOTE IS
[01:30:01]
THE VOICE VOTE AND THE VOTE THAT'S BEING DONE ON BOARD DOCK AS A RECORDING, UH, MECHANISM.SO WE CAN RECORD WITH THE VOTES ARE, BUT THAT'S WHY WE ARE DOING BOTH A VOICE VOTE AND RECORDING THE VOTE ON BOARD DOCS.
[Consent Agenda (Part 1 of 2)]
ITEM IS ITEM G THE CONSENT AGENDA.THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL BE APPROVED AS PART OF THE CONSENT AGENDA.
THEY ARE CONSIDERED ROUTINE AND WILL BE ENACTED WITH ONE MOTION.
THERE WILL BE NO SEPARATE DISCUSSION OF ITEMS UNLESS THE BOARD MEMBER, SO REQUESTS IN WHICH EVENT, THE ITEM WILL BE REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA AND CONSIDERED AS AN ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA OR A SEPARATE VOTE PROCEEDING.
THE LAST ITEM ON THE REGULAR AGENDA ITEM TO GRANT CONSIDERATION OF OUR REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING GRANTS, A SPECIAL OLYMPICS OF LOUISIANA GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $5,000 TO PROVIDE FUNDING, TO BUILD AND EXPAND INCLUSIVE PROGRAMMING AT AUDUBON ELEMENTARY AND SHERWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOLS, B SPRINT 1 MILLION PROJECT GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $61,000 TO PROVIDE RELIABLE HIGH SPEED, RELIABLE HOME, HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS THROUGH HOTSPOT DEVICES CHECKED OUT FROM SCHOOLS C TEACHING TOLERANCE, FUTURE VOTERS GRANT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,000 FOR ISTROUMA HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR BETA CLUB TO CONDUCT A VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT ITEM THREE, LOUISIANA RECOVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES RETURNS CONSIDERATION OF THE FOUL QUEST AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ACCEPT THE RETURN OR CREST MIDDLE SCHOOL AND GLEN OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL FACILITIES BY THE LOUISIANA SCHOOL RECOVERY DISTRICT AND BESSIE B TO AUTHORIZE THE USE OF NORTH BANKS MIDDLE-SCHOOL FACILITY BY REDESIGN, WHERE WE SEE ANTAR, WHICH IS CURRENTLY HOUSED AT THE GLEN OAKS MIDDLE FACILITY FOR LITIGATION CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE RECOMMENDATION FOR MR. GLENN SHAMBLIN GENERAL CONSOLE EAST BATON ROUGE, PARISH SCHOOL, PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD IN THE MATTER OF JANE DOE AND AL VERSUS CAROLYN GRIMES AND THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL BOARD SUIT NUMBER C 64 67, 11 SECTION 26, 19TH JDC PARIS OF EAST BATON ROUGE, AND TO PROVIDE FOR RELATED MATTERS, MOVE ACCEPTANCE, CONNIE BERNARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S IT FOR NOR DO I HAVE A SECOND? OH, SORRY.
I, MR. TAMARIND ALREADY SUBMITTED.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD OR ANY ITEMS THAT THEY WISH TO BE MR.
UM, MR. HOWARD ALSO SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE SAYING THAT THEIR COMMENTS WERE NOT RED.
UM, I KNOW YOU REFRESHED, I REFRESHED.
UM, SO WE MAY JUST NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK, UM, THE COMMENTS AGAIN FOR THE LAST ITEM.
LET ME GO THROUGH AND PULL IT.
I DON'T, I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER ONES FOR THAT PARTICULAR ITEM.
SO JUST REMIND EVERYBODY, OR I GUESS I'M REMINDING EVERYBODY THAT THEY CAN MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS ONLINE THROUGH BOARDEX YES.
I JUST REFRESHED AND I STILL DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE LAST ITEM.
ARE THERE ANY, UM, ANYONE WISHING TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING? NONE.
I WILL GO, UH, THERE ARE NO, UH, PUBLIC COMMENTS WHICH I HAVE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
MR. GODA, THERE IS ONE, UH, NO, THAT IS FOR THE NEXT ITEM.
[01:35:03]
AND THIS IS A COMMENT FROM MR. FINNEY WHEN LITIGATION ITEMS ARE PART OF THE AGENDA, IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE NATURE OF THE LITIGATION.I, IT, AS PUBLIC BACKUP, THERE IS NO HARM IN GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND THE MINIMAL REQUIREMENTS FOR TRANSPARENCY IMPOSED BY THE STATUTE.
UM, I, I DON'T MR. BLUNT, WOULD YOU CARE TO, UH, MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? THE OPEN MEETINGS LAW DOES PROVIDE AN EXCEPTION, UM, WITH REGARD TO ITEMS PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
UM, YOU READ THE CAPTION OF THE CASE.
IT, IF THERE WERE GOING TO BE FURTHER DISCUSSION THAT TYPICALLY WOULD TAKE PLACE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, UM, I, UM, NOTHING NECESSARILY PROHIBITS THERE BEING SOME SYNOPSIS PROVIDED OF A CASE, BUT, UM, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S LIKELY PLENTY OF READILY AVAILABLE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO ANY PIECE OF PENDING LITIGATION.
THE REASON THAT THE STATUTE REQUIRES, UH, THE LISTING OF THE SUIT CAPTION IS, UH, ANYONE CAN TAKE THE SUIT CAPTION, LOOK THE SUIT UP, UH, EITHER ONLINE WITH THE COURTS DOCKETING SYSTEM, OR GO TO THE BOARD AND PULL THE ENTIRE RECORD AND READ THE ENTIRE RECORD.
SO, UH, YES YOU COULD, BUT IT'S LIKELY ALL OF THE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO A SUIT, UH, THAT WOULD BE READ AS A SYNOPSIS IS ALREADY AVAILABLE, UM, UH, ONLINE THROUGH OTHER PUBLIC RECORD VENUES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, MR. GOTAY, MS. COLUMNS HAS A COMMENT AND THEN MR. TAB.
I HAD A LITTLE DELAY IN MY THING.
UM, REGARDING THE GLEN OAKS MIDDLE, THE CURRENT MILLENNIALS MIDDLE BUILDING, THEY, WE ALREADY RE IF YOU COULD REFRESH MY MEMORY, DID WE ALREADY DISCUSS WHAT IS GOING TO BE DONE WITH THAT BUILDING? I NOTICED IN GREAT DISREPAIR.
UH, I CAN TRY TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION, MS. COLLINS.
UH, THE, THE BUILDING WOULD COME BACK TO US.
THE PROPERTY WOULD COME BACK TO US.
AND SO AT THAT POINT, THE BUILDING IS IN SUCH DISREPAIR THAT MORE THAN LIKELY THE BOARD WOULD DECIDE TO, UH, DEMOLISH IT.
IT'S A LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY AT ONE.
TIME WAS THE HIGH SCHOOL HAS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LAND TO IT.
AND THE FOOTBALL FIELD IN THE BACK, I FELL UP THERE FOR NINE YEARS, BUT, UH, IT WAS, WASN'T NOT REAL GOOD SHAPE WAY BACK THEN.
SO, UH, BUT THE PROPERTY WILL COME BACK TO US AND IT IS THE BOARDS.
THERE IS ALSO A PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WAS TRYING TO READ THROUGH THESE AND, AND GOT ON THE GRANT ITEM.
UH, MR. FINNEY HAS THE COMMENT.
I HAVE NO OBJECTION TO THE AGENDA ITEM, BUT WANTED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MY COMMENT READ INTO THE RECORD.
AND MR. FINNEY ALSO HAD A COMMENT ON THE LOUISIANA, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICT FACILITIES, UH, SAYING IT SHOULD BE MADE CLEAR THAT THE PROPOSED SITE FOR THE REDESIGNS RSD MIDDLE SCHOOL IS ON CADILLAC STREET.
MR. GOODAY THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER COMMENT IN THERE THAT'S AFTER THE FACT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO, SINCE THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME GOING THROUGH THESE, IF YOU WANT TO READ THAT ONE, UM, WELL THIS ONE GOES BACK.
I WILL DO IT THIS TIME, BUT IT CAME IN VERY LATE.
RIGHT? I WILL GO AHEAD AND READ IT THIS TIME SINCE IT'S THE FIRST TIME FOR EVERYBODY, BUT IT'S FOR MYSQL FOR HONDA AND SAY, GREAT EVENING.
THIS IS RELATED TO THE MEETING MINUTES.
THANK YOU KINDLY FOR READING MY RESPONSE.
I AM HIGHLY ATTENDED FOR EBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHOSE TO
[01:40:01]
USE ITS VERY FIRST VIRTUAL SCHOOL MEETING TO SPEAK ABOUT SELLING PROPERTY.INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON PERTINENT ISSUES, SUCH AS CHILDREN'S WITH DISABILITIES, RECEIVING NOTHING FROM EBR, PAUL WAS STILLS.
WHY AREN'T YOU ALL DISCUSSING CREATING A COVID-19 TASK FORCE THAT CONSISTS OF SOME PARENTS IT'S EXTREMELY APPARENT THAT EBR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, SPECIAL EDUCATION ADVISORY COUNCIL DOESN'T EXIST OR IS NOT BEING UTILIZED.
SO THAT'S A COMMENT THAT RELATED BACK TO THE OPEN MEETINGS.
SO, UH, ARE REALLY BACK TO THE MEETING MINUTES.
UH, SO I THINK I'VE READ ALL OF THE COMMENTS RELATED TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY BOARD MEMBERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO PULL AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA? HEARING? NONE.
I HAVE READ THE COMMENTS FROM THE, UH, I GUESS I DID A LITTLE BIT OUT OF ORDER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD ON THE CONSENT AGENDA? UM, YES WE HAVE MR. HOWARD.
UM, JUST ON THE SAME, UH, CONCERN WITH THE PREVIOUS THING ABOUT THE LIST OF PRIORITIES WITH, UH, THE COVID MONEY, IF THERE COULD BE SOME KIND OF, UM, PRIORITIES AS IT RELATES TO SCHOOLS THAT ARE CLOSING, UM, SPECIFICALLY ONE IN MY DISTRICT, UM, THAT WE'RE GETTING BACK AS COURSEWORK MIDDLE.
UM, SO IF SOMEONE OR ANYONE KNOWS IF LIKE WHAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT DOING HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH THAT SPACE, THAT WILL BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND IF I NEED TO SPEAK TO A SPECIFIC PERSON OFF MY, UM, AS FAR AS LIKE EMAILS OR WHATEVER, I CAN DO THAT AND THEN BRINGING IT BACK TO THE BOARD.
BUT I JUST LIKE TO KNOW LIKE THE PRIORITIES OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THESE BUILDINGS.
ONCE WE REGAIN THEM BACK FROM RSD, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT WE ALSO HAVE ADDITIONAL RSD SCHOOLS THAT WILL BE POTENTIALLY GETTING BACK.
UM, SO WHOEVER THAT MAY BE, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE ME WITH SOME INSIGHT, UM, AT A LATER DATE, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THANK YOU, MR. HOWARD, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR REMARKS FROM THE BOARD SEEING NONE? MADAM SECRETARY CLARK, PLEASE VOTE.
MS. COLLINS, MS. WARD JACKSON.
[Item H1]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS H ONE NEW BUSINESS GRANT CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST TO APPROVE FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE READY START PRESCHOOL DEVELOPMENT GRANT AND THE AMOUNT OF $89,840 FROM THE LOUISIANA BOARD OF ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION FOR MATERIALS AND RESOURCES FOR HIGH QUALITY, PUBLICLY FUNDED, EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION.DO I HAVE A MOTION? OKAY, SO IT'S MOVED BY MS. DYSON.
UM, MR. SMITH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS ON THIS? YES, SIR.
AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE GRANT WAS SPECIFICALLY TO PROVIDE, UH, UH, CURRICULUM FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD
[01:45:01]
CENTERS.WE HAVE THREE CHILDHOOD CENTERS THAT ARE CONVERTING FROM TYPE TWO TO TYPE THREE IN ESSENTIALLY A TYPE TWO EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS.
AS SOON AS THAT DOES NOT RECEIVE PUBLIC FUNDING.
AND, UH, THESE THREE CENTERS ARE CONVERTING TO A TYPE THREE WHERE THEY WILL RECEIVE A C CAP FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
AND SO WE'RE PROVIDING A CURRICULUM FOR THOSE, UH, THREE CENTERS AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
UH, ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD ON THIS ITEM? OKAY.
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC? I DO NOT SEE ANY ON THE LIST OF COMMENTS.
SO WE WILL MOVE BACK TO THE BOARD.
ANY ITEM PASSES? WHY WE HAVE A HOLD ON.
[Item H2]
IS ITEM H TWO PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT GRADUATION ALLIANCE, CONSIDERATION OF REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL, BOARD AND GRADUATION ALLIANCE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE DROPOUT RECOVERY PROGRAM.MS. MINI-CASE WOULD YOU LIKE TO, UH, DISCUSS THIS ITEM? YES, SIR.
UM, FOR OVER ABOUT THE LAST YEAR WE'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING AND LOOKING FOR A PROGRAM OR A PARTNER THAT COULD HELP US WITH A SPECIAL SLIGHT GROUP OF STUDENTS.
AND THOSE ARE STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT, UM, OR WHO ARE UNACCOUNTED FOR IN THE SYSTEM.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK WITH MS JOHNSON'S GROUP THROUGH ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, TO BE ABLE TO DO A VARIETY OF ENGAGEMENTS FOR STUDENTS WHO WERE ON THE VERGE OF DROPPING OUT OR WHO MAYBE WHO TRADITIONAL SCHOOLS DON'T QUITE FIT THEIR NEEDS.
SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THOSE FUNCTIONS, BUT WHAT WE NEEDED WAS SOMETHING THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GO INTO THE COMMUNITY, HELP RECRUIT OR FIND FORMER STUDENTS AND RE-ENGAGE THEM AND BRING THEM BACK IN, UH, TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GRADUATE.
SO WE'VE WORKED AND LOOKED AT GROUPS AND, UH, WE STARTED MEETING WITH MR. HART'S GROUP PROBABLY AROUND OCTOBER.
UM, AND AFTER A VARIETY OF CONVERSATIONS, WE FELT LIKE THEY WERE DEFINITELY THE BEST FIT FOR US.
SO THE WAY THIS WOULD WORK IS THEY WILL NOT RECRUIT WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS.
THEY WILL FOCUS THEIR EFFORTS, UH, FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT ENROLLED, UM, THEY WILL GO AND DO THE PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
THEY'LL, UM, YOU KNOW, TRY TO RECRUIT THEM AND THAT STUDENTS COME INTO THEIR PROGRAM, THEY WILL FUNCTION, UM, YOU KNOW, A SCHOOL LIKE ATMOSPHERE.
UM, NOW THIS'LL BE SOME DISTANCE LEARNING IN A HYBRID.
UM, MR. HART'S PRESENTATION, WE'LL GO INTO SOME OF THIS, BUT BASICALLY, UH, THEY WILL NOT BE ON OUR CAMPUS PER SE.
MANY STUDENTS HAVE RESERVATIONS ABOUT COMING BACK TO A PHYSICAL CAMPUS.
SO SOME OF THIS MAY BE AT OTHER SITES OR OTHER PLACES, THIRD PARTY AREAS THAT THEY'LL IDENTIFY.
THEY ALSO HAVE A GRADUATION OR A LEARNING COACH.
AND YOU'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AS WELL WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UM, THE BEST PART OF THIS IS IT FOCUSES ON BEING REALLY NEUTRAL.
SO THE AMOUNT OF MFP MONEY WE TAKE IN FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE SUCCESSFUL THROUGH THE PROGRAM, THEN SOME OF THAT MFP MONEY THAT GOES BACK TO THE VENDOR.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT PAYING FOR SOMETHING UPFRONT AND WE'RE NOT PAYING
[01:50:01]
A FLAT COST, NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS.UM, AS STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL, WE BASICALLY PAY FOR THAT USING THE MFP MONEY, WE WOULD RECOVER FOR THEM ONCE THEY WERE ENROLLED.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF AN OVERVIEW AND I KNOW MR. HARP HAS A PRESENTATION, THAT'LL GET INTO KIND OF THE DETAILS OF THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
AND WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS AS WELL.
MR.
UH, I JUST WANTED TO COMPLETELY ECHO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, MR. NIKKEI'S JUST, UH, LAID OUT.
ACTUALLY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THIS PARTICULAR COMPANY AND IT SOUND, IT SOUNDED PHENOMENAL.
UH IT'S OF NO COST TO US AND THEY DID WORK.
THEY WORKED DIRECTLY WITH THOSE STUDENTS.
THEY USE, UH, EDUCATOR COACHES TO GET THEM CAUGHT BACK UP, AND THEN ONCE THEY ARE CAUGHT BACK UP, THEY WOULD THEN, UH, MATRICULATE BACK INTO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO THAT WAS THE DOLLARS THAT BEFORE THOSE STUDENTS ARE WALLED OFF, STUDENTS ARE NOT INSIDE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
WE ARE LOSING THOSE MONIES, BUT WHEN THEY GET THOSE STUDENTS CAUGHT BACK UP, THEY ACTUALLY COME BACK INTO OUR SYSTEM AND THAT'S THE MONIES THAT WE ARE THEN COLLECTING AGAIN, TO GET THOSE STUDENTS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE ESSENTIALLY TILL WE GET THEM OVER THE, UH, OVER THE EDGE SO THAT THEY CAN GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I WILL BE VOTING ON THIS MEASURE.
THANK YOU, MR. ALANIS, MR. GOOD.
HEY, I'LL TAKE THE MOTION IF YOU NEED ONE.
I HAVE TOO MANY COMPUTERS GOING ON HERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. TAPPIN FOR KEEPING ME STRAIGHT.
UH, THANK YOU, MR. KNEE CASE, UH, FOR THAT.
THANK YOU, MR. TATTON FOR THE MOTION AND MR. ATLANTIS FOR THE SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS MS. UH, DON'T UH, DON'T SEE ANY, BUT ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YES.
MS. DIASON AND THEN MS. COLLINS.
SO, UM, I WANTED TO KNOW IF WE COULD, UM, IN ANY WAY, INCORPORATE THOSE AT RISK IN OUR SYSTEM, UM, THAT ARE FALLING BEHIND PRIOR TO THEM DROPPING OUT, UM, AND SEE IF WE CAN CATCH THEM.
WE USED TO HAVE A PROGRAM YEARS AGO AND IT WAS A C CAP AND IT WAS A PROGRAM THAT, UM, THE STUDENTS, UH, FOR NO ELECTIVES AND REALLY CONCENTRATED ON THE CORE SUBJECTS AND COULD MOVE UP TO GRADE LEVELS IN A YEAR.
AND I'M WONDERING WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT HAVEN'T OFFICIALLY DROPPED OUT, BUT THAT, THAT AREN'T DOING SO WELL.
AND MAY, THIS MAY, COULD SAVE THEM FROM DROPPING OUT.
SO I'M WONDERING, HAVE WE INVESTIGATED INCLUDING THAT GROUP AS WELL ON A CASE BY CASE BASIS? UH, YES.
THIS PROGRAM WILL FUNCTION THROUGH OUR RE-ENGAGEMENT CENTER WITH THE ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS. SO WHENEVER WE HAVE ANY STUDENT, THAT'S KIND OF A WAY TO GO AND GO INTO A MENU OPERATION OR ALL A CART AND SAY WHAT PROGRAM IN THE DISTRICT BEST FITS OF STUDENT'S SITUATION.
IT MAY BE A BLENDED LEARNING ENVIRONMENT LIKE NORTH DALE.
IT MAY BE A VIRTUAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, SO WE WILL BE ABLE TO, UH, REVIEW THAT AND WORK WITH THEM, UM, AS NEEDED AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO GO AFTER STUDENTS WHO HAVE INITIALLY DROPPED OUT ALREADY, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP THE DOOR OPEN FOR OTHER SHOWS AS WELL.
I'M THINKING THAT THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL OF HELPING WITH OUR GRADUATION RATE AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, IT JUST IS A GREATER GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S A, WIN-WIN ALL GIRLS.
CAN WE PROVIDE OUR COUNSELORS WITH SOME PD AROUND THIS, PLEASE? ABSOLUTELY.
AND AGAIN, UM, WE'VE DONE THAT WITH OUR RE-ENGAGEMENT CENTER AS WELL, BUT ABSOLUTELY THEY'LL GET INFORMATION ABOUT THIS AND ALSO CONNECT TO THE RE-ENGAGEMENT CENTER FOR THE OPTIONS AS WELL.
UM, THE SERVICE, SO, UH, GREAT.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND,
[01:55:01]
UH, UM, HOW GRADUATION ALLIANCE WILL FUNCTION AS A, NOT AS AN ORGANIZATION.SO, UM, THEY'RE NON-PROFIT UM, WOULD DO THEY FUNCTION LIKE A SEPARATE SCHOOL? I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE LOGISTICS FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM.
WE CAN ACTUALLY COVER THAT THROUGH THE PRESENTATION, UH, WITH MR. HARP AT THIS TIME.
HI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'LL TRY TO KEEP THIS QUICK, UH, SO GRADUATION ALLIANCE FUNCTIONS TO ANSWER YOUR, YOUR QUESTIONS COLLINS DIRECTLY AS A, UH, PROGRAM WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, STUDENT WOULD GET A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA FROM THEIR HIGH SCHOOL OF ORIGIN OR THE ALTERNATIVE HIGH SCHOOL, DEPENDING ON THE SITUATION OF THE STUDENT.
UM, SO THE PROGRAM REALLY IS FOCUSED ON THOSE STUDENTS WHO HAVE ALREADY DROPPED OUT.
AND AGAIN, THE WAY IT IS COST NEUTRAL AS WE CALL IT, IS THAT WE, UH, THE MFP AND THE OCTOBER AND THE MARCH COUNTS.
AND THEN THAT BECOMES ESSENTIALLY THE GUARANTEED CAP OF THE PROGRAM UNDER THE CONTRACT.
YOU CAN READ ABOUT THAT IN SECTION T IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THAT IN THE CONTRACT THAT WAS ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA.
AND SO THEN THERE'S A GUARANTEE THERE THAT WE WON'T EXCEED THOSE AMOUNTS, UNLESS OF COURSE, THE DISTRICT REQUESTS THAT WE DO, UH, FOR A PARTICULAR STUDENT OR PARTICULAR SET OF STUDENTS.
AND SO THE PROGRAM SUPPORT REALLY ARE NUMBER ONE, GOING OUT THERE AND FINDING STUDENTS.
SO WE HAVE THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT AND ENROLLMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, WE USE SOCIAL MEDIA, WE USE A NUMBER OF OTHER, UH, EMAILS, SNAIL MAIL.
WE HAVE TO GO KNOCK ON PEOPLE'S DOORS.
WE'LL DO THAT TOO, WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO TO TRY TO FIND THE STUDENTS.
I OFTEN, UH, JOKINGLY REFER TO THAT AS FINE GRANDMA.
UM, AND THAT, BECAUSE THAT IS THE TRUTH.
IF YOU CAN FIND GRANDMA, YOU CAN FIND THE STUDENT.
AND SO WE WORK REALLY HARD THROUGH EMERGENCY CONTACTS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE EMAILS, ANYTHING YOU MIGHT HAVE IN TERMS OF CONTACT INFORMATION, TO FIND THE STUDENT.
THEN FROM THERE, THERE'S A, UH, TURNKEY PACKAGE OF SUPPORT STARTS WITH A TEACHER, WHICH IS INSIDE ALL OF THE, UM, IN THIS CASE, IT'S ONLINE DIDACTIC CURRICULUM.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE BLENDED NATURE OF IT IN JUST A MINUTE.
UM, THE TEACHER IS THERE, SO IT'S NOT JUST ONLINE CURRICULUM LIKE YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN IN CREDIT RECOVERY WHERE IT'S ALL AUTOMATED.
THERE'S A TEACHER THERE, THERE ARE GROUP PROJECTS.
THERE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIRECT INTERACTIONS WITH THE TEACHER.
THE TEACHER GIVES VERY DIRECT FEEDBACK ON PAPERS, ON PROJECTS, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO THE TEACHER LICENSE IN LOUISIANA, BY THE WAY, UM, IS VERY INVOLVED IN THAT THE NEXT LAYER OF SUPPORT, UM, IS WHAT WE CALL AN ACADEMIC COACH, UH, MR. NICK CASE, UH, REFERRED TO IT AS A GRADUATION COACH, VERY, VERY SIMILAR TITLES.
AND WHAT THEY DO IS THEIR FOCUS MAINLY ON PACE AND PROGRESS.
AND SO WHAT WE FOUND WITH THIS AUDIENCE OF STUDENTS IS THEY HAVE VERY COMPLICATED LIVES AND SO THEY NEED AN ADULT IN THEIR LIFE.
THAT'S REALLY HELPING THEM THINK THROUGH, UM, WHEN AM I GOING TO MAKE TIME TO STUDY? YOU KNOW, I MIGHT BE WORKING, I MIGHT BE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS.
I MIGHT HAVE KIDS OF MY OWN, UM, AS A TEENAGE PARENT.
AND SO I NEED TO REALLY HAVE AN ADULT WHO'S WORKING THROUGH THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
I'M ACTUALLY ONE SLIDE AHEAD OF THAT.
AND SO ALSO FROM THERE, ONCE YOU MOVE, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE CURRICULUM IT WHILE IT'S ASYNCHRONOUS AND ONLINE, UM, IT'S NOT SELF-PACED.
AND SO I SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO EACH STUDENT HAS REQUIREMENTS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
WE'VE FOUND THAT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY IS REALLY CRITICAL FOR STUDENTS.
SO JUST LIKE IN A TRADITIONAL CLASSROOM, IF A STUDENT DOESN'T FINISH THEIR WORK IN A WEEK, UM, THEY CAN GET A ZERO ON THOSE.
THIS IS A VERY AT RISK, UM, GROUP OF STUDENTS.
AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENED OR THEY CALL THEIR ACADEMIC COACH, THEY CAN GET EXEMPTED, UH, FROM WORK.
BUT IN GENERAL, THAT ACCOUNTABILITY BALANCED WITH COMPASSION IS WHAT WE'RE REALLY GOING FOR IN THIS PROGRAM.
I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE A TECHNOLOGY ONE-TO-ONE, UH, BUT WE ALSO DO PROVIDE THE COMPUTER AND 4G INTERNET ACCESS AS PART OF THIS.
UM, THEN THERE'S A SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL SUPPORT NETWORK HERE THAT HAS BOTH ONLINE COUNSELORS, AS WELL AS WHAT WE CALL LOCAL ADVOCATES.
WHAT A LOCAL ADVOCATE DOES IS THEY ACTUALLY MEET WITH A STUDENT, OBVIOUSLY AFTER THIS CRISIS HAS DONE, UM, IN A THIRD PARTY LOCATION, MR. NEW CASE MENTIONED THAT.
IT COULD BE A COMMUNITY CENTER, IT COULD BE A COFFEE SHOP, A DONUT SHOP.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS BE REALLY CLOSE TO BUS LINES, FOR EXAMPLE, TRYING TO BE CLOSE TO WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE, WHERE IT'S EITHER WALKABLE OR ACCESSIBLE TO PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEN IT REALLY IS THEN TRANSITIONING THEM INTO POST-SECONDARY SUPPORT, EVEN AT THIS VERY HIGH RISK ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM.
UM, ALMOST 40% OF OUR STUDENTS MOVE ON TO THE POST-SECONDARY, UM, OPPORTUNITIES, WHETHER THAT'S A CERTIFICATE OR A GRADUATE, UH, OR A FULL COLLEGE, EXCUSE ME.
[02:00:01]
THERE, UM, THEY REALLY HAVE THAT COUNSELING FROM A POST-SECONDARY PERSPECTIVE, INTEGRATED IN OUR CURRICULUM, BY THE WAY, IS ALSO, UM, A COLLEGE AND CAREER FOCUS.SO INDUSTRY CREDENTIALS IN HEALTHCARE, IN CONSTRUCTION AND MANUFACTURING AND LOGISTICS AND HIGH DEMAND JOBS, SO THAT A STUDENT, IF THEY CHOOSE, COULD GO STRAIGHT FROM HIGH SCHOOL INTO A, UH, HIGH EARNING CAREER.
SO I'LL PAUSE THERE FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
SHOULD I
SO, UM, IN A DOCUMENT THAT DESCRIBES ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PROGRAM, I KNOW THE HEADING OF THE DOCUMENT SAYS IS A DROPOUT, UH, PRO UH, RE-ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM.
BUT IN TERMS OF THE LANGUAGE OF THE ACTUAL ELIGIBILITY, IT'S NOT WORDED THAT WAY.
THE WORD DROPOUT IS NOT ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE DOCUMENT EXCEPT FOR THE HEAD.
UH, AND I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE BECAUSE OTHERWISE THE LANGUAGE IS SAYING EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AGE 14, UH, CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM.
IF I MISS, IF I'M MISUNDERSTANDING, LET ME KNOW, BUT I DON'T SPEAK IN THE ELEVATE ELIGIBILITY SECTION WHERE, WHERE IT'S CLEAR THAT ELIGIBILITY IS AROUND STUDENTS WHO HAVE DROPPED OUT.
SO TWO PROTECTIONS FOR THAT, NUMBER ONE IS THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT APPROVES ANY THAT WOULD COME INTO THE PROGRAM.
SO A STUDENT CAN NOT JUST COME INTO THE PROGRAM WITHOUT A APPROVAL THROUGH, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL BE MR AND THE CASE, BUT WHOEVER IS APPOINTED, UH, FOR THAT, THE SECOND PIECE IS THE REASON WE DON'T USE THE WORD DROPOUT.
AND THOSE ELIGIBILITY IS IN LOUISIANA, AS I'M SURE YOU GUYS ARE, UM, AWARE YOU CAN'T TECHNICALLY BE A DROPOUT UNTIL YOU'RE 17.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE IS THAT THERE ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE YOUNGER THAN THAT, WHO AREN'T ATTENDING OR NOT COMING, OR JUST COMPLETELY DISENGAGED FROM SCHOOL.
AND SO THE TERM DROPOUT IS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO USE IN LOUISIANA FROM A LEGAL AND IN A CONTRACT PERSPECTIVE, EVEN THOUGH MANY STUDENTS YOUNGER THAN THAT MAY ACTUALLY BE A DROPOUT.
IF WE USE THE WORD DROPOUT IN THAT CONTEXT, IT WOULD ELIMINATE ANYBODY UNDER 17.
IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO GET A PHRASE IN THERE THAT CAN CAPTURE THE INTENTION? AND I'M NOT SAYING IT'S THE ORGANIZATION THAT WOULD MANIPULATE THAT LANGUAGE.
IT COULD EVEN BE A PRINCIPAL OR WHATEVER DISTRICT APPROVING AUTHORITY.
THERE'S A PRE QUOTE, UNQUOTE PROBLEM, CHILD PROBLEM, FAMILY, AND THE DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, AND LET'S JUST FAST TRACK THEM INTO, INTO THIS PROGRAM TO GET THEM OUT OF OUR HAND FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT THINGS CAN HAPPEN, AND THAT'S WHY YOU TRIED YOUR BEST TO MAKE SURE YOUR LANGUAGE IS AS REASONABLY TIGHT AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS JUST A LITTLE TOO LOOSE.
AND I DO GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT, UM, 17 YEARS OLD BEING THE TECHNICAL, UH, DROPOUT AGE.
BUT IF WE COULD GET JUST A PHRASE AND, AND I'LL BE COMPLETELY HONEST, I, I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT THAT PHRASE SHOULD LOOK LIKE.
UM, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE IF WE HAD THAT OUTSIDE OF THE LANGUAGE, IF I CAN GET, UH, SOMEBODY FROM DISTRICT TO HELP ME UNDERSTAND.
UM, AND I THINK THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM.
I'M NOT KNOCKING THE PROGRAM, BUT SO THAT I COULD BE CLEAR FOR MYSELF AND EFA, CONSTITUENT OR PARENT, UH, ASKED ME ABOUT OPTIONS FOR THEIR CHILD.
WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR CURRENT ALTERNATIVE SCHOOL PROGRAMMING AND THEN THIS PARTICULAR PROGRAM, RIGHT? MS. COLLINS, THE MAIN DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE PROGRAMS, THIS PROGRAM IS GOING TO ONLY GO, UM, RECRUIT STUDENTS THAT WE GIVE THEM A LIST OF THAT WE NO LONGER HAVE CONTACT ON.
SO THEY MAY HAVE BE POTENTIAL DROPOUTS.
THEY'VE BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL FOR A LONG TIME.
HAVEN'T, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET RECONNECTED TO A SCHOOL.
SO AGAIN, UM, THE GRANT ALLIANCE GROUP WORKS ON LISTS THAT WE PROVIDE THEM.
AM I, IT WILL USUALLY BE DURING OUR CYSTINE PROCESS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL DROPOUTS WHO ARE NO LONGER IN SCHOOL.
UM, OUR MAIN GOAL WITH STUDENTS ARE IN SCHOOL IS ONE HAVE THEM SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL OR ENGAGE THEM DIRECTLY INTO ONE OF THE PROGRAMS AND THE ALTERNATIVE, UH, SYSTEM, UM, THAT BEST FITS THEIR NEED.
SO WE WANT TO KEEP THEM, WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE THEM TO THIS PROGRAM, THIS PROGRAM, WE WANT TO FOCUS ON DISENGAGED STUDENTS THAT ARE NO LONGER PART OF THE DISTRICT.
[02:05:01]
UM, MY ASSUMPTION THERE IS THAT IN OUR ONE STOP SHOP OFFICE, AN IN, FOR THE ALTERNATIVE SCHOOLS, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MECHANISM IN PLACE THAT DIFFERENTIATES STUDENTS FROM THOSE THAT MIGHT GO TO NORTH DALE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, FROM THOSE THAT WE WILL SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW WHAT, GRADUATION ALLIANCE WE'VE TRIED AND TRIED.I JUST, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, AND I, AND I'M NOT SAYING THIS TO DOUBT DISTRICT STAFF, IT JUST HELPS THE STUDENTS THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY ENGAGED WITH.
UH, IN ANY OF THOSE CASES, WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
REALLY THE HOPE THAT GRADUATION ALLIANCE CAN PROVIDE IS TRYING TO ENGAGE STUDENTS WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE.
WE DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL.
WE CAN'T ENGAGE THEM WITH OUR LEVEL.
SO THIS IS JUST A CATCH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER NET TO CATCH STUDENTS AND HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHO ARE, KNOW, WHO NO LONGER SEE ANY OF OUR PROGRAMS OR SCHOOLS AS VIABLE.
UM, THIS CAN BE ANOTHER CATCH FOR THAT.
UM, THERE ARE REQUIREMENTS BEFORE STUDENTS CAN ENTER ADULT ED AND GO THROUGH LIKE A HIGH SET PROGRAM.
SO THIS ALLOWS FOR STUDENTS TO ENGAGE FASTER THAN THAT.
AND ALSO WE DON'T LIKE TO DO A LOT OF WAIVERS FOR THAT, THAT ARE UNDER AGE, BECAUSE AGAIN, ULTIMATELY WE WANT KIDS TO TRY TO HAVE A CHANCE TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL.
I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, GET GIVING ME SOME CLARITY AND MR. NICK CASE, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD THAT EVERY YEAR THAT THE LDL PROVIDES US WITH A POTENTIAL DROPOUT LIST, THERE ARE NO LONGER ENOUGH ASSESSED SYSTEM.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE A LIST THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY SCREW UP FIRST.
AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY THE LIST WE'RE USING.
THANK YOU, MS. COLLINS, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHICH WISHING TO SPEAK? I DON'T HAVE ANY, UH, I HAVE NO PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THIS ITEM.
THAT WAS ONE, BUT IT WAS WITHDRAWN.
UM, SO WITH THAT, WE, AND I JUST REFRESHED AGAIN, I WILL DO IT MORE AND MORE TIME WITH THAT.
WE WILL GO BACK TO THE BOARD, ANY BOARD MEMBERS WISHING TO MAKE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS MS. COLLINS? YES.
MY SCREEN IS DELAYED RESPONSE.
UM, EASY, POSSIBLE IN THIS SETTING FOR US TO GET IN THIS MEETING, TO GET A PHRASE THAT, THAT THIS MOTION COULD BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE SOME, UH, STRONGER ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
I MEAN, IS IT SUFFICIENT FOR US TO, I DON'T WANT TO NECESSARILY RESTRICT IT ONLY TO THE LIST THAT L D O E GIVES US, UH, BECAUSE THERE MIGHT BE OPPORTUNITY BEYOND THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S A STARTING PLACE IN TERMS OF LANGUAGE FOR ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
I JUST DON'T, IT'S JUST, IT'S WAY TOO LOOSE BASED ON WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW, EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AGE 14 CAN, UH, APPLY TO BE IN THE PROGRAM.
AND NOW I'M NOT SAYING THE DISTRICT WOULD PUT EVERY SINGLE CHILD, OF COURSE, BUT I'M USING THAT AS AN INDICATION THAT IT'S JUST, THE LANGUAGE IS JUST WAY TOO LOOSE.
COULD, IS LEGAL WELL IN THE PROGRAM IS GREAT.
AND YOU'VE CLARIFIED MOST OF MY QUESTIONS.
WE'VE, YOU'VE CLARIFIED ALL OF MY QUESTIONS.
AND MY ONLY CONCERN AT THIS POINT IS THE ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA.
UM, SO MS. MS. DONNA, MS. MS. CARLOS, I THINK I, WHAT I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT HAVING SOME SAFEGUARDS IN THERE TO WHERE KIDS WHO COULD GRADUATE FROM A BRICK AND MORTAR NOT BEING FUNNELED THROUGH THIS, THIS PROGRAM.
UH, AGAIN, I, WE WOULD BE FOCUSING ON KIDS THAT AREN'T IN OUR SCHOOLS.
UM, WE WOULD HAVE ROSTERS AS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BRING BACK OR GIVE THE BOARD UPDATES ON PERIODICALLY AS WELL, JUST SO YOU CAN SEE NUMBERS COUNTS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE STUDENTS ARE IN THE PROCESS AND THE PROCESS AS WELL.
UM, IF YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, SOME KIND OF SAFEGUARD LIKE THAT AS WELL, IS IT POSSIBLE TO SIMPLY PUT IN THE LANGUAGE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLED YADA YADA YADA IN ADDITION TO WAS, WAS THERE, IS THAT, YEAH, YOU, YOU COULD DO THAT.
[02:10:01]
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT REALLY WOULD HELP IF, UH, IF A STUDENT DROPPED TODAY, THEY WOULD THEN BE ELIGIBLE IN THE FUTURE.SO, I MEAN, IT, I MEAN, WE JUST KNOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO RECRUIT CURRENT STUDENTS.
WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA FOCUS ON LONG KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME.
UM, BUT I I'LL, I'LL LEAVE IT TO THE BOARD IF Y'ALL WANT TO ADD SOME LANGUAGE.
SO I'D LIKE TO OFFER A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UM, TO INCORPORATES THEIR LANGUAGE, UM, THAT SECTION C ONE, THE DOCUMENT SAYS T1, BUT I DO TAKE IT.
T1 IS REFERRING TO ITSELF, BUT BASED ON THE CONTEXT OF THE DOCUMENT, I UNDERSTAND THAT TO BE SECTION C1, WHICH IS SPECIFICALLY LABELED ELIGIBILITY, SMALL TYPE OF AF IN SECTION C1, UM, MAYBE ADD C THERE'S, AN A, B, AND A S.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD C OKAY.
SO IT CURRENTLY READS YOUTH ARE ELIGIBLE FOR RE-ENGAGEMENT PROGRAM.
AND WHEN THEY MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, A HIGH SCHOOL AGE, 14 YEARS OLD AS OF SEPTEMBER 1ST AND B HAVE NOT YET MET HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS, I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND IT TO, UH, INSERT COMMA AND C ARE NOT CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN EBR PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
MS. COLLINS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE THAT AS A SEPARATE CHEEK MOTION OR ASKED FOR IT TO BE AMENDED TO THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR? IF I CAN GET A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, THAT'D BE GREAT.
IF NOT, I'LL OFFER IT AS A SUBSTITUTE.
SO MR. CHAPMAN, YOU MADE THE, UH, THE MOTION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT.
UH, MR. ATLANTA, YOU'RE THE SECOND.
THANK YOU THAT I REPEATED, UH, MS. BASS.
IT HAS A COMMENT, MR. AUSTIN HAS A COMMENT AND I'M GOING TO MS. COLLINS, ARE YOU OKAY WITH ME IN THE MOTION HERE? JUST SAYING WITH ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE AND THEN ACTUALLY PUTTING THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THE MINUTES.
SO WE HAVE A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UH, TO DO THIS.
NOW I AM GOING TO BE EXTREMELY LIBERAL AND, UH, HOW WE ARE PROGRESSING ON THIS MEETING BECAUSE IT'S NEW FOR US, AND IT IS ALSO NEW FOR THE PUBLIC.
AND I HAVEN'T GOT NO, THERE SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE BIT OF PROBLEM WITH SOME OF THE LINKS ON PUBLIC COMMENTS AND ADDITION, BUT I WILL READ IN ONE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT THAT HAS COME IN TRYING TO BE AS OPEN AS WE CAN.
AND THIS IS FOR MS. KOHANA QUARTERLY.
WHY IS EBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILLING TO PAY AN ORGANIZATION FOR SOMETHING WE ARE ALREADY LEGALLY BOUND TO DO? WHY CAN'T EBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS USE THE OLD BANK SCHOOL AND DO THIS OURSELVES? HOW MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SCHAEFFER AROUND LIKE MARBLES? IF YOU VOTE FOR THIS TO APPROVE THIS PROGRAM, THEN YOU'RE PUBLICLY ADMITTING THAT EBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS DOES ABSOLUTELY NOTHING FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
ALSO, I DO NOT AGREE WITH GIVING THEM OUR MFP MONEY.
ALSO, THIS MEETING IS DENYING ME MY RIGHT TO SPEAK THE FULL LENGTH OF TIME.
SO WE THANK MISS CORALEE FOR THAT COMMENT, MR.
UM, WITH THAT LANGUAGE, UM, I REALLY LIKED MR. ARMAND'S IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY FORMALIZING THE LANGUAGE SPECIFIC TO THIS CHANGE, UM, BECAUSE, UM, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE THAT MAY STILL OFFICIALLY BE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN DROPPED
[02:15:01]
OUT OF OUR SYSTEM, SO THEY MAY BE ENROLLED IN SOME WAY.UM, AND I, SO I WAS THINKING MAYBE ON THE LINES OF ATTENDING, UM, THAT ARE NOT CURRENTLY ATTENDING, UM, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL IN OUR DISTRICT, UM, OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, I SEE THAT THE, UM, THERE'S, UH, A WAY TO DO, DO THE WORDING, HAVING THE ATTENDING WORDING VERSUS THE LANGUAGE.
THAT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY TO SAY OFFICIALLY DROPPED OUT.
UH, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT CON CONCEPTUALLY, I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT.
IT JUST CAUSES ME TO S TO THEN ASK HOW WE DEFINE ATTENDING OR NOT.
UH, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT ARE THEY NOT ATTENDING? IS IT THE 10 DAYS, YOU KNOW, WITH WHERE THEY'RE TRUANT TYPE OF THING.
UM, BUT I AM OPEN, UH, IN TERMS OF THE EXACT LANGUAGE.
SO MAYBE WE CAN, UM, WORDSMITH IT WHEN, UM, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL IS BACK TO GET IT JUST RIGHT.
UH, MY ONLY CONCERN THEN WHAT I TOOK APRIL TO MEAN WHEN SHE MADE HER COMMENT WAS THAT SHE WAS GOING TO BE TAKING IT DOWN THE WAY I SAID IT, BUT SHE WASN'T NECESSARILY GOING TO DISPLAY IT ON THE SCREEN.
IF WE ARE NOW AGREEING THAT WE ARE GOING TO AGREE TO THE EXACT WORDING AT A LATER TIME, THEN IT MAKES THE NATURE OF IT DIFFERENT.
I THINK, I THINK IT MIGHT CAUSE US TO NEED TO MOVE IT FORWARD WITHOUT RECOMMENDATION OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT, BECAUSE IT'S, THAT'S WHAT I WAS REFERRING TO MS. COLLINS.
AND I WAS JUST DRAWN TO SAY, I WAS GOING TO PUT YOUR SPECIFIC LANGUAGE IN THE MINUTES INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET IT ALL IN RIGHT NOW, THE WAY I HAVE IT CURRENTLY AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT MEASUREMENT OFFERED TO AS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO SECTION C ONE, TO CONSIDER THE REQUEST OF THE APPROVAL AND THE REST OF THIS THING.
CAN I REQUEST, UM, JUST, UH, FROM MR. EITHER MR.
UH, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE THAT OUT AND MR. NICHOLAS, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT, BUT SO THE WORD ENROLLED IS TOUGH BECAUSE WHILE IT'S, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT RULES AROUND IT, ESSENTIALLY SOMEONE IS ENROLLED FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE ON EITHER OCTOBER ONE OR THE COUNTING MARCH.
AND SO THERE WOULD ONLY BE TWO TIMES WHERE THEY WOULDN'T BE ENROLLED.
THERE THERE'S SOME EXCEPTIONS TO THAT, BUT, BUT IN GENERAL AND BROAD STROKES, THAT'S TRUE.
SO THE REASON I MIGHT ACCEPT, UH, SAY ATTENDING, ALTHOUGH MS. CONS, I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN.
TOTALLY GET IT HAPPY TO BE FLEXIBLE ON IT.
THE REASON I MIGHT SUGGEST ATTENDING, AND WE'RE HAPPY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE IT THE 10 DAYS OF, UH, TRUANCY, THAT'S ACCEPTABLE TO US, THAT'LL COME OUR ISSUE WITH THAT.
UM, COMPLETELY GET THE INTENT.
I JUST WOULD BE WORRIED ABOUT THE WORD ENROLLED, BECAUSE YOU COULD THEORETICALLY SAY THAT ANYBODY WAS ENROLLED IN OCTOBER.
THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY CAME TO SOMEONE'S OFFICE AND SAID, HEY, I'M DROPPING OUT.
I'M NOT EVER COMING BACK IN DECEMBER.
THEN YOU'D HAVE TO WAIT ALL THE WAY TO MARCH BEFORE THEY WOULD TECHNICALLY BE NOT ENROLLED ANY LONGER.
THAT'S MY MAIN CONCERN WITH THE WORD ENROLLED.
SO IS, UM, CAN SOME DISTRICT STAFF HELPED ME WITH, UM, SUGGESTING I, AGAIN, I'M OKAY WITH CHANGING IT TO ATTEND A T NO LONGER ATTENDING, AS LONG AS WE DEFINE IT WITH NO LONGER ATTENDING YEARS AND, AND MAYBE STAFF CAN, UH, QUICKLY OFFER UP A GOOD SUGGESTION.
MY UNDERSTANDING, AND THEN IT'S 10 DAYS IS THE POINT AT WHICH THE DAY IS THE POINT AT WHICH A STUDENT BECOMES A TRUANT, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO BEAT, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BELABOR, THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM, UM, GAIN.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT THE LANGUAGE ISN'T TOO LOOSE IN THE REGARD THAT I STATED PREVIOUSLY, SORRY, MR. NICK HAYES, MS. BERNARD MADE A SUGGESTION OF GOING WITH 10 OR 11 DAYS AND MISS THE KNEE CASE IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT YOU UNDERSTAND IN TERMS OF LOGISTICS AND WHAT MAKES SENSE ON THE LOUISIANA LAWS AND WHATNOT THAT 10, WELL, THE 11TH DAY, RATHER THE 10TH DAY IS THE DAY THAT THE STUDENT BECOMES TRUANT.
AND SO THEN 11TH DAY HELPED ME MAKE SURE I'M NOT MAKING IT WELL, THE ATTENDING PART IS, AGAIN, A LITTLE TRICKY BECAUSE ARE THEY STILL ENROLLED THERE? DOES THE, YOU USUALLY, AS A
[02:20:01]
THRESHOLD AT SOME POINT WHERE THE SCHOOL AFTER WORKING WITH CWA WILL REALIZE THAT A STUDENT NO LONGER ATTENDS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE A NO SHOW FOR 10 DAYS AND THEY NEVER SHOW UP TO SCHOOL, THEY ARE PRETTY MUCH CLEANED OFF THE ROSTER THEN, BUT DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR, IF THEY'VE SHOWED UP PERIODICALLY, YOU COULD HAVE LARGE GAPS THERE THAT ARE LONGER THAN THAT, WHERE THEY'RE TECHNICALLY STILL ENROLLED OR ARE WORKING TO TRY TO VERIFY THAT.
I THINK ULTIMATELY MAYBE THE EASIEST WAY TO SAY THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE, UM, COLLECTION PERIODS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT OCTOBER, FEBRUARY, AND THROUGH THE SUMMER, THOSE LISTS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE NO LONGER, WE'RE NOT TRACKING AT A SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT OUT OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT ENROLLED AT A SCHOOL.
UM, AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO RE-ENGAGE THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NO LONGER PART OF THE SYSTEM AND THEY'RE NOT PART OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE WORKING THROUGH AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN OR RE-ENGAGEMENT.
UM, SO AGAIN, CAN I, CAN I ADD A COMMENT RIGHT HERE IF I MAY, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WHAT THE INTENT, WHAT YOU'RE GETTING AT MS. COLLINS IS THAT YOU DON'T WANT THEM TO RECRUIT OUR STUDENTS.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND THEY, I THINK IT'S BEEN MADE CLEAR TO THEM THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA RECRUIT OUR STUDENTS, BUT JUST LIKE MR. UH, NIKKEI SAID, IF A STUDENT IS ENGAGED IS FROM A SCHOOL, THEY MAY BE TECHNICALLY ENROLLED, BUT THEY MAY BE, WE DON'T SEE THEM AT ALL.
AND SO THOSE STUDENTS, UH, THIS COMPANY RE-ENGAGING THEM, IT DOES TWO THINGS.
IT GIVES US BACK SOME OF THE, WHAT, WHAT IT DOES.
IT GIVES US BACK THE ACCOUNTABILITY PIECE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PERCENTAGE IS ON THAT, BUT IT HELPS US IN THAT, IN THAT WAY.
SO IN THAT REGARD, I THINK IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM.
AND, UH, BUT I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
YOU'RE SAYING WE DON'T WANT THEM TO RECRUIT OUR STUDENTS.
AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE WITH THAT.
AND I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE RESULT OF IT.
SO THANK YOU SUPER ATTENTIVE FOR INTERJECTING THAT.
I, AGAIN, I DIDN'T WANT TO DRAG THIS OUT.
UM, I WAS SCARED TO TRY TO OFFER SOME DIFFERENT LANGUAGE BECAUSE I'M, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT I THINK I HAVE A SUGGESTION FOR MS. BERNARD THAT WOULD SUFFICE AND NOT CAUSE ANY DELAYS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, BUT STILL NOT LEAVING WIDE OPEN TO EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT IN THE DISTRICT.
AND SO THEN, UM, AGAIN, TO BE CLEAR AND MR. TADEMAN, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT SO WIDE, BUT STILL NOT BEING TOO CUMBERSOME.
SECTION C ONE, I'M ASKING IT TO READ.
UM, SO SECTION C1 YOUTH ARE ELIGIBLE FOR REENGAGEMENT PROGRAM AND WHEN THEY MEET THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA, A HIGH SCHOOL AGE, 14 YEARS OF AGE AS SUCH HAVE A FIRST AND B HAVE NOT YET MET HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO INSERT C UH, HAS MISSED 10 DAYS ALL WITHDRAWN FROM EBR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND I THINK THAT'S SIMPLE AND IT DEALS WITH THE ATTENDANCE.
IT DOESN'T USE THE ENROLLMENT LANGUAGE, WHICH IS A WHOLE NOTHER MATTER WITH DIFFERENT CALENDAR DAYS.
UH, BUT IT STILL DOESN'T LEAVE IT WIDE OPEN.
CAN, UH, MR. TODMAN WITH YOUR GRACE AND MERCY, CAN I GET A, UH, ANOTHER FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, IF THAT IS EVEN IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF FRIENDLY? CAN I ASK A QUESTION TO BAN, UH, IS THAT, DOES THAT WORK THEN? IS THAT OKAY? YEAH.
SO NOW, AND I APOLOGIZE, I KNOW TRYING TO DRAFT LANGUAGE ON THE FLY, YOU'RE TRYING TO ANTICIPATE EVERY POSSIBLE SCENARIO.
UM, ONE THING THAT I WOULD JUST CAUTION IS THAT AGAIN, WE WANT TO KEEP THE SCOPE OF THE NUMBER OF KIDS GOING THROUGH THIS PROGRAM LOW, FIRST OF ALL, PARENTS OR THE STUDENT ARE GOING TO HAVE TO AGREE TO DO THIS.
SO YOU HAVE ONE CHECKS AND BALANCE THERE.
NOBODY CAN BE FORCED INTO THIS.
THE SECOND THING IS IF YOU PUT A 10 DAY LIMIT, IF THEY HAVEN'T GONE TO SCHOOL IN 10 DAYS, THAT ACTUALLY MULTIPLIES THE NUMBER OF KIDS WHO COULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR THIS WAY MORE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT KIDS WHO HAVE NO LONGER ENROLLED WHO ARE DISENGAGED, WE HAVEN'T BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN RE-ENGAGING THEM, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER, UH, CAPTURE TO CATCH THAT.
SO AGAIN, I, I PUT THAT LANGUAGE THERE, IF THAT IS COMFORTABLE, I JUST,
[02:25:01]
I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T MAKE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES ON THE FLY EITHER.WELL, AND IT ACTUALLY CAPTURES IT BECAUSE RIGHT NOW THE EXISTING LANGUAGE SAYS AGE 14 DESI.
SO IF WE GOT TO NARROW IT DOWN TO SOME EXTENT, THAT'S WHY I FEEL SO STRONGLY.
AND I FEEL SO UNCOMFORTABLE WITH LEAVING THE LANGUAGE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW IS LITERALLY WIDE OPEN TO EVERY HIGH SCHOOL, SENIOR THAT'S 14 YEARS OLD.
UM, AND SO I FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE PUTTING IT IN PLACE.
AND AS LONG AS WHAT I'M AT OFFERING IS NOT GOING TO CAUSE A PROBLEM, THEN I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST ANOTHER FRIENDLY AMENDMENT FROM MY COLLEAGUE, MR. TADEMAN.
UM, MS. COLLINS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT THAT WE HASH OUT THE LANGUAGE HERE.
I KNOW IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT TO LEAVE ANYTHING TO INTERPRETATION AFTER WE LEAVE THE MEETING.
AND SO I'D LIKE TO TRY TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND SO IF IT, IF WHAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING IT, MR. NIKKEI'S THINKS THAT HE DOESN'T DO ANY HARM.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT MR.
IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO SAY IT, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IF IT LOOKS LIKE IT DOESN'T DO HARM TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND MR. LANDIS IS OKAY WITH THAT FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, THEN I'M OKAY WITH IT.
BUT THAT'S WHY I ASKED PAM FIRST, UH, WHERE HE HAS BEEN.
DO YOU THINK THAT THE LANGUAGE THAT, UH, MS. COLLINS IS SUGGESTING, DOES HARM TO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO OR IN ANY WAY INHIBITS OR CHANGES THE PROGRAM? ABSOLUTELY.
EVERY STUDENT THAT WOULD BE ELIGIBLE WOULD HAVE ALREADY HIT THAT THRESHOLD.
AND ACTUALLY, MR. LLANAS HAS A COMMENT HE'S IN THE QUEUE TO SPEAK.
YES, I HAVE NO, UH, PROBLEMS WITH THE UNLIMITED ATTACHMENT HAS NO PROBLEMS WITH THE AMENDMENT.
I JUST WANT US TO JUST BE COGNIZANT THOUGH, THAT, UH, WE TALKING ABOUT SHOWING STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, UH, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG STANDING ISSUE IN EBR.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DEMOGRAPHICS ABOUT 70 TO 75% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS OF THAT 52% AROUND 52% ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES THAT ARE NOT GRADUATING FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM ON OUR HANDS AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE IN FRONT OF THIS ISSUE.
I KNOW THAT I KNOW WE CAN FIX THE LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN TINKER WITH THE LANGUAGE, BUT I JUST DON'T WANT US TO LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT HERE.
AND THAT IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE CATCHING THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE POTENTIALLY ON THE CUSP.
I HAVE ALREADY CHECKED OUT OF SCHOOL.
AND WHEN, I MEAN, BY CHECK OUT OF SCHOOL IS THEY HAVE NO, UH, THEY HAVE NO MEANING LEFT, DEFEND THEMSELVES TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL.
AND THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS WE NEED TO BE FOCUSED ON.
AND WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT, AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT, UH, TRUANT STUDENTS, IT'S, MULTI-LAYERED, IT'S NOT JUST A SCHOOL SYSTEM.
YOU HAVE TO TALK, YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, UH, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT HAS TO GO OUT AND KNOCK ON THESE DOORS AND GO AND FIND THESE STUDENTS, UH, CONTACTING PARENTS.
IT'S, IT'S SO MANY LAYERS TO IT.
AND I JUST WANT US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE GETTING A FOOTING AND WE'RE BEING VERY PROACTIVE ABOUT THE WAY THAT WE APPROACH IT.
AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN.
I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH IT AND I WILL BE SUPPORTING THIS MEASURE AND ALSO SUPPORT.
AND I, AGAIN, I'M VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM.
UH, PLEASE DON'T MISTAKE MY CONCERN FOR NOT BEING SUPPORTIVE OF THE PROGRAM.
SO AS A, FOR NOW, THE WAY I HAVE THE MOTION AS A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OFFERED TO AS SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO SECTION C1, AND THEN THE REST OF THE ITEM STAYS THE SAME, BUT FOR THEM FOR MINUTE PURPOSES, THE LANGUAGE IS C1.
ONE HAS MISSED 10 DAYS OR WITHDRAWN FROM EBR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND THAT WOULD BE A C THERE'S CURRENTLY AN A AND A.
AND SO THEN THAT WOULD BE C YES.
IS IT 10 DAYS OR 10 OR MORE DAYS? AT LEAST 10 DAYS.
I'M REVIEWING, THERE'S BEEN SOME COMMENTS IN HERE, MAKING SURE THAT I HAVEN'T.
[02:30:01]
BERNARD HAS A COMMENT IS, IS IN MS. BERNARD IS IN AN AIR.MY INTENTION IS NOT 10 DAYS OR WITHDRAWN.
MY INTENTION IS 10 DAYS AND WITHDRAWN, BUT THEN DOESN'T THAT PUT US BACK ON THE PROBLEM WITH ENROLLMENT STATUS, IF NOT, UM, I, I THINK IT'S A TECHNICALITY AND I THINK THAT THEY CAN DROP THAT WE CAN DROP THE STUDENT OR THEY CAN DROP THE STUDENT, COME AND SEND THE STUDENT TO THE SCHOOL AND GET THEM TO DROP BEFORE THEY ENROLL THEM.
I WILL PUT IN MY REQUEST TO SPEAK HERE.
UH, I, I THINK THAT IF WE LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS OR WITHDRAWN GO THROUGH WITHDRAWAL CAN BE A FORMAL ACTION.
IN MANY OF THESE KIDS DON'T TAKE THAT ACTION.
AND IT ALSO CAN TAKE TIME TO GET THAT.
AND PART OF THE THING HERE IS WE'RE TRYING TO CATCH THEM BEFORE THEY'RE TOO FAR OUT OF THE GATE, BECAUSE THE FURTHER OUT OF THE GATE, THEY ARE THE, UH, THE HARDER IT IS TO GET THEM BACK.
SO I WOULD PREFER TO STAY WITH THE LAND, WITH THE LANGUAGE OF OUR, AND TRUST OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO BE, UH, PRUDENT IN HOW THEY USE THIS AND WHO THEY REFER.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY HAVE TO REFER ANYONE BEFORE THEY CAN GO INTO THE PROGRAM.
AND SO I PREFER TO DEFER TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF THE ADMINISTRATION AS THEY GO THROUGH THIS FOR THIS FIRST YEAR, AND LET'S SEE HOW IT WORKS, AND IF IT CAUSES THE PROBLEM, THEN WE CAN COME BACK.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, I GO BACK TO MR. LANDIS HAS COMMENTS.
THIS IS, THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL DEAL, AND I DON'T WANT TO DO SOMETHING THAT WOULD MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO GET IN, UH, WHILE WE HAVE ABLE ADMINISTRATORS THAT CAN, THAT CAN KEEP TRACK OF WHO'S GOING THROUGH THE GATE.
THANK YOU, MS. SCOTT, I'M SORRY, MS. MONARCH, ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, HOW, UH, MR. ALANIS GAVE A FIGURE OF THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN AND THEN A PERCENTAGE OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES.
AND IT VERY MUCH CONFUSED ME IS MISSILE KONSKI ON THE CALL.
UH, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT PERCENTAGE OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN MALES FAIL TO GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL IN ABR? I DON'T WANT GIVE YOU AN INCORRECT NUMBER, MRS. BERNARD, UH, ON THE FLY HERE.
CAN I LOOK THAT UP AND SEND THAT DEMOGRAPHIC DATA TO YOU ALL TONIGHT TO ALL OF US? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? SO THE MOTION IS THE AMENDED MOTION WITH THE FRIENDLY AMENDMENT, UH, MS. UH, AND WE'VE ADDED THE C YES.
THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT OFFERED TO ADD SPECIFIC LANGUAGE TO SECTION C, ONE TO CONSIDER REQUEST FOR THE APPROVAL OF A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES CONTRACT BETWEEN EASTBOUND RIDGE PARISH, SCHOOL, BOARD, AND GRADUATION ALLIANCE TO PROVIDE A COMPREHENSIVE DROPOUT RECOVERY PROGRAM.
THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE FOR THE MINUTE PURPOSES WILL BE C HAS MISSED AT LEAST 10 DAYS OR WITHDRAWN FROM EVO RPSS.
MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE CONDUCT THE PLEASE VOTE.
[02:35:07]
THANK YOU.UH, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS OUR FIRST TIME THROUGH THIS.
SO I AM BEING ULTRA LIBERAL ON PUBLIC COMMENTS AND OUR TO GET ALL OF THEM IN.
AND I ALSO UNDERSTAND THEY CAN SEE THAT WE HAD A MINOR GLITCH AND, UH, COMMENTS ARE A GLITCH AND HOW IT WAS INPUTTED.
[Consent Agenda (Part 2 of 2)]
ONE COMMENT, UH, AND MR.ANYWAY, THERE WAS ONE COMMENT GOING BACK TO THE SPRINT GRANT FOR A MISS JASMINE POGUE.
AND THE QUESTION THAT THE COMMENT WAS THAT'S A SPRINT GRANT PROVIDE FOR UNLIMITED DATA.
IF SO, WILL THE DATA BE THROTTLED TO SLOWER SPEEDS? IF THE STUDENT GOES OVER THE ALLOTTED AMOUNT OF LGBT 5G SERVICE, THIS IS GENERALLY THE CASE FOR UNLIMITED PLANS.
WILL THERE BE AN OBLIGATION TO KEEP THE SERVICE PAID FOR BY EBR SCHOOLS AFTER 12 MONTHS? WHAT HAPPENS TO THE DEVICES IF THEY'RE LOST OR STOLEN AND WILL THE SCHOOL OR STUDENT BE ON THE HOOK FOR ANYTHING? AND CAN WE USE THE GRANT FOR HIGH SPEED INTERNET ACCESS VERSUS HOTSPOTS? UH, I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF GOOD QUESTIONS IN THAT.
UH, MR. KONSKI, IF YOU COULD ADDRESS THAT, WILL, WILL ANY OF THAT GRANT MONEY, UH, IN THE PUTTING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OR THE PARENTS ON ANY KIND OF A MONETARY LIABILITY? NO, SIR.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S ANY MONETARY LIABILITY FOR THE PARENT OR FOR THE STUDENT.
THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH FORMER GRANTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE APPROVED.
THIS WAS ACTUALLY PRESCHOOL CLOSURE.
AND SO THIS IS A, UH, A SECONDARY GRANT TO SOME OF THE OTHERS THAT YOU HAVE HELPED US TO APPROVE, TO ADD ADDITIONAL HOTSPOTS OUT THERE WHEN WE NEED THEM FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO IT WOULD BE CHECKED OUT IN THE SAME MANNER THAT A CHROMEBOOK OR ANOTHER DEVICE WOULD BE CHECKED OUT.
WE CAN, UM, I WASN'T WRITING DOWN ALL THE PARTS OF THAT QUESTION, BUT WE CAN, WE CAN, I CAN GET IT FROM YOU AND WE CAN GET THOSE DETAILS OUT THERE.
BUT THIS, THIS, IS IT CONSISTENT WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IN PAST? YES, SIR.
THIS GRANT, THIS GRANT WAS PRESCHOOL CLOSURE, AND YOU ALL HAVE PROVED IT IN THE PAST.
[Item H3]
ON THE LIST WILL BE ITEMS THREE, THE WAIVER CONSIDERATION OF THE APPROVAL OF A WAIVER FROM LOCAL SCHOOL, LOCAL PUPIL PROMOTION AND RETENTION CRITERIA FOR STUDENTS K EIGHT FOR THE NINTH 2019 2020 SCHOOL YEAR DUE TO COVID 19 SCHOOL CLOSURES.DO I HAVE A MOTION MS. BERNARD, UH, MOVED BY MS. BERNARD, DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND IT IT'S MARK.
SO EMOTION BY MS. BERNARD SECOND BY MR. BELLEW.
AND THANK YOU FOR TAKING THIS ITEM UNDER CONSIDERATION FOR US TONIGHT.
AS YOU KNOW, THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RELEASED ITS GUIDANCE FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES K THROUGH 11 LAST THURSDAY, AND IT PROMPTS THE NEED FOR DISTRICT AND LOCAL RESPONSES IN SEVERAL AREAS PERTAINING TO PEOPLE PROGRESSION.
WHEN, WHEN STAFF, UM, FOUND OUT THAT WE WOULD BE CLOSED FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE YEAR, LIKE MANY PARENTS OUT THERE, WE SHARE CONCERNS ABOUT THE LACK OF A FOURTH, NINE WEEKS.
THE WAY OUR PUPIL PROGRESSION HAS ORGANIZED IT'S IN GRADES K THROUGH EIGHT, WE'RE SET UP ON A QUARTER SYSTEM WHERE STUDENTS COMPLETE FOUR, NINE WEEK GRADES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR PROMOTION SCENARIOS.
WHAT NOT HAVING A FOURTH, NINE WEEKS CHALLENGES US BECAUSE WE CANNOT LET OUR NORMAL PROMOTION CRITERIA PLAY OUT AS IT'S WRITTEN.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR TONIGHT IS A WAIVER.
AND WHAT WE INTEND TO DO WITH THIS WAIVER IS APPLY THE PHILOSOPHY AND HONOR THE INTEGRITY OF OUR CURRENT PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN, BUT JUST ADAPT IT TO A THREE QUARTER SYSTEM.
INSTEAD OF THE FOUR QUARTER SYSTEM.
THIS WOULD PLAY IN, UM, PLAY IN A ROLE AND BE ALIGNED TO THE WAY THE LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS ISSUED GUIDANCE TO DISTRICTS AT CHALLENGING US TO CONSIDER A PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE OVER THE ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.
SO BASICALLY WHAT YOU'RE DOING TONIGHT IS GIVING US FLEXIBILITY TO DO THAT AND IMPLEMENT THE STATE GUIDANCE.
THEY PROVIDED A LIST OF DATA SOURCES THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED WHEN MAKING A RETENTION AND PROMOTION DECISIONS.
SO WE WILL CONSIDER NOT ONLY THAT LIST, BUT ALSO THE LIST OF DATA SOURCES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN OTHER SECTIONS OF OUR PEOPLE PROGRESSION PLAN.
WE PROVIDED A MEMO AS BACKUP THAT REALLY PROVIDED ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO THIS.
I KNOW THAT IT'S AN AREA WHERE A LOT
[02:40:01]
OF PEOPLE HAVE CONCERNS AND QUESTIONS WE SHARE THEM.AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THROUGH THIS AS SEQUENTIALLY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO THIS WAIVER REQUEST IS REALLY THE NEXT STEP FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ISSUING SOME KLM AND PROMOTION GUIDANCE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, OR BY NEXT WEEK AT THE LATEST, I KNOW YOU PROBABLY HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS, SO I'LL PAUSE THERE, MR.
UM, MY QUESTION IS NOT NECESSARILY A QUESTION MORE SO A COMMENT.
UM, I ALSO LOOKED AT THE STATE'S GUIDANCE AS IT RELATES TO, UH, PEOPLE PROGRESSION.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, I DON'T THINK IT WAS MUCH OF GUIDANCE, BUT JUST THE LIKE, HEY DISTRICTS, DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO.
AND THEN COME BACK TO US AS IT RELATES TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY.
SO I WAS JUST ASKED THAT AS WE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, IF YOU CAN, UM, REALLY ENGAGE THE BOARD ON LIKE WHAT DECISIONS WERE BEING MADE AND THAT THE PROPER INFORMATION FROM THE START IS BEING DISSEMINATED TO THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WHEN WE HAVE THESE LARGE SCALE DECISIONS BEING MADE, AS IT RELATES TO INFORMATION, GATHERING, FALSE INFORMATION GETS OUT BEFORE THE ACTUAL INFORMATION, AND IT JUST CREATES THIS CRAZY, UM, YOU KNOW, CRAZY ATMOSPHERE AS IT RELATES TO WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR STUDENTS.
SO IF YOU CAN KEEP US ENGAGED ON THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, AS IT RELATES TO PEOPLE WHO AGGRESSION AND THEN MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PROPER PLAN TO DISSEMINATE THE INFORMATION IN A TIMELY MANNER, THAT IS ACTUALLY ACCURATE INFORMATION.
THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO ME, BUT OTHERWISE I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU GUYS ARE FACED WITH AND I SUPPORT THE WAIVER.
THANK YOU, MR. HOWARD, IF I MAY, IN RESPONSE TO THAT, KIND OF GO BACK TO SOME OF YOUR EARLIER COMMENTS, YOU WERE, YOU WERE RIGHT SPOT ON BOLTON, 1566.
PEOPLE PROGRESSION DOES REQUIRE REMEDIATION FOR CERTAIN GROUPS OF STUDENTS.
AND TO YOUR POINT, THE STATE DOCUMENT DID REFERENCE THAT DID THEY, UH,
SO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO ADAPT THEIR GUIDANCE AND TO OUR LOCAL CONTEXT.
I KNOW THAT WAS A CONCERN OF YOURS.
SO WE'LL BE ADDRESSING THAT IN THE DOCUMENT THAT WE PUT OUT NEXT WEEK.
AND ALSO I'D LIKE TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO MIGHT BE LISTENING TO ENCOURAGE FOLKS, IF, UH, PARENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS OF NON SENIORS TO GO TO OUR COVID 19 WEBPAGE AND LOOK AT OUR FAMILY RESOURCE LIBRARY THERE, THEY WILL FIND OUR SENIOR PROMOTION GUIDANCE DOCUMENT.
IT PROVIDED A BLUEPRINT FOR US THAT WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW WITH THE K 11 ADAPTING OF COURSE, BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES FOR UNDERCLASSMEN AND SENIORS.
THAT ONE WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE THAN THE UNDERCLASSMEN DOCUMENT WILL BE, BUT I THINK IT'LL GIVE FOLKS A GOOD IDEA OF THE PHILOSOPHY AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED WITH THAT.
AND, AND TO YOUR POINT, WE'RE GOING TO ASK MS. GAS TO HELP US WITH SOCIAL MEDIA PUSHES AND OTHER COMMUNICATION FORUMS TO TRY TO GET THE WORD OUT.
SO MR. CASKEY, I AM, I ADMIT I'M A LITTLE BIT CONFUSED RIGHT NOW.
WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE? ARE WE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE YOU APPROVE JUST WAVING THE CURRENT AND, AND SO YOU GUYS WILL BE WORKING ON WHAT WILL REPLACE THE CURRENT, OR ARE WE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE WHAT THE NEW, UH, PUPIL PROGRESSION GUIDELINES WOULD BE? WE'RE ASKING YOU TO WAIVE THE CURRENT AND IN A SIMILAR FASHION TO THE WAY BESTIE WAIVED THEIR REGULATORY POLICIES.
AND THEN THE STATE CAME UP WITH A GUIDANCE DOCUMENT WE'RE AT, WE'RE TRYING TO FOLLOW THAT MODEL, ASKING YOU TO WAIVE THE CURRENT, UH, IN OUR GUIDANCE AND IN OUR CONVERSATION, PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS THAT HAVE GOTTEN US TO THIS POINT, MR. GAUDETTE, TO YOUR POINT.
WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS HONOR THE INTEGRITY AND THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE CURRENT PEOPLE PROGRESSION, JUST ADJUSTING AS NUMERICAL CALCULATIONS FROM FOUR, NINE WEEKS TO THREE, NINE WEEKS.
NOW, I UNDERSTAND WHEN I SAY THAT THAT MIGHT, THAT MIGHT COST SOME FEAR OR CONCERN WITH SOME FOLKS.
SO I WANT TO JUST COMMUNICATE TO PARENTS OUT THERE THAT THERE ARE TWO WAYS TO PROMOTION AND IN OUR DISTRICT AND REALLY IN STATE POLICY, THE FIRST IS THROUGH THE TRADITIONAL WAY OF THOSE CALCULATIONS OF WHAT ARE MY GRADES, WHAT ARE MY QUALITY POINTS AND HOW DOES IT ADD UP TO BE AT THE END? THE SECOND IS CALLED A SCHOOL LEVEL, BUILD A THING COMMITTEE OR AN SPLC PROCESS THAT ALLOWS US TO DO A REVIEW OF PLACEMENT ON ANY STUDENT.
AND SO FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE A PROMOTION IS IN JEOPARDY, WE'RE, WE'LL BE ENGAGING IN THAT PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING ALL EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT THEIR DIFFERENTIATED NEEDS AND MAKING THE RIGHT DECISION FOR THEM BASED ON THE PREPONDERANCE OF EVIDENCE AS THE STATE HAS SUGGESTED.
[02:45:02]
I HAVE, UM, AND THE DIASEND WITH A COMMENT I'M NOT SEEING AN M MAY JUST BE MISSING IT, BUT IT'S THEIR LANGUAGE INCLUDED IN THIS THAT WOULD COVER THIS AND IT WOULD AUTOMATICALLY REVERT BACK FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.AND THAT THIS IS A TEMPORARY FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR ONLY.
YES, MA'AM, THAT'S WHAT WE PUT IN THE WAIVER THAT IT WOULD BE THAT YOU WOULD BE WAIVING THIS JUST TO GOVERN THE 1920 SCHOOL YEAR.
WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY RE GOOD QUESTION.
WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY REVERT BACK TO CURRENT POLICY AND THEN ANY CHANGES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, WE WOULD BRING BACK TO YOU THROUGH TRADITIONAL MEANS.
THIS IS JUST AN UNPRECEDENTED TIME BOUND ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO GET INFORMATION OUT TO PARENTS.
AND IT WOULDN'T REQUIRE ANY BOARD, UH, UH, APPROVAL.
IT JUST WILL AUTOMATICALLY REVERT BACK.
IT'LL AUTOMATICALLY REVERT BACK.
AND THEN DURING THE SUMMER, HOPEFULLY WE RETURNED TO NORMAL OPERATING TIMES AND WE CAN BRING BACK PUPIL PROGRESSION AS WE DO WITH YOU ALL TO REVIEW EVERY SUMMER BEFORE THE SCHOOL STARTS.
I JUST DON'T THINK IT WOULD BE DOING OUR STUDENTS.
I FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE DOING A DISSERVICE TO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS TO, UM, ALLOW THEM TO PROGRESS WHEN THEY'RE NOT READY.
AND IT PUTS THEM IN A, IN A BAD SITUATION FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
SO I REALLY LIKED THE FACT THAT THIS CAN BE A, UM, INCLUSIVE OF THE SCHOOL SITE, UM, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT IT'S A DECISION AS, AS IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, THAT OPTION WAS ALWAYS AVAILABLE TO STAFF AT THE SITE, IF THAT THEY SO WANTED TO PROCEED ON AND LET THEM PROGRESS.
AND THEN IT'S A CASE BY CASE CORRECT DECISION.
THE PHILOSOPHY HERE IS THAT THE DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE BY THOSE CLOSES TO THE STUDENTS AND NAMELY THE TEACHER.
ISN'T THIS PORTER STILL ON THE LINE? I DON'T THINK SHE'S A PRESENTER.
MS. BERNARD SAYS SHE WON'T BE ABLE TO SPEAK MR. SMITH, MIKE AND SPEAK.
UM, HOW DOES THE, HOW DO THESE CHANGES IN THE PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN OR MAYBE MISS MACOMSKY? HOW DO THE CHANGES IN THE PUPIL PROGRESSION PLAN AFFECT MAGNET PLACEMENT? I KNOW SOME OF THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS CAME UP EARLIER.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE BEING PLACED APPROPRIATELY.
UM, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WERE SCREENED BEFORE AND SOME PEOPLE WERE NOT SCREENED YET.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE IN LIMBO, PEOPLE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FOR MY STUDENT NEXT YEAR.
ANDREW MAY CAN SPEAK TO THIS, BUT THIS IS ALL A PART OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT WITH THIS PARTICULAR WAIVER.
AND, AND MRS. BERNARD TIMID TO MR. SMITH'S POINT, UH, WE'VE HAD, I'VE HAD SOME PRELIMINARY CONVERSATIONS WITH MS. BOARDER.
ONCE YOU GUYS GRANT THIS WAIVER, WHAT WE INTEND TO DO IS ADDRESS MAGNET QUESTIONS AND OUR GUIDANCE DOCUMENT THAT WE PUT OUT TO FAMILIES, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT IS A POPULAR FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION AS WELL.
AND, AND WE WOULD ALSO ADD A GIFT, A GIFTED SESSION AT THE SAME MANNER TO ADDRESS GIFTED PLACEMENT IMPLICATIONS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD SAYING, OKAY, WE WILL NOW GO TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS ON THE PUPIL PROGRESSION WAIVER, AND I WILL READ THESE IN THE ORDER THAT THEY CAME AND I'M REFRESHING NOW.
AND I'LL REFRESH AGAIN WITH AN, UM, THE FIRST ONE IS FROM JENNIFER CARR WHILE THE COMMENT IS CONCERNING THE ENTIRE COVID 19 RESPONSE.
EVERY CHILD IN MY LIFE IS HAVING A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE.
SO IT'S GOOGLING DEPENDING UPON TEACHER AVAILABILITY, PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT, AND AVAILABILITY, ACCESS TO THE INTERNET AND MOTIVATION.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES ARE NOT ENGAGED WITH CONTINUED LEARNING AT THIS TIME, PERHAPS WORKING WITH AGENCIES LIKE THE BIG BUDDY PROGRAM, BOYS AND GIRLS CLUB AREA HELP REACH THE CHILDREN.
[02:50:01]
IS FROM ASHLEY LYLE.CAN WE GET CLARIFICATION ON HOW STUDENT'S GPA'S WILL BE CALCULATED FOR THE YEAR WE'LL ONLY THE FIRST THREE TO NOT THREE, NINE WEEKS BE CONSIDERED OR WILL THE HOLD HARMLESS GRADES OR FOURTH, NINE WEEKS ALSO BE COUNTED.
AND THE LAST IS JAZZ IS FROM JASMINE POKE WOULD SAYS, WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO CHILDREN IN MAGNET SCHOOL WHO WERE, OR ARE IN DANGER OF LOSING THEIR MAGNET STATUS? CAN WE GIVE THEM A WAIVER TO CONTINUE TO THE NEXT GRADE OR A PROBATION FOR THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE NEXT YEAR? SO MS. KONSKI, IF YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS ANY OF THOSE ITEMS, I, I THINK MS. PORTER IS WORKING ON SOME, UM, GUIDANCE THAT WILL BE COMING FORTH IN THE NEXT WEEK FOR, TO, AND THAT WILL ANSWER THOSE MAGNET QUESTIONS.
AND WITH REGARDS TO THE GRADE POINT AVERAGES, WHAT THIS WAIVER WOULD DO IS TO THAT, TO THAT PARENTS QUESTION IS IT WOULD REMOVE THE FOURTH, NINE WEEKS.
IT WOULD ALLOW US TO APPLY THE SAME FORMULAS THAT WE DO FOR GPA CALCULATION, BUT I MIGHT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE THREE GRADING PERIODS INSTEAD OF THE FOUR.
SO PHILOSOPHY WISE, WE WOULD APPLY THE SAME PHILOSOPHY.
WE WOULD JUST ADJUST IT FOR THREE GRADING PERIODS INSTEAD OF FOUR.
I AM REFRESHING ONE LAST TIME ON THE SUBJECT AND I SEE NO MORE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL MOVE BACK TO THE BOARD.
WOULD ANYONE FROM THE BOARD LIKE TO MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT SEEING NONE? MADAM SECRETARY, PLEASE VOTE.
MR. PATTON, MS. COLLINS, CAN YOU PRESS YOUR BUTTON PLEASE? THANK YOU.
[Item H4]
THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION EVER REQUEST TO PROCEED WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND ONE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS.SO I HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, PROCEED WITH VIRGIN LAND INTERVIEWS.
I'LL MOVE, I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION.
WHATEVER FROM OHIO, UH, MAKE THE MOTION.
SO IN THIS PROCESS, UH, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROVE RIGHT NOW IS TO GO AHEAD AND CONDUCT THE FIRST ROUND, OUR, THE ROUND OF VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS, UH, TO ALLOW US TO MOVE TO THE SELECTION OF FINALIST CANDIDATES.
UH, MR. GUERRERA, IF YOU'RE ON THE LINE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUST BRING THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC UP TO DATE ON WHERE WE STAND WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT PROCESS AND YOUR OBSERVATIONS ABOUT OTHERS THAT HAVE GONE TO VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS OR OTHER OPTIONS? ABSOLUTELY.
ALL, UM, IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE WITH YOU ALL BE IT VIRTUALLY I'VE ENJOYED, UH, SITTING IN.
SO I WANT TO SAY THAT, UM, I MISS YOU ALL AND BEING ABLE TO, UH, INTERACT WITH YOU IN PERSON, BUT WHERE WE STAND TODAY IS WHERE WE STOOD THREE WEEKS AGO PRIOR TO THIS PANDEMIC, ALBEIT WE ARE CONSIDERING THE VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS, WHICH YOU JUST MOTION TO APPROVE.
AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE DETAILS IN THIS MATTER IN ADVANCE.
UH, SO WHERE WE ARE IS EACH OF THE CANDIDATES HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT WE WILL PROCEED WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS.
[02:55:01]
WE ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT THE, OF MAY 4TH.EACH OF THE FIVE CANDIDATES HAVE EXPRESSED THEIR AVAILABILITY AND ARE WILLING TO MEET WITH YOU FOR ONE AND A HALF HOURS EACH, UH, VIRTUALLY IN AN ON DEMAND, EXCUSE ME, VIRTUAL SETTING.
AND SO AT THIS TIME, THERE'S REALLY NOTHING ELSE TO UPDATE YOU WITH OTHER THAN THE CANDIDATES ARE AVAILABLE, THEY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST AND WILL CONTINUE IN THIS PROCESS VIRTUALLY THE WEEK OF MAY 4TH.
AND, AND COULD YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT ONTO OTHER SEARCHES THAT YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT HAVE USED VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS? I KNOW BETSY AND LOUISIANA HAS DONE IT, BUT OTHER FOCUSES THAT YOU MAY BE AWARE OF THAT HAVE DONE VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS.
SO I BELIEVE ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOL IT'S ANNOUNCED TODAY.
THEY'RE LOAN FINALISTS IN MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT ATLANTA CONDUCTED A PORTION OF THEIR INTERVIEW PROCESS VIRTUALLY.
UM, I ALSO KNOW THAT MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ARIZONA, THE LARGEST, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE OF ARIZONA CONDUCTED THEIR FINAL INTERVIEWS ALL VIRTUALLY.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS NOW OF ENGAGING WITH OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS AND A LOT OF THE EFFORTS AND WORK THAT IS BEING DONE IS ALL BEING HANDLED VIRTUALLY.
SO I THINK WE'RE ALL IN THIS STORM TOGETHER UTILIZING DIFFERENT VESSELS TO COMBAT THE STORM AND DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO ADAPT, UH, TO THIS, UH, DEMAND BY CONDUCTING AS MANY AFFAIRS AS WE POSSIBLY CAN EFFECTIVELY USING THE VIRTUAL SETTING.
SO THOSE TWO DISTRICTS, ATLANTA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO MY KNOWLEDGE AND MESA PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ALSO VERY LARGE SCHOOL SYSTEMS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY CONDUCTED THEIR INTERVIEWS VIRTUALLY.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR RIGHT NOW, WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE NEXT ROUND, NOT THE FINAL INTERVIEWS, CORRECT? YEAH.
SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, OR PRESIDENT, IT BRINGS UP A VALID POINT, YOU KNOW, UH, BARRING ANY RESTRICTIONS FOR TRAVEL, SOCIAL DISTANCING.
IT IS STILL A VIABLE OPTION TO CONDUCT THE FINAL ROUND IN PERSON SHOULD, UH, THE OPINION OF, OF YOUR STATE'S GOVERNOR AND YOUR LOCAL, UH, AUTHORITY, GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONDUCT INTERVIEWS IN PERSON.
SO THAT IS STILL ON THE TABLE.
AND AT THIS POINT WE CAN JUST TAKE IT DAY BY DAY.
I HAVE MS. COLLINS WITH A COMMENT.
I THINK MS. DYSON WAS FIRST, RIGHT.
I THINK THAT WAS FROM THE PREVIOUS, UM, MS. COLLINS, UM, CAN YOU READ OUT THE LANGUAGE OF THE MOTION? UM, WHAT, I'M, WHAT I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IS, IS THIS MOTION SIMPLY SAY WE'RE GONNA CONDUCT INTERVIEWS VIRTUALLY FORGIVE ME FOR NOT CATCHING, UM, WHEN THE MOTION WAS MADE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND, UH, BECAUSE I FEEL, UH, I FEEL OKAY PROCEEDING WITH THE INITIAL ROUNDS, BUT I'M NOT IN AGREEMENT WITH THE FINAL ROUNDS BEING IN THIS PARTICULAR MOTION AND, UH, TO BE, TO POSSIBLY BE VIRTUAL BECAUSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME KIND OF A STRONG COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND, AND, UM, AND SO A VIRTUAL SETTING WOULD MAKE THAT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.
CAN YOU REPEAT THE MOTION FOR ME, MS. ARMAND, DO YOU HAVE THE MOTION TO REPEAT SURE.
DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST TO PROCEED WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND ONE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARITY.
I DIDN'T CATCH IT WHEN IT WAS, UH, MENTIONED THAT DETAIL NOW.
UM, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO DISCUSS IF THERE IS ANY WAY, HAS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION TO WAYS THAT THERE CAN BE SOME KIND OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT? UM, IN THE FIRST ROUND? I KNOW IT WOULD BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT, EVEN IF IT'S LIKE, UH, I MEAN, PEOPLE ARE GETTING CREATIVE NOWADAYS WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING ONLINE, EVEN IF IT COULD BE JUST LIKE A ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON LAND, UM, OR SOME KIND OF A VIRTUAL MEET AND GREET HAS ANY THOUGHT BEEN PUT INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR HAVE ANY OTHER DISTRICTS DONE ANYTHING CREATIVE TO ENGAGE
[03:00:01]
COMMUNITY WITH THEIR, UM, FIRST ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS.SO IF I CAN JUMP IN RIGHT HERE, UM, TO, TO ANSWER MY COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS, MIKE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I HAVE JUST A QUESTION.
SO TWO THINGS, UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? MY COMPUTER IS LIKE FREEZING UP.
UM, SO, UM, BESSIE, JUST FROM WHAT BESTIE HAS DECIDES TO DO IN ANY EMAILS THAT TALKS ABOUT I HAVEN'T BEEN FOLLOWING BESSIE'S, UM, CAUSE THE BEST HE IS STILL CONTINUING THEIR SUPERINTENDENT PROCESS VIRTUALLY.
SO THEY HAVE, WHAT THEY HAVE AGREED TO DO IS THEY ALL HAVE THE FIRST ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS WHERE WE'RE QUITE, UM, ONLINE, LIKE ON ZOOM, ON A PLATFORM.
AND THEN THEY RELEASE THOSE VIDEOS TO THE PUBLIC.
AND THEN, UM, FOR MY DAY JOB, WE CREATED A PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT SURVEY.
UM, AND SO IT, UH, WENT OVER TO THE PUBLIC SO EVERYBODY COULD WATCH THE VIDEOS AND THEY PROVIDE THEIR INPUT, UM, BASED OFF OF THE VIDEOS AND THE INTERVIEWS THAT THEY SAW WITH, UH, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THAT'S ONE THING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO AND IT'S WORKED WELL, PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY RECEIVED A WELL, YOU SEE THE ENTIRE INTERVIEWS OF THE FIRST ROUND.
YOU GO, YOU GET OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID.
THEN YOU GET OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IN THIS WORLD, LIKE IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOMETHING TO WHERE WE CREATE SOME KIND OF VIRTUAL SURVEY OR VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT, PUBLIC COMMENT PLATFORM.
AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THE BESSIE PIECE WAS IT WAS UNIVERSAL.
SO IT WAS ONE PLACE THAT PEOPLE WENT TO PUT THIS INFORMATION IN.
SO THERE WAS NO LIKE, OH, WE DIDN'T SEE THIS X, Y, AND Z.
AND JUST LIKE WE DID, UM, THE STAFF COULD PROBABLY ARRANGE TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT SO WE CAN SEE THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
SO THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE QUESTIONING, JUST SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED WITH BESSIE I THINK, IS WORKING WELL FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IT'S A POTENTIAL SUGGESTION.
I HAVE MS. BERNARD IN THE QUEUE AND THEN MR. MR. HOWARD, DO YOU STILL NEED TO TAKE YOUR TURN OR WAS, DID YOU GET IT WITH ANSWERING HERS? OKAY.
AND THEN MR. CHAPMAN, AFTER MS. BERNARD, THANK YOU.
UM, I'M, I'M ALSO NOT WILLING TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT WITH JUST A VIRTUAL INTERVIEW.
UM, I THINK ALSO PEOPLE HAVE VARYING LEVELS OF COMFORT WITH TECHNOLOGY, OUR PUBLIC, WHO WANTS TO PARTICIPATE, AND I DON'T WANT TO PLACE AN UNDUE BURDEN ON THEM, BUT THERE IS SOMETHING LOST IN THE VIRTUAL SETTING THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO CAPTURE THE, UM, SO FOR THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS AND, AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE'RE IN JUST A REAL, REAL BIG HURRY BECAUSE MR. DRAKE HAS EXPRESSED THAT HE IS WILLING TO STAY ON AND HAVE HIS CONTRACT EXTENDED ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS.
SO, UM, I, I JUST, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO RUSH THIS.
THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION.
NOW, IF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WANT US TO RUSH THIS, THEN THEY NEED TO BE SATISFIED WITH THE RESULT ALSO.
UM, BUT I, I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT DECISION AND WE NEED TO BE VERY DELIBERATE ABOUT IT AND VERY CAREFUL ABOUT IT.
AND I PERSONALLY CANNOT SELECT A SUPERINTENDENT WITHOUT AT LEAST THE SECOND ROUND OF INTERVIEWS BEING FACE-TO-FACE.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT I'M, I'M EVER NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING CAUSE I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TOMORROW BRINGS.
I HOPE THIS IS ALL GOING TO CLEAR UP AND YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO SOME SENSE OF WHATEVER THE NEW NORMAL IS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO, YOU KNOW, PRESS THE FLESH AGAIN AND HUG AND, YOU KNOW, LOOK INTO PEOPLE'S EYES.
I, SO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO HIRE A SUPERINTENDENT WITHOUT MEETING THEM EITHER.
I DON'T, I WANT TO HAVE THAT INTERACTION.
I THINK FOR THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.
I THINK IT'S VALUABLE FOR THE COMMUNITY, FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS BECAUSE IT CONTINUES THE ENGAGEMENT.
THERE'S JUST BEEN THIS BIG VOID SINCE WE STARTED THIS PROCESS.
AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I WANT TO LOOK INTO THEIR EYES, EVEN IF IT IS THROUGH A TELEVISION SCREEN, I WANT THEM TO TELL US WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE DISTRICT AND WHY THEY'RE THE, THE, THE LADY OR THE MAN FOR THIS JOB.
AND LOOK, I I'M ACTUALLY NOT EVEN AT THE POINT WHERE I SAY WE NECESSARILY WOULD HAVE TO ELIMINATE SOMEBODY, WE MAY DO THE VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS AND IT JUST MAY MOVE US A LITTLE FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD.
UH, IT MIGHT EVEN BRING UP SOME QUESTIONS FOR FINAL INTERVIEWS.
YOU KNOW, I JUST THINK WE, I JUST THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE STAY ENGAGED AND THAT THE WAY THINGS ARE LOOKING AND I'M NO PROGNOSTICATOR, BUT THE WAY THINGS ARE LOOKING, WE'RE GOING TO START SEEING THINGS OPEN UP A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE THESE VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS, UH, THE WEEK OF MAY THE FOURTH,
[03:05:02]
UM, IT WOULD SEEM TO ME THAT, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I'M HEARING, AND I KNOW MANY OF YOU ARE HEARING FROM GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT, YOU KNOW, COME MID MAY, MAYBE EARLY JUNE, WE MIGHT HAVE ENOUGH BE OPEN ENOUGH FOR BUSINESS TO BE ABLE TO DO SOME IN-PERSON INTERVIEWS AND DO THAT.BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD, THAT WE CONTINUE TO CREATE, UH, AND, AND CONTINUE TO, UH, UH, KEEP THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN, FRANKLY, KEEP US ENGAGED AND INVOLVED BY DOING THESE VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS.
AND SO I'M NOT TRYING TO RUSH IT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO, UM, NECESSARILY SAY WE WANT TO PICK ONE VIRTUALLY, BUT I THINK IT IS INCUMBENT UPON US TO MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT JOB THAT WE DO AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I, I COULD SAY IT A HUNDRED TIMES THE MOST IMPORTANT JOB AND THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISION WE WILL MAKE IS THIS DECISION.
SO I DON'T THINK ANYONE'S GOING TO TAKE IT LIGHTLY.
I DON'T THINK ANY WANTS TO DO BODY WANTS TO DO IT VIRTUALLY, BUT I CERTAINLY WANT TO KEEP IT, KEEP US ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS AND I WANT TO CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD AND I WANT TO ENGAGE IN THEM, EVEN IF THAT, WITH THEM, WITH THE CANDIDATES, EVEN IF AT FIRST IT'S VIRTUALLY.
THANK YOU, MR. CATLIN AND MR. LANIS AND THEN MS. DYSON.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I AM, UH, PARTIALLY AN AGREEMENT WITH A COLLEAGUE OF OUR, ONE OF MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MR. TADEMAN AND SAYING THAT WE DEFINITELY KEEP EVERYONE ENGAGED, EVEN IF WE'RE ARE FACILITATING THESE THINGS THROUGH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS, BUT I JUST WANT US TO BE COGNIZANT OF THE FACTS.
EVERY SINGLE NATIONAL EXPERT STATEWIDE EXPERT HAS SAID THAT THIS THING COULD BE LINGERING.
OR WHEN I SAY THING I'M TALKING ABOUT THE COVID 19 VIRUS COULD LINGER ON FOR 18 MONTHS.
SO I DON'T EVEN THINK WE'VE SEEN THE WORST OF THIS THING YET.
AND WE ONLY INTO THE FIRST MONTH OF WHAT IS CURRENTLY HAPPENING.
AND THE LAST THING THAT WE CAN DO AT THIS POINT IS TO ALLOW THIS PROCESS TO LINGER FOR 18 MONTHS.
SO AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF CHOICE, A DECISION ON WHO'S GOING TO LEAD OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT OR THE SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN LOUISIANA AT THE STATE OF LOUISIANA IS ALREADY FOLLOWING THIS PROCESS.
AND THAT IS WHO, WHO SUPERSEDES US IN ALL AUTHORITATIVE STANCE STANCES.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO ALSO BE PREPARED TO DO THOSE SAME THINGS.
SO AGAIN, I AM, WHILE I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S CONCERNS AND I RESPECT THEM 110%, AGAIN, I IMPARTIALLY CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN, YOUR MIC IS OFF AGAIN.
I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S DOING IT.
I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND WRAP IT UP.
BUT AGAIN, I AM PARTIALLY IN AGREEMENT WITH A COLLEAGUE OR MY COLLEAGUE DAVID TABIN.
UH, BUT, UH, AGAIN, I WILL JUST STRESS US TO PLEASE LET'S MAKE A DECISION ON THIS SO THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE.
WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN.
SO WE CAN'T ALLOW THIS PROCESS TO CONTINUE TO JUST GET, KEEP GETTING PUSHED ALONG FURTHER AND FURTHER FOR.
THANK YOU, MR. LANDIS, MS. DYSON.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO, UM, REMIND US THAT THE ACTION THAT WE ARE CONSIDERING DISCUSSING AND CONSIDERING IS A REQUEST TO PROCEED WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND ONE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS.
SO IN TONIGHT'S, UH, VOTE OR APPROVAL OF THIS ITEM, WE'RE ONLY CONTEMPLATING THE FIRST ROUND.
AND SO THEN WE, WE CAN, UH, YOU KNOW, REGROUP ON AND, AND A LITTLE MORE TIME WILL HAVE GONE BY AND LIKE, UH, MY COLLEAGUE, MR. TADEMAN STATED, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DIFFERENT STATES THAT THEY'RE COMING FROM POTENTIALLY ABOUT THE STATE OF LOUISIANA AND WHERE WE ARE.
SO I THINK I AM TOTALLY IN SUPPORT OF THE ROUND ONE PROCEEDING FORWARD.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY THIS HAS CREATED A LARGE GAP BETWEEN THE SELECTIONS AND THE SELECTION OF THE CANDIDATES TO MOVE FORWARD WITH.
AND NOW, SO I THINK IT IS TIME FOR US TO GO AHEAD AND GET THIS
[03:10:01]
SCHEDULED FOR OUR ROUND ONE.UM, I TO, UH, HAVE SOME APPREHENSION AROUND, UM, A SECOND ROUND, BUT, UM, I DO FEEL LIKE WE'VE LOST A LOT OF TIME AND, UM, WE, I FEEL LIKE WE STARTED LATE AS WELL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE SOME CONCERN ABOUT THAT, BUT, UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, UM, AT LEAST, YOU KNOW, DOING THE FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS VIRTUALLY, AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOME, UM, SOME MORE FREEDOMS, SO TO SPEAK A LITTLE LATER ON AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO MEET THEM FACE TO FACE.
AND I WOULD JUST ENCOURAGE US TO DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO HAVE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN THE WHOLE PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT AREA AS MR. TADEMAN MENTIONED AND, AND OTHERS AS WELL.
THIS IS OUR MOST IMPORTANT JOB, YOU KNOW, IS THAT WE, UM, PROVIDE THE DISTRICT WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT.
SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THE VIRTUAL, UH, INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND ONE.
UH, HOWEVER, I WOULD HAVE SOME DIFFICULTY WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND TWO.
UH, BUT OF COURSE, IF WE HAD NO CHOICE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE MORE CHOICE, BUT THAT'S WHERE I STAND ON THE MATTER.
THANK YOU, MR. WARD JACKSON, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE AUDIENCE? SEEING NONE? I WILL MOVE TO THE COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC.
AGAIN, I WILL TAKE THESE IN THE ORDER THAT THEY WERE PLACED.
JAMES VINNIE SAYS INTERVIEWS FOR SUPERINTENDENTS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED IN OPEN MEETINGS, NOT VIRTUALLY, UH, MS. SALLY STEVENS SAYS, PLEASE MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO CONSIDER CANDIDATES OUTSIDE OF THE DISTRICT.
YOUR MAMA SAYS, PLEASE MAKE ALL VIDEO INTERVIEWS OF PUBLIC RECORD.
SO THE PUBLIC RECORD WANTS AVAILABLE.
THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO BOW, TO BRAC AND ULTIMATELY VOTE FOR WHATEVER CHAMBER PUSHES, KEEP IT ALL OPEN AND TRANSPARENT.
A GLOBAL PANDEMIC IS NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL.
THE STUDENTS NEED TO BE PUT FIRST, THIS ECONOMY WILL NOT BE THE SAME FROM COLLEEN KISS.
IF ENTITIES OF CANDIDATES ARE MOVED ONLINE, WILL THEY BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC TO WATCH AND MAKE COMMENTS ON? ALSO, WHY ARE WE CONSIDERING PEOPLE FOR SUPERINTENDENT WHO HAVE NO CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE ARE VERY LITTLE EXPERIENCED? HOW WILL THEY LEAD TEACHERS AT THIS SYSTEM? IF THEY DO NOT HAVE A CLOSE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT TEACHERS DEAL WITH ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS? NEXT IS CANVAS DAMON.
I ASKED THAT THE BOARD ENSURE THAT VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS BE MADE PUBLIC VIA STREAMING APPARATUSES AND ADVERTISE THE INTERVIEW SCHEDULE VIA ALL COMMUNICATION CHANNELS.
IT IS ALSO IMPAIRED THAT THE BOARD PROVIDE A DIGITAL SPACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO SUBMIT THEIR INTERVIEW QUESTIONS AND FEEDBACK.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THE PROCESS, EBR SEEKING A LEADER THAT WILL BUILD A CLIMATE OF TRANSPARENCY, TRUST AND COOPERATION.
I HOPE THAT THE BOARD OR LEAD BY EXAMPLE BY CONTINUING TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, UH, NEXT IS JENNIFER CARR.
WHILE, WHILE I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS REGARDING THE SEARCH, WILL YOU BE LETTING CANDIDATES KNOW THE QUESTIONS AHEAD OF TIME? WILL ALL THE INTERVIEWS BE CONDUCTED ON ONE DATE? WILL THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO SUBMIT ANY COMMENTS AFTERWARDS? I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT YOU WORK OUT WITH EACH CASTERS TO INFORM OUR COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO WATCH AND ASK QUESTIONS AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEIR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
UH, NEXT IS FROM DEVIN, RIGHT? OUR ORGANIZATION HAS BEEN VOCAL ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE INCREDIBLE NEED FOR AN EQUITY MINDED SUPERINTENDENT
[03:15:01]
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS.WE'VE ALSO ADVOCATED FOR A LEADER WHO WILL TREAT EDUCATORS AS EXPERTS AND PRIORITIZE DIVERSITY IN THE WORKFORCE AND WHO WILL OPERATE WITH URGENCY TO IMPROVE SCHOOLS WHO ARE CONSIDERED FAILING OVERALL OR WITH A SPECIFIC SUBGROUP OF OUR CHILDREN MOST IN NEED.
PLEASE KEEP THESE THINGS IN MIND AS YOU MOVE TOWARD THE FINAL STAGE OF THE SELECTION PROCESS.
UH, LET'S SEE AGAIN FOR MISS DAMON, CANDACE DAMON, CONSIDERING A STRONG NEED FOR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
UH, I READ THAT ALREADY WAS A DUPLICATE.
UH, ACCORDING TO THE JOB DESCRIPTION, EBR IS SEEKING A LEADER WHO WILL BUILD A CLIMATE OF MUTUAL TRUST, RESPECT AND COOPERATION.
SOMEONE THAT CAN BUILD CONSENSUS AND STRENGTHEN, STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
I HOPE THAT THE BOARD WILL LEAD BY EXAMPLE, ENSURING THAT ALL INTERVIEWS ARE PUBLIC AND ACCESSIBLE AND ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS, TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK FROM MS. CLARA HEART.
WE ARE IN AN UNPRECEDENTED TIMES, AND WE MUST CHOOSE A LEADER WHO IS ABLE TO HOLD THE LEADERSHIP TORCH FIRMLY AND HELP OUR DISTRICT AND COVER THE EFFECTS OF COVID-19 AS A TEACHER AND COMMUNITY ORGANIZER IN BATON ROUGE IS MY HOPE THAT YOU WILL KEEP EQUITY AT THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR VISION WHEN INTERVIEWING SUPERINTENDENT CANDIDATES, I IMPLORE YOU TO UTILIZE SLICE AS A WAY TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY AND BUILD FURTHER TO CONNECT THE COMMUNITY AND BUILD FURTHER TRANSPARENCY AROUND THE INTERVIEWS FROM MS. ANNA PHOBIC.
ALTHOUGH MR. DRANK ABSOLUTELY DESERVES TO RETIRE ON HIS TIMELINE.
IF HE'S WILLING TO EXTEND HIS SERVICE, THEN THE SEARCH OF PAUSE UNTIL MORE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IS VIABLE OR AN INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED.
THIS DECISION IS TOO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY TO MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT FULL PUBLIC ATTENTION AND THANKS TO THE EBR BOARD AND THE TEAM FOR DOING ITS BEST TO MOVE FORWARD WITH BUSINESS.
THIS MEETING FORMAT IS NOT SO BAD.
I DO AGREE WHAT MANY ADVOCATES HAVE SAID THAT ONLY NONESSENTIAL BUSINESS SHOULD BE HANDLED AT THIS TIME FROM MS. JASMINE POTE, WILL THE INTERVIEWS BE PUBLICLY STRAINED? HOW WILL THE PUBLIC BE ABLE TO GIVE INPUT ON THE INTERVIEWS? I HIGHLY RECOMMEND KEEPING THESE INTERVIEWS AS PUBLIC, AS POSSIBLE AS THE PUBLIC, AS THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL NEED PUBLIC SUPPORT DURING THIS VIRUS OUTBREAK, AS THEY JUMP INTO A VOLATILE SITUATION, I AGREE THAT THIS SHOULD NOT BE RUSHED.
AND IF MR. DRAKE WILL STAY ON, I WOULD PREFER THAT AS AN INTERIM FROM ANNA MARIE BLANK, PLEASE DON'T RUSH THIS PROCESS.
IF MR. DRAKE IS WILLING TO EXTEND HIS CONTRACT, THEN THAT IS A GOOD SHORT-TERM SOLUTION.
PLEASE DON'T MAKE A FINAL DECISION WITHOUT MEETING IN PERSON.
I WILL REFRESH ONE MORE TIME AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THE BEINGS THAT WAS ON MY COMPUTER, BUT I COULDN'T TURN THEM OFF BECAUSE THEN I WOULDN'T HAVE THE SOUND.
WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM A BOARD MEMBER ONCE YOU'VE FINISHED, REFRESHING MR. GODADDY, MS. SCOTT, I HAVE FINISHED A REFRESHING AND I BELIEVE THAT GOES THROUGH ALL THE COMMENTS THAT I HAD RECEIVED.
SO MS. COLLINS, UH, ASSUMING THAT MY COLLEAGUES ON THE BOARD ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SEE A PUBLIC ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS MYSELF AND OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE REPEATEDLY MADE COMMENT THAT WE WANT TO KNOW THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE ENGAGED IN HOW SO FAR ON THAT HEARING IN TERMS OF THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.
SO FAR, I'M NOT HEARING ANY PLAN LAID OUT WITH THAT REGARD.
SO I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST OF OUR CONSULTANTS MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
AND WHEN YOU BRING SOMETHING TO US TO VOTE ON ABOUT INTERVIEWING THAT, IT ALSO INCLUDE WHAT THE PUBLIC INPUT OR LOOK LIKE.
AND I WILL ADDRESS A LITTLE BIT OF THAT.
UM, AND MR. CATMAN AND MS. DYSON AND, UH, MS. BERNARD AND OTHERS WHO HAVE BEEN IN PRIOR PROCESSES, I ALSO INVITE YOU TO PLEASE JOIN IN, UH, THE PROCESS THAT I THINK WE HAVE ENVISIONED IS THAT THESE INTERVIEWS WOULD BE CONDUCTED THE FIRST ROUND.
THE INTERVIEWS WOULD BE CONDUCTED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS, AND WE WOULD HAVE A SET LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT WOULD BE ASKED,
[03:20:01]
AND THEN EACH BOARD MEMBER COULD GET A QUESTION OF THEIR CHOOSING TO ASK FOR THEM.AND THAT QUESTION COULD BE BASED UPON PUBLIC INPUT, UH, BUT WE ARE NOT PLANNING ON HAVING A PUBLIC Q AND A, UH, DURING THE INTERVIEWS.
ALSO, IT HASN'T BEEN TOTALLY DECIDED YET THAT PROBABLY WE WOULD DO ALL THE INTERVIEWS AND IN BARGO THE INTERVIEWS UNTIL AFTER ALL OF THEM WERE DONE.
SO THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE BEING ASKED WOULD NOT BE VISIBLE TO THE OTHER CANDIDATES.
AND SO THAT WE WERE RELEASED ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS AT THE SAME TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO REVIEW.
AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE LIKE MR. HOWARD TALKED ABOUT, UH, SURVEYS AND THINGS GOING OUT TO GET REACTIONS FROM THE PUBLIC.
SO I THINK THAT AT THIS ROUND, THAT'S SORT OF HOW WE'RE PLANNING, UH, ON, ON DOING THAT.
UH, AND MR. UH, AS FAR AS I UNDERSTAND, THERE'S NEVER BEEN A, UM, A VERY EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO PUBLIC Q AND A, UH, WITH A CANDIDATE WHERE THE PUBLIC GETS TO ASK QUESTIONS, UH, IN THE FINAL ROUND OF INTERVIEWS, WE, WE STILL HAVE A WAYS TO GO TO THAT, BUT, UH, HOW THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS IN THOSE FINAL ROUNDS OF INTERVIEWS IS TO BE DETERMINED, BUT THAT'S SORT OF, WHAT'S IN MY MIND FOR HOW THIS FIRST ROUND OF INTERVIEWS WOULD BE CONDUCTED.
UH, I INVITE THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, UH, WHO HAVE, UH, PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE, UH, PLEASE COMMENT.
AND FOR CLARITY, THE OTHER BULLET MIMS CAN RESPOND TO THIS.
UM, WHEN THAT, THE IDEA PROPOSED BY MR AT THE STATE THEATER TO INCLUDE THE PUBLIC IN THE PROCESS ON THE INITIAL ROUND OF INTERVIEWS, WHERE ALL OF THE INTERVIEWS WERE DONE, RECORDED, SAVED UNTIL THEY WERE ALL COMPLETED, WHICH I GET IN AND TOTALLY AGREE WITH, BUT THEN THEY WILL POST IT ONLINE.
AND PUBLIC INPUT WAS INVITED MY QUESTION FOR CLARITY, UH, BASED ON PREVIOUS PROCESS AND OR WHAT WE COULD PROPOSE MOVING FORWARD.
DOES THAT ALSO INDICATE THAT THE BOARD HERE IS THE INTERVIEWS, BUT DOES NOT NECESSARILY VOTE TO NARROW DOWN THOSE, UH, PEOPLE THAT WERE INTERVIEWED UNTIL WE GIVE SOME TIME FOR P FOR THE PUBLIC TO GIVE SOME INPUT IN THE MANNER PREVIOUSLY DESCRIBED.
THAT'S NOT PART OF THIS MOTION, AND THAT'S A, THAT'S A DECISION WE'D HAVE TO COME AT, UH, AFTER, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT, UH, THAT IS CERTAINLY, UH, UH, THE MOST LIKELY PROBABILITY.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, WHAT THEY DID IS THEY, THEY GAVE A CUTOFF DATE, WHICH IS THIS FRIDAY.
AND SO LOGICALLY, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THAT THEY SEE ALL THE PUBLIC COME IN, HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO RESPOND, AND THEN THEY GO FORWARD ONCE THE DEADLINE HAS PASSED.
SO THEY JUST INSERT A DEADLINE AND THEN CONTINUE ON WITH THE PROCESS.
OKAY, I CAN, I CAN ROLL WITH IT.
THAT GIVES THE PUBLIC OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN, IN A REASONABLE FASHION.
THAT'S NOT AN UNDUE BURDEN TO THE PROCESS.
WOULD ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS LIKE TO COMMENT? I TRUST OUR LEADER.
I TRUST OUR LEADERSHIP HAS GOT THIS UNDER CONTROL AND HAS BEEN WORKING ON IT FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS.
AND I KNOW THAT PRESIDENT GO DAY AND VICE PRESIDENT HOWARD ARE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AS INVOLVED AS POSSIBLE AGAIN, IN THESE UNPRECEDENTED TIMES.
AND SO, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK IT WILL BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND I THINK I LOOK FORWARD TO NOT ONLY THE INTERVIEWS, BUT FOR THE PUBLIC FEEDBACK AFTER THE INTERVIEWS ARE COMPLETED, UH, AS A BOARD MEMBER, GETTING THAT FEEDBACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
SO I THINK WITH WHAT YOU ALL HAVE SET UP AND CERTAINLY WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN DOING, UH, IS A, IS IN MY OPINION, A GOOD REASONABLE PATH FORWARD.
I HOPE I DESERVE YOUR, YOUR COMPLIMENTS THERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF I DO, UM, MS. DYSON OR MS. BERNARD, ANY COMMENTS? OKAY.
UM, WE'VE BEEN TO THE BOARD, BEEN TO THE PUBLIC AND THEN BACK TO THE BOARD.
SO, UH, MADAM SECRETARY, WOULD YOU PLEASE READ THE MOTION AND THEN DISCUSSION CONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST TO PROCEED WITH VIRTUAL INTERVIEWS FOR ROUND ONE OF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH PROCESS.
[03:25:01]
WOULD YOU PLEASE CONDUCT A VOTE, PLEASE VOTE MR. BLUE.MR. LANDIS, THAT IS AN EMPHATIC.
UM, THE NEXT ITEM IS BEFORE WE GET THE NEXT ITEM, DO WE, WE DO NOT HAVE AS CURRENTLY SCHEDULED MEETINGS BASED UPON THE, UH, STAY AT HOME ORDERS.
SO WE WILL BE PUBLICIZING FUTURE MEETINGS, UH, AND MAKE SURE THAT THE PUBLIC WILL BE ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, MR. LANICE MAY HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN, MOTION TO ADJOURN ACCEPTED.