[B. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:06]
>> [BACKGROUND] IT IS SIX O'CLOCK.
I WILL CALL THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR BOARD MEETING TO ORDER.
ALL TRUSTEES ARE IN ATTENDANCE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PRESIDENT MARKHAM, WHO IS ON HER WAY.
>> GREAT. NOW, I WILL TURN IT OVER FOR RECOGNITIONS.
[D. RECOGNITIONS]
>> THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. AZAIEZ.
WE ARE STARTING THIS EVENING'S MEETINGS BY RECOGNIZING AND SHOWCASING OUR OUTSTANDING STAFF.
COULD YOU ALL PLEASE JOIN US IN FRONT OF THE [INAUDIBLE].
[BACKGROUND] WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN TONIGHT BY RECOGNIZING SEVEN OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT WERE NAMED FOR HAVING EXEMPLARY OR OUTSTANDING THEATER PROGRAMS THROUGH THE 2025 TEXAS EDUCATIONAL THEATER ASSOCIATION SCHOOLS OF DISTINCTION.
FIRST, WE RECOGNIZE HERNANDEZ AND PEARSON RANCH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND STONEY POINT AND WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOLS, WHO WEREN'T ABLE TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
PRINCIPALS, DIRECTORS, AND ANY ADDITIONAL STAFF WHO ARE HERE, YOU CAN COME UP WHEN YOUR SCHOOL'S NAME IS CALLED.
THE FIRST CAMPUS TO RECEIVE AN EXEMPLARY PROGRAM FOR THEATER AWARD IS BERKMAN ARTS INTEGRATION ACADEMY.
WILL JEN RAYBOURN, PRINCIPAL APRIL NILSON, DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, VISUAL TIM LOWKE, AND DR. GUERRERO, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY UP TO THE FRONT FOR A PHOTO.
[BACKGROUND] [APPLAUSE] OUR SECOND ELEMENTARY CAMPUS TO RECEIVE THE EXEMPLARY PROGRAM FOR THEATER DISTINCTION IS VOIGT ART INTEGRATION ACADEMY.
WELL, ROBERT TARRY, PRINCIPAL CHERYL HESTER, DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS, VISUAL TIM LOWKE, AND AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. GATTO, COME BACK.
[BACKGROUND] [APPLAUSE] THE FINAL CAMPUS WE'LL BE HONORING IN THIS CATEGORY IS RIDGEVIEW MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATER PROGRAM, WHICH RECEIVED AN EXEMPLARY PROGRAM FOR THEATER REWARD.
WELL VALERIE TAYLOR, REBECCA HARDING, AND MICHAEL MERGAN AND PRINCIPAL MARCA RAMIREZ, AND TIM LOWKE AND DR. GATTO, PLEASE COME BACK UP TO THE FRONT.
[00:05:21]
[APPLAUSE] [BACKGROUND] FOR OUR NEXT SET OF RECOGNITIONS, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. NICHOLS.>> PERFECT. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
OUR NEXT SET OF RECOGNITIONS FOR TONIGHT FOCUS ON THE PROGRESS MADE IN EARLY LITERACY ACROSS OUR DISTRICT.
EARLY LITERACY ENCOMPASSES STUDENTS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE, BUT TONIGHT, WE ARE HIGHLIGHTING OUR SCHOOLS THAT HAVE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND IN GROWING EARLY LITERACY IN THEIR KINDERGARTEN CLASSES.
RESEARCH AND DATA INDICATE THAT WHEN STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT AT OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL BY THIS TIME, THEY CAN EXPERIENCE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH SUBSEQUENT GRADE LEVELS.
THESE EARLY LITERACY TEAMS REPRESENTED BY THEIR ADMINISTRATORS TONIGHT, AND SOME OF OUR TEACHERS ARE HERE AS WELL.
HAVE PROVIDED IMMENSE RIGOR WITH THEIR KINDER STUDENTS TO MEET OR EXTED THEIR GOALS? WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THE HARD WORK OUR EARLY LITERACY TEACHERS AND TEAMS HAVE COMPLETED TO GET OUR STUDENTS TO THIS LEVEL.
WE WILL RECOGNIZE THESE SCHOOLS THROUGH THEIR VERTICAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, PLEASE JOIN YOUR PRINCIPALS UP IN FRONT FOR A PHOTO WHEN THEY ARE CALLED.
THE FIRST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL GROUP WE ARE HONORING TONIGHT INCLUDES BERKMAN ARTS INTEGRATION ACADEMY, BLACKLIN PRAIRIE ELEMENTARY, AND VOIGT ARTS INTEGRATION ACADEMY.
WILL PRINCIPALS, BERNDA, NILSON, HESTA, AND AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. GUERRERO, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.
OUR NEXT PAIR OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT HAVE EXCELLED IN THEIR EARLY LITERACY GOALS IN KINDERGARTEN ARE POND SPRINGS ELEMENTARY AND LIVE OAK ELEMENTARY.
WILL PRINCIPALS BROWN AND BRODERICK, ALONG WITH AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. MERCER, PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED.
>> COME ON, IF THE TEACHERS ARE HERE, PLEASE COME UP.
>> YOU CAN JOIN. I'M GOING TO WAIT.
WE NEED THE RECORD TO SHOW THAT 609 PRESIDENT MARKHAM ARRIVED.
PERFECT. OUR LARGEST GROUP OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WE'RE HONORING IS FROM RON ROCK VERTICAL LEARNING COMMUNITY.
CONGRATULATIONS TO BLUEBONNET, CACTUS RANCH, CHANDLER OAKS, DEEP WOOD, AND SOMMER ELEMENTARY.
WILL PRINCIPAL SOTO, CRAIN, RANDEL, MUSSEY AND ELARMS, ALONG WITH THEIR AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. FARRIS, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT TO BE RECOGNIZED.
[00:11:17]
FROM THE STONY POINT VERTICAL LEARNING COMMUNITY, WE HAVE THREE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE MET OR SURPASSED THEIR GOALS IN EARLY LITERACY.AWESOME JOB, CALDWELL HEIGHTS, REDBUD, AND ROBERTSON ELEMENTARY.
WILL PRINCIPALS, MONTALVO, FENDER, AND AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. ELIN, PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED.
[APPLAUSE] IF THERE ARE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS OR TEACHERS IN THE CROWD, PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED WITH YOUR TEAM.
[BACKGROUND] [APPLAUSE] THE LAST CAMPUS WE ARE RECOGNIZING TONIGHT, WHICH HAS SHOWN GREAT GROWTH IN EARLY LITERACY IS CARAWAY ELEMENTARY.
WILL PRINCIPAL REINHART AND AREA SUPERINTENDENT DR. OLDHAM, PLEASE COME UP TO THE FRONT TO BE RECOGNIZED.
[APPLAUSE] [BACKGROUND] OUR FINAL RECOGNITION OF THE EVENING HIGHLIGHTS THE EFFORT TO DEVELOP LITERACY SKILLS WHILE FOSTERING CONNECTIONS BETWEEN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OUR STUDENTS.
THIS YEAR, THE DISTRICT IS PARTNERING WITH EDUCATION CONNECTION VOLUNTEERS FOR THE READING IN THE RROCK PROJECT, WHICH CONNECTS VOLUNTEERS WITH STUDENTS ON A WEEKLY BASIS TO PRACTICE READING AND LITERACY SKILLS.
WELL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF STUDENT SUPPORT AND FEDERAL PROGRAMS, DR. REBECCA LISA HERNANDEZ, DIRECTOR OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS, DR. GUMBS, AND ANY MEMBERS WHO ARE HERE FROM EDUCATION CONNECTION, PLEASE COME UP TO THE FRONT FOR A PHOTO. [APPLAUSE]
[00:15:40]
>> THANK YOU, DR. AZAIEZ AND TRUSTEES.
FOR OUR VIDEO RECOGNITION, OUR VIDEO SPOTLIGHT TONIGHT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT BACK OVER TO DR. NICHOLS.
>> TEACHING IS A PATH WHERE YOU MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN STUDENTS' LIVES BY PREPARING THEM FOR THEIR FUTURE THROUGH SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, AND ENGAGING LESSONS.
WE KNOW TEACHERS COME FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
SOME PREPARE AND TRAIN THROUGHOUT COLLEGE, KNOWING THEY WILL TEACH.
OTHERS MAY FIND THEY'RE CALLING TO TEACH AFTER EXCELLING IN OTHER CAREERS FIRST.
THEIR PATH CAN LOOK DIFFERENT.
WHAT DID THEY DO BEFORE STEPPING INTO THE CLASSROOM? IN OUR NEW SERIES BEFORE I WAS A TEACHER, WE FOUND TEACHERS ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHO CHOSE PUBLIC EDUCATION.
TONIGHT, WE GET THE FIRST LOOK AT THE SERIES AS WE MEET MS. WACHA.
SHE WAS A DEDICATED JOURNALIST AND WENT FROM THE WORLD OF BREAKING NEWS AND LATE ELECTION NIGHTS TO PROVIDING LOVE AND GUIDANCE TO SOME OF OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS AS SHE STEPPED INTO THE ROLE OF ROUND ROCK ISD KINDERGARTEN TEACHER.
>> I WORKED IN TELEVISION NEWS.
I STARTED AS A PRODUCER PRODUCING DIFFERENT NEWSCAST AND BECAME AN EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AND ASSISTANT NEWS DIRECTOR, AND THEN EVENTUALLY A NEWS DIRECTOR.
I WAS FASCINATED BY MOVING PICTURES ALWAYS AS A KID SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO DO TELEVISION NEWS.
I DIDN'T KNOW I WAS LEAVING IT.
A FRIEND WHO WAS A TEACHER HERE SAID, YOU'RE A PARENT AT LME.
YOU SHOULD COME SUBSTITUTE, SEE WHAT IT'S LIKE. I DON'T KNOW.
I MET A LITTLE BOY THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
I ENDED UP WORKING WITH HIM FOR A YEAR AND A HALF.
AT THE END OF THAT FIRST YEAR, I JUST THOUGHT SOMETHING'S HAPPENED AND I DON'T REALLY FULLY UNDERSTAND, BUT I THINK I'M GOING TO GO PURSUE SOME CLASSES AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THIS.
WHEN I SAY, GET OUT YOUR HANDWRITING BOOK? WHEN I SAVED IN KINDERGARTEN, I LOVED IT.
I LOVED THAT IT'S KIDS COMING INTO SCHOOL FOR THE FIRST TIME AND IF I COULD HELP THEM LOVE SCHOOL AND TO FEEL SAFE AND SECURE THAT IT WOULD SET THEM UP FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIVES FOR ENJOYING EDUCATION.
IT'S MY OBLIGATION TO TEACH READING, WRITING MATH.
SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES, ALL THE STUFF, ALL THE ACADEMICS, AND WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, OF COURSE BUT I FEEL LIKE THE BIGGER CALLING IS THAT I AM SUPPOSED TO MAKE THEM FEEL SAFE AND HAPPY AND TO KNOW THAT THEY'RE LOVED EVERY SINGLE DAY THEY WALK IN THESE DOORS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. RECOGNITIONS ARE ALWAYS A GREAT PART OF OUR MEETING, AND IT'S ESPECIALLY GREAT TO SEE RECOGNITIONS TIED TO OUR STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.
[E. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO AGENDA ITEMS UNDER SECTIONS F, G, H, I AND K ONLY]
AT EACH BOARD MEETING, THE BOARD WILL SET ASIDE TIME TO AFFORD THE GENERAL PUBLIC AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK ON ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.WE ASK THAT CONCERNS OR COMPLAINTS REGARDING SPECIFIC INDIVIDUALS NOT BE RAISED IN THIS PUBLIC FORUM.
SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT EMPLOYEES OR FORMER EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE CONSIDERED SEPARATELY ACCORDING TO APPLICABLE POLICIES.
THE BOARD REQUESTS THAT COMMENTS, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE, BE COURTEOUS AND RESPECTFUL.
I WOULD LIKE TO REMIND THE AUDIENCE AND THE VIEWERS THAT THE COMMENTS
[00:20:01]
OF THE SPEAKERS REFLECT THEIR OWN POSITIONS OR OPINIONS.AS A REMINDER, THE BOARD ADOPTED AN ANTI HATE RESOLUTION ON JANUARY 20, 2022, WHERE THE BOARD REAFFIRMED ITS COMMITMENT TO THE WELL BEING AND SAFETY OF ALL PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN, RELIGION, SEX, GENDER IDENTITY, GENDER EXPRESSION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABILITY, AGE, OR POLITICAL BELIEFS AND STANDS AGAINST SPEECH THAT INCITES HATRED AND VIOLENCE TOWARD ANY PERSON.
PLEASE NOTE THAT WHILE THE PUBLIC DOES HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK, THAT RIGHT IS NOT UNLIMITED.
PER TEXAS PENAL CODE 38.13, 42.01, 42.02, AND 42.05, IN TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 37.105.
NO AUDIENCE MEMBER OR SPEAKER WILL BE PERMITTED TO ENGAGE IN ANY CONDUCT THAT IS DISRUPTIVE OR THREATENING TOWARD ANY SPEAKER OR OTHER PERSON, OR TO VIOLATE THE PRIVACY RIGHTS OF ANOTHER PERSON.
THE BOARD SHALL NOT TOLERATE DISRUPTION OF THE MEETING BY MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE.
IF AFTER AT LEAST ONE MORE INDIVIDUAL WARNING FROM THE PRESIDING OFFICER, ANY INDIVIDUAL CONTINUES TO DISRUPT THE MEETING BY HIS OR HER OWN ACTIONS, WORDS OR ACTIONS, THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL REQUEST ASSISTANCE FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS TO HAVE THE INDIVIDUAL REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
THE BOARD MAY NOT DISCUSS OR ACT UPON ANY MATTER THAT IS NOT LISTED UNDER THE ACTION ITEM PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
THEREFORE, BOARD MEMBERS MAY NOT DISCUSS THE COMMENTS OF SPEAKERS.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT A LACK OF RESPONSE FROM BOARD MEMBERS DOES NOT INDICATE AGREEMENT OR APPROVAL OF THE COMMENTS.
EACH SPEAKER WILL BE GIVEN TWO MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
TRUSTEE WEIR, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD WILL BE THE DESIGNATED TIME KEEPER.
THE FIRST SPEAKER IS TAMMY CONRAD, AND YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE OF THE DISTRICT, AND YOU ARE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F2 AND F3.
>> THANK YOU. I AM THE PRESIDENT OF EDUCATION ROUND ROCK, AND I APPRECIATE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXERCISE OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AS OUTLINED IN THE CONSTITUTION.
FIRST, WE WANT TO WELCOME OUR NEWEST TRUSTEE, MR. CUERO.
WHILE WE TREASURE TRUSTEE HARRISON SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WE'LL MISS HER.
WE THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME FOR THE DISTRICT, OUR STUDENTS, AND OUR STAFF. THANK YOU.
SECOND, IN LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AMENDMENT PROPOSAL, WE ARE INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THE COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS LISTED ON SLIDE 4 WILL INCLUDE THINGS LIKE PAYING FOR GUEST EDUCATORS, FOR INTERVENTIONISTS, OR LIBRARIANS.
I HEARD THAT A PRINCIPAL HAD TO SUB ONE DAY THIS WEEK FOR AN INTERVENTIONIST.
WHILE IT PROBABLY WAS INSIGHTFUL FOR HER, I IMAGINE SHE HAD OTHER THINGS TO DO.
WE KNOW WHAT WOULD HAPPEN OR WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF SHE HAD NOT BEEN AVAILABLE TO TAKE OVER.
THOSE STUDENTS WOULD NOT HAVE RECEIVED THEIR SERVICES THAT DAY.
WE ALSO WONDER IF LIBRARIANS AND COUNSELORS ARE RECEIVING ADDITIONAL COMPENSATION TO BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT TEACHERS RECEIVE THIS YEAR BASED ON THE LEGISLATIVE CHANGES, OR MAYBE IT COULD BE THAT OTHER STAFF WILL BE RECEIVING MORE THAN THE 1% THAT WAS PUT IN THE ORIGINAL BUDGET.
THESE ARE THE THINGS OUR MEMBERS AND STAFF ACROSS THE DISTRICT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT.
THEY ARE ALSO THE THINGS THAT IMPACT OUR STUDENTS AND STUDENT OUTCOMES BECAUSE THEY IMPACT RETENTION AND RECRUITMENT.
FINALLY, WE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THE NEW READING IN THE ROCK PROGRAM AND THE LITERACY PARTNERSHIP.
HOW IS THIS FUNDED? WERE ADDITIONAL PAY POSITIONS CREATED FOR THIS OR IS IT ALL VOLUNTEER ORGANIZED AND LED? WE WONDER WHY LIBRARIANS ARE NO LONGER INVOLVED SINCE IT IS A LITERACY PROGRAM, AND IT IS NOW FOCUSED ON KINDERGARTEN, BUT WE WONDER WHAT HAPPENS TO THE FIRST AND THIRD GRADERS WHO ARE PREVIOUSLY HELPED.
WE SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT INCREASE LITERACY FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS AND HOPE THAT THE FEEDBACK FROM CLASSROOM TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS WAS INCLUDED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR LISTENING TO OUR CONCERNS.
WE DO HOPE THAT ONE DAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE OTHER ITEMS THAT ARE NOT ON THE AGENDA.
>> I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T GIVE YOU YOUR 30 SECONDS WARNING.
>> THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DENISE COCHRAN, AND YOU ARE A COMMUNITY MEMBER, BUT NOT A ROUND ROCK ISD RESIDENT, AND YOU WERE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM G3
>> GOOD EVENING AND MANY THANKS TO YOU, DR. AZAIEZ, PRESIDENT MARKUM, AND MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR ALLOWING ME THE CHANCE TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
MY NAME IS DENISE COCHRAN, AND I AM A RETIRED DANCE EDUCATOR AND ADMINISTRATOR.
I SPENT THE LAST 28 YEARS OF MY CAREER RIGHT HERE IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
MY PASSION WAS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN FINE ARTS AND ESPECIALLY DANCE EDUCATION.
I AM HERE TO ASK YOU TO HOPEFULLY APPROVE THE DEDICATION AND NAMING OF THE MARLA VALK DANCE STUDIO AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
ONE OF THE BEST HIRES I EVER HAD, THE PLEASURE OF BEING PART OF WAS HIRING MARLA VALK AS THE DANCE DIRECTOR OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE AND SOON, YOU WILL HEAR ALL IN DETAIL HOW SHE CREATE A LEGACY FOR DANCERS THEN AND NOW.
I WAS MARLA'S PREDECESSOR AS THEN SHE WAS PROMOTED TO SERVE ON THE FINE ARTS TEAM AND AS ROUND ROCK ISD'S FINE ARTS COORDINATOR UNTIL HER WAY STUN PASSING LAST AUGUST.
MARLA ELIMINATED DIFFERENCE EVERY DAY.
SHE WAS A ROLE MODEL AND A MENTOR TO ALL.
[00:25:03]
SHE WORKED HARD TO EXTEND THE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE PROGRAMS WHILE ONLY EXPECTING THE EXCELLENCE FROM HER HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS. SHE HAD A PASSION FOR ALL FINE ARTS AND SHE LEFT A MARK ON THIS DISTRICT THAT WILL SOON NOT BE REPLACED.MARLA AND I SPENT MANY HOURS TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS AND ALL THE DECISIONS TO BE MADE SO MUCH, BUT ONE THING WAS FOR SURE, STUDENTS CAME FIRST AND HOW TO SERVE HER TEACHERS.
NOW WE'RE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE HER LEGACY ON BY RENAMING AND DEDICATING THE STUDIO AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
I HOPE YOU'LL APPROVE BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO KEEP MOVING JUST AS MARLA VALK WANTED US ALL TO DO. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LAURIE MARIO, AND YOU ARE COMMUNITY MEMBER BUT NOT A RESIDENT OF ROUND ROCK ISD.
YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM G3.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M GOING TO COME BEHIND DENISE AND CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT MARLA.
I JOINED THE DISTRICT IN A VERY SMALL WAY IN 1998.
MARLA AND I WERE DANCE FRIENDS, AND SHE STARTED TO BRING ME IN TO WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL TO WORK WITH THE SUN DANCER, TO WORK WITH THE DANCE TEAM, TO CHOREOGRAPHY.
SHE HAD MANY THOUGHTS, MANY WAYS, HOW CAN WE CHANGE? DANCE WAS A REALLY COOL THING AT THAT TIME.
MARLA WAS AT THE FOREFRONT OF THAT AND REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO BRING THAT TO WESTWOOD.
ALONG WITH DENISE COCHRAN, JOHN FISHER, THE AMAZING GREATS OF THE DISTRICT.
IT WAS JUST SUCH A SPECIAL HONOR TO RIDE THAT JOURNEY WITH HER. SHE BROUGHT ME IN.
SHE BECAME PREGNANT WITH HER FIRST SON AND SAID, I THINK I WANT YOU TO BE MY PREGNANCY SUB.
DREAM. YES, MA'AM. I AM THERE.
AT THE END OF THAT TIME, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK, WHY DON'T WE KEEP DOING THIS? YOU WANT TO BE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR? I THINK I CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I WAS STILL GOING TO SCHOOL, I DIDN'T HAVE A DEGREE.
THIS IS WHAT MARLA WOULD DO FOR PEOPLE.
SHE WAS LIKE, I CAN FIGURE THIS OUT FOR YOU, AND SHE DID.
I'LL NEVER FORGET THE DAY SHE CAME IN THE STUDIO AND SAID, ITS DONE YOU'RE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.
I WAS A PARAPROFESSIONAL AND THAT WAS STARTING TO HAPPEN IN AUSTIN.
IT WASN'T REALLY PREVALENT AT THAT POINT, AND MARLA WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE, AGAIN, ALONG WITH DENISE AND JOHN THAT MADE THAT HAPPEN FOR US.
WE JUMP INTO THIS AMAZING JOURNEY, 75 PEOPLE ON THE TEAM THAT FIRST YEAR.
MARLA HAS IDEA AFTER IDEA AFTER IDEA.
WE BEGAN TO CREATE THE ACADEMY.
MARLA WAS A PART OF CREATING THE FINE ARTS ACADEMY, THE DANCE DEPARTMENT, WATCHING HER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT AFTER NIGHT, THE PROPOSALS.
WHAT DO WE TEACH? WHAT DO WE DO? WHO DO WE HIRE? SHE MADE THE ACADEMY HAPPEN.
BEING A PART OF MOVING TO THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER AND ROUND ROCK WHEN THAT HAPPENED, MARLA WAS A PART OF THAT ALONG AGAIN WITH DENISE AND JOHN, AND THEY REALLY PUSHED THAT NICE MEETINGS WITH ALL OF THOSE PARENTS AND TEACHERS THAT SOME OF THESE KIDS WELL NOT KIDS ANYMORE.
YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. I JUST THANK YOU FOR LISTENING ABOUT THIS WONDERFUL WOMAN.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS EMILY PETRUNAK AND YOU ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF ROUND ROCK ISD AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM G3.
I'M SORRY IF I BUTCHERED YOUR NAME.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS EMILY PETRUNAK, AND I'M A WESTWOOD DANCE TEACHER AND THE CURRENT SUNDANCER DIRECTOR.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WITNESSING MARLA'S LEGACY ALIVE IN OUR DANCE PROGRAMS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I SEE MARLA'S LEADERSHIP IN THE WAY THAT OUR SUNDANCER LINE OFFICERS SELFLESSLY SERVE THEIR TEAM.
I SEE MARLA'S HEART WHEN I WITNESS ANOTHER DANCE TEACHER CONNECT WITH A STUDENT IN A WAY THAT GAVE THEM THE CONFIDENCE THEY NEEDED TO BELIEVE IN THEMSELVES.
I SEE MARLA'S PASSION FOR DANCE WHEN I SEE OUR DANCE PROGRAMS STRIVE FOR NEW HEIGHTS AS ARTISTS PERFORMERS AND TECHNICIANS.
MARLA'S IMPACT AND LEGACY IS WOVEN INTO THE VERY CHARACTER AND THE CULTURE OF OUR DANCE PROGRAMS AT WESTWOOD.
BECAUSE OF THE FOUNDATION THAT MARLA BUILT, OUR DANCE DEPARTMENT CONTINUES TO BE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS FEEL A SENSE OF BELONGING AND CONNECTION, ALL WHILE FOSTERING EXCELLENCE AND DANCE TRAINING.
THE DANCE STUDIO ISN'T JUST A SPACE.
IT'S A HOME FOR MANY STUDENTS BECAUSE MARLA'S HEART HELPED CREATE THAT SPACE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF DEDICATING THIS SPACE TO AN EDUCATOR AND MENTOR WHO HAS HAD SUCH A FORMIDABLE IMPACT ON THE CULTURE OF OUR WESTWOOD DANCE DEPARTMENT AND ROUND ROCK ISD DANCE AT LARGE. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. OUR LAST PUBLIC SPEAKER IS MEGAN LILES.
YOU ARE NOT A RESIDENT OF ROCK ISD AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM G3.
>> GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DR. AZAIEZ.
MY NAME IS MEGAN LILES AND I CURRENTLY SERVE AS THE DIRECTOR OF FINE ARTS AND LENDER ISD.
[00:30:01]
I'M HERE TONIGHT NOT ONLY AS A FELLOW EDUCATOR, BUT AS SOMEONE WHOSE CAREER AND HEART WERE PROFOUNDLY SHAPED BY MARLA VALK.IN 2001, I FIRST MET MARLA WHEN I WAS ON THE DANCE TEAM AT MANUAL HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN YEARS LATER HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO STUDENT TEACH WITH HER AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.
IT WAS THERE THAT I TRULY UNDERSTOOD HER GIFT.
MARLA DIDN'T JUST BUILD A PROGRAM.
MARLA MODELED WHAT IT TRULY MEANT TO BE A TEACHER, TO INSPIRE, TO UPLIFT, AND TO SERVE OTHERS THROUGH HER CRAFT.
ACROSS CENTRAL TEXAS AND BEYOND, YOU WILL FIND DIRECTORS, TEACHERS, AND DANCERS WHOSE LIVES TRACED BACK TO HER INFLUENCE.
SHE HAD THIS REMARKABLE WAY OF BLENDING HIGH STANDARDS WITH A SERVANT'S HEART.
MARLA LIVED HER BELIEF THAT FINE ARTS IS ABOUT LIFTING OTHERS.
HER LEGACY EXTENDS FAR BEYOND WESTWOOD.
HER FINGERPRINTS ARE ON COUNTLESS STAGES, CLASSROOMS AND HEARTS.
FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAD THE HONOR TO LEARN FROM HER, FIRST AS STUDENTS.
THEN AS COLLEAGUES, WE KNOW THAT MARLA'S IMPACT CANNOT BE CONTAINED IN A SINGLE GENERATION.
SHE TAUGHT US THAT TEACHING DANCE IS REALLY ABOUT TEACHING HUMANITY, GRACE AND GIVING FULLY TO OTHERS.
IT WOULD BE A PRIVILEGE FOR FUTURE STUDENTS TO SEE HER NAME EACH DAY AND BE INSPIRED TO CONTINUE THAT SAME TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE, EMPATHY AND SERVICE.
THANK YOU FOR CONSIDERING THIS MEANINGFUL RECOGNITION FOR A WOMAN WHO GAVE SO MUCH TO WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, ROUND ROCK ISD, AND THE ENTIRE EDUCATION DANCE COMMUNITY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM F1,
[F. SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS]
BOARD STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS 1 AND 2 IN GPS. DR. AZAIEZ.>> IF YOU LOOK AT OUR CALENDAR FOR THE PROGRESS MONITORING CALENDAR, IT'S TIME FOR US TO GO AND LOOK AT OUR GOAL 1 AND GOAL 2.
WITH US IS DOCTOR NICHOLS, NALLY HAVE THE PRESENTATION WITH THE TEAM, AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING.
AS IT RELATES TO THE BOY BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATA AND ALSO COMPARED TO HISTORIC DATA FROM PREVIOUS COUPLE OF YEARS.
NALLY, IF YOU CAN TAKE IT OVER, PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO REPRESENT MY TEAM OF SUPERINTENDENTS, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, AND MOST OF ALL, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS.
EVERYONE WHO WORKS DILIGENTLY TOWARDS THIS GOAL, AND I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR EFFORT.
TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK THROUGH EARLY LITERACY AND EARLY MATH, WHICH ENCOMPASSES KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE.
WE TAKE SCREENERS THREE TIMES A YEAR IN ORDER TO GET A BENCHMARK OF WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE AT, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AND THE END OF YEAR IN ORDER TO MONITOR THEIR GROWTH.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THIS, THOUGH? BEFORE WE GO INTO THIS, IS THE FIRST ONE FOR THE YEAR.
I WANT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THERE'S UNDERSTANDING AS FAR AS WHY WE CHOOSE TO MEASURE THIS AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.
OFTEN, WE COME BEFORE THE BOARD AND WE WILL SPEAK TO EARLY LITERACY EARLY MATH AND REALLY LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE WITHIN THIRD GRADE FOR BOTH OF THOSE THINGS.
WE TALKED ABOUT COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READINESS, AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT STUDENT WELL BEING.
WHILE STUDENT WELL BEING IS THE CLIMATE IN WHICH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF GROW, I REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE'RE PRESENTING ON EARLY LITERACY AND EARLY READING AND CCMR, FOR EVERYONE TO UNDERSTAND.
WE'RE REALLY PRESENTING ON THE SAME THING, BUT WE'RE PRESENTING ON IT AT A DIFFERENT PART IN A STUDENT'S LIFE CYCLE.
JUST LIKE YOU HAVE THE IDEA OF A BUTTERFLY GOING FROM THE LAVA TO THE CATERPILLAR TO THE CHRYSALIS, TO THE BUTTERFLY ITSELF, IT'S THE SAME THING HERE.
WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE MEASURING THE SAME THING.
IT MAY BE CALLED DIFFERENT NAMES, BUT IT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING.
HOW STRONG ARE OUR STUDENTS AT READING MATH, BECAUSE WHEN THEY LEAVE US, THIS WILL DICTATE WHAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IN THE WORLD.
THIS WILL GIVE THEM ACCESS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
OFTENTIMES, WHY WE'RE MEASURING THIS IS TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE SET A GREAT FOUNDATION FOR OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THE SKY IS THE LIMIT.
WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO, THEY HAVE THE PROPER FOUNDATION IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WHERE WE START SPECIFICALLY IN READING, WE MEASURE READING WITH SOMETHING CALLED MCLASS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE.
WHEN IN THIRD GRADE TO FIFTH GRADE, THEN WE USE A DIFFERENT MEASURE CALL I-READY.
IT'S AN ONLINE ASSESSMENT FOR THE SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING OF LITERARY SKILLS FOR STUDENTS K THROUGH TWO,
[00:35:03]
IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.IF THE STUDENT IS ASSESSED IN BOTH LANGUAGES, THE HIGHER IS REFLECTED HERE.
THE RESULTS PROVIDE A COMPOSITE RATING FOR LITERACY, AND STUDENTS HAVE A COMPOSITE RATING AT OR ABOVE BENCHMARK.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED TO BE ON TRACK TO SCORE AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION AND ABOVE ON FUTURE THIRD GRADE RATING STAR.
AS WE HAVE EXPLAINED BEFORE, MEETS GRADE LEVEL ESSENTIALLY MEANS THAT STUDENTS HAVE A 60% CHANCE OF BEING COLLEGE READY, WHERE IF A STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING HIGHER THAN THAT AT MASTER'S LEVEL, THEY HAVE A 75% CHANCE OF BEING COLLEGE READY.
AGAIN, THAT TELLS THEM WHAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACCESS POST SECONDARY.
FOR US, WE'RE STARTING AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THEIR ACADEMIC CAREERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ON TRACK IN ORDER TO DO WELL MOVING FORWARD.
THE BOARD HAS A BOARD GOAL IN EARLY LITERACY AT THIRD GRADE.
WHAT THEY SAY IS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ACHIEVE AT 76% BY THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND THAT IS THE GOAL FOR THIS YEAR.
THEY ALSO BREAK IT DOWN BY EACH OF THE DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS, BY RACE, ETHNICITY, ECONOMIC STATUS, AND ALSO BY PROGRAM TO SAY, HERE'S WHERE WE WANT THE STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE.
THIS IS BASED ON A STARTING POINT, AND THEN THEY SET LIMITS EVERY YEAR AS FAR AS WHAT GOAL THEY WANT US TO ACHIEVE FOR THE STUDENTS.
SPECIFICALLY, WITHIN THOSE GOALS, WE HAVE WHAT'S CALLED GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING AT THE KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE, AND SECOND GRADE LEVEL, TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE ON TRACK TO PERFORM AT THIRD GRADE WHEN THEY TAKE THEIR FIRST STAR TEST, HOW MANY STUDENTS WILL BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL AT THAT POINT.
IN KINDERGARTEN FOR THIS YEAR, THE GOAL IS 80% FOR THE END OF THE YEAR.
FOR FIRST GRADE, AGAIN, 80%, AND FOR SECOND GRADE, THE GOAL IS 80%.
HERE WE HAVE A HISTORICAL LOOK, A THREE YEAR HISTORICAL LOOK AS FAR AS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN.
WE SEE WITHIN KINDERGARTEN IN THE '23, '24 SCHOOL YEAR, WE STARTED AT ABOUT 55%, AND THEN WE ENDED AT ABOUT 78%.
LAST YEAR FOR THE '24, '25 SCHOOL YEAR, WE STARTED AT ABOUT, LET'S SEE I THINK THAT'S 57% AND ENDED A LITTLE BIT BELOW.
I'M SORRY, FOR THE '23, '24, WE ENDED AT 80% AND FOR THE '24, '25 SCHOOL YEAR, WE ENDED AT 78%.
YOU SEE THAT WE WENT DOWN A COUPLE OF POINTS.
KINDERGARTEN IS THE FIRST INTERACTION FOR MOST OF OUR STUDENTS WITH ORGANIZED ACADEMICS AND EDUCATION.
WHAT WE WANT IS REALLY TO GIVE THEM A STRONG START HERE.
ONE OF THE REASONS TO KINDERGARTEN.
IT USED TO BE RESEARCH WOULD SAY THAT WE WANT STUDENTS TO GET ON TRACK BY THIRD GRADE.
WHAT THE RESEARCH NOW SHOWS US IS, YOU NEED FOR STUDENTS TO BE ON TRACK BY FIRST GRADE.
EVERY YEAR AFTER THAT, IT BECOMES EXPONENTIALLY MORE DIFFICULT TO GET THEM ON TRACK.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE AND HAVE STRONG EARLY LITERACY PROGRAMS AND REALLY STRONG PROGRAMS AT THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS GET THE START THAT THEY DESERVE.
THE WHOLE POINT OF IT IS WITHIN THEIR EARLY CAREERS, THEY'RE LEARNING TO READ.
BUT ONCE YOU CROSS THAT THRESHOLD INTO SECOND GRADE OR THIRD GRADE, YOU'RE READING TO LEARN.
IF STUDENTS DON'T HAVE STRONG COMPREHENSION AND READING SKILLS, IT REALLY IMPACTS THEIR ABILITY TO UNDERSTAND ACADEMICS AS IT RELATES TO ALL OTHER SUBJECT AREAS.
SO FAR FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE STARTED OFF AT 57%, AND USUALLY WE SEE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK YOU USUALLY SCORE WITHIN 78-80%.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN AS FAR AS HOW OUR STUDENTS DID YEAR OVER YEAR.
WHAT YOU SEE ARE THE SCORES FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATA AND ALSO FOR LAST SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATA AND COMPARED TO TWO AGAINST EACH OTHER BY THE DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS.
THE LITTLE DIAMONDS RIGHT ABOVE, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS THE GOAL FOR THE END OF THE YEAR DATA.
WHAT WE'RE SEEING YEAR OVER YEAR, A SLIGHT DIP FROM WHERE THE STUDENTS STARTED LAST YEAR TO WHERE THEY STARTED THIS YEAR FOR ALL OF THE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
BUT MOST OF THEM ARE WITHIN A POINT OR TWO OF EACH OTHER.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER, AGAIN, KINDERGARTEN FOR MOST OF OUR STUDENTS IS THE FIRST TIME THERE' ANY ORGANIZED ACADEMICS.
THEY'RE COMING IN WITH A CLEAN SLATE UNLESS THEY
[00:40:03]
HAVE GONE TO A PRE-K 3 OR PRE-K 4 PROGRAM FOR THE MOST PART.IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AT THIS POINT THAT WE REALLY POUR INTO THEM TO GET THEM TO MOVE TO THE NEXT LEVEL.
>> JUST WANT TO ADD TO WHAT NALLY SAY IS, WE'RE LOOKING AT DIFFERENT COHORT.
THESE ARE TWO DIFFERENT GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM '25, 2026.
WHAT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO NOTE HERE, I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO LOOK AT THE PRE-K PROGRAM 25 AND PRE-K 426.
AS YOU REMEMBER, WE EXPANDED OUR PRE-K 3 PROGRAM TO 10 CAMPUSES, AND ALSO WE EXPANDED OUR PRE-K4 PROGRAM OF FULL DAY.
REMEMBER BOTH OUR FULL DAY TO 31 CAMPUS OUT OF 35.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE SEE THAT HOW OUR STUDENTS AND THE KINDERGARTNERS WHO WERE ON PRE-K 4 WITH US LAST YEAR OR THE YEAR PRIOR, HOW THEY ARE OUTPERFORMING MANY STUDENT GROUPS.
AND THAT'S THANKS TO OUR BOARD AND EVERYBODY'S EFFORT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
>> THANK YOU, SIR. WE NOW MOVE ON TO OUR RESULTS IN FIRST GRADE AS FAR AS HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING.
YOU SEE YEAR OVER YEAR, THE STUDENTS ARE STARTING AT A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER LEVEL AND ENDING AT A BIT OF A HIGHER LEVEL.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO END FOR THE '25, '26 SCHOOL YEAR AT APPROXIMATELY 78%, ABOUT THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS HIGHER.
OUR GOAL FOR THIS YEAR IS, OF COURSE, 80%.
WE CAME IN APPROXIMATELY ABOUT ONE POINT BELOW THAT 65% WHERE WE STARTED LAST YEAR, AND WE ARE AT 64% CURRENTLY.
WE LOOK AT THE DATA FROM YEAR OVER YEAR, AGAIN, AS FAR AS HOW WE DID LAST YEAR, BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WITH OUR FIRST GRADERS VERSUS HOW WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATAS.
AGAIN, BY ALL THE DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS, WITH THE GOAL FOR THE END OF THE YEAR REPRESENTED AT THE VERY TOP.
WE'VE SET RIGOROUS GOALS FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, AND WE'RE HOPING WITH SOME OF THE CHANGES IN OUR INTERVENTION THAT WE'LL SEE A DIFFERENCE AND MOVE THROUGH WHERE WE'VE BEEN.
WELL, AS FAR AS DIFFERENCES WITHIN OUR CURRICULUM.
WITHIN THE K 2 CURRICULUM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS THE FACT THAT WE REVISE THAT CURRICULUM FIRST, EVEN FOR MATH.
IN K THROUGH 2 AND EVEN IN 3-5, WHAT YOU SEE THEN IS WE'VE HAD REVISIONS OR EDITS TO IT TO THE CURRICULUM, BUT WE HAVE NOT DONE A COMPLETE OVERHAUL LIKE WE DID A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
THEN K 2, WHAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS THE OVERHAUL IS MORE SO AS IT RELATES TO OUR INTERVENTION PROCESSES, AS FAR AS REALLY RETHINKING THAT.
WE KNOW THAT WE CAN CONSISTENTLY GET TO ABOUT HIGH 70S, 80%, BASED ON THE CURRICULUM AND WHERE IT'S AT.
NOW IT'S A MATTER OF HOW CAN WE REFINE OUR INTERVENTION TO MOVE US PAST THOSE NUMBERS AND TO GET THOSE NUMBERS EVEN HIGHER.
THAT'S THE CHANGE THAT'S REALLY GOING TO BE HAPPENING IN EARLY LITERACY, SPECIFICALLY AS MOVING OUR STUDENT POPULATIONS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF ACHIEVEMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED US TO DO IS REALLY LOOK AT WHAT IS THE IMPACT OF A STUDENT STAYING WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION? WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS A COHORT.
THE SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER.
THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS THE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOW IN THE FIRST GRADE COHORT, HOW THEIR ACHIEVEMENT SCORE IN KINDERGARTEN AND WHAT LEVEL OF GROWTH HAS BEEN A WITHIN THIS YEAR.
WE SEE THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE STAYING WITHIN OUR SYSTEM HAVE BEEN WITH US CONSISTENTLY.
WE SEE THAT THERE'S A LOT OF GROWTH THAT THEY ENJOY.
>> IF I MAY ADD, NAT, CAN YOU GO BACK TO IT? ANOTHER THING IS THE IMPORTANT FACT, AND I THINK SOMETIMES I KNOW OUR BOARD APART KNOWS THAT, BUT IT'S A GOOD REMINDER.
WHEN WE TEST OUR STUDENTS IN KINDERGARTEN AND 57% ARE ACTUALLY IN KINDERGARTEN LEVEL, MEANING THEIR READING LEVEL IS KINDERGARTEN LEVEL.
WHEN WE TEST THEM AGAIN IN FIRST GRADE, WE DON'T TEST THEM IN THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL.
WHAT IS THE PERCENTAGE OF THEM WHO ARE READING ON FIRST GRADE LEVEL? THIS SPEAKS HIGHLY TO THE EFFORTS, OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR PARENTS, OUR STUDENTS WORKING TOGETHER BECAUSE NOT ONLY BY KEEPING THEM LIKE THEY'RE PROGRESSING ONE YEAR AT THE TIME, BUT ALSO WE ARE CAPTURING MORE KIDS WHO MAYBE WE'RE READING BEHIND GRADE LEVEL, AND NOW THEY ARE READING ON GRADE LEVEL.
THAT'S A LOT OF WORK THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSROOM, OUR TEACHERS AND EVERYONE ELSE WORKING TOGETHER THAT WE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE OF OUR STUDENTS TO BE READING ON OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
[00:45:01]
WE HAVE FINALLY OUR REPORT ON SECOND GRADE.WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THE IMPACT OF ALL THE DIFFERENT YEARS PREVIOUSLY AND WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE VERY PROUD TO REPORT THAT OUR STUDENTS FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR DATA STARTED AT 72%.
YOU SEE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, 66-68-72.
IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS THE COMPOUNDED EFFECT OF THE CURRICULUM, AND AS FAR AS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SEEING A CHANGE IN SECOND GRADE BECAUSE SECOND GRADE IS THE SPACE WHERE NOW READING COMPREHENSION AND HOW THE STUDENTS ARE TESTED AND THE DIFFERENT COMPONENTS THAT MAKE UP THE SCREENER BEGINS TO CHANGE VERSUS KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE.
WE'RE REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THEM THAT WE ARE SEEING GROWTH WITHIN THIS AREA BECAUSE THEN IT MEANS THEN WE WILL SEE GROWTH AND HOW THESE STUDENTS DO IN THIRD GRADE AS WELL.
WE STARTED THIS YEAR AT 72% VERSUS 68% AND 66% IN PREVIOUS YEARS.
WHEN WE LOOK YEAR OVER YEAR COMPARISONS, WE ALSO SEE THAT THOSE NUMBERS BORNE OUT IN EACH OF OUR DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS AS WELL.
YOU SEE SLIGHT IMPROVEMENTS IN OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN AND OUR HISPANIC STUDENTS.
ALSO WHERE OUR STUDENTS, OUR WHITE STUDENTS STAYS CONSISTENT, ASIAN STUDENTS A BIT CONSISTENT.
HUGE GROWTH IN OUR TWO OR MORE, SLIGHT GROWTH IN OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
WE SEE THEN THE COMPOUNDED EFFECT OF THE WORK THAT HAS HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY AND HOW IT'S PAYING OFF WITHIN SECOND GRADE.
AGAIN, HOW DOES THIS, THIS COMPOUNDED EFFECT OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING SHOW ITSELF WITHIN THE COHORTS.
AGAIN, THE STUDENTS THAT ARE STAYING WITHIN OUR SYSTEM YEAR OVER YEAR.
YOU SEE FOR THE SECOND GRADE COHORT, WHERE THEY STARTED OUT IN KINDERGARTEN AT 55%, IMPROVED AGAIN TO 69%, AND AGAIN TO 74%.
AS DOCTOR ASS HAS POINTED OUT, THE TEST, THE SCREEN THAT IS DOES NOT STAY STATIC? IT IS CONSTANTLY CHANGING, NOT JUST YEAR OVER YEAR, GRADE LEVEL OF A GRADE LEVEL, BUT ALSO FROM BOY TO MOI TO BOY, BEGINNING OF YEAR TO MIDDLE OF THE YEAR TO END OF THE YEAR.
IT IS ALWAYS GOING TO ASK THEM TO ACHIEVE MORE.
WHEN WE ARE INTERVENING WITH OUR KIDS, IT'S A MATTER OF YOU'RE NOT JUST CATCHING THEM UP ON WHAT THEY DIDN'T UNDERSTAND FOR THAT SCREENER, BUT MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE WORKING TOWARDS THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEXT LEVEL SCREENER AS WELL.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO WHAT'S GOING ON WITH EARLY MATH.
AS A DISTRICT, WE HAD MADE A DECISION AS FAR AS BECAUSE ANYTIME WE MAKE CHANGES, WE ALSO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TEACH INTO THE SYSTEM AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS ALL UNDERSTAND THE CHANGES SO THEY CAN SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER AND SO THAT THE STUDENTS CAN DO WELL.
WE HAD MADE A CONCERTED EFFORT BECAUSE WE HAD SCIENCE OF READING TO REALLY TRAIN INTO THAT PROCESS INITIALLY, REWRITE THE CURRICULUM, RETEACH THE CURRICULUM TO OUR TEACHERS, AND ALSO RETEACH WITH OUR ADMINISTRATORS AS FAR AS HOW TO EVEN GO IN TO THE CLASSROOMS AND GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE WORK THEY SAW THE TEACHERS WERE DOING IN ORDER TO HELP THEM IMPROVE.
STARTING THIS YEAR IS WHERE WE THEN MADE A CHANGE TO THE CURRICULUM IN MATH.
THE CURRICULUM IN MATH THIS YEAR FOR K-5 IS ALL BRAND NEW.
WE'VE DONE EXTENSIVE WORK WITH OUR TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, INTERVENTIONISTS, AS FAR AS TEACHING INTO CURRICULUM AND MAKING SURE THAT CURRICULUM IS UNDERSTOOD.
IT IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN HOW CURRICULUM HAS LOOKED AT BEFORE.
BASED ON THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES AND WHAT THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY IS ASKING.
IT'S MORE CONCEPTUAL IN NATURE AND NOT BASICALLY WHERE STUDENTS ARE COMPUTING.
IT MAY ASK THEM ABOUT THEIR PROCESS, NOT NECESSARILY WHAT IS THE ANSWER, BUT TALK TO ME ABOUT THE PROCESS, WHAT WOULD BE THE BEST SECOND STEP AND SO FORTH.
IT REALLY MEANS THAT THE WAY IN WHICH WE HAVE TO TEACH IT AND THE SPECIFIC GOAL WE'RE TRYING TO REACH WITH IT IS VERY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE WOULD EVEN HAVE ENVISIONED WHEN WE WERE IN SCHOOL.
IT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WAY OF TEACHING AND LEARNING.
AGAIN, WE USE AIMSWEB AS OUR SCREENER IN K-2 MATH.
>> WE ALSO PROGRESS MONITOR THEM WITH IT AS WELL.
THE STUDENTS WHO ARE DUAL LANGUAGE STUDENTS, THEY DO GET SCREEN IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH, AND WE TAKE THE HIGHER OF THE TWO BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO SEE IF LANGUAGE IS DICTATING PROFICIENCY, WE MAKE SURE THAT WE SCREEN THEM IN BOTH LANGUAGES AS WELL.
THE RESULTS PROVIDE A COMPOSITE PERCENTILE FOR EARLY NUMERACY AND MATH,
[00:50:02]
WHICH ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NATIONAL DISTRICT NORMS FOR EACH GRADE LEVEL AND TIME POINT.UNLIKE THE WORK WE DO IN EARLY LITERACY, WE MORE SO EQUATE HOW STUDENTS WILL DO ON STAAR WITH STUDENTS PERFORMING AT THE 40TH PERCENTILE ON THIS TEST.
THERE ARE CERTAIN LEVELS THAT THIS TEST HAS, BUT WE DON'T GO BY THOSE LEVELS AT OR ABOVE WHAT WE SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT AS THE 40TH PERCENTILE AND IF THE STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING ABOVE THAT, AND THAT THEN CORRELATES WITH WHETHER OR NOT STUDENTS CAN PERFORM AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATION OR HIGHER ON THIRD GRADE MATH STAAR.
AGAIN, THE GOAL FOR THIS YEAR, BY THE BOARD IS SET AT 76%.
YOU SEE THE CORRESPONDING GOALS FOR THE DIFFERENT STUDENT POPULATIONS BY RACE, ETHNICITY, SOCIONOMIC STATUS, AND THEN ALSO FOR PROGRAMS. THE DISTRICT SETS GOALS IN KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE, AND SECOND GRADE.
SPECIFICALLY, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS, WE CAN SEE WHERE THE STUDENTS WILL END UP IN THIRD GRADE IF WE PROGRESS MIND THEM THROUGH THESE GRADES, SO THAT WAY WE CAN INTERVENE IF WE SEE ANY HUGE ISSUES OR GAPS.
FOR KINDERGARTEN FOR THIS YEAR, OUR GOAL IS SET AT 80%, FOR FIRST GRADE, 80% AS WELL, AND FOR SECOND GRADE, THE GOAL IS SET AT 83%.
WE SEE THEN HERE'S ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE FOR MATH IS LOOKED VERY CONSISTENT YEAR OVER YEAR.
WHEN WE'VE TALKED TO THE BOARD ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST, WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT AS A DISTRICT, PART OF THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE WE HAD NOT CHANGED THE CURRICULUM.
THAT JUST LIKE WITH EARLY LITERACY, ONCE WE GO INTO THE CURRICULUM CHANGES, AND WE'RE ABLE TO TEACH INTO THAT WITH OUR STAFF IS THEN WHEN WE WOULD BE ABLE TO START SEEING SOME OF THE CHANGES.
THE DATA WITHIN MATH LOOKS A LITTLE BIT FLATTER THAN THE DATA WITHIN EARLY LITERACY, ESPECIALLY YEAR OVER YEAR.
FOR KINDERGARTEN, WE SEE THAT OUR STUDENTS STARTED AT ABOUT 60%, A SLIGHT INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR, TWO PERCENTAGE POINTS ABOVE.
BUT WE OFTEN SEE WITH THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, END OF THE END OF THE YEAR, THAT OUR RESULTS HAVE BEEN CONSISTENT.
WHAT WE'RE HOPING FOR IS AS WE TEACH IN TO THIS, AS WE PROGRESS MONITOR, WALK CLASSROOMS, WE'RE ABLE TO SEE ANY GAP, OR MISUNDERSTANDING IN REGARDS TO HOW WE ROLLED OUT THE CURRICULUM, SO WE CAN SPECIFICALLY TEACH INTO THAT IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE BREAK THE PATTERN THAT WE'RE SEEING IN THIS DATA.
AGAIN, THIS IS THE INFORMATION AS FAR AS YEAR OVER YEAR, HOW OUR STUDENTS HAVE PERFORMED, AND THEN ALSO THE GOALS FOR THE END OF THE YEAR DATA.
MOVING INTO FIRST GRADE, WE SEE THAT THE STUDENTS BASICALLY STARTED ABOUT THE SAME PLACE AS THEY DID LAST YEAR AT ABOUT 53, 54%.
WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR THOUGH, WE INTERVENE.
WE DID A COUPLE OF THINGS DIFFERENTLY, MADE SOME VERY MINOR CHANGES TO THE DATA TO SEE THEN IF WE CAN GET A DIFFERENT OUTCOME, KNOWING THAT A FULL REVIEW AND REVAMP OF THE CURRICULUM WOULD COME FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
LAST YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO START AT ABOUT 53% AND REALLY MOVE THE DATA DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR TO 68, AND THEN END WITH 74, WHICH WAS A BIT OF A DEPARTURE FROM THE PATTERN THAT YOU'VE SEEN THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE STARTING AT 54%.
AGAIN, BECAUSE WE HAVE CHANGED THE CURRICULUM, WE'RE REALLY LOOKING AND WALKING THOSE CLASSROOM, OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM, AND YOU HAVE THE INTERVENTIONIST, THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, ALSO OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES TO REALLY COACH INTO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN REALLY BREAK THIS PATTERN TO END UP AT A HIGHER PLACE FOR THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
AGAIN, HERE'S THE PATTERN FOR A FIRST GRADE TEAM YEAR OVER A YEAR AS FAR AS HOW THEY HAVE ACHIEVED IN THE PAST.
WE SEE FOR EARLY NUMERACY FOR THE FIRST GRADE COHORT, WHERE WE DID NOT SEE AS WE DID WITH EARLY LITERACY AN INCREASE.
LAST YEAR, THAT GROUP PERFORMED AT 58%, AND THEY REMAINED FLAT AT 57%.
AGAIN, THERE HAS BEEN NO HUGE CHANGES TO THE CURRICULUM OR ANYTHING ELSE, AND WE DID NOT EXPECT TO SEE WHERE WE WOULD SEE ANY DIFFERENCE.
NOW, THAT 58-57%, AGAIN, AS DR. AZAIEZ HAD EXPLAINED, DOES NOT REPRESENT THAT THE STUDENTS ARE STILL PERFORMING AT THE SAME LEVEL, AS WHERE IT IS THAT SOUNDS.
IT MEANS THAT ON THE NEW TEST, THEY'RE PERFORMING AT THE SAME LEVEL.
THEY'RE NOT PERFORMING AT THE SAME KINDERGARTEN LEVEL.
THIS IS TELLING US HOW MANY STUDENTS ARE
[00:55:02]
PASSING NOW AT THE INCREASED LEVEL WITHIN THE FIRST GRADE.BUT USUALLY, WHAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO PREVIOUSLY IS WITH THE INTERVENTIONS, THE CHANGE IN CURRICULUM, CREATE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH, AND WE'RE SEEING HERE BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT CHANGED THE CURRICULUM THAT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO ACHIEVE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH WITHIN THIS COHORT.
NOW, LASTLY, FOR OUR SECOND GRADERS, WE WERE ABLE USUALLY WE START ABOUT 59, 60%.
WE SEE WE'RE STARTING A LITTLE BIT ABOVE WHERE WE HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY AND WHERE OUR SECOND GRADERS HAVE STARTED AT 63%.
AGAIN, WITH THE CHANGE IN CURRICULUM, WE'RE HOPING TO BREAK THAT PATTERN, IT HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND EVEN PREVIOUS TO THIS, THOSE LINES TRAJECTORIES HAVE LOOKED VERY SIMILAR.
THE GOAL IS TO BREAK THAT PATTERN BASED ON THE INTERVENTION PROCESSES AND THE CURRICULUM THAT WE HAVE PUT IN PLACE THIS YEAR.
WE SEE THAT OVERARCHINGLY YEAR OVER YEAR, WE SEE A LITTLE BIT OF AN IMPROVEMENT YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT NOT SOMETHING THAT I WOULD CONSIDER STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT, ABOUT MAYBE 2-3% PERCENTAGE POINTS OVER HOW EACH OF THE POPULATIONS DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
WE DO SEE THOUGH THAT WITH THIS COHORT, THERE IS MORE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH REPRESENTED WHEN WE LOOK AT THE 2ND GRADE COHORT.
WE SEE FROM KINDERGARTEN TO FIRST GRADE, IT WAS A LITTLE BIT FLAT.
BUT FOR THIS YEAR, WE'RE SEEING A A HUGE AMOUNT OF A DIFFERENCE AS FAR AS WHERE THAT GROUP, 67% OF THEM ARE ACHIEVING AT THE 48 PERCENTILE OR ABOVE, WHICH COMMISERATE WITH THE NEEDS LEVEL.
WE HOPE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT PATTERN AND GROW THAT EVEN FURTHER.
THAT IS THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
TRUSTEES, WE STILL DON'T HAVE BUTTONS.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HANDS AND I'LL CALL.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? DR. WEI.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM PRESIDENT.
I JUST HAD A QUESTION REGARDING SLIDE NUMBER 23.
YOU MENTIONED THERE'S A CURRICULUM CHANGE THIS YEAR.
THE GROWTH FROM 60% OR 63 IS PART OF THE CURRICULUM CHANGE? NO.
>> WHAT I WILL TELL YOU IS, I THINK IT'S STILL TOO EARLY.
THE WHOLE POINT OF THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE NOT HAD A TIME TO REALLY PRACTICE IT AT GREAT LEVELS.
USUALLY AROUND THE TIME WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO BEGIN TO SEE A CHANGES MAYBE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR AND THE END OF THE YEAR.
EVEN IN PUTTING THE CURRICULUM TOGETHER, IT'S THE SAME THING WE SAW WITH EARLY LITERACY.
IN SOME AREAS, WE WOULD SEE A BUMP, BUT IT WAS INCONSISTENT UNTIL THE SYSTEM HAD CAPACITY.
USUALLY NOT UNTIL THE SECOND YEAR WILL WE SEE HUGE GAINS.
WE WILL LIKE TO, WE WILL TRAIN HEAVILY INTO IT, BUT IT'S ALSO A MATTER OF THE TEACHERS HAVE NOT HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY PRACTICE AND WORK WITH THIS CURRICULUM, THEY'RE STILL GETTING USED TO IT, EVEN THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.
THE OTHER BIG THING TO UNDERSTAND ALSO IS WHEN WE WRITE CURRICULUM, IT'S THE SAME CURRICULUM FOR EVERYONE.
PART OF ALSO WHAT CAMPUSES HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IS, HOW DO I INDIVIDUALIZE THIS CURRICULUM FOR MY CAMPUS AND ITS UNIQUE NEEDS BASED ON THE STUDENTS THAT ARE WITHIN THE CLASSROOMS. AS TEACHERS PRACTICE WITH THIS, AS THEY INTERNALIZE IT, AS THEY LEARN THE CURRICULUM, PART OF ALSO WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, HOW DO I TEACH THIS DIFFERENTLY BASED ON THE STUDENTS THAT ARE WITHIN MY CLASSROOM? THAT WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FOR MAYBE I HAVE A CAMPUS THAT IS TITLE 1 VERSUS THAT I HAVE A CAMPUS WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE SCORING VERY DIFFERENTLY.
>> CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? IF WE GO TO SLIDE 13, PLEASE.
I'M GOING TO JUST USE THE EARLY LITERACY AS AN EXAMPLE, DR. WEI.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, WE CHANGED OUR EARLY LITERACY PROGRAM ABOUT ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO NOW.
YOU CAN SEE HOW BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE NEW PROGRAM, NEW CURRICULUM, AND WORKING WITH OUR STUDENTS OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE THAT HAS AN IMPACT BECAUSE YOU'VE SEEN MORE OUR STUDENTS YEAR AFTER YEAR ARE ACTUALLY CATCHING UP AND EITHER THEY ARE READING ON OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
THAT'S I THINK WHAT NALLY WAS SAYING.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES MULTIPLE YEARS, AND YOU WANT TO START WITH THE REALLY PRE KINDER, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE A BUILDING BLOCK, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MATH TOO, YOU NEED TO TEACH THEM RIGHT FROM THE FOUNDATION AND YOU KEEP BUILDING ON THAT.
WE ARE HOPING THAT EVERYTHING WITH THE BLUEBONNET MATH CURRICULUM,
[01:00:03]
THE NEW CURRICULUM THAT WE ARE STARTING USING THIS YEAR, THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL SEE ALSO A LOT OF GROWTH, BUT TYPICALLY, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IT MORE WITH THE YOUNGEST ONE, THE KINDER AS WITH THE BUILDING BLOCKS AS THEY GET BETTER AND BETTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE SYSTEMS IN PLACE IN OUR SCHOOLS, OUR TEACHERS, AND OUR STAFF OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE INTERVENTIONS AND WE HAVE INTERVENTIONISTS.
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF WHAT WE CALL LAYERS OF INTERVENTIONS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS, BUT THE HOPE IS START EARLY, START WITH THE RIGHT CURRICULUM, RIGHT PROCESSES AND SYSTEMS THAT WAY, WE HAVE FEWER KIDS AS YOU MOVE FROM FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD, WHO MIGHT NEED INTERVENTION DOWN THE ROAD, DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
>> THANK YOU. I JUST HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
FOR THE GOAL OF 83%, YOU MENTIONED MAYBE IN MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WE HAD A BETTER IDEA HOW WE PERFORMED.
I JUST CURIOUS HOW CONFIDENT WE ARE TO ACHIEVE 83%.
>> DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION? NO, I WASN'T SURE IF IT WAS RHETORICAL OR.
>> NO. I JUST WONDERING YOU MENTIONED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WE MAY HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING HOW YOU PERFORMED.
>> THE REALITY OF IT, I WISH I COULD SAY, OH, I'M SUPER CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET TO 83%.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE REALITY OF HOW THINGS WORK WITH ROLLING OUT CURRICULUM, WITH TEACHING A SYSTEM TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRICULUM AND REALLY HAVE CAPACITY TO ROLL IT OUT TO SUCCESS.
WHENEVER YOU ROLL OUT THE CURRICULUM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT HAPPEN AT THE SAME TIME.
NUMBER 1, THE CURRICULUM WRITERS HAVE TO GO BACK AND FIGURE OUT, IS THERE SOMETHING WE NEED TO EDIT? EVERY TIME WE GET DATA BACK FROM OUR SYSTEM, WE FIGURE OUT IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO WRITE DIFFERENTLY IN ORDER TO ENGENDER GREATER LEVELS OF SUCCESS.
WE'RE ALWAYS STUDYING OUR DATA FOR THE DATA TO TELL US, HEY, WE NEED TO WRITE THIS SECTION A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT, IS THERE A CERTAIN GRADE LEVEL THAT'S STRONGER THAN OTHER GRADE LEVELS? IT GIVES US INSIGHT AS FAR AS I IT CURRICULUM? IS IT A MATTER OF WE DIDN'T TEACH AND TOOK IT CORRECTLY? OFTENTIMES WE WILL GO BACK, WE WILL SIT DOWN.
I'LL SAY SHOW ME ALL THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT WE HAVE DONE FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS TO FIGURE OUT THEN IF THE ISSUE IS NOT NECESSARILY THE CURRICULUM ITSELF, BUT HOW THEN WE'VE TAUGHT INTO PEOPLE HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE CURRICULUM AND HOW TO USE THE CURRICULUM.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE ARE WE SHORT AND WHAT DO WE NEED TO WORK ON IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE A FIGHTING CHANCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
ALONG WITH THE CURRICULUM AND THEN SIDE BY SIDE, THEN WE ALWAYS DEVELOP AN INTERVENTION PROCESS AS FAR AS HOW DO PEOPLE READ THE DATA? WHEN THE TEACHERS GET THE DATA, IT'S NOT A MATTER OF THEY'RE JUST LOOKING AT A COMPOSITE SCORE.
FOR BOTH OF THESE SCREENERS, IT'S BROKEN DOWN INTO SEVERAL DIFFERENT COMPONENTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND.
FOR EXAMPLE, BOTH IN EARLY LITERACY AND EARLY NUMERACY, THE COMPONENTS BUILD UPON EACH OTHER.
IF YOU SEE IT LIKE A DOMINO, THIS COMPONENT, IT MIGHT BE THAT I BREAK DOWN THE STUDENT'S COMPOSITE SCORE, AND LET'S SAY THERE ARE THREE COMPONENTS THEY'RE NOT DOING WELL ON.
I CAN'T TEACH INTO ALL THREE COMPONENTS BECAUSE I NEED TO TEACH THIS COMPONENT BEFORE I CAN GET TO THIS COMPONENT.
EVERY TIME WE HAVE A NEW CURRICULUM, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT DOES INTERVENTION? HOW DOES IT HAVE TO LOOK DIFFERENT BASED ON WHAT WE NEED TO TEACH IN ORDER TO GET THEM THERE? IT'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT ARE LIVING SIDE BY SIDE.
THIS SUMMER, OUR INTERVENTION TEAM, BUT IT'S NOT A HUGE TEAM, IT'S A TEAM OF MAYBE SIX, HAVE BEEN WORKING AROUND THE CLOCK BASED ON THE NEW CURRICULUM.
HOW DO I CREATE A NEW INTERVENTION? AT THE SAME TIME, MS. SIMMONS, WHO'S OVER OUR RESEARCH AND ACCOUNTABILITY HAVE TO BUILD OUT, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT WAYS FOR US TO GET DATA TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR STUDENTS, WITH THE CURRICULUM.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES THAT GO SIDE BY SIDE.
AGAIN, NOT THAT I DON'T THINK EVERYONE IS WORKING, THEY'RE WORKING INCREDIBLY HARD, BUT THE WAY SYSTEM CHANGE WORKS, IT'S A MATTER OF WE'RE MEASURING AND FIGURING OUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS AT THE SAME TIME AND TWEAKING AS WE GO IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE.
IT'S THE SAME THING WE SAW WITH EARLY LITERACY.
WITH NEW CURRICULUM, WE SAW A BIT OF A BUMP THE FIRST YEAR, BUT THEN THE SECOND YEAR WE MADE SOME CHANGES, SOME OF IT STABILIZED, SOME OF IT JUMPED AGAIN, THE THIRD YEAR EVEN HIGHER.
THEN AFTERWARDS, WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THIS YEAR IS LEVELED OUT BECAUSE
[01:05:02]
YOU KNOW THAT YOU'VE GOTTEN THE MOST THAT YOU CAN OUT OF THE CURRICULUM.NOW IT'S A MATTER AND WE CONSIDER CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TIER 1.
NOW WE HAVE TO LOOK AT TIER 2, WHICH IS OUR INTERVENTION PROCESS AS FAR AS THE KIDS THAT DIDN'T GET IT ARE NOT PERFORMING WHERE WE NEED TO, HOW TO TIGHTEN UP ON THE INTERVENTION PROCESS TO MAKE SURE THEN WE CAN GET THAT ADDITIONAL 20% TO THE LEVELS THAT WE NEED.
EVERYTHING WORKS AND STAGES AS FAR AS FINE TUNING EACH OF THOSE PROCESSES.
THAT WAS A LONG ANSWER TO SAY, THAT'S WHY I DON'T THINK WE'LL PROBABLY GET TO 83.
I WILL GET UP RIGHT IN FRONT OF THERE, AND I'M NOT A DANCER.
BUT I WILL DANCE A GIG FOR YOU, SIR.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENT EXPLANATION.
I DON'T HAVE ANY EDUCATION BACKGROUND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? JESSE LANDRUM.
>> BACK TO SLIDE 13, I'M JUST TRYING TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THIS DATA, DOES THIS OR COULD THIS ALSO BE INTERPRETED AS SAYING FROM KINDERGARTEN TO FIRST GRADE, THERE WERE 14% OF STUDENTS WHO MADE MORE THAN ONE YEAR OF ACADEMIC GROWTH?
>> THEN FROM KINDER TO I MEAN FROM FIRST TO SECOND, THERE WERE 5% ADDITIONAL STUDENTS WHO MADE MORE THAN ONE YEAR OF ACADEMIC GROWTH, THAT'S PHENOMENAL.
>> IF WE MOVED FROM 55-55, IT MEANS THEY STILL MADE GROWTH BECAUSE I MOVED FROM PASSING AT THE KINDERGARTEN LEVEL TO PASSING AT THE FIRST GRADE LEVEL.
EVEN WHEN THE DATA STAYS THE SAME, IT STILL REPRESENTS GROWTH, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THEY GAINED ONE YEAR OF GROWTH.
>> WHICH IS WHAT YOU WOULD EXPECT.
>> THIS IS EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
>> IT'S REALLY CAPTURING MORE STUDENTS.
GETTING THE STUDENTS WHO ARE BEHIND GRADE LEVEL NOW THEY ARE ON GRADE LEVEL.
IT'S REALLY EXPONENTIAL GROWTH.
THIS IS A HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT FOR OUR TEACHERS WHO MADE THIS HAPPEN FOR OUR STUDENTS.
>> IT'S ONLY THAT ONE ADDITIONAL YEAR OF ACADEMIC GROWTH THAT SOMEBODY IS GOING TO EVER CATCH UP IF THEY COME IN BEHIND.
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMERGENT BILINGUAL GROUP AND HOW HIGH THEIR NUMBERS ARE? THEY'RE OUTPERFORMING EVERY GROUP EXCEPT FOR OUR ASIAN KINDERGARTNERS.
>> IS THAT BECAUSE WE'RE TESTING IN THEIR HOME LANGUAGE NOW?
>> THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO UNDERSTAND.
WHEN WE DO EARLY LITERACY, WE ALWAYS HAVE TESTED THEM IN THEIR HOME LANGUAGE.
WHEN WE TEST THEM IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH, AND WE TAKE THE BETTER OF THE TWO.
SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BETTER OF THE TWO IS IN SPANISH.
THERE HAS TO BE AN UNDERSTANDING THEN OF THAT THE SPANISH IS PUT TOGETHER VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN ENGLISH.
THE SYLLABLES, THE NUMBER OF SOUNDS, AS COMPARED IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IS DIFFERENT, SO IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR THEM TO LEARN THAT AT THAT GRADE LEVEL.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY THAT THEY'RE AT THAT POINT WAY BETTER THAN THEIR ENGLISH COUNTERPARTS.
BUT WHAT IT TAKES FOR THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL ON THEIR TEST IS VERY DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE LANGUAGE ITSELF IS SET UP DIFFERENTLY.
WITHIN ENGLISH WHEN YOU COUNT THE NUMBER OF SOUNDS PER EACH LEVEL, LETTER AND TOTALLY DIFFERENT IN SPANISH.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER EARLY ON.
BUT WITHIN OUR DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAM, WHEN YOU GO HIGHER UP, YOU SEE WHERE THINGS START TO CHANGE BECAUSE THE WHOLE POINT OF IT IS FOR THEM TO DEVELOP BY LITERACY, AND I NOW WANT TO MOVE THEM TO WHERE STRONG FOUNDATION IN THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE, BUT ALSO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE STRONG IN YOUR SECOND LANGUAGE AS WELL, BECAUSE I NEED TO GET YOU TO LITERACY AND GREAT READING COMPREHENSION.
OFTENTIMES AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THAT TRANSITION, WHERE YOU SEE THEM THERE MIGHT BE A BIT OF A DROP BECAUSE THEN WE MIGHT BE TAKING NOT NECESSARILY THE SPANISH TEST.
EVERYTHING IS DEPENDENT ON THEIR GRADE THAT THEY'RE IN, AS FAR AS WHICH TEST BASED ON THE LANGUAGE, WE'LL TAKE PRECEDENCE.
THERE'S A TRANSITION PROCESS AS FAR AS WHAT LANGUAGE WE WANT THEM TO BE USING WITHIN WHICH CONTENT.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE REALLY TIGHTENED UP ON IN REGARDS TO OUR DUAL LANGUAGE ON PROGRAMMING.
>> THAT'S FABULOUS. MY LAST IT'S NOT REALLY EVEN A QUESTION, IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT, BUT ALL OF THE SLIDES THAT LOOK LIKE SLIDE 7 WITH THE BAR GRAPH, IT'S AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR PRE-K, AND HOW WELL OUR STUDENTS DO WHEN THEY HAVE AN ADDITIONAL BOOSTER,
[01:10:01]
SOMETIMES OUTPERFORMING THE REST OF THEIR COUNTERPARTS BY UP TO 20% IN STUDENT GROUPS.I'M SO PROUD OF THE INVESTMENT THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS MADE INTO PRE-K BECAUSE IT IS TRULY AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR HOW WELL PRE-K AND HOW MUCH OF AN ADVANTAGE IT GIVES TO THESE STUDENTS.
>> JUST DO A QUICK SHOUT OUT TO OUR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, MISS SHANAHAN, AS FAR AS THE PROGRAM.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE ENJOYING THE HIGHEST NUMBERS WE'VE HAD EVER.
WE HAVE ABOUT 1,500, I THINK 22 OR 32 KIDS, WHICH IS SEVERAL HUNDRED HIGHER THAN WE'VE EVER HAD IN THE PAST.
THEY'VE REALLY BEEN GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND TO PUSH THOSE NUMBERS AND THE PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN SAYING MY CAMPUS, MY CAMPUS, CAN I ADD TO MY CAMPUS AS WELL.
ANOTHER POINT TO POINT OUT WITHIN THE PRE-K4 PROGRAM IS THIS.
THIS PROPORTIONATELY HOW WHAT'S THE WORD? YOU GET INTO THE PROGRAM IS BY YOUR FIRST LANGUAGE IS NOT IN ENGLISH, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THOSE NUMBERS IS WHERE THEY'RE BREAKING THE TREND FROM WHAT YOU SEE WITHIN OUR OTHER GROUPS, AS FAR AS TO TRY TO EQUALIZE THE SYSTEM.
I WAS ASKED THE QUESTION BY ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND THE QUESTION WAS IN REGARDS TO WHAT ARE THE CONTRIBUTING FACTORS IN REGARDS TO OUR HISPANIC AND AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDENTS SCORING AT LOWER LEVELS.
USUALLY WHEN I TALK ABOUT THIS AND SHOW THIS SLIDE. HOW DO I EXPLAIN? I AM ALWAYS FEARFUL THAT PEOPLE WILL MAKE A FALSE CORRELATION AS FAR AS SAYING, THIS IS BECAUSE STUDENTS OF COLOR OR SPED STUDENTS ARE NOT AS SMART AS OTHER STUDENTS.
WHEN REALLY AND TRULY, WHEN WE BREAK DOWN THE DATA, WE SEE THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND THIS IS REALLY ONE OF ECONOMICS.
WHEN WE PULL THE NUMBERS ASIDE AND WE LOOK PURELY AS FAR AS WHETHER OUR STUDENTS ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN, HISPANIC, WHITE.
IF OUR STUDENTS ARE IN POVERTY, OFTENTIMES THAT'S THE DRIVER.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT THAT POVERTY DICTATES WHETHER I'M SMART OR NOT, BUT POVERTY DOES DICTATE ACCESS, AND IT DOES DICTATE OPPORTUNITY.
IT DICTATES SOMETIMES HOW MUCH TIME MY PARENTS HAVE AND ALSO MAYBE THEIR LEVEL OF EDUCATION TO BE ABLE TO HELP ME.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE UNDERSTANDING IT AND NOT LOOKING AT IT AND MAKING THAT FALSE CORRELATION, BUT UNDERSTANDING THE NUANCE AND THE MANY FACTORS BEHIND IT, TO EXPLAIN THEN WHY OUR STUDENTS SHOW UP THIS WAY.
I THINK EARLIER, A QUESTION WAS ASKED SPECIFICALLY IN REGARDS TO OUR PARTNERSHIP, WHY WE CHANGED IT AND WHY WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON KINDERGARTEN.
I WANT FOR US TO REMEMBER THESE WORDS BECAUSE IT GOES RIGHT TO THE HEART OF THAT.
THE WHOLE POINT IS, WE WANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO WHERE OUR ALLIANCES WITH OUR COMMUNITY AND ENGAGE IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN DO THE MOST GOOD AND REALLY TURN THIS AROUND AND GIVE PEOPLE THE MOST OPPORTUNITY.
AGAIN, WE HAVE SHOWN THAT AT KINDERGARTEN, THIS IS THE PLACE WHERE YOU WANT TO TURN AROUND THE DATA, KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE.
AFTER THAT, EVERYTHING BECOMES EXPONENTIALLY HARDER TO DO.
IF WE GET THEM THERE, WE FOCUS THERE AND WE WIN THERE, THEN PRETTY MUCH PEOPLE CAN ACCESS ANYTHING THEY WANT.
IT'S UP TO THEM AS FAR AS WHAT OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
>> YEAH ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT EXPLANATION.
IF YOU START THE RACE BEHIND, IT'S HARD TO EVER CATCH UP.
I APPRECIATE THE EMPHASIS THAT THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING ON IN KINDERGARTEN.
>> THAT'S ACTUALLY A GREAT TRANSITION TO OUR NEXT PRESENTATION WITH OUR FRAME [LAUGHTER].
>> I THINK WE HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION.
>> THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING MY QUESTION.
>> AS A STUDENT WHO WENT THROUGH THAT SAME PROCESS A LONG TIME AGO.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IS EXPLAINED.
FOR FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS, WE HAVE THE STUDENTS THAT HAVE BEEN THROUGH KINDERGARTEN.
WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THOSE STUDENTS OVERALL, ARE NEW TO THE DISTRICT AND ARE, HAVE THE FIRST INTERACTION.
IF I'M A FIRST GRADER AND I COME INTO THE DISTRICT, DO YOU GUYS KEEP TRACK OF, HAVE THEY BEEN HAD ANY INTERACTION ANY ELSE ELSEWHERE?
>> ARE YOU ASKING ME WHETHER OR NOT FOR FIRST TIME STUDENTS, IF WE TRACK AS FAR AS INTERACTION WITH? I'M NOT SURE.
>> FOR THE FIRST GRADERS AND SECOND GRADERS, STUDENTS THAT COME IN NEW TO THE DISTRICT? HAVE THEY HAD ARE WE KEEPING TRACK OF THOSE STUDENTS AND HAVE THEY
[01:15:05]
HAVE INTERACTION PRIOR TO COMING INTO THE DISTRICT?>> AS FAR AS WITH INTERVENTION, CURRICULUM OR? OFTENTIMES, WE'RE NOT PROVIDED THAT INFORMATION.
WE WILL KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE COMING FROM ANOTHER SCHOOL.
BUT OTHER THAN THE LEVEL OF HOW WELL THEY DID, WE WON'T USUALLY GET THAT INFORMATION.
UNLIKE OUR STAR SCORES WHERE THAT INFORMATION, THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO PULL THAT FROM THE STATE LEVEL AND PUT IT ONCE A STUDENT TRANSFERS TO US.
BUT IN REGARDS TO SCREENER SCORES, THAT USUALLY LIVES WITHIN A DISTRICT SYSTEM, AND SO THAT IS NOT USUALLY TRANSFERABLE.
WE WON'T NORMALLY HAVE THAT INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS COMING NEW WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU SO MUCH.
WE APPRECIATE IT. MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM F2 LITERACY PARTNERSHIP, DR. AZAIEZ.
AGAIN, I WANT TO WELCOME OUR FRIENDS HERE TO HELP US PRESENT.
I THINK DR. COMPS YOU WILL BE THE ONE PRESENTING ALONG WITH OUR FRIENDS.
ALL RIGHT. IF YOU CAN JOIN US, PLEASE.
ACTUALLY, WHAT THE QUESTION WAS, HOW CAN WE BREAK THOSE BARRIERS, ESPECIALLY FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE LIVING IN POVERTY AND LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS.
THAT'S WHY WE THOUGHT ABOUT RE-ENVISIONING OUR LITERACY PARTNERSHIP, AND WE WERE VERY FORTUNATE AS A DISTRICT TO HAVE A GREAT PARTNER THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF GREAT WORK AND VOLUNTEERING WORK WITH OUR DISTRICT, BUT I THINK WITH DR. COMPS, IF YOU CAN TAKE IT FROM HERE, BUT I THINK IT'S YOU WHO CAME UP WITH MAYBE THIS IDEA, CHANGING IT.
WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M GIVING YOU FULL CREDIT.
>> JUST GO AHEAD AND PRESS YOUR BUTTON.
THE RED LIGHT WILL SHOW YOU THAT IT'S ON. PERFECT.
>> I LIKE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE TEAM, AND IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE, DEFINITELY TO BE TRANSFERMATIONAL AND INNOVATIVE BECAUSE THE DATA IS TELLING US TO DO THAT.
BOARD PRESIDENT, TRUSTEES, DR. AZAIEZ, ON BEHALF OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS PARENT TEAM.
THANK YOU FOR THE TIME TODAY TO SHARE THE COLLECTIVE WORK OF OUR STAFF AS IT RELATES TO BOARD GOAL ONE EARLY LITERACY.
MY NAME IS DR. JILL GUMS AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS, PRESENTING ON BEHALF OF MY TEAM.
FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, PARENT LIAISONS HAVE BEEN MAKING OUTSTANDING STRIDES WITH LEADING OUR PARENTS AND FAMILIES WITHIN ACADEMIC FOCUS, EARLY LITERACY, THE RAISING READERS INITIATIVE.
THIS CURRENT YEAR, WE ARE BUILDING ON OUR ESTABLISHED FOUNDATION BY STRATEGICALLY USING DIAGNOSTIC STUDENT DATA TO REACH MORE STUDENTS WITH TARGETED RESOURCES, SUCH AS THE RAISING READERS LITERACY ACTIVITY KITS, AND HOW WE PARTNER WITH STRONG PEOPLE RESOURCES SUCH AS EDUCATION CONNECTION.
THE AIM OF BOARD 1 OR GOAL 1, EARLY LITERACY IS TO INCREASE THE PERCENTAGE OF THIRD GRADE STUDENTS PERFORMING AT MEETS GRADE LEVEL AND ABOVE.
WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS IN K2 EARLY LITERACY AS DR. NICHOLS HAS SHARED WITH US.
OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS STARTED LAST YEAR AT 57% AND GREW TO 78%.
AS A DISTRICT, WE CERTAINLY CELEBRATE THAT WE MET OUR 24/25 END OF YEAR KINDERGARTEN GOAL OF 78%.
AS YOU HAVE RECOGNIZED, SEVERAL PRINCIPALS, KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS, AND AREA SUPERINTENDENTS TONIGHT FOR THAT WORK.
THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO ARE READING ON LEVEL BY THE END OF KINDERGARTEN IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE FROM THE BASELINE YEAR 67% TO 80% BY THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR 2026.
HOWEVER, AS OF THE END OF LAST SCHOOL YEAR, AS WELL AS FOR THIS CURRENT BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, EARLY LITERACY RESULTS, WE HAVE OVER 300 KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS IN OUR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS THAT HAVE SCORED BELOW OR WELL BELOW GRADE LEVEL.
[01:20:09]
OUR ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO ENSURE EVERY CHILD READS PROFICIENTLY BY THE END OF THIRD GRADE.RECENT RESEARCH SUGGESTS, AS YOU'VE ALREADY HEARD TONIGHT, THAT STUDENTS READING ON GRADE LEVEL AT THE END OF FIRST GRADE IS ALSO A SUCCESS PREDICTOR.
WE KNOW THIS IS A CRITICAL BENCHMARK FOR FUTURE ACADEMICS AND LIFE SUCCESS.
WE ARE WORKING TO CHANGE LIVES.
OUR DISTRICT DATA SHOWS THAT A TARGETED APPROACH IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS, ESPECIALLY IN OUR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS.
BY FOCUSING ON EFFORTS ON OUR EARLIEST YOUNGEST LEARNERS, WE CAN MAKE A BIGGER DIFFERENCE AND SET THEM UP FOR A LIFETIME OF SUCCESS.
IN THE PAST PARTNERSHIP MODEL, VOLUNTEERS WORKED WITH GRADES ONE THROUGH THREE, AND WITH SOME FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADERS, ONE ON ONE FOR 15 MINUTES.
THE SCHOOL COORDINATOR VARIED FROM CAMPUS TO CAMPUS, AND SOMETIMES THE SCHEDULE OVERLAPPED INTO CORE INSTRUCTION.
WE ARE MOBILIZING OUR POWERFUL VOLUNTEER NETWORK WITH EDUCATION CONNECTION TO SUPPORT OUR 14 TITLE 1 SCHOOLS AND THE ONE NON TITLE 1 SCHOOL THAT IS AT THE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED THRESHOLD.
ELEVEN OF OUR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS ARE DUAL LANGUAGE SCHOOLS, AND WE ARE PARTNERING WITH EDUCATION CONNECTION TO RECRUIT BILINGUAL VOLUNTEERS.
EDUCATION CONNECTION WILL WORK WITH TWO STUDENTS IN OUR NEW MODEL FOR 30 MINUTES, USING LITERACY ACTIVITY, KITS, GAINS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS.
THE KEY SKILLS THAT ARE NEEDED TO LEARN HOW TO READ IS WHAT WE WILL FOCUS ON NOW.
OUR PARENT LIAISONS, THEY WILL SERVE AS THE SCHOOL COORDINATOR IN THIS CRUCIAL IMPROVEMENT AND WORK.
IT MEANS THE PROGRAM NOW HAS A DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL STAFF MEMBER WITH BUILT-IN ACCOUNTABILITY OVERSEEING OPERATIONS, WHICH IS WHAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE EFFICIENCY, CONSISTENCY, AND PROGRAM EVALUATION THIS BASELINE YEAR WITH OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS.
THE PARENT TEAM IS IMPLEMENTING AN INTERNAL KEY PERFORMANCE DATA TRACKER.
WE HAVE A KPI TRACKER TO INFORM OUR WORK, AND WE'RE UTILIZING THIS TO TRACK OUR ACADEMIC EVENTS THAT WE HAVE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT ALSO WITH THIS NEW TRANSFORMATIONAL INITIATIVE BY TRACKING EVERY STUDENT VOLUNTEER INTERACTION.
THAT IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO ACCURATELY MEASURE PROGRESS AND PROGRAM FIDELITY.
CURRENTLY, WE HAVE CAMPUS ORIENTATIONS WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS UNDERWAY, AND OUR TARGET START DATE IS THE WEEK OF OCTOBER 27, AND WE ARE SO EXCITED.
THE PARENT LIAISONS AND TITLE 1 COORDINATOR HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO CREATE LITERACY ACTIVITY KIT RESOURCES, AND VIDEOS AND INSTRUCTION SETS, JUST EXCELLENT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO JUST JUMP IN AT ANY TIME.
I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED OR PROUD OF MY TEAM.
DR. HERNANDEZ, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR IS HERE WITH US TONIGHT, AND WE ALSO APPRECIATE ALL OF HER SUPPORT WITH THIS AMAZING DEVELOPMENT.
THE REST OF THE PARENT TEAM ARE CURRENTLY IN WACO, TEXAS.
I DROVE IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE AGO, ATTENDING THE STATE PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT CONFERENCE.
THEY WERE SELECTED TO PRESENT A SECOND TIME THEIR WORK WITH ROUND ROCK ISD'S EARLY LITERACY INITIATIVES.
WE ARE IMPACTING NOT ONLY ROUND ROCK ISD, BUT THE ENTIRE STATE, AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR US TO COME BACK MULTIPLE TIMES TO PRESENT A STATE CONFERENCES.
AGAIN, WE'RE JUST SO EXCITED THAT WE'RE GOING TO NOW MOBILIZE THIS WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING AND MAKING AN IMPACT WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS IN A VERY STRATEGIC WAY.
PLEASE ALLOW ME A MOMENT TO INTRODUCE EACH OF THEM IN THEIR ABSENCE TO RECOGNIZE OUR COLLABORATIVE WORK.
SIBYL LEE, WHO IS OUR TITLE 1 COORDINATOR AND OUR EIGHT PARENT LIAISONS AS PHOTOGRAPH THERE.
MARTHA CHANDLER, TANGELIA PRUITT, DAISY GUERRERO, YASMIN RADINSKY, AMY HIGGASON,
[01:25:03]
ALEJANDRA SOULE, DEBBY MATA, AND CLAUDIA ROSALES.WOW. THEY ARE TRULY A INVALUABLE PARTNER THAT HAS MOBILIZED HUNDREDS OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO SUPPORT LITERACY.
THEIR LITERACY PARTNERSHIP HAS MADE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE LIVES OF SO MANY STUDENTS IN ROUND ROCK ISD SINCE 2016.
TONIGHT, WE RECOGNIZE THE EDUCATION CONNECTION LEADERSHIP FOR THEIR COMMITMENT AND PARTNERSHIP IN STRATEGICALLY EVOLVING THIS PROGRAM TO MEET OUR HIGHEST NEEDS STUDENTS.
PLEASE ALLOW ME TO YIELD THE FLOOR TO EDUCATION CONNECTIONS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, AMY WILKE, WHO WILL INTRODUCE YOU TO HER DISTINGUISHED EDUCATION CONNECTION BOARD MEMBERS AND CORE TEAM AND JUST HIGHLIGHT THE AMAZING THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING WITH THEIR WORK WITH US.
>> THANK YOU. ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW VENTURE WITH ROUND ROCK ISD.
LIKE SHE SAID, WE HAVE BEEN A PARTNER OF ROUND ROCK ISD SINCE 2016.
WE STARTED OUR LITERACY PROGRAM AT BRUSHY CREEK ELEMENTARY, WHERE MY STUDENTS WENT, MY CHILDREN WENT, ACTUALLY, AND HAVE WEIGHT.
FROM THERE, WE HAVE JUST GROWN THE PROGRAM.
WE WERE IN 28 OF THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
WITH THIS NEW FOCUS, WE ARE ABLE TO BRING ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON THE 15 TITLE 1 OR 14, WITH ONE EDITION TITLE 1 SCHOOL.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL A CORE TEAM FOR OUR ROUND ROCK ISD DISTRICT BECAUSE WE ARE IN 18 SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
OUR CORE TEAM, A COUPLE OF THEM WE'RE HERE TODAY AS WELL AS OUR BOARD.
YES. WE HAD NANCY BRIEGER AND WE HAD KAREN VANOVERLOOP HERE, WHO WERE IN THE PICTURE, AND THEN ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WAS HERE.
ONE OF THEM WAS ABLE TO COME AND THAT WAS SUZANNE LOGSDON.
WE ARE JUST AGAIN, GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL THAT WE GET TO CONTINUE TO BE A PARTNER WITH YOU AND WE HOPE TO CONTINUE AND JUST SEE THE AMAZING RESULTS THAT WILL COME OF THIS NEW STRUCTURE. THANK YOU.
>> AMY, THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION, OBVIOUSLY.
BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A TRAINING THAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY, IF YOU CAN TALK MORE ABOUT, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> I KNOW YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE VIDEOS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO KITS THAT THE TEAM PUT TOGETHER.
EVERYTHING IS PRETTY MUCH RIGHT, IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT IT, PLEASE.
>> YES. EDUCATION CONNECTION IS A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
THERE ARE ONLY THREE STAFF MEMBERS AND THE REST ARE ALL VOLUNTEERS.
OUR CORE TEAM, EVERYONE THAT WAS ON THAT, THAT'S ALL VOLUNTEER.
FROM THAT, WE JUST MOBILIZE THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH A CHURCH, A BUSINESS, WHOEVER WE CAN GET OUR HANDS ON, BASICALLY ON THE RADIO, ET CETERA.
WE DO PSAS, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO, SHE HAD MENTIONED BILINGUAL.
WE ARE ON TWO OF THE LATIN STATIONS IN AUSTIN AND SURROUNDING AREA TO BUILD OUT OUR VOLUNTEERS THAT WAY AS WELL.
BASICALLY, YES, WE ARE A TURNKEY.
THEY SIGN UP WITH US THROUGH OUR WEBSITE.
THEN FROM THERE, THEY DO A BACKGROUND CHECK THROUGH THE DISTRICT.
ONCE THEY ARE BACKGROUND CHECKED IN OUR SYSTEM AS AN APPLICATION, THEN WE TRAIN THEM ANNUALLY.
WE GO THROUGH ALL OF THE INFORMATION LIKE FERPA AND THINGS THAT PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW BEFORE THEY EVEN TOUCH A CAMPUS.
WE TALK ABOUT THE KITS THIS YEAR THAT ARE NEW TO OUR VOLUNTEERS.
THERE ARE SIX KITS THAT WERE CREATED BY THE TEAM HERE IN ROUND ROCK FOR OUR LITERACY PARTNERS, WHICH IS WHAT WE CALL OUR VOLUNTEERS TO GO THROUGH THOSE PACKETS, AND THEY ARE TWO WEEKS PER PACKET THAT THEY WILL SPEND WITH THOSE TWO STUDENTS.
THE MODEL HAS CHANGED A LITTLE BIT TO WHERE IT'S NOT ONE ON ONE, IT'S ONE VOLUNTEER WITH TWO STUDENTS.
HAVING THAT PIER WORK TOGETHER WILL HELP AS WELL FOR THEIR LITERACY AND HELPING GET THROUGH THE MATERIAL.
[01:30:03]
I THINK YOU CAN SPEAK BETTER ON THOSE SPECIFIC KITS AS THEY'RE THE TEAM THAT CREATED THOSE.WE ARE IMPLEMENTING THEM FOR THE DISTRICT.
>> THANK YOU, AGAIN. I KNOW THAT TWO SATURDAYS AGO, IT WAS ABOUT 90 VOLUNTEERS WHO GET TOGETHER AND WERE TRAINED.
I KNOW YOU'RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME MORE BECAUSE YOU WANT TO HIT 150, BECAUSE WE HAVE 300 STUDENTS IN OUR TITLE 1 CAMPUSES WHO NEED THIS EXTRA SUPPORT.
AS OF TODAY, WHEN I CHECKED BEFORE I LEFT, WE HAVE 109 APPROVED VOLUNTEERS.
WE HAVE A FEW THAT WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THROUGH OUR SYSTEM, MAKING SURE THAT THEY GET BACKGROUND CHECKED, ET CETERA.
WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT ALL OF THEM WILL CONTINUE THE PATH AND WE'LL JOIN.
>> I DON'T KNOW IF, DR. GOMES, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT ALSO KITS AND THE PURPOSE OF EACH KIT? WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? THAT WAY, I GUESS FOR ALL BOARD MEMBERS, ALSO OUR COMMITTEE MEMBER TO UNDERSTAND, PLEASE.
>> YES. THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. AZAIEZ.
WE HAVE A KIT THAT STARTS WITH THE PRECURSOR SKILLS, THOSE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS THAT STUDENTS MUST HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO READ.
WE START WITH PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND WE ALSO HONE IN ON LETTER NAMES.
WE HAVE THE KITS HERE IN CASE YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THEM LATER.
BUT AGAIN, LIKE MS. WILKE STATED, THE VOLUNTEERS WILL WORK WITH THE STUDENTS IN A ROTATION, AND THAT ROTATION STARTS THEM WITH TWO WEEKS WITH THE FIRST KIT.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN, THE ABC CHART, THAT IS THE VERY FIRST KIT THAT YOU'RE GOING TO USE, AND THE STUDENTS WILL BE IDENTIFYING THE LETTERS IN UPPERCASE AND LOWERCASE AND HAVE ANY OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THE LETTERS TO WHAT THEY RECOGNIZE.
IT'S VERY SCRIPTED BUT EVERYTHING IS MADE IN A VERY SIMPLISTIC WAY BECAUSE AGAIN, WITH OUR RAISING READERS INITIATIVE THAT WAS STARTED WITH THE PARENT LIAISONS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
WE MADE SURE THAT THESE WERE RESOURCES THAT PARENTS CAN USE VERY QUICKLY AT HOME AND THAT WE COULD PROVE THAT THEY WORK.
WE JUST HAVE A LARGER GAP IN OUR TITLE 1 SCHOOLS BECAUSE STUDENTS AGAIN ARE SOMETIMES STARTING BEHIND COMPARED TO SOME OF THEIR PEERS.
THE SECOND KIT, IT IS A KIT THAT ALLOWS THEM TO CONTINUE ON PHONEMIC AWARENESS AND LETTER NAMES, AND THEN IT GRADUALLY MOVES UP TO LETTER SOUNDS AND DECODING.
ONE OF THE ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT WE KEPT IN THIS WORK IS THE OPPORTUNITY TO READ TO STUDENTS AS WELL.
THE 30 MINUTES IS GOING TO GIVE US A SOLID 20 MINUTES FOR SURE OF ATTENTION WITH THE STUDENT AND DOING THOSE CRITICAL SKILLS.
IN KINDERGARTEN ATTENTION IS A LITTLE SHORTER.
WE ARE MAXIMIZING THAT TIME BECAUSE WE'VE FACTORED IN THE VOLUNTEERS COMING INTO THE BUILDING, GOING TO THE CLASSROOM TO PICK UP THE STUDENT AND THE KIT, TO RETURNING BACK THE KIT AND THE STUDENT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, AND THEN MOVING THEM THROUGH THE ROTATION OF THE VARIOUS KITS IS VERY SYSTEMATIC IN THAT WAY AS WELL. YEAH.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. GOMES AND OUR PARTNERS AT EDUCATION CONNECTION.
WE APPRECIATE YOU. TRUSTEES, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE ZARATE.
>> NOT A QUESTION AS MUCH AS JUST A COMMENT.
TRUSTEE LANDRUM AND I WERE AT THE TRAINING A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND I WAS VERY HEARTWARMING TO SEE THE COMMUNITY COMING OUT AND BEING EXCITED ABOUT THIS VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY.
IT WAS INTERESTING SEEING OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TRAIN EACH OTHER ON THESE GAMES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
I LOVE AN ORAL HISTORY AS IT GOES THROUGH, AS FAR AS EDUCATION IS CONCERNED.
IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE WORKING ON HERE.
JUST THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
>> YES. THANK YOU, AND YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. IT'S A PLEASURE.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. NOT LETTING YOU OFF THE HOOK YET.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO AND THIS ACTUALLY MAY BE DIRECTED AT DR. AZAIEZ, BUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE HAD A PRESENTATION THAT OUR PARENT LIAISONS WERE DOING COMMUNITY OUTREACH WITH PARENTS, AND ACTUALLY BRINGING THE MATERIALS TO PARENTS, TEACHING THEM HOW TO USE IT.
>> YES. WE ARE EVOLVING OUR WORK IN JUST A MORE STRATEGIC WAY.
[01:35:05]
>> AWESOME. THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS, BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME PROGRESS MONITORING AND COLLECTING DATA ON THIS PROGRAM? WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET AN UPDATE AND A BOARD UPDATE LATER ON?
>> ON THE 300 STUDENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OR?
>> WE DEFINITELY CAN RUN SOME NUMBERS ON THEM.
DO YOU SEE HOW THIS PROGRAM AND WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE 300 KIDS AND HOW THEY ARE PROGRESSING, I GUESS? SURE. WE CAN LOOK AT THAT DATA FOR SURE.
>> DO I HAVE CONSENSUS ON GETTING THAT INFORMATION AND A BOARD UPDATE? THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE IT.
NO OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
>> WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM F3 2025-26 BUDGET UPDATE, AND I'M ASSUMING MR. COVINGTON.
>> TO SET THE STAGE, WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET IN JUNE, WE AMENDED IT IN AUGUST, AND BASED ON OUR CALENDAR, WE HAVE TO BRING A BUDGET UPDATE EVERY QUARTER.
THAT IS OUR PURPOSE HERE TONIGHT, SO WE WILL UPDATE THE M&O BUDGET AS OF CURRENT THAT WE KNEW OF AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS MONTH.
TO EXPLAIN THE LAYOUT OF WHAT'S ON YOUR SCREEN, THERE ARE FOUR COLUMNS.
WITH THE ONE FAR TO THE LEFT IS THE ADOPTED BUDGET.
THE SECOND ONE FROM THE LEFT IS THE AMENDED BUDGET DONE IN AUGUST.
TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON THE THIRD ONE, WHICH IS THE TRUE BUDGET AMENDMENT.
THEN THE LAST ONE IS A PICTURE THAT I JUST NEED TO EXPLAIN, SO YOU ALL CAN UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE IF THINGS WORK OUT WITH THE STATE.
REMEMBER, WHEN WE AMENDED THE BUDGET BACK IN AUGUST, WE HAD PUT IN WHAT WE THOUGHT WOULD BE OUR BUDGET WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BEING FULLY RESTORED BY THE LEGISLATURE.
WHEN WE WENT TO UPDATE THE BUDGET, WHICH IS IN THE THIRD COLUMN, THERE WERE SOME CHANGES.
WE LOWERED OUR ENROLLMENT FROM THE 471 TO THE 46,147, WHICH WAS THE ENROLLMENT AS OF THAT DAY.
WE MAINTAINED THE 94 PERCENT ADA.
BUT THE MAJOR CHANGE IN THAT COLUMN IS, THERE WAS A CALL BY REGION 13, AS YOU ALL KNOW, THERE'S THIS THING CALLED THE OLD MARSH SPREADSHEET THAT HELPS THE STATE DETERMINE FUNDING.
HE PUT OUT A NEW RELEASE WHICH SHOWED THE IMPACT OR PROJECTED IMPACT OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
IF YOU LOOK ON THE TOP GREEN COLUMN, I MEAN, THE TOP GREEN ROWS, YOU WILL SEE THE IMPACT OF WHAT THE STATE THINKS THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO 140,000 VERSUS 100,000 AND THE IMPACT OF THOSE CALCULATIONS WHEN THEY CHANGED THEM BEFORE COST THE DISTRICT.
AS FAR AS THE WHAT WE CALL TIER 1 REVENUE, BASED ON YOUR MCR, WE LOST ABOUT $10.5 MILLION.
FOR OUR GOLDEN PENNIES, WE LOST ABOUT $1.2 MILLION, BASED ON THE IMPACT OF THE PROJECTED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION GROWING 100,000-140,000.
THE REST OF THE NUMBER AS YOU SEE DOES NOT CHANGE UNTIL YOU GET DOWN TO THE STATE REVENUE.
HERE AGAIN, IS THE FALLACY OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE STATE FOR 16 DISTRICTS WITHIN THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND WE ARE CALLED THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES DISTRICTS.
IF YOU LOOK, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE PROJECTED OUR STATE REVENUE BACK IN AUGUST, TO BE $52 MILLION, AND WE SEE IT'S STILL VERY CLOSE AT $52 MILLION.
BUT WHAT THAT DOES NOT SHOW IS THAT WHEN WE DONE THE $52 MILLION IN AUGUST,
[01:40:01]
IT WAS THE HOPE THAT THE STATE WAS GOING TO COVER TO HOLD US HARMLESS FOR THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.BUT THE $52 MILLION THAT YOU SEE THERE NOW, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS NOT A LOT OF CHANGE, BUT WE LOST $11 MILLION IN OUR TAX COLLECTIONS.
WE ARE LOSING MONEY BECAUSE OF THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
I WILL EXPLAIN THE RIGHT COLUMN IN A MOMENT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR TOTAL REVENUES FROM OUR AUGUST AMENDMENT TO OUR SEPTEMBER AMENDMENT HAS DROPPED 482 MILLION TO 471 MILLION.
BUT LET ME BACK UP ONE MOMENT.
THE SCHOOL HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES, SHARS, WE HAVE SUBMITTED OUR COST REPORT.
THE AUDITORS HAVE REVIEWED IT, AND WE'RE IN THE FINAL STAGES.
I HAVE ADDED THE $1.3 MILLION THAT WE ARE, I WOULD SAY, 85-90 PERCENT SURE THAT WE WOULD GET THAT THIS YEAR FOR OUR SHARS.
THOSE ARE THE CHANGES IN OUR REVENUE.
I'M GOING TO COME BACK TO THE SLIDE IN A MINUTE, SLIDE 3, SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT COLUMN ON THE FAR RIGHT.
AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS COLUMN, THIS IS OUR PROJECTED EXPENDITURES FOR SALARY AND BENEFITS.
THE ONLY CHANGE THAT YOU SEE IS THAT WE ADDED A LINE, IT SAYS COMPENSATION EXPENSE ADJUSTMENTS OF ABOUT $4 MILLION.
THESE ARE TO PUT INTO THE BUDGET THE THINGS THAT HAD NOT BEEN BUDGETED BEFORE AND TO COVER SOME SHORTAGES THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR SPED.
IT WAS ABOUT 2 MILLION ADDED FOR SPED.
WE HAVE ABOUT, I THINK LIKE $1 MILLION FOR RETIREE PAYOUTS.
THEN WE ALSO HAVE, IT'S CALLED THE TRS CARE, FOR WHEN WHEN WE HIRE RETIREES.
WE'RE SPENDING ABOUT $800,000 DOING THAT.
WE ADDED SOME FUNDS BACK FOR SUBS.
THAT'S WHAT MADE UP THE $4 MILLION.
OUR EXPENSES GREW FROM THE 430,858 TO THE 434.8 FOR THE AMENDMENT.
OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR OUR ALLOCATIONS HAVE NOT CHANGED FROM WHEN WE AMENDED THE BUDGET IN AUGUST TO WHERE THE AMENDMENT IS NOW.
OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES FOR THE AMENDMENT IS 483,220.
>> BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW NOW, WHICH IS THAT THERE'S SOME WORK TO BE DONE AT THE LEGISLATURE, OUR TOTAL REVENUE IS 471,877, OUR TOTAL EXPENSES OF 483,220, WHICH LEAVES A DEFICIT BUDGET OF $11.3 MILLION.
LET'S BACK UP TO OUR REVENUES AND TALK ABOUT THIS COLUMN IN THE FAR RIGHT.
AS YOU CAN SEE RIGHT BELOW THE YELLOW, IT SAYS TRA FUNDING EXPECTATION.
SINCE WE LOST THE REVENUES THAT'S DUE TO THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, THAT WOULD MEAN THAT WE CAN NO LONGER COVER THE TRA EXPENSES, $45,000 FOR FIVE-YEAR AND ABOVE TEACHERS, AND THEN 2,500 FOR THE THREE-YEAR AND FOUR-YEAR TEACHERS.
IF YOU LOOK OVER IN THE FAR RIGHT, YOU SEE THE LOSS OF THE REVENUE IN THE FIRST TWO GREEN NUMBERS.
YOU SEE THE CHANGE IN THE STATE REVENUE WHERE THEY WILL OWE US AN ADDITIONAL $3 MILLION, JUST IN THE BASIC STATE REVENUE COLUMN, AND THEY SHOULD COVER THE DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR EXPENSES FOR THE TRA.
BASED ON THIS ALLOCATION, IF THE STATE DID WHAT WAS APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATURE AND NOT HOLD THE 16 SCHOOL DISTRICTS AS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES VICTIMS, OUR REVENUE WOULD GROW 471,877-488,199.
ON THIS PAGE, YOU'LL SEE WHERE WE HAVE BROKEN OUT THE TRA TO SHOW THAT THE 13,278,000 IS THE SAME AMOUNT THAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE FOR REVENUE OF 13,278.
[01:45:04]
JUST BASED ON THOSE TWO NUMBERS, WE WOULD HAVE A POSITIVE BALANCE OF ALMOST $5 MILLION.I'LL PAUSE THERE BECAUSE THE REST OF THIS IS STUFF YOU WILL SEE WHEN WE DO THE AMENDMENT IN THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I JUST PUT IT IN THIS BECAUSE THIS AMENDMENT HAS TO BE IN ALIGN WITH THAT THIRD COLUMN, WHICH IS THE TRUE BUDGET AMENDMENT BASED ON THE INFORMATION WE KNOW AS OF TODAY.
FURTHER COMMENT, WE HAVE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH ORGANIZATION THAT HAS TALKED TO THE LEGISLATURE AND TEA.
TEA HAS CHANGED THIS YEAR HOW THEY MAKE PAYMENTS TO DISTRICTS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO RUN WHAT THEY CALL A PROJECTED SETTLE-UP BASED ON YOUR 1ST, 2ND, AND 3RD SIX WEEKS IN FEBRUARY.
AT THAT TIME, TEA HAS TOLD US AND THIS ORGANIZATION THAT THAT'S WHEN THEY COULD GET MORE SOLID NUMBERS TO GO BACK TO THE LEGISLATURE AND TRY TO GET THIS UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FIXED, SO WE WON'T KNOW ANY ANSWERS UNTIL FEBRUARY.
>> ANY QUESTION? TRUSTEE LANDRUM.
>> YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION THAT I HAD WRITTEN DOWN, BUT HOW CAN THE LEGISLATURE STILL IMPACT THIS IF THEY'RE NOT IN SESSION? WHO'S GOING TO MAKE THIS DECISION, IN FEBRUARY, IF THEY'RE NOT MEETING?
>> THE LEGISLATORS SHOULD NOT BE INVOLVED.
WELL, THEY MIGHT NEED TO MAKE SOME PHONE CALLS TO THE COMMISSIONER.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY AT THE END OF THE SESSION.
WHEN TEA RUN THE NUMBERS, THEY DISCOVERED THAT THE 16 SCHOOL DISTRICT, WE WERE ONE OF THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICT, LEANDER IS ANOTHER ONE.
THERE ARE A FEW IN CENTRAL TEXAS AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS IN NORTH TEXAS.
THE IDEA, WHEN THEY DISCOVERED THAT THERE WAS A COMMITMENT FROM THE TEA COMMISSIONER WHO TALKED TO THE LEGISLATORS AT THAT TIME, I EVEN HAD CONVERSATION WITH OUR REPRESENTATIVE, MR. BUCY.
BUCKLEY WAS INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION.
BUCKLEY IS THE CHAIR OF EDUCATION. THANK YOU.
ALSO, MR. [INAUDIBLE], ALL THESE FOLKS HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THESE 16 SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN ROUND ROCK ISD THE SHOULD GET THEIR MONEY THAT ARE GIVEN TO TEACHERS WITH THREE OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
BUT TO DENNIS' POINT, THEY COULDN'T PRETTY MUCH DETERMINE THIS YET, HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE THE IMPACT UNTIL IT WILL BE FEBRUARY, MARCH, REALLY.
BECAUSE TYPICALLY, THE WAY IT WORKS WITH TEA IN THE PAST IS THEY USE PROJECTED NUMBER FROM LAST YEAR AND THEY TELL YOU, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO GET THIS MUCH MONEY, LIKE STATE AID.
THEN BASED ON THE CLASS 1, 02, OR 3, YOU GET THAT MONEY DIVIDED UP IN THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT WORK, AND THEY DID WHAT'S CALLED A SETTLE-UP TYPICALLY IN AUGUST.
THAT'S WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOUR ADA AND EVERYTHING, ALL THE DATA, FOR THE WHOLE YEAR AND THEN DETERMINE, YOU KNOW WHAT? YOU'RE STILL SHORT THIS MUCH MONEY, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU THE DIFFERENCE, OR YOU SHOULD GIVE US SOME MONEY BACK BECAUSE YOUR NUMBERS WENT DOWN, OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE.
THAT SETTLE-UP, USUALLY, HAPPEN IN AUGUST.
THIS YEAR IS, ACTUALLY, THEIR FIRST YEAR IMPLEMENTING THIS SYSTEM, SO THE SETTLE-UP, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT TILL AUGUST ANYMORE.
YOU WILL GET THE DATA FOR THE FIRST 3, 6 WEEKS, AND IN FEBRUARY, THEY RUN THE NUMBERS AND IN MARCH, WE'LL LET US KNOW MORE OR LESS WHERE WE WILL BE, NOT JUST US, EVERY SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE STATE, AND THE IMPACT TO 16TH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THAT'S WHERE WE KNOW HOW SHORT IT WILL BE FROM THAT $13,278,000.
THE IDEA IS TO TELL THEM, WE'RE SHORT, LET'S SAY, 10 MILLION OR FIVE MILLION, OR MAYBE OKAY, AND THEN FOR THE COMMISSIONER TO ADJUST THAT AND PROVIDE THE DIFFERENCE FOR THESE 16TH SCHOOL DISTRICT.
BUT UNTIL THEN, IT'S GOING TO BE VERY HARD FOR US TO KNOW HOW MUCH THE IMPACT WOULD BE FOR US.
WE ARE PROJECTING THIS, BUT COULD BE MORE, COULD BE LESS.
BUT THE END OF THE DAY, HE PROMISED ALL LEGISLATORS THAT THAT MONEY SHOULD BE GIVEN TO SCHOOL DISTRICT, BECAUSE THAT WAS PASSED IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
[01:50:03]
I KNOW IT'S A LONG ANSWER.DO YOU HAVE A SUMMARY OF FINANCE OPEN, OR WE CAN SHOW THAT STUFF TO THEM? GO AHEAD.
>> NO, SIR, I DO NOT HAVE THAT.
>> NO WORRIES. BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE FOR OUR BOARD MEMBERS ALSO TO SEE HOW CRAZY THE WAY IT'S CALCULATED.
EVEN FOR US, WHEN WE LOOK AT, WE CALL IT SUMMARY OF FINANCE, HOW TEA CALCULATES.
AGAIN, WE CALL IT STATE AID, WHICH IS NOT THE AID, BUT THE STATE PORTION, I GUESS, OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>> WHEN WE LOOKED AT IT LAST WEEK, EVEN YESTERDAY, THE STATE HAS PROJECTED TO RECEIVE $87 MILLION FROM STATE AID.
IF THEY GAVE US $87 MILLION, WE WILL HAVE NO PROBLEMS. WE WOULD TAKE IT AND BE QUIET.
BUT WHEN THEY DO THIS SETTLE-UP IN FEBRUARY, MARCH, WHEN THEY PUT IN ALL OUR REAL DATA INSTEAD OF THE DATA THAT THEY HAVE IN THERE NOW FROM LAST YEAR, IT'S GOING TO GET, HOPEFULLY, DOWN TILL THEY OWE US 67 OR $68 MILLION, WHICH WILL INCLUDE THE DOLLAR-FOR-DOLLAR EXPENSE FOR THAT TRA THAT THEY PASSED.
>> ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE ON? TRUSTEE ROSS.
>> IT'S MORE OF A COMMENT TO, I THINK, OUR COMMUNITY.
THIS IS JUST, I DON'T KNOW, MY THOUGHTS THAT I WOULD BE HESITANT TO BE EXCITED ABOUT A POSSIBILITY OF $5 MILLION SURPLUS, AND JUST THINK THAT WE KNOW THAT SO MANY THINGS ARE UP IN THE AIR THAT EVEN SHARS FUNDING IS 85% AVAILABLE TO US OR THAT YOU THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.
WHAT HAS BEEN SHOWN TO ME, ON MY LIMITED TIME ON THE BOARD OF THE LAST YEAR, IS IT HARDLY EVER ENDS UP LIKE HOW WE IDEALLY WANT.
THEY ARE WORKING WITH THE BEST INFORMATION THAT THEY HAVE, AND THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB, BUT I WOULD NOT WANT PEOPLE TO GO OFF AND THINK, WE'RE ALL SET.
IF THIS ALL SETS, WE GOT $5 MILLION THAT WE NEED TO GO PAY NEW SUBS FOR OR WHATEVER ELSE, AND I WOULD HESITATE.
>> NO, THANK YOU FOR THAT. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAUTIOUS.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW YOU THIS REAL QUICK, BUT TO YOUR POINT, OUR SHARK REIMBURSEMENT, JUST TWO YEARS AGO, USED TO BE ALMOST 7.5 MILLION.
EVEN US HAVE AN 85% HOPE THAT WE WILL GET $1.3 MILLION.
YOU SEE HOW MUCH THAT'S IMPACTING OUR FINANCES.
I WOULD JUST WANT TO SHOW YOU VERY QUICK, IF YOU CAN MAKE IT BIGGER, PLEASE.
IT'S PUBLIC RECORD. THIS IS HOW WE ACCESS WHAT THE STATE PART, AS I SAID.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN NOW ALL THE WAY TO THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, YOU SEE IN JULY 7, ALL THIS IS PRIMARY BECAUSE THE NUMBERS GOES UP AND DOWN.
OR AT 18, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO GET SUPPOSEDLY $18 MILLION FROM THE STATE.
IT'S CALLED FOUNDATION ALLOTMENT, WHICH IS REALLY THE STATE.
>> BEING RECAPTURE, AND WE HAVE TO GIVE $15 MILLION BACK, THIS IS TO REMIND YOU, AFTER WE CAME TO YOU FOR THE BUDGET APPROVAL.
WE ALREADY CAME TO YOU AND THE TEA KEEP GIVING US NUMBERS UP AND DOWN EVERY MONTH.
THEN YOU CAN SEE FROM THERE, ONE UP TO 57 MILLION, NO RECAPTURE AND THEN A ONE UP TO 84 MILLION, THEN ONE UP DOWN TO 80 MILLION, AND NOW IT'S 80 MILLION.
IF YOU REMEMBER WHAT DENNIS SHOWED YOU IS ACTUALLY IN THE 50-55 MILLION.
EVEN TEA IS NOT PROVIDING US WITH GOOD INFORMATION THAT CAN HELP US WORK IN OUR BUDGET.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO KNOW THIS IS ALMOST LIKE BEING A MAGICIAN, MAKE THINGS WORK HERE WITH A LOT OF UNKNOWNS, AND EVEN TEA CANNOT EVEN GIVE US A STRAIGHT ANSWER, PRETTY MUCH.
>> DO WE GET TO PICK WHICH ONE WE LIKE THE BEST?
>> I WOULD LOVE THAT. IF WE HAD 80 MILLION, WE WON'T BE HAVING CONVERSATION ABOUT ANY DEFICIT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET $80 MILLION.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, UNFORTUNATELY.
>> MY LAST QUESTION. [OVERLAPPING]
>> JUST A REMINDER TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
>> JUST A REMINDER TO PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND TO BE CALLED UP.
IT'S HARD BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE OUR BUTTONS, SO I'M JUST REMINDING.
>> I'M SORRY. I FORGOT THAT YOU ASKED A QUESTION IN BETWEEN, OR YOU MADE A STATEMENT.
>> I JUST MADE A STATEMENT. I'M GOOD.
>> MAYBE IT'S A FLOW FROM YOURS.
[01:55:03]
THESE DECISIONS OR THESE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE HAPPENING ABOUT OUR BUDGET, EITHER WE AS TRUSTEES OR WE AS A COMMUNITY? DO WE NEED TO HAVE VOICES HEARD IN AUSTIN?>> WELL, FOR NOW, LIKE YOU JUST SAID, THERE IS NO LEGISLATIVE SESSION GOING ON SO THE LEGISLATORS CAN DO MUCH.
HOPEFULLY, WE START HAVING CONVERSATION FOR THE NEXT SESSION, OBVIOUSLY, AND MAKE ALL OUR VOICES HEARD THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THIS.
I THINK IT'S A BROKEN SYSTEM, THAT'S WHAT I THINK IT IS.
BUT I THINK WE WANT TO WAIT, OBVIOUSLY, UNTIL FEBRUARY AND MARCH WHEN WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA WHERE THIS NUMBER WILL BE, AND ALSO HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO GET FOR THE INCREASE IN HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION, IF IT'S VOTED AND APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
I THINK FOR NOW, WE JUST HAVE TO BE CAREFUL.
I THINK YOU MENTIONED, WE HAVE TO BE SUPER CAUTIOUS ABOUT THE SITUATION.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY PAY ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET AND OUR EXPENDITURES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE HAVE TO WAIT I THINK FEBRUARY, MARCH, THAT'S WHEN WE'LL HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF WHERE WE STAND.
>> I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY, ARE WE GOING TO ADOPT ANY AMENDMENT TONIGHT OR JUST A QUARTERLY REPORT?
>> YES. IN THE CONSENT AGENDA, THE AMENDMENT MATCHES THAT THIRD COLUMN.
>> TRUSTEES, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE A BRIEF RECESS BEFORE WE GO INTO OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. LET'S COME BACK AT 8:10, 08:15. HOW LONG DO WE NEED?
IT IS 7:57, AND WE'RE IN RECESS.
[NOISE] IT IS 8:10, AND WE ARE BACK IN SESSION.
[G. DISCUSSION ITEMS]
BOARD STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS TIME TRACKER, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO TRUSTEE LANDRUM.>> YOU CAN TELL BY OUR SCREEN THAT WE HIT 26.2% OF OUR MEETING MINUTES IN SEPTEMBER, TALKING ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES, SO WAY TO GO.
ANY QUESTIONS? AWESOME. SEE YOU NEXT MONTH.
>> [LAUGHTER] THANK YOU SO MUCH.
NOW, WE ARE MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM G2, BOARD TRAINING HOURS.
YES, THERE ARE ALL OF OUR TRAINING HOURS.
EVERYBODY HAS EXCEEDED THEIR REQUIREMENTS.
TRUSTEE CUERO, YOU CAN SEE DOWN THERE AT THE BOTTOM, IS STILL WORKING ON HIS, BUT HE'S ONLY BEEN ON THE JOB FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME, SO HE'S WORKING TOWARD IT.
THEN I DO HAVE SOMETHING I HAVE TO READ.
COMPLETING THE REQUIRED CONTINUING EDUCATION IS A BASIC OBLIGATION AND EXPECTATION OF ANY SITTING BOARD MEMBER UNDER THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION RULE.
I BELIEVE THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT TRAINING HOURS?
>> WHO FINISHED IN FIRST? [LAUGHTER]
>> [LAUGHTER] MOVING ON TO ITEM G3, THE WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL DANCE STUDIO NAME DEDICATION.
TRUSTEES, JUST FOR CONTEXT, AS PART OF THE PROCESS FOR NAME DEDICATION, THIS MONTH, WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THIS ITEM AND THEN IT WILL COME BACK TO US NEXT MONTH FOR APPROVAL.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. AZAIEZ.
>> I THINK ZACH, YOU'RE GOING TO BE TAKING IT RIGHT.
I'M SURE YOU HEARD SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS HERE AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY SITTING WITH US, AND WE'RE HERE TO CELEBRATE ACTUALLY REALLY ONE OF OUR DANCE TEACHER.
SHE ALSO WAS OUR DANCE COORDINATOR IN ROUND ROCK ISD, I WANT THE TEAM REALLY TO HIGHLIGHT ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT YOU DID FOR ROUND ROCK ISD FOR OUR COMMUNITY HERE. GO AHEAD ZACH.
>> GOOD EVENING, TRUSTEES AND DR. AZAIEZ.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT.
MY NAME IS DR. ZACH OLDHAM AND I'M THE PROUD AREA SUPERINTENDENT OF THE WESTWOOD LEARNING COMMUNITY.
[02:00:02]
WITH ME TONIGHT, I HAVE ERIN CAMPBELL, WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL.NO ONLY AS AREA AND OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL AND LEADER OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, SHE'S ALSO A ROUND ROCK ISD PRODUCT AND ALUMNI OF WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL, CANON VISTA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SPICEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AS A LIFETIME ROUND ROCK ISD STUDENT, STAFF MEMBER, AND PARENT, AS WELL AS A PREVIOUS MEMBER OF THE WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL DANCE TEAM.
SHE HAS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE AND CONNECTION TO THE DISTRICT AND THE LEARNING COMMUNITY.
AT THIS POINT, I'LL TURN THE MICROPHONE OVER TO MISS CAMPBELL.
>> THANK YOU, DR. OLDHAM. THANK YOU, DR. AZAIEZ, PRESIDENT MARKUM AND TRUSTEES.
IT'S AN HONOR TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING, AND YOU'VE HEARD SOME GREAT THINGS ABOUT MARLA ALREADY AND I WANT TO BE ABLE TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS FROM HER TIME IN OUR DISTRICT.
IT WAS AMAZING TO SEE THE HIGHLIGHT VIDEO AT THE START OF THE MEETING, AND WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF EDUCATORS THAT COME TO US FROM MANY PATHS.
SHE CAME TO WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL STRAIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE, AND SHE WORKED HER ENTIRE CAREER IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
YOU CAN SEE THERE SHE WAS AT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL FROM 1996-2021.
I DO HAVE A VERY UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE.
HER FIRST YEAR AT WESTWOOD WAS MY FRESHMAN YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. DON'T DO THE MATH.
THE LATTER PART OF HER CAREER, SHE OVERLAPPED.
SHE TAUGHT DANCE HALFTIME AT WESTWOOD.
WHEN DENISE COCHRAN RETIRED IN 2019, SHE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AS ONE OF THE COORDINATORS, SPECIALIZING IN OUR DANCE PROGRAMS. SHE DIDN'T WANT TO LOSE THAT CONNECTION WITH THE CLASSROOM, SO SHE REMAINED AS A DANCE TEACHER THROUGH 2021 AND THEN FINISHED HER CAREER AS ONE OF THE DANCE COORDINATORS.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD POLICY CW (LOCAL), WE HAD OUR WESTWOOD SITE-BASED ADVISORY COMMITTEE REVIEW THIS PROPOSAL TO RENAME OUR WARRIOR DANCE STUDIO AT WESTWOOD AS THE MARLA VALK DANCE STUDIO IN HONOR OF MARLA.
SHE PASSED AWAY IN AUGUST OF 2024.
MY COMMITTEE MET ON SEPTEMBER 16TH AND UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THIS PROPOSAL.
RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE A PICTURE OF OUR GORGEOUS WARRIOR STUDIO AS IT STANDS TODAY.
A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT MARLA.
MARLA WAS THE DIRECTOR FOR THE SUNDANCERS DANCE TEAM, THAT IS OUR VARSITY TEAM AT WESTWOOD.
THEN SHE FOUNDED WARRIOR PRIDE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR ENSEMBLE DANCE TEAMS IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY COOL THAT WE HAVE IN ROUND ROCK.
SOMETIMES PEOPLE REFER TO THIS AS A JV TEAM.
IT'S A PROGRAM FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE PERHAPS A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS.
WE HAVE STUDENTS IN WARRIOR PRIDE WHO ARE ALSO IN ORCHESTRA.
WE HAVE STUDENTS IN WARRIOR PRIDE WHO ARE ALSO IN ROBOTICS.
IT'S A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS FOR STUDENTS TO STILL PERFORM AND THEY PERFORM AT SOME FOOTBALL GAMES AND A PEP RALLY, BUT ARE ALSO ABLE TO EXPLORE OTHER THINGS, WHEREAS THE VARSITY TEAM TAKES MORE TIME AND HAS A HIGHER LEVEL OF COMMITMENT.
SHE FOUNDED THAT AND NOW ALL FIVE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE THOSE PROGRAMS. SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ADDING ACADEMY DANCE CLASSES TO WESTWOOD.
BACK IN THE DAY, WE USED TO HAVE GENERAL DANCE CLASSES, WHICH WAS A SURVEY COURSE OF DIFFERENT STYLES OF DANCE.
THROUGH THE ACADEMY PROGRAM, WE WERE ABLE TO OFFER SPECIALIZED COURSES IN JAZZ, MODERN AND BALLET IN ADDITION TO THE SURVEY COURSE.
BACK IN 1999, THE DISTRICT OPENED THE HARTFIELD PERFORMING ARTS CENTER.
I WASN'T HARTFIELD YET, BUT THE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER NEXT TO MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL.
AT THE TIME, OUR THREE HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT PERFORMED THEIR SPRING SHOWS IN GYMNASIUMS, AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE THAT TO A STAGE PRODUCTION WAS A BIG JUMP AND SOMETHING THAT TOOK A LOT OF NEW PLANNING AND NEW IDEAS, AND MARLA WAS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING THAT LEAP HAPPEN.
THAT WAS A HUGE PART IN WHAT NOW WE SEE WHEN WE ATTEND SPRING SHOWS HERE IN OUR DISTRICT.
SHE INSPIRED 10 FORMER STUDENTS TO BECOME PUBLIC SCHOOL DANCE DIRECTORS.
WHAT'S REALLY COOL IS THAT THOSE ROOTS CONTINUE TO GROW BECAUSE I HAVE A FORMER STUDENT WHO'S NOW A DANCE DIRECTOR, AND SHE HAS A FORMER STUDENT WHO IS NOW A DANCE DIRECTOR AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL.
SHE HAS GENERATIONS OF EDUCATORS THAT CONTINUE TO FOLLOW IN HER FOOTSTEPS.
SHE ADDITIONALLY INSPIRED 13 FORMER SUNDANCERS TO GO ON TO KILBURN COLLEGE TO BE MEMBERS OF THE WORLD FAMOUS KILBURN HOLGER RANGERETS.
ALSO AT WESTWOOD, IN 1998, THE DISTRICT APPROVED A BOND OR THE COMMUNITY APPROVED A BOND TO INSTALL A DANCE FACILITY.
IT WAS AT THAT TIME, THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF DANCE STUDIOS.
MARLA WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVOCATING FOR THAT.
[02:05:02]
DANCERS WOULD PRACTICE IN THE CAFETERIA AND IN HALLWAYS AND BASICALLY ANYWHERE THAT THEY COULD FIND SPACE.HAVING THIS DANCE STUDIO WAS A TREMENDOUS PIECE IN ADVANCING THE DANCE EDUCATION AND THE PROGRAM AT WESTWOOD, AND THAT WAS DUE TO MARLA'S ADVOCACY.
FOR THE 2018 BOND PROJECT, WHEN SHE WAS STILL WITH US AT WESTWOOD, SHE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ADVOCATING FOR THAT AS WELL AS THE NEEDS FOR DANCE PROGRAMS EVOLVED AT THAT TIME.
SHE WAS A BIG PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS AND THE DESIGN PHASE OF THAT WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT IT HAD EVERYTHING THAT THE FACILITY SHOULD HAVE FOR OUR DANCERS AND OUR STUDENTS.
IN HER ROLE AS A ROUND ROCK ISD FINE ARTS COORDINATOR, SHE SUPPORTED AND MENTOR DANCE STAFF, 50+ DANCE TEACHERS, MANY OF WHOM ARE STILL WITH US IN THE DISTRICT, IMPROVED OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR ELEMENTARY DANCE, RE-ESTABLISHED OUR BALLET FOLKLORICO PROGRAMMING.
SHE ESTABLISHED A PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL WHICH CONNECTS ALL SECONDARY FINE ARTS BOOSTER ORGANIZATIONS.
SHE ESTABLISHED A MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCE CONVENTION SO THAT OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL DANCERS COULD HAVE AN ADVANCED OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN DANCE, AND SHE INITIATED A MOVEMENT FOR ATHLETES DANCE COURSE, WHICH, IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO A SPRING SHOW, AND SEEN THE MOVEMENT FOR ATHLETES DANCE IS AN AMAZING COURSE AND A WAY FOR US TO CROSS TRAIN OUR ATHLETES, AND SHE WAS THE ONE WHO HELPED US INITIATE.
IN ADDITION TO HER TREMENDOUS IMPACT HERE IN ROUND ROCK AND AT WESTWOOD, SHE WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HER CONTRIBUTIONS TO DANCE EDUCATION ACROSS THE STATE AND WAS AWARDED THE 2021 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD BY THE TEXAS DANCE EDUCATORS ASSOCIATION.
I WANTED TO MAKE SURE I SHARED WITH YOU.
WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN BUDGET TIMES.
MARLA HAS A VERY DEAR COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS AND FAMILY, AND FORMER STUDENTS AND FORMER FAMILIES THAT SHE TAUGHT THAT HAVE RAISED FUNDS TO COVER ANY EXPENSES THAT ARE RELATED TO THE RENAMING SUCH AS SIGNAGE AND HAVING A PLAQUE THAT COMMEMORATES HER.
THOSE FUNDS HAVE BEEN RAISED ALREADY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DOESN'T COME OUT OF ANY DISTRICT FUNDS.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
>> TRUSTEES, DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? TRUSTEE ZARATE.
THIS IS THE THING THAT I LOVE ABOUT OUR DISTRICT.
HONORING SOMEONE WHO OBVIOUSLY MADE AN IMPACT ON SO MANY PEOPLE AND STILL MAKES AN IMPACT TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR COMING AND TELLING US MORE ABOUT HER.
WHERE I WENT TO SCHOOL, I'M NOT GOING TO NAME ANY NAMES, BUT, MY MOTHER WAS THE THEATER TEACHER THERE FOR 51 YEARS.
THEY WERE BUILDING A NEW PERFORMANCE CENTER, AND A GROUP OF EX-STUDENTS DECIDED TO TRY TO GET THEM TO NAME IT AFTER HER.
THEY WOULDN'T EVEN ENTERTAIN THE IDEA BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT TO START NAMING THINGS AFTER TEACHERS.
BECAUSE THEY WERE AFRAID THEY'D GET AN INFLUX OF PEOPLE WANTING THAT.
WE DON'T DO THAT UP HERE THOUGH.
I LOVE THAT. I LOVE THAT WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VOTE ON THIS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT I MIGHT GET TO VOTE OR WILL GET TO VOTE ON THIS, AND I HOPE WE PASS THIS THING. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? TRUSTEE ROSS.
>> DO YOU LIKE MY TINY LITTLE HAND RAISE? I WENT AND TALKED TO SOME OF OUR GUESTS A FEW MINUTES AGO.
I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH MARLA.
SORRY. JUST KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.
SHE WAS EVERYTHING THAT WE HAD SPEAKERS TALK ABOUT HER EARLIER.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AGAIN, SUPPORTING TEACHERS AND RECOGNIZING THEIR LONG-TERM CONTRIBUTIONS TO OUR COMMUNITIES.
>> THANK YOU. I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
I'LL JUST SAY, WHAT A WONDERFUL LEGACY THAT MARLA HAS LEFT, JUST FROM ALL THE PEOPLE THAT SHOWED UP FOR HER TONIGHT, THIS PRESENTATION.
THIS IS JUST A HIGHLIGHT OF THE NIGHT TO SEE YOU GUYS HONORING A TEACHER THIS WAY.
I THINK THAT'S IT. NO OTHER QUESTIONS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>> I'LL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH. [LAUGHTER]
TRUSTEE ZARATE RECENTLY ATTENDED THE MEXICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION ANNUAL CONFERENCE, AND SO HE IS GOING TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.
>> YES, I AM. THE MEXICAN AMERICAN SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION FOR STUDENT EQUITY, EXCUSE ME, WAS HELD IN SAN ANTONIO.
IT WAS A GREAT CONFERENCE. IT ALWAYS IS.
I'VE GONE THREE YEARS IN A ROW NOW, AND I LEARNED SOMETHING NEW EVERY SINGLE TIME.
I'LL JUST START OFF TRYING NOT TO MAKE THIS TOO LONG.
I GOT A LOT OF STUFF TO COVER HERE.
[02:10:01]
IT STARTED OFF WITH A KEYNOTE FROM THE IT'S CALLED THE STATE OF LATINA EDUCATION BY SELINA MORENO, WHO IS THE PRESIDENCY OF IDRA WHO WE HAVE WORKED WITH.SHE WAS JUST BASICALLY ASKING, WHO ARE LATINO STUDENTS AND HISPANIC STUDENTS.
MOST, LIKE FIVE MILLION OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE ONE UNDOCUMENTED PARENT IN THE STATE.
I BELIEVE SHE WAS TALKING ABOUT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
29% OF K-12 STUDENTS ARE LATINA.
RESEARCH SAYS THAT STUDENTS BASICALLY HAVE THREE CORE NEEDS, TO FEEL SAFE AND SENSE OF BELONGING, TO BE INVESTED IN AND TO BE PREPARED FOR ACCESS TO COLLEGE.
WE ALL KNOW THAT. BUT WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW WITH SOME OF OUR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS, IT'S A LITTLE HARD FOR THEM TO FEEL THAT WAY AND TO SEE THAT HAPPENING.
STUDENTS ARE WORRIED ABOUT DEPORTATION FOR THEIR FAMILY OR THEM AND ARE IN DESPERATE NEED OF HEALTH CARE RIGHT NOW, LIKE MENTAL HEALTH CARE.
ABSENCES HAVE INCREASED 22% SINCE ICE RAIDS STARTED, AND SHE WARNED OF THE TEXAS THREE-STEP, WHICH WE KNOW ALL TOO WELL IN PUB ED, WHICH IS ONE, DEFUND SCHOOLS, TWO, DEMONIZED SCHOOLS AND THREE, PRIVATIZED SCHOOLS.
IT WAS QUITE A DARK SPEECH, AND IT SHOOK US ALL.
THAT'S HOW WE STARTED THE WEEKEND.
THEN WE WENT ON TO A SPEECH AGAIN, ON EQUITY FROM MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS BY MONTSERRAT GARIBAY.
SHE'S THE FORMER ASSISTANT DEPUTY SECRETARY FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION UNDER BIDEN.
SHE IS AN IMMIGRANT, SO HER JOURNEY WAS INTERESTING.
IT WAS INTERESTING TO SEE A REAL STORY OF IMMIGRATION TO AMERICAN SUCCESS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
SHE POINTED OUT THAT THERE ARE 5.3 MILLION ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN SCHOOLS, AND 78% ARE CITIZENS.
SOMETHING TO RECALL WHEN PEOPLE ARE PUTTING OUT THE FALSE NARRATIVE THAT PEOPLE WHO DON'T SPEAK ENGLISH IN OUR COUNTRY ARE NOT FROM HERE, JUST NOT TRUE.
SHE MENTIONED THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE LENS THAT WE LOOK AND THIS CORRELATES TO WHAT DR. NICHOLS WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
HOW WE LOOK AT OUR BILINGUAL STUDENTS THROUGH ADVANCED CLASSES? I THINK A LOT OF TIMES SHE SAID THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE A SUPERPOWER, THEY'RE BILINGUAL, AND A LOT OF TIMES THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF ANOTHER LANGUAGE OTHER THAN ENGLISH IS LOOKED DOWN UPON AND NOT LOOKED UPON AS A ADVANTAGE.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY DO THAT IN THIS DISTRICT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S PERVASIVE AROUND THE STATE.
SHE TALKED ABOUT THE DANGER OF TITLE 3 FUNDING GOING AWAY, WHICH IS EQUAL EDUCATION IS WHAT THAT COMES DOWN TO FOR EVERYONE.
DATA IS GOING TO BE THE DEFENSE OF THAT.
IF WE TAKE OUR DATA AND STOP LOOKING AT IT AS A PUNITIVE THING, LIKE TEA SOMETIMES DOES, AND START LOOKING AT AS A FLASHLIGHT THAT WILL ILLUMINATE WHAT WE'RE DOING WRONG AND RIGHT, WE MIGHT MAKE SOME MORE ADVANCEMENTS.
I THOUGHT IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD SPEECH.
THEN, THEN WE HAD A KEYNOTE FIRESIDE CHAT WITH CONGRESSMAN JOAQUIN CASTRO.
HE JUST DISCUSSED A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING GOING AROUND THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
I DIDN'T TAKE TOO MANY NOTES ON THAT.
FRIDAY, WENT TO THE KEYNOTE ENVISIONING THE FUTURE OF LATINA COMMUNITIES.
IT WAS A GENTLEMAN NAMED JULIO RICARDO VARELA.
HE IS AN AWARD WINNING JOURNALIST.
HE WAS JUST TALKING BASICALLY ABOUT THE PRESSURE THAT IS ON THE LATINA AND THE HISPANIC COMMUNITIES RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE FEAR OF BEING INVISIBLE, AND THAT DEFINITELY TRICKLES DOWN TO OUR STUDENTS.
HE MADE A REALLY INTERESTING POINT THAT IF YOU TOOK ALL OF THE GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT THAT LATINA BRING TO THE UNITED STATES, THEY WOULD BE THE FOURTH WEALTHIEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD.
DEFINITELY, I THINK WE'RE FEELING THAT PINCH, AS WE CAN SEE THROUGH BUDGET SITUATIONS ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S A KEYNOTE WHICH ONE THAT I REALLY APPRECIATED.
I'VE HEARD THIS GENTLEMAN SPEAK BEFORE, UNPACKING LATINO STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH BY DR. CARLOS HIPOLITO-DELGADO.
HE'S A STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH EXPERT FROM COLORADO, EXCUSE ME.
HIS BASIC MESSAGE WAS THAT, WE'RE MISSING TEENS, WHERE ARE THEY AT? WE'RE NOT HITTING THE MARKS THE WAY WE SHOULD.
THERE ARE LOTS OF ILLUMINATING STATUS.
PRE-2025, 42% OF OUR LATINA STUDENTS WERE SAD AND HOPELESS, WOULD SAY THAT.
26% SAID THEIR MENTAL HEALTH WAS NOT GOOD, 20% SAID THEY'VE HAD A DEPRESSIVE EPISODE, 42% HAD SUICIDAL IDEATION, AND 11% HAD ATTEMPTED SUICIDE.
>> NOW, THAT'S NOT EVEN 2025, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE PRESSURING THESE STUDENTS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. YOU ADD ON THAT 50% OF LATINO STUDENTS NOW HAVE A FEAR OF FAMILY MEMBER OR A FRIEND, OR THEMSELVES BEING DEPORTED.
[02:15:02]
IT LEADS TO AN UPTICK AND CHRONIC ANXIETY.EIGHTY TWO PERCENT HAVE FELT DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, 31% FEAR BEING ASKED IF THEY'RE A CITIZEN, 35% OF LATINO PARENTS WILL AVOID CALLING THE POLICE IF IN DANGER.
FOUR PERCENT OF OLD PEOPLE CARRY PROOF OF CITIZENSHIP RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S EVERYONE. THAT'S NOT JUST THE LATINA AND HISPANIC COMMUNITIES.
WE'VE SEEN A 22% INCREASE IN STUDENT ABSENCES.
TWENTY SIX PERCENT OF PARENTS AVOID SPEAKING WITH A TEACHER OR ADMIN.
THIRTY PERCENT OF PARENTS WON'T ENROLL THEIR CHILD IN SCHOOL PROGRAMS OR EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT.
ONLY 8% OF LATINO YOUTH HAVE SOUGHT MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO AFRAID TO TALK ABOUT IT.
IT'S A LITTLE INDICATIVE OF THE ENTIRETY OF EDUCATION, BUT 10% OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE LATINO OR HISPANIC, ONE IN 10.
YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE THERE'S A DEFICIT THERE IN REALLY RELATING TO OUR LATINO COMMUNITIES.
KNOWING THAT MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS ARE NOW LOSING 600 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE'RE EVEN MORE SO BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.
THEN THERE WAS A STUDENT PANEL, WHICH WAS NICE.
OUR OWN IAN MOLEDINA WAS THERE, AND OUR EX ROUND ROCK STUDENT.
HE WAS AN EIGHTH GRADER IN THIS DISTRICT AND HAS GONE ON AND NOW IS A STUDENT ADVOCATE FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION, AND HE WAS JOINED BY JIMENA MENDEZ, WHO IS A STUDENT THAT'S THE LA COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION STUDENT MEMBER.
THEY HAVE A STUDENT THAT'S ELECTED BY THE STUDENTS TO BE THERE, AND SHE IS THAT PERSON.
THEIR MAIN MESSAGE WAS, THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE WE'RE LISTENING TO THEM.
I HAVE HEARD THIS FROM SO MANY STUDENTS, EVEN IN OUR DISTRICT.
LISTEN TO STUDENTS IS WHAT THEY SAID.
TAKE THAT FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, TRUSTEES.
THEN I WENT INTO SOME SESSIONS.
THE FIRST ONE I WENT TO IS EQUITY-BASED DISCIPLINE WITH OUR GOOD FRIEND PAIGE DUGGINS CLAY FROM IDRA.
THEY JUST WENT OVER THE CHALLENGES AND CONCERNS OF HB-6, THE SCHOOL DISCIPLINE BILL.
PRE K DISCIPLINE IS ALREADY CONCERNING IN THAT BLACK STUDENTS MAKE UP 18% OF THE POPULATION, BUT 38% OF SUSPENSIONS, AND 33% OF EXPULSIONS.
BROWN STUDENTS REPRESENT 62% OF THE POPULATION, BUT 29% OF SUSPENSIONS AND 18% OF EXPULSIONS.
THEY POSIT THAT ONE OF THE CAUSES MIGHT BE THE FACT, AND THIS IS NOT TO SAY THAT WE DON'T APPRECIATE OUR TEACHERS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE.
WE TALKED ABOUT IT TONIGHT AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO FIND YOUR WAY AND MAKE YOUR WAY TO TEACHING.
BUT NOW WE HAVE THAT UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS HAVE RISEN 94% IN THE LAST TWO YEARS IN THE COUNTRY, AND A LOT OF THEM ARE NOT TRAINED IN CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE TAUGHT TO TEACH ARE.
YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME PEOPLE FALL THROUGH THE CRACKS WHEN THAT HAPPENS.
WITH MORE TEACHER DISCRETION, WHEN DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR HAPPENS, THE TEACHER HAS A LOT OF POWER, AND THERE CAN BE MORE MISTAKES MADE, WHICH WILL LEAD TO MORE PARENTS FILING GRIEVANCES FOR DOING DISCRIMINATION AND MORE PARENTAL COMPLAINTS.
WE WERE MENTIONED FOR OUR ANTI-BULLYING POLICY IN THAT ONE THAT DEALS WITH THE RESTORATIVE PRACTICES. THAT WAS NICE.
I WENT TO ANOTHER ONE CALLED THE POWER OF ART IN ADVANCING STUDENT DEVELOPMENT BY IVAN CALDERON, WHO'S THE HEAD CURATOR OF EL PASO MUSEUM OF ART.
HE JUST SAID ART IS IMPORTANT FOR STUDENTS.
THEN I WENT TO SEE OUR OWN MIKE BROOKS FROM ROUND ROCK ISD PRESENT AND HIS BRICKS AND MORTAR BOND STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS.
HE WAS AN EXCELLENT PRESENTER, AND IT WAS FUN TO SUPPORT HIM.
IT WAS NICE TO SEE HIM THERE AND SUPPORT HIM AND HIS THINGS.
ONCE AGAIN, I'M SAYING THAT THIS IS A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO OUR DISTRICT.
THEY'RE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO ALL OF EDUCATION, AND THEY NEED US NOW MORE THAN ANY TIME IN THE PAST, POSSIBLY.
THE NEXT TIME WE'RE WORRIED ABOUT [LAUGHTER] OUR BILINGUAL STUDENTS OR OUR STUDENTS THAT ARE IMMIGRANTS, MAYBE NOT DOING AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS.
I THINK WE THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE AN ADULT LOAD ON THEM THAT NONE OF US, EVEN AS ADULTS RIGHT NOW, SOME OF US DON'T HAVE, AND THEY'RE STILL TRYING TO LEARN ABCS AND 1, 2, 3S.
I WILL SAY ONCE AGAIN, I KNOW BUDGETS TERRIBLE RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW MUCH WE SHOULD HAVE MORE THAN JUST ONE OF US SHOWING UP AT THIS BECAUSE YOU'LL GET SO MUCH OUT OF IT.
THAT'S IT. ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM? I'M OPEN FOR THAT.
>> I'VE ACTUALLY SPOKEN MORE THAN ONCE.
[02:20:01]
>> AS YOU GUYS KNOW, I'M IN THE CLASSROOM RIGHT NOW AND TEACHING, AND I HEAR FROM MY STUDENTS VERY SIMILAR THINGS THAT WAS REPRESENTED AND DISCUSSED AT THAT CONFERENCE.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THAT'S A REAL LIFE CONCERN THAT I'M HEARING ON A DAILY BASIS.
NOT IN THE DISTRICT. I'M NOT WORKING IN DISTRICT.
>> DON'T GET ME WRONG. WE DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING OUR IMMIGRANT AND LATINO COMMUNITIES FOR THE MOST PART IN THIS DISTRICT.
BUT IT NEVER HURTS US TO SHARE THE MESSAGE WITH OTHERS THAT WE TALK TO, TRUSTEES THAT WE SPEAK TO, OTHER TEACHERS FROM OTHER DISTRICTS, MAYBE EVEN TEACHERS THAT WE KNOW PERSONALLY, THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT.
>> WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE APPRECIATE YOU ATTENDING IN THE RECAP.
>> THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO ATTEND, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
>> MOVING ON TO ITEM ITEM H1 THROUGH EIGHT,
[H. ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CONSENT]
ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CONSENT.>> MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEMS H1 THROUGH EIGHT BY CONSENT.
>> I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WE HAVE NO ACTION ITEMS TONIGHT.
I'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM J1, BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS.
[J. BOARD BUSINESS]
I HAVE A FEW, AND THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO DR. AZAIEZ.IT LOOKS LIKE EVERYBODY HAS RSVP TO NOVEMBER MEETING.
WE DO HAVE ONE MAYBE ON THE NOVEMBER 6TH, TRUSTEE ZÁRATE JUST WHEN YOU KNOW IF YOU COULD CHANGE THAT TO YES OR NO, JUST SO WE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT TO EXPECT YOU.
BUT EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS GOOD.
THEN I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE TEAM BROCK JUNIOR COMMITTEE.
IT'S A STUDENT LEADERSHIP GROUP DEDICATED TO IMPROVING OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN WITH CANCER.
THEY MARKED THE SEPTEMBER CHILDHOOD CANCER AWARENESS MONTH WITH GOLD OUT EVENTS AT VARIOUS CAMPUSES.
THE EVENTS WERE HOSTED AT CEDAR RIDGE, ROUND ROCK, MCNEIL, AND STONEY POINT HIGH SCHOOLS, RIDGVEW, WALSH, AND CHISHOLM TRAIL MIDDLE SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS CALDWELL HEIGHTS, BLACKLON PRAIRIE, AND FOREST CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
THE EVENTS SHOW SUPPORT FOR 33 LOCAL CANCER WARRIORS, AND SO WE'RE JUST VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THESE CAMPUSES FOR WORKING WITH THE TEAM BROCK JUNIOR COMMITTEE AND FURTHER SUPPORT.
BOARD COMMITTEES. YOU GUYS RECEIVED BOARD COMMITTEE CHANGES IF YOUR COMMITTEE WAS CHANGING OR IF YOU WERE ADDED TO A COMMITTEE, AND I BELIEVE THAT REALLY JUST AFFECTED TRUSTEE ROSS AND TRUSTEE CUERO.
EVERYBODY ELSE STAYS THE SAME FOR NOW AND THEN WE'LL DO COMMITTEES AGAIN IN IS IT DECEMBER OR JANUARY?
CONFERENCES. EVERYBODY RECEIVED AN EMAIL THIS WEEK ABOUT NSBA AND SOME THINGS TO CONSIDER WHETHER OR NOT YOU WANT TO ATTEND.
I DID WANT TO CLARIFY, WELL, CORRECT SOMETHING THAT I PUT IN THE EMAIL.
WHILE WE DID NOT VOTE ON A SPECIFIC NUMBER TO CAP FOR EACH TRUSTEE FOR CONFERENCES, WE DID HAVE A PUBLIC DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO PUT IN PLACE FOR CONFERENCES TO CONSIDER.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THOSE HAD MADE IT INTO OUR BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES ALREADY, BUT THEY HAVE.
THE PRESIDENT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SETTING A CAP FOR THE FISCAL YEAR.
I WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT CAP I'M SETTING.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CONSENSUS ON THAT.
I JUST THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO OPERATE.
FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR, I'M GOING TO SET THE CAP AT $3,000 PER TRUSTEE.
BUT I'M OPEN TO WHETHER OR NOT YOU GUYS HAVE ISSUES WITH THAT, AND IF I HAVE CONSENSUS ON THE CAP.
>> WE CAN'T DISCUSS CONSENSUS.
I DON'T BELIEVE CHECK WITH OUR-
>> CAN WE DO CONSENSUS DURING THE BOARD ANNOUNCEMENTS?
>> SHE'S ASKING FOR FEEDBACK ON SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.
>> I DON'T HAVE TO GET FEEDBACK, BUT IS CONSENSUS CONSIDERED FEEDBACK? [OVERLAPPING]
>> NO, THERE'S NO MOTION OR ANYTHING.
>> BECAUSE THERE'S NO MOTION, I DO NOT THINK SO.
>> WE'RE NOT [INAUDIBLE] FOR DISCUSSION ABOUT IT. I'M JUST MAKING SURE.
>> NO, WE'RE NOT I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I AM SETTING THE CAP AT $3,000.
IF IF ANYONE DOES HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THAT, YOU CAN FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO DISCUSS IT IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO DISCUSS IT FURTHER.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT FROM MY EMAIL EARLIER THIS WEEK.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR. AZAIEZ.
>> WELL, THANK YOU, AND HAPPY BOSS DAY.
[02:25:01]
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.[LAUGHTER] ANYWAY, OCTOBER IT'S A LOT OF EVENTS AND A LOT OF RECOGNITIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANT TO REALLY TALK ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
AS YOU KNOW, IT'S NATIONAL BULLYING PREVENTION MONTH, AND I WANT TO THANK OUR BOARD FOR THE PASSAGE OF THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE OCTOBER 22ND AS A UNITY DAY.
IT'S OCTOBER IS DYSLEXIA AWARENESS MONTH, AND IT'S REALLY A TIME FOR US TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE STRENGTH AND CREATIVITY, AND PERSEVERANCE OF OUR STUDENTS AND INDIVIDUAL WITH DYSLEXIA.
ALSO, A LOT GOING ON THIS MONTH.
IF YOU DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO WATCH MARTIN BAND EVENTS, OUR STUDENTS, OUR DIRECTORS, OUR PARENTS, OUR BOOSTER CLUBS.
EVERYBODY HAS BEEN WORKING EXTREMELY HARD SINCE THE SUMMER TO GET OUR STUDENTS READY FOR THE SIX ERIC MARTIN BAND COMPETITION, AND ALL FIVE OF THEM, I'M SORRY, WILL BE COMPETING SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH.
IF YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP BY, THEY'RE REALLY DOING GREAT PERFORMANCES.
THAT'S HAPPENING ON SATURDAY, OCTOBER 25TH.
WE JUST GET ACTUALLY INFORMED ABOUT THIS YESTERDAY, WE DIDN'T EVEN GET CHANCE EVEN TO ADVERTISE IT, BUT THE TEXAS ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, WHICH IS TAEA, SELECTED ONE OF OUR OWN PRINCIPALS, THE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, AND THAT'S APRIL NELSON, WHO JUST WAS HERE EARLIER.
PROBABLY WE'LL CELEBRATE HER AGAIN NEXT MONTH.
SHE'S OUR PRINCIPAL OF BRICKMAN ART INTEGRATION ACADEMY.
WE'RE SUPER PROUD OF HER AND THE WORK THAT HER, OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR STUDENTS, EVERYONE REALLY WORKING REALLY HARD THERE TO INTEGRATE ART INTO THE EVERYDAY LESSON, SO WE'LL BE CELEBRATING AGAIN NEXT MONTH.
LAST REMINDER MONDAY, REMEMBER OUR BOARD, THANK YOU FOR APPROVING YOU DAYS.
REMEMBER, WE ARE GIVING OUR TEACHERS TWO YOU DAYS, OUR STAFF TWO YOU DAYS.
OCTOBER 20TH, WHICH IS MONDAY WILL BE THE FIRST YOU DAY FOR THE YEAR.
WE WANT TO GIVE THAT TIME BACK TO OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF.
I KNOW THEY'VE BEEN WORKING EXTREMELY HARD SINCE THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL YEAR, SO WE'RE SUPER HAPPY THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THEM THE GIFT OF TIME ON MONDAY. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU. DO I HAVE ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS? TRUSTEE ROSS.
>> THE WESTWOOD LEARNING COMMUNITY LOST A SIGNIFICANT TEACHER TO US LAST WEEK.
MICHAEL KRISTAN OPENED UP WESTWOOD.
HE TAUGHT THERE FOR, I THINK, PRINCIPAL CAMPBELL WAS JUST SAYING 42 YEARS.
HE TAUGHT FOR A TOTAL OF 52 YEARS.
HE WAS A MAJOR FORCE AT WESTWOOD.
HE ALSO HELPED LEAD THE PROS PROGRAM THERE.
WHAT I BRING UP, AND IF WE CONTINUE TO LOSE WESTWOOD TEACHERS, I'LL PROBABLY TELL THE STORY MULTIPLE TIMES.
BUT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT HOUSES IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THINKING ABOUT WHERE WE WERE GOING TO MOVE OUR FAMILY TO.
EVERYBODY WAS LIKE, WHY WOULD YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE YOUR KIDS GO TO WESTWOOD? IT'S SO HARD, IT'S STRESSFUL.
ALL OF THE THINGS THAT EVERYBODY SAYS ABOUT THAT SCHOOL.
I SAID, EVEN IF MY KID GETS CS, AND HE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE TEACHERS THAT ARE THERE, I COULD CARE LESS.
KRISTAN WAS ONE OF THOSE ALONG WITH MARLER.
THERE'S GOING TO HAVE A MEMORIAL IN DECEMBER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A OPPORTUNITY THAT HE GAVE OUR DISTRICT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME AND EFFORT. THANKS.
>> TRUSTEE LANDRUM. I JUST LEARNED ABOUT THIS TODAY, BUT THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS FOR ANY PARENT OF A HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR.
THIS WEEK IS TEXAS FREE COLLEGE APPLICATION WEEK.
BETWEEN OCTOBER 13TH AND THE 19TH, ANY TEXAS RESIDENT WHO IS APPLYING FOR UNDERGRADUATE ADMISSIONS THROUGH THE APPLY TEXAS PROGRAM WILL HAVE THEIR APPLICATION FEES WAIVED.
I THINK IT'S A REALLY COOL INITIATIVE.
I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT THIS HAPPENED.
IF YOU WERE CLOSE TO GETTING THOSE APPLICATIONS DONE, FINISH THEM UP IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND DO IT WITHOUT HAVING TO PAY.
IT'S ANY PUBLIC COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
THOUGHT IT WAS A REALLY NEAT THING TO PASS ALONG.
>> THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? TRUSTEE ZARATE.
>> I JUST WANTED TO THANK DR. GARCIA AND THE DEER PARK PTA FOR INVITING ME OUT TO SPEAK FOR HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH.
[02:30:05]
THEY DID A PRESENTATION THAT HAD FOLKLORICO DANCING AND MARIACHI MUSIC, AND THEN A STUPID SPEECH BY ME.BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO A CLASSROOM OR TWO OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS ALL 800 STUDENTS.
IT WAS QUITE INTIMIDATING EVEN FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S ON STAGE A LOT AND ACTS. I WAS TERRIFIED.
BUT I GOT HIM ON MY SIDE BY MAKING A SIX, SEVEN JOKE, AND EVIDENTLY, THAT'S WHAT THEY LIKE.
MY CHILD WAS DEVASTATED THAT I DID THAT.
[LAUGHTER] ANYWAY, THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
IT'S ALWAYS AN HONOR TO GO SPEAK AT A SCHOOL OR TO PARTICIPATE IN CAREER DAYS AND THAT THING THAT WE GET TO DO.
JUST EMAIL US IF WE CAN DO IT, WE WILL.
>> THANK YOU. I DIDN'T SEE ANY OTHER HANDS.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION,
[K. CLOSED SESSION (The Board reserves the right to enter into closed session on any agenda item as permitted by the Texas Open Meetings Act, Section 551.071 et seq.)]
PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 551.071 AND 551.076, THE BOARD WILL REVIEW, DELIBERATE, AND DISCUSS THE SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE REPORT REGARDING THE INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT FINDINGS, AND PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.071 AND 551.074.THE BOARD WILL CONSULT WITH ATTORNEYS TO DISCUSS THE DUTIES, ROLES, AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A PUBLIC OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE.
WE ARE GOING TO DO CLOSED SESSION IN THE BACK TODAY, SO EVERYONE THAT'S IN HERE CAN STAY.
IT IS 8:44, AND WE ARE IN CLOSED.
[L. CALL BACK TO ORDER/EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS]
IT IS 8:58, AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN.>> MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE ROUND ROCK ISD SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE REPORT AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.
>> I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR. ALL OPPOSED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER MOTIONS? SEEING NONE AND NO OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA.
WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 8:59.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.