[00:00:05]
MY WATCH SAYS IT'S SIX O'CLOCK, SO IF WE COULD, LET'S GET STARTED.I CALL THE MEETING OF THE BOARD ORDER.
WE'LL BEGIN OUR MEETING, AS WE CUSTOMARILY DO WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE TWO BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE RECOVERING FROM SURGERY, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP
[Call to Order]
THEM IN MIND DURING THAT MOMENT.PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.
THANK YOU. NOW, IF YOU WOULD, LET'S ALL STAND SAY YOUR PLEDGE TO THE FLAG.
THE AGENDA HAS BEEN CIRCULATED, AND I'VE HAD NO FEEDBACK TO THE CONTRARY, SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE AGENDA AS CIRCULATED.
WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES REQUIRING APPROVAL THIS EVENING, THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF OCTOBER 26, 2021.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES? MOVED BY MR. CRANE SECONDED BY MR. SILAS. END OF DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
THE FIRST ITEM ON THE SPECIAL ORDERS OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
I HAVE THREE REQUESTS TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
THE FIRST IS FROM DAVE PULLIN, AND HE WANTS TO TALK ABOUT SEVERAL DIFFERENT POLICIES, SO MR. PULLIN, IF YOU WOULD COME TO THE MICROPHONE.
GOOD EVENING, MY NAME IS DAVE PULLIN AND GOOD EVENING, BOARD CHAIRMAN BRADLEY, SUPERINTENDENT TRUSTEES.
THIS EVENING I'M GOING TO ADDRESS THREE POLICIES.
THEY ARE POLICY IJ CREATED AND LAST EDITED JUNE OF 2017 IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES AND MATERIALS.
THIS WOULD BE REFERRING TO CURRICULUM MEDIA IN THE LIBRARIES.
POLICY, IJK, SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS SELECTION AND ADOPTION.
THIS ONE, I WOULD REMIND YOU AND THE AUDIENCE THAT WAS LAST EDITED IN JANUARY OF 2002.
SO THAT'S 19 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS OLD WITHOUT AN EDIT AND THEN WE HAVE POLICY IMB, WHICH IS TEACHING ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL AND SENSITIVE ISSUES.
I WOULD REMIND THE BOARD AND THOSE IN ATTENDANCE THAT THIS ONE ALSO WAS LAST EDITED JANUARY OF 2002.
WE HAVE ANOTHER POLICY THAT IS 19 YEARS AND 11 MONTHS OLD.
SO LET'S GO WITH THE IDEA OF HOW DO WE BRING MATERIALS INTO OUR LIBRARIES? HOW DOES THE MEDIA THAT IS IN THE LIBRARIES GET SELECTED? WELL, THE POLICY I SUGGESTED TO YOU, WHICH IS POLICY IJ, IS THE ONE WHERE WE HAVE TO HAVE A CRITERIA THAT ARE ENUMERATED IN THAT POLICY, BUT THERE IS NO REFERENCE IN THAT POLICY TO COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.
SO THAT WOULD MAKE A CITIZEN LIKE MYSELF ASK, WELL, HOW DO WE KNOW WHETHER OR NOT A RECENT STATE LAW, WHICH IS PROVIDES A ONE POINT ONE ZERO FIVE, IS IN FACT BEING ADHERED TO AS THE MEDIA IS SELECTED.
SO LATER ON IN MY PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SOME MEDIA THAT EXISTS IN OUR DISTRICT, IN OUR SCHOOLS THAT DOES NOT APPEAR TO COMPLY WITH THE PROVISO, AND THE POLICY DOESN'T INDICATE THAT CURRICULUM HAS TO ADHERE WITH STATE LAW.
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIALS SELECTION AND ADOPTION.
EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THE LIBRARY, EVERY PIECE OF DIGITAL AND PAPER MEDIA MUST BE PRE-PLANNED AND HAVE APPROVAL OF THE PRINCIPAL.
I ASKED THE BOARD QUITE RESPECTFULLY TO HAVE EACH TRUSTEE IN THEIR DISTRICT, ASK EACH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY SINGLE BOOK AND EVERY SINGLE PIECE OF MEDIA HAS BEEN PRE-PLANNED AND HAS APPROVAL OF THEMSELVES BEING THE PRINCIPALS BECAUSE, ACCORDING TO POLICY IJK, THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN.
NOW, WITH REGARD TO POLICY IMB, TEACHING ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL AND SENSITIVE ISSUES, THIS IS THE ONE THAT IS NEARLY 20 YEARS OLD.
THE BASIC RIGHTS OF STUDENTS ARE TO BE CONSIDERED, AND AGAIN, THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO
[00:05:09]
COMPLIANCE WITH POLICY 1.105, WHICH IS A STATE LAW.NOW, IF THE RIGHTS OF THE STUDENTS ARE TO BE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, THEN THEIR STATE LAW NOT TO HAVE ANY INFORMATION OR ANY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIAL THAT HAS A PREJUDICE OR A BIAS OF ANY RACIAL NATURE WITH ONE RACE IS MORE IS OPPOSED TO ANOTHER RACE FOR SOME RACIAL BIAS, THEN THAT STATE LAW WOULD APPLY TO EVERYTHING THAT THE TEACHERS HAVE TO SAY, AND THE STUDENT HAS A RIGHT NOT TO HAVE THAT PRESENTED TO THEM.
OK, SO NOW THAT WE [INAUDIBLE] SOMETHING HAPPENED TO THE VOLUME.
DID WE LOSE THE VOLUME? I HAVE NOTHING. SO I'LL STAND FOR MY TIME.
3:45. OK, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
OK, SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THE STATE LAW PROVISO IS NOT IN THESE POLICIES, WE'RE JUST ASSUMING THAT THE STATE LAW PROVISO RECENTLY APPROVED IN JANUARY JUNE OF 2020 IS BEING ADHERED TO. THERE IS A CONTROVERSIAL AND SENSITIVE ISSUE.
ONE SENSITIVE ISSUE WOULD BE, OF COURSE, LEWD AND LASCIVIOUS AND INFORMATION IN MEDIA OR MATERIALS OF A SEXUAL NATURE THAT WOULD BE ANYTHING THAT WOULD BE DESCRIBED AS EXPLICIT OR PORNOGRAPHIC.
SO WE DON'T SEE THAT IN THE POLICY, BUT YET WE KNOW THAT AS REASONABLE ADULTS THAT WE WOULDN'T WANT ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN FRONT OF OUR 17 YEAR OLD AND BELOW.
HOWEVER, I'M GOING TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO A BOOK THAT IS IN FACT INSIDE THE DISTRICT AND THAT BOOK IS TITLED ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE.
IT IS THE PERSONAL SAGA AND BIOGRAPHY OF A GENTLEMAN WHO BECOMES AN ACTIVE, PROMISCUOUS HOMOSEXUAL AND HIS LIFE STORY.
OK AND I WANT TO SHOW YOU WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING THAT IN THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT.
IT IS NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL.
MURPHY. HIS MEDIA ASSISTANTS ARE MS. ADCOCK AND MS. WELLS.
NOW I ASKED THE BOARD, AND I ASKED THE PEOPLE IN ATTENDANCE HERE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS BOOK IS IN FACT IN THIS DISTRICT.
IT IS VERY CONTROVERSIAL, BUT YET IT EXISTS.
SO HOW DID IT GET IN THERE? HOW DID IT GET PAST THE POLICY? HOW DID IT GET PAST THE PRINCIPAL? DON'T REALLY KNOW. I'M JUST ASKING YOU QUESTIONS BECAUSE IT'S THERE AND PEOPLE ARE READING IT AND I'M ASKING YOU RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW, HOW MANY TIMES IS THAT BOOK BEEN ASSIGNED FOR A BOOK REPORT? HOW MANY TIMES HAS THAT BEEN REFERRED TO FOR SOMEBODY TO DO RESEARCH ON? OK, HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN THERE? HOW MANY TIMES HAS IT BEEN CHECKED OUT? OK, NORTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
OK, NOW NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. HERE'S THE NEXT BOOK THAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT.
PROVISO 105 WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO HAVE BOOKS OF A CRT BASED NATURE.
I WANT YOU TO PAY ATTENTION TO THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE.
THIS BOOK RIGHT HERE. THIS BOOK IS TITLED STAMPED RACISM ANTIRACISM AND YOU.
THE COAUTHOR ON THIS IS IBRAM X KENDI.
THERE'S ALSO A VERSION FOR KIDS.
IBRAM X. KENDI IS A PRIMARY ARCHITECT OF CRT BASED COLLEGE EDUCATION AND AN ADVOCATE.
THIS BOOK IS ILLEGAL TO HAVE IN OUR DISTRICT.
LET ME JUST TELL YOU HOW MANY SCHOOLS THIS APPEARS IN.
MS. MCCRAY, PRINCIPAL AIKEN CORBETT MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL.
SIX HIGH SCHOOLS HAVE THIS ILLEGAL BOOK.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE NEXT PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK IS MARLA SULLIVAN, WHO WISHES TO TALK ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IN SCHOOLS.
I'M SORRY, I THINK THAT'S MARIA.
I THINK I NEED THIS TO GO DOWN.
I'M NOT MECHANICALLY INCLINED.
OKAY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, THANK YOU.
TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK THIS EVENING.
MY NAME IS MARIA SULLIVAN, AND I RETIRED TO AIKEN WITH MY HUSBAND IN 2016.
THIS IS MY FIRST TIME SPEAKING PUBLICLY TO A LOCAL SCHOOL BOARD, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT
[00:10:02]
WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SPEAK IS IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT.OTHERWISE, I WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS NORMALLY.
I'M HERE BECAUSE OF CONCERN FOR OUR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN WHO ARE PRODUCTS OF A NATIONAL EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT HAS BECOME HIGHLY POLITICIZED IN OUR COUNTRY AND HAS SPREAD ITS TENTACLES INTO OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES ACROSS OUR NATION.
SOME MORE THAN OTHERS, MAINLY IN THE FORM OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS CRT. IT IS ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL THAT ALL HERE EDUCATORS AND PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS.
WHAT IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY? I'M NOT GOING TO EDUCATE YOU ON THAT NOW.
I ONLY HAVE FIVE MINUTES, BUT YOU CAN GO TO CRITICALRACETHEORY.ORG TO FIND OUT EXACTLY WHAT IT IS. IT'S REALLY A MARXIST MOVEMENT THAT IS ANTITHETICAL TO THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT. I THOUGHT, NEVER THOUGHT IT WOULD COME TO THIS COMMUNITY, BUT I BELIEVE IT ABSOLUTELY HAS AND I'M HERE TO APPEAL TO THIS BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PLEASE LISTEN TO AND COLLABORATE WITH US IN FINDING SOLUTIONS TO OUR CONCERNS BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. SO WHAT AM I DOING? I'M WORKING WITH DAVE PULLIN, WHO JUST SPOKE.
AND OTHERS TO EXAMINE THE SCHOOL CURRICULUM, WHICH DAVE AND JOYCE HAVE ALREADY TALKED TO ABOUT AT LENGTH IN PREVIOUS MEETINGS.
I MET ALONG WITH THEM WITH DR.
MINOLFO, WHO ALLOWED US TO REVIEW THE SIXTH GRADE CURRICULUM AND WITH MR. WHITE AND MS. MS. WORLEY, WHO ALLOWED US TO REVIEW THE SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING OTHERWISE KNOWN AS SEL CURRICULUM, WHICH SHOULD NOT BE RESTRICTED TO US OR PARENTS VIA COPYRIGHT.
YOU AND SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE MAY BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE DONE YOUR DUE DILIGENCE, BUT IT IS NOT ENOUGH.
WE HAVE FOUND SCORES OF HYPERLINKS WITHIN THE CURRICULA THAT LEAD TO ARTICLES AND VIDEOS TO SUPPORT CRT NOT ALWAYS IN OVERT WAYS, BUT IN SUBLIMINAL, SUBTLE WAYS, AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION WITH ALL OF YOU.
SO WHAT DOES MY CONCERN HAVE TO DO WITH YOU? I'M ACTUALLY SURPRISED AT THE FORMAT OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PORTION OF BOARD MEETINGS.
OTHERS HAVE AGREED WITH ME, WHICH ARE SUPPOSED TO SERVE THE CONSTITUENTS WHO CARE ABOUT QUALITY, APOLITICAL PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THERE'S NO BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION IN THESE MEETINGS WITH CITIZENS NO PROMISE TO LOOK INTO OUR CONCERNS.
IN THE LAST TWO MEETINGS, MR. PULLIN AND MS. P.
PRESENTED CONCERNS THAT CONTINUE TO FALL ON DEAF EARS.
IN FACT, MR. BRADLEY, YOU STATED THAT IF MR. PULLIN DIDN'T LIKE THE WAY HE AND THE SCHOOL BOARD WERE RUNNING THINGS, THEY COULD JUST VOTE HIM AND VOTE YOU OUT, CONTINUE WITH THAT ATTITUDE, AND IT MAY BECOME A SELF-FULFILLING PROPHECY.
IT IS AT ODDS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD'S MISSION OF ENSURING A QUALITY EDUCATION THROUGH COLLABORATION WITH THE PEOPLE WHO VOTED THEM IN AND TO BELABOR THE POINT, MR. LAURENCE'S LETTER IN RESPONSE TO MR. PULLIN'S REQUESTS ONLY DOUBLED DOWN ON THE DENIAL THAT WE NEED TO MORE A MORE THOROUGH OVERSIGHT OF CLASSROOM LESSON PLANS.
THIS IS BEYOND MY COMPREHENSION WHY THERE'S SUCH PUSHBACK ON THIS.
I ASK YOU TO ASK YOURSELVES WHAT IS YOUR WHY FOR BECOMING A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, ADMINISTRATOR, ET CETERA.
SO WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE? WE EXPECT BETTER COLLABORATION AND COOPERATION FROM OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT BESIDES CHERRY PICKING WHAT WE ARE ALLOWED TO SEE.
THESE ARE THESE CLASSROOM PLANS WORK DILIGENTLY TO BREAK DOWN THE WALL BETWEEN US AND OUR EDUCATORS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND THOSE WHO WE ELECTED TO SERVE US.
WE EXPECT TRANSPARENCY AND PUBLIC DISCUSSION AMONG BOARD SUPERINTENDENT AND ADMINISTRATORS WITH US ABOUT OUR FINDINGS, AND WE URGE THE BOARD TO HELP US CREATE AN AUDIT COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF WE, THE CITIZENS OF AIKEN COUNTY AND OUR SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENTS, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, TEACHERS, WHOMEVER WE CAN AGREE WOULD BE APPROPRIATE MEMBERS. I PROMISE YOU, NO MATTER WHAT, WE ARE NOT GOING AWAY.
I WOULD LIKE TO CORRECT ONE THING YOU SAID I DID NOT DIRECT REMARKS TO DAVE PULLIN.
I DIRECTED REMARKS ABOUT ACCOUNTABILITY.
I MERELY SAID THAT THE BOARD IS ACCOUNTABLE AS YOU JUST POINTED OUT, AND I DID SAY THAT IF THE PUBLIC DOES NOT LIKE THE WAY A BOARD MEMBER CONDUCTS HIMSELF WHILE HE'S IN OFFICE, THEY CERTAINLY HAVE THE RIGHT TO VOTE THAT PERSON OUT.
[00:15:01]
I STAND BY THAT AND AS TO NOT BEING RESPONSIVE TO YOUR REQUEST, WE HAVE SPENT 26 AND A HALF HOURS FACE TO FACE WITH MEMBERS OF YOUR GROUP ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND SHOWING YOU MATERIALS. NOW I KNOW THAT YOU DON'T THINK THAT'S ENOUGH.BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ADD UP THE MONEY THAT'S COSTING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT IN TIME SPENT ON THIS, WHEN IT COULD BE SPENT ON SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE PAY FOR YOUR TIME UP THERE. WELL, SIR, I PAY FOR MY TIME TOO.
I PAY TAXES, A PRETTY SIZABLE AMOUNT OF TAXES.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET INTO THIS, BUT I'M [INAUDIBLE].
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PAYING FOR IT.
NEXT SPEAKER IS PAULETTE BUFORD, WHO ALSO WANTS TO SPEAK ABOUT CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
TO THE CHAIRMAN, SUPERINTENDENT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, MY NAME IS PAULETTE BUFORD, AND I AM SPEAKING ON CRITICAL RACE THEORY.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS DANGEROUS.
IT TARGETED A DISTINCT GROUP OF PEOPLE IN ITS UNDERLYING PRINCIPAL.
CRT IS TAUGHT IN CLASSES, MANDATE AND SEPARATION.
WHITE SEPARATED FROM NON-WHITES IN DIFFERENT ROOMS. THE TREATMENT OF STUDENT BY COLOR TEACHING RACISM, CAPITALISM, A TOOL OF WHITE SUPREMACY.
EQUALITY DIVISION, SURVEYING STUDENTS WITHOUT PARENTS' CONSENT.
IN LOUDON COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, A MOTHER HEARD HER SIX YEAR OLD CHILD SPEAK WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN HER SCHOOL THAT SHE WAS BORN WHITE AND THAT MAKES HER EVIL.
BLACKS ARE BEING TOLD THAT THEY ARE OPPRESSED BECAUSE THEY ARE BLACK.
I AM NOT AN OPPRESSED BLACK WOMAN.
I WORK WITH ALL DIFFERENT NATIONALITIES.
IT'S A GROUP OF PEOPLE USING RACISTS TO FURTHER THEIR AGENDA THAT ACTUALLY DIVISION TO THE MASSES. CRT IS TO DESTROY THE MIND WITH TRAINING OF REPETITION FOR POLITICAL CONTROL OF POWER. A COUNTRY WHO IGNORE THEIR HISTORY WILL NEVER MEET THEIR FUTURE.
THIS ALSO INCLUDES MARXISM SOCIALISM WHO HAD NEVER ENDURED SLAVERY YET TO PUBLICIZE THEIR DYSFUNCTION TO TEAR DOWN RESPECT FAMILY AND LIFE, TO DEPEND ON GOVERNMENT TO MAKE THIS DECISION FOR EVERYONE.
THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS AND IT IS CORRUPT.
OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT THE BASIC FUNDAMENTALS OF SCHOOL TO LEARN HOW TO BE A PRODUCTIVE CITIZEN IN THE UNITED STATES.
READING, WRITING, AND MATH AND I KNOW THEY CAN'T COUNT BECAUSE I WORK WITH A BUNCH OF THEM. THESE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT YOU ARE LEAVING TO RUN IN YOUR COUNTRY OF NURSES, DOCTORS, ENGINEERS, PHARMACISTS.
WOULD YOU TRUST THEM WITH YOUR LIFE OR YOUR FAMILY MEMBER? THERE ARE SOME GOOD IN THE WORST OF US AND SOME BAD IN THE BEST OF US.
WE ARE INDIVIDUALS GET TO SHOW WHAT PATH WE WERE TRAVELING, NOT POLITICAL CORRECTNESS.
WE SHOULD NOT ALWAYS LOOK AT THE CHARACTER OR ONE'S SKIN TO DETERMINE WHERE THEIR DESTINY IS. YES, MR. CHAIRMAN, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER OUR QUESTIONS, BUT WE HAVE GOD TO ANSWER TO AND WHEN OUR CHILDREN ARE AT STAKE, WE'RE GOING TO COME AND RALLY AROUND THEM.
PARENTS ARE IN CHARGE OF THE CHILDREN, NOT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS.
GOOD HAS BECOME EVIL AND EVERYONE IS DOING WHAT IS PLEASING THEIR OWN EYE SITE.
IS THERE NO CONSCIOUS OF MIND, NO SHAME TO WHAT IS BEING DONE TO OUR CHILDREN? APPARENTLY NOT.
CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS EVIL, AND IT TEACHES OUR CHILDREN TO HATE ONE ANOTHER.
NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE [INAUDIBLE] BOARD, CHAIRMAN, I HAVE NO ITEMS THIS EVENING, WE'LL MOVE TO THE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS. FIRST IS THE LEVERAGING DIGITAL LEARNING MS. DOVE.
[Office of Board Chairman]
[Informational Items]
GOOD EVENING, MR. LAURENCE AND CHAIR BRADLEY.IT'S NOT ON? IT IS ON; I JUST NEED TO GET CLOSER TO IT.
MR. LAURENCE AND CHAIR BRADLEY AND BOARD MEMBERS, I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR LEARNING VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE INITIATIVE.
WE ARE REALLY PRETTY PLEASED AND PROUD OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS
[00:20:01]
HAVE DONE WITH ENSURING THAT THIS INITIATIVE IS A SUCCESS.SO WE JUST WANTED TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A FEW UPDATES AND LET YOU SEE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING. SO IN SEPTEMBER, I SPOKE TO YOU ALL ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS YOU KNOW, THIS INITIATIVE WAS REALLY BIRTHED OUT OF A PANDEMIC.
QUITE HONESTLY, IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A PREMATURE BIRTH.
WE HAD PLANS TO EXPAND OUR DIGITAL LEARNING, BUT WE SURELY DID NOT ANTICIPATE DOING IT AS QUICKLY AS WE HAD TO DO, GIVEN ALL THE CIRCUMSTANCES.
SO IN SEPTEMBER, WE TALKED ABOUT SOME OF THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTIONAL SUPPORT SYSTEMS THAT WE HAD IN PLACE OVER THE LAST, I GUESS, 18 MONTHS NOW, ALMOST AND OF COURSE, SINCE SEPTEMBER, WE HAD A WEEK OF EARLY DISMISSAL WHERE WE REALLY THE GOAL OF THAT TIME WAS TO TARGET PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT FOR OUR TEACHERS PERSONALIZE THAT SUPPORT FOR THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS OF EACH TEACHER.
WE HAD A WIDE RANGE OF PROFICIENCY IN TERMS OF USING DIGITAL LEARNING ON A DAILY BASIS IN CLASSROOMS. AND SO I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS PROBABLY MORE PROUD OF ANY OF THE WORK THAT OUR DISTRICT HAS DONE IN THE PAST EIGHT MONTHS.
THAT WEEK, I OBSERVED AND WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN SOME REALLY POWERFUL LEARNING ON ALL SIDES. I HAVE TO SAY THAT I WAS VERY PROUD OF ALL OF OUR ADMINISTRATORS AND OUR DISTRICT SUPPORT STAFF, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, I THINK I WAS MOST PROUD OF OUR TEACHERS.
WE HAD A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF TEACHERS.
ALL OF THIS PD HAPPENED ON SITE.
IT WAS PERSONALIZED TO EACH INDIVIDUAL BUILDING.
WE HAD TEACHERS FROM FORMER AI TEACHERS, MEDIA SPECIALISTS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, PRINCIPALS, A WIDE RANGE OF OF CLASSROOM BASED INSTRUCTORS WHO REALLY STEPPED UP TO SHARE THEIR EXPERTISE AND THEIR EXPERIENCE.
THEY FACILITATED WHOLE GROUP SMALL GROUP PD FOR TEACHERS.
THEY ALSO WORKED SHOULDER TO SHOULDER WITH THOSE TEACHERS WHO REALLY JUST NEEDED SOMEBODY TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND ACTUALLY HELP THEM CREATE LESSONS, BUILD THEIR SCHOOLOGY PAGES AND WORK REALLY JUST HAND IN HAND AND WE IT REALLY WAS MOSTLY CLASSROOM TEACHERS WHO DID THIS TOGETHER. IT WAS A ONE TEAM EFFORT, AND SO I'M VERY PROUD OF THAT, AND I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT YOU ALL ALLOWED US TO HAVE THAT PROTECTED TIME FOR TEACHERS.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LEVERAGING OUR DIGITAL LEARNING, OF COURSE, OUR FULL TIME VIRTUAL PROGRAM IS A NATURAL PLACE TO START IN AIKEN INNOVATE STUDENTS ENGAGE IN DAILY, HIGH QUALITY LIVE DIRECT INSTRUCTION VIA MICROSOFT TEAMS. OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS USE A VARIETY OF DIGITAL LEARNING TOOLS, INCLUDING DOCUMENT CAMERAS, SMART SOFTWARE, ONLINE TEXTBOOKS THEY HAVE WRITING TABLETS THAT THEY USE.
YOU CAN SEE AN IMAGE OF SOME OF THEIR LIVE VIRTUAL SESSIONS AND YOU ALSO SEE AN IMAGE OF A WHITEBOARD.
IT'S AN INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD THAT RUNS THROUGH MICROSOFT TEAMS. IT ALLOWS FOR THE TEACHER TO ACTUALLY MODEL FOR STUDENTS.
SHE CAN OBVIOUSLY DO SOME MATH PROBLEMS ON THERE.
THE GREAT THING ABOUT THIS INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD IS THAT NOT ONLY CAN THE TEACHER DO THAT, BUT SHE CAN GIVE ACCESS TO STUDENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE ON THAT WHITEBOARD AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR LEARNING AND THEIR ABILITY TO MASTER THE SKILLS THAT SHE IS TEACHING AS WELL.
STUDENTS ENGAGE IN PEER COLLABORATION THROUGH DISCUSSION BOARDS, AS WELL AS BREAKOUT ROOMS IN THEIR LIVE SESSIONS.
THEY HAVE SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION.
OUR AI TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAVE HOSTED GUEST SPEAKERS.
THEY'VE ATTENDED VIRTUAL FIELD TRIPS AND EVEN ENGAGED IN SOME VIRTUAL LABS IN OUR SCIENCE CLASSES. SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT OUR AI TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAVE BEEN DOING THERE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NEW AND IT'S A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN IT WAS LAST YEAR.
THEY'RE GETTING SETTLED IN AND THINGS ARE GOING REALLY WELL.
I THINK WE HAD OVER 128 STUDENTS THAT WERE ON AB HONOR ROLL FOR QUARTER ONE, SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THEY'VE DONE.
OF COURSE, WHEN I WAS HERE IN SEPTEMBER, THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT DUAL MODALITY, AND SO WE REALLY HAVE KIND OF GOTTEN UP AND RUNNING WITH OUR DUAL MODALITY, THE RIGHT.
I GUESS MY LEFT, YOU'RE RIGHT.
PICTURE IS A PICTURE THAT A PARENT SENT ME AND BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATOR JUST SHARING HER. THANKS FOR THE FACT THAT HER CHILD WAS AT HOME AND UNABLE TO ATTEND CLASSES, BUT WAS STILL ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN LIVE INSTRUCTION, WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE TO LEARN AND SUBMIT THEIR ASSIGNMENTS, DESPITE THE FACT THAT THEY WERE UNABLE TO BE IN THE CLASSROOM.
WE HAVE A VARIETY OF TEACHERS WHO ARE REALLY, REALLY ENGAGING IN THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND WE FOUND THAT IT'S BEEN VERY BENEFICIAL FOR BOTH THE TEACHERS AS WELL AS THE STUDENTS
[00:25:02]
THAT ARE AT HOME. THE CENTER PICTURE JUST SHOWS SOME SNIPS OF FOLDERS FROM OUR ONLINE LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM SCHOOLOGY, WHERE TEACHERS ARE UPLOADING POWERPOINTS, ANY OF THE HANDOUTS AND WORKSHEETS THAT STUDENTS ARE DOING IN CLASS SO THAT THOSE STUDENTS AT HOME CAN ACCESS AND COMPLETE THOSE ASSIGNMENTS JUST AS IF THEY WERE IN SCHOOL.WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT SCHOOLOGY, AND SO I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS, SCHOOLOGY IS OUR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.
WE USE IT FOR ALL GRADE LEVELS AND SO ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS ABOUT SCHOOLOGY IS THE ORGANIZATION OF THOSE MATERIALS.
AND SO HERE IS JUST A SNIPPET OF ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOL COURSES AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE IT VERY WELL, BUT THEY HAVE FOLDERS AND THESE FOLDERS ARE DONE BY WEEK SO THAT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO KNOW WHICH WEEK THEY NEED TO GO IN.
THEIR ASSIGNMENTS ARE IN THERE.
AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, IT LOOKS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, A LITTLE MORE CLEAN.
SO OUR YOUNGER STUDENTS ARE ABLE JUST TO HOP INTO TODAY, IS WEDNESDAY, I'M GOING TO GO IN MY WEDNESDAY FOLDER TO FIND MY ASSIGNMENTS.
I BRIEFLY HINTED IN SEPTEMBER ABOUT SCHOOLOGY, HAVING DEVELOPED A NEW INTERFACE FOR OUR EARLY LEARNING STUDENTS, CALLED THE ELEMENTARY EXPERIENCE AND SO WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU IN SEPTEMBER, I INDICATED THAT WE REALLY HAD NOT ROLLED THAT OUT TO ANYBODY.
SCHOOLOGY HAD JUST DEVELOPED IT.
THEY WERE REALLY KIND OF STILL IN THE FIXING THE GLITCHES PHASE.
SINCE THAT TIME, THEY HAVE ACTUALLY CONTACTED US.
THEY WERE INTERESTED IN REALLY GETTING OUR FEEDBACK AND WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH US.
SO WE HAVE STARTED A K2 PILOT PROGRAM FOR OUR EARLY ELEMENTARY EXPERIENCE.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 35 TO 40 TEACHERS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO USE THE ELEMENTARY EXPERIENCE AND I'LL SHOW YOU A LITTLE PICTURE OF IT NOW YOU CAN SEE IT'S A LITTLE BIT CLEANER.
THE PICTURES ARE BIGGER AND FRIENDLIER, EASIER FOR THE STUDENTS TO NAVIGATE IN THOSE EARLY AGES.
SO WE HAVE ABOUT 35 TO 40 TEACHERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT PILOT.
SO THEY'RE USING IT WITH THEIR STUDENTS IN CLASS.
THEY TELL US WHEN THINGS ARE WORKING.
THEY TELL US WHEN THINGS AREN'T WORKING.
BUT THIS WOULD BE BETTER, AND SCHOOLOGY HAS BEEN VERY RESPONSIVE.
THEY WANT OUR FEEDBACK AND SO THEY'RE REALLY WORKING HAND IN HAND TAKING OUR INPUT AND MAKING IT A REALITY IN THAT PROGRAM.
SO WE'RE HOPING THAT BY JANUARY, WE'LL HAVE MOST OF IT ALL KIND OF WORKED OUT AND WE'LL BE READY TO KIND OF EXPAND THAT ELEMENTARY EXPERIENCE TO MORE OF OUR TEACHERS IN SECOND SEMESTER. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF AN UPDATE.
SO I WANTED TO SHOW YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT EACH LEVEL WITH OUR DIGITAL DEVICES.
SO I'M HIGHLIGHTING HERE AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, MS. HOSTETLER AND HER ENGLISH FOR HONORS CLASS.
SO THIS HOSTETLER USES SCHOOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS WITH HER STUDENTS.
SHE HAS FOR A WHILE AND SHE'S GOT SOME VERY PRACTICE RITUALS AND ROUTINES.
HER KIDS KNOW WHERE TO GO, WHAT TO DO, HOW TO GET THERE.
BUT THIS SPECIFIC EXAMPLE THAT I PULLED FROM HER COURSE--THANK YOU, MS. HOSTETLER--IS ACTUALLY A WEEK THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO BE OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO WE TALK ABOUT THE DUAL MODALITY AND HOW STUDENTS AT HOME ARE ABLE TO CONTINUE THEIR LEARNING. WE'RE LEVERAGING OUR DIGITAL RESOURCES TO ALSO ALLOW TEACHING AND LEARNING TO CONTINUE IN THE ABSENCE OF OUR TEACHERS AS WELL.
SO THIS IS A WEEK WHERE SHE WAS GOING TO BE OUT FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS.
SO YOU CAN SEE HERE SHE HAS UPLOADED INTO SCHOOLOGY PRERECORDED VIDEOS OF HER DIRECT INSTRUCTION. SHE'S UPLOADED POWERPOINTS AND RESOURCES SO THAT STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN HER ABSENCE.
SHE'S PROVIDED THE ACTUAL TEXT THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE READING DURING THAT TIME.
SHE'S GOT PRERECORDED VIDEOS THAT HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT TEXT.
THEY HAVE DIFFERENT ASSIGNMENTS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO COMPLETE SOME COLLABORATION THROUGH THE DISCUSSION BOARDS, AS WELL AS DIRECTIONS FOR THE PROJECT THAT THEY'LL BE WORKING ON IN HER ABSENCE. SO THIS IS JUST KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'RE LEVERAGING THAT DIGITAL LEARNING FOR EVERYDAY EXPERIENCES, BUT ALSO FOR ABSENCES OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS.
OF COURSE, MS. HOSTETLER IS NOT THE ONLY ONE USING DIGITAL LEARNING IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
WE HAVE SOME PICTURES HERE OF STUDENTS IN ELA AND MATH CLASSES AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE WORKING INDEPENDENTLY ON INDEPENDENT PRACTICE PROBLEMS. SOME OF THEM ARE READING TEXT AND HIGHLIGHTING.
SOME OF THEM ARE COMPLETING ASSIGNMENTS, BUT THERE ARE ALSO OPPORTUNITIES.
I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT DIGITAL LEARNING, PEOPLE
[00:30:02]
FEAR THAT MY CHILD IS GOING TO BE STUCK ON A COMPUTER ALL DAY LONG, AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY INTERACTION WITH ANYONE, INCLUDING THE TEACHER.AND THAT'S NOT WHAT OUR GOAL IS.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT AND IT'S REALLY NOT WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR CLASSES.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE WE HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE WORKING INDEPENDENTLY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOTS OF STUDENTS THAT ARE WORKING COLLABORATIVELY.
TEACHERS IN THESE CLASSROOMS ARE PROVIDING DIRECT INSTRUCTION.
WHOLE GROUP, THEY'RE TEACHING JUST LIKE THEY NORMALLY WOULD.
THE DIFFERENCE IS WHEN THEY GO TO THOSE SMALL GROUP COLLABORATION OR INDEPENDENT PRACTICE, TIME STUDENTS ARE DOING THAT ON DEVICES THAT ALLOWS THE TEACHER TO WALK AROUND AND PROVIDE THE SAME KIND OF INDEPENDENT SMALL GROUP SUPPORT THAT SHE WOULD WHERE THEY'RE DOING PAPER AND PENCIL.
SO THESE ARE JUST SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL, WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING MS. HUNT, WHO TEACHES EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE AT PAUL KNOX MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND SHE CLEARLY HAS HER MATERIALS ORGANIZED BY WEEK AND WITHIN EACH WEEK THERE IS A DAY FOLDER.
SHE HAS FOLDERS IN THERE FOR IF YOU'RE OUT TODAY, IF YOU'RE ABSENT, HERE'S SOME EXTRA SCAFFOLDED MATERIALS THAT WILL HELP YOU IN CASE YOU CAN'T BE IN OUR CLASSROOM TODAY.
SOME OF THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT STUDENTS COMPLETE INCLUDE DISCUSSION BOARDS MULTIPLE CHOICE.
THEY'RE DOING SOME CALCULATING AND GRAPHING OF SPEED IN THEIR DIGITAL ENVIRONMENT.
THEY'RE ANSWERING MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS.
THEY'RE EVEN DOING A LITTLE BIT OF DRAG AND DROP MATCHING AND THEN WE HAVE SOME MORE OF THAT'S NOT THE ONLY ROOM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, SO WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL TEACHERS THAT ARE USING QUILL, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR WRITING PROGRAMS FOR SIXTH GRADE THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE.
IT'S DESIGNED TO HELP STUDENTS IMPROVE THEIR WRITING SKILLS, THEIR GRAMMAR.
IT IMPROVES THEIR CONTENT AND SO THEY'RE USING THAT TO READ TEXT AS WELL AS TO RESPOND AND WRITE ABOUT TEXT IN OUR SCIENCE CLASSES.
WE ALSO HAVE THEM DOING VIRTUAL LABS.
THEY ARE DOING DISCUSSION BOARDS WHERE THEY'RE RESPONDING AND SUMMARIZING THEIR LABS.
THEY ARE MANIPULATING MATERIALS AND ACTUALLY CONDUCTING.
I THINK THEY WERE DOING SOME FILTRATION IN ONE OF THE LABS THAT I OBSERVED LAST WEEK, SO IT'S REALLY COOL. AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, ELEMENTARY IS JUST GETTING THEIR FEET WET WITH SCHOOLOGY.
THEY GOT DEVICES TOWARDS THE THIRD FOURTH QUARTER OF LAST YEAR.
WE REALLY DID NOT PUSH SCHOOLOGY WITH THOSE STUDENTS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WAS NEW.
SO REALLY, THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY'VE JUMPED IN AND STARTED USING SCHOOLOGY ON A DAILY BASIS.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, THEY'RE ORGANIZING THEIR MATERIALS TO EAT SO THAT STUDENTS CAN EASILY ACCESS THOSE MATERIALS.
SOME OF OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY JUST KIND OF UPLOADING PDFS, COPIES OF WHATEVER THEY'VE DONE, BUT WE HAVE OTHER TEACHERS WHO ARE REALLY GETTING A LITTLE MORE TECHNICAL.
THEY'RE ADDING SOME DIGITALLY ENHANCED ITEMS, MULTIPLE CHOICE.
THEY'RE DOING SOME DISCUSSION BOARDS.
THEY'RE ALSO ADDING THE DRAG AND DROP.
THEY HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS TO COMPLETE THE WORKSHEETS ON THESE DIGITAL DEVICES, AS WELL AS THEY CAN ADD PICTURES AND ANCHOR CHARTS THAT THEY WOULD HAVE HANGING IN THE CLASSROOM SO THAT EVEN WHEN STUDENTS ARE NOT IN THEIR CLASSROOM, IF THEY HAPPEN TO BE AT HOME DOING HOMEWORK OR THEY'RE HOME BECAUSE THEY'RE ABSENT FOR THE DAY, THEY STILL HAVE ACCESS TO THE SAME MATERIALS THAT WOULD SURROUND THEM WITHIN A CLASSROOM.
SO, OF COURSE, AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, I HAVE PICTURES OF STUDENTS IN MULTIPLE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHERE WE'RE USING RAZ-PLUS IS OUR READING K5 READING PROGRAM.
THAT'S THE DIGITAL LIBRARY FOR STUDENTS.
THEY'RE ABLE TO GO IN AND SELECT TEXT ON THEIR INDEPENDENT READING LEVEL.
THEY READ THOSE TEXTS OF THEMSELVES.
THEY CAN HAVE THAT TEXT READ TO THEM.
THEY'RE ABLE TO HIGHLIGHT AND DRAW ON THAT TEXT.
THEY ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT TEXT.
WE ALSO HAVE SEVERAL OF OUR MATH PROGRAMS THAT HELP THEM WITH FLUENCY AND FOUNDATIONAL FACTS. THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF GAMING INVOLVED TO INCREASE THEIR ENGAGEMENT AND OF COURSE, EVEN AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, WE'RE PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEM TO USE THOSE DIGITAL DEVICES, NOT INDEPENDENTLY, BUT ALSO TO USE IT COLLABORATIVELY IN THEIR LEARNING PROCESS. SO I HAVE TO ADMIT I HAD A GOOD TIME GOING AROUND TO LOTS OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS.
WE HAD SEVERAL SCHOOLS THAT SENT THINGS IN TO US, SO I DO HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THE GOOD HERE.
WE KNOW THAT THE THINGS I SAW, THE THINGS THAT ARE UP HERE ARE NOT THE ONLY GOOD THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT, BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE ROOM
[00:35:05]
TO GO WHERE WE'RE NEW AT THIS, WE'RE BEGINNING.BUT WE HIGHLIGHT THE GOOD TONIGHT, KNOWING THAT HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THIS IS JUST THE AVERAGE AND OUR GOOD ONLY GETS BETTER.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM.
ANYONE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR MS. DOVE, EXCEPT MR. CRANE? THANK YOU, MISS DOVE, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WHAT'S THE APPROXIMATE ENROLLMENT RIGHT NOW FOR VIRTUAL? APPROXIMATELY ABOUT 170 MAYBE 200.
OF WHICH 120 ARE ON AB HONOR ROLL.
YEAH, WE HAD A PRETTY GOOD--YEAH, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD STATISTIC.
WELL, THAT ACTUALLY ANSWERS MY SECOND QUESTION.
I'D HAVE TO CHECK FOR EXACT NUMBERS.
THANK YOU. MR. MOULTON. MS. DOVE, WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES, RIGHT? OH, WE WERE NOT HAVING THE BEST CONVERSATIONS WITH AI THIS TIME LAST YEAR, BUT I'M IMPRESSED, AND THE WAY THAT I THINK YOU AND YOUR TEAM SHOULD TAKE THIS AS A COMPLIMENT IS THAT WE'RE HEARING VERY LITTLE FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ABOUT PROBLEMS THAT THEY'RE FACING WITH AI AND I KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE.
I MEAN, WE'RE NOT THINKING EVERYTHING'S PERFECT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE HEARING A LOT LESS THAN LAST YEAR.
NOW, PART OF THAT'S ENROLLMENT DRASTICALLY DOWN, BUT PART OF THAT IS YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN WORKING DILIGENTLY TO IMPROVE WHAT YOU HAVE AND JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE EVERYBODY, INCLUDING THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS THAT ARE USING IT.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND I WILL TAKE THAT COMPLIMENT, BUT I HAVE TO SHARE IT WITH THE TEACHERS, MOSTLY, AND WE HAVE MS. KRISTEN [INAUDIBLE] AND DUSTIN FOWLER, WHO ARE DAILY BASIS WITH THOSE TEACHERS, THEY ARE WORKING. THEY REALLY HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB THIS YEAR OF WORKING COLLABORATIVELY TO TALK ABOUT THOSE STUDENTS TO CONTACT THOSE STUDENTS.
IT'S BEEN TOP PRIORITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PARENTS AND STUDENTS, SO IT HAS BEEN GREAT. BUT I APPRECIATE THAT I DO HAVE ONE QUESTION I WANT TO ASK JUST SO THE FOLKS KNOW WE'RE LISTENING AND WE'RE HEARING THINGS THAT SOME OF US HAVE HEARD FOR THE FIRST TIME REGARDING BOOKS THAT ARE MEDIA THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OUR KIDS.
WHEN I HEAR YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MEDIA THAT'S AVAILABLE TO THE K-5, FOR INSTANCE, IS THAT SCREEN SOMEHOW IS THAT IS THERE A SCREENING PROCESS FOR WHAT'S AVAILABLE TO THEM? FOR THE TEXT IN THERE? YES.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, MS. DOVE. APPRECIATE IT.
NEXT, THREE ITEMS HAVE TO DO WITH CONSTRUCTION STATUS REPORTS ON VARIOUS BUILDINGS.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. LAURENCE AND BOARD MEMBERS, TONIGHT WE BRING YOU A BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS AS THEY'RE GOING RIGHT NOW.
WE'RE PRETTY MUCH WRAPPING UP ALL THREE OF THEM IF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
LET'S START WITH BELVEDERE AND SO WE'RE AT THE TWO STOREY BUILDING AND WE'RE STILL WORKING ON A SITE WORK AND THAT BUS DROP OFF, BUT THE DEMOLITION OF THE OLD BUILDING HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND SO IF YOU GO UP THERE NOW, THE SITE IS BARE AND WE'VE ACTUALLY DEMOBILIZED THE DEMOLITION CREW AND THE SITE WORK TEAM IS NOW GETTING IN PLACE AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING IS INSTALLING CURBING DRAINAGE TO CONCRETE WORK AND THE ASPHALT AND ONCE ALL THAT IS COMPLETED, WE'RE GOING TO INSTALL THE LANDSCAPING AND HERE'S ANOTHER PHOTO OF THIS COMPLETED DEMOLITION SITE AT BELVEDERE, AND THIS $10.7 MILLION PROJECT IS ON SCHEDULE AND ON BUDGET, AND WE SHOULD BE COMPLETED OUT THERE BY MID-DECEMBER AT BELVEDERE . ON OVER TO HAMMOND HILL.
WE'LL STILL WORKING OUTSIDE AS YOU CAN SEE THE SITE WORK AND THE AREA IS BEING COMPLETED AGAIN. SITE WORK MEANS THE STORM DRAINS CURVING ASPHALT.
GETTING A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THE STACKED PARKING LOT AND THE STACKED PARKING LOT WILL BEGIN ONCE THE STUDENTS ARE RELOCATED FROM THE MOBILES.
SO WE WENT OUT ON FRIDAY TO ASSESS THE CONDITION OF THE MOBILES AND WE'RE GOING TO BRING THE STUDENTS ONCE THEY POPULATE THE TWO STOREY BUILDING.
WE'RE GOING TO REALLOCATE THE MOBILES AND WE'LL BEGIN ON THAT STACKED PARKING LOT IN THAT AREA THERE. NOW THIS IS THE CURRENT CONDITION OF THE INTERIOR THAT TWO STOREY BUILDING BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WANT TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON INSIDE AND THIS IS THE WAY THE CONTRACTOR TYPICALLY COMMUNICATES.
[00:40:02]
THE STATUS OF THAT IS THROUGH THESE PHOTOGRAPHS AND SO JUST TO LET THE PUBLIC AND THE BOARD KNOW IT WILL BE A PUSH FOR US TO COMPLETE THIS PRIOR TO JANUARY WITH THE OSF CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE.I KNOW THE TEACHERS ARE REALLY WANTING TO GET IN THERE.
HOPEFULLY OVER THE HOLIDAY AND GET STARTED, BUT WE HAVE TO GET OUR INSPECTIONS.
SO A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS BEYOND OUR CONTROL IN SOME ASPECTS.
SO RIGHT NOW, EITHER TOMORROW OR THURSDAY, OSF IS GOING TO BE DOING THEIR ABOVE THE CEILING INSPECTION AND TYPICALLY AFTER THE ABOVE THE CEILING INSPECTION.
IF EVERYTHING GOES ABSOLUTELY TO PLAN, 30 DAYS LATER, WE CAN GET A SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION ORDER AND THEN ONCE WE GET A SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION, THAT'S WHEN WE BEGIN SETTING HARD DATES ON MOVING IN.
WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO START THE SECOND PHASE AFTER THIS HAPPENS, WHICH WOULD BE THE KITCHEN, THE CAFETERIA AND THAT COMPUTER LAB EDITION.
BUT UNTIL SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION, THE CONTRACTORS INSURANCE COMPANY REALLY DOESN'T ALLOW FOR A LOT OF PUBLIC ON SITE IN THOSE BUILDINGS AND SO WHEN SCHOOL DISTRICT PERSONNEL ARE IN THOSE BUILDINGS, THEY'RE GIVEN SPECIAL PERMISSION AND WE ALSO ARE ESCORTED AS WE GO THROUGH THOSE SITES. SO JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND.
THE FORMAL DEDICATION OF HAMMOND HILL WILL BE HELD AFTER THE COMPLETION OF PHASE TWO BECAUSE THAT'S WHEN THE COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT IS DONE.
BUT THEY MAY HAVE SOME TYPE OF MOVING IN CEREMONY OR SOMETHING THAT WILL ALLOW THE PUBLIC TO COME IN AND TAKE A LOOK AT THE NEW TWO STOREY BUILDING AND SO FAR THIS THIS $15 MILLION PROJECT IS ON SCHEDULE.
THE FINAL PHASE WILL BE COMPLETED IN MARCH OF 2023.
ON OVER TO MILLBROOK, FINALLY, EVERYTHING'S LOOKING GOOD, WE'RE GOING TO START THE PARENT PARK OFF AND PAVING OF THAT PARKING LOT.
THE ASPHALT SHOULD BE FINISHED BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO USE IT WITHIN TWO WEEKS AND THAT'S GOING TO GET RID OF THAT WHOLE PINE LOGJAM THAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET RID OF THE TRAFFIC SITUATION THAT WE'RE HAVING OUT THERE.
THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE IS STILL IN MID TO POSSIBLY, I WOULD SAY, LATE DECEMBER JUST TO GIVE MYSELF SOME BREATHING ROOM.
AND THE $9.6 MILLION PROJECT IS ON TIME AND ON BUDGET PENDING YOUR QUESTIONS.
ANYBODY HAVE A QUESTION? THANK YOU, APPRECIATE IT.
THE NEXT ITEMS ARE [INAUDIBLE] ITEMS, AND WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE WILL GO THROUGH AND DISCUSS EACH OF THESE AND THEN VOTE ON THEM AS A GROUP.
THE FIRST IS RATIFICATION OF EXPULSIONS.
[Consent Items]
ARE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? NEXT, IS OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUEST.THIRD IS THE USA LACROSSE GRANT AWARD AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
AIKEN HIGH'S BEEN SELECTED TO RECEIVE A [INAUDIBLE] HIGH SCHOOL EQUIPMENT GRANT AWARD AND IT WOULD BE IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT $8350.
MR. CHAIR? YES, I'D LIKE TO GO BACK TO ITEM NUMBER TWO ON THE CONSENT ITEMS. ALL RIGHT.
THE OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUEST SO THAT WE'VE GOT THE ONE STUDENT THAT WANTS TO COME FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY INTO THE COUNTY, RIGHT? MY QUESTION BEFORE WE VOTE ON THAT IS WITHOUT THE SCHOOL THAT'S BEING REQUESTED, I WAS JUST CURIOUS WHAT PERCENT CAPACITY IS THAT SCHOOL AT? BECAUSE IT'S PROBABLY NOT ONE OF THE LOWER PERCENT CAPACITIES IN THE COUNTY.
I MEAN, ARE WE OVERFULL IN THAT HIGH SCHOOL? WE JUST GOT IN OUR PURPLE FOLDERS TONIGHT, A LIST OF SCHOOLS WITH CAPACITIES, BUT I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT.
I KNOW YOU HAVEN'T. SO WHO CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION FOR MR. NUESSLE? THE SCHOOL IN QUESTION IS SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
THAT'S ALL I NEEDED. THANK YOU.
THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE, MR. NUESSLE? NO, NOT ON THAT ITEM.
ALL RIGHT, I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED THE THIRD ITEM THAT LACROSSE GRANT AWARD.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT? NUMBER FOUR IS THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS LOCAL UNION DONATING $2000 TO JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TO ALLOW THEM TO PARTICIPATE IN THE RENAISSANCE ACCELERATED READER PROGRAM.
[00:45:02]
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? FIFTH ITEM IS THEY HOLD KIDS' FOOD GRANT AWARD TO AL CORBETT MIDDLE SCHOOL.THIS IS A $3000 GRANT AWARD TO PURCHASE MATERIAL SUPPLIES AND SERVICES TO SUPPORT THEIR [INAUDIBLE] CORBETT GREEN EDIBLE GREENHOUSE AND GARDEN PROJECT, IN WHICH STUDENTS LEARN HOW TO GROW FRESH PRODUCE THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.
NUMBER SIX IS THE SUBMISSION OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM EQUIPMENT ASSISTANCE GRANT.
WE DO THIS I THINK EVERY YEAR AND IT'S [INAUDIBLE] REQUESTING VARIOUS AMOUNTS FROM VARIOUS SCHOOLS, WHICH I THINK IS LISTED ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS NOT BEING SHOWN RIGHT NOW. BUT WHAT HAPPENED TO OUR AGENDA? NEVER MINED, IT'S A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS RANGING FROM $22,600 AT AIKEN INTERMEDIATE TO 11000 AT BYRD ELEMENTARY AND RIGHT THERE, THERE WE GO.
FOR ANYBODY THAT IS INTERESTED, ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ABOUT THAT? AND NUMBER SEVEN IS THE QUEST TO PURCHASE AND EVACUATOR VEHICLE THAT IS DESIGNED TO SCOOP OUT DIRT AND VARIOUS THINGS FROM RETENTION PONDS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF RETENTION PONDS AND THEY HAVE TO BE CLEANED, SO WE NEED THE EQUIPMENT WITH WHICH TO DO THAT.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT NUMBER SEVEN? MR. CRANE. HAVE WE DONE A COST ANALYSIS ON THIS? IF WE'RE SAVING MONEY, I'M ALL ABOUT IT IN THE LONG RUN, AND I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FACILITIES AND WHATNOT, BUT CAN YOU JUST SPEAK TO THAT? GOOD EVENING AGAIN. YES.
THE ISSUE THAT WE'RE HAVING IS THAT BASICALLY WE HAVE ABOUT 60 OF THESE RETENTION/DETENTION PONDS AND AS OF LATE, WE HAVE BEEN GETTING A LOT OF RAIN AND A LOT OF GROWTH AND SO THEY'RE GROWING ANNUALLY FAIRLY RAPIDLY.
WE CHOSE TO BREAK UP THE CONTRACT.
WE WERE CONTRACTING OUT TO SERVICES INTO OUR AREAS AND SO FOR ONE AREA FOR ONE YEAR AND I'M SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ON AREA ONE, THE CONTRACT, WE ONLY HAD ONE BIDDER BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE FOLKS ARE HAVING A LOT OF PROBLEMS. A LOT OF TIMES GETTING BIDS.
EVERYONE'S BID CAME IN AT $105000 FOR THE ONE TO CLEAN OUT THE PONDS IN AREA ONE.
NOW THIS COULD BE POTENTIALLY AN ANNUAL EXPENSE IF, DEPENDING ON THE RAIN AND THE GROWTH, WE TRY TO GO A LITTLE BIT LONGER THAN EVERY YEAR, BUT THERE'S NO WAY WE'D GO OVER THREE YEARS. SO FOR AREA ONE, IF WE USE THAT AND EXTRAPOLATE OUT THE COST OF $250000 FOR THE ACTUAL EXCAVATOR, THE TRAILER TO MOVE IT AROUND AND THE PART THAT THE ACTUAL ARTICULATING ARM THAT ACTUALLY CLEANS OUT THE ACTUAL PONDS THEMSELVES, IT WILL PROBABLY PAY FOR ITSELF IN THE FIRST 18 MONTHS.
AND AFTER THAT, WE PROBABLY EXPECT A 25 YEAR CYCLE ON THAT UNIT.
SO DEFINITELY AT THIS POINT IN TIME, A VERY WISE DECISION.
UM, DO WE HAVE THE STAFF FOR THAT ALREADY? AND WHAT ABOUT SERVICING THE EXCAVATOR? HOW'S THAT GOING TO BE HANDLED? OK, SO IN THAT $250000 PRICE, WE DID DO AN EXTENDED MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT AS WELL AS AN EXTENDED WARRANTY AND GEORGE, THE GENTLEMAN CURRENTLY ON OUR STAFF, IS LICENSED TO DRIVE THAT UNIT THERE AND WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE HE HAS AN UNDERSTUDY, IN CASE OF NEED, IN TIME. SOUNDS GOOD.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. NUESSLE, I'M CURIOUS, IS THERE ANY LICENSING OR CERTIFICATION THAT WE NEED TO BE TRAINED ON IN ORDER TO WORK ON THOSE DRAINAGE PONDS AND AREAS? YOU MEAN TO ACTUALLY CLEAN THEM OUT? YEAH, I'M JUST SAYING I'VE NEVER DONE IT.
BASICALLY, I'M ASSUMING YOU'VE GOT TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
IS THERE A CERTIFICATION TO THAT? AND DO WE HAVE THAT? DR YARBOROUGH? YARBOROUGH. ANYBODY ELSE? EIGHTH ITEM IS AN UPDATE ON THE 2021-22 RETURN TO IN-PERSON INSTRUCTION AND CONTINUITY OF SERVICES PLAN.
MR. LAURENCE., 'YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE THAT ONE? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT BACK IN MAY, I GUESS THE LAW WAS PASSED THAT REQUIRED US TO PUT THIS PLAN INTO PLACE AND THEN REVIEW IT EVERY SIX MONTHS.
[00:50:04]
IT HADN'T BEEN QUITE SIX MONTHS, BUT THE FIRST SIX MONTH PERIOD HAS TO BEGIN FROM WHEN IT WAS REQUIRED AND NOT WHEN WHEN WE HAD IT COMPLETED.SO WE GOT SOME FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THIS.
THERE ARE VERY MINIMAL CHANGES.
IN FACT, THE CHANGES THAT ARE IN THERE ARE PROBABLY THINGS THAT WE HAD ALREADY HAD TO CHANGE BASED ON CHANGES IN STATE REGS OR STATE LAWS AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, ONE OF THEM BEING INITIALLY WE HAD NO REQUIREMENT FOR MASKS ON SCHOOL BUSSES, AND WE HAD TO ADD THAT IN IN AUGUST BECAUSE THAT DECISION OF THE STATE LEGISLATURE WAS OVERTURNED AND SO WE HAD TO DO THAT AND THERE ARE A FEW OTHER ITEMS LIKE THAT WE HAVE IN THERE THE 14 DAY QUARANTINE PERIOD, WHICH IS STILL 14 DAY QUARANTINE.
BUT THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN CLOSE CONTACTS HAVE THE OPTION TO COME BACK AFTER 10 DAYS WITH NO SYMPTOMS OR AFTER SEVEN DAYS WITH NO SYMPTOMS AND A NEGATIVE TEST.
SO REALLY, JUST MINOR UPDATES HAVE GONE INTO THE PLAN AND WE'LL BRING IT BACK AGAIN IN SIX MONTHS. ANY QUESTIONS? SO, YEAH, I AGREE WITH YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE CHANGES, BUT WAS THE EMAIL THAT WENT OUT YESTERDAY THAT WAS FOR FEEDBACK ON THIS? YES. OK AND IS THERE A TIMELINE OR A DEADLINE FOR THE SUBMISSION OF THIS UPDATE? IT HAS TO BE SUBMITTED ON THE 24TH.
OF NOVEMBER? OF NOVEMBER, YES, SIR.
OK AND WHEN'S OUR NEXT MEETING? OUR NEXT MEETING IS DECEMBER 14TH.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE ALL EIGHT OF THESE ITEMS. SO MOVED. MOVED BY MR. SMITH. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY MR. MOULTON.
HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR.
OPPOSED? ONE OPPOSED. ALL RIGHT, [INAUDIBLE] ITEMS, THESE ARE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS AND THEY'LL BE CONSIDERED INDIVIDUALLY FIRST, IT'S PERSONAL APPOINTMENTS. YOU RECEIVED THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO ARE RECOMMENDED FOR APPOINTMENT TO
[Individual Items]
VARIOUS POSITIONS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.ANY QUESTION? MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION.
MOVE TO APPROVE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
MOVED BY MR. SILAS, SECOND BY DR.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EVERYONE. NUMBER TWO IS THE REVISION OF POLICY DA FISCAL MANAGEMENT GOALS, PRIORITIES, OBJECTIVES ON SECOND READING.
THIS WAS PRESENTED AND PASSED ON FIRST READING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON SECOND READING? SO MOVED.
MOVED BY MR. SMITH, SECOND BY MR. CRANE. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EVERYONE. THIRD IS ANOTHER POLICY, REVISION OF POLICY JFABC ADMISSION OF TRANSFER STUDENTS, SECOND READING.
BASICALLY, THIS HAD TO DO WITH LETTING ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY FOLLOW THE TRANSFER FROM ONE SCHOOL TO ANOTHER. IT'S THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE ON SECOND READING? MOVED BY MR. CRANE, SECONDED BY MR. MOULTON.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? MR. SILAS. YES, PLEASE AND MY APOLOGIES TO THE BOARD FOR NOT BRINGING THIS UP IN FIRST READING, BUT IN THAT PORTION THAT YOU SPOKE ABOUT IN INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS, WE SAY THAT AN IN-DISTRICT TRANSFER FOR ACADEMIC REASONS WOULD ALSO ALLOW FOR A TRANSFER OF CURRENT ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY.
MY QUESTION IS WHAT? WHY ARE WE ALLOWING THE TRANSFER OR THE TRANSFER OF ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY? IT'S MY BELIEF WITHOUT PRESENTING ANY CASES TO YOU THAT WE HAVE QUITE A BIT OF TRANSFERS FOR ATHLETIC REASONS AS IT IS AND MY FEAR OR CONCERN IS THAT THIS IS JUST GOING TO EXACERBATE THAT BY USING ACADEMIC REASONS AS THE REASON FOR TRANSFER.
MY QUESTION IS IF SOMEONE'S TRANSFERRING FOR ACADEMIC REASONS, WHY SO IS THE ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY BECOME IMPORTANT? SO MAYBE SOMEONE CAN ANSWER WHY WE'RE PROMOTING THE MOVE OF THE ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY TO GO ALONG WITH IT? WELL, MR.
[00:55:04]
SILAS, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WE DISCOVERED THROUGH THROUGH SEVERAL TRANSFERS THAT OCCURRED OVER THE LAST END OF LAST YEAR, BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WE HAD SOME APPEALS TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE FOR HARDSHIP AND WHEN WE WENT TO THOSE APPEAL HEARINGS AT THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE, WE DISCOVERED FROM OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT THIS IS COMMON PRACTICE THAT A STUDENT WHO MOVES FROM ONE HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT TO ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL WITHIN A SCHOOL DISTRICT ESSENTIALLY TAKES WHATEVER RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES THEY HAVE AT THAT INITIAL HIGH SCHOOL TO THE SECOND HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAD A PROCESS WHERE THE TWO PRINCIPALS SIGNED OFF ON AN ATHLETIC TRANSFER AND THEN IF BOTH PRINCIPALS SIGNED OFF ON IT, THEN I SIGNED OFF ON IT AS WELL.THAT WAS THE CASE WITH THE APPEALS THAT WE HAD FOR HARDSHIP.
WE HAD SOME STUDENTS WHO ONE OF THE TWO PRINCIPALS WERE NOT WILLING TO SIGN OFF ON IT AND SO IT WAS LIKE, I SAID, APPEAL TO THE SOUTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL LEAGUE, AND THAT'S WHERE WE DISCOVERED THAT'S JUST AN ADDED BURDEN TO A PROCESS THAT MOST DISTRICTS FROM WHAT WE CAN GATHER. DON'T SEE AS AS SOMETHING THAT'S NECESSARY, AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AN ACADEMIC TRANSFER, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMEBODY WHO JUST CLAIMS THAT WE'RE SAYING SOMEBODY WHO SEES THE CAMBRIDGE PROGRAM AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL AND WANTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. WELL, ONCE THEY'RE APPROVED FOR THAT, WELL, THEY'RE A STUDENT WITH IN FULL STANDING ACADEMICALLY AND ATHLETICALLY AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
OR IF THEY WANTED TO BE PART OF OF THE EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM AT MIDLAND VALLEY, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO TRANSFER TO MIDLAND VALLEY FOR THAT PURPOSE.
AND IF THEY WERE AN ATHLETE AS WELL, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ANOTHER STEP TO GET THE ATHLETIC ELIGIBILITY.
SO I THINK THOSE MAY BE VALID REASONS, BUT I THINK ALONG WITH THAT'S GOING TO COME.
OH, I'M NOT DOING VERY WELL IN THESE CLASSES.
SO FOR ACADEMIC REASONS OR I DON'T LIKE THIS TEACHER OR THAT TEACHER FOR ACADEMIC REASONS, THEN I WANT TO MAKE THIS TRANSFER.
I THINK THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS ARE GOING TO COME ALONG WITH THAT AND I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S GOOD.
SO FOR THAT REASON, I'M NOT I'M NOT FOR THIS CHANGE.
AGAIN, IF IT'S A TRUE ACADEMIC REASON.
IF THIS WERE APPROVED, THEN IN EFFECT, THAT APPROVAL BY THE PRINCIPALS TO SIGN OFF ON THAT TRANSFER WOULD GO AWAY.
UNLESS THEY WANTED TO TO TRANSFER FOR ACADEMIC REASONS, THEN I WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT.
BUT IF THEY'RE TRANSFERRING, NOT FOR ATHLETIC REASONS, THEN DR.
MINOLFO APPROVES THOSE TRANSFERS.
OK, THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE? WE'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
THE NEXT ITEM IS THE REVISION OF POLICY, IKA GRADING ASSESSMENT SYSTEM, SECOND READING.
THE ONLY CHANGE IN THIS POLICY WAS THE METHOD OF ROUNDING THE GPA.
THIS POLICY CALLS FOR ROUNDING THE GPA TO THE THIRD DECIMAL PLACE.
MOVED BY MR. SMITH, SECONDED BY MR. CRANE. ANY DISCUSSION? MR. SMITH WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS BRINGING US IN LINE WITH OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
OR IS THIS SOMETHING--GIVE ME SOME HISTORY ON THIS.
I'M GOING TO ASK MS. GLOVER TO DO THAT.
IT WAS ALL IN WORDING, SO WE SAID IN OUR POLICY, WE WON'T ROUND UP AND AFTER WE BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY READ THIS POLICY ONCE AND IT WAS ACCEPTED, WE SENT IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION AND THEY ADVISED THAT WE USE THE THREE DECIMAL PLACES.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ALREADY DOING.
BUT IN OUR LANGUAGE, WE SAID WE WILL NOT ROUND UP.
BUT WE WERE WE WERE FOLLOWING REGULATION.
WE WERE FOLLOWING WHAT THE OTHER SCHOOLS AROUND THE STATE WERE FOLLOWING.
BUT OUR POLICY DIDN'T SAY THREE DECIMAL PLACES.
[01:00:03]
IT JUST SAID WE WILL NOT ROUND UP.HYPOTHETICALLY, WE HAVE TO IN HIGH SCHOOL THAT HAVE THE SAME GPA AVERAGE, THE VERY SAME ONE, WE DON'T GO TO A FOURTH.
WE JUST NAME THEM BOTH HONORS STUDENT, VALEDICTORIAN, SALUTATORIAN IF THERE'S A TIE, I DON'T KNOW OF ANY SITUATIONS WHERE THEY'VE EVER BEEN.
YES. HAS IT HAPPENED? YES. THIS IS ONE REASON WHY THEY GO TO THE THIRD DECIMAL PLACES BECAUSE BACK THEN THERE WERE THE SAME AT TWO DECIMAL PLACES OR IN THE ROUNDING PROCESS, AND IT CAME TO THE BOARD ON APPEAL. AND ULTIMATELY IT WAS SETTLED BY NAMING BOTH STUDENTS VALEDICTORIAN.
OK, THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME.
WE DON'T HAVE A MOTION, DO WE? YES, WE DO. OK.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION? PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
OK. NUMBER FIVE, REVISION OF THE POLICY IHBN GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION FIRST READING AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE RULE IHBB-R GIFTED AND TALENTED.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF CHANGES IN THIS POLICY, WHICH I'M TOLD ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO PUT US IN LINE WITH THE LAW OR STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DICTATES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE POLICY? SO MOVED BY DR.
HANKS. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND BY MR. SMITH.
DISCUSSION, MR. NELSON. YEAH, THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND THIS IS THE FIRST READING SO WE CAN ALWAYS GET ANSWERS AND COME BACK AND DISCUSS, OBVIOUSLY ON THE SECOND READING, BUT WE'LL, GO AHEAD AND START OFF THE TOPIC ANYWAY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE CLEANING UP IN THIS POLICY IS THE CHANGE OF THE GT MODEL IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT HAS ALREADY OCCURRED FROM THE PULLOUT MODEL TO A SPECIAL CLASS AND SINCE WE'RE NOW, YOU KNOW, CODIFYING THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO START. I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WAS THE EXPECTED BENEFIT FROM THAT CHANGE FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND DID WE ACHIEVE IT? AND ARE THE STUDENTS IN THE GT CLASSES IN ELEMENTARY BETTER OFF THAN THEY WERE IN THE OUT MODEL? AND ARE THE STUDENTS THAT ARE NOW NOT IN GT CLASSES IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, ARE THEY BETTER OFF? AND IF WE NEED TO WAIT TO RECEIVE SOME INFORMATION AND CONTINUE THAT DISCUSSION IN A PUBLIC MEETING NEXT TIME AT THE SECOND READING, THAT'S FINE.
BUT I REALLY SINCE WE NEVER THE BOARD, I WASN'T HERE, BUT WE NEVER CODIFIED THIS IN POLICY. I'D LIKE TO REVIEW THAT.
YES, SIR, I THINK CLEARLY THAT WAS AN OVERSIGHT.
I MEAN, THE BOARD DID APPROVE THAT MODEL AND IT WAS IN LINE WITH STATE REGULATIONS THAT WAS IN 2016.
THE CONVERSATION BEFORE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED AND I WAS PART OF THAT PROCESS AS THE ASSOCIATE SUPERINTENDENT FOR INSTRUCTION AND PART OF IT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE ASKED WAS IF YOU'RE A GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENT, ARE YOU GIFTED AND TALENTED JUST A COUPLE OF HOURS A WEEK OR ARE YOU A GIFTED AND TALENTED STUDENT ALL THE TIME? AND SHOULD WE APPROACH IT FROM THAT STANDPOINT? SO, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WAS ASKED AT THE TIME AND ANOTHER WAS IN THE PULL OUT MODEL THAT WE HAVE, DO WE HAVE A MEANS OF LOCALLY IDENTIFYING STUDENTS WHO MIGHT BE CLOSE TO BECOMING IDENTIFIED BY THE STATE AS GIFTED AND TALENTED? AND DO WE HAVE A MEANS OF OF SUPPORTING THOSE STUDENTS BY CHANGING TO A SPECIAL CLASS MODEL, WE WERE ABLE TO GREATLY EXPAND THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT A STUDENT WAS RECEIVING INSTRUCTION FROM A GIFTED AND TALENTED QUALIFIED TEACHER, BUT ALSO, WE WERE ABLE TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT WE COULD LOCALLY IDENTIFY.
NOW, AS FAR AS RESULTS AND NUMBERS, I'VE SEEN SOME OF THAT, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TRY TO SPEAK TO IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING WE'LL CERTAINLY SHARE WITH YOU ALL BETWEEN NOW AND IN THE NEXT MEETING, AND WE'LL CERTAINLY HAVE IT AVAILABLE AS A
[01:05:01]
PRESENTATION AT THE NEXT MEETING.I'D APPRECIATE THAT. AS WELL AS THE OTHER THINGS, I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMEONE.
THE OTHER HIGH LEVEL, SO I'VE SHARED THAT WITH YOU BEFORE MR. LAURENCE AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME NUMBERS ON IS THAT BY LAW, THE SPECIAL CLASS IS LIMITED TO 25 TO ONE ALL THE WAY THROUGH ANY GRADE LEVEL, I BELIEVE AND I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHAT ARE OUR CLASS SIZES IN WHAT'S CONSIDERED SPECIAL CLASSES IN GT AND WHAT OUR CLASS SIZES AND THOSE THAT ARE NOT? AND OUR FOLKS THAT ARE NOT IN THOSE CLASSES, YOU KNOW, GETTING THE SAME KIND OF CLASS SIZES AS THOSE THAT ARE BECAUSE THE STATE MANDATED I KNOW WE TARGET FAIRLY LOW CLASS SIZES COMPARED TO THE STATE MAXIMUM.
BUT BASICALLY, WE HAVE A STATE LAW THAT SAYS WE CAN'T BE ABOVE 25 TO 1 IN A SPECIAL CLASS, BUT I THINK OTHER CLASSES IT'S 40 TO 1.
THE ONLY CLASSES THAT CAN GET THAT HIGH ARE PE CLASSES AND PERFORMANCE BASED CLASSES.
RIGHT, BUT YOU FOLLOW ME, RIGHT? RIGHT. OK.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING THAT INFORMATION AND DISCUSSING THAT IN OUR NEXT PUBLIC MEETING. YES, SIR.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. CRANE. I DON'T HAVE A SPECIFIC QUESTION OR COMMENT ACTUALLY ON THIS ITEM, BUT SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE REVISIONS, IT'S INTERESTING TO ME THAT PAST BOARDS WOULD ADOPT CHANGES, YOU KNOW, AS NECESSARY AND REQUIRED BY THE LAW AND NOT AT THE TIME.
DO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW AND I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE DR.
MINOLFO AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S INVOLVED IN HELPING US CATCH UP ON THAT OVERDUE TASK.
SO THAT'S IT, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT THAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
ANYONE ELSE? WELL, WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDED CHANGES ON FIRST READING.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EVERYONE EXCEPT MR. NUESSLE.
NEXT SECTION IS INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBERS.
WE DID HAVE A REQUEST FROM MR. MOULTON, BUT WE NEEDED SOME ADDITIONAL TIME TO PUT THE ANSWERS TOGETHER, AND SO THAT WILL
[Individual Board Members]
BE ON THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.SUPERINTENDENT, MR. LAURENCE THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I PROMISED YOU, I THINK LAST TIME I HAD SOME WAS GOING TO SHARE SOME, SOME GOOD NEWS
[Office of Superintendent ]
ABOUT ATHLETIC EVENTS AND PEOPLE DID SHARE WITH WITH WITH ME SOME OF THESE THINGS.I SAW A LOT OF AIKEN FOLKS IN COLUMBIA FRIDAY NIGHT, INCLUDING MR. NUESSLE AT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP VOLLEYBALL GAME.
WE FELT JUST A LITTLE BIT SHORT WITH OUR HORNETS, BUT THEY ARE THE PROUD LOWER STATE CHAMPIONS, SO WE WANT TO CERTAINLY CONGRATULATE THEM FOR THAT.
THEY FOUGHT HARD THROUGHOUT THE SEASON.
I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE SEVERAL OF OUR SCHOOLS WHOSE FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE IN THE PLAYOFFS AND SECOND ROUND IS THIS WEEK.
FIVE OF OUR SCHOOLS, RSM, AIKEN, RIDGE SPRING-MONETTA, AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, NORTH AUGUSTA HIGH SCHOOL AND SILVER BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL, ALL MAKING IT INTO THE SECOND ROUND OF PLAYOFFS.
SO VERY PROUD OF THEM AND EXCITED FOR SOME GOOD COLD WEATHER FALL FOOTBALL.
THANKS TO MICKI DOVE AND DANNY GLOVER AND ALL OF YOUR TEAM THE INCREDIBLE JOB THAT YOU'VE DONE WITH WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM AND WITH OUR LEARNING VIRTUALLY EVERYWHERE.
IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR THAT AND SEE THAT, AND I KNOW THAT THE BOARD WAS ALSO PLEASED TO SEE IT. JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING? MAKE A PERSONAL STATEMENT HERE, BUT ALSO A STATEMENT OF ENCOURAGEMENT AND SUPPORT FOR OUR STAFF.
WHEN I STAND UP AT THE BEGINNING OF THESE MEETINGS AND I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THAT FLAG THAT'S BEHIND US. I'M NOT JUST GOING THROUGH SOME MOTIONS, AND I'LL ALSO SAY THAT WHEN DR. BRADLEY SAYS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE AND I CLOSE MY EYES AND BOW MY HEAD HERE, I'M PRAYING FOR ALL OF YOU FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE, FOLKS AT HOME, THESE BOARD MEMBERS, CERTAINLY THE SPECIFIC PEOPLE THAT ARE THAT ARE MENTIONED WHEN WE HAVE THOSE THINGS AND CERTAINLY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF MEMBERS, I BELIEVE IN THIS COUNTRY AND IN THE STATE.
I RESPECT THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY AND THE LAWS OF THE STATE, AND IT'S ONE I JUST FELT THE NEED TO SAY THAT ANY SUGGESTION THAT I WOULD NOT ADHERE TO THE LAWS OF THIS STATE OR ARE FRANKLY WAY OFF BASE.
[01:10:02]
THE DISTRICT AND SCHOOL LEADERS OF AIKEN COUNTY I RESPECT THE RULE OF LAW AND THE POLICIES OF THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE SAME GOES FOR THE TEACHERS AND THE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, AND THEY ARE SECOND TO NONE.SO I JUST WANT THEM TO KNOW THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE MY RESPECT AND MY SUPPORT.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. LAURENCE. WE WILL NEED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THIS EVENING.
WE HAVE TWO STUDENT APPEALS THAT WE HAVE TO HEAR, AND WE ARE ALSO GOING TO RECEIVE LEGAL
[Executive Session]
ADVICE ON POLICY ICH.SO I NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
MOVED BY MR. CRANE, SECONDED BY MR. SILAS. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE WILL ADJOURN TO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
FOLLOWING EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL RECONVENE IN HERE TO TAKE ANY ACTIONS THAT ARE REQUIRED BY WHAT TRANSPIRES IN EXECUTIVE SESSION.
LET'S TRY TO BE IN THERE IN ABOUT 10 MINUTES.
MR. PETTIGREW, HOW ARE YOU? ALL RIGHT, WHILE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE HEARD TWO STUDENT APPEALS, I'LL NEED A MOTION ON THE FIRST APPEAL. THIS WAS THE ONE FROM AREA TWO.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE UPHOLD THE EXPULSION OF THE STUDENT FROM AREA TWO.
I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION OR CAVEAT ADDENDUM THAT MOTION THAT WE ALLOWED THE.
THE ADMINISTRATION TO LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S SOME KIND OF LEARNING THAT CAN BE AVAILABLE TO THE STUDENT THROUGH THE VIRTUAL.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. SECOND BY DR.
HANKS. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND AND THAT'S EVERYONE.
THE SECOND APPEAL WAS AN AREA ONE STUDENT.
IS THERE A MOTION? SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AGAIN, THAT'S EVERYONE AND WE DISCUSSED AND RECEIVED SOME LEGAL ADVICE ON THE POLICY AND THERE'S NO ACTION REQUIRED AT THIS TIME, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SO MOVED. MOVED BY MR. SMITH, SECONDED BY DR.
HANKS, ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE STAND ADJOURNED. HE'S PROBABLY MORE IN FAVOR OF IT THAN ANY OF US . [CHUCKLING]
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.