[Item A]
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MY NAME IS JAMES GOT I'M THE PRESIDENT AND CEO JG CONSULTING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS PROCESS OF PARTICIPATING IN OUR TOWN HALL MEETING THIS EVENING, THE SPIRIT OF THIS ENGAGEMENT IS TO GET TO KNOW OUR TWO LOVELY CANDIDATES AND TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS AND TO VISIT WITH THEM IN THIS PUBLIC SETTING.
THE FORMAT WILL GO IN, IN THIS MANNER.
I WILL SERVE AS A MODERATOR AND THE FACILITATOR DURING TONIGHT'S DISCUSSION.
UH, WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF SOME OF THE ONLINE QUESTIONS THAT WERE SUBMITTED, UM, TODAY.
AND WE'LL BE CONTINUING TO MONITOR TO MONITOR THOSE QUESTIONS AS THEY COME IN BOARD PRESIDENT AND GO DAY WE'LL RECEIVE ANY COMMENT CARDS AND THEN SEND ME A MESSAGE DIRECTLY TO INSERT AND ASK THOSE QUESTIONS FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE IN PERSON WITH US THIS EVENING.
SO I LIKE TO FIRST START BY THANKING THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR THEIR THOROUGHNESS IN THIS PROCESS AND IN CONTINUING TO ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY.
AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE HERE IN PERSON, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING IN THE COMMUNITY PROCESS AS WE, UH, SEEK TO, TO RE, TO HIRE THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT TO SERVE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, SO AGAIN, MY NAME IS JAMES.
I'M GOING TO SERVE AS TONIGHT'S MODERATOR.
[Item B]
I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR BY INVITING OUR TWO CANDIDATES, DR.TOWNS AND MS. LESLIE BROWN TO QUICKLY INTRODUCE THEMSELVES.
AND THEN IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME, WE'LL GET STARTED WITH THE QUESTION.
TOWNS, IF YOU DON'T MIND INTRODUCING YOURSELF FREQUENT GOOD EVENING.
MY NAME IS MAKIA TOWNS AND I AM THRILLED AND HUMBLED TO BE ONE OF THE TWO FINALISTS FOR THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, MS. BROWN, AND I ACTUALLY KNOW EACH OTHER THROUGH A PROFESSIONAL NETWORK.
AND SO, UH, TO BE IN HER GREAT COMPANY, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT I'M ESPECIALLY GRATIFIED FROM, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT EITHER WAY THAT THIS GOES EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH IS GOING TO BE IN GOOD HANDS.
UM, I'LL START BY SAYING THIS.
I THINK HOPEFULLY MANY OF YOU GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO HEAR MY STORY, UH, AS PART OF THE FIRST ROUND INTERVIEW, UH, AND I COME TO PUBLIC EDUCATION BECAUSE I HAVE A DEEP SENSE OF COMMITMENT TO GIVE BACK IN THE WAY THAT PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN TO ME IN MY FAMILY STORY, MY GRANDMOTHER HAD AN EIGHTH GRADE EDUCATION.
MY GRANDFATHER HAD LEFT IN THAT MY MOTHER WAS THE FIRST IN OUR FAMILY TO ATTEND HIGH SCHOOL AND THE FIRST IN OUR FAMILY TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
AND I KNOW THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION CHANGED THE TRAJECTORY AND THE DIRECTION OF MY FAMILY FROM A FAMILY OF SHARECROPPERS TO MY MOTHER, BEING THE FIRST TO EARN A COLLEGE DEGREE AND BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER WITH A MASTER'S IN SOCIAL WORK AND MY OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A TERMINAL DEGREE WITH A DOCTORATE IN EDUCATION AND MORE THAN THE CREDENTIALS OR THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE TO ME.
AND I BELIEVE THAT EVERY CHILD DESERVES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR GREAT EDUCATION.
EVERY CHILD SHOULD HAVE TO A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL.
SO MY COMMITMENT THAT IF I'M SELECTED FOR THIS ROLE IS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH HAS A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL, AND THAT WE KEEP OUR COMMITMENT TO STUDENTS AND FAMILIES TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS WHAT HE OR SHE NEEDS TO REACH HIS OR HER FULL POTENTIAL.
AND SO THAT IS OUR GOAL, AND THAT IS WHY WE'RE HERE.
AND PUBLIC EDUCATION IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE FABRIC OF OUR COUNTRY, UH, THE DEMOCRACY THAT WE HAVE, AND IT'S WHAT MAKES US EXCEPTIONAL.
EVEN IN THIS TIMES THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH WITH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN TERMS OF COVID-19 AND ALL OF US GOING THROUGH A QUARANTINE THAT WE NEVER EXPECTED.
AND NOW LOOKING AT THE SOCIAL UNREST AS WE DEAL WITH ALL OF THE HISTORICAL CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD AS A NATION HAS COMING TOGETHER AS ONE, I THINK IT JUST REAFFIRMS FOR ME HOW URGENT IT IS THAT WE GET THE NOTION OF PUBLIC SCHOOL, RIGHT? AND THAT WE COME TOGETHER AROUND THE NOTION OF GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UH, AND THAT FOUNDATIONAL FABRIC THAT WE HAVE.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING WITH YOU ALL TALKING MORE ABOUT MY BACKGROUND.
UH, THERE ARE, UH, ONE PATIENT IN AND OUT OF MY ENTRY PLAN ON THE BACK TABLE.
FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO WANT A SUMMARY OF MY THINKING AND HOW I'M GOING TO APPROACH THE WORK.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TALKING FURTHER THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE, PARTICULARLY IN THIS ENVIRONMENT, IT REALLY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE EAST BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY TO BE ABLE TO COME OUT AND REALLY TAKE THIS TIME TO SPEND WITH US TONIGHT IN MY WORK, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME IS MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S A HIGH QUALITY SEAT FOR EVERY SINGLE CHILD IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
THE OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A SEAT FOR THAT CHILD THAT IS HIGHLY RIGOROUS, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY TOTALLY ENGAGING AND IS STANDARDS BASED.
CURRICULUM ALLOWS THE PARENTS TO HAVE A COMFORT LEVEL TO EITHER CHOOSE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL OR TO CHOOSE ANOTHER SCHOOL THAT ACTUALLY MEETS
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THE NEEDS OF THEIR FAMILY SCHOOLING.TODAY IS A COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITY.
IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
SO AS AN ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST, THAT IS WHAT I DO IS I WORK WITH COMMUNITIES ALL ACROSS BROWARD COUNTY TO ACTUALLY COLLECT THE IDEAS FROM THE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT KNOW THEIR NEEDS BEST.
THAT IS HOW WE START TO CREATE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REENGAGE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, TO CREATE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR SCHOOLS, AND TO START RETURNING TO PUBLIC EDUCATION AS THE VENUE THAT REALLY SUPPORTS SUPPORTS NOT ONLY THE CHILD, BUT THE ENTIRE FAMILY.
THE OTHER PIECE THAT I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT IS EQUITY.
I THINK EQUITY IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM, FROM MEANING EQUAL WHEN EVERY SINGLE CROSSES THE THRESHOLD OF OUR SCHOOLS, THAT CHILD COMES IN WITH VERY, VERY DIFFERENT NEEDS FROM THE CHILD SITTING BESIDE THEM.
THERE MAY BE A CHILD THAT NEEDS A FEW SCAFFOLDS UP TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM, TO GET TO PROFICIENCY AS WELL AS THERE MAY BE CHILDREN THAT NEED AN ADDITIONAL BOOST TO GET THEM BEYOND PROFICIENCY.
AND SO THAT EQUITY LOOKING AT EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD AND EACH INDIVIDUAL FAMILY AND THEIR NEEDS COMES FROM ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY.
THAT IS ONE OF MY SPECIALTIES.
I WORK VERY, VERY HARD AND ITERATIVELY WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES, LISTENING, LISTENING AGAIN, AND THEN LISTENING AGAIN.
YOU WILL HEAR THAT FROM ME OVER AND OVER AND GOING BACK WITH IDEAS UNTIL WE GET IT RIGHT.
THOSE PROCESSES ARE ENGAGING SOMETIMES THERE'S CONFLICT, BUT WE WILL NOT GET BEYOND A SHIFT AND A CHANGE FOR THE VETERAN EDUCATION WITHOUT REALLY WORKING THROUGH THINGS TOGETHER, WORKING THROUGH CONFLICT AND GETTING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT.
I THINK EAST BATON ROUGE IS READY FOR THAT.
I ACTUALLY HAVE FAMILY WHO HAS LIVED IN BATON ROUGE FOR THE PAST 40 YEARS.
I HAVE HAD THE LUXURY OF THIS BEING MY HOME.
I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND DECIDED I NEEDED TO FIND SOME GREAT SPACES OUT THERE IN THE BIG WIDE WORLD.
AND I ENDED UP BACK IN FORT LAUDERDALE, WHICH IS THE MELTING POT OF THE UNITED STATES.
THE ABILITY TO SEE DIVERSITY WORK AND ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL INCLUSIVE WAYS IS WHAT I WOULD REALLY LOVE TO BRING HERE TO EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
IT IS AN ENGAGING PRACTICE, AND IT REALLY LOOKS AT THE NEEDS OF THE CHILDREN RATHER THAN THE ADULTS OF THE ORGANIZATION.
SO WITH THAT SHIFT, I AM VERY, VERY PLEASED TO BE SITTING HERE NEXT TO NIKIA AND DR.
UM, SHE IS AWESOME TO WORK WITH.
WE HAVE WORKED TOGETHER THROUGH ART AND AFFILIATED ORGANIZATION, AND I AGREE WITH DR.
TOWNS THAT NO MATTER WHO THIS DISTRICT'S SELECTS, YOU WILL HAVE ONE OF THE BEST SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE THIS IS A VERY, VERY HARD CHOICE.
UM, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR QUESTIONS THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR INTRODUCTIONS.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY, UM, DOES UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH A VERY TENUOUS AND, UM, VERY, UH, DELIBERATE PROCESS.
SO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THE EXECUTIVE SEARCH PROCESS AND STAYING PATIENT WITH US AS WE ALL ENDURE, UH, THE PANDEMIC TOGETHER.
[Item C]
SO LET'S DIVE RIGHT INTO THE QUESTIONS IF WE, IF WE COULD.UM, SO THE FORMAT, AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, EACH OF YOU WILL BE ASKED THE SAME QUESTION, UH, PLEASE SHARE THE TIME.
LET'S TRY TO LIMIT OUR TIME TO TWO MINUTES AND I'LL REMIND EVERYONE AS WE APPROACH TWO MINUTES JUST TO KEEP US TIME ON TASK.
UM, SO WE'LL START WITH YOU DR.
TOWNS, AND THEN THE WAY WE'LL ALTERNATE IS IF WE ASK YOU A QUESTION FIRST, WE'LL ASK MS. BROWN THE SECOND QUESTION FIRST.
SO THAT WAY THERE'S A ROUND ROBIN OF QUESTIONS IN FAIRNESS.
SO THE FIRST QUESTION READS READING ACHIEVEMENT IN K K THROUGH THREE GRADE GRADE LEVELS IS A MAJOR ISSUE.
WHAT WOULD YOUR MARSHALL PLAN TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE READING SKILLS IN THE DISTRICT WITHIN FIVE YEARS OR LESS? AND IF YOU'D LIKE, I CAN REPEAT THAT.
SO, UM, THIS QUESTION REALLY GETS AT THE HEART OF WHAT STRONG FOUNDATIONS MEAN FOR KIDS AND THEIR ULTIMATE TRAJECTORY.
AND WE KNOW THAT LITERACY IS THE KEY TO UNLOCKING THE WORLD FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THOSE GRADES K THROUGH THREE, THAT THEY HAVE THE FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO TAKE THEM THROUGH SUCCESSFUL K-12 EDUCATION AND BEYOND, UH, TO BE ABLE TO BECOME LIFELONG LEARNERS.
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AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE CHALLENGE OF READING ACHIEVEMENT, UH, AND THE WAY THAT WE HAVE STRUGGLED, FRANKLY, AS A COUNTRY TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE READING AT HIGH LEVELS BY THAT CRITICAL THIRD GRADE YEAR, I THINK THAT WE'VE GOT TO NOW FOCUS ON WHAT PEOPLE HAVE COINED THE SCIENCE OF READING, UH, IN MY WORK I'M VERY, EVIDENCE-BASED MY ROLES HAVE BEEN, UH, CENTERED AROUND, UH, DATA RESEARCH, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND IN MY DOCTORAL STUDIES, UH, IT REALLY GAVE ME A STRONG FOUNDATION AROUND, UH, RESEARCH BASED AND EVIDENCE-BASED, AND WHAT THE SCIENCE OF READING IS SHOWN US IS THAT WE NEED AN APPROACH THAT IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE DECODING SKILLS AND DECODING MEANS BEING ABLE TO SOUND OUT WORDS, RIGHT? BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE WORDS ON A PAGE, UH, THAT IS IMPORTANT, BUT MAKING MEANING OF THE WORDS IS WHAT LEADS TO TRUE LITERACY AND ILLITERATE SOCIETY AND THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS THAT KIDS NEED.AND SO WHAT'S THE KEY TO COMPREHENSION.
WE HAVE TO BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS KNOW ABOUT THE WORLD.
AND SO COUNTER TO WHAT HAS HAPPENED IN PEOPLE HAVING A NARROWING OF THE CURRICULUM AND FOCUSING ON JUST READING AND MATH SKILLS THAT WE NEED TO BROADEN THE CURRICULUM AND MAKE SURE THAT KIDS HAVE THAT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE MEANING.
AND SO THEN WE HAVE TO BRING IN ALL OF THE EXPLICIT PHONICS INSTRUCTION TO GET TO THAT DECODING AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS PART OF OUR LITERACY PROGRAM.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE TO REALLY GET THE MYTHOLOGY OUT OF OUR READING INSTRUCTION.
AND I'M GOING TO PROBABLY, IF THERE'S SOME EDUCATORS IN THE ROOM, THIS HAS BEEN THE THIRD RAIL LEVELED READING LEVELED READING FOR SOME KIDS LEVEL READING MEANS THAT THEY NEVER GET GRADE LEVEL READING MATERIALS.
AND THERE IS NO EVIDENCE BEHIND THE EFFICACY OF LEVEL READING.
AND WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS MAKE SURE THAT ALL KIDS GET GREAT TIER ONE GRADE LEVEL READING INSTRUCTION, AND THEN INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT STRUGGLING READERS.
AND WE HAVE TO USE RESEARCH BASED INTERVENTIONS.
IT'S NOT JUST THAT EVERY KID WILL GET IT.
AND THE THING ABOUT READING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAVE THAT OLD SAYING THAT IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE, FRANKLY, TEACHING READING IS ROCKET SCIENCE AND THAT WHEN A KID DOESN'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS, WE HAVE TO HAVE A SCIENTIFIC APPROACH TO BEING ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THAT ISSUE AND THEN PROVIDE A RESEARCH BASED INTERVENTION.
AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST TEACHERS READING SPECIALISTS, WELL-TRAINED INTERVENTIONISTS IN THOSE GRADES, K TWO K TWO K THROUGH THREE, TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS GET THAT FOUNDATIONAL READING.
SO THAT'S MY MARSHALL PLAN, THE SCIENCE OF READING PHONICS INSTRUCTION, EXPLICIT PHONICS INSTRUCTION, DECODING SKILLS, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE AND CONTENT BUILDING AND THAT WE FOLLOW THE SCIENCE OF READING.
AND DON'T KEEP DOING PRACTICES THAT DON'T YIELD THE RESULTS FOR KIDS.
THANK YOU, DOCTOR MS. BROWN, DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? YES.
READING ACHIEVEMENT IN GRADES K THROUGH THREE IS A MAJOR ISSUE.
WHAT WOULD BE YOUR MARSHALL PLAN TO DRAMATICALLY IMPROVE READING SKILLS IN THE DISTRICT WITHIN FIVE YEARS OR LESS? SO READING IS ABSOLUTELY FOUNDATIONAL TO EVERYTHING THAT HAPPENS TO US IN A SOCIETY.
WE ALL KNOW, OR PERHAPS YOU HAVEN'T HEARD, BUT THAT BY THIRD GRADE, THE NUMBERS OF CHILDREN THAT CANNOT READ ARE EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBERS OF CHILDREN THAT CANNOT READ AT NINTH GRADE AND ARE EXACTLY THE SAME NUMBERS OF BEDS, THAT MUNICIPALITIES PLAN FOR PRESENCE.
SO WE KNOW EXACTLY THE RESULTS OF WHAT HAPPENS TO A CHILD THAT CANNOT READ BY THIRD GRADE.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS, BUT WE SPEND PRE K TO THREE READING TO TAKE US TO THE PLACE WHERE THEN THE READING ALLOWS US TO LEARN MORE.
SO WITHIN THAT, WE HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLY FOCUSED APPROACH TO PRE-K STARTING IN PRE-K TO THIRD GRADE.
AND THAT APPROACH IS A PROTOCOL.
IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE STATE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THE STATE ASSESSMENTS JUST SOME STARTS AT THIRD GRADE, THAT IS TOO LATE.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ASSESSING PRE-K TO TWO YEAR OLD TO SECOND GRADERS.
THIS IS A PROTOCOL THAT IS INVOLVED IN THE ACTUAL READING PROCESS.
WHEN I STARTED WORKING WITH OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, I DIDN'T KNOW ENOUGH ABOUT READING.
SO I ACTUALLY WENT AND GOT MY ENDORSEMENT IN EARLY LITERACY AND READING AND TOOK A LOOK AT THE FIVE COMPONENTS OF READING, INCLUDING DECODING, PHONEMIC AWARENESS, VOCABULARY, FLUENCY, AND COMPREHENSION.
IT IS NOT JUST ONE PIECE OR ANOTHER PIECE.
THIS BENCHMARK APPROACH ARE PROTOCOLS THAT ARE TAUGHT TO PRE-K K ONE AND TWO ARE ACTUALLY USING FONTIS AND PINELLA.
YOU CAN USE ANY, UM, UM, LEVELED READING, NOT LEVELED LIKE NIKIA IS TALKING ABOUT, BUT LEVELS OF READING TOWARDS PROFICIENCY AND PROFICIENCY AND POT PIE,
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UM, FOUNTAS AND PINELL IS A P LEVEL.IT GOES A TO P AND WE DO THESE PROTOCOL ASSESSMENTS, WHICH CAN BE DONE IN ANY SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CHILDREN ARE BENCHMARKING TOWARDS LEVEL P AT THEIR GRADE LEVEL.
THAT DATA ACTUALLY TELLS US EXACTLY WHAT THE TEACHER NEEDS TO BE DOING WITH THAT CHILD.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS PROTOCOL IS A PART OF A READING PLAN.
SO WE WORK WITH SPECIALISTS THAT GO INTO THE SCHOOLS, TEACH THEM THE PROTOCOL, HELP THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT DATA.
AND ACTUALLY THESE SPECIALISTS GO BACK IN AND THEY CALIBRATE SO THAT THEY MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHERS ARE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THAT DATA IS TELLING THEM ABOUT THE CHILD'S READING, AS WELL AS WHAT THE STRATEGIES ARE TO HELP CORRECT THE DEFICIENCIES OR THE CHALLENGES IN THAT READING THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE ACTUALLY SET UP A SYSTEM THROUGH THIS BENCHMARKING, WHERE WE RAISED THE READING PROFICIENCY, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT GROWTH.
I'M TALKING ABOUT ACTUAL PROFICIENCY FROM 37% IN THIRD GRADE TO 51% IN THREE YEARS.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S A TEACHER IN THE UNITED STATES.
THAT'S NOT DOING WHAT THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO DO BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT.
THEY MAY BE CHALLENGED BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.
AND BY ACTUALLY SETTING UP SYSTEMS WHERE WE CAN TAKE TEACHERS WHO'S ON THE FRONT LINE, GIVE THEM APPROPRIATE PROTOCOLS, HELP THEM BENCHMARK, HELP THEM LEARN AND BE ABLE TO REPORT OUT ON THAT, TO FIGURE OUT WHAT SYSTEMS GO BACK INTO THOSE SCHOOLS TO HELP THEM, I THINK IS CRITICAL.
THERE'S A, THERE WAS A PRACTICE A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
AGAIN, THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE HEARD ME SPEAK BEFORE, I'M A STRAIGHT TALKER.
WE USED TO HIDE TEACHERS IN SECOND GRADE.
AS I EVER PERSONALLY DID IT, BUT HIDING TEACHERS IN SECOND GRADE, BECAUSE IT IS NOT AN ASSESSED GRADE LEVEL IS MALPRACTICE IT'S MALPRACTICE.
SO WHAT WE ALSO DID IS WE TOOK A LOOK AT THE WORK FROM THIS MOUNTAINOUS FOUNTAS, AND PINELL TRYING TO GET THEM TO PROFICIENCY.
WE FOUND THE EXPERTS IN OUR TEACHER RANKS AND THEY BECAME TEAM LEADERS AND ADVOCATES FOR THIS PROCESS.
TEACHERS LIKE TO LEARN FROM TEACHERS.
THEY DON'T LIKE TO LEARN FROM ME.
AND I, AND I, I, I THINK THAT'S APPROPRIATE BECAUSE THEY KNOW WHO'S IN THEIR CLASSROOM AND HOW TO DO IT.
SO USING THAT SYSTEM TO FIND STRENGTHS IN TEACHERS, CREATING LEAD TEACHERS THAT ACTUALLY GROW WITH THEIR PEERS, ALONG WITH THEM AND USING THAT DATA TO FIGURE OUT SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT EACH OF THESE SCHOOLS NEED THAT ARE QUITE DIFFERENT FROM THEIR SCHOOL.
NEXT DOOR ALLOWED US TO GROW OUR READING SCORES SIGNIFICANTLY IN A THREE YEAR PERIOD, NOT A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, BUT A THREE YEAR PERIOD.
WE'LL START WITH YOU, UH, CANDIDATE BROWN, UH, QUESTION NUMBER TWO.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, UH, TURNING THEM ON MIKE, HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE TEACHER TURNOVER AND LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS AND INCREASE RETENTION OF ALL TEACHERS, TEACHER RETENTION? IS IT THERE? OKAY, SORRY.
UM, TEACHER RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT AND LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS IS, IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS HARD WORK.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS HARD WORK.
UM, SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE IS, UM, AGAIN, FINDING THE STRENGTHS OF INDIVIDUALLY INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS AT THAT SCHOOL, AT THOSE SCHOOLS, CREATING PLCS AROUND THOSE STRENGTHS AND HELPING TO BUILD THE TEACHERS UP, TEACHERS NEED SUPPORT.
THE OTHER PIECE IS WE HAVE ACCESS TO SEVERAL DIFFERENT BUCKETS OF FUNDING.
UH, WE SET UP SYSTEMS TO ATTRACT TEACHERS TO SOME OF OUR LOWER PERFORMING SCHOOLS THROUGH OUR TITLE ONE FUNDS.
AND I'M GOING TO SUGGEST THAT THE AMOUNT OF WORK IT TAKES TO REALLY BE READY AND ON POINT WITH SOME OF OUR MOST STRUGGLING SCHOOLS REALLY REQUIRES SO MUCH MORE WORK.
SO WHEN I SAY INCENTIVE, I MEAN, INCENTIVE, THESE INCENTIVES WERE BETWEEN FOUR AND $6,000 FOR TEACHERS TO GO INTO SOME OF OUR LOWEST PERFORMING SCHOOLS.
AND LET ME TELL YOU WHAT THAT DOES.
IT'S ABOUT THE TIME MY HUSBAND'S A TEACHER.
MY HUSBAND SPENDS SO MUCH TIME PREPARING FOR HIS STRUGGLING STUDENTS AND HE WORKS WITH STRUGGLING STUDENTS IN MATH AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL.
THAT TIME IS WORTH MONEY OKAY.
AND WHAT HAPPENS IS HE IS READY TO GO IN AND WORK WITH THOSE CHILDREN, JUST LIKE AT OUR, AT OUR TITLE, ONE SCHOOLS, PARTICULARLY SOME OF OUR STRUGGLING TITLE, ONE SCHOOLS THAT IS AN INCENTIVE FOR HIM TO BE ABLE
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TO SPEND HIS TIME DOING WHAT HE NEEDS TO DO AND TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THAT TIME DOESN'T MEAN HE'S NOT GOING TO DO IT ANYWAYS BECAUSE HE WOULD.SO THAT INCENTIVE PROGRAM IS ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT.
THE OTHER PIECE ABOUT ATTRACTING TEACHERS TO SOME OF OUR LOW PERFORMING SCHOOLS IS SETTING UP SYSTEMS SO THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY WORK WITH THEM THROUGH, UM, CURRICULUM REVIEWS, WHERE WE WOULD SEND IN TEAMS TO WORK WITH THE TEACHERS, IDENTIFY SKILL SETS THAT WILL HELP THEM CONTINUE TO GROW AND DO IT AS A PLC.
THAT'S A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY.
SO THERE IS A TEAM AROUND THOSE TEACHERS.
THEY'RE NOT STUCK IN A CLASSROOM WITH FOUR WALLS AND NOBODY COMES IN TO HELP THEM.
SO IT'S A THREE PRONG APPROACH.
NUMBER ONE IS REALLY TAKING A LOOK AT, UM, THE, UM, PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, GOING THOSE TEACHERS LOOKING AT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS AND DEVELOPING PLCS WHERE THEY DON'T FEEL ALONE.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THEM IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY FEEL SUPPORTED AND SAFE.
I'M GONNA REPEAT THE QUESTION AND DR.
HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS THE TEACHER TURNOVER AND LOW PERFORMANCE SCHOOLS AND INCREASE RETENTION OF ALL TEACHERS? SO, UM, I THINK AS WE APPROACH, UH, THE QUESTION OF TEACHER TURNOVER, TURNOVER AT SOME OF OUR HIGHEST NEEDS SCHOOLS, UH, I BELIEVE THAT THE EXPERIENCE THAT I HAD IN TERMS OF, UH, BEING IN HUMAN CAPITAL STRATEGY AND TALENT MANAGEMENT, UH, WHEN I WORKED IN KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS REALLY BRINGS TO BEAR AS TO ALL THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE TO REALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT IS IT THAT TEACHERS NEED TO STAY IN THE ROLE THAT THEY'RE IN AND TO BE ABLE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT ROLE.
I SAY ALL THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE WORK IS MANAGEABLE, REASONABLE, AND SUSTAINABLE.
AND SO WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN A TURNAROUND ENVIRONMENT, WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THE WORK IS HARDER.
AND WHY IS THE WORK HARDER? THE WORK IS HARDER BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE NEEDS THAT THE CHILDREN BRING AND THAT WE ARE OPERATING WITH THE WHOLE CHILD.
AND WHEN A CHILD IS EXPERIENCING FOOD INSECURITY, WHEN THEY'RE, UH, EXPERIENCING, UH, HOMELESSNESS, WHEN THEY ARE DEALING WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WITH BEING FROM A HIGH POVERTY ENVIRONMENT, THAT MEANS THAT TEACHERS HAVE TO FIRST MAKE SURE THAT THOSE NEEDS ARE ADDRESSED BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO TEACHING AND LEARNING UNTIL THOSE BASIC NEEDS ARE MET.
SO IN A TURNAROUND SCHOOL, WE FIRST ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THAT MEANS THAT THERE ARE MORE HATS THAT TEACHERS HAVE TO WEAR.
THEY AREN'T JUST BEING ABLE TO FOCUS ON THE CURRICULUM.
AND SO WHEN THEY'RE WEARING MORE HATS, WHAT DO WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE SOME OF THOSE ROLES AND SOME OF THOSE HATS OFF OF THEM? SO THE FIRST IS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE RIGHT SUPPORTS.
WE NEED TO HAVE PERSONNEL THAT SUPPORT BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL HEALTH, MORE COUNSELORS, MORE SOCIAL WORKERS, MORE PEOPLE TO HELP WITH ATTENDANCE, THE ATTENDANCE SPECIALIST, TRUANCY OFFICERS, TEACHERS DON'T, AND CAN'T WEAR ALL THE HATS IN THOSE HIGH NEEDS ENVIRONMENTS.
SECONDLY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT STRATEGIC COMPENSATION THAT IT IS A HARDER JOB, AND THAT THERE IS MORE TIME THAT TEACHERS ARE PUTTING IN.
SO WE NEED TO REWARD THAT WHEN THERE IS A MARKET THAT SAYS THAT WE HAVE A SCARCITY, RIGHT, THAT THE DEMAND DOESN'T MATCH THE SUPPLY, WHAT THAT NORMALLY HAPPENS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR AND THE LABOR MARKET.
THAT MEANS YOU PAY MORE, YOU COMPENSATE MORE.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT IN OUR HIGH NEED SCHOOLS.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT WORKING CONDITIONS.
AND WHEN I SAY WORKING CONDITIONS, THAT MEANS WHAT IS IT LIKE TO BE IN MY SCHOOL? LOOK, HIGH NEED SCHOOLS ARE STRESSFUL.
TEACHERS ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS.
THE KIDS ARE UNDER A LOT OF STRESS, AND I'VE DONE A LOT OF THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE BUILD RESILIENT SCHOOLS? HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF TEACHERS IN HAMILTON COUNTY? WE LAUNCHED AN INITIATIVE THAT WE CALL WHOLE TEACHER, WELL TEACHER, AND THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR EDUCATORS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DEESCALATING, WHEN KIDS ARE HAVING CRISIS, FRANKLY, THE TEACHERS FEEL THAT TOO.
THEY FEEL DEEPLY FOR OUR CHILDREN AND THE TRAUMA THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING.
SO WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF TEACHERS.
WE HAVE TO DO THINGS LIKE PLANNING TIME, MAKING SURE THAT TEACHERS HAVE TIME TO GO TO THE RESTROOM WHO WANTS TO BE ON A JOB WHERE I CAN'T GO TO THE RESTROOM, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF REALITIES THAT TEACHERS ARE FACING IN HIGH NEED SCHOOLS.
AND IF WE WANT TO RETAIN TEACHERS IN THOSE SCHOOLS, WE HAVE TO CLOSE THAT WORKING CONDITIONS, GAPS.
WHEN YOU WORK IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS, THERE ARE TEACHERS WHO GET A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GIFT CARDS FOR CHRISTMAS, FROM PARENTS.
HOW MANY TEACHERS IN HIGH NEED SCHOOLS GET THAT? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WE NEED TO DO TO CLOSE THAT WORKING CONDITIONED GAP.
HOW DO WE MAKE THIS A GREAT PLACE TO WORK, A GREAT PLACE TO COLLABORATE? AND THAT THERE'S THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT THEY HAVE.
SO I THINK ABOUT, WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE JOB JOB IS HARDER AND THEN WE THEN HAVE TO PROBLEM SOLVE AROUND HOW DO WE ADDRESS THOSE CHALLENGES IN HIGH NEED SCHOOLS TO KEEP OUR TEACHERS, OUR BEST TEACHERS WORKING IN THOSE ENVIRONMENTS SO THAT WE CAN HONOR EVERYONE'S QUESTIONS THAT WE RECEIVE COMING IN.
SO I'M GOING TO START GIVING YOU A 32ND COUNTDOWN.
CAUSE I WANT TO HONOR EVERYONE'S QUESTION.
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HEY, YOU'RE, YOU'RE BRILLIANT PEOPLE, NO DOUBT ABOUT IT.SO I LOVE LISTENING TO YOU AND I KNOW THEY ALL DO SO IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME.
SO QUESTION THREE AND THEN I'LL START WITH YOU DR.
TOWNS, AND THEN I'LL REPEAT IT FOR YOU.
HOW WILL YOU MOVE THE CENTRAL OFFICE FROM A COMMAND AND CONTROL ATMOSPHERE THAT EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY DO NOT TRUST INTO A TRUE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CULTURE? SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE WORK OF THE FOLKS IN CENTRAL OFFICE, WE EXIST ONLY TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS AND THAT IS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND FAMILIES IN SCHOOLS.
AND SO FIRST AND FOREMOST, WE CHANGE THE CULTURE BY ACKNOWLEDGING AND UNDER MY LEADERSHIP.
WHAT IS OUR, WHY? WHY ARE WE HERE? AND WE ARE HERE TO SERVE.
THAT IS WHAT CENTRAL OFFICE IS FOR.
AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS AND HOW DO WE MAKE THAT TRANSFORMATION, WE HAVE TO BE INTENTIONAL.
WE HAVE TO SAY, WHAT ARE OUR OPERATING PRINCIPLES? WHAT GUIDES OUR WORK.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE CAN'T JUST USE THAT AS A GENERIC TERM.
CUSTOMER SERVICE DOESN'T MEAN THE SAME THING TO EVERYBODY.
UH, IN HAMILTON COUNTY, WE TALK ABOUT, WE WANT TO GIVE OUR SCHOOLS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS, THE DISNEY EXPERIENCE.
YOU KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE IN DISNEY, IT'S HAPPY AND IT'S MAGICAL FOR EVERYONE.
AND EVERYONE WALKS AWAY FROM DISNEY.
HAVING FELT LIKE THEY HAD A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY THAT WE ARE CUSTOMER SERVICE ORIENTED IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO WHEN WE SAY WE WANT THE DISNEY EXPERIENCE, WE THEN TRAIN AND DEVELOP AROUND WHAT ARE THE TENANTS OF CUSTOMER SERVICE.
AND THAT FIRST AND FOREMOST, EVERYBODY TAKES OWNERSHIP.
YOUR JOB IS TO DO THE THINGS THAT NEED TO GET DONE IN SUPPORT OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS, AND FAMILIES.
AND SO WHEN EVERYBODY HAS THAT ATTITUDE, THAT MEANS THAT OUR FOLKS AND SCHOOLS DON'T WALK AWAY FRUSTRATED.
THEY WALK AWAY KNOWING THAT SOMEONE'S GOING TO TAKE CARE OF MY ISSUE.
AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAND ME OFF.
THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SURE THAT IT'S SOLVED.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IT'S A CULTURE SHIFT.
I BELIEVE IT STARTS WITH ME AS THE SUPERINTENDENT.
AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT IF WE SAY THE WORDS WE HAVE TO NOT JUST TALK THE TALK, WE HAVE TO WALK THE WALK, WHICH MEANS THAT WE'VE GOT TO PROFESSIONALLY DEVELOP AROUND IT AND GIVE PEOPLE THAT DISNEY EXPERIENCE BROWN.
WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? OKAY.
HOW WILL YOU MOVE THE CENTRAL OFFICE FROM A COMMAND AND CONTROL ATMOSPHERE THAT EMPLOYS THAT COMMUNITY AT THAT, EXCUSE ME, THAT CONTROL ATMOSPHERE THAT EMPLOYEES AND COMMUNITY DO NOT TRUST INTO A TRUE CUSTOMER SUPPORT CULTURE.
SO THAT QUESTION IS NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART IN THE WORK THAT I DO AT THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
UM, IT IS, IT IS A PART OF MY ROLE, UH, TO SHIFT THE ENERGY OF THE DISTRICT OFFICE, TO SUPPORT SCHOOLS AT A GREATER LEVEL.
SO THE CUSTOMER SERVICE PIECE, WE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN DISNEY.
WE BROUGHT THEM IN TO TRAIN OUR STAFF AND WE ACTUALLY TAUGHT ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT OFFICE, THE DISNEY EXPERIENCE.
AND WE WENT THROUGH THAT TRAINING FOR ALMOST SIX MONTHS.
AND I HAVE TO SHARE WITH YOU, THE SHIFT WAS PRETTY DRAMATIC.
DIDN'T SHIFT ALL THE WAY TO DISNEY.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT REALLY ALLOWED PEOPLE TO OPEN THEIR EYES AND SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING A COMPLIANCE OFFICER AND A COMPLIANCE OFFICE TO BEING A CUSTOMER SERVICE AND A SUPPORT TEAM.
THE OTHER PIECE IS THAT WORD OF CUSTOMER.
I DON'T THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND UNTIL FAIRLY RECENTLY THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT WALKS ACROSS OUR DOOR IS A CUSTOMER.
MY CUSTOMERS ARE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, MY CUSTOMER SUPPORT MEMBERS, MY CUSTOMERS, OUR PARTNERS, BUSINESS PEOPLE.
AND UNTIL THAT SHIFTS STARTS TO CHANGE ACROSS THE CENTRAL OFFICE, IT IS NEVER GOING TO CHANGE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO I THINK THAT'S A HUGE SHIFT THAT REALLY WOULD WORK QUITE WELL.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE DID IS WE DEVELOPED GAME PLANS.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME USE THAT TERM A LOT.
SO, YOU KNOW, A GAME PLAN IS EXACTLY THAT IT IS SOMEWHAT OF A STEP BY STEP FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE PROTOCOLS.
UH, PEOPLE REALLY DO NOT KNOW WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MEANS, AND IF THERE'S AN EXPECTATION FOR CUSTOMER SERVICE, TO BE A WAY AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE THAN IT ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE THAT WAY.
THE LAST PIECE THAT WE HAVE DONE IS WE ACTUALLY MONITOR THIS.
SO WE'LL, WE WILL GET CALLS AT OUR CENTRAL OFFICE AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A TIMELINE ON WHEN THOSE CALLS NEED TO BE RETURNED.
AND SO EITHER THE PERSON GETS A CALL BACK
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OR AN EMAIL BACK, OR ACTUALLY HAS A MEETING WITHIN 48 HOURS.THAT TYPE OF WORK STARTS TO SHIFT BECAUSE WE SHOW THE DIVISIONS IN THE DEPARTMENTS.
THEY ARE DATA AT, AT OUR DIRECTOR MEETINGS.
AND WE HIGHLIGHT THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY SHOWING THE TRUE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SUPPORT TO OUR CUSTOMERS RATHER THAN SAYING WE HAVE A CUSTOMER SERVICE FOCUS.
SO I THINK THERE'S A THREE PRONG APPROACH THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY DO SOME SIGNIFICANT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON WHAT CUSTOMER SERVICE MEANS, BUT FACETIME.
AND I BELIEVE WE START WITH YOU THIS TIME, MS. BROWN.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HEAL A RACIALLY DIVIDED SCHOOL SYSTEM DURING A TIME OF SENSITIVE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES? SO THIS IS, UM, FRONT AND CENTER AND ALL OF OUR LIVES RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO TAKE UP THE BANNER AND ACTUALLY TEACH OUR COMMUNITY AND EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT SOCIAL INJUSTICE AND ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS TO BECOME THE EDUCATOR ON THESE ISSUES.
WE HAVE SEEN IT FRONT AND CENTER BLESS YOU.
AND WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SHIFT THAT OPPORTUNITY INTO POSITIVE WORK.
WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS WE ACTUALLY WORK ON A, UM, UM, COALITIONS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN DEVELOPING OUR POLICIES AND DEVELOPING OUR PROCESSES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE DO RFPS FOR DIFFERENT, UM, FUNCTIONS FOR OUR FACILITIES, WE MAKE SURE THAT IT'S M M WBE COMPLIANT.
AND WE ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING FOR WAYS TO BRING UP OUR COMMUNITIES IN AREAS WHERE THEY, WHERE THERE ARE RACIAL DISPARITIES, SO THAT THE DISTRICT STARTS TO LEAD THE COMMUNITY IN THE SHIFTS TO TAKE ON THOSE BIG, BIG ISSUES THAT ARE NEVER, EVER TALKED ABOUT.
THE OTHER PIECES, WE HAVE CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS.
IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY AND TO BE ABLE TO TALK AND THINK ABOUT SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.
WE WILL NEVER GET TO A POINT WHERE WE CAN CORRECT AND FIND SOLUTIONS UNTIL WE TALK TOGETHER, WORK AND ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS CHANGING OUR SYSTEMS THAT SUPPORT THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY, ALL IN THE COMMUNITY, BRINGING UP THOSE THAT HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BEFORE AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON IN THE COMMUNITY IS RESPECTED AND HONORED THE QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU PLAN TO HEAL A RACIALLY DIVIDED SCHOOL SYSTEM DURING A TIME OF SENSITIVE SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES? SO IN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, PRESENTING TO YOU, AS YOU ALL CLEARLY SEE MY IDENTITY AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN WHO HAS LIVED IN THIS COUNTRY FOR ALL 46 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
AND I HAVE LIVED IN THE SOUTH, THE OLD CONFEDERATE SOUTH FOR ALL 46 YEARS OF MY LIFE.
UM, AND I KNOW IN MY LIVED EXPERIENCE, THE PAIN THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED IN OUR COMMUNITIES OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS.
AND I KNOW IN MY PERSONAL LIVED EXPERIENCE, WHAT IT'S LIKE WHEN SOMEBODY LOOKS AT YOU AND MAKES A JUDGMENT ABOUT YOU, BASED ON THE WAY THAT YOU LOOK NOT ON ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR CHARACTER OR NOT ON ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH YOUR RECORD OR PERFORMANCE.
AND IT SHOULDN'T REQUIRE ANY OF THAT TO JUST BE TREATED AS A HUMAN AND RESPECTED AND VALUED AS A HUMAN BEING.
AND SO I THINK IN ORDER TO HEAL A RACIALLY DIVIDED COMMUNITY, WE FIRST HAVE TO TELL THE TRUTH OF THE HISTORY OF OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM.
AND Y'ALL NOBODY IN THIS ROOM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT, BUT WE ARE LIVING IN THE WAKE OF THAT.
AND FRANKLY, IN THIS COUNTRY, IN THIS COUNTRY, PEOPLE THAT LOOKED LIKE ME HAD TO FIGHT FOR QUALITY FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE ME, WHO WILL TELL YOU THAT WE'RE STILL FIGHTING 30 SECONDS.
SO IN ORDER TO HEAL, WE HAVE TO START WITH THE TRUTH.
WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT PEOPLE ARE FEELING.
WE HAVE TO BELIEVE WHAT THEY'RE TELLING US.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE IS RESPECTED AND VALUED.
EVERYBODY IS RESPECTED AND VALUED, AND THAT'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO HEAL.
[00:35:02]
ALL RIGHT.TOWNS, WHAT STRATEGIES AND OR PROCESSES WILL YOU USE TO DEVELOP AND IDENTIFY THE CURRENT STATE OF EVR PRO PUBLIC SCHOOLS? WHAT ROLES DO YOU SEE IN CLASSROOM EDUCATORS IN HELPING SHAPE POLICY PROGRAM, CHANGING CHANGES TO CLOSING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS? COULD YOU REPEAT THE FIRST PART OF THAT? YES.
WHAT STRATEGIES AND OR PROCESSES WILL YOU USE TO DEVELOP AND IDENTIFY THE CURRENT STATE OF VBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? OKAY.
SO THE STRATEGIES AND PROCESSES THAT I'M GOING TO USE TO IDENTIFY THE CURRENT STATE OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IS REALLY OUTLINED IN MY ENTRY PLAN.
AND THAT, UH, IF YOU GO AND READ THE, UH, DETAILED VERSION OF THIS, YOU'LL GET ALL 20 PAGES OF MY THINKING.
UH, BUT THE REASON THAT I HAVE ORGANIZED, UH, MY ENTRY PLAN IN THIS WAY IS THAT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO WANT TO READ THE 20 PAGE VERSION.
THEN THERE'S THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY VERSION FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT TO GET, YOU KNOW, INTO SOME DETAILS, BUT NOT THE DEPTH.
AND THEN THERE'S THE ONE PAGE VERSION.
CAUSE A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T HAVE TIME, RIGHT.
TO GO IN AND LISTEN TO AND DIG INTO ALL THE ELEMENTS THAT FOLKS LIKE US WHO WORK IN IT EVERY DAY.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THOSE STRATEGIES AND PROCESSES, FIRST, I'M GOING TO ALIGN THE ENTRY AND MY, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE, AROUND THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER.
BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE SAY THAT WE HAVE A SET OF VALUES, WE HAVE TO LIVE THEM.
YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ME SAY THIS, AND I'M GOING TO MODEL IT, THAT WE ARE GOING TO SAY WHAT WE AGREE UPON.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO OPERATE THROUGH THAT LENS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT QUALITY ASSURANCE, HIGH EXPECTATIONS, CONTINUOUS APPROVEMENT, COMMUNITY TRUST, I'M GOING TO LISTEN, LEARN AND LEAD.
I'M GOING TO GO OUT AND TALK TO PEOPLE AROUND THOSE FOUR AREAS.
AND YOU CAN GET A, AGAIN, THE SPECIFICS OF ALL THE THINGS THAT I'M GOING TO INVESTIGATE, I'M A PERSON THAT'S DRIVEN BY INPUT AND EVIDENCE.
I WANT TO HEAR FROM FOLKS, I WANT TO GATHER THE FULL CONTEXT AND THE LANDSCAPE.
AND THEN WHEN YOU ASK ABOUT WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER IN TERMS OF POLICY PROGRAMS AND CHANGE, UM, THE POLICY, THE CLASSROOM TEACHER IS AT THE CENTER OF IT.
AND SO IN A ADMINISTRATION THAT I WOULD LEAD TEACHER VOICE IS GOING TO BE PARAMOUNT, STARTING WITH A TEACHER CABINET THAT HAS MY EAR AND REGULAR CONVERSATION.
AND NOT ONLY JUST LISTENING, BUT INTEGRATING WHAT IS HEARD INTO THE POLICY AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION OF THE DISTRICT, THAT'S HOW I'M GOING TO APPROACH THE WORK.
ALL RIGHT, MS. BROWN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? OKAY.
WHAT STRATEGIES AND OR PROCESSES WILL YOU USE TO DEVELOP AND IDENTIFY THE CURRENT STATE OF EBR PUBLIC SCHOOLS? SECOND PART, WHAT ROLES DO YOU SEE CLASSROOM EDUCATORS IN HELPING SHAPE POLICY PROGRAM CHANGES TO CLOSING ACHIEVEMENT GAPS? SO THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT PIECE FOR ANYBODY THAT'S NEW TO A SCHOOL DISTRICT, NO MATTER WHAT POSITION THEY COME IN.
SO I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT IN TAKING A LOOK AT THE LARGER COMMUNITY, SPENDING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME INITIALLY, UM, ON LISTENING TOURS.
I KNOW THAT, UH, WITH COVID, IT MIGHT NOT BE QUITE AS EASY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE HAD LISTENING TOURS IN BROWARD COUNTY ON, UM, ON GRADUATION AND ALSO ON COVID REOPENING WITH OVER 2000 PARTICIPANTS THROUGH TEAMS MEETINGS, WE HAVE GOTTEN SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS FROM OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE REALLY, REALLY AWESOME THINKERS.
AND THEY HAVE HELPED US TO DEVELOP THAT IS A PROCESS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO DO HERE AND DOING EITHER A VIRTUAL LISTENING TOUR OR A FACE TO FACE TOUR, GETTING INPUT, AS WELL AS TAKING A LOOK AT THE DATA.
I THINK DATA DOES TELL A TRUE PICTURE OF WHAT'S GOING ON AGAIN, A SMALL PART OF THE TRUE PICTURE, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO.
AND IN TAKING A LOOK AT THE DATA AND SHARING THE DATA WITH THE COMMUNITY, PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT WE'RE WORKING ON THE OTHER PIECE WITH THE CLASSROOM EDUCATORS.
TOWNS, THEY ARE OUR BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND I PROMISE YOU THAT IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS, THERE IS JEWELS OF TEACHERS THAT REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW CHILDREN LEARN AND HOW TO PROCESS INFORMATION AND TEACH THOSE LEAD TEACHERS BECOME LEAD TEACHERS TO WHOOPS, SORRY TO OUR CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS.
THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GATHER AROUND WITH OUR DISTRICT TEAM TO HELP SUPPORT THE DISTRICT TEAM AND UNDERSTANDING, THANK YOU AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT NEEDS TO GO BACK OUT.
CREATING LEAD TEACHERS, CREATING TEAMS OF LEAD TEACHERS, CREATING PLCS WITH CURRICULUM SPECIALISTS AND LEARNING
[00:40:01]
FROM THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND.REALLY ELEVATES THE TEACHERS TO WHERE THEY BELONG.
THEY BELONG IN THE DRIVER'S SEAT AND THEY BELONG TEACHING OTHER TEACHERS ALONG WITH THE CURRICULUM TEAM AND THE DISTRICT OFFICE.
SO I SEE IT AS A GREAT THREE LEGGED STOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THOSE TEACHERS WHAT THEY NEED, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT KNOW THEY ARE CRITICAL TO THIS PROCESS.
IN QUESTION NUMBER SIX, CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN A STUDENT OR FAMILY HAD A DIRECT PERSONAL IMPACT ON YOU? THANK YOU FOR THIS QUESTION.
AND THIS IS WHY I DO WHAT I DO.
I AM VERY, VERY FORTUNATE THAT I HAVE HAD SOME WONDERFUL EXPERIENCES WITH STUDENTS.
UM, SOME OF THEM, UM, ARE VERY DIFFICULT, UM, AND SOME OF THEM HAVE LED TO SOME UNBELIEVABLY GREAT SUCCESSES.
UH, I HAD THE LUXURY OF WORKING WITH A YOUNG CHILD.
UM, BRIANNA HAD ABSOLUTELY SIGNIFICANT, UH, BEHAVIORAL ISSUES.
SHE ALSO HAD VERY SIGNIFICANT ACADEMIC CHALLENGES.
UM, I ACTUALLY WORKED WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER.
WE DID A PSYCHOSOCIAL TO MAKE SURE, UM, THAT THE FAMILY WAS SUPPORTING THE CHILD.
AND WE FOUND OUT THAT THE FAMILY WAS NOT.
I WORKED WITH BRIANNA EVERY SINGLE MORNING.
UH, BRIANNA BECAME MY BEST FRIEND.
SHE HAD NO FRIENDS IN THE SCHOOL AND BRIANNA AND I WORKED TOGETHER WITH THE BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST.
WE SET UP A BEHAVIOR PLAN APPROPRIATE.
THIS WAS AN EIGHT YEAR OLD CHILD.
AND THIS IS WHEN I WAS A PRINCIPAL AT THE SCHOOL.
SHE LIVED WITH HER GRANDMOTHER.
WE TRIED VERY, VERY HARD TO GET GRANDMA TO UNDERSTAND THE BEHAVIOR PLAN.
AND WE SET UP FAMILY COUNSELORS FOR THIS PARTICULAR FAMILY.
THE REALLY HARD PART ABOUT THIS STORY IS WHEN THE FAMILY FOUND OUT THAT I WAS NOT GOING AWAY AND I WAS GOING TO CONTINUE TO HELP BRIANNA AND THAT FAMILY GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL THEY DISAPPEARED.
AND IT WAS ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, THREE 30 SECONDS.
ABOUT THREE WEEKS LATER, BRIANNA CAME BACK AND SHE SAID, SHE CONVINCED HER MOM WHO WAS HER GRANDMOTHER THAT SHE NEEDED TO COME BACK TO MRS. BROWN.
THIS IS WHAT IT TAKES EVERY SINGLE DAY FOR US TO TOUCH THE LIVES OF OUR CHILDREN.
I STILL HAVE A LITTLE PLAQUE THAT SHE MADE IN MY OFFICE ONE MORNING.
AND THAT'S WHY I DO WHAT I DO IS IT'S A DEEPER SERVICE THAN JUST WORKING ON THE ACADEMICS OF THE CHILD.
THERE'S DEEPER GROWTH, THIS DEEPER CONNECTIONS, AND THERE'S VERY, VERY DEEP RELATIONSHIPS IN ORDER TO HELP CHILDREN AND HAVE A PERSONAL IMPACT ON THOSE THAT WE SERVE.
DO YOU NEED ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? OKAY.
CAN YOU SHARE A TIME WHEN A STUDENT OR FAMILY HAD A DIRECT PERSONAL IMPACT ON YOU? SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT, UM, THE ROLES THAT WE SERVE IN, UH, WHEN WE ARE IN POSITIONS AS EDUCATORS, UH, AND HAVE INFLUENCE, UH, OVER A DISTRICT, I THINK WE SOMETIMES LOSE SIGHT OF, UH, HOW MANY PEOPLE, UM, GO UP AGAINST INSTITUTIONS AND INSTITUTIONS LIKE PUBLIC EDUCATION THAT THEY FEEL LIKE HAVE FAILED THEM AND DON'T LISTEN TO THEM AND HOW SMALL THEY FEEL IN THE FACE OF OUR BIG SYSTEMS. AND ONE OF MY PERSONAL VALUES AROUND CARING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT I NOT ONLY WORK IN MY ROLE, BUT I AM AN ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE WHO COME TO ME AND NEED OUR SUPPORT AND HELP IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND I'M VERY COMMITTED TO THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT PARENTS WHO FEEL LIKE THEY DON'T HAVE A VOICE AND WHO FEEL LIKE THEY ARE NOT IMPORTANT TO US AND THAT THEIR CHILDREN'S NEEDS AREN'T BEING MET, UM, ARE ABLE TO FIND AN ADVOCATE IN ANYONE WHO'S IN LEADERSHIP.
AND THAT HAS POWER AND AUTHORITY.
I HAVE A QUOTE ON MY TWITTER PAGE THAT, UH, UM, THAT SAYS, UH, THAT IF, UH, FROM TONY MORRISON, UH, THAT IF YOU HAVE THESE BEAUTIFUL JOBS, I'M PARAPHRASING THAT THESE BIG JOBS THAT YOU WERE BEAUTIFULLY MADE FOR YOUR JOB IS, IS THAT IF YOU ARE FREE, YOU SHOULD FREE SOMEBODY ELSE.
AND SO THAT BRINGS ME TO ZARIAH.
UM, ZARIAH HIS MOTHER, MS. BELL, UH, REACHED OUT TO ME FRANTICALLY, UM, FEELING LIKE NO ONE IN THE DISTRICT WANTED TO LISTEN TO HER ABOUT THE NEEDS OF HER CHILD.
AND ZARIAH HAD BEEN IN AN ALTERNATIVE SETTING, UH, FOR HER K FIVE EXPERIENCE, UH, AND THAT SHE HAD NOT BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HER MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE.
AND THAT NOW WE WERE MOVING TO
[00:45:01]
HIGH SCHOOL AND HER MOTHER NEEDED SOMEBODY TO LISTEN TO HER AND BE AN ADVOCATE TO FIND THE RIGHT PLACEMENT FOR ARAYA.AND THE ISSUE IS THAT SHE BELIEVED THAT SARIAH NEEDED AND WANTED TO BE IN ONE OF OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTERS.
AND THAT SHE WAS TOLD AT MULTIPLE LEVELS THAT THE WINDOW TO APPLY HAD CLOTHES, BUT SHE WAS DESPERATE THAT SHE KNEW THAT THIS WAS THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT BECAUSE IT HAD SMALL CLASS SIZES AND IT HAD AN INTEREST LEVEL THAT'S ARAYA WAS EXCITED ABOUT AND FELT LIKE THIS WAS THE KIND OF SCHOOL EXPERIENCE THAT SHE NEEDED.
AND FOR ME, MY NUMBER ONE JOB FOR THAT FAMILY WAS TO GET ZARIAH INTO THAT SCHOOL TO MATCH AND MEET HER NEEDS.
AFTER THAT MOTHER HAD BEEN HANDED OFF TO MULTIPLE PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHO SHE FELT LIKE DIDN'T LISTEN, AND IT FELL ON DEAF EARS.
AND THAT'S WHY WE DO THIS WORK.
THAT IS ARAYA IS NOW ATTENDING SEQUOYAH HIGH SCHOOL AND THRIVING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT LOVES COSMETOLOGY.
AND THAT, THAT MOM KNOWS THAT SHE HAS AN ADVOCATE AND A FRIEND AND ME IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
TOWNS, UH, QUESTION NUMBER SEVEN.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE PARENT CHOICE WITH DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY?
SO, UM, THIS IS AN INTERESTING, UH, UM, FRAMING, PARENT CHOICE VERSUS DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY.
THERE IS A LOT OF HEATED CONVERSATION AROUND CHOICE, AND LET'S JUST CALL IT CHARTERS.
IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH VERSUS THE TRADITIONAL, UM, LEA RUN SCHOOLS AND PEOPLE.
AND I'VE TALKED TO TWO DOZEN PEOPLE BEFORE, EVEN THIS WEEK, AND I'VE TALKED TO ANOTHER 50 PEOPLE TODAY IN DIFFERENT SESSIONS AND FOLKS FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THIS, AND PEOPLE HAVE PUT THEMSELVES ON POLLS, RIGHT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF AN ISSUE.
AND THAT PEOPLE FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THEY'RE CHOOSING A SIDE ON AN ISSUE.
AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT IF I'M SELECTED AS SUPERINTENDENT, AND YOU ASKED ME TO CHOOSE A SIDE ON THIS ISSUE, I'M GOING TO CHOOSE THE SIDE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
I'M GOING TO CHOOSE A SIDE OF CHILDREN AND FAMILIES.
IF YOU HEARD MY STORY, UH, IN THE FIRST, A FIRST ROUND INTERVIEW, I NOTED THAT MY MOTHER WAS NOT SATISFIED WITH THE SCHOOL THAT WE WERE ZONED FOR WHEN I STARTED KINDERGARTEN.
AND THAT MY MOTHER WAS FORCED TO LIE TO GET ME INTO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL THAT REALLY CHANGED MY LIFE MS. GARDNER AND MS. DARNELL SMITH.
AND LET ME SAY THAT PART OF THE REASON THAT I'M DRAWN TO THIS WORK IS BECAUSE FAMILIES SHOULDN'T HAVE TO MAKE THAT CHOICE.
FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
FAMILIES SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO VOTE WITH THEIR FEET, TO BE ABLE TO KNOW WHAT THE NEEDS AND SERVE THE NEEDS AND THE INTEREST OF THEIR CHILD.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH AND LOOK DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY IS ABOUT US BEING STRATEGICALLY PROACTIVE ABOUT PLANNING FOR OUR BUDGET, STRATEGICALLY PROACTIVE ABOUT PLANNING FOR BUDGET.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE SCHOOL MODELS IT'S ABOUT ARE WE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE AND HAVING A THREE YEAR FORECAST AND OUTLOOK AROUND HOW WE NEED TO MANAGE OUR BUDGET.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO COMMIT TO, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT I WAKE UP EVERY MORNING AND I MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SCHOOL IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, THAT I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR IS AN EXCELLENT SCHOOL BECAUSE PARENTS ARE GOING TO CHOOSE US BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO BE THE FIRST CHOICE PROVIDER.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE TO ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT ANTI-CHARTER PRO-CHARTER, I'M GOING TO ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION ABOUT PRO CHILD PRO FAMILY.
TOWNS, MS. BROWN, WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? OKAY.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE PARENT CHOICE WITH DISTRICT SUSTAINABILITY? SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS QUESTION.
THIS IS A LOT OF THE WORK THAT I'VE DONE, UM, IN BROWARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS FOR THE PAST 12 YEARS.
UM, AND I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT I DON'T BREAK CHOICE DOWN INTO CHARTER VERSUS A DISTRICT SCHOOL.
I BREAK CHOICE DOWN INTO THE PARENT, DESERVES THE CHOICE TO TAKE THEIR CHILD WHEREVER THEY WANT THEM TO GO, BECAUSE A PARENT KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT THEIR CHILD NEEDS AND SHOULD HAVE THE OPTION IF THEY CHOOSE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, THAT THAT IS THE HIGHEST QUALITY SEAT FOR THEM.
SO A HIGH QUALITY SEAT IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL IS WHAT I AM ABOUT.
I AM ABOUT HAVING EVERY SINGLE PARENT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT IF THEY CROSS
[00:50:01]
THE STREET TO THE SCHOOL, THAT'S ACROSS THE STREET, THAT IS A HIGH QUALITY SEAT FOR THAT FAMILY.THEY DON'T HAVE TO GET ON A BUS.
THEY MIGHT CHOOSE TO GET ON A BUS.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO A CHARTER SCHOOL.
THEY CAN MAKE A CHOICE FOR THEIR OWN HOME SCHOOL AND HAVE A VERY, VERY HIGH CONFIDENCE LEVEL THAT THEY ARE GOING TO GET EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED IN PROFICIENCY, AS WELL AS GROWTH AND A HIGH STANDARD, UM, UH, STANDARDS BASED CURRICULUM AT THAT SCHOOL.
SO I DON'T THINK IT'S AN EITHER OR I THINK RIGHT NOW THAT CHOICE LIES IN THE PARENTS' HANDS.
AND SO IT SHOULD, IT IS OUR JOB AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE SEATS ARE QUALITY SEATS THAT OUR FAMILIES WANT TO CHOOSE, BECAUSE CHOICE IS NOT GOING TO GO AWAY.
WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP, KEEP THINKING THAT IT IS GOING TO GO AWAY, BUT IT'S NOT.
IT IS OUR JOB TO REDESIGN OUR SCHOOLS, HELP SUPPORT THEM INTO BEING THE CHOICE THAT THE PARENTS WANT TO CHOOSE.
I ALSO THINK WITH THE FISCAL SUSTAINABILITY, IT IS BUDGET PLANNING.
WE MUST PLAN AROUND ENROLLMENT.
WE MUST PLAN AROUND STUDENT NEEDS AND WE NEED TO HAVE A FORECASTED BUDGET SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE HEADED AND HOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR ENROLLMENT, WHERE IT BELONGS, WHATEVER THE CHOICES OF THE PARENT AND PLANT FOR IT.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT YOU WILL FACE ENTERING AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DISTRICT? SO THIS IS, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS REPEATING ACROSS THE UNITED STATES AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES, UH, BELIEVE IT OR NOT ARE, ARE EVERYWHERE.
AND I THINK IT IS, IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO LEVERAGE EVERY SINGLE RESOURCE WE HAVE ACROSS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE HAVE GOT, UM, UNBELIEVABLE PARTNERS, UNBELIEVABLE OPPORTUNITIES TO BUILD OUR NETWORK OF SUPPORT FOR OUR FAMILIES, WITH MANY, MANY DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS ACROSS THE EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, AN EXAMPLE.
UM, WE ACTUALLY WORKED IN A COMMUNITY WHERE WE WERE REDESIGNING TWO OR THREE SCHOOLS.
WE WORKED WITH A GEOGRAPHIC AREA.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT COMMUNITY WAS VERY, VERY INTERESTED IN EARLY LEARNING.
THEY KNEW THAT THEIR CHILDREN NEEDED ADDITIONAL TIME BEFORE THEY STARTED AT YEAR FIVE.
SO INSTEAD OF GOING BACK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND HAVING OUR HAND OUT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, GIVE US MORE, GIVE US MORE, GIVE US MORE.
WE ACTUALLY WENT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO IS DESIGN AN EARLY LEARNING CENTER.
THE SCHOOL BOARD ONLY HAD TO FUND ONE CUSTODIAN.
THE REST WAS FUNDED BY PARTNERS.
THE BUILDING ACTUALLY BECAME A HUB FOR, UM, CRADLE TO FIVE-YEAR-OLDS.
WE HAD SEVEN CLASSROOMS. WE GOT ALL OF THOSE SEATS PAID FOR BY CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT WANTED TO GIVE SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE CENTER.
THE, THE COUNTY LIBRARY PAID FOR THE MEDIA SPECIALIST, AS WELL AS THE MEDIA CLERK.
SO THE LIBRARY WAS OPEN ALL THE TIME, PS4 THAT NOT JUST FOR THE SCHOOL, UH, HISPANIC UNITY CAME IN, THE COMMUNITY SCHOOL CAME IN, WE DIDN'T CHARGE HIM RENT.
THEY BOUGHT STAFF AND THEY PAID FOR ALL THE OPERATIONAL FEES.
PEOPLE ARE JUST WAITING TO WORK WITH US, JUST WAITING.
AND WE ARE NOT ORGANIZED ENOUGH IN SOME PLACES TO BE ABLE TO WORK THOSE RESOURCES TO NOT ONLY MEET OUR NEEDS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THAT STUDENT'S NEEDS AS WELL AS THE ORGANIZATION NEEDS.
IT IS FISCALLY A STRUGGLE TO KEEP OUR RESOURCES, UM, UP, BUT WE CAN DO IT WITH THE HELP FROM MANY, MANY RESOURCES IN EAST BATON ROUGE.
I I'VE, I'VE ALREADY MET A LOT OF THEM AND THEY ARE READY TO COME TO THE TABLE AND WORK WITH US.
TOWNS, QUESTION NUMBER EIGHT FOR YOU.
WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE THAT YOU WILL FACE IN TURNING AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DISTRICT? SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE FRAMING OF THAT QUESTION, I THINK ONE OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS DEEMING OURSELVES AND ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
LOOK, WE HAVE TO DEFINE OURSELVES AND WE HAVE TO LEAD WITH WHAT THE STRENGTHS ARE OF THE SCHOOLS AND THE FAMILIES AND THE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND PUTTING ON THIS LABEL, LIKE A SCARLET LETTER THAT WE ARE AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SCHOOL DISTRICT SAYS TO ME THAT THERE IS DEFICIT
[00:55:01]
THINKING AND I DON'T APPROACH THIS WORK FROM DEFICIT.I APPROACH THIS WORK FROM A FOUNDATION OF WHAT DO WE HAVE TO BUILD ON AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT'S WORKING WELL.
AND THEN WHAT IS THE ENTIRE PICTURE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH? SO MY GOAL IS GOING TO BE BRINGING EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY TO THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE SHARED OWNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BUILDING A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE HAVE SHARED OWNERSHIP AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR BUILDING A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND SO I'M NOT GONNA SAY TO ANYONE OR REPEAT THE WORDS, HI, I'M SUPERINTENDENT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE ARE AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED DISTRICT.
THOSE WORDS WILL NEVER COME OUT OF MY MOUTH.
WE ARE GOING TO ELEVATE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, AND WE ARE GOING TO TELL OUR STORY AND WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A BRAND OR A REPUTATION THAT SAYS THAT WE ARE WORLD CLASS, AND WE ARE GOING TO SERVE EVERYBODY WHO COMES THROUGH THE DOORS.
AND HOPEFULLY WE ARE GOING TO ATTRACT MIDDLE CLASS PARENTS INTO THE DISTRICT AND THAT PEOPLE VOTE WITH THEIR FEET AND SEE THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.
BUT IF THEY DON'T AND PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT REASONS, I TOTALLY RESPECT FOLKS WHO ARE GOING TO PAROCHIAL SCHOOLS AND THEY HAVE VALUES THAT THEY WANT TO INSTILL IN THEIR CHILD.
I TOTALLY RESPECT THAT, BUT WHOEVER WE'RE SERVING THE FAMILIES THAT DO CHOOSE US, WE ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM A FIRST CLASS EXPERIENCE.
AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO DEEM OURSELVES AS AN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH A DEFICIT THINKING AND LABEL.
WE'RE GOING TO DEEM OURSELVES EXCELLENT AND RISE TO EXCELLENCE.
HOW WILL YOU GET STAKEHOLDERS TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES ACCORDING TO AN EQUITY MODEL? IT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, IN TERMS OF THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE EQUITABLY ALLOCATE RESOURCES AND BUILDING THOSE SYSTEMS STRUCTURES AND PROCESSES, UH, THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO MONITOR TO ENSURE EQUITY.
THIS IS WORK THAT I HAVE DONE, UH, IN ALL OF MY ROLES, UH, FIRST AND KNOX COUNTY SCHOOLS, UH, AT THE STATE DEPARTMENT AS AN ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER AND NOW IN HAMILTON COUNTY AS CHIEF OF STAFF, UH, AND BEING, UH, THE SECOND HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL IN MY SCHOOL DISTRICT AND REALLY SERVING AS A SUPERINTENDENT'S DESIGNEE AND OPERATING AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN HIS ABSENCE.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS I'M RUNNING OUR ORGANIZATION AND I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE EQUITABLY ALLOCATING RESOURCES.
AND WHEN I GOT TO HAMILTON COUNTY SCHOOLS, FRANKLY, THERE WAS NO RHYME OR REASON OR RATIONALE FOR HOW RESOURCES WERE ALLOCATED TO OUR SCHOOLS.
AND WHAT TYPICALLY ENDED UP HAPPENING WAS THE SQUEAKIEST WHEEL GOT THE OIL, RIGHT? AND THAT WE HAD SOME PRINCIPALS THAT WERE BETTER AT NAVIGATING THE SYSTEM, IF YOU WILL, UH, AND DEMANDING CERTAIN THINGS.
AND TYPICALLY THAT WENT WITH THE COMMUNITIES THAT HAD DEMAND PARENTS AND THAT THE COMMUNITIES WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE MAN PARENTS.
AND BY THE WAY, I DON'T USE THAT AS A PEJORATIVE.
I THINK ALL OUR PARENTS NEED TO BE DEMAND PARENTS AND DEMAND OF US.
BUT IN FACT, WE KNOW THAT EVERY COMMUNITY DOESN'T HAVE PARENTS WHO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND KNOCK ON OUR DOORS AND MAKE THE CASE FOR THE THINGS THAT THEIR CHILDREN NEED.
AND SO WE CAN'T LEAVE IT TO CHANCE.
AND ONE OF THE FIRST THING THAT I DID WAS BUILD AN EQUITABLE STAFFING MODEL.
AND SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE HAVE A POVERTY ADJUSTED BASED STAFFING.
WE HAVE TARGETED TEACHER TO CLASS RATIOS BASED ON THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED RATE OF THE SCHOOL.
BECAUSE AS WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IN A HIGH POVERTY SCHOOL, THERE ARE TOO MANY HATS THAT WE'RE ASKING TEACHERS TO WEAR.
SO THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO HAVE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
AND SO THAT EQUITY, THAT POVERTY ADJUSTED BASED STAFFING MODEL IS BEFORE WE EVEN TALK ABOUT TITLE ONE, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION, BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT ENGLISH LEARNER SUPPORTS, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY THAT YOU MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE EQUITABLY ALLOCATING RESOURCES SO THAT EVERY CHILD GETS WHAT HE OR SHE NEEDS TO REACH HIS OR HER FULL POTENTIAL.
SO THAT'S THE WORK THAT I'M GOING TO DIG INTO ON DAY ONE, IT'S PART OF MY ENTRY PLAN AND THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF, ARE WE EQUITABLY RESOURCING OUR SCHOOLS? THANK YOU.
MS. BROWN QUESTION NUMBER NINE.
AGAIN, HOW WILL YOU GET STAKEHOLDERS TO ALLOCATE RESOURCES ACCORDING TO AN EQUITY MODEL? THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST PROCESSES THAT WE WILL BE UNDERTAKING.
IF I AM THE LEADER HERE AT EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH, I'M REALLY DIGGING THROUGH THE BUDGET AND TAKING A LOOK AT THE ALLOCATION MODELS THAT ARE USED HERE IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY, REALLY CRITICAL THAT DRIVES HOW ALLOCATIONS ARE DONE IS A VERY WELL-DEFINED STRATEGIC PLAN THAT WORK NEEDS TO HAPPEN
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PRETTY MUCH RIGHT AWAY.AND IT WOULD INCLUDE EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY LISTENING TO WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE SCHOOLS AND DESIGNING THE STRATEGIC PLAN AROUND THE SCHOOL NEEDS.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND ALLOCATING RESOURCES, EQUITABLY, WE HAVE TO START WITH THE NEEDS.
AND SO WHEN THOSE NEEDS ARE IDENTIFIED THROUGH COMMUNITY WORK, AS WELL AS PRINCIPAL TEACHER WORK AND DEFINING WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE, THE RESOURCES START TO FALL WHERE THE NEED IS, AND WHEN IT'S DONE APPROPRIATELY, IT CAN BE BENCHMARKED IN A STRATEGIC PLAN.
IT CAN BE REPORTED OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND CLEAR, MEASURABLE RESULTS AS TO HOW THAT HAPPENS.
AND IT ALSO CREATES A SIGNIFICANT ALIGNMENT FOR THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WANT TO SUPPORT WITH ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ALIGN TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
SO ALL THE ARROWS ARE GOING IN THE SAME DIRECTION.
THAT DISTRICT BUDGET STARTS TO ALIGN UP TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN AND NEEDS COMMUNITY MEMBERS START TO SEE WHERE THEIR RESOURCES CAN FIT IN BECAUSE THERE IS A PLAN AND IT IS MEASURABLE AND WE CAN WORK ON IT TOGETHER.
SO THE USE OF REALLY LOOKING AT THE BUDGET FIRST, FINDING OUT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE, ALIGNING THE NEEDS AND MAKING SURE THAT EQUITY IS THE LENS THAT WE LOOK THROUGH BECAUSE THE NEEDS ARE GOING TO TELL US THE NEEDS ARE WHAT'S GOING TO CREATE AN EQUITABLE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN GET THE RESOURCES WHERE WE NEED TO GET THEM.
AND AS RESOURCES COME IN, WE CAN ALIGN THEM IN THE SAME PLAN INSTEAD OF GOING.
WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE FALL? BE IT IN PERSON OR ONLINE SECOND PART TO THE SAME QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE HEALTH AND SAFETY VERSUS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND CAFETERIA STAFF? WANT ME TO REPEAT THAT? YES.
I'M TRYING TO READ AND ARTICULATE AT THE SAME TIME AND UNDERSTAND WHAT'S BEING ASKED.
WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE FALL? BE IT IN PERSON OR ONLINE THAT'S PART ONE PART TWO.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE HEALTH AND SAFETY VERSUS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND CAFETERIA STAFF.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME AN S I SUPPOSE A QUICK QUESTION AND A LITTLE LONGER FORMAT.
SO THIS IS SOME WORK THAT, UM, THAT GOSH, IT ABSOLUTELY IS GOING TO CHANGE THE WAY WE EDUCATE ACROSS PROBABLY THE WORLD.
AND I WANT US TO REALLY, REALLY EMBRACE THAT.
THERE IS SOME ABSOLUTELY AWESOME WORK GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN DETERMINING HOW WE ARE GOING TO REENTER SCHOOL IN THE FALL AND DOING HYBRID MODELS THAT ACTUALLY WILL SUPPORT MULTIPLE LEARNING STYLES, TEACHERS AS WELL AS PARENTS.
SO CONTINUE EDUCATION IN THE FALL.
WE ARE ACTUALLY, WE'VE DESIGNED A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT PLAN ALREADY IN BROWARD COUNTY.
WE ARE LOOKING AT EITHER STAGGERED MODELS WHERE CHILDREN COME IN ON DIFFERENT DAYS.
WE ARE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR FULL ONLINE, BECAUSE SOME PARENTS HAVE FOUND THAT THEY ACTUALLY LIKE REMOTE LEARNING AND WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THE CHILDREN STAY AT HOME.
I DON'T WANT THOSE CHILDREN GOING OFF TO A VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
I WANT THEM CONNECTED TO THEIR HOME NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TAKEN A LOOK AT FACE TO FACE.
THERE ARE SOME STUDENTS THAT ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO COME TO SCHOOL FACE-TO-FACE SO THOSE MODELS, MY, OUR REALLY, REALLY GREAT WORK IS WE ARE WORKING NOW WITH THE PRINCIPALS ON THOSE DIFFERENT MODELS, LOOKING AT THE ENROLLMENT VERSUS CAPACITY AND ACTUALLY NARROWING DOWN, WHICH OF THOSE MODELS WORK THE BEST FOR EACH OF THE CHILDREN.
IF ANYBODY THINKS THAT THERE'S A BROAD BRUSH ACROSS EAST BATON ROUGE POWER.
SO IT'S GOING TO MEET EVERY CHILD'S NEEDS.
THAT IS NOT THE WAY THAT THIS IS GOING TO WORK.
SO THOSE DIFFERENT MODELS ARE GOING TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY CHILD AND THEIR NEEDS.
THE SECOND PIECE ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY IS THIS PARTICULAR WORK ACTUALLY CREATES DIFFERENT MODELS THAT AS THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF STUDENTS SHIFTS THROUGH COVID, WE CAN EITHER PROGRESS TO ONE MODEL OR ACTUALLY GO BACK TO A MODEL THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE FAMILY.
SO LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
[01:05:01]
THE COVID CASES GO OFF THE CHART, WE'RE READY.WE CAN SHIFT AND DO A DIFFERENT MODEL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE WE HAVE IT ALREADY ESTABLISHED.
THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY MORE OF THIS RUNNING AROUND AT THE LAST SECOND, TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT BECAUSE ALL THE MODELS WILL BE DELIVERED.
UM, DECIDED THE OTHER PIECE WITH, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND CAFETERIA, THAT ALSO GOES WITH CAPACITY VERSUS ENROLLMENT AND DECIDING HOW TO USE THE CAPACITY ON THE BUSES SO THAT WE CREATE EQUITY SO THAT THE CHILDREN CAN GET TO SCHOOL IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT ON THE BUS.
WE'VE ALREADY DESIGNED THOSE PLANS.
AND WE'RE ALSO TAKING A LOOK AT THE CAFETERIA WORK AND HOW THE MOBILITY AND THE WORK THAT WE DO ACTUALLY ON SCHOOL CAMPUS, AS WELL AS BEING ABLE TO PICK UP A FOOD SERVICE FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE 51 FOOD DISTRIBUTION SITES, WHICH ALSO SERVED AS OUR DEVICE DISTRIBUTION SITES.
130,000 DEVICES WERE ROLLED OUT IN LESS THAN 10 DAYS.
AND EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE DEVICES WAS MET WITH A HOTSPOT.
AND IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A DEVICE OR A HOTSPOT, WE WORKED WITH OUR, OUR COMPANIES, OUR INTERNET COMPANIES, AND THEY ACTUALLY GAVE US HOTSPOTS AND DEVICES FOR FAMILIES.
IT WAS A FULL COMMUNITY WAY TO DO IT.
IF WE HAVE THE MODELS DEVELOPED, IF WE HAVE THE SYSTEMS, WE CAN MOVE BETWEEN THEM AND HAVE AN ABSOLUTELY STELLAR OPENING IN THE FALL, THAT'S GOING TO BE SO EXCITING AND BREEDING THAT INNOVATION THAT WE BELIEVE THIS, THIS COMMUNITY DESERVES.
AND I'LL REPEAT THE QUESTION, CAUSE I REALIZE IT'S A LITTLE BIT LENGTHIER.
WHAT DO YOU SEE ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES TO CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE FALL? BE IT IN PERSON OR ONLINE THAT'S PART ONE, YEAH.
HOW DO YOU BALANCE HEALTH AND SAFETY VERSUS EDUCATIONAL ACHIEVEMENT, INCLUDING TRANSPORTATION AND CAFETERIA STAFF? SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE BIGGEST CHALLENGING, THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE TO CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE FALL, I THINK IT'S THE CHALLENGE OF RECOGNIZING THE DISRUPTION THAT WE JUST BEEN THROUGH.
UH, WHAT WE EXPERIENCED WHEN IN MID-MARCH, UH, WE WERE FACED WITH THIS SCARY TERM THAT MOST OF OUR KIDS HAD NEVER HEARD OF, MOST ADULTS HAD NEVER HEARD OF A PANDEMIC AND PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT HOW IT COULD KILL GRANDMA AND GRANDPA.
AND FOR SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, THEY LOST GRANDMA AND GRANDPA AND AUNTIE AND UNCLE AND FRIENDS OF THE FAMILY DURING THIS, I THINK ABOUT THE MENTAL HEALTH AND WELLBEING OF OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY COME BACK TO US IN THE FALL IN WHICHEVER CONFIGURATION, WHETHER IT BE IN PERSON OR ONLINE.
AND ARE WE ACKNOWLEDGING THAT NOT ONLY FOR THE CHILDREN, BUT ALSO FOR THE ADULTS, WHAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER? I WILL SAY THAT I WENT THROUGH A FULL GRIEVING PROCESS AROUND THE CORN TEAM AND EVERYTHING THAT WE LOST AND HOW SCHOOL IS STILL IMPORTANT TO ME AS A PERSON WHO'S COMMITTED AND THE VALUE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BUT THINK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT SCHOOL IS TO CHILDREN WHO LITERALLY DEPEND ON US FOR NOT JUST THEIR MEALS, BUT FOR THE LOVE AND CARE THAT WE PROVIDE.
AND THE ADULTS IN THEIR BUILDING PROVIDE.
I READ A REPORT THAT SAID THAT THERE HAVE BEEN 200,000 ESTIMATED UNREPORTED CASES OF CHILD SEXUAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE DURING THIS QUARANTINE PERIOD.
SO KIDS HAVE BEEN TRAUMATIZED.
AND SO THE FIRST THING I WOULD MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IS THAT WE HAVE A PROCESS TO DO SOME TYPE OF UNIVERSAL SCREENING AROUND THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR KIDS.
BECAUSE THE FIRST THING WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OF IS THAT WE DON'T OVERLOOK THE CHILDREN FOR WHOM THIS WAS NOT A FUN SUMMER VACATION.
THERE WERE PLENTY OF CHILDREN THAT THIS WAS NOT A FUN EXTENDED SUMMER VACATION.
THEY HAVE BEEN NEEDING AND WANTING TO GET BACK TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY THAT SCHOOLS PROVIDE.
AND WE NEED TO IDENTIFY THOSE SCHOOLS, THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO HAVE THOSE CHALLENGES AND MAKE SURE THAT WE PROACTIVELY TRY TO ADDRESS THAT.
THE SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION THAT I'LL GET TO IS AROUND THE HEALTH AND SAFETY BALANCING THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF OUR TRANSPORTATION, OUR CAFETERIA STAFF.
LOOK, WE GOT TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY OUR FIRST LINE, FRONTLINE WORKERS.
IF YOU NOTICE A LOT OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE IMPACTED BY COVID-19 WERE FOLKS WHO WERE IN TRANSPORTATION AND FOOD SERVICE.
AND SO WE GOT TO HAVE THE PROPER PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT.
WE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WE'VE GOT TO DO THE TEMPERATURE SCREENING.
WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PARTICIPATE IN CONTACT TRACING.
UH, IF WE FIND THAT ONE OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE SICK, WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO SACRIFICE PEOPLE, UH, IN THE SUIT OF EDUCATIONAL ADVANCEMENT, WHICH IS IMPORTANT.
AND I'LL SAY THAT THE FINAL PIECE OF THIS IS THE LEARNING
[01:10:01]
DISRUPTION.WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ADDRESS THOSE SKILL GAPS THAT KIDS HAVE CERTAINLY LOST.
WE TALK ABOUT THE SUMMER SLIDE.
IMAGINE THE SUMMER SLIDE TIMES TWO, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DEALING WITH.
AND SO WE'VE GOT TO ADDRESS THE LEARNING PROGRESSION AND TRY TO FILL IN THOSE GAPS, REMEDIATE AND MOVE KIDS THROUGH THE CURRICULUM AT THE SAME TIME.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS I'M THINKING ABOUT WITH THE FALL.
APPRECIATE YOU INDULGING US IN THE LONG, LONGER QUESTIONS.
WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO GET ALL STUDENTS TO GRADE LEVEL WORK AND PROFICIENCY? SO THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO GET ALL KIDS TO GRADE LEVEL WORK AND PROFICIENCY.
UM, I THINK ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS WHO HAVE SKILL DEFICITS, OR AS WE SAY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THEM THE BEST POSSIBLE CHANCE TO CLOSE THOSE SKILL GAPS AND MEET THOSE GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS? I PUT THOSE SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES INTO A THREE PRONG APPROACH.
AND, UH, WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT TIME AND SUPPORT.
WHAT DO I MEAN BY OPPORTUNITY? TNTP RECENTLY HAD A REPORT THAT THEY CALLED THE OPPORTUNITY MYTH AND THAT THEY FOUND THAT IN OUR SCHOOLS, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THAT WE HAD CHILDREN WHO, UM, WERE GETTING GRADE LEVEL WORK LESS THAN 30% OF THE TIME AND IN OUR HIGHEST POVERTY SCHOOLS, THAT WAS SOMETIMES LESS THAN 10% OF THE TIME.
SO TELL ME IF I'M NOT EXPOSING YOU TO GRADE LEVEL WORK, HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO MEET GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS? HOW ARE YOU EVER GOING TO DEMONSTRATE MASTERY ON A STATE ASSESSMENT THAT'S BASED ON YOUR GRADE LEVEL? SO THIS MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO URGENTLY MAKE SURE THAT WE GIVE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM THAT WORK.
AND NOW THAT MEANS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THE SCAFFOLDING WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUILD IN THE DIFFERENTIATED LEARNING, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE A, AND THIS IS RESEARCH BASED.
KIDS KNOW WHEN THEY'RE GETTING THE BABY BOOKS, THEY KNOW THAT, AND IT'S DEMOTIVATING AND DEMORALIZING.
WE HAVE TO GIVE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY THE TIME, IF YOU'RE BEHIND.
THAT MEANS YOU NEED MORE TIME.
I NEED TO HAVE MORE INTERVENTION TIME.
I NEED TO HAVE AFTERSCHOOL TIME.
I NEED TO HAVE MAYBE HAVE SATURDAY SCHOOL TIME AND THE INNER SESSION TIME.
AND WHAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY COMING OUT OF COVID-19.
WE NOW HAVE SEEN THAT PERHAPS BLENDED LEARNING VIRTUAL LEARNING CAN GIVE US MORE TIME ON TASKS FOR KIDS WHO NEED IT THE MOST WITHOUT ACTUALLY HAVING THEM IN THE PHYSICAL SCHOOL BUILDING.
AND THEN THAT LAST PIECE SUPPORTS, WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE WRAPAROUND SUPPORTS, UH, THE PART OF COGNITIVE ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THINGS LIKE FOCUS AND ATTENTION, THOSE ARE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL PROCESSES.
THOSE ARE NOT COGNITIVE PROCESSES.
SO IF WE DON'T GET TO THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF CHILDREN, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO ACCESS TEACHING AND LEARNING.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
SO WE'VE GOT TO EDUCATE THE WHOLE CHILD.
AND THAT MEANS WE'VE GOT TO BUILD IN THOSE SUPPORTS.
SO OPPORTUNITY, TIME SUPPORTS.
THOSE ARE THE KEY STRATEGIES TO SUCCESSFULLY CLOSING THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP.
AGAIN, WHAT DO YOU THINK ARE THE MOST SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES TO GET ALL STUDENTS TO GRADE LEVEL WORK AND PROFICIENCY? SO THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I THINK, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS WHEN IT COMES TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS AT SCHOOLS, BUT IT CANNOT BE DONE WITHOUT, UH, STUDENTS FEELING SAFE, FEELING NURTURED AND FEELING LOVED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A CHILD IS CRITICAL TO HAVING A CHILD BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO WITHIN THAT WORK THERE'S OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, TEACH CHILDREN AS WELL AS TEACH TEACHERS, HOW TO INTEGRATE THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF THE CHILD, AS WELL AS THE ACADEMIC NEEDS OF THE CHILD INTO SYSTEMS THAT HELP THE CHILD GROW.
AND IN OUR WORLD, UH, WE BELIEVE THAT ACCESS TO HIGHLY RIGOROUS, UH, STANDARDS BASED GRADE LEVEL IS ESSENTIAL.
WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE YEARS THAT WHEN CHILDREN ARE STRUGGLING, THEY KEEP BEING GIVEN LOWER LEVEL WORK.
THEY ARE NEVER GOING TO GET TO GRADE LEVEL WORK IF THEY DON'T SEE IT.
SO THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN BROWARD COUNTY IS MAKING SURE THAT ALL STUDENTS DO GET THE GRADE LEVEL WORK AND BUILD SUPPORT STRUCTURES AND SCAFFOLDING THROUGH ADDITIONAL TIME SPECIALIZED TEACHERS PUSH IN AND PULL OUT OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP THAT CHILD TO GET TO THAT GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY WITHOUT DENYING THEM THE ABSOLUTE RIGHT TO BE TAUGHT GRADE LEVEL MATERIAL.
ON THE OTHER SIDE, WE ALSO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES WHERE CHILDREN ARE AT GRADE LEVEL AND THESE STUDENTS NEED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW AND GET BEYOND
[01:15:01]
GRADE LEVEL MATERIALS.SO THERE'S A WIDE SPECTRUM WITHIN THAT OPPORTUNITY.
THE OTHER PIECE IS REALLY DOING SOME REALLY GREAT WORK WITH TEACHERS IN TEACHING CHILDREN'S SELF DIRECTION AND PERSISTENCE.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE TAUGHT.
CHILDREN ARE NOT BORN WITH THAT.
SO IN ORDER TO TEACH THIS SELF-DIRECTION AND PERSISTENCE, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE ADULT IN THE ROOM TO START HONORING CHILDREN AS THEY BUILD GROWTH AND BECOME MORE PERSISTENT AT LEARNING AND START TO FEEL GOOD AND BUILD CONFIDENCE IN THEMSELVES.
SO THERE'S A HUGE PICTURE THERE OF A RELATIONSHIP OF HARD WORK OF HONORING THE WORK AND BEING PERSISTENT FROM BOTH THE CHILD AND THE TEACHER.
YOU NEED A BREAK TO TAKE A SIP OF WATER, PLEASE.
UH, HOW WILL YOU BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS AND SCHOOLS
UM, I HAVE DONE SOME REALLY, UM, VERY SPECIAL WORK WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AROUND, UH, SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING AND, UM, OFTEN THEY ARE IN SOME OF OUR LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, THE WORK IS, UM, IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE CAN NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, THAT A LOT OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE ACTUALLY BEEN DISENFRANCHISED.
THEY DO NOT TRUST LARGE BUREAUCRACIES.
THEY DON'T TRUST THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO SOMETIMES THEY ABSOLUTELY WILL NOT COME OUT TO ONE OF OUR MEETINGS.
WE SPEND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF WORK IN PARISHES WITH PASTORS, WITH COMMUNITY CENTERS, GOING INTO HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATIONS AND MAKING SURE THAT FAMILIES WERE ABLE TO SEE US AS A PART OF THEIR COMMUNITY, NOT ASKING THEM TO COME OUT OF THEIR COMMUNITY, TO WORK WITH US.
SO BY PUSHING IN AND WORKING WITH COMMUNITIES OVER TIME, THIS IS NOT A ONE MEETING OPPORTUNITY.
THIS IS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MEETINGS OF GOING BACK, WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND REALLY LOOKING AT THE NEEDS THAT LIE WITHIN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE THE RESOURCES OR THE KNOWLEDGE TO FIND THE RESOURCES FOR THAT COMMUNITY.
WHEN WE BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP, I'M GOING TO USE THAT WORD OFTEN WHEN WE BUILD THAT RELATIONSHIP, WE START TO BE ABLE TO GROW TOGETHER.
AND THAT RELATIONSHIP IS WHAT ALLOWS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD TRUST.
THERE ARE BARRIERS, AND THERE ARE CONDITIONS THAT A LOT OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE FELT THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH IN PUBLIC SCHOOL AND GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND WORK WITH THEM AND COME BACK WITH THE ANSWERS AND COME BACK WITH THE SOLUTIONS AND ACTUALLY DO THE WORK STARTS TO REGAIN THAT TRUST.
AND SO THAT'S SOME OF THE PROCESSES THAT I HAVE USED.
THEY HAVE BEEN VERY, VERY SUCCESSFUL AND HELPING SCHOOLS SEE THEIR NEEDS, HELPING OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT UNDERSTAND THOSE NEEDS, GOING BACK IN AND PROVIDING FOR THOSE NEEDS TO BUILD THAT TRUST FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US.
AGAIN, HOW WILL YOU BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT, PARTICULARLY IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED AREAS AND SCHOOLS? SO HOW WILL I BUILD COMMUNITY SUPPORT? I THINK THAT IN MY, A RECORD OF THE ROLES THAT I'VE BEEN IN, I'VE HAD TO LEAD LARGE SCALE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESSES.
UH, WHEN I WAS ASSISTANT COMMISSIONER AT THE TENNESSEE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF WRITING OUR STATE PLAN FOR THE EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT.
AND WE SERVED A MILLION CHILDREN IN 1700 SCHOOLS ACROSS 146 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TENNESSEE.
AND WE HAD TO LEAD A PROCESS TO GET TO CONSENSUS ON WHAT WOULD BE THE NEW DIRECTION, UH, IN TERMS OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN TENNESSEE, AS WE, UH, MOVED AWAY FROM NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND AND INTO THIS NEW ERA OF EVERY STUDENT SUCCEEDS ACT WHERE STATES, UH, HAD THE AUTONOMY TO DEFINE, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE, THE GOALS AND THE METRICS FOR THEIR DISTRICTS AND PUBLIC SCHOOLING IN THEIR STATE.
SO THAT WAS A YEAR LONG PROCESS.
AND I HAVE BEEN IN EVERY COMMUNITY IN EVERY CORNER AND HOT OF, OF TENNESSEE FROM MEMPHIS TO KNOXVILLE, TO NASHVILLE, TO CHATTANOOGA, TO JOHNSON CITY, UH, AND, UH, GATLINBURG AND EVERY PLACE IN BETWEEN.
AND SO THE WAY THAT YOU ENGAGE WITH PEOPLE AUTHENTICALLY, UH, AND GAIN
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THEIR SUPPORT IS THAT YOU ASK THEM FOR THEIR INPUT.YOU INCORPORATE THEIR INPUT INTO A PROPOSAL, AND THEN YOU GO THEIR FEEDBACK AND THEN THEY SEE YOU REFINE BASED ON THEIR FEEDBACK.
AND THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEIR VOICE HAS BEEN HEARD, CONSIDERED AN INTEGRATED INTO WHATEVER YOU'RE GOING TO PROPOSE.
THAT'S HOW YOU GET THEIR SUPPORT.
I TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE NEED TO FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED IN ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T FEEL RESPECTED AND THEY DON'T FEEL VALUED.
AND MANY TIMES WE ASK THINGS OF THEM AND WE ASK THEM TO, UH, IGNORE THEIR OWN LIVED EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF IN MANY CASES, A PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM THAT THEY FEEL LIKE DID NOT SERVE THEM WELL, DID NOT SERVE THEIR PARENTS WELL, DID NOT SERVE THEIR GRANDPARENTS WELL.
AND SO WE HAVE TO COME AT IT WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT PEOPLE, UH, HAVE DISTRUSTED US BECAUSE OF THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND IF WE WANT TO GAIN THEIR SUPPORT, WE HAVE TO CHANGE THEIR EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN WE'LL ALLOW FOR CLOSING STATEMENTS, A TWO PART QUESTION.
WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST 100 DAY PLAN TO ADDRESS THE FIVE PRO PRIORITIES IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, THE PRIORITIES BEING EQUITY, URGENT TRANSFORMATION EDUCATORS AS EXPERTS, COALITION BUILDING, AND VALUING SHAREHOLDERS INPUT.
WHAT WOULD BE THE FIRST? YES, YES.
MA'AM WHAT WILL BE, WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST 100 DAY PLAN TO ADDRESS THE FIVE PRIORITIES AND THE COMMUNITY SURVEY, AND THEN THOSE FIVE PRIORITIES, AGAIN, EQUITY, URGENT TRANSFORMATION EDUCATORS AS EXPERTS, COALITION BUILDING, AND VALUING SHAREHOLDERS INPUT.
SO THE WAY THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT, UM, UH, THE ENTRY PLAN AS I DISCUSSED EARLIER IS THAT I LOOKED AT THE STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTED IN SEPTEMBER.
AND I THINK THERE WAS ACTUALLY A PRETTY CLOSE CROSS CROSSWALK BETWEEN THOSE ELEMENTS IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY AND THE WAY THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, THE ENTRY PLAN AND FRAME THAT WORK.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY, UH, THAT'S HIGH EXPECTATIONS, UNIVERSALLY HIGH EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO I HAVE DEFINED THAT THE WAY THAT I'M GOING TO APPROACH MY FIRST 100 DAYS IS THAT WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE EXCELLENT TEAM, EXCELLENT TEACHING AND LEARNING.
AND SO I'M GOING TO BE, UH, CONDUCTING ALL THE TYPES OF INQUIRIES AROUND WHAT IS THE CURRICULUM, WHAT IS OUR INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK? HOW ARE WE ENSURING EXCELLENCE, EXCELLENT TEACHING AND LEARNING EQUITABLE RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
I'VE ALREADY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ALLOCATE RESOURCES WITH A RECOGNITION OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE BEING SERVED AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR ALL SHARED OWNERSHIP, SHARED RESPONSIBILITY, THAT WE'RE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING SURE THAT EVERY CHILD HAS ACCESS TO A GREAT PUBLIC SCHOOL AND THAT WE ARE ALL RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THAT EVERY CHILD HAS A GREAT TEACHER, WHO'S HELPING TO SUPPORT THEM IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO TRANSFORMATION, I PUT THAT UNDER CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, THE, THAT WE TRANSFORM IS THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE STOCK OF WHERE WE ARE, AND THEN WE HAVE TO SET A BOLD COURSE AND DIRECTION TO TAKE ACTION, TO GET TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
AND SO I'VE LED TRANSFORMATIVE WORK.
I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO, UH, REALLY, AS WE SAY, ANALYSIS OF PARALYSIS, I DON'T SIT AND ANALYZE.
I MOVE US FORWARD BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE.
SO IN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, A BIG PART OF THAT IS STRATEGIC PLANNING.
WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A STRATEGIC PLANNING PROCESS SO WE CAN DEFINE OUR PRIORITIES.
ONCE WE DEFINE OUR PRIORITIES, WE CAN HAVE PRIORITY BASED BUDGETING.
AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT BECAUSE EVERYBODY NEEDS FEEDBACK ON HOW THEY'RE DOING THEIR JOB AND THEN BE ABLE TO IMPROVE BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE TO OPERA OPTIMIZE OPERATIONS BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WHENEVER WE HAVE INEFFICIENT OPERATIONS, WE'RE TAKING AWAY FROM CLASSROOM RESOURCES.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HIGHLY EFFICIENT.
I'M DEFERRING TO THE EXPERTISE OF EDUCATORS.
EDUCATORS ARE THE ONES WHO KNOW, I DEFER TO EXPERTISE.
THAT IS A KEY TENANT OF BEING A HIGH RELIABILITY ORGANIZATION.
AND I HAVE NOT HAD THE EXPERIENCE AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER.
WHAT I HAVE DONE IS MAKE SURE THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, I HAVE DEMONSTRATED MY RESPECT FOR THE WORK OF TEACHERS AND THAT I UNDERSTAND THE DESIGN THINKING THAT IS INVOLVED IN TEACHING AND THAT I HAVE GONE AND DONE MY HOMEWORK THROUGH OWNING MY DOCTOR OF EDUCATION.
SO I KNOW WHAT THE THEORETICAL UNDERPINNINGS ARE FOR THE RESEARCH BASED STRATEGIES.
THAT'S GOING TO LEAD US TO GREAT OUTCOMES FOR KIDS.
AND SO YOU CAN DEPEND ON THE FACT THAT I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO SUBSTITUTE MY JUDGMENT.
I'M GOING TO ACTUALLY TALK TO TEACHERS ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY'RE EXPERIENCING TODAY AND NOT ONLY TALK TO THEM ABOUT IT, BUT THEN INTEGRATE THE FEEDBACK THAT THEY PROVIDE INTO THE POLICY AND DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE COALITION BUILDING AND VALUES.
THAT'S ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY TRUST.
AND WE'RE GOING TO AUTHENTICALLY ENGAGE ALL
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OF THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE VERY VOCAL.WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PROCESS IS THAT I'VE HEARD FROM EVERY FACET OF THIS COMMUNITY, EVERY FACET, AND THAT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
NOW, WE MAY NOT ALL AGREE, BUT WE'RE ENGAGED AND THAT'S THE FIRST STEP.
AND SO THEN WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET TO CONSENSUS.
AND I BELIEVE A STRENGTH THAT I BRING TO THIS ROLE IS THAT IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO GET TO CONSENSUS, PEOPLE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE AN HONEST BROKER AND THAT YOU'RE LISTENING AND ELEVATING THE VOICE OF EVERYONE.
AND IN MY BACKGROUND, I THINK THAT THERE IS A WAY THAT I RELATE TO ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CONSTITUENCIES AND THEY SEE ME AS SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T HAVE AN AGENDA WHO DOESN'T HAVE A BIAS.
WHO'S GOING TO LISTEN WITH AN OPEN MIND AND THEN BE ABLE TO LOOK AT OUR POINTS OF INTERSECTION AND LEAD THE WORK, LEAD THE MESSAGING, LEAD THE COMMUNICATION AND MOVE US FORWARD TOGETHER AS ONE DISTRICT.
I'LL REPEAT THE QUESTION FOR YOU AS WELL.
SO FIRST PART, WHAT WILL BE YOUR FIRST 100 DAY PLAN TO ADDRESS THE FIVE PRIORITIES IN THE COMMUNITY SURVEY? THE FIVE PRIORITIES WERE EQUITY, URGENT TRANSFORMATION EDUCATORS AS EXPERTS, COALITION, BUILDING, AND VALUING SHAREHOLDER'S INPUT.
SO THANKS SO MUCH BECAUSE THIS REALLY TIES IT ALL TOGETHER, ALL OF THE WORK, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN GETTING OVER THE PAST DAY OR SO.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS QUESTION, EVEN THOUGH IT'S QUITE DEEP.
NUMBER ONE, TAKING ALL OF OUR PROCESSES, LOOKING THROUGH A LENS OF EQUITY AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE CHILD HAS A HIGH QUALITY SEAT IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL.
IT IS AS SIMPLE AS THAT BECAUSE ONCE WE GET THERE AND IT WILL BE QUICK, UH, ALL OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT EQUITY WILL STILL BE THE LENS THAT WE LOOK THROUGH AND A COMMON MESSAGE FOR EVERY SINGLE, SINGLE THING THAT WE DO IN OUR SCHOOLS, THE ORIGIN TRANSFORMATION, THERE IS WORK THAT WE CAN DO RIGHT NOW.
WE CAN START SHIFTING PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS THROUGH COLLABORATION WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION, THROUGH COLLABORATION, WITH OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR TEACHERS.
I BELIEVE THE EXPERTS ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT IT TAKES OUTSIDE PEOPLE TO COME IN AND FIX WHAT'S GOING ON AT THE SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE THAT TEACHERS REALLY, REALLY DO KNOW THEIR CRAFT AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT IDEAS ON HOW TO TRANSFORM EDUCATION.
SO IN THE WORK THAT I HAVE DONE IN WORKING WITH SCHOOLS AND REDESIGNING SCHOOLS, I PROMISE YOU SOME OF THE BEST IDEAS HAVE COME FROM SOME INCREDIBLY STRONG TEACHERS.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO WORK WITH THOSE TEACHERS TO DEVELOP THE STANDARDS BASED AROUND THEM AND NEW CURRICULUM, NEW IDEAS, AND NEW RESOURCES BASED ON THOSE IDEAS.
SO THE EDUCATORS AS EXPERTS ARE HUGE.
IT IS AN UNDER RESOURCED VALUE THAT WE HAVE AT A LOT OF OUR SCHOOLS, THE COALITION AND SHAREHOLDERS INPUT.
I THINK THOSE TWO ABSOLUTELY GO HAND IN HAND, UH, THE, UM, THE STAKEHOLDERS, I HAVE LOVED THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE GOTTEN OVER THE PAST DAY AND A HALF.
THEY ARE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS, AND IT SHOWS ME THAT THIS COMMUNITY IS READY, READY, READY TO BE ENGAGED.
AND USING THAT INPUT AND BEING ABLE TO BUILD COALITIONS AROUND COMMUNITY CONCERNS AND IDEAS THAT WE NEED TO BUILD TOGETHER.
THAT'S HOW THIS WORKS IS BY LISTENING, BY GOING BACK AND LISTENING AGAIN AND REDESIGNING BASED ON WHAT PEOPLE ARE TELLING US, WHAT THE INPUT IS, CREATING COALITIONS AROUND IDEAS, AND GOING BACK TO THE BOARD WITH SOLUTIONS THAT THEY CAN SUPPORT BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN MAKING UP AND DESIGNING THE NEW IDEAS.
THIS SPRING IS BRINGS US TO A CLOSE THIS EVENING.
AND AGAIN, GOING THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND ALLOWING COMMUNITY TO MEET YOU HERE TONIGHT.
SO WE'D LIKE TO GIVE EACH OF YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A CLOSING STATEMENT.
SO AGAIN, IN THE SPIRIT OF TIME, YOU EACH HAVE TWO MINUTES, START WITH YOU, MRS. BROWN, WHEN YOU'RE READY, I'LL START THE CLOCK.
THANKS FOR JUST A SECOND TO, UM, TO HAVE A MOMENT, EXCUSE ME.
I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT YOU WILL SEE IN ME AS A LEADER IS, UM, I ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT VERY INTIMATELY.
I WAS A CURRICULUM SPECIALIST.
I WAS A DIRECTOR OF ALL CHOICE.
I ALSO REALLY, REALLY HAVE WORKED HARD AT THE DATA,
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DEMOGRAPHICS, STUDENT ASSIGNMENT PROCESSES, AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DATA.I HAVE A BACKGROUND THAT'S INCREDIBLY RICH, BUT I ALSO HAVE A VERY DEEP SENSE OF HOW TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES, PULLING IN PARTNERS AND ACTUALLY WORKING THROUGH SOME REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE LARGER COMMUNITY.
I'VE ALSO DONE WORK IN, IN REAL ESTATE, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE WORK ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND CREATING APPROPRIATE CLASS SIZES AND MAKING SURE THAT THE DATA IS SUPPORTING OUR REALLY, REALLY SMALL CLASSES TO HELP OUR CHILDREN AT THEIR FINEST.
I'M ALSO MARRIED TO A TEACHER.
SO, UM, THAT REALLY HELPS A LOT.
BECAUSE, UH, COACH BROWN COMES HOME EVERY SINGLE DAY.
UM, AND HE POKES ME AND HE MAKES SURE, OKAY, THAT I KNOW WHAT THE SYSTEMS THAT ARE GOING ON AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL ARE DOING TO THAT CLASSROOM TEACHER.
AND WHAT THOSE SYSTEMS ARE DOING TO THAT SCHOOL.
SO I HAVE A REAL LIVE REALITY CHECK, YOU KNOW, SITTING RIGHT BESIDE ME.
SO I THINK, UM, AND, AND HE ALWAYS TELLS ME, I THROW HIM UNDER THE BUS BECAUSE I USE HIM AS A, AS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHY WE CERTAIN THINGS WE NEED TO CHANGE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU IS I AM AN INNOVATIVE LEADER.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THOSE INNOVATIVE IDEAS COME OUT OF MY HEAD.
I BELIEVE THAT THOSE INNOVATIVE IDEAS COME FROM AROUND THE TABLE AND BEING ABLE TO PULL THOSE IDEAS TOGETHER.
I DRAW, I THINK, BUT IT'S, EVERYBODY'S IDEAS THAT COME TOGETHER AND COALESCE AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN DO TOGETHER.
I AM A COLLABORATOR AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU ALL AND REALLY USE DATA AS WELL AS INPUT AND OPPORTUNITIES TO REDESIGN SCHOOLS, AND REALLY THINK ABOUT SOME GREAT NEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR EAST BATON ROUGE, PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
TOWNS, I BELIEVE THAT WE ARE IN A PIVOTAL MOMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION IN EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND OVER THE LAST THREE MONTHS, I HAVE TALKED TO MANY STAKEHOLDERS AND OF COURSE, I'VE HAD THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO FOLLOW.
WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING HERE IN EAST.
BATON ROUGE IS WE HAD A DISRUPTIVE PROCESS WHERE I THOUGHT I'D BE HERE ON THE GROUND WITH YOU IN MARCH, BUT THAT WASN'T TO BE, BUT IT GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN MORE ABOUT YOU ALL AND WATCH YOU ALL FROM AFAR AND THE WORK THAT WAS HAPPENING AND HOW THIS COMMUNITY WAS PULLING TOGETHER.
AND TO REALLY DIG DEEPER INTO WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND WHAT THE ASPIRATIONS ARE THAT THIS COMMUNITY HAS FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND SO WE ARE AT A MOMENT WHERE THIS DECISION THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO MAKE ABOUT WHO WILL BE THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT OF EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH SCHOOL SYSTEM IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT WILL SIT NOT ONLY THE FUTURE OF TEACHING AND LEARNING AND PUBLIC SCHOOLING FOR KIDS AND FAMILIES, BUT ALSO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND FUTURE OF THE PARISH.
AND SO WHEN I THINK ABOUT THAT AND THE SERIOUSNESS OF THIS MOMENT, I COME TO YOU AS SOMEONE WHO IS A PROVEN AND TESTED LEADER, WHO HAS A SET OF BACKGROUNDS AND EXPERIENCES THAT HAS UNIQUELY UNIQUELY PREPARED ME FOR THIS ROLE.
IT HAS UNIQUELY PREPARED ME FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO BRING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER AND TO CONSENSUS, I AM THAT PERSON.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS GOING TO BE STEEPED IN OUR CORE TECHNOLOGY, TEACHING AND LEARNING AND MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR KIDS ARE MEETING HIGH UNIVERSALLY, HIGHEST EXPECTATIONS, I AM THAT PERSON.
IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S GOING TO MANAGE A $450 MILLION BUDGET AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT BUDGET IS ALLOCATED SUCH THAT IT IS ALIGNED TO OUR PRIORITIES AND THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT WE MAXIMIZE THE RESOURCES FOR OUR CLASSROOMS, FOR OUR TEACHERS, FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR FAMILIES.
I OPERATE AS THE SECOND HIGHEST RANKING OFFICIAL IN MY DISTRICT.
I AM AT THE RIGHT HAND OF THE SUPERINTENDENT.
I KNOW WHAT THIS WORK REQUIRES.
I SERVE IN THE SUPERINTENDENTS AS THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ABSENCE.
I AM READY TO BE YOUR CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER ON DAY ONE.
AND IT WOULD BE A PRIVILEGE TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD LOVE TO BECOME A PART OF THE BATON ROUGE COMMUNITY.
I APPRECIATE YOU ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS AND YOUR ATTENTION TO ALL THE DETAILS I WANT TO SAY.
THANK YOU AGAIN TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TO ALL THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING THIS EVENING LIVE, UM, PLEASE, WE WELCOME YOUR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT AS WE FINALIZE THE SELECTION OF THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT.
SO THAT CONCLUDES OUR TOWN HALL MEETING THIS EVENING.
UM, AND WE, AGAIN, WISH YOU WELL, AND PLEASE BE SAFE, STAY, STAY, UM, STAY SAFE AND STAY HEALTHY.