[00:10:06]
[00:10:16]
WE BEGIN ALL OUR MEETINGS WITH A MOMENT OF SILENCE IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.[00:10:20]
PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE.PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THE PUBLIC WAS DULY NOTIFIED OF THIS MEETING, AND THE AGENDA WAS SENT OUT IN ADVANCE TO BOTH THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC, AND I HAVEN'T HEARD ANY REQUESTS FOR CHANGES.
IF I DON'T, IF THERE ARE NO OBJECTIONS, WE'LL CONSIDER THE AGENDA APPROVED.
HEARING NONE. THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING IS APPROVED.
THE FIRST BUSINESS IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 15TH OF THIS YEAR.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? SO MOVE.
IS THERE A SECOND MOTION MADE BY MR. LINDELL, SECONDED BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF JULY 15TH. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
AND THAT'S. THAT'S EVERYBODY. EIGHT IN FAVOR? MOTION CARRIES. THAT'LL BRING US TO PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
NO ONE SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE OF THE MEETING. BUT AT THE MEETING.
MISS BRANDY MITCHELL WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE DISTRICT'S RESPONSE TO THE FEDERAL HOLD.
MISS MITCHELL, YOU CAN APPROACH THE MICROPHONE AND HAVE FIVE MINUTES.
OKAY. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BRANDY MITCHELL.
MY DAUGHTER ATTENDS NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL.
WATCHING WHAT'S HAPPENING FAR BEYOND THIS ROOM.
JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ILLEGALLY WITH WITHHELD OVER 6 BILLION EDUCATION FUNDING THAT CONGRESS HAD ALREADY APPROVED, INCLUDING AT LEAST 84 MILLION MEANT FOR SOUTH CAROLINA.
THESE WEREN'T OPTIONAL GRANTS. THEY WERE LEGALLY AUTHORIZED DOLLARS TO SUPPORT CRITICAL PROGRAMS LIKE ENGLISH LANGUAGE LEARNERS, MIGRANT STUDENTS, TEACHER DEVELOPMENT, EXCUSE ME AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER ENRICHMENT, ADULT LITERACY, SCHOOL SAFETY, AND MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORTS. WHEN THAT MONEY WAS FROZEN, SO WERE PLANS ACROSS OUR STATE AND LOCAL DISTRICTS.
AND ALTHOUGH THE FUNDS HAVE BEEN RELEASED THANKS TO LAWSUITS FROM STATE ATTORNEYS GENERALS, NOT OURS, OURS DIDN'T SAY A WORD. THIS WASN'T A JUST A BUDGET DELAY.
I HAD TO BEG MY SCHOOL BOARD PERSON TO SAY SOMETHING.
I HAD TO CALL THE DISTRICT IN ORDER TO GET ANYONE TO SAY ANYTHING TO ME.
LUCKILY, I THINK IT WAS YOUR GUY THAT HANDLES LIKE ALL YOUR BUDGETS AND STUFF.
IN THE EVENT THAT THAT MONEY WAS NOT APPROVED HE TRIED HIS BEST TO, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT WHAT WAS HAPPENING, BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME TYPE OF CONFUSION ABOUT THE THE LACK OF TRANSPARENCY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. I CALLED MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS. THEY ALL SENT ME RUNNING AROUND.
ONE PERSON WAS OUT OF TOWN, ONE PERSON WAS THIS.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT SAID NOTHING.
AND ALSO NO EMERGENCY PLAN WAS COMMUNICATED. I HAD TO PUSH TO GET THAT INFORMATION.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE COMMUNITY WAS NOT INFORMED.
[00:15:01]
WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU MAY NOT CONTROL WHAT HAPPENS IN WASHINGTON, BUT YOU DO CONTROL HOW THIS COMMUNITY IS INFORMED, PREPARED, AND PROTECTED WHEN FEDERAL OVERREACH AFFECTS LOCAL EDUCATION.SO THERE ARE THREE THINGS I'M ASKING FOR TONIGHT.
NUMBER ONE TRANSPARENCY. IF OUR DISTRICT IS IMPACTED BY FEDERAL OR STATE DECISIONS, ESPECIALLY ILLEGAL ONES, YOU WILL COMMIT TO PUBLICLY INFORMING THE COMMUNITY AND OUTLINING THE RISKS TO ADVOCACY.
WILL THIS BOARD TAKE A CLEAR STAND? WHEN OUR STUDENTS FUNDING IS THREATENED? EVEN IF IT MEANS CHALLENGING STATE AND FEDERAL LEADERSHIP.
PREPAREDNESS. WHAT IS THE DISTRICT'S CONTINGENCY PLAN? IF SOMETHING LIKE THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, OR IF POLITICAL AGENDAS BEGIN ERODING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS FROM THE TOP DOWN? BECAUSE LET'S BE HONEST. IF THIS ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TARGETING EDUCATION, WHETHER THROUGH FUNDING FREEZES, A CULTURE WAR POLICIES OR ATTEMPTS TO PRIVATIZE OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT AITKIN COUNTY SCHOOLS HAS A HAS.
WE NEED TO KNOW THAT AITKIN COUNTY SCHOOLS HAS A PLAN TO STAND FIRM FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURES.
THIS IS NOT ABOUT PARTY. IT'S ABOUT PRINCIPLE.
AND PRINCIPLE IS SIMPLE. PUBLIC MONEY SHOULD SERVICE PUBLIC GOOD.
AND THE PEOPLE ENTRUSTED WITH OUR KIDS EDUCATION MUST BE WILLING TO STAND TO SPEAK UP, PUSH BACK AND LEAD WITH INTEGRITY NO MATTER WHERE THE THREAT IS COMING FROM. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT IS YOUR ANSWER TO THAT? AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SCREENSHOTS OF TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN ALL OF YOU, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I GOT FROM COLIN.
A SCREENSHOT OF AN ANSWER FROM MR. MURPHY. THAT'S NOT ACCEPTABLE.
MY DAUGHTER HAS SPECIAL NEEDS. SHE HAS SEVERE ADHD.
AND THOSE FUNDS COULD HAVE POTENTIALLY HARMED HER.
Y'ALL NEED TO STEP UP. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS, MISS MITCHELL.
YEAH, THAT WAS ALL WE HAD FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
I DID WANT UNDER OFFICE OF BOARD CHAIRMAN. I DID WANT TO JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT.
SO LAST WEEK, WE OPENED ALL OUR SCHOOLS AND WELCOME STUDENTS.
AND I WANT TO SAY MORE THAN JUST A BIG THANK YOU.
AND WHEN YOU'RE A KID, YOU KNOW, I REMEMBER WRAPPING BOOKS AND PAPER GROCERY BAGS TO PROTECT THEM GETTING PENCILS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU REMEMBER. EXCUSE ME, BUT IT TAKES A LOT TO OPEN UP SCHOOLS.
IT TAKES A LOT TO OPEN OVER 40 SCHOOLS IN THIS DISTRICT.
I'M SURE. THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, THEIR KIDS HAD ALREADY GOTTEN INTO TROUBLE.
I'M SURE THERE WERE BUS ROUTES THAT WERE LATE.
BUT I KNOW A LOT WENT RIGHT. AND TO OUR STAFF, WHO RELATIVELY GET SCHOOLS READY IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET CLASSROOMS READY PREPARED TO COOK MEALS AND GET BUSSES ROLLING.
I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU DID IN A TOUGH WEEK.
TO WELCOME STUDENTS TO A BRIGHT CLASSROOM WITH SMILING FACES.
AND I APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE ONE INDIVIDUAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT, AND THAT'S PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS. THE BOARD HAS BEEN PRESENTED A LIST THAT WAS SCREENED BY HUMAN RESOURCES AND THEN APPROVED BY ADMINISTRATION.
FOR PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS THAT WE MUST APPROVE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE LIST OF PERSONNEL APPOINTMENTS? SO MOVE.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND? I THINK I HEARD MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR.
THE MOTION CARRIES. NEXT, WE HAVE SOME CONSENT ITEMS. THESE ARE THINGS THAT WILL VOTE ON AS A GROUP, BUT WE CERTAINLY CAN DISCUSS EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY BEFORE THE VOTE IS TAKEN.
THAT'S ITEM B1. ITEM B2 IS SIMILAR, BUT IN THE REVERSE DIRECTION.
[00:20:03]
LIST OF STUDENTS REQUESTING TO TRANSFER INTO AIKEN COUNTY FROM A NEIGHBORING DISTRICT THAT WE MUST APPROVE.NEXT, ITEM B3 IS THE LIST. I THINK WE JUST HAVE ONE.
NEXT, WE HAVE THE SOUTH CAROLINA DEPARTMENT OF ED HIGH INTENSITY TUTORING GRANT AWARD.
AND AS FAR AS THIS WAS EXCUSE ME, I'M LOSING MY WORDS A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THE IT PROVIDES THE. EXCUSE ME? COMMUNITY PARTNERS PILOT ACADEMIC SUPPORT PROGRAMS, PROVIDING HIGH DOSAGE, LOW RATIO TUTORING TO STUDENTS IN MATH AND READING.
B5 IS A UTILITY RELOCATION GMP ONE FOR NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT THERE IS A AS YOU CAN IMAGINE WITH THE, EXCUSE ME GEOGRAPHY AND HOW WE PLAN TO BUILD THE ON NORTH AUGUSTA MIDDLE. THE UTILITIES HAVE TO BE MOVED AND WE'D BE APPROVING.
IT DOESN'T INCREASE THE OVERALL PROJECT BUDGET, BUT IT IS A REALLOCATION OF 336,000 PLUS FOR THAT.
ALL RIGHT. IN THE NEXT ONE. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. AND THOSE WERE THE SIX CONSENT ITEMS. ANY. WELL WE'LL START WITH THE MOTION. IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SIX CONSENT ITEMS? IS THERE A SECOND MOTION MADE BY MR. RHINEHART-JACKSON, SECONDED BY MR. MOULTON, TO APPROVE THE SIX CONSENT ITEMS? ANY QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ON THEM? MR. BROOME, I SEE YOU GETTING UP. SO CAN WE GET SOME EXPLANATION ON SIX ON THE ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM? MAYBE JUST A LITTLE EXPLANATION. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT'S ALL ABOUT.
MY BAD, I HAD THIS. THAT'S MY BAD, JIM. I LOST MY PLACE IN THE AGENDA.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBER. MADAM. GOOD EVENING.
BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD CHAIR AND SUPERINTENDENT.
DOCTOR MURPHY, TODAY I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT A TOPIC THAT'S INCREASINGLY RELEVANT TO EDUCATION, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, OR AI. SO WHAT EXACTLY IS AI? SIMPLY PUT, AI REFERS TO TOOLS THAT LEARN AND HELP.
YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN REALIZE IT, BUT YOU'RE LIKELY USING AI EVERY SINGLE DAY.
SORRY, I'VE GOT IT IN MY HAND. I DID NOT HAVE MY ANSWER, I APOLOGIZE.
THINK ABOUT YOUR IPHONE, FACEBOOK, GOOGLE SEARCHES, BING SEARCHES, AND NETFLIX.
THINK ABOUT. EVEN SINCE 2007, JUST IN GENERAL, AI HAS BEEN A PART OF OUR LIVES.
TO GIVE YOU MORE CONCRETE EXAMPLES, OPENAI'S CHATGPT.
THIS IS A CHAT BOT THAT CAN TALK LIKE A HUMAN.
ANSWER QUESTIONS. WRITE AND SUMMARIZE INFORMATION.
GOOGLE'S GEMINI THIS IS A SMART ASSISTANT BUILT INTO SOFTWARE THAT ASSISTS WITH TASKS LIKE CODING, EMAILS AND CONTENT CREATION OR EXCISE GROK. THIS IS ANOTHER WELL-KNOWN CHAT BOT CHATBOT RECOGNIZED FOR ITS UNIQUE WAY OF ANSWERING AND WRITING MICROSOFT'S COPILOT.
THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF AI TOOLS THAT ARE BECOMING MORE COMMON IN OUR DAILY LIVES.
NOW LET'S DISCUSS WHY AI IS IMPORTANT IN ASD FUTURE READY STAFF AND STUDENTS.
AI SKILLS ARE BECOMING ESSENTIAL FOR CAREERS AND LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS.
AI IS ALREADY HERE. IT IS BEING INTEGRATED INTO SCHOOL TOOLS AND DAILY ROUTINES.
IT EMPOWERS, NOT REPLACES. IT'S CRUCIAL TO UNDERSTAND THAT AI IS DESIGNED TO EMPOWER OUR EDUCATORS,
[00:25:05]
NOT REPLACE THEM. IT AUGMENTS THE VITAL ROLE TEACHERS PLAY.THIS ISN'T JUST A LOCAL INITIATIVE. THE WHITE HOUSE HAS ALSO PROVIDED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER WITH GUIDANCE FROM THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ON I USE IN SCHOOLS. APRIL 23RD, 2025. KEY POINTS FROM THEIR GUIDANCE INCLUDE INTEGRATING AI LITERACY INTO TEACHING PRACTICES TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES.
EXPANDING AI AND COMPUTER SCIENCE EDUCATION IN K-12 SCHOOLS AND HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS.
SUPPORTING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR EDUCATORS ON TEACHING AI AND COMPUTER SCIENCE FUNDAMENTALS.
ADDITIONALLY, THIS JUST HAPPENED ON JULY 23RD 24TH OF THIS PAST WEEK.
THIS ALL IS PART OF THOSE EXECUTIVE ORDERS THAT HAVE GONE OUT IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
BUILDING ON THAT AND UNDERSTANDING AI IN ITS WHOLE SENSE, LIKE, WHAT IS IT ABOUT? WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE IN EDUCATION? THERE IS A FRAMEWORK.
AND THIS IS IN CONSENSUS WITH SOME OF THE BIG DATA PRIVACY ORGANIZATIONS LIKE COSINE ONE, EDTECH.
COMPLIANCE. WE WILL REAFFIRM AND ADHERE TO ALL EXISTING POLICIES WHEN IMPLEMENTING AN AI.
WE AIM TO PROMOTE AI LITERACY AND THAT'S AN IMPORTANT WORD.
AI LITERACY IS A VERY IMPORTANT WORD AMONG OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
BALANCE. WE NEED TO REALIZE THE BENEFITS OF AI WHILE ALSO LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL RISK.
THE DANGERS. INTEGRITY. WE MUST ADVANCE AND MAINTAIN ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AS WE INTEGRATE AI.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TOOLS, IT'S STILL ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION.
AGENCY. IT'S VITAL TO MAINTAIN HUMAN DECISION MAKING WHEN USING AI.
IT'S A TOOL, NOT A REPLACEMENT FOR HUMAN JUDGMENT.
HUMANS. BEFORE I WE STILL HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING IN IT.
SO I USED A WORD A SECOND AGO AND IT WAS AI LITERACY.
AND THIS IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND BECAUSE THIS THIS HELPS US UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
BIAS THE HOW WE USE IT. HOW IS IT USED TO HACK INTO A BANK ACCOUNT? IS IT USED FOR VOICE RECOGNITION? THERE'S A LOT OF BAD THINGS WE'VE HEARD, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE KNOW THE BAD. BUT WE ALSO NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE GOOD IS AND HOW TO USE IT APPROPRIATELY. COLLABORATIVE.
IT'S CRITICAL. IT'S IMPORTANT TO ANALYZE OUTPUT CRITICALLY.
YOU'VE GOT TO LOOK AT EVERYTHING THAT COMES OUT OF IT. YOU SHOULDN'T JUST TAKE AN AI AND DUMP IT IN THERE AND PUT A FEW PROMPTS IN THERE AND OUTPUT SOMETHING AND BE LIKE, HEY, THAT LOOKS GREAT. YOU HAVE TO REVIEW IT, RE INPUT IT, REVIEW IT, RE INPUT IT, REVIEW IT, AND THEN YOU'VE GOT TO GO MEASURE IT. YOU'VE GOT TO GO LOOK AT OTHER SOURCES AND SAY, HEY DOES THIS COME FROM A VALID SOURCE. IS THIS REALLY SAYING WHAT IT SAYS.
AI CHANGES THE WAY THAT WE CAN BE CREATIVE IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOMETIMES IT TAKES THOSE MUNDANE TASKS THAT WE DO AND ALLOWS US TO GET RID OF THOSE, AND ALLOWS US TO LOOK AT STUFF MORE CRITICALLY AND MAYBE POSSIBLY BE MORE CREATIVE. I CAN BE USED TO CREATE NEW THINGS.
[00:30:01]
THINK ABOUT THINGS IN A WAY THAT WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THOUGHT OF THEM BEFORE. FIND LITTLE NUANCES INSIDE MESSAGING THAT WE'RE LIKE, HEY, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THAT WAS RELATED TO SOMETHING.SO WE'VE ALREADY DONE SOME WORK ON THAT. SO WE MET WITH TEACHERS BACK IN MARCH, AND WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT AI AND DIFFERENT TOOLS THAT EXIST OUT THERE, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF TOOLS OUT THERE, AND IT'S ALREADY EMBEDDED IN A LOT OF TOOLS THAT WE'RE ALREADY USING, NOT JUST THE FACEBOOKS OF THE WORLD, BUT A LOT OF EDUCATION TOOLS.
ALMOST EVERY EDUCATION TOOL HAS HAD AI IN IT FOR WAY BEFORE CHATGPT BECAME SOMETHING.
I MEAN, IT'S A CORE OF ALL THOSE COMPUTER ADAPTIVE RESOURCES THAT WE USE THAT DO THINGS.
IT'S THE CORE. IT'S HOW ALL THE METRICS COME ABOUT TO BE.
AND THIS IS SOME THINGS AND TOOLS THAT WE COULD USE TO HELP STRENGTHEN THEM INSTITUTIONALLY, NOT TAKING THE TEACHER OUT OF IT AND GIVE THEM SUGGESTIONS ON RESOURCES TO USE.
THOSE ARE ALREADY EMBEDDED IN THINGS TO DO IT.
SO WE CREATED A TEACHING AND LEARNING TECHNOLOGY COMMITTEE.
IT INVOLVED REPRESENTATION FROM EVERY SCHOOL.
IT INVOLVED PRINCIPALS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, SUPPORT STAFF FROM ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND BASICALLY WE REVIEWED WHAT AI IS. WE LOOKED AT PRIVACY POLICIES.
WE WE INVESTIGATED THEM. WE ASKED THEM FOR THEIR FEEDBACK ON I.
WE LET THEM SEE SOME GUIDELINES AND REVISE SOME GUIDELINES AND GIVE US SOME SUGGESTIONS ON STAFF GUIDELINES FOR THE USE OF AI AND GOT FEEDBACK FROM THEM ON THAT, MADE ADJUSTMENTS TO IT. THIS IS ALSO WHERE WE STARTED TO VET DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS, AND THEY LEARNED HOW TO TAKE A RESOURCE AND DID IT THEMSELVES A RESOURCE, AND LOOK AT THE DATA PRIVACY POLICIES AND SEE WHAT IS A GOOD PRODUCT AND WHAT IS A BAD PRODUCT BASED ON VETTING, NOT JUST ABOUT THE CURRICULUM PART OF IT, BUT JUST THE SAFETY COMPONENT AND THEN ALSO THE CURRICULUM PART.
SO WE ARE FOCUSING ON VETTING AI VENDORS, THINGS LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL, AI CONMIGO, BRISK LABS.
THESE TOOLS ARE SECURE AND EDUCATIONALLY FOCUSED.
THESE ARE THIS IS WHERE THE DIFFERENCE LIES AND THE ONES THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
THEY COME WITH THAT OF PRIVACY AGREEMENTS. THEY COME WITH DISTRICT OVERSIGHT.
AND THEY ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.
THEY ARE THEY ARE WHAT WE CALL A WALLED PROGRAM.
THEY'RE THEY'RE THEY'RE MADE SPECIFICALLY FOR EDUCATION.
AND SO HERE'S KIND OF AN EXAMPLE OF THOSE TOOLS YOU HAVE.
SOMETHING LIKE CHATGPT IS A GENERAL SMART CHAT BOT.
THAT'S WHAT WE CALL IT. IT'S AN HALLUCINATION.
IT COMES UP WITH SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T REALLY EXIST.
IT MIGHT EVEN CREATE A STANDARD. THAT'S WHY WE STILL HAVE TO HAVE THAT HUMAN INTERVENTION.
SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE. BUT THEN YOU HAVE A PRODUCT LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL AI THAT IS SPECIFICALLY MADE FOR TEACHERS WITH TOOLS TO HELP THEM EASILY CREATE LESSON PLANS, QUIZZES, OR OTHER SCHOOL RELATED MATERIALS OR EDUCATIONALLY RELATED MATERIALS.
IT'S TO ONLY BE THE START. IT'S A SUGGESTION.
IT'S A GREAT STARTER PLACE FOR A LOT OF THINGS.
IT IS NOT THE FINAL TOOL, SO THAT'S KIND OF JUST A GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THOSE.
THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE VISUALLY KIND OF COMPARES THE TWO KIND OF IN GENERAL WHAT THEY CAN DO.
CHATGPT VERSUS MAGIC SCHOOL. I ON THE LEFT YOU SEE EXAMPLES OF CHATGPT CAPABILITIES, SUCH AS EXPLAINING QUANTUM COMPUTING, GENERATING BIRTHDAY IDEAS. IT REMEMBERS CONVERSATIONS.
IT CAN BE CORRECTED, BUT ALSO HAS LIMITATIONS.
LIKE OCCASIONALLY. LIKE I SAID, TALKED ABOUT HALLUCINATIONS IS WHAT THEY'RE CALLED.
OR BIASED INFORMATION. BECAUSE AI IS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE HUMANS THAT CREATED IT.
THAT PROGRAMED IT. IT HAS LIMITED KNOWLEDGE OF CERTAIN EVENTS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS UP TO DATE, AND IT'S PULLING FROM THE WORLD WIDE WEB IN SOME ASPECTS.
SO IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT. BUT THEN YOU HAVE TOOLS LIKE ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE, LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL AI, WHICH WAS ONE OF THE PRODUCTS WE VETTED DURING THAT PROCESS, WHICH OFFERS A RANGE OF TOOLS SPECIFICALLY FOR EDUCATORS.
THESE INCLUDE GENERATING MULTIPLE CHOICE ASSESSMENTS, CREATING LESSON PLANS, REWRITING TEXT LEVEL TEXTS, EXILING COMPLICATED PASSAGES TO APPROPRIATE READING LEVELS FOR CHILDREN TO MATCH THEIR READING LEVEL TO MATCH THE STUDENT'S READING LEVEL.
[00:35:08]
INFORMATIONAL TEXT IS, WHICH IS SOMETHING HARD FOR TEACHERS TO CREATE BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT ALWAYS THE CONTENT SPECIALIST, BUT THEY NEED SOME OF THAT CONTENT SPECIALIZATION.THIS GIVES THEM A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, SO IT CREATES THOSE INFORMATIONAL TEXTS.
THIS HIGHLIGHTS HOW SPECIALIZED AI TOOLS CAN DIRECTLY BENEFIT OUR TEACHERS.
THIS IS DIFFERENT THAN A CHATGPT, SO THERE'S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO TYPES OF TOOLS.
SO THE CONMIGO, THE BRISK LABS AND THE MAGIC SCHOOL AI WERE SOME VETTED APPLICATIONS.
THEY WEREN'T THE ONLY APPLICATIONS THAT WERE LOOKED AT.
THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE APPLICATIONS THAT WERE LOOKED AT THAT WE CAN USE OR POSSIBLY USE.
SO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TAKE THIS TIME TO DISCUSS AI AND AIKEN COUNTY.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, MR. CARROLL? YES. SO.
YES, SIR. THE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN SELECTED BY THE COMMITTEE THAT COULD BE APPROVED.
IS IT A PLAY OFF? SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID? IS IT JUST FOR OUR STAFF OR IS IT FOR STUDENTS? YOU USE IT. IT CAN BE FOR STUDENTS. USE RIGHT NOW.
IT WAS VETTED FOR BOTH. IF THEY HAVE A TOOL FOR STUDENTS TO USE.
STUDENTS COULD POSSIBLY USE IT. WHAT WE LOOKED AT IS BECAUSE THERE'S PRICING THAT COMES ALONG WITH THAT STUFF, IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE IT WITH STUDENTS. MOST EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE MOST OF THE WAYS THAT'S USED RIGHT NOW IS FOR TEACHERS.
AND IT HAS TO BE A PAID PRODUCT, BUT TEACHERS CAN HAVE IT.
NOW. THERE ARE SOME APPLICATIONS THAT ARE NOT.
LET ME SAY PART OF THE RFP, THINGS LIKE GOOGLE GEMINI, IT WAS JUST APPROVED FOR ALL AGES, THINGS LIKE MICROSOFT COPILOT HAVEN'T BEEN APPROVED FOR ALL AGES, EVEN THE EDUCATION VERSION.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF THROW THOSE OR EXAMPLES.
BUT IN THESE THERE ARE THOSE POSSIBILITIES. THEY HAVE BEEN VETTED.
BUT THIS IS MAINLY FOR TEACHERS. A LOT OF TEACHERS USE THE FREE PRODUCTS.
NOW JUST THEY GO OUT AND GET IT AND THEY CREATE THINGS WITH IT.
YEAH, I'M GOING TO DO A REPEAT BACK TO YOU A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY AND THEN ASK YOU ONE QUESTION.
WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PERSON. YES, SIR. SO IT'S MEANT TO BE A THE INTENT OF THE DISTRICT IS TO, IF APPROVED, TO USE THESE THINGS AS PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR TEACHERS, HOPEFULLY MUCH LIKE I DO IN THE WORKPLACE, BECAUSE LIKE, I KNOW WE'RE A BUNCH OF US WORK, WE'VE GOT THEM AVAILABLE TO US.
ABSOLUTELY. YES. PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS. YES, SIR.
THE IF IT WAS I WOULD BE MORE CONCERNED IF WE WERE ALLOWED ACCESS TO FOR THIS FOR STUDENTS BECAUSE I NOTICED ONE OF THOSE ICONS ON THE SCREEN IS TEXT FREE WRITER AND THINGS LIKE I WOULD I, I GET CONCERNED IS IF WE EVER INTRODUCE I MEAN IT'S OUT THERE FOR KIDS TO USE BUT THE HOW TECHNOLOGY IS GOING TO IMPACT WHAT WE THINK OF AS OUR TRADITIONAL PLAGIARISM STANDARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS NOT FOR STUDENTS.
SO THIS IS NOT FOR STUDENTS, BUT THIS GOES BACK TO PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
AND THIS IS WHY THIS IS ACTUALLY THIS SLIDE RIGHT HERE IS KIND OF IMPORTANT.
IS THE AI LITERACY SLIDE ANY AI BEFORE YOU START USING IT? A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST USE IT. THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT WAS USED APPROPRIATELY.
WE ALSO HAVE TO KNOW THAT I CAN'T TECHNICALLY PREDICT COPYWRITING.
IT CAN BE USED IN THE WRONG WAY BECAUSE IT COULD SAY IT'S COPYRIGHTED. BUT ACTUALLY, RIGHT NOW, THE WAY THE LAWS HAVE KIND OF BEEN INTERPRETED IS WHEN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN AI AND IT PRODUCES SOMETHING YOU BECOME TO BECOME THE OWNER OF IT.
IT'S A UNIQUE YOUR PROMPT AND HOW IT OUTPUTS BASED ON THE INFORMATION IT'S COLLECTED AT THE TIME BECOMES A UNIQUE OUTPUT, BUT IT'S ABOUT AI LITERACY. YES, WE WOULD NOT ROLL IT OUT UNTIL STUDENTS ARE EDUCATED AND STAFF ARE EDUCATED ON WHAT THE APPROPRIATE USES OF AI AND THE BENEFITS AND THE DOWNFALLS OF IT. BECAUSE STUDENTS ARE USING THEM WHEN THEY'RE OUTSIDE OF HERE AND WE BLOCK THINGS THAT AREN'T VETTED AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY GET BLOCKED AUTOMATICALLY. AND, YOU KNOW, FIREWALLS ARE AND CONTENT FILTERS ONLY AS GOOD AS THE AI IS.
AND WE DO HAVE IT IN PRIVACY RIGHT NOW. PRIVACY POLICY THAT'S WHY I PAID TOOL MATTERS BECAUSE WE WOULD SAY YOU CAN'T UPLOAD STUDENT DATA TO A FREE TOOL BECAUSE WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE A PRIVACY AGREEMENT THAT SAYS THAT WE OWN THE DATA. SO RIGHT NOW WE WOULD NOT THIS WOULD BE MAINLY FOR TEACHERS AS A PRODUCTIVITY TOOL IS KIND OF HOW IT'S BEING USED. THANKS. AND I'M SORRY I DIDN'T SEE WHOSE HAND WENT UP FIRST, BUT I'M GOING TO GO NOW.
AND I SAW MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE THAT SOME PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE KIND OF UPSET WITH ME, WITH WHAT I'M ABOUT TO SAY IN MY QUESTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, I FEEL THAT SOMETHING YOU SAID STUCK OUT TO ME.
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE TOOLS, BUT ABOUT THE INSTRUCTION.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TECHNOLOGY IS A GIFT AND A CURSE.
[00:40:02]
I AM NOT IN THE TECHNOLOGY FIELD BY ANY MEANS.SO PLEASE DO NOT TAKE WHAT I SAY AS LAW. I'M NOT.
BUT I FEEL THAT TEACHERS ALREADY HAVE A LOT ON THEIR PLATES.
AND NOW WE ARE ASKING THEM TO BE AI EXPERTS. AND IN ORDER TO.
AND WE ARE ASKING THEM TO BE AI EXPERTS IN ORDER TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE INTERNET GOES OUT? THEY GOT TO GO TO OLD SCHOOL, RIGHT? THEY GOT TO GO. SO, SO SO THIS IS THE THIS AND AND ANYBODY THAT'S EVER BEEN IN A MEETING WITH ME.
THIS IS THIS IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS IT'S INSTRUCTIONAL FOR TECH.
TEACHING STILL HAS TO TAKE PLACE. AND TEACHING IS THE MOST IMPORTANT COMPONENT, JUST LIKE THAT VERY FIRST STATEMENT THAT THAT AI IS JUST A TOOL IN OUR TOOLBOX TO HELP US MAYBE POSSIBLY ENGAGE OR MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT IN OUR WORK, IN OUR WORKPLACE WHEN WE'RE DOING STUFF.
BUT TECHNOLOGY SHOULD NEVER REPLACE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A STUDENT WHEN IT COMES PROFESSIONALLY TO EDUCATING STUDENT AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO, THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE MOST IMPORTANT IMPACT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS YOU SAID STOOD OUT TO ME.
YOU SAID THAT MATCHING TEACHERS WILL BE ABLE TO MATCH CHILDREN'S READING LEVELS.
I DON'T WANT TEACHERS TO MATCH A CHILD'S READING LEVEL.
WE SHOULD BE LEVELING UP OUR CHILDREN'S READING LEVELS.
ABSOLUTELY. AND IT'S NOT SAYING. IT'S NOT SAYING THAT THAT COULD BE INTERPRETED WRONG.
WHAT IT'S SAYING IS IT'S THIS ALLOWING THEM TO FIND THEIR READING LEVELS APPROPRIATE? AND IF THEY NEED TO MAKE A FILE THAT'S HIGHER FOR A STUDENT CHALLENGING, THAT'S.
BUT THAT'S THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE. THEY SHOULD BE DOING THAT ANYWAYS. AND OUR TEACHERS DO THAT. SO THAT'S AN INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICE. SO WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS IF YOU NEEDED A HIGHER EXILE, SAY, A STUDENT THAT HAD A LOWER EXILE THAT WAS NOT ON A CERTAIN READING LEVEL, NOW YOU CAN MAYBE GENERATE SOME MORE INFORMATIONAL TEXTS THAT ARE OF A HIGHER EXILE LEVEL THAT CAN BE USED WITH THAT STUDENT TO HELP THAT STUDENT PERFORM AT A HIGH LEVEL, BECAUSE WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE HIGH, WE SHOULD ALWAYS WANT OUR STUDENTS TO PERFORM AT A HIGHER LEVEL THAN THEY'RE PERFORMING.
WE SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY WILL MEET THEM.
THANK YOU, MISS TYLER. MR. CARROLL SO YOU GAVE US GOOD POINTS REGARDING MAGIC SCHOOL, BUT I SEE THAT IT SAYS THAT THE RFP SELECTION COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD BE BETTER SERVED BY THREE COMPANIES MAGIC SCHOOL. KHAN ACADEMY AND BRISK LABCORP.
I MEAN, YES, MA'AM, I JUST READ. THEY ALL DO A LITTLE OF THE SAME THING.
SO EVEN CONMIGO, THAT'S AN EXAMPLE. IT'S VERY MUCH.
KHAN ACADEMY'S VERSION OF AI IN PARTNERSHIP WITH MICROSOFT.
SO MICROSOFT AND KHAN PARTNERED AND THEY CREATED A TOOL THAT LOOKS JUST LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL.
SO LIKE BRISK LABS IS MORE CONTENT ORIENTED. WHAT YOU'RE ABLE TO DO WHEN YOU BUY A WALLED PRODUCT.
SO THAT WOULD BE A PURCHASE PRODUCT, IS YOU'RE ABLE TO SET THOSE GUIDELINES TO SET THOSE BARRIERS, THOSE GUARDRAILS. AND THAT'S WHAT THESE PRODUCTS DO IS THEY BASICALLY PROVIDE GUARDRAILS, SUPPORT.
THEY ALL KIND OF DO SOMETHING SIMILAR WITHIN THEIR PERSPECTIVE REALM.
YEAH, I KNOW IT'S PROBABLY IMPOSSIBLE TO ASK, BUT IT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL DAY WHEN WE COULD.
THE WHOLE DISTRICT COULD USE JUST ONE PLATFORM, SO THIS WOULD ALLOW US TO PICK ONE.
THIS IS ALLOWING US TO VET BECAUSE WHEN IT COMES TO PRICING AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND PRIVACY POLICIES AND AGREEMENTS, THIS GIVES US AN OPTION TO CHOOSE ONE. THE IDEA IS WE WOULD CHOOSE ONE.
WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO DO THAT WITH LOTS OF OUR TECHNOLOGY NOW IS TRYING TO GET INTO ONE PRODUCT.
BUT THIS RFP, THE BASED ON THE WAY THAT MR. TRAXLER SPOKE ABOUT IT IN THE LAST MEETING, JUST ALLOWS US TO LOOK, THIS DOESN'T THIS ISN'T PICKING ONE. THIS IS ALLOWING US THAT WE VETTED THESE RESOURCES AND THESE ARE POSSIBLE RESOURCES.
IF WE DECIDED TO PURCHASE THAT, WE COULD USE FOR THESE RFPS.
BASED ON SUGGESTIONS. SO IT'S NOT MAKING ONE MORE THAN THE OTHER OR SAYING ONE.
OUR TEACHERS GAVE SOME FEEDBACK. THEY DID LIKE MAGIC SCHOOL.
I MORE THAT WAS BASED ON THE SURVEY RESULTS. BUT WE WOULD STILL REVISIT THAT EVEN BEFORE IF WE IF WE EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, WE WOULD STILL REVISIT WITH TEACHERS AND STUFF AND PICK ONE.
NOT A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT ONES NOW. OKAY. SO I HOPE I ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.
[00:45:04]
YEAH. SO TO CLARIFY, JUST THE WAY THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING IT IS THAT YOU WILL CHOOSE ONE FROM THESE THREE PLATFORMS. THERE'S. YES, WE WOULD CHOOSE ONE FROM THE ONE OF THESE THREE PLATFORMS, AND WE WOULD GO BACK TO TEACHERS IF WE EVER HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.OKAY. BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN KIND OF LIKE YOU GUYS SELECTED THREE.
YOU SAID THAT THE DISTRICT WOULD BE BEST SERVED BY SELECTING THREE COMPANIES, WHICH LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT THE TEACHERS WOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE FROM THOSE THREE PLATFORMS. THANK YOU. YES, MA'AM. MR. SILAS.
MR. CARROLL, IF I MISSED IT, I APOLOGIZE. BUT WHAT'S THE ANTICIPATED COST? SO PROPOSALS THAT YOU I WOULD HAVE, I WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET THE PRICING BECAUSE IT WOULD BE AN UPDATED PRICING.
I KNOW THAT AT MAGIC SCHOOL AT ONE POINT WAS ABOUT $4,000 PER SCHOOL, BUT IF WE DID A BULK COST.
DOCTOR EDWARDS, WE HAD IT SOMEWHERE AT IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS.
YEAH, IT WAS SUBSTANTIALLY LESS THAN THE OTHER COST.
I THINK BRISK WAS KIND OF VERY EXPENSIVE. KHAN ACADEMY WAS IS ABOUT.
YEAH. KHAN ACADEMY IS LIKE 14 TO $17 PER STUDENT TO GO TO IT.
AND THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE IT COMES WITH ALL THEIR CONTENT.
AND TO GET THE DISTRICT DASHBOARD THEY'RE CHARGING YOU.
AND WE WOULD WE WANT A DISTRICT DASHBOARD WHEN WE BUY PRODUCTS.
THAT'S PART OF OUR VETTING PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW TO COMBINE PRODUCTS IS ONE IT HELPS US, HUMAN CAPITAL WISE, BE ABLE TO MONITOR IT AND MAINTAIN IT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE PRICE IS LIKE $4,000 PER SCHOOL FOR MAGIC SCHOOL.
AND THEN BRISK WAS LIKE $120,000, I THINK, FOR THE DISTRICT TO PURCHASE IT.
BUT I'LL GO BACK AND GET THOSE NUMBERS FOR YOU.
I APOLOGIZE, I THINK I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT AND MAYBE I'M MISUNDERSTANDING.
IS YOUR IS THE PLAN TO TO DO A PILOT, OR IS YOUR PLAN TO ROLL IT OUT TO EVERYBODY? SO WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND AS WE MET AS A TEAM BETWEEN CURRICULUM AND TECHNOLOGY, IT REALLY IS JUST FOR US TO TO VET SOME RESOURCES OUT THERE.
IF WE CHOOSE TO USE ONE LIKE WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE MONEY, RIGHT? THE SECOND TO USE ONE. SO IF THERE'S SOME FEDERAL GRANTS THAT COME UP, THIS ALLOWS US NOW TO BE ABLE TO PICK AND CHOOSE A PRODUCT TO USE.
DOES THAT. I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR I THINK SO.
THANK YOU. YES, SIR. IF I COULD JUST ADD SOMETHING.
THIS GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THESE ALREADY APPROVED IN THE EVENT WE HAVE THE FUNDING.
WE CAN ALSO CHANGE JUST LIKE WE CAN WITH EVERY PRODUCT WE DISCUSSED LAST TIME.
JUST BECAUSE IT'S ON THE LIST FOR FIVE YEARS DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE PURCHASE IT FOR FIVE YEARS, OR EVEN HAVE TO PURCHASE ANY AT ALL. BUT IF THE FUNDING IS AVAILABLE, AND THAT'S A BIG THING, BECAUSE WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THIS, OUR TEACHERS USE A LOT OF FREE ONES.
RIGHT NOW. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO FREE EVEN THROUGH POWER SCHOOL.
THERE'S ONE THROUGH POWER SCHOOL. BUT IF WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY THE CONTENT OR WHATEVER IN LATER YEARS WITH THE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME GRANT OPPORTUNITIES NATIONWIDE.
WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE ONES THAT AIKEN COUNTY LIKE THE BEST SITTING ON THAT SHELF, AND WE CAN GO PICK THE ONE THAT WE WANT THAT FITS US IN, PARTICULARLY BASED ON COST AND THE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE.
ONE FINAL THING. MISTER CHAIRMAN, IF YOU'RE ASKING US TO APPROVE.
TO ENTER INTO A CONTRACT WITH THESE FOLKS WANT OR I THINK IT'S FAIR TO EXPECT TO KNOW HOW MUCH HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE ASKING BEING ASKED TO APPROVE IT. IT'S NOT AN EXPENDITURE YET.
THIS IS JUST ALLOWING US TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT A RESOURCE IF WE CHOOSE TO.
IF THAT MONEY EVER CAME AVAILABLE, NOW WE'VE GOT RESOURCES THAT WE'VE ALREADY VETTED FOR PRIVACY AND SECURITY, THAT WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT FOR CURRICULUM THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE INTERESTED IN.
AND SO IF WE HAD MONIES THAT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AVAILABLE, THEN IT WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PICK ONE OF THESE THREE AS THE DISTRICT TOOL OF CHOICE BASED ON FUNDING AND STUFF.
AND THEN, LIKE DOCTOR EDWARDS SAID, IF THERE'S ONE THAT MAYBE DIDN'T WORK OUT THE WAY WE WANTED TO, LIKE IT HAD ALL THE PROMISES, BUT NOT NOTHING FOR IT.
IF SO, BE IT. SO THAT'S THE THING IS, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY MONEY.
[00:50:07]
WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT WE HAVE TO PRESENT THESE RFPS FOR THESE PROJECTS THAT WE VETTED AND USED IN CASE THAT EVER CAME ABOUT.AND SO WE WOULD WE WOULD ASK FOR THAT EXPENDITURE WHEN THAT HAPPENED.
OKAY. THANK YOU. MR. BROOME. YOU SEE, YOU GOT US ALL CONFUSED, RIGHT? WE'RE NOT USED TO BEING BROUGHT FORWARD BEFORE SOMETHING'S PICKED AND WE'RE ASKED TO PAY FOR IT.
SO THIS IS TRANSPARENCY THAT I DON'T SEE A LOT.
I APPRECIATE THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. BUT I'M GOING TO GO BACK TO LAST MEETING.
I ASKED SOME QUESTIONS. WE HAD A LOT OF STUFF.
WE APPROVED. AND I AGAIN ADMITTED THAT I'M ON THE ACADEMIC SIDE.
I'M NO EXPERT, BUT IT SEEMED LIKE WE APPROVED A LOT OF TOOLS.
AND I QUESTIONED, THEN WHY DO WE NEED SO MANY TOOLS, DIFFERENT COMPANIES WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT TOOLS? AND I SAID I FELT LIKE LESS WAS MORE. THIS SEEMS AND I AND THIS IS DIFFERENT I UNDERSTAND I PART WAS PROBABLY NOT IN THAT BUT IT SEEMED LIKE SOME DUPLICATION AGAIN. SO OR THE TWO DEPARTMENTS WORKING TOGETHER WHERE I JUST SEEM LIKE WE GOT A LOT OF.
THEY'RE DIFFERENT NEEDS ACROSS OUR DISTRICT. AND WE HAVE SOME SCHOOLS.
AND YOU KNOW THIS, AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO SEE DATA FROM THIS THIS YEAR.
AND WE WE HAVE TEACHERS WHO PREFER CERTAIN PROGRAMS. THEY'RE SIMILAR. AND OUR GOAL IS TO ALIGN THEM EVEN MORE.
BUT WE WANT TO GIVE OUR TEACHERS CHOICES. WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE FREEDOM TO USE WHAT THEY NEED IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. THERE WERE 26 APPROVED. MY MIND LEFT ME FOR A SECOND, 26 APPROVED AT THE LAST MEETING, SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS FOR K THROUGH 12. AND I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT TO YOU, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THAT STILL IS VERY LIMITING TO SOME SITUATIONS.
ADULT ED, I THINK WE ONLY HAD ONE. ONE OF THOSE SUPPLEMENTAL MATERIALS WAS FOR ADULT ED.
ONE WAS FOR VOCATIONAL PARTS. AND THEN I MEAN, SO YOU REALLY HAVE TO DIG KIND OF DEEP TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE SERVING OR WHO THEY'RE SERVING IN PARTICULAR. BUT IF YOU ASK TEACHERS, THAT'S NOT ENOUGH.
BUT WE FELT LIKE WE HAD DUPLICATES IN THERE, SO WE NARROWED IT DOWN TO HELP THEM MAKE A DECISION, BECAUSE WE HAVE A FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT DUPLICATING THOSE THINGS.
AND IT DOES SEEM LIKE A LOT. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T WANT TO LIMIT OUR TEACHERS.
WE WANT TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED. NOW, AGAIN, MR. BROWN, IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE OBLIGATED TO BUY THEM, BUT IF THEY WANT THEM, WE'VE GOT THEM APPROVED.
AND IF THEY NEED THEM, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED.
SO WHAT WE VOTED ON, WE DIDN'T BUY ALL THAT STUFF.
WE APPROVED. NO, SIR. WE HAVE. WE HAD BOUGHT SOME OF IT.
WE'D ALREADY WELL, AS SOON AS THE RFP WENT THROUGH THE FULL PROCESS.
BUT I'M THINKING OUT OF THOSE 26, WE HAD PURCHASED EIGHT.
BECAUSE OF COURSE WE DID THEM FOR DISTRICT WIDE.
BUT I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. WE GOT AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN AREA ONE, AND THEY'VE BEEN USING THE GROUP OF TEACHERS HAVE BEEN USING THIS ONE PRODUCT FOR YEARS, AND IT WAS TECHNICALLY SOLE SOURCE BECAUSE THEY HAD USED IT FOR SO MANY YEARS.
AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY PRODUCTIVE WITH IT, WITH THEIR STUDENTS SEEING GREAT GAINS.
AND IT PASSED OUR TEST. SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE THAT FROM THEM.
JUST BECAUSE IT KIND OF FELL IN LINE WITH THE COST, AND WE TOOK COSTS INTO CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
SO BASICALLY THIS IS THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN COMPARE IT TO.
YOU GO TO THE GROCERY STORE, YOU LIKE HEINZ KETCHUP OR YOU LIKE HUNT.
AND THEY'VE BEEN APPRECIATIVE. THEY PLAYED A HUGE ROLE IN THIS.
AND NICK'S TEAM EVEN CALLED THE COMPANY TO GET CLEARANCE BECAUSE IT WAS VERY SIMILAR.
AND SO WE TRIED TO MAKE OUR TEACHERS HAPPY AND GIVE THEM THE, YOU KNOW, THE TOOLS THEY NEEDED.
IT WAS A NEW PROCESS FOR US. WE NEVER HAD TO GO THROUGH THE RFP PROCESS.
[00:55:01]
BUT NOW WE'RE LIMITING THAT LIBRARY SO THAT TEACHERS KNOW WHAT'S IN THERE, AND IF THEY NEED SOMETHING ELSE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT TILL THE NEXT RFP PROCESS.BUT I GUESS THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, DO YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WE HAD SUCH AN OUTCRY FROM TEACHERS WHEN WE TOOK SOME ABILITY TO USE SOME FREE PRODUCT? WHAT WAS IT? WELL, IT IT WASN'T FREE, BUT TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS.
TEACHERS PAY TEACHERS. BUT HERE'S MY QUESTION.
I ALMOST THINK THAT TO ME, IT WOULD SEEM LIKE WE HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE USING.
ARE WE ABLE TO HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE USING A PRODUCT? BECAUSE YOU GOT TO HAVE A COST PER STUDENT OR A UTILIZATION, AND MAYBE IT WORKS BETTER FOR OVER HERE A LITTLE BIT.
SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO CONSOLIDATE. AND I MEAN, THAT'S I JUST IT JUST SEEMED LIKE TO ME, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE OUTCRY ON THAT COME UP THAT WE JUST MAYBE JUST GOT TOO MUCH STUFF OUT THERE TO THEY CAN GRAB FROM.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, WE WAS LIMITING WHAT THEY CAN USE OFTEN.
USE YOU REMEMBER ALL THIS STUFF. IT'S ALMOST COUNTER.
IS IT OPINION? IS IT A YOU FOLLOW WHAT I'M SAYING? WELL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER IS THE RFP PROCESS IS, YOU KNOW, THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. WE WENT THROUGH IT. BUT THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT IT IS IT IS VETTED AND TEACHER PAID.
TEACHER WAS A TOPIC THAT WAS PRETTY STRONG LAST YEAR, AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS TEACHERS WERE USING THAT PRODUCT, BUT IT WAS NOT ALIGNED TO THE LEVEL OF RIGOR OUR STUDENTS NEEDED.
SO WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT THE PROCESS. I DON'T THINK IT'S TOO MUCH.
OKAY. WELL, YOU THE EXPERT. I'M JUST NOT NECESSARILY THE EXPERT, BUT I YOU KNOW, I WANT TO GIVE THEM WHAT THEY NEED SO THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY DON'T HAVE ANY EXCUSE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE WHAT THEY NEEDED TO TEACH THE KIDS.
AND I THINK THE BOARD'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF THAT. AND I'M SATISFIED KNOWING THAT YOU DON'T OVERLAP.
WELL, YOU OVERLAP, BUT YOU DO IT INTENTIONALLY KNOWING THAT HIS STUFF'S COVERING YOUR STUFF.
ME AND DOCTOR EDWARDS TALK. WE GO OVER PRODUCTS.
WE'RE PART OF THE RFP PROCESS, VETTING IT ON OUR SIDE.
ON THE TECHNOLOGY SIDE, THEY LOOK AT CURRICULUM, AND THEN WE COME TO A CONSENSUS BASED ON TEACHER PRINCIPAL FEEDBACK AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON TOOLS. SO AND AND WHERE THE NUMBERS SEEM HIGH.
THERE'S THOUSANDS OF TOOLS AND THOUSANDS. WE HAVE VETTED PROBABLY A LITTLE OVER A THOUSAND.
IT MIGHT NOT HAVE CONTINENT. IT JUST GIVES THEM VARIETY.
IT GIVES TEACHERS A CHOICE BOARD, WHICH IS WHAT WE TEACH TEACHERS TO USE, IS THEY HAVE A CHOICE BOARD WHEN THEY'RE TRYING TO ENGAGE STUDENTS IN DIFFERENT WAYS IN THEIR CLASSROOM. IT GIVES THEM SOME OPTION IF YOU DID THE SAME THING EVERY DAY.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, YOU WOULD WANT A LITTLE CHANGE.
SO THROUGH VETTED RESOURCES, ONES THAT WE'VE WE'VE LOOKED AT, WE'RE STILL GIVING SOME CHOICE.
BUT WE ARE PULLING BACK SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE VETTED, RESOURCES THAT STANDARDIZE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND TRYING TO BRING IN OVERLAPPING RESOURCES AND SAY WHICH ONE ARE, IF WE PAY FOR IT, WHICH ONE IS GOING TO DO THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE NEED IT TO? AND THEN SOMETIMES THERE ARE THOSE EXCEPTIONS WHERE A RESOURCE MIGHT REALLY HELP YOU.
EVEN A DIGITAL RESOURCE GIVE YOU SOME SUPPORTS THAT YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE IN ANOTHER RESOURCE AND ACTUALLY HELP THOSE STUDENTS AND THOSE TEACHERS BE MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AT WHAT THEY DO. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION? THANK YOU, MISTER CAROL. YES, SIR. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. SO I APOLOGIZE I MISSED MY OWN CUE I HAD MARKED ON THE AGENDA.
[01:00:05]
WE SHOULD, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THAT BEFORE THE MOTION.BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR THAT WE'VE HAD A LONG DISCUSSION ON.
ONE COMPONENT OF IT, AND THE MOTION TO APPROVE ALL SIX CONSENT ITEMS IS MOVED AND SECONDED.
IS THERE ANY OTHER FUTURE? ADDITIONAL DISCUSSION ON THE SIX CONSENT ITEMS. HEARING NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE SIX CONSENT ITEMS, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES. THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM C-1.
REVIEW OF THE BOARD POLICY ICA, PARTICULARLY THE ACADEMIC HONORS SECTION, MR. POSTEL. GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR. DOCTOR MURPHY, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. TONIGHT I'M GOING TO BRING TO YOU OUR REVIEW OF POLICY ICA.
JUST A QUICK INTRODUCTION TO WHAT THAT POLICY IS.
IT WAS ADOPTED FIRST IN JUNE 75TH. MOST RECENT UPDATE OCTOBER 23RD.
AND THAT PURPOSE IS TO ESTABLISH THE BASIC STRUCTURE FOR ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT INSTRUCTION, CONTAINS THE SECTION ACADEMIC HONORS, WHICH IS THE SECTION OF CONCERN THAT WE'LL BE VIEWING TONIGHT.
THE PIECES OF CONCERN. THIS IS A LOT OF WORDS ON ONE SIDE.
SO I HAVE A SUMMARY SLIDE COMING UP. BUT THIS IS THE WORDING EXACTLY FROM THE BOARD POLICY ICA THAT ADDRESSES EARLY GRADUATES AND THE CALCULATION OF VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN, WHICH IS THE PORTION TONIGHT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
THAT IS, IN THE FOUR YEAR COHORT, FOUR YEAR GRADUATING COHORT.
ALL STUDENTS ARE RANKED IN THAT COHORT. IN THE GRADUATING COHORT.
AND THAT'S THE PART WE'RE LOOKING AT TONIGHT.
SO WE WERE ASKED TO REVIEW THE POLICY. FROM WHAT BOARD MEMBERS SAID AND FROM THE DISCUSSION.
WE LOOKED AT THIS FROM THREE DIFFERENT LENSES. ALIGNMENT.
ARE WE ALIGNED TO OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE? RELEVANCE AND RECOGNITION. IS THE POLICY STILL RELEVANT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF COURSES THAT WE OFFER AND THE ADVANCED ACADEMIC CURRICULUM THAT WE HAVE? DO WE PROPERLY RECOGNIZE OUR STUDENTS AS HONOR GRADUATES AND DO WE HAVE RECOGNITIONS FOR THEM? AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE WOULD MAKE TO THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT. IN THE REVIEW WE LOOKED AT IT, WE DID A COMPREHENSIVE REVIEW OF 71 DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE STATE LOOKING AT THE BOARD POLICY.
IKA, THERE'S SOME OTHER DIFFERENT POLICIES. WE HAD TO LOOK A LITTLE BIT TO FIND WHERE THEY HOUSED.
VALEDICTORIAN. SALUTATORIAN. SO OF THAT REVIEW.
ONE DISTRICT IN THE STATE THIS IS RICH FIVE HAS A ROBUST HONORS RECOGNITION SYSTEM, HOWEVER HAS DONE AWAY WITH THE VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN DESIGNATION COMPLETELY. TWO DISTRICTS IN THE STATE SPECIFICALLY ALLOW EARLY GRADUATES TO BE THE VALEDICTORIAN OR SALUTATORIAN, OR TO BE IN THE RUNNING FOR THAT. THOSE TWO DISTRICTS ARE GREENVILLE AND LEXINGTON TWO.
NINE DISTRICTS HAD NO CRITERIA IN THEIR BOARD POLICY.
THAT I COULD FIND IN ANY OF THEIR BOARD POLICIES.
NINE OTHERS MENTION OTHER CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN.
SO THEY BASE IT THOSE 50 DISTRICTS. IT'S BASED ON THAT FOUR YEAR COHORT, THE GRADUATING COHORT.
IN A MINUTE, I'LL EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE GRADUATING CLASS AND THE FOUR YEAR COHORT.
OF THAT, 70% IN THE STATE, 18 DISTRICTS SPECIFICALLY PROHIBITED BY LANGUAGE IN BOARD POLICY, MUCH LIKE AIKEN COUNTY DOES. THEY MENTION IN THE POLICY EARLY GRADUATES ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR ACADEMIC HONORS.
AND 32 DISTRICTS SPECIFY THAT A CALCULATION MAY BE MADE AFTER THE SEVENTH SEMESTER OF HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS THE FIRST SEMESTER, THE END OF THE FIRST SEMESTER OF THAT FOURTH YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
TO SUMMARIZE THAT, I HAD DON'T LAUGH AT MY COLORING.
[01:05:06]
THOSE 32 THAT SPECIFY THE CALCULATION IS MADE AFTER THE SEVENTH SEMESTER.SO THEREFORE IMPLYING IT IS THE FOURTH YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL.
THOSE ARE THE DISTRICTS WHERE THERE'S NO MENTION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND THE TWO GREEN ONES LEXINGTON AND GREENVILLE ARE THE TWO THAT SPECIFICALLY ALLOW IT.
OTHERS MAY DIFFER IN THAT THEY MENTIONED SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS FOR STUDENTS TO GRADUATE EARLY.
WE DO NOT. WE DO NOT HAVE AN APPLICATION FOR STUDENTS TO GRADUATE EARLY.
IF THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, AND THEY ELECT TO DO SO.
THERE MUST BE SOME EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES AND OTHER OTHER SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES.
SOME DISTRICTS DO SPECIFICALLY MENTION IN THEIR THE DISTRICTS WHO HAVE THE PROHIBITIONS.
THEY MENTIONED THE VALUE OF THE FOUR YEAR HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAM IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR COURSEWORK, POST-SECONDARY COURSEWORK, POST-SECONDARY LIFE.
AND THEY MENTIONED THAT THE HONORS LEVEL CURRICULUM IS NOT USED FOR ACCELERATION, BUT RATHER ENRICHMENT AND PREPAREDNESS FOR COURSES OF HIGHER ACADEMIC CHALLENGE. SO THEREFORE, IN THE ALIGNMENT CATEGORY, OUR SUMMARY SHOWS THAT WE DO ALIGN WITH THE OTHER DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
ONLY TWO OF THE 71 SPECIFICALLY ALLOW IT. AGAIN WE HAVE A POLICY THAT PROHIBITS IT, AND THE OTHERS HAVE NO MENTION IN THEIR POLICY, WHICH I COULD FIND. I'M SURE THEY HAVE IT IN STUDENT HANDBOOKS OR SOMEWHERE ELSE.
OF THIS, THREE DISTRICTS IN THE STATE HAVE A VERY RESTRICTIVE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE THE POWERPOINT. IT'S NOT EVEN THAT BAD OUT THERE.
LET ME WAIT FOR THE TV. WHY DON'T WE GIVE IT TWO MINUTES TO SEE IF IT.
SOMETIMES IT HAPPENS. SOMETIMES IT COMES BACK.
GOT YOU. THERE HAVE BEEN THUNDERSTORMS IN THUNDER.
IN GENERAL. THAT'S THE QUESTION. YES, SIR. YOU SAY SEVENTH SEMESTER. THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD.
THEY WOULD TAKE. I MEAN, THEY WOULD HAVE THEM, BUT THEY TOOK THE FIRST SEMESTER SMOOTH, AND THEY COULD NOT TAKE IT AS THE KIND OF WORK THAT WOULD IMPLY THAT. YES, SIR. IT WOULD BE AFTER GRADE STORE AT THE.
SO BASICALLY THE DECEMBER GRADE STORE. LOOK AT THAT.
MR.. I JUST WANT TO ASK I JUST WANT TO ASK A SECOND OPINION.
WE'VE GOT ENOUGH LIGHT TO CONTINUE IN HERE. I'M SORRY.
OH WELL, AUBREY, PLEASE REPORT. ON THAT. BECAUSE IF WE CAN WAIT A FEW MINUTES SO THAT THE ENTIRETY OF THE MEETING CAN BE RECORDED ON HOW TO DO THAT.
I THINK THE ISSUE IS GOING TO BE TOMORROW. WE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR IT.
TEST, TEST? YEAH. THIS ONE'S WORKING. YEP. OKAY.
ALL RIGHT. YES. IT'S DARK, BUT IT DOES SHOW. IT SHOWS.
RECORDING. YES. THERE IS THIS RECORDING, BUT IT'S VERY DARK.
WE CAN BARELY SEE YOU. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP.
WHO KNOWS HOW LONG THIS LAST. SO THAT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT. BUT THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WHAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE TO FOLKS IS RECORDINGS OF THIS MEETING. AND IT JUST LOOKS LIKE I THINK WHAT MR. TRAXLER JUST SAID IS YOU CAN'T REALLY SEE OUR FACES VERY WELL AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT JUST TO TO PLAY BACK. I THINK YOU WERE IN THE MID-SENTENCE.
SO GO AHEAD, MR. POSTEL. ALL RIGHT. SO I'LL GO BACK OVER THE THE ALIGNMENT SUMMARY.
[01:10:03]
OH, YEAH. I WAS POINTING OUT THAT THERE ARE THREE DISTRICTS PROHIBIT EARLY GRADUATES FROM BEING CONSIDERED AS HONOR GRADUATES AT ALL OR IN THE TOP TEN, OR ONE PROHIBITS ANY SENIOR FROM BEING SENIOR EARLY GRADUATE FROM BEING RECOGNIZED IN SENIOR HONORS, AND THE OTHER THREE PROHIBIT THAT EARLY GRADUATE FROM BEING IN THE TOP TEN AT ALL.OUR STUDENTS ARE RANKED NO MATTER WHICH COHORT THEY'RE A PART OF.
THEY'RE RANKED AS PART OF THAT GRADUATING CLASS.
JUST TO POINT OUT, ALSO, AS FAR AS ALIGNMENT, OUR POLICY HAS BEEN APPLIED CONSISTENTLY, CONSISTENTLY, AND MOST RECENTLY WITH TWO VERY RECENT GRADUATING CLASSES WHERE EARLY GRADUATES QUALIFIED OR WERE RANKED AS THE NUMBER ONE STUDENT IN THE CLASS, HOWEVER, WERE NOT NAMED VALEDICTORIAN BECAUSE THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE FOUR YEAR COHORT.
THEY WERE PART OF THE GRADUATING CLASS GRADUATING EARLY.
WE'RE BACK. ALL RIGHT, SO THE SECOND LENS WE LOOKED AT WAS RECOGNITION.
DO WE PROVIDE RECOGNITION FOR FOR GRADUATES OR IS THERE A RECOGNITION FOR EARLY GRADUATES? AND THESE ARE THE TOP, THE TOP WAYS THAT WE RECOGNIZE GRADUATES AT GRADUATION AS PART OF THE GRADUATING CLASS.
SO THE SOUTH CAROLINA HONORS ACADEMIC HONORS AWARD.
THERE IS NO RESTRICTION FOR FOR EARLY GRADS. GRADUATION HONORS THE CUM LAUDE, MAGNA CUM LAUDE, SUMMA CUM LAUDE. IT'S PURELY BASED ON GPA. THERE'S NO REQUIREMENT TO HAVE SPENT A CERTAIN TIME IN THE HIGH SCHOOL.
THE TOP TEN RANKING AGAIN. OTHER DISTRICTS DO RESTRICT THIS.
WE DO NOT. ALL OF OUR ALL MEMBERS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS ARE RANKED.
SOME DISTRICTS HAVE DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARDS.
HOWEVER, THEY DON'T HAVE A SENIOR SCHOLARS PROGRAM LIKE WE DO.
SO WE HAVE NO NO RESTRICTION THERE. LOOKING AT IT FROM RELEVANCE, THIS IS WHERE IT GETS A LITTLE A LITTLE MORE COMPLICATED WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE GRADUATING CLASS VERSUS THE FOUR YEAR COHORT.
BY THE YEAR THE STUDENT ENTERS HIGH SCHOOL. SO THAT GRADUATING COHORT, THEY ARE ASSIGNED A NINE GR CODE THEIR NINTH GRADE YEAR BASED ON THE SPRING OF THE YEAR THEY ENTER NINTH GRADE EARLY GRADUATES OR SAY, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
THIS YEAR'S GRADUATING CLASS, THE CLASS WHO SHOULD BE GRADUATING ARE WHAT WE CALL 923.
THAT'S THEIR FOUR YEAR COHORT, AS NOTED BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IN OUR ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL AND EVERYTHING WE USE TO ACCOUNT FOR STUDENTS, THAT MEANS THEY STARTED HIGH SCHOOL. THEIR FIRST YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL WAS 2223.
SO THERE ARE NINE GR 20 THREES. A STUDENT IN THE NINE GR 24 COHORT WHO STARTED HIGH SCHOOL IN 2324 CAN GRADUATE WITH THE NINE GR 20 THREES. HOWEVER, THAT STUDENT IS STILL COUNTED AS A NINE.
GR 24 IS NOT COUNTED AS A GRADUATE ACCORDING TO RECORD KEEPING.
A FIFTH YEAR MAY GRADUATE WITH THAT GRADUATING CLASS, BUT THEY'RE COUNTED IN THEIR FOUR YEAR COHORT.
THAT'S THE PART THAT GETS A LITTLE COMPLICATED. SO THE GRADUATING CLASS COULD HAVE THIRD YEAR STUDENTS, FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS, AND SOMETIMES FIFTH YEAR STUDENTS IN THAT GRADUATING CLASS.
AND I HAVE SOME DATA ON THOSE IN JUST A BIT AS WELL.
SO. THE RELEVANCE OF OUR ACADEMIC PROGRAM, WHAT WE OFFER.
WE OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT. WE OFFER OPPORTUNITIES FOR ACCELERATION.
THOSE PRIMARILY ARE TO ADVANCE KNOWLEDGE AND PREPARATION, TO GET STUDENTS READY FOR A COURSE OF HIGHER ACADEMIC CHALLENGE IN PREPARING THEM FOR WHAT'S NEXT AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. SPECIFICALLY TO HELP STUDENTS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF AP DUAL ENROLLMENT, CTE OPPORTUNITIES, WORK BASED LEARNING, INTERNSHIPS, APPRENTICESHIPS OTHER EDUCATION PATHWAYS.
THAT'S GRADUATING. YOU MAY ASK, WHAT ARE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADVANCEMENT? AND AS FAR AS COURSES OF STUDY, WE HAVE DUAL ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH AIKEN TECH, USC AIKEN THE RIDGE SPRING AREA HAS A PARTNERSHIP WITH MIDLANDS TECH FOR THE AGRICULTURE PROGRAM. WE DO HAVE STUDENTS WHO COME TO THE CAREER CENTER FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT.
[01:15:05]
WE HAVE WELDING DUAL ENROLLMENT AT WAGENER-SALLEY HIGH. WE HAVE A NUCLEAR FUNDAMENTALS, DUAL ENROLLMENT CYBERSECURITY, ADVANCED PLACEMENT COURSE OFFERINGS. A STUDENT WHO ADVANCES THROUGH THE REQUIRED CURRICULUM CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT OFFERINGS, NOT JUST AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL. SOME OF OUR SMALLER SCHOOLS ONLY OFFER A FEW.WITH THE OTHER HIGH SCHOOLS, WE ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO VIRTUAL SC.
WE HAVE 51 COMPLETED PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS WITH DUAL ENROLLMENT, SUCH AS THE NUCLEAR FUNDAMENTALS, THE ENGINEERING PROGRAM, THE CYBERSECURITY AND WELDING INTERNSHIP AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES IN ALL AREAS OF THE DISTRICT AND WORK BASED LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE FEEL THAT THE AS FAR AS RELEVANCE THE PROGRAMS WE OFFER ARE RELEVANT.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO MENTION PAST GRADUATES, WE HAD TWO GRADUATES AS PART OF THE GRADUATING CLASS, WHO WERE PART OF THE OTHER FOUR YEAR COHORT WHO GRADUATED EARLY.
RANKED NUMBER ONE, DID NOT QUALIFY AS VALEDICTORIAN OR SALUTATORIAN BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT POLICY.
AND JUST IN THIS ONE TO GIVE YOU SOME STATISTICS ON THIS YEAR'S GRADUATING CLASS.
WE HAVE 1539 STUDENTS IN THIS YEAR'S GRADUATING CLASS.
OF THOSE, 41 ARE EARLY GRADUATES, 41 OF THOSE ARE NOT.
NINE GR 23 THEY DID NOT START HIGH SCHOOL IN 2223.
SO 41 EARLY GRADUATES RANGING THE NUMBER OF CREDITS RANGE FROM 15.5 CREDITS TO 27 CREDITS.
SO SOME OF OUR STUDENTS WHO HAVE SPENT TWO YEARS IN HIGH SCHOOL HAVE 27 CREDITS, AND THEY'RE MOVING INTO THEIR THIRD YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND PLANNING TO GRADUATE THIS YEAR. 69 STUDENTS IN THE GRADUATING COHORT HAVE 30 OR MORE CREDITS, AND THEY'RE NOT ALL AIKEN SCHOLARS ACADEMY STUDENTS WHO GET TWO YEARS OF COLLEGE. SOME OF THOSE ARE MIDLAND VALLEY STUDENTS.
SOME OF THOSE ARE NORTH AUGUSTA STUDENTS. SO 69 OF THOSE, WE HAVE 39 STUDENTS.
I MENTIONED THAT SOMETIMES STUDENTS DON'T MAKE IT IN FOUR YEARS.
SOMETIMES THEY HAVE TO STAY A FIFTH YEAR, 39 STUDENTS IN THAT 1539 ARE FIFTH YEAR STUDENTS WHO DIDN'T QUITE MAKE IT LAST YEAR, SHOULD HAVE GRADUATED LAST YEAR, AND THEY'RE GRADUATING THIS YEAR. SO ALL OF THAT COMBINED TO MAKE THE GRADUATING COHORT.
AND WE HAVE 700 OR MORE STUDENTS WHO HAVE 24 CREDITS.
SO 700 OF THE 1500 ALREADY HAVE ENOUGH CREDITS.
SO IN SUMMARY, FOR THE RELEVANCE AND RECOGNITION PORTION WE BELIEVE THAT WE DO HAVE A ROBUST PROGRAM TO OFFER STUDENTS WHERE EARLY GRADUATES QUALIFY FOR SEVERAL HONORS RECOGNITION. WE HAVE MULTIPLE OFFERINGS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COURSES OF HIGHER ACADEMIC CHALLENGE FOR STUDENTS SUCH AS THE AP, THE DUAL ENROLLMENT, THE CTE THAT WE WOULD LOVE STUDENTS TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF.
THAT COULD INCLUDE AN AP CLASS AT ANOTHER SCHOOL STREAMED IN.
THAT COULD INCLUDE VIRTUAL SC. IT CAN INNOVATE MULTIPLE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES.
HAD A STUDENT THIS WEEK ASK TO TAKE AN HONORS PSYCHOLOGY CLASS AT ANOTHER HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THE ADMINISTRATION, BASED ON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP TEAM AND A REVIEW OF THE POLICY, RECOMMENDS NO CHANGE TO THE POLICY AS IT IS. WE DO RECOMMEND, HOWEVER, THE SECOND BULLET JUST KIND OF FROM LOOKING THROUGH THE POLICY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING IN THERE ABOUT SENIOR SCHOLARS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO THAT'S DIFFERENT THAN OTHER DISTRICTS. SO IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN IN A MODEL POLICY. WE DO RECOMMEND ADDING LANGUAGE ABOUT THAT, AND ALSO ADDING LANGUAGE THAT ALL, ALL MEMBERS OF THE GRADUATING CLASS WOULD QUALIFY FOR THAT SENIOR SCHOLARS AWARD.
SO WE JUST ASK THAT IF IT IS THE BOARD'S DESIRE TO MAKE A CHANGE TO THIS POLICY.
[01:20:05]
AFTER THE THIRD LAP. WE FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO FINISH THAT RACE AND START A NEW MAJOR CHANGE TO THE POLICY, IF THAT WERE DESIRED. WITH THIS YEAR'S INCOMING GRADUATING CLASS OF 2029.AND WITH THAT, THAT IS OUR REARVIEW MISS TYLER.
THANK YOU, MR. PASTEL. I DO HAVE A QUESTION. WOULD YOU GO TO YOUR SECOND OR THIRD SLIDE? THE BOARD POLICY, AKA GRADING AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEM.
ACADEMIC HONORS. YES, MA'AM. AND SUMMARIZE THAT SECOND PARAGRAPH FOR ME.
THAT ONE? YES, THE SECOND PARAGRAPH. YES, MA'AM.
SO THIS PARAGRAPH STATES TO BE RECOGNIZED AS THE VALEDICTORIAN OR SALUTATORIAN, STUDENTS MUST BE ENROLLED IN THAT SCHOOL BEGINNING WITH THEIR 11TH GRADE YEAR, WHICH IS THEIR THIRD YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL AND HAVE FOUR CONSECUTIVE SEMESTERS AT THE AWARDING HIGH SCHOOL.
SO THAT PART MEANS YOU CANNOT TRANSFER INTO A INTO ONE OF OUR HIGH SCHOOLS AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE 11TH GRADE YEAR, AFTER THE BEGINNING OF THE THIRD YEAR. AND THEN YOU COULD BE RANKED NUMBER ONE, BUT YOU WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS THE VALEDICTORIAN BECAUSE YOU HAVE NOT SPENT ENOUGH TIME IN THAT SCHOOL WITH THE CLASS. THE REST OF THAT.
SO THAT MEANS YOU CANNOT TRANSFER INTO A SCHOOL AFTER THE BEGINNING OF YOUR 11TH GRADE YEAR, YOUR THIRD GRADE, YOUR THIRD YEAR IN HIGH SCHOOL.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WELL, JUST SO THAT I'M CLEAR.
SO IF A KID TRANSFERRED FROM AIKEN HIGH TO SOUTH AIKEN IN THE 11TH GRADE AND HAD THE HIGHEST GPA, THEY COULD ACTUALLY BE VALEDICTORIAN AT SOUTH AIKEN IF THEY TRANSFERRED PRIOR TO THE START OF THEIR 11TH GRADE YEAR.
AND THEY TOOK COURSES ON THAT CAMPUS DURING THOSE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO IT DOESN'T REMOVE THE FOUR YEAR REQUIREMENT, BUT IT SAYS YOU CAN'T COME INTO THE SCHOOL AND UNSEAT SOMEONE WHO IS HAS BEEN IN THE SCHOOL.
AND THAT IS THE PART THAT WAS ADDED MOST MOST RECENTLY DUE TO A SITUATION OUT OF SCHOOL.
THAT WAS THE THIS BOARD ASKED US TO BE MORE RESTRICTIVE ON THE POLICY.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OR FOR MR. POSTEL? TAKE A LONG PAUSE. THANK YOU, MR. POTTS. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
NEXT ITEM, C2 IS THE BOARD WAS PRESENTED.
AND WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS BY THE BOARD FOR FOLKS THERE? ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. NEXT. WE'VE GOT ALSO THE BOARD WAS PROVIDED IN ADVANCE THE MONTHLY FINANCIAL REPORT FOR THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE PERIOD ENDING MAY 31ST.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. TRAXLER OR THE ADMINISTRATION? OKAY. IN THE LAST INFORMATION ITEM, C4 IS SOLE SOURCE EMERGENCY PURCHASES FOR THE YEAR ENDING ON JUNE 30TH, 2025. SO OUR PROCUREMENT CODE REQUIRES ANNUAL REPORTING OF OF THOSE TWO THINGS.
AND THIS IS THAT. AND WE'VE GOT A LIST OF SOLE SOURCES AND A RELATIVELY SHORT LIST OF EMERGENCY POS THAT WE'VE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW. IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. TRAXLER OR OTHERS ON THAT? OKAY. MOVING ON. WE HAD AN INDIVIDUAL BOARD MEMBER ITEM
[01:25:07]
THAT WAS SUBMITTED JOINTLY BY MR. LINDELL AND MR. MOULTON. FOR AN AREA TWO TO ADVISORY COUNCIL APPOINTMENT IN MR. LINDELL MR. CHAIRMAN, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS DOCTOR MURPHY, BARRY MOTTRAM AND I WOULD LIKE TO FORMALLY NOMINATE BECKY DEARDEN TO SERVE ON THE AREA ADVISORY COUNCIL. MR. DEARDEN SERVES AS THE MARKETING DIRECTOR FOR THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION.ALONG WITH HER HUSBAND, JASON IS AN ACTIVE AND ENGAGED MEMBER OF THE NORTH AUGUSTA COMMUNITY.
THEIR CHILDREN ATTEND PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN NORTH AUGUSTA AREA, AND WE BELIEVE MISS DURDEN WOULD BE A VALUABLE ADDITION TO THE COUNCIL AND RESPECTFULLY SUBMIT HER NAME FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THANK YOU.
AND WHAT I HEARD. SO, MR.. CAN YOU STATE THEM IN THE IN A MOTION? MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ACCEPT. BARRY. AND MY RECOMMENDATION FOR BECKY DEARDEN TO SERVE ON THE AREA ADVISORY COUNCIL.
OKAY. MR. LINDELL HAS MADE A MOTION TO APPOINT BECKY DEARDEN TO THE AREA TWO ADVISORY COUNCIL.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MISTER MOULTON.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? APPOINTMENT TO THE AREA TWO ADVISORY COUNCIL HEARING? NONE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU.
GENTLEMEN. THAT BRINGS US TO THE SUPERINTENDENT'S UPDATE.
GOOD EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
IT IS ALWAYS ENERGIZING TO SEE OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF BACK IN OUR BUILDINGS READY FOR A YEAR OF GROWTH, LEARNING AND NEW OPPORTUNITIES. THROUGHOUT THE FIRST WEEK OF SCHOOL, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT SCHOOLS IN EACH AREA OF OUR COUNTY, AND IT WAS A JOY TO SEE CLASSROOMS BUZZING WITH ENERGY AND EDUCATORS FULLY ENGAGED IN WELCOMING THEIR STUDENTS.
THESE VISITS REMINDED ME ONCE AGAIN OF THE INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT OUR STAFF BRING TO THEIR WORK EVERY DAY, AND THE PRIDE OUR COMMUNITIES HAVE IN THEIR SCHOOLS.
PLEASE ENSURE THAT YOUR CHILD UNDERSTANDS THESE FACTS.
THEY SHOULD NEVER ENTER A VEHICLE WITH SOMEONE THEY DO NOT KNOW.
ALL STUDENT TRANSPORTATION PROVIDED BY AIKEN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS CONDUCTED USING OFFICIAL SMART YELLOW SCHOOL BUSSES, NEVER UNMARKED OR UNOFFICIAL VEHICLES. ANY SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR OR ENCOUNTERS WITH STRANGERS SHOULD BE REPORTED TO LAW ENFORCEMENT IMMEDIATELY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VIGILANCE AND SUPPORT IN KEEPING OUR STUDENTS AND COMMUNITIES SAFE.
IN SUPPORT OF OUR CONTINUED FOCUS ON STUDENT SAFETY AND SECURITY.
IT'S AN APPLICATION THAT ALLOWS PARENTS TO ACCESS THEIR OWN SECURE DATA FOR THEIR CHILD'S BUS STOP, LOCATION, ROUTE, AND PICK UP TIME AT THE TOUCH OF A BUTTON.
OUR BUSSES ARE EQUIPPED WITH GPS TECHNOLOGY TO SUPPORT TRACKING, AND WILL HAVE THE ABILITY TO PUSH NOTIFICATIONS DIRECTLY THROUGH MIRAI K12 IN THE EVENT OF CHANGES, SO THAT BUSSES CAN BE TRACKED IN REAL TIME.
OUR INTENT IS TO PILOT THE APPLICATION AND INTRODUCE MIRAI K12 TO PARENTS OF CURRENT TRANSPORTATION STUDENTS IN AREA TWO AND AREA THREE IN THE COMING WEEK. IF ALL GOES WELL WITH THE PILOT AND WE ANTICIPATE THAT IT WILL, MIRAI K12 WILL BE IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT THIS FALL.
LOOKING AHEAD, WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THE FALL, WHAT THE FALL SEMESTER HOLDS.
WE'RE ALSO SEEING STRONG PROGRESS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF OUR NEW STATE OF THE ART CAREER CENTER, WHICH WILL OPEN ITS DOORS FOR HANDS ON LEARNING AND FUTURE CAREER PATHWAYS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, WE'RE PROUD TO OFFER EXPANDED INSTRUCTIONAL TIME FOR MATH AND ENGLISH AND OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS THIS YEAR AS PART OF OUR ONGOING COMMITMENT TO ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AND STUDENT SUCCESS. AND LASTLY, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS YOUR SUPERINTENDENT.
I'M PROUD OF THE WORK WE ARE DOING TOGETHER AND EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR AHEAD.
THIS CONCLUDES MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MURPHY.
THAT CONCLUDES REGULAR SESSION FOR THE MOMENT.
WE DO HAVE THE NEED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, SO WE'LL NEED A MOTION TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THE PURPOSE OF CONSIDERING THE FOLLOWING MATTERS IN SUCH ORDER AS THE BOARD DEEMS APPROPRIATE.
[01:30:06]
WE HAVE A PERSONNEL MATTER REGARDING A BREACH OF CONTRACT, AND THEN WE HAVE A CONTRACTUAL MATTER REGARDING LEGAL SERVICES.WHEN WE CONCLUDE EXECUTIVE SESSION, WE'LL COME.
WE'LL COME BACK TO REGULAR SESSION AND TAKE ACTION ON ANYTHING THAT'S NECESSARY.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THESE PURPOSES? SO MOVE. IS THERE A SECOND MOTION MADE BY MR. LINDELL, SECONDED BY MISS TYLER, TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR THOSE THREE PURPOSES.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION CARRIES. WE'LL BEGIN EXECUTIVE SESSION IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES.
[02:29:36]
ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE CONCLUDED AN EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT WE'RE IN NEED OF A MOTION TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION AND REENTER REGULAR SESSION.[02:29:47]
I WILL SAY A MOTION MADE BY DOCTOR BRADLEY, SECONDED BY MR.[02:29:49]
LINDELL, TO EXIT EXECUTIVE SESSION AND REENTER REGULAR SESSION.[02:29:53]
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.[02:29:59]
THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. MOTION CARRIES. WE ARE IN REGULAR SESSION.[02:30:03]
WHILE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE DID DISCUSS THE REVIEW OF AN EMPLOYMENT MATTER FOR TRANSFER.[02:30:10]
NO ACTION NECESSARY. UNDER CONTRACTUAL MATTERS.[02:30:15]
ITEM 3A3. ALPHA WAS A PERSONNEL MATTER REGARDING A BREACH OF CONTRACT.[02:30:21]
I BELIEVE WE NEED A MOTION FOR THAT. YES, I'D LIKE TO MOVE THAT.[02:30:24]
WE DIRECT THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE A FORMAL COMPLAINT TO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION REGARDING EMPLOYEE A'S BREACH OF CONTRACT.[02:30:32]
IS THERE A SECOND, SECOND MOTION MADE BY MISTER SILAS, SECONDED BY MISTER RHINEHART-JACKSON?[02:30:37]
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS MOTION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR. THE MOTION CARRIES. WE DID HAVE A CONTRACTUAL MATTER.
DISCUSSED ABOUT LEGAL SERVICES. THERE'S NO ACTION NEEDED AT THIS TIME.
WITH THAT, I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
MOTION MADE BY MR. RHINEHART-JACKSON. I'M SORRY.
YEAH. WE DID. MOTION MADE BY MISS RHINEHART-JACKSON TO ADJOURN.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECONDED BY MISS TYLER. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. THAT'S EIGHT IN FAVOR.
WE STAND ADJOURNED. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.