[1. Meeting Called to Order by Chair Alderton]
[00:00:02]
WELCOME INTO THE VIRTUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2021.
>> I APOLOGIZE BUT I'M NOT SEEN.
>> I'M NOT ON THAT SIDE SO I DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO THAT EITHER.
JUST GIVE ME YOUR NAME ON ONE TIME.
>> SUSAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME IN THE BOARDROOM?
>> HELLO THERE, CAN YOU TELL ME YOUR NAME?
>> YES, CAN YOU SPELL YOUR LAST NAME FOR ME.
>> SUSAN, BEFORE YOU CONTINUE CAN YOU HEAR ME IN THE BOARDROOM?
>> WHAT WE WILL DO IS AS A PEOPLE JOINED WE MIGHT GO DOWN IN ORDER AND AS PEOPLE I THINK I'VE ALREADY MISPLACED THE PERSON I WAS JUST SPEAKING TO.
THEY CAN GET THEIR NAME TO START WITH AND WILL GET IT CORRECTED AS THEY GO.
THIS IS THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING FOR SEPTEMBER 9, 2021.
I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 7:07 PM.
WAS EVERYBODY ABLE TO JOIN THE MEETING IN TERMS OF THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL ROLE JUST BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOMEONE ABSENT AND WE ALSO HAVE TO VOTE TO HAVE MARGARET LORBER ATTEND VIRTUALLY.
>> WE WILL NOW ACTUALLY OBSERVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE BEFORE WE CONTINUE.
[4. Observe a Moment of Silence]
AND, THANK YOU EVERYONE.SO I DO NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR TODAY.
[5. Adopt the Agenda for the September 9, 2021 School Board Meeting]
>> MADAM CHAIR, IMOVIE ADOPT THE AGENDA.
>> SO I HAVE MS. ANDERSON WHO SECONDED MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
SO WE DO NEED TO ACTUALLY AMEND THE AGENDA SO I WILL NEED A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA FOR MARGARET LORBER TO PARTICIPATE VIRTUALLY.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVED TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD ALLOW A PARTICIPATION OF IT MARGARET LORBER BY ELECTRONIC MEANS.
>> I FURTHER MOVE IT TO DROP MINUTES FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR AND COVID 19 BUSINESS.
>> I HAVE MS. GREEN WHO SECONDS MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
LET'S FIRST MOVE TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
[00:05:21]
SO LOOKS LIKE EVERYONE WHO CAN VOTE HAS VOTED SO I WILL WAIT TO SEE.ARE WE GOING TO SEE THE RESULTS OF? ON THE SCREEN.
DO YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU THE RESULTS, MADAM CLERK? THE MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA WAS ADOPTED.
WE HAVE SEVEN YES, MRS. NOLAN IS ABSENT, AND MRS. LORBER CANNOT VOTE.
SO NOW WE MOVE ON TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
WE CAN DO A HAND VOTE, IF YOU WANT.
ALL RIGHT, SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO THIS ON MY HANDS, ALL IN FAVOR.
ALL RIGHT SO, YOU HAVE THE SAME VOTE, SEVEN YES.
MISS VERONICA NOLAN IS ABSENT.
AND MRS. LORBER CANNOT VOTE YET.
>> MADAM CHAIR, FOR ALLOWING MRS. LORBER TO PARTICIPATE BY ELECTRONIC MEANS REST MARGARET LORBER HAS NOTIFIED THE CHAIR THAT SHE IS UNAVAILABLE TO BE PHYSICALLY PRESENT FOR TONIGHT'S SCHOOL BOARD MEETING DUE TO A MEDICAL REASON SPECIFICALLY ILLNESS AND WHEREAS SHE IS NOT PARTICIPATED IN A MORE THAN TWO OR 25 PERCENT OF BOARD MEETINGS BY ELECTRONIC MEANS DURING 2021 AND WHEREAS MARGARET LORBER REQUESTED THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE MEETING VIA VIDEO OR TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL FROM ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA WITH A VIDEO OR TELEPHONE CONFERENCE CALL, SHE WILL BE HEARD BY ALL PARTICIPANTS IN THIS BOARDROOM AND WHEREAS THE QUORUM OF THE BOARD IS PHYSICALLY ASSEMBLED IN THIS QUARTER MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 2.2 - 3708 THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THE PARTICIPATION AND MRS. LORBER BY VIDEOCONFERENCE CALL.
>> MS. GREEN SECONDS MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
MRS. LORBER YOU ARE HEREBY INVITED TO THE MEETING ELECTRONICALLY.
SO MOVING ON TO COMMUNICATIONS AND ADDRESSES TO THE BOARD.
[6. Public Comments]
WE DO HAVE A PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS MOMENT.I WANT TO REITERATE THAT EACH SPEAKER IS GIVEN THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD.
THE CLERK WILL BE TIMING YOU AND SO YOU, WE WILL ANNOUNCE WHEN YOUR TIME IS ABOUT TO EXPIRE.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY SIGNED UP TO SPEAK AND YOU ARE ON ZOOM IF YOU CANNOT RAISE YOUR HAND AND I DO HAVE A LIST OF SPEAKERS SO THE BEST THING TO POSSIBLY DO BECAUSE I KNOW THINGS ARE A LITTLE WEIRD ON ZOOM IF YOU WOULD RAISE YOUR HAND WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME THAT SHOULD HELP A LITTLE BIT.
WITH MAKING SURE WE GET TO EVERYONE.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER IS MISS AMY, WHO IS A PARENT.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH BEFORE I BEGIN I WANT TO CLARIFY THE RULES.
I DID SUBMIT A REQUEST TO GET FIVE MINUTES BECAUSE I DO REPRESENT A GROUP OF PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATION AND HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WHO SIGNED A PETITION AND I'M
[00:10:03]
SPEAKING ON THEIR BEHALF.>> THAT RULE DOES NOT APPLY SIMPLY BECAUSE YOU DON'T NECESSARILY BELONG TO AN ORGANIZATION EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE A PETITION.
SO WE ARE WANT TO STICK TO THE THREE MINUTE RULE FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT.
>> IT WOULD'VE BEEN GREAT TO GET A RESPONSE ON THAT REQUEST.
>> YOU'RE GETTING A RESPONSE NOW.
>> OKAY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MADAM CHAIRWOMAN, THE STUDENT REPRESENT LIVES THANK YOU FOR SERVICE AND TIMING.
I THINK EVERYONE IN ACPS ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE SCHOOLS, THE TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, LUNCH LADIES, BUS DRIVERS FOR RETURNING OUR KIDS TO IN PERSON LEARNING.
BUT I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT IN PERSON LEARNING CONSTRUCT WE HAVE TODAY IS VERY FRAGILE.
I AM HERE TO EMPLOYEE OF TO BEG YOU ON BEHALF OF OF PARENTS IN OUR SYSTEM TO SWIFTLY IMPLEMENT A COVID 19 TESTING PROGRAM FOR ACPS STUDENTS.
WE CANNOT WAIT FOR STUDIES OR CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
WE NEED SOME FORM OF ROUTINE TESTING IT NOW, TODAY.
THE BOARD IS ALREADY SIGNED ON FOR THE BENEFITS OF TESTING, THAT'S UP NOT UP FOR DEBATE.
YOU SET UP WITH THE COMMONWEALTH VISTA PROGRAM UNFORTUNATELY VISTA IS LATE TO NEED THAT PARENTS NOW UNDERSTAND THAT.
IMPLEMENTATION APPEARS TO BE NO EARLIER THAN OCTOBER.
HOWEVER, ACPS UP EARLY DID NOT HAVE A BACKUP PLAN AND THAT IS WHY I'M HERE TODAY.
THE DELTA VARIANT TRANSMITS AND IS PROVEN MORE HARMFUL FOR UNVACCINATED PERSONS, A HUGE PORTION OF OUR STUDENT PUBLISHING IS UNVACCINATED AS YOU KNOW.
LIKE MANY PARENTS, I LISTENED FRANKLY STUNNED BY THE EXCUSES HANDED OUT BY SUPERINTENDENT HUTCHINS AND THE 19 AUGUST MEETING.
YES, DELTA EMERGED SWIFTLY MIGHT YES, IT'S A GAME CHANGER.
I HAD PROVIDED WASHINGTON POST ARTICLE FROM EARLY JULY NOTING THAT DELTA WAS THE DOMINANT STRAIN IN THIS REGION INCLUDING NORTHERN VIRGINIA AT THAT TIME.
WE SHOULD HAVE STARTED PLANNING THEN.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS ACPS DID NOT PLAN TO DEPLOY THE BEST DEFENSES FOR OUR CHILDREN TO START ON DAY ONE.
THERE WILL BE A TIME IN THE FUTURE FOR ACCOUNTABILITY, THAT TIME IS NOT NOW.
NOW, I CIVILLY ASK YOU IN YOUR DUTIES TO OUR CHILDREN TO TAKE ACTION.
EVERY ONE OF YOU IS HERE IF NO OTHER REASON THE TOP PRIORITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT FOR OUR CHILDREN.
YOU HAVE PETITION, I SENT IT INTO YOU SIGNED BY NEARLY 350 PERCENT, TWO WEEKS AGO.
ASKING FOR AN IMMEDIATE MEETING AT THAT TIME.
I DID NOT GET A RESPONSE TO WHETHER THERE WOULD BE AN IMMEDIATE MEETING.
THIS WAS PUT ON THE SCHEDULE FOR TODAY, IN THE INTERVENING TIME, THE CASE NUMBERS HAVE INCREASED IN ACPS FACILITIES FROM 2 TO 14 AND NOW EVEN HIGHER.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CASES IF YOU REPORTED YESTERDAY ALONE AT GW WHICH IS APPEARING IT COULD BE A HOTSPOT.
THAT'S WHERE WE ARE TODAY SO IT IS WHERE WE ARE.
>> CAN I SUBMIT THE REMAINDER FOR THE RECORD?
>> IF YOU WANT TO HAND THEM HERE, YOU CAN.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MISS ELIZABETH SELTZER.
>> I HAVE BEEN AT ACPS FOR SEVERAL YEARS STARTING AT LILES ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH MY CHILDREN AND NOW GW MIDDLE SCHOOL.
MY DAUGHTER GRADUATED FROM LAST YEAR.
THE PRINCE BOTH AT THE SCHOOLS ARE RESPONSIVE AND PROFESSIONAL.
FOR THE MOST PART, THE TEACHERS THAT MY CHILDREN HAVE HAD TO DATE WITHIN ACPS DEMONSTRATE JENNY WOULD LOVE FOR THEIR STUDENTS AND TEACHING.
I WANT TO GIVE A PERSONAL NOTE OF THANKS TO AMAZING ACADEMIC ADVISOR KEVIN MALONE AT GW.
I AM SET TO RELATE THAT TODAY WE WITHDREW OUR SON FROM A ACPS.
OUR DECISION WAS NOT DUE TO THE SATISFACTION WITH PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS OR COUNSELORS.
IT'S DUE TO WHAT WE PERCEIVE AS MISMANAGEMENT OF THE GROWTH OF ACPS CAUSING EXTREME OVERCROWDING OF THE SCHOOLS RESULTING IN UNSAFE CONDITIONS, LACK OF ADEQUATE
[00:15:01]
MITIGATION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DURING THESE TIMES AN INCREASE IN VIOLENCE WITHIN THE SCHOOLS COUPLED WITH REMOVAL OF THE SROS, TEACHER AND A STUDENT FLIGHT, YOUR USE OF ACPS AS A TEST TUBE FOR POLITICAL AND SELF-SERVING AGENDAS AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY AND EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN AND A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR YOUR DUTIES TO REMAIN INDEPENDENT FROM ONE ANOTHER AND FROM HIS CITY COUNCIL.YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT OF CITY COUNCILS THEN CITY BUILDING AGENDA AND FAILURE TO PROVIDE NEW AND UPGRADED SCHOOLS HAS RESULTED IN LONG LUNCH LINES, SO LONG THAT KIDS CANNOT GET LUNCH.
THEIR INABILITY TO PROPERLY SPACE KIDS TO PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID, PUSHING AND SHOVING IMPACT CALLS DURING EXCHANGE OF CLASSES.
YOUR HYPERFOCUS ON POLITICAL AGENDAS FOR RESONATING PETTING EFFORTS IS AT THE EXPENSE OF IMPROVING THE FACILITIES AND EDUCATION WITHIN ACPS.
THIS IS RESULTING IN LOW SCORES, LOSS OF EDUCATION, TEACHER AND STUDENT FLIGHT, ANGRY PARENTS AND ANXIETY FILLED KIDS.
YOU NEED TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND RESPECTIVE ROLES AND DUTIES.
PARENTS BEGGED YOU TO OPEN ACPS DURING THE PANDEMIC WHEN OTHER SCHOOLS WERE OPEN.
THIS PAST SUMMER PARENTS EAGERLY AWAITED TO HEAR FROM YOU ABOUT OPENING CLASS.
THE SILENCE FROM YOU BECAME CONCERNING.
THEN WE LEARNED POSSIBLY THAT DOCTOR HUTCHINS IS WRITING A BOOK TO SELF PROMOTE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS WITHIN ACPS HARD CONSULTANTS WHICH MAY EXPLAIN THE LACK OF COMMUNICATION AND THE CURRENT FOLDEROL AND DISARRAY WITHIN INTEREST ACPS.
DOCTOR HUTCHINS CONTRACT STATES THAT PRIOR TO ENGAGING IN SUCH A BOOK WRITING ENDEAVOR HE IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THE SCHOOL BOARD'S CONSENT.
HIS REQUEST FOR THAT CONSENT IS NOW BEING RAISED TONIGHT FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THIS SCHOOL BOARD NEW AND YET YOU RENEWED HIS CONTRACT IN JUNE.
I AM GOING TO SEE THAT MY SON GETS AN EDUCATION, I AM SO SAD TO BE LEAVING ACPS.
IT SEEMS YOU ALL ARE NOT MAKING ACPS ABOUT EDUCATION.
>> ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP WE HAVE I APOLOGIZE IF I PRONOUNCE IT INCORRECTLY.
AND I DO SEE A HAND UP SO SUSAN, CAN WE MEET OR UNMUTE.
OKAY, I THINK YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO SPEAK.
I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THERE IN PERSON BUT I CANNOT MAKE IT.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE WRITTEN OUT BUT I'M SURE MOST OF YOU HAVE GOTTEN MY EMAIL YESTERDAY.
HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT THE FIVE-YEAR-OLD THAT WAS LEFT ON THE STREET BY HER SCHOOL? THAT IS MY DAUGHTER.
THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY CHILD, MY FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD, WAS FAILED.
BY THE VERY PEOPLE SHE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTED BY.
AND NOW, I AM ONLY GETTING APOLOGIES.
MR. HUTCHINS, OR DOCTOR HUTCHINS, I AM DISAPPOINTED BY YOUR EMAIL I FOUND LAST NIGHT.
YOU REDIRECTED ME TO THE PRINTABLE INSTEAD OF REQUESTING A MEETING WITH ME.
MY DAUGHTER IS NOT LUGGAGE, SHE'S A HUMAN BEING.
YOU CAN'T SAY OOPS, WE WILL DO BETTER NEXT TIME.
I NEED ACCOUNTABILITY, NOT JUST FOR MY DAUGHTER BUT FOR OTHER CHILDREN.
I BET NO OTHER PARENT KNOWS ABOUT THIS.
WERE IN THE PROCESS FOR AN IEP MEETING, I ALREADY HAD A MEETING WITH THEM LAST WEEK, THEY KNEW SHE NEEDED HELP.
[00:20:02]
WE HAVE NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES IN HER PREVIOUS SCHOOL, EITHER.THEY DID NOT KNOW SHE WAS GONE UNTIL I CALLED 30 MINUTES LATER WHEN I COULD NOT FIND HER.
THE POLICE WAS NOT CALLED UNTIL 50 MINUTES UNTIL AFTER SHE LEFT THE SCHOOL.
SHE WAS FOUND BY THREE STRANGERS OVER ONE MILE AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL.
I THE UNCOMFORTABLE TRUTH, I WAS STANDING OUTSIDE HER REGULAR BUS STOP, HER FATHER WAS AT HER SCHOOL CONFUSED AND I WAS SITTING IN THE SUN OUTSIDE WONDERING IF MY FIVE-YEAR-OLD BABY COULD HAVE BEEN OUTSIDE, IS SHE GOING TO BE MURDERED, IS SHE GOING TO RUN IN FRONT OF A CAR? [ALARM] WHAT IS MY FEDERAL THINKING RIGHT NOW?
>> I'M SORRY THAT'S THE END OF YOUR TIME.
WE HAVE TO MOVE ON, THANK YOU.
>> MY NAME IS BRIDGET WESTFALL, RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY.
FOR MANY YEARS I HELPED MY MOM PREPARE FOR CLASSROOM FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
OVER THE CHALKBOARD HUNG A POSTER FOR THE CLASSROOM RULES THAT WERE ALSO THE ROLES IN THE FAMILY RESPECT AND RESPONSIBILITY.
AS A PARENT OF A SECOND GRADER AT BROOKS I RESPECT THE LEADERSHIP OF ACPS PARTICULATE THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT PLAY IN LEADING ALEXANDRA PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION AND WHAT OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
WE ALL KNOW THAT THE DELTA VARIANT WAS NOT A FACTOR IN THE REOPENING PLAN BUT WE MUST NOW THINK CREATIVELY AND FOLLOW SCIENCE TO MITIGATE RISK IN THE ACPS.
THE RESEARCH STATES THAT STUDENTS BENEFIT FROM IN PERSON LEARNING AND SAFELY RETURNING TO IN PERCENT LEARNING THIS FALL IS A PRIORITY FROM THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION TO GOVERNOR NORTHAM ACPS MADE IN PERSON LEARNING A PRIORITY BUT DID NOT PRACTICE ANTICIPATE THE DELTA VARIANT.
I HAVE TWO YOUNG CHILDREN BOTH TOO YOUNG TO BE VACCINATED I HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY NOT ONLY TO MY SONS AND MY FAMILY BUT TO MY COMMUNITY.
THAT RESPONSIBILITY IS TO ADVOCATE FOR IMPLEMENTING POLICIES AND PROGRAMS ROOTED IN SCIENCE, EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICE AND PUBLIC HEALTH PREVENTION STRATEGIES.
I ADVOCATED FOR OUTDOOR LUNCH, VACCINES FOR STAFF AND TESTING BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO IMPEDE SCHOOL DIVISION OPERATIONS BY ASKING MILLIONS BUT BECAUSE I VOTE RESPONSIBLY AS APPARENT IN A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO STAND UP FOR OUR STUDENTS WERE TOO YOUNG TO VOTE, TOO YOUNG TO BE VACCINATED, FOR OUR TEACHERS AND PARENTS WHO ARE PARENTS AND GRAND PARENTS OF CHILDREN UNDER 12.
THE CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL PROVIDE GUIDANCE TO IMPLEMENT A LAYERED PREVENTION STRATEGY TO PROTECT STUDENTS, TEACHERS, STAFF AND MEMBERS OF THE HOUSEHOLD TO SUPPORT IN PERSON LEARNING.
I ASKED THAT ACPS GUIDANCE AND SOME GENETIC AND ASTIGMATIC TESTING STATES PENDING, UNDERSTAND THE PROCUREMENT PROJECTS WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER USING PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUNDS FOR WEEKLY TESTING OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS AND SYSTEMATIC TESTING, UNTIL THE VENDOR IS SELECTED.
I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER USING THE CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM THE VIRGINIA ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS ON QUARANTINING, CLOSE CONTACTS AND RETURN TO IN PERSON LEARNING OR DEVELOP GUIDANCE AND A CLEAR RUBRIC THAT'S EASY FOR ACPS PARENTS AND GUARDIANS TO UNDERSTAND.
PLEASE CONSIDER UPDATING THE COVID 19 DASHBOARD ON A DAILY BASIS OR AT MINIMUM INCLUDE THE CASE NUMBER AND CLOSE CONTACT NOTIFICATION LETTERS ENUMERATING EACH CASE PER SCHOOL SO THAT THE COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL DIVISIONS HAVE MORE INFORMATION.
OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS HAVE MODELS WE CAN USE INCLUDE THE CASE NUMBER AT EACH SCHOOL, A COPY OF ARCHIVE OF ALL MEDICATION LETTERS TO PARENTS ABOUT CLOSE CONTACT THAT IDENTIFIES THE CASE OF THE STUDENT OF STAFF.
LASTLY, I ASK YOU TO TEMPORALLY ALLOW OUTDOOR LUNCH AND USE PANDEMIC RECOVERY FUNDS ALLOWABLE TO PAY FOR LUNCH MONITORS, UNDERSTATING AN ADAPTIVE SEATING FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES.
THIS IS A STRATEGY THAT MANY OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS INCLUDING FALSITY FALLS CHURCH CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BALTIMORE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTED SUCCESSFULLY.
JUST THIS WEEK ALEXANDRA POLICE DEPARTMENT.[ALARM] ASKED FOR MEAL DISSIPATION.
[00:25:06]
NEXT UP WE HAVE MS. MOLLY KAMAN.
>> HELLO, GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS MOLLY.
I'M 1/8 GRADER AT GW AND ICE COOLER.
SAFETY AND SECURED AT OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
YOU ALSO YOUR 60 APART WITH MASKS AND PLEXIGLAS AND A LIMITED IN-PERSON SPEAKERS TO 20 BUT INSIDE OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL OUR STUDENTS ARE PACKED SIDE-BY-SIDE IN THE HALLWAYS AND CAFETERIAS.
PERHAPS YOU ARE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT ONE OF YOU GETTING COVID THEN THE SAFE HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS.
IF YOU TELL ME THAT OVERCROWDING IS THE ISSUE THEN PERHAPS YOU SHOULD USE SOME OF YOUR FUNDING TO COME UP WITH A PLAN.
ACPS GETS MORE FUNDING PER STUDENT THAN MOST OF THE SURROUNDING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
AND BY THE RESULTS OF THE TEST SCORES, AS USUAL, NOT BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC YOU ARE NOT SPENDING THE MONEY ON EDUCATION.
LET'S ADDRESS SECURITY, IF IT PARENTS KNEW ABOUT THE BRAWLS THAT WERE HAPPENING INSIDE IN A DISMISSAL ON SCHOOL GROUNDS THEY WOULD BE IN AN UPROAR.
MOST PARENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THE SROS ARE GONE AT THIS YEAR.
THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL, THERE WERE FIGHTS EVERY DAY AT ONE OF THE THREE UPPER SCHOOLS.
NOT MINOR FIGHTS BUT INSTEAD, HEART WRENCHING KICKING IN THE HEAD BRAWLS.
SO WHY ARE PARENTS NOT EVEN INFORMED OF THESE FIGHTS? WHY ARE PARENTS NOT MADE AWARE OF WHAT ACTIONS YOU ARE TAKING TO ENSURE THE STUDENTS DO NOT CONTINUE THIS VIOLENCE AND TO ENSURE THAT THE BYSTANDERS ARE NOT INJURED OR CONTINUOUS CONTINUALLY WITNESSING THIS TYPE OF VIOLENCE? INSTEAD OF A RACIAL EQUITY TRAINING PERHAPS THE STUDENT AND STAFF NEED SECURITY TRAINING INCLUDING SELF-DEFENSE AND DE-ESCALATION TRAINING AS WELL AS PTSD COUNSELING.
I YIELD THE REST OF MY TIME TO MS. HILLIS.
SO I AM CHAIRING THIS MEETING IS AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CHAIR, PLEASE HAVE THE SEAT.
>> LOOK, I WANT TO GIVE YOU ALL A HAND.
SUPERINTENDENT, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, FOR AT LEAST GETTING TO SCHOOL BACK OPEN FOR THOSE KIDS.
IT IS A TOUGH TIME, WE HAVE TO FACE REALITY THAT THE GOVERNOR OPENED BACKUP SCHOOLS.
NOW, WHAT DO WE DO? WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO PROTECT THESE KIDS? WE HAVE TO EMPOWER THE TEACHERS AND THE STUDENTS.
I TRANSFERRED MY DAUGHTER OVER TO (WORD? ), THE DOCTOR THAT YOUNG LADY AND HER STAFF ARE WONDERFUL.
IT'S A CRAZY HOUSE DOWN THERE.
IT'S NOT BECAUSE OF OVERCROWDING IT'S BECAUSE SOME OF THESE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS USE THEIR OWN PROTOCOL.
THEY DON'T USE ACPS ADOPTED RULES.
THEY UNDERREPORT INCIDENTS LIKE WE SAW, THE TRAGIC INCIDENT.
YOU CAN'T STOP SOME KID FROM BITING, THEY ARE NOT GOING TO DO IT IN FRONT OF THE TEACHERS OR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, COME ON Y'ALL, LET'S GET REAL.
THE BULLYING AND STUFF THAT GOES ON IN THESE SCHOOLS HAPPENED BECAUSE IT HAPPENS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WHICH BRINGS BACK THE SRO PROGRAM, THEY WERE THERE, THEY WERE WORKING WITH THE KIDS IN THE COMMUNITY.
NOW, THE CITY COUNCIL TOOK THEM OUT.
THEY ARE PLAYING POLITICAL GAMES.
TELL MR. WILSON TO STAY OUT OF OUR BUSINESS.
[00:30:05]
TELL MR. CHAPMAN TO STAY OUT OF OUR BUSINESS.OUR KIDS, OUR PRECIOUS, YOUR CLIENTS, YOU ARE THE SERVICE PROVIDERS, WE ARE TO START USING THAT.
OUR CLIENTS, THE KIDS, THE CHILDREN, THE STUDENTS, NEED YOUR HELP.
SOME OF THESE UNSAVORY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS THOSE SROS, USED THEM AS PERSONAL WEAPONS.
YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THEM FOLKS.
YOU NEED TO GET RID OF THEM, YOU NEED TO EMPOWER THEM TO DO THEIR JOB.
[ALARM] Y'ALL KNOW THE PROBLEM.
>> MR., MR. ROBERTS, THANK YOU.
I DO SEE YOUR HAND UP AND I THINK YOU'RE ABLE TO SPEAK.
>> GOOD EVENING, ACPS BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT HUTCHINS, THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK TODAY.
I WILL KEEP THIS SHORT, I AM PUBLICLY POSTING AND SHARING THE EMAIL I SENT ON A SEPTEMBER 2 TO THE SUPERINTENDENT HUTCHINS AND THE MEMBERS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I KNOW WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT THAT TONIGHT AND I APPRECIATE THAT, I HOPE THAT CONVERSATIONS ABOUT TESTING AND COVID MITIGATION CONTINUE TO BE MADE PUBLIC AND PUBLICLY SHARED AND IT CLEARLY COMMUNICATED.
NOT JUST THROUGH THE SCHOOL BOARD BUT THROUGH SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, THROUGH THE PTAS, THROUGH THE LOCAL MEDIA AND SO ON.
BECAUSE I THINK IT'S NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR WHAT IS GOING ON WITH TESTING.
I WON'T REITERATE THE FULL EMAIL I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON I HOPE YOU TALK ABOUT TONIGHT WHY THERE IS, HASN'T BEEN IMMINENT PLANS FOR COVID TESTING IS IT ISSUES WITH LOGISTIC, FUNDING, RESOURCES OR OTHER CHOICES THAT NEED TO BE MADE? I AM PARTICULARLY CONCERNED OF ISSUES OF EQUITY WITH TESTING.
MYSELF I AM A PARENT OF A SEMINAL FATHER WE HAVE THE RESOURCES TO GO TO THE CURATIVE SITE AND BY HER OWN TESTS BUT THERE ARE MANY FAMILIES THAT THAT'S NOT AN OPTION OR IT THAT'S PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE FOR WHATEVER THEY ARE SEEKING.
SO OUTSIDE OF THAT IS ACPS USING SMARTER SURVEILLANCE LIKE THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA, I WOULD LIKE THAT TO BE SHARED.
IN MORE DETAIL, IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
LASTLY, I SAW A DO-IT-YOURSELF AIR FILTER DESIGN THAT WAS POSTED ON NPR, THE LINKS ARE IN THE EMAIL AND I THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE USEFUL PROJECT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, MAYBE OLDER STUDENTS IN SHOP OR SCIENCE CLASSES TO HELP MAKE AND FACILITIES THE NORTH FACILITIES I'M SURE HAVE BETTER VENTILATION PERHAPS THE OLDER BUILDINGS, OLDER FACILITIES PLACES WITH MORE HIGHER ENROLLMENT WHERE THIS TYPE OF AD HOC AND FERTILE THAT SEEMS TO BE EXTREME EFFECTIVE MAY BE USEFUL FOR ACPS SCHOOLS.
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK IN THE PANDEMIC AND I GIVE UP THE REST OF MY TIME.
>> THANK YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>> THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
I HAVE THREE CHILDREN AND ACPS 1/8 GRADER, SIXTH GRADER AT GW MIDDLE SCHOOL AND A KINDERGARTNER AT MOUNT VERNON COMMUNITY SCHOOL.
I ASKED TO SPEAK TONIGHT BECAUSE OF SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT THE COVID MITIGATION POLICIES.
THERE'S BEEN A HIGH LEVEL OF COMMITTEE SPREAD OF THE EXTREMELY CONTAGIOUS DELTA VARIANT.
OUR SON WHO IS 11 AND UNABLE TO BE VACCINATED WAS EXPOSED AT LUNCH AT GW ON HIS FIRST AND SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL.
WE DID NOT FIND OUT UNTIL FIVE DAYS LATER, HE IS NOW QUARANTINING WILL BE OUT OF SCHOOL FOR THE DURATION OF THIS PERIOD.
WITH PLANS MADE EARLIER THIS YEAR ABSOLUTELY MUST BE RE-EXAMINED.
INDOOR LUNCH ESPECIALLY FOR UNVACCINATED STUDENTS WHICH IS BY FAR THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FACING OUR SCHOOLS ANY MITIGATION STEPS TAKEN BY THE SCHOOL ARE
[00:35:01]
ESSENTIALLY BEING UNDONE BY CONVENING IN THE CASE OF GW SUM OF 500 UNVACCINATED UNMASKED INDIVIDUALS AND ENCLOSED SPACES WITHOUT ANY CONTROL OF COHORTS AND INSUFFICIENT SPACES BETWEEN STUDENTS.MOST OF US WOULD NOT DINE INSIDE THE RESTAURANT WE KNEW HAD 50 EXIT ON VACCINATED DINERS.
SENDING OUR CHILDREN TO EVEN 500 IS ON EXCEPT ABOUT.
I UNDERSTAND THE REORGANIZING LUNCH REQUIRES RESOURCES AND LEADERSHIP IN BOTH HER SEVERELY TAXED AT THE MOMENT BUT THE STATUS QUO IS UNSUSTAINABLE.
ONGOING COVID OUTBREAKS WILL ULTIMATELY BE DRAINED THAT RESOURCES AND STAFF IS SEVERELY DENTED METAL DOORS STUDENTS LEARNING OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR.
NO ONE WANTS OR SCHOOL BILLING TO CLOSE AGAIN.
LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING TO FOLLOW THE LESSONS FROM HOME.
THE SINGLE MOST IMPACTFUL THINK THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN DO TO MAKE SURE IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION CONTINUES IS TO MOVE AT LUNCH OUTSIDE OR ALTERNATIVELY INTO SMALL COHORTS AND INDOOR SPACES.
THERE NEED TO BE DIFFERENT SOLUTIONS FOR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS BUT AS THE ONGOING OUTBREAKS INDICATE THE STATUS QUO AT GW IS NOT AN OPTION.
I'M ASKING THE BOARD TO ISSUE A STATED ACPS POLICY ENCOURAGING OUTDOOR LUNCH WHEN POSSIBLE AS A MITIGATION STRATEGY, PROVIDE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT ALTERNATIVE EATING VENUES WILL OFFER DISTANCING AND PRODUCE THE TOTAL NUMBER OF STUDENTS POTENTIALLY EXPOSED.
I UNDERSTAND THIS MIGHT REQUIRE EXTRA STAFFING.
ON A PERSONAL NOTE I UNDERSTAND THAT NO ONE SIGNED UP FOR THIS, THAT OUR SCHOOL FACES CHALLENGES BEFORE THE PANDEMIC BUT DEDICATED ADMINISTRATORS JUST WANT TO INVEST IN GOOD POLICIES DESIGNED TO IMPROVE GOOD OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS BUT NO ONE IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO ANY OF THE SIX IF THE SPREAD OF THE DELTA VARIANT IS NOT CONTROLLED.
OUR FAMILY CAME TO ACPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PANDEMIC AND WE ARE BLOWN AWAY BY THE PERSONAL DEDICATION AND EXCELLENCE DISPLAYED BY THE PRINCIPAL AT GW.
I BELIEVE THEM TO BE DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE STUDENTS IN THEIR CARE SAFE BUT THE FACT IS ALL THESE DEDICATED INDIVIDUALS SIMPLY CANNOT DO THIS JOB WITHOUT ADEQUATELY POLICY GUIDANCE AND SUPPORT.
THE NEED TO PROVIDE BETTER LUNCH MITIGATION AT ACPS.
NEXT UP WE HAVE MS. HEATHER ASHBURN.
AS YOU MENTIONED HELLO MY NAME IS HEATHER ASHBURN.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITMENTS TO EDUCATIONAL EXCELLENCE, DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION IN ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WHERE MY SON IS A STUDENT.
I APPLAUD THE PROGRESS YOU'VE MADE WITH DI AND WITH THE EDUCATIONAL GAINS THEY DELIVER FOR ALL STUDENTS.
I UNDERSTAND THAT ANY RESOURCES REMOVED FROM THESE CRITICAL PROGRAMS WILL DELAY THEIR BENEFITS.
HERE IS WHERE I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO DO THAT TO TAKE A SMALL AMOUNT OF YOUR LIMITED RESOURCES AND TIME TO FOCUS IMMEDIATELY ON ADDITIONAL COVID PREVENTION FOR OUR YOUNG CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE VACCINE.
OUR REQUEST IS NOT ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY, THIS IS ABOUT RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
THIS IS A TIME PERIOD WHICH THE DATA TELLS US THIS VARIANT WILL PEAK.
WE WILL HAVE A COVID IN OUR SCHOOLS.
COVID IMPACTS COULD WIPE OUT THE AMAZING GAINS YOU OUR LEADERSHIP HAS SET IN MOTION.
THINK OF THE IMPACTS COVID WILL HAVE ON EDUCATIONAL EQUITY.
LEARNING LOSS IF THE SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM IS FORCED TO GO VIRTUAL.
AND MIND-BOGGLING IS A CHILD'S MONTHS AND YEARS OF LEARNING LOSS DUE TO LONG COVID WHOSE SYMPTOMS INCLUDE MEMORY LOSS, REDUCED INTENTION, INABILITY TO THINK STRAIGHT.
WE ASK THAT YOU SET NEW GUIDANCE FOR ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITHIN THE WEEK.
JOIN OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES AND ADOPT ONE OF THE EASIEST WAYS TO CHEAPLY AND EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION.
ENABLING YOUR PRINCIPLES TO OPEN THE DOORS AND LET THE KIDS OUT.
IT WON'T BE PERFECT, SOME DAYS WILL WORK, SOME DAYS WATCH.
SOME SCHOOLS WILL HAVE AN EASIER TIME OF IT THAN OTHERS.
WHEN IT MANY OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE SIMPLY OPENING THE DOORS AND LETTING THE CHILDREN OUT ON CLEAR DAYS.
THE KIDS GO OUT, THEY SIT ON BLANKETS, TOWELS, GRASS AND THEY LOVE IT.
WE HOPE YOU CAN IMMEDIATELY HELP OUR AMAZING EMPOWERED PRINCIPLES TO SET PLANS FOR OUTDOOR LUNCH.
THIS RAPID POLICY SHIFT WILL TAKE A SEARCH AND RESOURCES BOTH FOR PLANNING AND EXECUTION.
ALEXANDER HAS ALREADY HIRED MORE LUNCHTIME MONITORS BUT COULD POTENTIALLY NEED MORE
[00:40:04]
SYSTEMS. [ALARM] IT WILL BE WORTH IT TO HELP ALL OF OUR YOUNG CHILDREN.>> MS. ASHBURN, I'M SORRY YOUR TIME IS UP.
PLEASE REMEMBER YOU CAN ALWAYS SUBMIT COMMENTS IN WRITING, AS WELL.
NEXT UP, WE HAVE MARINA MCNULTY.
I AM GOING TO CHECK AND SEE AND MAKE SURE I SEE MISS MCNULTY ON THE ATTENDEE SIDE.
>> HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? GREAT.
DOCTOR HUTCHINS, CHAIR, ALEXANDRIA CITY SCHOOL MEMBERS AND OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE.
MY NAME IS MAUREEN MCNULTY I'M THE PRESIDENT OF THE ALEXANDRIA PTA COUNCIL.
I'M ALSO THE PARENT OF A DW A FREIGHTER AND A AC 10TH GRADER WHO ARE BOTH VERY HAPPY TO BE BACK WITH HER FRIENDS AT SCHOOL.
THE PTECH EXEC BOARD IS FOCUS AND EFFORT TO ENSURE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF ALL ACPS STUDENTS AND STAFF.
WHILE COVID CASES IN OUR COMMUNITY ARE ON THE RISE.
AS PART OF THESE EVERS THEY LOST A SURVEY TO ENHANCE UNDERSTANDING ABOUT LUNCH TIME IN SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.
WE WANT TO THANK THE 550+ RESPONDERS HAVE COMPLETED THE SURVEY AS OF THIS AFTERNOON AND SHARED YOUR VALUABLE FEEDBACK APPROXIMATELY 50 PERCENT OF RESPONSES CAME FROM THREE SCHOOLS.
GW, MOUNT VERNON, AND CHARLES BARRETT.
THERE IS A DEGREE OF SERVING ENGAGEMENT WIDELY MODERATE SCHOOL COMMITTEES VERY FEW RESPONSES FROM OUR SPANISH-LANGUAGE PARENTS.
AS PTA LEADERS WE CONTINUE TO SCORE HOW TO BEST PARTNER WITH A CPS AND ENGAGE IN OLDER FAMILIES AND ELEVATING ALL PARENTS VOICES.
IN THE INTEREST OF TIME TONIGHT WE REFER SCHOOL MEMBERS TO LETTERS WE SAID EARLIER THAT INCLUDED SNAPSHOTS OF THE SURVEY DATA.
THIS DATA INFORMED PTAC'S POSITION ON SCHOOL SAFETY.
WE PLAN TO REMAKE THE RESULTS WIDELY AVAILABLE.
OUR POSITION IS THIS, AND RESPONSES TO THE CURRENT HEIGHT LEVEL OF COVID COMMUNITY TRANSMISSION OF COVID IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA WE URGE ACPS TO TAKE IMMEDIATE STEPS TO IMPLEMENT ENHANCE HEALTH PROTOCOLS AND COVID MITIGATION PROCEDURES AT MEALTIMES AND ON THE SCHOOL BUS.
EVEN IF THESE MEASURES ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE OVER THE 10 MONTHS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
EVEN IF THE SOLUTION IS NOT PERFECT.
ACPS SHOULD STRIVE TO ENSURE THAT EACH STUDENT AND A STAFF MEMBER IS EQUALLY PROTECTED USING THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE SAFETY MITIGATION STANDARDS.
ENHANCEMENTS FOR MEAL SHOULD INCLUDE REDUCING THE NUMBER AND DENSITY OF SCHOOLS AND CAFETERIAS DURING LUNCH BY UTILIZING BOTH OUTDOOR SPACES AND OTHER INDOOR SPACES WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF LUNCH MONITORS OR PARENT VOLUNTEERS.
INCREASING SO STUDENTS ARE SPENDING LESS TIME IN LINE AND EATING THEIR LUNCH.
SWITCHING FROM A BREAKFAST IN THE CAFETERIA TO GRAB AND GO BREAKFAST IN ALL SCHOOLS THAT CAN BE EATEN IN A SAFE ENVIRONMENT.
ENHANCEMENTS IN TRANSPORTATION SHOULD INCLUDE ASSIGNED SEATING ON SCHOOL BUSES.
SEAT OCCUPANCY LIMITED TO TWO STUDENTS PERCEIVE WITHOUT JEOPARDIZING THE STUDENTS ACCESS TO BUS TRANSPORTATION.
ENFORCEMENT OF A MASK WEARING ON TRANSPORTATION AND FINALLY, ALL WINDOWS OPEN WHEN WEATHER PERMITS.
WE HAVE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS IN A SURVEY DETAILING THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT LUNCH TIME PROCEDURES AND A SCHOOL BUS SAFETY.
I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A FEW VOICES.
IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE TAKE WHATEVER MEASURES WE CAN TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD ESPECIALLY IN THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE VACCINE IS AVAILABLE TO THOSE UNDER 12.
WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN AND IT'S FRUSTRATING.
THE BUSES ARE SAFE BECAUSE THEY ARE UNSAFE BECAUSE IT'S OVERCROWDED.
IT WAS BAD IN A NORMAL YEAR, UNACCEPTABLE IN A PANDEMIC.
WELL IF YOU ARE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE A FABULOUS JOB AND FIGURED OUT AN INDOOR PLAN THAT FEELS AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR STUDENTS THE SAFEST LUNCH PLAN WOULD BE TO ALLOW FOR OUTDOOR LUNCH.
I ALSO FEEL THAT ACPS HAS HINDERED OUR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION AND WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
I FULLY BELIEVE THAT IF ACPS WERE TO ASK THE COMMUNITY THEY WERE BETRAYED AS A SUPPORT TO WORK TOGETHER TO GET THE MEANS NECESSARY FOR OUTDOOR LUNCH FOR ALL SCHOOLS AND WORK TOGETHER ON PLANNING FOR THE SET.
I ALSO SUGGEST THAT MANY PARENTS ARE READY AND WILLING TO BE VOLUNTEERS FOR THIS EFFORTS TO BE A LUNCH MONITOR AND IF YOU CAN ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO VOLUNTEER FOR SCHOOLS ACROSS ACPS THAT WOULD FACILITATE EQUITY.
PTAC RECOGNIZES AND STANDS READY TO STAMMER THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL
[00:45:04]
BOARD AND KEEPING OUR CHILDREN AND STAFF SAFE AND OPEN FOR FULL-TIME IN PERSON LEARNING AND WITH A MYRIAD OF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH THE PANDEMIC WE APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION OF THESE LUNCHTIME AND SCHOOLBUS RECOMMENDATIONS.WE HOPE THIS DATA WILL INFORM ACPS AND THE SCHOOL BOARD IN A COVID MITIGATION AND SAFETY MEASURES MOVING FORWARD.
EVERY TIME WE PREVENT A CASE OF COVID ANYWAY, WE ARE ALL SAFER.
THE LAST PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE EVENING IS FROM MR. STAFFORD MOURNED WARD.
OKAY, I'M NOT SEEN MR. STAFFORD WARD ON THE ATTENDEES SIDE.
MAYBE CHANEL AND SUSAN IF YOU COULD DOUBLE CHECK FOR ME.
IT LOOKS LIKE MR. STAFFORD DROPPED OFF SO WHAT WE CAN DO JUST REMIND EVERYONE WE CAN ALWAYS RECEIVE ANY COMMENTS IN WRITTEN FORM SO PLEASE SEND THEM IN IF YOU HAVE THEM.
IF YOU NEED ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WE HAVE ACTUALLY RECEIVED A SUMMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THIS MEETING, SOME OF THE TOPICS ARE VIRTUAL LEARNING, OUTDOOR LUNCH, QUARANTINE, COVID TESTING AND SO WE WILL OBVIOUSLY THE BOARD YOU HAVE THOSE COMMENTS TO LOOK OVER.
THAT IS ALL FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION.
SO AGAIN, IF YOU WISH TO SIGN UP TO SPEAK OR SUBMIT WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE NEXT MEETING YOU ALWAYS SIGN UP NO LATER THAN NOON.
THE DAY PRIOR TO THE MEETING USING THE LINK ON THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING PAGE.
WE HAVE OUR EXCITING MOMENTS BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR TWO NUDE STUDENT REPS WITH US FIRST
[7. Report from Student Representatives Emily Milton and Sylvia Rahim]
OF ALL GIVE THEM A HAND AND LET THEM KNOW SO VERY EXCITED TO HAVE THESE TWO AMAZING YOUNG LADIES.AND WHY DON'T YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELVES.
>> GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS AND ATTENDEES I AM SYLVIA RAHIM I HAVE BEEN IN THE ACPS SYSTEM THROUGHOUT MY ENTIRE LIFE SPANNING FROM ELEMENTARY TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FINALLY ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M VERY ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT OUR NEW POSITIONS AS A STUDENT REPRESENTATIVE I CAN'T WAIT FOR THE AMAZING WORK EMILY AND I WILL BE DOING FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
>> HELLO BOARD MEMBERS AND ATTENDEES I AM EMILY MILTON AND I'VE BEEN AT ACPS FOR MY ENTIRE EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE STARTING AT COMMUNITY SCHOOL MOVING ON TO GEORGE WASHINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN CURRENTLY I AM A JUNIOR AT ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
I WAS SO THANKFUL AND EXCITED TO BE HERE IN MY FIRST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I AM VERY EXCITED FOR WHAT ME AND SYLVIA WILL DO THIS YEAR.
>> SO OUR FIRST PARTNER REPORT OUR STUDENTS ARE ADJUSTING TO THE NEW NORMAL OF TASKS DURING SCHOOL HOURS THERE'S INITIAL HESITANCY.
SOME STUDENTS MAY NOT TRULY UNDERSTAND THE REASON WHY WE WERE A MASK AND ITS IMPORTANCE.
IN ORDER FOR ALL ACPS STUDENTS TO BE WELL-INFORMED AND ESPECIALLY SAFE IN OUR SCHOOLS WE SUGGEST POSSIBLE CAMPAIGNS TO EDUCATE STUDENTS ABOUT MASK WEARING AND ITS IMPORTANCE THROUGHOUT ALL ACPS SCHOOLS.
THIS CAN BE DONE THROUGH SIMPLE VIDEOS DURING LESSONS OR HIGH SCHOOL AND MANY POSTERS FOR THE STUDENTS AND SENT HOME.
ALSO, A WAY FOR STUDENTS IN AND OTHER SCHOOLS CAN BECOME INVOLVED IN WHAT IS GOING ON
[00:50:03]
THROUGH THE PTA STUDENT ASSOCIATION.FOR OTHER SCHOOLS THAT CAN ALL ALSO BE WITH HER PTA.
WE LIKE TO DISCUSS THE KNOW WHAT LYLE'S OLYMPIC MEDALIST GOING TO OUR SCHOOL AND HAVING A MENTAL HEALTH TALK ON TUESDAY.
I TALKED ABOUT OVERCOMING A ROUGH PATCH IN HIS MENTAL HEALTH JOURNEY LAST YEAR DURING THE PANDEMIC NOW HAS SINCE ADJUSTED HIS TRAINING AND PERSONAL MINDSET.
HE ALSO GAVE AN INTERVIEW TO STUDENT WITH THE NEWSPAPER FOR A CHS WITH THE TV MEDIA PRODUCTIONS CLASS.
I WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS THE YOUTH LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE WHICH WAS MET WITH HIGH SUCCESS IN HIS SEVENTH YEAR AND HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT NEARLY HUNDRED STUDENTS ATTENDED THE CONVERSATION.
ALEXANDRIA YOUTH DISCUSS THE DATE LIKE MORE ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH AND IT'S BECOME A PRIORITY IN THEIR LIFE.
>> PICKING UP FROM SYLVIA, ACHS IS EAGERLY AWAITING OUR FIRST HOME FOOTBALL GAMES THIS SEASON ON SEPTEMBER 17, 2021, AT 7 PM.
THIS VERY FIRST LARGE COMMUNITY EVENT HOSTED THE NEWLY NAMED ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
OUR FIRST FOOTBALL GAME PLAYING IN OUR NEW PARKER GREAT MEMORIAL STADIUM.
WE HOPE TO SEE MANY OF YOU THERE.
ALSO AT ACHS THE INCORPORATION OF LUNCH AND LEARN HAS BEGUN AND STUDENTS HAVE REACTED WITH A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM.
STUDENTS ARE NOW ABLE TO USE THE LONGER LUNCH PERIOD TO HAVE A CLUB MEETINGS, MEET WITH TEACHERS, CATCH UP WITH PEERS, UTILIZING UNIQUE PLACES AT OUR SCHOOL LIKE THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER AND THE WRITING CENTER TO NAME A FEW.
LUNCH AND LEARN ALSO GIVES HER STUDENTS WHO HAVE NOT BEEN IN THE BUILDING BEFORE DUE TO COVID 19 TIME TO EXPLORE THE NEW BUILDING.
WE ALSO WANTED TO RAISE ATTENTION TO THE TRANSPORTATION ISSUE AND THE JACOB CIRCLE NEXT TO ACHS QUESTIONS HER LOT TO PARK AND PARENTS AND GUARDIANS ARE LED TO PICK UP STUDENTS BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL.
MANY STUDENTS AND PARENTS HAVE HAD A DIFFICULT TIME GETTING IN AND OUT OF THE PARKING CIRCLE DUE TO THE SHEER NUMBER OF CARS THAT THEIR ART WITHOUT PROPER REGULATION AND COMMUNICATION.
SINCE THIS AFFECTS ANYONE TRYING TO GET TO THE STREET AT THE TIME AND THEIR YOUNG AND ASK INEXPERIENCED DRIVERS THERE IT WENT TO MAKE SURE THIS IS ALL CONDUCTED IN A SAFE AND ORDERLY MANNER.
WITHIN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS SYLVIA AND I PLAN TO BE IN CONTACT WITH THE STUDENT GOVERNMENT LEADERS AT ACHS, THE LEADERSHIP TEAM AND THE BLACK STUDENT UNION TO HEAR WHAT THEIR PLANS ARE FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AS WELL AS MEET WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL REPRESENTATIVES TO HEAR ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OTHER PARTS OF OUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY.
WE WILL ALSO USE VARIOUS RESOURCES TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH HER OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND OTHER STUDENTS.
SO AGAIN, WELCOME, WE ARE SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU.
I'M ESPECIALLY GLAD TO SEE YOU GUYS OUTSIDE OF ZOOM BOXES.
SYLVIA, I ESPECIALLY SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER ZOOM LAST YEAR.
I AM GLAD TO SEE YOU GUYS, THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT UP WE NEED TO ADOPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR SO I WILL NEED A
[Consent Calendar]
MOTION TO ADOPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR.>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
>> I HAVE MS. ANDERSON WHO SECONDS MS. GENTRY'S MOTION.
WE WILL GO AHEAD AND VOTE, IS THERE ANYTHING TO PULL? WE WILL GO AHEAD AND DO IT AS A HAND TO VOTE, ALL IN FAVOR, I WILL NEED A VERBAL VOTE FROM MS. LORBER.
LET ME FIRST ASK MS. LORBER, ARGUE IN FAVOR? OF ADOPTING THE CONSENT CALENDAR? I HOPE SHE IS HERE.
>> THE REST OF US ALL IN FAVOR? THE CONSENT CALENDAR HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
ALL RIGHT, GREAT, WE CAN MOVE ON WE HAVE SOME OLD BUSINESS TO ADDRESS FIRST.
[00:55:07]
SOME GONNA TURN OVER TO DOCTOR HUTCHINS AND WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT OUR AREAS[16. 2021-2022 Areas of Focus]
OF FOCUS.I WOULD ASK DOCTOR PAIGE TO JOIN ME.
I CAN SEE YOU ON ZOOM DOCTOR PAGE.
AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING WE WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE A PRESENTATION IN REGARDS TO OUR 21 - 22 AREAS OF FOCUS AS WELL AS SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR 20, 21 FOCUS.
ONE SPECIFIC SLIDE I WANT TO POINT OUT BECAUSE WERE NOT GONNA REHASH EVERYTHING WE DID PREVIOUSLY BUT A KEY TAKE AWAY THAT WE HAD IF YOU CAN GO TO THE DRAFT SLIDES AND I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER IN FRONT OF ME.
ACTUALLY, GO TO THE SLIDE BEFORE THAT BECAUSE I KNOW DOCTOR PAGE YOU WANTED TO MENTION THE SPECIFIC PIECE THAT TIES TO THE BUDGET PRIORITIES.
>> SORRY, I LOST MYSELF ON THE ZOOM SCREEN.
JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS THIS SLIDE WHICH IS LOOKING AT OUR PREVIOUS AREAS OF FOCUS FROM LAST YEAR, AS WELL AS, THE BOARD BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED LAST YEAR FOR FY 20, 22.
PLACE THE BUDGET PROCESS TO FOLLOW THEREAFTER.
JUST TO SHOW THE DIRECT ALIGNMENT OF EVERYTHING AS A GOVERNING BODY THAT THE BOARD HAS BEEN DOING TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
HERE YOU SEE EACH OF THOSE ITEMS EITHER AN AREA OF FOCUS FROM LESTER OR IDENTIFIED BUDGET PRIORITY AND HOW IT DIRECTLY TIES INTO EACH RESPECTIVE GOAL AREA ACROSS THE EQUITY FOR ALL PLAN.
SO AGAIN, JUST SHOWING THE INTENTIONALITY AND THE SYSTEMIC ALIGNMENT AS AN ORGANIZATION AND AS WE GO THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE EQUITY FALL PLAN WITH OUR YEAR-TO-YEAR FOCUS AREAS.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR PAGE, I WANT TO POINT OUT ANOTHER IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
YOU WILL SEE THAT UNDER THE CONTINUING WORK FOR THE FOR THE 20, 21 SCHOOL YEAR IS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STUDENTS WITH THE DISABILITIES PLAN AND INITIALLY WE HAD A FOCUS ON OUR PARTICULARLY ARE BLACK STUDENTS AND WE WANTED TO MAKE AN EMPHASIS REALLY ON ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES PLAN AND THANK YOU MS. LORBER FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION DURING THE LAST MEETING DURING THAT SESSION.
SO THOSE WERE THE ONLY REVISIONS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM OUR MEETING, THE PREVIOUS MEETING, WE JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE THE UPDATES TO THE BOARD.
>> OKAY, SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
WE DO HAVE TO TAKE ACTION ON THIS ITEM.
OKAY, LET ME JUST CHECK ZOOM, TWO.
MAKE SURE MS. LORBER DOES NOT HAVE ANYTHING.
ALL RIGHT, I WILL NEED A MOTION.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE AREAS OF FOCUS.
>> MS. GREENE SECONDS MS. ANDERSON'S MOTION.
NOW WE ARE ALL GONNA DO A VERBAL VOTE.
IT'S MUCH EASIER THAT WAY WITH MARGARET AND US NOT BEING ABLE TO VOTE.
>> YES X THE VOTE IS 920 WE ADOPT THE FOCUS.
NOW THAT WE HAVE ADOPTED THE AREAS OF FOCUS MYSELF, MS. NOLAN AND THE SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM WILL GO INTO A ROOM ALL DAY ON SUCH OVER 16TH AND WE WILL WORK OUT WHAT OUR AGENDA SHOULD LOOK LIKE FOR THE YEAR BASED ON OUR AREAS OF FOCUS.
[17. COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing for Staff--Update]
EXCELLENT, MOVING ONTO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.[01:00:03]
WE HAVE COVID 19 VACCINATION AND TESTING OUR UPDATE REGARDING WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH STAFF.>> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND AMASSED FOR NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES DOCTOR WYATT TO JOIN US, I SEE YOU NOW ON ZOOM.
THIS IS IN REGARDS TO OUR VACCINATION AND TESTING FOR STAFF AS THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE WE BEGAN OUR VACCINATION AND TESTING A LITTLE OVER A WEEK AGO AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH AN UPDATE AS TO WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS AS WELL AS OUR NEXT STEPS.
IN REGARDS TO OUR VACCINATION AND TESTING AND THIS IS FOR STAFF.
SO DOCTOR K WYATT I'M GONNA SHOW PASSES OFF TO YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING MADAM CHAIR IS IN SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND A SPECIAL WELCOME TO OUR STUDENT REPS THIS EVENING IS A PLEASURE HAVING STUDENTS ON.
I HOPE EVERYONE CAN SEE MY SCREEN OKAY IF I CAN GET A THUMBS UP.
I DO THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO LISTEN TO OUR UPDATE THIS EVENING ON STAFF VACCINATIONS AND TESTING.
SO YOU HAVE A TIMELINE THAT WAS PRESENTED TO YOU I APOLOGIZE THERE WAS A TYPO ON IT AND ALL OF OUR BUSINESS I DID MAKE AN ERROR ON IT SO I WILL THE TIMELINE THAT IS ON THE SCREEN HERE.
OF COURSE, ON THURSDAY AUGUST 19TH.
THERE WAS A BOARD ACTION TO HAVE OUR STAFF SUBMIT THEIR VACCINATION STATUS OR PROVIDE THE WEEKLY TESTING.
ON THE NEXT DAY AUGUST 20 THROUGH AUGUST 23 OUR STAFF MEMBERS WERE VERY ENGAGED AND THERE WAS A STAFF VACCINATION SURVEY THAT WAS SENT OUT TO GAUGE WHERE OUR STAFF WORK AND THE LEVELS OF VACCINATIONS THAT WE HAD.
IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT WE TOOK THE DATA AND ON AUGUST 23 THROUGH AUGUST 26, WE ENGAGED OUR STAFF WHO REPORTED THAT THEY WERE VACCINATED PROVIDED THEM WITH CLEAR DIRECTIONS ON HOW TO UPLOAD THEIR VACCINATION DOCUMENTS INTO OUR TOWN SYSTEM SO STAFF GIVEN THOSE DIRECTIONS THAT THEY WERE GIVEN THOSE DAYS AND TO SHOW US THOSE DECK MUTATIONS WE ALSO PROVIDED THEM WITH, WE KNOW SOMETIMES STAFF DID NOT HAVE THEIR CARDS ON HAND SO WE PROVIDED THEM WITH DIRECTIONS AS WELL THAT THEY CAN GET THEM FROM THE LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT SO THEY CAN UPLOAD IT INTO OUR TOWN RECORDS.
ON THURSDAY, ALSO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEFERMENT AND STAFF FROM THE TECHNOLOGY DEFERMENT SPENT MANY HOURS COLLABORATING TO MAKE SURE THE BETA PROCESS IN PLACE TO MONITOR THE WEEKLY TESTING OF OUR STAFF.
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE IN CONTACT WITH HER SCHOOL AS WELL AS OVERSIGHT LEADS TO ALERT THE STAFF THAT WE NEEDED TO CLOSELY MONITOR.
ALSO ON THE 26TH WE SENT OUT A REMINDER JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAFF KNEW THAT WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR THOSE VACCINATION CARDS IF THEY HAD LAST MINUTE MAYBE THEY FORGOT OR WHATEVER THEY HAD A CHANCE TO UPLOAD THEM.
ON FRIDAY, WE DIDN'T MAKE SURE WE SENT OUT ADDITIONAL SURVEYS TO OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, OF COURSE.
AND THEN ALSO TO OUR CASUAL SUBSTITUTES AND THEIR PLANS TO RETURN TO WORK GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO VERIFY THEIR VACCINATION STATUS.
ON MONDAY, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE REFER TO THAT PROCESS WE DISSEMINATE THE SECOND SURVEY TO OUR CASUALS AND OUR SUBSTITUTES WITH CLEAR DIRECTIONS AND VIDEOS ON HOW TO UPLOAD THOSE VACCINATION DOCUMENTS.
OR THEY WOULD HAVE TO SUBMIT TO THE WEEKLY TESTING.
ALSO, WANTED TO MAKE SURE LIKE OUR STAFF THAT THEY HAD THE DAILY SCREENING QUESTIONNAIRE SO THEY COULD COMPLETE THAT IF THEY WERE ENTERING ONE OF HER SCHOOL SITES.
WITH THAT BUSY WEEK, WE REALLY PUT IN PLACE A STRUCTURE THAT SPOKE TO WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO TO MONITOR OUR WEEKLY TESTING AS WELL AS TO GO IN AND MONITOR THE VACCINATION ON DOCUMENTATION PROCESS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.
THIS SLIDE I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IS OUR GOOD NEWS OF THE EVENING.
WE HAVE A TOTAL VACCINATION DOCUMENTATION UPLOADED TO THE TALENT RECORDS WHICH IS EMPLOYEE DATABASE AND THAT DATA WAS AS OF SEPTEMBER THE SEVENTH, WE HAD 2234 DOCUMENTS UPLOADED AND THAT'S KIND OF LIKE THOSE WOW MOMENTS WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR DATA BECAUSE LAST MAY 2021, WE WERE AT 62 PERCENT VACCINATION RATE AND NOW WERE AT 84 PERCENT.
SO WE ARE REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THAT NUMBER GO UP ESPECIALLY AS WE ENTERED THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.
WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON A MONITORING OUR VACCINATION, WE ARE HR STAFF VALIDATING EACH DOCUMENT THAT HAS BEEN UPLOADED THAT HAS TAKEN US SOME TIME BUT WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RESPECT AND MAKING SURE OUR PROCESS IS VALID.
WE ARE ALSO DURING THAT SAME PROCESS RECORDING AND MONITORING THE DATA FOR ANY POSSIBLE BOOSTER UPDATES THAT MIGHT COME ALONG.
WE ARE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE IN OUR APPROACH AS WE MOVE THROUGHOUT THE
[01:05:03]
SCHOOL YEAR.THE NEXT SLIDE SPEAKS TO OUR MONITORS.
I'M SURE YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT THE MONITORS THAT WERE USED TO THE PREVIOUS SCHOOL YEAR SO FOR THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR WE HAVE TWO TYPES OF MONITORS AND THIS CHART SPEAKS TO BOTH OF THOSE.
I WANT TO BE CLEAR IN THAT DATA THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT HERE YOU WILL SEE THAT WE HAVE SCHOOL MONITORS AND THE SCHOOL MONITORS WORK BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 10 AND 2 PM AND THEY REALLY GO INTO OUR SCHOOL AND SUPPORT OUR MITIGATION PROCESS WHETHER IT'S IN THE CAFETERIAS OR THE CLASSROOM OR THE HALLWAYS.
OUR SCHOOLS BASED ON THEIR NEEDS IN THE VERY FIRST COLUMN YOU'LL SEE THE SCHOOLS AND THEN THEY REQUESTED NUMBER OF 138 WAS THE REQUEST AND IN OUR PROCESS WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HOLD TO THAT PROCESS.
WE HAVE 41 IN PLACE AS OF SEPTEMBER 7 AND WERE STILL LOOKING TO PLACE AN ADDITIONAL 97 SCHOOL MONITORS.
THOSE ARE SCHOOL MONITORS THOSE ARE VERY SEPARATE IN THE NEXT COLUMN.
THEY WORK BETWEEN THE HOURS OF EIGHT AND 3 PM.
THEY WORK WITH THE SUPPORT OF OUR SCHOOL NURSES AND ANY CHILD WHO WOULD BE A SYSTEMATIC THEY ARE ISOLATED IN A SEPARATE ROOM TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING AND PROTECTING ALL OF OUR MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO THOSE 23 MONITORS ARE FULL DAY AND THEY WILL SUPPORT THE PROCESS MOVING FORWARD.
WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THIS EXTRA OPPORTUNITY AND LAYER OF SUPPORT TO OUR SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL LEADERS.
BEFORE WE GET ANY QUESTIONS I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO GO BACK AND I DIDN'T THE 2234 TOTAL VACCINATION UP WAS THAT WE HAD OF STAFF THAT PROVIDED THEIR DOCUMENTATION BUT THAT'S ABOUT OUR 84 PERCENT.
WE DO MONITOR OUR WEEKLY TESTING EACH WEEK AND THERE'S ABOUT 4 TO 2 OF THOSE SO THAT'S ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF OUR STAFF POPULATION AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THOSE 422 STAFF TO PROVIDE TESTING.
SO WITH THAT IN MIND, THAT IS MY PRESENTATION FOR THE EVENING AND I THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.
SO WE CAN OPEN UP THE FLOOR FOR QUESTIONS.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH DOCTOR FOR THE UPDATE.
I APPRECIATE THE DATA AND HEARING THAT IS UP TO 84 PERCENT, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS PROMISING.
AND I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THE TRAJECTORY IS UPWARD.
I DO HAVE A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS HOWEVER BECAUSE 422 STAFF IS A LOT, IT STILL NOT VACCINATED, AND I RECENTLY READ AN ARTICLE I BELIEVE IT WAS THE WASHINGTON POST OR THE MAJOR MEDIA OUTLETS ABOUT MIAMI-DADE COUNTY SCHOOLS 12 STAFF DYING AND ALL THOSE STAFF WERE UNVACCINATED.
THIS IS ABOUT SAFETY OF THE STAFF AS MUCH AS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE KIDS.
SO I'M CONTINUING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN.
I WILL JUST LIST MY QUESTIONS.
MY FIRST QUESTION IS, THE 84 PERCENT, I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND.
IS THAT 84 PERCENT HAVE TAKEN BOTH DOSES AND HAVE PASSED THE TWO WEEKS OR IS THAT 84 PERCENT ARE ON TRACK TO GET THE SECOND DOSE? IF YOU HAVE A QUICK RESPONSE, GO AHEAD.
>> THE 84 PERCENT WHO UPDATED THEIR VACCINATION STATUS AND WERE MAKE SURE THAT BOTH OF THE VACCINES.
WE PUT IN THE WEEKLY 422 NUMBER ARE PARTIALLY VACCINATED, THOSE STAFF NUMBERS HAVE A ONE-SHOT AND HAVE A SECOND PENDING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARE CLOSELY MONITORING THOSE TESTERS AND THAT NUMBER WILL SEE WILL CHANGE OVER TIME AS THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WHO RECEIVED ONLY THEIR ONE OF VACCINATION SHOT WILL RECEIVE THEIR SETTLEMENT AND THEN WE WILL GO IN VERIFYING THAT THEY MADE THEIR SECOND SHOT AND PULLED THAT OUT OF THEIR WEEKLY NUMBER.
>> DO WE KNOW HOW MANY OUT OF THE 422 ARE ON TRACK FOR THE SECOND DOSE?
>> I DO HAVE THAT BUT I DON'T WANT TO GET THAT DATA OVER THE THING HERE.
IT IS A PRETTY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THEM WHO ARE IN THAT PROCESS.
WE ALSO ARE GETTING QUESTIONS ABOUT FOLKS WHO ARE IN THAT WEEKLY 422 INDICATING THAT THEY ARE CONSIDERING GOING ON AND GETTING THE VACCINATION.
[01:10:03]
>> MY NEXT RAPIDFIRE QUESTION IS WHAT DO WE HAVE A SENSE OF THE REASONS THAT THE 422 HAVE NOT YET GOTTEN THEIR VACCINATION, DO WE KNOW THE GENERAL BREAKDOWN OF THAT, I KNOW YOU CAN'T REVEAL SPECIFICS?
>> BASICALLY, THERE ARE VARYING LEVELS OF WHY THEN AFTER THAT, SUMMIT CHOSE NOT TO DISCLOSE, SOME ARE FOR PERSONAL FAMILY REASONS.
SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS AND WOULD FIRST LIKE TO HONOR THE PRIVACY BUT WE DO REFER THEM TO FOLLOW ALL THE MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO PROTECT NOT ONLY ARE STUDENTS BUT STAFF.
THAT'S WHY WE HAD THAT CLOSELY WEEKLY MONITORING OF THOSE STAFF MEMBERS.
>> FINAL QUESTION IS MORE OF A POLICY QUESTION FOR DOCTOR HUTCHINS.
SINCE THE LAST MEETING THERE HAVE BEEN TWO PRETTY SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS.
NUMBER ONE, IS THAT THE PFIZER VACCINE WAS FORMALLY APPROVED FULLY SINCE OUR LAST CONVERSATION HERE.
THAT HAS LEGAL IMPLICATIONS IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO MANDATE THE VACCINE.
SO I'M WONDERING IF HER HAVING ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT BECAUSE THERE ARE STILL 422, THAT'S STILL A LOT.
EVERY POSSIBLE SPREAD SITUATION IS A PROBLEM.
WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF INCREASED SPREAD IN THE COMMUNITY AND IN THE SCHOOLS SO I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT IS BEEN HAD AND THE SECOND DEVELOPMENT IS MANY OF YOU KNOW TODAY PRESIDENT BIDEN MADE A SIGNIFICANT ANNOUNCEMENT WHERE HE IS SAYING ALL FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO TESTING IN LIEU OF VACCINATION THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE VACCINATION BECAUSE OF THE MORAL IMPERATIVE, DELTA VARIANCE BREAD AND SO FORTH.
I KNOW THAT WAS JUST TODAY BUT I WANT TO KNOW WHAT OUR THINKING IS IN RESPONSE TO THOSE TWO SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE I'VE OBVIOUSLY BEEN AGGRESSIVE ON THIS ISSUE BEFORE I NEED TO CONTINUE TO BE AGGRESSIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE SAFE AS POSSIBLE SOME JUST WONDERING WHAT IF ANY CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD ALONG GIVING THOSE TWO DEVELOPMENTS?
>> WE DO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
WE ACTUALLY STARTED THESE DISCUSSIONS EARLIER AND MADE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE VACCINATION FOR STAFF.
WE SAID THAT WE WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING FDA APPROVED AND ONCE WE GOT THE FDA APPROVAL WE WERE GOING TO LOOK AT SOME OTHER PARAMETERS IN REGARDS TO VACCINATION FOR STAFF.
THE POLICY PEACE WILL COME FROM THE BOARD IN REGARDS TO HAVING A MANDATE FOR ALL STAFF TO DO VACCINATIONS WITHIN ACPS.
>> THANK YOU, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MY BOARD COLLEAGUES VIEWS ON SOME OF THAT.
I'M CURIOUS AT WHAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE.
>> WELL, DOES EVERYONE HAVE TO RESPOND?
>> THIS IS MISS LORBER, I WOULD LIKE TO RESPOND.
IF WE CAN TAKE A VOTE TONIGHT, IF IT'S FOR RELIGIOUS OR FOR SOME SERIOUS HEALTH REASON A TEACHER CANNOT BE VACCINATED, THAT SHOULD BE ACCEPTABLE BUT OTHERWISE, I THINK WE SHOULD REQUIRE ALL TEACHERS, ALL STAFF, TO BE VACCINATED.
UNLESS THEY HAVE A RELIGIOUS OR HEALTH CONDITION THAT DOES NOT ALLOW IT.
SOME PEOPLE WITH LIVER AILMENTS CANNOT TAKE THE VACCINE, ETC. SO I'M TOTALLY IN FAVOR OF THAT.
I WOULD MAKE A MOTION AND VOTE ON IT TONIGHT.
I ALSO WANTED TO ASK DOCTOR WYATT, WHEN DID THE TESTING ACTUALLY BEGAN FOR THOSE WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO BE TESTED, DID IT GEAR UP AS EARLY AS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD, LAST WEEK?
>> NO, WE HOLD FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD'S TIMELINE.
>> MY QUESTION WAS FOR THOSE STAFF WHO DID NOT GET VACCINATED AND THUS WERE REQUIRED TO BE TESTED, WHEN IT DID THE TESTING BEGIN? DID I MISS THAT, YOU MAY HAVE SAID IT IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
>> IS IT WAS THE IMMEDIATE NEXT MONDAY WHICH IS THE DATE YOU SET BY THE BOARD.
WE STUCK TO THAT DATE AND FOR STAFF NUMBERS WHO MAY HAVE HAD TROUBLE WE HAD TO COMMUNICATE AND REMIND THEM THAT WE ARE HOLDING TRUE TO THE DATE THAT YOU ALL PROVIDED TO US IN YOUR GUIDELINES.
>> DID ANYONE HAVE TROUBLE GETTING TESTED?
>> WE PROVIDED THEM WITH VARIOUS OPTIONS TO GET TESTED AND I THINK BECAUSE OF OUR EMAILS AND I MADE THEM A BRIEF IN THE WAY I DID THE TIMELINE AND THAT
[01:15:03]
COMMUNICATIONS TO EACH LEVEL OF STAFF WE PROVIDED WAYS FOR THEM TO GET A COPY OF THEIR VACCINATION STATUS AS WELL AS LOCATIONS FOR THEM TO GO AND SECURE THE TESTING THAT WOULD PROVIDE THE TURNAROUND THAT WE NEEDED.WE ALSO BEFORE WE SENT THAT OUT WE DID GO IN AND CHECK THOSE TESTING LOCATIONS TO MAKE SURE THERE WERE TIMES THAT THAT WERE AVAILABLE FOR THEM OVER THE WEEKENDS AND EVENING HOURS AND THERE WERE TIMES WE WOULD GO IN AND ACTUALLY CHECK THE DAYS JUST TO MAKE SURE OUR STAFF COULD GET INTO THOSE TIMES AND THERE WERE APPOINTMENTS MAY BE 2 TO 300 PER DAY SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING OUR STAFF WITH ADEQUATE AND UPDATED INFORMATION ON HOW TO GET THE TESTING SO THEY COULD HAVE THAT TO UPLOAD FOR US FOR VIEWING.
>> WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE RESULTS COME IN BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO BE TESTED EVERY SINGLE WEEK, WHERE DO THOSE RESULTS GO SO THAT YOU KNOW THEY HAVE IN FACT BEEN TESTED AND THEY ARE IN FACT NEGATIVE?
>> THEY HAVE A LINK THEY HAVE TO UPLOAD IT TO AND THAT LINK GOES STRAIGHT TO THEIR NAME AND THEN WE HAVE TO GO IN EACH WEEK AND VERIFY THAT THEY PROVIDED THAT TEST.
>> AND YOU HAVE BEEN DOING THAT?
I HAVE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK THE HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS THE TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT.
THEY HAVE BEEN BUSY AND FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE THAT WE FILE THE TIMELINE.
>> I DID WANT TO THANK YOU ALL, WHEN WE SET THAT WE WERE A LITTLE SURPRISED BY IT BUT I'M REALLY SO THANKFUL THAT THE STAFF WAS ABLE TO PUT THAT TOGETHER SO I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
WHAT IF MY COLLEAGUE IS INTERESTED WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE VACCINES I THINK IT'S TIME, I THINK BECAUSE IT'S APPROVED WHAT THE PRESIDENT 'S SPEECH TODAY I THINK IT MEANS THAT THERE IS REALLY NO REASON IN MY MIND NOT TO AT THIS POINT.
>> BECAUSE THEY COVERED A LOT OF GROUND AND ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS I HAVE.
I ALSO WAS WONDERING ABOUT THOSE WHO HAVE STILL NOT CHOSEN TO GET VACCINATED, 84 PERCENT IS A GREAT NUMBER ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO OTHER PLACES WERE SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY SO I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE PROUD OF.
BUT I AM CURIOUS AS TO THOSE REASONS THAT THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO GET VACCINATED WHAT THEY ARE SAYING.
TO THE DEGREE THAT WE CAN KNOW.
BECAUSE I DO THINK AT THIS POINT WE ARE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO THE POINT THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE A CHOICE.
BECAUSE OF ALL OF THE EVIDENCE COMING UP FROM ABOVE SHOWING THAT THIS IS A SAFE ROUTE TO GO.
I PERSONALLY WOULD BE IN FAVOR OF IT REQUIRING THE VACCINE FOR THE STAFF WHO DO NOT MEET ONE OF THOSE MITIGATING FACTORS OR REASON THEY CANNOT GET THE VACCINE.
BUT I THINK AT THIS POINT IN THE NUMBER THAT WE ARE SEEN WITH POSITIVE COVID CASES A MATTER OF SAFETY FOR KIDS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING WE CANNOT TAKE FOR GRANTED ANYMORE.
I AM SOMEONE WHO IS VERY PROCESS ORIENTED AND LOGISTICAL AND I THINK ALTHOUGH WE ARE DOING WELL KEEPING TRACK OF THE WEEKLY TESTING RIGHT NOW, IT'S VERY, VERY EARLY AND I IMAGINE THAT AS THINGS PROGRESS THIS WILL BE SOMETHING THAT CAN BE VERY EASILY FORGOTTEN.
NOT SAYING THAT WOULD BE INTENTIONAL IS ONE OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE TASKS I WORRY ABOUT THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ENFORCE AS MUCH AS WERE DOING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE IT'S SO EARLY.
BECAUSE OF THAT REASON, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT REALLY SHOULD NOT BE QUESTION MOVING FORWARD.
BUT AGAIN, I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM THE STAFF'S PERSPECTIVE IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY A HANGUP FOR A LOT OF STAFF AND IF SO, WHY?
>> WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE OF AN OVERVIEW IN REGARDS TO SOME OF THE REASONS WHY STAFF ARE NOT BE VACCINATED OR NOT DISCLOSING THAT INFORMATION SO THE BOARD CAN HAVE THE INFORMATION.
WE ARE IN CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR HEALTH DEPARTMENT, WE WILL TALK MORE ABOUT THIS DURING OUR VACCINATION TESTING FOR STUDENTS.
IN REGARDS TO SPECIFICALLY AROUND VACCINATIONS AND HAVING VACCINATION PODS BACK IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS SO PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO BE VACCINATED BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IF WE GO DOWN THE ROUTE OF MANDATING STAFF TO BE VACCINATED WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING THE APPROPRIATE PLACE SO IT CAN HAPPEN AND BE EASILY ACCESSIBLE SO IS SOMETHING YOU CAN DO IT BEFORE WORK, AFTER WORK AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO WE WANT TO COORDINATE THAT.
BURNETT MORE DISCUSSIONS IN REGARDS TO THOSE EFFORTS WHEN WE GO THROUGH OUR
[01:20:03]
PRESENTATION UNDER NEW BUSINESS WHICH IS A FOCUS ON STUDENTS BUT THEY REALLY GO HAND-IN-HAND BECAUSE WE ARE HAVING TO AS I KNOW DOCTOR CRAWFORD, I DON'T WANT TO STEAL YOUR THUNDER, BUT AS WERE LOOKING AT OUR CONTRACTOR WERE GOING TO NEED TO WORK WITH WE ARE NOT JUST CONTRACTING FOR THE STUDENT VACCINATION WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT STAFFING VACCINATIONS AND TESTING AS WELL.>> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION IN THE CONVERSATION.
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE MONITORS BUT I'LL JUST THE VACCINATION ISSUE FIRST.
IT DOES SEEM TO BE THE DIRECTION WERE HEADING IN AND IS SOMETHING I'M IN FAVOR OF IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT COME BACK AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING MYSELF JUST BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE APPROACH THAT WERE GOING TO BE TAKEN IN REGARDS TO DOES THE WEEKLY TESTING STAFF, WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR STAFF WHO DO NOT GET VACCINATED, WHAT ARE THE EXEMPTIONS? I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BE A COLLABORATIVE PROCESS WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY THINKING ON IT.
JUST AGAIN TO COME BACK AND BRING US A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION NEXT TIME AND MAYBE A RECOMMENDATION FOR A PROPOSAL THAT WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT CLEAR GUIDELINES.
MY QUESTION WAS ABOUT THE MONITORS.
YOU MENTIONED DOCTOR WYATT THAT THERE WERE 138 REQUEST FOR THE SCHOOLS AND THAT WE HAVE 41 IN PLACE RIGHT NOW AND REPENTING THE HIGHER OF 97 MONITORS.
I KNOW AS WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMENTS PARENTS ARE REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE LUNCH ISSUE IN PARTICULAR AND UTILIZING THOSE MONITORS TO BE ABLE TO FURTHER SPACE OUT THE STUDENTS DURING THE LUNCH TIME PERIOD.
I'M WONDERING IF I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THE MEDIA ABOUT THE STAFFING SHORTAGES AND ALL SORTS OF, ARE WE FEELING CONFIDENT THAT WORKING TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE 97 ADDITIONAL MONITORS AND WHAT KIND OF TIMEFRAME DO YOU THINK WE ARE GOING TO BE WORKING WITH ON THAT? IF YOU COULD THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT.
>> OF COURSE THERE IS A SHORTAGE AND THAT SHORTAGE DOESN'T ROLL OVER INTO ALL AREAS OF HIGHER ENFORCEMENT WERE VERY CONFIDENT WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS THAT WE WILL REALLY SECURE PROBABLY ABOUT 95 PERCENT AND I KNOW THAT'S A HIGH NUMBER BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS IT'S A PROCESS FOR HIRING THOSE POSITIONS AND MAKING SURE WE GET THEM THROUGH ALL OF OUR PROCESSES AND MITIGATION STRATEGIES WE HAVE IN PLACE.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A TIMELINE OF IT SLOWLY GETTING THEM IN.
WE DO HAVE A FEW MORE THAT WILL PROBABLY GO UP, THAT DATA WAS IT THE PIECE, ALL THAT DATA WAS A SNAPSHOT IN TIME SO WE HAVE A FEW MORE THAT HAVE BEEN VETTED THROUGH ALL THE PROCESSES THAT WERE ACTUALLY DISPERSED TODAY.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE THAT EACH DAY AS WE GET THEM THERE ARE PROCESSES THAT WILL ADD THEM AND DISPERSE THEM TO THE AREAS THAT HAVE THE HIGHEST NEEDED.
RIGHT NOW, BEGINNING NEXT WEEK ALL OF THE SCHOOLS THAT EVEN WERE NOT ASSIGNED A MONITOR WILL HAVE A MONITOR BECAUSE THEY CAN THAT THROUGH ALL OF OUR PROCESS AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THEM, AS WELL.
>> IN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU SAID, WE ARE ALSO ENCOURAGING SOME OF OUR CURRENT STAFF BECAUSE WE DO HAVE BUS DRIVERS WHO WORK IN THE MORNING AND ALSO THE AFTERNOON AND THE TIME FRAME FOR THE MONITORS IS FROM 10 TO 2:00 PM AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND BUS DRIVERS NEEDING ADDITIONAL HOURS, THESE ARE SOME POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT.
SOME PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO MAKE A COMMITMENT TO HAVING TO DO THAT EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT IS FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
YOU DON'T GET TO PICK AND CHOOSE ONE OR TWO DAYS OUT OF THE WEEK.
SO IT'S A PART-TIME POSITION BUT WE WANT TO HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY SO THAT TRIED TO FIND SUBS AND DAYS THAT WE ARE NOT FULLY STAFFED.
BUT WE ARE WORKING INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY FOR OUR MONITORS.
I WILL TAKE A MOMENT TO CHIME IN.
I AGREE WITH DOCTOR RIEF, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECOMMENDATION, FORWARD AT THE NEXT MEETING.
I THINK I WOULD WERE AT A POINT WHERE IT'S SAFE TO SAY WE SHOULD ABSOLUTELY MANDATE THE VACCINATION.
WHAT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ON IS WHAT OUR POLICY IS IN RELATION TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE DID SEE SOME SORT OF HICCUPS BECAUSE OF THE MASK MANDATE WHERE WE DID
[01:25:04]
HAVE NECESSARILY ALL OF OUR POLICIES FLUSHED OUT REALLY CLEARLY.SO I THINK TAKING THE TIME AND JENNIFER IS HERE LISTENING, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US WORK TOGETHER I THINK ALSO ABSOLUTELY IN CONVERSATIONS WITH THE EEA N TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN BRING THIS MANDATE TO FRUITION IN A WAY THAT'S MOVING.
BUT I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WERE AT A POINT NOW THIS NEEDS TO BE DONE.
>> I APPRECIATE THOSE COMMENTS.
I GUESS WHERE I AM IS THIS KIND OF GOES TO WHAT I WAS SAYING ON AUGUST 19.
IF IT WERE 98 PERCENT WHO WERE VACCINATED I WOULD BE LESS APPREHENSIVE.
THE REALITY IS THERE IS 422 STAFF IN OUR BUILDING THAT DON'T HAVE THE VACCINE, THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND I ALSO DO WANT TO MAKE SURE GOOD POLICY IS IMPLEMENTED.
I DON'T WANT TO BE RASH OR UNREASONABLE BECAUSE I THINK POLICY NEEDS TO BE DEVELOPED EFFECTIVELY.
I THINK AT A MINIMUM, WE NEED TO HAVE SOME SORT OF FIRM RESOLUTION TODAY THAT TELLS STAFF THERE WILL BE MANDATORY TESTING.
IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AND IF YOU'RE PART OF THOSE 422 AND YOU DON'T HAVE A BONA FIDE MEDICAL OR RELIGIOUS JUSTIFICATION YOU MIGHT WANT TO GET THAT FIRST DOSE TOMORROW, NOT WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING WHICH IS ANOTHER TWO WEEKS WHICH IS ANOTHER ACCELERATION OF CASES AND SO FORTH.
I GUESS WHAT I WOULD PROPOSE IS I AM OKAY WITH NOT DOING A MOTION THAT SAYS THERE MUST BE ALL VACCINATION BUT I THINK AT MINIMUM WE NEED A RESOLUTION THAT SAYS THE BOARD IT RESOLVED THAT THERE WILL BE MANDATORY VACCINATION FOR ALL STAFF AND THE BOARD RESOLVES TO ENSURE THAT THERE IS A PLAN PRODUCED TO US AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE BOARD WILL ADOPT A MANDATE FOR ALL STAFF.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING FORMAL TO SEND THAT MESSAGE AND MAKE IT CLEAR THIS IS VERY SERIOUS.
I SAY THIS ALSO BECAUSE I BEEN READING THE NEWS AND LA UNIFIED WHICH IS ONE OF THE LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY HAS IMPLEMENTED A VACCINATION FOR STUDENTS 12 AND UP.
AND THEY ARE BEING VERY AGGRESSIVE THERE AND I THINK WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS SMART BECAUSE IT IS GETTING WORSE AND WORSE AND WE WANT TO STAY AHEAD OF THIS CURVE RATHER THAN BEHIND IT.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD AT A MINIMUM AT LEAST DO THAT AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT BASICALLY THESE WE WILL BE HAVING POLICY ADOPTED AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING AND LET'S HEAR FROM DOCTOR HUTCHINS AND STAFF ABOUT WHAT WERE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT.
I THINK THE RESOLUTION IS TO HAVE LANGUAGE THAT MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE POLICY THAT REQUIRES VACCINATION TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS LOOKING AT THE TWO POSSIBLE JUSTIFICATIONS FOR MEDICAL OR RELIGIOUS UNDER CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
>> I THINK I WOULD NEED TO HEAR FROM MISS EVERS DAISY, SOMETHING IS CODIFIED AND SO I THINK WHILE WE ARE ALL IT SAYS IT IS SAYING HERE TODAY THIS IS ALL WE WANT TO DO, I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO A RESOLUTION HERE IN THE MOMENT.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
CAN I SEE A CHIME IN AND THEN I THINK MS. GENTRY HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.
>> GOOD EVENING, TRULY MADAM CHAIR, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO HEAR WHAT THE OPINION IS ON THIS MATTER.
ACTUALLY THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START.
>> I THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT OBVIOUSLY HAS SIGNIFICANT LEGAL IMPLICATIONS AND IT'S
[01:30:06]
NOT SOMETHING I THINK WHERE YOU WANT TO SHOOT FROM THE HIP.IF YOU GOT SOME LANGUAGE, IT'S NOT ON YOUR AGENDA I SUPPOSE YOU COULD AMEND THE AGENDA TO APPROVE THIS AS AN ADDITIONAL ITEM BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING FROM A PERSPECTIVE I THINK THERE WOULD BE A WAY TO DO.
YOU WANT TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT, WHAT IT IS YOU WANT TO SAY IN A RESOLUTION AND MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO REFLECT.
SO IT WOULD NECESSARILY HAVE LEGAL APPLICATIONS.
MRS. GENTRY AND THEN DOCTOR HUTCHINS.
>> I THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE THE SAME GOAL.
I THINK AS I SEE A LOT OF HEADS NODDING, TO GET ON THE MIC AND PUBLICLY STATE THAT I WOULD ALSO ASK DOCTOR HUTCHINS TO INSTRUCT THE STAFF TO WORK ON THIS AND HAVE IT FOR THE NEXT MEETING AND I THINK IF WE CAN ALL CONCUR ON THIS I THINK THAT ACHIEVES THE GOAL THAT WERE TRYING TO ACHIEVE.
WITHOUT INADVERTENTLY DRAFTING A PIECE OF LANGUAGE THAT MIGHT HAVE A WORD IN A CERTAIN PLACE THAT ACTUALLY TAKE US A COUPLE OF STEPS BACKWARD IN ACHIEVING THE GOAL BECAUSE WE'D SAID SOMETHING THAT FOUGHT AGAINST IT.
FOR ALL THE REASONS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTATED I THINK THE FDA APPROVAL OBVIOUSLY HAS BEEN EXTREMELY HELPFUL ALONG WITH THE MOVEMENTS OF THEIR ORGANIZATIONS AND I THINK IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE TO CLEARLY STATE THAT WE WANT THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE STAFF TO BRING BACK TO US WHAT POLICY LANGUAGE REQUIRING A VACCINE WOULD LOOK LIKE FOR US TO DISCUSS.
>> MY NAME IS EMILY AND HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR ANYONE WHO CAN ANSWER IT.
IF WE WERE THEORETICALLY TO IMPLEMENT THE VACCINE MANDATE FOR TEACHERS SINCE PFIZER IS THE ONLY ONE FDA APPROVED IS THAT THE ONLY ONE WE ARE ALLOWED TO MANDATE OR IS IT ALL VACCINES?
>> YEAH, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
>> WE HAVE HAD DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY PRIOR TO THE FDA APPROVAL AND WE WERE WAITING FOR ONE TO BE FDA APPROVED BECAUSE THEN IT CARRIED SOME AWAIT BEING THAT IT WAS FDA APPROVED AND NOT LIKE AN EMERGENCY APPROVED BY THE FDA.
SO I AM UNDER THE IMPRESSION BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD WITH LEGAL AS WELL AS WITH THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THAT IF WE WERE TO MANDATE IT WOULD HAVE TO BE FOR THE FDA APPROVED.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO CONSIDER AND THIS I WANTED TO CHIME IN EARLIER BECAUSE ETHIC IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, I THINK WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT OUR STAFF VACCINATED.
I DIDN'T TAKE ANYTHING OUT OF THIS CONVERSATION THAT IT WAS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, AND I DON'T THINK OUR STAFF EITHER IF THEY LISTEN TO THIS DISCUSSION TODAY.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS THAT GO ALONG WITH IT BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE STAFF WITH DISCIPLINARY ACTION THAT MAY HAPPEN IF YOU SAY NO OR WE REALLY NEED TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THOSE STEPS THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE BECAUSE OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT WOULD THEN NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
IF WE SAY YOU ARE VACCINATED AND THEY SAY I'M NOT, THEN WHAT DO WE DO? DO WE CALL THE POLICE? I'M JUST MAKING THAT UP, WERE NOT GONNA CALL THE POLICE.
I DON'T WANT PEOPLE THINKING THAT WERE POLICING THE STAFF.
WHAT DO YOU DO WOULD BE THE QUESTION FOR SOMEONE WHO SAYS I'M NOT GETTING VACCINATED.
AND I THINK THAT WE WANT TO ALSO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH WHAT THAT IMPLEMENTATION MAY LOOK LIKE.
I DO THINK IT'S REASONABLE FOR US TO BRING TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT MEETING A PLAN BECAUSE THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE JUST STARTED TALKING ABOUT.
WE BEEN WORKING WITH MR. CAFFERTY, THE STATE HAS ALSO BEEN WORKING WITH THEIR
[01:35:05]
LEGAL AND THERE HAS BEEN JUST A LOT OF GRIEF BECAUSE NO ONE HAS EVER CONTESTED THIS OR SAID I'M NOT GOING TO GET VACCINATED.SO IT'S REALLY DIFFICULT WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ANY KIND OF LEGAL STUDIES TO GO BY BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T DO IT.
I DO THINK THAT IF YOU ALL COULD PROVIDE US WITH A TIME TO BRING A RECOMMENDATION WITH A PLAN IN REGARDS TO IMPLEMENTATION LAYING OUT WHAT DISCIPLINARY ACTION MIGHT NEED TO LOOK LIKE, WORKING WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM AS WELL TO MAKE SURE ALL THE LEGAL IMPLICATIONS IMPLICATIONS ARE IN PLACE.
I THINK THAT IS REASONABLE AND IT'S DEFINITELY DOABLE.
>> IN LINE WITH WHAT MR. GENTRY SAID AS WE HAVE THE BOARD OPERATING PROCEDURES IF THE MAJORITY OF US WANTED IN THE NEXT MEETING THAT WILL BE IN THE NEXT MEETING.
SO I THINK DEFINITELY WE WANT TO IN THE NEXT MEETING SO I THINK WE ARE GOOD.
SO I THINK WE ARE PROBABLY GOOD.
NO ONE WATCHING THE MEETING WOULD BE CONFUSED EITHER.
>> MS. LORBER AND THEN MR. SUAREZ.
>> AS FAR AS WHAT WE DO FOR PEOPLE WHO REFUSE AND DON'T MEET THE OBLIGATIONS TO BE ABLE TO REFUSE, TO ME IT'S QUITE OBVIOUS YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE IF YOU WANT TO REMAIN EMPLOYED WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THAT'S WHAT WE DO WHEN THEY SAY NO, WE WON'T AND DON'T HAVE A GOOD EXCUSE.
TO ME, THAT'S THE OBVIOUS IMPLICATION OF THAT.
>> CLEARLY, WE ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT AND THANK YOU DOCTOR HUTCHINS ON US BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SOMETHING AND I'M CONFIDENT THAT MR. CAFFERTY IS NOT GETTING MUCH SLEEP RIGHT NOW, HE'S MOOT WORKING WITH MANY SCHOOL BOARDS SOME ASSUMING ALL OF THESE ISSUES CAN BE HASHED OUT QUICKLY.
THIS IS A VERY DYNAMIC SITUATION.
I DO HAVE A MOTION TO PROPOSE THAT IS NARROW THAT WOULD BE LIKE TO PRESCRIPTIVE AND THE REASON I WANT TO PROPOSE A MOTION IS BECAUSE AND MISS GENTRY RESPECTFULLY, PLEASE.
I THINK THAT THESE ARE NOT NORMAL TIMES.
SO MR. GENTRY I RESPECT YOUR CHAIRMANSHIP AND YOUR PRIOR TIMES WHERE THE BOARD COULD SEE HERE ON THE DAIS AND AGREE ON SOMETHING AND WE JUST HAVE A GENTLEMEN'S AGREEMENT AND IT GOES TO THE NEXT MEETING AND WE DO THAT.
BUT I DO THINK IN THESE TIMES IN THIS SITUATION WE NEED TO SEND CLEAR MESSAGES ABOUT WHAT THE BOARD WANTS TO DO.
I THINK IF ARE ALL IN AGREEMENT ON SOMETHING WE SHOULD SAY IT AND IT'S WHAT I WENT TO PROPOSE IS IN NO WAY CONTRADICTORY TO ANYTHING WE SAID, IT WILL HAVE A NOTE LEGAL PROBLEMS OR IMPLICATIONS IF WE HAVE A DISCUSSION AND MR. CAFFERTY SAYS THERE'S A LEGAL PROBLEM I WILL LISTEN TO THAT.
BUT, WE HAVE TO RESPECT EACH OTHER ON THIS DAIS AFTER I SET UP TO PROPOSE A MOTION I KIND OF BE DISAPPOINTED THAT BECAUSE WE ARE COLLEGIAL BODY.
THIS IS MY PROPOSED MOTION AND IF MR. GENTRY THINKS IT'S INAPPROPRIATE LET ME KNOW, AND IF MR. HUTCHINSON THINKS IT'S INAPPROPRIATE, LET ME KNOW.
WE HAVE TO KEEP STAYING ON TOP OF THIS PANDEMIC.
HERE IS MY MOTION, I MOVE THAT ACPS PROVIDE A PROPOSED POLICY TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 23, 2021, THAT WILL REQUIRE VACCINATION OF ALL ACPS STAFF TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THAT THE LAW ALLOWS.
>> I HAVE MS. GREENE WHO SECONDS MR. SUAREZ'S MOTION.
SO THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS WAS AN INFO ITEM.
SO I WILL NEED TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS ACTION, CORRECT?
>> WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT?
>> YOU NEED A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
[01:40:01]
>> I'M SORRY DIDN'T HAVE A MOTION?
>> WE NEED A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA FIRST.
>> MR. SUAREZ COULD WITHDRAW HIS MOTION AND THEN HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA.
>> I WITHDRAW MY MOTION AND MAKE ANOTHER MOTION TO AMEND THE AGENDA TO ADD COVID VACCINATION POLICY UPDATE AS AN ACTION ITEM IN THIS SLOT IN THE AGENDA THAT'S RIGHT THIS SECOND.
>> MS. GREENE SECONDS MR. SUAREZ'S MOTION.
TO MAKE THIS EASY I WILL CALL FOR A VOTE.
AS LONG AS THERE IS NO DISCUSSION.
WILL HAVE MORE DISCUSSION FOR SYLVIA.
>> I HAD A QUESTION WHEN IT COMES TO STAFF BEING EXPOSED TO COVID, ARE THEY MADE TO QUARANTINE LIKE A STUDENTS ARE AND IF SO, DOES THAT MATTER WHEN IT COMES TO SUBSTITUTES COMING IN FOR THESE TEACHERS IF IT'S AVAILABLE IF THERE IS A BIG OUTBREAK OF THAT SORT DUE TO STAFF SHORTAGE?
>> I WANT TO HEAR THE QUESTION.
>> MY QUESTION IS IF THE STAFF IS EXPOSED TO COVID 19 ARE THEY MADE IT TO QUARANTINE LIKE A STUDENTS ARE AND IF SO WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN THEY SUBSTITUTES ARE COMING IN IF THERE IS STAFF SHORTAGE IF THEY ARE SUBSTITUTES TO COME IN IF THERE'S A LARGE OUTBREAK OF SOME SORT.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, I THINK DOCTOR CRAWFORD IS ON.
SHE IS JOINING US, IF A STAFF MEMBER IS VACCINATED AND AS SOMEONE IN THE CLASSROOM IS TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID AND THEY DO NOT HAVE TO QUARANTINE NOW IF A STAFF MEMBER IS VACCINATED AND THEY TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID THEN THEY WILL HAVE TO FOLLOW THE ALEXANDER HEALTH DEPARTMENT OR WHATEVER HELPED PERMIT THEY LIVE IN BECAUSE THEY DON'T ALL LIVE IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA AND PRIOR TO THE RETURN.
TYPICALLY THAT IS COMING BACK WITH A NEGATIVE TEST RESULTS BEFORE YOU'RE ABLE TO RETURN BACK INTO THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
DOCTOR CRAWFORD, IF YOU COULD PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT OR ELABORATE.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR HUTCHINSON, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION WE LOVE HAVING BOTH OF YOU ON BOARD TONIGHT AND YOUR PARTICIPATION.
THE SHORT ANSWER IS ADULTS WHO ARE IN THE BUILDING DO NEED TO FOLLOW QUARANTINE RULES JUST LIKE STUDENTS.
SIMILAR TO STUDENTS, IF THE INDIVIDUAL IS VACCINATED AND SYMPTOM-FREE SO, FEELING WELL, THEY DO NOT NEED TO QUARANTINE.
IF YOU ARE UNVACCINATED OR FEELING SYMPTOMS YOU DO NEED TO HAVE YOUR 14 DAY QUARANTINE.
VERY GOOD QUESTION, SO THAT WOULD APPLY FOR ANY ADULT WHETHER YOU ARE A TEACHER, SOMEONE WORKING IN THE OFFICE, SUBSTITUTE, ETC.
>> SO, WE DO HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
AND SO I'M GONNA CALL FOR A VOTE FOR THAT.
AN OMINOUS START WITH MS. LORBER SINCE YOUR VIRTUAL.
>> OKAY, NOW WE HAVE TO ADOPT THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE AGENDA AS AMENDED.
>> OKAY MR. SUAREZ WHO SECONDS MS. ANDERSON'S MOTION.
>> SO WE HAVE AMENDED THE AGENDA, SO NOW MR. SUAREZ WOULD YOU LIKE TO PUT FORTH THE MOTION?
>> I WANT TO THANK THE STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES YOU'RE ASKING GREAT QUESTIONS.
I THINK THE POINT AND SUBSTITUTES IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO CONSIDER IN THE NEXT
[01:45:05]
COUPLE OF WEEKS WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO WE CAN BRING AND IF A STAFF MEMBER HAS TO GO OUT.I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THOUGHT AND SOMETHING I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
SO IT MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT ACPS PROVIDE A PROPOSED POLICY TO THE BOARD AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 23, 2021, THAT WILL REQUIRE VACCINATION OF ALL ACPS STAFF TO THE FULLEST EXTENT THE LAW ALLOWS.
CAN YOU SEND THAT TO CHANEL, PLEASE.
SO I HAVE MS. GREENE WHO SECONDS MR. SUAREZ'S MOTION.
WE ARE GOING TO SEND THAT MOTION OVER TO CHANEL.
ALL RIGHT AND I CAN GO AHEAD AND CALL FOR THE VOTE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT STUDENT VACCINATIONS AND TESTING.
[18. COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing for Students]
>> THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR EMINENT ASK FOR DOCTOR CRAWFORD AND DOCTOR GABBY SHE'S GONNA BE JOINING US AS WELL ACTING DIRECTOR OF THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO DISCUSS OUR COVID 19 VACCINATION AND TESTING FOR STUDENTS.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR HUTCHINS I THINK WE CAN HAVE THE SLIDES PULLED UP.
SO AGAIN, THANK YOU DOCTOR HUTCHINS AND CHAIR ALDERTON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TONIGHT FOR THE UPDATE ON THE COVID 19 TESTING AND SCREENING PROGRAM FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AS WE DO EVERY TIME WE GROUND OUR WORK AND OUR DISCUSSION AND WHAT OUR CURRENT HEALTH METRICS ARE AND WHAT WE ARE SEEN AS FAR AS THE TRANSMISSION GOES IN THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.
ON THE NEXT SLIDE YOU WILL SEE MANY COLORS THAT ARE FAMILIAR TO YOU AND ALTERNATE OVER TO DOCTOR GADDY AS DOCTOR HUTCHINS MENTIONED ARE ACTING DIRECTOR OF OUR WONDERFUL HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CURRENT HEALTH DATA AND THE METRICS WE ARE SEEN.
I DO WANT TO NOTE THAT THE METRICS ON THE SECOND SLIDE COMING FROM MONDAY WHEN THE SLIDES WERE DEVELOPED FROM THE CITY REPORT.
SO IF WE COULD SEE THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.
EVEN THOUGH THIS DATA IS FROM MONDAY, IT LOOKS VERY MUCH THE SAME AS OF TODAY.
SO WE ARE STILL IN HIGH TRANSMISSION.
YOU CAN SEE FROM THE CURVE THERE THAT IT DOES LOOK LIKE WE ARE PLATEAUING A BIT IN TERMS OF THE NUMBER OF PIECES THAT WERE SEEN IN A WEEK WHICH IS ENCOURAGING.
BUT WE ARE REMAINING VIGILANT REALIZING THAT THESE LEVELS COULD STILL RISE PARTICULARLY AFTER JUST HAVING HAD A HOLIDAY WEEKEND WHERE WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF GATHERING.
SO THAT'S THE BASICS OF THE TRANSMISSION, THANKS DOCTOR CRAWFORD.
>> THE BOARD HAS TALKED TO THIS A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT BUT JUST FOR THE BENEFIT ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT WHERE WE WILL TALK ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY MEASURES FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR THAT WE RECENTLY BEGAN.
THE NUMBER OF THESE OF THE BOARD IS FAMILIAR WITH STARTING IMPORTANT WITHOUT REQUIRED MASKING.
WE THINK THE BOARD FOR THE SUPPORT ON PASSING A MOTION RECENTLY TO HAVE MASKING DURING THE SCHOOL DAY AND IN OUR SCHOOLS REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS.
WE HAVE CONTINUED AT ACPS IN OUR BUILDINGS AND ANY LOCATION WITH OUR DAILY SYMPTOM CHECKER AS WELL AS OUR TEMPERATURE SCREEN NURSE.
[01:50:01]
YOU HEARD FROM DOCTOR KATE WYATT ABOUT THE ROOMS. I CANNOT OVEREMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE ROOMS AND THE MONITORS THAT SHE HAS WORKED SO DILIGENTLY TO SUPPORT IS ON WHEN WE HAVE A STUDENT WHO IS IN A CLASS A PART OF THE BUILDING THAT IS FEELING SYMPTOMATIC HAVING SOME TYPE OF ILLNESS WE ARE ABLE TO HAVE THE STUDENT GO TO A SEPARATE LOCATION NOT THE CLINIC WHERE THEY GET CHECKED BY THE NURSE AND POTENTIALLY WE REACH OUT TO FAMILIES THAT ARE ABLE TO HAVE THOSE SYMPTOMATICALLY STUDENTS GO HOME TO HOPEFULLY GET TESTED.THAT IS A HUGE PIECE FOR US BECAUSE WE ARE ABLE TO KEEP THAT STUDENT SAFE AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE CLASSROOM.
OTHER MEASURES OF THE BOARD IS FAMILIAR WITH OUR ENHANCED AIR FILTERS AND CLEANING.
JUST FOR THE GOOD OF ANYONE WATCHING THE LINKS THAT ARE ON THE SLIDES TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION SO THE LINK HERE GOES TO OUR HEALTH AND SAFETY CHART THAT WE DID BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED FOR FAMILIES.
THE NEXT THING YOU HEARD A LOT ABOUT A FEW MOMENTS AGO THE EMPLOYEE VACCINATION STATUS REPORTING FOR THE WEEKLY TESTING I WILL TAKE A MOMENT TO ECHO HOW EXCITED I WAS AT THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE THAT WE SAW IN OUR EMPLOYEE VACCINATION STATUS.
IT'S VERY EXCITING TO SEE THAT THAT NUMBER CONTINUES TO GO UP FOR US.
WE ALSO SEE WHEN OUR EMPLOYEES ARE VACCINATED AS ONE OF OUR AWESOME STUDENT REPS AND JUST ASKED THEY DO NOT NEED TO QUARANTINE ASSUMING THAT THEY ARE FEELING WELL AND THAT HAS ALLOWED OUR INSTRUCTION TO REMAIN UNINTERRUPTED IN MANY CASES.
THE LAST THING TO MENTION HERE IS THANKS TO OUR DEPARTMENT OF TEACHING, LEARNING AND LEADERSHIP THEY HAVE DEVELOPED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING OPTIONS AND COLLABORATION WITH EACH PERMIT OF TECHNOLOGY FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY BE EITHER TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID OR HAVE BEEN PLACED IMPORTANT OR HOME WITH SYMPTOMS SO THEY ARE ABLE TO LIVE STREAM OR IF WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT OF THIS QUARANTINE IN THE CLASS RECEIVE VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.
SO TIME LIKE OF THE COVID SCREENING TESTING PROGRAM.
FIRST BEFORE WE GET INTO THE TIMELINE I DO WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT JUST TO HIGHLIGHT WHAT DO WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY SCREENING PROGRAM.
YOU MAY HAVE ALSO SOMETIMES A STATE SURVEILLANCE TESTING.
THE SCREENING TESTING IS A ROUTINE TESTING OF INDIVIDUALS IN THIS CASE STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. THEY WOULD BE A SYSTEMATIC FOR ANYTHING THAT WOULD SUGGEST COVID.
WE ARE SCREENING TO SEE IF THEY HAVE COVID AND THEY'RE NOT AWARE OF IT.
SO IF YOU'RE ABLE TO DO A WEEKLY SCREENING PROGRAM WITH OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF AS WE JOIN WITH THOSE UNVACCINATED IT HELPS TO IDENTIFY PEOPLE WHO ARE POSITIVE UNKNOWINGLY AT THAT SCHOOL BY IDENTIFYING THOSE INDIVIDUALS THROUGH THIS TESTING IT LIMITED THE EXPOSURE AND THE POTENTIAL SPREAD IN THE SCHOOL BUILDING.
SO I WANTED TO PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE IS AWARE WHEN WE SAY SCREENING OR SURVEILLANCE TESTING.
AGAIN, THE BOARD IS AWARE BUT THESE DISCUSSIONS STARTED THE FIRST TIME WE RECEIVED COMMUNICATION ABOUT IT FROM A VDH WAS IN MARCH OR APRIL ENGAGED IN A LENGTHY DISCUSSION FROM LEARNING WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE IN ACPS.
THAT LED TO US APPLYING FOR THE PILOT PROGRAM IN JUNE.
THAT PILOT DID TAKE PLACE WE DID AT WILLIAM RAMSEY SUMMER LEARNING.
BUT VERY HELPFUL FOR US TO WORK WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT ON WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE SORT OF WORK OUT SOME KINKS THERE.
ALSO WANT TO NOTE THAT IS CALLED THE VISSTA PROGRAM THAT'S THE VIRGINIA SCHOOL SCREENING TESTING FOR ASSURANCE.
THEY THREW A LITTLE I AND THERE TO MAKE THE ACRONYM WORK A LITTLE BETTER.
SO THE VISSTA PROGRAM WE DID PILOT SUMMER LEARNING AT WILLIAM RAMSEY.
I DO WANT TO SAY THE WHOLE TIMER DURING THE TESTING WE HAD BEEN IN COMMUNICATION WITH VDH AS EARLY AS LAST WEEK TO ASK QUESTIONS, GO THROUGH DIFFERENT SCENARIOS AND LOGISTICS SO IN JULY AND AUGUST WE ALSO WERE REACHING OUT TO AREA SCHOOL SYSTEMS, SEEING WHAT VENDORS WERE AVAILABLE IN CASE THAT VDH WAS NOT ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IMMEDIATELY.
WE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH VDH, WE HAD A MEETING WITH THEM, I BELIEVE IT WAS AUGUST 13.
WE WENT THROUGH SOME MORE SPECIFICS, QUESTIONS WE HAD ABOUT THE TYPE OF TESTING, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
THEY WERE ACTIVELY ENGAGED AT THAT TIME IN OUR PROCESS.
THEY ARE WORKING AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ASSIGN VENDORS TO SCHOOL SYSTEMS BASED ON THE NEEDS THAT THEY HAVE WHICH IS COMMUNICATION IS SO IMPORTANT.
AT THAT TIME, THEY DID SHARE THAT THE PROGRAM WOULD NOT BE UP AND RUNNING UNTIL OCTOBER.
WE PURSUED ANOTHER VENDOR TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS.
WE FEEL THE URGENCY THAT OUR SPEAKERS HAD THAT OUR PARENTS AND OUR STAFF
[01:55:02]
MEMBERS HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING THE SEVERITY OF THE TIMES WE ARE IN RIGHT NOW AND KNOWING THAT SCREENING TESTING IS ANOTHER MEASURE THAT WE CAN UTILIZE.WE ARE ENGAGED RIGHT NOW IN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS SIDE OF THE BOARD IS AWARE THAT WE CANNOT BE SUPER SPECIFIC DEPENDING ON THE STAGE WERE AT.
SO I WILL NOT GO INTO GREAT DETAIL.
BUT WE DO ANTICIPATE BRINGING SOMETHING TO THE BOARD VERY SHORTLY.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IT WILL HAVE TO GO FOR BOARD APPROVAL VIA THE CONTRACT.
ALSO WANT TO MENTION AS WE WERE DEVELOPING OUR GRANTS OVER THE SUMMER JUNE, JULY, AUGUST WE DID FACTOR IN A COST AND IT IS SIGNIFICANT AS THE BOARD WILL SEE BUT WE DID FACTOR THE COST IN CASE WE NEEDED TO A FALLBACK MEASURE.
THE VISSTA PROGRAM IS SUPPOSED TO BE FULLY FUNDED WITH THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL FUNDING BUT WE DID PUT FUNDS ASIDE IN CASE WE NEEDED TO HAVE SOME SUPPORT IN THE INTERIM.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO HAVE THE PERSON WE ARE ENGAGED AND IN THE PROCESS WITH WE HOPE TO DRAW CONCLUSION TO THAT VERY, VERY SHORTLY AND HAVE A CONTRACT FOR BOARD APPROVAL IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE.
WE WILL CONTINUE OUR COMMUNICATION TO INFORM OUR FAMILIES.
THERE'S A LOT OF INFORMATION GOING OUT TO FAMILIES.
WE NOTE WE HEARD THAT EVEN THROUGH OUR AWESOME PTAC IT TO KEEP OUR FAMILIES ABREAST OF WHAT IS GOING ON.
WE ALSO HAVE SOME UPCOMING TOWN HALLS COMING UP WITH DOCTOR GATTI AND DOCTOR GETTYS TEAM IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
WE DID SOME OF THESE AT THE BEGINNING OF SCHOOL LAST YEAR AND HAD GOOD QUESTIONS FROM FAMILIES AS WE WENT TO THAT.
SO WE WILL DO A FEW MORE OF THOSE.
THE SECOND HERE DOCTOR HUTCHINS ALLUDED TO EARLIER I WANT TO MENTION THIS SPECIFICALLY WE ARE ENGAGED IN MULTIPLE MEASURES AND WAYS TO IMPROVE AND TRY TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS SAFE.
ONE OF THESE IS A PARTNERSHIP WHICH WE HAVE AT THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO PROVIDE ON-SITE VACCINATIONS AT OUR SECONDARY SCHOOLS MOVING FORWARD.
SO RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE APPROVAL FOR 12 AND UP.
WE ARE LOOKING TO BEGIN THIS MONTH.
WE'LL START WITH OUR BIGGER SCHOOLS SO START WITH FRANCIS, MGW, AS HER PLANS.
THE VERY LOGICAL QUESTION WOULD BE WHERE IS KING STREET? OR LIKELY TO HAVE THE TEAM WELLNESS CENTER THAT DOES VACCINATIONS NOW AND WE BEEN KEEPING THEM HELPING BECAUSE KING STREET HAS AN OPTION, GW AND HAMMOND TO START AS A FIRST STEP FOR PROVIDING VACCINATIONS ON-SITE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE ALSO THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE BOARDS DISCUSSION A FEW MINUTES AGO FOR ANY EMPLOYEES WERE INTERESTED IN GETTING IT DONE.
IT WILL BE ON SITE, IT WILL BE AT YOUR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT.
AND THEN IDEALLY, WE WILL MOVE THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH OUR SECONDARY STUDENTS AND WHEN WE GET THE APPROVAL TO LOOK AT OUR K THROUGH FIVE STUDENTS WILL HAVE A MODEL SET UP WE CAN RULE OUT IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE VACCINATIONS ON-SITE WHEN THAT TIME COMES.
I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.
OUR NEXT STEPS AS I SAID WE WILL WORK TOWARDS CLOSING THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS VERY SHORTLY.
OUR GOAL WHEN WE TALK ABOUT SURVEILLANCE OR SCREENING TESTING IS THAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR 20 TO 30 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION PER SITE SO ANYTHING ABOUT OUR STUDENTS IT IS QUITE COMPLICATED LOGISTICALLY.
WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HIGH NUMBERS I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND FAMILIES ANYONE WHO IS A STATE THAT THIS WOULD BE A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM.
NO ONE WOULD BE REQUIRED TO DO THIS TESTING AS FAR AS OUR SCHOOLWIDE K-12 SCREENING TESTING.
WE WOULD LOOK FOR 20 TO 30 PERCENT PARTICIPATING IN THE TESTING.
THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS EVEN THOUGH WERE SEEKING AN OUTSIDE VENDOR SO WE CAN BEGIN IMMEDIATELY WE ARE CONTINUING TO TALK TO VDH AND TALK TO THAT PROCESS SO WHEN THE VISSTA PROGRAM GETS UP AND RUNNING THEY HAVE THE POTENTIAL FOR US TO WORK WITH AND WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GO OVER TO THAT.
OBVIOUSLY, IF IT'S FREE OF CHARGE AND ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE INCLUDING STAFF SUPPORT THAT WOULD BE GREAT, THAT WOULD BE MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF SUPPORT MOVING FORWARD.
THIS TIME WE OFFER TO THE BOARD WE ARE ASKING FOR SUPPORT IN MOVING FORWARD WITH CONDUCTING THE COVID 19 SCREENING TESTING OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND I WOULD BE HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
>> I HAVE MISSED GENTRY AND THEN MISS GREENE.
[02:00:03]
>> THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION, IT'S GREAT TO GET THE UPDATES AND ALSO THE REMINDER OF ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEEN HAPPENING ALL THROUGH THE SUMMER ON THIS TESTING INITIATIVE.
SO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
I HAD TO CLARIFY QUESTIONS, WHEN I WAS GLAD TO HEAR ABOUT THE VACCINATION SITES ON ALBERT SCHOOLS AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WOULD BE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT ARE 12 AND UP AND YOU ALSO MENTIONED THE EMPLOYEES.
I WAS ALSO WONDERING IF THERE HAD BEEN ANY THOUGHT ABOUT FOR MANY PEOPLE FOR MANY FAMILIES OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS HAVE REALLY BECOME COMMUNITY HUBS AND A LOT OF PLACES THERE'S A PLACE THAT MAY BE SOME OF FAMILIES FEEL MOST COMFORTABLE.
I AM WONDERING ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF MAYBE FAMILY MEMBERS BEING ABLE TO GO TO THE SCHOOL AND GET A VACCINATION THERE.
I THINK WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO POTENTIALLY REALLY HELP THE ENTIRE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN GETTING THE VACCINATION.
THE FIRST QUESTION IS ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF FAMILY MEMBERS TO BE ABLE TO GET VACCINATED AT THE SCHOOL SITES AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION WAS A MORE GENERAL QUESTION ABOUT THE SCREENING.
I THINK YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF EXPLAINING THIS TESTING WERE TALKING ABOUT IS A SCREENING TESTING AND THEN THE WHOLE POINT IS THAT IT'S REGARDLESS OF CIRCUMSTANCE, IS JUST TO GET THAT WEEKLY OR WHATEVER THE TIMEFRAME IS CHECK IN BUT I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT ABOUT THE SITUATION WHERE YOU HAVE A PERSON THAT HAS BEEN SENT TO THAT GREAT ANNEX ROOM AND RIGHT NOW AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WERE CERTAINLY NOT UNIQUE IN THIS I THINK WERE HEARING ABOUT THIS FROM A LOT OF SCHOOL DIVISIONS.
ATTENTION THERE'S THIS LIMBO TIME OF WAITING TO FIND OUT IS THAT PERSON ACTUALLY POSITIVE OR NOT SO MY QUESTION IS WHILE I KNOW THAT THIS IS BASICALLY BEEN SET UP AS A SCREENING THING IS THERE A POTENTIAL FOR ALSO A MORE TARGETED ON THE SPOT TESTING TO BE MADE AVAILABLE RATHER THAN WE ARE SENDING YOU TO THE ANNEX AND YOU NEED TO GET YOURSELF TO ANOTHER TESTING THINK BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THAT COULD REALLY SPEED UP THE OVERALL PROCESS OF PEOPLE FINDING OUT WHETHER WERE TALKING ABOUT AND WE NEED TO START THE BALL ROLLING WITH CLOSE CONTACTS.
>> GREAT QUESTIONS, I'LL START WITH THE SECOND.
THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING, I DO NOT IT IN THE PRESENTATION BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING SCREENING BUT AS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION WERE HAVING WITH THE VENDOR IT IS A TWO-PART.
WERE LOOKING AT THE SURVEILLANCE SCREENING TESTING BUT ALSO THE PROVISION OF DIAGNOSTIC TESTING.
SO FOR THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SYMPTOMATIC AS YOU JUST DESCRIBED THOSE WHO ARE IN THE HEALTH ANNEX AND YOU'RE SAYING TO THE FAMILIES WE NEED TO PICK THEM UP OUR GOAL WOULD BE TO MAKE THE PROCESS AS SEAMLESS AS WE CAN.
IT'S ALREADY DISTRESSING TO HEAR THAT YOUR CHILD IS UNWELL.
YOU ARE LEAVING WORK, YOU'RE TRYING TO GET THERE AND DO THESE THINGS.
ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE SOMEONE AND THEN THEY'RE NOT FEELING WELL TO MAKE AN EXTRA STOP IS ANOTHER BURDEN.
SO TO HAVE THE DIAGNOSTIC THAT'S ON-SITE TO BE ABLE TO DO, THAT IS WHAT WE ARE INCLUDING IN THE DISCUSSION WITH THE VENDOR TO MAKE SURE THOSE ARE THERE AND PROVIDE THAT.
I WOULD TAKE A SECOND TO SAY THE WEEKLY SCREENING TESTING, WE ARE LOOKING AT DOING THE RAPID TESTING SO WE WOULD KNOW AT THAT MOMENT WE WERE HAVING A SYSTEMATIC INDIVIDUAL WE WOULD WANT TO USE THE PCR TESTING WHICH STILL MIGHT TAKE A DAY OR TWO FOR A RESPONSE BUT WE WOULD KNOW THAT ON THE SPOT TESTING IS PCR AND HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THAT.
SO THAT WAS YOUR ONE QUESTION, YOUR SECOND QUESTION, ACTUALLY DOCTOR GETTY AND I WERE TALKING ABOUT IT THIS AFTERNOON.
SHE WAS SAYING WE HAVE SEEN WHEN WE'VE HAD SOME OF OUR SATURDAY FAMILY DAYS AND DOCTOR GETTY PLEASE TELL ME IF I MISSPEAK HERE.
SOMETIMES OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO GET THE FAMILY MEMBERS TO COME GET VACCINATED WHERE MAYBE YOU HAVE A HESITANT PARENT OR OLDER SIBLING OR SOMETHING AND SO THEY COME TOGETHER.
THE CONVERSATION WE WERE JUST HAVING HOW DO WE MAKE THAT WORK KNOWING THAT WE ARE TRYING TO LIMIT THE VISITORS TO SCHOOLS BECAUSE OF CONTACT TRACING AND POTENTIAL SPREAD WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE WITH OUR EXISTING VISITOR POLICY? COULD WE SET UP SOMETHING OUTSIDE THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES? WHAT THE INITIAL THOUGHT IS THAT IT WAS FOR STUDENTS AND PARENTS WOULD JUST BE ABLE TO GIVE CONSENT AND COULD BE TAKEN TO CARE OF HIS SCHOOL WITHOUT A FAMILY OF HER HAVING TO BE THERE.
HOWEVER, IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THAT
[02:05:01]
WOULD WORK GIVEN THAT WE DO HAVE SOME LIMITATIONS RIGHT NOW AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE BUILDING.MR. GENTRY, I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND ME SAYING WHEN WE WERE TRYING A VACCINATION I SAID WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO SAY THIS THURSDAY NIGHT BECAUSE IF WE DO NOT ASK THIS QUESTION SHE WILL HAVE THE QUESTION READY TO GO.
WE ARE EXCITED TO GIVE YOU THIS UPDATE.
>> I AM GLAD I LIVED UP TO EXPECTATIONS.
AND THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF THOSE ANSWERS, GREAT NEWS, THANK YOU.
>> MAYBE I COULD ADD ONTO THOSE ANSWERS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENT AND AGREE THAT THE SCHOOLS REALLY ARE A HUB FOR THE COMMUNITIES AND WE HAVE BEEN USING FRANCIS HAMMOND THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER ON SATURDAYS AND NOW STARTING INTO THE FALL WERE GOING TO BE USING THE KING STREET HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS ON SATURDAYS AND IT REALLY HOPE THAT WE KNOW THAT FAMILIES ARE COMFORTABLE GOING TO SCHOOLS AND HOPE THAT THAT WILL BE A PLACE WHERE THEY WANT TO GO.
I THINK ALSO WHEN THE 5 TO 11-YEAR-OLD POPULATION GETS AUTHORIZATION WE WILL DO A SIMILAR THING THAT WE DID BACK WHEN THE 12-YEAR-OLDS WERE APPROVED IN TERMS OF IT REALLY TRYING TO MARKET THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FAMILIES NOT JUST THE YOUTH AND OUR LARGER EVENTS.
>> THANK YOU, A MINUTE GO TO MS. MILTON AND THEN MR. GREENE.
>> I'M SORRY IF YOU ALREADY COVERED THIS BUT FOR THE HEALTH ANNEX, CHILDREN GO THERE IF THERE FEELING SYMPTOMATIC, DO THEY VOLUNTARILY HAVE TO GO THERE OR IF THE TEACHER THINKS THEY ARE SYMPTOMATIC ARE THE TEACHERS ALLOWED TO SEND THEM THERE?
>> IF YOU HAVE A STUDENT THAT EXPRESSES THEIR FEELING UNWELL OR SOMETIMES OUR YOUNGER STUDENTS COUGHING, RUNNY NOSE, CLEARLY NOT THEMSELVES THE TEACHER WILL ASK FOR THE STUDENT TO GO TO THE HEALTH ANNEX AND THEY GET A QUICK ASSESSMENT BY THE NURSE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOT AS A RESULT OF SOMETHING A MEDICAL CONDITION THAT'S PRE-EXISTING THAT WE KNOW ABOUT AND IF IT'S NOT IF IT'S POTENTIALLY COVID THE HEALTH ANNEX IS MONITORED AND WE REACH OUT TO THE FAMILY TO HAVE THEM GET PICKED UP.
IF WE HAVE AN OLDER STUDENT WHO ISN'T FEELING WELL THEN WHAT TYPICALLY HAPPENS IS YOU WOULD GO TO THE CLINIC AND SAY I HAVE A HEADACHE, I JUST GOT SICK IN THE BATHROOM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND THE NURSE IS ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU IS IT THAT POTENTIALLY SOME TO MEDIC OF COVID AND THEN DO WE HAVE TO MOVE INTO THE HEALTH ANNEX.
YOU KNOW FIRSTHAND AT OUR CLINICS THERE ARE OFTEN VERY BUSY FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE NOT NECESSARILY FEELING SICK MAYBE THEY ARE RECEIVING ROUTINE MEDICATION OR THERE IS QUESTIONS OR THERE IS THINGS SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WITH A SEPARATE LOCATION FOR ANYONE WHO IS FEELING ILL AND SYSTEMATIC WHERE THEY COULD GO AND BE DISTANCE TO KEEP THEM AND OTHERS SAFE.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR CRAWFORD AND YOUR TEAM, AND THANK YOU DOCTOR GETTY FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP.
MY QUESTION IS AND A CLARIFICATION IF YOU MAY, THE TESTING VENDOR, I'M GLAD THINGS ARE IN PROCESS WITH PROCUREMENT AND I KNOW WE CANNOT GET INTO GREAT DETAIL ABOUT PROCUREMENT BUT IS THERE A MORE DEFINITIVE ANSWER AS TO WHEN THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS WILL BE OVER? YOU SAID NEAR FUTURE SO NEAR FUTURE COULD BE QUITE A WHILE FROM NOW.
>> I HOPE I'M NOT OUT OF LINE TO SAY WE HOPE TO HAVE THIS TO YOU NEXT WEEK.
WE ARE OPTIMISTIC WE CAN SAY TO THE BOARD THIS IS PREPARED FOR YOUR ACTION.
I'M GOING TO POSIT TO SEE IF MR. TURNER CLICKS ON.
>> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR AND THANK YOU STAFF FOR ALL THIS HARD WORK ON THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES.
I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION ON THE EARLIER PART OF DOCTOR CRAWFORD'S PRESENTATION WHEN YOU WERE GOING OVER THE OTHER STEPS THAT ARE IN PLACE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO HELP US PREVENT THE SPREAD OF COVID.
[02:10:01]
I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE AIR PURIFIERS IN THE CLASSROOM, I HEAR IT REPORTS SAYING ONE ISN'T WORKING OR THERE IS ONLY ONE AND A LARGE ROOM, I'M CURIOUS IS IT OUR FACILITIES STAFF, WHO ACTUALLY MONITORS HOW INFREQUENTLY TO BE CHECK AND MAKE SURE THOSE FILTERS ARE IN PLACE, ARE WORKING AND THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH FILTERS IN A REALLY LARGE ROOM LIKE A GYMNASIUM OR A CAFETERIA? WHAT SORT OF ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM DO WE HAVE INTERNALLY SO I CAN SAY WITH CONFIDENCE THAT THIS MACHINERY IS WORKING?>> I KNOW THEY ARE MONITORED I ACTUALLY SEE THEM THROUGHOUT.
I AM A LITTLE BIT OUTSIDE OF MY LANE AND GOING INTO THE DETAILS OF THE FACILITIES AND THE OPERATIONS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE IS ANOTHER COMMENT OR BE OKAY IF I JUST GET YOU THAT INFORMATION AS A FOLLOW-UP.
>> WE SHOULD DO A FOLLOW-UP, I KNOW DOCTOR HEART IS NOT ON WITH US TODAY.
>> THAT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT, CAN I ASK A TEENY QUESTION ABOUT THE SURVEILLANCE TESTING? I NOTICED THERE'S AN ISSUE OF OPTING IN OR OPTING OUT AND I'M JUST THINKING THAT FOR ORGANIZATION SINCE IT SEEMS LIKE IT MIGHT BE SIMPLEST TO HAVE IT AS AN OPT OUT SO THAT BASICALLY WE WRITE, WE ASSUME THAT YOU ARE, THE ONLY REASON I SAY THAT IS I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GONNA TEST EVERY CHILD IN THE SCHOOL ALL THE TIME BUT IT WOULD BE NICE TO KNOW IF YOUR SAMPLE IS 80 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS WERE 50 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS.
HOW MANY OF THE PARENTS ARE REALLY ON BOARD WITH THIS.
SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU'RE THINKING ALONG THOSE LINES AT ALL?
>> WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, I WILL SHARE I HAVE SOME RESERVATION ABOUT THE OPT OUT GIVEN THAT IT IS PERSONAL HEALTH INFORMATION THAT YOU ARE SAYING IS GOING TO BE SHARED WITH THE SCHOOL AND YOU ARE SUBMITTING TO THESE TESTING SO I THINK WE WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT THE PARENT HAS IN FACT GIVEN US THEIR CONSENT TO HAVE THE INFORMATION SHARED.
WE CAN GO BACK AND THE TEAM CAN REVISIT HOW THAT IS BEING DISCUSSED RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHY WE WERE DISCUSSING MORGAN UPTON SWING OF THE FAMILY HAS INFORMED CONSENT, THEY ARE SAYING OKAY BECAUSE IT THROUGH THIS PARTNERSHIP THEY ARE SHARING THE INFORMATION DIRECTLY WITH US.
>> THAT'S ONE THING THAT WE DISCUSSED WE WANT FAMILIES TO BE ABLE TO HAVE SOME SAY AND WE DO HAVE SOMETIMES EVERY FAMILY MAY NOT RECEIVE CORRESPONDENCE FOR WHATEVER REASON.
SO THEN THAT FAMILY WE HAVE TESTED THE STUDENT AND THEY JUST DID NOT RECEIVE THAT CORRESPONDENCE AND THEY WERE LIKE I WOULD NEVER HAVE SAID YOU CAN DO THAT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO REALLY IN REGARDS INTO LEGALITY IT ALLOWS US TO HAVE CONSENT FOR CHILDREN IN REGARDS TO THIS FORM OF TESTING.
>> YES, THE OPT IN AND OPT OUT WAS ONE OF MY COMMENTS AND I WAS THINKING IT WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE OPT IN BUT I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO STARTED THIS WEEK TO PUT SOMETHING ON OUR WEBSITE, PUT SOMETHING ON THE EXPRESS THAT STARTS BUILDING THAT THE PEOPLE OPTING IN SO WE WILL BE READY AND NOT WAITING FOR WEEKS AFTER WE GET THE CONTRACTOR IN PLACE TO BE ABLE TO TEST ANYONE.
BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GET TO A CERTAIN LEVEL FOR REALLY TO BE MEANINGFUL.
THE OTHER THING I WAS WONDERING ABOUT IN TERMS SINCE WE HAVE DOCTOR GETTY IS HOW THE CONTACT TRACING SPECIFICALLY THE TIMEFRAME.
WE BEEN GETTING ALL THESE LETTERS ABOUT DIFFERENT ONES AND I'M WONDERING HOW LONG DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT TO KNOW THAT YOUR CHILD HAS NOT BEEN EXPOSED AT SCHOOL? I KNOW THAT CONTACT TRACY CAN GO BEYOND THE SCHOOL BUILDING BUT WHAT IS THE EXPECTATION FOR PEOPLE TO BE NOTIFIED THAT THERE WAS EXPOSURE?
>> I THINK THERE IS A FEW VARIABLES THERE.
ONE IS THAT WE GO IF THERE WERE NOTIFIED OF A POSITIVE RESULTS WHICH CAN BE DIFFERENT THAN THE TIMEFRAME IN WHICH SOMEONE IS EXPOSED.
SO IF SOMEONE HAS SYMPTOMS AND THEY GET TESTED ON THE FIRST OR SECOND DAY OF
[02:15:07]
SYMPTOMS AND WE GET NOTIFIED OF A POSITIVE RESULT THEN WE ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO CONTACT TRACING VERY CLOSE TO THE TIME THAT THE PERSON CAME SYMPTOMATICALLY AND GET EVERYBODY NOTIFIED CLOSE TO THE TIME THAT THEY WERE EXPOSED.IF SOMEONE DOES NOT GET THEMSELVES TESTED UNTIL LET'S SAY A WEEK FOR THEM HAVING SYMPTOMS FOR WHATEVER REASON THEN WE ARE ACTING OFF OF THAT RESULTS WHICH IS ALREADY SORT OF A WEEK OUT FROM WHEN THEY MAY HAVE EXPOSED PEOPLE.
THAT'S THE ONE LIMITATION OF THE CONTACT TRACING IS THAT WE ARE GOING OFF OF THE TEST RESULTS AS WE GET THEM AND THAT DEPENDS ON WHEN THE PERSON GETS TESTED IN RELATION TO WHEN THEY FIRST HAVE SYMPTOMS. I GUESS THE NEXT VARIABLE IN THEIR IS THE ABILITY TO GET THE CORRECT INFORMATION TO DO THE CONTACT TRACING.
THAT SOMETHING WE BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH DOCTOR CRAWFORD ANNA ACPS ON AND I THINK REALLY TRYING TO REFINE OUR PROCESSES OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS TO GET THIS MORE AND MORE EFFICIENT AND STREAMLINED.
I THINK BOTH ON THE ACPS SIDE AND ON THE ADH SIDE I THINK WERE CONTINUING TO DISCOVER WHERE THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE THE PROCESS FASTER.
I THINK WE DO A REALLY GOOD JOB AND THEN THE TIMES THAT WE REALIZE THAT THERE ARE HAS BEEN LONGER THAN WE FIND ACCEPTABLE TIME PERIOD BETWEEN THAT NOTIFICATION OF THE CASE AND THE NOTIFICATION OF THE CONTEXT WE REALLY SORT OF DO AN AFTER ACTION REVIEW OF WHAT WAS THE VARIABLE THAT SLOWED THINGS DOWN AND HOW WE GET RID OF THAT TO SPEED THINGS UP.
SO DOCTOR CRAWFORD, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO TALK ON YOUR SIDE ABOUT THE PROCESS STARTS WITH ACPS BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHO THE CONTACT MIGHT BE AND THEN GETTING US THAT INFORMATION.
>> AS YOU MENTIONED THERE ARE MANY VARIABLES, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY OUR SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN OUR SCHOOL STAFF ARE JUST DOING WEARING SO MANY HATS COULD EVEN BEGIN TO SAY.
AS A PENCIL OF THE SCHOOL ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR FAMILIES BECAUSE THEY BEEN SO FORTHCOMING, WE CALLED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND SAY WE JUST GOT A TEST RESULT THAT IS POSITIVE FROM A PARENT AND WERE ABLE TO VERIFY IT BUT OUR PARENTS ARE BEING SO TRANSPARENT IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT THE CLASSROOM AND THEIR SCHOOLS THAT THERE ARE SOMETIMES WE ARE CALLING THE HEALTH APARTMENT TO SAY CAN YOU CHECK THIS FOR ME OR WE MOVE ON IT.
LIKE A PARENT HAS GIVEN US THIS TEST RESULT WE ARE READY TO MOVE ON IT.
WHAT YOU DESCRIBE THE TESTING SCENARIO AND WE'VE GOT THIS A FEW TIMES PERHAPS OF THE INDIVIDUAL TESTED YESTERDAY BUT THE SYMPTOMS STARTED A WEEK AGO.
AND FOR WHATEVER REASON THE INDIVIDUAL TESTED YESTERDAY SO NOW WE LEARNED OF THIS POSITIVE TEST AND WE GO BACK TO WHEN DID YOUR SYMPTOMS START AND THEY ARE A WHILE AGO AND WE NEED TO DO THAT BACKTRACKING, WHERE WERE YOU IN THE SCHOOL, DID YOU HAVE LUNCH, WHAT WERE THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO THAT CAN BE FRUSTRATING IF YOU RECEIVED A LETTER SAYING THAT THE INDIVIDUAL WAS LAST IN SCHOOL AND IT'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE FROM TODAY'S DATE.
MAYBE A WEEK HAS PASSED THAT YOU BEEN TESTED I'VE HEARD VERY VALID COMMENTS FROM FAMILIES ABOUT I WOULD ACCORDING TO THE CHILD SOONER HAD WE KNOWN.
THE CONTACT TRACING PEACE AND WE ARE STRIVING TO APPROVE EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE EVERY DAY BECAUSE EVERY DAY I FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A LESSON LEARNED.
READ A VERY SMOOTH PROCESS IN THE SPRING AND OVER THE SUMMER WE ALSO HAD A FRACTION OF HER KIDS BACK.
SO WITH THE VOLUME OF STUDENTS THAT WE HAVE BACK WE HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND THEY ARE ALREADY WE HAD A CASE LAST NIGHT WE BEEN COMMUNICATING WITH THE PRINCIPAL AT 9 PM THEY SAID NO THE TEACHER BROUGHT THE SEATING CHART HOME, THEY ARE
[02:20:01]
ALL READY TO GO, THEY HAD THE SPREADSHEET IN THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT HANDS.BUT WHEN YOU GET INTO OUR LARGER SCHOOLS WERE CERTAINLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL OVER TALK ABOUT MULTIPLE CLASSES AND MULTIPLE SEATING CHARTS, TRACING THE KIDS, MULTIPLE DAYS, THE LIST CAN GROW IN THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS HAVE ANYONE GO QUARANTINE THAT DOES NOT NEED IT SO THAT TRACING PEACE CAN JUST BE QUITE LENGTHY.
WE ARE LIVING AT AT ALEXANDER CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND AT GW AND I WILL BE HONEST WITH THE BOARD THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE BASICALLY PULLED BECAUSE THEY ARE THE KEEPERS OF THE INFORMATION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT ANOTHER PERSON CAN DO.
DOCTOR MAZER WILL NOT ONLY LOOK AT THE SEATING CHART BUT MAKE SURE HE'S FAMILIAR WITH THE LAYOUT OF THE CLASSROOM TO SEE WHAT IS THE DISTANCE AS OPPOSED TO WHAT IS ON PAPER.
MRS. SANDERS HAS BECOME THE QUEEN OF SPREADSHEETS AT ALEXANDER CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND HER SYSTEM AND REACHING OUT TO FAMILIES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
SO I KNOW THAT WHEN THERE IS A DELAY THERE CAN BE FRUSTRATION I CAN JUST ASSURE PEOPLE THAT THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS AND THE TEAMS ARE WORKING AS QUICKLY AS THEY CAN TO GET THAT INFORMATION AND THEN WE GET INTO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND THEY FOLLOW-UP WITH ADDITIONAL CALLS.
SO THERE CAN BE A DELAY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET YOU A CLEAN ANSWER.
OUR GOAL IS ALWAYS TO SAME DAY TO GET THE INFORMATION TO THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT BUT THE CASES NEVER FAIL TO COME IN AT NINE OR 10 O'CLOCK AT NIGHT.
OR 7 PM ON A FRIDAY AND IT'S HARDER TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION TOGETHER AND IT'S ALSO HARDER TO REACH FAMILIES.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE VARIABLES THAT PLAY INTO THE DOCUMENTATION.
>> THANK YOU THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL.
>> SO I WANTED TO ADD ONTO WHAT DOCTOR CRAWFORD WAS SAYING AND WHEN, HATS OFF TO ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND DOCTOR CRAWFORD AND A STUDENT SERVICES TEAM, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT GOES ON BEHIND CLOSED DOORS.
ONE THING I JUST WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE ARE WORKING TO PUT IN POSITION THAT WE DO NOT HAVE IN EXISTENCE BEFORE LIKE CONTACT TRACING, LIKE PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO MAKE PHONE CALLS, LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE ABLE TO JUSTIFY OR NOT JUSTIFY BUT IDENTIFY WHERE STUDENTS WERE SEATED BASED ON THE SEATING CHARTS SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO PULL OUR ADMINISTRATORS CONTINUOUSLY FOR DOING THAT.
SO THANKFULLY, WE DO HAVE FUNDS THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THINGS LIKE THAT.
THAT DOESN'T TAKE TIME TO HIRE PEOPLE, TRAIN PEOPLE AND TO DO THOSE THINGS.
SO IT DOESN'T HAPPEN JUST BECAUSE WE NOW HAVE IN OUR BUDGET IT DOESN'T HAPPEN THE NEXT DAY.
WE HAVE TO FIND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WE ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE TRAINED BECAUSE WE COULD DO ONE THING WRONG AND IT COULD BE A DISASTER.
SO CANNOT JUST BE ANYONE THAT CAN JUST VOLUNTEER TO DO THIS WORK.
BUT I WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN PUTTING A LOT ON OUR ADMINISTRATORS AS WELL AS OUR STAFF TO MAKE IT THROUGH THIS CONTACT TRACING INCIDENTS RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE DO HAVE HELP ON THE WAY IS JUST TAKING TIME TO HIRE THOSE POSITIONS AND I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
>> I DO WANT TO SAY ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS WILL SUPPORT THE DASHBOARD.
I KNOW WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FEEDBACK AND A LOT OF REALLY GOOD IDEAS ABOUT HOW THE DASHBOARD COULD INCLUDE OTHER INFORMATION AGAIN IN THE SPRING WHEN THE NUMBERS WE WERE VERY CAREFUL TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE NOT PUTTING SOMETHING OUT THAT COULD BE PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE.
SO MANY OF HER STUDENTS BACK WE ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION.
SO IS DOCTOR HUTCHINS JUST SAID WE BUILT THESE POSITIONS INTO THE DIFFERENT GRANTS AND WERE LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THE STAFF AND TRAINING ON BOARD BUT ONE OF THEM SPECIFICALLY JUST FOR COMMUNITY KNOWLEDGE IS FOR THE DASHBOARD AND KEEPING THAT INCLUDING THINGS LIKE CLOSE CONTACTS AND OTHER THINGS.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND ALL THE WORK YOU'RE DOING.
THANK YOU FOR WALKING THROUGH THE CHALLENGES OF CONTACT TRACING, IT DEFINITELY SOUNDS LIKE IT'S KEEPING EVERYONE REALLY BUSY.
MY QUESTION, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
[02:25:02]
AROUND COMMUNICATION TO FAMILIES ABOUT THE COVID PROTOCOLS.I WILL SAY, I HAVE BEEN HEARING, I WANT TO SHARE GIVE VOICE TO THE FACT THAT HEARING FROM FAMILIES LEADING INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR AND A SENSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS STARTED ABOUT QUESTIONS AROUND COVID PROTOCOLS AND JUST TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION.
I KNOW WE DO HAVE THE HEALTH AND SAFETY GUIDANCE ON OUR WEBSITE AND THAT'S USEFUL.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP FOR FAMILIES THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THERE.
I WILL GIVE YOU JUST A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMING UP.
WHAT KIND OF DOCUMENTATION IS REQUIRED BEFORE A STUDENT CAN RETURN TO SCHOOL? IT SEEMS I FAMILIES ARE GETTING DIFFERENT INFORMATION DEPENDING ON WHO THEY TALK TO.
IS THE PROCESS DIFFERENT WHEN THE CHILD GETS SENT HOME FROM SCHOOL WITH SYMPTOMS VERSUS ESTATE HOME.
ARE THE TEST RESULTS REPORTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IF THEY DO HOME TESTS ARE THE RESULTS REPORTED TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IN THE SAME CONTACT TRACING PROCESS HAPPENS? I WAS REALLY PLEASED TO SEE ON SLIDE FIVE THAT YOU HAVE SOME TOWN HALLS COMING UP WITH THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT I WENT TO REITERATE THOSE FOR FAMILIES AND I'M ASSUMING THAT WILL BE IN THE EXPRESS AS WELL TOMORROW.
BUT THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, FROM 4 TO 5 PM AND MONDAY, SENTIMENT 20TH FROM 12 TO 1 PM, THOSE ARE TOWN HALLS FOR FAMILY WITH ACPS AND THE ALEXANDRIA HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
IN THE MEANTIME, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAYBE CAN GO FOR THAT IF THEY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THESE KINDS OF COVID MITIGATION ISSUES, WHO SHOULD THEY GO TO WITH THOSE QUESTIONS? WHO IS THE BEST PERSON FOR THEM TO REACH OUT TO TO TRY TO GET ANSWERS TO SOME OF THESE REALLY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS?
>> MY GUIDANCE WOULD BE TO EMAIL THE STUDENT SERVICES.
BECAUSE IT IS MONITORED BY A NUMBER OF US IN A STUDENT SERVICES.
IF IT'S A PROTOCOL OR DIVISIONWIDE QUESTION WE WANT TO DO WE CAN TO ANSWER THOSE SO THAT IT'S NOT, NORMALLY I WAS A START AT YOUR SCHOOL BUT IF YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT DIVISION YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE AS MUCH OFF OF THE PRINCIPAL.
SO WE HAVE A GROUP THAT MONITORS THE STUDENT SERVICES EMAIL.
I WOULD ASK FOR PEOPLE'S UNDERSTANDING, DOCTOR HUTCHINS IS ALWAYS PREACHING 24 HOUR RESPONSE, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE HAVE HUNDREDS AND HUNDREDS OF EMAILS IN ONE DAY IN RESPONSE TO A GENERAL NOTIFICATION LETTER.
SO WE ARE GETTING BACK TO PEOPLE AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN SO I APPRECIATE EVEN HEARING ME SAY THAT.
THE STUDENT SERVICES EMAIL BE MONITORED BY SO MANY OF US I THINK OF IS A GENERAL QUESTION PLEASE EMAIL THAT.
AS WE SAID WE KNOW WE HAD SOME IMPROVEMENTS WILL TO THE WEBSITE AND THE AVAILABLE INFORMATION WE STREAMLINED THE CHARTS THIS YEAR YOU MAY REMEMBER LESTER'S DOCUMENT THE FEEDBACK WAS THERE WAS TOO MUCH, CANNOT FIND IT.
SO WE REMOVED IT WAS 27 PAGES OF HEALTH GUIDELINES AND SO WE WENT WITH THE TWO PAGE CHART BUT WE CAN FIND A HAPPY MEDIUM, TOO.
BECAUSE THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE RETURN TO SCHOOL GUIDELINES THERE'S A VERY SUCCINCT CHART THAT THE NURSES ALL HAVE.
AND WE CAN PUT UP SOME, WE ARE WORKING WITH COMMUNICATIONS I THINK WE HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED TOMORROW TO LOOK AT WHAT IS AVAILABLE AND HAS BEEN PRESENTED.
WE CAN MAKE SOME IMMEDIATE TWEAKS TO THAT BUT THE RESPONSE TO THE QUESTION OF WHO SHOULD THEY CONTACT THEY SHOULD USE THE GENERAL SERVICES LINE SEQUESTER NUMBER OF US AND WE CAN RESPOND AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
>> I WOULD ASK MS. BURGOS TO CHIME IN AS WELL.
SHE'S OUR COMMUNICATION IS STRATEGIST THAT'S IN PLACE.
>> THANK YOU DOCTOR HUTCHINS AND VICKI DOCTOR RIEF.
THE INFORMATION FOR THE TOWN HALLS WILL BE IN THE EXPRESS TOMORROW.
I WOULD LOVE FOR PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE AND LOOK FOR THE INFORMATION TOMORROW.
I ALSO WANTED TO JUST ANNOUNCE IN A NOTE DOCTOR HUTCHINS WILL TALK ABOUT OUR SYSTEM THAT WERE IMPLEMENTING BUT I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR HELPLINE AND DOCTOR CRAWFORD MET WITH OUR TEAM THIS WEEK BUT WERE GONNA MOVE OUR CURRENT HELPLINE INTO A COVID HELPLINE SO WERE WORKING ON THAT.
WE CAN'T CONVERT IT JUST YET BECAUSE DOCTOR CRAWFORD HAS WORKED WITH HER TEAM SO THEY HAVE THE FAQS AND INFORMATION TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT QUARANTINING AND ALL THE THINGS WE DISCUSSED TONIGHT.
SO OVER THE NEXT WEEK SHE WILL BE WORKING WITH OUR TEAM TO GET THE HELPLINE BACK UP TO SPEED SINCE WE HAD PEOPLE TRAINED ON THE ACTUAL HELPLINE BUT ALL THE
[02:30:03]
INFORMATION THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO CONVEY TO THEM, WE ARE REALLY HOPING TO DO THIS WE CAN TAKE A LITTLE PRESSURE OF THE SCHOOLS OF HAVING TO ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE BECAUSE OF THINGS THAT COME UP ON A REGULAR BASIS.ALSO, WE HAVE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION OR FAQS BUT SOMETIMES IT BE INTERPRETED AND WHAT WE ARE HEARING IS THAT SCHOOLS ARE SPENDING TIME WITH THEM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE INFORMATION SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE CAN PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT THEY CAN CALL THE HELPLINE, LIVE PERSON, SOMEONE HAS INFORMATION AND CAN WALK THROUGH THOSE FAQS IF THAT'S WHAT THEY NEED.
WE ALSO WANT TO HAVE THE ONLINE PORTAL WHICH I THINK DOCTOR HUTCHINS WILL TALK ABOUT LATER.
THAT WOULD ALSO BE AT EXPRESS TOMORROW.
SO THAT WAY FAMILIES OF A NUMBER OF WAYS THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH US BUT THIS HELPLINE WILL BE VERY SPECIFIC TO COVID SO THAT PEOPLE CAN ASK THOSE KINDS OF QUESTIONS AS THEY COME UP SO WE CAN HAVE A LIVE PERSON TALKING TO THEM.
I HOPE THAT HELPS TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION.
>> THAT'S REALLY EXCITING TO HEAR, I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE HELPLINE AND ALSO THE SLIDE IT SAID THAT THE FAQS PAGE WILL BE UPDATED.
I DO WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE WHAT DOCTOR HUTCHINS SAID.
LAST SPRING WE HAD PARENTS SAYING THAT THERE WAS TOO MUCH INFORMATION, IT WAS HARD TO FIND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING FOR SO I KNOW WERE REALLY WORKING TO STRIKE THE RIGHT BALANCE.
THIS IS A PROCESS OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT WORKING TO CONTINUE REFINING SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO THIS COMMUNICATION CONTINUING TO COME OUT.
I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE WAY THEY WERE SHARING OUT INFORMATION ABOUT POSITIVE CASES WITH FAMILIES.
WHENEVER THERE IS A CASE IN THE SCHOOL, THE ENTIRE SCHOOL IS NOTIFIED, AND THEN WE HAVE THE COVID DASHBOARD.
I GUESS I'M WONDERING ARE WE THINKING ABOUT WAYS THAT WE CAN ALSO IMPROVE THOSE COMMUNICATIONS? I KNOW WE HAD A PUBLIC SPEAKER THAT TALKED ABOUT SOME SCHOOL DIVISIONS MIGHT BE INDICATING THIS IS THE FIRST CASE OR SECOND CASE SO THAT IT CAN BE, REALLY CONFUSING TO PEOPLE ABOUT WHERE ARE WE IN THE PROCESS.
AND THEN ALONG THE SAME LINES AND IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU HAVE PLANS TO IMPROVE THE DASHBOARD BUT THE DASHBOARD THE INDIVIDUAL CASES BUT NOT REALLY OF THE OUTBREAKS AND I THINK THAT SOMETHING I KNOW WE ARE REALLY INTERESTED TO KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENING.
MAYBE IF YOU CAN SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT BECAUSE WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT THE NOTIFICATIONS ARE JUST CREATING A LOT OF ANXIETY FOR PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T SORT OF KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH THAT INFORMATION.
THEY WOULD LIKE MORE SPECIFIC INFORMATION TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE WHETHER IT'S A STAFFER STUDENT MEMBER WHO TESTED POSITIVE SO IF YOU JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT, AS WELL.
>> VERY GOOD QUESTIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN RECEIVING THE SAME FEEDBACK.
ONE THING THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO ON THE DASHBOARD IS TO ADD THE STAFF STUDENT LINE.
WE MAY INITIALLY START OFF WITH A NUMBER OF CASES INTO ACCUMULATIVE STAFF STUDENT VERSUS SAYING THIS IS A STAFF CASE.
I'M STILL VERY SENSITIVE AND WE WENT THERE THE OTHER DAY OF WANTING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL DETAIL SINCE WE HAVE OUR PEOPLE BACK WE KNOW WE CAN DO THAT BUT IT IS SENSITIVE IF WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR TEACHERS BEING VACCINATED DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO QUARANTINE.
THE NOTICE ONE OF THE SAID THAT A STAFF MEMBER WAS POSITIVE.
THAT IS PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE.
WHERE ARE NUMBERS, WERE GETTING A LOT OF NOTIFICATIONS BUT ARE NUMBERS ARE STILL ON THE SMALLER SIDE FOR NOT THE BEST OF OUTBREAK IN PLACES.
I THINK THAT ARE MITIGATING MEASURES ARE QUARANTINE PROCESS IS WORKING EVEN OF THIS FRUSTRATION WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME.
BUT YES, WE ARE LOOKING AT FOR THE DASHBOARD ADDING THE STAFF AND STUDENT NUMBERS WHERE WE CAN, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ADDING DETAILS IF YOU GOT THE LETTERS FROM YESTERDAY YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT SOME OF THE LETTERS HAD ADDITIONAL INFORMATION IN THEM AS OPPOSED TO SENDING MULTIPLE LETTERS FOR THE SCHOOL WE TRIED TO SAY THERE ARE TWO CASES TODAY OR THERE ARE MULTIPLE CASES AT PRESENT THEY APPEAR UNRELATED SO IN A BIG SCHOOL PERSON IS INSANE THIS IS ON THE SAME CLASS I KNOW THAT CAN BE TRICKY BECAUSE WE DON'T OVERCOMMIT BUT IN OUR INVESTIGATION IF WE SAY WE HAVE TWO STUDENTS ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE SCHOOL THERE IS NO KNOWN RELATION THERE THEN WE DID FEEL COMFORTABLE SAYING IF IT SEEMS THAT THESE ARE ALL UNRELATED.
WE ARE TRYING TO ADD THAT INFORMATION I WILL BE HONEST WITH THE BOARD THAT WHEN THESE THINGS GO OUT AT NIGHT AND WE DID WHEN DURING THE MEETING.
WE HAVE CERTAIN THINGS THAT ARE TRANSLATED IN ALL OF OUR LANGUAGES AND SO WE HAVE
[02:35:01]
RAISES TO GO OUT AND SOMETIMES WERE NOT ABLE TO BE SUPER SPECIFIC IF IT IS OFF HOURS, I KNOW THE URGENCY IS TO LET EVERYONE OUT THERE WAS A CASE BUT WE DON'T HAVE 24 HOUR TRANSLATION SERVICES AND I CAN'T POSSIBLY SAY SOMETHING IN ENGLISH AND NOT IN THE OTHERS.SO WE ARE TRYING TO TO REFINE OF THE NOTIFICATION PROCESS TO BE MORE DETAILED.
WE KNOW CAUSES CONCERN, WE ALSO DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO BE DESENSITIZED TO IT LIKE GOT ANOTHER LETTER, GOT ANOTHER LETTER.
AND THEN NOT HAVE THAT LEVEL OF VIGILANCE BUT AS YOU SAID THE PROCESS IS A SPECIFIC TO WHEN THERE IS A CASE WE MAKE SURE THAT OUR SCHOOL ADMINISTERS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO NOTIFY EVERYONE IN THE BUILDING.
THE SCHOOL STAFF FINDS OUT FIRST.
THAT WE HAVE A SET TIME TO WORK WITH COMMUNICATIONS THERE'S BEEN A RESPONSE TO GET THOSE LETTERS OUT, AT IF WE HAVE A CASE WHERE THE GROUP HAS IMPARTED WAS VERY SPECIFIC TO SEVERAL CLASSROOMS PRINCIPLES CALL OR EMAIL TO SAY TO THE FAMILIES WE RECEIVED A GENERAL NOTIFICATION LETTER TODAY I AM ALERTING YOU TO THE FACT THAT THIS CASE WAS IN YOUR CHILD'S CLASS.
NOT SAYING YOUR CLOSE CONTACT BUT JUST WANT TO GO THE EXTRA MILE TO SAY THIS IS IN YOUR CHILD'S CLASS SO PLEASE STAY ALERT TO ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES IN HIS OR HER HEALTH.
SOMETIMES, IT IS EASIER TO DO THAT IN THE ELEMENTARY WHEN WE KNOW SOMETHING MAY BE A POD OR IN A CLASSROOM OR TWO.
THAT IS WE TRY TO DO AND WHERE WE CAN PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION WITHOUT REVEALING PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE HEALTH INFORMATION.
WE ARE PLANNING TO MAKE THOSE IMPROVEMENTS AND WE STARTED YESTERDAY.
>> IN ADDITION TO THE ACCUMULATION OF STUDENT AND TEACHER WERE ALSO ADDING THE DASHBOARD QUARANTINE NUMBERS.
THAT'S ANOTHER IMPORTANT COMPONENT ESPECIALLY WE GET TO HAVE A SITUATION WHERE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ARE QUARANTINE OR A NUMBER OF SINS ARE POSITIVE AT LEAST WE HAVE A NARRATIVE OR LIKE A WAY TO SHOW HOW IT ESCALATED IF YOU WERE TO HAVE TO CLOSE THE SCHOOL.
AND NOT NECESSARILY JUST A CLASSROOM.
IF WE GET TO THAT PIECE OR TWO THAT SPACE AT LEAST WE HAVE THAT DOCUMENTATION SHOWING THE ESCALATION OVER TIME.
THOSE ARE ALL ADDITIONS THAT ARE GOING TO BE PART OF THE CURRENT DASHBOARD IT'S AN EXPANSION.
>> OKAY SO I'M GOING TO DO TWO THINGS HERE.
WE DO HAVE A MOTION THAT WE NEED TO APPROVE FOR THIS ITEM.
I HAVE MR. SUAREZ, MS. ANDERSON AND MS. LORBER WHO ALL HAVE QUESTIONS.
AFTER THAT, WE NEED TO WRAP IT UP AND GO WITH THE MOTION SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD BECAUSE WE STILL HAVE OTHER ITEMS INCLUDING A WORK SESSION.
>> THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, ON THE SUBJECT THAT WAS IMMEDIATELY DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY ON THE DASHBOARD I WANT TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL THE UPDATES AND I HOPE WE CAN BE AS TRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE AND MAKE SURE THOSE UPDATES ARE HAPPENING SO I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT'S UNDERWAY TO KEEP THAT AS SOLID AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE THE TRANSFERENCE IS SUPER IMPORTANT.
THE MORE WE CAN DO THE BETTER.
ALSO, THANKS TO DOCTOR CRAWFORD FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THESE UPDATES ARE ALL REALLY POSITIVE DEVELOPMENTS IN TERMS OF THE DIRECTION WE NEED TO GO SOME EXCITED TO HEAR THAT WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD FOR VACCINATION TESTING FOR STUDENTS SO MY COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS WANT TO FOCUS ON THE VACCINATION FIRST AND THEN I GO TO TESTING.
SO FOR VACCINATION AND ALL PURPOSES I THINK I ALLUDED TO DO THIS EARLIER, THE UNIFIED BOARD TODAY APPROVED 100 PERCENT REQUIREMENT FOR STUDENTS TO BE VACCINATED.
NO IT'S NOT FOR TOMORROW IS FOR FIRST DOSE, NOVEMBER FIRST, SECOND DOSE DECEMBER 31.
FOR STUDENTS IN EXTRA CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IS THE FIRST NOTE DOSE OCTOBER 1.
I DO THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOME SORT OF POLICY OF THAT NATURE.
I'M NOT PROPOSING ANYTHING LIKE THAT TODAY I THINK THAT THAT IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO HAVE A SERIOUS DISCUSSION ABOUT I THINK THIS THE WEIGHTS OVER THE DELTA
[02:40:05]
VARIANT AND I THINK 12 AND OVER VACCINATION REQUIRED POLICY IS SOMETHING THE BOARD NEEDS TO SERIOUSLY CONSIDER AS SOON AS POSSIBLE INFEASIBLE.THE SECOND, I WANT TO MAKE HIS ECHO MR. GENTRY EXCELLENT POINT AND ALSO DOCTOR CRAWFORD'S FOLLOW-UP ON THE POINT BUT USING THE IN SCHOOL TESTING AS A WAY TO GAIN MORE VACCINATIONS IN THE BROADER COMMUNITY AND WEATHERS BRINGING FAMILIES AND SO FORTH I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA AND A GREAT USE OF OUR ROLE AS A PUBLIC ENTITY THAT CAN PERHAPS GET THE VACCINATION NUMBERS IN THE COMMUNITY GENERALLY.
I LOOK FORWARD TO HEAR THINKING ON HOW WE CAN DO THAT AND BRING IN MORE OF THOSE ADULTS WHO ARE NOT GETTING VACCINATED.
OUR RATES IN ALEXANDRIA ARE PRETTY HIGH BUT WE SEVERAL WAYS TO GO.
THE NEXT POINT ON THE VACCINATION FRONT IS I LOVE THAT WE ARE TO HAVE THIS IN THE BUILDING, THAT'S AWESOME.
I THINK THAT SUPER EXCITING AND I ALSO LOVE THAT THE STAFF WILL BE ABLE TO AVAIL THEMSELVES OF THAT.
MY QUESTION IS, WHAT ARE WE DOING OR HAVE WE DONE TO GET THE DATA FOR STUDENTS I JUST POST SAME THE VACCINATION RATE AMONGST QUEENS IS PRETTY HIGH BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT IS NOT, PROBABLY A DIFFERENT RATE FOR THE CITY AS A.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCES SO THEY COULD SUPER IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THOSE NUMBERS FOR THE SAME REASON AT THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT WE KNOW THOSE NUMBERS FOR TEACHERS.
SO I'M WONDERING WHAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT DOING IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT AND IT JUST THE COMMENT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HIPAA AND PUBLIC HEALTH RECORDS AND SO FORTH.
I FEEL OBLIGATED ETHICALLY TO SAY THIS AS AN ATTORNEY MYSELF WHICH IS AND I THINK I SAID THIS BEFORE.
I REALLY DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE RETICENT TO TAKE PROACTIVE MEASURES ON ACCOUNT OF ILLEGALITIES.
THE LAW TENDS TO BE MUCH MORE PERMISSIVE AND PUBLIC HEALTH EMERGENCIES AND IN NATIONAL SECURITY EMERGENCIES.
WHILE THESE REQUIREMENTS INTO TAKE THESE COLLECTIONS VERY SERIOUSLY MY UNDERSTANDING OF THAT LEGALITIES IS THAT WE CAN COLLECT THIS INFORMATION AND WE CAN REQUIRE SWABS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THE LAW SHOULD NOT BE USED AS AN IMPEDIMENT.
I DO, LET ME STOP THERE ON VACCINATION FOR NOW TO MY QUESTION ANSWERED ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE OF THE STUDENTS WHO ARE VACCINATED 12 AND OVER AND WHAT WE ARE THINKING IN TERMS OF HOW THAT MIGHT JIVE WITH A POLICY THAT WOULD REQUIRE ALL STUDENTS TO BE VACCINATED.
WHEN THIS COMMENT ON THIS FRONT, TOO.
WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THIS CONTINUED DISCUSSION ABOUT THE OUTDOOR LUNCH, I THINK AT LEAST FOR THE 12 IT UP IF WE CAN GET TO ONE OF THE PERCENT VACCINATION THAT COULD RESOLVE SOME OF THE CONCERNS ABOUT GW IF WE CAN GET TO 100 PERCENT VACCINATION SOME OF THESE OTHER MEASURES MIGHT BE TAKEN OFF THE TABLE AT LEAST FOR 12 AND UP.
OBVIOUS TO THE LOWER GRADES ARE STILL UNVACCINATED SO MAYBE THIS CONVERSATION THERE.
ANYWAY, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR AN ANSWER TO MY QUESTION ABOUT PERCENTAGES OF STUDENTS AND WHAT WERE THINKING ABOUT THERE.
>> THANK YOU, I WAS LOOKING AT MY PHONE AND I MAY ASK YOU TO GIVE ME A SECOND.
THE CITY DOES COLLECT THE 12 TO 17 DATA AS WE KNOW I CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION AS YOU RIGHTLY SAID THOSE ARE NOT ALL ACPS STUDENTS SO WE MAY HAVE STUDENTS WHO ATTEND ON ACPS SCHOOLS AND THOSE NUMBERS BUT I'LL CERTAINLY GET THAT.
THE ANSWER TO WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GET THOSE NUMBERS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID WITH STAFF, THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS REQUESTED THAT WE SURVEYED FAMILIES, SHORT AND SWEET, ARE YOU VACCINATED? THOSE QUESTIONS WE DID IF NOT ARE YOU PLANNING TO, WILL YOU AVAIL YOURSELF OF VACCINATION AT SCHOOL SO THAT WE HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE DO WE NEED TO KEEP PUSHING OUR COMMUNICATION EFFORTS ON VACCINATION IF WE SEE THAT THERE ARE SOME SCHOOLS THAT MAYBE AREN'T AS INTERESTED RIGHT OFF THE BAT AND GETTING VACCINATED? TWO THINGS, I WILL GIVE YOU THE NUMBER OF THE CITY DASHBOARD IN A SECOND AND
[02:45:05]
ALSO WILL BE REACHING OUT PART OF THAT COMMUNICATION PROCESS FOR THE VACCINATION IS TO SURVEY TO SEE WHAT IS THE NEED AND AT WHAT LOCATIONS FOR 12 AND UP.>> ONE FOLLOW UP ON THAT, IS IT POSSIBLE FOR US TO START A PROCEDURE WHEREBY WE COLLECT WHETHER IT'S A DATE VACCINATION CARD COPY OR THE VDH I KNOW YOU CAN GO YOUR TEXT MESSAGING GET SHEET THAT CONFIRMS YOUR VACCINATION ONLINE CAN WE START COLLECTING THAT MATERIAL IN THE SAME WAY WE WOULD FOR THE STANDARD VACCINATIONS THAT ARE FOR EVERY STUDENT SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A SENSE OF WHO HAS THAT DOCUMENTATION BECAUSE OF THIS BOARD THEN VOTES TO SAY ALL 12 AND OVER HAVE A VACCINATION IT BE NICE TO HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE GIVEN THE INFORMATION SO THAT WE CAN NEVER DUCKS IN A ROW.
>> YOU ARE ON THE MONEY, WE DID IT TODAY, WE WORKED WITH TECHNOLOGY WAS ALSO PHENOMENAL.
WE COLLECTED THAT REQUIRE VACCINES RIGHT NOW WHERE THE INFORMATION COULD BE UPLOADED AND THEN WHEN THE IMPRINT PIECES FOR US IS A MAJOR CONTACT TRACE ANY FIELDS THAT WE HOLD THAT WE GIVE TO THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT IF ARE ABLE TO SAY, WE INCLUDE THAT RIGHT NOW BUT IT'S BASED ON STUDENT REPORT TO DOCTOR JACKSON AND SMOTHERS AND TECHNOLOGY WORKED ON THAT TODAY SO THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF HER.
THAT'S GREAT NEWS, YOU CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE SCHOOLS YET BECAUSE MOTOROLA ALL AT ONCE WHEN WE KNOW WE HAVE A PROCESS IT TO THEM AND HOW WE CAN UPLOAD AND HOW WE ARE REQUESTING THE INFORMATION FROM FAMILIES AND IT'S ALL LOOPED INTO THAT SURVEY AND THE VACCINATION EFFORTS SO IN RESPONSE YOUR QUESTION YES AND IT'S READY TO GO.
>> THAT'S WONDERFUL TO HEAR AND I'M GLAD WERE ON TOP OF THAT.
IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE THAT AS MUCH INFORMATION COLLECTED AS WE CAN.
LIKE I SAID, I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY SOMEWHAT OF A SOMETHING FROM BETWEEN THE CITY SO I THINK THEY'LL BE GOOD CLEAR SENSE OF THAT.
SO THE THOSE MY QUESTION ON VACCINE, ON TESTING SO I GUESS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS THERE IS I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND AND I'M GOING TO KEEP GOING BACK TO LA UNIFIED BECAUSE THERE A MODEL FOR TESTING STUDENTS THEY HAVE 600,000 STUDENTS AND WE HAVE 16,000 STUDENTS, WHEN UNDERSTAND IS OF THE REASON WERE ONLY PROPOSING TO TEST 30 PERCENT IS THAT A FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT? IS IT SOME OTHER CONSTRAINT? I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE RATIONALE IS BEHIND THE 30 PERCENT AS OPPOSED TO DOING ALL WHICH WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE OPTIMAL.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR THAT AND THEN AS A FOLLOW-UP TO MISS GREENE'S QUESTION IF IT CAN BE ANSWERED HOW PROMPTLY AFTER SOMETHING IS APPROVED BY THE BOARD CAN THE TESTING START? IS IT THE DAY AFTER WE APPROVE IT OR IS IT THEY HAVE TO GET STUFF SET UP AND IT TAKES THREE OR FOUR MORE WEEKS? I WOULD LOVE TO UNDERSTAND BOTH OF THOSE ISSUES.
>> I WILL START WITH THE SECOND, IN OUR CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE HONESTLY THE SCOPE AND WERE LOOKING AT I THINK IT IS 26 SITES FOR TESTING BECAUSE WE NEED TO INCLUDE SITES FOR EMPLOYEES, CENTRAL OFFICE, ALTERNATIVE PROGRAMS, OTHERS.
AND LOOKING AT THE POPULATION SO OBVIOUSLY SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE SMALLER THAN OTHERS IN THE GROUP WE ARE PURSUING THE PROCUREMENT THAT THEIR ESTIMATION IS TWO WEEKS, 14 DAYS FROM THE SIGNED CONTRACT TO BE ABLE TO TO START THIS I'VE SHARED THIS WITH THIS GROUP AND STAFF WE DO HAVE A PLAN B, C, D AND E.
IF WE HAD TO TEAR THAT AND WE COULDN'T GET 26 OPERATIONS AND TWO WEEKS IDENTIFYING WHO WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY START THE TESTING WITHIN THEM STARTED FROM THERE.
WE HAVE THE PLAN, THE OPTIMAL PLAN ARE COMMITTED TO DOING ONCE THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS DONE, THEY SAID LOGISTICALLY TWO WEEKS.
AND WE ARE TRYING TO DO AS MANY THINGS AS WE CAN TO SHORTEN THAT IF POSSIBLE BUT IT'S A MASSIVE UNDERTAKING BECAUSE EVEN AT 30 PERCENT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FIVE OR
[02:50:04]
6000 TESTS A WEEK.WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DATA TALKING TO EACH OTHER IN THE PROGRAM WE ARE TALKING ABOUT PARENTAL CONSENT AND THAT PROCESS.
IT IS ALL MOVING BUT WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE IF WE GET TO THE POINT AND LET'S SAY THERE IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE THE PLAN B READY TO GO THIS IS WHAT THE PRIORITY WOULD BE AND THIS IS WHAT OUR PLAN C IS.
THAT WAS THE ONE? WHEN WOULD IT START.
THE GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TWO WEEKS, 14 DAYS.
>> I WANT TO CHIME IN FIRST SECTION IS AN ORGAN OF A CLOSED SESSION WITH THE BOARD IN REGARDS TO THIS.
IN SUPPORT FOR US NOT TO DISCUSS TOO MANY DETAILS BECAUSE WE ARE WORKING WITH ONE CONTRACTOR AND WE DON'T WANT TO TALK TOO MANY NUMBERS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE SO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T SPEAK NUMBERS PUBLICLY, WE WILL HAVE A CLOSED SESSION WE WILL BE RECOMMENDING, IF THE BOARD APPROVES FOR US TO PURSUE THE STUDENT TESTING AND VACCINATIONS WE ARE REQUESTING WE DO A CLOSED SESSION AND TO GO THROUGH THE CONTRACT DETAILS, COST ANALYSIS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR BECAUSE I DON'T WANT ANY THE INFORMATION TO GET OUT RIGHT NOW.
>> DOES THAT BEAR ON THE QUESTION OF THE 100 PERCENT ISSUE?
>> I THINK IT WILL HELP THE BOARD UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE 30 PERCENT AND THE 100 PERCENT.
LET ME ASK A FOLLOW-UP ASSUMING THAT IS 30 PERCENT ARE THERE WAYS IN TERMS OF COVID BEST PRACTICES THAT WE CAN USE OUR VACCINATION DATA, THE OTHER DATA WE HAVE, TO STRATEGICALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT 30 PERCENT WE ARE TESTING SO WE CAN GET MAXIMAL RESULTS FROM THE TESTING? DOES MY QUESTION MAKE SENSE?
>> DOCTOR CRAWFORD AND GETTY MAYBE YOU GUYS WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE INFORMATION BEHIND SURVEY LIST TESTING, THE 30 PERCENT WAS NOT JUST A NUMBER WE MADE UP.
YOU MAY WANT TO TALK TO HOW WE IDENTIFY SURVEILLANCE TESTING AS A POTENTIAL OPTION AND MITIGATING THE COVID SPREAD.
>> THAT WOULD HELP ME BECAUSE I THINK THE MORE WE UNDERSTAND AS A BOARD WHY THIS IS A BEST PRACTICE AND WHAT GROUP IS CAN BE TESTED I THINK IT WOULD BE TRY TO SAY HELPFUL AND I GUESS WE WILL DISCUSS SOME OF THIS IN A CLOSED SESSION AT SOME POINT BUT THIS I WOULD ECHO THE OPT IN VERSUS OPT OUT.
I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE CLARIFICATION OF WHETHER WE CAN MAKE IT WHERE YOU HAVE TO OPT OUT.
I REMEMBER MY COLLEAGUES RAISE THAT AND I WOULD PREFER IT'S AN OPT OUT.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN HAVE MR. CAFFERTY GIVE US THE LEGAL OPINION ON THAT BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE VALUABLE.
>> I CAN MAYBE TRY TO ANSWER SOME SOME OF THIS.
I THINK THE 30 PERCENT NUMBER IS A PUBLIC HEALTH RECOMMENDATION THE THOUGHT THERE IS THAT FEASIBLY DO SURVEILLANCE TESTING AND CATCH A NUMBER OF POSITIVES YOU OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE.
YOU WANT AROUND THAT THRESHOLD TO BE ABLE IF YOU ARE ABLE, IF YOU'RE DOING THAT ON A REPETITIVE BASIS ON A WEEKLY BASIS AND YOU'RE DOING AT LEAST 30 PERCENT THAN YOU ARE HAVING A GOOD CHANCE OF OVERTIME CATCHING IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE POPULATION LEVEL BEING ABLE TO CATCH A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF POSITIVES THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE HAVE CAPTURED AND THAT'S CONSIDERED TO BE A PERCENTAGE THAT YIELDS REASONABLE RESULTS ALSO WITH REALIZING THAT IN MOST SETTINGS IT MIGHT NOT BE FEASIBLE TO DO A 100 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE TIME.
HAVING SAID THAT I THINK PROBABLY THE POPULATION THAT YOU MAY BE LOOKING AT TESTING WILL CHANGE OVER TIME.
SO YOU HAVE A VERY LARGE PERCENTAGE OF YOUR €12 AND UP VACCINATED AND THEN AFTER OCTOBER HAVE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF YOUR FIVE-YEAR-OLD AND UP
[02:55:04]
VACCINATED YOU MAY NOT BE NEEDING TO DO AS LARGE OF A SURVEILLANCE TESTING.SO TYPICALLY IN A SURVEILLANCE TESTING PROGRAMS THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO TEST ARE THE UNVACCINATED POPULATION.
SO THE TOTAL NUMBER OF TESTS YOU'RE DOING OVERTIME MAY DEPEND ON HOW VACCINATED YOUR POPULATION IS.
>> ONE AT LAST FOLLOW-UP AND PROBABLY TAKING TOO MUCH TIME.
DOES THE 30 PERCENT WHO ARE TESTING FOR BEST PRACTICES DOES THAT NEED TO BE A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF THE STUDENTS TO BE USEFUL DATA? I ASK THAT BECAUSE IT GOES ALONG WITH THE OPT IN.
A GIVEN OPT AN EXAMPLE THAT IS NOT REPRESENTATIVE OF THE POPULATION I'M CONCERNED THAT DATA WILL NOT BE USEFUL.
>> IT MAKES SENSE BUT IF YOU THINK OF IT AS SO IF YOU'RE TRYING TO PICK UP ON IT SPREAD OF DISEASE THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE OTHERWISE PICKED UP ON IT MAKES SENSE THAT WHAT YOU REALLY WANT IS 30 PERCENT WITHIN ANY GIVEN SPACE THAT'S INTERACTING WITH ITSELF.
SO IF YOU DOING 30 PERCENT OF ACPS THAT 30 PERCENT IS ONLY COMING OUT OF TWO SCHOOLS THAT DOESN'T TELL YOU ANYTHING ABOUT THE OTHER SCHOOLS.
SIMILARLY, IF YOU DOING A 30 PERCENT WITHIN A SCHOOL BUT YOU'RE ONLY DOING THAT OUT OF ONE A SET OF CLASSROOMS OR WHEN IT GRADE THAT'S NOT TELLING YOU ABOUT THE REST OF YOUR POPULATION.
I THINK AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE AND YOU WANT TO HAVE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOUR TESTING TO BE SPREAD OUT THROUGH THE PHYSICAL SPACE THAT'S INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER.
>> THAT IS SUPER HELPFUL, THANK YOU.
>> MR. SUAREZ IF I COULD SAY I WOULD BE GLAD TO ADDRESS THOSE QUESTIONS, THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACETS WITH THE CODE OF VIRGINIA SO WITHIN THAT CODE AND REGULATIONS AND WITH THE IMPLEMENT THE OPT IN AND OPT OUT I WOULD NOT WANT TO DO IT THIS MINUTE.
>> I KNOW IT IS COMPLICATED BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES THERE'S A LITTLE BIT MORE PERMISSIVE NATURE OF THINGS I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON THAT, THANK YOU.
SO AGAIN I WANT TO REITERATE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE ACTION.
I HAVE MS. ANDERSON AND MS. LORBER UPPER QUESTIONS ARE THESE QUESTIONS YOU FEEL LIKE YOU NEED TO ASK NOW OR CAN THEY BE ANSWERED LATER? MS. ANDERSON.
>> I DON'T SEE WHERE ELSE WE COULD DO IT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT STUDENT VACCINATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS HAVE A JENNIFER ATHLETES STARTING IN NOVEMBER I'M WONDERING IF IT'S ON THE AGENDA SOME AWAY YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO ANSWER THAT TONIGHT BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY MAYBE IT SHOULD BE BECAUSE OF THIS IS A PLACE WHERE MASKS ARE NOT GOING TO BE A MITIGATING FACTOR LIKE THEY ARE IN THE CLASSROOMS AND SO I THINK IT'S BEST TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT PEOPLE ARE DOING IT AND BERGEN HEAR ABOUT IT SO MAYBE WE SHOULD THE WE LOOKING AT IT, TOO.
>> AS LONG AS DOCTOR HUTCHINS IS GOING TO PRESENT WHAT MISS VIRGO'S DESCRIBE BRIEFLY THE QUESTION WAS ABOUT THAT SO I WILL WAIT FOR DOCTOR HUTCHINS PRESENTATION.
>> I THINK WE WOULD WANT TO BRING TO THE BOARD THE SAME KIND OF A RECOMMENDATION FOR STAFF WE SHOULD BRING A RECOMMENDATION IN REGARDS TO STUDENTS, AS WELL.
SO ATHLETES WILL BE A PART OF THE STUDENT BODY NOT JUST SPECIFICALLY ATHLETES.
I THINK RELATED SUPPORT FOR US TO LOOK BEYOND JUST ATHLETES FOR SOME OF OUR OTHER JURISDICTIONS ARE LOOKING AT THAT.
WE REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT ALL STUDENTS INCLUSIVE OF OUR ATHLETES AND WILL BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION BEFORE THE BOARD AT THE NEXT MEETING.
>> MADAM CHAIR I MOVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVE ACPS CONDUCTING COVID 19
[03:00:04]
SURVEILLANCE TESTING OF STUDENTS.>> I HAVE MR. SUAREZ THAT SECONDED MR. GENTRY'S MOTION.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE GET YOUR VOTE.
>> WE HAVE EIGHT YES AND OBVIOUSLY VERONICA NOLAN IS ABSENT.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE NEXT MEETING.
SO WE DO HAVE AN OPENING OF SCHOOLS REPORTS AWAITS.
[19. Policy Revisions Related to COVID-19]
>> GOOD EVENING, YOUR VOICE WENT DOWN AT THE END OF THAT COMMENT.
INTERPRETING DATA DELIVERY OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF A POLICIES THIS EVENING IN THE INTEREST OF EFFICIENCY I WOULD LIKE TO WALK THE BOARD THROUGH JUST TO OF THE REGULATIONS THAT YOU SAW IN YOUR PACKET WHEN PREPARING FOR THE MEETING.
I AM GOING TO JUST GIVE A QUICK REVIEW AND EXPLAIN WHY.
WE HAVE 13 POLICIES AND REGULATIONS TO REVIEW TONIGHT THAT ARE ALL COVID RELATED REVISIONS AND SEVERAL OF THEM AND I'M GOING TO NAME THEM WE HAVE A POLICY GB WHICH IS THE STAFF HEALTH, WE HAVE J HCS, STUDENT WELLNESS, THE WELLNESS REGULATION, COMMUNITY USE OF SCHOOL FACILITIES AND THE IMPLEMENTING REGULATION FOR THAT POLICY AND THEN FINALLY POLICY FOR SCHOOL VISITORS.
[03:05:27]
ALL OF THE REVISIONS CONTAINED WITHIN THOSE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS ALL PERTAIN TO MASKING, THE SPECIFICS OF IT MASKING, AND REMOVING SUMMERTIME LIMITED PROVISIONS FROM LAST YEAR ALL HAVING TO DO WITH MASKING WHICH ARE NOW DISCUSSED IN OUR NEWLY PROPOSED MASKING REGULATION.THE POLICIES I JUST LISTED I DO NOT BELIEVE WE NEED TO WALK THROUGH THOSE THIS EVENING.
YOU CAN SEE IN YOUR PACKET THAT THEY ARE MERELY EITHER REMOVING TIME-LIMITED PROVISION OR THEY ARE POINTING OUR PUBLIC INTO THIS NEWLY PROPOSED REGULATION.
WE WILL HOUSE ALL OF THE DETAILS AND THEN AS IT MASKING GUIDANCE EVOLVES
[03:10:25]
OVER TIME WE CAN UPDATE THIS ONE IT REGULATION.SO THAT WILL HELP US BE EFFICIENT THIS EVENING AND LET'S WALK THROUGH THIS NEWLY PROPOSED REGULATION, THE USE OF PROTECTIVE FACE COVERINGS OR MASK TO MITIGATE THE SPREAD OF COVID 19.
AS YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY LAST YEAR PASSED A SENATE BILL WHICH IS NOW THE ASSEMBLY WHICH REQUIRES US ACPS WHEN PROVIDING IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION TO ADHERE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT THE CDC MITIGATION MEASURES.
ONE OF THOSE MEASURES IS A UNIVERSAL MASKING, THIS IS NOT A CHANGE IN POLICY FOR US BECAUSE WE ARE ALREADY REQUIRING THIS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE HAVE THE REQUIREMENT FROM LAST YEAR.
BUT WE DO NEED TO UPDATE THE LANGUAGE AND THEN SPELL OUT OUR PROCESS FOR CLARITY FOR OUR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
SO AS WE SCROLL THROUGH THIS REGULATION WE ARE RESTATING OUR REQUIREMENTS THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS AGED TWO AND ABOVE INSIDE OUR FACILITIES AND OUR SCHOOL BUSES AND ALL OF OUR ACPS VEHICLES ARE REQUIRED TO WEAR PROTECTIVE FACE COVERING OR MASK.
WE ARE CLARIFYING IN THE DEFINITION FOLLOWING CDC GUIDELINES THAT GATORS AND MASKS WITH THE VALVES DO NOT MEET THE STANDARD.
WE HAVE A GENERAL PROVISIONS LISTED HERE IN SECTION 2, WENT TO HIGHLIGHT THIS E WHICH IS UNLESS YOU QUALIFY FOR AN EXEMPTION OR AN APPROVED ACCOMMODATION WHICH THE MASKING REGULATION WILL APPLY TO YOU AND THAT MEETS THE COMMISSION REQUESTS ARE NOT AUTOMATICALLY GRANTED.
YOU MUST APPLY FOR THEM AND FOLLOW THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE FOLLOWING SECTION.
IT'S APPROVED THEY STILL REMAIN SUBJECT TO REVIEW AND ADJUSTMENT BECAUSE THESE ARE ACCOMMODATIONS AND DEPENDING ON IT CHANGING SITUATION THEY MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED.
SO THAT THEM INTO SECTION 3 WHICH IS DISCUSSING POTENTIAL EXEMPTIONS FOR STUDENTS.
THERE ARE SOME TIME LIMITED EXCEPTIONS WHERE IN THE MOMENT A MASK CAN BE REMOVED LIKE EATING, DRINKING, EXERCISE, PARTICIPATING IN A RELIGIOUS RITUAL, PLAYING A MUSICAL INSTRUMENT THAT REQUIRES YOUR MASK TO BE OFF OR DURING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY DURING THOSE SITUATIONS, THE MASK IS REPLACED ON THE FACE WAS THE ACTIVITY IS COMPLETED.
THEN WE MOVE ON TO SITUATIONS WHERE ACPS MAY GRANT AN ACCOMMODATION REQUEST.
THESE ARE POTENTIALLY IF YOU HAVE A SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS OBJECTION, IF THERE'S A DOCUMENTED MEDICAL REASON WHY WEARING A FACE COVERING IT IS MEDICALLY NECESSARY TO NOT WEAR A FACE COVERING, AND IN THOSE SITUATIONS WE ARE REQUIRING DEGRADATION FROM THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER AND THEN ACPS IS CONTACTING THE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AS PART OF ITS VERIFICATION AND DETERMINATION PROCESS.
WE ALSO WENT HIGHLIGHT THAT ACCOMMODATIONS THAT MAY BE GRANTED MIGHT INVOLVE THINGS
[03:15:04]
LIKE PHYSICALLY SEPARATING THE STUDENT WHERE IT IS FEASIBLE EXEMPTING THEM FROM CERTAIN ACTIVITIES OR POTENTIALLY EVEN VIRTUAL EDUCATION.WE THEN MOVE ONTO SECTION B WHICH ALL OF THESE SAME PROVISIONS APPLY TO STAFF MEMBERS.
IT IS ONLY ONE ADDITIONAL PROVISION AND THAT IS THAT AN ACCOMMODATION REQUEST MAY BE GRANTED IF NOT WEARING THE MASK OR AN ADJUSTMENT THAT REQUIREMENT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NECESSARY TO THE PERFORMANCE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS A DUTY.
FINALLY, TOWARD THE END OF THIS REGULATION HERE JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IN INSTANCES WHERE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION CANNOT BE MADE FOR A STAFF MEMBER TO PERFORM THEIR DUTY THAT A STAFF MEMBER MAY BE REQUIRED TO TAKE LEAVE OR COULD BE SEPARATED FROM HIS SERVICE IF YOU KNOW WHAT REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION CAN BE MADE.
FINALLY, TO POINT OUT THAT THE STATE HEALTH COMMISSIONER'S ORDER FROM AUGUST 12 DOES COURT ALL THESE SAME PROVISIONS AGAIN TO OUR ESSENTIAL VISITORS AND VOLUNTEERS.
ALL INDIVIDUALS MAY BE IN OUR BUILDING THIS YEAR.
SO THAT IS THE MASKING REGULATION.
I DON'T KNOW, MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT NOW OR WAIT TILL THE END 2
>> I HAVE A QUESTION FROM MISS GENTRY.
>> I WAS GONNA WAIT TILL THE END AND I WAS GONNA MAKE THE MOTION.
>> ANY QUESTIONS RELATED TO THIS POLICY, AT THE MOMENT? OKAY.
>> I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT JUST SO THAT WE ARE MAKING THEM A PUBLIC OF COURSE AND
[20. Opening of Schools Report]
[03:21:13]
MENTIONING THEM FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT WE ALSO HAVE ANOTHER GROUP OF POLICY THAT ARE UP TONIGHT.I DO SAY WHICH IS ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION, IT'S IMPLEMENTING REGULATION, THE HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION, COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE, STANDARDS OF STUDENT CONDUCT.
THOSE PROPOSED REVISIONS TONIGHT ARE ALL MERELY READ REVISIONS OF TIME LIMITATIONS FROM LAST YEAR.
SO JUST REMOVING THE LANGUAGE THAT HAD TIME IT LIMITED TO THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR.
SO THE FINAL REGULATION I WOULD LIKE TO SAY IN DETAIL IS OUR GRADING REGULATION.
THAT IS THE FINAL ONE THIS EVENING TO ESTIMATE REAL CONTENT CHANGES.
SO SUSAN IF YOU CAN PULL THAT ONE UP.
AGAIN THAT IS OUR GRADING REGULATION AND WHILE SHE'S PUTTING UP CONNECT QUICKLY SAY WITH THE HIGHLIGHTS ARE.
SO YOU WOULD RECALL THAT THE SECOND SEMESTER OF LAST YEAR WE IMPLEMENTED AND IF YOU SCROLL DOWN THE PAGE YOU SEE HERE ON PAGE 1 WE ARE REALLY STRIKING THE LANGUAGE THAT APPLIED ONLY TO LAST YEAR AND WE GOT NEW LANGUAGE FOR THIS YEAR.
YOU WOULD RECALL THAT DURING THE SECOND SEMESTER OF LAST YEAR WE WANTED TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH FLEXIBILITY REGARDING GRADING PRACTICES THINGS SUCH AS PROVIDING EXTENDED TIME PERIOD TO TURN IN LATE WORK.
FLEXIBILITY REGARDING FINAL EXAMS. FLEXIBILITY FOR REASSESSMENTS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE WANTED TO CONTINUE THOSE FOR THIS YEAR IN RECOGNITION OF THE IMPACT OF THIS GLOBAL PANDEMIC ON OUR STUDENTS AT THE RECOGNITION THAT THOSE IMPACTS CONTINUE.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE ARE NOT TRULY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THE REGULATION BUT MERELY AN EXTENSION OF THOSE PROVISIONS THAT PROVIDE FLEXIBILITY FOR OUR STUDENTS.
SO YOU WILL SEE IN A FINAL EXAMS, THEY WILL ONLY BE COUNTED IF THEY HELP THE STUDENTS GRADE.
THERE WILL NOT BE COUNTED IF THEY HURT THE STUDENTS GRADE.
THE LOWEST GRADE THAT WILL BE AWARDED ON A FINAL EXAM IS A 50 PERCENT.
THE THIRD BULLET YOU SEE PROVIDES FLEXIBILITY IN THE TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS THAT COULD BE COUNTED AS A FINAL EXAM.
NOTING THAT OUR GRADING REGULATION DOES NOT REQUIRE A FINAL EXAM.
I SHOULD HAVE POINTED OUT THAT THESE CHANGES ONLY APPLY TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS SO I APOLOGIZE I SHOULD QUALIFY THAT.
SO THAT IS SECTION A HERE ON FINAL EXAM.
THEN WE MOVED TO SECTION B THE ASSESSMENT AND MAKEUP OPPORTUNITIES.
STUDENTS WHO EARN LOWER THAN, WHO HAVE A D OR LESS WILL BE PROVIDED AN AUTOMATIC OPPORTUNITY FOR REASSESSMENT AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT THE REVISED GRADE WOULD BE UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 80 PERCENT IF YOU TAKE A REASSESSMENT WORKING TO PROVIDE THOSE AUTOMATIC OPPORTUNITIES, WE ARE GOING TO PUBLISH IN THE EXPRESS AND AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL WHAT THE REASSESSMENT AND MAKEUP WORK DEADLINES WILL BE.
THEY WILL BE TWO WEEKS PRIOR TO THE END OF MARKING PERIOD CONSIDER NOT INUNDATING THE TEACHERS WITH MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF LATE WORK AT THE VERY END OF THE MARKING PERIOD.
YOU SEE THESE PROVISIONS HERE AND THEN FINALLY IN SECTION C WE HAVE TO ENSURE THAT ONE BAD GRADE ON AN ASSIGNMENT DOES NOT GOING TO TAKE A STUDENT TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN'T RECOVER FROM THAT.
SO ENSURING THAT IN EVERY GRADING CATEGORY THERE AT LEAST FOUR ASSIGNMENTS THERE AND ALSO JUST ENSURING FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT OUR GRADES WILL BE COMMUNICATED REGULARLY, GRADES WILL BE POSTED EVERY TWO WEEKS AND THAT WE WILL MAINTAIN COMMUNICATION REGARDING GLADE GRADES.
>> THANK YOU, ANY QUESTIONS, MR. SUAREZ.
I THINK THE GRADING POLICIES MAKE SENSE AND I THINK THEY'RE GOOD.
I HAVE QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, AND MAYBE IT CANNOT BE ANSWERED TODAY, I REALLY LIKE THE POLICY OF FLOORING THE FINAL 50 PERCENT AND I FRANKLY THINK THERE SHOULD BE A BROADER DISCUSSION AROUND FLOORING ALL ASSIGNMENTS NOT JUST FOR THE PANDEMIC BUT GENERALLY AT 50 PERCENT BECAUSE ZEROS ARE JUST INCREDIBLY PUNITIVE AND
[03:25:01]
CAUSE A LOT OF INEQUITY AND ISSUES FOR KIDS.ESPECIALLY IF YOU GRADE IT LIKE 60 IS PASSING OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THE ZERO IS MATHEMATICALLY IS NOT FAIR.
SO I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S MANY THOUGHT ABOUT PROPOSING CHANGING THE GRADING POLICY WE HAVE A FLOOR AT 50 PERCENT GENERALLY NOT JUST FOR THIS YEAR FOR FINALS?
>> MR. SUAREZ, YOUR QUESTION IS AN EXCELLENT SEGUE FOR ME TO MENTION SOMETHING WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND THAT IS THAT THESE PROVISIONS TO THE GRADING REGULATION WHICH I JUST REVIEWED APPLY FOR THIS YEAR ONLY BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGER EFFORT THAT WILL BE BEGINNING SOON OF GRADING POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE THAT'S GOING TO BE A COMMITTEE MADE UP OF STAFF, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, PARENTS, STUDENTS, THEY WILL BE TAKEN ON THIS WORK TO LOOK AT OUR GRADING POLICY, THE REGULATION, AFFILIATED POLICY SUCH AS THE ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION POLICY, LOOKING COMPREHENSIVELY AT ALL THESE POLICIES TOGETHER WORKING IN A COMMITTEE SYSTEM OVER A NUMBER OF MONTHS.
LOOKING AT BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY, OUR EQUITY TEAM HAS BEEN LOOKING AT THIS, AS WELL.
HENRY EXPECTED THAT COMMITTEE TO BRING RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FOLLOWING SCHOOL YEAR AFTER THE COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW, WE EXPECT THAT COMMITTEE TO MAKE ITS RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD AND ABOUT THE MARCH TIMEFRAME.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE POLICY AND REGULATORY PROVISIONS RELATED TO THE COVID 19 FOR THE 2021, 2022 SCHOOL YEAR.
>> I HAVE MS. ANDERSON WHO SECONDS MR. GENTRY'S MOTION.
BEFORE I CALLED FOR THE VOTE I HAVE A DISCUSSION FROM HEATHER THORNTON.
>> I KNOW QUESTIONS WERE ALREADY OPEN FOR THE FIRST REGULATION BUT FOR REGULATION GBR WANT TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY PHRASING IN THAT REGULATION THAT SPECIFIED WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF A STUDENT CHOOSES NOT TO WEAR A MASK AND DOES NOT HAVE AN ACCOMMODATION? BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A SUBSECTION FOR STAFF THAT IS PRETTY BLUNT I THINK IT'S ON PAGE 3 WHERE IT SAYS THAT IN INSTANCES WHERE REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION CANNOT BE MADE EMPLOYEE MAY BE REQUIRED TO TAKE LEAVE WITHOUT PAY OR MAYBE SEPARATED FROM SERVICE.
I DID NOT SEE SOMETHING SIMILAR FOR STUDENTS, I'M PRETTY SURE IT'S SELF-EXPLANATORY BUT DO YOU THINK THERE'S A NEED TO INCLUDE SOME SORT OF STATEMENT THAT WOULD SPECIFY WHAT WOULD HAPPEN?
>> THANK YOU, THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION.
I KNOW WE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THESE SITUATIONS ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS BECAUSE
[03:31:06]
EACH ONE IS DIFFERENT AND SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST TO PASS IT OVER TO DOCTOR CRAWFORD FOR A MOMENT TO ADDRESS HOW WE ARE HANDLING THAT SITUATION.MY UNDERSTANDING IS IS NOT A ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL ANSWER.
>> ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE SITUATION NOT WHERE AN EXEMPTION IS BEING REQUESTED
[03:35:31]
BUT WHERE SOMEONE IS EITHER STRUGGLING OR CHOOSING SHORT OF AN ACCOMMODATION IN EXEMPTION NOT TO WEAR THE MASK?>> CORRECT, THE CHOOSING NOT TO WITHOUT ACCOMMODATION.
>> WE CAN ADD LANGUAGE FOR THAT, WE CAN USE OUR BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND STRATEGIES LIKE WE DO IF WE HAVE A CHILD WHO IS STRUGGLING TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT LAYERS OF COMING BACK TO WORKING, REMINDING ME TO GET A DIFFERENT MASTER, TALKING TO THE PARENT, LOOKING FOR REINFORCEMENT AT HOME.
DOCUMENTING IF IS JUST WILLFUL BEHAVIOR OF I'M NOT GOING TO WEAR A MASK THAN THE STUDENT WOULD BE SUBJECT TO DISCIPLINE.
TRY TO BE PROACTIVE IN A PUNITIVE AND SEE WHAT THE ISSUE IS.
BUT THAT'S WHAT THE RESPONSE WOULD BE.
>> THAT MAKE SENSE TO ME THAT WOULD BE MORE SO LIKE SHOULD BE A STATEMENT LIKE THE STUDENT SHOULD NOT BE IN CLASS PERIOD WITHOUT A CLASS.
THANK SOMETHING IS VERY EXPLICIT IN THAT SENSE.
BUT AGAIN I KNOW STAFF PROBABLY KNOW HOW TO HANDLE THIS ON THE DAY TODAY.
BUT JUST WAS CLUSTER OF PRAYER CRYSTAL CLEAR TO PARENTS WITH THE ACTION WOULD BE.
>> WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE TABLE I THINK THE QUESTION WOULD BE IF THERE WAS A CHANGE TO ONE OF THE POLICIES WE WOULD HAVE TO MAYBE WE ONLY APPROVE.
OR WE CAN DO THAT, WE CAN APPROVE IT AND THEY CAN BRING IT BACK.
ALL RIGHT, THE BOARD AGREES SO WHY DO WE GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THE MOTION.
AND I WILL START THE VOTE MEGAN AT ALDERTON IS YES.
>> VERONICA NOLAN IS ABSENT, RIEF
>> WE HAVE EIGHT YES, WHEN ABSENT, THE MOTION CARRIES AND WE WILL EXPECT FOLLOW-UP TO BRING BACK THE MASK WEARING POLICY WITH SOME LANGUAGE THAT WE CAN APPROVE
[03:40:02]
FOR STUDENTS.NEXT UP I AM PRETTY SURE WE HAVE OUR BACK TO SCHOOL OPENING OF SCHOOL REPORTS.
>> WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT SO MUCH ALREADY.
WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS FIRST.
SO THAT EVERYONE CAN HEAR ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN REGARDS TO OUR SCHOOLS.
I HAVE TO SAY WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START.
THERE'S NOT A TYPICAL START, I CAN TELL YOU THAT.
[23. Announcements]
WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT START AND WE ARE OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK WHICH EVERYONE HAS BEEN WANTING AND NEEDING AND WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE BEST IN OUR CLASSROOMS. I VISITED ALL 18 OF OUR SCHOOLS AND SENIOR STUDENTS AND STAFF IN ALL OF OUR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS HAS BEEN REALLY EXCITING FOR US.I WANT TO GIVE A COUPLE OF UPDATES IN REGARDS TO OUR ENROLLMENT NUMBERS BECAUSE AS OF SEPTEMBER 8 WERE AT 50,439 STUDENTS WHICH IS OUR TOTAL COUNT AND THIS INCLUDES ALL OF HER STUDENTS WERE ALSO IN OUR VIRTUAL LEARNING AS WELL.
AT THIS POINT, WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE THAN 2500 FULL-TIME STAFF IN ACPS AND SINCE LAST YEAR WE BROUGHT ABOARD ABOUT 183 NEW LICENSE STAFF AND 51 NEW SUPPORT STAFF.
JUST AS DOCTOR CRAWFORD WAS TALKING ABOUT ONE OF OUR TOP PRIORITIES THIS YEAR IS OUR SEAL FOCUS IS OUR SOCIAL EMOTIONAL ACADEMIC LEARNING SUPPORTS.
EVERY ONE OF HER STUDENTS HAVE 30 MINUTES EACH DAY AND SEAL PROGRAMMING AND WE HAVE STAFF IN PLACE FOR THOSE WHO NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SOME STUDENTS WHO ARE IN NEED OF SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN OUR SCHOOL.
WE ARE FOCUSED THIS YEAR ON OUR STUDENT IN OUR STAFF HEALTH AND SAFETY.
EVERYONE WHO ENTERS ANY OF OUR FACILITIES INCLUDING THE SUPERINTENDENT COMPLETES A DAILY SYMPTOM CHECKLIST BEFORE ARRIVING EACH DAY.
WE ARE ALSO LIMITING THE NUMBER OF VISITORS WHO ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AS WELL KNOW FOR THE BOARD'S DIRECTION JUST RECENTLY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WE REQUESTED ALL OF HER STAFF PROVIDE VACCINATION CARDS TO OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AS WELL AS PARTICIPATE IN OUR WEEKLY TESTING AND THAT ALL STARTED ON AUGUST 30.
WE CONTINUE TO REQUIRE MASKS IN OUR ACPS BUILDINGS AS WELL AS IN ALL OF OUR VEHICLES.
THIS IS IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE REGULATIONS OUR FACE COVERINGS ARE OVER THE NOSE AND THE MOUTH AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE REITERATING YOU WILL SEE THAT TOMORROW IN THE VIDEO WHICH IS A NEW SOUPS SPOTLIGHT WHICH IS A NEW VIDEO THAT WILL BE RELEASING TOMORROW.
SO EVERYONE WILL HAVE A VIDEO WITH INFORMATIVE INFORMATION.
WHICH I DO MAKE SURE OUR STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THE MASK ETIQUETTE AND HOW TO PROPERLY WEAR A MASK.
IT DOESN'T HURT TO CONTINUOUSLY REMIND THEM.
WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR FAMILIES THAT THEY KNOW WE HAVE FREE MEALS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR THIS YEAR WHICH IS REALLY EXCITING FOR ALL OF OUR ACPS SCHOOLS.
THIS IS INCLUDING OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE PART OF THE VIRTUAL VIRGINIA PROGRAM.
OUR CAFETERIA THEY ARE PROVIDING SPACED OUT SEATING IN ASSIGNED PLACES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE CAFETERIA AND MULTIPLE SPACES THROUGHOUT OUR BUILDINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH AND I'VE BEEN ABLE TO VISIT OUR LUNCHES WHICH IS BEEN IMPORTANT IN GETTING THESE EMAILS I WANTED TO SEE FOR MYSELF HOW THINGS ARE GOING AND I HAVE TO SAY OUR SCHOOL TEAMS HAVE BEEN INVADED WITH HOW WE ARE APPROACHING OUR LUNCH PROTOCOL IN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND IT'S GETTING BETTER AND BETTER EVERY WEEK.
I'VE SEEN IT FIRSTHAND WHICH IS GREAT.
WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OUR ENHANCED CLEANING PROTOCOLS OUR ANTIBACTERIAL GEL STATIONS, OUR HANDWASHING STATIONS THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AS WELL AS OUR CLASSROOMS. OUR HEPA FILTERS ARE IN OUR CLASSROOMS AS WELL AS OUR COMMON SPACES THROUGHOUT ACPS AND WE ALSO ARE DOING TEMPERATURE CHECKS AND SCREENINGS AT ENTRANCES AT ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
TO ENSURE OUR BUILDINGS REMAIN SAFER TEACHING AND LEARNING OUR SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM AS WELL AS OUR LEADERS ARE CONSISTENT REVIEWING ALL OF OUR PLANS AND OUR PROCEDURES AS GUIDANCE CHANGES FROM WEEK TO WEEK AND I HAVE TO TELL YOU IT SEEMS LIKE FROM A DAY-TO-DAY VERSUS WEEK TO WEEK BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS SOMETHING NEW.
WE ARE HAVING OUR CHICKENS WE NOW HAVE GONE TO HAVING COVID CHICKENS EVERY DAY FROM A 1 TO 130 BUT TODAY, BUT NORMALLY IT'S ONE TILT WHENEVER BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF THINGS WERE LEARNING ALONG THE WAY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN IN SCHOOL WITH CONTACT TRACING AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT COME ALONG WITH IT.
THERE ARE LESSONS LEARNED THAT WERE DOING EVERY SINGLE DAY.
JUST TO REMIND US WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER THAT WE HAVE A DASHBOARD WHICH IS ONLINE AND IT IS UPDATED EACH WEEK.
WE ARE WORKING TO MAKE IT MORE ROBUST AS I SPOKE TO EARLIER.
IN ADDING THE QUARANTINE NUMBERS AS WELL AS OUR CUMULATIVE OF STUDENTS AND STAFF IN THE DATABASE AND THIS CAN BE UP AND RUNNING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
ALSO THE SCHOOL YEAR GETS UNDERWAY WANT TO KEEP COMMUNICATION LINES OPEN AND ONE THING THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KNOW IS THAT WE DO HAVE MULTIPLE COMMUNICATION CHANNELS TO MAKE SURE THAT HER FAMILIES HAVE THE LATEST INFORMATION AND THIS IS EVERYTHING FROM BUS ASSIGNMENTS TO OUR QUARANTINE PROCEDURES, WE HAVE AN ONLINE BACK-TO-SCHOOL GUIDE WHICH HAS FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS IN A SECTION THAT IS UPDATED REGULARLY.
IF THERE'S A QUESTION THAT HAS NOT BEEN ANSWERED, THERE ARE SEVERAL WAYS FOR US TO ASSIST ALL OF OUR FAMILIES AND I JUST WANT TO KEEP REITERATING OUR HELPLINE WHICH YOU PUT INTO PRACTICE LAST YEAR, IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS SO WE KEPT GOING FOR OUR FAMILIES AND NOW WE ARE ALSO HAVING WHAT WE ARE CALLING, ASK AT ACPS.
I'M EXCITED ABOUT IT, IT IS A NEW SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE DESIGNED SPECIFICALLY TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS ON DIVISIONWIDE ISSUES.
THIS IS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR FAMILIES TO GET A RESPONSE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT HEALTH AND SAFETY THEY CAN SHARE IT WITH US AT ASK AT ACPS.
YOU ALSO HAVE A LINK ON OUR WEBSITE FOR PEOPLE TO CLICK.
EMMA START SENDING THAT LINK OUT TO FOLKS I AM REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT AND GRAVY 40 SOMETHINGS AS WELL FOR OUR STAFF TO GET BACK TO OUR FAMILIES IN A TIMELY MANNER.
THERE'S ALSO ONLINE FEEDBACK FORM ON OUR ACPS WEBSITE TO MAKE IT EASY FOR OUR FAMILIES TO GET THEIR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS TO OUR LEADERSHIP.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE A NEW LANGUAGE LINE THAT WILL BE SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS SO FAMILIES CAN HAVE AN INTERPRETER ON THE PHONE LINE BEFORE THEY CONTACT THE SCHOOL.
THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES YOU CONTACT THE SCHOOL AND HAD TO FIND SOMEONE IN THE SCHOOL TO BE ABLE TO TRANSLATE TO GET THE RIGHT PERSON TO YOU.
BEING ABLE TO HAVE THOSE TRANSLATION SERVICES AND AN INTERPRETER PRIOR TO SPEAKING TO SOMEONE AT THE SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE SO WELCOMING TO OUR FAMILIES AND DO NOT SPEAK ENGLISH AS A FIRST LANGUAGE.
LOOKING AHEAD THESE NEXT FEW WEEKS WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT OUR PARKER GREAT DAY CELEBRATION IT'S THIS SATURDAY.
IT IS AND THEY HUNDRED AND FIRST ANNIVERSARY EVERYONE IS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS VIRTUAL SERMON.
WE ALSO THE OPENING OF OUR PARKER GREAT FOR PULSATING I DON'T MISS THE GREENE CANNOT WAIT.
SHE BETTER BE THE FIRST PERSON IN THAT BUILDING.
PLEASE, LET MS. GREENE BE THE FIRST PERSON TO WALK IN THE STADIUM WITH ME.
I HOPE SHE IS ON HER RED AND WHITE AND BLUE.
[03:45:01]
BUT WE ARE OPENING OUR NEW FOOTBALL STADIUM AT ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL ON A SEPTEMBER 17.WERE HAVING OUR INDUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS TO THE ALEXANDRIA ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME WHICH WE ARE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT AS WELL.
THIS IS GOING TO BE A REALLY EXCITING NEXT FEW WEEKS BUT THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS, YES, THEY HAVE BEEN EXTREMELY BUSY.
HAS ITS IS SO MUCH EXCITEMENT IN THE AIR, IT REALLY IS AND IS THE NEW NORMAL FOR US THERE WERE GONNA KEEP WORKING THROUGH AND ALLOWING FOR OUR STAFF AND STUDENTS TO REMAIN OUR PRIORITY.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY OPENING OF SCHOOLS REPORT AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO MANY, MANY MORE DAYS.
WE ARE HAPPY TO HAVE OUR KIDS BACK IN THE BUILDING.
WE HAVE TO SHARE THE VIDEO, I'M SORRY, IT'S LATE.
WATCH THE VIDEO, IT'S WONDERFUL.
I'M GLAD YOU'RE ON THE CALL, JULIA, BECAUSE I WAS TRYING TO MOVE ON TO THIS WORK SESSION.
BEFORE WE START THE VIDEO, THANK YOU FOR MANY, I WANT TO TAKE YOUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM BECAUSE THESE PAST COUPLE OF WEEKS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CAPTURE A LOT OF MOMENTS THROUGHOUT ALL OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND JUST TO SHOW THE DIVERSITY THAT WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS IT IS TRULY AMAZING.
AND I HOPE YOU ALL WILL ENJOY THIS VIDEO JUST AS MUCH I'VE ALREADY WATCHED IT SEVERAL TIMES AND THIS IS OUR WELCOME BACK VIDEO.
>> THEY WORKED ON THIS SO HARD I WOULD NOT WANT HER VIDEO TO NOT BE SHOWN.
>> MS. LORBER HAD A QUESTION, MS. LORBER ARE YOU THERE? GO AHEAD.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE VIDEO IT'S NICE TO SEE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF HAPPY FAMILIES WHOSE KIDS ARE SO HAPPY TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL.
I SEE THEIR POINT SOME OF THE KIDS WE CAN'T TOTALLY SOCIAL DISTANCE, EVERYONE IS MASKED IT'S JUST IMPOSSIBLE GIVEN THE SIZE OF OUR CLASSES TO GET PEOPLE SIX FEET APART OR EVEN THREE FEET APART.
BUT CHILDREN ARE VERY HAPPY TO BE BACK.
MIKE I HAVE TWO THINGS, DIDN'T REALIZE WERE GOING TO GET THE LANGUAGE LINE AT WORKING SO THAT IF A FAMILY HAS THE INTERPRETER BEFORE THEY GET IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOL, THAT IS ABSENTLY FABULOUS.
A LOT OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT TODAY IN TERMS OF INFORMATION EMAIL BASED AND SO WE NOTE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF FAMILIES WHO JUST DON'T DO WELL, THEY CANNOT ACCESS FOR WHATEVER REASON A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION SO THEY HELPLINE IS CRITICAL AND I WAS DELIGHTED, I WONDERED HOW MANY LANGUAGES WILL THE HELPLINE HAVE HOW MANY LANGUAGES WILL BE AVAILABLE, IF YOU KNOW THAT?
>> I KNOW MISS BURGOS IS STILL ON THE LINE SO I THINK SHE CAN ASSIST.
>> LET ME MAKE A DISTINCTION IS THAT THE HELPLINE IS A PERSONAL LINE IS CAN BE CONVERTED TO THE COVID HELPLINE AND THAT'S AVAILABLE IN FOUR LANGUAGES.
WE STAFF IT UP WITH OTHER STAFF THAT EITHER SPEAK OTHER LANGUAGES.
YOU ALSO RELY ON THE LANGUAGE LINE WHEN WE DO LIKE EVERY STAFF MEMBER AND ARE UNABLE TO ASSIST THEN THEY WILL ENLIST THE HELP OF THE LANGUAGE LINE.
THE LANGUAGE LINE WHICH WE ACTUALLY PROVIDED A BRIEF ON THIS VICTOR AND BETHANY ACTUALLY DID A BRIEF ON THIS THEY SAID IT WAS EXCITING SO ESSENTIALLY THE BE NUMBERS OF THE FAMILIES CAN CALL SO WHEN THEY CALL THAT NUMBER IT WILL BE IN THEIR LANGUAGE.
SO IT WILL CONNECT WITH AN INTERPRETER FIRST AND THEN THE INTERPRETER WILL MAKE THE CONNECTION TO THE SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A REALLY EASY WAY FOR THEM TO NOT HAVE TO FISH THE ROOM AND WAIT ON THE LINE FOR THEM TO FIND SOMEONE SUCH A REALLY EFFICIENT WAY TO EMPOWER THEM TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT INTERPRETER TO HELP THEM RIGHT AWAY AND BE ABLE TO CALL THE SCHOOL.
SO IT'S A NICE SHIFT FOR THE FAMILIES SO THE LANGUAGE LINE IS OPEN FOR ALL LANGUAGES IT'S A NICE WAY TO REACH FAMILIES BEYOND THEIR USUAL HELPLINE.
>> HOW WILL WE LET THE FAMILIES KNOW THAT THIS IS AVAILABLE? THAT COULD BE A REAL CHALLENGE THE CHALLENGE THAT THE FAMILIES THAT NEEDED THE MOST, HOW WILL WE REACH OUT TO THEM?
>> I BELIEVE IT'S GOING OUT NEXT FRIDAY OR JUST TALK ABOUT TODAY.
SO MANY LINES AND EMAILS AND THINGS MOST POSITIVE THEY TALKED ABOUT GOING IN NEXT FRIDAY BECAUSE IT'S A BIG DEAL AND IT WILL ALSO BE ON OUR NEW COMMUNICATE WITH ACPS PAGE THAT WE CREATED WERE HAVE THE ASK AS WELL AS THESE NUMBERS AND THE ONLINE FORM AND ALL THE DIFFERENT WAYS THAT YOU CAN COMMUNICATE WHATEVER WORKS BEST FOR YOU SO THAT WILL BE OUR NAVIGATION BAR ON OUR WEBSITE.
IT WILL BE EXPRESSED TOMORROW.
>> ALSO IT SOUNDS FABULOUS BUT THEIR FAMILIES WHO WILL NOT GET THE EXPRESS AND THEY WILL NOT SEE THE BARS ARE BIG INTO ANY PAPER COMMUNICATION OR HAVE, SOMEHOW I KNOW OF FACE, THERE'S LOT OF PHONE, THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME WAY OF COMMUNICATING WITH FAMILIES THAT GUARANTEES THAT THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THIS LIST OF NUMBERS.
MAYBE THE SCHOOLS CAN ACTUALLY POST SOMETHING THAT FAMILIES SEE AS A WALK-IN.
>> YOUR COMPLETE WE RIGHT IN THE FACE TEAM IS ALREADY ACTIVATED SO OUR USUAL WAY OF COMMUNICATED WITH THEIR FAMILIES EVERY FRIDAY WHENEVER WE HAVE EXPRESSED AN INSIDER THAT LAUNCHES OUR FAITH TEAM TEXTS FAMILIES.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION OR YOU DON'T GET THE NEWSLETTER WE ACTUALLY TEXT OUT TO FAMILIES IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES AND IS TRANSLATED.
SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF WAYS WILL BE DOING THAT.
OF COURSE OF THE PARENT LIAISONS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH THIS INFORMATION.
THEY'LL BE PUSHING THIS AT THE SCHOOLS AS WELL.
AND OF THE PRINCIPLES WE SHARE THIS WITH THEM AS WELL THE BE PUTTING IN THEIR NEWSLETTER.
WE'LL BE CONSISTENT COMMUNICATING ABOUT THIS IS A PEOPLE TO FORGET ABOUT IT BUT ALSO FOR NEW FAMILIES COME IN.
I KNOW THAT BETHANY WILL HAVE THIS AS PART AS A NEWCOMER PACKAGE SO WERE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
>> VERY EXCITING, CONGRATULATIONS, THAT'S A BIG DEAL.
>> FOR THE REPORT, THE REPORTS, THE VIDEO AND EVERYTHING I AGREE, THE KIDS ARE SO EXCITED TO BE BACK IN SCHOOL.
WE ARE SO GRATEFUL HOW THE STAFF HAS BEEN WORKING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION BECAUSE OF INHERENT SOME REPORTS OF CROWDING ON BUSES.
IT SEEMS MORE AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL I'VE OBSERVED THEY DON'T SEEM TO ALWAYS TAKE THE SAME BUS HOME OR THEY ENDED DIFFERENT CAMPUSES AT THE HIGH SCHOOL SO CAN YOU JUST CLARIFY IF THAT IS BEEN AN ISSUE AND OTHER LIMITS ON HOW MANY KIDS SHOULD BE SITTING ON EACH SEAT ON A BUS?
>> TYPICALLY, AT ANY YEAR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WE ARE WORKING THROUGH BUS ROUTES AND NEW ROUTES TRYING TO HAVE NEW STUDENTS WERE NOT PICKED UP FOR CERTAIN SCHOOLS PREVIOUSLY ARE NOW AT THESE SCHOOLS.
SO THERE ARE ALWAYS REFINEMENTS AND REVISIONS THAT ARE DONE AT THE FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SCHOOL.
AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL WHAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING IS FOR OUR CITIZEN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR - BUSES AS WELL.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE CAN KEEP PRESSING I THINK IT CAN HELP YOU TREMENDOUSLY EVEN FOR THE STUDENTS WHO ARE CAPABLE.
ANDERSON SOME FAMILIES THEY DON'T WANT A SIX GRADER ON A DASH OF BUS.
IT IS A FREE SERVICE FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS AND WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM COLLABORATIVELY TO GET APPROPRIATE TIMES THAT STUDENTS CAN GET TO SCHOOL FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL DAY OR AFTER SCHOOL BECAUSE SOME KIDS ARE INVOLVED IN A LOT OF AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH AN UPDATE IN REGARDS TO TRANSPORTATION JUST SO THAT YOU CAN GET A FEEL OF HOW WE STARTED AND WHERE WE ARE AND THAT CAN BE A FUTURE BOARD BRIEF THAT WE CAN PROVIDE YOU ALL FROM OUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT SO YOU CAN SEE REAL DATA VERSUS ANECDOTAL DATA AND THEN ALSO A NARRATIVE IN REGARD TO HOW OUR PROCESS AND THINGS WORK AND REFINEMENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS.
>> THANK YOU THE UPDATE, IN THE UPDATE CAN WE INCLUDE INFORMATION ON IF THE WINDOWS ARE DOWN ON THE BUSES, WE WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
>> I CAN FORWARD TO SOMETHING ON THIS FOR THE BOARD.
THERE WAS A GREAT RESPONSE TO A FAMILY BUT FOR THAT YOU BECAUSE IT TALKS ABOUT JUST HOW BUSES ESPECIALLY ON THOSE HOT DAYS WHEN YOU HAVE ACP OVER THE WINDOWS AND IT'S NOT COOL ON THE BUS ANYMORE.
THINGS OF THAT NATURE AS WELL AS SOME OF THE DYNAMIC OF OUTSIDE AIR ON BUSES BUT I WANT TO FORWARD TO YOU BECAUSE I WANT TO ANY SERVICE TO REGURGITATE WHAT DOCTOR HART SAID.
WE CAN FOR THAT TO THE BOARD WE CAN INCLUDE THAT INFORMATION IN THE UPDATE FOR TRANSPORTATION.
GREAT SO THANK YOU FOR THAT REPORT.
AND IF I DID I PROBABLY WOULD NOT GIVE IT TO YOU NOW.
I AM GUESSING DOCTOR HUTCHINGS YOU DO NOT HAVE A REPORT? ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? DOCTOR RIEF.
>> SORRY, I WANT TO MENTION TO EVERYONE ON THE BOARD WE HAVE AN AD HOC COMMITTEE THAT'S BEEN WORKING AT OUR BOARD RELATIONS WITH OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND WE ARE GOING TO BE DOING A SURVEY OF PAST AND CURRENT SCHOOL BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND THAT'S GOING TO BE COMING OUT SOON AND WERE GOING TO BE SHARING IT WITH THE BOARD TO JUST REVIEW IN ADVANCE OF IT GOING OUT SO BE LOOKING OUT FOR THAT.
>> OKAY, ALL RIGHT GREAT, MOTION TO ADJOURN.
>> MADAM CHAIR, I MOTION WE ADJOURNED.
>> MS. ANDERSON SECONDED MR. SUAREZ'S MOTION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.