[Call to Order]
[00:05:05]
I'D LIKE TO CALL THE JANUARY 25TH MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO ORDER, PLEASE.
[00:05:11]
WE'LL BEGIN OUR MEETING WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE.NOW, IF YOU WILL PLEASE STAND JOIN ME IN SAYING THE PLEDGE [INAUDIBLE] THE AGENDA HAS BEEN CIRCULATED TO BOARD MEMBERS AND IN THE PRESS.
I'VE RECEIVED NO REQUEST FOR ADDITIONS OF SUBTRACTIONS, SO WE WILL GO AHEAD AND APPROVE IT UNLESS THERE'S AN OBJECTION.
HEARING NONE IT, [INAUDIBLE] STAND TO APPROVED.
WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES REQUIRING APPROVAL THIS EVENING.
[Special Items of Business]
THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY THE 11TH, 2022.MOVE BY MS. R H INEHART-JACKSON.
ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE JANUARY 11TH MINUTE, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
WE HAVE TWO REQUESTS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD UNDER THE PUBLIC PARTICIPATION PORTION
[Public Participation]
OF OUR AGENDA.THE FIRST IS FROM MR. JACOB NIMS, WHO WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS US CONCERNING THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.
MR. NIMS. IF YOU WOULD STEP UP WITH THAT MICROPHONE OVER THERE AND I ASSUME YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN A COPY OF THE POLICY.
SO TONIGHT I'M HERE TO GIVE MY THOUGHTS ON A MODIFIED SCHEDULE AND ALSO DISCUSSION GIVEN BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PARENTS REGARDING THE NEED AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS IDEA.
I WAS PRESENT AT THE PARENTS MEETING AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL AND WOULD LIKE TO COUNTER SOME OF THE OFF ITEMS THAT WERE MENTIONED.
ONE OF THOSE ITEMS THAT WAS MENTIONED WAS SUMMER SLIDE, AND ON THE ACPSD WEBSITE IS A RESEARCH PAPER SHOWING RESULTS FROM THE BALTIMORE BEGINNING SCHOOL STUDY.
THE RESEARCH SHOWS THAT SUMMER LEARNING ROOTED IN FAMILY COMMUNITY INFLUENCES, WIDENS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAPS ACROSS SOCIAL LINES WHILE SCHOOLING OFFSETS THOSE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INFLUENCES.
THE PROBLEM WITH THAT STATEMENT IS THAT IS BASED UPON 40 YEAR OLD DATA FROM 1982.
THAT WAS BEFORE CELL PHONES, PERSONAL COMPUTERS, THE WORLD WIDE WEB AND ADVANCES IN EDUCATION.
WOULD YOU WRITE A PAPER TODAY QUOTING A SOURCE USING ARCHAIC DATA? IF YOU WERE THE CITY OF AIKEN OR AIKEN COUNTY WOULD YOU MAKE CHANGES TO WHISKEY ROAD USING 40 YEAR OLD TRAFFIC DATA? IF YOU READ FURTHER ABOUT THE TEST METHOD USED AND HOW THAT TEST METHOD CHANGED IN 1985, THEN TESTING SHOWED INSTEAD OF SUMMER LEARNING GAPS, HIGH AND LOW SCORE CONVERGED DURING THE SUMMER, SO THE DATA CAME OUT IN 1985 INSTEAD OF 1982.
WOULD WE EVEN HAVE THIS CONVERSATION? WAS SUMMER SLIDE AN ISSUE IN OCTOBER OF 2019, WHEN THE AIKEN STANDARD PUT THE FOLLOWING HEADLINE 'REPORT CARD SHOW AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUCCEEDING AT RECORD LEVELS' ON THEIR WEBSITE.
ANOTHER MODIFIED SCHOOL BENEFIT MENTIONED WAS THOSE IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS WOULD GAIN THE MOST 2001, [COUGH] EXCUSE ME AND 2012 STUDIES PERFORMED ON WAKE COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA SCHOOLS FOUND THAT MODIFIED CALENDAR SCHOOLS HAD NO SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON TEST SCORES FOR LOW SOCIOECONOMIC STUDENTS.
A 2018 REPORT FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND TO PROVIDENCE SCHOOLS WHEN MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR MODIFIED SCHOOL YEAR SAID THE SAME THING.
WHY IS THAT? IN EFFECT, THE MODIFIED CALENDAR REDISTRIBUTES LEARNING JUST AS IT REDISTRIBUTES DAYS OF INSTRUCTION.
AS A RESULT, THE MODIFIED CALENDAR DOES NOT PRODUCE A NET INCREASE IN AVERAGE LEARNING.
THE INCREASE IN SUMMER LEARNING ON A MODIFIED CALENDAR IS ALMOST PERFECTLY OFFSET BY THE DECREASE IN LEARNING DURING THE REST OF THE YEAR.
OVER A 12 MONTH PERIOD, THE TOTAL AMOUNT LEARNED ON A MODIFIED CALENDAR IS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FROM THE TOTAL AMOUNT LEARNED ON A NINE MONTH CALENDAR.
MODIFIED COUNTERS DON'T ADDRESS THE HOW STUDENTS ARE BEING TAUGHT JUST TO WIN.
IT'S LIKE HAVING A HOLE IN THE BOAT, BUT YOUR FIX IS TO MOVE THE CHAIRS ON THE BOAT.
ONE OF THE ITEMS THAT REALLY WAS NOT COVERED WAS COST OF IMPLEMENTATION, WHILE COST
[00:10:04]
OF SOME ITEMS MAY ALREADY BE COVERED IN THE BUDGET, SUCH AS UTILITIES.ONE ITEM THAT WAS NOT MENTIONED WAS THE COST OF EMPLOYING TEACHERS FOR INTERSESSION WEEKS.
BASED ON THE SURVEY, TWO THIRDS OF TEACHERS SHOWED INTEREST IN THE MODIFIED CALENDAR, SO WE'LL ASSUME THEY WOULD BE INTERESTED IN TEACHING INTERSESSION.
SO ABOUT ELEVEN HUNDRED TEACHERS TIMES 40 HOURS A WEEK, TIMES TWO WEEKS TIMES, FORTY TWO HOURS, WHICH IS THE RATE THAT YOU OFFERED TO HIRE SUMMER SCHOOL CERTIFIED TEACHERS WOULD BE A TOTAL OF $3.7 MILLION.
AND REALLY, YOU'RE PROBABLY GOING TO NEED MORE THAN THAT JUST TO ASSIST FOR STUDENTS TO GAIN ANY TANGIBLE BENEFIT FROM INTERSESSION.
SO, TO SAY COST ARE LOW OR INCLUDE IT IS NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT AND SOMETHING THAT PARENTS SHOULD KNOW IF THEY HAVE TO FOOT THE BILL IN THE END.
ADULTS HAVE TAKEN AWAY SO MUCH FROM KIDS OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS FROM A SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL STANDPOINT AND NOW WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE AWAY REALLY ONE OF THE LAST HAVENS FOR KIDS, AND THAT'S THE LONG SUMMER BREAK THAT I KNOW I APPRECIATED AS A KID.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE AWAY THE OPPORTUNITY OF STUDENT INTERNSHIPS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MUSIC AND BAND FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON THEIR STUDIES INSTEAD OF HAVING TO WORK DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR.
KIDS WILL HAVE THEIR ENTIRE ADULT LIFE TO BE MISERABLE.
DON'T FAST TRACK THEM ON THIS PATH.
IF BURNOUT IS AN ISSUE, THEN I RECOMMEND THE HORSE CREEK MODEL, BUT THE MODIFIED CALENDAR DOESN'T GET US THERE.
I DON'T SEE HOW A MAJORITY OF KIDS GOING TO SCHOOL FOR 190 DAYS AND TEACHERS WORKING 200 DAYS DECREASES BURNOUT.
BASED UPON THIS, I ENCOURAGE THE SCHOOL BOARD TO VOTE NO ON THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.
SECOND PERSON WISHING TO SPEAK IS MR. PETTIGREW, JOHN PETTIGREW, ALSO ON THE CALENDAR.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE AND STAFF.
APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TO SPEAK ONCE AGAIN.
ALSO, I APPRECIATE THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAT YOU HELD IN NORTH AUGUSTA AND AIKEN, AND I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE AND I THOUGHT THERE WAS A LOT OF GOOD INPUT FROM PARENTS.
A LOT OF GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT THIS CALENDAR, AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR SOLICITING THAT INPUT AND HOPEFULLY HAVE RECEIVED SOME BENEFIT FROM THAT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHAT WE NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT HERE, HAS THERE BEEN ANY DEMONSTRATED ACADEMIC BENEFIT TO THE MODIFIED CALENDAR? AND I DON'T AND I'VE BEEN TO THE BOARD MEETINGS TOO, AND I DON'T REALLY THINK THERE HAS BEEN AND I'VE TALKED TO PARENTS, I'VE TALKED TO STUDENTS, I'VE TALKED TO TEACHERS AND OPINIONS ARE SPLIT.
IT'S NOT A CLEAR CUT ANSWER HERE.
ALSO, I LOOKED AT ONE OF THE STUDIES ON A MODIFIED CALENDAR ON THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WEBSITE, AND THEIR CONCLUSION WAS THAT THERE WASN'T ANY SIGNIFICANTLY POSITIVE IMPACT FROM A MODIFIED CALENDAR.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO ASK OURSELVES, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? YOU KNOW, IS THIS JUST SOME SPECULATION THAT MIGHT HELP OR MIGHT SHIFT THE DECK AROUND A LITTLE BIT? AND IS THIS GOING TO DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD? I MEAN, WILL THE SEVEN WEEKS OF SUMMER BREAK VERSUS 10 WEEKS? WILL THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SUMMER SLIDE? I DON'T KNOW.
WILL THE EXTRA WEEK OF ACADEMIC SUPPORT BY A TEACHER FOR A STUDENT WHO NEEDS TO CATCH UP, BUT IT'S NOT THE CLASSROOM TEACHER THAT, THAT STUDENT WOULD NORMALLY HAVE? IS THAT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE AND CATCH THAT STUDENT UP SEEMED LIKE THE STUDENT WOULD BENEFIT A LOT MORE BY HAVING THEIR OWN TEACHER WHO KNOWS THEIR SKILLS, THEIR ABILITIES, KNOWS THE ASSIGNMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPECTED OF THAT STUDENT AND COULD REALLY BENEFIT THEM MORE BY HELPING THEM AFTER SCHOOL AND ON SATURDAYS, POSSIBLY LIKE IT'S BEING DONE SOMETHING NOW.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW IF THAT EXTRA WEEK TWICE A YEAR SPACED OUT OVER THE COURSE OF THE YEAR IS GOING TO REALLY MAKE ANY KIND OF A DIFFERENCE IN THAT STUDENT'S ACHIEVEMENT AND THEN ALSO, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED THAT THIS MAY HELP WITH HIRING OF TEACHERS AND RETENTION OF TEACHERS.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE TEACHERS ARE SPLIT ON THIS AND THEN ALSO, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THAT MORE IMPORTANT FACTORS THAN A CALENDAR TO A TEACHER WOULD BE SALARY FOR
[00:15:01]
ONE THING, THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, THE COMMUNITY ASSETS AND THEIR FAMILY CONSIDERATIONS.SEEM LIKE THOSE THINGS WOULD BE MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN A MODIFIED CALENDAR.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME-- THAT EVERYBODY'S INTENTIONS OF HAVING THE MODIFIED CALENDAR ARE GOOD INTENTIONS AND IT'S TO IMPROVE THE EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY RIGHT HERE IN AIKEN COUNTY, BUT I'M JUST NOT CONVINCED THAT IT'S GOING TO REALLY DO THAT AND UNTIL WE'RE CONVINCED OF THAT, THEN I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD JUST JUMP INTO THIS.
MAYBE WE TO LOOK AT A CHANGE LIKE HORSE CREEK USES HAS BEEN SUGGESTED OR MAYBE ADD A FEW DAYS FOR A HOLIDAY IN EARLY OCTOBER OR ADD ANOTHER DAY ALONG WITH ELECTION TODAY TO HAVE A FOUR DAY BREAK.
HAVE SEVERAL MAYBE A LITTLE LONGER BREAKS, BUT DON'T SELL THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO, YOU KNOW, SOLVE ALL THESE PROBLEMS THAT WE MAY HAVE IN THE SCHOOLS.
I THINK THAT IF WE REALLY CAREFULLY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, ARE WE SURE THIS IS GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE? THAT WE NEED TO SLOW DOWN ON THIS AND ESPECIALLY DON'T TRY TO PUT IT IN FOR STARTING IN JULY OF THIS YEAR.
THAT'S JUST RUSHING IT TOO FAST WITH TOO MANY UNKNOWNS AND TOO MANY THINGS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK INTO BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND-- THANK YOU.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS THE AIKEN STANDARD COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD DONATION.
I'LL ASK MR. ROSIER TO INTRODUCE OUR GUESTS.
HELLO, EVERYONE, AND GOOD EVENING TO YOU.
MY NAME IS MIKE ROSIER, AND I HAD THE PLEASURE OF SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS FOR AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
DR. BRADLEY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SUPERINTENDENT LAURENCE.
THIS EVENING WE HAVE SOME SPECIAL GUESTS WITH US JOINING US FROM THE AIKEN STANDARD.
SINCE 2017, THE AIKEN STANDARD HAS SPONSORED ITS COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD TO HELP STUDENTS IN AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
FOR A $1 DONATION, THE AIKEN STANDARD PUBLISHES THE NAMES OF CONTRIBUTORS IN THE CHRISTMAS DAY ISSUE OF THE NEWSPAPER.
ALL DONATIONS ARE THEN DIVIDED AMONG OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP STUDENTS WHO EITHER CANNOT AFFORD OR WHO NEED HELP WITH WARM CLOTHING, NEW SHOES, SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND OTHER SERVICES .
OVER THE 2021 HOLIDAY SEASON, WE ARE SO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE COMMUNITY CHRISTMAS CARD FUND RESULTED IN A TOTAL DONATION OF $8,103 DOLLARS, WHICH MARKS BOTH THE SINGLE LARGEST DONOR COUNT AND THE HIGHEST AMOUNT COLLECTED SINCE THE FUND BEGAN FIVE CHRISTMASES AGO.
SINCE 2017, THE AIKEN STANDARD AND THE STORM NORTH AUGUSTA READERS HAVE DONATED A TOTAL OF $27,899 DOLLARS TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR SCHOOLS.
JOINING US THIS EVENING TO PRESENT THIS YEAR'S DONATION CHECK IS JOHN BOYETTE, EXECUTIVE EDITOR OF THE AIKEN STANDARD AND IF MR. BOYETTE, WOULD COME FORWARD ALONG WITH YOU, MR. LAURENCE WILL GET A QUICK PICTURE.
I DON'T THINK I CAME LAST YEAR, I THINK RONDA CAME LAST YEAR, OUR PUBLISHER, BUT THIS WAS HER IDEA, HER BABY AND SHE'S OUT OF TOWN IN CHARLESTON, BUT IT REALLY HAS BEEN A GREAT PROGRAM THAT WE'VE HAD AND I'M VERY EXCITED THAT IT SET A SINGLE YEAR RECORD FOR Y'ALL THIS YEAR.
BRADLEY KNOWS MY MOM WAS A SCHOOLTEACHER AND LONGTIME PRINCIPAL IN AIKEN COUNTY, AND SO I KNOW FIRSTHAND WHAT THEY, THE FRONT LINE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS, GO THROUGH.
SO, WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AND HOPE TO KEEP GROWING IT AND MAKING IT BIGGER AND BETTER EVERY YEAR.
STEPHANIE IS GOING TO GRAB A COUPLE OF SHOTS FOR US.
J.B., THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR DONATION.
[APPLAUSE] ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, MR. BOYETTE, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
THIS IS A QUITE COMMENDABLE OF THE AIKEN STANDARD.
[00:20:02]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.OUR SECOND PRESENTATION THIS EVENING IS SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH ACROSS SOUTH CAROLINA, THE MONTH OF JANUARY MARKS, THE ANNUAL OBSERVANCE OF SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH, OR AS WE MOST OFTEN REFER TO IT HERE IN AIKEN COUNTY, SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
THIS IS A TIME SET ASIDE TO SALUTE THE WORK OF MORE THAN 600 SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS SERVING IN SOUTH CAROLINA, PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE PARTICIPATE IN SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH TO HONOR THE CONTRIBUTIONS AND SERVICE OF SCHOOL BOARD TRUSTEES.
THEME THIS YEAR OF CELEBRATING LOCAL LEADERS REMINDS US ALL TO CELEBRATE THE UNIQUE ROLE THAT SCHOOL BOARDS PLAY IN CHAMPIONING AND ADVOCATING FOR QUALITY EDUCATION AND THE OWNERSHIP THEY TAKE FOR GOVERNING THEIR LOCAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
ALSO EACH JANUARY, THE SOUTH CAROLINA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION PROVIDES SCHOOL DISTRICTS WITH A POSTER OF THE ETHICAL PRINCIPALS.
DID NOT ADVANCE MY SLIDE THEIR APOLOGIES.
WHICH BOARD MEMBERS SIGN DISPLAYING PUBLICLY THAT THEY WILL UPHOLD THESE EFFECTIVE GOVERNANCE PRINCIPLES THROUGHOUT THE COMING YEAR.
AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD TO COME FORWARD AND SIGN THE ETHICAL PRINCIPLES, AND THEN WE'LL TAKE A QUICK PICTURE AFTER YOU GUYS SIGN IT, AND I WILL PUT THE PRINCIPALS THAT THEY'LL BE SIGNING UP ON THE GRAPHIC SO EVERYONE COULD SEE IT AND IT SAYS AS A MEMBER OF MY DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD, I PLEDGE MY EFFORTS TO IMPROVE PUBLIC EDUCATION IN MY COMMUNITY AND WILL SOLEMNLY TRY TO REPRESENT THE INTERESTS OF THE ENTIRE DISTRICT WHEN MAKING DECISIONS AND TO RELY ON AVAILABLE FACTS AND ON OUR JUDGMENT, RATHER THAN ON INDIVIDUALS OR SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS.
UNDERSTAND THE PROPER ROLE OF THE BOARD TO SET POLICIES GOVERNING THE DISTRICT AND TO HIRE THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER TO CARRY OUT THESE POLICIES.
ENCOURAGE AN OPEN EXCHANGE OF IDEAS BY ALL BOARD MEMBERS DURING THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
SEEK REGULAR COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN THE BOARD AND STUDENTS, STAFF AND ALL SEGMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
ATTEND ALL BOARD MEETINGS TO STUDY ISSUES FACING THE BOARD AND TO ENACT POLICIES AND OFFICIAL ACTIONS ONLY AFTER FULL DISCUSSION AT SUCH MEETINGS.
WORK WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS IN A CONSCIENTIOUS AND COURTEOUS MANNER BEFITTING THE PUBLIC TRUST PLACED IN THEIR POSITION.
COMMUNICATE CONCERNS AND PUBLIC REACTION TO BOARD POLICIES.
SUPPORT EMPLOYMENT OF THE PERSONS BEST QUALIFIED FOR STAFF POSITIONS.
AVOID CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS AND REFRAIN FROM USING BOARD POSITION FOR PERSONAL OR PARTISAN GAIN.
ENCOURAGE RECOGNITION OF THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.
SUPPORT LEGISLATION AND FUNDING WHICH WILL IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES AND THE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
TAKE NO INDIVIDUAL ACTION WHICH WOULD COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BOARD OR THE ADMINISTRATION.
STUDY CURRENT EDUCATIONAL ISSUES AND PARTICIPATE IN TRAINING PROGRAMS AND MAKE OUR DISTRICTS EDUCATIONAL SETTING THE BEST POSSIBLE TO ENCOURAGE ALL STUDENTS TO ACHIEVE AND TO LOVE LEARNING.
DR. BRADLEY, IF YOU WILL HOLD AND ONCE YOU GET TO YOUR SEATS, WE'LL HAVE A SPECIAL VIDEO PRESENTATION.
I AM OSCAR RUSHTON, THE WELDING INSTRUCTOR OF SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
THIS IS BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
HERE AT SOUTH AIKEN, WE WOULD LIKE TO SHOW APPRECIATION TO DR.
WE THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO TO BETTER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
WE HOPE YOU HAVE A GOOD MONTH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING.
I GO TO SOUTH AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, AND DURING THIS BOARD OF APPRECIATION MONTH, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANKS TO DR. BRADLEY.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.
THE SCHOOL WOULDN'T BE AS AMAZING AS IT IS WITHOUT YOUR WORK.
[00:25:02]
SO, THANK YOU.HI, THIS IS LUKE [INAUDIBLE] HERE FROM AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
I'M A SENIOR HERE AND THIS IS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH, SO I JUST WANTED TO COME BY AND WISH A QUICK THANK YOU TO BOARD MEMBER MR. CAM NUESSLE FOR ALL HE DOES, THE COUNTLESS HOURS AND THOUGHTS HE PUTS INTO THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR BETTERING OUR EDUCATION.
SO, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT AND APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO AND AS OUR VERY OWN D.
HI, I'M TIA BROOKS HERE AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL IN THE GUIDANCE OFFICE.
THIS IS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. NUESSLE FOR HIS COMMITMENT TO STEP FORWARD AND SERVE.
HIS DEDICATION PROVES HE'S COMMITTED AND I, AS A PARENT AND AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE, APPRECIATE HIS POSITIVITY AND INFORMATION.
HE GETS OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND DISTRICT NINE.
AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK MR. NUESSLE FOR DEVOTING HIS TIME AND EFFORT TO STUDENTS AND EMPLOYEES, HELPING US MOVE FORWARD TO CHANGE THE FUTURE IN A POSITIVE WAY.
HI, I'M JOSEPH [INAUDIBLE] FROM GLOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY AND I'M HERE TO SAY HAPPY SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH, MR. SMITH.
YOU DO LOTS OF GREAT THINGS FOR ALL THE SCHOOLS.
HI, I'M EDUCATOR JANINE SCOTT FROM GLOVERVILLE ELEMENTARY AND I'D LIKE TO SEND A HUGE SHOUT OUT TO DWIGHT SMITH FOR HIS DEDICATION TO PUBLIC EDUCATION.
THANK YOU MR. SMITH FOR ALL YOU'VE DONE FOR ME, FOR GLOVERVILLE AND FOR AIKEN COUNTY.
HI, MY NAME IS CLAY [INAUDIBLE].
I'M AN EIGHTH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER HERE AT SCHOFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND FOR BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH, WE'D LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MS. PATRICE RHINEHART-JACKSON.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO FOR AIKEN COUNTY AND OUR FAMILY AND ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOFIELD FAMILY WE LIKE TO SAY GO RAMS. HI, MY NAME IS SAVANNAH WILLIAMSON, AND THIS MONTH, IS SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON FOR ALL SHE DOES FOR PROTECTING OUR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF HERE IN THE DISTRICT.
EVERYONE HERE AT SCHOFIELD MIDDLE SCHOOL REALLY APPRECIATES ALL THE HARD WORK YOU DO FOR US.
SO FOR MY ENTIRE RAM FAMILY, MR. RHINEHART-JACKSON, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
HI, I'M ANNE COHEN, I'M FROM NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HONOR OF SCHOOL APPRECIATION MONTH, WE AT NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, DR.
DR. HANKS, THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOL.
WE APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT YOU HAVE SHOWN IN OUR EFFORTS TO BECOME ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOLS IN THE DISTRICT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU REPRESENTING US.
HI, MY NAME IS [INAUDIBLE] AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK DR.
HANKS FOR REPRESENTING OUR SCHOOL.
I AM PAM GRANDY, I AM A PARAPROFESSIONAL AT BYRD ELEMENTARY HERE TO SHOW APPRECIATION TO BARRY MOULTON.
THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS HAVING OUR BACK AND ALWAYS DOING WHAT'S BEST FOR BOTH THE FACULTY, STAFF AND STUDENTS.
MY NAME IS INAUDIBLE AND I GO TO BYRD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
I JUST WANT TO SAY HAPPY SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH TO MR. MOULTON.
THANK YOU AND THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE THINGS YOU DO FOR US.
I'M BECKY WILSON, PRINCIPAL OF JEFFERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND I AM [INAUDIBLE] FIFTH GRADE STUDENT.
ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENTS AND STAFF, WE WOULD LIKE TO WISH MR. SILAS A HAPPY SCHOOL BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH.
THANK YOU FOR SERVING ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
HI, MY NAME'S RILEY AND I'M FROM BELVEDERE ELEMENTARY AND I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. SHEALEY AND A HAPPY SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
HI, I'M MARCIA [INAUDIBLE], ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL ART TEACHER AND THIS YEAR'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR, [INAUDIBLE] MIDDLE SCHOOL, ON BEHALF OF THE STUDENTS, THE FACULTY, STAFF AND THE COMMUNITY.
WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. SHEALEY FOR HER SUPPORT IN THE AREA FOUR [INAUDIBLE] SCHOOLS AND [INAUDIBLE] PRINCIPALS DURING A SCHOOL BOARD APPRECIATION MONTH.
WE WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS OUR GRATITUDE TO MS. SHEALEY AND TO THE ENTIRE SCHOOL BOARD OF AIKEN COUNTY FOR THEIR IMPROVEMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION AND THROUGHOUT OUR WHOLE DISTRICT.
HELLO, MY NAME IS SHAMARI MOODY, 7TH GRADE MATH TEACHER.
HI, I'M [INAUDIBLE] FROM JACKSON STEM MAGNET MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND I WOULD LIKE TO WISH YOU A HAPPY BOARD RECOGNITION MONTH.
THANK YOU MR. CRANE FOR YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS SERVING DISTRICT TWO GO [INAUDIBLE].
BRADLEY, BOARD MEMBERS, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.
[00:30:04]
ALL THE TIME THAT YOU PUT IN.ALL THE BALLOTS THAT I SEND YOU TO COUNT TO GO OVER AND THINGS TO REVIEW.
WE APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME AND THE EFFORT THAT YOU PUT INTO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT AND SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS AND OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR STAFF AND TEACHERS AND EVERYONE IN OUR ORGANIZATION.
THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH AND WE APPRECIATE YOU.
[Office of Board Chairman]
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I'D LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE VIDEO.I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE CITIZENS OF AIKEN COUNTY, WHO VOTED US AND GAVE US THE OPPORTUNITY AND THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING ON THE SCHOOL BOARD.
[INAUDIBLE] BOARD CHAIRMAN, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THIS EVENING.
WE'LL NOW GO TO THE INDIVIDUAL ITEMS.
[Informational Items]
EACH OF THESE REQUIRES A VOTE.THE FIRST IS PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
THE LIST OF INDIVIDUALS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOMMENDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION FOR EMPLOYMENT IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST OF RECOMMENDED EMPLOYEES, POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES.
[INAUDIBLE] APPROVE THE PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS.
IS THERE SECOND? [INAUDIBLE] SECONDED BY DR.
WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES RECOMMENDED BY THE ADMINISTRATION TO THE BOARD FOR EMPLOYMENT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SIGNIFY-- IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE, ALL OF FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
THE SECOND ITEM IS CONSIDERATION OF A DISTRICT PROCUREMENT CODE UPDATE.
WE'RE GOING TO NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS.
MR. TRAXLER YOU WANT TO TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION? WE'LL DISCUSS IT AFTER THE MOTION.
GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR, MR. LAURENCE, BOARD MEMBERS.
JUST BRIEFLY, THIS IS ASKING FOR YOUR APPROVAL OF THE ITEMS THAT MS. TYLER SHARED AT THE LAST MEETING.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO REVISE OUR PROCUREMENT CODE TO SUBSTANTIALLY MIRROR, AND I'M PROBABLY NOT USING THE RIGHT TERMINOLOGY, BUT THE STATE CODE.
WE PROVIDED YOU A MARKED UP VERSION.
WE ALSO PROVIDED THAT SAME VERSION AT THE LAST MEETING.
UPON YOUR APPROVAL, WE WOULD SUBMIT THAT TO THE STATE.
UPON THEIR APPROVAL, IT WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD FOR ACCEPTANCE, BUT WE'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, ANY EASY ONES I WOULD TAKE.
MS. TYLER IS BACK HERE FOR THE DIFFICULT ONES.
WE NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DISTRICT PROCUREMENT CODE AS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD MOVED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON AND SECONDED BY MR. CRANE.
ANY DISCUSSION? MR. CHAIR? MR. CRANE.
I APPRECIATE MS. TYLER, I HAD ASKED AT OUR FIRST READING OF THIS, FIRST DISCUSSION, ABOUT WHAT IS EMERGENCY CONDITION AND MS. TYLER SENT THAT TO MR. TRAXLER, WHO THEN SENT THAT TO ME.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THE REST OF YOU ALL SAW THAT, BUT I JUST WANT TO READ THE RELEVANT DEFINITION.
DEFINITION, AN EMERGENCY CONDITION IS A SITUATION WHICH CREATES A THREAT TO PUBLIC HEALTH, WELFARE OR SAFETY, SUCH AS MAY ARISE BY REASON OF FLOODS, EPIDEMICS, RIOTS, EQUIPMENT FAILURES, FIRE LOSS OR SUCH OTHER REASON, AS MAY BE PROCLAIMED BY EITHER THE SUPERINTENDENT, DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, THE PURCHASING AGENT OR A DESIGNEE OF THE ABOVE AND IT GETS A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN, BUT THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I FIGURED IT WAS GOING TO SAY.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS OUT THERE, SO I APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO VOTE ON THIS.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING SOME FOLKS MAY BE MISTAKEN [INAUDIBLE] ON OCCASION.
IF NOT, WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DISTRICT PROCUREMENT CODE IS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
WITH NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
[00:35:03]
AGAIN, THAT'S EVERYONE.THIRD ITEM IS THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
EACH SCHOOL DISTRICT MUST DEVELOP A FIVE YEAR DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND EACH SCHOOL MUST DEVELOP A FIVE-YEAR RENEWAL PLAN AS REQUIRED BY THE EARLY CHILDHOOD AND VARIOUS OTHER LAWS, AND YOU HAVE BEEN FURNISHED WITH A COPY OF THE DISTRICT'S PLAN.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN.
HANKS SECONDED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON.
MINOLFO WAS PREPARED TO GIVE A PRESENTATION TO ENSURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION AND THEN HOPEFULLY WE'LL ANSWER A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND THEN WE'LL BE AVAILABLE TO ANSWER ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS [INAUDIBLE].
GOOD EVENING, [INAUDIBLE] BOARD MEMBERS, MR. LAURENCE.
TONIGHT, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION THE PROPOSED DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU SHOULD HAVE A COPY OF THE POWERPOINT, BUT ALSO WITH THE ACTION PLAN-- I MEAN THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLAN WITH YOU.
DO YOU NOTICE THAT THERE IS A CORRECTION TO THE STRATEGIC PLAN? SOME OF US COUNTED FIVE YEARS TO 2023 AND WENT TO 2028, BUT THIS IS ACTUALLY A FIVE YEAR PLAN.
THANK YOU MR. NUESSLE FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
IT STARTS IN 22-23 AND GOES THROUGH 26-27.
WE ARE, I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU THINGS THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY SEEN BEFORE, WHICH IS THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT WAS PART OF THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING.
ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS WAS DR.
HANKS AND WE APPRECIATE HER PARTICIPATION AND SHE DID A WONDERFUL JOB REPRESENTING OUR SCHOOL BOARD.
I SHARE THAT BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO SEE THAT THERE WAS A WIDE VARIETY OF PERSONS WHO PARTICIPATED IN IT AND ONE THING THAT WE REALLY SAW SOME GREAT VALUE WAS STUDENTS WERE PARTICIPATING IN EITHER OF THE ACTION PLAN PROCESS OR THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC COMMITTEE.
THIS IS THE TIMELINE OF THE MAJOR EVENTS ALONG THE WAY.
WE MET IN APRIL OF THE LAST SCHOOL YEAR.
DR. LINDSEY GUNN LED US THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
WE HAD SOME TRAINING THROUGHOUT THAT FOR SOME INTERNAL FACILITATORS, INCLUDING MYSELF, LIZ MCLAREN, JENNIFER HART, CARL WHITE AND KATE OLIN.
I THINK I REMEMBER EVERYBODY AND THEN THE ACTION TEAMS GOT TO WORK AFTER THE BOARD APPROVED THE MISSION AND VISION IN THE FALL OF 2021.
THE BELIEF SHOULD BE FAMILIAR TO EACH OF YOU.
THESE WERE DONE OVER A THREE YEAR-- THREE DAY, EXCUSE ME, A THREE DAY PERIOD.
WE HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION AND REALLY THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, I THINK, WAS WAS VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE DISTRICT REALLY DOES BELIEVE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE MOVED THEN TO OUR MISSION STATEMENT AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE RED HIGHLIGHTED PART OF THE MISSION STATEMENT.
THE UNIFYING AGENT OF NEW HORIZONS AND EXTRAORDINARY POSSIBILITIES HAS BEEN CAPTURED IN OUR DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING LOGO THAT MIKE SHARED WITH US AND WE HAVE ON OUR-- WILL SHOW UP ON OUR WEB PAGE WHEN WE POST THE STRATEGIC PLAN.
BUT THE MISSION IS DIRECTLY ALIGNED TO OUR BELIEFS AND MOVES FORWARD INTO THE NEXT PART OF OUR PLAN, WHICH ARE OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES.
THESE WERE ALL DETERMINED THROUGH THE GROUP WORK ON THE DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING DAYS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WHAT OUR STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES WERE, WHICH WERE THEN LED TO OUR STRATEGIES AND THE STRATEGY IS MOST COMMONLY ARE GOING TO BE REFERRED TO AS GOALS IN A IN A MORE TYPICAL COMPREHENSIVE PLAN OR STRATEGIC PLAN.
DR. GUNN'S GROUP, THEY USE STRATEGIES, BUT PLEASE THINK OF THEM FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GOALS, AND THESE ARE THE SIX GOALS THAT WE HAD.
THEY'RE RELATIVELY BROAD AND THEY'RE INTENDED TO BE BECAUSE THEY'RE FOR THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND THEY'RE, I THINK, THEY ARE REALLY POWERFUL STRATEGIES THAT WE, AS A DISTRICT STRATEGIC PLANNING GROUP REALLY FELT WERE VISIONARY FOR WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS WITH OUR DISTRICT.
THE FIRST IS WE WILL ALIGN TIME AND RESOURCES TO REFLECT OUR PRIORITIES.
TWO, WE WILL RECRUIT, SUPPORT AND RETAIN A DIVERSE GROUP OF HIGHLY COMPETENT AND PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS.
THREE, WE WILL FOSTER AN ENVIRONMENT OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND A UNITY OF PURPOSE WITH MUTUAL RESPECT.
FOUR, WE'LL ENSURE HIGH QUALITY LEARNING EXPERIENCES ALIGNED WITH OUR PURPOSE AND THE FINAL IS WE WILL LEVERAGE A VARIETY OF IMPACTFUL STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS.
[00:40:02]
FROM THAT POINT, WE FINISHED THE WORK, YOU ALL LOOKED AT THE BELIEFS AND MISSIONS ROOTED ON THOSE, AND THEN WE STARTED DIVVYING UP THE WORK INTO ACTION TEAMS. WE HAD ACTION TEAM GROUP THAT WAS REPRESENTATIVE FOR EACH OF THE FIVE STRATEGIES AND THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB.WE CONTINUE TO HAVE A DIVERSE GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS WHO WERE ON THE COMMITTEES.
WE DID HAVE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE DID HAVE STUDENTS, WE HAD TEACHERS, WE HAD A VARIETY OF DISTRICT COMMITTEE MEMBERS-- EXCUSE ME, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATORS AND PERSONNEL WHO CREATED THESE.
I WILL MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE PARAMETERS TOO AND THAT'S KIND OF AN UNUSUAL THING TO INCLUDE IN A STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT IT WAS REALLY POWERFUL BECAUSE THE PARAMETERS ACTUALLY CREATE NORMS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO OUR BELIEFS STATEMENTS AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT NORMS, MOST OF US ARE IN THE BUSINESS WORLD NOW ARE FAMILIAR WITH NORMS. IT'S HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES AS AN ORGANIZATION, WHETHER IT'S AT A MEETING OR EVEN IN GENERAL, HOW WE CONDUCT OURSELVES AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AS A FORMER PRINCIPAL, I USE THOSE MORE THAN I USE THE EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK TO GUIDE BEHAVIOR AND SO THIS IS REALLY A NEAT TOOL THAT'S DIRECTLY ALIGNED TO OUR BELIEFS THAT HELPS US TO CONDUCT OURSELVES IN THE WAY THAT WE BELIEVE, AND IT DEMONSTRATES THAT BY OUR PERFORMANCE ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS.
SO, LET'S LOOK AT THE ACTION PLANS.
THE FIRST ONE IS STRATEGY ONE.
WE'LL ALIGN TIME AND RESOURCES TO REFLECT OUR PRIORITIES.
SO EACH OF THESE ITEMS REPRESENT A DIFFERENT ACTION PLAN.
ACTION PLANS I DIDN'T INCLUDE ON THE ON THE SLIDE SHOW, BUT YOU DO HAVE THOSE IN YOUR PACKET AND I BELIEVE THOSE WERE ADDED TO THE WEBSITE, BUT EACH OF THOSE HAVE A STEP BY STEP PROCESS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ONCE WE START IMPLEMENTING EACH OF THESE AND WE WON'T IMPLEMENT-- WITH ALL THESE STRATEGIES, WE'RE NOT GOING TO IMPLEMENT EVERY ONE OF THE ACTION PLANS IMMEDIATELY.
THEY'LL BE SPACED OUT OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD, BUT EACH OF THOSE DO HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PROCESS FOR HOW WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS EACH OF THOSE STRATEGIES.
EACH OF THE STRATEGIES AND THE ACTIONS WITHIN EACH STRATEGY.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT ALIGNING TIME AND RESOURCES, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT RETAINING STAFF.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY AN AREA OF GREAT CONCERN.
INVESTIGATE A MODIFIED YEAR ROUND CALENDAR, WHICH WE'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY BEGUN.
CREATE A UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH EFFECTIVE AND TIMELY COMMUNICATION.
EQUAL ACCESS AND INCREASED INVOLVEMENT AND THEN FOR PROVIDE EQUITABLE OPPORTUNITIES AND ACCESS FOR STUDENTS AND SO THERE ARE ACTION STEPS FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE.
STRATEGY TWO, IS RECRUITING AND SUPPORTING AND RETAINING A DIVERSE GROUP OF HIGHLY COMPETENT AND PASSIONATE INDIVIDUALS.
SO, IN THE FIRST ONE, WE WERE REALLY THINKING ABOUT ALIGNING TIME AND RESOURCES.
HOW DO WE USE OUR RESOURCES? SO IN STRATEGY TWO, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE TO COME AND HOW DO WE GET THEM TO STAY AND FEEL VALUED PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION? AND SO YOU CAN SEE THOSE THREE ACTION STEPS.
I WON'T GO INTO EACH ONE OF THEM, BUT I'LL CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS IF ANYONE HAS ANY ABOUT EACH OF THOSE STRATEGIES THERE, BUT THOSE ALL FOCUS ON HR TYPE, HUMAN RESOURCES, TYPE ACTIVITIES, AND WE'RE MORE THAN LIKELY TO BE ASSIGNED TO A GROUP OF FOLKS WHO WORK WITH OUR HUMAN RESOURCES DEPARTMENT AND WORKING WITH THAT.
STRATEGY THREE, IS FOSTERING AN ENVIRONMENT OF EQUITY, INCLUSION AND UNITY OF PURPOSE WITH MUTUAL RESPECT.
EACH OF THESE ACTION STEPS REALLY ARE LOOKING AT HOW DO WE BUILD COMMUNITY WITHIN OUR SCHOOL? HOW DO WE ACCESS COMMUNITY AND SCHOOL RESOURCES, THINKING ABOUT TEACHING AND OBSERVING AND PRACTICING POSITIVE BEHAVIORS SO THAT WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO ENJOY BEING AROUND EACH OTHER AND CAN CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN AN APPROPRIATE WAY? SAME THING WITH ADULTS, AND PROBABLY NOT A BAD IDEA FOR US TO HAVE THAT TYPE OF TRAINING GIVEN THE POLITICAL CLIMATE WE WERE IN.
AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S JUST A VARIETY OF STRATEGIES, BUT THEY ALL WORK SPECIFICALLY ON BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY-- SCHOOL COMMUNITY, BUILDING SCHOOL CULTURE AND IMPROVING REALLY THE MORALE OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF.
STRATEGY THREE-- I JUST TALKED ABOUT.
STRATEGY FOUR HAS THREE MAJOR PARTS TO IT, SO THIS DOES LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
THIS GROUP WAS VERY LARGE AND HAD A VARIETY OF ACTION STEPS, BUT IT SPECIFICALLY DEALS WITH STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND THAT'S WHY.
THE FIRST AREA IS FOCUSING ON HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT EXPANDED EARLY LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH IS ALWAYS IMPORTANT IN GETTING STUDENTS READY FOR SCHOOL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
PERSONALIZED LEARNING AND THEN OUR CAREER IN TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION WAS A POINT OF EMPHASIS.
THE SECOND SUB STRATEGY IS WHAT I'LL CALL IT UNDER, EXCUSE ME, THIS IS THE CONTINUATION OF HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION.
MATH PROFICIENCY, READING PROFICIENCY, THINGS THAT YOU WOULD TYPICALLY EXPECT TO SEE.
NUMBER SIX REALLY LOOKS AT STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT ALL STUDENTS, WHETHER THEY'RE GIFTED OR THEY'RE STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, BUT THE WHOLE CONTINUUM OF STUDENTS REALLY BEING INCLUSIVE OF ALL LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND ENSURING THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A HIGH QUALITY LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND THEN SEVEN SYSTEMATIC ACADEMIC
[00:45:05]
AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS.OK, NOW WE GO TO THE SECOND SUBGROUP IN THIS STRATEGY, WHICH IS PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE INTERESTED IN CREATING A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT LIBRARY.
WE HAVE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE TRAINING, BUT WE HAVEN'T DEVELOPED OR STARTED CREATING OR CURATING A LIBRARY THAT ALLOWS ACCESS TO THAT TRAINING OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
SO THAT'S ONE OF OUR INITIATIVES AND THEN THE THIRD SUBGROUP IS TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT-- THIS REALLY IS A FOCUS ON ACCESS AND ENSURING THAT WE HAVE DIGITALLY PROFICIENT EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS AS IT RELATES TO TECHNOLOGY.
AND THEN WITH STRATEGY FIVE, THESE ARE OUR ACTION STEPS FOR THIS.
THIS IS IMPACTFUL STAKEHOLDER PARTNERSHIPS.
MR. LOTT, KENNY LOTT, OUR DIRECTOR OF CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY AND MS. HART, OUR CHIEF OFFICER FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AND ADMINISTRATION, WERE THE CO-LEADERS OF THIS GROUP AND THEY HAD A LIVELY GROUP OF STAKEHOLDERS.
THEY REALLY ENJOYED WORKING WITH THIS GROUP.
WE HAD A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE GROUP IN THE COMMUNITY, SO THIS REALLY IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WE HAD A LARGE EMPHASIS ON COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, INCLUDING OUR COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A VARIETY OF STEPS THERE TO ADDRESS THAT-- TO IMPROVE ACCESS WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND NEXT STEPS UPON APPROVAL, SHOULD THIS BE APPROVED TODAY, WE CERTAINLY WILL GET THIS OUT, DISTRIBUTED, AND PUBLISHED.
WE'RE GOING TO START THE PROCESS OF CREATING A TIMELINE OF WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DISTRIBUTE-- START WORKING ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ACTION STEPS AND ASSIGN ACTION TEAM LEADERS AND THEN OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE QUARTERLY REVIEWING AND UPDATING THAT DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION ON HOW WE'RE PERFORMING ON EACH OF THOSE STRATEGIES AND THAT'S IT.
ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER FOR ANYBODY OR MR. LAURENCE.
MR. CRANE? MR. NUESSLE? JUST ONE QUESTION.
DR. MINOLFO, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UNDER STRATEGY FOR THE, AND IN PARTICULAR, THE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION.
I HAVE NO QUALMS WITH ANYTHING HERE.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, DID THE TEAM DISCUSS LOWERING THE STUDENT TEACHER RATIO? BECAUSE THAT IS THE ONE THING THAT HAS PROVEN RESULTS WHEN YOU LOOK OUT THERE, IT HAS PROVEN RESULTS FROM BASICALLY INCREASING THE OUTCOMES OF OUR STUDENTS.
MR. MOULTON THAT'S MAY NOT BE SPECIFICALLY SPELLED OUT THERE, BUT IT IS A TOP PRIORITY FOR ME AND FOR THE BOARD.
SO, IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, YOU'LL SEE THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK TOWARD LOWERING THOSE RATIOS.
MM-HMM AND THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD POINT THAT THERE-- WHILE THESE-- THE STRATEGIC PLAN IS DIFFERENT FROM A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN IN THAT WITH A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, YOU WOULD SEE SEVERAL MORE GOALS, SEVERAL MORE AREAS THAT ARE TOUCHED WITHIN THE DISTRICT.
WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT FINE ARTS, WE DIDN'T TALK ABOUT-- THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S NOT A PRIORITY FOR THE DISTRICT.
IT JUST MEANS THAT THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS WORKING ON THIS FELT LIKE THESE WERE THE MOST HIGH PRIORITIES AND THIS IS WHAT THEY WANTED US TO WORK ON, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO WORK ON ANY OF THOSE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE STILL VERY IMPORTANT TO US AS A DISTRICT.
MR. NUESSLE, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION? YES, SIR.
SO, I THINK THE ANSWER IS-- WELL, I'LL ASK IT.
WHAT I DON'T SEE IS EVEN FOR ON A STRATEGIC LEVEL, WHAT'S OUR MEASURES OF SUCCESS? SO, WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT AREAS, BUT HOW ARE WE MEASURING SUCCESS FOR ANY OF THESE AREAS? RIGHT? YES, SIR.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WILL HAPPEN IS ONCE WE IDENTIFY THE ACTION TEAM MEMBERS, THE GOALS WILL BECOME SMART GOALS.
WE'LL START WORKING ON THOSE STRATEGIES SO THAT THEY ARE GOALS THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY MEASURE AND SO WE WILL GET INTO THAT.
THEY'LL IDENTIFY WHAT MEASURES OF PROGRESS AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE ACTUAL PLAN THAT'S UPLOADED.
YOU WILL SEE THAT PLAN AT THE END OF APRIL BEFORE IT GOES BEFORE THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
SO, WE ACTUALLY HAVE TWO-- THEY'RE NOT TWO PLANS THAT ARE IN CONTRAST TO EACH OTHER, BUT THEY LOOK DIFFERENT BECAUSE THE STATE DEPARTMENT REQUIREMENTS DO HAVE VERY SPECIFIC GOALS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE SMART GOALS WITH MEASURABLE-- THAT ARE MEASURABLE USING PROGRESS MONITORING DATA, YOU KNOW, TYPICAL EVALUATION TOOLS.
SO YOU'LL SEE SE READY, YOU'LL SEE SE PASS, YOU'LL SEE THOSE OTHER MEASURES IN THE ONE THAT GOES BEFORE THE STATE DEPARTMENT IN APRIL, BUT THIS IS JUST OUR STRATEGIC PLAN THAT-- I'M NOT SURE IF I'M WORDING IT VERY WELL.
THE STRATEGIC PLAN GUIDES THE WORK AND, YOU KNOW, LAYS OUT THE FRAMEWORK FOR FIVE
[00:50:06]
YEARS.WITH THE STATE'S STRATEGIC PLAN, WE JUST DRILL DOWN INTO THOSE SPECIFIC GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, AND THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BRING THOSE EXPECTED OUTCOMES TO THE BOARD.
I THINK IT WOULD BE MORE OPERATIONAL.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE THE WORD I'D WANT TO USE IS THAT THE PLAN THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO, WHERE ARE THOSE PIECES AND PARTS? WELL, IN APRIL, IT WILL BE MORE OPERATIONAL IN WHAT GOES BEFORE THE STATE DEPARTMENT.
THIS GUIDES WHAT THAT WORK WILL LOOK LIKE.
SO, I'M SURE-- WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME? SO, THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN DONE THE LAST TIME, LAST YEAR OR? WE HAD AN UPDATE LAST YEAR YES, SIR AND ALL THE SCHOOLS ALSO PRESENTED THEIR SCHOOL RENEWAL PLANS FOR APPROVAL.
SO, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT THE REVIEW PROCESS IS ON THIS GOING FORWARD FROM THE BOARD IS CONCERNED? AT-- YEARLY, THE BOARD IS REQUIRED TO GET AN ANNUAL UPDATE THAT, AS I SAID, THAT WILL GO BEFORE YOU IN APRIL BEFORE IT'S REQUIRED TO BE POSTED BY APRIL 30TH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DIDN'T ELABORATE ON IN IT, AND WE'RE STILL HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS, SO I DON'T WANT TO GET MYSELF IN TROUBLE, BUT IT IS POSSIBLE FOR MORE UPDATES GIVEN THE BOARD'S DESIRE, BUT OUR GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING AT LEAST QUARTERLY UPDATES FROM EACH OF THE ACTION PLANS THAT ARE AT WORK DURING THAT CALENDAR YEAR, THE SCHOOL CALENDAR YEAR, AND THAT WE ARE TAKING MEASURABLE WORK.
IT'S NOT BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SYSTEMATICALLY DONE IN THE PAST, AND IT'S A GOAL FOR ME THIS YEAR FOR US TO DO THAT AND SO I'M SURE THAT WE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION UPON REQUEST.
I MEAN, THE GENERAL CONCERN WHEN I LOOK THROUGH SOME OF THE ATTACHMENTS.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS, AND THE ONE THING THAT STRUCK ME, THOUGH, IS THE AMOUNT OF STUFF OR THE POTENTIAL AMOUNT OF STUFF AND EVEN THOUGH PART OF THE STRATEGY IS TO FOCUS AND NOT HAVE AS MUCH STUFF, I'M A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT AND THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING, YOU KNOW, IS THIS BASICALLY THE ONLY TIME YOU'RE GOING TO GET APPROVAL AND THEN YOU'RE GOING TO RUN WITH IT? WELL, THIS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE OVERALL PROCESS.
NOW, THE SPECIFICS WILL GET APPROVAL IN APRIL BEFORE THAT GOES TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT AND THEN EVERY YEAR WE BRING BACK A REPORT FOR FIVE YEARS.
THE LAST TIME WE DID THIS PROCESS, WHICH WE HAD A FACILITATOR TO WORK WITH THE TEAM OF TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
THE LAST TIME WE DID THAT WAS 2016.
THIS IS THE YEAR THAT WE PULL THE BIG GROUPS TOGETHER AND BASICALLY CREATE AN UPDATED VISION FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THE DOCUMENT THAT GOES TO THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS MORE SPECIFIC AND HAS THOSE DETAILS.
YEAH, THERE IS A LOT THERE, BUT WE'RE A BIG SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON.
WE NEED TO FOCUS ON INSTRUCTION AND WE ALSO NEED TO FOCUS ON TEACHER RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
SO, THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS THAT REQUIRE ATTENTION.
SO, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE AND A VARIETY OF GROUPS THAT WILL BE WORKING ON THOSE SPECIFIC PIECES.
ANYBODY ELSE? REAL QUICK, DR. BRADLEY, I THINK MR. NUESSLE, WAS ASKING HIM, AND I THINK I WOULD AGREE THAT WHILE WE DO THIS PROCESS EVERY FIVE YEARS, PERIODIC UPDATE OF HOW WE'RE WORKING TOWARD THAT MAY BE BENEFICIAL AS A SUGGESTION.
ANYONE ELSE? I GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
IF THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION, WE'LL VOTE.
THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE DISTRICT'S STRATEGIC PLAN 2023-2028 AND PRESENT IT TO THE BOARD ALL IN FAVOR.
MODIFIED CALENDAR FOR 2022-2023 SCHOOL YEAR MR. LAURENCE HAS PRESENTED US WITH A RECOMMENDATION A CALENDAR THAT HE IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE APPROVE.
[00:55:01]
I'LL ASK FOR A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR SO THAT WE CAN GET IT ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION.IT'S THEIR MOTION TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR AS PRESENTED? MOVE BY MS. R H INEHART-JACKSON.
MOVED BY MS. R HINEHART-JACKSON EXECUTIVE MR. NUESSLE.
I THINK I HAVE ACTUALLY SAID A LOT ON THIS TOPIC, BUT I DID WANT TO MENTION A FEW THINGS.
A QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED AT ONE OF THE INFORMATION MEETINGS WAS WHAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FACTOR IN DETERMINING STUDENT SUCCESS? AND THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION IS A HIGHLY QUALIFIED, COMMITTED TEACHER.
THAT IS THE MOST CRITICAL FACTOR IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
WE ARE EXPERIENCING A TEACHER CRISIS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND NATION, AND AIKEN COUNTY IS NOT IMMUNE TO THAT.
TEACHER SHORTAGE IS NOT GOING TO BE RESOLVED EASILY, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE RESOLVED QUICKLY.
WE HAVE TO TAKE STEPS TO COMPETE AND TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST TEACHERS.
WE BELIEVE THAT A MODIFIED CALENDAR IS A STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.
NOW, OF COURSE, OTHER STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ARE [INAUDIBLE] AIKEN COUNTY HAS SOME OF THE HIGHEST TEACHER SALARIES IN THE STATE.
WE HAVE IMPROVED CLASSROOMS AND OTHER FACILITIES, BUT THE MODIFIED CALENDAR ALSO PROVIDES SOME THINGS THAT WILL ENCOURAGE TEACHERS.
IT PROVIDES STRATEGIC BREAKS TO REDUCE BURNOUT, PROVIDES TIME FOR INTERVENTION.
WE EXPECT THE CALENDAR TO LEAD TO IMPROVED TEACHER SATISFACTION WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO TARGET INTERVENTIONS, AND THAT WOULD RESULT IN IMPROVED OUTCOMES, CHILD CARE DURING INTERSESSION IS A VALID CONCERN AND WE'VE HEARD THAT A NUMBER OF TIMES, BUT AS I'VE MENTIONED A FEW TIMES, OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH QUEST ZONE PROVIDES AN OPTION FOR PARENTS WHO CHOOSE NOT TO SEEK PRIVATE OR FAITH BASED CHILDCARE OPTIONS, AND IN MANY CASES, SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AVAILABLE IN QUEST ZONE.
AND WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT THE BENEFITS OUTWEIGH THE DEFICITS IN THE MODIFIED CALENDAR, BUT WE RECOGNIZE THAT SOME OF THOSE DO EXIST.
SO MY EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, BAND AND FOOTBALL, THOSE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE SOME ADJUSTMENT, ESPECIALLY IN PRACTICE SCHEDULES.
FULL TIME SUMMER JOBS COULD BE IMPACTED.
IT'S POSSIBLE THAT CUSTODY AGREEMENTS COULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT FOR THE MAJORITY OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND TEACHERS, THIS CHANGE WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT.
FURTHER DISCUSSION? I JUST GOT A FEW NOTES, DR.
I THINK WE ALL ATTENDED THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, WE HEARD THE SPEAKERS TONIGHT.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE MADE SOME SOME VERY GOOD COMMENTS.
THAT SAID, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING THAT, I THINK, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY SOME OTHERS ARE FEELING.
ONE IS THE TEACHER PERCENTAGE SUPPORT BASED ON THE DATA, LAST TIME I LOOKED WAS ABOUT 67 PERCENT.
THAT'S AMAZINGLY HIGH, WITH ABOUT 13 PERCENT AGAINST.
OK, HEAR ME OUT FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE AGAINST THIS.
THE STAFF PERCENTAGE SUPPORT WAS EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING TO PAY ATTENTION TO.
THE TEACHER AND STUDENT BURNOUT IN OCTOBER IS A VERY REAL THING THAT OCCURRED PRE-COVID.
WE HAD MR. LAURENCE LOOK BACK PRIOR TO COVID.
THAT IS SOMETHING WHERE THE ABSENTEEISM AND THE DISCIPLINE ISSUES INCREASED DRASTICALLY FROM SEPTEMBER TO OCTOBER.
THE THING I WANTED TO TELL PEOPLE IN THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, I THINK WE HAVE SOME TREMENDOUS LEADERSHIP FROM OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR DISTRICT STAFF THAT ARE DOING THIS OR PROPOSING THIS FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.
I THINK SOME PEOPLE LOSE THAT SOMETIMES.
PARENTAL SUPPORT IS OUTSTANDING.
IT'S ABOVE 60 PERCENT, EVEN THOUGH THAT LEAVES, YOU KNOW, NOT 30 PERCENT OR 40 PERCENT ARE AGAINST IT.
IT'S MORE LIKE 18 TO 20 SOME PERCENT AGAINST IT, BUT THAT'S STILL A HIGH NUMBER.
KEY THING THAT I ASK EARLY ON IN THIS PROCESS WAS DO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE COURSE IF WE GET INTO THIS? AND I THINK MR. PETTIGREW, THIS SORT OF ANSWERS, I'M NOT RESPONDING TO YOUR THING, I JUST WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND, I DON'T THINK WE'LL EVER KNOW THE ANSWERS OF WILL THIS HELP US UNLESS WE TRY IT AND SO IF WE TRY IT AND IT DOESN'T HELP AND IT DOESN'T HELP ANY OF THE
[01:00:01]
AREAS THAT MR. LAURENCE HAS POINTED OUT, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO CHANGE COURSE AND VOTE ON A NEW CALENDAR NEXT YEAR AND GO BACK TO THE TRADITIONAL CALENDAR IF THAT IS THE CASE, IF WE NEED TO.THAT SAID, I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOVE TO AMEND THE MOTION, BUT ONE QUESTION FOR MR. LAURENCE.
WHAT IF WE DON'T RECEIVE ENOUGH TEACHER VOLUNTEERS FOR INTERVENTIONS DURING THOSE WEEKS? WHAT THEN? I MEAN, WE WOULD HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SERVICES, BUT WE WOULD GET TOGETHER AND BRAINSTORM AND COME UP WITH INCENTIVES OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE.
BUT IF STAFF IS LIMITED, WE WOULD HAVE TO PRIORITIZE THE STUDENTS WHO RECEIVE SERVICE.
THE REASON I ASK THAT JUST SO THIS IS FOR THE FOLKS AT HOME, I HAVE A NUMBER OF TEACHERS THAT ARE FULLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS, BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO BE FORCED INTO INTERVENTION IF THEY CHOOSE NOT TO.
SO THAT'S WHY I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
THERE PROBABLY BE PLENTY OF TEACHERS THAT CHOOSE TO DO INTERVENTION, SO DON'T GET WORRIED.
NOW, ALL THAT SAID, I'M DONE WITH MY MOVE.
I WANT TO MOVE TO AMEND THE MOTION AND THIS IS DUE PRIMARILY TO STUDENT AND TEACHER DISRUPTIONS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE MODIFIED CALENDAR STARTING THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR, NOT THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR.
ATTORNEY? THAT MOVE TO AMEND, IS THAT A SUBSTANTIAL MODIFICATION? IN OTHER WORDS, IS SET IN MOTION IN ORDER.
MY UNDERSTANDING FROM ROBERT'S RULES OF ORDER IS THAT WE CANNOT ACCEPT AMENDMENTS TO A MOTION, IF IT'S A CHANGE IN THE RELEVANCY OF THE--.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT VERY WELL.
IT'S-- [INAUDIBLE] ON THAT MOTION FOR ME.
IS THAT A VALID MOTION? RIGHT? THAT'S OK.
YOU CLEARLY HAVE A SECOND, BUT IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION, RIGHT? AND IT'S APPROPRIATE TO DO THAT AT THIS TIME.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A SUBSTITUTE MOTION IS THE SECOND MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON SECONDS FOR OTHER DISCUSSION.
EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND THE MOTION IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE FROM NEXT YEAR 22-23 TO 23-24.
WELL, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
IT'S A CLARIFICATION QUESTION BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.
IF WE VOTE ON THIS, THAT JUST CHANGES THE MOTION ON THE TABLE AND THEN WE CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION AND VOTE ON WHETHER WE'RE APPROVING THAT OR NOT.
A FURTHER DISCUSSION, BUT WE'VE GOT A SUBSTITUTE MOTION THAT'S BEEN MOVED BY MR. MOULTON, SECONDED BY MS. RHINEHART-JACKSON.
TO CHANGE THE IMPLEMENTATION DATE FROM THE ORIGINAL IS TO APPROVE THE MODIFIED CALENDAR FOR 22-23 TO 23-24.
OF COURSE, THAT CALENDAR WOULD HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED BECAUSE CHRISTMAS DAY AND THOSE KINDS OF DAYS ARE GOING TO FALL ON A DIFFERENT DAY, BUT THAT'S THE MOTION IS BASICALLY TO APPROVE A CALENDAR VERY SIMILAR TO THE ONE THAT WE'RE BEING ASKED TO APPROVE BY MR. LAURENCE TO POSTPONE THAT IMPLEMENTATION FOR ONE YEAR, ESSENTIALLY.
APPROVAL OF THIS MOTION WILL CONTINUE DISCUSSION OR ARE WE CORRECT? WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE DISCUSSION.
IT'S NOT THE FINAL VOTE ON THE CALENDAR, CORRECT? I ASSUME THAT WE CAN DO THAT.
NAURU, YEAH AND ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, ALL IN FAVOR OF THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND AND I'LL GO ALONG WITH THAT.
THEY DON'T HAVE A MOTION TO DISCUSS, BUT SOMEBODY LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION.
TO CHANGE THE DATE OF THE MODIFIED [INAUDIBLE] 23, [INAUDIBLE].
[01:05:08]
THAT'S WHAT WE JUST VOTED ON.I GIVE THEM THE A MOTION IS THERE.
YOU JUST HAVE TO, BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE.
WE HAD WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE 22-23.
THEN WE HAD A SUBSTITUTE MOTION WHICH PASSED.
DID WE GO BACK AND DEAL WITH THE ORIGINAL MOTION? IN LIGHT OF THAT A MOTION.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO WITHDRAW THE ORIGINAL MOTION BASED ON THE.
FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE GOT THIS MOTION LAYING OUT THAT IT'S BEEN MADE AND SECOND IT, HOW DID I GET IT WITHDRAWN? HOW COULD THAT BE A VOTE THAT WE TO WITHDRAW THE ORIGINAL MOTION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WITHDRAW THE ORIGINAL MOTION.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THANK YOU, A MOTION CARES WORD OF EXPLANATION, WE HAD A WORKSHOP LAST LAST TUESDAY NIGHT ON HOW TO DO THIS, AND WE LEFT THAT WORKSHOP PROBABLY A LITTLE MORE CONFUSED THAN WE WERE BEFORE WE HAD IT.
SO THERE WAS ACTUALLY A DISCUSSION OF THAT WORKSHOP ABOUT THE VERY THING THAT JUST HAPPENED, AND WE GOT A LITTLE DIFFERENT ADVICE, BUT YOU'RE OUR ATTORNEY AND WE'RE GOING TO LISTEN TO YOU.
EXTENDED FURTHER DISCUSSION ABOUT THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.
BRIAN WAS SHAKING HIS HEAD, SO IT DOESN'T MATTER.
I THINK WE'RE GOING TO GET THE CALL.
I DON'T HAVE AN ACTIVE MOTION.
[INAUDIBLE] MAKE A MOTION, SOMEBODY, I'LL MAKE A MOTION.
I MOVE THAT BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODIFIED CALENDAR IN 2023-24 THAT WE HAVE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL BY THE BOARD ON ALL OF THESE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND I CAN NAME THEM IF I NEED TO BY PEOPLE AT THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS AND THROUGH VARIOUS COMMUNICATION, OTHER COMMUNICATIONS.
DO I NEED TO GO ON OR DOES EVERYBODY KNOW WHAT I'M MOVING? I WANT TO.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SAY SORRY, I MISSED MY DISCUSSION, ONE OF THEM, SINCE I MADE IT, I'LL TRY TO CLARIFY THAT IN DISCUSSION.
I WANT TO KNOW SPECIFICALLY WHAT KIND OF REMEDIAL PROGRAM WE'RE GOING TO HAVE.
WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ON THAT ONE? ALL WE'VE DONE IS ADDED TWO WEEKS OF REMEDIATION, ONE AT THE END OF EACH OF THE TWO OF THE NINE WEEKS.
I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN DETAIL.
HOW WHO ARE WE GOING TO SERVE? HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THEM THERE? IS IT GOING TO COST THEM ANYTHING? WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TEACH THEM? WHO'S GOING TO TEACH THEM? ARE WE GOING TO PAY THEM? WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST US? I DON'T KNOW ALL OF THAT.
I WANT TO KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO ABOUT ATHLETICS? YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING NOT.
WE'RE GOING TO BE PLAYING SPORTS AGAINST TEAMS IN OTHER DISTRICTS WHO DO NOT FOLLOW THE SAME CALENDAR THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT? SAME WITH BAN.
SAME WITH ANY KIND OF A DISTRICT INTERFACE WITH ANOTHER DISTRICT.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADJUST OUR SCHEDULES TO OR WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO? SO DO WE HAVE A SEAMLESS ABILITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE VARIOUS ACTIVITIES? I WANT TO PLAN.
I AM EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED BY THE RESPONSE TO THE PAPER CALENDAR.
WE HAVE 23,000 STUDENTS AND IF YOU I THINK THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF CHILDREN IN A HOUSEHOLD IS TWO IN THE UNITED STATES.
SO IF YOU DIVIDE THAT 23,000, YOU COME UP WITH 11,500.
SO WE OUGHT TO HAVE 11,500 HOUSEHOLDS WITH STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IF THAT'S THE CASE.
WE HAD A RESPONSE RATE OF ABOUT 27 PERCENT.
SO WE'RE MAKING A SIGNIFICANT POLICY CHANGE BASED ON INPUT FROM 27 PERCENT OF THE STUDENT, THE PARENTS AND OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
WE WON'T TAKE MEDICINE, YOU KNOW, THE DESIGN OF THAT MODEL IN MIND.
[01:10:02]
YOU KNOW, IT'S MY SUGGESTION THAT WE SEND TO YOUR PAPER BALLOTS HOME AND WE'VE GOT A PITIFUL RESPONSE AND EVERYBODY'S GOT AN IDEA ABOUT WHY THAT IS.I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO EXPLORE NOT ONLY FOR THIS REASON, BUT FOR SOME OTHER REASON, SOME WAY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS IN A MUCH MORE EFFECTIVE WAY THAN WE ARE DOING.
OH, I CAN GO ON, BUT THESE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED TO STUDY AND THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOME A LOT MORE INFORMATION AND DATA.
I DON'T HAVE A THING AGAINST MODIFYING CALENDAR.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT, YOU KNOW? EITHER WAY IS FINE WITH ME, EXCEPT I THINK THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE.
I KNOW TEACHERS FAVORITE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PARENTS OUT THERE.
THIS IS GOING TO, IN MY VIEW, CREATE A HARDSHIP FOR.
I THINK UNFORTUNATELY MANY OF THESE PEOPLE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO.
NEWSPAPERS, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO COMPUTERS.
PROBABLY NOT EVEN TELEPHONES, MAYBE THEY DO.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I DON'T THINK WE, YOU KNOW, A 27 PERCENT RESPONSE RATE IS PATHETIC.
YOU KNOW, AND IT CERTAINLY I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT MAKING POLICY DECISIONS OF THIS MAGNITUDE BASED ON THAT KIND OF RESPONSE.
SO THESE ARE SOME THINGS I WANT US TO STUDY, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO INCORPORATE EVERY ONE OF THEM INTO MOTION.
I THINK WE CAN DO THAT INDIVIDUALLY, BUT BY INDIVIDUAL MOTIONS LATER, LATER ON, HOWEVER, BUT ALL I'M TRYING TO DO IS I DON'T WANT TO GIVE A BLANK CHECKS OUT TONIGHT.
YOU KNOW, I WANT ACCOUNTABILITY AND I WANT TO SEE THE PLANS BEFORE WE GO FORWARD AND I WON'T DAYS BEFORE WE EVEN GET CLOSE TO IMPLEMENTING THIS STUFF A YEAR FROM NOW.
SO THAT'S MY MOTION AND IF YOU THINK I CAN REPEAT THAT AND FURTHER DISCUSSION.
I GATHERED A FEW OF THEM AND WE'VE DISPOSED OF ONE OF THEM, BUT YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF WHAT I THINK, AND I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO SEE MORE THAN 5000 RESPONSES FOR SURE, BUT WITH WHAT WE HAVE, THE RESPONSES THAT WE HAVE, IT'S ALMOST A TWO TO ONE IN FAVOR OF MODIFIED CALENDAR.
YOU KNOW, IN MAKING MY DECISION AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT BELIEVES AND WE'VE DISPOSED THIS IS REALLY NOT IMPORTANT.
TO DO TO GET IT IMPLEMENTED, BUT I THINK EVERYONE IS GOING TO BENEFIT IF WE APPROVE IT FOR THE 23-24 SCHOOL YEAR, I THINK EVERYONE WILL BENEFIT FROM THE EXTRA TIME TO ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT A LOT HAVE EXPRESSED AND PERHAPS TURN A LOT OF THOSE NO'S INTO YESES AND A LOT OF THE UNDECIDED INTO YESES.
YOU KNOW, WITH THAT TIME, YOU KNOW, I'M ON BOARD WITH MANY OF THE BENEFITS THAT WERE PRESENTED FOR SURE ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
I MEAN, THERE ARE CERTAINLY MANY OTHER BENEFITS THAT WERE PRESENTED AND I'M ON BOARD WITH MOST OF THOSE.
I'M CONCERNED THAT WE MAY NOT GET THE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT BUMP THAT WE THINK AND I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT THE REASON IS I JUST DON'T THINK MANY STUDENTS ARE GOING TO PARTICIPATE.
I'M CONCERNED THAT WE NOT HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS TO PARTICIPATE, THAT WE GET THAT APPRECIABLE INCREASE IN STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
I THINK IT'S GOING TO END UP BEING MORE ATTENDANCE BASED CREDIT.
MY CONCERN? IT'S GOING TO BE A MORE ATTENDANCE BASED CREDIT AND NOT REAL LEARNING.
THAT'S MY CONCERN WITH THAT, BUT AGAIN, I HOPE I'M WRONG, BUT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED IF FOR YEARS TO COME WHERE WE IF WE DIDN'T SEE THAT WE REVERTED BACK TO MAYBE A ONE WEEK BREAK, BUT THAT'S JUST SPECULATION.
THAT SAID, IF WE SEEMS LIKE OUR SCHEDULE IS STILL IN LIMBO FOR NEXT YEAR, SO I DON'T THINK I NEED TO MAKE A MOTION FOR THIS, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT DEPENDING ON HOW IT GOES FOR THE 23-24 CALENDAR VOTE, WE STILL NEED TO APPROVE A CALENDAR FOR 22-23.
SO, IT'D BE MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THE DISTRICT PROPOSE AT LEAST AN OPTION FOR NEXT YEAR THAT WE PUT IN THIS MUCH NEEDED OCTOBER BREAK IN THE 22-23 CALENDAR, PERHAPS EVEN CONSIDERATION OF TWO EXTRA DAYS THANKSGIVING WEEK AS WELL, BUT FOR SURE, AN OPTION A CALENDAR OPTION 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR FOR INCLUDING A FULL ONE WEEK BREAK WOULD BE MY SUGGESTION.
[01:15:05]
YEAH.NO, I WAS JUST SO I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHERE WE'RE AT, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHERE WE'RE AT.
YEAH, WELL, WE'VE APPROVED THE CALENDAR FOR 23-24 FOLLOWING THE MODEL OF DAY 22-23 YEAR CALENDAR PRESENTED IN MR. LAURENCE RECOMMENDATION TO US THAT WAS SUPERSEDED BY SUBSTITUTE MOTION AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE APPROVED ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW IS A MOTION THAT'S BEEN SECONDED THAT WE REQUIRE A DETAILED PLAN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT CALENDAR IN 23-24.
IN DISCUSSION, I POINT OUT THAT WHAT THAT MEANS AS THE MOTION MAKER IS ALL THESE PROBLEMS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS, WHICH HAVE SOME SUBSTANCE, SHOULD BE LOOKED AT AND WE SHOULD GET BACK SOME FEEDBACK ON HOW THE DISTRICT PLANS TO DEAL WITH THOSE.
YEAH AND YOU KNOW, LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO REMEDIATION.
TALK TO ME ABOUT WHAT IT IS WE'RE GOING TO DO, SPECIFICALLY HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, WHO'S GOING TO BE ADDRESSED? WHAT'S IT GOING TO COST? WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE KIDS? HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRANSPORT THEM, HOW WE'RE GOING TO FEED THEM, WHO'S GOING TO TEACH THEM? WHO'S GOING TO PAY? DO THE KIDS HAVE TO PAY ALL THESE KINDS OF ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH ON ANY DAY THAT WE OPERATE A SCHOOL PROGRAM? IN ADDITION TO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT CHILD CARE.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THE DISTRICT TO AT LEAST TALK TO CHILD CARE PROVIDERS AND LOOK AT WAYS THAT WE MIGHT CAN HELP PEOPLE WITH CHILD CARE DURING THE PERIODS WHEN KIDS ARE OFF.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT PEOPLE WHO HAVE CUSTODY ISSUES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT OUGHT TO BE EXPLORED WITH SOME LEGAL ADVICE AND SO FORTH AND SEE AGAIN HOW MUCH OF A HARDSHIP THIS MAY BE CAUSING.
YOU KNOW, THE DIVORCE RATE IS OVER 50 PERCENT.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT AN AWFUL LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE DIVORCED.
WE DON'T THINK ABOUT IT THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE DIVORCE IS A REAL THING NOW IN CUSTODY ISSUES ARE REAL THINGS.
YEAH AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IT'S ALL THESE KINDS OF PROBLEMS THAT CAME UP.
I JUST WOULD LIKE FOR US TO TAKE A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT THE THING AND HAVE SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT IT AND SOME IDEAS ABOUT IS THERE ANYTHING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CAN DO AND IS WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF THIS PROGRAM WORTH WHAT IT COST AND PARENTS? YOU KNOW, IT'S A GIVE AND TAKE KIND OF THING.
IT'S EASY FOR US TO SIT UP HERE AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO REMEDIATE.
COME ON, FOLKS, IT'S TWO WEEKS.
HOW MUCH REMEDIATION CAN YOU DO IN TWO WEEKS? THAT'S 10 DAYS.
WELL, YEAH, MAYBE A LITTLE TEENY BIT, BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANT THAT WE GOT ALL THESE KIDS THAT NEED IT.
THEY DON'T SHOW UP IN SUMMER SCHOOL.
THEY ALREADY ALL THE PROGRAMS WE OFFER, THE KIDS WHO NEED IT MOST ARE THE ONES WHO DON'T SHOW UP.
WHAT I WAS THE QUESTION I WAS TRYING TO ASK YOU, MR. CHAIR, IS THAT MR. SILAS ON TWO MOTIONS AGO WAS ASKING IF WE'RE APPROVING IT RIGHT NOW, RIGHT? THAT'S KIND OF WHAT YOU ASKED, OR ARE WE GOING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION? AND THE RULING FROM THE CHAIR WAS WHICH.
THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FOLLOW IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE NOT DONE AND THAT WAS BEFORE THIS ALL TRANSPIRED.
WE'RE HAVING MORE DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW.
OK, WELL, BUT WE'VE GOT A MOTION ON THE TABLE.
WE HAVE TO DISPOSE OF, OK, AND THEN WE CAN DISCUSS UNTIL SUNDAY.
WELL, IN CASE I LOSE MY PLACE, I'M JUST GOING TO SAY ONE THING AND THEN WE CAN MOVE ON.
IT IS JUST THE ECHO MR. SILAS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONE THING, THE ONE THING FOR SURE THAT EVERYBODY BENEFITS FROM FROM THIS IS ANY IMPROVEMENT THAT WE HAVE IN TEACHER RETENTION BECAUSE YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE TEACHERS TO RUN A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THE I JUST I'M GOING TO DOUBLE DOWN ON WHAT MR. SILAS SAID IN THAT THOSE 15 OR SO WEEKS FROM THE START OF SCHOOL TO THANKSGIVING IS A LONG STRETCH AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A FALL BREAK.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ANOTHER TOPIC WE CAN DO THAT WE CAN AS SOON AS WE GET THIS ONE.
THAT WAY, WE CAN COME BACK AND EVEN HAVE A MOTION MADE AND VOTE ON IT.
YEAH, I WAS JUST PUTTING MY TWO CENTS IN MR. CHAIR, BUT THAT'S RIGHT, I DIDN'T WASN'T PROPOSING ANOTHER MOTION.
I WAS JUST JUST TRYING TO GET IT OUT THERE.
ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE MOTION TO REQUIRE A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALENDAR, BUT PRIOR TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION, THAT'S THE SUCCINCT VERSION OF WHAT I WAS TRYING TO SAY.
[01:20:01]
ON THIS PARTICULAR MOTION, I KNOW SEVERAL OF THE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOME SORT OF MODIFIED CALENDAR ESSENTIALLY WORKED ON IT FOR AT LEAST A YEAR.I KNOW MCCORMACK HELD MULTIPLE TOWN HALLS, WHICH THEY'RE TINY COMPARED TO US.
ONE HIGH SCHOOL VERSUS, YOU KNOW, ALL OF OURS.
SINCE WE'VE DECIDED NOT TO IMPLEMENT THIS IN THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR AS PART OF THAT COMPREHENSIVE SET UP, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA FOR US TO HAVE TOWN HALLS AT EACH HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, FOR FOLKS COMING FROM FROM MY DISTRICT AND I'M GOING TO SPEAK OUT OF TURN FOR MS. SHEALEY'S DISTRICT.
BUT GETTING TO AIKEN HIGH WAS A LITTLE TOUGH, YOU KNOW, GETTING OFF WORK AND THEN YOU GET GET HOME WITH THE KIDS AND IT'S ALREADY 5:45.
SO WHICH I APPLAUDED THE TOWN HALL.
I APPRECIATED THOSE, BUT ANYWAYS, JUST WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME A LITTLE MORE OF THAT.
IF WE CAN, WE'RE TAKING THE TIME AND TO YOUR POINT, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY INPUT.
I THINK IT WOULD BE VALUABLE TO HOLD A FEW MORE TOWN HALLS OR SOMETHING ALONG THOSE LINES, LIKE WE DO WITH THE FOLLOW THE PENNY PRESENTATION, SOMETHING I AGREE FULLY.
SO I'LL JUST TOSS THAT OUT THERE IN SOMEWHAT OF THE VAGARIES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY, I DO AGREE WITH MR. CRANE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF WE COULD HAVE THE TOWN HALLS AT EACH OF THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE PARENTS TO GET THERE AFTER WORK AND I JUST ENCOURAGE THE COMMUNITY TO COME OUT AND BE A PART OF THE DISCUSSION.
SO I HOPE WE CAN DO THAT HAVE THOSE TOWN HALLS AT EACH SCHOOL.
ADMITTEDLY, I AM A LITTLE SLOW SOMETIMES AND SO I RESPECTFULLY ASK WHAT THE MOTION IS.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE MOTION IS TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR AS PRESENTED FOR THE 23 -24 SCHOOL YEAR AND REQUIRE.
BETWEEN NOW AND THE IMPLEMENTATION, ANSWERS TO MANY OF THE CONCERNS IS THAT THE MOTION THE CALENDAR HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED FOR 23-24.
OK, MY MOTION WAS THAT BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT THE APPROVED CALENDAR IN 23-24 THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE ADMINISTRATION A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN FOR HOW THEY ARE GOING TO HOW THEY PROPOSE TO ACCOMPLISH SOME RESOLUTION OR CLARIFICATION OF THE MANY PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE MODIFIED SCHOOL CALENDAR.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU AND MY SUGGESTION AS TO HOW THAT WOULD BE DONE WOULD BE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION TO PREPARE A A PROPOSAL OF WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO TO CREATE THIS, THIS PLAN AND THE DOCUMENTATION THAT THE BOARD HERE, THEY HAVEN'T APPROVED YET AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE.
ALL I'M TRYING TO DO IS SELL THE CONCEPT TONIGHT THAT WE NEED TO STUDY THESE ISSUES MUCH MORE THOROUGHLY AND RECEIVE MORE INFORMATION FROM THE PUBLIC BEFORE WE IMPLEMENT THE APPROVED CALENDAR.
WE'VE GOT THE CALENDAR APPROVED, BUT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT IT.
SO ARE WE GOING TO BE GETTING A LIST OF THE EXACT THINGS WE'D LIKE TO SEE ADDRESSED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE ADMINISTRATION TO GET BACK TO US? YEAH, AGAIN, ALL I'M TRYING TO SELL TONIGHT IS THE IDEA THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.
IT'S A QUALIFICATION TOO, NOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF WORDS AND I'M AN OLD MAN AND MY MEMORY IS NOT GOOD.
WE DID VOTE TO APPROVE THE 23-24 CALENDAR.
MR. LAURENCE WAS THINKING I DIDN'T.
SO I ASKED THE QUESTION AND THEN MR. SILAS ASKED THE QUESTION THAT WHEN MR. MOULTON GAVE HIS MOTION THAT WAS LET ME REWORD IT.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT WE WERE JUST BASICALLY CHANGING THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND THEN WE WERE GOING TO.
SO WE VOTED TO CHANGE THE MOTION.
I THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO HAVE TO VOTE TO APPROVE THE MOTION AND THAT WAS WHY I ASK THAT AND THAT'S WHY YOU ASKED THAT.
I THINK I ASKED THE ATTORNEY, DO WE HAVE TO DO THAT? AND HE SAID WE WE COULD JUST WITHDRAW THE MOTION AND I INTERPRETED YOUR ANSWER TO MEAN WHAT I THOUGHT, BUT THERE WAS A SUBSTITUTE MOTION MADE.
[01:25:07]
ONCE YOU PASSED THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION, FROM YOU, BUT CLARIFICATION.MY UNDERSTANDING WAS WHEN YOU SAID, WHEN I ASKED MY QUESTION, HE ASKED HIS QUESTION, YOU TOLD US, YES, THAT'S WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD CORRECTLY, BUT APPARENTLY NOT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONFUSION, BUT HERE IS MY VIEW OF WHAT'S HAPPENED.
MR. MOULTON MADE A MOTION TO AMEND THE ORIGINAL MOTION, WHICH WAS TO APPROVE THE CALENDAR PRESENTED BY MR. LAURENCE, WE VOTED ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
AT THAT POINT, THE QUESTION WAS WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT THE ORIGINAL MOTION? THE ATTORNEY SAID THAT IT WAS A MOOT POINT BECAUSE THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION VIRTUALLY CHANGED IT.
AT THAT POINT, I MADE A MOTION AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT EVER SINCE.
AT SOME POINT, I THINK SOMEBODY ASKED A QUESTION, COULD WE CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THIS? BUT THAT WAS BEFORE WE TOOK THE VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
BEFORE WE TOOK THE VOTE ON SUBSTITUTE MOTION, I THINK THAT THE PERSON WHO ASKED THAT QUESTION WANTED TO KNOW, WOULD THAT END DISCUSSION OR WOULD THERE BE ROOM TO DISCUSS IT AFTER AFTER THAT VOTE? AND ESSENTIALLY IT WAS DETERMINED THAT WE COULD CONTINUE TO DISCUSS THE ISSUE AFTER THE VOTE ON THE SUBSTITUTE MOTION.
I MADE A MOTION TO ASK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR A COMPREHENSIVE PLAN ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CALENDAR THAT WE JUST ADOPTED BEFORE IT WAS ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTED A YEAR AND A HALF FROM NOW.
NO VOTE HAS BEEN TAKEN ON MY MOTION.
SO RIGHT NOW, WE EITHER NEED TO CONTINUE DISCUSSING MY MOTION OR WE NEED TO VOTE ON IT.
SO [INAUDIBLE] FURTHER DISCUSSION.
MS. RHINEHART? WILL THIS END DISCUSSION ABOUT THE CALENDAR IS MY QUESTION.
SERIOUSLY, AFTER WE VOTE ON THIS MOTION WITH THIS END DISCUSSION BECAUSE I HAVE SOME OTHER POINTS, BUT IT'S NOT TO YOUR MOTION.
I SEE NO PROBLEM WITH DOING THAT.
IF IT IS A PROBLEM, I'M SORRY, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT ANYHOW.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND.
MRS. RINEHART, FIRST, LET ME LET EVERYONE KNOW I'M NOT FEELING WELL, SO PLEASE DON'T TAKE MY DEMEANOR AND TONE AS ANYTHING OTHER THAN THAT.
MY FIRST COMMENT IS TO PARENTS.
PARENTS, YOU HAVE TO BE INVOLVED.
IF YOU DO NOT LIKE THE DECISIONS THAT ARE BEING MADE, WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU AND JUST SIMPLY PUT, JUST CALL THE SCHOOLS.
FACEBOOK, WE'RE ON FACEBOOK, CORRECT? FACEBOOK US, EMAIL US, CALL US, ANYTHING YOU HAVE TO DO TO GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
SECONDLY, MY QUESTION IS FOR MR. LAURENCE, BUT IT'S ABOUT WHAT MR. SILAS SAID.
IT MAY NOT BE A QUESTION, MAYBE A COMMENT, KING, I'M SORRY.
MR. SILAS BROUGHT UP THE POINT THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO OR PROPOSE THE 2022-23 CALENDAR AND IN THAT WE SEE YOU SUGGESTED THAT A FALL BREAK BE PUT IN ALONG WITH ADDITIONAL DAYS DURING THE THANKSGIVING BREAK.
I DON'T HAVE, JUST WORK WITH ME.
I NEED PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE WERE TO APPROVE A CALENDAR SUCH AS MR. SILAS IS PROPOSING, THOSE DAYS STILL HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.
MEANING THEY'RE GOING TO COME FROM THE SUMMER, MEANING IT'S STILL YET A MODIFIED CALENDAR OF SOME SORT.
AM I CORRECT, KING? OK, SO I JUST WANT PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYBODY NEEDS A BREAK , BUT THE DAYS STILL HAVE TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE AND THE DAYS ARE STILL GOING TO ADD
[01:30:02]
UP TO 180.I WAS REALLY HOPING WE WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE RESPONSE FROM THE PAPER SURVEYS.
WE HAD APPROXIMATELY 7000 RESPONSES FROM ONLINE SURVEYS AND THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY WAY TO DELINEATE, YOU KNOW, DID SOMEONE ANSWER THE ELECTRONIC SURVEY AND THEN ANSWER THE PAPER SURVEY OR WHATEVER.
IT'D BE NICE TO GET A MORE COMPREHENSIVE, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME RESULT THERE.
JUST JUST SOME THOUGHTS ON THE MODIFIED CALENDAR TWO YEARS OUT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS SAID THEY WERE IN FAVOR OF THE HORSE CREEK MODEL, AND I'M GENERALLY A LITTLE MORE IN FAVOR OF THAT THAN THAN WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO US FROM THE DISTRICT.
NOT THAT I FULLY OPPOSE THAT, BUT JUST A FEW POINTS THERE.
YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE A COUPLE OF ONE WEEK BREAKS HERE AND THERE, AND THEY START THEIR SCHOOL YEAR DEPENDING ON WHICH YEAR YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR IT WAS AUGUST 9TH, NEXT YEAR, AUGUST 8TH.
SO BASICALLY SECOND WEEK, WHEREAS WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, WHAT YOU PROPOSED MR. LAURENCE HAS US STARTING FIRST DAY OF CLASS AUGUST 1ST, SO ONE WEEK DIFFERENCE THERE.
SO I FOUND THAT KIND OF INTERESTING THAT SO MANY PEOPLE WERE IN FAVOR OF THE HORSE CREEK MODEL.
GRANTED, IT LOOKS A LOT DIFFERENT INTERNALLY, BUT THE STARTING DATE IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS WHAT WE WERE LOOKING AT JUST MY TWO CENTS.
FOR WHATEVER THAT'S WORTH, I DON'T REALLY FEEL SO GREAT ABOUT THE FALL IN THE MODIFIED PROPOSAL THAT WAS LAID OUT TO US.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THE REMEDIATION AND THE CALL FOR THAT.
MY PROBLEM IS, IF YOU LOOK AT OCTOBER, YOU GOT TWO WEEKS OFF, THEN YOU'VE GOT A WEEK OFF IN NOVEMBER AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TWO WEEKS OFF IN DECEMBER.
THEN YOU GO ALL THE WAY, JANUARY AND FEBRUARY UNTIL THE END OF MARCH, ESSENTIALLY WITHOUT A LONG BREAK.
YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT A COUPLE OF ONE DAY BREAKS HERE AND THERE.
I WOULDN'T MIND SEEING THAT SPACED OUT MORE AND I STATED TO YOU OFFLINE, I JUST DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE TWO WEEKS I'VE HEARD FROM TOO MANY YOUNG STUDENT TEACHERS, K-3 THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY WITNESS A CHRISTMAS SLIDE, I'LL TERM THAT MAYBE, YOU KNOW, WITH THOSE YOUNGER KIDS WHEN THEY'RE COMING BACK, THAT FIRST COUPLE OF WEEKS OF SCHOOL IS GETTING THEM BACK IN THE HABIT BACK ON TRACK, AND SO THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF CONCERN WITH WITH THE MULTIPLE TWO WEEK BREAKS AND TO DR.
BRADLEY'S POINT, IF THE GOAL FOR THE TWO WEEKS IS ONE WEEK REMEDIATION AND ONE WEEK TRUE BREAK OR TWO WEEKS OF BREAK, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU ARE RIGHT WITH EVERYTHING.
I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT PERCENTAGE, BUT WHEN WE OFFER SUMMER REMEDIATION PROGRAMS, WE'RE ESSENTIALLY BEGGING THE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED IT BECAUSE OF COVID TO COME.
OUR RESPONSE RATE WAS ASTOUNDINGLY LOW, IN MY HUMBLE OPINION.
SO I HAVE TO WONDER, WELL, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT WITH A TWO WEEK BREAK AND USE ONE WEEK EACH OF THOSE TIMES OCTOBER AND APRIL, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE THE SAME TURNOUT THAT 10 TO 15, 20 PERCENT? I DON'T KNOW, 30 PERCENT OF THE KIDS THAT NEED IT SHOW UP.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE A PROBLEM FILLING THE SEATS AND WE FOUND INCENTIVES TO FILL THE SUMMER SCHOOL FROM A STAFFING STANDPOINT, BUT I DO THINK WE'LL HAVE A PROBLEM FILLING THE SEATS WITH THE KIDS THAT ACTUALLY NEED IT AND COMING OUT OF MY DISTRICT.
IT'S RIGHT AT JUST A LITTLE OVER 50 PERCENT THAT ARE IN FAVOR OF IT AND MR. LAURENCE ORIGINALLY SAID THAT YOU WOULD ONLY REALLY FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS IF IT WAS A VERY HIGH PERCENTAGE OF BUY IN.
MY DISTRICT DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
ABSOLUTELY AND SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE A COUPLE OF DAYS IN OCTOBER, NO MATTER WHAT, FOR THE COMING SCHOOL YEAR, BUT I HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT, LOOK AT THE MEDIAN INCOME IN MY DISTRICT, THE ENTIRE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF POVERTY WITHIN OUR STUDENT BASE.
IT GETS MAGNIFIED IN MY DISTRICT IN A COUPLE OF OUR DISTRICTS, A LITTLE MORE THAN SOME OF THE OTHERS AND THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS ROUGHLY 10000 LESS IN MY
[01:35:01]
DISTRICTS THAN IT IS FOR THE COUNTY AVERAGE AND THAT PUTS A LOT OF WHETHER IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OR NOT.THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN WITH A LOT OF PARENTS I'VE TALKED TO WORKING PARENTS ABOUT WHAT THAT'S GOING TO MEAN FOR THEM WHO ARE ALREADY STRUGGLING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK.
I'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF FOLKS THAT ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY AS WELL, JUST NOT NECESSARILY THIS EXACT CALENDAR, SO I'M IN FAVOR OF IT PERSONALLY, BUT I CAN'T NECESSARILY SEE THE BENEFIT OF DOING IT THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE I THINK OUR FOLKS DESERVE A LITTLE MORE TIME TO DIGEST IT, I THINK AND SO WE'VE ALREADY SETTLED THAT ISSUE , BUT I WOULDN'T MIND BREAKING IT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
HORSE CREEK HAS A WEEK AND THEN THEY HAVE MULTIPLE SINGLE WEEK BREAKS WHICH A LOT OF PEOPLE SAID THEY LIKED, I KEEP GOING BACK TO THAT AT THE TOWN HALLS.
GRANTED, THE TOWN HALLS WERE ROUGHLY 50 TO 60 FOLKS, AND IS THAT A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLING SIZE OF 46000 PARENTS OR WHATEVER THAT WE MIGHT HAVE? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I TEND TO LEAN IN THAT DIRECTION TOO.
I THINK THE MODIFIED CALENDAR IS A VERY GOOD THING, BUT I JUST THROW THAT OUT THERE; THERE'S A LOT OF CONCERN FROM FOLKS IN MY DISTRICT ABOUT HOW THIS IS GOING TO IMPACT THEIR JOBS AND JUST FIGURING OUT SCHEDULES AND THEN WHEN I'M HEARING FROM, YOU KNOW, THE BAND TEACHERS ABOUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO POSSIBLY WHAT'S ON THE TABLE MIGHT IMPACT THINGS FOR THEM.
I DID GATEWAY FROM THIRD GRADE ALL THE WAY UNTIL I GOT INTO MARCHING BAND.
SO I WAS ALWAYS DOING SOMETHING IN THE SUMMER AND I HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT THIS MIGHT MEAN FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AND I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE COMPREHENSIVE TO THE THING WE JUST VOTED ON A MOMENT AGO, BUT THAT'S KIND OF MY TWO CENTS ON IT.
I THINK THERE'S A TON OF BENEFITS TO IT.
ANECDOTALLY, YOU CAN LOOK AT IT WITHIN WITHIN A 10 MINUTE DRIVE, AIKEN COUNTY, THE CHARTER SCHOOLS THAT HAVE DONE IT, AND THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF SUCCESS AND IT'S VERY POPULAR THERE.
SO HOPEFULLY WITH SOME OF THIS COMPREHENSIVE AND A LITTLE MORE DEEP DOVE ON IT, FOLKS, AT LEAST BE MORE INFORMED ABOUT IT AND IF THAT REINFORCES THEIR EXISTING OPINIONS OR CHANGES THEIR OPINIONS, EITHER DIRECTION.
I DON'T THINK, I DON'T THINK GIVING FOLKS MORE INFORMATION AND US DOING A LITTLE MORE DUE DILIGENCE IS IN ANY WAY A BAD THING.
I JUST THINK IT MAY HELP IN THE LONG RUN AND THIS IS FOR MR. LAURENCE IF WE'RE GOING TO DELAY THIS AND WE VOTED TO DELAY IT TO 23-24.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO DO A SURVEY AS A MANDATORY QUESTION OR TWO AS A PART OF THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR THIS COMING SCHOOL YEAR? THEREFORE, MAYBE HOPEFULLY IMPROVING OUR VERY, VERY POOR PERFORMANCE ON THE SURVEY? JUST ASKING.
I THINK WE COULD ADD A QUESTION OR TWO TO THE TO THE REGISTRATION CARD.
MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT THE CURRENT GENERATION DOESN'T DO PAPER VERY WELL.
ELECTRONIC SEEMS TO BE BETTER FOR THEM.
JUST WANTED TO FINISH AND SOMEWHAT PIGGYBACK ON WHAT A LOT OF WHAT YOU'VE SAID, MR. CRANE.
I AM NOT AGAINST THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.
I THINK THAT FOR A LOT OF HOUSEHOLDS IT WILL WORK WONDERFULLY, BUT FOR A LOT OF WORKING PARENTS, IT MAY NOT, AND THAT'S ALWAYS THE CONCERN.
SO HAVING MORE TIME TO JUST LOOK AT ALL ANGLES OF THIS AND TO FIND DATA THAT SAYS WHAT WE ARE ATTEMPTING TO DO IS GOING TO GIVE US THE END RESULT OF WHAT WE'RE ASKING THIS TO DO.
MY OTHER CONCERN IS THAT WE ARE STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC.
SO NOT ONLY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING THE CLASS TIME, BUT THESE STUDENTS MAY HAVE CLASS TIME OUTAGES AS WELL AS QUARANTINE.
SO WE'RE ADDING TO THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT THEY WILL NOT BE IN FRONT OF AN INSTRUCTOR AND AGAIN, TO, YOU KNOW, PIGGYBACK ON WHAT SOMEONE ELSE SAID.
PARENTS, IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR STUDENTS HAVE A NEED AND WE'RE OFFERING PROGRAMS, WE NEED YOU TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE PROGRAMS BECAUSE EVERYTHING WE DO IS A MOOT POINT IF THOSE STUDENTS ARE NOT SITTING IN THE CHAIR.
SO THE LAST THING I HAVE IS A PART OF THE LIST THAT I LIKE TO SEE ALSO WOULD BE A
[01:40:04]
SURVEY FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT ON DISTRICTS THAT HAVE DONE THIS AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR A WHILE.WHAT DO THEIR NUMBERS SHOW? CAN WE GET AN IDEA OF WHAT PERCENTAGES OF STUDENT TURNOUT RATES THAT THEY'VE HAD AND HOW DID THEY MEASURE IF THEY HAD A WAY OF MEASURING ANY IMPROVEMENT IN THOSE STUDENTS WHO TOOK AT AN ADVANTAGE OF THE ONE WEEK REMEDIATION? ONE OBSERVATION THAT I CAN'T HELP BUT MAKE IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A PROBLEM CREATED BY KIDS NOT BEING IN SCHOOL BY GIVING THEM MORE TIME OUT OF SCHOOL.
LET'S GO TO THE BIG CONSENT ITEMS.
[Consent Itemso]
THIS IS A GROUP OF ITEMS THAT WE WILL GO THROUGH AND VOTE ON THEM AS A GROUP.I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT ITEMS AS A GROUP.
IS THEIR A SECOND? SECOND BY DR.
THE FIRST ITEM IS THE RATIFICATION OF EXPULSIONS.
THIS IS ROUTINE ITEM THAT JUST RATIFIES THE EXPULSIONS THAT DID NOT APPEAL.
NUMBER TWO IS OUT OF DISTRICT TRANSFER REQUEST.
THESE ARE KIDS WHO ARE REQUESTING TO COME INTO THE DISTRICT FROM OTHER DISTRICTS AND THE THIRD IS THE PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS (PEP) AIKEN COUNTY GRANT AWARD TO THE AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DISTRICT IN FY 22.
UM, WE'VE BEEN GIVEN THREE THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED THIRTY ONE DOLLARS AND THIRTY FOUR CENTS IN GRANT AWARDS BY PUBLIC EDUCATION PARTNERS OF AIKEN COUNTY.
THESE FUNDS WOULD BE USED TO FUND SEVEN TEACHER GRANT AWARDS AND THE TOTAL OF THAT AMOUNT, WITH TWO THOUSAND SIX HUNDRED THIRTY FOUR DOLLARS AND THIRTY FOUR CENTS OF THAT RELATED TO THE SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, ARTS AND MATH PROGRAMS. THE FUNDS WILL BE USED BY THE INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS TO CARRY OUT THE PROJECTS FOR WHICH THEY REQUESTED A GRANT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE? WE'VE ALREADY GOT THAT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? MR. CRANE? NOT SO MUCH A DISCUSSION JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT, WE HAVE SOME REPRESENTATIVES FROM PEP HANGING OUT WITH US.
I JUST WANT TO SAY I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT PEP DOES TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS.
A MOTION AND A SECOND ALREADY, NO FURTHER DISCUSSION.
ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE'VE GOT THREE INFORMATIONAL ITEMS.
[Individual Items]
WE HAVE MR. CHUCK DEAN HERE TO TALK TO US ABOUT THE BAND PROGRAM.MR. DEAN, YOU PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WERE GETTING INTO WHEN YOU ASKED TO COME BACK.
NO, I'M VERY THANKFUL TO BE HERE.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, THAT'S AWESOME.
THE FUNDS THAT THIS BOARD VOTED FOR THE CHILDREN OF THE BANDS OF AIKEN COUNTY, THE REST OF THE STATE IS TAKING NOTE, NO PUN INTENDED.
BAND DIRECTORS ARE INTERESTING CREATURES.
WE'RE VERY POSSESSIVE OF WHAT WE DO AND VERY PROTECTIVE OF WHAT WE DO.
I DON'T MIND BEING HONEST WITH YOU FOR A MINUTE.
HOW ABOUT WHEN I HAVE FIVE MINUTES LEFT SOMEBODY YELL AT ME, OK, BECAUSE I HAVE SOME STUFF I'D LIKE TO SAY.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PERSON THAT HAS MORE LEARNING DISABILITIES THAN ANYONE ELSE IN THIS ROOM.
YOU'RE LOOKING AT A PERSON THAT WENT TO A SPEECH THERAPIST EVERY DAY FOR THE FIRST FIVE YEARS OF SCHOOL BECAUSE I COULD NOT TALK.
[01:45:05]
I STARTED BAND IN FOURTH GRADE IN HEIDELBERG, GERMANY IN RECORDER BAND, AND BY SOME MIRACLE I GOT INVITED TO BE IN FIFTH GRADE BEGINNER BAND AND I KIND OF HAVE NOT STOPPED SINCE.I'M NOT HERE TO SAY THAT ANYONE'S DOING ANYTHING WRONG.
OK AND IT BECAME VERY CLEAR WITH THE WITH THE RESPONSES THAT MANY OF YOU GAVE ME TO MY EMAIL THANKING YOU FOR YOUR GIFT THAT WE NOW CAN KIND OF HAVE A VOICE.
SO LAST TWO WEEKS AGO, HERE WE GO.
SO COVID OBVIOUSLY HAS IMPACTED EVERYTHING, OK? FROM PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES TO RETENTION TO MOTIVATION IN ORDER TO RECOVER, WE MUST IDENTIFY NECESSARY STEPS IN MOVING FORWARD.
IF WE DO NOT COMMUNICATE IN EFFECTIVE WAYS, HOW CAN WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE ASSISTANCE? WE OFTEN AS BAND DIRECTORS SIT AROUND AND UNFORTUNATELY IT TURNS INTO A GRIPE SESSION AND THEN FINALLY, THIS PERSON THAT I JUST DESCRIBED GETS THIS INCREDIBLE HONOR AND ROLE IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA AND ONE OF OUR LOCAL DIRECTORS SAID YOU'RE LEADING AN ENTIRE STATE IN BRINGING BAND BACK.
OK, I INVITE YOU TO STOP ME AT ANY TIME AND ASK ANY KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
I WOULD LOVE FOR ONE OF YOU TO ASK ME WHAT MY THOUGHTS ON THE MODIFIED CALENDAR ARE AND HOW IT'S GOING TO SURPRISE YOU IN HOW WE CAN WORK WITH THAT.
OK, BECAUSE I TOO LIKE YOU TALK TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS.
OK, TAKE US ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
SO VISIBILITY COORDINATION BETWEEN MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS.
I HAVE A LOT OF NERVOUS ENERGY.
THIS IS ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS WE DID IN NORTH AUGUSTA.
WE TOOK THE MIDDLE SCHOOL BANDS OUT OF THE CHRISTMAS PARADE BECAUSE YOU TAKE EARLY MUSICIANS WHO ARE STRUGGLING TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY THEIR INSTRUMENT AND HOLD IT CORRECT AND THEN HAVE THEM PLOW DOWN GEORGIA AVENUE IN NORTH AUGUSTA.
SO THE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOL DIRECTORS SAID WE'RE STRUGGLING AND WE WERE FINDING WE WERE NOT GETTING CHILDREN IN HIGH SCHOOL MARCHING BAND BECAUSE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PARADE EXPERIENCE WAS KIND OF TERRIFYING.
SO NOW BECAUSE OF VISIBILITY IN NORTH AUGUSTA.
THIS IS THE CHRISTMAS TREE LIGHTING IN NORTH AUGUSTA.
NOW BOTH MIDDLE SCHOOL BANDS COMBINED IN ANY HIGH SCHOOL MEMBER THAT WANTS TO GO THAT TUESDAY AFTER THANKSGIVING, AND WE DO THE TREE LIGHTING IN NORTH AUGUSTA, SO WE'VE GOT SOME VISIBILITY.
YOU GUYS MAYBE NEVER KNEW THAT.
THAT'S WHAT THAT IS, BUT WE DO HAVE VISIBILITY.
I'VE GOT TWO OF MY COLLEAGUES HERE WITH ME TONIGHT.
WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME ON HOW WE NEED TO MAKE PEOPLE MORE AWARE OF WHAT WE DO.
PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, WE'VE HEARD YOU TALK ABOUT THE MODIFIED CALENDAR.
EVERYONE HERE, I THINK, IS VESTED AND WANTING TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
WE'RE JUST KIND OF A DIFFERENT BREED, OK? SOMETIMES PEOPLE THINK THAT MIDDLE SCHOOLS ARE HALF OF THE VALUE OF A HIGH SCHOOL BAND PROGRAM.
MIDDLE SCHOOL IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN WHAT WE DO.
IF THE CHILDREN DON'T GET THE TRAINING IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL THAT THEY NEED, HOW CAN WE, AS HIGH SCHOOL BAND DIRECTORS, EXPECT TO HAVE THE PROGRAMS THAT ALL OF YOU WANT TO SEE WHEN YOU GO TO YOUR STADIUMS ON FRIDAY NIGHTS? SO WE HAVE SOME THINGS THAT WE HAVE SOME MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAMS, UNFORTUNATELY, TO WHERE THE SCHEDULING IS WORKING TO, WHERE WE'VE ACTUALLY HAD ONE, WHERE WE'VE HAD BEGINNERS, SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADERS IN THE SAME CLASS.
BAND NEEDS TO BE ABILITY LEVEL BASED.
JUST LIKE CHILDREN WHO GO INTO A CP CLASS OR AN HONORS CLASS OR AP; WE'RE REALLY NO DIFFERENT AT ALL.
AND I THINK THAT SOMETIMES WITHIN THE SCHEDULING PROCESS, PROBABLY IN-HOUSE
[01:50:05]
FOLKS GET A LITTLE BIT NERVOUS AT THE NUMBERS.OK, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE A MASTER SCHEDULE, THAT IT'S VERY CHALLENGING TO PUT ONE SPECIALIZED CLASS HERE AND THEN WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE HERE AND ANOTHER ONE HERE, AND THEN THEY TRY TO MERGE EVERYTHING AND HISTORICALLY, A LOT OF BAND STUDENTS END UP BEING THE MOST ACADEMICALLY TALENTED.
SO WE'RE REACHING ALL KINDS OF FOLKS IN OUR SCHOOLS TODAY.
WE DO IN THE NORTH AUGUSTA PROGRAM HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE IN THE TOP FIVE IN THE TOP 20, BUT I ALSO HAVE KIDS THAT ARE IN THE BOTTOM FIVE.
I'M GOING TO TELL YOU A QUICK LITTLE STORY THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE SAY, WELL, WHY DO YOU DO THIS? WHAT MAKES THIS HAPPEN FOR YOU? AND SO THIS IS WHAT I SAY, THAT IN MY BAND, I HAVE CHILDREN THAT THE ONLY MEAL THEY GET IS THE SCHOOL PROVIDED BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO CHILDREN WHO GO TO OUTBACK OLIVE GARDEN CARRABBA'S EVERY SINGLE NIGHT.
I HAVE CHILDREN WHO GO TO THE MALL AND THEY GET THE LATEST FASHION CLOTHES AND THEN I HAVE CHILDREN THAT WEAR HAND-ME-DOWNS AND THEN I HAVE CHILDREN THAT THE ONLY TIME THAT THEY GET AIR CONDITIONING AND HEAT IS IN THEIR SCHOOL.
I HAVE CHILDREN THAT GO FROM THE DMV TO THE CAR LOT AND BUY A BRAND NEW CAR TO KIDS LIKE ME WHO DIDN'T OWN A CAR TILL I WAS A JUNIOR IN COLLEGE, BUT YOU PUT ALL OF THEM IN A BAND UNIFORM AND EVERYONE IS EQUAL.
OK, SO WHERE ARE WE HEADED? WE NEED SOME HELP WITH SOME THINGS THAT UNFORTUNATELY COMES DOWN, HOLLER AT ME ON TIME, PLEASE.
OK, BECAUSE I COULD TALK TO YOU GUYS FOR A WEEK.
I'VE GOT FIVE, SOMEBODY HOLLER WHEN I'VE GOT TO PLEASE.
SO ONE THING THAT YOU MIGHT NOT BE AWARE OF IS THAT WHEN, LIKE IN THE SILVER BLUFF BAND PROGRAM, THAT IS A LOWER STATE MARCHING BAND CHAMPION AND FINISHED SECOND IN THE STATE, WHICH, BY THE WAY, HAD SOUSAPHONES DUCT TAPED TOGETHER AT THE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS.
BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID, THOSE KIDS DON'T HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT ANYMORE.
I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE SUPPLEMENTS BASED ACROSS THE COUNTY LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN OUR PROGRAM, I GET A SUPPLEMENT, IT'S VERY GENEROUS.
I GET ONE ASSISTANCE SUPPLEMENT, BUT I HAVE TWO ASSISTANTS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, AND THEN I HAVE TWO MIDDLE SCHOOLS DIRECTORS THAT COULD HELP AND WOULD LOVE TO WORK WITH US, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A SUPPLEMENT FOR THEM.
SO WE NEED SOME HELP WITH THAT.
I WOULD BEG ANYONE TO LET ME HAVE A SCHEDULE LIKE AN ATHLETIC DIRECTOR TO WHERE I COULD HAVE TWO PERIODS FREE.
I TEACH BAND GUITAR AND MUSIC [INAUDIBLE].
I STAND IN FRONT OF THE 10TH LARGEST PROGRAM IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE WERE THE SEVENTH LARGEST PROGRAM AND WE WERE RIGHT AT 180 STUDENTS.
OK, SO IMAGINE WHAT WE COULD DO BY GETTING OUT TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, ESPECIALLY NOW IN OUR PRESENCE BEING SEEN AND WHAT WE COULD DO TO REBUILD OUR BAND PROGRAMS BECAUSE WE ARE REBUILDING OUR BAND PROGRAMS. WE ARE REBUILDING, AND WE JUST NEED HELP.
QUESTIONS? I'VE SAID A TON TO YOU TODAY AND AGAIN, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE SAID AND I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU.
MY SON WAS IN THE BAND I KNOW FROM EXPERIENCE AND FROM BEING WITH HIM THAT MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND IS VERY IMPORTANT AND, YOU KNOW, CAPTURING THOSE KIDS, CATCHING THOSE KIDS AT THAT TIME IS CRUCIAL I FEEL TO BUILDING ANY BAND PROGRAM BECAUSE I FEEL THAT IF THEY START IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY'RE GOING TO DEVELOP THAT LOVE FOR MUSIC THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LOSE AND THEY'RE GOING TO STAY IN THE PROGRAM THROUGHOUT THEIR CAREER.
SO WITH THIS CALENDAR, TWO OF MY BEST BAND DIRECTOR FRIENDS WORK IN GREENWOOD DISTRICT, AND WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY HAD THE TWO WEEKS OFF.
OCTOBER IS THE HOTBED MONTH FOR MARCHING BAND.
[01:55:02]
WE HAVE A SHOW EVERY DAY FROM THE LAST SATURDAY AND SEPTEMBER THROUGH THE FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER.SO WHAT THEY DID WAS THEY DID A LITTLE CONTRACT WITH THEIR MEMBERSHIP AND THEY SAID, OK, WE'RE GOING TO PRACTICE EVERY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR EIGHT HOURS AND THEN DO OUR SHOW ON SATURDAY AND WE ASK FOR YOU TO ONLY TAKE TIME OFF FROM SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
IT DIDN'T QUITE WORK ALL THE WAY.
IS A BAND DIRECTOR DEALING WITH THAT FOR ONE WEEK ONLY IN OCTOBER WOULD BE GREAT AND PLEASE CONSIDER PUTTING IT EARLY IN OCTOBER BECAUSE FOR MARCHING BANDS IN THE STATE AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IN MY STATE ROLE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALREADY IS THAT WE'RE SURE THAT MORE OF THE STATE IS GOING TO BE GOING TO DIFFERENT CALENDARS AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MODIFY OUR OUR CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SCBDA.
FEEL FREE TO EMAIL ME, I WAS QUITE A BIT OVERWHELMED IN A GREAT WAY WITH THE PEOPLE THAT RESPONDED FROM LAST TIME AND JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU.
THE IMPACT IN THESE INSTRUMENTS THAT THESE CHILDREN ARE GOING TO GET, YOU CAN'T BEGIN TO IMAGINE.
MR. DEAN ONE FINAL THING IF I MAY.
MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS KNOW I'M AN ATHLETICS GUY AND THEY HEAR IT FROM ME QUITE A BIT, BUT I'VE COME TO REALLY APPRECIATE THE BAND, OUR BAND PROGRAMS AND RECOGNIZE HOW MANY STUDENTS BAND TOUCHES FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HIGH.
SO I LOOK FORWARD TO SUPPORTING BAND WITH THE SAME VIGOR THAT I SUPPORT ATHLETICS, SO THANKS FOR COMING TONIGHT.
WE'RE GOING TO SEND YOU AN EMAIL OF JUST SOME THINGS, LIKE WHAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND WE WOULD LOVE TO TALK TO ANY OF YOU ANY TIME AND I'LL SEE YOU AGAIN AND RUN A MONTH.
MR. CRANE HAD A QUESTION, I THINK.
NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION, MR. DEAN.
I GREW UP, I REFER TO IT AS THE GLORY DAYS OF BECAUSE WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL, THOSE WERE THE GLORY DAYS.
YOU KNOW, KENNEDY AND SOUTH AIKEN BACK THEN, MR. NOEL WAS OUR DIRECTOR ALL THE WAY THROUGH AND SPARKY'S STILL AROUND AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S HE IS WHO HE IS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF FUN WHEN WE SEE EACH OTHER.
I CAME FROM A SINGLE INCOME HOUSEHOLD.
WE SUBSISTENCE FARM TO MAKE ENDS MEET.
MY BROTHER AND I BOTH WENT THROUGH THE BAND PROGRAM ALL THE WAY, AND IT WAS VERY VALUABLE TO ME.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK I SAID IN MY EMAIL, WE MARCHED IN.
SO THAT WAS 1998 THROUGH 2002.
IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, BUT SOUTH AIKEN WAS BUILT, THEY BOUGHT THE UNIFORMS THAT I MARCHED IN THAT HAD MOTH HOLES IN THEM AND THEY WERE WOOL, AND I MEAN, WE LOOK LIKE A MILLION BUCKS OUT THERE BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU CAN'T TELL A MOTH HOLE FROM UP IN THE STANDS, RIGHT? I HAD SO MUCH FUN.
I MEAN, I STILL HAVE LIFELONG FRIENDSHIPS FROM THAT.
I STILL CATCH MYSELF IF I'M JUST KIND OF ZONING OUT, I'LL CATCH MYSELF FINGERING MY SCALES.
I HAVEN'T PICKED UP A FRENCH HORN SINCE 2002, AND IT'S JUST INGRAINED IN THERE.
I'M HAPPY TO GROW OUR SUPPORT AS MUCH AS ONE BOARD MEMBER CAN SAY THAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE IDEAS FROM YOU AND OUR OTHER BAND DIRECTORS AS WELL.
MR. STOCKTON MADE THE MISTAKE OF OFFERING TO LET ME COME AND DIRECT A SONG SOMETIME.
I TOLD HIM I'D LEAVE THAT TO THE EXPERTS.
[CHUCKLING] HE'S NOT HERE, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS AND I LOOK FORWARD TO MORE.
YOU'VE GOT A LOT ON YOUR PLATE TONIGHT.
I ADMIRE YOUR PASSION AND YOUR DEDICATION.
BRADLEY, BOARD MEMBERS, MR. LAURENCE.
HOLT MAKES HIS WAY UP HERE TO JOIN ME VERY BRIEFLY [INAUDIBLE] BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A BRIEF, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF OUR SCHOOL SAFETY, SOME OF OUR INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT UPTICK AND I WOULD SAY PROBLEMATIC BEHAVIORS AND DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS IN THE SCHOOLS, AS WELL AS SOME SITUATIONS BEEN GOING ON WITH VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY.
OF COURSE, WHAT I SHARE OUT TONIGHT PUBLICLY WOULD NOT DETAIL IN ANY WAY ANY MEASURES OR COUNTERMEASURES WE HAVE IN PLACE WITH REGARD TO SAFETY PROTOCOLS IN THE SCHOOLS AND BEST PRACTICES.
I BEGAN WITH NOVEMBER 16TH, WHERE MR. LAURENCE CONVENED A MEETING WITH ALL THE CHIEFS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT IN THE COUNTY.
WE DISCUSSED THE LATEST VIOLENCE IN THE COMMUNITY, AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR GROWING CONCERNS WITH SCHOOL SAFETY.
THE CHIEFS EXPRESSED RESOUNDING SUPPORT FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND A CONTINUED COMMITMENT TO SWIFT AND APPROPRIATE ACTION.
[02:00:01]
WE ALSO DISCUSSED WAYS TO TAKE A MORE PROACTIVE STANCE LEGALLY IN THE WAKE OF CRIMINAL BEHAVIOR THAT HAS OCCURRED IN OUR SCHOOLS ALONG THE SAME LINES.WE ARE ALSO PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OFFICIAL NOTICE THAT AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS BEEN NAMED A RECIPIENT OF THE SCHOOL VIOLENCE PREVENTION PROGRAM GRANT.
AS A REMINDER, THIS SAFETY GRANT IS A $500000 GRANT AND WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE A SECURITY EMERGENCY MANAGER TO OVERSEE SAFETY OPERATIONS IN EACH OF OUR SCHOOL FACILITIES.
ONCE ON BOARD, THIS MANAGER WILL COMMISSION A SCHOOL SAFETY AUDIT TO EVALUATE EACH SCHOOL AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON SCHOOL IMPROVEMENTS.
WE ALSO APPLY FOR AND RECEIVE FUNDING FOR A GRANT FROM THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY FOR THE AIKEN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND NORTH AIKEN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO HIRE ADDITIONAL SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
CURRENTLY, WE SPLIT AT HALF TIME OFFICER AT NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL AND PAUL KNOX.
THIS GRANT WILL ALLOW US TO HIRE TWO FULL TIME OFFICERS FOR ONE AT EACH OF THOSE LOCATIONS.
BOTH DEPARTMENTS HOPE TO HAVE THE OFFICER IN PLACE BY FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR.
ALSO, WE'LL BE ADDING A NEW FULL TIME OFFICER AT KENNEDY MIDDLE SCHOOL.
THE AIKEN COUNTY SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS CURRENTLY APPLYING FOR FUNDING TO PUT OFFICERS AT JACKSON AND LBC.
WE ANTICIPATE HAVING THESE OFFICERS HIRED PRIOR TO THE BEGINNING OF THE 22-23 SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH MEANS WE WILL HAVE A FULL TIME SRO AT ALL AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR.
ADDITIONALLY, IN NOVEMBER, WE POSTED AND HIRED ONE ADDITIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY MONITOR FOR EACH OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
CURRENTLY, ALL BUT ONE OF THOSE NEW POSITIONS HAS BEEN FILLED.
WE ARE ALSO IN NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE AIKEN DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO CONTRACT WITH OFF DUTY OFFICERS TO ASSIST IN PATROLLING SCHOOLS ALONG WITH THEIR SROS WHEN AND IF THERE IS AN IDENTIFIED AND ONGOING NEED.
SO WE'LL BE CONTRACTING WITH OFF DUTY COPS TO COME IN AND HELP PATROL THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AND LASTLY, LATER THIS EVENING, JUST AFTER THIS REPORT, WILL BE PREVIEWING A NEW INTEGRATED INSTRUCTIONAL TOOL THAT HAS A MUCH NEEDED SAFETY COMPONENT THAT WILL BE DEMONSTRATING TONIGHT.
HOLT TO COME AND DETAIL SOME OF THE ENHANCED MEASURES THAT THEY'RE IMPLEMENTING OVER AT AIKEN HIGH.
BRADLEY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MR. LAURENCE.
I'M GOING TO BE REALLY MODIFIED FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD AND JUST GIVING YOU KIND OF AN OVERVIEW IN SOME THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL.
I HAD A REALLY CLEAR HEAD BEFORE I GOT UP HERE, BUT MR. DEAN TOOK ME BACK TO MIDDLE SCHOOL WHEN I WAS MARCHING DOWN GEORGIA AVENUE [CHUCKLING] AND KIND OF GOT ME IN A WEIRD STATE OF MIND TO THAT EPISODE THAT I HAD ABOUT 25 PLUS YEARS AGO.
IF YOU ASKED AT STUDENT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, THE TWO WORDS THAT THEY HEAR FROM ME CONSTANTLY IS SAFETY AND LEARNING.
SO TAKE OUR STRATEGIC VISION AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL, AND IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT WE WENT THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF A CYCLE MIDWAY THROUGH THE YEAR WHERE WE HAD TO SHOW LOVE TO STUDENTS IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND TRY TO REACH OUT TO THEM AND DO OUR BEST.
I EMAILED YOU SIMULTANEOUSLY ME WALKING UP HERE SOME VERY DETAILED THINGS I SHARED WITH OUR ENTIRE FACULTY STUDENTS, PARENTS ON JANUARY 5TH, SO I EMAILED THAT TO YOU.
SHARE THAT MR. ROSIER, SO WE CAN ADD THAT TO ANYTHING PUBLIC.
IT'S ALREADY BEEN WITH OUR PARENTS FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, BUT I'D LOVE TO SHARE JUST A LITTLE BRIEF OF WHAT WE'VE DONE AT AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL TO INCREASE SAFETY AND SECURITY
[02:05:09]
IN PARTICULAR.10 THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT BASED ON YOUR GENEROSITY AND FORWARD THINKING, AND ACTUALLY, TODAY WAS HIS FIRST DAY WAS AN ADDITION OF AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL THAT WILL FOCUS ON PARTICULARLY SAFETY, SECURITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
HE SPENT MOST OF THE DAY TODAY, HE'S GOT A TWO WEEK ORIENTATION THAT WE SET UP LOCALLY, AND HE MET HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS TODAY AND SO GREETING THEM, GETTING TO KNOW THEM ALREADY HAD A GREAT KICK START TO WHAT HE'S DOING AND HE TEXTED ME RECENTLY AND SAID HE'S HAD A GREAT DAY.
HE'S A LITTLE TIRED, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE A GREAT THING FOR US.
SO I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT AND THEN ADDITIONAL SAFETY MONITOR AS WELL.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY ZONE OUT AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL.
THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE RECENT.
A NUMBER OF THINGS I'D LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT IS A CONTINUED EMPHASIS ON MAKING SURE THAT ALL SCHOOLS, I'M SURE, BUT PARTICULARLY AIKEN HIGH SCHOOL ARE LOOKING AT REVIEWING OUR SAFETY PROCEDURES THROUGH OUR SAFETY COMMITTEE.
MORNING ANNOUNCEMENTS AND USING OUR ILT PERIOD TO HELP SHOW STUDENTS ANSWER QUESTIONS, ENGAGE IN SAFETY SPECIFIC TOPICS.
AROUND DECEMBER, WE HAD FURTHER PARTNERED WITH AIKEN PUBLIC SAFETY TO ADDITIONAL PATROLS IN OUR SCHOOL AND AREA AND PARTICULARLY IN OUR BUILDING AS WELL.
WE INCREASED SEARCHES WHERE APPROPRIATE.
IN FACT, JUST RECENTLY, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO INCREASE OUR SEARCHES WHERE WE DO RANDOMIZED SEARCHES WITH A PARTNERSHIP OF AIKEN PUBLIC SAFETY WITH DOGS JUST BRING THEM IN AT RANDOM DIFFERENT TIMES.
WE DON'T WANT TO HAVE AN ONGOING EVERY DAY THIS IS WHAT STUDENTS EXPECT AND EXPECT.
WE WANT TO MAKE IT AS RANDOMIZED AS POSSIBLE.
WITH THOSE THINGS, WE'VE SEEN SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT SINCE MID-YEAR.
I'M OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS CONCERNS.
MANY OF YOU HAVE REACHED OUT TO ME.
WHETHER YOU'VE DONE THAT OR NOT, YOU'VE BEEN EXTREMELY SUPPORTIVE OF WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IN OUR COMMUNITY.
WE CONTINUE TO KEEP SAFETY AND LEARNING OUR TOP TWO PRIORITIES, AND I'M OPEN TO ANSWERING ANY QUESTIONS, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CLOSE THIS OUT IF THAT'S THE CASE.
HOLT AND I JUST SAW THE EMAIL THAT YOU SENT OVER TO US.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT EMAIL.
I THINK THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD MODEL FOR SOME, YOU KNOW, MAYBE FOR ALL THE AT LEAST THE HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO SEND SOMETHING OUT, KIND OF LAYING OUT FOR THE FOLKS THAT OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN'T SEE THIS, IT KIND OF LAYS OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT AIKEN HIGH, YOU KNOW, JUST IT'S A VERY WARM EMAIL AS FAR AS SECURITY AND SAFETY FOR STUDENTS, RIGHT? AND THIS WAS SENT OUT TO PARENTS AND WHATNOT, PARENTS AND GUARDIANS AND EVERYTHING.
SO ANYWAYS, I JUST TOSSED THAT OUT THERE.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO SHARE WITH THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPALS AND MAYBE ALL PRINCIPALS TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
I MEAN, WE HAVE MADE A STATED POSITION OF FOCUSING ON SAFETY AND SECURITY RIGHT IN THIS, THIS IS COMMUNICATION IN THAT VEIN.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT I THINK YOU'RE DOING A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.
I WAS ALWAYS IMPRESSED WITH SOME OF THE PROGRAMS YOU IMPLEMENTED AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL ON I'LL USE DISCIPLINE AS A CATCH-ALL PHRASE THERE TO TRY AND GET AHEAD OF THAT AHEAD OF DISCIPLINE ISSUES BEFORE THEY HAPPENED AND HIGH SCHOOLS ARE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT SITUATION, RIGHT? DIFFERENT AGE GROUP OR WHATEVER, BUT I CERTAINLY APPLAUD EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING AND BEING PROACTIVE WITH US, HOPEFULLY HELPING YOU IN SUPPORTING THAT AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE QUESTIONS? MR. MOULTON.
DR. HOLT, THANK YOU, THAT EMAIL WAS GREAT, BY THE WAY.
I'VE ALREADY KIND OF PERUSED IT, BUT QUESTION WHEN DID YOU SEND THAT TO THE PARENTS? YEAH, THAT WAS JANUARY 5TH AS THE EXACT DAY THE DAY AFTER WE CAME BACK.
IN FACT, I WAS AT A PTSO MEETING AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THE MONTH OF DECEMBER HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF PARENTS I TALKED TO, AND I REALIZED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE LEFT A FEW OUT.
SO THAT'S THE REASON WE SENT IT LIKE THAT.
THE REASON I ASK THAT, I'VE PROBABLY BEEN I'M A VERY VOCAL SUPPORTER OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK YOU'VE GOT A CHALLENGE.
YOU KNOW THAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH THE BEST YOU CAN WITH ALL THE RESOURCES THAT YOU CAN AND I WAS VERY HAPPY TO VOTE TO PROVIDE YOU AN ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THAT.
THAT SAID, BEFORE YOU SENT THIS, AND I'M SO GLAD YOU DID.
I HAD ONE OF THE PARENTS OF TWO STUDENTS AT AIKEN HIGH CALL ME LATE ONE EVENING VERY UPSET BECAUSE HE WAS GENUINELY CONCERNED FOR THE SAFETY OF HIS TWO GIRLS AND HE SAID AS FAR AS THEY SAW AT THAT TIME, THEY SAW THE ISSUES IN THE SCHOOL, BUT THEY SAW NO IMPROVEMENTS BEING MADE TO IMPROVE SAFETY AND I SAID, I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE.
I MEAN, I FIND THAT HARD TO BELIEVE KNOWING WHO THE PRINCIPAL IS AND I TALKED TO MR. LAURENCE.
ALL THAT SAID, I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE I THINK THAT MEMO ALONE WILL GO A LONG WAY.
IF I, COULD RESPOND TO THAT, IF THAT'S OK.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT AS A PRINCIPAL, AS ADULTS IN THE BUILDING THAT WE HAVE THAT IS SACRED IS TRUST AND OPEN ONGOING COMMUNICATION, BEING TRANSPARENT ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON COMES WITH ITS HURDLES AND ITS PROS AND SO HOPEFULLY THERE'S A CONTINUED SENSE OF TRUST THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING AND IF MY OWN CHILDREN WERE WALKING THE HALLS, IT WOULD BE NO PROBLEM AT ALL.
HOLT, I SHOULD'VE ASKED YOU THIS A SECOND AGO.
WITH THE NEW PRINCIPAL, I THINK, PART OF OUR CONCERN AND THOUGHT WITH THAT IS SOMEWHAT OF A COMMUNITY LIAISON, AGAIN TO TRY AND GET IN FRONT OF SOME OF THE SOME OF THE SAFETY ISSUES AND SECURITY ISSUES.
IS THAT BUILT IN TO YOU SAID HE'S DOING A TWO WEEK ORIENTATION.
I KNOW HE'S GOT HIS HANDS FULL.
IS THAT BUILT IN TO THAT OR, I MEAN, HE NEEDS TO BE GETTING OUT AND INTRODUCE HIMSELF IF HE'S, YOU KNOW, JUST GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE RIGHT, GETTING TO KNOW COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT FEED INTO AIKEN HIGH.
IS THAT PART OF THE ORIENTATION OR NOT? IT IS, ACTUALLY DAY SIX OR SEVEN IS HIM MEETING WITH ME AND ME MAKING SOME INTRODUCTIONS
[02:10:01]
GREAT.WE ACTUALLY SPOKE THIS MORNING ABOUT TAKING SOME, INVITING SOME PEOPLE TO LUNCH OR TAKING SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO FURTHER, YOU KNOW, TAKE THE RELATIONSHIPS TO THE NEXT LEVEL WITH SOME OF THE PARTNERS WE HAVE IN THAT AREA.
SO THAT'S DAY SIX OR SEVEN THAT WE HAVE GOING ON.
WELL, FOOD'S ALWAYS A GOOD WAY TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND I HAVE A SECOND QUESTION FOR DR. MURPHY.
I WAS TRYING TO MAKE NOTE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT VARIOUS AND SUNDRY SROS AND SAFETY MONITORS AND ALL THIS YOU MENTIONED AFTER THE SCHOOL SAFETY GRANT TALKED ABOUT THE SCHOOL SAFETY MANAGER, WHICH I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT, AND I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE HOW THAT PROGRESSES.
YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT GRANT'S APPLIED TO HIRE TWO ADDITIONAL FULL TIME SROS.
HAVE WE GOTTEN THEM OR WE'VE JUST APPLIED FOR THOSE? NO, WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN AWARDED THOSE GRANTS.
SO DOES THAT FUND THE SRO AT JMS AND LBC, OR IS THAT SEPARATE FROM THAT? NO.
WELL, LET ME SE, I WANT TO BE ACCURATE HERE.
SO THE JMS AND LBC ARE THE SHARE OF THE COUNTY'S GRANT, SO THAT'S SOMETHING THEY'RE DOING .
THE ONE THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT ARE THE CITY SCHOOLS.
BUT THE END RESULT IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN SRO AT EVERY MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL.
WHICH HAS BEEN A GOAL, AND WE'VE REALLY TACKLED THAT GOAL PRETTY QUICKLY.
I'M VERY TICKLED WITH EVERYTHING Y'ALL JUST TALKED ABOUT, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO HOW THIS IS GOING TO PROGRESS.
I MEAN, SAFETY'S GOT TO BE ALMOST A TIE WITH, YOU KNOW, OUR ACADEMIC GOALS.
WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF IMPLEMENTING THIS GRANT THAT WE GOT, DR.
MURPHY? RIGHT NOW, MR. LAURENCE JUST SIGNED THE I WANT TO SAY IT WAS AN ACCEPTANCE LETTER.
IT'S ELECTRONICALLY ACCEPTANCE LETTER AND RIGHT NOW I'M WRITING THE JOB DESCRIPTION FOR THE PERSON THAT WE'RE GOING TO EMPLOY WILL POST OUT, AND THEN ONCE WE HIRE HIM, IT'S MORE OF A REPAYMENT TYPE GRANT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND THE MONEY AND THEN WE APPLY FOR REIMBURSEMENT THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'RE IMPLEMENTING NOW, IF THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT JOB DESCRIPTION WHEN IT'S FINISHED.
I IMAGINE MOST OF THE BOARD WOULD.
HOLT AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT THE NEXT ITEM, DR.
WELL, GOOD EVENING, ONCE AGAIN.
TONIGHT, WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO PROPOSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR ESSER 3 PLAN, A NEW AUDIO ENHANCEMENT SYSTEM THAT IS SCIENTIFICALLY PROVEN TO IMPROVE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, AS WELL AS PROVIDE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO REMOTE LEARNING.
MY TEAM AND I HAVE VISITED SEVERAL SITES THAT ARE UTILIZING THIS SYSTEM HAVE SEEN FIRSTHAND THE BENEFITS TO OUR STUDENTS AND THE EASE AT WHICH TEACHERS RECORD AND BROADCAST THEIR LESSONS TO STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT ATTENDING SCHOOL IN PERSON.
AS A BONUS, THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO SERVE AS A REPLACEMENT TO OUR OVER 20 FAILING AND NON-REPAYABLE PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS MORE THAN A HANDFUL OF FAILING BELL SYSTEMS. THERE'S ALSO AN INTEGRATED SAFETY FEATURE THAT HAS MANY OF OUR TEACHERS VERY EXCITED.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOW BRING UP MR. PATRICK SOBAK, FROM AUDIO ENHANCEMENTS TO DEMONSTRATE THE SYSTEM AND ALL OF ITS FEATURES, FUNCTIONS AND BENEFITS.
THANK YOU, BOARD, MR. LAURENCE, I APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO COME UP AND GIVE YOU A QUICK LITTLE 50000 FOOT OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE OFFER HERE AT AUDIO ENHANCEMENT.
MY NAME IS PATRICK SOBACK, FORMER TEACHER, FORMER EDUCATOR, TAUGHT FIFTH AND SIXTH GRADE.
SO I FEEL EVERYBODY IN HERE AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING THROUGH.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE AND AS I'M GOING THROUGH THIS QUICK PRESENTATION, I'VE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES FROM JUST A SECOND AGO LEARNING, SAFETY, COMMUNICATION OR KIND OF THE TOP PRIORITIES.
I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW AND IF YOU KEEP IT IN MIND, HOW WE TOUCH ON ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE TOUCH ON THAT I DIDN'T HEAR IS CONSISTENCY, RIGHT? SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS CONSISTENT THROUGHOUT ALL OF YOUR SCHOOLS FROM ALL OF THE DISTRICTS IS ANOTHER THING THAT WE CAN PROVIDE AT AUDIO ENHANCEMENT TO HELP WITH THOSE THINGS.
SO LITTLE BACKSTORY ON OUR COMPANY, IT'S A VERY UNIQUE COMPANY.
SO THIS WOMAN RIGHT HERE IN THE MIDDLE IS CLAUDIA ANDERSON.
THESE TWO CHILDREN, JEREMY AND JUSTIN, WERE BORN DEAF AND 43 YEARS AGO AS A MOTHER, SHE WAS NOT HAPPY THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE FAST TRACKED IN SPECIAL ED.
SHE WANTED THEM TO HAVE THE SAME EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE AS ALL THE OTHER STUDENTS.
SO LONG STORY SHORT, SHE PARTNERED WITH A WIRELESS MICROPHONE COMPANY AND THEN HER BOYS, JEREMY AND JUSTIN, WOULD CARRY A SPEAKER FROM CLASS TO CLASS.
TEACHER WORE A MICROPHONE, A WIRELESS MICROPHONE, AND VERY QUICKLY SHE FOUND OUT THAT NOT ONLY WERE HER BOYS JEREMY ADJUSTING BEING SUCCESSFUL IN CLASS, BUT TEACHERS WERE SAYING, CAN I GET A MICROPHONE AND SPEAKERS WHEN YOUR BOYS AREN'T IN THERE? SO I DON'T HAVE TO YELL AND PROJECT MY VOICE ALL DAY? SHE HAD SURROUNDING PARENTS OR PARENTS THAT WERE SAYING, MY STUDENTS ARE SITTING NEXT
[02:15:02]
TO YOUR STUDENTS, YOUR BOYS, AND THEY CAN HEAR CLEARLY WHAT IS BEING SAID.CAN I GET A MICROPHONE AND SPEAKER FOR MY STUDENTS? SO THAT PUT A LIGHT BULB OFF IN HER HEAD, AND SHE STARTED THIS COMPANY AUDIO ENHANCEMENT 43 YEARS AGO AS A MOTHER TRYING TO MAKE HER CHILDREN SUCCESSFUL.
THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT THE STORY IS THOSE FOUR CHILDREN NOW RUN THE COMPANY; SO IT'S STILL A FAMILY RUN COMPANY.
WE ONLY DEAL IN K-12 EDUCATION, SO EVERYTHING WE DO IS ONLY GEARED, ENGINEERED, DESIGNED WITH TEACHERS, STUDENTS, ADMINISTRATORS IN MIND.
SO KIND OF A COOL, LITTLE UNIQUE BACKSTORY ON HOW WE GOT STARTED AND WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO.
SO WE HAVE THREE COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT.
OBVIOUSLY, OUR CLASSROOM AUDIO IS THE BACKBONE OF WHAT WE DO, THE INSTRUCTIONAL BENEFITS OF THAT, BUT FROM THERE, WE HAVE ADDED MULTIPLE COMPONENTS.
SO THE FIRST COMPONENT WE ADDED WAS OUR EPIC PLATFORM AND THIS IS OUR FULL SCHOOLWIDE COMMUNICATION PIECE.
THIS CAME ABOUT FROM TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, SUPERINTENDENTS WERE SAYING I HAVE FOUR CEILING SPEAKERS IN MY CLASSROOM THAT MY TEACHERS ARE USING FOR AUDIO, FOR INSTRUCTIONAL PURPOSES.
THEN I'M HAVING ANOTHER COMPANY COME IN AND PUT AN INTERCOM, ANOTHER SPEAKER ALONG THE HALLWAYS AND THE EXTERIOR.
CAN YOU ALL JUST DO EVERYTHING AND MAKE IT A FULL SCHOOLWIDE COMMUNICATION? SO WE SAID ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE DEVELOPED OUR EPIC PLATFORM AS THAT MASS NOTIFICATION, INTERCOM PAGING AND BELLS PIECE AND FROM THERE, WE HAD ADMINISTRATORS AND DISTRICT PERSONNEL THAT WERE SAYING THE ONLY THING MY TEACHERS HAVE ON THEM ALL DAY EVERY DAY IS THEIR TEACHER MICROPHONE, AND THEY'RE USING IT FOR INSTRUCTION, BUT IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY IN THE CLASSROOM, A SAFETY CONCERN, THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE ABILITY TO GET TO A CALL BUTTON OR PICK UP A PHONE AND CALL THE FRONT OFFICE.
CAN YOU PUT A DURESS BUTTON ON YOUR MICROPHONE THAT WILL ALERT THE FRONT OFFICE THAT THERE OR ALERT SOMEONE THAT THERE'S AN EMERGENCY IN THAT CLASSROOM? SO WE SAID ABSOLUTELY.
SO WE DEVELOPED OUR DURESS BUTTON ON OUR MICROPHONE.
YOU HOLD DOWN THESE BUTTONS FOR TWO SECONDS OR THREE SECONDS, AND IT'S GOING TO ALERT THE FRONT OFFICE THAT THAT CLASSROOM NEEDS HELP, NEEDS AN EXTRA PERSON, RIGHT? SO THOSE ARE THE THREE COMPONENTS THAT WE OFFER.
AGAIN, I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT EACH ONE AND KIND OF THE IMPORTANCE OF IT.
OBVIOUSLY, THE EDUCATIONAL PART IS THE CLASSROOM AUDIO PIECE.
THIS IS THE BIG MISCONCEPTION THAT I SEE AS I TRAVEL AROUND.
I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY IT ALREADY EARLIER, I DON'T NEED A MICROPHONE, I'M LOUD ENOUGH, RIGHT? AND THAT'S THE MISCONCEPTION.
WE ARE NOT MAKING YOU LOUDER; WE'RE MAKING IT CLEAR.
THOSE STUDENTS NEED TO HEAR CLEARLY WHAT THAT TEACHER IS SAYING AND WHY THAT'S IMPORTANT IS THIS DIAGRAM RIGHT HERE.
SO A TYPICAL TEACHER'S VOICE IS 65 DECIBELS.
THIS DOTTED LINE RIGHT HERE IS A TYPICAL AMBIENT NOISE IN A CLASSROOM, WHICH IS 55 DECIBELS.
SO JUST LIKE LIGHT, SOUND DISSIPATES OVER DISTANCE.
SO EVENTUALLY THESE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO GET BELOW THIS AMBIENT NOISE AND THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HEAR CLEARLY WHAT THAT TEACHER IS SAYING AND I ALWAYS MAKE THE ANALOGY IT'S NOT LIKE YOUR CELL PHONE WHERE IT'S GOING TO CUT OUT, AND THEY'RE GOING TO MISS WORDS THAT WAY, BUT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS THOSE SOUNDS ARE GOING TO START BLENDING TOGETHER SO SHOP, TOP AND MOP, THOSE THINGS ARE GOING TO ALL--THREE AND TREE--ARE ALL GOING TO SOUND THE SAME TO THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE BELOW THAT LINE.
SO WHAT DOES THE TEACHER HAVE TO DO TO OVERCOME THAT? THEY HAVE TO PROJECT THEIR VOICE, RIGHT? SO NOW I HAVE TO YELL TO THE BACK OF THE CLASSROOM TO GET MY VOICE OF THOSE STUDENTS CAN HEAR ME.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THAT STUDENTS WHO FEEL AS IF THEY'RE BEING YELLED AT OR THE TEACHER'S TALKING VERY LOUD, THEY SHUT DOWN.
IT'S A DEFENSE MECHANISM BECAUSE AT HOME, ALL THEY'RE DOING IS GETTING YELLED AT.
SO IF THEY PERCEIVE THAT THE TEACHER IS YELLING AT THEM OR TALKING LOUD, THEY'RE GOING TO SHUT DOWN.
SO YOU'RE GOING TO GET LEARNING LOSS THAT WAY AS WELL.
AND THEN ALL THE TEACHER BENEFITS, LIKE I HEARD, OCTOBER IS A BIG MONTH, RIGHT? WHEN I WAS TEACHING, IT WAS ONE MONTH INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR WE HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS GO OUT, RIGHT, THAT VOCAL FATIGUE.
I DON'T HAVE MY TEACHER VOICE YET.
SO BY TALKING AT YOUR NORMAL VOICE, THAT'S 65 DECIBELS, YOU'RE GOING TO BE AMPLIFIED ALL AROUND THE CLASSROOM.
SO WHEREVER THAT TEACHER IS AND WHEREVER THOSE STUDENTS ARE, THEY'RE GOING TO HEAR CLEARLY WHAT THAT TEACHER IS SAYING, WHEREVER THEY ARE IN THAT CLASSROOM.
WE ALSO HAVE A LESSON CAPTURE FUNCTIONALITY HERE.
WHAT THAT DOES IS IT'S A FREE SOFTWARE THAT YOU PUT ON THE TEACHER'S COMPUTER AND THEY CAN DOWNLOAD THE SOFTWARE AND THEN THEY CAN RECORD THEIR VOICE.
IT'S GOING TO BE HOOKED RIGHT INTO THEIR COMPUTER, RIGHT INTO OUR AMPLIFIER WITH A SIMPLE CABLE, AND THEY CAN RECORD THEIR VOICE AND WHAT'S ON THEIR SCREEN, AND IT DOWNLOADS RIGHT TO THEIR DESKTOP.
SO IF YOU THINK OF, YOU KNOW, A TEACHER DOING A POWERPOINT, IF YOU DO HAVE STUDENTS THAT ARE OUT FOR, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SICK OR YOUR BAND IS LEAVING EARLY BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO GO TO AN EVENT ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STATE AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE MISSING SIX PERIOD, A TEACHER THEN CAN RECORD THEIR VOICE.
SO THE STUDENT CLEARLY WHAT IS BEING SAID IN THE CLASSROOM AS WELL AS WHAT IS ON THEIR DESKTOP, AND THEY CAN SHARE THAT OUT THROUGH THEIR LEARNING MANAGEMENT SYSTEM EMAIL, HOWEVER THEY WANT TO SHARE THAT INFORMATION OUT.
SO IT'S ANOTHER FEATURE, THE LESSON CAPTURE.
[02:20:01]
SO ANY QUESTIONS ON OUR CLASSROOM AUDIO PIECE? YES, SIR.SO FOR THE LAST PIECE, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THE LESSON CAPTURE.
IS THAT SOMETHING WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING WITH THIS? BECAUSE YOU SAID IT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE DONE.
I JUST WANT TO KNOW IF WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING THAT.
YEAH, WE WANT TO HAVE AN INTEGRATED APPROACH IN ORDER IF WE'RE GOING REMOTE ANYMORE, IF WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUR CLASSES RECORDED IN CASE A KID IS OUT, THIS WILL BE OUR INTEGRATED APPROACH INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE A LOT OF PERIPHERALS HOOKED TO A LAPTOP AND EACH TEACHER SOLUTION BE SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE AUDIO PIECE? ALL RIGHT, GREAT.
SO NEXT IS OUR EPIC PLATFORM AGAIN, FULL SCHOOLWIDE COMMUNICATION.
IF YOU NOTICE HERE, THIS IS A 22 INCH TOUCH SCREEN THAT'S GOING TO LIVE IN YOUR FRONT OFFICE.
IT'S GOING TO HAVE A DIGITAL MAP OF YOUR SCHOOL HERE.
THIS IS JUST AN INTERCOM; INTERCOM AS TWO WAY COMMUNICATION SO THAT FRONT OFFICE STAFF CAN JUST CLICK ON A ROOM, CLICK INTERCOM, AND NOW THEY'RE HAVING A TWO WAY CONVERSATION IN THAT CLASSROOM.
THE NICE PART ABOUT IT IS THOSE SPEAKERS IN THE CLASSROOM THAT THE TEACHER IS USING FOR THEIR EDUCATIONAL, FOR THEIR INSTRUCTION, AS WELL AS ANY MULTIMEDIA THAT'S PLAYING THROUGH THEIR IT PAGE MUTES.
SO IT'S GOING TO MUTE THAT LOCAL AUDIO, AND THEY'RE ONLY GOING TO HEAR THAT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT'S COMING ON OR ANY MASS NOTIFICATIONS.
SO IT [INAUDIBLE] THAT CLASSROOM SOUND SO THEY'RE NOT MISSING ANY IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
ANOTHER BENEFIT OF OUR SYSTEM IS OUR PAGING SYSTEM, SO PAGING IS A ONE WAY, BUT THE NICE PART ABOUT BEING A NETWORK SYSTEM IS EACH SCHOOL CAN SET UP AS MANY ZONES AS THEY WANT AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, LET'S SAY, AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WANTS TO DO FIRST GRADE HALLWAY, FIRST GRADE CLASSROOMS, THEN I CAN JUST PAGE INTO THOSE CLASSROOMS. I'M NOT INTERRUPTING SECOND, THIRD FOURTH GRADE.
YOU THINK OF A HIGH SCHOOL WITH BLOCK LUNCHES, I THINK I WAS AT A SCHOOL DISTRICT AND THEY SAID ONE OF THEIR HIGH SCHOOLS IN C LUNCH, THEY GET NINE BELLS THAT THOSE STUDENTS HERE BEFORE IT'S THEIR LUNCH BELL.
SO BY BEING ABLE TO ZONE OUT YOUR SCHOOL AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL, THE PRINCIPAL, ASST.
PRINCIPAL, WHOEVER HAS THE RIGHT TO DO IT CAN DO IT AT THEIR LEVEL.
EACH ZONE THEN CAN HAVE ITS OWN BELL SCHEDULE, SO THAT C LAUNCH IS NOW ONLY HEARING THE LUNCH BELL THAT THEY NEED TO HEAR.
I MEAN, THINK ABOUT TESTING TIME.
SO IF NINTH GRADE IS TESTING 10TH, 11TH AND 12TH GRADE CAN BE ON THEIR SAME SCHEDULE, BUT I COULD SHUT THE BELLS OFF DURING THOSE TESTING SCHEDULES IN THAT SPECIFIC ZONE AND THE BENEFIT OF THIS IS AGAIN ALL DONE AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.
SO OUR USER FACE THAT THEY DO THIS, THEY'RE NOT CALLING YOUR TECH PEOPLE, THEY'RE NOT CALLING THE DISTRICT.
EACH SCHOOL CAN CUSTOMIZE IT TO MEET THEIR SCHEDULE IN THEIR NEEDS.
THEN THE BELL SCHEDULE, I'M SURE YOU ALL HEAR, IS USUALLY A NIGHTMARE; ONE WAY OR THE OTHER, EITHER A THERE'S ONE PERSON WHO KNOWS HOW TO CHANGE IT OR THAT PERSON RETIRED FIVE YEARS AGO.
SO BY HAVING THIS DIGITAL AND NETWORKED BELL SCHEDULE ON RIGHT AT THE SCHOOL, THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO ADJUST THEIR BEST SCHEDULE THAT DAY HALFWAY THROUGH THAT DAY.
SO IF WE HAVE INCLEMENT WEATHER DAY, THAT PRINCIPAL CAN COME IN AND CHANGE THAT BELL SCHEDULE THAT MORNING AND THEN THAT BELL SCHEDULE GOES ON THAT DAY AND THE NEXT DAY IT GOES RIGHT BACK INTO THE OTHER SCHEDULE.
SO IF YOU HAVE A MONDAY WEDNESDAY BLOCK SCHEDULE, I COULD GO IN AND CREATE AS MANY BELLS AS I WOULD LIKE, AND I JUST APPLY IT INTO MY CALENDAR.
AGAIN, EACH SCHOOL HAS THE ABILITY TO DO IT AT THEIR OWN CAMPUS, SO IT'S ALL CUSTOMIZABLE FOR WHAT BEST MEETS THEIR NEEDS.
THEN WE HAVE SCHOOLWIDE NOTIFICATION.
SO TALKING ABOUT THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF AND THESE ARE ALL CUSTOMIZABLE AS WELL.
SO, WHATEVER YOUR LOCKDOWN PROCEDURE IS, LET'S SAY SO IF YOU HAVE TO GO INTO LOCKDOWN, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO PRESS THIS BUTTON AND THEN IT INITIATES YOUR POLICY OF WHATEVER YOU WANT.
WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO KNOW? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO PUT OVER THE ANNOUNCEMENTS? IF YOU'RE GOING TO FLASH ANYTHING ON YOUR SIGNAGE? WE CAN CUSTOMIZE OUR SYSTEM TO MEET THOSE GOALS FOR YOUR MASS NOTIFICATION PIECE.
AGAIN, GOES INTO THAT TEACHER VERY EASILY BEING ABLE TO DO THAT, FRONT OFFICE STAFF VERY EASILY, BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND PRESS THOSE BUTTONS.
THE OTHER NICE PART WE ARE NONPROPRIETARY, SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH OTHER THINGS THAT YOU'RE ALREADY DOING, FOR EXAMPLE, YOUR ACCESS CONTROLS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DISTRICTS WHO SAY, YOU KNOW, IF I GO INTO LOCKDOWN, I ONLY WANT CERTAIN BADGES TO BE ABLE TO OPEN DOORS OR I WANT CERTAIN DOORS TO LOCK OR UNLOCK OR NOT LOCK WHATEVER REASON.
WE CAN HAVE OUR SYSTEM TRIGGER THAT ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM TO DO WHATEVER YOU NEED IT TO DO.
SAME THING WITH YOUR INTEGRATED PHONE SYSTEM.
WE CAN INTEGRATE WITH YOUR PHONE OR YOUR PHONE WHERE A PRINCIPAL CAN DO THEIR ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM THEIR OFFICE.
THEY DON'T ALWAYS HAVE TO GO UP TO THE FRONT CONSOLE OR THE FRONT OFFICE WHERE IT'S LOUD, AND MAYBE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND THERE OR THEY CAN DO AN ALL CALL FROM THEIR PHONE.
THEY CAN PICK UP ANY PHONE AND DIAL INTO A ZONE OR DO A SAFE ALERT OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE AT THE CONSOLE TO DO EVERYTHING.
THEY HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO DO IT AS WELL.
SO I KNOW I'M TALKING FAST, SO I APOLOGIZE, BUT IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON THE EPIC
[02:25:01]
PLATFORM, AGAIN, THAT'S GOING TO BE YOUR MASS NOTIFICATION, YOUR INTERCOM, PAGING YOUR BELLS COMPONENT THAT TIES INTO THAT CLASSROOM AUDIO PIECE.THE LAST PIECE I'LL TALK ABOUT IS THE SAFETY PIECE.
YOU KNOW WHY, RIGHT? WHY DO WE NEED CLASSROOM SAFETY? AGAIN, MEDICAL EMERGENCY, DISCIPLINE ISSUES, PARENTAL SITUATIONS, INTRUDER AND THEN OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, WORST CASE SCENARIO SORT OF THING IN THE CLASSROOMS. SO HOW IT WORKS IS A TEACHER HAS A MICROPHONE ON AND I'LL SHOW YOU HERE AND THEY HAVE A RECEIVER IN THEIR CLASSROOM, SO YOU CAN SEE THERE'S GOING TO BE A RECEIVER RIGHT THERE, AND IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY IN THEIR CLASSROOM, THEY HOLD DOWN THEIR BUTTON.
THREE SECONDS, IT'S GOING TO WANT TO GET THAT ALERT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE AT THE FRONT OFFICE.
THEY HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, RIGHT, SOMEBODY HAS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
SO AS A TEACHER, MY RECEIVER LIGHTS WHEN I PRESS IT, THEY GO ALL TO RED.
SO I KNOW MY ALERT HAS BEEN SENT.
ONCE IT GETS ACKNOWLEDGED, THOSE LIGHTS GO TWO GREEN TO A RED.
SO IF I'M IN A CLASSROOM AND I'M A TEACHER, I KNOW THAT HELP IS ON THE WAY, RIGHT? I CAN SEE THAT MY ALERTS BEEN SENT, I CAN SEE SOMEBODY ACKNOWLEDGED IT, AND NOW I KNOW THAT HELP IS ON THE WAY.
THAT NOISE THAT IT'S DOI THERE, THAT CAN BE SENT ANYWHERE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO YOUR FRONT OFFICE.
IT CAN GO TO YOUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL.
WE CAN SET UP A TEXT MESSAGE ALERT AND A TEXT MESSAGE AND AN EMAIL.
SO IF A PRINCIPAL IS OFF CAMPUS, THEY PROBABLY WANT TO KNOW THAT THERE'S AN ALERT.
AS LONG AS THEY'RE ON THE NETWORK, THEY CAN GET THAT EMAIL AND LOG IN AND SEE WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT CLASSROOM.
SO ALL OF THAT IS CUSTOMIZABLE FOR YOUR POLICIES ON HOWEVER YOU WANT IT TO WORK.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S 50000 FOOT VIEW OF WHAT WE DO.
OUR CLASSROOM AUDIO PIECE, SO WE HAVE THAT INSTRUCTION, YOU KNOW, LEARNING BEGINS WITH HEARING, SO WHEN STUDENTS CAN HEAR CLEARLY, THEY'RE GOING TO LEARN BETTER.
ON TASK BEHAVIOR IS A BIG PART OF THAT AS WELL.
THEN OUR MASS NOTIFICATION PIECE THAT TIES INTO THAT, THAT CLASSROOM SYSTEM, BEING ABLE TO MUTE AND THEN OUR CLASSROOM SAFETY FUNCTIONALITY.
ANY QUESTIONS? YES? I JUST GOT ONE COMMENT, ONE QUESTION.
FIRST OF ALL, COVERING THAT SO QUICKLY WAS EXCELLENT.
MURPHY JUST WOWS ME AFTER HEARING ALL THE COMMENTS FROM PARENTS ABOUT OUR REMOTE LEARNING SITUATIONS SO THAT SOUNDS REALLY INTERESTING AND REALLY GOOD.
MY QUESTION IS ON THE SAFETY PLATFORM.
DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DIFFERENTIATE ALERT TYPES AND SEND THEM TO DIFFERENT PLACES? IN OTHER WORDS, YOU COULD HAVE AN ALERT WHERE THERE'S AN ACTIVE SHOOTER IN A CLASSROOM.
THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT LEVEL FROM AN ALERT WHERE A TEACHER IS HAVING A BEHAVIOR PROBLEM IN THE CLASSROOM.
RIGHT, OR JOHNNY FORGOT HIS PENCIL FOR THE FOURTH TIME.
RIGHT, YEAH, WE HEAR THAT ALL THE TIME AND YES, IT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED HOWEVER YOU WANT TO DO IT AND THAT'S A DISCUSSION THAT WE'LL HAVE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES THAT YOU WANT IN PLACE, BUT YEP, ABSOLUTELY.
YOU CAN HAVE DIFFERENT TEACHERS.
YOU CAN HAVE ESCALATIONS ON THERE AS WELL.
SO I ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND THEN, HEY, THIS IS A SITUATION WHERE I NEED DISTRICT PEOPLE.
I WANT BOARD MEMBERS, I WANT SUPERINTENDENT, I WANT MY DISTRICT SRO.
I WANT POLICE, FIRE DEPARTMENT INVOLVED.
I CAN HIT ESCALATION BUTTON AND THEN THAT SENDS IT TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT GROUP OF PEOPLE.
SO AGAIN, WHATEVER POLICIES YOU HAVE IN PLACE, WHO NEEDS TO KNOW WHAT ON WHAT EVENT WE CAN PROGRAM OUR SYSTEM TO DO THAT AS WELL.
MR. CRANE? EXCELLENT PRESENTATION AND VERY, VERY EXCELLENT TECHNOLOGY.
DEFINITELY, A GOOD FOLLOW UP FROM OUR SCHOOL SAFETY UPDATE.
MURPHY, BUT MAYBE YOU CAN ANSWER THIS TOO.
SO THIS IS FUNDED THROUGH ESSER DOLLARS.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A ROUGH COST ON WHAT GRANTED IS COMING FROM ESSER? SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING WE'RE WRITING A CHECK FOR, BUT WE'RE PAYING FOR IT EITHER WAY.
SO ROUGHLY WHEN WE STARTED INITIALLY PURSUING IT, IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND 5500 PER CLASSROOM AND SO WE BUDGETED FOR ABOUT 1600 CLASSROOMS, WHICH ROUGHLY A LITTLE BIT OVER 8.9.
I THINK WITH THE INSTALLATION COST TOTAL, IT'LL BE AROUND $10 MILLION.
SO FOLLOW UP TO THAT, WHAT'S OUR TOTAL CLASSROOM NUMBER? WE'VE BEEN USING THE NUMBER 1600 BECAUSE EVERY YEAR WE KIND WHAT'S THE DISTRICT TOTAL CLASSROOM NUMBER? 1600.
SO WE'RE GOOD; WE'RE COVERING EVERYBODY? RIGHT.
[02:30:01]
ALL RIGHT.EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM WILL HAVE THIS TECHNOLOGY.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE.
WELL, AGAIN, I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT IT.
I MAKE A LOT OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS.
SO BEFORE YOU LEAVE, I WOULD LOVE TO GET A BETTER PICTURE OF THE MIC BECAUSE I THINK OUR TEACHERS WOULD LIKE TO KIND OF SEE WHAT'S THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE 10 POUNDS ON ME OR SOMETHING, RIGHT? AND IT'S CLEARLY NOT.
I'D LOVE TO GET--THAT'S OFFLINE FROM THIS, BUT I JUST WANT TO THROW IT OUT THERE.
FABULOUS SYSTEM, IT IS WIRELESS, BUT IT NEEDS SETUP.
MY QUESTION GOES TO WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH.
SINCE THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY RENOVATED, NEW LOCATION AND EVERYTHING, ARE WE IMPLEMENTING THIS SYSTEM WITH THEM NOW, AND IT'S GOING TO MOVE WITH THE NEW BUILDING? WE'VE ACTUALLY SPECIFIED THE NEW BUILDING BE INSTALLED IN THAT BY THE TIME WE WERE PLANNING ON A TRANSITION PLAN.
SO MORE THAN LIKELY, WE WILL NOT INSTALL THIS ACTUALLY THE ENTIRE SYSTEM IN THE OLD BUILDING BECAUSE WE'VE SPECIFIED AS THE NEW BUILDING IS BUILT THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN.
MR. SILAS? SO A BIG TICKET ITEM.
CONGRATULATIONS, SIR, MAYBE, FOR YOUR COMPANY, BUT DR.
MURPHY, FOR ME, THIS MAY BE THE BEST USE OF ESSER MONEY, MAYBE THAT I'VE SEEN SO FAR.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE POTENTIAL THAT IT OFFERS US.
TIMETABLE: ASSUMING APPROVAL TIMETABLE FOR 1600 CLASSES TO BE COMPLETED? SO ASSUMING APPROVAL, MAYBE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING.
WE'RE LOOKING AT 45 DAYS AND THEN WE'LL GET STARTED ON THE IMPLEMENTATION PIECE OF IT ALL , BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT IN.
I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT CLUSTER IMPLEMENTATION.
WE'LL DO CERTAIN SCHOOLS AND WE'RE TALKING NIGHTS AND WEEKENDS, BUT THEY HAVE A VERY AGGRESSIVE TIMETABLE.
THIS IS MORE LIKE A GIVE ME ABOUT SIX EIGHT MONTHS TOTAL.
WE'RE THE MANUFACTURER, ON THE INSTALL, WE GO THROUGH AN INTEGRATOR, WHICH COMMUNICATIONS FOR THAT, BUT I KNOW THE PLAN IS WE HAVE INVENTORY WE'VE BEEN ALLOCATING.
I MEAN, THE PLAN IS TO GET IT DONE IN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME.
I WOULD HOPE BY THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT YEAR.
SO NOT TO HOLD YOUR FEET TO THE FIRE, BUT WITHIN A YEAR? YES, AS LONG AS THE SUPPLY CHAIN DOESN'T REAR ITS UGLY HEAD AGAIN.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YEAH, I DID.
WE'LL COME RIGHT BACK WITH YOU.
I WOULD CALL Y'ALL'S ATTENTION TO THE CLOCK.
THIS IS JUST A QUICK QUESTION THAT MIGHT BE PERTINENT FOR TEACHERS.
IF A TEACHER SENDS OUT SOME SORT OF MESSAGE, CAN THE OFFICE OR THE PRINCIPAL SOMEONE CALL BACK? IS IT A TWO WAY COMMUNICATION OR JUST ONE WAY? IF A SAFETY ALERT GOES OFF IN THE CLASSROOM? RIGHT NOW, YES AND NO.
SO THE ANSWER IS NO AND WE DID THAT ON PURPOSE.
WHEN A SAFE ALERT GOES OFF, WE DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COME OFF THE INTERNET AND SAY, OH, HEY, I HEARD THERE'S A SAFE ALERT GOING ON.
WHAT CAN I HELP YOU WITH? KIND OF DEFEATS THE PURPOSE IF THERE'S A PERSON IN THERE, BUT IF THEY ACKNOWLEDGE, END THE EVENT, THEN THEY CAN CALL IN, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE POLICY THAT WE'LL PUT IN PLACE AND WE'LL TRAIN ALL THE TEACHERS, TRAIN ALL THE FRONT OFFICE STAFF ON IF THIS HAPPENS, THIS IS THE POLICY ON WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT THAT IS KIND OF THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION THAT, NO, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO IT AUTOMATICALLY MUTES IT SO YOU CAN'T CALL INTO THE CLASSROOM UNTIL YOU END THE EVENT.
OK, SO JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, IT CAN BE TWO WAY IF YOU'RE IN THE EVENT, BUT IT'S DESIGNED TO BE ONE WAY FOR CERTAIN CONDITIONS.
AND THE OTHER THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, TOO, IS THE TEACHER MIC IS THE EMERGENCY BUTTON, TOO, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A CALL BUTTON, AN EMERGENCY BUTTON THAT'LL BE ON THE WALL.
SO IF I DON'T HAVE MY MIC, IT'S IN A DRAWER AND THERE'S EMERGENCY, OR IF A TEACHER HAS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY OR THERE'S SOMETHING HAPPENS A CLASSROOM WITH NO TEACHERS IN THERE, STUDENTS DON'T HAVE TO GO AND TRY TO FIND THIS.
THEY CAN GO AND HIT THE BUTTON ON THE WALL, AND IT DOES THE SAME THING AS IF THE TEACHER'S THERE.
HOW OFTEN DOES IT HAVE TO BE CHARGED AND HOW DOES THE TEACHER DO THAT? IT'S A LITHIUM ION BATTERY.
YOU PLUG IT IN AT NIGHT WITH A MICRO USB IF YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE CHARGING BLOCK AND IT'S GOT 12 HOURS OF TALK TIME, AND THE OTHER QUESTION THAT I'M SURE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE IS THIS IS A ONE TIME COST TO YOU.
THERE'S NO REOCCURRING FEE TO ANY OF THIS THAT WE HAVE.
ANY UPDATES THAT WE PROVIDE AS A COMPANY, YOU WILL GET THOSE FREE OF CHARGE FOR THE LIFE OF THE PRODUCT.
DO WE NEED TO DO ANYTHING ELSE FOR THIS? NOW WE'LL HAVE TWO WEEKS NOW THAT IF ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR
[02:35:07]
QUESTIONS, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO ASK THOSE AND THEN WE'LL BRING IT FOR A DECISION FOR THE BOARD ON FEBRUARY 8TH.ALL RIGHT, I'VE NOT BEEN ALERTED TO ANY INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER ITEMS OR
[Individual Board Members]
CORRESPONDENCE TO BOARD MEMBERS.[Office of Superintendent]
MR. CHAIR, I'M GOING TO FOREGO THAT TONIGHT IN DEFERENCE TO THE TIME.WE WILL NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO AN ADDITIONAL EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF
[Executive Session]
CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS AND SUCH ORDERS THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE EMPLOYMENT MATTERS.WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE CONTRACTUAL MATTER AND AN EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCE AND LEGAL MATTER ADVICE CONCERNING POLICY BID, BOARD MEMBER COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES.
IS THERE A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THOSE PURPOSES? MOVED BY MR. CRANE IS THEIR SECOND? DR. HANKS.
ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
WE WILL NOW GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.
FOLLOWING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE WILL RECONVENE AND HERE TO TAKE ANY ACTIONS THAT OUR CALLED FOR BASED ON THE EXECUTIVE SESSION.
[02:41:05]
[INAUDIBLE] FAVOR OF THAT, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY RAISING YOUR HAND, AND THAT'S[Return to Open Session]
[Action on Items Discussed in Executive Session.]
[03:25:02]
EVERYONE AND I[03:25:04]
THINK WE HAD A PERSON WHO WE HEARD FOR A BREACH OF CONTRACT ISSUE.[03:25:14]
WE NEED A MOTION ON THAT.[03:25:17]
MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO[03:25:20]
THE[03:25:21]
STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING EMPLOYEE A'S BREACH OF CONTRACT.[03:25:29]
SECOND BY MR.[03:25:30]
MOULTON.[03:25:31]
ANY DISCUSSION? IF I'VE GOT TO RESTATE THAT MOTION, PASS IT DOWN HERE.WE HAVE A MOTION TO DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING EMPLOYEE A'S BREACH OF CONTRACT.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[Adjourn]
SECOND BY MR. CRANE.ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND.
THE MOTION WAS TO ADJOURN.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.