Jan 11, 2022 School Board Study Session

LET'S SEE, THE TIME IS NOW 7:45, AND I CALL THE JANUARY 11 STUDY SESSION OF THE EISD

[1. CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:05]

MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE DO.

GOOD MORNING AND WELCOME TO THE EISD BOARD MEETING.

I'M VERY GLAD YOU'RE HERE.

I THINK I CAN SPEAK FOR THE ENTIRE BOARD BY WHEN I SAY WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO A GOOD MEETING.

I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS I NEED TO QUICKLY COVER.

FIRST, THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING IS FOR THE BOARD TO DELIBERATE ON MATTERS LISTED ON ITS AGENDA.

THE DISTRICT IS COMMITTED TO TREATING EVERYONE HERE WITH RESPECT, AND WE EXPECT THE SAME IN RETURN.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM OUTBURSTS OR ANY OTHER FORM OF DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR.

IN THE EVENT OF AN EMERGENCY PLEASE TAKE NOTE OF THE EXIT NEAREST YOU.

WE HAVE TO ON THIS FLOOR.

ONE IS THE DOOR THROUGH WHICH I THINK EVERYBODY ENTERED AND THE OTHER IS A DOOR AT THE END OF THE HALL.

BACK TO MY LEFT.

IF THE NEED ARISES, PLEASE HEAD TO THE EXIT NEAREST YOU IN AN ORDERLY MANNER.

I THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND FOR YOUR INTEREST IN OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR SCHOOLS.

WITH THAT, DR.

[3. RECOGNITION]

YES, WE DO.

AND IF WE COULD BRING IN WHATEVER GUESTS ARE OUT THERE OR WHEREVER THEY ARE.

I DON'T WANT TO RECOGNIZE PEOPLE WITHOUT THEM HERE.

SO.

I'M GOING TO WAIT A SECOND UNTIL THIS GROUP GETS INTO THE ROOM.

WHEREVER YOU THINK YOU GUYS WANT TO GET IN HERE, LET'S GET EVERYBODY IN HERE, INCLUDING ANY COACHES THAT ARE OUT THERE.

THANK YOU, GUYS.

WE'LL LEAVE A LITTLE ROOM AT THE PODIUM FOR COACH, IF WE CAN, JUST JUST A HAIR FOR HIM, IF THAT'S OKAY.

WHO I THINK IS COMING.

ALL RIGHT.

THERE HE IS.

GOOD MORNING.

SO THEY'RE ALL COMING IN, I THINK THEY'RE HERE.

SO I'D LIKE TO JUST MAKE A FEW STATEMENTS AND THEN LET THESE GROUPS COME IN.

WE'RE DOING TWO RECOGNITIONS TODAY.

FIRST OF ALL, THE 6A DIVISION TWO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM IS THE FIRST GROUP WE WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE, AND I'LL JUST READ A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.

OUR CHAPPARRAL FOOTBALL TEAM WON THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

THEY ARE ONE OF ONLY FIVE TEAMS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS TO WIN THREE CONSECUTIVE STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS IN A ROW AT THE HIGHEST DIVISION.

WESTLAKE ENDED THE 2021 SCHOOL YEAR, RANKED NUMBER TWO IN THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AMERICA ONE HUNDRED NATIONAL RANKINGS.

THIS IS THE SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR THAT THE CHAPPS HAVE FINISHED NUMBER TWO IN THESE RANKINGS.

THE TEAM HAS SIX MAX PREP ALL-AMERICANS, INCLUDING CADE KLUBNIK, AS A NATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR.

HE IS THE FIFTH TEXAS QUARTERBACK TO EARN THAT DISTINCTION.

THIS TEAM HAS OUTSCORED THEIR OPPONENTS NINE HUNDRED AND EIGHT TO ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY TWO, MAKING THEM THE HIGHEST SCORING TEAM IN 6A TEXAS HISTORY.

WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TODD DODGE TO COME TO THE PODIUM IF HE COULD.

AND TODD, IF YOU WANT TO LET ANY OF YOUR PLAYERS SAY WHATEVER THEY WOULD LIKE TO SAY, BUT THIS IS TO RECOGNIZE THEM.

WE'LL TALK ABOUT YOU IN A MOMENT, OK? [LAUGHTER] FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU.

WELL, HANG ON, LET'S MAKE SURE YOUR MIKES ON IF THAT'S OK.

I'M SORRY.

THERE YOU GO.

ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU, DR.

LEONARD AND EANES ISD SCHOOL BOARD FOR HAVING US HERE THIS MORNING.

THESE ARE.

17 TO 18 OF OUR OF OUR FINEST.

WE'VE GOT ALL OF OUR CAPTAINS HERE, AND I REALLY AS I LOOK AT THESE GUYS RIGHT HERE, WHEN WE STARTED THE SEASON IN TEMPLE TEXAS, I ASKED THESE GUYS BECAUSE THEY WERE THE GUYS THAT WERE THE VETERANS OF THE 2020 TEAM.

AND I SAID, IF Y'ALL WILL PLAY REALLY, REALLY WELL EARLY IN THE SEASON, BE ABLE TO BRING OUR PUPS ALONG BECAUSE WE HAD WE WERE VERY VETERAN IN A LOT OF PLACES, BUT VERY, VERY YOUNG AT THAT TIME.

AND BY THE TIME WE GOT TO ABOUT WEEK FIVE OR SIX, OUR FOOTBALL TEAM WAS ROLLING.

AND THIS IS PROBABLY IN THIRTY SIX YEARS OF COACHING, THIS TEAM RESPECTS THE GAME OF FOOTBALL MORE THAN ANY TEAM THAN I'VE EVER HAD BECAUSE DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY PLAY IT THE WAY IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE PLAYED.

I'VE ALWAYS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THEM, I THINK ABOUT A BUNCH OF LITTLE FIFTH

[00:05:04]

THEY JUST CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT INTO THE ARENA AND PLAY THE GAME.

AND REALLY WHAT IT GOT DOWN TO IS WE WENT THROUGH THE PLAYOFF RUN.

IT'S KIND OF ONE OF THE RALLYING CRIES WAS WE EARNED ANOTHER 48, ANOTHER 48 MINUTES OF THE GREAT GAME OF FOOTBALL.

AND SO IT'S BEEN OUR PLEASURE TO REPRESENT THE WESTLAKE HILLS AND EANES ISD.

AND THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.

THANK YOU, COACH.

[APPLAUSE] AND COACH, DID YOU WANT ANY OF YOUR PLAYERS TO SAY ANYTHING? CONNOR.

OK, LET'S I'M NOT REALLY PREPARED FOR THIS.

[LAUGHTER] BUT THANK YOU ALL FOR HAVING US HERE TODAY AND WHAT A SPECIAL SEASON IT WAS.

I KNOW ALL THESE GUYS REALLY BOUGHT IN THE WHOLE YEAR AND YOU KNOW, IT WORKED OUT REALLY WELL FOR US, OBVIOUSLY.

BUT IT WAS A REALLY SPECIAL SEASON, SOMETHING I'LL NEVER FORGET.

I KNOW SOMETHING THAT NONE OF THESE GUYS WILL EVER FORGET.

AND YOU KNOW, IT WAS AN HONOR TO REPRESENT WESTLAKE AND EANES ISD AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO THANK YOU ALL.

AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH, IF THE PLAYERS CAN JUST HANG ON FOR THE NEXT FIVE-ISH MINUTES, WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE ANOTHER RECOGNITION WE'D LIKE TO DO TODAY.

AND THAT'S OF COACH DODGE AS NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR, AND I'D LIKE TO READ A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

AND THEN COACH, WE'D LIKE YOU TO TAKE THE MIC AGAIN IF THAT'S OK.

COACH DODGE HAS BEEN NAMED THE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL AMERICA, AND THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL COACHES ASSOCIATION HAVE BOTH NAMED HIM AS THEIR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH OF THE YEAR.

HE CLOSES OUT AN INCREDIBLE COACHING CAREER, LEADING WESTLAKE TO ITS THIRD CONSECUTIVE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP.

THE TITLE WAS THE SEVENTH OVERALL FOR COACH DODGE, WHO WON FOUR AT SOUTHLAKE CARROLL.

TODD DODGE HAS WON TWO HUNDRED AND THIRTY THREE GAMES IN 23 YEARS AS A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL COACH.

HE GOES INTO RETIREMENT ON A 40 GAME WIN STREAK, THE THIRD LONGEST ACTIVE STREAK IN AMERICA BY ANY PUBLIC SCHOOL.

AND SO WE WANT TO CONGRATULATE AND RECOGNIZE HIM TODAY.

SO, COACH, PLEASE.

[APPLAUSE] WELL, THANK YOU FOR THAT, AND ONCE AGAIN I'VE GOT FIVE OR SIX OF MY COACHES HERE, AND THEY MEAN THE WORLD TO ME.

WE TALK ABOUT ALL THE TIME IN WESTLAKE FOOTBALL THAT THESE THESE PLAYERS AND THESE COACHES, WE BREAK IT OUT FAMILY ON THREE.

YOU KNOW, AND I ALWAYS TELL THEM THAT THAT LITTLE CLICHé IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS TAKEN LIGHTLY IN OUR PROGRAM BECAUSE WE LITERALLY FROM ABOUT MID-JULY TO CHRISTMAS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'VE SPENT MORE TIME TOGETHER THAN ANY OF US WITH ANYBODY ELSE IN OUR LIVES.

WE'VE SPENT MORE TIME WITH THESE YOUNG MEN THAN WE HAVE WITH OUR OWN CHILDREN, AND THEY PROBABLY SPENT MORE TIME WITH US THAN THEY HAD WITH THEIR OWN PARENTS.

AND I TELL YOU, I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID BEFORE, WHEN I LOOK AT THEM AND I THINK OF THIS, WHAT THEY'VE DONE, WHAT THIS SENIOR CLASS HAS DONE.

YOU KNOW LIZ, WHEN I GOT HERE, THE PLAN WAS SIX YEARS AND WHAT'S KIND OF REPRESENTATIVE OF THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE SHOWN ONE FULL CYCLE, 7TH GRADE LEVEL ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

AND WE WON A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP WITH THAT GROUP AND THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF MEAT LEFT ON THE BONE.

AND THIS IS THE MEAT RIGHT HERE.

[LAUGHTER] THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT GOT US COMING BACK.

AND I'M SO PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A PART OF WESTLAKE AS MY WIFE OBVIOUSLY IS A LIFETIME CHAPP.

AND I WAS ONE OF THOSE YOUNG COACHES AS I GREW IN THE WORLD OF COACHING IN THE LATE 80S, EARLY 90S, I WAS ALWAYS AT A CHAPPARRAL PLAYOFF GAME WITH MY SON RILEY, AND HE WAS THE BALL BOY.

AND, YOU KNOW, AND EBBY WAS ALWAYS HERE RUNNING AND RUNNING THE ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT.

AND IT WAS ALWAYS JUST A DREAM OF MINE AND A BUCKET LIST THING THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY ONE DAY TO COME TO WESTLAKE.

I NEVER KNEW THAT IT WOULD HAPPEN.

[00:10:01]

AND IT'S BEEN THE ABSOLUTE BEST EIGHT YEARS OF MY COACHING CAREER.

AND SO.

HEAVY HEART AS WE GO THROUGH, BUT I'M JUST SO, SO HAPPY WITH WHERE WE ARE.

I JUST LOVE MY STAFF.

THIS IS I'VE ALWAYS TOLD PEOPLE THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN HUNG UP ON CHRONOLOGICAL AGE.

THIS ONE RIGHT HERE WILL TELL YOU THAT HE'S THE ONLY FRESHMAN THAT'S EVER STARTED.

YOU KNOW, HE WAS 14 YEARS OLD WHEN HE FIRST PLAYED SO CHRONOLOGICAL AGE OF PLAYERS AND CHRONOLOGICAL AGE OF COACHES.

IF YOU LOVE KIDS AND YOU CAN COACH BALL, LET'S ROLL.

AND I'VE GOT A STAFF RIGHT NOW THAT'S GOING TO BE ROLLING HERE AT WESTLAKE FOR A LONG TIME.

SO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.

APPRECIATE YOU.

[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.

AND COACH, YOU DID MENTION YOUR WIFE, ELIZABETH AND ELIZABETH, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING HIM WITH US.

THANK YOU FOR CONVINCING HIM TO COME HERE TO BE A CHAPP.

AND I KNOW YOU HAVE ALSO BEEN, I THINK YOU'RE A FINALIST FOR AN AWARD FOR THE WEST EAST AS WELL.

YEAH, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU.

WE ALSO WOULD LIKE GUYS JUST STAY FOR ONE MORE SECOND, OK? THERE'S ANOTHER THING WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE BIT TODAY, AND COACH DODGE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING A WHILE AND WE KNEW THIS TRANSITION WAS COMING.

AND THERE IS A TRANSITION THAT IS HAPPENING.

AND TODAY I'D LIKE TO FORMALLY ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE APPOINTED TONY SALAZAR AS OUR NEXT HEAD COACH OF WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

[APPLAUSE] I'M GOING TO GIVE A LITTLE DETAIL ABOUT TONY FOR A SECOND.

THERE IS ANOTHER MEETING THAT'S HAPPENING A LITTLE LATER TODAY WHERE WE'LL GIVE TONY A LOT MORE TIME TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TALK TO A MULTITUDE OF PEOPLE.

BUT FOR NOW, TONY.

COUPLE THINGS.

THERE'S YOUR PICTURE, TONY.

YOU ARE THE HEAD COACH OF A WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL.

OBVIOUSLY, TONY HAS BEEN WITH US FOR A WHILE.

HE CAME HERE WITH COACH DODGE.

HE'S BEEN OUR ASSISTANT HEAD FOOTBALL COACH.

HE'S BEEN DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR, ASSISTANT TRACK COACH.

PRIOR TO THAT, HE'S WITH COACH DODGE AT MARBLE FALLS, AS WELL AS DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR AND TRACK COACH, AND HE WAS ALSO AT LEANDER.

HIS EDUCATION IS BOTH.

HIS DEGREES ARE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MARY HARDIN-BAYLOR IN EDUCATIONAL ADMINISTRATION AND IN COMMUNICATION AND JOURNALISM.

TONY, YOU HEARD THE APPLAUSE.

PEOPLE HAVE BEEN YELLING IN MY EAR, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE TONY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO HIRE TONY, AND WE'RE REALLY GLAD THAT YOU'RE TAKING THIS POSITION.

TONY, IF YOU COULD GO TO THE MIC AND SAY A FEW WORDS, INTRODUCE ANYONE YOU'D LIKE.

AND TODD, IF YOU WANT TO STAND NEXT TO HIM, YOU CAN AND PICK ON HIM OR YOU SURE YOU DON'T.

OK? HE SAYS IT'S THIS IS YOU FOR THE MOMENT.

OK, SO TONY, IT'S ALL YOURS.

ALL RIGHT.

WELL, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THANK YOU, DR.

LEONARD AND THE BOARD FOR BELIEVING IN ME.

AND SECONDLY, I THINK OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF THINGS GOES TO COACH DODGE AND HIS BEAUTIFUL WIFE, ELIZABETH.

THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE LIFETIME FRIENDSHIP THAT WE'VE GAINED AND WE'RE BLESSED TO BE AROUND.

OBVIOUSLY, MY WIFE, ADRIENNE, PLEASE STAND UP.

ADRIENNE SALAZAR IS MY WIFE.

SHE'S MY ROCK.

[APPLAUSE] SHE ALLOWS ME, YOU KNOW, TO DO THIS TO BE AROUND THESE GUYS AND TO BE AROUND THESE COACHES AND TO DO WHAT I LOVE, AND THAT'S TO WATCH THESE KIDS GROW, DEVELOP THE YOUNG MEN THAT ARE GOING TO GO OUT IN THE WORLD AND DO SPECIAL THINGS AND MAKE ALL OF US AT WESTLAKE PROUD.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THAT, ADRIENNE.

IT MEANS A WHOLE LOT.

EXCUSE ME, BUT A LIFELONG DREAM TO BE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT THESE KIDS, OBVIOUSLY, THESE ARE THE GUYS, THESE ARE THE GUYS THAT HELP US WIN AND OBVIOUSLY AMAZING COACHING STAFF.

WE HAVE A COACHING STAFF THAT'S SECOND TO NONE.

OBVIOUSLY, IT SHOWS BY 40 AND O AND WITH COACH DODGE'S BLESSING AND DR.

LEONARD AND THE BOARD WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THIS THING GOING AND WE'RE NOT DONE YET, AND WE'RE GOING TO KEEP WESTLAKE RIGHT WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE AT THE TOP OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.

[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU, TONY.

CLAUDIA, ARE YOU BACK THERE? DO YOU WANT TO GET ANY PICTURE OF ANYTHING HERE? HOW OR WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO IF ANYTHING? I KNOW IT'S.

THAT WORKS? OK, SO GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING THIS MORNING.

[00:15:03]

DON'T BE LATE.

I'M SURE COACH DODGE WON'T ALLOW THAT TO HAPPEN.

AND BY THE WAY, JUST SO PEOPLE KNOW.

COACH DODGE IS GOING TO BE WITH US FOR SOME WEEKS, NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, AND WE WILL MAKE SURE THAT THERE WILL BE A SMOOTH TRANSITION.

BOTH WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE AD POSITION LATER, BUT RIGHT NOW WE WANT TO CONCENTRATE ON THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH AND COACH DODGE IS GOING TO HELP US TRANSITION IN BOTH OF THOSE.

SO THANK YOU FOR SPENDING SOME MORE TIME WITH US, TODD, DURING THIS TRANSITION.

OK, THANK YOU GENTLEMEN, AND HAVE A GREAT DAY.

[APPLAUSE] I'LL WAIT TILL OKAY I'LL JUST WAIT UNTIL THEY EXIT.

OK, A COUPLE OTHER THINGS I'D LIKE TO

[4. REPORTS]

WE DID HAVE.

OMICRON IS HERE.

I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT OMICRON IS HERE, BUT IT IS HERE.

I DID MEET WITH APH YESTERDAY IN THE WEEKLY MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD AND WE HAD THOSE OVER BREAK.

THE NUMBERS ARE RISING.

ACCORDING TO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, MODELING THE PEAK OF THIS WILL HIT PROBABLY IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.

YOU CAN SEE JUST LIKE AIRLINES ARE HAVING TROUBLES.

RESTAURANTS ARE HAVING TROUBLES, ALMOST EVERY LARGE ORGANIZATION IS HAVING TROUBLES WITH STAFFING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF OMICRON.

SCHOOLS ARE.

SOME OF MY FELLOW SUPERINTENDENTS IN THE AREA HAVE HAD TO CANCEL TRANSPORTATION HAVE HAD TO CANCEL CLASSES.

WE HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE.

I THANK OUR STAFF SO MUCH.

WE HAVE RUN THE BUSSES.

WE HAVE OPENED THE SCHOOLS AND IT IS OUR INTENT TO STAY OPEN.

THE DIFFICULTIES RIGHT NOW REALLY ARE MULTIPLE.

GETTING TESTS ARE HARD FOR EVERYONE RIGHT NOW, SO THAT'S DIFFICULT AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT.

TRYING TO EVEN KEEP TRACK AT THE BUILDING LEVEL OF THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE HAD CONTACT WITH OTHER STUDENTS IS DIFFICULT.

IT'S NOW THAT ALMOST EVERYONE KNOWS SOMEBODY DIRECTLY OR HAS BEEN WITH SOMEBODY DIRECTLY WHO HAS HAD OMICRON.

THE CONCEPT OF THE WHOLE CONTACT TRACING HAS JUST BECOME DIFFICULT, SO WE'RE BASICALLY LETTING PEOPLE KNOW WHEN WE CAN LET THEM KNOW.

BUT IT'S ALMOST LIKE A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, AND WE'VE HAD THAT PIECE AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW WE ARE RUNNING, WE PLAN ON CONTINUING RUNNING IN PERSON.

WE DO BELIEVE IN PERSON IS THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY TO RUN OUR SCHOOLS AND WE WILL KEEP DOING THAT.

OK, I'LL GO THROUGH A COUPLE OTHER SIDES ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, IS THAT OK? OUR ENROLLMENT HAS INCREASED.

IT WAS INTERESTING.

WE WERE WHEN WE FIRST GOT BACK FROM WINTER BREAK, WE WERE REALLY WATCHING OUR ABSENCES VERY CAREFULLY BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO SEE WHAT'S GOING ON.

BECAUSE EVERYONE WAS HAVING ABSENCES EVERYWHERE.

BUT WHEN WE WERE CHECKING WITH OUR REGISTERS, WE ALSO REALIZED WE WENT UP, YOU KNOW, IN A NET OF ABOUT 70 STUDENTS OVER THIS TIME, A LOT AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

SOME OF THESE ARE STUDENTS WHO FOR A WHILE HAVE JUST STAYED OUT AND HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY ARE NOW COMING BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.

SO JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE AWARE OF THAT.

JEFF, ANYTHING I SHOULD ADD ON THAT.

NO.

OK.

I ALSO WANT TO MENTION ANOTHER COACH WHO HAS DONE SOMETHING PRETTY REMARKABLE KATIE HENSLE HAS IN HER 53 TO 38 VICTORY OVER WESTWOOD THAT MARKED HER 200TH CAREER WIN AS WESTLAKE'S HEAD COACH, AND WE WANTED TO CONGRATULATE HER.

SO CONGRATULATIONS TO KATIE.

AND FINALLY, I'D LIKE TO JUST MENTION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PROBABLY I THINK LAST SPRING, STEVE RAMSEY TOLD ME WE WERE THE ONLY SCHOOL IN CENTRAL TEXAS TO HOLD AN IN-PERSON GRADUATION INDOORS, AND WE DID IT AT THE ERWIN CENTER AND WE WERE SO GLAD WE DID THAT FOR OUR STUDENTS AND OUR FAMILIES.

THE ERWIN CENTER IS NO MORE.

SO THAT'S NOT AN OPTION.

WE DID TALK TO THE NEW MOODY CENTER AND LOOKED AT SOME DATES AND SOME AVAILABILITY, AND IT IS JUST NOT GOING TO WORK THERE.

SO THE HIGH SCHOOL TEAM THAT PUTS THIS TOGETHER HAS CONTRACTED WITH THE HEB CENTER.

WE DO WANT TO DO IT INDOORS.

[00:20:02]

MUCH MORE PLEASANT FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.

YES, IT'S GOING TO BE A LITTLE FARTHER DRIVE, BUT WE DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST THING FOR OUR KIDS, SO I WANTED TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT.

AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I WANTED TO DO IS I DID WANT TO TURN IT OVER TO JOHN BECAUSE HE HAD A LITTLE UPDATE THAT HE WANTED TO GIVE REGARDING THE SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH, I BELIEVE.

BUT I GUESS BEFORE THAT, DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME? OH, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD.

AM I ON? SO DR. LEONARD SO IN YOUR REPORT, JUST A COUPLE OF QUICK QUESTIONS.

YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE ABSENCES AND THE CONCERNS, THE CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE.

DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION ON THE FEDERAL TESTS THAT I'VE HEARD ABOUT? COMING OUT, SO I HEARD AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE TESTS AVAILABLE.

YEAH.

DO WE HAVE ANY KIND OF INFORMATION COMING TO US TO TEST AT OUR SCHOOLS? NO, WE ARE.

NO, WE DID.

LIKE I TALKED TO APH YESTERDAY, THEY DID SAY THEY ARE WAITING FOR THAT INFORMATION.

THEY HAVE A CONTACT WITH US IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT SHARES ANY INFORMATION THEY HAVE.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE HAVING EVERYONE IS HAVING TROUBLE GETTING THOSE TESTS.

OK? AND THEN I HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION.

SO JUMPING TO THE INFORMATION THAT YOU JUST GAVE ON THE INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT, DOES THAT PUT ANY STRAIN ON CLASSROOMS? THAT'S A BIG JUMP.

YEAH, OUR ELEMENTARY CLASSROOMS WERE ACTUALLY PRETTY GOOD IN TERMS OF OUR AVERAGES.

SO I THINK WE'RE OK.

AND WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT 70 STUDENTS SPREAD ACROSS THAT MANY CAMPUSES, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW.

JEFF IS SHAKING HIS HEAD, SO IF HE SHAKES HIS HEAD, I FEEL GOOD.

SO.

NONE THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I AM WORRIED.

I DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, IF THE PEAK OF THIS HAPPENS IN TWO WEEKS, HOW MANY STAFF MEMBERS MAY GET ILL? HOW MANY ADJUSTMENTS MIGHT WE HAVE TO MAKE? I DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT WE'RE AGAIN COMMITTED TO TRYING TO STAY OPEN.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU.

I KNOW THAT TEA PROVIDED SOME TESTS FOR US IN THE PAST, AND I KNOW THEY PROVIDED TESTS FOR OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ALSO, AND IT SEEMS THAT SOME OF THOSE SCHOOL DISTRICTS STILL HAVE SOME WHAT WE DON'T.

HAS TEA SAID THAT THEY WILL BE SENDING ANYMORE OR I GUESS THEY'RE IN A SHORTAGE.

HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING COMING FROM THEM YET.

AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS I'M TALKING ABOUT TOO RIGHT NOW CANNOT GET TESTS.

RIGHT.

THEY JUST SOME HAD SOME EARLIER IN THE WEEK AND SORRY EARLIER.

SOME HAD SOME LAST WEEK, BUT THEY HAVE RUN OUT QUICKLY.

WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET TESTED, IT'S PRETTY HARD RIGHT NOW.

YEP, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU.

SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO JOHN.

OKAY.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE.

BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON TODAY'S AGENDA, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE.

MIC.

ALL RIGHT, SO BEFORE WE GET STARTED ON TODAY'S AGENDA, I'D LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH RESPECT TO OUR SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH.

AS YOU RECALL, WE ARE WORKING TO HAVE THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT IN PLACE PRIOR TO THE START OF THE 2022 2023 SCHOOL YEAR.

IDEALLY, WE WILL HAVE THAT PERSON IN PLACE BY THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.

AS MANY ARE AWARE WITH THE ASSISTANCE OF OUR SEARCH CONSULTANTS THOMPSON & HORTON, WE RECENTLY REACHED OUT TO THE EANES COMMUNITY AND ASKED FOR HELP DEFINING THE SORTS OF LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS OUR SUPERINTENDENT WILL NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SOMETHING LIKE SEVENTEEN HUNDRED PARENTS, STAFF, STUDENTS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY AND ANOTHER 73 MET IN PERSON WITH OUR CONSULTANTS IN TOTAL ROUGHLY EIGHTEEN HUNDRED PEOPLE TOOK THE TIME TO HELP THE BOARD SEARCH.

THANK YOU.

IT WAS A BIG ASK AT A VERY BUSY TIME.

BUT THE 800 PLUS OR MINUS PAGES OF FEEDBACK HAVE BEEN ENORMOUSLY HELPFUL.

OUR NEXT STEP IS TO MEET AND DEBRIEF WITH THOMPSON & HORTON.

THE BOARD WILL DO THAT ON JANUARY THE 13TH, AND THEN WE WILL BEGIN THE INTERVIEW PROCESS.

THE FIRST INTERVIEWS WILL BE JANUARY THE 14TH.

THE JANUARY 14TH MEETING WILL BE POSTED AND WE WILL BEGIN AN OPEN SESSION, BUT THE INTERVIEW OR INTERVIEWS WILL BE CONDUCTED IN CLOSED SESSION.

PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF ALL CANDIDATES SO THE BOARD WILL NOT DISCUSS THE NAME OF ANY CANDIDATE PRIOR TO NAMING THE LONE FINALIST.

THERE IS ANOTHER MEETING TENTATIVELY SET FOR JANUARY THE 18TH IN THE EVENT A SECOND INTERVIEW OR INTERVIEWS ARE NECESSARY.

ON JANUARY 25TH, WE WILL ANNOUNCE WHETHER A LONE FINALIST HAS BEEN SELECTED

[00:25:04]

WE WILL PROVIDE UPDATES AS WE CAN.

WE CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THE INTEREST.

THIS IS A VERY EXCITING TIME AND THIS IS AN INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TASK.

THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS TAKEN THE TIME TO PARTICIPATE.

AND WITH THAT, LET US BEGIN OUR MEETING.

THE NEXT ITEM IS OPEN FORUM, AND I HAVE YET MORE TO READ.

[5. OPEN FORUM]

AND WHILE YOU MAY REMOVE YOUR MASK WHILE SPEAKING, PLEASE WEAR IT AS YOU APPROACH THE PODIUM OR RETURN TO YOUR SEAT.

I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN AND LET YOU KNOW WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP.

ONCE YOU ARE NOTIFIED THAT YOUR TIME IS UP.

PLEASE FINISH YOUR SENTENCE AND THEN STOP.

OF COURSE, WE HAVE NO REASON TO SUSPECT THIS WILL HAPPEN, BUT IF ANY SPEAKER REFUSES, THIS WILL BE CONSIDERED A DISRUPTION OF THE BOARD MEETING.

WE WILL TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.

SPECIFIC FACTUAL INFORMATION AND RECITATION OF EXISTING POLICY MAY BE FURNISHED IN RESPONSE TO INQUIRIES, BUT THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE REGARDING ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT INCLUDED ON THE AGENDA.

PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THE AUDIO OF THIS OPEN FORUM PORTION OF THE BOARD MEETING IS RECORDED AS PART OF THE RECORDING OF THE ENTIRE MEETING AND IS PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE WITHOUT ALTERATION.

PERSONS WHO CHOOSE TO SPEAK IN OPEN FORUM ARE CONSENTING TO THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF THEIR COMMENTS.

THANK YOU AGAIN FOR TAKING THE TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE YOUR COMMENTS.

WE ARE READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER AND OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS BRYAN OR THIS MORNING IS BRYAN, AND I BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT DEI.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

HAPPY NEW YEAR.

EVERYBODY.

THANK YOU, STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING FOR OUR DISTRICT.

I WAS A FOOTBALL PLAYER, AND SO SEEING THE FOOTBALL PLAYERS IN HERE WAS ENCOURAGING, AND JUST TO SEE THE WIN IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST UNIQUE AND SPECIAL, AND WE SEE THAT IN SO MANY DIFFERENT AREAS OF THIS DISTRICT.

BUT IT'S TRULY A PRIVILEGE AND A SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT SORT OF EVENT HAPPEN FOR THE KIDS, PARTICULARLY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO SEE KIDS IN ALL THESE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THE SCHOOL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO SUCCEED AT THAT LEVEL, AND THAT TAKES A FOCUS ON EXCELLENCE AND THAT TAKES A FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP AND THAT TAKES A FOCUS ON CHARACTER.

AND IT TAKES A FOCUS ON TRUST AND TEAMWORK AND ALL THOSE CHARACTERISTICS THAT BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO SUCCEED.

THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE CONTINUE IN THIS DISTRICT, THAT'S WHY WE MOVED TO THIS DISTRICT.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPECIAL PEOPLE IN THIS DISTRICT, REGARDLESS OF THEIR POLITICS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE AISLE.

MOVING FORWARD, IT'S VERY CLEAR WHAT IT'LL TAKE TO UNITE US, THE WORDS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT IN YOUR DEI GOALS.

THOSE WORDS ARE OPPOSITE OF YOUR ACTIONS.

THE POLITICS AN THE POLITICAL IDEOLOGY THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT IN AND ADOPTED BY YOU.

THOSE POLITICS ARE INHERENTLY AND INTRINSICALLY DIVISIVE, AND THEY SEEK TO DISCREDIT YOU.

THEY SEEK TO DISCREDIT OUR COMMUNITY.

THEY SEEK TO POINT THE FINGER AND TO SAY YOU COMMUNITY ARE BAD BECAUSE OF YOUR SKIN COLOR, BECAUSE OF YOUR IMMUTABLE CHARACTERISTICS.

THAT'S WHAT IT DOES, AND INHERENTLY AND INTRINSICALLY WHEN YOU DO THAT TO A COMMUNITY, IT DIVIDES PEOPLE BECAUSE.

IT'S DISCRIMINATORY.

SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD THIS YEAR, THE SOLUTION TO THESE PROBLEMS IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU.

SET AN EXAMPLE OF LEADERSHIP.

GET THE POLITICS OUT.

BE A LEADER.

THAT MEANS REACHING OUT TO PEOPLE LIKE MANY IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WILL SPEAK TODAY.

BRINGING THEM IN THE FOLD TO SPECIFICALLY GET THE POLITICS OUT.

TO HAVE A LIBERAL APPROACH TO ACCEPT EVERYBODY.

AND IN THIS PRESENTATION YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DEI MATERIAL THAT WILL BE POTENTIALLY MORALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY CONFLICTING.

FAILURE OF LEADERSHIP.

LET'S START NEW.

LET'S START FRESH, AND LET'S HAVE A TRULY HAPPY NEW YEAR.

THANK YOU, BRYAN.

[APPLAUSE] I DON'T BELIEVE OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS HERE.

RICHARD MCKENZIE IS RICHARD HERE THIS MORNING.

I DON'T SEE HIM.

OUR NEXT.

MONICA HEIGHT YOU ARE NEXT, I BELIEVE YOU WILL BE TALKING TO US ABOUT

[00:30:05]

GOOD MORNING.

I'M MONICA HEIGHT, I'M HERE TO SPEAK AND VOICE AN OPINION IN OPPOSITION TO THE LESSONCAST PROGRAM IN PARTICULARLY WHAT'S SET OUT IN THEIR WEBSITES.

WHAT IS SET OUT IN THEIR PRESENTATION MATERIALS THAT WERE HOOKED TO YOUR ALL'S AGENDA.

STATING OUTRIGHT THAT, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO OFFEND PEOPLE'S RELIGIOUS AND MORAL CODES.

YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING THAT WITH THE LEVEL OF SHAMING AND DISCRIMINATION OF CHILDREN OF FAITH AND FAMILIES OF FAITH IN THIS DISTRICT.

TRUE INCLUSIVITY DOES NOT SHAME FAITH.

MY PRE-TEEN CHOSE TO MAKE A HALLOWEEN COSTUME OF A COW ONESIE, AND SHE MADE A HOMEMADE SIGN THAT SAID EAT MORE CHICKEN AND WENT TO SCHOOL PROUD OF HERSELF FOR HER CREATIVITY, ONLY TO BE ACCOSTED BY CHILDREN SHE DIDN'T KNOW AND TOLD, WHAT ARE YOU A CHRISTIAN HOMOPHOBE? MY DAUGHTER, I DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO SAY DAUGHTER BECAUSE I'M AFRAID OF SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS ARENA AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE TO OTHER FAMILIES.

MY PRE-TEEN SAID I'M A CHRISTIAN.

I AM NOT A HOMOPHOBE.

WHEN YOU HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS SAYING THAT, YOU'RE GOING TO DISCRIMINATE, SHAME AND OFFEND AND YOU HAVE THAT INTENT, THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR LEGACY.

THIS IS GOING TO BE YOUR ALL'S LEGACY BY ADOPTING THIS INTO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, IT'S ALREADY BAD ENOUGH.

ON THEIR WEBSITE, THEIR DEFINITION OF EQUITY OR THEIR TAGLINE DEFINE, DISMANTLE, DESIGN.

WHAT ARE YOU DISMANTLING? ARE YOU DISMANTLING WHAT WE JUST SAW A PROGRAM OF EXCELLENCE WITH STUDENTS COMING HERE AND COACHES, NATIONAL COACHES AND NATIONAL PLAYERS AND AWARD WINNERS.

EVERY CHILD WANTS THIS OPPORTUNITY, EVERY FAMILY MOVED TO EANES FOR THIS.

YOU SHOULDN'T BE SHAMING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES OF FAITH.

IT IS WRONG AND YOU KNOW IT.

THAT'S ALL.

THANK YOU, MONICA.

[APPLAUSE] OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEN STEVENS, AND I BELIEVE, JEN, YOU'RE GOING TO TELL US THAT DEI IS A LIE.

I'M SIGNIFICANTLY SHORTER THAN MONICA.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

I FIND IT SWEETLY IRONIC THAT WE'RE HERE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ON THE DAY WE HONOR COACH DODGE.

YOU DO REALIZE THAT THERE IS NOT ONE THING EQUITABLE ABOUT A CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL TEAM.

KIDS HAVE TO WORK HARD AND THEY HAVE TO KEEP WORKING HARD TO EARN THEIR SPOT.

AND IT'S UP TO THE INDIVIDUAL, SUCH AS LIFE.

A READING FROM LESSONCAST WEBSITE.

LESSONCAST APPLIES AN EDUCATIONAL EQUITY FRAMEWORK GROUNDED IN NEUROSCIENCE, CULTURALLY SUSTAINING PEDAGOGY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE.

WE HELP EDUCATORS DESIGN MORE EQUITABLE LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS BY DISMANTLING INDIVIDUAL AND SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND BUILDING LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FREE FROM LIMITS.

MY QUESTIONS ARE SPECIFICALLY, WHAT BARRIERS ARE YOU DISMANTLING? ACCORDING TO OUR OWN WEBSITE, BLACK STUDENTS OUTPERFORM ALL OTHERS AND GRADUATE AT 100 PERCENT CAREER COLLEGE READY.

SO HOW WILL YOU MEASURE SUCCESS? ANYONE WHO RUNS A BUSINESS KNOWS THAT YOU DO NOT HIRE A CONSULTANT AND INVEST DOLLARS WITHOUT SPECIFIC GOALS, CLEARLY DEFINED TIMELINES AND CLEARLY DEFINED THE WAYS THEY WILL BE ACHIEVED.

THE COMMUNITY HAS A RIGHT TO KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AND HOW YOU WILL MEASURE SUCCESS.

SHOULD IT NOT BE LONG TERM ACADEMIC AND LIFE READINESS.

YOUR PRESENTATION INCLUDES A REFERENCE TO THE MATERIAL BEING MORALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY OBJECTIONABLE.

I WANT TO BE SURE THAT I UNDERSTAND THAT EACH OF YOU INTEND TO VOTE IN SUPPORT OF HIRING A CONSULTANT THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY BEEN WARNED IS PROMOTING CONTENT THAT IS MORALLY AND RELIGIOUSLY OBJECTIONABLE.

I THINK YOU SHOULD EACH PERSONALLY ANSWER THIS QUESTION.

ACCORDING TO THE LATEST TEST SCORES, EANES KIDS HAVE SLIPPED.

IF YOU LOOK AHEAD, WE'VE GOT A FINANCIAL DISASTER ON THE HORIZON.

INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON CATCHING OUR KIDS UP TO WHERE THEY SHOULD BE IN THE LONG TERM PLAN TO FIX OUR FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, YOU REMOVE ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE FROM OUR MISSION AND YOU'RE WASTING VALUABLE TIME AND MONEY ON CONSULTANTS WHO PROVIDE NOTHING BUT A WAY FOR YOU TO CHECK A BOX FOR THE WOKE LOUD FEW.

[00:35:01]

WE'RE TIRED OF FIGHTING AND WE WANT TO UNITE.

BUT THIS BOARD IS NOW DOUBLED DOWN ON A NEW YORK CRT EXPERT.

YOU'RE PROMOTING A MARYLAND WOKENESS CURRICULUM, A COMPLETE DISTRACTION.

YOU ARE THE GENESIS OF THE DISCOURSE.

YOU ARE THE REASON OUR GREAT TEACHERS ARE FLEEING.

YOU ARE THE REASON OUR FAMILIES ARE FLEEING.

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE DEI OPT IN AND JUST SEE WHO SIGNS UP? I THINK THE RESULTS WOULD BE QUITE TELLING.

THANK YOU.

[APPLAUSE] THANK YOU.

THAT'S THE OPEN FORUM PORTION OF OUR MEETING, AND WE MOVE TO THE DISCUSSION

[6.1. Recommended Academic Calendars for 2022-23 & 2023-24]

THE FIRST ITEM IS THE RECOMMENDED ACADEMIC CALENDARS FOR 22, 23 AND 23, 24.

DR. ARNETT.

GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

I AM JOINED BY NIKKI MAYO, NIKKI IS A PARENT AT EANES ELEMENTARY IN BARTON CREEK ELEMENTARY AND A MEMBER OF OUR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM.

I'M GOING TO EXCUSE HER IN JUST A MOMENT BECAUSE SHE HAS A WORK OBLIGATION, BUT I ASKED HER TO JOIN ME IN HELPING TO INTRODUCE THE CALENDAR PRESENTATION.

IT HAS BEEN SAID THAT TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, BUT WITH REGARD TO THE CALENDAR, TIME IS THE ESSENCE AND I THINK WE CERTAINLY HAVE LEARNED THAT IN WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM.

THIS IS A GROUP, AS WE'VE MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S THE LARGEST COMMITTEE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

FORTY SIX INDIVIDUALS, EQUALLY REPRESENTATION OF THE PARENTS AND OUR STAFF, AND WE MEET ON A REGULAR BASIS TO FOCUS ON A VARIETY OF VERY IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND TOPICS.

THE CALENDAR IS ONE OF THEIR GREATEST RESPONSIBILITIES.

WE HAVE WORKED WITH THE DLT SINCE LAST FALL, AND I THOUGHT THAT IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE IF NIKKI COULD KIND OF GIVE YOU A GLIMPSE OF THE DLT'S WORK IN PROPOSING THIS NEW CALENDAR.

AND SHE CAN KIND OF GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE OF THE PROCESS THAT THEY HAVE GONE THROUGH.

SO NIKKI.

GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU, DR.

ARNETT.

THANK YOU FOR BRINGING ALL OF US TOGETHER.

WE HAD SOME REALLY RICH CONVERSATION SURROUNDING THE CALENDAR THAT WILL COME BEFORE YOU TODAY.

WHEN WE BEGAN MEETING, WE ALL AGREED TEACHERS NEED MORE TIME.

AND WHEN WE BEGAN DISCUSSING THE POTENTIAL NEW CALENDARS, ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS CENTERED AROUND TWO THINGS; ONE, ENSURING THAT WE FULFILL THE GOAL OF GIVING TEACHERS MORE TIME, GIVING THEM ADEQUATE TIME TO PLAN, ANALYZE DATA, DO WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THEIR CLASSROOMS. BUT THEN WE ALSO AGREED WHATEVER CALENDAR WE PUT TOGETHER NEEDS TO BE BOTH REASONABLE AND MANAGEABLE FOR FAMILIES WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

SO THE CALENDAR THAT'S COMING BEFORE, Y'ALL, WHENEVER I SAW IT I WAS PLEASED THAT NOT ONLY WERE ALL OF OUR DISCUSSIONS, ALL OF THE VOTES TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, THERE ARE MANY HOURS, DAYS BACK AND FORTH.

I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DIFFERENT CALENDARS WE CREATED AND EXAMINED.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE WITH ALL OF US, DR.

ARNETT.

THE ABILITY TO TAKE ALL OF THIS FEEDBACK INTO CONSIDERATION AND CREATE A CALENDAR THAT ACTUALLY GIVES TEACHERS TIME THAT FILLS THE NEED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES, BUT THEN ALSO BECOMES A CALENDAR THAT GIVES US TIME TO SPEND WITH OUR KIDS IN A WAY THAT MAKES SENSE AND MAKES IT EASIER FOR WORKING PARENTS TO STRUCTURE THEIR CALENDARS AND THEIR PLANS AROUND A SCHOOL CALENDAR.

I WAS ACTUALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW CALENDAR AND EVERY OTHER PARENT I SPOKE TO, WHO I'M FRIENDS WITH IN THE DISTRICT, EXPRESSED THE SAME SENTIMENTS, SO I'M EXCITED TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS AS WELL.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

SO NIKKI DOES HAVE A WORK OBLIGATION, SO SHE'S GOING TO SLIP AWAY.

BUT THANK YOU, NIKKI.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANKS, NIKKI.

APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK YOU PUT INTO THIS.

BUT NIKKI ALLUDED TO THE COLLABORATION.

I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES WE WOULD HAVE MEETINGS WITH THE DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM, AND AFTERWARDS MEMBERS OF THE GROUP WOULD EMAIL ME AND SAY, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS OR WHAT ABOUT THIS? OR MAYBE WE COULD ADJUST HERE.

SO IT REALLY HAS BEEN AN ITERATIVE PROCESS.

AT THE CONCLUSION OF THIS BRIEF PRESENTATION, YOU'RE GOING TO BE JOINED BY TWO OTHER PARENTS AS WELL AS TWO TEACHERS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO BE HERE TO PROVIDE THEIR CONCISE PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

WELL, NIKKI DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TALKING ABOUT OUR VISION AND OBJECTIVES, AND SHE OUTLINED THOSE VERY WELL.

WE HAD THREE THINGS THAT WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH.

WE WANTED TO CREATE AN ANNUALLY SUSTAINABLE CALENDAR THAT MAXIMIZES DAILY CONTACT AND INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES.

WE WANT TO PROVIDE MEANINGFUL TIME FOR TEACHERS TO COLLABORATE AND PLAN AND ENGAGE IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

AND THEN ALSO, ONE OF THE OBJECTIVES THAT EMERGED WAS TRYING TO PROVIDE TIME FOR FAMILIES SO THAT THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO ENJOY OPPORTUNITIES TO RECONNECT AND RESET.

SO THIS IS THE TRADITIONAL CALENDAR.

WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS AS KIND OF THE FUNDAMENTAL

[00:40:02]

I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE TIME TO READ THESE BECAUSE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THEM OFTEN.

BUT WHAT'S NEW IN THE PROPOSAL ARE THESE ADDITIONAL COMPONENTS.

WE TALKED AND REACHED CONSENSUS ABOUT CONSOLIDATING EARLY RELEASE DAYS BECAUSE WE KNOW OFTENTIMES THOSE CAN BE CHALLENGING FOR PARENTS.

AND WE FOUND A WAY TO CONSOLIDATE THOSE EARLY RELEASE DAYS INTO FULL DAYS AND TO PROVIDE FULL DAYS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR STAFF.

BUT THEN ALSO TO CONNECT THOSE FULL DAYS WITH THE EXISTING BREAKS IN OUR CALENDAR SO THAT FAMILIES COULD ENJOY, IN SOME CASES, A FOUR DAY WEEKEND AND SOMETHING THAT THEY COULD PLAN AROUND AND PLAN TOWARDS.

SO THOSE WERE OUR OBJECTIVES.

SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO WALK THROUGH THE RECOMMENDED CALENDARS AND I'LL MENTION THAT WE ARE PROPOSING A CHANGE TO OUR CURRENT CALENDAR.

SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS CALENDAR COMING OFF OF THE WINTER BREAK.

LET ME BREAK.

HERE WE ARE.

COMING OFF OF THE WINTER BREAK, WE HAD THE FULL DAY FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF TO COME BACK INTO THE CAMPUSES AND TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR THE STUDENTS TO RETURN.

BUT WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING IN THIS CURRENT CALENDAR IS ADDING A FULL DAY.

SO WE'RE GIVING TEACHERS ADDITIONAL TIME, ADDING THAT TO THE PRESIDENT'S DAY WEEKEND SO THAT FAMILIES WOULD THEN HAVE A FOUR DAY BREAK.

WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING THAT FOR THE EASTER AND THE GOOD FRIDAY WEEKEND THAT WE HAVE STAFF COME BACK IN FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE MONDAY AFTERWARDS, BUT THAT THEN AGAIN GIVES FAMILIES A FOUR DAY BREAK, ESPECIALLY IF THEY'RE TRAVELING OVER THE EASTER WEEKEND.

IT GIVES THEM ONE MORE DAY TO GET BACK TO THE AUSTIN AREA.

SO THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES THAT THE DLT IS PROPOSING FOR THE CURRENT CALENDAR.

IT DOES GIVE TEACHERS ADDITIONAL TIME IN THIS CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH, AS NIKKI AND OTHERS HAVE SAID, WE'VE HEARD OFTEN FROM TEACHERS THAT THEY WOULD REALLY VALUE.

SO WE WANTED TO BE RESPONSIVE AND RESPECT THAT.

BUT THE 22, 23 CALENDAR, THIS IS WHERE YOU SEE THE REAL EFFECTS OF OUR EFFORTS TO TRY TO CREATE A SUSTAINABLE LONG TERM CALENDAR.

SO WE WOULD ADD A FULL DAY PRIOR TO THE COLUMBUS DAY WEEKEND THAT GIVES FAMILIES A FOUR DAY BREAK.

STAFF HAVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THAT FRIDAY, BUT THEN THEY ALSO HAVE A THREE DAY WEEKEND THAT THEY CAN LOOK FORWARD TO.

WE HAVE THE TRADITIONAL DAY AFTER THE WINTER VACATION, WHEN STAFF RETURN A DAY EARLIER THAN STUDENTS.

WE WOULD ADD THAT FRIDAY PRIOR TO THE COLUMBUS OR TO THE PRESIDENT'S DAY WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY, GIVING THEM A FOUR DAY BREAK.

AND THEN WE WOULD ADD THE MONDAY AFTER THE GOOD FRIDAY EASTER WEEKEND TO HONOR FAMILIES OBSERVANCES OF THAT AND TO PROVIDE A FOUR DAY BREAK AS WELL.

THE ONLY OTHER EARLY RELEASE DAYS THAT ARE IN THE CALENDAR ARE THOSE TRADITIONAL EARLY RELEASE DAYS TO CONCLUDE THE FIRST AND THE SECOND SEMESTERS.

THERE ARE NO OTHER EARLY RELEASE DAYS IN OUR CALENDAR GOING FORWARD AS PROPOSED.

WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE 23, 24 CALENDAR, IT'S A MIRROR IMAGE.

AGAIN, THE FOUR DAY WEEKEND AROUND COLUMBUS DAY STAFF COME BACK A DAY EARLIER THAN STUDENTS.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT INTERESTING NEXT YEAR BECAUSE JANUARY 1ST FALLS ON A MONDAY.

WE ADD THAT BREAK THAT FULL DAY BEFORE THE PRESIDENTS DAY WEEKEND, AND THEN WE ADD THE MONDAY AFTER THE GOOD FRIDAY EASTER WEEKEND.

SO THOSE BECOME THE STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAYS FOR OUR TEACHERS AND FOR ALL OF OUR STAFF.

THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND WHERE DO WE PLACE THAT FOURTH FULL DAY AND WHETHER WE PLACE IT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE EASTER WEEKEND? DO WE DO SOMETHING SIMILAR AS WE DID AFTER THE WINTER BREAK, WHERE PERHAPS WE HAVE THAT MONDAY BACK AFTER THE SPRING BREAK FOR OUR STAFF, THE DLT HAD VARYING OPINIONS ABOUT THIS, WHICH YOU'LL HEAR IN A MOMENT FROM SOME OF OUR PARENTS AND STAFF.

BUT IN THE END, WHEN THEY VOTED AMONG THEMSELVES, ABOUT TWO THIRDS RATHER SAID THAT THEY FAVORED ADDING THAT FOURTH FULL DAY IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE GOOD FRIDAY EASTER WEEKEND.

SO COMPARISONS ARE NOT EASY, AND THE CALENDAR DOES CHANGE EVERY YEAR.

THERE ARE UNIQUE VARIABLES WITH EACH YEAR.

THERE ARE UNIQUE VARIABLES AMONG SCHOOL DISTRICTS, WHICH MAKES COMPARISONS SOMETIMES CHALLENGING.

NONETHELESS, YOU MADE IT VERY CLEAR IN OUR PREVIOUS CONVERSATION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE SOME COMPARISON PARTICULARLY FOCUSED ON INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES.

SO WE DID THAT.

WE WENT BACK TO THE 2013 14 SCHOOL YEAR AND TO TRY TO CREATE AS MUCH OF AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON AS WE COULD.

WE BACKED OUT ALL OF THE MINUTES THAT WE KNOW ARE NOT USED FOR INSTRUCTION, PASSING PERIODS, RECESS, LUNCH TIME.

WE FACTORED ALL OF THOSE [INAUDIBLE] READJUSTED FOR OUR BELL TIMES.

OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE HAVE AUGMENTED OUR BELL TIMES, WHICH IN THE STATE'S EYES DOES INCREASE OUR MINUTES.

HOWEVER, WE TOOK THOSE BACK OUT AND WE TOOK EVERYTHING BACK TO AS IF IT WAS 2013 AND 14,

[00:45:02]

AND WHEN YOU TRY TO DO THE APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON, AND WHEN WE ANALYZE THIS VERY CAREFULLY, YOU'LL SEE THAT YES, OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.

HOWEVER, WHEN YOU AVERAGE THAT OUT ON A DAILY BASIS, IT'S ROUGHLY FOUR MINUTES PER DAY.

THAT'S WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS WHEN YOU LOOK FROM 2013 TO THE PRESENT DAY.

IF YOU LOOK AT IT IN A VISUAL SENSE, THIS SHOWS YOU A GRAPH OF HOW OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES HAVE EBBED AND FLOWED A LITTLE BIT OVER TIME AND AGAIN EVERY YEAR IS DIFFERENT.

AND THERE ARE CERTAIN MILESTONES AND THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS THAT GET INTRODUCED IN THE CALENDAR EACH YEAR THAT DO AFFECT OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES.

FROM THE DAYS OF THE YEAR THAT WE HAVE IN THE CALENDAR, JUST TO THE WAY WE STRUCTURE OUR BELL TIMES.

SO THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS THAT HAVE IMPACTED OUR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME OVER THE LAST DECADE, AND WE TRIED TO INDICATE THOSE HERE.

IN FACT, WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THAT IN 2016 AND 17, WHEN THE STATE WENT TO OR WENT FROM REQUIRING A NUMBER OF DAYS PER YEAR TO A NUMBER OF MINUTES PER YEAR, EANES ISD NEVER HAD 180 DAYS A YEAR IN ITS CALENDAR.

WE ALWAYS HAD A WAIVER THAT EXEMPTED US FROM THAT REQUIREMENT.

SO WHILE THE STATE MAY HAVE REQUIRED 180 DAYS, OUR CALENDAR TYPICALLY HAS BEEN 173 TO 175 DAYS, GOING BACK FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

SO NOW THE OTHER THING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IN LOOKING AT THIS REPRESENTATION IS THAT DIP IN 2021.

THE REASON WHY OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES WENT DOWN SLIGHTLY THAT YEAR LAST YEAR WAS BECAUSE OF THE THOUGHT BREAKS.

YOU MAY RECALL THAT WE INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF THOSE EARLY RELEASE DAYS LAST YEAR, AND THAT OBVIOUSLY DID AFFECT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

BUT WE'RE ABLE TO BRING THAT BACK UP, NOT EXACTLY TO THE LEVEL THAT WE WERE IN 2013 AND 14, BUT VERY CLOSE TO THAT BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RECOGNIZE AND REALIZE CERTAIN ECONOMIES AND EFFICIENCIES IN THE WAY WE STRUCTURE THE SCHOOL DAY.

AND ALSO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE IS TIME DURING THE DAY THAT'S NOT USED FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

AND WITH THIS, I'M GOING TO ASK FOUR OTHER INDIVIDUALS TO JOIN ME HERE AT THE TABLE WHILE I KIND OF WALK THROUGH THIS AND I'LL INTRODUCE THEM AS THEY COME UP.

THEY ARE NICOLE MARICHIE, WHO HAS CHILDREN AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THE HIGH SCHOOL.

WHITNEY BRADEN, A PARENT AT BOTH HILL COUNTRY AND EANES ELEMENTARY.

BRETT LA BISSONIERE IS A SCIENCE TEACHER AT WEST RIDGE MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LINDSEY STOKES, WHO IS AN INCUBATOR AND CTE TEACHER AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

SO WHILE THEY'RE JOINING ME, I WANT TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU THIS COMPARISON BECAUSE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE SITTING HERE WITH ME SAID, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE LINING UP WITH OTHER BENCHMARK DISTRICTS, AND WE WANT TO KNOW HOW WE COMPARE TO SOME OF THOSE DISTRICTS THAT ARE TYPICALLY IN OUR REFERENCE GROUP.

SO WE LOOKED AT HIGHLAND PARK, WE LOOKED AT LAKE TRAVIS AND WE LOOKED AT LEANDER.

YOU'LL SEE THAT WE'RE WITH THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING WE'RE VERY SIMILAR TO BOTH HIGHLAND PARK AND LAKE TRAVIS.

THE NUMBER OF DAYS, NOT ONLY THE DAYS IN THE YEAR FOR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND CONTACT TIME, BUT ALSO THE DAYS THAT THEY ALLOW FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS EARLY RELEASE DAYS.

WE'RE STILL KIND OF IN RANGE WITH THEM.

THE OUTLIER HERE IS LEANDER ISD.

YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THEY HAD A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF EARLY RELEASE DAYS IN THEIR CURRENT CALENDAR.

I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEIR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR HAS BEEN APPROVED YET.

IN FACT, THERE'S QUITE A BIT OF DEBATE AND DISCUSSION IN LEANDER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF EARLY RELEASE DAYS THAT THEY HAVE.

SO THEY ARE A BIT OF AN OUTLIER IN OUR REFERENCE GROUP, BUT WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM HERE FOR CONTEXT.

SO THAT'S A REALLY QUICK RUN THROUGH OF OUR CALENDAR PROPOSAL.

IT'S NOT PROPOSED AS AN ACTION ITEM IN THIS MEETING, WE WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO DIGEST IT.

BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WANTED TO PAUSE BRIEFLY FOR THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE IMPORTANT MEMBERS OF OUR DISTRICT LEADERSHIP TEAM, LIKE EVERY OTHER MEMBER, BUT THEY HAVE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES THAT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR YOU TO HEAR FROM.

SO IF, YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO START WITH NICOLE AND WE'LL LET YOU BEGIN AND I'LL HAND THE MICROPHONE.

GOOD MORNING, AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION OF WHAT YOU DO FOR OUR COMMUNITY AS WELL AS FOR OUR DISTRICT.

AND AS DR.

ARNETT HAD SAID, I'M PRIVILEGED TO BE A PART OF THE DLT.

I WILL BE THE PRESIDENT.

I'M THE PRESIDENT ELECT AT HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SERVING AGAIN HERE THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR AND HOPEFULLY BEYOND.

AND IN CONSIDERATION OF WHAT WE AS THE DLT DID IS WE FORMED A SUBCOMMITTEE FOR THE CALENDAR REVIEW AS WELL AS WE BROUGHT IT TO THE DLT ON OUR, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULED MONTHLY MEETINGS.

AND THE LARGE CONSIDERATION OF WHAT WE WOULD TAKE INTO DISCUSSION IS THREE SORT OF BUCKETS.

WE LOOK AT THE STUDENTS, WE LOOK AT THE FAMILIES AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE FACULTY AND THE STAFF.

AND IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND DISCUSSIONS, WE WOULD ASK OURSELVES WHAT MAKES THE MOST

[00:50:01]

SO THAT'S THE PERSPECTIVE I WANTED TO SHARE WITH REGARD TO WHY WE SUGGESTED THE ADDITIONAL FULL DAY OFF TO COME BEFORE OR AFTER THE EASTER WEEKEND.

AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THERE'S PROS AND CONS LIKE EVERY DECISION THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE AS TO WHAT IS THE BEST DAY TO IMPLEMENT THAT.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AT THE END, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS THOSE.

HI, I AM THE CURRENT PRESIDENT ELECT AT EANES ELEMENTARY, I'LL BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE PTO THERE NEXT YEAR.

I HAVE TWO ELEMENTARY STUDENTS RIGHT NOW AND I HAVE A SECONDARY STUDENT WHO'S AN EIGHTH GRADER AT HILL COUNTRY, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHO I WANTED TO TALK ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THE CALENDAR.

WE HAD THE PRIVILEGE LAST YEAR OF HOME SCHOOLING AND TAKING THE YEAR OFF, AND I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT ALL THEIR LEARNING STYLES.

MY OLDEST SON WAS REALLY EXCITED TO GET BACK TO HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

HE IS A GO GETTER.

HE WANTS TO DO ALL THE THINGS.

HE MAKES PHENOMENAL GRADES.

HE IS A PERFECTIONIST, SO WE'RE WORKING ON THAT.

WHAT I REALIZED THIS FALL IS THAT IN ADDITION TO OUR TEACHERS, THAT I AM FRIENDS WITH NEEDING TO TAKE A BREATH A BREATHER, THERE WERE MULTIPLE TIMES THIS YEAR THAT HE ALSO FELT THE NEED TO TAKE A BREATHER, AND HE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE HE HAD THE POWER TO DO THAT.

BUILDING THESE DAYS INTO OUR CALENDAR IS A WAY THAT AS A DISTRICT, WE'RE SHOWING OUR KIDS THAT WE HEAR YOU TOO, AND THAT WE HEAR THAT YOU NEED THAT TIME TO RESET AS MUCH AS THE ADULTS IN OUR COMMUNITY DO.

I SHARED WITH DR.

ARNETT IN THE FALL WE WERE LEAVING SCHOOL DRIVING TO SWIM PRACTICE.

HE ALSO PLAYED FOOTBALL FOR THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND HE WAS STRESSED OUT IN THE CAR.

AND I JUST SAID, HEY BUD, HOW CAN I HELP? WHAT CAN I DO? AND HE JUST GOES, I JUST NEED TIME, MOM.

THERE'S NOT ENOUGH TIME IN THE DAY.

SO THESE DAYS WOULD REALLY BE HELPFUL FOR THOSE KIDS WHO NEED THAT TIME TO FIND THEIR OWN SPACE, WHETHER IT'S TO CATCH UP ON WORK THAT THEY HAVE, WHETHER IT'S TO LISTEN TO A PODCAST THEY ENJOY, WHETHER IT'S TO PLAY THE GUITAR, DO THE THINGS THAT THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE TIME TO DO.

I WILL ALSO SPEAK ON SOME FRIENDS WHOSE KIDS ARE STRUGGLING TO KEEP UP.

MY KID IS STRUGGLING TO DO MORE.

I HAVE FRIENDS WHOSE KIDS LOOK AT THEIR PARENTS AND SAY, I HAVE SO MUCH LEFT TO DO.

I JUST CAN'T.

THERE'S NOT EVEN TIME FOR ME TO CATCH UP ON THE DAYS THAT I'VE MISSED.

SO AS A PARENT, I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT NOT ONLY WILL IT BE HELPFUL FOR OUR STAFF, I THINK IT WILL BE SUPER HELPFUL FOR SOME OF OUR KIDS WHO ALSO NEED THE TIME TO, YEAH, GET THE STUFF DONE THEY NEED TO DO WITHOUT ANY MORE BEING PILED ON TOP.

HI, I'M BRETT LA BISSONIERE I TEACH SEVENTH GRADE SCIENCE AT WESTRIDGE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO TALK ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF STAFF.

SO LAST YEAR WE LOVED THE THOUGHT BREAKS BECAUSE IT REALLY GAVE US TIME TO BREAK AND CATCH UP ON WORK PLAN.

REALLY JUST TAKE A BREATHER.

AND THIS YEAR, WE HAD HOPED THAT IT WOULD BE NORMAL.

IT'S NOT IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW.

[LAUGHTER] AND SO HAVING THESE DAYS, YOU KNOW, THE DAY AFTER WINTER BREAK, MY COWORKER AND I AND MY PLC WERE ABLE TO GET OUR ENTIRE NEXT QUARTER PLANNED AND WE WERE ABLE TO JUST SIT AND GET WORK DONE.

AND I THINK THAT IS WHAT WE HOPE AS STAFF THAT THESE DAYS ARE INTENDED FOR NOT EXTRA PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, BUT ACTUALLY TIME TO GRADE, GET PLANS DONE, GET COPIES MADE, JUST GET WORK DONE AND ALSO HAVE TIME FOR US TO CREATE MORE INNOVATIVE LESSONS.

WE LEARN ALL THE TIME IN SUMMER PD ABOUT ALL THESE NEW INNOVATIVE WAYS OF TEACHING, BUT THE REALITY IS WE DON'T REALLY HAVE TIME TO ACTUALLY DO THAT.

ALL OF MY INNOVATIVE LESSONS I WILL TELL YOU GOT DONE OUTSIDE OF THE WORKDAY, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD BE ENCOURAGING.

SO THIS WOULD BE TIME FOR STAFF TO REALLY GET THESE AWESOME LESSONS MADE REACH TO THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR KIDS BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS ALL OVER THE PLACE THIS YEAR AND ALSO JUST HAVE TIME TO BREATHE AND GET THEIR WORK DONE.

ALL RIGHT.

THANKS, BRETT.

MORNING.

I'M LINDSEY STOKES, I TEACH UP AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I DO A BUNCH OF CTE CLASSES.

TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK ON WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN SAID.

I WANTED TO KIND OF FOCUS MORE ON THE BENEFIT OF THE FULL DAYS, RATHER THAN THE

[00:55:04]

THERE'S A LOT TO BE SAID FOR MENTALITY AND NOT SO MUCH ON THE EDUCATOR SIDE, BUT THE STUDENT SIDE.

WE CAN WORK WONDERS AND DO AMAZING THINGS WITH ANY AMOUNT OF TIME YOU GIVE US WITH OUR STUDENTS.

THAT'S NOT THE CONCERN.

WHERE WE KIND OF RUN INTO ROADBLOCKS IS THE MENTALITY OF OUR STUDENTS ON THOSE EARLY RELEASE DAYS.

THEY'RE SO EXCITED ABOUT THEM AND THEY ARE DISTRACTED BY WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO GO RUN AND DO IN THE AFTERNOONS THAT IT CAN BE A DISTRACTION FROM THE LEARNING THAT CAN TAKE PLACE.

AND SO THE BENEFIT OF THOSE FULL DAYS, ESPECIALLY FOR TEACHERS, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FROM MY PERSPECTIVE OF THE HIGH SCHOOL.

A LOT OF US TEACH MULTIPLE PREPS ACROSS DIFFERENT CONTENT AREAS.

HAVING A FULL DAY TO BE ABLE TO MEET WITH MY FOUR SEPARATE TEAMS THAT I WORK WITH WOULD BE INVALUABLE.

JUST HAVING THAT GIFT OF TIME TO BE ABLE TO PREPARE, PLAN TO COLLABORATE AND REALLY DEVELOP THOSE MEANINGFUL LESSONS FOR OUR STUDENTS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK SHOULD BE REALLY CONSIDERED.

ANY AMOUNT OF TIME IS OBVIOUSLY AN AMAZING GIFT, BUT BEING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THE TIME THAT WE ARE DELEGATING TO THE TEACHERS, I THINK WOULD MAKE IT A LOT MORE USEFUL AND PRODUCTIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF IT AS WELL.

I HAVE THE LUCKY PRIVILEGE OF BEING AN ALUMNI AND BEING A PARENT WITHIN THE DISTRICT AS WELL AS BEING A STAFF MEMBER.

HAVING THAT EXTRA DAY BUILT ON TO THE EXISTING BREAKS GIVES ME TIME TO ACTUALLY SPEND THAT BREAK WITH MY CHILDREN AND KNOWING THAT I HAVE THAT DAY AT THE BACK END TO USE FOR WORK INSTEAD OF COMING BACK FROM A WEEKEND AWAY A DAY EARLY SO THAT I CAN GET EVERYTHING SET UP AND READY TO GO.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.

I CAN SEE WHY IT'S SUCH A PLEASURE TO WORK WITH THE DLT, IT'S A VERY THOUGHTFUL GROUP AND VERY INNOVATIVE.

SO WITH THAT, WE'LL PAUSE AND ALLOW YOU TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

OK, THANK YOU.

THANK YOU ALL.

LET'S SEE.

I'M GOING TO START OVER HERE WITH WITH JEN, AND I'LL GO TO LAURA AND THEN I'LL COME THIS DIRECTION.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR FEEDBACK AND COMMENTS.

I, YOU KNOW, IN GENERAL, I LIKE THIS CALENDAR.

I MUCH PREFER GETTING RID OF THOSE HALF DAYS.

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU SAID.

I REMEMBER THAT CRAZINESS WITH MY KIDS WHEN THEY WERE LITTLE.

AND YOU KNOW, HAVING THE FULL DAY JUST MAKES MORE SENSE FOR A LOT OF REASONS.

I MEAN, I CONTINUE TO BE CONCERNED BY THE CONTINUED EROSION OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, AND WE'RE ADDING YET ANOTHER TWO DAYS THAT WE'RE LOSING OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AND, YOU KNOW, WE CAN SAY IT'S FOUR MINUTES A DAY OR WHATEVER, BUT IN THE END, IT'S TWO DAYS AGAIN THAT WE'RE DOWN AGAIN.

AND YOU KNOW, I WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THAT IN? SO THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE FOR TWO YEARS, MAYBE, I MEAN, WE HAVE A PROPOSAL TO CHANGE THIS, THIS SEMESTER, WHICH I'M NOT SUPER THRILLED ABOUT THAT.

FOR THE REASONS THAT YOU WANT TO DO IT, I LIKE THAT.

I DON'T LIKE THE LAST MINUTE CHANGE.

BUT FOR ME THAT MY BIGGEST CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO ERODE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

AND I WONDER, YOU KNOW, FOR OUR TEACHERS, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT DOES WHAT'S THE BREAKING POINT? WHEN DO YOU NOT HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO FIT IN ALL OF THE TEKS TO, YOU KNOW, THOSE KIDS WHO, LIKE YOU SAID, ARE STRUGGLING, WHO REALLY NEED THE EXTRA HELP.

THEY'RE NOW GETTING LESS TIME WITH THEIR TEACHER.

SO WE HAVE TO FIND SOME BALANCE THERE.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT ALL THIS, THERE ARE A LOT OF GOOD THINGS, BUT THAT TROUBLES ME AND WHEN WE ARE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD IN A NEW DIRECTION THAT HAS SOME GREAT BENEFITS BUT REFUSE TO COMPROMISE ON THOSE TRADITIONAL THINGS WHERE WE HAVE TO GET OUT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, WE HAVE TO START AT A CERTAIN TIME.

YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT KIND OF COMPROMISE SOMETHING'S GOING TO GIVE EVENTUALLY, AND IT MAY NOT BE FOR THIS TIME.

I DID HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

AS FAR AS YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE IS TIME BUILT IN FOR WEATHER DAYS.

HOW MUCH PADDING DO WE HAVE LIKE? I MEAN, WHAT WOULD ONE, BAD WEATHER DAY? I MEAN, DO WE HAVE ANY PADDING WHERE WE WOULDN'T LOSE THAT.

YEAH, WE BUILT IN THREE DAYS FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, SO WE HAVE ENOUGH INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES IN OUR MARGIN OR OUR SURPLUS SO THAT WE COULD ABSORB THOSE THREE DAYS AND THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO BE MADE UP IF WE LOSE THEM.

OK.

AND IS THAT THE SAME AS THIS YEAR AND THIS LAST YEAR.

YES.

WHEN WE ADJUSTED THE BELL TIMES, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR TO ACHIEVE THE THOUGHT BREAKS

[01:00:01]

CAN YOU DESCRIBE THAT ADJUSTING THE BELL? MM HMM.

SO.

FOUR YEARS AGO, WE ADJUSTED THE BELL TIMES THE FIRST TIME SO THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE THE FULL WEEK OF THANKSGIVING IN OUR CALENDAR.

LAST YEAR, WE ADJUSTED THE BELL TIMES AGAIN BY 10 MINUTES.

WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT ACCORDING TO THE LAW, IT SAYS THAT YOUR INSTRUCTIONAL TIME IS COMPRISED OF THE FIRST BELL TO THE LAST BELL OF THE DAY.

SO, AND BY THE STATE'S DEFINITION, INSTRUCTIONAL TIME ALSO INCLUDES LUNCH AND RECESS AND PASSING PERIODS.

SO IT'S A VERY GENEROUS INTERPRETATION.

BUT BY ADJUSTING OUR BELL TIMES, WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE FIRST BELL OF THE DAY 10 MINUTES EARLIER TO SIGNAL THE ARRIVAL OF STUDENTS ON CAMPUS.

OFTENTIMES, OUR STAFF ARE INVOLVED IN SUPERVISING THOSE CHILDREN, WELCOMING THEM TO SCHOOL, EVEN IF INSTRUCTION HAS NOT YET BEGUN.

SO THAT ADDITIONAL 10 MINUTES OVER THE LIFE OF THE YEAR GAVE US ENOUGH OF A SURPLUS.

SO WE BUILT IN EXTRA MINUTES BY JUST RINGING THE BELL EARLIER.

YES.

AND I MEAN, I JUST STRUGGLE WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, AT WHAT POINT ARE WE GOING TO SAY, WELL, OK, WE WANT TO HAVE A COUPLE OF EXTRA DAYS HERE AND THERE.

LET'S JUST START THE BELL 10 MINUTES EARLIER.

I TRULY STRUGGLE WITH THAT CONCEPT.

AND WHERE WE'RE GOING, IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THAT PATH WITHOUT SOME GIVE AND TAKE AND THEN MY OTHER MY LAST QUESTION IS, HOW MANY DAYS ARE STAFF CONTRACTED FOR? I THINK IT'S A 180 [INAUDIBLE].

187.

AND THEY'RE WITH STUDENTS, THEY'LL BE WITH STUDENTS 173 DAYS AND THEN THESE BREAKS DURING THE YEAR ARE THE ONES THAT YOU SHOWED IN THE CHART AND ALL OF THE REST OF THE CONTRACT DAYS ARE BEFORE THE START OF SCHOOL AND AFTER THE START OF SCHOOL.

THE TEACHER CONTRACT IS YES.

OKAY.

YEAH, THEY HAVE AN EXTENSIVE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR BEGINS.

OK, THANK YOU.

OK.

LAURA.

YEAH.

I MEAN, I'M SORRY, I'M GOING TO TAKE MY MASK OFF, IF Y'ALL DON'T MIND.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.

DR. ARNETT, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING IN THE HEAVY HITTERS FOR THIS ONE.

[LAUGHTER] IT WAS WONDERFUL TO HEAR SORT OF THE THOUGHTS THAT WENT BEHIND ALL THIS.

I'VE STRUGGLED WITH THIS CALENDAR, SO I REALLY DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL COMING AND SPEAKING WITH US TODAY.

WHITNEY THE STUDENTS YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS CALENDAR IN REGARDS TO THE STAFF AND THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THE STAFF.

BUT I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE HEARING FROM YOU ABOUT THE IMPACT IT HAS ON THE STUDENTS.

AND I GET IT.

I WORRY ABOUT THE KIDS THAT ARE STRUGGLING THAT WITH HAVING TOO MUCH, AND I'M NOT SURE THAT NECESSARILY HAVING TIME AWAY FROM THEIR TEACHERS, THEIR EDUCATORS IS NECESSARILY THE BEST THING.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S SORT OF A IT'S A FINE BALANCE.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS HAVING EASY ACCESS TO THEIR TEACHERS WOULD CERTAINLY BENEFIT THEM RATHER THAN BEING AT HOME OR TRAVELING AT THE SAME TIME.

THERE ARE STUDENTS LIKE YOUR SON THAT NEED THAT TIME OFF.

YEAH, I'M KIND OF WITH JEN AS THAT I FEEL THE IMPORTANCE OF THESE DAYS DURING THE YEAR FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF.

AT THE SAME TIME, I DO WORRY ABOUT THE KIDS WHO ARE STRUGGLING.

AND WHEN YOU SHORTEN THEIR AMOUNT OF TIME WITH THE TEACHERS AND YOU STILL HAVE THE SAME NUMBER OF TEKS, WHAT HAPPENS IS IT JUST GETS COMPACTED AND THEN YOU HAVE TO GO FASTER.

AND THAT'S DIFFICULT FOR SOME, OF OUR STUDENTS.

SO I STRUGGLE WITH KEEPING, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THESE FOUR BULLET POINTS OF THE MONTHS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO VARY FROM.

AND I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT, I REALLY LIKE THESE EXTRA DAYS.

I THINK THEY'RE REALLY IMPORTANT.

BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT, I THINK WE NEED TO START LOOKING AT THE OUTSIDE, IF THAT MAKES SENSE OUTSIDE OF OUR CALENDAR.

YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENTING THIS FOR THIS SEMESTER THAT WE JUST STARTED.

YOU KNOW, I'M NOT CRAZY ABOUT.

I LIKE THE IDEA.

I'M NOT SURE I'M 100 PERCENT ON THE EROSION OF INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES.

TO CLARIFY.

YEAH.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE NOTICED IS THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE HEARING WE

[01:05:02]

OUR KIDS ARE BEHIND.

OUR KIDS ARE HEARING THAT THEY'RE BEHIND.

I DISAGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT.

MY KIDS TEKS ARE BEING PILED ON REGARDLESS.

I THINK THE IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT NOT ALL THE LEARNING IS HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THE TEACHERS.

AND WHEN I MEANT STRUGGLING LEARNERS, I MEANT I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ONE PARENT WHO'S LIKE MY KIDS.

THIS IS SECONDARY.

I HAVEN'T TALKED TO ONE FRIEND OF MINE WHO'S LIKE MY KIDS, ARE NOT GETTING ENOUGH WORK.

MY KID'S NOT.

AND MAYBE THAT'S JUST PRIVILEGE ON MY PART.

BUT I THINK THE MISUNDERSTANDING IS THAT NOT STRUGGLING LEARNERS WHERE THEY NEED MORE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

I HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHOSE CHILDREN DON'T HAVE TIME TO DO THE LEARNING CHECKS THAT ARE BEING GRADED, THE MATH HOMEWORK THAT'S DUE EVERY SINGLE DAY.

TO GIVE THEM SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO AND SAY, OK, ON FRIDAY, I CAN GET CAUGHT UP ON ALL THAT SPANISH THAT I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT I NEED A TEACHER FOR .

THAT I JUST NEED TO SIT DOWN AND ACTUALLY LEARN AND TAKE IN AS OPPOSED TO THE RAT RACE THAT THEY'RE CURRENTLY IN.

I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT POINT.

I THINK WE GET AWAY IN THIS COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE ARE SUCH HIGH ACHIEVERS FROM REMEMBERING THAT SO MUCH LEARNING HAPPENS OUTSIDE OF OUR WALLS AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY.

CAN I PIGGYBACK OFF A COMMENT AS WELL.

YOU DON'T MIND.

IF PLEASE CORRECT ME, IF THIS IS NOT THE STANDARD PROTOCOL, BUT AS CONVERSATION IS COMING UP, I DO ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER HOW MANY ABSENCES ACTUALLY TAKE PLACE ON OUR CAMPUS THAT ARE BUILT IN AROUND THE EASTER WEEKEND WITH REGARD TO STUDENTS TRAVELING.

AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT AT LEAST AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL, THE TEACHERS MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE FOR ADVICE OR FOR TUTORIALS IN THE MORNING.

THEY ARE WORKING DURING THEIR FREE PERIODS.

THEY HAVE LUNCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS WHO MIGHT NEED A ONE ON ONE OR REFRESHER THAT THE STUDENTS, IF THEY'RE PROACTIVE IN THAT, HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE AND GET A LEVEL OF COMFORT IN THEIR CURRICULUM OR THEIR TEKS THAT ARE BEING TAUGHT.

AT LEAST FROM MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH AGAIN SEVENTH, EIGHTH AND 10TH GRADERS THAT THE TEACHERS ARE MAKING THEMSELVES AVAILABLE.

SO THE STUDENTS HAVE TO BE PROACTIVE IN WANTING TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS OR ASSESS THEIR PERSONAL SITUATION OUTSIDE OF THE CLASSROOM.

AGAIN, JUST TRYING TO MAKE POINT THAT THE INSTRUCTIONAL CLASSROOM TIME TO WHITNEY'S POINT IT HAPPENS.

TEACHING HAPPENS ALL DAY AS LONG AS THE TEACHERS CONTINUE TO MAKE THEMSELVES AVAILABLE, WHICH THEY DO, AND THE STUDENTS ARE PROACTIVE IN ENGAGING WITH THAT TEACHER, THEN I THINK THE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES FOR THE CHILDREN WHO MIGHT BE LEFT BEHIND OR ARE STRUGGLING THE ANSWERS ARE THERE AND THE SOLUTION IS THERE.

JOHN, CAN I JUST FOLLOW UP ON THAT? YEAH, SURE.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO JUMP OVER TO HEATHER.

YEAH, NO.

I LOVE THIS.

I LOVE THESE FOUR DAYS OFF.

I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CALENDAR IS A BEAST, AND I HAVE OVER THE YEARS BEEN JUST IMPRESSED AND AMAZED AT THE CREATIVITY THAT THE DLT HAS IMPLEMENTED TO EXPRESS TO COME UP WITH THESE SOLUTIONS.

SO I ACTUALLY REALLY DO LOVE THESE DAYS AND I'M IN SUPPORT OF THESE DAYS.

I JUST HAVE LITTLE CONCERNS ABOUT THAT OUTSIDE AND STICKING HARD AND FAST TO THOSE.

BUT NO, I LOVE THESE DAYS.

THANK YOU.

HEATHER.

THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING AS A FORMER DLT MEMBER WHO SAT ON THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE, I HAVE LITERALLY FELT YOUR PAIN IN THE CALENDAR ARENA, SO I APPRECIATE THE THOUGHT AND TIME THAT YOU ALL HAVE PUT INTO THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S HARD .

AND KIND OF WHAT YOU GUYS WERE SPEAKING ABOUT.

I KNOW THAT INSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING BEFORE SCHOOL, AFTER SCHOOL, DURING EVERY FREE PERIOD, DURING LUNCH.

I HAVE A SEVENTH GRADER AND A NINTH GRADER, SO I AM LIVING IT.

I WISH THEY WOULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT TUTORING TIME A BIT MORE, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY.

BUT I DO THINK THAT OUR KIDS ARE DOING VERY WELL.

THOSE OF THEM THAT DO NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES HAVE THEM AVAILABLE, WHICH I SO APPRECIATE BECAUSE THIS YEAR HAS BEEN INSANE FOR OUR TEACHERS AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING.

THEY'RE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND, MORE SO THAN EVER BEFORE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT THESE EXTRA DAYS GIVE THOSE KIDDOS THAT NEED IT, EITHER TIME TO RELAX OR TIME TO CATCH UP.

AND I AM PRETTY SURE THAT TEACHERS ARE STILL GOING TO BE AVAILABLE IF NEEDED FOR KIDS BECAUSE THEY ALWAYS ARE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT TEACHERS DO.

AND AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS ARE OFFERING THE TUTORING, AND I JUST REALLY THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING, YOU GUYS, ALL THE TEACHERS ARE GOING ABOVE AND BEYOND, AND I SO APPRECIATE THAT.

AS A FORMER FIRST GRADE TEACHER, LINDSAY, I FELT WHAT YOU WERE SAYING

[01:10:04]

AND AS A WORKING PARENT, I HATE HALF DAYS.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE KIND OF KEPT THAT IN CHECK.

AND I LOVE THE ADDITIONAL FULL DAYS BECAUSE, LIKE EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID, IT REALLY HONORS THE TIME OF THE TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO BE THEIR BEST FOR OUR STUDENTS AND TO BRING THE BEST LESSONS AND TO NOT HAVE TO DO THAT ON THEIR OWN TIME AND FORSAKE THE NEEDS OF THEIR OWN FAMILIES.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF THIS.

YOU GUYS HAVE KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK, IN MY OPINION.

I'M 100 PERCENT ON BOARD, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.

THANK YOU.

LET'S SEE WE'RE GOING TO DO KIM AND THEN ELLEN.

I'LL BE REAL QUICK, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL.

EVERY SINGLE PERSPECTIVE HAS HELPED ME JUST UNDERSTAND AND LEARN.

I'LL JUST GO ON RECORD.

I LIKE THE FULL DAY.

TIME OFF.

OUTSIDE OF THE SECOND OR HALF DAY TIME OFF, AND FROM AN EDUCATORS PERSPECTIVE, IT JUST MAKES SENSE THAT YOU GET MORE TIME AND YOU GET MORE TIME OUT OF YOUR TIME AWAY FROM STUDENTS.

I HAD ONE QUESTION, PROBABLY FOR DR.

ARNETT.

WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THE DAYS THAT THE STATE REQUIRES AND THEN THE WAIVERS THAT WE GET.

DO YOU KNOW OFFHAND WHAT RATIONALE WE GET, WE GIVE FOR THE WAIVERS AND WHAT, YOU KNOW.

HOW THE STATE GRANTS OUR WAIVERS.

SURE.

THE ONLY WAIVER NOW THAT STILL APPLIES IS THE STATE GIVES US A CREDIT OF 2100 MINUTES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT'S NOT FACTORED IN HERE BECAUSE WE WANTED YOU TO SEE A PURE ANALYSIS OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

BUT THAT'S THE ONLY WAIVER THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE TO SCHOOL DISTRICTS PERTAINING TO THE CALENDAR.

AT ONE TIME, THERE WAS A WAIVER THAT WAS AVAILABLE FROM THE NUMBER OF DAYS THAT WERE REQUIRED, AND EANES WAS ABLE TO OBTAIN THAT WAIVER.

THAT PRECEDED ME, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS FOR THAT.

BUT WHEN THE STATE CONVERTED FROM DAYS TO MINUTES, WE'VE ALWAYS EXCEEDED THE NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES, ACCORDING TO THE DEFINITION IN THE SCHOOL CODE.

AND NOW THE ONLY WAIVER THAT WE OBTAIN IS THE WAIVER FOR THE 2100 MINUTES OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TIME.

THANK YOU.

AND THEN DO WE I MEAN, THAT'S HELPFUL FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND.

DO WE UTILIZE ALL OF THE MINUTES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TIME? YES, YEAH.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE TIME THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CALENDAR, WE DO MEET THE 2100 MINUTE THRESHOLD.

OK.

AND WHEN WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EITHER HALF DAYS OFF FOR EDUCATORS OR FULL DAYS OFF, DO THOSE FALL INTO THE 2100 MINUTES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? YES.

WHETHER WE USE THE EARLY RELEASE DAYS OR WE USE A FULL DAY, THOSE MINUTES COUNT TOWARDS THE 2100.

GREAT.

THANK YOU.

MM HMM.

THANK YOU, EVERYONE.

THANK YOU.

LET'S SEE WE'RE GOING TO DO ELLEN AND THEN JAMES, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK AROUND [INAUDIBLE].

AND WE'LL PICK YOU UP THEN HEATHER.

THANK YOU.

OK.

THANK YOU, AND THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TODAY TO GIVE US PERSPECTIVE FROM THE DLT.

WHAT A GREAT TEAM THAT IS THAT BRINGS DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND IS ABLE TO COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION.

I'M HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL HEARING THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAD AT OUR LAST BOARD MEETING AND THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE INCORPORATED THOSE PERSPECTIVES.

FOR ME, LOOKING AT WHAT THE CHALLENGE IS FOR OUR EDUCATORS.

IF THERE'S EVER BEEN A TIME IN THE HISTORY OF EDUCATION WHERE DIFFERENTIATION IN TERMS OF STUDENT NEEDS IS IMPORTANT FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO WORK TOWARDS AND ACCOMPLISH, IT'S NOW.

AND AS WE ALL KNOW, WITH ANY LIFE EXPERIENCE DURING THESE COVID YEARS, YOU PLAN AND THINGS CHANGE.

AND SO YOU ADJUST AND THEN YOU PLAN AGAIN AND YOU ADJUST AND YOU PLAN AGAIN.

THAT TAKES TIME AND THAT TAKES THOUGHTFUL TIME.

SO I LOVE THE FULL DAY OPTION THAT I FEEL IS A STRATEGY OF REALLY GIVING QUALITY TIME FOR THAT STAFF DEVELOPMENT, STAFF PLANNING AND THE ABILITY TO MEET OUR STUDENTS NEEDS.

I DO THINK WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE TIME BETWEEN A TEACHER AND A STUDENT, BUT BY HAVING THE ABILITY TO PLAN APPROPRIATELY ON A PER STUDENT BASIS, THEN THE RIGHT THINGS CAN BE DONE MORE EFFICIENTLY IN MY MIND, RATHER THAN JUST A BLANKET INSTRUCTIONAL PLAN THAT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.

SO I THINK THIS REALLY ACCOMPLISHES HOW TO GET THAT EFFICIENCY.

TO JEN'S POINT, I THINK, THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS THE FULL WEEK AT THANKSGIVING.

[01:15:01]

I AM NOT SUGGESTING, I AM NOT SUGGESTING.

LET ME MAKE THAT REAL CLEAR THAT WE MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.

BUT I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE BALANCE IS.

I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE VERSUS 2016, IT'S BASICALLY 10 HOURS ON THE ELEMENTARY OR TWO DAYS ON THE ELEMENTARY BASIS.

BUT I WOULD ARGUE THAT THOSE TWO DAYS ARE A LITTLE BIT LIKE THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER OR THE EARLY RELEASE DAYS.

NOT SURE THE VALUE OF HOW STRONG THEY ARE FROM AN INSTRUCTIONAL STANDPOINT, SO THE TRADE OFF FOR ME IS ONE THAT I THINK IS WORTH IT TO US.

THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR WORK.

THANK YOU, JAMES.

YEAH.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.

I CAN APPRECIATE HOW MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS MUST HAVE BEEN IN THE ROOM AND WHAT IT TOOK TO COME TO THIS.

I WILL STATE RIGHT UP FRONT I SUPPORT THE WORK YOU DID.

I WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM VOTING FOR THIS CALENDAR.

I THINK THAT A LOT WENT INTO THIS AND I DID WANT TO SAY THAT I THINK A LOT OF MY THINKING BEHIND THIS IS I'M A BIG ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL CONTROL.

WE'RE A HUGE STATE.

THOUSANDS OF SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

MILLIONS OF STUDENTS.

THE IDEA THAT THE STATE CAN SET A NUMBER OF MINUTES AND SAY THAT THAT'S EQUAL ALL ACROSS THE STATE TO ME IS WRONG.

I WANT US TO FOLLOW THE LAW AND WE NEED TO DO THAT.

WE'VE GOT TO DO THAT.

BUT I BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO EVALUATE OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR LOCAL NEEDS.

AND I THINK THE PERFECT WAY TO DO THAT IS THROUGH A DLT THAT'S MADE UP OF PARENTS, ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS.

I DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH A FLUCTUATION OF ZERO POINT FIVE PERCENT IN OUR INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES YEAR OVER YEAR, I WOULD BE VERY MINDFUL OF AN EROSION OF THAT CONTINUING OVER TIME.

BUT LOOKING BACK OVER THE HISTORY, I DON'T THINK WE SEE THAT.

I THINK WE SEE A STRANGE TIME OF COVID RIGHT NOW THAT'S CAUSING SOME WAVES IN THE WATERS WE'RE SAILING UPON.

BUT I DO APPRECIATE THAT, AND I STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR CONTINUING TO LISTEN TO THE LOCAL PEOPLE WHO KNOW OUR STUDENTS, WHO KNOW THE STUDENTS NEEDS, WHO WORK WITH OUR STUDENTS, WHO LIVE WITH OUR STUDENTS TO BE MINDFUL OF THEIR NEEDS.

AND I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND SUPPORT THIS CALENDAR.

THANK YOU.

SO I'M GOING TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY JUST TO KIND OF SAY, YOU KNOW, SO THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THEY SET THE TEKS, THE TEXAS ESSENTIAL KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS, WHICH IS THE CURRICULUM THAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE TO TEACH IN TEXAS.

SO WHILE WE'VE GOT LINDSEY AND BRETT HERE AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CALENDAR AND IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP ABOUT THE INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES AND, YOU KNOW, THE TEKS PRESSURE, I WOULD LOVE TO ASK LINDSEY AND BRETT TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PRESSURE TO TEACH THE TEKS WITHIN THE ALLOTTED TIME BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE STATE BOARD CONTINUES TO ADD MORE TEKS AND NOT TAKE ANY AWAY.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.

AND THEN ALSO, YOU KNOW, IF YOU THINK THIS CALENDAR REALLY IS HELPING OR HURTING YOU, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ALL SAID OUR PIECE ON THAT AND I'M IN SUPPORT, BUT I DO WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU GUYS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU FEEL GOOD ABOUT THIS.

I PERSONALLY DON'T THINK THAT TWO DAYS IS GOING TO IMPACT MY ABILITY TOO.

IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE OR BREAK A UNIT.

I THINK COVID, I FORGET WHO SAID THIS, BUT ELLEN, YOU SAID THIS COVID HAS TAUGHT US TO ADAPT.

COVID HAS TAUGHT US TOO A LOT OF THINGS THAT MAYBE I WAS DOING FIVE YEARS AGO.

I'M NOT DOING ANYMORE.

COVID HAS TAUGHT ME TO TOTALLY RELOOK AT UNITS AND CERTAIN THINGS THAT MAYBE I DID FOR MULTIPLE DAYS THAT IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS REALLY WEREN'T THAT NECESSARY.

THOSE HAVE BEEN SCRAPPED AND MORE MEANINGFUL INSTRUCTION HAS BEEN PUT IN ITS PLACE.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM TO REALLY WORK WITH STAFF IF THEY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT LOSING TWO DAYS OVER THE COURSE OF AN ENTIRE SCHOOL YEAR.

YOU KNOW, TO INCORPORATE MORE MEANINGFUL INSTRUCTION VERSUS JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT MAYBE WE WERE DOING BECAUSE WE'VE ALWAYS DONE.

AND I THINK THAT FOR TEACHERS, HAVING TWO DAYS OFF IS A WAY OR OFF TO PLAN, NOT OFF, BUT OFF TO PLAN IS A WAY HIGHER IMPORTANCE IN THE LONGEVITY OF TEACHERS AND OUR MENTAL HEALTH THAN TO JUST FOR INSTRUCTION.

WANTED TO ADD TO THAT, TOO, AS WE'VE ALL BEEN SITTING HERE SPEAKING AND TALKING THROUGH THIS, I'VE JUST REALLY BEEN THINKING ABOUT HOW.

LET'S CALL A SPADE A SPADE, WE'RE PUTTING BAND-AIDS ON THE BOTTOM OF A LEAKY SHIP ALL

[01:20:01]

STEP BACK AND LOGICALLY EVALUATE WHAT IS BEING DONE IN THE CLASSROOM, WHAT IS EFFECTIVE, HOW WE CAN BE MORE EFFECTIVE, GIVE MORE MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK TO OUR STUDENTS REALLY IDENTIFY AREAS WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, ANY ADDITIONAL TIME THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT THE DISTRACTION OF I NEED TO RUN TO AN HOUR OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND THEN I HAVE ONE HOUR TO GET EVERYTHING ELSE I NEED TO GET TAKEN CARE OF OR I'M SACRIFICING MY NIGHTS, MY WEEKENDS, WHICH WE ALL ALREADY DO.

BUT DO WE WANT TO FOSTER THAT CULTURE IN OUR TEACHERS? I THINK THAT SETS US UP FOR SOME HUGE BURNOUT ISSUES.

SO JUST BEING ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT TIME TO MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT AT WHAT WE DO AND MAKE THE INSTRUCTION.

[INAUDIBLE] I DON'T THINK THAT THAT WILL.

THAT I KNOW FOR MYSELF, I CAN ONLY SPEAK FOR MYSELF THAT WILL NOT IMPACT MY ABILITY TO MEET ALL THE STANDARDS IN WHICH I NEED TO MEET THROUGHOUT THE YEAR OR THIS SEMESTER.

I THINK HONESTLY, IT WOULD HELP TO MAKE US MORE EFFICIENT AND BE ABLE TO MEET THOSE STANDARDS IN A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.

I MEAN, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO ME.

AND BRETT, WHAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW ABOUT WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE TO DO THINGS IN A MORE MEANINGFUL WAY IS SUPER IMPACTFUL AND ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF OTHER CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE HAVING ALSO NOT JUST THE CALENDAR, IT'S, YOU KNOW, ABOUT DISMANTLING THE WAY WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THEM TO MAKE THEM MORE MEANINGFUL AND BETTER FOR OUR KIDS, I DON'T THINK IS A BAD THING.

SO I'M REALLY HAPPY THAT YOU GUYS WERE HERE TODAY.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

THANK YOU, JEN.

THANKS.

I DO WANT TO REITERATE THAT I APPRECIATE THE REASON BEHIND ALL OF THESE CHANGES.

I TRULY DO FOR STUDENTS, FOR STAFF IN PARTICULAR.

MY CONCERN REMAINS THE CONTINUING OF THE EROSION AND ELLEN BROUGHT UP THE POINT I THINK THAT MAKES THAT I SHOULD HAVE BROUGHT UP IN THE FIRST PLACE.

THAT YOU JUST THANKSGIVING, I MEAN, HOW MANY YEARS HAS IT BEEN NOW, LIKE THREE YEARS, FOUR YEARS THAT WE'VE CONSISTENTLY DONE A WEEK AT THANKSGIVING? PRIOR TO THAT, WE NEVER DID IT.

WE NEVER DID IT WHEN MY KIDS WERE LITTLE.

IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN.

IT HAPPENED ONE ANOMALY ONE YEAR.

AND THAT WAS IT.

AND LIKE ELLEN SAID, I'M NOT SUGGESTING IT.

NO ONE'S GOING TO TOUCH IT WITH A TEN FOOT POLE.

WE ALL KNOW THAT.

SO ADD THAT TO ANOTHER THING ABOVE THAT LINE THAT'S THAT TRADITION THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO TOUCH.

SO WE HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THAT EVERY TIME WE'RE ADDING A DAY AFTER EASTER.

GREAT IDEA.

YEAH, IT'S A FAMILY TIME.

I GET THAT IT MAKES SENSE.

BUT IT'S GOING TO BE CEMENTED AND IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE THERE AND THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE CHANGE, SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE COME BACK, WHEN THE DLT COMES BACK TO US IN TWO YEARS FOR THE NEXT TWO YEARS CALENDAR.

WHAT OTHER CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE PROPOSED, WHAT OTHER DAYS.

AND IF WE ARE SO TIED TO SOME OF THOSE OTHER THINGS WE'RE EVENTUALLY GOING TO HAVE A HUGE PROBLEM.

AND HONESTLY, I MEAN, IN ANOTHER, I MEAN NOTHING.

NO ONE'S GOING TO TOUCH IT WITH A TEN FOOT POLE.

WHAT YOU'RE ALL DESCRIBING IS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE A YEAR ROUND SCHOOL THAT GIVES EVERYBODY THE BREAKS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE YEAR.

THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO ALL I'M SAYING IS WE HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS BECAUSE IT IS EVENTUALLY GOING TO BITE US IN THE BUTT.

AND I'D LOVE TO COMMENT ON THAT.

ABSOLUTELY.

THAT WAS A CONVERSATION THAT WE DID HAVE IN DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT IS SUSTAINABLE, AND WE DO NOT WANT TO CONTINUE TO HAVE MORE DAYS OFF OR MORE HALF DAYS IN.

WE HAVE TO TRY TO PRESERVE THE INTEGRITY OF WHAT THE SCHOOL CALENDAR SETS OUT TO DO.

IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DON'T.

WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO WHAT PRE-COVID PRE-PANDEMIC WAS AND HAVE THAT CONSISTENCY FOR FAMILIES.

THAT'S OUR HOPE.

AND WE'RE FAITHFUL.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE'RE GOING TO GET THERE.

AND I CAN'T THINK THE TEACHERS AND THE ADMIN AND THE STAFF FOR DOING WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING TO PIVOT AND TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO TEACH.

AND SO JUST TO BE MINDFUL, WE WERE HAVING THAT SAME DIALOG OF WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP GIVING AND GIVING AND GIVING.

WE HAVE TO SET PARAMETERS.

AND AS HARD AS IT IS TO SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER THROUGH THOSE DECISIONS AND TO BE ABLE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND AND COMMUNICATING IT IN A POSITIVE WAY OF WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT.

AND THAT WAS A BIG PART OF OUR CONVERSATION, AS WELL IS THE COMMUNICATION PIECE THAT GOES OUT TO THE FAMILIES AND THE STUDENTS TO EXPLAIN THE WHYS BEHIND IT SO THAT WE HAVE COMMUNITY BUY IN THAT WE HAVE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S NOT JUST A RANDOM

[01:25:02]

AND SO I JUST WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONSISTENT DIALOG THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING AT THE DLT AND THE SUBCOMMITTEE LEVEL.

YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT.

I, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE REALITY IS WHENEVER HOPEFULLY AFTER THESE 23, 24, WE ARE WELL BEYOND COVID AND BACK TO SOME SENSE OF NORMALCY.

BUT THE REALITY IS WE'RE NOT GOING TO BACK OFF OF THESE DAYS WITHIN THE CALENDAR.

THAT'S THE REALITY.

IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

SO THEY'RE ALREADY BAKED IN AT THAT POINT.

SO AND AGAIN, NOT FOR BAD REASONS, FOR VERY GOOD REASONS.

BUT WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THE BIGGER PICTURE.

BRETT HAD TO LEAVE BECAUSE SHE HAD FISH WAITING TO BE DISSECTED.

[LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, SO.

NICE.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY COMMENTS THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE.

I'VE GOT A COUPLE, SO IF WE GO BACK TO THE TO THIS SLIDE, DR.

LEONARD.

YEAH, THIS IS A COMPARING TIME THING.

WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT THIS MORNING ABOUT THIS 10 YEAR TRAJECTORY AND I THINK OVER THAT 10 YEARS, IT DOES SHOW THAT WE HAVE FEWER INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES, THOUGH, AS JAMES POINTED OUT, AS A PERCENTAGE, IT'S DE MINIMIS.

BUT IF WE LOOK OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, 21 TO 23, 24 THAT PROJECTED PERIOD, WE'RE ACTUALLY GAINING MINUTES BACK.

AND SO I DON'T SHARE THE CONCERN THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ERODING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

I THINK WE'RE ATTEMPTING TO STABILIZE AND RECAPTURE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME.

AND TO THE EXTENT THAT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME IS AT PLAY, IT'S AT PLAY.

IT'S SUCH A MARGINAL LEVEL.

I DON'T THINK IT IMPACTS WHAT OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS ARE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM.

BUT LET ME GO FURTHER.

WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHERE'D MY NOTES GO? WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SORT OF THE THREE GOALS, YOU KNOW, TO PROVIDE FOR STUDENTS AND FAMILY AND TEACHERS.

AND I THINK THIS CALENDAR DOES A REALLY GOOD JOB OF ADDRESSING THE FAMILY'S NEEDS.

YOU KNOW, THESE FULL DAYS AND LAYERING THEM ON THE WAY WE DID IS IS SUPER HELPFUL.

AND I TRUSTED OUR TEACHERS ARE MENTIONING TO THE NEEDS OF THE KIDS.

MY MY REAL QUESTION IS ONE DO THE TEACHERS HAVE THE TIME IN THIS CALENDAR TO BREATHE? AND THEN SECONDLY, WE OUR CALENDAR IS NOW A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TOOL.

AND IF WE LOOK AT WHAT LEANDER IS DOING, A TEACHER WHO LOOKS AT THIS CALENDAR AND THEY LOOK AT ALL THE FREE TIME THAT LEANDER SORT OF PURPORTS TO PROMISE, AND THEN WE COMPARE OURSELVES TO LAKE TRAVIS AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN THE AREA LOOK LIKE.

BUT THE EXTENT TO WHICH OUR CALENDAR DOESN'T ADDRESS THE QUALITY OF LIFE CONSIDERATIONS THAT TEACHERS AND STAFF MEMBERS HAVE.

WE ARE DISADVANTAGING OURSELVES AS WE ATTEMPT TO GO OUT, RECRUIT AND RETAIN TEACHERS.

SO TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE ADDRESSING OUR TEACHERS QUALITY OF LIFE CONSIDERATIONS IN THIS CALENDAR? I THINK THAT ONE OF THE BEST PARTS OF BEING A PART OF DLT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS IS REALLY SEEING THAT THE PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT BEHIND GIVING THE TEACHERS AND REALLY WANTING US TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS TIME TO BREATHE AND UTILIZE THE TIME THAT WE'RE BEING GIVEN IN A MEANINGFUL WAY HAS BEEN WONDERFUL, JUST SEEING THAT TYPE OF SUPPORT.

AND YES, I BELIEVE THAT JUST ANECDOTALLY TALKING WITH OTHER TEACHERS ABOUT THE CALENDAR AND GETTING THEIR THOUGHTS.

WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT CHANGING THE SCHEDULE THIS SEMESTER, POTENTIALLY AND POTENTIALLY MOVING FORWARD? THE OVERWHELMING RESPONSE ACROSS EVERYONE THAT I TALKED TO WAS, YES, LIKE WE'LL TAKE WHAT WE CAN GET.

AND WE ARE ONE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT WORKING WITH EANES IS YOU ALL DO TRUST US TO BE THE PROFESSIONALS THAT WE ARE, AND WE WILL TAKE THE TIME THAT WE ARE GIVEN TO UTILIZE IT, TO BETTER THE STUDENTS, TO BETTER OURSELVES AND TO BETTER CREATE THIS ENVIRONMENT OF EANES.

[01:30:01]

IF I COULD LITERALLY JUST LOOK AT MY WEEK AND GO TWO DAYS, OH, CATCH MY BREATH.

TWO DAYS, WE CAN MAKE IT, WE CAN DO IT.

BUT THAT FOR THE PURPOSES OF WHAT WE ARE DOING AT EANES AS A COMMITTEE, WE DECIDED THAT THAT WAS NOT THE BEST ROUTE TO TAKE.

AND SO LANDING UPON THIS, THERE WAS A LOT OF SUPPORT BEHIND IT WITH THE STAFF.

THERE'S A LOT OF SUPPORT WITH THE PARENTS.

WE JUST WE SEE IT AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY BE ABLE TO GET BACK TO THE MINDSET AND THE MENTAL HEADSPACE THAT WE WERE AT, OBVIOUSLY NOT FULLY BEFORE COVID, BUT BE ABLE TO ATTEND TO THINGS IN A MORE FOCUSED WAY BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS DISTRACTING RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY.

SO NO, WE'RE VERY RECEPTIVE.

IT IS OBVIOUSLY WHENEVER WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE DOING, WE SEE THEIR CALENDARS, WE SEE.

BUT THERE IS A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE.

WE ARE OUT BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY.

WE DO HAVE THANKSGIVING, SO THERE'S A LOT OF GIVE AND TAKE WITH EVERYTHING.

AND SO, YES, THE OVERWHELMING CONSENSUS THAT PEOPLE THAT I'VE TALKED TO HAS BEEN THAT THIS WOULD GIVE US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BREATHE AND WORK AND REALLY GET SOME FOCUS TIME IN.

AND IT'S REASSURING TO HEAR YOU SAY THAT.

AND I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT.

WE ONLY GET TO DO THIS EVERY SO OFTEN AND WE'RE PROPOSING RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, TO BEGIN A TWO YEAR ROLLING CALENDAR.

SO THE NEXT CALENDAR, THEORETICALLY, THAT WE SEE IS GOING TO BE FOR TWO YEARS OUT.

AND IF WE CHOOSE, IF WE DISCOVER THAT WE ARE AT A COMPETITIVE DISADVANTAGE, IT'S DIFFICULT.

I MEAN, WE OF COURSE, CAN CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.

BUT YOU KNOW, THAT'S NEVER, YOU KNOW, NEVER PLEASANT FOR ANYONE.

AND WE KNOW WE'RE NOT.

WE KNOW WE CAN'T PAY WHAT SOME OF THESE OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS CAN PAY.

WE KNOW THAT IT'S HARDER TO GET HERE THAN IT IS TO GET TO SOME OF THESE OUTLYING SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

I JUST ASK ONE MORE TIME FOR DLT AS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS CALENDAR.

ARE WE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY TO USE THE CALENDAR AS AN EMPLOYER, AS AN EMPLOYMENT TOOL, NOT AN EDUCATIONAL TOOL, NECESSARILY, BUT AS AN EMPLOYMENT TOOL? SO.

THAT'S A TERRIFIC QUESTION.

AND AS AN EMPLOYER, MY BASIS WOULD BE MY HUSBAND'S EMPLOYMENT AND PRE-PANDEMIC.

TO NOW, HIS CALENDAR IS STILL THE SAME OF HIS EMPLOYMENT EXPECTATIONS AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT HE ACCEPTS, AND WITH RETENTION, IF YOU LOOK AT OUR COMPETITIVE DISTRICTS, IN MY OPINION, HIGHLAND PARK IS ONE OF THOSE COMPETITIVE DISTRICTS BECAUSE WE'RE VERY LIKE MINDED ON A LOT OF REGARDS THAT THEY ARE FOLLOWING.

THERE'S SIMILARITIES BECAUSE IT'S DIFFICULT TO LIVE IN THAT COMMUNITY AS WELL.

A LOT OF THEIR TEACHERS HAVE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN THE DISTRICT JUST LIKE WE DO, AND WE ARE VERY LIKE MINDED WITH THIS AS A REPRESENTATION OF WHAT OUR CALENDAR WOULD PROPOSE TO RETENTION OF EMPLOYEES AND IT ALLOWS US POSSIBLY TO LOOK AT IT, MAYBE ONE YEAR AT A TIME RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE CONCERNED OVER THE TWO YEAR COMMITMENT.

I WOULD LIKE TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT FOR YEAR, 23 TO 24 THAT IF WE ADOPT THE MONDAY AFTER EASTER, IT IS RIGHT AS WE START STAAR TESTING.

SO THAT IS A CONSIDERATION TO SAY.

MAYBE THIS YEAR WE MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION TO DO ONE YEAR AND SEE HOW THAT GOES, AND THEN THE DLT WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME FEEDBACK HERE FROM THE COMMUNITY HEAR MORE ABOUT RETENTION.

AND AGAIN, OUR JOB HERE IS TO COMMUNICATE THE FACTS AND THE DISCUSSION WE'VE HAD TO BRING TO YOUR ATTENTION SO THAT YOU ALL CAN COLLABORATE AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS BACK ON US.

BUT WE HAVE REALLY DISSECTED THIS AND TRIED TO BE AS THOUGHTFUL WITH REGARD TO OUR THREE BIG BUCKETS OF STUDENTS, FAMILIES AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, FACULTY AND STAFF.

THANK YOU ALL.

I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU'VE PUT INTO THIS.

AND I THINK WITH THAT, IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY TO MOVE ON.

SORT OF SORT OF.

SORRY DR. LEONARD.

JUST CLARIFICATION.

WE ARE GOING TO APPROVE A CALENDAR AT SOME POINT.

DLT'S GOT TO APPROVE IT, THE BOARD HAS TO APPROVE IT.

[01:35:01]

I'M JUST TRYING TO GET CLARITY.

DLTS RECOMMENDING AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE 21 22 SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE SPRING AND ADOPTING THE NEXT TWO CALENDARS.

OBVIOUSLY, YOU'LL VOTE WHEREVER WAY YOU WANT TO VOTE AT THAT TIME, BUT I'M ASSUMING THAT YOU WANT THIS TO BE PUT ON THAT AS AN ACTION ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION, I GUESS THAT'S WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE.

OKAY.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HEARD ABOUT THE STAAR OR THE TESTING BEGINNING AFTER A HOLIDAY.

CAN YOU, DR.

LEONARD, MAYBE COMMENT ON THAT? AND AND WHICH YEAR WAS THAT? THIS GUY IS DR. ARNETT? THAT'S OK.

I'LL ANSWER TO.

I'M OVER HERE.

IT'S OKAY.

IT'S OKAY.

HE CAN ANSWER TOO.

NO, NO.

TAKE IT, DR.

LEONARD.

[LAUGHTER] IT IS EARLY.

OK? I'M NOT FINISHED WITH MY TEA YET.

I GET IT ALL THE TIME.

I KNOW YOU DO.

WE DID EXPLORE THAT, AND IT WAS, AS NICOLE MENTIONED, ONE OF THE ASPECTS THAT THE DLT ASKED US TO TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT.

WE HAVE A NEW COORDINATOR OF ASSESSMENT AND WE LOOKED CLOSELY AT THE DATES THAT WE KNOW OF THROUGH TEA.

AND YES, THERE WILL BE SOME YEARS WHERE STUDENTS WOULD COME BACK THE DAY PRIOR TO STAAR TESTING.

THAT'S CERTAINLY A CONSIDERATION.

WE DID ASK THE HIGH SCHOOL FACULTY, ESPECIALLY HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THAT.

THEY BELIEVE THAT THEY CAN MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS AND THAT THAT WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE AN OBSTACLE THAT THEY CAN'T PREPARE FOR.

BUT TO NICOLE'S POINT, THERE ARE YEARS WHERE THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.

AND THAT'S THE HARD THING ABOUT THE EASTER WEEKEND IS AND THAT'S THE DEBATE.

IT FLOATS EVERY YEAR, SOME YEARS IT'S IN LATE MARCH, ALMOST IN CONJUNCTION WITH SPRING BREAK, AND THERE ARE SOME YEARS THAT GOES INTO MID TO LATE APRIL.

THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

AND FOR YOU, DR.

ARNETT.

AND I JUST NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO PUT ON THE AGENDA.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, I'LL GO WITH THE WILL OF THE BOARD.

MY PREFERENCE IS THAT WE VOTE ON THE CURRENT SCHOOL YEAR AND THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR AND NOT FOR A TWO YEAR CALENDAR.

THAT'S MY PREFERENCE.

OK, HEATHER, YOU GET YOUR THE CLOSER.

SO AS EVERYONE KNOWS HOW MUCH I LOVE STAAR, THEY ARE MAKING SOME DIFFERENT CHANGES TO STAAR.

THIS YEAR THERE'S A PILOTING PROGRAM THROUGH TEA, SO IN 2023 IT'S GOING TO BE AN ENTIRELY NEW PROGRAM FOR STAAR ALSO.

SO I THINK THAT IT WILL BE DIFFERENT AND SO THAT MAY NOT MAKE.

IT MAY NOT BE AN ISSUE FOR US BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCES IN THE PROGRAM, BUT MORE TO COME FROM TEA ON STAAR.

YAY.

THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WITH THAT.

SO WE'LL DO.

YOU WANT THE ADOPTION OF A SORRY ADJUSTMENT OF 21 22 AND ADOPT 22 23 AS POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER AT THE JANUARY 25TH MEETING? AM I CORRECT? YEAH, I THINK WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER.

ALL THREE.

I THINK WE'D LIKE TO CONSIDER DLT'S RECOMMENDATION.

AND AS IS.

OKAY.

I WILL PUT IT ON THE AGENDA, YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENT CHOICE AT THAT TIME.

IS THAT FAIR.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

PLEASE THANK NIKKI ON OUR BEHALF.

OH, I'M SORRY.

AND, BRETT.

ALL RIGHT.

THE NEXT ITEM IS A CURRICULUM SUPPORT FOR THE DEI STRATEGIC PRIORITY,

[6.2. Curriculum Support for DEI Strategic Priority (RFQ)]

SO SUSAN, I GUESS YOU ARE OUR LEAD THIS MORNING.

YES, GOOD MORNING.

GOOD MORNING.

SO WE ARE HERE TO PRESENT FOR REVIEW SOME SUPPORT THAT THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT WOULD LIKE AS WE LOOK AT OUR DEI STRATEGIC PRIORITIES SPECIFIC TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO HEATHER MEEK, OUR DIRECTOR OF HUMANITIES, SHE'S GOING TO BE HERE TO HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS AT THE END.

AND LINDA RAWLINGS, OUR SENIOR ADVISOR, AND SHE AND I WILL BE HANDLING PRESENTATION.

SO OUR FOCUS FOR THIS MORNING IS TO PROVIDE SOME CONTEXT FOR THE NEED TO REVIEW OUR DEI GOALS AND PRIORITIES SPECIFIC TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE BARRIERS, REVIEW THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE AND TO ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS.

SO, AS YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, WE HAD SOME NEW LAWS AND LEGISLATION THAT CAME DOWN.

AND ONE OF THEM SAYS THAT A PARENT IS ENTITLED TO REMOVE THEIR CHILD TEMPORARILY FROM A CLASS OR A SCHOOL ACTIVITY IF THAT ACTIVITY CONFLICTS WITH THE PARENTS RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS.

WE ALSO HAVE A BOARD POLICY THAT STATES THAT A PARENT IS ENTITLED TO REVIEW ALL INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES AND OTHER TEACHING AIDS.

[01:40:05]

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GUARANTEED AND VIABLE CURRICULUM.

SO OUR BOARD POLICY STATES THAT A PARENT IS ENTITLED TO REVIEW TEACHING AND INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS USED IN THE CLASSROOM.

THE DISTRICT SHALL ADDRESS CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS IN AN IMPARTIAL AND OBJECTIVE MANNER, AND THE DISTRICT SHALL NOT REMOVE MATERIALS FROM A LIBRARY FOR THE PURPOSE OF DENYING STUDENTS ACCESS.

SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE A ROADMAP.

WE'RE ON AN INSTRUCTIONAL JOURNEY DOWN A ROAD.

AND SOMETIMES THAT INSTRUCTIONAL JOURNEY COULD COVER TOPICS THAT COULD CONFLICT WITH A PERSON'S RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS.

AND THE OPTION FOR A PARENT TO EXIT THEIR STUDENT OFF OF THAT ROAD SHOULD BE PROVIDED.

IF DESIRED, BY THAT PARENT.

SO WE DO HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A PROCESS IN PLACE FOR A BOOK CHALLENGE, SO IF A PARENT HAD A CONCERN ABOUT A SPECIFIC BOOK, THE FIRST STEP ALWAYS IS TO DO THAT INFORMAL PROCESS.

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE THAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS, TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATION AND WITH THE PARENTS.

BUT IF THERE IS A FORMAL CONCERN, THERE'S A FORMAL PROCESS FOR A PARENT TO GO THROUGH.

THEY FILL OUT THIS FORM.

WE FORM A COMMITTEE.

WE REALLY DEEPLY LOOK AT THAT CONCERN.

WE ASK SPECIFIC QUESTIONS RELATED TO OUR POLICY AND THEN WE GET BACK TO THE PARENT.

SOMETIMES THAT THAT RESULTS IN.

WE'RE GOING TO STILL LEAVE THE BOOK ON THE SHELF, BUT WE'RE GOING TO FLAG YOUR CHILD'S ACCOUNT.

THAT IS ONE OPTION THAT WE'VE USED IN THE PAST.

WITH ALL OF THE NEW LEGISLATION THAT CAME OUT THIS YEAR THAT REALLY HIGHLIGHTED THE FACT THAT PARENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW WHAT'S BEING TAUGHT, WHAT'S BEING READ, AND THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPT OUT OF A SPECIFIC ACTIVITY OR A SPECIFIC LESSON.

IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY DESIRE, SO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR IS WE UPDATED OUR FORM.

IF A PARENT SHOULD WANT TO OPT OUT OF A SPECIFIC LESSON OR ACTIVITY AND WE HANDLE THAT ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS.

SO THIS PRESENTS US WITH SOME CHALLENGES.

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS THAT THERE ARE TOPICS THAT COULD CONFLICT WITH A PARENT'S RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS.

AND THERE'S NO GUIDANCE FROM TEA OR AGREEMENT ON WHAT IS A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC, WHICH REALLY MAKES THAT TOUGH FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF.

WITH THE PASSING OF SENATE BILL THREE, WHICH SAID TEACHERS SHALL NOT MAKE ONE RACE OR GENDER MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANOTHER.

THAT REALLY PROVED TO BE SOMETHING THAT MADE OUR TEACHERS FEEL A LITTLE FEARFUL.

WHAT IF I SAY SOMETHING? WHAT IF I TEACH SOMETHING AND I GET CAUGHT? AND THAT'S THAT CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC THAT COULD BE AGAINST SOMEONE'S RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS? I WANT TO HAVE SOME COVER FOR THAT, AND WE WANT TO PROVIDE OUR TEACHERS WITH COVER FOR THAT.

AND ANOTHER CHALLENGE IS THAT NOT ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS COME EQUIPPED WITH THAT TRAINING TO BE ABLE TO CULTIVATE THOSE REPRESENTATIVE RESOURCES.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO LINDA SO SHE CAN KIND OF GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON DEI.

THANKS, SUSAN.

SO YOU WILL RECALL THAT BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, YOU MADE THE DECISION TO HIRE DR.

GOODEN AS A RESULT OF KIDS, BOTH CURRENT STUDENTS, AS WELL AS FORMER STUDENTS WHO CAME FORWARD TO SAY THAT THE CLIMATE THAT THEY HAD EXPERIENCED SOMETIMES DIDN'T MAKE THEM FEEL WELCOME THEY PRAISED A LOT ABOUT THEIR SCHOOLING EXPERIENCE, BOTH THOSE CURRENT AND FORMER STUDENTS, BUT THEY FELT THAT WE COULD IMPROVE THAT SOMEWHAT.

SO THAT'S THE JOURNEY THAT WE HAVE BEEN ON, AND IT REALLY IS ALL ABOUT CREATING A CLIMATE WHERE EVERYBODY FITS IN REGARDLESS THEIR DIFFERENCES, THEY FEEL WELCOME, THEY FEEL ACCEPTED.

WE KNOW THAT WHEN THAT'S TRUE FOR KIDS, THEY DO MUCH BETTER OVER TIME, BOTH IN THEIR SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL HEALTH AS WELL AS ACADEMICALLY.

SO THAT REALLY IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN ALL ABOUT.

SO THE STRATEGIC SUMMIT, YOU MADE DEI A PRIORITY, AND WE'VE BEEN HARD AT WORK ON THOSE SEVEN GOALS.

THE ONE THAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY IS THE ONE ABOUT EMBEDDING OVER TIME, SO DEI IN THE CURRICULUM AS WELL AS IN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES.

SO I WANTED TO TO SHARE WITH YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT DR.

[01:45:01]

YOU'LL, OF COURSE, HEAR MORE ABOUT THOSE OTHER TOPICS UNDER DEI IN THE COMING WEEKS.

BUT WHILE WE FOCUSED INITIALLY ON RACIAL AWARENESS, YOU'LL REMEMBER IN THE FALL OF 2020 THAT HAS EXPANDED AS WE HAVE HAD CONVERSATIONS IN OTHER AREAS, IT WAS ALWAYS ABOUT MAKING SURE ALL KIDS FIT IN AND BELONG, NOT JUST KIDS WITH DIFFERENT SKIN COLOR, BUT CHILDREN WHO HAVE SOCIOECONOMIC DIFFERENCES FROM EANES KIDS, KIDS WHO HAVE DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS BELIEFS AND TRADITIONS.

ALL KIDS.

SO REGARDLESS WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE, MAKING SURE THAT THAT CLIMATE IS GOOD FOR EVERYONE.

SO TO THAT POINT, DR.

GOODEN HAS PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL LEARNING FOR STAFF IN NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES OVER THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF TO PROVIDE THEM WITH SOME GUIDANCE ABOUT HOW DO YOU CREATE A CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT THAT IS WELCOMING AND ACCEPTING OF ALL KIDS? HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO INCLUDE ALL KIDS? WHAT DOES THAT DO IN TERMS OF HELPING YOUR KIDS SUCCEED BOTH ACADEMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY? HE ALSO, AND YOU'LL RECALL WHEN YOU HIRED DR.

GOODEN, HIS EXPERTISE IS PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP.

THOSE ARE THE COURSES HE TEACHES AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY.

HE'S BEEN INVALUABLE FOR US IN WORKING WITH OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS OUR EQUITY TEAMS IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE NOW HAVE SUSTAINABILITY SO THAT WHEN HE IS GONE AFTER THIS YEAR, THIS CONTINUES AND OUR BUILDING LEADERS KNOW HOW TO DO THIS WORK.

SO I'LL PASS IT THANK YOU, LINDA.

SO.

WE HAVE BEEN DOING SOME WORK TOWARDS OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEI GOAL, AND WE'VE PUT THOSE INTO THREE BUCKETS CLASSROOM, LIBRARY AND INDIVIDUAL CASES AND SUPPORT.

SO I'M GOING TO KIND OF GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE.

SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION DEPARTMENT HAS TRIED TO SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HEATHER HAS BEEN WORKING ON WITH OUR ELEMENTARY TEACHER LEADERS IS LOOKING AT THOSE FOUNTAS & PINNELL READ ALOUD MATERIALS AND PUTTING THOSE KIND OF INTO CATEGORIES AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A GVC SO THAT IF IT'S AMERICAN HERITAGE OR NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE UNIT, HERE ARE THE RESOURCES FOR KINDERGARTEN THAT YOU COULD PULL FROM.

SO THAT'S KIND OF A WAY THAT WE'VE STARTED OUR WORK.

WE'VE ALSO HAD COLLABORATION WITH STAFF.

A PRINCIPAL WILL CALL US AND SAY, HEY, THIS LESSON IS HAPPENING.

WE HAVE A QUESTION, CAN WE COLLABORATE WITH YOU? TEACHERS WILL CALL US IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR DEPARTMENT CHAIR OR PLC MEETINGS.

THERE'S LOTS OF QUESTIONS THAT COME UP, ESPECIALLY THIS YEAR, ABOUT TOPICS THAT COULD BE CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL.

SO WE HELP JUST TALK THROUGH THAT.

WE COLLABORATE WITH THEM AND WE HELP TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE SET UP FOR SUCCESS.

ANOTHER WAY THAT WE HELP TO SUPPORT IS JUST THROUGH THOSE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT COULD BE A SECOND GRADE TEAM AT CEDAR CREEK THAT'S MEETING, IT COULD BE SECOND GRADE TEACHERS FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT THAT MEET WITH HEATHER.

IT COULD BE JUST A WIDE VARIETY OF GROUPS THAT COME TOGETHER, BUT IT'S NOT JUST ON ONE CAMPUS AT ONE TIME.

WE ALSO MEET WITH THE LIBRARIANS AND THEIR PLCS ONCE A MONTH.

HEATHER AND I VISIT WITH THEM, AND AGAIN, WE JUST ARE THERE AS A SUPPORT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT GUARANTEED AND VIABLE CURRICULUM.

THE SECOND BUCKET IS LIBRARY, AND OUR LIBRARIANS ARE PHENOMENAL.

THEY MEET ONCE A MONTH.

THEY CAME TOGETHER AND COLLABORATED WITH US IN THE SUMMER.

AND ONE OF THE WAYS THAT THEY WANTED TO REACH OUT AND PARTNER WITH AND SUPPORT OUR PARENTS IS TO CREATE A VIDEO.

SO FOR OUR FOR MOSTLY OUR ELEMENTARY LEVEL.

HOW DO YOU ASSESS THE LIBRARY ONLINE? HOW CAN YOU PRESELECT BOOKS WITH YOUR STUDENTS AT HOME? AND THEN IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR TOPIC THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT YOUR CHILD TO READ ABOUT, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME.

I CAN FLAG YOUR CHILD'S ACCOUNT.

OUR LIBRARIANS ALSO HAD A DESIRE TO ANALYZE THEIR BOOKS AND PUT THEM IN DIFFERENT CATEGORIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOPICS AND AUTHORS THAT ARE REPRESENTED AND THEY'VE JUST STARTED THAT WORK.

AND AS YOU KNOW, WITH DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, ALL OF THIS WORK TAKES TIME AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE VERY, VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT THAT.

AND THE THIRD BUCKET IS THE INDIVIDUAL.

SO WE DO HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE TO ASSIST WHEN INDIVIDUAL NEEDS ARISE.

SO IF WE HAVE A STUDENT THAT'S STRUGGLING WITH SOMETHING, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AGAIN, WE ENCOURAGE THAT COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARENT AND TEACHER, BETWEEN STUDENT AND TEACHER.

IF THERE'S A SITUATION THAT A TEACHER MIGHT NEED SOME HELP WITH, HOW DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY CAN GO AND TALK TO THE COUNSELOR?

[01:50:02]

AND THEN WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE JUST THAT COLLABORATION AND RESOURCES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF TO UTILIZE.

SO WE HAVE STARTED THE WORK.

BUT THERE'S STILL MUCH MORE TO DO.

SO WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IS THE FACT THAT WE TRULY FEEL LIKE WE NEED GUIDANCE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND INCREASE BELONGINGNESS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS, EACH AND EVERY EANES ISD STUDENT, INCLUDING THOSE WITH RELIGIOUS, GENDER IDENTITY, CULTURAL ABILITY AND ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES.

SO WHAT THAT INCLUDES IS LOOKING AT CURATING A LIST OF RESOURCES SO THAT OUR TEACHERS KIND OF FEEL LIKE THEY HAVE SOME COVER AND THAT THEY ARE A PART OF THAT PROCESS AS WE CREATE THAT LIST OF RESOURCES, MAYBE DEVELOPING A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE FOR THOSE TOPICS THAT PEOPLE COULD CONSIDER AS CONTROVERSIAL, PROVIDING GUIDANCE FOR A SELECTION OF BOOKS AND OTHER RESOURCES THAT REPRESENT RELIGIOUS, GENDER, CULTURAL ABILITY AND ECONOMIC DIFFERENCES.

AND WE JUST REALLY WANT TO PROVIDE SUPPORT FOR OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF, AS YOU'VE HEARD FROM THE CALENDAR DISCUSSION.

OUR TEACHERS ARE WORKING SO HARD AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING THEM THE SUPPORT THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY ARE NOT FEARFUL AS THEY'RE TEACHING THEIR KIDS.

WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN FOR COMMUNICATION FOR PARENTS SO THAT IF WE'RE TEACHING OR READING A SPECIFIC TOPIC, THEY KNOW ABOUT THAT AHEAD OF TIME, SO THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPT OUT.

SO THIS BRINGS US TO OUR RFQ.

LAST YEAR, AFTER THE STRATEGIC SUMMIT AND THE CREATION OF THE DEI GOALS, THERE WAS ONE GOAL SPECIFIC TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION AND OUR TEAM CAME TO YOU AND I WANT TO SAY A BIG THANK YOU.

YOU HEARD OUR CONCERN THAT WE REALLY NEEDED GUIDANCE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT DEI EXPERTS OURSELVES.

I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE FOR THE WORK THAT LINDA AND DR.

GOODEN HAVE PROVIDED FOR OUR STAFF AND OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM HAS BENEFITED SOME FROM THAT.

BUT IT'S NOT SPECIFIC TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO IN ORDER FOR US TO MEET THE GOAL TO EMBED OVER TIME THE ONGOING IMPORTANCE OF DEI AND CURRICULUM INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS AND RESOURCES, YOU ASKED US TO GO OUT AND RESEARCH POSSIBLE EXPERTS IN THE AREA OF DEI AS IT RELATES TO CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO WE DID DO THAT IN JUNE OF 2021, WE ADVERTISED THAT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS.

THE DEADLINE TO ACCEPT SUBMISSIONS WAS AT THE END OF JULY AND BETWEEN AUGUST AND NOVEMBER OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM HAS BEEN HARD AT WORK REVIEWING THOSE SUBMISSIONS.

WE DID HAVE SEVERAL SUBMISSIONS FOR THIS WORK, SO THAT SAYS THAT THIS WORK IS STARTING TO HAPPEN IN OUR WORLD AND WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THAT.

WE INTERVIEWED POSSIBLE VENDORS AND THERE WAS ONE VENDOR THAT MET OUR QUALIFICATIONS.

I DO WANT TO SAY, TOO, THAT WE HAD A MEMBER OF OUR BUSINESS OFFICE ON OUR COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS REALLY AN INTERESTING PIECE TO OUR PROCESS BECAUSE AFTER WE INTERVIEWED THE CANDIDATES, SHE EVEN SAID, OH MY GOODNESS, I UNDERSTAND THE WORK.

SO FOR ME, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT THAT WAS VALIDATING THAT SHE'S NOT IN THE WORLD OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, BUT FELT THAT THIS PERSON WAS QUALIFIED TO DO THAT WORK.

SO UPON BOARD REVIEW, WE ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER AWARDING THE RFQ TO LESSONCAST, WHICH WOULD ALLOW OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM AND OUR INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS TO ENGAGE IN SOME PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

SOMEONE MENTIONED EARLIER WHAT'S THE TIMELINE? SO THE TIMELINE WOULD BE IF THIS IS AWARDED LESSONCAST WOULD WORK WITH OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM, OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS WHO ARE SO VITAL TO THE WORK THAT WE DO.

THEY ARE ON THE CAMPUSES, MEETING WITH THE TEACHERS AND SUPPORTING THEM DAY IN AND DAY OUT AND ALSO WORKING WITH OUR PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS DOING ALL OF THIS WORK.

SO LOOKING AT IDENTIFYING ESSENTIAL CRITERIA FOR IMPLEMENTING THOSE EQUITABLE PRACTICES AND OUTCOMES, EXPLORING THE UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING APPROACH TO GIVE ALL OF OUR STUDENTS A SENSE OF BELONGING EACH AND EVERY DAY IN EVERY CONTENT AREA, IN EVERY GRADE LEVEL TO LEARN STRATEGIES FOR EMBEDDING THOSE CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRACTICES TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR LEARNERS.

TO EXAMINE OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM, TO IDENTIFY GAPS.

WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS IN OUR CURRENT CURRICULUM, AS BRETT MENTIONED EARLIER COVID HAS GIVEN US THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THOSE STANDARDS AND WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE NOT RELEVANT THAT WE CAN GET RID OF.

BUT THIS IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT PIECE TO OUR CURRICULUM.

WHERE ARE THOSE GAPS? WHERE ARE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES AND ENSURE EQUITABLE CURRICULUM AND STUDENT LEARNING EXPERIENCES? ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF HAVE ASKED FOR IS A LIST OF RESOURCES.

SO THIS WORK WOULD INCLUDE DEVELOPING A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE AND A LIST OF

[01:55:03]

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE LOTS OF PEOPLE HELPING US WITH THAT PROCESS SO THAT ALL TEACHERS AND PARENTS KNOW HOW WE WILL ADDRESS SENSITIVE TOPICS.

AND THEN WE WANT TO DEVELOP A PROCESS TO INFORM OUR PARENTS OF WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT WHEN IT'S BEING TAUGHT AND GIVE PARENTS THAT OPPORTUNITY TO OPT OUT SHOULD THEY FEEL THAT THAT'S A NEED FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILY.

WE WOULD CONTINUE THAT WORK IN THE SUMMER OF 2022, OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION TEAM SINCE COVID HAS BEEN MEETING REGULARLY WITH OUR TEACHERS TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR CURRICULUM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE STICKING TO THOSE STANDARDS AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT CURRICULUM WRITING AND PLANNING THIS SUMMER.

AND SO LESSONCAST WOULD HELP US WITH THAT AS WELL.

AND THEN IN AUGUST OF 2022 LESSONCAST WOULD PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AT THAT RETURNING TEACHER STAFF DEVELOPMENT, HELPING THEM TO DEEPEN THEIR UNDERSTANDING, OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN, FOR LEARNING CORE IDEAS AND HELPING THEM TO APPLY WITH AN EQUITY MINDSET THROUGH ALL CONTENT AND GRADE LEVELS.

AS YOU KNOW, OUR JOURNEY WITH UDL WAS FAR, FAR BEFORE HEATHER AND I'S TIME, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF POSITIVE FEEDBACK THIS AUGUST FROM OUR NEXT STEPS WITH UDL.

WE DID A BEGINNER AND INTERMEDIATE SESSION THAT WAS REQUIRED FOR OUR TEACHERS, AND THEY ARE IMPLEMENTING THOSE PRACTICES.

AND SO THIS IS KIND OF A NICE NEXT STEP FOR US AS WE WORK ON DEI WITH CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO THE BENEFITS OF THIS WORK, IT WOULD JUST INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF OUR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS TO EMBED OVER TIME, DEI INTO OUR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, HELPING OUR STAFF TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THOSE GAPS ARE AND OPPORTUNITIES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CURRICULUM IS INCLUSIVE AND EQUITABLE.

AND IF I WAS SITTING IN YOUR SEAT, I WOULD SAY, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WELL, THAT MEANS WORKING ON UNIT AND LESSON FRAMEWORKS, UNDERSTANDING WHAT THOSE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES ARE FOR WHEN YOU'RE IN A CLASSROOM AND A STUDENT MENTIONS SOMETHING, OR YOU NEED TO HELP FACILITATE A STUDENT DISCOURSE.

HOW DOES A TEACHER DO THAT EFFECTIVELY? TEACHERS AND STAFF WILL GAIN CONFIDENCE THROUGH THIS RESEARCH BASED SYSTEMATIC PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EQUITABLE EXPERIENCES AND OUTCOMES FOR ALL.

ANOTHER BENEFIT IS HOPEFULLY WE WOULD HAVE A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE AND A LIST OF RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS AND PARENTS AND PARENTS WILL BE INFORMED AND CONNECTED BY KNOWING WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT WHEN IT'S BEING TAUGHT AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO OPT OUT IF NEEDED.

SO THIS IS A GRAPHIC FROM LESSONCAST, AND IT KIND OF SHOWS YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE WORK THAT WOULD BE DONE THROUGH THE SPRING AND THE SUMMER.

THEY HAVE A FIVE DOMAINS OF CURRICULUM REPRESENTATION, AND THEY HELP YOU TO LOOK AT YOUR CURRICULUM TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A WIDE RANGE OF AUTHORS, THAT YOU HAVE DIVERSE PERSPECTIVES, THAT YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT DIFFERENT CHARACTERS, THAT YOU HAVE INCLUSION OF VIEWPOINTS AND JUST MAKING THOSE AUTHENTIC CONNECTIONS FOR REAL LIFE TIE IN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I REALLY LIKE, TOO, IS THAT THEY TAKE YOU THROUGH A SAMPLE LESSON FIRST, SO YOU'RE NOT ACTUALLY USING YOUR OWN CURRICULUM, AT THE START, SEE KIND OF A LITTLE BIT OF A PRACTICE AND THEN YOU TAKE A UNIT AND YOU REPLICATE THOSE PRACTICES WITH YOUR OWN CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION.

SO I ALWAYS THINK IT'S NICE TO HEAR FROM OTHER PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THROUGH PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND LESSONCAST HAS WORKED WITH NUMEROUS SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE NATION.

AND HERE IS SOME FEEDBACK FROM THEIR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXPERIENCE.

ONE TEACHER SAID I USED TO FEEL OVERWHELMED ABOUT HOW TO MAKE MY CURRICULUM MORE INCLUSIVE AND THIS SERIES, PROVIDED A TERRIFIC ROADMAP WITH BITE SIZED PIECES.

ANOTHER PERSON SAID NICOLE WAS DYNAMIC AND PROFESSIONAL, STARTING THE SESSION WITH ENERGY AND SETTING NORMS. THE INFORMATION WAS DELIVERED IN A CLEAR, CONCISE AND RELEVANT MANNER.

FOR VISUALS INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNIQUES ARE BASED ON ADULT LEARNING THEORY, AND THEY ARE INTERACTIVE AND ENGAGING.

AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT THIRD QUOTE IN THE MIDDLE.

I LIKED THIS BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES WE THINK THAT THAT DEI WORK IS ONLY WITH THE HUMANITIES AREA, WITH ENGLISH AND SOCIAL STUDIES.

BUT THIS PERSON SAID I USED TO THINK IT WAS MORE DIFFICULT TO INCORPORATE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES IN SOME CURRICULUM AREAS STEM, FOR EXAMPLE.

NOW I REALIZE THROUGH THE DOMAIN MODEL THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ADJUSTED TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE AND THOUGHTFUL.

SO THE GOAL TODAY WAS TO BRING BACK TO YOU KIND OF INFORMATION FROM THE REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS, AND HEATHER AND LINDA AND I ARE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

[02:00:01]

LET'S SEE I'M GOING TO START WITH ELLEN AND THEN HEATHER.

GET THE SYSTEM DOWN.

THANK YOU FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT ONE OF THE STRONG ASPECTS OF LESSONCAST IS THE WORK THAT SHE HAS DONE WITH OUR DISTRICT ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING IS THAT.

IS THAT A CORRECT ASSUMPTION? YES.

AND MY QUESTION THERE IS COULD YOU REVIEW THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT AND HELP US WITH AN EXAMPLE OF HOW THE UDL PRINCIPLES MIGHT PLAY OUT IN A DEI SPECIFIC SETTING.

I KNOW WE HAD CONVERSATIONS AT SUMMIT AS TO WHETHER OR NOT UDL AS AN APPROACH GOT US THERE.

BUT THAT WE WENT FORWARD WITH THE DEI RFP, SO IF YOU COULD TALK ABOUT HOW THAT MIGHT, THAT THREAD MIGHT PULL THROUGH.

AND YOU GUYS FEEL FREE TO JUMP IN AT ANY POINT? UDL IS BASICALLY REMOVING THOSE BARRIERS.

SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT I'M A TEACHER AND I'M PLANNING FOR A LESSON AND I HAVE A STUDENT WHO MIGHT HAVE A LEARNING DISABILITY, AND I'M GOING TO MAYBE PUT SOME MODIFICATIONS IN PLACE FOR THAT ONE STUDENT.

HOW COULD I DO THAT FOR ALL OF MY STUDENTS? SO ALL OF MY STUDENTS WOULD BENEFIT FROM THAT? MAYBE INSTEAD OF HAVING TO GIVE A WRITTEN PRODUCT, I CAN GIVE AN ORAL PIECE INSTEAD.

AND SO FIGURING OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN REMOVE THOSE BARRIERS AND PUT THINGS IN PLACE SO THAT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS BENEFIT, WHETHER THAT'S THE WAY THEY EXPRESS THEIR MASTERY OF KNOWLEDGE OR THE WAY THAT THEY LEARN IT.

SO THAT'S UDL.

I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT A SPECIFIC EXAMPLE FOR DEI WITH A UDL PERSPECTIVE.

MAYBE WE HAVE A STUDENT WHO HAS A CERTAIN RELIGIOUS BACKGROUND, RIGHT? AND THE TEACHER IS READING A BOOK INSTEAD OF THAT ONLY BEING THAT ONE DAY, MAYBE THE TEACHER IS JUST AWARE THAT THAT STUDENT HAS THAT BACKGROUND AND MAYBE HAS THOSE BOOKS AVAILABLE FOR THAT STUDENT SHOULD THEY WANT TO READ THAT DURING THEIR SUSTAINED SILENT READING TIME? AND SO BEING AWARE OF THE STUDENTS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR CLASSROOM AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THINGS WHEN IT'S THAT ONE MONTH LIKE NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH, WE'RE NOT GOING TO JUST HAVE BOOKS ON NATIVE AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH DURING THAT SPECIFIC MONTH.

SO DOES THAT HELP A LITTLE BIT? THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, HEATHER.

SO I KIND OF SEE THIS AS THE SAME AS THE FIFTH GRADE TALK THAT WE GIVE ALL FIFTH GRADERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR BODIES AND WE, YOU KNOW, TELL PARENTS WE'RE TEACHING THIS.

YOU MIGHT FIND THIS CONTROVERSIAL, COME LEARN MORE AND THEN THEY'RE ABLE TO OPT OUT.

I HONESTLY CAN'T THINK OF ANOTHER TOPIC OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD THAT I CAN SEE AS BEING POTENTIALLY CONTROVERSIAL BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE BOUND BY THE TEKS IN WHAT WE TEACH.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE ANY EXAMPLES OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD OF ANYTHING THAT WE MIGHT TEACH, BECAUSE I CAN'T LIKE I HONESTLY CAN'T FIGURE OUT ONE.

WELL, I THINK THAT IN TODAY'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT, WHEN SUSAN WAS REFERENCING THE FACULTY, NEEDING SOME SUPPORT AND SOME GUIDANCE, THINGS THAT ARE A PART OF THE TEKS THAT THEY HAVE TRADITIONALLY TAUGHT.

BUT I'LL TAKE, FOR EXAMPLE, RACE.

SO IF YOU'RE TEACHING A UNIT ON THE CIVIL WAR AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CAUSES OF THAT WAR, WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT WERE THE COST OF IT IN HUMAN LIVES, EMOTIONALLY, FINANCIALLY, ALL THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE AROUND THAT.

TEACHERS BEGIN TO QUESTION, AM I ON TERRA FIRMA OR NOT? I'M TEACHING THE SAME UNIT THE WAY THAT I'VE ALWAYS TAUGHT IT, BUT IT FEELS DIFFERENT IN THIS ENVIRONMENT.

AND SOME HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED BY PEOPLE WHO HEAR THE TOPIC AND KNOW THAT RACE IS INVOLVED AND ASSUME THAT THE TEACHER IS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THERE IS ONLY, THAT THEY'RE TEACHING SOMETHING THAT IS AGAINST THE LAW OR THAT IS OBJECTIONABLE TO THEM.

SO WE ARE CERTAINLY TRYING EVEN WITHOUT LESSONCAST COMING ON BOARD.

WE ARE ACTIVELY TRYING TO MAKE SURE, AS WE ALWAYS HAVE, THAT PARENTS ARE AWARE OF WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT, WHAT'S BEING TAUGHT, WHAT ARE THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES USED AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL THAT OFTEN LOOKS LIKE A SYLLABUS.

AND I THINK STAFF IS EXPANDING THAT TO BE THEIR RADAR IS UP THAT PEOPLE, BECAUSE OF THE TIMES WE LIVE IN, WANT TO KNOW NOW MORE THAN EVER.

[02:05:01]

RIGHT, AND SO WE'RE REALLY CONTINUING TO ENCOURAGE THAT BEYOND JUST THAT BEGINNING OF THE YEAR SYLLABUS, MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE LETTING PEOPLE KNOW.

YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I DIDN'T THINK THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE GETTING INTO SUBJECTS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT FEEL CONFLICT WITH THEIR RELIGIOUS OR MORAL BELIEFS.

BUT I APPRECIATE YOUR CLARIFICATION ON THAT.

AND I SEE THIS AS A WAY TO JUST SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STAFF.

BECAUSE I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS A FIRST GRADE TEACHER, LIKE WE HAD A BOX OF BOOKS IN THE HALLWAY, AND IF IT WAS VALENTINE'S DAY, WE HAD BOOKS THAT WERE ALREADY APPROVED THAT WE COULD.

WE KNEW WE COULD READ WITH NO ISSUES AND WE WERE BRINGING THOSE IN AND READ THOSE TO OUR CLASS.

AND IT WAS JUST.

THERE WAS NOTHING TO THINK ABOUT THERE, IT WAS EASY, AND IT WAS THE QUALITY CONTENT THAT WE WANTED TO PROVIDE TO OUR STUDENTS.

SO I SEE THAT JUST AS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THAT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TEACHERS THAT FEEL SUPPORTED, PARENTS THAT CAN BE ASSURED THAT WE ARE NOT TEACHING THEIR STUDENTS ANYTHING THAT THEY DON'T WANT THEM TO LEARN AND ENCOURAGING STUDENTS, THOUGH, TO LEARN ABOUT THE THINGS THAT THEY NEED.

I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH THIS, SO THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, HEATHER.

JEN.

THANK YOU, GUYS VERY MUCH FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

I AM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT.

I GUESS FIRST, LET ME SAY THIS REALLY KIND OF IS A CONTINUATION OF THE THEME TODAY IS HOW DO WE SUPPORT OUR STAFF? HOW DO WE BEST SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS, RIGHT? AND.

THIS IS A PART OF THAT, GIVING THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE IN THE CLASSROOM IS A BIG PART OF THAT.

SECOND TO, YOU KNOW, HEATHER'S QUESTION ABOUT OPTING OUT.

IT'S NOTHING NEW.

IT'S OVER THE YEARS.

THERE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOPICS THAT FAMILIES, FOR THEIR PERSONAL REASONS, WANTED TO OPT OUT OF.

WHEN I TAUGHT IN THE NINETIES SCIENCE.

IT WAS EVOLUTION.

I'M ASSUMING THAT MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAPPEN AS MUCH ANYMORE, BUT WHO KNOWS? I THINK THE ISSUE WITH THE NEW LAW IS THAT IT PUTS SOME VERY SCARY LANGUAGE OUT THERE TO TRY TO QUANTIFY.

AND PURPOSEFULLY TERRIFY OUR TEACHERS.

AND THEY DO NEED THE SUPPORT TO KNOW WHAT'S OK AND TO KNOW BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO CROSS THE LAW.

THEY DON'T WANT TO UPSET FAMILIES.

SO I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT YOU GAVE OF WAYS THAT PARENTS CAN HAVE SOME CONTROL OVER LIBRARY RESOURCES.

THE EXAMPLE OF MAKING SURE THE TEACHER IS INVOLVED WITH THEIR KIDS KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR KIDS' LIVES SO THEY CAN PROVIDE THOSE SUPPORTS BECAUSE OUR TEACHERS ARE REALLY GOOD AT THAT.

SO I THINK THIS IS FANTASTIC.

I THINK IT FOCUSES ON YOUR APPROACH, FOCUSES ON THE NEEDS OF STAFF AND THE PARENTS, AND WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE EVERY STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOLS IS RESPECTED.

WE HEARD ANOTHER EXAMPLE TODAY OF A CHILD THAT WAS NOT RESPECTED FOR THEIR INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS, AND THAT'S NOT OK.

IT'S NOT OK.

SO WHATEVER THOSE BELIEFS ARE, SO I'M FULLY IN FAVOR OF US MOVING FORWARD WITH US.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, JEN.

KIM.

I'M GOING TO FOLLOW UP ON JUST WHAT.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THE INFORMATION THAT'S GIVEN IN THE PRESENTATION.

FOLLOWING UP ON JUST JEN'S COMMENTS, JUST NOW, WHAT I HEARD FROM THE PRESENTATION AND THE WAY THAT I THINK ABOUT MAYBE MORE BROADLY ABOUT DEI IS, YOU KNOW, I WROTE DOWN WORDS BELONGINGNESS INCLUSION, FITTING IN SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND GIVING THE TOOLS TO EDUCATORS SO THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.

I MEAN, THAT'S I THINK I WASN'T ON THE BOARD IN JUNE OF 2020 WHEN THE DECISION WAS MADE, BUT I'VE ALWAYS BEEN IN SUPPORT OF IT.

BUT WE'VE GOT TO IN THIS COMMUNITY INCLUDE EVERYONE, SO I THINK THAT LESSONCAST AND WHAT I'VE SEEN FROM LESSONCAST AND I LEAVE IT TO YOU GUYS AS THE EXPERTS HERE IN GIVING TOOLS TO TEACHERS TO MEET THOSE GOALS OF EVERYONE BELONGING AND EVERYONE FEELING INCLUDED, SO I'M IN SUPPORT OF THIS AS WELL.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK ON THIS.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

MAYBE TOO MANY.

BUT LET ME START.

SO I THINK THERE'S SOME CONFUSION AROUND IS, WOULD YOU SAY THE GOAL HERE IS TO GO OUT AND FIND SOMEBODY TO TELL US THIS IS HOW YOU TEACH DEI TO STUDENTS, HERE'S A CURRICULUM FOR TEACHING DEI OR IS IT MORE AROUND HERE ARE MATERIALS THAT SUPPORT THAT, AND WE'RE

[02:10:06]

BUT IS THIS A, HERE ARE THE RIGHT THINGS THAT STUDENTS, YOU KNOW, ARE APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

I'M LOOKING FOR SOME GUIDANCE ON THAT, SOME HELP THERE.

I THINK IT'S MORE HOW DO YOU EMBED IN YOUR PRACTICE? SO YOU ARE A TEACHER AND YOU ARE WITH YOUR PLC AND YOU ARE PLANNING AND YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL OF THE DIFFERENT STUDENTS WHO ARE REPRESENTED IN YOUR CLASS.

AND THEN IF I'M A VETERAN TEACHER OF 20 YEARS AND I'VE ALWAYS USED THIS SAME SET OF RESOURCES, HOW CAN I MAYBE LOOK AT SOME UPDATED RESOURCES TO ADD TO THAT LIST AND WE DO THAT TOGETHER? SO LESSONCAST PROVIDES THE FRAMEWORK FOR HOW YOU PLAN.

THEY DON'T TELL YOU THESE ARE THE RESOURCES YOU SHOULD USE.

DOES THAT HELP CLARIFY? YEAH, I THINK SO, YEAH.

LINDA DO YOU? I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD TO THAT TO THE AND I THINK THE ANSWER IS THE LATTER IN TERMS OF THE TWO SCENARIOS THAT YOU WERE PROVIDING.

IT'S NOT A TEACHING OF DEI.

IT REALLY IS IF YOU THINK ABOUT WE'VE DONE UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING FOR MANY YEARS NOW, IT'S LOOKING AT THAT THROUGH THE LENS OF THE CLIMATE IN THAT CLASSROOM AND WHETHER WE ARE BEING INCLUSIVE OF ALL OF THE KIDS IN THAT CLASSROOM.

HOW CAN WE BRING EVERYBODY INTO THE FOLD SO IMPORTANT TODAY, GIVEN THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT OF THE CLIMATE WE'VE LIVED IN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, RIGHT? SO THAT'S REALLY WHAT IT IS.

THINK OF IT AS YOU'RE DOING THE SAME THING, YOU'RE JUST APPLYING THAT LENS.

AND I LOVE YOUR EXAMPLE OF THE TEACHER WHO'S BEEN TEACHING A LONG TIME LOOKING AT THOSE RESOURCES.

WHAT ARE THOSE LITTLE TWEAKS THAT I COULD MAKE IN THE INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES I PROVIDE AND THE LESSONS THAT WILL MAKE EVERYBODY IN THAT CLASSROOM FEEL LIKE THEY SEE THEMSELVES? THEY'RE REPRESENTED, THEY BELONG, AND THAT THEY MATTER.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

WHERE DOES THE WORK THAT DR.

GOODEN IS DOING FOR US? WHERE'S THE LINE BETWEEN THAT AND WHAT THIS WORK IS? I'LL START WITH THAT ONE.

YOU KNOW, DR. GOODEN'S WORK HAS REALLY BEEN FOCUSED ON FROM THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN WE REALLY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT DEI WAS RIGHT.

I THINK HE CAME IN AND PROVIDED SOME STAFF DEVELOPMENT FOR US AROUND WAYS THAT WE COULD IMPROVE BELONGINGNESS FOR ALL KIDS IN TERMS OF ACCESS TO OUR CURRICULUM, NOT JUST ACADEMICALLY, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE KIDS WHO ARE MINORITIES WHO DO REALLY, REALLY WELL HERE, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S ALSO THE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL WELLNESS PIECE.

SO MAKING SURE THAT WE WERE TAKING CARE OF THAT AS WELL, HE IS NOT A CURRICULUM EXPERT.

HE OBVIOUSLY IS SOMEBODY WHO HAS STUDIED CURRICULUM A LOT.

BUT HIS FOCUS HAS BEEN BECAUSE YOUR FOCUS INITIALLY WAS WHAT CAN WE DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCREASING AWARENESS OF THAT DIVERSE AREAS WITHIN OUR DISTRICT? HOW TEACHERS RESPOND TO THAT, HOW ALL OF US RESPOND TO THAT? AND THEN HOW CAN WE SUSTAIN THAT OVER TIME SO THAT WE'RE NOT JUST LOOKING AT SCHOOL CLIMATE EVERY THREE YEARS WHEN WE DO A SURVEY? THOSE EQUITY TEAMS ARE MONITORING SCHOOL CLIMATE ALL THE TIME.

HOW'S IT GOING? HOW ARE KIDS FEELING HOW OUR STAFF FEELING? AND HOW ARE WE HANDLING SITUATIONS WHERE KIDS DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG? I THINK HE'S BEEN INVALUABLE IN THAT.

AND NOW THIS IS A TRANSITION TO A MORE A GREATER FOCUS ON WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN THE CLASSROOM.

BUT IT'S NOT A DEI CURRICULUM.

KIDS, TODAY WE'RE GOING TO STUDY DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, BUT MORE THIS IS YOUR EXISTING UNIT WITH YOUR TEKS.

AND HERE IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE AS A PLC TEAM THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO THAT IN A WAY THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG AND THEY'RE ACCEPTED.

APPRECIATE THAT.

YEAH, I THINK IN MY MIND, I'VE ALWAYS APPRECIATED DR.

GOODEN IN OUR COMMUNITY HELPING THOSE OF US WHO ARE NEW, WHO NEEDS SOME EXTRA HELP, WHO ARE CONFUSED, WHO SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE HISTORICALLY SEE THIS AS A TERRIBLE THING

[02:15:01]

HAS THE TEA OR STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION PROVIDED CLEAR GUIDANCE ON THE CURRICULUM BASED ON THE NEW LAW? DO WE HAVE ANY? THESE THINGS ARE OK AND THESE THINGS ARE FORBIDDEN CLEAR GUIDANCE YET.

THERE'S REALLY JUST THAT LIST FROM SENATE BILL THREE THAT STATES THOU SHALT NOT MAKE ONE RACE OR GENDER SUPERIOR THAN ANOTHER.

SOMETHING ELSE ABOUT THE 1619 PROJECT, YOU CAN'T REQUIRE AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE 1619 PROJECT.

WE DON'T TEACH THAT.

THERE IT WAS REALLY JUST REITERATING THINGS THAT WERE ALREADY NOT DOING.

WHICH AGAIN, JUST HIGHLIGHTS THE NEED FOR THE GUIDANCE.

AND ONE THING THAT NICOLE, WHO IS THE FOUNDER OF LESSONCAST SAID, YOU KNOW THERE IS A COST TO NOT DOING THIS WORK.

IF WE DON'T DO THIS WORK, KIDS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAKE SURE THAT KIDS ARE SEEING THEMSELVES IN THE BOOKS THAT THEY ARE READING, BUT ALSO SEEING OTHER PERSPECTIVES AND VIEWPOINTS.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT LINDA ALLUDED TO IS THAT WE HAVE GRADUATES WHO HAVE COME BACK AND SAID WE DIDN'T FEEL LIKE WE WERE PREPARED TO GO OUT INTO THE REAL WORLD.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER HUGE BENEFIT OF THIS WORK IS IF WE CAN BE THOUGHTFUL AND INTENTIONAL WITH SOMEONE WHO HAS ALREADY DONE THIS, IT IS RESEARCH BASED.

I THINK THAT WE AS A CURRICULUM TEAM WILL FEEL LIKE WE'RE SET UP FOR SUCCESS AND THAT WE CAN SET OUR TEACHERS UP FOR SUCCESS TOO.

OK.

I WAS, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE A HOPE THAT WE COULD GET CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM THE STATE WHEN THEY DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

SO THE ANSWER IS NO, I DON'T KNOW IF I CLEARLY ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION.

I KIND OF KNEW THE ANSWER, BUT I WANTED TO GET THAT OUT THERE.

TWO QUESTIONS, AND THEN I'LL KIND OF BE DONE.

WITH THIS RFQ DID WE GET AN ESTIMATE ON THE COST? YES, SO THE WORK THAT I OUTLINED IN THE PRESENTATION FROM SPRING THROUGH SUMMER RETURNING TEACHER STAFF DEVELOPMENT, I WANT TO SAY IT WAS LIKE SEVENTY FOUR THOUSAND, AROUND SEVENTY FOUR THOUSAND.

AND IS THAT IN AN EXISTING BUDGET OR IS IT INCREMENTAL TO THE BUDGET WE APPROVED? SO WE WOULD BE USING OUR ESSER 3 FUNDS, SO WE WE RECEIVED FUNDS FOR LOSS OF LEARNING.

AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE HAD PLANNED TO USE PART OF THAT MONEY FOR.

DO YOU SEE THIS AS AN ONGOING THING MULTIPLE YEARS, THOUGH? YOU KNOW, HER IDEA IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF THE STAFF, SO YOU WOULD HOPE AT SOME POINT WE ARE ABLE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT ON OUR OWN, THERE MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT MORE WORK TO DO NEXT YEAR TO JUST MAYBE SOLIDIFY THE WORK.

BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD NOT NEED MORE SUPPORT PAST THE 22 23 SCHOOL YEAR.

OK.

SO REAL QUICK, AND I'LL JUST MAKE A COUPLE OR SHARE A COUPLE OF THOUGHTS.

MY GOAL HERE IS TO SUPPORT THE WORK OF THE DEI COMMITTEE AND THE GOALS OF THE DISTRICT AND THE BOARD.

I WANT TO SUPPORT TEACHERS BY GIVING THEM, AS YOU DESCRIBED.

HERE'S A GOOD LIST.

NOW, OF COURSE, TEACHERS ANYWHERE IN THIS WORLD, PEOPLE ARE INDIVIDUALS WE ARE ALL INDIVIDUALS.

I MAY SAY SOMETHING THAT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS HATE HERE IN A MOMENT.

I'VE ALREADY TALKED TOO LONG FOR THEM, I'M SURE.

BUT, INDIVIDUALS CAN BE ROGUE IS MY POINT.

BUT BY PROVIDING TEACHERS WITH A LIST, WE AVOID SOME OF THE SITUATIONS WE SAW LAST YEAR WHERE THERE WAS JUST CONFUSION AROUND.

I, AS A PARENT, DIDN'T KNOW THIS WAS COMING.

I, AS A TEACHER, DIDN'T KNOW THIS WOULD BE A PROBLEM.

YOU KNOW, I, AS AN ADMINISTRATOR HAD TO HANDLE SOMETHING, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.

AND SO I JUST I FEEL LIKE WE CAN AVOID THAT.

IT GOES TO WHAT JEN SAID.

THIS IS LESS TIME THAT TEACHERS SPEND DOING, FOCUSING ON THAT KIND OF STUFF AND MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING.

AND THEN I WANT TO I CLEARLY WANT TO SUPPORT PARENTS.

I SAID THIS WE HAD A PARENT FORUM DURING OUR CAMPAIGN AND I SAID, YOU KNOW, PARENTS HAVE AND THIS HAS BEEN FOREVER.

YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPT OUT OF SOME OF THESE MATERIALS.

BUT UNTIL AND UNLESS WE PROVIDE YOU WITH A LIST OF WHAT'S THERE, YOU CAN'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO OPT OUT OF.

AND SO THAT'S A BIG BENEFIT FOR PARENTS OUT OF THIS AS WELL.

MY CONCERN IS, YOU KNOW, IN MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS WOULD BE WE DON'T HAVE CLEAR GUIDANCE FROM STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR TEA.

WE MAY NEVER GET THAT RIGHT.

I MEAN, THAT MAY BE VERY ELUSIVE.

I FEEL LIKE WE'RE TRADING A TEACHER AND A HALF TO GO AFTER THIS.

AT THE SAME TIME, THOUGH, MAYBE WE'RE MAKING UP MORE THAN A TEACHER AND A HALF WORTH OF TIME THAT TEACHERS WOULD BE FOCUSED ON COMING UP WITH THESE LISTS INDIVIDUALLY.

AND THEN I THINK WE.

I'D LIKE TO SEE US SHARPEN ON OUR MEASURES OF SUCCESS JUST TO BE REALLY CLEAR THAT WE CAN .

WE FEEL COMFORTABLE AFTER 22 23 OF SAYING, YEAH, WE MET OUR GOALS.

WE'RE IN A GOOD SPOT RIGHT NOW.

WE CAN MOVE ON.

SO I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

[02:20:02]

LAURA.

OH, SO MANY THOUGHTS.

JAMES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ASKING THE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE COSTS AND THE TIMING ON THAT, AS WELL AS THE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MEASURE THE SUCCESS ON THOSE? I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING THOSE.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALWAYS A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION TO HAVE.

YOU KNOW, WHEN IT SHOWED UP ON THE AGENDA, I WAS LIKE.

[INAUDIBLE] I HAD LOTS OF QUESTIONS, SO I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, I THINK IT WAS VERY THOROUGH.

I THINK IT ANSWERED A LOT OF QUESTIONS THAT I HAD.

ONE QUICK ONE IS SCOPE AND SEQUENCE WAS ON THERE AND I'VE LOST MY PAGE WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT THAT.

COULD YOU JUST DISCUSS IT'S ON THE BENEFITS PAGE THAT SAYS WHERE IT SAYS THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE AND THE LIST OF RESOURCES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND PARENTS? SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IS SORT OF AN EDUCATOR TERM IF Y'ALL COULD JUST EXPLAIN THAT TO US.

SO WE HAVE OUR TEKS, BUT WE HAVE OUR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE.

SO OUR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE IS KIND OF A PACING GUIDE FOR OUR TEACHERS.

WHAT IS IT WE'RE TEACHING? WHEN ARE WE TEACHING IT? HOW LONG ARE WE TEACHING IT? AND SO I THINK THERE'S POSSIBLY TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

HOW DO WE TAKE OUR CURRENT RESOURCES RIGHT AND FIGURE OUT WHEN WE'RE USING THOSE AND THEN HOW DO WE THEN POSSIBLY UPDATE THOSE, OR IF THERE IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE SENSITIVE? HOW DO WE HAVE A RESOURCE LIST FOR OUR TEACHERS TO PULL FROM AND DO WE NEED A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE FOR IF THOSE THINGS COME UP? I ASKED A PRINCIPAL JUST YESTERDAY, I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT ABOUT CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY.

OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AND PARENTS ARE ASKING FOR CLARITY AND TRANSPARENCY.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO YOU? AND SHE SAID, I THINK PEOPLE JUST NEED TO KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT GOING OFF THE RAILS.

WE'RE NOT TEACHING CRAZY THINGS.

WE'RE STICKING TO THE TEKS.

BUT THERE ARE THINGS IN OUR WORLD TODAY THAT COME UP.

AND IF SOMETHING COMES UP THAT A TEACHER MIGHT HAVE TO ADDRESS, WHERE IS THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE THAT ARE A RESOURCE FOR THEM TO PULL AND FOR THEM TO HAVE COVER, TO KNOW THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE FEARFUL OF HOW TO ADDRESS THAT SENSITIVE TOPIC? DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU.

SO YOU SAID YOU MENTIONED GOING OFF THE RAILS AND ONE OF YOUR GRAPHICS WAS THE ROAD AND THE EXIT SIGN.

AND I ACTUALLY APPRECIATED THAT BECAUSE THAT WAS SORT OF ONE OF MY THOUGHTS WAS WILL THIS GROUP BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE GUARDRAILS? THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT IT AS GUARDRAILS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO STRAY.

THERE HAS BEEN LEGISLATION AND WE WANT TO FOLLOW THAT LEGISLATION AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT THE STAFF AND PARENTS AND STUDENTS.

SO CAN THIS GROUP PROVIDE THOSE GUARDRAILS WITH THE LIMITED GUIDANCE THAT WE HAVE FROM SBO AND TEA? I THINK WE CAN, AND I THINK THE KEY IS TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE A STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT IS HELPING.

SO THIS ONE PRINCIPAL SAID TO ME, I THINK GETTING SOME ELEMENTARY TEACHERS TOGETHER AND SOME ELEMENTARY COUNSELORS TO SAY IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES ARE THERE SENSITIVE TOPICS THAT COME UP AT WHAT GRADE MIGHT THEY COME UP AND HOW HAVE WE TYPICALLY HANDLED THEM? AND THEN WE COME BACK AND WE PRESENT THAT TO THE GROUP FOR THEM TO REVIEW AND APPROVE.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THESE GROUPS ARE SO IMPORTANT.

DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SHAC, DLT.

SO THOSE GROUPS ARE WIDELY REPRESENTED WITH TEACHERS, STAFF, PARENTS, ADMINISTRATORS.

AND I THINK THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE THE KEY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

AND SOMEONE EARLIER SAID, I JUST WISH WE COULD ALL COME TOGETHER AND STOP FIGHTING AND WE AGREE WITH THAT.

WE WANT TO COME TOGETHER.

WE WANT TO WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR PARENTS, WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS SO THAT WE CAN GET CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO TEACH.

AND IF A CERTAIN TOPIC MIGHT COME UP, WHAT CAN I COVER? WHAT ARE THE RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO ME? THANK YOU.

I APPRECIATE HEARING THAT.

THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.

YEAH, I MEAN, CLEARLY, WE STILL HAVE MORE WORK THAT WE NEED TO DO IN THIS AREA.

YOU KNOW, JEN TALKED ABOUT IT AND KIM ECHOED IT IS THAT AND I THINK EVERYBODY IN OUR COMMUNITY CAN AGREE THAT SCHOOL NEEDS TO BE A SAFE PLACE WHERE ALL THE CHILDREN FEEL SAFE AND WELCOME SO THAT THEY CAN LEARN, AND LIKE I SAID, WE NEED TO

[02:25:03]

WE'VE HEARD THAT THAT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK THIS ALLOWS US TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE PARENTS WITH THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN.

I THINK THIS PROVIDES A FRAMEWORK THAT SUPPORTS THE STAFF AND TEACHERS SO THAT THEY CAN MAKE THE BEST DECISIONS FOR THEIR CLASSROOMS. AND I THINK THAT IT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL CHILDREN TO SEE THEMSELVES REPRESENTED IN THE CLASSROOM.

SO THANK YOU ALL.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, LAURA.

ELLEN.

I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY.

I WILL SAY IT WAS JARRING TO SEE IN A PRESENTATION FOR THE BOARD THE TALK ABOUT INSTRUCTION THAT MIGHT BE IN CONFLICT WITH RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS.

THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD TYPICALLY SEE, BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT'S TEA.

THOSE ARE TEA'S WORDS.

THOSE ARE NOT EANES WORDS.

YES, MA'AM.

OK, SO THAT'S CORRECT.

THOSE AREN'T OUR WORDS, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE IN ANY WAY THAT WE WOULD PROMOTE SOMETHING IN CONFLICT WITH RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS.

AND IT SEEMS TO ME THAT MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS WORK ACTUALLY ALLOWS US TO LEARN HOW TO BE INCLUSIVE OF VARIOUS RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS THAT MIGHT NOT BE ONES WE HAVE OR THAT WE'RE AWARE OF EVEN ARE IMPORTANT.

SO TO ME, IT'S REALLY THE IT IS REALLY FULFILLING WHAT THOSE JARRING WORDS FROM TEA ARE REQUIRING US TO DO.

IS THAT CORRECT.

OK? I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING THAT.

YEAH, AND I'D LIKE TO ADD TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.

IT IS NOT OUR WORDS, IT'S THE WORDS THAT COME INTO OUR POLICY THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY THE LAW AND THE DIFFICULTY IS IF YOU HAVE ONE HUNDRED PARENTS, THEY MAY NOT ALL HAVE THE EXACT SAME RELIGIOUS BELIEFS OR THEY MAY NOT HAVE EXACTLY THE SAME, MORAL BELIEFS OR [INAUDIBLE] AND THEY MAY THOSE 100 PARENTS MAY SEE A TOPIC DIFFERENTLY.

AND SO PART OF THIS IS THE TEACHER CANNOT PREDICT.

I'VE GOT 25 KIDS IN THE CLASSROOM.

THEY HAVE 50 PARENTS, WHAT ARE EACH OF THEIR BELIEFS? WHAT DO EACH OF THEM CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF BASED ON THEIR BELIEFS BASED ON WHAT WE HAVE FROM TEA.

AND SO AGAIN, THEY CAN'T NECESSARILY, AS JAMES HAD SAID, THE TEACHER CAN'T FIGURE THAT OUT.

SO WE WANT TO, AS WE DO WITH RSP, WE SAY THIS IS FIFTH GRADE, THIS IS GOING TO COME IN HERE.

THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE, RIGHT? PARENTS CAN LOOK AT IT AHEAD OF TIME.

THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPT OUT IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT THEY WISH TO OPT OUT ON THAT.

AND THAT'S HOW WE HANDLE IT.

SO IT'S.

THAT'S THE TRICK.

AND THAT'S WHERE IT GETS COMPLEX AND OUR TEACHERS ARE SAYING WHEN I LOOK AT THE KIDS IN MY CLASSROOM, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO KNOW WHAT ALL THE RELIGIOUS AND MORAL BELIEFS OF EVERY SINGLE KID ARE AND THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE DAILY? I DON'T KNOW.

AND SO THIS GIVES SOME CLARITY FOR EVERYBODY ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS ISSUE.

THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION, ELLEN, I THINK THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT, AND I HOPE THAT FOLKS WILL COMMIT THAT LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION TO MEMORY.

AND THANK YOU, DR.

LEONARD.

ANYBODY ELSE? WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS.

ONE, I THINK THIS WORK IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE I THINK IT DOES HELP PARENTS AND TEACHERS FORM THE PARTNERSHIPS.

YOU KNOW, THE EDUCATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS THAT WILL BE, MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THE PARENTS, INDIVIDUAL KIDS AND THE TEACHERS PROVIDES PREDICTABILITY TO THE TEACHERS AS WELL AND IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THINGS ARE CHANGING AND CHANGING RAPIDLY, PREDICTABILITY IS CERTAINLY HARD TO COME BY AND THIS FRAMEWORK PROVIDES SOME SCAFFOLDING FOR THAT.

SO I'M SUPPORTIVE IN THAT RESPECT.

TWO THINGS AND THESE ARE FROM THE RFQS THAT WE PUT OUT.

THE SUCCESSFUL.

I'M GOING TO READ AND I'M GOING TO ASK YOU TO KIND OF COMMENT ON THESE LITTLE SNIPPETS.

THE SUCCESSFUL VENDOR WILL BE EXPECTED TO WORK WITH THE EISD ADMINISTRATION, AND STAFF PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING AND CONSULTATION TO UNDERSTAND HOW TO CULTIVATE A CLASSROOM AND SCHOOL THAT PROMOTES THE VALUES OF BELONGINGNESS.

DO YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT THIS VENDOR CAN PROVIDE YOU AND MEET THAT EXPECTATION? I DO, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THAT THOUGHTFUL APPROACH WHERE

[02:30:01]

I DO HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THAT.

OK.

SECOND THING AN THIS, AGAIN, IS FROM THE RFQ WITH REGARD TO BOARD PRIORITY ADMINISTRATIVE GOALS ON DEI, EANES ISD IS NOT ENDORSING TEACHING OR TRAINING CRITICAL RACE THEORY TO ANY STUDENT STAFF OR COMMUNITY SPECIFICALLY INCLUDES PRESENTING ANY FORM OF RACE OR SEX STEREOTYPING OR BLAME ON THE BASIS OF RACE OR SEX END QUOTE.

TEXAS EDUCATION CODE SECTION 28002 H34 PERIOD.

INTERESTED VENDORS SHALL BE EXPECTED TO COMPLY WITH THE DISTRICT POSITION.

ADDITIONALLY, BOTH ESD AND POTENTIAL VENDORS SHALL COMPLY WITH ALL STATE AND FEDERAL LAW BOARD POLICY ADMINISTRATIVE RULE.

DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS THAT THIS VENDOR WILL NOT BE ABLE TO KIND OF MEET THAT STIPULATION? I DO NOT.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE WORKED WITH NICOLE, WITH UDL IN THE PAST AND FROM WHAT SHE HAS PRESENTED, I DON'T HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT THAT.

OK, THANK YOU.

AND LAST THING IN THE PRESENTATION, YOU.

THERE WAS SORT OF A CALENDAR OF ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, THE DATE THAT THE RFQ WAS WAS LET YOU KNOW WHEN SUBMITTALS WERE RECEIVED.

AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE AND LINEAR.

BUT THERE WAS A PERIOD IN THERE WHEN WE ATTEMPTED TO TAKE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DEI CURRICULUM INTERNALLY, AND THAT'S NOT REFLECTED IN THERE.

ANYWAY, WHAT WE DISCOVERED IS THAT THE COMPLEXITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS TOPIC IS SUCH THAT WE NEEDED OUTSIDE RESOURCES TO SUPPORT THE INTERNAL RESOURCES.

IN THAT WINDOW, I WENT ON RECORD A COUPLE OF TIMES SAYING THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT INTERNALLY.

THAT TURNED OUT NOT TO BE THE CASE, BUT I WANTED TO PUT THOSE COMMENTS INTO CONTEXT.

SO HERE WE ARE TODAY WITH STAFF ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL HELP TO MEET A NEED THAT WE AS A BOARD AND I THINK AS A COMMUNITY BELIEVE IS IMPORTANT AND THAT IS THE PURSUIT OF BELONGINGNESS.

I DON'T REALLY KNOW ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T SUPPORT THAT, THOUGH I SUPPOSE THERE COULD BE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO WOULD LIKE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE NOT ALL STUDENTS ARE ACCEPTED AND VALUED FOR WHO THEY ARE.

AND WITH THAT, IF THERE AREN'T ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, I WILL MOVE ON.

DR. LEONARD.

JUST HEARING THE BOARD'S INPUT WE'LL PUT THIS AS AN ACTION ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION AT OUR NEXT REGULAR MEETING.

I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU.

BEFORE WE JUMP AWAY FROM THIS TOPIC FOR ALL THE WORK YOU DID TO DEVELOP THIS PRESENTATION, THIS IS A TOUGH TOPIC.

YOU GUYS ARE ON POINT AND I APPRECIATE YOUR WILLINGNESS TO ONE BE CANDID WITH US AND TWO TO DO THE HARD WORK NECESSARY TO ADVANCE THIS SUBJECT.

WELL, THANK YOU.

IT WAS DEFINITELY A TEAM EFFORT.

I'M SURE IT WAS.

ALL RIGHT.

AND WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH IS THE RECITATION OF

[7. UPCOMING MEETINGS]

WE HAVE ONE ON JANUARY 13TH.

THAT'S A SPECIAL MEETING.

WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.

JANUARY 14TH, WE DISCUSSED THAT.

JANUARY 18TH, ANOTHER SPECIAL MEETING.

ON JANUARY 25TH WE WILL HAVE OUR NEXT REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

FOLLOWING THAT, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF.

I'M SORRY.

I'M JUST SAYING WE GOT A LOT OF COMING UP.

WE GOT ALOT.

YEAH, I'M NOT EVEN DONE.

JANUARY 27TH, WE HAVE OUR PRE SUMMIT STUDY SESSION, FEBRUARY 3RD, OUR FIRST DAY OF SUMMIT AND IN FEBRUARY 4TH, ANOTHER DAY OF SUMMIT.

I WANT A RAISE, MAN.

YEAH.

OKAY.

AND THE TIME IS NOW 10:19 AND WE WILL MOVE INTO CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS

[8. CLOSED SESSION]

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO CAME AND SAT AND PATIENTLY LISTENED TO THIS MORNING'S DISCUSSION.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.