• >> Good evening everyone. I would like to
• call to order the June 11th, 2026
• business meeting of the Croen Harman
• Union Free School District. Item 1.2
• Here is our pledge of
• >> allegiance
• to the flag of the United States of
• America
• for it stands. One nation under God,
• indivisible, with liberty and justice
• for all.
• >> Item 1.3 is approval of the agenda.
• Recommended action be it resolved. The
• board of education hereby approves the
• agenda as presented. I think we have the
• amendments. We do. Um if we could sorry
• if we could uh because of um unless
• that's Neil Walk, which is not because
• of Neil's schedule, if we could um
• because he has some updates that I think
• we like to share personally
• for him. Um move item um 2.6 six board
• reports down in the agenda so that it
• immediately precedes
• um or yeah I think it precedes item 8.2
• to uphold the board so you can kind of
• work.
• >> So second
• and then you
• >> can move it alone.
• >> All in favor?
• >> Opposed? Abstain.
• Motion carries. Thank you.
• Item 2.1 is the president's report. This
• is our last regular uh scheduled meeting
• of the 2025 2026 school year. We are
• wrapping up um heading towards
• graduation. As a board, we are
• finalizing our evaluation of
• superintendent
• and at this meeting we are saying
• goodbye to our parenting board. Um, I
• think we'll save comments for when Neil
• is here towards the end of the evening,
• but I did want to thank this board for
• your collaborative work. I want to thank
• the administration, including our
• assistant superintendent, John Clifix.
• Is this your last board meeting,
• >> my ward?
• John, I want to thank you so much for
• everything that you've done for our
• district.
• We were very lucky to have you.
• >> Very lucky to be
• >> and I want to wish you the best in your
• retirement. and I hope that you are not
• a stranger to us going forward.
• >> That's okay.
• >> Um because the agenda is so long, I'm
• just going to limit my my comments to
• that right now. So I will uh wish
• everyone a safe and happy summer,
• restorative summer, uh a peaceful
• summer, um and move into item 2.2, which
• is hearing of the public. If anybody is
• here and would like to address the
• board, please approach the podium. State
• your name and address. You'll be limited
• to three minutes.
• [clears throat]
• >> Uh good evening, Don Leard. Sing one. Uh
• I want to thank the board for their
• communication of the new uh school uh
• technology uh plan they released
• yesterday. It's great. It looks like a
• really great place to start. and I'm
• very interested to learn about the
• monitoring and enforcement of the policy
• and plan as it is now. Um, but I really
• want to speak just quickly about the
• updates that I saw of the internet
• enabled device policy. Um I two concerns
• about the just the two paths that they
• were presented as like a false dichotomy
• of like path one is no change and path
• two seems to be purposely unrealistic
• and I just I trust the board to find
• another path and help the district
• create one. Thanks.
• >> Thank you.
• >> We can take an opportunity. We can take
• an opportunity to clarify just so that
• you know in a way we don't we are
• departing from convention here. So the
• material that you're commenting on is
• actually being presented to the board
• this evening by the district. The board
• has not had an opportunity to review in
• the public or comment on that material.
• >> Thank you. Thank you.
• Good evening everyone. My name is Iris
• Budlocei on Woodl.
• Um I was hoping Neil would be here as
• well because my comments are really
• directed towards Sarah and Neil, but for
• the whole board of course. Uh to Sarah
• and Neil, you served with distinction,
• honesty, and integrity. Thank you for
• your dedication to the students of this
• district and for your tireless
• commitment to serve the clothing
• community. [clears throat]
• I witnessed firsthand how seriously you
• took your oath as a BOE member to work
• for the betterment of every single child
• every single day. You did not do this
• quote points with the administration
• staff or the public show if it would
• support the growth of our students is
• all that mattered to you. For Neil, his
• historical knowledge and neverending
• belief in this district was quite
• impressive. He used policy to help shape
• and structure strong foundations for our
• students. And Sarah, from the beginning
• of your service, you spoke of educating
• the whole child. You emphasized the
• importance of emotional growth and
• support that's needed for a student to
• thrive.
• You were both always thoroughly
• prepared. You saw the big picture. How
• does this information, data, or staff
• hire propel this district to fulfill its
• mission for not just those who progress
• quickly through a subject, but for those
• that struggled as well? You understood
• the ex that excellence is defined
• differently for each student and must be
• equally supported to fulfill your
• fiduciary duty to the taxpayers. You
• appreciated that the work for board
• member is to run the business in school
• district by striving to provide the best
• staffing and resources available. You
• are powerful voices for this community.
• The district [clears throat] is not
• perfect. You welcomed criticism and you
• sought to build consensus with the
• administration and to make change where
• change was needed, not just for the sake
• of change. I will end my words by
• offering words by my daughter, a proud
• graduate of Croin Harmon High School.
• She stated, "My Cro education taught me
• to explore things that I find
• interesting, like how to be
• intellectually curious. We had so many
• independent projects and I was never
• required to take any specific course. I
• was interested in physics so I got to
• take physics extra credit with glass."
• My daughter was not validictorian or
• even saludiatoran here. But do you want
• to know something? She told me she felt
• more prepared for college than the other
• freshman in her class at one of the top
• schools in our country. She learned
• critical thinking skills here in Croin
• Harmon. Our students thrived because of
• your work. You should be proud of your
• body of work. I am well done and thank
• you.
• >> [clears throat]
• >> Hi, Andrea Fury, 14 Morningside, also a
• former board member. And I just wanted
• to take this moment to to appear before
• [clears throat] the board in gratitude.
• I wanted to say thank you to Sarah and
• Neil who have given so much of their
• hearts and their time and their minds to
• this district. And I just want to also
• say how grateful I am to every board
• member at this table right now because
• you're doing this for the children. I
• know you all are. And that is one thing
• that I'm very grateful for in our
• district from the time I moved here many
• years ago. Um this has always been a
• district that um honors and uh
• recognizes the incredible value that
• education has. And I just want to thank
• you for your service and for the two um
• Betsy and Jake who will be coming in. It
• will be a new era, but I know just from
• hearing them speak and all the efforts
• that they put in that they are going to
• be on the same path of children first,
• children in the center of everything,
• every decision. So, thank you so much
• and again thank you to Sarah and our
• team who's here and I also wanted to
• give you reassurance that life can be so
• excellent about the school board.
• You'll be finding that and
• [clears throat] I think you'll you'll
• you'll be kind of surprised [laughter]
• if there's no one else. Um, I will close
• hearing of the public and we'll move
• into item 2.3 which is the
• superintendent report for the over
• superintendent. Welcome.
• >> Thank you, Anna. Good evening everyone.
• Good evening to those who are here in
• person, those watching at home. Um, as I
• think everyone who follows the school
• district is aware, this is a a
• stunningly busy time of year in our
• system in all systems. Um, and really a
• wonderful and special time because we
• get a chance to kind of go from event to
• event celebrating the amazing
• accomplishments and success of so many
• of our Tiger students. So, I wanted to
• spend just a couple minutes tonight. To
• Anna's point, it's a very busy agenda,
• but I want to do just kind of a quick
• whip around of some of the events that
• have occurred just in the past week and
• a half or so uh in celebrating some of
• our students and then make sure the
• community is aware of some upcoming
• important events uh and dates within our
• system. So wanted to begin with last
• week's uh athletic awards banquet. I had
• the opportunity along with several
• administrative colleagues to attend uh
• that evening. It's a really special
• moment to get a chance to bring so many
• of our uh senior Tiger student athletes
• together along with their coaches and
• their families um to celebrate their
• accomplishments, their incredible
• commitment uh to our system and to
• representing our community on on the
• field of play outside of the classroom
• uh over the course of what for some of
• them is uh beyond four years of JV and
• varsity participation in our system. So,
• I want to thank athletic director
• Christine Drago, Carla, and the entire
• athletics team as well as the booster
• club, Joe Verilo and Lorie Zelman,
• everyone who's a part of making Tiger
• athletics such a wonderful experience
• for so many of our student athletes. Uh,
• and it was a privilege to get a chance
• to be there that evening.
• Also, obviously, the board was in
• attendance last week before our work
• session at the annual volunteer
• appreciation event. So, I want to just
• take another moment publicly to thank
• Tammy and Trudeell for her work in
• organizing the event, but most
• importantly wanted to thank all of our
• volunteers, the hundreds and hundreds of
• people who give thousands and thousands
• of hours of their own personal time to
• make the lives of other people's
• children better in our in our system. Uh
• that is again a remarkable gift uh that
• so many people give to make our schools
• uh the incredibly special place that
• they are. Uh and so one evening's event
• um there's no way we can possibly
• encapsulate how appreciative we are uh
• for all of you and your contributions.
• Uh but it was a wonderful and well
• attended evening and so we thank
• everyone who was there that evening and
• again thank you to to Tammy and for
• putting that together
• last Friday morning had the opportunity
• to attend the annual CHHS awards uh
• assembly. again in terms of developing a
• culture where students celebrate each
• other and celebrate success in all
• manifestations of what that means across
• our system. Uh that's a really special
• annual event when you get a chance to
• bring all 500 CHHS students together
• with the entire faculty and staff. Uh I
• want to thank Rose, our our new CHHS
• principal secretary for all of her work
• in organizing the event. of course Laura
• and Erica and Mark uh for their
• leadership and all of the the faculty
• and staff who were uh a part not only of
• giving out the awards but more
• importantly of facilitating all the
• opportunities for all of the students
• who had a chance to be celebrated uh
• that morning. So again a true and
• genuine privilege to get a chance to be
• there. We also had a chance to celebrate
• the members of the CHHS faculty who are
• retiring uh and again a really
• bittersweet and poignant moment and
• we've got it captured in the upper right
• hand corner of the screen there. Uh but
• thank you to to everyone again who was a
• part of that event. A really special
• tradition at CHHS.
• Earlier this week had a chance to get
• some dinner at Fenos along with uh our
• Rotary Club uh and four outstanding
• members of the class of 2026 Jonah
• Brunwin and Maya who were awarded Rotary
• scholarships. So I want to congratulate
• again them and their families uh and all
• the members of the Rotary who were a
• part of supporting our school district
• and of reading uh the scholarship
• applications. I want to just make
• mention that um something that struck me
• that evening is each year what happens
• is they go around the table and and are
• for uh scholarship recipients get a
• chance to share their work at the high
• school their contributions to the
• community and what they want to do next.
• And I think sometimes for those of us
• who are around our high school kids all
• the time, it may get um it may become
• routine how impressive they are and how
• well spoken they are um until you get a
• chance to to hear their message received
• by folks who don't get a chance to
• engage with our kids all the time. And
• it was just fun for me to sit there and
• listen to our amazing kids and watch
• their response of the ro the Rotarians
• the members of the community uh to just
• how incredibly articulate uh well
• positioned for success in life uh and
• ready for what's next our kids are. Uh
• so it was a a really enjoyable uh
• evening. Again congratulations to uh
• those four outstanding scholarship
• recipients.
• Also, last week we had a chance, several
• of us uh from the board and the
• administration to attend the CHHS alumni
• panel. Uh this was uh originally
• scheduled to take place just before the
• winter break, but got um rescheduled.
• And I actually think this was a really
• um appropriate time of the year for this
• event to happen. And I want to thank
• Zoha Nadim and the rest of the uh
• counseling team at the high school for
• putting this together. And we had a
• chance to speak about this previously,
• but just the range of perspectives of
• experiences of um the graduates from I
• in 2008 up through last year. Um and the
• the various panels really I think gave
• our kids a terrific perspective on what
• when we talk about what success means in
• school, what it means after high school.
• uh the incredible range of experiences
• that our students have left our system
• with and the ways they're using those
• experiences and skills to contribute to
• the world. So um again another event
• where it was it was genuinely a
• privilege to get a chance to be there
• and to experience that alongside our
• students. So thank you to everyone who
• put that together.
• Also wanted to make mention to um
• several of our outstanding students who
• participated in the CHHS uh science
• research uh event at Smers. uh this is
• for first and second year science
• research students. I think there are
• over 850 students altogether from across
• the region who've participated and
• presented research in a range of
• categories. We actually had three
• students uh receive awards. So I wanted
• to mention them publicly again. Vivian
• Chen second place in the physics
• category. Alana Harris sorry Harris
• third place in the bioinformatics
• category and Jess Catz third place in
• engineering. So congratulations to them.
• That is a fantastic achievement
• representative of the continued positive
• trajectory of the science research
• program uh under new leadership and
• facilitation from Daniel Berggo and
• Laura Lynch. So thank you to them for
• continuing to breathe new energy and
• life into what was already a growing
• program at CHHS.
• Also last evening had a chance to join
• several members of the board and many
• many members of the community at the
• taste of culture event. I want to take a
• moment to publicly thank Rachel and
• Craig Campanero from CCT uh who um
• picked up the mantle from Arena who's
• done such a wonderful job with us for
• for many years. Um and this just
• continues to be one of the gems of the
• system of this community on an annual
• basis. Uh we were reflecting today on
• just some of the the beautiful and
• poignant moments and how this event has
• brought together members uh from across
• the community who may not have otherwise
• interacted with each other. um coming
• together, finding commonality uh and the
• pride again in uh the adults and the
• students in in their cultures and
• getting a chance to share them. Uh all
• of it's just stunningly special uh and
• one of the things that makes Groven such
• a a unique u and remarkable place. So
• thank you to everyone who who was a part
• of that. Again, just the food is
• unbelievably good. But more importantly,
• it's it's the people, the the
• camaraderie, the coming together, the
• community, all of that is amazingly
• special. So, thanks again to everyone
• involved, everyone who volunteered,
• everyone who participated, and to Rachel
• and and Craig for making it all happen.
• Also, last week we had a chance, Anna
• and I, to join Laura at the Lower Hudson
• Council School Superintendent's uh
• validatoran saludiatoran uh celebratory
• achievement dinner. Uh congratulations
• again to Jeremy and to Maya uh to
• outstanding representations of of
• success in our schools. Um special shout
• out that evening to Maya who won one of
• 16 extremely prestigious scholarships
• across the entire region. Uh so
• congratulations to her. Uh and again
• just a wonderful annual event to get a
• chance to come together with
• superintendents, with board presidents,
• with high school principles, and with
• tremendous scholars from across uh the
• entire lower Hudson region to celebrate
• academic excellence in our schools. So,
• it's a a privilege to be there as well.
• Also want to make mention give a shout
• out to our friends at Chef. Um if you
• haven't yet, make sure you get tickets
• uh for the upcoming fundraiser. Um and
• again, thank you so much to them. They
• um of course are are incredible annual
• and regular supporters of ours. Had a
• chance with Laura to meet with them very
• recently to talk about how we can
• continue to improve the the process of
• reviewing grants uh and making sure that
• those grants continue to fund systemwide
• innovation. So look forward to seeing as
• many members of the community uh as can
• make it at this upcoming event. and
• wanted to close just by of course
• mentioning and making sure the community
• is very aware of three of the really
• special rights of passage that take
• place each uh each spring in our
• community. Um beginning of course with
• CHHS graduation on the 23rd down at Cro
• Point Park, PDC graduation on the 24th
• the following morning and then the CCT
• moving up celebration in the auditorium
• on the 25th at 9:00. Please continue to
• check our website and social media for
• further information on that. and has any
• questions, please contact the
• appropriate building principal. But
• those are really unique and special
• moments in our system each year. And so
• we look forward to seeing our entire
• community there to celebrate our amazing
• young scholars. Thank you.
• >> Thank you.
• >> Go ahead.
• >> Um I just want to say I attended the
• culture night event last night and
• Rachel, you did a fabulous job in making
• it a very inclusive event and very
• positive. So thank you. Um, I also just
• wanted to bring up a thought that I
• don't know because when I was walking
• through the rooms, I mean, families put
• so much effort into the stations and I'm
• always thinking from an equity and
• access perspective. I'm I'm wondering if
• there's any possibility like in the
• future on maybe to reach out if there
• could be some sort of maybe
• collaboration with PK or some sort of
• way so that if
• like might need some funds so that they
• can like I just it would be a shame if
• any family is not stepping up to
• represent their culture because they're
• concerned that they don't have it's a
• financial constraint. So I just wanted
• to bring that up because maybe that's
• something that can be thought about in
• the future. Maybe, maybe not. But I
• thought it was really really a
• beautifully inclusive event. So, thank
• you.
• >> Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
• >> Thank you, Fidel. Highlighting all of
• those wonderful events happening right
• now. Um, item 2.4 is a report on our
• math performance data, and I will again
• turn it over to Superintendent Walker
• who will provide an update on that.
• Thank you again an uh so in followup to
• our November, December and January
• presentations on English language arts
• achievement across the system uh we
• wanted to make sure that we also took
• some time to give an overview of where
• our students specifically at this moment
• in grades 3 through 8 um have been
• achieving relative to math. Um so I
• wanted to begin just by providing a
• quick over overview for the community of
• some some terms and then where we access
• this data from. Um, beginning with GRE,
• beginning with um when we use the term
• proficiency, right, we're talking about
• um students performing at level three or
• four on what are the mandated annual New
• York State assessments in in mathematics
• as part of the required federal testing
• program uh for all students on an annual
• basis. So this means that students are
• performing either at a proficient level
• in terms of standards or excelling
• beyond uh that level for uh mathematics
• at their particular grade. In terms of
• access to the data, the raw data uh can
• be accessed publicly through the New
• York State Education data dashboard.
• What Ellen and the Edgitech team, the
• data team do so well for us then is to
• take all that raw data, compile it,
• create graphs, and then help us do some
• comparisons. So that part of it isn't
• going to be publicly accessible off of
• the SED data dashboard. That's what
• we've done with the data, but the raw
• data themselves, the score them scores
• themselves, they're all publicly
• accessible. Uh and in terms of regional
• comparison, certainly there are folks um
• who are of course interested in how
• we're comparing to districts uh within
• our region. And so for purposes of
• tonight, we've again done that
• comparison relative to put northern
• Westchester Boseies which by and large
• reflect the majority of the districts
• that we would say internally are what we
• would what we would look at as
• comparable districts. Right? We've
• gotten some requests from some community
• members and others to say all right can
• we expand beyond the PNW Boseis region
• to look at all of uh Putham and
• Westchester County. So the answer is yes
• and we will and we're in the process of
• it. Um because again this isn't done
• automatically through a system. This is
• manual stuff. So there are 18 districts
• in partn west Boseis. There are another
• 32 or 33 in southern westester Boseies.
• So our data team is going through all of
• that. Um so as soon as we have that
• ready we'll share that with the
• community not only for ELA but for math
• as well. And just in terms of context we
• don't get into specific names of
• districts. It's kind of one of the norms
• that we would agree upon as a platinum
• room west region. Uh but what I would
• say is in general what we look at is we
• try we see ourselves as part of a a
• cohort that includes Chapelqua, Brier
• Cliff, Kona, we look at Yorktown, we
• look at Putham Valley that typically is
• our group that if we're somewhere in the
• top six or so that's normally going back
• years and years and years where our
• students tend to land. There are years
• because there are very very small
• districts with really small cohorts.
• Calane, Garrison, North Salem, their
• scores tend to vary greatly and there
• are years where their cohort of 17
• students scores extremely high and
• others when it doesn't. But in general,
• that's typically where our our students
• have landed just for some broad context.
• So you take a look at grades three and
• four math proficiency dating back to
• precoid and this has typically been the
• way that we've been looking at this uh
• and up through of course the 204 25
• school year. Obviously 25 26 data is not
• available and as soon as it is we'll
• update all of that and share with the
• [clears throat] community right but you
• see there is a generally consistent
• trend u we've spent a little time
• looking at the 22 23 grade three math
• data we haven't of course this year but
• we did when it occurred um and talked to
• you know Carrie and Craig obviously
• about why that may have happened and
• you'll see in a couple of other places
• where there are some low or aberant
• scores but in general what we try to do
• is make sure that we've got excellence
• across the board and I think as you'll
• see as we get to 2425 that that becomes
• much more the norm.
• I think this is an example then on the
• next slide of grades 5 through eight at
• PBC dating back to precoid you see some
• aberently low scores in certain years
• but we feel good about in 24 25
• obviously it's not not only the
• consistency of the of the proficiency
• levels but also the fact that they're
• consistently hot and so we feel good
• about both of those things as we look at
• where things are trending
• grades three through eight. So this
• again is all six of the mandated testing
• grades in mathematics going back to
• 201819. You see the trend line there uh
• generally up and again across grades 3
• through 8 and 24 25 consistently strong
• with no particular cohort having an
• aberly uh low achieving year.
• And then looking at average math
• proficiency over time, grades 3 through
• 8, uh, over the past five or 6 years or
• so, again, you see a a quality increase
• there, but generally
• consistent performance year-over-year,
• which is when we think about math
• performance in our district, what we
• anticipated to see going back some
• years. And so, um, I'm not overly
• surprised by seeing that that trend.
• The next slide in average math and ELA
• proficiency. This one was interesting
• just to put both of them on the same
• graph and see if there was anything that
• was uh significantly different. Again,
• no. What we would say is that um average
• ELA and math proficiency in 38 and 2425
• is the highest that it's been in the
• recent history in the school system,
• which is something again that our
• students should feel and faculty should
• feel great about. uh we like the trend
• uh but also know that that's a place for
• us to a foundation for us to build upon
• and continue to do uh improved work over
• the course of time.
• looking at rankings again within the PNW
• Boseis region that's grades three and
• four last year right so a little um
• lower right than we typically are again
• without getting into a lot of detail
• again there are years when some
• districts with some really small cohorts
• perform very well and years when they
• don't uh but that's that's
• somewhat low for us on a on a more
• normal basis
• grades 5 through 8 ranking in 2425
• that's typically where we as we know in
• both the LA math
• and grades 3 through 8 overall math
• rankings. You see that compared to the
• rest of the region as well. Again, more
• or less where we typically reside as
• compared to the entire region.
• So, I'm happy to take questions. Again,
• this is a a broad overview. What we're
• thinking about of course next is
• updating this and we're going to go back
• and look at uh both the LA and math from
• the entire Putinham and Westchester
• region uh and then take a deeper dive
• into math regions results. We were
• thinking that that makes sense in the
• context of the broader conversation
• around New York inspires right. So, how
• do we help them in part of the broader
• conversation about what success means in
• schools? Because regent exam data
• particularly has been such a metric for
• the [snorts] basis of comparison within
• our system and others for so long. As we
• start to transition to a moment for all
• New York State schools where regent
• exams no longer become uh the main
• conversation point, how do we leverage
• that and have a yes and conversation
• about regent data and where we're
• heading? So we look forward to that uh
• with support from Erica, from Mark and
• from John Bahanic along with Laura under
• the new administration at the high
• school as we move into the summer. Happy
• to take any initial questions that I can
• see Nicole is here if there are PBC
• related questions. If not, happy to
• field some and we can do some followup.
• >> I guess okay. Uh for me, I think the
• question is it's like so we're looking
• at these numbers, but what does it mean?
• I I I' I'd like to sort of get a sense
• of like, you know, what meaning we
• attribute to this as um as like in each
• building honestly. It's like what what
• was meaning? Because you see these
• numbers that go down drastically and
• it's not if you if you sort of track
• them as a cohort, it's not necessarily
• telling a story. So is there aberration?
• Is it like tests are harder some year?
• People, you know, like schools closed
• one year. I don't even know which year
• that was on this chart because I think
• there's no data for that because testing
• didn't happen, right? So, um, so I think
• it's just I think it's helpful for us to
• sort of like understand when you're
• looking at this data and you know, we've
• asked you to look at it, of course, but
• the next step is is like yes, that the
• yes and is and so what does it what does
• it tell us and then how are we sort of
• interacting with that information to
• determine um instructionally like
• whether what we're doing is working.
• We've talked about a lot of new math
• sort of approaches at CCT and um I don't
• know that I mean someone can correct me
• if I'm wrong because they don't catch
• everything but I don't fully have a
• clear sense as to like what the
• rationale is for you know for example
• like math and movement like why that
• versus other things that we're doing. So
• I guess those would be some of the
• questions.
• >> Yeah. So I think broadly what we look at
• is um when do we have sort of aberant
• scores u and we haven't at least in the
• past year or so what can we attribute
• those to is it a change in personnel
• right is it u and often frankly it's
• that it's something that we look at is
• we have new faculty we have faculty that
• are taking on a different position leave
• replacements you know those sorts of
• things uh what what's the contributing
• factor of student makeup and how we're
• aortioning kids among various classes in
• grades is in a particular class or two
• that's impacting the the grade
• significantly. What we look at and feel
• good about is that in 24 25 and to a
• certain extent 23 24 there isn't that
• sort of really aberant
• um grade within within the system. Uh
• and generally the trend is increased in
• terms of overall performance. And so we
• said, okay, when we look at it from a
• 30,000 foot view, um we're heading in
• what we think is a reasonable direction.
• And now it's how do we get down into
• drilling into what are the individual
• classroom practices uh and student
• practices that help us to continue to
• improve those those areas, right? What
• are what are the curricular resources?
• Um, so all of those things happen on a
• regular basis during the year through
• our curriculum coordinators, our math
• department, conversations with our
• principles, conversations with Rachel
• about how we're supporting students with
• special needs uh in various models. Um,
• but you know, all of those things are
• are ongoing conversations and one of the
• things that we start to do more
• regularly is devote time during our
• summer administrative retreats to
• looking at this data and starting to ask
• questions about it and then circling
• back as the as the faculty return and
• the teachers return in August and
• September saying, "All right, you've
• spent time looking at this. Let's start
• to break this down and think about it
• from a curriculum perspective." That's
• also a great strength of Laura that I
• look forward to her um continuing to
• contribute to the to the system overall.
• now outside of the high school.
• >> Okay.
• >> Um thank you for preparing this. Um I
• think what I would like to see as you
• said this is an ongoing um process is
• for me I would like to see a breakdown
• of threes versus fours. Um because I
• think particularly I mean I recognize
• that
• um there can be a lot of reasons why you
• know like they've indicated them before
• sometimes it's like who's in the class
• both the student instructor sometimes
• there's a shift in the curriculum it's
• been a hard year all the things but I
• really think having
• >> um more refined sense of proficiency
• versus um you know higher achieving is
• is important for us to know from a
• resource allocation perspective and also
• for the students who are aspiring to go
• into like higher level math or STEM for
• us to have a more um refined sense of
• what's happening. The other thing that
• would I would be interested to know that
• I am not on top of but I know that there
• are some years where they reset what is
• the baseline of what's considered
• proficiency or or not. So to have some
• indication if there's other things from
• a curricular um testing perspective that
• might be shifting what we're we're the
• data that we're looking at would be
• helpful. Um, and then I think as well,
• um, you know, we saw some information
• earlier in the year about what's been
• happening at the high school. And one of
• the things I did like about your
• presentation is how you talked about the
• progression and how, you know, we're
• looking at how students are progressing
• over a period of time through the
• curriculum and how different things are
• experiencing uh, impacting their
• experience. So I think having a
• consolidated moment where we're seeing
• as a system what's happening in math,
• not just grades 3 through 8, but also
• what's been happening across the high
• school would be very helpful for us to
• be thinking about like curricularly and
• also to do this before the budget
• presentations so that we can make sure
• that how we're spending our money is
• aligning to best supports with these
• resources. Like it's been very
• impressive to hear earlier in the year
• the presentations about the team collab
• teaching and the team teaching. So
• having um a better sense about how these
• pieces may be fitting together would be
• I think beneficial.
• >> Yeah. sort of on some of those points.
• So um threes and fours I think yes
• absolutely something that we have done
• and can do and I think it sheds some
• light on
• >> and also ones and twos because I think
• >> I mean I think it's helpful to know you
• know maybe
• >> yeah we can I mean we have that data it
• typically you know becomes more of an
• in-depth classroom based conversation
• around how students are are performing
• how teachers are performing u but we can
• certainly share that with the public in
• terms of the cut scores right that's
• something that SED does every year
• because They look at all right how how
• are these questions behaved um across
• the state and so they do some shifting
• on a regular basis. One of the things
• that we look at then is over the course
• of time, are there huge ups and downs
• based on how our kids are achieving? The
• answer there is no, right? For years and
• years now, they've been generally on the
• same trajectory with some increase over
• the past few years. And so that lends
• itself to our feeling that from a
• resource perspective, the resources that
• the board and the community have
• allocated toward intervention services,
• instructional coaching, classroom
• supports are working both from ELA and
• math. Right? So that's something we can
• confidently say to you like we're seeing
• a trajectory that lends itself to
• feeling like that's the case. Um and so
• yeah, we can absolutely follow up on on
• those conversations.
• Can I just piggyback on that because
• it's um that's where I was going to go
• with with my comments. This is very
• helpful to have. Um it kind of describes
• where we were and where we're going. Um,
• but it doesn't doesn't tell us why. And
• that's the next layer that I think we've
• all been kind of talking about is, you
• know, why why are the results the way
• they are? Um, are there instructional
• practices that that um are working
• better than others? And and then just to
• bring it back up from a board governance
• perspective,
• it'd be helpful to know.
• >> So the averages kind of mask the nuances
• of the data, right? And so it'd be
• helpful to know if we have this data by
• subgroups uh of the student population
• [clears throat] grade subgroup or
• cohorts also exist then allows kind of
• do we need to invest more in or where
• the gaps are right is it more do we need
• instructional coaching do we need like
• is the curriculum doing what we thought
• the supposed to do and then like that's
• the the level of presentation that I
• think we need as a as a board to better
• inform our decision-m around budget
• priorities and structure curriculum and
• so on so forth. But yeah, just repeating
• what everybody's etc. Thanks.
• >> I guess also maybe some looking back
• like I'm looking at those eighth grade
• numbers from 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022
• which are inserted like the like the the
• percentages are 53 and 58%. And then you
• know 2 years later post no one year
• later I guess um they they're up sort of
• like where I think we feel good about
• seeing them. So I think also it's like
• you know because again we haven't at
• least in this configuration of the board
• we haven't looked at this information in
• this way. It would be interesting to
• also to be able to just sort of inform
• ourselves on like so what changed back
• then to um you know again to to cause
• such a significant shift. I just been
• thinking about the fact that like even
• now with our eighth grade math having
• changed to um algebra for everybody
• obviously algebra for all as we're
• calling it. Um you know it's like that
• like we're going to have it's going to
• be interesting to see that information
• after this particular school year as
• well to see what the impact of that was.
• But I think again so we're all in the
• same place which is it's wonderful to
• see the numbers but I think we need to
• have an understanding a little bit of a
• a deeper understanding of how it relates
• specifically to curricular practices.
• Yeah, that's good feedback for both
• Laura I and the team to hear. Yeah. And
• so we're happy to follow up on that. I
• know Nicole would say in terms of
• algebra for all, we spent a good chunk
• of every one of our meetings this year
• talking about that cohort and how that
• cohort is achieving um how we know it
• and how the teachers are adapting
• instructional practices to to meet those
• needs. And so I think most recently
• we've heard some really really good
• feedback from uh the eighth grade
• faculty about how that's looking. So we
• look forward to what the uh standard FD
• team is going to tell us.
• That might be a that might be a thing
• that I mean I think if you if you could
• take it back and think about it but I
• think reporting on that just because we
• know that there was a significant
• investment and we know that our algebra
• teachers also uh took the you know
• challenge accepted very seriously in
• terms of their commitment to ensuring
• that everyone um was able to rise to the
• occasion of being in algebra and I I
• know I've heard that and the students
• are definitely feeling that as well this
• year but they've been very well
• supported overall on that. So be
• wonderful to hear a little bit more
• about it. That's good. Thank you for
• that feedback. We'll take it back and
• then continue to add to it.
• >> Yeah.
• >> I just want to say this because um it is
• something that stood out in my mind when
• we were we were hearing from from Carrie
• at CCT about some of the instructional
• practices that were happening there and
• some of the special events that were
• happening in certain classrooms and not
• in others like Mr. Shapir's amazing trip
• to the blue page of the video that was
• made and how well every teacher was
• doing that. When I start looking at this
• data, these are the moments when things
• like that
• uh concern me, not because of what he's
• doing, just because not everyone in that
• grade is doing that. So, you could have
• classes that aren't having the same
• experience educationally, that aren't
• being reached the same way, and it could
• impact learning for for students across
• that. in that classroom across the
• grade.
• >> Yeah,
• >> I know that that wasn't, you know, an
• instructional math class or anything
• like that, but but what we've heard from
• parents at CBT is that they would like
• the experience per in per grade in every
• classroom to be similar. So, and I I
• hate to say this, but to avoid the whole
• like we got the good teacher or we got
• the you know, when you've had these
• conversations to be candid. Um so again
• just like in in considering all of this
• and in informing the process that's
• again something that I think uh we
• should consider.
• >> Yeah I think that's that's a
• conversation in every system right is
• how do you balance um what you want in
• terms of teacher creativity with
• consistency across the system. And so we
• go back to how are the standards being
• met? Are they being met? um do they have
• to be met in exactly the same way for
• each group of kids and should they be uh
• I think we've certainly heard that
• feedback continue to hear it are doing
• work around having conversations around
• that but one of the things we look at is
• when we look section to section across
• the grade is there an aberant situation
• in terms of how kids regularly achieve
• and so if we were to see something like
• that then obviously it lends itself to
• to further conversation around practices
• and consistency but we definitely heard
• that
• >> [clears throat]
• >> So like as you were just describing that
• um I think that it got me thinking that
• you know a lot of the times parents are
• concerned that their student their child
• is a learning but b in in a way that
• makes sense for their pro like
• progression throughout the year. So um I
• think also like I would be interested to
• know more like how do you do this
• checking like what [clears throat] is
• the you know like other times we've
• gotten presentations on team teaching
• models and things like that but um maybe
• and I don't know if other board members
• you know agree with this but it might be
• helpful to understand a little bit about
• like on the back end what is the like
• what what are the checks and balances
• like you as administrators and teachers
• are doing um to to make sure that every
• like all the sections are equitable
• enough and that you know how the data is
• being used to like make sure that all
• students needs are being um you know
• taken I seem like being supported as as
• best that they can you know like if if
• there are certain points in the year
• that you're particularly looking at
• things or maybe it's an ongoing process.
• I'm just thinking about like I know
• there's times as a parent you receive
• grades and there's a rolling thing but
• then I'm like better understanding like
• as a system or like how how are what are
• what things do you have in place to kind
• of take these things into consideration
• >> and that you know might open up to a
• work session or a series of
• conversations on that topic that relate
• to how do we think about it
• administratively?
• How do we think about it from an
• instructional coaching perspective from
• an interventionist perspective? from a
• classroom grouping perspective. Um, you
• know, that could potentially be an
• interesting work session when I think
• about her boarding for the fall or
• [snorts]
• winter next year.
• >> I'm just going to interject by my my
• regular pitch here. There's a lot of
• questions that we're asking as a board
• and there's a lot of information that we
• want and I just think we need to
• prioritize
• and plan like definitely put it for lack
• of a better word like in the parking
• lot. we should definitely at some point,
• but there's so much that we want to take
• on um next year. So, we should
• definitely look at that and talk about
• it as a board uh and prioritize
• um those things as a board.
• >> Yeah,
• >> I would just you know, one of the things
• obviously as I mentioned that we do
• every summer when we get together
• administratively is take a look at this
• data and then dive deeper into it. that
• might be a fun activity for the entire
• group to engage in board and
• administration uh with potentially some
• of our faculty if we can have them come
• as well. I think that's a really
• valuable way we can kick off or deepen
• some of this conversations too. So,
• >> thank you so much. Thank you.
• >> Thank you.
• >> You're It's your next
• [laughter]
• >> because moving into agenda item 2.5
• uh the district committee update. I will
• again turn it over to Superintendent
• Walker who will provide an update on the
• district committee.
• >> Good evening.
• Um so as
• the board knows and I think over the
• community knows we made a shift to begin
• this year in how we thought about the
• structure uh and approach of our
• district committees. I [clears throat]
• think for the better part of probably a
• decade we had fairly consistent
• committees. I think all of which serve
• the district's um work and direction
• very well. One of the things that we've
• been talking about as an administrative
• team and as a board is how we can better
• leverage the committee structure to
• advance some more timely conversations
• and work related to the vision map and
• other uh more broader priorities and
• conversations within the system. Um so
• we changed the structure around that uh
• for this year and obviously anytime you
• roll out this kind of um substantial
• change it's it's important for us to
• look at how did this work? What worked
• well? What do we need to improve upon?
• Um, and so what I want to do is just
• give kind of a broad overview for the
• board and for the community of some of
• the work, some of the highlights of
• these committees, what at this moment,
• um, the facilitators of those committees
• are thinking about in terms of next
• steps, knowing that we're going to spend
• time this summer, looking again more
• closely at this and thinking about what
• we want the next level of work to be,
• obviously along with recruiting um, some
• new members of this group. So um
• starting with an overview of the
• technology committee obviously uh for a
• number of reasons we're very pleased
• that we u made sure that this was a a
• priority committee for the year given um
• that the technology conversation is
• certainly having an important and
• necessary moment not only in our
• community but across the country. U so
• you see a broad overview summary there.
• Um, I think one of the the more
• potentially impactful
• um things that the the committee spent
• some time on this year was thinking
• about AI guidelines and and beginning to
• work with the policy committee on
• structuring what could be a a policy on
• that uh really important topic. Um, as
• we look uh to the future uh and next
• year for the technology committee,
• obviously implementation of the the
• statemandated technology plan, but
• beyond that, more specifically, refining
• the software evaluation process, right?
• How we're thinking through what ends up
• in front of kids uh in our classrooms.
• Uh as well as how we're monitoring now
• some of the changes that have been
• announced as recently as yesterday with
• regard to what technology is going to
• look like uh in our classrooms beginning
• in 26 27. How are we monitoring that?
• How are we getting regular feedback
• about [snorts] how that is is working?
• Uh and so we look forward to the
• continued iteration of the technology
• committee again as we talked about at
• the work session last week in alignment
• with in concert with uh the board's ad
• hoc committee on technology as well.
• looking at uh literacy. Uh the goal
• there was to begin developing a literacy
• framework. Right? As I think about it is
• we should be able to summarize on one
• page how we're teaching the youngest
• people in our system how to learn to
• read. And so uh that was part of the
• charge of that committee. Uh they worked
• on developing a shared district literacy
• philosophy. Uh took a look at some of
• our current approaches and practices and
• began designing that framework. That
• work will continue into next year. uh
• which is something we're we're fine with
• and comfortable with because we think
• that that definitely needs some more
• in-depth study uh through the summer and
• into next year with this committee. And
• another key part as we think about next
• year I'll offer my opinion to the
• committee which is we've got to be
• thinking about how we're aligning
• resources, practices, and assessment and
• identifying quality assessments that
• allow us to find out whether or not the
• things that we're doing in classrooms
• are working across all aspects of
• literacy, not just one or two. uh and so
• that committee will most certainly be
• continuing uh into next year as well.
• Assessment and feedback. I have I think
• three facilitators of this in the room.
• So if anybody wants to join me in in
• summarizing but um this was one of the
• kind of broader uh and and really more u
• critical long-term uh committees in
• terms of conversation about um how we
• think about assessment and feedback
• within our system. Uh that group this
• year developed and refined a
• district-wide assessment philosophy. Uh
• did some good work in gathering student
• perspectives from students across all
• levels. Um spent some time looking at
• various research related to assessment
• and feedback. I think shared some of
• their findings through elevator pitches.
• Um and next steps I think really now
• it's it's time to talk about how we
• align the work of the assessment and
• feedback committee with the work of the
• success means in schools committee. And
• we knew going into it that there was
• significant potential overlap there.
• Both committees operated independently
• in terms of having separate meetings and
• separate charges for 2526. But I think
• both committees would say that for 2627
• we need to think planfully about how to
• to overlap uh the work of those two
• committees.
• Uh in terms of what success means, this
• was one that I had the privilege to to
• serve on and I thank Laura for her great
• facilitation of this. Um that committee
• during the course of the year has now
• identified really four priority action
• areas um including um thinking about and
• actualizing a way to engage in some
• parent guardian education uh panel
• discussion and otherwise about success
• grades and how that gets messaged uh
• particularly to our youngest families
• and students. I think there was a lot of
• discussion uh among both the parents and
• the students on the committee about um
• just doing this work by the time
• students get to high school. Um they've
• already seen school as a place where
• grades are the most meaningful thing.
• And so how do we start that conversation
• with students five and six years old and
• their families about the yes and right
• you got this grade and what does it mean
• in terms of your learning and what can
• you do to it? Uh so that will be that
• planning is underway for an event to
• occur uh next year. uh as well as a
• couple of different surveys. One of the
• community about their beliefs and values
• related to success, grades, uh homework
• and post-secondary planning and another
• surveying specifically our alumni in
• terms of how I think now that they've
• left our system um how prepared they are
• for college for any their post-secary
• opportunities. And so all of those
• things are being formulated and worked
• on now. and we'll see those surveys
• launched um by certainly by September uh
• and then the event uh to take place
• probably later in the winter. Uh but
• most certainly this committee will um
• continue significantly in the next year.
• Uh the committee also did some uh good
• work in engaging with challenge success
• as many members of the board were able
• to attend the the evening conversation
• and facilitator from challenge success
• also led uh a staffwide professional
• learning opportunity in March at
• [clears throat] one of our
• superintendent conference days.
• The athletic advisory committee um is
• one that had been a standing committee
• and will continue um to be a standing
• committee moving forward. Uh the theme
• for them this year was uh connection and
• and really the focus was how do we um
• improve connection between the school
• district's athletics and the community's
• various um athletic groups. Um and so in
• doing so is that a way for us to be able
• to increase numbers in terms of interest
• across the system but particularly in
• modified and JV athletics. Um and so
• there were some good conversations there
• that we know will need to continue um
• into next year. Uh obviously one of the
• things that our our students I know
• contributed significantly to the
• conversation was the importance of
• utilizing our varsity our older student
• athletes as role models for younger
• potential student athletes. And so, um,
• some of our events in Tiger Showcase and
• otherwise are designed to kind of create
• those opportunities, but how can we
• further that so that our students when
• they're in fifth and sixth grades just
• starting to think about potentially
• participating in athletics can see and
• regularly interact with older students
• as role models and helping them to
• inspire them to become part of athletics
• in our system. Uh and obviously uh in
• terms of next steps with the transition
• and leadership within that department uh
• one of the key things that I'll offer to
• the committee is we want to be looking
• at uh our practices and protocols
• related to athletics in general. What
• are the best practices in terms of how
• we should be engaging in things like how
• do you tell a student that they haven't
• made one of our teams, right? How do we
• assess and evaluate and provide feedback
• to coaches? uh we provide feedback to
• our student athletes about why you're
• getting the playing time you're getting,
• how you've [cough] play time, how you
• can better contribute to the overall
• environment around the team. You know,
• there are best practices in that in all
• those regards. And so, how do we
• identify those practices, implement
• them, and then use structures like the
• athletic advisory committee to assess
• where we are in terms of the progress
• there? So, that will most certainly
• continue into next year as well.
• Uh the SELK committee led by Rachel um
• so well as always um had a couple of
• significant uh goals for this year both
• of which were met. One was to introduce
• families to the Little Spot curriculum
• at CCT through a principal's coffee and
• that occurred as well as the development
• of a comprehensive communitywide list of
• resources to help connect parents and
• students with community agencies and
• support. Uh and so both of those uh took
• place this year um as led by that
• community. And so moving forward, one of
• the priorities for next year um will be
• to look at our protocols and family
• supports related to the families of
• students who are experiencing school
• refusal. Challenge is getting young
• people to go to school as well as
• hosting a district-wide event related to
• mental health and wellness.
• >> Good for you.
• >> That's great.
• >> I'm going to pause and say we're going
• to try to keep using the word school
• avoidance, right? That's our term.
• >> School.
• >> When I say school,
• >> that's what I used to.
• >> No, no, no. It's okay. I think because
• it's like there's been a there's been a
• shift, but I know from our our friends
• at SEPTA, I think that that is a term
• that they they've reminded us. It it's
• it's like it helps us sort of right.
• It's avoidance. It's not like a there's
• no finality to it. It's part of a work
• in progress. So, I'm trying to remind
• myself,
• >> you know what? It's like we're all
• right. We're all we're all in it
• together. So, that is like a thing that
• I'm also working on remembering to to
• try to change my vocabulary.
• >> Yeah. I didn't know that. Thank you,
• >> Greg. you change that slide. [laughter]
• Um, and then also want to give an update
• on the school counseling advisory
• committee. This is long-standing because
• it's for a number of reasons, but one
• because it's required by commissioners
• regulation. Uh, and so that group met uh
• this year to conduct their annual
• evaluation of our program based on
• national best practices from the ASCA.
• um [snorts] examined um best practices
• related to overall programming,
• discussed our counseling program related
• to its needs and strengths and
• opportunities for growth going forward.
• Um I would offer to this committee and
• I'll speak more to Mark and Rachel
• obviously that going forward I know
• Rachel has raised this already some
• questions about the school counseling
• role at CCT
• uh and what that can and should look
• like and continuing to build on some
• strengths there um some potential
• staffing implications as well as I think
• a deeper dive into the continuing
• implications of the changing college
• application landscape right and how our
• system needs to continue to evolve to
• meet the the needs of students uh and
• their families who are going through
• this process and feeling I think
• increasingly um challenged in terms of
• how to navigate it because of how
• quickly things are shifting um and how
• in some cases opaque the communication
• is about how you go about best
• positioning yourself to get into the
• college you want to get into. And so um
• we'll be continuing conversations with
• Mark and and of course by Rachel um to
• get more deeper that work.
• as a parent who just went through this
• process of for the first time. If if you
• could add a component that is a
• financial education component to that
• because to so many people I know it was
• a bad school that you could get into and
• then they found out that they would have
• to go into huge amounts of debt in order
• to be able to go there and then you're
• halfway through the process and you're
• having to backpedal and look at more
• affordable options. Um, so I just I put
• my two cents in for that. You know, I
• think that we should be taking kids to
• to schools and buses and and getting
• tours set up and because I think it's an
• equity issue. I think there's a lot of
• cost involved in going to visit these
• schools and um to the extent that we
• could help, I think we should. I would
• say so broadly uh obviously when we when
• you implement something new again you
• want to make sure that you're thinking
• um planfully about how we assess what
• worked and what didn't. Uh and one of
• the other things that we know is when
• you have this many different groups uh
• facilitated by this many different
• leaders you're going to have different
• structures around how u the the
• committees function. And so one of the
• things we're going to do again this
• summer going to be a busy summer u is
• thinking through how do we better
• standardize some of the experiences
• across the committees right we certainly
• heard feedback from um from participants
• across the committees about varied
• experiences so it's going to be first
• surveying [snorts] let's get some
• feedback from all participants we very
• much encourage the board's voice and
• thank you for your participation in all
• of them uh we want to hear from you and
• others about how this went for you and
• then reflect on that feedback and how do
• we buildings and protocols so we've got
• again substantial similarity across
• committees in terms of how the
• experience um should look. Uh and then
• we need to recruit new energy right new
• um new voices particularly on the
• student from but beyond the students as
• well um to make sure that we've got new
• perspectives on this work. We obviously
• want to try to maintain the the
• participants we have to the extent
• possible and then add to these and then
• part of that's the discussion about how
• do we best schedule these logistically
• so that folks can participate. So we've
• got again the students who are able to
• be there, the faculty who are able to be
• there and uh our parents uh who have of
• course really complicated schedules. So
• trying to find that balance um and
• haven't quite found it yet but are
• having some good conversations about how
• we can continue. I want to thank Greg
• for a second for u creating our district
• committee's landing page where uh this
• presentation and other committee
• information will live. Um and so thank
• you for putting that together. We
• encourage the community to to regularly
• check that and as we update it, we'll
• make sure that we share that out.
• >> Has has that landing page launched
• already or is it about to launch?
• >> It's live now.
• >> It is. Okay, great. Um just in in terms
• of planning for next year and thinking
• about um adding to those committees and
• and um when do you expect that the like
• application process or whatever the
• process will be will go out to the
• community to to add to those
• communities?
• >> Yeah. So we so one of our our retreat is
• in late July. So, this will be a
• prominent topic and so we're envisioning
• probably um first or second week in
• August, probably the first week in
• August um to get that out there just so
• that we're able to be really specific
• with the community about are there going
• to be any new uh committees, are we
• changing anything, what are the charges,
• you know, what's the the thrust of the
• work of the of the committee that folks
• will be signing up for and then giving
• folks some time as we lead into
• September to express interest.
• You go first. I have a lot of questions.
• >> You go first. Okay.
• >> All right. Well, um I thank you for
• putting this together. I know um I know
• I will say having been on two of the
• committees, I feel like I have a sense
• of what the two that I have participated
• in this year have been doing, but
• haven't really had as much of an eye to
• what's been going on in the other
• committees. In part because I think, you
• know, it's year one, so we have we have
• not established or developed a real
• cadence of reporting. And I think going
• forward next year, it it would be I
• think it would behoove us to also get
• some sort of like interim um reporting
• somewhere through the year so that we'
• sort of have a check-in to ensure that
• um first of all that the goals of each
• committee I think are shared very
• clearly with the board because I think
• that was a little bit of a gap for me in
• terms of my understanding of what the
• different committees are and what the
• you know what the expected outcomes
• were. I think we started with like sort
• of like a framework but
• >> um I think for me it would be helpful
• just again to to hear a little bit more
• about sort of like what are the
• questions being asked and what is you
• know what's coming out of it. I think I
• we heard a lot from each other as board
• representatives of these committees but
• that's sort of like limited perspective
• because we're not the educators and
• we're you know in some cases not even
• like the parents or community members
• who are participating and as trustees I
• think we sometimes have that
• responsibility of you know serving kind
• of like a a moderating kind of role. So
• um I think again getting just some of
• that survey data um and sharing it with
• us I think would be really helpful just
• to hear sort of you know some of the raw
• feedback about people's experiences I
• know we have heard a lot about
• scheduling of course and um that does
• remain a challenge. Um for me I that you
• know one thing I would just be upfront
• about and say here is that I'm seeing a
• little bit of a disconnect between sort
• of some of the highlights presented and
• what I experienced as the work. So, I'd
• love to figure out like how, you know,
• where the right place is to have the
• conversation about how to sort of true
• that up. Um, and I think the other thing
• I will say is I'm very pleased to hear
• that there's going to be a discussion of
• how to sort of make the committee
• service experience more consistent
• because I was really jealous of the
• people who had homework. I know that
• some of the I know because I'm a nerd
• but like some some of the groups did
• have like readings and things to sort of
• focus on and work on to inform the work
• and on other committees it was you know
• for example you met two times and it was
• 45 minutes and it's you know it's it's
• it's like a it's a little bit of a
• different experience in terms of just
• sort of like what your participation is.
• And for many of us coming to this work
• with like a deep commitment to you know
• this or that um that commitment wasn't
• always necessarily [clears throat] in
• alignment with what the scope of the
• scope of the committee was specifically
• I think about the counseling committee.
• The counseling committee as it's
• described here has like a very specific
• charge that doesn't actually reflect any
• of what we just talked about um this
• evening at the table in terms of
• direction. So I think that that would be
• a thing we'd want to prioritize looking
• into and I know we've talked about that
• sort of separately as well. Um yeah it
• it just just to close it's like I'm
• thinking about the fact that like in
• previous years for example we know that
• some of the work into discussing um
• counseling at C led to like the creation
• of leadership tomorrow which was like a
• wonderful outcome of like things that
• were surfaced in that conversation. And
• so I think you know that that seems to
• me to be like a really cool model to
• think about like you know what are we
• seeing and then like sort of you know
• what how can we sort of creatively
• address that. I think that that was sort
• of um that was that that was probably an
• unusual outcome to be able to come to
• that so quickly and it required some
• innovative thinking and of course
• student voice also but I just think that
• that's a great model you know to think
• about.
• >> Yeah. So let's if we can talk a bit more
• as a team about how to get feedback to
• us and the facilitators of the various
• committees about your experience as a
• board separate and apart from board
• inclusive of the broader feedback from
• surveys of the the participants more
• broadly. Uh, and one of the things that
• we did as an administrative team was
• every time we were together this year at
• administrative council meetings, we did
• an around the table summary of where are
• we with each committee and what are some
• of the practices that we're feeling good
• about in terms of producing engagement.
• Right? I know one of the things we did
• was ours was definitely a homework based
• committee. Right? There's a lot be on
• Dr. Kback's committee next year.
• >> But I think that one of the things that
• we've heard from you and others is that
• folks like that, right? they want
• someone to be thinking about in between
• some of the sessions. So then the
• process beginning the summer is how do
• we go from some sharing some high
• practices to consistently applying those
• practices across the the various
• committees.
• >> Um
• thank you. Um yeah, just echoing some of
• what Anamaka said, uh like so like for
• example hearing um the uh
• like the
• the um committee on what success in
• school means hearing the what the
• perspectives are there was like some
• some reference that you you did do some
• sort of survey but we haven't seen those
• yet as a board. So like I think as it's
• great there's this landing page the site
• but the more that we can actually see
• some of these um results and reports and
• the data that's collected would be very
• beneficial. Um just to be clear we we
• haven't done survey yet.
• >> Sorry I misunderstood that.
• >> We'll share that.
• >> Okay. Um and I I guess the other thing
• that I would just like to bring up is um
• when like I was on the technology
• committee and in terms of like looking
• ahead um what I don't see and this is
• any discussion about data like data
• privacy
• and I think that's like been one of the
• things that has been it's like they're
• all intertwined and um that might have
• been assumed to be tucked into the words
• but I think it's such an important issue
• to articulate that as a priority
• >> um is is an important thing.
• >> Um
• >> and you know I would just say like
• because I think um it's it's good to
• hear there's going to be some reflection
• on like what worked well and what what
• could be shifted moving forward. Um I
• think there was some some tension
• between the the whole process on getting
• people to be part of the committee in
• terms of how people were selected you
• know and what that process was. So if
• and I think you know we're later going
• to be talking about forming ad hoc uh
• sorry an advisory committee for on the
• behalf of the district and we're going
• to have to figure out the same thing as
• well but making um a little bit more
• transparent like how how you're what is
• what if you're using any evaluation
• criteria to choose who's on it or not to
• make that a little bit more explicit I
• think um would be helpful. Um and then
• the other thing I would just say like my
• you know my experience being part of the
• committee as well as um in my own work
• being on a number of committees like
• sometimes there's some committees where
• the assumption this like the role is
• it's more of a hey we've already done a
• lot of this pre-work but we just want to
• run it by you and it's like you know
• realistically it's about 95%
• >> baked right so that's one type of
• committee now there's other types of
• committee is that you're really from a a
• moment like collaboratively building
• something and that takes a lot more time
• and effort. So I think maybe you know I
• know it was the first year of doing this
• but being a little bit more clear going
• into this a year ahead of like what is
• the nature of this work like that we're
• trying to do here and and what is the um
• yeah what is because it's also can be um
• hard when people think they're going to
• enter into a committee and they think
• they're really doing it and then that's
• not the the the experience and vice
• versa when you're like oh my gosh I
• didn't know this was going to be so
• much. So getting a little bit clearer
• about that I think would be helpful
• moving forward.
• >> Yeah, I agree. I think um across the
• system we had committees on that that
• reflected both of us. Yeah.
• >> And so um some of that is reflective of
• the nature of the work. Some of it's um
• the facilitators and their level of
• comfort with engaging around some of the
• conversations. Um and so part of our
• work again in reflecting is how do we
• best prepare everybody who's leading
• this work to be of a similar mindset in
• terms of instruction.
• >> Yeah.
• >> Yeah. Fair point.
• >> I think this connects back to uh what
• Allison was talking about with regard to
• the the technology committee and the and
• the like who's in it, how it's selected.
• But just I guess in a broader way saying
• that because we're setting up these ad
• hoc committees, I think the public might
• wonder like what is the difference
• between the ad hoc committee and the
• district committee and just sort of like
• articulating that for the public and
• also just like it even if someone is not
• on a district committee because there's
• a only a finite number of people that
• can be on it that there are
• opportunities via the ad hoc committee
• process especially as we're doing the
• community feedback piece of it. that is
• another meaningful opportunity to weigh
• in on technology use um feels important.
• So sort of articulating what the
• differences are sort but like also the
• like common opportunities and also like
• are there moments when the committee
• should talk to each other to look to
• sort of be very like to be aligned right
• across across both bodies um so that you
• know where there is
• um I don't know just there might be need
• for discussion and alignment throughout
• and that might be kind of a useful thing
• to
• I have a question on the technology um
• plan. So there was there was wording
• that was part of
• the the the full spectrum of of the
• meetings that I don't see in the latest
• iteration of it and it was
• that technology will be used in pursuit
• of specific curricular objectives.
• That isn't in here. And again, it was it
• was there up until this later iteration.
• What I do see under five, number one,
• curricular integration. There there's a
• version of that,
• but
• >> can you tell us what you're looking at?
• I'm sorry.
• >> Technology plan, the link that's in this
• in the
• >> Oh, okay. State.
• >> So, this is the state. This is the state
• mandated like compliance plan, right?
• >> Yes.
• which is a little bit different from
• some of the other
• >> this is an instructional technology
• >> plan right
• >> um
• >> which is a yeah state compliance
• document
• >> sure but
• we can still have we have a little bit
• of leeway how we implement stuff as long
• as we meet the the the standards
• um or am I wrong on that
• >> no you are you're Wow.
• >> Okay. So, um I think cuz this what the
• way this is reading on technology
• current harm is a transformative
• catalyst uh integrated through the lens
• of adding enhancing and enriching the
• curricular curriculum.
• >> Great. But I think it's it's broad
• enough that it it it
• could be used in a way or at least I'm
• trying to think about it from again from
• a governance perspective in in terms of
• being very clear with
• um the community and and and the faculty
• around what the expectation is around
• the use of technology. It it deviates
• from what we were talking about in that
• in that committee meeting. And then the
• next phrase of that paragraph where we
• prioritize active over passive use,
• they're still passive. So what what
• criteria is the teacher going to use to
• say, okay, this is this is appropriate
• and this is not. I think it'll help
• teachers in the classroom just make
• better decisions if they if we're have a
• little more clarity around around that
• piece in particular.
• >> Yeah, I think um I I don't disagree. I
• think the purpose of a document like
• this is compliance. And so what happens
• is these go through state review folks
• who say
• >> we want this language instead of this
• language. We're looking for this instead
• of this as we approve your plan. Um, so
• the more I think when we look at a at a
• plan at something like this that is
• about state review and meeting certain
• parameters, our goal is can we create a
• big umbrella under which all of the
• necessary work needs to happen. Right?
• So the communication more specifically
• about what our expectations are in
• classrooms through things like
• yesterday's communication and otherwise
• come through [snorts] much more
• intensive conversations. This is
• >> so the oper oper operationalization of
• the complant isn't this
• >> no this is a very very broad
• >> thank you and I think it's important
• that you ask that question Omar because
• I think we've received a lot of
• correspondence from the community after
• this instructional technology plan was
• posted and I think one of the things
• that unfortunately happens is when
• things show up on the website we don't
• always have the full sort of context for
• it so I don't want to speak for Ellen
• I'd really rather have you know you
• Steve if you can sort of like explain
• this but my understanding is that that
• some of the language of this plan was
• developed actually months and months ago
• because it's had to go is that correct?
• It's had to go through a review process
• with the state. And in fact, what is
• here does not reflect even where we it
• doesn't reflect where we were two months
• ago in terms of how we're talking about
• technology. And it definitely doesn't
• reflect statements that were made this
• week, right? I mean, is that is that
• like a fair assessment of what this is
• >> in general? And I say this with with
• great respect of the state.
• >> Yeah.
• When you go through processes of needing
• to comply with certain state mandates
• around language, whether it's APR,
• professional learning plans, technology
• plans, it's a substantial and lengthy
• review process with folks whose it seems
• as though their entire role is to review
• language to look for key terms to make
• sure that they're either there or not
• there depending on what their priorities
• are. Uh and so it is while valuable in
• terms of its thought in in internal
• discussion of the system inherently a
• compliance process. So um it we're not
• we never live and breathe by these sorts
• of documents. They're valuable in terms
• of the conversations they elicit in the
• system. They should provide broad vision
• and values for the system. But the
• logistics and even the the the approach
• itself changes and should like we
• shouldn't be planning 2029 in anything
• let alone technology based on May of
• June of 2026.
• >> Great. Um
• I just wanted because I'm trying to
• orient myself to I heard what you said
• about the the perspective on what
• [snorts] this document actually is and
• how it functions. or what were you
• looking at when you where you were
• bringing up the point about
• >> so in the presentation
• >> okay
• >> there is a I the right one
• >> I closed it um
• >> it linked to district which then links
• to the technology committee which then
• linked to the instruction you can go
• back in that document yeah I have that
• open then five
• >> yeah 51 okay
• there critical integration
• And you know what? I should probably be
• on the record saying I um femally object
• to device use in K through2 if it
• doesn't tie to to this state. This is
• the state addressed comment. Um
• again, if it doesn't tie to a curler
• objective, if it does, wonderful, but
• just for the sake of like using
• technology for the sake of technology
• isn't really beneficial for students. So
• I guess that that that prompts the
• question of like so we've done some work
• on what we're actually doing in terms of
• technologies within Croenheart schools
• like these buildings since this plan was
• put together. Is there a mechanism for
• providing or is it necessary to provide
• a revised plan to the state that more
• accurately reflects where we are or is
• that like a question that we could
• discuss like we could find out a little
• bit more about because I I think what
• we're hearing is like if we're confused
• then people in the community are also
• going to be confused and maybe it's just
• a matter of either clarifying the
• positioning of the purpose of the
• compliance document relative to again
• information that just went out to the
• community yesterday that's not even
• reflected on the website yet that more
• specifically articulates what's
• happening by grade level and right
• that's supposed to be a work in
• progress. So it's like there's a lot of
• moving parts I think is what we're
• recognizing. But I think the fact that
• again these questions are coming up at
• this table and because they come up in
• in in conversation it's an opportunity
• for us to just clarify. Is that kind of
• what we're we're saying here is
• >> Yes. Yes. And I would just like to build
• on that. I mean I hear what you're
• saying about because I I deal with like
• crazy bureaucracy during compliance
• issues at CUNI. So I understand what
• you're saying about that. My concern is
• though if there's not this is the what
• we submitted. So if there is something
• that's really for some reason off like
• this is what we're going to be held to.
• So I I I would just like to better
• understand that whatever we're doing
• aligns enough with this so that we're
• we're like we're good you know it's not
• going a little bit too much like this
• you know. So,
• >> I think held to is a relative term as it
• relates to long-term compliance plans
• for for the state. But, um, what we'd be
• happy to do is do a crosswalk between
• where we are now, more importantly,
• where we'll be in September, what this
• document says, and then some research
• into if we were to submit a a revision,
• right? What does that mean in terms of
• the state's review process? We want to
• have an approved plan of this just like
• we want to have an approved plan on
• everything
• >> without devoting an inordinate amount of
• time to dealing with the bureaucracy. Um
• but we're happy to to do across Oregon
• and if there need to be changes make
• them and then share the publicly.
• >> So this is something that is approved
• through 2029.
• >> Yeah, this is a state requirements.
• >> Otherwise, there's no need to like
• submit annual anything. It's just got
• it.
• >> Well, I just I'm sorry. In conclusion, I
• want to say thank you for taking on the
• creation of all these committees,
• convening them, finding facilitators for
• all of them. Um, I know that on the
• committees that I saw on the materials
• were extensive and I can't imagine how
• long it took to prepare.
• So,
• >> I do just want I want to thank uh the
• administrative team who did u an
• inordinate amount of work, spent a
• significant amount of time thinking
• through to how to make these u as
• successful as they could be in year one.
• um took on these challenges with energy.
• I've been excited about it from the
• beginning. Um and so I can feel uh great
• and and just terrific appreciation to to
• each of them for their leadership on
• that. And I want to thank the board uh
• for making time on your busy schedules
• to be a part of it. Uh as well as all of
• the community volunteers, the faculty,
• the staff, the community members, and
• the students who are a part of it. I
• think what what we've done
• foundationally in year one, while it's
• not perfect, not near perfect, is
• demonstrate that this sort of model can
• work, can build some momentum around
• good conversations in the system. And so
• we feel good about that in year one, now
• it's on to how we make it better in in
• year two. Thank you. Can I can I echo
• that because I think it's important to
• say that [clears throat] when doing
• something new, it's not going to be
• perfect, right? And there going to be
• bumps in the road and I just want to
• acknowledge that and want to thank um so
• I was on the feedback and assessment um
• with with Nicole and um technology with
• Ellen and just it was it was a wonderful
• experience to go through it. Um and
• yeah, I think we're better we're better
• for it as a district and then we'll
• learn from this and that year two will
• be better and year three be even better.
• So thank you for everybody for
• participating and putting it together.
• >> Yeah, thank you very much. It's really
• exciting to see
• So, we had moved board reports um into
• the the eighth section of the agenda
• earlier. So, we're going to skip over
• that, but I do want to move to amend the
• agenda again at all possible. Um I want
• to move to uh move item 5.2, the tenure
• recommendation,
• uh before item 3.1.
• >> I'll second that.
• >> Final question.
• All in favor? I
• >> opposed. Obstain. Motion carries. So,
• moving into item 5.2,
• which I guess is now the new 3.1. Um,
• recommended action be it resolved that
• upon the recommendation of
• superintendent of schools, the board of
• education hereby grants tenure to Nicole
• Kelly, middle school assistant principal
• tenure area, Pierre Van Courtland Middle
• School, effective June 26, 2026. So
• moved.
• >> Second on the question.
• >> Yeah, if I could. Um, it's my genuine
• pleasure to recommend Nicole for tenure
• as assistant principal at PBC. Over the
• past four years, Nicole's demonstrated a
• true care and devotion to the students
• of our district, for their families, for
• the team of adults that we work with,
• and for PBC overall. Um Nicole Uled with
• warmth, with poise, with grace, with
• class, with professionalism and
• positivity.
• She's led the district's committee work
• on assessment and feedback. One of the
• many ways that Nicole has ensured that
• her voice and her vision helped to shape
• not only PBC, but the work of the entire
• district as well. She's also a leader in
• our region as co-f facilitator of PNW
• Bosey's regional forum for assistant
• principles, helping to mentor and
• support colleagues from across our area.
• Nicole knows the students and families
• at PBC tremendously well. And when we
• came to her this fall with really no
• warning and asked her to take on a new
• role as interim principal, her response
• was whatever is best for PBC. Uh and
• Nicole, your response in that moment to
• us exemplifies who you [clears throat]
• are, a leader who puts others first,
• ensuring that the people around you have
• a chance to shine. Uh during that time,
• you not only kept PBC moving forward,
• you helped to advance the culture of
• that wonderful building under your
• leadership. Um thank you truly and
• sincerely, not only for the way that you
• stepped up for PBC this year, uh but for
• everything you've done over the past
• four years. It's my honor to recommend
• you for 10.
• >> I would just echo those. Thank you uh
• for staying here for um continuing to do
• I'm emotional today because of
• graduation. I'm sorry. Um but I want to
• thank you for continuing to work hard
• for our students
• >> and I'm very happy uh to vote yes for
• this. So um all in favor
• >> opposed abstain. Motion carries.
• [applause]
• >> [applause]
• [applause]
• [laughter]
• >> And we have the apple and all that good
• up for you too.
• >> Congratulations.
• >> Congratulations.
• [applause]
• >> Yes, you should all not
• [laughter]
• >> unless you want to. We'll watch the web.
• All right, we will now move into the
• previous new business, beginning of new
• business uh into former item 3.1, which
• is the update on the infinity device
• policy at Cartman High School. And for
• that, I will turn it over to Dr. Dubc.
• Thank you.
• Right. Good evening.
• It's not up there.
• Thank you for having me here tonight to
• share a brief update on the internet
• enabled device policy at the high school
• as we wrap up our first year of
• implementation. And I'll echo what Omar
• said earlier about this being the first
• year and it's a it's first year in
• progress for sure. Um so in terms of
• implementation um and feedback so just
• give you an overview of what our oper
• how we operationalize the policy. So
• students are required to place their
• phones in a cell phone box um or cell
• phone stadium in each classroom. They
• put it in at the beginning of class,
• pick it up at the end of class and move
• to their next class. The phones remain
• in the box for the duration of the
• period including bathroom breaks. Um,
• students have their phones during free
• periods and lunches. There is not a
• central repository during those times.
• And so, while we encourage students not
• to have devices out during those times
• for social or other reasons, um, our
• primary focus has definitely been to
• ensure distraction-free classrooms,
• which we feel pretty successful with at
• this point after some revisions
• throughout the year. Um, I know the
• policy committee specifically built in
• language in our district policy around
• um using devices for specific purposes
• during um in the cafeteria in
• particular. And you'll hear more about
• kind of um what that looks like in
• practice and some challenges just in
• terms of adult presence presence and
• monitoring um during lunch for example,
• what's appropriate educational purpose
• and what's not. Um, so I also just want
• to note regionally in terms of
• implementation, um, the successes and
• struggles that we're experiencing at the
• high school around this policy are
• definitely something that areas that are
• quite similar across the board in our
• neighboring high schools. Um, this is
• actually just a topic on our principal
• group email thread yesterday. Um, where
• many surrounding districts are, you
• know, as I said, experiencing the same
• struggles, successes, and frustrations.
• And it's irrespective of whether whether
• those high schools have an off and away
• policy, a cell phone box policy, a
• yonder pouch policy. Um, and there are a
• number of districts who have abandoned
• things like yonder pouches because
• they're not working for a variety of
• reasons. Um, and uh there's schools
• going to offen away policies that
• previously had cell phone boxes similar
• to the ones we have at the high school
• and a range of other experiences. So
• that being said, I think everyone here
• in our district in the high school um is
• on the same page in terms of making it
• work as best as possible and primarily
• committed to students staying focused in
• class.
• So on the next
• slide, in terms of infractions, I know
• Ellen had briefly shared some numbers
• last month and these numbers are
• slightly updated due to being a month
• later and collecting a few more
• infractions in that month. Um, so and
• just as again the students have their
• phones during free periods and lunches
• since we don't have that repository. So
• the infractions that are up on the
• screen here are infractions during class
• time. So to date we have confiscated 23
• devices by either by teachers. We have
• had to call home to parents four times
• this year to confirm that when students
• don't place their cell phones in the
• box, they truly don't have cell phones
• or don't bring them to school. Um and uh
• the purpose of doing that is to ensure
• that we're not bothering students in
• every class about why they're not
• putting their cell phone in the caddy.
• Um we have had seven phones taken for an
• entire day or longer and that means that
• students have to leave it in the office
• for the day because they've had multiple
• infractions. Um we've had five students
• who were directed to building admin for
• placing decoy phones and boxes. Um and
• just in general kind of the consequence
• letter is the first warning comes from
• the teacher because that's the person
• who is um interacting with students in
• the classroom. After that first warning
• if it happens again it goes to an
• administrative referral. The first
• referral is means that the device gets
• left in the office for the duration of
• the day. Um any subsequent referrals
• increases the amount of time. We haven't
• to date had anybody who has gone beyond
• one multi-day stay in the office. So,
• [snorts]
• so that's kind of, you know, nuts and
• bolts of what it looks like for us. Um,
• more broadly in terms of kind of our
• push pull factors and the bigger
• conversation around this, um, after a
• year of implementation and ongoing
• reflection, um, few things come to mind.
• one, just a reminder that this was a
• fairly abrupt change. It went sort of
• from an all to nothing um very quickly
• through legislation. Um the law was sort
• of written without kind of developmental
• considerations by age and even within a
• high school. We've thought a lot about
• the difference between a nth grader
• starting high school and a 12th grader
• who is getting ready to go on to college
• and beyond. And there's not really um
• any nuance in the language of the law
• around that.
• Um, as I mentioned, we're doing a great
• job, I think, of implementing this in
• classrooms. Um, and I think we've said
• this all along, but and I f fully agree
• that kind of the focus of the
• distraction-free classroom is the
• primary in all of this and ensuring that
• kids are really focused on what they
• should be focused on in classrooms and
• teachers are very much on board in that
• regard and monitoring. We've had a few
• hiccups throughout the year as we do
• with any other kind of implementation.
• Um but by and large we're in a good
• place in that regard. Um something to
• keep in mind in terms of realities of
• implementation um hallways and
• lunchrooms are not monitored by teachers
• and the communication when this law came
• out um but that the device policy was
• not something that teachers were
• expected to be in charge of outside of
• classrooms. Uh I know that NICE said and
• they actually I think Governor Kok also
• reiterated this too that this was not
• meant to be a teacher enforcement um
• situation. So given that there's limited
• staffing for the few adults in the
• building who are not teachers um to be
• enforcing this during free periods um
• and particularly lunch. So just as an
• example, during lunch at the high
• school, we have two lunch monitors with
• about 500 kids at lunch in any given
• time and we have three administrators.
• So just thinking broadly, um the idea of
• enforcing during fully enforcing during
• the cafeteria when you have 500 kids
• free at lunch with five adults, um is
• challenging for sure.
• >> Um without thinking about diverting
• resources away from other work, right?
• there other ways that you can address
• this, but it's a it's a resource
• allocation question, I think. So, and
• just as kind of one background
• consideration, when you think about one
• of our goals with community lunch being
• slightly longer this year and having
• everybody all together, obviously that
• was done without thinking about a cell
• phone policy um being thrust upon us. Um
• but that community lunch has become a
• time for groups of to meet and plan when
• everyone's free and that includes groups
• of teachers, groups of students. admin
• to [cough and clears throat] teacher
• teams and groups of students during this
• time which has truly been one of the
• best parts of community lunch. So just
• thinking about that broadly when we
• think about diverting resources I think
• we just have to be mindful of where
• those resource resources are coming from
• and what impact that could have. Um, we
• also have had experience throughout the
• year of students honestly just leaving
• when we have had more restrictive
• implementation in the cafeteria and free
• periods because we're an open campus.
• Um, students are allowed to get up and
• leave. Um, and so that did happen fairly
• regularly, especially at the beginning
• of the school year when we were all new
• at this. Um, and uh, trying to be very
• um, very on top of the devices that were
• in the cafeteria. And beyond that, we
• want our students to stay to stay here.
• The cultural shift that's happened with
• our community lunch and our new spaces,
• just the number of kids that are in the
• building has honestly been a real
• cultural game changer for our school.
• Um, so personally I would hate to lose
• that. Um, and probably most importantly,
• our students have shared with us that
• they feel our implementation has been
• respectful and that they don't have a
• problem putting away their devices for
• classes and honestly do so willingly
• recognizing the positive impacts in the
• classroom. Um, and I think you see that
• in the infraction numbers
• [clears throat] that you saw. I think in
• the grand scheme of thing, they're
• they're pretty low um for the first year
• of implementing the policy. And uh we
• really do not see students on phones in
• classrooms in our building. Um I know at
• least one of you was on a recent
• learning walk at the high school and
• there was not a phone um in sight in the
• classes.
• So, um,
• outside of CHHS, obviously I won't name
• specific districts, um, but in
• conversation with our neighbors, um,
• discussions in some groups are around
• things like purchasing MacBook Neos for
• the entire high school in a couple of,
• um, high schools in the region to kind
• of take the personal device aspect, the
• big bring your own device aspect um, out
• of the hands of students and families.
• So, the idea is investing they're trying
• to invest a pretty decent um sum of
• money into purchasing MacBooks for
• students so that they can ensure that
• that's the only device that they're
• bringing into school and that it's
• controlled by the school district. Um
• so, those are just some examples of
• things regionally that people are
• talking about in terms of putting
• resources um in.
• So, I think it's also really important
• to note and perhaps somewhat unique at
• at our high school compared to schools
• in our region. Um, but there is a
• genuine culture of trust here, I think,
• which is evidenced by our open campus
• [clears throat] and the fact that we
• have very little issues with that. I
• think I've said this before, like I
• think we're actually the only high
• school in all Westchester that's a fully
• open campus. Um, and having worked in
• other schools that are quite the
• opposite, it's a very different
• different feeling. um the culture here.
• We don't have issues with students
• generally coming back late from lunch.
• It's just part of the fiber of what we
• do here. And I think that's a good
• reminder um that when we give students
• trust and responsibility, most really do
• rise to the occasion. Um and we see that
• with the classroom cell phone boxes too.
• Um,
• and then I think another factor that
• we've been talking about [snorts] a lot
• recently in our implementation is that
• as our current elementary and early
• middle school students get older, our
• current younger students are growing up
• in a very different environment and a
• different conversation around
• technology, different family
• expectations. So, we know that as those
• kids get older,
• the fight will be less in terms of um
• having cell phones, not having cell
• phones. We think that many of our
• students are going to eventually come up
• to the high school with very little
• reliance on cell phones if if the way
• things are trending nationally and
• locally continue. So there's sort of a a
• gradual implementation approach that
• we've been thinking about a lot too and
• and recognizing that these changes are
• going to be coming.
• Um,
• and I think uh the last bullet around
• shared parental and school
• responsibility is something that, you
• know, I feel personally as, you know, as
• a parent of a child who's going into
• middle school um and dealing with seeing
• friends getting phones and not and then
• having worked um for 17 years in high
• school, I realize because I'm going to
• do it myself just how easy it is to shut
• down a phone and have absolutely no
• screen time or internet access
• whatsoever on that phone. Um and so it's
• got me thinking a lot about um the idea
• of partnering and sharing responsibility
• with parents to help kind of encourage
• learn and support and rally around that
• together because if a student is coming
• to school with no internet access on
• their phone from 8 to 3, there's nothing
• for them to be tempted with um to look
• at. So you know we do that.
• >> Yeah. I mean, first and
• >> I will show you.
• >> Would love that.
• >> Yeah, it takes like two seconds.
• >> I will personally do a practice.
• >> The new iOS actually update makes it so
• easy to do and if you don't have an
• Apple product, there's a ton of
• different software. Bark is a software
• for my family. I'm not a spokesperson
• for them. Um, but um just the idea being
• it is very easy to do and I'm terrible
• with cell phones. So the idea of just
• rallying together so that it's not this
• is the schools or the district's
• responsibility that it's our shared
• responsibility because we want to do
• this together. So I think that's a a
• place for us to work on.
• Okay. So future h we're in year one.
• We're at kind of a a reflection and you
• know possible changes in decision-m
• point. So I kind of I see it as sort of
• two pathways that we could go down. No
• matter what pathway we decide, our
• classroom practices remain and we remain
• committed to those. Um, so for pathway
• one, I think some things we can consider
• are advocacy with legislature to uh
• gradually make adjustments. Um, I'm
• actually surprised and maybe I just am
• not aware of it that there isn't a
• process for feedback to legislature some
• way to advocate for changes. Um I know
• something that we talk a lot about in
• our uh principal association and I think
• superintendent association has also
• spoken about this like how do we make it
• so that we can change the policy around
• lunch specifically for high schools and
• have a more developmental approach but
• there doesn't seem to be an inroad there
• but I think it's one that we that's
• worth finding an inroad for. Um I think
• that we also have an opportunity with
• the trust in our school um to work with
• student leaders and strategically
• include student voice um in making plans
• for example to reduce use during free
• periods and lunch periods. Um I think
• student voice is something that was
• largely left out of a lot of the
• conversation not locally I think more on
• a broader scale um in this in its
• planning. Um, I think it also might be
• an interesting time to consider more
• deeply the voices of current high school
• parents. So, now that their kids have
• had a year of implementation, um, I know
• that we initially surveyed the entire
• community, but I don't think high school
• students were a part. I think it was
• just families that were responding at
• that point. So, I think that might be a
• good exercise to see what high school
• parents and students think.
• um Freddy mentioned the idea of
• partnering with parents and and building
• a more shared responsibility and um and
• the idea of respect again I think after
• 17 years of high school kids the more
• restrictive and top down you get the
• less buyin there is and the less
• likelihood that you'll find success so I
• think that's something important to keep
• in mind then in pathway two this is
• another way to look at it you'll see
• considerations for operationalizing
• stricter policies for free period and
• lunch that would definitely allow for
• more adult oversight during those times.
• Um, so I'll be honest that I think some
• of these considerations are worrisome in
• terms of school culture, but they're
• considerations um that I think should be
• talked about nonetheless. Um, so some
• options that we can do um are to
• implement or assign study halls to all
• students, for example, grades 9 to 12.
• What that would mean is that no students
• ever have a free period. Um, what that
• would mean is that you would be more
• guaranteed to be putting a phone in at
• the beginning of every single period and
• the end of every single period. No free
• periods with that wiggle room. So,
• that's an option. I don't think our
• students would love it. No,
• maybe weigh in on that, but
• >> I don't think so.
• >> But, it is it's a way to control the
• environment to ensure that, you know,
• you're doing it beginning and the end of
• the period. Um, we can consider things
• like adding staffing to collect cell
• phones. With an open campus, you'd have
• to think that that staffing has to be
• manned throughout the day because if you
• have free periods on an open campus, you
• have to be have somebody who can
• actually physically take them in and out
• through the throughout the day. And then
• there's always the option of having a
• single collection point and completely
• closing campus. Um, which would mean
• operationally that students drop off
• their phone at the beginning of the day.
• it stays there till the end of the day
• and there's no coming and going from
• campus. So, all possibilities, different
• pathways. Um,
• so hopefully that gets us a sense of
• kind of where we are now, what some
• future possibilities could look like.
• Um, and I'm guessing probably through
• the policy committee if there are any
• adjustments or changes to the policy in
• the future that might lead us down
• either of these pathways or some
• combination of both pathways. um we're
• very open to it and and want to be in
• dialogue about it.
• >> It would be fair to say that pathway
• number two is kind of like an ext like
• there's there's many iterations between
• pathway number one and pathway number
• two, right? It's like you're sort of
• articulating
• >> uh the most uh strictly compliant
• scenario versus sort of like where we
• are now, which is you it's not even like
• the most loose scenario, right? So, so
• it's almost like what you're
• articulating is possible pathway number
• one might actually be like, you know,
• like if it was on a scale of like 1 to
• 10, it's probably like three or four and
• pathway number two is really closer to
• like a 10 or even like an 11 kind of
• like outside of right just from what
• we're seeing here because I think
• >> I think you know I think one of the
• things like as certainly for me I'll say
• and many of us here are high school
• parents I think uh our families really
• value the flexibility and the trust. I I
• think our students I mean Phil you
• should talk first cuz you're the one
• doing this and you just got through it.
• What do you think?
• >> I mean I'm obviously going to have some
• bias here but uh speaking as unbiased as
• I can there I agree strongly with the
• point that I think students are a lot
• more willing to actually like focus in
• class and pay attention due to the
• current leniency. I'm going to be
• honest. I feel like knowing how high
• school students are, like if there is a
• tighter collar put on them, especially
• with free periods or even like
• suggesting that free periods might be
• taken away or open campus as a whole or
• whatever that case is, like I think
• people are going to be a lot less
• willing to comply in class. I think
• there's going to be like revoling in a
• sense of not only just against the free
• periods and stuff, but then kids aren't
• even going to want to pay attention in
• class or do that in class because I
• think that would be like impeding upon
• like something we've practiced here for
• so long with free periods and like
• having the flexibility and as Dr. Dubac
• was saying like the trust of like having
• an open canvas. But I understand
• I understand the alternative
• perspective, but I think yeah, I think
• there has to be a sort of middle ground
• because I think it's extremely
• unrealistic the idea of
• removing something like free periods or
• something like that without expecting
• students to then act out against that.
• like the way it is right now. I think
• there's a decent balance between how
• students are now focused in class and
• willing to focus in class due to the
• current balance. That's what that means.
• I mean, but to be fair, right, like this
• possible pathway too, it it there is a
• portion of our community that is asking
• for this. There is a portion of our
• community that gets very excited by
• children lining up and clicking beyond
• their pouches at the beginning of the
• day. Regardless of whether they're 18 as
• seniors, there is a portion of our
• community that is literally asking for
• pathway too.
• >> But yeah, I was also going to say I just
• feel like it's kind of crazy that like
• especially for at least for the seniors
• like we're genuinely about to be going
• off to college like we're going to be 18
• years old. We're not even going to be
• like under any sort of parental
• supervision for most of the students.
• So, I think like the fact that it's
• going to be like you're trying to
• implement something where it's like,
• okay, these 18-year-old legal adults are
• going to have to have their phones
• locked away all day because we don't
• trust them to have the discipline of not
• looking at it wherever. Like, I just
• think that's like that's just an almost
• like a unfair standard to have,
• especially considering you then want us
• in like 3 months from now to go off and
• like act as adults and you can't trust
• us with the phone. I just feel like the
• standards aren't really aligning.
• >> I think that speaks to sorry before goes
• I think that speaks to exactly what Dr.
• Dubc was talking about which is that
• when this when this mandate came down
• there what there if there just was like
• no conversation about when it's
• developmentally appropriate and the fact
• that it is so sort of across the board.
• I think that that is that is definitely
• a challenge. And to to your point Dr.
• Dubc about sort of like the advocacy it
• is is weird that like that there was
• like one survey that was done by the
• state education department. I don't know
• that those survey results were widely
• shared, but it's like it doesn't seem to
• have impacted the conversation just in
• terms of like, you know, we don't have
• like a clear picture of this. So, I
• think those are all good points. Sorry.
• Now, I know you're about to ask
• something.
• >> No, just a couple of obligations. I
• think what Philina said is very
• important to consider. are members of
• the community who would like to see what
• I will call an absolute cell phone pan
• looking at certain research on the
• subject of what is the
• purported because I'm not saying I
• necessarily agree with it um
• [clears throat]
• detrimental effect of the overuse of
• cell phones by individuals at various
• stages of childhood and early young
• adulthood. [clears throat]
• But in considering
• what is appropriate for our district,
• our community and what I mean by that
• our school community. I think it is
• important not to be swayed by some
• concern about the um what would be kind
• of the best in some people's minds but
• what is the best for the district and
• for the students. I think some one of
• the points that is contained in the um
• pushpull factors that are mentioned is
• uh that were mentioned in your
• presentation Dr. That is in particular
• um what are we trying to do? And if what
• we are trying to do is make sure that
• students are not primarily distracted
• when they should be focused on being
• involved in education. That is no
• different than we would expect of
• anybody else. And if you are an adult,
• you don't have your phone taken away at
• 8:00 in the morning when you start work
• and have it given back to you when you
• leave work. You are treated as an adult.
• And I think particularly when we get to
• the high school level as more so juniors
• and seniors as you had said there is a
• culture of respect that we provide to
• our students in so many other ways that
• we should not abandon that when we are
• talking about this issue. I would add
• that the resource question that you
• mentioned is very important because when
• there are when you are talking about a
• confiscation
• at the beginning of the day and a return
• at the end of the day, you're talking
• about resources. You're talking about
• time. You have 500 students who will be
• leaving coming into the building at 8:00
• in the morning more or less. Okay. You
• have to have them line up. I will I will
• remind those folks and I know Dr. you
• back. You remember this when we had to
• do the um testing as people were coming
• back from uh you know after COVID and
• how long it took to get people into the
• building and if you're talking about
• students going to their afterchool
• activities whether it's athletics or
• club or work happens with all of that
• there's a whole lot of ramifications
• that an absolutist position
• um
• will make the district have to deal with
• in ways that
• are not thought about. So for a lot of
• reasons, yes, I agree that you know
• there's perhaps some ways between
• pathway one and pathway two, but that is
• to should be done in my opinion with the
• recognition that what we are trying to
• do is for what is best for students and
• the community rather than for something
• that perhaps I would consider for
• perhaps even ideological.
• That's my two cents on this question.
• Um, I'm really struggling with this
• topic. Um, because I I see both both
• sides to it. Um, I have an 18-year-old
• and a 20-year-old, so I'm deep in the
• thick of this, but now on the college
• level, I teach college, so I'm dealing
• with students in the classroom and and
• stuff, you know, and um I totally
• understand exactly filling in what you
• were talking about buy in and respect
• for students and cultural respect, I
• guess, but also struggling with is that
• we are adults and we do know that some
• of the technology,
• the apps
• that are being used are designed to be
• addictive
• >> and have had you know real social
• emotional implications um for children
• for teenagers and even adults and it can
• be um a real accelerant in terms of
• creating you know social drama problems
• disciplinary issues having that
• available so um I like so I guess I'm
• just want to put on on the record that I
• see both sides and I find it you know
• how complicated. I I pathway 2 seems
• like a little draconian like without a
• doubt and um I do hear you know I do yes
• you are about to go to college and you
• do need these moments to stretch and and
• to practice self-regulation with these
• devices but it's also really hard when
• there's these technologies that are
• designed to make it hard for for a
• person any person to self-regulate as
• adults we find it difficult enough so um
• yeah so I just wanted to say like I put
• that on record that you know I you know
• I hear what you're saying Neil but I
• don't totally agree with it you know but
• I I I see why there's why this is really
• hard thing to do I guess to me some of
• the things maybe to like you know build
• this out in terms of thinking about this
• issue holistically I mean right now it's
• focused on the the confiscation of of
• funds right and the resource allocation
• yes that's a challenge but I think also
• like the more that we as a district are
• providing students with an understanding
• of what are these technologies, how are
• they designed, the ethical implications
• of there, the data privacy, um, and also
• just like the benefits of, you know,
• in-person awkward weirdness of, you
• know, during those lunch times when it's
• easier to just go onto your phone and
• not, you know, um, I think those might
• be things to create, um, you know, more
• of a holistic environment so students
• are supported and maybe more a little
• bit more incremental. what's appropriate
• for a ninth grader may not be exactly
• the same thing that's appropriate for a
• senior.
• >> Like for example, ninth graders next
• year generally aren't going to be
• assigned to study hall. They're not
• going to have free periods. And that's
• an adaptation that [clears throat] you
• all are making for next year to address
• the fact that there's, you know, that
• the flexibility it needs to be age
• appropriate. And I think it's important
• to point that out just because not
• everybody in the community may know that
• that's a significant shift that the high
• school is making that's really
• responsive to what you all were seeing
• [snorts] which is you know what we need
• to have like a little bit more structure
• for these people who were just eighth
• graders like a hot second ago right I
• also I agree with no point also I think
• like just to be very clear like I
• completely acknowledge and understand
• that technology is obviously addictive I
• mean any form of it specifically like
• cellular devices but also like any form
• of computer and really any form of media
• I completely agree with that point and
• I'm not an advocate for people sitting
• on their phones during lunch and playing
• video games. But I think that in in
• reality like the case like as someone
• who is well now about to graduate but
• has been in the high school for the past
• 4 years like a a strong majority of the
• students aren't sitting on their phones
• and just like staring at their phones
• the whole time. Like if I me or my
• friends are ever using our phone just to
• like if we're having a if someone's in a
• heated argument they're like, "Oh,
• that's not true." Then we look it up.
• something like that. And I just feel
• like um in terms of also like keeping
• campuses open and stuff. And also I just
• think that like technology is so
• addictive and like I it's extremely
• unfortunate that this is the world we're
• in, but this is the world that we're in.
• And I think like a lot of the things
• you're describing like like as someone
• who's like experienced like things on
• like happening on technology where it's
• like like obviously like not like cyber
• bullying but something in that realm
• like that's never happened. I think at
• least I can speak personally to me and
• my friends that doesn't happen on a
• school campus like that's something that
• happens outside of school and that sort
• of regulation needs to be happening from
• like the families and stuff and I just
• think that a lot of the I think a lot of
• the parents that are arguing against
• this are just not fans of technology as
• a whole for their child or less than
• like not about technology being used
• really from a passing period because
• those things that are happening that are
• so extremely negative aren't and again
• the off cases but aren't usually going
• to be happening like in your passing
• period or like you know something like
• that and I just think that's I think
• it's partially fear-mongering also
• >> but I think what you're talking about
• Phil is you're alluding to this like the
• like one of the bullets here about the
• gradual changes as our elementary
• students get older right and I think
• that's also sort of a little bit of what
• Alison's talking about which is if we're
• sort of like a couple easy ways to sort
• of like address this like as we're
• starting to think about what do we want
• to see in year two it sounds like you
• like the most strict draconian thing is
• not where anyone really at this table
• seems to be. Um, no one seems to be
• asking for that. But I think I think
• like a little bit more communication
• around sort of like the benefits and
• Phil you've identified it really the
• best for us. I think when you talked
• about how sort of like freeing it was to
• like not even have to think about your
• phone cuz it's like it's gone and that
• allowed you to have that focus. I think
• students are really feeling that way. I
• think they are just you know from my
• observation it is true that that that
• the majority of people who are at at
• common lunch are actually interacting
• with each other and so what we think
• about is like what are the ways that we
• can support that in the culture like we
• just I don't know like like in our like
• west pet like newsletter that we got
• today there was an article about a
• school district in Washington state I
• don't know if people saw this it was
• like in some you know I don't remember
• what the publication was but basically
• it's like making like literally like
• board games and like interactive things
• it's like just having that stuff sort of
• like around and about because it's like
• if it's there maybe you're like oh you
• know what it is actually interesting and
• I think again also about people who are
• in the middle school right now because
• this has been so much a part of the
• conversation just in in the past year
• I'm fairly confident that the people who
• are rising up as eighth graders first of
• all many more of them have waited until
• 8th so they do not actually have phones
• yet right that that's like a significant
• change from when Phil was an eighth
• grader I think it's like the the numbers
• have reduced so those kids are going to
• go up into the high school with a
• different perspective and part of our
• thinking in you
• sort [clears throat] of putting together
• this policy which I think we all have a
• lot of a lot of feelings about um was
• that there is there is a hope that like
• as the culture changes a lot of the
• stuff is going to feel smoother. I think
• the other thing just in terms of having
• been in high school there's some
• realities like as we know you know
• people come in and like do a
• presentation. We've seen people come in
• and present to our high school students
• and they're sort of like well here's the
• QR code. You're like am I supposed to
• like hold my laptop up to that and take
• a picture to like you know to do the
• exit ticket or to fill out the survey.
• So it requires also adults who are
• entering that sphere to sort of change
• their thinking. Um the other day when we
• did the alumni panels there was there
• was an opportunity sort of to be like
• give us your feedback and reflexively
• there is still a little bit of a culture
• of like go into your back and that's
• what they did. They went into their
• backpacks they took out their phones to
• do it rather than using the laptop. So
• there again it just becomes a like what
• are the things as educators and
• administrators we can do to be more
• proactively prepared to be like actually
• you don't need to scan just go into your
• Google classroom. the thing is there and
• sort of prioritize. You know, it's going
• to be annoying to take out the laptop
• and do it, but those are the types of
• like holistic shifts I think you're
• talking about that may sort of minimize
• some of this and sort of allow us to not
• have to legislate it. I think the other
• question though about sort of like the
• the staffing. I think it is sort of like
• an important thing to to for us to sort
• of talk about is like if we're not if we
• don't want people sort of spending their
• time focusing on it, how can we also
• sort of like message what we value as a
• community, which is we value community
• much. like this is something that's
• really important to us culturally in our
• high school. So if people if it's if
• it's accurate Laura that you were saying
• that when enforcement was stricter folks
• were going off campus even though like
• we also heard that people were staying
• on campus. So it's a little bit of like
• you know
• trying to sort of like dig down into
• like what actually is happening. I think
• there again it's like it's an
• opportunity to sort of like celebrate
• like the things that make it special so
• that that becomes the alternative you
• want to choose, right? It's it's it
• that's I mean again I think that's going
• to be easier for younger students coming
• up because they're going to they they're
• going to have already chosen that
• alternative through their families. So I
• do see this as like something that's
• going to be minimized sort of like
• naturally. But I think if there's a
• question we should we should we do need
• to think about this summer if there's
• tightening up that we need to do or you
• know what what we want to see.
• Um, I also I mean there's a bullet point
• on here in pathway one that's uh working
• with student leaders and including
• student voice to create a plan. I really
• like that cuz I think that you know
• students and this goes to sort of like
• the do you want to have the like you
• know the strict control or not like
• really students listen to their peers
• right and so
• >> it it feels to me like having
• [clears throat]
• student leaders sort of like influence
• influencing their peers around not only
• like the use of cell phones but also
• like we were speaking about the like
• dangers of social media etc etc like
• that could be a really valuable way to
• sort of raise awareness and potentially,
• you know, we were talking, we were in
• the presentation around our high school
• uh leaders going into elementary
• schools. You can envision something
• that's like that where you know high
• school students started talking to
• middle school students about hey you're
• so excited about these cell phones but
• these are the kind of crappy things
• about them right as well that like I
• think even our own students especially
• older high school students are starting
• to recognize and are actually like very
• conscious of right like they they get
• the the pretty bad effects of of social
• media of a lot of different technology
• so um I I I think [clears throat] that I
• like that bullet and and and sort of
• like focusing in on student leaders and
• and how they can play a pretty active
• role is is uh is great.
• >> I just want to add one additional
• component because I see this playing out
• in my own family. Like my seventh grader
• has never brought a phone to school.
• So she's in two years potentially going
• to be at the high school with the
• ability to be able to bring her phone to
• school. And I think there is going to be
• a point of of education that's going to
• be required there. Uh
• >> because it's a shift, right? Like we
• dealt with the opposite this year. We
• dealt with kids who were used to
• bringing phones to school all the time
• and we kind of took them back. But
• you're going to have the opposite
• problem because they will they will not
• know what it is to be at school with a
• phone. Um
• >> so I I would I think everybody raised
• some very good points and I just part of
• my statement before was really to
• address those absolutist focus.
• >> Yeah, I think I would add that when we
• within the time constraints that we had
• to develop a policy, we did try to
• include student voice as much as we
• could, but a lot of that work was done
• during the summer when students
• >> I know you met with Phil and
• >> we did.
• >> Yeah. But um I think as the board looks
• at how the policy may be tweaked,
• changed
• um that you know involving student voice
• even more would be would be very
• beneficial. Also, I'm thinking that
• with regard to our requirement to
• establish and put in place a digital
• fluency
• um
• basically curriculum if I can call it
• that. That is something where a lot of
• the issues that Philita talked about in
• terms of the addictiveness if you did
• the 12 steel should be brought out you
• know in all grades and that's part of
• what I believe is looked at in those in
• those standards that the
• board of regents has and SED has set out
• so that we really should be working on
• that to make our students more um
• knowledgeable and more um attuned to
• what the bad stuff that they may be may
• be throwing at them. So I think it's a
• process and I sounds like we can have
• confidence that we will you all will be
• working on that.
• >> I love the idea of collaborating with
• parents and educating them in terms of
• how they can shut the phones down and
• take away internet access remotely. But
• you know what also I was thinking about
• is like it also is requiring like that
• shift and I I will speak for myself like
• when the cell phone was really more
• prevalent like you might reach out to
• your child and be like hey remember you
• have a doctor's appointment tomorrow or
• like whatever and so even for me this
• year I've had to train myself to
• remember like all right I don't text
• this person during the day because I
• don't even want to give them a reason
• for having to like wonder what's going
• on. So I think beyond just like the
• controls, it's also again it goes back
• to especially for parents of high
• schoolers just as you know it's like
• we've lived in a a different way and now
• we're also starting to sort of have to
• recalibrate that. So it's part of you're
• you're 100% right. It's just part of
• like rethinking all this. Well, I
• remember my first year on the board
• being SFC meetings and the conversation
• was actually about how students were
• getting text messages from their parents
• because parents were or not it wasn't
• parents is it
• was it was it was updating grades and
• then the parents were texting the
• students and the students were talking
• about how because [clears throat] the
• shift was then to turn the notifications
• off until after school day. Yeah. That's
• that's that's how much it's shifted.
• >> Yeah.
• >> And I will say there's been a big change
• in that regard. We don't have as much of
• that anymore with the cell phones policy
• in place for sure. Um so that's been a
• positive definitely a positive change.
• Um the other thing I know parents are
• sometimes worried about emergencies too.
• So even when you shut off your internet,
• you can make mom and dad an emergency
• contact when your internet is off. Like
• again it's not an absolutist kind of
• thing when we talk about partnering.
• That's great.
• >> I think this was really useful and I
• really appreciate the frankness with
• which we've talked about all this here
• just because it sort of like um
• demystified things and I think also made
• it very clear it's like this is this is
• where we are. this is what we're
• struggling with and it sounds like it's
• a regional not struggle but it's like a
• regional conversation that everyone's
• trying to address and I think it's
• important for us to remember that it's
• like we want to do it in a way that
• supports students [clears throat] as you
• said and also that doesn't require like
• an investment in things that we may have
• to you know like the idea of like buying
• like MacBooks for everybody that's like
• it's different
• yeah I mean it's a lot of money and and
• you know it's like it's going to
• introduce like a whole other slew of
• issues so we also find a way around it
• >> yeah Yeah.
• >> Yeah.
• >> So, yeah.
• >> Anyway, thank you. Really helpful. Thank
• you.
• >> Thank you. [clears throat]
• >> Are you glad I didn't do a long report
• now? Um, so returning to our agenda,
• moving into
• item 4.1, adopt on technology.
• Recommended action be a resolved. The
• board of education hereby establishes an
• ad hoc committee to determine the scope
• and charge for engagement with the
• community of a community advisory
• committee on technology. This committee
• will consist of three members of the
• board to be appointed by the board
• president. The committee will report its
• recommendations to the board of
• education no later than September 3rd,
• 2026.
• >> So moved.
• >> Second. I have a question. Does board
• development want to talk about this?
• >> We do actually. So board development met
• this week and we had we recapped a lot
• of what we talked about here. So um
• based off of that discussion, we just
• wanted to highlight a couple of points.
• It was important to us to make sure that
• the formation of this committee um
• centered the idea that community
• engagement is the job of this ad hoc
• committee to determine what the next
• thing is going to be. That was basically
• the takeaway from our um from our um our
• work session discussion about this last
• week. The other thing that I want to
• highlight is, you know, it your eyebrow
• may have raised when you saw the words
• no later than September 3rd, 2026
• because what that means is this ad hoc
• committee is going to be charged to work
• over the summer, but because we have
• acknowledged amongst ourselves that
• there's urgency to this and because
• we've heard also from our community that
• we want to sort of get this community
• engagement going. We recognize there's,
• you know, not going to be able to reach
• everybody in the summer, but this puts
• us on a cadence that um that allows us
• or actually forces us to prioritize the
• work because we'll have to report back
• to the full board on September 3rd. The
• other thing that development we
• discussed, we wanted to clarify is that
• we are looking at this ad hoc committee
• as sort of the the factf finding and we
• are going to of course engage in
• conversation with the district and with
• Dr. Moswood specifically to ensure that
• what we're doing works and sort of
• dovetales with the district the work of
• the district committees. I think um
• there's enough to bite off here that
• that like there's going to be
• opportunity for these things to sort of
• operate in tandem and um I think as we
• see what comes out of those
• conversations we'll ensure that they are
• not conflicting with each other and
• actually ultimately supporting the work
• you know that each committee will
• support the work of the other. If it if
• it [clears throat] turns out that that's
• not going to happen or that's not the
• way it's going. will be reporting to
• this board that that committee will be
• reporting to the board regularly. So,
• we'll see that and we'll be able to
• address it. Um, do other [clears throat]
• folks have questions?
• >> No, it just seems to me that since what
• the purpose of this ad hoc committee is
• is to establish the scope and the charge
• of the community advisory committee at
• which members of the community and board
• members and whoever else is going to be
• placed on that committee. that charge is
• or that charge of the ad hoc committee
• is relatively limited. The work factual
• work is to make sure that the charge and
• the scope are not overlapping or
• inconsistent or leaving out things that
• are properly within the board's purview
• so that the community committee that is
• established based on that recommendation
• will then do the work that the board
• wants done so that the board has its
• information to go forward. So I don't
• think it's a long-term project and I
• think it certainly should be doable you
• know in two months or so that you know
• has been established.
• >> So in the past members who were
• interested in doing not should email the
• board president. So I would say because
• there will be a shift in the board in
• the meantime that if members who are
• going off want to be considered, they
• would be considered and appointed to the
• committee potentially until the end of
• their tenure and then we would have to
• reappoint or replace those positions
• after July 1.
• >> I'm not sure it's realistic for this
• committee to meet before July 1st. Just
• truthfully, that's one of the things
• that we talked about in board
• development. we proposed amongst
• ourselves if the board agrees that once
• if if this resolution passes that um
• that people could either uh uh write to
• directly to say that they're interested
• or that we use our community I mean our
• committee um interest form and but this
• is one of those committees that people
• could express interest in
• >> but we're not really meeting our
• reorganization meeting isn't until the
• 12th is that
• >> 16th 16th so that's
• >> that leaves six weeks
• >> no it's like a month it's like a month
• and a few is
• >> no.
• I'm actually
• >> I love that idea though.
• >> Why would you not just start the work
• now?
• >> We can start the work now.
• >> Hey, listen. You guys have a lot more
• time. Sign up. I think we can absolutely
• do it.
• >> I'm just saying if there's no and if it
• if it if it's if it turns out not to be
• that either one of you are interested in
• doing that, then then it'll be the work
• of whoever is.
• >> Let me suggest one other thing to keep
• in mind. as of July 1st, the new board
• members may be sworn in even before the
• reorg meeting,
• >> right? But that's not usually our
• >> no and we have done that in some years
• past for reasons to start
• >> like so my point is that the board can
• either say
• three of us including Sarah or me if we
• desire can do this until June 30th and
• if one of the two new board members or
• two want to step in for this purpose you
• can have them start in early July or you
• can have them start on July 16th or
• after July 16th. You just Yeah, it's you
• all decision.
• >> So, if you're interested, please email
• me.
• >> Yeah.
• >> Okay. Thank you.
• >> All in favor?
• >> I
• >> opposed. Abstain. Motion carries. Item
• 4.2.
• Recommended action be it resolved that
• the board of education hereby
• established an ad hoc committee to
• examine policy 9230 recruiting and
• hiring and related best practices. This
• committee will consist of three members
• of the board to be appointed by the
• board president. The committee will
• report its recommendations to the board
• of trustees no later than December 31st,
• 2026.
• >> So second
• >> on the question. So here again um board
• development discussed this earlier in
• the week and the um the um
• how can I say this? It's like so we we
• determined that again to um to help the
• committee understand that this work is
• timesensitive and could potentially
• result in a referral to the policy
• committee or other referrals to the
• board that we wanted to sort of uh lay
• out a timeline that again allows the
• board the board [clears throat]
• committee to prioritize the work. Hence
• the um December 31st proposed deadline.
• Of course an ad hoc committee whose work
• is not done can come to come back to the
• board and say our work is not done and
• we need more time. the um the goal with
• starting with policy is that is actually
• where this question for many of us
• started. So that is um that is right now
• um the key part of the charge but
• related best practices I think gives us
• the latitude to determine what else you
• know might need to be explored to fully
• um revisit the policy. Does that sort of
• cover what we talked about? Okay. So
• that's the answer to the question.
• >> All in favor?
• [clears throat]
• >> Opposed? abstain. Motion carries. And
• again, if you are interested in serving
• on that committee, please email me.
• >> Um, just on that, I would assume that
• committee is going to report by the end
• of December. You're not expecting that
• to start before July.
• >> I don't expect that committee to start.
• So, that would be the seven board
• members as of July that will be able to
• sign up for that. That's fine.
• Um, okay. Moving into instructional
• personnel. Item 5.1.
• Recommended action be resolved. The
• board of education upon the
• recommendation of the superintendent of
• schools hereby appoints Katherine Morris
• as a 1.0 FTE library media specialist.
• Library media specialist tenure area at
• the Pierre Van Courtland Middle School
• at a salary of $67,941.
• BA + 30 step one. Ms. Morris is
• appointed to a 4-year probationary term
• as a library media specialist commencing
• on August 26th, 2026 and probationary
• term ending on August 25th, 2030 in the
• tenure area of library media specialist.
• Miss Morris has internship internship
• certification as a library media
• specialist with provisional
• certification anticipated in May of
• 2026.
• in May 2026 when May last month.
• >> Yeah. So it's not anticipated anymore.
• >> Yeah.
• >> Right.
• >> I think it hasn't popped into teach so
• you can just can't confirm.
• >> What's that?
• >> Certification has not populated into the
• teach system. So it just can't be
• confirmed at this time.
• >> Okay. I mean can it be confirmed by
• asking the candidate? Have you got it?
• >> She has cert.
• >> Yeah. Okay. No, I mean with provisional
• certification anticipated in May 2026,
• I'm just asking before we vote on this,
• since it's now June 2026, has the
• question been posed on the candidate.
• So, do you have [clears throat] it
• notwithstanding it may not have been
• populated into the system or
• >> I've not posed that question to her, but
• we don't typically do that, right? We
• rely on what's reported.
• >> Okay. So this she's operating on on an
• internship certificate which isn't
• uncommon for young people in this
• circumstance.
• >> Okay,
• >> I will move it.
• >> Second
• >> on a question.
• All in favor?
• >> I opposed. Abstain.
• >> Motion carries.
• Item 5.3.
• Recommended action be resolved. Board of
• Education hereby approves
• [clears throat] the professional
• development advisor appointments for the
• 2025 2026 school year as presented and
• that is for Jennifer Moore associator of
• critical friends and Tanya Tibido is a
• district-wide virtual learning
• coordinator VHS program that's so used
• by high school students.
• So moved,
• >> second question.
• All in favor?
• >> I
• >> opposed.
• Motion carries.
• Moving into our donations.
• Item 6.1 recommended action to resolve
• the board of education gratefully
• accepts the donation of $500 from the
• Croton River Artisans Gallery as a
• contribution towards the Croton River
• Artists Gallery Scholarship for 2026
• at Cotton Harmon High School to be
• awarded to a graduating senior who is
• pursuing arts as a major has taken an AP
• art course at CHHS.
• >> So move second.
• >> On the question, I had a question. Is
• this is this is this um a donation
• that's coming through then for an award
• that would have already been given for
• this year? It's just the funding for it
• cuz it says 2026.
• So I just wasn't sure.
• >> It's not for 2027. So it's
• >> it's just the money to
• >> right. It's just funding like an award
• that was already presumably awarded.
• >> It will be awarded Oh, it will be
• awarded for Got it. It will be awarded
• for 2026. It hasn't been awarded yet.
• >> Yeah. So this is so we have already
• approved the establishment of this
• scholarship. We are now receiving the
• donation to fund the scholarship and the
• scholarship will be awarded at the
• senior uh award ceremony on June 22nd.
• >> Okay. I found it. Sorry. Thank you.
• >> All in favor?
• >> I opposed.
• Abstain. Motion carries. Item 6.2,
• recommended action may result the board
• of education gratefully accepts the
• donation of $1,500.
• $500 for each of three awards from
• Robert and Sarah Mills Cohen as a
• contribution toward towards the Cohen
• family awards for 2026 at the Corin
• Harmon High School. And three separate
• awards would go to um a student who
• demonstrates contributions to the music
• program, a stu a graduating student who
• has made a significant contribution to
• Corin Harmon High School theater and a
• graduating student with outstanding
• writing ability through their time at
• CHHS.
• >> [clears throat]
• >> So
• >> second on the question,
• >> I would just say that to the Cohen
• family, Robert and Sarah Cohen have been
• longtime supporters of our district. Um,
• and I personally am very grateful that
• even after their their children have
• long since graduated, they are still
• committed to helping students um with
• scholarships in these areas.
• >> All in favor?
• >> I opposed abstain. Motion carries. Item
• 6.3
• recommended action be resolved. Board of
• Education gratefully accepts a DNA a
• donation of $4,800
• from the Coen Harvard Booster Club as a
• contribution to the booster club
• scholarships.
• four individual scholarships of $500
• each. The Len Gober scholarship,
• a $1,000 scholarship, the Mary Brooks
• scholarship, a $1,000 scholarship, the
• William Billy Sha Scholarship, a $300
• scholarship, and the Ste Steve Igy Aguad
• scholarship, a $500 scholarship at
• Cronar High School. Um these various
• awards would be given uh to students who
• excel in athletics and sport
• sportsmanships to um a student who
• exemplifies a warm and caring attitude
• towards others as well as outstanding
• sport sportsmanship. A senior student
• who has demonstrated outstanding
• dedication in a scholastic sport. uh a
• senior who has dedic demonstrated
• commitment to our actual work on behalf
• of the environment and a senior who has
• provided exceptional support to athletic
• teams and their success.
• >> So moved second
• >> on the question
• all in favor
• >> I
• >> opposed abstain motion carries item 6.4
• Four recommended action be yourself. The
• board of education gratefully accepts a
• donation of $2,000 from the Cland Harman
• Booster Club as a contribution to the
• bike shed at Carrie E. Tomkins
• Elementary School.
• Second
• >> question
• is do we know where this bike shed will
• be erected?
• >> We sure do.
• >> We can very well. is going to go right
• next to the other shed.
• >> Where's the other shed?
• >> Where's the other
• >> by the basketball court?
• >> Oh, okay. Up there.
• >> So, that's that's where the new bike
• course has been.
• >> Yeah.
• >> Started to be painted as I saw when we
• went to the Bird a couple weeks ago and
• they're going to have a great time
• there.
• >> All in favor?
• >> I
• >> opposed. Abstain. Motion carries. Item
• 6.5 recommended action be a resolve the
• board of education gratefully accepts a
• donation in the amount of $100 from the
• women's club of peak skill and Portland
• Inc. as a contribution to the women's
• club
• of peak skill and Portland scholarship
• 2026 at Croenhe High School to be
• awarded to a graduating senior student
• who is in the top 3 to 5% of the senior
• class.
• So moved
• >> second on a question.
• All in favor?
• >> I
• >> opposed abstain. Motion carries.
• Moving into items the uh the consent
• agenda. Item 7.1
• recommended action be resolved. The
• board of education hereby approves all
• of the items under the consent agenda.
• >> So moved.
• >> Second.
• >> On the question. on the question um for
• item 7.13
• uh Denise could you or or Don um in in
• reading the agreement there are a couple
• spots and I can't find one of them but
• the they it's around data privacy it
• says that after the agreement is
• executed they'll provide
• um some certifications or some some more
• information about their data privacy and
• forgive me for not bringing this
• uh earlier in the week. I just saw this
• um
• and that they it says they'll submit a
• plan after execution of the contract for
• how they'll comply with state federal
• data security privacy contract
• requirements.
• Just I'm assuming we have to we have to
• approve this for it to take effect by
• July 1st. Um but when you get that
• information, can can you share it with
• the board so we can just make sure that
• it's in compliance?
• So these are renewal contracts, right?
• Or
• >> yes, this is the final year of this RFP
• award. So um Ellen has already started
• the process for next year RFP which
• we're looking to move forward in
• October, November of next year. But so
• to your question, what exactly are they
• providing
• post execution of a contract in regard
• to data privacy? What they're saying in
• the contract is the plan
• that outlines how they comply with
• state, federal, local security and
• privacy requirements.
• >> I'm sure it's
• >> got it.
• >> Boiler plate, but just
• >> make sure we're doing our government's
• responsibilities. Make sure it's there.
• >> It's an interesting way to do it. Like
• sign and then we'll tell you.
• Well, that's why I was wondering if it's
• because like is is this like some sort
• of different provision because it's like
• a contract renewal or something? I don't
• know. That's why that's what
• >> we already have. It's great.
• >> We just it'll be good to have it from
• the from the vendor.
• >> Absolutely.
• >> Um
• >> particularly with RFP going out.
• >> Yeah.
• So just um one quick question here just
• because I think I was a little bit
• confused about this for the um for the
• um the parent member of the committee on
• special education is listed as for being
• for this past year is it remainder of
• this year
• >> for the remainder of this year. Okay.
• >> She just completed training.
• >> Yes, that's what we heard. So I is there
• a chance that she might then be able to
• continue for next year?
• >> I will reappoint for reappoint of July
• 16th. Great. Well, I think there I think
• there was um there was significant
• excitement in the community to have such
• a good community partner in this world.
• So, I was wondering if it was like the
• time was almost up or if there's a
• possibility catch.
• >> That's great.
• >> I would say you wouldn't go through all
• the training in June and then you say
• I'm not doing it next year. So,
• >> that's why he's asking
• mist.
• >> All in favor? I opposed.
• Abstain. Motion carries.
• We will now move into our close of the
• meeting and our second hearing of the
• public
• unless Jimmy wants to get up and say
• something. [laughter]
• We will not go through the hearing of
• the public. We will then um Did you want
• to do polling at the board or boards
• first? Do
• >> reports first.
• >> Okay.
• Agenda 2.6. Okay. So, we're moving
• towards [clears throat]
• advocacy. Yes. Um, right. So, I advocacy
• doesn't really have an update from our
• last meeting. Um, we're looking to
• schedule that meeting again um in
• progress and working on some resolutions
• for next month.
• >> Hi. Uh, we're meeting Monday, I want to
• say April 29th.
• >> Mhm.
• >> At 1
• >> at 1 p.m. Yes.
• >> Virtually for me.
• >> Well, for you. Yes.
• >> Board development. So, board development
• met on Tuesday and we had a very robust
• meeting actually was quite long. We went
• we brought um we uh reviewed several
• administrative items most of the
• information about which has been shared
• with the board in terms of timelines for
• the superintendent evaluation and other
• such things. You all have been copied on
• and received today um the application um
• materials for our two new student
• exeicio positions. So, board
• development's uh charge to you all is to
• please review those applications as soon
• as possible over the next day or two
• because in order to complete the um the
• interview process, we would like to
• begin to schedule um candidate
• interviews next week. After having
• consulted with our legal counsel, it has
• been determined that the best way for us
• to do this is actually to have small um
• small interview committees. I think that
• that's also, as Anna suggested, going to
• be a thing that allows for like a, you
• know, nice intimate conversation with
• each candidate in a comfortable setting.
• Um, so we will be reaching out to folks
• who are interested on the board in um
• participating in those candidate
• interviews. They're going to be
• scheduled most likely for sometime next
• week. It is, as Sarah reminded me, still
• a very busy week um in terms of exams
• and regions. And Dr. Dubc also pointed
• out the same that everyone's got, you
• know, everyone's got a lot going on in
• their schedules. So, our main priority
• is going to be to offer up times that
• allows them to opt in and if folks need
• to have special, you know, special
• timing since we all live here in Croat
• together, we can figure out something
• that works over the weekend or later in
• the week or whatever as needed. Um, in
• terms of that, you'll receive um a
• request from board development along
• with a couple other requests. I know you
• have a question. Let me just say what
• the other two requests are. We are also
• going to be beginning working on our
• board self-evaluation now that we've
• completed some of our other
• [clears throat] evaluation work. Uh so
• that will be coming to you over email.
• It is and it is basically going to be a
• duplicate of what we did last year which
• was the NISBO form and some specific
• questions about our goals. It's all
• online and our thinking is that it
• shouldn't take you more than an hour to
• complete. I mean that would be max in my
• opinion. Um the last piece of it is that
• we um we would still like to um try to
• find a time for this board to come
• together to sort of talk about our
• practices this year and sort of have a
• moment to close on our work together.
• So, we will also be sending out to you
• an inquiry about your time between now
• and basically June 30th to have that
• conversation. So, please stand by.
• >> Is that like a I'm sorry, I don't mean
• to hit you up, but is that a retreat?
• >> Yes.
• >> Are we is it just board or we invite
• you? This would be just just for the
• seven of us who are currently serving to
• um just to sort of like reconnect as we
• have done in the past just to sort of
• you know talk about our governance
• practices for the year and highlight
• things that we think you know warrant
• further discussion in terms of all that
• fun stuff.
• So, it's going to be a retreaty summer
• because looking ahead, we will as we
• enter into the new term also be talking
• about um do I are we able to talk about
• the fact that we're talking about having
• the board and the districts come
• together in the new term um for us to um
• to attend um the administrative teams
• retreat for a portion of that time over
• the summer to really kick off um a
• collaboration on um visioning and goal
• setting for the coming year and to also
• sort of uh talk about how we how we best
• um work together to move things forward
• for the district. So that is going to be
• very exciting and fun. I think
• >> we have those dates confirmed very
• recently. So we'll get that immediately
• tomorrow so you're able to pencil in I'm
• not sure you have which of the dates but
• actually we can work around whatever the
• board's available.
• >> Right. So yeah it's a little bit of a
• trying to the goal is to try to make
• sure as many of us as possible.
• Obviously summer people are traveling
• and their retreat date does have to be
• set because they don't do it at the
• district office.
• >> So they're going to go outside.
• >> Yep. You have to get out of their
• offices for the weekly tomorrow.
• >> Okay, great. [clears throat]
• >> Sorry.
• >> Um just two quick questions um about the
• interview and application process. Um
• did all the students who apply will they
• all be invited to interview?
• >> Yes.
• >> Yes. Our plan is to is to interview all
• the candidates um and person.
• >> Um I think for the most part unless
• someone has an availability issue or is
• not in you know is not able to do it in
• person, we' set up a meeting, right?
• Sure. Laura, I do have a question for
• you because I don't think that this has
• ever happened before, but like you would
• have students meeting with two board
• members without faculty there. Would you
• want?
• >> That's a good question. Um maybe it
• could just be
• I mean in theory we could get parental
• consent if we felt like we needed it. Um
• probably
• should
• >> I mean and certainly I think we were
• planning to conduct the meetings here at
• the high school and a classroom or the
• faculty room or someplace that's a
• comfortable space but we can connect
• back whatever we need to do logistically
• to make sure that that's comfortable
• >> and then that way maybe if parental
• consent is given then they would be
• knowing that there wouldn't be a faculty
• member
• >> or maybe even like the retunda somewhere
• very
• >> public.
• I think you'd rather get the consent
• than that.
• >> No, absolutely. But I'm saying even with
• that,
• >> so one of the things that we're trying
• to do as part of this process is of
• course like you know I think that um
• there are students who have applied but
• the but the but the um
• we want to make sure that everyone has
• an opportunity to have like a private
• conversation without sort of you know
• because the rotunda is like a very
• public place
• even if it's after school hours there's
• folks going in and out. I think I think
• we need to connect. Let's if we could
• try as a group just to determine the
• timing then Dr. Dubc and board
• development can sort of convene on
• ensuring that it's comfortable and
• covered uh for everybody in terms of
• that. But that's a good flag to raise.
• Thank you.
• >> That's I think is am I missing anything?
• Development. Okay. Thank you guys.
• >> Uh communications um we will be meeting
• on the 22nd at 5:00 p.m.
• policy
• >> policy
• >> policy committee met on June 5th.
• Um, as you can tell, we had talked about
• having policy 580 on the agenda today,
• first reading, which you did not because
• there questions that came up. The
• um policy committee asked me to speak
• with the legal council to get answers to
• them those questions that have been
• posed. Um I have spoken with council
• this afternoon and have reported to um
• the committee um and the superintendent
• that information. available for the next
• meeting of the policy committee to uh
• consider as they continue to work on
• policy 5800. Um as I reported
• at our meeting last week, we did not
• talk about educational philosophy policy
• 0000
• nor did we talk about the artificial
• intelligence policy. Um both of those um
• are as you could hear from some of the
• adopt committees that have been
• established [clears throat] or at least
• one of them um the things that the new
• board will pick up um as part of the
• work that it will be doing. The
• committee also asked if I would provide
• some kind of a how should I put it kind
• of a
• ideas on what might be prioritized in
• the coming year by the policy committee
• as it is reconstituted or newly
• constituted as well as kind of a
• kind of a primer on policy consideration
• and formulation. I will attempt to do
• that before
• June 30th, but I guess it really doesn't
• matter if I don't do it until after June
• 30th.
• Logistically, it would be useful um to
• share maybe get some uh information from
• the policy services uh group that we
• work with through uh VISBA to provide
• some of that primary information and
• information for
• >> well the
• board. There may be some things and I
• can check with them. envelope. I think a
• lot of what
• >> we're talking about is kind of
• >> the all the stuff
• >> all the stuff in my head and in my files
• um and so on and how that might be used
• as you know the newly constituted
• committee decides how it desires to
• proceed in dealing with um you know its
• priorities and its um uh and its mode of
• how it wants to operate. and things to
• look at and things to know because quite
• frankly and I will say that we had a
• discussion about this at PMW Boseies
• today when we met don't always trust and
• I've said this before don't always trust
• VISBA policy services as the most um
• accurate um guide for uh what you might
• learn or might need to know. So there is
• more work that must be done beyond
• accepting just what they say. So but I I
• can actually and I will make it a point
• to touch base with policy services to uh
• let them you know to see if they have
• something that I can provide. I will add
• for what it's worth as a member of P&W
• Bosey's board I think since I won't be
• doing this here that I will be working
• on policies there so
• >> but it's very different
• >> just when you think they're out
• >> back in right
• >> well no I I volunteered
• >> I barely continues
• >> also just as you know describing some of
• this best practices affords us the
• protection
• the collective choice to subscribe to
• that. So,
• >> well, and it is a service restorative.
• So,
• >> absolutely good to take take advantage
• of those resources.
• >> Can I quickly just chime in on policy
• just Neil because I think you know like
• the last meeting we had together just on
• behalf of Theo and me as as your um
• fellow policy committee members this
• year. We've gotten through so much this
• year. We've had some very robust
• conversations and some arguments and
• some you know they've all been but
• they've all been very constructive and
• productive. Um so thank you for thank
• you for steering us through so many
• policies this year and just keep keep
• you you've pushed us you have kept us
• there longer than we want almost every
• time.
• >> No no no you definitely if we are late
• you do get your time back at the end so
• you do keep us honest. I appreciate
• that. But I I just want to say thank you
• because it's been for me a good two
• years on the policy committee learning a
• lot about policy and um and you know how
• we develop and the consideration. So I
• really appreciate that um that education
• um in policy over the last two years.
• Thank you.
• >> Thank you for that.
• >> So on that note, we will move into
• polling our board.
• somebody wants to start.
• So I guess I will start because
• I've been thinking a lot about in the
• role of
• um polling and in my role that I guess
• after this time the next time you see me
• if you do I may be at that podium and my
• role will be completely different but I
• just wanted to say a few observations
• from my years on board and going to
• start by saying how
• thankful and appreciative I am have been
• for all of those that I have worked with
• the four superintendent
• Marjorie Castro, Ed Ferman, Debbie
• Oonnell, and Steven Walker. Um,
• also with all of the central office and
• building administrators over the years
• and lead directors and um
• and um supervisors in our various
• component, various departments
• and as much
• with the faculty and staff and other
• folks who have been employed by or
• connected with the um district and with
• students. I think the thing about this
• role for me
• that is most emotionally
• um affecting is
• the
• relationships that I've had with all of
• those folks and members of the
• community, parents and non-parents.
• um non-parents of parents of former
• students um who you know I have worked
• with and I've listened to and I have
• responded to and I have perhaps
• sometimes argued with but I think that's
• the part of this
• job if you can call it a job that I will
• miss the most.
• My other reflection
• is that
• I'm a member of the what does success
• mean for schools committee which I'm
• hoping that I will have the opportunity
• to continue that work as a community
• member as well as on the feedback and
• assessment because there we've had some
• very rich discussions about what those
• things mean. But my reflection on what
• does success mean in schools is our
• success is defined by our students and
• what they achieve which is not
• necessarily measurable in numbers. It's
• not necessarily quantifiable.
• So, for example, at the alumni
• um at the alumni um event or with high
• school juniors that I attended and Sarah
• attended and Anamaka attended,
• one of the things that really impressed
• me was that the success that can be
• defined by the alumni
• members who spoke with us is not just
• those who went to prestigious
• universities.
• and not those who necessarily followed a
• remuneratory a remunerative career path.
• But our success was also with the
• students who were first generation
• college students who went to WCC and
• came back to talk to our high school
• juniors as members uh you know as as
• alumni who were at WCC finding their
• pathway to move to higher education. Our
• success is also for someone and I'm
• going to mention a person by name Maiden
• Geodano who was a
• a great athlete softball player who I
• guess had a chance probably to go to a
• lot of different schools but she decided
• to stay here. She was a mentor for those
• students who were uh those student
• athletes on the softball team at a
• college career and is now a high school
• coach in uh a school in Long Island.
• That is a measure of success to me.
• success is someone who I saw last night
• who I didn't know a student in our
• schools who um had a lot of difficulty
• went to Boseies
• graduated from Boseis and from the high
• school and is [snorts] now an employee
• of our um village department uh
• department of public works. He is a
• success.
• So are the the students that we have had
• who we got through to the point that
• they received vocational
• training and so that they could leave
• here and do as much with their lives
• that they were they are able to do.
• That's how we measure success. And we
• measure success not on what we might
• find in test scores, how we might
• compare to other districts, as I know
• was in the math department 3A
• presentation before I got here tonight.
• Um, I mean that is a measure and it's
• something we should strive to and it's
• something like we want to be, you know,
• high [snorts] up in the US News and
• World Report numbers because some people
• care about that and it is important for
• um, you know, showing the health of our
• district. But I think everything that
• this board looks at and continues to
• look at going forward for every grade
• should be to ensure that every student
• is able to have the best possible
• success that that student is can have in
• life wherever it may take them. and it
• won't be seen necessarily
• at any particular point. We cannot tell
• whether somebody who took a dual I took
• an inter disciplinary course in high
• school
• um will have been successful
• in that course or compared to some other
• course that could have been taken. But
• if that gave that student a spark to go
• into environmental work or to go into
• civic uh engagement or to go into the
• hard sciences and they won't we won't
• know that for
• years but that is all a measure of our
• success. So that's the work that I
• commend
• the board, the district, the
• administration, our incoming board
• members and board members who will serve
• years going forward to keep in mind
• first and foremost.
• Thank you.
• Anyone
• else?
• [laughter]
• Well,
• >> you know, obviously, um,
• it's been a pleasure to work with both
• of you, you know, and Sarah. Um,
• alongside you, with you, um,
• doing hard work, doing the fun things
• like graduation. Um, we wish you all the
• best.
• Uh, we do hope to see you on that side
• of the podium
• if for as long as we're here, if we're
• doing something that you think we
• shouldn't be doing. Um,
• and I want to wish you happy Thursday
• nights going forward.
• So, we did we did get you guys
• 3 minutes at a time on this public
• [laughter]
• think that through
• >> cards.
• [clears throat] Don't open that.
• >> Thank you for you for a Thursday night
• in the near future.
• Thank you very much. Um,
• >> thank you.
• >> But I do want to just acknowledge your
• service and your commitment to students
• and to the district and thank you both
• >> for your leadership.
• >> Thank you.
• >> We'll just ch and say thank you both so
• much. I think you know in terms of in
• terms of um well, as I said before for
• Neil in terms of policy and his vast
• repository of information, I know where
• Neil lives so I'll be there anytime that
• I have a question. And Sarah,
• [clears throat] I think just in terms of
• your in terms of your uh very balanced
• and fair sort of direction and really
• your really important contributions to
• the district during probably what was
• the roughest time for our schools, which
• was going through the entire co
• experience, the closure, the re-entry
• task force. I just remember that was for
• me actually my entry point into um like
• um real intimate engagement with the
• school district and hearing you uh lead
• those meetings and also help sort of
• guide us through what was a really
• really tough time. We we all wouldn't be
• here doing the work we're doing if we
• hadn't gone through that. So I think our
• entire community is grateful for your
• leadership at that time and for all of
• us support. I think you both have just
• done a really wonderful job of
• exemplifying care for students, good
• governance practices, and a real faith
• to the role and the promise of what a
• great a good board trustee can be for
• the community. So, I really want to
• thank you both as well. Thank you.
• >> Thank you.
• >> It is, yeah, I'm not going to be able to
• speak in the way that Neil did. Um, but
• it has been an absolute pleasure uh to
• serve on this board um to serve this
• community. I've learned so much from so
• many of you sitting at this table. Um my
• forward colleagues here throughout the
• region um and the administrators and
• staff and faculty that I've gotten to
• work alongside and learn from. It's been
• an incredible incredible opportunity and
• I will treasure the work that I have
• done here. I'm proud of the work that
• we've been able to do. Um, I looked and
• saw, so when I was first elected to the
• board, um, uh, my my son happened to be
• in Patricia Lynch's classroom, and
• Patricia Lynch had, uh, the students,
• uh, during their writing, uh, practice,
• uh, one day right after the election, go
• through it and write me a set of letters
• and wish list letters. Um, so I'm very
• happy to see that many of them included
• turf fields. Um, and we were able to
• check that off. Um, but it was just
• really wonderful to to think back and
• look at that and look at all of the work
• that we've done. Um, and and where we've
• gone and so many great uh things to look
• forward to. So, thank you all.
• >> There's one thing that I just want to
• add because I [clears throat] miss my
• laundry list of all those [laughter]
• is my board colleagues. My board
• colleagues here, my board colleagues
• over the years prior to the folks who
• are at this table tonight. I mean, I
• think
• without exception,
• every board member that I work with in
• all the years at Arizona board,
• whether whatever their opinions were,
• they had the best interests of students
• and the community in mind. And I think
• from my experience
• having
• that kind of record for that period of
• time is rare and it is something that I
• think this community should be proud of
• and this community should endeavor to
• keep that going for many years of
• future.
• >> Can we just get stand up and get
• >> [applause]
• [applause]
• >> On behalf of the administration,
• I this is a bittersweet moment for us. I
• think it's for all four of us. Uh we
• don't know a board here without the two
• of you on. We feel like we've grown up
• here alongside the two of you. Uh, I
• know that I can speak for the entire
• administrative team in saying that we
• knew what we were going to get every
• single time we engaged with you on a
• topic, which was people who were smart,
• curious, of goodwill, and we're going to
• make sure that every decision was made
• with students at the center of it. And
• uh, to us, you exemplify the finest of
• what board of education service looks
• like. Um, and I think for any of us when
• we give our time to something, we want
• to know when we're done giving that time
• that it's been worth it, right? That
• we've made the thing that we touched
• better. And I just want to say on behalf
• of the team that as you exit the board,
• I hope you know that you you have,
• right? The system is better, the student
• experience is better, the faculty and
• staff are better, and we're better for
• having worked for you. So,
• profound thank you.
• We will um
• move on to item 8.3 and the next board
• of education meeting which is uh
• scheduled for July 16th 2026. That is
• our organization meeting uh and regular
• meeting. It starts at 5:00 p.m. at the
• district office.
• There's a good chance we may have a
• special meeting before the end of the
• year just to close out a little bit that
• I am aware. Yes.
• >> Um [clears throat and snorts]
• so we are now at the close of our
• meeting.
• We the board will actually go into um
• executive session to discuss the
• employment of a particular person or
• persons after which we will leave
• executive session and immediately
• adjourn the meeting. Um, I want to wish
• everyone a happy graduation and a happy
• summer
• [clears throat]
• and a safe and happy summer and um,
• thank you all for watching and for
• everything you do for your students.
• [clears throat]
• >> Can I just say thank you Anna for being
• our president this year. Thank you.
• [applause]
• Uh
• recommended action be it resolved that
• the board of education hereby enters
• into executive session to discuss the
• employment of particular person and
• persons.
• >> So moved second
• >> on the question
• all in favor
• >> opposed abain motion carries. So again
• session
• eternity.