[B. CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT IS 6.05 AND THIS MEETING OF THE ROUND ROCK INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT BOARD OF TRUSTEES REGULAR BOARD MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER.
IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT WE HAVE TRUSTEE ZARATE, TRUSTEE LANDRUM, TRUSTEE MARKHAM, TRUSTEE WAY, AND TRUSTEE CUERO, AND TRUSTEE ROSS WILL BE JOINING US SHORTLY VIRTUALLY.
[D. RECOGNITIONS]
THANK YOU.WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO RECOGNITIONS, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO ANNIE.
GOOD EVENING PRESIDENT MARKHAM, TRUSTEES, AND DR.
IT'S A DELIGHT TO GATHER THIS EVENING TO HONOR OUR REMARKABLE STUDENTS WHO HAVE SHOWN EXCEPTIONAL DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT.
THE RECOGNITIONS WE PRESENT TONIGHT TRULY EMBODY THE SPIRIT OF THE NUMEROUS ACHIEVEMENTS THAT TAKE PLACE EACH MONTH THROUGHOUT OUR DISTRICT.
COULD YOU ALL PLEASE JOIN US IN FRONT OF THE DAIS? WE WILL RECOGNIZE SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS TONIGHT, SOME OF WHOM ARE NOT ALL ENTIRELY PRESENT FOR THE GROUPS, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AS WE TRANSITION THEM FROM OUTSIDE.
ALL OF THESE ARE SCHOOL-RELATED RECOGNITIONS, SO IF SENIOR CHIEF OF SCHOOLS AND INNOVATION, DR.
NATALIE NICHOLS, COULD PLEASE JOIN DR.
AZAIZ AND THE TRUSTEES, WE WILL BEGIN THE RECOGNITIONS.
STAFF, WHEN YOUR STUDENT GROUP IS CALLED, PLEASE JUST GO UP THERE AND JOIN THEM.
IF YOU'RE A PROGRAM DIRECTORS, AREA SUPERINTENDENT, GO ON UP THERE.
I DON'T WANT TO CALL EVERYBODY'S NAME 500 TIMES.
OUR FIRST RECOGNITION THIS EVENING IS FOR TWO STUDENTS WHO WERE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT ROUND ROCK ISD AND THEIR SCHOOLS AT THE 2026 TEXAS ART EDUCATION ASSOCIATION'S YOUTH ART MONTH EXHIBIT AT THE BOB BULLOCK MUSEUM.
THESE TWO STUDENTS SUBMITTED ARTWORK THAT WAS SELECTED FROM AMONG ONLY 100 OTHERS STATEWIDE TO BE DISPLAYED.
PLEASE HELP US WELCOME AND CONGRATULATE JOLIE JOHNSON ELEMENTARY STUDENT ARTIST NUJAH MANADAR.
AND GRISHAM MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT ARTIST MAX RAMOS.
NEXT WE WILL WELCOME ALL OF OUR ROUND ROCK ISD 2025-2026 TEXAS MUSIC EDUCATOR ASSOCIATION ALL-STATE MEMBERS.
THIS YEAR THE DISTRICT HAD 57 STUDENTS RECEIVE ALL-STATE RECOGNITION AND WE'RE EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE HARD WORK OF THESE STUDENTS AND THE DEDICATED SUPPORT OF THEIR FAMILIES AND STAFF.
WE WILL WELCOME STUDENTS BY CAMPUS TO BE RECOGNIZED.
MORE THAN 70,000 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ACROSS THE STATE AUDITION IN THEIR TMEA REGION.
INDIVIDUALS PERFORM SELECTED MUSIC FOR A PANEL OF JUDGES WHO RANK EACH INSTRUMENT OR VOICE PART.
OUR FIRST GROUP TO HIGHLIGHT COMPRISES FIVE EXTRAORDINARY STUDENT MUSICIANS FROM THE CEDAR RIDGE BAND.
WILL THESE STUDENTS, THEIR CAMPUS AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, AND LEADERSHIP PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED?
[00:05:26]
OUR SECOND GROUP OF TMEA ALL-STATE STUDENTS ARE FROM THE MCNEIL HIGH SCHOOL CHOIR AND ORCHESTRA.WILL THESE STUDENTS, THEIR CAMPUS AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS, AND LEADERSHIP PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED? OUR FINAL GROUP TO HIGHLIGHT TONIGHT FOR TME ALLSTATE ARE FROM ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL.
WILL THESE STUDENT PERFORMERS, THEIR CAMPUS AND DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND LEADERSHIP PLEASE COME UP TO BE RECOGNIZED.
WE ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WESTWOOD HIGH SCHOOL HAD 27 ALL-STATE STUDENTS WHO ADVANCED BUT WHO ARE UNABLE TO ATTEND TONIGHT.
OKAY, NEXT WE WELCOME OUR MCNEIL MAJESTICS OFFICERS WHO REPRESENT THEIR ENTIRE VARSITY GROUP.
WHICH PLACED AT THE 2026 DANCE TEAM UNION NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP.
THIS GROUP PLACED FOURTH IN LARGE VARSITY AND SECOND IN LARGE VARSITY LYRICAL.
OKAY, WE'RE A SMIDGE OUT OF ORDER.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE WESTWOOD SWIMMERS.
OKAY, WE ARE HONORING OUR WESTWOOD SWIMMERS WHO PLACED THIRD IN THE U.S.
SWIMMING FOR 6A GIRLS 200 MEDLEY RELAY ALONG WITH A STUDENT WHO PLACED THIRD IN THE GIRLS 1 METER DIVING CATEGORY.
[00:10:30]
OKAY, I BELIEVE WE'RE SORT OF BACK ON TRACK.THE NEXT PAIR TO BE RECOGNIZED THIS EVENING REPRESENTS THEIR STUDENT CHAMBER SINGERS WHO PERFORMED AT THE 2026 SOUTHWEST AMERICAN CHORAL DIRECTORS ASSOCIATION CONVENTION IN MARCH.
THIS ENSEMBLE WAS ONE OF 45 CHOSEN FROM HUNDREDS ACROSS TEXAS, ARKANSAS, KANSAS, COLORADO, OKLAHOMA, AND NEW MEXICO.
PLEASE HELP US CONGRATULATE WENDY BERKWINKEL AND SHERIDAN WHITE OF MCNEIL CHAMBER SINGERS.
FOR OUR VIDEO TONIGHT WE WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING MARCH AS FINE ARTS MONTH AND WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES THRILLED TO HAVE UPDATED LEARNING MATERIALS IN OUR ART CLASSES.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PASSED THE 2024 BOND.
OUR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE NOW ABLE TO LEARN WITH SPARKLY NEW INSTRUMENTS, UNIFORMS, IPADS FOR LEARNING AND MORE.
MARCH IS FINE ARTS APPRECIATION MONTH AND ROUND ROCK ISD IS PROUD TO SPOTLIGHT OUR AWARD-WINNING, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FINE ARTS PROGRAMS. WE'RE VERY FORTUNATE TO START OUR STUDENTS AT PRE-K, BEING ABLE TO TOUCH INSTRUMENTS AND TO BE ABLE TO SING AND GROW THAT LOVE OF MUSIC THEN THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAVE SUCH STRONG SECONDARY PROGRAMS. THANKS TO BOND FUNDED IPADS IN OUR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS STUDENTS ARE EXPLORING ART AND MUSIC IN NEW WAYS WHICH IS BUILDING A STRONG FOUNDATION FOR FUTURE SUCCESS IN OUR SECONDARY FINE ARTS PROGRAMS. OUR ELEMENTARY MUSIC AND ELEMENTARY ART TEACHERS HAVE GOTTEN SHARED SETS OF IPADS THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO PASS BACK AND FORTH AND WORK WITHIN THEIR CONTENT AREA WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
THIS YEAR WE'RE EXPANDING OPPORTUNITIES WITH NEW KILN INSTALLATIONS AT TWO CAMPUSES WITH MORE ON THE WAY AND PROVIDING NEW UNIFORMS FOR OUR CHOIR AND DANCE PROGRAMS. I HOPE THAT IN THE LONG TERM OUR STUDENTS CONTINUE TO GROW IN THEIR LOVE OF FINE ARTS AND WANTING TO MAKE THAT AN ACTIVE PART OF THEIR LIFE.
THIS TYPE OF INVESTMENT IS A LIFETIME.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR HIGH SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT STUDENTS TAKE WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THEIR LIVES AND THEN TURN IT INTO COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
THEY TURN IT INTO COMMUNITY CONNECTION.
IN ROUND ROCK ISD, CREATIVITY THRIVES, TALENT GROWS, AND FUTURES ARE BUILT HERE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS AND STAFF FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
WE HAVE SUCH TALENT IN THIS DISTRICT AND LOVE TO BRING OUR STUDENTS IN AND OUR STAFF AND CELEBRATE YOU ALL.
AND THANK YOU ONCE AGAIN TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR BELIEVING IN THE BOND.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THE DOLLARS ARE CRUCIAL TO OUR STUDENTS' SUCCESS AND THEIR EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO WE'RE JUST VERY GRATEFUL TO ALL OF YOU.
[E. PUBLIC COMMENTS TO AGENDA ITEMS UNDER SECTIONS F, G, H, I AND K ONLY]
ALL RIGHT, WE ARE MOVING ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT.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 BOARD 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 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,
[00:15:01]
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 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 WAY, SECRETARY OF THE BOARD, WILL BE THE DESIGNATED TIMEKEEPER.
AND BEFORE WE GO INTO PUBLIC COMMENT, I JUST WANT TO GIVE ANOTHER REMINDER THAT ALL PUBLIC COMMENT MUST BE ON TOPICS THAT ARE ON THE AGENDA.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO MAXIMIZE YOUR TWO MINUTES TONIGHT AND THAT YOUR VOICE IS HEARD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT REMINDER BACK OUT THERE.
AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER TONIGHT IS, I BELIEVE IT'S PRONOUNCED CARISSA SHUTTLESWORTH.
AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F.
HI, YEAH, MY NAME IS CARISSA SHUTTLESWORTH.
I'M SPEAKING ON BUDGET ITEMS AND I HAVE THREE CHILDREN IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
I, ALONG WITH HUNDREDS OF OTHER PARENTS, WERE MADE AWARE THAT OUR CHILDREN'S BUS ROUTE IS BEING CUT NEXT YEAR BECAUSE IT NO LONGER QUALIFIES AS A HAZARDOUS ROUTE.
EMAIL TO GET BECAUSE NO NOTICEABLE CHANGES WERE MADE TO OUR ROUTE, TO THE WALKING ROUTE, AND NO NOTICEABLE CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE CRITERIA FOR WHAT QUALIFIES AS HAZARDOUS.
AND I WAS ADDITIONALLY CONFUSED BECAUSE I JUST VOTED IN 2024 TO APPROVE THIS BOND THAT IS GOING TO BRING SO MUCH AMAZING THINGS TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, A LARGE PORTION OF WHICH WAS YOU TO GO TO BUS IMPROVEMENTS.
I'M UNCLEAR ON WHY WE WEREN'T GIVEN ANY INDICATION THAT THESE BUS ROUTES MIGHT ULTIMATELY BE CUT WHEN WE VOTED TO PASS THAT BOND.
I'VE HEARD FROM COUNTLESS PARENTS WHO ARE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED BY THE DISTRICT.
ON OUR ROUTE ALONE, MY KIDS WOULD BE EXPECTED TO WALK MOST OF THE WAY ON ROADS WITH NO SIDEWALKS, NO LIGHTING, NARROW BLIND TURNS.
STEEP INCLINES BOTH WAYS AND IN ADDITION TO THIS THEY WOULD BE WALKING FOR MUCH OF THE YEAR IN PITCH DARKNESS TO GIVE PERSPECTIVE I OFTEN FEEL UNSAFE WALKING OR DRIVING MY CAR ON THIS IT FEELS LIKE THIS DECISION WAS MADE BECAUSE OF BUDGET CONSTRAINTS BUT THAT'S NOT HOW IT WAS COMMUNICATED TO US WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND I'M NOT AT ALL UNSYMPATHETIC TO THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FACING NATIONWIDE BUT THESE CUTS CAN'T BE MADE AT OUR KIDS SAFETY AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR KIDS SAFETY AND EVERY KID DESERVES TO HAVE A SAFE WAY TO GET TO SCHOOL THANK YOU THANK YOU OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MICHAEL ZALESKI AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4 THANKS TO THE BOARD.
I'M REPRESENTING 60 FAMILIES AND OVER 80 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENTS FROM TERRAZZO APARTMENTS WHO ATTEND LAUREL MULLEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MANY OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR APARTMENT COMPLEX DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO DRIVE THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL BACK AND FORTH EVERY DAY.
SO THEY WILL END UP WALKING DUE TO THESE BUS CUTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES 45 MINUTES TO WALK ONE WAY.
THERE IS EXTREME ELEVATION CHANGES, 111 FEET OVER 0.3 MILES, AND THEN COMING HOME IS 85 FEET ELEVATION CHANGE OVER 1.2 MILES.
IT'S, AT THE TEXAS HEAT, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR CHILDREN TO WALK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD, YOU MIGHT CLASSIFY THIS ROAD AS A HIGHWAY, DEPENDING ON YOUR CLASSIFICATION.
CARS EXCEED 50 MILES PER HOUR.
FROM THE SIDEWALK FOR THREE AND FOUR-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN.
I'M SORRY I'M JUST GOING TO INTERRUPT YOU AND JUST A GENTLE REMINDER TO TIE IT INTO AGENDA ITEM F4.
THE BUS CUTS ARE CAUSING THIS AND YOU KNOW WE HAVE I HAVE 300 SIGNATURES FROM ADULTS AT TERRAZZO APARTMENT AND WE ALL
[00:20:01]
AGREE AND WE'RE ALL VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS IS EXTREMELY UNACCEPTABLE FOR OUR CHILDREN.YOU KNOW THE BUS CUTS LED TO THIS BUT WE WERE MET WITH A RESPONSE.
THIS IS THE ROUND ROCK ISD MASTER HAZARDOUS ROUTE SCORING METRIC.
THEY MADE HUGE MISTAKES IN SCORING THIS.
THEY CLASSIFIED SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD AS A LOCAL ROAD.
IT'S A HIGHWAY, DEPENDING ON YOUR DEFINITION.
IF YOU HAVE TO WALK ON THAT ROAD, THEY'RE CALLING IT A LOCAL ROAD.
IT SHOULD BE AT LEAST AN ARTERIAL ROAD.
THERE'S TWO STREETS HERE THAT ARE CALLED LOCAL ROADS.
SPICEWOOD SPRINGS ROAD, IT'S NOT A LOCAL ROAD.
IF YOU HAVE TO CROSS A FIVE-LANE HIGHWAY, YOU GET 500 POINTS.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HEAR FROM EVERYONE TONIGHT AND GIVE EVERYONE THEIR TWO MINUTES.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PRIYANKA DESAI, AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT AND SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4.
I'M A PARENT OF A FIRST GRADER AT SPICEWOOD ELEMENTARY.
I'LL ALSO BE SPEAKING ON THE BUDGET ITEM AND THE BUS ROUTES.
ONE MONTH AGO, VIA GENERIC EMAIL, WE WERE INFORMED THAT OUR BUS ROUTE WOULD BE CUT NEXT YEAR DUE TO THE ROUTE NO LONGER BEING CLASSIFIED AS HAZARDOUS.
THIS BUS ROUTE HAS EXISTED IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD FOR 30 YEARS.
ROUND ROCK ISD TRANSPORTATION PRODUCED A WALKING PATH AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE BUS, WHICH REQUIRES 1.7 MILES OF WALK EACH WAY.
THE FACT THAT THIS ROUTE HAS BEEN CLASSIFIED AS NOT HAZARDOUS IS BOTH SHOCKING AND CONCERNING BECAUSE IF ANYONE HAS ACTUALLY INVESTIGATED THIS ROUTE, I CANNOT IMAGINE THEY WOULD EXPECT A FIVE-YEAR-OLD KINDERGARTNER TO WALK IT.
I AND MANY OTHER PARENTS HAVE DOCUMENTED THE NUMEROUS HAZARDS ALONG THE ROUTE, WHICH INCLUDE CROSSING STREETS WITH BLIND CORNERS AND NO STOP SIGNS FOR CROSS TRAFFIC.
THERE ARE NO MARKED PATHS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS.
THERE ARE NO STREET LIGHTS, THERE ARE STEEP GRADES AND POOR VISIBILITY, AND I MYSELF WAS NEARLY HIT BY A GOLF CART DRIVEN BY TEENAGERS ON THIS PATH.
FOR A MONTH, WE PARENTS HAVE BEEN REQUESTING THE DOCUMENTATION THAT EXPLAINS HOW AND WHEN OUR SPECIFIC ROUTE WAS EVALUATED FOR HAZARDS, BUT THIS INFORMATION HAS NOT BEEN PROVIDED.
THIS LACK OF TRANSPARENCY LEADS ME TO BELIEVE THAT NO ACTUAL INVESTIGATION...
IT SEEMS THAT SOMEONE LOOKED AT A MAP AND CUT ROUTES WITHIN TWO MILES WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE SAFETY CONSEQUENCES FOR CHILDREN.
I HAVE LIVED IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD FOR YEARS AND THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES MADE TO THE INFRASTRUCTURE TO MAKE IT SAFE.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED HOW THE PATH WENT FROM HAZARDOUS TO NOT HAZARDOUS.
LASTLY, I'M A PHYSICIAN AND SPECIFICALLY AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST.
UNLIKE MOST OF YOU, I WORK AT SEVERAL TRAUMA HOSPITALS AND I REGULARLY TAKE CARE OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN INJURED OR ULTIMATELY KILLED BY VEHICULAR TRAUMA.
ROAD SAFETY NEEDS TO BE TAKEN EXTREMELY SERIOUSLY, AND THOROUGH PLANNING NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE MAKING CHILDREN.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER KUHN, AND YOU ARE A ROUND ROCK ISD EMPLOYEE, AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEMS F3 AND F4.
AND I APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.
OKAY, WITH A QUICK LOOK AT TODAY'S PRESENTATIONS, THE BUDGET UPDATE AND THE HUMAN RESOURCES UPDATE, THEY BOTH SEEM AT ODDS.
WITHOUT DECISIONS FINALIZED REGARDING STAFF POTENTIAL STAFF REDUCTIONS, HOW CAN WE BE CONSIDERING NEW HIRING AT THIS TIME OF YEAR? THE PROPOSAL TO HOLD JOB FAIRS AND RECRUITMENT EVENTS WHILE DISCUSSING THE NEED TO MAKE STAFF REDUCTIONS FEELS POORLY TIMED.
ROUND ROCK ISD STAFF OR INDIVIDUALS WITH MANY AREAS OF EXPERTISE, SPECIALTIES, VARIOUS DEGREES, AND MULTIPLE EDUCATION CERTIFICATIONS.
I WOULD ASK THAT THE CURRENT ROUND ROCK ISD EMPLOYEES BE NOTIFIED IN A TIMELY MANNER IF THEIR POSITIONS WILL BE RETAINED FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.
IF NOT, WE WOULD APPRECIATE HAVING THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO APPLY FOR OTHER OPENINGS WITHIN THE DISTRICT FOR WHICH WE ARE QUALIFIED AS THOSE WHO ARE BEING CONSIDERED FROM OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT.
OUR NEXT PUBLIC SPEAKER IS FELIPE GUERRA, AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT, AND YOU ARE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4.
LIKE MANY PARENTS HERE, I'M ALSO COMPLAINING
[00:25:01]
ABOUT BUDGET CUTS FOR THE BUS.SO I'M A PARENT AT SPICEWOOD ELEMENTARY.
MY DAUGHTER IS FIVE, STARTS FIRST GRADE NEXT YEAR.
MY SON IS THREE, STARTS KINDERGARTEN IN TWO YEARS.
ON FEBRUARY 27TH, WE WERE TOLD THAT OUR BUS SERVICE IS BEING CUT.
THEY DID NOT PROVIDE ANY DETAILS OR SCORECARDS, WHICH I FOUND VERY ODD.
THE DISTRICT SAYS THAT OUR ROUTE IS NO LONGER DANGEROUS.
THE PROPOSED WALKING PATH IS 1.7 MILES THAT REQUIRES CROSSING SPICEWOOD PARKWAY, A ROAD WITH A 30-MILE-PER-HOUR SPEED LIMIT.
OFTEN CARS GO WAY FASTER THAN THAT.
THERE ARE NO SPEED BUMPS, NO STOP SIGN FOR THAT CROSSING TRAFFIC.
THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS, NO CROSSWALKS, NO STREETLIGHTS.
WITHOUT THE BUS, OUR CHILDREN WILL NEED TO LEAVE THE HOUSE.
BEFORE 6.40 A.M., COMPLETELY IN THE DARK, RIGHT? YOU CAN IMAGINE.
I WALK IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD REGULARLY.
I AVOID THE PROPOSED ROUTE, THE ROAD, ON FOOT BECAUSE IT DOESN'T FEEL SAFE TO ME, AND I'M AN ADULT, SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE LIKE A KID.
EVEN IF I'M WALKING WITH THEM, I DON'T FEEL SAFE.
YOUR OWN STUDENT HANDBOOK STILL LISTS THIS ROUTE AS HAZARDOUS.
I HAVE LIVED HERE FOR ALMOST FOUR YEARS AT THIS POINT.
IN THAT TIME, NO SIDEWALKS HAVE BEEN BUILT, NO CROSSWALKS WERE ADDED, NO LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED THAT WOULD JUSTIFY RECLASSIFYING THE ROUTE.
IF IT WAS DANGEROUS THEN, I THINK IT'S STILL DANGEROUS NOW.
WE ARE ASKING YOUR HELP TO RESTORE THE BUS SERVICE OR AT LEAST DELAY THE CUT UNTIL THE INFRASTRUCTURE MATCHES THE CLASSIFICATION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WENDY WAMPLER.
AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT AND SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY.
YES, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BUS CUTS AS A RESULT OF BUDGET CUTS.
I AM ALSO A PARENT AT LAUREL MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY.
MY DAUGHTER IS IN SECOND GRADE.
AND LIKE EVERYONE HAS SAID, WE DID RECEIVE VERY UNEXPECTEDLY NEWS THAT OUR BUS ROUTE WOULD BE CUT.
WE WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED IF WE HAD HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INPUT OR AT LEAST HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED IN A DIFFERENT MANNER PRIOR TO THIS DECISION BEING MADE.
AS HAS BEEN PREVIOUSLY BROUGHT UP, THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO OUR ROUTE THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN TERMS OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WOULD CHANGE IT FROM NON-HAZARDOUS, EXCUSE ME, TO NON-HAZARDOUS.
THERE'S STOP SIGNS THAT CARS RUN.
ONE OF THE SIDEWALKS ISN'T REALLY USABLE WHEN IT RAINS.
JUST THIS EVENING THROUGH THE LET'S TALK FEATURE, I SENT YOU ALL A LINK TO A VIDEO I MADE WALKING THE HAZARDOUS PART OF THE ROUTE, WHICH IS ABOUT A 15-MINUTE WALK.
IT'S ONLY THREE MINUTES FOR YOU, SO IT'S SHORT.
SO WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO EITHER SAY, YOU KNOW, PLEASE RECONSIDER THAT YOU HAVE CHANGED THESE ROUTES OR MAKE THE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES THAT WE NEED, WHICH WOULD.
BE PRETTY COSTLY TO MAKE ALL THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE CHANGES.
SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING US ALL OF US TODAY AND WE APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO US.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS PHILIP OLOPOLI AND YOU ARE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT AND YOU'RE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4 AND I ALSO APOLOGIZE IF I MISPRONOUNCED YOUR NAME.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY AND THANK YOU FOR VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME FOR THIS NOBLE CAUSE.
JUST LIKE MOST OF THE PARENTS HERE, I'M ALSO HERE CONCERNED.
BECAUSE I'M TALKING ABOUT THE BUS CUTS RELATED TO THE BUDGET CUTS.
SHE'S IN KINDERGARTEN, AND LUCA IS IN THIRD GRADE.
SHE ACTUALLY MADE A SIGN FOR ME, WHICH I DIDN'T KNOW I COULDN'T BRING SIGNS, BUT SHE SAID, PLEASE KEEP OUR KIDS SAFE.
SO JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE HERE, THE ROAD THAT WE'RE ON DOESN'T HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS, AND IT'S VERY DARK IN THE MORNING, AND THERE ARE SOME BLIND TURNS.
I'VE ACTUALLY WALKED MY KIDS TO THE SCHOOL ONCE IN A WHILE, AND I'M ACTUALLY HOLDING THEIR HANDS, BECAUSE THE CARS ARE GOING BY PRETTY FAST.
EVEN IF THEY STEP TWO OR THREE FEET AWAY, THE CARS CAN BARELY SEE YOU, BECAUSE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS.
SO I THINK MY ONLY REQUEST IS IF EITHER OF YOU CAN WATCH THE VIDEO, WHICH I THINK WENDY SHARED.
YOU'LL GET AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
OR MAYBE AT SOME POINT, I'D INVITE YOU TO MAYBE COME IN AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THAT ROAD.
THERE'S JUST ONE SECTION WHERE THERE'S NO SIDEWALKS AT ALL, AND I CAN'T THINK OF HAVING...
MY KINDERGARTNER OR MY FIRST GRADER JUST WALK ON THEIR OWN BY THAT.
I MYSELF AM PRETTY CAREFUL ABOUT WALKING THERE BECAUSE IT'S SO DANGEROUS.
SO MY ONLY REQUEST IS PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THE VIDEO.
FEEL FREE TO AT LEAST COME BY AND TAKE A LOOK AT THAT SIDEWALK.
I MEAN THE ROAD BECAUSE THERE'S NO SIDEWALK.
DURING THE WINTERS, THERE'S A BIG SECTION THAT GETS WASHED AWAY.
SO YOU HAVE TO ACTUALLY WALK DOWN RAVEL ROAD, WHICH IS EXTREMELY STEEP.
[00:30:01]
SO I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN RECONSIDER YOUR DECISION.AND OUR LAST SPEAKER TONIGHT IS SWAPNIL SINGH, AND YOU'RE A PARENT IN THE DISTRICT, AND YOU ARE SPEAKING ON AGENDA ITEM F4.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME AND LISTENING TO ME.
I AM ALSO GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THE SAME TOPIC ON THE BUS ROUTE DISCONTINUATION THAT HAS BEEN INFORMED TO THE PARENTS.
I'M A PARENT OF TWO KIDS, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND SPICEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, CANNON VISTA MIDDLE, AND I JUST WANT TO, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE IN NOVEMBER 2024, THE BOARD ASKED THE VOTERS TO APPROVE A NEARLY ONE MILLION BOND PACKAGE, AND OUT OF THAT, A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT WAS CONTRIBUTED TO IMPROVING THE BUS SERVICES IN THE DISTRICT.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO READ THAT THE COST OF A BUS IS AROUND $170,000.
AND THE BUDGET FOR 65 NEW BUSES WAS PLACED LAST MONTH, IS WHAT THE INFORMATION WE HAVE.
HOWEVER, WE SUDDENLY GET A NOTICE THAT THE BUSES WOULD BE DISCONTINUED FOR THESE ROUTES.
WE HAVE SEEN THAT THE ROADS ARE STILL NON-HAZARDOUS.
IT'S DARK IN THE MORNING, EXPECTING A FIVE-YEAR-OLD TO WALK THROUGH.
EVEN MY MIDDLE SCHOOLER TO WALK THROUGH IS NOT GOING TO BE SAFE.
ON THOSE ROADS AND ALSO I WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT EVEN IF PARENTS TRY TO, YOU KNOW, BOTH PARENTS WORKING MOST OF THESE PLACES, EVEN IF THEY TRY TO GO AND DROP THE KIDS, IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE A 45 MINUTES LINE DURING THE SCHOOL DROP-OFFS AND PICK-UPS, WHICH IS ALSO INCONVENIENT TO THE RESIDENTS AROUND, PLUS THE PARENTS, THEY WILL HAVE TO TAKE OUT FROM THEIR WORK, PEAK WORK TIME TO COME OUT AND, YOU KNOW, STAY IN THAT QUEUE AND PICK UP THE KIDS AND DROP THE KIDS.
SO I WOULD REALLY, YOU KNOW, REQUEST FOR YOU ALL TO RECONSIDER THIS DECISION.
OR AT LEAST COME AND HAVE A WALK.
YOU CAN SEND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES, JUST SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND.
[F. SUPERINTENDENT REPORTS]
CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENT.WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM F1, BOARD STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS 1 AND 2 IN GPMS, AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT MARKHAM, BOARD MEMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
OUR MONITORING CALENDAR TONIGHT WILL BE TALKING ABOUT GOAL ONE, BOARD GOAL ONE, AND ALSO BOARD GOAL TWO, EARLY LITERACY AS WELL AS EARLY NUMERACY, K THROUGH SECOND.
THEY WILL BE TAKING US THROUGH SO FAR HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE DOING IN OUR DISTRICT, AGAIN, K THROUGH SECOND GRADE AS OF A MONTH AGO.
THANK YOU, SIR, AND THANK YOU TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND REPRESENT THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENTS, OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS, OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS, PRINCIPALS, AND, OF COURSE, OUR TEACHERS.
THE WORK THAT WE DO, WHILE WE DO GET PAID FOR IT, IS ABSOLUTELY A LABOR OF LOVE AND ALSO A CALLING.
AND EARLY LITERACY, EVERYTHING IS IMPORTANT, BUT WE FIND THAT EARLY LITERACY AND EARLY MATH IS WE HAVE A PRIMARY FOCUS ON THAT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND IF WE START OUR STUDENTS OFF RIGHT, THEN THEY'RE ALWAYS GOING TO GO IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS A COMMUNITY, THE COMMUNITY HAS ASKED US TO ENSURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE CAREER AND COLLEGE READY.
NOT BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT BECAUSE, AS WE'VE SAID BEFORE, THIS MEANS THAT THEY ARE ABLE TO PERFORM AT HIGH LEVELS WHEN IT COMES TO READING, WRITING, AND MATH.
FOR POST-SECONDARY TO BE ABLE TO DO GREAT THINGS IN THEIR LIFE, GIVING THEM ACCESS TO OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO WE'RE HAPPY TO REPORT AS FAR AS WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR EARLIEST LEARNERS IN REGARDS TO SOME KEY SKILLS, EARLY LITERACY, AND EARLY MATH.
SO THIS IS OUR MIDDLE-OF-THE-YEAR UPDATE.
HENCEFORTH, I'LL PROBABLY REFER TO IT AS MOI.
SO, RONAROC ISD USES MCLASS AS AN ONLINE ASSESSMENT SYSTEM FOR SCREENING AND PROGRESS MONITORING FOR KIDS IN KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE, BOTH IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH.
USUALLY STUDENTS WHO ARE IN OUR DUAL LANGUAGE CLASSES DO GET ASSESSED IN BOTH LANGUAGES AND WE TAKE THE HIGHER OF THE TWO SCORES FOR THEM.
WE GET A COMPOSITE SCORE, A RATING FOR LITERACY.
THERE IS ALSO THE SCORE BROKEN DOWN INTO ITS VARIOUS PARTS, AND WE USE THAT IN ORDER TO FIGURE OUT WHERE DO WE NEED TO INTERVENE IN ORDER TO TAKE OUR STUDENTS TO HIGHER LEVELS OF LEARNING.
THE REASON THIS IS SO INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, THE BOARD HAS TASKED US WITH MAKING SURE BY THE TIME STUDENTS ENTER THIRD GRADE, THEY'RE ABLE TO PERFORM AT THE MEETS LEVEL.
THE MEETS LEVEL IS IMPORTANT IN REGARDS TO STAR BECAUSE THAT ALIGNS TO STUDENTS BEING COLLEGE CAREER AND MILITARY READY.
AND SO WE HAVE THIS THROUGH LINE STARTING ALL THE WAY FROM KINDERGARTEN ALL THE WAY TO HIGH SCHOOL TO ENSURE THAT OUR STUDENTS CAN BE SUCCESSFUL.
[00:35:04]
BOARD GOAL IS SET AT THE THIRD GRADE LEVEL.WE SEE HERE THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR, THE BOARD HAS ASKED THAT WE ACHIEVE A GOAL OF 76% FOR ALL THIRD GRADERS PERFORMING AT THE MEETS LEVEL OR HIGHER.
YOU SEE ALSO FOR ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, THE GOAL THAT HAS BEEN SET FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE POPULATIONS.
IN TIME PAST, ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED OF US IS WHY ARE THE NUMBERS DIFFERENT AND NOT THE SAME? WHEN WE SET GOALS, WE LOOK AT WHERE EACH OF THE POPULATIONS HAS STARTED AND THEN SET AGGRESSIVE GOALS AS FAR AS WHERE WE WOULD LIKE THEM TO END UP.
AND SO BECAUSE THEY ARE STARTING AT A DIFFERENT PLACE, OUR GOAL FOR EACH AND EVERY GROUP IS ALSO DIFFERENT AS WELL.
AT EXACTLY FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS, KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADE, WHAT IS OUR GOAL FOR THOSE GRADES AS WELL? FOR KINDERGARTEN, THE BOARD HAS ASKED THAT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR WE REACH 80%.
FOR FIRST GRADE, AGAIN, 80% AS WELL, AND THE SAME FOR SECOND GRADE, 80%.
HERE WE HAVE A THREE-YEAR COMPARISON OF OUR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS.
YOU SEE THAT OUR TRAJECTORY LINE LOOKS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FOR EACH OF OUR STUDENTS.
BECAUSE STUDENTS ARE JUST ENTERING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THE MOST PART, UNLESS THEY ATTENDED PRE-K WITH US, THAT THEY'RE USUALLY ALL STARTING AT THE SAME PLACE.
FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE SEE THAT THE STUDENTS STARTED AT ABOUT 57%.
FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, THEY REACHED A GOAL OF 75%.
OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS HAVE DONE AN AMAZING JOB AS FAR AS PUSHING THE ENVELOPE.
IN ORDER FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE HIGH RATES OF SUCCESS.
IT IS FOLLOWING A SIMILAR TREND LINE.
AT THIS RATE, OUR STUDENTS MORE THAN LIKELY WILL END UP AT ABOUT 80 OR 81 PERCENT, THUS ACHIEVING THE GOAL THAT THE BOARD HAS SET FOR US.
WHEN WE LOOK AND DISAGGREGATE THESE NUMBERS BY EACH OF THE VARIOUS POPULATIONS AND WE COMPARE IT YEAR OVER YEAR, WE HAVE A SENSE OF IF THERE ARE ANY IMPROVEMENT FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS.
WE SEE, BECAUSE WE'RE FOLLOWING SIMILAR TREND LINES, THAT MOST OF THE GROUPS HAVE STAYED STATISTICALLY THE SAME.
WE HAVE SEVERAL DIFFERENT GROUPS WHERE, AS FAR AS OUR EMERGING BILINGUAL, OUR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, OUR PRE-K-4, ALSO OUR ASIAN POPULATION, AND OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE TWO OR MORE ETHNICITIES, WE SEE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YEAR OVER YEAR AS FAR AS WHERE THEY'VE BEEN PREVIOUSLY.
SO PRE-K 4, JUST WANTED TO DO A CALL OUT FOR THAT.
WHAT THAT REPRESENTS, IT SAYS, FOR THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE STARTED WITH US IN PRE-K 4, WHERE ARE THEY VERSUS STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN? AND SO WHAT WE WANT TO POINT OUT IS THAT STUDENTS WHO START THEIR EDUCATION WITH ROUND ROCK ISD IN OUR PRE-K PROGRAMS DO BETTER THAN STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT.
YEAR OVER YEAR, WE SEE THAT BASED ON THE WORK THAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING WITH PRE-K 4, IT IS NOW AT 31 OF OUR 35.
ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES, WE'VE REACHED A LEVEL OF 78% FOR THAT GROUP OF STUDENTS.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT OUR FIRST GRADE STUDENTS.
AGAIN, THE END-OF-YEAR TARGET FOR THESE STUDENTS IS 80%.
BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS YEAR OVER YEAR ARE STARTING BY THE END OF THE YEAR FOR KINDERGARTEN, ARE GETTING TWO HIGHER DEGREES OF SUCCESS, WE SEE THAT THEY'RE ALSO STARTING AT HIGHER DEGREES OF SUCCESS.
THE FIRST GRADERS THIS YEAR STARTED AT ABOUT 64%.
WE SEE THEY'RE FOLLOWING A SIMILAR TREND LINE, ACHIEVED AT 68% FOR MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
AT THAT RATE, THEY SHOULD HIT ABOUT 78%, 79%.
WE'RE HOPING TO OUTPERFORM THAT LEVEL SO WE CAN ALSO HIT THE STANDARD THAT THE BOARD HAS SET FOR US AT 80%.
WHEN WE LOOK YEAR OVER YEAR BETWEEN OUR DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, LIKE KINDERGARTEN, WE SEE STATISTICALLY THERE IS NOT MUCH DIFFERENCE BETWEEN EACH POPULATION YEAR OVER YEAR.
WE DO SEE, HOWEVER, THAT WE HAVE SOME SLIGHT DECREASES IN OUR AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, IN OUR ASIAN POPULATION, AND ALSO IN OUR ECONOMICALLY POPULATION FOR ABOUT TWO TO FOUR PERCENTAGE POINTS.
BUT OVERARCHINGLY WE SEE WHERE MOST OF THE POPULATIONS HAVE STAYED WITHIN THE SAME RANGE.
WHAT WE HAVE HERE NOW IS COHORT DATA.
WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IS IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SAME GROUP OF STUDENTS YEAR OVER YEAR, WHAT CHANGE HAS BEEN CREATED WHEN THEY STAY WITHIN OUR SYSTEM.
OUR KINDERGARTNERS ACHIEVED AT A 71% FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AT 71%, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING AS...
[00:40:01]
FIRST GRADERS, THEY'RE ACHIEVING AT 70% MINUS A NEGATIVE GAIN OF MINUS ONE.NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT SECOND GRADE, AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS A VERY DIFFERENT PICTURE WITH OUR SECOND GRADERS.
SECOND GRADE REPRESENTS THE FIRST GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO STARTED WITH OUR PLAN, OUR NEW CURRICULUM, OUR NEW INTERVENTION PLAN IN KINDERGARTEN.
SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS VERSUS EVERY OTHER GROUP OF STUDENTS, THEY HAVE GOTTEN THIS INTERVENTION FOR THE LONGEST PERIOD OF TIME.
IF YOU REMEMBER, BACK IN THE 2023-24 SCHOOL YEAR, IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT WE CHANGED OUR CURRICULUM FOR OUR KINDERGARTNERS.
SO WHAT THEY WOULD HAVE RECEIVED, THEY WOULD HAVE BEEN THE RECIPIENTS OF THAT CHANGE IN CURRICULUM.
IN BOTH KINDERGARTEN AND FIRST GRADE AND AGAIN IN SECOND GRADE.
THEY STARTED THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AT 72%, WHICH IS MUCH HIGHER YEAR OVER THE YEAR THAN THE TWO PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEARS, WHICH STARTED AT 66% AND THEN AT 68%.
WE SEE FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR THEY'RE NOW TRENDING AT 75%.
AT THIS TRAJECTORY, THAT THIS GROUP IS ON PACE TO REACH AND OR EXCEED THE GOAL THAT THE BOARD HAS SET FOR US AT 80%.
WHEN WE COMPARE YEAR OVER YEAR, AGAIN, BECAUSE WE SEE THAT THIS GROUP IS PERFORMING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, WHEN WE LOOK YEAR OVER YEAR BY THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS, WE SEE THAT THEY'RE OVERARCHINGLY TRENDING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN THAT DEMOGRAPHIC DID THE YEAR PRIOR.
I THINK THERE IS ONLY ONE GROUP AS FAR AS DYSLEXIA, BUT IT'S A VERY SMALL GROUP OF STUDENTS, AND SO A DIFFERENCE IN ONE STUDENT WILL REALLY THROW OFF THE CHANGE.
AND SO STATISTICALLY, IT'S VERY HARD TO LOOK AT THAT NUMBER WHEN THE NET NUMBER IN THAT GROUP IS SO SMALL.
BUT WHAT WE SEE OVERARCHINGLY IS MANY OF THESE GROUPS IS IMPROVEMENT OVERARCHINGLY.
YOU SEE YEAR OVER YEAR OUR AFRICAN-AMERICAN STUDENTS, 57 TO 60, HISPANIC STUDENTS, 61 TO 74, WHITE STUDENTS, 74 TO 76, OUR ASIAN STUDENTS ACHIEVING STAYING STATIC AT NINETY ONE PERCENT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE TWO OR MORE DEMOGRAPHIC FROM SEVENTY FOUR TO SEVENTY NINE AND SO ON AND SO FORTH SO WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH OUR SECOND GRADERS IS THAT OVER ARCHING LEE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN IN THE SYSTEM AND RECEIVING THE INTERVENTION AND THE CHANGES THAT WE ARE PUTTING INTO EFFECT THAT THEY ARE PERFORMING AT A MUCH HIGHER RATE THAN THE STUDENTS AT THE YOUNGER I'M GREAT LEVELS WITH THIS WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE IF THE CHANGES THAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED FOR US THE THIRD GRADE YEAR.
WHERE THEN THEY'LL BE ABLE TO PERFORM AT THE MEETS LEVEL AND HIGHER AT A GREATER PERCENTAGE VERSUS PREVIOUS COHORTS.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AS A COHORT FROM KINDERGARTEN TO FIRST GRADE TO SECOND GRADE, YOU SEE IN KINDERGARTEN, 74% OF THIS GROUP WAS ACHIEVING AT WHAT WOULD BE COMPARABLE TO THE MEETS LEVEL OR HIGHER, ON OR ABOVE.
73% AT FIRST GRADE, AND AGAIN, WE'VE SEEN THE SCORES AT SECOND GRADE.
77% OF THIS COHORT IS ACHIEVING ON OR ABOVE GRADE LEVEL.
JUST A QUICK NOTE TO CALL OUT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SCREENER VERSUS THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR SCREENER.
IT IS NOT THE SAME TEST THAT THE STUDENTS TAKE.
FROM ONE PERIOD OF TIME TO THE NEXT, YOU'RE BEING EVALUATED ON AN ELEVATED SET OF SKILLS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR TEACHERS AND THE ADMINISTRATORS WORK VERY HARD ON VERY HARD ON AS MAKING SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE NOT JUST, IF THEY WERE NOT ACHIEVING PREVIOUSLY, MAKING SURE THEY CATCH UP WITH THE PREVIOUS SKILLS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEY'RE ON TRACK WITH THE SKILLS IN FRONT OF THEM THAT THE CURRICULUM DICTATES AT THAT MOMENT.
NOW LET'S MOVE ON TO OUR DATA FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR IN EARLY MATH.
PREVIOUSLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED IS ASKED ABOUT INFORMATION WHERE PREVIOUSLY, THE DATA FOR MATH IN K-2 HAS REMAINED FLAT, AND ONE OF THE QUESTIONS ASKED IS WHY IS THAT? WE HAD MADE A STRATEGIC DECISION FOR KINDERGARTEN FOR K-2 TO REALLY FOCUS ON EARLY LITERACY.
WE SAW EARLY LITERACY AS THE GATEWAY TO ALL OTHER SUBJECTS, AND WE REALLY CHOSE TO AMEND OUR CURRICULUM, TEACH INTO THAT CURRICULUM, AND REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE HAD CAPACITY IN REGARDS TO THAT.
SINCE THEN, AND WE'VE GOTTEN THAT STABILIZED, WE FELT THEN THAT WE HAD THE BANDWIDTH AND THE CAPACITY TO TURN OUR EYES AND HANDS TO MAKING SURE THAT WE MADE ALL THE DIFFERENT CHANGES IN MATH.
IN REGARDS TO MATH, WE HAVE MADE CURRICULAR CHANGES IN K-2, ALSO THIRD GRADE AS WELL, THROUGHOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WE'VE ALSO MADE SURE THAT WE'VE TAUGHT INTO THAT MATH.
[00:45:01]
THROUGH EDCONNECTIVE IN WORKING WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES.TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAM PROCESS AND IN THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY PROCESS, THEY'RE ABLE TO TEACH INTO THAT WITH THE TEACHERS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO GAIN CAPACITY IN THESE SKILLS AT A FASTER RATE.
AGAIN, WITHIN MATH, WE USE THE SCREENER CALLED AIMSWEB, AND WHAT WE'RE TRACKING IS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE PERFORMING AT THE 40TH PERCENTILE OR HIGHER BECAUSE THAT PERCENTILE IS COMMISERATE WITH OUR STUDENTS PERFORMING AT THE MEETS GRADE LEVEL OR HIGHER.
AGAIN, MEETS GRADE LEVEL IS COMMISERATE WITH OUR STUDENTS BEING ABLE TO PERFORM, TO BE CONSIDERED COLLEGE OR CAREER READY.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE ALIGNING THE WHOLE ENTIRE SYSTEM TOWARDS THAT END.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE GOALS THAT THE BOARD HAS SET FOR US IN REGARDS TO EARLY MATH, FOR THE END OF THE YEAR, 2026 END OF THE YEAR, WHAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED FOR US IS FOR OUR STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE AT 76% OF OUR THIRD GRADERS TO BE PERFORMING AT MEETS LEVEL OR HIGHER ON THE STAR EXAM.
BECAUSE OF THAT, AS A DISTRICT, WE MONITOR KINDERGARTEN, FIRST GRADE AND SECOND GRADE TO HAVE A SENSE OF THE HEALTH OF OUR SYSTEM AND WHETHER OR NOT WE'LL BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE GOALS.
WE SEE HERE AGAIN FOR ALL OF OUR THIRD GRADERS THE OVERARCHING GOAL AT 76 PERCENT BUT WE ALSO SEE FOR ALL THE DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS WHAT THE BOARD HAS ASKED US TO ACHIEVE.
AGAIN THE REASON THAT THE SCORES ARE DIFFERENT IS BECAUSE EACH OF THESE GROUPS HAVE A DIFFERENT STARTING SPACE, DIFFERENT STARTING SPOT.
SO IT WOULD NOT BE FAIR TO ASK THEM TO ACHIEVE AT THE SAME RATE.
WE DO, THOUGH, AGGRESSIVELY, FOR GROUPS WHO ARE STARTING AT A LOWER RATE, CREATE A NUMBER WHERE WE ARE SAYING WE WANT TO AGGRESSIVELY GROW SO IT'S NOT THAT EACH GROUP IS BEING ASKED TO GROW AT A SIMILAR RATE.
FOR EACH OF THE DIFFERENT GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES, FOR KINDERGARTEN, AGAIN, THE GOAL FOR KINDERGARTEN IS 80%.
AND THE SAME THING, WE SEE THE SAME THING FOR FIRST GRADE AND SECOND GRADE AS WELL FOR THE GOAL PROGRESS MEASURES AS IT RELATES TO EARLY MATH.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WE JUST SPOKE ABOUT SOME OF THE GREAT CHANGES THAT'S HAPPENED.
SO WHILE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, 2023-24 AND 2024-25, YOU SAW VERY SIMILAR TREND LINES, YOU SEE THAT RIGHT NOW FOR 25-26.
SCHOOL YEAR A BREAK FROM THAT TREND LINE.
AGAIN, THE REASON BEING WE HAVE JUST GOTTEN NEW CURRICULUM IN THESE AREAS AND WE'VE ALSO TRAINED VERY AGGRESSIVELY INTO THIS NEW CURRICULUM AND HOW TO PUT THIS NEW CURRICULUM IN PLACE.
SO FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR AND KINDERGARTEN, WE STARTED AT 60%, BUT FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, WE SEE THAT WE WERE ABLE TO AGAIN BREAK THE TREND LINE AND ACHIEVE ITS 78%.
BASED ON WHAT WE SEE IS THE NORMAL TRAJECTORY, WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO MEET AND OR EXCEED OUR GOAL OF 80% SET BY THE BOARD FOR OUR KINDERGARTEN CLASS.
HERE IS A BREAKDOWN BY DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP OF HOW EACH OF THEM HAS PERFORMED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DATA.
AGAIN, BECAUSE WE SAW OVERARCHINGLY INCREASE FROM 60% TO 78% FAR OUTPACING WHERE WE'VE ACHIEVED.
WE WOULD EXPECT TO SEE THAT INDIVIDUALLY IN EACH OF THE GROUPS, AND WE HAVE.
WHETHER IT'S OUR BLACK OR AFRICAN AMERICAN POPULATION, HISPANIC, ASIAN, WHITE, TWO OR MORE RACES, ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED, EMERGING BILINGUAL, ALL BUT FOR OUR 504 STUDENTS, WE SEE THE SAME TREND LINE AS WHERE THEY HAVE OUTPACED THEIR PERFORMANCE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
NOW WE MOVE ON TO FIRST GRADE, WHERE AGAIN, OUR TARGET FOR THE END OF THE YEAR IS 80%.
AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE'RE BREAKING THOSE TREND LINES, NOT AS AGGRESSIVELY AS WE DID IN KINDERGARTEN, BUT WE SEE THAT THE SAME THING HAS HAPPENED WITHIN FIRST GRADE.
IF WE REMEMBER PREVIOUSLY FROM WHEN WE REVIEWED EARLY LITERACY, TYPICALLY WHAT WE SEE IS THE GREATEST GAINS USUALLY HAPPEN WHEN WE HAVE A CURRICULAR CHANGE IN KINDERGARTEN.
AND THEN WE HAVE MODERATE CHANGES IN FIRST GRADE AND SOMETIMES IN SECOND GRADE AS WELL.
BUT AS THE YEARS GO ON, WE SEE THEN THAT THE CHANGE IN KINDERGARTEN AFFECTS THOSE GRADES YEAR AFTER YEAR.
SO YOU'RE ALWAYS SEEING THAT THEY'RE STARTING BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AT A HIGHER NUMBER AND REACHING HIGHER TRENDS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
SO WE STARTED AT 55%, A LITTLE BIT OVER WHERE WE TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS,
[00:50:02]
AND CURRENTLY WE ARE AT 72%.YOU SEE YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THREE YEARS FOR THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DATA, WE'VE GONE FROM 61% TO 68% TO 72%.
WITH THIS AND BASED ON FOLLOWING THE REGULAR TREND LINES, WE FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE IN FIRST GRADE TO HIT THE GOAL OF 80% IN EARLY MATH FOR OUR FIRST GRADE STUDENTS.
WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHIC DATA BROKEN DOWN BY THE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS, AGAIN WE SEE THAT TREND PLAY OUT YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE VARIOUS GROUPS, WHERE WE SEE A SLIGHT INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR FOR EACH OF THE VARIOUS POPULATIONS.
THE ONLY PLACE THAT WE SEE A DIFFERENCE IN THAT IS WHERE, AGAIN, IN OUR DYSLEXIA GROUP, WHERE THERE'S A SLIGHT DIFFERENCE, A SLIGHT DECREASE FROM 33% TO 31% SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT GROUP.
NOW, OUR TREND LINE FOR THIS, IF WE'RE FOLLOWING THIS GROUP AS A COHORT, WE SEE IN KINDERGARTEN THEY PERFORMED AT 71% OF THOSE STUDENTS, WHERE 71 OF THOSE STUDENTS PERFORMED AT THE 40TH PERCENTILE OR HIGHER.
WHICH AGAIN ALIGNS WITH THE STUDENTS PERFORMING AT MEETS LEVEL OR HIGHER.
AND IN THE FIRST GRADE RIGHT NOW, THAT COHORT IS NOW PERFORMING AT 71%, SO A SLIGHT INCREASE, BUT AN INCREASE NONETHELESS OF 3%.
NOW MOVING ON TO SECOND GRADE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE SEE THAT OUR SECOND GRADERS STARTED AT 63%, AND RIGHT NOW ARE CURRENTLY AT 71%.
IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE HAD A VERY HARD TIME BREAKING THE TREND LINE IN SECOND GRADE.
AND SO WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO SEE A DEPARTURE OF THAT TREND LINE, CONSISTENT TREND LINE FROM YEARS PAST.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE SEEING REALLY WONDERFUL INCREASES BASED ON THE TRAJECTORY AND THE TREND LINE FROM YEARS PAST, WE FEEL THAT IT WILL BE A CHALLENGE FOR US TO HIT THE 83%.
WE DO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL SEE A GOOD AMOUNT OF GAIN, BUT KNOW THAT WE WILL BE HARD-PRESSED TO REACH THAT 83%.
AGAIN, YEAR OVER THE YEAR, BECAUSE WE HAVE BROKEN WITH THE TREND LINE FROM THE TWO PREVIOUS YEARS, WE SEE SLIGHT INCREASES, IN THIS CASE, ACROSS ALL POPULATION AND DEMOGRAPHIC GROUPS.
THE TREND LINE FOR THIS COHORT HAS GONE FROM 70% IN KINDERGARTEN TO 71% AND MORE OF A GAIN IN...
SECOND GRADE TO 75% WITH AN INCREASE OF 4%.
THAT ENDS OUR PRESENTATION FOR TONIGHT.
I WELCOME ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS.
IT'S EXCITING NEWS ON A LOT OF IT.
I WAS LOOKING AT THE MATH, OF COURSE, AND, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THE COHORTS GOING ALONG ARE WHAT'S KIND OF THE REINFORCEMENT.
THEY'RE KIND OF MORE PREPARED FOR THE NEXT LEVEL, OBVIOUSLY.
WHEN YOU SEE THESE KINDERGARTNERS, THOUGH, THE JUMP IN MATH TO THE 60% TO 78%, HOW MANY OF THESE ARE OUR PRE-K KIDS THAT ARE COMING IN AT K, AND ARE WE PREPARING THEM THAT WAY, AND ARE WE SEEING THAT SUCCESS HAPPEN? SO WHEN WE LOOK AT SLIDE 19, I CAN SAY CATEGORICALLY THAT OUR STUDENTS BEING IN PRE-K ABSOLUTELY DOES HELP.
YOU SEE THAT IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR WE WERE AT 65% AND FOR THIS YEAR, MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, THEY'RE PERFORMING AT 78%.
THAT IS VERY STATISTICALLY SIGNIFICANT AS FAR AS THAT JUMP FOR THE KIDS WHO ARE IN PRE-K.
IT IS ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'RE TRYING ALWAYS TO AGGRESSIVELY INCREASE OUR PRE-K 4 NUMBERS.
WE HAVE IT AT 31 OF OUR 35 CAMPUSES.
THE ONLY REASONS WE DON'T HAVE IT AT ALL IS MORE SO BECAUSE OF CAPACITY ROOM.
IT'S MORE SO AN ISSUE WHERE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH.
CLASSROOMS TO BE ABLE TO INCREASE THE FOOTPRINT OF PRE-K FOUR AT FOUR OF OUR DIFFERENT CAMPUSES WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING THOUGH AND THE PRINCIPALS HAVE BEEN ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL AND THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS AND WORKING WITH THEM IS LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO EXPAND BOTH THE PRE-K FOUR TO SEE IF WE CAN HAVE MORE CLASSES OF PRE-K FOUR AT EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS AND ALSO PRE-K THREE AS WELL AND SO HERE SOON WE'RE WORKING ON THAT CURRENTLY WE'D BE ABLE TO UM, GET FROM TERESA, WHO'S OUR DIRECTOR OVER PRE-K 4, A REPORT AS FAR AS HOW MANY CAMPUSES, HOW MANY ADDITIONAL SECTIONS AND CLASSES WE'LL BE ABLE TO ADD TO OUR PRE-K 3 AND PRE-K 4.
BUT IT DEFINITELY DOES HELP, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE AGGRESSIVELY DOING THAT.
NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT KINDERGARTEN, WE SAW THE SAME TREND IN EARLY LITERACY, AND I THINK THE REASON IS THE STUDENTS ARE COMING IN PRETTY MUCH AT BLANK STATES,
[00:55:01]
BLANK SLATES.AND SO TO GO FROM I KNOW ABSOLUTELY NOTHING OR A LITTLE BIT OF SOMETHING, AND THEN THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU'RE REALLY COMING IN CONTACT WITH CURRICULUM, THAT'S THE REASON FOR THE HUGE JUMP.
NOW, SPECIFICALLY, THOUGH, IN KINDERGARTEN, YOU ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER, WE DID A HUGE CURRICULUM UPDATE AND HAVE BEEN TEACHING INTO THAT GROUP.
SO WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT BLUE BONNET.
AND SO PREVIOUSLY YOU HEARD THAT DR.
CARLENE GONZALEZ TALK ABOUT FOR SPECIFICALLY FOR CAMPUSES WHERE WE'VE TAUGHT INTO ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, DUAL LANGUAGE COACHES, AND ALSO INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGISTS.
SO WE'RE BASED ON THE CAMPUSES THEY'RE ON.
THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE TEACHERS WITHIN THE PLCS.
TO INTERNALIZE THE CONTENT TO BETTER BE ABLE TO TEACH.
SO WE PUT A LOT, WE LEARNED A LOT FROM THE EARLY LITERACY, AND WE FRANKLY LEARNED HOW TO BETTER SCALE UP, AND SO THAT WE CAN VERY QUICKLY MAKE SURE THAT THE TEACHERS GET THE INFORMATION.
WE DON'T HAVE A GREAT MANY PD DAYS, AND SO WE HAD TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE HAD ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AND THAT ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT REALLY AND TRULY IS THE PLC STRUCTURE.
WITHIN KINDERGARTEN, THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING FROM NOTHING TO THE FIRST TIME INTERACTING IS THE REASON THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THOSE HUGE GAINS.
IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SOME OF THEM COME IN HAVING SOMETHING, THOUGH.
SO THIS IS KIND OF MY ADVERTISEMENT FOR PRE-K.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.
WITH ALL THAT'S GONE ON IN THE LAST SIX YEARS SINCE COVID.
AND EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE REQUIRED OF OUR EDUCATORS, OUR ADMINISTRATORS, TO SEE THESE KIND OF GAINS AND TO DO THE HARD WORK OF REDESIGNING OUR CURRICULUM, WE ARE SEEING THE FRUIT FROM THAT REALLY HARD WORK.
AND I KNOW IT DOESN'T COME WITH AN EASY ASK FROM THE BOARD SAYING TO ESCALATE THESE NUMBERS.
IT CAN'T HAPPEN JUST MIRACULOUSLY.
IT'S FROM THE HARD WORK FROM OUR TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THE COACHES TO THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS TO THE PRINCIPALS TO THE AREA.
I MEAN, IT JUST, THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE CHAIN, WORKING THIS NEW SYSTEM TOGETHER AND FOCUSING ON EACH INDIVIDUAL CHILD.
AND, LIKE, THIS BRINGS ME SUCH JOY BECAUSE THIS IS, IT'S ABOUT THE KIDS.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR SPEARHEADING THIS WORK AND MAKING SURE THAT IT AFFECTS FROM OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS ON UP.
THIS HAS BEEN A VERY UPLIFTING.
PRESENTATION TO GET THIS UPDATE TONIGHT.
IF I CAN, LET ME PASS THAT THANK YOU ALONG ALSO TO THE BOARD FOR I KNOW THAT NOT EVERY BOARD DOES AN LSG, AND AS FAR AS SETTING THOSE GOALS FOR THE ORGANIZATION, THANK YOU FOR DR.
AZIZ AND FOR HIS LEADERSHIP AND REALLY PUSHING FOR THIS TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE.
THANK YOU TO THE AREA SUPERINTENDENTS.
THEY COACH INTO THEIR PRINCIPLES EACH AND EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRINCIPALS FOR UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY'RE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS AND THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
IT TAKES AN ENTIRE TEAM IN ORDER TO PULL SOMETHING OFF LIKE THIS.
WHEN PEOPLE SEE THESE NUMBERS AND SOMETIMES THEY'LL SAY, WELL, SOMETIMES PEOPLE MAY SAY, WHY CAN'T YOU DO MORE? WE HAVE A VERY LARGE DISTRICT.
ANY AMOUNT OF CHANGE, EVEN IF IT'S A CERTAIN A COUPLE OF PERCENTAGE POINTS, TAKES A GREAT AMOUNT OF ENERGY TO MOVE SUCH A LARGE SHIP EVEN A LITTLE BIT.
IMPRESSED AND PROUD OF OUR TEAM AND THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE.
AND WHILE HIS WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT FOR PRE-K, THIS IS MY PLUG FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THIS HAPPENS IN PUB ED, AND I'M JUST REALLY PROUD TO BE A PART OF THIS SYSTEM AND THIS TEAM.
IF I CAN SAY ONE MORE THING, IF EVERYONE GOES BACK AND REMEMBERS THE END OF THE YEAR, WHERE WE ENDED UP END OF THE YEAR, FOR ALMOST EVERY GPM, EVERYTHING, WE WERE AT HIGH 50S, LOW 60S.
AND SO TO GO FROM THAT FOR THE END OF THE YEAR DATA TO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR DATA IS A HUGE.
YOU CAN'T SEE ALL THE PREVIOUS YEARS, BUT JUST IF YOU ADDED ONE MORE TREND LINE, YOU WOULD SEE LIKE THE HUGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE CURRENT THESE LAST THREE YEARS VERSUS WHERE WE WERE PREVIOUSLY.
AND FOR THAT, I'M INCREDIBLY PROUD OF THE TEAM AND RODRIGO AND THE THINGS THAT HE'S DONE IN TEACHING AND LEARNING OUR SUPPORT SYSTEM.
IT'S BEEN A LABOR OF LOVE, AND THEY'VE REALLY PUSHED HARD TO MAKE THESE CHANGES.
I LOOKED AT THE BOOK HERE FIVE YEARS AGO FOR EARLY MATH.
THE BASELINE IS 40%, AND NOW WE ARE HITTING 76, ALMOST DOUBLE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU GUYS' HARD WORK.
[01:00:04]
OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.I WILL JUST SAY, AS A BOARD, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED MANY TIMES ABOUT WATCHING THE ROLLOUT OF THE EARLY LITERACY CURRICULUM AND WATCHING OUR PROGRESS MEASURES GO UP AND UP AND UP, RIGHT, WHERE WE HIT THAT TARGET AND HOW WE COULDN'T WAIT TO SEE THE SAME FOR MATH.
WE KNEW THE NEW ROLLOUT WAS COMING, AND NOW WE'RE SEEING THE FRUITS OF THAT LABOR.
AND SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO YOUR TEAM.
TO OUR EDUCATORS, IT IS NOT AN EASY TIME TO BE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION RIGHT NOW ON MANY FRONTS.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOMS TO ROLL OUT THIS CURRICULUM IS TOUGH AND IT'S A LOT.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE SEEING THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE BENEFITING AND DOING WELL AND THEY'RE BEING SUCCESSFUL.
SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
AND THIS IS A GREAT REPORT TO GET BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT OUR GOALS EXTENSION IN APRIL.
I THINK THIS ROLLS VERY NICELY INTO IT.
SO JUST APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF YOUR WORK.
AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO SHOUT OUT THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR OUR YOUNGEST LEARNERS IN REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND THE PARENT SUPPORT, BECAUSE I THINK IN ADDITION TO PRE-K AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT, THAT EARLY INTERVENTION PIECE HAS BEEN REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO F2, TASB MARKET ANALYSIS REPORT.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT MARKHAM AND BOARD MEMBERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, STAFF.
AS YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR WE ASK OUR FRIENDS AT TASB TO RUN SOME PAY STRUCTURES AND SEE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU JUST HEARD ABOUT ALL THE AMAZING WORK OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF, OUR LEADERS, OUR SUPPORT STAFF ARE DOING.
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
AS YOU REMEMBER, THE INCREASE IS ONLY BY $50 PER STUDENT, WHICH COULDN'T REALLY PROVIDE MUCH OF HELP, SO WE CAN REALLY GIVE A BIGGER COMPENSATION TO OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.
NOW, LUCKILY, THEY ALSO PASSED SOME MONEY BUT THAT WAS GEARED SPECIFICALLY TO TEACHERS WITH FIVE OR MORE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THEN FOR WITH THREE AND FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE NO NO COMPENSATION WAS ALLOCATED FOR ZERO OR ONE OR ZERO ONE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BUT ALSO THE REST OF THE STAFF SO WE AS A DISTRICT WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO BE CREATIVE AND HOW CAN WE COME UP WITH WAYS OF COMPENSATING ANYWAY SO WE ASK OUR FRIEND AGAIN TEST WITH AMY CAMPBELL IS BESIDES BEING OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR ADVISOR, I GUESS, WHEN IT COMES TO TASB PAY SYSTEMS. SHE'S ALSO A PARENT FOR RONOK ISD, SO WE'RE PROUD TO HAVE HER HERE HELPING US RUN ON THESE NUMBERS.
AND THEN ALSO, YOU ALL GOING TO SAY THAT? ALL RIGHT.
SO WHY DON'T YOU SAY EVERYTHING? ALL THE PARENT LINES AND EVERYTHING.
SO THAT'S FOUR YEARS OF MY BEST LINES, RIGHT? I AM GOING TO INTRODUCE AMY CAMPBELL FROM TASV AND KRISTEN GRAY, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS FOR THE DISTRICT.
AZIZ SAID, THIS IS A REALLY CHALLENGING BUDGET TIME.
AND SO WHAT WE NORMALLY DO OR HAVE DONE IN THE PAST IS IN MARCH EVERY YEAR, WE COME FORWARD TO THE BOARD.
AND IN THE PAST, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING FORWARD RECOMMENDATIONS, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT IN THAT PLACE AT ALL THIS YEAR.
SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR TONIGHT IS REALLY INFORMATION.
IT WILL BE A MARKET ANALYSIS AND COMPARING CERTAIN POSITIONS ACROSS THE MARKET.
IT'LL ALSO BE SOME ADDITIONAL CONTEXT FOR YOU IN TERMS OF COSTS.
SO IF WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE RAISES, AMY WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OPTIONS AND SOME POTENTIAL COSTS THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO AMY, AND THEN KRISTEN WILL FOLLOW HER AS WELL.
IT'S SO GREAT TO SEE EVERYONE AGAIN.
TELLING EDDIE, IT'S BEEN A VERY ROUND ROCK HEAVY DAY FOR ME.
I JUST CAME STRAIGHT HERE FROM THE CEDAR RIDGE NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY INDUCTION CEREMONY.
SO I KNOW IT WAS GREAT THAT I GOT TO DO BOTH IN THE SAME NIGHT.
SO, YOU KNOW, EDDIE DID MENTION THAT THIS IS NOT THE SAME
[01:05:01]
INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO HEARING AT THIS POINT IN THE YEAR, BUT I WANTED TO FURTHER HAMMER THAT POINT HOME THAT YOU'RE NOT ALONE, THAT MOST OF THE DISTRICTS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH ACROSS THE STATE AND IN CENTRAL TEXAS HERE ARE IN THE SAME BOAT, THAT THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY UNKNOWNS TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE ACTION ON COMPENSATION DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.I THINK EVERYONE IS LOOKING AT WHAT THEIR OPTIONS ARE AND WAITING PERHAPS A LITTLE LONGER THAN USUAL TO MAKE DECISIONS.
SO EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, KRISTEN AND EDDIE AND THEIR TEAM GIVES US A WHOLE LOT OF EMPLOYEE DATA, TALKS THROUGH WHAT THEIR PAIN POINTS ARE, WHAT'S BEEN WORKING REALLY WELL FOR COMPENSATION.
WE TAKE ALL OF THAT EMPLOYEE DATA AND ALIGN IT WITH MARKET DATA THAT WE SHOW YOU THE SOURCES IN JUST A MOMENT TO COMPARE WHERE YOU'RE DOING REALLY WELL TO MARKET, WHERE YOU HAVE SOME ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE ALL OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE BRING FORWARD HAVE TO FIT WITHIN YOUR BUDGET.
SO WE'RE WE HAVE THREE MODELS TO SHOW TODAY, BUT THAT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS.
I THINK THIS YEAR WE'RE EXPECTING EVERY DISTRICT TO ASK FOR MANY MANY MANY MULTIPLE MODELS.
AS A REMINDER TOO FOR ALL OF YOUR NON-TEACHER STAFF, THERE IS A PAID GRADE ASSIGNED TO EACH JOB AND WITHIN THAT GRADE THERE'S A MINIMUM VALUE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE SO THAT YOU CAN RECRUIT QUALITY STAFF.
THERE'S A MARKET RANGE WHERE THE GOAL WOULD BE TO PAY AS MANY PEOPLE WITHIN THAT RANGE AS POSSIBLE.
THAT'S COMPETITIVE, FAIR, VALUE FOR THE WORK THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING.
AND THEN THERE'S A MAXIMUM THAT WOULD BE THE TOP VALUE YOU'RE READY, WILLING, AND ABLE TO PAY FOR FOLKS IN A JOB.
THE GOAL OF COURSE WOULD BE TO HELP IMPROVE PAY YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT IT IS REALLY A BALANCING ACT.
YOU WANT TO CERTAINLY HAVE STRONG PAY STRUCTURES SO THAT WHEN YOU POST A VACANCY, YOU GET GOOD APPLICANTS AND CAN FIND GREAT PEOPLE, BUT YOU HAVE TO CONTINUE INCREASING PAY FOR CURRENT STAFF.
BOTH OF THOSE CARRY A COST, AND MONEY IS NOT ALWAYS AS AVAILABLE AS YOU'D LIKE IT TO BE, AS ANY OF US WOULD LIKE IT TO BE.
THE MARKET RATE AND WHAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TODAY, WHEN I SAY MARKET VALUE, I'M SPEAKING ABOUT THE MEDIAN VALUE OF ALL MARKET RATES.
SO IT'S THE MIDDLE VALUE OF EVERY DATA POINT.
REPORTED FOR ANY PARTICULAR JOB OR YEAR OF EXPERIENCE FOR TEACHING.
FOR MOST JOBS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE SPREAD AROUND THAT MARKET RATE.
YOU'LL HAVE PEOPLE BELOW IT WHO ARE NEW TO THE ROLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE ABOVE IT WHO HAVE LOTS OF EXPERIENCE, BUT THE GOAL WOULD BE TO HAVE YOUR STRUCTURE ALIGNED TO MARKET AND AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AS CLOSE TO THAT BULLSEYE AS POSSIBLE.
YOUR PEERS HAVE REMAINED THE SAME FOR MANY YEARS NOW.
THIS IS YOUR LOCAL COMPETITION GROUP.
THIS IS WHO YOU NOT ONLY LOSE PEOPLE TO BUT STEAL PEOPLE FROM AND SO MOST OF THESE ARE ALSO OUR CLIENTS AND SO YOU KNOW SOME OF THESE I THINK DISTRICTS IN FACT PROBABLY YOUR CLOSEST COMPETITORS ARE ALSO DOING PAY STUDIES THIS YEAR AND ARE NOT READY TO MOVE FORWARD WITH RECOMMENDATIONS EITHER SO IT'S OKAY TO BE A LITTLE SLOWER THAN YOU NORMALLY ARE BECAUSE EVERYONE ELSE IS TOO.
OTHER MARKET SOURCES FOR YOUR TOP-LEVEL POSITIONS, BECAUSE YOU ARE LARGER THAN SO MANY OF YOUR LOCAL PEERS, WE ARE MATCHING THOSE CENTRAL ADMIN JOBS TO OTHER SIMILARLY-SIZED DISTRICT JOBS ACROSS THE STATE.
THAT WAY YOU'RE GETTING AN APPLES-TO-APPLES JOB MATCH.
AND THEN YOU'RE NOT ONLY COMPETING WITH SCHOOL DISTRICTS BUT ALSO NON-SCHOOL MARKETS, SO OTHER PUBLIC SECTOR ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE SECTORS.
SO WE'RE FACTORING IN MARKET DATA FOR THOSE TWO THIRD-PARTY SOURCES AS WELL.
SO EVERY YEAR WE LOOK AT TEACHER DEMOGRAPHICS.
REALLY THIS IS JUST TO GIVE YOU A PICTURE OF THE EXPERIENCE OF YOUR CURRENT TEACHING STAFF.
SO RIGHT NOW JUST OVER A HALF, 51 PERCENT OF YOUR TEACHERS HAVE 10 OR FEWER YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S A VERY TYPICAL DISTRIBUTION STATEWIDE AND IT LOOKS A LOT LIKE MOST OF YOUR PEER DISTRICTS DO AS WELL.
AND SO THIS IS A VERY COMMON AND TYPICAL DISTRIBUTION NO MATTER THE SIZE, SHAPE, LOCATION OF A DISTRICT.
THE AREA THAT WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF CHANGE IN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS NEW TEACHER HIRE DEMOGRAPHICS.
IT'S JUST BECOME HARDER OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO FIND EXPERIENCED TEACHERS TO WALK IN THE DOOR AND FILL POSITIONS.
I'LL SAY YOU DO LOOK MUCH MORE EXPERIENCED IN YOUR NEW HIRES THAN SOME OF YOUR CLOSEST PEERS, WHO SHALL REMAIN UNNAMED BUT WE'LL CALL THEM SOME OF YOUR LARGEST NEIGHBORS, HAVE HIGHER POPULATION OF LESS EXPERIENCED NEW HIRES.
SO ROUND ROCK ISD IS DOING A GREAT JOB GETTING AS MANY EXPERIENCED TEACHERS INTO THE CLASSROOM UPON HIRE AS POSSIBLE.
TEACHER MARKET, THIS IS THE GRAPHIC DEPICTION OF IT, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS IN JUST A MOMENT.
THE ORANGE LINE IS YOUR SALARY AT 0, 5, 10, 15, AND 20 YEARS,
[01:10:04]
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT SMACK DAB AGAINST THE MEDIAN VALUE OF YOUR MARKET GROUP.SO OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, YOU HAD BEEN HERE ABOVE YOUR PEERS, AND NOW YOU'RE PRETTY MUCH RIGHT IN LINE WITH THEM.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, IF YOU DROP DOWN TO THE BOTTOM TWO ROWS, YOU'RE WITHIN 1% OF MARKET AT EACH OF THOSE SURVEYED POINTS.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT SPREAD OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR, IT IS A REALLY SMALL DIFFERENCE FROM MEDIAN.
BUT KEEP IN MIND THAT'S THE MIDDLE VALUE.
SO YOU STILL HAVE ABOUT HALF THE PEERS WHO ARE SLIGHTLY ABOVE THAT AND, AGAIN, HALF THAT ARE BELOW THAT.
SO VERY COMPETITIVE OVERALL, BUT CERTAINLY A POSITION YOU WOULD WANT TO REMAIN IN AND NOT LOSE GROUND.
AND WE ALSO LOOK AT TEACHING AREA STIPENDS AND JUST STIPENDS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS AND WORK.
SO THESE AGAIN ARE AREAS THAT DISTRICTS REALLY WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE IN, ESPECIALLY FOR THE HARD TO FILL POSITIONS LIKE BILINGUAL AND SPECIAL ED.
SO OFFERING COMPETITIVE PAY FOR THOSE ASSIGNMENTS IS SUPER CRITICAL AND THE DISTRICT HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF THAT.
THE ONE AREA YOU'RE NOT CURRENTLY OFFERING A STIPEND THAT SOME OF YOUR PEERS ARE A SECONDARY SCIENCE, BUT IT'S ONLY FOUR OF YOUR 11 PEERS, SO IT'S NOT A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER.
BUT THAT COULD BE SOMETHING OVER TIME THAT AS FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE, YOU CAN LOOK CLOSER AT.
SO I'M DIGGING INTO THE OTHER JOB GROUPS, THE EXEMPT SALARY GROUPS.
YOU'LL SEE THERE'S ONE COLUMN THAT'S MISSING DATA BECAUSE YOU'RE TYPICALLY HIRING EXPERIENCED STAFF FOR SALARIED POSITIONS, EXEMPT JOBS.
ADMINISTRATORS AND OTHER PROFESSIONALS SO MINIMUM IS NOT NECESSARILY A COMPETITIVE POINT BUT YOUR STRUCTURE IS THE MIDPOINT COMPARISON THAT'S THE SECOND NUMBER COLUMN AND THEN THAT FIRST ONE IS YOUR EMPLOYEE PAY TO MARKET AGAIN IDEALLY YOU'D WANT TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO 100% IN BOTH OF THOSE COLUMNS AND FOR THE MOST PART YOU'RE RIGHT THERE YOUR LOWEST TO MARKET OF YOUR EXEMPT GROUPS IS BUSINESS EXEMPT AND I WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THAT DID FALL AND COMPETITIVENESS BY ABOUT THREE PERCENTAGE POINTS FROM LAST YEAR.
SO FOR MOST OF THOSE, YOU STAYED PRETTY CLOSE TO WHERE YOU COMPARED LAST YEAR, BUT BUSINESS EXEMPT DID DROP A LITTLE BIT.
SO THAT COULD BE AN AREA IN THE FUTURE TO KEEP UP WITH.
TECHNOLOGY, AGAIN, ALSO FELL A LITTLE FURTHER THAN I'M SURE FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO SEE.
THAT'S JUST A VERY VOLATILE MARKET AREA AND THERE'S A LOT OF NON-SCHOOL MARKET VALUES FACTORED IN AND SO THAT DOES IMPACT MARKET COMPARISON YEAR OVER YEAR.
FOR YOUR HOURLY STAFF, THAT PAY GRADE MINIMUM TO MARKET COLUMN IS FILLED IN BECAUSE YOUR STARTING PAY RATES ARE SUPER CRITICAL.
BEING ABLE TO OFFER COMPETITIVE STARTING RATES FOR YOUR HIGH TURNOVER, LOWEST PAID POSITIONS IN THE DISTRICT IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND FOR THE MOST PART, YOU'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB THERE.
INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT IS LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.
THAT'S FALLEN A LITTLE BIT TO MARKET, BUT YOUR EMPLOYEE PAY IS RELATIVELY...
OPERATIONS SUPPORT, THOUGH, I THINK IS THE LOWEST ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THAT'S YOUR CUSTODIANS, YOUR FOOD SERVICE, YOUR MAINTENANCE, SKILLED TRADE STAFF, AND THEY'VE FALLEN AS WELL.
TRANSPORTATION, THOUGH, THIS YEAR I'VE PULLED THOSE OUT SEPARATELY BECAUSE PREVIOUSLY THEY WERE CAPTURED IN THE AVERAGE FOR OPERATIONS.
BUT I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT FOR TRANSPORTATION, YOU'RE OFFERING VERY COMPETITIVE PAY RATES, BUT FOR YOUR OTHER OPERATIONS STAFF, THOSE ARE MUCH LOWER.
SO JUST A COUPLE, I GUESS, AS EDDIE MENTIONED, CONTEXT FOR THIS KIND OF PREEMPTIVE INFORMATIONAL COMPENSATION STUFF.
THE FOCUS AREAS AS WE MOVE FORWARD WILL BE FOCUSING ON FIXING COMPRESSION WITHIN THE PAY SCALES.
AND REALLY WHAT THAT IS IS A COMPENSATION TERM FOR WHEN PAY IS SQUEEZED.
SO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE WITH WIDE RANGES OF EXPERIENCE THAT ARE PAID VERY CLOSE TOGETHER.
AND YOU'VE GOT COMPETITIVE PAY STRUCTURES THAT PEOPLE ARE PAID CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM.
SO AS HR IS HIRING NEW STAFF INTO THE STRUCTURES, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ROOM TO MOVE IN TERMS OF OFFERING COMPETITIVE SALARIES TO NEW HIRES BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT CONTINUING STAFF WITH MORE EXPERIENCE WHO ARE COMPRESSED IN THE RANGE.
SO ADDRESSING THAT YOU'LL SEE IS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING.
AND THEN MARKET DIFFERENTIALS, AGAIN, FOR THOSE OPERATIONS SUPPORT JOBS AND OTHERS THAT ARE FOR THIS FLOW MARKET, HELPING IMPROVE THOSE PAY RATES TO MARKET, BOTH FOR YOUR STRUCTURES AND YOUR INDIVIDUALS IS IMPORTANT.
AND THEN TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT, YOU KNOW, AS THE SUPERINTENDENT MENTIONED, IT WAS A VERY, IT WAS A POWERFUL INCREASE FROM THE STATE.
THERE ARE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES FOR THAT IN TERMS OF PAY FOR OTHERS IN YOUR
[01:15:01]
TEACHER CAREER PATHWAY BECAUSE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS TO TEACHER PAY WERE SIGNIFICANT BUT YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE SAME $5,000 ADJUSTMENTS FOR YOUR COUNSELORS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND SO ON.SO ONE MORE SLIDE OF CONTEXT, MOST OF YOUR PEER DISTRICTS HAVE REALLY LIMITED CAPACITY TO PROVIDE ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RAISES OR SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENTS THIS YEAR.
IN A TYPICAL YEAR WE'RE OFFERING TWO AND THREE PERCENT COST MODELS.
THIS YEAR, FOR MOST DISTRICTS, IT'S 0%, 1%, AND 2%, WITH THE TWO BEING PROBABLY PRETTY UNLIKELY.
AND THAT'S TRUE FOR YOUR CENTRAL TEXAS PEERS AS WELL.
THAT TRA, OR TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT ENTITLEMENT, IS A REQUIRED INCREASE FROM THE STATE.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, THERE'S THOSE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES.
EACH OF THE COST MODELS I'M ABOUT TO SHOW YOU DO INCLUDE ABOUT $750,000 THAT WE'RE ESTIMATING WILL BE NEW TRA FUNDING.
FOR PEOPLE WHO EITHER MOVE INTO THAT THREE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE FOR NEXT YEAR OR MOVE INTO FIVE YEARS AND SO I'VE EXCLUDED THAT FROM THE COST JUST BECAUSE THAT WILL BE PASSED THROUGH MONEY FROM THE STATE AND I DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT THAT'S MONEY YOU ALSO HAVE TO FUND AS WELL SO THIS FIRST COST MODEL YOU'LL SEE THE COLUMN ON THE LEFT ARE YOUR PAY GROUPS THIS IS EXPANDED SINCE LAST YEAR BECAUSE SOME OF THE JOBS USED TO BE ON YOUR TEACHER STRUCTURE BUT BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE TRA ENTITLEMENT THEY'VE BEEN BROKEN OUT INTO DIFFERENT GROUPS SO THAT GENERAL PAY INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD IN THIS FIRST MODEL WOULD BE 1%.
THE ADJUSTMENTS YOU'LL SEE ARE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.
THAT REPRESENTS JUST OVER A HALF PERCENT OF BUDGET IMPACT.
THERE'S A COUPLE COLUMNS THERE IN THE MIDDLE THAT SHOW YOU THE NUMBER AND THEN THE PERCENT OF EMPLOYEES BY JOB GROUP RECEIVING ADJUSTMENTS, AND THEN THE AVERAGE TOTAL INCREASE.
FOR YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT STAFF AND YOUR LARGELY INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT, A LOT OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE FOR...
THE TEACHER PAY EQUITY ADJUSTMENT DUE TO THE TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT, BUT ALSO SPREADING PAY OUT TO FIX SOME OF THOSE COMPRESSION ISSUES.
AND SO IT REALLY JUST HELPS IMPROVE YOUR ABILITY TO USE YOUR FULL PAY STRUCTURE AND PAY FAIRLY COMPETITIVELY WITHIN IT.
THE 2% MODEL IS MUCH THE SAME EXCEPT THE MORE YOU GIVE ACROSS THE BOARD, THE LESS YOU HAVE TO GIVE AN ADJUSTMENT.
SO THOSE NUMBERS SWAP A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN THE LAST MODEL IS SLIGHTLY MORE BARE BONES APPROACH.
IF YOU DID NOT GIVE AN ACROSS THE BOARD PAY INCREASE, WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE TO GIVE IN ADJUSTMENTS TO ADOPT THE SAME STRUCTURES THAT WE'RE PROPOSING? AND THAT WOULD GENERATE A TOTAL COST OF ABOUT $3 MILLION, JUST SHY OF 1%.
AMY, CAN I JUMP IN JUST REAL QUICK ON THAT LAST SLIDE? SO JUST, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT COMPRESSION A LOT OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND EVEN SINCE THE PASSAGE OF HOUSE BILL 2, AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT LAST JUNE WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET, BUT I MEAN, I THINK YOU CAN SEE YOURSELF, JUST THAT INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT COLUMN ALONE, THAT IS A DIRECT RESULT OF HOUSE BILL 2 AND THE WORK THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO TO UNPEEL SOME OF THAT LEGISLATION IN TERMS OF WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE IN OUR COMPENSATION STRUCTURE.
THOSE POSITIONS ARE UPWARD MOBILITY, ESSENTIALLY CAREER ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT.
SO INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, COUNSELLORS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, PRINCIPALS, ET CETERA.
THAT'S THAT GROUP IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT.
AND I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS NO FUNDING IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE STATE GAVE US FOR HOUSE BILL 2 FOR THAT DESIGNATED GROUP.
SO THE LONGER WE LEAVE THE ADJUSTMENTS AND DON'T TACKLE THE ADJUSTMENTS, THE MORE EXPENSIVE IT WILL BECOME OVER TIME TO FIX THOSE THINGS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE POINTED THAT OUT.
YEAH, CAN I ADD A NUMBER TO THAT, EDDIE? BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL BE VERY I THINK IT WILL HIT THE POINT HOME.
CURRENTLY, IF YOU REMEMBER THAT ONE OF THOSE FIRST SLIDES I SHOWED YOU WITH THE MARKET RANGE, AND YOU WANT AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE AROUND YOUR MIDPOINT, RIGHT NOW 84% OF YOUR STAFF AND INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT ARE PAID BELOW MIDPOINT.
SO THE SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY ARE BELOW THE MIDPOINT, WHICH IS MARKET VALUE.
SO WHILE SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE ABOVE THAT, AND AVERAGE PAY RATES FOR THOSE SINGLE INCUMBENTS ARE ABOVE THAT, 84% OF YOUR PEOPLE ARE BELOW MIDPOINT.
WITH THESE ADJUSTMENTS, THAT WOULD REDUCE THAT PERCENTAGE TO 55%, WHICH IS MUCH MORE THE GOAL AND THE STANDARD PRACTICE.
SO, AGAIN, JUST NOT TO THROW NUMBERS AT YOU, BUT TO SAY WHAT THAT REALLY WOULD DO IS HELP GET YOU TO THAT IDEAL, MORE IDEAL SITUATION OF HAVING PEOPLE AROUND MARKET.
YEAH, AND THAT'S JUST TO ADD, THAT'S AN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCE TO HOUSE BILL 3, RIGHT, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO RECTIFY, AND THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATORS DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR.
THAT'S LIKE $2 MILLION THAT THEY NEEDED TO PUT THAT AS PART OF THAT BILL.
AND PLUS, THEY DID NOT EVEN ACCOUNT FOR BENEFIT AND FRINGES, TOO.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AROUND AND ALSO FIGURE OUT HOW CAN WE PAY FOR FRINGES AND BENEFITS LIKE TRS, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PROVIDE TRS, FOR EXAMPLE, BENEFITS TO OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.
[01:20:02]
HOUSE BILL 32.DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN THE QUEUE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK AHEAD OF US AND A LOT TO CONSIDER.
AND AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO ECHO THAT WHILE OUR TEACHERS DID RECEIVE A WONDERFUL RAISE FROM THE STATE, IT DID EXCLUDE A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND IT PUTS DISTRICTS IN A REALLY, REALLY TOUGH POSITION TO COME UP WITH THOSE RAISES.
AND IT IS, AGAIN, AN UNFORTUNATE.
CONSEQUENCE OF HOW THAT LEGISLATION WAS VERY SPECIFICALLY WRITTEN SO THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND FOR GIVING US A LOT TO CONSIDER OKAY WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM F3 PART TWO COMING UP.
THANK YOU, PRESIDENT MARKHAM AND TRUSTEES, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
AS EDDIE MENTIONED, I'M KRISTEN GRAY WITH THE HR TEAM, AND I WANTED TO PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS WE THINK THROUGH THE COMPENSATION DISCUSSION FOR NEXT YEAR.
A LOT OF THIS IS THE SAME INFORMATION YOU JUST HEARD FROM AMY.
I JUST LIKE TO BRING THIS EVERY YEAR AND POINT OUT A COUPLE OF THINGS.
AGAIN, THIS IS LISTING TEACHER SALARIES FOR ROUND ROCK AS WELL AS THE OTHER DISTRICTS THAT WE COMPETE WITH.
THE INFORMATION HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN REFLECTS TEACHER SALARIES THAT ARE HIGHER THAN ROUND ROCK.
AND SO, OF COURSE, WE WATCH THIS, MONITOR THIS EVERY YEAR.
ME AND MY COHORTS IN OTHER DISTRICTS ARE CONSTANTLY WATCHING THAT ZERO-YEAR SALARY AS WE GO OUT TO RECRUIT, YOU KNOW JUST WANTING TO HAVE THAT HIGHEST SALARY TO RECRUIT FOLKS INTO OUR DISTRICT.
SO AGAIN, THESE ARE JUST NUMBERS THAT WE TRY TO PAY ATTENTION TO EACH SPRING.
WE ALSO WANTED TO BRING FORTH AND SHOW YOU SOME COMPARISONS TO TEACHER PAY AND HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO WHAT THIS SLIDE REPRESENTS IS TEACHER SALARIES FOR THOSE WHO HAVE 10 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND WE ADD IN WHAT THE DISTRICT CONTRIBUTION IS FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
IN OUR CASE IT'S JUST UNDER $5,600 A YEAR.
AND THEN WE TAKE OUT ANY EMPLOYEE PREMIUMS THAT COME OUT OF THE EMPLOYEE'S PAYCHECK.
SO THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN REPRESENTS THAT TOTAL SALARY AND HEALTH PLAN VALUE.
YOU CAN SEE ROUND ROCK WHEN YOU SORT THEM FROM TOP TO BOTTOM, WE'RE RIGHT AT THE SIXTH HIGHEST FOR THAT SALARY AND HEALTH PLAN VALUE.
I DID WANT TO MAKE A NOTE THAT THE DISTRICT'S CONTRIBUTION HAS BEEN AT THAT AMOUNT SINCE 2023.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IS IN THE EMPLOYEE PREMIUM CONTRIBUTION, FOR MANY YEARS, THAT COLUMN HAD A LOT OF ZEROS.
DISTRICTS ARE JUST REALLY STRUGGLING WITH THE CONTINUED INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND SO THIS YEAR, ROUND ROCKS, AND THIS IS ALSO REPRESENTING THE LOWEST PLAN OPTION ACROSS THESE DISTRICTS.
SO THIS YEAR, ROUND ROCK DID MOVE TO A $10 MINIMUM FOR OUR LOWEST HEALTH PLAN OPTION.
AND SO THEN YOU CAN JUST SEE THAT TOTAL PLAN VALUE AS DISTRICTS ADD IN HEALTH INSURANCE, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
AND THEN THE SAME SLIDE FOR NEW TO PROFESSION TEACHERS.
YOU CAN SEE THERE, I BELIEVE, JUST ROUND ROCK IS AT THE EIGHTH PLACE IN TERMS OF THE HIGHEST VALUE.
ONE LAST NOTE ON HEALTH INSURANCE.
WE'LL BE COMING BACK IN MAY TO TALK TO THE BOARD, MORE SPECIFICALLY DIG DEEPER INTO THE HEALTH INSURANCE FUND AND WHAT THAT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR THE FUTURE.
ANOTHER THING THAT I LOOK AT EACH YEAR AND BRING TO THE BOARD FOR REVIEW IS COST OF LIVING INDICATORS.
MY SOURCE FOR THIS IS SOMETHING CALLED BETTER PLACES.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE CHAMBER BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION QUITE A FEW YEARS AGO.
AND, AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE HOME PRICES, HOUSING, HEALTH PRICES, UTILITIES, AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS AND COMPARING THE CITY TO THE U.S.
THIS CHART IS JUST COMPARING ROUND ROCK TO AUSTIN.
WHAT THAT MEANS IN THE TOP ROW THERE IS ROUND ROCK IS ROUGHLY 17% MORE EXPENSIVE THAN THE U.S.
AVERAGE, AND AUSTIN'S RIGHT AT ABOUT 30%.
AND IN THE FAR RIGHT CHART, YOU CAN SEE ROUND ROCK AND LEANDER ARE NECK AND NECK, ABOUT 17% ABOVE THE U.S.
AGAIN, THIS IS NOT CONSUMER PRICE INDEX AND DOESN'T TALK ABOUT INFLATION.
IT'S TRULY JUST KIND OF AN INDICATOR OF WHAT YOU SEE IN THE CHART IN TERMS OF DIFFERENT.
SO THEN WE TAKE THAT INFORMATION AND COMPARE IT ACROSS.
WE SELECTED FOUR BENCHMARK JOBS.
IN THIS CASE, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE TEACHER AND THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL FOR THE ELEMENTARY GROUP.
AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE, IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES,
[01:25:02]
WE'RE COMPARING THE TOTAL SALARY AND HEALTH PLAN VALUE AGAINST THAT COLEI INDICATOR.SO THE BLUE LINE, YOU CAN SEE IT ADJUSTS.
THROUGH THIS EIGHT-YEAR HISTORICAL TREND, IT'S KIND OF FLUCTUATING.
THE BLUE LINE IS THE SALARY INFORMATION, AND THE ORANGE LINE IS THE COLE.
YOU CAN SEE COLE KIND OF STAYED STAGNANT.
THE BETTERPLACES.NET, IT REALLY HASN'T CHANGED FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS, KIND OF PLATEAUED.
AND THEN AS THE SALARIES GO UP, SOME OF THOSE PEAKS ARE FROM THINGS WHEN WE WERE ABLE TO PASS THE VADER THROUGH PROPOSITION A IN THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR.
KRISTEN, CAN I JUST ADD ONE THING? JUST AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COLE IS A COMPARISON OF ONE AREA TO ANOTHER AREA.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY REFLECT INFLATION.
IF INFLATION IS INCREASING ACROSS THE BOARD, THEN WE'RE ALL SUFFERING.
SO IT'S NOT AN INFLATION COMPARISON.
IT'S A COMPARISON TO THAT COLE OVER TIME.
AND SO WE'RE SAYING BASICALLY THAT THAT 17% ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE HAS REMAINED RELATIVELY CONSISTENT OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
HOWEVER, WE ALL KNOW INFLATION IN THIS AREA IS AT ABOUT 20% OVER THE LAST FIVE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT SOME OF OUR HOURLY BENCHMARK JOBS.
SO THE CHART HERE ON THE LEFT IS THE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT 2.
AGAIN, A SIMILAR GRAPH FOR THE COMPARISON THERE.
AND THEN THE CUSTODIAN ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE WANTED TO PROVIDE THE BOARD JUST SOME HISTORICAL INFORMATION IN TERMS OF GENERAL PAY INCREASES SINCE THE 21-22 SCHOOL YEAR.
YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF PERCENTAGES.
AND WHEN REQUIRED THE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT WERE PAID SPECIFICALLY TO TEACHERS.
AND IN THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, WE JUST WANTED TO SHOW THE STARTING TEACHER SALARY AND WHAT THAT'S LOOKED LIKE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
IT'S BEEN ROUGHLY, I THINK IT WAS A 13% INCREASE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE THEM.
I APOLOGIZE FOR TRYING TO HURRY THINGS ALONG.
SO I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION FOR AMY ON YOUR PRESENTATION, AND I'M SORRY WE DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO IT IF YOU HAVE YOUR INFORMATION IN FRONT OF YOU, BUT I'M LOOKING AT SLIDE 18 WHERE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COST MODEL 3 WITH THE 0% RAISE AND JUST MAKING ADJUSTMENTS.
SPECIFICALLY UNDER LIBRARIANS, THEIR ADJUSTMENTS IS ZERO.
YEAH, IT'S A ROUNDING ISSUE, SO THERE'S PENNIES THAT ACTUALLY ROUND TO ZERO, SO THAT'S A ROUNDING ISSUE.
BUT THEY DIDN'T GET ANY MONEY IN THE LEGISLATIVE.
SO IN WORKING WITH HR, THAT IS AN EXPLORATION IN TERMS OF, I MEAN, THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT COMES BACK AND SAYS THAT IS A SPOT WHERE WE WANT TO PUT MORE ADDITIONAL FUNDS, BUT THE GOAL WOULD BE TO, OBVIOUSLY OVER TIME, TO GET THEM CLOSER TO TEACHERS.
EDDIE, YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT, THE CONVERSATION, NOT THE WORK, BUT THE CONVERSATION.
A REALLY CHALLENGING SUMMER IN TERMS OF OUR COMPENSATION STRUCTURES AND OBVIOUSLY THAT SOUNDS, I'M NOT MINIMIZING THE, MINIMIZING WHAT THE IMPACT ACTUAL COMPENSATION FOR PEOPLE, BUT WE HAD TO MOVE VERY QUICKLY LAST SUMMER TO ADJUST STRUCTURES BASED ON STATE LEGISLATION.
AND SO THAT INCLUDED THE LIBRARIANS.
WE HAVE SEVERAL OTHER POSITIONS LIKE ART FACILITATORS, ATHLETIC TRAINERS THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED IN THAT GROUP.
AND SO OUR EXPLORATION THIS YEAR HAS BEEN HOW DO WE HOW DO WE MEET THE STATE DEFINITION OF WHAT A TEACHER IS FOR SOME OF THOSE OTHER POSITIONS, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM DO PROVIDE INSTRUCTIONAL SERVICES, WHILE ALSO FIGURING OUT IF WE CAN'T MEET THE STATE DEFINITION OF FOUR HOURS MINIMUM PER DAY IN A SPECIFIC PEMS CODING, THEN WHAT DO WE DO FOR THOSE GROUPS? AND SO THIS IS JUST TRULY A COST-OUT MODEL.
IF WE WERE TO DETERMINE THOSE AREAS ARE A PRIORITY, THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WAYS WE COULD APPROACH THAT.
ONE, WE COULD TRY TO REPLICATE WHAT WE DID WITH TEACHER PAY SCALES, BUT WE COULD ALSO FLIP INTO OUR MIDPOINT RANGES, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE FOR ALL OF THE OTHER EMPLOYEE GROUPS WHERE YOU'VE GOT A MINIMUM, MIDPOINT, AND MAXIMUM, AND START TO INCLUDE THOSE OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL GROUPS IN THOSE MIDPOINT RANGES TOO.
SO IT'S JUST A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S COMPLICATED, BUT WE REALLY, AS PART OF OUR WORK AND OUR PRIORITIZATION, WE JUST NEED TO IDENTIFY WHAT MIGHT BE THE BEST APPROACH IF WE WERE TO BRING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD TO THE BOARD.
AND I'VE NEVER SAT THIS CLOSE TO YOU WHEN I'VE QUESTIONED ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE.
USUALLY I'M OVER ON THAT SIDE.
BUT I THINK EVERY DISTRICT IS FACING THESE ISSUES WITH HAVING TO RIGHT-SIZE ADJUSTMENTS AND WHATNOT.
I PERSONALLY WOULD BE, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT AN HR
[01:30:01]
PROFESSIONAL, AND IT MAY NOT EVEN BE AN OPTION, BUT LOOKING EVEN AT SLIDE 18 WHERE YOU'VE GOT $3 MILLION GOING TO HALF OF THAT GOING TO 625 EMPLOYEES.IS THERE A WAY TO SCALE THAT OVER A COUPLE OF YEARS RATHER THAN GIVING THE WHOLE COST ADJUSTMENT IN ONE YEAR? HOLD ON.
AND THEN BECAUSE THEN WE COULD SPREAD IT OUT TO MORE EMPLOYEES, AND THEN I FORGOT THE SECOND HALF OF THAT.
SO ANSWER SEE IF YOU CAN ANSWER THAT ONE, AND THEN I'LL REMEMBER THE SECOND HALF OF MY QUESTION.
SO I GO BACK TO THE ANSWER FROM EARLIER, WHICH IS YES, THERE'S MULTIPLE WAYS YOU CAN TACKLE THAT.
AND AMY IS WAY BETTER AT THIS THAN I AM.
BUT YOU CAN TACKLE IT MULTIPLE WAYS.
BUT THE LONGER YOU WAIT TO MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, THE MORE EXPENSIVE THEY BECOME OVER TIME, RIGHT? IT JUST COMPOUNDS.
AND SO, YES, BUT THERE ARE WAYS THAT IF WE WERE TO DETERMINE WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS FOR THIS GROUP AND THIS FOR THIS GROUP, WE COULD CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT DIFFERENTLY.
I REMEMBER MY SECOND HALF ON THAT IS WITH THIS.
PROBLEM AFFECTING DISTRICTS ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.
I'M ALWAYS A GLASS HALF FULL KIND OF PERSON.
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEDGE COULD...
CORRECT THAT IN THE NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION AND ALLOCATE MONEY FOR THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN IN OUR NEXT LEGISLATIVE SESSION THROUGH SOME INCREDIBLE ADVOCACY ACROSS THE STATE FOR THOSE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT WERE LEFT OUT, WHAT KIND OF SITUATION WOULD WE BE IN IF WE'VE ALREADY SELF-CORRECTED AND THEN NEXT YEAR IN THE LEDGE SESSION THEY SAY, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL OF OUR INSTRUCTIONAL EXEMPT, THEY'RE GOING TO GET $5,000 WHEN WE'VE ALREADY SELF-CORRECTED TO THAT.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? SO THIS LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WAS REALLY THE FIRST TIME THEY GOT SO PRESCRIPTIVE FOR RAISES.
IN THE PAST, IN HOUSE BILL 3 BACK IN 2019, THEY IDENTIFIED CERTAIN TEACHER, CERTAIN EMPLOYEE GROUPS THAT THEY HAD, THAT THE DISTRICT HAD TO USE SOME OF THE RAISES TOWARDS.
THIS LAST SESSION WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY SAID FOR TEACHERS WITH THIS MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE, YOU MUST GIVE THIS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.
AND SO IT'S JUST HARD TO PREDICT, TRUSTEE LANDRUM, WHAT THE STATE MIGHT DO AT THIS POINT AND I MEAN, I'M A GLASS HALF FULL KIND OF PERSON TOO.
IF THE STATE WAS TO REVERT BACK TO A FUNDING FORMULA INCREASE THAT GAVE DISTRICTS THE DISCRETION TO IDENTIFY THE PRIORITIES THAT THEY HAVE WITHIN THEIR OWN COMPENSATION PLAN, LIKE COMPRESSION AND LIKE AN INSTRUCTIONAL PATHWAY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, THAT WOULD BE THE IDEAL SCENARIO BECAUSE IT WOULD ALLOW US TO FIX SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND PRIORITIZE THOSE OURSELVES.
BUT THE CHALLENGE IS GOING TO BE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I MEAN, I WOULDN'T EVEN BEGIN TO PREDICT WHAT WILL HAPPEN, BUT THE CHALLENGE IS IF THEY CONTINUE DOWN THE ROAD OF THIS GROUP GETS THIS AND THIS GROUP GETS THIS, THEN I THINK WE'RE GOING TO FIGHT AN UPHILL BATTLE ON THAT.
SO, AGAIN, I WOULDN'T LIKE TO SPECULATE ON THAT, BUT I THINK I DO APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
SO I'M SORRY TO EDDIE'S ANSWER.
SO, YES, HOUSE BILL 3 BACK IN 2019.
THE WAY THEY DID IT, IT WAS LIKE A PERCENTAGE.
SO THEY SAID, WE'RE GOING TO INCREASE.
IT WAS A $1,000 INCREASE IN THE BASIC ALLOWANCE BACK IN 2019.
AND I SAID, FOR THE $1,000, 30% OF THAT MONEY THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GENERATE, LET'S SAY WE GENERATE $30 MILLION OUT OF THAT.
SO THAT 30% OF THAT $30 MILLION HAS TO GO TO RAISES, BUT WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE TEACHERS.
AND 70, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT, 70, 75% OF IT HAS TO GO TO TEACHERS.
BUT THEY ALLOW SCHOOL DISTRICTS THE FREEDOM.
WITH THE FLEXIBILITY TO USE THE REST OR TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF THE GROUP.
AND THEY WERE, AT THAT TIME, THEY DID NOT SAY, I THINK AT THAT TIME THEY SAID TEACHERS AND LIBRARIAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE ACTUALLY WERE ABLE TO ACCOUNT AND ADD OR GIVE EQUAL RAISES, I GUESS, TO TEACHERS AND LIBRARIAN.
I THINK THE NURSES ALSO WERE IN THAT CATEGORY.
THIS YEAR THEY WERE VERY SPECIFIC, NO LIBRARIAN, NO NURSES, NO ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, NO PRINCIPALS.
NO ONE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE THAT MONEY, WILL GET THAT MONEY.
AND SO THEY DID NOT GIVE ANY FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE IT HAS TO GO THROUGH PIMS, SO IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE CODING.
SO WITH A COUPLE OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS, I GUESS THEY DID THIS.
THEY WERE LUCKY, I GUESS, TO DO THIS PRIOR TO THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION.
THEY HAD SOME SMALLER DISTRICTS.
THEY HAD MAYBE LIBRARIANS SOMETIMES, TEACHERS, OR LIKE AN INTERVENTION, LIKE AN INTERVENTION CLASSES.
HALF OF THEIR TIME IS ACTUALLY DOING INTERVENTION WITH STUDENTS, SO THEY HAVE A CLASS OR STUDENTS ROSTERS ATTACHED TO THEIR NAMES AND THE REST OF THE DAY THEY WERE ACTUALLY BEING A LIBRARIAN IN THE LIBRARY.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT THEY MET
[01:35:01]
THE REQUIREMENTS THAT THE STATE PUT FORWARD AND THEY WERE ABLE ACTUALLY TO GET THAT TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT.BUT THEY HAD TO BE FOR OR HALF OF THEIR TIME ACTUALLY INSTRUCTING OR DOING INTERVENTION WITH STUDENTS.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF OUR LIBRARIANS WHO ARE NOT THAT CATEGORY, SO THAT'S WHY WE HAVE TO THINK OF OTHER WAYS OF GETTING THAT HAPPEN.
I MEAN, WE EVEN TALK WITH SOME OF OUR LIBRARY SERVICES IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT MAYBE THEY WANT TO DO, BECAUSE THAT WILL REALLY AUTOMATICALLY, IF WE DO THAT, IF THEY DO THAT, AUTOMATICALLY WILL MAKE THEM ELIGIBLE TO EARN THAT TEACHER RETENTION ALLOTMENT, PRETTY MUCH.
I WOULD JUST ADD THAT IN THE PAST...
A COUPLE OF SESSIONS, 2019 AND ALSO IN THE MOST RECENT, THE BILL LANGUAGE WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO EXCLUDE PAY INCREASES FOR ADMINISTRATORS.
SO IN 2019, IT WAS VERY BROAD THAT YOU COULD SPEND IT ON OTHERS EXCEPT FOR ADMINISTRATORS.
AND IN HOUSE BILL 2, YOUR SUPPORT STAFF RETENTION ALLOTMENT, WHICH WAS A SIGNIFICANTLY TEENY TINY SMALLER AMOUNT, YOU COULD SPEND IT ON PAY INCREASES FOR OTHER STAFF, BUT YOU WERE NOT ALLOWED TO SPEND IT ON ADMINISTRATORS.
I GUESS MY TWO CENTS WOULD BE THERE'S CERTAINLY A POSSIBILITY THAT THE LEGISLATURE COULD INFUSE MORE MONEY FOR PAY INCREASES, BUT BASED ON THEIR PRACTICES THE PAST FEW SESSIONS, IT SEEMS UNLIKELY THAT ADMINISTRATOR PAY WOULD BE A FOCUS.
I'M SUPER ACTIVE IN THE LEDGE AND ADVOCATING FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION.
BUT I LOOK AT A SLIDE LIKE SLIDE 18, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE JUST PRESENTING THE FACTS, BUT THIS PITS SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES AGAINST OTHER PARTS OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND I KNOW THE PRECEDENT WAS ALREADY SET AT THE LEGISLATURE THAT, HEY, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO GIVE PAY RAISES FOR THIS SELECT GROUP, AND THE REST OF YOU, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE OUT OF LUCK.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO STOMACH THINKING ABOUT, I KNOW THESE PEOPLE NEED THOSE RAISES AND THEY NEED THE COST OF LIVING AND ADJUSTMENTS AND ALL OF THAT, BUT IT'S REALLY HARD TO SAY THAT THIS OTHER GROUP ALSO DOESN'T NEED A PAY RAISE AND LOOKING AT THOSE GROUPS THAT ARE EXCLUDED IN THIS, AND IT JUST IS REALLY HARD TO SAY THAT TO OUR EMPLOYEES THAT WE CAN ONLY GIVE, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S ABOUT 01,500 PEOPLE IF WE LOOKED AT SLIDE 18 ONLY OUT OF OUR 07,000 EMPLOYEES, AND THAT'S JUST REALLY HARD TO STOMACH.
SO THAT'S JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION.
OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE.
TRUSTEES, THE NEXT COUPLE REPORTS ARE GOING TO BE LONG.
DOES EVERYONE WANT TO TAKE A SHORT BREAK? OKAY, WE WILL TAKE A 10, 15 MINUTES.
SO WE'LL COME BACK AT AROUND 7.55.
IT IS 742 AND WE ARE IN RECESS.
IT IS 758 AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN AND TRUSTEE ROSS HAS JOINED US VIRTUALLY.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO EDDIE FOR AGENDA ITEM F3.
GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT MARKHAM, TRUSTEES, DR.
I APPRECIATE THE INTRODUCTION.
I WAS IN TROUBLE EARLIER FOR SAYING SOMETHING THAT I GUESS I WASN'T SUPPOSED TO SAY.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
SO WE HAVEN'T DONE THIS IN A COUPLE OF YEARS, BUT FOR THE PAST FEW BEFORE THAT, HR SERVICES AND MYSELF HAS BEEN COMING TO THE BOARD EVERY MARCH TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT SOME OF SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, SOME OF THE THINGS ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES, I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE WHAT A BIG ORGANIZATION WE ARE, THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT WE STAFF, THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF ROLES THAT WE HAVE, AND JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
AND SO I LIKE TO BRAG ON OUR TEAM AND THE WORK OF OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR HIRING MANAGERS ACROSS THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY REALLY DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF MAKING THIS TICK.
SO TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE, SOME OF OUR SOLUTIONS FOR TEACHER PIPELINES, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO CONNECT SOME THINGS IN RELATED TO TOTAL COMPENSATION AND OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER WITHIN HR.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE SIT WITHIN THE ORGANIZATIONAL CHART OF THE DISTRICT.
I'M VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE FOUR EXCELLENT DIRECTORS WHO KIND OF MAKE THINGS WORK IN THE HR DEPARTMENT.
YOU OBVIOUSLY WERE VERY FAMILIAR WITH KRISTEN.
SUSAN LOFTON-BULLIS AND RENEE AIKENS ARE CURRENTLY IN HOUSTON LEARNING ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A LITTLE WHILE AND THEN MARIELA BANDA OVERSEES OUR SYSTEMS AND ANALYTICS TEAM.
WE ARE VERY INTO OUR DATA AND SO MARIELA AND HER TEAM DO A GREAT JOB OF KEEPING US UP TO DATE.
AND THAT IS OUR ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.
SO I GET TO COME TO THE BOARD AND BRAG AND TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS BUT THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WHO REALLY DO THE WORK AND I'M VERY VERY
[01:40:02]
FORTUNATE TO HAVE THEM ALL.THEY ARE A SMALL BUT MIGHTY TEAM WHO TAKE ON A LOT OF ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES.
CURRENTLY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FOLKS IN BLUE ON THE LEFT, MICHELLE, LISA MARIE, DANIELA AND DONNA ARE HELPING SUPPORT TALENT ACQUISITION ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
LISA MARIE AND DANIELA ARE OUR ROAD WARRIORS.
LISA MARIE IS CURRENTLY IN THE RIO GRANDE VALLEY RECRUITING AND DANIELA JUST CAME BACK FROM LUBBOCK.
AND THIS IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR WHEN THEY'RE OUT ON THE ROAD QUITE A BIT.
WE WILL SEE THE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR HERE IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AS WE START TO RECRUIT AND HIRE SOME GREAT TEACHERS.
SO THIS IS OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUS IN HR.
WE'VE GOT THREE GOALS THAT WE REALLY FOCUS IN ON, AND 5.1, 5.2, AND 5.3.
AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THINGS THAT RELATE TO ALL THREE OF THOSE TONIGHT.
YOU HEARD FROM KRISTEN ALREADY.
OUR FOCUS ON TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO IMPROVE COMPENSATION, THAT'S ALWAYS A FOCUS IN HR.
WE DO HAVE A BIG FOCUS OF TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION, WHICH WILL BE 5.2.
HOW DO WE FIGURE OUT TALENT PIPELINES AND CREATE CAREER PATHWAYS FOR FOLKS? SO YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR A LOT ABOUT THAT TONIGHT.
AND THEN LASTLY, ESTABLISHING COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF TO LEARN ABOUT RESOURCES AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK.
WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TOWARDS THE END.
AGAIN, WE ARE A SMALL TEAM, BUT WE REALLY TRY TO ALIGN OUR WORK SO WE MAKE SURE THAT EVERY EFFORT IS MADE TO GET US WHERE WE NEED TO GET TO.
THE AREAS IN BLUE ARE KIND OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON TONIGHT, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR DEPARTMENT.
WE WILL COME TO YOU NEXT MONTH AND TALK ABOUT EMPLOYEE CONTRACTS.
THAT'S A BIG PART OF OUR WORK IN HR.
WE ALSO DO BENEFITS AND LEAVE, AND YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR BENEFITS PROGRAM.
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD WE HAVE A HEALTH CENTER, AND THAT'S A BIG THING THAT WE'RE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT.
AND THEN WE SUPPORT OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR CAMPUS LEADERS AND ALSO OUR DISTRICT LEADERS IN TERMS OF EMPLOYEE SUPPORT AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, ETC.
BUT WE'RE REALLY GOING TO HONE IN ON THE AREAS IN BLUE TONIGHT, SPECIFICALLY HIRING AND HOW WE HIRE AND HOW WE FIND TALENT, OUR RECRUITING AND RETENTION STRATEGIES.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIRING EVENTS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF OUR WORKFORCE.
I THOUGHT THIS MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR SOME OF OUR NEWER TRUSTEES TO REALLY KIND OF GET A A HANDLE ON JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT.
OBVIOUSLY, WE TALK ABOUT EMPLOYEES, BUT WE ALSO, WHEN I TALK ABOUT EMPLOYEES, I GENERALLY REFER TO EMPLOYEES WHO ARE BENEFITS ELIGIBLE IN REGULAR POSITIONS, MEANING THEY WORK FULL-TIME FOR THE DISTRICT, THIS IS THEIR JOB, AND THOSE ARE THE FOLKS ON THE LEFT.
AUXILIARY EMPLOYEES ARE OUR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS STAFF, THAT INCLUDES OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, IT ALSO INCLUDES CUSTODIAL STAFF, ETC.
THE OTHER GROUPS, JUST TO DEFINE, OTHER PROFESSIONALS WOULD BE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, COUNSELORS, LIBRARIANS, FOLKS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS ARE GENERALLY OUR OFFICE SUPPORT AND ADMIN SUPPORT STAFF.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE JUST THE SHEER NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WE HAVE.
WE HAVE OVER 6,400, ALMOST 06,500 EMPLOYEES BASED ON HEADCOUNT.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT A VERY IMPORTANT GROUP ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS OUR GUEST EDUCATORS.
THAT'S OUR SUBSTITUTE PROGRAM.
AND CURRENTLY, DON'T LET ANYONE EVER TELL YOU WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH SUBS IN ROUND ROCK ISD.
WE HAVE OVER 1,600 OF THEM, AND THEY WORK A LOT, AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB FOR US, AND SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT GROUP.
THEY'RE ALSO ONE OF OUR PIPELINES.
WE'VE HIRED, IN THE LAST YEAR, ALMOST 200 OF OUR GUEST EDUCATORS INTO REGULAR POSITIONS.
THE DATA IS AS OF THE END OF FEBRUARY, SO I'M SURE THIS NUMBER HAS INCREASED QUITE A BIT SINCE THEN.
YOU CAN SEE JUST THE NUMBER OF HIRES THAT WE'VE MADE, OVER 1,000 IN ALL POSITIONS THROUGH FEBRUARY THE 28TH OF THIS YEAR.
SO THAT TRANSLATES TO ABOUT 16% OF OUR WORKFORCE ANNUALLY IS HIRED YEAR TO YEAR, RIGHT? SO OUR TURNOVER SINCE 2021, REALLY, PANDEMIC AND BEYOND, HAD INCREASED MUCH GREATER THAN WHAT IT HAD BEEN PRIOR TO THE PANDEMIC, PRIOR TO 2020.
AND WE'RE GRADUALLY SEEING THAT.
THAT NUMBER START TO DECLINE AS PEOPLE, OUR PROGRAMS BECOME MORE ROBUST AND PEOPLE ARE DECIDING TO STAY WITH ROUND ROCK ISD TO A GREATER EXTENT.
SO OUR TURNOVER IS DEFINITELY ON THE DOWNWARD TREND, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT WE STILL DO A LOT OF HIRING EVERY YEAR IN TERMS OF ALL POSITIONS.
SO I WAS CHARGED WITH, WELL, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE SINCE 2021? WELL, A LOT, BUT CAN YOU START TO GIVE US SOME IDEA OF HOW WE'RE SOLVING FOR THOSE STRATEGIC PLAN GOALS? AND REALLY TALKING ABOUT TALENT PIPELINES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. SO, THIS WAS WHEN I GOT HERE IN 2021.
WE HAD A VERY TRADITIONAL TEACHER RECRUITMENT MODEL.
ROUND ROCK ISD HAS ALWAYS BEEN A DESTINATION DISTRICT.
WE TALK ABOUT THAT AND WE BRAG ABOUT THAT, AND IT'S TRUE.
THIS WAS AND STILL IS A PLACE WHERE TEACHERS ASPIRE TO BE,
[01:45:01]
AND THEY ASPIRE TO BE WORKING WITH OUR KIDS IN OUR SCHOOLS.OUR RECRUITMENT APPROACH WAS VERY MUCH ALIGNED TO THAT.
WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX VERY MUCH, MEANING THAT WE WOULD POST THE JOB.
NATALIE PROBABLY REMEMBERS THIS FROM WHEN SHE WAS A PRINCIPAL AT ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEY WOULD HAVE 200 APPLICANTS FOR A JOB.
THAT MEANT THAT WE WERE, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE VERY PASSIVE.
WE DIDN'T HAVE TO, AS I LIKE TO SAY, GET AFTER IT VERY MUCH AND GO OUT AND FIND AND SOURCE.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO KIND OF SIT BACK AND LET THE CANDIDATES COME TO US.
AND THEN THE PANDEMIC HAPPENED.
AND WE WERE, OH, MY GOODNESS, WHAT DO WE DO NOW? BECAUSE THAT HAPPENED AND THEN THE NATIONAL TEACHER SHORTAGE OR EDUCATOR SHORTAGE HAPPENED.
AND SO WE REALLY HAD TO START THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX.
WE STILL FOCUS, I MENTIONED LISA MARIE AND DANIELA BEING ON THE ROAD.
WE STILL ATTEND A LOT OF UNIVERSITY JOB FAIRS.
I'M NOT SURE IF I CAN OPEN THAT LINK OR BOB CAN OPEN THAT LINK IN THE BACK.
BUT THAT IS JUST A LIST OF SOME OF THE JOB FAIRS THAT WE'RE ATTENDING THIS SPRING.
SO THIS IS JUST OUR SPRING ROADMAP.
YOU CAN SEE WE'VE BEEN DOING JOB FAIRS OR GOING TO JOB FAIRS SINCE THE END OF JANUARY.
WE'VE BEEN REPRESENTED WELL AT TARLETON STATE, HOUSTON-TILLISTON AND BAYLOR.
I MENTIONED TECH EARLIER AND UTRGV. AND OF COURSE, WE'RE GEARING UP FOR OUR OWN IN-DISTRICT JOB FAIR, WHICH IS ON APRIL THE 11TH AT CEDAR RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL FROM 9 TO 1130.
A LOT OF OUR EFFORTS AT THE UNIVERSITY JOB FAIRS REALLY HELPED TO BUILD THAT CANDIDATE POOL FOR OUR PRINCIPALS TO MEET AT OUR DISTRICT-WIDE HIRING EVENT ON THE 11TH.
SO TEACHER PIPELINE SINCE 2021.
SO WHAT HAVE WE BEEN DOING DIFFERENTLY SINCE THE TRADITIONAL MODEL WASN'T ENOUGH? SO ROCK TEACH ACADEMY, I HAVE TALKED TO THE BOARD ABOUT THIS PROGRAM BEFORE.
WE'VE SENT BOARD UPDATES ABOUT IT AND THIS IS OUR ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM THAT WE PUT IN PLACE A FEW YEARS AGO.
BASICALLY, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A PARTNER TO WORK WITH OUR CURRENT EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS WHO HELD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE AND WHO WERE SEEKING ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION.
SO WE'VE HAD THIS PROGRAM IN PLACE I THINK NOW FOR THREE YEARS.
I THINK WE'RE GOING INTO OUR FOURTH YEAR, ACTUALLY, AND IT'S BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL.
WE HAVE OVER 100 EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE PASSED THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, MANY OF WHOM ARE STILL WORKING VERY SUCCESSFULLY IN OUR CLASSROOMS. AND THE DISTRICT HAS SUPPORTED THEM IN PURSUING THEIR ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION.
AND SO THAT TUITION COST IS ABOUT $4,000.
SO IDEALLY, IN THIS SCENARIO, YOU'RE HIRING A NEW TEACHER, SOMEBODY WHO KNOWS OUR STUDENTS.
WHO IS WORKING IN OUR CLASSROOMS, WHO HAS DEMONSTRATED THEY'RE AN EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTOR AS AN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT AND POSSIBLY JUST NEEDED A LITTLE ASSISTANCE TO GET THE CERTIFICATION.
THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROGRAM, THEY COMMIT TO THE DISTRICT FOR A PERIOD OF TIME AS A WAY OF REIMBURSING THE DISTRICT FOR THE TUITION SUPPORT IN TERMS OF THEIR EFFORTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO THIS IS JUST A LITTLE DATA ON WE'RE GOING INTO OUR FIFTH YEAR.
THIS IS A LITTLE DATA TO SHOW KIND OF THE STORY OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE IN 2022-23 IN OUR FIRST YEAR, WE HAD A SMALL NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS IN THAT PILOT.
THE DATA IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FORMATTING, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE DATA IN THE MIDDLE COLUMN, THAT SHOWS THE NUMBER OF THOSE TEACHERS THAT ARE STILL EMPLOYED AS OF RIGHT NOW IN TEACHING ROLES.
SO 10 OF THE 14 IN THAT ORIGINAL COHORT ARE STILL WORKING IN OUR CLASSROOMS, WHICH I THINK IS A PRETTY GREAT DATA POINT.
SINCE 2022-23, OBVIOUSLY, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE DATA ITSELF, WE SCALED UP THE PROGRAM.
AND PART OF THE CHALLENGE THAT WE HAD IS AS TEACHER TURNOVER, TEACHER TURNOVER TRADITIONALLY HAPPENED TWICE A YEAR.
SOME PEOPLE WOULD RETIRE AT SEMESTER.
SOME PEOPLE WOULD CHOOSE TO LEAVE THE PROFESSIONAL SEMESTER.
BUT THE LION'S SHARE OF EMPLOYEES OR TEACHERS WOULD RESIGN OR RETIRE IN THE SUMMER.
THAT PHENOMENON HAS SHIFTED SOMEWHAT AND THAT WE ARE SEEING TURNOVER HAPPEN AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE YEAR NOW FOR WHATEVER REASON THERE'S ANY NUMBER OF REASONS FOR THAT SO WE REALLY HAD TO MAKE THIS PROGRAM WORK FOR US AND THE NEEDS OF OUR DISTRICT BY BY PROVIDING MORE CANDIDATES ON A MORE ONGOING BASIS SO WE HAD TO FLIP OUR MODEL TO MAKE IT MORE OF A WE WE HAVE THE TEACHER CANDIDATE WHEN WE NEED THEM RIGHT SO WE ARE ABLE TO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM NOW BRING PEOPLE INTO CLASSROOMS IN OCTOBER AND IN NOVEMBER AND THEN IN JANUARY AND FEBRUARY AS WELL.
[01:50:01]
NOW THAT COMES WITH ITS OWN SET OF CHALLENGES IN THAT WHEN TEACHERS, NEW TEACHERS START AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, THEY DON'T BENEFIT FROM A NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION OR ALL OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT TEACHERS GET PRIOR TO STUDENTS RETURNING IN AUGUST.AND SO THERE IS A LOT OF, THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES WITH TEACHERS STARTING AFTER THE START OF THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'VE MISSED THAT.
SO I THINK THAT KIND OF POINTS TO SOME OF THE RETENTION CHANGES THAT YOU SEE IN THAT DATA.
THE FIRST COHORT WAS VERY MUCH, YOU START IN THE SUMMER, YOU GET THE BENEFIT OF THE STRUCTURE AND THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, THE WORK WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES AND THE CAMPUS LEADERS, WHEREAS THE 23, 24, AND 25 DATA IS MORE OF OUR AS-NEEDED PRN BASIS.
SO THIS PROGRAM IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOING A BIT OF A RETHINK FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE'RE GOING TO REIMAGINE ALL OF OUR PIPELINES FOR NEXT YEAR AND GO BACK TO BASICS BECAUSE I TRULY BELIEVE THAT WITHOUT THAT INITIAL SUPPORT, AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION CANDIDATE AS A FORMER ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION CANDIDATE, THEY'LL REALLY STRUGGLE IN THOSE CLASSROOMS WITHOUT THAT.
SO WE'LL BE RETHINKING THAT MOVING FORWARD.
ROCK INTERNATIONAL, SO I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD.
MANY OF YOU HAVE JOINED OUR VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER DINNERS IN THE LAST TWO SEPTEMBERS WE'VE HELD THOSE.
SO OUR ROCK INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM IS OUR VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE FOLKS FROM EIGHT COUNTRIES CURRENTLY REPRESENTED IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE HAVE OVER 40 TEACHERS WHO ARE WORKING IN DUAL LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION SETTINGS AND MATH AND SCIENCE.
AND THEY'RE WORKING ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
SO THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE FROM A J-1 VISA VERSUS AN H-1B VISA.
A J-1 IS A CULTURAL EXCHANGE TYPE VISA AND IT'S TEMPORARY.
INITIALLY, IT CAN EXTEND FOR UP TO THREE YEARS WITH THE OPTION TO EXTEND IT FOR FIVE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
AN H-1B IS MORE OF AN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED VISA.
OUR GOVERNOR AND OUR STATE ARE NOT.
SUPER IN FAVOR OF H-1B VISAS AND HAVE RECENTLY DECLARED THAT THEY DON'T BELIEVE THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION NEEDS H-1B VISAS.
BUT ALL THAT TO BE SAID, WE DON'T HAVE ANY H-1B VISA EMPLOYEES IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE LEAN ON OUR J-1 TO GIVE US THIS FLEXIBILITY.
SO THESE ARE NOT JUST EDDIE CURRAN PROGRAMS. I ACTUALLY WAS A VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER.
SO I WAS AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION KENNEDY AND I WAS A VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THE HR PROGRAM IN JUST A SECOND.
SO A VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER, AS I'M SURE YOU CAN UNDERSTAND, WHEN FOLKS ARE MOVING, YOU KNOW, EVEN WITHIN TEXAS FROM ONE DISTRICT TO ANOTHER, YOU'RE MOVING OUTSIDE YOUR COMFORT ZONE.
FOR A VISITING INTERNATIONAL TEACHER, YOU'RE MOVING INTO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT CULTURE ZONE, AND SO THERE IS A LOT OF SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED INITIALLY, ESPECIALLY IN THAT FIRST YEAR FOR A VIT TO COME ABOARD.
BUILT A ROBUST PROGRAM FOR THAT FIRST YEAR WHERE THEY'RE ASSIGNED A MENTOR WHO HELPS SUPPORT THEM WITH SOME OF THE TRANSITIONAL ACTIVITIES THEY'LL NEED AS THEY BECOME ACCLIMATED TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I AM A HUGE FAN OF THIS PROGRAM.
IT HAS HAD SOME REALLY GREAT IMPACTS IN NOT JUST OUR CLASSROOMS, BUT ALSO THE CAMPUS CULTURES, AND OUR VETS ARE DOING SOME WONDERFUL THINGS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THESE ARE RETENTION NUMBERS, 325-26, THE PROGRAM'S IN ITS FOURTH YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE EXTREMELY HIGH RETENTION RATES.
YOU KNOW, WHEN VITS COME HERE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM WANT TO STAY FOR MULTIPLE YEARS.
AND SO EVEN NOW WE HAVE A 92% RETENTION RATE FOR THE 13 THAT WE'VE HIRED FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT BACK TO EVEN 22, 23, TWO OF THE FIVE WHO CAME WITH THAT INITIAL COHORT ARE STILL WITH US.
SO I THINK IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT PROGRAM IN TERMS OF RETENTION AND THE THINGS THAT WE TRY TO DO THERE.
SO THIS IS IN ITS SECOND YEAR CURRENTLY.
WE LAUNCHED AT THE MIGHTY CITY FOLKS MIDDLE SCHOOL LAST YEAR WITH OUR FIRST COHORT OF RESIDENTS.
SO WHAT IS A RESIDENT? A RESIDENT IS A PAID STUDENT TEACHER AND SO STUDENT TEACHER PRACTICUMS ARE TYPICALLY UNPAID.
A RESIDENCY PROGRAM IS ESSENTIALLY THE CANDIDATE IS WORKING IN A CLASSROOM ALONGSIDE A TEACHER IN ESSENTIALLY AN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT TYPE ROLE.
AND OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR, THEY'RE GRADUALLY GETTING MORE EXPERIENCE THROUGH JOB-ABETTED LEARNING, AND THEY'RE TAKING ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY, WITH THE GOAL BEING BY THE END OF THAT YEAR, NOT ONLY HAVE THEY COMPLETED THEIR UNIVERSITY PROGRAM, BUT THEY'VE ALSO BECOME FULLY CERTIFIED, AND THEY HAVE A YEAR OF EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM UNDER THEIR BELT, UNDER THE GUISE OF ONE OF OUR REALLY GREAT TEACHERS.
SO THIS IS A GREAT PROGRAM, SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
[01:55:01]
WE'VE EXPANDED TO TWO ADDITIONAL CAMPUSES THIS YEAR.COLLABORATION WITH TEXAS TECH.
SO CD FOLKS WAS OUR INITIAL CAMPUS.
THIS YEAR WE ADDED PURPLE SAGE AND ROBERTSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SO THEY HAVE CANDIDATES FROM TEXAS TECH.
AND NEXT YEAR WE'LL BE EXPANDING THAT FURTHER TO LIVE OAK ELEMENTARY WITH A PROGRAM WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
SIR? WE HAVE, I'M SORRY, TEXAS STATE WE WORK WITH AT CD FOLKS MIDDLE SCHOOL AND AND TEXAS TECH.
PURPLE SAGE AND ROBERTSON AND NEXT YEAR WE'LL BRING IN UT FOR LIVO.
SO RESEARCH INDICATES, WHY DO A RESIDENCY PROGRAM? WELL RESEARCH INDICATES THAT RESIDENTS ARE 70% MORE LIKELY TO REMAIN IN THE PROFESSION AND DELIVER HIGHER STUDENT OUTCOMES IN THEIR FIRST YEAR AND SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU SOME DATA THAT WILL REFLECT THAT.
YOU CAN SEE IN 24-25 WE RETAINED FIVE OF SEVEN OF OUR INITIAL COHORT OF RESIDENTS WHICH ALIGNS PERFECTLY WITH THAT DATA POINT.
I PROMISE I DIDN'T MAKE THAT DATA UP.
THAT JUST HAPPENED TO ALIGN EXACTLY THERE.
SO, BUT THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM HAS BEEN GREAT.
WE'VE HAD SOME AMAZING FEEDBACK, NOT ONLY FROM THE RESIDENTS THEMSELVES, BUT FROM THEIR HOST TEACHERS IN TERMS OF THE GROWTH THAT THEY'VE EXPERIENCED LEADING AND LEARNING WITH ALONGSIDE THEIR, THEIR EXCUSE ME THE RESIDENT BUT ALSO OUR PRINCIPAL PENNY OATES HAS DONE GREAT GREAT WORK AT THAT CAMPUS AND REALLY CREATED A LEARNING CULTURE WITH THOSE RESIDENTS AND SO IT'S A TESTAMENT TO HER THAT THE PROGRAM HAS BEEN AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS AND THEN WE HAVE OUR TRADITIONAL STUDENT TEACHING PROGRAM SO CURRENTLY WE HAVE 35 STUDENT TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT WORKING IN OUR CLASSROOMS TWO DAYS A WEEK SERVING THEIR PRACTICUM.
THIS IS A VERY TRADITIONAL TYPE MODEL.
STUDENT TEACHERS WILL SERVE THEIR LAST SEMESTER IN A STUDENT TEACHING ENVIRONMENT TYPICALLY.
OF THE 35 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN CLASS, I'M VERY EXCITED TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE HAD A STUDENT TEACHER HIRING EVENT LAST NIGHT AND 25 OF THE 35 STUDENT TEACHERS HAVE BEEN ISSUED LETTERS OF INTENT FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WE ARE GROWING OUR OWN, BUT EVEN MORE EXCITINGLY THAN THAT, AT LEAST NINE OF THOSE STUDENT TEACHERS ARE ROUND ROCK ISD GRADUATES.
SO THEY'RE COMING HOME AND SO THAT'S A REAL POINT OF PRIDE FOR US AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN REALLY TRYING TO TRACK OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS AND WE DO SEE A LOT OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO LIKE TO RETURN BACK TO OUR DISTRICT AND GET BACK TO THE DISTRICT THAT HELPED THEM GET TO WHERE THEY ARE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE OUR STUDENT TEACHER NUMBERS.
DESPITE THE DROP OFF IN TRADITIONAL PROGRAMS AND EPPS AND THE NUMBER OF STUDENT TEACHERS GOING THROUGH EDUCATIONAL PREP PROGRAMS, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO SEE HIGH NUMBERS IN RON ROCK ISD.
AND SO THE 17 THAT'S REFLECTED THERE, THAT'S FROM THE FALL.
WE HAD 17 STUDENT TEACHER SERVE WITH US IN THE FALL AND THREE OF THOSE WERE HIRED IN JANUARY.
OBVIOUSLY, WE DON'T DO A LOT OF HIRING IN JANUARY.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF AVAILABILITY OF POSITIONS.
THE 25 THAT WE'VE GIVEN LETTERS OF INTENT FOR FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT'S A MUCH HIGHER CONVERSION RATE FOR THAT GROUP.
WHAT'S NEXT? SO THAT'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS. THE NEXT ONE IS SUPER EXCITING.
NICHOLS AND DR. CARLENE GONZALEZ, AND THEY TALKED ABOUT LASSO FUNDS.
WELL, WE ALSO, IN COLLABORATION WITH NATALIE AND HER TEAM, WE APPLIED FOR LASSO PREP FUNDS.
THEY SUPPORTED TWO PROGRAMS. ONE WAS A GROW YOUR OWN PROGRAM, WHICH I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE, AND THE OTHER WAS THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM.
SO WHEREAS THE RESIDENCY PRIOR TO NOW HAS BEEN FULLY FUNDED BY THE DISTRICT, MOVING FORWARD WE'LL BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THOSE LASSO FUNDS TO HELP SUPPORT THE EXPANSION OF THAT RESIDENCY PROGRAM WITHOUT TAPPING MORE INTO THE DISTRICT BUDGET, WHICH MR. COVINGTON IS VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
ALLOTMENT WAS THE GROW YOUR OWN PROGRAM.
AND SO OUR NEXT STEPS IN HR AND FOR OUR DISTRICT ARE OUR TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
SO WHAT IS A TEACHER APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM? THIS PROVIDES ESSENTIALLY A STRUCTURED PATHWAY FROM A PARAPROFESSIONAL ROLE TO A FULL TEACHER CERTIFICATION WITH A UNIVERSITY DEGREE.
SO YOU REMEMBER EARLIER I TALKED ABOUT OUR ROCK TEACH COHORTS.
AND THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT TO GET INTO ROCKTEACH WAS TO HAVE A BACHELOR'S DEGREE.
THAT WAS TRULY AN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION PROGRAM.
THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IS DIFFERENT IN THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS WHO HAVEN'T ATTAINED THEIR DEGREE YET TO BE ABLE TO ATTAIN THEIR DEGREE WHILE PURSUING TEACHER CERTIFICATION.
SO IT'S SUPER EXCITING, AND IT'S A REAL GAME CHANGER FOR US.
THERE'S VARIOUS ON-RAMPS THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IN JUST A SECOND, BUT WE HAVE...
YOU KNOW ALMOST 900 EDUCATIONAL
[02:00:01]
ASSISTANTS IN OUR DISTRICT WHO ARE FUNCTIONING AT AN EXTREMELY HIGH LEVEL AND DO A GREAT JOB WITH THEIR KIDS AND AND IN MANY SITUATIONS THEY'RE JUST LOOKING FOR THAT ADDITIONAL SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO HELP THEM GET THEIR DEGREE AND MOVE UP INTO A TEACHING ROLE.THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY AM EXCITED ABOUT WITH THIS IS I MENTIONED EARLIER OUR RESIDENT PROGRAM SO THE THE BEAUTY OF OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM IS IT GIVES THOSE CANDIDATES A FULL YEAR IN THE CLASSROOM ALONGSIDE A MENTOR TEACHER BEFORE THEY'RE RELEASED INTO A FULL TEACHING ROLE.
SO THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY COMING OUT AS A BRAND NEW TEACHER WITH A YEAR UNDER THEIR BELT, WHICH IS INVALUABLE.
THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TAKES THAT CONCEPT ALONG WITH THE SUPPORT FOR CERTIFICATION AND ACTUALLY GIVES, IN SOME CASES, AN INDIVIDUAL THREE YEARS IN THE CLASSROOM IN A GRADUALLY INCREASED RESPONSIBILITY ROLE.
WHILE EARNING THEIR DEGREE AND BECOMING CERTIFIED.
SO BY THE TIME THEY COMPLETE THE PROGRAM, THEY COULD BE FULLY CERTIFIED WITH MULTIPLE YEARS OF CLASSROOM EXPERIENCE UNDER THEIR BELT.
COULD YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ALSO THE BENEFIT TO THEM? BECAUSE ALL THESE YEARS WILL BE TRS ELIGIBLE, RIGHT? YES, SIR.
AND THEN ALSO, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE LASSO GRANT? I KNOW EARLIER AMBER ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT LASSO GRANT.
HOW MUCH MONEY WERE GETTING TO GET THIS PROGRAM GOING TOO? YES, SIR.
A LITTLE UM WHAT I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW YOU REPHRASED THAT EARLIER SIR THERE'S WHAT WAS IT IT'S NOT A FREE NOT FREE MONEY THERE'S NO FREE MONEY RIGHT THERE'S A LOT OF STRUCTURE THAT COMES WITH LASSO FUNDS AND OF COURSE THERE'S A LOT OF DATA AND CODING AND I DON'T WANT TO BORE YOU WITH ALL THE DETAILS BUT ESSENTIALLY WE WERE APPROVED FOR THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF RESIDENTS AND THE MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GROW YOUR OWN CANDIDATES.
SO IT WAS 40 AND 40, AND WE ARE ESTIMATING THAT THAT COMMITMENT IS ABOUT $720,000, WHICH IS HUGE.
WHAT THAT WILL DO IS IT WILL ALLOW US TO, WITH THE EXISTING BUDGET THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR RESIDENCY PROGRAM, EXPAND THAT RESIDENCY PROGRAM UP TO MULTIPLE CANDIDATES.
IT WILL REALLY ALLOW US TO DO SOME GREAT THINGS THERE.
IT WILL ALSO ALLOW US TO KIND OF RESTRUCTURE OUR ROCK TEACH PROGRAM AND REALLY BE ABLE TO USE THE LASSO FUNDS IN COMBINATION WITH SOME OF OUR ROCK TEACH BUDGET THAT'S ALREADY BUDGETED AND BE ABLE TO REALLY SUPPORT OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM WITH THE GOAL BEING RETAINING MORE OF OUR FOLKS, RIGHT? IF WE CAN RETAIN MORE TEACHERS AND IF WE CAN ACTUALLY CREATE TEACHERS WHO, WHEN THEY OFFICIALLY STEP INTO THE CLASSROOM, HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE, THEN WE'RE MUCH BETTER POSITIONED.
TO SUPPORT LONG-TERM INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRESS WITH OUR KIDS, RIGHT? AMY SHARED SOME DATA EARLIER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF NEW HIRES LAST YEAR WHO WERE BRAND-NEW TEACHERS.
THIS IS A WAY TO COUNTERACT THAT, RIGHT, TO REALLY GROW, TRULY GROW OUR OWN WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AND LEVERAGE SOME OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN TEACHING AND LEARNING AND ON OUR CAMPUSES TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THOSE FOLKS ON THEIR JOURNEY.
WHAT IT ALSO DOES IS AS APPRENTICES MOVE GRADUALLY THROUGH THEIR UNIVERSITY PROGRAM, THEY'RE ACTUALLY INCREASING THEIR PAY.
THE CLOSER THEY GET TO THEIR CERTIFICATION.
SO I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU IN JUST A SECOND HOW THAT LOOKS.
SO THESE ARE EXAMPLES OF ON-RAMPS.
SO WE WOULD POTENTIALLY HAVE FOUR ON-RAMPS.
THE FOURTH ONE YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH, THAT'S THAT LAST YEAR PRACTICUM, THE RESIDENCY, WHICH IS FULLY PAID.
PRIOR TO THAT, DEPENDING ON WHERE AN INDIVIDUAL MIGHT BE IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY, WE WOULD PLACE THEM IN AN EXISTING POSITION WITHIN THE DISTRICT SO THEY WOULD BE SERVING IN AN EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT TYPE ROLE.
I'M SUPPORTING KIDS WHILE LEARNING ON THE JOB WHILE GOING TO SCHOOL AT THE SAME TIME.
GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE SCHOOLING IS IT WORKS AROUND THE EMPLOYEE'S WORK SCHEDULE.
WE WANT OUR EMPLOYEES TO STAY WITH US.
SO IT'S IT'S VERY MUCH AN ASYNCHRONOUS TYPE PROGRAM.
THERE'S LOTS OF BLENDED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
AND THE BEAUTY OF THIS IS THE THINGS THAT THE EMPLOYEES ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.
THOSE ARE THE THEY'RE BRINGING THAT BACK TO THE UNIVERSITY AND KIND OF.
INTERNALIZING THAT AS PART OF THEIR LEARNING.
CAN YOU ALSO TALK ABOUT, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE EARLY TEACHING, EARLY EDUCATORS FOR OUR OWN STUDENTS NOW, PART OF THE CTE PROGRAM.
SOME OF THEM, AT LEAST IN TWO OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS, ARE ACTUALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE.
SO SOME OF OUR OWN STUDENTS, OUR OWN RUK-ISD STUDENTS COULD POTENTIALLY BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
SO I'LL TELL YOU A STORY, AND I TOLD NATALIE THIS STORY.
SO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, AND I GET EXCITED ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE BRIGHT AND SHINY, BUT THIS IS REALLY COOL.
SO I WENT TO VISIT A NEIGHBORING, A MUCH INFERIOR SCHOOL DISTRICT NEARBY THAT MAY ALREADY HAVE ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS IN PLACE, AND I GOT TALKING TO SOME OF THEIR APPRENTICES.
AND SO WHEN WE FIRST LOOK AT THIS, I THINK WE COULD FALL INTO THE TRAP OF SAYING, WELL, THIS IS JUST A PROGRAM FOR EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANTS WHO, YOU KNOW, THEY MAYBE HAVE 30 OR 60, THEY HAVE AN ASSOCIATE'S
[02:05:02]
DEGREE AND WE WANT TO HELP THEM GET ACROSS THE LINE.AND THAT'S A GREAT TALENT POOL.
I MEAN, THAT'S A GREAT POOL OF PEOPLE WHO ARE INVESTED IN OUR DISTRICT AND OUR COMMUNITY AND CHOOSE TO LIVE AND WORK HERE.
BUT I MET SOME OTHER FOLKS WHEN I WAS IN THIS OTHER DISTRICT, AND I AM RECRUITING THESE INDIVIDUALS, BY THE WAY.
BUT ONE OF THEM WAS KIND OF, I'LL TALK TO WHAT DR.
SHE WAS A KID, A YOUNG LADY, WHO HER MOM WAS A TEACHER AND SHE TOLD ME, SHE SAID, MR. CURRAN, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SIT IN A FOUR-YEAR UNIVERSITY PROGRAM.
I CAN'T SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO...
I'VE BEEN WORKING SUMMER CAMP SINCE I WAS A KID.
I'VE BEEN WORKING AT CHURCH CAMP SINCE I WAS A KID.
MY MOM AND I TALK ABOUT TEACHING ALL THE TIME AND I WANT TO BE IN A CLASSROOM LEARNING HOW TO DO THE JOB WHILE DOING THE JOB.
AND I THOUGHT TO MYSELF, MAN, I HADN'T EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THAT GROUP, YOU KNOW, AND SO WHAT DR.
AZIZ IS MENTIONING IS JUST THAT.
WE HAVE SOME INDIVIDUALS, THERE'S ABOUT 3,600 OF THEM, I THINK, WHO ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE, AND 3,900 WHO ARE ABOUT TO GRADUATE, AND MANY OF THEM WILL OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THEM MOVING ON AND PURSUING THEIR UNIVERSITY CAREER, BUT MANY OF THEM, THAT MAY NOT BE THE PATH FOR THEM.
THIS PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW OUR OWN, TO TRULY GROW OUR OWN.
AND CONNECT IN OUR DUAL CREDIT PROGRAMS AND THE THINGS THAT NATALIE AND HER TEAM ARE DOING WITH THIS PROGRAM.
SO THE BEAUTY OF THAT IS IF I COULD LEAVE SCHOOL WITH 15 HOURS OR 30 HOURS, WELL, I'M ALREADY A LEG UP.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT TO WORK OUT THERE AND A LOT TO NAVIGATE.
BUT THE BEAUTY OF THIS PROGRAM IS IT BRINGS OUR DISTRICT TOGETHER.
SO THIS IS NATALIE AND HER TEAM AND TEACHING AND LEARNING AND HER PRINCIPALS, BUT IT'S BRINGING HR REALLY CLOSELY TOGETHER TO FOCUS ON A SHARED GOAL.
AND THAT'S WHY THIS, I BELIEVE, IS GOING TO BE A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAM FOR OUR DISTRICT.
AND I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
THE OTHER GROUP, AND THIS WAS INTERESTING.
SO WE HAVE LOTS OF CAREER CHANGERS WHO COME AND JOIN OUR DISTRICT.
WE HAVE PEOPLE WHO COME FROM THE ENGINEERING FIELD.
THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING WHERE THEY FEEL THEY HAVE MORE PURPOSE.
SOME OF THEM LEAVE TECH INDUSTRY AND THEY COME IN.
AND THE PATHWAY FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAS ALWAYS BEEN ALTERNATIVE CERTIFICATION.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HIGHLY QUALIFIED, BUT THEY'VE NEVER TAUGHT A DAY IN THEIR LIFE.
AND MANY OF THEM DO A WONDERFUL JOB AND THEY'RE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
BUT FOR MANY OF THEM, IT'S A REAL EYE OPENER WHEN THEY WALK INTO THAT CLASSROOM THAT FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND THEY'RE LIKE, I'M REALLY SMART.
WHY DON'T THESE KIDS UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING TO THEM ABOUT? RIGHT.
OR IT'S THE PEDAGOGY THAT'S MISSING.
SO THERE WAS ANOTHER INDIVIDUAL THAT I GOT TALKING TO IN THIS OTHER DISTRICT.
SO THIS INDIVIDUAL CAME FROM THE HOUSTON AREA, AND HE WAS A MUSIC MAJOR IN SCHOOL.
AND HE ONLY WENT TO BE A MUSIC MAJOR BECAUSE HIS DAD WANTED HIM TO BE A MUSIC MAJOR, BUT HE WAS REALLY INTO SCIENCE.
AND HE DID SCIENCE ON THE SIDE, WHICH SEEMS LIKE THE FLIP, RIGHT? USUALLY MOST PEOPLE DO SCIENCE AS THEIR DAY JOB AND THEN DO THE MUSIC ON THE SIDE, BUT THIS WAS A FLIP.
HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, I DROPPED OUT OF SCHOOL.
I COULDN'T SIT IN THE CLASSROOM.
I ALREADY KNEW ALL THE INFORMATION.
HE'S JUST A REALLY, REALLY SMART INDIVIDUAL.
SO HE DROPPED OUT, AND HE STARTED HIS OWN TUTORING BUSINESS.
SEVEN YEARS LATER, HE CLOSED DOWN HIS TUTORING BUSINESS AND SOLD IT FOR A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF MONEY BECAUSE HE LOVED TEACHING.
AND HE SAID, I DON'T NEED THE MONEY NOW.
I WANT TO GET BACK INTO EDUCATION.
SO THAT WAS THE OTHER AHA MOMENT FOR ME.
I SAID, WELL, THIS REPLACES ALT-CERT BECAUSE THIS INDIVIDUAL, INSTEAD OF BEING THROWN TO THE PROVERBIAL WOLVES WITH OUR STUDENTS, SORRY, BUT INSTEAD OF WALKING INTO A CLASSROOM UNPREPARED, NOW HE'S LEARNING ON THE JOB.
HE KNOWS THE CONTENT BETTER THAN MOST.
NOW HE'S ACTUALLY LEARNING HOW TO TEACH THAT CONTENT.
IN A LOW PRESSURE SITUATION WITH SOMEBODY MENTORING HIM THE WHOLE WAY.
SO THAT'S THE EXCITING PART TO THIS PROGRAM IS IT'S NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
AND WHAT I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IS OUR COMMUNITY.
I BELIEVE THERE ARE A LOT OF INDIVIDUALS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY WHO MAY NEED THIS TYPE OF OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO COME AND WORK IN OUR SCHOOLS.
IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE HAD LOTS AND LOTS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO'VE COME TO OUR HR EVENTS AND THEY ARE.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE HIGHLY QUALIFIED.
MAYBE THEY'VE MOVED HERE FROM ANOTHER COUNTRY AND THEY'RE HIGHLY QUALIFIED AND THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND WORK IN OUR CLASSROOMS. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS A GREAT PATHWAY FOR THAT.
SO WE'LL HAVE LOTS MORE INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD ON THIS.
AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, SUSIE AND RENEE ON OUR TEAM ARE DOWN IN HOUSTON TODAY AND TOMORROW LEARNING HOW ALL THIS WORKS AND WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
[02:10:02]
TO IT'S GOING TO REALLY BE A BOON FOR OUR DISTRICT IN TERMS OF OUR TEACHER.RETENTION FOR THE FUTURE YEARS.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT PIPELINES.
WE'VE DONE A FEW OTHER THINGS SINCE 2021-22 IN AN EFFORT TO REALLY RETAIN OUR EMPLOYEES AND TO RECRUIT FROM OUTSIDE AS WELL.
SO KRISTEN SHOWED YOU A SLIDE LIKE THIS EARLIER.
JUST WANTED TO REMIND THE BOARD AND THANK THE BOARD FOR THEIR SUPPORT SINCE 2021-22.
FROM 2021-2022 TO OUR CURRENT TEACHER BEGINNING SALARY.
SO THAT'S BEEN A 13% INCREASE.
YOU CAN SEE EVERY YEAR IT'S BEEN KIND OF A PERCENTAGE UNTIL THIS LAST YEAR, WHICH WE, YOU KNOW, IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO MOVE ON.
BUT OUR STARTING SALARY HAS EXPONENTIALLY INCREASED IN THAT TIME.
AND THEN OUR TEACHER AVERAGE SALARY IS REFLECTED ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
SO EVEN THERE, YOU CAN SEE IT'S ALMOST NINE AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS MORE.
THE AVERAGE TEACHER SALARY THAN IT WAS BACK THEN.
AND GO BACK TO AMY'S DATA FROM EARLIER, WE'RE HIRING MORE NEW TEACHERS NOW THAN WE WERE THEN.
SO THAT'S A VERY POSITIVE DATA POINT.
WITH THAT SAID, THIS IS, KRISTEN SHOWED YOU EARLIER, AND THE REASON I TALKED EARLIER ABOUT INFLATION, KRISTEN'S DATA EARLIER WAS REALLY A COMPARISON OF CERTAIN AREAS.
THIS IS MORE OF A COST OF LIVING TREND.
AND SO THE BOTTOM LINE, THE TOP LINE IS THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY.
THAT WE OFFERED IN EACH OF THOSE YEARS, THE BOTTOM LINE REFLECTS THE COST OF LIVING TREND.
AND SO WHAT IT BASICALLY REFLECTS IS WHAT IS THE MINIMUM COST, WHAT IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT THAT SOMEBODY WOULD NEED TO LIVE IN A CERTAIN AREA.
AND SO THAT WOULD ACCOUNT FOR YOUR HOUSING, YOUR FOOD, AND YOUR TRANSPORTATION, ESSENTIALLY.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT GAP HAS NARROWED IN THAT TIME.
WE HAVE EXPERIENCED WHILE WE'VE PROVIDED A 13 PERCENT BEGINNING TEACHER INCREASE IN THAT SAME PERIOD, INFLATION IN THIS AREA IS ABOUT 19.7 PERCENT.
AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A CONTINUAL UPHILL BATTLE FOR US TO TRY TO CATCH INFLATION.
JUST WHEN I ADD THAT, REMEMBER HOUSE BILL 3 THAT WAS PASSED LAST SESSION LAST YEAR DID NOT ACCOUNT FOR ANY MONEY FOR TEACHERS WITH ZERO TO TWO YEARS EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S WHY YOU'RE NOT SEEING A BIG INCREASE ON THE $25,000, $26,000, BECAUSE TECHNICALLY WE DID NOT GET ANY NEW MONIES TO GIVE TO OUR TEACHERS WITH ZERO TO TWO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
WE WERE ABLE TO, THANKS TO THE BOARD, TO PROVIDE A 1% RAISE, BUT OUR TEACHERS WITH THREE TO FOUR YEARS OF EXPERIENCE GET $2,500 INCREASE THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, AND OUR TEACHERS WITH FIVE OR MORE YEARS, THEY GET $5,000 INCREASE.
AND THAT CAME FROM THE LAST SESSION, THAT MONEY AGAIN FROM HOUSE BILL 3.
SO JUST ONE POINT TO ADD ON HERE AS WELL, JUST GENERAL HOUSING INFLATION.
I KNOW MANY OF US WHO LIVE IN THE AREA, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS YOURSELF.
BUT I LOOKED AT SOME DATA JUST FOR HOUSING COSTS IN THE AREA.
SO ROUND ROCK SAW A MASSIVE SPIKE BETWEEN 2021 AND 2023.
RENT PRICES HAVE RECENTLY STABILIZED.
THERE HAVE BEEN SLIGHT DECREASES.
HOWEVER, THE CURRENT AVERAGE RENT FOR A ONE-BEDROOM APARTMENT IS ABOUT $1,630 IN THE ROUND ROCK AREA.
SO THAT'S ROUGHLY 34% OF A STARTING TEACHER'S GROSS MONTHLY SALARY.
THERE'S A 30% RULE IN BUDGETING.
SO FINANCIAL EXPERTS TYPICALLY TALK ABOUT YOU SHOULDN'T SPEND MORE THAN 30%.
OF YOUR MONTHLY GROSS INCOME ON HOUSING.
AND SO THAT DATA, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KIND OF SEE THAT, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT COMPRESSION HAPPENING BETWEEN THOSE TWO NUMBERS.
AGAIN, HOUSING HAS STABILIZED SOMEWHAT, BUT GENERALLY BY STABILIZING IT PLATEAUS, IT DOESN'T DECLINE, RIGHT? AND SO THAT IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE FOR US AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.
BUT IT ALSO IS GOING TO FEED INTO SOME OF THE INFORMATION I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IN JUST A SECOND.
SO KNOWING THAT FIGHTING INFLATION IS AN UPHILL BATTLE, UM, WE'VE REALLY HAD TO FOCUS MORE ON KNOWING BUDGETS ARE LIMITED.
WE REALLY HAVE TO TAKE MORE OF A TOTAL REWARDS APPROACH.
SO WHAT IS TOTAL REWARDS? TOTAL REWARDS, IT'S A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO COMPENSATING EMPLOYEES THAT INCLUDES NOT ONLY WAGES AND SALARIES, BUT WE ALSO ACCOUNT FOR BENEFITS, INCENTIVES, RECOGNITION PROGRAMS, AND SOMETIMES IN SOME SITUATIONS, EVEN HOUSING SUPPORT AND TRANSPORTATION SUPPORT, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SECOND.
AND ONE OF THE BIG THINGS, AND THIS IS...
COMPENSATION BUT IT'S REALLY TOTAL REWARDS IS OUR TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT PROGRAM THIS HAS COME IN PLACE AND WE LAUNCHED IN GOSH I CAN'T REMEMBER 22 23 IS WHEN WE LAUNCHED OUR FIRST APPLICATION AND UH AND WE'RE NOW RODRIGO AND NATALIE HAVE HAVE TAKEN THE BULL BY THE HORNS ON THIS AND WE'RE ABOUT TO REALLY EXPAND IT ACROSS OUR DISTRICT WHICH IS
[02:15:01]
SUPER EXCITING BUT THIS HAS BEEN UM AGAIN UM WHAT WAS THE TERM DR AZIZ NO FREE MONEY THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES ALONG WITH TEACHER INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT, BUT IT'S...REALLY, REALLY BENEFICIAL IN TERMS OF SYSTEM ALIGNMENT AND THE THINGS THAT WE SEE IN TERMS OF CLASSROOM PROGRESS AND STUDENT GROWTH.
WE LAUNCHED IN THE SPRING OF 23, AND 24, 25, 61 TEACHERS EARNED A DESIGNATION THROUGH THE DISTRICT'S LOCAL DESIGNATION SYSTEM.
WE HAD A BUNCH OF TEACHERS ALSO EARN A DESIGNATION BECAUSE THEY WERE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED.
IN 24-25, WE PROVIDED APPROXIMATELY $850,000 IN TIA COMPENSATION TO DESIGNATED TEACHERS, WHICH IS GREAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THEIR BASE SALARY.
AND THEN THE COMPENSATION AT THAT TIME RANGED FROM $3,900 TO $21,000 PER TEACHER.
SO IT'S A PRETTY LIFE-CHANGING AMOUNT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE, THANKS TO THE BOARD, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE TIA DOLLARS TRS, SO TEACHER RETIREMENT SYSTEM, ELIGIBLE, MEANING THAT'S LIFELONG.
SO THE BOARD SUPPORTED THAT AND WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS INCLUDED WITHIN THE TIA BUDGET THAT WE RECEIVE OR THE TIA MONEY THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE STATE.
AND SO THAT WAS BEING A REAL BOON FOR A LOT OF OUR TEACHERS.
IT'S THE 2526 DATA IS BALLPARK IN TERMS OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
I THINK IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE TEACHERS.
WE'RE WORKING THROUGH EXACTLY HOW MANY WOULD EARN A DESIGNATION BASED ON THEIR DATA FROM THIS YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WON'T KNOW THE FULL.
SCOPE OF THAT DATA UNTIL THE END OF THE 25-26 SCHOOL YEAR.
BUT GIVEN THE SUCCESS RATES THAT WE'VE SEEN BEFORE, THE 93 NUMBER, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE FOR THAT.
THAT NUMBER IS ASTERISK FOR A REASON IN THAT IT WAS AN ESTIMATE THAT SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ON THIS SLIDE.
BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT THE YEAR BEFORE AS A POINT OF REFERENCE.
52% OF THE TEACHERS THAT WE SUBMITTED FOR DESIGNATION ACTUALLY EARNED A DESIGNATION, WHICH IS THE TEACHERS WHO WERE ELIGIBLE ACTUALLY EARNED A DESIGNATION, WHICH IS A REALLY, REALLY HIGH PERCENTAGE.
THE STATE BENCHMARK ESSENTIALLY IS ABOUT 33% OF YOUR TEACHERS SHOULD EARN A DESIGNATION.
SO AS WE DO IN ROUND ROCK ISD, WE OVERACHIEVE AND OUR TEACHERS REALLY OVERACHIEVED.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE SCALE UP.
I KNOW THERE'S CONTINUED PLANS FOR SCALE UP AS WELL AND WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR THE BOARD AS THAT INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM TO PUT IN PLACE.
OTHER INCENTIVES THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE SINCE 2021-22 TO REALLY HELP SUPPORT WITH HIRING AND RETAINING.
THESE ARE SOME OF OUR ENROLLMENT INCENTIVES.
SO WE HAVE AN ENROLLMENT, EXCUSE ME, WE HAVE AN ENROLLMENT INCENTIVE AT THE TOP.
YOU'LL SEE THE COLUMN ON THE RIGHT SHOWS IF THE INCENTIVE IS CURRENTLY OFFERED OR NOT.
WE HAVEN'T PUT AN ENROLLMENT INCENTIVE IN PLACE FOR THIS YEAR.
BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE SPECIFICALLY FOR HARD TO FILL TYPE POSITIONS, LIKE OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS AND OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION ED ASSISTANTS.
WE DID HAVE A LONGEVITY INCENTIVE FOR ONE YEAR, WHICH WAS...
AND THEN WE HAD SOME HIRING BONUSES FOR MATH AND SPANISH.
AND THANKS TO THE BOARD AGAIN FOR THEIR SUPPORT IN THOSE AREAS.
THE LAST PIECE THAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS OUR TEACHER REFERRAL BONUS.
BASICALLY, I BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOBODY WHO CAN IDENTIFY A REALLY GOOD TEACHER OTHER THAN A REALLY GOOD TEACHER, RIGHT? SO I ALSO BELIEVE THAT A REALLY GOOD TEACHER IS NOT GOING TO RECOMMEND A NOT REALLY GOOD TEACHER TO COME AND WORK IN THEIR IN THEIR SCHOOL, RIGHT? SO THIS...
PROGRAM WAS BUILT AROUND THAT CONCEPT OF INCENTIVIZING OUR TEACHERS TO BECOME PART OF A RECRUITING TEAM AND TO HELP FIND THOSE REALLY STRONG CANDIDATES AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO COME TO OUR DISTRICT.
OKAY, WE TALKED EARLIER ABOUT HOUSING AND THE BOARD WITH THE BOARD SUPPORT.
YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH OUR RENTAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THIS HAS BEEN IN PLACE SINCE 2024.
WE HAVE 100 EMPLOYEES WHO CAN BENEFIT FROM THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAVE FOUR COMPLEXES IN THE ROUND ROCK AREA, ABOUT 25 APARTMENTS AT EACH COMPLEX, AND EMPLOYEES WHO APPLY AND ARE SUCCESSFULLY ACCEPTED INTO THIS PROGRAM CAN RECEIVE $350 PER MONTH IN RENTAL SUBSIDY.
HOW IS THIS PAID FOR? I'M NOT THE EXPERT, BUT IT'S NOT PAID FOR.
THE DISTRICT DOESN'T PAY FOR THIS.
THIS ALL COMES OUT OF A PROPERTY TAX.
AND DEAL WITH THE MANAGEMENT COMPANIES, I BELIEVE.
AND SO I'M GOING TO LET MY SUPERINTENDENT TALK ABOUT THAT.
A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, AS WE WERE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE HELP SOME OF OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO REALLY NEED HELP WHEN IT COMES TO,
[02:20:01]
YOU KNOW, RENTAL OR FINDING A PLACE.AND SO WE MANAGED TO REALLY WORK WITH AN ORGANIZATION.
WE DID NOT GIVE THEM, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE TO CLARIFY THAT THE BOARD OR THE DISTRICT DID NOT GIVE THEM ANYTHING IN RETURN.
LIKE WE DID NOT GIVE THEM A TAX EXEMPTION OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THEY WERE ALREADY WORKING ON SOME TAX EXEMPTION WITH THE COUNTY AND POTENTIALLY WITH THE CITY.
BUT THEY APPROACHED US BECAUSE THEY WANT TO GIVE BACK, AND THEY UNDERSTOOD THAT THERE WAS A NEED IN OUR DISTRICT FOR SOME OF OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF MAYBE TO GET SOME RENTAL ASSISTANCE.
AND OUR BOARD AT THAT TIME, IF YOU REMEMBER, WE WERE ABLE TO SIGN AN MOU.
IT'S NOT COMING FROM ANY TAXPAYERS' MONEY.
WE'RE NOT, AGAIN, GIVING THEM ANY TAX EXEMPTION.
IT'S JUST OUR BEING, I GUESS, KIND AND, AGAIN, NICE TO OUR DISTRICT, OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO NEED THE HELP.
WE'RE FULLY OCCUPIED RIGHT NOW.
DEMAND OUTSTRIPS SUPPLY, BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT THERE'S BEEN SOME SUCCESS.
I MEAN, IF YOU THINK ABOUT A TOTAL COMPENSATION APPROACH, THAT'S A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN A MONTHLY RENT IF THE RENT IS ABOUT $1,600, RIGHT? SO THESE ARE THE TYPES OF PROGRAMS THAT OTHER DISTRICTS IN TEXAS HAVE EXPLORED.
IN WEST TEXAS, WE'VE SEEN MORE HOUSING TYPE PROGRAMS. AND I THINK OVER TIME, WE MIGHT SEE MORE IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
SO IT'S JUST DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE...
DEFINITELY COULD KEEP ON THE RADAR.
ONE OF THE LAST THINGS I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS OUR YOU BENEFITS PROGRAM.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD A BENEFITS PROGRAM FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, BUT WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO REIMAGINE THIS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS AND REALLY FOCUS ON HOW DO WE MAKE SURE, FIRSTLY, THAT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE CONNECTED WITH THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY NEED.
A FORMER TRUSTEE USED TO CHALLENGE ME QUITE A BIT ABOUT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THE PROGRAMS, BUT IF NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT THEM, IT DOESN'T EXIST, RIGHT? AND SHE WAS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, AND I APPRECIATED THE PUSH.
AND SO WE'VE REALLY FOCUSED ON HOW DO WE MAKE SURE EMPLOYEES CAN ACCESS THE RESOURCES.
AND KNOW WHAT'S OUT THERE FOR THEM.
SO PART OF THAT HAS BEEN MAKING SURE WE PUT THINGS IN PLACE LIKE ONLINE PLATFORMS, GOOD COMMUNICATION EFFORTS.
WE'VE STARTED A U AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, SO EACH CAMPUS HAS A U AMBASSADOR WHO COMES AND MEETS WITH HR ONCE A MONTH, LEARNS ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS, AND THEN BRINGS THAT BACK TO THEIR CAMPUS AS WELL, SO WE'RE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH FACULTY AND STAFF AT EACH CAMPUS THAT WAY.
AND SO THAT'S BEEN A REAL BENEFIT TOO.
OBVIOUSLY, HEALTH INSURANCE, IT'S A...
IT'S A DIFFICULT GAME TO PLAY IN THAT YOU HAVE NO CONTROL OVER IT WHATSOEVER.
CLAIMS COSTS ARE, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
AND AS TODD PATCH, OUR CONSULTANT, ALWAYS SAYS, TELL ME WHO'S GOING TO GET SICK AND I'LL TELL YOU HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST YOU.
AND YOUR CLAIMS COSTS, THAT'S THE GAME.
SO WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EDUCATING AND PROVIDING GOOD INFORMATION TO EMPLOYEES SO THEY CAN ACCESS THE PROGRAMS THEY NEED TO STAY HEALTHY.
AND PART OF THAT IS OUR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU KNOW, OUR 4U HEALTH CENTER.
SO THIS, THE BOARD, AGAIN, I CAN'T THANK THE BOARD ENOUGH FOR THIS PROGRAM.
I TALKED ABOUT TRANSFORMATIONAL THINGS EARLIER.
THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL PROGRAM.
OUR CLINIC HAS BEEN OPEN FOR ABOUT FIVE WEEKS.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD 600 EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ACCESSED THE CLINIC.
600 EMPLOYEES HAVE MADE APPOINTMENTS AND ACCESSED THE CLINIC FOR PREVENTATIVE MEDICINE, FOR LAB WORK, FOR...
YOU KNOW, PRESCRIPTIONS, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN EXCELLENT.
WE ALSO HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT IN THE CLINIC THAT'S PROVIDED, AND SO WE'RE REALLY SEEING THE BENEFIT IN A VERY SHORT TURNAROUND.
ONE OF THE GAUGES THAT WE USE FOR UTILIZATION, THE BOARD WILL REMEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT THE SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR THIS HEALTH CENTER AND THIS INVESTMENT, IS HOW MANY OF OUR EMPLOYEES ARE ACTUALLY ACCESSING IT.
OR THE PRIMARY WAY THAT I GAUGE THAT IS HOW MANY OF THEM HAVE REGISTERED FOR THE PORTAL.
WE HAVE ALMOST 2,000 OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE ACTUALLY REGISTERED FOR THE PORTAL, AND I THINK IT'S ONLY BEEN AVAILABLE FOR SIX WEEKS NOW.
SO THE INITIAL DATA LOOKS REALLY GOOD.
DENNIS IS GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BUDGET LATER.
OBVIOUSLY, CLAIMS, COSTS, AND HEALTH INSURANCE IS A BIG PART OF OUR BUDGET.
BUT GIVEN THE TRENDING INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE, OUR VENDOR, MARATHON HEALTH, IS FEELING VERY, VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THE THE POTENTIAL COST SAVINGS THAT WE'RE GOING TO REALIZE THROUGH THE HEALTH CENTER.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY FOR ME, THE PURPOSE OF OUR HEALTH CENTER PRIMARILY WAS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE OUR EMPLOYEES WITH REALLY HIGH QUALITY HEALTH CARE SO THEY CAN TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES AND BE THEIR BEST SELVES IN THE CLASSROOM.
THIS IS DOING THAT IN A VERY SHORT SPACE OF TIME, SO I'M VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE TO THE BOARD FOR THEIR SUPPORT FOR THIS ENDEAVOR.
AND THE LAST PIECE IS EMPLOYEE
[02:25:01]
RECOGNITION PROGRAMS. SO THIS IS ANNIE DRABICKI'S FAVORITE THING.I LIKE DOUBLE R'S BECAUSE WE ARE ROUND ROCK AND SO WE STARTED A ROAR PROGRAM SEVERAL YEARS AGO AND THROUGH THE ROAR PROGRAM WE RECOGNIZE ANYWHERE FROM 1,700 TO 2,000 EMPLOYEES EVERY YEAR AND PARENTS, STUDENTS, CO-WORKERS, SUPERVISORS, PEOPLE WHO THEY MET IN THE STREET OR AT HEB CAN RECOGNIZE A ROUND ROCK ISD EMPLOYEE WHO DID SOMETHING.
EXEMPLARY LIKE THAT SHOWED THAT THE TYPE OF CUSTOMER SERVICE THAT WE REALLY ASPIRE TO HAS JUST GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HELP THAT PERSON SO OUR ROAD PROGRAM HAS BEEN GREAT WE'VE ALSO I MENTIONED EARLIER THE NUMBER OF ROUND ROCK ISD GRADUATES THAT WE HIRE BACK WE HAVE OVER 400 NOW BY THE WAY IN OUR WORKFORCE BUT WE STARTED A ROUND ROCK ISD ALUMNI PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYEES WHO CAME BACK TO THE DISTRICT AND SO THAT IS A BRAND THAT THOSE EMPLOYEES GET TO USE ON THEIR EMAIL SIGNATURE, AND IT'S BECOME A LITTLE POINT OF PRIDE AND BRAGGING RIGHT FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES.
WE HAVE A ROUND ROCK OUTSTANDING ACTIONS EVERYDAY EXCELLENCE AWARD, WHICH IS, YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE TOP RIGHT.
OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, TEAMWORK IS WHAT MAKES THE DREAM WORK, AND SO WE'VE GOT A LOT OF UNSUNG HEROES IN OUR DISTRICT WHO DON'T.
I FEEL GET THE RECOGNITION OR PEOPLE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE WORK THAT THEY DO TO MAKE US TICK.
EVERY TIME WE HAVE AN ICE DAY OR A SNOW DAY AND WE'VE GOT BUS DRIVERS OUT IN THE ROAD CHECKING THE ROADS FOR US, THE POLICE OFFICERS WHO ARE OUT DRIVING THE ROADS AND KEEPING US SAFE, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT THIS RECOGNITION IS SUPPOSED TO HIGHLIGHT.
YOU KNOW, OUR PAYROLL STAFF WHO MAKE SURE THAT 6,400 EMPLOYEES GET PAID EVERY MONTH, WHICH IS A PRETTY BIG DEAL.
SO THAT'S DEDICATED TO THIS GROUP.
WE LAUNCHED THAT THIS YEAR, AND I'M EXCITED TO SEE THAT CONTINUE IN THE FUTURE.
I JUST WANT TO ADD, AND I KNOW YOU MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT THE U-DAYS, BUT THAT'S ALSO THANKS TO THE BOARD.
SEE, I SHOULD KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT, RIGHT? YOU'RE FINE, SIR.
NO, YOU'RE JUST AHEAD OF THE GAME, SIR.
SO, YES, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A SEC.
WE ALSO, I MENTIONED OUR GUEST EDUCATORS EARLIER.
JUST A CRITICAL, CRITICAL STAFF, ESSENTIALLY A STAFF MEMBER TO HAVE AVAILABLE TO PLUG IN WHEN WE NEED THEM, RIGHT? THEY'RE LIKE OUR RIPCORD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE OUR EMERGENCY ALARM.
THEY STEP IN AND THEY DO A GREAT JOB.
AND SO WE REALLY FOCUSED ON OUR GUEST EDUCATOR PROGRAM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE RECOGNIZED FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO AS WELL.
I'M GOING TO TALK HERE ABOUT THE U-DAY.
I THINK ACTUALLY, AZ, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I'M CLEARLY NOT GT. I APOLOGIZE.
SO OUR 4U HEALTH CENTER, THE U BRAND HAS REALLY KIND OF, YOU KNOW, TAKEN SHAPE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, YOU KNOW, BUDGETS ARE TIGHT.
WE KNOW OUR STAFF WORK INCREDIBLY HARD.
I'M SURE ALL OF US CAN KIND OF RECOGNIZE THIS.
IT'S REALLY, REALLY DIFFICULT TO TAKE A DAY AWAY FROM WORK, RIGHT? IT'S REALLY CHALLENGING.
AND WHEN YOU'RE WORKING IN A LARGE ORGANIZATION LIKE THIS, JUST BECAUSE YOU TAKE A DAY AWAY FROM WORK, EVERYBODY ELSE IS STILL WORKING.
AND SO SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO CHECK OUT AND TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
AND SO THE U DAYS WERE DESIGNED WITH THAT IN MIND.
MY SUPERINTENDENT CHALLENGED ME TO TRY TO FIGURE THIS ONE OUT.
AND IT TOOK A LOT OF US TO PUT OUR BRAINS TOGETHER TO FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT WHAT IT DID WAS IT CREATED TWO ADDITIONAL HOLIDAYS FOR STAFF TO DO WHAT THEY NEEDED TO DO TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES, WHATEVER THAT LOOKED LIKE.
IT'S A YOU-DO-YOU DAY, RIGHT? SO SOME PEOPLE, DIANE FOLLETTO DOES A GOOD JOB OF MARKETING THIS.
IT'S LIKE MAYBE YOU JUST WANT TO BINGE WATCH NETFLIX ON THE COUCH ALL DAY.
IT'S GREAT, RIGHT? OR MAYBE YOU WANT TO GO AND CLIMB A MOUNTAIN ON THAT DAY OR DO WHATEVER.
THOSE DAYS ARE DESIGNED FOR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR WELL-BEING.
SO SUPER, SUPER WELL-RECEIVED.
OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE LOVED THAT PROGRAM.
AND I HOPE WE WERE ABLE TO CONTINUE THAT FOR MANY YEARS BECAUSE I THINK IT IS A REAL BENEFIT AND NOT A LOT OF DISTRICTS OFFER THAT TYPE OF FLEXIBILITY.
NO, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, EDDIE, AND YOUR TEAM, REALLY, BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S BEEN WE HAVE TO KIND OF REIMAGINE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO RETAIN OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.
WE WANT TO KEEP OUR AMAZING TEACHERS AND AWESOME STAFF.
BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO GO OUT AND RECRUIT BECAUSE.
PEOPLE RETIRE, PEOPLE MOVE ON, LEAVE TO ANOTHER CITY, ANOTHER STATE.
THINGS HAPPEN, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY WE ALSO HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO ALWAYS BE ABLE TO HIRE OR RECRUIT THE BEST OF THE BEST.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING.
I JUST WANT TO ALSO ADD, I KNOW EDDIE DIDN'T MENTION
[02:30:01]
THIS, BUT BECAUSE HE'S PART OF THE PROGRAM, BUT HE DOESN'T REALLY RUN THE PROGRAM.YOU'RE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR EVENT THAT ACTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN EXPANDING THAT PROGRAM NOW.
WE WENT FROM TEACHER OF THE YEAR.
I REMEMBER MY FIRST YEAR HERE IN ROUND ROCK ISD. I THINK WE HELD THAT EVENT AT STONY POINT, ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL CAFETERIAS.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE STONY POINT CAFETERIA, BUT I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF ARE.
THEY'RE AT THE CAFETERIA EVERY DAY, SO WE WANT TO MAKE IT VERY SPECIAL AND DIFFERENT FOR THEM.
WE WERE ABLE ACTUALLY TO TAKE THAT EVENT AND MAKE IT REALLY LIKE EVEN A NICER EVENT AT THE NEW EMBASSY SUITE THAT OPENED UP IN ROUND ROCK.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, I THINK THE YEAR TWO, WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR OFFER FOR THE FIRST TIME, PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR TWO.
SO WE STARTED ALSO RECOGNIZING AND ACKNOWLEDGING OUR AMAZING PRINCIPALS.
AND ALSO THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE GOING TO BE ALSO ADDING OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS.
RECOGNIZING OUR PARAPROFESSIONALS AND REALLY TREATING THEM THE WAY THEY DESERVE TO BE TREATED, SO THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE INVITED.
SO IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A TEACHER OF THE YEAR ANYMORE BECAUSE IT'S NOW MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF COMING UP WITH...
WE'RE HAVING INTERNAL DISCUSSIONS.
DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT WE CALL IT.
IT'S AN EXCELLENCE AWARD OR WHATEVER IT IS, RIGHT? AROUND A ROCK STAR.
ANYWAY, SO THIS IS AGAIN ANOTHER WAY FOR US, FOR OUR DISTRICT.
TO AGAIN RECOGNIZE OUR AMAZING TEACHERS, AS I SAID, AND OUR AWESOME SUPPORT STAFF AND LEADERS.
AND SO THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF, I MEAN, EVERY YEAR WE ARE, WITH THE LIMITED FUNDS THAT WE ARE GETTING, IS TRYING TO, HOW CAN WE THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO REALLY, REALLY TAKE CARE OF THEM AND SUPPORT THEM AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SHOWING THEM CARE AND LOVE.
AND ALSO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAY YOU'RE TELLING THEM AND KEEPING THEM IN OUR DISTRICT THANK YOU SIR AND SO THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE IT RELATES TO 5.3 AND THESE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE AGAIN MY FRIEND TIFFANY WELL IF THEY DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAMS EDDIE SO THIS IS PART OF OUR PUSH RIGHT TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION IS OUT THERE AND WE'RE NOT JUST RELYING ON DIGITAL, WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INTENTIONAL WITH PUTTING FLYERS UP IN BREAK ROOMS, AND WE'RE TALKING TO OUR OPERATIONAL STAFF, OUR TRANSPORTATION STAFF, AND IN PERSON, AND SETTING UP CAMPUS EVENTS WHERE WE GO VISIT AND TALK ABOUT OUR PROGRAMS. SO JUST REALLY TRYING TO CONNECT MORE WITH EMPLOYEES, NOT JUST NEW HIRES, BUT ALSO FOLKS WHO'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE.
THE BEST ADVERTISEMENT FOR US IS WHEN A TEACHER TALKS TO ANOTHER TEACHER ABOUT SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE BENEFITED FROM.
MARKETING AND THE HEALTH CENTER IS AN EXAMPLE OF THAT BUT ANYTIME WE CAN GET THAT INFORMATION OUT THERE TO OUR STAFF WE'RE BETTER OFF AND ULTIMATELY IT BENEFITS THE DISTRICT BECAUSE WE HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE MORE CONNECTED TO OUR PROGRAMS AND ARE MORE LIKELY TO STAY AND I DON'T HAVE A SLIDE FOR QUESTIONS BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO NO I'M JUST KIDDING I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE THANK YOU EDDIE UM I'M GONNA START WITH TRUSTEE WAY ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.
I APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAVE BEEN DOING A LOT OF THINGS FOR OUR STAFF.
IT MAY NOT BE ON YOUR SLIDE, PROBABLY ON AMY'S SLIDE, BUT THAT'S A SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHER.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY STIPEND FOR THEM.
I KNOW ONLY FOUR OUT OF 11 DISTRICTS HAVE OFFERED IT.
I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, WHAT'S THE CHALLENGE TO OFFER THAT STIPEND? EVERY CHALLENGE THAT WE HAVE, TRUSTEE WEI, IS ABOUT AVAILABLE BUDGET.
IT'S JUST ABOUT REALLY IDENTIFYING WHERE THE PRIORITIES ARE AND WHERE THE NEEDS ARE.
I WILL SAY WE HAVE BEEN VERY LUCKY IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
NOT LUCKY, I MEAN INTENTIONALLY.
OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB OF HIRING SCIENCE TEACHERS.
WE'VE BEEN RECRUITING SCIENCE TEACHERS.
THAT IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE AN AREA, PARTICULARLY WITH STEM EXPANSION AND EVEN CTE EXPANSION IN THE FUTURE.
SO IF IT'S AN AREA THAT WE DETERMINE MIGHT BE A PRIORITY IN TERMS OF HARD TO FILL TYPE POSITIONS OR POSITIONS WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, THAT COULD BE AN AREA TO EXPLORE.
BUT IT WOULD REQUIRE ADDITIONAL BUDGET.
THE REASON I ASK, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN AUSTIN, THERE'S A LOT OF HIGH TECH COMING IN HERE.
I DON'T WANT, YOU KNOW, SECONDARY SCIENCE TEACHER TO SAY WE ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH ATTENTION OR WE DON'T DESERVE THE STIPEND, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
HEY, EDDIE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE COMPREHENSIVE REPORT.
[02:35:01]
INTERNATIONAL TEACHERS PROGRAM, YOU MENTIONED THAT THEY HAVE MENTORS THAT HELP THEM.I WAS WONDERING WHO THESE MENTORS ARE.
I IMAGINE THEY'RE JUST OTHER TEACHERS, YES, BUT DO THEY GET A STIPEND FOR THIS EXTRA WORK? BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU MENTIONED THAT OR NOT.
THE STIPEND, THERE IS A STIPEND AMOUNT.
I BELIEVE IT'S $2,000 THAT THEY GET FOR THOSE EFFORTS.
I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF LOGISTICS THAT GO INTO THAT.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS HELPING FIND SOMEWHERE TO LIVE, HELPING NAVIGATE.
YOU KNOW, SOCIAL SECURITY CARDS, THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT THEY HAVE TO DO WHEN THEY FIRST COME, COME ABOARD, KNOWING WHERE THE GROCERY STORE IS.
I MEAN, JUST THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF LIFT IN THE FRONT END.
SO YES, WE TRY TO TAKE CARE OF THAT.
NOT UNLIKE OUR PARENTS WHO TAKE ON LIKE AN EXCHANGE STUDENT AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND THEN MY OTHER COMMENT IS ABOUT THE RESIDENCY PROGRAM, IS I'VE BEEN, I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GOING TO THE MATCHING CEREMONY FOR TWO YEARS NOW.
AND IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS NOW.
YOUNG TEACHERS COME WITH THEIR WHOLE FUTURE IN FRONT OF THEM, AND THEY GET MATCHED WITH A TEACHER WHO'S BEEN THERE AND IS READY TO TEACH THEM EVEN MORE TO GET THEM UP TO SPEED SO THAT THEY CAN BE IN THE CLASSROOM.
I'M NOT GOING TO LIE TO YOU, EDDIE.
I TEAR UP A LITTLE BIT EVERY TIME.
AND SO I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THAT IF YOU HAVE THE TIME, GO CHECK IT OUT THIS YEAR IF YOU GET AN INVITE.
IF I CAN ADD TO THE VISITING TEACHER, WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, WE ACTUALLY VERY, AND YOU KNOW WE'RE ON RAKA SD, RIGHT? AND I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW PROUD I AM OF OUR PARENTS, OUR PTA, OUR PRINCIPAL TEACHERS, OUR FOUNDATION.
I MEAN, MARIANNE REAP ACTUALLY AT SOME POINT SHE HAD SOMEBODY LIVING IN HER OWN HOUSE, ONE OF THE VISITING TEACHERS, AND I THINK SHE HAD HER SPOUSE WITH HER.
THIS VISITING TEACHER, IT'S NOT JUST A, IT'S A NEW COUNTRY, IT'S A DIFFERENT CULTURE, BUT IT'S ALSO OFTENTIMES THEY COME WITH VERY LIMITED RESOURCES, I GUESS.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANYBODY HERE WHO CAN GUIDE THEM AND HELP THEM, BUT ALSO THE RESOURCES TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
SO WE HAD PARENTS AND OUR TEACHERS DRIVING THEM FROM WORK AND TO WORK, I GUESS, PROVIDING HOMES, AT LEAST TEMPORARILY HOUSING FOR THEM, BUYING THEM OR DONATING THINGS TO THEM.
SO I'M EXTREMELY PROUD OF LIKE REALLY HOW OUR COMMUNITY ALWAYS COME TOGETHER TO REALLY SUPPORT.
THE TRANSITION AND HELP OUR INTERNATIONAL VISITING TEACHERS REALLY GET ACCLIMATED AND ALSO BE SUCCESSFUL IN TEACHING OUR STUDENTS.
YEAH, AND I'VE BEEN LUCKY ALSO TO SEE SOME OF THESE TEACHERS IN ACTION ON SOME OF OUR CAMPUS VISITS, AND THEY DEFINITELY HAVE A PERSPECTIVE INTO OUR IMMIGRANT STUDENTS THAT OUR OTHER TEACHERS DON'T NECESSARILY.
IT'S SUCH A VALUABLE PROGRAM, ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THAT WE HAVE SUCH A LARGE IMMIGRANT POPULATION IN OUR DISTRICT, SO KEEP IT UP.
I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE I HAVE RECEIVED A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK ON OUR HEALTH CENTER AND COMMENTS SUCH AS I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE ELSE.
WE KIND OF ENTERED, OR SOME OF US ENTERED THIS HESITANTLY, AND I'M JUST SO THRILLED AT THE RECEPTION FOR IT AND THE BENEFITS IT IS PAYING OFF FOR OUR STAFF.
SO THANK YOU FOR CHAMPIONING THAT PROCESS.
MY OTHER QUESTION, AND IT MAY NOT BE FOR MR. CURRAN, I'M NOT SURE WHO IT WOULD BE FOR, BUT ON SLIDE 36 WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT INCENTIVES AND WHATNOT, MATH ACADEMIES ARE COMING.
HAVE WE CONSIDERED AN INCENTIVE ALLOTMENT FOR MATH ACADEMIES LIKE WE DID FOR READING ACADEMIES? WE DID NOT.
WE ARE STILL ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET MORE, HOW CAN I SAY, MORE INFORMATION ALSO FROM TAI.
WE KNOW THAT THE SAME THING WITH THE READING ACADEMY.
IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT $1,000 DID NOT COME FROM THE STATE.
WE HAVE TO DIG INTO OUR OWN BUDGET.
TO PROVIDE THAT STIPEND TO OUR TEACHERS AND RIGHTFULLY SO THEY DESERVE IT BUT I DON'T THINK THE STATE PROVIDED ANYTHING ELSE SO WE WILL HAVE IF WE'RE GOING TO GO THAT ROUTE WE WOULD HAVE TO ALSO FUND THE MONEY FOR IT SOMEWHERE TO BE ABLE TO TO PROVIDE IT TO OUR TEACHERS WELL AND I KNOW WE HAD A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT READING ACADEMIES AND HOW MANY HOURS THAT IT TOOK AND THE INTENSIVE LOAD I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MATH ACADEMIES, SO THAT WOULD DEFINITELY BE SOMETHING THAT WE AS A BOARD WOULD WANT MORE INFORMATION ON, I'M SURE, AS WE DISCOVER AND GET DOWN THAT ROUTE.
BUT I THINK THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO START NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, IS THAT CORRECT? I THINK THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
I THINK WE STILL HAVE WHERE? NEXT YEAR, THE 27-26, 28, 27-28
[02:40:04]
SCHOOL YEAR.CORRECT, BUT THEY WILL HAVE MULTIPLE YEARS.
IN OTHER WORDS, OUR TEACHERS, OUR DISTRICT WILL HAVE.
MULTIPLE YEARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE.
BUT ALSO, AS I SAID, I MEAN, WHAT IS IT, 2027, WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER SESSION.
SO THERE ALSO MAY BE WHERE THE STATE MAY DECIDE AT THAT TIME WITH MAYBE ENOUGH ADVOCATING FOR OUR TEACHERS, MAYBE THEY WILL PROVIDE SOME FUNDING.
IF NOT, AT THAT TIME, WE MAY HAVE TO KIND OF LOOK AT OPTIONS.
AND MAYBE BY THEN, MR. COVINGTON'S MONEY TREES WILL BE PRODUCING A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO I THINK THE APPRENTICE ON RAMPS IS GREAT.
YOU KNOW, THERE'S NOTHING MORE THE PRIDE THAT YOU HAVE WHEN YOU COME BACK AND TEACH BACK IN THE DISTRICT.
IT IS DIFFERENT THAN BRINGING SOMEONE FROM OUTSIDE, RIGHT, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THE CULTURE AND EVERYTHING.
MY QUESTION, A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE IS LOOKING AT YOUR UNIVERSITY JOB FAIRS, I ONLY SEE ONE HBCU ON THE LIST.
THE QUESTION IS, AND THE REASON WHY I ASK IS BECAUSE WHEN I WENT TO VISIT SOME OF THE CAMPUSES AND LOOK AT THE TEACHER POPULATION, IT'S ANYWHERE FROM ZERO TO MAYBE 6%.
IS THERE ANYWHERE WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO EXPAND THOSE JOB FAIRS TO? THE REST OF THE EIGHT HBCUS IN THE STATE? THAT WOULD BE A GOAL, TRUSTEE CUERO, AND I'LL SAY THIS, AND I WANT TO SAY THIS CAREFULLY.
WE ARE VERY LIMITED IN TERMS OF OUR RECRUITING BUDGET, AND SO, YOU KNOW, PART, LIKE I MENTIONED AT THE VERY BEGINNING, OUR TRADITIONAL APPROACH TO RECRUITMENT WAS TO GO TO THE JOB FAIRS AND TO DO ALL OF THAT.
WHAT WE'VE REALLY TRIED TO MORPH INTO IS HAVING MULTIPLE PIPELINES AND PART OF THE REASON TO HAVE MULTIPLE PIPELINES IS ALSO TO KIND OF DIVERSIFY THAT WORKFORCE TOO, RIGHT? AND IT'S NOT JUST FROM A RACE ETHNICITY OR HBCU STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO FROM A PERSPECTIVE, BACKGROUND, WHERE OUR CANDIDATES ARE COMING FROM.
I DEFINITELY, WE WENT BACK TO HOUSTON-TILLOTSON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN A COUPLE OF YEARS THIS YEAR.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS, QUITE HONESTLY, WITH THE NUMBER OF CANDIDATES WHO HAVE COME THROUGH THAT, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO FOSTER THAT RELATIONSHIP SO WE CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, WORK ON A PIPELINE, LIKE A DEDICATED PIPELINE THERE TOO, BECAUSE IT DEFINITELY IS AN AREA FOR US TO EXPLORE AND EXPAND ON FURTHER.
IS THERE ANY WAY TO KIND OF COLLABORATE WITH SURROUNDING DISTRICTS TO KIND OF GET THAT? LIST AND IDENTIFY SOME OF THE POTENTIAL CANDIDATES? WELL, WE DON'T LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHER CANDIDATES, SIR.
I LIKE TO BEAT THEM, AND I USUALLY DO, RIGHT? BUT I CAN CERTAINLY, I TAKE THE FEEDBACK, AND IF YOU CAN LET ME PUT MY THINKING CAP ON AND JUST KIND OF FIGURE OUT SOME WAYS TO DO THAT.
WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPAND OUR REACH.
WE'VE HAD TO, BECAUSE OF BUDGET, REDUCE OUR STAFFING TEAM DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT IN THE LAST YEAR, AND SO THAT'S KIND OF LIMITING OUR ABILITY TO GET OUT.
AND SO, REALLY, WHEN WE GO TO JOB FAIRS, UNFORTUNATELY, WE GO FOR HIGH VOLUME, RIGHT? WE REALLY HAVE TO GO WHERE THE CANDIDATES ARE, BUT I DEFINITELY TAKE THAT FEEDBACK, AND LET ME THINK ABOUT THAT.
I THINK ONE OF OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS HAD A DEDICATED PIPELINE WITH ONE OF OUR HBCUS, AND SO...
I THINK THAT MAY BE AN AREA FOR US TO EXPLORE FURTHER AND DO SOMETHING MORE DEDICATED.
SECOND PART OF THAT QUESTION, ONCE THE CANDIDATE IS SELECTED, HOW DO YOU ASSIGN A CANDIDATE TO A CAMPUS? WELL, WE'RE A DECENTRALIZED ORGANIZATION, MEANING THAT OUR PRINCIPALS ARE OUR HIRING MANAGERS, PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.
SO WHEN WE GO AND SOURCE A CANDIDATE, WE'LL CREATE A CANDIDATE POOL.
AND SO THEN WE GET THAT INFORMATION TO OUR AREA SUPERINTENDENTS AND DR.
NICHOLS AND TO OUR SCHOOL'S OFFICE.
AND THEN IT'S REALLY UP TO OUR PRINCIPALS TO SELL THEIR CAMPUS, RIGHT? MY JOB IS TO FIND TEACHERS FOR OUR DISTRICT, BUT I CAN'T PLAY FAVORITES WITH 56 SCHOOLS.
AND SO REALLY ONE OF THE THINGS THAT NATALIE AND HER TEAM AND SOME OF OUR EFFORTS IN HR HAVE REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON IS HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR CAMPUS? NOT JUST FROM A STUDENT ENROLLMENT STANDPOINT, BUT HOW DO YOU ENTICE CANDIDATES? EMPLOYEES TO COME WANT TO COME WORK THERE SO I CAN BRAG ON SEVERAL OF OUR PRINCIPALS WHO'VE REALLY TAKEN THE BULL BY THE HORNS AND DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB WITH THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE LINKEDIN PRESENCES AND REALLY REALLY DONE THAT BUT WE BRING THE POOLS BACK AND THEN OUR PRINCIPALS IT'S THEIR JOB
[02:45:03]
TO MAKE THAT PERSON WANT TO COME WORK AT THEIR CAMPUS EVEN IN OUR JOB FAIR AND I REALLY WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO COME TO OUR JOB FAIR IT'S SO FUN IT'S SUCH A HIGH-ENERGY EVENT YOU'LL SEE ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS THERE AND THEY WILL TRY TO OUTDO EACH OTHER AND IT'S QUITE FUN.BUT THAT IS JUST WHERE THOSE PRINCIPALS ARE SPEED INTERVIEWING, RIGHT? THEY'RE DOING TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS FOR CANDIDATES AND THEN SETTING UP A MORE FORMAL INTERVIEW LATER ON.
AND CANDIDATES HAVE THEIR PICK, BUT WHAT REALLY SHREWD PRINCIPALS DO IS THAT THEY POSITION THEMSELVES, THEY TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE PROGRAMS AND THE SUPPORT THAT ARE OFFERED AT THAT CAMPUS.
WHAT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S THE WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME, FOR THAT CANDIDATE.
WHAT WOULD THAT EXPERIENCE LOOK LIKE? SO WE BRING THE CANDIDATES BACK.
WE PROVIDE THOSE CANDIDATES TO OUR PRINCIPALS.
AND THEN FROM THERE, OUR PRINCIPALS WORK THROUGH THE SELECTION PROCESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD THIS, BUT WHAT IS THE REGARDING RENTAL ASSISTANCE? WHAT WAS THE SELECTION PROCESS? SO THE DISTRICT IS NOT.
PART OF THAT SELECTION PROCESS WHATSOEVER.
THERE IS A, THE ENTITY THAT WE WORK WITH, THE TEXAS WORKFORCE HOUSING FOUNDATION, THEY HAVE SET UP THEIR OWN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THAT.
SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, IT'S A FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED BASIS, BUT WE'RE NOT INVOLVED IN THAT, SIR.
YEAH, SO THEY HAVE, WE ONLY HELPED THEM TO CREATE A PORTAL AND THEY HANDLED THAT THEMSELVES BECAUSE THE MONEY, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.
EDDIE ACTUALLY HELPED THEM CREATE THAT.
ANOTHER THING THAT WE FELT, I GUESS, TO MENTION, SO THE $350 IS THE MINIMUM AMOUNT BECAUSE THE ORGANIZATION ALSO, BASED ON THE INCOME OF THE STAFF MEMBER, THEY MAY GET ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTS.
SO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, IF THEY'RE BELOW $30,000 OR $40,000, THEY MAY GET, INSTEAD OF PAYING A FULL MARKET, $1,600 A MONTH FOR THAT APARTMENT COMPLEX, FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, THEY MAY BE LIKE AT...
$800 OR $900, THEN THEY GET $350 ON TOP OF THAT.
SO IT REALLY DEPENDS ON THEIR INCOME.
BUT AGAIN, $350, IT'S THE MINIMUM DISCOUNT THEY WILL GET.
TRUSTEE ROSS, I DON'T SEE YOUR HAND UP.
DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I DID.
SO AS A TEACHER, I THINK I'VE TOLD EDDIE THIS PREVIOUSLY, I REALLY WOULD HAVE LOVED THE U DAYS IN THE DISTRICT THAT I WAS WORKING AT.
AND JUST BEING ABLE TO HAVE A DAY OR TWO TO BE ABLE TO EVEN GO TO THE DENTIST OR SOMETHING ELSE, I WOULD HAVE ABSOLUTELY LOVED.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE DISTRICT COMING UP WITH THAT.
I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT TRUSTEE CUERO'S LINE OF LOGIC ON THAT I HAVE WORKED WITHIN ROUND ROCK ISD AND OUTSIDE OF ROUND ROCK ISD.
AND WORKING IN A SCHOOL WITH A VERY DIVERSE TEACHER BASE HAS BEEN, I SAW WITH MY EYES WHAT THAT MEANT TO STUDENTS.
AND SO I DO THINK I UNDERSTAND BUDGET.
LIMITS OR SO MANY OF OUR OUR CHOICES BUT UM IF WE COULD FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION LIKE YOU SAID PUT YOUR THINKING CAP ON AND SEE IF IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE COULD LOOK AT UM REALLY WORKING ON RECRUITING A DIVERSE WORKFORCE I THINK THAT WOULD BE UM AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY YES MA'AM THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK OKAY.
MY ONLY QUESTION IS ABOUT THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM.
WHAT'S THE WHENEVER A TEACHER DECIDES TO I THINK IT'S A GREAT PROGRAM.
BUT WHENEVER A TEACHER DECIDES TO ENTER APPRENTICESHIP, CAN THEY GO IN AND OUT OF IT? LIKE WHAT IF THEY DON'T COMPLETE IT IN CONSECUTIVE YEARS? LIKE AN EMERGENCY COMES UP OR THEY DECIDE THEY WANT TO STOP AFTER YEAR TWO AND THEN THEY HAVE KIND OF A WIDER RANGE OF EXPERIENCE THAN THEIR PEERS.
HOW DO WE MANAGE ALL OF THAT? SO YOU'RE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME, MA'AM.
WE ARE, WE'RE IN THE DESIGN STAGE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S DEFINITELY A CONSIDERATION, RIGHT? SO, BUT TO BE FAIR, THE BEAUTY OF THE PROGRAM IS IT MEETS THE CANDIDATE WHERE THEY ARE.
SO THAT'S DEFINITELY A FACTOR FOR US.
SO IF SOMEBODY DECIDES I'M GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FROM COLLEGE FOR A SEMESTER, IT'S TOO MUCH, OR I'VE GOT SOME STUFF GOING ON, THEY WOULD STAY AT THAT SAME TIER, THAT SAME ON-RAMP, AND THEN ESSENTIALLY THEY COULD COME BACK IN WHENEVER THEY CHOSE TO.
BUT MEANWHILE, THEY'VE THEY'VE MOVED THEMSELVES FORWARD IN THE PROCESS TOO, RIGHT? SO WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS PROGRAM, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT, IS WE LITERALLY MEET PEOPLE FROM WHEREVER THEY ARE, YOU
[02:50:02]
KNOW, AND SO SOMEBODY COULD HAVE 60 HOURS, SOMEBODY COULD DECIDE, SOME CRAZY PERSON COULD DECIDE THEY'RE GOING TO DO 30 HOURS IN A YEAR OR WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE WHILE WORKING FULL-TIME, AND THEY COULD LEGITIMATELY DO THAT.SO IT'S SELF-PACED, IT'S REALLY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT CONCEPT.
AND SO I THINK WE WOULD HAVE CONSIDERATION FOR THOSE TYPES OF SITUATIONS AND PART OF OUR DESIGN.
AND I'M SPECIFICALLY THINKING, TOO, IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE WHO'S GONE THROUGH IF YOU HAVE AN EA WHO'S GONE THROUGH TWO YEARS, RIGHT? AGAIN, THEY HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE THAN THEY POTENTIALLY HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE THAN SOME OF THEIR PEERS.
SO JUST THINKING THROUGH COMPENSATION OR WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE FOR THEM WITHIN THEIR POSITION.
DO THEY MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE THEY'VE GAINED? I THINK IT'S NICE TO THINK OF IT IN TERMS OF AN EA HAVING THAT POTENTIAL UPWARD MOVEMENT OR MOVEMENT WITHIN THEIR POSITION THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE BEFORE.
YEAH, AND THAT'S BEEN SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO NOODLE ON FOR YEARS, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, AGAIN, THAT'S NOT ALL ABOUT ME, BUT I WAS A TEACHING ASSISTANT WHEN I FIRST STARTED IN TEXAS, AND REALLY IT'S A SUPER TIGHT STRUCTURE.
IN MOST DISTRICTS, WE ACTUALLY ARE ONE OF THE DISTRICTS THAT HAS UM A TRUE CAREER PATHWAY FOR EAS IN TERMS OF EA2 TO EA3 TO TITLE, ETC, ETC, RIGHT, WORKING IN SPED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THEY HAVE LIKE A ONE POSITION.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, WELL, WHAT'S THE ADVANCEMENT OPPORTUNITY IF I JUST WANT TO BE AN EA? IF THAT'S THE JOB THAT I WANT TO DO, THIS ACTUALLY ALLOWS FOR THAT, RIGHT? SO THE MORE EXPERIENCE THEY GET IN THE ROLE AND THE MORE...
COLLEGE CREDIT THEY GET, WE ACTUALLY CAN ADVANCE THEM UP TO THE NEXT TIER, WHICH WOULD RESULT IN A COMPENSATION INCREASE AS WELL.
SO IT'S PRETTY COOL FROM THAT RESPECT.
AND IT CREATES A LITTLE BIT OF A, YOU KNOW, MORE OF AN INCENTIVE TO CONTINUE, RIGHT, AND TO PUSH THROUGH.
SO THERE'S JUST LOTS OF UPSIDES TO IT.
AND I THINK IT, AGAIN, I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A REAL BENEFIT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE, AND I KNOW WHEN, AGAIN, I KEEP SEEING HIS THUNDER AND PROBABLY RODRIGO'S THUNDER.
BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT, SO YOU ALSO KNOW ABOUT OUR EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL, RIGHT? AND THAT WHEN WE FIRST STARTED, WE ONLY OFFERED AN ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN ARTS, RIGHT? AND THEN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, RIGHT, RODRIGO, WE ADDED SCIENCE, ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN SCIENCE.
AND THEN FOR NEXT YEAR, WE'RE ACTUALLY ADDING...
IS IT ENGINEERING? AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT EDUCATION.
SO I DON'T WANT TO, I MEAN, AGAIN, SO WE ARE SOME OF OUR OWN STUDENTS.
TO ME, THAT'S ALSO THE OTHER EXCITING THING IS WE HAVE ALREADY A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE SHOWING INTEREST ON COMING BACK AND ACTUALLY BEING TEACHERS WITH US.
AND IN SOME CASES, THEY MIGHT NOT HAVE TO LEAVE US AT ALL BECAUSE THEY CAN DO THEIR SOCIAL DEGREE AT OUR EARLY COLLEGE HIGH SCHOOL OR NOW THAT WE'RE OFFERING ALL THESE ADVANCED COURSES FOR THEM, CTE COURSES WITHIN LIKE ROUND ROCK HIGH SCHOOL OR CEDAR RIDGE, AND THEN THEY CAN WORK AND ALSO FINISH THEIR BACHELOR'S DEGREE NOW WHILE THEY'RE STILL WITH THEIR OWN ISD.
SO I THINK THAT WILL BE LIKE TALKING ABOUT GROWING YOUR OWN.
THAT'S REALLY YOUR OWN BECAUSE THESE ARE YOUR OWN STUDENTS OR YOU'RE TAKING THEM FROM BEING STUDENTS AND NOW THEY'RE COMING BACK OR NOT EVEN LEAVING AND THEY ARE NOW GOING TO BE OUR OWN TEACHERS.
EDUCATING THE NEXT GENERATION OR NEXT GROUP OF STUDENTS.
THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT A LOT OF GREAT INFORMATION.
SO VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF YOUR WORK.
WE WILL HAVE AN INFORMATION SESSION FOR ANY DISTRICT EMPLOYEES WHO ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT OUR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM ON APRIL THE 1ST, NO JOKE, APRIL THE 1ST, FROM 6 TO 7.
IF YOU'RE A DISTRICT EMPLOYEE AND YOU'RE STILL WATCHING, THAT WAS SENT OUT IN YOUR EMAIL TODAY.
SO LOOK FOR YOUR HR EMAIL THAT HAD INFORMATION ABOUT THE INFORMATION SESSION.
AND PLEASE REGISTER AND COME LEARN ABOUT HOW TO GET INTO THE CLASSROOM.
WE'D BE EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU MORE ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM F4.
AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MR. COVINGTON.
TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO UPDATE YOU AS TO WHERE WE ARE AND AS WE BUILD THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH PRELIMINARY SLIDES AND WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE M&O BUDGET.
SO THESE NEXT FEW SLIDES, IT SETS THE TABLE AS TO HOW WE'RE PUTTING THE BUDGET TOGETHER.
OUR BUDGETARY GOALS, AS YOU RECALL, OUR FOCUS IS ON INSTRUCTION, SCHOOL SAFETY.
MAXIMIZE THE USE OF NOT ONLY JUST GRANT FUNDING BUT OTHER FUNDING THAT WE HAVE OUTSIDE OF OUR REGULAR OPERATING FUNDS.
[02:55:01]
REDUCE EXPENDITURES, MINIMIZE REDUCTIONS IN OUR CLASSROOM, AS WE ALL KNOW THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHAT WE DO, AND BRING IN A BALANCED BUDGET.BUT WHAT FACTORS AFFECT US DOING THAT? THE MAXIMUM COMPRESS RATE, AS YOU ALL KNOW WHEN I SHOW YOU THE SPREADSHEET.
THE MAXIMUM COMPRESSED RATE HAS WENT DOWN BY ALMOST HALF A PENNY FROM LAST YEAR.
OUR PROPERTY VALUES, WE ARE USING A 2% INCREASE, BUT WE GOT DATA FROM TRAVIS COUNTY.
THEY'RE PROJECTING A 5% INCREASE IN THEIR PROPERTY VALUES.
AND SO THAT NUMBER MAY CHANGE, BUT TRAVIS COUNTY IS THE MAJORITY OF OUR FUNDING IN PROPERTY VALUES, SO WE STILL DON'T HAVE THEIR NUMBER.
WE HAVE A MEETING WITH THEM NEXT WEEK.
WILLIAMSON COUNTY, WILLIAMSON COUNTY.
STUDENT ENROLLMENT, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE HAVE CHANGED THE PROJECTION ON OUR STUDENT ENROLLMENT BASED ON SOME INFORMATION WE GOT FROM OUR DEMOGRAPHER.
AND SO I'LL SHOW YOU THAT IN A MINUTE.
OUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, WE ARE RIGHT NOW A LITTLE BELOW THE 92%, BUT THE BUDGET IS BUILT ON A 92% BLENDED AVERAGE WITH OUR PRE-K AND K-12.
THE 2025 STATE LEGISLATIVE SESSION, THERE'S TWO BIG THINGS THAT ARE STILL PENDING FROM THAT, AND THAT'S THE SCHOOL VOUCHERS IMPACT.
AS YOU KNOW, THAT GOES INTO EFFECT THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN HOW TEA WOULD CHANGE THE FORMULA FOR HOW THEY FUND OUR SPED ALLOTMENT.
THE STATE SET ASIDE A LOT OF MONEY TO CHANGE THAT ALLOTMENT FORMULA TO A LEVEL OF SERVICE, BUT WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THAT.
METHODOLOGY FROM TEA YET AS HOW THEY WOULD CHANGE HOW WE RECEIVE OUR SPED FUNDING.
AS YOU ALL RECALL, WE GET ABOUT $40 MILLION IN THAT ALLOTMENT AND WE SPEND ABOUT $60 MILLION.
AND SO HOPEFULLY NEW FUNDING WILL SHORTEN THAT GAP AS TO OUR EXPENDITURES.
CAN YOU REPEAT THOSE NUMBERS ON SPED FUNDING? WE GET ABOUT $40 MILLION, SPEND ABOUT $60 MILLION.
BUT OF THAT, YOU KNOW THE REQUIREMENT IS ONLY 55% THAT YOU HAVE TO SPEND, BUT WE SPEND 100% PLUS MORE.
CHARTER SCHOOL GROWTH, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF CHARTERS, ONE CAMPUS THAT'S OPENED UP, ONE SCHOOL THAT'S OPENING UP, A COUPLE OF CAMPUSES AROUND US THAT MAY AFFECT OUR CHARTER SCHOOL GROWTH.
SO WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT.
INSURANCE PREMIUM INCREASES, PROPERTY INSURANCE AND HEALTH INSURANCE, WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THOSE TWO FACTORS.
INFLATIONARY PRICE INCREASES, AS YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE WORLD WITH THE WAR IN IRAN.
THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME INFLATIONARY FACTORS FROM THE RESULT OF THAT.
PEOPLE THINK PETROLEUM JUST HAS AN EFFECT ON GAS.
PETROLEUM IS IN MANY, MANY OF OUR PRODUCTS THAT WE USE, EVEN YOUR CELL PHONES.
SO THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME INFLATIONARY INCREASES DUE TO THIS WAR.
AND THE LAST THING IS THE SCHOOL'S HEALTH AND RELATED SERVICES.
WHEN YOU SEE THE SPREADSHEET, YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE NOT PROJECTED ANY REIMBURSEMENTS FOR SHARS.
WE HAVE WENT INTO A CONTRACT WITH A NEW VENDOR TO HELP US TRY TO RECOUP SOME OF THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT TO SUPPORT OUR SPARE POPULATION.
AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL GAIN SOME REVENUE IF YOU THINK FOUR, I THINK FOUR YEARS AGO, WE USED TO GET ABOUT $9 MILLION OF REIMBURSEMENTS.
AND THE KEY WORD IS REIMBURSEMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE SPENT THE DOLLARS AND WE ARE CLAIMING, WELL, SUBMITTING CLAIMS TO GET.
THOSE MONIES BACK BASED ON THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDED FOR OUR SPED STUDENTS.
SO WHAT WERE THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS GOING INTO DEVELOPING THIS BUDGET? WE HAVE A MAXIMUM COMPRESS RATE THAT LIKE I SAID WE RECEIVED AND IT'S DOWN TO .7054.
THE PROPERTY TAX RATE WE'RE GOING TO USE 2 PERCENT.
WHEN WE FIRST BROUGHT THIS BUDGET AND YOU'LL SEE THIS ONE WHEN I BRING THE SLIDES UP.
WE HAD USED 45,500, BUT AFTER WE TALKED TO THE DEMOGRAPHER, WE DECIDED TO BE A LITTLE MORE CONSERVATIVE AND GO WITH A FLAT 45,000.
OUR AVERAGE DAILY ATTENDANCE, WE'RE GOING TO STILL BUDGET AT THE 92% BLENDED, INCLUDING PRE-K.
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, OUR BASIC ALLOTMENT IS FLAT AT $6,215.
SO WITH ALL THAT TABLE SET, WHAT DOES THE BUDGET LOOK LIKE? SO I'LL PRESENT IT TO YOU ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE.
WHERE WE WERE ON FEBRUARY 19TH AND THE ONLY CHANGE TO THIS SLIDE IS WHAT YOU SEE IN THAT SECOND GREEN BAR WHERE THE STATE REVENUE HAS DROPPED
[03:00:01]
FROM $55,691 TO $46,317 AND THAT IS THE RESULT OF CHANGING IF YOU GO BACK TO THE TOP WHERE YOU SEE THE $45,500 WE HAVE LOWERED OUR PROJECTED ENROLLMENT DOWN TO $45,000 FLAT WE HAVE DONE OUR ALLOTMENTS TO ALL OUR SCHOOLS USING THE $45,000 FLAT AND SO WE WILL BE EXPERIENCING LESS REVENUE FROM THE STATE BECAUSE OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT DROP.SO WE'RE LOOKING AT TOTAL REVENUES NOW $482,788,000.
EXPENSES, THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO THIS SLIDE.
WHAT YOU SEE IN THE MUSTARD COLORED IS DUE TO THAT ENROLLMENT DROP, THERE WERE SOME POSITIONS THAT WE REDUCED.
BECAUSE OF THAT ENROLLMENT DROP THAT WAS NO LONGER NEEDED BECAUSE OF STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE THE NEGATIVE $5,571,000 FOR OUR POSITION DECREASES.
THERE WILL BE OTHER CHANGES THERE.
THERE ARE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE ELIMINATED THAT IS NOT ON THIS SLIDE YET.
AND IF YOU SEE THE TWO BLUE BARS, PENDING ANY COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS, THERE WILL BE A NUMBER ADDED FOR COMPENSATION ADJUSTMENTS.
AND LIKE I SAID, IF WE HAVE TO ADD ANY NEW POSITIONS, WE WILL ADD IT THERE ON THIS SLIDE.
AND AS I SAID BEFORE, THERE WILL BE OTHER DECREASES THAT WE WILL BE BRINGING FORTH FOR OUR POSITIONS.
BUT AS OF TODAY, OUR COST FOR SALARIES AND BENEFITS IS $434,115,000.
ON THE ALLOCATION SIDE, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE MADE NO CHANGES TO THE ALLOCATIONS TO OUR SCHOOLS.
THAT NUMBER WILL GO DOWN BASED ON, WE ALLOT BASED ON ENROLLMENT.
SO ONCE WE FIGURE THIS TOTAL THING OUT, WE WILL BE DROPPING THAT NUMBER SOME.
IF YOU SEE THE MUSTARD COLORED THINGS THERE, WE HAVE MET WITH ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE CENTRAL OFFICE.
WE GAVE THEM A TARGET OF A 10% REDUCTION, AND SOME DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT ABLE TO DO THAT BASED ON THE LINE ITEMS THAT ARE FUNDED IN THEIR BUDGET, I WOULD JUST POINT OUT FOR AN EXAMPLE, LIKE IN LEGAL SERVICES, THEY HAVE A VERY SMALL BUDGET, AND 90% OF THEIR BUDGET IS CONTRACTS WITH LAWYERS, OUTSIDE LAWYERS.
AND SO WE FELT WITH OUR EXPENDITURE RATE THAT WE COULDN'T TAKE 10% OFF THAT CONTRACT.
SO WITH MOST OF HER BUDGET BEING IN THAT LINE, THERE WAS NO WAY SHE COULD MEET A 10% CUT ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT IT WAS LIKE THAT IN SOME OF THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SOME OF THEM WE WERE ABLE TO GET MORE THAN 10%, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD WE SHOT FOR A 10% INCREASE.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME PROGRAM INCREASES THAT WAS NOT IN THE BUDGET.
THAT WE KNOW THAT WE HAD TO PUT IN FOR ONE WE HAD AN INCREASE IN OUR UH CAD COST OF ABOUT A HUNDRED UH THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT'S THE MAJORITY OF THAT MONEY THERE FOR THEM DOING ALL OF OUR TAXING STUFF SO THAT NUMBER WILL PROBABLY INCREASE WHEN THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE IT FOR UH THINGS THAT WE ARE EVALUATING AND SO ON THIS PAGE THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES SO OUR TOTAL EXPENSES OH THEN PLEASE LET ME PLEASE KNOW WE STILL DON'T SEE US AS A RECAPTURED DISTRICT, EVEN WITH THE DROP IN THE STUDENTS AND WITH OUR TAX COLLECTIONS.
SO OUR TOTAL EXPENSE IS NOW DOWN TO $489.42.
AND THIS IS HOW THE TOTALS LOOK AS COMPARED TO WHERE WE WERE ON FEBRUARY 19TH.
WE'RE STILL IN THE GREEN OF $1.8 MILLION.
BUT AS I SAID, THIS IS AS OF 3-11-2025.
SO DON'T GET LOCKED INTO THE NUMBER AS WE CONTINUE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BUDGET.
AS WE FINISH AND GO FARTHER DOWN THIS BUDGET ALLEY, TO BRING BACK TO YOU THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET IN MAY, THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO EVALUATE THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE CHANGING THE BUDGET.
LIKE I SAID, WE ARE EVALUATING A REDUCTION IN CENTRAL OFFICE POSITIONS.
CENTRAL OFFICE SCHOOL SUPPORT POSITION, WE ARE REDUCING DEPARTMENT, A LOT OF ALLOCATIONS LIKE WE SAID WE'VE DONE DOWN TO THE 10% AND I DON'T THINK WE FINISHED ALL THE DEPARTMENTS YET, HAVE WE? OKAY, WE FINISHED ALL OF THOSE.
THERE MAY BE SOME REDUCTIONS IN SCHOOL LEVEL POSITIONS.
THERE'S SOME CONTRACTED SERVICES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO ELIMINATE THAT WOULD SAVE THE DISTRICT DOLLARS.
WE ARE LOOKING TO INCREASE OUR PRE-K AND LOW ENROLLMENT.
TRYING TO, TO STEAL A WORD FROM EDDIE, STEAL OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN.
[03:05:01]
TO OUR DISTRICT.SHOW THEM THAT IT'S GREAT TO BE A ROUND ROCK STUDENT.
EXPLORE HOW WE USE GRANT FUNDING, HOW WE SUBMIT GRANTS THAT WE CAN INCREASE OUR OTHER LOCAL REVENUE.
AND ALWAYS LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN COMPENSATE OUR EMPLOYEES.
WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS? AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE WAIT TO RECEIVE THAT FINAL MAXIMUM COMPRESS RATE.
WE FINISHED WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, SO WE'VE DONE THAT PART.
WE'RE STILL DEVELOPING THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET.
WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING BUDGET WORKSHOPS WITH THE BOARD AND SMALL WORK GROUP SESSIONS.
THEN WE WILL DEVELOP THE COMPENSATION PLAN BASED ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE REVENUES, AND THEN WE WILL DEVELOP THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET TO BE BRINGING TO YOU ALL IN MAY.
THAT IS THE BUDGET UPDATE AND WE ARE HERE FOR QUESTIONS.
BEFORE WE TAKE QUESTIONS, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT WE ARE NOT KIDNAPPING CHILDREN.
STEALING OTHER PEOPLE'S CHILDREN.
DON'T WRITE THAT COMMUNITY IMPACT.
OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS IN THE QUEUE.
[G. DISCUSSION ITEMS]
THANK YOU.OKAY, TRUSTEES, DOES ANYBODY NEED A BREAK OR CAN WE KEEP MOVING THROUGH? OKAY, WE'LL KEEP MOVING.
ALL RIGHT, ITEM G1, BOARD STUDENT OUTCOME GOALS TIME TRACKER.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO TRUSTEE WEI.
SO IN FEBRUARY WE HAD TWO MEETINGS AND ONE PUBLIC HEARING AND THE TIME WE COUNT FOR STUDENT OUTCOMES, IF THIS IS PUBLIC HEARING WE CAN COUNT IT.
SO UNFORTUNATELY WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC HEARING HAPPENED TO BE TO TALK ABOUT STUDENT OUTCOMES, SO WE CAN'T COUNT IT.
SO IN FEBRUARY WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINUTES FOR STUDENT OUTCOMES, BUT I THINK THERE WILL BE SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT TO UPDATE THE MONITORING CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE CAN HAVE SOMETHING TO COUNT.
THAT'S WHAT I TAKE AWAY FROM THAT.
SO, BUT YEAH, THAT'S ALL WE HAD FOR FEBRUARY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY MINUTES FOR STUDENT OUTCOME.
OKAY, I DON'T SEE ANY QUESTIONS, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM G2, ACADEMIC CALENDAR.
I HAVE THE HONOR OF SERVING AS CHIEF OF ACCESS AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ROUND ROCK ISD AND I ALSO LEAD THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR COMMITTEE WITH DR.
BYRON GERARD, OUR ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF STUDENT SUPPORT SERVICES, AND RODRIGO PORTILLO, THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT OF ACADEMICS.
BEFORE WE BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT AND RECOGNIZE AND THANK OUR ACADEMIC COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO WORK.
IT REQUIRES THOUGHTFUL DIALOGUE, PRIORITIZING COMPETING PRIORITIES AND A DEEP COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS STAFF AND FAMILIES SO THEIR TIME THEIR VOICE AND COLLABORATION IS APPRECIATED AND I'M BRINGING FORTH THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TONIGHT AND SO TONIGHT OUR GOAL IS TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE CALENDAR PROCESS AND THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE 26 27 I'M SORRY THE 27 28 SCHOOL YEAR AS WE BALANCED ACADEMIC PRIORITIES OPERATIONAL REALITIES AND THE NEEDS OF OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITY.
SO BEFORE WE BEGIN I WANT TO REALLY SHARE THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORK.
EACH YEAR THE COMMITTEE MEETS AND IT'S A VERY STRUCTURED PROCESS.
WE REALLY START BY GROUNDING OURSELVES IN STATE REQUIREMENTS, GATHERING STAKEHOLDER AND COMMITTEE FEEDBACK, DEVELOPING DRAFT CALENDARS, AND ULTIMATELY BRINGING FORWARD A RECOMMENDATION AS WE DO TONIGHT.
IT'S NOT A QUICK DECISION, IT IS ITERATIVE, IT'S DATA INFORMED.
TO BOTH REFLECT THE CONSTRAINTS AND COMMUNITY VOICE.
THIS IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE 27-28 CALENDAR.
WE STARTED THE WORK IN JANUARY AND IT INCLUDED THREE VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND FEEDBACKS THROUGH SURVEYS INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY.
SO JUST TO GO OVER THE COMMITTEE PURPOSE, OUR PURPOSE AND WHO WE'RE MADE UP OF, THE COMMITTEE INCLUDES DISTRICT AND STAFF.
CAMPUS STAFF AS WELL AS PARENTS WITH REPRESENTATION FROM THE FIVE VERTICAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.
WE INTENTIONALLY CREATE A SPACE
[03:10:01]
FOR DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES KNOWING THE CALENDAR IN PART IMPACTS EVERY PART OF OUR SYSTEM.SO OUR SHARED GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A CALENDAR TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE THAT PRIORITIZES INSTRUCTION WHILE REFLECTING THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY.
SO TO GIVE YOU SOME BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE CALENDAR CRITERIA.
TO GUIDE OUR WORK, WE USE FOUR CATEGORIES OF CRITERIA, STATE REQUIREMENTS, DISTRICT PREFERENCES, COMMUNITY PREFERENCES, AS WELL AS KNOWING WHAT IS OUT OF THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE.
AND THIS FRAMEWORK HELPS US TO STAY FOCUSED AND REALISTIC ON WHAT WE CAN AND CANNOT ADJUST.
TO BEGIN WITH STATE REQUIREMENTS, WE MUST MEET THE 75,600 MINUTES FOR INSTRUCTION AND REQUIRED TEACHER CONTRACT DAYS.
AS A DISTRICT OF INNOVATION, WE HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY, INCLUDING HOW WE STRUCTURE OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS.
WE ALSO HAVE TO COMPLY WITH LEGISLATIVE REQUIREMENTS.
THERE WAS AN UPDATE IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION WITH SENATE BILL 12 REQUIRING US TO PROVIDE ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS TO PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR TWO IN-PERSON PARENT-TEACHER CONFERENCES PER YEAR.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE NON-NEGOTIABLES THAT WE ANCHOR TO AS WE BUILD THE CALENDAR.
NEXT ARE DISTRICT PREFERENCES.
THESE ARE OPERATIONAL DECISIONS THAT SUPPORT OUR SYSTEM FUNCTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, ALIGNING WITH AUSTIN COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR OUR DUAL ENROLLMENT, ENSURING PAYROLL TIMELINES ARE MET, PROVIDING TIME AFTER STAR FOR FINAL EXAMS, AND BUILDING IN WEATHER MINUTES.
SO THESE DECISIONS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE VISIBLE TO THE PUBLIC, BUT THEY ARE CRITICAL TO ENSURING THE DISTRICT RUNS SMOOTHLY.
SO THESE CONSTRAINTS ARE INTERNAL DECISIONS THAT ALLOW FOR ALIGNMENT WITH DISTRICT PROCESSES, WITH THE STATE AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
NEXT ARE OUR COMMUNITY PREFERENCES.
WE ALSO CONSIDER CONSISTENT THEMES OVER THE YEARS WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
AND OVER TIME, WE'VE HEARD THEIR PREFERENCES FOR FULL WEEK OFF IN NOVEMBER, WINTER BREAK, SPRING BREAK, THOSE FULL WEEKS, AVOIDING MIDWEEK DISRUPTIONS WHEN POSSIBLE, SUPPORTING EXTENDED WEEKENDS, AND AN INTEREST IN AN OCTOBER PAUSE, WHICH WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A MOMENT.
THESE PREFERENCES HELP US ALIGN THE CALENDAR WITH FAMILY NEEDS AND STUDENT EXPERIENCES.
AND THEN LASTLY, WE LOOK AT WHAT IS OUT OF THE SCOPE OF THE COMMITTEE.
ITEMS LIKE STATE TESTING WINDOWS, INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTE REQUIREMENTS, PAYROLL CALENDARS, AND GRADUATION TIMELINES ARE ALL SET EXTERNALLY.
SO BEING CLEAR ABOUT THOSE BOUNDARIES HELPS REDUCE CONFUSION AND ENSURES TRANSPARENCY IN THAT PROCESS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, INSTRUCTIONAL TIME COMPLIANCE RULES, TEA WAIVERS, AS WELL AS FEDERAL HOLIDAYS ARE SOME EXAMPLES OF THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF OUR SCOPE.
SO AS WE BEGAN EXPLORING THE 27-28 DRAFT CALENDAR, IT STARTED REALLY WITH A CONVERSATION ON DISCUSSING A POTENTIAL FALL BREAK.
THAT EXPLORATION OF A FALL BREAK HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION THAT'S COME UP IN THE PAST, WHETHER THROUGH ITS LET'S TALK, SUGGESTIONS FROM PARENTS, STAFF FEEDBACK, AND OTHER SURROUNDING DISTRICTS IMPLEMENTING FALL BREAKS.
SO WE DECIDED TO EXPLORE AND RESEARCH MORE LOOKING AT BOTH STAKEHOLDER INPUT, STUDENT DISTRICT DATA, AND OPERATIONALLY WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE.
SO THE INITIAL SURVEY AS WE STARTED PLANNING THE 27-28 ACADEMIC CALENDAR, WE STARTED EARLY IN THE PROCESS AND SURVEYING OUR STAFF REGARDING THE POSSIBILITY OF ADDING A WEEK-LONG FALL BREAK IN OCTOBER IN ADDITION TO THE THANKS DURING THANKSGIVING THAT FULL WEEK IN NOVEMBER.
SO WE BEGAN WITH AN INTERNAL STAFF SURVEY AND OVER 3,400 RESPONSES WERE RECEIVED.
63% SUPPORTED AN OCTOBER FALL BREAK, WHILE 37% OPPOSED IT.
SO THERE WAS A CLEAR INTEREST, BUT THERE WAS ALSO MEANINGFUL CONCERNS EXPRESSED.
AND WHILE THE MAJORITY OF INTERNAL STAFF PREFERRED OF THE 3,400 THAT WERE POLLED PREFERRED A FALL BREAK.
WE DO BELIEVE THAT AFTER WE DUG A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE IMPLICATIONS OF A FALL BREAK, THAT NAMELY THE TWO WEEKS OFF DURING THE SUMMER BEING IMPACTED AS FAR AS DAYS, WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT MAYBE THOSE NUMBERS MAY HAVE SHIFTED IF WE WERE TO REDO THAT SURVEY.
BUT HERE ARE THOSE SURVEY RESULTS OF THE INTERNAL 1-2 STAFF ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FALL BREAK IN OCTOBER WHILE STILL HAVING THAT NOVEMBER WEEK OFF SO THIS SLIDE VISUALLY REPRESENTS THE FEEDBACK.
IT REINFORCES THAT WHILE A MAJORITY SUPPORTED THE IDEA, THE DIVISION AND PERSPECTIVES REQUIRED THOUGHTFUL CONSIDERATION RATHER THAN A SINGLE DIRECTION DECISION.
WHEN WE BREAK THE DATA DOWN BY ROLE, YOU CAN SEE THE VARIATION IN PERSPECTIVES ACROSS CAMPUS STAFF AND STAFF GROUPS.
THIS HELPED US UNDERSTAND THAT ONE SIZE REALLY DOESN'T FIT
[03:15:02]
ALL, AND IT IMPACTS DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.SO FROM THAT FEEDBACK, WE WANTED TO FURTHER EXPLORE, AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS PEOPLE WERE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT SHARING WERE CHILD CARE CHALLENGES FOR WORKING FAMILIES FOR THAT WEEK.
STARTING EARLIER IN AUGUST, IF WE TOOK THAT WEEK OFF IN OCTOBER, WE WOULD HAVE TO ADJUST AND ADD THOSE DAYS SOMEWHERE ELSE STARTING EARLIER.
IMPACTS ON ATHLETICS AND EXTRACURRICULARS, AS WELL AS INSTRUCTIONAL PACING.
SOME OF THE SUPPORT FOCUSED ON ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER DISTRICTS.
WELLNESS AND REST, AS WELL AS A MUCH-NEEDED MID-SEMESTER RESET.
SO BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, WE DECIDED TO DEVELOP TWO CALENDAR OPTIONS, ONE INCLUDING AN OCTOBER FALL BREAK AND ONE WITHOUT AN OCTOBER FALL BREAK.
THE U DAYS WERE ABSORBED IN THE FALL BREAK, SO WE WOULDN'T HAVE THEM ONE IN EACH SEMESTER IF OPTION A WERE TO PASS FOR OPTION B.
IT STILL INCLUDES ONE PER SEMESTER.
AND THIS IS JUST A VISUAL OF THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SURVEY THAT WE SENT OUT TO STAFF, OUR STUDENTS AS WELL AS FAMILIES, THAT HAD THE TWO DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
AND NAMELY, THE DIFFERENCES IN THOSE TWO WERE THE MONTHS OF AUGUST, OCTOBER, AND NOVEMBER.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE WAS AN EARLIER START DATE WHERE TEACHERS RETURNED AUGUST 3RD WITH THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
SCHOOL BEING ABOUT A WEEK EARLIER THAN WHAT IS NORMAL FOR ROUND ROCK ISD COMPARED TO OPTION B, WHICH IS MORE OF WHAT WE TRADITIONALLY, OUR CALENDARS HISTORICALLY HAVE LOOKED LIKE.
AND THIS IS JUST A VISUAL OF CALENDAR A, WHICH INCLUDES THAT WEEK-LONG IN OCTOBER BREAK IN GREEN, AND THOSE U-DAYS WERE ABSORBED INTO THAT FULL WEEK IF THAT CALENDAR PASSED.
THIS IS CALENDAR OPTION B, WHICH MAINTAINS THAT TRADITIONAL STRUCTURE WITHOUT THE FALL BREAK.
THE U-DAYS, HOW WE SET THOSE UP, USUALLY THERE'S ONE PER SEMESTER, ONE IN FALL, STRATEGICALLY AFTER THAT FIRST NINE WEEKS WHERE EVERYBODY NEEDS A PAUSE TO RESET, AND THEN THE OTHER IS IN FEBRUARY.
SO WITH BOTH OPTIONS DEVELOPED WITH THE COMMITTEE, WE THEN EXPANDED THE SURVEY TO ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
AND WE RECEIVED OVER 14,000 RESPONSES, WHICH IS A STRONG LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT.
AND THIS REFLECTS HOW IMPORTANT THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR IS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST PRINTED DOCUMENT THAT RESIDES IN ALL OF OUR FAMILIES' HOMES, RIGHT? AND SO OUT OF THE 14,000 RESPONSES, 55% WERE PARENTS, GUARDIANS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
27% OF RESPONDENTS WERE STUDENTS AND THEN 19% WERE STAFF.
AND AS WE SENT OUT THE CALENDAR, THE RESULTS FELL WITH 59% CHOOSING OPTION A THAT INCLUDED THAT FALL BREAK AND OPTION B WAS 41% AND THAT WAS MAINTAINING THE CURRENT STRUCTURE.
SO AGAIN, A CLEAR MAJORITY BUT NOT WITHOUT SIGNIFICANT OPPOSITION.
THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF BY EACH ROLE A AND B BY STAFF, STUDENTS, PARENTS, GUARDIANS, FAMILIES.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT STUDENTS SHOWED THE STRONGEST PREFERENCE FOR A FALL BREAK.
STAFF ALSO LEANED TOWARD IT BUT FAMILIES WERE A LITTLE MORE DIVIDED AND SO THAT REINFORCED THE NEED FOR SOME BALANCED PERSPECTIVES.
WE ALSO RECEIVED OVER A THOUSAND WRITTEN COMMENTS, VERY THOUGHTFUL AND THOSE WERE ANALYZED.
WE REVIEWED THAT DATA AND INFORMATION WITH THE COMMITTEE AND IDENTIFIED SOME KEY THEMES.
THESE RANGED FROM CONCERNS ABOUT CHILDCARE AND EXTRACURRICULAR IMPACTS TO STRONG SUPPORT FOR WELLNESS AND STRESS REDUCTION.
SO THIS QUALITATIVE DATA WAS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE PERCENTAGES.
SO AFTER WE REVIEWED THESE STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK AND EVALUATED OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING CHILD CARE WAS SOMETHING THAT MANY WORKING FAMILIES EXPRESSED, AND EVEN PEOPLE WHO VOTED FOR OPTION A SAID, WE LIKE OPTION A, BUT I'M STILL CONCERNED ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND SO WE LOOKED AT CHILD CARE, TRANSPORTATION, PAYROLL, SERVICE CALENDARS WOULD BE IMPACTED, ATHLETICS AND FINE ARTS AS WELL.
LOSING SOME TIME IN THE SUMMER IF WE START SCHOOL EARLIER, THOSE STUDENTS ARE VERY DEDICATED AND USUALLY SPEND QUITE SOME TIME DURING THE SUMMER PRACTICING AND REHEARSING.
SO AS WE TALKED WITH THE COMMITTEE WE MET AND DECIDED TO DEVELOP A COMBINATION OF BOTH WHICH WE'RE CALLING OPTION C AS THE RECOMMENDED CALENDAR.
[03:20:03]
SO THIS OPTION REFLECTS THE MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED BY INCORPORATING ADDITIONAL FOUR-DAY WEEKENDS DURING THE FALL SEMESTER AND SPRING WHILE AVOIDING THE FULL WEEK-LONG OCTOBER BREAK.SO THIS STEP ENSURES THAT ANY RECOMMENDATION IS NOT ONLY PREFERRED, BUT IT'S ALSO FEASIBLE FOR OUR FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.
SO AFTER REVIEWING BOTH THE STAKEHOLDER INPUT AND OPERATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS, THE COMMITTEE CAME BACK TOGETHER TO DETERMINE A PATH FORWARD, AND THAT WAS A COMBINATION CALLED CALENDAR C.
THE COMMITTEE IS RECOMMENDING THAT CALENDAR TONIGHT, WHICH INCLUDES STRATEGIC LONG WEEKENDS AND OUR WELLNESS DAYS.
WITHOUT THE FULL OCTOBER BREAK.
IT REFLECTS FOR US AS A COMMITTEE A BALANCED APPROACH, HONORING COMMUNITY VOICE WHILE ENSURING THE SYSTEM CAN EFFECTIVELY SUPPORT STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
SO THIS APPROACH RESPONDS TO STAKEHOLDER FEEDBACK, ADDRESSES THE OPERATIONAL CONCERNS, AND MAINTAINS INSTRUCTIONAL CONTINUITY.
WE ALSO RECEIVED LOTS OF DATA AS WE DUG THROUGH, AS WE EXPLORED THIS ON THE POSSIBILITY OF THE FALL BREAK.
BUT ALSO THE IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
SO WE DID SEE THE NEED IN HAVING A PAUSE AFTER LOOKING AT ATTENDANCE DATA, REFERRALS.
THEY CALL IT SHOCKTOBER IN EDUCATION, RIGHT? LOTS OF THINGS ARE HAPPENING.
BUT IT WAS A WAY FOR US TO STILL CONSIDER HOW WE CAN STRATEGICALLY PAUSE AFTER THE FIRST SEMESTER AND GIVE STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND TEACHERS TIME, BUT ALSO MAINTAIN THE SUPPORTS NEEDED FOR A PUBLIC SCHOOL WITH WORKING FAMILIES.
SO I WANT TO CLOSE BY THANKING OUR COMMITTEE MEMBERS AGAIN WHO SERVED IN THE COMMITTEE FOR THEIR TIME, THEIR THOUGHTFULNESS, AND COLLABORATION.
AND THIS PROCESS REFLECTS THE BEST OF WHAT WE AIM TO DO, WHICH IS ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY, ANALYZE DATA, AND MAKE DECISIONS THAT SERVE OUR STUDENTS.
SO AT THIS TIME, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
TRUSTEES, I DON'T SEE ANYONE IN THE QUEUE.
IS TRUSTEE ROSS STILL WITH US? TRUSTEE ROSS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? NO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE PROCESS AND HOW AMAZINGLY CLEAR AND THOUGHTFUL THE PRESENTATION WAS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION ABOUT THE PLACEMENT OF THE U-DAY IN OCTOBER BEING RIGHT BEFORE TESTING.
WERE TEACHERS OKAY WITH THERE BEING A BREAK? THE OCTOBER 11TH IS THE U-DAY, AND THEN WE HAVE TESTING ON THE 13TH AND 14TH.
SO THEY'RE OPTIONAL FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL ON WHICH DAYS THEY CHOOSE, BUT WE JUST BLOCK IT OFF FOR THAT.
AND DOES THIS TAKE INTO TESTING? I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE, LIKE, THE FULL REVAMPED OF THE NEW STAR THAT'S GOING TO BE B-O-Y, M-O-Y, E-O-Y.
IS THAT? DOES THIS CALENDAR KIND OF TAKE INTO THOSE CONSIDERATIONS? DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA OF WHEN THOSE TESTING DATES WOULD BE? YES.
WE WORK CLOSELY WITH THE EVALUATION TEAM AND THE TESTING TEAM WHO PROVIDES ALL THAT INFORMATION, SO WE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE BUILD THOSE CALENDARS.
I THINK THE QUESTION, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BECAUSE THE STATE IS GOING TO BE INTRODUCING, INSTEAD OF THE START TEST, IT WILL BE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, MIDDLE OF THE YEAR, AND THE END OF THE YEAR.
TYPICALLY THEY WON'T RELEASE THAT UNTIL LIKE THIS SO THEY WILL RELEASE IT THEY WILL RELEASE IT LIKE AROUND EARLY SPRING FOR THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR SO THEY DON'T DO IT LIKE TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING AHEAD LIKE ALMOST TWO YEARS IN ADVANCE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT READY YET.
BUT TYPICALLY IF I HAVE TO GUESS THEY WILL OPEN USUALLY THEY GIVE LIKE A TWO WEEKS WINDOW FOR FOR THIS ASSESSMENT TWO TO THREE WEEKS WINDOWS AND IF I HAVE TO GUESS THE PROBABLY WILL BE THERE DECEMBER OR EARLY JANUARY.
AND I WON'T UNPACK THE FEBRUARY DUE DATE EITHER.
AND WE'VE GOTTEN THE CLINT SENT US LIKE THE BOI MIDDLE OF YEAR, JUST THE WINDOWS THAT THE STATE HAS.
SO WE TRIED TO JUST SAY 27-28.
WELL, FOR 26-27, BUT WE TRIED TO MIRROR THAT FOR 27-28.
BUT THOSE ARE THE OPTIONAL TASKS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THE NEW ASSESSMENT OR THE TEST THAT THE STATE WOULD BE.
THE NEW WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, START OR WHATEVER THEY'RE GOING TO CALL IT NOW.
AND THE LAST COMMENT THAT I HAVE IS I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR HONORING NOVEMBER 1ST.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF FAMILY FEEDBACK THAT HAVE SAID THEY WANTED THE DAY AFTER HALLOWEEN AS A HOLIDAY.
WE TRY TO BE THOUGHTFUL AS MUCH
[03:25:01]
AS WE CAN.THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE THAT WASN'T IN CALENDAR B.
AND SO THANK YOU FOR HONORING THAT IN THE SCHEDULE C, OR CALENDAR C.
Y'ALL DID A REALLY THOROUGH PROCESS IN THIS.
ARE YOU SAYING YOU'RE GOING TO GO TRICK-OR-TREATING? WHO DOESN'T LIKE FREE CANDY? NO, JUST A COMMENT.
I KNOW THIS WORK IS TEDIOUS AND HAVE A LOT OF VOICES.
AND SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO GATHER ALL THE INFORMATION AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT WORKS FOR THE MAJORITY.
AND I'LL JUST ECHO A THANK YOU FOR DIGGING INTO THE NUANCES OF THE DATA.
I KNOW THAT THERE'S SOMETHING FORMER TRUSTEE HARRISON USED TO SAY ABOUT THE MAJORITY ISN'T ALWAYS THE MAJORITY, RIGHT? AND YOU REALLY HAVE TO DIG INTO THE DETAILS TO UNDERSTAND THE DATA.
AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE CALENDAR C IS REALLY REFLECTIVE OF THAT.
[H. ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CONSENT]
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR DIGGING DEEP ON THAT.I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HANGING AROUND SO LATE.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM H, OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION BY CONSENT.
MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEMS H1 THROUGH 16 BY CONSENT.
WHAT DO WE HAVE? OH, MELISSA, 6-0.
DO I HAVE ANOTHER MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE ITEM H-17 BY CONSENT.
[I. ACTION ITEMS]
ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? ALL ABSTAINING? MOTION PASSES 5-0-1. OKAY, WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM I-1.TRUSTEES, I'M JUST GOING TO INTRO THIS, AND THEN IF SOMEONE WILL MAKE A MOTION, AND WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION.
SO THIS IS THE DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION TO NOMINATE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS DR.
AZAIZ FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.
WE HAVE A DEADLINE TO SUBMIT THIS NOMINATION BY APRIL 17TH. SO WE'VE BROUGHT IT THE LAST FEW YEARS IN MARCH TO MEET THAT DEADLINE.
SO IF WE HAVE A MOTION, MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES APPROVE THE RESOLUTION TO NOMINATE DR.
HAFED AZAIZ FOR SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? AND YOU CAN USE YOUR BUTTONS FOR THAT, PLEASE.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE MORE DESERVING OF THIS AWARD, SO IT IS AN HONOR TO SUPPORT DR. AZAIZ AND HIS TEAM FOR THIS AWARD.
THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IT TAKES TO RUN A DISTRICT THIS SIZE AND THE PEOPLE THAT YOU NEED TO GATHER TO MOVE IN A SEAMLESS WAY, IT IS A SKILL AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
JUST TO ECHO, THERE'S NOBODY IN THIS DISTRICT THAT I THINK WORKS AS HARD AS OUR SUPERINTENDENT DOES.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WORK IN DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT HE'S OVER ALL OF IT, AND HE'S ALWAYS AROUND.
EVERYWHERE YOU GO, YOU SEE OUR SUPERINTENDENT REPRESENTING THIS DISTRICT IN THE MOST FINE FASHION THAT COULD BE IMAGINABLE.
TRUSTEE ROSS, I DON'T SEE YOUR HAND UP.
YES, EVERYTHING WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE SAID.
SORRY, I DON'T MEAN TO CALL YOU OUT.
IT'S JUST KIND OF HARD TO TELL.
AND I WILL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE NOT A PERFECT DISTRICT AND WE'RE ALWAYS LEARNING AND GROWING.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I APPRECIATE ABOUT YOU AS WELL, IS THAT YOU RECOGNIZE THAT AND YOU'RE WILLING TO LEARN AND GROW AND CONTINUE EXPANDING FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THAT YOU ARE ALWAYS STUDENT-CENTERED.
AND I THINK THE REPORTS THAT WE SAW TODAY FOR EARLY LITERACY AND EARLY NUMERACY ARE REFLECTIVE OF THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IN THIS DISTRICT FOR OUR STUDENTS, YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
WE KNEW THAT THOSE MATH SCORES WERE GOING TO COME.
WE HAD FAITH IN YOU THAT THAT WAS GOING TO COME, AND THAT WAS REFLECTED TONIGHT.
AND I'M SO APPRECIATIVE AND SO GLAD THAT WE WERE FINALLY ABLE TO SEE THAT.
I'M VERY, VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE MATH NUMBERS.
[03:30:01]
YOUR DEDICATION TO EVERY STUDENT IN THIS DISTRICT.AND AGAIN, NOT PERFECT, BUT WE KNOW THAT, AND WE'RE LEARNING AND GROWING TOGETHER, AND I JUST APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU PUT INTO THIS ROLE.
I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, AND I WANTED TO KNOW, I'M HONORED AND I'M BLESSED TO BE PART OF, FIRST OF ALL, THIS TEAM, RIGHT, BUT ALSO OUR COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE, LIKE IT TAKES A VILLAGE.
I'M PROUD OF OUR TEAM, THE EXTENDED TEAM, I GUESS, RIGHT? YOU SAW SOME OF THEM PRESENTED TODAY, BUT THEY WEREN'T ACTUALLY DOING THE WORK.
OUR TEACHERS, OUR STAFF, OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR PARENTS, PTAS, FOUNDATION, YOU NAME IT.
I MEAN, IT JUST TAKES A VILLAGE, AND I'M HONORED AGAIN AND BLESSED TO BE PART OF THAT VILLAGE.
SO THANK YOU FOR TRUSTING IN ME TO LEAD THIS AMAZING DISTRICT.
OKAY, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES 6-0.
OKAY, MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM I-2.
TRUSTEES, I'M GOING TO PROPOSE SOMETHING.
WE HAVE TAKEN IN A LOT OF INFORMATION TONIGHT, AND GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE HAVE AHEAD OF US ON OUR BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES, AND GIVEN THE TIME, AND WE STILL HAVE A FEW THINGS LEFT ON OUR AGENDA, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OPPORTUNITIES IN APRIL.
TO WORK ON OUR BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES SO I'D LIKE TO PROPOSE THAT WE MOVE IT OFF OF THE MARCH AGENDA AND TO A BETTER PRESIDENT I MOVED THAT WE TABLED THE AGENDA ITEM I TO TO A FUTURE MEETING AT THE BOARD PRESIDENT'S DISCRETION SECOND I HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR MOTION PASSES 6-0 THAT WAS FOR AMY
[J. BOARD BUSINESS]
OKAY, BOARD BUSINESS.LET ME GET MY ANNOUNCEMENTS UP FOR YOU GUYS.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE ALL RSVPS.
YEP, WE HAVE ALL RSVPS APRIL 9TH, APRIL 16TH.
WE HAVE QUORUM FOR BOTH OF THOSE.
APRIL 23RD WE NOW HAVE ALL YESES OR WE HAVE ALL YESES FOR OUR ACADEMIC WORKSHOP WHICH IS ALSO GOING TO BE OUR GOALS DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP SO OUR LSG COACH WILL BE COMING IN AND LEADING US IN THAT AND JUST ANOTHER NOTE ON THAT WE'VE COMPLETED ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY SESSIONS THE LAST PIECE IS WE WILL BE SENDING OUT A SURVEY TO OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT COMMUNITY THAT SURVEY WILL GO OUT IT WILL BE OUT THERE FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND WE'LL ALSO REVIEW THOSE RESULTS AT THE WORKSHOP.
AND THEN FOR SATURDAY, APRIL 25TH, WE DO NOW HAVE ALL SEVEN TRUSTEES ATTENDING.
WORKSHOP SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GET OUR TEAM OF EIGHT CREDIT THERE THAT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY THAT KIND OF FELL INTO OUR LAP SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT AND I BELIEVE THAT'S EVERYTHING I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO DR.
AZIZ YEAH OKAY ARE YOU OKAY IF THOSE TRUSTEES GO FIRST OKAY TRUSTY QUIROZ SO I GOT A QUESTION SO ON THE 9TH OF APRIL WE HAVE THE WORKSHOP BUT THAT'S THE DAY WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN SAN ANTONIO AS WELL FOR NSBA YEAH YEAH I THOUGHT IT WAS FRIDAY I HAVE US ON FRIDAY SO WE CHECK IN ON FRIDAY YEAH I GUESS I THOUGHT IT WAS THURSDAY NIGHT WE CAN DOUBLE CHECK IT OKAY WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK IT THANK YOU.
I'M NOT GOING, SO I THOUGHT IT WAS ON THE 10TH, BUT YEAH, WE'LL DOUBLE CHECK THAT.
YEAH, SORRY, BECAUSE I HAVE IT ON CHECKING IN ON THE 9TH.
THEIR WEBSITE SAYS THAT IT'S FROM APRIL 10TH TO APRIL 12TH IN SAN ANTONIO, SO WE CHECK IN ON THE 10TH.
YEAH, IT'S DIFFERENT THAN THE NORMAL TASB CONFERENCES.
OKAY, SO I THINK WE SHOULD STILL BE GOOD ON THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I AM GOING TO BE OUT OF TOWN ON THE 16TH. I THINK I'M A MAYBE ON THAT ONE, OR A MAYBE NO, I'M NOT SURE.
I CAN BE A MAYBE IF WE HAVE QUORUM ISSUES, OKAY? NO, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
I CAN MORE THAN LIKELY MAKE MYSELF AVAILABLE.
I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR.
THIS WEEK, ACTUALLY, WE HOSTED A CHINESE DELEGATION OF PARENTS AND EDUCATIONAL CAME ACTUALLY TO VISIT ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES.
THEY SPENT SOME TIME LAST SUMMER.
ELEMENTARY, INTERACTING WITH OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF THERE, LEARNING ABOUT SOME OF THE AMAZING BEST PRACTICES AND STRATEGIES THAT OUR TEACHERS
[03:35:01]
AND OUR TEAMS ARE DOING.SO IT WAS GREAT TO SHARE AND HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT WORK.
WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF MULTIPLE COMMUNITIES.
IT'S A VERY BUSY TIME OF THE YEAR RIGHT NOW, SPRING.
I KNOW WE'RE LEADING ALMOST TO THE GRADUATION.
IT'S COMING UP SOON, TOO, IN MAY.
BUT THIS MONTH WE HAVE A DISTRICT COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING EVENT.
IF YOU REMEMBER, THAT'S ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE SHARS, OUR SHAC, SORRY, SHAC COMMITTEE SUGGESTED OR WANTED US TO START DOING.
SO THE TEAM WORKED REALLY HARD TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
SO THAT WILL BE TUESDAY, MARCH 31ST.
ALSO, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SO THAT'S IN THE EVENING AT PEARSON RANCH, BUT ALSO THAT SAME DAY.
MARCH 31ST WE HAVE AN EARLY LEARNING DAY THAT'S WHEN WE WELCOME OUR POTENTIAL NEW PARENTS TO ROANOKE ISD MAYBE WITH THEIR PRE-K AND KINDER LIKE YOUNG YOUNG KIDS WITH THEIR KIDS SO WE CAN GET TO TOUR OUR CAMPUSES THEY HAVE WE USUALLY TYPICALLY DO A MORNING AND AFTERNOON SESSIONS FOR THEM SO OUR WE OPEN ALL OUR DOORS FOR OUR YOUNG PARENTS I GUESS AND YOUNG KIDS AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE A ROCK THE BLOCK EVENT THAT IS ALSO MARCH 28TH.
SO THERE'S PLENTY OF EVENTS. I KNOW WE SHARED SOME, LIKE I THINK PATTY SENT AN EMAIL WITH ALL THESE DATES, BUT WE'D LOVE TO SEE YOU ATTENDING SOME OF THESE EVENTS. AND THEN MARCH IS ALSO WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH, SO I WANT TO OBVIOUSLY RECOGNIZE THAT AND CELEBRATE THE COUNTLESS CONTRIBUTIONS WOMEN HAVE MADE TO OUR NATION AND COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
BUT ALSO MARCH IS ALSO RECOGNIZED AS DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITY AWARENESS MONTH. SO IT'S ALSO TIME TO PROMOTE UNDERSTANDING, INCLUSION, AND RESPECT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE RECOGNIZE THAT AS WELL. SO AGAIN, I CAN BELIEVE IT'S REALLY WE HAVE ABOUT SEVEN TO EIGHT WEEKS LEFT IN THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO TIME IS FLYING. I WAS JOKING LIKE WE JUST CAME BACK FROM SPRING AND I FEEL WE'RE FROM SPRING BREAK AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE SPRINTING TO THE END OF THE FINISH LINE. AND SO I KNOW OUR TEACHERS AND OUR...
STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD WITH OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE READY FOR WHATEVER TEST OR EXAMS THEY HAVE TO TAKE. AND THEN EVERY YEAR WHETHER IT'S AN AP TEST OR EOC OR STAR TEST OR WHATEVER THAT MIGHT BE. SO WE CAN FINISH THE SCHOOL YEAR STRONG AND HOPEFULLY SEEING A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS EVENTUALLY GRADUATING.
WE EXPECT ALMOST 4,000 STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM ROANOKE ISD THIS YEAR. AND SO IT WOULD BE A GREAT. GREAT CELEBRATION IN THE MONTH OF MAY AND THE MONTH OF MAY. SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR EVERYTHING OKAY, DO I HAVE ANY OTHER TRUSTEE ANNOUNCEMENTS? TRUSTEE LANDRUM. I JUST WANT TO MENTION THAT LAST WEEKEND ON MARCH THE 21ST WAS WORLD DOWN SYNDROME DAY AND WANTED TO THANK ALL OF YOU THAT CELEBRATED WITH ME AND OTHERS WHO KNOW AND LOVE SOMEONE WITH DOWN SYNDROME, ALSO REFERRED TO AS A HOMIE WITH AN EXTRA CROMIE. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION AND CELEBRATING THAT HOLIDAY THIS MONTH. THE INCLUSION THAT ROUND ROCK ISD PROVIDES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DOWN SYNDROME. TRUSTEE ZERATI.
I WANT TO THANK THE CD FOLKS PTA FOR INVITING ME OUT TO EMCEE THEIR FUN RUN THAT THEY HAD A FEW WEEKS BACK. IT WENT VERY WELL. I KNOW THERE WAS A NUMBER THAT THEY HAD, AND IT WAS WELL OVER WHAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO MAKE. SO GREAT JOB THERE.
AND I WANT TO THANK LAUREL MOUNTAIN ELEMENTARY FOR ALSO INVITING ME OUT TO EMCEE THEIR FUN RUN AS WELL.
SO I'M AVAILABLE FOR FUN RUN EMCEEING DUTIES TO ANYONE. BOSTON MARATHON, LOOKING AT YOU. ALL RIGHT, THANKS. TRUSTEE CUERO. I JUST WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY THAT CAME OUT FOR OUR GOAL SETTING FORUMS. EVEN THOUGH WE HAD LOW PARTICIPATION, WE ENCOURAGE IN THE FUTURE, IF YOU'RE LISTENING, PLEASE COME OUT AND VOICE YOUR OPINION SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION. A MORE DIVERSE OPINION THERE. I WANT TO THANK EARLY COLLEGE FOR HAVING TRUSTEE LANDRUM AND I, AS WE DID A SPEED MOCK INTERVIEW WITH THE STUDENTS THERE, SOPHOMORES. IT WAS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LIKE JUST LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES A LITTLE BIT AND GIVE THEM FEEDBACK. AND, YEAH, THANKS TO ALL THE... PRINCIPALS THAT HAVE INVITED ME TO DO THEIR JOB FAIR AND SOME
[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.)]
OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THIS MONTH. OKAY. I DON'T SEE ANYONE ELSE IN THE QUEUE. THANK YOU. WE ARE GOING TO GO INTO CLOSED.[03:40:01]
CODE SECTION 551.071 AND 551.076, THE BOARD WILL REVIEW, DELIBERATE, AND DISCUSS THE SAFETY AND SECURITY INTRUDER DETECTION AUDIT FINDINGS.PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 551.071, THE BOARD WILL CONSULT WITH BOARD AND DISTRICT COUNCIL REGARDING FOREIGN TRADE ZONE DESIGNATION.
[L. CALL BACK TO ORDER/EXECUTIVE SESSION MOTIONS]
I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE DOING CLOSED IN THIS ROOM. SO IF THERE'S ANYONE THAT'S NOT INVOLVED IN CLOSED, WE'LL BE IN HERE. IT IS 10 O'CLOCK AND WE ARE IN CLOSED. IT IS 1057 AND WE ARE BACK IN OPEN. DO I HAVE ANY MOTIONS COMING OUT OF CLOSED? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD AUTHORIZE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO SUBMIT A NON-OBJECTION LETTER DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED? ALL ABSTAINING? MOTION PASSES 4-0-1. MADAM PRESIDENT, I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE ROUND ROCK ISD SAFETY AND SECURITY INTRUDER DETECTION REPORT AS DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION.
SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? MOTION PASSES 5-0.
WITH NO OTHER AGENDA ITEMS LEFT TO GO, WE ARE ADJOURNED AT 1058.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.