[00:00:05]
WELCOME TO OUR APRIL 20TH, 2023 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.[1. Meeting Called to Order by Chair Alderton]
I'M CALLING THE MEETING TO ORDER AT 6:33 P.M.UM, AND I WILL DO A ROLL CALL PRIOR TO OUR STARTING.
WILLIE BAILEY IS ABSENT AT THE MOMENT.
ABDUL AL-NUBI PRESENT JACINTA GREENE HERE.
OKAY, WE WILL START WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
[3. Adopt the Agenda for the April 20, 2023 School Board Meeting]
I NEED A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THE AGENDA FOR THE APRIL 20TH, 2023 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I HAVE DR. RIEF, WHO'S SECOND VICE CHAIR GREENE'S MOTION.
OKAY. AND THE AGENDA HAS BEEN ADOPTED.
MOVING ON, WE DO HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS AND ADDRESSES TO THE BOARD THIS EVENING.
WE DO HAVE A NEW VIDEO VIGNETTE FOR OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, SO LET'S GET THAT ROLLING.
[4. Strategic Plan Video Vignette]
THERE WAS ONE MOMENT.WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING DECISIONS ABOUT HOW TO BEST PROVIDE THOSE RESOURCES, IT IS A JOB OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, ALONG WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, SENIOR LEADERSHIP AND STAFF, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO ENSURE WE ARE ALIGNED WITH THE NEEDS AND PRIORITIES OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
THERE ARE 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN EQUITY FOR ALL.
IN THIS VIDEO, WE SHARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF HOW ACP IS WORKING TO INVEST AND IMPROVE OUR SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS WHILE KEEPING EQUITY AT THE CENTER. ACP IS WORKING TO IMPROVE FACILITIES PLANNING, ACCOMMODATE THE GROWING STUDENT POPULATION AND ENHANCE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AND SERVICES.
[00:05:02]
SINCE THIS IS A MULTI-USE COURT, IT EXPANDS OUR TEACHING AND ACTIVITY SPACE SO TEACHERS CAN BE CREATIVE WITH THEIR LESSONS AND STUDENTS CAN BE ACTIVE YEAR ROUND, SAID EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP DR.PIRET VINNY. ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PROJECTS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY IS THE NEW THREE STORY SCHOOL FACILITY FOR PRE-K THROUGH FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS AT DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WITH THE NEW SCHOOL SET TO OPEN FOR THE START OF THE 2023 2024 SCHOOL YEAR.
ACP IS ALSO BUILDING A NEW 1600 STUDENT HIGH SCHOOL BUILDING AT THE MINI HOWARD CAMPUS.
THIS NEW BUILDING PROVIDES SPECIALTY LEARNING SPACES FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION CLASSES, MULTIPLE LABS, AND A NEW COMPETITION SIZE AQUATIC FACILITY. WHEN COMPLETE THIS NEW CAMPUS WILL BE A PART OF ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL AND SERVE GRADES NINTH THROUGH 12TH.
THROUGH OUR TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE, ACP IS FOCUSED ON CREATING STUDENT CENTERED TECHNOLOGY RICH LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT PROVIDE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND EDUCATIONAL EQUITY BY ENCOURAGING CREATIVITY, CRITICAL THINKING, COLLABORATION AND COMMUNICATION.
EXAMPLES OF THIS WORK INCLUDE EXPANDING OUR 1 TO 1 PROGRAM TO GRADES PRE-K THROUGH 12 FOR EQUAL ACCESS TO TECHNOLOGY ACROSS SCHOOLS AND GRADE LEVELS SO THAT EACH PRE-K THROUGH 12TH GRADE STUDENT IS ASSIGNED A CHROMEBOOK TABLET OR CHROMEBOOK.
PROVIDING HOME INTERNET ACCESS VIA SWAGIT DEVICES FOR OVER 2000 STUDENTS.
INCREASING STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN ONLINE LEARNING COURSES THAT SUPPORT STUDENTS AND OFFER ACCELERATION IN TRADITIONAL AND NONTRADITIONAL ENVIRONMENTS, AND REFINING OUR DIGITAL TOOLS SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO SOME OF THE BEST AND HIGH QUALITY RESOURCES AVAILABLE.
ACP STUDENTS AND STAFF HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE GENEROUS GRANTS RECEIVED IN THE LAST FEW YEARS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED STUDENT ACADEMICS THROUGH ENRICHMENT ACTIVITIES IN SCHOOLS WITH THE HIGHEST NEEDS.
THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S TITLE FOR PART A GRANT HELPS PROVIDE A CONTINUING SOURCE OF INNOVATIVE AND EDUCATIONAL IMPROVEMENT, MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS, AND DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO IMPROVE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND TEACHER PERFORMANCE.
SIMILARLY, THROUGH OUR NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH GRANTS, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FOCUS ON DEVELOPING A PATHWAY FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE INTEREST IN STEM AND COMPUTER SCIENCE CAREERS.
ACTIVITIES AT BERNIE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND CORE KELLY SCHOOL FOR MATH, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.
THE EXPANSION OF AFTER SCHOOL ELEMENTARY STEM LABS, AS WELL AS TO PROGRAMS LIKE CHOIR AND ART.
DO LESSONS LIKE WALKING ON MARS, SWIMMING WITH SHARKS, WALKING INTO A MOLECULE AND MORE.
THE PURCHASING OF NEW TOOLS AND ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS SUCH AS ZSPACE, WHICH COMBINES ELEMENTS OF AUGMENTED AND VIRTUAL REALITY TO CREATE LIFELIKE EXPERIENCES THAT ARE IMMERSIVE AND INTERACTIVE.
AND THE STEM ACADEMY, WHICH OFFERS NINTH GRADE STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN A STEM EXPLORATIONS COURSE IN WHICH THEY ARE IMMERSED IN THE INVESTIGATION OF REAL WORLD ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY PROGRAMS. PILOT PROGRAMS OF THESE EXCITING AND ENRICHING RESOURCES ARE BEING DEVELOPED THROUGH THESE FUNDS IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT, MONITOR AND ASSESS HOW THESE OPPORTUNITIES CAN BE ADAPTED AT OTHER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DIVISION FROM THE ENHANCEMENT OF BUILDINGS AND CLASSROOMS TO OUTDOOR SPACES AND PROGRAMS, FROM EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY ACCESS AND APPLICATIONS TO THE STRATEGIC USE OF FUNDS TO ENCOURAGE LEARNING AND CREATIVITY.
THE GOAL OF THESE PROJECTS IS TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND RESOURCES TO EXCEL IN THEIR EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCES, WHICH MEANS BREAKING DOWN ANY AND ALL BARRIERS TO STUDENT LEARNING AND CREATIVITY.
GOALS SUCH AS A STRATEGIC RESOURCE ALLOCATION WERE ESTABLISHED IN OUR 2025 STRATEGIC PLAN TO SET CLEAR DIVISION WIDE PRIORITIES TO ELIMINATE OPPORTUNITY AND ACHIEVEMENT GAPS.
[00:10:02]
WHEN WE ALIGNED THESE GOALS WITH OUR CORE VALUES AND STRATEGIES, WE ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE EMPOWERED TO THRIVE IN A DIVERSE AND EVER CHANGING WORLD.THANK YOU, EVERYONE. THANK YOU TO VICE CHAIR GREENE FOR DOING THAT FOR THIS WEEK.
FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT AWARE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS SERIES OF VIGNETTES WITH THE GOAL OF SHARING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WITH THE COMMUNITY IN DIFFERENT WAYS. SO THIS WAS ONE OF THOSE WAYS AND WE HOPE THAT PEOPLE GET INFORMATION FROM IT AND ENJOY IT.
[7. Public Comments]
COMMENT. WE WELCOME PUBLIC COMMENT AT OUR REGULAR MEETINGS AND AT PUBLIC HEARINGS.FOR EACH MEETING WE ALLOCATE UP TO ONE HOUR FOR PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
YOU HAVE THE OPTION TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS IN PERSON OR VIA ZOOM.
INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
SUPERINTENDENT STAFF MEMBERS OR ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE.
GENERALLY, THE BOARD DOES NOT RESPOND TO PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE MOMENT.
EACH SPEAKER HAS THREE MINUTES.
UM, AND THAT THREE MINUTES IS TIMED.
SO WHEN THAT TIME IS UP, THE CLERK WILL DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW.
UM, AND OBVIOUSLY WE MAINTAIN DECORUM.
UM, WE ALSO ENCOURAGE OUR SPEAKERS TO PROVIDE COMMENTS IN WRITING IF EVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.
YOU CAN DO THAT AT BOARD CLERK AT K12 VIA US.
UM, AND I THINK THAT COVERS IT.
SO OUR FIRST SPEAKER FOR THE EVENING IS MARIE RANDALL.
THE WHEREVER YOU WANT TO SPEAK.
[5. Public Hearing on School Board Staggered Elections]
MY NAME IS MARIE RANDALL.I'LL BE SPEAKING ON OR ABOUT STAGGERED ELECTION TERMS. SO, GOOD EVENING, CHAIR ALDERTON, VICE CHAIR, GREENE AND THE REST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I AM A PARENT OF THREE STUDENTS.
TWO ARE NOW IN COLLEGE AND ONE IS A FRESHMAN AT HHS.
CRAWLEY. IT WAS WHEN I WAS ON TAC AND HE WOULD MEET WITH US REGULARLY.
THERE ARE MANY CHALLENGES THAT COULD OCCUR.
THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT LOSS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE.
IT TAKES TIME AND ASSISTANCE FROM CENTRAL OFFICE AS WELL AS RETURNING BOARD MEMBERS TO ASSIST NEW BOARD MEMBERS TO GET UP TO SPEED ON MANY THINGS, BOTH VERY SMALL AND VERY SIGNIFICANT, AS WELL AS BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITY COUNCIL AND OTHER OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS.
THERE CAN BE A DRAMATIC CHANGE IN PRIORITIES AND POLICIES WHICH WILL AFFECT CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF AS WELL AS SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS AND ULTIMATELY THE FAMILIES AND THE STUDENTS. DISCLOSURES THAT I'M A HUGE SUPPORTER OF OUR STAFF AND OUR TEACHERS.
AND IF WE CAN MAKE THEIR WORK LIVES EASIER AND MORE SUPPORTED AND CONSISTENT SO THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO, WHICH IS TEACH OUR STUDENTS, THAT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO ME. IT HINDERS LONG TERM COMMITMENTS FROM SUPERINTENDENTS TO INVEST THEIR THEIR TIME, THEIR EXPERTISE AND THEIR ENERGY AND WORKING THROUGH AND IMPLEMENTING BOARD PRIORITIES.
SINCE 2007, WHEN MY OLDEST STARTED KINDERGARTEN, THERE HAVE BEEN SIX DIFFERENT SUPERINTENDENTS, WHICH MEANS THAT ON AVERAGE IT'S LESS THAN THREE YEARS PER SUPERINTENDENT TERM AND DISRUPTIVE TO A SCHOOL DIVISION.
[00:15:01]
IN THE END, IT NEGATIVELY AFFECTS OUR STUDENTS.IF PRIORITIES, PROGRAMS, CURRICULUM, PERSONNEL ARE CHANGED FREQUENTLY, STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE CONSISTENCY TO EXCEL VIA ONE DIRECTION OR PATHWAY OF LEARNING. SO I WOULD STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO STAGGER ELECTIONS, BUT ALSO CONSIDER MANY OF THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT ARE LAID OUT IN THE PRESENTATION SLIDE, SUCH AS THE NUMBER OF SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND WHETHER THEY ARE DISTRICT SPECIFIC OR AT LARGE.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME, SO THANK YOU.
UH, JUST TO PREFACE THIS, THIS IS THE THIRD TIME THAT I'M IN HERE.
JUST TO PREFACE THIS. SO MY NAME IS CHI.
SO GUESS LIKE IF I HADN'T SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED MY EXCHANGE PROGRAM, WHICH I DID LAST YEAR, MY GPA WOULD BE LIKE A 3.8. UM, AND I AND I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE GOTTEN ACCEPTED INTO LIKE, MORE COLLEGES BECAUSE, LIKE, LAST TIME I WAS TALKING ABOUT LIKE, HOW I DIDN'T GET INTO ANY COLLEGES BECAUSE LIKE, WHEN I CAME BACK FROM THE EXCHANGE PROGRAM, MY GPA GOT LIKE, TOTALLY TRASHED AND IT'S NOW LIKE A 2.8.
LIKE I KNOW NOTHING ABOUT. PRETTY MUCH.
AND AS A RESULT, HAVE NOW JOINED THE ARMY RESERVE.
AND I'LL BE GOING TO NOVA NEXT YEAR, WHICH WHICH IS A PLUS.
AND WE WERE NOT TOLD OF, LIKE, ANY CONSEQUENCES LIKE BEFORE, LIKE GOING ON TO THE PROGRAM.
UM, SO THAT WAS PRETTY MISLEADING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW.
I WOULD SAY THAT, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
UM, YEAH, THIS PAST YEAR HAS NOT BEEN LIKE VERY GOOD.
UM. BUT HONESTLY, I THINK LIKE THE WORST PART ABOUT IT IS LIKE, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE I'M JUST KIND OF BEING IGNORED, YOU KNOW? LIKE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO REACH OUT TO YOU GUYS FOR LIKE, I THINK SINCE SEPTEMBER.
LIKE WE STARTED THIS, LIKE WE FIRST STARTED EMAILING YOU GUYS AND THEN WE KIND OF TOOK IT UP.
WE JUST KIND OF WORKED OUR WAY UP THE THE RANKS, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN ANY RESPONSE REALLY.
YEAH. AND I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT LIKE, MY TEACHERS HAVE BEEN LIKE ON MY SIDE AND THE COUNSELORS LIKE THE WHOLE TIME, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WHENEVER I COME OVER HERE, LIKE, NO ONE REALLY SEEMS TO CARE.
UM, BUT I JUST DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND, LIKE, WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO LIKE.
LIKE WHAT THE MESSAGE IS BY THIS.
I'M ONE OF YOUR STUDENTS. LIKE, I'M, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT HELP HERE, YOU KNOW? LIKE, I JUST WANT TO FEEL LIKE.
I DON'T KNOW. BUT THAT'S OKAY.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS GEORGE CRAY.
I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE ON HIS BEHALF AND SPECIFICALLY TO REQUEST ADOPTION OF A POLICY OR AN EXCEPTION TO POLICY THAT EXCLUDES GRADES EARNED IN A STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM FROM CALCULATING CALCULATION IN THE STUDENT'S GPA.
AS YOU'VE HEARD BEFORE, ACP HAS NO POLICY AT ALL GOVERNING STUDENT ABROAD PROGRAMS, AND AS A RESULT, MY SON WAS IMPROPERLY REGARDED AS A SPANISH TRANSFER STUDENT WHEN HE RETURNED FROM A YEAR ABROAD PROGRAM, RESULTING IN A SIGNIFICANT AND UNJUST DAMAGE TO HIS SON'S TO MY SON'S HIGH SCHOOL RECORD AND THE CONSEQUENT LOSS OF EDUCATIONAL AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.
[00:20:04]
IN ADDITION, THE SCHOOL FAILED TO, THROUGH WRITTEN POLICIES OR OTHER SUITABLE GUIDANCE, TO PROVIDE NOTICE TO MY SON OF ITS UNWRITTEN POLICIES AND PRACTICES, AND IN FACT INDICATED THAT HE WOULD RECEIVE ONLY CREDIT FOR WORK SUCCESSFULLY COMPLETED IN A STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM.AS YOU KNOW, SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER, MY SON AND I HAVE SUBMITTED NUMEROUS EMAILS, WRITTEN LETTERS, A PETITION SIGNED BY A NUMBER OF YOUR EDUCATORS AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER MATERIALS. WE'VE NEVER HEARD BACK FROM THE PRINCIPAL, FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT OR FROM THIS BOARD.
I CAN'T COUNT HOW MANY TIMES THAT WE BROUGHT THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION.
IT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE US DEPARTMENT OF STATE GUIDANCE.
THEY THEY ARE IN CHARGE OF CREATING STANDARDS FOR EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS WHAT THEY WROTE BACK TO ME.
YOUR STRUGGLE HIT CLOSE TO HOME FOR ME BECAUSE IT IS ALEXANDRIA.
THAT'S WHERE THIS ORGANIZATION IS LOCATED.
AND I AM PERSONALLY DISAPPOINTED BEYOND BELIEF THAT THIS IS YOUR EXPERIENCE.
I'VE ALSO TAKEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT POLICIES THAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS HAVE ON THIS.
I LOOKED AT THE TOP TEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE UNITED STATES ACCORDING TO NICHE WAKE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, FOR EXAMPLE, IN NORTH CAROLINA, HAS A POLICY QUOTE THAT STUDENTS MAY RECEIVE CREDIT FOR COURSES TAKEN ABROAD, BUT GRADES AND CREDITS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN THE CALCULATION OF THE STUDENT'S GPA OR CLASS RANK AND WILL BE GRADED PASS OR FAIL.
JERICHO PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN JERICHO, NEW YORK, HAS A SIMILAR POLICY, SAYS COURSE CREDIT WILL BE GRANTED UPON RECEIPT OF AN OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPT SHOWING A PASSING GRADE, BUT GRADES WILL NOT BE REFLECTED IN THE GPA.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING THE SCHOOL BOARD TO ADOPT A COMMON SENSE, PRO-EDUCATION POLICY AS REGARDS STUDY ABROAD PROGRAMS AND TO CORRECT THIS GRAVE INJUSTICE THAT'S BEEN DONE.
ELLIE CRAIGIE. UM, MY NAME IS KELLY CRAIGIE, AND I'M KAI'S MOTHER.
I'M ALSO A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR WITH ABOUT 30 YEARS EXPERIENCE AS A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR, I CAN SAY UNEQUIVOCALLY THAT THE WAY CPS IS TREATED, MY SON, AN INTELLIGENT, HARDWORKING, RESPECTFUL YOUNG MAN, IS NOTHING SHORT OF CHILD ABUSE.
BASICALLY, HIS WHOLE GPA WAS DROPPED DOWN BY A WHOLE POINT.
WHEN HE WAS GETTING READY TO APPLY FOR COLLEGE, HE SOUGHT YOUR HELP AND WITH MY HUSBAND AND OTHER ADVOCATES, WAS WILLING TO PITCH IN TO CORRECT THE ERROR, NOT JUST FOR HIS SAKE, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF EVERYONE AT CPS.
THIS IS HOW HE'S BEEN TREATED AND CONTINUES TO BE TREATED.
YOU GUYS NEED TO REALLY THIS NEEDS TO BE FIXED.
YOUR TREATMENT OF HIM, OF MY SON IS NOT AN ISOLATED CASE.
MANY STUDENTS HAVE COME UP TO HIM THIS PAST YEAR, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS FROM FOREIGN COUNTRIES WHO HAVE TOLD HIM THAT THEY, TOO, FEEL DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BY CPS MISGUIDED POLICIES. I'VE TALKED TO PARENTS WHO, INSTEAD OF FIGHTING THE DISTRICT OFFICE TO MAKE A CPS A BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYONE.
CPS BELONGS TO ALL OF US, AND IT NEEDS TO KNOW WHEN IT'S ON THE WRONG TRACK.
KAI CAME BACK FROM HIS STUDY ABROAD PROGRAM FLUENT IN SPANISH.
NOW I CAN'T CONVINCE HIM TO WALK ACROSS THE STAGE AT GRADUATION AND.
AND THAT PROBABLY HURTS ME MOST OF ALL.
[00:25:01]
YOU'VE HURT MY FAMILY. AND YOU NEED TO MAKE IT RIGHT.I REQUIRED ALL MY STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF AGE, TO WRITE AN ESSAY EACH MONTH.
IF ANY OF THEM HAD SUBMITTED AN ESSAY TITLED EQUITY FOR ALL, I WOULD HAVE CROSSED THROUGH THE TITLE WITH MY RED PEN AND WRITTEN REALLY QUESTION MARK IN ALL CAPS WITH TWO UNDERLINES FOR EMPHASIS.
EQUITY FOR ALL AN AMBIGUOUS TITLE.
WHAT KIND OF EQUITY EXACTLY? AND WHO DO YOU MEAN BY ALL? PERHAPS YOU WERE HOPING THAT PEOPLE WOULD ASSUME EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY FOR ALL STUDENTS.
AFTER ALL, THIS IS THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
ISN'T THIS WHAT A PARENT CALLED THE SCHOOL BOARD'S MODUS OPERANDI? A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO, IN THE CASE OF YOUR PLAN TITLE, IT'S DEFLECTION BY OMISSION WITH THE TITLE OF A PLAN IS AS AMBIGUOUS AS YOURS.
THE PLAN ITSELF BREAKS, RUNS THE RISK OF BREAKING DOWN INTO FRAGMENTS THAT MAY NOT RUN TANGENTAL TO THE PURPOSE OF A SCHOOL, WHICH IS THE ACADEMIC EDUCATION OF CHILDREN. FOR EXAMPLE, THE FOCUS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS ON HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATIONS THROUGH THE USE OF RESTORATIVE PRACTICES. ONE, A FOCUS ON SOME POPULATIONS IS ANTITHETICAL TO THE PLAN TITLE OF EQUITY FOR ALL.
TWO THE FOCUS STATEMENT IS JUST AS AMBIGUOUS AS THE TITLE ITSELF.
WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A HISTORICALLY MARGINALIZED POPULATION? IN THE CASE OF CPS, THE FOCUS COMES DOWN TO ONLY MALE STUDENTS OF TWO MINORITY RACES, WHICH LEAVES A WHOLE LOT OF DISTRICT STUDENTS SHIFTING IN THE WIND, A WHOLE NEW MARGINALIZED POPULATION, AS IT WERE.
AFTERWARDS, YOU ASKED THE CENTRAL OFFICE WHY THE NUMBERS HADN'T CHANGED FROM LAST YEAR, THE NUMBERS BEING THOSE FOR EQUITABLE REPRESENTATION BY RACE AND SEX ACROSS A VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL MILESTONES.
FOR ALL YOUR EFFORTS, YOU FAILED IN THE EXECUTION OF YOUR PLAN.
PERHAPS HIRING AND RETAINING MORE TEACHERS WOULD BE A GOOD START.
IMAGINE BEING CORNERED BY YOUR COLLEAGUES IN THE WORK BATHROOM AND THEY PIN YOU DOWN REPEATEDLY, PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE WHILE SPRAYING YOU WITH A NOXIOUS LIQUID, PUNCHING YOU SO HARD THAT YOUR TOOTH BECOMES LOOSE.
THIS HAPPENED TO MY SON ON MARCH 27TH BY THREE ASSAILANTS AND THE THIRD.
MY SON'S LIFE WAS THREATENED IN THE SIXTH PERIOD BY THE ATTACKER'S FRIENDS WHO TOLD HIM HE WOULD BE SHOT, STABBED AND KILLED BY THE MS. 13 BECAUSE HE WAS A SNITCH AND BECAUSE HIS ATTACKERS HAD CLOSE TIES TO THE MS. 13. THIS IS THE THIRD DOCUMENTED VIOLENT ASSAULT IN THE BATHROOM BY THE SAME ASSAILANTS AND HIS FRIENDS.
WE WERE ALSO TOLD BY STAFF THAT THEY WOULD BE UNABLE TO FOLLOW A PROTECTIVE ORDER OF 100 YARDS.
THE LACK OF SAFETY AND SECURITY IS IMPACTING MY SON'S ABILITY TO LEARN AND EXCEL IN HIS IEP.
MY SON IS IN FACT A PROTECTED CLASS UNDER TITLE NINE.
HE'S ASIAN, HE'S TINY, HE'S ON AN IEP, AND THE BOYS WHO ATTACKED HIM WERE TRIPLE HIS SIZE.
THE ONE THING MY SON IS NOT PROTECTED FROM IS REPEATED ASSAULTS IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOM.
THEY LIED. THE THIRD ATTACK BY THE SAME ASSAILANT AND HIS FRIENDS HAPPENED ON MARCH 27TH AT 9 A.M.
[00:30:04]
IN THE BATHROOM. MY SON ALSO GOT PUNCHED IN THE FACE IN THE LUNCHROOM IN SECTION FOUR AS TEACHERS WALKED BY, LOOKED ON AND DID NOTHING TO HELP HIM.THE SIXTH GRADE PRINCIPAL IS FAILING AT PROTECTING CHILDREN.
WHEN MY SON SPOKE ON ZOOM LAST WEEK TO THE GW STAFF AND THE ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, HE SAID HE WAS DEEPLY OFFENDED THAT WHEN HE CAME TO THE STAFF FOR HELP INSTEAD OF HELPING HIM, THE STAFF ASKED HIM TO HIDE HIS RESTRAINING ORDER.
IF WE TOOK THIS APPROACH TO SEGREGATION, GW WOULD STILL BE A SEGREGATED SCHOOL.
VIOLENT CRIMINAL ACTS AT SCHOOL HAVE NO REAL CONSEQUENCES.
I ASK THE BOARD, REGARDLESS OF CREED, RACE, RELIGION, GENDER.
BRING EXPULSION BACK SINCE MOST CONTRACTED ALLIED SERVICES ARE UNARMED WOMEN WHO CAN'T GO INTO THE BOYS BATHROOM, HIRE MORE UNARMED MALE GUARDS TO GUARD THE BATHROOM DURING SCHOOL HOURS, ESPECIALLY DURING TRANSITIONS.
STRICTLY ENFORCE THE STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT.
FOLLOW THE LAW. LIKE PROTECT CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES.
IF THERE IS A MARK ON A MINOR AND THEIR LIFE HAS BEEN THREATENED, PARENTS NEED TO BE CALLED.
IT'S LASTLY, HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE A TRAILBLAZER.
I'M SORRY YOUR TIME HAS ENDED.
OUR 11 YEAR OLD SON, A SIXTH GRADER, HAS BEEN A VICTIM OF FOUR DOCUMENTED VIOLENT ASSAULTS AT G.W.
MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHICH HAVE LEFT HIM TRAUMATIZED AND FEARFUL FOR HIS SAFETY.
HE'S RIGHT, BECAUSE THE SCHOOL IS NOT PROTECTING HIM FROM ONGOING VIOLENT BULLYING BY ABUSERS WHO EXCUSE WHOSE EXCUSE FOR ATTACKING HIM IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOM ON MARCH 27TH OF THIS YEAR.
WAS. THAT HE WAS ACTING GAY AND MAKING GAY NOISES.
THE ASSAULTS ON HER SON, A MEMBER OF A PROTECTED CLASS UNDER TITLE NINE.
AND WHO HAS AN INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM, IEP.
ARE WELL DOCUMENTED BY THE SCHOOL AND IN POLICE AND CITY MAGISTRATE REPORTS.
THE UNPROVOKED ASSAULTS BY THE SAME ATTACKER OCCURRED IN THE SCHOOL BATHROOM THREE TIMES.
HE WAS ALSO REPEATEDLY PUNCHED IN THE FACE BY ANOTHER ATTACKER IN THE LUNCHROOM.
BY THE MS 13 GANG IN RETALIATION FOR QUOTE.
IT'S LIKE A PRISON CULTURE, PRISON TERM.
IN TELLING HIS PARENTS AND SCHOOL OFFICIALS ABOUT THE ASSAULTS THAT HE'S ENDURING.
DESPITE REPEATED ATTEMPTS BY HER SON AND BY US TO REPORT THESE INCIDENTS AND RECEIVE PROTECTION FOR OUR SON, STAFF HAVE TOLD US ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS THAT THE PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE AT THE SCHOOL IS MY SAID IS A GRAY AREA.
BEING CORNERED IN THE BATHROOM AND PUNCHED RIGHT IN THE FACE SO HARD A TOOTH IS KNOCKED LOOSE.
THREATS OF BEING STABBED AND SHOT BY A GANG.
THAT IS KNOWN TO BE ACTIVE IN THE AREA.
VIOLENCE LEAVES LONG LASTING PSYCHOLOGICAL SCARS.
OUR SON IS ISOLATED AND FEELS.
LIKE HE MISSES HIS FRIENDS AND HIS FAVORITE TEACHERS.
AND IT'S AFFECTING HIS MENTAL HEALTH TO NOT SEE HIS PEERS.
MEANWHILE. HIS ATTACKERS ARE BACK IN THE SCHOOL HALLWAYS.
TO SEE IF OUR SON IS BEING PUNISHED, THOUGH HE'S THE ONE WHO'S BEEN REPEATEDLY BULLIED.
TO PROTECT ALL THE KIDS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE PROPOSE THE FOLLOWING STATION MORE ADULT UNARMED MALE GUARDS IN THE BATHROOMS. THE BATHROOMS HAVE TO BE SAFE.
[00:35:01]
THEIR TERROR DOMES RIGHT NOW.AND ANY KID WHO GOES TO SCHOOL, ASK HER.
ASK THE PARENTS. THEY'LL TELL YOU THE SAME.
I'LL SUBMIT THE REST OF MY COMMENTS IN IN PRINT.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.
GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
I AM A TEACHER AT MINNIE HOWARD, A GRADUATE OF OK AND A BUILDING REP FOR OUR TEACHERS UNION.
I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK FOR YOU TO PUT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING, THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RESOLUTION ON THE AGENDA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AND TO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE THE DISTRICT HIRES A LAWYER.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LIKE STAGGERED TERMS IS A KEY PIECE OF THE PUZZLE FOR LONG TERM STEWARDSHIP.
THIS EFFECT WAS EVEN MORE PRONOUNCED IN DISTRICTS WITH HIGH UNION DENSITY AND STRESS.
ACCORDING TO THIS PAPER, IS THE MOST COMMON REASON FOR TEACHERS SAYING THEY LEFT TEACHING.
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS A SOLUTION, ACCORDING TO THE COMMONWEALTH INSTITUTE.
WITHOUT US, OUR TEACHERS WILL TOO.
ARLINGTON HAS LONG PASSED THEIR RESOLUTION.
THEIR UNION ELECTION IS NEXT WEEK.
BUT WE WERE TOLD THAT WE COULDN'T MEET WITH YOU UNTIL THE CHAIR HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS.
AND WE WE KNOW THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE EXPRESSED THAT YOU FEEL YOU NEED TO WAIT FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT COLLECTIVE BARGAINING TO COME FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT AND FROM THE REST OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
BUT I KNOW THAT YOU TRUST ME AND AND THAT YOU CARE ABOUT OUR TEACHERS.
SO HERE'S WHAT I ASK FOR YOU TO DO.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS SINCE THE FALL.
I HOPE THAT THAT TURNOVER RATE DOESN'T INCLUDE ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT WON'T.
EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU NAMED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AS A PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR.
THE LONGER WE WAIT, THE MORE TEACHERS WE LOSE.
GREETINGS CHAIR. LADY MEAGAN ALDERTON, ALDINGTON AND VICE CHAIR JACINTA GREENE.
I'M A READING SPECIALIST AT FRANCIS HAMMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL.
I HAVE BEEN EMPLOYED WITH ACF FOR 16 YEARS SINCE TEACHER RETENTION IS AN PRIORITY.
I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WILL HELP US TO RETAIN QUALITY TEACHERS TO ADVANCE EDUCATION FOR ALEXANDRIA CITY STUDENTS. THIS EVENING I'M HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AS A MEMBER OF THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING COMMITTEE FOR THREE YEARS.
WE DON'T WANT TO GET LEFT BEHIND AT THE CONTRACT NEGOTIATING TABLE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE SCOREBOARD AROUND THE STATE.
PETERSBURG SUBMITTED A MAJORITY OF CARS TO VOTE ON A RESOLUTION.
PRINCE WILLIAM WON THE LARGEST PUBLIC SECTOR UNION IN VIRGINIA HISTORY.
RICHMOND SUCCESSFULLY NEGOTIATED A CONTRACT.
CHARLOTTESVILLE AND FAIRFAX PASSED A RESOLUTION.
[00:40:04]
ARLINGTON VERIFIED A MAJORITY OF CARS TO TRIGGER A UNION ELECTION.LOUDON WON A SCHOOL BOARD VOTE TO ESTABLISH A TIMELINE TO PASS A RESOLUTION.
FALLS CHURCH IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, LOBBIED FOR A SCHOOL BOARD RESOLUTION.
HARRISBURG COLLECTED A MAJORITY OF AUTHORIZATION CARDS FROM TEACHERS IN JUST TWO WEEKS.
IT'S TIME FOR CPS TO GET OFF THE SIDELINES AS SPECTATORS.
WE DESERVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO GET IN THE GAME.
I IMPLORE YOU TO HELP US REACH OUR GOAL OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
TODAY, CPS HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GROW.
ACCESS TO COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WAS DENIED UNTIL 2020.
THIS WORD COLLECTIVELY MEANS WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER.
WHAT DOES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING LOOK LIKE IN CPS? YOU SIGN A RESOLUTION DECEMBER 2021.
THANK YOU. YOU AGREE THAT AC WILL BUILD A CULTURE OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND DESIGN EQUITABLE SYSTEMS FOR SCHOOL AND INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT? YOU KNOW, OUR BARGAINING PRIORITIES ARE COMPETITIVE WAGES IMPROVE HEALTH AND RETIREMENT BENEFITS, PROTECTED DUTY FREE PLANNING AND IMPROVED WORKING CONDITIONS.
MADAM CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, WILL YOU COMMIT YOURSELF TO HELPING US WIN TODAY BY NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT FOR THE 2023 2024? THANK YOU. THANK YOU.
AS YOU MAY REMEMBER, I SPOKE AT THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING ON THE SAME TOPIC, AND IN MY PREVIOUS COMMENTS I DISCUSSED HOW COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WOULD ADDRESS STAFFING IN OUR SCHOOLS. HOWEVER, IT GOES DEEPER THAN JUST STAFFING OUR SCHOOLS.
IT'S ABOUT STAFFING OUR DISTRICT.
IT'S NO SECRET THAT BEING AN EDUCATOR IS NOT AN ATTRACTIVE PROSPECT AT THIS TIME.
OUR PROFESSION IS PLAGUED BY CHRONIC DISRESPECT FROM NEARLY ALL DIRECTIONS, AND THE BEST WE'VE GOTTEN HERE IN CPS IS A 4% RAISE IN 2019, WHEN INFLATION WAS AT 1.8% AND EFFECTIVE RAISE OF 2.2%.
AND THAT'S BEFORE WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE LUCRATIVE IT IS TO LEAVE THE PROFESSION ALTOGETHER.
AT THE VERY LEAST, IF WE DON'T OFFER MORE, THEN THE BEST WON'T COME AND THE BEST WE HAVE WILL LEAVE.
ONE EDUCATOR WHO WISHES TO REMAIN ANONYMOUS FITS THIS DESCRIPTION.
I'VE WORKED WITH THIS PERSON SINCE COMING TO AC IN 2016, AND EVERY DAY THIS PERSON LEAVES HIS WIFE AND TWO KIDS WHO ARE WONDERFUL, BY THE WAY, AND MAKES THE COMMUTE UP FROM FREDERICKSBURG. ONE HOUR, ONE WAY, TWO HOUR ROUND TRIP.
THEY TREAT THE STUDENTS LIKE THEY'RE THEIR OWN AND THE POSITIVE IMPACT THEY HAVE IS IMMEASURABLE.
THAT ALLOWS YOU TO SAY THAT MY COLLEAGUE HAS GOTTEN A RAISE EVERY YEAR WHEN IN ACTUALITY THE RESTRUCTURE HAS GIVEN THEM TWO STEP FREEZES AND A CUMULATIVE RAISE OF 24.9% SINCE 2016, WHEN INFLATION HAS BEEN 25.8% IN THAT TIME.
THAT MEANS MY COLLEAGUE HAS EFFECTIVELY TAKEN A 1% PAY CUT SINCE STARTING TO WORK FOR CPS.
SO NO TEACHERS HAVE NOT GOTTEN A RAISE EVERY YEAR RESEARCHING ONE DAY, AND WE SAW THAT THIS EDUCATOR COULD MAKE $5,000 MORE, BE ON A HIGHER SALARY SCALE AND HAVE A SHORTER COMMUTE JUST BY TEACHING IN ARLINGTON.
SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU HAD TWO KIDS TO FEED? WOULD YOU TAKE THE EXTRA $5,000 NOW, AN EXTRA 5% NEXT YEAR AND MORE TIME TO SEE YOUR CHILDREN? OR WOULD YOU CONTINUE WITH THE STATUS QUO HERE IN CPS? WE ALL KNOW WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO LOSE THIS AND OTHER TALENTED EDUCATORS DUE TO SELF-INFLICTED MISTAKES.
I COULD GIVE THEM IF I COULD, I WOULD GIVE THEM ALL THE MONEY THEY NEEDED TO LIVE COMFORTABLY.
[00:45:04]
BUT UNFORTUNATELY, I AM NOT SITTING IN THE SEATS YOU ARE ALL SITTING IN.I STARTED THIS SCHOOL YEAR WHEN I WAS 34 WEEKS PREGNANT WITH TWINS.
INSTEAD OF RESTING ALL SUMMER, AS I SHOULD HAVE, I TAUGHT SUMMER SCHOOL AT MINNIE HOWARD BECAUSE I NEEDED THE EXTRA MONEY TO START SAVING FOR ALL THE THINGS OUR GROWING FAMILY WOULD NEED ONCE THE TWINS WERE BORN.
DURING MY THIRD TRIMESTER, I PRAYED I WOULD MAKE IT FAR ENOUGH IN MY PREGNANCY TO WORK FOR AT LEAST TWO CONTRACT DAYS OF THE SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE IF I DIDN'T, I WOULDN'T RECEIVE MY 11 SICK DAYS AND FOUR PERSONAL DAYS FOR THE YEAR.
I NEEDED THOSE 15 DAYS BECAUSE CPS DOES NOT PROVIDE PAID MATERNITY LEAVE.
THE MAJORITY OF TWINS ARE BORN AT 35 WEEKS.
AND SO THE FACT THAT I WORKED UP UNTIL 37 WEEKS OF PREGNANCY WAS AMAZING.
AT THAT POINT, I COULDN'T PHYSICALLY DO IT ANYMORE.
AFTER THAT, I RECEIVED VERY LITTLE DONATED LEAVE FROM MY COLLEAGUES AT HAMMOND, NOT FOR THE LACK OF GENEROSITY, BUT BECAUSE MY NEED WAS NOT ADVERTISED WELL AND THE POLICIES SURROUNDING DONATED LEAVE ARE SKETCHY AT BEST.
MY SHORT TERM DISABILITY CLAIM TOOK OVER AT THAT POINT, GIVING ME 60% OF MY PAYCHECK, BUT ONLY UNTIL THE END OF MY EIGHT WEEK RECOVERY TIME DUE TO MY C-SECTION. DURING THAT EIGHT SHORT WEEKS, WHILE STILL TRYING TO ADJUST TO LIFE WITH TWO NEWBORNS AND A THREE YEAR OLD, I RECEIVED NO PAY FOR THE REST OF MY MATERNITY LEAVE. I HAD TO RETURN TO WORK AFTER TEN WEEKS BECAUSE WE NEEDED MY PAYCHECK THAT BAD.
OTHERWISE, WE COULD HAVE MADE IT.
I WILL PROBABLY NEED ANOTHER DAY BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, YET I CAN'T AFFORD TO TAKE ONE UNPAID.
WE NEED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS TO DO SO.
I'M A 16 YEAR VETERAN WITH TWO MASTER'S DEGREES, AND I'VE DONE EVERYTHING RIGHT.
STILL, I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
RIGHT NOW, IT IS A CHALLENGE TO FIND ANY TEACHERS ANYWHERE TO FILL THE VACANCIES IN OUR SCHOOLS.
SO IF THIS DIVISION WANTS TO RECRUIT AND KEEP GOOD TEACHERS, IT NEEDS TO MAKE PROGRESSIVE MOVES.
TEACHERS NEED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING RIGHTS.
HI THERE. MY NAME IS JEREMY MILLER AND I'LL BE SPEAKING ABOUT TAG SERVICES.
GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JEREMY MILLER.
I'M THE PARENT OF A FIRST GRADER AT DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
LAST YEAR, MY CHILD WAS IDENTIFIED FOR TAG AND HAS BEEN RECEIVING SERVICES SINCE THAT TIME.
THERE'S A NARRATIVE I'VE BEEN HEARING IN PARTICULAR AT ONE OF THE RECENT TAG ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETINGS THAT I ATTENDED THAT TAG SERVICES AT THE K THREE LEVEL ARE MORE OR LESS A SPECIAL PERK AND THAT IT'S UNFAIR THAT SOME KIDS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR IT WHILE OTHERS AREN'T.
I THINK THIS NARRATIVE IS HARMFUL TO THE STUDENTS WHO REQUIRE THESE SERVICES AND IT NEGLECTS THE FACT, THE FACT THAT TAG IDENTIFIED STUDENTS ARE ACTUALLY SPECIAL NEEDS, NOT THAT DISSIMILAR FROM STUDENTS WHO ARE IDENTIFIED AS BEING ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM AND WOULD REQUIRE AN IEP.
FOR THEM. THESE SERVICES ARE NOT A NICE TO HAVE.
[00:50:07]
THE TAG LEVEL DIFFERENTIATION THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM IS VIRTUALLY NONEXISTENT, AND IT'S NOT THE FAULT OF THE CLASSROOM TEACHER.ONE. ENSURE THAT ANY CHANGE TO THE TAG LOCAL PLAN YOU APPROVE IS ACTUALLY IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RELEVANT VIRGINIA STATUTES TO REACH OUT TO THE PARENTS OF CURRENTLY IDENTIFIED TAG STUDENTS. CONDUCT A SURVEY, LISTEN TO THEM ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN WORKING AND WHAT CAN BE IMPROVED.
I WAS ONE OF THOSE PARENTS UNTIL ONLY TWO MONTHS AGO.
RELYING ENTIRELY ON THE CLASSROOM TEACHERS TO PROVIDE TAG DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION IS A MISTAKE AND WOULD LIKELY CAUSE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND ACADEMIC HARM TO THESE STUDENTS DURING THIS VERY CRITICAL PERIOD OF DEVELOPMENT.
THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT AND PLANNING REQUIRED FOR A TEACHER TO PROPERLY DIFFERENTIATE FOR TAG IDENTIFIED STUDENTS ON TOP OF THE DIFFERENTIATION THEY ALREADY DO FOR OTHER STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM IS PROHIBITIVE, ESPECIALLY WITHOUT A ROBUST DISTRICT LEVEL TAG CURRICULUM AVAILABLE.
IN MY VIEW, THAT'S WHAT EQUITY FOR ALL IS ALL ABOUT.
FOR ANY PARENT OUT THERE WHO WANTS TO GET INVOLVED.
THE NEXT PUBLIC MEETING OF THE TAG ADVISORY COMMITTEE WILL BE HELD ON MAY 15TH AT 6:30 P.M.
AT THE MOUNT VERNON COMMUNITY SCHOOL MEDIA CENTER.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. I HOPE YOU TAKE WHAT I'VE SHARED INTO CONSIDERATION.
GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE TIME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER FULLER AND I'M A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER AT HHS.
OUR HOPE IS TO DRAFT A RESOLUTION BY MAY 4TH.
AS WE'VE DISCUSSED, HAVING VOICES IN ISSUES WITHIN TEACHING IS IMPORTANT.
WE ARE PROFESSIONALS WHO WORK TO TEACH, NURTURE AND PREPARE STUDENTS FOR ADULTHOOD.
BUT IT'S SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT.
DR. HUTCHINGS SPOKE OF THIS IN FEBRUARY AND THE EFFORTS TO INCREASE CAREER FAIR INVOLVEMENT BY 40%.
AT THAT TIME THERE WERE AN ESTIMATED 100 STAFF VACANCIES PER DAY.
THANK YOU AGAIN AND HAVE A GOOD NIGHT.
SO WE HAVE WE SPEAK BOTH WITHIN THE THREE MINUTES.
WE'RE BOTH JUST IN THE SAME SCHOOL.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
OUR NAMES ARE ALEJANDRO CUNNEEN AND MICHAEL VALE.
WE ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS AT PATRICK HENRY SCHOOL.
[00:55:01]
A.M. TO HAMMOND MIDDLE SCHOOL.BECAUSE OF THE UNEXPECTED NATURE OF THIS EMERGENCY, MANY PARENTS WERE FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR JOBS AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE AND WAIT IN LINE FOR OVER AN HOUR OUTSIDE THE HAMMOND UNTIL THEY WERE ABLE TO PICK UP THEIR KIDS AND PROCEED TO FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION FOR THEIR CHILDREN'S CARE FOR THE REST OF THE DAY.
AS WE MENTIONED, THIS ENTIRE PROCESS BEGAN AT 7:40 A.M.
AND DID NOT END UNTIL 2:30 P.M.
FOR SEVERAL STUDENTS AND THE ENTIRE SCHOOL STAFF.
MEANWHILE, JAMES K POLK AND DOUGLAS MACARTHUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, TWO SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND ONE OF WHICH WE SHARE A PARKING LOT WITH, SEND TWEETS AT SEVEN, TEN AND 7:12 A.M.
WE'RE HERE TO ASK WHAT THE PROCEDURE IS FOR THE DISTRICT CENTRAL OFFICE TO NOTIFY SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, STAFF AND PARENTS IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY SCHOOL CLOSURE SUCH AS THE ONE THAT HAPPENED ON TUESDAY.
GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
MY NAME IS PATRICK MEARA AND I'M AN ESL TEACHER AT ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, I'M A NATIVE OF HAITI AND I CAME TO THE US WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER.
IN HAITI, I RECEIVED A GOOD EDUCATION, BUT I WAS NOT A SUCCESSFUL STUDENT.
I EXPERIENCED SUCCESS TOO, WHEN I CAME TO CHICAGO, TO THE US, AND THAT IS BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY, UM, THERE'S BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT SERVICES THAT ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICTS HERE IN THE US.
THESE SERVICES, THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE.
WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THEY ARE UNIQUE TO US AND THAT THEY ARE SO VARIED THAT THEY GIVE STUDENTS OF ALL STRIPES AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
AS I WAS GIVEN, PUBLIC EDUCATION OFFERS MANY OPTIONS, THEREBY ALSO OPENING DOORS FOR LEARNING TO ALL STUDENTS. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE HELD, ENCOURAGED.
OPPORTUNITIES FOR SUCCESS HAVE COME AS A RESULT OF TEACHER COMMITMENT TO STUDENT TO STUDENT SUCCESS.
WE CANNOT AFFORD FURTHER DELAYS AND THE STARTING OF THIS PROCESS.
SO AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY AT TIMES LIKE THESE, WHEN TEACHER RETENTION IS BECOMING A CRISIS, REALLY, AND AND WE.
WE ARE, AS WAS EXPRESSED EARLIER, WE ARE LOSING TEACHERS TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.
SO WE WE REALLY NEED TO BRING THE PROCESS TOGETHER, BRING ALL PARTIES TOGETHER, ADMINISTRATORS, TEACHERS, STAFF AND SECURITY SECURITY FOLKS, SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT EXACTLY HOW BEST TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS.
WE ALL NEED THIS PROCESS OF COLLECTIVE BARGAINING.
WE NEED IT NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN START A NEW YEAR READY TO GO RATHER THAN NOT BE READY AND CROSSING I'S AND DOTTING T'S AS THE STUDENTS ARE COMING TO US.
WE NEED TO BE READY PRIOR TO THAT.
I URGE YOU TO BE UPFRONT AND TRANSPARENT WITH OUR UNION REPRESENTATIVES AND TO COMMIT TO PASSING THE RESOLUTION IN IN THE SHORTEST, SHORTEST DELAYS SO THAT WE CAN BASICALLY GET STARTED AND WE BEGIN TO BE READY WHEN THE SCHOOL YEAR STARTS NEXT YEAR.
UM, IT IS SORA TOLLEY THAT IS SORELY NEEDED.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU.
MY NAME IS DEBORAH AGNELLI AND I WILL BE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH ADVISORY BOARD.
[01:00:03]
I AM THE CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE, AND I'M ALSO A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST AND A COMMUNITY MEMBER.I HAVE WORKED IN DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF ALEXANDRIA CITY OR ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I WORKED IN THE BIRTH TO THREE PROGRAM.
I WORKED IN PRESCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION.
I VOLUNTEERED AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS.
AND REALLY, THE PURPOSE OF TALKING ABOUT SHOP THIS EVENING IS TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE ARE, WHAT WE DO, AND, AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR HOW WE CAN SUPPORT A STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND OUR MISSION IS TO SUPPORT WITH STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH, STUDENT PHYSICAL HEALTH, AND ALSO TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY REMEDIAL AND PREVENTIVE PROGRAMS TO PREVENT, TO ADDRESS SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND VIOLENCE WITH STUDENTS.
AND AND REALLY, I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS ABOUT WHAT WE DO THAT'S INTEGRAL TO A STRATEGIC PLAN BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY BARRIERS TO LEARNING THAT ARE RELATED TO STUDENT HEALTH, THAT ARE RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, THAT ARE RELATED TO THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, THAT ARE REALLY A DISTRACTION FROM STUDENTS TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO ENGAGE WITH THE CURRICULUM, ENGAGE WITH THEIR PEERS, AND TO BE ABLE TO LEARN AND GROW THROUGH THEIR EXPERIENCES REALLY ACROSS ALL THE DIFFERENT LEVELS.
AND SO IN TERMS OF WHAT WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE JUST RECENTLY CAME TOGETHER AFTER COVID WAS REALLY GETTING TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT WHAT WE KNOW NOW, WHAT THE SORT OF CURRENT STATUS QUO IS PULLING DATA FROM ALL THE WORK THAT COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, PULLING DATA FROM WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW WITH STUDENTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY SOME VERY SPECIFIC PRIORITIES THAT ARE A LOT OF PRIORITIES.
AND SO WE ARE VERY AMBITIOUS AND WE'RE HOPING THAT AT THE VERY LEAST, IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO TAKE ON ANY OF THOSE PRIORITIES IN ANY SORT OF SUBSTANTIAL CAPACITY BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WE'LL AT LEAST BE SETTING OURSELVES UP FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AND REALLY HAVING AN ACTION PLAN THAT WILL WILL SUPPORT STUDENT HEALTH.
AND SO OUR PRIORITIES ARE BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY APPROPRIATE SUPPORTS FOR STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND AND REALLY THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN EXAMINE THE CURRENT SUPPORTS, PARTICULARLY THE SEAL PROGRAM, IDENTIFY WHAT'S WORKING, IDENTIFY WHAT WE MAYBE NEED TO TWEAK AND REALLY BE ABLE TO BRING TOGETHER ALL THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE WORKING TO ENHANCE STUDENT MENTAL HEALTH AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY TO TOWARD THAT SAME PURPOSE.
SOME OF OUR OTHER PRIORITIES ARE, AS I MENTIONED, BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY PREVENTIVE AND REMEDIAL PROGRAMS FOR ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND FOR REDUCING, HOPEFULLY ELIMINATING STUDENT RELATED VIOLENCE, WHICH WE KNOW IS AGAIN, A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NEED ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS.
THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE HAVE ARE JUST OVERALL BEING ABLE TO PROMOTE STUDENT ACCESS TO THE WELLNESS AND HEALTH RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE THAT SOME OF THEM DON'T KNOW ABOUT OR SOME OF THEM MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ACCESS FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
ANOTHER PRIORITY IS JUST BEING ABLE TO UPDATE THE FAMILY LIFE AND EDUCATION CURRICULUM AND MAKE SURE THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT IS ROBUST AND AND REALLY APPLIES TO WHAT STUDENTS NEED TO LEARN ABOUT THEIR OWN WELL-BEING, ABOUT THEIR OWN SELF-ADVOCACY, AND REALLY ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN ACHIEVING THE LEVEL OF HEALTH THAT WILL ENABLE THEM TO ACCESS WHAT THEY NEED.
AND THEN WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ENSURING THAT STUDENTS ARE VACCINATED BEFORE THEY START SCHOOL SO THAT WE CAN CUT BACK ON SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT COME WHEN WE HAVE STUDENTS STARTING SCHOOL WITHOUT GETTING VACCINATED AND WE'RE HAVING TO CHASE THEM DOWN.
AND THEY'RE JUST A LOT LOTS OF CHALLENGES THAT ARE COMING UP AS A RESULT OF THAT.
ON A SEPARATE NOTE, WE ALSO WANT TO REALLY FOCUS ON WHAT WE CAN BE DOING IN TERMS OF COVID PLANNING, BECAUSE COVID IS OVER, BUT MAYBE NOT.
AND AND WE CERTAINLY WANT TO BE PREPARED AND AND HAVE IN MIND WHAT SOME THINK STRATEGIES ARE THAT WE CAN TO TO BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING STUDENTS SAFE.
ANOTHER ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT APPROPRIATE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS WHO HAVE HEALTH RELATED 504 PLANS AND JUST REALLY BEING ABLE TO. WITHIN OUR FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO COLLABORATE ACROSS THOSE DIFFERENT DOMAINS BECAUSE IT'S A LOT TO DO.
[01:05:02]
THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN DO IT ON OUR OWN.AND REALLY IT TAKES A VILLAGE AND THE MORE PEOPLE WE'RE ABLE TO ENGAGE, THE MORE WAYS WE'RE ABLE TO INVEST IN ALL THE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS THAT STUDENTS ARE IN, THE BETTER OUTCOMES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO OUR CURRENT STATUS, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS WE'RE JUST LEARNING, WE'RE GATHERING DATA, WE'RE TAKING IN JUST WHAT WHAT THINGS LOOK LIKE NOW SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING AND SO THAT WE ARE IN A BETTER POSITION TO TO REALLY MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR WHAT OUR NEXT STEPS NEED TO BE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT STUDENT GRADES, WE'RE LOOKING AT ATTENDANCE RECORDS, CRISIS HISTORY.
WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SEAL SURVEYS, AND WE'RE ALSO GETTING OBSERVATIONAL DATA FROM TEACHERS AND OTHER SOURCES THAT ARE EXTERNAL TO JUST SO WE HAVE A COMPLETE PICTURE OF WHERE STUDENTS ARE AND WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.
AND THEN WE CAN START TO FORMULATE SOME THOUGHTS ON WHAT WE CAN DO TO SUPPORT THOSE NEEDS.
WE'VE ALSO FORMED TWO SUBCOMMITTEES.
ONE IS DEDICATED TO REALLY LOOKING AT AND REVISING THE FAMILY LIFE AND EDUCATION CURRICULUM.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS GOING TO BE SPECIFICALLY FOR STUDENTS.
IT'S GOING TO BE A SELF-ADVOCACY COMMITTEE WHERE STUDENTS GET TO COME TOGETHER AND REALLY ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER AND WITH THEIR PEERS TO TO BE ABLE TO BRING THEIR PERSPECTIVES TO THE CONVERSATIONS WE'RE HAVING AT SCHWAB SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST SPEAKING FROM A PLACE WHERE THAT'S OUT OF TOUCH WITH WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE AND HOW THE STUDENTS PERCEIVE THEIR NEEDS, AND SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO INCORPORATE THAT INTO OUR PROCESS AND ALSO SO THAT THE STUDENTS CAN FEEL EMPOWERED TO KNOW THAT THEIR VOICE MATTERS AND THAT THEY'RE CONTRIBUTING TO THE PROCESS OF IMPROVING THEIR OWN HEALTH OUTCOMES.
AND SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO SERVE WITH A GROUP OF INCREDIBLY PASSIONATE AND DEDICATED COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND I'M REALLY EXCITED TO GET THIS WORK DONE.
I WOULD APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO, IN ADDITION TO SHARING OUR END OF YEAR REPORT WITH YOU, BE ABLE TO COME BACK AND GIVE A FORMAL PRESENTATION ON SOME OF THE DATA THAT WE'VE COLLECTED, SOME OF THE INSIGHTS THAT WE HOPE WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO TOWARD MAKING CHANGES TO STUDENT HEALTH POLICY IN THE YEARS TO COME.
I'M SORRY, MADAM CHAIR, IF I MAY.
YES. THANK YOU TO THE CHAIR OF I'VE FOR THAT VERY WONDERFUL REPORT.
IGNACIO FOR GETTING SHOBEK OFF OF THE GROUND.
THEY HAD NOT BEEN AROUND FOR A FEW YEARS, SO WE HAVE THEM BACK UP AND RUNNING.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP ON THAT.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS, MS..
IGNACIO? I WASN'T SURE IF I WAS ALLOWED TO MAKE ANY, BUT IT REALLY HAS BEEN QUITE WE WE NORMALLY WOULD MEET, I GUESS, QUARTERLY, BUT WE'RE MEETING ONCE A MONTH AND HAVING CONVERSATION EVEN IN BETWEEN THOSE MEETINGS, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH ACTIVITY GOING ON RIGHT NOW AROUND STUDENT, BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND A VARIETY OF OTHER.
WE HAD NARCAN TRAINING MOST RECENTLY AND WE HAD A BOARD MEMBER THAT JOINED US WITH THAT.
SO STUDENT SERVICES AND ALSO KRISTIN DONNELLY WITH TE TEACHING AND LEARNING.
SO IT'S JUST A GREAT COMMITTEE AND A HARD WORKING COMMITTEE AND THEY'RE KEEPING ME ON MY TOES.
OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES.
[8. Report from Student Representatives Emily Milton and Torenzo Ricks]
SO I'M GOING TO START WITH MISS EMILY MILTON.HELLO, EVERYONE. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.
I WOULD LIKE TO START OFF WITH TODAY, LOCAL VIRGINIA DELEGATES ELIZABETH BENNETT, PARKER AND CHANEL HERRING VISITED HHS TO HONOR OUR STATE VOLLEYBALL CHAMPIONS WITH A STATE RESOLUTION. AND IT JUST HIGHLIGHTS AGAIN HOW WONDERFULLY PROUD WE ARE OF OUR TITAN VOLLEYBALL TEAM.
THE STREET LAW DIVERSITY PIPELINE PROGRAM HAS HAD MEMBERS OF THE ALEXANDRIA BAR ASSOCIATION VISIT A GOVERNMENT CLASS RECENTLY AT HHS TO TEACH LESSONS ON IMMIGRATION LAWS, THE FOURTH AMENDMENT AND MUCH MORE.
FOR THE PAST FEW DAYS, THE TITAN ROBOTICS TEAM HAS BEEN IN HOUSTON, TEXAS, COMPETING IN THE FIRST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE IMPACT AWARD, WHICH THEY ALSO WON AT THE FIRST CHESAPEAKE DISTRICT CHAMPIONSHIP.
AND WE'RE SO PROUD OF OUR TITANS.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE PROJECT DISCOVERY PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE SUPPORTED THROUGH THEIR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION PLANS.
[01:10:01]
PROJECT DISCOVERY HAS BEEN NOTED BY THE PROJECT DISCOVERY ALEXANDRIA AS CHAPTER HAS BEEN NOTED BY THE STATE AS ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL CHAPTERS YET, AND THEY HAVE BEEN MODELED BY OTHER BY OTHER CHAPTERS.NATALIE VAUGHAN SCHOLARSHIP FOR A SENIOR PURSUING A LIBERAL ARTS DEGREE.
THE DEADLINE TO APPLY TO THESE SCHOLARSHIPS IS APRIL 30TH.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO WISH EVERYONE A HAPPY, A HAPPY NATIONAL, BILINGUAL AND MULTILINGUAL LEARNER.
I'M THOROUGHLY IMPRESSED BY ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT WE HAVE HERE AT ALEXANDRIA AND ACRPS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE EVERYONE WHO SPEAKS A DIFFERENT LANGUAGE. I DEFINITELY DO NOT BUT WISH I DID.
ALONG WITH THAT IS NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK NEXT WEEK, STARTING ON THE 23RD.
THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING THAT INTO EXISTENCE.
I'M SORRY. UM, BUT IT FEELS GOOD TO REALLY BE BACK.
AS A CHOIR STUDENT, I HAVE TO SAY THAT IT WAS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.
RIEF. SO WE THANK YOU BOTH FOR COMING OUT AND SUPPORTING US.
THE ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL THEATER.
HARTMAN PRESENTS SISTER ACT THE MUSICAL.
TICKETS ARE ONLINE AS OF NOW, I BELIEVE, AND I BELIEVE THEY ARE SOLD AT THE DOOR.
ALL SHOWS START AT 730 PROMPTLY.
SENATOR MARK WARNER WILL BE MAKING AN APPEARANCE TOMORROW AT THE KING STREET CAMPUS TO TALK WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE INVOLVED WITH THE PARTNER OF OURS, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS, COMMUNITIES IN SCHOOLS, AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH US AND OUR STUDENTS BY REMOVING CERTAIN BARRIERS THAT KEEP THEM FROM BEING SUCCESSFUL.
IF YOU HAVE A FAVORITE TEACHER OR EDUCATOR.
I'M SO SORRY, DR. KAY. I THINK THAT WAS THE ONE POINT THAT YOU MAY HAVE HAD LEFT.
SUBMISSIONS ARE DUE APRIL 23RD THIS SATURDAY APRIL 29TH.
K WHY YOU CAN'T KEEP LOOKING AT ME LIKE THAT.
I FEEL LIKE I'M STOLE EVERYTHING.
JOIN ACP FOR OUR YOUR FUTURE TODAY.
REGISTRATION CAN BE DONE AND FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.
LASTLY, THIS IS TO ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATION AND ADMIN ADMIN ASSISTANTS SINCE OUR APPLICATIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR STUDENT REPS AS WELL AS INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY LIAISONS, EMILY, MYSELF, AND ZAHRA WILL BE SENDING A PUBLIC EMAIL FROM OUR STUDENT REP ACCOUNT, LETTING YOU ALL KNOW PUBLICLY THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO COME TO YOUR SCHOOLS AND JUST TO GIVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE POSITION AND SPREAD THE WORD AROUND THAT NORMALLY I WOULD PASS IT TO ZAHRA, BUT UNFORTUNATELY SHE CAN'T BE HERE, SO I PASS IT BACK TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU.
AND I WILL NOT BE GIVEN A REPORT FOR ZAHRA, JUST SO YOU GUYS KNOW.
ALL RIGHT. UM, SO WE HAVE TO ADOPT OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, SO I NEED A MOTION TO DO SO.
[Consent Calendar]
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE TO ADOPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR.REEVES. A MOTION. ARE THERE ANY ITEMS TO PULL? YES, MADAM CHAIR. I'D LIKE TO PULL NUMBER 11.
ALL RIGHT. WE ARE PULLING ITEM NUMBER 11 FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR.
[01:15:11]
YOU'RE GOOD. OKAY, IT'S BEEN PULLED.SO WE'VE PULLED ITEM NUMBER 11.
SO WE CAN GO AHEAD AND VOTE TO ADOPT THE CONSENT CALENDAR WITHOUT ITEM NUMBER 11.
AND THEN I WILL LET YOU TALK ABOUT ITEM NUMBER 11.
I KEEP GETTING KICKED OUT OF THE MEETING.
[15. Resumption of Patrick Henry Pre K-8 School and Recreation Center (Phase III)--Revised]
YEAH. NO, THANK YOU. AND IF IT'S EASIER, I CAN JUST MAKE THE MOTION TO APPROVE A PLAN TO APPROVE IT.JUST WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE STATEMENTS.
I WAS GOING TO MAKE THE MOTION, BUT THEN SAY JUST A COUPLE THINGS ON THAT.
YEAH, THAT'S FINE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SO, ALL RIGHT, SO WE HAVE MISTER L NEWBY WHO'S SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YES, THANK YOU.
I KNOW WE HAVE TWO PATRICK HENRY TEACHERS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE.
SO YOU GUYS PLAN THIS? I'M SURE. BUT WE DO HAVE AN END DATE IN SIGHT.
ONCE WE VOTE AS A BOARD, THE ACTUAL CONTRACT WILL BE PUBLIC PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
SO THIS IS THE GOOD NEWS IS DEMOLITION IS GOING TO BE STARTING THIS SUMMER WITH AN END GOAL OF, YOU KNOW, FALL HOPEFULLY OF 2024 WITH FIELDS AND DEMOLITION AND EVERYTHING AND PUTTING GETTING BACK TO WHAT THE ORIGINAL PLAN FOR PATRICK HENRY.
START TIME VERSUS AN 8:30 A.M.
START TIME. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ADJUSTMENT FOR, I THINK, ALL OF US.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, I JUST THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO POINT OUT AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHT THIS IS A, THIS IS A REALLY, REALLY AWESOME, POSITIVE NEXT STEP AND MOVING ON. SO THANK YOU AND KUDOS TO THE FACILITIES DEPARTMENT FOR YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER OTHER DISCUSSION AROUND THIS ITEM? ALL RIGHT. SO WE CAN VOTE.
ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ADOPTED OUR CONSENT CALENDAR, AND I'M MOVING ON BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A CLOSED MEETING. SO.
[Closed Meeting and Certification of Closed Meeting (if needed) ]
BRIEFINGS BY STAFF MEMBERS ON CONSULTANTS PERTAINING TO ACTUAL OR PROBABLE LITIGATION, WHERE SUCH CONSULTATION OR BRIEFING IN OPEN MEETING WOULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE NEGOTIATING OR LITIGATING POSTURE OF THE BOARD.I MOVE THAT THE BOARD CONVENE A CLOSED MEETING PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 2.2-371188 FOR CONSULTATION WITH LEGAL COUNSEL EMPLOYED OR RETAINED BY A PUBLIC BODY REGARDING SPECIFIC LEGAL MATTERS REQUIRING THE PROVISION OF LEGAL ADVICE BY SUCH COUNSEL.
OKAY. MADAM VICE CHAIR, CAN WE PLEASE CERTIFY THE MEETING CLOSED? YES, MADAM CHAIR. PURSUANT TO VIRGINIA CODE 2.23712.
A MOVE THAT THE BOARD CERTIFY THAT TO THE BEST OF EACH MEMBERS KNOWLEDGE, ONLY PUBLIC BUSINESS MATTERS IDENTIFIED IN THE MOTION BY WHICH THE CLOSED MEETING WAS CONVENED AND ARE LAWFULLY EXEMPTED BY THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT WERE HEARD, DISCUSSED OR CONSIDERED BY THE BOARD IN THE CLOSED MEETING HELD ON APRIL 20TH, 2023.
[01:20:10]
OKAY. THANK YOU.WE HAVE NO OLD BUSINESS TONIGHT, BUT WE HAVE SOME NEW BUSINESS.
AND WE'RE STARTING WITH MR. PARKER. SO WE WILL HAVE A ATHLETICS PROGRAM UPDATE.
[18. Athletics Program Update]
OH, OKAY. WELL, I THINK YOU'VE KIND OF SAID EVERYTHING THAT I WAS GOING TO SAY.I WAS JUST GOING TO INTRODUCE MR. JAMES PARKER, WHO IS OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS AND STUDENT SERVICES, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU AN ATHLETIC PROGRAM.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, FIRST, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT OVER THE YEARS.
YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN GREAT, WHETHER IT'S BEEN FOR BUDGET REQUESTS OR JUST SHOWING UP AT OUR EVENTS.
WE WOULDN'T BE AS SUCCESSFUL AS WE ARE WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THIS BOARD.
SO I FIRST WANTED TO START WITH THAT.
JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, THEY ACTUALLY WORKED TILL WE DID WIN THAT GAME.
THAT WAS A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP GAME.
VERY WELCOME. AND MY PRAYERS REALLY WERE RIGHT.
AND TO THE RIGHT OF THAT VERY PENSIVE MR. BALAS, WHO ACTUALLY PACED THE WHOLE FACILITY, THE CENTER, AND DIDN'T WANT ANYBODY TALKING TO HIM.
AND HE DOES THIS AT A LOT OF OUR GAMES.
SO TO TO GO INTO THIS OVERVIEW, WE HAVE 31 DIFFERENT SPORTS.
SO WE GIVE OUR OUR STUDENTS A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO PLAY DIFFERENT ATHLETICS.
I'VE OFFICIAL STUDENT ACTIVITIES THAT WE HOST WITH THE 57 DIFFERENT CLUBS, 1400 ATHLETES, 140 COACHES, FOUR FULL TIME ATHLETIC STAFF, AND ONE FULL TIME ATHLETIC TRAINER.
SO ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT ICONS YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE'VE EITHER PARTNERED WITH OR WORK WITH IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE BEST OF THE BEST FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES.
WE'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH A LOT OF THESE GROUPS.
BUT ALL OF THESE GROUPS ARE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE BEST BRANDS IN HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS.
FIRST THING WE DID WAS WAS FIRST TALK TO PARENTS, TALK TO OUR COMMUNITY, TALK TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT NEEDED TO DO IN REGARDS TO MAKING THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE GREAT.
AND THE THE THE ONE THING THAT KEPT COMING TO PASS WAS COMMUNICATION.
EVERYBODY WANTED US TO COMMUNICATE BETTER.
AGAIN, JUST TO BE ABLE TO SHOWCASE OUR INFORMATION A LOT BETTER.
AND ALSO WITH OUR TITAN ATHLETICS APP, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE TO GO INTO THE APP TO MAKE CHANGES THEN INTO THE WEBSITE.
SO NOW WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO IT IN ONE SPOT.
EVERYTHING WILL KIND OF POPULATE IN ONE LOCATION.
THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE IS OBVIOUSLY A MAJOR THING FOR US.
WE HAVE TWITTER, WE HAVE INSTAGRAM.
A LOT OF OUR SPORTS HAVE INDIVIDUAL WEB PAGES OR SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES, AND IF SOMEBODY DECIDES TO LEAVE AND NOT GIVE US THE INFORMATION, THEN WE HAVE TO START A WHOLE NEW ACCOUNT FOR THAT PARTICULAR SPORT.
SO NOW EVERYTHING WILL BE HOUSED WITHIN THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.
OUR RANK ONE SYSTEM IS OUR ATHLETE MEDICAL REGISTRATION SYSTEM.
WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, THE FIRST TIME WE HAD TRYOUTS, THERE WAS A LINE OUTSIDE OF MY DOOR BECAUSE WE WERE REQUIRING ALL THE PARENTS TO COME BRING THEIR ACTUAL PHYSICAL FORMS AND MARRIAGE FORMS TO THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT, WHICH WAS CRAZY.
[01:25:03]
SO I TOLD OUR ADMIN AT THE TIME, THIS WILL BE THE LAST TIME WE DO THIS.AND THEY CAN GO RIGHT ON THERE AND MAKE SURE ALL THEIR STUFF IS THERE.
AND THEN WHEN WE GIVE THEM INSTRUCTIONS ON WHAT ELSE THEY MAY NEED TO DO, IT ALSO HELPS OUR ATHLETIC TRAINING STAFF SO THAT THEY CAN UPDATE PARENTS, THE KIDS, ON ANY ISSUES THEY HAVE WITH INJURIES.
SO IF THEY'RE NOT CLEARED TO PLAY.
AND THEY, YOU KNOW, WE MOVE FROM THERE.
WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY TO UPLOAD DOCTOR'S NOTES AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IN THIS SYSTEM AS WELL.
SO GREAT SYSTEM FOR US TO HAVE.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE HAVE A RAIN DELAY OR WE IT'S AN OVERTIME GAME AND THE BUS IS GETTING LATE BACK TO THE HIGH SCHOOL, WE CAN TEXT THE PARENTS AND SAY, HEY, COME BACK, COME PICK UP YOUR KIDS AT THIS PARTICULAR TIME OR 20 MINUTES LATE.
IT'S BEEN A GREAT TOOL FOR US TO USE.
IT ALLEVIATES FOR FOR FOR OUR COACHES NOT TO BE TEXTING.
SO GREAT SYSTEM FOR OUR TEAMS TO USE AND VERY SAFE OUR LOCKER ROOM NEWSLETTER WE ACTUALLY USE THROUGH PARENTSQUARE, WHICH IS GREAT.
NOT ONLY ARE WE ABLE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY AT HHS AND GET INFORMATION OUT TO THEM, BUT ALSO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PARENTS, THAT WAS A BIG CONCERN WHEN I FIRST GOT HERE, THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, WE HAD NO IDEA HOW TO CONTACT THOSE PARENTS, HOW TO GET INFORMATION TO THEM.
AND NOW THIS ALLOWS US TO DO THAT.
IT ALSO HELPS US WITH ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KIDS AS WELL.
WE DO RUN SOME CAMPS AND CLINICS.
AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THAT.
SO THAT'S BEEN GREAT FAN FOOD APP.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY SIT IN YOUR SEAT AND ORDER FOOD FROM THE CONCESSION STAND.
NOW, WE WON'T DELIVER IT TO YOU, BUT YOU CAN WALK OVER THERE.
IT ALSO HELPS WITH MAKING SURE WE CAN SEND INFORMATION OUT.
ABOUT, HEY, WE SOLD OUT A HOT DOG.
THOSE TYPE OF THINGS HAD SOME ISSUES WITH IT BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET AND THE OUR TECH OUR TECH DEPARTMENT HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AT HHS TO TO TO HELP WITH THE PROCESS OF GETTING INTERNET IN THE BUILDING.
NOW WE'RE WORKING ON DOING THAT AT THE ACTUAL STADIUM.
WE ACTUALLY HAVE CAMERAS IN OUR MAIN GYM AND ON THE MAIN STADIUM FIELD.
OUR COACHES CAN USE THEM FOR FILM STUDY.
PARENTS CAN GO ONLINE OR ON THEIR PHONE AND WATCH GAMES IF THEY'RE NOT PHYSICALLY THERE.
SO GREAT SYSTEM FOR US TO HAVE.
WE WANTED TO FOCUS A LOT ON COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY WHEN WE GOT HERE JUST SO THAT WE'RE ON THE CUTTING EDGE OF EVERYTHING AND EVERYBODY KNOWS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WHAT'S GOING ON. ALL RIGHT.
AND JUST FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, SOME TEAMS RAISED MORE FUNDS THAN OTHERS.
OBVIOUSLY, SOME SOME SPORTS DIDN'T EVEN HAVE A BOOSTER CLUB.
AND THEN THERE WAS A LOT OF CONFUSION WHEN IT CAME TO SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THE VENDORS WERE KIND OF CONFUSED ON WHAT THE PRICE SHOULD ACTUALLY BE.
AND ALSO FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT, YOU KNOW, YOUR WINNER AND YOUR FALL SPORTS COME UP FIRST.
SO THEY WOULD GO OUT, GET GET ALL THE MONEY AND THEN THE SPRING SPORTS WOULD BE KIND OF LEFT OUT.
SO THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF BRING EVERYTHING IN HOUSE, HAVE A UNIFIED APPROACH.
IT ALSO HELPS US WITH OUR CONCESSION STAND AS WELL.
[01:30:02]
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM AND GIRLS BASKETBALL TEAM HAD WERE GOING OUT BUYING DIFFERENT STUFF SO THEY WOULD LOCK THEIR STUFF UP AFTER EACH OF THEIR GAMES THEY WOULD USE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT INSTEAD OF USING THE SAME CONDIMENTS, THEY HAVE IT ALL LOCKED UP.SO IT WAS JUST KIND OF A WASTE OF MONEY.
THEY WEREN'T REALLY MAXIMIZING THEIR OPPORTUNITIES THERE.
SO WE ACTUALLY FULFILL EVERYTHING IN THE CONCESSION STAND, STOCK IT FOR THEM.
IT HELPS OUR PARENTS. THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO TO COSTCO.
WE DO ALL THAT STUFF FOR THEM SO THEY CAN JUST SHOW UP, WORK THE CONCESSION STAND.
IT ALSO HELPS WITH SOME TEAMS THAT MAY NOT HAVE A LOT OF PARENT SUPPORT.
UM, GOING BACK ALSO ABOUT WITH THE UNIFIED BOOSTER CLUB, I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR DEBATE TEAM WHO'S GOING TO NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP THIS YEAR SO THEY DON'T HAVE A BOOSTER CLUB AND THEY NEED FUNDING TO, TO TRAVEL TO LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY THIS YEAR.
OUR WE HAVE A WE'RE IN AN AGE NOW WHERE A LOT OF OUR STUDENT ATHLETES WANT TO SPECIALIZE IN SPORTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, DATA SHOWS THAT THEY SHOULDN'T DO THAT EVEN ON AN ELITE LEVEL.
MOST OF YOUR OLYMPIANS, PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES, ALL PLAYED MULTIPLE SPORTS IN HIGH SCHOOL.
SO WE WANT TO INCENTIVIZE OUR ATHLETES TO PLAY MULTIPLE SPORTS.
SO JUST JUST A WAY TO KIND OF INCENTIVIZE OUR ATHLETES TO BE MORE INVOLVED IN OUR IN OUR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE A TIGHT AND ATHLETIC STUDENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT WE STARTED.
WE USE ALL OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THERE.
THIS YEAR. WE HAD 25 STUDENTS.
THEY WORK IN EVENT OPERATIONS, THE CONCESSION STAND.
THEY DO WEBSITE UPDATES FOR US.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAM IS A REFLECTION OF OUR STUDENTS.
SO HAVING THEM INVOLVED HAS BEEN REALLY GREAT.
WE'VE ALSO SWAYED SOME OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, PERSONALLY I WAS A SPORT MANAGEMENT MAJOR, SO WE HAVE SOME STUDENTS THAT COME IN NOW AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, MR. PARKER, I WANT TO WORK IN ATHLETICS.
I'M LIKE, YEAH, GREAT. SO NOW THEY'RE GOING OFF TO COLLEGE TO DO THAT.
SO IT'S BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM FOR US TO TO HAVE LAUNCHED.
WE CAN'T MANDATE PARENTS TO COME TO IT, BUT WE HAD A GREAT TURNOUT FOR IT AND IT JUST GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW TO MAKE THEIR STUDENTS HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS EXPERIENCE BETTER.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S THAT CAR, THAT CAR RIDE HOME THAT'S ALWAYS THE ISSUE.
SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING THIS. YOU MISSED THE SHOT.
IT'S LIKE THEY KNOW WHAT THEY DID.
JUST ASK THEM WHAT THEY WANT TO EAT.
SO WE KIND OF GIVE THEM SOME TOOLS TO KIND OF HELP THEM THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE ALSO HAVE A ATHLETIC FACULTY MENTORSHIP PROGRAM, SO A LOT OF OUR COACHES WANT TO GET INTO ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION, SO THIS GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF SHADOW US.
THEY WORK GAME NIGHTS FOR US, THEY DO SPECIAL PROJECTS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE FIVE COACHES THAT ARE DOING THIS CURRENTLY.
THIS PARTICULAR SEASON WE HIRED ONE OF OUR MENTEES, MR. FELIX TREMMEL, WHO IS ONE OF OUR SOFTBALL COACHES AND A TEACHER THERE, HHS.
HE CAME FROM THIS AND ONE OF OUR COACHES, I WON'T SAY HIS NAME BECAUSE HE HASN'T ANNOUNCED THIS YET, BUT HE JUST GOT A JOB TO BE AN ASSOCIATE ASSISTANT ATHLETIC DIRECTOR AT ANOTHER SCHOOL.
AND PART OF THAT IS FROM THIS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE CREATED A ATHLETIC ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AWARD PROGRAM.
BUT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO, YOU KNOW, ANY ATHLETE THAT HAS A 3.5 GPA OR HIGHER GETS A CERTIFICATE.
WE DO A SCHOLAR ATHLETE AWARD FOR THE HIGHEST GPA ON EACH OF THE TEAMS AND THEY GET A PLAQUE.
WE DO A TEAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD.
THIS IS A WAY FOR THE TEAM TO KIND OF COMPETE AGAINST EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S LIKE THAT'S THE GOLD STANDARD, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN BE YOU CAN BE THE BEST AT BOTH IN BOTH IN BOTH WORLDS.
AND WE ALSO HAVE THE GOLDEN TITAN AWARD, WHICH IS THE SENIOR WITH THE HIGHEST GPA, WHICH LAST YEAR WAS A LACROSSE PLAYER WHO WAS AT VIRGINIA TECH NOW, AND HE HAD A 5.2 GPA, WHICH I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WAS POSSIBLE.
[01:35:06]
ALL RIGHT. HERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE'RE JUST WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT, THINGS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IN THE FUTURE, THINGS THAT WE ARE STILL GATHERING INFORMATION ON.AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVEN'T COME TO THE BOARD OR ANYBODY WITH, YOU KNOW, ANY NUMBERS OR ANY ASKS, BUT THESE ARE THINGS THAT WE FEEL WOULD BE GREAT ENHANCEMENTS TO THEIR ATHLETIC PROGRAM.
FIRST WOULD OBVIOUSLY BE A CREATION OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS AND STUDENT ACTIVITIES PROGRAM.
A LOT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS AROUND US HAVE THEM.
ARLINGTON, FAIRFAX, PRINCE WILLIAM FAIRFAX JUST LAUNCHED THEIRS.
THIS GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, THEY'LL HAVE A TRACK AND FIELD AND CROSS COUNTRY PROGRAM TO START WITH.
SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE FEEL LIKE WITH ALL THE TALK, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM ABOUT SAFETY AND SECURITY, WE WE REALLY DO FEEL LIKE ATHLETICS CAN KIND OF OFFSET THAT, HELPING GET KIDS OFF THE STREET, GIVING THEM OTHER PEOPLE TO BE AROUND FROM A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL STANDPOINT.
SO HAVING THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, WE WANT TO ENHANCE OUR CURRENT INTRAMURAL PROGRAM.
SO THAT'S PART OF OUR ENHANCEMENT THERE.
UM, ON THE SIDE, IF YOU WILL, AND THOSE, YOU KNOW, THAT THINK WOULD HELP NOT ONLY WITH SOME OF OUR ELITE LEVEL ATHLETES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THE RIGHT DIRECTION CLEARINGHOUSE FOR THE NCAA, THEIR CORE GPA, ALL THOSE THINGS THEY NEED TO HAVE, BUT ALSO TO MAKE SURE KIDS ARE GRADUATING, YOU KNOW, AND SELFISHLY FROM A COACHING STANDPOINT, TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL OUR BEST PLAYERS, YOU KNOW, READY TO PLAY AND ELIGIBLE TO PLAY WITH THE SIZE OF OUR SCHOOL.
UM, WE REALLY LIKE TO ENHANCE OUR WEIGHT ROOM.
WE WANT IT TO BE MORE INVITING.
SO FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT, MAKE SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT IN THERE.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY MOTIVATE OUR STUDENT ATHLETES AND STUDENTS THAT ARE AT AT THE SCHOOL CURRENTLY TO WANT TO BE IN THE WEIGHT ROOM CONDITIONING AND, YOU KNOW, DO BETTER FOR THEMSELVES. SO WE ARE LOOKING AT WAYS THAT THAT COULD POSSIBLY HAPPEN.
WE ACTUALLY JUST CREATED A CULTURE STATEMENT AND CORE VALUE COMMITTEE JUST TO ASSIST US WITH HAVING CORE VALUES THAT WE WOULD KIND OF INSTILL IN ALL OF OUR ATHLETES. IT WOULD BE PART OF OUR PRACTICE PLANS, PART OF GAMES.
IT WOULDN'T JUST BE WORDS THAT WE PUT UP.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT DOING SOME INCENTIVE PROGRAMS WHERE ON A WEEKLY BASIS, IF A ATHLETE EXEMPLIFIES ONE OF OUR CORE VALUES AND THEY WOULD GET A CERTIFICATE FOR DOING THAT. SO WE'RE IN WORKS OF DOING THAT AND HOPE TO LAUNCH THAT HOPEFULLY NEXT YEAR.
HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
MINE, OF COURSE. MY FAVORITE IS THE FAN APP FOR THE FOOD, BUT EVERYBODY PROBABLY ALREADY KNOWS THAT MR. PASCAL IS WATCHING THE COOK.
I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF HIGHLIGHT A LOT OF WORK THAT MR. PARKER HAS DONE AND PUTTING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER, ESPECIALLY AROUND THE COMMUNICATION PIECE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT TO US THIS EVENING.
I JUST WANTED TO HIT THOSE HIGHLIGHTS REAL QUICK.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. HARRIS. MR. PARKER UM, AS A AS A FORMER ATHLETE AND COACH HERE, I'M THE MORE YOU TALK, THE MORE EXCITED I GOT AND THE MORE DRILLING FLOW THROUGH ME.
BECAUSE. BECAUSE THIS IS TRULY AMAZING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS BRINGS ENGAGEMENT FROM EVERYONE.
EVERYONE CAN GET ENGAGED WITH ATHLETICS THROUGH ALL THESE PROGRAMS AND THE STUFF THAT'S COMING UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE WORK YOU'VE DONE AND THE STRIDES HAS BEEN MADE OVER THE YEARS.
BECAUSE WHEN I PLAYED, WHEN I COACHED, EVERYTHING WAS SO ANTIQUATED.
THERE WAS NEVER A WHOLE LOT OF GROWTH OF THE PROCESSES, THE FACILITIES, NOTHING.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST THIS IS JUST, YOU KNOW, GROUNDBREAKING.
[01:40:03]
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CONTINUED GROWTH.AND THE ONE THING THAT REALLY JUMPED OUT AT ME IS THE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE BOOSTER PROGRAM, BECAUSE I NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN COACHING FOOTBALL, WE WERE ALWAYS THE ONES THAT GOT THE MOST MONEY FROM BOOSTERS.
WE WERE SELLING CALLED DISCOUNT CARDS AND MATTRESSES AND, YOU KNOW, DONUTS AND ALL TYPE OF THINGS.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ARE COMPETING WITH OTHER SPORTS DURING THAT SAME SEASON.
AND, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF HAVE ALL THAT COLLABORATED.
I MEAN, THIS IS GOING TO HELP A LOT OF SPORTS GROW.
IT'S GOING TO HELP THE ENGAGEMENT.
AND I HAVE TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE GREAT WORK AND HOPE THAT YOU'LL JOIN ME.
LOOK AT YOU, YOU GET APPLAUSE.
YOU'RE NOT DONE. OH, YOU'RE NOT DONE.
YES, THANK YOU, MR. PARKER. THAT WAS SUCH AN EXCITING UPDATE.
I WAS A SWIMMER ATHLETE THROUGH COLLEGE, SO IT'S ALL REALLY EXCITING.
I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE POOL THAT WE'RE BUILDING.
SO COUPLE THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS.
HOW WITH WITH ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW PARENTS OF ATHLETES, THEY'RE GETTING INFORMATION ABOUT SCHEDULES, BUT HOW DO HOW DO WE AND THIS MIGHT NOT NECESSARILY BE JUST A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT IT COULD BE A QUESTION FOR COMMUNICATIONS, TOO.
HOW DO WE MORE BROADLY GET THE COMMUNITY TO KNOW ALL OF THE DIFFERENT CALENDAR EVENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY REACHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY MORE BROADLY? SURE, WE CAN DEFINITELY WORK ON THAT BECAUSE I BELIEVE ALL OF THAT JUST GOES OUT TO THE ATHLETES.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN GETTING THAT QUESTION THIS YEAR, EVEN FROM BOARD MEMBERS AND FAMILIES, ABOUT HOW CAN WE HAVE LIKE KIND OF A ONE HUB PLACE TO GO AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'VE GOT SOME FREE TIME THIS WEEKEND.
AND LIKE WE HAVE THE PLAY COMING UP, THE SISTERS AT PLAY.
YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR MY FAMILY.
LET ME GO. SO, YES, COMMUNICATIONS HAS BEEN WORKING ON THAT.
SO DEFINITELY WILL BE COLLABORATING WITH MR. PARKER. IT'S JUST THAT THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES THAT ARE ALWAYS GOING ON AND TRYING TO GET IT IN A FORMAT THAT'S EASY TO READ.
AND THEN WE ALSO THINK ABOUT HOW WOULD THAT BE TRANSLATED OUT IN OUR DIFFERENT LANGUAGES.
SO THERE'S COMMUNICATIONS AROUND THAT.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE CAN GET OUR COMMUNITY OUT THERE AND PARTICULARLY OUR FAMILIES USING PARENTSQUARE TO TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE DIFFERENT SPORTING EVENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING OR GREAT CHOIR OR PLAYS THAT ARE COMING UP I THINK IS REALLY HELPFUL.
SPOTS FOR EIGHTH GRADERS ARE COMING UP.
HAVE WE EVER CONSIDERED ABOUT IN ADDITION TO MIDDLE SCHOOL EXPANDING AND HAVING SOME NINTH GRADE TEAMS OR 10TH GRADE TEAMS FOR, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE INTRAMURALS FOR STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT MAKE NECESSARILY LIKE THE JV TEAM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL? YEAH, I MEAN, SOME OF OUR SPORTS HAVE, YOU KNOW, FRESHMAN JV VARSITY, OBVIOUSLY.
AND THERE'S OTHER SPORTS LIKE SOCCER THAT'S REALLY POPULAR.
BUT WE ONLY HAVE JV AND VARSITY.
AND A LOT OF TIMES THAT'S BASED ON WHAT THE OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS AROUND US ARE DOING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, OUR FOOTBALL COACHES EVEN THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT, CAN WE HAVE AN A AND A B TEAM FOR THE FRESHMAN KIDS? BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE STANDING ON THE SIDELINE, THEY DON'T GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND THEN THEY QUIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AT THAT AGE, THOSE 8 TO 9, THEY JUST WANT TO PLAY.
THEY JUST WANT TO PLAY AND HAVE FUN.
SO YEAH, WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT OTHER WAYS TO YOUR POINT TO GET THOSE KIDS MORE ENGAGED AND INVOLVED.
YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE I ALSO THINK IT CAN BE TO SOME DEGREE AN EQUITY THING AS WELL, BECAUSE YOU HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO'VE HAD THE MEANS AND THEY'RE STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN GROWING UP AND THEY'RE PAYING TO GO DO THE SOCCER AND THE TRAVEL OR BASEBALL AND STUFF.
SO THEY MAY HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE AND A LOT MORE PRACTICE GOING INTO IT, RIGHT? AND SO THEN WE'RE POTENTIALLY LEAVING OUT A GROUP OF STUDENTS WHO MAY NOT HAVE AS MUCH ACCESS ONCE THEY GET TO EIGHTH GRADE, NINTH GRADE, 10TH GRADE, ESPECIALLY WITH SUCH A BIG HIGH SCHOOL. NO. YEAH, YOU'RE RIGHT.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, HAVING MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS COULD BE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE YOU CAN INTRODUCE THOSE SPORTS TO THOSE KIDS A LOT EARLIER AND, YOU KNOW, SIX, SEVENTH GRADE AND THAT GIVES THEM AN OPPORTUNITY, ESPECIALLY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN GROUPS THAT JUST THEY DON'T THEY'VE NEVER SEEN LACROSSE BEFORE OR CREW
[01:45:09]
OR ANY OF THOSE SPORTS UNTIL THEY GET TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT AT IT HAD THEY STARTED, YOU KNOW, IN SIXTH OR SEVENTH GRADE.AND I'LL JUST PUT A PLUG OUT THERE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS.
THERE WAS A MIDDLE SCHOOL SWIM TEAM THAT I WAS ON.
SO NOW THAT WE'LL HAVE A HIGH SCHOOL POOL, WE SHOULD CONSIDER THAT.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MISS GREENE.
AND THANK YOU, MR. PARKER, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO WANT TO TAG ON TO A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT MR. HARRIS SAID. JUST SEEING THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE FOR THE PAST 4 OR 5 YEARS NOW FROM WHERE THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WAS AND WHERE IT IS, IS, YOU KNOW, IS PHENOMENAL.
JUST THE LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM THAT YOU'VE TAKEN IT TO IS, YOU KNOW, REALLY TOP NOTCH.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I'M A REGULAR AND MOST ALL THE SPORTS BECAUSE I'M A TICKET HOLDER, RIGHT? YES. RIGHT. AND SO AND PROBABLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A SOCIAL LIFE, I'M JUST PLAYING.
AND AND JUST TO SEE THE ENERGY AT THE GAMES AND THE STUDENT ATHLETES SO PROUD TO BE PLAYING FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL TEAM JUST MAKES ME VERY PROUD FOR WHAT I DO. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR OUR STUDENT ATHLETES AND THEIR FAMILIES.
I'VE GOT ONE COMMENT AND THEN A QUESTION.
OH. WELL, YOU WEREN'T ON MY LIST, MICHEL.
SIR. I KNOW. SURPRISING, RIGHT? GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, DOCTOR.
OKAY. WELL, I ALSO SHARE THE COMMENDATIONS FROM MY COLLEAGUES.
I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THERE'S ONE FULL TIME ATHLETIC TRAINER FOR ALL THE STUDENT ATHLETES.
THEY WANT TO SEE MORE. SO I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN, DR. WHITE, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE FUNDING IN THE OPERATING AND THE CIP.
SURE. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THE FIRST QUESTION? YEAH. SO WE DO HAVE AN ASSISTANT ATHLETIC TRAINER AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, SOME TYPE OF MONEY THAT WE USE TO HELP SPREAD OUT EVERYTHING.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT RESPONSE.
WE'VE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS.
AS YOU SEE, HE'S PUTTING IT BACK TO ME TO MAKE SURE THAT I MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
NOW, NO PRESSURE FROM ALL THE APPLAUSE THAT HE'S RECEIVED TONIGHT.
SO NOT IT'S GOING TO COME BACK TO ME, OBVIOUSLY.
SO KIND OF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UNIFORMS, YOU KNOW, EQUIPMENT, THAT SORT OF THING.
THERE'S ALSO A PIECE THAT WE'VE EARMARKED $100,000 IN THE CIP, WHICH IS OUT OF EARMARKED JUST BASICALLY FOR THE ASSESSMENTS OF THE FACILITY. SO THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT COMPONENTS LIKE THE OPERATING PROGRAMING.
AND THEN FOR ITS FACILITIES ASSESSMENT FIELDS, KIND OF THOSE HARD STRUCTURES.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO BUDGET PIECES THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE WORKING THROUGH.
BUT HE'S DONE A GREAT JOB THUS FAR WITH MAKING ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN, AND WE'RE JUST REALLY EXCITED ABOUT HERE ABOUT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMING AND REALLY JUST RECOGNIZING OUR ATHLETES AS SCHOLARS AS WELL.
SO WE THANK HIM FOR THAT WORK.
SO I HAD ONE COMMENT AND ONE QUESTION, ONE KUDOS IN TERMS OF YOUR LIST OF THINGS THAT ARE COMING IN THE FUTURE THAT I THINK NEEDS TO BE HIGHLIGHTED AND I HIGHLY, HIGHLY, HIGHLY RECOMMEND AS A STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM.
THIS, I THINK, IS SO UNDERRATED IN OUR SOCIETY OVERALL, BUT PARTICULARLY FOR CHILDREN.
[01:50:06]
THINK HISTORICALLY WE JUST WE HAVEN'T HAD SORT OF A TRUE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT FITNESS IS.AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A LIFELONG SKILL THAT NOT ONLY APPLIES TO SPORTS, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, BEING HEALTHY FOR LIFE, STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING IS TOTALLY UNDERRATED.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS JUST THEY'RE NOT PHYSICALLY STRONG.
SO I JUST YOU KNOW, THAT'S MY OWN LITTLE THING THAT I THINK I THINK IF WE CAN REALLY DO SOME SOMETHING GOOD THERE, I THINK THAT WILL NOT ONLY IMPACT ALL THE ATHLETES, BUT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE JUST GET MORE KIDS IN GENERAL INTO UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT IN THEIR LIFE. SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M ALL FOR THAT.
WHATEVER YOU NEED, WHATEVER YOU NEED.
UM, SO SORRY, I DIDN'T, I DIDN'T SAY THAT.
PLEASE FOLLOW THAT. SO I DID NOT SAY THAT.
SO WE WILL WORK WITH AND OUR GUIDELINES.
UM, ONE QUESTION I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT ABOUT IS, YOU KNOW, THE NOTION OF WE ALREADY KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS WHO QUALIFY FOR FREE AND REDUCED MEALS, AND THAT'S FOR ECONOMIC REASONS.
AND I ALWAYS THINK ABOUT AND I'M CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN THEY TRAVEL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHEN THEY TRAVEL IS THEY HAVE TO HAVE LIKE MONEY FOR MEALS.
AND SO I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO HOW, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THE BOOSTER CLUBS LIKE.
THINK ABOUT THAT, HOW THEY TRY TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE I'M I GET CONCERNED IF LIKE.
BUT THAT ALWAYS WORRIES ME ABOUT PRESSURE ON KIDS WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO HAVE MONEY FOR MEALS.
SO HOW HOW HAVE THERE BEEN DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT OR WAYS AROUND THAT? YEAH, EVERY.
IT'S FUNNY, EVERY BOOSTER CLUB KIND OF PRIORITIZES MEALS DIFFERENT WAYS.
SO OUR LET'S SAY, BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM, THEY TRY TO FEED THEIR KIDS BEFORE EVERY SINGLE GAME.
THEY GO OUT, THEY RAISE MONEY TO TO FEED THEIR KIDS EVERY SINGLE GAME.
WHEREAS OUR FOOTBALL TEAM, OUR COACH REALLY WANTS TO DO THAT BECAUSE HE FEELS LIKE SOME OF THE KIDS ARE EATING, LET'S SAY AT 11:00, THEY'RE NOT LEAVING TILL SIX, 7:00 AT NIGHT. THEY EAT AT 11.
WHAT'S GOING ON IN BETWEEN THAT TIME? SO HE'S WORKED WITH OUR BOOSTER GROUP TO SEE IF TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET SOME KIND OF SNACKS AND STUFF FOR THEM TO EAT BEFORE GAMES, BEFORE PRACTICES AND OBVIOUSLY BEFORE GAMES AS WELL WHEN IT COMES TO TRAVEL.
BUT AS FAR AS GOING TO GAMES IN THE EVENING, THERE HASN'T.
IT'S BEEN KIND OF HIT AND MISS WHEN IT COMES TO THAT.
YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO DO A SHOUT OUT FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL.
TONY IS AT WVU STUDYING STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING.
AND HE THIS IS A YOUNG MAN WHO WE COULDN'T GET IN THE WEIGHT ROOM, RIGHT? YEAH, HE WAS HE WAS TINY AND HE WAS AFRAID.
AND BETWEEN MR. PARKER AND JIMMY LONGER BEAM, HE GOT INTO THE STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING PROGRAM AND STARTED WORKING OUT WITH THE FOOTBALL TEAM.
AND OBVIOUSLY HE DID PLAY BASEBALL.
AND THEN WHEN HUGHIE CAME ALONG, HE WANTED TO RETAKE THE CLASS AGAIN.
HE TOOK THE CLASS OVER AGAIN FOR NO CREDIT.
AND THAT'S WHAT HE'S DOING NOW.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT THAT IS A RESULT OF OF YOU GUYS IN THAT PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S WHERE HE WANTS TO BE AND THAT'S WHAT HE WANTS TO DO.
GREAT. THAT'S GREAT. ALL RIGHT.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE QUARTERLY REPORTS UP.
[19. FY 2023 CIP Quarterly Report for Q3]
UM, QUARTER THREE CIP REPORT.THAT IS AN INFO AND ACTION ITEM.
[01:55:01]
FINNEGAN AND DR. HART TO THEIR.THANK YOU, ERICA. I THINK WE'RE ALL SET.
MS.. GULICK, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOU RIGHT NOW.
I'M NOT SURE WHO'S ADVANCING THE SCREEN, BUT I.
WE CANNOT HEAR YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
YES. CAN THEY HEAR US NOW OR CAN WE HEAR THEM? DR. HART, CAN YOU DO A TEST FOR US, PLEASE? TEST. TEST.
ALL RIGHT. WONDERFUL. I CAN HEAR YOU NOW.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO. GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO YOU, DR.
HART, AND YOUR TEAM, IF YOU'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE THEM AND PRESENT YOUR QUARTERLY REPORT.
I'M GOING TO DO QUICK INTRODUCTIONS.
SO ERIKA GULICK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND WE HAVE ASUKA BARTLETT, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL PROGRAMS, PLANNING AND DESIGN, AND TURNING IT OVER TO MISTER FINNEGAN TO LEAD THE PRESENTATION, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
SO THE WHOLE TEAM IS HERE TURNING IT OVER TO YOU, JOHN.
THANK YOU. DR. HART. GOOD EVENING.
CHAIR ALDERTON, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND DR.
WYATT. WE WILL TRY AND GET YOU GUYS OUT OF HERE QUICKLY.
SUSAN, THANK YOU FOR ADVANCING THIS.
WE ARE GOING THROUGH THE QUARTER THREE QUARTERLY REPORTS FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
AS NORMAL, THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT DO COMPRISE THE CIP.
WE'LL KEEP GOING. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
FISCAL YEAR 23, THIRD QUARTER SPENDING, JUST A FEW THINGS.
THE $204 MILLION BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF SMALL BUDGET TRANSFERS.
AND WHAT WE'RE LEFT WITH AT THE END OF QUARTER THREE IS THAT 48,818,796, THAT IS MONEY THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY GO INTO KICKING OFF OUR NEW CONSTRUCTION SEASON THAT WE ARE GETTING READY AND DEEP INTO.
OTHER THAN THAT, WE DO WANT TO NOTE THE EQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE OTHER SCHOOLS.
THERE ARE A FEW THAT ARE A LITTLE HIGHER.
I WILL NOTE THOSE FRANCIS HAMMOND HAS A LARGE HVAC PROJECT.
THAT'S WHY THAT'S GOT A LARGE DOLLAR FIGURE.
GEORGE WASHINGTON, SAME THING, HVAC PROJECT AS WELL AS THE SECURED VESTIBULE.
AND THEN THAT LEAVES US WITH THAT $48 MILLION THAT WE'LL BE TAKING INTO THE NEXT QUARTER.
THANK YOU, JOHN. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
WE'VE CONTINUED WITH OUR MAJOR TRADES, SUCH AS STRUCTURAL STEEL, CONCRETE, MECHANICAL, ELECTRICAL, PLUMBING, AS WELL AS SPRAY FIREPROOFING AND INTERIOR EXTERIOR LAYOUTS HAD STARTED.
SO. SO DID THE POOL EXCAVATION WORK? WE DID APPROVE AND EXECUTE.
WE DID APPROVE AND EXECUTE THE FOUR PACKAGE, WHICH WAS FOR THE LOW VOLTAGE.
WE ARE ANTICIPATING OUR STEEL STRUCTURE TO BE COMPLETED BY FIRST WEEK OF MAY, WHICH WE ARE CELEBRATING THE BIG MILESTONE WITH STEEL TOPPING OUT CEREMONY NEXT WEEK AND TRAITS SUCH AS CONCRETE MEP SPRAY FIREPROOFING PARTITIONS WILL CONTINUE AND THE FACADE WORK WILL START. ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE EXPECTING THE GMP FIVE FOR PHASE TWO TO COME IN FOR EXECUTION AND APPROVAL AS WELL FOR DOUGLAS MACARTHUR PROJECT IN QUARTER THREE.
THE ROOFING WAS COMPLETED, THE AIR VAPOR BARRIER MASONRY FACADE WORK ARE ONGOING.
[02:00:02]
THE WALL CLOSINGS ARE COMPLETED AND FIRE PROOFING ALL THE FINISHED CONTRACTOR CONTRACTORS ARE PROGRESSING THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING.QUARTER FOUR ANTICIPATED WORK.
ALL OF THE MENTIONED ABOVE TRADES WILL CONTINUE THEIR WORK THROUGHOUT QUARTER FOUR.
ON GEARING UP FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE BUILDING IN THE FOLLOWING QUARTER.
ONE THING I DID MISS TO MENTION, THE FURNITURE PROCUREMENT WAS COMPLETED IN QUARTER THREE AS WELL FOR 1703 NORTH BEAUREGARD SWING SPACE PROJECT.
WE'VE CONTINUED WITH OUR PLANNING AND DESIGN EFFORTS.
VISIONING SESSIONS WERE HELD WITH OUR VARIOUS DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS AND CONCEPTUAL DESIGN CALLED NEST WERE SELECTED TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH CONCENTRATES ON OUTDOOR VIEWS AND UTILIZES THE EXISTING BUILDING TO MOST EFFICIENCY FOR THE SWING SPACE FOR QUARTER FOUR. THE DESIGN PROCESS WILL CONTINUE AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AT RISK, AS WELL AS THE COMMISSIONING AGENT PROCUREMENTS TO BE INITIATED FOR THE PROJECT.
HIGH SCHOOL. AND THIS SLIDE JUST SHOWS SOME OF THE CONSTRUCTION PROGRESS PHOTOS FOR THE FIRST.
ON THE FIRST ONE, YOU'RE SEEING THE POOL BEING EXCAVATED ON THE BOTTOM FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL PROJECT.
AND THE TOP PORTION, TOP PICTURE IS JUST A KIND OF THE SHOWING THE STEEL STRUCTURE, ONE OF THE CLASSROOM WINGS FROM THE EAST SIDE OF THE SITE ON THE MIDDLE ONE IS SHOWING DOUGLAS MACARTHUR PROJECT.
THE BOTTOM PHOTO IS A TYPICAL CLASSROOM PROGRESS PHOTO, AND THE LAST IMAGE IS A BLOCKING DIAGRAM OF THE 1703 SWING SPACE PROJECT, WHICH DELINEATES ALL THE ASSEMBLY SPACES THAT ARE ON EACH FLOOR IN CONNECTION TO HOW IT'S LAID OUT TO THE CLASSROOM AND THE CORE AND CIRCULATION OF THE BUILDING.
AND BACK TO YOU, JOHN. THANK YOU.
THIS FIRST ONE WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT.
THIS WAS A PHASED GYM LOBBY RENOVATION.
IT ACTUALLY WAS BOTH FLOORS OF FRANCIS HAMMOND.
WE HAVE A CONTRACTOR WHERE WE CAN LASER CUT THE THE LUXURY VINYL TILE, SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
ANCHOR WE ALSO HAVE SOME ANCHORS PAINTED AROUND THE SPACE AS WELL AS SOME OTHER GRAPHICS ON WOOD.
THIS IS THE SECURED VESTIBULE AT GEORGE WASHINGTON.
WE DO NOW HAVE A HOLDING AREA, IF YOU WILL.
FORMERLY, THE DOORS THAT YOU SEE IN THE DISTANCE, THE EXTERIOR DOORS WERE ARMED.
NOW THESE INTERIOR DOORS ARE ARMED.
WE ALSO TOOK OUT THE STAIRWELL AS A COMMON PASSAGEWAY.
IT'S NOW EMERGENCY EXIT ONLY, AND THAT IS ARMED AS WELL.
THIS IS ABLE TO BE USED AS A SECURED VESTIBULE.
HOWEVER, SOME OF THE ITEMS ARE STILL COMING.
WE ACTUALLY WILL BE REPLACING THE DOOR THAT IT'S LOOKING THROUGH WITH LARGER WINDOWS IN THE FLOORING HAS YET TO BE DONE AND WE'LL BE DOING SOME RENOVATIONS AT THE SECURITY DESK. NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
THIS IS A CHARLES BARRET LOBBY.
IT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THE TYPE OF PHASED PROJECTING THAT WE DID AN ASBESTOS REMEDIATION, THE MONITORING, THE TESTING, GETTING THE FLOOR LEVELING DOWN. NOW WE'RE WAITING FOR THE FINAL FLOORING TO COME IN AND THAT CAN BE INSTALLED OVER A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS.
BUT IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE PRINCIPALS WORKING WITH US AND KIND OF GETTING USED TO THIS CULTURE OF TRYING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF CHRISTMAS BREAK AND SPRING BREAK TO GET SOME OF THOSE ITEMS DONE IN PHASE IT OUT.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF KITCHEN PROJECTS ONGOING.
WE'RE GOING OUT TO BID FOR LAOS.
LYLES CROUCH WILL BE STARTING THIS SUMMER.
THERE IS A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE AT THAT OLD SCHOOL, SO THAT WILL GO INTO THE FALL.
[02:05:01]
AND THEN THIS WAS JUST A QUICK PROJECT FOR ALL OF THE BREAKOUT AREAS.THERE ARE FOUR OF THEM ON TWO LEVELS AT SAMUEL TUCKER.
THAT SCHOOL IS KIND OF REACHING THE AGE WHERE WE NEED TO START REPLACING SOME OF THESE FINISHES.
SO IT WAS A MUCH QUICKER AND EASIER PROJECT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DO OVER CHRISTMAS BREAK.
AND JUST A FEW ONGOING AND UPCOMING PROJECTS THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT.
WE ARE MOSTLY DONE WITH THE NAOMI BROOKS SECURED ENTRANCE VESTIBULE.
SOME OF THOSE PRODUCTS ARE ON ORDER.
THE CHAIN LINK FENCE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE NEIGHBOR'S YARDS.
REBAR CAGES HAVE BEEN SET IN, CONCRETE HAS BEEN POURED.
WE'RE GIVING THE NEIGHBORS UPDATES EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS ON THAT, AND THAT IS PROGRESSING NICELY.
THAT WILL BE FINISHING UP IN MAY.
FRANCIS HAMMOND HVAC RENOVATION.
WE HAVE HAVE BEEN GETTING IN EQUIPMENT.
WE'VE BEEN STORING SOME OF THOSE ON SITE.
WE DID USE SPRING BREAK TO GET INTO THE PLENUM AND DO SOME WIRING AND SOME PIPING WORK IS ONGOING DURING SOME EVENINGS AND THEN IN THE SUMMER IS REALLY GOING TO BE THE THRUST WHEN A LOT OF THE HEAVIER EQUIPMENT COMES IN AND WE CRANE THE ROOFTOP UNITS ONTO THE TOP OF THE BUILDING AND GET EVERYTHING SET UP AND COMMISSIONED.
THE ALEXANDER CITY HIGH SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REQUESTED ABOUT A YEAR AGO TO LOOK INTO.
WE DID A ROUGH ORDER OF MAGNITUDE ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO GET THE SYSTEM RUNNING AGAIN.
AND BASICALLY THAT CISTERN IS AN UNDERGROUND RETENTION VAULT OF RAINWATER THAT'S COLLECTED AND STORED, AND THEN IT IS PUMPED BACK INTO THE SYSTEM AND USED FOR GREYWATER, WHICH MEANS SINKS AND TOILETS.
IT IS NOT USED IN DRINKING FOUNTAINS OR ANY POTABLE WATER SOURCES.
AND THEN FINALLY, WINDOWS PROJECTS.
WE GOT PERMITS THAT IS GOING OUT TO BID.
THAT WILL PROBABLY BE A PHASED PROJECT BECAUSE IT INCLUDES THE ENTIRE SCHOOL AND THE FRONT OF THE BUILDING IN THE SOUTH SIDE HAD TO HAVE HISTORICAL LOOKING COMPONENTS. SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED AND THEY ARE VERY LARGE WINDOWS SYSTEMS. JOHN ADAMS IN GEORGE WASHINGTON.
WE ARE STARTING DESIGN EFFORTS ON REPLACING THE WINDOWS AT THOSE OLD SYSTEMS AT THOSE SCHOOLS.
THAT CONCLUDES EVERYTHING AND WE WILL CERTAINLY TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I WILL TURN IT OVER TO MY COLLEAGUES.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? DR. RIEF DOES.
THANK YOU FOR THE UPDATE AND ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON ALL THESE PROJECTS.
THE SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING REALLY GOOD.
MY QUESTIONS ARE KIND OF ABOUT LOOKING AHEAD A LITTLE BIT.
I DID WANT TO ASK ABOUT THE PATRICK HENRY PHASE THREE.
VERY EXCITED ABOUT DOUGLAS MACARTHUR OPENING THIS FALL.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAD WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THAT PROCESS, WE PLANNED TO TEAR DOWN THE SWING SPACE AND ADD THE FIELD. AND I'M SURE THERE'S A NEW NEIGHBORS THAT HAVE MOVED IN IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO I'M WONDERING, LIKE, HOW PREPARED THAT NEIGHBORHOOD IS FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND EVERYTHING TO PICK UP AGAIN AND JUST WONDERING WHAT KIND OF COMMUNITY OUTREACH YOU ALL ARE PLANNING TO PREPARE THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND I'M JUST THINKING ALSO ABOUT PARKING AT THE SCHOOL, HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPACTED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IS THERE ANYTHING YOU CAN SAY ABOUT THAT AT THIS TIME? BAZOOKA. ERIKA.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND TO THAT QUESTION? UM, I'LL GO FIRST, DR.
HART, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN THERE.
SO THE PATRICK HENRY PROJECT IS PHASED IN THREE STAGES.
SO AT ANY GIVEN POINT IN TIME, THERE WILL BE PARKING AVAILABLE FOR THE SCHOOL.
UM, AND THEN THE COMMUNITY OUTREACH.
NOW THAT WE HAVE CONTRACT ON BOARD, WE CAN DEFINITELY COMMUNICATE THAT OUT TO OUR COMMUNITY, OUR STATE STAKEHOLDERS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS AND PROVIDE THEM UPDATE ON THE UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
[02:10:02]
THE ACTUAL SITE WORK WILL NOT START UNTIL THE SCHOOL IS VACATED.SO WE'LL DO THE ENGAGEMENT PRIOR TO THAT.
ERICA, IF YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING.
THANK YOU. MY OTHER QUESTION WAS ALSO LOOKING AHEAD FOR THE SUMMER.
I THINK IN THE PAST THE BOARD'S RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON THE SUMMER CIP PROJECTS THAT WERE PLANNED AND ALSO KIND OF WHAT SCHOOLS WOULD BE CLOSED AND WHERE SUMMER PROGRAMING WOULD BE TAKING PLACE.
THANK YOU. YES, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
SO WE WILL GET THAT OUT AND WE'LL GET OUT A LIST OF OUR SUMMER CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.
THANK YOU, MR. FINNIGAN AND TEAM.
YES. SO THOSE WERE ALSO SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE DUE TO SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.
SO THE THREE REALLY MAIN OUTSTANDING ITEMS ARE THE THE SLIDING DOOR ON THE RESTROOM BUILDING, THE SOUND SYSTEM AND THE CEMENTITIOUS PANELS.
SO WHAT HAPPENED OVER COVID IS TO GET THE BUILDING READY TO USE IT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
WE NEEDED TO GET THE CEMENTITIOUS PANELS ON BECAUSE THOSE WERE THE SKIN OF THE BUILDING.
WE COULD NOT GET THE COLORS THAT WERE DICTATED THROUGH THE CITY AND THROUGH OUR PROCESS.
SO WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS COMING IN THIS SUMMER FOR THAT EFFORT AND THEN WE WILL BE BACK TO YOU PROBABLY NEXT MONTH BECAUSE THOSE FUNDS WILL KICK US OVER THE ALLOTMENT AND I'LL NEED TO GET YOUR APPROVAL FOR FOR SPENDING THOSE FUNDS.
SO WE'LL BE BACK TO YOU IN NEXT MONTH FOR THAT REQUEST.
AND ALL OF THAT WORK WILL BE DONE OVER THE SUMMER.
SIMPSON. BAIRD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
AND THANK YOU, DR. HART AND TEAM FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I ALSO JUST WANTED TO COMMEND YOU FOR THE ACCELERATION ON THE GW SECURITY VESTIBULE PROJECT.
I KNOW THAT WAS SLATED TO COME, I THINK IT WAS NEXT YEAR ORIGINALLY.
SO THANK YOU FOR PUSHING THAT FORWARD.
I DID HEAR YOU SAY THERE WERE A FEW LINGERING PIECES ON THAT.
DO WE HAVE A TIMELINE FOR WHEN IT WILL BE COMPLETED? AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OTHER QUESTIONS AFTER THAT.
AND THEN WE DID IT IN THAT ENCLOSED VESTIBULE.
BUT WE ALSO TOOK IT OUT INTO THE HALLWAY RIGHT THERE AND THEN ALSO BEHIND THE SECURITY DESK.
WE DID TAKE OUT ALL OF THE VCT IN THE FLOORS.
THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT WILL BE COMING THIS SUMMER AS WELL AS, AS I MENTIONED, WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH THE SLIDES, THE DOOR THAT YOU WERE LOOKING THROUGH, YOU COULD TELL YOU WERE LOOKING THROUGH A WINDOW.
THOSE DOORS ARE ARMED AND IT IS A HOLDING AREA.
THAT SECURITY DESK KIND OF SITS AROUND THE CORNER A LITTLE BIT.
SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE LARGER WINDOWS FOR THEM TO REALLY BE ABLE TO SEE SO THEY CAN BUZZ SOMEONE INTO THAT AREA AND SEE THEM AS THEY'RE WALKING CLOSER TO BUZZ THEM INTO THE SECOND DOOR. ALL OF THAT IS ON ORDER.
ALL OF THAT WILL BE HAPPENING OVER SUMMER.
ALL OF THAT WILL BE COMPLETED.
THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE.
AND THEN SHIFTING GEARS A LITTLE BIT, I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT THE PLAYGROUND ASSESSMENTS.
I KNOW THIS WASN'T PART OF YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY, BUT WE DID RECENTLY GET A BOARD BRIEF ON IT.
I'M CURIOUS A COUPLE QUESTIONS I'LL ASK THEM ALL AT ONCE.
HAS THE AWARD BEEN MADE YET AND WHAT ARE WE HOPING FOR? A TIMELINE. I THINK PREVIOUSLY I'D HEARD THAT WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THEM DONE BY JULY.
[02:15:05]
THAT POLICY STATES EXPLICITLY THAT ONCE OUR PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT ARE INSTALLED, THAT WE'LL INSPECT THEM ON A ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.AND I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, IS THAT INSPECTION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE SAME AS THE ASSESSMENT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, OR ARE THOSE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS? SO IF YOU COULD CLARIFY THAT FOR ME AND THEN IF THEY ARE DIFFERENT THINGS, WHAT IS THE FREQUENCY OF OF THOSE INSPECTIONS? JOHN I'M THINGS AND I'LL LET.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, I'LL TAKE THE LAST PART OF THAT QUESTION, DR.
SIMPSON. BAIRD AND THEN JOHN CAN DEFINITELY ANSWER THE FIRST PART.
SO WE GET THAT QUESTION A LOT IN TERMS OF PLAYGROUND INSPECTIONS VERSUS ASSESSMENTS, WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENCE? WHAT YOU NOTED IS THAT OUR PLAYGROUND INSPECTIONS IS AN ANNUAL SAFETY REQUIREMENT, AND BASICALLY WE HAVE AN INSPECTOR OR A COMPANY COME OUT.
THEY SAY, YES, YOU NEED TO REPAIR THIS.
THIS MAY BE AN IMMEDIATE SAFETY CONCERN.
SO ON AND SO FORTH, KIND OF VERY GENERAL SPECIFIC TO MAKING SURE THAT THE EQUIPMENT IS SAFE.
IT'S NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE ACTUAL EQUIPMENT, IT'S LOOKING AT THE LANDSCAPING, IT'S LOOKING AT TOPOGRAPHY, IT'S LOOKING AT IF THERE'S A BETTER WAY TO UTILIZE THAT PARTICULAR SPACE. AND THAT IS WHAT WE ARE GOING TO USE THOSE ASSESSMENTS TO HELP INFORM OUR CIP PROCESS.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE DIFFERENCE IS THAT THE SAFETY INSPECTIONS IS JUST AN ANNUAL REQUIREMENT, BUT IT IS NOT AS IN-DEPTH BY ANY MEANS IN COMPARISON TO THE ACTUAL PLAYGROUND ASSESSMENTS THAT WILL BE AWARDED OR HAVE BEEN AWARDED.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE CONTRACT PIECE NOW, SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN FOR THAT.
OKAY, THANK YOU. AND SO THE ASSESSMENT WILL BE GOING OUT.
AND AS DR. HART MENTIONED A LITTLE BIT, LOOKING AT A HANDFUL OF THINGS.
THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT THE OVERALL THEY'LL MAKE SUGGESTIONS.
FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL USE CHARLES BARRETT.
WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF PIECES IN A VERY LARGE MULCHED AREA.
WE WOULD PREFER TO PUT IN SOME POURED IN PLACE RUBBER.
HOWEVER, THAT'S VERY EXPENSIVE.
I BELIEVE THAT IS PROBABLY ABOUT $17 PER SQUARE FOOT.
WE WANT TO BE CAREFUL ON HOW MUCH OF THAT WE USE.
THAT IS GOOD FOR THE FALL ZONES AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S GOT PADDING FOR WHEN THE KIDS FALL.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT THAT AROUND THE EQUIPMENT.
BUT OUTSIDE OF THOSE FALL ZONES, WE CAN BE DOING LANDSCAPED AREAS.
ET CETERA. SO THEY'LL BE LOOKING AT THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
WE JUST GOT THE CONTRACT SIGNED.
AND IF YOU RECALL, WE DID REQUEST A LITTLE BIT OF EXTRA MONEY IN THE SYSTEMWIDE THIS PAST YEAR FOR PLAYGROUNDS SO THAT ONCE WE GET THAT INFORMATION, WE CAN GO RIGHT TO THOSE FIRST COUPLE OF SCHOOLS AND GET THINGS STARTED WITH DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE DOING THEIR VISITS AND THEN THEY KIND OF PHASE THESE THINGS.
BUT BY MID SEPTEMBER, I BELIEVE, WAS THE CONTRACT DATE THAT WE WANT THEM TO BE FINISHED BY.
GREAT. THANK YOU. WERE THERE ANY OTHER.
DID I MISS ANYTHING? NO, THAT WAS GREAT. YOU COVERED IT ALL.
THIS IS A ACTION ITEM, SO WE NEED A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE 2023 CIP QUARTERLY REPORT.
MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE 2023 QUARTERLY REPORT FOR QUARTER THREE.
GIVE A SECOND. SECOND, WE'RE GONNA HAVE MR. NEWBY. WHO? SECONDS.
OKAY, THE MOTION PASSES AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR RESERVE REPORT FOR QUARTER THREE.
[20. FY 2023 CIP Reserve Report for Q3]
OKAY, THAT IS ME AGAIN.[02:20:02]
SO THE RESERVE REPORT HAS NOT CHANGED.WE STILL HAVE 235,797 EXCUSE ME, $759.77.
WE HAVE NOT SPENT ANYTHING FROM THAT OR ADDED TO IT.
SO THIS IS JUST FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES.
AND IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND WE CAN MOVE ON TO OUR BEST TIME OF THE EVENING POLICY.
[21. Policy Revisions]
QUANTITY. BESTWAY. YEP.ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY.
I DO HAVE A FEW POLICIES FOR YOU TONIGHT.
UM, AND AS I ALWAYS DO, I HIGHLIGHT SORT OF ONE SECTION ON MY INITIAL SLIDES.
AND TODAY I SORT OF WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, SYSTEMATIC ALIGNMENT OR SYSTEMATIC ALIGNMENT.
THIS IS ONE OF YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN AREAS.
THEY ALWAYS GO THROUGH ALL THE STANDARD CHANGES.
SO I'LL KIND OF FLIP TO THIS FIRST ONE, CONFLICT OF INTEREST AS AN EXAMPLE OF ALIGNMENT.
AND THIS IS A POLICY WHERE YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED THIS ONE.
AND THE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE SAID, WELL, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE THAT THAT SAME RULES APPLY TO THE BOARD.
SO WE WENT BACK AND WE APPLIED IT.
YOUR DISCLOSURE, YOU SHOULD REPORT THAT UP TO THE TO THE BOARD CHAIR IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
WE WORKED REALLY HARD ON THIS ONE.
WE HAD A PUBLIC, WE DID A PUBLIC HEARING, BUT WE HAD A WORK SESSION ON THIS.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS BOARD CLERK, SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS.
YOU JUST LEFT. BUT WE DID A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORTS INTO THIS.
WE BENCHMARKED AGAINST ARLINGTON.
WE TALKED A LOT TO THEIR BOARD CLERK ABOUT THEIR PROCESSES.
AND WE PULLED THAT IDEA ACTUALLY FROM ARLINGTON, CLARIFIED TRANSLATIONS.
AND THE FACT THAT IF SOMEBODY NEEDS A TRANSLATOR, THEY GET EXTRA TIME TO DO THAT.
TRANSLATION SERVICES SAID AN HOUR FOR MAXIMUM HOUR FOR THE COMMENTS.
THAT'S THREE MINUTES IS 20 SPEAKERS.
UM YOU CAME CLOSE TO THAT TONIGHT WITH WHAT 14 SO THAT MAY NOT HAVE VERY OFTEN BUT IT'S NICE TO HAVE IT WHEN IT HAPPENS RIGHT THAT YOU'VE GOT THAT. UM WE ALL SET ASIDE FIVE SLOTS FOR DAY OF THE MEETING SO PEOPLE AHEAD OF TIME CAN TAKE ALL OF THE SLOTS.
RIGHT? SO JUST TO BE FAIR FOR THOSE FOLKS WHO WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO IT ON THE DAY OF AND WE REMOVE THE REQUIREMENT OF SUBMITTING 13 WRITTEN COPIES, I SAW SOMEBODY CAME IN WITH SOME OF THEM TONIGHT.
WE REALIZED THAT WAS RATHER AN ARCHAIC PROCESS IN THE WORLD OF DIGITAL DELIVERY OF ALL THE CONTENT.
UM, WE WEREN'T ACTUALLY ENFORCING THAT PRACTICE, BUT THAT HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THE POLICY.
WE THOUGHT THAT WAS BETTER MOVED ABOARD.
WE CLARIFIED SORT OF PUBLIC COMMENTS AT BOARD MEETINGS AND WORK SESSIONS AND DIFFERENT TYPES OF MEETINGS AND WHERE WE DO AND DON'T ACCEPT THOSE COMMENTS, ADD A LITTLE DEFINITION TO EACH OF THE TYPES OF MEETINGS THAT CAME FROM THE SUBCOMMITTEE.
AGAIN, REALLY HELP TO CLARIFY THAT ONE.
AND WE ADDED BREADCRUMBS TO SCHOOL VISITORS, SORT OF REMINDING PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE VISITORS HERE.
AND SO WE EXPECT THE SAME DECORUM IN A BOARD MEETING THAT WE WOULD EXPECT IN A SCHOOL OR ANY OTHER SITUATIONS LIKE THAT, AND SORT OF EXEMPLIFYING THE BEHAVIORS OF CIVIC DISCOURSE THAT WE WOULD HAVE, EVEN IF WE DISAGREE WITH EACH OTHER.
SO THAT'S THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IMPROVEMENT.
I WAS VERY HAPPY WITH THIS ONE.
I'M SURE THAT THE BOARD CLERK WAS ECSTATIC BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE.
UH, HERE'S A PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THAT DR.
SIMPSON BAIRD JUST MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO.
WE CLARIFIED THAT THE EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE INSTALLED WITH BY ACCESS.
SO IT'S UP TO OUR STANDARD. SO WE OWN THAT.
SO CLARIFIED THAT BECAUSE IT WAS A LITTLE VAGUE.
[02:25:01]
SO THAT'S ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF THAT ALIGNMENT AND ADDED A SECTION THAT SHOULD HAVE EQUITABLE ACCESS AND ALIGN WITH CLASSROOM LEARNING.THIS WAS A STANDARD FIVE YEAR REVIEW.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF CODE CHANGES WE ADDRESSED.
UM, AND WE ALSO ADDED A SECTION HERE AROUND AN INTERESTING CONNECTION THAT WE WORKED ON.
THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA HAS A SEAL AND THE SEAL.
WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE TEACHING THE IDEALS IN THAT SEAL, BUT THEN TALKS ABOUT NOT SUPPORTING TYRANNY.
RIGHT. AND REALLY AGAINST TYRANNY AND THE CONCEPT OF PERSEVERANCE.
AND SO THEREFORE, TEACHING STUDENTS HOW TO PERSEVERE IN AN AREA OF OF PERSISTENT RACISM IS ACTUALLY TEACHING THE IDEALS IN THE SEAL OF VIRGINIA, WHICH THE CODE DIRECTS YOU TO DO.
SO IT'S IT'S AN INTERPRETATION OF THAT.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY NICE.
WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING ON THAT, GET THAT LANGUAGE EXACTLY RIGHT.
BUT WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT.
UH, UM, NEXT ONE UP IS, UH, SERVICE PROVIDERS USE OF INFORMATION.
THIS IS VERY MECHANICAL SENSE ABOUT DATA EXCHANGE, RIGHT? AND SO IF WE ENTER CONTRACTS, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO REQUIRE THAT THE CONTRACT ALLOW US TO DO DIGITAL EXCHANGE OF DATA RATHER THAN PAPER EXCHANGE OF DATA FROM SERVICE PROVIDERS.
THIS IS A FAIRLY MECHANICAL CHANGE, A STANDARD FIVE YEAR REVIEW WE WENT THROUGH ON THIS ONE.
AND THE LAST ONE THAT WE'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR IS SERVICE ANIMALS IN SCHOOLS.
THIS IS A STANDARD FIVE YEAR REVIEW.
AND THAT'S FOR THINGS LIKE ALLERGENS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE CONCERNED FAMILIES MIGHT HAVE ALLERGIES OR MIGHT BE SCARED OF DOGS.
SO SORT OF RESPONSIVE TO THAT AND A PROVISION AROUND HARNESSES TO ALIGN WITH CODE.
SO I GET ASKED ABOUT THIS ONE EVERY SINGLE TIME.
MATT YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING.
SO I JUST I DID SOME HOMEWORK ON THAT.
IT'S PART OF THE AMERICAN WITH DISABILITIES ACT.
MINIATURE HORSES ARE SPECIFICALLY LISTED IN THE REGULATION THERE AS AN EXCEPTION.
SO YOUR POLICY WE REALIGN THAT SO THAT YOUR POLICY SAYS IT THAT WAY.
AND I ALSO RESEARCHED ABOUT WHY.
OKAY. BECAUSE WHY A MINIATURE HORSE? WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THEY HAVE TO BE HOUSE TRAINED.
THAT'S A REQUIREMENT. JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
THERE'S ACTUALLY SOME REALLY INTERESTING REASONS.
ONE OF THEM IS THAT THEY'RE STRONG.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE KEY REASONS.
AND BECAUSE THEIR EYES ARE ON THE SIDES OF THEIR HEAD, THEY HAVE BETTER PERIPHERAL VISION.
AND SO ACTUALLY THEY HAVE BETTER SITUATIONAL AWARENESS FOR LIKE SAFETY REASONS.
UM, UH, SO THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT, AS I ALWAYS BRING THE DATA UP JUST AGAIN TO SHOW THE CONCEPT OF DATA AS PART OF THE REGULAR WORK, JUST TO MONITOR THAT IT'S GOING ALONG.
SO WE ACTUALLY GOT THOSE DONE IN ABOUT SIX MONTHS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY PRETTY IMPRESSIVE.
SO WE'LL HIT THE GROUND RUNNING IN THE FALL WITH THAT.
ALL OF THESE ARE SET FOR CONSENT ON STAR WARS DAY, MAY 4TH.
[02:30:03]
SORRY, I'M A SCIENCE GEEK.UM, AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
I'M AFRAID OF WHAT IT IS, BUT I'M GOING TO LET HER ASK IT.
MR. SMITH WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE MIGHT ONE GET A MINIATURE HORSE? WHERE MIGHT ONE GET A MINIATURE HORSE? YEAH, WE. I THINK WE MIGHT NEED ONE FOR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
SERVICE. ANIMAL EMOTIONAL SUPPORT, ANIMAL, PERHAPS? I THINK YES.
YES. I'M SURE THERE ARE QUALIFIED BREEDERS IN VIRGINIA.
SIMPSON. BAIRD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I JUST WANTED TO PUT A FINER POINT ON SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOW INCLUDED IN B, D, D, AND B, R.
THESE ARE OUR NEW POLICIES AND REGULATIONS RELATED TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS.
AS MR. SMITH ALLUDED TO, THERE ARE NEW OR MODIFIED PROVISIONS IN THE IN THE IN THE MOSTLY IN THE REGULATION THAT I THINK REALLY IMPROVE ACCESSIBILITY AND MAKE EXPLICIT OUR PROCEDURES FOR ACCOMMODATIONS IN PUBLIC BOARD MEETINGS OR PUBLIC HEARINGS.
BUT FOR ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING PUBLICLY, SHOULD THIS POLICY BE APPROVED, IT WOULD ADD A PROVISION FOR SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IN ADDITION TO THE ONLINE SIGN UP, YOU CAN DO THE NOON THE DAY BEFORE.
SO THE THOUGHT BEHIND THIS WAS WE KNOW SOMETIMES DOCUMENTS AREN'T UP ON ESPN BY NOON THE DAY BEFORE.
IN ADDITION, WE HAVE ALSO ADDED ACCOMMODATIONS FOR TRANSLATION.
THEY CAN REQUEST A TRANSLATOR FROM ASIA.
THEY CAN BRING THEIR OWN TRANSLATOR, THEY CAN SUBMIT A WRITTEN TRANSLATED COPY, OR THEY CAN SUBMIT A COPY IN THEIR PREFERRED LANGUAGE AND WE WILL GET IT TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH TO BE PART OF THE PUBLIC RECORD.
RELATED TO THAT, THIS POLICY, THIS NEW REGULATION ALSO MAKES EXPLICIT THAT INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE DELIVERING BILINGUAL TESTIMONY AND OR HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS SUCH AS SPEECH DIFFICULTIES, CAN BE ALLOTTED ADDITIONAL TIME BEYOND THE THREE MINUTES.
SO I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT ADDITIONS.
SHOULD THEY GO THROUGH? AND SINCE MS..
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. SO THESE WILL BE ON CONSENT FOR MAY 4TH.
AND WE ARE MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU, MR. SMITH. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.
[23. Report from Interim Superintendent Dr. Melanie Kay-Wyatt]
BELIEVE IT OR NOT, MADAM CHAIR, I DO HAVE A FEW ITEMS THAT HAVE NOT BEEN ALREADY SHARED THIS EVENING, BUT I DO LOVE HEARING.THEIR TIME AND SERVICES IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
AND ALSO, AS YOU KNOW, WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS WHO PLAY A CRUCIAL ROLE IN PLAYING, MAKING SURE THEY PLAY UP TO OUR VALUES AND MAKING SURE THEY SUPPORT TEACHING AND LEARNING AND OUR COMMITMENTS TO OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOLS.
SO WE THANK THEM FOR THEIR DETERMINATION AND LEADERSHIP AS WE CELEBRATE THEM THIS WEEK.
THIS MONTH, WE RECOGNIZE NATIONAL ARAB AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, AND IT'S ALSO THE ARABIC COMMUNITY'S RICH HERITAGE THAT REALLY CONTRIBUTES TO OUR SOCIETY. AND SO WE'RE SO GRATEFUL.
SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT OUT THERE TO OUR STUDENTS REPS.
WE DID HAVE A REALLY FUN AND EXCITING EVENT ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL THE 12TH.
OUR ACPC I CAN'T SPEAK THAT TONIGHT.
ACP, ACP FAMILIES CAME TOGETHER FOR NOCHE DE CISNEROS, A NIGHT OF SCIENCE.
[02:35:07]
MATH OR STEM.WE ALSO WANT TO CELEBRATE OUR RED RIBBON WEEK POSTER CONTEST WINNERS.
THE THEME THIS YEAR WAS CELEBRATE LIFE, LIVE DRUG FREE.
OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WINNER WAS TANISHA RAHEEM, WHO WAS A FIFTH GRADER AT WILLIAM RAMSEY.
OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNER WAS HENRY LOPEZ, A SEVENTH GRADER AT JEFFERSON HOUSTON.
AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL WINNER WAS SARAH MCBURNEY, WHO IS A 10TH GRADER AT ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL.
AND THE POSTER CONTEST WINNER ENTRIES WILL BE FEATURED AS PART OF THE 2023 RIBBON WEEK CAMPAIGN AND OTHER RECOGNITIONS. TONIGHT, WE HAVE FATHER PICKETT QUINN, WHO IS A GEOMETRY AND ALGEBRA TEACHER AT JEFFERSON HOUSTON.
THANK YOU FOR THAT RECOGNITION FOR HER.
SHE WAS ALSO SELECTED BY THE TRANSATLANTIC OUTREACH PROGRAM TO TRAVEL TO GERMANY THIS SUMMER ON A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT STUDY TOUR FOR SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATORS. WHAT AN HONOR.
I WILL SKIP OVER THE CHOIR ONE EXCEPT FOR I DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE OF OUR CHOIR MEMBERS, FRESHMAN ELISA SAYER, WON THE MOST OUTSTANDING SOLOIST AWARD.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TITANS CHOIR AND MISS IDA FOR HER RECOGNITION.
ALSO ALEXANDRIA CITY HIGH SCHOOL SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER GREGORY ELLIOTT.
CONGRATULATIONS ON BEING THE RECIPIENT OF THE WAMMIE AWARDS PROGRAM 2023 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD.
ONE OF HIS MUSICAL SELECTIONS HAS BEEN OR WAS FEATURED IN THE SPIKE LEE MOVIE SCHOOL DAZE AND THE WAMMIE AWARDS, RECOGNIZED ARTISTS AND MUSICIANS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, MARYLAND AND VIRGINIA FOR THEIR ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS AND ALSO LOTS, LOTS OF RECOGNITIONS.
UM, THE SPRING INTO ACTION HAS STARTED.
I THINK THAT WAS ALREADY MENTIONED.
SO BUT I DO WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S A 24 HOUR ONLINE EVENT THAT STARTS APRIL 26TH AND SEVERAL OF OUR PROGRAMS, THE ALEXANDRIA, PTA COUNCIL AND SCHOOL PTA UNITS, BENEFIT AS THEY USE THIS EVENT TO HELP RAISE FUNDS.
SO PLEASE GO MAKE SURE YOU CONNECT WITH SPRING INTO ACTION AND SUPPORT THOSE PROGRAMS. AND ONE MORE QUICK HIGHLIGHTS.
I KNOW I SAID ONE MORE, BUT I THINK THIS ONE IS WORTHY TO NOTE.
THE SPRING NEAR ALEXANDRIA CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND AGAIN, PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO CATCH THE PRESENTATION OF SISTER ACT AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING.
I'M SORRY. WE HAVE PEOPLE FEELING EXTREME TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES.
WE HAVE. SO WE HAVE OUR RAMEE OR NOT? NO, WE HAVE OUR CLERK OVER HERE WHO IS, LIKE, CLOTHED IN A BLANKET.
AND THEN I'VE GOT TWO PEOPLE NEXT TO ME FANNING THEMSELVES AND PEOPLE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO.
THIS IS VERY BIZARRE, BUT OKAY, BUT PLEASE PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE ANNOUNCEMENTS AND CELEBRATE WITH OUR STAFF BECAUSE THOSE RECOGNITIONS TONIGHT NEED TO BE CELEBRATED. AND A SPECIAL THANKS AGAIN TO ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.
I THINK SOMETIMES WHEN WE DO OUR RECOGNITIONS, OUR VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE'RE ONLY DOING IT FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME, THE WORK THAT THEY GIVE US THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY ALL YEAR IS GREATLY APPRECIATED.
[24. Announcements]
ARE THERE ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? OKAY. OH, MY.SIMPSON BAIRD. I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT TODAY THE VIRGINIA BOARD OF EDUCATION ADOPTED NEW HISTORY STANDARDS AFTER ABOUT A FIVE HOUR WORK SESSION YESTERDAY, EDITING THEM FROM THE DAIS.
[02:40:02]
BUT ONE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS, ANNE HOLTON, IS GOING TO BE ONE OF OUR SPEAKERS FOR THE VIRGINIA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION'S NORTHEASTERN REGIONAL SPRING FORUM ON MONDAY, MAY 8TH AT HHS.AND I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES THERE.
DR. SIMPSON. BAIRD. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
THE SURVEY WILL BE OPEN TO THE COMMUNITY UNTIL THE END OF THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 26TH.
I ALSO WANTED TO MENTION, AS WE'VE BEEN RECEIVING A LOT OF EMAILS AND COMMENTS ON THIS AS WELL, THAT THE IMPETUS FOR THIS SURVEY WAS REALLY AROUND THE INTEREST OF STAGGERING TERMS. BUT IN HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, SEVERAL OTHER SORT OF POSSIBILITIES CAME TO THE SURFACE.
SO THE SURVEY ADDRESSES STAGGERED TERMS, LENGTH OF TERMS, DISTRICT VERSUS AT-LARGE REPRESENTATION, ALIGNMENT WITH OTHER ELECTION CYCLES AND BOARD SIZE. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE EXPLICIT THAT THESE THINGS DON'T HAVE TO ALL GO TOGETHER.
THEY CAN BE LOOKED AT INDIVIDUALLY AND THE BOARD WILL BE CONSIDERING THEM THAT WAY AS WELL.
AND IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE FORWARD, POTENTIALLY HAVE A RESOLUTION IN JUNE.
THANK YOU. NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN? ISABEL IS NOT HERE. MADAM CHAIR, I MOVE THAT WE ADJOURN.
SECOND. THIS BOARD IS BADLY BEHAVED.
I'M GOING TO. OH, SO WE'LL ADJOURN.
OKAY. AND WE'LL ADJOURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.