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[1. CALL TO ORDER ]
THE TIME IS NOW FIVE O'CLOCK, AND I CALL THE JANUARY 13 SPECIAL MEETING OF THE EISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES TO ORDER.MADAM SECRETARY, DO WE HAVE A QUORUM? WE DO. THANK YOU.
UM, I'M GOING TO DISPENSE WITH READING THE REST OF THAT FOR YOU.
YEAH. LET'S SEE, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS OPEN FORUM, BUT WE DID NOT HAVE ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR OPEN FORUM THIS EVENING, SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE STRAIGHT INTO OUR REPORT AND
[4.1 Meet with Thompson & Horton Search Consultants and Discuss Community Input and Status of Superintendent Selection Process ]
WE HAVE MR. DAVID THOMPSON AND DR.MIKE MOSES HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE WORK THAT THEY HAVE DONE AND WHAT THEY HAVE LEARNED AT THIS POINT. GENTLEMEN, TAKE IT AWAY.
THANK YOU, MR. PRESIDENT, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, FIRST OF ALL, HAPPY NEW YEAR.
HOPE EVERYBODY HAD A GOOD, RESTFUL AND SAFE, HEALTHY BREAK, AND IT'S GOOD TO SEE ALL OF YOU AND BE WITH YOU AGAIN.
THANK YOU. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU, TOO.
THANK YOU. WE HAVE SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT WE BROUGHT THAT WILL BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR A CLOSED SESSION DISCUSSION HERE IN A FEW MOMENTS.
BUT WE DID THINK IT WAS APPROPRIATE TO BEGIN BY GIVING YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE OF AN ORAL REPORT AND READ OUT FROM WHAT WE GATHERED FROM YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND IF YOU WILL RECALL, IT SEEMS LIKE A LONG TIME AGO, IT WAS LAST YEAR WE CONDUCTED FOCUS GROUP MEETINGS ON DECEMBER 7TH AND 8TH, AND WE'VE SEEN TO OUR FULL WRITTEN REPORT, I THINK EVERYBODY'S GOT THAT, BUT WE BROUGHT YOU COPIES AGAIN THIS EVENING TO GIVE YOU GIVE YOU THOSE TO REFER TO AS AS WE SAID AT OUR MEETING, AT THE CONCLUSION OF THOSE ON DECEMBER 8TH. AND AS WE SAY IN OUR WRITTEN REPORT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INDIVIDUALS THAT YOU NOMINATED AS BOARD MEMBERS TO MEET WITH US WITHOUT EXCEPTION.
WE FOUND PEOPLE INTERESTED, COMMITTED TO THE SUCCESS OF EANES ISD, INFORMED, RESPECTFUL OF EACH OTHER'S COMMENTS AND PARTICULARLY THE STUDENTS WHO MET WITH US.
WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE HAVING STUDENTS.
YOUR STUDENTS WERE VERY INSIGHTFUL AND VERY ARTICULATE, AND THANK YOU FOR THOSE.
IN ADDITION TO OUR WORK WITH THE FOCUS GROUPS ON THOSE TWO DAYS ON DECEMBER 7TH AND 8TH, YOUR DISTRICT ALSO THEN MADE THE SURVEY AVAILABLE WITH THE SAME QUESTIONS FOR A WEEK.
NOW, FOLLOWING OUR MEETINGS WITH THE WITH THE FOCUS GROUPS, THOSE COMMENTS HAVE ALL BEEN COLLECTED, I BELIEVE YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY OVER THE HOLIDAYS TO GET THOSE AND REVIEW THOSE AS WELL.
WE WERE VERY IMPRESSED WITH THE LARGE NUMBER OF RESPONSES AND AGAIN, THE HIGHLY ENGAGED COMMUNITY AND THE GREAT INTEREST THERE WAS IN YOUR DELIBERATIONS.
WHAT WE WANT TO GIVE YOU TONIGHT AND AGAIN, WE GAVE YOU JUST KIND OF A BRIEF FLAVOR OF IT WHEN WE LAST MET ON DECEMBER 8TH.
YOU DO HAVE HERE A FULL REPORT, ALL OF THE COMMENTS AS ACCURATELY AS WE COULD CAPTURE THEM FOR ALL OF THE SESSIONS.
AND WE HOPE YOU HAVE FOUND THOSE INTERESTING.
WE WANT TO SAY THAT EVERY COMMENT IS IMPORTANT.
OBVIOUSLY, EVERY OBSERVATION MADE BY ONE OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS IS AN IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION AND AN IMPORTANT COMMENT.
WHAT WE DID IN OUR REPORT WAS TO TRY TO FLAG THEMES, IF YOU WILL, THAT RECURRED OVER AND OVER AND OVER DURING THE COURSE OF THE TWO DAYS AS WE MET WITH DIFFERENT GROUPS.
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE COMMENTS THAT AROSE WITHOUT US INSTIGATING THEM.
THESE WERE THE NATURAL RESPONSES FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF CONSTITUENTS OF BOTH TEACHERS AND OTHER EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT.
PARENTS, TAXPAYERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND SO WE THINK IT'S PRETTY REPRESENTATIVE, WHAT WE TRIED TO DO WAS GIVE YOU A REFLECTION OF THE THEMES.
AND I'LL BRIEFLY MENTIONED THOSE HERE IN OPEN SESSION AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IF YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS OR QUESTIONS, WE WANT TO HEAR THOSE.
OUR FIRST QUESTION WAS, WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS OF THE DISTRICT THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD ON THAT YOUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT NEEDS TO BE AWARE OF? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE WORKING WELL? YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND MESS UP.
AND SO THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY WE PHRASED IT.
WE ALWAYS THINK THAT'S A GOOD PLACE TO START, AND WE REALLY GOT ABOUT FOUR THEMES.
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A LOT OF COMMENTS SAID IT DIFFERENTLY.MAYBE DIFFERENT WORDS USED, BUT VERY CONSISTENT IN TERMS OF THE THEMES THAT I'LL MENTION THESE. NUMBER ONE IS THAT EANES ISD HAS A CULTURE OF AND COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND HIGH PERFORMANCE IN ALL AREAS OF EDUCATION, ACADEMICS, ATHLETICS, ARTS, SPECIAL EDUCATION ET CETERA. AND SO THAT THEME THAT WE HAVE A CULTURE.
AND IT'S A CULTURE BUILT AROUND HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND HIGH PERFORMANCE WE HEARD OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
AND I THINK YOU SAW THAT REFLECTED IN YOUR ONLINE RESPONSES AS WELL.
THE SECOND COMMENT WAS WE HAVE OUTSTANDING TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, WE ARE WE ARE ABLE TO HIRE PEOPLE IN EANES ISD WHO MATCH UP WITH THOSE HIGH EXPECTATIONS IN HIGHER PERFORMANCE. NUMBER THREE IS WE HAVE A WHOLE COMMUNITY OF INVOLVED AND SUPPORTIVE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
AND AGAIN HEARD THAT AND VARIATIONS ON THAT, AND YOU SAW THOSE IN THE COMMENTS.
AND THEN FINALLY, WE HAVE GREAT STUDENTS, OUR STUDENTS ARE PREPARED.
THEY COME READY TO WORK HARD AND MEET HIGH STANDARDS AND EXPECTATIONS.
AND SO THOSE ARE, IF YOU WILL, THOSE FOUR THEMES.
WE'RE KIND OF THE CORE BUILDING BLOCKS THAT WE HEARD OVER AND OVER IN THE FOCUS GROUPS, AND AGAIN, MY COMMENT WOULD BE IF YOU IF YOU LOOK THROUGH ALL OF YOUR ONLINE RESPONSES, I THINK THEY WOULD BE VERY CONSISTENT.
I DID NOT SEE ANY THEMES, IF YOU WILL, IN THE ONLINE RESPONSE IS DIFFERENT THAN THOSE FOUR PRIMARY ONES.
THE SECOND QUESTION WE ASKED REVOLVED AROUND WHAT ARE OUR CHALLENGES? WHAT ARE THE CHALLENGES THAT YOUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT NEEDS TO KNOW ABOUT AND COME PREPARED TO WORK WITH THE BOARD, THE COMMUNITY, THE STAFF TO MAKE SURE YOU ADDRESS? MIKE AND I WERE VERY CLEAR TO SAY WE NEVER TALK ABOUT PROBLEMS, BUT ALL ORGANIZATIONS, ALL OF US. YOU KNOW, HOW MANY OF US MADE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS? WE ALL HAVE CHALLENGES AND THINGS TO WORK ON.
AND THAT'S KIND OF THE WAY WE APPROACH IT.
AND AGAIN, WE HAD FOUR KEY KIND OF THEMES, IF YOU WILL, OF COMMENTS THAT RECURRED OVER AND OVER DURING THE COURSE OF OF OUR MEETINGS.
NUMBER ONE IS ATTRACTING AND RETAINING OUTSTANDING TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, SUPPORT STAFF AND STAYING COMPETITIVE WITH SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT GO BACK TO THE CULTURE IF OUR GOAL IS HIGH EXPECTATIONS, HIGH PERFORMANCE.
IF YOU CAN'T HIRE AND RETAIN PEOPLE WHO MATCH UP WITH THOSE GOALS, IT'S GOING TO BE A STRUGGLE. AND THERE WAS A RECOGNITION AROUND COST OF LIVING IN THIS AREA.
THE DISTANCES PEOPLE HAVE TO DRIVE OPPORTUNITIES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND THERE WAS A LOT OF RECOGNITION THAT THAT IS IN FACT A MAJOR ISSUE OR CHALLENGE THAT EANES AND OTHER DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO BE FACING.
WE WOULD TELL YOU THIS IS NOT A UNIQUE PROBLEM, IT IS A STATEWIDE PROBLEM.
I DO THINK THE THE NUMBER ONE POLICY ISSUE IN EDUCATION RIGHT NOW IS NOT OUR IT'S NOT TESTING, IT'S NOT ANYTHING ELSE.
IT IS. IT'S TEACHER RECRUITMENT, RETENTION AND TRAINING.
AND AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT WELL, WE'RE GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH A LOT OF OTHER THINGS.
I SAW OVER THE HOLIDAYS THAT THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA, A NUMBER OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES IN OKLAHOMA ARE ACTUALLY DISCONTINUING THEIR TEACHER TRAINING PROGRAMS, AT LEAST FOR THIS YEAR, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF LACK OF APPLICANTS.
THAT IS A VERY TROUBLING AND SOBERING REALITY.
BUT IT'S I DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN QUITE AT THAT POINT IN TEXAS, BUT I THINK WE HAVE MANY PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ALSO SEEN THEIR NUMBERS DROP.
SO THAT WAS THE NUMBER ONE CHALLENGE.
NUMBER TWO, HOPEFULLY THIS IS MORE SHORT TERM THAN LONG TERM, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT'S NOT A REAL CHALLENGE IS DEALING WITH COMMUNITY CONFLICT AND DIVISIONS AND THE NEED FOR UNITY. THERE WAS A RECOGNITION PEOPLE WERE VERY CANDID IN THEIR CONVERSATIONS THAT THE LAST TWO YEARS HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT AND HAVE SPLIT YOUR COMMUNITY AS MANY OTHER COMMUNITIES ALONG VARIOUS AXES.
PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ABOUT MASKS THAN IN PERSON VERSUS REMOTE AND A WHOLE
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VARIETY OF ISSUES THAT YOU SAW REFLECTED IN THE COMMENTS, BUT THERE WAS BROAD RECOGNITION THAT THAT'S A CHALLENGE AND THAT THAT IS A DEPARTURE FROM THE HISTORY AND TRADITION OF EANES. SO HOPEFULLY AGAIN, THE WAY I WILL SAY IT.HOPEFULLY, THAT'S NOT A LONG TERM CHALLENGE.
HOPEFULLY, IT'S MORE IN THE IN THE SHORT TERM NATURE, BUT THERE WAS A RECOGNITION THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
NUMBER TWO IS NUMBER THREE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION AND A GOOD GOOD LEVEL OF KNOWLEDGE AROUND FINANCE, IS AROUND HOW THE STATE FUNDING SYSTEM WORKS OR DOESN'T WORK, WHAT THE IMPACTS ARE ON EANES ISD.
BUT THE NOTION THAT FINANCE IS AND THAT THERE ARE DIFFICULT BUDGET CHOICES COMING.
YOU CAN'T BE ALL THINGS TO ALL PEOPLE WITH FINITE RESOURCES.
AND SO THERE WAS A LOT OF CONCERN AND YOU SAW COMMENTS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN THE FOURTH CHALLENGE WE WOULD FLAG IS AGAIN, A REFLECTION, I THINK OF THE PERIOD WE'RE IN AND THAT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND NEEDS OF BOTH STUDENTS AND STAFF.
THIS HAS BEEN AN EXTRAORDINARILY STRESSFUL TIME FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, AND WE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND THOSE THOSE MENTAL HEALTH NEEDS AND THE THE NEED TO RECOGNIZE THEM AND PROVIDE THE SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES.
UM, MIKE, BEFORE WE GO TO THE KIND OF THE PERSONAL QUALITIES, ANYTHING YOU ANY COMMENT YOU WANT TO ADD ABOUT THE STRENGTHS THAT WE HAVE TO BUILD ON AND THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED, AND AGAIN, NOT BY US, BUT BY YOUR COMMUNITY, THAT YOUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT NEEDS TO COME PREPARED TO PICK UP WORKING.
YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS.
THE DISTRICT GOT A LOT OF COMPLIMENTS ON THE SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM AND THEY WERE VERY CALM AND I WOULD SAY I WILL NOT WISH YOU A HAPPY NEW YEAR, BUT I WILL SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON ANOTHER STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.
I DID HAVE THE PLEASURE TO WATCH THAT GAME ON SATURDAY, DECEMBER THE 18TH, AND WAS VERY IMPRESSED AS I ALWAYS HAVE BEEN.
WHEN I'VE WATCHED YOUR STUDENT ATHLETES PERFORM AND I KNOW YOU'VE, THEY'VE HAD MANY, MANY SUCCESSES IN AREAS OTHER THAN FOOTBALL, BUT THAT WAS THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE AND IT WAS A VERY, VERY IMPRESSIVE.
BUT I THINK DAVID'S HIT THE HIGH POINTS AS FAR AS THE STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES.
BUT THE SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS, SPECIAL POPULATIONS GOT A LOT OF YOU GOT A LOT OF KUDOS THERE. BUT I THINK YOU'VE UNDERSCORED THAT AND I WOULD SAY TODAY, IF YOU HAD ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL STRENGTHS, I'D SAY EVERYBODY WOULD SAY THE EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY PROGRAM IS PRETTY STRONG. PRETTY DARN GOOD.
YEAH. ALL RIGHT, IF YOU TURN TO PAGE TWO OF OUR REPORT, THEN WE MOVED AFTER KIND OF TALKING AT THAT HIGH LEVEL ABOUT WHAT ARE THE STRENGTHS AND CHALLENGES OF THE DISTRICT WITHIN REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS AT LEAST HALF OF THE CONVERSATION IN EACH FOCUS GROUP ABOUT WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? WHAT DO YOU WANT THE BOARD TO LOOK FOR IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES AND QUALITIES OF THE PERSON THAT ULTIMATELY YOU WILL CONSIDER AND HIRE AS THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT FOR EANES ISD? AND WE BROKE THAT AGAIN INTO TWO BUCKETS, SORT OF LIKE WE DID THE FIRST ONE.
ONE WAS WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCES? WHAT ARE THE PROFESSIONAL CREDENTIALS, PROFESSIONAL TOUCHSTONES, IF YOU WILL, THAT YOU THINK WOULD PREPARE A PERSON WELL FOR THIS POSITION? AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION REVOLVED AROUND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES THAT ARE NON-NEGOTIABLE THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THE BOARD HAS IN MIND AS AS THEY THINK ABOUT WHO THE NEXT SUPERINTENDENT SHOULD BE FOR THIS HIGHER PERFORMING COMMUNITY.
WITH REGARD TO PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS? AND AGAIN, YOU'VE SEEN ALL OF THE COMMENTS, YOU'VE SEEN EVERYTHING WE'VE SEEN.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED BASICALLY FIVE THEMES THAT RECURRED MULTIPLE TIMES OVER MULTIPLE SESSIONS FROM MULTIPLE POINTS OF VIEW.
THE FIRST TWO MAY SOUND LIKE THEY'RE IN CONFLICT, BUT THEY ARE NOT AND I'LL COMMENT ON THE IMPROVEMENT. THE FIRST ONE IS PEOPLE SAY WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO HAS EXPERIENCE IN A DISTRICT SIMILAR TO EANES ISD WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF PERFORMANCE.
PEOPLE SAID IT DIFFERENT WAYS, BUT PEOPLE SAID OUR NEXT SUPERINTENDENT NEEDS TO KNOW WHO WE ARE AND THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GETTING INTO.
THEY THEY NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE EXPECTATIONS ARE IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND SOME EXPERIENCE IN A COMMUNITY LIKE EANES IS GOING TO BE VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
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THE OTHER COMMENT THAT WE HEARD A LOT OVER THE COURSE OF THE DAY, AND I THINK YOU DID SEE IT IN SOME OF YOUR ONLINE COMMENTS WAS WE'D LIKE TO SEE SOMEBODY WITH SOME EXPERIENCE DIFFERENT FROM EANES ISD, SOMEBODY THAT KNOWS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WHAT THE REST OF THE WORLD LOOKS LIKE AND IS DEALING WITH.SOMEBODY THAT HAS SOME EXPERIENCE WITH DIVERSITY AND UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE WORLD OUTSIDE OF EANES IS SO THAT WE CAN HELP PREPARE OUR KIDS IN THE COMMENT WAS MADE.
ULTIMATELY, OUR KIDS AREN'T GOING TO LIVE IN A BUBBLE.
WE WANT TO HAVE HIGHLY TRAINED AND EDUCATED GRADUATES, BUT THEY'RE ULTIMATELY GOING TO GO PARTICIPATE IN A BROADER WORLD.
AND SO SOMEONE WHO HAS SOME EXPERIENCE IN THOSE AREAS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A DESIRABLE PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND OR TOUCHSTONE.
NUMBER THREE WAS A DEMONSTRATED RECORD OF SUCCESS.
SOMEBODY WHO CAN ACTUALLY POINT TO ACCOMPLISHMENTS, MAYBE EVEN SOME EXPERIENCE OUTSIDE OF EDUCATION, AND WE HEARD THAT COMMENT SEVERAL TIMES THAT IF SOMEBODY KNOWS WHAT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE BUSINESS WORLD, IF YOU WILL, HOW THINGS FUNCTION, THAT WOULD BE A VALUABLE POINT OF VIEW FOR SOMEBODY TO BRING.
SOMEBODY WHO UNDERSTANDS TEXAS FINANCE, BUDGETING, RECAPTURE, ET CETERA, IS A FOURTH COMMENT. OUR FUNDING SYSTEM AND OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM ARE VERY UNIQUE.
AND. AND IF SOMEONE COMES WITH NO UNDERSTANDING OF THAT, THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE ATTACHED TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN NUMBER FOUR, NUMBER FIVE.
GOES TO MANAGEMENT STYLE, AND THE ISSUE WAS REALLY WE WANT SOMEBODY WHOSE MANAGEMENT STYLE IS COLLABORATIVE, SOMEONE WHO BUILDS TEAMS, WORKS THROUGH TEAMS, EMPOWERS TEAMS, WAS WAS IDENTIFIED AS A MANAGEMENT STYLE THAT WAS HIGHLY DESIRABLE.
AND THEN WE SWITCHED TO PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES, KIND OF WHAT ARE THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES OF AN INDIVIDUAL THAT WERE HIGHLY DESIRABLE AND WE HAD SEVERAL THAT KIND OF EMERGED AS [INAUDIBLE].
ONE IS SOMEBODY WHO'S A CONSENSUS BUILDER.
SOMEBODY WHO TAKES PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW KNOWS HOW TO WORK WITH PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT THOUGHTS AND OPINIONS INFORMED CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD.
NUMBER TWO IS SOMEBODY WHO IS AN EXCELLENT AND OUTSTANDING LISTENER, SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY LISTENS ATTENTIVELY TO DIFFERENT POINTS OF VIEW AND PERSPECTIVES AND LISTENS WITH INTEREST, DOESN'T JUST KIND OF GO THROUGH THE MOTIONS, BUT GENUINELY HEARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING INFORM THEIR OWN DECISIONS.
SOMEONE WHO IS VISIBLE, APPROACHABLE AND PERSONABLE, SOMEBODY WHO IS VISIBLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND VISIBLE ON CAMPUSES.
A SERVANT LEADER, SOMEONE WHO TRULY, GENUINELY CARES ABOUT THE SUCCESS AND INTERESTS OF OTHERS. A STRONG AND AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATOR WITH ALL CONSTITUENTS.
WHAT WE HEARD, THERE WAS SOMEBODY WHO DIDN'T PUT ON ONE FACE WITH ONE COMMUNITY AND A DIFFERENT FACE WITH A DIFFERENT COMMUNITY.
THAT IDEA OF BEING AN AUTHENTIC COMMUNICATOR WAS WAS PRIZED AND MENTIONED MULTIPLE TIMES SOMEONE WHO IS TRUSTWORTHY AND BRINGS A LOT OF PERSONAL INTEGRITY TO THE POSITION AND TO THEIR LEADERSHIP.
AND THEN FINALLY, NOT TO BE OVERLOOKED, SOMEONE WHO GENUINELY LIKES KIDS.
LIKES WORKING WITH STUDENTS LIKE BEING AROUND STUDENTS AND LIKES TALKING WITH STUDENTS, AND IS IN THE JOB FOR THE INTEREST OF STUDENTS.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AND TOUCHSTONES IN SOME OF THE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES THAT WE HEARD AND AGAIN, WHAT WE WOULD SAY TO YOU WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE ONLINE COMMENTS.
WE DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT DEVIATED GREATLY FROM FROM WHAT WE HAD FLAGGED.
WE DID SEE A LOT OF COMMENTS THAT REINFORCED SOME OF THESE SAME PERSPECTIVE.
ANY THOUGHTS OR OBSERVATIONS? NO. QUESTIONS, MR. PRESIDENT OR OBSERVATIONS? I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE HAD SOME TIME TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND AND REFLECT AND REVIEW THE COMMENTS. YEAH.
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THANK YOU, GENTLEMEN, FOR YOUR ANYWAY.ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS THAT ANYONE? OK. OH, I'M SORRY, YEAH.
LET ME DO YEMEN AND JAMES, JUMP TO YOU.
THANK YOU. MICHAEL, NO, THANK YOU.
DR. MOSES, THANK YOU, DAVID, AND THANKS TO THE COMMUNITY, ANYONE THAT'S LISTENING THAT PARTICIPATED IN THIS IS A FOCUS GROUP MEMBER AS A ONLINE PARTICIPANT BECAUSE I THINK THAT THESE ARE INVALUABLE TO EVERYONE AND THIS REALLY IMPORTANT DECISION.
I HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
SO WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR YOUR THEMES OF BOTH THE GOOD THEMES AND THE CHALLENGE THEMES, AT LEAST FOR ME, WHEN I LOOKED AT THE THEMES, THEY SEEM TO BE ALMOST YIN AND YANG. SO THERE'S GREAT TEACHERS, BUT THEN THERE'S CHALLENGES WITH GREAT TEACHERS, THERE'S INVOLVEMENT. BUT THEN INVOLVEMENT SOMETIMES MEANS DIFFERENCES OF OPINION.
I'VE LOOKED THROUGH THE COMMENTS, AND THERE'S SO MANY OF THEM.
I CAME AWAY WITH COMMENTS ALSO SOMEWHAT OPPOSITE IN A WAY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I'M LOOKING. THIS IS WHAT A PARTICIPANT SAYS VERSUS A POLAR OPPOSITE.
SO DID YOU HAVE ANY AT A HIGH LEVEL THAT YOU CAME AWAY WITH FROM THE COMMENTS? NOT SO MUCH FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS, BUT FROM THE COMMENTS AND THE FOCUS GROUPS, PERHAPS, THAT YOU SAW AS CHALLENGES THAT CAME OUT OF THE SURVEY AND FOCUS GROUPS, BUT ALSO MAYBE YOU SEE AS CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH, BUT THAT OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE DEALING WITH.
UM, IT. I THINK AT A HIGH LEVEL, THE CHALLENGE IS THAT EANES ISD YOU'RE DEALING WITH ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE SHARED WITH MANY DISTRICTS, MAYBE NOT EVERY DISTRICT, BUT CERTAINLY WITH WITH MANY DISTRICTS IN THE STATE.
THE THE ATTRACTING AND RECRUITING TEACHERS IS HARD EVERYWHERE, IT'S PARTICULARLY HARD IN AREAS WHERE HOUSING COSTS MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR EDUCATORS TO LIVE, AND SO I WOULD FLAG THAT AS A CHALLENGE THAT IS NOT SHARED EVERYWHERE THAT YOU ALL ARE GOING TO THINK ABOUT, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT? UM, AND WE DID HEAR SOME COMMENTS, AND YOU PROBABLY SAW THEM AROUND THE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES OF STUDENTS AND STAFF.
SOME OF THOSE WERE SHORT TERM.
SOME OF THEM ARE SIMPLY A REFLECTION OF WHAT EVERYBODY HAS BEEN THROUGH IN THE LAST TWO YEARS THAT HAS BEEN UNDENIABLY STRESSFUL.
THE ONE OBSERVATION I WOULD MAKE IS SEVERAL PEOPLE DID COMMENT ABOUT THE LINKAGE OF HIGH, HIGH PRESSURE AROUND EXPECTATIONS AND PERFORMANCE AND HOW THAT SOMETIMES LINKS TO STRESSES IN STUDENT AND STAFF.
AND SO SOME OF YOUR MENTAL HEALTH STRESSES, IF YOU WILL, MIGHT NOT BE SHARED WITH ALL DISTRICTS. THEY MIGHT FLOW FROM A DIFFERENT SOURCE THAN SIMPLY THE THE STRESSES OF THE LAST TWO YEARS. OK, THANK YOU.
I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS.
WHAT I SEE IN THE PROFESSIONAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE FOURTH ONE OF YOUR REPORT IS UNDERSTANDING TEXAS FINANCE AND BUDGETING, THE RECAPTURE, THE THINGS THAT ARE UNIQUE AND OUR FINANCE TO IN TEXAS.
SO WE HAVE A SUPERINTENDENT THAT CAME FROM OUTSIDE OF TEXAS AND LEARNED THAT AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SAYING THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE.
BUT DO YOU SEE IN YOUR EXPERIENCE SOMETHING UNIQUE ABOUT THIS TIME AND IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD MAKE THIS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT? TO KNOWING TEXAS FINANCE AND THE UNIQUENESS AROUND TEXAS FINANCE.
IT'S OBVIOUS I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING I MEAN, IT'S BEEN A REAL PROBLEM, AND AS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT RECAPTURE THAT'S BEEN TAKEN AND SENT TO THE STATE HAS GROWN, IT'S
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INCREASED AND I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO CHANGE A WHOLE LOT.SO IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S MORE CRITICAL TODAY THAN IT WAS LAST WEEK OR LAST YEAR.
I JUST THINK IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME.
I KIDDINGLY TELL DAVID THERE'S NO ONE REALLY IN THE STATE THAT UNDERSTANDS SCHOOL FINANCE, EXCEPT DAVID.
WELL, YOU'VE EXPLAINED IT TO THE SUPREME COURT A COUPLE OF TIMES AND I'VE WATCHED YOU.
AND BUT IN TERMS OF, YEAH, YOUR OBSERVATION, CORRECT.
I THINK TOM DID A BEAUTIFUL JOB OF, AND NOT EVERYONE CAN COME FROM OUT OF STATE AND DO IT AS WELL. BUT HE HAS DONE A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB.
AND IT'S BUT IT'S DOABLE AND THERE ARE PLENTY OF PEOPLE THAT ARE WILLING TO ASSIST A NEW LEADER. IF THAT'S HELPFUL.
DAVID'S OBVIOUSLY A GREAT RESOURCE AND THERE'S SOME GREAT RESOURCES HERE IN AUSTIN.
I'M NOT KIDDING WHEN I SAY, PROBABLY THERE'S FIVE PEOPLE THAT REALLY, REALLY, REALLY GET IT. AND BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S GOING TO.
THE MECHANICS ARE GOING TO CHANGE A LOT IN THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
THERE IS ONE CHANGE THAT THAT I WOULD LIKE THAT.
I THINK, I KNOW YOUR FINANCE STAFF AND CFO ARE AWARE OF AND I KNOW THE BOARD HAS HAD CONVERSATIONS AROUND ONE CHANGE THAT WAS MADE IN 2019 THAT IS GOING TO HAVE.
LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS WAS MOVING FROM PRIOR YEAR VALUES TO CURRENT YEAR [INAUDIBLE].
YOUR DISTRICT AND MANY DISTRICTS IN GROWING AREAS, IF YOU HAD A SOURCE OF NEW MONEY ON A YEAR TO YEAR BASIS TO HELP.
THAT WAS THE LAG? WHEN IT WAS THE LAG, YOU KNOW, AND THAT IS.
THAT'S WHERE YOUR NEW FUNDS CAME FROM, AS YOUR PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP TO PRODUCE SOME TEMPORARY ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO USE TO ADDRESS NEEDS THAT CHANGED TO CURRENT YOUR VALUES.
WE'RE ALREADY SEEING IT TWO YEARS IN.
WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO SEE IT IN FUTURE YEARS.
THAT IS WORKING AS A REAL STRAIGHTJACKET, PARTICULARLY ON THE GROWING AREAS OF THE STATE.
IT'S BASICALLY STRIPPING ALL OF THE VALUES OUT OF THE HOME TO DISTRICTS THAT ARE GROWING.
IN CHANNELING THOSE TO THE STATE IN THE FORM OF INCREASED RECAPTURE.
SO I THINK THAT THAT STRAITJACKET AROUND FINANCES IS DIFFERENT NOW THAN MAYBE IT WAS FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS AGO.
WE'RE REALLY STILL KIND OF AT THE EARLY STAGES OF SEEING THE IMPLICATIONS OF IT, BUT.
THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT.
THAT'S ONE CHANGE. I WOULD REALLY FLAG THAT FROM A POLICY LEVEL, YOU ALL ARE GOING TO FIND MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO LIVE WITH.
OK. AND I GUESS WHAT I HEAR FROM BOTH OF YOU THEN, IS THAT FINANCE, IT'S GOING TO BE WITH US AND IT'S COMPLEX AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT, WHOEVER HE AND SHE OR SHE IS, HAS TO KNOW IT HAS TO BE.
ULTIMATELY, THE RESPONSIBILITY, OBVIOUSLY, AND YOU ALL HAVE EXCELLENT FINANCE STAFF AND CFOS, AND THAT'S THAT'S WHERE YOUR TRUE EXPERTISE IS.
YOUR SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO HAVE A WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF IT SO THEY CAN TALK TO THE BOARD, TALK TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND TALK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS.
IT'S JUST REALLY A A QUESTION ON THE PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES.
WHAT I SAW IN THE ONLINE COMMENTS WITH SOME FREQUENCY WAS THE COMMUNITY WANTING THE SUPERINTENDENT OR RECOGNIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT NEEDED TO BE AN ADVOCATE FOR TEACHERS.
AND I'M ASSUMING THAT THAT MAY BE BUILT IN TO WHAT YOU GOT OUT OF THE FOCUS GROUPS, EVEN IF IT ISN'T CALLED OUT IN THAT LANGUAGE.
AND REMEMBER, WE PREPARED THIS REPORT BEFORE WE GOT ALL OF THE COMMENTS, AND I THINK THAT'S BROADLY CAPTURED, MAYBE UNDER SOME OF THESE.
I DO THINK THAT'S WELL, THANK YOU. I APOLOGIZE, I DID NOT HAVE MY MIC ON, SO.
AND JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
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THANK YOU GUYS VERY MUCH AGAIN.I LOOK AT THE LIST LIKE THE LIST AND IT GIVES US A VERY GOOD LENS THROUGH WHICH TO LOOK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT POTENTIAL CANDIDATES.
AND PART OF MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT IF YOU'RE GOING TO APPLY FOR A JOB, YOU'RE PROBABLY OF A CALIBER THAT YOU CAN DO THAT JOB.
SO MAYBE A LOT OF THESE ARE GOING TO BE THE PEOPLE WHO SHOW UP AT THE DOOR.
AND I'M KIND OF CURIOUS IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT YOU HEARD OR READ IN THE COMMENTS THAT STOOD OUT AS WE DON'T HEAR THAT VERY OFTEN.
WHAT WOULD THAT BE? WELL, AGAIN, I THINK THE COMMENTS THAT WE DON'T HEAR VERY OFTEN, PROBABLY ONLY IN FOUR OR FIVE OR SIX OTHER DISTRICTS DEAL WITH THE ABILITY OF THE STUDENTS AND ABILITY OF THE PARENTS TO SUPPORT.
YEAH, YEAH. EXPECTATIONS AND SO FORTH.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE HELPED SPRING BRANCH.
WE'VE WORKED WITH LAKE TRAVIS AND MONTGOMERY.
AND I THINK THE PROBLEM I'LL COME BACK TO AND UNDERSCORE WHAT DAVID SAID AGAIN IS WE DON'T GO VERY MANY PLACES, THOUGH, WHERE THERE'S A LEVEL OF UNDERSTANDING THAT A HOUSING COSTS HERE ARE HIGH IN OUR DISTRICT AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO TEACH OUR KIDS HERE, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS WORK AND MAKE THIS WORK SO WE CAN GET THE TOP TALENT AND DRIVE A DISTANCE TO COME IN HERE, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY BE ABLE TO NOT LIVE HERE? WE DON'T GET THAT, BUT JUST IN A HANDFUL OF PLACES IN TEXAS, IT'S AN INTERESTING PROBLEM TO HAVE.
I KNOW IT IS. WE'RE ALL BLESSED WHEN FAMILIES DO WELL AND KIDS DO WELL, AND THAT'S WHAT WE WANT. THAT'S WHAT WE STRIVE FOR, BUT IT DOES CREATE OTHER CHALLENGES AND YOU'RE IN THAT CATEGORY WITH OTHER CHALLENGES.
I WON'T SAY YOU'RE THE ONLY ONES, BUT YOU'RE IN A SMALL HANDFUL OF DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THAT ISSUE. IT'S A TOUGH CHALLENGE TO SOLVE OR ADDRESS? THIS TEACHER ISSUE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IT.
AND THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AVAILABILITY, WHICH WE'VE GOT TO TRANSFORM AVAILABILITY.
BUT JUST TEACHER ABSENTEEISM IS WE'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT GOT TO DECIDE IF THEY EVEN WANT TO COME TO WORK. NORTH SIDE SAN ANTONIO TODAY HAS 16.5 PERCENT OF THEIR TEACHERS OUT.
THEY HAVE 1,129 OUT OF SEVEN THOUSAND TEACHERS NOT ABLE TO COME TO WORK TODAY.
NOW THAT'S THAT'S BECAUSE OF SICKNESS AND ILLNESS, PRIMARILY.
BUT WHEN YOU JUST LOOK AT THIS TEACHER AVAILABILITY ISSUE, AS DAVID SAID, WHEN YOU'VE GOT ALL THE COLLEGES OF EDUCATION IN ONE STATE SAYING, WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO BE A TEACHER. YEAH.
WE'RE CLOSING OUR COLLEGE OF EDUCATION AND OUR TEACHER PREPARATION COURSE IS THIS SPRING BECAUSE WE HAVE NO CANDIDATES.
THAT NOT SUSTAINABLE AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE IN TEXAS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE SUSTAINABLE FOR SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE THIS, WHICH I THINK BEGS, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET TEACHERS AND WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO AS A DISTRICT? AND THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER DEAL.
BUT I DO THINK, I WAS PLEASED, BUT AND KIND OF TOUCHED THAT THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WE TALKED TO THAT UNDERSTOOD THAT.
NOW, WE GO PLACES WHERE PEOPLE DON'T REALLY.
IT'S HOW MUCH IT'S ABOUT MONEY, IT'S ABOUT DISCIPLINE, IT'S ABOUT BEHAVIOR, IT'S ABOUT OTHER ISSUES. BUT WAIT A MINUTE NOW.
BUT WHAT IS THE HEART OF THIS DISTRICT? WELL, THE HEART OF THIS DISTRICT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, AFTER KIDS, IT'S TEACHERS.
OK, WELL THEN AND THEN THEY, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CORRECTLY UNDERSTOOD THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO A REAL, REAL PROBLEM FOR THE BOARD AND FOR OUR DISTRICT.
WE DON'T START PLANNING WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
WELL, AND I'VE TOLD A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT REMINDED A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT THIS IS WE'RE IN A DOUBLE KIND OF A VISE HERE.
WE'VE GOT THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU MENTIONED OF LIVING OUTSIDE OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE PAY AND ET CETERA. BUT WE'VE ALSO GOT THIS OTHER PIECE OF ADVICE THAT IS IN THE WORKFORCE, IN WORKFORCE IN GENERAL, PEOPLE ARE LEAVING.
COMPANIES ALL OVER THE PLACE ARE SEEING A LOT OF TURNOVER RIGHT NOW, AND THAT'S CREATING THIS SORT OF DOUBLE WHAMMY ON US RIGHT NOW.
WELL, AND I AGREE COMPLETELY WITH YOU, MR. BRADLEY, BUT I WILL AGAIN SAY IT'S PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT WITH PEOPLE IN HELPING PROFESSIONS, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS, NURSES AND FIRST RESPONDERS, THOSE PEOPLE WHO WE RELY ON WHEN WE ARE IN NEED, WHETHER WE'RE SICK OR WHETHER WE NEED THEM, WE'VE HAD AN EMERGENCY OR WHETHER WE NEED A TEACHER AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO WORK WHERE THEY'RE TREATED WELL. AND IF THEY'RE ABUSED OR DIMINISHED OR PUT DOWN OR MADE TO FEEL LESS.
[00:35:03]
YEAH. THEY'RE GOING TO FIND SOMEPLACE ELSE TO GO OR THEY'RE GOING TO GO, OH, COMPLETELY AWAY FROM THAT AND THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST AS A I KNOW AS TRUSTEE THAT CONCERNS YOU ALL.AND I THINK AS DAVID, NOW THAT THAT CONCERNS US A LOT.
DISTURBS ME A LOT BECAUSE I THINK PEOPLE IN OUR HELPING PROFESSIONS RIGHT NOW ARE REALLY ALL, THEY'RE STRUGGLING.
I APPRECIATE THAT I'LL JUST FINISH BY SAYING I'M HAPPY THAT IT MADE THE LIST, NOT HAPPY ABOUT IT HAPPENING, THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE FINANCIAL STRAINS WE'RE UNDER AND IT'S OUR. WE DON'T RAISE OUR OWN REVENUE, THE STATE HANDS US OUR MONEY AND THEN WE USE IT AND THESE CHALLENGES ARE REAL.
IT'S MOSTLY STATEWIDE, BUT SOME DISTRICTS ARE FEELING IT MORE THAN OTHERS, AND I'M GLAD THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS AWARE SO THAT WE CAN WORK TOGETHER TO DO WHAT WE CAN.
SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. I WOULD REPHRASE THE STATE DIDN'T HAND YOU YOUR MONEY.
THE STATE DECIDES HOW MUCH OF YOUR OWN MONEY.
THAT'S A REALLY YEAH. THEY HAND US OUR MONEY, SOME OF OUR MONEY.
YEAH. 35 PERCENT OF OUR MONEY THEY GIVE BACK TO US.
YES, THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO SAY IT.
THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO GO OVER HERE. THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE AND FOR THIS REPORT.
IT'S SO VALUABLE TO US, AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY.
I MEAN, HAVING I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE.
EIGHTEEN HUNDRED PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THIS SURVEY.
REALLY, REALLY UNDERLIES WHAT YOU SAW IN THE COMMENTS OF THE EXPECTATIONS FOR EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY, THE FACT THAT THEY VALUE IT AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT THE BOARD AND THE DISTRICT MAKES AND IT'S VITAL TO OUR FUTURE. SO I'M GRATEFUL TO OUR COMMUNITY FOR PARTICIPATING AND BEING ACTIVE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION.
I'M CURIOUS. SO AS I READ THROUGH THOSE, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SIXTEEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTEEN HUNDRED COMMENTS.
I SAW A LOT OF THE SAME THEMES THAT WE SAW FROM THE FOCUS GROUPS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF THERE WAS ANYTHING THAT YOU ALL SAW THAT YOU WOULD PINPOINT AS DIFFERENT OR THAT STOOD OUT TO YOU IN PARTICULAR? THAT WAS. WAS THERE ANYTHING KIND OF THAT BUBBLED TO THE SURFACE THAT WAS AN OUTLIER FROM WHAT WE SAW HERE? IN THE FOCUS GROUPS, I MEAN.
I THINK THE COMMENT WAS MADE OVER HERE THAT THERE WERE SOME COMMENTS AROUND BE AN ADVOCATE, YOU KNOW, BEING [INAUDIBLE] BUT OTHER THAN THAT, I MEAN, I THINK PEOPLE USE DIFFERENT WORDS.
BUT AT A HIGH LEVEL, I THINK THESE THEMES WERE THEY WERE AT LEAST WHAT I SAW IN THE ONLINE COMMENT.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING IN THE ONLINE COMMENTS WHERE IT WENT, OH MY GOSH, I HADN'T HEARD THAT BEFORE. RIGHT? YEAH, I AGREE.
I WAS JUST HOPING I DIDN'T MISS ANYTHING.
YOU. YOU KNOW THIS IS, LIKE YOU SAID, DIFFERENT WORDS, OBVIOUSLY.
BUT YEAH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO REPORT THERE THAN WHAT WE'VE COVERED.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
JEN ASKED SOME OF THE THINGS I WAS GOING TO ASK OR SAY, BUT I THINK, LIKE JAMES AND JEN ESPECIALLY SAID, YOU KNOW, I WAS GLAD TO SEE HOW AWARE OUR COMMUNITY IS ABOUT OUR STRENGTH AND OUR CHALLENGES, AND I WAS SO GRATEFUL THAT SO MANY PEOPLE DID PARTICIPATE.
I CAN'T SAY THAT I WAS SURPRISED BY A LOT OF THE RESPONSES THAT I GOT TO READ, BUT I DID FIND IT VERY INTERESTING AND I WAS HAPPY TO SEE HOW ENGAGED OUR COMMUNITY TRULY IS.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE EANES AND WHY OUR DISTRICT IS SO AMAZING BECAUSE WE HAVE COMMITTED AND ENGAGED PARENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT ALSO SHOWED THAT WE ARE A SPECIAL DISTRICT AND THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF STRENGTHS AND A LOT TO BE PROUD OF, BUT WE DO HAVE WORK TO DO AND I'M JUST GLAD THAT EVERYONE KIND OF SEES THAT AND THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD, HOPEFULLY IN A IN A WAY THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DID, TOO, BECAUSE I KNOW THIS WAS A LOT OF TIME AND EFFORT FOR YOU BOTH IN YOUR STAFF.
SO THANK YOU. THANK YOU, HEATHER.
LAURA? GENTLEMEN, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE, AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL HAVE HELPED US WITH PRIOR TO THE SURVEY GOING OUT.
WE HAD HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHO ARE WE REACHING WITH THIS SURVEY AND WILL WE BE HEARING FROM FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY, NON STAKEHOLDERS?
[00:40:02]
I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THE COMMENTS.IT WAS INTERESTING. I'M SURE I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE WHO WAS WHEN I SAW A COMMENT THAT STOOD OUT WAS LIKE, OH, IT CAME IN AT THIS TIME AND DATE, AND THEN YOU COULD YOU COULD FOLLOW THROUGH AND SEE THOSE SAME, THAT SAME PERSON SORT OF COMMENTING THROUGHOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS. DO YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS ABOUT FROM WHAT YOU SAW THAT WE ENDED UP HAVING SIGNIFICANT INPUT FROM PEOPLE THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF OUR COMMUNITY? NOT AS FAR AS WE KNOW.
I'M GOING TO DEFER TO YOUR STAFF, YOUR COMMUNICATIONS STAFF, I THINK THEY WERE PARTICULARLY KIND OF THEY'RE GOING TO KNOW BETTER THAN WE WOULD KNOW.
IF THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER THAT WERE COMING FROM OUTSIDE OF EANES.
I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT MADE ME GO, OH, THIS HAS GOTTEN AWAY FROM YOU IN THAT REGARD.
BUT HOW WOULD I GET? THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO PUT IT. I DON'T THINK YOU GOT AWAY FROM ME.
THERE'S NO DOUBT IN MY MIND YOU HAD COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE OUTSIDE YOUR DISTRICT AND LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE COMMENTS, I THOUGHT SOMEBODY DIDN'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN THAT DISTRICT OR THIS IS SOMEBODY THAT'S NOT REALLY ADVISED OR INFORMED ABOUT OR THAT, AND THEN MAYBE SOMEONE THAT MIGHT HAVE ONE ISSUE THAT IS THE ONLY ISSUE, BUT IT DIDN'T, AS DAVID SAID, I THINK HE CAPTURED THAT CORRECTLY.
IT DIDN'T GET AWAY FROM ME. I DIDN'T SEE EVIDENCE THAT AND IT WAS CLOSE ENOUGH.
THERE WERE ENOUGH THINGS SAID THEY WERE CLOSE ENOUGH TO WHAT WE HEARD IN THE FOCUS GROUPS. AND I THINK YOU'VE GOT A GOOD REPRESENTATION OF WHAT PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY ARE THINKING. AND I WOULD SAY THIS, IF YOU SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW, THERE'S REALLY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROBABLY PRETTY MUCH WHAT I EXPECTED.
I THINK THE SEVEN OF YOU ARE JUST HAVING SPENT TIME WITH YOU THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS, YOU ALL ARE ALL PRETTY ENGAGED.
YOU'RE VERY ENGAGED. YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOU HAVE A FEEL FOR YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND YOU'RE NOT OUT OF TOUCH.
AND SO THIS IS, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT A LOT TO THIS.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'D BE SOME THAT YOU'D WONDER ABOUT AND YOU MIGHT THINK.
WAS IT? YEAH. AND I THINK YOU'VE GIVEN DUE DUE THOUGHT DUE CONSIDERATION TO EVERY ONE OF THESE, THE OBSERVATIONS COMMENTS AND THEN AND IT WILL, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL MAKE YOUR BEST CALL. MAKE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT.
THANK YOU, ELLEN? THANKS. HARD TO DISENGAGE? YEAH, IT'S HARD TO GET DISENGAGED WITH MYSELF, I SUPPOSE.
THANKS FOR YOUR SUMMARY THAT IT'S VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT YOU SHARED WITH US AFTER THE FOCUS GROUPS. AND IT DOES HELP CRYSTALLIZE, ESPECIALLY GOING THROUGH THE 1800 COMMENTS.
WHAT WERE THE THEMES COMING OUT OF THIS? AND AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THE NUANCE OF SOMEBODY WHO GETS US AND GETS THE HIGH EXPECTATION THING.
BUT ALSO GETS THE DICHOTOMY OF THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT PROVIDES, BUT THE STRESSORS IT PROVIDES, BECAUSE IN MY EXPERIENCE, THAT IS, RATHER UNIQUE TO EANES AT THE LEVEL AT WHICH WE ARE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS, EVEN OUR TEACHERS THAT WE HIRE, THE ONES THAT UNDERSTAND THAT AND CAN DEAL WITH THAT DUALITY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUCCESSFUL HERE IN THE LONG RUN AND HELP OUR CHILDREN BE SUCCESSFUL.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU PARSING THAT, TEASING THAT OUT FOR US.
AND YOUR COMMUNITY IS THE ONE THAT IDENTIFIED THAT SO.
AND HOPEFULLY THE COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE WHO THINK IT'S A WHOLE OPPORTUNITY AND SOME WHO THINK IT'S ALL STRESSORS.
YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY REALIZES THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE TWO SIDES OF THE COIN, AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACHIEVE, HAVE HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND HELP OUR CHILDREN ACHIEVE AT THAT LEVEL WHILE MANAGING THE STRESSORS.
AND SO THERE IS A DUALITY, HOPEFULLY, THAT EVERYBODY CAN AND LEAN INTO.
AND JUST FOR PERSPECTIVE, I AGAIN WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR THE PARTICIPATION.
I WAS GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE MATERIALS FROM WHEN WE DID THE SEARCH EIGHT YEARS AGO, AND THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 400 OR SO PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATED IN BOTH THE FOCUS GROUPS, PLUS THE SURVEY.
SO, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN A FOURFOLD INCREASE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT LEVEL OF INPUT AND ENGAGEMENT.
THANK YOU. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE?
[00:45:03]
UM, I THINK YOU GUYS CAPTURED EVERYTHING THAT I WANTED TO SAY.BUT LET ME JUST REINFORCE A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE COMMENTS, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT SUGGESTED TO ME THAT THE SURVEY HAD BEEN COMPROMISED.
AND FURTHER, WE DID HAVE OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM LOOK THROUGH THE RESPONSES, AND THERE WERE A NUMBER OF RESPONSES THAT CAME FROM A SINGLE IP ADDRESSES, BUT BUT NOT IN A NUMBER THAT WOULD BE AT ALL UNUSUAL.
MOST OF THOSE WERE EITHER TWO OR THREE FROM ONE, WHICH YOU WOULD EXPECT IN A HOUSEHOLD OF TWO PARENTS AND PERHAPS ONE KID.
WE ONLY HAD ONE IP ADDRESS IT PRODUCED, I THINK, SEVEN.
AND WHEN I READ THROUGH THE RESULTS, I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING THAT SUGGESTED TO ME THAT THAT ANYBODY HAD ATTEMPTED TO STACK.
SO I FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE WITH THE QUALITY OF THE RESPONSES THAT THAT WE GOT IN THAT REGARD. AND SO THAT LEADS ME TO KIND OF WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE HAS BEEN SAYING, I FEEL INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL TO THE COMMUNITY FOR TAKING THE TIME TO DO THIS.
WE ASKED FOLKS TO DO THIS ON VERY SHORT NOTICE IN THE MIDDLE OF A HOLIDAY SEASON, AND THEY DID. THEY CAME OUT, THEY SAT DOWN AND THEY POURED INTO THIS THING 800 PAGES WORTH OF THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR WANTS AND NEEDS AND THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS.
AND I THINK IT MAKES THIS PROCESS RICHER THAN IT WOULD HAVE BEEN OTHERWISE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN JUST LAST ON THAT, I DO THINK, YOU KNOW, TO THE TO THE COMMENT, THE CONVERSATION YOU WERE JUST HAVING. I DO THINK THAT OUR COMMUNITIES IS SELF-AWARE ENOUGH TO KNOW AND WE'RE VERY PROUD AND WE UNDERSTAND THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT SWORD AND THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS. YOU KNOW HOW THAT CUTS AND HOW THAT CREATES CHALLENGES FOR US.
AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT THAT WE'RE ALL STILL PULLED ON THE SAME END OF THE ROAD.
WHEN WE CAN SOLVE THESE PROBLEMS TOGETHER.
THAT'S GOING TO BE WITH US FOR A WHILE.
IT'S JUST, THERE'S JUST A TENSION THERE.
BUT WITH THAT, I WANT TO THANK YOU GENTLEMEN FOR THE WORK YOU DID TO GET US THIS FAR.
AND UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE ANYBODY WANTS TO SAY, I'M GOING TO REMIND FOLKS OF OUR UPCOMING MEETINGS AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO A CLOSED SESSION.
TO TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN'T TALK ABOUT HERE RIGHT NOW.
SO OUR NEXT MEETING IS GOING TO BE JANUARY 14TH, WHICH IS TOMORROW, AND WE WILL INTERVIEW
[5. UPCOMING MEETINGS ]
OUR FIRST CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES TOMORROW.IN THE EVENT THAT WE FEEL IT'S NECESSARY, WE WILL INTERVIEW A CANDIDATE OR CANDIDATES AGAIN ON THE 18TH.
THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ANNOUNCE THAT WE HAVE A LONE FINALIST WILL COME IN OUR REGULAR MEETING OF THE 25TH.
WE MAY OR MAY NOT MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT.
THEN WE ROLLED IN INTO THE SUMMIT PREPARATION JANUARY 27TH.
OUR PRE-SUMMIT STUDY SESSION AND THEN OUR OUR ANNUAL STRATEGIC SUMMIT, FEBRUARY 3RD AND FEBRUARY 4TH. AND WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE INTO, LET'S SAY THE TIME IS NOW 5:49, AND WE
[6. CLOSED SESSION]
WILL MOVE INTO A CLOSED SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.074 AND 551.071.THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING AND THANK YOU FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE SURVEY, BOTH OF YOU OR IN THE FOCUS GROUPS.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.