[A. CALL TO ORDER] [00:00:05] GOOD EVENING. IT IS 5:49 ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY THE 9TH, 2023. I HEREBY CALL THIS MEETING OF THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES TEAM OF EIGHT TRAINING TO ORDER IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT WE HAVE TRUSTEES ZARATE, MARKUM, LANDRUM HARRISON, AND WEIR. ABSENT ARE TRUSTEES, BONE AND WESTON. I WOULD LIKE TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT WE DID CONFIRM AVAILABILITY THAT ALL SEVEN TRUSTEES WOULD BE AVAILABLE IN DECEMBER AGAIN ON JANUARY 6TH. I MENTIONED IT DURING THE REGULAR BOARD MEETING ON JANUARY 19TH, BUT RECEIVED COMMUNICATION. MIDDLE OF LAST WEEK, I BELIEVE, SAYING THAT TRUSTEES BOWEN AND WESTON WOULD NOT BE THEY WERE CHOOSING NOT TO ATTEND TONIGHT. SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. ALL RIGHT, JUST CONFIRMING WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS. ALL RIGHT, WE DO NOT HAVE ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS, SO WE ARE NOW ON TO OUR D1, WHICH IS OUR TEAM OF EIGHT TRAINING, AND I AM THRILLED TO INTRODUCE [D. TEAM OF EIGHT TRAINING] MR. OREN MOORE, WHO IS COMING FROM TASB TO LEAD OUR TRAINING TONIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE AND WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT WE HAVE TO LEARN FROM YOU THIS EVENING. WELL, GOOD. I'M THRILLED TO BE HERE, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. IT'S A PLEASURE TO MEET YOU IN PERSON AFTER OUR ONE ON ONE PRE CONSULTATION PHONE CALLS. I APPRECIATE THE SMILING FACES. I HOPE YOU ENJOY WHAT WE HAVE PREPARED TODAY AND I'LL GO INTO THE IN A SECOND QUICK SOUND CHECK. AM I COMING THROUGH CLEARS. OKAY, SO MY NAME IS OREN MOORE, BOARD CONSULTANT AT TASB. IT WILL BE EIGHT YEARS NEXT MONTH AND THE TIME HAS FLOWN. PERHAPS, MAYBE THAT BIT OF COVID STRETCH IN THERE DIDN'T DO MUCH FOR KEEPING TRACK OF TIME, BUT HERE WE ARE. SO TONIGHT WE'RE EXAMINING THE GOVERNANCE TEAM IMPACT ON SCHOOLS AND COMMUNITIES, AND THE WAY I WANT TO DO THAT IS BY HAVING YOU TAKE JUST A HIGH LEVEL VIEW OF REAL LIFE SCENARIOS OF BOARDS, CHALLENGES. THEY'VE GONE THROUGH THINGS THAT THEY DID TO ADDRESS THEIR CHALLENGES AND THEN TALK ABOUT HOW THEY CAME OUT ON THE OTHER END. NOW, THESE ARE NOT JUST EVENTS BASED ON REAL EVENTS OR BASED ON REAL EVENTS. THESE ARE THE ACTUAL STORIES. OF COURSE, THE IDENTITIES OF THE DISTRICT ARE MASKED SO THAT WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHO THEY ARE, BUT YOU WILL GET THE ESSENCE OF WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT AND HOW IT'S RELEVANT TO IMPROVING GOVERNANCE AND MAYBE WALK AWAY WITH A FEW IDEAS OF YOUR OWN AS YOU THINK ABOUT HOW TO CONTINUOUSLY MOVE THE NEEDLE FOR STUDENTS IN YOUR DISTRICT. ONE MAJOR DISCLAIMER YOU HAVE TO GIVE WHEN YOU DO A SESSION LIKE THIS. IF YOU TELL A BOARD THAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT CASE STUDIES AND EXAMINE BOARDS IN UNIQUE SITUATIONS, ONE OF THE FIRST QUESTIONS THAT COMES INTO THE MINDS OF PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH THEY WON'T ADMIT IT, IS THIS ABOUT US? WERE THESE CASE STUDIES CHOSEN WITH US IN MIND? AND THE SHORT ANSWER IS NO. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU AND I MEAN SINCERELY. IT'S ABOUT THE 5.4 MILLION TEXAS SCHOOLCHILDREN THAT WE SERVE COLLECTIVELY, AND THE NUMBERS ARE GROWING. I DON'T HAVE TO TELL YOU THE STATS. I KNOW YOU KNOW THE ANTICIPATED NUMBERS FOR ABOUT 2030. WE'RE LOOKING AT NEARLY SIX AND ONE HALF. I MEAN, IT'S GROWING EXPONENTIALLY, RIGHT, AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO, IT TRULY IS ABOUT THEM. THE EXAMPLES I'VE CHOSEN TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY AND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO ANALYZE ARE JUST STORIES THAT I'VE COLLECTED OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. SOME OF THESE DISTRICTS I'VE WORKED WITH FOR FIVE YEARS, WE'VE HAD SOME LONG TERM SUSTAINED ENGAGEMENT. ONE OF THE EXAMPLES YOU'LL SEE I JUST HAPPEN TO KNOW QUITE A BIT ABOUT THAT DISTRICT, AND SO WHAT I INVITE YOU TO DO TODAY IS JUST JUMP IN THERE AS WE ANALYZE THESE CASE STUDIES. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A QUICK TEACH ON SOME GOVERNANCE CONCEPTS THAT I KNOW ARE GOING TO BE FAMILIAR TO YOU. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO APPLY THOSE TO THE SITUATIONS AS WE GO FORWARD. RIGHT, BUT YEAH, SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. IT'S NOT ABOUT ROUND ROCK ISD. THESE WERE NOT PICKED WITH YOU IN MIND. THESE WERE JUST EXAMPLES THAT I THOUGHT REALLY REFLECTED SOME OF THE BEST AND MOST CRITICAL GOVERNANCE RESEARCH THAT WE HAVE. IN ONE LIKE THEORY. IT'S COOL, RIGHT? BUT ISN'T SO MUCH BETTER WHEN YOU SEE IT IN ACTION, WHEN IT'S CORROBORATED BY REAL LIFE EVENTS, AND THAT'S THE GOAL FOR TONIGHT. SO ANOTHER EXPECTATION IS THAT WE DISCUSS AND ANALYZE RESPECTFULLY. WHY IS THAT? WELL, I MENTIONED THAT THESE ARE THE STORIES OF REAL BOARDS, TEXAS BOARDS, BY THE WAY. [00:05:05] WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT OKLAHOMA OR ATLANTA OR FLORIDA. AS FUN AS THAT WOULD BE. THESE ARE REAL TEXAS BOARDS, AND SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE'RE SEEING AND WE ASK THESE KEY GOVERNANCE QUESTIONS AND WE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE EVEN OFFER SOME CONSTRUCTIVE INSIGHT, I WANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT THOUGH THEY ARE ANONYMOUS, THOSE ARE STILL PEOPLE THAT ARE STILL ELECTED OFFICIALS WORKING HARD TO SUPPORT AND LEAD THEIR COMMUNITIES, AND I THINK ANY TIME WE SPEAK ABOUT ONE ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, OUR COLLEAGUES IN THIS GAME, WE HAVE TO DO IT RESPECTFULLY. THE LAST THING WE NEED ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, MORE AMMUNITION AGAINST THE FOLKS WHO ARE WORKING SO HARD TO SUPPORT AND LEAD COMMUNITIES SO RESPECTFULLY AND HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN THERE, I LIVED THIS, AND SOMETIMES MY MIND GOES BACK TO A DETAIL THAT I INTENTIONALLY LEFT OUT, AND I JUST DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE SHARED. RIGHT? SO HOLD ME ACCOUNTABLE, OREN. IS THAT RESPECTFUL OR IS THAT REALLY YOU KNOW, SO KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE. I WANT TO MAKE SURE AGAIN, FOR THE SAKE OF SUPPORTING THOSE OTHER LEADERS WHO ARE WORKING HARD JUST LIKE YOU ARE, THAT WE ANALYZE AND DISCUSS RESPECTFULLY. THE OTHER EXPECTATION AND DISCLAIMER, IF YOU WILL, AND JUST TAKE THIS TO HEART. FOR EVERYONE LISTENING, EVERYONE WATCHING, EVERYONE PARTICIPATING. THIS IS BY NO MEANS AN EVALUATION OF SCHOOL OFFICERS HERE IN THE DISTRICT OF PERSONNEL OR ANY STAKEHOLDER IN THIS ROOM, IN THE COMMUNITY OR ELSEWHERE. RIGHT, AND SO WHAT I MEAN BY THAT QUITE SPECIFICALLY IS IF WE ARE ON THE VERGE OF AND FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, ABOUT TO CAST JUDGMENT ON ANY INDIVIDUAL OR ANY ENTITY OR GROUP, PAUSE AND SAY, WE'RE NOT HERE TO EVALUATE ANY INDIVIDUAL TONIGHT, AND SO I WANT TO CHOOSE THE WORDS THAT SHOW THAT WE'RE BEING PRODUCTIVE AND CONSTRUCTIVE AND WE'RE LEARNING, BUT NOT ASSESSING THE HARD WORK OF SOMEONE ELSE. I KNOW YOU ALL DO AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT OF YOUR OWN, YOU KNOW, YOUR OWN WORK AND YOUR OWN ACHIEVEMENTS, AND SO THAT'S DIFFERENT. WE'RE NOT HERE FOR THAT TONIGHT. INSTEAD, WE'RE GOING TO SPOTLIGHT GOVERNANCE. SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT SPOTLIGHTING THE SHORTCOMINGS OR THE, YOU KNOW, THE UPS ABSOLUTELY BRING THAT TO BEAR. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ASSESSING OR EVALUATING ANY SCHOOL PERSONNEL OR ANY SCHOOL OFFICER OR STAKEHOLDER. WE'RE GOING TO BE SPOTLIGHTING GOVERNANCE AND THE THINGS THAT RESEARCH SAY WORK AND THEN SEEING THAT PLAY OUT IN REAL LIFE. MY LAST THREE, AND I CONSIDER THESE TO BE TENETS IMPORTANT FOR MAXIMIZING THIS OPPORTUNITY, AND NOW THESE AREN'T JUST THREE BECAUSE THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER AND BECAUSE THEY SOUND GOOD, I LIKE TO DO WHATEVER I CAN BASED ON DATA, AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF SOURCES THAT CORROBORATE THIS IDEA THAT HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS HEAR FROM THE FOLKS IN ROUGHLY EQUAL PROPORTION. SPECIFICALLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE THEORIES OF COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE OR YOU CHECK OUT SOME OF ANITA WOOLIES WORK, IT TALKS ABOUT THIS IDEA OF HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS, AND ONE THING THEY DO IS OVER THE COURSE OF A MEETING OF A PROJECT, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, EVERYONE CONTRIBUTES AND IT MAKES PERFECT SENSE, RIGHT? YOU THINK ABOUT THE PLURALITY OF PERSPECTIVE, THE UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE IN THE HISTORY THAT EVERYONE BRINGS. YOU WANT THAT VOICE TO COME FORWARD, AND SO WHEN WE SHARE AND WE'RE GOING TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER, WHEN WE SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE, DON'T HOLD BACK AND JUMP IN THERE, AND I GATHER YOU ALL ARE NOT A SHY BUNCH. SO I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT BEING A CHALLENGE, BUT AGAIN, I WON'T ENCOURAGE YOU TO JUMP IN THERE. I HAVE NO PROBLEM LEAVING THAT SPACE, THAT AWKWARD 10 SECONDS OF SILENCE. I'LL GO 30 SECONDS. SO YOU JUST TRY ME TONIGHT AND YOU'LL FIND OUT. SHARE THE FLOOR, AND THEN THE LAST ONE AGAIN ROOTED IN DATA. BE RESPECTFUL. TWO OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NORMS WHEN IT COMES TO HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS IS THAT SHARED CONVERSATION. THE OTHER ONE WAS EMPATHY. THEY SHOWED TIME AND AGAIN. IF YOU CAN ANTICIPATE AND KIND OF UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE FEELING, IF YOU CAN READ THE NONVERBAL CUES. YOU WERE PROBABLY ON A TEAM THAT WAS HIGH FUNCTIONING, THAT WAS DOING WELL. EMPATHY. IT'S THAT OPPORTUNITY TO STOP AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE REALLY QUIET. IF SOMETHING WE'VE DONE OR SAID AS SHUT THEM DOWN OR GIVING THEM CONCERN. LET'S BACK UP TO A MINUTE AND MAKE SURE THEY CAN COME ALONG WITH US. WE DON'T WANT TO MISS WHAT THEY ARE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE. THE OTHER ONE IS BEING FORWARD FOCUSED. NOW THIS HAS SOME PRETTY NEAT ROOTS. I WAS DOING A LITTLE DIGGING, A LITTLE RESEARCH ON EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK AND WHAT I'VE LEARNED AND THIS IS ONE SOURCE, IT COULD BE DIFFERENT PATHS. PENTAGON KIND OF WHAT YOU READ AND LEARN. ONE SOURCE TALKED ABOUT THE ORIGIN OF FEEDBACK. A LOT OF IT STARTED WITH THE MILITARY AND THEY NOTICED SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE FEEDBACK FORMS OR SOME OF THE RATINGS, AND THEY SAID THINGS LIKE THIS PERSON IS FICKLE AND OF [00:10:02] INSUBSTANTIAL CHARACTER. HE'S NOT SUITABLE FOR PROMOTION OR NOT AS AN OFFICER. RIGHT. WHAT DO YOU NOTICE ABOUT THAT? IS SOMEWHAT SUBJECTIVE. EXACTLY. HOW DOES THAT LOOK? AND SO THEN, YOU KNOW, CORPORATIONS ADOPTED THIS FEEDBACK MODEL AND THEY BEGIN TO ADAPT IT AND EVOLVE IT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY NAME A FEW OF THEM, 360 DEGREES. RIGHT. 360 FEEDBACK. WHAT ELSE DO YOU KNOW? THINK ABOUT IT. YOU ALL HAVE FEEDBACK FORUMS? I'M SURE YOU DO RIGHT IN YOUR VARIOUS APPLICATIONS. RIGHT, BUT WHAT THEY NOTICED WAS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ATTRIBUTION, THE FEEDBACK GIVER AND RECEIVER OFTEN DISAGREE. SO IN OTHER WORDS, THE RECEIVER OF THE FEEDBACK OFTEN FEELS LIKE FAILURE. YOU KNOW, FOR NOT SUCCEEDING WAS DUE TO SOME EXTERNAL CHARACTERISTIC, SOME EVENT OUT OF THAT PERSON'S CONTROL. THE FEEDBACK GIVER OFTEN ATTRIBUTED FAILURE TO GUESS WHO. TO THE RECEIVER, SOMETHING IN THEIR CHARACTER OR IN THEIR MAKEUP THAT LED TO IT. NOW, IN THIS STATISTICALLY IMPROBABLE EVENT THAT THE RECEIVER AND THE GIVER AGREE ON THE ATTRIBUTION. IT USUALLY IS SOMETHING THAT IS, AGAIN, FACT BASED CHECKLIST TYPE THING. ALL THAT TO SAY FEEDBACK THAT WAS FORWARD FOCUSED WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE. IT'S NOT DWELLING ON WHAT HASN'T BEEN DONE OR WHAT WAS DONE INCORRECTLY OR WHERE A MARK WAS MISSED. IT WAS ACTUALLY WHAT CAN WE DO IN THE FUTURE TO ACHIEVE THIS END OR THIS GOAL? AND I KNOW THAT WAS LONG WINDED, BUT WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS AT SOME POINT TODAY I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF SIMPLE QUESTIONS, BUT ONE, THE MOST IMPORTANT ONE, I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO YOU NOW SO YOU CAN BEGIN THINKING ABOUT IT, IS WHAT COMPELLED YOU TO RUN FOR THE BOARD? DR. AZAIEZ FOR YOU. THE QUESTION IS, WHY DID YOU BRING YOUR TALENT TO EDUCATION? YOU COULD HAVE TAKEN YOUR TALENT TO A DIFFERENT INDUSTRY, BUT WHY DID YOU RUN FOR THE BOARD? NOW I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE BOUNDARIES NOW. I'M NOT MAKING ANY ASSUMPTION ABOUT HOW YOU WOULD HAVE STATED YOUR MOTIVATION OR YOUR CALLING OR YOUR DRIVE TO RUN FOR THE BOARD, BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU FOR THE SAKE OF PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE IS KEEP YOUR RESPONSES FORWARD FOCUSED. CAN I GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE? I'M GOING TO BE JOE BOB. I RAN FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE WEREN'T TRANSPARENT. THERE MIGHT BE HOW JOE BOB FELT, BUT WHAT IF JOE BOB SAID, I RAN FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE I KNOW WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF BEING TRANSPARENT. ONE IS AN ELEVATING, FORWARD FOCUSED APPROACH. IF JOE BOB GOES ON THE BOARD AND SAYS, I DON'T THINK WE'RE TRANSPARENT, WHAT'S THE NEXT THING? WHO'S NOT TRANSPARENT? FINGERS POINTING. IT'S BECAUSE YOU DON'T THINK THE WAY I THINK. YOU DON'T HAVE THE SAME BELIEFS, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT PRODUCTIVE. WE'RE STUCK FORWARD FOCUSED FEEDBACK. SO, AGAIN, WITHOUT ANY ASSUMPTION OF HOW YOU PLAN TO PHRASE YOUR MOTIVATION. KEEP THAT IN MIND. RIGHT. I RAN FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE I THOUGHT WE COULD EXCEL AT THIS. OR I THOUGHT I COULD BRING YOU. RIGHT. I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THAT. NOW I WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU. ARE THERE ANY OTHER TENETS THAT WE CAN PUT IN PLACE? WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO YOU TONIGHT AS WE JUMP INTO THIS? WHAT BOUNDARIES EXPECTATIONS DO YOU WANT TO OFFER FOR YOURSELVES? I'VE GOT MY THREE. I'M READY TO ROLL, BUT WHAT DO YOU HAVE? AND TEAM. WE ARE WORKING UNDER A WORKSHOP FORMAT, SO FEEL FREE TO POP IN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO USE YOUR BUTTONS. I JUST ASK THAT YOU DON'T INTERRUPT SOMEBODY WHO'S ALREADY SPEAKING, SO DON'T LOOK FOR RECOGNITION. JUST RESPOND WHENEVER. GOOD. LIKE THAT. THANK YOU. MINE ARE ALL GOOD. GREAT. WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, YOU HAVE THREE DOCUMENTS THERE WITH YOU. I WOULD LOVE TO TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE YOU READ TONIGHT, BUT I TRY TO BE HONEST, AND IF IT'S NOT THE TRUTH, YOU'RE GOING TO READ SOME TONIGHT. SO AS WE TALK ABOUT THESE CASES AND AGAIN, THERE ARE HIGH LEVEL CASES, IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THE EVIDENCE THAT WE WANT TO TEASE OUT. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS BACK UP TO ABOUT THE LATE NINETIES, WELL, MID NINETIES, AND I'M GOING TO TELL YOU THE PATH THAT KIND OF GOT US TO WHERE WE ARE IN TERMS OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE IS. NOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE PATHS. THERE'S ONE LINE OF THINKING, ONE LINE OF RESEARCH GUY BY THE NAME OF TOM ALSBURY. HE'S A PROFESSOR, HAD A CHANCE TO MEET HIM. HE'S COME TO TEXAS A NUMBER OF TIMES. I'M GOING UP TO IOWA, MET HIM AS WELL, BUT HE'S DONE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS FOR US. YOU CAN SEE HIM THERE WITH SOME OF THE TRUSTEES FROM PFLUGERVILLE ISD AND WHAT WE CALL THE AG SUMMIT. IT'S A WORKSHOP DEDICATED SPECIFICALLY FOR EVIDENCE BASED GOVERNANCE. WHAT HE LEARNED IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE ALREADY FELT AND KIND OF TALKED ABOUT FREQUENTLY, BUT NO ONE HAD EVER TRULY DOCUMENTED THE PROCESS. HE LEARNED THAT SCHOOL BOARDS CAN HINDER STUDENT LEARNING. NOW MIGHT SOUND LIKE A BIT OF A NEGATIVE APPROACH, BUT LET'S BE HONEST ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE IN. [00:15:03] THE TENSION IS INTRINSIC. IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU ALL ARE TASKED WITH ACCOMPLISHING, YOU ACCEPT KIDS AT EVERY LEVEL, AT EVERY STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT, AND YOUR JOB IS TO GET THEM ACROSS THAT STAGE PREPARED TO DO WHATEVER THEIR GOD GIVEN GIFT IS, WHATEVER THAT TALENT IS. DO YOU THINK THAT'S EASY? ABSOLUTELY NOT. THE NATURAL PROCESS IS WE UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU ARE, RIGHT? AND THEN WE WORK TO BUILD TO WHERE WE THINK YOUR POTENTIAL IS OR WHERE YOU WANT TO GO, AND SO, YOU KNOW, IF IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S JUST THIS NATURAL TENSION IN SOME OF THE RESEARCH AND THAT PERSPECTIVE, THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS RIGHT. AND WE HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT THE THINGS THAT WE COMBAT AND THE SENTIMENTS THAT MIGHT BE OPPOSING WHAT WE DO. SO WHAT HE FOUND WAS THAT SCHOOL BOARDS CAN HINDER STUDENT LEARNING, AND THIS IS HOW IT WORKS. IN CERTAIN COMMUNITIES. YOU NOTICE THAT BOARD MEMBER BEHAVIOR WAS NOT REALLY TAKEN THAT WELL TOO BY THE COMMUNITY THAT COMPELLED PEOPLE TO RUN FOR THE BOARD FOR THE SAKE OF CHALLENGING OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. THOSE BOARD MEMBERS COULD HAVE BEEN IN THE RIGHT, QUOTE UNQUOTE, OR IN THE WRONG. IT DIDN'T MATTER. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THE MOTIVATION FOR RUNNING WAS TO ADDRESS THOSE BOARD MEMBERS. WHAT WAS IT NOT DONE? IT WASN'T DONE TO SUPPORT THE VISION OR THE MISSION TO FURTHER AN ALREADY SOLID APPROACH TO LEARNING IN THE DISTRICT. IT WAS DONE SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MEMBERS. WHEN THOSE BOARD MEMBERS TURNOVER, IT OFTEN LED TO A SUPERINTENDENT TURNOVER. NOW IT'S ONE THING AGAIN TO READ IT, BUT I'VE LIVED THIS EXACTLY IN AN EXAMPLE THAT I'LL SHARE IN ONE OF THE CASE STUDIES WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENTS TURNOVER, WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS OFTEN? NOT ALWAYS. WHAT HAPPENS? EVEN IF IT WEREN'T UP THERE, YOU WOULD KNOW, RIGHT? WHAT HAPPENS? THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF CHAOS. YEAH, IT'S A LITTLE BIT ALL RIGHT, AND THEY NOTICED THAT WITH A NEW SUPERINTENDENT POTENTIALLY COMES POLICY CHANGE. A DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THINGS. IT'S JUST NATURAL. NO TWO PEOPLE ARE THE SAME, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN THAT HAPPENED, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DECLINED. AND AGAIN, YOU CAN PROBABLY LOOK AT EXAMPLES ALL ACROSS THE NATION WHERE THIS IS THE CASE , AND AGAIN, THE CASE I'LL SHARE LATER ON WILL KIND OF CORROBORATE THAT, BUT THANKFULLY. SOMEONE SAID, WELL, IF IT'S SO CLEAR AND OBVIOUS THAT BOARDS, IF THEY DON'T FULFILL THEIR LEADERSHIP ROLE PROPERLY, CAN HINDER STUDENT LEARNING, DO THEY NOT ALSO HAVE ENOUGH INFLUENCE TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING? SO A STUDENT ON THIS. PROF. HER NAME WAS MARY DE GARDELL. SHE PASSED AWAY ABOUT NINE YEARS AGO. MAYBE A LITTLE MORE. SHE DECIDED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SHE PARTNERED UP WITH A GUY NAMED HARRY HOLLINGTON, WHO, AGAIN, I'VE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET AND WORK WITH. HE'S COMING DOWN TO TEXAS. WE'RE GOING UP TO IOWA TO TALK TO HIM AS WELL. THEY'RE GREAT GUY, AND THEY BEGIN TO EMBARK HIM ON ANSWERING THIS QUESTION. IF THE BOY IMPACTED, YOU KNOW, LEARNING NEGATIVELY. CAN THEY NOT ALSO IMPACT IT POSITIVELY? THAT GAVE WAY TO THE LIGHTHOUSE RESEARCH. I WON'T GO INTO DEEP DETAIL ABOUT HOW THE STUDY WAS DONE, BUT WE WILL LOOK AT SOME OF THE FINDINGS. IN SHORT, WHAT THEY FOUND AND THIS IS INCREDIBLE THAT. PER THIS STUDY THE LEADERS EXPECTATIONS, AND THEIR BELIEFS ABOUT THEIR SYSTEM, ABOUT THEIR KIDS, ABOUT THEIR COMMUNITY. TENDED TO BE BETTER PREDICTORS OF SUCCESS FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAN THOSE SOCIAL FACTORS. NOW WE ALL KNOW THAT IF A KID IS DISTRACTED, IT CAN BE A HARD GO OF GETTING THEM TO FOCUS, RIGHT? THEY JUST COME WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME DISTRACTION. AND THAT CAN BE A CHALLENGE, BUT I'M SO GLAD TO KNOW THAT WHEN WE ROLL UP OUR SLEEVES AND WE GET DOWN TO WORK THE WAY WE CAN ENCOURAGE AND MOTIVATE THAT KID AND UPLIFT THAT KID MATTERS MORE THAN THEIR KID CIRCUMSTANCES. I'M GUESSING THAT'S NOT NEW TO INTERVIEW. QUICK SHOW OF HANDS WHO THOUGHT. YEAH. I MEAN WE KNOW THAT WE LIVE THAT WE SEE IT. YEAH, AND SO WHAT THEY FOUND SPECIFICALLY WAS THAT IN THESE MOVING SYSTEMS. THE WAY LEADER SPOKE OF THEIR. KIDS. OTHER TEACHERS SET THEM APART. THEY LOOK AT SYSTEMS THAT WERE STUCK THAT FAILED TO ACCOMPLISH LOCAL OR STATE STANDARDS, AND THE WAY THEY SPOKE ABOUT THEIR SYSTEM WAS QUITE DIFFERENT. THEY CONTROL FOR ECONOMICS. THEY CONTROL FOR RESOURCES SIZE, AND THEY NOTICED TIME AND AGAIN THAT THE WAY PEOPLE SPOKE ABOUT THEIR SYSTEM MATTERED MORE AND WHAT THEY ARRIVED AT WERE THESE SEVEN CONDITIONS. A VERY SPECIFICALLY WHEN LEADERS IN SCHOOLS UNDERSTOOD THE SEVEN CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, AND THEY KNEW HOW THEY LOOKED IN THEIR SYSTEM AND THEY COULD MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS. THEY WERE LEADING MOVING SYSTEMS, AND SO HERE'S WHAT I ASK YOU TO DO. WE'RE GOING TO READ FOR A SECOND. LET ME GRAB MY PAPER. IF IF YOU WILL LOOK AT PAGE SIX OF THIS COMPASS ARTICLE. [00:20:03] YOU'RE GOING TO SEE. IT STARTS WITH. SEVEN CONDITIONS FOR SCHOOL RENEWAL ESSENTIAL TO ACHIEVEMENT. WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK IS TAKE ABOUT 5 MINUTES, AND READ EACH CONDITION, THE BOLD PRINT, THE SHORT DEFINITION THERE, AND THEN ONE OR TWO BULLETS UNDER THE MOVING COLUMN, AND WHAT I'M ASKING YOU TO DO IS GET A BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF EACH CONDITION, AND THEN THE BULLETS UNDER THE COLUMN TELL YOU PRACTICALLY HOW IT LOOKS. SO IT'S NOT JUST EDUCATION MUMBO JUMBO. MAKES SENSE. SO 5 MINUTES TO READ EACH OF THE SEVEN CONDITIONS, THE SHORT DEFINITION, AND ONE OR TWO BULLETS UNDER THE MOVING COLUMN. [00:25:36] IT WAS SO ENCOURAGING WATCHING YOU ALL HIGHLIGHT AND TAKE NOTES. I LOVE IT. I'M NOT SURPRISED BECAUSE I READ YOUR BIOS. I KNOW YOU ALL ARE SMART AND BRADY BUNCH. I APPRECIATE THAT. BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT THAT, I NEED TO KNOW WHO HAS HAD A BIRTHDAY MOST RECENTLY. DECEMBER 20. ALL RIGHT, BOARD PRESIDENT. I MEAN, MARCH 3RD. I KNOW YOU'RE UP. WHY DID YOU RUN FOR THE BOARD THIS TIME OR THE FIRST TIME? LET'S GO WITH THE FIRST TIME. SO I ORIGINALLY RAN FOR THE BOARD BECAUSE I HAVE AT THE TIME I HAD THREE KIDS IN THE DISTRICT, ONE IN GEN ED, ONE IN SPECIAL ED AND ONE IN OUR TALENTED AND GIFTED PROGRAM, AND I SAW THE DIFFERENT NEEDS THAT ARE DIFFERENT STUDENT LEARNING GROUPS HAD, AND I WORKED ON A SMALL SCALE HELPING MY FRIENDS AS I LEARNED HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR MY CHILDREN. AND I WANTED TO TAKE IT TO A LARGER SCALE TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR CHILDREN. NOW YOU GOT ME CURIOUS. WHAT ABOUT THE SECOND TIME? THE SECOND TIME I REALLY FELT LIKE I KIND OF GOT CHEATED PART OF MY FIRST TERM BECAUSE WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME OF THE LAST FOUR YEARS AS A RESPONDING TO COVID AND REALLY IN A CRISIS MANAGEMENT MODE, AND WE REALLY, I THINK, LOST A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE BIG AND TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGES. WE ALSO HAD A SUPERINTENDENT CHANGE, AND I JUST I FELT LIKE THERE WAS STILL A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO. I LIKE THAT, AND THAT'S A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT FOR FOCUS. I FELT LIKE WE COULD EXPAND MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL KIDS, KIDS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS. I FEEL LIKE THERE WAS MORE OPPORTUNITY. COVID TOOK SOMETHING FROM US, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO REFLECT ON WHAT HAD HAPPENED. NOW, IT MIGHT SEEM TRIVIAL TO FOLKS WHO JUST ARE NOT, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, JUST DIGGING IN AND HONING IN, BUT WHEN YOU READ WHAT WE JUST READ, IT'S THAT SAME ATTITUDE AND APPROACH, THAT SAME TENOR THAT REALLY DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE WORK WE DO IN TERMS OF OPPORTUNITY, NOT SO MUCH A HURDLE JUST TO OVERCOME OR AN INCONVENIENCE, IT DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE, AND SO I DON'T WANT TO SOUND LIKE I'M NIT PICKY, BUT I JUST WANT TO AGAIN, AS OFTEN AS WE CAN FOR EVERYONE LISTENING WHO MIGHT BE IN THESE ROLES IN THE FUTURE, WHO IS THERE WONDERING HOW TO SUPPORT THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT FROM WHERE THEY ARE. IT STARTS WITH THAT EXPECTATION THAT FORD FOCUS, THAT ELEVATING BELIEFS STATEMENT THAT YOU JUST READ. AM I RIGHT? NOW, THE AUDIENCE MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME THING, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO TRUST IT. YOU READ WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. SPEAKING OF THAT, I SAW YOU HIGHLIGHTING. I WANT TO KNOW I'M GOING TO GO DOWN THE LINE. MAYBE NOT IN ORDER, BUT EVERYONE, I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU. WHAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU READ THAT STOOD OUT, EVEN IF YOU HAD HEARD IT 100 TIMES BEFORE AND IT STRUCK YOU DIFFERENTLY? WHAT WAS ONE THING THAT PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE OR MADE YOU SAY, YEAH. SO ONE THAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME WAS ON THE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, THE POVERTY, LACK OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT AND OTHER FACTORS WERE DESCRIBED AS CHALLENGES TO BE OVERCOME, NOT AS EXCUSES. YEAH, AND I LOVE THAT. I MEAN, I WAS A PTA PRESIDENT AND OF TITLE ONE SCHOOL, AND THAT WAS ALWAYS OUR. IT'S KIND OF OUR MOTTO. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO HELP EVERYBODY. I LOVE IT. GOOD DEAL. AMY STOLE MINE. I'LL COME BACK. OKAY, SURE. I JUST CAN GO ALSO. CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, AND THE ONE THAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IS BOARD MEMBERS SEEM TO FEEL AN INTERNAL DESIRE TO IMPROVE. THEY TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR THE SAKE OF STUDENTS, AND I THINK THIS IS VERY EVIDENT. I MEAN, I'M VERY BLESSED TO BE PART OF THIS, THIS TEAM, BECAUSE I THINK SINCE EVEN BEFORE I GOT HERE, I GUESS I KNEW LIKE THROUGH THE INTERVIEW QUESTION THAT'S WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE HAPPENING IS US REALLY CONTINUING TO IMPROVE. WE'RE A GREAT DISTRICT, BUT WE CAN DO BETTER. WE CAN TAKE CARE OF EVERY KID, AND HOW CAN WE BE LASER FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE EVERY STUDENT HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL HERE AND CREATE EVEN OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL KIDS? SO AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF RARE, AND WE ARE A LONESTAR GOVERNANCE DISTRICT, TOO, THAT'S REALLY KIND OF ALIGN WITH THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING. [00:30:05] IT IS, YEAH, VERY STUDENT FOCUSED, VERY DATA DRIVEN. ABSOLUTELY. SO WE ABOUT TO GO SORRY. ONE THING THAT I NOTICED, ONE WORD THAT STUCK OUT TO ME A LOT WAS THE WORD SHARED. IT'S USED A LOT IN HERE, SHARED VISION, SHARED DECISION MAKING, AND I KNOW FOR ME PERSONALLY, THAT'S SOMEWHERE THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE ALL EIGHT OF US ON THE BOARD USING THAT TERM MORE OFTEN, THAT WE HAVE THIS SHARED VISION AND SHARED DECISION MAKING, AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THAT'S THE GOAL FOR ALL EIGHT OF US TO BE ON THAT SAME PAGE, AND THEN A PHRASE THAT STUCK OUT TO ME WAS BOARD MEMBERS SEEM TO FEEL AN INTERNAL DESIRE TO IMPROVE. THEY TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IMPROVING EDUCATION FOR THE SAKE OF STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHY WE RAN FOR THE BOARD, I THINK ALL OF US ARE UP HERE BECAUSE WE DO ULTIMATELY WANT TO SEE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS SUCCEED, AND WHEN WE SAY ALL, WE MEAN ALL, AND YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I WAS LOOKING FOR WHEN I RAN WAS FOR US TO FIND WAYS TO PARTNER WITH THE DISTRICT, FOR INNOVATIVE WAYS TO GET ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ACROSS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT END GOAL, THAT INLINE AND MAKE THEM SUCCESSFUL NO MATTER WHAT PROGRAM THEY WERE FOLLOWING, WHAT THEIR ABILITY LEVEL IS THAT WE'RE GETTING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS THERE. OKAY, SO I HAD ONE KIND OF MOVING THING AND ONE KIND OF STUCK THING THAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT. HOPEFULLY THAT WE GET TO IT AT SOME POINT. I LIKED UNDER ABILITY TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN INITIATIVES. BOARD MEMBERS COULD DESCRIBE SPECIFIC WAYS BOARD ACTIONS AND GOALS WERE COMMUNICATED TO STAFF SUCH AS POST BOARD MEETINGS FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS. I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I'M A FORMER EDUCATOR AND ROUND ROCK ISD TO HAVE THAT FULL BUY IN AND TO HAVE EVERYONE FEEL LIKE THEY ARE A PART OF THE VISION AND OF THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL, AND SO I REALLY LIKED HOW DELIBERATE THAT WAS AND HOW INTENTIONAL THAT IS AND BRINGING EVERYONE ALONG. YEAH, THAT REALLY STUCK OUT TO ME, AND THEN SOMETHING THAT I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT AND I HOPE WILL COVER UNDER CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, BUT STUCK WAS THAT BOARD MEMBERS EXPECTED IT WOULD TAKE YEARS TO SEE ANY IMPROVEMENTS IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT? ROUND ROCK ISD IS A VERY HIGH ACHIEVING DISTRICT, BUT WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE DATA, WE SEE THE GAPS AND AS WE'RE PLANNING FOR GOALS, WE SET GOALS ACCORDING TO THOSE GAPS, AND WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS AND THE REALITY OF THE WORK THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR EDUCATORS AND FOR ALL OF US TO GET STUDENTS TO REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL? AND WE WILL ADDRESS THAT, I MEAN, IN SO MANY WAYS. SURE. I THINK ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT FOR ME WAS UNDER THE NUMBER SIX, THE SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL SITES THROUGH DATA AND INFORMATION, AND IT WAS BOARD MEMBERS OFTEN REFERRED TO STUDENT NEEDS AS SHOWN THROUGH DATA ABOUT STUDENTS AND GROUPS OF STUDENTS AS A FOCUS FOR DECISION MAKING AND THAT THEY MENTIONED DATA IN IT. I'M A REAL DATA PERSON AS WELL, AND SO BEING ABLE TO ALWAYS REMEMBER WHY WE'RE SITTING UP HERE IS ABOUT EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT THAT IS IN ROUND ROCK ISD OR THAT COULD BE IN ROUND ROCK ISD, AND I WANT THAT TO BE THE CONTINUAL FOCUS OF WHY WE LEAVE OUR FAMILIES AND WHY WE LEAVE OUR HOMES AND COME HERE FOR AND DO ALL OF THIS TIME THAT WE PUT INTO IT IS SO THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY THINKING ABOUT STUDENT NEED AND HOW CAN WE IMPACT THAT AND HOW CAN WE MAKE TRANSFORMATIONAL CHANGE THAT WILL LAST ONCE ALL OF US ARE OFF OF THIS LIST? ABSOLUTELY. FOR ME, IT WAS THE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. BOARD MEMBERS IDENTIFIED HOW THEY HAD SOUGHT OUT WAYS TO CONNECT WITH AND LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBERS EXPRESS PRIDE IN THEIR COMMUNITY AND IN THEIR EFFORTS TO INVOLVE PARENTS. IT'S ALWAYS BEEN REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS HAVE A VOICE IN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR HEARD, YOU KNOW, AND THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING SOMETHING ON THE BOARD TO ADDRESS THOSE THINGS THAT THEY HAVE AS CONCERNS. LIKE DURING THE ELECTION, I MEAN, I HAD A STANDING WEDNESDAY DATE WHERE I WOULD GO AT THIS PLACE AND JUST HAVE COFFEE AT NINE IN THE MORNING AND PEOPLE WOULD COME BY AND WE'D TALK AND CHAT, AND I WANT TO CONTINUE DOING IT. I JUST HAVE TO FIND TIME FOR IT NOW, BUT JUST PEOPLE SOMETIMES JUST WANT TO BE HEARD, YOU KNOW, AND THAT CAN GO A LONG WAY WITH MAKING CHANGE ALSO. GOOD DEAL. WELL, THANK YOU ALL FOR SHARING THE THINGS THAT RESONATED WITH YOU. NOW YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN GLARING FASHION AS WE GO THROUGH THESE VERY BASIC AND, AGAIN, HIGH LEVEL APPROACH TO THESE SCENARIOS, THESE REAL CASE STUDIES, BUT OTHER THINGS WILL POP OUT AS WELL. AGAIN, I INTENTIONALLY CHOSE THESE SITUATIONS TO HIGHLIGHT THIS RESEARCH. AGAIN, I THINK IT'S STUFF THAT WE KNOW, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT IT IN REAL LIFE AND WE UNDERSTAND HOW INTENTIONAL A TEAM HAS TO BE AND HOW MUCH WORK IT [00:35:10] TAKES, IT'S NOT JUST YOU ALL CARING THAT IT'S YOU REMINDING YOURSELF THAT IT IS A SHARED PROCESS. IT DOES HAVE TO BE THE COMMUNITY, AND IF YOU THINK THERE ARE WAYS TO KIND OF SHORT CIRCUIT OR, YOU KNOW, SHORT THOSE THOSE EFFORTS. TEAMS FOUND THEMSELVES UP AGAINST A WALL WONDERING WHY THEY AREN'T SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY STOP AND TAKE AN INVENTORY AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, THERE ARE SOME PROVEN THINGS THAT MAYBE WE CAN JUST SHORE UP AND GET THAT LAST BIT OF SUCCESS AND SQUEEZE IT OUT. SO NOW THAT YOU'RE EXPERTS, RIGHT ON THESE SEVEN CONDITIONS, TRUST ME, YOU'RE READY BECAUSE YOU'VE LIVED THIS BEFORE YOU READ IT. WE'RE GOING TO JUMP INTO SOME OF THE SCENARIOS AND LET YOU HAVE AT IT. THIS IS WHERE I TALK A WHOLE LOT LESS, AND AGAIN, YOU AREN'T A QUIET BUNCH, BUT IF FOR SOME REASON YOU'VE GONE QUIET, IT'S GOING TO BE A LONG NIGHT. SO GET READY TO SHARE THIS FIRST SCENARIO AGAIN, THESE ARE REAL SCENARIOS. I'VE TAKEN OUT SOME DETAILS JUST TO MASK THE DISTRICT. NOT THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO BE EGREGIOUS, BUT AGAIN, I WANT US TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THESE OPENLY. AND I DIDN'T ADD ANY DETAILS IN AGAIN, NOT TO FIT THE PURPOSE, BUT YOU'LL SEE IT'S CALLED NAVIGATING THE NOISE, AND FOR EACH SCENARIO, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BIT OF THE CLIMATE, WHAT THE MOOD IS LIKE. WHAT THE TOWN OR THE CITY OR THE METROPLEX IS LIKE, HOW PEOPLE ARE FEELING, THE DIVISION, HOW FAR IT'S GOING DOWN INTO THE COMMUNITY. IN THIS CASE, THE COMMUNITY IS SPLIT. BADLY SPLIT, RIGHT? THEY'RE CONCERNED THAT THE BOARD CURRENTLY IN PLACE AND OR THE SUPERINTENDENT MAY NOT BE EFFECTIVE. YOU HAVE, OF COURSE, PEOPLE WHO ARE IN FAVOR OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, BUT NOT THE BOARD AND VICE VERSA. IT'S DIVIDED AS MANY DIFFERENT WAYS AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, RIGHT. MOREOVER, THE SUPERINTENDENT IS PRETTY NEW TO THE DISTRICT. THE DISTRICT HAS ABOUT AVERAGE SUPERINTENDENT TURNOVER LOOKING AT 2 TO 3 YEARS ENOUGH JUST TO KIND OF LEARN THE SYSTEM AND NOT YET MAKE THAT FULL PROGRESS BEFORE YOU CAN GO ON. THAT'S KIND OF THE CLIMATE. I'LL GO ONE STEP FURTHER. IF YOU HAD DRIVEN THROUGH THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AT THE PEAK OF SOME OF THE CHALLENGES, YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE SEEN A SIGN IN THE YARD THAT SAID, GET RID OF SUPERINTENDENT SO-AND-SO. RIGHT? IT HAD GOTTEN TO THAT LEVEL. PICKETS IN THE YARD. A LOT OF NOISE. NOT SO MUCH RELATED TO THE SCHOOL BUSINESS, BUT JUST MAJORING IN PERSONALITIES AND OTHER ISSUES. WE MOVE TO THE BOARD? ANYONE SURPRISED THAT THE BOARD IS SPLIT IN THIS SCENARIO? NOT REALLY. THE COMMUNITY IS SPLIT. THE BOARD IS SPLIT. THE BOARD IS MADE UP OF RELATIVES OF FORMER EMPLOYEES. THE BOARD, DESPITE BEING SPLIT, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH ALL SINCERE. WHEN I TALKED TO THEM, I COULDN'T DETERMINE OR ASCERTAIN THAT ANY ONE OF THEM WASN'T ON THE BOARD TO REALLY MAKE SURE KIDS DO WELL AND TO IMPROVE THEIR SYSTEM. IT GOES TO SHOW THAT EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT HAVE SOME OF THE SAME ENDS IN MIND, WE STILL HAVE CHALLENGES ABOUT THE MEANS, RIGHT, AND HOW WE APPROACH IT. ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING WAS THAT THEY COMMONLY USED I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN OR NOT, BUT THIS IDEA OF OUTSIDERS. I GREW UP IN A SMALL TOWN, AND IF YOU WEREN'T BORN AND REARED THERE, YOU WERE AN OUTSIDER. I DON'T CARE IF YOU GOT THERE WHEN YOU'RE WERE TWO YEARS OLD, AND YOU MEAN THE 30 YEARS YOU'RE AN OUTSIDER, RIGHT? BUT THEY HAD THIS TERM. THERE WERE ONE OR TWO OUTSIDERS ON THE BOARD. GREAT FOLKS. THEY LOVED THEM, BUT THEY STILL CALL THEM OUTSIDERS. DEEP HISTORIC CONNECTION TO THE COMMUNITY, RIGHT? I MEAN, THAT'S JUST KIND OF HOW IT OFTEN IS IN SOME AREAS. PART OF THE MOTIVATION SOME PEOPLE GET ON THE BOARD IS TO PRESERVE WHAT THEY HAD GROWING UP. THEY WENT TO A SYSTEM. IT WAS GREAT. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IS PRESERVED. SO IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO SEE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD WITH DEEP HISTORIC ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY. YOU'RE GETTING AN IDEA KIND OF WHAT THE MORE IT LOOKS LIKE. LET'S JUMP IN TO SOME PARTICULARS. WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE DATA AND THEY SHARED DATA WITH US, WE NOTICED AND THEY TOLD US WE'D HAVE TO NOTICE IT, THAT AN ALARMING NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND PRETTY MUCH I MEAN, IT'S APPROACHING THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS, 1 TO 2 GRADE LEVELS BEHIND, AND THAT'S FROM THE YOUNG GRADES UP THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HAD A VERY TOUGH CONVERSATION. THEY THOUGHT, WOW, IF WE JUST MAKE A YEAR SCAN EVERY YEAR, WE'RE STILL GOING TO GRADUATE KIDS WHO ARE BEHIND. IT WAS JUST A SOBERING EFFECT THAT THE ONLY NOTICE WHEN THEY GOT FOCUSED AND STARTED TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF STUDENTS, RIGHT. THEY WOULD HAVE HEARD THAT COUNTLESS TIMES, BUT THE NOISE WAS SO LOUD THAT THEY JUST HADN'T STOPPED AT THAT POINT TO SAY. THE KIDS GRADUATING NEXT YEAR OR THIS YEAR, THEY'RE NOT EVEN ON LEVEL. HOW IS IT HAPPENING? RIGHT, BUT HERE'S A FUNNY THING ABOUT IT. [00:40:02] THEY HAD A REALLY SOLID DATA ASSESSMENT SYSTEM. THE PERSONNEL COULD SLICE UP DATA AND TELL YOU THAT'S HOW THEY KNEW THE SEVERITY OF THE DEFICIT. SOME OF THE STUDENTS. RIGHT. GREAT RESOURCES, VERY TALENTED. NO QUESTION ABOUT IT. ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE IN THIS CASE THAT 73% OF THE FAMILIES OR STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCH AND TALK ABOUT A DISTRICT OF ABOUT OVER 6000 KIDS. NOW, I KNOW I'VE GIVEN YOU ONLY A SURFACE LEVEL APPROACH, BUT GUESS WHAT? SCHOOL BUSINESS IS NOT ALWAYS SO SIMPLE AND EASY, AND YOU ALL DIG INTO OBSCURE CASES AND DATA AND YOU TEASE OUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT. RIGHT? OKAY, SO NOW I'M GOING TO TURN OVER TO YOU. I'M GOING TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. ONE. YOU JUST HAD A CRASH COURSE IN THOSE SEVEN CONDITIONS. WITH THE LIMITED DATA THAT YOU HAVE, AND I MIGHT BE GENEROUS, I MIGHT ANSWER ONE OR TWO QUESTIONS YOU ASK IF YOU WANT CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, BUT WITH THE LIMITED SET OF DATA YOU HAVE JUST YOU'RE JUST GOT TO THE BOARD. LET'S PRETEND IT'S LIKE ONE OF THOSE REALITY SHOWS IS BOARD SWAP. YOU JUST GOT SWAPPED OVER TO THAT COMMUNITY AND THAT'S WHAT THEY BRIEFED YOU WITH FIRST MEETING. WHICH OF THOSE CONDITIONS DO YOU THINK IS WIDELY UNDERSTOOD IN THAT DISTRICT? NO WRONG ANSWER, I GUARANTEE YOU. WHICH ONE HAS A STRONG PRESENCE. I WOULD SAY COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. WHEN YOU'RE IN A SMALLER COMMUNITY LIKE THAT, IT'S KIND OF HARD TO NOT BE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON. YOU TALK ABOUT IT AT THE GROCERY STORE. YOU TALK I MEAN, BUT WHEN YOU'RE IN A LARGER COMMUNITY LIKE ROUND ROCK, YOU MAY NOT KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON THE EAST SIDE IF YOU'RE ON THE WEST AND VICE VERSA. SO I THINK THEY PROBABLY HAD A LARGE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT, EVEN THOUGH THE COMMUNITY WAS SPLIT. SEEMS LIKE THEY MIGHT HAVE HAD THAT PART DOWN. YEAH. I TELL YOU, IF THE BASES WERE LOADED, THAT'D BE A GRAND SLAM. YEAH. SO ABSOLUTELY. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT COMPONENT. WHAT ELSE? WELL, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS A NEED FOR DATA, EVEN IF THEY WEREN'T MAYBE USING IT APPROPRIATELY. IF THEY ARE, IF THEY'D HIRED THOSE STAFF MEMBERS TO BREAK IT DOWN TO THEM AND PROVIDE IT, AT LEAST SOMEONE, THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE BOARD, SOMEBODY UNDERSTOOD THE NEED FOR DATA. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY WERE IN THE MOVING OR THE STUCK SIDE. I SUSPECT STUCK, BUT. SO THEY KNOW THE DATA ARE THERE. THEY HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF HOW TO WELL, WHAT IT'S SAYING, BUT WHY THEY'RE NOT MAKING USE OF IT. GREAT OTHERS. WHAT OTHER CONDITIONS DO YOU THINK THEY UNDERSTAND OR ARE THERE TO SOME DEGREE? MAYBE NOT A STRONG PRESENCE, BUT IT'S THERE. WELL, BEING THAT IT'S 73% ON FREE LUNCH, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A STRONG PRESENCE OF PARENTS AT THE SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY'RE WORKING. SO THEY CAN'T BE AS INVOLVED ONE ON ONE WITH TEACHERS IN THAT. YEAH, AND AT SOME POINT THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT THAT SHARED VISION. IF YOU WANT TO REALLY GET THAT BUY IN AND YOU WANT THAT VISION TO GO DOWN FROM THE BOARD ALL THE WAY DOWN TO EVERY PARENT. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO, YOU KNOW, RECONCILE THAT POTENTIAL FACT. I AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY. ANYTHING ELSE AGAIN? YEAH, MAYBE NOT PERFECT, BUT I THINK A LITTLE BIT OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT BECAUSE YOU SAID THAT THOSE BOARD MEMBERS WERE ENGAGED. SO IT SEEMS LIKE THEY. WE'RE PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION TO SEE THE DISPROPORTIONALITY AND WANTED THOSE TO IMPROVE. WHETHER OR NOT THEY FELT LIKE THEY HAD THE TOOLS OR WERE FOCUSED ENOUGH IS ANOTHER STORY, BUT IT DOES SEEM LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM. SURE. ANY OTHER THOUGHTS OR JUST GENERAL COMMENTS NOT RELATED TO THE SEVEN CONDITIONS, BUT THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SAY MAN FROM A BOARD MEMBERS PERSPECTIVE. ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL ASK YOU ANOTHER QUESTION. WHAT GOVERNANCE LEVEL QUESTIONS WOULD YOU ASK? AND THROW IN THE SECOND QUESTION TO WHAT FIRST STEPS MIGHT THIS TEAM TAKE? WHAT FIRST STEPS WOULD YOU BE INTERESTED IN TAKING AS A BOARD IF YOU WERE JUST TRANSPLANTED IN THAT SITUATION? PERSONALLY, I IF WE'VE GOT THE DATA TO REALLY LOOK AT THE DATA, BUT ALSO TO TO CONNECT WITH OUR STAFF. RIGHT. I MEAN, THERE'S EVEN WITHOUT THIS, BUT THERE ARE TWO OF THEM AS PART OF THIS SEVEN THAT ARE ALL ABOUT STAFF. SO ARE YOU TALKING TO YOUR STAFF? ARE YOU FINDING OUT I MEAN, WHAT IS CAUSING KIDS TO BE 1 TO 2 YEARS BEHIND FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS? ARE WE NOT GIVING THEM PROPER DEVELOPMENT OR ARE WE NOT SUPPORTING THEM IN WHAT THEY NEED TO DO TO TEACH THE CHILDREN? SURE. AND YOU ANSWERED A QUESTION THAT I DIDN'T ASK, BUT NOW I'M GOING TO. [00:45:04] WHAT CONDITIONS DO THEY PROBABLY NOT. FOSTER AND THEN ONE WOULD PROBABLY BE THAT CONNECTION TO. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. YEAH, IT'S DEFINITELY SHARED LEADERSHIP. SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S NO SHARED LEADERSHIP. SO PROBABLY THE START IS THEIR COMMON VISION, COMMON MISSION, RIGHT? THAT'S WORKING TOGETHER JUST TO COME UP WITH THAT FIRST AND THAT EVENTUALLY THEY GET DOWN TO THE GOALS, YOU KNOW, AND THE GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES AND STUFF LIKE THAT TO SET UP SOME GOALS AND THEN ESTABLISH TO SUPPORT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO HELP SUPPORT THE TEACHERS AND STAFF SO THEY CAN ACHIEVE THESE GOALS. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. NOW IS EVERYONE POTENTIALLY ON THE BOARD, AN EDUCATOR? THEY MIGHT NOT UNDERSTAND THAT. SO SOMEONE'S GOT TO MOVE THE BALL IN THAT DIRECTION, RIGHT? AGAIN, KIND OF A LITTLE TIDBIT AND REMINDER. WHAT'S THE PROGNOSIS IF NOTHING CHANGES? THINGS CONTINUE ON THE TREND AND KIND OF FOLLOWING THE DATA AND THE PRECEDENT ALREADY SHARED. WHERE IS THE DISTRICT HEADED? AND BE AS SPECIFIC AS YOU CAN. I GO BACK TO THAT ONE OF THE FIRST SLIDES THAT YOU PUT UP THERE ABOUT DESTABILIZING BOARD BEHAVIOR, AND IF YOU'VE GOT SUPERINTENDENT TURNOVER, WHICH LEADS TO, YOU KNOW, AND ALSO. PERHAPS BORED BEHAVIOR DEPENDS. SOUND LIKE THEY MIGHT ALL HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS, BUT THERE'S KIND OF A DIVISION BETWEEN THE OUTSIDERS AND THE HOMETOWN PEOPLE, BUT IT'S GOING TO EVENTUALLY LEAD TO STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DECLINE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE WORST OUTCOME THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY SEE, AND THAT'S WHY IT WAS LIKE THEY REALLY NEEDED TO WORK ON NUMBER THREE ON THE ABILITY TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN INITIATIVES THAT ARE GOING TO LAST NO MATTER WHO'S SITTING IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CHAIR OR WHO'S SITTING ON THE IN THE BOARD ON HOW TO KEEP THOSE INITIATIVES GOING AND FOCUSED ON THE CHILDREN. YEAH. I LIKE THAT. IT'S GOOD. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TEACHERS LEAVE. BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT FEELING SUPPORTED, MAYBE. SURE, AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING THE TOOLS THAT THEY NEED FOR WHATEVER REASON IN ORDER TO FILL THIS GAP. YEAH, IT'S HARD TO BANG YOUR HEAD AGAINST A WALL WHEN YOU'RE TRYING EVERYTHING YOU KNOW, AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING THAT LIKE I SAID, SUPPORT FROM ABOVE. YEAH. I MEAN, IT MAKES SENSE IF YOU HAVE A REALLY ROBUST DATA COLLECTION SYSTEM AND THE TEACHERS KNOW THE STATE OF THE DISTRICT AND LEARNING AND THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT. YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT'S GOT TO BE FRUSTRATING. IT'S GOTTA BE A CHALLENGE, AND IF YOU COULD, YOU KNOW, AFFORD YOU HAVE THE MEANS TO PACK UP AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, THAT PROBABLY WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. YEAH. SURE. I THOUGHT I SAW MY HAND FLICK. NO. OKAY, YES. I WAS GOING TO SAY THEY'LL BE THEY'RE GOING TO BE STUCK IN THAT CYCLE OF OF TURNOVER, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WHAT PRESIDENT LINDHOLM WAS SAYING, BUT STUCK IN THAT CYCLE OF TURNOVER. AND THEN IT DOESN'T BECOME ABOUT THE KIDS. IT CONTINUES TO BE ABOUT THE ADULTS AND WHO HAS THE BEST IDEA, AND THEY'LL JUST BE STUCK IN THAT CYCLE OVER AND OVER AND OVER, WHICH WILL THEN LEAD TO FAILING DISTRICT, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF BLAME IN THE COMMUNITY. SURE, RIGHT. THAT'S GOING TO I MEAN, THE TEACHERS ARE GOING TO BE TALKING. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING THE WAY THEY FEEL ABOUT THEIR SCHOOL DISTRICT IS GOING TO GO DOWN. THE PEOPLE WHO RAN BECAUSE THEY LOVED THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND WANTED IT TO BE THE SAME, THAT'S GOING TO START TO GO AWAY BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S ANGRY, YOU KNOW, AT SOMEBODY, MAYBE IT CHANGES BECAUSE THERE'S A NEW SUPERINTENDENT. SO NOW YOU'RE MAD AT OLD BOARD MEMBERS AND YOU LOVE THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT, BUT, YOU KNOW, KIDS ARE STILL FALLING. BEHIND. THEY'RE STILL NOT GRADUATING, AND IF THEY'RE GOING ON TO COLLEGE OR A TRADE SCHOOL OR EVEN A JOB AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE SKILLS, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING, OH, YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR CHILD DIDN'T HAVE? AND KIDS LIKE TO DO WHAT OTHER KIDS DO, AND I'M SURE THE YOUNGER KIDS ARE SEEING THE OLDER KIDS AND THAT THEY'RE JUST GETTING BY. THEY'RE GRADUATING, BUT THEY'RE GRADUATING WITH, YOU KNOW, TWO OR THREE GRADES BEHIND. SO THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE TO THEY DON'T FEEL THE NEED TO HAVE TO PUSH THEMSELVES IN ORDER TO DO THAT. SO IT'S JUST A WHOLE MINDSET THAT'S TOXIC, I THINK. SURE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, SO I THINK YOUR ANALYSIS WAS AMAZING. I EVEN HEARD RECOMMENDATIONS AND THINGS THAT, WELL, A NEXT DECENT STEP MIGHT BE X, Y, AND Z. HOW MANY OF YOU FEEL CONFIDENT THAT IF WE IMPLEMENT THE STEPS AND SHORE UP UNDERSTANDING AND SOME OF THE KEY CONDITIONS THAT YOU REFERRED TO, THAT IT COULD PROBABLY HELP THIS DISTRICT TURN AROUND? YEAH. GOOD. GOOD. ALL RIGHT, BEFORE WE FIND OUT WHAT HAPPENS. DOING A LITTLE CLIFFHANGER MOMENTS AFTER THIS BREAK, RIGHT? NOT THAT BREAK FROM THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO DO ANOTHER MOTIVATION, AND I KNOW, MR. MARKHAM, YOU TALKED A BIT ABOUT YOUR MOTIVATION FOR RUNNING FOR THE BOARD, BUT BEAR IT A LITTLE MORE. TEASE OUT A LITTLE MORE. SHARE WITH US WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO RUN AND. [00:50:03] YEAH. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS REALLY BIG FOR ME. YOU KNOW, AND I WANTED TO LOOK FOR WAYS. YOU KNOW, THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN HARD ON ALL DISTRICTS, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND I WANTED TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO, YOU KNOW, BRIDGE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND THE DISTRICT, WHICH IN TURN I THINK WOULD HELP, YOU KNOW, WITH TRANSPARENCY ABOUT RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR COMMUNITY, ABOUT OUR ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES, OUR STRATEGIC PLANS, AND, YOU KNOW, AND WHERE WE'RE HEADED, AND NOW THAT I'M HERE AND I'M SEEING ALL THE STEPS THAT ARE BEING PUT IN PLACE BY DR. AZAIEZ AND HOW HE'S BRINGING THE BOARD IN, AND THEN THAT TRICKLES DOWN TO THE COMMUNITY. IT'S SORT OF PLAYING OUT IN MY HEAD THE WAY THAT I THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I RAN, AND SO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN A HUGE THING FOR ME. GOOD. YEAH. IN TEXAS, SPECIFIC RESEARCH IS SHOWING MORE AND MORE THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, AND MAYBE BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY SMALLER RURAL DISTRICTS, I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT'S PRETTY NEAT TO SEE HOW THAT PLAYS OUT. ARE YOU? WE GUESS. YEAH. GUESS WHAT HAPPENED? THEY WENT TO A 1.5. MODEL WHERE THEY WERE TRYING TO GET ALL THE KIDS AT 1.5 YEARS. MAYBE I'M NOT GOING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED. YEAH, THE TOO SMART, TOO WILL READ. YOU'VE BEEN LISTENING TO CLOSELY. SO WHAT HAPPENED HAS BEEN YOU THING. OH, YOU WANT ALL THESE OTHER ONES? OH, I GUARANTEE IT. I CAN'T GUARANTEE IT, BUT YOU MIGHT. SO THAT WAS A REMARKABLE SHIFT IN FOCUS. THERE WAS FIRST AN ACCEPTANCE AND I WANT TO BACK UP FOR A SECOND. FOR ANYONE JUST TUNING IN. IF THESE CASES SOUND LIKE IT SOUNDS KIND OF HEAVY, I WANT TO BE AUTHENTIC TO THE AGAIN, THE INTRINSIC TENSION IN THE WORK THAT WE DO IS NOT A NEGATIVE THING. YOU JUST YOU HAVE A TALL BUILDING FEEL RIGHT, AND SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT WHAT BOARDS ARE DOING ON THEIR PATH, THERE ARE DIFFERENT POINTS ALONG THAT. ON THAT PATH, ON THAT SPECTRUM, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING TO RESPOND TO THAT NATURAL TENSION AND THAT CHALLENGE. A REMARKABLE SHIFT IN FOCUS. THEY GOT TOGETHER AND SAID, WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT OUR SYSTEM. WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT EACH OTHER. WE NEED TO LEARN ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE GOVERNANCE, WRITE ABOUT OURSELVES AS A TEAM, AND THEY TOOK IT WHOLEHEARTEDLY. AGAIN, THEY HAD THE RIGHT PERSONNEL, THEY HAD FAITH IN THEIR SYSTEM, AND THEY DID WHAT YOU SAID. DR. GONZALEZ THEY SET SOME VERY CLEAR GOALS, VERY SPECIFIC GOALS, BUT IT DIDN'T STOP THERE. THEY HAD TO SHRUG ALONG AND JUST CONTINUE TO PUSH AND WORK ALONG UNTIL GUESS WHAT? UNTIL THE COMMUNITY ALSO WATCHED AND TOOK NOTE AND SAID, WOW, THEY'RE SERIOUS. THIS IS NOT JUST A ONE YEAR THING. WHEN YEAR GOES BY, IT'S NOT JUST A TWO YEAR THING. CHEERIEST GOES ABOUT THEIR SERIOUS. WE BETTER GET BEHIND THIS. RIGHT? THIS WAS ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO, AND THEY'RE STILL WORKING. THEY'RE JUST FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT, GIVING ALL THEY HAVE. I HAVE NOT SEEN IN MY EXPERIENCE. A GOAL AND A VISION SO DEEPLY INGRAINED AND SO PROMINENT THROUGHOUT ALL TIERS OF THE SYSTEM AS I HAVE THERE. I'M NOT SAYING DOESN'T EXIST, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLE, AND THAT COULD BE THE CASE HERE, BUT I'M JUST SAYING, WHEN I GO INTO THE DISTRICT AND I DO FOLLOW UPS, YOU SEE THEIR GOALS ON THE COASTERS, YOU SEE THE GOALS ON LAPEL PINS, YOU SEE IT ON ANY KIND OF KNICKKNACK YOU CAN FIND AROUND. AND IT'S NOT JUST SO MUCH A FORCE FED THING. IT'S A SINCERE ADOPTION, AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, THE COMMUNITY GETS ON BOARD AND YOU MENTIONED MISS MARKETING AS WELL. THERE'S A SHARED APPROACH TO IT. THE KIDS OWN IT. WHEN THE KIDS START OWNING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOTTEN DOWN DEEP INTO THE SYSTEM, BUT AGAIN, IT WASN'T AN OVERNIGHT THING, AND I THINK TO YOUR POINT, MS. HARRISON, WE TALK ABOUT SOMETIMES HOW LONG WORK TAKES, BUT IT WASN'T NOTHING, NOTHING, NOTHING, AND THEN THIS YEAR SOMETHING IT WAS PROGRESS ALONG THE WAY TO BE ABLE TO WATCH AND GUESS WHO WAS WATCHING IT. EVERYBODY. EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THEIR RESPECTIVE ROLES IN THAT SYSTEM, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GIVE THIS AWAY BECAUSE IT'LL BE THE BIG THEME. I'LL JUST SAY IT THIS WAY. THINK ABOUT THE BOARD'S ROLE IN THIS TRANSFORMATION. I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT. THE OTHER THING THE SUPERINTENDENT MENTIONED, VERY DELIBERATE USE OF DATA. I KNOW YOU ALL ARE MAKING VERY DELIBERATE USE OF DATA. KUDOS TO YOU. THIS GROUP SAID IF DATA. ARE NOT THE CENTER OF WHAT WE'RE DOING, ARE NOT THE CENTER. THEN WHAT ARE WE DOING? AND THEY RESPOND TO IT AND THEY AGAIN, JUST HAMMERING AWAY AT IT YEAR AFTER YEAR. THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS. THEY WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE AREN'T THERE YET, BUT WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH. AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO LEAD THE COMMUNITY. IT'S NOT ABOUT GETTING TO SOME POINT TOMORROW. IT'S ABOUT BEING ON THE TRAJECTORY THAT GETS YOU THERE. RIGHT, BUT YEAH, AND I WOULDN'T SAY IF MR. WEIR IS WRONG OR RIGHT FOR THE SAKE OF ANONYMITY, BUT YOU ALL ARE SMART FOLKS, AND YOU LISTEN AND YOU'VE BEEN PAYING ATTENTION. [00:55:04] SO DO WHAT? THAT INFORMATION. WHAT YOU WILL. NAVIGATING THE NOISE. THEY WOULD TELL YOU THE SAME STORY AS I'VE SHARED IT, AND IF YOU HEARD, IT IS REMARKABLE , BUT I WANT TO GO BACK TO THIS THOUGHT THAT I WANT TO KEEP IN YOUR HEAD. THINK ABOUT THE BOARD'S ROLE IN THIS AND WHEN THINGS GOT KICKED INTO MOTION. ANY PET OWNERS ON THE DIAS TODAY WE GOT A LOT OF THEM. I START WITH CATS AND THE CAT OWNERS. OH GOTCHA. WHY DID YOU RUN FOR THE BOARD? BECAUSE I HAVE AN AWFUL CAT THAT MY DAUGHTER LEFT. SORRY. WANTED TO BE AWAY FROM THE HOUSE. AWAY FROM THE CAT. I DO. I KNOW I'M GOING TO BE FORWARD FACING, BUT WHAT I ALWAYS SAID, ESPECIALLY IN 2018, WAS I HAD COME TO A POINT IN MY INVOLVEMENT IN THE DISTRICT WHERE I WAS EITHER GOING TO STEP UP OR SHUT UP. YEAH, AND SO I DID STEP UP. TWO, I WANTED TO ENSURE THAT OUR BOND PROJECTS WERE BEING COMPLETED WITH FIDELITY, THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT CAMPUS NEEDS ON INDIVIDUAL BASIS, NOT JUST KIND OF A COOKIE CUTTER. AND TO REALLY ADVOCATE FOR THOSE CAMPUSES, ESPECIALLY OUR TITLE ONE SCHOOLS, BUT FOR ALL CAMPUSES TO RECEIVE THE SUPPORT THAT THEY INDIVIDUALLY NEED, NOT JUST YOU HAVE X NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND YOU GET X NUMBER OF RESOURCES WITHOUT LOOKING AT THE TYPES OF STUDENTS. THAT WAS WHY I RAN IN 2018. GOOD. I'M GUESSING YOU'RE A FAN OF HOUSE BILL THREE. THE CAMPUS LEVEL GOALS AND HOW THAT MAKES IT. I AM AND I HOPE AND I KNOW LIKE AS WE'VE REALLY GOTTEN INTO LONE STAR GOVERNANCE WITH A LITTLE MORE FIDELITY AND WE ARE STARTING TO DO MORE OF THAT. IT IS VERY EXCITING BECAUSE THE TYPES OF STUDENTS THAT ARE AT DIFFERENT CAMPUSES MAKE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. I MEAN, WE HAVE A CAMPUS THAT CLOSE TO MY HOUSE THAT JUST GOT THEIR POWER BACK, BUT THEY'RE PROBABLY HAVE SOME OF THE POOREST FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT AND SOME OF THEM STILL DON'T HAVE POWER. SURE. RIGHT, AND THEY HAVE ALL ELECTRIC APPLIANCES AND THEY'VE LOST ALL OF THEIR FOOD AND THEY HAVEN'T THE KIDS HAVEN'T HAD CLEAN CLOTHES OR ANYTHING, AND THOSE TEACHERS ARE DOING AN AMAZING JOB DRIVING OUT, MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAVE FOOD, GETTING THOSE KIDS, AND BUT IT'S A VERY DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENT ON THAT CAMPUS THAN IT IS ON A CAMPUS THAT. DOESN'T HAVE THOSE NEEDS. SO THAT WAS REALLY JUST TO SORT OF HELP ADVOCATE FOR THAT WAS WHY I RAN. I MEAN, AND TO SUPPORT THAT PERSPECTIVE, WE TALK ABOUT THAT BALANCE BETWEEN DISTRICT WIDE DIRECTION AND CAMPUS LEVEL AUTONOMY. WHAT HAPPENS ON THE INDIVIDUAL CAMPUS MATTERS. YOU CAN SET A DISTRICT WIDE GOAL, BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR THAT CAMPUS? AT SOME POINT YOU HAVE TO JUST AGGREGATE DATA AND LOOK AT WHAT IT MEANS FOR EACH CAMPUS AND FIND OUT WHAT THEIR UNIQUE NEEDS ARE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, BUT THE FRAMEWORK FOR BOARD DEVELOPMENT TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PART OF YOUR ROLE BEING TO MAKE SURE THAT RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED PROPERLY IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT CAMPUSES AND KIDS NEED. SO AS PART OF THE ACTUAL JOB REQUIREMENT, NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT SOUNDS GREAT. WHAT TIME WILL WE GET? ALL RIGHT, NEXT ONE, ANOTHER SMALL DISTRICT, AND WE'LL GET TO A LARGER ONE. LACKING LEADERSHIP. YOU'RE FEELING PRETTY GOOD. YOU GOT IT DOWN. ALL RIGHT, I HOPE YOU'RE READY FOR THIS ONE. THIS IS A TOUGH ONE. THE OTHER ONE WASN'T RIGHT. IT'S A TOUGH ONE. AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, IT STARTS WITH A SPLIT COMMUNITY. HMM. ANNUAL SUPERINTENDENT TURNOVER, AND I DON'T MEAN ONE EVERY TWO YEARS. I'M TALKING ABOUT ONE A YEAR. THE ONE IN PLACE AT THE TIME WAS BOUGHT OUT OF THE CONTRACT BEFORE THEY MADE A YEAR. SO IT'S THAT KIND OF SITUATION. NATURALLY HIGH STAFF TURNOVER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DATA, YOU SEE A LOT OF TEACHERS IN THAT YOUNGER CATEGORY. IT'S A LARGE SKEW THERE AND THEN NOT MUCH THERE IN THAT VETERAN CATEGORY. NOT THAT A YOUNGER TEACHER CAN'T BE AS EFFECTIVE AS A VETERAN TEACHER, BUT IT'S ABOUT WHO'S STAYING. RIGHT, AND THAT'S NOT HAPPENING THERE. HIGH STAFF TURNOVER. WHAT IS IT SOUNDING LIKE? THE DESTABILIZING TREND THAT DR. TOM ALSBURY TALKED ABOUT. MORE DYNAMIC. CLEARLY SPLIT. HIGHLY CONTENTIOUS. THE SUPERINTENDENT TOLD ME THAT BEFORE THEIR ARRIVAL. THE BOARD MEMBERS RAN SPECIFICALLY JUST TO CHALLENGE EACH OTHER, AND WHEN THEY GOT THE PROPORTION OR THE NUMBERS THEY NEEDED, THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS OUT. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST THE OVERALL KIND OF SENTIMENT WE'RE GOING TO RUN TO GET WHAT WE WANT AND WE'RE GOING TO VOTE OUT WHO YOU WANT. [01:00:05] DISTRICT WAS WELL KNOWN BY TEA. FOR ALL THE WRONG REASONS RIGHT THERE ON TEA RADAR, AND AGAIN, JUST HAVING A VERY AUTHENTIC CONVERSATION ABOUT BOARDS ON THIS JOURNEY TO HELPING KIDS AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY FACE. ALSO, A LOCAL NEWS FAVORITE, BUT NOT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT SOMETIMES THESE SITUATIONS ARE EXPLOITED FOR A GOOD STORY, AND THAT WAS THE CASE THERE TIME AND AGAIN. CHRONIC LOW PERFORMANCE. YOU COULD HAVE GUESSED THAT NOT JUST IN ACADEMICS, BUT IN OPERATIONS. THEY'RE PAYING MONEY BECAUSE THEY DON'T KEEP SUPERINTENDENTS LONG ENOUGH. THEY'RE PAYING CONTRACTS AND THEY'RE LOSING MONEY FROM TO THE SAME PROCESS. UNLIKE THE OTHER DISTRICT, NO REAL RESOURCES IN TERMS OF THE TOOLS AND ASSESSMENTS TO GAUGE STUDENT LEARNING IS JUST NOT A FOCUS OF THE BOARD AT THAT TIME. THEY'RE MORE CONCERNED WITH WHO THEY CAN BEAT IN ELECTION AND THEN GETTING THAT PERSON OUT OF THERE. LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS AS FAR AS KIDS WHO ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH CHALLENGES AND NOW THEY'VE COME INTO A SYSTEM THAT IS NOT PREPARED TO LISTEN TO WHAT THOSE CHALLENGES ARE AND RESPOND TO THEM. 97%. SO THOSE KIDS ARE DEALING WITH SOME KIND OF ECONOMIC CHALLENGE AT HOME. YOU CAN MAKE CONJECTURES ABOUT WHAT ELSE GOES ALONG WITH THAT. FROM THE TIME THAT I HAD A CHANCE TO MEET THIS DISTRICT UNTIL ALL THIS STUFF BEGAN TO BLOW OVER, THEY LOST ABOUT A QUARTER OF THEIR STUDENTS. IT'S A PRETTY BIG NUMBER. FAMILIES ARE LEAVING THE DISTRICT AND THEY WERE LEAVING BECAUSE IT JUST WASN'T HEALTHY AND THEY WERE MAKING TREMENDOUS SACRIFICES TO LEAVE. AN HOUR AND A HALF YOU THINK IS A GOOD TIME FOR A BREAK. I WILL LEAVE THAT UP TO YOU. HOWEVER IT FLOWS WITH YOUR. DOES ANYBODY NEED A BREAK RIGHT AWAY OR DO WE WANT TO GO INTO DO WE WANT TO ESCAPE BEFORE HIS QUESTIONS OR WE WANT TO KEEP GOING? WE PROBABLY KEEP GOING A LITTLE BIT. OKAY, SO AGAIN, LIMITED DATA, BUT THE JOB IS NOT EASY. SAME PROCESS. YOU'VE GOT ONE UNDER YOUR BELT. NOW YOU'RE EVEN EXTRA SUPER MORE EXPERTS. WHAT CONDITIONS ARE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD, DO YOU THINK? I MEAN, THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING BRIGHT, EVEN THE MOST CHALLENGING SITUATIONS, WHICH ONES ARE WIDELY UNDERSTOOD, WHICH IS THESE STRUGGLING WITH POTENTIALLY. DOES THERE HAVE TO BE A CONDITION THAT THEY'RE DOING WELL? IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE, BUT THERE MIGHT BE. I THINK I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, THEY'RE TRACKING WHO'S LEAVING. THEY'RE TRACKING THEIR PERFORMANCE TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL. SO I WOULD STILL SAY, EVEN THOUGH IT SEEMS LIKE THEY HAVE A LOT OF WEAKNESSES AND RESOURCES IN TERMS OF RESOURCES OR STRENGTH OF STAFF KNOWLEDGE, THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. YEAH. SO SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL SITES THROUGH DATA AND INFORMATION, MAYBE NOT SUPPORT, BUT THEY KNOW THAT THINGS ARE BAD. IT'S A TOUGH ONE, AND IN A SYSTEM THAT SMALL, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT IT REALLY WAS JUST MOSTLY JUST A LITTLE CHAOS, TO BE HONEST. NOT TO GLORIFY, NOT TO CRITICIZE, BUT JUST PROBABLY A BIT OF CHAOS IF LEADERS ARE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THEY HAVE TO ALSO BE HONEST ABOUT WHERE THEY ARE, RIGHT. BESIDES ONE THROUGH SEVEN. WHICH CONDITIONS DO THEY NOT UNDERSTAND WELL? ARE NOT GOING TO CALL ME OUT ON BEING RESPECTFUL. ALL RIGHT, I WAS TESTING YOU ALL, BUT WHICH ONES DO YOU THINK? THEY REALLY SEEM TO. I GUESS, NEGLECT OR REALLY JUST DISREGARD POTENTIALLY UNINTENTIONALLY, BUT. ALMOST. I MEAN, REALLY, THAT SOUNDS LIKE ALL OF THEM IN A SENSE, RIGHT? I MEAN, NO SHARED LEADERSHIP. THEY'RE NOT CREATING OR SUSTAINING INITIATIVES. IF YOU'RE JUST WORRIED ABOUT WHO THE SUPERINTENDENT IS AND YOU'RE JUST TURN IT OVER AND TURN IT OVER, I MEAN, THERE'S NO CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. SURE, AND HOW DOES YOUR STAFF FEEL? I MEAN, IS IT SUPPORTIVE? PROBABLY NOT. IS THERE STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND, AND AS HARD AS IT MIGHT BE TO ACCEPT. THERE'S A REALITY WHEN THINGS GET TO A CERTAIN POINT, WE KNOW WHAT TO DOES. THEY'RE GOING TO PROTECT KIDS, PROTECT FAMILIES, AND THEY'RE GOING TO STEP IN, AND IF IT REALLY IS AT THAT LEVEL. THEY TAKE NOTE. THEY WERE THIS CLOSE. TO BEING REPLACED WITH THE BOARD OF MANAGERS IN A BOARD OF DIRECTORS SO CLOSE BUT THEY STAYED THAT TAKEOVER. THIS LIST IS PROBABLY LONGER THAN WE HAVE TIME FOR. [01:05:02] SO JUST PICK ONE. WHAT GOVERNANCE LEVEL QUESTION WOULD YOU ASK IF NOW THE OTHER BOARD IS SET AND THEY'RE ROLLING ALONG AND YOU WERE THE ALL STAR BOARD AND NOW YOU GOT BOARD SWAPPED TO THIS DISTRICT, WHAT QUESTION WOULD YOU BE ASKING IN THAT MEETING OF YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, OF YOUR COLLEAGUES? I WOULD ASK, WHY CAN'T WE GET FOCUSED OFF OF EACH OTHER AND ON THE KIDS? GOOD. FIRST AND FOREMOST, HOW CAN WE BRING THAT AROUND? MAYBE WE BRING IN OREN AND HE CAN HELP US OUT. I WENT AND YEAH, I WAS JUST I WOULD SAY ALONG THOSE LINES, SHARED VISION. I THINK AS A BOARD THEY HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT THEIR SHARED VISION IS FOR THE DISTRICT AND ENSURE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE THAT YEAR IS THE CORRECT FIT FOR THAT DISTRICT. AND IF IT'S NOT BASED ON THAT SHARED VISION, THEN THEY GO OUT AND SEARCH FOR SOMEONE WHO CAN BE A MORE PERMANENT FIXTURE IN THEIR DISTRICT. SO THEN THEY CAN START THE TRICKLE DOWN OF SHARED LEADERSHIP AND SETTING GOALS. YEAH. I WOULD ELABORATE ON WHAT CHUY SAID THAT I THINK IT'S. SOMETIMES WE GET CAUGHT UP ON HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE ALL GET ALONG AND WE'RE ALL FRIENDS, AND THAT END OF THE DAY, THAT'S NOT REALLY WHAT'S IMPORTANT. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TO EVEN LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH AS LONG AS WE HAVE THIS SHARED, AND I WAS LOOKING AT THE SUPPORT THROUGH DATA. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME DATA AND YOU'RE MAKING DECISIONS BASED ON THAT, IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER IF I LIKE HER OR I DON'T. WE'RE BOTH HERE FOR THE STUDENTS. WE'RE BOTH LOOKING AT THE SAME SET OF DATA AND WE'RE DEVELOPING INITIATIVES TO SUPPORT THOSE STUDENTS. SO I THINK END OF THE DAY, I THINK PERSONALITIES CAN REALLY BECOME A HUGE STUMBLING BLOCK , BUT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE RIGHT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK ANYBODY RAN FOR THIS BOARD BECAUSE THEY NEEDED MORE FRIENDS. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE, OH, THIS IS A WAY TO MEET PEOPLE. NO, I MEAN, WE RAN FOR THE STUDENTS. SO WHETHER YOU LIKE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE WORKING WITH OR NOT, YOU'VE GOT TO KEEP THOSE STUDENTS IN THE FOREFRONT. SURE. YEAH. AMEN TO THAT. IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT DATA, I MEAN, YEAH, IT SEEMS TO BE OBJECTIVE. I HAVE SOME THINGS. I AM GLAD THAT YOU LIKE ME, THOUGH, AMBER. I LIKE YOU TOO. DID I SAY I LIKED YOU? LISTEN, I JUST KNOW. I THINK IN KEEPING IS LOOKING AT HOW OUR ADULT BEHAVIORS ARE IMPACTING STUDENT OUTCOMES, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT LSG ALWAYS ASKS US TO TALK ABOUT, BUT ANOTHER THING THAT WASN'T LOST ON ME IS HOW 97% OF THIS COMMUNITY IS ECO DIS AND THESE FAMILIES ARE MAKING SACRIFICES AND TAKING THE NUCLEAR OPTION TO LEAVE , AND SO I THINK THAT COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT PIECE AND FIGURING OUT WHAT THAT IS, I MEAN, WE COULD OBVIOUSLY ASSUME IT'S THE FRACTURES, IT'S THE LOW PERFORMANCE, CHRONIC LOW PERFORMANCE, BUT RE CENTERING ON THE FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE SCHOOLS AND MAYBE EVEN HAVING THEM PARTNER TO COME UP WITH WHAT THE GOALS ARE AND GET THEIR BUY IN FOR THE FUTURE OF THIS DISTRICT. MAN. I WOULD SAY Y'ALL WERE READING MY NOTES, BUT I DIDN'T EVEN PUT ANY NOTES ANYWHERE ON THE PRESENTATION, BUT WE'RE REALLY GOOD. WE'RE REALLY GOING TO LEARN. I'M LEARNING THAT I ASSUME THAT FROM THE BIOS AND NOW I'M JUST CONFIRMING WHAT I KEEP THAT THOUGHT IN MIND. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY WORK THAT ONE OUT IN A SECOND. I TOLD YOU WHAT DIDN'T HAPPEN. BUT WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENED? IF YOU THINK I'M ALL ABOUT HAPPY ENDINGS AND ALL THAT, THEN YOU PROBABLY GUESSING THAT THEY TURNED IT AROUND. IT SEEMS TOUGH TO TURN AROUND FROM. RIGHT. YOU LOST A QUARTER OF YOUR STUDENTS AND YOU ALSO SAID THAT TO CAME THAT CLOSE BUT DIDN'T. SO THAT MEANS THEY MUST HAVE IMPROVED. YEAH, SOMETHING THEY DIDN'T GET. THEY MUST HAVE HAD A CONSERVATOR BUT NOT GOTTEN TAKEN OVER. SO CAN I ASK FOLLOW UP, WAS THERE AN ELECTION DURING THIS TIME? SO BECAUSE THEY GET JUST THEY JUST GET REPLACED. SO LET ME TELL WHAT HAPPENED. I DIDN'T MAKE THIS CLEAR, BUT THE TIME I WENT WAS THE SECOND MEETING WITH THE NEW SUPERINTENDENT. THAT WAS WHEN IT WAS REVEALED IN THE MEETING THAT THEY WERE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT BUYING THEM OUT. SO THAT SUPERINTENDENT LEFT, AND THEN A NEW ONE CAME IN SHORTLY AFTER, BUT THERE WAS AN ELECTION BETWEEN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS, AND SO THE SUPERINTENDENT HIRED I'LL TELL YOU ABOUT WHAT HE DID WHEN HE GOT THERE. LET'S TAKE A BIO BREAK, PLEASE. THAT WORKS. HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU GIVE YOUR TEAM, MS.. LANDRUM? IT IS 659. LET'S LET'S TAKE 11 MINUTES AND COME BACK AT 710. THAT'S ENOUGH TIME. WE'LL COME BACK AT 710. IT IS 711. WE ARE BACK IN OPEN SESSION AND I WILL TURN IT BACK OVER TO MR. MOORE. ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO TALK TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT FOR A BEFORE WE GO FORWARD. [01:10:02] YOU ENJOY BEING A SUPERINTENDENT. YOU COULD HAVE PICKED A MUCH EASIER JOB IN CAREER. WHY DID YOU GO INTO EDUCATION? WHAT WAS GOING THROUGH YOUR MIND? EDUCATION. BEING SUPERINTENDENT. EDUCATION. I STARTED EDUCATION, AND THEN A SUPERINTENDENT. OKAY, SO THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. SO I MY DEGREE IS IN PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY. RIGHT? AND SO I MOVED TO HOUSTON THINKING LIKE, IT WILL BE AN EASIER FOR ME JUST TO GO TO THE I WORK IN THE OIL BUSINESS, GEOPHYSICS AND ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, AND IT WAS EASY AT THAT TIME TO START A CAREER AND BE A TEACHER WHILE LIKE REFINING. SO I STARTED TEACHING AND MY FIRST GROUP OF STUDENTS I TAUGHT WERE WHAT WE CALL THEM, NEWCOMERS. SO THEY WERE PREDOMINANTLY STUDENTS WHO ARE MOVED IN RECENTLY TO THE UNITED STATES. SO OBVIOUSLY THEY HAD LANGUAGE BARRIERS, SO THEY WERE EMERGING BILINGUAL STUDENTS. THEIR PARENTS WERE OBVIOUSLY THE SAME SITUATION THEY ALL LIKE, IF NOT ALL OF THEM, 97% OF THEM WERE LIVING IN POVERTY. SO I KIND OF LIKE. ENJOYED WORKING WITH THEM AND ENJOY WORKING WITH OUR PARENTS AND TRYING TO HELP THEM, AND I KIND OF LIKE THAT KIND OF WHAT GOT ME. I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE. I WANT TO REALLY THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO, MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND HELP STUDENTS, ESPECIALLY THE STUDENTS WHO NEED US THE MOST, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT GOT ME STAYING, STAYING IN EDUCATION. THE REASON WHY I DECIDED TO TO TO. TO EVENTUALLY BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR, ONE IS BECAUSE I WAS INSPIRED BY A GREAT PRINCIPAL I WORK FOR AS A TEACHER, AND I THOUGHT I WANT TO BE LIKE HIM. I WANT TO INSPIRE AND MAKE IT EVEN A BIGGER IMPACT. SO HE'S REALLY THE ONE THAT KIND OF INSPIRED ME, AS I SAID, TO GO BACK AND DO A. GET THE MASTER'S DEGREE IN EDUCATION AND EVENTUALLY BECOME AN ADMINISTRATOR AND REALLY KICK IT FASTER THAN I THOUGHT AND LEFT THE CLASSROOM FASTER THAN I THOUGHT. IT'S BECAUSE BACK IN 2007, WHEN I WAS IN HOUSTON, ISAIAH WAS SELECTED HOUSTON AS THE SECONDARY TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR THE DISTRICT. HOUSTON, AS HE HAS ABOUT 14,000, AND EVENTUALLY I WAS KIND OF RECRUITED TO GO AND HELP ANOTHER CAMPUS LEAD THERE. I WAS A SCIENCE TEACHER, HELP THAT SCIENCE DEPARTMENT AND REALLY HELP THEIR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND WE WERE ABLE WITHIN THREE YEARS TO TAKE. MOVE FROM 60 SOME PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS DOING WELL IN THE EIGHTH GRADE AT THAT TIME WAS TAKS TEST TO IN THE NINETY'S SO THAT CAMPUS BECAME FROM AN ACCEPTABLE TO AN EXEMPLARY CAMPUS BACK THEN AND SO REALLY LIKE A LOT OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO GREAT THINGS AND YOU MAKE AN IMPACT PEOPLE NOTICE AND I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE. LET YOU THE WORK SPEAKS FOR YOU LIKE YOU DON'T WE DON'T HAVE TO GO AND TRY TO SELL YOURSELF. THE WORK IS WHAT DO YOU WORK? FOCUS ON THE KIDS, DO YOUR JOB AND THINK GREAT THINGS WILL HAPPEN TO YOU AS WELL AS TO THE STUDENTS AND TO EVERYBODY ELSE, AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT KEPT ME GOING, AND I FEEL LIKE EVERY TIME THERE WAS ME MOVING FROM EITHER FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER, FROM ONE POSITION TO ANOTHER. IS ALLOWING NOT FOCUSING ANYTHING IN, BUT AGAIN, MAKING A DIFFERENCE AND MAKING THINGS BETTER FOR THE STUDENTS, AND. I FEEL BLESSED, YOU KNOW, THAT I WAS ABLE TO DO THAT FOR OVER 20 YEARS NOW, AND I DON'T THINK I WILL TRADE THIS FOR ANYTHING ELSE. I MEAN, I LOVE WHAT I DO AND I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I CAN GO SLEEP AT HOME AT NIGHT THINKING THAT I MADE AN IMPACT FOR THE DAY. I MADE AN IMPACT FOR THE YEAR, AND THE MINUTE I FEEL LIKE I'M NOT CONTRIBUTING, I'M NOT MAKING A DIFFERENCE. I PROBABLY WOULD LEAVE ON MY OWN. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LET ME GO. I WILL JUST SEE YOU. I WOULD NEED YOU TO FIND SOMEBODY WHO CAN DO, CAN CONTRIBUTE AND DO A GOOD JOB FOR THE STUDENTS. SO BUT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I DO. SIR, THANK YOU FOR SHARING. SO WHAT HAPPENED? THEY WENT FROM A REAL LIVE TOM ALSBURY. PROOF, RIGHT? HIGH BOARD TURNOVER LEADS THE SUPERINTENDENT TURNOVER TO THE CLIENTS BEFORE. I MEAN, THEY WERE THERE. THE RESEARCH CAME TO LIFE IN THIS SITUATION, BUT THINGS TURNED AROUND WHEN THIS BOARD HAD SOME VERY INTENSE AND ONGOING MANDATED BOARD DEVELOPMENT. THEY WEREN'T FOCUSING THEMSELVES, SO AN OUTSIDE ENTITY CAME IN AND FOCUSED THEM. THEY GOT THEM ON BOARD. THEY STABILIZED, EVENTUALLY STABILIZED, AND I TALKED TO SUPERINTENDENT FAIRLY RECENTLY, AND HE SAID IT'S AT A POINT NOW WHERE PEOPLE DON'T BOTHER TO RUN, NOT BECAUSE THEY, YOU KNOW, DON'T WANT THE POSITION, THEY KNOW IT'S GOING WELL AND THEY FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN POSITION ARE GOOD, AND IF THEIR TIME COMES, THEY FEEL CALLED TO LEAD. THEY'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION, BUT IT'S A VERY COOPERATIVE EFFORT. THAT'S NOT JUST ON THE BOARD. IT GOES AGAIN DOWN TO THE COMMUNITY. THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN THERE GOING ON SIX YEARS NOW, AND SO YOU SEE, AGAIN, THE STABILITY, SOMEONE WILLING TO COME IN THERE AND SAY, HEY, WE'VE GOT TO DO A BETTER JOB FOR SAKE OF THE KIDS. [01:15:02] LEADERSHIP LEVEL STARTS THERE, RIGHT. THE FOCUS COMPLETELY SHIFTED FROM WHAT DO I WANT AS A BOARD MEMBER? WHAT DO I WANT AS A COMMUNITY MEMBER? TO, WHAT DO OUR KIDS NEED? IF THEY'RE LEAVING AT THESE NUMBERS AND WE'VE LOST A QUARTER OF OUR KIDS. WHAT ARE WE DOING? IF YOU WANT TO TRULY MAINTAIN CONTROL OF OUR SCHOOL AND GIVE OUR KIDS THIS RESOURCE, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM TO PROVE THAT WE CAN MANAGE THIS SYSTEM? IT REALLY TOUCHED MY HEART WHEN I MET ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS. I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S NO REASON YOUR STUDENTS CAN'T BE AT THESE CONFERENCES PRESENTING SPECIFICALLY THE ONE AT GALVESTON WHERE A STUDENT VOICED, AND SHE SAID, YEAH, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE DOING GOOD THINGS. WHY NOT? I KID YOU NOT. THE NEXT YEAR I WALKED PAST THE STUDENT PRESENTATIONS AND HERE ARE FOUR OF THE MOST JUST WELL-POISED SHARP BUNCH OF KIDS AND THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO REALLY HAMMER ON THIS ONE POINT. IF WE'D ONLY LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND THE ADULT BEHAVIORS AND ALL THAT STUFF THAT WASN'T GOING RIGHT, THOSE KIDS WOULD HAVE BEEN MASKED OVER, FORGOTTEN ABOUT, AND I THOUGHT, WHAT A DISSERVICE. RIGHT. SO TALENTED, SO CAPABLE, BUT THEY COULDN'T DO IT ON THEIR OWN. GOING BACK TO THAT PROMPTING QUESTION. WHAT DID THE BOARD DO? WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN THIS? NO MATTER HOW WELL POISED THEY WERE, HOW SMART THEY WERE, THE BOARD NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING. THE LEADERSHIP NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING. I JUST ABOUT AND I'LL ADMIT I DID POP OUT A FEW TEARS WHEN I SAW AND HEARD THE MOST RECENT REPORT, AND THEY'VE GONE FROM AN F. JUST YEARS AND YEARS OF JUST THIS TOUGH LABEL. GOT A B, AND THEY ARE PROUD, AND MAN, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SHOULD BE. I MEAN, JUST INCREDIBLE. THEY'VE BEEN DUKING IT OUT GOING ON SIX YEARS NOW, AND SOMEONE MENTIONED THE COMMUNITY WHO WAS IT THAT MENTIONED? THEY PROBABLY HAVE A STRONG [INAUDIBLE] TO HOLD THAT POINT. WHAT WAS SO NEAT IS WHEN THEY GO AND THEY SHARE THEIR STORY, NOW, THEY BRING PEOPLE FROM THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION. IT HAS JUST GOTTEN SO DEEP AGAIN INTO THE COMMUNITY, AND IT'S NOT JUST WHAT HAPPENS IN THE HALLWAYS ON THE CAMPUS. IT IS WHAT HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORT. IMAGINE A COMMUNITY THAT WAS RUNNING FROM THE SYSTEM NOW SAYING WE'RE GOING TO COLLECTIVELY AT THIS LEVEL, DO OUR PART TO SUPPORT IT. DEEPLY ENGAGED WITH THIS NEW FOUNDATION. IT'S INCREDIBLE. MAYOR'S GETTING INVOLVED. IT'S JUST A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL OF RELATIONSHIP AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT. WHAT WAS THE BOARD'S ROLE IN IT? IT WASN'T ONE ROCK STAR PARENT. THEY PLAYED THEIR PART. IT WASN'T ONLY A ROCK STAR PARENT. IT WASN'T ONLY A TEACHER. GUESS WHAT Y'ALL, THE NEWS CALLS THEM NOW FOR A DIFFERENT REASON. LET'S INTERVIEW THEM. LET'S SEE WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY FOR A DIFFERENT REASON. ISN'T IT NICE BEING CALLED FOR THE RIGHT REASONS TO BRAG AND SHOW OFF YOUR SUCCESS? WONDERFUL THING. WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS? WHAT CONDITIONS DO YOU THINK THEY HAVE A BETTER GRASP ON NOW? THEY WENT FROM HAVING VIRTUALLY NONE TO LIKE, YEAH, WE'RE NOT SURE IF WE COULD EVEN ENTRUSTED WITH STUDENTS. WHAT DO YOU THINK NOW? I WOULD SAY THE ABILITY TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN INITIATIVES THAT THEY'VE UNDERSTOOD, THE SHARED, THE SHARED UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THE TYPE OF LEARNING CULTURE THAT WAS NEEDED, SPECIFICALLY FOCUSING ON STUDENT VOICE. YEAH, I LIKE THAT. YEAH, FOR SURE, AND I WOULD AGREE IT'S EASY TO GET STUFF STARTED, BUT THE CHALLENGE COMES FROM MAINTAINING, ESPECIALLY IF PEOPLE WANT RESULTS OR A CERTAIN RESULT QUICKLY, BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE STRATEGIC AND FOCUS, YOU LOOK AT THAT INCREMENTAL GROWTH, LOOK AT THAT CHANGE. RIGHT. ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, DEFINITELY A SUPPORTIVE WORKPLACE. YEAH. I MEAN, IF THEY'RE NOW ABLE TO KEEP A SUPERINTENDENT FOR SIX YEARS AND PROBABLY LED TO A LOT MORE STABILITY IN THE REST OF THEIR STAFF AS WELL. YEAH, EXCELLENT POINT. WELL AND EVEN CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT, BECAUSE IF THE BOARD ITSELF SHIFTED THEIR FOCUS TO THE STUDENTS AND AWAY FROM THEMSELVES, THEN SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE ON THE MOVING SIDE, YOU KNOW, THE BELIEF IN ALL CHILDREN AND THE POVERTY, LACK OF PARENTAL INVOLVEMENT IS NOT AN EXCUSE. YEAH. I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT [INAUDIBLE] LET'S TIE THAT IN FOR A SECOND. NOTICE WHAT DIDN'T CHANGE THE ECONOMICS. THEY DIDN'T CHANGE. ALL THE OTHER FACTORS THAT TEND TO BE EXCUSES OR IMPEDIMENTS FOR SOME. IT WASN'T THE CASE HERE. AGAIN, I WANT EVERY CHANCE I GET POINTING BACK TO RESEARCH. NOT THAT WE DON'T BELIEVE IT OR WE DON'T KNOW IT, BUT I LOVE TO SEE IT IN ACTION. IT'S ENCOURAGING. WHAT WAS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A MOVING DISTRICT AND A STUCK DISTRICT IN MY HOUSE RESEARCH. [01:20:03] IT WAS AN ELEVATING BELIEF. THOSE WHO ACCEPTED THOSE AS CHALLENGES, NOT SIMPLY SOMETHING TO JUST KIND OF BOW DOWN TO YOU. RIGHT. ECONOMICS DIDN'T CHANGE FOR ANY OF THESE DISTRICTS. STILL THE SAME GROUP OF FAMILIES FIGHTING THE SAME BATTLES. WELL, SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT BATTLE. THEY'RE NO LONGER FIGHTING FOR HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING THAT THERE RIGHT. SO THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT. IT'S A REMINDER THAT, YEAH, IT'S HARD WORK. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S EASY LIKE FLIPPING A SWITCH. IT'S HARD WORK, BUT THE RESEARCH BEARS OUT TIME AND AGAIN THAT IF WE DO OUR PART AS LEADERS, WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO OVERCOME THOSE CONDITIONS THAT TEND TO WANT TO STOP US IN OUR TRACKS IF WE'RE HONEST ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THOSE. THOUGHTS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THAT ONE. ALL RIGHT, MS. HARRISON, HOW ARE YOU TONIGHT? I'M DOING GREAT. THANK YOU. HAVE I ASKED YOU WHY YOU RAN FOR THE BOARD? YOU HAVE NOT. WHEN DID YOU RUN FOR THE BOARD? WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST? 2020. SO I DID A TWO YEAR TERM IN 2020, AND THEN I RAN AGAIN IN 2022. MM HMM, AND WHAT WAS YOUR THOUGHT PROCESS WHEN YOU THOUGHT. I'M GOING TO GO DO THIS RIGHT HERE. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD DO TWO YEARS AND HOPEFULLY MAKE AN IMPACT, AND THAT WOULD BE IT. I WAS DEFINITELY SURPRISED, BUT I RAN BECAUSE I'M A PRODUCT OF ROUND ROCK ISD SCHOOLS, A PROUD PRODUCT OF ROUND ROCK ISD SCHOOLS, AND EVENTUALLY A TEACHER IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. EVEN THOUGH THAT'S NOT WHAT I SET OUT TO DO CAREER WISE, BUT I NEVER LOVED ANYTHING MORE. I BELIEVE DEEPLY IN OUR COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT WE ARE A IMPERFECT, YET DEEPLY LOVING COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT WE ARE FORTUNATE TO BE A WELL RESOURCED COMMUNITY. WE ARE KNOWN FOR BEING HIGH ACHIEVING. MY CONCERN WAS, AND STILL IS WHEN YOU DISAGGREGATE DATA, YOU SEE WHERE WE'VE BEEN REAL SATISFIED WITH, YOU KNOW, AVERAGING OUT, BUT WE NEED TO BREAK IT DOWN AND LOOK A LITTLE DEEPER TO SEE HOW WE ARE SUPPORTING OR WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS, AND I JUST REALLY BELIEVE THAT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE THE SAME ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE WHAT IT TAKES. WE HAVE WONDERFUL EDUCATORS, WE HAVE ENGAGED COMMUNITY, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT GOES BEYOND EVEN LIKE PARENTS AND NUCLEAR FAMILIES, AND SO WE REALLY HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY STUDENT CAN REACH THEIR FULLEST POTENTIAL IN OUR DISTRICT. YEAH, THIS IS AN LSG BOARD. THEY WENT THROUGH THE LSG. THEY GOT FOCUS THAT I SHARE THAT. I THINK IT'S A NEAT DETAIL, AND FOR THEM, DOING THAT WITH FIDELITY WAS GOOD GOVERNANCE. THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PATHS THAT THE BOARD CAN TAKE, AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS A NEAT STORY FOR THEM. SO PROPS TO THEM FOR THE HARD WORK THAT THEY DID AND THEY'RE DOING NOW. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THIS IDEA OF AVERAGING OUT IS SO IMPORTANT. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A LARGER SYSTEM IN A SECOND, AND THERE'S A TREND THAT I WANT TO POINT OUT OR I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT I THINK YOU ESPECIALLY APPRECIATE. I THINK ALL OF YOU WILL APPRECIATE IT, BUT IT'S A REMINDER OF EXACTLY THAT CONCEPT. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF THE KIDS, WHAT DATA DO WE LOOK AT TO TELL US A CLEARER PICTURE? WHAT OTHER WAY CAN WE SLICE IT UP TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE UP AGAINST? I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHARE SOME FUNNY RESPONSES THAT I'VE GOTTEN WHEN I'VE ASKED FOLKS WHY THEY RUN FOR THE BOARD. I'VE ASKED PROBABLY WELL OVER I QUIT COUNTING AT I DON'T KNOW 700 PEOPLE MAYBE. I DON'T KNOW JUST SOME LARGE NUMBER OVER THE YEARS, BUT I TO SHARE SOME OF THE FUNNY ONES BECAUSE I MENTIONED THIS NATURAL TENSION. IF WE DON'T EMBRACE IT, WE DON'T PREPARE OURSELVES TO DO THE WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO. I WANT TO SHARE FUNNY RESPONSES THAT REFLECT THE TRUTH OF THERE'S THIS TENSION THAT WE FACE, BUT IT'S ALSO QUITE REWARDING. SO I ASKED TRUSTEES, WHY DID YOU RUN FOR THE BOARD? ONE PERSON TOLD ME IT WAS A MOMENT OF WEAKNESS, THIS TEMPORARY INSANITY. I WOKE UP ONE DAY AND HAD THIS IDEA, I'M GOING TO RUN FOR THE BOARD, AND THEN THE RESULTS CAME IN AND I GOT IT, HE SAID I THOUGHT, WHAT DID I DO? TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE BEST DECISIONS THAT YOU EVER MADE. HE TOLD ME, HIS WIFE TOLD HIM, DON'T RUN, YOU'RE GOING TO LOSE ANYWAY, BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE AN AMAZING DECISION. ANOTHER TRUSTEE TOLD ME THAT HE WOULD COME TO THE MEETINGS BACK IN THE DAY BEFORE HE GOT ELECTED WHEN HE WAS STILL JUST A REGULAR HUMAN. I THOUGHT IT WAS FASCINATING THAT HE CONTRASTED HIS LIFE, YOU KNOW, PRE BOARD SERVICE TO NOW SERVING, YOU KNOW, BEING A REGULAR HUMAN, AND I SAID, WHY DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NO LONGER A REGULAR HUMAN? HE SAID, BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T REGARD ME AS A REGULAR HUMAN. THEY THINK I HAVE ALL THIS POWER THAT I DON'T HAVE, AND TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO REMIND HER OF THE BOARD ROLE. [01:25:01] YOU OPERATE AS A BODY CORPORATE, RIGHT? YOUR BEST CHANCE AT GETTING SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT DONE IS TO GET THREE OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LIKE MIND IN A SIMILAR, YOU KNOW, FUNCTION AS YOU DO, BUT HE SAYS, THEY THINK WE HAVE MORE POWER THAN WE DO. THEY THINK WE HAVE MORE MONEY. I SWEAR THEY THINK THAT WE TAKE THE BEST APPLICATIONS FROM TEACHERS, THROW THEM IN THE SHREDDER AND JUST HIRE WHAT'S LEFT. THEY DON'T KNOW WE HIRE THE BEST THAT WE GET THE BEST APPLICATIONS. THEY'RE JUST SO CLUELESS ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO. I WAS LIKE, WHO DO THEY SOUND LIKE? AND HE SAID ME BEFORE I RAN. BUT IT'S YOUR REALITY. IT'S HARD WORK, RIGHT? ANOTHER PERSON TOLD ME THAT HE LOOKED AT HIS LIFE AND REALIZED HE HAD TOO MANY FRIENDS. HE SAID HE RAN FOR THE BOARD, LOST SOME GOOD FRIENDS, LIFETIME FRIENDS. I'M SORRY. IT WAS AN ATTORNEY OF A BOARD MEMBER IN A DIFFERENT TOWN. HIS FRIEND TOLD ME THIS. HE SAID I MADE SOME NEW ENEMIES, LOST SOME LIFETIME FRIENDS. I RESTORED THE BALANCE TO MY LIFE, AND HE WAS JOKING, BUT AGAIN, THERE'S A REALITY OF YOU CAN BE THIS ONE PERSON. YOU WAKE UP, YOU'RE THE SAME PERSON, BUT PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF YOU BEING THE SAME PERSON , BUT THE ONE THAT REALLY MADE ME LAUGH, SORT OF, AND THAT MADE ME KIND OF THINK WAS A BOARD MEMBER WAS LEAVING HIS CAR. HE HAD BEEN ATTENDING THE MEETINGS AS A REGULAR HUMAN. AGAIN, HE DIDN'T SAY REGULAR HUMAN, BUT THAT'S WHAT THEY DO BEFORE THEY GET ELECTED. THEY'RE REGULAR PEOPLE. HE LEFT THE MEETING THAT NIGHT WALKING TO THE CAR, AND IT'S LIKE ONE OF THOSE MOVIE SCENARIOS WHERE YOU'RE THE LAST CAR OF THE PARKING LOT YOU'RE PARKED UNDER. WHAT? THAT'S TRUE. EXACTLY. THIS FIGURE CAME BEHIND HIM AND SAID, RUN FOR THE BOARD AND JUST DID LIKE A LITTLE HOOK AND DEPART. HE TURNED AROUND AND SAW THE BACK OF A SHADOW WALKING. HE SAID, ORRIN, I DIDN'T KNOW IF THERE WAS A THREAT OR RECOMMENDATION. SO I JUST RAN FOR THE BOARD ANYWAY, AND NOW I'M ON THE DAIS. I'M WATCHING MY BACK. I'M THINKING, HEY, WHOEVER THAT WAS, I TOOK YOUR RECOMMENDATION OR A THREAT. I RAN FOR THE BOARD. SO IF YOU HAD SOMETHING IN STORE FOR ME, YOU CAN JUST, YOU KNOW, STOP WHAT YOU HAD PLANNED FOR ME, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LAUGH BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE, AGAIN, THAT TENSION, IT'S HARD WORK, BUT THERE IS A REWARD IN IT THAT IS SO GREAT BECAUSE THEY WOULD HAVE PETERED OUT AND LEFT IF IT HADN'T BEEN THE CASE, BUT I WANT TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE I THINK THEIR STORIES AGAIN CORROBORATE EXPERIENCES ACROSS THE WHOLE NATION. IT'S WONDERFUL WORK, BUT IT'S HARD WORK. THERE'S A BIT OF A CHANGE UP NOW. ORRIN, YOU'VE GIVEN US ALL THESE STORIES. [INAUDIBLE] SO ROUGH AND THE CLIMBING OUT OF HOLES? LET'S TALK ABOUT A DIFFERENT APPROACH, SOMETHING THAT'S SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT. I'M GOING TO SEE IF YOU CAN DETECT WHAT THE THEME IS HERE. OH, MY UNITED BOARD, WHAT? THOSE EXIST? OF COURSE THEY DO. THEY'RE OUT THERE. GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. LOW TURNOVER. I GUESS I WOULD SAY THEY'VE COMPORTED THEMSELVES IN A MANNER THAT ATTRACTS SUPERINTENDENTS WHO WANT TO STAY FIVE YEARS. THEY CAN DO GOOD WORK, BUT THEY'RE CHALLENGED BY THE RATE OF GROWTH. IT'S PRETTY TOUGH. A LOT OF FOLKS ARE FAST GROWTH AND THEY'RE REALLY AMONG THEIR GROUP THAT'S REALLY [INAUDIBLE]. BUT THEY HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP. YOU WALK INTO THE MEETINGS, YOU WATCH THEM INTERACT BEFORE AND AFTER THE MEETINGS. THEY SERVE GOOD BACON. ASK ME HOW I KNOW. I'LL TELL YOU [INAUDIBLE] I'VE HAD IT. SEVERAL YEARS IN A ROW NOW. I DIGRESS. THE BOARD DYNAMIC, THEY'RE FOCUSED BUT STRETCHED. WHY ARE THEY STRETCHED? WELL, THEY'RE HAVING TO ANSWER SOME HARD QUESTIONS AND ASK THE COMMUNITY FOR MONEY, AND IT'S TOUGH. IT'S LIKE EVERY TIME YOU TURN AROUND, YOU'VE GOT YOUR HAND IN MY POCKET, BUT I KNOW YOU'RE DOING GREAT WORK, SO WE'RE GLAD TO PAY, RIGHT? NUMBERS ARE COMING IN. THAT'S HELPING, RIGHT? WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS BOARD ESPECIALLY, IS A REALLY HIGH COMMITMENT TO ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR JOB IS TO PUT SIMPLY COLLABORATE WITH THEIR SUPERINTENDENT TO DETERMINE THE WHAT, THE BIG PICTURE . THEY LEAVE THE DETAILS AND THE OPERATIONS AND THOSE FINER POINTS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AND HIS OR HER TEAM. THEY UNDERSTAND THOSE ROLES. THEY'RE REALLY FIRM IN THAT. THEY HAVE HAD A HISTORY. A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE YEARS OF THE COMMUNITY WATCHING THESE BOARDS DO BUSINESS THE RIGHT WAY, AND SO THERE'S A CULTURE, IF YOU WILL, ON THE BOARD WHEN NEW MEMBERS COME ON THE BOARD, THEY FOLLOW SUIT. THEY THEN GET IN LINE AND SAY, YEAH, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN THIS. THEY HAVE A REALLY STRONG GRASP OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS. I TESTED THEM THOROUGHLY, I ASKED THEM, AND I GOT WAY MORE THAN I WANTED TO HEAR, AND I LOVE THE WORK THAT I DO, BUT I WAS LIKE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH, RIGHT? REALLY FIRM GRASP, WELL ORGANIZED. IT'S NO WONDER THEY'RE REALLY COMMITTED TO STUDENT PERFORMANCE. JUST LIKE YOU LOOK AT DATA, OFTEN THEY'RE RIGHT THERE WITH YOU LOOKING AT DATA ALL THE TIME AND THEY RESPOND. THEY WENT SO FAR AS TO TOLD ME, WE EVEN BRING THE DATA DOWN LOCALLY. [01:30:01] WE LOOK AT OUR OWN ZIP CODE AND IF THE THEMES AND THE TRENDS ON A [INAUDIBLE] ZIP CODE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR TO IT, NOT IN A REBELLIOUS WAY, BUT AGAIN, THEY ARE MAKING SURE THAT DATA REALLY DOES FIT THEIR MODEL, THEIR SITUATION, THEIR COMMUNITY, AND AGAIN, THAT MEANS THAT WHAT WORKS IN OKLAHOMA OR IOWA MIGHT NOT FIT THEM. WHAT WORKS IN THE COUNTY NEXT OVER IT MIGHT NOT FIT THEM. THEY SAID, IF WE HAVE TO, WE LOOK AT SPECIFICALLY OUR ZIP CODE AND JUST THAT LEVEL OF ORGANIZATION. TO YOUR POINT, WHEN THEY LOOK AT SUCCESS IN THE BIG PICTURE, THE OVERALL AVERAGE DOESN'T WORK FOR THEM. IT MIGHT BE ONE COMPONENT, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO DIG DOWN DEEP AND SAY, WHERE ELSE DO WE PULL UP? IF THEY SEE THAT THEY'RE CONSTANTLY HAVING 80, 80, 80, THAT'S GOOD, BUT THERE'S A 20 THERE LEFT SOMEWHERE THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE AREN'T GETTING. IF IT'S THE SAME 20, THAT'S A PROBLEM. IF IT'S A SYSTEMS PROBLEM, WE'VE GOT TO ROPE IN THAT LAST 20 ON OUR WAY TO 100, BUT WELL ORGANIZED GOOD RELATIONSHIPS. IT'S WHAT YOU WOULD HOPE FOR IN ANY GIVEN SITUATION WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A CASUAL I'M SORRY, THOSE CANDID CONVERSATIONS. I PUT A LITTLE NOTE BY DATA JUST TO KIND OF REMIND MYSELF TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE POINT, HOW THEY EVEN LOOK AT JUST THEIR AREA, NOT EVEN THEIR REGION, BUT IN THEIR AREA AND DECIDE WHAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM. YOU BETTER BELIEVE THEY HAVE DISTRICT WIDE ASSESSMENT TOOLS AND GRADUATE PROFILES. THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY LIVE OUT THEIR CLAIM TO TAKE A HOLISTIC APPROACH TO EDUCATION. KIDS ARE NOT JUST NUMBERS, RIGHT? JUST LIKE YOU LOVE AND VALUE YOUR KIDS, I HEARD YOUR MOTIVATIONS FOR BEING ON THE BOARD. I HEARD THE WAY YOU FEEL ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE NOT JUST NUMBERS. THEY'RE KIDS, AND YOU WANT THE WHOLE KID TO BE REACHED HERE WHEN YOU WORK, RIGHT? THEY MAKE SURE THAT THEY STAY ON TOP OF THEIR GAME BY SURVEYING AND RECEIVING FEEDBACK. SOMEONE SAID, I THINK IT WAS MR. ZARATE, YOU MENTIONED THAT WHEN THE COMMUNITY RESPONDS, IF WE ASK A QUESTION, WE WANT TO RESPOND. WE WANT TO YOU KNOW, IF THEY SAY THEY WANT SOMETHING, WE WANT TO RESPOND, MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW THEY'RE HEARD. THAT'S THE VALUE OF ASKING OR SOLICITING FEEDBACK. YOU RESPOND TO IT SO THAT THEY KNOW THAT IN THE FUTURE, WHEN THEY MAKE A REQUEST OR THEIR THOUGHTS ARE SOLICITED, THEY KNOW IT'S GOING TO BE ATTENDED TO. RIGHT. SO THEY'RE VERY ADAMANT ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THEY COLLECT FEEDBACK FROM THE STUDENTS, FROM STAKEHOLDERS, FROM TEACHERS AND PERSONNEL. A LITTLE BIT OF AN EASIER ROAD WHEN IT COMES TO ECONOMICS. WE CAN'T BLINDLY SAY THAT BECAUSE OF PERCENTAGES HERE OR THERE, IT'S EASIER OR HARDER, BUT AT LEAST IN ONE DIMENSION, THEY HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT CHALLENGE. OVER 45,000 STUDENTS, AND THEY'RE WORKING HARD COHESIVELY TO MAKE IT WORK, RIGHT. SO THOSE ARE THE PARTICULARS. THE QUESTION IS THIS. BASED ON THIS SUCCESS THEY'RE HAVING AND THIS APPARENT SUCCESS SEEMS TO BE PRETTY SMOOTH. WHAT CONDITIONS ARE BEING INTENTIONALLY FOSTERED HERE? IF YOU WERE TO PULL ASIDE A BOARD MEMBER AND ASK THEM. TELL ME ABOUT X, Y AND Z. WHICH ONES DO YOU THINK THEY COULD SPEAK COMPETENTLY AND THOROUGHLY ABOUT? NUMBER SIX FOR SURE THE SUPPORT FOR SCHOOLS [INAUDIBLE]. SORRY, I CAN'T READ. THROUGH DATA AND INFORMATION. YEAH THEY BREAK IT DOWN EVERY WAY JUST LIKE YOU DO. YEAH. YEAH. WHAT ELSE? ALSO SHARED LEADERSHIP. IF THEY'RE UNITED AND THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER AND THEY'RE WORKING WITH THEIR SUPERINTENDENT, THEY PROBABLY CAN CAN TALK ABOUT MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION UNDER SHARED LEADERSHIP. YEAH, CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE SYSTEM FOR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT. I'M LOOKING AT THIS ONE THAT HAS THE [INAUDIBLE] ARTICLE AND THE UPDATED TERMS, AND I LIKE THAT BECAUSE YOU CAN TELL THAT THERE'S PEOPLE AT ALL LEVELS THAT HAVE THE SAME VISION AND ARE WORKING TOGETHER FOR STUDENTS AND YOU CAN SEE THAT AND THE POSITIVE STAFF FEEDBACK, AND OF COURSE WE SEE COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT. IT'S LIKE EVERYONE HAS A VESTED INTEREST IN THE OUTCOME FOR THESE STUDENTS. I THINK THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE PHRASE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER. YEAH, I THINK THAT THEY'RE PROBABLY DOING A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS. I'D WANT TO SEE SOME TRENDS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE EVEN WITH ALL THE GOOD THINGS THAT YOU SAY, THAT THEIR SCORES AREN'T DECLINING AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND WITH FAST GROWTH, IT CAN PRESENT A LOT OF CHALLENGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF THINGS REALLY, REALLY WELL, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER, AND I USE THAT MINDSET A LOT WITH ROUND ROCK BECAUSE WE DO A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS HERE. ARE WE PERFECT? NO, BUT WE DO A LOT OF REALLY GOOD THINGS HERE ALREADY, BUT WE CAN DO MORE. WE CAN DO BETTER. SO YEAH, AND AGAIN, IF THE BASES WERE LOADED, THAT'D BE A GRAND SLAM. YOU HIT THE POINT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SICK TO GET BETTER, AND THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY POINTING AT, AND AS WE LOOK AT THE PARTICULARS, WE'LL SEE THAT. THEY HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD, BUT THERE'S A COMPONENT THAT IS POSING SOME CHALLENGES. I WANT TO SHOW HOW I WON'T GIVE IT AWAY, BUT YEAH, OTHER THOUGHTS. [01:35:06] I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW LIKE WE'VE HIT 80% HERE, BUT WE STILL HAVE THAT 20 AND HOW THEY'RE PUTTING SYSTEMS IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THEY CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, EVEN THOUGH IT'S JUST 20 FOCUS ON THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE IMPROVING AS WELL, AND THEN I NOTICED ON THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, IT'S WE'RE AT THIS PERCENTAGE AND TRENDING UPWARD, AND SO THERE'S THAT KNOWLEDGE THAT WE'RE TRENDING UPWARD AND PUTTING THINGS, PUTTING TOOLS AND RESOURCES IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE PROACTIVELY ADDRESSING THAT. YEAH. SO THEY PROBABLY ARE INTENTIONAL ABOUT A QUITE A FEW OF THEM. IN ONE PARTICULAR MEETING, IT WAS A DAY AFTER THEY JUST HAD, I'M GOING TO CALL IT A DATA DIVE. THESE ARE DIFFERENT TERM, BUT THERE ARE KEY TIMES OF THE YEAR WHERE THEY JUST CONNECT WITH THE EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THEN GO INTO DATA AND THEY'LL GET ALMOST A WHOLE DAY OF RUNDOWN OF WHY THEY'RE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, HOW IT LOOKS, WHAT TEACHERS ARE DOING, WHAT TEACHERS KNOW, WHY TEACHERS THINK THEY'RE DOING IT, AND JUST AGAIN, THOSE CONDITIONS THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN LOOK AT THE BOARD BEHAVIORS AND ATTITUDES AND SEE REPRESENTED AT THE BUILDING LEVEL, AND TEACHERS KNOW THAT WHAT THE BOARD IS DOING IS CONNECTED TO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM, ETC., ON THEIR CAMPUSES. SO THEY HAVE THAT APPROACH TO IT. YEAH, SO THEY'RE PROBABLY FOSTERING QUITE A BIT OF THOSE, AND WHEN I WENT DOWN THE LIST AND I ASKED THEM HOW THIS LOOKS IN YOUR DISTRICT, THEY COULD TALK AT LENGTH AND I'M SURE YOU CAN TOO, BECAUSE GUESS WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK YOU IN A COUPLE OF MOMENTS DOWN THE ROAD. BE THINKING ABOUT A CONDITION AND I WON'T MAKE EVERYONE SHARE. WELL, LET SOMEONE TAKE ONE FOR THE TEAM IN A GOOD WAY, AND WE'LL DECIDE WHO'S GOING TO BE IN A SECOND, BUT BE THINKING ABOUT ONE OR TWO CONDITIONS THAT YOU WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT AS A WAY TO JUST REAFFIRM WHAT YOUR TEAM IS DOING, THE HARD WORK YOU'RE DOING TO INFORM AND EDUCATE ANYONE WATCHING. BECAUSE AGAIN, THEY'RE PART OF THIS AS WELL. BE THINKING ABOUT WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IF YOU'RE THE LUCKY ONE TO BE NOMINATED AND CHOSEN TO PAY TRIBUTE. YOU WANT TO SEE THE DATA, I LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S GOING REALLY WELL, BUT LET'S PEEL BACK SOME LAYERS. LET ME START BY ASKING YOU A QUESTION FIRST. WHAT DO YOU THINK STUDENT PERFORMANCE LOOKS LIKE? AND THIS IS WHERE YOU GET TO BE REALLY CREATIVE. YOU CAN BE IMAGINATIVE. MAKE UP SOMETHING. KEEPING IN MIND THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S FAST GROWTH AND THE TRENDS. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WELL, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A WHOLE CHILD. I IMAGINE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF ENRICHMENT GOING ON WITH EXTRACURRICULARS AND THAT, TOO, AS WELL AS THEIR WORK. THEY'VE GOT THE WORK DOWN. SO THEY GET TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT THINGS IN THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY AND THEREFORE, MAKING BETTER LEADERS FOR THE FUTURE. IT SOUNDS LIKE. YEAH, SURE. I THINK THAT YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO SEE POCKETS THAT ARE STRUGGLING. YEAH. ESPECIALLY THE AREAS THAT ARE THE NEWER GROWTH IN THE YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY STRETCHING THE RESOURCES AND ASKING THE DISTRICT TO KIND OF REINVENT THINGS BECAUSE WHILE WE NOW HAVE, YOU KNOW, X NUMBER OF TIMES THE STUDENTS DOING THIS OR WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES OR WHATNOT, I IMAGINE YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO FIND POCKETS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN ASSIMILATED INTO THE PREEXISTING STRUCTURE THAT. ARE GOING TO BE FACING THAT CHALLENGES UNTIL YOU GET USED TO. I USED TO LIVE IN A REALLY HIGH, FAST GROWING DISTRICT, AND THAT WAS A CHALLENGE, AND WHEN YOU'RE GOOD AND YOU'RE TRYING TO GET BETTER, IT'S POCKETS WHAT YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS, RIGHT? THE BIG ROCKS AROUND PLACE, AND WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MENTIONING MS. HARRISON YOU KNOW, WE MAY BE ON THE AVERAGE OF GOOD, BUT WHAT ARE THOSE POCKETS THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON IMPROVE? AND THE RESEARCH BEARS THAT OUT, AND I THINK THIS SCENARIO HOPEFULLY KIND OF ILLUSTRATES THAT. ANY OTHER CONJECTURES ABOUT HOW PERFORMANCE MIGHT LOOK, WE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S PROBABLY REALLY GOOD BECAUSE THEY'RE DOING WELL. THEY HAVE MORE ROOM FOR EXTRACURRICULARS. THERE MIGHT BE SOME POCKETS BECAUSE IF FAST GROWTH IS REALLY CHALLENGING THEM, I THINK IF I HAVE TO GUESS, I THINK THAT THEY PROBABLY WOULD BE HIGH B OVERALL, BUT I THINK THE CHALLENGE FOR THEM WILL BE BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING A LOT OF NEW KIDS MOVING INTO THE AREA, SO THEY PROBABLY COME IN WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS, RIGHT? SO I'M THINKING LIKE WHEN IT COMES MAYBE TO THE GROWTH MEASURES, THEY MAY BE STRUGGLING THERE JUST TO GET THEM BACK ON TRACK. RIGHT. SO IT MAY TAKE A YEAR OR TWO FOR THE KIDS TO SETTLE AND ALSO EVENTUALLY STILL START SEEING KIDS PERFORMING AT A HIGHER LEVEL JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE MOVING INTO THE NEW AREA AND ADJUSTING TO A NEW DISTRICT AND MAYBE EVEN COMING OUT OF STATE OR COMING OUT OF THE COUNTRY, WHO KNOWS? YEAH I GOT A LITTLE GOOSE BUMPS. I MEAN, IT WAS JUST SUCH. SO ANY TIME I GO TO A NEW DISTRICT, I LIKE TO TELL ABOUT THINGS I'VE LEARNED FROM A DIFFERENT DISTRICT. [01:40:06] SO I TAKE THINGS FROM ONE. THE THING I TAKE ABOUT YOU ALL IS THAT AND I MEAN THIS SINCERELY, IT HAS BEEN JUST A LOT OF FUN. LOOKING AT THE LEVEL OF ANALYSIS AND THE DETAIL, IT'S QUITE FASCINATING AND NO DISCREDIT TO ANY OF THE BOARD. I'VE DONE THIS ABOUT FOUR TIMES WITH BOARDS IS A FAIRLY NEW SESSION, AND I'M GOING TO SAY THEY ALL BEEN THE BEST SO FAR. IT'S INCREDIBLE. IT REALLY IS INCREDIBLE. COULD WE HAVE THAT IN WRITING, PLEASE? SURE. ABSOLUTELY. [CHUCKLING] YOU'VE GOT A RECORDING OF IT, BUT YEAH, WE'LL PUT IT IN WRITING, TOO. IT'S SPOT ON AND I'M GOING TO SHARE THAT IN A SECOND, BUT I LOVE THAT APPROACH, AND JUST FOR A QUICK RECAP, YOU KNOW, THERE PROBABLY I MEAN, JUST KNOW THAT HIGH B, BUT BASED ON THE GROWTH THEY'RE GETTING, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME CHALLENGES WITH GROWTH. RIGHT, AND NAILING IT DOWN TO SPECIFIC AREAS TO LOOK AT. IN THE CASE, REMEMBER, FOR EXAMPLE, IT MAY NOT BE ONE INDICATOR THAT TELLS THE WHOLE STORY. LOOK AT A DIFFERENT ANGLE OF IT, AND IN THIS CASE, WHAT ARE THE GROWTH MEASURES LOOK LIKE? I THINK IT JUST REALLY OUTSTANDING ANALYSIS OF THIS, NOT BECAUSE I DESIGN IT THAT WAY, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S OUTSTANDING. SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS, AND ONE DETAIL I DIDN'T TELL YOU WAS THAT 41%, IT WAS ALMOST AN OVERNIGHT THING FOR THEM. THEY WERE AT THIRTIES, LOW THIRTIES, AND THEN ANOTHER YEAR AND THE NEXT YEAR IT JUST KIND OF JUMPED UP QUICKLY. WHAT YOU WOULD SEE, IF YOU LOOK AT IT, YOU WOULD SEE ACHIEVEMENT AND GROWTH MEASURE BOTH TRENDING UPWARD AS LONG AS THE DEMOGRAPHIC WAS STEADY. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY HAD A DEMOGRAPHIC THEY KNEW HOW TO WORK WITH. THEY WERE MAKING THE PROGRESS. WHEN THAT NUMBER FLIPPED AND YOU HAD AN INFLUX OF KIDS WITH DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND SCENARIOS, YOU SAW A QUICK DIP. RIGHT. SAW THAT DIP. SO WE KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THIS GROUP. WE KNOW HOW TO WORK WITH THIS SITUATION, THE CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND ANYTHING THAT INVOLVES A LARGE NUMBER OF KIDS, THAT CAN CHANGE IN A HEARTBEAT. THEY'RE MAKING PROGRESS TRENDING UPWARD SLOWLY, AND THEN THAT NEW INFLUX OF STUDENTS CONTINUOUSLY COMING IN, YOU SAW A DIP, BUT WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE DIP, I THINK, IS WHAT'S IMPORTANT. THERE'S A QUICK RECOVERY. IT'S NOT OFTEN THAT YOU SEE A PERFORMANCE LEVEL HERE. THE SYSTEM TAKES A BIG HIT, AND THEN THE NEXT TIME THEY'RE BACK UP, IT'S RIGHT BACK UP TO THE LEVEL MAYBE. I MEAN, IT HAPPENS, I SHOULD SAY NOT OFTEN, BUT YOU SOMETIMES SEE A LITTLE BIT OF A CLIMB BACK UP AS PEOPLE REORIENT, AS THEY STABILIZE. THINK BACK TO ALL THE DISTRICTS THAT TOOK FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX YEARS TO GET BACK TO THOSE GLORY DAYS. IT CAN BE A SLOW CLIMB SOMETIMES, BUT I'M POINTING THIS OUT NOT BECAUSE THEY WERE BETTER IN SOME WAY OR BECAUSE THEY WERE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY HAVE BEEN. IT'S JUST THAT FOCUSED LEADERSHIP AND THAT MOMENTUM THAT THEY BUILT UP THROUGH THE BEST GOVERNANCE PRACTICES, THROUGH UNDERSTANDING, REMEMBER, THEY UNDERSTOOD THOSE CONDITIONS QUITE WELL, ALLOWS LEADERS TO RESPOND PRETTY QUICKLY. THEY KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF DATA, AND USING THAT TO MONITOR CAMPUS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN RESPOND MORE QUICKLY AND YOU CAN IMPROVE THE SYSTEM BECAUSE YOU UNDERSTAND WHERE THE SMALL PARTS ARE THAT HAVE TO GET THE INCREMENTAL GAIN, AND SO I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS FACT THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO RECOVER QUICKLY, BUT I THINK IT'S BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD AND I CAN'T PROVE IT STATISTICALLY, BUT I THINK BECAUSE THEY UNDERSTOOD HOW THOSE CONDITIONS WORK, THEY UNDERSTOOD HOW TO BE CREATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL ABOUT DATA. THEY KNEW WHERE TO INVEST ENERGY WHEN THINGS DIDN'T GO WELL, AND SO TAKE A MOMENT JUST IN YOUR HEART TO REFLECT AND SAY, WE'RE A GREAT SYSTEM. WE'RE HIGH ACHIEVING. WE HAVE GREAT KIDS, BUT WE ALWAYS WANT TO DO BETTER. WHERE ARE THOSE POCKETS? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT OUR PERFORMANCE? WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS THAT ALLOW US TO TEASE THROUGH THE DATA? AND STRATEGICALLY HAVE A GREAT AND PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TACKLE NEXT. I KNOW YOU'RE HAVING THOSE ALREADY, BUT AGAIN, IT'S TEAM BUILDING, SO WE GET TO STOP AND REFLECT EVEN MORE AND OFTEN. NOW, I TOLD YOU, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST. DID YOU SHARE WHY YOU RAN FOR THE BOARD? WHAT COMPELLED YOU TO TAKE ON THIS CHALLENGE? NOT YET. LET'S HEAR IT. THE PAY IS SO GOOD. [CHUCKLING] I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A POSITION. THEY'RE HARD TO GET. NO, I CAME FROM SAN ANTONIO, AND I GREW UP IN KIND OF A POORER DISTRICT WITH A MOM WHO WAS A TEACHER , AND SO MY FATHER WAS A PRINCIPAL, AND SO EDUCATION HAS ALWAYS BEEN IN MY FAMILY, BUT OUR DISTRICT, WE OBVIOUSLY, AT A VERY YOUNG AGE, I REALIZED WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MUCH AS OTHER DISTRICTS DID YOU KNOW THAT YOU KNOW, THEY WERE JUST MORE PREPARED THAN WE WERE FOR THINGS. [01:45:02] WE HAD TO GET BY WHILE THEY WERE GETTING ON, AND FOR ME, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF A GOAL TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS HAVE WHAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY CAN ALL ACHIEVE ON THE SAME LEVEL AND BUILDING PEOPLE UP AS WELL AS PUSHING OTHERS FORWARD, BUT BUT MAKING SURE THAT JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT MISSING ANYBODY. WE'RE NOT MISSING ANY KIDS. THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. I CAME UP THROUGH PTA, SO, YOU KNOW, THE PTA MOTTO IS DEFINITELY IN ME PRETTY HARD. EVERY KID, ONE CHILD, ONE VOICE, YOU KNOW, OR EVERY CHILD, ONE VOICE, BUT YEAH, AND I FELT LIKE THIS WAS LIKE THE NEXT LOGICAL STEP TO DO THAT, TO BE ABLE TO AFFECT SOME CHANGE AND TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH SOME PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BE LIKE MINDED AND WANT TO DO THE SAME THING AND TO AND TO REPRESENT MY COMMUNITY WELL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR SHARING. I WANT TO PICK ONE OF YOU. CHOOSE ONE OF YOU TO SHARE ONE OR TWO CONDITIONS THAT YOU KNOW, AND I'M SURE ALL SEVEN, BUT ONE THING YOU WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT TONIGHT OR TO SHARE ABOUT YOUR DISTRICT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHOOSE SOMEONE. I WANT TO INVITE SOMEONE TO HELP ME CHOOSE SOMEONE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WHAT I'M SAYING? I WANT SOMEONE TO HELP ME PUT SOMEONE ELSE ON THE SPOT. I'M GOING TO. YOU JUST WANT ME TO PICK ONE OF THEM? YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT WORKS. THAT WORKS. WELL, I WANT TO HEAR FROM THE BIG MAN. I WANT TO HEAR FROM DR. AZAIEZ. I DO, TOO, AND YOU KNOW WHY I LIKE THAT? BECAUSE TYPICALLY WHEN WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION, WE'LL GIVE THE SUPERINTENDENT A HEADS UP AND WE'LL GIVE THEM A CHANCE TO INVITE IN ANY PERSONNEL THEY THINK CAN HELP TELL THE STORY , BUT HE'S HERE TODAY AND HE IS ASKING MORE THAN CAPABLE OF ANSWERING THIS. PHYSICS AND CHEMISTRY, I TOOK THAT STUFF. YEAH, ALL RIGHT, WHAT CONDITIONS WOULD YOU WANT TO HIGHLIGHT AND JUST SAY KUDO IS GOOD JOB SYSTEM. THANK YOU FOR THE HARD WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING. IF YOU'RE GOING TO COMPLIMENT YOUR STAFF AND YOUR BOARD. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, AS I SAID EARLIER, I MEAN, OUR BOARD HERE ARE JUST AMAZING. I THINK I FEEL LIKE PART OF THE TEAM AND I FEEL LIKE THE VISION IS ALIGNED. WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF EVERY KID, RIGHT. HELP EVERY KID. WE UNDERSTAND WHERE A GREAT DISTRICT, BUT WE CAN BE EVEN BETTER BY MAKING SURE THAT EVERY STUDENT IS SUCCESSFUL, THAT EVERY STUDENT HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES. AS FAR AS, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS I LOVE ABOUT OUR DISTRICT, OBVIOUSLY, SO I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH TIME DO I HAVE, AND I'M JUST I MEAN, ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE IS, IS THIS ALL COMING TOGETHER. PERFECT EXAMPLE WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT IT. WE JUST WENT THROUGH I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNEW, BUT I WENT THROUGH FREEZE LAST WEEK AND I STORM AND I CANNOT TELL YOU LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF STUDENTS, I THINK HUNDREDS, PROBABLY THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHO WERE WITHOUT POWER FOR SEVERAL DAYS AND THEIR FAMILIES, ESPECIALLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF OUR DISTRICT, AND SO WE HAD A CONFERENCE. I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN ALWAYS IN CONFERENCE CALL WITH THE TEAM, AND BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, MANY OF US, MANY I DON'T WANT THEM TO LEAVE AND GET PUT THEM IN HARM'S WAY. SO WE WERE CONSTANTLY HAVING A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO TOMORROW? YOU KNOW, LET'S COMMUNICATE, LET'S KEEP EVERYBODY INFORMED, BUT ON THURSDAY, WE KNEW THINGS WERE GETTING BETTER. HOWEVER, AS I SAID, THERE WERE A LOT STILL OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WITHOUT POWER AND SOME OF OUR OWN STAFF ACTUALLY WITHOUT POWER. SO WHAT CAN WE DO? WE SAID, OKAY, LET'S GET TOGETHER. WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE GOING TO PREPARE SOME MEALS FOR THE STUDENTS ON FRIDAY. WE DIDN'T LIKE IT WASN'T EVEN 24 HOURS. WE ALL CAME. WE CAME TOGETHER. OUR STUDENT FOOD SERVICES CAME TOGETHER. SOME OF OUR PTA PARENTS VOLUNTEER. YOU KNOW, WE HAD OTHER STAFF MEMBERS, PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, LIKE, OKAY, WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO? AND WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT. WE DIDN'T KNOW HOW MANY ACTUALLY STUDENTS WILL SHOW UP AND THEIR FAMILIES WILL SHOW UP TO THIS, AND I THINK WE PREPARED ABOUT 600 MEALS THINKING THAT WILL BE ENOUGH. WE DECIDED FOUR DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, ONE IN THE WEST SIDE, ONE AND TWO KIND OF SOMEHOW CENTRAL AND THEN ONE TO THE EAST SIDE WHERE WE ENDED UP SERVING 600 MEALS IN ONE I'M SORRY, 600 MEALS IN ONE LOCATION ALONE. WE END UP HAVING 1700 PEOPLE CAME THROUGH AND SERVING 3500 MEALS THAT MORNING, AND YOU KNOW, ALSO THE OTHER BEAUTY IS LIKE IT WASN'T JUST US WE HAD NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION LIKE HOPE AUSTIN REACH OUT AND SAID WE WANT TO ALSO CONTRIBUTE. WE HAVE THE PIE FOUNDATION, WHICH IS OUR [INAUDIBLE] EDUCATION FOUNDATION. THANK YOU. OKAY, CAN WE DO SOMETHING? AND THEN THEY REACHED OUT TO OTHER BUSINESS PARTNERS. [01:50:01] I SAID, IT'S JUST AMAZING IN A VERY SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME HOW EVERYONE AND I MEAN EVERYONE CAME TOGETHER TO HELP OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES, AND WE DIDN'T CARE IF I MEAN, WE DON'T EVEN ASK THEM. I MEAN, I THINK WE END UP HELPING SOME AUSTIN ISD PARENTS CAME THROUGH AND STUDENTS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T ASK SHOW US AN ID, YOU KNOW, DO YOU ATTEND ROUND ROCK ISD? WE JUST HELP EVERYONE AND EVERYONE HELPED EVERYONE, AND I THINK WE WERE THE ONLY DISTRICT, I'M PROUD TO SAY WE WERE THE ONLY DISTRICT WHO DID SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AT LEAST THAT FAST, AND WE CONTINUE DOING IT. SO AGAIN, I'M SUPER PROUD OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS, CHECKING ON OUR STAFF AND, YOU KNOW, CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING ANY EFFORT WE WANT TO DO, BUT THIS OUR DISTRICT IS AMAZING BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE, THE STUDENTS, THE PEOPLE, THE COMMUNITY, EVERYONE IS WORKING TOGETHER, AND I ALWAYS SAY IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND IT'S REALLY THERE IS A VILLAGE HERE, A HUGE VILLAGE, AND EVERYBODY IS WORKING HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE HAVING EVERYTHING THEY NEED. IN THIS CASE, THEY NEEDED SOME SOMETHING TO EAT. THEY WERE WITHOUT ELECTRICITY, WITHOUT WATER. I DON'T KNOW IF, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THEIR STOVES WERE ELECTRIC STOVES, SO THEY COULDN'T EVEN COOK ANYTHING, THEIR PARENTS COULDN'T COOK ANYTHING. ALSO, THEY WERE OBVIOUSLY ALL THEIR FOOD BECAUSE THEY LOST POWER SPOILED. YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST SO, AGAIN, IT'S AMAZING HOW WE ALL CAME TOGETHER, AND I THINK EVERY TIME I MEAN, IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME. IT'S JUST AN AMAZING DISTRICT. SO SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, YOU AND THE DISTRICT HAS COLLECTIVELY FOSTERED THIS CARE AND COMPASSION. IT'S PART OF A SHARED VISION. WHEN THE COMMUNITY NEEDS US, WE'RE GOING TO COME TOGETHER. YOU CAN SEE IT FROM THE BOARD LEVEL ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE KIDS, RIGHT IN COMMUNITIES WHERE IT'S NOT THE CASE, IT'S HARD TO PULL TOGETHER THAT KIND OF SUPPORT AND THAT KIND OF RESPONSE QUITE QUICKLY, BUT IT CLEARLY WASN'T AN EVERY MAN WOMAN FOR THEMSELVES SITUATION. IT WAS. HOW DO WE AS A COMMUNITY AND AS A FAMILY IN THIS LARGER CONTEXT, HOW DO WE RESPOND? AND I LIKE THAT. IT'S GOOD. MR. MOORE, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT FROM A BOARD LEVEL, ANOTHER WAY THAT WE HAVE REALLY STRENGTHENED THAT COMMUNITY IS OUR FOCUS ON OUR STUDENT GROUPS. THIS BOARD HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB. WE IMPLEMENTED LONE STAR GOVERNANCE AT THE END OF 2019, THEN HIT COVID AND EVERYTHING, BUT WE STARTED DISAGGREGATING OUR DATA IN 2021 AND IT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED SOME AREAS IN OUR DISTRICT THAT NEEDED SOME EXTRA SUPPORT , AND I THINK THAT'S ONE THING THAT IS REALLY STELLAR FROM THE ENTIRE TEAM OF EIGHT. EVERY SINGLE INDIVIDUAL IN THAT TEAM IS COMMITTED TO EVERY SINGLE STUDENT GROUP AND LOOKING AT THEM AND WE'VE EVEN ADDED STUDENT GROUPS THAT TEA DOESN'T EVEN REALLY ASK US TO LOOK AT, AND, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE EVERY STUDENT MATTERS, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THIS BOARD DOES PHENOMENALLY ACROSS EVERY SINGLE PERSON UP HERE. THERE IS A COMMITMENT TO EVERY SINGLE STUDENT. SO I THINK THAT GOES ALONG WITH HOW THE COMMUNITY, IT REALLY IS PLAYED OUT IN OUR BOARD, OUR BOARD ROLES, AND WE PLAN TO SUSTAIN IT, WHICH IS NUMBER THREE. OKAY, ALL RIGHT, I WAS LISTENING, BUT I ALSO WANTED TO GRAB ONE OF THOSE FRAMEWORK BOARD DEVELOPMENT BOOKLETS. [INAUDIBLE] SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THESE BOARD ACTIONS AND WOVEN IN THERE. I MEAN, I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN EXPLICIT IN EVERY SINGLE TURN, BUT WOVEN IN THERE ARE THE DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT BOARDS DO. THEY SET THE VISION, THEY FOCUS ADVOCATE FOR THE KIDS. THEY HOLD THE SUPERINTENDENT ACCOUNTABLE. THEY RESPOND AND ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO SPECIFICALLY POINT OUT SOMETHING THAT YOUR BOARD PRESIDENT JUST MENTIONED, BUT GIVE ME A MOMENT TO FIND IT. WELL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS. MAYBE YOU CAN HELP ME FIND IT. IT TALKS ABOUT WHEN YOU MENTIONED TEASING OUT AND FINDING OUT GROUPS OF KIDS THAT MIGHT NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. PART OF YOUR ROLE IS TO OKAY, HERE'S ONE. PAGE EIGHT, UNDER THE PILLAR, PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY. LOOK AT THE THIRD BULLET. ENSURES EQUITY THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM BY REGULARLY DEFINING INEQUITIES, UPDATING POLICIES AND APPROPRIATE DISTRIBUTING OF RESOURCES. PART OF YOUR ROLE IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU DO THIS AND IT CAN'T BE DONE IF A BOARD IS NOT WILLING TO BREAK DOWN THE DATA. HAVE A DEEPER LOOK AT IT. THERE'S ANOTHER PORTION TALKS ABOUT THIS SIMILAR CONCEPT, BUT I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO POINT THAT OUT [INAUDIBLE]. I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING BECAUSE ONE THING THAT WE'VE ALSO STARTED DOING WITH THIS CURRENT BUDGET AND THIS OUR CURRENT SUPERINTENDENT IS WE ARE NOW ALLOCATING AND I KNOW [01:55:03] TRUSTEE WEIR MENTIONED THIS, BUT WE ARE ALLOCATING RESOURCES BASED ON NEED AND NOT BASED ON JUST YOU HAVE THIS NUMBER OF STUDENTS AND IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE REALLY DONE THAT AS A DISTRICT IN A LONG TIME TO SAY THAT THIS SCHOOL HAS MORE NEED, GIVE THEM MORE RESOURCES. I THINK IT'S GOING TO PAY OFF, AND AGAIN, IT GOES BACK TO THAT CONDITION. WHAT'S THE BALANCE BETWEEN DISTRICTWIDE GOALS AND THOSE THE DATA THAT INFORMS HOW INDIVIDUAL CAMPUSES OR SITES ARE REGARDED AND HOW THEY'RE STEWARDED, IF YOU WILL? CAN I SAY ONE JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT, BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE ESPECIALLY FOR AMBER AND I WHO'VE BEEN ON THE LONGEST, IS THIS WILLINGNESS TO LOOK AT THE NEGATIVE DATA AND PUBLISH IT AND SHARE IT, BECAUSE IT IS IN SOME WAYS USED AGAINST US BY PEOPLE WHO SAY, OH, LOOK AT THIS BAD DATA. IT'S PROBABLY ALWAYS BEEN THERE. YOU KNOW, WE'VE NEVER LOOKED AT IT, WE'VE NEVER SHARED IT, WE'VE NEVER FOCUSED ON IT, WE'VE NEVER INTENTIONALLY SAID THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO WORK ON, AND I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK I'M VERY PROUD OF WHEN I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE ABILITY TO CREATE AND SUSTAIN THE SUPPORT OF DATA IS THAT WILLINGNESS TO GO WHERE IT'S UNCOMFORTABLE. SHARE THAT WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND TRY TO WORK FORWARD EVEN IF PEOPLE ARE USING IT AGAINST US, AND I LIKE THAT BECAUSE, AGAIN, I KEEP USING THIS PHRASE AS THE INTRINSIC TENSION, THE NATURAL CHALLENGE OF WHAT WE DO, AND WE HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT WHERE WE ARE. A QUICK DEPARTURE BECAUSE I THINK THIS STORY IS HELPFUL. THERE'S A BOARD THAT WAS VERY COMMITTED TO SHARING PROGRESS UPDATES. AGAIN, MUCH LIKE YOU DO, AND WHEN COVID HIT THIS COMMUNITY THAT HAD BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO HAVING THESE NICE PERFORMANCE TARGETS ALWAYS MET AND ACHIEVED. THEY UPDATED THEIR LITTLE FIVE PILLAR BULLETIN AND THE COMMUNITY KNEW THAT WHEN YOU SAW RED INK, RED LETTERING THAT WAS A TARGET MISSED. THEY WERE JUST WELL VERSED IN HOW THE COMMUNITY REPORTING SYSTEM WENT. THE BOARD SAID THAT THE WAY THEY RESPONDED WAS WAS JUST ENCOURAGING. THEY SAID WE EXPECTED SOME PUSHBACK BECAUSE THEY KNOW HOW HARD WE WORK AND THEY HAVE THE HIGHEST STANDARDS AND THEY HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE. BUT WE WERE PRETTY PLEASED WHEN THEY SAID, HEY, WE GET IT, BUT I THINK PART OF IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE ALWAYS SO TRANSPARENT. THEY WEREN'T GETTING BAD INFORMATION FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, AND I THINK WHEN THERE'S A CULTURE OF OPENNESS AND HONESTY, THERE WILL ALWAYS BE A FEW NAYSAYERS WHO WANT TO PAINT IT AS A BAD PICTURE, BUT WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THE REALITY OF WHAT IS IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TOWARDS ANYTHING, AND IT CAN BE DAUNTING. I'M NOT GOING TO STATE IT FROM THIS POSITION, GOING BACK HOME AND BE LIKE, WELL, THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO DISPLAY DATA. IT'S TOUGH, BUT IF OUR HEART IS IN IT FOR THE RIGHT REASONS AND WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE CAN LOOK AT ALL THE HISTORICAL EXAMPLES OF WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE IGNORE DATA THAT DOESN'T DO ANY GOOD. RIGHT? SO I'M GLAD YOU SHARE THAT. I THINK IT'S A GREAT APPROACH. IT CAN BE TOUGH, BUT WE KNOW THE ALTERNATIVE. LAST ONE AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THROUGH THIS AND THEN WRAP UP. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN GREAT SPORTS. I'M GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THIS ONE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO THINK AS MUCH. I WILL SAY THAT I LOVE THIS BOARD RELATIONSHIP. WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM AS MUCH AS ANY. I HAVE YET TO GO TO A MEETING OF THEIRS AND PROBABLY FIVE PLUS YEARS, SIX YEARS AND THAT HAVE AN ADDITIONAL [INAUDIBLE]. [INAUDIBLE] REMINDER TO PUT THE TRASH CAN OUT. ALSO, IT'S 8:00, THAT LETS ME KNOW THAT. GOOD DEAL. I HAVEN'T BEEN TO A BOARD MEETING YET WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE PROBABLY SIX, SEVEN OR EIGHT EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS THERE FOR THEIR TEAM BUILDING. THE GOAL SETTING, IT'S LIKE YOU HAD THE ATTORNEY AND EVERYONE ELSE. I MEAN, IT'S JUST THAT STACKED, BUT THEY AREN'T JUST THERE IN FORM, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT THERE IN FUNCTION ONLY. IT'S FORM AND FUNCTION. THE WAY THEY INTERACT IS JUST SO ENCOURAGING. I WISH THAT MORE DISTRICTS COULD TAKE THAT APPROACH IF IT SUITS THEM, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE IF THERE'S A LEVEL OF COHESION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM, I WANT THAT TO BE FOSTERED. BOARDS WORK TOO HARD TO NOT BE ABLE TO ENJOY THAT CONNECTION WITH THE FOLKS WHO ARE AGAIN SHARING IN THAT LABOR THOSE CO-LABORERS. I THINK IT YOU KNOW, AND I FORGET WHICH COMMISSION IT WAS, BUT IT SHOWS THAT LEVEL OF COHESION, THE SHARED VISION YOU MENTIONED, I SAID I'D COME BACK TO IT. IT SHOWS HOW IT LOOKS AND SOMETIMES YOU CAN GET THAT THROUGH YOUR SUPERINTENDENT, BUT I'M GUESSING THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE HE DESIGNATES TO REPORT TO YOU. [02:00:02] I'M SURE YOU HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, BUT I LIKE THAT BECAUSE IT JUST REALLY DOES SHOW FOR THEM. THEY HAVE A DEFINED SYSTEM. I WAS READING AN ARTICLE ABOUT MCALLEN AND INTERVIEWING ONE OF THE PEOPLE THERE AND THEY WERE SAYING, I FORGET WHAT THEY CALL IT. IT'S NOT THE TEAM OF EIGHT. IT'S A TEAM OF EIGHT PLUS, AND THERE'S JUST A HABIT OF MAKING SURE THAT THOSE KEY PERSONNEL ARE PART OF THEIR REGULAR TEAM BUILDING SESSIONS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF COHESION AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING. SO I LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, LONG STORY SHORT, THAT'S THEM EVERY MEETING. THE LAST ONE I WENT TO, THEY PUT HALF OF THE BOARD AND THE ELT, EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM OVER HERE ON THIS END OF THE ROOM, OTHER HALF OVER THERE, AND THEY WERE JUST UPDATING THEIR GOALS. SO VERY PERSISTENT. THEY DO DEAL WITH OR THEY HAD DEALT WITH DISCIPLINE CHALLENGES. IT WAS WRACKING THEIR BRAINS. THEY COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO WITH THIS. THEY SAID WE'VE ISOLATED IT. WE KNOW WHERE IT COMES FROM. YOU KNOW, THE FEEDER PATTERNS. WE'VE BUSTED UP THE FEEDER PATTERNS, BUT WE STILL CAN'T RESOLVE THIS DISCIPLINE CHALLENGE. AS FAR AS THE BOARD, VISION ORIENTED AND GOAL ORIENTED LIKE YOURSELF, WELL EDUCATED, SMART FOLKS, THEY LOVE TO TEACH. THEY LOVE TO TEACH. SO THEY PRESENT, THEY SHARE WITH THEIR COMMUNITY ANY CHANCE THEY GET. THEY'RE GOING TO BE TEACHING AND SHARING. THEY, YOU KNOW, TEACH AT DIFFERENT COLLEGES AND COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. WE MENTIONED CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT THAT WAS THEM CONSTANTLY. YOU KNOW, YOU [INAUDIBLE] TO BE BETTER CONSTANTLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THEIR CHALLENGES. A BUNCH OF PROBLEM SOLVERS, BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE, AGAIN, A COMMENDABLE WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS WORKED WONDERS FOR THEM. 79 PERCENT OF THE FAMILIES QUALIFY FOR FREE OR REDUCED LUNCHES. THEY ALSO DEAL WITH THE CHALLENGE THAT YOU SAW A DISTRICT BACK IN THE OTHER EXAMPLE. THEY CAN GET A FEW YOUNG ONES IN THERE AND THEN THEY'RE THERE AND THEN THEY'RE GONE. SO THEIR SKEW TENDS TO BE TOWARDS THE YOUNGER, NEWER TO THE PROFESSION STUDENTS, OVER 16,000 STUDENTS. WHAT CONDITIONS DO YOU THINK THEY ARE REALLY PRIVY TO? AND KEEP IN MIND, THEY ARE BIG ON DATA. THEY MEET WITH THEIR EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP TEAM REGULARLY. THEY CAN ATTRACT A ROCK STAR ELT TEAM BECAUSE OF THEIR REPUTATION. CLOSE KNIT WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. WHAT WOULD YOU GUESS? AND WE'LL MOVE ON AFTER JUST ONE. I KNOW YOU ALL ARE TIRED. I WON'T WORK YOU TOO MUCH MORE. SHARED LEADERSHIP. ABSOLUTELY, AND THEY KNOW IT. YEAH, THEY KNOW IT. I MEAN, WHEN YOU WATCH THE WAY AND MUCH LIKE YOUR BOARD PRESIDENT AND WATCH THE WAY THEY INTERACT, IF YOU DIDN'T SEE WHO'S HOLDING THE GAVEL, YOU WOULDN'T KNOW WHO WAS JUST KIND OF HELPING MOVE ALONG AND SUPPORT. THEY ALL EQUALLY SHARED THAT ROLE. RIGHT, AND I FIND IT FASCINATING. I WATCHED THE BOARD PRESIDENT WHO COULD SPEAK UP ANY TIME, JUST KIND OF LISTEN AND NOD, CHIMING IN AND JUST AGAIN, A NICE NATURAL RHYTHM. THEY HAVE THE PLEASURE OF LIKING EACH OTHER AND HAVING THE SAME AMBITIONS, BUT THEY'RE VERY DIFFERENT, BUT THEY WORK WELL TOGETHER. I CAN WHACK [INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, SHARED LEADERSHIP IS A BIG DEAL FOR THEM. THERE'S NOT MUCH TO ASK, BUT WHAT I WILL SHARE IS ONE OF THE OUTCOMES THAT THEY MANAGED TO PROCURE FOR THEMSELVES IS THEY HAD A VERY JUST EXHAUSTIVE SUPERINTENDENT PROCESS, BUT MAYBE NOT EFFECTIVE. THEY LITERALLY WENT FROM A BINDER THAT WAS ABOUT THREE INCHES, AND ONE OF THOSE BIG ONES, IT MAY HAVE BEEN THEY MAKE FOUR INCH BINDERS. IT WAS PRETTY DOGGONE BIG. IT WAS PROBABLY THAT BIG, AND THEY SAID, ORRIN, WE USED TO HAVE PICTURES OF EVIDENCE OF A SIDEWALK THAT WAS BUSTED UP AND THEN A PICTURE OF THE SIDEWALK REPAIRED. SO BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES OF SIDEWALKS, FOR EXAMPLE, AS EVIDENCE OF ATTAINMENT FOR IMPROVING THE SCHOOL. IT'S THAT LEVEL OF DETAIL, AND THEY SAID, BUT WE STILL HAD SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE WERE DEALING WITH. SO THEY MADE TREMENDOUS INVESTMENTS IN DATA. TREMENDOUS INVESTMENT IN DATA. THEY CAN LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM ATTENDANCE RATES THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE SMALL LEVEL. I MEAN, IT'S JUST ONE OF THESE BIG [INAUDIBLE] MAYBE ONE OF THOSE BIG POWERFUL TOOLS, AND JUST IT'S SCARY. WHEN I SAT IN ON THAT MEETING, I THOUGHT YOUR CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE MAKING SURE YOU DON'T GET TOO FAR DOWN IN THE WEEDS AS A BOARD BECAUSE YOU HAVE SO MUCH DATA AVAILABLE TO YOU, AND THEY ASKED ME TO COME AND SAY, JUST WATCH US TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET INTO THE WEEDS, AND THEY HAD THANKFULLY THAT GOOD CONNECTION. THEY KNOW THEIR SUPERINTENDENT IS STILL GOING TO BE THE CEO OF THAT SCHOOL. THEY'RE GOING TO TEASE OUT WHAT DATA IS MOST RELEVANT TO THE GOALS THAT THEY COLLABORATIVELY SET, BUT JUST THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE ADAMANT ABOUT, LIKE YOU SAID [INAUDIBLE] FINDING THOSE POCKETS. WE KNOW WE'RE DOING A LOT, BUT THERE ARE STILL THINGS THAT ARE PERSISTENT. I'M SO GLAD TO REPORT THAT WHEN IT CAME TO DISCIPLINE THE CHALLENGE THAT WAS JUST RACKING THEIR BRAINS, THEY GOT CREATIVE AND IT'S SOMETHING I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO EMPHASIZE. WE TALK ABOUT THE TIME IT TAKES TO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING AND MOVE THE NEEDLE, BUT SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT, RIGHT? [02:05:09] AND DO IT DARINGLY, AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE I'VE HEARD, AND TELL ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THESE SENTIMENTS. THE SCHOOLS DON'T NEED TO BE IN THE HOMES, RIGHT? THAT'S A PARENT'S JOB. WE DON'T PAY YOU TO GO IN THE HOME. YOU GET THE KID HERE AND WE DO. SO I'VE HEARD THAT SENTIMENT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE, RIGHT, AND THEN YOU HEARD, YOU KNOW, A SHIFT. WELL, WITH THE WAY KIDS ARE NOWADAYS AND THE WAY FAMILIES I MEAN, IF THE TEACHERS AREN'T IN THE HOMES, WE'RE LOST. THIS SCHOOL GOT BOLD. THEY TOOK A RISK AND THEY SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE'RE GOING TO HIRE SOCIAL WORKERS, STRAIGHT UP SOCIAL WORKERS, NOT SCHOOL COUNSELORS, NOT EDUCATION COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS. THEIR PRIMARY FUNCTION WILL BE TO HELP KIDS EVALUATE THEIR HOME ENVIRONMENT IN TERMS OF A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THEY HAVE CONVERSATIONS LIKE, OH, WHERE IS YOUR HOMEWORK PLACE? THAT'S DARING. SCHOOL PERSONNEL WHO GO INTO THE HOME. I'M NOT SAYING DOESN'T HAPPEN ACROSS THE BOARD. WE KNOW IT HAPPENS TO DIFFERENT DEGREES, BUT THAT LEVEL OF INTENTIONALITY SAYING HOW DO WE BECOME PROACTIVE ABOUT ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES? THEY MET WITH CLERGY, FORM UNIQUE CONNECTION WITH THE COMMUNITY. THERE'S THAT LEVER COMING IN. THEY KNEW THAT AND THEY TOLD ME THIS IN A MEETING, AND I'M GOING TO BE QUITE CANDID. THEY SAID, OH, I'LL REPHRASE IT, I'LL SPEAK GENERALLY, THE SENTIMENT WAS, BUT IN DIFFERENT WORDS. SOMEONE LIKE ME IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT OR REACH SOMEONE LIKE THEM, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S QUITE CANDID, AND SO THEY ASKED WHO CAN REACH, WHO HAS A VOICE, THEY DECIDED A CERTAIN CLARITY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY BETTER THAN THEY CAN. CERTAIN INFLUENCERS MEAN IT WAS INCREDIBLE THAT THEY JUST REALLY SHARED THAT LEADERSHIP, RIGHT? THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THEY HAD TO BE A BIT MORE UNCONVENTIONAL. LONG STORY SHORT, THEY GOT THE RESULTS THEY WANTED WITH THE BEHAVIOR, AND IT'S GOING TO WORK IN PROGRESS. I WENT FROM TO SAYING, YOU'RE SUSPENDING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO OK. RIGHT, BUT AGAIN, IT'S A PROACTIVE APPROACH AND THEY HAD TO GO AGAINST THE GRAIN A LITTLE BIT. FOR PEOPLE WHO MIGHT WONDER, MAN, WHY ARE YOU SPENDING DOLLARS ON THIS OR THAT? WELL, AND THIS IS WHAT THEY DECIDED ULTIMATELY. IT'S IMPACTING PERFORMANCE, AND IF WE DON'T MOVE IT, NO MATTER HOW UNCONVENTIONAL IT IS, WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE AND WE DON'T WANT TO STRUGGLE. SO WHILE PEOPLE MAY NOT FEEL LIKE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS. IT'S NOT UNETHICAL. IT'S JUST DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU'RE USED TO, AND IT'S WORKING. SO THAT WAS, AGAIN, THE BOARD TAKING THE LEADERSHIP ROLE. AS FAR AS ACADEMICS, THEY JUMP NEARLY TWO LETTER GRADES OVER THE COURSE OF TIME, ABOUT SIX YEARS NOW COUNTING IN COVERT. SO THEY WERE JUST KIND OF CHUGGING ALONG, KIND OF FLAT, BUT IT WASN'T UNTIL THEY GOT UNCONVENTIONAL THAT THEY STARTED SEEING SOME OF THESE GAINS, AND FOR A SYSTEM THAT HAD TO SAY AND THIS IS WHY, LIKE THE BOARD SAID, WE'RE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE TOGETHER, BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO FOR THE KIDS MIGHT NOT BE IT MIGHT NOT SIT WELL WITH I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY. IT OFTEN SOUNDS LIKE IT'S LOUDER THAN MORE THAN IT REALLY IS. BUT THEY DID WHAT THEY HAD TO DO. IT WASN'T UNETHICAL. IT WORKED. IT WASN'T A SPENDTHRIFT. IT WORKED, BUT AGAIN, IT WAS THAT BOARD HAVING A SHARED UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S IMPORTANT, WORKING WITH STAFF TO SET APPROPRIATE GOALS AND THEN ACHIEVING THAT END. SO I'LL JUST FLESH THAT OUT. HOMESTRETCH. WHAT COMMON THEMES HAVE YOU NOTICED IN EACH OF THESE TRANSFORMATIONS? I'VE TAKEN ALMOST 3 HOURS OF YOUR TIME TO MAKE ONE SIMPLE POINT. WHAT COMMON THEMES HAVE YOU NOTICED [INAUDIBLE] THREE SIMPLE POINTS. ONE MAJOR POINT SHARED LEADERSHIP, SHARED LEADERS TOGETHER. WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU ADD? FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. CLARITY OF GOALS AND VISION. CLARITY OF GOALS AND VISION. ALL THE THINGS THAT YOUR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION FRAMEWORK SAY CONSTITUTE THOSE FIVE PILLARS, RIGHT? THINGS YOU HAVE TO BE PAYING ATTENTION TO. WHAT ELSE? WHEN DID THINGS CHANGE? GO AHEAD. COMMUNICATION. COMMUNICATION, ABSOLUTELY. ALL LEVELS. YEAH. MAKING SURE EVERYONE KNOWS WHAT, WHERE, HOW, WHEN, WHY, AND THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THEIR PARTS. WHEN DID THINGS CHANGE IN EACH OF THESE CASES? VERY DIFFERENT FROM SMALL 1000, YOU KNOW, ADA TO SOME 46 PLUS THOUSAND. WHEN DID THINGS CHANGE? WHEN THE BOARD GOT REFOCUSED. WHEN THE BOARD GOT REFOCUSED. WHEN LEADERSHIP GOT REFOCUSED. IT WAS A SUPERINTENDENT, AND THE BOARD TEAM. THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN DO IT ALONE. THE BOARD COULDN'T DO WITHOUT A HIGH QUALITY SUPERINTENDENT. WHAT ARE THE OTHER STEPS YOU NOTICED? WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? DID THE COMMUNITY SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE ON BOARD? SOMETIMES. BUT IT'S A BATTLE. IT WAS A BATTLE. THAT'S WHY I JOKINGLY SAY, LIKE ONE BOARD MEMBER TOLD ME, WE'RE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE TOGETHER. [02:10:04] THEY KNEW THAT THE DECISIONS THEY MADE WOULD BE RIGHT. IT WOULD BE FAIR ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE LAW, BUT STILL MAYBE NOT POPULAR, BUT THEY KNEW WHAT THEY HAD TO DO AND MANY OF THESE CASES, THESE BOARDS HAD TO WORK HARD UNTIL THEY, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, PROVED THEMSELVES, AND THEN YOU SEE THE COMMUNITY COMING ON BOARD. ANYONE READ RONALD HEIFETZ? I LOVE HIS WORK. I BORROWED A STATEMENT OR A CONCEPT FROM HIM THAT I'LL SHARE HERE, BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS POINT THAT THE BOARD PERFORMANCE IS ABLE TO ACT LIKE A CATALYST, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT SEE IN THREE OR FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS. YOU WILL SEE GAINS, YOU WILL SEE CHANGES, BUT IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING, THE NATURAL TENSION, YOU'RE TRANSFORMING HEARTS, MINDS, PERCEPTIONS, YOU'RE RETRAINING OLD WAYS, YOU'RE WAITING OUT OLD SYSTEMS, LETTING THINGS EXPIRE. YOU'RE STILL A CATALYST, BUT IT MIGHT TAKE SOME TIME. IN SOME CASES, IT MIGHT BE OVERNIGHT. THE OTHER THING IS WHAT YOU'VE ALL MENTIONED, TRANSFORMATIVE LEADERSHIP. IT'S PERSISTENT. IT'S THE SAME TODAY, TOMORROW, AND IDEALLY, IF IT'S ON THE RIGHT PATH FOR THE NEXT FEW FIVE YEARS, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, IT'S ALSO FOCUSED. THOSE BOARDS THAT WE LOOKED AT, ALL OF THEM HAD THE THINGS THEY NEEDED TO SUCCEED. THEY DIDN'T GET AN INFLUX OF GENIUS KIDS. THEY ALREADY HAD GENIUS KIDS. THEY DIDN'T GET AN INFLUX OF A WHOLE LOT OF CASH. THEY HAD THE MONEY THAT THEY HAD. WHAT THEY GOT AN INFLUX OF WAS FOCUSED. RIGHT, AND THEN THEY MADE GOOD USE OF THE RESOURCES THROUGH CREATIVITY. IT'S HARD TO BE CREATIVE WHEN YOUR DOLLARS ONLY GO ABOUT THAT FAR. I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE HAVE TO LEARN TO WORK WITHIN THE CONSTRAINTS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, THE OTHER OPTION IS NOT SUCCESS OR PLATEAU , AND YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE THE KIND OF FOLKS THAT WANT TO HAVE A PLATEAU, AND NONE OF THE BOARDS I TALKED TO EVERYONE [INAUDIBLE] RIGHT? THEY ALL ARE GEARED TOWARDS THE SUCCESS, BUT THE LAST THING IS THIS AND AGAIN, I BORROWED THIS FROM RONALD HEIFETZ. I LOVE HIM. I THINK HIS WORK IS JUST PHENOMENAL. HE SAYS THAT LEADERS HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE LEADING THROUGH PERIODS OF DISEQUILIBRIUM, AND THAT'S HARD. I HAVE FOR THE PAST MANY YEARS AVOIDED LEADERSHIP ROLES BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE DISEQUILIBRIUM. I WANT THE THING DONE AND I WANT IT TO BE NICE AND STABLE. RIGHT? BUT ON THE TIMES OF MY LIFE WHERE I HAVE BEEN A LEADER, THAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE. HE SAYS IF YOU MOVE TOO FAST, WHAT DO PEOPLE ASSUME? YOU'RE DESTABILIZING THE SYSTEM. IF YOU MOVE TOO SLOWLY, WHAT DO THEY ASSUME? YOU DO NOTHING. YOU'RE INEFFECTIVE. BUT SOMETIMES YOU CARRY THE BURDEN ON YOUR OWN, RIGHT? BUT HE SAYS LEADERS HAVE TO BE COMFORTABLE LEADING THROUGH PERIODS OF DISEQUILIBRIUM. THERE'S AN END. WE DON'T KNOW WHEN IT'S GOING TO BE, BUT AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK AT THE SUCCESS OF OTHER BOARDS. YOU CAN LOOK AT YOUR OWN SUCCESS. LOOK AT ALL THE CONCEPTS, CORROBORATING RESEARCH AND KNOW THAT, YEAH, THERE MIGHT BE A PERIOD WHERE WE'RE HOPING THAT LONG INTO THE COMMUNITY COMES ON BOARD, UNDERSTANDS WHERE WE ARE, BUT I WANT TO JUST LEAVE THAT CONCEPT WITH YOU ALL. SOME THAT I FEEL LIKE AGAIN, YOU KNOW VERY WELL, BUT I COULD PROVIDE ENCOURAGEMENT FOR THE WORK THAT YOU HAVE COMING UP AND THE WORK YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING FOR SOME TIME TO COME. THEN I WANT TO DO THAT FOR YOU ALL. THAT'S MY EMAIL AND MY PHONE NUMBER. YOU HAVE MY PERSONAL CELL PHONE. I'M GOING TO TALKED TO YOU PRIOR TO THE MEETING, AND AGAIN, THANKS FOR THOSE CONVERSATIONS. THE LAST THING I WANT TO DO AND THEN YOU ARE DONE IS PLEASE OPEN UP THOSE THOSE LITTLE BOOKLETS, THOSE FRAMEWORK FOR SCHOOL BOARD DEVELOPMENT. THE LAW SAYS FOR A TEAM-BUILDING SESSION TO BE VALID, WE HAVE TO HAVE YOU DO A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THINGS, DISCUSS ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES. WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY START TILL 5:49 AND WE HAVE TO GO TO A MINIMUM OF 3 HOURS. OKAY, GOOD. SO YOU'VE GOT MORE TIME WITH US. OKAY, WELL, GOOD. LET'S DO THIS. THIS IS PERFECT THEN. OPEN THOSE UP, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO HAVE YOU DO SOME MORE READING. I WANT YOU TO TAKE A MOMENT TO LOOK AT THOSE FIVE PILLARS. IN MANY WAYS, THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE SEVEN CONDITIONS. YOU WILL SEE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF OVERLAP. JUST TAKE YOUR TIME AND GO THROUGH EACH PILLAR. LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE BULLETS AND ASK YOURSELF, WHAT THINGS DO I NEED TO LEARN AS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD HELP ME BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN MY ROLE, THAT WOULD HELP THIS DISTRICT? AND WHAT THINGS MIGHT WE AS A TEAM, AS A WHOLE BOARD LEARN? AND I'LL END ON THIS AND LET YOU THINK I'M SORRY, NOT END, BUT QUIT TALKING, SO YOU CAN THINK IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WAS INSTRUMENTAL FOR A LOT OF THE BOARDS, THE TRANSFORMATION WAS SOME WHOLE BOARD DEVELOPMENT EFFORT, THE BOARD COLLECTIVELY SAYING WE HAVE TO DO. THE WORK THAT ONLY WE CAN DO. WE'VE GOT TO GET OUR HOUSE IN ORDER FIRST, RIGHT? SO THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THEN I'LL HAVE YOU SHARE OUT IN A SECOND. SO TAKE A FEW MOMENTS TO READ THEIR MARKET FOR YOU UNDER EACH CATEGORY, AND THEN I WANT TO SEE WHAT YOU'VE COME UP WITH. [02:19:53] MR. MOORE, WHILE EVERYBODY IS FINISHING READING THIS MATERIAL IN THE SEVEN CONDITIONS FOR SCHOOL RENEWAL CENTRAL TO ACHIEVEMENT IS THIS COPYRIGHTED [02:20:02] MATERIAL. [INAUDIBLE]. SO I REALLY LIKE THESE SEVEN PILLARS AND I REALLY LIKE THE MOVING CHECKPOINTS UNDERNEATH OF THEM, AND I HAVE ASKED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PUT THIS ON OUR BOARD DOCS SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE THIS WHAT WE'RE REVIEWING AS WELL. SOMEBODY COMES AND WATCHES THIS LATER, THEY'LL HAVE ACCESS TO THIS INFORMATION, BUT I LOVE THE MOVING PARTS OF EACH ONE OF THOSE AND I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE A LAMINATE OR SOMETHING IN OUR BOARD FOLDER SO THAT WE CAN KIND OF REVIEW IT AT EVERY MEETING AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT AN EFFECTIVE BOARD LOOKS LIKE, AND THESE ARE THE SEVEN PILLARS FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR GROWTH, AND THESE ARE THE BENCHMARKS THAT HAVE SHOWN THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE TRANSFORMATIONAL, WE NEED TO BE DOING THESE THINGS. SO IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO MAYBE DEVELOP THIS INTO A SOMETHING THAT STAYS IN OUR FOLDER AND YOUR TRUSTEES CAN PULL IT OUT BEFORE THE MEETING AND HAVE IT UP WHILE YOU'RE AT THE MEETING, BUT I THINK THIS IS A REALLY GREAT TOOL. [INAUDIBLE] YEAH IT'S HERE [INAUDIBLE] A LITTLE CHEAT SHEET [INAUDIBLE] EACH ONE OF THE STEPS UNDER THE MOVING I THINK IS REALLY IT HONES IN EXACTLY WHAT THAT IS AND STUFF I MEAN IF WE'VE MOVED OVER INTO THAT COLUMN, TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT THAT WE NEED TO GET BACK OVER TO MOVING AND STUFF AND SOME OF THEM ARE EASY TO DO BECAUSE THEY'RE FACTS. RIGHT. YOU STATE A FACT, BUT THEN YOU STOP AND SAY THERE MAY BE A BETTER WAY TO STATE THAT TRUTH. SO, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU ALL ARE DONE. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU OBSERVED, WHAT YOU NOTED, AND THEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE TIE IT BACK TO THE EXAMPLES THAT WE HAVE LOOKED AT THE CASE STUDIES, BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HIGHLIGHT THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE BOARDS IN THOSE SCENARIOS AND HOW THEY FULFILL THOSE. SO LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE ALL DONE OR LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED MORE TIME AT THIS POINT. OKAY. ALICIA, ARE YOU READY? OKAY. SHE'S READY? YEP, SHE GAVE THE THUMBS UP. THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO GO BACK TO ONE OF MY EXPECTATIONS WHERE I MENTIONED ENGAGED. YOU ALL HAVE BEEN VERY ENGAGING, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT IF YOU RECALL, ONE OF THE HALLMARKS OF HIGH PERFORMING TEAMS IS THAT THE VOICES ARE HEARD OVER THE COURSE OF THE MEETING. IF WE CAN, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS, AND SO I WANT TO HEAR WHAT SPOKE TO YOU, AND IF IT'S THE SAME THING AND SOMEONE ELSE MENTIONED, GREAT. LET'S JUST START FROM THIS IN AGAIN WITH MS. WEIR IF YOU DON'T MIND. SO WHAT SPOKE TO ME PERSONALLY OR AS A BOARD? AS I WAS SORT OF READING THROUGH IT, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS KIND OF GOING BACK TO WHY I RAN FOR THE DIFFERENTIATION AND SORT OF I CIRCLED ON PAGE FIVE, "FULFILLS" RIGHT EMBRACES, SUPPORTS AND FULFILLS THE VISION THAT ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE, WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE EMBRACED IT. WE SUPPORT IT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE'VE FULFILLED IT YET. RIGHT. SO FOR ME, THAT WAS SOMETHING ON VISION AND GOALS TO REALLY KEEP IN MIND THAT IT'S ACTUALLY THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL STUDENTS RECEIVING WHAT THEY NEED AND JUST SOME OF THE SIMILAR ONES, EVEN UNDER SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES, THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES WHICH WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT, BUT ARE WE REALLY DOING IT? ARE WE DOING IT WITH FIDELITY? ALWAYS KIND OF HAVING THAT IN THE BACK ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET PROCESS RIGHT NOW, AND THAT DIFFERENTIATION AND IT WAS IN SEVERAL OF THEM PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY HAD DIFFERENTIATION AMONG RESOURCES AND THEN MONITORING AND EVALUATING THE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES. I JUST THAT'S WHAT REALLY SPOKE TO ME BECAUSE IT'S SORT OF BEEN WHAT I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT FOR MANY YEARS NOW. SO, I MEAN, I'M GLAD THAT IS SPELLED OUT HERE, AND I HOPE THAT WE AS A BOARD AND INDIVIDUALLY THAT WE TAKE THAT TO HEART AND REALLY AND REALLY LOOK AT IT, ESPECIALLY AS WE'RE MOVING INTO THIS NEXT SEASON AND THIS NEXT BUDGET, AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT IT IT'S FOR ME, IT FEELS LIKE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT EASILY CAN JUST SLIDE A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE OUR RESOURCES ARE SO LIMITED AND WE GET KIND OF CAUGHT UP IN THAT BIG PICTURE OF, WELL, WE ONLY HAVE THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY, SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO AND WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY SAYING, OKAY, BUT IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE SHOULD BE DOING OR DO WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A HARDER LOOK AT SOME OF OUR CAMPUSES AND SAY MAYBE THEY DON'T HAVE AS MANY STUDENTS, BUT THEY DO NEED AN EXTRA COUNSELOR OR THEY EVEN NEED AN EXTRA AP? YOU KNOW, JUST ALL OF THOSE KIND OF CREATIVE, OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINGS THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE DONE WITH FIDELITY [02:25:05] SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE LAST ONE I HIGHLIGHTED WAS A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION, MULTIPLE FORMS. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE BEEN VERY GOOD AT THAT AS A BOARD. SO FAR WE'VE TRIED ON OUR GOALS. WE DID A GREAT JOB, BUT THEN WE KIND OF BACKED OFF AGAIN. SO I KNOW THAT TRUSTEE HARRISON PROBABLY HIGHLIGHTED THAT ONE TOO. I KNOW THAT'S DOWN THERE THAT I'M SURE I'M SURE MULTIPLE PEOPLE WILL MENTION THAT, BUT SO I WAS MORE THINKING OF JUST THE THINGS THAT I HIGHLIGHTED AND SPOKE TO ME WERE MAKING SURE WE FULFILL THAT VISION OF EVERYONE RECEIVING WHAT THEY NEED. GOOD, AND SO AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD, IF YOU NOW KIND OF SHIFT TO. WHAT DO YOU THINK? WELL, I GUESS WHAT'S YOUR VISION OR ASPIRATION OR HOPE FOR THE WHOLE BOARD? IF YOU SAY, MAN, IT WOULD BE IDEAL IF WE COULD ALL ENGAGE AND INVEST IN EITHER UNDERSTANDING SOMETHING OR JUST LIKE THE BOARDS DID AN EXAMPLE WHERE THERE WAS A WHOLE BOARD DEVELOPMENT, WHOLE BOARD TRANSFORMATION OR IS ALREADY HAPPENING. WHAT WOULD YOU SAY MIGHT BE SOMETHING ELSE YOU WOULD ADD TO THE. IF I THOUGHT OF MY WHAT I WOULD REALLY LOVE IS FOR US TO WITH THAT TWO WAY COMMUNICATION, TO REALLY GO OUT TO SOME OF THESE CAMPUSES, TO REALLY HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, AND I KNOW THAT'S IT PUTS AN AWKWARD PRESSURE ON STAFF AND EVEN THE PRINCIPALS TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. I KNOW OUR CITIZENS BOND COMMITTEE, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT A LITTLE BIT EASIER THAN US AS BOARD MEMBERS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S AN AWKWARD SITUATION FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE TO TELL THEIR TRUTH IN FRONT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION AND IN FRONT OF THEIR BOSS, BUT IF THERE WAS A WAY TO DO THAT WHERE WE COULD REALLY GO AND VISIT AND HEAR FROM THE PARENTS AND THE TEACHERS. YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY WHAT WE NEED BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS WORRIED JUST COMING FROM A TITLE I CAMPUS THAT WHAT POORER CAMPUSES ASK FOR ARE THE BASICS BECAUSE THE RICHER, WEALTHIER CAMPUSES, ESPECIALLY AND WE HAVE SOME PTAS THAT RAISE $100,000 PLUS, RIGHT. I MEAN, THEY CAN PAY FOR EXTRA STAFF MEMBERS AT SOME OF THEIR CAMPUSES, AND SO THEY ASK FOR THE MOON. RIGHT. BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET, AND THEN WE HAVE OTHER CAMPUSES WHERE I CAN REMEMBER AS A PTA PRESIDENT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S HAPPENED JUST RECENTLY AT ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE ASKING FOR KLEENEX AND HAND SANITIZER, AND THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR THE BIG STUFF BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW TO ASK FOR IT. THEY DON'T KNOW IT'S AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY'RE REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET THEIR BASIC NEEDS MET, AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT DR. AZAIEZ AND HIS STAFF ON THE SPOT, BUT IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT MINDSET, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT WE IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU'RE NOT TALKING TO THOSE CAMPUSES AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY LISTENING, THAT YOU DON'T REALIZE IF YOU ASK IN A GROUP, YOU KNOW, WHAT DO YOU NEED? AND NOBODY RAISES THEIR HAND, BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY GO TO THE PEOPLE WHO MAYBE DO NEED SOMETHING AND ASK THEM PRIVATELY, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? WHAT DO YOU REALLY NEED TO MAKE YOUR CAMPUS AND YOUR STUDENTS SUCCESSFUL? SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE, BUT I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO TO DO THAT WITH A NUMBER OF OUR CAMPUSES WHERE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE NEEDS THAT MAYBE THEY'RE NOT VOICING AND IF WE COULD KIND OF DRAW THAT OUT AND HELP ADDRESS IT, THAT WOULD BE MY ULTIMATE GOAL. SO FINDING SOME APPROPRIATE MECHANISM FOR MAKING SURE THE BOARD IS AWARE OF THAT CAMPUS OF ACTIVITY, KIND OF LIKE THE PILLAR ONE OF THE CONDITIONS MENTIONED. THEY HAVE A KEEN AWARENESS OF WHAT THOSE NEEDS ARE, AND JUST SO THEN WHEN WE HAVE THE DISCUSSION, WHEN DR. AZAIEZ AND HIS STAFF BRING US THE BUDGET, WE CAN SAY AND HE CAN ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, SAY, OH, IT'S BEEN ADDRESSED. YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU ALL WENT AND TALKED TO X CAMPUS AND, YOU KNOW, HERE'S WHAT WE'VE DONE. YEAH. YOU KNOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK MIGHT BE IMPORTANT TO YOU AS YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR DEVELOPMENT NEEDS OVER THE NEXT YEAR? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I LOVE AND GET EXCITED WHEN I GET TO BE IN ALIGNMENT WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND ALMOST EVERYTHING YOU SAID WERE THINGS THAT I HAD STARRED AND HIGHLIGHTED. SO THAT GIVES ME A LOT OF JOY BECAUSE IT FEELS LIKE THERE'S MOMENTUM. I KNOW THAT TRUSTEE WEIR DID TALK A LOT ABOUT THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES AND EXPERIENCES, AND I AM IN FULL AGREEMENT WITH THAT. I THINK THAT WE COULD DIG DEEPER ON THE MECHANISM FOR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR SURE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT ONE OF MY LARGER GOALS IS NOT [02:30:04] JUST MY TIME ON THE BOARD, BUT HOW DO WE SET UP SYSTEMS THAT CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THE RESULTS THAT NEED TO BE PRODUCED FOR STUDENTS? AND I THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN IT COMES TO ADVOCACY AND ENGAGEMENT, TO THE MULTIPLE FORMS OF TWO WAY COMMUNICATION AND IT DOESN'T SAY THIS, BUT ALSO SKIP LEVEL FEEDBACK. YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A CULTURE SHIFT IN OUR DISTRICT, AND I THINK THAT TAKES TIME, AND I HAVE THE UNIQUE POSITION OF BEING IN THE DISTRICT AS AN EDUCATOR AND NOW BEING ON THE BOARD, AND IT'S LIKE, HOW DO WE BUILD THAT LEVEL OF TRUST WITH STAFF? AND THIS IS ANOTHER THING THAT TRUSTEE WEIR POINTED OUT TO WHERE WE'RE DOING THE HARD THINGS AND TELLING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE DATA IN OUR DISTRICT. SOME OF IT LOOKS WONDERFUL. SOME OF IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO EVEN LOOK AT, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HEAL IT WITHOUT EXPOSING THE WOUND TO THE AIR AND SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, THAT MEANS THAT SOME OF THE HARDER THINGS THAT WE NEED TO GLEAN INFORMATION ON THROUGH TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. THEY MAY BE TOUGH, BUT I THINK THAT IF THE VISION AND THE GOAL IS PROGRESS AND TO MOVE FORWARD, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THROUGH THE TOUGH ASPECTS OF THAT, AND I ALSO THINK JUST LOGICALLY, THERE WILL BE A LOT OF BIG DECISIONS WE WILL BE MAKING IN THE NEXT FOUR YEARS. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF THINGS WE MAY BE DOING THAT CAUSE A LOT OF TENSION IN A COMMUNITY, AND IF WE COULD WORK ON THAT TWO WAY COMMUNICATION AND NOT JUST THAT PROMOTE SCHOOL BOARD SERVICE BY EDUCATING THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE ROLE OF A SCHOOL BOARD AND ENCOURAGING LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY, IF WE COULD PREEMPTIVELY BUILD THAT UNITY, THAT MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING, THAT UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A BOARD DOES AND DOESN'T DO, I ALSO THINK THAT COULD CUT OUT A LOT OF THE NOISE THAT WE EXPERIENCE THAT IS NOT ABOUT STUDENTS, IT'S NOT ABOUT WHAT'S BEST FOR EVERY STUDENT AS WELL, AND THEN ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO WITH EVERYTHING THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE GOING ON, BUT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY RIGHT NOW, RECOGNIZES THE RESPECTIVE ROLES OF AND PROVIDES INPUT AND FEEDBACK TO THE LEGISLATURE, STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY TO ENSURE MAXIMUM EFFECTIVENESS AND BENEFIT TO TEXAS SCHOOL CHILDREN. YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EASILY GETS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING ON A LOCAL LEVEL, BUT I CAN SAY THERE ARE MANY THINGS PERSONALLY THAT I WISH I WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AWARE OF AS THEY WERE DEVELOPING SO THAT WE COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER ADVOCATES. WE SAT UP HERE A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. WE SET UP HERE AND DID THE NEW STAAT TEST. THE ONLINE VERSION OF THE STAAR TEST. IT WAS HORRIBLE. [CHUCKLING] YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY DIFFICULT, AND WE WERE NAVIGATING THROUGH IT AND WE WERE GETTING FRUSTRATED. I MEAN, IT WAS A REALLY VULNERABLE MOMENT. RIGHT, AND IT'S LIKE THEN WE ASKED, WELL, WHERE WAS THE INPUT FROM COMMUNITY? AND WE SHOULD BE A CONDUIT FOR THAT KIND OF INPUT TO THESE HIGHER LEVEL OFFICES, AND SO I REALLY DON'T WANT TO GET SO BOGGED DOWN IN SOME OF THE NOISE, BUT SOMETIMES JUST ALL THE LOCAL THINGS THAT WE DO TO NOT BE STRONG ADVOCATES FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AT A LARGER LEVEL AS WELL , AND IF YOU AREN'T DOING IT, THERE ARE FEW OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE EQUIPPED AND IN THAT POSITION. YEAH, SO AGAIN, WE CALL IT THE WORK THAT ONLY THE BOARD CAN DO. IT'S EVERYONE'S JOB, BUT THE BOARD HAS THE LEAD, AND WE SAW TIME AND AGAIN THAT SOME THINGS DIDN'T CHANGE, SOME TRENDS DIDN'T CHANGE UNTIL THE BOARD WAS THAT CATALYST. AS AN ACT OF FAITH THEY PUT YOU WHERE YOU ARE NOW. SO THEY TRUST THAT YOU CAN LEAD IN THE NEXT DIMENSION. SO, I MEAN, RUN WITH THAT CONFIDENCE, RIGHT? MS. LANDRUM. FELLER. SO I WENT THROUGH THIS AND I WAS CHECKING. WE'RE DOING THAT. WE'RE DOING THAT. WE'RE DOING THAT. WE'RE DOING, AND I CHECKED A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE IN THESE PILLARS UNTIL I GET TO THE LAST ONE, WHICH IS REALLY SYNERGY AND TEAMWORK, AND PART OF ME, THAT'S JUST MY BACKGROUND. I'M A LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR AND THAT'S WHAT MY LIFE'S WORK HAS BEEN, IS WORKING TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS. SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT WHEN RELATIONSHIPS AREN'T GREAT, BUT I REALLY COME TO THE PLACE WHERE I FEEL LIKE THE BEST WAY FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD IS NOT TO TRY TO BECOME FRIENDS UP HERE, BUT TO BE ALIGNED AS A TEAM TOWARDS THE ADVANCEMENT OF OUR STUDENTS, AND IF WE CAN CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT AND WE GO THROUGH THIS, WE CAN RESPECT EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THIS DAIS. IF WE UNDERSTAND RECOGNIZE THAT WE ARE HERE FOR STUDENT OUTCOMES, AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE PROBABLY MORE DEFICIENT IN. [02:35:01] I MEAN, I TOTALLY AGREE. I ACTUALLY WROTE RIGHT HERE NEED WORK HERE ON THE ADVOCACY AND ENGAGEMENT, BECAUSE TRUSTEE HARRISON AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT POSSIBLY HER TAKING ON SOME OF THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES BECAUSE BOARD OFFICERS REALLY DON'T DO A WHOLE LOT OF EXCEPT FOR THE BOARD PRESIDENT. SO I'M LIKE, LET'S CREATE SOME NEW ROLES. SO I TOTALLY AGREE THAT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS DEFINITELY A PLACE THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, BUT THE SYNERGY AND TEAMWORK I THINK IS PROBABLY OUR MOST GLARING AREA ON THIS BOARD THAT WE CAN WORK ON. I THINK WE'RE TRYING, YOU KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S JUST GOING TO TAKE US TO CONTINUE FOCUSING ON STUDENT OUTCOMES AND TRY TO IGNORE THE NOISE THAT TRIES TO INVADE THAT WORK. YEAH. SO BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS LIKE, I DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CHECKS ON THE SYNERGY AND TEAMWORK PAGE. SURE. YEAH FOR ME IT WAS MORE ALSO ALONG THE LINE THAT I THINK TRUSTEE HARRISON MENTIONED IS PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY IT'S MORE WE NEED TO CREATE SYSTEMS THAT EVEN AFTER I'M GONE, ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS ARE GONE, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO SITS HERE, THINGS ARE GOING TO GO REALLY WELL FOR OUR STUDENTS AND FOR OUR STAFF. RIGHT? SO WE TALK ABOUT NOT THINGS DON'T SHOULD NOT DEPEND ON ONE OR TWO OR EVEN EIGHT PEOPLE; IT SHOULD BE ALMOST LIKE A WELL-OILED MACHINE. RIGHT, AND SO BUT ALSO WHEN WE CREATE THIS SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE EFFICIENT AND THEY ARE GETTING BETTER AND BETTER. THAT CONTINUOUS PROGRESS EVERY YEAR, WE ALSO NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ASSESS EVERY YEAR AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT LEAVING ANYONE BEHIND, AND MEANING ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS HAVE BEEN TAKING CARE OF ALL THE STUDENTS ARE BEING TAKEN CARE OF, RIGHT? SO WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE SYSTEMS THAT IT LACKS THAT THE EQUITY PIECE. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS MOVING ALONG. EVERYONE IS GETTING BETTER, RIGHT? EVERY STAFF MEMBER IS BEING TAKEN CARE OF AND SUPPORTED. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY LIKE TO ME AS A SUPERINTENDENT, I CHALLENGE THE STAFF AND I CHALLENGE MYSELF, TOO, OBVIOUSLY, I'M THE LEADER, RIGHT, TO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REFLECTING AND ASSESSING AND LOOKING AT ALL THIS AND CREATING THESE THESE WONDERFUL SYSTEMS THAT WILL KEEP OUR DISTRICT AND OUR STUDENTS AND EVERYONE MOVING ALONG AND GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY DAY. SO I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID, AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING A RECURRING THEME OF EQUITY IN MAINTAINING THAT EQUITY LENS AND THAT EQUITY FOCUS IN EVERY DECISION THAT WE MAKE, AND ONE THING THAT I UNDERLINED UNDER ADVOCACY AND ENGAGEMENT WAS THE BOARD ADVOCATES ON BEHALF OF TEXAS PUBLIC SCHOOL CHILDREN, AND TO ME, THAT'S THE OVERARCHING STATEMENT THAT WE AS BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE LOOKING AT TO REMIND US OF THAT EQUITY PIECE, BECAUSE THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM DOES SERVE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. IT IS THE SYSTEM THAT SERVES ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, AND SO THAT'S JUST ALWAYS, I THINK, A GOOD REMINDER FOR US TO GO BACK TO THAT OUR JOB IS TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. ONE THING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS DONE GOING INTO PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY THERE'S ENSURES PROGRESS TOWARD ACHIEVEMENT OF DISTRICT GOALS THROUGH SYSTEMATIC, TIMELY AND COMPREHENSIVE REVIEWS OF RELEVANT REPORTS AND STUDENT DATA, AND JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT EQUITY PIECE AND TWO WAY COMMUNICATION. ONE THING THAT THE DISTRICT IS HAS RECENTLY PUT IN PLACE AND IS DOING REALLY WELL IS WHEN TRUSTEES DO CAMPUS VISITS. NOW THOSE CAMPUS VISITS ARE BASED AROUND OUR STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS. SO WHEN WE GO VISIT A CAMPUS, WE GET TO SEE THOSE GOALS IN PROGRESS AND IN OUR MOST RECENT ONES, WE WERE ABLE TO SIT DOWN AND LOOK AT CAMPUS LEVEL DATA, AND WHEN WE GO ON THESE TOURS, WE'RE SEEING A VARIETY OF CAMPUSES WITH VARYING DEMOGRAPHICS, AND IT'S A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, TO LOOK AT THAT DATA AT A LOCAL LEVEL AND ASK SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS OF WHERE WE'RE SEEING GAPS IN SOME OF THOSE. YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT IT THROUGH THAT EQUITY LENS, LIKE I SAID, LOOKING AT THOSE GAPS AND ASKING THOSE TEACHERS, ASKING THOSE QUESTIONS OF OUR STAFF IN WHAT I FEEL LIKE HAS BEEN CREATED AS A SAFE SPACE, BUT THEN LOOKING FORWARD AND TOWARD THAT TWO WAY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY AND ADDING THAT PIECE IN TO MAKE SURE AS TRUSTEES, WE HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION WHEN WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS FOR THE DISTRICT. DITTO. [CHUCKLING] NO, REALLY, LIKE EVERYTHING THEY'RE SAYING, I'M RIGHT IN LINE WITH. SO LET ME GIVE MY MORE HEARTY APPEAL TO YOU. WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITY INPUT I THINK THAT I LOVE WHAT AMY'S TALKING ABOUT, ABOUT GOING TO DIFFERENT SCHOOLS IN THAT AND SEEING IT ON THE GROUND. I LOVE THAT, AND ALSO WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND TALKING TO THE COMMUNITY, HOW DO WE HELP OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH EXAMPLE TO FOSTER EMPATHY [02:40:02] WITH OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE DISTRICT? WE GET STUCK IN OUR BUBBLES SO MUCH AS PARENTS AND AS COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WE KIND OF FORGET THAT SOMEBODY MAY HAVE IT A LITTLE WORSE THAN US, YOU KNOW? AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE ARE I MEAN, IT'S THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY. YOUR PROBLEM, THE PROBLEM THAT YOU HAVE TO FACE, THAT'S THE HARDEST PROBLEM, RIGHT? JUST A MATTER OF DEGREES, BUT IT'D BE NICE IF WE COULD HAVE A WAY TO BE ABLE TO TELL PEOPLE LIKE, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, AND IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT THING THAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT LISTEN TO THIS, TOO, AND LISTEN TO WHY WE NEED TO MAYBE TAKE RESOURCES OVER HERE FIRST AND THEN WE'LL GET TO THIS, AND I WISH THAT THE COMMUNITY COULD COULD KIND OF BE OKAY WITH THAT, AND I KNOW IT'S HARD. YOU'RE ASKING PEOPLE TO CHANGE ALMOST THEIR ENTIRE WAY OF THINKING, BUT THAT'S THE THING. EQUITY GOING TO THE SCHOOLS, SEEING WHAT'S GOING ON. I LOVE IT. I LOVE THE SCHOOL VISITS. I KNOW. I FEEL LIKE NOSY KIND OF IN A WAY, BECAUSE I REALLY DO WANT TO KNOW EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON, AND I LOVE SEEING POSITIVE THINGS AS WELL AS NEGATIVE , AND I KNOW IT'S VERY, VERY MUCH NOT OUR JOB TO GO THERE AND SURPRISE PEOPLE THAT WERE THERE AND HEY, GOT YOU BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKED AT LIKE THE GUY SAID, YOU KNOW, AS NOT HUMAN. YEAH, I THINK I'VE GOT TO LEARN PERSONALLY HOW TO REMEMBER THAT I'M NOT JUST CHUY ANYMORE AND THAT I HAVE TO SET A BOUNDARY ON THAT KIND OF THING. BUT HOPEFULLY, MAYBE SOMEWHERE WE CAN FIND AN AGREEMENT TO TO LOOSEN THE REINS ON THAT A LITTLE BIT. AS FAR AS OUR RELATIONSHIP, AS FAR AS SYNERGY IS CONCERNED, I WISH THERE WAS A WAY THAT WE COULD HAVE CONSTRUCTIVE DISAGREEMENT ON THE BOARD. I FIND THAT A LOT OF THE DISAGREEMENTS THAT DO HAPPEN DON'T DO ANYTHING TO FORWARD PROGRESS. I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT A DISAGREEMENT DOES, BUT IF THERE WAS CONSTRUCTIVE, YOU KNOW, THINGS BEING SAID AND OFFERS THAT, I THINK THAT WE WOULD HAVE A LOT BETTER TIME WORKING TOGETHER, AND I'M EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH THIS BOARD. I MEAN, I'M RELATIVELY NEW, OBVIOUSLY, AND I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO GREAT THINGS. I WANT TO LEARN MORE AND MORE AND MORE. I WANT TO KEEP DOING THINGS LIKE THIS AND JUST KIND OF PUTTING MORE THINGS IN MY TOOL BELT SO THAT I CAN BE A BETTER MEMBER OF THIS BOARD. I ALSO YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ABOUT DARING IN THAT, AND IT HIT SOMETHING IN ME WITHIN MY PROFESSION, I TEACH ACTING AND WE ALWAYS TEACH IMPROVISATIONAL ACTORS TO DARE TO FAIL, AND I LOVE THE IDEA OF THAT BECAUSE WHEN YOU DO DARE TO FAIL, YOU'RE PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE. YES. BUT YOU'RE ALSO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SUCCEED. NO, YOU'RE NOT, BUT YOU LEARN, AND WE'RE IN THE BUSINESS OF EDUCATION, AND SO, YEAH, MAYBE WE TRIED SOMETHING THAT DIDN'T WORK, BUT WE KNOW NOW BETTER HOW TO SERVE YOU AND HOW TO SERVE YOUR STUDENT AND HOW TO MAKE IT WORK THIS TIME, YOU KNOW? YEAH. IT REMINDS ME OF A NEW SUPERINTENDENT--WELL, NEW TO THE DISTRICT--DURING THE TRANSITION WORKSHOP. THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT EXPECTATIONS. WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM US? SO YOU CAN FULFILL YOUR MANAGEMENT ROLE? AND HE WOULD EXPRESS WHAT HE NEEDED FROM THEM, ETC. , AND ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS, EXPERIENCED BOARD MEMBERS SAID, WE GIVE YOU PERMISSION TO FAIL. HE SAID, IN FACT, WE ALMOST EXPECTED, AND MAN, THAT WAS A SOLID SIX YEARS AGO AND THEY'RE STILL THERE. THEY ESTABLISHED EARLY ON THAT FEAR WOULDN'T HAVE A PLACE WITH THEM, AND IT GOES BACK TO THE CONCEPT WE'RE GOING TO RETAIN. SO WE'RE GOING TO GET IN TROUBLE TOGETHER. WE'RE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING TOGETHER, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. I'M NOT ADVOCATING STIRRING UP TROUBLE, YOU ALL, BY THE WAY; I KNOW YOU USE THAT PHRASE A COUPLE OF TIMES, BUT IT WAS HILARIOUS WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT FROM BOARD MEMBER, BECAUSE WHAT HE WAS IMPLYING WAS THAT WE'RE GOING TO COLLECTIVELY DO WHAT THE DATA SUGGESTS WE SHOULD DO, WHAT OUR VALUES AND MORALS SUGGEST WE SHOULD DO, AND IF THAT MEANS WE CATCH FLAK FOR IT, WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND SAY WE'VE DECIDED BASED ON THE DATA BUT IT MEANS PUTTING YOURSELF OUT THERE, AND IF THAT MEANS PERMISSION TO FAIL OR TO HAVE TO REBUILD IT AND DO IT AND RIGHT AGAIN, YOU DO THE BEST YOU CAN. NO ONE HAS A CRYSTAL BALL, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT, AND I THINK, AGAIN, BY JUST VIRTUE OF YOUR JOB BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY SPOTLIGHTED, YOU'RE GOING TO DO A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE AMAZING LIKE YOU ALWAYS HAVE DONE, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO FIND OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT, AND I WANT TO SHARE THIS CONCEPT THAT I DIDN'T MENTION AT THE BEGINNING THAT DROVE A LOT OF THE BOARDS TO DO WHAT THEY WHAT THEY DID, AND IT WAS SOMETHING THAT MS. WEIR MENTIONED, I THINK WHEN YOU SAID ON THE LINES OF WHEN WE LOOK AT KIDS WHO AREN'T SUCCEEDING OR REACHING THE FULL POTENTIAL, WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP THEM? [02:45:01] THE ONE QUESTION THAT WAS IMPETUS FOR A LOT OF THE TRANSFORMATION YOU SAW, IT WAS A VERY THOUGHTFUL QUESTION. IT WAS PRETTY NEAT. A COWORKER ASKED THE BOARD WHAT PERCENTAGE OF KIDS RIGHT NOW ARE SUCCEEDING IN YOUR DISTRICT, AND HE LEFT IT VAGUE. SUCCEEDING WAS TO BE DEFINED BY THEM, AND THEN LATER ON, ASKED HIM, WELL, MAYBE IF IT HELPS [INAUDIBLE] THAT ARE READING ON LEVEL THAT ARE PERFORMING ON LEVEL, AND THEN YOU DECIDE. INTERPRET THE QUESTION, BUT THE FOLLOW UP QUESTION, GUESS WHAT IT WAS, IF YOU CAN IMAGINE. WHAT PERCENTAGE DO YOU THINK OR DO YOU BELIEVE COULD ACHIEVE AND PERFORM ON LEVEL? IT GOES BACK TO THE NATURAL TENSION. WE MINE THE GAP AND I THINK MS. HARRISON SAID, YOU KNOW, WE PUT DATA OUT THERE THAT ARE HARD TO LOOK AT, BUT IF WE COVER IT, IT DOESN'T GET ADDRESSED, BUT THAT QUESTION DROVE PEOPLE TO THEN SAY, IF THIS IS WHERE WE ARE, THIS IS WHAT I BELIEVE. WHAT MUST I DO TO NOT CREATE THIS COGNITIVE DISSONANCE IN SAYING ONE THING AND DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENTLY. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE THE BOARD TO THINK ABOUT COLLECTIVELY, IF THERE'S ONE THING THAT YOU CAN THINK ABOUT COLLECTIVELY, IF IT'S A NOT A STATEMENT OF BELIEF IN THE SENSE THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE PUBLISHED, BUT AN IMPETUS FOR YOU THAT WILL KIND OF GUIDE YOU. HAS ANYONE READ THE GOVERNANCE CORE? YOU TALKED ABOUT THIS IDEA OF THE MORAL IMPERATIVE, RIGHT? IT'S THIS THING THAT JUST DRIVES YOU, AND FOR THOSE BOARDS, BEFORE THEY KNEW WHAT A MORAL IMPERATIVE WAS, IT WAS IT'S NOT RIGHT THAT KIDS COULD ACHIEVE AT THIS LEVEL, AND WE'RE ONLY FOSTERING SUCCESS OR PERFORMANCE AT THIS LEVEL, AND THAT DROVE THEM TO DO WHATEVER IT TOOK FOR AS LONG AS IT TOOK. EVEN IF IT ONLY MEANT JUMPING ONE LETTER GRADE IN SIX YEARS, IT'S A LETTER GRADE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ACHIEVE IF THEY HADN'T DONE THAT WORK. SO THINK ABOUT THAT. THAT WAS A DRIVER. I KNOW YOUR HEART AND YOUR PASSION IS FOR THE KIDS YOU SERVE HERE, FOR THE TEACHERS WHO SERVE THEM, AND I THINK AS MORE AND MORE BOARDS GRASP THIS IDEA OF WHERE ARE THE KIDS CURRENTLY? WHAT DO I BELIEVE THEY CAN BE? THEN YOU BEGIN TO GET CREATIVE. PULL OUT THE STOPS. YOU BEGIN TO DO THE WORK THAT MAYBE WAS HARD TO DO BEFORE AND MAYBE NOT PRIORITIZE. OR YOU LOOK AT DATA DIFFERENTLY. I WANT TO GO QUICKLY JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MAKING SURE THAT WE TIED ALL TOGETHER DOWN THE FRAMEWORK, AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE IN CASE I MISSED ANY SALIENT POINTS ABOUT WHY I CHOSE THE DISTRICTS THAT I CHOSE AND HIGHLIGHT THE BEHAVIORS THAT THEY PERFORMED. JUST TO TIE IT BACK TO THE FRAMEWORK, WHEN IT COMES TO VISION AND GOALS, YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ADOPT THAT VISION. YOU WORK WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, COLLABORATE TO ADOPT THAT VISION, AND THEN GO AND YOU SPREAD THAT TO THE COMMUNITY. THINK ABOUT THE DISTRICT EXAMPLES. THE FIRST BULLET, THE WORK, AGAIN, ONLY THE BOARD COULD DO THAT KEPT THE DISTRICT FOCUS ON THE WELL-BEING OF ALL CHILDREN. RIGHT. IT WAS NO LONGER WHAT DO I WANT? IT WASN'T AN ADULT FIRST CULTURE. IT WAS WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE KIDS. THINK ABOUT THE DELIBERATE AND PRAGMATIC PRACTICE OF BULLET FOR ADOPTING A REASONABLE NUMBER OF SPECIFIC, QUANTIFIABLE, RESEARCH BASED AND TIME BOUND GOALS. YOU ALL UNDERSTAND THAT. I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR KPIS, YOU HAVE YOUR SUPERINTENDENT CONSTRAINTS, ALL THAT, RIGHT? VERY SPECIFIC. YOU CAN PRACTICALLY LOOK AT HOW YOU OPERATIONALIZE WHAT YOU BELIEVE. THE NEXT STEP IS SUPPORTING THAT EMBRACE, SUPPORT AND FULFILL THE VISION THAT ALL STUDENTS RECEIVE WHAT THEY NEED TO LEARN. IT GOES BACK TO WHERE ARE OUR KIDS? WHERE DO I BELIEVE THEY CAN BE? IF I BELIEVE THEY CAN BE HERE AT A CERTAIN LEVEL, THEN I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY GET WHAT THEY NEED TO ACHIEVE THAT, AND THEN THE LAST ONE, THAT JUST WHOLEHEARTED DEDICATION TO LETTING YOUR VISION AND YOUR GOALS DRIVE, YOUR CONVERSATIONS, YOUR DELIBERATIONS AND YOUR ACTIONS. YOU ALL LOOK AT DATA, AND ALMOST EVERY MEETING OR WHEN? HOW FREQUENTLY DO YOU LOOK AT DATA? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I FIGURED. SO THAT'S A PRACTICAL EXAMPLE OF MAKING SURE THAT YOUR GOALS AND YOUR VISION ARE DRIVING DECISIONS, RIGHT? HOW MUCH MORE DO WE INVEST, HOW MUCH MORE DO WE ALLOCATE, ETC.. THE OTHER COMPONENT YOU SAW TIME AND AGAIN AND THE CATEGORY OF SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES THAT THESE DISTRICTS DID TO TURN THEIR SYSTEM AROUND WAS THEY MONITOR MULTIPLE MEASURES AND ELEMENTS OF STUDENT PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. ONE OF THE CHALLENGES I'VE SEEN THAT I HOPE BOARDS CONTINUE TO MASTER IS WE MEASURE WHAT MATTERS, BUT SOMETIMES THERE'S A TEKS CONNECTED TO IT AND SOMETIMES THERE ISN'T AND THAT'S TOUGH. I CAN TELL YOU ALL THE SOFT SKILLS OR THESE QUALITIES ARE IMPORTANT TO OUR KID. THINK BACK TO THE ONE EXAMPLE IN THE SCENARIO. DISCIPLINE WAS A CHALLENGE. IT WAS A CHALLENGE, BUT HOW DO YOU MEASURE. [02:50:01] I MEAN, IF YOU MEASURE ONLY IN TERMS OF SUSPENSIONS OR NOT. THAT'S A FOCUS THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY DEVELOP THE KID. YOUR SUSPENSIONS CAN GO DOWN BECAUSE ATTENDANCE IS NOT WHAT IT SHOULD BE, AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PROBLEM. RIGHT, BUT THINK ABOUT CREATIVE WAYS TO MEASURE WHAT MATTERS, AND THESE BOARDS DID THAT MONITOR MULTIPLE MEASURES OF ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, STUDENT PERFORMANCE, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. AGAIN, THE WAY BOARDS AND COMMITTEES DEFINE THAT MATTERS SIGNIFICANTLY. THE ONE THAT HAS COME UP TIME AND AGAIN IN PROGRESS AND ACCOUNTABILITY, DIFFERENTIATING AMONG RESOURCES, THOSE INTERMEDIATE MEASURES AND THEN OUTCOMES ESPECIALLY FOCUS ON STUDENT OUTCOMES. IF YOU CAN LOOK AT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE FIGHTING FOR AND YOU CAN ATTACH IT TO AN OUTCOME, YOU'RE CONNECTING THE DOTS, RIGHT? YOU'RE HOLDING SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE, YOU'RE MOVING TOWARDS THAT PROGRESS AND THEN ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THEN THE TOUGHEST ONE THAT AND I SAY TOUGH IN TERMS OF WHEN YOU SAY DELIVER A PARTICULAR ASSESSMENT TO BOARDS AT TEAM BUILDING TIME AROUND THIS TIME, MOST OF THE BOARDS SCORE PRETTY LOW IN TERMS OF ADVOCACY AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING IN THE COMMUNITY, BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT DOESN'T SEEM IMMEDIATELY IMPORTANT, BUT AS WE THINK ABOUT. THE STRATEGIC APPROACH TO YOUR WORK, MAKING SURE THAT YOU WORK WHAT THEY SAY SMARTER, NOT HARDER. YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DO IT ALONE. REMEMBER, THE BOARDS WERE THE CATALYST IN ALL THIS TRANSFORMATION, BUT IT WAS A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THOSE DEEPER CONNECTIONS AND SHARED UNDERSTANDING AND SHARED RESPONSIBILITY THAT ULTIMATELY LED TO SUCCESS, AND THEN, OF COURSE, AMONG SYNERGY AND TEAMWORK IS PROBABLY THE PRAYER AND HOPE OF MOST BOARDS. IT'S NOT THE EASIEST THING TO GET ALONG WITH BECAUSE, YOU KNOW. IT DEPENDS ON SO MANY THINGS. RIGHT? BUT IF WE CAN STOP AND SAY OUR ROLE AS A TRUSTEE JUST BY VIRTUE OF THE TITLE AND THE NAME MEANS THAT OUR OPINION MATTERS TO CERTAIN DEGREE, BUT WE'RE REALLY STEWARDS OF A REALLY WELL DEFINED SYSTEM AND A THING. THE EDUCATION CODE AND THE INITIATIVE CODE LINES UP WHAT YOUR TRUSTEE OF AND WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO. YOU REMOVE A LOT OF THE PERSON PERSONALITY OUT OF IT TO SOME DEGREE. I'M NOT SAYING STOP BEING WHO YOU ARE, BUT REMEMBER THAT COMES SECOND TO THE WORK THAT YOU WERE ELECTED TO DO, BUT IT GOES BACK TO THIS IDEA OF REMAINING FOCUSED ON THE GOALS AND PRIORITIES AS OPPOSED TO INDIVIDUAL AGENDAS, SEPARATE AND APART FROM THE SHARED VISION. ONE THING THAT I'LL LEAVE ON THAT NOTE ON THAT PARTICULAR AREA IN SYNERGY IS IF THE BOARD IS THE ENVISIONING BODY AND THEY CREATE THINGS IN MOTION AND THEY AND THEY TALK ABOUT THOSE BIG PICTURE THINGS, EVERY BOARD OUGHT TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU ALREADY MENTIONED, A SUCCESSION PLAN AND IF YOU KNOW, THE WORK CAN'T STOP WHEN YOU AREN'T HERE, THEN THAT MEANS THERE ARE SOME IMPLICATIONS ABOUT PREPARING PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT HERE YET. DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? I'VE SEEN BOARDS WHO HAVE WHAT I WOULD CALL A COMMUNITY, A DEEP BENCH--TO BORROW FROM THE SPORTS ANALOGY--A DEEP BENCH. THERE ARE FOLKS WHO ARE READY TO TAKE THOSE SEATS BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH AN ENGAGEMENT OR LEARNING PROGRAM. THEY'VE BEEN THROUGH SOME KIND OF DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM WHERE THEY LEARN THE ROLE OF A TRUSTEE. THEY GET A, YOU KNOW, INSIDE SCOOP OF THE SCHOOL AT TOURING, WHAT DO THEY CALL THEM, AMBASSADOR PROGRAMS, RIGHT? YOU'VE SEEN YOUR OWN DIFFERENT VERSIONS. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING LIKE THAT? YEAH. SO YOU KNOW HOW IT WORKS. THERE ARE PEOPLE POTENTIALLY WHO CAN TAKE THOSE SEATS WHEN THE TIME COMES AND THEY ALREADY HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF UNDERSTANDING ABOUT IT. THE BOTTOM LINE IS YOU CONVEY IN THAT VISION YOU'RE PREPARING PEOPLE'S HEARTS AND MINDS BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY NEEDED TO BE IN THAT SEAT, AND THAT GOES WITH THAT IDEA OF SYNERGY AND TEAMWORK, YOUR COLLEAGUES ARE NOT JUST THE PEOPLE RIGHT NEXT TO YOU. IT REALLY IS THE COMMUNITY. IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT SHARED DEPTH OF UNDERSTANDING AND THAT SHARED VISION AND HOW EVERYONE HAS TO LIFT SOME PART OF THIS HEAVY THING IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE IT COMPLETELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. I'VE LOVED GETTING TO KNOW YOU ON THE PHONE AND EVEN MORE GETTING TO MEET YOU. I HOPE TO SEE YOU AROUND AT SOME CONFERENCES OR JUST WHEREVER. ALL RIGHT? ALL RIGHT, YOU ALL HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SERVING TEXAS SCHOOL CHILDREN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. MOORE. WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS EVENING, AND I THINK IT'S VALUABLE INFORMATION THAT WE ALL LEARNED. WE DO NOT HAVE A NEED TO GO INTO CLOSED SESSION E1 SO THEN WE DON'T HAVE TO CALL BACK TO ORDER. SO SEEING NOTHING ELSE ON THE AGENDA, IT IS 8:55 AND WE ARE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.