[Call to Order]
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I'D LIKE TO CALL THE SEPTEMBER 14TH MEETING OF BOARD OF EDUCATION ORDER.
WE TYPICALLY BEGIN OUR MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE, SO IF YOU WOULD JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
IF YOU WOULD STAND AND RECITE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
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AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS.ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THE AGENDA HAS BEEN CIRCULATED.
I DON'T THINK THERE HAVE BEEN ANY REQUEST TO MODIFY IT, SO WE WILL ASSUME THAT IT'S APPROVED.
WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES REQUIRING APPROVAL THIS AFTERNOON, THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF AUGUST 24TH, 2021, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE
[Special Orders of Business]
MINUTES.MOVED BY MR. SMITH, SECONDED BY MS. RINEHART-JACKSON, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
OK, THANK YOU MINUTES ARE APPROVED.
FIRST ITEM UNDER SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS WITH PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
FOUR PEOPLE SIGN UP PRIOR TO THE MEETING AS REQUIRED IN POLICY.
AND WE'VE HAD SEVERAL OTHERS SIGN UP AT THE DOOR, POLICY RESTRICTS OUR TIME FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION 30 MINUTES WITH A MAXIMUM OF FIVE MINUTES PER PERSON.
SO THAT MEANS WE'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR SIX PEOPLE TONIGHT.
SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THE SIX FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE KIND OF SITUATION.
YOU HAVE FIVE MINUTES THIS CLOCK UP HERE WILL RECORD THE FIVE MINUTES.
I WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO OBSERVE THE TIME LIMIT.
THE ONLY RULE IS THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW PERSONAL REMARKS.
SO HAVING LAID OUT THE RULES AND YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF THE POLICY WHEN YOU WALKED IN THE DOOR OR WHEN YOU TOOK THE COURT, FIRST PERSON REQUESTING TO BE HEARD IS STEPHEN HARMAN.
HIS TOPIC IS MARCHING BAND SEATING AT HOME FOOTBALL GAMES, IF YOU WOULD GO TO THIS MICROPHONE OVER HERE.
SO I'M I'M STEPHEN HARMON, I'M A SENIOR AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M IN THE MARCHING BAND.
[INAUDIBLE] IF YOU WOULD START THE CLOCK.
OK, SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE MANDATE OF BANDS TO STAY IN THE END ZONE AWAY FROM THE CROWD AT FOOTBALL GAMES.
SO MY FIRST REASON AS TO WHY I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS, OR SORRY, I REPRESENT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND AND THE MARCHING BANDS OF AIKEN COUNTY.
SO MY FIRST ARGUMENT AS TO WHY WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS IS THAT IT TAKES AWAY A VERY IMPORTANT EXPERIENCE FOR BAND MEMBERS.
THEIR SHUN FROM THE CROWD AND MUST SIT BY THEMSELVES IN THE END ZONE WITH NO EXCITEMENT AND INABILITY TO WATCH THE FOOTBALL GAME, AS WELL AS HAVING A BLARING SPEAKER BEHIND THEM PLAYING MUSIC ON THE JUMBOTRON.
WE PRACTICE FOR THREE HOURS A DAY EVERY DAY, EXCEPT FOR WEDNESDAY AND SUNDAY TO BETTER OUR BAND FOR THE STANDS AND FOR PERFORMANCES.
AND THEN WE ARE KICKED OUT OF THE STANDS TO NOT BE HEARD BY ANYONE.
THE SECOND REASON IS THAT IT ALSO TAKES AWAY THE EXPERIENCE OF THE FOOTBALL GAME FOR THE AUDIENCE AS WELL.
WE'VE PROVEN THIS CASE BECAUSE WE HAVE A PETITION WITH OVER 2000 SIGNATURES, IT'S AT 2051 AS OF 6 O'CLOCK TODAY.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY THE AIKEN STANDARD ON THIS TOPIC, AS WELL AS NEWS CHANNEL SIX.
AND MY FINAL ARGUMENT FOR TODAY STARTS WITH A QUOTE.
IF WE PUT THEM IN THE STANDS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME AS PUTTING A FAN IN THE STANDS.
THEY HAVE TO BE SEPARATED BECAUSE THEY ARE BLOWING THESE WIND INSTRUMENTS.
THAT'S A HIGHER RISK FACTOR FOR SPREADING THE VIRUS.
SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE PLENTY OF SPACE BETWEEN EACH MEMBER OF THE BAND.
NOW, THIS IS NOT TRUE BECAUSE TWO DIFFERENT RESEARCH PROJECTS HAVE PROVEN THAT MOST BAND INSTRUMENTS DO NOT CAUSE ANY MORE DANGER OR DO NOT SPREAD ANY MORE AEROSOLS THAN REGULAR BREATHING AND TALKING.
THE ONLY TWO INSTRUMENTS THAT PROVIDE MORE OF A RISK IS THE CLARINET AND THE
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TRUMPET.AND THE ONLY REASON IT'S MORE OF A RISK IS JUST BECAUSE THERE'S LESS OF THERE'S LESS STUFF HOLDING IT BACK.
BUT THE FARTHEST THAT ANY AEROSOL HAS GONE FROM AN INSTRUMENT IS ABOUT ONE FOOT.
AND THE BAND STAYS PERFECTLY DISTANCE AWAY FARTHER THAN A FOOT FROM EACH OTHER, THE ENTIRE FOOTBALL GAME, EVEN IN THE STANDS.
I HAVE THREE QUOTES FROM THESE TWO DIFFERENT RESEARCH PROJECTS.
FROM THE NATIONAL LIBRARY FOR MEDICINE FROM THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT SAYING SPECIFICALLY, TUBA PRODUCES FEWER AEROSOLS THAN NORMAL BREATHING, WHILE THE CONCENTRATIONS FROM PICCOLO FLUTE, BASS CLARINET, FRENCH HORN AND CLARINET STAY WITHIN THE RANGE OF NORMAL BREATHING AND SPEAKING.
AND THE SECOND RESEARCH PROJECT IS BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA, AND THEY SAY THE FIRST QUOTE SAYS A NEW STUDY BY UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING RESEARCHERS HAS FOUND THAT WIND INSTRUMENTS TYPICALLY DO NOT SPREAD AEROSOLS FARTHER THAN ONE FOOT [INAUDIBLE] TEAM USED PROBES TO MEASURE HOW FAR THE AEROSOLS TRAVEL FROM EACH INSTRUMENT INSIDE ORCHESTRA HALL.
THEY FOUND THAT THE FLOW WAS VERY CONFINED AND THE AEROSOLS DISPERSED QUICKLY AT ONLY 10 CENTIMETERS AWAY, ABOUT FOUR INCHES FROM THE INSTRUMENT OUTLET.
THE AEROSOLS CONCENTRATION WAS LESS THAN 10 PERCENT OF WHAT IT WAS AT THE SOURCE, AND NO INSTRUMENT SHOWED AN APPRECIABLE INFLUENCE OF FLOW BEYOND 30 CENTIMETERS, ABOUT ONE FOOT.
MY FRIEND, NOAH WILL ALSO BE TALKING ON THIS TOPIC AFTER ME, SO THANK YOU.
THE SECOND PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK IS NOAH LINDLER.
SO I'M ALSO HERE ONCE AGAIN TO REPRESENT LIKE I SAID, MY NAME IS NOAH LINDLER, ALSO A SENIOR AT NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH I'M APART OF THE [INAUDIBLE] REGIMENT AND OTHER AND I'M ALSO HERE TO REPRESENT OUR BAND AND ALL THE BANDS WITHIN THE DISTRICT WHO ARE BEING PUSHED UNDER THIS POLICY, AS STEPHEN STATED EARLIER.
WE'VE BEEN PUSHED OFF TO THE SIDE DURING THE GAMES AND WE JUST THERE ARE ARGUMENTS AGAINST THIS TO WHY THIS IS NOT THE BEST OPTION FOR US.
I WANT TO START OFF FIRST WITH THE DANGERS OF US BEING OFF TO THE SIDE WHEN THE BAND IS BACK BEHIND THE FIELD GOALS WHERE THEY HAVE US PLACED RIGHT NOW.
THE DISTRICT HAS STATED THAT THEY WILL PROVIDE CHAIRS AND FOR US BE ABLE TO SIT DURING THE GAME.
SO WE'RE NOT HAVING TO STAND THE ENTIRE GAME, WHICH IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
BUT WHEN YOU HAVE THE CHAIRS PLACED BEHIND A FIELD GOAL, OUR FIELD GOALS DON'T HAVE NETS TO CATCH FIELD GOALS BEING KICKED DURING GAME.
WE'VE HAD INSTRUMENTS COME CLOSE TO GETTING DAMAGED LAST YEAR DURING THE 2020-2021 SEASON, WHERE THE BANDS WERE THERE AS WELL.
WE'VE HAD GUARD MEMBERS ALMOST BE TACKLED BY FOOTBALL PLAYERS.
WE'VE HAD STRAY BALLS COME CLOSE TO HITTING PEOPLE AND WHEN WE'RE ALL IN CHAIRS, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN RUN OFF WITHOUT BEING SOCIALLY DISTANCED.
SPEAKING OF SOCIAL DISTANCING.
THE BANDS ARE ONE OF THE BEST PEOPLE FOR SOCIAL DISTANCING.
DURING PRACTICE, WE ARE SPREAD OUT AND ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT SOCIAL DISTANCING IN CLASS.
WE ARE SEPARATED TO MAINTAIN THE SOCIAL DISTANCING DURING A FOOTBALL GAME.
WE'RE BEING REQUIRED TO SPREAD OUT IN THE STANDS, TAKING OUT ENTIRE SECTIONS WHEN THE REST OF THE STADIUM IS ABLE TO DO WHATEVER THEY WANT.
THE FOOTBALL TEAM DOES NOT HAVE TO SOCIAL DISTANCE.
THE CHEERLEADERS ARE NOT HAVING TO SOCIAL DISTANCE THE FANS AND THE STUDENT SECTIONS ARE NOT HAVING TO SOCIAL DISTANCE.
IT'S ALL BEING PUSHED ONTO THE BANDS AND WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT BANDS BE ALLOWED TO PLAY IN THE STANDS WHERE THE FANS CAN ENJOY IT.
YOU KNOW EVERYBODY FEEDS OFF OF EACH OTHER AND WE JUST ASK THAT YOU ALLOW THIS TO CONTINUE TO HAPPEN.
THE THIRD PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK IS DON QUIGLEY.
THIS TOPIC IS COVID POLICIES IMPLEMENTATION BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS DON QUIGLEY, A RESIDENT OF AIKEN COUNTY WITH FOUR GRANDCHILDREN AND AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I'M A RETIRED AIR FORCE VETERAN OF 22 YEARS AND A RETIRED OPERATION SUPERINTENDENT FOR A MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY COMPANY DURING THE LAST MEETING AFTER MY PUBLIC REMARKS.
A STATEMENT WAS MADE THAT INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS DO NOT NECESSARILY TRUMP THE RIGHTS OF MAJORITY WHEN THE MAJORITY IS HURT BY ONE INDIVIDUAL.
IT WAS ADDED THAT YOU'RE AWARE THAT AT THIS POINT OF VIEW IS NOT A POPULAR VIEW IN SOUTH
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CAROLINA, BUT THE PERSON THAT SAID IT STOOD BY IT.IT'S NOT A POPULAR VIEW IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
IN FACT, IT'S A VIEW ANTITHETICAL TO WHAT THE FOUNDING FATHERS WROTE IN SECTION ONE OF THE 14TH AMENDMENT OF THE U.S.
CONSTITUTION IN ARTICLE ONE, PARAGRAPH ONE IN THE SOUTH CAROLINA CONSTITUTION.
OUR RIGHTS ARE INALIENABLE AND BASED ON THE INDIVIDUAL, NOT THE MASSES.
TO REITERATE, IT IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN THAT MASKS DO NOT STOP VIRUS MOLECULES.
THE MRNA GENE THERAPY SHOTS ARE NOT VACCINES AND ARE DANGEROUS.
PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD ARE BEING INJURED.
MANY ARE DYING AFTER RECEIVING THE SHOT.
IN FACT, NOBEL PRIZE WINNER FRENCH VIROLOGIST PROFESSIONAL LUC MONTAGNIER, IN AN INTERVIEW, HAS SAID THAT THE COVID 19 VACCINES THEMSELVES ARE CREATING THE VARIANTS.
HE SAID THAT EPIDEMIOLOGISTS KNOW BUT ARE SILENT ABOUT THE PHENOMENON KNOWN AS ANTIBODY DEPENDENT ENHANCEMENT ADE.
WHILE IT IS UNDERSTOOD THAT THE VIRUSES MUTATE CAUSING VARIANTS.
LUC MONTAGNIER CONTENDS THAT IT IS THE VACCINATION THAT IS CREATING THE VARIANTS.
LAST YEAR, IN A MAJOR STUDY, A GROUP OF RESEARCHERS WARNED IN THE LANCET MEDICAL JOURNAL THAT COVID 19 VACCINES CURRENTLY IN DEVELOPMENT COULD INCREASE THE RISK OF ACQUIRING HIV POTENTIAL, LEADING TO AN INCREASE IN INFECTIONS.
A CASE IN POINT IS AUSTRALIA SCRAPPED A BILLION DOLLAR CORONAVIRUS VACCINE AGREEMENT AFTER SEVERAL TRIAL PARTICIPANTS TESTED HIV POSITIVE.
PROFESSOR MONTAGNIER REFERS TO THE VACCINE PROGRAM FOR THE CORONAVIRUS AS AN UNACCEPTABLE MISTAKE.
MASS VACCINATIONS ARE A SCIENTIFIC ERROR, AS WELL AS A MEDICAL MISTAKE.
THE HISTORY BOOKS WILL SHOW THAT BECAUSE OF THIS VACCINATION, THAT IT IS CREATING THE VARIANTS.
AND I SAY, WHY WOULD ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND GET THE SHOT OR SUGGEST SOMEONE ELSE GET IT? YOU DO HAVE THE RIGHT TO GET THE SHOT.
HOWEVER, YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO FORCE ANY STUDENT OR EDUCATOR TO GET THIS SHOT.
MANDATES ARE NOT LAWS, AND THEREFORE YOU CANNOT FORCE ANYONE TO FOLLOW THEM.
I'VE SENT THE BOARD SEVERAL VIDEO AND WEBSITE LINKS MAKING YOU AWARE OF THE SCIENTIFIC FACTS SURROUNDING COVID.
AND YET YOU STILL DON'T FEEL COMPELLED OR WILLING TO CONSIDER ANY CHANGE TO AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL POLICY REGARDING COVID.
IT TROUBLES ME THAT YOU ARE LEADING THE EFFORT PROMOTING NON-CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATES ON OUR STUDENTS AND SCHOOL DISTRICT EMPLOYEES.
IT ALSO TROUBLES ME THAT THE BOARD FEELS IT'S OK TO DO SO.
YOU AND THE REST OF THIS BOARD ARE ELECTED PUBLIC SERVANTS OF THE PEOPLE OF AIKEN COUNTY, YOU ALL SERVE AT OUR PLEASURE, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
WE NEED A SCHOOL BOARD THAT DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE UNVACCINATED TEACHERS AND STUDENTS.
WE NEED A SCHOOL BOARD THAT DOES NOT FORCE QUARANTINES, SOCIAL DISTANCING, INDOCTRINATION AND MASK WEARING.
THE NOTION THAT YOU WANT TO DISCRIMINATE AGAINST THE TEACHERS THAT CHOOSE NOT TO BE VACCINATED BY INCENTIVIZING THOSE WHO TAKE THE SHOT AND PUNISHING THOSE WHO DON'T IS WRONG.
FOR DECADES, WE'VE BEEN EXPOSED TO A NEW FLU EVERY YEAR AND NEVER HAD MANDATES OF ANY KIND.
THE CDC SYMPTOMS LISTED FOR COVID ARE THE SAME AS FOR THE COMMON COLD AND FLU FROM THE CDC WEBSITE.
IF YOU GET COVID AND DON'T DO A THING, THIS IS THE SURVIVAL PERCENTAGE BY AGE GROUP ZERO TO NINETEEN NINETY NINE POINT NINE NINE PERCENT, TWENTY TO FORTY NINE NINETY NINE POINT NINE EIGHT, FIFTY TO SIXTY NINETY NINE POINT FIVE AND SEVENTY PLUS NINETY FOUR POINT SIX.
I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO HAVE HAD COVID BUT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT TREAT IT LIKE A NORMAL FLU.
THEY SURVIVED AND WILL NEVER GET IT AGAIN DUE TO NATURAL ANTIBODIES.
AND IVERMECTIN, AND WE'RE COVID FREE IN A FEW DAYS.
YET OUR CHILDREN ARE SENT HOME FOR A TWO WEEK QUARANTINE WHEN MOST DON'T EVEN HAVE ANY SYMPTOMS. JUST LIKE MY GRANDSON, WHO WAS QUARANTINED FOR THREE TWO WEEK PERIODS IN 2020 AND AGAIN IN 2021, AND MY GRANDDAUGHTER RECENTLY AND NEITHER EVER SHOWED ANY SYMPTOMS. CURRENTLY, THE DISTRICT IN THE DISTRICT THERE ARE LESS THAN ONE PERCENT, TWO HUNDRED AND NINE STUDENTS WITH A POSITIVE COVID TEST AND TWENTY PERCENT FOUR THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE ARE QUARANTINED.
CAN YOU TELL ME IF ANY OF THESE 4725 BECAME POSITIVE OR WERE HOSPITALIZED? I DON'T THINK SO.
YOU WONDER WHY YOUR TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND PARENTS ARE STRESSED.
STOP SENDING HEALTHY CHILDREN HOME.
STOP CANCELING SPORTING EVENTS INSTEAD PETITION THE GOVERNOR TO DISTRIBUTE PROVEN PREVENTATIVE MEDICINES LIKE HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE AND IVERMECTIN MONOCLONAL TREATMENT STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE STATE LIKE THEY HAVE IN FLORIDA.
AND HOPEFULLY, THIS TIME THE FAKE NEWS WILL REPORT BOTH SIDES OF TONIGHT'S MEETING AND NOT CENSOR ME LIKE THEY DID THE LAST TIME.
THANK YOU AND HAVE A BLESSED DAY.
THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MS. ROBERSON, WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ABOUT COVID 19 AND QUARANTINE.
ROBERSON MS. ROBERSON'S NOT HERE
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WISHES TO TALK ABOUT QUARANTINES.I ATTENDED LAST WEEK'S SPECIAL CALLED MEETING, SO MY TAKE AWAY FROM THAT BOARD MEETING IS THAT THE DISTRICT IS MAKING PLANS TO GO FULL VIRTUAL AS THE ONLY AVAILABLE OPTION.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY RESEARCH DONE BY THE DISTRICT ON OTHER INSTITUTIONS WHO HAVE DEVELOPED SUCCESSFUL PLANS TO KEEP STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND TO REALLY DIAL DOWN ON WHO THEY ARE SENDING HOME DUE TO POSSIBLE EXPOSURE? THAT SHOULD BE THE ULTIMATE GOAL, RIGHT? KEEPING AS MANY STUDENTS SAFELY IN SCHOOL AS POSSIBLE.
[INAUDIBLE] EXCUSE ME I RECOMMENDED TO JASON CRANE BEFORE LAST WEEK'S MEETING THAT THE DISTRICT LOOK AT CLEMSON UNIVERSITY'S TESTING PROCESS.
THEY TEST EVERY STUDENT EVERY WEEK, A PROCESS THEY IMPLEMENTED LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF IN-PERSON LEARNING.
THEIR PROCESS HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL IN LIMITING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS BEING QUARANTINED DUE TO POSSIBLE EXPOSURE AND HAS BEEN NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED NUMEROUS TIMES.
NOW, I'M NOT SAYING CLEMSON IS THE ONLY ANSWER, BUT THEY ARE AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION IN OUR STATE WITH A SIMILAR NUMBER OF STUDENTS.
MR. LAURENCE EXPRESSED HESITANCY LAST WEEK TO TRY SOMETHING LIKE THIS DUE TO THE POSSIBLE COST INVOLVED.
BUT HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS HAS THIS DISTRICT RECEIVED IN FEDERAL COVID FUNDS? SEEMS LIKE THAT WOULD BE MONEY WELL SPENT TO TRY TO KEEP MORE KIDS IN SCHOOL.
ARE YOU KEEPING ANY DATA ON THE NUMBER OF AIKEN COUNTY STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN SENT HOME FOR QUARANTINE DUE TO POSSIBLE EXPOSURE AND WHO ENDED UP WITH COVID POSITIVE? THIS SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO SCOLD THE GOVERNOR AND THE LEGISLATURE FOR TAKING AWAY LOCAL CONTROL OVER MASK MANDATES.
BUT THAT'S THE SAME THING YOU WANT TO DO TO US IS TAKE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO CHOOSE IF THE VACCINE, EXCUSE ME, IS THE ANSWER.
WHY ARE VACCINATED PEOPLE WEARING MASKS? AND WHAT GOOD DOES A MASK SUPPOSEDLY DO WHEN YOU TAKE IT ON AND OFF, LIKE I'VE SEEN SOME IN THIS ROOM DO ON A REGULAR BASIS? MASK OR NO MASK VACCINE OR NO VACCINE.
THESE CHOICES ARE PERSONAL AND SHOULD NOT BE MANDATED BY GOVERNMENT AT ANY LEVEL.
NEXT, WE HAVE GARY MICHAEL MURRAY.
HOW ARE YOU DOING, MY NAME'S GARY MICHAEL MURRAY.
MY DAUGHTER IS ONE OF THE ONES THAT WAS SENT HOME DUE TO THE QUARANTINE, AND SHE HAS ADHD, SO SHE'S VERY SHE CAN'T DO IT ALL ALONE.
OK? [INAUDIBLE] SENT THIS LETTER HOME WITH ME, TELLING ME THAT MY DAUGHTER, SINCE SHE HAS NOT BEEN VACCINATED, HAS TO DO THE FULL 10 DAYS OR COME AND WEAR A MASK, WHICH IS FINE.
ALSO IN THIS LETTER, IT SHOWS THAT IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN VACCINATED, THAT THEY DO NOT HAVE TO DO THE QUARANTINE AS LONG AS THEY'RE NOT SHOWING SYMPTOMS. OK, BUT IT'S ALSO BEEN PROVEN THAT THE PEOPLE WITH THE VACCINE CAN'T CARRY AND SPREAD THE VIRUS, WHICH IS DISCRIMINATION, WHICH OBVIOUSLY LEAVES YOU UP TO A LAWSUIT OPEN TO A LAWSUIT.
WHAT DOES IT DO TO BRING YOU TO BREATHE YOUR OWN CARBON DIOXIDE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME? I UNDERSTAND YOU PUT IN MASKS, YOU KNOW, BREAKS OR WHATEVER, BUT YOU BREATHE IN, CALL YOUR OWN CARBON DIOXIDE ALL DAY LONG.
OK, SOME OF THESE KIDS DON'T WANT TO GET IN TROUBLE.
LIKE MY YOUNGEST SON, HE'S SCARED TO DEATH TO GET IN TROUBLE, OK? AND YOU'RE BRINGING IN CARBON DIOXIDE FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.
IT HINDERS THE BRAIN FUNCTION, DEVELOPMENT AND GROWTH OF YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM.
IT LOWERS DROPS YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM, WHICH GIVES YOU MORE SKEPTICISM TO GET THIS OK.
MY CHILD'S BRAIN IS NOT DEVELOPED MENTALLY, AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE CONTACT.
YOU CAN'T HEAR A TEACHER TALK, OK, YOU COULD.
YOU CAN'T GET THE FACIAL EXPRESSIONS, OK, THE THE PERSONAL FEEL AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE CLASSROOM.
Y'ALL LEFT IT UP TO THE SCHOOLS TO PUT IN POLICIES AS FAR AS DOING THE MAKEUP WORK, AND THAT'S GREAT, OK? BUT GUESS WHAT PAYS DAY? LEFT IT UP TO THE TEACHERS.
I HAVE ONLY GOTTEN ONE EMAIL BACK FROM THE TEACHERS.
THEY WANT THE SCHOOL WORK DONE DAILY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY SCHOOLWORK FOR THREE DAYS.
AND MY DAUGHTER FALLS BEHIND IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE SHE CAN'T PAY ATTENTION.
WE DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO SCHOOLWORK, OK, DURING THE DAY, WE CAN'T TURN IT IN IN A NORMAL DAY, BUT GUESS WHAT? YOU HAVE NO PLAN IN PLACE JUST LIKE THE COVID, OK, YOU DON'T DO REAL RESEARCH, YOU
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JUST LISTEN TO WHAT THESE PEOPLE SEND YOU, WHICH IS A BUNCH OF JUNK.NOW, MY SUGGESTION IS YOU PEOPLE GET IT TOGETHER.
I REALLY WOULD APPRECIATE IT BECAUSE THESE CHILDREN NEED AN EDUCATION SAFELY AND NOT TO BE DISCRIMINATED AGAINST BECAUSE THEY'RE MAKING A DECISION.
OK, WE'RE MAKING THE DECISION AS THE PARENTS.
AND YOU WILL NOT FORCE MY CHILD OR ANY OTHER CHILD TO TAKE A VACCINE OR WEAR A MASK.
NEXT PERSON IS MR. JOHN PETTIGREW.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF BOARD, I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT AND THE FOLKS THAT THE LAST TWO THAT JUST SPOKE IN FRONT OF ME ACTUALLY CAME IN AFTER ME.
SO YOU MUST BE GOING FROM THE TOP TO THE BOTTOM ABOUT WHEN PEOPLE SIGNED UP.
I'M GLAD THEY GOT TO SPEAK BECAUSE THEY SAID VERY GOOD THINGS.
BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME TIME NOT USED UP BY SOME OF OUR PREVIOUS SPEAKERS? BUT ANYWAY, AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOUR SERVICE HERE ON THE BOARD AND APPRECIATE YOU LISTENING TO THE PARENTS, THE STAFF AND AND EVERYBODY INVOLVED THESE DECISIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING BECAUSE THEY CERTAINLY ARE IMPORTANT DECISIONS AND THEY AFFECT OUR FUTURE, AFFECT OUR STUDENTS, THEY AFFECT OUR FAMILIES, THEY AFFECT OUR BUSINESSES.
AND I ESPECIALLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE QUARANTINES BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE WE NOT ONLY HAVE TOO MANY COVID CASES, BUT WE HAVE FAR TOO MANY QUARANTINES AND AS A RESULT OF THE POLICY THAT IS PUT IN PLACE FOR QUARANTINES.
BUT THAT POLICY DOES NOT SEEM TO BE CONSISTENTLY APPLIED, AND THERE'S WIDE DISCREPANCIES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT IN THE VARIOUS SCHOOLS AS TO THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING QUARANTINED.
AND FOR EXAMPLE, I'VE GOT THE LATEST NUMBERS HERE THAT WERE PUT OUT TODAY.
AND JUST LOOKING AT HIGH SCHOOLS, I HAVE TWO STUDENTS AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
FORTUNATELY, THEY HAVE NOT HAD TO BE QUARANTINED.
BUT LIKE AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, FOR EXAMPLE, HAD 10 POSITIVE CASES AND 500 QUARANTINED.
THAT'S A 50 TO ONE RATIO OF QUARANTINE TO POSITIVE CASES.
MIDLAND VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL HAD 5 POSITIVE CASES, 402 QUARANTINED.
THAT'S 80 PEOPLE QUARANTINED FOR EVERYONE WITH THE VIRUS.
THEY HAD 14 POSITIVE CASES, 200 QUARANTINED.
SO A BLUFF 5 CASES 140 QUARANTINE.
28 TO 1 RATIO SOUTH AIKEN 17 POSITIVE CASES FOR 81 QUARANTINE.
WAGNER SALLY 12 POSITIVE CASES.
THAT'S 10 QUARANTINE FOR EVERY CASE.
SO WE HAVE A VARIANCE FROM 10 STUDENTS QUARANTINED FOR EVERY ONE CASE TO 80 STUDENTS QUARANTINED FOR EVERY ONE CASE.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S THIS IS NOT BEING IMPLEMENTED THE SAME WAY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW IT'S DETERMINED WHO GETS QUARANTINED, OTHER THAN SOME WAY OF DETERMINING IF THERE WAS CLOSE CONTACT FOR OVER 15 MINUTES.
SO I ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THAT DISCREPANCY THERE.
AND AND ALSO, I ASK YOU TO CONSIDER HOW QUARANTINES HURT OUR STUDENTS.
THEY TAKE THEM OUT OF CLASS FOR 14 DAYS.
NOW THAT'S HARD TO MAKE UP AND IN COURSES A LOT OF TIMES, THE PARENTS, MYSELF BEING ONE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT SPANISH THREE OR BIOLOGY TWO.
I CAN'T HELP MY STUDENTS WITH THAT.
IT ALSO PARENTS THAT WHERE BOTH PARENTS WORK AND THEY HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN THAT ARE QUARANTINED, THEY'RE OFTEN FORCED TO TO MAKE A DECISION.
WELL, DO I STAY HOME WITH MY CHILD OR DO I GO TO WORK? AND THAT'S A TOUGH DECISION THAT THOSE PARENTS ARE HAVING TO MAKE BECAUSE THEIR HEALTHY CHILD IS BEING QUARANTINED.
AND ALSO, IT HURTS OUR BUSINESSES BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE PARENTS ARE HAVING TO MAKE THE CHOICE OF STAYING AT HOME WITH THEIR HEALTHY QUARANTINED CHILDREN.
SO, SO I ASK YOU TO KEEP ALL OF THAT IN MIND AS YOU CONSIDER YOUR QUARANTINE POLICY AND AS AN EXAMPLE WOULD SUGGEST, MAYBE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, QUARANTINING THESE FOLKS WITH CLOSE CONTACT FOR LESS AMOUNT OF TIME, MAYBE FIVE DAYS, MAYBE SEVEN DAYS.
I THINK WE'VE BEEN TOLD THE SCIENCE SAYS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET THE VIRUS FROM A EXPOSURE, YOU'LL SHOW IT.
IT'LL SHOW UP WITH SYMPTOMS OR TEST IN FIVE TO SEVEN DAYS, MAYBE QUARANTINE THEM FOR FIVE OR SEVEN DAYS, LET THEM TAKE A TEST AND IF THEY CLEAR, COME BACK TO SCHOOL.
I THINK WE HAVE ALL AGREED IN THE PAST THAT A STUDENT IN-PERSON LEARNING IS THE
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BEST WAY FOR MOST STUDENTS TO LEARN, AND THAT SHOULD BE OUR GOAL.HOW CAN WE BEST ALLOW OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN? AND SO THESE QUARANTINES AND THE ARBITRARY IMPLEMENTATION, I THINK, IS IS HURTING A LOT OF A LOT OF OUR STUDENTS.
AND SO I JUST ASK YOU TO LOOK AT THAT QUARANTINE POLICY AND SEE IF YOU CAN MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO ALLOW MORE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
NEXT SPEAKER IS ANDREW MACASKILL.
WHO ALSO WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT QUARANTINES? I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TONIGHT.
I KNOW SOME OF YOU KNOW ME AND KNOW I'M A RATHER PASSIONATE INDIVIDUAL AND PASSIONATE ABOUT EDUCATION.
GOD BLESS CAM AND JASON FOR HAVING TO TOLERATE ME.
I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE QUARANTINE, PARTICULARLY FOR MY SON, AS IT'S BEEN A VERY PERSONAL AND REAL PROBLEM FOR US.
MY SON IS A SENIOR AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
MY OTHER SON GRADUATED FROM AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL A YEAR AGO, AND THE QUARANTINE HAS BEEN A NIGHTMARE.
WHEN WE LOOK AT SEVERAL OF THE NUMBERS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN SHARED, I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT THOSE, BUT AT AIKEN HIGH, IT SEEMS INCREDULOUS THAT WE HAVE THIS MANY KIDS ON QUARANTINE.
I THINK VERY HIGHLY OF THE ADMINISTRATION AT AIKEN HIGH, SO PLEASE KNOW I'M NOT SPEAKING NEGATIVE OF THEM AT ALL.
I'VE BEEN VERY INVOLVED WITH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF THE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT COMMITTEE.
LAST YEAR I WAS THE PAST PRESIDENT OF THE NJROTC BOOSTER CLUB.
I'M INVOLVED WITH A FEW OTHER ODDS AND ENDS.
MY DAUGHTER IS A GRADUATE FROM AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
AND SO WE HAVE I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THIS SCHOOL FOR SIX YEARS.
LAST YEAR, MY SON, THE HYBRID MODEL, WAS AN ABSOLUTE FIASCO.
PLEASE, DEAR GOD, DON'T DO THAT AGAIN.
MY SON TRYING TO LEARN PRE-CALCULUS AND GERMAN TWO ONLINE.
ANYBODY THINKS THAT COULD WORK IS NOT LOOKING AT THE TRUE DYNAMICS OF WHAT GOES ON.
I THINK OTHERS HAVE SAID IT WELL BEFORE THAT THE FACE TO FACE LEARNING IS THE BEST OPTION.
WHEN WE LOOK AT COVID IT, IT SEEMS TO BE MADE INTO A BIGGER, SCARIER DISEASE THAN WHAT IT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THE DEATHS.
THE MEDIAN AGE OF DEATHS IS 62.
THE MEDIAN AGE OF AIKEN COUNTY IS 39.
SO AND AGAIN, AS THE GENTLEMAN SHARED EARLIER, THE DEATHS.
THE DEATH RATE IS IS JUST SIMPLY EMOTIONAL NONSENSE.
MY SON NOT LEARNING HIS CLASSES TO BE PREPARED TO STEP INTO HIS FUTURE CAREER IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM.
THIS BOARD HAS PRESIDED OVER THE LARGEST DECREASE IN READING AND MATH SKILLS IN THE LAST 40 YEARS.
I'M NOT POINTING THE BLAME AT YOU, BUT WE HAVE HAD THE LARGEST DECREASE.
50 PERCENT OF THE AIKEN STUDENTS ARE CLASSIFIED AS AT RISK.
MANY OF YOU KNOW THAT I PRIOR TO WHAT I DO NOW, I WORKED FOR CHRIST CENTRAL MINISTRIES AND WAS AN EDUCATION ADVOCATE INVOLVED WITH LOW INCOME AT RISK KIDS IN WORKING WITH 13 DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
I WAS ALSO ON THE STATE BOARD OF DJJ.
FRIENDS OF JUVENILE JUSTICE JUDGE BYARS FROM DJJ MADE IT VERY CLEAR.
THIRD GRADE BOYS THAT ARE ONE GRADE BEHIND IN READING.
ARE 70 PERCENT LIKELY TO NEVER GRADUATE, AND THAT IS HOW WE GAUGE HOW TO BUILD PRISONS.
I MUST SAY THAT AGAIN, WE BUILD PRISONS OFF OF THIRD GRADE READING SCORES OF BOYS.
WE'VE SEEN THE LARGEST DECREASE IN MATH AND READING SKILLS IN THE LAST YEAR.
THE HYBRID MODEL ISN'T WORKING.
WE ARE PREPARING TOO MANY OF OUR STUDENTS TO GO STRAIGHT INTO THE PRISON SYSTEM OF SOUTH CAROLINA.
IF A CHILD DOESN'T GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL, THEY ARE MOST LIKELY TO BE INCARCERATED BY AGE OF 25.
ARE YOU PREPARED TO SEE THAT SURGE IN OUR PRISON POPULATION? ADDITIONALLY, OUR STUDENTS ARE UNDERPREPARED TO TAKE THE ASVAB MILITARY TEST I MENTIONED I HAVE A JARHEAD IN THE FAMILY.
SHE'S A HECK OF A LOT MEANER THAN I AM.
AS A RESULT, I'VE GOT TO KNOW A LOT OF THE RECRUITERS.
[00:35:03]
DID YOU KNOW AIKEN COUNTY STUDENTS AT BEST, ONLY 40 PERCENT OF THEM CAN PASS THE MILITARY ASVAB ENTRANCE EXAM THEIR FIRST TIME.YOU ONLY GET TO TAKE IT THREE TIMES.
SO WE NEED TO STEP BACK AND SAY, HEY, THIS QUARANTINE NONSENSE IS NOT WORKING AND WE'RE PUTTING OUR MOST VULNERABLE STUDENTS AT RISK.
NOW, MY SON NOT LEARNING GERMAN TWO.
MY SON WAS QUARANTINED BECAUSE OF SOMEBODY SAID CONTACT TRACING, I DON'T GET TO SEE THE EVIDENCE, SO I'M REALLY SUSPECT.
I TOOK MY SON BECAUSE HE ALSO WORKS.
I TOOK HIM, GOT THE COVID TEST AND HE TESTED NEGATIVE TWICE, BUT I COULDN'T BRING MY HEALTHY SON BACK TO SCHOOL.
THAT IS UTTERLY RIDICULOUS, AND YOU SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELVES.
AND YES, I'M A PASSIONATE PERSON, AND I'M KIND OF IN GRIZZLY BEAR MODE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I'M NOT LETTING I DON'T WANT MY SON'S EDUCATION RUINED.
HE WANTS TO BE A CHEF BECAUSE OF THE ONLINE FAILURE WITH GERMAN LAST YEAR.
HE CAN'T TAKE HIS CULINARY THREE CLASS BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY ONE GERMAN TWO CLASS, AND IT'S THE SAME TIME AS ITS CULINARY THREE CLASS.
SO I'M NOT REAL HAPPY ABOUT HOW THIS IS PLAYING OUT.
AND AGAIN, I ASK YOU, LET'S STOP THE FOOLISHNESS.
LET'S START USING FACTS, NOT FEAR.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE OFFICE OF BOARD CHAIRMAN.
I'D LIKE TO APOLOGIZE FOR [INAUDIBLE] NOT BEING HERE THIS EVENING BECAUSE SHE'S SICK.
I DON'T GUESS I NEED TO APOLOGIZE.
I JUST NEED TO POINT OUT TO YOU THAT THE REASON SHE'S NOT HERE IS BECAUSE SHE'S ILL.
I WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BOARD PROCLAMATION AT THE LAST MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THE BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO SUBMIT A PROCLAMATION TO THE LEGISLATURE ABOUT PROVISO.
THAT FORBIDS MASK WEARING AND ALSO THE INFRINGEMENT ON LOCAL CONTROL OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN A COPY OF THE PROPOSED PROCLAMATION IN YOUR PURPLE FOLDER.
AND I WANTED TO INVITE YOU TO OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS OR CORRECTIONS OR WHATEVER TO THAT.
WE CAN EITHER RATIFY THIS EVENING OR WE CAN WAIT AND DO IT AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
DEPENDING ON THE PLEASURE OF BOARD MEMBERS.
HAD YOU NOT SEEN I THINK ALSO OK.
WELL, PERHAPS WE NEED TO ASK YOU TO REVIEW THAT AND SUBMIT ANY SUGGESTIONS OR COMMENTS OR WHATEVER PRIOR TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING, AND WE WILL CONSIDER IT FOR ADOPTION AT OUR NEXT BOARD MEETING.
EXCUSE ME, MR. CHAIR, AS OPPOSED TO PUT OFF.
AGREEING TO THIS OR SENDING THIS AT A LATER DATE, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SENT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
CAN WE JUST MOVE IT? AND IF IT'S NOT TOO LATE, MOVE IT TO ANOTHER SECTION OF THE AGENDA AND COME BACK TO IT.
SO THAT WAY, MAYBE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO READ OVER IT WHILE WE'RE CONDUCTING BUSINESS? I JUST I JUST DON'T WANT TO PUT OFF ANYTHING ELSE.
OK, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION LATER.
I DON'T ANTICIPATE IT TAKING A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF TIME.
I GUESS WE COULD ADD IT TO THE AGENDA FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
HOWEVER, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE A TWO THIRDS VOTE OF THE BOARD TO DO THAT.
SO IF YOU'D LIKE TO PUT THAT IN THE FORM OF A MOTION.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ADD THIS TO THE CURRENT AGENDA RIGHT AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY DR.
[Informational Items]
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, ALL IN FAVOR OF ADDING THIS TO THE AGENDA FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR A VOTE.INFORMATIONAL ITEMS, THESE ARE ITEMS THAT ARE PRESENTED TO US JUST FOR THE
[00:40:04]
INFORMATION, NO APPROVAL OR VOTE IS REQUIRED.OUR FIRST INFORMATIONAL ITEM IS A COVID UPDATE BY MR. LAURENCE, MR. LAURENCE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WE'RE GOING TO PUT THIS SLIDE UP TO SHOW YOU THIS WAS WHAT WAS RELEASED TODAY THAT SHOWS THE DISTRICT WIDE DATA.
IT'S IT'S BEEN MENTIONED ALREADY AT LEAST ONCE, BUT YOU CAN SEE THAT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE 209 POSITIVE STUDENTS, 27 POSITIVE EMPLOYEES.
NOW THAT'S DOWN SOME AND YOU CAN SEE FROM THE GRAPH THERE.
WE WENT FROM 350 POSITIVE STUDENTS LAST WEEK, DOWN TO 209 THIS WEEK, SO THAT THAT IS CERTAINLY SOME SOME POSITIVE NEWS FOR US.
THE QUARANTINE STUDENTS YOU SEE THERE 4,725.
THOSE QUARANTINE STUDENTS ARE NOT COMPLETELY THE RESULT OF THOSE 209 POSITIVE CASES.
THOSE ARE THE STUDENTS WHO ARE CURRENTLY QUARANTINED.
SO BECAUSE THE QUARANTINE IS RIGHT NOW BETWEEN 10 AND 14 DAYS, THERE'S A CARRYOVER FROM THE PREVIOUS WEEK.
SO WHILE THAT HELPS TO UNDERSTAND WHY A SCHOOL MIGHT HAVE AN INORDINATE NUMBER OF OF QUARANTINES BASED ON THE NUMBER OF POSITIVE CASES THAT THEY HAVE .
ALSO MENTIONED THAT WE ARE KEEPING DATA ON OUR QUARANTINE STUDENTS AND REPORTING THAT DATA TO [INAUDIBLE] EVERY WEEK OF OUR QUARANTINE STUDENTS.
127 OF THEM HAVE ENDED UP TESTING POSITIVE, AND THAT'S JUST UNDER TWO PERCENT.
ABOUT 1.98 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE TESTED POSITIVE WHO WERE QUARANTINED, AND OF OUR STAFF, ABOUT 14 PERCENT OF OUR STAFF WHO HAVE BEEN QUARANTINED HAVE ENDED UP TESTING POSITIVE.
THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AS WE PRESENT THAT INFORMATION TO [INAUDIBLE], MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THE STATE AND THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, WE'RE USING THIS TO HOPEFULLY CONVINCE [INAUDIBLE] THAT THAT THERE IS LESS DANGER WITH OUR QUARANTINE STUDENTS AND HOPEFULLY GET THE STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS TO TO REDUCE THE LENGTH OF QUARANTINES.
SO AS WE COLLECT THIS EACH WEEK, ALL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE ARE TURNING THAT IN AND AND WE'RE MAKING OUR CASE TO THEM.
SO HOPEFULLY VERY SOON WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHORTEN QUARANTINES.
SO IF THE BOARD HAS ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TRY TO ANSWER.
I THINK YOU'RE AWARE OF THIS, BUT THE SO WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION FROM THE PUBLIC TONIGHT ABOUT QUARANTINES, AND I HAD SOMETHING ON MY LIST THAT I THINK WE DO HAVE CONTROL OVER AND THAT'S THINGS I THINK NOBODY WANTS THEIR KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL.
BUT WHAT'S PARTICULARLY EGREGIOUS IS THAT WE HAVE THESE HOUSEHOLD CONTACTS THAT ALREADY THAT I'M HEARING HAVE KIDS OUT OF SCHOOL FOR 28 DAYS.
AND IF I UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IN THE GUIDELINES, THAT CAN HAPPEN, BUT IT'S ALSO AVOIDABLE IN MY MIND.
WHAT HAVE WE COMMUNICATED TO PARENTS? AND I'LL GET TO THAT A SECOND.
AND DO WE HAVE THAT ON A CHECKLIST THAT WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS WHEN WE DO CONTACT TRACING? AND I'M NOT TRYING TO MAKE THIS COMPLICATED FOR FOLKS THAT ARE LISTENING, BUT SIMPLY, IF YOU KNOW, BROTHER TESTS POSITIVE, SISTER'S IN THE SAME HOUSE BUT IS NOT SICK, THEY BOTH GET QUARANTINED.
BUT SISTER'S QUARANTINE DOESN'T START UNTIL THE BROTHER'S QUARANTINE ENDS UNLESS YOU'RE SAYING THAT THEY'RE KEEPING ISOLATED FROM EACH OTHER.
THIS IS HOW WEIRD THIS GETS, RIGHT? RIGHT.
AND I JUST I THINK WE OWE IT TO OURSELVES TO THAT.
WE'RE COMMUNICATING TO PEOPLE THAT THAT IF YOU HAVE A CHILD THAT'S SICK AND SO FORTH THAT WE'RE KEEPING OUR KIDS SEPARATED WITHIN THE SAME HOUSE.
AND I DON'T THINK I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S HAPPENING TO A LOT OF KIDS, BUT IT SEEMS REALLY AVOIDABLE AS WELL AS I WANT TO.
AND BELIEVE ME, I THINK OUR SCHOOLS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB.
IF ANYBODY, MY KIDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN QUARANTINED THIS YEAR AND THE INTERACTION BETWEEN MYSELF AND THE SCHOOL HAS BEEN FANTASTIC.
BUT I JUST MAKE SURE IF WE'RE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YES, SIR, AND WE ARE COMMUNICATING THAT IT WOULD BE UNUSUAL, CLEARLY POSSIBLE FOR A FOR A STUDENT WHO WAS IN THE HOUSE WITH AN ISOLATED STUDENT BECAUSE OF A POSITIVE TEST.
[00:45:02]
IF THEY'RE STILL IN CLOSE CONTACT WITH THAT STUDENT AT THE END OF THE ISOLATION PERIOD, THAT IS WHEN THE QUARANTINE WOULD START.BUT IDEALLY, ONCE ONCE THE FAMILY KNOWS THAT THERE'S A POSITIVE CASE, THOSE OTHER SIBLINGS SHOULD BE ISOLATED FROM THE FROM THE PERSON WHO IS WHO IS POSITIVE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, FAMILY DYNAMICS ARE DIFFERENT.
SO WE DO COMMUNICATE THAT AND WE DO ASK THEM TO TO KEEP TO KEEP STUDENTS SEPARATE.
AND JUST THE OTHER ONE IS I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF AWARENESS OF THE PART OF WHAT'S IN THE GUIDELINES AROUND IF YOU'VE TESTED POSITIVE FOR COVID IN THE LAST 90 DAYS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW [INAUDIBLE] PICKED THAT NUMBER, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HIGH LEVEL OF AWARENESS AROUND THAT.
AND JUST WHAT, I THINK JUST MAKING I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ASKING THAT QUESTION AS WELL WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
IT'S IN OUR LETTER AND IT'S IN OUR DOCUMENTATION.
SO I MEAN, WE CAN WE CAN CREATE NEW COMMUNICATIONS TO BE SURE THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT.
BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S CHANGED.
THAT'S FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
THAT'S BEEN THAT'S BEEN AN EXPECTATION.
I REALIZE THAT'S BEEN AN EXPECTATION FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
WHOSE EXPECTATION? SOUTH CAROLINA [INAUDIBLE].
WE CAN'T MAKE THESE DECISIONS CORRECT WITHOUT VIOLATING STATE LAW? WELL, IT'S MY OPINION THAT THAT WE ARE WE ARE BOUND TO FOLLOW [INAUDIBLE] GUIDELINES.
YES AND, WELL THE MYRIAD OF REASONS THAT WE HAVE TO.
YES, SIR, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
WE DON'T TAKE COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE.
I'M FRUSTRATED WITH THE QUARANTINES.
BECAUSE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, BUT WE CANNOT DO.
I'M NOT GOING TO VOTE TO BREAK NO LAW AND I KNOW YOU AREN'T EITHER.
WE ARE STUCK WITH WHAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH.
I HOPE AND PRAY THAT AS Y'ALL MEET WITH THE GOVERNOR, [INAUDIBLE] WHOMEVER IT IS THAT Y'ALL CAN CONVINCE HIM AS TO WHAT A PROBLEM IT IS CAUSING FOR OUR FAMILIES.
I'LL PIGGYBACK A LITTLE BIT ON MR. NUESSLE.
I ALWAYS WORRY ABOUT INCONSISTENT APPLICATION OF POLICY AT DIFFERENT SCHOOLS JUST IN GENERAL, SO I'M NOT NECESSARILY PUSHING ANYTHING THERE.
JUST IT'D BE GOOD TO MAYBE REMIND EVERYONE THAT THIS IS THE STANDARD.
AND THERE'S THERE'S NOT WIGGLE ROOM ON IT.
AS FAR AS MEETING WITH [INAUDIBLE].
AND I THINK WE'VE GOT US AND EVERYBODY ELSE HAS THE DATA TO SUPPORT TO SUPPORT THAT END GOAL.
IS THERE A THOUGHT PROCESS ON WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR OR ARE WE JUST GENERALLY KIND OF VAGUELY SAYING THE 10, 14 DAY, 7, 10, 14 ISN'T WORKING.
WE WANT SOMETHING LOWER? RIGHT.
WE'RE SHOWING THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE IN QUARANTINE TYPICALLY DO NOT GET SICK.
AND WHAT WE BELIEVE WOULD BE THE CASE WOULD BE STATEWIDE, FEWER THAN FIVE PERCENT.
AND HERE IN AIKEN COUNTY, IT'S IT'S A LITTLE UNDER TWO PERCENT.
SO IF THAT'S THE TREND STATEWIDE, I THINK WE'VE GOT A PRETTY GOOD CASE.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO TO REDUCE THOSE QUARANTINE LENGTHS.
WELL, I'LL I'LL THROW HOOK OUT AT MR. PETTIGREW.
I THINK HIS RECOMMENDATION OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE A FIVE TO SEVEN WITH WITH A TEST IS I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER TO GO INTO THAT DISCUSSION WITH WITH A RECOMMENDATION AND NOT JUST A VAGUE.
CAN WE CAN WE PLEASE GET SOME LOWERED? I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A SUGGESTION, BUT JUST SOMETHING TO PERCOLATE WITH THE SUPERINTENDENTS THAT ARE MEETING.
ANYBODY ELSE? IF IF YOU GUYS KNEW WHAT A PROBLEM IT IS FOR US TO DEAL WITH QUARANTINE KIDS, YOU WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT TO QUARANTINE KIDS.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE STRIVE TO DO.
WE'RE JUST SIMPLY FOLLOWING THE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH GUIDANCE, WHICH WE HAD TO SAY WE WERE GOING TO DO IN WRITING IN ORDER TO GET TO OPEN SCHOOL AND OUR SAFETY PLAN.
US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION COVID SAFETY MEASURES GRANT PROGRAM.
[00:50:05]
MR. LAURENCE.YES, SIR, LET ME GET THAT UP HERE.
OK, SO AGAIN, THIS IS ONE THAT'S JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, AND BECAUSE THIS CAME OUT LAST WEEK.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THE BOARD HAD A CHANCE TO SEE IT.
AND IF THEY WANTED TO MAKE ANY, ANY COMMENTS ABOUT IT, YOU'D BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS ANNOUNCING A GRANT PROGRAM.
NOW THAT IS ALL IT IS AT THIS POINT IS IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
THERE IS NO GRANT APPLICATION THAT I'M AWARE OF AND NO PARAMETERS OR ANYTHING ELSE.
BUT THEY ARE SAYING THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WANTS TO SUBSIDIZE SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHO FOR REASON OF STATE REGULATIONS OR STATE LAWS, LOSE FUNDING DUE TO MITIGATION MEASURES FOR COVID.
SO THAT IS THAT IS BASICALLY THE STATEMENT THAT THE U.S.
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION PUT OUT.
AND AGAIN, AS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT YOU HAD IT AND THAT THE PUBLIC KNEW THAT THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND IF WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE FEDS, WE'LL CERTAINLY PASS THAT ALONG.
THE NEXT THREE ITEMS ARE CONSTRUCTION STATUS REPORTS, DR.
GOOD EVENING MR. CHAIRMAN, BOARD MEMBERS AND MR. LAURENCE.
TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE SLIGHTLY ABBREVIATED VERSION OF OUR NORMAL OUR NORMAL CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, MOSTLY BECAUSE WE'RE INTO THE INTERIOR FITMENT PORTION OF THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THE EXCITING STRUCTURES GO UP AND EVERYTHING, BUT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AT BELVEDERE.
AND RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, VERY SIMILAR TO THE LAST IMAGE WE SAW HERE.
YOU SEE, THE CANOPY IS COMPLETELY CONSTRUCTED NOW AND JUST A LITTLE BIT OFF TO THE RIGHT OF THIS PHOTOGRAPH.
WE DO HAVE A FULLY FUNCTIONING LED SIGN NOW THAT'S AT THE TOP OF THE HILL, AND THAT'S A VERY WELCOME ADDITION TO THAT COMMUNITY.
THE ONE EXCITING PIECE OF NEWS IS TO WATCH THE DEMOLITION GO ON, AND THEY'RE TEARING DOWN THAT OLD BUILDING, AND THAT'S THAT'S TAKING PLACE RATHER RAPIDLY.
AND WE'RE GOING THROUGH ON THE INSIDE OF THE SCHOOL AND TAKING OUT SOME PUNCH LIST ITEMS, GETTING SOME FITMENT DONE AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT MAYBE WERE LEFT OFF THE INITIAL SCOPE.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THE PROJECT IS STILL ON TIME AND IT'S DEFINITELY ON BUDGET.
WE GO OVER TO HAMMOND HILL AND HERE YOU CAN SEE IN THE UPPER LEFT HAND CORNER.
JUST THE GLASS PANELS ARE BEING INSTALLED AND YOU HAVE THE INTERIOR CURTAIN WALL THERE AT THE UPPER RIGHT HAND CORNER.
YOU COULD SEE SOME DUCT WORK BEING PUT IN THERE AS WELL.
THE NEW TWO STORY EDITION IS CURRENTLY 70 PERCENT COMPLETE AT THIS POINT.
SO OUTSIDE WE JUST STILL DOING SOME SITE PREPARATION WORK, SOME OF THE DETENTION POND BASIN WORK AS WELL.
WE'RE EXPANDING THE EXISTING STORM WATER BASIN, WE'RE GRADING THE NEW DROP OFF AND PICK UP ROADWAY ACCESS.
AND BASICALLY THE GOOD WEATHER HAS BEEN HELPING US OUT WITH STAYING ON TRACK.
SO WE ARE STILL ON TIME AND ON BUDGET AS WELL AT.
AND THEN LASTLY, TONIGHT IS MILLBROOK AND MILLBROOK IS COMING ALONG VERY, VERY, VERY NICELY AT THIS POINT.
FROM AN OUTSIDE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FEATURES, I MENTIONED THIS LAST TIME.
IT'S VERY IMPRESSIVE TO WALK IN AND OBVIOUSLY WALK UP TO THE SCHOOL ITSELF.
THE CONTRACTORS MADE STEADY PROGRESS.
THE SIDE ALONGSIDE [INAUDIBLE] IS COMPLETE AND WE'RE STILL READY TO FINISH THIS PROJECT IN NOVEMBER OF 2021, STILL ON TIME AND ON BUDGET.
THANK YOU, DR. MURPHY, YOU TOOK THE WIND OUT OF MY SAILS.
I APPRECIATE YOU PREEMPTING MY QUESTION ON BEING ON TIME AND ON BUDGET, BUT IT'S GREAT INFORMATION.
ON THE DETENTION POND AT HAMMOND HILL.
I KNOW THERE WAS SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT JUST THE SCOPE OF THAT AND THE SECURITY MEASURES, FENCING AND WHATNOT AROUND THAT, BECAUSE IT'S IT'S A PRETTY BIG OPEN, OBVIOUS HAZARD.
HOW ARE WE ON THAT? ARE WE ON TRACK WITH THAT OR IS THAT ABOUT TO BE DONE? I JUST I WORRY ABOUT A BIG HOLE IN THE GROUND.
THE SAME WITH HAMMOND HILL AND BELVEDERE.
WE ARE INSTALLING THE FENCING AROUND THE I THINK IT'S A FULL FOOT BLACK VINYL FENCE AROUND BOTH.
DR. MURPHY, I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
I TOURED BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY AND I THINK THERE WAS A VERY NICE OUTCOME OF
[00:55:05]
THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE THAT SOME PEOPLE MAY NOT EVEN BE AWARE OF.I TALKED WITH SEVERAL TEACHERS AND THEY WERE ABLE TO NOW UNDER THE COVID RESTRICTIONS, SEPARATE THEIR STUDENTS INTO COHORTS A LOT BETTER BECAUSE OF THE SPACE THAT THE RENOVATIONS HAVE ALLOWED.
AND SO THAT'S A REAL BIG PLUS.
WHEN I, YOU KNOW, WHEN I MADE THE TOUR, THE PRINCIPAL DIDN'T ACTUALLY POINT IT OUT.
THE TEACHERS DID, BUT SHE WAS.
SHE WAS ON TOP OF IT, AND SHE SHE DID A GREAT JOB OF UNDERSTANDING THE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING WAS JUST A KUDOS TO THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM BECAUSE THEY SAID THEY HAD A LITTLE GIRL GET LOCKED IN ONE OF THE BATHROOMS AND THE CONSTRUCTION TEAM WENT IN ABOVE THE CEILING TILES AND GOT HER OUT.
THEY WERE VERY POSITIVE ABOUT THAT.
AND SHE WAS SINGING THE WHOLE TIME, SO SHE WAS DEFINITELY NOT TRAUMATIZED BY THAT EXPERIENCE.
ANYBODY ELSE? THANK YOU, DR. MURRAY.
NEXT ITEM IS ROLLBACK OF 2021 2022 MILLAGE FOR REASSESSMENT.
GOOD EVENING MR. CHAIR, MR. LAURENCE, BOARD MEMBERS.
THIS YEAR WAS A REASSESSMENT YEAR AND IN ACCORDANCE WITH LAW.
WE CALCULATED THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE FOR SCHOOL OPERATIONS.
THIS MPO IS THIS ITEM IS AN INFORMATION ITEM.
WE WE DID HAVE A DEADLINE FOR SUBMITTING THIS TO THE COUNTY.
THE ORIGINAL BUDGET FOR THE YEAR WAS 137 POINT THREE MILLS FOR SCHOOL OPERATING MILLAGE THAT WAS APPROVED WITH A SECOND MEETING BACK IN MAY.
IT DIDN'T INCLUDE A TAX INCREASE WITH THE REASSESSED VALUES.
THERE WAS A 3.1 MILL ROLLBACK CALCULATED, SO THE NEW NEW SCHOOL OPERATING
[Consent Items]
MILLAGE IS 134 .2 MILLS FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS? HEARING NONE, THANK YOU.
AND NOW COME TO THE CONSENT ITEMS. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED ONE AT A TIME AND VOTED ON AS A GROUP.
FIRST IS OUT OF DISTRICT REQUEST TRANSFERS OUT.
THESE ARE STUDENTS WHO ARE LEAVING OUR DISTRICT AND GOING TO ANOTHER ONE.
THE NEXT ITEM IS OUT OF DISTRICT REQUEST TRANSFERS IN.
THESE ARE A LIST OF STUDENTS THAT ARE RESIDING IN OTHER DISTRICTS WON'T EVEN COME [INAUDIBLE], AND THEY HAVE TO PAY A TUITION.
THIRD ITEM, SOUTH CAROLINA ARTS COMMISSION, ARTS IN BASIC CURRICULUM GRANT AWARD FOR EAST AIKEN SCHOOL OF THE ARTS.
THEY RECEIVED A TWELVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS AWARD AND THEY'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR SUBSTITUTES.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ARTS BASED FIELD TRIPS, INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPLIES, EQUIPMENT MAINTENANCE AND SO FORTH.
4 IS THE WHOLESPIRE HEALTHY EATING, ACTIVE LIVING MINI GRANT AWARD TO OAKWOOD WINDSOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THIS IS A GRANT AMOUNT OF THREE THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FORTY FIVE DOLLARS AND THE MONEYS WILL BE USED TO PURCHASE A HYDRATING STATION AND A SOCCER GOAL.
THE NEXT ITEM IS CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE FOR THE 2021 INSTALLATION OF FLOORING AT MOSSY CREEK ELEMENTARY.
MURPHY HAS GIVEN US BACK FIFTY ONE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED SEVEN DOLLARS THAT WAS NOT NECESSARY TO COMPLETE THIS PROJECT.
MURPHY MUST BE RUNNING FOR OFFICE OR SOMETHING.
HE'S GETTING ALL THESE PROJECTS IN ON TIME AND UNDER BUDGET.
NUMBER SIX IS THE SITE PACKAGE FOR THE HIGHLAND SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT.
ESSENTIALLY, WE TOOK BIDS ON THE GROUNDWORK FOR THAT SCHOOL AND IT CAME IN OVER BUDGET.
SO WE NEED TO ADD IT WAS REASONABLY BUDGETED FOR SIX MILLION FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND.
AND BUT THE BID CAME IN AT EIGHT MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE THOUSAND SEVEN HUNDRED THIRTY NINE DOLLARS.
SO WE NEED TO INCREASE THE BUDGET TO COVER THE COST.
YEAH, ON THE LAST ITEM WITH THE HIGHLAND SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT, I MEAN, SO THE HANDOUT WAS STRAIGHTFORWARD, BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THE WAY IT
[01:00:02]
READS.IT SOUNDS LIKE THE MAJORITY OF THAT IS FROM ESCALATION ON PRICES.
INFLATION ON MATERIALS THAT HAS THAT DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE INCREASE IN THE SIZE OF THE PROJECT? NO, SIR, IT DOESN'T.
IT'S IT'S INCREASED IN THE COST OF THE OF THE PROCESS AND SITE PREP.
MURPHY, YOU'RE YOU'RE PRETTY GOOD AT SAVING US SOME MONEY HERE AND THERE.
WHERE ARE WE GOING TO COME UP WITH $2.3 MILLION WE WEREN'T PLANNING TO SPEND ON THIS? THAT AMOUNT IS STILL WITHIN THE CONTINGENCY PORTION OF THE PLAN.
BASICALLY, WHEN WE GOT INTO ACTUALLY TAKING BIDS, IT'S GOING TO TAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE WHEN IT COMES TO SITE PREP.
AND THEN WHEN THE COMPANIES WE WENT TO THE SUBCONTRACTORS BASED ON COVID PRICING AS WELL, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE A LITTLE BIT OF ESCALATION, BUT WE'RE STILL WELL WITHIN OUR CONTINGENCY.
ANYBODY ELSE? WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE SIX ITEMS.
[Individual Items]
IS THERE A MOTION? MOVED BY MS. R H INEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MR. CRANE.ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
C ITEMS, THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS, WE'LL JUST TAKE THEM UP ONE AT A TIME.
PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS, YOU RECEIVE THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
IS THERE A MOTION? I MOVE TO APPROVED PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
MOVED BY MR. SILAS IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON.
THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS ARE APPROVED.
NEXT ITEM IS REVISION OF POLICY IHBIB PRIMARY PRESCHOOL EDUCATION CHILD DEVELOPMENT FIRST READING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE MODIFICATIONS TO THESE POLICIES? MOVED BY MS. R H INEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MR. SMITH, ANY DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE NEXT POLICY IS THE REVISION OF POLICY IKAA TEST AND EXAMINATIONS FIRST READING.
IS THERE A MOTION? SMITH, SECONDED BY DR.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE [INAUDIBLE].
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I'M READING THIS RIGHT, ARE WE SAYING WE'RE GIVING THE THE INDIVIDUAL TEACHER THE OPTION TO NOT REQUIRE AN END OF THE YEAR TEST FOR SENIORS? OR ARE WE MAKING THAT THE STANDARD IF THEY ALREADY HAVE AN A ACROSS THE BOARD? SO THIS IS FOR SENIORS, SO WE A FEW WEEKS AGO WHAT IT WAS, I BELIEVE WE HAD SUSPENDED THE EXAM POLICY.
SO THAT POLICY IS BACK IN PLAY, THAT WE HAVE EXAMS AND THEY ARE 20 PERCENT.
THIS POLICY IS ABOUT EXEMPTING EXAMS FOR SENIORS IF THEY HAVE AN A.
SO THE SPECIFIC CHANGE IN THIS POLICY IS FOR SEMESTER CLASSES.
IT READ ONLY YEAR LONG CLASSES.
SO IF A STUDENTS TAKE IN A SEMESTER LONG COURSE LIKE ECON OR GOVERNMENT AND IT ENDS IN DECEMBER JANUARY, NOW THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE SAME EXEMPTION POLICY.
ANY OTHER QUESTION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
REVISION OF POLICY IKA GRADING AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEMS. FIRST READING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS POLICY, REVISION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE FIRST READ IKA.
SO I DON'T NECESSARILY DISAGREE WITH IT, BUT YOU KNOW, LOOKING THROUGH THE EDITS AND IT LOOKS LIKE THE PRIMARY EDIT ON THIS IS THAT AROUND SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE STUDENTS TAKING HIGH SCHOOL CREDIT COURSES AND PREVIOUSLY THEY GET THE POLICY, LOOKS LIKE IT READ THAT YOU COULD JUST DO IT.
AND NOW IT SPECIFICALLY SAYS WHEN APPROVED BY THE PRINCIPAL AND THE PARENTS.
SO THAT'S I DON'T HAVE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT.
WHAT PROCESS ARE WE ADDING THAT'S NOT THERE TODAY OR IS THIS AN UPDATE? BECAUSE THIS IS OUR PRACTICE.
SO THIS THIS IS VERBIAGE DIRECTLY FROM THE UNIFORM GRADING POLICY FROM THE
[01:05:03]
STATE.SO WE WERE DOING IT ALREADY, BUT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THE WORDING WAS THE SAME AS THE UNIFORM GRADING POLICY.
ANYBODY ELSE? WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND ALL IN FAVOR.
WHAT WE'VE JUST DONE, WE UNDERTOOK SOME MONTHS AGO A REVIEW AND REVISION OF POLICIES THAT HAVE BEEN ENFORCED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, AND THIS IS JUST PART OF THAT PROCESS.
WE REVIEWED ALL THESE INSTRUCTIONAL POLICIES AND WE'VE EDITED THEM AS TO CHANGE IN TIME AND LAW AND EVERYTHING AS DICTATED.
AND DR. MINOLFO HAS BEEN GUIDING THAT PROJECT.
NEXT ITEM IS THE UPDATED ORGANIZATIONAL CHART AND POLICY CCA ORGANIZATIONAL CHART FIRST READING.
WE DEALT WITH THIS AT THE LAST MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE? I MAKE A MOTION.
MOVED BY MS. R H INEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MR. CRANE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED ESSER TWO FUNDING REVISIONS.
I'M GOING TO ASK MR. TRAXLER TO COME IN AND GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF THAT CHANGE.
YES, AS WE'VE MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, ESSER TWO FUNDS ARE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE FLUID THROUGHOUT THEIR EXHAUSTION.
THIS IS A REQUEST FOR TWO ITEMS. THE FIRST IS TO MOVE 7 HUNDRED AND 35 THOUSAND ORIGINALLY EARMARKED FOR CLASSROOM CAMERAS.
AND USING THAT TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL STUDENT LAPTOPS.
THE THERE'S AN IMMEDIATE NEED FOR THOSE ADDITIONAL LAPTOPS.
THE SECOND ITEM IS A REVISION TO COVER THE 10 DAYS COVID LEAVE THAT THE BOARD APPROVED AT THE MOST RECENT MEETING.
THERE WERE COVID LEAVE DOLLARS IN THE ORIGINAL ESSER PLAN THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE SPRING.
WE'RE ASKING FOR A BUDGET SHIFT RIGHT NOW OF A MILLION DOLLARS, TAKING THAT FROM THE SUMMER PROGRAM AND FROM THE FACILITIES LINE ITEMS, KNOWING THAT WE ALSO HAVE ESSER THREE DOLLARS TO PULL THAT FROM AS WELL.
THAT ONE MILLION DOLLARS IS STRICTLY A GUESS AT THIS POINT.
THAT'S APPROXIMATELY WHAT WE SPENT FROM JANUARY ONE THROUGH JUNE 30, AND WE'RE USING THAT SAME AMOUNT HERE IN THE EVENT WE DON'T SPEND IT ALL FOR COVID.
OF COURSE, WE WOULD BRING AN AMENDMENT BACK TO THE BOARD IF THERE'S A NEED TO TO GO OVER THAT.
WE WOULD ALSO BRING THAT AMENDMENT.
I, UNFORTUNATELY, I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE A SITUATION WHERE EVERY MEETING OR TWO.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO BRING AMENDMENTS ON THIS PLAN JUST AS THINGS CONTINUE TO PLAY OUT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? DR. HANKS.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION WHERE DOES THE NEED FOR THE ADDITIONAL 1200 LAPTOPS? WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH THAT? [INAUDIBLE] YEAH, YEAH, SO WE.
AND I'M NOT SURE IF FOLKS HEARD DOC MURPHY.
WE HAD SOME OLDER LAPTOP UNITS THAT WERE BEING DISTRIBUTED TO STUDENTS.
IT WOULD REPLACE THOSE ALSO JUST MORE STUDENTS HAVE RETURNED THIS SCHOOL YEAR THAT THAT WEREN'T HERE LAST YEAR DUE TO COVID.
THANK GOODNESS OUR OUR NUMBERS HAVE GONE BACK UP SOME.
MR. SILAS THAT YOU HAVE ANY? THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
SO ON THE COVID LEAVE, WE'RE ROBBING PETER TO PAY PAUL A LITTLE BIT OUT OF THE SUMMER PROGRAM.
YOU FEEL LIKE WE HAVE THE FUNDS IN ESSER THREE TO COVER THAT GAP, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE APPROVED ESSER THREE? THAT'S YES.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TO ALLOCATE 20 PERCENT OF ESSER THREE FOR LEARNING LOSS, AND THAT WOULD FALL UNDER THAT.
YES, SIR, IT IS TAKING FROM ONE SPOT AND PUTTING IT IN ANOTHER.
SO WE ARE HAVING TO LOOK AT OUR OPTIONS HERE.
WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT TIMING TOO, BECAUSE OUR GOAL THAT MAY NOT WORK OUT PERFECTLY,
[01:10:04]
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO SPEND ESSER TWO AS SOON AS POSSIBLE BEFORE WE GET INTO ESSER THREE.THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ESSER THREE COMPONENTS THAT WON'T ALLOW US TO TO WORK IN THAT MANNER, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THAT ESSER THREE WILL CATCH MUCH OF THIS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS, QUESTION? IF NOT [INAUDIBLE].
I JUST SAY OUT OF CURIOSITY, THE LAPTOPS THAT ARE AGING OUT, WE'RE SAYING THOSE ARE THOSE ARE ESSENTIALLY SCRAP OR WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE? YEAH, WE DON'T SELL THEM UNTIL THEY'RE COMPLETELY OUT OF OUR USEFUL CYCLE, AND THEN WE'LL GO TO THE STATE AND WE'LL DO A STATE SALE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE KEEP WE MAINTAIN SOME OF THE OLDER UNITS FOR LOANERS AND SOME OTHER ITEMS, SUCH AS [INAUDIBLE].
WE HAVE A MOTION MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON MAKES THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CHANGE RECOMMENDED CHANGES IN THE ESSER TWO PROGRAM.
SECOND BY MR. SMITH, ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL RIGHT, NEXT ITEM CONSIDERATION OF PROPOSED ESSER THREE SPENDING REVISIONS, MR. LAURENCE.
MR. CHAIR, IF YOU GIVE ME JUST A SECOND TO GET TO THE PODIUM.
ALL RIGHT, SO THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
TONIGHT WE WANT TO MAKE A PROPOSAL TO YOU THAT WE MENTIONED LAST WEEK TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING QUARANTINED AND WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE TONIGHT ALREADY.
SOME OF OUR AUDIENCE MEMBERS HAVE TALKED ABOUT QUARANTINES AS MUCH AS AS OUR FAMILIES WANT QUARANTINES TO BE SHORTER.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WANTS THEM TO BE SHORTER MORE THAN I DO.
I WANT OUR STUDENTS IN THEIR CLASSES JUST AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN GET THEM IN THEIR CLASSES.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, WE NEED FOR OUR STUDENTS TO BE ABLE TO RECEIVE AS MUCH DIRECT INSTRUCTION AS POSSIBLE FROM THEIR TEACHERS.
SO TO BEGIN WITH, I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO DEFINE REMOTE LEARNING AND REMOTE INSTRUCTION AS WE REFER TO THESE TOPICS WHEN DISCUSSING THEM WITH ADMINISTRATORS, WITH PARENTS, WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND WITH YOU AS THE BOARD.
SO WHEN WE SAY REMOTE LEARNING, WE THINK OF THAT AS A TEMPORARY MOVE FROM FACE TO FACE LEARNING IN A CLASSROOM SPACE TO ANOTHER LOCATION, AND TYPICALLY THAT'S GOING TO BE THE STUDENT'S HOME.
REMOTE LEARNING IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH VIRTUAL LEARNING, ALTHOUGH THERE IS SOME VIRTUAL LEARNING INVOLVED THERE, BUT IT'S NOT THE SAME THING.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT REMOTE INSTRUCTION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A TEACHER WHO IS PROVIDING INSTRUCTION FROM ANOTHER LOCATION, AND WE'VE HAD SOME OF THAT RECENTLY.
IT'S MORE LIKELY THE TEACHER IS AT HOME, EITHER QUARANTINED OR ISOLATED, AND BECAUSE OF THAT ISOLATION OR QUARANTINE BY DOING REMOTE INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION TO THEIR CLASSROOM.
SO ESSENTIALLY, WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM TO MANAGE THE STUDENTS.
BUT THE TEACHER IS ABLE TO COME IN VIA THE CAMERA ON THEIR LAPTOP TO THE INTERACTIVE BOARD IN THE CLASSROOM AND TEACH THE CLASS.
SO THAT'S BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE AND HAS BEEN USED IN SEVERAL PLACES.
SO MANY TEACHERS WHO HAVE BEEN ISOLATED IN QUARANTINE HAD ASKED ABOUT THAT OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE INSTRUCTION FROM THAT REMOTE LOCATION AND IF THEY HAVE MILD OR NO SYMPTOMS, THAT IS CERTAINLY WHILE NOT REQUIRED, IS SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS THE TEACHER TO BE PRESENT REMOTELY RATHER THAN BEING ABSENT FROM SCHOOL.
SO JUST MAKING THAT DISTINCTION THERE, WE THOUGHT, WAS IMPORTANT.
SO THERE IS A STATE PROVISO AND THAT PROVISO DEALS WITH DUAL MODALITY.
AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT LAST WEEK AND CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT THAT THIS WEEK.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT, THAT PROVISO WE CREATED LAST YEAR A SEPARATE VIRTUAL PROGRAM, AIKEN INNOVATE.
MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS DID NOT DO THAT.
THEY HAD REGULAR CLASSROOM TEACHERS TEACH FACE TO FACE AND VIRTUALLY SIMULTANEOUSLY, SO THEY HAD A CAMERA SET UP.
THE TEACHER WAS WORKING WITH THE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM AND AT THE SAME
[01:15:03]
TIME ENGAGING WITH THE STUDENTS AT HOME, AND THAT WAS ESSENTIALLY FOR THE WHOLE SCHOOL DAY.THIS PROVISO WAS AIMED AT THAT PRACTICE, AND WE DON'T WE DON'T SUGGEST ADOPTING THAT MODEL AT ALL.
HOWEVER, WE DO NEED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF APPROXIMATELY 5000 STUDENTS, 5000 OF OUR STUDENTS, 20 PERCENT OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE HOME AND NOT ABLE TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THEIR CLASSMATES AND WITH THEIR TEACHER.
THIS IS A TEMPORARY PROBLEM, SO IT'S A TEMPORARY SOLUTION.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT THE PROVISO IT TALKS ABOUT REASONABLE AND NECESSARY, WE BELIEVE THAT THAT MANY OF OUR STUDENTS BEING HOME AND UNABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THE CLASSROOM, IT'S REASONABLE AND NECESSARY TO ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR OWN HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS.
AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME THE PROVISO ALSO USES THE WORD EXTREME.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT FIVE THOUSAND OF OUR STUDENTS ARE BEING QUARANTINED IS AN EXTREME SITUATION.
WE ALSO AGREE WITH THE PROVISO AND EMBRACE THE IDEA THAT TEACHERS SHOULD BE COMPENSATED FOR DELIVERING INSTRUCTION SIMULTANEOUSLY TO THEIR STUDENTS IN CLASS AND THEIR STUDENTS IN A REMOTE LOCATION.
IN OUR PROPOSAL, AS YOU SEE IN THE IN THE ESSER THREE UPDATE, IS A $1000 STIPEND PER SEMESTER TO BE PAID OUT OF THOSE ESSER THREE FUNDS.
SO WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? AT THE MOST BASIC LEVEL, WHICH IS WHAT MY INITIAL EXPECTATION IS, TEACHERS WILL USE MICROSOFT TEAMS TO ALLOW ISOLATED AND QUARANTINED STUDENTS ACCESS TO DIRECT INSTRUCTION.
WHEN I SAY DIRECT INSTRUCTION, THAT WILL LOOK VERY DIFFERENT DEPENDING ON THE GRADE LEVEL, THE COURSE AND THE COMFORT LEVEL OF THE TEACHER.
THE DIRECT WHOLE GROUP INSTRUCTION OR DEMONSTRATION THAT A TEACHER PROVIDE IS WHERE I WOULD START.
THAT COULD BE A FIVE MINUTE MINI LESSON OR READ ALOUD IN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASS, A DEMONSTRATION USING SLIDES OR THE INTERACTIVE BOARD IN AN UPPER GRADE CLASS, OR A LECTURE AND DEMONSTRATION IN A HIGH SCHOOL CLASS.
THE POINT IS IT WOULD NOT BE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL.
SOME TEACHERS WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE CAN GO WAY BEYOND THAT RIGHT AWAY.
THEY'D BE ABLE TO DO IT TOMORROW.
TEACHER COULD POINT THE CAMERA AT HIMSELF OR HERSELF.
THE TEACHER COULD POINT THE CAMERA AT THE BOARD, OR THE TEACHER COULD SHARE HIS OR HER COMPUTER SCREEN AND JUST ALLOW THEIR VOICE TO BE HEARD.
AGAIN, IT WOULD DEPEND ON THE TEACHER'S COMFORT LEVEL, AND BY NO MEANS WOULD WE EXPECT A TEACHER TO PLAN SEPARATE LESSONS FOR IN-CLASS AND REMOTE STUDENTS.
SO SOME THINGS THAT WE THAT WE KNOW.
MANY TEACHERS ARE GOING TO NEED EXTENSIVE SUPPORT AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.
SECOND THING IS, I MENTIONED EARLIER, THIS IS NOT VIRTUAL TEACHING.
THERE IS NO EXPECTATION THAT THIS WILL REPLACE OR BE JUST LIKE FACE TO FACE INSTRUCTION.
WE ARE INCLUDING REMOTE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM, FACE TO FACE INSTRUCTION, AS SUCH STUDENTS AT HOME WILL NOT RECEIVE THE SAME LEVEL OF ATTENTION AS STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM.
I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT DUAL MODALITY THAT WAS HAPPENING IN MANY DISTRICTS AROUND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THAT WAS THE EXPECTATION.
THE EXPECTATION WAS FOR THE TEACHER TO JUGGLE WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY STUDENTS WHO ARE HERE RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME AND THE STUDENTS WHO WERE AT HOME.
WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT A REASONABLE REQUEST OF OUR TEACHERS.
WHAT WE WE DO SEE, THOUGH, IS THAT THOSE REMOTE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO AT LEAST MAINTAIN A CONNECTION WITH THEIR CLASSROOM.
SO THAT AS THEIR CLASSMATES IN THE CLASSROOM ARE RECEIVING THAT INSTRUCTION, THEY'RE ABLE TO HEAR IT AS WELL.
IF THERE ARE SLIDES OR OTHER VISUALS, THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE THOSE AS WELL.
AND IF THE TEACHER IS COMFORTABLE WITH IT, THE TEACHER, HIM OR HERSELF WOULD BE ABLE TO BE ON SCREEN SO SO THAT THAT STUDENT HAS A CONNECTION WITH THE CLASSROOM.
BUT AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE TEACHER.
TEACHERS HAVE NO ABILITY TO MANAGE STUDENTS AT HOME OR EVEN ENSURE THAT STUDENTS LOG ON TO THE INSTRUCTION.
WE'VE GOT TO DEPEND ON PARENTS AND OTHER ADULTS IN THE HOME TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR HELPING KEEP STUDENTS ON TIME AND TASK.
THOSE PARENTS WHO WE'RE EXPECTING.
AND IT IS AN EXPECTATION YOUR CHILDREN ARE HOME.
WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE INSTRUCTION.
IT REALLY IS UP TO THE PARENTS OR OTHER ADULTS TO DO THAT, SO THOSE PARENTS ARE GOING TO NEED INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO HELP THEIR STUDENTS GET ONLINE.
AND WE MENTIONED LAST WEEK THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT INSTRUCTION AND HELP FOR PARENTS.
THERE ARE NO DUAL MODALITY POLICE.
I DIRECT YOU TO PRINCIPALS AND DISTRICT STAFF IS TO PROVIDE SUPPORT AND UNDERSTANDING TO PROVIDE SUPPORT IN AN UNDERSTANDING AND PATIENT WAY.
[01:20:05]
AS I SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, SOME PEOPLE ARE READY ALREADY, SOME PEOPLE ARE ALREADY DOING IT.IT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN OUR SCHOOLS, QUITE EXTENSIVELY IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
LESS SO IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS.
AND EVEN LESS SO IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
BUT IT IS, BUT IT IS CERTAINLY HAPPENING.
OTHERS ARE GOING TO NEED TIME AND GUIDANCE, AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE BOTH OF THOSE.
ALL TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAVE LAPTOPS, BUT CLASSROOMS HAVE DIFFERENT SETUPS AND DIFFERENT RESOURCES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO ADAPT TO THAT.
SOME OF OUR CLASSROOMS HAVE BOARDS LIKE THE ONE OVER THERE, ESPECIALLY OUR NEW CONSTRUCTION.
OTHER CLASSROOMS HAVE A SET UP LIKE WE HAVE RIGHT HERE.
SOME HAVE REMOTE ACCESS TO THEIR PROJECTORS, SOME DO NOT.
SO THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN CAMERAS, THERE ARE DIFFERENCES IN IN SOUND QUALITY.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO ADAPT.
WHAT WE KNOW FOR SURE IS EVERYBODY DOES HAVE A LAPTOP WITH A CAMERA.
SO THERE ARE SOME ADAPTATIONS THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE MADE.
THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CONCERNS ABOUT STUDENT PRIVACY, AND I'VE HEARD THAT A GOOD BIT.
UNDERSTAND THAT THESE ARE NOT OPEN SESSIONS.
STUDENTS HAVE TO BE INVITED TO THE TEAM.
THERE'S NO NEED FOR STUDENTS TO TO EVER BE ON CAMERA.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND.
NOW, ONE THING THAT WE CANNOT ENSURE IS INTERNET AT HOME.
WE'RE BETTER OFF, I THINK, THAN WE WERE A YEAR AGO.
BUT WE STILL HAVE AREAS THAT WILL REQUIRE CONTINGENCY PLANS, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT TEACHERS IN SCHOOLS ALREADY KNOW AND ARE ALREADY ADDRESSING.
NOW WE HAVE PROVIDED HOTSPOTS THAT THAT ARE WONDERFUL IN AREAS THAT THAT HAVE A DECENT CELL SIGNAL.
BUT WE'VE GOT AREAS IN THE COUNTY THAT DON'T HAVE A DECENT CELL SIGNAL AND THE HOTSPOTS DON'T WORK SO, SO OTHER PLANS HAVE TO BE MADE.
SECOND PART OF THAT IS SCHOOLOGY, WHICH IS THE DISTRICT'S LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
AND AND ITS USE IS GOING TO BE PART OF OUR OVERALL PLAN TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR ONE TO ONE LEARNING INITIATIVE.
SO IN OTHER WORDS, WHETHER WE HAVE STUDENTS IN QUARANTINE OR NOT, WHETHER WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT REMOTE INSTRUCTION FOR THOSE STUDENTS OR NOT.
SCHOOLOGY IS THE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THAT WE'RE USING TO IMPLEMENT ONE TO ONE DIGITAL LEARNING, AND WE CERTAINLY DON'T EXPECT THE USAGE OF SCHOOLOGY TO BE PERFECT.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T EXPECT ANYONE TO BE ABLE TO ROLL OUT SCHOOLOGY, UNLESS YOU'VE GOT EXPERIENCE.
WE HAVE TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH FIVE OR SIX YEARS AT LEAST OF EXPERIENCE USING SCHOOLOGY.
BUT THEN WE HAVE OTHER TEACHERS WITH NO EXPERIENCE USING SCHOOLOGY.
I THINK A REASONABLE TIME TO ROLL SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT AND BE AN EXPERT WITH IT.
AND WHAT I WHAT I'M SAYING THAT I'M NOT JUST SAYING SCHOOLOGY, I'M TALKING ABOUT SCHOOLOGY AS PART OF A ONE TO ONE DIGITAL LEARNING INITIATIVE, IS TWO TO THREE YEARS.
SO, SO THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE EXPECTED OVERNIGHT.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THAT WE WOULD EXPECT TO CRAWL BEFORE WE WALK, WALK BEFORE WE RUN AND RUN BEFORE WE FLY.
SO SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT THAT WE HAVE LOW EXPECTATIONS, BUT WE DON'T.
BUT WHAT WE DO HAVE IS PATIENCE AND RECOGNIZE THAT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TAKES TIME.
AND WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IS JUST THAT INITIAL BASIC BEING ABLE TO GET A CONNECTION BETWEEN THAT STUDENT AT HOME AND THAT STUDENT'S CLASSROOM.
WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS, TEACHERS, PARTICULARLY IN EARLY GRADES THAT HAVE VERY LIMITED EXPERIENCE.
SO ONGOING SUPPORT IN THE USE OF SCHOOLOGY AND AND ASSISTANCE TO THOSE EARLY LEARNING TEACHERS TO SCAFFOLD THE SUPPORT FOR THEM IS GOING TO BE VERY IMPORTANT AS THEY PROVIDE FOR THEIR STUDENTS.
WITH THE EXPECTATION, AS YOU'LL SEE IN A SECOND OF OF HAVING A CERTAIN LEVEL OF CAPACITY BY THE SECOND SEMESTER, WE MAY GET TO THAT POINT.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE GOT TO ADJUST TO.
COMMUNICATION IS ONE OTHER THING.
TEACHERS WILL PROVIDE CONSISTENT AND FREQUENT COMMUNICATION WITH ALL REMOTE LEARNING STUDENTS AND PARENTS TO ENSURE THEY CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE CLASS.
HEARD A PARENT TONIGHT TALK ABOUT COMMUNICATION BEING A PROBLEM.
IF WE HAVE THAT AS AN ISSUE, THEN THAT'S SOMETHING WE CERTAINLY NEED TO ADDRESS BECAUSE WE DO WANT TO ENSURE COMMUNICATION BETWEEN OUR PARENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND SOMETHING THAT'S CRITICAL IN THAT IS THAT CREATES A CONNECTEDNESS BETWEEN THE TEACHER AND THE PARENT AND THE STUDENT.
AND I BELIEVE THAT CONNECTEDNESS COULD HELP TO ENCOURAGE PARENTS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE LOGGING ON TO ENSURE THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE ENGAGING AND TO ENSURE THAT
[01:25:01]
THAT THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN THEIR LEARNING AND HOPEFULLY THAT THE PARENTS ARE HELPING THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN LEARNING.COMMUNICATION INCLUDES A LOT OF THINGS RESPONSES TO EMAILS, TIMELY GRADING AND FEEDBACK ON ASSIGNMENTS MESSAGES IN PARENT COMMUNICATION PORTALS.
I THINK ONE THAT TEACHERS HAVE MENTIONED TO ME A GOOD BIT IS IS CLASS DOJO, BUT THERE ARE OTHERS AS WELL AS WELL AS SCHOOLOGY.
I MEAN, MANY TEACHERS WHO ARE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH SCHOOLOGY YET, OR IT MIGHT NOT BE A MATTER OF COMFORT, HAVE NO EXPERIENCE AT ALL WITH SCHOOLOGY YET.
THEY HAVE BEEN USING OTHER OTHER METHODS OF COMMUNICATION WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS, AND THOSE ARE THOSE ARE GREAT TO CONTINUE TO USE.
TEACHERS MAY ALSO ENGAGE REMOTE LEARNING STUDENTS DURING THE LESSON, AND THAT REALLY IS THOSE WHO ARE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH IT.
SO I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT FOR A NOVICE TEACHER IN USING THIS TECHNOLOGY, THE STUDENT IS RECEIVING IT AND HEARING IT AND BEING ABLE TO BE CONNECTED WITH THE CLASSROOM, BUT NOT NECESSARILY HAVING ENGAGEMENT BACK AND FORTH WITH THE TEACHER.
BECAUSE AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THAT JUGGLING OF WHAT'S GOING ON AT HOME AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN THE CLASSROOM.
WHAT'S GOING ON AT HOME HAS TO BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WHATEVER ADULT IS IS WITH THAT STUDENT AT HOME AND THE TEACHER BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CLASSROOM.
IT'S NOT PERFECT AND WE'VE SAID THAT FROM THE BEGINNING.
BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT WOULD PROVIDE THAT CONNECTION FOR THOSE STUDENTS.
AS TEACHERS BECOME MORE PROFICIENT IN ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH LIVE STREAMING, I THINK THAT THEY NATURALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
I MEAN, I CAN SEE SETTING ASIDE A TIME, MAYBE ONCE A WEEK EARLY ON WHERE THIS IS GOING TO BE THE TIME WHERE WE HEAR THE COMMENTS FROM OUR STUDENTS AT HOME.
BUT DON'T TRY TO DO THAT EVERY DAY.
DON'T TRY TO DO THAT EVERY CLASS PERIOD, BUT JUST GIVE IT A SHOT HERE AND THERE.
AND THEN AS WE BECOME MORE COMFORTABLE, HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
THOUGH, I DO WANT TO MENTION ONE OTHER THING A FEW TEACHERS HAVE TOLD ME THAT IT WORKS BETTER FOR THEM TO RECORD THEIR DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND THEN UPLOAD IT TO SCHOOLOGY FOR STUDENTS TO VIEW.
SO MY THOUGHT IS, AND THIS IS THIS IS MY THOUGHT.
I THINK IT'S EASIER TO LIVE STREAM THAT INSTRUCTION.
BUT IF A TEACHER IS NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AND IS MORE COMFORTABLE WITH RECORDING IT AND THEN SENDING IT OUT, THAT'S FINE.
MY DESIRE IS FOR THE TEACHER TO DO LESS WORK INSTEAD OF MORE WORK.
AND SO IF YOU'RE HAVING TO RECORD IT SEPARATELY, I THINK THAT THAT'S ADDITIONAL TIME.
I DON'T WANT TO REQUIRE THAT A TEACHER USE ADDITIONAL TIME TO DO THAT.
BUT IF IT WORKS BETTER FOR THAT TEACHER AND THAT'S THAT'S THE PREFERENCE OF THAT TEACHER, THEN I'M I'M TERRIFIC WITH THAT, I THINK.
I THINK THAT THAT PROVIDES A GREATER COMFORT LEVEL FOR THE TEACHER, AND IT PROVIDES AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN AND WHEN THEY AND WHEN THEY VIEW THE LESSON.
THE ONLY ISSUE IS AS WE MOVE FURTHER ALONG, THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ENGAGEMENT ISN'T THERE.
BUT I THINK PERHAPS AS AS TEACHERS GET MORE COMFORTABLE EVEN IN THE RECORDING, MAYBE THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH.
YOU KNOW, I THINK I'M READY TO DO A LIVE LESSON WITH IT.
BUT AGAIN, WE WANT THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CLASSROOM AND THOSE 5000 STUDENTS WHO RIGHT NOW REALLY AREN'T GETTING ANY CONNECTION.
TEACHERS ARE USING OTHER METHODS.
TEACHERS ARE EMAILING WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS AND WE'VE GOT PAPER PACKETS GOING HOME.
BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT HAS THE SAME IMPACT AS BEING AWAY FROM MY CLASS FOR A COUPLE OF WEEKS AND BEING ABLE TO CONNECT WITH MY TEACHER.
SO SECOND SEMESTER, AGAIN, THIS IS FLUID, BUT THE IDEA IS THE EXPECTATIONS ARE THE SAME AND SECOND SEMESTER AS THEY ARE IN FIRST SEMESTER, EXCEPT THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT ENGAGEMENT AND NOT SOMETHING THAT WE FLIP A SWITCH AND DO IT OVERNIGHT.
BUT WE WOULD LIKE THERE TO BE MAYBE SOME BACK AND FORTH IF.
BUT AGAIN, REMEMBER I SAID THERE, WE DON'T HAVE ANY DUAL MODALITY POLICE.
IF IF A TEACHER TRULY IS NOT IS NOT COMFORTABLE AT THAT POINT, THEN THEN THEN WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ALLOWANCES FOR THAT.
MY GOAL IS FOR THOSE STUDENTS TO STAY CONNECTED AND WE'LL DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO AND PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED, THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
IT'S ALL DEPENDENT ON THE SMOOTH, STEADY INCREASE OF THE CONFIDENCE LEVEL FOR OUR TEACHERS.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT WOULD BE CRITICAL.
NOTHING'S GOING TO WORK UNLESS UNLESS WE GIVE IT THE TIME AND ALLOW OUR TEACHERS
[01:30:04]
TO TO.SO HOW DO WE SUPPORT TEACHERS? SO THIS WEEK, BEGINNING TOMORROW MORNING, IF APPROVED BY THE BOARD, PRINCIPALS WILL WORK WITH ASSIGNED CURRICULUM SUPPORT TEAM MEMBERS AS WELL AS TEACHER LEADERS IN THE BUILDINGS TO CRAFT PLANS TO SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF THEIR SCHOOL SITES.
YOU KNOW, JUST AS EVERY TEACHER IS AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL, EVERY SCHOOL IS A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
THERE ARE HIGH SCHOOLS WITH AS MANY AS 20 TEACHERS ALREADY DOING THIS.
THERE ARE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITH NO TEACHERS DOING IT.
THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A HALF A DOZEN PEOPLE WHO ARE VERY PROFICIENT AND VERY CONFIDENT WITH WITH THE PROCESS.
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT HAVE FEW.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY, ANY SCHOOL HAS NO ONE WITH WITH THE PROFICIENCY, BUT THERE ARE VARYING LEVELS.
SO WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE INDIVIDUALIZE THAT SUPPORT.
TRAINING AND SUPPORT WILL HAVE TO BE TAILORED TO EACH OF OUR SITES.
SO THE GOAL OF THIS SUPPORT IS TO ENSURE A PLAN IS DEVELOPED TO PERSONALIZE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND MEET THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF OUR TEACHERS IN EACH SCHOOL BUILDING.
SO WE ENVISION SCHOOL BASED SUPPORT BEING PRIMARILY SMALL GROUP AND INDIVIDUALIZED.
I DON'T SEE US GOING IN TO A BIG GROUP OF PEOPLE AND PUTTING UP A VIDEO OR EVEN SPEAKING PERSONALLY AND SHARING THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.
EVERYBODY IS AT A DIFFERENCE AT A DIFFERENT SPOT IN THEIR CONFIDENCE.
EVERYBODY'S IN A DIFFERENT SPOT IN THEIR COMPETENCIES, EVERYBODY'S AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
SO THE IDEA IS WE NEED TO MEET PEOPLE AT THAT LEVEL AND HELP THAT TO HAPPEN.
SO TEAM MEMBERS FROM THE CURRICULUM SUPPORT TEAM TECHNOLOGY TEAM, OTHER DIFFERENT DISTRICT STAFF WILL ASSIST PRINCIPALS AND SCHOOL TEAMS TO SUPPORT TEACHERS.
WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT.
WE WANT TO TEACH THE SKILLS AND THEN PROVIDE THE ONGOING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER SUPPORT TO ENSURE SUCCESS.
I THINK I'VE I HOPE THAT I'VE BEEN CLEAR THAT WE ARE REALISTIC ABOUT THE HUMAN ELEMENT IN THIS.
TEACHERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE EXPERTS, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL SLOWLY GAIN CONFIDENCE USING THE PLATFORM.
AND SO WITH THAT, I JUST BEFORE I OPEN TO QUESTIONS, JUST JUST LEAVING YOU WITH THIS COMMENT THAT THERE TRULY IS ONLY ONE EXPECTATION AS WE BEGIN.
GIVE STUDENTS AT HOME ACCESS TO OUR DIRECT INSTRUCTION.
THAT IS THE ONE AND ONLY EXPECTATION AT THE BEGINNING.
NOW MY DESIRE AND MY EXPECTATION IS AS THOSE CONFIDENCE IS GAINED, WE'RE ABLE TO DO MORE AND PROVIDE MORE ENGAGEMENT FOR THOSE STUDENTS SO THEY FALL LESS AND LESS BEHIND DURING THEIR QUARANTINES.
AND MY TRUE ULTIMATE GOAL IS THAT QUARANTINES BECOME SO SHORTENED THAT WE NO LONGER NEED IT.
BUT BUT RIGHT NOW, THAT IS NOT THE CASE.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE STUDENTS AT HOME THAT THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR.
SO I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
I HAVE A STATEMENT AND A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, SO BEAR WITH ME.
I FEEL A THOUSAND DOLLARS IS TOO LOW FOR THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT OF WORK THAT WE WILL BE ASKING TEACHERS TO TAKE ON.
IF WE CAN ALLOCATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THAT ATHLETICS.
WE CERTAINLY CAN COMPENSATE OUR TEACHERS AND URGE THAT WE RAISE THAT AMOUNT.
YOU SAID THAT YOU HAD A PLAN FOR THE RURAL STUDENTS.
CAN YOU CAN YOU BRIEFLY SHARE WHAT THAT PLAN IS? YES, MA'AM.
THAT'S GOING TO BE SCHOOL BY SCHOOL.
I MEAN, A LOT OF IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO DO WITH PAPER PACKETS.
AND THAT'S THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW IN PAPER PACKETS ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT THE BEST APPROACH.
BUT AS I SAID EARLIER, EVERY STUDENT AND EVERY TEACHER HAS A LAPTOP.
SO IF IT'S POSSIBLE FOR FOR THE STUDENT TO GET TO A BUSINESS OR A LOCATION SCHOOL PARKING LOT SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN DOWNLOAD INFORMATION IN SCHOOLOGY OR OTHER SYSTEMS, THEN THEN THAT'S GOING TO GIVE.
THAT DOESN'T GIVE THEM THE LIVE INTERACTION WITH THEIR TEACHER, BUT AT LEAST THEY DO GET THE MATERIALS FROM THE TEACHER THAT WAY.
OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IS POSSIBLY PROVIDING CONTENT ON ON A FLASH DRIVE.
WE HAVEN'T REALLY SERIOUSLY CONSIDERED THAT YET, BUT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT IT.
PERHAPS THE STUDENTS COME AND PICK UP MEALS.
THAT MIGHT BE A TIME THAT THEY COULD ALSO BRING THEIR LAPTOPS WITH THEM AND DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION.
HOPEFULLY IT WOULDN'T TAKE BUT A FEW MINUTES WHILE THEY'RE INSIDE OUR WI-FI
[01:35:01]
SIGNAL TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.YOU JUST BROUGHT UP SOMETHING ELSE.
I'M SORRY, I HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS AFTER THIS.
THE MEAL PICK UP, IF OUR STUDENTS ARE QUARANTINED AND WE DON'T WANT THEM ANYWHERE NEAR THE SCHOOL, WHY ARE WE? AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE OFFERING MEALS TO THOSE YOU KNOW, WHO OF COURSE, NEED THEM.
BUT ISN'T THAT KIND OF CONTRADICTORY TO ALLOW QUARANTINING STUDENT TO COME AND PICK UP MEALS? WELL, I DON'T THINK I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO QUARANTINE STUDENTS PICKING UP MEALS, THE PARENT OR GUARDIAN.
IT COULD BE A PARENT OR GUARDIAN PICKING THAT UP, AND WE HAVE SCHEDULED TIMES DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, WHICH MIGHT BE SCHOOL TIME FOR THOSE STUDENTS AS WELL.
BUT WE'VE ALSO HEARD CONCERNS FROM FOLKS IN OUR IN OUR LUNCH ROOMS WHO ARE DISTRIBUTING THOSE AND WE'VE TAKEN MEASURES TO ENSURE THAT THERE ARE SOME SOCIAL DISTANCING AS WELL FROM THOSE FOLKS THAT ARE PICKING IT UP.
AND I HEARD YOU SAY THAT STUDENTS WILL BE INVITED ONTO TEAM MEETINGS, CORRECT? YES, MA'AM.
WILL ATTENDANCE BE TAKEN? YES, MA'AM.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, THE TEAMS WILL KEEP THAT FOR US.
AND MY LAST QUESTION FOR A MINUTE.
CAN THE EARLY DISMISSAL DAYS BE RETHOUGHT TO ALLOW PARENTS ADEQUATE TIME TO ADJUST TO CHILDREN BEING OUT OF SCHOOL EARLY? I JUST THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE VOTE FOR TODAY, I'M SORRY, A WEEK IS NOT ENOUGH TIME FOR ME.
AND SO I'VE HAD SOME THOUGHTS ON THAT AS WELL.
AND I DIDN'T MENTION, I'M SORRY, I MENTIONED IT IN MY PRESENTATION.
PART OF THIS TRAINING IS WE'RE ASKING FOR FOR A WEEK OF EARLY RELEASE, BEGINNING ON ON THE 20TH.
A WEEK FROM YESTERDAY TO TO ALLOW TEACHERS TO BE TRAINED AND TO START PREPARING FOR BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT REMOTE INSTRUCTION.
HERE'S MY THOUGHT, AND I'VE BEEN ASKED BY A COUPLE OF PEOPLE WHY THE URGENCY AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS? THE URGENCY IS MY 5000 STUDENTS WHO ARE AT HOME.
I WANT TO I WANT TO GET TO THEM AS QUICKLY AS I CAN AND START PROVIDING THAT INSTRUCTION .
THOSE 5000 STUDENTS PARENTS, SOME OF THEM GOT A COUPLE OF HOURS, A FEW HOURS NOTICE BEFORE THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS FOR THEIR CHILDREN FOR 10 TO 14 DAYS.
BUT IF WE CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS MANY STUDENTS OUT, I THINK.
AND OF COURSE, IT'S UP TO YOU TO DETERMINE IF YOU AGREE WITH THAT, BUT I BELIEVE IT'S A REASONABLE REQUEST TO MAKE THOSE ARRANGEMENTS SO WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE PREPARED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN POSSIBLY GET THEM READY TO DO THAT.
JUMP IN HERE, BECAUSE ONE OF MY QUESTIONS CERTAINLY FED OFF OF MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON, THE FIRST ONE I'VE HEARD FROM, AND ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS CAN SAY THIS.
I'VE HEARD FROM 15 PARENTS TODAY EMAILS AND I'VE HEARD TWO PHONE CALLS TODAY AND NOT PARENTS, TEACHERS, PRIMARILY TEACHERS.
THE SEPTEMBER 20TH THROUGH 24TH EARLY DISMISSAL IS CERTAINLY A KEY PROBLEM IN THEIR MINDS.
OK? AND I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID I SUPPORT.
I THINK YOU'RE TRYING TO WORK OUTSIDE THE BOX AND DO SOMETHING GOOD HERE, SO I'M NOT AGAINST IT AT ALL.
I JUST THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT THOSE THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING THAT QUICKLY AND THE CONCERNS I HEARD YOU'VE GOT TEACHERS THAT I HEAR FROM.
NINETY NINE PERCENT OF THEM ARE CAN-DO.
AT THE SAME TIME, THERE'S THIS REALISTIC SIDE THAT SAYS, OK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK I CAN FIND SOMEBODY TO WATCH MY KID.
I'VE GOT I'M A TEACHER AND I HAVE THREE KIDS.
I DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW I'M GOING TO DO THIS.
AND SO THEY'RE HAVING SOME REAL QUESTIONS IN THEIR MINDS THAT CONCERNS THEM.
NUMBER TWO THAT I'VE HEARD VERY CONSISTENTLY AND I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD IT TOO.
I'VE I'VE BEEN HERE THREE YEARS ON THE BOARD, AND I SEE US CONTINUE TO LOAD THE CART, LOAD THE CART, LOAD THE CART FOR THESE TEACHERS.
I HAVE YET TO SEE US REMOVE ONE ITEM FROM A TEACHER SCHEDULE.
AND THAT CONCERNS ME IF WE WERE TO DO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AND I'M NOT AGAINST THAT.
BUT IF WE'RE TO DO IT, WHAT ARE WE TAKING OFF THEIR PLATES? BECAUSE I MEAN, REALLY, WE'RE NOT JUST ASKING THEM TO FLIP A SWITCH ON A COMPUTER.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO LOAD THINGS IN SCHOOLOGY.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO FLIP THE SWITCH ON THE COMPUTER AND DEAL WITH ALL THE TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT THEY MAY ENCOUNTER.
WE'RE ASKING THEM TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS AND STUDENTS, AND WE'RE ASKING
[01:40:03]
THEM TO ALSO BY HEARING YOU SAY WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO PAPER PACKETS.SO WE'RE ASKING THE TEACHERS TO DO MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE AND MORE.
AND THERE'S NOTHING BEING TAKEN OFF THEIR PLATES.
AND THAT'S A THAT'S A SERIOUS CONCERN THAT I THINK WE CAN RESOLVE.
SO I'M NOT I'M NOT SAYING IT'S A IT'S A IT'S A STOPPING POINT.
THE THOUSAND DOLLARS I'VE HEARD FROM AT LEAST EIGHT TEACHERS.
THE $1000 IS LAUGHABLE IS THE WORD I'VE HEARD.
THEY DO NOT LIKE THE $1000, SO THAT'S $11 PER DAY IN A SEMESTER.
SO THEY'RE NOT REAL EXCITED ABOUT $1000 A DAY TO MAKE UP FOR SEVERAL HOURS LESS TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
THEY'RE NOT TOO EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND THE LAST THING ON A POSITIVE NOTE, I SAW TEACHERS WHEN I TOURED BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY.
THERE WERE TEACHERS ACTIVELY WORKING THIS AND I TOLD DR.
BRADLEY, THERE'S TEACHERS ACTIVELY WORKING THROUGH LIVE STREAMING AND DOING A GREAT JOB AND HAVING A LOT OF SUCCESS WITH IT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF POSITIVES OUT THERE.
AND I EVEN ASKED MS. LONG CAN THESE TEACHERS TEACH SOME OF OUR OTHER TEACHERS THAT ARE LESS COMFORTABLE? AND THE ANSWER IS, OF COURSE, YES.
BUT THOSE TEACHERS ALSO TOLD ME TWO TEACHERS, ONE SAID ONE OUT OF EIGHT STUDENTS THAT ARE QUARANTINED TUNE IN TO THEIR LIVE STREAM.
THE OTHER SAID TWO OUT OF 15 THAT ARE QUARANTINED, TUNE INTO THEIR LIVE STREAM.
SO IN ORDER FOR THIS TO WORK, IF WE CAN TAKE SOMETHING OFF THE TEACHER'S PLATES IN ORDER FOR THIS TO WORK, WE CERTAINLY GOT TO GET BETTER PARTICIPATION THAN THAT.
YES SIR, I'M GOING TO TRY TO REMEMBER ALL OF THE ALL OF THOSE, ALL OF THOSE PARTS.
ONE IS THE THE ADDITIONAL HOURS OF PREP FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST STARTING AND EVEN THOSE WHO ARE NOT JUST STARTING.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S AND I'M SURE I'M SURE I'LL GET SOME PHONE CALLS TELLING ME I'M WRONG ON THIS, BUT I'M THINKING ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF PREP THAT IT TAKES.
IF YOU ARE ONLY IF YOU'RE ONLY STREAMING YOUR YOUR DIRECT INSTRUCTION AND, LIKE I SAID, LIMITED AMOUNTS OF TIME AND NOT TALKING ABOUT A SEVEN HOUR SCHOOL DAY, JUST JUST THOSE THOSE DIRECT, DIRECT INSTRUCTIONAL PIECES.
BUT OBVIOUSLY, I COULD BE WRONG AND SOME FOLKS WILL STRAIGHTEN ME OUT ON THAT.
SCHOOLOGY WILL TAKE SOME TIME.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT IT'S THAT IS EXPECTED TO HAPPEN OVERNIGHT.
SO YOU KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO AS WE CAN DO IT.
IT'S BASED ON WHAT I HAVE HEARD FROM SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND THE STATE, AND THERE ARE NUMBERS ANYWHERE FROM $250 A SEMESTER TO A THOUSAND.
I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY OVER $1000 YET, BUT THERE MAY BE SOME OVER THERE OVER THAT.
BUT THAT'S JUST BASED ON, I WANT TO SAY, THE GOING RATE.
BUT WHAT KIND OF WHAT'S CONSISTENTLY BEING DONE ALREADY ACROSS THE STATE BECAUSE SEVERAL OTHER DISTRICTS ARE ARE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US ON THIS.
AGAIN, TAKING THINGS OFF OF TEACHERS PLATES.
I AM OPEN TO THAT, I MEAN, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUGGESTED TO ME ARE SLOS AND WHICH ARE PART OF EVALUATION THAT THAT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT.
ONE THING THAT THAT CAME UP WAS BENCHMARKS.
SO, YEAH, SO THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN CERTAINLY SCALE BACK ON.
THAT'S SOMETHING WE CAN WE CAN DO THAT THAT THAT PROVIDES MORE TIME FOR THE TEACHERS.
ANYTHING THAT THAT CAN BE DONE.
I KNOW WE HAVE LAP FOLDERS, WHICH ARE LITERACY.
LITERACY ASSESSMENT PORTFOLIOS ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW IN THIRD GRADE.
WE DO THEM IN KINDERGARTEN FIRST AND SECOND GRADE AS WELL BECAUSE THE THIRD GRADE TEACHER DOESN'T WANT TO START WITH A BLANK SLATE.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT INTERVENTIONS HAVE BEEN DONE PRIOR TO THAT POINT.
SO WE WERE DOING THAT FOR FOR ALL STUDENTS.
THEN WE SCALED THAT BACK TO JUST THE BOTTOM 20 PERCENT OF STUDENTS.
SO SO THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF PRESSURE OFF.
WE'RE TRYING TO FIND THINGS THAT AREN'T REQUIRED.
I DON'T WANT TO PUT ANYTHING ON ANYBODY THAT'S NOT REQUIRED.
SO, SO IF IT'S NOT REQUIRED BY STATE LAW, STATE REGULATION OR FEDERAL REGULATION, LET'S LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO SCALE IT BACK, NOW.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN I'M GOING TO AUTOMATICALLY STRIKE IT OFF, BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT AND AND BALANCE THE VALUE OF WHEREVER IT IS AGAINST AGAINST THE TIME AND ENERGY THAT IT REQUIRES FROM THE TEACHER.
THERE'S JUST ONE REBUTTAL AND I'LL STOP.
YOU DID GREAT ON ADDRESSING ALL THE CONCERNS.
THE THE ONLY REBUTTAL I HAVE IS I'M REALLY CONCERNED AT THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS I'VE
[01:45:06]
HEARD ABOUT THE BURDEN.I MEAN, IT'S A PASSIONATE PLEA.
IT'S WITH TEARS, IT'S WITH, YOU KNOW, IT'S COMING AS THEY'RE AT THEIR WITS END.
AND WE HAD FIVE TEACHERS QUIT TEACHING LAST YEAR FROM MOSSY CREEK, WHICH IS ONE OF MY SCHOOLS, AND THEY'RE AT LEAST THROUGH THE GRAPEVINE.
I'M HEARING THAT THERE ARE A NUMBER MORE THAT WILL QUIT IF WE DON'T QUIT LOADING THEM UP AND NOT TAKING THINGS OFF THEIR PLATE.
AND SO I THINK I THINK ALL OF THEM, YOU KNOW, ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, THEY'RE ALL VERY SUPPORTIVE AND I THINK I CARE ABOUT THOSE 5000 QUARANTINE STUDENTS AND SO DO THEY.
BUT THEY JUST WANT TO KNOW, HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO IT? THAT'S THAT'S REALLY IT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT THEY'RE NOT NEGATIVE.
THEY'RE JUST WANTING TO MAKE SENSE OF THIS.
ANYONE ELSE? DR. HANKS, I'LL GO DOWN THE LINE.
SO I FIRST WANT TO SAY TO TEACHERS, MR. LAURENCE, THAT THEY JUST NEED ME TO HEAR TO HEAR ME SAY, I THANK THEM.
I TRULY APPRECIATE ALL THAT THEY DO.
HANDS DOWN, THEY GO OVER AND BEYOND.
THEY TYPICALLY DON'T COMPLAIN.
THEY TRY TO PUT FORTH A TEAM EFFORT.
BUT I CAN ATTEST, AND I THINK ALL EIGHT OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HERE TONIGHT.
WE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF EMAILS OVER THE PAST TWO DAYS, AND THE CONSISTENCY ACROSS THE BOARD FROM THE TEACHERS WERE [INAUDIBLE] SUCH AS WE ARE DROWNING, WE ARE OVERWHELMED, WE ARE EXHAUSTED, WE ARE WORN OUT, OUR PLATES ARE FULL AND I'LL ADD, WE'RE OVERWORKED AND UNDERPAID.
SO I LIKE THE CONCEPT OF HAVING SOMETHING TO OFFER TO OUR QUARANTINE STUDENTS, BUT NOT IN, I THINK, THE MASSIVE ROLLOUT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IMMEDIATELY.
POSSIBLY WE NEED TO CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, A FEW SCHOOLS AS A PILOT PROGRAM OR GIVING A RUN BECAUSE THE MAJORITY OF THE ELEMENTARY STUDENTS, TEACHERS THAT I HEARD FROM HANDS DOWN WERE IN AGREEMENT.
THEY DON'T THINK ON AN ELEMENTARY LEVEL, ESPECIALLY FOR KINDERGARTEN, FIRST AND SECOND GRADERS, THAT THIS SHOULD BE AN OPTION AT ALL.
THEY DON'T SEE IT AS WORKABLE.
AND IF THAT STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE A PARENT AT HOME WHO CAN MANIPULATE EVERYTHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN THROUGH THOSE SESSIONS, WE'RE STILL NOT ADDING ANY MORE SERVICE TO THOSE STUDENTS.
ANOTHER BIG COMPLAINT WAS STUDENTS DON'T TUNE IN WHEN THEY HAVE THE OPTION ANYWAY OR TURN IN WORK FROM PAPER PACKETS.
THEY COME BACK AT THE END OF THE 14 DAY QUARANTINE AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR TEACHERS ADJUST AND DO EXTRA, I THINK THERE HAS TO BE SOME REQUIREMENT AND COMMITMENT FROM THE PARENT AND THE THE STUDENTS AS WELL.
SO I SAY THAT TO SAY, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT AGAINST THIS PLAN BECAUSE I THINK FOR OUR QUARANTINE STUDENTS, WE WE REALLY WOULD BE DOING A SERVICE IF WE COULD OFFER SOMETHING.
BUT TO ROLL THIS OUT ACROSS THE BOARD NOW, POSSIBLY WITH MORE CHAOS IF WE'RE SAYING, WELL, TEACHER AT SCHOOL A SHE'S REALLY GOOD.
SO THOSE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO GET 100 PERCENT OF WHAT THEY NEED.
BUT THE TEACHER NEXT DOOR AS A THIRD GRADE TEACHER DOESN'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS OR CAN'T DO IT.
SO THOSE STUDENTS WILL GET NOTHING.
SO MAYBE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THE PLAN AND LIKE I SAID, ROLL IT OUT WITH A FEW SCHOOLS OR IN PHASES OR WHATEVER WE THINK WOULD BE A BETTER OPTION THAN JUST A MASSIVE DUMP ON ALL OF OUR TEACHERS IS WHAT I WOULD ASK US TO CONSIDER.
SO JUST JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, IF I MAY.
WELL, WHAT YOU'VE DESCRIBED IS THE REASON FOR THE INDIVIDUALIZED TRAINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BY TEACHER AND BY SCHOOL BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE AT VARYING LEVELS OF CAPACITY, SO.
ANOTHER THING IS YOU MENTIONED A PILOT AND AND I CONSIDER THAT TOO.
AND I'VE HEARD I'VE HEARD FROM PEOPLE ABOUT PILOTING IT IN A FEW SCHOOLS.
SEVERAL DOZEN TEACHERS WHO HAVE WHO HAVE DONE THIS SUCCESSFULLY.
SO SO THAT'S WHY I KIND OF SEE THAT AS OUR PILOT THAT WE'VE ALREADY HAD TEACHERS WHO VOLUNTARILY TOOK IT UPON THEMSELVES TO TO CREATE A PLAN IN THEIR CLASSROOMS WITH THEIR STUDENTS TO TO DO THAT.
AND THOSE BECOME RESOURCES FOR THE TEACHERS WHO AREN'T SO COMFORTABLE WITH IT, LIKE
[01:50:04]
YOU, I AM.I NEVER CEASE TO BE AMAZED AT THE ENERGY AND THE COMMITMENT THAT OUR TEACHERS HAVE.
AND I LOVE EVERY ONE OF THEM AND THEY ARE IN MY PRAYERS EVERY DAY AND I WANT NOTHING BUT WHAT THE BEST FOR OUR TEACHERS.
I STILL SEE THOSE THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS WHO AREN'T THE SAME STUDENTS EVERY DAY BECAUSE IT'S A ROLLING THING SOME COME BACK TO TO SCHOOL, GOING BACK TO SOMETHING THAT MR. MOULTON SAID AND THAT YOU MENTIONED AND TEACHERS HAVE MENTIONED TO ME AS WELL.
THEY HAVE A DOZEN OR SO QUARANTINED STUDENTS AND ONE OR TWO WILL WILL LOG ON.
DOING THIS GLOBALLY AND AND REALLY COMMUNICATING TO PARENTS AND AND ENCOURAGING THEM AND AND EXPLAINING TO THEM HOW CRITICAL IT IS THAT THEIR CHILDREN STAY ENGAGED.
I'M HOPEFUL THAT MORE WILL BE ENGAGED.
IF PARENTS DON'T TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR MAKING SURE THAT THEIR STUDENTS ARE ONLINE AT HOME, THEN THEN I DON'T GUESS THEY WILL, BECAUSE WE THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE CAN FORCE THAT FROM THE CLASSROOM.
WE CAN PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY, BUT SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER END HAS TO HAS TO SIGN ON.
INITIALLY, WHEN YOU GAVE YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID WE WILL HAVE WHAT WE CONSIDER A REASONABLE REQUEST FOR THE TEACHERS TO RESPOND TO THOSE REMOTE STUDENTS.
WHAT EXACTLY DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT ADDITIONAL IS THE TEACHER GOING TO NEED TO DO IF SHE'S IN THE CLASS DEALING WITH THE STUDENTS IN HER CLASS? DOES SHE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO ADDRESS A QUESTION OR A BEHAVIOR OR WHATEVER IS GOING ON WITH A REMOTE STUDENT? YEAH, I DON'T THINK THE TEACHER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ADDRESS BEHAVIOR REGARDLESS, BECAUSE WHAT CAN THE TEACHER DO OTHER THAN THAN SAY TO THE STUDENT SOMETHING.
AND I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS THAT.
YEAH, WE YEAH, WE CAN ADDRESS THAT WITH WITHIN THE SYSTEM.
BUT AS FAR AS RESPONDING TO STUDENTS AND INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS, AS I SAID, THAT WOULDN'T BE AN EXPECTATION AT FIRST UNLESS THE TEACHER WAS COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
AGAIN, IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA THAT DID FULL BLOWN, INSTEAD OF CREATING A A VIRTUAL SYSTEM, THEY PUT CAMERAS IN THEIR CLASSROOMS AND AND THAT WAS THEIR MODEL FOR VIRTUAL INSTRUCTION.
THIS IS A BRIDGE TO GET OVER THOSE 10 DAYS AND HELP THAT STUDENT STILL HAVE A CONNECTION TO THE CLASSROOM AND.
AS THE TEACHER GETS MORE COMFORTABLE, I THINK THE TEACHER WOULD BE ABLE TO TO ENGAGE MORE WITH THE STUDENTS AND.
HOPEFULLY BY SECOND SEMESTER, THAT'S EVERYBODY, BUT IF THAT'S NOT EVERYBODY, THEN WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WORKING AND AND PROVIDING SUPPORT AND HELPING.
SO FROM A BAND DIRECTOR'S PERSPECTIVE, HOW DOES THAT SPEAK TO BAND STUDENTS? ARE WE TRYING TO ADDRESS REMOTE BAND STUDENTS AS WELL BECAUSE DIRECTORS HAVE COMMENTED THAT'S AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK.
SO I WOULD THINK I WOULD THINK THAT TEACHERS DO DIRECT INSTRUCTION EVERY DAY.
I MEAN, IF YOU'RE TEACHING IN THE CLASSROOM THERE, THERE SHOULD BE SOME DIRECT INSTRUCTION, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU'RE A BAND TEACHER OR AN ART TEACHER, CHORUS TEACHER.
THAT'S THE PART THAT I SEE BEING BEING STREAMED IS THE DIRECT INSTRUCTIONAL PIECES FROM THOSE CLASSES.
ARE WE, WE ARE WE GOING DOWN THE LINE, DR.
BRADLEY? [INAUDIBLE] MAY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT IT'S A TRAVESTY THAT WE'RE IN THE SITUATION WE ARE WITH SO MANY QUARANTINES AND WE CAN, YOU KNOW, ARGUE AND DISAGREE OVER THE DISCREPANCIES AND WHY SHOULD IT BE SO MANY? BUT WE ARE WHERE WE ARE.
WE'RE FOLLOWING STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT GUIDELINES, AS I UNDERSTAND TO BE WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
SO THERE'S THAT MANY STUDENTS THAT NEED TO BE.
GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, AS YOU SAY, ACCESS IS THE PRIMARY EXPECTATION INITIALLY WITH THIS PROGRAM.
ARE WE READY? FROM A TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, YOU TOUCHED ON IT, BUT DO WE HAVE WHAT WE NEED TO START ON THE 20TH OR WILL WE NOT THE 20TH, BUT THE FOLLOWING WEEK? YES, SIR WE HAVE.
WE HAVE THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS.
I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE THE BELLS AND WHISTLES IN CLASSROOMS. WE DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, LAPEL MICS AND AND MOVING CAMERAS OR ANYTHING LIKE
[01:55:03]
THAT.BUT THE VERY BASIC THAT I'M ASKING FOR CAN BE DONE WITH A LAPTOP, NOW.
COULD BE IN AND OUT, VIDEO QUALITY COULD BE IN AND OUT.
I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY EXCUSES FOR THAT.
SO IT IS POSSIBLE, BUT OUR TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR, DON PENCILLE, TOLD ME THIS MORNING WE HAVE THE BANDWIDTH, SO WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO STREAM ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND IT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE ALL OF OUR TEACHERS.
IF A TEACHER DOESN'T HAVE ANY QUARANTINE STUDENTS, THEN THEY WOULDN'T NEED TO DO IT.
IT'S ONLY IF YOU HAVE STUDENTS THAT THAT ARE AT HOME THAT THAT NEED THAT.
SO IT KIND OF WOULD BE A DAY TO DAY THING.
WE'VE ALREADY SAID OR STATED IT'S NOT GOING TO BE PERFECT.
YOU MENTIONED OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
AND WHAT THEY'RE PAYING, IT'S BEING DONE THEN IN OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE SUCCESSFULLY, I'M ASKING THIS.
YES, [INAUDIBLE], I TALKED TO ONE OF THE GREENWOOD SUPERINTENDENTS A WEEK OR SO AGO AND AND THEY'VE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED THIS PRETTY MUCH THE SAME SAME MODEL THAT WE'RE PROPOSING OTHER DISTRICTS LIKE ORANGEBURG AND RICHLAND, TOO, THAT WAS THERE.
FAIRFIELD, MAYBE A FEW OTHERS.
THAT WAS THEIR MODEL LAST YEAR.
SO THEY WERE DOING IT AS THEIR MEANS OF PROVIDING VIRTUAL LEARNING FOR STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK DURING DURING LAST YEAR'S.
THE EARLY PART OF THE PANDEMIC, SO I DON'T THINK THEY'VE REALLY MADE TOO MANY CHANGES OTHER THAN THAN PROVIDING COMPENSATION TO THE TEACHERS.
THAT WASN'T SOMETHING I DON'T THINK NOW THEY MAY HAVE.
BUT BUT THIS YEAR THEY'RE, THEY'VE ADDED COMPENSATION FOR THEIR TEACHERS.
I'M EXTREMELY SENSITIVE TO THE OUTCRY FROM TEACHERS, SOME TEACHERS AND THE POSITION THEY'RE IN AND THE STRESS THEY'RE UNDER.
AND I HEAR YOU LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES.
I DON'T THINK I CAN HONESTLY SAY SITTING HERE THAT I THAT I REALLY KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING THROUGH.
AND BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT I BELIEVE IN THIS POSITION AND BEFORE TAKING THIS JOB, A FORMER EDUCATOR SAID IF EVERY DECISION YOU MAKE IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS, THEN YOU WILL HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING.
AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT NEED HELP.
AND AND YES, YOU KNOW, I CAN UNDERSTAND THE STRESS THAT TEACHERS ARE UNDER TO GET THERE.
BUT YOU KNOW, ONE THING I KNOW IS IF OTHER DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE ARE DOING IT, I'M QUITE SURE THAT THESE TEACHERS ARE GOING TO HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THEIR STUDENTS AT HEART, AND THEY'RE GOING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SOMEHOW MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
I'VE EVERY CONFIDENCE IN THEM TO DO THAT.
BUT I APPRECIATE THE DISTRICT MAKING AN EFFORT HERE, I THINK THERE'S A NEED ADDRESSED IT, YOU KNOW, MADE ITSELF APPARENT, AND YOU'RE AT LEAST TAKING STEPS THAT WE CAN TRY TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF THESE AT HOME STUDENTS, WHICH, BY THE WAY, I THINK I'VE HEARD IT.
A LOT OF PARENTS ARE SAYING IT'S ABOUT TIME.
WHY HAVEN'T YOU DONE THIS BEFORE NOW? SO I APPRECIATE THAT.
I WON'T NECESSARILY REHASH WHAT EVERYONE'S ALREADY SAID, MR. LAURENCE.
WE ALL WE ALL HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS, PARENTS AND TEACHERS.
I HEARD FROM ZERO TEACHERS THAT WERE IN FAVOR OF IT.
KIND OF ANECDOTALLY SAW SOME SUPPORT THERE ON FACEBOOK HERE AND THERE FROM SOME TEACHERS, BUT DIRECT CONTACTS WAS NONE AND MOSTLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.
ALTHOUGH I HEARD I DID HEAR FROM FROM SECONDARY AS WELL, BUT I HAVE A LOT OF CONCERN, PARTICULARLY ON THE YOUNGER GRADES.
I THINK IT'S ONE THING IF YOU'RE TEACHING A STATIC SUBJECT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY, BUT IF YOU'RE AT A HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL AND YOU'RE NOT REALLY RUNNING AROUND, YOU KNOW, CORRALLING A BUNCH OF SIX YEAR OLDS AND DOING ACTIVITIES AND DANCING AND JUMPING JACKS LIKE WE'VE ALL DONE IN CLASSES WE VISITED.
I DON'T I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN RECORD THAT IN PARTICULAR AT THE LOWER LEVELS.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DELIVERING THERE.
BECAUSE I THINK THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF IT IS WHAT YOU'RE REALLY MISSING IN SOME OF THAT ACTIVITY, BUT IN ANY CASE, I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY
[02:00:01]
LEVEL.I'VE GOT A FEW RECOMMENDATIONS FROM SOME TEACHERS AND I'M SURE YOU HEARD A LOT OF THAT YESTERDAY.
WHAT ABOUT FINDING A VOLUNTEER TEACHER? AND I'LL STICK TO ELEMENTARY HERE, SINCE THAT CURRICULUM IS A LITTLE MORE SET KIND OF ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHAT IF YOU HAD ONE GRADE LEVEL VOLUNTEER THAT WAS RECORDING CONTENT BECAUSE THOSE KIDS SHOULD ROUGHLY BE AT THE SAME PLACE NO MATTER WHERE THEY ARE WITH MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OF ADJUSTMENT VERSUS IF YOU'RE IN SPANISH TWO AT AIKEN HIGH OR SOUTH AIKEN, YOU MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, MILES APART.
SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
I'M JUST NOT SURE FROM THE SCOPE STANDPOINT, I WORRY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE A SCALPEL PROBLEM WITH A SLEDGEHAMMER.
AND I UNDERSTAND I GET WHY WE GOT 5000 KIDS OUT.
HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T BE THE CASE AT THE END OF THE WEEK, AND OUR DATA'S TRENDING GOOD TODAY.
BUT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE WORKLOAD.
SHE GAVE ME PERMISSION TO SPEAK FOR HER.
ANY TIME THERE'S A VIRTUAL REMOTE TYPE INSTRUCTION, WE GET REALLY WORRIED ABOUT THE BULK OF OUR BOTH OF OUR REPRESENTATIVE AREAS THAT ARE INTERNET DESERTS.
AND I KNOW YOU ADDRESS THAT TO A POINT.
BUT IF, IF, IF I'M A STUDENT AT HOME QUARANTINE AND MY PARENTS ARE PROBABLY HAVING TO QUARANTINE TO SOME EXTENT, OR MAYBE I'M SICK AND MY PARENTS ARE SICK.
WHAT IF I CAN'T BE DRIVEN OVER TO, YOU KNOW, TO THE BLUFF TO GET ON THE WI-FI OR WAGNER SALLY OR WHATEVER? AND SO THEN THAT FALLS BACK TO WHAT WE WERE DOING, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THERE.
SO I'M, PILOT MIGHT NOT BE THE RIGHT WORD, BUT I THINK A SMALLER SCALE WOULD MAKE ME A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE AND SOME SORT OF VOLUNTARY TYPE BASIS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS NEED TO BE DOING IT.
IF AGAIN, FOR REASONS ALREADY HASHED OUT, RIGHT, I'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM SINCE SINCE A FEW FOLKS HAVE DONE THAT.
I CAN'T VOTE IN FAVOR OF THREE DAYS NOTICE FOR EARLY RELEASE FOR A WHOLE WEEK.
IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO THE NUMBER OF OF OUR STAFF, THAT THAT'S PROBABLY AN EDUCATED GUESS, BUT IT'S ALREADY WELL VERSED IN SCHOOLOGY AND TEAMS. MAYBE THERE'S NOT A NEED FOR A WHOLE WEEK OF THAT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT.
I ABSOLUTELY COMMEND Y'ALL FOR THINKING OUT OF THE BOX HERE.
I THINK IT'S I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I JUST WORRY ABOUT THE SCALE AND AND PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE.
AND HECK, WE'RE ALL STRESSED, AND I'M NOT DEALING WITH 20 KIDS IN A CLASSROOM, 20 PLUS KIDS IN A CLASSROOM ALL DAY.
NOW WITH EVERYTHING GOING ON THE PANDEMIC, SO I'M VERY I'M GOING TO BE OVERLY LEERY ABOUT PUTTING SOMETHING ELSE ON ON OUR STAFF RIGHT NOW.
IF THERE'S FOLKS ALREADY DOING IT.
I HAVE MORE WORRIES THAN I DO POSITIVES AT THIS POINT.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE AND AGAIN, THAT MAY BE AN EDUCATED GUESS, BUT HOW MANY OF OUR FOLKS ARE ALREADY VERSED IN THE IN THE PROGRAMS? I'VE GOT AN IDEA OF THE NUMBER MS. GLOVER CAN HELP ME WITH THAT OF THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING IT.
I THINK EIGHT THAT WE THAT WE COUNTED ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ABOUT A DOZEN IN MIDDLE SCHOOL.
HIGH SCHOOL WAS CONSIDERABLY MORE.
SO, YOU KNOW, FIGURE MAYBE AS MANY AS 40 OR 50 IN HIGH SCHOOLS.
NOW THOSE ARE THE ONES WHO ARE ACTUALLY DOING A VERSION OF DUAL MODALITY.
SO YOU WOULD ALSO HAVE TEACHERS WHO HAVE THAT CAPACITY, WHO HAVE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE WITH TEAMS AND SCHOOLOGY.
BUT THEY HAVEN'T CHOSEN TO DO THAT YET.
SO, YOU MIGHT HAVE YOU MIGHT HAVE 100 WHO ARE VERY WELL VERSED AND ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, THIRD OF THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE A PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDING.
SO I'LL ANECDOTALLY USE THAT TO SUPPORT MY VIEW THAT I THINK IT'S MAYBE A LITTLE MORE LOGISTICALLY PRACTICABLE AT THE HIGHER LEVELS BECAUSE OF THE MORE HANDS ON.
AND THAT'S NOT TO SAY THERE'S NOT HANDS ON; THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY,
[02:05:02]
BUT JUST THE NATURE OF ELEMENTARY VERSUS TRANSITIONING UP.I THINK IT MAYBE LENDS ITSELF BETTER TO IT IN HIGHER GRADES.
I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SOLUTION OR A QUESTION FOR YOU BEYOND THAT, I'M JUST, I DON'T THINK I CAN VOTE FOR IT THE WAY IT STANDS AT THE AT THE SCOPE OF IT.
AND I'LL LEAVE IT THERE FOR YOU.
NOT REALLY A POSITIVE END FOR ME, BUT I'LL LEAVE IT THERE.
STAFF, I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ALL ARE TRYING TO DO.
AS AN OLD TEACHER, COACH AND PRINCIPAL.
I KNOW IT CAN BE DONE EVEN IN THE YOUNGER KIDS BECAUSE WE DID THINGS LIKE THAT BACK WHEN I WAS PRINCIPAL [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOL.
THE THING THAT I'VE HEARD FROM EVERYONE UP HERE, FROM MANY OF THE AUDIENCE, FROM MANY OF THE MESSAGES WE RECEIVED WAS REASONS WHY WE CAN'T DO THIS.
I'VE HEARD NOTHING UP HERE FOR REASONS WHY WE CAN.
I PRIMARY, AND THIS MAY NOT MAKE ME VERY POPULAR, I RESPECT OUR TEACHERS--CAN'T DO ANYTHING WITHOUT OUR TEACHERS--TEACHERS ARE NOT MY PRIORITY.
AND IF WE CAN GET THEM EDUCATED, THE BEST WAY WE CAN, I AGREE WITH DR.
WE NEED COMMITMENT FROM OUR PARENTS, BUT WE CAN'T MAKE THEM DO IT.
ALL WE CAN DO IS OFFER IT TO THEM AND I, FOR ONE, WANT TO DO THAT.
OUR TEACHERS, NOBODY'S GOING TO MAKE THEM WRITE THEM UP OR ANYTHING.
IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL LEARNING AND IT ALL HAS TO START AS QUICK AS WE CAN TO TRY AND WE'LL WORK THROUGH THE KINKS JUST LIKE WE DO IN EVERYTHING BUT OUR KIDS ARE SUFFERING.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M ON THIS BOARD AND THAT'S WHAT I CARE ABOUT.
OUR TEACHERS ARE SUFFERING, TOO.
WE GOT TO PULL SOME THINGS OFF OF THEM.
I GOT A DAUGHTER THAT'S A TEACHER.
I HAVE THREE FIVE GRANDCHILDREN THAT ARE IN PUBLIC SCHOOL, THREE AND AIKEN COUNTY, AND I DON'T WANT THEM TO BE QUARANTINED AND HAVE A PAPER PACKET.
I WANT THEM TO HAVE THE BEST WE CAN OFFER TO THEM.
IT MAY BE THAT THIS TEACHER IS NOT THAT COMFORTABLE IN CERTAIN GRADE LEVEL WITH DOING THIS, BUT ANOTHER ONE IS AND MAYBE THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER TO, I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S WAYS WE CAN MAKE IT WORK.
AND ALL I'M HEARING IS REASONS WHY WE CAN'T.
I AM FOR OUR KIDS AND THEY COME FIRST.
I THINK THAT'S AN IDEAL OPTION AS WE LOOK AT INDIVIDUALIZING SUPPORT AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TEACHERS PARTNERING WITH EACH OTHER, GRADE LEVEL TEAMS AND DEPARTMENTS PARTNERING WITH EACH OTHER, I THINK THAT'S IDEAL.
SO, LIKE SOME FOLKS SAID, I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO REHASH OR DO SOME STUFF THAT'S ALREADY BEEN COVERED, BUT I DID HAVE SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS IN SOME POINTS, MR. LAURENCE AND I WILL MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD WHAT YOU WERE SAYING.
I HEARD YOU JUST TELL ME YOU DIDN'T SAY IT.
I HEARD YOU, I PARAPHRASE, THAT YOU SAID THERE WOULD BE NO SEPARATE PLANNING FOR KIDS AT HOME.
AND WHAT I HEARD WAS, IT'S NOT THIS SIMPLE, YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE ESSENTIALLY JUST GOING TO SET UP THE TECHNOLOGY AND BROADCAST AND AT LEAST IMMEDIATELY, TEACHERS AREN'T GOING TO BE INTERACTING WITH STUDENTS AT HOME OVER THAT TECHNOLOGY.
I MEAN, SEVERAL TEACHERS HAVE TOLD ME WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND IS IT'S NOT THAT SIMPLE.
AND I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME STEPS INVOLVED THERE AND I GET THAT.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I HEARD FROM A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER YESTERDAY WHO SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, HE HEARD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO THAT WE WERE PROBABLY GOING TO ASK TEACHERS TO DO THIS.
AND HE SAID, WELL, I GUESS I BETTER TRY IT, AND HE WAS A HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER.
SO BUT STILL WAS ONE THAT WAS BASICALLY A NOVICE.
SO HE SET UP A TEAMS MEETING, INVITED HIS KIDS.
FACED THE CAMERA TOWARD HIMSELF AND TAUGHT HIS LESSON AND THEN AFTER HE TAUGHT HIS LESSON, HE CLOSED THE LAPTOP.
SO THAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF OF SOMETHING THAT'S VERY SIMPLE.
I CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHERE IN A IN AN EARLY CHILDHOOD CLASS, IT'D BE A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT.
I CAN SEE WHERE, BUT I ALSO SEE WHERE MOST OF THE DAY WOULD NOT BE WOULD NOT
[02:10:07]
BE PART OF THAT LIVE STREAMING.THERE ARE TIMES, THOUGH, THAT A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TEACHES TO THE WHOLE GROUP.
AND IT WOULD BE THOSE TIMES WHEN THE TEACHER IS TEACHING TO THE WHOLE GROUP AND WITH FIVE YEAR-OLDS, THAT MAY BE THREE TO FIVE MINUTES.
BUT THAT'S THAT SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THAT CAN BE BROADCASTED TO THE STUDENTS AT HOME.
WELL, JUST THE REASON I ASK IS YOU CAN'T DIVIDE YOUR ATTENTION, I DON'T THINK, BETWEEN A PHYSICAL CLASSROOM AND A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM AND YOU'RE NOT ASKING A TEACHER TO DO THAT.
I'M ASKING THEM AS THEY GAIN THE CAPACITY TO DO THAT.
I CAN BRING THEM UP TO DO THAT, BUT EVEN SO, EVEN IF THEY GET TO THAT POINT, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME.
YOU CAN'T GIVE THE SAME ATTENTION TO THOSE STUDENTS AT HOME, THAT YOU DO IN THE CLASSROOM.
SO, IN THIS TYPE OF SITUATION THAT WE HAVE BEEN IN, SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN KIDS ARE OUT OF SCHOOL, WE HAVE HOMEBOUND TEACHERS.
NOW, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HOMEBOUND TEACHERS, I WOULDN'T THINK TO DEAL WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
NO, SIR, BUT JUST THE SAME KIND OF, SO TELL ME WHY SOMEONE TOUCHED ON IT EARLIER, BUT A DIFFERENT QUESTION, SINCE IN SOME GRADE LEVELS, WE ALL FOLLOW THE SAME PACING GUIDE, THE DISTRICT FOLKS WROTE.
WHY IS IT NOT MORE EFFICIENT TO POOL QUARANTINE STUDENTS TOGETHER IN A VIRTUAL CLASSROOM? WELL, PART OF IT IS THOSE STUDENTS ARE CONSTANTLY ROTATING IN AND OUT.
ANOTHER PART IS A TEACHER COULD END UP WITH 50 OR MORE STUDENTS IN THAT IN THAT VIRTUAL CLASS.
SO THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS FOR THAT.
PART OF THE DESIRE IS FOR THAT STUDENT TO MAINTAIN THE CONNECTION WITH THAT CLASSROOM.
IF WE WERE GOING TO DO WHAT YOU SUGGEST AND THE STUDENT DOESN'T HAVE A CONNECTION TO THAT CLASSROOM, DOESN'T HAVE A CONNECTION TO THAT TEACHER, THEN PROBABLY RECORDING IT IS A BETTER OPTION.
AND AS FAR AS IT'S SOMETHING, THIS IS A DETAILED QUESTION, BUT ANYTHING THAT SCHOOLS NEED TO DO WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, THEY ALREADY HAVE OR THEY CAN GET IT FROM THE DISTRICT OFFICE AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, IF TEACHERS, I'M JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, IF IT'S APPROVED, THAT EQUIPMENT IS AVAILABLE EVEN DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, WIRELESS KEYBOARDS AND BLUETOOTH MICE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
HOW DO THE SCHOOLS GET THAT OR DO THEY ALREADY HAVE IT? TO MAKE THIS EASIER.
SO, SCHOOLS HAVE A LOT OF THAT.
EVERY TEACHER HAS THE BASICS, THE LAPTOP AND IN THEIR CLASSROOM, A DESKTOP.
AS FAR AS OTHER THINGS, LIKE A, YOU KNOW, A SEPARATE MICROPHONE, SEPARATE CAMERA, ANY OTHER TECHNOLOGY PIECES, WIRELESS DONGLES TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY CAN PULL THE SMART BOARD INTO THEIR LAPTOP.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT MANY HAVE, MANY DO NOT, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN GET THOSE THINGS; IT WOULD JUST TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
WE HAVE THE MONEY TO DO THAT IN ESSER 3 AND ESSER 2 ALSO, I THINK.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE SUPPLY CHAIN IS A LITTLE SLOWER THAN IT HAS BEEN, SO IT WILL TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
OK, AND ONE QUESTION ABOUT WHAT YOU PRESENTED TONIGHT AND WHAT'S IN THE ATTACHMENTS, TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS WILL UTILIZE SCHOOLOGY AS THE PRIMARY DIGITAL PLATFORM FOR DAILY INSTRUCTION.
SO, I'M CURIOUS, SO THAT MEANS K THROUGH 12 ACROSS THE BOARD.
ARE WE SAYING THAT EVERYONE'S GOING TO BE MIGRATING THEIR LESSON PLANS AND THEIR MATERIALS INTO SCHOOLOGY, EVEN IF EVERYBODY'S THERE? YES, SIR, EVENTUALLY.
NOW, LIKE I SAID, I THINK THAT'S A TWO TO THREE YEAR PROCESS.
OKAY, BUT, YOU CAN'T YOU CAN'T COMMIT TO BEING A ONE TO ONE DIGITAL LEARNING SCHOOL DISTRICT WITHOUT USING A LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO MAKE THAT WORK.
IT'S ALREADY COME UP, THE PROPOSED EARLY RELEASE DAYS TO DO SOME TRAINING, I'M SORRY, WHAT'S THE PROPOSED RELEASE TIME? TWO HOURS EARLY.
TWO HOURS EARLY ELEMENTARY WOULD BE 12:30 MIDDLE 1:10 HIGH SCHOOL 1:30.
AND THEN IN WAGENER-SALLEY AREA AND THE RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA AREA, IT'S A
[02:15:05]
LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THEIR BUS ROUTES RUN.WELL, YEAH, JUST AS A SUGGESTION IS SOMETHING WE CAN MAYBE LOOK AT.
SO THANK YOU FOR ANSWERING MY QUESTIONS AND I'LL SAY THE SAME THING SORT OF AS MR. SMITH SAID, WE'VE GOT TO [INAUDIBLE] SOMEHOW.
BUT SOMETIMES IF YOU RUSH INTO THINGS, IT DOESN'T GO TOO WELL.
BUT ONE THING THAT WE COULD GIVE BACK, I KNOW IS MY KIDS HAVE BEEN OUT ON QUARANTINE, THEY'VE MISSED SOME STANDARDIZED TESTING AND NOT ALL THAT STANDARDIZED TESTING IS REQUIRED.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE LOOKING AT REMOVING STUFF THAT IS NOT REQUIRED FROM THE STATE, STANDARDIZED TESTING FOR GRADES 10 THROUGH 12 IS NOT.
AND JUST AS A PARENT FOR MY STUDENTS THAT GIVES THE STUDENTS TIME BACK.
OTHERWISE, I'M SURE THESE KIDS COMING BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM.
WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT PULLING THEM OUT OF CLASS TO DO STANDARDIZED TESTING.
AND THAT'S TIME THAT WE COULD GIVE BACK TO THE STUDENTS AS WELL AS TO THE TEACHERS.
I WOULD LIKE TO PIGGYBACK OFF WHAT MR. NUESSLE JUST SAID.
IF THAT'S NOT REQUIRED, THEN LET'S LOOK AT NOT UTILIZING IT RIGHT NOW.
I'M JUST SAYING RIGHT NOW, WHEN THINGS GET BACK TO WHERE WE'RE NORMALLY, LET'S GO BACK TO IT BECAUSE THAT'S A WONDERFUL DIAGNOSTIC TOOL.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT IDEA, MR. NUESSLE.
FOR CLARIFICATION, MR. LAURENCE, SO WHEN I LOOKED AT THE ROLLOUT INITIALLY, IT SEEMED MASSIVE AND ACROSS THE BOARD TONIGHT, WHEN YOU SPEAK, THERE SEEMS TO BE FLEXIBILITY.
ARE WE SAYING ALL TEACHERS WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS ROLLOUT? OR DOES A TEACHER HAVE THE OPTION TO SAY, I'M NOT UP TO SPEED, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THIS RIGHT NOW; I WON'T BE AVAILABLE TO LIVE STREAM MY CLASS.
I THINK THAT THE DESIRE IS FOR EVERY STUDENT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR OWN TEACHER.
BUT I THINK WE MENTIONED SOMETHING A LITTLE EARLIER.
LOOKING AT THE VARYING COMFORT LEVELS OF OUR TEACHERS, I THINK THAT IF A TEACHER IS PARTNERED WITH ANOTHER TEACHER IN THEIR GRADE LEVEL TEAM, I THINK THAT'S AN IDEAL OPPORTUNITY TO EASE INTO IT.
I THINK IT'S UNMANAGEABLE, AS SOME HAVE SUGGESTED FOR ONE TEACHER IN THE GRADE LEVEL TO MANAGE ALL OF THE QUARANTINE STUDENTS.
I THINK IF YOU DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT TEACHER'S OWN STUDENTS SUFFER FOR THAT.
BUT I THINK IF TWO TEACHERS ARE PARTNERED WITH EACH OTHER AND THAT WOULD BE A SCHOOL LEVEL DECISION, PRINCIPAL KNOWS THE TEACHERS.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO APPROACH IT.
I THINK IF YOU'VE GOT A TEACHER WHO IS ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENED BY IT DOESN'T FEEL CONFIDENT AT ALL, I THINK THAT YOUR PARTNER, THAT TEACHER, WAS SOMEBODY WHO'S STRONG AND HAVE THAT TEACHER PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT TO THE QUARANTINE STUDENTS.
I WOULDN'T WANT THAT TO BE A PERMANENT THING.
I STILL NEED FOR OUR TEACHERS TO GAIN CONFIDENCE BECAUSE DIGITAL LEARNING IS NOT GOING AWAY, SO, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S AN EARLY CAREER TEACHER, I THINK BY THE TIME I'M GONE AND THERE'S GOING TO BE A GREATER PUSH IN OUR SOCIETY FOR CONTINUED DIGITAL LEARNING.
SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD ALLOW A TEACHER TO NEVER GAIN THAT CAPACITY AND THAT COMFORT.
BUT I THINK TO BEGIN WITH, THAT'S A PERFECTLY VALID WAY TO APPROACH IT.
NOW THE HANDOUT THAT YOU HAVE DOES SEEM RATHER STATIC, BUT THAT WAS SENT TO YOU ON FRIDAY.
SO SINCE FRIDAY, I'VE TALKED TO TWO LARGE GROUPS OF TEACHERS AND DOZENS OF TEACHERS INDIVIDUALLY, A LOT OF PRINCIPALS, ALL OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH THE PEOPLE THAT WOULD HAVE TO IMPLEMENT THIS HAVE CERTAINLY PLAYED INTO WHAT I PRESENTED YOU TONIGHT.
I BELIEVE IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE IN QUARANTINE, BUT ALSO BELIEVE IT'S ABSOLUTELY IMPORTANT TO LISTEN TO OUR TEACHERS AND FIND OUT WHAT IS A MANAGEABLE AND REASONABLE APPROACH TO DOING THAT.
AND I THINK STARTING OUT, YOU KNOW, IN A VERY MINIMAL MANNER OF GIVING THOSE STUDENTS JUST ACCESS TO THAT DIRECT INSTRUCTION.
[02:20:03]
AND THEN AS TEACHERS FEEL CONFIDENT EXPANDING THAT.AND I'M ONLY GOING TO TAKE A FEW MINUTES.
I STARTED GETTING EMAILS ABOUT THE SECOND DAY OF SCHOOL ABOUT HOW BAD THINGS WERE.
I'VE GOTTEN EMAIL AFTER EMAIL AFTER EMAIL, PRIMARILY FROM TEACHERS TELLING US HOW BAD THEIR LIFE WAS AND HOW BAD THEIR SITUATIONS WERE.
AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR FIXING IT INVOLVE PRIMARILY SOME TYPE OF LEAVE PROGRAM.
GO BACK TO HYBRID, WHICH WE CAN'T DO LEGALLY TAKE FRIDAYS OFF, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO LEGALLY.
THAT TYPE OF THING, A LOT OF SUGGESTIONS TO WHICH WE CAN'T REALLY DO.
THE OTHER SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS HAD TO DO WITH BREAKING THE LAW, FORCING MASK MANDATES , THINGS HAVE THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT TEACHERS REALLY WANT US TO DO THAT WE CAN DO.
THIS CAME UP AND IT TOUCHED OFF A BARRAGE OF PEOPLE WHO SAID EMAILS THAT INDICATED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO IT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, MOSTLY BECAUSE IT WAS UNREALISTIC TO DEMAND MORE AND MORE AND MORE FROM, I CAN'T SAY HOW THIS REALLY MAKES THAT DEMAND.
IN FACT, I'VE GOT ANY NUMBER OF EMAILS FROM TEACHERS WHO ARE ALREADY DOING IT, WHO CLAIMED THAT IT'S MADE THEIR LIFE EASIER AND SIMPLER BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO DO A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND SO FORTH, A LOT OF INDIVIDUAL PLANS BECAUSE OF WHERE THE STUDENT IS IN THE QUARANTINE, WHEN IT COMES UP.
WE DID DISTANCE LEARNING IN THE 80S HERE.
WE DID NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY THEN THAT EXISTS TODAY, AND IT WAS A LOT [INAUDIBLE], BUT WE HAD A CLOSED CIRCUIT TELEVISION STUDIO DOWN AT THE DISTRICT OFFICE, WHICH WAS THE OLD QUONSET HUTS ON MORGAN STREET.
AND WE HAD TO USE CABLE TELEVISION, WHICH WE GOT THROUGH SCETV TO BROADCAST TO SEVERAL SCHOOLS, AND IT WORKED BEAUTIFULLY.
THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BEEN USING THIS SINCE THE 70S TO HAVE AN MBA PROGRAM DOWN AT USCA IN THE 70S, WHERE THE INSTRUCTION WAS DONE IN COLUMBIA AND THE STUDENTS WERE IN AIKEN.
THEY AWARDED MANY MASTER'S DEGREES IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION DOING THAT.
I'M WHOLEHEARTEDLY BEHIND THE IDEA, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN MAKING MORE WORK FOR TEACHERS, I'M INTERESTED IN MAKING LESS WORK FOR TEACHERS.
AND I REALLY THINK THAT WANTS TO GET OVER THE LEARNING CURVE, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE'LL FIND IS THAT THIS PROGRAM WILL ACTUALLY REDUCE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT TEACHERS HAVE TO DO.
I DID THINK OF ONE OTHER THING THAT TEACHERS ASKED US TO DO, AND THAT'S TO REMOVE ALL THE EXTRA TASKS THAT ARE BEING DUMPED ON THEM RIGHT NOW.
FILLING IN FOR SOMEBODY ELSE'S CLASS BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN EXTRA TEACHER THERE OR HAVING TO DO THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER, IT'S BEYOND THEIR TEACHING ASSIGNMENT, SO I'M NOT GOING TO RAMBLE ON, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME FOR US TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
AND SEE WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS.
WOULD ANYBODY LIKE TO MAKE ONE? I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE PROPOSAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGES: THAT WE PUSH BACK THE EARLY RELEASE DAYS AND THE START OF THE PROGRAM A WEEK, AND THAT WE RAISED THE $1000 FOR TEACHERS TO 1250.
THERE'S A SEPARATE MOTION AFTER THIS FOR THE EARLY RELEASE WEEK, CORRECT? YEAH, THERE IS A SEPARATE--I THINK YOU COULD INCLUDE IT, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO CHANGE THE CALENDAR.
SO ONLY THE BOARD CAN ADOPT THE CALENDAR.
I MEAN, I'M OK WITH IT BEING ALL INCLUSIVE IN ONE MOTION.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE--JUST THE INFORMATION THAT THE ONE THOUSAND DOLLAR RAISE COST US
[02:25:01]
ONE MILLION EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ONE SEMESTER.WE HAVE A MOTION, IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ANY DISCUSSION? I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSAL WITH THE FOLLOWING CHANGES THAT WE PUSH BACK THE EARLY RELEASE DAYS AND THE START OF THE PROGRAM A WEEK AND WE RAISE THE $1000 FOR TEACHERS TO 1250.
ANYBODY ELSE? ARE WE READY TO VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
MR. LAURENCE, WHAT DOES A WEEK DO FOR YOUR CURRENT PLAN? I THINK A WEEK IT GIVES MORE NOTICE FOR PARENTS, AND IT DELAYS PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT FOR STUDENTS.
NOW I THINK A LOT OF TEACHERS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN HESITANT TO DO IT ON THEIR OWN, THEY MAY JUST GO AHEAD AND START DOING IT.
SO WE MIGHT HAVE LESS IMPACT THAN I MIGHT THINK, AND IT WOULD GIVE PARENTS ANOTHER WEEK.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, LET'S CALL FOR THE VOTE.
ALL IN FAVOR OF MS. RHINEHART'S MOTION.
IS THERE ANOTHER MOTION? SO WE AREN'T GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT THIS, HUH? I'LL MAKE ANOTHER MOTION.
I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE PROPOSAL TO PUSH BACK THE EARLY RELEASE DAYS AND THE START OF THE PROGRAM A WEEK AND RAISED $1000 FOR TEACHERS TO 1100 .
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND FOR DISCUSSION.
ANY DISCUSSION? YEAH, I HAVE A DISCUSSION.
THAT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING FOR ME BECAUSE WHILE I'D LOVE TO PAY FOLKS THEIR HOURLY RATE RIGHT OR MORE FOR FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ABOUT THE MONEY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY FOR ME PERSONALLY AND BUT ANYWAY.
WELL, MAYBE IN DISCUSSING THIS, IT MIGHT BE GOOD FOR SOMEBODY TO TELL US WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE MOTION, SO THAT MIGHT GIVE US A LITTLE GUIDANCE FOR THE FUTURE.
FIRST OF ALL, I'M CERTAINLY NOT AGAINST I WANT TO STATE I THINK WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
AND I THINK MR. LAURENCE'S PROPOSAL IS IS GOOD.
I DON'T THINK OUR TEACHERS HAVE, "WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT" ATTITUDES.
I THINK THEY WANT A BETTER PLAN FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
AND SO I AGREE WITH MR. NUESSLE ENTIRELY.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE MONEY AT ALL.
ALTHOUGH I HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT THE MONEY AND, YOU KNOW, I MADE A COMMENT ABOUT THAT MYSELF.
THE TEACHERS ARE WANTING TO HELP THE STUDENTS, AS MR. SMITH REFERRED TO THERE.
THEY'RE NOT IN THIS BUSINESS FOR THE MONEY; THEY'RE IN THIS BUSINESS FOR THE STUDENTS.
AND SO MY PROPOSAL IS SIMPLY TO BASICALLY ALLOW MORE TIME FOR US TO DETERMINE THE BEST APPROACH FOR THIS THAT WOULD BASICALLY GET MORE BUY-IN FROM THE PARTICULARLY EARLY ELEMENTARY TEACHERS BECAUSE I'D SAY 90 PERCENT OF MY EMAILS CAME FROM EARLY ELEMENTARY TEACHERS.
I DON'T THINK THERE WAS A BIG PROBLEM AT THE MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVELS.
BUT I THINK WE JUST NEED A LITTLE MORE TIME TO GET MORE BUY IN.
AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR A LARGER GROUP LOOKED AT RATHER THAN TWO TEACHERS PER SCHOOL.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT WE'RE GETTING MORE BUY-IN FROM ALL THE TEACHERS OR SOME REPRESENTATIVE SURVEY THAT'S WELL-DESIGNED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GETTING THAT BUY-IN BECAUSE IF WE DON'T DO WHAT THE TEACHERS NEED, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO DO WHAT THE STUDENTS NEED.
AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A NO-WIN SITUATION.
AND THE LAST THING SOMETHING I MENTIONED WHEN I SPOKE EARLIER, THIS PROPOSAL IS NOT GOING TO WORK UNLESS WE CAN SAY BEFORE WE AGREE TO THIS, WE CAN STAY IN THE MEETING BEFORE IT'S VOTED, YES, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OFF THESE TEACHER'S PLATES.
[02:30:04]
AND I HAVEN'T HEARD THAT YET.SO MY ONLY CONCERN IS, AS I STATED EARLIER, THIS IS JUST TOO MASSIVE FOR ME.
IT'S AN ALL OR NOTHING, AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE REEVALUATED BECAUSE HONESTLY, IN LISTENING TO MY TEACHERS OR OUR TEACHERS ON AN ELEMENTARY LEVEL FROM K THROUGH THREE ESPECIALLY, I JUST DON'T THINK THIS IS AN OPTION.
I DON'T THINK IT'S ADDING ANY BENEFIT TO THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE IN QUARANTINE WHEN WE ARE ASKING THEM TO BE ABLE TO TUNE IN FROM A DISTANCE TO THE TEACHER.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT REFINED A LITTLE BIT, MAYBE NOT SO MUCH AS PER SCHOOL, BUT BY GRADE OR, YOU KNOW, JUST WHATEVER AND HAVE ALL OF OUR TECHNOLOGY PIECES IN PLACE, SO THE TEACHERS KNOW EXACTLY WITHOUT QUESTION WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO AND THEY'RE READY TO DO IT.
I WANT TO PIGGYBACK ON THAT JUST A SECOND.
I DON'T THINK THE TEACHERS REALLY KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO.
I THINK THAT MOST OF THEM HAVEN'T DONE IT.
THEY'VE DONE OTHER THINGS FOR VIRTUAL LEARNING AND SO FORTH, WHICH TO MY MIND, ARE MORE DIFFICULT AND MORE TIME CONSUMING THAN WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED.
YOU KNOW, IF ANYTHING, IF WE' GOT TO GET TEACHER APPROVAL TO DO THIS, WHY DON'T WE GO WITH THE MODEL, YOU KNOW, LET'S EXPERIMENT.
LET'S RUN AN EXPERIMENT FOR A MONTH.
LET'S JUST GET TWO OR THREE SCHOOLS AND PUT THE PROGRAM IN AND SEE HOW IT WORKS.
THAT WAY, WE CAN TALK INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT EXACTLY WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW TEACHERS HANDLE IT.
WE CAN EVEN TALK ABOUT THEIR ATTITUDES, ABOUT DOING IT.
YOU KNOW, WE CAN GET SOME REAL LIFE DATA, NOT A BUNCH OF SPECULATION BASED ON A HANDFUL OF EMAILS.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 4300 TEACHERS AND I PROBABLY TALKED ABOUT GETTING 100 EMAILS, AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE EDUCATIONAL POLICY DECISIONS THAT AFFECT THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS ON THE BASIS OF THAT.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S POLITICAL THEATER.
I AGREE, I AGREE, 100 PERCENT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT--SPEAK INTO YOUR MIC.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE FROM NOW ON.
HOPEFULLY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WILL BE MAYBE SOME RELIEF AND SOME TYPE OF WAY, MAYBE BY THE FIRST OF THE YEAR.
I DON'T KNOW FOR SURE, BUT I DO KNOW THIS WHILE WE'RE UP HERE DISCUSSING AND CARRYING ON, KIDS ARE FALLING FARTHER AND FARTHER BEHIND.
THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY TEACH OR MAYBE WATCHING THE TEACHERS, BEEN IN IT A LONG TIME LIKE I HAVE THERE USED TO BE A PROGRAM CALLED PET.
AND IN PET, YOU LEARNED TO MODIFY AND ADJUST.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE GOT TO DO, WHETHER IF WE START IT NOW, THE 20TH, THREE WEEKS FROM NOW.
WE GOT TO GET SOMETHING GOING.
NOW YOU CAN SIT HERE AND SAY ALL THIS OTHER STUFF.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS OUR KIDS HAVE SUFFERED.
OUR PETS ARE SUFFERING BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW TO DO WITH THIS STUFF.
AND, LIKE, WE HAD ONE SAY TONIGHT THAT THEY CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE PAPER LESSONS AND SO FORTH THAT'S COMING HOME, BUT WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
AND [INAUDIBLE], IF YOU CAN'T SUPPORT IT, THEN TELL US WHAT YOU CAN SUPPORT.
SO I KNOW MR. SMITH HAS GRANDCHILDREN IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I HAVE CHILDREN IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
SO I KIND OF HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME, SO TO SPEAK.
AND BUT I'M JUST SAYING SO WHEN I WORK ON THINGS YOU SAID, DR. BRADLEY, YOU SAID YOU DON'T THINK TEACHERS KNOW WHAT YOU'RE REALLY ASKING TO DO.
I KNOW I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO.
I SAID THAT BASED ON THE FACT THAT NOBODY'S DOING IT.
THAT'S WHAT I MEANT BY MY COMMENT.
I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN THAT AROUND ON YOU LIKE THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER OF THIS DISTRICT, RIGHT? I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO KNOW, BUT I DO WORRY ABOUT SUCCESS OF IMPLEMENTATION.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE GREAT TEACHERS THAT MY KIDS HAVE IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN THEY FIRST WENT OUT ON QUARANTINE, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE, OH, WHAT DO THEY DO NOW? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY SAID AT THE SCHOOL, RIGHT? BUT WITHOUT THE DISTRICT TELLING THEM TO DO ANYTHING, I THINK MATERIALS APPEARED
[02:35:06]
ON SCHOOLOGY.SOME FOLKS STARTED DOING LIVE STREAMING ON THEIR OWN ACCORD, NOT HAVING TO WRITE, AND TEACHERS WERE TEACHING THEIR KIDS THAT WEREN'T THERE.
AND I SAY THAT FOR A COUPLE--SO I THINK A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING, AND, ANECDOTALLY, I DON'T THINK WE'VE BEEN JUST LETTING THESE KIDS GO WITHOUT ANYTHING.
BUT WHEN I LOOK AT THAT, THE OLDER YOUR KIDS ARE THE SUBJECT MATTER AND THE MATURITY OF THE CHILD, THEY ARE MORE APT TO BE ABLE TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY AT HOME AND TO WORK WITH THESE MATERIALS THAT ARE PROVIDED.
AND, YOU KNOW, GOODNESS KNOWS I CAN'T HELP THEM THAT MUCH, EXCEPT FOR A FEW SUBJECTS.
BUT MAYBE I SHOULDN'T WORRY ABOUT THIS, BUT GOING BACK TO WHAT I THINK THE YOUNGER YOU GET, I THINK THE LESS TRANSLATABLE THIS IS.
IN OUR PROPOSAL, IT SAYS, IN THE SECOND SEMESTER, TEACHERS WILL ENGAGE WITH STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY IN WHOLE AND SMALL GROUPS.
AND SO I GUESS I'M I'M JUST WORRIED ABOUT THIS BEING NOT EFFECTIVE AND JUST CREATING A LOT OF EFFORT TO NOT GET MUCH OUT OF IT WHEN WE GET TO THE LITTLE ONES AND SPECIFICALLY, I DON'T WANT TO, I THINK, SPECIFICALLY, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US BUILD AND DEVELOP THAT IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY, SAY, K THROUGH THIRD GRADE, MAYBE LIKE YOU WOULD IF HE DID HAVE MORE TIME TO DO THIS.
AND SO THAT'S THE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY OF THE KIDS ARE BEING QUARANTINED FOR K THROUGH THREE? I DON'T I DO HAVE, I CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY ARE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL .
SO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL QUARANTINES 1289 RIGHT NOW.
SO 1480 ARE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND 1956 ARE HIGH SCHOOL.
YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S A HANG UP, THAT'S EXEMPT.
RIGHT NOW, THE FIRST THREE, I WOULD PROPOSE K THROUGH THREE.
BUT IF WE HAVE TO GO ELEMENTARY PERIOD, HEY, I CAN GO WITH THAT.
I MEAN, I JUST THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A START.
SO AND I WANT TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT MR. SMITH SAYS.
AND WHILE THERE MAY BE BUMPS ALONG, SO MR. LAURENCE KIND OF REASSURED US TONIGHT OF THE SUPPORT THE DISTRICT HAS FOR THE TEACHERS.
AND IT SOUNDED LIKE THIS IS NOT A RACE IN ALL CASES, AND I AGREE WITH MR. SMITH, THAT WE'VE GOT TO START NOW.
BUT I JUST THINK WE SHOULD START WHERE WE HAVE MORE COMPETENCY AND THAT'S IN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO REVISIT IF EVERYONE'S WELL, THAT'S THE SPECIFIC FEEDBACK, DR. BRADLEY.
I'LL PIGGYBACK THERE, I'LL ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH THAT.
I THINK ELEMENTARY SHOULD BE ON AN EXTREME PILOT BASIS BECAUSE I THINK YOU DO LOSE SOME EFFICACY AS YOU GET LOWER OR YOUNGER IN THE GRADES.
THAT WOULD HELP ME OUT, COMFORT WISE, IF WE REMOVED ELEMENTARY AS A REQUIREMENT FOR THIS AND MAYBE PILOT IT ON A VOLUNTEER BASIS OR WHATEVER, GREW IT THERE.
AND I WANT TO SEPARATE OUT THIS EARLY RELEASE WEEK.
I DON'T THINK THESE NEED TO BE TOGETHER.
I KIND OF FEEL LIKE I DON'T THINK WE NEED A WEEK NUMBER ONE FOR THAT, AND I THINK WE SHOULD LET THAT BE A SEPARATE ISSUE FOR US TO DISCUSS AND I DON'T LIKE BOW TYING THESE TOGETHER.
ANYBODY ELSE? I DO HAVE A QUESTION.
SO IF IT'S VOLUNTARY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HOW DO WE DEAL WITH THE STIPEND? I MEAN, THE STIPEND IS FOR REQUIRING A TEACHER TO DO IT IF WE'RE NOT REQUIRING ANYBODY TO DO IT.
IF THEY WANT TO SIGN UP VOLUNTARILY PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM, GREAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE PROVIDE TRAINING ON A PIECEMEAL KIND OF CHECKERBOARD PATTERN OF TEACHERS ACROSS 20
[02:40:02]
ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW I WOULD MANAGE THAT.IF THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET THIS THING GOING, I'M SURE YOU CAN FIGURE IT OUT.
WE MIGHT HAVE TO HIRE SOME PEOPLE TO DO IT.
I WANT TO GO BACK AND REMIND ALL OF US UP HERE THAT WHEN MR. LAURENCE GOT UP AND PRESENTED HIS PROPOSAL, HE DID NOT SAY IT HAS TO BE HUGE FULL LESSONS.
HE SAID IT COULD BE WHATEVER THE TEACHER FEELS APPROPRIATE THAT SHE NEEDS TO GET DONE.
I SPENT 10 YEARS AS AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
IT CAN BE DONE AND IT CAN BE DONE TO THE GRADE LEVEL AS THE KIDS CAN ACCEPT IT AND LEARN IT.
I'VE SEEN MANY THINGS LIKE THIS COME BEFORE.
I'VE NEVER SEEN ANYTHING WHERE THERE'S A NEED AS SUCH AS THEY ARE NOW.
BUT ELEMENTARY KIDS CAN TAKE IT AND PICK IT UP.
4K MAY HAVE THE MOST DIFFICULTY.
5K MAY HAVE A LITTLE, BUT THEY CAN DO A LITTLE BIT IN EACH LESSON THAT THEY CAN BE EXPOSED TO IT.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO A 30 MINUTE LESSON AS MR. LAURENCE SAID.
IT CAN BE WHATEVER THEY FEEL IS APPROPRIATE THAT THEY NEED TO GET DONE THAT DAY, BUT THEY NEED TO BE STARTED TO CONTINUE ABOUT LEARNING AT HOME IF THE SITUATION WERE TO ARISE.
FOLKS, WE GOT TO DO SOMETHING.
WE CAN DEBATE IT ALL DAY LONG.
WE GOT TO GET STARTED, WE GOT TO GET GOING.
AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO OUR KIDS AND OUR FAMILIES BY NOT DOING SO.
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE PROGRAM.
WHAT MOTION? I MADE THE MOTION--I THOUGHT WE VOTED THAT DOWN.
NO, WE HADN'T VOTED; WE HAD DISCUSSION.
RESTATE YOUR MOTION, WE'LL VOTE.
I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE PROPOSAL TO PUSH BACK THE EARLY RELEASE DATE AND THE START OF THE PROGRAM A WEEK AND RAISE THE $1000 FOR TEACHERS TO $1100.
DID ANYBODY SECOND? HE DID FOR DISCUSSION.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
NOW I WANT TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE IMPLEMENT THE PLAN AS PRESENTED BY MR. LAURENCE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF K THROUGH THREE.
AND THAT WE PAY THE TEACHERS A 1250 SUPPLEMENT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL RIGHT, WHAT WE JUST PASSED WAS WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAM PRESENTED BY MR. LAURENCE IN GRADES FOUR AND UP.
WE'RE GOING TO LET K THROUGH THREE REST A WHILE UNTIL WE SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING.
HE CAN COME BACK WITH A PROPOSAL AT A LATER DATE ABOUT WHAT, IF ANYTHING, WE WANT TO DO DIFFERENTLY WITH THE FIRST FOUR GRADES.
NEXT ITEM IS A REVISION TO THE CALENDAR, WHICH WAS PUT IN TO ACCOMMODATE THE CHANGE FOR THE IN-SERVICE DAYS NEXT WEEK, OF COURSE.
THAT CALENDAR WOULD APPLY ONLY TO GRADES FOUR AND UP.
UM, WHICH MIGHT CREATE SOME PROBLEMS. YEAH, I THINK DUE TO THE BUS TRANSPORTATION, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO APPLY TO EVERYONE.
OKAY, PERHAPS WE CAN HAVE SOME MEETINGS WITH THE K THROUGH THREE ABOUT THIS GETTING IDEAS [INAUDIBLE].
ALL RIGHT, IS THERE MOTION TO ADOPT THE RECOMMENDED CHANGE TO THE CALENDAR.
WE JUST APPROVED GIVING THEM IN-SERVICE NEXT WEEK.
THAT WAS PART OF THE PROGRAM PRESENTED BY MR. LAURENCE AT THE PODIUM.
SO YOU REALLY DON'T NEED IT, EXCEPT TO MAKE IT.
I THINK WE DO STILL HAVE TO HAVE THE CALENDAR CHANGE BECAUSE ONLY THE BOARD CAN CHANGE
[02:45:01]
THE CALENDAR.SO WE VOTED TO CHANGE THE DATES OR TO GIVE THE IN-SERVICE TO BE DIFFERENT DATES, SO THE CALENDAR HAS TO CHANGE.
WELL, I DON'T KNOW, I THINK IT SET IN HIS PROPOSAL THAT PARTICULAR WEEK.
I'M NOT HUNG UP ON THAT PARTICULAR WEEK, IF WE WANT TO CHANGE THE WEEK.
IF WE WANT TO PUT IT OFF A WEEK, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.
BUT WE DID APPROVE THE IDEA OF TAKING SOME EARLY LEAVE DAYS TO EDUCATE OR TRAIN THE PEOPLE IN THE PROGRAM.
SO, WE NEED TO ADJUST THE CALENDAR TO FIT THE IDEA OF GIVING EARLY RELEASE DAYS FOR WHAT, THREE DAYS? I'D ASKED FOR FIVE.
MR. CHAIR, IT'S NOT SPECIFIED IN THE PROPOSAL WHAT THOSE DATES WOULD BE.
SO, IT WOULD BE UP TO THE CALENDAR TO DO THAT.
MS. RHINEHART? I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO HOW TO PHRASE IT.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE CHANGE THE CALENDAR TO IMPLEMENT THE START OF THE PROGRAM, BUT A WEEK AFTER YOU PREVIOUSLY PROPOSED.
INSTEAD OF THE WEEK OF 20-24 EARLY DISMISSAL, THAT WOULD BE WHATEVER THE CORRESPONDING DAYS, THE WEEK OF THE 27TH.
WHAT IS IT? THE WEEK OF THE 27TH.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY DR.
DO WE NEED A FULL WEEK OF EARLY RELEASE FOR THIS? AND I ASKED THIS QUESTION IN THE CORPORATE WORLD, WE HAVE A LOT OF MEETINGS THAT WOULD BE BETTER, BETTER SERVED AS AN EMAIL.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THIS TYPE OF TRAINING WOULD BE BETTER SERVED AS AN EMAIL.
BUT I WONDER IF FIVE DAYS, WHERE ARE WE COMING UP WITH FIVE DAYS? COULD WE DO LIKE JUST A TEACHER WORKDAY AND ACCOMPLISH THE SAME THING? COULD WE DO ONE DAY? COULD WE DO THREE DAYS? I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH A FULL WEEK AND FORCING THAT ON PARENTS, EVEN WITH A WEEK AND A HALF NOTICE; THAT BOTHERS ME.
YEAH, I THINK FOR A COMPLETE NOVICE WHICH, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY TEACHERS WERE THE ONES WHO WERE LEAST EXPERIENCED.
SO WE KIND OF PLAN TOWARD THAT WITH THE IDEA THAT TEACHERS WOULD ALSO NEED IMPLEMENTATION TIME.
THEY WOULD NEED TIME TO PREPARE TO MAKE THE PLANS TO GET COMFORTABLE WITH SCHOOLOGY A-G AND SHARING FILES WITH THEIR STUDENTS.
SO PROBABLY THREE TO SIX HOURS OF TRAINING FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S NOT BRAND NEW BRAND NEW AT IT WOULD WOULD LIKELY BE SUFFICIENT.
BUT THEN WE DID WANT TO PROVIDE TIME THAT IS NOT WEEKEND AND EVENING TIME FOR TEACHERS TO START IMPLEMENTING IT.
ANYBODY ELSE? JUST A QUICK COMMENT.
MR. LAURENCE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, GIVEN WHAT WE DID ON THE PROPOSAL AND ELIMINATING K THROUGH THREE, I'M SORT OF FOLLOWING YOU ON THIS.
I THINK WE'LL NEED LESS TIME THAN THE FIVE DAYS AND HEARING WHAT MR. CRANE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF LIKE IT IS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, AS WELL AS ANYBODY ELSE, IT'S A PROBLEM FOR PARENTS, EVEN WITH A WEEK AND A HALF'S NOTICE, I THINK THAT'S CERTAINLY A GOOD OFFERING.
BUT ANYWAY, THE ONLY THING I WAS GOING TO PROPOSE WAS IF WE'RE GOING TO BE LENIENT ON THE ROLLOUT OF THIS AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO PUT THE POLICE, YOU KNOW, WATCHING OVER HOW THIS IS ROLLED OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE BIG, BIG SERIOUS PUSH FOR, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PD? YOU KNOW, WHY COULDN'T WE DO PD OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF, YOU KNOW, ONE DAY A WEEK VERSUS THREE OR FIVE DAYS? YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST THE FALL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE THE ANSWER.
I'M JUST SAYING, IF WE'RE GIVING MORE LENIENCY ON THE ROLLOUT, WHY CAN'T WE GIVE MORE LENIENCY AND TIME ON THE PD? THAT'S ALL.
I THINK WE WOULD MAKE IT WORK, WHATEVER THE BOARD DETERMINED WAS APPROPRIATE FOR IT.
I THINK WE DO NEED, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME TIME TO FRONTLOAD IT.
SO, IF WE WANTED TOTO SHIFT SOME ADDITIONAL PLANNING AND SMALL GROUP PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FURTHER ALONG IN THE FALL, I THINK THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE REASONABLE.
BUT WE DO HAVE TO BE ABLE TO FRONTLOAD IT FOR TEACHERS.
[02:50:03]
YEAH, I THINK.WE'RE MAJORING IN [INAUDIBLE] NOW.
WE COME AT 10 HOURS FOR PEOPLE TO LEARN HOW TO DEAL WITH TWO COMPUTER PROGRAMS AND AN APPLIED SETTING IN A SITUATION, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO BUILD AN AIRPLANE WHILE IT'S IN THE AIR APPROACH, IF WE DON'T GIVE PEOPLE A SOUND BASIS IN WHAT THEY NEED TO DO AND HOW TO DO IT BEFORE WE TURN THEM LOOSE TO DO IT.
I THINK TO ME THAT'S A RECIPE FOR FAILURE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO IF WE'RE GOING TO TRAIN IT, TRAIN PEOPLE, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND TRAIN THEM.
YEAH, I ACKNOWLEDGE IT'S A DIFFICULT THING FOR PARENTS TO DEAL WITH, BUT, YOU KNOW, STAYING AT HOME DEALING WITH THE KIDS, IT'S 5000 OF THEM GOT PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW.
LET'S TRY TO GET SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS THING BETTER.
ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO PREACH? IF NOT, WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
IT MUST BE RESTATED, I'M SORRY.
I'M SORRY? WE RESTATE THE MOTION BEFORE WE VOTE.
I MAKE THE MOTION THAT WE AMEND THE SCHOOL CALENDAR TO [INAUDIBLE] THANK YOU, THE 27TH IS IT? TO START THE PROGRAM ON EARLY RELEASE DATES ON THE 27TH WITH STARTING THE PROGRAM ON THE FOLLOWING MONDAY ON THE 27TH AND IT WOULD GO THAT WEEK FIVE DAYS, TWO HOURS EARLY.
OH, THAT'S RIGHT, DR. HANKS SECONDED.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[Individual Board Members]
OK.OK, NEXT THING IS ITEMS PRESENTED BY INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS, I HAVE THE FIRST ONE I WANT TO NOMINATE.
MEMBERS TO AREA ONE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
WE HAVE SEVEN MEMBERS, AND ACTUALLY WE'VE BEEN VERY DERELICT ABOUT UPDATING SOME OF THOSE THEY'VE ACTUALLY BEEN SERVING WITHOUT APPOINTMENT, SO WE'RE GOING TO RECOMMEND OR ASK THAT FIVE BE REAPPOINTED AND WE HAVE TWO NEW MEMBERS MS. ALBERTINE GRANT MR. CLARENCE JACKSON, MS. LINDA [INAUDIBLE] MR. EUGENE WHITE, MR. JOSHUA RAINES FOR REAPPOINTMENT, MR. RYAN O.
AND MR. JOHN PETTIGREW FOR INITIAL APPOINTMENT.
SO I WOULD MOVE THAT WE NOMINATE THESE PEOPLE, APPOINT THESE PEOPLE TO THE AREA ONE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
SECOND BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE NEXT PERSON THAT I'VE LOST MY PLACE, BUT I HAVE A REQUEST FOR MR. CRANE TO TALK ABOUT COVID LEAVE.
I WAS PRETTY VOCAL AGAINST THE ADDITIONAL COVID LEAVE FOR VACCINATED FOLKS BECAUSE I WORRIED THAT IT WAS GOING TO SEPARATE OUR STAFF INTO TWO DIFFERENT CLASSES, TWO CLASSES OF FOLKS AND I STILL HAVE THAT CONCERN.
SO MY REQUEST IS THAT WE GRANT ALL STAFF, REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS, 10 EXTRA DAYS.
THERE'S A LOT OF SITUATIONS, VACCINATION STATUS ARE NOT WHERE YOU MAY HAVE TO QUARANTINE OR BE OUT DUE TO COVID.
I KNOW ONE ONE TEACHER EMAILED ME, PROBABLY ALL OF US.
SHE GOT HER SECOND DOSE OF THE SHOT AND GOT SICK FROM THAT, WHICH I WOULD QUALIFY AS COVID SICKNESS.
BUT SHE WAS INFORMED THAT WASN'T COVERED UNDER THE POLICY, WHICH I DIDN'T VERIFY THAT ANY FURTHER THAN THAN THE EMAIL, BUT IT JUST CONCERNED ME.
IF WE'RE GOING TO DO SOMETHING FOR ONE STAFF MEMBER, WE SHOULD DO IT FOR EVERYBODY.
SO THAT'S MY ASK, THAT POLICY BE ESSENTIALLY UNIVERSAL.
I DON'T REALLY CARE WHAT WE CALL IT, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO GRANT IT TO SOME, I THINK WE
[02:55:01]
SHOULD GRANT IT TO ALL YOU KNOW, THE SITUATION I SEE IS WHAT IF IT'S A SINGLE PARENT AND THEIR TWO KIDS HAVE TO QUARANTINE.NOW THEY'VE GOT TO TAKE A PERSONAL DAY, WHEREAS I WOULD ENVISION A "COVID DAY" WOULD BE SUFFICIENT FOR THAT TYPE OF SITUATION OUTSIDE OF JUST TAKING A PERSONAL DAY, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO THE BEACH, THEY'RE HOME WITH THEIR KIDS FOR 10 DAYS, THEORETICALLY, IN WORST CASE SCENARIO, FOR 14, WHICH ISN'T TENABLE, SO THAT'S MY POSITION AND THAT'S MY ASK.
I CAN MAKE A MOTION TO THAT END IF I NEED TO, BUT.
I SO MOVE THAT WE GRANT ALL STAFF REGARDLESS OF VACCINATION STATUS, 10 ADDITIONAL SPECIFIC COVID LEAVE DAYS.
DISCUSSION? CAN I ASK A QUESTION? THAT WOULD BE IF NEEDED, WE WOULDN'T PUT TEN DAYS IN THEIR BANK, IT WOULD BE, IF NEEDED, CORRECT? I'M FINE WITH THAT.
I'M GOING TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT LAST YEAR WE GOT MONEY FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR THIS COVID LEAVE ISSUE.
SO EVERYTHING THAT WE PAY FOR COVID LEAVE IS COMING OUT OF THE DISTRICT BUDGET.
BUT THE ESSER FUND IS A PART OF THE DISTRICT ESSER FUND.
I MEAN, I THINK ORIGINALLY THE DISTRICT DIDN'T PROPOSE DOING THIS WITH A MUCH DIFFERENT PICTURE, YOU KNOW, A MONTH OR TWO AGO, AND I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR STAFF WITH.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
MR. NUESSLE, DO YOU HAVE AN ITEM ON THE [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT, DR.
SO I SAW THE AGENDA REQUEST FROM MR. CRANE.
AND ORIGINALLY, THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ASK WAS THIS IS ORIGINALLY WHEN THE COVID LEAVE CAME UP, WHENEVER THAT WAS, IT WAS PRESENTED BY MR. LAURENCE AS AN INCENTIVE, AT LEAST PARTIALLY FOR FOLKS TO GET, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE VACCINATED.
I BASICALLY I JUST WANTED TO ASK UNLESS WE HAVE MORE DISCUSSION, I JUST WANT TO ASK, DOES MR. LAURENCE, DO YOU STILL WANT TO PROVIDE SOME KIND OF INCENTIVE FOR VACCINATION OR BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE SEEN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME? WOULD THAT EVEN BE EFFECTIVE? I'M NOT SURE THAT IT WOULD BE.
I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF AN INCENTIVE FINANCIALLY IT WOULD BE, BUT, THE INCENTIVE OF UP TO 10 COVID LEAVE DAYS COULD AMOUNT TO BASICALLY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF LEAVE TIME.
SO IF THAT DIDN'T HAVE AN IMPACT ON PEOPLE GETTING VACCINATED, I'M NOT SURE A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS WOULD DO THAT EITHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE AN ACCURATE ASSESSMENT.
WELL, I'M NOT MAKING A MOTION.
I JUST WANT AT LEAST TO HEAR FROM THE DISTRICT.
HEAR FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT, GIVEN WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
AND OBVIOUSLY THIS IS ON THE TABLE.
[Office of Superintendent]
OTHER PEOPLE CAN BRING UP A MOTION.YEAH, THERE WAS AN ARTICLE IN I THINK IT WAS SUNDAY STATE NEWSPAPER THAT FOUR DISTRICTS IN THE STATE ARE DOING THAT CURRENTLY.
NEXT ITEM IS SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR, AND I DON'T HAVE MUCH, MUCH ELSE TO SAY, WE'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE AND IT'S GETTING LATE, BUT I DO WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR CAREFUL DELIBERATION TONIGHT ON THESE ISSUES.
I WANT TO THANK THE TEACHERS FOR YOUR INPUT, THE CALLS THAT YOU MADE TO ME AND EMAILS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE PROCESS.
AND I ALWAYS ENJOY HEARING FROM THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN, I DO LISTEN AND TAKE EVERYTHING THAT IS SAID VERY SERIOUSLY.
SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT THAT WE GOT THERE AS WELL.
SO I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING AND I THANK YOU--I KNOW WE'RE NOT
[Executive Session]
FINISHED, BUT THANK YOU.WE NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF--SECOND.
FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONTRACTUAL MATTERS AND LEGAL MATTERS.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
ALL RIGHT, WE'LL ADJOURN INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION AND WE'LL COME BACK IN HERE AFTER THE EXECUTIVE SESSION AND TAKE ANY ACTIONS NECESSARY, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE RESOLUTION AND THEN WE'LL GO HOME.
[03:00:01]
OK, WHILE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE RECEIVED AN UPDATE ON TWO PROPERTY[Return to Open Session]
[03:43:47]
MATTERS FROM OUR[03:43:48]
ATTORNEY AND WE HAD A LEGAL BRIEFING ON POLICY BHC PERTAINING TO[03:43:56]
COMMUNICATIONS.[03:44:00]
WE ALSO HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY.[03:44:09]
WE DISTRIBUTED THESE EARLIER THE RESOLUTION OF THE AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD[03:44:14]
OF[03:44:15]
TRUSTEES URGING THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO REPEAL THE 2021-22 BUDGET[03:44:21]
PROVISO 1.108 AND I THINK EVERYBODY'S HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT.AND AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RESOLUTION IS WRITTEN.
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE RESOLUTION AS PRESENTED.
SECONDED BY MS. R HINEHART-JACKSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE RESOLUTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AT THIS TIME, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE ADJOURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.