Nov 01, 2022 School Board Study Session

THE WHY BEHIND THE WORK.

[00:00:01]

[*This meeting was joined in progress.*]

[4.2. Board Priority Update: Diversity, Equity and Inclusion]

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS FEEL THAT THEY BELONG, MAKE SURE THAT THEY FEEL INCLUDED IN WHAT WE ARE DOING.

WE KNOW THAT NOT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND NOT ALL OF OUR FAMILIES FEEL THAT WAY AT TIMES.

AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY PURPOSEFUL ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT DEI WORK, WHAT YOU'RE ALWAYS CONSIDERING IS BOTH WINDOWS AND MIRRORS AND THE MIRRORS ARE SO THAT STUDENTS CAN SEE THEMSELVES.

THEY CAN SEE THEIR IDENTITY REFLECTED IN THE WORK THAT WE DO, IN THE ACTIVITIES THAT WE DO.

THEY CAN SEE THEIR VALUES, THEY CAN SEE THEIR OWN CULTURE.

AND AT THE SAME TIME YOU WANT WINDOWS SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN AN UNDERSTANDING AND AN EMPATHY FOR OTHER PERSPECTIVES.

AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECE OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

WE WANT TO BUILD THAT IN OUR STUDENTS.

WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM THESE OPPORTUNITIES, AND THIS JUST HELPS OPEN DOORS FOR THEM.

IT HELPS THEM MEET THEIR ASPIRATIONS AND CREATES THE STUDENTS THAT WE REALLY, TRULY WANT TO CREATE AND SEND THEM INTO THE NEXT PHASE OF THEIR LIVES.

SO WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT TODAY ABOUT OUR, THIS EVENING ABOUT KIND OF THE ROADMAP TO IMPLEMENTING DEI ACROSS CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT.

I WANT TO START A LITTLE BIT WITH TALKING ABOUT THE WORK.

AND WE TONIGHT WANT TO TALK ABOUT AT FIRST WHAT THIS WORK IS NOT BECAUSE I THINK SOMETIMES THERE'S A CONFUSION WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION WORK AND MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT IT.

SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO SET THE FOUNDATION FOR THE WORK.

SO THIS ISN'T AN ADD ON.

WE'RE NOT TELLING THE TEACHERS, HERE'S EVERYTHING YOU HAVE TO DO AND THEN PUT THIS ON TOP OF WHAT YOU DO.

AND SO IT'S NOT ANOTHER THING TO DO.

IT'S NOT A PURCHASED PROGRAM.

WE DON'T GO OUT AND BUY LIKE, WHAT IS YOUR DEI WORK? OH, HERE IT IS. IT'S IN A KIT.

IT'S IN A BOX. THAT'S NOT WHAT THIS IS.

IT DOESN'T REPLACE THE TEKS OR CREATE A NEW CURRICULUM.

WE ARE NOT LOWERING THE BAR ON EXCELLENCE.

THERE'S NO SPECIFIC LESSONS, THEY'RE NOT, WE'RE GOING TO NOT STOP INSTRUCTION TO SAY TODAY WE ARE GOING TO DO DEI LESSON OR DEI WORK.

IT'S NOT A LIST OF BOOKS.

IT'S NOT A LIST OF AUTHORS THAT YOU READ.

IT'S NOT ONLY LISTENING TO AND CONSIDERING SOME PERSPECTIVES AT THE EXCLUSION OF OTHERS, AND IT'S NOT MAKING AN INDIVIDUAL OR A GROUP FEEL GUILT OR RESPONSIBILITY FOR PAST INJUSTICES.

SO WHAT IS DEI WORK? SO THE WORK IS STRIVING TO CREATE A SPACE WHERE ALL STAKEHOLDERS FEEL SEEN, HEARD AND RESPECTED, EVEN WHEN WE HAVE DIFFERING PERSPECTIVES.

IT'S A LENS TO INFORM THE DESIGN OF LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND EXPERIENCES, TO REMOVE BARRIERS FOR ALL STUDENTS TO PURSUE EXCELLENCE.

IT'S INFUSED ACROSS ALL ACTIVITIES AND SPACES.

IT'S ROOTED AND CONNECTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING.

WE'VE TALKED ABOUT UDL AS A DISTRICT FOR YEARS.

IT IS FOUNDATIONAL TO THE WORK THAT WE DO.

WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S REFERENCED IN FEDERAL LAW UNDER ESSA, AND WHAT WE ARE DOING NOW IS TAKING THAT WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN UDL, LOOKING AT BARRIERS, LOOKING AT ACCESS AND JUST LOOKING AT A DIFFERENT LENS, AND THAT'S APPLYING THE DEI LENS TO THAT WORK THAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING.

IT'S ALIGNED TO OUR GRADUATE PROFILE AND THE WORK THAT WE ARE DOING IS INTENTIONAL, IT'S REFLECTIVE, IT'S ONGOING AND IT'S COLLABORATIVE.

SO WE HAVE HERE THE WHEEL THAT EVERYBODY IS VERY FAMILIAR WITH.

AND AGAIN, ANOTHER FOUNDATIONAL PIECE OF THE WORK IN EANES ISD.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WHEN YOU OVERLAY THE WORK THAT WE DO IN DEI, IT FITS PERFECTLY WITH THE WHEEL.

AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT WHO ARE THE STUDENTS THAT WE WANT TO SEND OFF INTO THE WORLD WHEN THEY GRADUATE FROM WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THESE ELEMENTS THAT WE HAVE INCLUDED UP HERE ONLY ENHANCE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM, ENHANCE THEIR THEIR CHANCES OF BEING SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY HAVE THESE CHARACTERISTICS.

SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT MINDFULNESS, CREATIVE AND CRITICAL THINKING, BEING ABLE TO LISTEN TO AND HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES, CONNECTING CURRICULAR GOALS TO REAL WORLD EXAMPLES, REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR DAY TO DAY LIVES, PRACTICING IN A GROWTH MINDSET, AND THEN LOOKING AGAIN AT THOSE MIRRORS AND WINDOWS.

THESE ARE THE GOALS THAT WE REALLY HOPE TO ACHIEVE AND THINK WE CAN ACHIEVE WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING WITH DEI.

SO YOU SEE A SPACE FOR DIALOG ACROSS DIFFERENCES AGAIN, THAT INCREASED EMPATHY AND BELONGINGNESS ENVIRONMENTS WHERE PEOPLE FEEL WELCOMED AND VALUED,

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WE SEE STUDENT ENGAGEMENT OFFERING THEM CHOICE AND VOICE IN THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

AWARENESS OF GLOBAL CULTURES AND STUDENT OWNERSHIP OF THEIR OWN LEARNING.

SO THE TIMELINE THIS REFERS TO THE CURRICULUM WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING AS A DEPARTMENT WITH THROUGH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED LESSON CAST, LED BY NICOLE TUCKER SMITH. AND WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF PROFESSIONAL LEARNING THIS PAST YEAR, STARTING BACK IN THE SPRING.

AND YOU CAN JUST SEE A BRIEF KIND OF OVERVIEW OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS THAT WE'VE BEEN TARGETING WITH THIS PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

SO GOING BACK TO THE BOARD, ADOPTING THESE PRIORITIES BOTH IN 2021 AND 2022, WE STARTED IN EARLY SPRING WORKING WITH DIRECTLY WITH THE CIA TEAM TO HELP US BUILD OUR CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO SHARE AND DO THIS WORK AROUND EQUITY WITHIN THE CURRICULUM.

WE THEN BROUGHT IN OUR TEAM AND INCLUDED OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS WHO ARE INSTRUMENTAL ON OUR CAMPUSES ON A DAILY BASIS, AND THAT'S ALL OF OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS, INCLUDING OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS AND SPECIAL EDUCATION.

WE THEN FOLLOWED UP WITH OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS.

OUR WORK IS ONLY AS GOOD AS OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP.

AND SO WE MADE SURE THAT THEY WERE INVOLVED, THAT THEY UNDERSTAND EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AND ARE PARTNERING WITH US.

WE THEN HAD OUR DISTRICT WIDE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY.

WE'VE REFERENCED THAT A LITTLE BIT IN PREVIOUS BOARD PRESENTATIONS, BUT THAT WAS AN ENTIRE DAY DEVOTED TO THIS WORK.

ALL THE TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO STAY ON THEIR CAMPUS.

THEY GOT TO WORK IN THEIR TEAMS AND THEIR PLCS AND REALLY DIG DEEPER INTO THE WORK AROUND DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION.

THEN THIS FALL, WE STARTED WORKING WITH OUR CIA DEPARTMENT DP, AND BROUGHT IN OUR CURRICULUM WRITING TEAM AND THOSE THAT THAT GROUP THAT WAS REFERENCED THE LAST TIME CHAD AND HEATHER PRESENTED.

AND SO REALLY STARTING TO BE LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR UNIT DESIGN, WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR SCOPE AND SEQUENCE.

HOW ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE INFUSING THAT LENS OF DEI INTO THAT WORK? AND YOU'LL SEE KIND OF GOING FORWARD WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE HEADING.

SO IN DECEMBER, WE'RE BRINGING THE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS BACK IN.

SO WE'LL HAVE DONE SOME WORK IN THE FALL.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE AGAIN THAT THEY'RE IN LINE WITH US, THAT THEY'RE PARTNERING WITH US.

WE'LL GO AHEAD AND WORK AGAIN WITH THE CURRICULUM WRITING TEAMS IN THE SPRING AND THEN FOLLOW UP AGAIN TOWARD THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AGAIN.

SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO CHAD AND HEATHER, AND THEY'RE GOING TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO. SO THIS SLIDE JUST GIVES YOU A KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE WORK THAT WAS ACCOMPLISHED IN THE SPRING OF 22.

SO AS MOLLY REFERENCED, TOO, WE STARTED WITH THE CIA TEAM AS WE ENGAGED WITH NICOLE TUCKER SMITH, WE LATER BROUGHT IN OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS AND WENT THROUGH A TWO PART SERIES. THE FIRST PART APPLYING THE CURRICULUM REPRESENTATION INVENTORY.

THIS WAS A WAY FOR US TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW DO YOU LOOK AT UNIT DESIGN SO THAT YOU CAN ENSURE THAT MIRRORS AND LENSES ARE INCORPORATED IN THAT WITHIN? SO IT WAS TAKING STUFF WE'VE ALREADY DONE AND KIND OF REFINING IT AND REFRESHING IT TO TO INCLUDE THOSE PRACTICES.

PART TWO WAS LATER IN THE SPRING WHERE WE DID FINDING DISCUSSIONS AND REFLECTING TO INFORM ACTION.

THIS IS THAT VOICE AND CHOICE.

SO HOW DO WE INCORPORATE WITHIN OUR UNIT PLANS, WITHIN OUR DAILY LESSONS WHERE STUDENTS HAVE CHOICE TO EXPRESS THEIR LEARNING AND VOICE, TO EXPRESS HOW AND WHAT THEY NEED TO MOVE FORWARD OR WHAT THEY'RE STRUGGLING WITH OR WHAT THEY UNDERSTAND, AND ALSO VOICE TO THEMSELVES SO THEY CAN BE AUTHENTIC OF WHO THEY ARE.

THAT LED US TO THE SESSIONS FOR THIS YEAR.

IT'S A FOUR PART SERIES.

THIS IS A CURRICULUM TEAM, A DISTRICT CURRICULUM TEAM K THROUGH 9TH GRADE.

THESE WERE TEACHERS THAT VOLUNTEERED TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM.

SO WE DID TWO SESSIONS THIS FALL.

WE'RE ABOUT TO COMPLETE SESSION TWO THIS THURSDAY.

SESSION ONE WAS IN OCTOBER, WHERE WE JUST KIND OF STARTED THE WORK AND STARTED KIND OF GETTING A BASELINE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE MOVING FORWARD.

SESSION TWO THIS THURSDAY, WE'RE GOING TO DIVE INTO ACTUAL UNIT DESIGN.

WE'RE GOING TO START LOOKING AT WHAT'S CALLED THE DRIVE FRAMEWORK.

HEATHER'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE HERE IN A SECOND ABOUT WHAT THAT ACTUALLY LOOKS LIKE.

AND DECEMBER, WE'LL BRING ALL THE ADMINISTRATION BACK TOGETHER TO DO THE SAME, LEARNING TO SHARE THE SAME UNDERSTANDINGS.

AND THEN NEXT SPRING, WE'LL DO SESSION THREE AND SESSION FOUR WITH THAT SAME GROUP OF TEACHERS.

THE IDEAL HERE IS BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAVE SOME MODEL LESSONS.

WE HAVE SOME MODEL UNITS THAT HAVE BEEN LOOKED AT AND VIEWED THROUGH THESE LENSES TO SHOW TEACHERS WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE OR WHAT ARE THE POSSIBILITIES.

AND THEN FUTURE EXPANDING THIS INTO CURRENT PRACTICE ACROSS ALL THE CAMPUSES.

NOW I'M GOING TO TURN TO HEATHER, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IN DETAIL ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

YEAH. SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS WORK, WHEN WE'RE DEVELOPING OUR CURRICULUM AND WORKING WITH OUR CURRICULUM WRITERS, WE'RE USING THE DRIVE FRAMEWORK AND WHAT THAT IS, IT'S JUST A CURRICULUM REPRESENTATION MODEL THAT WE USE FOR UNITS THAT ARE ALREADY WRITTEN AND IT HELPS ENSURE MIRRORS AND WINDOWS FOR EACH

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THIS MODEL WORKS FOR ANY CONTENT AREA, AND WE HAVE EXAMPLES OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH LESSONS FOR ALL OF THE HUMANITIES AND STEAM.

AND THIS IS JUST A GRAPHIC OF WHAT WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO CONSIDER AND TALK ABOUT WHEN THEY'RE PLANNING AND LOOKING AT THESE UNITS.

SO HOW THIS INVENTORY WORKS, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE HOW DOES THE UNIT RELATE TO STUDENT EXPERIENCES AND CONCERNS IN THE WORLD? HOW DO THE MATERIALS AND THE RESOURCES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE INCORPORATE A RANGE OF AUTHORS AND CONTRIBUTORS? AND IS THERE SOMETHING ADDITIONAL MAYBE THAT WE NEED TO GET TO ADD AND ENHANCE? AND THEN HOW DOES THE UNIT PROMPT THE STUDENTS TO CONSIDER HOW PEOPLE ARE PORTRAYED AND HOW DOES IT FACILITATE REFLECTION ON POWER DYNAMICS, VIEWPOINTS THAT OTHER PEOPLE MAY HAVE? SO THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WILL TAKE EVERYBODY THROUGH.

OBVIOUSLY WITH ANY WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, WE WANT TO HAVE METRICS.

WE WANT TO SEE WHAT ARE THE GOALS WE SET FOR OURSELVES AND WHAT ARE THE OUTCOMES AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO MEASURE THOSE.

SO WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO MEASURE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING.

SO WE'LL BE LOOKING AT OUR PLCS, OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITIES, AND SEEING WHAT WHAT OF THOSE ELEMENTS ARE NOW EMBEDDED INTO OUR OUR LESSON DESIGN.

WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS OUR PLCS ARE HAVING AROUND HOW THEY'RE MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR THEIR ACTIVITIES AND THEIR LESSONS THROUGH THAT LENS.

SO THAT GOES TO THE LESSON DESIGN.

WE ARE ABLE TO DO THAT THROUGH INSTRUCTIONAL WALKTHROUGHS.

WE'RE ALREADY GOING INTO CAMPUSES.

OUR EPS, OUR CURRICULUM TEAM ARE LOOKING AT OUR CAMPUSES, HAVING CONVERSATIONS, GOING IN AND WATCHING ACTUAL LESSONS.

RIGHT NOW, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON A LOT OF THOSE PRINCIPLES OF UDL.

AND NOW WE CAN ALSO BE LOOKING TO SEE, OK ARE THEY? WHAT HAVE THEY INCORPORATED? HOW HAVE THEY INCORPORATED DEI AND HOW CAN WE TAKE THAT THEN AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS ON THEIR CAMPUS OR THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, LOOKING AT JUST AN INCREASED SENSE OF A CALL IN CULTURE? AND THE CALLING CULTURE IS WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T DISAGREEING WITH YOU OR AREN'T AGREEING WITH YOU.

AND INSTEAD OF SOMETHING BEING MAYBE CONFLICTUAL, YOU SAY, CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT? SHARE YOUR PERSPECTIVE WITH ME.

I WANT TO LEARN.

AND WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO CREATE THAT SENSE OF BELONGING AND OPENNESS WHERE PEOPLE CAN HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS AND THAT DIFFERENCES CAN BE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES INSTEAD OF BEING PLACES OF CONFLICT OR TIMES WHEN IT'S REALLY HARD TO SIT DOWN AND HEAR WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS TO SAY.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE GETTING READY SOON TO LAUNCH OUR STUDENT AND PARENT SURVEYS, SO THAT'LL BE INFORMATION THAT WE CAN GATHER.

LOOKING AT OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING EXIT TICKETS FROM OUR TEACHERS, WE'VE ALREADY ASKED THEM.

WE GOT A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK FROM THE PLC DAY THAT WE DID IN AUGUST FOR WHAT THEY'VE LEARNED, WHAT THEY WANT TO LEARN, MORE CONTINUED GROWTH THEY WANT TO HAVE.

SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE GOALS FOR BEST INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES, WE KNOW WHAT THIS WORK CAN LOOK LIKE.

AND SO WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HELPING OUR TEACHERS AGAIN.

ARE THEY OFFERING THAT VOICE AND CHOICE OR ARE THEY LOOKING AT BARRIERS OR ARE THEY LOOKING AT WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THOSE WINDOWS AND MIRRORS IN THEIR CURRICULUM? TGAP, WHICH IS OUR TEACHER GROWTH AND APPRAISAL SYSTEM.

SO MAKING SURE THAT IN TGAP, WE'RE HOLDING OUR TEACHERS RESPONSIBLE FOR QUALITY LESSON PLANNING, TEACHING THAT REALLY IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE HOLD IN VALUE HERE IN EANES ISD OUR DISCIPLINE RECORDS.

IF WE ARE LOOKING TO SEE WHAT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE FOR BULLYING REPORTS OVER THE YEARS, THIS WORK YOU'RE HOPING, SHOWS A DECREASE.

YOU'RE SHOWING THAT THERE'S MORE TOLERANCE AND ACCEPTANCE AND WORKING THROUGH THESE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE A SENSE OF RESTORATIVE JUSTICE AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. AND SO LOOKING AT THAT, AND THEN YOU GUYS ARE GETTING SORT OF A LITTLE SNEAK PEEK TONIGHT THAT WE'RE WE ARE REBRANDING OUR QUICK REPORT AND IT'S GOING TO BECOME WESTLAKE WATCH.

AND SO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR QUICK REPORTS, OUR ANONYMOUS TIP LINE, AND SEEING WHAT OUR STUDENTS ARE SAYING, BECAUSE WE HOPE WITH THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, WE ARE JUST CREATING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS FEEL MORE SAFE.

THEY FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG, BUT THEY ALSO FEEL THAT MAYBE THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY IF THEY SEE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT OKAY, THAT THEY'RE SPEAKING OUT.

SO THOSE ARE SOME WAYS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THE WORK WE'RE DOING AND SEE SOME TANGIBLE RESULTS OF THAT.

SO AT THIS POINT, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE NEXT GROUP TO CONTINUE THE PRESENTATION.

AND WE HAVE DIANE PARKS AND LESLIE RYAN HERE THIS EVENING.

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APPRECIATE THAT DOWNLOAD.

DIANE. LESLIE, WELCOME.

I KNOW I FEEL A LITTLE TALLER IN THIS CHAIR THAN I TYPICALLY PREFER, BUT THAT'S OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU GUYS AGAIN.

I'VE SEEN YOU A FEW TIMES LATELY.

SO YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY HEARD.

I THINK AT SOME POINT YOU HEARD MOLLY, CHAD AND HEATHER USE THE USE THIS IDEA OF VIEWING THINGS THROUGH A LENS, A LENS SPECIFIC TO CONSIDERING THINGS FROM FROM A DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION PERSPECTIVE.

YOU'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO HEAR THAT THEME.

AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO GO AHEAD AND SAY RIGHT NOW THAT THERE'S WE FIGURED OUT VERY SWIFTLY THERE'S NO LIKE CANNED PROGRAM FOR HOW TO DO THIS.

IT JUST DOESN'T EXIST.

SO THANKFULLY, WE HAVE PEOPLE BOTH AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL AND ALSO AT THE CAMPUS LEVELS THAT ARE DEDICATED TO SPEND TIME AND ENERGY FIGURING OUT HOW TO DO THIS.

THE EANES WAY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO THIS, THE WAY THAT IS RIGHT FOR US.

SO. OH, THE CLICKER IS.

YES. OH, AND IT WORKED TWICE.

IT ALWAYS DOES THAT. WHY DOES IT DO THAT? ONE MORE TIME.

SERIOUSLY? OK.

THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE.

WOW. SO THIS IS OUR AS AS WE TALK ABOUT FIRST THE DISTRICT, THE DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR THE DISTRICT. THIS IS OUR THIRD YEAR TO EXIST.

THANKFULLY, THIS YEAR IT'S ALL IN PERSON.

THIS WHOLE THING STARTED LIKE WITH ALL OF US IN LITTLE SQUARES ON ZOOM.

IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO BE ALL IN PERSON THIS YEAR AS AS YOU GUYS CAN SEE AND YOU ALREADY KNOW THE COMMITTEE EXISTS NOW OF, IT'LL EVENTUALLY BE 31 PEOPLE ONCE WE ADD OUR BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY PARENT REPRESENTATIVE.

BUT WE DO HAVE BOTH A PARENT AND STAFF REPRESENTATIVE FROM EACH CAMPUS.

WE'VE GOT A TOTAL OF EIGHT STUDENTS WHICH WERE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT TWO FROM EACH MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEN FOUR FROM THE HIGH SCHOOL.

THEY'VE ADDED A REALLY AWESOME PERSPECTIVE.

THEN WE'VE GOT CAMPUS ADMINISTRATORS, CENTRAL ADMIN FOLKS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

I THINK I GOT EVERYBODY.

WE'VE THE THING THAT WE'RE MOST PROUD OF AMONG THIS BODY OF PEOPLE, THOUGH, IS THAT WE DO HAVE A PRETTY AWESOME REPRESENTATION OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, AND SOME INDIVIDUALS HOUSE MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES OVER THE COURSE OF THEIR LIFE'S JOURNEY. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT OUR COMMITTEE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT IN THE FIRST MEETING IS SHOULD WE THINK ABOUT ADDING SOMEBODY FROM ATS AS ANOTHER ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES, WHICH I THOUGHT THAT WAS AWESOME.

AND THEY DEFINITELY VALUE THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION PERSPECTIVE.

AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR FOCUS, LIKE WE'VE KIND OF ALREADY SAID, IS SUPPORTING ALL STUDENTS AND REALLY CONNECTING THIS TO THE GRADUATE PROFILE OR THE WHEEL WE DO MEET MONTHLY.

SO FAR WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS.

THAT FIRST MEETING WE SPENT A LITTLE BIT OF TIME GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND THEN WE ASKED PEOPLE TO GET INTO SMALL GROUPS AND NARROW DOWN THEIR TOP FIVE PRIORITIES FOR OUR WORK THIS YEAR.

AND YOU GUYS, I WAS HERE LAST SPRING WHEN YOU GUYS APPROVED THE NEW CHARGE AND THERE WAS CONCERN ABOUT THE SIZE OF THE COMMITTEE.

AND WE CHOSE TO WE'VE CHOSEN SO FAR AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO INTENTIONALLY WORK IN SMALL GROUPS WITHIN THAT COMMITTEE TIME SO THAT THOSE IN THOSE SMALL GROUPS, MORE VOICES CAN TRULY BE HEARD AND THEN REPORT OUT TO THE LARGER GROUP TO TO NARROW THINGS DOWN.

BUT THAT FIRST MEETING, WE MADE THIS HUGE LONG LIST OF POSSIBLE PRIORITIES AND THEN SENT THOSE OUT TO THE COMMITTEE AND ASKED THEM TO VOTE ON THEIR TOP THREE.

AND FROM THAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IN A LITTLE BIT THE TOP FOUR PRIORITIES THAT WE LANDED ON.

AND IN THAT SECOND MEETING, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH NICOLE TUCKER SMITH, AND THE COMMITTEE GOT TO HEAR STRAIGHT FROM HER ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH HER SO FAR AS AS A DISTRICT.

AND NOTE THAT WORK BEGAN A LONG TIME AGO WITH UDL.

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SO WE'VE ENJOYED TIME WITH HER FOR QUITE A WHILE.

AND THEN THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN MENTIONED, BUT I'LL MENTION AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD NEXT WEEK TO OUR TOWN HALL ON THURSDAY AT BARTON CREEK.

SIX IN THE EVENING.

WE'D LOVE TO SEE AS MANY FOLKS THERE AS POSSIBLE.

WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING A CONVERSATION AND I THINK IT'LL BE GOOD.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I'LL TELL YOU GUYS, THERE'S NOBODY MORE EXCITED ABOUT THE CLIMATE SURVEY RESULTS THAN THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

THEY CANNOT WAIT TO SEE THAT DATA TO REALLY HAVE A GOOD IDEA OF WHERE WHERE TO FOCUS OUR TIME AND ENERGY.

I WANT, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SKIP THAT ONE BECAUSE OR NOT.

MAYBE IN A SECOND.

OR MAYBE.

NO. HEY, THERE WE GO.

BECAUSE THOSE THINGS ARE ACTUALLY LISTED HERE AS WELL.

THIS IS THE FOUR THINGS LISTED UNDER COMMITTEE PRIORITIES.

THOSE ARE THE FOUR THINGS WE LANDED ON WHEN WE SENT THAT OUT AND ASK FOLKS TO VOTE FOR THEIR TOP THREE.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT CONVENIENTLY THEY ALIGN QUITE NICELY WITH OUR BOARD PRIORITIES AND.

IMPROVE COMMUNICATION.

I'M FAIRLY CONFIDENT THAT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE A LITTLE FEARFUL WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING WHEN WE HAVE THESE MEETINGS. I PREDICT THERE ARE ALSO PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO THINK THAT ANYTHING WE DO IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

I'M ALSO CONFIDENT THAT WITHIN BOTH OF THOSE GROUPS AND ANY OTHER GROUP THAT MIGHT EXIST, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN EACH OF THOSE THAT ARE THINKING, MAN, I REALLY WISH I KNEW MORE ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.

SO I WAS EXCITED TO SEE THAT AS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT WE LANDED ON.

AND WE REALLY DO WANT TO WORK TO TO IMPROVE THAT COMMUNICATION ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING SO THAT SO THAT WE CAN HELP FOLKS FEEL A LITTLE BIT BETTER ABOUT.

WHAT'S GOING ON. SECOND, YOU SEE THEIR SUPPORT, MORE CONCRETE ACTION RELATED TO STUDENT CONCERNS.

THAT'S EASIER SAID THAN DONE BECAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING FROM SOMETHING INTANGIBLE TO TANGIBLE.

AND THAT'S. I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE THAT ALONE RIGHT THERE.

THAT'S A BIG ONE.

NEXT, YOU SEE SUPPORT STAFF AND STAFF DEI TRAINING.

TRAINING STAFF WAS A HUGE SOMETHING OUR COMMITTEE IS VERY INVESTED IN AND DEFINITELY WANT US TO CONTINUE.

AND THEY'RE EXCITED TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED SO FAR AND LOOKING FORWARD TO SUPPORTING MORE.

LAST BUT NOT LEAST, INCREASE STUDENT CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT.

AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS IS NOT JUST NOT JUST ASKING KIDS HOW SOMETHING WENT, BUT SEEKING INPUT FROM KIDS BEFORE WE DO THINGS TO GET THEIR PERSPECTIVE ON HOW EVEN PROACTIVELY WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO MAKE THINGS BETTER.

THIS ONE'S EVEN WORSE.

OH, THERE WE GO.

DID YOU DO THAT, JEFF? YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU.

SO, OUR NEXT MEETING, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO DIGGING INTO MAKING OUR NEXT STEPS MORE CONCRETE.

YES, PUN INTENDED.

CLICK NOW.

I COULDN'T RESIST. I'M SORRY.

SO NOW WE'LL SHIFT TO INSTEAD OF THINKING WHOLE WHOLE DISTRICT COMMITTEE WILL, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR EQUITY TEAMS. AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, THESE EQUITY TEAMS ARE APPROACHING THINGS FROM SPECIFICALLY A CAMPUS PERSPECTIVE.

AND ONE OF THE COOL THINGS IS WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF OUR KIDS ON ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES, A WHOLE BUNCH OF THEM HAVE A LOT OF THINGS IN COMMON.

AND THEN AS YOU THINK ABOUT ALL OF THEM, THEY ALSO HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENCES, WHETHER IT'S RACE, RELIGION, INTERESTS, ABILITY, LEVEL.

I MEAN, THE LIST GOES ON AND ALL THE WAYS THAT THEY'RE THE SAME OR THEY'RE DIFFERENT.

AND OUR OVERALL GOAL IS TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY STRIVING TO BE SURE THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE A PLACE TO BE SEEN, HEARD, SUPPORTED AND CHALLENGED.

CLICK. SO AS WE THINK ABOUT OUR EQUITY TEAMS KNOW, SEEING LIKE WE'VE GOT NINE OF THEM GOING AND THEY ARE

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THROUGH THAT LENS, THE TEAM STRUCTURES ARE MOST OF OUR EQUITY TEAMS ARE STAFF MEMBERS.

THERE'S A SPRINKLING OF PARENTS, BUT MOST OF THEM ARE STAFF MEMBERS.

AND THE THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THESE GROUPS DO IS, AND THIS IS TRUE OF THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL.

IT IS TIME SET ASIDE AND DEDICATED TO VERY INTENTIONALLY THINK ABOUT HOW WE DO THINGS SO THAT WE CAN BE SURE WE'RE BEING INCLUSIVE OF ALL.

AND IT'S THAT AN INTENTIONAL THINKING THAT I THINK IS CRITICAL.

AND I LEARNED EARLY ON AS A TEACHER AND THEN ALSO EARLY ON AS AN ADMINISTRATOR THAT WHEN YOU IT'S GREAT TO DO GOOD THINGS NATURALLY, BUT WHEN YOU DO THEM INTENTIONALLY AND SHARE THAT INTENTIONALITY WITH PEOPLE, IT'S SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL. SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THIS INTENTIONALLY IS HUGE.

AND THEN WE HAVE CREATED AN EQUITY TEAM SHARING SPACE.

IT'S NOTHING FANCY, BUT IT IS A SPACE WHERE EACH CAMPUS CAN CAN SHARE WHAT THEY'RE DOING SO THAT I CAN LOOK AND SEE.

OH, MAN, THAT WAS A GREAT IDEA, LESLIE, I MIGHT TRY THAT OR YEAH, SO WE HAVE CREATED THAT SPACE AND THAT'S I'M EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

NOW WE WILL TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT EACH LEVEL.

GOOD JOB, GOOD JOB.

AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, FOR THESE NEXT THREE SLIDES, I ASKED FLORENCIO GONZALEZ TO HELP ME OUT WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL SLIDE.

I WORKED ON MIDDLE SCHOOL WITH, AFTER A CONVERSATION WITH MISS SULLIVAN, AND THEN I ASKED LESLIE RYAN HERE TO WORK ON THE OLD ELEMENTARY SLIDE. AND THE COOL THING IS YOU'RE GOING TO SEE SOME COMMON THEMES HERE.

AND IT WAS FASCINATING.

I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT.

IT WAS JUST HAPPENED ANYWAY.

SO AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

AS A LEADERSHIP GROUP, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THEY'RE DOING IS TRYING TO SERVE AS A CONSTANT RESOURCE FOR FOR STAFF AS THEY PROACTIVELY TALK THROUGH LESSONS, TO TRY TO PROACTIVELY BE SURE THEY'RE DOING THINGS IN A WAY THAT'S GOOD FOR KIDS AND GOOD FOR STUDENT LEARNING AND PROVIDING THOSE THOSE MIRRORS AND THOSE WINDOWS FOR THE TO HELP STAFF AND STUDENTS CELEBRATE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT CULTURAL OBSERVANCES AND HOLIDAYS.

THEY HAVE A STUDENT GROUP THAT IS SHOPS FOR CHANGE THAT HAVE ACTUALLY ADOPTED ONE OF THE DISPLAY CASES TO DISPLAY DIFFERENT THEY PICK A PICK, SOMETHING TO DISPLAY INFORMATION ABOUT.

SO THAT'S THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEIR KIDS THERE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL HAVE REALLY BEEN HELPING OUT WITH.

AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE THIRD BULLET ON ALL OF THESE IS TO BASICALLY CONSTANTLY MONITOR AND WATCH FOR THINGS WE NEED TO WORK ON AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL.

THANK YOU. YOU GUYS HEARD, I BELIEVE, OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT OUR TRAINING.

WE DID. GOING THROUGH SCENARIOS WITH OUR STAFF.

THAT'S. THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW WE'VE TRIED TO REALLY CONTINUE THAT LEARNING.

AND WE'VE ALSO BUILT IN A VERY INTENTIONAL EVEN IF IT'S 5, 10 MINUTES AND EACH FACULTY MEETING IS JUST AN INTENTIONAL REFLECTION ON WHETHER IT'S A QUOTE OR AN IMAGE OR SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU MAKES YOU STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT THINGS FROM FROM MAYBE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE.

AND THEN I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'VE FIGURED OUT SPECIFICALLY AT WESTRIDGE, AND I'M SURE IT APPLIES TO OTHER CAMPUSES THAT WE REALLY WANT TO WORK ON IS WE WANT TO WORK ON OUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR FIRST GENERATION IMMIGRANT FAMILIES. IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU DID NOT GROW UP GOING THROUGH OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEN THIS IS POTENTIALLY A VERY DIFFERENT SYSTEM THAN WHAT YOU GREW UP IN.

SO WE'VE REALIZED THAT THERE'S AN UNDERSTANDING GAP THAT WE WE REALLY WANT TO WORK ON.

[00:30:06]

AND I KNOW THAT I KNOW FOR SURE THAT TIFFANI AT BARTON CREEK IS ON BOARD WITH JUMPING IN THERE WITH US, AND I'M SURE WE WILL SPREAD THAT TO OTHERS.

AND I NOW GET TO HAND THINGS OVER TO LESLIE RYAN.

THEY DIDN'T GET A MICROPHONE TUTORIAL.

HOPEFULLY I HAVE IT ON CORRECTLY.

HI EVERYONE. THANKS FOR HAVING US TONIGHT.

I'M REALLY EXCITED TO BE HERE AND TO SHARE A LOT OF GREAT CELEBRATIONS IN THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS AREA BECAUSE IT'S REALLY CRITICAL.

I THINK I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ALL OF MY PRINCIPAL PEERS AND SAYING THAT EVERY DAY WE COME TO SCHOOL WITH A PRIORITY OF EVERY CHILD WHO COMES ONTO OUR CAMPUS, THAT THEY FEEL SAFE AND SEEN AND VALUED AND HEARD AND LOVED.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, REALLY BEING PURPOSEFUL IN TAKING THE NEXT STEPS TO MAKE THAT COME TO FRUITION FOR EVERY SINGLE CHILD IS THE WORK OF OUR EQUITY TEAMS. AND SO I THINK YOU'LL SEE THAT IN SOME OF THE STEPS THAT WE'VE TAKEN ON OUR CAMPUSES.

AND LIKE DIANE SAID, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS NEW.

THIS IS WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE AND IT IS WORK WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO.

I THINK WHEN WE KNOW BETTER, WE DO BETTER.

AND I THINK THAT CONTINUOUS CYCLE OF IMPROVEMENT IS ONE THAT WE REALLY RELY HEAVILY ON AND INVEST IN WITHIN OUR STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY ALL ACROSS THE BOARD ARE DOING IS LOOKING AT EVALUATING WHAT'S GOING WELL, WHAT'S GOING WELL, WHAT DO WE NEED TO IMPROVE UPON? AND THAT REALLY IS BASED ON WHAT WE'RE HEARING AND SEEING.

WE'RE LISTENING. I THINK THAT THAT'S A CRITICAL PART OF OF HEARING FROM ALL STAKEHOLDERS THAT STUDENTS, THAT'S PARENTS.

WHAT ARE WE DOING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL SEEN AND VALUED AND LOVED? WHAT CAN WE DO BETTER? AND SO LOOKING AT THAT AS A CONSTANT CYCLE OF IMPROVEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT ALL OF US ARE DOING ACROSS THE SIX ELEMENTARIES AND ACROSS THE NINE CAMPUSES.

THE NEXT ONE IS TO REALLY LOOK AT EMBEDDING THOSE INCLUSIVE AND EQUITY FOCUSED PRACTICES INTO OUR CAMPUS WIDE EVENTS.

SO AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS I KNOW THAT VALLEY VIEW JUST HAD THEIR FESTIVAL AND WE JUST HAD OUR FALL CARNIVAL AT EANES ELEMENTARY.

AND SO I'M LOOKING AT THESE CAMPUS WIDE EVENTS.

WE'RE TRYING TO BE REALLY PURPOSEFUL AND PROACTIVE.

WE HAD MEETINGS WITH OUR PTOS, YOU KNOW, THE DAY BEFORE, LIKE LET'S CONFIRM THIS, LET'S CHECK ON THIS.

ARE WE ENSURING THAT WE'RE INVOLVING AND INCLUDING EVERY CHILD WHO CAN PARTICIPATE? IT'S AFTER SCHOOL.

WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHOSE FAMILIES WORK? I'M A WORKING PARENT. I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT.

HOW ARE WE PARTNERING WITH EASY CARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE STUDENTS HAVE THE ABILITY TO COME? WHAT ABOUT FAMILIES WHO MIGHT NEED FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE? WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHO HAVE MOBILITY CHALLENGES? IS THIS A SPACE THAT'S ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL? WHAT ABOUT STUDENTS WHO COME TO A CARNIVAL EVENT? AND IT'S REALLY OVERWHELMING.

IS THERE A SPACE WHERE THEY CAN GO OR THEY CAN FEEL CALM SO THAT THEY CAN REJOIN THE EVENT? AND SO LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR CAMPUS WIDE EVENTS, I KNOW A LOT OF US HAVE A BUNCH OF BIG THINGS COMING UP.

EANES HAS STEAM DAY AROUND THE CORNER.

WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO BE PURPOSEFUL AND AND LOOKING THROUGH THAT LENS OF EQUITY AND DIVERSITY AND INCLUSIVITY TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.

I THINK WHEN WE SAY ALL MEANS ALL, WE MEAN IT, WE FEEL IT, WE BELIEVE IT.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO PRACTICE THAT IN WHAT WE DO.

AND THEN LAST BUT NOT LEAST, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT.

SO LOOKING AT I THINK MOLLY SPOKE EARLIER, HEATHER, ABOUT STUDENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND A LOT OF THAT IS OUR STUDENTS SEEING THEMSELVES IN THE SPACES.

IS THEIR WORK REPRESENTED? ARE THERE IMAGES OF PEOPLE WHO THEY FEEL ARE LIKE THEM? AND SO LOOKING AT THOSE DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS AROUND CAMPUS, OUR CAMPUS JUST RECENTLY WITH OUR EQUITY TEAM, LOOKED AT OUR OUTDOOR BULLETIN BOARDS AS AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO SHOWCASE THE DIVERSITY ON OUR CAMPUS.

WE'RE LOOKING AT INVENTORYING ALL OF THE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES SPOKEN AT EANES ELEMENTARY ARE A LOT.

IT'S REALLY AMAZING AND SORT OF IDENTIFYING WHAT ARE ALL OF THE LANGUAGES REPRESENTED BY STUDENTS WHO GO TO EANES.

WHAT I LOVE IS THAT ONE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS SAID, CAN WE TAKE IT A STEP FURTHER AND ALSO INCLUDE THE WAY IN WHICH WE COMMUNICATE? WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO USE CORE BOARDS AS THEIR METHOD OF COMMUNICATION.

IT'S A VISUAL THEY DO.

THEY POINT TO SOMETHING AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO COMMUNICATE INTERACTIVELY WITH THEIR PEERS AND ADULTS, TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES, TO ASK FOR HELP, TO SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE.

THAT'S ONE WAY THAT WE CAN SHARE WITH OUR STUDENTS.

THIS IS ONE WAY IN WHICH STUDENTS COMMUNICATE AT EANES.

ANOTHER WAY MIGHT BE THROUGH ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY.

ANOTHER WAY MIGHT BE THROUGH SIGN LANGUAGE.

WE HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES REPRESENTED, BUT TAKING IT A STEP FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IT THROUGH A LENS OF INCLUSIVITY REALLY ENRICHES

[00:35:10]

SO. SO WHEN I WAS LOOKING AT WHAT THIS WORK IS, IT IT MADE ME THINK I WAS A TEACHER WHEN WE BROUGHT IPADS INTO THE CLASSROOMS. AND I REMEMBER IT FELT INITIALLY LIKE, IS THIS ONE MORE THING? IS THIS ANOTHER THING I NEED TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO DO, HOW TO IMPLEMENT? AS WE REALLY DEVELOPED OUR PRACTICES, IT BECAME NOT SOMETHING SEPARATE, BUT SOMETHING THAT ENRICHED AND SOMETHING THAT MADE US BETTER.

IT WAS APPLICATION.

THE PRODUCTS THAT OUR STUDENTS PRODUCED WERE RICHER.

AND I THINK THERE ARE SOME SIMILARITIES IN THIS.

THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S SEPARATE.

THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT IN A TEACHER'S LESSON PLAN BOOK, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE A SEPARATE COLUMN THAT SAYS DEI.

IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT, OKAY, I'M ABOUT TO DO THIS LESSON IN SOCIAL STUDIES.

HAVE I LOOKED AT THIS FROM ALL PERSPECTIVES? EVERY STUDENT IN MY CLASS, WILL THEY FEEL LIKE THEY CAN CONNECT WITH THIS LEARNING? AND SO TRULY LOOKING AT THE WAY THAT WE TEACH AND THE WAY THAT WE COMMUNICATE WITH ONE ANOTHER AND HOW WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS.

ARE WE DOING SO IN A WAY THAT MAKES EVERYONE FEEL SEEN AND VALUED AND HEARD? AND SO IT'S NOT ONE MORE THING.

IT'S NOT A TEXTBOOK.

IT IS THE WORK.

THE TWO SLIDES THEY'RE AT ONCE CAPTURED.

I THINK REALLY LOOKING AT WHAT IS THAT UDL COMPONENT? OH, I GUESS I SHOULD. HERE.

AND UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK REALLY ALIGNS BEAUTIFULLY.

I THINK THAT'S WHY WHEN NICOLE TUCKER SMITH TRANSITIONED FROM FOCUSING PREDOMINANTLY ON UDL TO LOOKING AT THE WAY IN WHICH WE INFUSE DEI AND AND LOOK AT THINGS THROUGH A LENS AS IT PERTAINS TO UDL, IT WAS A PERFECT TRANSITION.

YOU KNOW, I THINK ABOUT WHAT'S NECESSARY FOR SOME, IT'S BENEFICIAL FOR ALL.

AND LOOKING AT THINGS THROUGH THE LENS OF IS EVERY STUDENT GOING TO FEEL LOVED AND SEEN AND VALUED AND WILL THEY SEE THEMSELVES, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO RELATE TO OTHERS? IS THE WORK.

AND I THINK THAT WE CONTINUE AS EDUCATORS TO WANT TO DO BETTER FOR OUR STUDENTS.

AND WE'RE NOT PERFECT BY ANY MEANS.

WE'RE TRYING. I THINK OUR TEACHERS DO A BEAUTIFUL JOB EVERY DAY OF SHOWING UP AND REALLY GIVING OF THEMSELVES ALL THAT.

THEY HAVE TO HELP OUR CHILDREN GROW AND LEARN AND BE THESE INCREDIBLE CITIZENS WHO WE'RE SENDING OUT INTO THE WORLD.

AND THIS WORK IS A CRITICAL PART OF THAT.

PERFECT. AND WE'RE GOING TO LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

SO I THINK WE'RE AT THE AT THE Q&A.

IS IT HEATHER? THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING TONIGHT AND FOR DISCUSSING THIS.

IT'S IMPORTANT WORK AND I'M EXCITED THAT WE'RE DOING IT IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AND THAT IT REALLY DOES HELP ALL KIDS FEEL LIKE THEY BELONG AND EANES THE SURVEYS THAT WERE MENTIONED, ARE THOSE GOING OUT TO ALL STUDENTS, ALL STAFF, THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY? IS IT A SUBSET, LIKE HOW IS THAT? I HAVE SOME OTHER QUESTIONS. SO WE DID THE STAFF SURVEY IN THE SPRING.

AND SO THIS FALL WILL BE ALL PARENTS AND SIX THROUGH 12TH GRADERS.

OKAY, GREAT. OKAY.

AND THEN WHEN ARE WE VOTING ON THE BRIDGEPOINT PARENT REP? I CAN'T RECALL.

THANK YOU. JUST CLARIFYING.

AND THEN I LOVE THAT WE HAVE THE STUDENT VOICE ON THE DEI COMMITTEE.

THAT IS HUGE.

OUR STUDENTS ARE SO AMAZING AND SO ARTICULATE AND THEY REALLY KNOW WHAT THEY WANT IN THEIR THEIR LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS.

AND SO I ALWAYS APPRECIATE HEARING FROM THEM.

AND THEN I ALSO YOU MADE A COMMENT ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE COMMITTEE AND I 100% SUPPORT THAT.

SO I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT IS INCLUDED.

AND ALSO, I'M WONDERING IF ATS AND THE LEARNING CENTER HAVE AN EQUITY TEAM OR IF THEY SHOULD HAVE AN EQUITY TEAM OR IF THAT SHOULD BE PART OF THE HIGH SCHOOL OR HOW THAT WORKS, BECAUSE I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUDING BOTH ATS AND THE LEARNING CENTER.

THANK YOU. JAMES.

[00:40:09]

I DON'T KNOW HOW I DID THAT MAGIC.

I JUST HAD A COUPLE OF COMMENTS AND.

MAYBE NOT SO MANY QUESTIONS.

ONE IS FOR THE COMMUNITY IN SOME OF THE FIRST SLIDES THAT WERE PRESENTED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THIS IS WORK THAT WE'RE DOING AND THE DISTRICT HAS ADOPTED.

AND IT'S NOT REPLACING ANYTHING.

IT'S NOT REPLACING THE TEKS.

IT'S NOT REPLACING TEKS, WE'RE NOT GOING OUTSIDE OF THE CURRICULUM AND WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING THAT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS IS DISALLOWING.

AND I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE WAS AWARE OF THAT.

AND I LOVED. SO THEN A COUPLE OF OTHER COMMENTS.

I LOVED THE WAY THAT IN ALL OF THE SPEAKERS TODAY WE HEARD AND IN PAST PRESENTATIONS, WE TIE IT UP TO THE WHEEL BECAUSE THE WHEEL AS A PARENT I SAW SEVEN OR EIGHT YEARS AGO AND AND IT WAS A CONCEPT THEN, BUT NOW THAT I'VE HAD A CHILD THAT HAS GONE THROUGH FIRST, THROUGH 12, I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE THOUGHT AND INTENTION THAT GOES INTO TRYING TO NOT ONLY EDUCATE OUR KIDS, BUT MAKE OUR KIDS CITIZENS OF THE WORLD AND BETTER CITIZENS.

AND I THINK THAT THIS WORK LAYS OVER WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SO WELL FOR SO LONG AND IT IS INTENTIONAL IN MAKING SURE THAT EVERYONE IS CONNECTED AND FEELS INCLUDED.

THAT IS WHAT I CONTINUE TO GET OUT OF THE DIFFERENT PRESENTATIONS THAT WE GET.

AND I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT.

THE ONE AREA THAT I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT IS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT METRICS AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TRYING TO MEASURE THIS.

I HAVE A HARD TIME AND CONCRETELY TRYING TO MEASURE ANYTHING BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S SO SUBJECTIVE THAT YOU GO BACK TO WHAT EVERYONE HAS JUST TALKED ABOUT, WHICH IS.

STAYING CONNECTED AND HAVING OUR COMMUNITY FEEL INCLUDED.

EVERY STUDENT.

THAT'S HARD TO MEASURE.

AND SO WE CAN LOOK AT WAYS TO MEASURE.

BUT EVEN IF WE COME UP SHORT IN OUR MEASUREMENT, I DON'T THINK THAT THAT DETRACTS FROM WHAT OUR DEI BOARD PRIORITIES AND SCHOOL PRIORITIES AND EQUITY TEAMS AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES ARE TRYING TO DO.

I THINK IT ALL GOES TO THE SAME PURPOSE, WHICH IS EDUCATING, EDUCATING OUR KIDS AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY CAN FEEL WELCOME TO BE EDUCATED.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ELLEN.

SO GOOD TO SEE YOU BOTH.

ALL THREE OF YOU. SORRY.

YES, WE SEE MOLLY QUITE A LOT.

BUT I'M SO GLAD TO HAVE ALL OF YOU HERE TONIGHT.

AND I'M SO EXCITED TO HEAR OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN HOW THIS BUILT ON UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR LEARNING OR UDL, BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN AT THAT FOR A DECADE, BUT FOR THE COMMUNITY. COULD YOU GIVE US A ONE SENTENCE DESCRIPTION? LESLIE ACTUALLY SAID IT, SO YOU MIGHT JUST WANT TO REPEAT YOUR YOUR PHRASES BECAUSE YOU REALLY HAVE TO WRAP YOUR MIND AROUND UDL TO UNDERSTAND HOW D FLOWS FROM THAT.

SURE. NOW I NEED TO REMEMBER WHAT I SAID.

SO LOOKING AT UNIVERSAL DESIGN FOR ALL IS BEING WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR SOME BENEFITS ALL.

AND I THINK WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW THAT RELATES TO INCLUSIVE PRACTICES AND EQUITY FOCUSED EDUCATION, IT'S JUST A NATURAL TRANSITION THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING THOSE COMPONENTS WHEN WE'RE SERVING STUDENTS.

AND I THINK, KIM, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE METRICS, THERE IS AN ELEMENT OF CONNECTION.

I THINK A PART OF THIS WORK, AND I KNOW THAT IN DIANE AND KATHLEEN'S WORK AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY'RE LOOKING AT ALL CHILDREN HAVE AN ADULT WITH WHOM THEY CAN CONNECT. AND I THINK THAT IS SO INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING STUDENTS FEELING OF CONNECTION.

AND SO THOUGH IT MAY NOT BE QUANTITATIVE DATA, IT REALLY IS QUALITATIVE DATA THAT WE EMBED IN OUR PRACTICES AND STRIVE TO IMPROVE.

SO I THINK THAT THAT METRICS, YOU'RE RIGHT, IS REALLY, REALLY HARD.

THANK YOU FOR THAT DEFINITION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK DONE BY THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND I DID SEE A COUPLE OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE SNEAK IN.

SO ARE THEY ARE THERE SOME IN THE AUDIENCE? WOULD YOU JUST LET US KNOW WHO YOU ARE? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

IT'S HARD WORK.

IT'S COMPLICATED WORK.

AND AND YOU SIGNED UP FOR THE LONG TERM.

SO THREE YEARS IS IS REALLY COOL AT THIS POINT.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR FOR THAT WORK AND FOR YOUR VOICES THERE.

[00:45:02]

ONE IS HOW STUDENT VOICE IS BEING INCORPORATED.

THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S SO IMPORTANT.

AND SOMETIMES IT'S SO EASY FOR US AS ADULTS TO LOOK PAST.

SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.

ALSO, THE INTENTIONALITY THAT YOU SPOKE OF, DIANE.

THAT'S A VERY, VERY STRONG CONCEPT AND THE NOTION OF CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT AND THE PROACTIVITY MEETING WITH YOUR BOSS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO THINK ABOUT THINGS AHEAD OF TIME SO THAT THAT INTENTIONALITY ACTUALLY DOES COME THROUGH.

I REALLY THINK THOSE ARE SUCH STRONG CONCEPTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED AND ARE PRACTICING TOO.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

LOOKS LIKE THAT'S IT.

I WANT TO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THE TIME YOU PUT INTO THIS EVENING'S PRESENTATION.

IT'S A TOPIC THAT RESONATES WITH THE COMMUNITY.

AND I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MEMBERS OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT ARE HERE THIS EVENING FOR THE YEARS OF SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE DEVOTED TO THIS EFFORT AS WELL.

YES, I FAILED TO SAY EARLIER, MONIQUE PIKE IS OUR SHE AND I ARE THE CO-CHAIRS OF THE COMMITTEE THIS YEAR.

AND SHE WAS A HUGE PART OF THIS PRESENTATION AS WELL, BUT UNFORTUNATELY IS UNDER THE WEATHER THIS EVENING.

SO SHOUT OUT TO HER FOR SURE.

MONIQUE IS A ROCK STAR.

WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

[4.3. Board Priority Update: Special Education]

AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION.

WE HAVE NO IDEA.

HERE WE GO. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR BRINGING US IN TODAY.

TONIGHT. MY NAME IS MATT ZEMO.

AND WE HAVE? WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO COME AND TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT.

TRY THIS. ALL RIGHT.

WELL, WE WANT TO START WITH THE WHY WE THINK OUR DEPARTMENT REALLY ALIGNS REALLY WELL WITH THE MISSION OF EANES ISD.

AND THERE'S A LOT OF UNIQUE THINGS ABOUT EANES ISD, BUT THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION, SOMETHING THAT'S UNIQUE AND WE THINK UNITES THE COMMUNITY IS THAT WE HAVE A WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS ACCESSING THEIR HOME CAMPUS.

WE'RE REALLY BELIEVING THAT IF YOU GO TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, THEY MAY HAVE TO ACCESS A SERVICE AT ANOTHER ELEMENTARY CAMPUS OR ANOTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPUS.

AND WE HAVE A FULL CONTINUUM ON EACH CAMPUS, AND WE THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT UNITES THE CAMPUS IN THE DISTRICT.

SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND WE THINK IS EMPOWERING IS THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE RECEIVING SERVICES THAT ARE UNIQUE TO THEM BECAUSE WE HAVE A CONTINUUM OF SERVICES ON EACH CAMPUS.

WHEN THE KIDS ARE GETTING THEIR NEEDS MET, WE REALLY THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S EMPOWERING FOR THEM, FOR THEIR FUTURE AND FOR THEIR PRESENT.

AND THEN SOMETHING ELSE THAT'S JUST ALIGNS WITH WITH OUR DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE'RE SUPER CONNECTED TO OUR COMMUNITY AND WE WANT TO REALLY BRIDGE THE COMMUNITY WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

AND WE THINK THAT'S THAT PARTNERSHIP IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

START WITH JUST A LITTLE BIT OF ENROLLMENT DATA OVER THE YEARS JUST TO GROUND US IN SOME INFORMATION HERE AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE, AS YOU ROLL THROUGH 2018 TO 2019, THE DISTRICT STARTS TO KIND OF GO DOWN A LITTLE BIT.

ENROLLMENT OVER THE YEARS WHERE SPECIAL EDUCATION STARTS TO INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER, IT'S APPROXIMATELY A 19% INCREASE OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND SO SOMETIMES WE'RE SITTING BACK AND THINKING, OH, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF STRETCHED FOR STAFF AND WE'RE STRETCHED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS.

WE'VE KIND OF FELT THIS OVER THE YEARS AND NOT SAYING THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF.

WE'VE BEEN BLESSED WITH A ROBUST AMOUNT OF SERVICES AND STAFF.

BUT JUST SOMETHING TO FOR US TO ALWAYS BE THINKING ABOUT AS WE'RE PLANNING AND TRYING TO BE AS EFFICIENT AND NIMBLE AS POSSIBLE WITH OUR TEAM.

IT'S SOME DATA TO SUPPORT THAT.

AND THEN THIS NEXT SLIDE IS JUST KIND OF HIGHLIGHTING THE BOARD PRIORITIES FROM LAST FROM LAST YEAR.

WE'RE GOING TO BREAK THESE DOWN INDIVIDUALLY AND KIND OF SHOW YOU SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.

AND SO THE FIRST ONE IS JUST US BEING SUPER FOCUSING ON BEING EFFICIENT AND.

MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOCATING THE RESOURCES NECESSARY FOR TO HAVE THIS SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL THAT WE'RE BLESSED TO HAVE IN EANES ISD.

[00:50:06]

WE HAVE A LOT OF FAMILIES IN EANES ISD THAT THAT COME HERE AND STAY HERE BECAUSE OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE VALUE IS, IS MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE FAMILIES THAT HAVE OUTSIDE SERVICE PROVIDERS OR SPECIALISTS, THAT WE HAVE THAT INTEGRATED APPROACH WITH THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES.

AND SO WE LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH THE FAMILIES AND ANY SERVICE PROVIDER THAT THEY HAVE, AND THAT INTEGRATION HAPPENS AND HELPS THAT TRANSITION FROM WHAT'S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL CAN ALSO HAPPEN IN THE HOME OR ON THE WEEKENDS.

AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE THROUGHOUT EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IN OUR DEPARTMENT.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT PROGRAMING.

YOU KNOW, EMILY AND I ARE VERY CONNECTED TO THE CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT TEAM.

SO EVERYTHING THAT CHAD AND HEATHER PRESENTED ON FOUR WEEKS AGO.

WE'RE VERY CONNECTED WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS AND THE OVERALL TEAM AND MOVING THE DISTRICT PRIORITIES FORWARD.

WE'RE VERY ENTRENCHED IN THE PRACTICES AROUND UDL.

AND SO ALL THOSE CAMPUS INSTRUCTION ROUNDS THAT THEY DID LAST YEAR AND CONTINUE TO DO, WE'RE ALL WE'RE ALSO DOING THAT WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.

WE ALSO ARE VERY CONNECTED TO THE REGIONAL TRANSITION FAIR AND OUR REGIONAL DIRECTORS AND THEIR TRANSITION SPECIALISTS TO COHORTS THE REGIONAL TRANSITION FOR EVERY YEAR THAT'S COMING UP IN, I BELIEVE, MARCH.

AND THIS PAST, I THINK TUESDAY, WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL HAD THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER FAIR AND BROUGHT IN SEVERAL COLLEGES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, AND I WAS REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF JUST THE CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION AND THE COUNSELING DEPARTMENT IS THAT WE ALL SORT OF SAT DOWN TOGETHER AND PRIORITIZE WHAT OUR COMMUNICATION IS TO THESE COLLEGES, BECAUSE WE THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO COME TO EANES ISD, YOU'RE GOING TO PLAN AND COORDINATE WITH US FOR PROGRAMS THAT SERVE ALL KIDS. AND SO WE COMMUNICATE THAT OUT.

AND WE HAVE SORT OF A GOAL TO KIND OF KEEP PUSHING THAT ENVELOPE.

SO WHEN THERE'S INCLUSIVE PROGRAMS AND PROGRAMS HAPPENING AT COLLEGE CAMPUSES, WE WANT THAT INFORMATION AND WE WANT OUR FAMILIES AND OUR STUDENTS TO COME AND GET THAT INFORMATION AS SUCH WITH ANY OTHER STUDENT AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS.

BUT WE HAVE A NEW TEACHER ONGOING PROFESSIONAL LEARNING.

OUR COORDINATORS AND EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS ARE PHENOMENAL AT WHAT THEY DO AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER.

SOME OTHER STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING IS JUST WE'RE CONSTANTLY WORKING WITH OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE SERVICE DELIVERY MODEL, THE SUPPORT FOR OUR KIDS.

YOU KNOW, THERE ARE TIMES WHERE WE HAVE TO BE SHIFTING SOME OF THOSE NEEDS JUST BECAUSE KIDS, YOU KNOW, PRESENT DIFFERENTLY ACROSS ACROSS THE YEAR.

SO WE'RE ALWAYS WORKING WITH OUR CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION ON THAT.

THEN A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE WITH WITH AIR IS JUST PARTNER WITH TRYING TO GET CREATIVE WITH OUR STAFFING NEEDS.

AND SO WE'VE WORKED ON A TEACHING ASSISTANT TO TEACH HER PROGRAM AND BROUGHT IN I TEACH TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE TO OUR TEACHING ASSISTANTS THAT PATHWAY.

AND THEN WE'VE ALSO BEEN LOOKING AT REIMBURSEMENT MODELS.

SO ONCE THEY COMPLETE THAT, THAT ALT CERTIFICATION THAT THEY CAN BE REIMBURSED AND SUPPORTED IN THAT WAY FINANCIALLY.

AND THEN OUR LICENSE SPECIALISTS IN SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY, THERE'S AN INTERNSHIP PROGRAM THAT WE'VE STARTED.

ESSENTIALLY, YOU GO INTO YOUR INTERNSHIP PROGRAM READY TO BE A FULL LSSP, AND SOME SCHOOL DISTRICTS WILL JUST GIVE YOU A FULL CASELOAD AND JUST SAY, HERE YOU GO, YOU'RE A LICENSED SPECIALIST AND SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGIST.

AND WE SORT OF TOOK A DIFFERENT APPROACH AND WE WANT TO SORT OF CARVE OUT ABOUT A 60% CASELOAD FOR THEM TO GROW AND SUPPORT THEM.

SO THEY FEEL LIKE THEY'RE LEARNING AND GAINING ALL THE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED.

UNFORTUNATELY, THEY CAN ONLY DO AN INTERNSHIP HERE FOR US WITH ONE YEAR.

IF WE DO HAVE AN OPENING, THEN WE COULD THEN ROLL THEM INTO A JUST A TRADITIONAL LSSP AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF OUR RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND RETENTION STRATEGIES. BEFORE WE GET INTO THAT, I DID WANT TO GO BACK TO WHEN WE WERE LAST HERE.

I THINK WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND THEIR COLLEGE, THAT SOME OF THE DATA AROUND THAT.

AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME SOME TRANSITIONAL DATA THAT I HAVE AND THAT I WOULD BRING FORWARD.

SO WE HAVE TWO INDICATORS, INDICATOR 13 AND THIS IS THROUGH THE STATE PERFORMANCE PLANS AND THE INDICATOR 13 IS A TRANSITION BASICALLY AUDIT THAT WE HAVE TO COMPLETE FOR THE STATE AND SUBMIT THE DATA TO.

THEY GIVE US SORT OF THE THE PERCENTAGES THAT WE HAVE TO BREAK DOWN AND REVIEW FOR THE KIDS THAT ARE QUALIFYING.

AND THEN WE GO THROUGH AND WE ASSESS ALL OF THAT SPECIAL EDUCATION PAPERWORK RELATED TO TRANSITION.

AND SO THIS PAST YEAR WE'RE 100% COMPLIANT.

AND THEN INDICATOR 13 IS A SURVEY THAT'S DONE ONE YEAR AFTER A STUDENT LEAVES WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL OR ATS.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THROUGH THE INFORMATION THAT I PUT UP THERE, THE RESPONSE RATE WAS ALMOST DOUBLE OF WHAT THE REGION THE STATE WAS.

AND THEN FOR HIGHER ED, 79% OF THE STUDENTS REPORTED THAT THEY ARE IN HIGHER ED FOR COMPETITIVELY EMPLOYED.

[00:55:05]

AND SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU NOTED THAT.

AND THEN 11% NOTED THAT NONE OF THOSE TWO.

WE DO HAVE SOME PROGRAMS THAT KIDS WILL TRANSITION INTO THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY VOCATIONALLY BASED, COMPETITIVELY BASED.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT THAT THAT DOES EXIST.

AND THEN WE'RE IN A 13 MONTH HIRING CYCLE.

WE ARE IN IT IN BOTH, BOTH FEET AND BOTH YEARS.

AND MANY TIMES WE ARE JUST LOOKING OUT AMONGST THE SCENERY, CHECKING TO SEE IF ANYONE'S CERTIFIED IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.

I THINK EMILY DID AN INTERVIEW STANDING IN LINE AT BED BATH AND BEYOND OR SOMEWHERE.

BATH AND BODYWORKS, SORRY.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE IN IT AND WE'VE NEVER INTERVIEWED AND TRIED TO RECRUIT STAFF LIKE WE HAVE THIS PAST FOR PROBABLY TWO YEARS. AND SO WE'RE REALLY PROUD, A POINT OF PRIDE FOR US.

WE SCREENED AN APPLICANT WITHIN 12 HOURS THAT IF IT COMES THROUGH OUR DESK AND THEN WE'RE CHECKING TO SCHEDULE THAT INTERVIEW WITHIN 24 HOURS AND WITHIN 48 HOURS AFTER THAT INTERVIEW, WE ARE SUBMITTING IT TO HR FOR A RECOMMENDATION TO HIRE IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO.

AND SO WE THINK WE'RE REAL EFFICIENT IN THIS AREA.

I THINK OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT BIGGER THAN US CAN JUST SORT OF OFFER ON THE SPOT BECAUSE MAYBE THEY HAVE A SLEW OF POSITIONS OPEN.

WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE CENTRALIZED IN PARTICULAR ON THAT PIECE, BUT WE'RE CONFIDENT THAT WE DID A PRETTY DECENT JOB THIS PAST SCHOOL YEAR.

AND SO SOME OF OUR HIRING STRATEGIES IS THAT WE ARE CENTRALIZED HIRING.

WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED HIRING PROCESS.

WE THINK THIS IS A KUDOS TO THE CAMPUS ADMINISTRATION JUST TRUSTING US AND HAVING BELIEF THAT WE KNOW WHAT WE'RE DOING AND WE'RE GOING TO HIRE THE BEST STAFF FOR THEIR CAMPUS.

WE ALSO KNOW SORT OF THAT PIPELINE OF STUDENTS AND THEIR NEEDS COMING THROUGH THAT CAMPUS.

WE STARTED EVERY CAMPUS OR EVERY INTERVIEW FROM THE QUESTION OF WHAT IS YOUR PASSION AND PURPOSE OF WORKING WITH STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES? WE THINK IF WE CAN GET THAT QUESTION RIGHT AND THEY WE FEEL CONFIDENT WITH THAT ANSWER, THEN WE CAN FILL IN THE OTHER PIECES.

BUT THAT'S HOW WE START EVERY SINGLE INTERVIEW.

AND THEN WE JUST ALSO AGAIN, BACK TO OUR OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS AND OUR COORDINATORS.

THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A COORDINATED SET OF LIKE A SCOPE AND SEQUENCE OF SUPPORT SO THEY KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN A CALENDAR YEAR AND THEY'RE FRONTLOADING ALL OF THIS TRAINING TO PREPARE THESE TEACHERS FOR WHAT'S COMING UP.

AND THEY ALSO SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME, I THINK UP TO TWO DAYS.

ONE WAS ALREADY BUILT IN THE CONTRACT AND THEN ONE WAS OVER THE SUMMER IN WHICH WE HAD LIKE 32 OUT OF 40 SOME STAFF MEMBERS COME IN VOLUNTARILY TO WORK WITH OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS AND COORDINATORS, AND THEY JUST DID A PHENOMENAL JOB PREPARING STAFF FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

AND ABOUT TWO WEEKS AFTER THE START OF SCHOOL, WE WERE FULLY STAFFED WITH PROFESSIONAL.

WELL, I WAS GOING TO SAY OPINIONS WERE ALWAYS STAFFED WITH THAT, FULLY STAFFED WITH PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS.

AND THEN JUST A LITTLE BIT OF A SNAPSHOT OF OUR AMAZING STAFF.

I CAN'T SAY ENOUGH ABOUT THEM.

AND WE'RE SO BLESSED WITH JUST THE DEDICATION AND SKILL THAT THEY BRING TO THE TABLE.

IT MAKES EMILY AND HIS JOB SUPER EASY BECAUSE WE'RE JUST REPORTING ON THE WORK THAT THEY DO.

A LITTLE BIT OF DATA JUST BECAUSE IT'S IT'S IT IS WHAT IT IS.

54% OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STAFF HAVE BEEN HIRED SINCE 2019.

I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS IS NOTED THAT THEY'RE NOT 84% ARE NEW TO SPECIAL EDUCATION.

IT'S JUST 54% HAVE BEEN NEW TO SPECIAL EDUCATION IN OUR DISTRICT SINCE 2019.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE'S A MULTITUDE OF REASONS FOR THAT.

BUT ONE THING THAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO REALLY HARD ON IS JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DECREASING THAT NUMBER SIGNIFICANTLY.

ALL RIGHT. SO ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF IS TRYING TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE HEARD IT ALL NIGHT LONG, MAKING SURE THAT THOSE CURRICULUM RESOURCES ARE ALIGNED THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

OUR STUDENTS ARE SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, RIGHT.

BUT THEY'RE STUDENTS FIRST.

AND WE LIKE TO SAY THAT THEY'RE GEN ED FIRST ALSO.

SO WHAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO DO IS PAIR OUR EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS IN SPECIAL ED WITH THE GEN ED EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS TO LEVERAGE THE WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE AND REALLY OFFERING THAT SAME EXPERIENCE AND THEN JUST ENHANCING IT TO MEET OUR STUDENTS WHERE THEY ARE.

YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES SPECIAL ED IS IN A SILO OVER HERE AND THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WANT IT TO BE.

WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE STUDENTS WHO ARE RECEIVING, YOU KNOW, SPECIALIZED SERVICES WITHIN THAT CONTINUUM OF THE CURRICULUM.

SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT, WE PROVIDE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY ARE FOCUSING ON RIGHT NOW IS READING.

YOU KNOW, WE'VE RECOGNIZED THAT NOT ALL STUDENTS MIGHT RESPOND TO THE SAME APPROACH WITH READING INSTRUCTION.

[01:00:06]

TEACHERS ARE ATTENDING THE READING ACADEMY, AND OUR SPECIAL EDUCATORS WHO ARE READING AND LANGUAGE ARTS TEACHERS HAVE PARTICIPATED IN THOSE AS WELL.

WE'VE ALSO EXPLORED READING BY DESIGN, WHICH IS ANOTHER PROGRAM TO WORK WITH READERS.

WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF OUR STAFF TRAINED ON THAT JUST AS AN ENHANCEMENT BECAUSE EVERYBODY MIGHT RESPOND TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS.

MATT ALREADY MENTIONED THAT WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH THE CIA TEAM ON THAT UDL IMPLEMENTATION.

THAT'S WORK WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR QUITE A WHILE AND THAT REALLY, YOU KNOW, SPECIAL EDUCATION IS KIND OF WHERE THAT STARTED WITH MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT'S GOOD FOR ONE STUDENT IS POSSIBLY GOING TO BE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY.

WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD AT THE HIGH SCHOOL RIGHT NOW.

THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB IN THOSE MAPS AND PATH CLASSES, WHICH SOME PEOPLE KNOW AS STUDY SKILLS OF IMPLEMENTING A REALLY STRONG CURRICULUM.

AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK THAT DOWN TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL IN THOSE CLASSES.

AND THEN ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT, SO YOU'LL SEE ONE OF OUR STUDENTS OVER AT THE ADULT TRANSITION SERVICES CENTER.

I'M LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET TO OVERSEE THEM THIS YEAR.

AND WE HAVE A STUDENT THERE WHO IS IN A NEW PAID POSITION THIS YEAR.

ONE OF OUR GOALS, REALLY, YOU KNOW, COVID WAS VERY DIFFICULT ON ATS BECAUSE THEY LOST OUT ON A LOT OF THOSE VOCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY OPPORTUNITIES FOR A FEW YEARS.

AND SO THEY KIND OF HAD A REAL HARD TIME RECOVERING FROM THAT.

AND SO WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD THIS YEAR.

THE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL GOAL IS FOCUSING ON GETTING BACK OUT IN THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING JOBS.

AND WE HAVE SEVERAL STUDENTS WITH JOBS AND WE HAVE A COUPLE THAT ARE PAID AND WE'RE WORKING ON IT.

SO EXCITING.

SKIP SOMETHING. YOU SKIP SOMETHING.

OKAY. AND SO WE HAVE THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN, AND IT'S AVAILABLE ONLINE.

AND IT REALLY IS JUST A MORE ROBUST, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURE OF WHAT THE BOARD GOALS ARE.

AND SO AS A TEAM, WE REVIEW IT AT LEAST ONCE A YEAR.

WE WENT OVER IT THIS SUMMER AND UPDATED SOME OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING, BUT IT'S ACCESSIBLE ONLINE AND SO I HOPE THAT EVERYBODY WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT.

ALL RIGHT. AND ONE OF OUR REAL PRIORITIES IS PARENT ENGAGEMENT AND MAKING SURE THAT PARENTS FEEL LIKE EQUAL PARTNERS.

WITH THIS. THE SPECIAL ED PROCESS CAN BE PRETTY INTIMIDATING, RIGHT? EVEN IF YOU'VE BEEN IN SPECIAL EDUCATION WITH A CHILD FOR TEN YEARS OR YOU'RE JUST NEW TO IT.

SO SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED WAS, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEEDED TO ENGAGE PARENTS A LITTLE MORE.

SO STARTING IN 2021, WE HAVE A POST ARD SURVEY AND SO AFTER EVERY ARD MEETING WE HAVE PARENTS ARE GIVEN THE LINK.

IT'S ALSO ON OUR WEBSITE AND WE REALLY VALUE THIS INFORMATION.

AND SO WE HAVE 227 RESPONSES IN THAT TIME PERIOD.

WE'RE HOPING THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER, BUT WE'D LIKE TO SEE EVEN MORE.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOME OF THE AREAS, THESE AREN'T ALL THE AREAS THAT WE HAVE SURVEYED.

BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE SITTING AROUND A 4.5.

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT.

RIGHT. BUT IF YOU GO TO YELP AND YOU SEE A RESTAURANT THAT'S A 4.5, IT'S SOMEWHERE YOU MIGHT WANT TO EAT AT.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE MIDDLE THERE, THAT'S A 4.4 AND THAT'S THE COMMUNICATION.

RIGHT. PARENTS ALWAYS FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN HAVE MORE COMMUNICATION ABOUT THEIR STUDENTS SERVICES.

AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO INSTILL A FEW THINGS.

ONE THING WE DID THIS SUMMER WAS WE ALLOWED A A DAY FOR ALL OF OUR TEACHERS TO COME BACK A DAY EARLY, TO START AS THE CASE MANAGER JUMP START, JUST ALLOW THEM TO GET AHEAD OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAD TO DO, BECAUSE ONCE, ONCE THINGS START, IT'S FAST AND FURIOUS.

SO WE WANT TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET SOME WORK DONE SO THEY HAD MORE TIME TO MAYBE START REACHING OUT TO THOSE FAMILIES AHEAD OF TIME AND MAKE THOSE CONNECTIONS.

UM, IN KEEPING WITH THE THEME OF THOSE PARTNERSHIPS, THIS IS OUR WONDERFUL PARENT PARTNER'S GROUP.

YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD OF BEFORE.

IT WAS CALLED THE SPECIAL ED PARENT WORKING GROUP, AND WE KIND OF REBRANDED IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE REALLY WANTED TO LEVERAGE THAT PARTNER LANGUAGE.

WE HAVE PEER PARTNERS IN OUR SECONDARY CLASSROOMS WHERE WE HAVE GEN ED AND SPECIAL ED STUDENTS WORK TOGETHER.

YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO MAKE PARTNERSHIPS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AND WITH OUR PARENTS.

SO WE'VE HAD TWO MEETINGS THIS YEAR AND WE HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALMOST EVERY CAMPUS AND THEY'VE JUST BEEN SO POSITIVE.

MATT AND I WALKED AWAY AND THEY COME TO US WITH IDEAS, THEY'RE SOLUTIONS ORIENTED.

THEY WANT TO REALLY HELP AND BUILD PARTNERSHIPS WITH OTHER PARENTS.

SO IT'S EXCITING.

YOU KNOW, ANY OF THESE FOLKS DON'T THINK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. AND SO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'RE DOING TO PROMOTE THAT PARTNERSHIP, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT.

OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE PARENTS, BUT ALSO HAVING PARENTS PARENT TO PARENT RELATIONSHIPS, RIGHT? SO YOU DON'T FEEL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THERE'S THINGS YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TO OTHER PARENTS THAT YOU AREN'T GOING TO NECESSARILY BRING UP TO SOMEONE ON CAMPUS.

[01:05:03]

IT WAS AMAZING.

IT WAS STANDING ROOM ONLY AND IT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL EVENT.

AND A LOT OF PARENTS, YOU KNOW, MATT AND I SAID IF WE WOULD HAVE NOT GOTTEN STARTED, I THINK THE PARENTS WOULD HAVE JUST KIND OF KEPT CHATTING AND HAVING REALLY GOOD CONVERSATIONS IF WE WOULD HAVE LET THEM.

REALLY GOOD. AND THEN THE PARENT PARTNERS ARE SETTING UP SOME INDIVIDUAL OUTREACH OPPORTUNITIES ON CAMPUSES, WHETHER IT'S MAYBE A COFFEE AFTER A PTO MEETING.

SOME OF THE PARENTS MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, MAYBE HAVING ONE ON ONE MEETINGS WITH A PARENT WHO'S NEW TO SPECIAL ED THAT JUST NEEDED TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

WE ALREADY HAVE OUR PROGRESSION MEETINGS ON THE CALENDARS, WHICH SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE ATTENDED BEFORE.

THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENTS WHO HAVE A STUDENT IN A TRANSITION YEAR SO THAT DICKENS OR FIFTH OR SIXTH, EIGHTH TO NINTH AND THEN THE ATS.

TO COME AND ASK QUESTIONS AND KIND OF GET A FEEL FOR WHAT THAT TRANSITION IS GOING TO BE LIKE.

AND WE DO LIKE TO LEVERAGE SOME OF OUR PARENT PARTNERS OR VETERAN PARENTS TO COME TO THOSE MEETINGS TO KIND OF HELP ANSWER QUESTIONS AS WELL.

WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING THE BEST BUDDIES FRIENDSHIP WALK FOR CENTRAL TEXAS AGAIN THIS YEAR ON APRIL 15.

AND THEN I THINK MATT MENTIONED ALREADY, WE ARE GOING TO BE CO CHAIRING THE TRANSITION FAIR.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE.

I WAS JUST.

HOW ABOUT THAT? I THOUGHT MY VOICE WOULD JUST CARRY NO MATTER WHAT WAS ON OR NOT.

SO ON THE RIGHT, WE HAVE OUR I THINK THAT'S [INAUDIBLE] ENTRY IN OUR WEST LAKE LEADERSHIP BEST BUDDIES TEAM WENT DOWN THERE AND SORT OF SHOWCASE WHAT BEST BUDDIES IS AND WHAT IT CAN BE. AND I THINK ONE OF THE STUDENTS AT THE VERY END ASKED A QUESTION TO ALL THE ELEMENTARY KIDS WHO WANTS TO BE PART OF BEST BUDDIES AND LIKE ALL OF THE 90% OF THE HANDS RAISED AND IT WAS SUPER, SUPER NEAT.

AND THEN ONE KID, I GUESS AT THE MAYBE TOLD ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER, LIKE, OF COURSE I'D BE BEST BUDDIES.

I'VE BEEN A BEST BUDDY TO MY PEERS SINCE HE WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, AND HE'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO GO TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I'M GOING TO BE PART OF PEER PARTNERS BECAUSE OF COURSE I WANT TO BE CLOSE TO MY BUDDY.

AND SO THAT WAS A SUPER NEAT STORY.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS, THEY'VE STARTED THEIR MATCHMAKING AND PARTNERS ON BOTH CAMPUSES.

AS SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, WE HAD A AN ATF AND UT LONGHORNS.

WE FINALLY CRACKED THAT CODE AND WAS ABLE TO TO GET CONNECTED WITH THEIR CHAPTER THERE.

IT ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO BE SOMEBODY THAT WE'D REACHED OUT TO AND THEY REACHED BACK OUT AND SAID, OH, I'M A GRADUATE AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL AND WE'D LOVE TO PARTNER WITH YOU.

AND SO THAT WAS SUPER NEAT.

AND THEY HAD THEIR MATCH PARTY, AND I THINK THAT WAS A COUPLE OF STUDENTS IN THE MIDDLE THERE.

AND THEN THE LAST PICTURE ON THE LEFT IS JUST, JUST EVERYONE THAT WAS AT THE FRIENDSHIP WALK LAST LAST SPRING.

IT WAS A SUPER SUCCESSFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.

AND WE HOPE TO JUST SORT OF BE THIS IS WHAT WE DO EVERY YEAR IN THE SPRING, HOSTING THE CENTRAL TEXAS FRIENDSHIP WALK AND THEN SOMETHING.

NO PROBLEM. SOMETHING NEW THIS YEAR IN 2022, IS OUR UNIFIED SOFTBALL.

THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF THE FIRST PRACTICE STARTED HERE.

IT'S A GREAT COLLECTION OF ALL TYPES OF ABILITIES GETTING TOGETHER AND JUST ENJOYING SOFTBALL.

NOT AN EASY SPORT TO LEARN, BUT THE KIDS WORKED REALLY HARD AND WE'RE JUST SUPER GRATEFUL FOR ASHLEY BYRNES, WHO'S A TA AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL WAS SORT OF THE HEAD COACH, AND THEN WE HAD ASHLEY WING AND LILY WING AND SHANNON ZOCK WERE ASSISTANT COACHES AND WE HAD OTHER STAFF MEMBERS JOINING ME EVERY TUESDAY AT 430.

MATTIE SABAN WAS THE LEAD PARENT AND REALLY SUPPORTIVE IN THE PROCESS.

AND THIS PAST SATURDAY, IT WAS SUCH AN AWESOME CULMINATION OF THEIR HARD WORK AND JUST A FUN EVENT.

[01:10:05]

AND THEN JUST BECAUSE BEST BUDDIES, WE NEED TO FILL IN SOME OF THE HOLES.

WE HAD SOME PARENT DADS KICK IN, AND I THINK THERE'S SOME PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM THAT ALSO JUMPED IN AND PLAYED A POSITION AND TOOK A COUPLE OF SWINGS.

SO IT WAS JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST SMILES ALL DAY LONG.

AND IT WAS A GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR KIDS.

AND WE JUST, YOU KNOW, YEAR ONE, SUPER SUCCESSFUL.

WE CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YEAR TWO IS GOING TO BE.

AND SO THIS WAS THE PAST OCTOBER, THE SATURDAY.

AND THEN UNIFIED ROBOTICS AND SPIRIT TEAM.

YOU KNOW, I JOKINGLY SAY I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF SPIRIT TEAM EVEN GOES TO SCHOOL ANYMORE.

THEY'RE ALL OVER THE PLACE.

THEY WERE AT THE SCRIMMAGE ON SATURDAY.

THEY WERE AT ANOTHER EVENT.

I SAW ONLINE A COUPLE OF DAYS EARLIER, BUT JENNA SCOTT AND CHLOE LEBLANC CONTINUE TO LEAD THAT PROGRAM, AND WE'RE JUST SUPER GRATEFUL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND NORMAN MORGAN AND UNIFIED ROBOTICS, THEY'RE DOING TWO PARTS THIS YEAR.

ONE PART IS BASED ON BUILDING ROBOTS THAT ACTUALLY WILL PAINT, AND THAT'S FOR THE FALL.

AND THEN IN THE SPRING, THEY'RE ACTUALLY GOING TO HAVE THE HEAD TO HEAD ROBOT COMPETITION.

AND SO THEY'RE DOING GREAT WORK.

AND I HAD PASSED A KID AT WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL TO A FEW WEEKS AGO AND SAID, HEY, MAN, I DIDN'T SEE YOU AT UNIFIED SOFTBALL THE OTHER DAY.

WHAT'S GOING ON? HE GOES, IT'S LIKE, I'M JUST SO BUSY.

HE GOES, I HAD UNIFIED ROBOTICS AND THEN I WAS DOING BOCCE BALL WITH SPECIAL OLYMPICS, AND THEN I HAD BEST BUDDIES.

AND, YOU KNOW, HE'S JUST ALL OVER THE PLACE.

SO HE'S LIKE, LEAVE ME ALONE.

YOU KNOW, LIKE, I'M BUSY, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT, GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR HIM.

AND THEN SOMETHING EXCITING I THINK THE COMMUNITY IS REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT AND EXCITED FOR IS THAT WE ARE GOING TO GET UNIFIED SWIM TEAM UP AND RUNNING.

THIS IS NOT TO LEARN HOW TO SWIM.

THIS IS AN ACTUAL TEAM FOR ALL ABILITIES.

WE'VE BEEN MEETING WITH, YOU KNOW, SOME INTERNALLY WITH WITH GERMANY TODAY JUST TO TALK ABOUT SOME LOGISTICS RELATED TO THE AQUATIC CENTER.

AND WE HAVE A NUMBER OF COACHES THAT ARE EXCITED TO SORT OF THIS UP AND RUNNING A COUPLE AT THE HIGH SCHOOL.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT A TEACHER, A SPECIAL EDUCATION TEACHER THAT'S AT ONE OF THE ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES THAT WAS A COLLEGE, A COLLEGE SWIMMER.

AND THEN JUST, THROUGH SOME PARTNERSHIPS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, I THINK THE SWIM COACH THERE IS REALLY TRYING TO SEE HOW WE CAN WE CAN BUILD ON SOME OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE DONE ALREADY. SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT UNIFIED SWIM TEAM.

WE ARE SORT OF STRETCHING OURSELVES IN TERMS OF OUR OWN BANDWIDTH, BEING ABLE TO PLAY SHORTSTOP ON A TUESDAY AND THEN COORDINATE SOMETHING FOR A UNIFIED SWIM TEAM.

IT'S NOT WITHOUT A LOT OF WORK FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE ALREADY WORKING A FULL, FULL DAY AND THEN SOME.

SO WE'RE STRETCHING THAT CAPACITY.

AND THEN I JUST WANT TO LEAVE US WITH A LITTLE QUOTE.

YOU KNOW, OUR OUR KIDS ARE PRESENTED WITH CHALLENGES IN THE FORMATIVE PARTS OF THEIR YEAR OF THEIR LIFE, AND THEY MAKE REMARKABLE PROGRESS.

AND THEY'RE JUST SUPER HEROES IN OUR EYES.

AND WE'RE JUST SUPER GRATEFUL TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEM AND AND SEE THEIR GROWTH OVER THE YEARS.

THANK YOU FOR THAT.

JUST ABSOLUTELY AMAZING.

THE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT OVER YOUR TENURE, YOUR SHARED TENURE WAS ABSOLUTELY REMARKABLE.

SO Q&A.

I HAVE A LOT.

SO IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS TO GO FIRST, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.

I'D LIKE TO GO JUST RIP THE PAINT IT OFF.

READY? OKAY, LET'S DO THIS.

YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE TOPICS, SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THIS GREAT CELEBRATION OF OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING.

WELL, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WERE TASKED WITH IS COMING UP WITH THE REASONS AND THE THINGS THAT WE WILL HAVE OUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES.

AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING SURE IS A GOAL AND A PRIORITY FOR OUR DISTRICT.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE THAT WE ARE ACTUALLY HAVING THIS DISCUSSION ON DEI ALONG WITH SPECIAL EDUCATION, BECAUSE I THINK THAT THAT WAS A BIG REASON THAT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE EXPANDING OUR DEI BECAUSE WE NEEDED TO DO MORE FOR INCLUSIVITY.

AND I'M SO THRILLED THAT WE ARE.

I'M LOVING ALL OF THE UNIFIED SPORTS AND ROBOTICS STUFF.

THAT'S FANTASTIC.

ANYTIME WE CAN GIVE A STUDENT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR, I WOULD LOVE AN INVITATION TO THOSE.

THAT WOULD BE NICE BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE JEALOUS WHEN I SAW THAT ON INSTAGRAM.

LIKE THAT WAS SO FUN.

BUT ANYWAYS, SO I WOULD LOVE TO DIG IN A LITTLE BIT DEEPER ON A COUPLE OF THINGS.

I'M SURE YOU'RE NOT SHOCKED BY THAT ONE.

I KNOW YOU GUYS MENTIONED THAT YOU HAD EXPLORED READING BY DESIGN.

IS THAT EXPLORING IT? IS THAT ALL OF OUR MODIFIED READING TEACHERS ARE GETTING TRAINED? WHAT'S THE STATUS ON THAT?

[01:15:02]

SO WE SENT A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF STAFF, I THINK, THIS PAST SUMMER AND SENT A COUPLE IN THE FALL.

SO YEAH, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD ON.

DOES THAT INCLUDE TEACHERS? NOT AT THIS POINT.

OKAY. THAT HAS BEEN SOMETHING THAT I'VE BEEN CONCERNED WITH IN THE PAST, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A READING CURRICULUM, A ROBUST READING CURRICULUM FOR OUR STUDENTS AT ATS ALSO. SO I'D LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT.

AND THEN I LOVED WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT.

THE NEW WORK BASED LEARNING.

IS THAT SO IMPORTANT FOR OUR STUDENTS? ALL OF OUR STUDENTS? I AM WONDERING IF YOU CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE SPECIAL EDUCATION DEPARTMENT ACTION PLAN.

YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE ADDRESSING SOME BUT DIDN'T REALLY SPECIFY WHAT.

SO I'M JUST LOOKING. SO WHAT DO WE NEED TO INCLUDE IN OUR GOALS GOING FORWARD? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE? WELL, THAT KIND OF STUFF.

YEAH, GOOD QUESTION.

IT'S A PRETTY DENSE DOCUMENT.

I THINK IT'S UP TO ABOUT 16 PAGES.

IT GOES BACK TO THE STETSON REPORT THAT THAT WAS THE DISTRICT COMPLETED.

AND SO THERE'S JUST THERE'S DIFFERENT THEMES THROUGHOUT, WHETHER IT'S PARENT ENGAGEMENT TO CURRICULUM, TO TRANSITION PLANNING.

ALL OF THAT ALIGNS WITH SOME OF THE GOALS THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT FORTH IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS.

AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, AT THE STUDY SESSION, MAYBE IN DECEMBER OR JANUARY, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE SORT OF MAYBE.

HERE DOWN FOR YOU ALL, BECAUSE IT IS A PRETTY UNWIELDY DOCUMENT.

SO WE'D LOVE TO DO THAT FOR YOU.

GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH.

AND I ACTUALLY PULLED UP THE STETSON REPORT WHILE YOU WERE TALKING BECAUSE I WAS LIKE, WAIT A MINUTE, WHAT WAS THAT? SO. AND IN TERMS OF THE POST ARD SURVEY, IS THERE A WAY THAT MAYBE PEOPLE COULD JUST GET THAT LIKE IN A PAPER FORM OR LIKE BEFORE THEY LEAVE? BECAUSE I KNOW SOMETIMES THINGS GET LOST IN EMAIL.

THAT'S JUST A LITTLE NITPICKY THING.

AND THEN.

LAST YEAR, WE HEARD FROM ALISON ABOUT A NEW PLATFORM FOR MONITORING DATA.

DO YOU GUYS HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT IN TERMS OF MONITORING? I KNOW WE WERE USING EDGE EUPHORIA FOR TIER ONE BEFORE.

DID WE FIND SOMETHING? ARE WE STILL LOOKING? DO WE KNOW ANYTHING? YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW UP WITH ALLISON ON THAT.

I MEAN, WE MONITOR OUR DATA THROUGH OUR OUR OUR SUCCESS MANAGEMENT SYSTEM.

OKAY. SO MAYBE THAT IS IT.

AND THEN IN TERMS OF I'M SORRY I TOLD YOU ALL I HAD A LOT WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT WORKING WITH THE.

OFFICE OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND ID PROGRAM.

I KNOW WE'D KIND OF HAD A GOAL OF HAVING LIKE A PLACE THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A COLLEGES WHERE KIDS ARE LEARNING TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AND AND FIGURING OUT HOW THAT ALL WORKS. ARE WE WHERE ARE WE IN THAT PROGRAM? I THINK IN THE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS, WE'VE REFERENCED SORT OF A LEVEL ONE SYSTEM AT THE HIGH SCHOOL WHERE STUDENTS MIGHT NOT NEED THAT COLLABORATIVE LEVEL OF SUPPORT, LIKE A SECOND TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM WORKING WITH YOU.

BUT THEY ARE WORKING MORE ON THOSE TRANSITIONAL SKILLS FOR SELF ADVOCACY.

BE HONEST, I THINK WITH COVID, SOME OF THAT SORT OF FELL OFF A LITTLE BIT.

BUT IN TALKING TO ADRIAN DORSEY, THE CAMPUS COORDINATOR THE OTHER DAY, I THINK IT'S HAPPENING.

IT'S JUST NOT WE HAVEN'T DEDICATED LIKE A ONE POSITION FOR IT, BUT IT IS HAPPENING.

AND THEN ALONG THOSE LINES KIND OF HOW DO WE WORK WITH KIDDOS IN COLLEGE BOARD TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THEIR ACCOMMODATIONS ON PSATS AND SATS? BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT IS A HUGE HEADACHE FOR PARENTS AND YES, EVERYBODY AND WE HAVE INCLUDED THAT IN OUR PRIOR WRITTEN NOTICE AND IT'S PART OF THE AGENDA FOR EVERY SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL, ARD.

OKAY, WE INCLUDE THE LINKS, WE INCLUDE THE INFORMATION.

I THINK THE THE IMPORTANT PART IS JUST CIRCLING BACK AROUND THAT INTO THE FRESHMAN YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS ARE COMPLETING THAT BECAUSE IT IS A FIRST STEP FROM THE PARENTS AND THEN WE CAN GO IN AND DO OUR PART.

YEAH, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT MAKING SURE YOU CIRCLE BACK IS SO IMPORTANT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR YOUR ARD AND MAYBE YOUR ARD'S THE DEC BEFORE AND THEN YOU'RE LIKE, THEY JUST TOOK THE SAT AND WE DIDN'T GET ACCOMMODATIONS.

SO MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S HAPPENING WOULD BE FANTASTIC, I THINK, OH YEAH.

AND THEN I KEEP HEARING ABOUT AND THIS IS JUST A UNIVERSAL PROBLEM, THIS ISN'T JUST AN EANES PROBLEM, BUT JUST MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE SOME SORT OF A DOCUMENT OR SOMETHING THAT MAKES THE SST AND CHILD FIND PROCESS MORE CLEAR FOR FAMILIES.

AND THAT IS IN CONJUNCTION WITH OR WITHOUT DYSLEXIA ALSO BECAUSE IT'S JUST CLEAR AS MUD ON IF YOU THINK YOUR KID IS STRUGGLING WHAT TO DO.

AND LIKE WE HAVE SO MANY ACRONYMS, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR.

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE WORKED ON THAT AND I KNOW YOU'VE DONE SO MUCH WITH DYSLEXIA.

IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE STILL WORKING ON OR YOU MEAN IN TERMS OF JUST IDENTIFICATION?

[01:20:04]

YOU KNOW, I THINK THE TIER ONE TIER TWO, WITH THE ADDITION OF ALYSON IKI SORT OF BEING OVER THE 504 AND IN THOSE PROCESSES IS REALLY STRENGTHENED THAT PART.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW IT'S A SMALL SHIFT, BUT WE HAVE WENT FROM SORT OF A PDF COPY TO FILL OUT AND MORE OF A ELECTRONIC BASED SYSTEM TO COMPLETE FOR REQUEST FOR AN EVALUATION.

I KNOW IT'S A SMALL CHANGE, BUT IT DOES BUILD IN SOME SOME EFFICIENCIES AND SOME TRACKING.

BUT YEAH, WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO UNCOVER SOME OF THOSE PROCESSES.

I DO THINK IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY MANY FACTORS, BUT ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT IF YOU LOOKED AT THE DATA FROM 2018, 2019 TO PRESENT, WE HAVE HAD A SHIFT IN, YOU KNOW, THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION, BUT ALSO STUDENTS THAT ARE EITHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT, WHICH IS TYPICALLY ADHD OR LEARNING DISABILITY.

THERE'S BEEN LIKE A 6 TO 8% SHIFT IN THAT.

AND SO FOR SOME OF THOSE HIDDEN DISABILITIES, I DO THINK THAT SOME OF IT COMES DOWN TO SOME IDENTIFICATION STRENGTHS THAT WE BUILD UPON OVER THE YEARS, BUT ALWAYS ROOM FOR FOR GROWTH. YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT.

AGAIN, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE CELEBRATIONS AND ALL THE GREAT WORK BECAUSE EANES IS AMAZING WHEN IT COMES TO SPECIAL EDUCATION AND KUDOS TO THE WHOLE DEPARTMENT ON THAT.

BUT I DO WANT TO JUST KNOW WHERE WE'RE STRUGGLING SO THAT WE KNOW WHERE WE CAN MAKE.

CHANGES IN OUR GOALS AND PRIORITIES CAN HELP WITH THOSE.

WELL, THE THING THAT I LOVE THE MOST IS THAT LAST YEAR, YOU GUYS CONTINUE WITH UPHOLD OF THE VALUE OF SPECIAL EDUCATION, AND THAT JUST RINGS TO OUR HEART THAT WE WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT. SO IF THERE'S A COMMANDER THAT YOU SEE THAT WE NEED TO.

DO. I WOULD TAKE THE SUGGESTIONS.

THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU, KIM.

I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AS WELL.

THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING ALL THE SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD AND THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR STUDENTS HERE.

ONE THING THAT DID JUMP OUT TO ME IN THE PRESENTATION WAS THE INCREASE IN STAFF OVER THE LAST YEAR, THE INCREASE IN ENROLLMENT AND STAFF AND THEN HOW MANY HOW MANY TEACHERS THERE ARE.

IS THE INCREASE IN STAFF ALSO DUE TO A RETENTION ISSUE? AND IF SO, ARE THERE RETENTION ISSUES THAT ARE.

DIFFERENT FROM GEN ED RETENTION.

AND MAYBE THIS IS A LAURIE QUESTION, BUT IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU HAVE OBSERVED RETENTION STRATEGIES.

I DEFINITELY THINK THAT THERE'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW.

CHANCE TO SORT OF ASSESS THE GROUND WORK OF SORT OF CENTRAL TEXAS AND TEXAS IN GENERAL.

YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DISTRICTS THAT ARE DOING SOME THINGS JUST NOT THROUGH SPECIAL EDUCATION, BUT OFFERING JUST DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE.

AND I KNOW THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE VALUE IS THAT WE CAN SAY WE HAVE VERY THE LOWEST CASELOADS IN PROBABLY IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.

AND ALTHOUGH WE MIGHT NOT BE RIGHT UP THERE WITH SOMETIMES THE PAY, YOU KNOW, THE QUALITY AND THE QUANTITY OF WORK IS REALLY IMPORTANT.

AND SO YOU MAY FEEL BETTER SUPPORTED WITH LOWER.

BASELOAD. AND SO I THINK THAT COMES INTO IT AS A SPECIAL EDUCATOR AND A PATTERN WE'VE KIND OF SEEN IS TEACHERS COMING BACK TO US.

SO WE'VE SEEN I WOULD LIKE TO BREAK THAT DOWN SOMETIME TOO.

AND I THINK WE KIND OF HAVE TEACHERS AND TEACHERS WHO LEAVE FOR A CERTAIN REASON.

WE'VE HAD A LOT OF THOSE COME BACK AND WANT TO COME BACK TO EANES, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S EXCITING.

WE DON'T LIKE TO SEE THEM LEAVE WHEN THEY CALL US BACK UP AND SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I REALLY WANT TO COME BACK AND WORK IN EANES AGAIN.

THAT'S COOL. AND WE'VE SEEN QUITE A BIT OF THAT.

GOOD, GOOD. SO THEN I TAKE FROM THE COMMENTS THAT.

YOU DON'T SEE.

OR MAYBE THE QUESTION IS, ARE THERE THINGS THAT.

EDMUND CAN BE DOING OR WE COULD BE DOING AS TRUSTEES THAT CAN HELP YOU WITH ANY CHALLENGES IN.

THE INCREASE IN TEACHERS OR THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU MAY HAVE IN RETENTION? YEAH. I MEAN, I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT JUST, THE BUSINESS OFFICE, HR, DR.

ARNETT, MOLLY.

WE CAME TO THEM IN JUNE AND WERE PRETTY CONCERNED ABOUT.

WE WERE OUT FOR STAFFING AND WE SHOWED THEM SORT OF SOME, SOME DATA, AND THEY SAID, DO WHATEVER YOU NEED TO GET FULLY STAFFED.

AND WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND SO WE HAVE BEEN USING SOME AGENCY ORGANIZATIONS TO HELP US WITH STAFFING.

THERE'S A PRICE TO THAT.

AND IT'S YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ASSESS RIGHT NOW TO SEE SORT OF THE IMPACT.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING TO LOOK OUT A LITTLE BIT CLOSER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE SPENDING X AMOUNT OF DOLLARS JUST THROUGH AGENCIES TO SECURE STAFF, HOW CAN WE MAYBE RECOUP SOME OF THAT AND MAYBE DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AS A PROACTIVE STRATEGY?

[01:25:04]

OKAY. GOOD. THANK YOU.

GREAT PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU, ELLEN. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO.

REALLY APPRECIATE IT. AND IT IT SHOWS THE PASSION AND THE ENERGY YOU HAVE FOR IT.

THE GROWTH IN THE SPECIAL ED PROGRAM.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU MENTIONED IT IN TERMS OF CHILD FIND.

WOULD YOU SAY THAT MOST OF IT HAS BEEN BECAUSE OF DIFFERENT WAYS OF IDENTIFYING STUDENTS ? OR DO WE HAVE JUST MORE STUDENTS EITHER MOVING IN OR RESIDENT STUDENTS DISPLAYING WITH DISABILITIES? WHAT CAN YOU. PROBABLY PROBABLY A COMBINATION.

I MEAN, WE'RE YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK TO OTHER DISTRICTS, BUT WE DO GET A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF CALLS OF FAMILIES WANTING TO MOVE INTO THE DISTRICT.

THEY'VE HEARD ABOUT SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES.

AND THEN I ALSO THINK JUST IDENTIFICATION, WE'VE STRENGTHENED SOME OF THOSE TO YOUR PROCESSES.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A KUDOS TO THE DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, BUT ALSO THE CAMPUS.

THE CAMPUS TEAM'S WORKING REALLY HARD ON THAT AREA TOO.

THANK YOU. AND THIS IS A QUESTION WHICH I MEAN, IT'S FINE IF YOU FOLLOW UP WITH THIS.

I DON'T EXPECT YOU ALL TO KNOW THIS OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.

BUT WITH THE 19% INCREASE OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, I MEAN, THAT'S PRETTY EXTRAORDINARY.

WHAT IS THE INCREASE BY CAMPUS AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS ARE ON EACH CAMPUS? AND WHAT IS THE GROWTH ON EACH CAMPUS? AND HAS THERE BEEN A SHIFT IN THE NATURE OF THE DISABILITIES IN GENERAL? I KNOW OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS THERE HAVE BEEN BIG DIFFERENCES IN THE KIND OF DISABILITIES.

I'M WONDERING IF THAT'S CHANGED WITH THIS BURST OF GROWTH, IF YOU WILL, HERE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE CAMPUS BREAKDOWN, BUT CERTAINLY CAN GATHER THAT INFORMATION PRETTY QUICKLY.

SO IN LOOKING AT 2018, 2019 TO TO THE PRESENT, THE REAL SHIFT AND IT'S AROUND 6 TO 8% IF YOU BREAK DOWN TO ELIGIBILITY CATEGORIES, ONE BEING OTHER HEALTH IMPAIRMENT AND SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY.

SO THAT CAN BE IN READING, WRITING AND MATH.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER CATEGORIES HAVE SORT OF FLATLINED OR SHIFTED DOWN A PERCENT OR TWO.

AND SO I DO THINK THAT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE KIDS THAT THAT MAY HAVE REALLY, REALLY GREAT COPING STRATEGIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SORT OF GET BY.

BUT THEN YOU GO BACK AND YOU START LOOKING AT SOME OF THE TIERED SYSTEMS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE.

WE'RE IDENTIFYING THOSE KIDS, WE'RE GETTING THEM THE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES THAT THEY NEED.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT.

BUT THE CAMPUS INFORMATION WE CAN GET FOR YOU.

RIGHT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, OK.

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR REPORT.

ONE MORE THING. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT WE HAVE AN INCREASE OF SLD BECAUSE THAT MEANS THAT WE ARE IDENTIFYING KIDDOS WITH DYSLEXIA PROPERLY.

SO THANK YOU. IT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.

THANKS AGAIN. YOU GUYS ARE DOING EXTRAORDINARY WORK.

THERE ARE A MILLION METRICS THAT THAT I COULD I COULD RECITE FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ROOM.

BUT WE CAN DO THAT ANOTHER TIME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

THAT BRINGS US TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.

AND THAT HAPPENS TO BE OPEN FORUM.

[5. OPEN FORUM]

AND HERE WE GO.

WE HAVE 17 SPEAKERS SIGNED UP THIS EVENING, AND EACH SPEAKER WILL BE AFFORDED 3 MINUTES TO SPEAK.

I'LL CALL YOU FORWARD WHEN IT'S YOUR TURN AND I WILL 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 THAT THIS WILL HAPPEN, BUT IF ANY SPEAKER REFUSES, WE WILL CONSIDER IT A DISRUPTION OF THE BOARD MEETING AND 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 FOR TAKING THE TIME AND MAKING THE EFFORT TO SHARE WITH US THIS EVENING.

WE ARE NOW READY FOR OUR FIRST SPEAKER AND THAT IS BRIAN TALLEY.

BRIAN IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT SEXUALLY INAPPROPRIATE MATERIAL.

BRIAN, WELCOME.

GOOD EVENING. THIS IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE FRAGMENTED.

IT'S NOT A PREPARED SPEECH.

LISTENING TO SOME OF THE COMMENTS EARLIER REGARDING DEI, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN AGREE ON, WHICH THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT I HEARD WAS WANTING KIDS TO FEEL WELCOME, FEEL SAFE, BUT MOSTLY TO BE LOVED AND CARED FOR.

AND I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE ON THAT.

[01:30:03]

AND I THINK WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND IS THE POLITICAL NATURE OF THE PROGRAM THAT YOU GUYS HAVE PUT IN HERE.

AND I DON'T SAY THAT AS SOME SORT OF CONSPIRACY THEORIST.

I SAY THIS BASED UPON THE FEEDBACK FROM THE VERY CONSULTANT THAT YOU HIRED, WHO IS A CRITICAL RACE THEORY EXPERT WHO WENT ON VIDEO AND WE HAVE THE VIDEO AND WHO DESCRIBED TO ALL OF US WHAT EQUITY IS, AND HE SAID THAT EQUITY IS UNDERGIRDED BY CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS.

AND IF YOU LOOK UP CRITICAL CONSCIOUSNESS, THAT IS POST MARXIST CRITICAL THEORY.

WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY SEEKING EQUALITY OF OUTCOMES AS OPPOSED TO EQUALITY OF EQUALITY OF OPPORTUNITY.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT THAT IN EARLY APRIL, THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ELECTED A WOMAN WHO WENT ON RECORD SAYING THAT SHE'S A TRAIN, NOT A TRAIN.

SHE IS A SELF-DESCRIBED MARXIST.

THE ALA PROVIDES A LOT OF THE INFORMATION AND MATERIALS THAT WE PUT IN OUR LIBRARIES.

THAT'S A LITTLE AWKWARD.

I'D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE HISTORY OF THE POLITICAL PROGRAM THAT WAS BROUGHT INTO THE SCHOOL.

MOST CONCERNING REGARDING THE BOOKS ON SEXUALITY.

AS SOON AS THIS AGENDA WAS ADOPTED, THERE WERE CONTROVERSIAL BOOKS THAT WERE BROUGHT IN AND COME TO FIND OUT.

DUE TO THE GOALS THAT YOU GUYS OUTLINED IN YOUR PROGRAM.

THE COMMITTEE AND THE DEI CONSULTANT ASKED THE LIBRARIANS TO CURATE A LOT OF THE CONTENT THAT HAS BEEN CONTROVERSIAL.

SO THAT IS ACTUALLY ON ALL OF YOU.

ALL RIGHT. AND THIS IS WHERE THE RUB IS.

IT'S POLITICAL, AND WE ALL KNOW WHERE MOST OF YOU STAND POLITICALLY BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN VERY OPEN ABOUT IT.

SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR IS TO TAKE POLITICS OUT.

WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO ALLOW THE PROCESS TO WORK.

IT'S NOT YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING CURRICULUM INTO TEXAS.

THAT'S SBOE.

SO LET THAT PROCESS WORK ITS WAY OUT.

IT'S MUCH MORE TO TALK ABOUT, BUT I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, BRIAN.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS I HOPE I GET THIS RIGHT, JANINE ANN MCKNIGHT.

OH, I'M SO SORRY.

AND MISS MCKNIGHT IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT THE FUTURE OF OUR PROGRAM.

WELCOME. HI.

MY NAME IS JANINE MCKNIGHT.

I HAVE TWO KIDS CURRENTLY THRIVING IN THE FUTURO PROGRAM AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY.

I HAVE ANOTHER CHILD THAT I'M HOPING WILL GET TO BE IN THE PROGRAM IN A FEW YEARS.

AFTER THE PROPOSAL AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING, I HAVE ONE MAIN QUESTION.

WHERE IS THIS COMING FROM? EVERY PRESENTATION ABOUT FUTURO TO THE BOARD HAS BEEN POSITIVE AND NEVER BROUGHT ANY CONCERNS UNTIL NOW.

I'M AT A LOSS THAT THIS COMMITTEE THAT JUST PRESENTED ON DEI WOULD PROPOSE TO CUT THE PROGRAM IN HALF STARTING NEXT YEAR.

FOR SURE THE PROGRAM BRINGS CULTURE, CULTURAL AWARENESS AND DIVERSITY AUTHENTICALLY AND ORGANICALLY INTO OUR DISTRICT.

I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A BLIND SIDE TO THE COMMUNITY.

ALSO, I FIND IT VERY CONCERNING THAT A PROPOSAL WAS MADE WITHOUT ANY FUTURO COMMUNITY INPUT.

A PROGRAM LIKE THIS DOES NOT GET CUT IN HALF AND THEN GROW FROM THERE IN THE FUTURE.

SO IT SEEMS LIKE THIS PLAN IS NOT INTENDED FOR FUTURO PROGRAM TO GROW AND POSSIBLY EVEN SLOWLY PHASE IT OUT.

MYSELF AND A LOT OF MY FRIENDS IN THE FUTURO PROGRAM AT OTHER SCHOOLS HAVE SPOKEN WITH SPANISH IMMERSION TEACHERS.

NONE OF THE TEACHERS WE HAVE SPOKEN TO FEEL LIKE THIS IS CORRECT MOVE AND ALL HAVE FELT BLINDSIDED BY THIS DECISION.

WE HAVE NOT HEARD OF ONE TEACHER WHO SUPPORTS THIS TYPE OF CHANGE.

EANES IS SEEN AS THE TOP DISTRICT BY ALL.

THE OPTICS OF THIS DECISION WILL BE RIDICULED AND CERTAINLY CONDEMNED BY OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE ARE LOUDLY CALLING FOR DIVERSITY.

DR. ARNETT, PLEASE BRING THIS TO A BOARD VOTE SINCE THIS IS ABSOLUTELY COMMUNITY INTEREST.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. MCKNIGHT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JEFF O'LEARY.

MR. O'LEARY IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT SOME CONCERNS HE HAS ABOUT EANES ISD.

WELCOME, JEFF. YOU ALL HAVE HANDOUTS ON YOUR TABLE.

I'M NOT GOING TO READ TONIGHT. I'M JUST GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.

IT'S COMING FROM THIS BOOK. IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL.

ON APRIL 11TH, THE COMMISSIONER OF TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY SENT A LETTER TO THE AND POLICY TO THE GOVERNOR AND TEXAS SCHOOL BOARDS, FIRMLY LAYING THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE

[01:35:09]

THE COMMISSIONER FORWARDED POLICY, AMONG OTHER CRITERIA.

NUMBER ONE, INSTRUCTED THAT EACH BOOK BE AGE APPROPRIATE.

NUMBER TWO, ACQUISITIONS AND POLICY MAKING SHALL INVOLVE PARENTS.

NUMBER THREE INCLUDE REGULAR EVALUATION AND REMOVAL OF PERVASIVELY VULGAR COLLECTIONS AND INCLUDE MAXIMIZING TRANSPARENCY TO FAMILIES.

MAJOR CRITERIA FOR CHALLENGING LIBRARY MATERIAL IS AGE APPROPRIATENESS.

NO MORE PUSHING THE BLAME ON THE VENDOR ADMINISTRATORS COMPLAINING PARENTS OR LIBRARIANS.

RESPONSIBILITY FALLS SQUARELY ON YOUR SHOULDERS.

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND WILL EANES ISD IMPLEMENT LIBRARY BOOK POLICY TO PROTECT CHILDREN AS INSTRUCTED BY THE PTA AND REQUESTED BY PARENTS.

TONIGHT, I'M SHARING A BOOK PROMOTED INDIRECTLY BY MS. SCHUBERT AND HER REPURPOSED BANNED BOOKS WEEKS PRESENTATION FOR FREE SPEECH WEEK.

IT'S PERFECTLY NORMAL.

THERE ARE TWO COPIES IN OUR HILL COUNTRY MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARY MANAGED BY MS. SCHUBERT. YOUR HANDOUTS INCLUDE ILLUSTRATIONS OFFERED TO.

WELL, THE FIRST ONE IS THE PRESENTATION, ACTUALLY THE BOOKS THAT SHE WAS PROMOTING THE BOOK ITSELF, AND IF YOU LOOK THROUGH IT, ACTUALLY HAS PEOPLE HAVING SEX TO OUR 11 AND 13 YEAR OLDS.

AND IT'S INCLUSIVE BECAUSE IT INCLUDES MALE AND FEMALE.

FEMALE AND FEMALE, MALE AND MALE, SODOMY.

ACTUALLY HAS ALL SORTS OF SHAPES AND SIZES AS DETAIL.

IT'S ILLUSTRATIONS, BUT IT'S STILL PORNOGRAPHY, GUYS.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, HAS SOME OTHER AS WELL, AND ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH SOME MASTURBATION SLIDES.

SO, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR A LOCAL LIBRARY TO HAVE IT AS A RESOURCE SUPPLEMENT FOR PARENTS IN THEIR ENDEAVOR TO TEACH THEIR KIDS ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES.

IT IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE BOOK FOR OUR 11 TO 13 YEAR OLD CHILDREN TO INDISCRIMINATELY CHECK OUT.

AND IN FACT, THE LIBRARIAN ENDORSING OR RECOMMENDING THIS BOOK TO MINOR CHILDREN VIOLATES US CODE 1470 TEXAS EDUCATION CODE 247.2 AND THE TEXAS PENAL CODE 43.24.

OVER THE LAST YEAR PLUS, I'VE HEARD MULTIPLE TIMES PARENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OPT OUT.

WHY NOT BE COURAGEOUS AND CREATE AN IMPLEMENT A POLICY THAT PROTECTS THE KIDS IN EANES ISD FROM SEXUAL GROOMING FOUND IN THESE BOOKS AS A BOARD? WHY DO YOU CHOOSE THE PATH OF INACTION? REMEMBER THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PURCHASE REVIEW AND CHOOSING OF LIBRARY BOOKS IS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES RESPONSIBILITY.

ACCORDING TO THE TEXAS EDUCATION CODE, SCHOOL DISTRICTS MUST BE GIVEN WRITTEN NOTICE TO PARENTS OF SEX ED WILL BE OFFERED.

DOES THIS BOOK IN THE LIBRARY HAVE? DOES IT MEAN THAT? THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. O'LEARY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SARAH CROCKER.

MS. CROCKER IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT BOOKS.

GOOD EVENING, MS. CROCKER, WELCOME.

IF YOU'D HAVE TOLD ME A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I'D BE STANDING HERE EVERY OTHER TUESDAY NIGHT READING PORNOGRAPHY THAT'S PROVIDED TO CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY, I WOULD NEVER, I WOULD HAVE TOLD YOU, YOU'RE CRAZY.

YET AGAIN, HERE I AM READING MORE PORNOGRAPHY THAT WE'RE PROVIDING OUR CHILDREN.

JUST LIKE JEFF MENTIONED, THE COMMISSIONER OF THE STATE OF TEXAS.

THE COMMISSIONER OF THE EDUCATION AGENCY SENT A LETTER AND POLICY TO THE GOVERNOR AND TEXAS SCHOOL BOARDS, FIRMLY LAYING THE LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE PURCHASE REVIEW AND CHOOSING OF LIBRARY BOOKS ON THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.

AGAIN, I'M GOING TO MENTION IT'S APPROPRIATENESS.

WHY ARE WE PUTTING ALL THIS VULGARITY IN OUR LIKE, WHAT DOES IT SERVE OUR CHILDREN? THEY CAN GO TO, YOU KNOW, PARENTS WHO WANT TO GO TO BARNES NOBLE AND BUY THIS STUFF.

THAT IS FINE.

BUT OUR CHILDREN, WHEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT AND WE CAN'T ASSESS THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON WITH THEM BECAUSE WE DON'T, WE'RE NOT INCLUDED. IT IS NOT RIGHT.

WE'RE THE PARENTS.

WE SHOULD MAKE THESE DECISIONS.

THE BOOK I HAVE RIGHT NOW TONIGHT IS TTYL.

THE SUMMARY OF CONCERNS INCLUDES EXCESSIVE PROFANITY AND SEXUALLY EXPLICIT CONTENT WITH A MINOR.

I HAVE READ OVER AND OVER AGAIN TEACHERS HAVING SEX WITH CHILDREN, TEACHERS PROVIDING ALCOHOL TO CHILDREN.

I MEAN, IT'S UNBELIEVABLE.

SO IN THIS BOOK, SNOW ANGEL SAYS, WELL, I WAS IN THE BATHROOM AFTER FIFTH PERIOD.

RIGHT. AND JAN AND TERRY WERE THERE AND JANET WAS GOING ON ABOUT WHAT A BITCH MARGARET WAS FOR FLIRTING WITH REX SAUNDERS.

JANICE SAID, WELL, SHE'S SUCH A WHORE.

AND THEN SHE LOWERED HER VOICE LIKE SHE WAS TELLING SOME BIG SECRET AND SAID SOMETHING REALLY GROSS.

ANGEL SNOW SAID, WELL, SHE AIRED THAT MARGARET EJACULATES.

MAD MADDY SAID, WHAT?

[01:40:03]

WHAT 11 YEAR OLD NEEDS TO READ THIS? AND THEN SHE WAS LIKE, SHIT, I CAN'T BELIEVE I TOLD YOU.

YOU'VE GOT TO SWEAR NOT TO TELL, TERRY.

YOU'VE GOT TO SWEAR.

WELL, THE WHOLE TIME I WAS TWO SINKS OVER GOING.

HELLO? DO YOU EVEN KNOW I'M HERE? MAD MADDY SAID, THAT'S DISGUSTING, SNOW ANGEL.

I KNOW. I WAS LIKE, MARGARET IS YOUR FRIEND, YOU ASSHOLE.

THE NAME SNOW ANGEL LATER SAYS, SHIT, SOMEONE TOOK PICTURES.

ZOE GIRL. APPARENTLY SO.

AND APPARENTLY IT WAS JANA SNOW ANGEL.

I HATE HER.

ZOE GIRL THE SUBJECT LINE WAS LESBO SLUT.

TERRY FORWARDED NEARLY THE MESSAGE SHE FORWARDED IT TO, LIKE THE ENTIRE SCHOOL.

SNOW ANGEL SAID SHIT, SHIT, SHIT.

SNOW ANGEL. DID YOU ASK HER? DID YOU ASK HER TO FORWARD IT TO YOU? ZOE SAID NO.

SNOW ANGEL SAID, GOD, WHY NOT? WHY DID JANET DO THIS NOW? A FUCKING WEEK LATER? WHAT KIND OF LANGUAGE IS THIS FOR OUR CHILDREN TO READ? THANK YOU, MS. CROCKER.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS BOB WOODY, AND HE IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT SI.

EVENING, MR. WOODY. WELCOME.

HOWDY. HOW ARE YOU DOING? JUST FINE. HOW ARE YOU? I'M GOOD.

I'VE LIVED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR ABOUT 40 YEARS.

MY DAUGHTERS, JENNY AND WOODY MCKNIGHT OVER HERE.

I SAT ON A BOARD AS CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, ALONG WITH ANOTHER WOMAN FOR THE RIDE SCHOOL, WHICH IS A PRIVATE SCHOOL THAT.

TAKES IN CHILDREN THAT ARE.

NORMALLY NORMAL.

ALWAYS SAY. TYPICAL DEVELOPING AND DEVELOPING.

JENNY ANN CAME TO ME AND SAID, WE NEED TO BE PART OF THIS, AND WE BECAME PART OF THAT SCHOOL.

I'M ON THE BOARD OF THAT, SO I DEAL WITH THE ADMIN.

AND IMPORTANT DECISIONS THAT COME TO ME ARE THE ARE THE THINGS THAT I LOOK AT.

AND THEN I GO BACK TO ADMIN AND I TELL THEM THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.

NOW WE MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AS A BOARD OF 17.

IT'S A PRETTY LARGE BOARD.

BUT THOSE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE AS TO WHAT THE SCHOOL NEEDS TO DO AND PROVIDE IT GOES TO US AND WE WE WORK WITH ADMIN.

SO MY RECOMMENDATION ON THE SPANISH PROGRAM IS THAT THAT THE BOARD MAKE THE DECISION AND YOU ALL MAKE THAT RIGHT DECISION OF WHERE WE'VE ALREADY INVESTED TIME AND ENERGY.

A FEW MORE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT IT.

I WROTE THEM DOWN SO I WOULDN'T FORGET.

ALL THINGS.

CONSIDER THE SOURCE.

ALWAYS THINK ABOUT WHERE YOUR INFORMATION IS COMING FROM.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS SHOULD DO THAT.

THERE WAS 843 CHILDREN THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH THE SPANISH PROGRAM.

IF YOU MULTIPLY THAT TIMES THREE AND A HALF PEOPLE, WHICH IS A NORMAL SMALL FAMILY, THAT'S 3000 PEOPLE WHOSE LIVES YOU'RE TOUCHING IN THIS COMMUNITY.

SO IF YOU DO AWAY WITH THIS PROGRAM OR YOU CUT IT TO HALF, YOU KNOCK THAT DOWN AND THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE YOU'RE TOUCHING WITH IT.

THERE'S THE CAPABILITY OF EVEN BUILT OUT INTO ABOUT 3400 FAMILIES THAT YOU'LL BE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT YOU'LL BE TOUCHING.

SPANISH IS DIVERSE.

AND TO BRING IT INTO THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, I THINK IS A GREAT IDEA.

AND FOR IT TO FOR US TO BE SUPPORTIVE OF IT SEEMS TO MAKE SENSE TO.

SO IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE PREACHING DIVERSITY, THIS IS AN EASY WAY TO DO IT.

AND IT'S ALREADY IN YOUR BACKYARD, SO DON'T RUN IT OFF.

UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT COSTS.

IT COSTS YOU NOTHING. AS MY UNDERSTANDING.

IN FACT, I THINK YOU MAKE MONEY ON IT.

SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO KEEP IT FOR THAT REASON AS WELL.

SO YOU CAN'T SAY. AND WE WOULD LOVE FOR YOU.

I THINK THIS ENTIRE GROUP THAT'S HERE TO TALK ABOUT SPANISH WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO SAY, WELL, WE DON'T WANT TO DO IT BECAUSE IT COSTS US MONEY.

AND THEN I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND THE MONEY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. WOODY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ROSE BETTY WILLIAMS, AND MS. WILLIAMS IS GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION.

WELCOME, MS. WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING. HI, I'M ROSE BETTY WILLIAMS. I'M VERY GLAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT.

THANK YOU FOR OFFERING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.

MY FAMILY IS A THIRD GENERATION EANES FAMILY.

MY HUSBAND WENT TO EANES.

OUR CHILDREN WENT TO EANES.

AND NOW ONE OF MY GRANDSONS IS A FIRST GRADER AT EANES ELEMENTARY AND HIS BROTHER WILL BE IN KINDERGARTEN NEXT YEAR AT THAT SCHOOL.

[01:45:07]

THE DISTRICT'S GOALS ARE COMMENDABLE.

THANK YOU. TO UNITE OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH RESPECTFUL RELATIONSHIPS AND TO CREATE A SENSE OF BELONGING FOR ALL, TO EMPOWER STUDENTS BY PROVIDING AN EXEMPLARY EDUCATION THAT DEVELOPS CURIOSITY, CREATIVITY, AND INDIVIDUAL TALENTS.

AND TO INSPIRE EACH OTHER TO LEAD PURPOSEFUL LIVES OF EMPATHY, GRATITUDE AND COMPASSION.

I THANK EANES FOR UPHOLDING THESE GOALS.

I THANK YOU, THE 2022-23 SCHOOL BOARD FOR PRIORITIZING A QUOTE, "CULTURE OF GUARANTEED VIABLE CURRICULUM, MEANINGFUL AND AUTHENTIC LEARNING ACTIVITIES TO FURTHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ENGAGEMENT IN THE ARTS AND HUMANITIES THROUGH READING, WRITING, LITERACY, SPEAKING, LISTENING, AND CRITICAL THINKING." CLOSE QUOTE.

SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM HAS A PROVEN, I REPEAT, PROVEN RECORD OF MEETING THOSE GOALS AND PRIORITIES.

I AM GRATEFUL TO YOU, THE SCHOOL BOARD, FOR SUPPORTING SPANISH IMMERSION.

AND I ASK, I ACTUALLY BESEECH YOU.

BOARD TO HONOR ITS COMMITMENT TO THIS PROGRAM AND TO ENSURE ACCESS FOR ALL EANES STUDENTS WHO WANT TO PARTICIPATE.

THE POPULARITY AND ENTHUSIASM FOR SPANISH IMMERSION HIGHLIGHTS ITS SUCCESS AND IMPORTANCE.

IN MY OPINION, IT'S INCUMBENT ON ALL OF YOU IN THIS DISTRICT TO CONTINUE THIS PROGRAM.

AND BOTH FACILITATE AND ENHANCE ITS EXCELLENCE BY ONE, OFFERING MORE, NOT LESS, SPANISH IMMERSION CLASSES HAVING MORE, NOT LESS SPANISH IMMERSION TEACHERS AND HIRING MORE SPANISH IMMERSION TEACHER ASSISTANTS TO AID THE TEACHERS.

LET'S LOOK FOR SOLUTIONS.

LET'S FIND WAYS FOR SPANISH IMMERSION TO BE FUNDED, PERHAPS A SPANISH IMMERSION SUPPORT GROUP.

WHY NOT HAVE A SPANISH IMMERSION PTO? THANK YOU, MR. WILLIAMS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAN O'MARA, AND MR. O'MARA IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION.

WELCOME, MR. O'MARA.

GOOD EVENING. GOOD EVENING.

THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK HERE TONIGHT.

MY NAME IS DAN O'MARA. HAVE A FIRST GRADER IN SPANISH IMMERSION IN EANES ELEMENTARY, AND HIS LITTLE BROTHER WILL ENTER KINDERGARTEN AT EANES IN THE FALL OF NEXT YEAR. BOTH MY SONS HAVE BEEN IN YPW SPANISH IMMERSION SINCE THEY WERE THREE MONTHS OLD.

I WANTED TO RAISE A FEW POINTS TONIGHT THAT I HOPE YOU'LL CONSIDER WHEN EVALUATING THE PROPOSAL THAT'S BEING BROUGHT FORWARD WITH REGARDS TO THE FUTURE OF THE PROGRAM.

FIRST OF ALL, IS THE DEMAND FOR THIS PROGRAM.

AS I'VE MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S 843 STUDENTS CURRENTLY ENROLLED IN THE PROGRAM, WHICH IS NOT YET FULLY IMPLEMENTED BY THE TIME THIS CURRENT PROGRAM IS FULLY IMPLEMENTED.

OVER 1000 CHILDREN WILL BE ENROLLED IN SPANISH IMMERSION IN EANES ISD.

BY ALL MEASURABLE PROVIDED METRICS, THIS PROGRAM IS A SUCCESS AND I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY DATA TO SUGGEST OTHERWISE.

EANES IS ONE OF THE BEST SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN TEXAS AND EVEN IN THE COUNTRY, AND THAT'S BECAUSE OF INNOVATIVE PROGRAMS SUCH AS SPANISH IMMERSION.

I THINK IT WOULD BE A MISTAKE FOR THE DISTRICT TO DRAW BACK FROM SPANISH IMMERSION BECAUSE IT WOULD MOVE IT AWAY FROM BEING ONE OF THOSE DISTRICTS OF EXCELLENCE AROUND THE COUNTRY. AS EVIDENCED BY THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT.

THE EANES ISD IS HEAVILY INVESTED AND HAS AN EXTREME FOCUS ON DEI, INCLUDING DIVERSITY.

AS YOU FOCUS ON AN EDUCATIONAL FRAMEWORK AROUND DEI, I CHALLENGE YOU TO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF ACTUAL DIVERSITY PROGRAMS CURRENTLY IN PLACE WITHIN THE DISTRICT.

AND THE FUTURO PROGRAM IS ONE OF THESE PROGRAMS. WHAT BETTER WAY TO ENCOURAGE DIVERSITY THAN TO TEACH OUR KIDS ABOUT THE NUMEROUS SPANISH SPEAKING CULTURES AROUND THE WORLD? AS WITH ANY NEW PROGRAM, THERE ARE ALWAYS CHALLENGES.

[01:50:01]

TO ME, THE EANES WAY IS NOT REPRESENTED BY THE PROPOSAL BEING CONSIDERED RIGHT NOW.

TO ME, CUTTING THE PROGRAM ARBITRARILY.

IT DOES NOT ADDRESS THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED.

AND TO ME, IT EQUATES TO ALMOST THROWING YOUR HANDS UP AND GIVING UP.

I CHALLENGE YOU ALL TO DO BETTER AND FIND SOLUTIONS TO THE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND WORK WITH THE TEACHERS AND ALL THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS HERE WHO ARE FERVENT ADVOCATES OF FUTURO.

WE'RE ALL INVESTED IN MAKING THIS PROGRAM WORK AND YOU HAVE THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT BEHIND YOU FIND SOLUTIONS TO THESE PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. O'MARA. THE NEXT SPEAKER MAY NOT BE HERE IS GRANT STATUS HERE THIS EVENING.

ALL RIGHT, NOW THE NEXT SPEAKER, KIMBERLY BEGUINE.

UM. KIMBERLY, ARE YOU HERE? WHEN I MOVED ON.

TOM PEI. MR. PEI IS HERE TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION.

WELCOME, MR. PEI. I PRONOUNCE YOUR NAME PROPERLY.

HERE. RIGHT.

NOT THAT TALL HERE. ALL RIGHT.

MY NAME IS TOM PEI. MY WIFE AND I ARE PROUD PARENTS OF TWO GIRLS, HAYDEN, FOUR MONTHS OLD, AVERY, FIVE YEARS OLD AND PART OF SPANISH IMMERSION HERE TODAY, SHARED MY EXPERIENCE WITH BEING EXPOSED TO NEW LANGUAGE AND CULTURES.

MY HOPE IS THAT THIS WILL NOT ONLY PROVIDE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING THE IMPORTANCE OF SPANISH IMMERSION, BUT ALSO HELP THE AUDIENCE UNDERSTAND HOW SPECIAL WORDS ARE.

ANY LANGUAGE CAN TRANSCEND BEYOND THE HALLWAYS OF THESE SCHOOLS.

IN 2005, I WAS COMMISSIONED OUT OF WEST POINT, JOINED THE ARMY AS A SECOND LIEUTENANT STATIONED IN GERMANY.

LIVING IN EUROPE IN MY TWENTIES WAS AMAZING.

THE ONLY PROBLEM? I DIDN'T SPEAK GERMAN.

I LIVED IN A SMALL TOWN, I HAD TO NAVIGATE EVERYWHERE THROUGH AWKWARD HAND GESTURES, SOMETIMES SPEAKING ENGLISH REALLY LOUDLY, HOPING THAT THEY WOULD UNDERSTAND.

I VIVIDLY REMEMBER BEING ASKED BY A GROUP OF GERMAN TEENS IF ME AND MY OTHER ARMY FRIENDS WERE TRULY STATIONED THERE.

BECAUSE WHY WOULD THE US ARMY SEND ME THERE? GERMANY, BUT I DIDN'T SPEAK THE LANGUAGE.

I HAVE THE SKILLS TO LIVE THERE.

OUCH. IT WAS LIKE EMILY FROM EMILY IN PARIS.

GREAT SHOW. DON'T PRETEND YOU DON'T WATCH THAT.

I'M SURE I DIDN'T. IT DIDN'T HELP THAT WE'RE NORMALLY LOUD, BRASH, AND COMPLETELY UNAWARE OF THE CULTURAL NORMS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE FOLLOWED.

MY DEFAULT EXCUSE WAS WHY LEARN GERMAN WHEN ENGLISH IS STANDARD LANGUAGE OF THE WORLD? YEP, WE WERE THE UGLY AMERICANS, A KANYE WEST OF NATIONS.

FROM GERMANY I WAS IMMEDIATELY DEPLOYED TO AFGHANISTAN.

ANYONE HERE SPEAK PASHTU OR DARI? THAT'S THE LANGUAGE SPOKEN THERE.

WE USUALLY HAVE TO RELY ON TRANSLATORS AND TAKE THEM EVERYWHERE WE WENT.

HOWEVER, A SOLDIER MY UNIT, SERGEANT MATTHEW SNOW FROM ABILENE, TEXAS, DECIDED TO TAKE IT UPON HIMSELF TO LEARN AS MUCH PASHTO AND DARI AS HE COULD.

AFTER FEW MONTHS, HE HAD MASTERED ENOUGH WORDS AND PHRASES THAT GAINED THE RESPECT OF THE LOCAL POPULATION SURROUNDED OUR BASE.

YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE EYES OF THE AFGHANS WHENEVER WE SPOKE THEIR NATIVE TONGUE.

IT WASN'T EASY, BUT IT BUILT TRUST.

ONE DAY A VILLAGER CAME TO US DIRECTLY AT SERGEANT SNOW AND TOLD HIM ABOUT AN IMPENDING SUICIDE CAR BOMB IMMEDIATELY THAT WAS COMING TOWARDS OUR CHECKPOINT.

HE RECOGNIZED THE WORDS HE WAS USING NOTIFIED US OF A DANGER.

WE STOPPED THE VEHICLE BEFORE REACHING US.

THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE LOCAL AND SERGEANT SNOW ALL DONE IN PASHTU, SAVED OUR LIVES.

I'M NOT SAYING SPANISH IMMERSION WILL SAY THE NEXT PLATOON AMBUSH IN A WAR ZONE, NOR WILL CURE CANCER, STOP WORLD HUNGER, SAVE US FROM GLOBAL WARMING.

HOWEVER, I DO BELIEVE THAT THE LANGUAGE AND UNDERSTANDING NEW CULTURES DO PROVIDE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME MORE EMPATHETIC, AWARE AND UNDERSTANDING.

THAT'S WHAT LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE DOES, IT HELPS US BECOME BETTER HUMANS.

TEST SCORES AND RANKINGS ARE GREAT, BUT WHAT'S THE POINT? WE JUST ALLOW OUR KIDS TO BE MORE INSULAR.

I WANT AVERY AND HAYDEN TO BE EXPOSED TO OTHER THOUGHTS IN LANGUAGES OTHER THAN THEIR OWN, TO BE BETTER GLOBAL CITIZENS.

EXPOSING OUR CHILDREN TO DIFFERENT SOUNDS, TASTES, CULTURES, CREATES A BETTER COMMUNITY WHERE THEY CAN EMBRACE INEVITABLE CHANGE THAT THEY'LL FACE IN THEIR LIVES.

ISN'T THAT WHAT LEARNING TRULY IS? I HOPE MY STORY CAN GIVE YOU AN INSIDE LOOK OF WHY LANGUAGES MATTER.

PLEASE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT SPANISH IMMERSION EANES ISD.

IT'S NOT JUST THE OUTCOMES AND REPUTATION OF A DISTRICT THAT DEPEND ON IT, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MR. PAY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS STEFANIE DYER.

MS. DYER IS GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION.

GOOD EVENING, MR. WELCOME.

RIGHT. THANK YOU. I HAVE A FIRST GRADER AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY, CURRENTLY IN THE SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM.

EANES HAS CREATED AN AMAZING PROGRAM.

SORRY, IT'S WHAT DREW US TO EANES.

WE WERE A TRANSFER FAMILY LAST YEAR, AND WE'VE JUST BEEN SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROGRAM.

WE'VE MOVED TO THE DISTRICT AND IT'S JUST SHOCKING TO HEAR WHAT THE COMMITTEE IS PROPOSING.

[01:55:05]

IT WAS WELL THOUGHT OUT.

YOU HAVE YOU STUDIED ANOTHER MODEL WHEN IMPLEMENTING IT.

YOU HAD YOU HAVE DATA PROVEN, I GUESS, OUTCOMES THAT HAVE BEEN SHOWN IN THE PAST.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NEED TO CHANGE IT.

SOME OF THE REASONING PROVIDED WAS.

VERY QUALITATIVE AND REALLY THERE WAS NO REAL DATA BEHIND IT.

I USED TO BE A TEACHER AND AS A FORMER TEACHER, THE PROPOSED CHANGES.

TO ME SEEM LIKE THEY WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO CHILDREN'S SOCIAL EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT.

PUTTING 22 CHILDREN IN A CLASSROOM THAT SELF CONTAINED AND KEEPING THEM IN THAT ROOM FOR SIX YEARS.

HOW DO WE YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE BUILD THEIR SOCIAL SKILLS WITH THAT? UM. ULTIMATELY, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD MAKE THIS A BOARD DECISION AND NOT JUST ACT QUICKLY BASED ON A COMMITTEE OF THREE PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY RECOMMEND.

I, FOR ONE, HAVEN'T.

SEEING ANY EMAIL.

I MEAN, I TRY TO READ EVERY PRINCIPAL EMAIL, DISTRICT, EMAIL, AND THERE'S BEEN NOTHING KIND OF REQUESTING OUR INPUT AS FAMILIES THAT ARE IN THE PROGRAM. SO I HAVE TWO YOUNGER CHILDREN THAT I WOULD ABSOLUTELY LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THE PROGRAM.

IN ITS CURRENT MODEL, THE TEACHERS HAVING TWO TEACHERS ALLOWS THE STUDENTS TO RECEIVE INSTRUCTION AT ALTERNATE POINTS IN THE DAY.

YOU'VE GOT CHILDREN WHO LEARN BETTER.

MAYBE IN THE MORNING WILL THEY GET ONE WEEK WITH ONE TEACHER LEARNING ENGLISH IN THE MORNING AND THEN THE OTHER GROUP OF CHILDREN GET THAT INSTRUCTION IN THE MORNING? SO YOU'VE ALREADY FIXED SOME OF THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IF YOU BRING IT DOWN TO A SINGLE, SELF-CONTAINED CLASSROOM.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

MR.. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN SCRIPPS, AND HE'S GOING TO SPEAK TO US.

OKAY, BIG CHANGE.

MY HUSBAND HAS A REALLY BAD COUGH AND SO HE'S LOSING HIS VOICE AND I'M GOING TO TAKE HIS ROLE.

SO THAT'S JUST FINE.

HI, I'M JOHN SCRIPPS' WIFE.

I WAS BORN ASHLEY.

I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN MALAYSIA.

SO I THINK THAT I HAVE A PRETTY GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF DIVERSITY.

I WENT TO AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL.

ONE REASON WHEN MY HUSBAND AND I MOVED HERE, WE PICKED EANES FOR THIS AMAZING SPANISH PROGRAM.

NOW, I WATCHED THIS COMMITTEE AS THE LAST COMMITTEE MEETING, AND I WAS JUST SO SHOCKED THAT THESE THREE INDIVIDUALS AND I'M SORRY, I'M STILL TRYING TO GET EVERYONE'S NAMES, BUT BOY, HAVE I GOTTEN A CRASH COURSE ON YOU GUYS.

THEY SAT IN FRONT OF YOU GUYS WITH NO STATISTICS, NO FACTS, NOTHING, AND YOU JUST ALL SWEPT IT.

YES. LET'S JUMP IT DOWN TO ONE CLASSROOM.

LET'S TAKE 22 STUDENTS WHO ARE NO LONGER GOING TO INTERACT WITH THE REST OF THEIR CLASSMATES.

RIGHT NOW, IT'S ALMOST A 5050 THAT CAN YOU IMAGINE 22 BEING STUCK WITH 22 PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM FOR THE NEXT SIX YEARS? I WOULD REALLY PROBABLY NOT ENJOY THAT.

WELL, AT LEAST MOST OF THE PEOPLE BEHIND ME.

I WOULD REALLY ENJOY THAT.

SO. BUT THE COMMITTEE MADE ALL THESE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CLAIMS BUT CAME UP WITH NO FACTS.

THERE'S FINANCIALLY IT'S THERE'S A PROBLEM.

THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT TRUE.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU GUYS LISTEN TO THE SPECIAL, SPECIAL EDUCATION, WHICH GAVE AN ENORMOUS, IMPRESSIVE PRESENTATION.

AND YOU ASKED ALL THESE QUESTIONS.

WE DID NOT ASK ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SPANISH IMMERSION.

WHY IS THIS NOT A GOOD IDEA? WHY ARE THESE PROBLEMS? WHAT CAN WE DO TO SOLVE THEM? YOU WERE ALL READY TO JUMP ON THE BANDWAGON.

BANDWAGON ON? YES. LET'S CUT THE CLASS DOWN TO ONE.

SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW.

I SOME OF THE PEOPLE UP HERE ARE NOT FOR THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE IN ALL THE STUDIES THAT YOU CAN FIND, YOU CAN SEE THAT SPANISH IMMERSION OR SECOND LANGUAGE IN GENERAL DOES BETTER FOR KIDS, AND ESPECIALLY IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROGRAM.

I WENT TO AN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL.

THEY HAD AT LEAST TEN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT YOU COULD LEARN FROM.

BUT I STARTED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL LANGUAGE.

I DID TERRIBLE AT SPANISH.

I LEARNED MORE MALAY THAN I DID SPANISH BECAUSE I WAS IMMERSED IN IT.

I GOT TO TALK TO THE MALAYSIANS EVERY SINGLE DAY.

I YOU KNOW, AND WHEN THEY SAW ME LEARN AS.

BLOND LITTLE WHITE GIRL IN MALAYSIA.

THEY WERE SO IMPRESSED AND THEY WERE SO THANKFUL AND THEY GAVE YOU SO MUCH MORE RESPECT THAN SOME OTHER PEOPLE WHO CAME AND JUST TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM.

SO. DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THIS HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP AND NOW IS SLOWLY GETTING SWEPT UNDER THE RUG.

[02:00:08]

TAKING KIDS. I HAVE ONE KID, ONE FIRST GRADER AT BRIDGEPOINT.

I HAVE A KINDERGARTNER WHO'S GOING TO BE ENTERING IN 2023.

I HAVE BEEN TOLD THAT THIS IS NOT A FAST TRACK PROGRAM.

HOWEVER, THIS IS TRYING TO BE IMPLEMENTED FOR 2023.

IF THAT'S NOT A FAST TRACK PROGRAM, PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IT IS, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS PRETTY FAST TRYING TO HAPPEN WITHIN ONE YEAR.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU, MISS SCRIPPS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CARLA BASHAM, AND MS..

BASHAM IS GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT DIVERSITY OF DIALOG.

GOOD EVENING, CARLA.

WELCOME. HI, JOHN.

THANKS. I WANT TO BEGIN BY EXPRESSING SOME GRATITUDE FOR THE EXTRA EFFORTS THAT DR.

ARNETT ADMINISTRATION AND HIS STAFF ARE MAKING TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO BE MORE INCLUSIVE OF A BROADER RANGE OF PARENTS REPRESENTING DIFFERENT GROUPS, VIEWS AND OPINIONS.

THE EXTRA MEDIA, ORGANIZATION AND LEVEL OF PLANNING TAKES A LOT OF TIME, BUT I KNOW IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED BY MANY FAMILIES IN THE DISTRICT.

SEVERAL PARENTS CONTINUE TO COMMENT ON HOW GRATEFUL THEY ARE FOR THE EXTRA INFORMATION AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTICIPATE.

SO THANK YOU. I'M ALSO IN HEARTENED BY RECENT DISCUSSION DURING THE OCTOBER 18 TRUSTEES MEETING WHERE THE TOPIC AROSE ABOUT ADDING MEMBERS WITH MORE DIVERSE VIEWS TO THE DISTRICT'S DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE, WHICH WAS FORMED IN THE FALL OF 2020.

RECOGNIZING AND INCLUDING A BROADER SPECTRUM OF VOICES ON THIS COMMITTEE WILL HELP TO REPAIR SOME OF THE DIVISION THAT HAS HAS OCCURRED WITHIN OUR EANES COMMUNITY.

A MULTITUDE OF EMAILS, DEMANDS, MEETING NOTICES AND INVOICES REVEAL A COORDINATED EFFORT THAT BEGAN OVER TWO YEARS AGO BY MEMBERS OF CERTAIN COMMUNITY GROUPS TO ADVANCE THE DEA INITIATIVE.

ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, THE EANES INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PAID OUR ORIGINAL DEA CONSULTANT $3,000 PER MEETING TO MEET WITH MEMBERS AND LEADERS OF EANES FOR EQUITY AND SHOPS FOR ANTI-RACIST EANES PARENTS.

OUTSIDE OF THESE GROUPS WHO HAD SUGGESTIONS, QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS WERE DENIED INCLUSION IN THESE OR SIMILAR STYLE MEETINGS.

WE'RE IN AN IMPORTANT MOMENT NOW WHERE THE INITIATIVE IS BEING ADMITTED THROUGHOUT THE CURRICULUM AND ACROSS THE DISTRICT AND A VARIETY OF MECHANISMS. PLANS BEING MADE NOW WILL NO DOUBT AFFECT EVERY STUDENT AT EVERY LEVEL WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

PARENTS ACROSS DIFFERENT GROUPS THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT HAVE A VESTED AND GENUINE CONCERN ABOUT HOW THIS IS BEING DONE.

THEREFORE, WE MUST CAREFULLY CONSIDER THE BEST WAYS TO PROCEED.

OUR CHILDREN HAVE ALREADY SUFFERED THE EFFECTS OF MASKING LOCKDOWNS, AND REMOTE LEARNING MUST GUARD AGAINST SIMILAR UNFAVORABLE OUTCOMES IN THE IN THE FUTURE, ESPECIALLY THOSE THAT AFFECT THE WELLBEING OF OUR CHILDREN BY INCLUDING A DIVERSITY OF VOICES ON D MATTERS AND BY FACILITATING TRUE COLLABORATION AND ACHIEVING THE BEST PATH FORWARD.

PROVIDING THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER WITH GREATER RANGE OF VOICES ON THE DEI ADVISORY COMMITTEE WOULD BE A SIGNIFICANT STEP IN REBUILDING COMMUNITY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, CARLA.

APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ADAM LIPPE, AND MR. LIPPE IS GOING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT FUTURE.

WELCOME, MR. LIPPE. HI.

THANKS FOR LISTENING.

WE HAVE A PASSIONATE GROUP ABOUT THIS FISHER PROGRAM.

MY NAME IS ADAM LIPPE.

I'M A DAD OF A FIRST GRADER AND A SECOND GRADER AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY WHO ARE THRIVING IN FUTURO.

BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT, WHEN I TALK TO FRIENDS AROUND THE CITY WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS IN EANES WHO DON'T HAVE KIDS AT BRIDGEPOINT ELEMENTARY, AND THEY HEAR THAT I DO.

THE FIRST THING THAT THEY ASK IS, ARE YOU DO YOU GUYS KNOW ABOUT THAT SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM? TELL ME MORE ABOUT IT.

THAT SOUNDS SO GREAT.

WE WISH WE HAD A SPANISH IMMERSION PROGRAM LIKE THIS, AND I CAN TALK FOR HOURS.

THE KIDS ARE THRIVING IN FUTURO, AND IN FACT, THEY'VE LEARNED TO SEE LIFE THROUGH WINDOWS, NOT MIRRORS.

THEY'VE LEARNED WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR SOME IS BENEFICIAL FOR ALL.

AND THEY BRING IT HOME AND THEY SHOW IT TO ME AND MY WIFE AND OUR PARENTS.

AND IT MAKE IT JUST WARMS OUR HEARTS.

YOU GUYS HAVE MADE US A TIGHT KNIT COMMUNITY BECAUSE OF YOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

I'VE MET FRIENDS THAT WE'RE THAT THAT WE SPEND ALL THE TIME, TIME TOGETHER BECAUSE OF YOU GUYS AND BECAUSE OF THIS FUTURO COMMUNITY.

WE ARE INVOLVED PARENTS NOW.

THAT'S WHAT MAKES EANES SO SPECIAL.

WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE SO MUCH TO ADD.

[02:05:02]

AND WHAT I'M CONCERNED WITH ARE THESE CIRCULATED RUMORS THAT EVERYONE KEEPS BRINGING UP REGARDING WHAT AND HOW DECISIONS ARE BEING MADE ABOUT OUR CHILDREN AND SPECIFICALLY FUTURO. OUR QUESTIONS ARE MET WITH VAGUE RESPONSES THAT WE DON'T KNOW HOW TO RESPOND, AND IT CREATES MORE UNCERTAINTY FOR US.

AND DOES THIS SUPPOSED COMMITTEE THAT HAS BEEN FORMED HAVE ANY INPUT FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES? WE'D LIKE TO KNOW. AND WE AND WE HOPE SO.

HOW CAN WE VET THIS AND HOW CAN WE VET THE PROGRAM PROPERLY AND IMPROVE COMMUNICATION BEFORE ANY OF THESE CHANGES ARE MADE? YOU KNOW, I ATTENDED THE EANES PRESENTATION OF FUTURO BEFORE WE STARTED.

WE WATCHED THE VIDEO OF THE EANES CHILDREN SUCCEEDING AND THRIVING AND TALKING TO US IN ENGLISH AND THEN SPANISH AND BACK IN ENGLISH.

I WAS SO IMPRESSED. WE BELIEVED THESE FACTS THAT WERE PRESENTED FROM ALL THIS UTAH DATA.

WE WENT WITH WHAT YOU GUYS TOLD US.

WE BELIEVED IN FUTURO.

WE BELIEVED IN THE EANES VISION.

WE TRUSTED THE PLAN.

AND OUR KIDS DESERVE AN EQUAL PLAYING FIELD WHICH WAS PROMISED TO THEM.

LET'S KEEP THE FAIRNESS WITHIN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.

LET'S KEEP THE TWO TEACHERS.

LET'S KEEP THE SAME CLASS SIZES.

OUR KIDS DESERVE WHAT WE WERE PROMISED.

AND WE PROMISE YOU THE CHURRO IS WORKING.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING. THANK YOU, MR. GILLETTE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS OMAR BRIGHTMAN.

MR. BRIGHTMAN. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. HELLO.

MY NAME'S IS BRIGHTMAN, AND I AM AN ELEMENTARY PARENT, AND I HAVE A FIRST AND THIRD GRADE SPANISH IMMERSION STUDENTS WHO ARE EXCELLING IN THE PROGRAM BY EVERY MEASURE YOU CAN HAVE.

AND I ALSO HAVE A THREE YEAR OLD DAUGHTER WHO I HOPE WILL GET TO BE A PART OF THAT PSI PROGRAM.

I AM HERE TO SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THE PROGRAM.

HONESTLY, I AM SHOCKED THAT SUCH SLIGHT CHANGES ARE BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE PROGRAM WHEN IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN FULLY ROLLED OUT AT TWO OF OUR ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES.

AND CANDIDLY, WE'VE HAD TWO YEARS THAT HAVE BEEN HARD.

BY EVERY MEASURE, NO OTHER EANES ISD PROGRAM SERVES AS MANY CHILDREN.

NOT A SINGLE ONE, NOT OUR LOVELY BAND, AWARD WINNING BAND MEMBERS, NOT THE FOOTBALL PROGRAM.

THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WHEN IT'S FULLY ROLLED OUT AND THESE STUDENTS WALK ACROSS THAT GRADUATION HALL, WILL TOUCH OVER A THIRD OF THE STUDENT BODY IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.

THE RECOMMENDATIONS MADE AT THE MOST RECENT BOARD MEETING BY THE ADMINISTRATION FEEL SHORT SIGHTED, NOT DATA DRIVEN, AND DO NOT SEEM TO PRIORITIZE THE BROADER SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM. A PROGRAM THAT TO DATE, INCLUDING THE APRIL 2022 MEETING, HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, AND IT WAS REPORTED AS SUCH.

THE DISTRICT, WHEN IT FIRST CONSIDERED ADDING THE PROGRAM, REALIZED THAT ESRD WAS BEHIND.

AS FAR AS LANGUAGE EDUCATION IS CONCERNED.

THE AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION RECENTLY PUBLISHED THAT IN 2010 THERE WERE ABOUT 1000 DUAL LANGUAGE PROGRAMS IN THE US, AND AS OF 2021, THERE WERE MORE THAN 3600 SUCH PROGRAMS ACROSS PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THE REASONS FOR THIS ARE MANY, BUT THERE ARE MANY STUDIES DONE ON THE COGNITIVE BENEFITS OF SPEAKING MULTIPLE LANGUAGES.

THERE'S ALSO AN INCREASING NUMBER OF RESOURCES OUT THERE TO HELP IN THE SUCCESS OF THESE PROGRAMS. AS SUCH, I APPRECIATE THIS DISTRICT'S COMMITMENT TO EEI AND IN MAKING IT A PRIORITY FOR OUR STUDENTS.

REALLY LOVE THAT, AS I WOULD SHE HAS DONE TO HELP SUPPORT DIVERSITY.

LANGUAGE ACQUISITION NATURALLY CREATES A WINDOW TO HELP KIDS LEARN ABOUT OTHER CULTURES.

I'VE SEEN IT WITH MY OWN KIDS NOW.

WHEN THEY HEAR ANOTHER LANGUAGE, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT THAT LANGUAGE IS.

THERE'S ALSO REALLY HELPS RAISE THE CITIZENS OF THE WORLD THAT KIM SPOKE ABOUT AND NOW CAN COMMUNICATE IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH.

GIVEN THAT THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT PROGRAM FOR OUR COMMUNITY WITH INCREDIBLE PARENTAL SUPPORT AND INTEREST, I ENCOURAGE AN AUSTIN ADMINISTRATION TO PUT TO A BOARD VOTE ANY SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM AND TO THE BOARD.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT OUR AC CLASSROOMS TO SEE WHAT THESE KIDS ARE DOING.

IT'S INCREDIBLE.

AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE REASON WHY WE'RE HERE IS FOR THOSE CHILDREN.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK YOU. MS.. BREITMAN OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID PAGE.

MR. PAGE, HE'S GOING TO TALK TO US ABOUT SPANISH IMMERSION.

EVENING, MR. PAGE. WELCOME.

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT OF THE PROGRAM.

I WOULD ECHO EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID SO FAR AND WANT TO ADD A FEW POINTS.

SPEAKING IS A VERY CONCERNED FATHER OF A FIRST GRADER WHO IS THRIVING IN THE PROGRAM AT BRIDGE POINT AND TOP OF MIND

[02:10:10]

HE W WHO I'M HOPEFUL WILL GET INTO FUTURO THOUGH SINCE WE WERE BLINDSIDED WITH PROPOSED CUT, I'M NOW OBVIOUSLY NOT AS HOPEFUL THAT THEY WOULD GET IN.

SO I'M URGE YOU ALL EVERY DECISION MAKER HERE TO CONSIDER THE RAMIFICATIONS OF HALVING THE PROGRAM.

YOU WOULD GET A CRAZY MISMATCH BETWEEN SUPPLY AND DEMAND.

SO YOU WOULD AUTOMATICALLY GENERATE SCORES, MAYBE EVEN 100 FAMILIES EACH YEAR WHO ARE DISAPPOINTED THAT THEIR CHILD MAYBE DOESN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY THAT A SIBLING HAD.

SO YOU WOULD HAVE THAT IN THE COMMUNITY AND YOU THERE WOULD BE TENSION WITHIN FAMILIES BECAUSE SOME SIBLINGS WOULD GET IN AND THEN DOWN THE LINE, OTHERS WOULDN'T NECESSARILY GET IN.

SO THEN THE PARENTS HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO ONE CHILD WHY THEY WERE DENIED THE OPPORTUNITY THAT A SIBLING HAD POTENTIALLY.

AND I WOULD DREAD HAVING TO DO THAT TO AN INCOMING KINDERGARTEN.

UM, AND THEN ALSO ANOTHER RAMIFICATION WOULD BE EVERYONE HERE WITH YOUNGER CHILDREN WOULD HAVE, YOU KNOW, THE NAGGING FEELING EVERY DAY, BASICALLY UNTIL THEIR CHILD BECAME ELIGIBLE AGE WISE, THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET WHAT WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE A LOTTERY PLACE AND THAT THEIR OPPORTUNITIES ARE GOING TO BE DETERMINED BY ESSENTIALLY LUCK.

AND IS THAT REALLY WHERE WE WANT TO BE AS A DISTRICT THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME CHILDREN ARE GOING TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES THAT OTHERS DON'T BECAUSE MAYBE ANOTHER PARENT HAD A FASTER INTERNET CONNECTION AND GOT THE TIME STAMP, YOU KNOW, ONE SECOND FASTER THAN SOMEONE ELSE.

I THINK.

THIS SITUATION WOULD ALSO EFFECTIVELY SET MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.

WE'D FEEL PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WOULD HAVE CHILDREN GETTING IN AND OTHERS WOULDN'T EVEN THOUGH THEY WANTED IT.

AND IT SEEMS TREMENDOUSLY SHORTSIGHTED TO EVEN CONSIDER CUTTING A PROGRAM BY 50%.

THAT'S SO OBVIOUSLY WORKING.

OUR CHILDREN ARE SO OBVIOUSLY THRIVING.

SO I WOULD URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THE IMPLICATIONS OF A OF A VERY MUCH MR. PAGE. I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JENNIFER BHAGWATI.

I'M SORRY, HOW DID I DO? GREAT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WELCOME AND GOOD EVENING.

SO, YES, YOU ARE.

I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO KEEP IT SHORT.

I THINK THAT A LOT OF THE PARENTS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN UP HERE HAVE REFLECTED A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I WOULD TELL YOU ABOUT THE PROGRAM.

I THE OPPORTUNITY TO LISTEN TO YOUR BOARD MEETING ON THE 18TH AND I FELT COMPELLED TO COME BECAUSE THE TONE OF THE MEETING WAS SO IT WAS SO DOWN, IT WAS SO NEGATIVE.

AND COMPARED TO THE EXPERIENCE THAT THAT MY DAUGHTER, WHO'S A FOURTH GRADER AT EANES, IS HAVING, IT'S THERE'S A HUGE DISCONNECT.

SHE IS DOING AN AMAZING JOB.

SHE'S. HE'S ACHIEVING SO MUCH ACADEMICALLY.

SHE IS DOING VERY WELL IN SPANISH, BOTH WRITTEN AND IN THE READING AND WRITING OF THE LANGUAGE.

WE IN FACT, JUST HAD HER PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCE TODAY PROGRAM HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS FOR HER, AND IF IT WEREN'T PAST HER BEDTIME, I WOULD HAVE CONSIDERED BRINGING HER SO YOU COULD HEAR FROM HER FIRSTHAND.

AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT REALLY STOOD OUT TO ME IN YOUR MEETING ON THE 18TH.

WHERE WAS THE THE UTERO TEAM REPRESENTATION IN THAT PRESENTATION AND WHERE WERE THE STUDENT MAYBE WHERE WERE THE PARENTS? I MEAN, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW UP, SO WE'LL BE HERE AND MAKE SURE THAT YOU HEAR FROM US.

BUT BUT I FELT LIKE MAYBE THERE WERE SOME PEOPLE MISSING IN THE RECOMMENDATION.

AND THEN HONESTLY, THE ISSUES FELT.

KIND OF ROLLED TOGETHER.

SO I GUESS I WOULD ASK THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE CONSIDER MAYBE BETTER DELINEATING THE ISSUES, BRINGING SOME FACTS AND SOME DATA TO HELP SUPPORT THE FINDINGS THAT WERE.

MORE OPINION BASED, MORE QUALITATIVE.

GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT WHAT IT IS THAT IS HAPPENING.

BECAUSE IT WASN'T CLEAR.

IT'S NOT THE EXPERIENCE THAT THE REST OF US ARE HAVING.

WE'RE SEEING FIRSTHAND THE FANTASTIC RESULT.

THEN AS A COMMUNITY, WE WOULD LIKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.

[02:15:04]

AND WE WOULD ASK THAT BEFORE YOU DISMISS THIS AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE DECISION AND ALLOW THE PROGRAM TO BE.

DRAMATICALLY CHANGED THAT YOU CONSIDER MAKING THIS PART OF A BOARD VOTE.

AND WITH THAT, I WILL.

WE'LL CUT SINCE I'M LAST.

AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LATE NIGHT AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

UM, I'M AFRAID. I'M AFRAID IT'S NOT.

THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES DON'T PERMIT THAT, BUT.

I NOTE I NOTE THE ENTHUSIASM AND THERE WILL BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO SPEAK.

JEFF. MR. HAVENSTRITE, IF I COULD JUST RESPOND TO THE AUDIENCE.

FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.

WE WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT AND THE SUPPORT THAT IS VERY CLEAR FROM ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS AND WHAT YOU'VE DEMONSTRATED AND YOUR DEDICATION TO THE PROGRAM.

SO THANK YOU. THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE'RE ALSO VERY PROUD OF, AND IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO DO JUSTICE TO ANY KIND OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MAKE THE PROGRAM EVEN BETTER. AND THE BRIEF PRESENTATION THAT YOU HEARD ON OCTOBER THE 18TH DOESN'T REALLY PROVIDE THE EXPANSE OF INFORMATION AND INPUT THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS ALIKE AS WE LOOK TO THE FUTURE OF THIS PROGRAM.

SO WHAT I WOULD SHARE WITH YOU TONIGHT IS THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO HAVING A CONTINUED DIALOG AROUND THIS.

AS CARLA BASHAM SAID, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COMMUNICATION IS ONE OF OUR VALUES THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO FOCUS ON THIS YEAR.

AND SO IN THE IN THE COMING WEEKS, I PROMISE YOU, WE WILL PROVIDE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYBODY TO COME TOGETHER OUTSIDE OF A BOARD MEETING BECAUSE THIS FORMAT IS NOT CONDUCIVE TO A CONVERSATION.

BUT FOR US TO HAVE A DIALOG ABOUT WHAT WE SEE THAT IS GOOD ABOUT THE PROGRAM, THE FABULOUS EDUCATORS THAT YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH, AS WELL AS THE CHALLENGES THAT WE FORESEE, THAT WE FEEL THAT WE HAVE TO OVERCOME IN HELPING THE PROGRAM BE EVEN BETTER.

SO IN THE COMING WEEKS, WE WILL PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY, I PROMISE YOU THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO THAT AND WE WILL VALUE YOUR INPUT AND YOUR PART IN THAT DIALOG.

SO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR BEING HERE AT THIS EVENING.

THANK YOU, DR. ARNETT. AND LET ME LET ME THANK EVERYBODY WHO STUCK AROUND THIS LONG.

WE KNOW THE EVENING DRUG ON A BIT.

WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATIENCE AND LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU AGAIN.

ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS THE PROPOSED ACADEMIC CALENDARS, 22, 23, 24, AND 24, 25.

[6.1. Proposed Academic Calendars for 2023-24 & 2024-25]

WELCOME BACK.

LOOKS LIKE CASEY AND STEVE AS WELL.

IS STEVE HERE? MAYBE JUST CASEY.

IF STEVE'S HERE, THEN I'M OUT.

SO I WAS TAKING STEVE'S PLACE THIS EVENING.

HE WAS AT A VOLLEYBALL GAME.

OKAY. SEE, THAT'S ALL GOOD.

ALL RIGHT. THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ONE.

BE BRIEF.

WE CAN BE VERY BRIEF, Y'ALL.

Y'ALL HAVE THESE IN YOUR IN YOUR POCKET.

ANY QUESTION? JUST.

JUST REALLY QUICKLY.

WE MET WITH DELTA, WENT OVER THE CALENDAR RECOMMENDATIONS.

YOU GUYS HAVE THAT IN YOUR PACKET.

IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO KIND OF GO DAY BY DAY, BUT YOU CAN KIND OF SEE WHERE WE ARE.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, IMPORTANTLY, I'M JUST GOING TO HIGHLIGHT THE THE REAL THE REAL KIND OF MAIN POINT.

AGAIN, WE HAVE OUR WEDNESDAY START, WHICH EVERYBODY SEEMS TO REALLY APPRECIATE.

YOU CAN LOOK AT WE HAVE KEPT A COUPLE OF THOSE FOUR DAY WEEKENDS, FOUR DAY WEEKENDS FOR THE FAMILIES THAT ALLOW THEM.

STEVE JUST WALKED IN. I'VE ALREADY STARTED, STEVE.

THOSE FOUR DAY WEEKENDS WHICH ALLOW REALLY THAT FAMILY TIME.

BUT FOR OUR STAFF THAT IS A DAY.

ONE OF THOSE DAYS IS A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAY.

AND SO WE REALLY USE THAT TO OUR ADVANTAGE AND APPRECIATE THAT.

I THINK THAT ON BOTH CALENDARS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS REALLY BENEFICIAL IS REALLY HAVING THAT BALANCED SEMESTERS.

WE CAN GET PRETTY OFF KILTER.

AND OBVIOUSLY AT THE SECONDARY LEVEL WHEN YOU'RE TRYING TO DO A SEMESTER COURSE, HAVING TEN OR 15 EXTRA DAYS MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE.

WE ALSO TRIED TO LOOK AT OBVIOUSLY THE WINTER BREAK AND SORT OF WHERE SOME OF THE HOLIDAYS IN THAT BREAK FALL.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT ON THE 2324 CALENDAR.

WELL, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A HALF DAY ON THAT 21ST AND THAT ALLOWS SOME PEOPLE TIME TO TRAVEL.

THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT DEALT KIND OF VALUE.

[02:20:02]

AND THEN YOU'LL SEE WE END BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, WHICH HAS ALWAYS BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO WITHIN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.

SO BOTH CALENDARS ACTUALLY LOOK FAIRLY SIMILAR WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE.

AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE KIND OF HAVE THOSE JUST THE HIGHLIGHTS OF WHAT I KIND OF SPOKE TO MR. RAMSEY, ANYTHING. I DON'T KNOW ANY QUESTIONS.

THIS IS ALWAYS SO FUN.

WERE THERE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO? THERE WERE CONFLICTS BETWEEN U.T.

AND SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST AND AND WE WERE TRYING TO LINE UP WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST WITH SPRING BREAK AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

HOW WERE THERE ANY ISSUES OF THAT SORT IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO ALIGN WITH UTC OR IS THAT STILL STILL A PRIORITY? AND ALSO WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS, IF WE HAVE STAFF OR PARENTS WHO WORK IN ONE PLACE AND HAVE KIDS AT THE OTHER.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST DISTRICTS IS ALREADY KIND OF GOING FORWARD WITH THE PLANS FOR THE 2324.

OBVIOUSLY, WE USUALLY IN MARCH DEFINITELY WILL ALIGN WITH UTAH, WHICH DEFINITELY KIND OF ALIGNS WITH SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST.

BUT UT HASN'T ANNOUNCED THE DATE YET, SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO.

BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN LINE.

EVERYTHING AS NORMAL.

BE A LITTLE BIT LATER AND I DON'T THINK YOU TO.

OTHER SCHOOLS IN NEIGHBORING SCHOOL DISTRICTS LIKE AISD.

SO WHO HAD THE MOST CONFLICT ADVANCED ENOUGH WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW? WE'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME.

AS DR. ARNETT SAID, WE'VE ZOOMED THROUGH THIS RATHER MORE QUICKLY THAN IN THE PAST WHEN IT CAME TO OVERSEEING THE CALENDAR.

SO. LAURA AND THEN HAVE.

I DON'T HAVE THE THIS YEAR'S CALENDAR SIDE BY SIDE TO COMPARE THEM.

ARE THERE ANY BIG CHANGES OR IT LOOKS LIKE WE KIND OF STUCK WITH A LOT OF THE SAME PLANS AS THE CURRENT YEAR.

IS THERE ANYTHING? NOTHING'S JUMPING OUT AT ME.

AM I MISSING SOMETHING? THE ONLY CHANGE, REALLY WAS THE 23/24.

THE DAY AND A HALF BEFORE THE WINTER BREAK STARTS FOR 2324.

AND SO WHAT WE DID ON THE BACK END THEN WAS WE TOOK A DAY AWAY FROM ONE OF THE THREE DAY WEEKENDS, AND IT WOULD BE MARCH.

AND SO WHEN WE TALKED TO THE.

ON DLT. THE KIND OF COMMITMENT WAS BECAUSE THAT THREE DAY BREAK IS SO FOUR DAY BREAK FOR THE KIDS ACTUALLY WAS SO CLOSE TO SPRING BREAK.

WHY DON'T WE DO THAT EARLY RELEASE? GIVE OFF FRIDAY AND THAT DAY WOULD BE MORE BENEFICIAL FOR EVERYBODY IN DECEMBER.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT 24 TO 25, IT'S PRETTY IN LINE WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS YEAR.

EXCEPT FOR THAT ONE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2324.

OKAY. THANK YOU. AND I CAN'T SPEAK ENOUGH FROM THE SECONDARY LEVEL.

THE COMING OF DAYS TOGETHER 80 VERSUS 80 AND 94 LIKE WE ARE NOW VERSUS 84 TO 90.

THAT'S PRETTY SUBSTANTIAL FOR THAT ONE WEEK.

SO MADE A LOT OF ONE SEMESTER TEACHERS AND IT'S KIND OF THE FLOW TO EVEN AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY TO AND EVEN.

I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK DOLCE AND ESPECIALLY THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE FOR THEIR WORK ON THIS, BECAUSE HAVING SAT ON THAT COMMITTEE, IT IS QUITE A BEATING.

SO I APPRECIATE THEIR WORK.

I TRUST THAT THEY HAVE AND YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY THOUGHT ABOUT LIKE DIWALI AND ROSH HASHANA AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, BECAUSE I HAVE NOT LOOKED AT THE CALENDAR THAT CLOSELY.

SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE EITHER NO HOMEWORK NIGHTS OR DAYS OFF OR OR WHAT WITH OUR STORY ON THAT.

TYPICALLY, RIGHT NOW, THOSE ARE STILL NO HOMEWORK NIGHTS.

THE ONES THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR, THAT'S KIND OF THE NEW PATTERN THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW.

MM HMM. GREAT. AND THEN FOR THE 2324 CALENDAR, I'M ASSUMING THAT GRE OUR FINALS AND TESTING.

THAT RIGHT. START.

SO IN DECEMBER, THOSE ARE STAR DAYS.

OKAY. AND THEN SAME WITH APRIL ON MAY AND TENTATIVE AND ALSO ON THE 2425 WE'LL BE AWAITING.

WHERE MAE FALLS, BECAUSE PART OF ALL THE WHERE THE CALENDAR OF HOLIDAYS IS THE.

COULD PUSH A TEST BACK A LITTLE BIT AS THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY CONSISTENT ON NOT WANTING APPS IN MAY OR APRIL AND THE WAY THE CALENDAR FALLS NEXT YEAR THAT COULD PUSH APPS BACK.

SO KIDS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL COULD BE TESTED RIGHT UP UNTIL GRADUATION, BUT THAT'S OUT OF OUR HANDS ON WHEN THEY TELL US WHEN WE'RE GIVEN THOSE TESTS.

ABSOLUTELY. AND YOU GUYS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE TWO YEAR APPROVAL? YEAH. JUST BECAUSE THE WAY 24 OR 25 FELL, IT WAS PRETTY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE COMMITTEE WANTED FOR 2324.

AND THE CALENDAR ITSELF KIND OF FELL WITHIN.

AND SO IT WAS GOOD TO GO ON.

[02:25:01]

GREAT. I APPRECIATE YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

THANK YOU. A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

REMIND ME HOW MANY INSTRUCTIONAL DAYS WE HAVE IN THIS CALENDAR.

WE'VE GOT 274.

FOR THE MOST OF THESE PROPOSALS.

THAT'S WHAT IT IS THIS YEAR AS WELL.

AND HOW MANY? THE TEACHERS HAVE A REQUEST FOR BRAIN BREAK DAYS.

I SEE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THREE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS IN BOTH CALENDARS.

UH, IS I RECALL LAST YEAR.

ISN'T. OR MAYBE IT'S THE YEAR BEFORE.

I THINK IT WAS LAST YEAR IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL THAT COVID CRAZINESS, THEY WERE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL BRAIN BREAK DAYS TO.

DEAL WITH THE STRESSES OF LIFE.

I THINK THEY WERE ASKING FOR EIGHT.

DOES THAT RING A BELL? I THINK THAT WAS 2021 WHEN WE DID THE BRAIN BREAK DAYS.

THEN LAST YEAR WE WENT THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING THE FOUR DAY WEEKENDS, FOUR DAYS FOR THE STUDENTS, THREE DAYS FOR THE STAFF.

SO WE'RE ACTUALLY GETTING IN A PATTERN OF WHERE WE CAN DO THAT THREE YEARS IN A ROW.

GO TO 22, 23, 23, 24, 24, 25.

BUT STAFF DID.

DO YOU WEAR THESE CALENDARS? I HAVE THREE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING DAYS AND STAFF DIDN'T ASK FOR FOUR OR FIVE, NOT FROM THE DOT.

AND WE ACTUALLY TALKED ABOUT THIS ON OUR CAMPUS LEADERSHIP TEAM AS WELL.

AND THEY SEEMED PRETTY OKAY WITH THE WAY THINGS WERE.

OF COURSE, YOU WANT TO GIVE MORE. THAT'S TOTALLY UP TO YOU GUYS.

IT JUST COMES BACK TO THE MINUTES.

AND BASED UPON THE PARAMETERS THAT DR.

ARNETT OVER THE YEARS HAVE WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY TO KIND OF KEEP PEOPLE IN THE WEDNESDAY START MEETING DOWN BEFORE MEMORIAL DAY, HAVING THE TRADITIONAL WEEK FOR THANKSGIVING BREAK TO FROM WINTER BREAK. THAT'S KIND OF HOW THOSE DAYS KIND OF FIT IN THERE.

SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE I RECALL THE THE SACRED STARTS AND THE SACRED STOPS.

AND THAT'S.

THAT'S NOT MY THING.

I HAVE. I.

I WONDER, SINCE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY STRUGGLE TO DO IS COMPENSATE STAFF FAIRLY IS IF WE CAN USE OUR CALENDAR TO PROVIDE BENEFITS TO OUR STAFF. IT'S KIND OF THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING ABOUT THESE BRAIN BREAK DAYS AND WHETHER OR NOT STAFF WAS ASKING FOR MORE TIME AND WHETHER WE COULD GIVE THEM MORE TIME.

AND I DON'T PERSONALLY CARE WHETHER SACRED STARTS AND STOPS SLIDE A LITTLE BIT.

IF WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING IS CONFERRING A BENEFIT TO OUR STAFF THAT ARE THAT WILL HELP US ATTRACT AND RETAIN TALENT.

I THINK WITHIN THE TRADITIONAL BOOKENDS AND WHAT WE KNOW, THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS OUR STAFF PREFER TO BE THE START AND THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.

AND THEN WHEN YOU CALCULATE OUT THE NUMBER OF INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES THAT THAT PROVIDES.

WHILE WE WOULD LOVE TO GIVE STAFF MORE TIME, I THINK THEY BELIEVE AND WE WOULD AGREE THAT WE'VE GIVEN THEM AS MUCH TIME AS WE CAN WITHIN THE THE TYPE OF CALENDAR THAT WE CONSTRUCT EVERY YEAR. THE FOUR DAY WEEKENDS FOR STUDENTS, THE THREE DAY WEEKENDS FOR STAFF, AND HOW WE'VE COMBINED LIKE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES AS WE'VE HAD TODAY WITH HALLOWEEN, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, THEY FEEL THE BENEFIT OF THAT.

IN FACT, WALKING THE CAMPUSES TODAY, THEY ALL COMMENTED ON WHAT A RELIEF IT WAS TO HAVE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES ALIGNED WITH.

SO THOSE ARE BENEFITS TO OUR STAFF AND WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT THROUGH CALENDARS SUCH AS THIS.

ALL RIGHT. I HEAR YOU.

I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M COMPLETELY WITH YOU, BUT I HEAR WHERE YOU'RE GOING.

THAT'S. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

AND UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANYTHING, I'LL THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE TIME YOU PUT INTO THIS, AND WE'LL PICK IT UP.

US IN OUR NEXT MEETING FOR ANOTHER DISCUSSION.

AND WITH THAT LOST.

ROUND ROCK VETO. OKAY.

WE HAVE TWO MEETINGS COMING UP.

OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOVEMBER 29TH.

[7. UPCOMING MEETINGS]

IT WILL ALSO BE.

WE'LL DO THAT.

DID I MISS IT? OH, OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. AND WITH THAT, WE ARE ADJOURNED.

THE TIME IS 938.

THANK YOU FOR ALL THOSE WHO STUCK WITH US ONLINE.

WE KNOW THIS ONE GOT A LITTLE LONG.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.