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ALL RIGHT, IT IS 6:09, AND ON THURSDAY, JANUARY 20TH, 2022, I HEREBY CALL THIS MEETING OF
[B. CALL TO ORDER]
THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR BOARD MEETING TO ORDER TRUSTEES XIAO, VESSA, FELLER, HARRISON, WEIR AND BONE ARE IN ATTENDANCE.TRUSTEE WESTON IS NOT IS FEELING A BIT UNDER THE WEATHER AND HAS DECIDED TO STAY HOME OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT, I DO HAVE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
WE WILL BE REMOVING AGENDA ITEMS L FIVE, SIX AND SEVEN DUE TO TRUSTEE WEIR, TRUSTEE WESTON'S ABSENCE.
WE WILL BE REMOVING ITEM H FOR TRUSTEES IF YOU WANT TO GET YOUR AGENDAS OUT.
WE WILL BE REMOVING ITEM H FOUR DUE TO ADMINISTRATION RECOMMENDATION.
THEY WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR ATHLETICS AGAIN BEFORE THEY BRING THIS BACK TO US.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ITEM I ONE TO CONSENT UNLESS THERE ARE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM TRUSTEES, THAT WAS ACTUALLY MY MISTAKE.
SEEING, NO OBJECTIONS WE'LL MOVE I ONE INTO CONSENT.
WE WILL BE MOVING AGENDA ITEM H SEVEN TO ACTION AND DISCUSSION AT THE REQUEST OF TRUSTEES WESTON AND BONE.
AND THEN FINALLY, A SCHEDULING, WE WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM ALL SPEAKER, STUDENT SPEAKERS FIRST AND THEN WE WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AND ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE SIGNED UP FOR ITEMS L1 AND L2.
THEN THE BOARD WILL GO INTO CLOSED SESSION AND TAKE CARE OF ITEMS L1 AND L2.
THEN WE WILL COME BACK INTO OPEN SESSION.
WE WILL TAKE ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE WILL CAN PROCEED WITH THE REST OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS. A ONE LAST ADJUSTMENT, PUBLIC COMMENTS ON NON AGENDA ITEMS. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT TO ALL IN THE SAME AREA.
IF I DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS FROM TRUSTEES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF ADJUSTMENTS ON THE SCHEDULE, BUT I WILL TRY TO KEEP US UPDATED.
OK, PUBLIC COMMENT, AT EACH BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD WILL SET ASIDE TIME TO AFFORD THE
[E. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY (EXCLUDES AGENDA ITEMS D AND E) (Part 1 of 2)]
GENERAL PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.WE ASKED THAT CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS NOT BE RAISED IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM, SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY, ACCORDING TO APPLICABLE BOARD POLICIES.
THE BOARD REQUEST THAT COMMENTS, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL. I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE AND THE VIEWERS THAT THE COMMENTS OF THE SPEAKERS REFLECT THEIR OWN POSITIONS OR OPINIONS.
PLEASE NOTE, WHILE THE PUBLIC DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK, THAT RIGHT IS NOT UNLIMITED.
PER TEXAS PENAL CODE 38.13, 42.01, 42.05 AND TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 37.105 . NO AUDIENCE MEMBER OR SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO ENGAGE IN ANY CONDUCT THAT IS DISRUPTIVE OR THREATENING TOWARD ANY SPEAKER OR ANOTHER PERSON, OR TO VIOLATE THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER PERSON.
THE BOARD SHALL NOT TOLERATE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING BY MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE, IF AT LEAST AFTER ONE MORE INDIVIDUAL WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER ANY INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO DISRUPT THE MEETING BY HIS WORDS OR HER, HIS OR HER WORDS OR ACTIONS, THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
THE BOARD MAY NOT DISCUSS OR ACT UPON ANY MATTER THAT IS NOT LISTED UNDER THE ACTION PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
THEREFORE, BOARD MEMBERS MAY NOT DISCUSS COMMENTS OF THE SPEAKERS.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT A LACK OF RESPONSE FROM BOARD MEMBERS DOES NOT INDICATE AGREEMENT OR APPROVAL OF THE COMMENTS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE DOOR THE BOARD.
TRUSTEE HARRISON WILL BE THE DESIGNATED TIMEKEEPER.
FIRST UP TONIGHT WILL BE STUDENT SPEAKER SUHAIL VARELA.
AND YOU DO LIVE IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I DID NOT PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME CORRECTLY.
OH. OH, YOU WANT ME TO COME BACK TO YOU? OK, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT YOU AT THE VERY END OF OUR STUDENT SPEAKERS THEN.
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OK, SORRY ABOUT THAT.NEXT IS [INAUDIBLE] I APOLOGIZE.
I'M SORRY. AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, OBVIOUSLY, STUDENT SPEAKER.
HELLO. CAN I START? HELLO, MY NAME IS ARCHIE GARG, AND I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT CANYON VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I'M ALSO THE CAPTAIN OF FCTC TEAM ROBOT FTC ROBOTICS TEAM TWO ZERO ONE SIX.
TONIGHT, WE ASK FOR MORE SPACE AT BOTH OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES FOR ROBOTICS. WE ALSO ASKED FOR CONVERSATION BETWEEN DISTRICT STAFF AND US TO HAPPEN MORE FREQUENTLY SO THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH PROBLEMS MORE EFFECTIVELY AND MORE SWIFTLY.
WHEN I JOINED THE CANYON VISTA ROBOTICS TEAM, IT WAS WITH A SMALL BIN OF PARTS, AND BOTH ROBOTS AND STUDENTS WERE OVERFLOWING INTO THE HALLWAYS BECAUSE OF OUR LACK OF SPACE.
SINCE THEN, INTEREST AT OUR SCHOOL IN ROBOTICS HAS SKYROCKETED.
BUT FOR ALMOST THE ENTIRE SEASON, WE HAVEN'T HAD A SPACE ON CAMPUS FOR US TO PRACTICE FOR OUR COMPETITION. THROUGH OUR CLUB AND THE HANDS ON EXPERIENCE, IT GIVES US, MY TEAM AND I HAVE LEARNED MANY DIFFERENT REAL WORLD SKILLS, MADE STRONG FRIENDSHIPS, HAD FUN AND HAD MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW AS BOTH LEADERS AND ENGINEERS.
WE HEAR THE DISTRICT WANTS TO HELP ROBOTICS EXPAND, BUT IN REAL LIFE WE STILL LACK WHAT WE NEED FOR THE CLUB TO FUNCTION.
WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO COMMUNICATE WITH DISTRICTS.
WE DON'T HAVE A WAY TO COMMUNICATE THE THINGS THAT WE NEED AND THAT OUR TEACHER SPONSOR HAS NO CONTROL OVER.
TONIGHT, OUR TEAM WILL TELL YOU MORE ABOUT HOW ROBOTICS HAS IMPACTED OUR LIVES.
MY NAME IS DAMIEN REDDY, HEAD PROGRAMMER OF OUR TEAM AND A SEVENTH GRADER AT CANYON VISTA. ONE OF THE ASPECTS OF THE STEM PART OF ROBOTICS IS PROGRAMING.
THE CODING EXPERIENCE LETS YOU TRY DIFFERENT THINGS AND ALLOWS YOU TO LEARN THINGS YOU WOULDN'T EVER GET TO SEE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I AM FACED WITH MANY ERRORS AND MENTAL ROADBLOCKS EVERY MEETING, BUT I SOLVE AND OVERCOME EVERY OBSTACLE THAT COMES MY WAY.
A REWARDING EXPERIENCE AS A LEARNER AND A PROGRAMMER, THIS TIME SPENT SCOURING THE INTERNET AND LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO THE CONSTANT FLOW OF PROBLEMS CAN BE INFURIATING.
BUT THOSE EXPERIENCES SEW A STEELY DETERMINATION IN ME PROGRAM BECAUSE EVEN AT THE END OF A WEARY CODING SESSION, I ALWAYS FIND SOMETHING NEW THAT I COULD IMPROVE ON IN MY CODE.
MY TIME ON THIS TEAM HAS SPARKED A NEW AMBITION TO PURSUE A COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREER PATH.
THE ROBOTICS PROGRAM HAS HELPED ME GROW CLOSER TO MY TEAM AND JUMPSTART MY JOURNEY TO A COMPUTER SCIENCE DEGREE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS DANIEL PHAN, AND I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT CANYON VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
ROBOTICS IS FULL OF HARD PROBLEMS THE TEAM HAVE TO FIGURE OUT BY THEMSELVES USING MECHANICAL SOLUTIONS AND COMPLEX ALGORITHMS, BUT COMPETITIONS ARE ALSO A BIG PART IN ROBOTICS. A TYPICAL COMPETITION INCLUDES 50 TO 60 TEAMS AND TEAMS TAKE SO MANY DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO THE DESIGN PROCESS.
SOME OF THOSE SOLUTIONS ARE VERY SURPRISING AND INNOVATIVE.
IT IS ALSO VERY FUN TO SEE THE FLARES AND PERSONALITIES OF EACH TEAM SHOWN THROUGH THEIR SHIRTS, COSTUMES AND OTHER CREATIVE TOUCHES ON THEIR ROBOT.
COLLABORATION BETWEEN TEAMS AND SCHOOLS IS REALLY EMPHASIZED IN THESE EVENTS.
AND EVEN WHEN THOSE TEAMS ARE YOUR BIGGEST COMPETITORS, THESE COMPETITIONS HAVE HELPED US REALIZE THAT LOTS OF OTHER KIDS ARE ALSO AS EXCITED ABOUT ROBOTICS AS WE ARE.
AND THEY HAVE ACTIVELY TAUGHT US THE IMPORTANCE OF COOPERATION.
WE WANT OTHER STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE EXPERIENCES AS GOOD AS OURS.
WE HOPE THAT IS THAT THE DISTRICT WILL HELP OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL TEAM PRINCIPALS SECURE ENOUGH SPACE FOR ROBOTICS PRACTICE FIELDS SO THAT THE KIDS WHO WANT TO TRY ROBOTICS AREN'T TOLD TO FIGURE IT OUT AT HOME BY THEMSELVES.
MY NAME IS MAX LANE, AND I'M A SEVENTH GRADER AT KENYON VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I STARTED DOING ROBOTICS IN THIRD GRADE AND NONE OF MY TEAMS HAVE EVER BEEN ABLE TO PRACTICE ON CAMPUS.
WE'VE ALWAYS WORKED OUT OF DINING ROOMS AND GARAGES WITH EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS OUR FAMILIES HAVE PURCHASED DEMAND FOR ROBOTICS AT CANYON VISTA IS VERY HIGH.
THIS FALL, 50 KIDS EXPRESS INTEREST IN ROBOTICS CLUBS, BUT THERE IS NOWHERE TO SET UP THE PRACTICE FIELDS.
IN DECEMBER, WE BROUGHT ROBOTS ONTO CAMPUS FOR [INAUDIBLE] EVENT WHERE STUDENTS COULD SEE AND TOUCH OUR ROBOTS.
50 MORE KIDS SIGNED UP FOR INFORMATION ON JOINING THE CLUB, BUT WE STILL DON'T HAVE A
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MEETING SPACE.ROBOTICS HAS A BIG EDUCATIONAL BENEFITS, AND STUDENTS ON OUR CAMPUS ARE ALREADY INTERESTED . WITH SPACE ON CAMPUS TO MEET, IN PRACTICE, ONLY KIDS WITH FAMILIES WHO CAN PROVIDE EVERYTHING THEY NEED ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
IF THE SCHOOL OFFERED PRACTICE SPACE FOR ALL INTERESTED KIDS COULD PRACTICE.
THE NEW KIDS COULD TRY ROBOTICS OUT AND EXPERIENCE TEAMS COULD GIVE TO MOST PRACTICE NEARBY AND MENTOR NEWER TEAMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MILO GARCIA, AND I AM A FRESHMAN AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
ROBOTICS IS UNIQUE IN THAT IT STRIKES ONE WITH THOUGHTS OF COMPLEX MECHANISMS AND ALGORITHMS TO COMPLETE DIFFERENT TASKS.
AND ALTHOUGH IT IS CORRECT IN STATING THAT THE MECHANICAL ASPECT PLACED ONE PART OF IT, THERE IS A LESSER KNOWN BRANCH, THOUGH NOT ANY LESS IMPORTANT, THAT I PLAY A ROLE IN CALLED OUTREACH, IN OUTREACH PROJECTS WE FIND WAYS TO INCREASE ACCESS TO AND ENCOURAGE PARTICIPATION IN ROBOTICS IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES.
SINCE WE ARE INDEBTED TO THE STEM COMMUNITY, WE ALWAYS FIND IT ONLY RIGHT THAT WE GIVE SOMETHING BACK. WE DEMONSTRATE ASPECTS OF ROBOTICS TO KIDS WHO'VE NEVER HAD THE CHANCE TO SEE, TOUCH OR DRIVE A ROBOT BEFORE.
WE ALSO MENTOR NEW TEAMS SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN MORE EASILY AND WON'T BE AS FRUSTRATED WITH MANAGING A NEW TEAM.
IN OUR TEAM'S OUTREACH PROJECTS.
I HAD TO ORGANIZE [INAUDIBLE] SCHEDULE MEETINGS, COLLABORATE WITH PROFESSIONALS AND MENTOR STUDENTS.
THESE REAL WORLD SKILLS HAVE PROVED TO BE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS MATH AND PROGRAMING TO ME.
I HOPE MORE STUDENTS COULD BE IMPACTED IN THE SAME WAY THAT I HAVE BEEN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
LOREN DE LA TORRE, SHE'S NOT HERE.
DID I GET CLOSE? SOMEWHAT. NOT REALLY.
HI, MY NAME IS ANSHUMAN GARG, AND I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT CANYON VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WE'VE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A GREATER FOCUS ON ROBOTICS BECAUSE ROBOTICS HAS IMPROVED OUR LIVES. IT IMPACTS OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE AND THIS INTEREST THAT WE PURSUE, AND IT LETS US LEARN IN AN INTERACTIVE WAY.
WE WANT MORE DISTRICT DEDICATION TO THE ROBOTICS PROGRAM, NOT ONLY FOR US, BUT ALSO FOR THE BENEFIT OF OTHER STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT HAD THE CHANCE TO EXPERIENCE WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT DISTRICT FOCUS ON ROBOTICS ISN'T ENOUGH.
WE WANT TO TALK WITH DISTRICT DECISION MAKERS ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS. WE DON'T KNOW WHO'S MAKING THESE DECISIONS AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL OR HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH THEM. AND TRUST IN ROBOTICS AT OUR SCHOOL HAS BEEN OVERWHELMING THIS YEAR. YET WE STILL WEREN'T ABLE TO SET UP A PRACTICE FIELD ON OUR CAMPUS UNTIL JANUARY, WHEN THE SEASON IS ALREADY WRAPPING UP.
OUR PRINCIPLE IS WELL AWARE OF THE LEVEL OF STUDENT INTEREST AND ALSO OF THE SPACE RESTRICTIONS ON OUR CAMPUS DISTRICT.
RESOURCES AND STRATEGIC VISION ARE NEEDED TO RESOLVE THESE PROBLEMS. COMMUNICATION WITH STUDENTS ALREADY ACTIVE IN ROBOTICS COULD CLARIFY WHICH OBSTACLES MOST URGENTLY NEED TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER FOR MORE STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO ROBOTICS BY NEXT YEAR. COMING HERE TONIGHT IS AN ATTEMPT TO START THAT CONVERSATION.
WE HOPE THAT THERE IS A WAY TO CONTINUE IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU. AND AGAIN, I'M SORRY I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.
MY NAME IS O'HURLEY ABDULLAH, AND I WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE COVID PROTOCOLS THAT ARE IN PLACE IN THE DISTRICT.
AS OF JANUARY 18, 2022 THERE HAVE BEEN OVER A THOUSAND CASES IN RRISD OF COVID POSITIVE CASES AMONG STUDENTS AND FACULTY MEMBERS.
OVER 990 OF THEM BELONG TO STUDENTS AND OVER 600 OF THEM ARE FROM TEACHERS AND FACULTY.
EVERY DAY, KIDS ARE GETTING SICK.
STUDENTS ARE MISSING SCHOOL, A VITAL PART OF THEIR LIVES IN THEIR EDUCATION.
FACULTY MEMBERS ARE EXHAUSTED AND BURNT OUT FROM NOT HAVING PREP PERIODS, AND TEACHERS ARE EXHAUSTED AND BURNT OUT.
AND A LOT OF THEM ARE LEADING INDUSTRY.
AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S A TEACHER SHORTAGE.
FORTY TEACHERS FROM MY OWN HIGH SCHOOL ARE ABSENT, AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS PRECIOUS LEARNING TIME THAT IS BEING THAT IS NOT ABLE TO BE ACCESSIBLE TO STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BE HERE TO LEARN. BUT YOU HAVE THE POWER TO CHANGE THAT.
THERE ARE SO MANY DIFFERENT PROTOCOLS IN PLACE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY MAKE SCHOOL A SAFER PLACE FOR STUDENTS, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL PUT THOSE PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
FOR EXAMPLE, THAT MEANS GIVING OUT TESTING KITS AND PROVIDING MASKS AND IMPLEMENTING MORE TESTING SITES THAN JUST THE ONE AT MCNEIL.
THIS ALSO MEANS THAT SCHOOL COULD POTENTIALLY GO VIRTUAL 10 PERCENT OF SCHOOL FOR 10 PERCENT OF STUDENTS. SCHOOL CAN BE VIRTUAL, AND THAT CAN BE AN OPTION THAT THE STATE DOES ALLOW US FOR THOSE THAT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED TO KEEP US ALL SAFE.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT COULD BE DONE THAT AREN'T BEING DONE, AND THAT IS SEVERELY AFFECTING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION WE RECEIVE AS HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, AS ELEMENTARY STUDENTS AND AS MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
AND THERE'S SO MUCH THAT CAN BE DONE, AND YOU WERE ALL ELECTED FOR A REASON.
AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL KEEP THE BEST INTERESTS OF STUDENTS AT HEART WHEN YOU MAKE
[00:15:04]
DECISIONS ABOUT THE LEARNING COMMUNITY.AND I URGE YOU TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS BECAUSE THIS AFFECTS ME, MY PEERS, EVERYONE AROUND ME, AND IT HAS TO DO WITH OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY, AND THAT IS A PRIORITY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO I HOPE YOU'LL DO SOMETHING AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
THANK YOU. WE ARE STILL STAYING WITH STUDENTS AND I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] . OK, SIR.
GREAT. EIGHT, ONE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX.
THAT IS THE NUMBER OF REPORTED COVID 19 CASES IN JUST THE PAST TWO DAYS, AT 5:09 P.M.
TODAY, I WAS FACED WITH ANOTHER ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL COVID 19 NOTICE EMAIL, AS I HAVE BEEN EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE RETURNING FROM WINTER BREAK.
YOUR PRIORITY SHOULD NOT BE TO KEEP SCHOOLS OPEN.
IT SHOULD BE TO KEEP STUDENTS, FACULTIES, PARENTS AND FAMILIES SAFE AS THE DISTRICT BOARD. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO KEEP THE ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY SAFE.
KNOWING THAT COVID 19 CASES ARE SKYROCKETING BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS WHEN WE REQUESTED THEM IS BEYOND DISAPPOINTING.
WE HAVE THE TA'S 10 PERCENT OF THE DISTRICT VIRTUAL OPTION, THOSE THAT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED, THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO OPT INTO THAT SHOULD BE ABLE TO.
WE HAVE 20 DAYS OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLING THAT THE TA HAS ALLOTTED FOR VIRTUAL SCHOOLING.
IF WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN THE SURGE, THIS IS OUR BEST OPTION.
A TEACHER AT ROUND ROCK ISD STATED WITH THIS EVER CHANGING VIRUS, ROUND ROCK ISD NEEDS TO AT LEAST GO BACK TO HOW IT WAS WITH THE DASHBOARD AND KEEP IT UPDATED.
I WOULD LIKE TO THE BOARD TO ACT AS THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THAT WE ELECTED THEM TO BE AN ENFORCED MASK.
LISTEN TO STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND FACULTY MEMBERS.
THAT'S THE ONLY WAY THAT WE CAN EFFECTIVELY ENSURE THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE SAFE AT SCHOOL. STUDENTS SHOULDN'T HAVE TO FEEL UNSAFE BEING IN A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
TEACHERS SHOULD NOT BE OVERBURDENED EVERY SINGLE DAY HAVING TO COVER CLASSES.
WE NEED ACCESS TO N95S AND RAPID TESTS.
WE NEED TO REINSTATE CONTACT TRACING.
PLEASE LISTEN TO OUR VERY REASONABLE REQUESTS.
WE JUST WANT TO BE SAFE IN SCHOOL.
THIS IS MY THIRD TIME HAVING TO COME AND TESTIFY ABOUT LACKING COVID 19 PROTOCOLS.
AS A SENIOR NOW, I AM COUNTING ON YOU TO MAKE IT MY LAST.
HE. HI, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS TIFFANIE PITTS, AND I'M A SENIOR AT CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 14TH, WE RECEIVED A LETTER FROM THE DISTRICT ASSURING OUR COMMUNITY THAT ROUND ROCK ISD WAS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO COMBAT THIS NEW SURGE OF THE OMICRON VARIANT AND KEEP THE SCHOOLS OPEN ON FRIDAY, JANUARY 14TH.
ALL THREE OF MY TEACHERS THAT DAY WERE ABSENT.
HOW CAN WE BE DOING EVERYTHING? HOW IS THIS THE BEST THAT WE CAN DO? IN THIS LETTER? IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT THE SITUATION IS BEING VIEWED AS SUSTAINABLE WHEN IT IS, IN FACT NOT.
WE CANNOT CONTINUE ON LIKE THIS.
ALSO IN THE LETTER, A THANK YOU IS ISSUED TO RRISD STAFF FOR BEING FLEXIBLE AND RESILIENT AMIDST THIS CURRENT CRISIS.
BUT HOW LONG BEFORE THEIR FLEXIBILITY BREAKS? HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH TO ASK? WITH EACH DAY THE DISTRICT TESTS THAT LIMIT.
THIS STRAIN ON TEACHERS AND STAFF IS FELT ON AND EVERYONE CAN FEEL IT ON CAMPUS.
THEY'RE EXHAUSTED AND TEACHERS ARE THERE.
THE TEACHERS ARE EXHAUSTED AND THE STUDENTS ARE FALLING BEHIND.
THIS PAST TUESDAY, WE HAD ONE THOUSAND EIGHTY SIX CASES IN OUR DISTRICT IN ONE DAY.
HOW LONG CAN WE CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE ATTENDANCE OVER SAFETY? THIS DISTRICT IS NOT DOING EVERYTHING THAT IT CAN, AND WE CANNOT CONTINUE FOR MUCH LONGER. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. NEXT IS ALENA SMITH.
HI, MY NAME IS LEONA SMITH, AND I'M A SENIOR AT CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, I DON'T LIKE MISSING CLASS. IN FACT, UNTIL THIS YEAR, I HAD ONLY MISSED ONE DAY OF SCHOOL FROM THIRD GRADE TO 11TH GRADE.
I'M A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT. I'M TAKING A TOTAL OF SEVEN AP CLASSES THIS YEAR.
I CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS MUCH SCHOOL WITHOUT BEING WEEKS BEHIND AND WORK SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND I DON'T WANT TO MISS IT.
BUT OVER THE PAST WEEK, I ORGANIZED A WALKOUT AND PETITION WITH MY FRIENDS THAT GARNERED OVER 1800 SIGNATURES.
I DON'T WANT TO MISS SCHOOL, BUT RIGHT NOW SCHOOL ISN'T SAFE, EVEN EVEN IF I PROBABLY WON'T GET SUPER SICK FROM COVID.
WHAT ABOUT MY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FRIENDS, GRANDPARENTS OR COMMUNITY AT LARGE? THIS IS OUR FUTURE. WE WOULDN'T PUT IT IN JEOPARDY IF WE WEREN'T ALREADY BEING PUT IN JEOPARDY BY OUR DISTRICT.
AT SCHOOL RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT LEARNING HOW COULD WE BE? WE, WITH MANY TEACHERS ARE OUT.
MULTIPLE CLASSES ARE FORCED INTO LECTURE HALLS, CLASSES ARE SPREAD OUT AND TEACHERS ARE CONSISTENTLY FORCED TO SUB.
UNDERSTANDABLY, TEACHERS ARE TIRED AND STUDENTS ARE TOO.
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WE DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO COVID BECAUSE THERE IS NO CONTACT TRACING AT A SECONDARY LEVEL. PEOPLE WITHOUT MASKS ON IN SCHOOL COME TO SCHOOL COUGHING EVERY DAY.WE CAN'T FIND TEST AND WE CAN'T GET FROM CEDAR RIDGE.
WE CANNOT GET TO MCNEIL FOR A TEST.
IMMUNOCOMPROMISED STUDENTS CAN'T ATTEND SCHOOL BECAUSE COVID IS LIFE OR DEATH FOR THEM, AND MANY OF MY CLASSMATES DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO KN95S MEETING STUDENT DEMANDS WOULD PREVENT ANOTHER DAY, WITH OVER 1000 COVID CASES IN ROUND ROCK ISD HELP ENSURE THAT SCHOOLS STAY OPEN, AND AS EACH DAY SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICT SHUT DOWN, THAT MUST BE A DISTRICT PRIORITY.
IF YOU CAN'T MEET OUR DEMANDS, VIRTUAL LEARNING IS THE ONLY SAFE OPTION, BUT IT'S NOT OUR FIRST CHOICE. IN ADDITION, WE SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTING THE 10 PERCENT RULE FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED.
WE UNDERSTAND NAVIGATING THROUGH COVID IS NOT EASY FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT, BUT THE PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES WE'VE PROPOSED WOULD HELP KEEP US ALL SAFE.
I'M A SENIOR WHO IS HERE TO SUPPORT THE LIST OF DEMANDS MADE BY THE STUDENTS TO ENCOURAGE MORE COVID PROTOCOLS.
AS SOMEONE WITH AN ARRAY OF HEALTH ISSUES, I'VE TAKEN THE PANDEMIC EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS.
DURING DECEMBER, I TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID WITH OMICRON.
OMICRON, FOR THE MOST PART, IS KNOWN TO BE LESS HARMFUL THAN DELTA, BUT MORE INFECTIOUS.
BUT DO NOT LET THIS PERSUADE YOU TO BE LESS CAUTIOUS FOR YOU.
OMICRON MAY BE LIKE THE COMMON THE COMMON FLU OR MINOR SICKNESS.
BUT FOR STUDENTS LIKE ME WHO ARE GETTING OMICRON AND HAVE AND ARE HAVING, WE ARE HAVING MAJOR HEALTH ISSUES WHEN CONTACTING THE VIRUS.
FOR THE MOST PART, I WAS LUCKY.
I HAD ONE DAY WHERE I FEARED THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM CRYING ON THE FLOOR BECAUSE MY RIBS FELT LIKE THEY WERE BEING CRUSHED IN.
I'M STILL RECOVERING FROM LONG COVID, HAVING HALF OF THE ENERGY I HAD BEFORE.
FOR THOSE LISTENING WITHOUT ANY MAJOR CHRONIC ILLNESS, I WISH THAT INSTEAD OF DISMISSING CORONA, Y'ALL WOULD BE MORE CAUTIOUS FOR THE REST OF US WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES.
I WOULD ALSO LOVE TO ENCOURAGE THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO TAKE OUR DEMAND SERIOUSLY AND TO PROTECT THE VULNERABLE STUDENTS SUCH AS ME AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUDENTS WITH CHRONIC ILLNESSES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
HI, MY NAME IS ALEXANDRA WASHBURN, AND I AM A JUNIOR AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL, AND I'M VERY SCARED OF THE COVID PROTOCOLS THAT HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
AND IF WE IGNORE THIS PANDEMIC LIKE WE DID THE AIDS PANDEMIC IN THE 80S, IT WILL JUST CONTINUE TO SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL.
AS YOU KNOW, AIDS IS STILL VERY RAMPANT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, UNLIKE COVID, THEY DON'T HAVE A VACCINE. LUCKILY, WE DO HAVE A VACCINE.
I GOT MY BOOSTER ON MONDAY, AND I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR IT BECAUSE I'M IMMUNOCOMPROMISED AND OVER THE CHRISTMAS BREAK MY MOTHER AND SISTER AND BROTHER GOT COVID AND I HAD TO WORK 40 HOURS A WEEK, BOTH ON WINTER BREAK AND IN SUMMER, AND DO ENGLISH TUTORING ON THE SIDE TO HELP MY FAMILY AFFORD COVID AS THEY CANNOT WORK OR HELP SUPPORT MY FAMILY AS A SINGLE IMMIGRANT MOTHER. AND IT IS VERY SCARY TO GO TO SCHOOL NOT KNOWING IF I WOULD BRING IT HOME AND THEY WILL PASS AWAY.
ALSO, I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A SOLUTION TO HELPING THE STUDENT EDUCATION GAP.
HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE DESPERATE AS OUR CAMPUS IS VERY, VERY COMPETITIVE FOR COLLEGES IN WHAT DO THEY NEED? VOLUNTEER HOURS BECAUSE COLLEGES ARE MORE FOCUSED ON WHAT YOU DO OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL. SO I THINK THAT INSTEAD OF PAYING TUTORS TO HELP STUDENTS BREAK THE GAP, YOU CAN ASK FOR STUDENTS FOR VOLUNTEER HOURS THAT THEY WOULD HELP TEACH YOUR LOWER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. BECAUSE, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE SAT AND THE ACT ARE OFTEN MORE FOCUSED ON FRESHMEN IN EIGHTH GRADE MATHEMATICS THAN THEY ARE YOUR CURRENT MATHEMATICS LIKE PRE CALCULUS AND CALCULUS.
SO IF YOUR HIGH SCHOOLERS ARE HELPING TEACH THE LOWER LEVELS, THEY'RE ALSO GOING TO RECEIVE HIGHER SAT AND ACT SCORES.
SO YOU'RE BENEFITING BOTH PARTIES IN IT AND ALL YOU REALLY HAVE TO PAY FOR.
IT WOULD TO BE HELP KEEPING THE BUILDINGS OPEN, AND HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WOULD BE ENROLLED IN MORE HIGHER UNIVERSITIES AT CHEAPER COSTS DUE TO THEIR SAT AND ACT SCHOLARSHIPS. AND OUR LOWER LEVEL STUDENTS WOULD HELP BRIDGE THE GAP BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH PEERS IS A LOT LESS STRESSFUL AND SCARY THAN IT IS TO WORK WITH YOUR TEACHERS. THANK YOU.
NEXT IS [INAUDIBLE] NO, I'M SORRY.
HI, I'M [INAUDIBLE] I'M A SENIOR AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR WHEN I GO TO SCHOOL.
MY ANXIOUSNESS IS NOT DIRECTED TOWARDS TESTS AND ASSIGNMENTS, BUT THE POSSIBILITY OF GETTING SICK AND MY LOVED ONES GETTING SICK.
AS A STUDENT, I BELIEVE I SHOULD FEEL SAFE AND KNOW THAT THEIR HEALTH CARE RESOURCES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE TO ME, MY FRIENDS, FACULTY AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED INDIVIDUALS WHEN WE NEED IT, AND A STAFF THAT IS ADAMANT ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS SAFETY.
[00:25:04]
AS A COLLECTIVE UNIT, WE'RE ASKING TO ENFORCE STRICTER REGULATIONS AND PROCEDURES.FIRSTLY, DILIGENT MASK PROTOCOLS AND ACCESSIBILITY TO KN NINETY FIVE MASK, AS IT HAS BEEN SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
MAJORITY OF CLASSES MORE THAN HALF OF THE STUDENTS ARE NOT WEARING THEIR MASKS, AND THE RISK OF THE SPREAD IS EVIDENTLY RISING.
WITHOUT THIS CONSTANT REINFORCEMENT AND ACCESSIBILITY AND ACCESS, STUDENTS ARE CONTINUALLY AT RISK AND THEIR SAFETY IS COMPROMISED.
SECONDLY, ALLOWING STUDENTS TO HAVE COVID TESTING LOCATIONS THAT ARE NEARBY TO THEIR SCHOOLS. CURRENTLY, THE ONLY ONE IS 30 MINUTES, 30 MINUTES AWAY, AND IT'S NOT EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO ROUND ROCK ISD STUDENTS.
THIS IS ONE OF THE FUNDAMENTAL WAYS TO ENSURE THE SPREAD IS SUBSIDING AND STUDENTS AND FACULTY ARE IN A SECURE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
ECHOING OTHER STUDENTS OF WHAT THEY SAID, USING THAT 10 PERCENT WILL BE AT ITS BEST ADVANTAGE. LASTLY, PROVIDING A VIRTUAL LEARNING OPTION SO STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT ARE SICK ARE NOT ANXIOUS ABOUT MISSING SCHOOL, BUT ARE ON THE STEPS OF IMPROVING THEIR HEALTH AND SAFETY FOR THEMSELVES AND OTHERS.
THIS IS WHERE IT WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THE SYSTEM THAT IS ADVOCATING FOR MORE STUDENT AND FACULTY PRESENCE WHILE WE ARE FULL TIME STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE IN A SCHOOL, WE ARE ALSO HUMAN BEINGS THAT HEALTH AND SAFETY SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED OVER A ROLE IN INTUITION.
NEXT IS IHAN NGUYEN ION NGUYEN, I'M SORRY, HOW DO YOU PRONOUNCE YOUR FIRST NAME? HELLO, MY NAME IS I HUNG NGUYEN.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS, PARENTS, EVERYONE HAS LIVES TO LEAD AND DEADLINES TO MEET.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO WHEN THE PEOPLE WE DEPEND ON AND WORK WITH ARE SICK FOR A WHOLE WEEK? AS A STRAIGHT-A STUDENT AND A MEMBER OF SIX CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS, A STUDENT OFFICE HOLDER OF SIX MORE, I UNDERSTAND THE WORKLOAD AND IMPORTANCE OF DEPENDABILITY.
THIS PANDEMIC IS NOT SOMETHING SIMPLY TO LEARN HOW TO ENDURE.
IT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE WORKING TOGETHER TO END COMPLETELY.
IF WE CANNOT DISTANCE AND LOCK DOWN AGAIN, THEN WE NEED TO FIND SAFER WAYS TO MAINTAIN THE WORKINGS OF OUR LIVES AND THE BEST WAY FOR US TO DO THAT RIGHT NOW IS TO USE THE RESOURCES THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
EVERY DAY WE SEND OUR CHILDREN TO CONGREGATE AT THE INSTITUTIONS AND WE SEND THEM BACK HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES.
WE'VE DONE THIS BEFORE AND WE CAN DO IT AGAIN.
WE NEED MASK POLICIES TO BE ENFORCED BY PROVIDING TEACHERS WITH THE LIST OF DOCTOR APPROVED MASKS UP OUT STUDENTS.
WE NEED MASKS, TESTS, TESTING SITES AND OUTDOOR EATING SPACES.
THIS IS UNSAFE AND THE DISTRICT CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M A SENIOR HERE AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL, TEACHERS, STUDENTS, BOARD MEMBERS.
THE CURRENT MANAGEMENT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC HAS MADE OUR CAMPUSES UNSAFE FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS AS CASES ARE SOARING THROUGH THE OMICRON VARIANT.
WE, AS THE STUDENT BODY, HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PROTECT US IS BEING DONE. YET WE DO NOT SEE ANY CHANGES IN THE WAY THE SCHOOLS ARE RAN.
THE CONSEQUENCE OF THAT IS 16 AND A HALF PERCENT OF STUDENTS IN 16 PERCENT OF STAFF ACROSS THE DISTRICT OUT SICK WITH THOSE NUMBERS ARE ONLY INCREASING, LEAVING OUR SCHOOLS BARREN AND UNDERSTAFFED.
CLASSES HAVE BECOME ANXIETY RIDDEN.
STUDENTS HAVE BECOME SCARED AND UNABLE TO FOCUS ON THEIR MARKS AND TESTS.
AND IN ALL THE MEANTIME, WE ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ON AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED.
CONTINUE ON LIKE IT'S NORMAL, AS IF OUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES, TEACHERS SORRY.
AS IF OUR FRIENDS, COLLEAGUES AND TEACHERS ARE NOT SUFFERING AT HOME, SICK WITH THE RISK OF SPREADING IT TO THEIR FAMILY.
ON THE SURFACE LEVEL, ALL WE AND MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES WHO HAVE ALSO SPOKEN ARE ASKING FOR IS BASIC PRECAUTIONS ENFORCING THE MASK MANDATE, WHICH HAS NOT BEEN ENFORCED SINCE DAY ONE OF THE SEMESTER.
PROVIDING MEDICAL GRADE KN95 MASKS, COVID TESTS, COVID TESTING FACILITIES AS THESE THINGS ARE INACCESSIBLE TO LOWER INCOME STUDENTS UNDER THE CURRENT PROCESS.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR VIRTUAL STUDENTS.
ALL RIGHT. HI, MY NAME IS ALEX THABISO ABOUT THE THIS UNSAFE VIRUS THAT THAT WE'RE
[00:30:06]
HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT. WE'RE CALLING IT UNSAFE BECAUSE OF A LESS THAN ONE PERCENT DEATH RATE, LESS THAN ZERO POINT FIVE PERCENT DEATH RATE, IT'S ALMOST ZERO, IT'S BASICALLY ZERO. AND AMONG THOSE DEATHS, ACCORDING TO ROCHELLE WALENSKY FROM THE CDC, SHE'S THE DIRECTOR. SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THOSE DEATHS ARE FROM PEOPLE WITH FOUR OR MORE COMORBIDITIES. THESE ARE ALREADY VERY SICK PEOPLE TO BEGIN WITH.AND ALL OF THOSE DEATHS TOGETHER ARE FOCUSED PRIMARILY IN THE UPPER AGE BRACKETS, WE'RE TALKING SIXTY FIVE FIFTY ISH PEOPLE, WHICH MOST OF OUR STUDENTS ARE NOT 60 AND THEY'RE NOT 50 THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT 13 YEAR OLDS TO 18 YEAR OLDS IN HIGH SCHOOLS.
SO THE FACT THAT WE NEED TO GO VIRTUAL IN SOME CASES AND TOTALLY DISRUPT THE WAY THAT WE LEARN HOW TO INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER THROUGH FACIAL FEATURES WITH MASKS, THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO TEST OURSELVES EVERY SINGLE WEEK.
THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO STAY HOME FOR FIVE DAYS, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT FEELING SICK OR EVEN NEED TO STAY HOME FOR FIVE DAYS AFTER WE HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN BETTER.
CONTRIBUTES TO SO MANY OF THESE ABSENT ISSUES THAT WE'RE SEEING.
IT SEEMS RIDICULOUS TO ME THAT WE WOULD COMPLETELY ALTER THE WAY THAT OUR LIVES ARE RUN SIMPLY DUE TO, YOU KNOW, FEELING BAD FOR A WEEK.
IF WE INSTEAD CHANGED OUR MESSAGING FROM IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE SICK, STAY HOME, AND IF YOU'RE NOT SICK, FEEL FREE TO COME, FEEL FREE TO WEAR A MASK IF YOU WANT TO.
THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF A LOT OF OUR ABSENCES ISSUES, AND IT WOULD PROBABLY ALSO CUT DOWN A LOT OF THE FEAR. THERE'S A LOT OF, DARE I SAY, MISINFORMATION GOING AROUND ABOUT WHO THIS VIRUS REALLY AFFECTS.
SO TIME PUTTING THAT DOWN WOULD BE AWESOME.
THANK YOU. COULD YOU TELL ME, SIR? I'M SORRY. COULD YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME ONE MORE TIME? MY NAME IS ALEX [INAUDIBLE].
OK, THAT'S NOT THE NAME I CALLED.
THAT'S WHY I WAS CHECKING AND I CALLED SOCIALLY VALUED.
RIGHT, BUT YOU WERE GOING TO MOVE TO VIRTUAL.
RIGHT, AND I SIGNED UP FOR IN PERSON.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT THE ORANGE CARD WAS.
YEAH, DID I DID I MISS YOU ON SOMETHING? I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I GOT MY TIME IN? NO, NO. I'M GLAD I JUST I DIDN'T.
I DIDN'T FIND AN ORANGE CARD FOR YOU.
THE ONLY ORANGE CARD ON SPEAKER THAT WAS LOREN DE LETTORI.
SO OK, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I HAD YOU ON THE ON THE LIST AND I DON'T, BUT I'M SURE WE HAVE IT SOMEWHERE OVER THERE.
SO THANK YOU. WELL, THANK YOU ANYWAY.
NO, NO, THAT'S OK. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T SKIP SOMEONE BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, THAT NAME DOESN'T MATCH THIS ONE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
ALL RIGHT. NOW WE'LL GO TO OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS.
NO, I CALLED HER NAME, AND THEN ALEX SPOKE.
YOU DON'T THINK WE'VE HAD ANY VIRTUAL SPEAKERS YET.
DO I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] ON OUR VIRTUAL LIST.
SHE'S NOT THERE. NEXT STEP WILL BE AFTON FOWLER.
I FEEL COMFORTABLE AT SCHOOL BECAUSE MANY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DO NOT WEAR THEIR MASKS CORRECTLY AND SOMETIMES NOT REALLY AT ALL.
I THINK IN THE CLASSROOM THERE SHOULD BE REMINDERS LIKE AT LEAST LIKE FOR LIKE EVERY FEW MINUTES OR SO TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S WEARING THEIR MASK BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WEARING THEIR MASK IN MY CLASS.
EVEN IF YOU'RE SIX FEET AWAY, BUT INSIDE, I THINK WE SHOULD STILL WEAR OUR MASK BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TAKING THEM OFF WHEN THEY'RE EMPTY.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING THAT.
AND PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE'S FOLLOWING THE SAFETY RULES SO WE CAN STOP COVID FROM SPREADING AND KEEP EVERYONE'S FRIENDS AND FAMILIES SAFE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK.
NEXT, I HAVE AMY [INAUDIBLE] HELLO, GOOD EVENING.
[00:35:07]
MY NAME IS AMY [INAUDIBLE], AND I'M A SOPHOMORE AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL.I WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE COMMUNITY, AND I WILL BE GIVING VOICE TO AN ANONYMOUS TEACHER.
THE CURRENT SITUATION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE OR COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS OUR COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY. EVERY DAY, MORE AND MORE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE CONTRACTING COVID 19. THIS IS TAKING A TOLL ON OUR PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH.
OUR HOSPITALS, AS A RESULT, ARE GETTING FILLED UP, AND IT'S DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTING PEOPLE OF COLOR.
IF WE DON'T ACT, THIS WILL HAVE SEVERE CONSEQUENCES.
STUDENTS ARE STRESSED ENOUGH ALREADY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SCHOOLS SAFE SPACE, BUT IT CLEARLY ISN'T WITH THE AMOUNT OF ANXIETY, FEAR, SICKNESS AND BURNOUT.
AS A TEACHER, I'VE BEEN PUSHED TO COVER THREE CLASSES SO FAR, USING UP MY CONFERENCE TIME TO SUPPORT MY PEERS.
BUT MY ANXIETY IS THROUGH THE ROOF AND I'M BEHIND ON MY LESSONS AND GRADING.
I'M GUILTED INTO THINKING I'M NOT DOING ENOUGH, AND I CANNOT EVEN THINK ABOUT TAKING A DAY OFF WITHOUT THE GUILT, KNOWING THAT MY PEERS WILL HAVE TO COVER FOR ME, EVEN AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF TEACHING IN THIS DISTRICT.
I'M CONSIDERING LEAVING THE PROFESSION MORE AND MORE EACH DAY.
I'D RATHER NOT, BUT IF THIS KEEPS ON LIKE THIS, I DON'T THINK I'LL HAVE A CHOICE.
I DO NOT WISH TO DIE FROM EXHAUSTION.
THIS PROFESSION IS ALREADY DIFFICULT AND UNDERVALUED.
WE ARE LOSING MORE AND MORE TEACHERS BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.
THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE, AND OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR COMMUNITY DESERVES BETTER.
ALL RIGHT, I'LL GO ON TO ELEANOR SULTAN.
YES, I'M HERE. GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS ELLA SULTAN.
I'M A SENIOR AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL.
AND WHEN I WAS FIVE YEARS OLD, I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH STAGE FOUR PEDIATRIC CANCER FOR A YEAR AND A HALF. I WAS SUBJECTED TO THE UNIMAGINABLE PAIN AND SUFFERING THAT IS A REALITY OF CANCER TREATMENT.
AND AS A RESULT, CONTRACTED MANY LONG TERM COMPLICATIONS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO NODULES OR SCAR TISSUE IN MY LUNGS BECAUSE OF THAT SCAR TISSUE.
I HAVE A MORE SEVERE REACTION TO UPPER RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS, WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT COVID 19 IS.
IF PEOPLE WITH THE MORE SEVERE INFECTIONS WERE LUCKY ENOUGH TO RECOVER, THEY WERE LEFT WITH DEBILITATING COMPLICATIONS, INCLUDING PERMANENT DAMAGE TO THEIR LUNGS.
THE LAST THING I WANT IS FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD TO EXPERIENCE THE GUT WRENCHING FEAR OF MORTALITY THAT COMES WITH SOMETHING LIKE A COLD OR A FLU, WHICH IS USUALLY HARMLESS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CHILDREN WHO ARE BEING EXPOSED TO COVID ARE GIVING IT TO THEIR GRANDPARENTS, UNCLES, AUNTS, COUSINS AND MANY OTHERS WHO COULD BE PEOPLE IN IMMUNOCOMPROMISED SITUATIONS AND VERY OFTEN ARE.
SO NOT ONLY ARE THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN'S LIVES BEING AFFECTED, THEIR FAMILIES ARE TOO.
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A BEYOND DIFFICULT SITUATION FOR YOU ALL TO BE IN, AND I SYMPATHIZE WITH THAT. BUT WE DESPERATELY NEED A VIRTUAL OPTION FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS UNTIL THE CASES COME DOWN.
WE DID IT FOR A WHOLE SCHOOL YEAR.
I'M CERTAIN WE CAN DO IT FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS.
ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU ARE MAKING YOUR DECISION.
AS FAR AS YOU ARE MAKING YOUR DECISION TONIGHT, PLEASE REMEMBER THE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIVES AND LIVELIHOODS OF CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES THAT ARE AT STAKE.
AS LONG AS YOU ALL DO THAT, I BELIEVE YOU WILL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I HAD IT IN THE WRONG PILE, SO I DID FIND YOUR FORM.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SCARLETT, AND I'M A SEVENTH GRADE STUDENT AT DEER PARK MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF IN ROUND ROCK ISD RIGHT NOW.
COVID IS NOT BEING TRACKED ON THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
AND THIS MAKES ME FEEL VERY SCARED BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S CURRENTLY HAPPENING ON OUR CAMPUSES.
IT ALSO MAKES ME UPSET THAT THE DISTRICT IS NOT ENFORCING THE MASK MANDATE.
RIGHT NOW, THERE ARE OVER 500 TEACHERS AND STAFF OUT DUE TO COVID, AND ONLY ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF THOSE POSITIONS CAN BE COVERED WITH SUBSTITUTES.
I'M ASKING THE DISTRICT TO START PROVIDING CONTACT TRACING AND NOTIFYING CLOSE CONTACTS OF POSITIVE CASES.
THE MASK MANDATE SHOULD ALSO BE BETTER ENFORCED WHILE PROVIDING N NINETY FIVE MASKS FOR EVERY STUDENT, TEACHER AND STAFF MEMBER.
FINALLY, ALL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE OUTDOOR SPACES TO EAT, EVEN IN INCLEMENT WEATHER.
IF THESE REQUESTS AREN'T MET, I'M AFRAID THAT VIRTUAL SCHOOL WILL BE THE ONLY SAFE CHOICE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
[00:40:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.NEXT IS GABRIELA GARNETT GARNETT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS GABRIELLE GHANIANS.
AND AS A STUDENT OF CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, I'D LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE WAYS IN WHICH MY CAMPUS AND DISTRICT HAVE FELL SHORT OF PROVIDING A SAFE AND EFFICIENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
WITH A LACK OF CONSISTENT CONTACT TRACING, THE ALARMING ABSENCES OF BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE A MAJOR SOURCE OF UNCERTAINTY AND ANXIETY, BOTH OF WHICH ARE PREVENTABLE AND NEEDLESS.
THE CONSEQUENCES OF UNKNOWINGLY BEING IN CLOSE CONTACT CAN HAVE CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS, RISKING NOT ONLY THE HEALTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL BUT THE HEALTH OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS WHO ARE MORE LIKELY TO CONTRACT A VARIANT OF COVID DUE TO THE LACK OF NECESSARY COMMUNICATION AND PRECAUTIONS.
MY ENGLISH TEACHER COMES TO THE FOREFRONT OF MY MIND IN THIS REGARD, SINCE HIS FIVE YEAR OLD SON RUNS THE RISK OF BEING IN CRITICAL CONDITION IF HE WERE TO HAVE EXPOSURE TO COVID. BETWEEN HIS CHEMOTHERAPY FOR HIS LATE STAGE BONE CANCER AND A SENSITIVITY TO ILLNESSES WITH VARIOUS SYMPTOMS, MY ENGLISH TEACHER LIVES IN THE CONSTANT STATE OF WARINESS AND AMBIGUITY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE OUTBREAK OF THE HIGHLY CONTAGIOUS OMICRON VARIANT. AT THE SCHOOL BOARD WERE TO REINFORCE THEIR PRACTICES OF CONTACT TRACING, AS THEY DID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, ALONG WITH IMPLEMENTING PRACTICAL SOCIAL DISTANCING METHODS SUCH AS REMOTE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, CLEAR DIVIDERS BETWEEN DESKS AND ALTERNATIVE SEATING AREAS FOR STUDENTS DURING LUNCH.
MY TEACHERS AND MY COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, WE FEEL MUCH MORE SAFE AND REASSURED.
THESE CHANGES WOULD ALSO REDUCE THE RISK OF CONTRACTION AND IN TURN CURB THE DRAMATIC INCREASE OF ABSENCES IN THE LONG TERM.
I IMPLORE YOU TO LISTEN TO THE VOICE OF YOUR STUDENT AND PARENT BODY, ALTHOUGH IT MAY BE DIFFICULT TO ACCOMMODATE.
IT IS MORE THAN IMPORTANT AND WORTHWHILE TO TRY.
OK, NEXT IS [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU.
I'M AN EIGHTH GRADER AT CHISHOLM TRAIL MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, I HAVEN'T FELT SAFE WITH HOW MY SCHOOL IS TAKING CAUTION OF COVID.
MY PARENTS AND I RECEIVED NOTIFICATIONS AND NEW PEOPLE ARE TESTING POSITIVE WITH COVID FAR TOO OFTEN AND SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER EVERY SINGLE DAY.
MASKS ARE RARELY ENFORCED AND CONTACT TRACING IS COMPLETELY NOT HAPPENING, HAPPENING ANYMORE. WE ARE MOST EXPOSED AT LUNCH WHEN ALMOST ALL EIGHTH GRADERS ARE IN THE CAFETERIA, SAY FOR A SINGLE TABLE THAT SEATS EIGHT PEOPLE IN THE HALLWAY.
MYSELF AND SEVERAL STUDENTS, I KNOW, HAVE FELT INCREASED ANXIETY DUE TO FEELING LIKE WE ARE UNSAFE IN OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
AS STUDENTS, WE DESERVE A BETTER AND SAFER LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, AND TEACHERS DESERVE A BETTER AND SAFER PROFESSIONAL ENVIRONMENT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THAT IS THE END OF OUR STUDENT SPEAKERS.
I'M GOING TO GO BACK AND CHECK ON ONES THAT WE'VE MISSED.
JUST REAL QUICK IN PERSON WAS LAUREN DE LA TORRE.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING SHE'S NOT HERE.
ALI SMITH AND JACOB MITCHELL, ALL SIGNED UP TO BE IN PERSON.
ONLINE, WE MISSED SUHAIL VALVULAR AND MIA LAMB AND NOLA SMITH.
ARE ANY OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS ONLINE? OK, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE TO SPEAKERS THAT SIGNED UP ON THE AGENDA ITEMS, L1 AND L2 AND I BELIEVE I HAVE TWO.
ONE IS DOUGLAS MCLEAN, I DO HAVE YOU SIGNED UP ON EVERY AGENDA ITEM SO YOU CAN TAKE YOUR TIME TO SPEAK NOW OR YOU CAN TAKE IT AFTER A CLOSED SESSION AND SPEAK WITH THE OTHER AGENDA ITEMS? OK, GO AHEAD.
ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL RUN THROUGH THESE.
OBVIOUSLY, I SUPPORT THE MASK MANDATE QUITE A BIT.
I SUPPORT THE CALENDARS, ESPECIALLY THE DAY OFF FOR THE ELECTION DAY IN TWENTY TWENTY TWO. I THINK THAT'S GREAT.
THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT FOR THE CALENDAR.
PLEASE INCLUDE APRIL 8TH TWENTY TWENTY FOUR, WHICH IS THE ECLIPSE, WHICH WILL BE A BIG DEAL AND YOU'LL HAVE A BUNCH OF LACK OF ATTENDANCE THAT DAY.
IF YOU DON'T, IT COULD BE SWAPPED FOR MARCH 8TH OF THE SAME YEAR.
CONSIDER THAT SWAP AND THEY'LL DO PUBLIC INPUT IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
[00:45:03]
RESOLUTION CONDEMNING HATE? YES, PLEASE PASS THAT RESOLUTION.WE ARE. WE SHOULD BE PRO DIVERSITY PRO UNDERSTANDING AND PRO INCLUSION.
I DISAGREE WITH WHAT YOU DID EARLIER, WHICH IS A CONFIRMATION VOTE ON THE NAMES ON THE DIPLOMAS. I THINK YOU DID THAT BEFORE YOU GOT INPUT.
I THINK IF YOU WANT THE NAME OF ALL THE TRUSTEES ON THE DIPLOMAS, GREAT OR THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE PRINCIPALS, BUT HAVING A NAME ON A DIPLOMA BECAUSE YOUR KID IS GRADUATING THIS YEAR, I THINK THAT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.
BONE TO BRING THAT UP IN YOUR SUBJECT FOR LATER IN THE CLOSED SECTION AS TRUSTEES RECEIVING PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FROM THE DISTRICT.
I HOPE YOU WILL REQUIRE VACCINATIONS.
KEEP THE MASK MANDATES AND ENFORCE DISTRICT POLICY ON MASK MANDATES IN THE MEETINGS FROM BOTH TRUSTEES AND FROM ATTENDEES.
IT'S A POLICY OF ROUND ROCK ISD ON PROPERTY, YOU SHOULD BE WEARING A MASK IF YOU'RE NOT ENFORCING IT HERE, HOW CAN YOU EXPECT THE THE VARIOUS TEACHERS TO ENFORCE IT OUT THERE AND THAT'S ON YOUR SHOULDERS HERE.
IF YOU HAVE A POLICY, ENFORCE IT.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA, ITEM L1 IS JEREMY STORY.
SO I, MS. FELLER, YOU SAID LAST WEEK THAT YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TA ACTING LIKE A PARENT.
I WANT TO SAY THAT I'M THANKFUL THAT THE TEA HAS BEEN THAT PARENTS BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THE MOST SANE BOARD MEETING THAT I HAVE SEEN IN MONTHS TONIGHT.
AND SO I'M GLAD THAT THE TEA IS HERE CREATING THAT SANE ENVIRONMENT AND VERY THANKFUL FOR IT AS WELL. I ALSO HEARD THE SAME COMMENTS FROM MRS. WEIR AS WELL IN TERMS OF QUESTIONING THE TEA INVOLVEMENT.
I THINK IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL TONIGHT TO HEAR DIFFERENT PEOPLE FROM DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS DEBATE THINGS RATIONALLY.
IT'S BEEN GREAT AND TO HEAR STUDENTS SPEAK OUT, IT'S BEEN WONDERFUL.
I WILL SAY THAT I HOLD IN MY HAND HERE FROM TRAVIS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE A CRIMINAL REPORT, OUR COMPLAINT THAT WAS MADE AGAINST THE SUPERINTENDENT BY THE VICTIM WHEN I ORIGINALLY TRIED TO DISCUSS THIS WITH MANY OF YOU.
YOU DISMISSED THAT THIS EXISTED.
ALSO, I HOLD IN MY HAND HERE A REPORT THAT SHOWS A BURGLARY OF THAT SAME PERSON'S HOUSE A FEW WEEKS OR SO BEFORE THE ALLEGED ASSAULT.
I TOLD YOU ABOUT THIS AS WELL MANY MONTHS AGO, AND YOU TOLD ME THAT IT WAS NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT AND THAT IT DIDN'T EXIST.
YOU DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
SO MY QUESTION IS, DID YOU KNOW ABOUT IT? AND SINCE WE DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, I ASK THAT YOU VOTE AS A BOARD TO VINDICATE YOURSELVES IF YOU REALLY NEED TO BE VINDICATED, THAT THE INVESTIGATOR FROM THE TEA CAN ALSO INVESTIGATE BOARD MEMBERS AND EXPAND THE INVESTIGATION.
IF YOU DON'T, I BELIEVE YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TA RAMPING UP TO BE A CONSERVATOR OR A BOARD BOARD OF CONSERVATORS DIRECTLY FOR NOT ALLOWING THEM TO SEE YOU.
BECAUSE I'M AFRAID THAT IF THE TEA LEAVES, THEN YOU GUYS WILL GO BACK TO YOUR OLD HABITS, WHICH IS WHAT YOU DID WHEN YOU ARRESTED ME.
WHEN I TRIED TO RAISE A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN THAT NOW IS BEING TALKED ABOUT ALL THE TIME, WE'RE QUESTIONING, ARE YOU TRULY CONCERNED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY? DO YOU TRULY WANT TO OVERSEE THE SUPERINTENDENT? I SPOKE ABOUT THIS THE NIGHT.
YOU HAD THAT IN YOUR RESOLUTION AND WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME? YOU DRUG ME OUT OF THIS ROOM AND THEN A MONTH LATER ARRESTED ME.
THE TEA NOW IS SHOWING YOU THAT THIS WAS AN ISSUE THAT YOU UNLAWFULLY TREATED ME.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. STORY. YOUR TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS ON AGENDA ITEMS, L1 OR L2 AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION.
I NEED TO READ THOSE AGENDA ITEMS PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO SEVEN ONE AND FIVE FIVE ONE.
OH, SORRY, I JUST REMEMBERED I HAVE ONE STUDENT SPEAKER WHO IS NOW BACK ONLINE.
I APOLOGIZE. MIA LAMB MIA LAMB ARE YOU AVAILABLE ONLINE NOW? MIA LAMB.
I DID GET A NOTE THAT SHE IS ONLINE, SO CAN YOU CHECK FOR US REAL QUICK? NOW SHE'S NOT ONLINE NOW.
OK. ALL RIGHT, SO WE ARE DONE WITH PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR SPEAKERS AND AGENDA ITEMS L1 AND L2. SO PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO SEVENTY ONE AND FIVE
[L. CLOSED SESSION (Part 1 of 2)]
[00:50:04]
FIVE ONE POINT ZERO SEVEN FOUR, THE BOARD WILL CONSULT WITH LEGAL COUNSEL AND EXTERNAL INVESTIGATOR REGARDING STATUS OF INVESTIGATION REGARDING SUPERINTENDENCE CONDUCT, AS ALLEGED IN A PROTECTIVE ORDER ISSUED BY THE TRAVIS COUNTY DISTRICT COURT AND PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE FIVE FIVE ONE POINT ZERO SEVEN FOUR.THE BOARD WILL DISCUSS CANDIDATES AND POSSIBLY NAMING INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
WE ARE IN CLOSED SESSION AND WE ARE GOING TO BE HAVING IT IN THIS ROOM, SO I'M GOING TO ASK TO CLEAR THE ROOM.
BOARD WE WILL TAKE A 10 MINUTE RECESS TO TAKE BREAKS.
IT IS 10:21 AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION.
[E. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO AGENDA ITEMS ONLY (EXCLUDES AGENDA ITEMS D AND E) (Part 2 of 2)]
WE ARE GOING TO RETURN TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ALL OF OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SPEAKERS IN ONE GROUP.
WE WILL DO ON AGENDA TOPIC SPEAKERS FIRST.
THEN WE WILL DO OFF TOPIC IN PERSON.
IS THAT PRETTY CLEAR AS MUD? ALL RIGHT, HERE WE GO.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING PATIENT AND WAITING AROUND FOR US TO COME BACK.
GOOD EVENING, I'M LENORE GREEN.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU A QUICK LITTLE STORY.
AS A YOUNG GIRL, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PAYING ATTENTION, I KNOW IT'S LATE.
I LIVE NOT FAR FROM THE IRON CURTAIN.
AND SO THAT MEANT I SPENT TIME GOING OVER INTO THE SOVIET UNION AND INTO EAST GERMANY, EASTERN BLOC COUNTRIES.
AND I HAD A VERY UNUSUAL, UNIQUE EXPERIENCE AS A YOUNG GIRL BECAUSE I GOT TO COMPARE THOSE TWO.
AND WHAT IT MADE ME SEE WAS HOW IMPORTANT FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS FOR ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM AS AMERICANS.
WHEN I WOULD COME BACK, I COULD FEEL THE DIFFERENCE.
THERE WAS A PALPABLE DIFFERENCE.
AND THE REASON I'M TALKING ABOUT THIS TONIGHT IS IN RELATION TO THE RESOLUTION AGAINST INCITING HATE. I DIDN'T GET THE RIGHT NAME, RIGHT? I APOLOGIZE. BUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS ONE IS THAT I THINK WE'RE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY. AND THE OPPORTUNITY HERE IS I GIVE LOADS OF CREDIT FOR THE FACT THAT WE HAVE WONDERFUL UPDATES TO IT.
I THINK THE OPPORTUNITY WE'RE MISSING HERE IS A PIECE CALLED RESPECT, AND I SPOKE ABOUT THIS. I THINK I'VE SPOKEN ABOUT IT TWICE NOW THAT THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT RESPECT THAT DOES HAS A DIFFERENT TERMINOLOGY AND THIS IS THE LAST PART OF THE RESOLUTION, BE IT RESOLVED. THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SPEAKING ABOUT RESPECT VERSUS SPEAKING ABOUT CONDEMNATION THAT TURNS THE COIN.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO SAY, LET'S RESPECT ONE ANOTHER, LET'S SET A STANDARD.
LET'S SET A HIGH STANDARDS FOR HOW WE WANT TO TREAT EACH OTHER VERSUS THE CONDEMNATION THAT I SEE WRITTEN THERE, BECAUSE THAT DOES TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
JUST MAKE ONE MINOR EDIT AND TURN IT FROM SOMETHING THAT COULD BE NEGATIVE TO SOMETHING TO BE POSITIVE AND SET A HIGH STANDARD.
SO THINK ABOUT THAT LITTLE GIRL COMING BACK FROM THE SOVIET UNION, COMING BACK.
OH, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T SEE THE 30 SECONDS.
OH, THANKS. COMING BACK FROM SOVIET UNION, COMING BACK FROM EAST GERMANY, COMING BACK.
THANKS SO MUCH, AND THANKS FOR THE EXTRA 10 SECONDS.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS NEXT ON THE SPEAKER LIST IS SARAH GRIFFIN.
AND I FAILED TO GO AHEAD AND COME ON UP, I JUST I FAILED TO MENTION THAT LENORA WAS GOING TO BE SPEAKING ON AGE SEVEN AND SHE IS A COMMUNITY MEMBER AND MS. GRIFFIN, YOU ARE SPEAKING ON AGE SEVEN AND YOU ARE YOU DO LIVE IN ROUND ROCK ISD AS WELL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. GOOD EVENING.
I SENT AN EMAIL WITH MY COMMENTS, BUT I WANTED TO COME JUST IN CASE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO READ IT. SEVENTEEN THOUSAND HOURS AGO, PROBABLY.
I STRONGLY SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION THAT IS ITEM SEVEN ON THE AGENDA, THE CONDEMNING ACTIONS THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND INCITE HATRED.
THERE ARE ALSO TWO SMALL EDITS I HAVE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT THE WORDING BETTER MATCH THE TITLE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, AS THE TITLE SUGGESTS, TO CONDEMN ACTIONS RATHER THAN PEOPLE.
MY FAITH SUGGESTS TO ME NOT TO CONDEMN INDIVIDUALS, BUT TO CONDEMN THEIR ACTS.
I HAVE TO HANG ON TO A MUSTARD SEED OF FAITH THAT PEOPLE WHO DO INCITE HATRED AND VIOLENCE CAN STILL BE FORGIVEN AS INDIVIDUALS IF THEY LISTEN, IF THEY REFLECT ON THE PAIN THAT THEY HAVE CAUSED, IF THEY APOLOGIZE TO THOSE THAT THEY HAVE HURT, AND IF THEY
[00:55:02]
RECOMMIT TO BE IN OUR COMMUNITY.SO MY TWO SUGGESTED EDITS ARE TO ADD THE ACTIONS OF TO I BELIEVE IT'S PARAGRAPH EIGHT.
I HAVE NO IDEA IF THAT'S THE REVISION ONE OR NOT, THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES REJECTS AND CONDEMNS THE ACTIONS OF ALL SUCH GROUPS.
I THINK THAT ACTUALLY KIND OF INCORPORATES WHAT SHE JUST SAID, BECAUSE IT'S THE ACTIONS AND NOT THE PEOPLE THEN, BUT MAYBE NOT THE AND THEN THE SAME THING WITH THE LAST PARAGRAPH, BE IT RESOLVED THAT BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH, THAT THE ACTIONS OF ANY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS SINCE WE HAD MLK DAY THIS WEEK, I WANTED TO BRING A QUICK QUOTE FROM HIS LAST BOOK. DEEPLY ROOTED IN OUR RELIGIOUS HERITAGE IS THE CONVICTION THAT EVERY MAN IS AN HEIR TO THE LEGACY OF DIGNITY AND WORTH OUR JUDEO-CHRISTIAN TRADITION.
THANK YOU REFERS TO THIS AS THE INHERENT DIGNITY OF MAN IN THE BIBLICAL TERM.
THE IMAGE OF GOD, THE IMAGE OF GOD IS UNIVERSALLY SHARED IN EQUAL PORTIONS BY ALL MEN.
THERE IS NO GRADED SCALE OF ESSENTIAL WORTH.
LET ME SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME.
THERE IS NO GRADED SCALE OF ESSENTIAL WORTH.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING.
NEXT IS MATT FOGLE SPEAKING ON H7, AND HE DOES LIVE IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
NEXT IS RENATA SIMMS SPEAKING ON H7 AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
GOOD EVENING. BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
I ALSO APPRECIATE ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS THIS RESOLUTION HAS EXPERIENCED, SO THANK YOU.
IT SHOWS A GREAT THAT GREAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN DISTRICT AND PARENTS IS POSSIBLE.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO ASK THE BOARD TO MAKE ADDITIONAL AMENDMENTS TO THE RESOLUTION.
SOME TERMS IN THE RESOLUTION ARE STILL NOT WELL-DEFINED, AND IT'S UNCLEAR FROM THE DOCUMENT HOW THE BOARD IS DEFINING INTOLERANCE AND HATE SPEECH.
MY CONCERN IS THAT SHORT OF A CLEAR DEFINITION OF WHAT THE BOARD DEEMS HATE SPEECH OR INTOLERANCE, THE TERMS COULD BE APPLIED ARBITRARILY FOR THE SAKE OF SILENCING CRITICS OF SCHOOL BOARD POLICY.
THERE IS NO LEGAL DEFINITION FOR THE WORD HATE SPEECH IN THE U.S.
OR IN TEXAS. SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE HATE SPEECH COVERS ANYTHING THAT CONFLICTS WITH THEIR CLOSELY HELD IDEALS OR POLITICAL VIEWS.
FOR EXAMPLE, PEOPLE WHO QUESTION THE WISDOM OF ALLOWING BIOLOGICAL MALES IN SPACES RESERVED FOR BIOLOGICAL FEMALES HAVE BEEN PUBLICLY ACCUSED OF HATE SPEECH AND BEING INTOLERANT FOR SIMPLY VOICING THEIR CONCERNS.
FURTHERMORE, WITH THE INTENT OF THE SPEAKER MATTER, OR WILL THE PERCEPTION OF THE LISTENER IN DETERMINING WHETHER SOMETHING FALLS UNDER INTOLERANCE? CONSIDER THAT COURTS HAVE LONG HELD THAT GOVERNMENT CANNOT SILENCE SPEECH JUST BECAUSE IT HURTS FEELINGS OR CAUSES OFFENSE.
WITHOUT CLEAR DEFINITIONS OF THESE TERMS, THEY HAVE NO PLACE IN THIS RESOLUTION.
A COUPLE MORE SUGGESTIONS IN THE AREAS WHERE IT SAYS RECENTLY THAT HAS ARISEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND ROUND ROCK AND SO FORTH.
IF YOU COULD JUST STRIKE THAT STRANGE, VAGUE WAY OF TRYING TO FIND REASON WHY THIS RESOLUTION IS NEEDED IN THE FIRST PLACE, ACCORDING TO TRUSTEE VESSA, IT WAS A SPECIFIC FACEBOOK INCIDENT AGAINST TRUSTEE.
JUN YOUR TIME. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING.
NEXT IS RICKY NELSON SPEAKING ON H7 AND SHE'S GONE HOME.
ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO THESE.
THEY'RE NOT IN ORDER OF WHO'S ON AGENDA AND WHAT, AND NOT SO WE'RE GOING TO WORK OUR WAY THROUGH IT. JILL FERRISS, H7.
MY PRONOUNS, ARE HE HIM? I WANT TO START BY CONGRATULATING THE BOARD ON THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF CTE PROGRAMS THROUGH ADOPTION OR RESOLUTION AGE FIVE RECOGNIZING FEBRUARY OF CTE MONTH.
THESE PROGRAMS, ALONG WITH THEIR POST-SECONDARY PROGRAMS OTHER THAN COLLEGE, ARE CRUCIAL FOR COMPONENT NEEDED TO CLOSE THE SKILLED LABOR SHORTAGE WE SEE WITHIN OUR WORKFORCE.
THAT SKILLED WORKFORCE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLETING THE MANY RENOVATION PROJECTS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, SUCH AS THE DUGOUT RENOVATION AND ITEM H-4 AND TURF RENOVATION IN ITEM
[01:00:05]
I TWO, IT WAS A REQUEST OF THE BOARD TO LOOK INTO THE PURCHASING AND REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL PRACTICES SUCH AS ITEM F FIVE TO PUT AN EMPHASIS ON A COMPANY'S SAFETY RECORD AND HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES SUCH AS THOSE OWNED BY MINORITIES.AT THE PRESENT, PROPOSALS ARE AWARDED BASED ON COST AND HISTORIC BUSINESS PRACTICE.
THIS IS LIKELY WHY THE CONTRACTOR FOR ITEM I2 IS BEING SELECTED AGAIN DESPITE HAVING KNOWN OSHA VIOLATIONS DUE TO FATALITIES ON TWO OF THEIR SCHOOL PROJECTS.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO MAKE PROGRESS IN UPDATING CONTRACTOR SELECTION CRITERIA.
MY LAST REQUEST FOR THIS EVENING IS TO ALLOW A RETURN TO VIRTUAL LEARNING.
I, LIKE MANY FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY, HAVE PERSONS AT HOME THAT ARE IMMUNOCOMPROMISED OR CAN'T BECOME VACCINATED, AND SENDING A CHILD TO A CLASSROOM WHERE COVID SPREAD IS RAMPANT IS TANTAMOUNT TO A GAME OF ROULETTE.
AND KIDS DO NEED TO BE IN THE CLASSROOMS FOR PROPER DEVELOPMENT, BUT NOT WHEN THE EXPOSURE RISK IS AS HIGH AS IT IS TODAY.
ALSO PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR A TEACHER AND CHILD RETENTION AS WE CONTINUE TO SEE RECORD UNENROLLMENT AND RESIGNATION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I FAILED TO MENTION HE DOES LIVE IN THE IN THE DISTRICT.
NEXT IS SHANNON PROBIE SPEAKING ON ITEM G 1.
AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
I DO. HI, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS SHANNON PROBIE, AND I WANTED TO TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT THE CALENDAR RULE FOR 2023-2024.
SO I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING I LOVE OUR WORLD.
IT IS SO FASCINATING AND MYSTERIOUS TO ME, AND IT KEEPS ME CURIOUS AND FILLED WITH WONDER, EVEN AS AN ADULT.
AND I THINK OUR WORLD GETS BETTER WHEN WE ALL GET INTERESTED IN HOW IT WORKS.
SO THAT'S WHY I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE CALENDAR.
AS YOU MAY KNOW, I KNOW PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE.
I THINK SOMEBODY MENTIONED IT TODAY AS WELL.
THERE WILL BE A TOTAL SOLAR ECLIPSE COMING DIRECTLY OVER OUR COMMUNITY IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY ON APRIL 8TH, TWENTY TWENTY FOUR AND I ACTUALLY HAD THE SAME PRIVILEGE OF BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE A FULL SOLAR ECLIPSE WHEN IT WENT OVER WYOMING IN TWENTY SEVENTEEN.
MY SPOUSE IS AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER, SO HE WAS REALLY INTO IT AND WE GOT LUCKY AND WE'RE ABLE TO GO KIND OF LAST MINUTE.
IT WAS CRAZY. WE HAD TO FLY AND THEN DRIVE FIVE HOURS WITH AN 11 MONTH OLD, AND I KIND OF JUST DID IT FOR HIM BECAUSE I KNEW THAT HE WAS INTERESTED AND I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL. AND I WOULD HAVE MISSED OUT BIG TIME AND NEVER KNOWN.
IT WAS INCREDIBLE THE WAY IT TURNED TO DUSK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY AND YOU COULD HEAR ALL THE WILDLIFE GET QUIET BECAUSE THEY THOUGHT IT WAS BECOMING NIGHT.
MY 11 MONTH OLD WHO AT THE TIME WHO WAS FIGHTING A NAP, ACTUALLY FELL ASLEEP.
IT JUST IT TRICKED ALL THE LIFE AROUND US AND I FELT THIS NEWFOUND CURIOSITY FOR THE SPACE AROUND US AND MY ROLE IN IT, AND IT WAS VERY GROUNDING AND KIND OF EMOTIONAL.
AND SO I REALLY THINK IT WOULD BE A TRUE TRAGEDY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO MISS OUT ON THIS.
AND SO FOR 30 SECONDS ACTUALLY FALLING ON THE DISTRICT TO CREATE A DISTRICT WIDE SCIENCE DAY WHERE STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT SOLAR ECLIPSES AND OTHER SCIENCE RELATED TO THAT EVENT AND SCIENCE IN GENERAL, IT COULD BE LIKE A FIELD DAY WITH A SCIENCE THEME, SO VARIOUS ORGAN SCIENCE ORGANIZATIONS AND COMPANIES FROM OUR AREA COULD SET UP BOOTHS AND THINGS FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND, AND STUDENTS COULD ALL BE OUTSIDE AT THE TIME OF THE ECLIPSE TO WITNESS IT. SO IN ORDER TO GET THIS GOING, THE DISTRICT NEEDS TO CREATE A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE TO ORGANIZE THIS EVENT AND GET STARTED ASAP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
LET'S NOT MISS OUT ON THIS OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TO.
NEXT ON THE LIST IS MELISSA WAELCHLI, SHE IS SPEAKING ON ITEMS IN H AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT. HI, THAT'S ME, MELISSA WAELCHLI.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. I FORGOT TO PUT THE THE NUMBER, BUT I'M SPEAKING ABOUT AGE SEVEN OR THE ANTI-HATE RESOLUTION.
I GUESS IT WAS AT THE END OF DECEMBER OR THE FIRST ONE IN JANUARY.
I KNOW IT IS JANUARY. ANYWAY, I'M TAKING UP TOO MUCH TIME.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I AM IN SUPPORT OF THIS RESOLUTION.
I SPOKE IN FAVOR OF IT THE LAST TIME I GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN FRONT OF THE BOARD. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO SHOW OUR STUDENTS THAT WE REALLY STAND UP FOR MAKING SURE NOBODY GETS BULLIED OR HARASSED IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO STAND UP FOR THOSE KIDS.
AND I'M JUST ALSO REALLY IMPRESSED BY ALL THE STUDENTS THAT SPOKE TONIGHT.
THAT'S ALL I JUST WANTED TO SAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND KEEP ON KEEPING ON.
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT, Y'ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT IS ROBIN HONIG, ITEMS H6 AND H7, AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
MY NAME IS ROBYN HONIG, AND I'M THE PARENT OF A THIRD GRADER WHO SHOULD BE AT CARAWAY,
[01:05:03]
EXCEPT I HAD TO WITHDRAW HER BECAUSE THERE'S NO VIRTUAL OPTION.I HAVE MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT ITEM H7, THE ANTI-HATE RESOLUTION.
I AGREE WITH THE SPIRIT IN WHICH THE ORIGINAL VERSION WAS WRITTEN AND THE SPIRIT IN WHICH TRUSTEE VESSA ORIGINALLY INTENDED IT.
BUT I'M CONCERNED THAT IT WAS ALTERED TO APPEASE THE SO-CALLED HURT FEELINGS OF THE SAME BULLIES WHO DEMONIZED THEIR ALREADY MARGINALIZED NEIGHBORS AND CAUSED CHAOS AT THESE MEETINGS, ONLY TO TURN AROUND AND DEMAND WHAT THEY CALL HEALING BY WHICH I THINK THEY REALLY MEAN ACQUIESCENCE.
MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS THIS THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN? COULD ANYONE WHO SPEAKS OUT AGAINST THE KIND OF HATE THESE BULLIES PEDDLE BE ACCUSED OF HATRED AND DIVISIVENESS THEMSELVES? ALSO, I STRONGLY SUPPORT ITEM H6.
OUR COUNSELORS DESERVE RECOGNITION AND THESE TRAUMATIC TIMES, WHICH DIDN'T END WHEN STUDENTS WENT BACK IN PERSON.
IN FACT, SOME OF THE CURRENT ANXIETIES ARE BROUGHT ON BY SCHOOL, LIKE AT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHERE STUDENTS ARE VOCALLY ANXIOUS ABOUT DODGING MASKLESS INDIVIDUALS, INCLUDING ONE OF THE SPECIALS TEACHERS.
FOR THE SAKE OF MENTAL HEALTH, LISTEN TO THE CHILDREN WHO SPOKE TONIGHT AND THE NEARLY 2000 WHO SIGNED THAT PETITION.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
[K. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO NON-AGENDA ITEMS ONLY]
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO NON AGENDA SPEAKERS, AND WE'LL START WITH KRISTI SLAPE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM.ALL OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE ON K AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT SOME CURRENT EVENTS.
AS YOU KNOW, THERE WERE ROUND ROCK ISD STUDENTS WHO LEFT THEIR CLASSES TODAY IN PROTEST.
THEIR DEMAND WAS VIRTUAL EDUCATION.
WHY? THE TRUTH IS FEW, IF ANY, STUDENTS KNOW THERE ARE SEVEN FREE TEXAS PUBLIC ONLINE SCHOOLS AVAILABLE FOR ALL 3RD THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENTS.
FOR THOSE LISTENING ONLINE AND HERE IN THIS ROOM, THIS IS CALLED THE TEXAS VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK, WHICH CAN BE FOUND THROUGH THE TEA WEBSITE.
THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT ISN'T BEING SHARED TO STUDENTS WHO ARE WORRIED ABOUT ILLNESS AND BEING IMMUNE COMPROMISED.
I HAVE TWO CHILDREN WHO CHOSE FULL TIME VIRTUAL EDUCATION.
WE DID NOT KNOW THERE WAS A FREE VIRTUAL OPTION AND WE PAID FOR VIRTUAL SCHOOL FOR THEM.
I WISH SOMEONE HAD TOLD US ABOUT THE TEXAS VIRTUAL SCHOOL NETWORK.
TODAY, I SENT YOU AN EMAIL WITH A PHOTO OF STUDENTS AT CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE PROTEST WALK OUT.
THE WALKOUT WAS SUPPOSED TO DEMONSTRATE DISDAIN FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOT HAVING TOUGH PROTOCOLS FOR COVID.
THE STUDENTS IN THE PICTURE WERE IN A HUDDLE FACING EACH OTHER, NOT WEARING MASKS AND SMILING. THESE STUDENTS OBVIOUSLY ARE NOT CONCERNED WITH GETTING SICK FROM COVID.
MY GUESS IS THEY WERE ENJOYING BEING PART OF A STORY THAT MAY MAKE IT TO THE LOCAL NEWS OR IN THE YEARBOOK.
ROUND ROCK ISD MUST FOCUS ON RIGOROUS IN-PERSON EDUCATION.
ROUND ROCK ISD ALSO MUST BE TRANSPARENT AND INFORM PARENTS AND STUDENTS ABOUT THE VIRTUAL FREE PUBLIC EDUCATION THEY COULD RECEIVE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT IS MARCUS BARTON DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
I BEFORE I START, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
THIS IS KIND OF INTIMIDATING SEEING MYSELF UP THERE AND I'M LIKE, GEEZ, I HAVE BEEN EATING A LOT ANYWAYS, OK, SO I WANTED TO TRY AND GET RID OF THE THE PAST ERRORS FROM THE PAST COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TO.
IN 2018, MY EMPLOYER OFFERED TO MOVE ME ANYWHERE IN TEXAS.
I WAS LIVING IN WASHINGTON STATE AT THE TIME, BUT ANYWHERE IN TEXAS, DALLAS, HOUSTON, ABILENE, I DON'T KNOW WHY ABILENE, BUT ANYWHERE.
MY WIFE DID AN EXHAUSTIVE SEARCH AND SHE CHOSE ROUND ROCK BECAUSE OF AN ORCHESTRA PROGRAM THAT MY DAUGHTER COULD PARTICIPATE IN.
THAT WAS THE SOLE REASON WE MOVED TO ROUND ROCK WAS FOR THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
EXCEPT IT'S NOT THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT WAS THAT SCHOOL DISTRICT IN 2018.
NOW I'VE BEEN COMING TO THESE MEETINGS AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF VITRIOL AND ANGER AND ALL THAT, AND IT MADE ME START THINKING MAYBE I MADE THE WRONG CHOICE.
SO I STARTED DOING MY RESEARCH.
I WENT BACK AND I WATCHED EVERY BOARD MEETING SINCE I MOVED HERE AND READ EVERY AGENDA.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT I FOUND? 2018 WAS AWESOME.
ORCHESTRAS CAME IN AND THEY PLAYED.
ALL, KIDS CAME AND GOT ACHIEVEMENTS AND AWARDS AND WERE RECOGNIZED BY THE BOARD WHERE'D THEY GO? WHERE IS THAT? THE VERY FIRST VIDEO I WATCHED HAD YOU MS. VESSA BEFORE YOU BECAME A BOARD MEMBER AND YOU WERE SPEAKING AT THIS LECTERN AGAINST RAISING PROPERTY TAXES.
WHAT HAPPENED JUST A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO? YOU VOTED TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES.
XIAO, YOU WANTED MORE SCIENCE AND STEM AND NO POLITICS IN HERE.
WHAT HAPPENED? YOU DECIDED TO PLAY POLITICS AGAINST DR.
BONE, WHO'S A IS A SCIENTIST, AN ENGINEER WITH NASA.
[01:10:04]
SHE COULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT ALLY FOR STEM WITH YOU, BUT YOU DECIDED TO GO WITH POLITICS AND VOTE FOR HER. YOUR TIME IS UP.THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING.
NEXT IS TAMMY CONRAD, AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
GOOD EVENING. I'M AN EDUCATOR IN THE DISTRICT AND AN EDUCATION ROUND ROCK BOARD MEMBER.
FIRST, I DO WANT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I KNOW YOUR VOLUNTEERS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THOSE OF YOU WHO STAND UP TO THE BULLIES IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO THANK YOU. AS FAR AS WHAT I WANT TO SPEAK TO ABOUT TONIGHT FOR TONIGHT IS I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT I'M SPEAKING IN THE SECTION THAT IS FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT COVID AND IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT COVID PROTOCOLS OR THE EFFECTS OF COVID ON OUR DISTRICT.
NONE OF THAT'S BEING SHARED OR DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT THOSE OF US WORKING IN THE SCHOOLS ARE WORRIED ABOUT.
IT'S WHAT KEEPS US ALL FROM BEING AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE WANT TO BE.
IT'S ALSO WHAT PARENTS AND STUDENTS WORRY ABOUT.
I DID SEND YOU GUYS AN EMAIL LATE LAST NIGHT ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AT THE TESTING SITE AT MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL ON MONDAY.
SINCE I WENT THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE, I'M HERE ASKING YOU TO HAVE RAPID TESTS AVAILABLE FOR STAFF. MY TEST, THEY TOLD ME I'D HAVE TO WAIT ONE OR TWO DAYS TO GET RESULTS.
THAT WOULD MEAN I'D HAVE TO MISS WORK ON TUESDAY.
SO I WENT AND BOUGHT AN AT HOME TEST.
MY TEST ON MY PCR WAS NEGATIVE, SO I WAS OK TO TEACH.
BUT HOW MANY PEOPLE GO BACK TO WORK AFTER TAKING THAT TEST? WAITING FOR THEIR RESULTS, NOT KNOWING IF THEY'RE POSITIVE OR NOT? IF WE CHANGE TO RAPID TESTS THAT COULD REDUCE THE SPREAD OF INFECTION, IT COULD INCREASE STUDENT ATTENDANCE AND STAFF ATTENDANCE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO ASK THAT WE HAVE THE MEDICALLY APPROPRIATE MASK, SUCH AS THE K N NINETY FIVES AND THE N 95S.
SO I'VE HEARD THAT THEY'RE AVAILABLE FOR STAFF, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT A DISTRIBUTION. I AM HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF, BUT I KNOW THERE'S LOTS OF OTHER STAFF THAT FEEL THIS WAY AND REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT YOU'RE LISTENING TO US.
I DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT, THOUGH.
OH YES, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
I APOLOGIZE. THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
MY NAME IS CHUY ZARATE, AND I'M THE FATHER OF THREE STUPENDOUS KIDS IN THE MCNEIL FEEDER PATTERN. SOME PEOPLE LIKE TO USE BUSINESS ANALOGIES, SO HERE'S ONE.
I WORKED IN THE SERVICE INDUSTRY FOR 20 YEARS.
WE ALWAYS HAD A SAYING THE CUSTOMER'S ALWAYS RIGHT.
IN ORDER FOR THAT TO BE TRUE, THE CUSTOMER HAS TO HAVE SOMEONE THERE TO LISTEN TO THEIR COMPLAINT. IF THERE'S NO ONE THAT'LL LISTEN, WHO DOES THE CUSTOMER SPEAK TO FOR SATISFACTION? TODAY, THIS DISTRICT HAD CUSTOMERS COMPLAINING AT ALL OF ITS FRANCHISES.
THE STUDENTS SIGNED A PETITION AND WALKED OUT OF CLASS AND SPOKE TONIGHT.
FIRST OFF, THESE STUDENTS PROVED TODAY THAT ROUND ROCK ISD PRODUCES STRONG, SMART AND OPINIONATED COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
HOW IMPRESSIVE WERE THESE KIDS? I MEAN, IT'S INSPIRING.
THEY WANT THE DISTRICT TO PROVIDE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT AS POSSIBLE SO THEY CAN ENJOY THE PRODUCT THAT RRISD OFFERS HOT, FRESH KNOWLEDGE SERVED ON A PLATTER FOR THEIR CONSUMPTION.
THIS DISTRICT IS A HEALTH HAZARD AT THIS POINT, AND THE STUDENTS KNOW IT.
THEY WANT MASK WEARING ENFORCED.
THEY WANT TESTING AND MORE TESTING SITES.
THEY WANT A SAFER OUTDOOR LUNCH OPTIONS SO THEY CAN TAKE THEIR ONE PRECIOUS FRESH AIR BREAK FROM THE PETRI DISH REALITY OF THEIR CLASSROOMS. THEY'RE NOT UNREASONABLE.
AND I BELIEVE THE CUSTOMER IS RIGHT.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GO VIRTUALLY NOW WITH.
IT'S YOUR TURN, MS. PITTS, GOOD TIMING.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY I NORMALLY COME TO THE BOARD MEETINGS AND SPEAK, BUT I HAVEN'T BECAUSE OF COVID, BECAUSE BEING IN THIS SIZE OF A ROOM AND WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE MASKS IT, IT JUST MAKES ME A LITTLE NERVOUS.
UNCOMFORTABLE, RIGHT? BUT EVERY DAY I SEND MY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR INTO A CLASSROOM THAT MAKES HER UNCOMFORTABLE.
[01:15:06]
AND SO ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO SAY, PLEASE CONSIDER SHUT DOWN.WHILE, OUR COVID CASES ARE JUST GOING CRAZY AND COUGHING.
IT JUST REALLY IT MAKES ME NERVOUS.
AND SO WHAT ARE OUR KIDS EXPERIENCING? THE ONLY REASON MY CHILD IS STILL IN SCHOOL IS BECAUSE SHE'S A SENIOR.
AND SO YES, THERE ARE OPTIONS AVAILABLE FOR ONLINE LEARNING, BUT WHAT DO WE DO FOR OUR SENIORS? IF THERE IS A WAY FOR ME TO WRITE TO HER UNIVERSITY THAT SHE WILL BE ATTENDING AND SAY, HEY, I'M GOING TO HOMESCHOOL HER FOR THE REST OF THE SEMESTER? WILL THAT BE OK? LIKE, THAT'S GOING TO BE MY NEXT QUESTION.
SO I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO PLEASE CONSIDER SHUTTING DOWN WHILE THE CASES ARE GOING CRAZY RIGHT NOW, LIKE JUST SO MANY PEOPLE ARE GETTING SICK.
JUST SHUT DOWN FOR A LITTLE BIT JUST TO MAKE IT SAFE.
SO ALL OF OUR CHILDREN WILL FEEL COMFORTABLE AND SAFE GOING TO SCHOOL.
I SENT HER INTO PLACES THAT I DON'T EVEN WANT TO GO.
I'M NORMALLY A FIXTURE, JUST LIKE TO SIT HERE, BUT I'M NOT HERE BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF BEING IN A ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE MASKS, AND THAT'S WHAT WE FORCE OUR KIDS TO GO EVERY DAY.
THAT'S IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'RE GOING TO GO TO OUR VIRTUAL SPEAKERS NOW, START WITH ART CONWAY.
OK, I'M GOING TO ANNOUNCE ALL THESE NAMES ONE MORE TIME THAT WE'VE MISSED.
SHE DOES THANK YOU, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU. I DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
AND ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND ACT IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE STUDENTS THAT ORGANIZED AND LED THE WALKOUT TODAY TO HAVE THEIR VOICES HEARD.
THE VOICES AND ENERGY OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL HOPEFULLY DRIVE THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE TEA TO WORK FOR MORE VIABLE OPTIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF DURING THIS TIME.
WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN BEARING A HEAVY BURDEN.
THERE ARE MANY LOCAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE GATHERING ACTUALLY THIS WEEKEND AND NEXT WEEKEND TO COLLECT SUPPLIES AND FIND OUT WAYS TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF AND THOSE STUDENTS WHO MOST NEED IT TO ANY OF THE STUDENTS WHO ARE LISTENING, FOR WHOM PUBLIC COMMENT MAY BE HURTFUL OR HARMFUL.
WE STAND WITH YOU AND WITH WHO YOU ARE.
YOU HAVE SUPPORT IN THIS COMMUNITY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
SO I AM WANTING TO SPEAK TONIGHT ABOUT THE TRAINING THAT WAS HELD ON JANUARY THE 4TH FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS AT WELSH MIDDLE SCHOOL.
IT WAS VERY DISTURBING TO SEE THE SLIDES THAT WERE PRESENTED TO THE TEACHERS.
SOME THAT WERE TITLED DO NOT TELL PARENTS IT'S IT'S VERY HARD AS PARENTS TO SEE THESE SLIDES IN THESE TRAININGS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED.
I KNOW THEY WEREN'T MEANT TO HAVE HEARD THEY WERE NOT MANDATORY.
BUT TEACHERS ARE STILL GOING TO THEM.
AND WHAT HAPPENS NOW IF IT WASN'T APPROVED BY THE DISTRICT? WHAT? BECAUSE TEACHERS HAVE TO GO TO ANOTHER TRAINING TO BE TOLD THIS IS WRONG, WHETHER IT BE A TRAINING ON THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE TWENTY SIX POINT ZERO ZERO EIGHT THAT SAYS PARENTS ARE ENTITLED TO ALL INFORMATION CONCERNING THEIR STUDENTS.
I'M ALSO A MEMBER OF THE SHACK, WHERE IN MANY THE SUBCOMMITTEES A LOT OF SPEAKING ABOUT BEING TRANSPARENT.
THIS IS WHY SO MANY PARENTS ARE STARTING TO GET INVOLVED.
AND BECAUSE WE WANT TRANSPARENCY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRUST OUR TEACHERS.
WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRUST OUR DISTRICT.
THAT THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEING HANDED DOWN FROM THE PRINCIPALS DISTRICTS FROM TASB IS LEGAL AND THIS IS NOT LEGAL.
OK, ONE LAST THING BEFORE I GO, I THINK I GOT MY TIME.
I'M ALSO THE CHAPTER CHAIR FOR THE MOMS FOR LIBERTY HERE IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, AND I WANT TO READ YOU OUR MISSION STATEMENT.
[01:20:01]
OUR MISSION AT MOMS FOR LIBERTY IS DEDICATED TO FIGHTING FOR THE SURVIVAL OF AMERICA BY UNIFYING, EDUCATING AND EMPOWERING PARENTS TO DEFEND.THANK YOU SO MUCH, AND ALL YOUR TIME IS UP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT IS SANDRA PIOUS.
AND SHE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
VALID, NASRALLAH, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
AND YOU DO NOT LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
NO, I'M A TEACHER AND A PARENT.
GREAT. THANK YOU. SO GOOD EVENING.
AS A TEACHER AND AS A PARENT, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY CONCERN ABOUT THE TEACHER RETENTION CRISIS WE ARE FACING AND ASK WHAT OUR PLAN IS AS A DISTRICT.
MANY ARTICLES CITE ALARMING STATISTICS ON THIS ISSUE.
ONE NATIONAL SURVEY FOUND THAT HALF OF ALL TEACHERS THOUGHT ABOUT QUITTING WITHIN THE LAST 30 DAYS.
I DO NOT HAVE THE STATISTICS OR INFORMATION REGARDING ROUND ROCK ISD TEACHERS, AS THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY SURVEYS TO THE STAFF REGARDING NEXT YEAR.
I AM AWARE, HOWEVER, THAT ON THE GROUND MANY ARE PLANNING THEIR EXIT.
SO AS WE FACE THIS EMERGENCY, I BELIEVE OUR DISTRICT NEEDS TO ASK WHY ROUND ROCK ISD AND REALLY ESTABLISH OUR VALUES SO THAT WE CAN BE A DESTINATION DISTRICT FOR OUR TEACHERS.
MY Y ROUND ROCK ISD AS A TEACHER IS EASY.
IT'S MY SON'S ACCESS TO EXPERTS LIKE ANGELA GERONIMO AT LAUREL MOUNTAIN IS A HERO IN OUR HOUSE. ITS STORY AND MARVELS LEADERSHIP, WHICH I BELIEVE WILL HELP RETAIN THE QUALITY EDUCATORS WE HAVE EXPERIENCE IN EVERY CLASSROOM.
NEURO DIVERSE STUDENTS DEPEND ON SKILLED PROFESSIONALS, AS DOES EVERY CHILD.
I ASKED FOR ACTION SO THAT WE CAN ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS AND KEEP THE EXCEPTIONAL TEACHERS THAT ARE BEING BURNT OUT.
BROWN UNIVERSITY HAS SOME EVIDENCE BASED STRATEGIES TO LOWER THE PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS LEAVING. AMONG THEM ARE OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH EDUCATORS AND COLLECTING DATA ON TEACHERS PROFESSIONAL CONCERNS, PROTECTING TEACHERS TIMES WHICH TIME WHICH INCREASES TEACHER SATISFACTION. SCHOOLS WHO COMMIT TO EQUITY ARE SUCCESSFUL IN RETAINING TEACHERS OF COLOR WHO ARE LEAVING THE PROFESSION AT DISPROPORTIONATE RATES.
THERE IS A PERCEIVED LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE DISTRICT WITH REGARDS TO EQUITY WORK BEING DONE, AND THAT IS DRAINING MORALE AT A TIME WHERE WE ARE EXHAUSTED.
THE CURRENT ENVIRONMENT IS UNSUSTAINABLE.
OPEN AND TRANSPARENT COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE PLAN FOR RETENTION, I BELIEVE, IS A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. I'D LIKE TO ASK OUR LEADERS A QUESTION THAT STRUCK WITH ME THAT STRUCK ME FROM A FORBES ARTICLE.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TEACHERS QUITTING WOULD CREATE A CATACLYSMIC DROP IN YOUR ORGANIZATION'S ABILITY TO EDUCATE YOUNG PEOPLE? YOUR TIME IS UP. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT IS JACK CHILES, AND HE DOES LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
SORRY ABOUT THAT, I THINK I WAS MUTED FOR A SECOND.
I'M ASSUMING YOU CAN HEAR ME NOW.
SO THANK YOU. SO BEFORE I GET INTO ANYTHING, I AM THE PARTNER TO SOME WONDERFUL EMPLOYEES WHO WORK IN ROUND ROCK.
ONE OF THEM TRAVELS BETWEEN CAMPUSES FAIRLY REGULARLY ON A REGULAR BASIS.
I'VE SEEN THIS PARTNER COME HOME ALMOST IN TEARS BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY'RE SEEING SO MANY STUDENTS AND STAFF UNMASKED.
THEY'VE SEEN STUDENTS SICKENED STUDENTS ILL.
AND IT'S DISHEARTENING TO KNOW THAT SOMEBODY WHO IS AS DEVOTED TO THEIR PROFESSION, TO HELPING CHILDREN AS THEY ARE HAS TO DO HAS TO REALIZE THAT THESE KIDS.
THEY'RE NOT PROTECTED, THEY'RE NOT TAKEN CARE OF, AND WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE WE THERE'S GOT TO BE A LEGAL LINE TOAD IN ORDER TO APPEASE, SORRY IN ORDER TO SATISFY G8 38, WHETHER IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH A BUNCH OF ANGRY KARENS OR WHATEVER.
THE STRESS AND STRAIN THAT THE PART THAT MY PARTNERS ARE UNDER IS JUST.
[01:25:05]
IT'S RIDICULOUS.THIRTY SECONDS. WE'VE BEEN TWO YEARS IN THIS NOW AND CHANGE.
AND WE STILL CAN'T SEEM TO CONTROL IT IN SCHOOLS.
THE ONE PLACE WHERE ATTENDANCE IS COMPULSORY, YOU WOULD THINK THAT PROTECTION AND SAFETY WOULD BE MADE COMPULSORY, TOO.
SO WE DON'T NEED OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS TO BE HEROES.
WE NEED THEM TO BE TREATED LIKE IT, BUT WE DON'T NEED THEM TO BE BURNED LIKE HEROES ARE EXPECTED TO BE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT IS LINDY DOWER, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE COMMUNITY, LIVE IN THE DISTRICT. I'M A I'M A LONG TIME ROUND ROCK ISD COMMUNITY MEMBER AND MY DAUGHTER IS A ROUND ROCK ISD SPECIAL ED TEACHER.
AS THE CORONAVIRUS PEAKS AGAIN, COMMUNITY SPREAD IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AVOID.
THE RESULTS ARE TEACHERS TEST POSITIVE OR DEVELOP SYMPTOMS AND MUST STAY HOME.
THERE ARE NO AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS FOR THESE CLASSES.
SCHOOL STAFF ARE NOT AVAILABLE TO COVER ALL THOSE TEACHERS ROOMS. THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION DIVIDES CLASSES WHOSE STUDENTS HAVE ALL BEEN EXPOSED.
THE STUDENTS ARE SENT INTO MULTIPLE OTHER CLASSROOMS, EXPOSING MORE STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. THE TEACHERS WHO REMAIN ARE SWAMPED WITH CLASSES WITH STUDENTS FROM OTHER CLASSES. THE OVERLOAD AND DISRUPTION PREVENTS THEM FROM REALLY TEACHING.
A LOT OF THEM ARE HAVING TO ACT JUST AS BABYSITTERS IN A POOL OF INFECTION.
EVERYONE CONNECTED TO THIS SITUATION IS WORSE OFF, ESPECIALLY THOSE WITH HIGH RISK FAMILY MEMBERS. MORE TEACHERS ARE QUITTING OR GETTING SICK, AND THE CYCLE CONTINUES.
WE STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND THE FULL RISK OF LONG COVID, BUT IT SEEMS TO RESEMBLE MONONUCLEOSIS AND CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME, AND THAT IT CAN BE A VERY LONG RECOVERY, PERHAPS YEARS OR A LIFETIME.
WHEN COMMUNITY SPREAD IS AS HIGH AS IT CURRENTLY IS, THERE'S NO GOOD ANSWER.
ONLY ANSWERS THAT ARE DIFFERENTLY FLAWED 30 SECONDS THE LEAST LONG TERM DAMAGE TO THE COMMUNITY IS TO CLOSE THE SCHOOLS TO RETURN TO DISTANCE LEARNING WHILE THE INFECTION RATES ARE THIS HIGH.
IF THE EARLY REPORTS ARE CORRECT, THIS WAVE WILL PASS QUICKLY AND WE CAN RESUME ATTENDANCE WHEN THE DANGER IS LESS.
CLOSE THE SCHOOLS JUST TEMPORARILY.
NEXT IS LINDSAY LEDYARD, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
ALL RIGHT. YES, MA'AM, I DID IT.
HELLO. OH YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU.
GO AHEAD. SORRY, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING FULLY PREPARED TONIGHT, BUT AFTER HEARING SO MANY FROM SO MUCH FROM THE OTHER SPEAKERS, I DON'T NEED TO REITERATE A TON.
I'M FOR COVID PROTOCOLS AND FOR KEEPING OUR SCHOOLS SAFE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE RAPID TESTS TO BE READILY AVAILABLE TO OUR TEACHERS SO THEY CAN MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS, BUT ALSO TO OUR STUDENTS, SO THAT IF PARENTS AREN'T ABLE TO GET THEIR HANDS ON THEM, THEY CAN BE ABLE TO ACCESS THAT THROUGH THE DISTRICT MORE EASILY.
WE DID HEAR ABOUT ROBOTICS FOR EARLIER FROM ALL OF THE STUDENTS THAT WERE SPEAKING, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST AMAZING.
AND I APPLAUD THE DISTRICT FOR ROLLING OUT ROBOTICS PROGRAMS AND ALL OF THE ELEMENTS AND NOT ALL OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, BUT FOR A LARGE PORTION OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR YOU TO LOOK INTO EXPANDING THAT TO ALL THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF THEM THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED, AND I THINK THAT THAT CREATES AN EQUITY ISSUE ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL IS ONE OF THEM, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF MY DAUGHTER WANTS TO DO ROBOTICS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LIKELY CHILDREN THAT DO.
AND I DID ASK THE QUESTION WHETHER A CHILD COULD ATTEND A DIFFERENT SCHOOL FOR THOSE ROBOTICS PROGRAMS AND WAS TOLD THAT WASN'T A POSSIBILITY.
SO I WOULD LIKE YOU GUYS TO URGE THE ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK INTO WHETHER THAT COULD BE EXPANDED. AND THEN I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO CREATE A PLATFORM FOR NO PENALTY FEEDBACK FROM TEACHERS.
I THINK I THINK A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE HESITANT TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE UPWARD FEEDBACK OR ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK, OR MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE A WAY TO TO GIVE A GOOD ANONYMOUS FEEDBACK THAT THEY FEEL LIKE WILL BE LISTENED TO.
PLEASE GIVE THEM A PLATFORM TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT SO THAT THEY CAN FEEL LIKE THEIR VOICES ARE HEARD AND THAT ISSUES CAN BE DEALT WITH ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
AND ONE LAST THING AND KIND OF TALKING ABOUT COVID.
[01:30:03]
THANK YOU. OH, THANK YOU.THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SPEAKING TONIGHT.
NEXT IS BOB KAZAMAKIS, AND YOU SIGNED UP ON AGENDA ITEM L5, BUT THAT HAS BEEN PULLED FROM TONIGHT'S AGENDA. SO IF YOU STILL WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, YOU MAY.
OF COURSE, WE LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
YES, IF YOU'D PREFER, I CAN SIMPLY REDIRECT MY L5 COMMENTS AS AN EMAIL.
WE WILL BE REPOSTING THOSE AGENDA ITEMS THAT WERE PULLED FROM TONIGHT FOR PROBABLY SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY, WHEN TRUSTEE WESTON IS BACK HEALTHY AND WITH US.
SO I WILL LET YOU DECIDE IF YOU'D LIKE TO TAKE YOUR TWO MINUTES TONIGHT, YOU'RE WELCOME TO. TELL YOU WHAT.
HOW ABOUT I SAY A SMALL PIECE THIS EVENING, AND THEN I'LL JUST DIRECT THE REST IN OVER MAIL. GO FOR IT.
THANK YOU. TO PUT IT MILDLY, IN REGARDS TO THAT ITEM, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT IT IS NOTHING MORE THAN AN EFFORT TO SUPPRESS SPEECH.
TRUSTEE XIAO'S DISCLOSURE ON HIS SOCIAL MEDIA PAGE IS NOTHING LIKE THE DISCLOSURES THAT TRUSTEE WESTON HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF DOING.
AND FOR HER TO COMPARE THEM IS REPREHENSIBLE.
NOW I'LL PUT THE REST IN AN EMAIL, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT ONE OTHER THING WHILE I'M HERE, ISN'T IT SORT OF A CONFLICT OF INTEREST FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S SUING THE DISTRICT TO SERVE ON A COMMITTEE? IN REGARDS TO STUDENT HEALTH.
ESPECIALLY GIVEN THAT SAID PERSON IS SUING THE DISTRICT OVER A MASK MANDATE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT IS CATHERINE KIZER.
AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
YES, MA'AM, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM, GO AHEAD.
HOW CAN ANYONE LOOK AROUND AT THESE COVID NUMBERS AND THINK THIS IS FINE? EVERYTHING IS FINE.
LET'S JUST KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I'M HEARING SO MANY HORROR STORIES COMING OUT OF THE SCHOOLS IN REGARD TO STAFF SHORTAGES THAT I JUST CAN'T KEEP TRACK OF THEM.
I'M WONDERING IF ANY LEARNING IS EVEN HAPPENING TO THE STUDENTS THAT WALKED OUT TODAY.
THEY WERE NOT DEMANDING VIRTUAL SCHOOL, LIKE ANOTHER SPEAKER SAID, EXCEPT FOR IN SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED STUDENTS.
INSTEAD, WHAT THEY WANT IS TO FEEL SAFE IN SCHOOL IN PERSON.
WHAT HAPPENED TO AIR PURIFIERS? WHERE DID THE OUTDOOR LUNCH GO? HOW ABOUT RAPID TESTS? THE MASK MANDATE IS BARELY ENFORCED, IF AT ALL.
BASICALLY, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE LEARNED AND TRIED TO PREVENT OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS FEELS LIKE IT'S JUST BEEN COMPLETELY THROWN OUT THE WINDOW FOR.
FOR WHAT? TO LET COVID BURN THROUGH COMPLETELY UNCHECKED.
IS THIS REALLY THE PLAN? OUR HOSPITALS HAVE MORE COVID PATIENTS THAN EVER BEFORE.
OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS SEEM LIKE THEY'RE CRUMBLING RIGHT BEFORE OUR VERY EYES, AND THIS EMERGENCY IS NOT EVEN ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.
EXCUSE ME, BUT WHAT THE HECK? OUR SCHOOLS ARE NOT SAFE AT ALL.
IF IT'S AN ADMIN PROBLEM, THEN I MEAN, DON'T YELL DIRECT THEM.
CAN YOU NOT TELL THEM TO ENFORCE THE MANDATE? OUR TEACHERS ARE SUFFERING AND OUR STUDENTS ARE SUFFERING, AND WE NEED YOU ALL TO PUSH THE PAUSE BUTTON.
ALSO, SOME OF THE KIDS THEY'RE OUT WITH, SOME OF THE KIDS THAT ARE CURRENTLY OUT WITH COVID, BUT ARE FEELING FINE BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN VACCINATED.
I THOUGHT THAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING ASSIGNMENTS THROUGH SCHOOLOGY, BUT I PERSONALLY KNOW OF SEVERAL THAT AREN'T AND THEY'RE JUST KIND OF SITTING AT HOME BORED.
AND SO I'M WONDERING IF THAT CAN BE ADDRESSED, TOO.
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TONIGHT.
NEXT IS KIMBERLY CALDRON, AND YOU DO LIVE IN THE DISTRICT.
MY NAME IS KIM COLTON, AND I'M A MOTHER TO A FOURTH GRADE PORN SPRING ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND A SIXTH GRADE, THEY ARE PART OF MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS.
I USUALLY ATTEND THESE MEETINGS IN PERSON, BUT WITH THE CURRENT COVID, SPIKE DID NOT WANT TO PUT MY FAMILY AT FURTHER RISK.
I THINK THE BOARD AND THE STAFF FOR THEIR SERVICE DURING THIS DIFFICULT TIME, AND I CAN APPRECIATE OTHER SPEAKERS, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENT SPEAKERS WHO ARE CARING ENOUGH ABOUT OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND THIS MEETING IN PERSON.
I'M SURPRISED IN THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND ATTENTION FROM THIS DISTRICT IN SUPPORTING SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS AT THESE CRISIS LEVEL OF ABSENCES DUE TO ILLNESS.
THERE SHOULD BE A CLEAR THRESHOLD ESTABLISHED BY LEADERSHIP FOR OUR ACTIONS TO CLOSE CLASSROOMS, CLOSE SCHOOLS, ENFORCE MASK MANDATES AND SO FORTH WITH PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO STUDENT AND STAFF SAFETY, NOT THE DOLLARS THAT COME WITH THEIR ATTENDANCE AND THE ANNUAL REPORT THERE WAS ONLY THERE WAS A 20 PERCENT DROP IN TEACHER TURNOVER FROM FALL
[01:35:04]
2019 TO FALL 2020.TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A STEP OF THE STAFF CERTIFICATION IN THESE CONDITIONS IS GOING TO CREATE A MUCH LARGER DROP AND CREATE ANOTHER.
AND IMMUNOCOMPROMISED FAMILIES OF STUDENTS AND STAFF THAT THIS.
LISTEN, IS THIS HELPING TO BRING OUR COMMUNITY TOGETHER, BUT BRINGING OUT AND BRINGING OUT THE BEST IN OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM, 30 SECONDS, CREATING FURTHER DISTRUST? I ALREADY ADDRESSED SOME OF THESE AGENDA ITEMS IN A SEPARATE EMAIL, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO BRING IN PUBLIC ATTENTION TO THE ITEMS LACKING FROM THESE MEETINGS FROM THIS MEETING THIS EVENING.
THE. I'M SORRY, WHAT? WE HAVE THIS TECHNICAL PROBLEM WHERE WHEN PEOPLE FALL OFF, THEY CAN'T GET BACK IN, IT'S HAPPENED MANY, MANY WEEKS.
UM. JENNY, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY.
YOU HAVE A NEW MEANING, IT'S A ZOO SETTING.
OK, SO SOMETHING WITH ZOOM SETTINGS, I GUESS.
MY APOLOGIES, MS. LEGGETT. IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE PUT YOUR COMMENTS IN AN EMAIL TO THE BOARD.
WE WILL DEFINITELY CONSIDER THEM.
IT'S SOMETHING HAVING TO DO WITH ZOOM, SO I APOLOGIZE.
I'M GOING TO DO ONE LAST ROLL CALL FOR ALL OF THE SPEAKERS THAT WE MISSED.
IF ANYBODY IS HERE, SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOUR PEACE.
ROB LEMN, ART CONWAY, SANDRA PIOUS, WHAT LED NASRALLAH, MATT FOGLE, AND RICKY NELSON.
OK, THAT DOES CONCLUDE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTIONS FOR THE EVENING.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDAS, SUPERINTENDANT REPORTS, DR.
PRESSLEY, JANUARY BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH.
[F. SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS]
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT FELLER, AND A BIG THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE BOARD.I KNOW MS. WESTON IS NOT HERE TONIGHT, BUT JUST A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
THIS IS BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH AND I JUST HOPE EVERYBODY REMAINS MINDFUL OF THE FACT THAT YOU GUYS ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
NOBODY KNOWS BUT YOU HOW MANY HOURS YOU ACTUALLY SPEND HELPING OUR DISTRICT TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE DIFFERING DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT OPINIONS SOMETIMES AND THAT MANIFESTS ITSELF IN OUR MEETINGS, I THINK THAT'S A HEALTHY THING IN SOME WAYS.
SO EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT POINT OF VIEW, BUT I JUST WANT THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU.
YOU EACH WERE GIVEN, I DON'T THINK ANY OF YOU REALLY WANTED ANYTHING, BUT EACH OF YOU WERE GIVEN A BOX TONIGHT THAT WAS ASSEMBLED.
WE ONLY ASKED CAMPUSES TO YOU GOT PICKED BY A CERTAIN YOU DIDN'T GET PICKED.
THEY GOT TOLD WHICH TRUSTEE TO HONOR.
IT WASN'T LIKE EVERY CAMPUS GAVE SOMETHING TO EVERYBODY.
BUT. AND THERE WAS REALLY NO, NO SPECIFIC REASON WHY WE CHOSE CERTAIN CAMPUSES.
WE JUST RANDOMLY SELECTED THEM AND SAID, THESE CAMPUSES HONOR PRESIDENT FELLER.
THESE CAMPUSES HONOR TRUSTEE HARRISON.
AND SO ANYWAY, I'M NOT GOING TO GO ON AND ON BECAUSE IT'S LATE, BUT WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, AND I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY'S MINDFUL OF THE FACT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DISAGREE WITH ALL OF US FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS, AND THEY AGREE WITH US ON A LOT FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS. BUT JUST THE MANNER IN WHICH YOU'RE SPOKEN TO AND YOU'RE ADDRESSED IN PUBLIC SHOULD BE HONORABLE BECAUSE YOU ARE A VOLUNTEER AND WE COULDN'T RUN THE DISTRICT WITHOUT YOU. SO THANK YOU ALL AND I WISH WE HAD MORE TO SAY OR MORE TIME TO
[01:40:01]
SAY MORE OR MORE THINGS TO GIVE YOU.BUT HOPEFULLY YOU ENJOY YOUR YOUR GOODIES IN YOUR BOX AND THOSE ARE COMING FROM THE HEART OF OUR CAMPUSES, SO.
SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO AND HAPPY BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
WE WANTED YOU TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM AT THIS LATE HOUR SOME OF WHAT'S PROBABLY YOUR MOST FAVORITE CONSTITUENTS.
IT'S JUST A REALLY SHORT VIDEO THANKING YOU ALL FOR YOUR SERVICE, EVEN AT THIS LATE HOUR.
SO, JENNIFER, IF WE HAVE THE VIDEO READY.
THANK YOU, BOARD. TRUSTEE SECRETARY AMY WEIR, TRUSTEE, DR.
LET'S SAY THANK YOU VERY FOR ALL YOU DO.
I LOVE THAT YOU GAVE ME THE BILINGUAL CLASS.
CAN I JUST ADJOURN THE MEETING AFTER THAT? DR. XIAO GOT A SONG.
HE GOT A SONG OUT OF THAT DEAL, CUSTOMIZED.
THANK YOU FOR THE HIGH PRAISE.
IT IS SUCH AN HONOR TO SERVE, AND I KNOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT DISAGREE WITH DECISIONS. BUT AT THE END OF IT, WE ALL WE ALL CAN AGREE ON ONE THING THAT WE'RE HERE FOR THE STUDENTS, AND SO IT IS TRULY AN HONOR TO SERVE.
SO IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING TO SAY, BUT JUST THAT VIDEO MADE MY DAY, I'D LIKE A COPY OF IT. IF YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO ME, THAT WAS AWESOME.
ALL RIGHT, I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO PIERSON RANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL HIGHLIGHTS. AND START COOKING THE JUICY PEPPERS, SO AS A SCHOOL NURSE.
OF COURSE, I FEEL VERY, VERY STRONGLY TO JUST PART OF MY JOB IS TO TEACH CHILDREN HOW TO BE HEALTHY, HOW TO HAVE HEALTHY LIFESTYLES AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO START THAT THAN A SCHOOL GARDEN. AND LOOKING AT WHERE YOUR FOOD COMES FROM, HOW DELICIOUS IT IS TO PULL SOMETHING OUT OF THE GROUND AND EAT IT? SO THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR OF PLANTING, AND THIS IS REALLY JUST A GARDEN FOR THE ENTIRE SCHOOL TO ENJOY.
I THINK SOMETIMES THEY DON'T REALIZE YOU CAN GROW THIS WHAT YOU SEE IN THE SUPERMARKET.
SOMEBODY GREW AND CAME AND HOW WONDERFUL THAT YOU'RE EATING IT AS SOON AS IT'S COMING OUT OF THE GROUND. IT HAS NOT TRAVELED FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE AND SAT IN THE SUPERMARKET.
TODAY, WE WERE JUST PLUCKING OUT A LOT OF THE STUFF WE DID LIKE WE PLUCKED OUT THE BEANS, CHILIES AND LETTUCE AND RADISHES.
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO EAT THE VEGETABLES THAT WE'VE PICKED DURING LUNCH.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE WE'LL GET TO WE'LL GET TO ENJOY ALL OUR HARD WORK AND IT'LL BE BETTER FOR OUR HEALTH AND THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO, WELL, I'M EXCITED ABOUT PARTNERING WITH FOOD SERVICES BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE CAN DO MORE NOW WITH THAT FOOD INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING THEM HAVE A LITTLE NIBBLE.
THEY'RE REALLY GOING TO GET A CHANCE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE PRODUCE THAT YOU GROW. AND I TOLD HER WE WOULD BE THERE TO SUPPORT HER.
WE COULD USE SOME RECIPES WITH THOSE ITEMS THAT THEY WERE GROWING IN THE GARDEN.
IT KIND OF HELPS TO KNOW THAT IT'S COMPLETELY FRESH AND WE GREW IT AND IT'S KIND, AND IT'S KIND OF MORE FUN TO EAT KNOWING THAT YOU GREW THE LETTUCE.
I THINK WE ALL KNOW SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO GET KIDS TO EAT THEIR VEGETABLES.
SO AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF BUY IN WHEN THEY GROW IT, AND I THINK THAT IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PROCESS FOR THEM TO SEE.
AND I THINK THEY ENJOY THE FOOD MORE WHEN IT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY PARTICIPATED IN, THAT THEY GREW THESE VEGETABLES.
IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN WORKING WITH ALL MY FRIENDS TO RAISE THIS GARDEN.
DR. PRESLEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? THAT WAS AMAZING, I LOVE SEEING WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING.
NO, IT'S THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS LIKE THAT AND A LOT OF OUR CAMPUSES GOING ON.
IT'S AMAZING WHEN KIDS ARE ABLE TO GROW THINGS LIKE THAT.
I WORRY SOME TIME ABOUT PEARSON RANCH, THOUGH, BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF WILD HOGS IN
[01:45:03]
THAT CORRIDOR BECAUSE I'VE DODGED THEM.AND SO I HOPE THEY HAVE SOME FENCING AROUND THERE, THEIR GARDEN PLOTS, BECAUSE THOSE THINGS WILL ROUTE AND EAT THEIR VEGETABLES FOR THEM.
I APPRECIATE THE STAFF THERE HEADING UP THAT INITIATIVE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THE STAFF DOES ABOVE AND BEYOND THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO, AND IT MAKES IT SO, SO MUCH MORE FUN FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO MAKE A STANDARD ACROSS DIFFERENT CAMPUSES TO DO THOSE THINGS. RIGHT NOW, THEY ARE DOING THIS AS SOMETHING ACTUALLY, SOME VOLUNTEER STUFF.
IS THIS SOME WAY THAT WE CAN APPLY THOSE THINGS TO ALL CAMPUSES? YEAH, YOU KNOW, WITH EVERY CAMPUS BEING A LITTLE PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT, SOME SOME CAMPUSES HAVE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT THAN OTHERS, JUST LIKE SOME HAVE PLAYGROUNDS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. BUT IT'S DEFINITELY OUR PRINCIPLES STEAL IDEAS FROM EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. AND SO, JENNY, I THINK IF WE SEND THAT OUT TO ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS AND THEY SEE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THEY CAN DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO, I'LL DO THE EXACT SAME THING, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING NATURAL AND FUN THAT I THINK ANYBODY COULD ALMOST DO.
AND JUST ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED, IT WAS AN EXAMPLE OF THE PARTNERSHIP, SO THAT WAS HEALTH SERVICES AND FOOD SERVICES, BUT THERE WERE ALSO SCIENCE LESSONS YOU HEARD THE STUDENT TALK ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T HAVE TO TRAVEL ANYWHERE.
THEY TALKED A LOT ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY WITH WITH GROWING FOOD CLOSE TO HOME.
BUT THOSE TYPES OF PARTNERSHIPS HAPPEN AT CAMPUSES ON DIFFERENT TOPICS ALL OVER THE DISTRICT. SO WE WANTED TO BRING YOU AN EXAMPLE, A REALLY FUN EXAMPLE OF ONE TONIGHT.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT I'M THINKING.
IS THERE A LONG TERM PLAN TO REGARDING THOSE EDUCATIONAL MR. STABILITY ISSUES LIKE REALLY CREATE SOMETHING THAT CREATES A STANDARD THAT WILL COMPLY TO DIFFERENT CAMPUSES, HAS SOME REQUIREMENTS RIGHT NOW, IS JUST VOLUNTARILY LIKE THE PRINCIPAL, THE CAMPUS GET THE SUPPORT.
GREAT. ALL RIGHT, WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT UPDATE.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO BOARD STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS.
TIME TRACKER AND WE WILL BE GOING TO SECRETARY WEIR FOR THIS ONE.
IT WAS MY FIRST TIME, FIRST TIME.
WE IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DECEMBER TOTALS, WE HAD TWO HUNDRED AND TWENTY SIX MINUTES ON STUDENT OUTCOMES SOLELY BASED ON OUR BOARD GOALS WORKSHOP.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR DECEMBER MEETING, WE HAD ZERO MINUTES.
AND OUR DECEMBER REGULAR MEETING, WHICH I WILL REMIND EVERYONE, ENDED AT ABOUT 2:30 IN THE MORNING, IT WAS ZERO MINUTES ON STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS, SO THAT'S MY REPORT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
DON'T REALLY LIKE IT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE.
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO BOARD GOLD PROGRESS MEASURES 3.1 AND THREE POINT THREE.
DR. PRESLEY. YES, THINK PRESENT FELLER, SO THOSE MEASURES ARE IN THE QUEUE FOR TONIGHT, I'LL TURN OVER TO RON SMITH AND HE'S GOING TO GIVE US AN UPDATE.
YEAH, THANK YOU, DR. PRESLEY AND EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SOME OF OUR ENROLLMENT DATA TONIGHT ABOUT SOME OF THESE GOLD PROGRESS MEASURES.
SO WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS THIS EVENING.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A LONG PRESENTATION TONIGHT, BUT WE'LL SPEND SOME TIME SHARING SOME OF OUR CURRENT CURRENT STATS AND THEN BEING JOINED TONIGHT BY DR.
LAURA DARDEN. SHE'S OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FUTURE READINESS AND SHERRY BONDS.
SHE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF CTE CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, AND I'M GOING TO SHARE SOME OF THE DATA. THEY'RE GOING TO SHARE SOME OF THE BACKGROUND ON OUR CURRENT PROGRAMS. SO AGAIN, THE TWO THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS OUR ADVANCED COURSEWORK ENROLLMENT AS WELL AS OUR INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION ENROLLMENT.
AND TONIGHT WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT ENROLLMENT.
THESE TEAMS ARE ADDRESSING ACTUAL OUTCOMES, NOT JUST ENROLLMENT, BUT WE'LL COME BACK NEAR THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AFTER WE HAVE THE ACTUAL DATA FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO DO EARN CREDITS IN CLASSES AND PASS THOSE ASSESSMENTS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST AN UPDATE OF WHERE WE ARE SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I'LL START TALKING WHILE SHE'S DOING THAT, THE FIRST FIRST UPN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT ADVANCED COURSEWORK, ENROLLMENT AND OF COURSE, OUR GOLD PROGRESS MEASURE FOR THIS. THIS TEAM ITSELF IS GOING FROM 63 TO 76 PERCENT OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS EARNING A CREDIT IN ADVANCED COURSEWORK BY TWENTY TWENTY SIX.
AND FIRST OFF, I WANTED TO SHARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT COUPLE OF SLIDES, JENNIFER, OF JUST SOME OF OUR DASHBOARD VIEWS.
THESE AREN'T. THESE ARE STATIC SCREENSHOTS THAT WE'RE SHARING TONIGHT.
JUST AS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR CAMPUSES AND PRINCIPALS CAN LOG INTO OUR DECISION AND PLATFORM AND ESSENTIALLY SEE REAL TIME DATA ON THEIR ENROLLMENT ON THEIR CAMPUSES.
SO YOU GO THROUGH THOSE TWO SLIDES, JENNIFER.
RATHER QUICKLY, IT'S JUST AN EXAMPLE, SO PAUSED THERE FOR A MOMENT ON SLIDE FIVE, SO HERE
[01:50:03]
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME OF OUR HISTORICAL DATA, AS WELL AS OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT FOR STUDENTS EARNING THAT ADVANCED COURSE CREDIT.SO YOU CAN SEE OVER 2018 19 ALL THE WAY THROUGH 2020 2021, WE'VE BEEN HOVERING RIGHT AROUND 63 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS EARNING ONE OF THOSE CREDITS.
CURRENTLY, OUR ENROLLMENT DATA RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 65 PERCENT OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE ENROLLED IN AN ADVANCED COURSE.
AND JUST A REMINDER, AN ADVANCED COURSE.
WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT THAT COULD BE AN ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASS, COULD BE A DUAL CREDIT CLASS, COULD BE UT ONRAMPS CLASS AND IT COULD BE AN INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE CLASS.
SO THERE'S A FEW DIFFERENT COURSE TYPES THAT STUDENTS COULD BE ENROLLED IN TO EARN THIS CREDIT. AND WE BROKE THAT DATA DOWN BY STUDENT GROUP AS WELL.
AND I DO BELIEVE THE SLIDES THAT I SHARED WITH THE BOARD AND I'LL MAKE SURE THEY GET POSTED ARE UPDATED TO INCLUDE 504 AND DYSLEXIA AS WELL.
AND I'LL JUST LET EVERYBODY KNOW IN THE THAT WATCHING, SINCE IT'S NOT ON THE SLIDE THAT CURRENTLY WE HAVE 54 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS IN 504 PROGRAM ENROLLED IN AN ADVANCED COURSE AND ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE DYSLEXIA PROGRAM ENROLLED IN ONE OF THOSE COURSES. AND WITH THAT, I TURNED OVER TO LAURA TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ADVANCED COURSE OPPORTUNITIES.
SURE. SO WE FEEL VERY FORTUNATE AND ROUND ROCK ISD THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF DIFFERENT FLAVORS OF COURSES FOR KIDS TO PICK AND CHOOSE FROM.
AND SO KIDS EARN CREDIT IN THOSE COURSES AND A WIDE VARIETY OF WAYS.
SOME OF THEM KIDS GO THROUGH THE ENTIRE YEAR, WORK WITH COURSEWORK, AND THEN THERE'S AN EXAM THAT THEY NEED TO SCORE A CERTAIN AMOUNT ON OTHERS KIDS ARE ABLE TO.
JENNIFER, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND GOING BACK, JUST A TEENY BIT.
YEAH. AND SO OTHERS, THEY'RE ABLE TO EARN CREDIT BY THE ACTUAL GRADE THEY EARN IN THE CLASS, AND SO KIDS ARE ABLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR TEST TAKING SKILLS VERSUS IF THEY WANT TO PUT THE TIME AND EFFORT IN TO EARN THE GRADE AND NOT HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE TEST.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A SPECIAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, WHICH IS PRETTY EXCITING. AND SO THAT DOES GENERATE AN ACTUAL TRANSCRIPT FROM UT AUSTIN, WHERE KIDS ARE ABLE TO LEARN BOTH FROM ROUND ROCK ISD TEACHERS AS WELL AS FROM PROFESSORS AT THE SAME TIME. AND THEN AT THE END, THEY GET TO DETERMINE IF THEY WANT THE CREDIT, THE ROUND ROCK CREDIT OR JUST THE ROUND ROCK ISD CREDIT.
NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN WE HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORTS IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT OUR KIDS HAVE A LOT GOING ON, LOTS OF INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL AND LOTS OF THINGS HAPPENING OUTSIDE.
AND I THINK WITH THE PANDEMIC WE HEAR MORE AND MORE FROM OUR KIDS THAT THEY HAVE A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES GOING ON JOBS OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL DAY, HELPING THEIR FAMILIES.
AND SO WE KNOW PEOPLE NEED SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS.
WE OFFER SEMINARS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THAT ARE ONLINE AND THEY'RE ALSO ARCHIVED ON OUR WEBSITE SO YOU CAN VIEW THEM AT ANY POINT IN TIME.
BUT THEY SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT COLLEGE CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES WHILE THEY'RE WITH US.
ONE PIECE OF DATA THAT'S REALLY WONDERFUL IS WITH OUR ASEC COURSES ALONE, WE HAD KIDS SAVE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS TOWARD COLLEGE CREDIT JUST BY TAKING THOSE CLASSES WITH US THIS PAST YEAR, AND THAT WAS DURING A PANDEMIC.
WE ALSO HOST ONLINE COLLEGE BOARD COLLEGE PANELS, AND SO THEY CAN HEAR WHAT COLLEGES ARE REALLY LOOKING FOR, WHAT THEY NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN THEY ROUND OUT THEIR SELECTION OF COURSES. AND THEN FOR STAFF, WE DO A LOT OF SUPPORTIVE WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS FEEL THAT THEY HAVE THE BACKGROUND, THE STRATEGIES AND THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT KIDS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MASTER IN ORDER TO EARN THAT COLLEGE CREDIT.
NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN ONE OF THE BIGGEST INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW, THIS STARTED WITH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH HARVARD AND CONTINUES TODAY IS THAT WE HAVE PUT A LOT OF STRATEGIES IN PLACE WITH OUR CAMPUSES TO REMOVE BARRIERS. LOTS OF TIMES WE HEAR FROM KIDS THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT THE DIFFICULTY OF ADVANCED COURSES, AND WE REALLY WANT TO HELP KIDS UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE WIDE VARIETY THAT WE OFFER, THERE'S SOMETHING HERE FOR EVERYBODY.
AND SO WE'RE WORKING WITH CAMPUSES FOR THEM TO REACH OUT DIRECTLY TO FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT YET TRIED THESE COURSES TO BE ABLE TO SAY, WE CAN SEE THAT YOU'VE GOT STRENGTH BEHIND YOUR ACADEMICS, WE WANT YOU TO GIVE IT A WHIRL.
AND THE WEBSITE IS BUILT WITH RESOURCES FOR OUR CAMPUSES TO BE ABLE TO REACH OUT TO STUDENTS SO THAT OUR STUDENTS FEEL A LOT MORE WELCOME.
AND I WILL SAY THAT WE'VE SPENT LITERALLY HUNDREDS OF HOURS VISITING WITH PARENTS AND
[01:55:03]
STUDENTS WHO WERE CURRENTLY TAKING THESE CLASSES AND ASKING THE QUESTION HOW CAN WE MAKE THIS MORE ACCESSIBLE AS A DISTRICT? WHAT DO YOU NEED US TO KNOW SO THAT WE CAN SERVE KIDS BETTER? AND IT'S IT'S JUST REALLY POWERFUL INFORMATION WHEN YOU TAKE THE TIME TO STOP AND LISTEN TO OUR KIDS AND OUR FAMILIES.SO WE'RE REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
SO MORE MORE TO COME IN THIS AREA.
DARDEN, AND I DO WANT TO SAY BRIEFLY BEFORE WE MOVE ON FROM THE ADVANCED ACADEMICS OR EVENTS COURSE CREDIT PORTION IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENTS AT SIXTY FIVE PERCENT AND I KNOW OUR OUR TARGET ESSENTIALLY FOR 2022 IS SIXTY FIVE PERCENT.
SO I'M ANTICIPATING WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO COME IN SLIGHTLY UNDER THAT TARGET FOR THIS YEAR. SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE DEFINITELY LOOKING INTO AND INVESTIGATING AS STUDENTS START RIGHT AROUND NOW IS WHEN THEY'RE SIGNING UP FOR CLASSES FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO ARE THESE STUDENTS WERE SIGNING UP FOR CLASSES THIS TIME LAST YEAR.
SO I THINK THERE ARE SOME ELEMENTS OF THE PANDEMIC DEFINITELY THAT CONTRIBUTED AS THEY WERE SIGNING UP FOR CLASSES LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE TYPICALLY IF I LOOK AT THE HISTORICAL DATA, WE'RE USUALLY ABOUT TWO POINTS.
UNDER THE ENROLLMENT ARE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE IN THE CREDIT.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE WANT WE HAVE SIXTY FIVE PERCENT OF STUDENTS IN THERE.
WE WANT SIXTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS TO EARN THAT CREDIT AND WE'RE WORKING WITH WITH ALL OF THEM. BUT AS WE START NOW ON THIS PATTERN OF SHARING, TEAMS ALWAYS WANT TO BE UP FRONT AND, YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENT WITH WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS.
AND IF WE DO THINK THAT WE'RE ON TARGET SLIGHTLY, YOU KNOW, BELOW THE TARGET, THESE ARE STILL PROJECTIONS.
BUT AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS ONE, JUST BE UP FRONT WITH, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AT THIS POINT. SO GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON, THEN JENNIFER TO THE THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND AGAIN, GPM THREE POINT THREE ON THIS TALKS ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO WILL EARN AN INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO INCREASE THAT PERCENTAGE FROM EIGHT TO 15 PERCENT BY TWENTY TWENTY SIX.
AND OUR NEXT SLIDE THEN WE LOOK AT THE ENROLLMENT OF THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WHO WERE ENROLLED IN A IN ONE OR MORE INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION COURSES.
TWENTY EIGHTEEN AND 19 ALL THE WAY NOW THROUGH 21 22.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE WE'VE GROWN THE NUMBER OF PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS ENROLLED DIPPED ONE PERCENTAGE POINT THIS YEAR.
SO THAT'S JUST AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ENROLLMENT.
AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE AGAIN BREAKS IT DOWN INTO STUDENT GROUPS OF THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ENROLLED IN THOSE COURSES AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AT THIS TIME.
SO AGAIN, WE HAVE TWENTY EIGHT PERCENT ENROLLED, SO NOW OUR REAL WORK IS IS GETTING THEM TO TAKE THE TEST, PASS THE TESTS AND EARN THAT CERTIFICATION.
THAT'S THE END GOAL THAT WE HAVE FOR THEM.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER NOW TO SHERRY MS. BONDS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE MORE THE DETAILS ON THE COURSES.
THANK YOU, RYAN, AND GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS MOMENT JUST FOR A LITTLE BIT OF LIBERTY BECAUSE YOU'RE HOPEFULLY GOING TO APPROVE OUR RESOLUTION FOR THE MONTH FOR FEBRUARY.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS HERE IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
YOU KNOW, EVERYONE MIGHT HAVE A PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT CTC OR VOCATIONAL CLASSES LOOK LIKE WHEN YOU WERE IN SCHOOL OR, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A PERSPECTIVE OF SOMEONE ELSE.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU HERE IN ROUND ROCK, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE STATISTICS.
EIGHTY TWO PERCENT, THAT'S THE CURRENT PERCENTAGE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE SITTING IN ONE OF OUR ACADEMY CLASSES.
SO IT'S A LOT OF KIDS, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S NOT STUDENTS FROM ONE HIGH SCHOOL OR A DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD.
IT'S YOUR CHILDREN, IT'S YOUR NEIGHBORS.
SO ALL OF OUR KIDS ARE IN CTC AND THERE'S A VARIETY OF OPTIONS.
WE HAVE 100 DIFFERENT CLASSES WITHIN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION, SO IT SPANS A LARGE BREADTH OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.
NINETY SEVEN PERCENT IS THE CURRENT PERCENTAGE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT HAVE TAKEN AT LEAST ONE SEAT ACADEMY HIGH SCHOOL CLASS.
SO AGAIN, WE'RE GETTING EVERYBODY IN THE DOOR, AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S ALWAYS MORE WORK TO DO, BUT WE'RE WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE'RE PULLING ALL OF THOSE KIDS IN OUR ENROLLMENT WITHIN CTC MIMICS ALL OF OUR STUDENT POPULATIONS WITHIN TWO PERCENT PLUS OR MINUS.
SO IF WE HAD A STUDENT GROUP, THAT MIGHT BE 40 PERCENT OF OUR POPULATION WITHIN OUR COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOLS, 40 PERCENT OF OUR CITY POPULATION IS MADE UP OF THAT SAME STUDENT GROUP. SO WE'RE REALLY CLOSE WITHIN THOSE THOSE GROUPS.
SO IT'S TRULY OPEN ENROLLMENT.
100 PERCENT OF OUR COURSES AND THE ENTRY LEVEL ARE OPEN TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO WE WANT TO BRING EVERYBODY IN AND GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPLORE DIFFERENT CAREERS TO TO A LARGE DEPTH.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE SOME SUPPORTS THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
THE BIGGEST ONE, AND THAT'S WHY IT'S LISTED ON THE TOP, IS THAT ALL OF OUR EXAMS ARE INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATIONS.
BUT THEN ALSO THE OTHER LOCAL EXAMS WE OFFER TO OUR STUDENTS THAT AREN'T ON THE CMR LIST ARE COMPLETELY AT NO COST TO OUR STUDENTS.
SOME OF THE EXAMS MIGHT BE 10 OR 15 DOLLARS, BUT OTHERS RANGE UP ALMOST TO TWO HUNDRED DOLLARS PER EXAM.
[02:00:01]
AND THESE ARE PROFESSIONAL EXAMS. THESE ARE NOT HIGH SCHOOL GEARED EXAMS. THESE ARE EXAMS THAT PROFESSIONALS.AND SOME OF YOU MAY HOLD SOME OF THESE CERTIFICATIONS, LIKE ADOBE OR AUTODESK, THINGS LIKE AUTOCAD AND VENTRE REALLY, REALLY HIGH END SOFTWARE PACKAGES, BUT THEN ALSO REALLY SKILLED TECHNICAL AREAS.
AFC OR AUTOMOTIVE SERVICE EXCELLENCE, THAT'S ONE OF THE THE SIGNATURES THAT YOU WANT TO SEE WHEN YOU'RE DROPPING YOUR VEHICLE OFF AT AN AUTO REPAIR SHOP, YOU WANT TO KNOW THAT SOMEONE HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT EXCELLENCE.
SO THOSE ARE THE EXAMS THAT WE'RE GIVING TO OUR STUDENTS.
AND I'M SAYING THAT TO SHOW THE PRIDE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STUDENTS, THAT THEY'RE THAT THEY'RE ATTAINING THESE EXAMS, BUT ALSO JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE THESE AREN'T GEARED LIKE STAR AND OUR EEOC'S WHERE THEY'RE AT THE END OF THESE, THESE COURSES, THESE ARE EXAMS THAT ADULTS ARE TAKING.
OUR STUDENTS ARE CHALLENGING THESE EXAMS, AND SO IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE HIGHEST PASSING RATE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS INTENDED FOR 16 AND 18 YEAR OLD STUDENTS.
BUT OUR KIDS ARE OUT THERE AND OUR TEACHERS ARE PREPARING THEM AND THEY'RE TAKING THESE TESTS. WE GIVE THEM HANDS ON EXPERIENCES, PRACTICE EXAMS, PREPARATION MATERIALS.
IN SOME CASES, OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING CLINICAL ROTATIONS LIKE WITHIN OUR HEALTH SCIENCE.
WE'RE REALLY GETTING THEM OUT THERE SO THAT WE CAN GIVE THEM THE BEST SHOT THAT WE CAN AND ALWAYS LEARNING TO GROW TO GIVE THEM BETTER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PASSING RATES.
WE OFFER Y'ALL KNOW THAT IN THE PANDEMIC, WE HAD OUR SHIFT IN INSTRUCTION IN OUR SOFTWARE PACKAGES. WHEN OUR STUDENTS ALL HAVE THEIR CHROMEBOOKS, WE CAN'T DOWNLOAD SOFTWARE.
SO OUR STUDENTS ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO REMOTE INTO OUR DISTRICT LABS SO THAT THEY CAN GET AUTODESK AND ADOBE PHOTOSHOP, FOR INSTANCE, AT HOME SO THEY CAN STILL KEEP PRACTICING. A LOT OF OUR TEACHERS COME FROM INDUSTRY AND SO THEY CAN BRING IN SOME KNOWLEDGE. THE ONE THING, LIKE I DID SAY, THESE ARE INDUSTRY BASED EXAMS AT THE STATE AND NATIONAL LEVEL.
SO WHEN ACCOMMODATIONS ARE AVAILABLE, THOSE ARE MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENTS.
BUT THE TESTING VENDORS DETERMINE WHAT AVAILABILITY IS AND IF STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY ALLOWED TO USE THEIR ACCOMMODATION.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING AROUND AND WORKING WITH OUR TEACHERS, AND THEY WORK WITH THEIR SPECIAL ED STAFF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING STUDENTS THOSE ACCOMMODATION WHERE IT'S APPROPRIATE.
ONE LAST THING WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO ADD NEW EXAMS, AND THIS YEAR FOR THE FIRST TIME, WE WILL HAVE OUR FIRST STUDENTS TAKING THEIR F.A.A.
ONE HUNDRED SEVEN REMOTE DRONE PILOTS LICENSE AS PART OF THE DRONE AVIATION PROGRAM.
SO BOND TWENTY EIGHTEEN WE PASSED.
THE CONSTITUENTS APPROVED THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BEGIN OUR DRONE, AVIATION AND CYBERSECURITY SEQUENCE.
AND SO, LIKE I SAID, WE'RE IN THE SECOND YEAR OF BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS AND WE'RE EXCITED TO SEE SOME OF OUR STUDENTS CHALLENGING THOSE EXAMS. ALWAYS LOOKING TO ADD MORE, WE'RE ALSO ADDING HOPEFULLY OR WE WILL.
THE STUDENTS WILL BE TESTING FOR OUR FIRST WELDING CERTIFICATIONS THIS YEAR.
SO WE HAVE THE TECHNICAL SOFTWARE SIDE.
WE'VE GOT HANDS ON WITH THINGS LIKE CONSTRUCTION AND NCCAR, AND THEN WE'RE BRINGING IN THE WELDING, SO WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING TOWARD IT.
WE'RE STILL FACING SOME CHALLENGES THIS YEAR WITH COVID AND PREPARATION, BUT OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF ARE RESILIENT AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP ON MOVING THE NEEDLE FORWARD AND SUPPORTING THEM IN ANY WAY WE CAN.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SHERRY, FOR THAT UPDATE.
AND I THINK THAT DOES BRING US TO THE AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST ENROLLMENT UPDATES TONIGHT.
THE ENDPOINT DATA FOR THIS WILL COME LATER IN THE YEAR, BUT WE WANTED TO PROVIDE JUST AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE AND WE'RE READY FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
TRUSTEE WEIR, THEN TRUSTEE VESSA, I JUST I KNOW THAT THE DATA IS GOING TO COME, BUT I WONDER IF YOU COULD JUST SHARE WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE TWENTY EIGHT PERCENT ENROLLED, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT DO YOU PREDICT IS GOING TO ACTUALLY TEST? AND THEN OF THAT, WHAT IS YOUR I KNOW I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT OUR GOAL IS, AND I SHOULD KNOW THAT BECAUSE THAT'S LIKE AN LSG RULE TO KNOW WHAT ALL OUR STUFF IS, BUT AND THEN TO GET THE ACTUAL CERTIFICATION.
SO EACH OF THE CERTIFICATION AREAS ARE DIFFERENT.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT EVERY STUDENT WILL TEST.
SO THE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN OUR DNA OR THE CERTIFIED NURSE AIDE OR IN VETERINARY TECHNICIAN, THE STATE ACTUALLY MANDATES THAT THEY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF CLINICAL HOURS. SO IF THEY'RE ABLE TO REACH THEIR CLINICAL HOURS, THEN THE STUDENTS WILL BE READY TO TEST. SOME OF THOSE ARE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
OTHERS MIGHT BE WORKING IN A VET CLINIC TO GAIN THEIR HOURS AND HAVE TO TEST OVER THE SUMMER. SO WE LIKE TO SAY THAT ALL STUDENTS WILL MAKE IT PAST THE FINISH LINE AND TEST.
AND I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS ANOTHER QUESTION, AND I'M A LITTLE FOGGY BECAUSE I WAS AN ELEMENTARY CAMPUS ALL DAY TODAY.
SO YEAH, I WAS JUST JUST SORT OF YOUR HOW YOU PREDICT LIKE.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S THE TWENTY NINE PERCENT, HOW MANY ACTUALLY PASSED? MM HMM. SO I AM VERY HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL HAVE HIGHER PASSING RATES, KNOWING THAT OUR INSTRUCTION LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING MORE TIME WITH THEIR
[02:05:03]
TEACHERS THIS YEAR.SO I'M HOPEFUL THAT OUR PASSING RATES WILL INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR, BUT IT'S HARD TO MAKE A PREDICTION JUST AS OF YET.
ONE QUESTION. KIND OF LIKE OVERLAPS BETWEEN BOTH.
BOTH OF OUR PRESENTATIONS IS WHEN I HONESTLY, THIS IS MY FIRST SUMMER WHERE I HAVE A CHILD THAT WANTS TO TAKE A COURSE AT ASSISI THIS SUMMER BECAUSE SHE DOESN'T KNOW WHAT SHE WANTS TO DO. AND SO SHE WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN TRYING TO TAKE SOME OF THESE CERTIFICATION COURSES OVER THE SUMMER TO KIND OF GET AN IDEA OF LIKE, WELL, WHAT DO I WANT TO DO? AND THE ONE THING THAT WE'RE KIND OF CONFUSED ON IS CAN, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT SHE CAN TAKE OVER THE SUMMER AND GET CREDIT FOR? SO, SO WE HAVE BOTH, YOU KNOW, THEY KIND OF OVERLAP ON BOTH CAN.
CAN THEY TAKE A COURSE AT ASSISI OVER THE SUMMER AND EARN AN INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATION? SO I DEFINITELY I CAN'T SPEAK TO WHAT ALL OF THE INDUSTRY CERTIFICATIONS THAT HCC OFFERS, BUT THERE ARE SOME WEIR AWARE THAT WITHIN HEALTH SCIENCE, THEY WORK TOWARDS PHLEBOTOMY AND PHARMACY TECHNICIAN AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS.
THE DUAL CREDIT IS I WILL LET LAURA SPEAK TO IT.
I KNOW THERE'S A CROSSWALK IN THE COURSE CATALOG AND WHETHER THEY'RE ALL ACCEPTED OR NOT.
BUT IF SHE DOES EARN IN THE INDUSTRY BASED CERTIFICATIONS, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT THAT AND ADD IT TO THE TRANSCRIPT.
AND I WOULD SAY THE VERY, VERY BEST PLACE TO GO BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY NUANCES WOULD BE THE CAMPUS COUNSELOR TO VISIT AND TALK ABOUT IMPLICATIONS FOR COURSES AND AND FOR YOUR PLANNING. I GUESS ON MY QUESTION THERE IS IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE TRYING TO I MEAN, THEY MAY BE IN A FINE ART AND A SPORT, AND THEY ARE JUST THEIR SCHEDULES ARE PACKED AND THEY WANT TO DO A DUAL CREDIT CLASS.
THEY WANT TO DO GET A CERTIFICATION.
THEY JUST DON'T HAVE ROOM IN THEIR SCHEDULE.
AND SO THAT'S WHY I WAS KIND OF ASKING ABOUT, OK, WHAT ABOUT THIS SUMMER? CAN THEY DO SOME OF THESE THINGS IN THE SUMMER? AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE YOU'RE SAYING I'M NOT SURE, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I THINK, YOU KNOW, WOULD BE A GREAT OPTION FOR OUR STUDENTS.
I WAS SAYING A STUDENT CAN TAKE ANY CREDIT COURSE THAT THEY WOULD LIKE AT AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IT'S UP TO THE AGREEMENT THAT THE COLLEGE HAS WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AS TO WHETHER IT ACTUALLY COUNTS TOWARDS CREDIT TOWARDS ONE OF OUR COURSES.
YES. AND AND SO WHEN YOU VISIT WITH THE CAMPUS COUNSELOR ABOUT LONG TERM PLANNING, THEY'RE REALLY THE VERY BEST ONES TO GIVE ADVICE IN TERMS OF IF THIS IS WHAT YOU THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO. COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES LOOK AT THAT CREDIT IN THIS WAY LIKE WE'VE WE'VE HAD KIDS WORK REALLY HARD TO TAKE CERTAIN COURSES IN THAT DIRECTION, ONLY TO FIND OUT THE UNIVERSITY FEELS LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING TO MAJOR IN THIS AREA, YOU'VE GOT TO TAKE IT THROUGH US.
SO WE'LL LET YOU COUNT THAT AS AN ELECTIVE.
AND THEN KIDS WIND UP BEING DISAPPOINTED BECAUSE THEY WORKED SUPER HARD TO EARN THE COLLEGE CREDIT, ONLY TO FIND OUT IT'S NOT GOING TO COUNT IN THE WAY THAT THEY HOPED IT WOULD. SO REALLY, OUR CAMPUS COUNSELORS ARE THE VERY, VERY BEST FIRST SPOT FOR SHOPPING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO SOURCE THROUGH ACH OR ANOTHER AVENUE IN THAT WAY.
NEXT IS TRUSTEE HARRISON, THEN TRUSTEE XIAO, I'LL BE SUPER BRIEF.
I JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU BOTH.
DARDEN. I SAW THE I AM ADVANCED ACADEMICS CAMPAIGN ON FACEBOOK THE OTHER DAY, AND I LOVED IT. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL AND I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS, AND YOU ALL REALLY LIKE CHASING DOWN PARENTS AND STUDENTS TO HEAR THEIR CONCERNS.
WHEN I WAS TEACHING, I WAS HEARING CONCERNS FROM STUDENTS THAT I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF, AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WORK AND I'M DEEPLY GRATEFUL.
SO TODAY'S THIS TWO TOPIC IN ADVANCE CAUSES THAT TWO TOPICS IS THIS MOST INTERESTING TOPIC, MY PERSONAL INTEREST IN BEING ON THE BOARD.
THAT BEING SAID, I DON'T THINK A QUESTION, BUT I HAVE SOME COMMENTS, MAYBE SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS IN SOME SENSE, THE ONE THING IS PROVIDING ADVANCED COURSEWORK.
I WOULD DEFINITELY ENCOURAGE MORE STUDENTS TO ENROLL IN ADVANCED COURSEWORK, BUT I THINK SOMETIMES WE'RE ENCOURAGED TO THEM FOR THE WRONG REASON.
[02:10:01]
FOR ONE IS.UM, ENROLLED IN THE COURSE, BUT OF COURSE, THE GOAL SHOULDN'T BE JUST GETTING TO SAVE MONEY, TO GET CREDIT.
OR IT SHOULDN'T BE GET A BETTER GRADE BECAUSE IT WEIGHTS MORE.
IT SHOULD BE ACTUAL LEARNING WHETHER THEY BE SUCCESSFUL IN COLLEGE.
THAT'S WHAT I LEARNED, A LOT OF KIDS SIGNING FOR ADVANCED COURSEWORK FOR THE WRONG REASON. AND THIS WE ARE ACTUALLY SET UP FOR THEM TO FAIL AT COLLEGE LATER.
BECAUSE WHEN I LOOK AT ADVANCED COURSES, NOT ALL OF THESE COURSES ARE SAME QUALITY.
IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THE TEACHER.
IF IT WERE WANT TO EVALUATE HOW GOOD WE'RE DOING IN THIS FIELD IN THIS AREA, WE SHOULDN'T JUST LOOK AT HOW MANY STUDENTS ENROLL IN ADVANCED COURSEWORK.
WEIR ADDITIONAL DATA POINT ONE IS, WELL, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THEY PERFORM AT THE AP TEST, IF I TAKE AP COURSES, RIGHT? WHAT'S GOING TO GET AS FAR AS TO KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, ITS SIZE, SHAPE, SIZE, AP PHYSICS, A LOT OF KIDS JUST GET ONE OUT OF FIVE.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG. EVEN OFFER THOSE COURSES.
BUT WE DIDN'T. MAKE THOSE STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL.
WE NEED TO CHANGE THAT, RIGHT? ANOTHER THING IS WHEN I LOOK AT A DEMOCRATIC CAUSES, I THINK THE SUBPAR OFFERINGS.
I BELIEVE THE CURRICULUM THE COURSES OFFER IS SHRINKING.
THE LIST OFFERING, I DON'T KNOW, IS BECAUSE THE AGREEMENT WITH ISD COMMUNITY COLLEGE OR SOME OTHER LEGISLATION REASONS A LOT OF ELECTIVE COURSES ARE GONE FROM THE COURSE CATALOG. THE INTERESTING FOR ME, IT'S INTERESTING, SELECTIVE, GONE FROM THE COURSE CATALOG. THAT'S WHAT WHAT I SEE.
ACTUALLY, MANY OTHER THINGS REGARDING EVENTS, KOSOVO, I WOULD JUST SAY REGARDING CITY PROGRAM. I FOUND IT EXACT OPPOSITE.
I'M NOT SO MUCH INTO CERTIFICATIONS, THEIR CERTIFICATIONS.
AGAIN, NOT ALL CERTIFICATION HAD THE SAME WEIGHT.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOFTWARE PACKAGES, WHETHER IT'S ADOBE, WHETHER ADOBE PHOTOSHOP, AUTODESK, AUTOCAD, ALL THOSE THINGS.
WHEN I'M IN THE TECH INDUSTRY, WHEN I HIRE SOMEBODY TO DO THE JOB, I DON'T CARE ABOUT A CERTIFICATION. BECAUSE ALL THOSE CERTIFICATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION, ALL THOSE CERTIFICATION IS THERE'S AN INDUSTRY THAT PROVIDE THOSE EXAMS. BUT ARE THOSE EXAMS ACTUALLY REALLY MATTER TO EMPLOYER? NOT NECESSARILY JUST CERTAIN COMPANIES.
MAYBE THEY HAVE REGULATION OF WHATEVER STUFF THEY NEED THE CERTIFICATION.
BUT IN MOST CASES, THOSE BASIC LEVEL CERTIFICATION, WHEN I HIRE PEOPLE I'M NOT LOOKING AT, I'M LOOKING AT A PORTFOLIO.
IF THEY CLAIM THEY CAN DO ALL THE DESIGN, I WANT TO SEE THE DESIGN PORTFOLIO THEY HAVE DONE. I DON'T CARE IF YOU TAKE IT EXAM PASS THE CERTIFICATION, THAT IS NOT IMPORTANT.
BUT AGAIN, THIS AGAIN, JUST MY PERSONAL TAKE FOR CITY PROGRAM, I REALLY WANT TO SEE INTEGRATION, THE ECONOMIC COURSES, INTEGRATION WITH THE SCIENCE COURSES, WITH THE LANGUAGE ART COURSES, WITH OTHER THINGS THAT LOOK AT A COHERENT PICTURE, NOT JUST FOR ONE PARTICULAR ACADEMIC COURSE, ACADEMIC ACADEMY PASS.
ANOTHER THINK THAT REALLY BOTHERS ME THAT IF YOU WANT TO TAKE SOME ACADEMY COURSE AS ELECTIVE, IT SEEMS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE A PASS THE FOUR YEAR PASS.
YOU CANNOT JUST JUMP IN THE SECOND YEAR OR THIRD YEAR.
SO I WANT TO TAKE THAT ELECTIVES BECAUSE I'M INTERESTED IN THIS LETTER.
YOU HAVE TO TAKE THE PREREQUISITE, WHICH IS IN THE FIRST AND SECOND YEAR.
SO IT'S REALLY HARD FOR A STUDENT TO MAKE A PLAN AT THEIR FRESHMAN.
OH, I DECIDED TO DO THIS FOR COMMITTED FOR A FOUR YEAR CAREER.
IT'S I DON'T THINK IT'S A PROBLEM WITH A DISTRICT OR IS IT JUST LEGISLATION OR EVERYBODY'S DOING THIS? WE'RE FORCED TO DO IT DOING THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE RIGHT WAY TO DO THINGS.
THIS ISN'T JUST JUST REAL QUICK, DR.
XIAO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THAT I THINK WE AGREE THAT THOSE ARE ALL VERY IMPORTANT METRICS THAT WE MEASURE AS WELL.
[02:15:02]
HOW STUDENTS ARE ARE PERFORMING ON AP EXAMS. THE I MEAN, THOSE ARE DEFINITELY THINGS THAT WE TRACK AND WORK WITH CAMPUSES ON AND WORK WITH TEACHERS ON AND AND FAMILIES.THE PURPOSES FOR OUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT, THOUGH, WAS ABOUT THE GPM.
THAT'S WHY WE FOCUSED ON THE ENROLLMENT AND KIND OF DRIVING TOWARDS THAT, THIS PARTICULAR METRIC THAT WE DECIDED TO MEASURE.
SO I JUST DON'T I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT WE'RE DISCOUNTING ANY OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OR ALSO, YOU KNOW, VERY IN TUNED IN AND ON THE SAME PAGE WITH WITH THAT AS WELL. THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, RYAN, I THINK THAT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE GPMS THAT WE HAVE APPROVED AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR STUDENT SUCCESSES ON THOSE.
AND SO WHILE I VALUE YOUR OPINION, THERE ARE A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE THAT WOULD DISAGREE THAT CERTIFICATIONS ARE ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK THAT WE'D HAVE AN INCREDIBLE, YOU KNOW, CTE DEPARTMENT THAT IS DOING A LOT OF REALLY GREAT THINGS. SO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON.
OK, THEN WE WILL MOVE OVER TO ITEM F5 , THE PURCHASING AND RFP PROCESS REVIEW.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'M SORRY, I FORGOT TO SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
MS. BONDS AND DR. DARDEN AND MR. SMITH, SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PURCHASING AND THE RFP PROCESS OVERVIEW.
I DID GIVE ALL OF THE TRUSTEES HOMEWORK.
YOU SHOULD HAVE WATCHED THE VIDEO, REVIEWED THE SLIDES, GONE BACK AND REWATCH THE VIDEO FROM THE MEETING IN FEBRUARY OF 2019.
MR. PULLMAN WILL NOT BE DOING A PRESENTATION.
THIS WILL BE JUST A BRIEF QUESTION AND ANSWER TIME, BUT I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
PRESLEY. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT FELLER.
WE HAVE MR. PULLMAN HERE TONIGHT AND WE'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IN THE RFP PROCESS.
SO HE DID SEND A LOT OF INFORMATION TO YOU TO REVIEW.
AND SO I THINK HE'S HERE TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
MR. COVINGTON, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, IS HERE AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, FEEL FREE TO ASK THEM.
YOU CAN ALWAYS ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH MORE EMAIL QUESTIONS.
WE RECEIVE SOME ALREADY, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO CONTINUE THAT CONVERSATION EVEN OUTSIDE OF THIS MEETING. SO I DID WANT TO JUST CLARIFY REAL QUICK FOR ANYBODY WATCHING FROM HOME.
THE VIDEO THAT I REFERENCED AND THE PRESENTATION ARE ON THE WEBSITE ATTACHED TO THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT. SO IF ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT OUR HOMEWORK WAS, THAT IS ALL THERE FOR YOU TO REVIEW ON YOUR OWN.
SO LET'S SEE. DO I SEE ANY LIGHTS? TRUSTEE BONE.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING THESE QUESTIONS BEFOREHAND.
I JUST KIND OF WANT TO REFLECT ON ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I ASKED AND I ASKED, WHY IS THE RFP PROCESS NOT BLIND WITH NO COMPANY NAMES? BECAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S TWO WAYS TO DO IT AND THE PARAGRAPH THAT I GOT BACK.
SO THE DIRECT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE PROPOSED PROJECT STAFF, THEIR WORK HISTORY WITH THE COMPANY AND THE COMPANY'S EXPERIENCE REPEAT CLIENTS IS NECESSARY FOR THE PROPER REVIEW OF THE PROPOSAL.
THE DISTRICT GIVES CONSIDERATION TO SIMILAR PROJECTS BEING SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED AND MANAGED BY THE PROPOSED STAFF.
I THINK MAYBE THIS IS WHERE THE DISCONNECT HAS COME BETWEEN AT LEAST MY EXPECTATIONS AND AND MAYBE HOW THE RFP PROCESS IS DONE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE I THINK AS A TRUSTEE, I JUST WANT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WHEN I HEAR BEST VALUE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET. I BELIEVE THAT'S THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY, WHICH WAS TO SELECT THE BEST VALUE.
AND IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, BEING IN THE ENGINEERING WORLD.
I, YOU KNOW, PUT ALL OUR FEES, WE GET THEM BACK.
I'VE BEEN ON BOTH SIDES OF IT.
AND REMEMBER, WE'RE GOING TO TRY AND NOT TELL STORIES.
YEAH, I THINK JUN JUST LIKE RAMBLED FOR 20 MINUTES.
SO I'M GETTING SOMEWHERE WITH THIS.
AND SEE, NOW I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, IS IN THE RFP PROCESS HERE WHEN WE DON'T MAKE THEM BLIND? AND WE JUST KEEP.
IT SEEMS LIKE WE JUST KEEP GOING WITH THE SAME COMPANY OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I THINK THIS PARAGRAPH TO ME SPOKE TO WHY THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
IS THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS A CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD, BUT I THINK I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE MAYBE THE RFP PROCESS CHANGE A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NEW COMPANIES THAT ARE COMING TO US.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S COMPANIES THAT YOU KNOW, ARE MAYBE MINORITY OWNED.
I THINK THERE'S SOME VALUES THAT MAYBE THIS BOARD HAS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THE RFP PROCESS THAT IS NOT ALLOWING SOME OF THESE COMPANIES TO GET IN.
SO I GUESS I'M JUST KIND OF ASKING THE OTHER TRUSTEES IF THERE'S AN INTEREST INTO.
MAYBE HAVING DR PRESLEY AND THE TEAM GO OFF AND KIND OF REEVALUATE, AND MAYBE IT IS, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S NECESSARILY A BLIND PROCESS, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING HERE THAT THAT IS MAYBE I WOULDN'T USE THE WORD BROKEN, BUT MAYBE IT JUST DOESN'T MEET OUR VALUES.
[02:20:07]
WELL, YEAH, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT, SO I WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER WITH OUR TEAM, AS I SAID, MR. COVINGTON'S HERE TONIGHT, AND HE AND I HAVE.HE'S BEEN A REAL ASSET TO THE DISTRICT IN THE SHORT TIME HE'S BEEN HERE, AND WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE SOME OF OUR PROCEDURES, NOT JUST IN PROCUREMENT. THE BASELINE FOR THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS GOVERNED BY WHAT WE CAN AND CAN'T DO BY THE STATE OF TEXAS.
BUT ANY REFINEMENT WE CAN DO, AND I'M ALWAYS INTERESTED IN HEARING OTHER PEOPLE'S OPINION ABOUT HOW THEY'VE DONE IT IN OTHER PLACES OR OTHER STATES AND SEE WITHIN OUR PARAMETERS THE STATE GIVES US WHAT WE CAN DO TO IMPROVE.
SO I'D LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET TOGETHER WITH THE TEAM AND MAYBE HAVE SOME SUGGESTED IMPROVEMENTS OR CHANGES TO THE PROCESS THAT WOULD BE MORE PLEASING TO THE BOARD.
I JUST THINK THERE'S A PERCEPTION FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT AND FROM SOME TRUSTEES AND MYSELF THAT WE SELECT THE SAME PEOPLE OVER AND OVER AGAIN, AND THAT I THINK BECAUSE OF THAT PERCEPTION, I KNOW ONE GENTLEMAN ACTUALLY CAME AND SPOKE.
THERE MIGHT BE A PERCEPTION THAT PEOPLE QUIT ACTUALLY TURNING IN RFP TO US BECAUSE THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, I'M JUST NOT GOING TO DO THIS ANYMORE BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE TIME.
IT TAKES TIME AND MONEY FOR THEM.
SO I JUST I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT.
I'M HEARING THAT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE GENTLEMAN THAT CAME AND SPOKE.
WE'RE HEARING THAT NOW FROM THE TURF COMPANY, AND I JUST DON'T WANT TO GET TO THE POINT THAT PEOPLE QUIT GIVING US RFPS BECAUSE WE KEEP SELECTING THE SAME COMPANIES OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IT'S SEEMS LIKE THEY CAN'T BREAK IN.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT MY COLLEAGUES THINK, THOUGH, OF LIKE MAYBE LOOKING INTO THE RFP PROCESS AND MAYBE REVAMPING IT A LITTLE BIT TO MEET OUR VALUES.
SO, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE A CONSENSUS FROM THE BOARD THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO REEXAMINE OUR RFP PROCESS? YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY JUST KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
I MEAN, I DO REALLY APPRECIATE HOW YOU PUT THE MINORITY OWNED OR YOU ADDED THAT LINE.
BUT I WONDER IF THERE IS A WAY TO GIVE THAT SOME WEIGHT.
AND WHEN WE DO IT, AND ALSO, I WOULD SAY TO A WEIGHT TO THOSE LOCAL COMPANIES, I MEAN, WE'RE A HUGE PART OF ROUND ROCK.
SO I THINK WE HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE SMALLER COMPANIES HERE IN ROUND ROCK THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING WITH OUR ROUND ROCK DOLLARS RATHER THAN GOING OUT TO OTHER AREAS.
IF THEY QUALIFY, THEN WE SHOULD KEEP IT HERE.
THAT WOULD JUST BE MY SUGGESTION.
TRUSTEE HARRISON, YEAH, SO I DON'T WANT TO MICROMANAGE YOUR PROCESS, I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU GUYS, YOU ALL ARE RECIPIENTS OF THE TASBO, YOU KNOW, AWARD OF MERIT OVER AND OVER AGAIN. SO YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING, HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, AISD DOES HAS THE HAVE THE AUSTIN HUB PROGRAM, IT'S THE HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS PROGRAM AND IT LOOKS AT NOT JUST RACE, BUT ALSO GENDER.
SO THEY'RE LOOKING AT AFRICAN-AMERICAN, ASIAN AND NATIVE AMERICAN, HISPANIC AND WOMEN OWNED BUSINESSES IN TERMS OF UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESS, AND THEY HAVE A WHOLE OFFICE WITH STAFF. AND SO IT DEFINITELY SEEMS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN BE DOING.
AND I ALSO AGREE WITH SECRETARY WEIR THAT IT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE WHAT WE COULD DO TO PRIVILEGE LOCAL, OBVIOUSLY STILL SEEKING THE BEST, BUT TRYING TO KEEP OUR DOLLARS AND OUR RESOURCES AS CLOSE TO HOME AS POSSIBLE.
BUT I JUST-- I SUPPORT US LOOKING AT THIS PROCESS AND I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOUR EXPERTISE AND I DON'T WANT TO MICROMANAGE YOU AT THE SAME TIME.
WELL, ONCE AGAIN, IF WE CAN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LOOK AT AND MAYBE EVEN COMPARE WITH SOME OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING ALONG THOSE LINES, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IN THE TIME I'VE BEEN WORKING HERE AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE THAT WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO TRADITIONALLY GOTTEN BIDS THAT WERE UPSET BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET A BID.
AND THEY KIND OF FELT LIKE, WHY DIDN'T I GET A BID? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, SO IT WORKS ON BOTH SIDES.
BUT I KNOW ANY TIME A VENDOR DOES A GOOD JOB OR A CONTRACTOR PRESENTS AND THEY DON'T GET SELECTED, THERE'S ALWAYS A LEVEL OF FRUSTRATION.
BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE OUR PROCESS IS FAIR.
THE BOARD COME THROUGH WITH IT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE BUILD THAT TRUST BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION, AS WELL AS THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE COMMUNITY THAT WE'RE MAKING GOOD DECISIONS AND WE'RE BEING FAIR ON EVERY FRONT.
TRUSTEE XIAO, OR VESSA, DO YOU HAVE ANY OPINIONS ON? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD [INAUDIBLE]-- I HAVEN'T I HAVEN'T WEIGHED IN ON IT.
I MEAN, CERTAINLY I'M OPEN TO INCLUDING OTHER-- I DEFINITELY THINK THIS IS A DISCUSSION WE NEED TO HAVE IN TERMS OF THE PROCESS RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, RFPS.
WHAT ARE OUR VALUES? WHAT DO WE WANT TO SEE EXPRESSED IN THE PROCESS THAT ARE OUR VALUES?
[02:25:02]
NOTHING THAT WAS SAID TONIGHT, WHETHER THAT BE LOCAL OR HISTORICALLY UNDERUTILIZED BUSINESSES. THOSE ARE ALL WONDERFUL THINGS TO ADD TO THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS.AND I'M OPEN TO ADDING THOSE TO THE SCORING CRITERIA BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE BRING AS ELECTED MEMBERS IS WHAT ARE THE VALUES OF THE COMMUNITY IS WE DO THIS WORK, THEY DO THE WORK. BUT WHAT ARE THE VALUES THAT WE WANT TO INCORPORATE IT IN THE WORK? GREAT. THANK YOU. TRUSTEE XIAO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? NOT, PARTICULARLY.
I HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN RFP, BUT I HAD NO EXPERTISE IN CONSTRUCTION, ENGINEERING THOSE TYPE THINGS, SO I DON'T HAVE A STRONG OPINION ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
OK, GREAT. I THINK YOU DO HAVE A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE YOU GUYS EVALUATE IT AND BRING US BACK SOMETHING.
YOU KNOW, THE REAL TARGET IN ALL THIS IS THAT-- TO BUILD A COMFORT LEVEL WITH THE BOARD.
SO, YOU TRUST THAT WHEN WE GO OUT FOR BIDS THAT YOU DON'T QUESTION BECAUSE THE LAST THING THE BOARD WANTS IS COMMUNITY MEMBERS COMING TO YOU INDIVIDUALLY AND SAYING, HEY, I DIDN'T GET THIS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN THAT WHATSOEVER.
JUST LIKE USUALLY UPPER, I MEAN, SUPERINTENDENTS ARE NOT EVER INVOLVED IN ANYTHING LIKE THAT. AND SO YOU CAN FLIP IT TO WHERE THEN IT LOOKS LIKE ALL YOU'VE GOT TO DO IS GO TO A BOARD MEMBER AND YOU CAN GET A BID AND YOU DON'T EVER WANT TO DO THAT.
SO THE TARGET IS TO BUILD THE TRUST IN THE PROCESS SO THAT IF SOMEONE WERE TO CONTACT YOU, YOU CAN SAY, I TRUST WHAT MR. PULLMAN AND HIS TEAM ARE DOING AND YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
SO. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROCESS? FABULOUS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRE-WORK AND MAKING THIS NOT A THREE HOUR PRESENTATION, I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
SURE. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR FEEDBACK AND FOR TAKING THE TIME TO WATCH MY PRESENTATION.
PLEASE KNOW IN 22 MINUTES IT WAS A VERY HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR PROCESS.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW YOU HAVE AN OPEN INVITATION TO COME TO OUR OFFICE AS IN PART OR IN WHOLE AS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO VISIT WITH US AND REALLY DISCUSS MORE IN DEPTH THE TYPES OF THINGS.
THERE'S MUCH MORE TO CONSIDER THAN WHAT WAS JUST IN THE PRESENTATION.
IN THE VIDEO, I SAW THAT WE ARE GIVING FEEDBACK TO THE TO THE BUSINESS THAT DIDN'T GET THE BID. BUT IN THE EMAIL WE GOT AS ONE GENTLEMAN TALKED ABOUT, HE DIDN'T GET FEEDBACK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I'M SORRY.
WELL, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY HAVE TO ASK FOR IT.
THEY DO. AND JUST A LITTLE HISTORY ON THAT.
THAT VENDOR DID MAKE THAT REQUEST BACK IN EITHER LATE 2019 OR 2020 AFTER A PROJECT THAT THEY WERE NOT SELECTED FOR.
WE DID MAKE THAT OFFER AND THEY BUT NEVER PURSUED IT.
THEY MADE THE REQUEST AGAIN TO MEET WITH OUR EVALUATION COMMITTEE.
WE CAN'T ALLOW ONE VENDOR TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE, ESPECIALLY NOT WHILE THE EVALUATION IS ACTIVE WITHOUT AFFORDING THAT OPPORTUNITY TO EACH OF THE OTHER VENDORS AS WELL.
WE WILL ABSOLUTELY WELCOME THEM TO COME VISIT WITH OUR EVALUATORS AND MEET WITH THEM, AS WELL AS DO WHAT WE CALL A DEBRIEF WHERE WE GO OVER THEIR PROPOSAL AND GIVE THEM POINTERS ON WHERE THEY COULD IMPROVE.
SHOW THEM THE SPECIFICS OF WHERE THEY LOST POINTS AND WHAT THEY COULD DO BETTER IN THE FUTURE TO IMPROVE THEIR PROPOSALS.
BUT WE CAN'T DO SO DURING THE EVALUATION PROCESS OF A SOLICITATION THAT THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S MOVE ON TO ITEM G1.
THIS IS DISCUSSION ITEMS ONLY WE WILL NOT BE MAKING ANY DECISIONS ON THIS, BUT DRAFT
[G. DISCUSSION ITEMS]
OPTIONS FOR THE 2022-2023 AND 2023-2024 ACADEMIC CALENDARS.TONIGHT WE HAVE EDDIE CURRAN HERE, CHIEF OF OUR HR DEPARTMENT, AND KRISTINA SNOW, WHO IS A WALKING ENCYCLOPEDIA OF ALL THINGS CALENDARS AND INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES AND DO'S AND DON'TS. AND SHE'S DONE THAT-- SHE'S BEEN A SOLDIER IN THAT WORLD FOR US FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. SO THANKS FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON THAT.
THERE IS A PROCESS FOR APPROVING CALENDARS AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET BACK TO WHERE WE HAVE TWO YEARS APPROVED IN ADVANCE.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US.
SO EDDIE. GOOD EVENING, PRESENT FELLER, TRUSTEE, DR.
PRESLEY. YOU STOLE MY THUNDER.
MY JOB HERE IS TO INTRODUCE THE SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT FOR DISTRICT CALENDARS.
AND THAT IS MY FRIEND KRISTINA SNOW.
SHE'S OUR DIRECTOR OF LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT IN OUR HR DEPARTMENT, AND I'M NOT GOING TO SAY TOO MUCH MORE. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO HER.
SO SHE'S GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR DRAFT PROPOSALS.
[02:30:03]
ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.SO WE ARE BACK TO LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR.
WE DID TAKE A REPRIEVE LAST YEAR WITH THE UNCERTAINTY WITH THE PANDEMIC AND WHAT WAS COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE.
AND WE HAD BEEN TWO YEARS AHEAD, SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE GETTING BACK ON THAT PATTERN.
SO AGAIN, WE ARE GETTING BACK TO THAT TWO YEAR PATTERN WHERE WE WILL NOT ONLY APPROVE NEXT YEAR'S CALENDAR, BUT A UNIQUE THING THAT OUR DISTRICT WAS DOING AND WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO DOING IS ACTUALLY BEING TWO YEARS AHEAD FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.
IT HELPS ALSO FOR OUR FAMILIES.
YOU WILL BE SEEING TWO DRAFT VERSIONS OF EACH OF THESE TWO SCHOOL YEARS THAT WILL BE GOING OUT NOT ONLY TO YOU TO LOOK AT THIS EVENING, BUT ALSO IN A SURVEY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT QUITE SURE YET ON THE DECISION THAT WILL BE MADE NEXT MONTH WITH POSSIBLY A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION DECISION.
SO WE HAVE DRAFTED A VERSION THAT IS FOR BOTH SCHOOL YEARS, FOR DISTRICT OF INNOVATION AND ONE IF THERE IS A DECISION FOR NON-DISTRICT OF INNOVATION.
SO THAT WILL BE A UNIQUE PIECE TO THIS TIME IN LOOKING AT THESE CALENDARS.
WE DID HAVE A LOVELY COMMITTEE.
THEY COME TOGETHER WHEN WE DO THIS ANNUALLY.
WE HAD 39 MEMBERS, PARENT REPRESENTATIVES, TEACHER REPRESENTATIVES, WE HAD CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS AND WE HAVE DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVES FROM DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE DEFINITELY AFFECTED AND OR BRING AN EXPERTISE SUCH AS OUR ASSESSMENT DEPARTMENT.
BECAUSE CALENDARS AND ASSESSMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT KIND OF THING PLAY A ROLE.
SO WE BRING THOSE TOGETHER AND WE DID A-- MADE SURE WE HAD A BALANCE BETWEEN OUR FIVE LEARNING COMMUNITY SO THAT EVERYONE FELT THAT THEY HAD A VOICE AND ALSO A BALANCE BETWEEN ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH.
SO THE CRITERIA, THERE'S MULTIPLE PIECES, BUT THE MAIN CRITERIA POINT IS THAT BY OUR RULES OR WE ARE GOVERNED BY THE STATE, WE MUST BRING TOGETHER SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED OPERATIONAL MINUTES FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THAT SCHOOL YEAR TO BE-- AND ITS BELL TO BELL. WE MUST ALSO INCLUDE ON THESE ACADEMIC CALENDARS ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SEVEN TEACHER WORK DAYS FOR, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTUALLY WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT'S INCLUDED.
AND THEN SINCE THE DISTRICT DOES SEEK ANNUALLY FROM YOU, AND THAT WILL USUALLY HAPPEN LATER IN THE YEAR, A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WAIVER FOR FIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS THAT CAN COUNT TOWARDS [INAUDIBLE] TWENTY ONE HUNDRED OPERATIONAL MINUTES.
WE DO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND WE'RE PLANNING THESE DRAFTS AHEAD OF TIME.
IF THAT WERE TO NOT BE APPROVED, WE WOULD JUST COME BACK AND DO AN AMENDMENT.
BUT IN LOOKING AT THAT, THOSE FIVE DAYS MUST TAKE PLACE DUE TO THE WAIVER RULES BETWEEN THE FIRST AND THE LAST DAY OF INSTRUCTION.
ALSO, WITHOUT A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION PLAN AGAIN, WHICH IS A POSSIBILITY, IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT [INAUDIBLE] THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR COULD NOT START BEFORE THE FOURTH MONDAY OF AUGUST IF WE ARE NOT A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION.
AND THEN IF WE ARE A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION, IT CAN START AS EARLY AS THE SECOND MONDAY.
ALTHOUGH WE DON'T EVER SEEK TO START THAT EARLY OF AUGUST.
WE ALWAYS JUST BUMP IT UP A FEW DAYS JUST SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SOME THINGS HAPPEN SO THAT WE CAN GET DONE BY MEMORIAL DAY.
SO THIS YEAR WE DID SOMETHING DIFFERENT, AND WE'RE VERY GLAD WE DID THIS, WE ASKED.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE TALKED TO OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT CALENDAR.
AND IT SAYS NOVEMBER, THAT'S [INAUDIBLE] WHEN WE GOT THE RESULTS.
BUT WE DID THE SURVEY FROM OCTOBER THE 14TH THROUGH THE 26TH, AND WE SENT THAT OUT TO ALL OF OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE FOUND OVERWHELMINGLY THAT WE HAD SOME TRENDS AND TWO OF THOSE TRENDS THAT WE FOUND WERE THAT ALL GROUPS THAT WE SURVEYED PREFER AN EARLIER START DATE IN AUGUST, RATHER THAN GOING LATER AFTER MEMORIAL DAY BECAUSE IT IS A GIVE AND TAKE.
YOU ONLY HAVE SO MANY DAYS AND YOU HAVE TO FIT IT ALL IN.
SO IF WE GO, YOU KNOW, EARLIER, THEN YOU HAVE THE END, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT SHIFTS.
AND SO IN ASKING, THEY'D RATHER START EARLIER AND ALL GROUPS SIGNIFICANTLY PREFERRED, EITHER STARTING EARLIER, ENDING LATER, RATHER THAN YOU TOUCHING THE HOLIDAYS THEY LOVE THE WEEKS OFF [INAUDIBLE] THANKSGIVING, SPRING BREAK.
THAT WAS UNANIMOUS FROM ALL GROUPS, PARENTS, STAFF, EVERYONE, PRINCIPALS, EVERYONE.
FEATURES OF THE DRAFTS THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT HERE IN A MINUTE IS THAT ALL OF THESE DRAFTS MEET AND EXCEED THAT SEVENTY FIVE THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED OPERATIONAL MINUTE REQUIREMENT. AND THEY ARE EXCEEDING THAT BY 885 MINUTES AND THAT IT WILL BANK TO BAD
[02:35:02]
WEATHER DAYS OR OTHER DISASTER KIND OF DAY.AS WE'VE LEARNED, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT DISASTERS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO YOU DO BANK THAT TIME WITHIN THE SCHOOL YEAR AND ON BOTH OF THESE DAYS, BOTH CALENDAR OPTIONS DOI AND NON-DOI VERSIONS.
THERE IS A PROPOSED STUDENT AND STAFF HOLIDAY FOR NOVEMBER THE 8TH 2022.
AS A MAJOR ELECTION DAY, WE DECIDED THAT IT WASN'T MAYBE SOMETHING WE WANTED TO SEEK EVERY SINGLE YEAR BECAUSE THERE ARE-- THE EVEN YEARS ARE BIGGER ELECTION DAYS WHERE THERE'S LONGER LINES AND SO [INAUDIBLE] LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR.
IT'S A MAJOR ELECTION YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER NOT AS MUCH, BUT THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IT MIGHT BE A TREND THAT WE MIGHT WANT TO START LOOKING AT.
THE NON-DOI DRAFTS DO EXTEND AFTER MEMORIAL DAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO START LATER AND THAT WOULD BE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS DUE TO THAT LATE START DATE.
THE DOI DRAFTS, ON THE OTHER HAND, WILL END BY MEMORIAL DAY FOR BOTH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND THEN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY PLACEMENT HAS VARIED OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE WORKED IN THIS DISTRICT.
BUT IN THAT PRE SURVEY, WE FOUND THAT THE MAJORITY PREFERRED A MONDAY THAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR. WE'RE DOING ONE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY ON A MONDAY SPACED OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO WE REALLY TRIED TO STICK WITH THAT, AS IS KIND OF THE MAJOR TREND.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. SO A TIMELINE OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN AFTER WE PRESENT HERE TONIGHT IS THAT TOMORROW A STAFF AND COMMUNITY SURVEY WILL GO OUT WITH THESE DRAFT CALENDARS TO GET FEEDBACK. IT'S ALWAYS INTERESTING TO SEE HOW THAT COMES OUT.
SOMETIMES WE DO SEE SOME MAJOR TRENDS THAT DO HAVE US TAKE ANOTHER LOOK, AND SO WE WILL COME BACK ON FEBRUARY THE 3RD AS A COMMITTEE TO REVIEW THAT FEEDBACK.
AND IF THERE IS A NEED FOR US TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT BASED ON THE FEEDBACK, WE ABSOLUTELY CAN AND WILL DO THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST DRAFTS AT THIS POINT.
AND THEN IT WILL ALSO SHARE THE DETAILED INFORMATION FROM THE SURVEY RESULTS WITH YOU ALL IN A BOARD UPDATE.
AND THEN ON FEBRUARY THE 17TH, WE HOPE TO BE BRINGING BACK FOR ACTION A RECOMMENDED DRAFT FOR APPROVAL FOR BOTH THOSE TWO YEARS.
IT WILL BE VERY DEPENDENT ON HOW THINGS GO EARLIER IN THAT EVENING ON WHETHER WE DECIDE TO BE A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION OR NOT, AS TO WHICH PLAN WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT SO.
SO, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE ACTUAL DRAFT.
BRIEFLY, IF WE COULD PULL UP THE DOI DRAFT FOR 2022-2023.
THANK YOU. SO THIS DRAFT, IF WE WERE A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE START AROUND THE MIDDLE OF AUGUST.
IT'S THE 17TH IN THE SITUATION FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
IT'S REALLY NOT FAR OFF FROM WHERE THE START DATE WOULD BE IF WE WERE A NON DUI, WHICH THE FOURTH MONDAY WOULD BE THE 22ND THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
IT'S GOING TO BE MORE INTERESTING. SO STAY TUNED.
WE HAVE OUR NORMAL, YOU KNOW, HOLIDAYS LIKE LABOR DAY, MEMORIAL DAY, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE THERE. VERY SIMILAR TO THIS YEAR, WE WOULD HAVE THAT LAST MONDAY OF SEPTEMBER FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE ALWAYS DO A PD DAY IN OCTOBER, WHICH IS FOR ELEMENTARY PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES.
SO VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE SEEN.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT WE-- AS WE MAINTAIN THAT WEEK OFF IN NOVEMBER, BUT WE ALSO HAVE THAT ELECTION DAY AS A PROPOSED HOLIDAY FOR STAFF AND STUDENTS.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT, IF YOU JUST KIND OF KEEP ON GOING SO WE CAN SEE MORE OF IT. VERY SIMILAR.
IT'S ALMOST EXACTLY WHAT YOU SEE THIS YEAR, EXCEPT THE DATES HAVE SHIFTED.
YOU'LL ALSO NOTICE THERE AT THE END OF MAY THAT MEMORIAL DAY IS MAY 29TH AND WE ARE ABLE TO FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR ON THE 25TH WITH STUDENTS IN THE 26TH FOR OUR TEACHER WORK DAY.
SO THAT GETS IT ALL IN BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY.
ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT'S A CONCERN.
IT'S NOT VERY POPULAR TO GO AFTER MEMORIAL DAY AND WE WORRY ABOUT ATTENDANCE, BUT EVEN MORE SO. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW STUDENTS THAT ARE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL THAT ARE IN DUAL LANGUAGE COURSES, AND MANY TIMES THAT'S [INAUDIBLE].
AND THAT STARTS USUALLY THAT WEEK RIGHT AFTER MEMORIAL DAY.
AND IT'S VERY HARD FOR THEM TO DO FINALS AND HAVE THAT OVERLAP.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE WE FACE THAT JUNE-- END OF JUNE RETEST DATE FOR STAAR TESTING.
AND SO THE MORE TIME WE HAVE TO DO SOME REMEDIATION RIGHT AFTER THE SCHOOL YEAR, IT REALLY MAKES SUMMER LEARNING MORE BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO THAT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE REASONS THAT WE'D LIKE TO TRY TO GET THAT IN.
I THINK YOU SAID DUAL LANGUAGE.
I'M SORRY. DUAL CREDIT, DUAL CREDIT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH. YEAH, IT IS MIDNIGHT.
[02:40:04]
SO, IF YOU'LL PULL UP THE OTHER 22-23 CALENDAR FOR NON-DOI.WE'LL, [INAUDIBLE] A QUICK COMPARISON.
QUICK COMPARISON, THE BIG DIFFERENCES ARE THAT THE SCHOOL YEAR WOULD START ON THE 22ND IF WE'RE NOT DOI. AND IF YOU'LL SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM, YOU'LL JUST NOTICE THE OTHER MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS THEN THE SCHOOL YEAR WOULD END FOR THE STUDENTS TWO DAYS AFTER MEMORIAL DAY ON THE 31ST OF MAY, AND STAFF WOULD RETURN ON THE 1ST OF JUNE.
FOR THEIR WORKDAY, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE DOI DRAFT FOR 23-24.
FOR THE NON-DOI 23--, I'M SORRY, NON-DOI 23-24.
SO FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR AND I WILL SAY ON THESE 23-24, WE ARE TAKING A GUESS AT SPRING BREAK. WE ALWAYS ALIGN TO UT BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL [INAUDUIBLE] ACC ALIGNS DUTY AND THAT AFFECTS OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE IN DUAL CREDIT COURSES.
SO WE DO KNOW THE DATE FOR SPRING BREAK FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT NOT 23-24.
AND HERE YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE FOURTH MONDAY OF AUGUST IS REALLY LATE.
IT'S JUST THE WAY THE CALENDAR FALLS.
SO, IF WE ARE A NON-DOI VERSION FOR 23-24, WE WOULD NOT BE STARTING UNTIL THE 28TH OF AUGUST. VERY SIMILAR PATTERN, EXCEPT WE DON'T HAVE THAT ONE DAY OFF IN NOVEMBER ON A TUESDAY. BUT IF YOU KEEP SCROLLING DOWN TO THE END, THE ONLY MAJOR DIFFERENCE IS YOU'LL SEE THAT WE WOULD NOT.
MEMORIAL DAY IS ON MAY 27TH THAT YEAR.
WE WOULD NOT BE ENDING UNTIL JUNE THE 4TH WITH STUDENTS AND THEN OUR STAFF WOULD HAVE A WORKDAY ON THE 5TH.
SO THAT CALENDAR REALLY DOES SHIFT THINGS QUITE A BIT.
AND IF YOU'LL GO TO THE DOI DRAFT FOR 23-24.
IT IS A MORE SIGNIFICANT EARLIER START BECAUSE YOU NOTICE IT INSTEAD OF THE 28TH, WE WOULD BE STARTING ON THE 17TH, BUT THAT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING.
AND THEN IF YOU SCROLL DOWN TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE'RE ABLE TO GET IT IN, THEN RIGHT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES JUST TO REALLY QUICKLY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP. AND I DEFINITELY WE HEARD IT AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT IN OUR COMMITTEE, THE SOLAR ECLIPSE, WHICH IS VERY COOL THAT WE WILL HAVE ON APRIL THE 8TH, 2024.
THE COMMITTEE-- THERE WAS ACTUALLY NO INTEREST IN HAVING THAT AS A HOLIDAY, BUT THERE IS HIGH INTEREST IN ENJOYING IT AND MAYBE WITH OUR FAMILIES BRINGING OUR FAMILIES IN.
THAT IS NOT IN THE AREA OF THAT COMMITTEE TO PLAN, BUT THAT WAS DEFINITELY OF INTEREST AND REALLY WANTED TO CELEBRATE AND MAKE IT A LEARNING PIECE FOR OUR SCIENCE CLASSES WITH OUR TEACHERS AND AGAIN INVOLVE THE FAMILIES.
IT DIDN'T HAVE TO EXCLUDE THE FAMILIES, BUT IT COULD INVOLVE THEM.
AS A TEACHER IN THIS DISTRICT, I REMEMBER EVEN AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH TEACHER, IT WAS IN MY AREA, BUT I WE HAD AN ECLIPSE AND WE, YOU KNOW, TOOK THE KIDS OUT AND WE ENJOYED THAT WHOLE EXPERIENCE TOGETHER AS A CLASS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT.
AND NONE OF THE PARENTS, NO ONE ON THE COMMITTEE VOTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT.
SO THAT IS REALLY IT AS FAR AS THE PRESENTATION, ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
TRUSTEE HARRISON THEN TRUSTEE VESSA.
NO QUESTION, BECAUSE YOU COVERED IT.
YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE ECLIPSE, SO THANK YOU FOR GATHERING FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT.
SO THE OTHER QUESTION I RAISED IS WE WERE DISCUSSING IT BEFORE THE MEETING WAS, YOU KNOW, THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN, WHICH WAS LIKE A HUGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS SIGNED A PETITION TO HAVE THAT DAY OFF. AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND YOUR RATIONALE, WHICH YOU CAN REPEAT.
BUT I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT LIKE, OK, WHAT ARE OTHER OPTIONS? AND COULD WE JUST DO IT LIKE 10 O'CLOCK START? I MEAN, JUST TO HONOR WHAT THEY DID, THEY REALLY PUT TOGETHER THIS HUGE PETITION TO SAY, THIS IS A PRIORITY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THIS CELEBRATION AND NOT HAVE TO BE AT SCHOOL AT, YOU KNOW, FOUR ELEMENTARY AT 7:40 IN THE MORNING.
WELL, ANY TYPE OF EARLY RELEASE OR LATE START DOES MAKE IT WHERE WE HAVE TO MAKE UP THOSE MINUTES AT ANOTHER TIME.
AND SO WE DID TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES THERE AND NOT JUST FOR THAT DATE, BUT FOR OTHER POSSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT REALLY WANTING TO PRIORITIZE BEING DONE BY MEMORIAL DAY, NOT TOUCHING OUR HOLIDAYS THAT WE ALREADY HAVE BECAUSE THOSE ARE VERY POPULAR AND TRYING NOT TO START TOO EARLY IF WE ARE A DOI CAMP DISTRICT, NOT STARTING TOO EARLY IN AUGUST, BECAUSE THAT ALSO CAN CAUSE COMPLICATIONS FOR BAND VOLLEYBALL, ALL OF THE DIFFERENT THINGS.
[02:45:05]
SO, IT WAS JUST IT DECIDED THAT, THAT WASN'T A PRIORITY.THE OTHER PIECE TO THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS FUN.
IT WAS GREAT, IT FOUND, LANDED ON MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1ST, AND SO THAT WAS PERFECT TO HAVE A DAY WHERE IT WAS A STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN.
BUT THIS COMING YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER, IT'S A TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY OR TUESDAY THURSDAY SITUATION BECAUSE OF A LEAP YEAR.
SO IT WILL BE A LITTLE MORE PROBLEMATIC AND A LITTLE MORE DISRUPTIVE.
WHAT WE WORRY ABOUT WITH THE TUESDAY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS THAT WE WOULD HAVE ATTENDANCE ISSUE ON THAT DAY BETWEEN THAT AND A WEEKEND, AND WE WOULD NOT WANT TO LOSE ATTENDANCE LIKE ON A MONDAY IF WE HAD A LATE START ON A TUESDAY OR A HALF DAY ON A TUESDAY IN THE MORNING.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THAT AND RISKING THAT FOR THE ELECTION DAY, BUT THAT'S NOT THE SAME AS HALLOWEEN. WE DON'T THINK THAT MANY FAMILIES WOULD KEEP THEIR CHILD OUT THE DAY BEFORE AN ELECTION DAY ON A MONDAY.
AS MUCH AS THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT DECIDE TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A CHILD STAY HOME ON HALLOWEEN BECAUSE IT'S FUN.
WE REALLY WANT OUR KIDS IN SCHOOL LEARNING.
WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF LEARNING TO DO.
WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH COVID.
SO I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THE DOI.
I HOPE THAT WE PASS THAT AND HAVE THOSE CALENDARS THAT START EARLY.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO PASSING THAT AND THEN I ALSO AGREE WITH TRUSTEE VESSA, THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN. IT'S A BIG HOLIDAY NOW, ESPECIALLY HERE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE SAME EVERYWHERE, BUT I THINK I'D RATHER SEE THAT BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE FOR OUR STUDENTS VERSUS ELECTION DAY, WHICH IS REALLY FOR THE ADULTS.
AND I DO APPRECIATE THAT IT WAS THE STUDENTS THAT DID THAT.
I BELIEVE IT WAS A PETITION, WASN'T IT? AND SO I JUST THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD LOOK AT.
AND THEN I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT THE APRIL 8TH, THE SOLAR ECLIPSE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT WHAT THE FOLKS DID UP NORTH BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE THE EPICENTER FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO COME HERE TO AUSTIN, TEXAS, ON APRIL 8TH.
I KNOW MY FAMILY MEMBERS ARE ALREADY PLANNING TO COME DOWN.
SO I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF DECISIONS THAT HAVE TO BE MADE, AND I'D RATHER HAVE THE CALENDAR SET AND NOT HAVE TO KIND OF SCRAMBLE LAST MINUTE.
SO MAYBE LOOK AT WHAT THEY DID UP NORTH BECAUSE THEY WHEN WAS THAT TWO YEARS AGO THEY HAD THIS HAPPEN? I BELIEVE THEY ACTUALLY DID LET MOST SCHOOLS OUT UP THERE.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE GOOD JUST TO KIND OF LOOK, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T JUST LIKE ANY SOLAR ECLIPSE LIKE WE [INAUDUIBLE].
[INAUDUIBLE] WE SEND OUT, AND SO IF WE DO SEE TRENDS OF INTEREST ON THAT OR THE NOVEMBER 1ST, WE CAN, WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THAT IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HEARING BACK FROM OUR COMMUNITY, OUR STAFF AND ACTUALLY STUDENTS CAN ALSO TAKE THE SURVEY.
SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FEEDBACK WE GET.
I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON, I DO HAVE JUST ONE QUICK QUESTION OR COMMENT, ACTUALLY, AND I THINK TRUSTEE BONE MAKES A REALLY VALID POINT ON ELECTION DAY THAT IT REALLY IS ONLY FOR OUR SENIORS WHO MIGHT BE VOTING AGE AND FOR ADULTS AND MAYBE EVEN ADULTS WHO HAVE TO TAKE THEIR CHILDREN WITH THEM TO VOTING PLACES NOW.
THAT MIGHT EVEN BE A LITTLE MORE INCONVENIENT.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT-- I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE AN OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, BUT I DO THINK IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, I THINK ELECTION-- ALL ELECTIONS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND, YOU KNOW, CITY COUNCILS HAPPEN IN MAY.
AND SO I MEAN, THAT'S JUST MY CIVIC [INAUDIBLE] IN IT.
AND I WANT EVERYBODY TO GO VOTE IN, EVEN IF IT'S JUST A, YOU KNOW, A CHANGE IN A BOND, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER. SO I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE A PRO OR A CON, BUT AND I DON'T HAVE A COMMENT ON HALLOWEEN, BUT I JUST IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ELECTION, THEN LET'S DO ALL OF THEM. AND, YOU KNOW, VOTING IS IMPORTANT.
SO ANYWAY, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? SEEING NONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TONIGHT, I APOLOGIZE WAITING UNTIL 12:20. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEMS H FOR OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSENT.
JUST AS A REMINDER, AFTER ALL OF OUR CHANGES, THE ITEM NUMBERS THAT WE WILL BE APPROVING
[H. ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CONSENT]
BY CONSENT TONIGHT IS ITEMS H 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, AND ITEM I1.IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
CAN I-- I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE ITEM EIGHT.
I JUST HAVE. I GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AFTER I GOT SOME FEEDBACK, SO I'D LIKE TO REMOVE THAT. OKAY, JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THESE AT LEAST THREE DAYS BEFORE THE AGENDA SO THAT IT ALLOWS STAFF TIME TO PREPARE FOR THAT.
BUT WE WILL REMOVE ITEM [INAUDIBLE] FROM CONSENT AS WELL.
[02:50:03]
IF I HAVE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE ITEMS FOR CONSENT H 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, AND I 1.
I'LL SECOND. OK, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND AND TRUSTEE BONE AND TRUSTEE WEIR, YOUR LIGHTS ARE ON, ARE THOSE OLD? OK. ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
SEEING NONE, ALL THE ITEMS BY CONSENT PASSED SIX ZERO.
BEFORE WE MOVE INTO ACTION ITEMS, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO TAKE A SMALL BATHROOM BREAK.
IT IS. 12:21 LET'S TAKE A 10 MINUTE RECESS, PLEASE.
SORRY, I KNOW I SAID TEN MINUTES, BUT IT IS NOT GETTING ANY EARLIER.
WE ARE GOING TO START WITH ITEM I2 FOR ACTION ITEMS AND WE'RE MISSING DR.
PRESLEY, ACTUALLY. WE SHOULD PROBABLY WAIT.
I FORGOT THAT HE WAS NOT HERE.
SHOULD WE DO SOMETHING THAT ISN'T AS DEPENDENT ON HIM? MAYBE. WELL, I HAVE THREE ACTION ITEMS. I HAVE APPROVAL OF AWARD REQUEST FOR COOPERATIVE PROPOSAL FOR MURPH MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL TURF REPLACEMENT.
I HAVE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON BOARD COUNCIL.
I HAVE-- THEN I WOULD BRING IN OUR CONSENT ITEMS, ADOPTION OF THE RESOLUTION AND THEN APPROVAL OF BUDGET AMENDMENTS.
PRESLEY. I WENT AHEAD AND OPENED THE MEETING AND I FORGOT THAT YOU WEREN'T SITTING THERE.
SO WE ARE GOING TO START WITH THE APPROVAL OF A WAR OF REQUEST FOR COOPERATIVE PROPOSAL FOR MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL TURF REPLACEMENT PROJECT.
[I. ACTION ITEM]
DR. PRESLEY. YOU KNOW, THE MCNEIL TURF IS, I BELIEVE, OVER 10 YEARS OLD NOW, AND IT'S TIME-- IT'S CYCLED OUT, ITS LIVE, SO IT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE REPLACED.AND SO I KNOW MR. [INAUDIBLE] IS HERE. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT PROJECT AND COACH [INAUDIBLE] HAS STAYED TONIGHT AS WELL, OUR ATHLETIC DIRECTOR.
I HAVE TWO TRUSTEES WITH THEIR LIGHTS ON, START WITH TRUSTEE WEIR, THEN TRUSTEE VESSA.
FIRST, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS.
I REALLY, TRULY APPRECIATE IT.
AND IF I OVERSTEPPED, I APOLOGIZE.
I. ANYWAY, I APOLOGIZE IF I OVERSTEPPED, BUT I DID WANT TO SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GAVE US, AND I DON'T WANT TO REALLY GET INTO IT, BUT I, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID, DR.
THERE WERE THINGS IN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GAVE US THAT IT HADN'T EVEN OCCURRED TO ME THAT SOME PEOPLE MAYBE DON'T ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS.
AND SO IF YOU DON'T ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET POINTS FOR THOSE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A GREAT PRODUCT, BUT YOU DON'T ANSWER ALL THE QUESTIONS, JUST LIKE ANY TEACHER WILL TELL YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET CREDIT FOR THOSE.
AND SO I DID, REALLY, IT WAS EYE-OPENING.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THE STUFF THAT YOU GAVE US.
SO IT'S KIND OF A COMMENT, AND THEN I'LL ASK A QUESTION, BUT [INAUDIBLE] ONE OF THE REASONS AND YOU CAN EXPLAIN.
I THINK I KNOW WHY IT IS ON THE AGENDA NOW AND BECAUSE PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, IT WAS COMING. SO, WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST PUT IT ON THE BOND IN 2018? WELL, I HAPPENED TO BE ON THAT BOND COMMITTEE AND WE ONLY PLANNED FOR THREE YEARS.
AND SO BECAUSE WE ANTICIPATED HAVING ANOTHER BOND AND WE HAVEN'T HAD ANOTHER BOND.
SO IS THAT WHY IT'S UP TO BE APPROVED NOW? BECAUSE WE ONLY PLANNED OUT FOR THREE YEARS AND IT WAS FURTHER OUT THAN THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, TRUSTEE.
VESSA, I WILL TELL YOU THAT VERY RESPECTFULLY OF MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL, ALL CITE IMPROVEMENTS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ARE NOT SIMPLISTIC WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF CITY OF AUSTIN AND SITE DEVELOPMENT.
AND SO THERE ARE-- IF YOU REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE COMPLICATIONS OF THAT, THERE ARE JUST SO MANY AND SO WE AS A CONSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT ARE TRYING TO STEP AHEAD OF AN EXPECTATION THAT MAY COME FROM THE CITY.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO PARALLEL THESE TWO TURF PROJECTS AT WESTWOOD AND MCNEIL THIS SUMMER SIMULTANEOUSLY.
[02:55:01]
SO, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU SEE AN IMPENDING ISSUE WITH THE CITY AND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET AHEAD OF THIS? OKAY, GREAT. YEAH, I DON'T THINK WE PROBABLY SHOULD TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT THAT [INAUDIBLE] THE TURF PROJECT.AND SO IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT.
I'M NOT TRYING TO--, BUT WE DON'T NEED TO EVALUATE OTHER THINGS.
I THINK AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL PROVIDED AHEAD OF TIME.
AND WITH THAT IN MIND, I MOVED THAT THE BOARD APPROVED [INAUDIBLE] CONSTRUCTION AS THE CONTRACTOR FOR THE MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL TURF REPLACEMENT PROJECT AND THE USE OF $511,411 OF BOND 2018 FUNDS AS PRESENTED.
I SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR. RAISE YOUR HAND.
NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION AND YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
NEXT, WE'LL MOVE TO DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON BOARD COUNCIL RFQ.
THIS IS REALLY A BOARD ITEM, DR.
PRESLEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY BEFORE WE? I DO NOT. OK.
THIS ITEM WAS REQUESTED BY A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT TRUSTEES, BUT I'M JUST GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR ANYBODY THAT HAS ANY COMMENTS REGARDING OUR CONTRACT WITH OUR CURRENT BOARD COUNCIL.
YOU'RE YOU'RE ON MUTE, BUT SHE DID OFFER TO STEP OUT.
WOULD ANYBODY-- I THINK WE'RE OK.
I MEAN, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO IF YOU FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
OK, GREAT. OK, SO ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO START THE DISCUSSION.
THIS WAS NOT MY ITEM, SO I CAN'T START IT.
I UNDERSTAND WHEN WE STARTED RAISING THIS, I FEEL LIKE WITH THE AMOUNT OF LITIGATION WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PROGRESS, THAT PERHAPS WE COULD TABLE THIS FOR THE FUTURE AND I'D LIKE TO SEE US GET ON A REGULAR EVALUATION SCHEDULE.
I DON'T KNOW. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR THREE YEARS.
SO WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU EVALUATED AND HOW MIGHT WE KIND OF LIKE WE HAVE THE GOLD PROGRESS MONITORING CALENDAR? DO IT ON A CYCLE.
I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE RIGHT NOW IS THE TIME TO DO THIS.
IT WAS JUST BEFORE THE THREE OF US WERE ELECTED THAT [INAUDIBLE] WAS CHOSEN AS BOARD COUNCIL. SO PROBABLY WHAT WAS IT? THE SUMMER--.
WEIR. THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST, AND I THINK I MENTIONED IT LAST TIME, I WOULD LIKE US TO, I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST BOARD COUNCIL, BUT WE DO HAVE LIKE OUR INVESTMENT COUNCIL.
AND I KNOW TRUSTEE MOSES IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE WAS TRYING TO SET UP A SCHEDULE FOR US SIMILAR TO OUR GOALS CALENDAR.
SO I FEEL LIKE THAT'S KIND OF OUR FIRST STEP SO THAT WE ARE HAVING A UNIFORM DECISION DATE. WE HAVE A UNIFORM DECISION TIME.
I HAVE TO AGREE WITH TRUSTEE HARRISON THAT RIGHT NOW WITH JUST-- WITH NO GENERAL COUNSEL ON STAFF THAT IT WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT RIGHT NOW FOR US TO TRY TO GET A WHOLE 'NOTHER SET OF ATTORNEYS UP TO SPEED ON ALL OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR DISTRICT RIGHT NOW. TRUSTEE BONE.
SURE, SO I DO AGREE THAT THERE'S MAYBE NEVER A GOOD TIME TO SWITCH.
AND I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THE RFQ PROCESS DOES TAKE SOME TIME.
I DON'T KNOW. I GUESS THAT MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR MR. PULLMAN. SO THIS WOULDN'T HAPPEN RIGHT AWAY.
AND I DO THINK THIS NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR OUR DISTRICT.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS A BOARD FOR-- WELL, SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A YEAR.
YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A MONITOR FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND ONE OF THE REASONS THE MONITOR IS HERE, IN MY OPINION, IS BECAUSE OF A DECISION MADE BY OUR CURRENT COUNCIL AND THERE'S OTHER ISSUES WITH OUR CURRENT COUNCIL THAT I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO HERE. BUT I DON'T THINK AT THIS TIME THAT THIS IS THE BEST COUNCIL FOR OUR DISTRICT AND I THINK IT ACTUALLY PUTS OUR DISTRICT AT RISK.
SO I THINK IT'S TIME TO AT LEAST PUT OUR FEELERS OUT AND SEE IF THERE'S A BETTER COMPANY OR A BETTER PERSON THAT COULD REPRESENT OUR BOARD AND PROVIDE US BETTER LEGAL ADVICE.
AT THIS POINT, THIS DOESN'T FEEL LIKE THE UTMOST PRIORITY TO ME, AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO
[03:00:02]
AHEAD AND MAKE THE MOTION.I-- [INAUDIBLE] A SEPARATE MOTION IF YOU TABLE? DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING FIRST? GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY, I DO HAVE ONE QUICK COMMENT.
I'D LIKE TO--. I'D LIKE TO ACTUALLY ASK MR. WOOLSTON, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE, AND I'M NOT-- YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL ME ABOUT OUR CURRENT CONTRACT AND LEGAL WISE IF WE WERE TO EXPAND OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ALLOW OTHER LAW FIRMS BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE KIND OF HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE CONTRACT WITH [INAUDIBLE] THAT WE USE ALL OF THEIR LEGAL SERVICES FOR ALL OF OUR DISTRICT NEEDS, NOT ONLY JUST BOARD COUNSEL.
SO, COULD WE EXPAND THAT TO ALLOW OTHER COUNSEL FOR OTHER DISTRICT NEEDS OUTSIDE OF BOARD? YEAH, WE COULD DEFINITELY LOOK INTO RENEGOTIATING THAT CONTRACT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD BE A DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND [INAUDIBLE].
BUT IT IS-- THE AGREEMENT IS TERMINAL BY WRITTEN NOTICE OF EITHER PARTY, SO WE COULD DISCUSS A POSSIBLE AMENDMENT OR RESTRUCTURING HOW THAT AGREEMENT LOOKS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I HAVE ANY KIND OF SUPPORT FOR THAT ON THE BOARD, BUT I WOULD BE REALLY INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT POSSIBLY RENEGOTIATING THAT AND JUST ALLOWING A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY TO USE OUTSIDE COUNSEL FOR OTHER MATTERS.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY COMMENT I HAD TO MAKE.
I'M GLAD THAT YOU MADE YOUR COMMENT BECAUSE I'M AMENABLE TO THAT.
I JUST DON'T FEEL LIKE THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS FOR TONIGHT AT 12:40.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, I WOULD LIKE TO MOTION THAT AND I'M DOING THIS MOTION ON THE SPOT THAT WE EMPOWER MR. WILSON TO EXPLORE EXPANDING THE RELATIONSHIP FOR OTHER FIRMS, FOR DISTRICT NEEDS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RENEGOTIATION WITH [INAUDIBLE].
OK. EMPOWER MR. [INAUDUIBLE] TO NEGOTIATE WITH [INAUDIBLE] THE ABILITY TO SEEK OTHER OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL. THINK [INAUDIBLE] SHOULD FLOW THROUGH ME THOUGH, RIGHT? AS A SUPERINTENDENT, BECAUSE YOU ALL DON'T DIRECT MR. [INAUDIBLE] YOU DIRECT ME AND I DIRECT--.
SO, CAN WE--. YOU CAN EMPOWER ME TO DO THAT AND I'LL GET HIM TO DO IT FOR ME.
CAN WE-- CAN IT BE SO AS YOU SAID, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT--.
SORRY, DR. PRESLEY, I'M JUST SITTING HERE. THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
[LAUGHTER] NO, I APPRECIATE YOU.
OK, WELL, LET'S TRY THIS AGAIN.
OK, SO DO I NEED TO LIKE REMOVE MY A MOTION? MODIFY YOUR A MOTION. I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW.
I'D LIKE TO WITHDRAW MY MOTION.
OK. AND I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE EMPOWER THE SUPERINTENDENT OR DESIGNEE TO EXPAND THE RELATIONSHIP FOR OTHER FIRMS, FOR DISTRICT NEEDS WITH [INAUDIBLE], AND TO SEEK TO RENEGOTIATE THE EXISTING CONTRACT.
I'LL SECOND THAT. ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
[COUGH]. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM H7 ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ACTIONS THAT
[H.7. Adoption of Resolution Condemning Actions that Divide our Community and Incite Hatred]
DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND INCITE HATRED.TRUSTEE WEIR. [INAUDIBLE] WAIT HOLD ON.
I THOUGHT IT WAS. IS IT NOT ON? IT'S NOT ON, BUT.
I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT I NEED TO DO.
TRUSTEE HARRISON LIGHT IS ON, IF YOU'D LIKE ME TO GO.
WELL, I MEAN, I'M HAPPY JUST TO MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT THE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ACTIONS THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND INCITE HATRED AS PRESENTED.
OK, SO I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? TRUSTEE HARRISON YOUR LIGHT IS ON.
I HAVE ONE THING, I DID LIKE THE SUGGESTION THAT THE SPEAKER MADE TODAY ABOUT TALKING ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS.
I DON'T FEEL THE SAME WAY ABOUT GROUPS BECAUSE THERE ARE HATE GROUPS THAT'S PURPOSE AND INTENTION IS TOWARDS HATRED.
BUT I LIKE THE LANGUAGE OF INDIVIDUALS, ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS BECAUSE I DO AGREE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE DOING THIS WORK, THEN WE UPLIFT THE HUMANITY OF PEOPLE FIRST AND ALWAYS, EVEN WHEN THAT'S VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
SO, THAT'S NUMBER ONE. AND THEN NUMBER TWO, I WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WE DID GET LOTS OF EMAILS, SOME THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, THREATENING LITIGATION AND REMOVING OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. AND I'M SORRY, AND NOW I'M LOOKING FOR MY EMAIL BECAUSE I DID INQUIRE ABOUT THAT.
[03:05:08]
LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND IT, WITH COUNSEL, AND THIS DOES NOT LIMIT ANYONE'S FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, IT'S IMPORTANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS IS NOT A POLICY, IT'S A RESOLUTION. AND SO WE CAN STILL CONTINUE TO REGULATE TIME, PLACE AND MANNER OF SPEECH.THAT'S YOU KNOW, WHAT WE DO, BUT THERE'S NOT-- WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE OR PREVENT SOMEONE FROM SPEAKING.
NUMBER TWO, ONCE AGAIN, THE RESOLUTION DOESN'T PROHIBIT ANYONE'S ABILITY TO EXERCISE FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. IT'S A GENERAL CONDEMNATION STATEMENT THAT ROUND ROCK ISD PROMOTES DIVERSITY AND PROTECTING ALL GROUPS, AND THAT ROUND ROCK ISD REJECTS AND CONDEMNS GROUPS, INDIVIDUALS, ET CETERA, WHO PROMOTE HATE, VIOLENCE, INTOLERANCE, ET CETERA. SO, IT'S NOT A RULE OR A POLICY, AND IT'S NOT PROHIBITING ANYONE FROM SPEAKING OR STATING THEIR OPINIONS IN ANY WAY.
AND I JUST WANT COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO KNOW THEY'RE HEARD, EVEN IF WE DISAGREE THAT IT'S NOT CHALLENGING FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS, IT'S NOT POLICY, IT'S A RESOLUTION.
SO I WANTED TO SAY THOSE TWO THINGS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF I-- IS THERE ANY ENGAGEMENT OR CONSENSUS ABOUT MAYBE TWEAKING THAT LITTLE PIECE OF LANGUAGE? I'M FINE WITH ADDING IT TO SAVE THE ACTIONS OF ALL SUCH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WHOSE IDEOLOGIES ARE BASED ON HATE, VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE, AND THE OTHER ONES THAT THE ACTIONS OF ANY GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO PERMIT PROMOTE HATE, VIOLENCE AND INTOLERANCE.
I WILL SAY THAT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SPEAKER TALK ABOUT ENCOURAGING RESPECT AND NOT CONDEMNING ANYONE.
I'M SORRY. I'M CONDEMNING WHAT WAS DONE.
AND I'M CONDEMNING WHAT CONTINUES TO BE DONE.
I MEAN, WE JUST HAD SOMETHING HAPPEN LAST WEEKEND.
IT WAS HORRIFIC AND COLLEYVILLE, THOSE THINGS SHOULD BE CONDEMNED.
CONDEMNED. YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR PROMOTING RESPECT, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CONDEMNED AND I JUST I STAND BY THAT.
TRUSTEE BONE. SO, PARAGRAPH SEVEN, I WOULD LIKE THAT REMOVED UNLESS SOMEBODY CAN SPECIFICALLY TELL ME WHO THESE GROUPS ARE AND WHO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT PARAGRAPH JUST BE STRICKEN.
I ALSO AGREE WITH THE ACTIONS I REALLY LIKE THAT, THAT WAS A GREAT CHANGE.
THAT'S WHY WE LOVE TO GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
AND THEN I ALSO-- I JUST NEED THE BOARD TO CLARIFY WHAT YOU MEAN BY HATE, INTOLERANCE AND VIOLENCE. WELL, THERE'S A PRETTY EASY DEFINITION OF HATE SPEECH.
I MEAN. AND SO THAT'S NOT REALLY TOO HARD.
I'LL FIND IT. I SENT IT TO TRUSTEE WESTON.
WHILE YOU'RE LOOKING TRUSTEE VESSA, TRUSTEE HARRISON HAS HER LIGHT ON, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE TO GO TO TRUSTEE HARRISON, I'LL BE RIGHT BACK TO YOU.
ABUSIVE OR THREATENING SPEECH OR WRITING THAT EXPRESSES PREJUDICE AGAINST A PARTICULAR GROUP, ESPECIALLY ON THE BASIS OF RACE, RELIGION OR SEXUAL ORIENTATION.
HERE'S ANOTHER ONE. ANY FORM OF EXPRESSION THROUGH WHICH SPEAKERS TEND TO VILIFY, HUMILIATE OR INCITE HATRED AGAINST A GROUP OR CLASS OF PERSONS? THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT.
SO, I'M JUST WANTING TO UNDERSTAND THIS BECAUSE LAST WEEK WE HAD PUBLIC COMMENT WHERE THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME OF THAT KIND OF SPEECH USED AGAINST PEOPLE.
SO, I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THIS MEANS, IS THIS RESOLUTION MEAN THAT WE ARE GOING TO CUT THOSE KIND OF PEOPLE OFF AND NOT LET THEM? I MEAN, NO. I JUST DON'T LIKE IT.
I MEAN, ESSENTIALLY, I CAN'T STOP PEOPLE FROM MAKING POSTS OR SAYING THINGS IN PUBLIC COMMENT OR DOING, YOU KNOW, SAYING ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
I CAN'T STOP THEM, BUT I CAN TELL PEOPLE, I DON'T LIKE IT.
STOP. THIS IS NOT GOOD FOR OUR DISTRICT.
[03:10:02]
IT'S NOT GOOD FOR HUMANITY.SO, WITH THAT IN MIND, I ONCE AGAIN SAID A RESOLUTION IS NOT POLICY.
IT DOESN'T STOP ANYONE FROM DOING ANYTHING.
IT IS JUST A STATEMENT OF BELIEF.
I'M SURE THERE'S A MORE LEGAL MAYBE INTERPRETATION OF THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION TO INCLUDE THIS LANGUAGE AS DISCUSSED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE EASIEST WAY TO DO THAT? DO I READ IT AND THEN STAFF WILL CORRECT IT OR? THERE WERE TWO CHANGES THAT WERE PROPOSED, SO WE NEED TO CLARIFY, INCLUDING BOTH OF THEM.
ONE WAS TO INCLUDE THE ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS.
AND THEN THERE WAS THE REQUEST FROM DR.
BONE TO STRIKE PARAGRAPH SEVEN.
SO WE HAVE TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT CHANGES, IF ALL OR-- I'M SORRY, CAN YOU USE THE MICROPHONE? YES. I CAN'T HEAR [INAUDUIBLE] THIS MASK VERY WELL.
I WOULD RECOMMEND THEM THAT BECAUSE DR.
BONE WAS LAST SPEAKING ABOUT WHAT SHE WOULD LIKE TO SEE AS A MOTION AMENDMENT WITH THE STRIKING PARAGRAPH SEVEN.
I'M SORRY, I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME.
I THINK SHE NEEDS TO MAKE THAT MOTION TO AMEND HER REQUEST TO AMEND THAT.
AND THEN SHE SAID, I THINK FROM WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD SHE WAS IN AGREEMENT WITH THE OTHER POTENTIAL AMENDMENT THAT WAS RAISED A WHILE AGO, SO THEY NOW CAN DO THAT AMENDMENT AND VOTE ON THAT. AND THEN THAT'LL KIND OF TAKE CARE OF THE FINAL VERSION BECAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY AMENDMENTS THAT I HEAR.
AND JUST FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE WATCHING OR LISTENING, PARAGRAPH SEVEN SAYS.
WHEREAS RECENTLY THERE HAS ARISEN IN THE UNITED STATES AND ROUND ROCK ISD, A GROWING NUMBER OF GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS WHO THREATEN OUR DEMOCRACY BY SEEKING TO INCITE HATRED AND VIOLENCE.
SO, DR. BONE, DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? YES, I MOVED THE BOARD ADOPT THE RESOLUTION CONDEMNING ACTIONS THAT DIVIDE OUR COMMUNITY AND INCITE HATRED AS PRESENTED WITH THE MODIFICATIONS OR CHANGES-- WITH AN AMENDMENT WITH AN AMENDMENT TO STRIKE PARAGRAPH SEVEN AND IN PARAGRAPH EIGHT ADD ACTIONS OF SUCH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS.
AND IN PARAGRAPH, I BELIEVE IT'S 10 ALSO AMEND TO ADD ACTIONS OF GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS.
HEARING NO SECOND, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? YOU NEED TO SAY A MOTION FAILED WITH THE NO SECOND, AND THEN--.
I'M SORRY, SAY THAT AGAIN. YOU NEED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE MOTION FAILED DUE TO NO SECOND AND THEN--. THANK YOU HEARING NO SECOND, THE MOTION FAILS.
SO NOW I CAN TAKE ANY NEW MOTIONS IF THERE ARE ANY.
OK, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEM H7 WITH THE MODIFICATION THAT STATES. OK.
OK, TO INCLUDE ACTIONS OF INDIVIDUALS.
TO INCLUDE THE ACTIONS OF ALL SUCH GROUPS AND INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE WHEREAS THE REJECTS AND CONDEMNS AND UNDER THE NOW [INAUDUIBLE] LET IT BE RESOLVED AND IT WOULD SAY NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OR THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT ACTIONS OF ANY GROUPS OR INDIVIDUALS.
SO WITH THOSE MODIFICATIONS, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE.
AND I WILL OFFICIALLY WITHDRAW MY INITIAL MOTION.
SORRY, I'D FORGOTTEN THAT, THAT WAS MADE.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM H8 THAT DR.
DR. BONE. YEAH, I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ON THIS.
[H.8. Approval of Budget Amendments]
IF YOU LOOK AT THE DETAILED AGENDA, IT'S JUST PART C THAT THEY'RE WANTING TO TAKE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION LINE ITEM 41 TO EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, LINE ITEM 36, FUNDS TRANSFER TO FUND THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL ROBOTICS PROGRAM OF TWO HUNDRED K AND I JUST WONDERED I HADN'T HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT THIS.I DID SEE THAT WE HAVE A NEW ELEMENTARY PROGRAM AND THEN I DIG IT A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM.
BUT MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT WAS THIS SOMETHING THAT WAS ASKED FOR BY ONE OF THE TRUSTEES
[03:15:07]
AND THEN TWO HUNDRED K IS COVERING FOUR SCHOOLS? I JUST WANTED A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS BEFORE I VOTED ON IT.SURE, I CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT TO THAT.
I'D SAY THAT IT IS FOUR SCHOOLS.
THE BULK OF THE $200000 IS IN THE STARTUP COSTS WITH THE ROBOTS AND THE DEVICES THEMSELVES. THE ORIGINATION OF IT IS AS YOU HEARD TONIGHT, WE HAVE A LARGE PROGRAM AT CANYON VISTA, BUT WE'VE HAD OTHER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE WANTED TO EXPAND, YOU KNOW, AND HAVE PROGRAMS AS WELL AND BE TRANSPARENT.
XIAO, YOU KNOW, AND I'VE TALKED ABOUT EXPANDING ROBOTICS PROGRAMS IN THE DISTRICT, BUT THAT WAS IN PLACE, BEFORE THAT CONVERSATION, THAT DESIRE TO EXPAND.
SO IT'S WHAT THE STARTUP COURSES FOR ROBOTICS PROGRAMS. SO THIS IS JUST THE START UP COST FOR THE FOUR PROGRAMS. IT STARTUP COSTS, ITS STIPENDS FOR THE CLUB SPONSORS, AND I DON'T HAVE ALL THE DETAIL.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHICH ROBOTICS PROGRAM THEY'RE DOING? [INAUDIBLE] DOING THE VEX ROBOTICS PROGRAMS. THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVED THE BUDGET AMENDMENTS TO COVER THE PLANNED EXPENSES FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AND FACILITIES MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AS PRESENTED? SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ARE TO ITEM J, BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS.
[J. BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS/REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
I DO HAVE A COUPLE OF ANNOUNCEMENTS I'D LIKE TO START WITH AND THEN IF ANYBODY HAS ANYTHING ELSE THAT THEY'D LIKE TO ADD.BOARD WE HAVE SEVERAL LEVEL THREE GRIEVANCES THAT HAVE BEEN STACKING UP ON OUR CALENDAR.
I WOULD LIKE TO GET THESE SCHEDULED.
I DID TALK TO MR. WOOLSTON ABOUT EVEN LIKE AN ALL DAY GRIEVANCE DAY, AND WE HIT A SATURDAY AND DO IT EIGHT TO FIVE. BUT IT WAS TOO MUCH PREP WORK FOR LEGAL TO DO ALL OF THAT IN ONE AND SCHEDULING NOT KNOWING HOW LONG ONE WOULD LAST BEFORE THE NEXT ONE.
SO IF YOU CAN PULL OUT YOUR CALENDARS.
IN FEBRUARY, WE ALREADY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR THE 3RD, WHICH IS GOING TO BE OUR BOARD GOALS AND SELF-EVALUATION AND A SMALL BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO DIVE DEEP INTO THE MEAT OF THE BUDGET, BUT WE ARE GOING TO BID ON THAT. SO WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH, THURSDAY, THE 10TH OR TUESDAY, THE 22ND.
WE DO HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR FEBRUARY THE 24TH FOR BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND POSSIBLY SOME OTHER POLICY.
SO, WHO WOULD BE AVAILABLE ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH? ONLY, CORY.
NOBODY ELSE. HOW ABOUT THURSDAY, THE 10TH? TIFFANIE ONLY, AND CORY, I GOT TO GET FOUR PEOPLE.
I ONLY HAVE TO HAVE FOUR BECAUSE I HAVE TO HAVE A QUORUM.
AND WE ALSO DON'T HAVE TRUSTEE WESTON.
I DID TALK TO TRUSTEE WESTON WHEN SHE TOLD ME SHE WAS NOT GOING TO BE HERE TODAY, AND SHE SAID SHE COULD PROBABLY MAKE JUST ABOUT ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR MONDAY NIGHTS.
SO SHE WAS NOT AVAILABLE, SO I CAN'T ADD HER IN INTO THOSE TOTALS.
BUT ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH WAS ONLY CORY.
HOW ABOUT ON TUESDAY, THE 22ND? OK. AMY AND CORY.
I CAN DO THE 10TH AND THE 22ND.
YOU CAN DO THE 10TH AND THE 22ND.
OK, THEN MOVING INTO MARCH, WE HAVE MARCH, THE 9TH.
REMEMBER SPRING BREAK IS THE MARCH 14TH THROUGH THE 18TH.
WHO'S AVAILABLE ON MARCH 9TH? I THINK SPRING BREAK STARTS-- IS IT ON THE 11TH? YEAH, YEAH. IT'S THE NEXT WEEK, SO I CAN DO THE 9TH.
ANYBODY ELSE ABLE TO DO WEDNESDAY THE 9TH? AND CORY.
WHAT ABOUT TUESDAY, THE 29TH OR THURSDAY THE 31ST? HOW ABOUT LET'S START WITH TUESDAY, THE 29TH.
[03:20:03]
CORY? AMY IS A MAYBE.AND MARY, YOU'RE A YES, ON TUESDAY, THE 29TH, AND THEN THURSDAY THE 31ST.
THURSDAY, THE 31ST LAST CALL, MARY IS AVAILABLE.
OK, AND I HAVE TWO DATES IN APRIL, APRIL 5TH AND APRIL 7TH.
WHO'S AVAILABLE ON TUESDAY, APRIL 5TH? TIFFANIE, CORY, MARY.
I DON'T HAVE MY PAPER CALENDAR HERE WITH ME, AND SO THAT'S TOO FAR IN A FUTURE FOR ME.
ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL PUT A QUESTION MARK BY AMY AND ON APRIL THE 7TH.
CORY. AND NOBODY ELSE ON THE 7TH.
OK, SO THAT ONE IS A BIG, NO BIG NO.
ON WEDNESDAY, THE 9TH, I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY GET TO A QUORUM.
ON THURSDAY, THE 10TH, TUESDAY, THE 22ND.
POSSIBLY TUESDAY, THE 29TH OF MARCH.
I'VE GOT A FEW QUESTION MARKS AND PROBABLY TUESDAY, APRIL THE 5TH.
DOES THAT HELP YOU WITH SCHEDULING? YES, AND HOPEFULLY WE WON'T NEED ALL OF THOSE DATES, BUT IT DEFINITELY GIVES US SOME OPTIONS BECAUSE WE HAD TO COORDINATE WITH THE GRIEVANT AS WELL AND THEIR REPRESENTATIVE IF THEY HAVE ONE SO THAT GIVES US SOME DATES TO WORK WITH.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION? ARE ANY OF THESE THE BOOK CHALLENGES? BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSION IS THAT THEY WANTED THAT TO BE WITHIN THE TIME FRAME THAT'S IN POLICY, WHICH IS 30 DAYS.
NONE OF THESE ARE BOOK CHALLENGES.
SO JUST REMEMBER, WRITE THOSE DOWN, GO BACK AND WATCH IT.
IF YOU DIDN'T AND SAVE THOSE DATES, LEGAL WILL HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH FAMILIES TO SEE WHO'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT NOT.
BUT WE WILL TENTATIVELY LOOK AT GRIEVANCES FOR THOSE NIGHTS.
NEXT UP, THE WINTER GOVERNANCE TASB GOVERNANCE CAMP IN GALVESTON FOR TRUSTEES IS MARCH THE 2ND THROUGH THE 5TH.
IF YOU HAVEN'T DONE SO YET, PLEASE EMAIL PATTY BY TOMORROW.
TIME IS RUNNING OUT IF YOU ARE GOING TO BE MAKING THAT DECISION.
AND FINALLY, THERE WAS A SPEAKER WHO SPOKE ABOUT THIS TODAY, BUT ESPECIALLY SEEING ALL THOSE KIDDOS ON THE THANK YOU VIDEO THE PEARSON RANCH VIDEO, PTA HAD A WONDERFUL VIDEO OF SOME THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS.
I'VE HAD A HUGE DESIRE TO RETURN TO STUDENT RECOGNITIONS IN OUR BOARD.
MEETINGS TRIED TO COORDINATE IT FOR THIS MONTH, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE HIGH SPIKE OF OMICRON RIGHT NOW AND BRINGING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE INTO THE BOARD ROOM DIDN'T REALLY PLAY OUT. SO I WILL BE WORKING WITH MS. LACOSTE-CAPUTO TO SEE ABOUT GETTING THESE RECOGNITIONS HAPPENING AGAIN AT OUR BOARD MEETING. WE DO HAVE VERY STRICT GUIDELINES.
WE HAVE AMAZING STUDENTS WHO ARE DOING AMAZING THINGS, SO WE CAN'T HONOR EVERY SINGLE STUDENT THAT WINS AN AWARD.
THEY DO HAVE TO PLACE IN THE TOP THREE OF A STATEWIDE OR NATIONAL COMPETITION, AND I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT THE REST OF THE CRITERIA ARE, BUT WE DO HAVE PRESET CRITERIA, BUT WE HAVE PLENTY OF STUDENTS WHO HAVE MET THOSE CRITERIA TO BE HONORED IN OUR BOARD MEETINGS. SO I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S A REAL PASSION OF MINE, OF RECOGNIZING. AND IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO GET STUDENTS INTO THE MEETING IN FEBRUARY, WE'LL AT LEAST START ANNOUNCING THEM AGAIN AND RECOGNIZING THEM, BUT DID WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT, THAT WILL BE COMING BACK SOON.
OK, NEXT. ANY REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I HAD AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
YES. ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS OR REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? YEAH, AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THAT FORMER ROUND ROCK ISD TRUSTEE TERRI ROMERE WAS RECENTLY SELECTED BY THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
FURTHER HEROES FOR CHILDREN AWARD FOR HER WORK WITH HER FOUNDATION, THE RAISE THEM UP FOUNDATION. SO I JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE HER AS A FORMER TRUSTEE AND THIS IS THE TRUSTEE MONTH, ABSOLUTELY.
AND THAT IS A STATEWIDE AWARD, SO THAT IS AN INCREDIBLE ACHIEVEMENT.
[03:25:03]
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO FORMER TRUSTEE ROMERE.I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER LIGHTS ON, OH, TRUSTEE.
I HAD ONE, I PUT IT ON, I DON'T KNOW IF TRUSTEE HARRISON. JUST REALLY QUICKLY.
SO RAQUEL BASURTO, WHO'S THE DIRECTOR OF INTERNAL AUDIT REPORTS TO US, AND SHE IS GOING OUT FOR THE DIRECTOR OF TASBO AND IT'S, I THINK, AN ELECTED POSITION.
SO, I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE HER.
SHE DOES REALLY WONDERFUL WORK.
SHE WORKS VERY HARD AND I WANTED TO WISH HER WELL AND JUST EXPRESS OUR SUPPORT AND EXCITEMENT FOR HER PURSUING THAT.
AND THEN I WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT I WAS RECENTLY ELECTED TO THE LAC, THE LEGISLATIVE ADVISORY COUNCIL, FOR TASB JUST LAST NIGHT.
AND SO I'LL BE REACHING OUT FOR A LOT MORE ENGAGEMENT.
SOME OF THE IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES ARE TEACHER RETENTION AND TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND THEN, OF COURSE, SCHOOL FINANCE.
AND SO I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM COMMUNITY AND I'LL BE COMMUNICATING SOME OF THOSE TOP PRIORITIES AND GATHERING SOME FEEDBACK ON THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
OK, SO WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE GOING TO DO ITEMS L 3, 4, AND 8.
[L. CLOSED SESSION (Part 2 of 2)]
PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE UNDER SECTION 551.071, THE BOARD WILL MEET IN CONSULTATION WITH ATTORNEY REGARDING PENDING LITIGATION REGARDING RRISD VS.PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 AND AS REQUESTED BY TRUSTEE BONE.
THE BOARD WILL CONSULT WITH THE ATTORNEY AND CONSIDER POSSIBLE INVESTIGATION TO ANY AND ALL TRUSTEES THAT RECEIVE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT AND OR FAVORS FROM THE DISTRICT.
AND PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 AND 551.074, THE BOARD WILL CONSULT WITH ATTORNEY TO DISCUSS THE DUTIES, ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PUBLIC OFFICER AND EMPLOYEES. IT IS 1:05 AND WE ARE ENTERING CLOSED SESSION.
WE WILL BE DOING CLOSED SESSION AGAIN IN THIS ROOM, SO I WILL ASK YOU TO CLEAR OUR ROOM.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT.
DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS COMING FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION?
[M. CALL BACK TO ORDER/EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS]
YES, MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE TO APPROVE THE TUITION REIMBURSEMENT IN THE AMY M.APPEAL, AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
SEEING NONE, MOTION PASSES SIX ZERO.
DO I HAVE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? YES, MADAM PRESIDENT, I HAVE AN A MOTION.
I MOVE TO EXTEND THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION OR START A NEW INVESTIGATION INTO ANY AND ALL TRUSTEES THAT HAVE RECEIVED PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT AND OR FAVORS FROM THE DISTRICT.
THAT SEEMS LIKE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS TO EITHER EXPAND OR TO START A NEW.
THE MOTION WOULD LEAVE THAT UP TO EITHER THE CURRENT INVESTIGATION OR IF WE WANTED TO START A NEW INVESTIGATION, SO THE MOTION WOULD ALLOW FOR EITHER OR.
OK, I HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
MOTION FAILS WITH LACK OF A SECOND.
ANY COMMENTS, PRESIDENT WEIR, SORRY, FORMER PRESIDENT WEIR.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO REITERATE WHAT I SAID EARLIER IN CLOSED THAT IF THERE WERE SPECIFIC EXAMPLES AND WE HAD A SCOPE THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY GIVE TO AN INVESTIGATOR THAT I WOULD BE WILLING TO SUPPORT THAT AND THAT I HOPE IF YOU HAVE THAT, YOU'RE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH A LITTLE BIT NARROWER WORDING FOR US.
I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT ANY TYPE OF INVESTIGATION THAT HAD SPECIFIC INSTANCES WHERE YOU HAD EVIDENTIARY OR ANY TYPE OF EVIDENTIARY PROOF THAT IT WAS WARRANTED.
WHAT TRUSTEE WEIR AND TRUSTEE VESSA SAID, I AGREE.
AND I WOULD JUST ADD THAT THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT IF I HAD VERY SPECIFIC INFORMATION, OBVIOUSLY THERE PROBABLY WOULDN'T NEED TO BE AN INVESTIGATION.
SO, THE WHOLE POINT OF THE INVESTIGATION IS TO ANSWER MANY QUESTIONS, I THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS ON SOME OF THE BEHAVIOR THAT THIS BOARD HAS HAD.
WHAT MAYBE IF YOU COULD EVEN BRING THOSE QUESTIONS THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS AND THAT COULD BE OUR SCOPE. BUT I THINK JUST TO HAVE IT BE OPEN AND I MEAN, IT IS OUR TAX DOLLARS AND I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY MINDFUL OF, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST OPENING IT UP TO ANYTHING.
[03:30:08]
SEEING, NO OTHER LIGHTS ON, IT IS 2:19, AND THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.