[1. Meeting Called to Order by Chair Anderson]
[00:00:02]
>> WELCOME, EVERYONE, TO THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING FOR JANUARY 7TH, 2021.
I AM CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 4:01 P.M.
PLEASE INDICATE YOU ARE HERE WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
>> WE KNOW VERONICA NOLAN WILL JOIN US, BUT HE IS CAUGHT IN A WORK MEETING.
WE ARE STARTING WITH EIGHT OF OUR MEMBERS HERE.
[2. Observe a Moment of Silence]
I WILL NOW OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE.[3. Adopt the Agenda for the January 7, 2021 School Board Organizational Meeting]
COULD I HAVE A MOTION, PLEASE, TO ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY?>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THE ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
>> MS. LORBER'S MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
I SHOULD HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
SO WE ARE MOVING TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
I HAVE TO MOVE THE AGENDA ITEM TO NEW BUSINESS.
>> I NEED A SECOND FOR THAT, PLEASE.
>> I WILL -- MS. GENTRY SECONDS MS. ALDERTON'S MOVE.
I WILL NOW CALL FOR AN UH -- AN AMENDMENT TO THE AGENDA.
>> HEATHER THORTON? WHAT HAPPENED TO HEATHER?
THAT'S EIGHT YES AND ONE ABSENT RIGHT NOW.
AND NOW WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE AMENDED AGENDA.
>> THAT'S 7 FOR AND ONE ABSENT.
IT IS ADOPTED AND I THINK WE WILL MOVE OUT TO COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD STUDENT REPS AND FROM THE PUBLIC TO THIS POINT IN THE AGENDA.
SUSAN, I THINK WE WILL START WITH -- WE HAVE BOTH SCHOOL BOARD REPS HERE, RIGHT? LET'S START WITH THEM.
I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO FIRST, BUT TAKE IT AWAY.
[13. Report from Student Representatives Lorraine Johnson and Ashley Sanchez-Viafara]
I HAD TO MOVE TO THE CAR SO I'M SORRY.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO TAKE MY TIME TODAY TO TALK ABOUT THE EFFECT THAT YESTERDAY'S -- YESTERDAY'S EVENT HAD ON MY PEERS AT SCHOOL TODAY.
THIS MORNING MOST OF OUR TEACHERS OPENED UP WITH CLASS DISCUSSION ABOUT YESTERDAY'S EVENTS.
THE COUNSELORS HAD A ZOOM SESSION FOR STUDENTS WHO WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IT WITH A COUNSELOR PRESENT AND TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS USUALLY DO THESE SAME DISCUSSIONS.
THEY DID THE SAME THING AFTER THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD AND AFTER THIS.
ACPS HAS -- ACPS HELD NUMEROUS COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO TALK ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE THAT'S GOING ON.
AND GETTING THE CHANCE TO TALK AND SPEAK YOUR TRUTH IS WONDERFUL, BUT IT IS TIMES LIKE THESE AND SOMETIMES YOU GET TIRED OF TALKING, AND AS A NATION, THERE IS SO MUCH TALKING AND NOT ENOUGH SEEING.
IF YOU WEREN'T AT THE TRUMP RALLY YESTERDAY, THEN YOU WERE AT HOME SEEING.
SEEING THOSE PEOPLE FOR WHO THEY ARE.
SEEING HOW THEY TRIED TO MAKE A FOOL OUT OF THE BLUE LIVES MATTER THAT THEY SAID BEFORE THAT THEY WERE FIGHTING FOR, AND SEEING THOSE PEOPLE -- HOW THOSE
[00:05:04]
PEOPLE TREAT GOVERNMENT PROPERTY.WHEN I FINALLY TURNED OFF MY TV AFTER SIX PLUS HOURS OF WATCHING IT, MY MIND IMMEDIATELY WENT TO ALEXANDRIA.
YOU KNOW WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO GO TO SLEEP AND YOU END UP GETTING DEEPER AND DEEPER INTO YOUR THOUGHTS? MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS HOW IS ACPS GOING TO DEAL WITH THIS TOMORROW WITH THE STUDENTS? AND THEN AFTER AN HOUR OR TWO OF LIKE STILL THINKING ABOUT IT, MY QUESTION THEN WENT TO WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP TALKING AND START SEEING AND START DOING? AND SO LIKE WHY DOES SOMETHING DRASTIC ALWAYS HAVE TO HAPPEN BEFORE WE WAKE UP AND WE START TO GET IT? DID A BLACK MAN'S HEAD HAVE TO BE KNEED INTO THE CONCRETE BEFORE WE SERIOUSLY HAD TO THINK ABOUT HOW REAL POLICE BRUTALITY IS? AND LIKE YESTERDAY, DID TRUMP SUPPORTERS HAVE TO VIOLENTLY BREAK INTO THE CAPITOL FOR US TO REALLY REALIZE HOW BAD AND REAL RACISM IS? AND SO I ASKED EVERYONE AND I AM SAYING WHAT DRASTIC SITUATION HAS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER FOR ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE THESE CHANGES AND START LISTENING AND EVERYTHING? I SAY ADMINISTRATORS BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE DECISION MAKERS AND I SEE LIKE THE STUDENTS AS THE SEERS.
WE ARE LIKE THE SEERS AND YOU ARE LIKE CONGRESS TO US.
EVERYTHING THAT WE TALK ABOUT AND EVERYTHING WE SEE IN THE HALLWAYS EVERY DAY, WE SEE IT EVERY DAY.
THERE ARE PROBLEMS -- THESE ARE PROBLEMS THAT WE FACE, THE STUDENTS FACE, EVERY DAY.
I THINK IT IS UP TO YOU ALL -- IT IS DEFINITELY UP TO YOU ALL IF YOU WANT TO HEAR IT AND WANT TO SEE IT.
IT IS GREAT NOW THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT AND HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, BUT IT IS REALLY TIME THAT LIKE ACPS, EVERYBODY AT ACPS, WE HAVE TO START SEEING EACH OTHER.
MY REPORT IS JUST ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS DOING BEFORE THE BREAK IN REGARDS TO STUDENT ENGAGEMENT.
WITH MS. NIELSEN WE ARE WORKING ON ESTABLISHING THAT CONNECTION WITH THE MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES NOW THAT WE HAVE ALL FOUR OF THEM.
WE ARE WORKING ON ESTABLISHING A CONNECTION WITH THEM AND REALLY FIXING THAT COMMUNICATION IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.
FOR THE POWERFUL WORDS, MS. JOHNSON, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE ARE NOW GOING TO GO ON TO HEAR FROM OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS.
JUST AS ALWAYS, AS A REMINDER, EACH SPEAKER -- WE HAVE 10 SPEAKERS AND EACH
[12. Public Comments]
SPEAKER HAS THREE MINUTES.THE CLERK WILL KEEP THE TIME AND LET US KNOW.
SOMETIMES WE CAN HEAR THE ALARM, BUT IF NOT SHE WILL INDICATE VERBALLY THAT THE TIME HAS ELAPSED.
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS ARE -- FOR SIGNING UP IS NOON THE DAY BEFORE THE MEETING.
YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD DOES NOT RESPOND.
WE DO NOT RESPOND TO COMMENTS FROM SPEAKERS DURING THE MEETING.
FIRST UP WE HAVE MS. MOLLY CAYMAN.
>> THE ACPS BOARD WILL ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS REACHED THEIR HIGHEST ACADEMIC POTENTIAL.
THIS IS YOUR MISSION STATEMENT IN CASE YOU NEED A REFRESHER.
THE ACPS BOARD IS A 9-MEMBER ELECTED BODY.
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT DON'T KNOW ME, I AM USUALLY HERE FIGHTING FOR STUDENTS.
[00:11:02]
TODAY I SPEAK TO YOU NOT FOR MY CHILDREN WHO ARE MANAGING OKAY WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING.I AM HERE TO FIGHT FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE DEFINITELY NOT REACHING THEIR HIGHEST ACADEMIC POTENTIAL.
IN FACT, MANY ARE FAILING OR FLAT OUT NOT ATTENDING VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
I AM ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PARENTS WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING BECAUSE THEY MATTER TOO.
THE NUMBER OF TAG STUDENTS MAKING F'S MORE THAN TRIPLED THIS ACADEMIC YEAR THAN LAST ACADEMIC YEAR.
SHAME ON YOU IF YOU THINK ONLY WHITE KIDS ARE TAG STUDENTS.
ASIDE FROM TAG STUDENTS, LET'S ADDRESS THE STUDENTS WHO ARE MISSING OUT ON TWO MEALS A DAY AND CAN'T GET TO A FOOD DROPOFF SITE.
THE STUDENTS ARE SO DEPRESSED THAT THEY ARE CONTEMPLATING SUICIDE.
THE STUDENTS WHO CAN'T EVEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET ONLINE OR MANAGE THEIR DAILY CLASS WORK, THE STUDENT WHO IS TRYING TO DO CLASSES INSIDE A CLOSET, OR THE STUDENT WHO GREW UP AS I DID GETTING BEAT UP BY A PARENT IN BETWEEN ZOOM CLASSES.
SCHOOL BOARD, YOU REPRESENT US, THE PARENTS, THE STUDENTS.
WE ARE THE STAKEHOLDERS, AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED.
MS. AGAIN TREE -- GENTRY, DO NOT TALK DOWN TO A MOTHER ADDRESSING HER CONCERNS.
SCHOOL BOARD, REMEMBER DR. HUTCHINGS ANSWERS TO YOU.
START REPRESENTING YOUR CONSTITUENTS, US, AND NOT DR. HUTCHINGS OR THE TEACHERS.
OPEN UP THE SCHOOLS FOR THOSE THAT DESPERATELY NEED IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION.
OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATE TAGGART.
>> MS. TAGGART, ARE YOU PRESENT?
WHY DON'T WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT -- >> CAN YOU HEAR ME?
I WANT TO PREFACE MY COMMENTS BEFORE PROCEEDING.
THE ISSUE OF REOPENING SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY APPEARS TO HAVE BECOME A POLITICAL ONE, AND THE POSITION I HAVE IS THAT SCHOOL SHOULD BE OPEN, BUT IS NOT PARTISAN.
IT IS BASED ON THE DATA AND PERSPECTIVE OF OUR NATIONAL EXPERTS.
ALSO IN NO WAY SHOULD MY COMMENTS BE TAKEN AS ANTI-TEACHER.
ALL TEACHERS ARE WORKING EXTREMELY HARD IN A TIME OF UNCERTAINTY AND CHALLENGES AND I AM TRULY GRATE -- GRATEFUL FOR THEM EVERY DAY.
THE DATA I REFERENCE IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE AT THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND COMPARES ALEXANDRIA METRICS TO CDC GUIDANCE REGARDING THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION IN SCHOOLS AND INDICATES SCHOOLS BASED ON HEALTH METRICS SHOULD HAVE OPENED THIS FALL.
IN FACT, ALEXANDRIA HAS BEEN IN THE LOWER RISK OF CATEGORY FROM SEPTEMBER ALL THE WAY TO THE END OF NOVEMBER.
DESPITE THIS FACT, THE CDC RECOMMENDATION OF SIX FEET BETWEEN STUDENTS HAS BEEN FLAWPTED AS THE REASON -- FLAUNTED AS THE REASON WE CANNOT GO BACK TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF CAPACITY PROBLEMS, BUT THAT IS NOT A MANDATE AND NOR IS IT ACCEPTED BY THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION OR THE WORLD ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS.
IT IS FAIR TO SAY THAT THE ALEXANDRIA SCHOOL BOARD AND THEIR LEADERS DO NOT HAVE THE WILL TO REOPEN SCHOOLS.
AND IN ALL HONESTY, BASED ON THE SKY ROCKETING RATES OF COVID WHICH ACTUALLY NOW DO EXIST IN ALEXANDRIA, IT IS CLEAR THAT WE ARE NOT.
WHICH BRINGS ME TO ANOTHER POINT WHICH IS THE TRANSMISSION OF COVID ALWAYS EXISTS.
YOU'VE JUST TRANSFERRED THE RISK TO OTHER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THE GRAND PARENTS WATCHING THE GRANDKIDS, STAFF AT THE COMPANA CENTER AND THE RECREATION CENTER.
THEY SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS LEADERS IN A DARK TIME IN OUR HISTORY.
THE FOCUS NEEDS TO BE ON THE REOPENING OF SCHOOLS FIVE DAYS A WEEK IN SEPTEMBER.
I WAS TOLD IT WAS UNREASONABLE FOR ME TO EXPECT ACPS TO HAVE A PLAN TO REOPEN IN SEPTEMBER BY THE SUPERINTENDENT BASED ON THE UNPREDICTABLE NATURE OF THE PANDEMIC.
I AM HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT IS UNACCEPTABLE.
THERE MUST BE PLANS TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ALL THE CONTINGENCIES THAT MAY IMPACT GETTING TO SCHOOL BACK IN SEPTEMBER.
QUESTIONS LIKE WHAT IF KIDS AREN'T VACCINATED BY THEN? IF A NEW STRAIN THWARTS THE VACCINE WHAT BUILDING IN ALEXANDRIA WILL BE TRANSFORMED TO ACCOMMODATE THE THREE OR SIX FEET RULE? AS I TALK TO MY FRIENDS ACROSS THE COUNTRY AND THE BROADER WORLD ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL FROM NEW YORK TO COLORADO AND THE UK, I WONDER WHAT WENT WRONG IN OUR CITY.
WE FAILED THE KIDS THAT LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT DESERVE BETTER FROM A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
IT SEEMS THAT WE ALL SHARE THE COMMON GOAL OF GETTING KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL, BUT THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO PLAN TO DO SO.
>> NEXT UP WE HAVE MR. KEVIN WHITE.
YOU CAN START WHEN YOU ARE READY.
I WOULD LIKE TO START BY THANKING THE SCHOOL BOARD FORGIVING ME, AN EIGHT-YEAR RESIDENT OF ALEXANDRIA WITH A SECOND GRADER AT JAMES K POLK AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK
[00:15:04]
ABOUT WHY I THINK MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO REOPEN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.THE REASON THE SCHOOLS SHOULD BE OPEN ARE NUMEROUS.
I CAN TALK ABOUT THE RECENT REPORT ABOUT HOW POORLY ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOLS ARE DOING AND HOW THE DIVERGENCE IN GRADES IS UNFORTUNATELY, YET PREDICTABLY BREAKING ALONG RACIAL LINES.
I CAN TALK ABOUT HOW OTHER COUNTRIES AND EVEN OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTRY HAVE PRIORITIZED GETTING CHILDREN BACK THAT CLASSROOMS AND FOUND THAT THOSE CLASSROOMS ARE NOT CONDUITS FOR COVID SPREAD.
I CAN TALK ABOUT THE MENTAL BATTLE THAT IS TAKING PLACE FOR CHILDREN IN THIS COMMUNITY.
HOW PARENTS LIKE MYSELF AND MY WIFE AS WELL AS COUNTLESS OTHERS REACT TO CHILDREN LIKE MINE WHO TELL US REPEATEDLY, THEY DESERVE SOMETHING BETTER THAN ZOOM SCHOOL.
AND ALL OF US AS A COMMUNITY ARE FAILING THEM.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOUR CHILD WHEN YOU ASK AFTER WINTER BREAK WAS IT GOOD TO TALK TO HIS FRIENDS AT SCHOOL? HE RESPONDS, AND I QUOTE, I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING TO THEM.
I USUALLY DON'T SPEAK DURING THE DAY.
WHAT DO YOU SAY? MY WIFE AND I WERE AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.
IS THIS THE BEST AS A COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN DO? I CAN TALK A LOT MORE ABOUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
WHAT I WANT TO USE THE REMAINING TIME TO TALK ABOUT IS COMMUNITY.
SCHOOLS ARE AND THEY SHOULD BE THE FOCAL POINT IN THE COMMUNITY.
THERE ARE VERY FEW POPULATIONS AS VULNERABLE AND AS UNABLE TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES IN A COMMUNITY THAN CHILDREN.
SCHOOLS ARE NOT ONLY THE PLACE WHERE WE EDUCATE AND MOLD THE FUTURE GENERATIONS, BUT WHERE SO MANY CHILDREN FIND THEIR ADVOCATES AND THEIR VOICES.
WITHOUT COMMUNITY, WITHOUT NEIGHBORS, WITHOUT NEIGHBORHOODS, WE ARE JUST INDIVIDUALS FIGHTING EACH OTHER.
TOGETHER WE ARE STRONGER THAN DIVIDED.
FOR MONTHS DR. HUTCHINS HAS SAID SCHOOLS CAN REOPEN ONLY UNDER CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
STAFFING AND CAPACITY ARE MAINLY SCHOOL MANAGEMENT ISSUES.
WE COULD ARGUE WHETHER ACPS SHOULD UTILIZE REC SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL CLASSROOMS OR HOW THE WONDERFUL TEACHERS OF ACPS DESERVE HAZARD PAY.
AT ITS CORE, THOSE ISSUES ARE FOR ACPS MANAGEMENT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD TO FIGURE OUT.
DR. HUTCH -- DR. HUTCHINS OUTLINED THAT COMMUNITY HEALTH METRICS ARE PART OF THE EQUATION.
THE PROBLEM, HOWEVER, IS THAT HE HASN'T TOLD THE COMMUNITY WHAT GOALS NEED TO BE ACHIEVED.
HE SAID POSITIVITY RATES AND CASES PER 100,000 ARE INDICATORS, BUT HASN'T STATED WHERE THE GOALPOSTS ARE.
THE COMMUNITY, ME, YOU, YOUR NEIGHBOR, YOUR CHURCH GROUP, EVERYONE THAT CALLS ALEXANDRIA HOME CAN BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, BUT ONLY IF THEY KNOW THE WINNING END POINT.
SO I WANT TO SAY BY CLOSING, BY CALLING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD TO ALLOW ALEXANDRIA AS A COMMUNITY TO PLAY A LARGER ROLE IN GETTING OUR KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOL WHEN IT IS SAFE TO DO SO BY INSISTING THAT DR. HUTCHINGS PUT CLEAR STAKES IN THE GROUND.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MS. GINA BOWEN.
>> HI, I AM GINA BAUM AND A 25-YEAR RESIDENT OF ALEXANDRIA AND A COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER.
I SERVE ON TWO CITY BOARDS AND HAVE FOR THE LAST DECADE.
I UNDERSTAND AND TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF SERVING ON BOARDS VERY SERIOUSLY.
OFTENTIMES THERE ARE DIFFICULT EXCHANGES BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY BOARD MEMBERS.
WE ARE THE CHECK TO BALANCE THE POWER HELD BY CITY GOVERNMENT.
I HAVE WATCHED THESE BOARD MEETINGS WITH GREAT ANTICIPATION ASSUMING I WOULD SEE THE KIND OF ROBUST EXCHANGES THAT OCCUR ON OTHER BOARDS.
NEEDLESS TO SAY I HAVE BEEN DISAPPOINTED.
THEN IN THE LAST MEETING, I WAS SHOCKED WITH THE COMMENTS OF A BOARD MEMBER.
I CAN TELL YOU VERY DIRECTLY, MS. GENTRY, THE RESPONSE TO YOUR REMARKS WERE INDEED VISCERAL.
I'M SORRY THERE IS NO RESTFUL VACATION FOR ACPS EMPLOYEES.
THERE IS NO REST FOR PARENTS WITH JOBS WHO ARE SITTING NEXT TO THEIR KINDERGARTENERS AS THEY WORK TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILIES.
THERE IS NO REST FOR ESSENTIAL WORKER PARENTS WHO MUST FIGURE OUT CHILD CARE AND ARE PAID -- PAYING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS A MONTH FOR DAYCARE.
THERE IS NO REST FOR THE BRICK AND MORTAR BUSINESSES AND RESTAURANTS WHO HAD TO SHIFT TO VIRTUAL SALES AND TAKEOUT DELIVERY.
IT IS A GLOBAL PANDEMIC THAT WILL NOT REST AND AS SUCH JUST LIKE US MERE MORTALS, THERE IS NO REST FOR ACPS EITHER.
WE ARE ALL HAVING TO PERFORM AT OUR PEAK PERFORMANCE AND INTENSITY IN OUR WORK LIVES
[00:20:04]
AND ON THE HOME FRONT.I'M SORRY YOU DON'T LIKE WHAT YOU ARE HEARING FROM PARENTS.
HOWEVER, THEIR CONCERNS ARE VALID AND SHOULD NOT BE MET WITH REBUKE FROM YOU.
YOU SHOULD LISTEN TO THEM, VALIDATE THEIR CONCERNS AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT FAMILIES ARE FACING NOW.
FURTHERMORE AS PARENTS WE TOO HAVE HEARD FROM TEACHERS.
WE DO PRAISE TEACHERS AND RESPECT THEIR WORK, BUT THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS ARE ACHIEVED DESPITE THE INADEQUATE PLANNING ON THE PART OF ACPS.
THERE ARE MANY, MANY TEACHERS WHO DON'T SUPPORT OR PRAISE A -- ACPS'S CURRENT MODEL, BUT ARE FEARFUL OF RETALIATION TO SPEAK OF.
NOW IT IS TIME FOR THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION TO FOLLOW THE OVERWHELMING SCIENCE THAT SAYS SCHOOLS ARE NOT VECTORS FOR THE SPREAD OF THE VIRUS.
NOW IT IS TIME FOR THIS BOARD AND THIS ADMINISTRATION TO LISTEN TO THE LEADING EXPERT, DR. FAUCI, WHO SAYS SCHOOLS SHOULD BE OPEN.
NOW IT IS TIME FOR THIS BOARD AND THIS ADMINISTRATION TO FUNCTION LIKE EVERYONE -- LIKE EVERY OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA AND OPEN WITH MITIGATIONS IN PLACE.
NOW IT IS TIME FOR THIS BOARD AND ADMINISTRATION TO TAKE ON THE TASK OF OPENING SCHOOLS AND TREAT THEM AS THE ESSENTIAL FACET TO THE FUNCTIONING OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT THEY ARE.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MELISSA HIDEMAN.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY.
I ENCOURAGE ACPS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH RETURN TO SCHOOL PLANS.
I AM A SINGLE PARENT WHO WORKS FULL TIME, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE MY EXPERIENCE OF THE VIRTUAL PLUS PROGRAM.
THIS CAN BE REFLECTIVE OF WHAT OTHER SINGLE-PARENT FAMILIES IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE FACING.
MY DAUGHTER IS IN THE THIRD GRADE AT MOUNT VEER -- MT.
SHE ALWAYS LOVED SCHOOL AND EXCELLED IN IT.
SHE LOVES HER PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE PROVIDED.
UNFORTUNATELY A FEW MONTHS AGO MY DAUGHTER BEGAN LOSING WEIGHT.
ACTUALLY SHE LOST EIGHT POUNDS WHICH IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT FOR AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD.
HER PEDIATRICIAN REFERRED US TO A GASTRO ENTER ROLL GIST AND AFTER MANY THISES THE -- MANY TESTS AND A WONDERFUL PEDIATRICIAN CONCLUDED SHE IS SUFFERING FROM ANXIETY.
SHE STARTED THE SCHOOL YEAR IN SEPTEMBER SITTING IN THE BATHROOM BESIDE THE TOILET WITH HER CAMERA OFF.
I WAS HOPEFUL THAT THE VIRTUAL PLUS PROGRAMS WOULD HELP AND SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS ON THE ASA PROGRAM.
THE COACHES WERE GREAT AND VERY SUPPORTIVE.
HOWEVER, AFTER A FEW WEEKS MY DAUGHTER CONCLUDED THAT SHE WAS THE ONLY ONE IN HER CLASS NOT DOING SCHOOL ZOOM FROM HOME.
THUS SHE FELT LIKE SHE STUCK OUT.
SHE BEGAN REFUSING TO ATTEND ASA, AND THIS ONLY MADE HER ANXIETY WORSE.
NOW SHE IS DOING ZOOM SCHOOL FROM HOME.
MY OWN WORK PERFORMANCE IN PRODUCTIVITY HAS GREATLY SUFFERED AS I HAVE TO CONSTANTLY MONITOR HER AS SHE OFTEN HOPS OFF ZOOM AND MISSES SCHOOL ASSIGNMENTS.
ON MONDAYS I CAN SCHEDULE PROFESSIONAL CALLS -- I CAN'T SCHEDULE PROFESSIONAL CALLS AS I HAVE TO SIT WITH HER WITH HER UH SIN KRON NISTIC ASSIGNMENTS.
SHE WOULD AVERT TO HER IPAD WHICH SHE BECAME ADDICTED TO IN THE SPRING.
IT IS WORRYING THAT I AM UNABLE TO DEVOTE TIME TO MY JOB.
MY DAUGHTER PLEADS WITH ME TO HOME SCHOOL HER OR SEND HER TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
IT JUST BREAKS MY HEART WHEN I TELL YOU THAT I -- WHEN I TELL HER I CAN'T DO EITHER.
MY DOCTOR'S DOCTORS ADVISE WHAT SHE NEEDS MOST IS TO RETURN TO A NORMAL SCHOOL ROUTINE.
THIS IS ALSO WHAT THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS HAS ADVISED IN THEIR UPDATED GUIDANCE.
THEY INDICATE THAT WHAT IS MOST NEEDED IS A RETURN TO IN SCHOOL LEARNING.
I WOULD URGE ACPS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH RETURN TO SCHOOL PLANS.
THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT AND THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.
[00:25:02]
GOOD AFTERNOON.MY NAME IS JANICE KUPIEC AND I LIVED IN ALEXANDRIA FOR ALMOST 19 YEARS.
MY HUSBAND AND I DECIDED TO STAY HERE AFTER MY CHILD WAS BORN AFTER FRIENDS TELLING US TO MOVE TO A BETTER SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE DID MOVE, BUT A LITTLE SOUTH SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL IS LOUSE CROUCH.
I REMEMBERED WATCHING MY LITTLE KINDERGARTENER GO OFF TO A FULL DAY OF SCHOOL WITH A BACKPACK TOO BIG FOR HER BODY AND A HUGE SMILE.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF THE COMMUNITY AND HAVE TALENTED TEACHERS AND STAFF.
I NEVER WORRIED ABOUT HER AND KNEW EVERY MORNING I LEFT HER IN THE HANDS OF INCREDIBLE HUMANS DOING AMAZING WORK.
I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO GET TO KNOW THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY MEMBER AS A MEMBER OF THE PTA.
SPRING WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND EVERYONE DID AN AMAZING JOB KEEPING SPIRITS UP WHEN THEY WERE TANKING.
THIS FALL I WAS RELIEVED WATCHING AS HER TEACHER BENT OVER BACKWARDS, FORWARDS AND EVERY WAY POSSIBLE TO ENSURE EVERY CHILD WAS HAVING HIS OR HER NEEDS MET ACADEMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY.
THE COUNSELOR WAS THERE TO SUPPORT THE KIDS AND EVEN THE PRINCIPAL WOULD MAKE APPEARANCES ON ZOOM TO BRING SOME SMILES.
DESPITE ALL OF THIS, IT WASN'T ENOUGH.
WE MADE THE INCREDIBLY HARD DECISION TO WITHDRAW HER FROM ACPS BEFORE THE HOLIDAYS AND ENROLL HER AT A PRIVATE SCHOOL MEETING IN PERSON.
I WATCHED THE IMPACT THAT ISOLATION FROM FRIENDS NOT BEING AT SCHOOL IN SHEAR FRUSTRATION FROM THE GLITCHES THAT OCCURRED TAKE THEIR TOLL.
EVERY TIME SHE WAS KICKED OUT OF ZOOM TEARS FLOWED.
IT IS TRULY CRUSHING AS A PARENT TO SAY THE LEAST.
HER LOVE OF LEARNING HAS BEEN IMPACTED AND SHE WENT FROM BEING VERY ENGAGED TO DOING WHAT WAS NECESSARY TO MAKE IT THROUGH THE DAY.
I'M AWARE THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN EFFORT TO FIND WAYS TO HAVE CHILDREN RETURN TO SCHOOL AND I AM AWARE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE MANAGED TO DO IT.
IT HAS NOT BEEN PERFECT, BUT BEEN DONE.
MY HEART WAS INCREDIBLY HEAVY WHEN WE INFORMED OUR PRINCIPAL AND TEACHERS OF THE DECISION BECAUSE IT IS A COMMUNITY WE LOVE.
AS A PARENT I NEED TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT'S BEST FOR MY CHILD.
WE ARE HOPEFUL THE MOVE WILL BE BENEFICIAL AND I CAN WATCH THE JOY ON HER FACE AND LOVE OF LEARNING RETURN.
MY FAITH IN ACPS AND THE ABILITY TO RETURN STUDENTS BACK TO SCHOOLS IS LOST AND IT BREAKS MY HEART.
I WAS A STRONG ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND A PRODUCT OF THEM MYSELF.
AT THIS POINT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ALL FAMILIES FOR ACPS TO JUST BE HONEST ABOUT WHAT ISN'T POSSIBLE THIS YEAR AND FOCUS ON THE NEXT ACADEMIC YEAR.
PARENTS MAY NOT LIKE IT, BUT I THINK WE CAN ALL APPRECIATE TRANSPARENCY AND HONESTY.
THANK YOU FOR THE ABILITY TO SHARE MY THOUGHTS WITH ALL OF YOU TODAY.
NEXT UP WE HAVE BRIDGET WEST FALL.
DR. HUTCHINS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE ANY VIRGINIA MEMBERS AND TEACHERS.
I AM GRIGETT -- BRIDGET SHEA WEST FALL.
JAMESON IS ATTENDING AN ACPS PLUS VIRTUAL PARTNER AT GEORGE MASON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
MY COMMENTS FOCUS ON TEACHER ENGAGEMENT AND CHILD CARE AND PHASED RE-ENTRY.
FOR PHASED RE-ENTRY TO BE A SUCCESS IT IS IMPORTANT TO INCLUDE ALL STAKEHOLDERS.
I RECOGNIZE ACPS TEACHERS FOR THE RESILIENCE AND GRIT THESE 300 PLUS DAYS OF VIRTUAL LEARNING.
HOW IS ACPS ENGAGING TEACHERS? PLEASE CONSIDER THE IMPACT OF THE SALARY STEP FREEZE ON TEACHERS AND THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THE SCHOOLS BEING CLOSED ON TEACHER INCOME, HAZARD PAY, THE NEED FOR MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCES AND CHILD CARE.
WHAT RESOURCES AND INCENTIVES CAN ACPS PROVIDE? ADDITIONALLY I AM CONCERNED WITH THE ROLLOUT OF VACCINES DEPENDENT ON BEING EMPLOYER DRIVEN FOR TEACHERS.
RIGHT NOW ONLY AN EMPLOYER CAN SIGN UP TEACHERS.
HOW DO YOU INTEND TO MAKE SURE TEACHERS ARE ABLE TO ACCESS AN EMPLOYER-SPONSORED VACCINATION? DOES ACPS HAVE A TARGET DATE FOR VACCINATIONS? REGARDING CHILD CARE IN VIRTUAL PLUS, THIS WEEK PARENTS WONDERED ABOUT OPERATIONS WITH COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN THE WINTER AND HAD MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS FROM PROVIDERS ABOUT THE CONTINUITY OF CARE IN THE HYBRID MODEL.
BASE -- BASED ON OUR FAMILY NEEDS AND MY SON'S REQUEST WE CHOSE THE HYBRID MODEL.
AFTER HEARING A SURVEY MY SON WAS INCREDIBLY ANGRY WITH ME AND LOST HIS TEMPLE AND CRIED AT THE THOUGHT OF LOSING HIS SCHOOL, IN QUOTES, THAT HE CONSIDERS COMPANA WAS TOO MUCH FOR HIM.
MY SON AFFILIATES WITH HIS FIRST AND SECOND GRADE CLASS AT COMPANA AND NO LONGER WEARS HIS UNIFORM ON ZOOM AND CONFIDED THAT HE FOCUSES ON HIS TEACHER ON ZOOM BECAUSE SEEING HIS CLASSMATES, MANY OF WHOM HE HAS NEVER MET OR DO NOT REMEMBER HIM IS TOO HARD FOR HIM.
WHILE HIS CLASSMATES MIGHT TAKE BREAKS AT THE PLAYGROUND HE HAS TO WORRY ABOUT MISSING HIS NEXT CLASS AT COMPANA AND NERVOUS BECAUSE HE JUST LEARNED TO TELL TIME.
ASKED TO HAVE EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING SKILLS WHEN HE CANNOT WRITE.
HE WAS ONE OF THE KIDS IN THE QUARTER WIN GRADE REPORT.
A BUCK BUDDY TUTORED -- A BOOK BUDDY TUTORED HIM AND THEY COLLABORATED TO HELP
[00:30:03]
NEEDS AND A RECOVERY READING SPECIALIST WITH A SECOND TUTOR OUTSIDE SCHOOL HOURS.HE IS SOCIALLY AWARE ENOUGH TO HAVE PAUSE ABOUT SCHOOLS BEING UNSAFE WHEN HE HAS BEEN IN AN ACS CLASSROOM AND ACPS SCHOOL, NOT HIS OWN, SINCE SEPTEMBER.
I ENCOURAGE DR. HUTCH CHINS AND THE BOARD TO VISIT THE SITES AND KNOW PRACTICE FOR A SAFE IMPLEMENTATION TO SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU TO THE TEACHERS AND STAFF WHO ARE DOING WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR MY TIME.
NEXT UP WE HAVE STACY ANDERSON.
YOU CALLED MY NAME AWHILE AGO, BUT I WASN'T ABLE TO SPEAK.
I AM STACY ANDERSON, THE PARENT OF TWO TEENAGERS WHO ATTEND OUR CITY'S ONE HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK WITH YOU TODAY.
WE HAVE BEEN ACPS PARENTS FOR SIX YEARS NOW AND HAVE A SENIOR POISED TO GRADUATE THIS YEAR.
WE MOVED BACK TO ALEXANDRIA IN 2012 AND ENROLLED OUR CHILDREN IN PRIVATE SCHOOL.
AFTER TWO YEARS WE MADE THE DECISION TO MOVE OUR CHILDREN TO ACPS.
WE WERE IMPRESSED BY NOT ONLY THE CURRICULUM BEING OFFERED AT MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, BUT BY WHAT PLANS WERE BEING DISCUSSED FOR THE FUTURE AT ACPS.
WE ARE A MILITARY FAMILY RETIRED AND RECOMMEND TO MANY FAMILIES THEY SETTLE IN ALEXANDRIA.
EVEN CORRECTING WHAT I THOUGHT WERE MISS CHARACTERIZATIONS ABOUT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I REQUESTED TO SPEAK TO YOU AS I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE OF ACADEMICS AT OUR SCHOOL.
MY HUSBAND AND I GIVE THANKS FOR THE BLESSINGS WE HAVE.
WE ARE ABLE TO TELEWORK AND HAVE TWO BRIGHT AND MOTIVATED DAUGHTERS AND FOOD AND HOME AND TECHNOLOGY SECURITY.
IT IS OUT OF AN ABUNDANCE AWARENESS THAT WE ARE AN UNFORTUNATE MINORITY AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL AND I IMPLORE TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP FOR THE DISHEARTENING SITUATION THAT MANY OF OUR CITY STUDENTS FIND THEMSELVES IN TODAY.
THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED FOR AN INCREASE IN FAILING GRADES THIS YEAR.
THEY ARE DOING THEIR LEVEL BEST TO SURVIVE THIS PANDEMIC, BUT DO NOT SEEM TO BE PROVIDED RESOURCES FOR WHICH WE ALL PAY TAXES TO HELP THEM NAVIGATE WHAT IS PROVING TO BE LITERALLY A FAILING SCHOOL SYSTEM.
BASED ON THE FIRST QUARTER GRADE DATA PROVIDED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, I EXPECT YOU WERE ALL SHOCKED AND DRIVEN TO QUICKLY ADDRESS THE DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT SO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS FIND THEMSELVES IN.
AS THE REPORT STATES, THE LARGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS YEAR AND LAST IS PERCENTAGE OF FAILING GRADES AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL.
ALMOST TWO-THIRDS OF OUR HISPANIC STUDENT POPULATION AND 70% OF EL STUDENTS HAVE TWO D'S AND F'S.
48% OF THE STUDENTS HAVE ONE D OR F IN THEIR COURSE WORK.
AND THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT STUDENTS WHO MAY BE MORE CHALLENGED ACADEMICALLY.
THERE IS A 320% INCREASE IN TAG STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL WITH A D OR F.
18% OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL TAG STUDENTS ARE FAILING OR NEARLY FAILING CLASSES.
THAT IS A CLEAR MESSAGE THAT THE CURRENT MODEL IS NOT WORKING.
OF INCREDIBLE CONCERN IS ECONOMICS AND PERSONAL FINANCE COURSE.
ALMOST A THIRD OF THE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN A STATE MANDATED REQUIREMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION ARE FAILING.
ANOTHER 9% HAVE D AND 3% INCOMPLETE.
43% OF THE STUDENTS MAY NOT PASS A CLASS THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE GRADUATE.
THAT IS WHOLLY UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE A WAKE UP IN THE STATE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THIS ALL VIRTUAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
WE ARE FAILING OUR STUDENTS AND FAMILY AND WE MUST RECTIFY THE SITUATION.
CONTINUING DOWN THE SAME PATH DRIVEN MEANS DISMAL NUMBERS.
I KNOW YOU RAN FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE YOU WANT TO IMPROVE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.
MANY OF OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE IN SCHOOL IN ORDER TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF SUCCESS.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE LAST 10 MONTHS IS NOT WORKING AND I ASK YOU TO MAKE COURSE CORRECTIONS QUICKLY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF THOUSANDS OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
MY FAMILY HAS RESOURCES, KNOWLEDGE AND WHEREWITH ALL -- >> I'M SORRY.
I SHOULD TELL EVERYONE THAT IF YOU WANT TO SEND US FURTHER COMMENTS, YOU CAN SEND THEM BY E-MAIL.
IT IS ALWAYS GOOD TO GET THE COMMENTS IN WRITING AS WELL.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
I WILL BE FOCUSING MY COMMENTS ON HOW VIRTUAL LEARNING HAS IMPACTED MY CHILD WITH COMPLEX SPECIAL NEEDS.
ONE OF MY CHILD'S MANY LEARNING DIFFERENCES IS HARD OF HEARING.
[00:35:04]
VIRTUAL LEARNING INHIBITS HIS ABILITY TO LIP READ TO OVERCOME HIS HEARING LOSS.THE SOUND FROM COMPUTERS IS OFTEN OUT OF SYNC WITH THE VIDEO AND AMBIANT SOUNDS WITH OTHER SPEAKERS IN TER FEARS WITH HIS HEARING AID.
DURING VIRTUAL LEARNING HE OFTEN PUTS HIS HEAD DOWN ON THE TABLE BETWEEN HIS HANDS AND SAYS, MOMMY, MY HEAD HURTS.
THIS IS A REACTION TO THE HARSH AND DISCORDED MIXTURES OF SOUNDS HE IS EXPERIENCING.
AT THESE TIMES HE IS NOT ABLE TO ACCESS THE SAME SCHOOL MATERIAL THAT STUDENTS WITHOUT HEARING DIFFICULTY ARE ACCESSING.
HE USED TO BE CONFIDENT IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION SETTING DESPITE HIS EXTREME LEARNING DIFFERENCES BECAUSE OF THE NUANCED WAY SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS PUSH INTO THE GENERAL EDUCATION CLASSROOM.
HOWEVER, THE ELECTRONIC METHODS OF INFORMATION SHARING THAT SUPPORT VIRTUAL LEARNING HAVE AMPLIFIED FOR HIM JUST HOW DIFFERENT HE IS FROM HIS NEURO TYPICAL EARS.
PREVIOUSLY CONFIDENT IN HIS ABILITY TO LEARN, HE NOW CALLS HIMSELF STUPID AND SAYS "I HATE MYSELF" AND" I WILL NEVER LEARN TO READ OR WRITE OR DO MATH." HE ALSO DEVELOPED EXTREME BEHAVIORS TO AVOID VIRTUAL LEARNING.
I HAVE HAD TO INSTALL EXTRA LOCKS TO MINIMIZE HIS ATTEMPTS TO ESCAPE OUT OF A ROOM OR OUT OF THE HOUSE DURING VIRTUAL SCHOOL.
WHEN HE EXPERIENCES FRUSTRATION WITH VIRTUAL SESSIONS, HE CALLS HIMSELF USELESS AND HAS EVEN SAID THAT HE SHOULD KILL HIMSELF.
GOING SO FAR AS TO GO INTO THE KITCHEN TO RETRIEVE A KNIFE.
THIS BEHAVIOR FROM A PREVIOUSLY BUBBLY AND CONFIDENT CHILD IS SCARY.
BECAUSE OF HIS DISABILITIES THE ONLY WAY FOR MY CHILD TO PARTICIPATE IN A VIRTUAL SCHOOL IS FOR ME TO ACT AS A ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTIONAL AID.
AS AN ESSENTIAL WORKER I AM ABLE TO ENROLL HIM IN A VIRTUAL PLUS PARTNER FOR HEALTH CARE.
HOWEVER, STAFFING AT THOSE CENTERS DO NOT SUPPORT HIS NEED FOR ONE ON ONE SUPERVISION.
THE TENSION BETWEEN NEEDING TO BE AVAILABLE TO HIM WHILE ALSO MAINTAINING FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT AS A SINGLE PARENT HAS NEGATIVELY AFFECTED HIS ATTENDANCE.
WHEN I CAN'T FLEX MY WORK RESPONSIBILITIES, HE MISSES SCHOOL SESSIONS BECAUSE HE IS UNABLE TO INDEPENDENTLY USE A COMPUTER.
IN SUM, THE COST OF VIRTUAL SCHOOLING FOR MY STUDENT FAR OUTWEIGH THE RISKS OF BEING EDUCATED IN AN IN PERSON SETTING.
OUR FINAL SPEAKER TODAY IS JAMES HATTON.
WE HAVE CORRESPONDED, BUT I PROBABLY JUST BUTCHERED YOUR NAME.
I WILL START OUT BY COMPLIMENTING YOUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES THERE ON HER INITIAL COMMENTS.
I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE BOARD A TIME OR TWO IN THE PAST AND MAYBE I HAVE CONSIDERED IT ROUTINE, BUT YESTERDAY'S EVENTS IN DC REALLY SORT OF UNDERSCORE HOW -- AGREE OR DISAGREE THIS IS DEMOCRACY AND THE ABILITY TO COME AND SPEAK MY MIND IS NO SMALL THING AND NOT SOMETHING I TAKE FOR GRANTED.
I'M REACHING OUT -- WHAT I SPOKE ABOUT BACK THEN IS WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT AGAIN.
ALTHOUGH IT IS UNDERSCORED SOMEWHAT BY THE FIRST QUARTER STATISTICS THAT SPEAKERS MENTIONED EARLIER.
THE INCREASES IN CHRONIC ABSENTEEISM AND GRADES OF F SKY ROCKETING.
I WOULD ARGUE THAT THIS STEMS FROM AN ADHERENCE TO WHAT I CONSIDER TO BE A PUNITIVE AND DISCRIMINATORY ZERO-BASED GRADING POLICY WHICH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE OR HAVE ALREADY MOVED AWAY FROM.
AND I DON'T THINK MOVING AWAY FROM THIS WOULD BE CONTROVERSIAL, BUT IT IS SIMPLE MATH.
ON A 100-POINT GRADING SCALE THE INTEGRAL BETWEEN KNEW MARE RAIL AND LETTER -- KNEW MARE RACK GRADES IS 10 POINTS, 90, 80, 70, 60.
AN INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENT THAT GETS A ZERO IS FIVE TIMES AS WORK AS WORK DEEMED UNACCEPTABLE.
THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU ARE GUARANTEED A 50 AT THE END OF THE GRADING PERIOD ANYWAY, IF YOU ARE A STUDENT WHO HAS MISSED A COUPLE OF ASSIGNMENTS, THREE OR FOUR
[00:40:03]
ASSIGNMENTS, ESPECIALLY NOW BECAUSE OF COVID AND YOU HAVE ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AND YOU HAVE COMPLETELY CHECKED OUT, AND YOU HAVE A COUPLE OF ZEROS YOU MATHEMATICALLY HAVE NO DAYLIGHT.YOU HAVE NO CHANCE OF COMING BACK.
AND SO YOU HAVE NO INCENTIVE TO TRY TO CATCH UP BECAUSE YOU ARE GUARANTEED A 50 ANYWAY.
I AM SO TROUBLED BY THIS POLICY.
I THINK IT REALLY FLIES IN THE FACE OF THE WORDS THAT ARE ON THE ACPS WEBSITE.
THE REPORT ABOUT THE FIRST QUARTER STATISTICS NOTE THAT THE INCREASING F'S ARE AFFECTING HISPANIC, BLACK, ENGLISH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN PARTICULAR.
WTOP LAST MONTH TALKED ABOUT THE ISSUE COMING UP IN FAIRFAX.
THERE ARE GRADING POLICY THAT'S WOULD MAKE A 50 OUT OF 100 THE LOWEST POSSIBLE SCORE A STUDENT CAN GET AT AN ASSIGNMENT.
ARLINGTON HAS THIS POLICY FROM WHAT I HAVE SEEN ON THEIR WEBSITE.
I URGE THE BOARD TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH COVID BECAUSE I THINK THIS POLICY IS JUST REALLY BURYING KIDS AND JUST LEAVING THEM HOPELESS.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION OF OUR MEETING TODAY AND SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO WHAT HAD ORIGINALLY BEEN SCHEDULED FOR EARLIER IN THE MEETING.
I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO DR. HUTCHINGS FOR THE CHAIR ELECTION FOR THIS YEAR.
[4. Nominations for School Board Chair]
I APOLOGIZE THAT MY COMPUTER HAS DECIDED AGAIN THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO SHOW MY VIDEO.IN SPITE OF REBOOTING AND UPDATING MY ZOOM.
IT GIVES ME GREAT PLEASURE THIS EVENING TO CONDUCT THE 2021 ELECTION FOR THE CHAIR OF THE ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOL BOARD.
AT THIS TIME I WILL OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR CHAIR OF THE ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOL BOARD.
I ENTHUSIASTICALLY NOMINATE MEGAN ALDERTON FOR CHAIR.
EARLY IN OUR TIME ON THE BOARD I RECOGNIZE HER LEADERSHIP QUALITIES.
THESE QUALITIES WITH HER EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE MAKE HER A FANTASTIC CHOICE FOR THE NEXT BOARD CHAIR.
>> MRS. MEGAN ALDERTON IS NOMINATED.
ARE THERE FURTHER NOMINATIONS? I SEE MS. THORNTON.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE DR. MICHELLE RIEF FOR THE ALEXANDRIA SCHOOL BOARD.
DR. RIEF HAS BEEN A HUGE ADVOCATE OF OUR DIVISION AND OUR STUDENTS.
DURING OUR MEETINGS I HAVE APPRECIATED HER THOUGHTFUL AND THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF A VERY COMPLEX ISSUES.
I THINK SHE PROVIDES A VALUED PERSPECTIVE TO THIS BOARD.
I THINK SHE HAS GREAT INTEGRITY AND VALUES OPEN COMMUNICATION.
SHE HAS INDICATED THE WILLINGNESS TO PUT HER ALL INTO OUR GOAL OF EQUITY FOR ALL.
I THINK THESE ATTRIBUTES WILL SERVE HER WELL IN THE LEADERSHIP ROLE.
DR. MICHELLE RIEF IS NOMINATED.
ARE THERE FURTHER NOMINATIONS? HEARING NONE, THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS REGARDING THE CANDIDATES?
>> I WILL BRIEFLY SAY THAT I APPRECIATE BOTH DR. RIEF AND ALDERTON FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE IN THIS ROLE.
I WILL BE VOTING FOR MS. ALDERTON BECAUSE I APPRECIATE HER LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS SPACE IN THE EDUCATION FIELD AND WILLINGNESS TO LEAD US AS A TEAM TOWARD OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS.
THAT SAID, THANK YOU SO MUCH, DR. RIEF, FOR ALL OF YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE BOARD.
AGAIN, WANTED TO THANK EVERYONE FOR THEIR WILLINGNESS TO SERVE AS WELL AS TO SHARE WHY I AM EXCITED FOR MS. ALDERTON TO LEAD US THROUGH THE NEXT PHASE.
[00:45:04]
>> ANY OTHER COMMENTS? HEARING NO FURTHER COMMENTS THE CLERK WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
[5. Election of School Board Chair]
THOSE IN FAVOR OF MS. ALDERTON, PLEASE INDICATE YOUR VOTE AS EITHER YES OR PASS WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.
>> YES AND JUST BEING SURE THIS IS FOR MS. ALDERTON.
>> MS. GENTRY, CAN YOU TRY AGAIN PLEASE.
>> SHE IS OFF MUTE, BUT SOMEHOW IT IS NOT COMING THROUGH.
I AM COMING BACK TO MS. GEN TRY.
NOW FOR THOSE WOULD ARE IN FAVOR OF DR. RIEF.
MS. ALDERTON HAS 6 VOTES AND DR. RIEF HAS 3.
AND BACK TO YOU, DR. HUTCHINGS.
>> SO MS. MEGAN ALDERTON IS ELECTED AS THE CHAIR OF THE ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOL BOARD FOR 2021.
AND SO I'M GONNA MOVE ALONG IN THE AGENDA.
WE ARE GOING TO MOVE AT THIS TIME TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR NOMINATIONS FOR VICE-CHAIR
[6. Nominations for School Board Vice Chair]
OF THE ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOL BOARD.SO ARE THERE -- I SEE REMEE-GENTRY HAS HER HAND UP FOR A NOMINATION.
IT IS MY PLEASURE AND MY HONOR TO NOMINATE VERONICA NOLAN WHO HAS GRACIOUSLY INDICATED A WILLINGNESS TO STEP UP AGAIN FOR VICE CHAIR.
I KNOW FROM MY OWN PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE BEING A CHAIR HOW VITAL IT IS TO HAVE A PARTNER IN THE VICE CHAIR AND I AM GRATEFUL MS. NOLAN IS WILLING TO ONCE AGAIN SERVE AS VICE CHAIR.
ARE THERE FURTHER NOMINATIONS FOR VICE CHAIR? AT THIS TIME THERE APPEAR TO BE NO MORE NOMINATIONS.
HEARING NONE THE NOMINATIONS ARE CLOSED.
WOULD ANYONE LIKE TO MAKE ANY REMARKS REGARDING MS. NOLAN?
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SPEAK UP ON BEHALF OF MS. NOLAN, BUT ALSO ON BEHALF OF CONTINUITY OF LEADERSHIP.
I AM VERY PLEASED THAT WE WILL HAVE A NEW CHAIR, BUT A CONTINUATION OF OUR VICE CHAIR.
I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR -- PARTICULARLY FOR DR. HUTCHINGS.
IT HELPS THE SUPERINTENDENT WHEN THERE IS SOME CONTINUITY IN LEADERSHIP.
BUT ALSO AS A BOARD IT WILL HELP OUR NEW CHAIR AND I AM JUST GRATEFUL THAT MS. NOLAN WANTS TO CONTINUE IN THE POSITION.
LEADERSHIP IS A LOT OF WORK, AND I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH.
MS. LORBER BEAT ME TO MY COMMENTS.
I JUST AGREE THAT SOME CONTINUITY AS I HAVE SAID IN THE PAST IS VERY, VERY
[00:50:04]
IMPORTANT.I THANK MS. NOLAN FOR AGREEING TO DO IT AGAIN.
I DON'T SEE HANDS FOR ANY OTHER COMMENTS.
SO IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS THE CLERK WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
>> FOR THE POSITION FOR MS. NOLAN FOR VICE CHAIR, MS. AL -- OH.
[7. Election of School Board Vice Chair]
WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME, PLEASE INDICATE YES OR PASS WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED.>> WE HAVE EIGHT FOR THE CANDIDATE, MS. NOLAN AND ONE ABSTENTION.
THANK YOU, SUSAN, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MS. NOLAN.
THIS MIGHT NOT BE PROPER, BUT DO YOU MIND IF I JUST SAY SOMETHING FOR ONE MINUTE? I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK MS. ANDERSON FOR HER SERVICE AS FORE CHAIR.
YOU HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY CHAIR THAT WANTED TO LEAD DURING COVID, LET ALONE SOME OF THE OTHER CONTENTIOUS TIMES WE HAVE HAD.
I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH PUBLICLY FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE.
YOUR INTEGRITY AND COMMITMENT TO THE DIVISION YOUR ENTIRE LIFE, YOUR THOUGHTFULNESS AND YOUR ABILITY TO BRING US ALTOGETHER AS WELL AS YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT A SCHOOL BOARD ROLE IS VERSUS WHAT A STAFF MEMBER ROLE IS AND SUPPORTING DR. HUTCHINGS IN A WAY THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
I THINK WE ALL BENEFITED FROM IT AS A BOARD AND DIVISION AND COMMUNITY.
SORRY TO TAKE US OUT OF LINE, BUT I WANTED TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU HAVE DONE TIRELESSLY FOR NOT ONLY THE FIVE YEARS, BUT AS RAMEE CAN SHARE, TO BE CHAIR ESPECIALLY YOU PUT THE HOURS IN AND WE BENEFITED FROM RAMEE AND YOUR STYLE OF JUST SERVING US IN A WAY THAT IS APPROPRIATE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING.
THANK YOU, CHAIR ALDERTON, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME MORE COMMENTS OF FOLKS WHO WANT TO GIVE SOME KUDOS TO CINDY.
WE WILL DO MS. LORBER, MS. GREENE AND THEN MS. GENTRY.
>> SIMILARLY, CINDY IF I STOLE YOUR LINES WHEN I WAS DISCUSSING THE CONTINUITY.
I AM WONDERING IS THERE ANY FORMALITY -- ANY FORMAL WAY TO RECOGNIZE A CHAIR -- WHAT IS IT TWO YEARS?
>> OH, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET? YOU GET TO USE A COOL GAVEL?
ANYWAY, -- >> NO, A COMMEMORATIVE ONE TO KEEP.
YOU DO GET THAT OR WE ARE GIVING HER ONE? OH, OKAY.
ANYWAY, I JUST THINK WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL.
CINDY HAS A VERY BALANCED WAY OF LEADING AND MAKING PEOPLE FEEL INCLUDED AND I THINK WE BENEFITED GREATLY.
I THINK DR. HUTCHINS BENEFITED HAVING SOMEBODY LIKE CINDY AT THE HEAD OF THE BOARD AND STEERING US THROUGH THESE SOMETIMES ROUGH WATERS.
SO THANK YOU, MS. ANDERSON, TREMENDOUSLY.
I THINK WE ARE -- I LOVE THIS BOARD, AND I AM GRATEFUL TO EVERYBODY.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND CONGRATULATIONS.
>> I WILL BE CALLING YOU MADAM CHAIR FOR THE NEXT COUPLE WEEKS.
>> TWO YEARS IS DEFINITELY A LONGTIME TO BE A CHAIR ON ANY BOARD OR PARTICULARLY A SCHOOL BOARD WHEN YOU HAVE STRONG PERSONALITIES AND ALL OF THAT, EVERYTHING THAT GOES WITH THAT.
SHE DEFINITELY WANTS TO MAKE SURE -- SHE KEEPS EVERYONE INCLUDED AND SHE MAKES SURE EVERYONE IS HEARD AND REALLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
PARTICULARLY THOSE TEXTS I SENT HER AT 11:30 AT NIGHT.
CINDY, I GREATLY APPRECIATE YOU AS WE ALL DO.
CINDY IS THE TYPE THAT IF YOU NEED TO KNOW SOMETHING, ANYTHING ABOUT ANYTHING THAT
[00:55:04]
HAS GONE ON WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD IN ALEXANDRIA, CINDY KNOWS IT.OR SHE WILL SAY LET ME GO TO MY ATTIC AND GET A NEWSPAPER CLIPPING.
YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU KNOW, ASK FOR ANYTHING BETTER AS A CHAIR TO HAVE THAT.
I KNOW WE WILL HAVE HER HERE AND BE ABLE TO GO AND PULL THE NEWSPAPER CLIPPINGS, BUT THE KNOWLEDGE SHE HAS MAKES HER SUCH A STRONG LEADER AND JUST GRATEFUL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU.
YOU KNOW, MS. ANDERSON HAS WORKED SO HARD ON SO MANY THINGS.
EVEN BEFORE CHAIR WORKING ON REDISTRICTING.
SHE WAS A CONSTANT PRESENCE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SORT OF THE EYES AND EARS ON THE GROUND DURING THE REALLY INTENSE, COMPLICATED PROCESS OF THE -- AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I AM FORGETTING THE NAME AFTER I HEARD IT SO MANY TIMES.
BUT SOMETHING ALONG THE LONG RANGE CITY SCHOOLS COMMUNITY -- THE TASK FORCE THAT WAS REALLY GOING TO TRY TO TACKLE HOW WE PLANNED LONG-TERM FOR CIP WORK.
THE KNOWLEDGE THAT CINDY BROUGHT INTO THAT AND THE LEADERSHIP THAT SHE DISPLAYED WITH THAT WAS REALLY TREMENDOUS.
I ALSO THINK CINDY HAS BEEN A REALLY BIG PART OF HELPING TO IMPROVE AND STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I THINK THAT RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CITIES AND SCHOOLS IS IMPORTANT.
THANK YOU, MS. ANDERSON, FOR ALL OF THE YEARS AND THE WORK THAT YOU PUT IN AND CONGRATULATIONS ON ROLLING OFF AS CHAIR.
>> CONGRATULATIONS, MADAM CHAIR.
I JUST WANT TO SAY, MS. ANDERSON HAS BEEN PHENOMENAL AS A CHAIR.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH TWO CHAIRS.
MS. GENTRY IS A PHENOMENAL CHAIR AND NOW I WILL HAVE A THIRD CHAIR AND THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR.
I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF THE DEDICATION THAT MS. ANDERSON HAS GIVEN THROUGHOUT THIS TIME.
A LOT OF TIMES THE COMMUNITY CANNOT SEE THE BEHIND THE SCENES WORK THAT OCCURS.
MS. ANDERSON, SHE IS ALWAYS PREPARED.
SHE READS EVERYTHING THAT IS GIVEN TO HER, AND SHE REALLY ASKS THE RIGHT QUESTIONS TO HELP ME EVEN PREPARE FOR MEETINGS WHEN I NEED TO AND TO BRING THINGS TO MY ATTENTION WHEN NEEDED.
I TRULY APPRECIATE THE DEDICATION THAT MS. ANDERSON HAS.
AND AS A FELLOW TITAN I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING IN COMMON BECAUSE WE ARE TITANS AND ALEXANDRIA ANS THROUGH AND THROUGH.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE THROUGHOUT THIS TIME.
I KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
I HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH ALL OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS IN VERY DIFFERENT WAYS.
I TRY TO MEET EVERYBODY WHERE THEY ARE BECAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
I DON'T TREAT YOU ALL LIKE -- YOU ARE TREATED THE SAME, BUT NOT THE SAME.
THAT'S WHAT GOOD TEACHERS DO TOO.
DON'T TAKE IT THE WRONG WAY, BOARD MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE WORKING WITH THE BOARD MEMBERS AND I THINK THE RELATIONSHIP IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO ACHIEVE THE STRATEGIC GOALS WE SET.
AND CINDY -- MS. ANDERSON HAS DEFINITELY BEEN THE EXAMPLE OF SHOWING HOW IT CAN WORK AND HOW IT SHOULD WORK.
YOU GET TO STAY WITH ME ON THE BOARD LEADERSHIP.
YOU ARE ALWAYS ON THE SIDE, BUT YOU ARE THERE.
YOU PULL US BACK AND SAY, HOLD ON, THINK ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR THINK.
YOU REACH OUT TO ME WHEN NEEDED AS WELL AND I APPRECIATE THE RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE HAD THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS.
AND I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUING THAT AS THE VICE CHAIR.
THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
I HAVE TO GET USED TO GOING LAST NOW.
I WASN'T EXPECTING ALL THAT, BUT VERY MUCH APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.
[01:00:04]
I HAVE ENJOYED WORKING WITH EVERYONE.PART OF ME IS THINKING, OH NO, WE DIDN'T PLAN THIS IN THE TIME AND WE ARE GOING TO RUN LATE ON OUR MEETING.
THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR AWHILE.
I WAS ON A CALL YESTERDAY WITH SOME SCHOOL BOARD PEOPLE, AND TWO OF THEM HAD JUST ROLLED OFF OF CHAIR.
THEY WERE SO CELEBRATING THAT.
ANYWAY, AT THIS STAGE I WAS LAUGHING AT THAT.
I WILL BE HERE, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL OF THE COMMENTS, AND SORRY THAT, AGAIN, MY VIDEO IS NOT WORKING.
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE MADAM CHAIR.
I'M GOING LAST, BUT I DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WANT TO CHIME IN.
I THINK WHAT IS SO LOVELY ABOUT CINDY IS EVEN WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH WHICH WE HAVE HAD, AND I THINK I CAN SAY WE HAD A LOT OF TOUGH MOMENTS, SHE HAS BEEN THAT CALM AND STEADY.
THAT'S VERY HELPFUL IN THE ROUGH TIMES.
IT IS VERY HELPFUL IN THE GOOD TIMES.
THANK YOU, CINDY, FOR SERVING FOR TWO YEARS.
I AM ELATED FOR YOU TO JUST BE ABLE TO SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
MS. NOLAN, YOU ARE GOING TO BE MY NEW RIDE OR DIE.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING AGAIN AS WELL.
>> LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING YOU.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WILLING TO TAKE ON THE CHAIR ROLE.
SO MOVING ALONG IN OUR AGENDA.
SUSAN, YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT I THINK WE DEFINITELY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE COMMUNICATIONS AND ADDRESSES TO THE BOARD BECAUSE WE DIDN'T COMPLETE EVERYTHING IN THAT PORTION OF THE AGENDA.
>> THE ONLY THING WE HAD MOVED WAS THE STUDENT REP AND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
SO EVERYTHING -- SO JUST FOLLOW THE AGENDA NORMALLY.
>> WE WILL SKIP THOSE TWO ITEMS.
EVERYBODY WILL BEAR WITH ME TODAY AS I AM NEW AT GETTING THROUGH THIS AGENDA.
WE HAVE ALREADY ADOPTED THE AGENDA SO THAT'S GOOD.
WE NEED TO MOVE TO THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
>> I THINK FIRST -- WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE ELECTION THINGS.
[8. Appoint Designees of the Division Superintendent]
ITEM NUMBER 8 GOES OVER TO DR. HUTCHINGS.
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING, BUT THIS IS AN ACTION ITEM SO WE WILL HAVE A MOTION FOR IT.
WE NEED TO APPROVE YOUR DESIGNEE'S.
WE WANT TO KEEP THE SAME SUPERINTENDANT DESIGNEES.
THAT'S DR. WILKINS AND TEACHING AND LEARNING LEADERSHIP, DR. TERRY MOZINGO AS SUPERINTENDENT DESIGNEES.
>> I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE DR. STEVEN WILKINS AND MOZINGO.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE KEEP -- WE KEEP THE TWO INDIVIDUALS NAMED AS THE SUPERINTENDENTS DESIGNEES.
STEVEN WILKINS AND -- THIS IS RIDICULOUS.
SO MRS. GREENE SECONDS MS. LORBER'S MOTION AND I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
[9. Superintendent's Recommendation for Clerk of the Board and Deputy Clerk of the Board]
WE HAVE ANOTHER ACTION ITEM ON THE AGENDA.WE NEED TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR CLERK AND DEPUTY CLERK OF THE BOARD.
UNLESS THERE ARE ANY COMMENTS, WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE SUSAN NIELSEN AS CLERK OF THE BOARD AND CHANEL HILL AS THE DEPUTY CLERK.
[01:05:02]
>> I MOVE TO APPROVE SUSAN NIELSEN AS CLERK OF THE BOARD AND SHANEL HILL AS THE DEPUTY CLERK OF THE BOARD.
MS. GREENE SECONDS MS. ANDERSON'S MOTION.
>> MADAM CHAIR, CAN I INTERJECT AN I APOLOGY.
MY HEAD WAS OFF IN A CLOUD AND I WAS PLANNING TO SIMPLY -- I DIDN'T THINK I NEEDED TO GET THE NAMES OUT THAT QUICKLY.
I MEANT NO DISRESPECT AND AM VERY EMBARRASSED.
SO WE CAN MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
WE ARE BACK TO COMMUNICATIONS AND ADDRESSES TO THE BOARD.
[10. Code of Ethics and Standards of Conduct]
WE ARE LOOKING -- WE NEED TO ACTUALLY AFFIRM OUR CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT.WE WILL NOT READ THROUGH THESE.
HOWEVER, WE WILL NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT OF THE BOARD.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD AFFIRM THE CODE OF ETHICS AND THE STANDARDS OF CONDUCT.
SO MS. ANDERSON SECONDS MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
I WILL THEN CALL FOR THE VOTE.
>> WE HAVE AFFIRMED OUR CODE OF ETHICS AND STANDARDS OF CONDUCT.
WE MUST ALSO MOVE TO AFFIRM OUR RULES OF ORDER AND BY-LAWS.
I WILL NEED A MOTION TO DO THAT.
>> I MOVE THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE THE RULES OF ORDER AND THE BY-LAWS.
>> I THINK I HEARD MS. ANDERSON FIRST.
MS. ANDERSON FIRST AND THE EKED.
[11. Rules of Order and By-Laws]
MEGAN ALDERTON.WE HAVE LOTS OF ACTION TONIGHT, GUYS.
WE NEED TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONCEPT CALENDAR?
>> I MOVE WE APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR THIS MEETING.
>> MS. GREENE SECONDS MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
IS THERE ANYTHING TO PULL? OKAY.
IF THERE ARE NO ITEMS TO PULL I WILL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
>> IT IS 9-0 TO APPROVE THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
I MAY ASK TO CALL FIVE MINUTES FOR A RECESS.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I COULD USE IT AND I AM PRESENTING NEXT.
THAT'S WEIRD BECAUSE YOU ARE -- IT WAS NOT YOUR NAME THAT CAME UP.
I AM HAPPY TO CALL FIVE MINUTES FOR A RECESS.
SUSAN, IS THAT OKAY? DO WE NEED APPROVAL FOR THAT, SUSAN?
[Consent Calendar]
WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE ON IT -- YOU KNOW, WE DON'T NEED A MOTION?FIVE MINUTES FOR A RECESS BECAUSE DR. HUTCHINGS IS NEXT AND WE WILL SEE EVERYBODY IN FIVE MINUTES.
THAT IS OUR PRESENTATION OF THE FY2022.
THIS IS NO ACTION SO TURN IT OVER TO DR. HUTCHINGS.
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND AGAIN CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A LITTLE BREAK.
I AM A HUMAN BEING LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE.
THOUGHT I COULD WAIT ALL DAY, BUT I CAN'T.
BEFORE I BEGIN I WANT TO COMMEND MS. JOHNSON ON HER COMMENTS EARLIER.
IT IS ALWAYS GREAT TO HEAR OUR YOUNG PEOPLE SPEAKING THEIR TRUTH.
I ALWAYS SAY SPEAK YOUR TRUTH AND BE AN ADVOCATE.
[01:10:04]
I KNOW YOU ALL WERE GLUED TO YOUR TELEVISIONS LAST NIGHT LIKE EVERYONE ELSE ACROSS THE WORLD.WHAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY BEYOND JUST SOME OF THE ACTS THAT OCCURRED, I THINK IT IS
[17. FY 2022 Superintendent’s Proposed Combined Funds Budget (Documents will be uploaded after the presentation.)]
IMPORTANT FOR US TO POINT OUT JUST THE CONTEXT OF EVERYTHING THAT TRANSPIRED.WHEN YOU COMPARE YESTERDAY'S EVENTS TO THE TIME WHEN THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT WAS WANTING TO BE ON THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PLAZA IN WASHINGTON, D.C. AND YOU COMPARE HOW THE POLICE AND HOW DC PREPPED FOR THOSE TWO, QUOTE, UNQUOTE, PROTESTS, AND I THINK BACK TO DURING THE TIME WITH THE BLACK LIVES MATTER MOVEMENT AND HOW THEY WANTED TO REFER TO PEACEFUL PROTESTS AS VIOLENT AND RIOTS, WHAT WE SAW YESTERDAY WAS VIOLENT AND RIOTS.
THAT IS WHAT A RIOT LOOKS LIKE.
I HOPE WHAT WE CAN START DOING IS TALKING TO -- POINTING OUT AT LEAST THE TRUTH OF WHERE WE ARE IN AMERICA.
YOU KNOW, I HEARD MANY POLITICIANS TALK ABOUT THIS IS NOT AMERICA.
WELL, I BELIEVE THIS IS AMERICA.
I THINK AMERICA JUST GOT TO SEE IT FIRSTHAND ON OUR NATIONAL TELEVISION.
THIS IS WHAT AMERICA HAS BEEN PRIOR TO YESTERDAY.
I HOPE THAT WE NOW DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BECAUSE AS MS. JOHNSON MENTIONED, THE TIME IS NOW.
IF WE CONTINUE TO CONDONE THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR AND TO ALLOW FOR A COUNTRY TO HAVE SO MUCH SYSTEMIC RACISM THAT WE CONSTANTLY SEE AND KNOW ABOUT, THERE WILL BE NO HOPE FOR THE FUTURE.
I HOPE WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO TALKING ABOUT OUR FY22 BUDGET AND TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN DO OUR PART TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
I HAD TO GET THAT OFF MY CHEST TO FOCUS ON THE BUDGET COMPONENT.
BEFORE I BEGIN AND GO INTO THE PRESENTATION, I DO HAVE OPEN-ENDED REMARKS TO MAKE SO BEAR WITH ME.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I ACKNOWLEDGE FOLKS AND SET THE STAGE FOR THE PRESENTATION TODAY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS FY222 BUDGET IS SO WE CAN DO OUR BEST APPROACH IN TACKLING THE CHALLENGEDS WE FACED IN THE PAST YEAR.
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD BE IN THE SAME SITUATION WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW.
WHAT WE HAVE TO PREPARE FOR IS HOW WE FORGE AHEAD.
IT IS ABOUT MAINTAINING OUR EXCELLENT INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE AN EMPHASIS ON LEARNING LOSS AND RECOVERY FROM THIS LEARNING LOSS AND TO MAKE SURE WE ARE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND OBTAIN THE BEST OF THE BEST IN REGARDS TO A STAFF
[01:15:05]
AND TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHING AND OUR LEARNING AS WELL AS OUR LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND TO REIGNITE THE CONFIDENCE FOR THE LOVE OF TEACHING, LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.AND THAT IS IN SPITE OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
I WILL CALL IT A DUAL PANDEMIC.
I WILL SAY THIS BUDGET WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT TURNER AND OUR FINANCE TIME.
HATS OFF TO THEM FOR WORKING SO DILIGENTLY AND TIRELESSLY OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS.
AND OUR CHIEFS FOR BEING INNOVATIVE WITH OUR APPROACHES.
OUR CHIEFS HAD TO WORK WITH ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE MAKING THE BEST DECISIONS AND BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.
IT DID REQUIRE US TO BE CREATIVE WITH OUR SOLUTIONS.
THERE ARE A LOT OF TOUGH CONVERSATIONS THAT HAPPENED BEHIND THE SCENES.
I COMMEND OUR CHIEFS TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNICATION TEAM.
THEY HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB WORKING COLLABORATIVELY WITH OUR FINANCE TEAM AND WORKING TO PREPARE FOR A PROPOSED PRESENTATION.
IT IS NOT JUST PRESENTING NUMBERS, BUT IT IS TELLING OUR STORY.
SO JUST THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNICATIONS TEAM FOR PREPARING ME AND HELPING ME TO ARTICULATE WHAT I AM GOING TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD TODAY.
THIS BUDGET -- I SAID THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
WE HAVE THIS HEALTH CRISIS WITH CORONAVIRUS AND COVID-19 THAT HAS FORCED US TO REIMAGINE EDUCATION.
WE'VE ALSO HAD THIS REEMERGENCE OF ISSUES SURROUNDING RACIAL INEQUITY ACROSS OUR COUNTRY.
WE MUST KEEP OUR EYE TOWARD THE FUTURE.
THIS BUDGET I BELIEVE ACCOMPLISHES BOTH.
IT WORKS TO ADDRESS THE UNCERTAINTY WE KNOW WE WILL FACE JULY 1 WHEN WE BEGIN OUR NEW FISCAL YEAR.
AND IT PROVIDES THE RESOURCES AND THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE OUR EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD.
I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE LESSONS WE HAVE LEARNED.
WE HAVE BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH OVER THIS PAST YEAR.
ONCE AGAIN I COMMEND MADAM CHAIR ANDERSON.
IT HAS BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR ALL OF US.
NONE OF US WERE PREPARED, THIS SCHOOL DIVISION AND SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO PIVOT TO VIRTUAL OVERNIGHT.
IT CAUSED US TO GROW CLOSER TOGETHER.
ONE THING THAT SURFACED IS ONE OF THE MAIN LESSONS THAT SURROUNDS ALL OF THE THINGS WE HAVE GONE THROUGH.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RECOVER FROM THIS LEARNING LOSS.
THERE IS LEARNING LOSS THAT IS HAPPENING FOR MANY OF OUR STUDENTS.
THERE ARE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS THAT ARE NOT BEING MET RIGHT NOW FOR SOME OF OUR STUDENTS.
I WANT TO COMMEND OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND SUPPORT TEAM FOR DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION EVEN IN THIS VIRTUAL PLUS WORLD.
OUR TEACHERS ARE PHENOMENAL AND PRINCIPALS.
I THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE HAD OUR INSTRUCTIONAL -- I'M SORRY.
OUR FACILITIES AND OPERATION TEAM AND SCHOOL NUTRITIONAL TEAM AND BUS DRIVERS DOING SCREENING AND CUSTODIANS DOING THE CLEANINGS AND OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE HAVE DONE AN ALL HANDS ON DECK APPROACH AND I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THAT.
IN ADDITION WE ARE SAYING WE ARE ANXIOUS TO GET BACK TO OUR BUILDINGS.
I KNOW THAT OUR STAFF IS ALSO SAYING WE ARE ANXIOUS TO GET BACK TO OUR BUILDINGS.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN ORDER FOR US TO GET BACK INTO THE BUILDINGS WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO KEEP SAFETY AND HEALTH AT THE FOREFRONT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ARE BEING INNOVATIVE WITH OUR APPROACH.
KNOWING THE STUDENTS -- YOU KNOW ONCE THE IN PERSON LEARNING WAS INTERRUPTED, WE HAVE TO KNOW IT IS GOING TO REQUIRE US FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS YEAR AND BEYOND TO COME UP WITH SOME RECOVERY STRATEGIES.
YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THAT PRESENTED TO YOU ALL TODAY.
I JUST HAVE A COUPLE MORE FINAL THINGS I WANT TO SAY BEFORE WE GET TO THE PRESENTATION.
THAT IS OUR BUDGET IS ALIGNED WITH OUR CONTINUOUS EFFORTS TO RECRUIT A HIGH QUALITY STAFF.
TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE AND TO RETAIN THE STAFF WE HAVE.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE ARE TRYING TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH CONTINUITY, BECAUSE WE KEEP SAYING CONTINUITY IS SO IMPORTANT AND HAVING A SENSE OF NORMALCY IS SO IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THIS HAS BEEN A TOUGH YEAR FOR OUR TEACHERS AND FOR OUR
[01:20:01]
LEADERS AND FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS.WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO HELP REIGNITE SOME EXCITEMENT ABOUT TEACHING, LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP IN OUR SCHOOLS.
WE ARE HOPING THIS FY22 BUDGET WILL AFFORD US THAT OPPORTUNITY AS WELL.
WE ARE NOTHING WITHOUT REIGNITING THEM.
I WILL FINALLY SAY THAT YOU'VE HEARD ME SAY THIS TIME AND TIME AGAIN THAT THIS PANDEMIC HAS NOT -- I MEAN IT HAS GIVEN US A LOT OF CHALLENGES, BUT IT HAS GIVEN US MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
ONE THING WE CANNOT DO IS WE CANNOT GO BACK TO HOW THINGS USED TO BE.
PRIOR TO MARCH 13TH, I AM JUST GONNA -- I WISH I HAD A BELL TO RING RIGHT NOW.
WE PUT THIS STRATEGIC PLAN IN PLACE BECAUSE WE WEREN'T GETTING IT RIGHT BEFORE MARCH 13TH.
WE HAVE NEVER HAD IT 100% RIGHT AT ACPS.
WE HAVEN'T HAD IT 100% RIGHT IN PUBLIC EDUCATION ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
LET'S USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REIMAGINE WHAT WE CAN DO IN OUR CLASSROOMS, TO REIMAGINE HOW WE CAN RECRUIT AND RETAIN AND IMAGINE AND IGNITE.
EVEN THOUGH THIS IS A LEAN BUDGET, WE UNDERSTAND THAT RACIAL EQUITY WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TO BE AT THE HEART OF OUR WORK.
I AM EXCITED TO SHARE THE DETAILS WITH YOU AND I AM OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE PLANS, AND I WANT US TO GET STARTED SO I CAN GET OFF MY OPENING REMARKS AND MY SOAPBOX RIGHT NOW.
LET'S GO INTO THE PRESENTATION.
FIRST AND FOREMOST I WANT US TO START WITH WHERE OUR COMMITMENT AND RESPONSIBILITIES LIE.
WE MADE A DECISION BACK IN JUNE OF 2020 TO SAY THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED A NEW MISSION, VISION AND CORE VALUES AT ACPS.
THIS IS OUR OPPORTUNITY OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO STAY TRUE TO WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WELL AS FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE ARE DOING TODAY REVOLVES AROUND THE COMMITMENT AND THE RESPONSIBILITY WE HAVE TAKEN AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, AS SUPERINTENDENTS, STAFF, AS A COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE TO ENSURE THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR STUDENTS ARE SUCCESSFUL IN WHATEVER THEY CHOOSE TO DO.
THIS IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT FOR US TO ALWAYS REMIND OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT.
THIS COURAGEOUS AND BOLD WORK IS FOR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR YOUNG PEOPLE.
THERE IS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF THE POPULATION WE SERVE IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.
I'M GONNA SAY THAT EVERY TIME I TALK ABOUT OUR STUDENT DEMOGRAPHICS.
PEOPLE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS BASED ON WHO WE ARE AS A CITY AS TO WHAT OUR SCHOOLS LOOK LIKE.
WE ARE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DIVERSE SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THIS COUNTRY.
THAT IS THE GREATEST ASSET FOR US AS A SCHOOL DIVISION, BUT IT ALSO BRINGS SOME CHALLENGES.
IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OVERCOMING THE OBSTACLES.
OUR STUDENTS FROM OVER 145 COUNTRIES AND SPEAKING OVER 132 LANGUAGES ARE COUNTING ON US.
NO NEED TO GO AND REHASH ALL OF OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES BECAUSE YOU OUGHT TO KNOW THESE VERY WELL.
ONE THING I WANT TO POINT OUT OR TO REMIND THE BOARD ABOUT AS WELL AS TO OUR COMMUNITY IS THE FACT THAT OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES ARE ALIGNED WITH ALL FIVE OF OUR STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS.
THE BOARD SPENT TIME THIS PAST FALL TO DEVELOP OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES.
THESE BUDGET PRIORITIES IN ADDITION TO WORKING WITH OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS WERE USED TO GUIDE OUR BUDGETING PROCESS AS WELL AS TO HELP US TO BALANCE THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE PREPARING FOR YOU AND PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY.
I THINK IT IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR US TO TALK ABOUT THE ACPS ACCREDITATION JOURNEY.
I KNOW IT IS NOT EVERYTHING, BUT IT IS A SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT FOR US.
WE HAVE TO LOOK OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS JUST IN 2019-2020 SCHOOL YEAR IS THE FIRST TIME 100% OF OUR SCHOOLS WERE ACCREDITED.
IT TOOK 20 YEARS TO GET TO 100%.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THIS IS OUR END ALL BE ALL, BUT THIS VALIDATES THE HARD WORK THAT OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS.
EVEN WHEN WE RECEIVED THIS RECOGNITION OF HAVING 100% OF OUR SCHOOLS ACCREDITED, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HONORED THE PREVIOUS SUPERINTENDENTS AND SCHOOL BOARD WHO MADE THE DECISION ON BEHALF OF YOUNG PEOPLE THAT ALSO IMPACTED THE SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENT.
I WISH I COULD SHARE IN EVERY ACCOLADE WE HAVE OUT THERE.
EVERY WEEK THERE IS SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF OR STUDENTS ARE DOING TO MAKE
[01:25:01]
SURE -- I'M SORRY, ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.STAFF AND STUDENTS ARE BEING RECOGNIZED.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DEMONSTRATING AND HIGHLIGHTING SOME OF THEIR ACCOLADES.
ONE THING THAT WE ARE VERY PROUD OF IS HAVING MORE THAN 84 NATIONALLY BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS AND COUNSELORS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DIVISION.
THAT'S AN INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE STAYING TRUE TO.
WE GOT THEM FROM THE VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION AND THE COUNCIL FOR THE ADVANCEMENT AND SUPPORT OF EDUCATION AND THE DONATION WE RECEIVED FROM AMAZON A FEW MONTHS AGO.
I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT OUR STAFF AND WHAT OUR STUDENTS DO BECAUSE THIS REALLY SHOWS HOW THE DOLLARS IN OUR FY22 BUDGET AND ANY BUDGET, HOW THEY DO HAVE AN IMPACT AND A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS.
SO AS YOU KNOW WE ARE BATTLING THIS DUAL PANDEMIC.
WE HAVE BEEN, I BELIEVE, FORWARD THINKING PRIOR TO GEORGE FLOYD AND BREONNA TAYLOR.
WE WERE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT HOW WE NEEDED TO DISMANTLE SYSTEMIC RACISM.
IT CAME TO FRUITION WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
AS MS. JOHNSON MENTIONED EARLIER, NOW IS OUR TIME TO SHOW SOME ACTION, RIGHT? WE HAVE IT IN WRITING.
WE UNDERSTAND AND ARE BATTLING THIS DUAL PANDEMIC.
NOW WE HAVE TO START PUTTING OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTHS ARE.
WE HAVE TO START SHOWING SOME ACTION.
WE ARE HOPING THAT IN OUR FY22 BUDGET THAT YOU WILL SEE SOME OF THE THINGS WE VALUE AS A SCHOOL DIVISION, AND SOME OF THE PRIORITIES WE HAVE SET ARE OUTLINED AND HIGHLIGHTED IN THIS FY22 BUDGET.
YOU KNOW WE ARE FISCAL STEWARDS.
WE TRY TO BE AS RESPONSIBLE AS WE CAN.
I MEET EVERY WEEK AND THE RELATIONSHIP IS GROWING STRONG.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMIND THE BOARD AND COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE THE REVENUE COMES FROM.
82% OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.
THAT IS A VERY IMPORTANT FACT FOR YOU TO KNOW.
17% IS FROM THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA.
THE IMPORTANCE OF KNOWING THIS IS WHEN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IS IMPACTED SUCH AS NOW.
WE ARE SEEING AN ECONOMIC DOWNTURN DURING THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
NOT EVERYONE IS HERE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE HISTORICAL SITES AND THE HOTELS AND THE RESTAURANTS THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER HERE IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA BECAUSE OF THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
THAT IN TURN DOES HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR REVENUE SOURCE.
WE HAD TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE ARE BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE THROUGHOUT DEVELOPING THIS FY22 BUDGET.
I JUST THINK IT IS IMPORTANT AND TELLING TO SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE IS FROM THE CITY.
SO WHEN THE CITY IS IMPACTED, WE MUST KNOW THAT WE ARE IMPACTED.
A PRIME EXAMPLE WAS WE WERE CELEBRATING LAST SPRING WITH OUR FY21 BUDGET.
WE HAD TO REVISIT OUR BUDGET AND MAKE SOME VERY DRASTIC CUTS TO OUR BUDGET.
IN REGARDS TO FREEZING COMPENSATION FOR STAFF AND PUTTING A FREEZE ON HIRING PROCEDURES AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT HOPEFULLY WE WON'T BE IN THAT SITUATION THIS SPRING AGAIN, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS STILL POTENTIALLY A POSSIBILITY THAT WE MAY HAVE TO REVISIT THIS BUDGET IN THE FUTURE.
I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WHEN THE CITY IS IMPACTED, WE ARE AS WELL.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE RECOVER.
OUR THEME TODAY IS ABOUT RECOVER, RETAIN AND REIGNITE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THIS PICTURE RIGHT HERE AND YOU CAN SEE, ONE, THIS IS FAMILIES PICKING UP THEIR TECHNOLOGY DEVICES.
YOU CAN SEE THE MASK AND YOU CAN SEE OUR STAFF THERE WORKING TO ASSIST FAMILIES.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RECOVER FROM THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
I MEAN, THIS HAS HAD SUCH AN IMPACT AND IT HAS TAKEN A TOLL NOT JUST ON STUDENTS AND FAMILIES, BUT ON OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
WE WANT THIS FY22 BUDGET TO REFLECT SOME OF THE STEPS WE ARE TAKING AND THE INITIATIVES WE ARE PUTTING IN PLACE TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR SUCCESS AS WE TRANSITION BACK TO SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY MOVING FORWARD.
SO I TALKED A LITTLE ABOUT OUR GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
I WANTED TO POINT SPECIFICALLY OUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITIES.
I'M SPEAKING TO THE CHOIR WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC LEARNING CHALLENGES THAT COVID-19 HAS AFFORDED OUR STUDENTS AS WELL AS OUR
[01:30:05]
STAFF MEMBERS.BECAUSE THOSE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL, ACADEMIC NEEDS HAVE BEEN IMPACTED, IT ALSO HAS AN IMPACT ON OUR STAFF AND OUR ABILITY AND IT IMPACTS TRANSPORTATION AND HEALTH SERVICES AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY.
THIS IS WHY THE SITUATION IS SO COMPLICATED IN REGARDS TO TRANSITIONING BACK INTO OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND TRYING TO HAVE WHAT WE USED TO HAVE PRIOR TO CLOSING OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
OUR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS ANOTHER COMPONENT THAT BRINGS CHALLENGES.
OUR TECHNOLOGY TEAM HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB.
THANK YOU TO DR. HOOVER AND OUR I.T.
STAFF WHO HAS BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THE DEVICES AND THE INTERNET ACCESS, BUT WE STILL HAVE TECHNOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE CHALLENGES, BROADBAND AND EVERYTHING ELSE, IN OUR CITY.
AND THEN THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN I JUST REFERRED TO.
WITH THESE CHALLENGES THERE ARE MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AND THAT WE PUT INTO CONSIDERATION WHILE DOCTORING THE BUDGET.
THAT'S REIMAGINING OUR EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND HOW WE DELIVER INSTRUCTION IN OUR CLASSROOMS AND EXPANDING OUR TECHNOLOGY WITHIN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
MAKING SURE THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS IMPROVED SO IT CAN ACCOMMODATE ALL OF THE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES.
ESPECIALLY THE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES WE HAVE PUT INTO OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS DUE TO THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
AND THEN FINALLY BEING MORE INNOVATIVE WITH THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
THERE WASN'T A TIME I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS IN THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION AT ONCE.
THROUGH ZOOM I NOW HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO BEFORE.
NOW WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH A LOT MORE PEOPLE AT ONE TIME WHEN WE ARE DOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
WE WANT TO USE THESE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HAVE COME TO, YOU KNOW, FRUITION THROUGH THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC BEYOND THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
I TALKED ABOUT OUR REIMAGINING COMPONENT.
ONE BIG AREA I DID DISCUSS THAT I THINK IS KEY IS OUR HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT AS WE ARE REIMAGINING EDUCATION.
YOU KNOW, JUST A YEAR AND A HALF AGO WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE EDUCATIONAL DESIGN TEAM.
WE WERE SPECIFICALLY KIND OF STRUGGLING WITH HOW DO WE EXPAND THE SATELLITE OPTION? HOW DO WE LOOK AT VIRTUAL COURSES FOR STUDENTS? AND THEN THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC HIT AND EVERYONE WENT VIRTUAL.
NOW WE REALIZED THAT IT IS POSSIBLE TO EXPAND VIRTUAL LEARNING.
WE NOW HAVE TAPPED INTO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS AND SOME OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS WHO EMBRACE THIS VIRTUAL LEARNING WORLD AND EXPERIENCE.
AND WE WILL NEED TO MAKE SURE WE USE THAT AS WE ARE REIMAGINING WHAT OUR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMING WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE.
OUR SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC LEARNING NEEDS.
I CAN'T STRESS THIS ENOUGH AND THAT'S WHY IT IS COMING UP AGAIN.
I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR SPECIAL ED AND HISPANIC MALES.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE MORE SUPPORT FOR SPED AND EL AND ESPECIALLY HISPANIC MALES.
WHEN WE COME BACK THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES TO THE CHALLENGES WE HAD PRIOR TO CLOSING OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
WE WANT TO BE PREPARED TO PROVIDE THOSE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS SO THAT WE ARE GIVING THEM THE BEST LEARNING ENVIRONMENT POSSIBLE.
THIS GOES BACK TO OUR JUST HIGHLIGHTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS BEYOND JUST OUR HISPANIC POPULATION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING THE NECESSARY RESOURCES FOR OUR FAMILIES.
ONE THING THAT WE ARE PUTTING IN THIS BUDGET IS INCREASING THE SUPPORT AND WE COULDN'T GET INTO THE FY21 BUDGET AND WE PUT IT INTO THE FY22 AND FOCUSING ON THE CUSTOMER RELATION MANAGEMENT SPECIALISTS.
ONE THING WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT WITH MS. NOLAN AND SHE TALKS ABOUT GOOD CUSTOMER RELATIONS FOR OUR FAMILIES.
AND SHE HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE I WAS HIRED.
WE ARE NOW SEEING IT COME TO FRUITION.
IF IT IS IN THE BUDGET WE KNOW IT CAN HAPPEN NOW.
IT IS NOT JUST LIP SERVICE AND DISCUSSION OF WORKING TOWARD THAT.
OUR MULTI LINGUAL HELP LINE, WE INCORPORATED THIS DURING OUR VIRTUAL PLUS LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
WE MAINTAINED IT AND WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO OFFER THIS BEYOND.
IT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL FOR MANY OF OUR FAMILIES WHO SPEAK ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE.
WE THINK THAT IT IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT KIND
[01:35:01]
OF CONNECTION WITH SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE FAMILIES WITHIN THE ALEXANDRIA PUBLIC CITY SCHOOLS.AS WE ARE RECOVERING WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE RETAINING HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF.
THIS IS FROM OUR LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE THAT WE USED TO HAVE EVERY SUMMER.
WE DIDN'T HAVE IT THIS PAST AUGUST.
WE DID HAVE IT, BUT IT WAS VIRTUAL.
IT WASN'T WHAT WE TYPICALLY DO.
I MISS SEEING YOU ALL IN PERSON, AND THIS IS WHERE WE WANT OUR STAFF TO BE.
WE WANT THEM TO BE COMING TOGETHER AND TO BE HAPPY AND TO COLLABORATE AND TO BE ABLE TO APPRECIATE ONE ANOTHER.
ONE THING WE HAVE DONE IN ACPS IS WE HAVE SEEN A PARADIGM SHIFT IN REGARDS TO OUR CULTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT ACPS IS A FAMILY.
WE JUST HAD -- YOU KNOW, WE HAD A SESSION WITH OUR ACPS LEADERS AND IT WAS AN ARE YOU OKAY MEETING.
WE BROKE OUT INTO THESE BREAKOUT SESSIONS AND HAD A COMMUNITY CIRCLE ABOUT SOME OF THE EVENTS FROM YESTERDAY.
THAT'S THE ATMOSPHERE WE WANT TO HAVE FOR OUR STAFF.
WE WANT THEM TO FEEL WELCOMED.
WE WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT THIS IS A SAFE SPACE FOR YOU TO SPEAK YOUR TRUTH, FOR YOU TO LEAN ON ONE ANOTHER.
THAT IS HOW WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO RETAIN THE HIGHEST QUALITY STAFF MEMBERS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION I WANT TO TALK ABOUT NEXT.
EVERYONE, I HAD TO PUT THE HOLLYWOOD PICTURE ON HERE.
I COULDN'T PUT A-LIST ACTORS BECAUSE IT WOULD VIOLATE SOME OF THE COPYRIGHT LAWS.
SO I PUT A PICTURE UP OF HOLLYWOOD.
LOOK AT WHAT WE VALUE IN AMERICA, RIGHT? OUR A-LIST HOLLYWOOD ACTORS, THEY ARE MAKING HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
THAT'S THEIR AVERAGE SALARIES, RIGHT? ALMOST A QUARTER OF OUR FULL BUDGET.
THAT'S JUST THEIR SALARY FOR A MOVIE.
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO VALUE AND TO APPRECIATE AND TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF BECAUSE HONESTLY THEY ARE THE REAL SUPERSTARS IN THIS.
YOU THINK OF HAVING TO PIVOT FROM BRICK AND MORTAR TO VIRTUAL OVERNIGHT AND HAVING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO RETEACH AND RELEARN HOW TO TEACH AND REFINE YOUR TEACHING PRACTICES AND RELEARN HOW TO CLEAN OUR BUILDINGS AND RELEARN HOW TO DO SCREENERS.
WE DIDN'T HAVE SCREENING SESSIONS AND TEMPERATURE CHECKS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
RELEARN HOW TO DO BREAKOUT SESSIONS ON ZOOM.
OUR REAL SUPERSTARS ARE OUR ACPS STAFF.
I HOPE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE TRULY VALUE, APPRECIATE AND WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEM.
AND EVEN MORE AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.
WE CAN'T GO BACK TO HOW THINGS USED TO BE.
THIS IS OUR BEGINNING, AND WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT COMPENSATION.
WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS COMMITMENT TO A COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION PACKAGE FOR OUR STAFF.
HERE IS THE AVERAGE SALARY OF A TEACHER.
THIS CAME OUT OF THE WAVY REPORT.
BEYOND OUR TEACHERS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION FOR ALL STAFF.
IN ORDER TO DO THAT, EACH YEAR WE ARE DEDICATING OUR TIME AND OUR FUNDING TO MAKING SURE WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION STUDY CONDUCTED BY A THIRD PARTY.
THAT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COMPETITIVE COMPENSATION NOT ONLY TO OUR TEACHING STAFF, BUT TO ALL OF OUR STAFF.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT OUR DIFFERENT EMPLOYEE GROUPS AND COME UP WITH STRATEGIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THEM WITH THE BEST COMPENSATION THAT WE POSSIBLY CAN.
IN THE FY22 BUDGET YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR A STEP INCREASE FOR ALL OF OUR ELIGIBLE STAFF MEMBERS FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE DUE TO BEING AT THE TOP OF THE SCALE OR AT A HOME STEP THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE A 1% ONE-TIME PAYMENT SO EVERYONE CAN WALK AWAY WITH SOMETHING.
WE WANT EVERYBODY TO GET SOME KIND OF COMPENSATION.
WE ARE WORKING HARD THESE PAST FEW MONTHS.
WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE THE STEP INCREASE LAST YEAR FOR THIS FY21 BUDGET.
IT WILL BEHOOVE US TO MAKE SURE WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING THIS MOVING FORWARD.
OUR PROFESSIONAL -- NOT PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.
VALUING OUR STAFF, THIS IS AN OVERVIEW, A QUICK OVERVIEW, TO GIVE YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF 86% OF OUR COMBINED-FUNDS BUDGET IS PERSONNEL.
THAT IS SHOWING YOU THAT WE VALUE OUR STAFF AND THAT'S WHY IT IS IMPORTANT FOR US TO SHOW THE BOARD OR REMIND THE BOARD, NOT NECESSARILY SHOW THE BOARD, BUT TO SHOW OUR COMMUNITY THAT THE MONEY IS WHAT WE VALUE AND THE PERSONNEL WE VALUE.
[01:40:16]
WE HAVE TO KEEP HAVING COMPETITIVE SALARIES.WE WANT THE PLATINUM HEALTH CARE PLANS FOR OUR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF AND THE DEFINED BENEFIT RETIREMENT PLANS THAT THEY HAVE AS OPTIONS RIGHT NOW.
THESE ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT WE DO GENUINELY CARE AND VALUE AND APPRECIATE AND SUPPORT THEM.
BEYOND THE FUNDING THERE ARE OTHER THINGS WE CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE VALUING AND SUPPORTING OUR STAFF.
WE WANT TO COMMIT TO PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND PERSONAL GROWTH.
WE HAVE MANY LEADERS, AND I SAY OUR LEADERS ARE NOT JUST PRINCIPALS AND DIRECTORS AND CHIEFS AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS.
ANYONE WHO WORKS IN ACPS IS A LEADER.
WE WANT THEM ALL TO POSSESS VISION, INTEGRITY AND PASSION AND TO ME THAT DEMONSTRATES LEADERSHIP.
ONE THING WE HEARD FROM OUR STAFF IS THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED TO THEM, BUT THE QUALITY, THEY WANT TO MAKE SURE THERE IS QUALITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND NOT JUST A PLETHORA OF OPTIONS.
WE WANT QUALITY PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT FOCUS ON EQUITY AND REALL -- REALLY ENHANCE THE PROFESSIONAL CAPACITY OF OUR STAFF.
WE WANT TO CONTINUE WITH OUR GROW A TEACHER PROGRAM.
MANY INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM AND ARE NOW TEACHERS AT ACPS AND MAKING SURE THERE ARE EXECUTIVE COACHES FOR OUR LEADERS.
I EVEN HAVE AN EXECUTIVE COACH AS A SUPERINTENDENT.
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR ANY LEADER TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE COACH WHO IS SOMEBODY YOU CAN HAVE AS A THOUGHT PARTNER AND SPEAK TO ABOUT CHALLENGES YOU MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK WITH IN A NON-EVALUATIVE WAY.
FINALLY I WANT TO TALK ABOUT REIGNITING OUR COMMUNITY.
HOW DO WE REIGNITE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF? I LOOK AT THIS PICTURE AND KIDS CAN'T EVEN TAKE A PICTURE LIKE THIS TODAY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT OUR STAFF AND OUR STUDENTS, THEY ARE AT A PLACE, MANY OF THEM, ARE AT A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE HURTING.
THEY ARE AT A PLACE WHERE THEY ARE SECOND GUESSING.
IS TEACHING WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO? IS LEARNING WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO? IS LEADING WHAT I AM SUPPOSED TO DO? OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE REIGNITING THE FIRE.
WE WANT TO SEE THAT WE ARE STILL LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT WE WILL ACCOMPLISH AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.
WE STILL BELIEVE IN OUR MISSION AND VISION AND CORE VALUES AND BELIEVE IN CHILDREN.
AS WE TALK ABOUT OUR REIGNITE, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT OUR PASSION AND REIGNITING THE DESIRE TO TEACH, LEARN AND LEAD.
ONE THING I AM SO PROUD OF -- MANY THINGS I AM PROUD OF, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I AM RECENTLY PROUD OF IS THE FACT THAT THE BOARD HAS APPROVED THE RENAMING OF TC WILLIAMS AND MATTHEW MAURY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
IT IS A SYMBOLIC ACT, BUT IT IS SHOWING ACTION.
IT SAYS WE WILL NOT ALLOW FOR A HIGH SCHOOL TO BE NAMED AFTER A SEGREGATIONIST AND A BIGOT.
WE WILL NOT ALLOW FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO BE NAMED AFTER A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER.
WE WILL PUT THE FUNDING INTO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RENAMING PROCESS COMES TO FRUITION, AND THAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENS.
THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO ENSURE OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE HAVE FLEXIBLE SCHEDULES SO THEY CAN DO JOB THAT'S ARE PAID AND INTERNSHIPS AND WORK-BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES OUTSIDE OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS, ESPECIALLY WITH SOME OF OUR HISPANIC MALE AND HISPANIC FAMILIES.
MANY OF THEM ARE DROPPING OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING FORCED TO HAVE TO WORK OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL.
WE WANT TO SET UP A SYSTEM WHERE WE CAN DO THAT FOR THEM.
WE HAVE GREAT PARTNERSHIPS ALREADY AND WE NEED TO EXPAND THAT AND HAVE A VERY -- SOLIDIFY A PROCESS FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TAKE ON THESE EMPLOYMENT AND INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
ANOTHER MAJOR FOCUS IS THE SUMMER LEARNING THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN PLACE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS SO THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE WE ARE ADDRESSING THE ACADEMIC LOSS THAT IS HAPPENING.
LESSONS LEARNED FROM LAST YEAR.
[01:45:02]
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT MOVING FORWARD.THESE ARE PART OF OUR BUDGET MOVING FORWARD.
HAVING SOME FORM OF SUMMER LEARNING FOR ALL STUDENTS AT NO CHARGE SO THAT WE CAN ASSIST WITH SOME OF THE ACADEMIC LOSS THAT IS HAPPENING.
AND THEN FINALLY JUST REIGNITING OUR FASHION FOR LIFE LONG LEARNING.
AS WE DO THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ON RACIAL EQUITY, WE ALSO WILL HAVE TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING ON THE LEARNING LOSS RECOVERY.
THAT IS GOING TO BE A DIFFERENT WAY OF TRYING TO ENGAGE OUR STUDENTS AND MAKE UP FOR TIME THAT HAS BEEN MISSED.
EVEN THROUGH THE VIRTUAL WORLD IT IS JUST NOT WORKING WITH SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL SUPPORTS WE ARE PUTTING OUT THERE FOR THEM OR SHARING WITH THEM.
AND WE ALSO WANT TO EXPAND OUR GRADUATE PROGRAM COHORT.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE COHORTS FOREMASTERS PROGRAMS -- FOR MASTERS PROGRAMS AND COHORTS FOR THE PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM.
WE ARE EXPANDING A PROGRAM THAT IS ALIGNED WITH THE ACPS STRATEGIC PLANNING GOALS FOR LEADERS IN ACPS.
IT IS ALL ABOUT HOW DO YOU GROW YOUR OWN? HOW DO WE REALLY GENERATE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE THE EPITOME OF LIFE LONG LEARNING.
GETTING A TERMINAL DEGREE IS WORKING WITH THE HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO MAKE THIS INNOVATIVE APPROACH HAPPEN.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
WE WANT TO CUSTOMIZE OUR DOCTORAL PROGRAMS SO IT IS MEETING WHAT WE NEED IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND COUPLING IT OF COURSE WITH THE MISSION AND THE VISION OF A HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTION.
YOU ARE GOING TO GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THIS IN THE FUTURE.
THIS IS PART OF THE FY22 PLAN.
I AM GOING TO CONCLUDE BY SAYING OUR WHOLE THEME IS ABOUT RECOVER.
IT IS ABOUT RETAINING AND IT IS ABOUT REIGNITE.
WE HAVE RECOVER AS I STATED EARLIER FROM THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND REAL THE DUAL PANDEMIC WE ARE GOING THROUGH AND MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE ADDRESSING THE LEARNING LOSS AND THE SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED MOVING FORWARD.
THAT WE ARE RETAINING AND RECRUITING HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATORS AND STAFF MEMBERS WITHIN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SO WE CAN ENSURE WE ARE PROVIDING THE BEST LEARNING EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE FOR ACPS STUDENTS.
AND WE ARE REIGNITING THE DESIRE TO WANT TO TEACH, LEARN AND LEAD IN ACPS.
THIS IS DEFINITELY AN AREA THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO STAY TRUE TO BEING THAT EVERYONE IS COMING OUT OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
SOME WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MEET SOME ADDITIONAL NEEDS TO GET THEM TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
SO THIS IS JUST A CALL TO ACTION FOR THE BOARD.
THIS IS THE OUTLINE OF ALL OF THE IMPORTANT DATES THAT ARE COMING FORWARD.
I AM GOING TO POINT OUT THE MOST IMPORTANT DATE NEXT WEEK WHICH IS GOING TO BE OUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO A DEEPER DIVE INTO COMPENSATION AND OUR BENEFITS PACKAGE SO WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS AROUND THAT.
AND THEN WE WILL GO THROUGH A SERIES OF AN ADDITIONAL WORK SESSION AND ADD DELETE PROCESS AND CO-SPONSOR SHIP.
THIS WILL GO ON TO THE CITY WHERE THEY WILL GO THROUGH THEIR PROCESS FROM MARCH THROUGH LATE APRIL WITH THE GOAL OF US ADOPTING OUR APPROVED COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET AND THE CIP BUDGET ON JUNE 3RD OF 2021 WHICH SEEMS SO FAR, BUT IT IS VERY CLOSE.
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT DAY, AND I HOPE WE WON'T HAVE TO REVISIT IN THE FUTURE OUR BUDGET LIKE WE DID LAST YEAR WITH SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAD TO DO WITH REVISIONS BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMIC DOWNTURN.
AS MADAM CHAIR STATED EARLIER, THIS IS FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.
I KNOW IT WAS A LOT TO SHARE ALL AT ONCE TO PUT IT IN A NUTSHELL.
IT IS VERY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET BOOKS.
THERE IS A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE.
I DO AGAIN WANT TO THANK DOMINIC TURNER, OUR CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER AND MR. ROBERT EASLEY WITH BUDGET AND FINANCE SYSTEMS FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THEY HAVE PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE PROCESS AS WELL AS THE TEAM WHO SUPPORTS ME TO PREPARE FOR THIS PROPOSED BUDGET.
THAT CONCLUDES THE FY22 COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET.
[01:50:01]
THE BINDERS THAT THE -- THE DOCUMENTS WILL BE UP LOADED AT THE END OF THE MEETING.BINDERS WILL BE DELIVERED TO BOARD MEMBERS IN THE MORNING.
JUST A REMINDER THAT WE ARE NOT TAKING BUDGET QUESTIONS AT THIS MEETING.
I THINK THOSE ARE THE THREE KEY THINGS TO END WITH.
MR. SUAREZ, YOU HAVE YOUR HAND UP.
DO YOU HAVE A COMMENT? DO YOU NEED MORE INFORMATION OR DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?
>> I THINK THE QUESTION, BECAUSE IT IS NOT SPECIFIC TO WHAT IS IN THE BUDGET, BUT IF IT IS NOT IN ORDER WE CAN PUNT IT.
BASICALLY MY QUESTION IS THAT OBVIOUSLY IT HAS BEEN A VERY BUSY WEEK IN THE NATIONAL NEWS, AND OBVIOUSLY WE LEARNED THAT THE UNITED STATES SENATE IS GOING TO CHANGE THE MAJORITY, AND THE NEW MAJORITY LEADER SCHUMER SAID SOMETHING TO THE EFFECT OF STAY TUNED, THAT SOME THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN.
I THINK ONE OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF THAT IS GOING TO BE A LOT MORE FEDERAL MONIES MAY BE COMING DOWN THE PIPES.
IT MAY HAVE BEEN INITIALLY PROJECTED IN THE BINDERS AND THE BOARDS TO BE RECEIVING SHORTLY.
I GUESS THE QUESTION IS ARE WE GOING TO START LOOKING INTO THAT AND THINK ABOUT WHAT ADDITIONAL ITEMS WE MIGHT WANT IN OUR BUDGET SHOULD A HUGE INFLUX OF CASH COME IN? I THINK THIS IS A UNIQUE SITUATION WHERE THERE MAY BE A HUGE ADDITIONAL POT OF MONEY THAT MAY COME INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE COUNTRY POTENTIALLY DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS.
SO WE ARE FOCUSED MAINLY ON OUR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC LEARNING SUPPORTS.
THAT IS DEFINITELY WHERE IF WE GOT ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDS WHERE THE FUNDS WOULD GO TOWARDS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE STILL WORKING -- THAT'S WHY WE PUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT IN THE FY22 BUDGET FOR THAT.
WE ARE STILL WORKING TOWARD THE SPECIFIC NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS.
BEING THAT WE ARE ONLY HALFWAY THROUGH THIS SCHOOL YEAR RIGHT NOW, WE ARE MAKING SOME INFERENCES TO WHAT WE WILL NEED, BUT MOST LIKELY THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL NEEDS AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING WILL BE ALLOCATED AS WELL AS THE TECHNOLOGY COMPONENT.
THAT'S PROBABLY THE MOST EXPENSIVE BUCKETS THAT WE HAVE IN THE FY22 BUDGET.
THE TECHNOLOGY PIECE AND THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC LEARNING COMPONENT.
BUT THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GET TO THE SUPERINTENDENT -- I CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS AND ADJUSTMENTS.
THERE IS A PROCESS TO DO THAT IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS.
AS NEW INFORMATION MAY COME IN, AND THIS HAS HAPPENED IN THE PAST BEFORE TOO, WHERE WE IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND WE BRING IT TO THE BOARD WITH THE RECOMMENDATION ON HOW THOSE FUNDS COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED OR INCORPORATED.
SO WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON IN THE AGENDA.
AGAIN, LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR BIG BUDGET BINDER COMING TOMORROW.
I'M SURE YOU WILL BE THRILLED AND EXCITED.
WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE.
THIS WAS THE INFO THAT WE ADDED DURING THE ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
I WANTED TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH JUST A QUICK UPDATE ABOUT OUR TRANSITION, AS WE TRANSITION TO IN PERSON LEARNING.
RIGHT NOW THE TIMELINE IS TO START TO TRANSITION STUDENTS AS SOON AS JANUARY 19TH.
ONE THING BEFORE I GO INTO THIS PRESENTATION I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO SHARE IS NOW THE EDUCATORS AND K-12 STAFF HAVE BEEN PLACED IN THE 1B GROUP FOR VACCINATIONS.
THAT'S AN IMPORTANT FACT FOR US BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WE WILL BE THE NEXT GROUP TO BE ABLE TO GET THE ACTUAL VACCINATION DONE.
NOBODY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA HAS DATES.
IT IS NOT JUST AN ALEXANDRIA THING.
THEY ARE STILL WORKING THROUGH WHEN VACCINATIONS ARE GONNA ARRIVE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THERE IS STILL A FOCUS RIGHT NOW ON OUR HEALTH PROFESSIONALS.
AS SOON AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, YOU ALL WILL RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION.
WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW IS DEVELOPING OUR DATABASE TO SHARE WITH THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
SO WHEN VACCINATIONS ARE AVAILABLE THAT WE HAVE ALL OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS
[01:55:03]
INFORMATION FROM NAMES TO CONTACT INFORMATION SO THAT THEY CAN BEGIN TO RECEIVE THE APPROPRIATE CONTACTS WHEN IT IS TIME TO RECEIVE THE VACCINATION.THAT'S HOW PEOPLE ARE INFORMED ABOUT THE VACCINATIONS.
WE WILL PROVIDE ANOTHER UPDATE FOR YOU ALL.
THIS IS REALLY NEW INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT TODAY THAT OUR TEAM IS WORKING THROUGH.
WE WILL SHARE AND UPDATE THROUGH THE BOARD ABOUT THAT.
ALSO THE GOVERNOR HOPEFULLY AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE MAY BE SHARING SOME NEW OR REVISED DECISION MATRIX FOR OPENING SCHOOLS IN THE FUTURE.
I DON'T KNOW A TENTATIVE DATE FOR THAT.
I JUST KNOW IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE WILL GET SOME MORE INFORMATION.
JUST KNOW WE WILL MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AS NEW INFORMATION ARRIVES IN ACPS.
SO CAN YOU BRING UP THE POWER POINT PRESENTATION? I DO HAVE A FEW SLIDES I WANTED TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD.
I WANTED TO REVISIT THE TIMELINE FOR THE PHASED RE-ENTRY.
YOU CAN SEE THERE ARE THREE ADDITIONAL COLUMNS WE HAVE ADDED HERE FOR YOU ALL.
I WANTED TO JUST GO OVER WHAT THOSE THREE ADDITIONAL COLUMNS ARE.
YOU ARE ALREADY FAMILIAR WITH THE PHASED RE-ENTRY DATE.
YOU CAN SEE THAT AS THE FOURTH COLUMN FROM THE LEFT.
YOU CAN SEE THE FIRST GROUP IS JANUARY 19TH.
THIS IS THE K-SECOND GRADE CITY WIDE EDUCATION GROUP WHO ARE PLANNING TO RETURN.
FAMILIES WHO HAVE OPTED TO BE IN THE HYBRID APPROACH.
WE WILL MAKE SURE ON JANUARY 6TH WE ARE CONFIRMING AND UPDATING STAFF AVAILABILITY.
SO REACHING OUT TO OUR STAFF MEMBERS.
WHAT WE ARE DOING -- OUR STAFF MEMBERS HAVE COMPLETED THEIR INTENT TO RETURN FORMS BACK IN NOVEMBER.
WHAT THEY ARE DOING AT THIS POINT IS SHARING WITH STAFF MEMBERS THE ROSTERS FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS SO THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE HOW MANY STUDENTS HAVE SELECTED THE HYBRID ON THEIR ROSTER AND ALSO ASKING THEM IF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED IN REGARDS TO THEIR MEDICAL CONDITION OR HOUSEHOLD MEDICAL CONDITION OR CHILD CARE ISSUES OR NEEDS OR THEY MAY HAVE HAD A BIRTHDAY AND NOW THEY ARE 65 OR OLDER IN THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS OR EXPERIENCING SOME TYPE OF FEAR OR ANXIETY.
IF THEY ARE EXPERIENCING FEAR AND ANXIETY, WE WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT THAT IS SO WE CAN HELP MITIGATE THE FEAR AND ANXIETY.
WE ARE ASKING IF ANYTHING HAS CHANGED FROM THE TIME THEY HAD BEEN -- FROM THE LAST TIME THEY COMPLETED THEIR INTENT TO RETURN FORM.
IF THERE ARE FEARS OR ANXIETIES WE CAN MITIGATE.
AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE SENDING OUT SCHEDULES OR THE HYBRID SCHEDULE TO ALL OF OUR FAMILIES WHO SELECTED THE HYBRID OPTION TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THEIR SCHEDULED TIME TO START.
FOR EXAMPLE -- NOW, OF COURSE WE ARE NOT EXACTLY TWO WEEKS BEFORE JANUARY 19TH BECAUSE WE HAD JUST RETURNED ON MONDAY.
YOU CAN SEE FOR JANUARY 19TH THE SCHEDULE WILL COME OUT TOMORROW WHICH IS JANUARY 8TH.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES THAT SELECTED THE HYBRID OPTION THAT THEY ARE AWARE THAT YOU SELECTED THE HYBRID OPTION AND THESE ARE THE DAYS THAT YOU ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND.
REMEMBER THEY ARE EITHER GOING TO COME ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH THE HYBRID.
SO WE WANT FAMILIES TO KNOW THE DAYS THAT THEIR CHILDREN WILL ATTEND THE HYBRID.
AND THEN WE WANT TO SHARE WITH THEM WHETHER THE TEACHER STATUS IS IN PERSON OR VIRTUAL.
WE THINK THAT IS A KEY FACTOR AND MANY FAMILIES HAVE ASKED ABOUT IT.
IS MY TEACHER VIRTUAL? IS MY TEACHER IN PERSON? THAT GIVES ALL OF THOSE HYBRID FAMILIES AN OPPORTUNITY SO WE WILL OPEN THE POWER SCHOOLS.
THEY WILL HAVE POWER SCHOOLS OPEN TO THEM AGAIN.
SOME PEOPLE MAY OPT TO CHANGE THEIR HYBRID OPTION.
THEY MAY SAY I NO LONGER WANT TO BE HYBRID BECAUSE MY TEACHER IS NOT IN PERSON, OR I MAY NOT WANT TO BE HYBRID NOW BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THIS NEW STRAIN OF THE CORONAVIRUS THAT IS NOW IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
OR I NOW DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH MY CHILD GOING BACK TO SCHOOL FOR WHATEVER REASON.
IT GIVES FAMILIES WHO HAD INITIALLY SELECTED THE HYBRID OPTION TO MAKE A CHANGE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT THEY RECEIVED.
THEN A WEEK BEFORE A TRANSITION OCCURS ON A WEEKLY BASES, SO STARTING ON MONDAY, WE WILL BE PROVIDING A COMMUNICATION OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY REGARDING OUR
[02:00:07]
DECISION.WE ARE USING OUR DIVISION MATRIX I WILL SHARE WITH YOU NEXT SO YOU CAN GET AN IDEA OF HOW OR THE COMMUNITY MAY HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW OUR DECISIONS ARE MADE AND A WEEK PRIOR TO ANY TRANSITION PEOPLE ARE INFORMED SO WE ARE NOT IN A SITUATION WHERE A CHANGE HAS OCCURRED AND IT IS THE DATE BEFORE YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO ARRIVE.
IT GIVES UH WEEK'S NOTICE IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT MIGHT CHANGE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE A MONDAY -- EVERY MONDAY NOW MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S OUR DECISION DAY TO REALLY INFORM THE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHERE WE STAND.
THAT'S GOING TO GO OUT AS A VIDEO EACH MONDAY.
IT WILL BE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES FOR ALL OF OUR FAMILIES.
THAT INFORMATION WILL GO OUT ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
YOU CAN SEE THE SAME PATTERN FOR EACH OF THE TRANSITION GROUPS.
YOU WILL SEE THE SAME PATTERN WITH THE TRANSITION GROUP ON JANUARY 26TH.
AND THE SAME PATTERN WITH THE TRANSITION GROUP ON THE -- SO THERE WILL BE A WEEK'S NOTICE FOR THE DECISION ON WHETHER WE ARE PROCEEDING WITH OPENING OR NOT BASED ON THE DECISION MATRIX.
THAT'S THE PROTOCOL WE WILL BE USING MOVING FORWARD.
I WANT TO SHARE SPECIFICALLY WHAT OUR DECISION MATRIX LOOKS LIKE.
YOU CAN CLICK THROUGH BECAUSE I WANT TO GET TO THE MAJOR COMPONENTS WE ARE USING.
YOU ARE LOOKING AT NEW CASES PER 100,000.
DR. HERON COMES TO SHARE THE INFORMATION WITH US EVERY MEETING.
HE COMES TO SHARE WHAT LEVEL WE ARE IN AS FAR AS COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
AND THEN YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH US HAVING THE KEY MITIGATION STRATEGIES IN PLACE.
FOR EXAMPLE, PPE, SOCIAL DISTANCING, FACE COVERINGS, ALL OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE MEET WITH YOU ALL.
I AM SHARING THIS BECAUSE ALL OF THE INFORMATION WE HAVE USED TO DEVELOP OUR DECISION MATRIX I WILL SHARE WITH YOU IN A MINUTE, ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN USING OVER THE PAST COUPLE MONTHS COMES FROM THE BDH AND COMES FROM THE CDC.
WE HAVE JUST TAKEN IT AND CREATED AN ACTUAL MATRIX WITH THAT INFORMATION TO HOPEFULLY MAKE IT MORE USER FRIENDLY FOR OUR COMMUNITY SO THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND HOW WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS ABOUT REOPENING AND NOT HAVING TO HAVE A COMPLICATED DISCUSSION OR GO AND LOOK AT MULTIPLE RESOURCES.
WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE IT USER FRIENDLY.
I WILL SHOW YOU HOW USER FRIENDLY IT IS WHEN I SHOW YOU.
THIS IS JUST GOING OVER WHAT I JUST SAID.
THESE ARE IN A NUTSHELL AS TO WHAT DR. HERING REFERS TO AT EACH OF OUR MEETINGS.
SPECIFICALLY HE IS TALKING ABOUT OUR NUMBER OF NEW INFECTIOUS PER 100,000 POPULATION OVER 14 DAYS.
AND THEN HE TALKS ABOUT A POSITIVITY RATE WHICH IS THE NUMBER OF NEW POSITIVE TESTS OVER A SEVEN-DAY AVERAGE THIS IS A METRIC WE WILL BE USING AND WE HAVE BEEN USING.
THIS GIVES YOU AN IDEA HOW IT WORKS MOVING FORWARD WITH A MODERATE RISK LEVEL AND THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL.
YOU ALSO LOOK AT SECONDARY KIND OF CRITERIA AS WELL WHICH HE ALWAYS SHARES WITH US.
SPECIFICALLY THERE IS A SCHOOL IMPACT THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT AND I WILL TALK A LITTLE ABOUT THE SCHOOL IMPACT COMPONENT TOO IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO OUR LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT IS BASED ON THREE PARTICULAR AREAS OR THREE PARTICULAR LEVELS.
WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT STAFFING AND WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BUILDING CAPACITY AS BEING CONSTRAINTS FOR US REOPENING.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS AT LEVELS A NORMAL LEVEL IS HAVING BETWEEN 75 AND 100% OF OUR STAFF.
THAT'S A TYPICAL LEVEL THAT WE ARE 75 TO 100% OF OUR STAFF.
THAT MEANS WE CAN OPERATE NORMALLY.
EVERYBODY CAN BE AT SCHOOL AT ONE TIME.
EVERYTHING WORKS AS IT DID PRIOR TO MARCH 13TH.
I AM PRAYING THAT ONE DAY WE WILL BE AT THAT POINT, MEANING NORMAL.
[02:05:04]
WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS AT A STRAINED LEVEL.WE HAVE BETWEEN 50 AND 75% OF OUR STAFF AT OUR CAPACITY.
IT ALLOWS FOR AN INNOVATIVE APPROACH WHETHER IT IS A HYBRID OR MODIFIED HYBRID SCHEDULE DEPENDING ON THE COMMUNITY HEALTH METRICS.
AND IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE A HYBRID LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR OUR STUDENTS, BUT NOT A NORMAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
AND THEN CRITICAL IS THE THIRD LEVEL WHICH WE HAVEN'T GOT TO THIS LEVEL YET.
IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE AS AN ORGANIZATION.
WE ARE NOT THERE AT THAT POINT THANKFULLY.
GETTING TO THE CRITICAL LEVEL COULD HAVE SIGNIFICANT -- A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IN REGARDS TO REOPENING OUR SCHOOLS.
THE STAFFING AND THE CAPACITY LEVEL, NOT ONLY DOES IT HAVE SOME IMPACT ON US MITIGATING SOME OF THE HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES, BUT IT ALSO IMPACTS FACILITIES AND IT IMPACTS HEALTH SERVICES AND SCHOOL AND NUTRITIONAL SERVICES AND DELIVERY AND TRANSPORTATION.
STAFFING WILL IMPACT ALL OF THOSE AREAS WHICH WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON HOW WE OPERATE.
THIS IS HOW WE PUT THE LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT REOPENING OUR SCHOOLS.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE DOCUMENT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.
I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH HOW TO -- FIRST AND FOREMOST I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT IS COMPLICATED TO TRY TO GET ALL OF THESE DOCUMENTS INTO ONE THING, RIGHT? WE WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
THANK YOU, DR. HERRING, FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
HE WORKED WITH US OVER THE BREAK TO FINALIZE ALL OF THIS AND WE APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU CAN SEE THE TWO MAJOR FEATURES WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR REOPENING ARE THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND THE LEVELS OF SCHOOL IMPACT.
THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, THAT IS WHEN DR. HERRING IS SHARING THE PER 100,000 CASES AND THE POSITIVITY RATE AND HE SAYS IT IS EITHER GREEN, YELLOW, ORANGE, RED, THOSE COLORS.
THIS IS WHERE HIS HEALTH PERSPECTIVE OR EXPERTISE COMES INTO PLAY FOR OUR DECISIONS.
AND THEN ON OUR END WE HAVE THE LEVELS OF OUR SCHOOL IMPACT THAT COME INTO PLAY WHICH IS NORMAL IS 100 TO 75% STAFFING AND CAPACITY.
STRAINED IS 50 TO 75% STAFFING AND CAPACITY.
CRITICAL IS UNDER 50% STAFFING AND CAPACITY.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE WILL MAKE A DECISION.
IF I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY.
I AM MAKING THE DECISION TODAY ABOUT WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO OPEN OR NOT.
WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL IN REGARDS TO OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
AS OF TODAY WE ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE METRICS THAT GET US TO THE HIGHEST.
HE IS LOOKING AT THE PER 100,000 AND LOOKING AT THE POSITIVITY RATE AND IN SOME CASES LOOKS AT THE SECONDARY INDICATORS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL.
WE ARE ALSO AT A STRAINED LEVEL IN REGARDS TO OUR SCHOOL IMPACT.
WE KNOW WE ARE AT ABOUT 50 TO 75% STAFFING AND BUILDING CAPACITY.
IF WE ARE AT A STRAINED LEVEL AND AT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL OUR DECISION IS GOING TO BE WHERE? ANYBODY?
IF WE ARE AT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL AND THE STRAINED LEVEL -- >> 100% VIRTUAL.
YOU MADE MY DECISION, MS. NOLAN.
YOU JUST MADE THE DECISION FOR DR. HUTCHINGS.
WE ARE AT A STRAINED LEVEL MEANING 50 TO 75% STAFFING AND CAPACITY AND WE ARE STILL AT A STRAINED LEVEL.
WE ARE BEEN AT THE STRAINED LEVEL SINCE WE HAVE DONE OUR DATA.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE, BUT THE HIGHEST RISK LEVEL.
WE ARE 100% VIRTUAL IF I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY.
I AM GOING TO BE DOING THIS ACTIVITY EVERY MONDAY TO LET OUR COMMUNITY KNOW WHERE WE ARE BASED ON OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND OUR SCHOOL IMPACT.
SO THEN PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND OUR DECISION MAKING.
WE ALSO HAVE LINKS TO THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT -- I KNOW PEOPLE WANT TO DIG
[02:10:01]
DEEPER TO SEE WHAT SPECIFICALLY FALLS UNDER THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION AND HOW THEY COME UP WITH THE HIGHEST RISK.THESE ARE DOCUMENTS WE ALREADY SHARED WITH THE COMMUNITY, BUT WE WILL HAVE LINKS TO THEM.
THEY HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE SINCE JULY.
WE HAVE BEEN USING THIS OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITH OUR DECISION MAKING.
AND NOW WE HAVE A BETTER IDEA OF THE SCHOOL IMPACTS AS WE HAVE DONE THE SURVEY.
I WANT TO SHARE ANOTHER QUICK DATA POINT WITH THE BOARD.
THIS IS ABOUT THE FAMILY CHOICE FORMS. THESE WENT OUT RIGHT -- THEY ENDED THE DAY THAT OUR WINTER BREAK STARTED, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SHARED WITH THE BOARD.
THIS IS GOING TO BE SHARED OUT WITH THE COMMUNITY TOMORROW.
TOMORROW WE ARE DOING A SPECIAL ACPS EXPRESS.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE SHARE IT WITH THE BOARD FIRST.
YOU CAN SEE THAT OVERALL 40%, A LITTLE OVER 40%, OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE SELECTED THE HYBRID AND THAT'S OVERALL.
40.5% OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE SELECTED A HYBRID OPTION.
59.5% SELECTED A VIRTUAL OPTION.
I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT WITH COMPLETING OUR SURVEYS.
THAT'S UNBELIEVABLE TO HAVE 83% OF OUR FAMILIES GO INTO POWER SCHOOL AND COMPLETE THESE INTENT TO RETURN FORMS. THANK YOU TO OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR FACE TEAM FOR REACHING OUT TO OUR FAMILIES.
WE STILL HAVE 17% THAT WE COULDN'T GET UH HOLD OF AND COULDN'T GET ANSWERS FOR.
THAT 17% OF THOSE FAMILIES, IT AUTOMATICALLY WENT TO A VIRTUAL OPTION.
THAT WAS A DEFAULT TO VIRTUAL.
THE 17% WE COOPERATE GET AHOLD OF OR WOULDN'T RESPOND OR RETURN E-MAILS, THEN THEY WERE DEFAULTED TO OUR VIRTUAL.
I WANT TO MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR IN REGARDS TO OUR OVERALL VIRTUAL COMPONENT.
THEN WE BROKE IT DOWN BY RACE WHICH YOU CAN SEE -- I'M SORRY.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES SEEN ACROSS OUR RACE AND ETHNICITY.
53% OF OUR WHITE FAMILIES OPTED FOR HYBRID AND 27% OF OUR BLACK FAMILIES OPTED FOR THE HYBRID.
THIS GIVES A GENERAL IDEA TO THE BOARD AS WELL AS TO OUR COMMUNITY WHEN WE AGGREGATE IT BY RACE AND ETHNICITY WHERE WE STAND AS A SCHOOL DIVISION.
AND YOU CAN SEE SOME OF OUR SPECIAL PROGRAMMING LEVELS FROM TALENTED AND GIFTED TO ENGLISH LEARNERS AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND OPTED FOR THE HYBRID.
THERE IS NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE AS MUCH AS RACE AND ETHNICITY.
IT GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF THE RANGE YOU WILL SEE WITH THE SPECIAL PROGRAM GROUPS.
THIS IS A BREAK DOWN OF EACH ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
YOU WILL RECEIVE A REPORT THAT HAS ALL OF THE DETAILS AND IT WILL BE A BRIEF FOR YOU TOMORROW.
THESE ARE THE PERCENTAGES OF FAMILIES THAT CHOSE HYBRID BY SCHOOL, AND THEN YOU WILL ALSO SEE THE PERCENTAGE OF FAMILIES THAT CHOSE HYBRID BY GRADE LEVEL.
IT IS NOT SURPRISING TO SEE THAT THE MAJORITY OF OUR LOWER GRADES, YOU WILL SEE MORE FAMILIES WHO WOULD LIKE OR PREFER A HYBRID AT THE LOWER GRADES.
RESEARCHERS SAY THAT ACROSS THE COUNTRY, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S BEEN THE TREND.
THERE IS NOTHING SPECIAL WITH THAT.
BUT IT IS GOOD DATA FOR US TO HAVE AS WE ARE MAKING OUR DECISIONS.
IT IS INTERESTING WITH THE WIDE RANGE OF HYBRID SELECTIONS AT SCHOOLS.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF INFERENCES THAT WE HAVE COME UP WITH ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THESE NUMBERS.
FROM 68% AT GEORGE MASON WANTING THE HYBRID TO 26 AT PATRICK HENRY THAT WANT THE HYBRID APPROACH.
AND THEN EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
IT IS A WIDE RANGE ABOUT THIS HYBRID SELECTION.
AND THAT ALSO BRINGS TO US SOME IMPLICATIONS AS WE COUPLE THIS WITH OUR STAFFING INTENT TO RETURN FORMS.
[02:15:01]
WE ARE DOING THAT AT EVERY SCHOOL AS WE DEVELOP THE SCHEDULES NOW JUST SO WE CAN WORK THROUGH HOW THESE SCHEDULES WILL WORK WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS WHICH WE WANT TO KEEP WORKING AND OUR PRINCIPALS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.I KNOW WE PUT ON YOUR PLATE WITH THESE SCHEDULES.
AS I TOLD YOU BEFORE, THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL -- I DON'T KNOW HOW SOON, BUT IT IS COMING ONE DAY.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
I THINK THAT WAS IT FOR THIS COMPONENT OF THE UPDATE.
AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, I WANT TO GIVE YOU SOME CONTEXT BECAUSE YOU WILL RECEIVE IT IN DOCUMENT FORM, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HEAR AN ANALYSIS AROUND THIS.
MADAM CHAIR, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
RIGHT NOW I DO HAVE A QUESTION FROM MS. THORNTON.
THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION YOU TRIED TO MAKE CONCISE AND I APPRECIATE EFFORT.
REGARDING THE DECISION MATRIX, I DEFINITELY UNDERSTAND THE TWO KIND OF MAIN CRITERIA BEING THE LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSITION AND THE LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT, BUT ONE THOUGHT AND ONE QUESTION THAT I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE HAD REGARDING THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION DEALS A LOT WITH THE FACT OF RECENT REPORTS STATING THAT SCHOOLS ARE NOT HIGH AREAS OF TRANSMISSION.
AND SO I KNOW SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE THAT QUESTION WHEN LOOKING AT THIS ON THE DECISION MATRIX.
WHY ARE WE USING THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVELS AND NOT INFORMATION PERTAINING TO SPECIFIC SCHOOL TRANSMISSION LEVELS.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT.
AND SECONDLY, HOW WILL -- REGARDING THE LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT.
THERE IS A NUMBER OF FACTORS IN THAT PARTICULAR AREA.
WILL THOSE MONDAY REPORTS INDICATE WHICH FACTOR IS AFFECTING THE LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT? WILL IT INDICATE THAT THIS WEEK IT IS TRANSPORTATION OR OUR STAFFING LEVELS HAVE GONE DOWN? WILL IT GET TO THAT LEVEL OF SPECIFICITY OR WILL IT BE A GENERAL HIGH OR STRAINED OR -- I FORGET WHAT THE AREAS ARE.
CAN YOU DISCUSS ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE INFORMATION THE COMMUNITIES WILL HAVE ON THAT?
I KNOW DR. CRAWFORD IS ON THIS CALL -- THIS ZOOM FOR YOUR FIRST QUESTION THIS REGARDS TO THE COMMUNITY SPREAD.
I KNOW DR. HERRING IS NOT JOINING US TONIGHT, BUT HE SHARED THIS WITH US IN OUR WEEKLY MEETINGS IS THAT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE SEND US ABOUT HOW COMMUNITY SPREAD IS ANALYZED.
RIGHT NOW WITH A LOT OF THE RESEARCH OUT THERE, BECAUSE MANY SCHOOLS ARE NOT OPEN THERE IS NOT A LOT OF RESEARCH ABOUT WHAT COMMUNITY SPREAD LOOKS LIKE IN A SCHOOL.
WE TALK ABOUT PRIVATE SCHOOLS THAT ARE OPEN, BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS ARE SMALLER.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF FACTORS WHEN YOU COMPARE IT TO A SCHOOL DIVISION.
ONE THING HE TOLD US TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT IS THE DATA WE WILL RECEIVE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS A FACT IS THAT STUDENTS AND YOUNG PEOPLE, THEY CAN BE A CARRIER OF COVID-19.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING THEY ARE NOT, BUT THEY CAN BE.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE THE SAME SYMPTOMS THAT SOMEONE WHO MIGHT HAVE A COMPROMISED IMMUNE SYSTEM OR SOMEONE WHO IS OLDER MAY HAVE, BUT THEY CAN CARRY AND TRANSMIT COVID-19.
DR. CRAWFORD, WOULD YOU LIKE TO ELABORATE ON THAT?
THANK YOU, DR. HUTCHINGS AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
YOU MADE MOST OF THE COMMENTS THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY THROUGH OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH DR. HERRING, WHY WE LOOK AT THE PERCENT OF COMMUNITY SPREAD AND THE SCHOOL BOARD IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH THE TOTAL NUMBER OF NEW CASES PER 100,000 AS WELL AS THE SECOND INDICATOR THAT DR. HUTCHINGS REFERENCED EARLIER ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE PCR TEST.
THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AND KNOWING THAT THOSE ARE TWO OF THE THREE THAT THE CDC AND DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PUT OUT FOR US.
THE BALANCE OF THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT DR. HUTCHINGS JUST SAID.
WE ARE USING THAT AS OUR COMMUNITY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DO NOT HAVE THE DATA FOR IN PERSON INSTRUCTION SINCE OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT BACK AT THIS TIME.
YOU SAID EVERYTHING I WAS GOING TO SAY AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW-UP WITH DR. HERRING LATER AFTER THE MEETING.
[02:20:04]
THANK YOU.>> AND FOR YOUR SECOND PART OF THE QUESTION IN REGARDS TO DECISIONS ON MONDAY, WHEN WE RELEASE DECISIONS ON MONDAY WE WILL TALK TO EITHER THE LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACTS, SO FOR EXAMPLE IT WOULD BE THAT WE ARE AT 50 TO 75% AND SO THAT MEANS WE MAY BE STRAINED, AND THEN WE WILL TALK TO THE PER 100,000 POPULATION NUMBER AS WELL AS THE POSITIVITY RATE FOR THE COMMUNITY SPREAD OR THE COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION.
THOSE ARE THE KEY FACTORS THAT WE WOULD BE SHARING AS WE MAKE OUR DECISIONS EACH WEEK.
ONE THING WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN THE FUTURE IS THAT WHEN WE BEGIN TO TRANSITION OUR STUDENTS BACK IN THAT WE MIGHT BE IN SITUATIONS WHERE SOME SCHOOLS MIGHT BE AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL IN REGARDS TO LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT THAN OTHERS.
WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS FOR ONE SCHOOL THAT WE WON'T HAVE TO MAKE FOR ANOTHER SCHOOL.
IT IS DIFFICULT FOR US TO HAVE A BLANKET KIND OF STATEMENT OR MATRIX.
WE HAVE TO DO THAT TO OPEN SCHOOLS IN GENERAL, BUT THEN WE GET INTO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS AFTER A PERIOD OF TIME.
ESPECIALLY WHEN WE BEGIN TO SEE -- IF WE BEGIN TO SEE NUMBERS RISE IN CERTAIN SCHOOLS AND IT MAY NOT RISE IN OTHERS.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TREAT SCHOOLS DIFFERENTLY AND WE NEED TO BE UP FRONT ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN'T HAVE SORT OF A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH TO THIS.
WE HAVE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH AS A WHOLE.
BUT WHEN WE GET INTO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, WE MIGHT SEE SOME CHANGES WITH WHAT OUR STRATEGIES OR MITIGATIONS MIGHT BE IN ONE BUILDING VERSUS ANOTHER.
>> GREAT, THANK YOU, DR. HUTCHINGS FOR THE UPDATE.
FOR EVERYTHING, THE BUDGET UPDATE AND THIS UPDATE.
I KNOW FOR ANYBODY LISTENING IN, WE ALWAYS DO OUR BUDGET ROLLOUT ON THE FIRST JANUARY MEETING.
THAT'S ALWAYS A VERY IMPORTANT PRESENTATION.
I'M REALLY GLAD WE WERE ABLE TO GET THIS UPDATE ON THE RE-ENTRY PLANNING.
I THINK -- I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE MATRIX.
IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY HELPFUL AND I THINK IT IS GOING TO RAISE QUESTIONS AS WELL.
I DO LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT IT.
I WILL TRY TO MENTION THEM QUICKLY.
THE FIRST IS JUST HOW -- KIND OF LIKE THE NEXT STEPS FOR SHARING THIS OUT.
CAN WE EXPECT AN EXPRESS OR SOMETHING GOING OUT TOMORROW? I KNOW THERE IS GOING TO BE AN UPDATED PLAN SUBMITTED TO THE BDOE.
AND WE HAVE A WORK SESSION NEXT THURSDAY THAT IS FOCUSED ON THE BUDGET.
I HAVE SEEN IN THE AGENDA SETTING MEETING THAT WE MAY BE GETTING AN UPDATE THEN AS WELL.
I JUST WANT -- FOR ANYBODY LISTENING IN, I WANT TO SEE IF WE CAN LET THEM KNOW WHEN THEY CAN EXPECT TO RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION.
AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTIONS WERE WITH THE CITY WIDE PROGRAM, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IF THE HYBRID MODEL -- WHEN WE WERE DOING THE JEFFERSON HOUSTON PROGRAM IT WAS FOUR HALF DAYS A WEEK.
I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IF WE HAD MADE A DECISION NOW TO GO TO JUST THE TWO FULL DAYS FOR THE CITY WIDE STUDENTS AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
AND THEN ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD IS ABOUT THE STAFFING CAPACITY.
YOU MENTIONED HOW IT MIGHT VARY FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL.
I WAS JUST WONDERING HOW THE HIRING OF SORT OF THE CLASSROOM ADULT SUPERVISORS WAS GOING TO BE KIND OF TIED IN WITH THAT.
THE COMMUNICATION TO THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THIS INFORMATION, THE CITY WIDE PROGRAM AND THE ADULT SUPERVISORS.
>> SO FOR THE FIRST QUESTION WITH THE COMMUNICATION PIECE.
WE ARE DOING A SPECIAL EDITION OF THE ACPS EXPRESS AND IT WILL HAVE THE DECISION MATRIX INCLUDED.
THERE IS A VIDEO THAT I DID TODAY THAT EXPLAINS THE MATRIX TO THE FAMILIES AND THERE IS A VERSION FOR THE STAFF MEMBERS.
AND THEN THERE IS INFORMATION IN THE ACPS EXPRESS TOMORROW THAT WILL GO OUT ABOUT THE RESULTS FROM THE FAMILY CHOICE FORMS AS WELL.
ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO BE RELEASED TOMORROW.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN UPDATE NEXT THURSDAY.
SO IT IS AN ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT WEEK.
WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE NEXT WEEK.
AND MS. WERNER, I KNOW YOU ARE ON THE CALL SO MAYBE TALK ABOUT THE TWO FULL
[02:25:05]
DAYS.I THINK THEY ARE COMING BACK TWO FULL DAYS, BUT I WANTED MS. WERNER TO EXPLAIN.
DR. RIEF THEY ARE COMING BACK TWO FULL DAYS A WEEK BECAUSE THAT WAS THE WAY WE COULD ASCERTAIN -- IT WAS THE BEST WAY TO ASCERTAIN THAT TEACHERS COULD KEEP THEIR OWN STUDENTS AND KEEP THEIR CASE ROSTERS.
THAT WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE HAD GONE THROUGH TOO MANY SHIFTS AND CASE MANAGEMENT SHIFTS TRYING TO WORK WITH STUDENTS ON THE FIRST ROUND AND WE THOUGHT IT WAS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT TEACHERS AND STUDENTS MAINTAIN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO IN ORDER FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, THEY ARE COMING BACK TWO DAYS A WEEK.
AND THEY WILL BE ON THE AA-BB SCHEDULE TOO.
>> THE FINAL QUESTION ABOUT THE ADULT SUPERVISORS, SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE ARE WORKING THROUGH RIGHT NOW AS WELL.
WE DO HAVE A LIST OF SOME OF THE NUMBERS THEY WILL NEED BASED ON THE INTENT TO RETURN BACK IN NOVEMBER AND WHAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH IS HOW CAN WE MITIGATE SOME OF THAT WITH THE INTERNAL -- INTERNATIONALLY AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF HOW CAN WE HIRE SOME OF OUR MONITORS IN THE CLASSROOMS WITH THE TEACHERS WHO ARE UNABLE TO BE IN THE CLASS OR IN PERSON SO WE CAN MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE APPROPRIATE SUPERVISION.
I WILL PROBABLY HAVE MORE -- OR I WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH YOU NEXT WEEK.
WE ARE TRYING TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING.
TOMORROW IS OUR FINAL MEETING SO THEN WE CAN START TO EXECUTE THIS PROCESS.
I WILL HAVE MORE INFORMATION TO SHARE WITH THAT UPDATE.
THAT'S PART OF THE UPDATE THIS WEEK.
>> I'M SORRY FOR THE DELAY THERE.
COULD YOU PUT UP THE MATRIX? I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT.
WHILE WE PUT THAT UP I DID WANT TO SAY THANK YOU DR. HUTCHINGS FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I THOUGHT IT WAS THOROUGH AND HELPFUL AND GIVES US A SENSE OF THE DIRECTION WE ARE GOING.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THE TRANSPARENCY THAT WE ARE DOING OUR BEST TO PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY.
SO MY QUESTION BASICALLY IS SORT OF ON THE MATRIX AND HOW WE ARE GOING TO MAKE THE DECISIONS HERE GOING FORWARD.
ONE QUESTION RELATES TO SORT OF -- I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING THE NUANCE.
SOME SCHOOLS ARE STRAINED AND OTHERS ARE NOT AS STRAINED.
I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND SORT OF WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO SORT OF IN THE CLOSED CASES AND HOW DO WE HAVE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT ON THE CLOSED CASES? THE REASON I ASK IS BECAUSE ESPECIALLY ONCE WE START TRANSITIONING TO MORE IN PERSON SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WITH THESE SORTS OF MATRICES YOU HAVE TO DRAW THE LINE SOMEWHERE.
THE THEME OF THE CONVERSATION IS, TOO, FAMILIES DON'T LIKE DISRUPTION.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS WE ARE IN ONE WEEK AND THEN PULLING BACK THE NEXT.
AND THEN WE ARE IN ONE WEEK AND PULLING BACK THE NEXT.
IF THESE NUMBERS KIND OF BOUNCE AROUND, AND LET'S SAY WE ARE IN THE NORMAL LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT AND THE HIGHER RISK LEVEL OF COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION -- OR ACTUALLY A BETTER EXAMPLE IS WE ARE IN A STRAINED LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT AND THE HIGHER RISK SITUATION WITH REGARD TO COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION, AND WE ARE SORT OF RIGHT ON THAT BORDER BETWEEN MODIFIED HYBRID AND 100% VIRTUAL.
AND WE HAVE STARTED THE TRANSITION TO MODIFIED HYBRID AND GOING TOWARD HYBRID.
IN THOSE CLOSED CASES WILL THERE BE SOME DISCRETION, I GUESS, TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT IF IT IS 1% OVER THE LINE, ARE WE GOING TO CATEGORICALLY SAY GO VIRTUAL OR LOOK AT THE DATA IN THE BUILDING AND ALL OF THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
I CAN SEE THE NUMBERS BOUNCING AROUND IN FUNNY WAYS.
I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THAT.
LIKE YOU SAID, THERE IS A LOT OF NUANCE TO THIS.
>> SO ONE -- THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
[02:30:02]
ONE THING WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO PUT INTO CONSIDERATION -- [INAUDIBLE] WE DON'T WANT TO BE OKAY, IT IS 74% OR 76% -- WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT MULTIPLE FACTORS.WE ARE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE HEALTH FACILITIES AND THEY ARE KEY FUNCTIONS WE NEED TO OPERATE.
IF THOSE ARE SIGNIFICANT, THAT WOULD -- WE DON'T WANT TO FOCUS ON IF IT IS A 1% DIFFERENCE AND NOW EVERYTHING CLOSES.
CAN WE HAVE BUSING FOR THE KIDS EVEN THOUGH IT IS 1% LESS THAN YESTERDAY? WE WILL BE IN A SITUATION WHERE SOME SCHOOLS MAY BE IMPACTED IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN ANOTHER SCHOOL.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT SCENARIO AND THAT SCHOOL AND THAT POPULATION AND THAT STAFF AND THAT BUILDING AND INSTEAD OF IN GENERAL WHAT WE HAVE DONE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
I DO WANT TO GET TO THE FIRST PART OF YOUR QUESTION AS WELL.
WE TALK ABOUT THE MODIFIED HYBRID.
CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU ARE SAYING?
I GUESS MY INITIAL QUESTION WAS SORT OF HOW ARE WE GOING TO RECEIVE -- AS A BOARD RECEIVE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
YOU SAID THAT YOU ARE GOING TO EVERY WEEK PERFORM SOME SORT OF ANALYSIS.
I ASSUME THAT IS GOING TO INCORPORATE THE CHANGES IN THE HOUSE DATA FROM WEEK TO WEEK, BUT ALSO CHANGES IN THE STAFF.
WE HAVE THE VACCINE AND MAYBE MORE STAFF ARE GOING TO START GETTING THAT AND THEY WILL FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE.
SO THE CAPACITY PIECE IS GOING TO BE CHANGING DYNAMICALLY AS WELL.
I AM WONDERING WHAT DO YOU ENVISION THE PROCEDURE BEING IN TERMS OF EACH WEEK YOU ARE DOING AN ASSESSMENT AND WILL THERE BE A COMMUNICATION WITH THE BOARD AND YOU CAN FILL IN THE BOARD ON THAT RECOMMENDATION ON A BOARD MEETING TO BOARD MEETING BASIS? I JUST WANT TO UNDERSTAND MECHANICALLY HOW YOU ARE ENVISIONING THE SORT OF DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
>> I ENVISION US ON MONDAYS PROVIDING THE COMMUNICATION OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH THE BOARD.
I STILL BELIEVE WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THE UPDATES WE HAVE SCHEDULED FOR ALL OF OUR MEETINGS.
EVERY MEETING THERE WILL BE A FORMAL UPDATE LIKE WE ARE DOING NOW.
UNLESS THE BOARD WANTS TO MEET EVERY MONDAY, THE INFORMATION IS GOING TO COME TO THE BOARD VIA E-MAIL WITH SOME ANALYSIS ATTACHED TO WHY OR HOW THEY GOT TO THAT DECISION.
THE SAME WAY WE WILL BE SHARING IT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
THE GOAL IS WE ARE TRYING TO BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE IN REGARDS TO HOW WE CAME TO THAT DECISION.
IT IS NOT JUST WE ARE 100% VIRTUAL.
WE WANT TO EXPLAIN WHY AND HOW WE CAME TO THAT CONCLUSION AND OUR EXPLANATIONS EACH WEEKEND.
WE TALK ABOUT THE VACCINE AND YES WE CAN TALK ABOUT A VACCINE NOW.
HOPEFULLY OVER TIME WE WILL GO FROM A STRAINED LEVEL OF SCHOOL IMPACT TO NORMAL.
I AM SIGNING UP AND I WANT TO BE THE FIRST EDUCATOR IN ALEXANDRIA TO GET THE VACCINE.
I KNOW THERE ARE TWO ROUNDS TOO.
[02:36:58]
IT IS A ONE-TIME VACCINE, I BELIEVE.OVER TIME WE ARE HOPING TO SEE US GO FROM STRAINED TO NORMAL.
THE MORE THE STAFF ARE VACCINATED.
AND THEN ONCE THE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES BEGIN TO BE VACCINATED WE CAN GET TO A MORE KIND OF NORMAL RANGE EVEN AT THE STUDENT LEVEL.
THE BARRIER WE HAVE RIGHT NOW OF HAVING A NORMAL DAY IN SCHOOL IS THE SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THAT'S WHAT IS PREVENTING US FROM HAVING EVERY STUDENT IN THE BUILDING AT ONE TIME.
IT IS NOT THAT WE CAN'T ACCOMMODATE EVERY STUDENT IN THE BUILDING AT ONE TIME, BUT WE CAN'T ABIDE BY THE CDC GUIDELINES.
I WAS ON THE PHONE WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
HE EXPLICITLY STATED THAT THE VDOE IS RECOMMENDING THAT SCHOOLS USE THE SIX FEET SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THEY PUT THE CLAUSE THIS THERE FOR THREE FEET FOR PEOPLE WHO WANTED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF -- THEY JUST COULDN'T MAKE IT BECAUSE SOME RURAL SCHOOLS JUST CAN'T DO IT SIX FEET APART.
THEY WANTED TO GIVE I GUESS SOME GRACE FOR THAT, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT THEY ARE RECOMMENDING.
HE MADE IT VERY CLEAR, VERY, VERY CLEAR.
I HOPE HE DOES IT PUBLICLY AS WELL SO THAT WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE BEEN FOLLOWING THAT ALL ALONG.
EVEN WHEN THEY RELEASE A DECISION MATRIX, I HOPE IT LOOKS SIMILAR TO WHAT I HAVE.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO CREATE OUR OWN THING.
WE ARE NOT ASKING DR. HERRING, GIVE US SOMETHING SPECIAL IN ALEXANDRIA.
I DID BELIEVE MANY SCHOOL DIVISIONS ACROSS THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA ARE NOT DOING AND ARE NOT ALIGNED WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH.
I WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT BECAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS A COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT WHY ARE WE EVEN FOLLOWING THE SIX-FOOT DISTANCING.
I AM GLAD WE ARE BECAUSE IT IS RECOMMENDED NOT ONLY BY THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BUT BY THE CDC AND THE SIX-FOOT DISTANCING.
I APPRECIATE WHAT IS GOING INTO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
ONE OF THE THOSE THOUGHTS IS DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR MIND WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY OF THIS TAKING PLACE? ARE WE 100% CERTAIN THIS IS GOING TO GO ACCORDING TO PLAN WITH THE DATES AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE AND THE -- I MEAN ARE WE -- I AM CONCERNED BECAUSE WHAT IS THE PROBABILITY OF ALL OF THIS IN TERMS OF TIMELINE AND THE NUMBER -- THE PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS THAT ARE REQUESTED TO GO HYBRID IN PERSON.
WHAT IS THE LIKELIHOOD WE WILL BE ABLE TO SERVE THEM?
>> RIGHT NOW AND I AM GLAD YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, MS. NOLAN.
RIGHT NOW AS WE LOOK AT THE DATA, THE DATA TODAY ON JANUARY 7TH, OUR COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION LEVEL IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL POSSIBLE.
WE ARE AT A STRAINED LEVEL SO WE ARE GOING TO BE AT 100% VIRTUAL BETWEEN NOW AND PROBABLY TOMORROW.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE.
I CAN MAKE A PREDICTION THAT IT IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE THAT MUCH.
WHAT I AM HEARING FROM OUR HEALTH EXPERTS IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE A RISE IN THE PER 100,000 CASES AS WELL AS IN THE POSITIVITY RATE.
YOU WILL SEE EVEN IN SCHOOL DIVISIONS AROUND US, THIS IS WHY YOU ARE SEEING -- AND EVEN NOW STATES ARE CLOSING DOWN AGAIN AND THEY ARE HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THIS BACK UNDER CONTROL BECAUSE IT IS STARTING TO GET OUT OF HAND.
AND WE STARTED HEARING ABOUT THE NEW STRAIN AND IT IS A CONCERN THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS ARE TALKING ABOUT.
IF I HAD TO MAKE A DECISION TODAY, IT WOULD BE 100% VIRTUAL, AND I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT THINGS ARE GOING TO DRASTICALLY CHANGE BETWEEN TODAY AND MONDAY.
WHICH MEANS THAT ON MONDAY WE WILL -- UNLESS SOMETHING MIRACULOUS HAPPENS IN THE NEXT THREE DAYS, WE MOST LIKELY WILL STILL BE AT 100% VIRTUAL DECISION BASED ON OUR NUMBERS.
THAT'S JUST THE INFERENCES THAT DR. HERRING IS MAKING BASED ON TREND DATA.
[02:40:01]
IN REALITY SOMETIMES IT CHANGES.IT IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT THEY PREFERRED.
IT LOOKS LIKE THINGS WILL PROBABLY BE WORSE THAN THEY ARE TODAY ON MONDAY.
>> IF I MAY ASK A FOLLOW-UP THEN.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THAT AS A SCHOOL DIVISION IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATIONS PERSPECTIVE? HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SHARING THE PLAN THAT'S AT HAND AND THAT WE THINK IS REALISTIC, BUT AT THE SAME TIME BALANCING THE REALITIES OF THE HEALTH PANDEMIC ABOUT THIS TIMELINE? I AM JUST CONCERNED BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO GRASP -- THEY WILL SEE THE DATE, JANUARY 11TH, JANUARY 19TH -- WHATEVER THE DATES ARE.
WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE BALANCE OF BEING TRANSPARENT AND NOT GETTING PEOPLE'S HOPES UP AND MOVING AHEAD WITH A PLAN IF POSSIBLE?
>> HONESTLY I THINK WHEN I WAS BEING EXTREMELY TRANSPARENT AND TELLING THE NUMBERS ARE GOING UP I WAS CRITICIZED FOR TRYING TO SCARE PEOPLE INTO WE ARE DOOMED AND I AM MAKING EXCUSES.
I THINK WE KEEP DOING WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING AND THAT'S WHY EVERYONE IS SAYING WE DON'T HAVE A PLAN OR EVERYONE IS SAYING I REALLY DON'T WANT THE SCHOOLS TO OPEN BECAUSE I AM SHARING THAT THE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO GO UP AND THEY ARE GOING TO BE HIGHER THAN WHEN WE CLOSED AT THANKSGIVING AND HIGHER THAN WHEN WE CLOSED TODAY.
I THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP SHARING THE SAME -- THAT SAME MESSAGING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND SHARING THE FACT THAT WE ARE PREPARED TO PIVOT WHEN WE NEED TO.
THAT'S WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO BE PREPARED.
WHEN IT IS TIME FOR US TO PIVOT AND TO WELCOME STUDENTS INTO OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS THAT WE ARE READY TO DO THAT AND THAT WE HAVE OUR STAFFING IN PLACE.
THAT'S WHY WE ARE GETTING OUR STAFFING IN PLACE TO MAKE SURE WE WILL HIRE THESE ADULT SUPERVISORS TO THE CLASSROOMS AND HAVING THE PPE IN OUR BUILDINGS AND DOING WALK THROUGHS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND TO MAKE SURE THE CLASSROOMS ARE PREPARED AND READY TO GO.
SO WE WANT TO BE READY WHEN IT IS TIME SO THAT WHEN THE GREEN LIGHT COMES WE ARE ON.
I THINK TO YOUR QUESTION, MS. NOLAN, WE JUST NEED TO KEEP SHARING THAT THIS IS BASED ON COMMUNITY HEALTH METRICS, STAFFING AND CAPACITY.
WE HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT SINCE THE FALL.
PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT WE HAVE BEEN SAYING WE WANT TO OPEN, BUT IT IS BASED ON STAFFING, CAPACITY, COMMUNITY HEALTH METRICS.
THAT IS STILL THE SAME MESSAGE WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD.
>> JUST TO CLARIFY THEN, DO WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE TIMELINE WE HAVE LAID OUT AT TONIGHT'S MEETING WE WILL BE ABLE TO -- LIKE, I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW WE MEASURE THE PERCENTAGE OF PROBABILITY OF CONFIDENCE ON THAT.
>> IT IS DIFFICULT TO SAY WHAT THREE WEEKS FROM NOW WILL LOOK LIKE.
I AM JUST TALKING ABOUT WHAT MONDAY'S DECISION IS GONNA LOOK LIKE.
IT IS HARD FOR ME TO SAY THREE WEEKS FROM NOW WON'T STILL BE BAD.
DR. HERRING HASN'T TOLD ME THAT IT IS GOING TO BE REALLY BAD THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.
WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT IS BETWEEN NOW AND MONDAY.
REALISTICALLY WHEN WE ARE HAVING OUR DISCUSSIONS WE ARE LOOKING A WEEK AHEAD.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE SOME REAL CLEAR INSIGHT VERSUS A GUESS WHERE I START TO TALK ABOUT A GUESS.
IF I START GUESSING THERE IS SUPPORT A WEEK FROM NOW.
BUT IT IS HARD TO SAY THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.
DR. HUTCHINGS, FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FOLLOWING THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND ARE NOT LOOKING AT THEIR E-MAILS, HOW ARE WE REACHING THEM? I KNOW THE COMMUNITIES I WORK WITH IN ALEXANDRIA, I TYPE UP STUFF MYSELF AND GIVE IT TO THEM WHEN I SEE THEM.
THAT'S HOW THEY GET THEIR INFORMATION.
PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING OUT THERE.
A GOOD SEGMENT OF THE POPULATION DOESN'T KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON OUT THERE.
EVEN FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE FOLLOWING ALONG CLOSELY, IT COULD HELP.
IF WE ARE GOING TO BE ASSESSING THIS WEEK BY WEEK.
[02:45:05]
>> THAT'S WHAT WE REALLY WANT TO DO THE VIDEO ON MONDAYS AND HAVE IT INTERPRETED.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE SEND OUT BY TEXT AND E-MAIL.
WE ARE ABLE TO SEND OUT THE VIDEO LINKS QUICKLY TO EVERYBODY.
WE WERE FOLLOWING THE UPDATES EARLY ON IN THIS WHOLE GLOBAL PANDEMIC.
I SENT THE VIDEOS OUT TO THE COMMUNITY.
WHEN PEOPLE BEGAN, OUR JOB IS TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE THE DAYS WE WILL INFORM YOU AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO WATCH A THREE-HOUR BOARD MEETING TO FIND OUT WHAT IS HAPPENING.
I CAN GIVE THIS INFORMATION MORE SO IN A BYTE.
PEOPLE CAN GO TO THE WEBSITE AND LOOK MORE SPECIFICALLY AT THE DATA AND IF THEY WANT THE BIG MEAL IF THEY WANT TO DO THAT.
THE VIDEO IS REALLY WHAT GETS ESPECIALLY OUR FAMILIES THAT ARE HARD TO REACH, THE VIDEOS ARE EASIER FOR THEM TO HAVE IN A LOT OF LANGUAGES THAT YOU HAVE TO READ THROUGH.
I AM NOT JUST SPEAKING ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THAT POSITION.
THAT WILL HAPPEN ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS ABOUT ATHLETICS.
AS YOU KNOW OUR STUDENT ATHLETES ARE REALLY, REALLY ITCHING TO GET BACK INTO PRACTICING AND I BELIEVE TRYOUTS ARE COMING UP IN FEBRUARY FOR THE NEXT GO AROUND OF ATHLETICS.
ALSO ARLINGTON AND FAIRFAX ARE PLAYING RIGHT NOW.
SO WITH THIS WEEK BY WEEK DECISION, WHERE DOES THAT PUT OUR ATHLETIC TEAMS?
>> ONE THING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IS MAKING SURE EDUCATION FIRST.
WANTING US TO MAKE SURE -- THIS IS WHAT HE HAS BEEN ENCOURAGING AND TALKING -- THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT IS TALKING ABOUT.
HE IS FINDING DIFFICULTY SEEING PEOPLE ARE HAVING ATHLETICS FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT IN THE SCHOOLS.
HE REALLY WANTS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE FIRST PLANNING TO GET THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN TACT AND WORKING AND THEN YOU BEGIN TO TRICKLE DOWN TO THE EXTRACURRICULARS AND THE ATHLETICS COMPONENTS.
WHAT WE HOPE TO SEE AS WE ARE TRANSITIONING STUDENTS INTO OUR BUILDINGS IS THAT WE ARE TRANSITIONING INTO ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS SUCH AS ATHLETICS AND CLUBS AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT DO HAPPEN AFTER SCHOOL.
WE WILL BE WORKING WITH THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT AND WHAT THAT PLAN LOOKS LIKE.
WE HAD TO GET THIS EDUCATIONAL TRANSITION SUBMITTED.
WE WILL HAVE SOME UPDATES FOR THE BOARD ONCE WE GET THE EDUCATIONAL COMPONENT FINALIZED WHICH WILL BE -- MONDAY WE HAVE TO SUBMIT OUR PLAN TO THE STATE.
WE WILL HAVE -- YOU KNOW WE WILL HAVE THAT UNDER WRAPS AND WE CAN START WORKING ON THE EXTRACURRICULARS AND THE ATHLETICS.
I JUST WONDERED A LITTLE ABOUT MS. NOLAN'S QUESTION.
I THINK WE HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE ARE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY WHO SIMPLY DON'T BUY THAT THERE IS RESEARCH SAYING SCHOOLS ARE NOT TRANSMITTING.
I AM TOTALLY COMMITTED TO THE PATH WE HAVE TAKEN.
GRANTED IT FEELS -- IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO SAY FOR SURE WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND I AGREE.
I THINK DR. HUTCHINGS IS RIGHT WHEN HE SAYS HE GETS IN TROUBLE WHEN HE IS PREDICTING DOOM.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS WE HAVE TO LIVE WITH THIS INCREDIBLE UNCERTAINTY.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU WANT YOUR CHILD TO BE ALIVE OR EDUCATED? AT THIS POINT IN OUR LIVES WE HAVE TO SPEAK OUT AND TAKE A POSITION AND DON'T FAULT THOSE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO HAVE SPOKEN OUT AND SAID ALL OF THE CDC STUFF AND HEALTH DEPARTMENT STUFF IS BUNKED AND THEY DON'T AGREE WITH THE APPROACH.
I THINK A CAREFUL, GRADUAL APPROACH IS THE SAFER APPROACH.
AND OF COURSE ON THE ONE HAND IN ALL SERIOUSNESS WE ARE TRYING TO PRESENT A GRADUAL RE-ENTRY INTO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND ON THE OTHER HAND IT LOOKS LIKE WE ARE MAKING UP A BUNCH OF DATES BECAUSE THEY KNOW, WE THINK, THAT COVID IS NEVER GOING AWAY.
WITH VACCINATION AND WITH ALL OF THE STEPS THAT ARE HAPPENING, SOME OF THESE
[02:50:01]
DATES WILL BECOME A REALITY.I THINK WHAT WAS COMFORTING TO ME AND DR. HUTCHINGS' RESPONSE WAS WE ARE GETTING READY -- IF THE RATE WENT DOWN AND THEY DECLARED THAT TOMORROW, NEXT WEEK THE RATE IS VERY LOW AND WE CAN PUT KIDS BACK IN SCHOOL, WE ARE READY TO DO THAT.
THE CLASSROOMS ARE READY AND THE PPE IS IN PLACE, ET CETERA.
WE ARE FOOLING OURSELVES IF WE THINK WE ARE GOING TO GIVE AN ANSWER THAT IS GOING TO SATISFY EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY.
MANY PEOPLE FEEL -- NOT MANY, BUT SOME DO NOT ACCEPT THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE MANY STEPS IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF THIS SERIOUS PANDEMIC.
>> I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW-UP ON MS. NOLAN'S QUESTION ABOUT COMMUNICATING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I RAISED THIS IDEA BEFORE, DR. HUTCHINGS AND WANTED TO ASK YOU ABOUT IT.
THE TIMELINE IS BASED ON THE PRIORITY GROUP.
ONE THING WE CAN CONSIDER IS HAVING THE PRIORITY GROUP IDENTIFIED AND LETTING -- YOU KNOW, EVERY MONDAY LETTING PEOPLE KNOW ARE WE ON TARGET TO START THE FOLLOWING WEEK.
SOMETHING LIKE THAT MIGHT BE MORE HELPFUL.
EVERY TIME WE LAYOUT THESE DATES AND THEN WE DON'T MEET THEM, IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND DISCOURAGING AND PEOPLE PLAN AROUND THE DATES, AND THEY MIGHT NOT BE FOLLOWING THE FULL DISCUSSION.
IF WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE PRIORITY ORDER THAT WE ARE GOING TO RE-ENTER AND THEN EVERY MONDAY WE ARE SHARING THE METRICS, I KNOW WHEN I ASKED THIS BEFORE YOU SAID, WELL WE HAVE TO -- YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR THE DATES AND EVERYTHING.
BUT IF EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THE TIMELINE, THEN THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO DEAL WITH THIS CHALLENGE.
>> THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IN THE FIRST SLIDE WE ADDED THE OTHER THREE COLUMNS TO THE ENTRY PLAN SO YOU CAN STILL -- SO FAMILIES CAN KNOW WHEN THE COMMUNICATION IS COMING.
WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT -- YOU KNOW, IT IS LIKE IF WE SHARE RIGHT NOW ALL OF THIS INFORMATION FOR FEBRUARY AND WE GET OFF BY A WEEK, IT SHIFTS THINGS.
WE ARE TRYING TO GET THINGS TO BE AS CLOSE AS POSSIBLE TO THE DATE WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TRANSITION.
SO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU ARE INFORMED AND THEN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT TO ANTICIPATE MOVING FORWARD.
THAT'S WHY MONDAYS WE ARE BEING CONSISTENT ON.
IT IS ALWAYS MONDAY AND IT IS CONSISTENT.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE YOU TRANSITION, SO IF I AM TRANSITIONING JANUARY 26TH, JANUARY 11TH I WILL HEAR SOMETHING AND GET MY SCHEDULE.
PEOPLE CAN ANTICIPATE WHEN TO RECEIVE THIS INFORMATION SO IT CAN HELP THEM FEEL LIKE AT LEAST THEY KNOW WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE INFORMED.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP ASKING, WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO HEAR FROM THIS? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO LEARN SOMETHING? WE ARE LAYING IT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE COMMUNICATIONS COMMENTS?
I THINK THAT THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED AT GREAT LENGTH IN TERMS OF -- MANY OF THE ASSESSMENTS WE SHARED WE DON'T TO OVERPROMISE AND UNDER DELIVER.
AT THE SAME TIME WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE HAVEN'T STOPPED WORKING.
EVEN OVER THE BREAK LOTS OF PREPARATION AND PLANS HAVE BEEN PUT INTO PLACE TO PREPARE.
LIKE MS. LORBER SAYS, IF ALL CHANGED TOMORROW WE COULD OPEN THE SCHOOL.
THAT'S THE THING WE ARE TRYING TO CONVEY.
BUT KNOWING THAT WEEK BY WEEK WE ARE GETTING LOTS OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION THAT MAKES THINGS COMPLICATED.
THAT'S WHY WE CAME UP WITH THE PLAN THAT EVERY WEEK WE WILL SHARE WHERE WE ARE.
SO THAT WAY PEOPLE CAN EXPECT THAT AND KNOW EXACTLY WHEN THAT INFORMATION IS COMING OUT AND THAT -- IN FACT MS. GREENE ASKED EARLIER WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MATRIX AND DR. HUTCHINGS SHARED IT EARLIER THIS WEEK WITH OUR PRINCIPALS, BUT WE LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, WOW, THIS IS REALLY COMPLICATED.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS AND SAY, OH, THIS MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
THAT'S WHY DR. HUTCHINGS PUT A VIDEO TOGETHER SO THEY CAN TALK THROUGH IT AND SEE THE INFORMATION.
WE TALKED ABOUT HOW DO WE CONVEY THE INFORMATION SO PEOPLE CAN DIGEST IT.
IT WILL BE TRANSLATED IN OTHER LANGUAGES AND THE VIDEO WILL BE TRANSLATED IN OTHER LANGUAGES AND IT WILL BE DONE ON A WEEK BY WEEK BASIS.
WE WANTED TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT JUST LIKE DR. HUTCHINGS SHARED IF YOUR COHORT IS
[02:55:09]
STARTING, THEN TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT YOU WILL KNOW.YOU WILL KNOW DO WE PREPARE? DO WE NEED TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS? SO ON AND SO FORTH.
IF FOR SOME REASON WE CAN'T OPEN, YOU WILL KNOW THAT AS WELL.
I THINK WE LAID OUT THAT FULL PLAN WITH OUR TEAM IN TERMS OF HOW WE ARE COMMUNICATING ON A TIMELY BASIS.
IT IS NOT ALWAYS WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS TO HEAR, BUT WE WILL STILL GIVE YOU THE INFORMATION ON MONDAY, AND PEOPLE KNOW IT IS COMING OUT AND SO THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO IT.
THEY WILL HEAR DIRECTLY FROM DR. HUTCHINGS.
HE WILL EXPLAIN IT, ANYTHING THAT HAS TO BE CONVEYED.
IT IS A LOT OF POSITION AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS HELEN AND I HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH.
IT IS A LOT OF STUFF TO EXPRESS.
AT THE SAME TIME AS WE GET WORRIED ABOUT PUTTING OUT TOO MUCH AND PEOPLE SAY IT IS TOO MUCH, BUT WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO FEEL THEY HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION, BUT WE HAVE DEFINITELY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE SURE PEOPLE GET INFORMATION AND THAT WE ARE NOT MISLEADING AND WE ARE MAKING SURE PEOPLE FEEL THEY ARE INFORMED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, PEOPLE KNOW THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF THE ANSWERS.
WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO LOOK AT IT WEEK BY WEEK.
EVERYTHING CHANGES ESPECIALLY WHEN WE KNOW THAT WE JUST WENT THROUGH A HOLIDAY AND ALL OF THE HEALTH EXPERTS ARE TELLING US THE THINGS TO CHANGE.
BUT KNOWING WE ARE READY TO HOPE AND WE HAVE DONE THE PREP WORK.
I HOPE THAT HELPS TO GIVE YOU AN ANSWER.
I WILL THROW MYSELF IN HERE LAST BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS HELPFUL FOR ME WAS HOW THINGS WERE FRAMED A LITTLE BIT IN THE MONDAY MEETING WITH THE DIVISION TEAM.
I AM WONDERING IF MAYBE A SUPER CONCRETE EXAMPLE WOULD HELP SORT OF CLARIFY.
SO I AM GOING TO SAY THAT I AM LOOKING AT THE CHART AND MY COHORT IS SLATED TO RETURN ON THE 19TH.
TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THAT I WOULD HAVE -- I WOULD BE RECEIVING A SCHEDULE FOR MY STUDENT.
THEN THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY I AM GOING TO GET AN UPDATE AS TO WHETHER WE WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY OPEN A WEEK LATER.
AND WHAT WE SAID -- WE SAID THOSE ACTUAL WORDS IN THE VIDEO FOR THE FAMILIES.
IT SAYS THE DATE YOUR CHILD IS SET TO TRANSITION, AND THIS IS FOR THE HYBRID FAMILIES.
TWO WEEKS PRIOR YOU WILL RECEIVE A SCHEDULE AND THAT SCHEDULE IS GOING TO INCLUDE THE DAYS YOUR CHILD WILL ATTEND FOR HYBRID LEARNING, EITHER TUESDAY/WEDNESDAY, OR THURSDAY/FRIDAY.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION IS THE TEACHER COMING BACK? IT PUTS TEACHERS IN AN AWKWARD POSITION.
PARENTS ARE CALLING SAYING ARE YOU COMING BACK OR NOT? WHY AREN'T YOU COMING BACK? THEN YOU ARE GETTING TOO DETAILED.
IF A TEACHER IS OUT SICK YOU CAN'T ASK THEM WHY THEY ARE SICK OR WHAT THEIR SICKNESS IS.
SO THE MESSAGE THAT COMES OUT OF THE VIDEO IS WITH THE SCHEDULE YOU WILL SEE THE STATUS OF THE TEACHER.
IT EXPLAINS THAT IF YOU CHOOSE TO MAKE A HYBRID CHANGE BASED ON THE TEACHER STATUS OR BASED ON THE NEW STRAIN, YOU KNOW, OF THE COVID-19 OR BASED ON THE COMMUNITY METRICS RIGHT NOW OR WHATEVER OTHER REASON THAT YOU WILL HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
WE DO NEED TO KNOW THAT KIND OF INFORMATION BECAUSE EVERYTHING FROM OUR HYBRID NUMBERS IS SETTING UP ALL OF THE SCHOOLS TO OPERATE THE WAY WE NEED THEM TO.
THAT'S -- EVERYTHING WE HAVE SET UP RIGHT NOW IS BASED ON OUR INTENT TO RETURN FORM FROM OUR STAFF AND OUR FAMILY CHOICE FORMS. IT DOES EXPLICITLY STATE THAT -- IT IS EXPLICITLY STATED THAT WAY ON THE VIDEO.
>> IF I CAN JUST ADD SOMETHING.
IT IS INTERESTING YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION, CHAIR ALDERMAN.
SHOULD WE SEND OUT SCHEDULES TO EVERYBODY? IF ARE YOU COMING BACK IN SIX WEEKS THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
[03:00:03]
WE GRAPPLED OUT WITH IF WE SENT SOMETHING OUT WE HAVE TO PIVOT BECAUSE WE UPSET PEOPLE, WELL YOU JUST TOLL ME.WE WANTED TO CHUNK IT WITH WHAT WE RECEIVE.
WHAT YOU RECEIVE TODAY IS RELEVANT TO A CLOSER TIME.
WE HAVE KIND OF GONE BACK AND FORTHWITH THAT.
WE DON'T WANT TO SEND THAT -- WE WANT TO HAVE HOPE, BUT ALSO NOT CAUSE SO MUCH CONFUSION LIKE I AM COMING BACK IN SIX WEEKS AND YOU GAVE ME THE SCHEDULE AND NOW YOU TELL ME EVERYTHING HAS CHANGED.
THAT'S WHY WE OPTED TO DO THE MODIFIED COHORT AND BITS AND PIECES SO THAT WAY PEOPLE GET IT IN A MUCH MORE TIMELY WAY THAN THEY ARE GETTING IT SO FAR OUT WHEN THINGS CAN CHANGE SO DRASTICALLY IN FOUR WEEKS, THREE WEEKS.
I DEFINITELY THINK WE CAN WRAP THIS PORTION OF THE MEETING UP.
AGAIN, EVERYBODY REMEMBER IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS AFTER THIS, DEFINITELY SEND THEM ALONG AND WE WILL GET YOU SOME ANSWERS.
AT THIS TIME WE ARE MOVING ON TO THE CHAIR'S REPORT.
[18. Report from the Chair]
I DO NOT HAVE A REPORT, BUT I WILL JUST GIVE SOME UPDATES FOR WHAT IS COMING SO EVERYBODY IS AWARE AND UP TO SPEED.WE HAVE OUR RETREAT ON JANUARY 12TH AT 6 P.M.
LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYBODY THERE FOR THAT.
THE FY22 COMBINED FUNDS BUDGET WORK SESSION IS ON JANUARY 14TH.
ENJOY YOUR BUDGET BINDERS AND BRING YOUR QUESTIONS ALONG.
AND WE WILL HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE FY2022 BUDGET ON JANUARY 21ST AT 4:00.
FOR THE PUBLIC, THE SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING IS LINKED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING PAGE, AND THE DEADLINE TO SIGN UP FOR THAT IS NOON ON JANUARY 20TH.
SO WITH THAT SAID, I WILL SPEAK NO MORE AND I WILL MOVE ON TO DR. HUTCHINGS TO SEE IF HE HAS ANYTHING ELSE HE WANTS TO REPORT, OR IF HE JUST WANTS TO TALK SOME MORE BECAUSE HE TALKED A LOT TONIGHT.
AND I AM OUT OF WATER SO I AM GOOD.
DO WE HAVE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS?
WELL IF THERE ARE NO ANNOUNCEMENTS, WE NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN, FOLKS.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
>> MS. GREEN SECONDS MS. GETRY'S MOTION TO ADJOURN THE MEETING.
>> WE ARE ADJOURNED AND THE VOTE IS 9-0.
>> BYE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.