>> OKAY. [00:00:01] I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:04. [1. Agenda for the March 17, 2021 Special Education Advisory Committee Meeting] >> OKAY. AND THIS IS MIKE. AND I'LL CALL THE ROLL. CINDY HART. >> I'M HERE. >> MICHAEL BEHRMANN IS HERE. CORAL. >> HERE. >> OKAY. ABENA. NOT HERE. JANET. OKAY. LAURA FONTAINE. >> HERE. >> OKAY. LAUREN GOLUBSKI. >> HERE. >> DID I SAY THAT RIGHT? >> GOLUBSKI. >> OKAY. DEBORAH PERRY. >> I KNOW SHE'S PLANNING ON BEING HERE. SHE'S JUST RUNNING A LITTLE LATE. >> SABRINA REILLY. >> HERE. >> ALEXIS STACKHOUSE. SANDRA. JLYNN VAN PELT. >> HERE. >> JEFF ZACK. >> HERE. >> AND OUR CONSULTANTS. WE HAVE MEAGAN P ALDERTON. >> HERE. >> PREE JOHNSON. >> SHE'S OUT. SHE HAD HER SECOND KNEE SURGERY. IT WAS SUCCESSFUL BUT SHE'S OUT FOR A WHILE. BUT SHE WILL REJOIN US. >> OKIE DOKE. TERRI WERNER. >> HERE. >> COURTNEY DAVIS. >> HERE. >> JANET REESE. >> YES, HERE. >> TERRY MOZINGO. >> YES. >> AND MARGARET LORBER. >> DEBORAH PERRY HAS JOINED. >> DEBORAH PERRY HAS JOINED NOW. GREAT. GREAT. >> OKAY. I KNOW THAT SANDRA MIGHT JOIN US LATE. SHE HAS ANOTHER MEETING THAT SHE WOULD BE COMING FROM. HER SISTER PASSED AWAY. >> OKAY. SO WE HAVE MEETING DOCUMENTS. PRC REPORT AND DRAFT MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 17TH. SO WE NEED TO OPEN UP RIGHT NOW FOR ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. IS THERE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT? >> WE HAVE MS. MESA THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF SHE WANTS TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS. I'LL ASK HER TO TALK AND SEE IF SHE DOES. >> OKAY. >> HELLO, MS. MESA, ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE? >> HI. HEY. >> I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR TONIGHT? >> OH, NO, I DON'T. I'M SORRY. I WAS JUST OBSERVING. THANKS. >> OKAY. >> NO, NO, IT'S FINE. WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE SINCE YOU WERE OUR ONLY PUBLIC. >> GOTCHA. THANK YOU. >> SO LET'S MOVE IN TO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF [2. Minutes from the February 17, 2021 Special Education Advisory Committee Meeting] MEETING MINUTES FROM FEBRUARY 17TH. DO I HEAR ANYBODY WITH ANY EDITORIALS OR SUGGESTIONS? FOR SOME REASON I CAN'T SEE MY THERE IT IS. >> I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NOT PLEASE ALL MEMBERS CHECK IF THEY'RE A MEMBER ATTENDANCE IS CORRECT OR NOT. JANET EISSENSTAT WAS SO KINDLY FILLING IN FOR US FOR NOTES. AND WE WEREN'T 100% CERTAIN. SO IF ANYONE SEES ANY ERRORS IN THAT PART. >> OKAY. HEARING NONE, DO I HEAR WHAT? >> IT SHOWS THAT I WAS PRESENT AND NOT PRESENT. BUT I WAS NOT PRESENT. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL MAKE THAT EDITORIAL CHANGE. ANY OTHER ITEMS? DO I HEAR A MOTION TO APPROVE? I NEED A MOTION. >> YES, I MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. >> OKAY. A SECOND. >> ACTUALLY, I WAS JUST LOOKING AT THE MINUTES. SORRY FOR THIS. IT SAYS WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 17TH ON THE TOP. BUT THEN UNDER DRAFT MINUTES IT SAYS JANUARY 27TH. >> AHA. THERE WE GO. SO LET'S CORRECT THAT. >> BECAUSE I WAS HERE FOR FEBRUARY, I WAS NOT HERE FOR JANUARY. >> OKAY. >> OR I WAS EXCUSED FOR JANUARY. >> BOTH DATES SHOULD BE FEBRUARY. >> OKAY. >> SO WE CAN MAKE THOSE TWO CORRECTIONS. WE HAVE A SECOND? ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. [00:05:04] >> WAIT, SORRY. I THINK THERE'S LARGER ISSUES. IT SAYS I'M PRESENT AND EXCUSED AS WELL. I WAS JUST ABLE TO PULL IT UP. I WAS PRESENT. >> THANK YOU. I MADE SOME EDITS BUT I DIDN'T GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT PART. I JUST REALIZED AS WE WERE COMING ON THAT I DIDN'T LOOK AT THAT. I HAD NOTES. SO THANK YOU ALL FOR CHECKING IT. JLYNN, CAN YOU SAY AGAIN YOU WERE NOT PRESENT? >> I WAS PRESENT. I THINK LAURA FONTAINE IT SAYS SHE WAS BOTH AS WELL. SO YOU MIGHT >> YES, IT DOES. >> THIS IS MY FAULT, I THINK. SO MY APOLOGIES, GUYS. >> AND SINCE YOU'RE MAKING CHANGES, AT THE END WHERE IT SAYS NO ANNOUNCEMENTS, IT'S JUST A TYPO. >> OKAY. LAURA FONTAINE. >> LAURA. I'M SORRY, I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK LAURA TO CLARIFY IF SHE WAS PRESENT OR NOT PRESENT FOR THE MEETING. >> I WAS NOT PRESENT AND MY APOLOGIES FOR THAT. >> THANKS, EVERYONE. >> OKAY. SO FOR THOSE EDITORIAL KINDS OF COMMENTS, NOT REALLY CONTENT, WE HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT AND WITH EDITS, AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. OR DO I NEED TO GO THROUGH AND POLL? >> WE CAN > TECHNICALLY, YES. >> YEAH. >> BUT HERE'S WHAT I WOULD SAY TO YOU IS IF YOU ASK FOR WE CAN SEE EVERYONE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW. SO IF YOU ASK FOR THOSE IN FAVOR, AND THOSE OPPOSED, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL. >> ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HANDS. OPPOSED. DON'T SEE ANY OPPOSITION. SO UNANIMOUSLY ACCEPTED. OKAY. OLD BUSINESS. AND ACTION ITEMS. WE HAVE LITERACY SUB COMMITTEE UPDATE WITH LAUREN GOLUBSKI. DID I SAY THAT RIGHT THAT TIME? >> GOLUBSKI. WE'RE GETTING THERE. >> I'M GOING TO WORK ON IT. AND TERRI WERNER. >> YES, TERRI WERNER AND I WILL BE MEETING APRIL 22ND TO GO OVER A LIST THAT CINDY, LAURA AND I HAVE COMPRISED FOR DIFFERENT AREAS WE CAN LOOK AT FOR K2 LITERACY, BUT ALSO THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR US AS THE BOARD TO SUPPORT. WE KNOW ONE BIG AREA IS THE FAMILIES SUPPORT SYSTEM AS WELL THERE. IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED IN BEING PART OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE AT ALL, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME AS WELL IF YOU HAVE ANY INPUT OR IF YOU WANT AN OVERVIEW OF KIND OF THE TARGET AREAS THAT WE DO HAVE. CINDY, WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU WANTED COVERED? >> I'M WONDERING, TERRI, IF YOU'RE ABLE TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THE SURVEY OF SEAC NUMBERS? >> SO THAT'S WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO UNMUTE AND DISCUSS. CINDY, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT DR. WORCESTER SENT YOU THE LINK, DID SHE NOT THAT HAD THE FEEDBACK FROM THE SURVEY. DID YOU GET THAT? >> I HAVEN'T SEEN IT. >> I THOUGHT I SAW IT LAST WEEK. SHE DID. THERE WERE I THINK SIX OR SEVEN RESPONSES. AND THEY WERE IN A FORMAT. AND THEN I HAD ASKED HER TO SHARE WITH YOU. I THOUGHT THAT I SAW THE EMAIL WHERE SHE SENT IT TO YOU. I'LL FOLLOW UP AND DOUBLE CHECK. AND WE CAN YOU CAN THEN FORWARD IT TO THE COMMITTEE. >> OKAY. OKAY. GOOD. >> ARE THERE ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT YOU COULD FEATURE FOR US? >> OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, NO. DO YOU WANT TO GIVE ME A FEW MINUTES TO GO IN AND PULL IT BACK UP AND LOOK AT IT, I'M HAPPY TO DO SO. >> OKAY. YEAH. IF YOU DON'T MIND. I'M GOING TO I'M JUST SEEING IF I CAN FIND IT. BUT WE'LL CIRCLE BACK TO YOU IN A MINUTE BECAUSE I'M ALSO CURIOUS. IF THAT'S OKAY. >> I THINK I WAS ON THE EMAIL AS WELL WITH DR. WORCESTER. AND SHE SAID THAT SHE WILL SEND IT TO YOU, TERRI, AND THEN HAVE AN UPDATE. YOU'LL HAVE AN UPDATE FOR US. SO WE DON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ACCESS TO THE SURVEY AS OF RIGHT NOW. >> OKAY. WE'LL COME BACK TO THAT AT THE END OF THIS SECTION. SHALL WE MOVE ON TO COMMUNICATION SUBCOMMITTEE UPDATE. SABRINA. >> YES, THANK YOU, EVERYONE. WE HAD ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO THE FIRST SUB COMMITTEE MEETING FOR THE [00:10:05] COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE, SUB COMMITTEE, EXCUSE ME. IN ATTENDANCE WERE MYSELF, CINDY, MIKE, COURTNEY, AND LAURA. AND WE HAD A REALLY GREAT DISCUSSION. AND IN ESSENCE, WHAT WE WANT TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO BE SOON UNVEILING A FACEBOOK PAGE FOR THE SEAC. AND IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY A RESOURCE PAGE FOR PARENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. AND WE REALLY WANT IT TO BE A FORUM WHERE PARENTS COULD TELL US WHAT'S ON THEIR MIND, WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN. AND SO WE'LL BE FIGURING OUT HOW WE SORT OF INTAKE COMMENTS. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT ALSO PUTTING ALL THE RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT FOR SEAC ON TO THE PAGE. WE'LL BE LINKING SPECIAL EDUCATION PAGE TO THE PRC. WE'LL ALSO BE PUTTING ON THE RESOURCE THAT DEBBIE PERRY WORKED ON. THE LIAISON FLYER, AND A PIECE COURTNEY'S PUT TOGETHER WITH A GLOSSARY OF WHAT PRC MEANS, ALL THE ACRONYMS, SO THE PARENTS OF SPECIAL NEEDS CAN HAVE REALLY WHAT A ONESTOP SHOP RESOURCE WHERE THEY CAN GO TO GET THIS ECOSYSTEM OF SPECIAL EDUCATION EXPLAINED TO THEM. AND AGAIN, TO REALLY BE A FORUM. AND I WANTED TO JUST ASK ANY OF THE SUB COMMITTEE MEMBERS WHO ATTENDED, IF I'VE MISSED ANYTHING OR I FORGOT TO EMPHASIZE ANY ELEMENT OF WHAT WE DISCUSSED. OKAY. SORRY. >> I'M JUST SAYING IT'S A GOOD SUMMARY. >> I JUST WANTED TO MENTION, TOO, IF ANYONE IS INTERESTED, WE'RE ALWAYS WELCOMING NEW MEMBERS. SO PLEASE CONTACT ME OR CINDY IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN JOINING THAT SUB COMMITTEE. THANK YOU. >> ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE FIELD HERE? I DON'T SEE ANY HANDS RAISED. OKAY. MOVING ON. TO ANNE LIPNICK SUB COMMITTEE UPDATE WITH ALEXIS. >> I'M WONDERING, TERRI, IF YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO REACH OUT TO ALEXI REGARDING ANNE LIPNICK AND WONDERING IF SHE'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE NOMINATION FORMS. >> I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CONNECT WITH HER EITHER. ACCORDING TO SUSAN NEILSON, SHE HAD NOT GOTTEN BACK ABOUT THE NOMINATION FORM. SUSAN IS GOING TO REACH OUT TO HER AGAIN TO ASK HER TO LOOK AT IT. BUT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WE'RE UP AGAINST A WALL TIME WISE. WE'RE RUNNING PRETTY TIGHT ON TIME RIGHT NOW. >> YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. CAN YOU IN AN IDEAL WORLD, AT THIS POINT THE IS THAT RIGHT? >> SO YOU BROKE UP A LITTLE BIT, CINDY. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT I THINK YOU ASKED IS TYPICALLY, SUSAN, IF I'M CORRECT, WE TYPICALLY ARE RUNNING THE ANNE LIPNICK AWARD COMES AT THE SECOND MEETING OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. WHICH IS LIKE THE THIRD WEEK IN MAY. IF I REMEMBER THAT CORRECTLY. AND SO YOU HAVE TO BACKWARD COUNT FROM THAT, WHICH MEANS WE NEED AT LEAST THREE TO FOUR WEEKS BEFORE THAT MEETING TO HAVE THE NOMINATIONS FINALIZED. BECAUSE NUMBER ONE, I NEED TIME TO GET ALL THE AWARDS DONE, WHICH TAKES ABOUT TWO WEEKS. AND THEN WE HAVE TO POST EVERYTHING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD PRIOR TO THAT DATE. SO I WOULD TELL YOU THAT THE NOMINATIONS REALLY HAVE TO BE FINALIZED BY THE MIDDLE OF APRIL. AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN SENT OUT THE NOMINATION FORM YET. AND IT'S MARCH 17TH. AND WE'RE AWAY FOR SPRING BREAK FOR A WEEK. >> MOST OF THE NOMINATIONS WILL COME IN RIGHT BY THE DEADLINE. IN FACT, TRADITIONALLY, I THINK TERRY, WE'VE HAD TO EXTEND THE DEADLINE AND CONTINUE TO PUSH FOR THEM. >> THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T DO ANNE LIPNICK AWARDS. THE YEAR BEFORE, WE ACTUALLY HAD A FAIR NUMBER. WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD NUMBER. I JUST WAS CONCERNED THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE VIRTUAL SITUATION. AND SO I'M, AND DR. MOZINGO CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THIS. THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE PRINCIPALS GROUP ABOUT DOING THESE AWARDS THIS YEAR. NOT SO MUCH ANNE LIPNICK, BUT THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND THE PRINCIPAL OF THE [00:15:03] YEAR AWARD. BECAUSE THEY FELT LIKE THIS YEAR EVERYBODY HAD DONE SO MUCH AND TRYING TO SINGLE OUT AND IDENTIFY AN INDIVIDUAL PERSON GIVEN THE YEAR THAT WE'VE HAD WAS NOT WHAT THEY WANTED DO. BUT THERE WAS A SITUATION WITH THE WASHINGTON POST AND ALL THE THINGS. SO THEY WENT AHEAD WITH THE OTHER TWO AWARDS. WHEN CINDY AND I TALKED ABOUT IT, I QUESTIONED DOING IT THIS YEAR AS WELL. BUT SINCE THE OTHER ONES WENT FORWARD, WHAT DO YOU THINK? SO THE DISCUSSION WAS GO FORWARD. I'M GOING TO TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, YOU'VE GOT THREE WEEKS TO GET NOMINATIONS IN. I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY HEAVY LIFT. IT'S JUST MY FEELING ABOUT IT. KNOWING EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON. I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE A VERY HEAVY LIFT AT THIS POINT. >> YEAH. I THINK SO, TOO. IN TERMS OF WHETHER IT'S YOUR FOR THIS OR NOT. I'M GOING TO REACH OUT TO ALEXIS, AND ALSO, I AGREE WITH THAT COMMENT. IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLY DEMANDING YEAR FOR SO MANY TEACHERS. I'LL TALK WITH HER ABOUT IF I CAN REACH HER AGAIN TO SEE IF THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING SEAC CAN DO TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE INCREDIBLE WORK OF THIS SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHERS WITHOUT I'M NOT SURE WHAT THAT MIGHT BE. SO IF ANYONE HAS IDEAS ABOUT THAT. >> MY SUGGESTION MIGHT BE TO GIVE THE AWARD TO ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND INSTRUCTORS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN ALEXANDRIA FOR THE CREATIVE AND INCREDIBLY HARD WORK THEY DID IN PROVIDING THE VIRTUAL EDUCATION ENVIRONMENT TO STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. >> AND YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO ADD, CINDY, THAT IS KIND OF WHAT THE PRINCIPALS RECOMMENDED. ALTHOUGH THE DECISION WAS, WELL GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I'M SO SORRY I DIDN'T SAY GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THE PRINCIPALS RECOMMENDED A CELEBRATION THAT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE OF EVERYONE. THAT'S WHAT THEY REALLY WANTED. BUT THE DECISION IN THOSE THREE AREAS WAS TO GO FORWARD. BUT THEY DID RECOMMEND WHAT MIKE, WHAT YOU WERE ACTUALLY RECOMMENDING. IS THERE A WAY TO HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S MORE INCLUSIVE THAT RECOGNIZES MORE THAN A SINGLE INDIVIDUAL GIVEN THIS YEAR. SO YOU THINK OF THE STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS, AND YOU THINK OF THE PARAPROFESSIONALS, AND THOSE EDUCATORS, MAYBE IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THEM. THEY CERTAINLY HAVE HAD SOME HEAVY LIFTING TO DO THIS YEAR. >> YEAH, I DO LIKE THAT IDEA AS WELL. AND I WANT TO COLLABORATE WITH YOU GUYS. MIKE, MAYBE YOU AND I COULD TALK ABOUT MORE SPECIFIC IDEAS WITH ALEXIS. BECAUSE I LIKE THAT THOUGHT AS OPPOSED TO SINGLING OUT ONE OR TWO OR THREE. THERE'S JUST SO MANY VERY WORTHY CANDIDATES THIS YEAR. >> I THINK IT'S DOABLE. >> OKAY. >> AND I >> YOU HAD A QUESTION? >> I WAS GOING TO VOLUNTEER IF WE DIDN'T GET A HOLD OF ALEXIS, TO GET THE APPLICATIONS OUT. SO I ACTUALLY DON'T THINK LIKE A BLANKET CELEBRATION IS GREAT. LIKE, I THINK REALLY SPECIFIC I THINK IT'S BETTER TO HAVE THE AWARDS AND TO FIND SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT WE CAN AWARD. I THINK WE NEED A LOT OF MORALE BOOSTING. AND WHEN YOU DO BLANKET KIND OF WELL I THINK WE COULD DO A BLANKET CELEBRATION AND A BLANKET THANK YOU AS THE SEAC BOARD. I DON'T THINK IT SHOULD BE THE ANNE LIPNICK AWARDS. I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT IDEA OUT THERE. AND IF WE CAN'T GET A HOLD OF ALEXIS, I WOULD BE MORE THAN WILLING TO LOOK AT THE DRAFT AND GET IT UP. BECAUSE I DO THINK SPECIFIC RECOGNITION IS IMPORTANT FOR TEACHERS. >> AS A TEACHER, I'D LIKE TO SECOND THAT. >> OKAY. >> THAT WAS MY INITIAL OPINION WAS IF YOU GIVE A BLANKET TO EVERYONE, IT TAKES SOME OF THE MEANING AWAY OF GETTING THE INITIAL AWARD. SO I AGREE WITH JLYNN. >> WE COULD PRESENT IT AS IN LIEU OF AWARDING THE ANNE LIPNICK AWARD THIS YEAR, WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE ALL OF THE WORK THAT ALL OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF DID DURING THIS UNUSUAL YEAR. >> YEAH, OR WE COULD DO BOTH. >> YEAH. >> I WILL TELL YOU THERE IS PRECEDENCE FOR DOING THAT AND NOT HOLDING THE AWARD, IF YOU REMEMBER. WE HAD A TRANSITION YEAR A FEW YEARS AGO. AND WE DID A SYSTEMIC AWARD TO ALL STAFF. [00:20:05] SO THERE IS PRECEDENCE FOR DOING THAT. I TOTALLY DEFER TO THE WILL OF SEAC AND WILL SUPPORT WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU WANT TO DO. AND JLYNN AND LAURA, I HEAR YOU AND I KNOW WHAT A BIG DEAL IT IS TO THE STAFF AND THE TEACHERS WHO ARE NOMINATED AND WHO GET THIS. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M JUST GOING TO BE VERY HONEST. THIS IS HOW I AM. I ACTUALLY WORRY THAT IT WILL CREATE A LITTLE BIT MORE DIVISION THAN IT WOULD BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER. BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU, IT HAS BEEN A VERY HARD YEAR. AND TO SINGLE OUT ONE INDIVIDUAL OVER ALL OF THE WORK THAT EVERYBODY HAS DONE, I THINK IS I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS GOING TO BUILD COLLEGIALITY. >> I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN. THE INDIVIDUALS WOULD HAVE TO BE NOMINATED. SO WE'RE NOT CHOOSING ONE INDIVIDUAL FROM EVERYONE. WE'RE CHOOSING AN INDIVIDUAL FROM THE NOMINATED INDIVIDUALS. I THINK IT'S TELLING THE TEACHERS ON THE PANEL THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. LIKE, THE TEACHERS. I REALLY DO THINK, YOU KNOW, SAYING THAT YES, EVERYONE WORKED HARD, FINE. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE NOMINATED INDIVIDUALS AND YOU CHOOSE A NOMINATED INDIVIDUAL, AND THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE STELLAR AMAZING THINGS, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. AND I THINK WE ALREADY CANCELED LAST YEAR. AND IF WE CANCEL THIS YEAR OR DO SOME BLANKET STATEMENT, IT'S BASICALLY SAYING TO ME AS AN EDUCATOR, IT'S SAYING THERE WASN'T GREAT ENOUGH WORK TO HAVE THESE AWARDS. THAT WOULD BE MY MESSAGE BECAUSE WE'RE CANCELLING EVERY YEAR THAT'S VIRTUAL. JUST AS A PR STANDPOINT, I THINK IT'S WORTH CONSIDERING DOING. >> THIS IS SABRINA. I WOULD AGREE WITH JLYNN. I THINK WE SHOULD DO BOTH. IF WE DON'T GET ANY NOMINATIONS, WE JUST DON'T GET ANY NOMINATIONS. SO I LIKE THE IDEA. I ADVOCATE THAT WE DO BOTH. WE HAVE AN AWARDS PROGRAM AND WE HAVE A BLANKET THANK YOU OF SOME SORT. MAYBE IT'S A NICE LETTER OR SOMETHING THAT GETS SENT OUT TO EVERYBODY. SEPARATE FROM THE AWARD. >> I HAVE TO SAY I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH JLYNN AS WELL. I THINK THAT, I MEAN, I'M NOT ON THE IN WITH WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE TEACHERS. BUT YOU KNOW, AS A THERAPIST WORKING IN A LARGE WHEN I HAVE WORKED IN LARGE THINGS, THOSE THINGS ARE REALLY HELPFUL. AND I THINK THAT KIND OF WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS THAT THEY HAD TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. I THINK WE CAN PULL THIS OFF TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND OR TO GO AT LEVEL INSTEAD OF NOT DOING IT AT ALL. >> OKAY. I THINK WE CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> OKAY. >> AND IF I CAN'T REACH ALEXIS QUICKLY, MIKE, LET'S YOU AND I REVIEW THE MATERIALS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PLACE. >> WE CAN TALK TO JLYNN, TOO. >> YEAH, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GOOD. IN FACT, YOU KNOW, PROCESSING WHAT YOU'VE ALL SAID, AND LAURA, WHAT YOU SAID AS A TEACHER, IN A SENSE, LIKE, TO GET THE AWARD THIS YEAR WOULD BE, LIKE, SUPER STELLAR BECAUSE THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, REALLY TOUGH TO RISE ABOVE I MEAN, NOT NECESSARILY RISE ABOVE, BUT TO BE SINGLED OUT WITH SO MANY GREAT TEACHERS THAT HAVE COMMITTED SO MUCH. THAT WOULD REALLY BE AN HONOR. >> MAY I ASK A QUESTION, WHAT WOULD IT INVOLVE IN TERMS OF THE PRINCIPALS? WOULD THIS BE A PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITY? BECAUSE AT ONE POINT I KNOW THE PRINCIPALS WERE VERY INVOLVED. WOULD THEY BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS? >> THEY CAN NOMINATE. >> JUST FOR NOMINATING. OKAY. >> IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, TERRI, IN THE PAST, PRINCIPALS TOOK AN AIDE IN PROVIDING NOMINEES. BUT IT'S BEEN SHIFTED A BIT SO ANY PARENT OR GUARDIAN OR A FELLOW OR ADMINISTRATOR COULD MAKE THE NOMINATION. >> OH, OKAY. >> YES. IT WENT ONLINE MAYBE THREE YEARS AGO. THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO. SUSAN, RIGHT? THREE OR FOUR YEARS AGO. I HAVE TO AUTOMATICALLY ADD ONE MORE YEAR BECAUSE OF COVID. JANET EISSENSTAT HAD TAKEN A LEAD ON THAT. IT'S A MUCH MORE STREAMLINED PROCESS. IT'S AN ONLINE APPLICATION FORM. I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE REVIEWED. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S BEEN THE SAME THING. WE'VE KEPT IT THE SAME WAY THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. [00:25:02] UNLESS WE WANT TO ADD SOMETHING IN IT PARTICULARLY AROUND GIVEN THE STRUCTURES OF COVID. BUT IT'S A PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD FORM. AND WE SEND IT OUT THROUGH MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE VENUES. IT GOES OUT IN THE EXPRESS. IT GOES OUT IN THE PRC MAILINGS. IT GOES OUT THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PRINCIPALS. WE PUT IT IN PTA NEWSLETTERS. SO THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT PLACES FOR THE LINK TO GO. WE ALSO HAVE A MUCH MORE ROBUST EMAIL LIST. I CAN HAVE A PARENT EMAIL LIST PULLED OUT. AND GIVEN ALL THE SURVEYS AND THINGS WE'VE HAD TO DO LAST YEAR, I HAVE A MUCH MORE ROBUST LIST OF PARENT EMAILS. SO WE CAN WE'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF WAYS TO SEND IT OUT AND DISTRIBUTE IT. >> DON'T FORGET, SEAC MEMBERS CAN NOMINATE, TOO. >> WELL YEAH, MOST OF YOU ARE PARENTS, YOU'LL GET IT. SO YEAH, ANYBODY CAN NOMINATE. >> THE ONLY CAVEAT BEING THOSE GROUP THAT REVIEW THE NOMINATIONS, I'M ASSUMING, WOULDN'T BE MAKING NOMINATIONS AS WELL. >> CORRECT. IF YOU'RE GOING TO BE ON THE COMMITTEE THAT REVIEWS, YOU CAN'T NOMINATE. >> OKAY. SUSAN, ARE YOU ABLE TO TELL US THE DATE OF THAT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHEN THOSE AWARDS ARE DONE? THE SECOND SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN MAY. DO YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU? >> IT'S SCHEDULED FOR THE 20TH. AND SO BUT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO, BECAUSE THEY'RE STREAMLINING SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS SO DRASTICALLY TO KEEP THEM REDUCED. SOME OF OUR AGENDA ITEMS ARE VERY LONG. SO I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO WORK WITH JULIA BERGOS JUST TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR I KNOW FOR CELEBRATION LIFE AND/OR LIKE HOW DO WE DO IT AT THE BOARD MEETING. >> DR. MOZINGO, HAS THERE BEEN A DECISION MADE? THERE'S NO REASON IT COULD BE MADE BACK HAS IT BEEN DETERMINED YET OF THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR? HOW IS THAT GOING TO WORK THIS YEAR? DO WE EVEN KNOW? >> NOT YET. IT'S GOING TO BE VIRTUAL. BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN DECIDED. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PROBABLY WE NEED TO SPEAK WITH COMMUNICATIONS ABOUT IN TERMS OF STEPS. BUT IT HASN'T BEEN DECIDED JUST YET. >> THERE'S ALSO, I MEAN, WE COULD JUST HAVE A VIRTUAL ANNE LIPNICK AWARD CEREMONY. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. THERE'S OTHER WAYS TO ANNOUNCE IT. WE JUST HAVE GONE TO THE MEETINGS IN THE PAST. BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE PARTY. WE WON'T DO ANY OF THAT INPERSON SORT OF THING. I THINK IF IT'S GOING TO BE VIRTUAL AND WE DON'T TIE IT TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE FLEXIBILITY. SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR YOU ALL TO DISCUSS AS WELL. >> I AGREE. WE JUST NEED TO PICK A DATE. >> AS AN EDUCATOR, IT'S WAY MORE MEANINGFUL IF THE SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNIZES ME WITH SEAC. I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT. >> THAT'S A GOOD COMMENT. BUT I AM WONDERING ABOUT THE POTENTIAL OF THE FIRST JUNE MEETING IN LIEU OF THE SECOND MAY MEETING. BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY. >> SO WHAT I WOULD ADVISE IS YOU TOTALLY AVOID THE LAST MEETING OF JUNE SINCE THAT IS THE MEETING EVERYONE IS SCRAMBLING TO GET ITEMS ON BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T GET THEM ON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THAT'S THE LAST MEETING OF THE YEAR AND IT GETS A LITTLE OVERCROWDED. I THINK THE SCHOOL BOARD COULD DO A RECOGNITION OF SOME SORT. I KNOW THAT WHEN WE DID TEACHER AND STAFF MEMBER OF THE YEAR LAST YEAR, THAT WE HAD THEM JOIN BRIEFLY AT A MEETING. IT WAS VERY QUICK AND VERY NICE. THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE TOTALLY DIFFERENT THAT WAS REAL CELEBRATION. WE'D HAVE TO TALK IT OVER WITH THE POWERS THAT BE. BUT I BELIEVE THAT SOMETHING COULD BE ARRANGED THAT SO LONG AS IT'S NOT 40 MINUTES OF TIME. BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THE TIME IS REALLY PRECIOUS RIGHT NOW WITH THESE VIRTUAL MEETINGS. THAT THEY'RE FOR WHATEVER REASON, EXTENSIVE. [00:30:01] >> IN THE PAST, HOWEVER, THERE'S BEEN A GATHERING WHERE ALL THE NOMINEES ARE HONORED. AND THEN THEY THE ANNOUNCEMENT IS MADE AT THE END. THAT WOULD FALL RIGHT BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. AND AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING, THE HONOREES COULD BE RECOGNIZED. WE COULD STILL DO THAT THIS YEAR, I'M ASSUMING, CORRECT? >> YES. AND THAT WOULD BE FINE. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE SORT OF THE FORMAT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE THAT THOSE THAT GOT, I THINK THERE'S THREE MEMBERS. THE TEACHER, THE PARAPROFESSIONAL, AND THE OTHER ONE. >> GENERAL EDUCATION TEACHER, WHICH HAS PROMOTED INCLUSION. >> YEAH. SO YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE HARD DO. WE'D HAVE TO RUN IT BY ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WORK ON AGENDAS FOR THAT. SO WE'LL BRING THAT UP IN AGENDA SETTING TO SEE HOW THEY WOULD LIKE IT TO GO. I THINK ALSO WORKING WITH JULIA BERGOS AND DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, CATHERINE, SHE WOULD ALSO BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS. >> SO AT THIS MOMENT IT'S NOT EASY FOR YOU TO SAY WHICH MEETING WOULD BE PREFERABLE, THE SECOND OF MAY OR THE FIRST ONE? >> I'M NOT ABLE TO SAY AT THIS MOMENT. I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT OUR AGENDAS AND HOW THEY'RE PLANNED. BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THROUGH MAY AND JUNE YET. THOSE ARE NOT SECRET BUT JUST NOT FULLY PLANNED. >> WE NEED TO TAKE THAT UP AT AGENDA SETTING. >> YEAH. >> OKAY. >> BUT WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. WE'LL SEE WHAT'S POSSIBLE. >> ALL RIGHT. TERRI, THEN, I WILL GO THROUGH A TIMELINE WITH YOU VIA EMAIL. WE CAN MAKE SURE THE NOMINATIONS GET OUT QUICKLY STARTING POSSIBLY THE PRC NEWSLETTER THE END OF THIS WEEK WOULD BE MY PREFERENCE FOR THE FIRST TIME TO SEND THE NOMINATION LINK OUT. DOES THAT SOUND DOABLE? >> YES. YOU WANT TO SEND IT TO ME, CINDY? WE CAN POST IT BY FRIDAY. >> OKAY. TERRI, WOULD YOU BE ABLE DO THAT? IS THAT OKAY TO START? >> SURE, THAT'S FINE WITH ME. I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, TO MAKE THIS THE FASTEST, DO YOU WANT TO REVIEW THE LINK, CINDY? OR DO YOU WANT ME JUST TO GIVE IT. >> I'LL TAKE A QUICK LOOK. BUT I AGREE WITH YOU, I HAVE A FEELING WHEN WE DID IT, I DON'T THINK IT WOULD NEED TO BE CHANGED. BUT I WOULDN'T MIND TAKING A QUICK LOOK. >> SUSAN, DO YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEND CINDY AND MYSELF THE LINK? >> YOU'RE MUTED. >> I'M USING MY PHONE, TOO, SO I HAVE TO UNMUTE TWICE. YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO SEND IT TO YOU. AND CINDY. AND I WILL HAVE IT OPEN FOR LIKE TWO DAYS. AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO EVEN SHARE IT WITH THE COMMITTEE IF ANYBODY HAS ANY FEEDBACK, YOU'RE WELCOME TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU WANT IT. AND IT'S EASY TO MAKE CORRECTIONS AND CHANGES TO IT. SO JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT CHANGES YOU WOULD LIKE. >> OKAY. WELL I'M HAPPY TO BE ABLE DO THAT TOMORROW. I'LL TAKE THAT ON TOMORROW, TOO, CINDY, IF YOU COULD DO THAT AS WELL. >> OKAY. >> THAT WAY WE CAN CLEAR IT. AND IT CAN GO ON FRIDAY. >> SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. >> OKAY. ARE WE READY TO MOVE ON TO MEAGAN TO TALK ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT MODELS FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD? MEAGAN. >> YES. >> YEAH, I CAN QUICKLY SHARE. SO JUST FOR SOME INSIGHT IN TO HOW WE HANDLE PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE SCHOOL BOARD. THERE'S A TIME LIMIT FOR ALL PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THREE MINUTES PER PERSON. INDIVIDUALS HAVE TO GET THEIR COMMENTS IN WITHIN THAT THREEMINUTE TIME FRAME. THEY ARE SUSAN ACTUALLY DOES VERY KINDLY CUT THEM OFF AT THREE MINUTES. WHEN WE'RE INPERSON, THE CHAIR WILL USUALLY HEAR THAT, SUSAN'S LITTLE BELL. AND THEN WE DO ASK THEM, OR TELL THEM THAT THEY HAVE TO END. HOWEVER,PEOPLE DO ALSO SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WE OFTEN SAY IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL THINGS TO SHARE, FEEL FREE TO SUBMIT YOUR COMMENT IN WRITING. WE DO NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE MEETING. IT IS SIMPLY A LISTENING SESSION. [00:35:02] HOWEVER, ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PAYING ATTENTION. THEY GET THE INFORMATION ABOUT WHO IS PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENT, SO IF WE WANT TO REACH OUT TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS AFTER THE MEETING, WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO THAT, AND WE DEFINITELY DO THAT. LET'S SEE, I THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE BASIC THINGS. RIGHT, SUSAN? ALSO, WE DO ASK THAT PUBLIC COMMENT BE SUBMITTED THE DAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY NOON. OR THAT PEOPLE SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT THE DAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING BY NOON. AND THAT WAY WE HAVE, AS A SCHOOL BOARD, WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING BY THE DAY OF THE MEETING OF WHO WILL BE SPEAKING AND WHO THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE. IF THEY'RE A PARENT, TEACHER, IF THEY'RE JUST A COMMUNITY MEMBER, WE KNOW WHO THEY ARE AND THAT GIVES US A FRAMEWORK BEFORE THEY ACTUALLY PROVIDE THEIR PUBLIC COMMENTS. >> THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I WANTED TO ASK THAT BECAUSE I'M NOT AS FAMILIAR AS YOU ARE, OBVIOUSLY, OF BEING ON THE RECEIVING END OF PUBLIC COMMENT OR COMMITTEE BEING ON THE RECEIVING END. AND I KNOW THAT IS THE POLICY OF THE SCHOOL BOARD NOT TO RESPOND. WE'VE ADOPTED THAT POLICY, TOO, NOT TO RESPOND IN MEETINGS. JUST FROM SOMEONE WHO IS NOT EXPERIENCED IN THAT POSITION, IT DOES FEEL A LITTLE UNUSUAL. SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED YOU TO SHARE THAT WITH OUR COMMITTEE. AND YOU KNOW, TO HELP US PROCEED, I GUESS, ACCORDINGLY, REALLY. BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A MODEL THAT WE SHOULD FOLLOW BEING AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. SO THANK YOU. >> YEAH, I MEAN, IT CREATES AN ELEMENT OF ORDER. ALSO, I KNOW FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD, I MEAN, I THINK AS AN ORGANIZATION, AND I'VE DEFINITELY VERY PROTECTIVE OF STAFF TIME. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU DON'T HAVE LIMITS AROUND HOW PEOPLE ENGAGE, IT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A TWO HOUR MEETING AND A 12 HOUR MEETING. YOU CAN REMIND PEOPLE YOU CAN ENGAGE OUTSIDE OF THE MEETING AS WELL WITH INDIVIDUALS TO ADDRESS CONCERNS. >> AND I WANT TO >> I THINK IT HELPS WITH ORDER. >> YES, ABSOLUTELY. AND I WANT TO THANK TERRI. I KNOW YOU'VE RESPONDED OR FOLLOWED UP WITH THOSE WHO HAVE MADE PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK THAT IS VERY I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD IS, GRATIFYING FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME SPEAK TO THE COMMUNITY AND THEN HAVE A FOLLOWUP AFTERWARDS. I THINK PEOPLE FEEL THEY'VE BEEN HEARD. SO I APPRECIATE THAT, TERRI. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MEAGHAN. >> NO PROBLEM. >> I JUST HAVE A QUICK QUESTION. IS IT HOW DO WE WANT TO HANDLE IT AS A COMMITTEE AS IN DO WE I THINK IT'S GREAT FOR TERRI TO FOLLOW UP BECAUSE PROBABLY WE AS SEAC DON'T HAVE ANY DECISIONMAKING ABILITIES. BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE OR THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PURPOSE OF PUBLIC COMMENT IS. IS IT TO BE HEARD BY TERRI, BASICALLY? OR SHOULD WE AS COMMITTEE MEMBERS BE RESPONDING IN SOME WAY? AND IF SO, WHAT IS THAT PURPOSE? >> THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION. THE WAY I SEE IT IS HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE NEEDS OUT THERE THAT WE MIGHT NOT KNOW ABOUT. AND ALSO, IN FACT, TO SHARE THOSE CONCERNS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE WERE ASKING FOR INPUT FROM PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS BEFORE WE MET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT. THOSE PIECES OF INFORMATION WERE ROLLED INTO THE LIST OF PARENT CONCERNS THAT WERE SHARED WITH HIM. AND I ALSO SHARED THAT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. SO IT DID GET FORWARDED IN A SENSE. SO IT'S HELPFUL, I THINK, TO US AS A COMMITTEE TO KNOW WHAT PARENTS ARE EXPERIENCING, WHAT FAMILIES AND CHILDREN ARE EXPERIENCING. AND TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, TO BE ABLE TO SHARE THOSE NEEDS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND POTENTIALLY, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ALSO ACCORDINGLY. >> PROBABLY OH, SORRY. >> GO AHEAD, MEAGHAN. >> NO. I THINK PROBABLY AS A COMMITTEE, MAYBE DECIDING LIKE WHAT COMMENTS, LIKE WHO RESPONDS TO WHAT COMMENTS. LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S CERTAIN THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, SEAC MEMBERS MAY NOT [00:40:15] BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY NOT EVEN BE ARMED WITH ENOUGH KNOWLEDGE TO GIVE AN APPROPRIATE RESPONSE. BUT YOU COULD RESPOND AND SAY, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR COMMENTS AT THE MEETING. YOU KNOW. IF YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WANT TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUST SHOW SOME COMPASSION. YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S A FINE BALANCE. AND MAYBE THAT'S SORT OF WHERE OPERATING PROCEDURES HELP. THAT MAY BE SOMETHING YOU GUYS WANT TO WORK OUT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT TYPES OF COMMENTS DO WE RESPOND TO, IF ANY. WHAT THINGS GO RIGHT TO TERRI. OR MAYBE IT'S BETWEEN CINDY AND TERRI TO DECIDE WHO SHOULD RESPOND TO PARTICULAR ITEMS. >> COMMITTEE MEMBERS CAN ALSO REQUEST TO CINDY OR TO ME, THAT ITEMS BE PUT ON AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING. >> RIGHT. >> IF IT'S MORE COMPLEX THAT A SUB COMMITTEE BE FORMED TO TALK ABOUT IT, AND THEN BRING THAT DISCUSSION BACK. >> SO I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL IN OUR AS WE'RE WORKING ON COMMUNICATING TO THE REST OF THE PARENTS OUT THERE, OR WHAT SEAC DOES, AND WHY WE EXIST AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM, I THINK IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO COMMUNICATE WHAT THE PURPOSE OF THEIR PUBLIC COMMENT IS. BECAUSE PEOPLE COME, OR THEY DON'T COME. AND I MIGHT BE, LIKE, WHY SHOULD I COME? WHY SHOULD I SHARE MY STORY? A LOT OF THE STORIES, I WASN'T AT THE LAST ONE BUT THE ONE BEFORE, A LOT OF THE COMMENTS WERE VERY INTENSE. I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT AND WHAT WILL WE DO WITH IT. BECAUSE I THINK >> BECAUSE IF YOU GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND SUBMIT A PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU KNOW WHY AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH IT. I THINK IN SEAC, WE SHOULD ALSO HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC. >> I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT PUBLIC COMMENT IN A HISTORICAL CONTEXT. THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO SEAC IN THE COVID YEAR IS TYPICALLY WHEN PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE COVID IT WAS WE HAD SOMEONE FROM THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME TO ANNOUNCE SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE DOING, OR TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE HAD BEEN THERE FROM THERAPEUTIC REC OR OTHER PROGRAMS. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY IS MY RECOLLECTION OF PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE COVID WAS VERY RARE THAT WE, I MEAN, I COULD PROBABLY SAY ONCE OR TWICE IN ALL MY TIME HERE THAT WE HAD THE KIND OF PUBLIC COMMENT THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE COVID. SO I THINK THAT ALSO LOOKING AT THE KIND OF PUBLIC COMMENT THAT IS THERE. AND I ONLY RESPONDED TO THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE PARENTS RAISED SPECIFIC CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON WITH THEIR CHILD IN TERMS OF SCHOOL. SO I, YOU KNOW, I GOT INVOLVED WITH THAT AND WORKED TO ADDRESS AND AMELORATE CONCERNS. I HAD VERY TARGETED, VERY SPECIFIC PARAMETERS UNDER WHICH I REPLIED. BECAUSE I'M NOT SEAC, BUT I CAN ADDRESS THINGS WHERE PARENTS SAY MY CHILD DIDN'T GET OR I'M NOT HEARING FROM MY TEACHER OR WE ARE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THIS. THAT'S THE KIND OF THING I RESPOND TO. >> I JUST THINK THAT AS WE'RE GETTING OUR FAITH OUT THERE, MY HOPE IS WE COULD GET MORE PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THAT WE EXIST. SO AS WE'RE GETTING OUR FACE OUT THERE AND PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE HERE, PEOPLE MAY HAVE MORE THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO DISCUSS, AND THEY'RE LOOKING TO US TO ADVOCATE FOR THEM. I THINK, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATING WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT, OR MAYBE ALSO COMING UP WITH A CLEARER PLAN OF WHAT WE AT SEAC INTEND TO DO WITH THE PUBLIC COMMENT. OTHERWISE, IT'S JUST SORT OF TALKING AND IT'S FLOATING OUT IN TO SPACE, UNLESS [00:45:02] THERE'S A VERY SPECIFIC ACTION ITEM FOR TERRI TO FOLLOW UP WITH. >> MY PERSONAL FEELING AT THE MOMENT IS IT'S SOMEWHAT TWOFOLD. IF THERE'S A SPECIFIC PERSONAL ISSUE AS TERRI MENTIONED THAT SHE WOULD HAVE TO RESPOND. BUT ALSO THAT WE ARE ABLE TO USE THOSE COMMENTS. AND AS YOU SAY, HOPEFULLY MORE AND MORE I THINK WOULD BE A GOAL TO HELP THE SCHOOL BOARD BE INFORMED OF THE NEEDS AND SITUATION THE FAMILIES ARE FACING. IF YOU'RE NOT EXPERIENCING THE SITUATION YOURSELF, YOU MAY NOT KNOW THE DIFFICULTIES. THIS YEAR IS UNUSUAL. BUT IT'S PRETTY GENERAL WITH PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS. I ALSO THINK THE FACEBOOK PAGE, I'M HOPEFUL THAT MIGHT PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR PARENTS TO SHARE INFORMATION WHEN IT'S JUST TIDBITS. OR RESPONSES TO QUESTIONS. SABRINA, DO YOU SEE THE FACEBOOK PAGE OPERATING IN THAT WAY SO THAT PARENTS COULD MORE EASILY SHARE SMALL PIECES OF INFORMATION ABOUT EITHER SPECIFIC SITUATION OR IN GENERAL, HOW THEIR SITUATION IS GOING? >> YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT AS A SUB COMMITTEE, IMPORTANCE OF IT BEING A PLACE TO GO WHERE THEY CAN IN FACT DO THAT. ABSOLUTELY. WE HAVE TO GET IT OUT. AND WE HAVE TO DRIVE TRAFFIC TO IT. THAT'S GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE AND MAKING IT A GOTO RESOURCE WITH ALL THE OTHER INCOMING SOCIAL MEDIA THAT THEY GET, AND EMAILS, ET CETERA. BUT ABSOLUTELY. >> WELL >> I WAS JUST GOING TO ASK YOU A QUESTION. I WAS I THINKING ABOUT WHAT DEBORAH MENTIONED. AS YOU THINK ABOUT THE COMMENTS THAT PARENTS HAVE MADE. LET'S SAY OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS. HAVE MOST OF THOSE FALLEN IN TO TWO AREAS. ONE OF THEM, AS SHE MENTIONED, ADVOCACY. AND HAVE THE OTHER ONES FALLEN IN WHAT TERRI MENTIONED THEY'RE IN. SHE WOULD SERVE AS THE PERSON WHO WOULD PUSH THOSE COMMENTS OUT TO PEOPLE IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE. I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET THE SENSE OF HISTORICAL, THE KIND OF COMMENTS. ADVOCACY, OR ABOUT INDIVIDUAL CASES WITH FAMILIES, OR SOMETHING THAT TERRI WOULD NEED TO PUSH OUT. I WAS JUST TRYING TO REFLECT ON THE TYPES OF COMMENTS. >> I WOULD SAY MORE RECENTLY THEY'VE BEEN BOTH. FAMILIES HAVE BEEN COMING AND SHARING THEIR VERY PERSONAL STORIES. >> STORIES, YES. >> TO ADVOCATE FOR THE LARGER POPULATION THAT THEIR CHILD FALLS IN. >> YEAH. TRADITIONALLY, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, I MEAN, GOING BACK SIXEIGHT YEARS, IT'S USUALLY A FAMILY, PARENTS THAT ARE HAVING A BIG ISSUE AND JUST ARE NOT BEING HEARD. SO THEY'LL FIGURE THEY'LL TRY SEAC AND SEE IF THAT CAN DO SOMETHING FOR THEM. >> THAT'S RIGHT. >> GENERALLY, IT DOESN'T HELP A LOT. BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING SEAC CAN REALLY DO. >> I THINK WE CAN BE SO I'VE SAID THIS OVER AND OVER. SPECIAL ED PARENTS FEEL SO ISOLATED RIGHT NOW. I THINK WE CAN DO SOMETHING IN THE SENSE THAT IF SOMEONE FROM SEAC REACHES OUT AND JUST SAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND WE'RE TAKING IT SERIOUSLY. LIKE JUST THAT, ALONE, AND MAYBE ONE OF US GET ASSIGNED THAT ROLE. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE CINDY. JUST THAT ALONE I THINK COULD BE SO HELPFUL TO THE PARENTS RIGHT NOW. >> I THINK WHAT ZACK, MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER MEETING AT ANOTHER TIME. BUT I THINK THAT'S AN INTERESTING COMMENT ABOUT, AND SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO WRESTLE WITH AS A GROUP. WHAT IS IT THAT YOU CAN DO. >> MY ONLY CONCERN JLYNN, I UNDERSTAND, AND THIS IS MORE RECENT, WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN THE TIMES IN THE PAST, OBVIOUSLY. MY CONCERN IF SEAC REACHES OUT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD YOU AND WE'RE GOING TO HELP OR DO SOMETHING, THEN WE'RE COMMITTING TO DO SOMETHING. BECAUSE IF YOU SAY YOU'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING REPRESENTING SEAC, AND THEN SEAC CAN'T DO SOMETHING, THAT FURTHER ERODES THE CREDIBILITY OF SEAC. WE HAVE TO THINK THAT THROUGH, THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO REACH OUT AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO HELP, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE ACTUALLY DO THAT. >> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO SAY WE'RE ARE GOING TO HELP. I THINK IF WE SAY WE TAKE THEIR COMMENT SERIOUSLY, OR THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADD IT TO THE NEXT AGENDA. IT'S VAGUE. WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO ANYTHING. BUT AT LEAST THEY FEEL HEARD. AND MAYBE THERE COULD BE SOME CHANGE FOR SPECIFIC PROBLEMS. [00:50:02] >> WELL, AND I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ALSO BE A VEHICLE, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S OUR ROLE TO MAKE SURE THAT IF THESE ARE REPRESENTING SYSTEMIC CONCERNS THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS MADE AWARE OF THEM. IF WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC COMMENT, A BETTER IDEA ABOUT WHERE SYSTEMIC ISSUES ARE. >> WELL THIS IS SO CINDY, THAT KIND OF PROMPTS ME. THIS IS SABRINA, TOO. I GUESS THIS WOULD GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ON SEAC. I'M ALWAYS CURIOUS. I TRY TO LISTEN TO THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. I DON'T ALWAYS GET TO DO THAT AND HAVE THE TIME. BUT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE, THE WORK WE'RE DOING, IS IT HELPING TO INFORM YOU, AND IF SO, HOW? I MEAN, I THINK, AGAIN, I'VE BEEN ON SEAC FOR A FEW MEETINGS AND I'M NOT SURE THAT MARGARET ATTENDS AND ALDERTON ATTENDS. DOES THAT COME ALIVE AT THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS AND DELIBERATIONS ABOUT THINGS. IT'S REALLY MORE OF A QUESTION THAN A COMMENT. IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN THAT. >> I MEAN, IS IT HELPFUL? YES. COULD IT BE A MORE EFFECTIVE METHOD OF HELPING? I THINK SO. IT'S ACTUALLY INTERESTING THAT YOU BROUGHT THIS UP BECAUSE ONE OF THE ITEMS ON OUR MEETING FOR THURSDAY, I HAVE FORMED A SCHOOL BOARD COMMITTEE THAT IS SPECIFICALLY WORKING TO IMPROVE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES AND THE SCHOOL BOARD. >> OH GOOD. >> BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST A SEAC CONCERN. LIKE, I THINK IT'S A CONCERN FOR ALL OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES. I THINK ALL THE ADVISORY COMMITTEES WANT TO FEEL LIKE THEY'RE ACTUALLY MAKING AN IMPACT. AND IT'S CHALLENGING BECAUSE, AND IT'S NOT THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD DOESN'T WANT THE IMPACT. WE DON'T HAVE THE MECHANISMS IN PLACE FOR A CONSISTENT IMPACT TO OCCUR. LIKE I SAID, THAT'S ACTUALLY ON THE MEETING AGENDA FOR APPROVAL ON THURSDAY. AND WHAT I'VE DONE IS SET SOME GOALS FOR THE COMMITTEE. AND THEN THEY WILL COME BACK WITH SOME BASICALLY ACTION ITEMS THAT TO WORK TOWARD GET US IN A BETTER PLACE. LIKE, I DEFINITELY HEAR THAT. I THINK IT'S JUST IT'S NOT A MATTER OF EITHER COMMITTEES OR A SCHOOL BOARD NOT WANTING TO HAVE AN IMPACT. IT'S JUST THERE ARE NO SYSTEMIC WAYS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. AND SO I THINK THIS WILL HELP A LOT. >> THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU. >> I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT I SEE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS THAT PUBLIC COMMENTS AND THIS APPROACH GOES. NUMBER ONE IS, YOU KNOW, IT INFORMS THE WHEN PEOPLE TALK AND RAISE ISSUES, IT INFORMS US AS A COMMITTEE. BUT IT ALSO INFORMS THE INDIVIDUALS LIKE MEAGHAN AND TERRI, AND THE OTHER TERRY MOZINGO, TO GO BACK AND TAKE THOSE ITEMS AND TAKE A LOOK AT THEM. ALL RIGHT. BUT THEN BEYOND THAT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY AS THE SEAC TO GO IN FRONT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND MAKE COMMENTS AS A COMMITTEE. AND THAT MAY, OR MAY NOT, HAVE MORE IMPACT THAN WHAT MEAGHAN BRINGS BACK TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE SAME ISSUE. BECAUSE IT IS THE GROUP THAT IS MAKING THAT DISCUSSION. OR WHAT'S REALLY VALUABLE FOR PEOPLE LIKE MEAGAN IS SHE CAN USE THAT FOR WHEN OPPORTUNITY STRIKES. THOSE ARE THE BIG ONES THAT I THINK REVOLVE AROUND THE COMMENTS. >> AND I CAN GIVE SOME EXAMPLES. LIKE, YOU KNOW, I USE IT AS INFORMATION THAT I GET IN SEAC MEETINGS TO ASK BUDGET QUESTIONS. BECAUSE PARTICULARLY I KNOW THOSE THINGS THAT YOU SAY TO PRIORITIZE. I CAN GET PUBLIC ANSWERS. BECAUSE EVERY QUESTION WE ASK DURING THE BUDGET IS ANSWERED PUBLICLY, IN THE PUBLIC DOCKET. I GET ANSWERS THAT GO OUT TO EVERYONE THAT SHOWS WHAT THE DIVISIONS ARE SAYING ABOUT [00:55:01] THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. SO THAT'S ONE WAY. >> IS THERE A POSSIBILITY, THEN, TO WHAT MIKE SAID THAT WE SHOULD JUST I MEAN, AS COMMUNICATION SUB COMMITTEE, IS IT OVERKILL FOR US ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT IS MAYBE A WEDNESDAY DAY WHERE WE PUT OUT SOME Q & AS TO PARENTS OF THINGS THEY WANT TO KNOW. WOULD IT BE OVERKILL TO HAVE THE SEAC COMING ONCE A MONTH TO A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING TO SORT OF GIVE A REPORT OUT? AND IS THAT DONE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT OR CAN WE GET ON THE AGENDA? HERE'S WHAT SEAC DISCUSSED. IS THAT OVERKILL? I DON'T KNOW. WE CAN DO THAT AS A COMMITTEE AND I THINK THAT'S A POWERFUL ABILITY THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE SURE THE MESSAGING IS GETTING OUT NOT ONLY THROUGH MARGARET AND MS. ALDERTON, BUT AS A COMMITTEE TO THE REST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE AS SOMETHING WE SHOULD CONSIDER. >> I MEAN, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE. YOU CAN SPEAK AT ANY PUBLIC COMMENT. AND YOU KNOW, THE GOOD THING IS YOU COULD ACTUALLY, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THAT, YOU CAN ACTUALLY TAKE THE TIME MAYBE AS A SUB COMMITTEE TO PINPOINT AND NARROW DOWN THE ITEMS SO THAT THEY'RE SUCCINCT FOR THAT THREEMINUTE PERIOD. BECAUSE I THINK THE OTHER THING ABOUT PUBLIC COMMENT IS THE TRANSPARENCY. RIGHT. IT'S LIKE, IT'S OUT THERE. IT'S NOT AN EMAIL. RIGHT. YOU CAN FORWARD EMAILS. BUT NOT EVERYBODY IS LOOKING AT MY EMAILS. BUT IF THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT, EVERYBODY CAN SEE THIS PARTICULAR GROUP OR THIS PARTICULAR PERSON PUBLICLY ADDRESSED THE BOARD AND BROUGHT UP AN ISSUE, AND IT'S THERE FOR EVERYBODY TO HAVE THEIR EYES ON IN TERMS OF WHAT THE ISSUES WERE THAT WERE BROUGHT UP. >> OKAY. THAT'S GREAT. >> THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL. >> YES, IT IS. THANK YOU, MEAGAN. A VERY HELPFUL CONVERSATION. I APPRECIATE IT. >> NEW BUSINESS THEN? >> YEAH. >> OKAY. SO JANET IS GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. IS JANET HERE? >> ACTUALLY, WE ARE GOING TO POSTPONE THAT UNTIL THERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. OKAY. >> OKAY. >> CAN I ALSO SHARE A LITTLE TIDBIT. THIS MAY HELP OUT WITH MEAGAN. CINDY HAS BEEN COLLABORATING WITH PRC AND HAS REALLY BEEN REACHING OUT TO A SERIES OF MEETINGS THAT JANET AND I HAD PLANNED WAS SINGLE LANGUAGE ONLY PARENTS WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. WE'VE HAD ONE WITH JANET'S LED MEETINGS WITH OUR ARABIC SPEAKING PARENTS. WE HAD ONE MORE WITH SPANISH SPEAKING PARENTS THAT WILL BE NEXT WEEK. SO WE INVITED CINDY TO COME TO THOSE MEETINGS. SHE'S DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF SHARING THE PURPOSE OF SEAC, AND RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS. PARTICULARLY, MEMBERS OR PARENTS THAT MAY NOT REGULARLY OR EVER HAVE ATTENDED SEAC MEETINGS. ALSO INCREASING AWARENESS OF SEAC, AND EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS OF SEAC. SO INSIDE THOSE SMALL MEETINGS, WHERE PEOPLE ARE SPEAKING A LANGUAGE THAT THEY'RE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT'S A NATIVE LANGUAGE TO THEM, I THINK BY FAR SEAC IS REALLY EXTENDING THE OLIVE BRANCH. AND YOU WILL SEE THE RESULTS OF MORE PARENTS BEING INVOLVED WITH SEAC. JANET, YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD SOMETHING ON THAT, TOO. >> I WOULD ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID. AND BECAUSE I THINK TRADITIONALLY, OUR SECOND LANGUAGE FAMILIES HAVE NOT FELT NECESSARILY WELCOME OR INCLUDED, OR EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT. SO THIS WOULD GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO FEEL THAT INDEED THEY WOULD BE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE. >> AND THOSE MEETINGS WILL ALSO CONTINUE. RIGHT NOW THEY'RE BASED ON SINGLELANGUAGE MEETINGS. HOWEVER, WE'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AS THE STUDENTS ARE RETURNING TO SCHOOL, WE'LL HAVE THEM. THEY'LL BECOME MORE SCHOOL BASED. I THINK WE'LL EVEN REACH MORE PARENTS IN THAT WAY. [01:00:01] MAKING THEM FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE. AND MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT SEAC. BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE UNAWARE. >> YEAH. >> OF THE COMMITTEE. >> AND THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR BECAUSE ONE OF THE GOALS FOR THE BOARD COMMITTEE IS TO PUT MECHANISMS IN PLACE TO DIVERSIFY THE COMMITTEES. BECAUSE WE NEED THAT DESPERATELY. >> WAY TO GO, CINDY. >> YAY, CINDY. >> THE TRANSLATOR. WELL I APPRECIATE THE COLLABORATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE ON MY OWN I WOULD HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO CONNECT WITH THESE GROUPS OF PARENTS. BUT IT WAS KIND OF TELLING THE TRANSLATOR WITH A GROUP OF OH, SEAC, IS THIS A NEW COMMITTEE? EVEN AS A TRANSLATOR, HE HADN'T BEEN FAMILIAR WITH IT. AND MY IMPRESSION IS HE'S WORKED WITH ACPS FOR A WHILE. >> IT WILL CATCH ON LIKE WILD FIRE SOON. >> OKAY. LET'S MOVE ON, THEN, TO TERRI WERNER TO TALK ABOUT THE RETURN TO SCHOOL UPDATE. >> THANK YOU. >> I ALSO >> YEAH. >> I'M SORRY. BEFORE WE DO, I WANT TO GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT SEAC MAY WANT TO SHARE WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD OR HAVE AN OFFICIAL POSITION ON. IT MAY BE THAT, YOU KNOW, TERRI, FINDING OUT WHAT PLANS ARE. I KNOW RIGHT NOW THE EYES AND EARS ARE ON GETTING SCHOOLS OPEN. KIDS HAVE BEEN BACK TWO WEEKS. WELL SPECIAL NEEDS KIDS. OTHER KIDS ARE RETURNING THIS WEEK. IT'S HARD TO FOCUS ON SUMMER. I KNOW FOR THOSE WORKING HOURS AND HOURS GETTING TOMORROW IN PLACE. BUT I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR SEAC. AND I WANT TO TELL MEMBERS THAT ARE HERE, AND I'LL HAVE TO COMMUNICATE VIA EMAIL WITH OTHERS, TO JUST SHARE OUR GROUP OPINION ON THE NEED OF STUDENTS FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAM. IN TERMS OF INPERSON FOR FAMILIES THAT WANT TO HAVE THEIR CHILD INPERSON WITH A TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM. BECAUSE OF THE RESTRAINTS IN PLACE, THE SAFETY RESTRAINTS, WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE OUR STUDENTS PRIMARILY ON ZOOM EVEN WHEN THEY'RE IN SCHOOL. AND THEN ALSO, OUR VIEWS LOOKING AHEAD TO THE FALL. I WOULD LIKE TO JUST, YOU KNOW, SPEND IT'S A BROAD DISCUSSION. WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT FOR AN HOUR. BUT I WOULD JUST LIKE TO HEAR FROM MEMBERS MAYBE FOR FIVE MINUTES. AND I COULD EVEN PUT, YOU KNOW, TAP IN TO PEOPLE VIA EMAIL AFTER THE MEETING. SEVERAL MEMBERS AREN'T HERE, OF COURSE. WOULD ANY MEMBERS >> CINDY, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL BEFORE YOU START THAT DISCUSSION, WOULD IT BE HELPFUL IF I SHARED WITH YOU WHAT WE HAVE IN PLACE SO FAR? PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN PLACE AND THEN POTENTIALLY ADVOCATE FOR NEXT STEPS. BECAUSE IT MAY BE THAT PEOPLE SAY THINGS, AND I'M LIKE, WELL, WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. >> MY APOLOGIES. >> SINCE YOU AND I SPOKE, I HAVE MORE INFORMATION. >> OKAY. YEAH. SO MY APOLOGIES. WE HAVEN'T BEEN SO I APOLOGIZE THAT I HAVEN'T >> WELL NOT IN THE LAST WEEK. YOU RAISED THIS LAST WEEK, AND I SAID I WANTED TO WAIT FOR A COUPLE OF MEETINGS. I DO HAVE SOME UPDATES. SOME WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER SPRING BREAK. LET ME HIT A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, I WAS TRYING TO OPEN ON MY PHONE THE GOOGLE DOCUMENT FROM DR. WORCESTER. I CANNOT OPEN IT ON MY PHONE. I'M NOT AT HOME THIS EVENING. SO I CAN'T GET ON MY COMPUTER. I TRIED TO SEND IT TO DR. MOZINGO BUT IT'S NOT SENDING. I APOLOGIZE, I THOUGHT IT WAS BEING FORWARDED TO YOU. I THINK I JUST MADE A MISTAKE. BUT I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU REGARDING IT. I CAN TOUCH ON THREE THINGS WITH YOU. ONE, RETURN TO SCHOOL SO FAR. TWO, THE PLANS WE HAVE IN PLACE AT THIS POINT IN TIME FOR SUMMER SCHOOL. ALTHOUGH THERE IS A PRESENTATION BEING MADE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD ABOUT IT TOMORROW. AND THEN WHERE THINGS STAND AT THIS POINT FOR FALL PLANNING. IN TERMS OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND THE RETURN TO SCHOOL FOR THE LAST WEEKS FOR STUDENTS IN OUR SELFCONTAINED PROGRAMS, WE HAD AS CLOSE TO FLAWLESS OF AN OPENING WE COULD HAVE. IT REALLY WAS AMAZINGLY, AMAZINGLY SPECTACULAR. AS YOU ALL HAVE HEARD ME SAY, JUST AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WAS DONE [01:05:04] IN ORDER TO FACILITATE THAT. WE HAD TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS THAT DID RETURN IN PERSON, AND THOSE WHO ARE STILL VIRTUAL. FOR THOSE WHO DID NOT RETURN, WE NEEDED TO FILL SLOTS. I KNOW A LOT OF YOU HEARD ABOUT THE MONITORS AND THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT WHAT KIND OF TRAINING THE MONITORS WOULD HAVE. WE DID NOT USE THE MONITORS AS YOU UNDERSTOOD IT FROM THE GENERAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE. WE ACTUALLY HAVE HIRED REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIANS, WHICH ARE THE STAFF THAT WORK UNDER ABAS, A BCA, RATHER, BOARD CERTIFIED ANALYST. MANY OF THEM HAVE REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHNICIANS. AND THOSE ARE THE NEXT LEVEL TECH DOWN FROM A BCPA. THEY GO IN THE HOMES AND PROVIDE SERVICES UNDER THE BCA. REGISTERED BEHAVIOR TECHS TO WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS WITH AUTISM. AND SPECIAL BEHAVIORALISTS WHO WORK WITH STUDENTS WITH EMOTIONAL DISABILITIES. WE HAVE ALSO HIRED LPNS AND CERTIFIED NURSE ASSISTANTS, CNAS TO WORK IN SOME OF OUR CLASSROOMS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEEDS WITH THEIR ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LEARNING. THINGS HAVE GONE BEAUTIFULLY. FOR THE STUDENTS WE HAVE BACK, WE HAVE THEM FACETOFACE. I LAUGH. THE ONLY REAL ISSUE THAT WE HAD WITH A STUDENT BACK WAS A LITTLE BIT IN PRESCHOOL WHO ON THE WAY HOME FROM SCHOOL DECIDED IT WAS TIME TO CHANGE HIS CLOTHES ON THE BUS. OTHER THAN THAT, IT REALLY WE REALLY HAVE IT'S JUST BEEN, IT'S BEEN GREAT. WE'VE BEEN SO EXCITED. EVERYBODY'S BEEN THRILLED. I WENT TO MOUNT VERNON, WHICH IS WHERE SOME OF OUR CITYWIDE PROGRAMS ARE. THE 7 O'CLOCK THE FIRST DAY KIDS WERE BACK. I SAW A BUS DRIVING DOWN THE STREET AND I STARTED CRYING. I WAS LIKE, OH MY GOSH, IT'S REAL. SO YOU KNOW, SEEING KIDS GET OFF THE BUS, BEING BACK IN CLASSROOMS, IT'S REALLY BEEN, IT'S BEEN GREAT. WE CONTINUE TO DO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF SUPPORT TO WORK WITH THE VIRTUAL AND THE HYBRID PROGRAMS. WE ARE SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN CLASSROOMS. WE ARE SUPPORTING TEACHERS IN THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE CONTINUING AT THIS TIME TO HAVE OUR RELATED SERVICES PROVIDED IN THE TELETHERAPY FORMAT. JUST SO WE'RE NOT BREAKING THOSE BUBBLES AND THOSE COHORTS IF WE DON'T HAVE TO. SO THERE'S STILL ALL THE SAFETY MITIGATION, HEALTH MITIGATION THINGS ARE IN PLACE. AND WE'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, FOR OUR THIRD WEEK BACK IN SCHOOL, IT'S GONE REALLY, REALLY, REALLY WELL. AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED. IN TERMS OF SUMMER SCHOOL, WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF SUMMER SCHOOL PLANNING RIGHT NOW. WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT THERE WILL CLEARLY AND ABSOLUTELY BE A DESIGNATED ESY PROGRAM THIS YEAR. WE HAVE ALREADY GOT THE PROCEDURES AND PROCESSES IN PLACE. WE ALSO HAVE WE'RE BASICALLY TIERING. WE'RE GOING HAVE TO THREE TIERS OF SPECIAL ED SUPPORT. YOU'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THE OVERALL SUMMER PROGRAM. IT'S COMING OUT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD TOMORROW. BUT I CAN TELL YOU AT THIS POINT WE HAVE A SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS IN THE GENERAL EDUCATION PROGRAM WITH COTEACHING SUPPORT. WE HAVE WHAT WE'RE CALLING CLOSING THE GAP. WHICH WOULD BE OUR TIER 2 FOR STUDENTS WHO NEED SPECIFIC READING AND MATH INTERVENTIONS. WE'VE IDENTIFIED PARTICULAR PROGRAMS. AND WE'VE DONE A SIGNIFICANT PURCHASE OF MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES. AND THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE ESY. OUR ESY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE PRIORITIZED OR FACETOFACE INPERSON. OUR ESY CLASSES WILL BE FACETOFACE. AGAIN, WITH THE SAME CAVEAT OF STAFFING AND, YOU KNOW, SPACE AND ALL OF THAT. WE ARE LOOKING TO HAVE ALL OF OUR ESY PROGRAM FACETOFACE, AND AS MUCH AND STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES ARE IN THE PRIORITY GROUP FOR THE OVERALL SUMMER SCHOOL PLANNING. SO WE A LOT GOING. WE STARTED A LOT AND WE STILL HAVE QUITE A BIT OF PLANNING TO DO. BUT YOU WILL HEAR ALL OF THE DETAILS AND THINGS ARE GOING TO BE SENT TO PARENTS RIGHT AFTER SPRING BREAK. SO THERE'S DEFINITELY THAT. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TERMS OF THE FALL AS THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS SAID, WE [01:10:02] ARE FOLLOWING OUR PLAN OF ACTION. WE HAVE 5.0, WHICH IS GOING TO BE THAT RETURN BACK, AND IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY SYSTEMIC APPROACH. AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL SHARE THAT AS THINGS MOVE FORWARD. THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT I CAN TELL YOU. BUT WE'RE ALREADY STARTING TO TALK ABOUT FALL PLANNING. AND WE WILL MOVE THROUGH THAT. AND HE WILL COMMUNICATE AND WE WILL WORK THROUGH THAT AS WELL MOVE FORWARD. BUT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, I WANT YOU TO KNOW ARE IN THE NUMBER ONE PRIORITY GROUP AT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. >> THANKS, TERRI. AND AS A PARENT WHO HAS HAD TWO CHILDREN GO BACK, THEY'VE HAD GOOD EXPERIENCES. THEY'VE BEEN SO HAPPY TO GO BACK. IT'S REALLY I'M LIKE YOU, JUST NEAR TEARS. SUCH A BIG MOMENT. SO REALLY, REALLY HAPPY FOR THOSE DAYS. ARE THERE QUESTIONS OUT THERE FOR TERRI? >> JLYNN. >> YEAH. TERRI, CAN I JUST TERRIFY. SUPER EXCITED ABOUT ESY. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO THE FEEDBACK FOR THAT. WHEN YOU SAY THEY'RE BEING PRIORITIZED FOR INPERSON, IS THAT FULLTIME, FOUR OR FIVE DAYS A WEEK, OR HYBRID? >> NO, WE'RE DOING FULL DAY, FOUR DAYS EXCUSE ME. WE'RE DOING FULLY FACETOFACE OR FULLY VIRTUAL. WE ARE NOT DOING CONCURRENT HYBRID, WHATEVER, STUDENTS ARE EITHER INPERSON WITH TEACHERS OR THEY ARE VIRTUAL WITH TEACHERS. RIGHT NOW IT IS MY PLAN, AGAIN, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S BASED ON STAFFING AND SPACING LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IS. BUT IT IS MY PLAN TO HAVE STUDENTS IN FOUR DAYS A WEEK FROM 9:00 TO 1 O'CLOCK EVERY DAY FACETOFACE. >> THAT'S GREAT NEWS. THEY NEED IT SO MUCH. THANK YOU. >> DEBORAH. >> I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE SUMMER. I'M JUST WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THESE KIDS WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK MORE THAN TWO DAYS A WEEK BEFORE THE END OF THE TRADITIONAL SCHOOL YEAR. I'M HEARING A LOT FROM PARENTS, PARTICULARLY THOSE PARENTS OF KIDS THAT ARE IN THE CITY WIDE PROGRAM THAT TWO DAYS A WEEK IS DIFFICULT. I CAN JUST SAY, MY SON WHO HAS AN IEP WHO IS IN THE GEN ED POPULATION, WE DECIDED NOT TO GO BACK HYBRID BECAUSE THAT TRANSITION BETWEEN TWO DAYS ON AND TWO DAYS OFF WOULD HAVE REALLY WRECKED WITH HIS THINGS. AND SO I CAN ONLY IMAGINE HOW THAT'S WORKING FOR KIDS WITH EVEN MORE SIGNIFICANT ISSUES. >> SO I WILL TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE ARE ON ADAY, BDAY I CANNOT TELL YOU AT THIS POINT WHAT MAY CHANGE AFTER SPRING BREAK. BUT I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I RECOGNIZE. ALTHOUGH, I WILL TELL YOU, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT AS WELL. BUT WE'VE GOT KIDS IN FOR THE THIRD WEEK, AND IT'S ACTUALLY WORKING. IT'S OKAY. I MEAN, NOTHING IS PERFECT. ALL RIGHT. JUST NOTHING'S PERFECT. AND I RECOGNIZE THAT. BUT WITHIN THE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE RIGHT NOW AND THE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S GOING PRETTY WELL. SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT AND DR. MOZINGO MAY JUMP IN ON THIS. >> YEAH, I CAN. >> RIGHT NOW THINGS ARE STAYING THE WAY THEY ARE UNTIL WE GET THROUGH. SOME KIDS JUST STARTED BACK YESTERDAY. >> YEAH. >> SO YOU CAN'T MAKE WE HAVE TO GET SOME THINGS IN PLACE AND STABLE FIRST. BUT I'M GOING TO LET DR. MOZINGO ANSWER. >> THERE WILL BE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS TOMORROW NIGHT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE WELL ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DR. HUTCHENS HAS TALKED ABOUT, AND THE PRINCIPALS HAVE DISCUSSED THIS IS IN SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE DO HAVE SPACE BECAUSE SOME OF OUR FAMILIES HAVE DECIDED TO REMAIN VIRTUAL. SO A SMALL AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, THAT HAS RESULTED IN SOME MORE SPACE. ONE OF THE THINGS FOR THE SCHOOLS, THOUGH, COUNCILS OF REGISTRARS, THEY HAVE TO MAKE SURE THOSE STUDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO SHOW UP. [01:15:01] WE'VE HAD SOME KIDS THAT WERE THERE LAST WEEK AND MAYBE NOT THIS WEEK. THEY ARE IN THE PROCESS THROUGH THE COUNSELORS CONTACTING FAMILIES. NUMBER TWO, A SMALL GROUP OF PRINCIPALS AND OTHERS ARE IN THE PROCESS. YOU MAY REMEMBER WE USED A MATRIX HOW WE PRIORITIZED STUDENTS GOING FIRST. PRINCIPALS ARE TAKING THAT SYSTEM AND THEY ARE GOING TO COME UP WITH A MATRIX BY WHICH WE CAN AND THEY CAN ALLOW MORE STUDENTS. WHAT HE HAS ALSO INDICATED AT THIS TIME, THOSE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE SPACE, THOSE SCHOOLS MAY THERE'S FAMILIES WANTING EITHER TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET NUMBERS FROM SCHOOLS. WE'LL SOON HAVE A SENSE TO SEE IF IT'S FEASIBLE, IF IT'S PERMISSIBLE AND POSSIBLE FOR FAMILIES TO DO THOSE DAYS. WE WANT TO BE FAIR. WE WANT TO FIRST VERIFY THAT THOSE FAMILIES THAT HAVE REQUESTED HYBRID THAT MAY NOT HAVE SHOWN UP THAT THEY ARE BEING CONTACTED. BECAUSE THOSE SEATS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR SOMEONE ELSE. NUMBER TWO, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE SCHOOLS HAVE A SENSE OF IDENTIFYING THE STUDENTS WITH THE GREATEST NEEDS. THOSE THAT ARE MOST VULNERABLE, AND A REAL FAIR PROCESS. THEN TO BE ABLE RIGHT AFTER SPRING BREAK TO BE ABLE TO CONTACT THOSE FAMILIES AND SAY THESE SEATS ARE AVAILABLE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY. THEN WE'LL GET A SENSE OF SEEING WHAT'S AVAILABLE AFTER THAT. SO IT MIGHT BE. WE CAN'T SAY RIGHT NOW. BUT WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE SOME SEATS AVAILABLE. BUT WE KNOW WE WILL HAVE A PROCESS, AND WE KNOW WE HAVE FAMILIES THAT ARE WANTING TO ATTEND THOSE TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY, FRIDAY. AND A FEW THAT ARE WANTING FOUR DAYS. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HELPS YOU. BUT JUST TO KNOW THERE IS A PROCESS. THERE IS A REVIEW. AND THAT THERE WILL BE SOME SPACES AVAILABLE. >> DEBORAH, ALSO >> THAT IS REALLY HELPFUL TO JUST HEAR THAT THERE IS, LIKE, THAT IT'S BEING CONSIDERED. AND THAT THERE IS A PROCESS. >> YES. >> I GUESS THE OTHER FEEDBACK I WOULD JUST GIVE. TERRI, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT'S GOING REALLY WELL. AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR THAT. I JUST, UM, I JUST WANT TO STRESS AS A PARENT THAT I CAN SEE THINGS GOING REALLY WELL. AGAIN, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MY OWN SON. BUT I CAN ALSO SPEAK FOR THE KIDS THAT I PROVIDE THERAPY TO. I CAN SEE THINGS GOING REALLY WELL AT SCHOOL. AND THEN AT HOME, IT'S A COMPLETE NIGHTMARE. AND THAT IS WHY WE PERSONALLY DID NOT GO. I BET MY SON WOULD HAVE DONE GREAT AT SCHOOL. IT'S THE COMING HOME AND THE FALLOUT AFTERWARDS THAT JUST WASN'T WORTH IT. >> DEBORAH, I UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE I HAVE HEARD MULTIPLE STORIES ABOUT THE CHALLENGES AT HOME. AND I DO FULLY APPRECIATE THAT. ONE THING THAT I WANT TO EXPLAIN, BECAUSE I'M SURE SOME PEOPLE ARE THINKING BACK TO WHAT WE HAD PLANNED FOR THE FALL ARE SAYING BUT IF YOU WERE GOING TO DO IT THEN, WHY NOT NOW? SO THE DISCUSSION, AND I'M GOING TO BE VERY UPFRONT. THE DISCUSSION IN THE FALL RETURNING STUDENTS IN THE CITY WIDE PROGRAMS TO SCHOOL HALF DAYS, FOUR DAYS A WEEK, WAS PREDICATED UPON THE FACT THAT THEY WERE THE ONLY STUDENTS RETURNING. AND WE HAD MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH BUSES. NOW THAT WE EVER ALL STUDENTS. NOW THAT THIS WAS CONSOLIDATED AND WE HAVE ALL STUDENTS RETURNING, I NEED YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S NOT THE BUS CAPACITY TO DO DUAL RUNS. THAT MEANS WE WOULD HAVE TO DO A MIDDAY, TWO MIDDAY RUNS. WE'D HAVE TO PICK UP ALL THE KIDS AND TAKE THEM HOME. AND PICK UP A WHOLE NEW GROUP OF KIDS AND BRING THEM BACK TO SCHOOL IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY. THE BUS CAPACITY IS VERY STRAINED AT THIS POINT. WE'RE HAVING TO DO DUAL RUNS AT ALL, ESPECIALLY ALL SECONDARY, AND MOST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, TO EVEN GET ALL THE KIDS THAT WANT TO COME IN IN SCHOOL. WE CAN ONLY PUT EIGHT KIDS ON A BUS. AND SO WHEN YOU'RE RETURNING 4,000 STUDENTS TO SCHOOL AND YOU CAN ONLY DO EIGHT ON A BUS, WE HAD 93 BUSES RUNNING, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE NUMBERS. SO IT'S WE JUST DON'T I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S THE CAPACITY TO DO THOSE KINDS OF BUS RUNS ALL DAY LONG. BECAUSE YOU'RE DOING TWO RUNS IN THE MORNING, AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO TURN AROUND AND PICK UP KIDS AROUND 11:30. I JUST DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DO THE BUS RUNS. >> BUT THE CLASSES THAT ARE, MANY OF THE CITYWIDE CLASSES ARE NOT, I MEAN, THEY'RE SMALL. THEY'RE NOT 22 KIDS IN A CLASS. [01:20:02] SO WOULD IT NOT BE FEASIBLE FOR THOSE CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO GO TO SCHOOL ALL DAY VERSUS HAVING TO DO HALF DAYS FOUR DAYS A WEEK? >> SO THAT'S THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY TO GET ALL KIDS BACK IN THE BUILDING. >> YEAH. >> WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING THAT MANY STUDENTS IN THE CLASS. OUR CITY WIDE CLASSES HAVE SIXSEVEN STUDENTS IN THEM. BUT THEY'RE NOT ALL IN FULLSIZE CLASSROOMS. SO MOST OF THOSE CLASSROOMS RIGHT NOW CAN ONLY ACCOMMODATE THREE OR AT MOST, FOUR STUDENTS. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER THE EXTRA ADULTS THAT ARE IN THOSE CLASSROOMS. AND SO WE DON'T HAVE THE ROOM. YOU CAN'T BRING THE WHOLE CLASS BACK. YOU CAN'T BRING SIX OR SEVEN KIDS, PLUS THE THREE OR SO ADULTS THAT ARE THREE OR FOUR ADULTS IN SOME CASES THAT ARE IN EACH ONE OF THOSE CLASSROOMS. YOU CAN'T PUT THAT MANY PEOPLE IN THE CLASSROOM. SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE HALF THE STUDENTS AT A TIME. SO IT'S, YOU DON'T HAVE THE THE CLASSROOMS DON'T HAVE THE CAPACITY. AND I DON'T HAVE DOUBLE THE STAFF TO SPLIT THEM INTO ANOTHER CLASSROOM. I TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO HAVE THEM BACK. BUT THERE'S ALSO SIGNATURE LOGISTICAL ISSUES. >> YEAH, I'D JUST LIKE TO POINT OUT ON THE LOGISTICS SIDE THAT YOU CAN YOU COULD SWITCH THE CLASSROOMS TO A LARGER CLASS. SO THAT CITY WIDE WAS PRIORITIZED TO RETURN. UNTIL THE REST OF THE STUDENTS RETURNED. I THINK DEBBIE IS SPEAKING ABOUT A VERY SPECIFIC POPULATION THAT SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR FULLTIME RETURN. THERE ARE DISTRICTS IN THE AREA ARE DOING IT OR HAVE CLEAR PLANS TO DO IT. AND WE DO NOT. AND I THINK THAT IS NOT OKAY. BUT LOGISTICALLY, YOU CAN MAKE THOSE SWITCHES. LIKE, DO TEACHERS WANT TO KEEP THEIR OWN ROOM? SURE. IS IT A GLOBAL PANDEMIC AND WE CAN LOGISTICALLY SWITCH, SURE. >> JLYNN, I NEED TO CLARIFY. EVERY CLASSROOM IS BEING USED. THE GENERAL ED STUDENTS ARE BACK IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. >> I UNDERSTAND. BUT THEY'RE AT REDUCED CAPACITY. SO SOME OF THOSE CLASSROOMS COULD FIT IN THE CITY WIDE SO THAT THE CITY WIDE COULD GO IN TO THE LARGER CLASSROOM AND HAVE THE CHILDREN BACK. >> MOST OF THE CITY WIDE CLASSES COULD ACCOMMODATE THREE STUDENT DESKS. I'M JUST TELLING YOU. AND I DON'T WANT TO DEBATE. I WILL TELL YOU THAT I WILL MAKE IT A PRIORITY AND WE WILL LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN DO. MEAGAN, I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T MEAN TO SPEAK OVER YOU. >> I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT. WHAT I HEAR JLYNN SAYING IS THE TALK IS TO HELP THE MOST VULNERABLE BE IN THE CITY WIDE PROGRAM. BUT THEY'RE NOT BEING PRIORITIZED BECAUSE THEY'RE GETTING ONLY AT BEST TWO DAYS A WEEK FOR A FEW HOURS. THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T SEND OUR DAUGHTER BACK BECAUSE THE TRAUMA OF ALL THESE TRANSITIONS, ONLY TWO DAYS FOR A FEW HOURS. YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T REALLY HELP HER. WHY THEY'RE NOT SAYING ALL CITY WIDE CHILDREN GET THE PRIORITY OF THE CLASSROOMS PERIOD FOR FOUR DAYS FOR A CONSISTENT LONG DAY. SO WHAT'S HAPPENED IS THAT'S BEING SAID, BUT IN REALITY THAT'S NOT WHAT'S BEING DONE. THEY'RE NOT REALLY BEING PRIORITIZED BECAUSE GEN ED KIDS ARE ALSO NEEDING THE SPACE. SO THAT'S FROM MY PERSPECTIVE HOW I SEE IT IS THEY'RE NOT BEING PRIORITIZED. >> I'M GOING TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF PERSPECTIVE THAT I THINK IS NECESSARY. THE FIRST THING I DON'T WANT TO DO IS SIT HERE AND TELL AND SAY WHAT SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS CAN DO. BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, REORGANIZING THE SPACES AND DOING ALL THOSE THINGS. I WOULD RATHER HAVE THEM SAY THAT THEY COULD MAKE ALL KINDS OF CHANGES AND MOVE KIDS AROUND. IT FEELS A LITTLE PRESUMPTOUS TO ME TO SAY RIGHT HERE AND NOW THAT THEY COULD MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS IN TERMS OF SPACE. SO I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION, I THINK ONE THING IT'S ALSO HELPFUL TO HOLD IN PERSPECTIVE IS THAT WE HAVE A HUGE GROUP OF VULNERABLE KIDS. I THINK HOW WE'RE DEFINING VULNERABILITY, WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY YOU KNOW, OUR CITY WIDE SPECIAL EDUCATION KIDS ARE A VULNERABLE GROUP. BUT WE HAVE BLACK AND LATINO KIDS WHO ARE ALSO A VULNERABLE GROUP OF KIDS. SO WE HAVE TO CONSIDER THAT SPECTRUM OF VULNERABILITY IN TERMS OF SPACE. [01:25:05] WE'VE GOT KIDS THAT ARE VULNERABLE FOR DIFFERENT REASONS. FROM A 50,000FOOT PERSPECTIVE, WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN CONSIDERATION AS WE MAKE DECISIONS. THE ONLY OTHER THING IS I THINK I DO WANT TO REITERATE THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE TRANSPORTATION. BECAUSE SOMETIMES WE START TALKING ABOUT SPACE, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALSO HAVE TO GET THE KIDS THERE. AND THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE IS A VERY BIG ISSUE WHEN YOU'RE PUTTING, YOU KNOW, WITH EIGHT KIDS ON A BUS, AND THE DUPLICATE ROUTES. THE LIFTING THAT HAS GONE IN TO JUST THIS PARTICULAR NUMBER OF KIDS THAT WE HAVE HAS BEEN A HEAVY LIFT. SO ANY TIME YOU START ADDING MORE DAYS, THAT CHANGES THINGS FOR TRANSPORTATION. SO I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT I HOPE NO ONE FEELS LIKE THEIR CHILD IS NOT A PRIORITY. I THINK EVERYBODY'S KIDS ARE A PRIORITY. THE BUT I DON'T WANT TO I DON'T FEEL IT'S NECESSARILY PRODUCTIVE TO GO BACK AND FORTH ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHO IS AND WHO ISN'T. I THINK IT'S A BIG CONVERSATION THAT NEEDS TO BE HAD. BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT OF VULNERABLE KIDS. WE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT, LIKE, ALL TOGETHER. ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE IT'S THERE'S SO MANY MOVING PARTS. >> AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I WAS IN NO WAY I UNDERSTAND VULNERABLE CHILDREN, IT'S A BIG UMBRELLA. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SPECIAL, YOU KNOW, SEAC CHILDREN, SPECIAL EDUCATION CHILDREN. OF COURSE WE HAVE A LOT OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN. WHAT FRUSTRATES ME IS THAT THIS HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT. WE'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR A YEAR NOW IN THIS SITUATION. AND YOU KNOW, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE NOW WE'VE ENTERED BACK INTO THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND IT'S STILL NOT WHAT THEY NEED. IT'S NOT ENOUGH OF WHAT THEY NEED. AND THEY'VE ALL MISSED OUT ON THEIR ONE ON ONE SUPPORTS, AND THE SPEECH AND THE OT AND ALL THAT STUFF. SO I GET IT AND I HEAR YOU. WHEN I HEAR YOU SAY THAT AS THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, IT PAINS ME WE'VE GOT SUCH A VULNERABLE POPULATION. WHY ARE WE NOT MOVING HEAVEN AND EARTH. LET'S USE DASH BUSES TO GET TO SCHOOL. CARPOOLING. I GUESS I'M VERY FRUSTRATED SO I APOLOGIZE. IT JUST SEEMS THERE'S SOME CREATIVE OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO TRY TO GET MORE KIDS TO SCHOOL MORE DAYS OF THE WEEK. SO I'VE SAID MY PEACE. I'M SORRY TO GET EMOTIONAL. IT'S JUST EXTREMELY UPSETTING. >> I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY FAIR. AND AS CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, I JUST DON'T WANT YOU TO THINK THAT HEAVEN AND EARTH ISN'T BEING MOVED BECAUSE IT IS. IT'S A LONGER AND MORE DIFFICULT PROCESS THAN EVERYBODY CAN SORT OF UNDERSTAND AT THE MOMENT. WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE DASH BUSES, THAT'S ACTUALLY A CONVERSATION THAT'S BEING HAD. BUT ALL THAT STUFF HAS TO GET PLANNED AND PUT IN TO PLACE SO THAT WE CAN EXECUTE. AND I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE CHALLENGE IS. IT'S LIKE, WE WANT IT TO HAPPEN. BUT WE GOTTA, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA DO THE WORK TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. IT'S JUST TAKING I THINK LONGER THAN WE ALL WANT IT TO. >> THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT WILL MAYBE HELP ALL OF US. THERE IS A COMMITTEE THAT IS WORKING, RIGHT, THAT ACTUALLY IS WHAT MS. ALDERTON JUST MENTIONED. THEY ACTUALLY ARE LOOKING AT TRYING TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT FACTORS AND TRYING TO PRIORITIZE WHO COULD COME TO SCHOOL NEXT. SO THERE IS A GROUP LOOKING AT THIS. AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU, LIKE SHE SAID TODAY, IT IS COMPLEX. BECAUSE THE SCHOOLS HAVE ALREADY STARTED TIERING STUDENTS BASED ON TIERS 1, 2, OR 3, BASED UPON DEPRESSION, ANXIETY. WE HAVE AN ASSESSMENT. WE GOT FEEDBACK FROM STUDENTS THAT ARE DEPRESSED AND HAVE ANXIETY. WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE HOME ALONE. ALL OF THESE FACTORS. THAT IS WHY THE COMMITTEE IS FORMED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION ON HOW DO YOU DETERMINE WHO HAS THE HIGHEST PRIORITY AND THE MOST VULNERABLE THAT SHOULD RETURN RIGHT AWAY. SO THERE IS A GROUP LOOKING AT THAT. AND THEY WILL BE MEETING TOMORROW. THEY'LL BE MEETING WITH THE PRINCIPALS NEXT WEEK. AND THE GOAL IS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME GUIDANCE SO THESE SCHOOLS CAN START CONTACTING FAMILIES. BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE A MASTER LIST, AND THEY HAVE A SENSE OF THE KIDS WHO AS YOU SAID EARLIER, MAY BE STRUGGLING EVEN AT HOME. [01:30:03] THERE'S EVEN A CATEGORY FOR HOMELESS STUDENTS. SO WE KNOW THAT. SO ALL WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO, REALLY TO BE VERY HONEST, IS SOME FAIR SYSTEM OF PRIORITIZATION. THAT'S ALL WE'RE TRYING. SO WE CAN SO THEY CAN BEGIN TO CONTACT FAMILIES RIGHT AT THE WEEK AFTER SPRING BREAK. >> YEAH, THAT'S GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S HELPFUL. >> YES. >> I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BENEFICIAL TO HEAR. BUT FROM A TEACHERS PERSPECTIVE AND JUST BEING IN THE CLASSROOM, AND I AM BACK IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING. THE KIDS BEING THERE TWO DAYS A WEEK HAS ACTUALLY BEEN REALLY GREAT. BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T BEEN IN A SCHOOL BUILDING FOR OVER A YEAR. AND EVEN THE SECOND DAY THAT WE'RE THERE IT'S STRESSFUL FOR THE KIDS BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING TO GO HOME ALL DAY. THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE IN THE BUILDING AND NOT AT HOME WITH ALL THEIR CREATURE COMFORTS THEY'VE BEEN FOR A YEAR. IT'S GIVEN THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE BEING IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING FOR TWO DAYS, AND STILL HAVE THE COMFORT THEY'VE HAD FOR THE LAST YEAR. JUST FROM A TEACHER PERSPECTIVE, IT'S BEEN REALLY BENEFICIAL. I HOPE THAT HELPS. >> I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME FROM A PARENT PERSPECTIVE FROM TWO DIFFERENT KIDS. I THINK MY KIDS WOULD HAVE HAD A VERY HARD TIME JUMPING IN FOUR DAYS A WEEK RIGHT AFTER THE BAT. AND I AM GRATEFUL THAT WE'VE HAD THE TWO DAY SOFT ENTRY TWO DAY PER WEEK. IN TERMS OF PRIORITIZATION, I WANT TO MENTION, YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE OF THIS GROUP OF FAMILIES WHO MADE A DECISION BASED ON WHAT THEY KNEW IN DECEMBER AND MIGHT HAVE CHANGED THEIR MINDS NOW. THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY A SEAC ISSUE OR SPECIAL EDUCATION ISSUE. BUT I HAVE HEARD IT FROM PARENTS WHO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THEIR DECEMBER CHOICE WAS BINDING. I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THAT, TOO. I FEEL THEY SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED TO GO BACK IF THEY WANT TO NOW AND THEY'RE SPACES. >> I'M GOING TO SECOND THAT. JUST FOR WHATEVER IT'S WORTH, IT DID NOT FEEL THAT THAT WAS CLEAR. OBVIOUSLY, I'M A MINORITY BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE MANY OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW KIDS ARE GOING BACK. BUT I KNOW IT'S NOT A SEAC THING. BUT I MEAN, THE THING SAID FILL THIS OUT WITH THE INFORMATION YOU HAD TODAY. IT WASN'T UNTIL AFTER WE FILLED IT OUT AND SUBMITTED THAT IT SAID IT WAS BINDING. EVEN HAD WE DECIDED THAT MAYBE WE COULD SWING IT WITH OUR KID, WE WERE SORT OF LOCKED IN. >> YEAH. AND I WANT TO ECHO THAT. WE HAD THAT SAME. WE WERE TOLD IN DECEMBER THAT OUR DAUGHTER WOULDN'T HAVE THE SAME TEACHER IF SHE WENT BACK. SO WE SAID VIRTUAL. THEN WE FOUND OUT A COUPLE OF DAYS BEFORE, THE AIDES, THE PARAPROFESSIONALS WOULD BE GOING BACK IN THE CLASSROOM. I ASKED AND I OFFERED TO DRIVE HER MYSELF, I WAS TOLD, TOUGH COOKIES. YOU MADE YOUR DECISION AND YOU GET STUCK WITH IT UNTIL WE DECIDE TO REOPEN THE NEXT PHASE OF REOPENING. SO THAT WAS WHAT I WAS TOLD. MY CHILD IS IN A CITY WIDE CLASSROOM. EVEN AFTER I OFFERED TO DRIVE HER. >> I JUST WANTED TO JUMP IN, AS A PARENT OF A CITY WIDE CHILD THERE ARE PLENTY OF CHILDREN WHO NEED THAT. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THE GREAT NEED, I'M AN EQUITY AND INCLUSION ADVOCATE. IDA TAKES SOME OF THAT STRUGGLE AWAY. THESE CHILDREN HAVE HUGE IEPS AND HUGE NEEDS. AND YES, THERE NEEDS TO BE A STRUCTURE SYSTEM FOR HOW WE FIND VULNERABLE. IT SHOULD BE A NOBRAINER THAT CITY WIDE KIDS NEED TO RETURN FULL TIME. I JUST WANT TO STRESS, OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND US ARE DOING IT. AND THEY FOUND A WAY. THEY HAVE TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, TOO. THEY HAVE SMALL CLASSROOMS, TOO. I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE THIS SHOULD BE A PRIORITY PERIOD. >> CINDY, DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION? >> NO, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T TAKE MY HAND DOWN. I'M SORRY. >> OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WHERE ARE WE NOW? >> WE'RE AT OUR TEACHER REPORT. AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT LAURA FONTAINE HAS BEEN ABLE TO GO TO A LEADERSHIP MEETING YET. BUT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, LAURA, WE'D CERTAINLY BE [01:35:01] HAPPY TO HEAR THEM. >> NO, AS SOON AS I AM ABLE TO ATTEND ONE OF THE LEADERSHIP MEETINGS, I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL FROM A TEACHER'S PERSPECTIVE. BUT I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TODAY. >> OKAY, MEAGAN. >> SO LET'S SEE. I DID VISIT 10 SCHOOLS YESTERDAY. SO IT WAS A BUSY DAY. BUT IT WAS REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GOOD. IT FELT REALLY GOOD TO SEE SORT OF LIFE BEING BREATHED BACK IN TO THE SCHOOLS. SO SLOWLY BUT SURELY WE'RE GETTING THERE. IT DEFINITELY GAVE ME, YOU KNOW, I THINK STARTING EVERYTHING OFF WAS JUST, IT NEEDED TO HAPPEN TO JUST, YOU KNOW, GET EVERYBODY EXCITED, GET EVERYBODY FEELING LIKE WE CAN DO THIS. AND SO I CAN DEFINITELY SAY THERE WERE LOTS AND LOTS OF SMILES FROM THE STAFF. LOTS AND LOTS OF SMILES FROM THE KIDS. EVERYBODY WAS REALLY POSITIVE AND UPBEAT. I KNOW IT'S BEEN A SLOW PROCESS IN TERMS OF WE HAD SOME KIDS ONE WEEK, AND SOME KIDS LAST WEEK. AND YESTERDAY WAS JUST SORT OF, I WOULD SAY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL THAT I'VE EVER HAD. FEELING GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING. FEELING GOOD ABOUT THE FUTURE. YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE THAT MORE IS COMING. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF KEEP DIGGING IN AND HAVING SOME PATIENCE. BUT WE'LL GET THERE. IT WAS GOOD. I THINK THE SCHOOL OPENING, I'LL REITERATE WITH TERRI. SCHOOL OPENING HAS GONE REALLY, REALLY WELL. I'M REALLY GLAD ABOUT THAT. >> ALL RIGHT. PARENT RESOURCE CENTER. >> NO ADDITIONAL COMMENTS FROM ME. >> OKAY. CINDY, BACK TO YOU, THEN, SEAC CHAIR. >> SORRY. I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE FOR SEAC MEMBERS THAT I EMAILED OUT INFORMATION ABOUT TRAININGS THAT ARE COMING UP FOR SEACS. AND I'M SURE THEY'LL ADDRESS THINGS LIKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND CONNECTING WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US. I ENCOURAGE MEMBERS, THERE ARE FOUR TRAININGS, FOUR MONTHS IN A ROW STARTING APRIL. YOU ONLY NEED TO ATTEND ONE. THEY'RE ALL THE SAME BUT THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS. REQUESTING CANDIDATES FOR OFFICE. THIS IS A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE TRAINING FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MIGHT WANT TO BECOME OFFICERS NEXT YEAR. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THAT EMAIL. AND I CAN RESEND IF NEEDED. AND THAT'S IT. >> OKAY. WELL THAT TOOK US RIGHT DOWN TO ANNOUNCEMENTS, THEN, DIDN'T IT? >> YES. IF WE CAN REVIEW OUR ACTION ITEMS. I'M NOT SURE. SABRINA, HAVE YOU RECORDED THOSE? >> I JUST HAVE A FEW THAT I CAN SPEAK TO. ONE IS THAT I THINK WHEN YOU RECEIVE THE LITERACY SURVEY RESULTS, YOU WERE GOING TO I GUESS ANALYZE AND LOOK AT THOSE. I HAD ANOTHER ITEM THAT YOU AND MIKE WERE GOING TO REVIEW, DISCUSS WHAT SEAC CAN DO TO HONOR ALL SPED TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS, ET CETERA, IN ADDITION TO THE AWARDS THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. AND THEN I THINK THAT WAS REALLY ALL I HAD IN TERMS OF BIG I THINK WE'RE GOING TO PUT ON THE SUB COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNICATIONS HOW WE INTEGRATE OR FOLLOW UP ON THE ABILITY TO GO AND SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD AT ALL OF THE SOME OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. THAT WAS REALLY ALL I HAD IN TERMS OF ACTION ITEMS SPECIFICALLY FOR SEAC. BUT I MAY HAVE MISSED SOME. >> OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE, CINDY? >> I THINK THAT'S IT. I'VE LISTED SOME FUTURE BUSINESS. WE'LL HAVE A REPORT BACK FROM LAUREN GOLUBSKI. AND SABRINA, LET'S ADD TO THE ACTION ITEMS. WE REALLY WANT TO GET OUR FACEBOOK PAGE ROLLED OUT. AND THEN WE'LL HAVE SPRING BREAK BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING. [01:40:04] MAYBE WE CAN MAKE IT A POST SPRING BREAK DEBUT OR EFFORT. AND ALSO COULD DO IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH ANNE LIPNICK AWARD SEEKING NOMINATIONS. IF IT'S NOT TOO LATE. >> OKAY. AND THAT'S ANOTHER BIG, SORRY, I FORGOT. AGENDA ITEM WAS GETTING THE APPLICATIONS UP. >> WELL ACTUALLY, I THINK WE'LL JUST START SENDING OUT. TERRI AND I WILL TAKE A QUICK LOOK AT THE EXISTING NOMINATING FORM. AND IF I COULD SEND IT OUT TO THE COMMITTEE, BUT IF IT LOOKS GOOD, I REMEMBER SEEING IT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. I DON'T REMEMBER IT NOW. ALL THE DETAILS. BUT I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY GO AHEAD AND CIRCULATE THAT PRETTY QUICKLY, SO THAT WE CAN WE'LL NEED TO SET DATES FOR THE WHOLE PROCESS. >> OKAY. >> OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? DO I HEAR A MOTION TO ADJOURN? JUST NEED ONE. NO SECOND. >> I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADJOURN. >> OKAY. IS THERE ANY OPPOSITION TO ADJOURN? OKAY. NOT HEARING ANY OPPOSITION TO ADJOURN, IT PASSES, AND WE WILL ADJOURN AT 8:45 P.M., 15 MINUTES EARLY. I NEVER THOUGHT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TONIGHT. HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO EVERYBODY. ENJOY. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.