[Call to Order]
          [00:00:03]
          MUTE YOUR DEVICE TO AVOID INTERRUPTIONS UNTIL CALLED UPON. I CALL TO ORDER HERE, GUYS, THIS IS FOR YOU CALLED THE ORDER. THIS POURED BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION AND HARFORD COUNTY ON APRIL 17TH 2023 AT 6:30 P.M. THIS BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION. MRS. ROBERT, PLEASE TAKE THE ROLL CALL. PALABRAS IMPRESSIVE. BRUCE HERE. 
          MISS HAN PRESIDENT. DR HAROLD MISS PERRY HERE. DR PHILLIPS. MR RICCARDI. RICCARDI IS DURING THIS RITUALLY. MS BLINKEN PRESENT. VICE PRESIDENT SO WELL. PRESIDENT MUELLER HERE. 
          SUPERINTENDENT WILSON PRESIDENT COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU, UM, MR SOUL THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WE USE THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MEET THEIR DEVICE UNTIL CALLED UPON. BOARD MEMBERS. PLEASE HOLD ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION. 
          FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, DR MUELLER WILL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD RESTATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING. DR BOLSON WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL ON THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER TO DO SO. WHEN A ROLL CALL IS TAKEN FOR EMOTION, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REPLY WITH A YES OR NO. THANK YOU. MEMBERS. YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. MOTION THIS IS NELL. UH I'M SORRY TO REMOVE THE, UM. UM AND THAT THE BOARD HAS NOT RECEIVED THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS. FOR THE HARFORD COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. TWO. HAVE US THE ABILITY TO REVIEW THEM. I MOTIONED TO MOVE . REMOVE THAT FROM THE AGENDA. WELL, IT'S TIME TO REVIEW THE AGREEMENT. QUESTION WHAT ITEM? ARE YOU? REFERRING TO? WHAT NUMBER? I'M REFERRING TO THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEM NUMBER. THESE GLASSES WORK BETTER, I'D BE ABLE TO SEE UM SEE, TOO. I THINK THAT'S MOTION AND TO POST DR PAULSON AND CAROL MUELLER AND ALSO TO THE LEGAL COUNSEL REQUESTING THAT THAT BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA FOR TONIGHT'S MEETING. ARE YOU REFERRING TO DIAZ AND DOG D TO THE SEASON, CHARLIE? TWO. SHE ISN'T ON MY AGENDA. SEE AS PUBLIC COMMENTS IT IS ON MINE. ALSO UM, LETTER DIAZ AND DOG IS THE CONSENT AGENDA. THERE IS A D TWO RESOLUTION OF PASTOR MARK NOLAN SERVICE. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO? LET ME SAY, I THINK RIGHT NOW I'M ON THE YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M ON THE WRONG MOUTH. EXCUSE ME. RISE A SECOND. 
          I GRABBED THE WRONG GLASSES FOR A SECOND, SO IT WOULD BE YOU ARE. CORRECT IS DEEP. THE. ONE IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THE MOTION. SO D ONE WAS, UM, MODIFIED JUST EARLIER TODAY TO ADD IN ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT THE BOARD HAD NOT RECEIVED PREVIOUSLY AND THE MOTION IS THAT WE JUST BE ALLOWED THE TIME TO REVIEW THIS AND THAT WE PUT THIS ON A FUTURE AGENDA. ALL THOSE IN IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? JIM JOHN. FEAR OF WHAT QUESTIONS WE DISCUSSED TODAY. SO THAT THE INFORMATION TODAY SHE'S SHE'S ASKING THAT THE RATIFICATION OF THE AGREEMENTS WITH H C E A AND WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE AGENDA. FREE. PUT ON A FUTURE AGENDA SO THAT WE REMOVED TONIGHT NIGHT, JENNA TONIGHT, SUGGESTING IT'S NOT REMOVING IT COMPLETELY. IT'S JUST GIVING US TIME TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION THAT WAS ONLY PROVIDED TO US, MAYBE EVEN AN HOUR AGO. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW THAT WAS THERE. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. I DIDN'T EVEN SEE IT. THERE'S A NEW LINK NOW. SO THANK YOU FOR, UM, ADDING THE REQUESTED INFORMATION, BUT I DID NOT HAVE TIME TO ACTUALLY LOOK AT THE INFORMATION. SO JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION, THE BOARD HAD IMPROVED THE PARAMETERS FOR THE NEGOTIATIONS PREVIOUSLY. SO THIS IS JUST WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS. 
          SO DO I. IS THERE FURTHER DISCUSSION IN JUST A CLICK TO BE CLEAR? UM I FEEL AS A BOARD MEMBER THAT IS BEING ASKED TO RATIFY. I DON'T ON AND AGENDA THAT WE SHOULD BE PROVIDED 
          [00:05:02]
SUFFICIENT TIME AND ALL OF THE INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND THEN HOUR OR TWO HOURS, IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION AGREE . TO JUSTIFY YOUR BABY. SO OKAY, UM. MR ROLLO, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. MISS ALVAREZ? YES. MISS BRUCE. MISS HAN. DR HAROLD NO. MISS PERRY. 
          NO. DR PHILLIPS. MR RECORDING. MR RECORDING. CAN YOU PUT SOMETHING IN THE CHAT IF YOU'RE UNABLE TO TAKE IT OFF ME UP. NO, THANK YOU. MS BLANKEN. RESIDENTS WILL KNOW. PRESIDENT MUELLER. NO MOTION FAILS. OKAY MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA? THIS IS NOAH BLANKET. I MOTIONED TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU. UM. ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING YES, YES, YES OPPOSED OPPOSED NO. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. 
          OKAY, SO NEXT, WE WILL HAVE THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. YEAH. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG. 
          UNITED STATES AMERICA. 100. YEAH JUSTICE FOR ALL. AFTER THIS. I THINK THE MOTION WAS TO REMOVE THE ITEM. DID WE EVER ACCEPT THE AGENDA AS PRESENTED THAT WAS THE SECOND VOTE. THAT WAS THE SECOND VOTE. WE DID. I'M SORRY. AMENDED IT WASN'T THERE WAS NO MEMBER AMENDMENT. NO, I SAID THAT SHE WANTED TO REMOVE THE ITEM SHE MADE WHEN YOU ASK FOR THE MOTION, SO WE DID THE FIRST TO REMOVE THAT ITEM TURNED IT ON. AND THEN THE SECOND VOTE WAS TO ACCEPT THE AGENDA EXACTLY. OKAY. 
          [A. Student Safety Counsel Presentation, Ms. Christina Douglas, Principal of Hall's Cross Roads Elementary]
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. SO THE NEXT THING WE HAVE IS WE HAVE A GROUP HERE FROM HALLS CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE'S SAFETY PATROL, AND THEY'RE HERE TO DO A PRESENTATION FOR US, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO HAVE THEM HERE. 
          GOOD EVENING DISTINGUISHED BOARD MEMBERS, CHRISTINA DOUGLASS, THE VERY PROUD PRINCIPLE OF HOLES. 
          CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS TRULY HONORED TO BE INVITED HERE THIS EVENING TO SHARE OUR SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL PROGRAM WITH YOU. AT HOME CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO INCREASE STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES ARE TEACHERS AND STAFF RECOGNIZED THAT INCREASING STUDENT LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES INCREASES STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IN SCHOOL. AND WITH HIGHER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT, WE SEE HIGHER STUDENT ATTENDANCE RATES AND HIGHER STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THIS YEAR AT HOUSE CROSSROADS, WE ADOPTED THE TRIPLE A STUDENT SAFETY PATROL PROGRAM AS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENT LEADERSHIP IN OUR SCHOOL. THIS EVENING AROUND YOU. IN THIS ROOM ARE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING PART IN THIS PROGRAM . THESE STUDENTS ARE IN GRADE FOUR AND FIVE. SPEAKING THIS EVENING TO YOU OR MAGGIE SCHAEFER. GENEVIEVE BREWER. 
          ALONG WITH MR KENNY BRANDON ARE FULL TIME SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON STAFF CHAMPION OF THE STUDENT LEADERSHIP INITIATIVE. THANK YOU. THE TRIPLE A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL PROGRAM IS A FEAR LEADERSHIP PROGRAM THAT SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTS TO KEEP THEIR STUDENTS SAFE. CITY PERSONAL STUDENTS WORK TO CREATE SAFER SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS BY IDENTIFYING SAFETY HAZARDS AND BY SUPPORTING WITH THE OVERSIGHT, ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL. THE TRIPLE A SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM IS OVER 100 YEARS OLD. WE ARE PART OF A VERY LARGE GROUP. THERE ARE MORE THAN 679,000 PATROLLERS. NET NATIONWIDE WERE PART OF SOMETHING BIG. TRIPLE A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL IS ABOUT BEING A GOOD LEADER AND WILLING TO WORK HARD TO HELP OTHERS. MANY IMPORTANT INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT OUR HISTORY STARTED THEIR FIRST LEADERSHIP POSES IN AS A TRIPLE 
          [00:10:05]
A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROLLER. FOR SOME BEING A MEMBER. OF THE TRIPLE A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL IS JUST THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS A CAREER CAREER OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND LEADERSHIP. OUR CURRENT PRESIDENT, JOE BIDEN, ONCE SERVED AS A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROL MEMBER. OTHER PRESIDENTS AND VICE PRESIDENTS HAS SERVED AS SAFETY PATROLLERS ALONG WITH SUPREME COURT JUSTICES. NOBEL PRIZE WINNERS GOVERNORS, SENATORS OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALIST SECURITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL POWER TEXT IN LEADERS, WHITE HOUSE PRESS SECRETARIES, ASTRONAUTS AND EVEN CELEBRITIES. EVEN MR RAND. I'M I WAS STAFF SPONSOR HAS SERVED AS A SCHOOL SAFETY PATROLLER. NOW MR BRADEN WILL SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AT HOME CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY. 
          STUDENTS PART OF THIS PROGRAM WORK WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND THE BUILDING AND CREATING A SAFE ENVIRONMENT BY TEACHING OTHER STUDENTS ABOUT TRAFFIC. SAFETY. ON THE PEER TO PEER BASIS. 
          SERVING AS ROLE MODELS FOR YOUNGER CHILDREN. STANDING DUTY IN THE HALLWAYS AND DO A WAYS TO ENSURE STUDENTS AREN'T PUSHING OR RUNNING. ASSISTING YOUNGER STUDENTS AND GETTING TO CLASS SAFELY. HELPING CAR RIDERS ENTER AND EXIT THE FAMILY VEHICLES SAFELY. IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER SCHOOL SAFETY PATROLLERS, DIRECT CHILDREN AND NOT TRAFFIC. JUST SERVING AS EXTRA EYES AND EARS FOR SAFETY. ONE SCHOOL BUSSES. A GREAT SAFETY PATROLLER POSITIVELY REPRESENTS THE SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY. IS WILLING TO WORK HARD TO HELP OTHERS. LEAD BY EXAMPLE. AND AARON'S RESPECT. BY BEING FAIR AND CONSISTENT. AND HOLES CROSSROAD. I WORK WITH THE SAFETIES. EXCUSE ME. DURING. ARRIVAL AND DISMISSAL SAFETY SUPPORT EACH OTHER BY WORKING AS A TEAM. WE HAVE CAPTAINS, LIEUTENANTS, SERGEANTS AND PATROLLERS. I WORKED WITH THE GROUP AS A WHOLE. AND THE GENERAL SAFETY TRAINING AND ALSO SAFETY. PATROL LEADERS. THIS IS DONE. BY WEEKLY LUNCH BRUNCH MEETINGS WHERE WE WORK ON LEADERSHIP CHARACTERISTICS. SET LEADERSHIP GOALS AND DISCUSS WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR SCHOOL WIDE PROGRAM. THE IMPACT ON STUDENTS HAS BEEN TREMENDOUS, THE SCHOOL YEAR. LITTLE ADULTS HAVE TURNED INTO LEADERS RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR EYES. THEIR CONFIDENCE. BLOOM. OUR STUDENTS HAS FURTHER DEVELOPED THE PATROL OF ROLE BY DOING WHOLE CHICKS. BAD FRIEND CHECKS PICKING UP TRASH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE OF OUR BUILDING. 
          CREATING ANNOUNCEMENTS. AND POSTERS TO REMIND THE STUDENT BODY OF OUR EXPECTATIONS WERE NEEDED. AND. EVEN OUR SERVING AS MATTERS TO OUR YOUNGER STUDENTS. IN FACT, I THINK THAT IS THEIR FAVORITE PART OF BEING A SAFETY CONTROLLER. LET'S LISTEN TO A FEW IMPACT STATEMENTS FROM OUR SAFETY PATROLLERS, GENEVIEVE. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JENNIFER ABROAD AND I AM 1/4 . GRADE STUDENT HALLS CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TODAY I AM HERE TO PRESENT WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE A SAFETY. I HAVE BEEN A SAFETY FOR TWO MONTHS, AND THIS IS MY JOB TO KEEP EVERYONE SAFE IN THEIR SCHOOL. BEING A SAFETY GIVES US THE SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE BACK TO OUR SOCIETY. 
          HELP OTHER COMMUNITY TO BE A BETTER PLACE AND TO BE A ROLE MODEL FOR YOUNGER KIDS. I JOINED SAFETY PATROL BECAUSE I LIKE LOOKING OUT FOR PEOPLE AND GIVING A HELPING HANDS TO TEACHER AND FELLOW STUDENTS. I FEEL LIKE A POLICE OFFICER FROM MUCH YOUNGER BEFORE I BECAME A SAFETY. I HAD TO PROVE TO MY SAFETY LEADS ON THAT I HAVE WHAT IT TAKES TO BECOME A SAFETY TO BE RESPECTFUL, RESPONSIBLE AND TRUSTWORTHY EVERY SINGLE DAY IN ORDER TO BECOME A SAFETY. ALL SAFETIES TAKE PART IN HELPING THE SCHOOL TO BE SAFE. SOME OF THE JOBS WE SAFETIES DO INCLUDE PLACING CONES, OPENINGS, DOORS FOR STUDENTS THAT ARE LATE, HELPING WITH DRILLS, EVACUATIONS 
          [00:15:01]
AND ASSEMBLIES AND ETCETERA. BEING A GOOD SAFETY COMES WITH A WHOLE LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY, COMMITMENT. PASSIONATE TEAM WORK . IF YOU DON'T HAVE A PASSION FOR KEEPING PEOPLE SAFE THEM BEING A SAFETY IS NOT A JOB FOR YOU. IN MY OPINION BEING PART OF THE TROUBLE, A SAFETY PATROL IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. IT HAS MADE MY LIFE A LOT BETTER. ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE SKILLS WE SAFETIES LEARNED SO FAR IS QUALITIES OF LEADERSHIP IS GIVING US A CHANCE TO LEAD BY EXAMPLE. THIS INCLUDES ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY MAKE SMART DECISIONS AND TO INSPIRE OTHERS TO WORK TOWARDS COMMON GOALS. TEAMWORK IS ONE OTHER IMPORTANT SKILLS SAID THAT I LEARNED APART FROM LEADERSHIP QUALITIES. I HAVE LEARNED YOUR SAFETY PATROL WORKING TOGETHER TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF FELLOW STUDENTS REQUIRES COOPERATION, COORDINATION AND A SHARED SENSE OF PURPOSE. BEING A SAFETY HAS BEEN A GREAT HONOR AND A GREAT WAY TO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY AND LEARN OUR CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES. THEREFORE I HOPE YOU MARK MY WORDS ENJOYING SAFETY PATROL AND GET BACK TO YOUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. NOW ON TO YOU, MAGGIE. HELLO MY NAME IS MAGGIE SCHAEFER. I'M 1/4 GRADER AT HALL'S CROSSING DOWN AND SHE'S PART OF OUR SCHOOL CITY PATROL PROGRAM EVERY DAY. OUR SAFETY PATROLS HELP STUDENTS OFF THE BUS OUT OF THEIR CAR OUT OF THEIR CARS AND HELP STUDENTS TO THEIR CLASSROOMS SAFELY EVERY DAY OF THE SCHOOL WEEK, OUR CITY PATROL MONITORS OUR CITY PATROLS MONITOR THE HALLWAYS. TO MAKE SURE ALL THAT ARE IN OUR SCHOOLS ARE BEING SAFE IN THE HALLWAYS. WE MAKE SURE THERE'S NO RUNNING. NO YELLING LOUD AND NO DISRESPECT OUR SCHOOL OF ANY KIND BEFORE AND AT THE END OF THE DAY. I HAVE BEEN A SAFETY PATROL FOR THREE MONTHS. SOME OF MY RESPONSIBILITIES ARE HELPING KIDS OFF THE BUS, AND I ALSO PATROL THE HALLWAYS. HERE. HERE'S 1/5 GRADERS HAVE TO SAY. SO WE BROUGHT 32 STUDENTS WITH US HERE THIS EVENING. WE REALIZED WE COULD NOT HEAR FROM ALL 32, BUT WE HAVE JUST A FEW TO HIGHLIGHT ON THE SCREEN CITY PATROL HAS HELPED ME BECOME A LEADER IN THE SCHOOL ARE RESPONSIBLE BECAUSE IT HELPS. IT HAS HELPED ME STAY OUT OF TROUBLE. THE FRESH REASON I LIKE SAFETY PATROL BECAUSE I GET TO HELP PEOPLE AROUND MY SCHOOL. I GET TO LEAVE CLASS EARLY BIRD RESPONSIBILITIES, HELPING PRE K TO FIRST GRADE STUDENTS AND BUS DUTIES, SAFETY PATROL HEALTH AND BE A PART OF GROSS SCHOOL COMMUNITY SERVICE. I AM NEW TO THIS SCHOOL MISSION. THE REASON I LIKE BEING A STATE OF CHILDREN IS, UM I'D LIKE TO HELP PEOPLE. WHEN PEOPLE HAVE HARD DAYS. I LIKE TO COMFORT THEM OR CALM THEM. HMM IF THEY NEED ANYTHING TO HELP THEM, CALM DOWN. THE SECOND REASON IS I LIKE WORKING WITH THE LITTLE KIDS, MAKING THEM FEEL GOOD ABOUT THEMSELVES. 
          AND MY OLD SCHOOLS. I SCHOOL I USED TO WORK WITH KIDS WHO HAVE DISABILITIES. ANOTHER REASON. I LIKE BEING SAFETY PATROLLER IS I LIKE SEEING THE SMILE ON PEOPLE'S FACES. OVERWHELMS ME SOMETIMES. BE A SECULARIST FROM AS LIKE, LIKE TAKING CARE OBJECT WIRE ASSISTANT BUT IT'S BUT IT IS WAY BETTER DID THAT RESPONSIBILITIES AS A SINGLE SHOW IS CARBON DI? PERSONALLY I LIKE TELLING KIDS TO HAVE A SAFE DAY. BE A C D. MITCHELL CAPITAL DIFFICULT FOR A SAMPLE. LITTLE KIDS COME CRY BECAUSE THEY MISSED THEIR PARENTS COVERED THE STUDENTS AND WHAT DR CLASSIC CITY IS LIKE A DREAM FOR ME BECAUSE I LOVE HELPING PEOPLE. BYE. I LIKE BIG SAFETY PATROL BECAUSE WE COULD DO KIND DEEDS AND HELP KIDS GET TO THEIR CLASSROOM SAFELY GET YOU DO FOR THE ACTIVITIES AND WE GET TO HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE AND WE GET REWARDED. AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE OUR STUDENTS SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM WITH YOU THIS EVENING. IT'S TRULY BEEN AN HONOR BEING INVITED HERE. WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR CHIEF SECURITY OFFICER, MR DONOVAN BROOKS AND OUR REGIONAL SCHOOL SAFETY LIAISON SUPERVISOR MISTY GUIDELINES FOR THEIR SUPPORT AS WE BUILD THIS PROGRAM, ALONG WITH OUR STAFF FOR THE SUPPORT OF OUR STUDENTS AND THIS PROGRAM. THE SCHOOL SAFETY PROGRAM HAS BEEN A VERY REWARDING EXPERIENCE THUS FAR, AND WE ARE HOPEFUL TO CONTINUE THE POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO OUR PRESENTATION, MISSION TRAINING ASSESS. SO I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE A 
          [00:20:09]
MINUTE. AND BEHALF OF THE BOARD, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING HERE TODAY BEFORE THE PUBLIC CAME IN. THEY WERE ALL ABLE TO COME UP HERE. FEW OF THEM. QUITE A FEW OF THEM. ENJOY TRYING OUT THE GAVEL, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TONIGHT, SO WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A REAL BRIEF INTERMISSION JUST SO THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEAVE THE BUILDING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. CHALLENGE. 
          [B. Board Member Comments]
A MEN'S SO WE WILL BE STARTING WITH MRS ALVAREZ. WELL I WISH THAT THE STUDENTS FROM HALLS CROSS. WE'RE HERE FOR SOME OF MY OPENING COMMENTS BECAUSE I DID HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THAT SCHOOL. AND I'M VERY PROUD THAT THEY ARE IN MY DISTRICT AND I CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE THAT, UM MISS DOUGLAS IS MAKING IN THE SCHOOL AND THE LIVES OF THOSE STUDENTS, SO I WISH HE WAS HERE, TOO. UM, HERE THAT BUT ANYWAY, I WILL LET HER KNOW. UM AND I ALSO YOU KNOW, I WANTED TO SAY THAT, UM AGAIN. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY BEING HERE AND HAVING AN INTEREST IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. 
          IT IS ARGUABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN OUR COUNTRY. SO, UM, I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY BEING HERE. UM AND I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I FEEL HONORED TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM AND BE PART OF THIS BOARD AND SET UP HERE ON THE DIETS WITH EVERYBODY. SO, UM I DID WANT TO. ALSO I THINK IT'S ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH I THINK THE AGENDA CHANGED A BIT, UM, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE DISCUSSED. LAST MEETING. UM CONCERNING THE PROFICIENCY IN OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM. IN FEBRUARY. I CENTURY, UM, REQUEST TO HAVE THAT PLACED ON THE AGENDA. SPECIFICALLY ASKING. LET ME READ WHATEVER. I KNOW THE PROFICIENCY SCORES ARE CONCERNED OF THE PUBLIC AND BELIEVE THEY WANT TO KNOW HOW THE SCORE SCHOOL IS ADDRESSING THE LOW SCORES. THE ME THE EMAIL WENT BACK AND FORTH. UM SEVERAL TIMES. FOR CLARIFICATION. BUT I THINK IT WAS CLEAR THAT WHAT WE WERE LOOKING FOR OR WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR, AND I KNOW OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAD ALSO ASKED FOR THIS TO BE ADDRESSED. IS WHAT IS THIS SCHOOL DOING ABOUT? THE LOW SCORES. AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE CRITICAL OF THE PANEL THAT CAME BEFORE US. I THINK THAT THEY POINTED OUT SOME VERY, UM GOOD THINGS AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE BEING DONE. UM LIKE INCREASING TUTOR TUTORING EFFORTS. BUT THEY DIDN'T ASK THE QUESTION. ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT I HAD IN MY MIND. AND AS AN ENGINEER, I LOOK FOR CAUSALITY EASE. OF WHY OUR 
          [00:25:01]
SCORES ARE LOW. I DON'T GET THAT IN THE PRESENTATION. I HOPE THAT THE EDUCATION SYSTEM OVER REACH OUT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AND SEE THIS. AS AN OPPORTUNITY. TO INCREASE THE ODDS. OF EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN AND UNDERSTAND THAT IT TAKES MORE THAN JUST EDUCATORS SITTING UP HERE ON THE DIET. IT'S A DIVERSITY. OF INDIVIDUALS. OUT THERE IN THE AUDIENCE. THERE IS A COMMUNITY WANTING TO SERVE OUR SCHOOLS. WANTING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. NONE OF US IN THIS ROOM LISTENING MM. PLAYED VOLUNTEERING. IN THE PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. IS NOT INTERESTED IN AND LOVING. OUR STUDENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE A BRIGHT FUTURE. AND IF THERE IS ANYBODY LISTENING THAT IS NOT INTERESTED IN OUR STUDENTS HAVING A BRIGHT FUTURE. THEY SHOULD LEAD THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION ALONE. THANK YOU. MRS BRUCE YES. FIRST OF ALL. I WANT TO SAY THAT I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NATIONAL QUARTERBACK OCCASION CONFERENCE IN FLORIDA. UM IT FROM THE 31ST OF MARCH 23. APRIL THERE WAS A VERY GOOD LEARNING EXPERIENCE AND SHARING WITH OTHER BOARDS OF EDUCATION AROUND THE COUNTRY. INFORMATION WAS VERY, UM ENLIGHTENING. ON APRIL , THE FIFTH HAD A MEETING WITH THE INSTEP. A NATIONAL YOUTH, UM, PROGRAM. IT'S A NONPROFIT. AND THEY HAVE THEIR MAJOR INITIATIVES ARE TO KOREA DEVELOPMENT. FOR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS. PREPARING THEM FOR CAREERS FOR TOMORROW. THE PRESIDENT SHARON JACOBS, HAS RECEIVED GRANTS. AND SHE'S GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING THESE GRANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY FOR LOW INCOME HOUSING, AND ALSO SHE'S WORKING ON THE CRIME INITIATIVE. UM I KNOW THAT WE HAVE. WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET. THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS PREPARED. IT'S KIND OF DISTURBING TO ME THAT MORE MONEY IS BEING ADDED TO THE SHARES DEPARTMENT. AND THE POLICING IN OUR COMMUNITY AS OPPOSED TO OUR YOUTH. UM IF WE LOOK AT THE NATIONAL IF WE LOOK AT THE NATIONAL CRIME RATE COMPARED TO HARFORD COUNTY WERE LOWER AND THOSE STATISTICS ARE AVAILABLE FOR HARFORD COUNTY. WHEN I GREW UP, WE HAD ONE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY, AND NOW WE HAVE TO A SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND TWO PRECINCTS. I WOULD ASK THAT THE COMMUNITY WOULD APPEAL TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL. SO THAT THEY CAN LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND REDRESS THE LOT OF THE ISSUES. I ALSO ASKED MY BOARD MEMBER FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO REACH OUT ALSO ON APRIL, THE 11TH. WE HAD A MEETING WITH THE HARVARD BUSINESS EDUCATION ROUND TABLE HERE. AND IT WAS A VERY ENLIGHTENING MEETING AND WE SPOKE ABOUT THINGS LIKE SUMMER JOBS AND THINGS THAT WE NEED FOR THE STUDENTS. ON APRIL THE 12TH I ATTENDED THE CELEBRATION OF EXCELLENCE EVENT. AT THE HARTFORD TECH HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE TEACHERS RECOGNIZED IN THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND ALL THE TEACHERS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS IN THE COUNTY. ON THE 13TH. I ATTENDED THE HARPER COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS FOR THE ELECTION OF OUR NEW STUDENT BOARD MEMBER. I WANT TO TELL YOU I WAS SO IMPRESSED. 
          WITH THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE AND HOW THEY CONDUCTED THEIR MEETING. I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO KNOW A BLANKET FOR HER WORK WHEN THAT ORGANIZATION THAT REGIONAL ORGANIZATION REALLY PUT ON AN EXCELLENT MEETING. THEY HAD THEIR A Q R CODE ON THE SCREEN. SO ALL OF THE STUDENTS ATTENDING THAT MEETING COULD COULD GET THEIR AGENDA. THEY KNEW HOW TO CONDUCT THE MEETING WITH RABBITS RULES. NOBODY SAID I MAKE A MOTION, THEY SAID. I MOVE AND THAT'S PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. 
          I WAS VERY IMPRESSED, AND I WOULD JUST REACH OUT TO ALL PARENTS TO REALLY BE IN TOUCH WITH THAT ORGANIZATION THAT THE STUDENTS WERE CONDUCTED THEMSELVES IN AN EXCEPTIONAL MANNER. THEY WERE ORDERLY. THEY VOTED ON THE NEW MEMBER AND I REALLY APPRECIATED BEING THERE. 
          I APPRECIATE ALL THAT. THE STUDENT THAT THE TEACHERS AND VOLUNTEERS DO IN HELPING OUR STUDENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY AND THANK YOU. MRS HAN. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE AND WELCOME 
          [00:30:07]
BACK. UM, CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR TEACHER OF THE YEAR MICHAEL BROOKLY AND ALL THE NOMINEES. UM THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS ALSO CONGRATULATIONS TO THE NEWLY ELECTED STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. MEDINA, SIR BOVA. UM I HOPE THAT EVERYONE HAD A FUN AND RESTFUL SPRING BREAK AND A HAPPY EASTER DURING SPRING BREAK. I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE NSB A TRAINING AND I LEARNED QUITE A BIT OF USEFUL INFORMATION FROM THAT EXPERIENCE . UM I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR COMING. UM AND COMING OUT TO BE INFORMED UNDER SPEAKING ABOUT THINGS THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT TO US. IT IS IMPOSSIBLE TO AGREE ON EVERYTHING. AND THAT IS OKAY. I JUST WANT TO BE ON BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO ME, WITH RECENT TEST SCORES THAT HAVE BEEN RELEASED. IT HAS NEVER BEEN MORE CRYSTAL CLEAR THAT WE ARE FOCUSING ON THE WRONG THINGS AND THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION AND HELPING OUR STUDENTS STRUGGLING STUDENTS CATCH UP. WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT HCP EVERY HCPS STUDENT IS PROVIDED THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL. NO MATTER WHAT PART OF THE COUNTY THAT YOU'RE COMING FROM THAT BEING SAID I WAS ELECTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY, JUST LIKE THE FIVE OTHER INDIVIDUALS SITTING UP HERE ON THE DAIS THAT REPRESENT THEIR DISTRICTS. I RECEIVED MORE THAN 69% OF THE VOTE FROM MY CONSTITUENTS IN MY DISTRICT. AND I DO NOT TAKE MY RESPONSIBILITIES LIGHTLY. WE'RE ALL EQUALS ON THE BOARD, AND IT IS OUR JOB TO OVERSEE THE GENERAL OPERATIONS OF HCPS APPROVED CURRICULUM AND DEVELOP POLICIES. I WAS ELECTED TO DO A JOB, AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I INTEND TO DO TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY. THANK YOU. MRS DR HAROLD. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING , EVERYBODY. IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE THIS EVENING. I HAVE A FEW ANNOUNCEMENTS FIRST. FOR ALL THOSE WHO CELEBRATED, UM FOR EASTER, PASSOVER AND RAMADAN. I HOPE YOU HAD WONDERFUL CELEBRATIONS. UM EASTER, PASSOVER, AND RAMADAN ONLY ARE CELEBRATED ONLY EVERY 33 YEARS IN THE SAME TIMEFRAME, SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS PRETTY SPECIAL . SO JUST WANTED TO, UM, SAY TO MY COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I HOPE YOU HAD WONDERFUL CELEBRATIONS. UM I HAVE BEEN ALSO IN THE SCHOOLS TO, UM, AS YOU ALREADY KNOW, MY KIDS GO TO YOU KNOW, WE'RE HCPS , UM, FAMILY, SO I'M ALWAYS IN THE SCHOOLS. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND, UM, IN 90 DEGREE WEATHER. SO IT WAS NICE AND SUNNY AND HOT. BUT THE AMERICAN HEART CHALLENGE AT UM HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE STUDENTS. I BELIEVE THAT IT'S UM HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY WAS NUMBER ONE IN MARYLAND AND RAISING MONEY FOR, UM CHILDREN WITH HEART. UM ESPECIAL NEEDS AND THEY DIDN'T WONDERFUL JOB. IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THE STUDENTS AND THE STAFF OUT THERE DOING PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, RAISING AWARENESS FOR CHILDREN WITH NEEDS, AND SO I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. UM I WANTED TO GIVE A COUPLE OF KUDOS . UM I TOO WISH WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GIVE SHOUTOUTS TO SOME OF THE STUDENTS FROM HALTS CROSSROADS. I AM ACTUALLY PERSONALLY KNOW JULISSA SMITH, SHE'S 1/4 GRADER AT HALLS CROSSROADS, BUT SHE HER ARTWORK WAS ACTUALLY SELECTED TO BE SHOWCASED HERE IN THE LOBBY. 
          AND HER MOM ACTUALLY SHARED THAT WITH ME, SO I WANTED TO GIVE HER A SHOUT OUT TONIGHT AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS WHOSE ARTWORK IS DISPLAYED HERE, UM ART AND THE ARTS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THEIR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES SO WANTED TO ST JULISSA. I'M SO PROUD OF YOU. 
          UM I WANTED TO ALSO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO ONE OF OUR GRADUATING SENIORS FROM BILLIARD HIGH SCHOOL, MARITSA MERCADO. SHE ACTUALLY IS A PART OF VOICES OF EQUITY, AND SHE PRESENTED HERE A FEW MEETINGS AGO. ACTUALLY NO MARITSA PERSONALLY AND SHE EMAILED ME, UM, TO INVITE ME TO HER CAPSTONE PRESENTATION. SHE IS ABIOMED GRADUATE FROM BEL AIR , AND SHE RECENTLY ACCEPTED A FULL RIDE SCHOLARSHIP TO THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND. AND SO I WANTED TO SEE MARISA. I AM SO PROUD OF YOU. YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB AND TO ALL THE STUDENTS OUT THERE WHO ARE GRADUATING IN MATRICULATING INTO WHATEVER THE NEXT PART OF YOUR JOURNEY IS. WE ALL STAND WITH YOU AND SHARING YOU ON FOR THE NEXT PART OF YOUR JOURNEY. UM LOTS OF FUN THINGS GOING ON BAND CHORUS ORCHESTRA CONCERTS, ALL KINDS OF AMAZING THINGS. GOOD LUCK TO THE STUDENTS. STUDENTS WHO ARE TAKING EM CAP THIS WEEK . WE ARE CHEERING YOU ON. YOU CAN DO IT. WE BELIEVE IN YOU ALL THAT GOOD STUFF, UM, SAY THAT BEHIND THE SMILE, BUT MY HEART IS REALLY SAD TODAY. UM AS WE 
          [00:35:02]
ALREADY KNOW WE ARE UP AGAINST SEVERE BUDGET CUTS FOR OUR KIDS , UM, AND OUR BUDGET, UM, SHOULD BE FULLY FUNDED. ALRIGHT IT REALLY SHOULD. I HAD HOPE, UM, AFTER WE HAD FULLY FUNDED BUDGET FOR THE FIRST TIME IN QUITE SOME TIME. UM I FELT LIKE WE LEARNED OUR LESSON AT THE ONSET OF COVID , WHERE WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A VERY SAD PREDICAMENT AFTER DECADES OF NOT BEING FULLY FUNDED, FULLY FUNDING OUR CHILDREN'S EDUCATION. WELL, WE COULD NOT PROVIDE THE RESOURCES THAT WE DESPERATELY NEEDED. UM AND I'M SAD FOR MY KIDS FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS. UM, AND IT'S NOT ENOUGH. THEY DESERVE BETTER. THEY DESERVE TO BE THE TOP PRIORITY BECAUSE WE CAN TALK A GOOD GAME. BUT YOU GOT TO PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS. UM THE FACT OF THE MATTER? FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT WHEN WE PROPOSED THIS BUDGET, AND WE TALKED GOOD, GOOD DEAL AT LENGTH ABOUT IT. WE PROPOSE THE BUDGET. AND WE DIDN'T ASK FOR ALL THE MONEY. WE NEED IT. WE ASKED FOR THE MONEY THAT WOULD GET THE JOB DONE TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY CONSIDERING CONSIDERING THE OTHER PRIORITIES, UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE DESPERATELY NEED OUR CHILDREN DESPERATELY NEED THEIR EDUCATION FUNDED, UM SO I APPEAL TO YOU STAND WITH ME AND THE OTHER PROUD PARENTS IN OUR COUNTY. UM TO PLEAD, UM, AND DEMAND FUNDING FOR OUR KIDS STAND WITH THE P T . A S THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, FLOODING OUR INBOXES IN TEXT MESSAGES BECAUSE OUR KIDS DESERVE IT. THEY DESERVE TO HAVE THEIR SCHOOLS FUNDED OUR SCHOOLS. OUR CLASSROOMS ARE OVERCROWDED. RESOURCES ARE OLD. WE'RE DOING THE BEST THAT WE CAN , BUT WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO BLAME THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR EVERY LITTLE THING IF WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THE BUSINESS, THAT IS OUR KIDS EDUCATION. THANK YOU. MRS PERRY. I AGREE WITH YOU. HEARTEDLY. 
          THING YOU SAID WAS TRUE. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE FUNDING. I MEAN, BASED ON WHAT WE DIDN'T RECEIVE. 
          GIVES US THE. I WOULD SAY. I WOULD LOOK AT IT AS THAT. THIS IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S IN OUR BUDGET. AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN PERSUADE THEM TO FULLY FUND US. AND I WANT TO SAY I'M GLAD TO SEE EVERYONE HERE IF YOU WEREN'T HERE FOR THE SAFETY PATROL, UM, PRESENTATION . YOU MISSED A LOT. THEY DID A GREAT JOB. AND I REALLY IMPRESSED ABOUT THE WHAT THEY DID. I ALSO ATTENDED THE NATIONAL BOARD ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE, AND I LEARNED A LOT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THEY HAVE SIMILAR ISSUES THAT WE HAVE. AND NOT BEING FUNDED. NOT TEACHING REALLY. DIVERSE CURRICULUM. AND. IT WAS NICE TO HEAR WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WERE DOING AND WHAT THEY WERE DOING TO SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS. AND I LEARNED A LOT FROM THAT. AND I HOPE WE CAN ALL OF US AND THE OPPORTUNITY WITH 10. THE NATIONALS. ASSOCIATION. HE THEN? WE SHOULD. WE GOT A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY IMPLEMENT HERE. THEY WOULD MAKE OUR SCHOOLS EVEN BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR PHILLIPS. UM. FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO JUST KIND OF ECHO WITH JOYCE HAD TO SAY AS FAR AS THE BUDGET IS CONCERNED, I THINK MANY OF US UP HERE FEEL THE SAME WAY. BUT I'D LIKE TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE TWO OF OUR STUDENT ATHLETES AT THIS TIME. THE FIRST BEING, UM HARFORD TECH SENIOR EMERSON YOUNG SWIMMER WHO WANT TO STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN THE 53 SHE PLACED IN THE TOP FOUR OF THREE OTHER EVENTS AT THE STATE. SO CONGRATULATIONS TO UH EMERSON. 
          SHOULD BE, UH, CONTINUING HER SWIMMING CAREER AT ST MARY'S COLLEGE. AND WE EXPECT GOOD THINGS. FOR HER AT THAT INSTITUTION. AND THEN I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE PATTERSON, MILL SWIMMER. KATE SNYDER, WHO BROKE THE STATE RECORD IN THE 100 BACK IN 2003 HERE, ALSO ON THE STATE'S LAST YEAR IN THE BACKSTROKE. AND HE ALSO WON THE STATE TITLE IN 100 BUTTERFLY, MATTHEW JUNIOR PATTERN. I'M SORRY. KATE IS A JUNIOR AT PATTERSON MILL, SO WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WATCH HIM PERHAPS BREAK MORE RECORDS NEXT YEAR. AND MAKE HARFORD COUNTY PROUD OF HIM. THANK YOU. I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES, BUT, MR CARTY, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? FIRST OF ALL CAN YOU HEARING CAN WONDERFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I 
          [00:40:03]
WANT TO WELCOME EVERYBODY HERE THAT'S ENDING AND REALLY APPRECIATE THE INCREASE. 
          ATTENDANCE WE'VE REALLY YOU KNOW , YES, MONTHS. IT'S GOOD, EVERYBODY THERE AND I DO APOLOGIZE FOR NOT BEING THERE MYSELF THIS EVENING. I DID WANT TO MENTION THAT I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE CELEBRATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION AND VERY PROUD OF THE FIVE TEACHER FINALISTS. AND FOR MIKE BRODY FOR HIS, UM WHEN, BUT EVERYBODY WAS A WINNER, WHO WAS ACKNOWLEDGED AT THAT EVENT, AND IT WAS LOVELY. I THINK WE SHOULD CONTINUE THAT GOING FORWARD AT THE END OF CENTER. IT WAS VERY PERSONAL AND VERY PROUD OF THE 54 TEACHERS THAT WERE ACKNOWLEDGED AS THEIR TEACHER OF THE UNIFORM. EACH SCHOOL THEY REPRESENTED WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE SOMEBODY IN THAT WHOLE AUDITORIUM BEING FILLED. I ALSO WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE HARVARD BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FOR EDUCATION. I HAVE BEEN A LONG TIME MEMBER AS A BUSINESS COMMUNITY MEMBER OF THAT GROUP. AND REALLY THE SYNERGIES OF TRYING TO VISIT BRING BUSINESS. 
          AND INTERNSHIPS TOGETHER IS WONDERFUL AND APPRECIATE THE ENERGY OF THAT GROUP PERFECT BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE FOR EDUCATION. I DO SUPPORT MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS IN THEIR COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET. THAT BUDGET WAS APPROVED, BUT WHAT OF EDUCATION AND UNFORTUNATELY THE CORRECT UM, FUNDING. I BELIEVE REDUCES EACH STUDENT BY $1000 EACH IN THE NEW BUDGET, AND I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN REMEDY THAT AND APPRECIATE ALL MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR COMMENTS . I DID ALSO WANT TO THANK JOYCE FOR THE POSITIVE ACCOLADES AND FOR ROY IN THE POSITIVE ACCOLADES HE'S MENTIONED. IN THE STUDENTS THAT ARE CHAMPIONS AND REPRESENTING US THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THE PRESENTATION. WE GOT ON THE SAFETY PATROLS TODAY THAT HAD TO BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR THOSE CHILDREN TO GET STAND UP IN FRONT OF THIS GROUPS WHERE DAUNTING AND THEY DID A GREAT JOB AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT WE ARE ALL TRYING TO DO THE BEST WE CAN, AND MELISSA SAID IT REALLY WELL. WE'RE ALL HERE FOR A REASON, AND THAT'S YOUR FOR THE STUDENTS, AND WE NEED TO REALLY WORK SUPER HARD TO TRY TO INCREASE OUR SCORES AND TO BRING US BACK IN THE PLACE OF HONOR WHERE WE WERE PRIOR TO COVID. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MS BLANKEN. LET'S SEE. COUNCIL GENERAL SEVEN. JUNIOR MEDINA IS HAPPY GIRL FROM PARKER TAX WAS ELECTED TO BE OUR 2023 2024 STUDENT MEMBER ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. PERSONALLY CONGRATULATE MEDINA ON THIS TREMENDOUS ACHIEVEMENT. IT'S GOING TO BE SUCH AN EXCITING YEAR THIS YEARS AHEAD OF HER. DURING THE SELECTION PROCESS. THERE WAS LOTS OF DISCUSSION ON WHAT CANDIDATES WANTED THEIR LEGACY. HTTPS TODAY. REFLECT ON MY OWN EXPERIENCE ON THE BOARD. 
          EVERY MEETING EVERY PUBLIC COMMENT. EVERY ROLL CALL VOTE. I DECIDED TO LEAVE THIS BOARDROOM BETTER THAN I FOUND IT, BUT I CAN'T DO THIS ALONE. EVERY MEETING. THERE'S AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC COMMENT RIDDLED WITH HOMOPHOBIA, TRANSPHOBIA, SEXISM AND RACISM. THE PAST YEAR, LISTENING I HATE BEING SPEWED INTO THAT MICROPHONE RIGHT THERE. AND I'D LIKE TO END IT NOW. I REFUSE TO SUBJECT SWEET MEDINA TO LISTENING. TWO INDIVIDUALS PREACH ABOUT LIMITING A STUDENT'S EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTY. WITH THAT SAID. MIKE HILL 61 YEARS OLD. CAPTAIN KIDD'S 60 YEARS OLD CYNTHIA KEITH 61 YEARS OLD. EVELYN DYKE HOUSE, NINE YEARS OLD. WILLIAM KENNY, NINE YEARS OLD. HALLE SCRUBS, NINE YEARS OLD. THOSE ARE THE VICTIMS OF THE MARCH 29TH NASHVILLE SHOOTING. LAST MEETING. I HAD NO WORDS TO EXPRESS HOW I WAS FEELING. NO WORDS CAN DESCRIBE THE FEELING THAT FAMILIES ARE BURYING THEIR CHILDREN FOR THEIR FATHERS OR THEIR MOTHERS FOR THEIR BROTHERS. NOT TO MENTION THE HUNDREDS MORE SUFFERING BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD LEGALLY OBTAINED SEVERAL ASSAULT RIFLES AND DECIDED TO CHIP TO KILL BABIES. 
          AND YET, HERE WE ARE. SITTING IN A BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING ROOM WAITING TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE SPEAK. BUT THEIR CONCERNS IN THE COUNTY AND DON'T GET ME WRONG. I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT COMES HERE ON MONDAYS. BUT CAN WE AGREE THAT WE HAVE BIGGER FISH TO FRY? AS THE SNOB. I'M OBLIGATED TO SHARE THE POINT OF VIEW AS A STUDENT. AND UNTIL THE STUDENTS ARE NOT AFRAID TO WALK INTO THE CLASSROOMS THAT WE ARE ARGUING ABOUT. THE DARK. THE ENERGY THAT WE SPEND HERE SHOULD BE REDIRECTED TO KEEPING US BREATHING. SHOULD BE REDIRECTED TO KEEPING WEAPONS USED FOR MASS DESTRUCTION OUT OF THE HANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HURT OTHERS. ESPECIALLY CHILDREN. SO PLEASE. 
          HUG YOUR LOVED ONES. HOLD YOUR BABY'S TYPE. AND HELP ME LEAVE H D F HCPS SAFER AND MORE LOVING 
          [00:45:08]
THAN IT WAS WHEN I GOT HERE. THANK YOU. MR SEWELL. GOOD EVENING. EVERYONE WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE UPCOMING STUDENT MEMBER THE BOARD FOR THIS NEXT. WE'RE MEDINA. SEVERAL OVA VERY MUCH. LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH HER. CONGRATULATIONS TO HER. AND I'M PROUD OF ALL OF THE TEACHER OF THE YEAR FINALISTS AND A HUGE CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL, BROADLY SOCIAL SCIENCES TEACHER AT C. MILTON WRIGHT FOR WINNING THE HIGH HIGH HONOR TEACHER OF THE YEAR. I'D LIKE TO TURN TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 24. 
          THERE'S NO WAY AROUND IT. THIS IS A BLOODBATH FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S BUDGET. NO PREVIOUS COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS CUT THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ASK TO THIS DEGREE. AND EVENTUALLY GUESSED THAT THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN ANY OTHER COUNTY EVER IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS PROPOSED A BUDGET THAT IS $39 MILLION LESS THAN OUR ASK. WHICH IS $1000 PER STUDENT. LET'S BE CLEAR. PEACE THE BUDGET THAT WE ASKED FOR FROM THE COUNTY WAS ALREADY PAIRED BACK. FROM WHAT WE HAD WANTED TO INVEST IN THIS COMING YEAR. NOTICE. I USE THE WORD INVEST. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ALREADY RUNS THE TIGHTEST FISCAL SHIP IN THE ENTIRE STATE. THE YEAR IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE PANDEMIC . HCPS GOT THE JOB DONE WITH THE VERY LEAST AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT OF ANY COUNTY IN THE STATE. ON A PER PUPIL BASIS. THAT'S RIGHT. 
          OUR STUDENTS TYPICALLY HAVE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD, IF NOT UPPER HALF PERFORMANCE. YET WE HAD THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT OF ANY COUNTY TO SPEND ON YOUR STUDENTS. THAT LED DIRECTLY INTO THE PANDEMIC. WE WERE WAY UNDERFUNDED. WE DID NOT HAVE THE TECHNOLOGY WE NEEDED GOING INTO THE PANDEMIC. NOW I KNOW THE CITIZENS OF HARVARD COUNTY ARE NOT PROUD THAT THE FUNDING WE RECEIVED FROM THE COUNTY, THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS THE LOWEST OUT OF ANY COUNTY. 
          I KNOW I'M NOT I WANT THE MOST OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR CHILDREN IN THE FUTURE WE CAN POSSIBLY HAVE. I WANT TO EDUCATORS, STAFF ADMINISTRATORS AND EVERYONE ELSE THAT KEEPS HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS GOING TO BE COMPENSATED WELL, I DON'T WANT EMPLOYEES TO EVER LOOK ELSEWHERE FOR EMPLOYMENT. YOU SEE OUR EMPLOYEES WHETHER THEY ARE TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS STAFF THEY CAN LEAVE OUR COUNTY AND BE PAID MORE TODAY. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY. WE COMPETE AGAINST OTHER VERY WELL FUNDED COUNTIES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THE BEST EMPLOYEES. OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HERE BECAUSE THEY LOVE THE COMMUNITIES THEY SERVE. 
          WE NEED TO CELEBRATE THEM AND REWARD THEM FOR THAT. EVERY PARENT IS LOOKING FOR THE BEST OPPORTUNITIES FOR THEIR CHILDREN. I AM VERY PROUD. OF WHAT HCPS HAS BEEN ABLE TO BUILD AS WE TRY TO RECOVER FROM 11 STRAIGHT YEARS OF BUDGETS THAT HAVE FORCED US TO CUT POSITIONS. 
          STARTING IN 2008. AND UP UNTIL THE PANDEMIC WE HAD TO CUT POSITIONS EVERY YEAR. DUE TO UNDERFUNDING. 11 STRAIGHT YEARS OF CUTTING POSITIONS DUE TO UNDERFUNDING. WE TALKED ABOUT STUDENT PERFORMANCE. HOW CAN OUR STUDENTS PERFORM IF WE DO NOT HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PUT INTO THE CLASSROOMS? BUT THAT CHANGED WITH THE PANDEMIC. FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. OUR PREVIOUS COUNTY EXECUTIVE, VERY GLASMAN. CHOSE TO FUND THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BUDGET FULLY. BUT THAT SINK IN. 
          OUR PAST COUNTY EXECUTIVE BARRY GLASSMAN. REALIZE THAT THE FUNDS DEDICATED TO THE OPERATIONS AND SALARIES OF HCPS WAS VERY WELL SPENT AND WAS A GREAT INVESTMENT FOR THE FUTURE OF HARFORD COUNTY. AND WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FROM STATE AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENTS FROM PANDEMIC INSPIRED MONIES. WE WERE ABLE TO START REBUILDING THE HUMAN CAPITAL IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE MAKING GREAT PROGRESS. WE NEED TO KEEP MAKING PROGRESS. OUR CUSTOMERS DEMAND THAT. ONE INTERESTING THING TO NOTE IS THAT 85% OF HCPS EMPLOYEES CHOOSE TO LIVE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THEIR SALARIES ARE GOING RIGHT BACK INTO OUR LOCAL ECONOMY HERE. 4500 HCPS EMPLOYEES OVER 4000 HOUSEHOLDS IN HARFORD COUNTY ARE BUILDING OUR COMMUNITIES FROM THE SALARIES THAT THEY RECEIVE. FROM THEIR SERVICE TO OUR SCHOOLS. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE HIGHEST INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT, WE SHOULD SAY SUSTAINED INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE EXPERIENCED FOR DECADES. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S CUTTING OUR BUDGET. NOT ONLY ARE WE NOT 
          [00:50:02]
RECEIVING FLAT FUNDING FROM LAST YEAR WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN VERY CHALLENGING ALONE. HE'S PROPOSED A BUDGET THAT IS IN THE RANGE OF $20 MILLION LESS THAN THE FUNDING WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR. 
          CAN YOU IMAGINE WHEN THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED RECORD FUNDING FOR MANY YEARS, AND THIS YEAR WILL BE NO DIFFERENT? THE SHARE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S BUDGET HAS FALLEN FROM ROUGHLY 40% OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET TO ABOUT 30% NOW. WHY WOULD WE WANT TO INVEST LAST RESOURCES INTO THE CHILDREN AND THE FUTURE OF HARFORD COUNTY? ADDITIONALLY THE NOTION THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS CARRYING A SURPLUS IS INACCURATE. HTTPS DOES NOT HAVE A CREDIT LINE. WE DO NOT HAVE A CREDIT CARD. ALL THE INVESTMENTS AND EXPENSES WE PROJECT TO HAVE MUST BE FULLY FUNDED. A REAL UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF LAST YEAR'S FISCAL YEAR WAS ROUGHLY $37 MILLION, OR ABOUT 5% OF OUR BUDGET. AT THE SAME TIME, HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENTS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE AT THAT TIME WAS OVER $200 MILLION, OR ROUGHLY A THIRD OF THEIR ANNUAL BUDGET. LET'S LOOK AT WHAT OUR COLLEAGUES AND INDEED COMPETITORS ARE DOING A NEIGHBORING COUNTIES AND YES, THEY ARE COMPETITORS. WE COMPETE FOR EMPLOYEES AND WE COMPETE ON OUR STUDENTS PERFORMANCE, RIGHT ? WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THAT. HOW DO OUR STUDENTS STACK UP AGAINST OTHER STUDENTS IN THE STATE? WHAT WILL THE OTHER COUNTIES DO? IS THEY THEMSELVES RACE TO BUILD THE STRONGEST SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR THEIR COUNTY? I SINCERELY DOUBT THAT ANY COUNTY IS CUTTING THE FUNDS THAT THEY'RE WRITING THEIR SCHOOLS. LET ALONE FLAT FUNDING THEM. LET'S PUT IT TO REST. WE DO NOT HAVE AN OVERSTAFFED AND OVERPAID CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE ONLY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE. SELLERS THAT OUR STAFF RECEIVE IS BY AND LARGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD OF THE SALARIES OF THEIR PEERS AND OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AND NO, WE HAVE MANY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN HERE FOR DECADES, SOMETIMES TWO OR THREE DECADES. AND THEY HAVE DEEP INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE THAT CAN'T BE REPLACED , AND THAT'S HOW THEY'RE ABLE TO GET IT DONE WITH ONLY ONE OR TWO PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENT. I HOPE THESE HARDWORKING AND VALUABLE EMPLOYEES STAY WITH US FOR MANY YEARS TO COME. WE'RE IN A TEACHER SHORTAGE CRISIS IN THIS COUNTRY. WE'RE MISSING ROUGHLY A QUARTER MILLION TEACHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. OUR OWN RECRUITMENT TEAMS SEARCHED HIGH AND LOW ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO TRY TO RECRUIT THE VERY BEST AND THE BRIGHTEST SO THAT WE CAN OUTPERFORM WITH RESPECT TO OUR LIMITED FUNDING. LET'S MAKE SURE THERE ARE SOLID REASONS WHY NEW TEACHERS CHOOSING HCPS? DO WE THINK THAT NEW TEACHERS ARE GOING TO COME HERE THIS YEAR WHEN THEY SEE OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE UNDERFUNDING US BY THIS MUCH? I HOPE THAT THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS WE CURRENTLY HAVE STAY HERE. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM LIVES WITHIN OUR MEANS. THIS IS EVIDENCED BY OUR VERY CAREFUL SPEND AND THE ABILITY TO COME WITHIN BUDGET. 
          WE SHOULD NOT BE PENALIZED FOR OUTSTANDING PHYSICAL MANAGEMENT AND PROTECTING THE FINANCIAL RESOURCES OF THIS COUNTY. THIS BUDGET MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT OFFICE HAS WON AWARDS MANY YEARS IN A ROW. FOR A PHYSICAL RESPONSIBILITY. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR YOU. 
          THE PEOPLE OF HARFORD COUNTY. IT WILL TAKE MUCH MORE THAN MY VOICE, THOUGH. I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU ARE DEEPLY COMMITTED TO THE EDUCATION OF THIS COUNTY. AND THE FUTURE OF THE COUNTY IN GENERAL. TO REACH OUT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT PATRICK MANCINI. AND THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT YOU WANT YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS INVEST IN A WAY THAT FULLY FUNDS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S ASK, WHICH IS ROUGHLY $39 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS PROPOSED. THANK YOU. SO GOING LAST ALWAYS PUTS ME IN THE POSITION OF REPEATING THINGS, BUT I'VE GOT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO MICHAEL BROADLY AT C. MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL WHO WAS NAMED THE HCPS TEACHER OF THE YEAR. AND I ALSO WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO PETER CARPENTER AND PAULA STANTON. WHO ARE THE M C S FOR THE EVENT, AND IT WAS VERY SPECIAL, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED ALL THE NOMINEES, AND ESPECIALLY, IT WAS GREAT THAT WE HAD A NOMINEE FROM EACH SCHOOL THERE THIS YEAR, SO 54 NOMINEES ALSO WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE FIRST MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCCER GAMES ARE STARTING THIS WEEK. AND I'D LIKE TO GIVE A SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO NEXT BORDELLO WHO IS THE FIRST YEAR SCIENCE TEACHER, EDGEWOOD MIL MIDDLE SCHOOL WHO HAS TAKEN ON THE ROLE OF ALSO BEING THEIR SOCCER COACH THIS YEAR. 
          CONGRATULATIONS TO MRS YVONNE GABRIEL, SCIENCE TEACHER AT ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL AND HER SELECTION AS A MARYLAND FINALISTS FOR THE 2023 PRESIDENTIAL AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE IN MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE TEACHING. SHE IS ONE OF THREE STATE FINALISTS WHO IS NOW REPRESENTING MARYLAND IN THE NATIONAL REVIEW. VERY APPLICATION WILL BE REVIEWED BY 
          [00:55:05]
THE NATIONAL SELECTION COMMITTEE , THE RESULTS OF WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED BY THE WHITE HOUSE. 
          NO, AND A LITTLE MORE SOMBER NOTE. UM, WE HAD TO CHANGE THE ORDER OF OUR AGENDA TONIGHT IN ORDER TO ALLOW A STUDENT GROUP FROM HALLS CROSSROADS TO ATTEND OUR MEETING. WHILE WE LOVE HAVING STUDENTS HERE, IT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT BECAUSE SOME OF THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THERE ARE PARENTS WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT CERTAIN BOOKS THAT THEY PURPORT HER AND OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SOME OF WHICH ARE IN MANY ARE NOT I WOULD REALLY PREFER IF THEIR CONCERNS WERE ADDRESSED BY SENDING AS THE NAMES AND TITLES OF THE BOOKS BUT MANY OF CHOSEN TO READ PASSAGES INTO THE RECORD. EVEN IF A BOOK IS OWNED BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, THEY ARE NOT BEING READ OUT LOUD IN AN ENVIRONMENT THAT REQUIRES ELEMENTARY STUDENTS TO LISTEN TO THEM IF A BOOK IS IN THE LIBRARY PARENTAL REQUEST CAN PROHIBIT THEIR STUDENT FROM CHECKING THAT BOOK OUT TO READ. IT IS SAD THAT IF YOU ARE TAKING OVER OUR BUSINESS MEETING I ALSO WANT TO MENTION IN THE PAST WE HAVE ADDRESSED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKING TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC INSTEAD OF ADDRESSING THE BOARD. AT THE LAST MEETING, ONE MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WAS UPSET BECAUSE ANOTHER LOOK TOWARDS THEM AT SOME POINT DURING THEIR COMMENTS, AND I DID NOT ADMONISH THEM. FIRST MY APOLOGIES TO ANYONE WHO FELT UNCOMFORTABLE OR THREATENED AT OUR MEETING. I'M ASKING THAT ALL SPEAKERS WILL LOOK TOWARD THE BOARD AND REFRAIN FROM MAKING ANY DISPARAGING REMARK TOWARDS ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC. EVERYONE'S VOICE SHOULD BE WELCOMED WHILE THEY'RE SPEAKING ABOUT EDUCATIONAL CONCERNS. I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND PEOPLE REMIND PEOPLE EXCUSE ME. THIS IS A BUSINESS MEETING. THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT OPINIONS IN THE ROOM. SO PLEASE BE KIND TO ONE ANOTHER. WHICH BRINGS US TO THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA, WHICH 
          [C. Public Comments]
IS THE PUBLIC COMMENT. SO THE IN PERSON SPEAKERS WILL PROCEED. FIRST THEY WILL BE CALLED ON BY THE BOARD SECRETARY. REMOTE SPEAKERS WILL PROCEED NEXT, SO THEY WILL BE ADMITTED TO THE MEETING BY AN HCPS STAFF MEMBER WHEN IT IS THEIR TURN TO SPEAK. ALL SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE ONE PERSON HERE, SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF AN ORGANIZATION AND THEY WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED AND GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT WHEN THE SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR THREE MINUTE MARK, THEIR TIME WILL EXPIRE. MRS MORELLO, WILL YOU PLEASE BEGIN THE REGISTERED IN PUBLIC SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. WE HAVE 17 REGISTERED IN PERSON. SPEAKERS, STARTING WITH DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY RENE DE BRC. GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER THIS EVENING. I'M GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET. I'M GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE BEST STORYTELLING. SO I STARTED ATTENDING THESE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS IN THE FALL OF 2017. A YEAR LATER AS ELECTED TO THE BOARD. EIGHT MONTHS AFTER THAT, I TOOK MY SEAT. IN BETWEEN . I ATTENDED ALMOST EVERY PUBLIC BOARD MEETING. AH IN PERSON. I HAD A LOT OF TIME TO OBSERVE THE PREVIOUS BOARD PRIOR TO MINE. SO WHILE MY TIME ON BOARD ENDED UP TROUBLED BY COVID AND THE LOCAL BRANCHES OF THE NATIONAL ATTACKS ON PUBLIC EDUCATION. I'VE OFTEN FELT LUCKY THAT I DODGED THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUES. FACED BY THE BOARD PRIOR TO MINE. IN PARTICULAR. THE PRIOR BOARD HEADED DIVISION THAT I WAS FORTUNATE TO NEVER EXPERIENCE. AND OF COURSE, THE BOARD BEFORE MINE HAD TO DEAL SOME REALLY UGLY BUDGET SITUATIONS. I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT APPEARS TO HAVE RETURNED AND IT'S WORSE. 
          THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION RELEASED THE PROPOSED CAN YOU BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR? AND IT IS UGLY FOR HCPS. IS ACTUALLY UGLY. OVERALL. THAT'S A SPECIALLY UGLY FOR HCPS. FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU OFF THERE WHAT? WHATEVER DIVISIONS YOU HAVE ON OTHER ISSUES. CAN AGREE CAN BE UNITED IN AGREEMENT ON THIS ONE. THAT THE PROPOSED COUNTY BUDGET IS UGLY. THAT MISREPRESENTS THE FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THAT IT IS 
          [01:00:05]
IRRESPONSIBLE. AND THAT THE COUNTY COUNCIL NEEDS TO FIX IT. WHICH TO BE CLEAR THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY AND I WOULD ARGUE THE MANDATE TO DO I HOPE THAT YOU WILL ALL ADVOCATE BOTH INDIVIDUALLY AND COLLECTIVELY FOR PROPER FUNDING. AS WELL AS FOR AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION OF THE SITUATION IN THE BUDGET MATERIALS. THANK YOU ALL. SO I HAVE A BOOK. AND THIS PASSAGE RESONATES WITH ME. UM IT GOES FIRST OF ALL, HE SAID. IF YOU CAN LEARN A SIMPLE TRICK SCOUT, YOU'LL GET ALONG A LOT BETTER WITH ALL KINDS OF FOLKS. YOU NEVER REALLY UNDERSTAND A PERSON UNTIL YOU CONSIDER THINGS FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW. SIR UNTIL YOU CLIMB INTO HIS SKIN AND WALK AROUND IN IT. LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC COMMENT. IT IS VERY UPSETTING. UM AND LISTENING TO THESE CHILDREN TODAY WAS VERY UPLIFTING. I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US. NOT ONE CHILD WHO WAS HERE TODAY SAID I ONLY HELP THIS KIND OF PERSON. I ONLY CARE ABOUT THIS KIND OF PERSON. 
          IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT ALL CHILDREN ARE PEOPLE. AND I ASKED THAT THE COMMUNITY. UM CONSIDER THAT IN THE EMPATHY AND LEARN SOME EMPATHY. UM. BUT THAT THAT THE CHILDREN WERE SHARING WITH US TODAY. I'D ALSO LIKE TO I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS WITH, UM READING MATERIAL. UM THAT AND CONCERNS WITH UNCOMFORTABLE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION. UM I THINK THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO COMMUNICATE WITH OUR CHILDREN. 
          AND HONESTLY, UM, I'D RATHER. MY KID LEARN FROM SOMETHING THAT THEY GOT FROM THE SCHOOL LIBRARY , AS OPPOSED TO SOMETHING THAT THEY FOUND ON THE INTERNET. UM IF THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, THEY HAVE ACCESS TO EVERYTHING. SO, UM I JUST. I JUST ASK, RIGHT AND I HEAR THE GRUMBLINGS. NOT EVERYBODY'S GOING TO AGREE WITH US. BUT IF WE REALLY ARE HERE FOR THE KIDS , ALL KIDS WE NEED TO SHOW UP. UM, THE WAY THEY DO. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE CHERYL ADAMS, FOLLOWED BY RACHEL DELAUGHTER. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UM I SAW THIS COMMENT ON A PUBLIC POST. 
          THERE'S BEEN, UH. I'VE SEEN A LOT OF SHARING OF AN ARTICLE THAT WAS PUT OUT THAT INVOLVES TWO OF THE BOARD MEMBERS. SO I DON'T NEED TO DISCUSS THAT. BUT THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT WAS ON ONE OF THOSE POSTS THAT I THOUGHT WAS REALLY RELEVANT AND IMPORTANT. SO I'M GOING TO SHARE IT. AND IT WAS ON A PUBLIC POST, SO I FEEL COMFORTABLE SHARING IT. UM SO IT SAYS EDUCATIONAL EQUITY IS THE LAW IN MARYLAND, REGARDLESS OF ONE'S PERSONAL BELIEFS AND EVERY SINGLE DECISION A BOARD OF ED MAKES IS TO BE MADE THROUGH THE LENS OF EQUITY. UNDER QAMAR 13, A 010603. EDUCATIONAL EQUITY MEANS THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO THE OPPORTUNITIES, RESOURCES AND EDUCATIONAL RIGOR THEY NEED THROUGHOUT THEIR EDUCATIONAL CAREER TO MAXIMIZE ACADEMIC SUCCESS AND SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL WELL BEING AND TO VIEW EACH STUDENT'S INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AS VALUABLE. INDIVIDUAL INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS MEANS THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EACH INDIVIDUAL STUDENT, WHICH INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ABILITY. COGNITIVE SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL, ETHNICITY, FAMILY STRUCTURE. 
          GENDER IDENTITY AND EXPRESSION, LANGUAGE. NATIONAL ORIGIN, NATIONALITY, RACE, RELIGION, SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND SOCIO ECONOMIC STATUS. SO THAT IS THE LAW. ANY BOARD MEMBER WHO REFUSES TO. TO OPERATE UNDER THE LAW SHOULD BE REMOVED. UM AND LASTLY, THIS IS JUST FROM ME BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMON. A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT PRONOUNS AND USING THEY THEM AND, UM YOU KNOW, USING IT AS AN INDIVIDUAL RATHER THAN A PLURAL AND MY STUDENT TAUGHT ME 
          [01:05:05]
BECAUSE I WAS UNCOMFORTABLE. MY AGE, MY WHATEVER. I WAS LIKE, BUT IT CAN'T BE USED INDIVIDUALLY. IT'S PLURAL. THEY THEN STANDS FOR PLURAL AND I WAS EDUCATED. BECAUSE I HAVE AN OPEN MIND TO LEARN NEW THINGS AS I GROW CONTINUALLY. UM I USE PRONOUNS. THEY THEM AS AN INDIVIDUAL ALL THE TIME. AND I HAD NOT REALIZED IT, SO I JUST THOUGHT I'D SHARE THIS LITTLE EXAMPLE. AND THIS IS WHAT SHOWED ME. UM, IF YOU SEE A SET OF KEYS ON THE TABLE AND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY BELONG TO YOU SAY OH, LOOK, SOMEONE LEFT THEIR KEYS. ON THAT TABLE. I WONDER IF THEY KNOW THEY LEFT THEM THERE. THAT'S THREE TIMES WHERE I USE THEY OR THEIR INDIVIDUALLY, SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE I HAVE TO ADMIT IT TOOK ME A LITTLE BIT TO WRAP MY HEAD AROUND THE DAY THEN THINGS BUT IT'S A SMALL THING THAT I CAN DO TO MAKE SOMEBODY ELSE FEEL VALID. SEEN HEARD AND IT'S THE SMALLEST OF THINGS, SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING. I ORIGINALLY MOVED MY FAMILY FROM IT. SORRY ANOTHER FROM LOUISIANA BACK TO MARYLAND , WHERE I GREW UP BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO COME TO SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. I DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE TO STAND HERE AND SAY THAT BANNING BOOKS AND ATTACKING LGBTQ PLUS STUDENTS IS IT'S WRONG AND IT'S BAD, AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THIS. THE FACT THAT I HAVE TO COME HERE AND STAND HERE AND SAY THIS IS MIND BLOWING TO ME. UM WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO BETTER, AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BETTER. THERE IS A CERTAIN GROUP THAT IS TAKING OVER SCHOOL BOARDS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND THEY'RE WINNING. AND THAT IS A TERRIFYING THOUGHT TO ME, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE KIND OF FUTURE THAT THEY'RE CREATING IT'S THEY'RE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THEY'RE WELL FUNDED AND ORGANIZED. AND WE DON'T WANT TO BE PAWNS IN THIS INSIDIOUS GROUP THAT IS TAKING OVER. OUR SCHOOLS. IN OUR SCHOOL BOARDS. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR ENDGAME IS. 20 YEARS FROM NOW, YOU COULD LOOK BACK AND THINK I WAS PART OF THE GROUP THAT CREATED THIS HORRIFIC FUTURE. IT IS OUR JOB TO PROTECT OUR STUDENTS, OUR TEACHERS AND OUR COMMUNITY AND ATTACKING A GROUP OF STUDENTS AND THE TEACHERS THAT SUPPORT THEM IS SO VERY WRONG. ALL THAT DOES IS MAKE SCHOOLS MORE OF A WAR ZONE AND MORE DIFFICULT TO SUCCEED IN ITS OUR JOB TO MAKE IT EASIER AND SAFER. MAKE KIDS NOT FEARFUL OF GOING TO SCHOOL BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE. IF WE CONTINUE TO ATTACK THE TEACHERS, THEY WILL LEAVE. AND WE WILL BE LIKE OTHER DISTRICTS WHERE THE SPECIFIC GROUP HAS ONE. WE WON'T HAVE TEACHERS. WE WON'T HAVE LIBRARIANS HOW WE WON'T EVEN HAVE LIBRARIES AND OUR SCHOOLS WILL GO DOWNHILL AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM READINGS DROP OUR COMMUNITY NOT ONLY HAS LESS EDUCATED PEOPLE, BUT WE ALSO HAVE LOWER PROPERTY VALUES. AND IF PEOPLE DON'T CARE ABOUT DOING WHAT'S RIGHT AND PROTECTING OUR KIDS DEFINITELY CARE ABOUT THAT. I THINK OH, THIS SPECIFIC GROUP WANTS YOU TO ENACT THEIR AGENDA. WHAT WORKS FOR THEM? WHAT IS THEIR OPINION ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL, AND IT IS HARMFUL TO THE MAJORITY OF THE CHILDREN OF THE DISTRICT. IT IS DOING HARM, AND THAT IS NOT OUR JOB. OUR JOB IS TO PROVIDE SAFE SCHOOLS, PROPER EDUCATION AND GOOD TEACHERS. AND IF WE ENACT THEIR AGENDA BANNING BOOKS AND GOING AFTER OUR LGBTQ, PLUS KIDS OR SOME OF THE MOST VULNERABLE CHILDREN IN OUR COMMUNITY, WE ARE DOING HARM. WE HAVE A ZERO TOLERANCE BULLYING IN OUR SCHOOLS. SO WHY ARE WE ALLOWING A GROUP OF ADULTS TO BULLY OUR CHILDREN AND MAKE NO MISTAKE? IT IS BULLYING. IT IS SOMEONE BIGGER AND STRONGER, PICKING ON THE SMALLER, WEAKER BECAUSE OF SOMETHING THEY DON'T LIKE, UNDERSTAND, AND THEY'RE SCARED OF. IT IS THE DEFINITION OF BULLYING. EDUCATORS AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD DON'T HAVE TO TAKE A HIPPOCRATIC OATH TO DO THEIR JOBS, BUT THEY SHOULD. BECAUSE OUR CHILDREN NEED THEIR PROTECTION. THEY NEED OUR HELP, AND WE NEED TO BE LOOKING TO WHAT EXPERTS SAY. AND MOST OF ALL, WE SHOULD BE LISTENING TO WHAT THE CHILDREN SAY AND WHAT THEY'RE SCREAMING OUT FOR, WHICH IS LOVE, ACCEPTANCE, TOLERANCE AND A GOOD EDUCATION. AND IF THESE PEOPLE DON'T LIKE OUR POLICIES, THEY HAVE OTHER OPERATIONS. UH OPTIONS, BUT WE THEY SHOULD NOT GET TO ENACT POLICY THAT AFFECTS THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN BECAUSE IT GOES AGAINST THEIR DOGMA AND THEIR IDEOLOGY. 
          AND YOU SHOULDN'T LET THEM. THANK YOU. THANKS. TREEHOUSE SUSAN DINI. AND FOLLOWED BY GARY JOHNSON. HAVE A LITTLE TROUBLE HEARING BACK THERE. MY NAME IS SUSAN DINI AND, UM, I'VE BEEN A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN FOR OVER 40 YEARS, AND IN MY EXPERIENCE, I 
          [01:10:05]
HAVE SEEN HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR PARENTS AND TEACHERS TO MODEL POSITIVE READING BEHAVIORS , UH, LIKE MAKING BOOKS AVAILABLE READING OUT LOUD. UM SHOWCASING DIVERSE WRITERS AND SIMPLY BEING SEEN READING FOR PLEASURE, MODELING THEIR LOVE OF READING. AND, UM CLASSROOM LIBRARIES SHOULD OFFER SOMETHING FOR EVERY STUDENT. UH THERE SHOULD BE, UH, YOU KNOW, DIVERSE BOOKS CAN SERVE AS BOTH MIRRORS AND WINDOWS OF DIFFERENT DIFFERENT HUMAN EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES AND THEY OFFER A POWERFUL OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD COMMUNITY AND INCREASE STUDENTS EMPATHY. AND PUSH BACK AGAINST BIAS AND PREJUDICE. OUR TEACHERS DESERVE OUR SUPPORT. UM OF THEM VERSUS US ATTITUDE SERVES NO. ONE. AND OUR BOARD OF EDUCATION IS FACING FUNDING CUTS, AND I ASK THAT YOU PREPARED TO SUPPORT TEACHERS AND STAFF AND STUDENTS TO QUOTE THE AEGIS ARTICLE OF APRIL 12TH, THE MISSION OF THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS THAT EACH STUDENT WILL TAME ACADEMIC AND PERSONAL SUCCESS IN A SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT. THAT HONORS THE DIVERSITY OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. THANK YOU. MHM. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? MY NAME IS GARY JOHNSON, 11 KINGSVILLE. I'M 72 YEARS OLD. WENT TO HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I THINK I KNOW SOMETHING ABOUT WHAT BEING EDUCATED ABOUT EDUCATION HERE. I WENT TO COLLEGE GOT A COUPLE OF BACHELOR'S DEGREES. AND OTHER THAN THAT, I'VE LIVED LIFE. MOST OF IT IN HARFORD COUNTY. I LOVE PEOPLE. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE. I DON'T CARE WHAT THE COLOR OF THE SKIN IS. I DON'T CARE WHAT THEIR RELIGION IS. I DON'T CARE WHERE THEY COME FROM AS LONG AS THEY'RE DECENT PEOPLE. BUT SOMETIMES WE GET ALL WRAPPED UP IN WORDS AS IF THROWING WORDS AROUND, THROWING WORDS AROUND GIVES MEANING TO THINGS. I HEAR WORDS LIKE THINGS BEING FULLY FUNDED. I HEAR WORDS ABOUT INCLUSIVITY AND DIVERSITY . I HEAR SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT ASSAULT WEAPONS THAT I DOUBT REALLY KNOWS WHAT AN ASSAULT WEAPON IS. WORDS YOU CAN'T JUST THROW THEM AROUND WITHOUT EXPLAINING WHAT THEY MEAN. SO I'M GOING TO CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE. THE RECORDS SAY. THAT YOU'RE DOING A LOUSY JOB OF EDUCATING OUR CHILDREN. THEY DON'T HAVE THE FUNCTIONAL ABILITY TO LIVE IN OUR SOCIETY. BECAUSE THEY CAN'T READ. THEY CAN'T DO MATH. THEY DON'T KNOW HISTORY. THEY DON'T KNOW GEOGRAPHY. INSTEAD THEY'RE GETTING TAUGHT OTHER FOOLISH THINGS, SUCH AS ALL THIS DIVERSITY EQUITY INCLUSION STUFF. WHICH MAY HAVE SOME MEANING FOR SOMEBODY. BUT WHEN YOU'RE WASTING STUDENTS TIMES ON SUCH SUBJECTS, THEN YOU ARE DOING THEM GREAT HARM. SURE THERE'S THERE IS INEQUITY IN THIS WORLD. SURE THERE IS DISCRIMINATION IN THIS WORLD. I UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE IT'S A SIN. IT'S A SIN DRENCHED. WORLD. BUT YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO TALK ABOUT SIN BECAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO TALK ABOUT GOD YOU DON'T WANT TO. YOU DON'T WANT THEIR STUDENTS TO TALK ABOUT SUCH THINGS YOU WANT. YOU DON'T WANT TO HAVE CERTAIN BOOKS TAKEN OUT OF THE LIBRARY, BUT YOU ALSO DON'T ALLOW CERTAIN BOOKS IN OR YOU FROWNED UPON PEOPLE WHEN THEY WANT TO, FOR INSTANCE, MAYBE READ A BIBLE. UH YOU KNOW THAT THIS THIS TALK THAT I HEAR WHEN I LEAVE THESE MEANS I FEEL LIKE I'M IN THE MIDST OF AN INSANE ASYLUM. IT'S JUST NONE OF IT MAKES ANY SENSE. I'M SORRY, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST THROWING MONEY AT YOU PEOPLE THINKING THAT THROWING MONEY SOLVES A PROBLEM. I THINK THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE GETTING NOW IS LARGELY BEING WASTED. AND IT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO PEOPLE WHO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THE TESTING INDICATES THAT YOU DON'T SO I I'M SORRY THAT YOU'RE NOT GETTING FULLY FUNDED. BUT I DON'T NOT SURE YOU DESERVE THE MONEY THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR. AND I THINK YOU HAVE TOO MUCH CONTROL OVER OUR COUNTY BUDGET. 
          FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND THE COUNTY CAN'T DO A LOT OF THINGS UNTIL THEY GET THE OKAY OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. THEN I THINK MAYBE WE OUGHT TO GET A NEW SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DONE HERE THAT YOU'VE GOT. YOU TALK ABOUT COVID BEING A PROBLEM. COVID WASN'T A PROBLEM. THE REACTION TO COVID WAS A PROBLEM, MUCH OF THE DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE THAT WERE HARMFUL TO THE STUDENTS WERE PUSHED BY EDUCATORS AND YOUR NATIONAL UNION. WHO INSISTED THE KIDS STAY HOME AND LEARN ON COMPUTERS WHEN THEY WEREN'T REALLY LEARNING ANYTHING AT ALL. I'M SORRY. NEXT WE HAVE JACKIE JOHNSON, 
          [01:15:11]
FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MARTINO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JACKIE JOHNSON. AS I PEER AROUND THE ROOM, I WOULD SAY THERE ARE MAYBE A HANDFUL OF US WHO CAN REMEMBER THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE 19 SIXTIES WHEN THEY HAD HIGH STANDARDS WITH THE DRESS CODE THAT BROUGHT ABOUT SELF RESPECT. THERE WAS A GREAT RESPECT FOR TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS, AND THE STUDENTS RESPECTED. EACH OTHER PARENT INVOLVEMENT WAS REQUESTED AND WELCOMED. THE DAYS BEGAN WITH THE LORD'S PRAYER AND BIBLE READING WHAT HAPPENED? ALONG CAME MADALYN MURRAY O'HAIR AND AMERICAN ACTIVISTS WHO SUPPORTED ATHEISM AND FOUNDED AMERICAN ATHEISTS. SHE FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON BEHALF OF HER SON, ARGUING IT WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL TO FORCE HIM TO PARTICIPATE IN BIBLE READINGS WHILE ATTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL WHEN ALL SHE HAD TO DO WAS REQUEST HIM NOT PARTICIPATE. THE SUIT EVENTUALLY REACHED THE SKODA'S WITH AN 8 TO 1 RULING IN HER FAVOR, SO GOD WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOT ONLY IN BALTIMORE BUT ACROSS THEIR BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY, AND SATAN SMILED AND SLITHER HIS WAY INTO REPLACE GOD AND THUS STARTED THE SLIPPERY SLOPE TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY. AN EXAMPLE OF AN HCPS PRODUCT. 
          DURING THE SUMMER WHEN I WAS IN A LOCAL GROCERY STORE THAT I FREQUENT OFTEN ABOUT TWICE A WEEK, I APPROACHED THE DELI TO PLACE AN ORDER OF A THIRD POUND OF HIM WHILE WAITING FOR HER TO COMPLETE THE ORDER. I BRIEFLY TURNED TO TALK WITH MY THEN NINE YEAR OLD GRANDSON. WHEN I LOOK BACK, SHE HAD SLICED A £4 OF HIM , PLACED IT ON THE SCALE AND WAS CONTINUING TO SLICE MORE. WHEN I TOLD HER THAT WAS TOO MUCH. I ONLY WANTED A THIRD OF A POUND. SHE HAD A STARTLED LOOK OF BEWILDERMENT AND CONFUSION ON HER FACE. I THEN PROCEEDED TO EDUCATE HER HOW TO WEIGH OUT ONE THIRD POUND. THIS WAS A LESSON FROM MY GRANDSON. SINCE I'VE TOLD HIM MULTIPLE TIMES, HE WILL BE READING, WRITING AND USING MATH EVERY DAY OF HIS LIFE. HE WAS VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS YOUNG LADY WAS STRUGGLING WITH SIMPLE FRACTIONS. SOMETHING HE LEARNED IN THE FOURTH GRADE. ON MY NEXT VISIT, I LEARNED THE YOUNG LADY WAS NO LONGER EMPLOYED AT THE GROCERY STORE. 
          HOW SAD FOR HER THAT HCPS PAST HER THROUGH TO GRADUATION, UNABLE TO DO FOURTH GRADE MATH. 
          SO WHAT'S THE ANSWER? WELL, THE RETURN OF GOD. THERE IS SO MUCH TALK OF D E I ARE YOU AWARE? THAT'S THE FIRST THREE LETTERS IN DEITY MEANING GOD IN HIS FULLNESS TO CHRIST. GOD WAS PUSHED OUT OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND NOW LITTLE GODS ARE FIGHTING FOR CONTROL. SO I WILL CONTINUE TO HOLD THE BOT MEMBERS UP IN PRAYER THAT GOD FILLS YOU WITH WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE AND THAT HE GRANTS YOU THE COURAGE TO USE YOUR POWER TO HIS HONOR AND GLORY IN ASSISTING TO RAISE THE STANDARDS OF HCPS. REMEMBER IT TOOK ONLY ONE WOMAN TO INITIATE THE REMOVAL OF GOD FROM SCHOOL AND THEIR STRENGTH IN NUMBERS. I LEAVE YOU WITH A QUOTE FROM BOOKER T. WASHINGTON ALLY DOESN'T BECOME TRUTH WRONG DOESN'T BECOME RIGHT AND EVIL DOESN'T BECOME GOOD JUST BECAUSE IT'S ACCEPTED BY THE MAJORITY. 
          GOOD EVENING. THROUGHOUT THE HISTORY OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM IN AMERICA. THE CORE MISSION HAS ALWAYS BEEN ON ACADEMICS. WE HAVE LOST OUR FOCUS ON THE CORE MISSION. LAST WEEK, THE LEADERSHIP OF THE LARGEST TEACHER UNION IN THE COUNTRY SAID THEIR PILLARS ARE ADVOCATING FOR EDUCATION PROFESSIONALS. ELEVATING TEACHING PROFESSION. AND RACIAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE. INTERESTING I SEE. ACADEMICS WASN'T ON THE LIST AND DIDN'T MAKE THE CUT. 
          APPARENTLY ACADEMICS IS NOT THE PRIORITY FOR MOST OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS SCHOOL BOARD, EITHER. I THOUGHT THAT THE THAT IT WAS THE ENTIRE POINT OF THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM TO TEACH CHILDREN, ACADEMICS. AT THIS TIME IN HISTORY. ACADEMIC SCORES FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY OR AT ALL TIME LOWS. I KNOW THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISPUTE OVER THE DIFFERENT STANDARDS OF TESTING FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS, HOWEVER, THE BOARD IS FORGETTING THAT MANY CURRICULUMS HAVE BEEN IN LATE ELIMINATED ENTIRELY, SUCH AS CURSIVE, GEOGRAPHY AND WATER DOWN CIVIC LESSONS. ONE AMUSING FACEBOOK, MEMES SAID. CURSIVE IS BECOMING SECRET CODE FOR OLD PEOPLE. BY ELIMINATING THE TRADITIONAL ACADEMICS FROM THE PROGRAM. YOU WOULD THINK THAT 
          [01:20:02]
THE REMAINING ACADEMICS WOULD SEE A BOOST AND SCORES SINCE THE STUDENTS SHOULD HAVE MORE TIME TO FOCUS ON THEM. APPARENTLY NOT BECAUSE THE TESTING SCORES HAVE CONTINUED TO DROP. THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE IRODUCED DIVERSITY , EQUITY AND INCLUSION PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH ACADEMICS. THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE TRANSITIONING FROM TEACHING ACADEMICS TO CREATING ACTIVISTS. 
          ACTIVISM IS NOW THE FOCUS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ACCORDING TO THE TEACHERS, UNIONS. THE UNIONS HAVE NO CREDIBILITY. THE TEACHERS UNIONS DO NOT WANT TO NURTURE THE STUDENTS. THEY WANT TO USE THEM. CHILDREN OR A COMMODITY TO THEM. 50 YEARS AGO, CORRIE 10 BOOM WROTE QUOTE. WE ARE ASKING OUR CHILDREN TO CARRY LOADS THAT ARE WAY TOO HEAVY FOR THEM. THEY SHOULD NOT BE FORCED AS CHILDREN TO SEE AND FEEL THE WORLD THROUGH THE LENS OF AN ADULT. INNOCENCE IS WORTH PROTECTING AND FIGHTING FOR. WE NEED TO DO. OUR PART IS TEACHERS , PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS TO CARRY CERTAIN THINGS FOR THEM UNTIL THEY THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BEAR THE LOAD. END QUOTE. HOW MUCH MORE ARE WE ASKING CHILDREN TO CARRY TODAY THAN 50 YEARS AGO. THIS EXPLAINS WHY THE RATES OF THE ANXIETY STRESS DEPRESSION AND SUICIDES THAT ARE ALL TIME HIGHS. EDUCATION NEEDS TO RETURN TO FOCUSING ON ACADEMICS. THANK YOU. UM WE HAVE BENJAMIN HEUSER, FOLLOWED BY STELLA PETERS. GOOD EVENING. I'M BENJAMIN HEUSER. UM HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT TWO THINGS. NUMBER ONE ABOUT THE BUDGET. UM AS INFLATION HITS, ALL OF US. UM . I WOULD EXPECT ALL OF YOU TO DO WHAT I'M DOING, WHICH IS LIVING WITHIN MY MEANS. YOUR YOUR TEST SCORE. SUCK STRAIGHT UP. THEY SUCK. I'M NOT GIVING YOU A SINGLE MORE DIME UNTIL YOU IMPROVE. WHY IT'S LIKE OWNING A BEATER CAR AND THREW MORE MONEY INTO LIKE A NEW TRANSMISSION. NEW ENGINE WHEN I COULD JUST GO OUT AND GET ANOTHER CAR SO EVEN CHEAPER. THIS IS HORRIBLE. WE SHOULDN'T BE THROWN ANYMORE MONEY I STAND WITH BROADCASTING 100. I'M MOSTLY HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT POLICY. 10-0002 DEATHS 000 I WAS ADOPTED 12 10 2001 RECENTLY AMENDED IN 1 25 2005 HAS NOT BEEN SUPERSEDED. THIS IS ABOUT THE HARFORD COUNTY BOT CITIZEN ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE CURRENT MAKEUP INCLUDES REPRESENTATIVE HARFORD COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, HEART COUNTY COUNCIL, PARENT TEACHERS ASSOCIATION, HARPER COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATIONS, STUDENT COUNCILS, MEMBERS OF COMMUNITY AT LARGE FURTHER BREAKDOWNS THAT YOU MUST HAVE AT LEAST 15 MEMBERS APPOINTED BY THE COMMITTEE. UM BASED ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION. SO YOU NEED 15 MEMBERS. YOU ALSO NEED A BOARD APPOINTED LIAISON STAFF PROFESSIONAL CHAIRMAN AND A STUDENT MEMBER. THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED. RIGHT NOW. OUR COMMITTEES HAVE 50 PLUS MEMBERS. THEY DO NOT HAVE A BOARD APPOINTED LIAISON. THEY HAVE 123 BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS LITERALLY SERVING ON THE COMMITTEE'S NOT SUPPOSED TO THE COMMITTEE, THEN VOTES ON WHAT THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED OR PASS WHAT THEY'VE BEEN CHARGED TO DO, SUCH AS DIFFERENT TYPES OF CURRICULUM. PEOPLE WONDER HOW THINGS GET INTO THE CLASSROOM. 
          THAT'S HOW THEY HAPPEN. PASS AND COMMITTEE. NO ONE HERE GETS TO SEE ANYTHING. THERE'S NO BOARD VOTE. IT'S PASSING COMMITTEE. IT'S GARBAGE. THESE COMMITTEES ARE VOTING ON ITEMS THAT SHOULD BE RECOMMENDATIONS BROUGHT BEFORE THE BOARD AND VOTED ON TOTALITY, NOT BEHIND CLOSED DOORS WITH DIFFICULT MEETING TIMES, WHICH ENCOURAGES STAFF FROM HTTPS TO BE PART OF THESE COMMITTEES, AND NOT THE JOINED PUBLIC. OUR COMMITTEES VOTING ON SUCH THINGS SUCH AS CURRICULUM. 
          THEY'RE FORMED TO RESEARCH AND DISCUSS PROVIDE OPINIONS. RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD. NO BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD BE PRESIDING ON THE COMMITTEE, AND EACH COMMITTEE IS SUPPOSED TO BE CHARGED WITH A SPECIFIC JOB. AND TO BE DISBANDED WHEN THE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED. THIS SHOWS A LACK OF TRANSPARENCY AS A WHOLE. CURRENT LEADERSHIP OF THIS BOARD IS NOT ONLY VIOLENT, ITS OWN POLICY, BUT EVEN THE BASIC FRAMEWORK OF THIS POLICY. CURRENTLY, THE LEADERSHIP OF THIS BOARD ALLOWS EACH COMMITTEE TO VOTE TO MOVE ON POLICY CURRICULUM WITHOUT PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE. EITHER LEADERSHIP HAS TO GO OR SO IT IS A POLICY BUT OBVIOUSLY BOTH CANNOT COEXIST. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. SO TODAY, I'M GOING TO SPEAK ON THREE THINGS. 
          [01:25:05]
I DID NOT WRITE A SPEECH. BUT I DID MAKE SOME NOTES BECAUSE IF I DON'T, I'LL BE CHASING A SQUIRREL. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, POPPED UP. AND TODAY'S CONVERSATION FROM SOME OF THE BOARD MEMBERS WAS ABOUT BEING KIND AND I AGREE THAT THIS BOARD NEEDS TO BE KIND. NEED TO BE KIND TOWARDS ONE ANOTHER. SOMETIMES I HEAR. RUDE AND CONDON, SENDING DISCUSSIONS AND TALK AMONG EACH OTHER. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MORE RESPECT AMONG EVERYONE, DESPITE YOUR DIFFERENCES. WE ALL HAVE DIFFERENCES. WE DON'T AGREE ON EVERYTHING, BUT WE SHOULD BE RESPECTFUL. SO I CAME UP WITH THIS LEADERSHIP, ACCORDING TO GOOGLE MEANS THE ABILITY OF AN INDIVIDUAL A GROUP OR ORGANIZATION TO LEAD INFLUENCE OR GUIDE OTHER INDIVIDUALS, TEAMS OR ORGANIZATIONS. I DON'T SEE THAT. LACK OF LEADERSHIP IS QUITE EVIDENT HERE. INABILITY TO LEAD. LACK OF DIRECTION IN THIS BOARD FROM THE HIERARCHY AND THE LEADERSHIP STEMMING FROM A LEADER'S OWN LACK OF VISION. INCOMPETENCY. APATHY NEGATIVITY AND DYSFUNCTIONALITY. THIS HAS TO STOP AND IT HAS TO BE CORRECTED. THE SPORT HAS TO SHOW DO BETTER. I WANT TO ADDRESS EQUITIES. MY SECOND ITEM. LOTS OF TALK ABOUT EQUITY. IT'S FLAWED LOGIC. IT DOES NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. IT HAS A NEGATIVE IMPACT ON OUR CHILDREN SOCIALLY MENTALLY, MORALLY AND ACADEMICALLY. IT LOWERS THE BAR . IT IS A LEGALIZED THEFT, TAKING FROM ONE ANOTHER AND GIVING TO ANOTHER SOUND FAMILIAR . IT HAPPENED IN OUR SCHOOLS WHEN WE DID NOT ALLOW OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLERS TO GO ON A FIELD TRIP. THAT IS THE MEANING OF COMMUNISM. SECOND I WANT TO ADDRESS THE RAINBOW. IT BELONGS TO GOD. IT IS A COVENANT BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND IS RESERVED FOR GOD'S GLORY. JOHN 3. 16 TELLS US THAT GOD LOVED THE WORLD SO MUCH THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE SUSIE SCOTT REPRESENTED REPRESENTING A GROUP. PLEASE SAY THE NAME OF YOUR ORGANIZATION AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY . I'M SUSIE SCOTT AND I REPRESENT MOMS FOR LIBERTY, HARFORD COUNTY. OVER THE PAST SEVERAL BOARD MEETINGS, THERE'S BEEN A KEEN FOCUS ON GENDER IDEOLOGY. IN FACT, WE'RE BEING INUNDATED WITH THIS TOPIC EVERYWHERE ALL THE TIME. IT SEEMS, WHY IS IT THAT MOTHERS AND FATHERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY ARE BEING CONFRONTED WITH SCHOOLS PROMOTING TRANSGENDER IDEOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM? AND WHY DO THEY SOMETIMES COME TO FIND THE SCHOOL'S SOCIALLY TRANSITIONING THEIR CONFUSED CHILDREN? WITHOUT THEIR KNOWLEDGE OR CONSENT. MANY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE CRAFTED GENDER SUPPORT PLANS AND HAVE PURPOSELY HIDDEN THESE PLANS FROM PARENTS. SO HOW IS THIS BEING HANDLED IN HCPS? WELL USING THE H ASK HCPS FEATURE ON YOUR WEBSITE. I INQUIRED. WHERE CAN I FIND POLICY OR GUIDANCE THAT HCPSS FOLLOWING TO COUNSEL STUDENTS WITH GENDER DYSPHORIA? WHAT IS HCPS POLICY FOR COUNSELING STUDENTS WHO MAY BE QUESTIONING THEIR GENDER. THIS IS THE REPLY I RECEIVED AFTER, UM. CONFIRMING WITH THE APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENTS. WE WANTED TO ADVISE THAT HCPS DOES NOT HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE REGARDING GENDER SUPPORT. WITH ALL THE CONCERN THAT THIS BOARD PLACES ON POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, I FIND THIS RESPONSE TO BE A BIT DISINGENUOUS, WITH THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE APPEARING BEFORE THE BOARD TO SPEAK ABOUT GENDER DYSPHORIA AND THE AMOUNT OF ATTENTION THIS IS RECEIVING IN THE MEDIA. WE ARE BEING LED TO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS A HUGE CRISIS AFFECTING HARFORD COUNTY AND THE NATION. YET GENDER DYSPHORIA IS A RARE MEDICAL CONDITION. ACCORDING TO U C L. A. THIS CONDITION AFFECTS ABOUT 6/10 OF A PERCENT OF THE POPULATION, THE MOST CURRENT STATISTICS COMING FROM THE CDC SHOW THAT ABOUT 1.4% OF YOUTH AGE 13 TO 17, OR ABOUT 300,000. STUDENTS IN THE COUNTRY IDENTIFY AS TRANSGENDER. SO FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF CHILDREN 80 TO 90% GENDER DYSPHORIA IS SHORT TERM AND THEY WILL EVENTUALLY DESIST FROM IDENTIFYING AS THE OPPOSITE SEX. IF THEY ARE ALLOWED TO GO THROUGH PUBERTY. SO WHY IS OUR SCHOOL CURRICULUM BEING TAILORED FROM KINDERGARTEN TO INSTRUCT 
          [01:30:04]
CHILDREN ON GENDER IDENTITY IDEOLOGY? WHY DO THE LATEST MSD CURRICULUM GUIDELINES FOCUSED SO HEAVILY ON GENDER IDEOLOGY? AND WHY IS IT NOW? SUCH AN IMPERATIVE THAT NEW BOOKS BE PURCHASED FOCUSING ON GENDER IDEOLOGY TARGETED TWO GRADES? K THROUGH FIVE? THE CURRENT HARVARD COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER FEATURES A INCLUDES A FEATURE ON PRONOUNS WHERE THEY EXPLAINED, AND I QUOTE IT IS IMPORTANT FOR EDUCATORS TO UNDERSTAND THAT USING THE STUDENTS CHOSEN PRONOUNS IS IMPORTANT. IS IT AS IMPORTANT AS READING, MATH, SCIENCE WRITING OR HISTORY? BECAUSE THAT'S THE JOB WE HIRED YOU TO DO. PRONOUN ENFORCEMENT IS THE TICKET THAT PUTS A CHILD ON THE RUNAWAY TRANSGENDER TRAIN. NO SAME PARENT WANTS THEIR CHILD TO GO TO SCHOOL TO LEARN ABOUT GENDER IDENTITY. WE DON'T SEND OUR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL SO YOU CAN IMPLANT QUEER THEORY INTO THEIR BRAINS. BUT IF A PARENT PUSHES BACK AGAINST THIS INSANITY THEY'RE DEEMED UNSAFE AND THEIR HOME IS ABUSIVE . IF A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS THE REASONS FOR THIS SUDDEN FOCUS ON PRONOUNS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY'RE BULLIED AND INTIMIDATED BY THE TEACHERS UNIONS. ONCE THE CHILD GETS ON THE SAFETY AND INCLUSION EXPRESS. THERE ARE NO EXITS. THE ONLY TIME PARENTS ARE ALLOWED ON THIS RUNAWAY TRAIN IS IF THEY ACCEPT THIS DELUSION WITHOUT QUESTION. GENDER TRANSITION IS A PERILOUS PATH. DR STEPHEN LEVINE , A CLINICAL CLINICAL PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY AT CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY, DESCRIBES CHILDHOOD TRANSITIONS AS EXPERIMENTAL WITH HIGHLY UNPREDICTABLE EFFECTS ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, SUICIDALITY AND LIFE EXPECTANCY. DR. LEVIN HAS TESTIFIED IN MANY COURT CASES RELATING TO TRANSGENDER RIGHTS, AND HE STRONGLY ADVOCATES AGAINST ALLOWING SOCIAL TRANSITION FOR TRANSGENDER YOUTH DESCRIBE RIDING IT AS SETTING THEM ON A CONVEYOR BELT TO MEDICAL TRANSITION. AND AN EXPERT AFFIDAVIT, DR LEVIN STATED. 
          EDUCATORS DO NOT HAVE THE PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND EXPERIENCE NECESSARY TO GUIDE CHILDREN AND PARENTS THROUGH THE DIFFICULT AND POTENTIALLY LIFE ALTERING DECISIONS SURROUNDING SOCIAL TRANSITION TO A TRANSGENDER IDENTITY. NOR CAN THEY EFFECTIVELY FILL THE PLACE OF PARENTS IN THE COMPLEX PROCESS OF DIAGNOSIS AND THERAPEUTIC SUPPORT OF CHILDREN WHO SUFFER FROM GENDER DYSPHORIA. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE BOARD, THE PARENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY DEMAND THAT THE FOCUS OF THIS BOARD BE GIVEN TO IMPROVING ACADEMIC PROFICIENCY. 
          WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY AND ANY EFFORTS ON YOUR PART TO CAUSE THE CULT OF GENDER CONFUSION TO PROLIFERATE HERE WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. NEXT WE HAVE SAM O G, FOLLOWED BY EMMA PELLER. ALRIGHT SO FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS GREAT JOB, HARFORD COUNTY. THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTY. SO I JUST MOVED HERE IN NOVEMBER FROM BALTIMORE COUNTY. I WENT TO PARKSVILLE HIGH SCHOOL. I AM A SENIOR, AND, UH, NORTH HARFORD HIGH AND I'M CONCERNED WITH THE STATE OF MY SCHOOL DRESS CODE. AND BEING A YOUNG MAN. IT'S LIKE . IT'S HARD TO GO THERE AND NOT LIKE MY THOUGHTS NOT BE TAKEN OVER JUST BECAUSE OF HOW RAMPANT LIKE IT'S MIND BLOWING OUT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. MAYBE THE PARENTS DON'T LOOK AT THE GIRLS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THAT'S WHO IT AFFECTS MOST. BEFORE THEY LEAVE THE HOUSE OR I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT LIKE I DON'T KNOW, BUT I THINK IT'S WAY TOO LIBERAL AND ALLOWS FEW MORE STUDENTS THAT SHOW TOO MUCH SKIN. AND I CHARGED. WE CHANGED THE DRESS CODE AND I PROPOSE WE CHANGED THE DRESS CODE TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE BY BANNING SKIN TIGHT CLOTHING EXCESSIVELY SHORT SHORTS LIKE UP TO HERE LIKE IT'S MIND BLOWING. YOU CAN SEE THE BOTTOM OF THEIR BUTTS LIKE IT'S AND TO PROVIDE CONSEQUENCES FOR THOSE WHO VIOLATE THE NEW RULES. AND WE SHOULD NOT CONDONE PARTIAL NAKEDNESS IN OUR INSTITUTIONS. AND SPEAKING OF BEING IN AN INSTITUTION, I JUST BECAUSE I WANT TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR, AND I'M THINKING ABOUT IT FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, YOUR BUSINESS TO PRODUCE THE NEXT PRODUCTIVE HUMAN BEINGS RIGHT THAT WILL LIKE IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM A MORAL STANDPOINT, THE BETTER YOU ARE MORALLY. THE MORE PRODUCTIVE. YOU'RE ADULTS CAN BE RIGHT, THE BIBLE SAYS. TRAIT TRAINING CHILD FROM THE WAY IT SHOULD GO ANYWHERE, NOT DEPART FROM IT. YOU START YOUNG AND YOU TELL THESE GIRLS OKAY? YOU CAN LIKE, SHOW YOURSELF OFF. I JUST I JUST DON'T SEE HOW IT HELPS, YOU KNOW, AND I JUST THINK IF YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON EDUCATION 
          [01:35:04]
IF YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON LIKE WHY DON'T WE EMPOWER THESE WOMEN TO SEE THEMSELVES AS RESPONSIBLE WISE MOTHERS LIKE. WHAT HELPS THE NEXT GENERATION? I DON'T I DON'T SEE WHERE BASICALLY A THONG TO SCHOOL, HELPING THE NEXT GENERATION. AND I PLEAD, ESPECIALLY THE PARENTS BECAUSE IT'S OUR IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY . THE MEN, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY. WE ARE ALLOWING. 
          DEBAUCHERY. WE HAVE TO STOP. THERE'S AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO SEE SOMETHING SAY THIS IS BAD. 
          AND TURN AROUND. FOR OUR OWN GOOD. WE'RE NOT GONNA I DON'T. I'M NOT TRYING TO TAKE ANYONE'S CHOICE AWAY. BUT JUST THINK ABOUT OURSELVES. HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT US? THANK YOU . HELLO BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT BOLSON. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU THIS EVENING. UM ON A PERSONAL NOTE. I WANTED TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MR BROADLY TEACHER OF THE YEAR HE WAS MY A P GOVERNMENT TEACHER, AND, UH, HAS DEFINITELY MADE A LASTING IMPACT ON ME AND OTHER STUDENTS. BUT ULTIMATELY TONIGHT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE ARE CREATING. BOTH HERE AND THESE BOARD MEETINGS AND THE INEVITABLE TRICKLE INTO OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR CHILDREN WHO WATCH HOW THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM ARE BEHAVING. I MEAN, I HAVE TALKED TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS, AND THEY ARE AFRAID TO COME TO THESE MEETINGS. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY WILL BE RESPECTED. THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY WILL BE HEARD, AND THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY WILL BE SAFE. AND THE MISSION OF HCPS SHOULD BE TO CREATE A SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY ALL STUDENTS. OF ANY RACE, GENDER, SEXUAL ORIENTATION , GENDER IDENTITY, ANYTHING. TO BE ABLE TO BE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO SPEAK THEIR MIND AND TO LEARN I'M A NURSING STUDENT AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND IN NURSING . YOU TALK ABOUT READINESS TO LEARN. YOU CAN'T TEACH SOMETHING TO A PATIENT IF THEY ARE NOT READY TO LEARN IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE. IF THEY ARE EXCESSIVELY WORRIED IF THEY ARE IN PAIN IF THEY ARE NOT HAVING ALL OF THEIR MEETS MET, THEN THEY WILL NOT LEARN IN THE SHORT TERM AND IN THE LONG TERM, AND THAT IS THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT HTTPS IS CREATING FOR THESE CHILDREN. IF YOU DO NOT TAKE THE OPPORTUNITIES AND THE TIME TO AFFIRM THEM. AND ALL OF THEIR PARTS OF THEIR IDENTITY, BECAUSE IF THEY DO NOT FEEL SAFE AND I ASSURE YOU THAT LGBT STUDENTS DO NOT FEEL SAFE. IN SOME HCPS SCHOOLS. AND IF THEY DON'T FEEL SAFE, THEN THEY DO NOT LEARN, AND IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO RECTIFY THIS AND MAKE A WELCOMING SAFE ENVIRONMENT FOR ALL STUDENTS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU AGREE WITH THEM. THANK YOU. NEXT. WE HAVE DELAINE LEWIS, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTINA LYNN OSHA. HELLO. THANK YOU. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO REMIND ALL BOARD MEMBERS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITY AND DUTY. TO KEEP ALL STAKEHOLDERS PHYSICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY SAFE STUDENTS, TEACHERS AND STAFF. THAT MEANS PROVIDING A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. ONE THAT MEETS THE NEEDS OF THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT . THAT MEANS RESPECTING PARENTS WHO ASKED THE SCHOOL TO OBSERVE THE STUDENTS PREFERRED PRONOUNS. 
          THE PHRASE PARENTAL RIGHTS AND KINDNESS OR THROWN AROUND FREQUENTLY, BUT SEEMED TO HAVE ASTERIX ON THEM FOR BOARD MEMBER ALVAREZ. WE HAVE VIDEO OF SEEKING TO THWART APPEARANCE, DESIRE TO HAVE A CHILD'S PRONOUNS RESPECTED. IT IS NOT YOUR JOB TO JUDGE ANY STUDENT FACULTY OR STAFF OR PARENT OR GUARDIAN ON THEIR GENDER IDENTITY. IT IS YOUR JOB TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT. QUARTERBACK EDUCATION MEMBER, HAN WENT OUT OF HER WAY AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING TO MENTION EASTER. NO NEED TO DO THAT. BUT DOING THAT AND FAILING TO MENTION PASSOVER AND RAMADAN SAYS LOUD AND CLEAR WHO YOU VALUE AND WHO 
          [01:40:07]
YOU DON'T BULLYING AND ISOLATING ARE QUEER AND MINORITY COMMUNITIES. SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED AND SHOULD BE FOUGHT AT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY. THE PEOPLE WHO WERE COMING AND SPEAKING AT THESE BOARD MEETINGS AND OPPOSITION TO THE HATE FILLED COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE HEARD OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THEY ARE COMING IN RESPONSE TO THAT THEY ARE LYING ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING IN OUR SCHOOLS. AND SO WE'RE HERE TO PRESENT AN ALTERNATIVE VOICE. SO THAT OTHER PEOPLE LISTENING AND WATCHING AND WHO HAVE STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE HEARING OUR LIVES. THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DIVERTING FROM THE CORE JOB OF EDUCATION OR THOSE WHO STAND UP HERE, MEETING AFTER MEETING AND SPEW LIES ABOUT WHAT BOOKS ARE BEING USED TO DEMONIZE TEACHERS AND ANYONE WHO IS NOT A WHITE CHRISTIAN I'M A CHRISTIAN. BUT I PRAY TO GOD THAT YOUR CHRISTIAN VALUES NEVER TAKE HOLD IN OUR PUBLIC EDUCATION SYSTEM. NO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS. I DO PRAY THAT THE CHILDREN WILL LEAD US. THANK YOU. 
          YES WE DO NEED GOD BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS. REGARDING YOUR ALLOWING THE SEXUALIZATION OF OUR CHILDREN BY EXPOSING THEM TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT READING MATERIALS AND PORNOGRAPHIC BOOKS . ALSO REGARDING THE GENDER IDEOLOGY LIES THAT YOU ALLOW OUR CHILDREN TO BE TAUGHT. SECOND CHRONICLES 7 14 IF MY PEOPLE WHO ARE CALLED BY MY NAME WILL COME HUMBLE THEMSELVES AND PRAY AND SEEK MY FACE AND TURN FROM THEIR WICKED WAYS AND I WILL HEAR FROM HEAVEN AND I WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN AND WILL HEAL THEIR LAND. SYRAH 46 11. THE JUDGES ALSO WHAT THEIR RESPECTIVE NAMES THOSE WHOSE HEARTS DID NOT FALL INTO IDOLATRY, AND HE DID NOT TURN AWAY FROM THE LORD MADE A MEMORY D BLESSED I SAY IF I HAVE 20 WELL TO THOSE WHO CALL EVIL, GOOD AND GOOD EVIL WHO PUT DARKNESS FOR LIGHT AND LIGHT FOR DARKNESS, WHO PUT BITTER FOR SWEET AND SWEET FOR BITTER YOU ARE ABUSING OUR CHILDREN BY HOLDING OUR CHILDREN, HOSTAGE ALLY, SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND SEXUALIZATION, MAKING OUR CHILDREN VULNERABLE TO SEXUAL ABUSE ACCIDENTS. 91 LET MY PEOPLE GO. YOU HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN FROM HARM AND ALLOWING THIS EVIL IN OUR SCHOOLS IS PUTTING THEM IN HARM'S WAY. PLEASE FULFILL THIS OBLIGATION. 
          YOU MUST STOP LYING TO OUR CHILDREN, TELLING THEM THAT THERE ARE MORE THAN TWO GENDERS AND THAT THEY MAY CHANGE THEIR BIRTH GENDER IF THEY CHOOSE. TRUTH REMAINS THE TRUTH, NO MATTER IF YOU SAY OTHERWISE. AND YOU ARE CONFUSING OUR CHILDREN IN AN ALREADY VERY CONFUSING TIME FOR THEM. WE LOVE OUR CHILDREN ENOUGH TO RAISE THEM IN TRUTH, AND WE EXPECT THAT NOT TO BE CHALLENGED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE EXPECT THAT BECAUSE THESE ARE OUR CHILDREN, NOT YOURS, AND PARENTS HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE HOW THEIR CHILDREN ARE RAISED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO LIE TO YOUR OWN CHILDREN, I CANNOT PREVENT THAT. BUT TO INDOCTRINATE ALL THE CHILDREN IN YOUR CARE IS NOT IN YOUR PURVIEW. YOUR JOB IS TO SPEND OUR TAX DOLLARS DOLLARS, MAKING SURE OUR CHILDREN CAN READ. WRITE AND DO MATH, ALL OF WHICH IS NOT HAPPENING, ACCORDING TO THE LATEST PROFICIENCY RATES. SECOND THESSALONIANS TO THE COMING OF THE LAWLESS ONE WILL BE IN ACCORDANCE WITH HOW SATAN WORKS. HE WILL USE ALL SORTS OF DISPLAYS OF POWERS THROUGH SIGNS AND WONDERS THAT SERVED THE LIE AND ALL THE WAYS OF WICKEDNESS DECEIVES THOSE WHO ARE PERISHING. THEY PERISH BECAUSE THEY REFUSED TO LOVE THE TRUTH AND SO BE SAVED. FOR THIS REASON GOD SENDS HIM A PAIR A PAIR OF POWERFUL DELUSIONS, SO THEY WILL BELIEVE THE LIE. AND SO THAT ALL WILL BE CONDEMNED TO HAVE NOT BELIEVED THE TRUTH BUT HAVE DELIGHTED IN WICKEDNESS. EPHESIANS 5 11 HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FRUITLESS DEEDS OF DARKEST BUT RATHER EXPOSE THEM. JESUS SAID IN LUKE 17 TO IT WOULD BE BETTER FOR THEM TO BE THROWN INTO THE SEA WITH THE MILLSTONE TIED AROUND THEIR NECK AND TO CAUSE ANY OF THESE LITTLE ONES TO STUMBLE. HE ALSO SAID IN MARK 8 36. WHAT GOOD IS IT FOR SOMEONE TO GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD YET FORFEIT THEIR SOUL. PLEASE SAVE YOURSELVES AND OUR CHILDREN . ALSO GOD BLESS YOU ALL WITH WISDOM AND COURAGE TO STAND FOR GOD AND OUR CHILDREN. NEXT. WE HAVE CHARLES HICKS FELLED BY BERNADETTE ZAGORSKI. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHUCK HICKS. I'M A COUNTY RESIDENT WITH FAMILY MEMBERS AND PRE K THROUGH 12 AND HARFORD COUNTY. BUT I'M ALSO A TAXPAYER, AND I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER BECAUSE, UH, WE HAVE REALLY GOOD REASONS TO LISTEN TO TAXPAYER. I'VE LISTENED FOR YEAR TO CONCERNED PARENTS OFFERING REASONABLE ARGUMENTS AS TO WHY 
          [01:45:02]
BAD STUFF SHOULD BE TAKEN OUT OF THE SCHOOLS, STUFF LIKE NURTURING GENDER CONFUSION IN DEVELOPING MINDS, BOLD AND DIVISIVE RACE BAITING THROUGH STATE MANDATED CRITICAL RACE THEORY. WELL WHAT I'VE LEARNED IS THAT ARGUMENT FROM REASON ISN'T CHANGING ANYTHING. THE BOARD ISN'T LISTENING OR PROCESSING OR EVEN SEEMING TO CARE. THE RESULTS SHOW THAT SO THIS EVENING. I'M GOING TO TRY SOMETHING DIFFERENT THIS TIME. I'M GOING TO APPEAL TO YOUR PERSONAL AND COLLECTIVE CONSCIENCES TO THAT VOICE INSIDE THAT SIMPLY WILL NOT TOLERATE EVIL. TO DO THAT. I NEED YOU TO GO BACK TO YOUR EARLIEST RELIGIOUS TRAINING TO THE 10 COMMANDMENTS. THESE COMMANDMENTS ARE CALLED THE NATURAL LAW BECAUSE THEY CAUSE ARE NATURE'S TO FUNCTION AS INTENDED BY OUR CREATOR. THEY FORMED THE CORE OF WHO WE ARE AS HUMAN BEINGS. 
          SERIOUS RELIGIOUS PEOPLE EMBRACE THE 10 COMMANDMENTS JOYFULLY. THEY SEE THE LAW OF GOD REFLECTED REFLECTED IN WHAT HE HAS CREATED. HOWEVER EVEN IN RELIGIOUS, SEE THE GOODNESS IN THEM AND COME TO WANT THAT GOODNESS IN THEIR LIVES, WHICH IS EVANGELIZATION. SO WITH THESE COMMANDMENTS IN MIND, I WANT TO EXAMINE A COUPLE OF REAL IN SCHOOL SITUATIONS AND YOU'VE HEARD THEM ALREADY THIS EVENING. YOU SUPPORT THESE PRACTICES, BUT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE, YOU SHOULD NOT SUPPORT THESE PRACTICES. JUST A LITTLE OF THE BAD STUFF THAT I MENTIONED ABOVE. CONSIDER THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT AND SOME ADVICE THAT THE BOARD CLEARLY SUPPORTS. EXAMPLE A CHILD IS CURIOUS ABOUT TRANSGENDER ISSUES . THE BOARD SAYS HE OR SHE CAN CHOOSE THEIR IN SCHOOL PRONOUNS , AND THE PARENTS DON'T NEED TO KNOW. OR AN OLDER STUDENT SAYS THEIR INNER PERSON HAS THE WRONG BODY. YOU SUPPORT THE QUESTION THE QUEST FOR TRANSGENDER THERAPY OR EVEN SURGERY THAT MEAN EXACTLY IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE, BUT IT'S THERE. WITHOUT PARENTAL NOTIFICATION THAT HAPPENS OR THE BOARD APPROVES PORN AVAILABILITY IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES. WHERE DOES THAT PUT YOUR CONSCIENCE WITH REGARD SOMETHING LIKE THE SIXTH COMMANDMENT. THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES GLEANED FROM PARENT CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD TONIGHT AND I'VE HEARD HERE. WHAT I WANT IS FREE TO ASK YOURSELVES AT SOME QUIET MOVEMENT. WHETHER IN GOOD CONSCIENCE YOU CAN CONTINUE TO AUTHORIZE. THESE ARE EVEN MORE IMMORAL PRACTICES IN YOUR SCHOOLS. TRUTH BE TOLD. YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL PARENTS STUFF. IT HAS NO PLACE IN THE SCHOOL AT ALL. IN YOUR CONSCIENCE. YOU KNOW THIS? MY MOM USED TO SAY TO ME GROWING UP THAT YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE. STILL GOOD VOICE. LET YOUR CONSCIENCE BE YOUR GUIDE AND THANK YOU. 
          SARAH BERNADETTE SIKORSKI. 
          FOR SUPERINTENDENT. UM I'M THE CURSE OF WRITING LADY AND I HAVE ATTENDED SEVERAL OF YOUR MEETINGS WHERE I BROUGHT THE CURSE OF WRITING WORKBOOK WITH ME AND I HAVE SENT YOU ALL THROUGH THE WEBSITE, UM, AN EMAIL ASKING FOR YOUR COMMENTS ON. CURSIVE WRITING. WILL IT BE PUT BACK IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? AND I DON'T BELIEVE I RECALL HEARING FROM ANYBODY. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE BUSY WITH THE BUDGET, HOWEVER COURTESY EMAIL REPLY BACK BUT HAVE BEEN GREATLY APPRECIATE IT AS I TOOK THE TIME TO ATTEND THESE MEETINGS AND TO ADDRESS YOU THROUGH THE WEBSITE. 
          UM. THE REST OF THE TIME. I'M GOING TO SPEND JUST MAKING SEVERAL OBSERVATIONS. UM AS ATTENDING THESE MEANS THESE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS HAVE BEEN A REAL EYE OPENER FOR ME. I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE BOARD APPROVED BOOKS EARMARKED FOR THE LIBRARY CLASSROOMS WITHOUT REVEALING THEM INDIVIDUALLY. I BELIEVE I HEARD THAT THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH NOT HAVING A LIST AND JUST WHOLESALE APPROVING. BOOKS FROM A CERTAIN PUBLISHER. ALL I KNOW IS I WOULD BE FIRED FROM MY JOB IF I DID NOT COMPLETE MY DUE DILIGENCE ON TASKS ASSIGNED TO ME. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN JUSTIFY JUST APPROVING BOOKS SITE ON SCENE. UM AS AN EMPLOYEE IN THE FINANCE SECTOR. I FIND IT VERY DISTURBING THAT THERE'S SUCH PREOCCUPATION WITH SOCIAL ISSUES . THE STUDENTS ARE NOT PREPARED FOR THE WORK WORLD. I WORK IN BANKING. WE SEE IT. WE CAN'T KEEP TELLERS HIRED THAT COME IN . THERE'S NO CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS. THERE'S HARDLY EVEN ANY 
          [01:50:03]
MATH SKILLS. AND THE PREOCCUPATION WITH WANTING TO STAY ON THEIR PHONES DURING THE WORK DAY. IT'S JUST REALLY DISTURBING. THERE'S NO INITIATIVE. THERE'S JUST COMPLETE LACK. AND I'M NOT PUTTING THAT ALL ON YOU, BUT WE'VE GOT TO GET SOME BACK TO SOME KIND OF BASIC SKILL SET FOR THE STUDENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE FAILING IN THE WORKPLACE. UM TO SAM'S POINT ADDRESS CODE WOULD BE PERFECT PERFECT FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO PUT IN PLACE BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE BUSINESS WORLD REQUIRES. IT'S AN EMPLOYEE MANUAL. YOU CANNOT DRESS THE WAY. SAM JUST DESCRIBED HOW THE HOW THE GIRLS DRESSED FOR SCHOOL. WHAT ARE WE DOING? WE'RE SETTING THEM UP AGAIN FOR FAILURE. SO AGAIN, ALL THIS EMPHASIS ON SOCIAL ENGINEERING CAN POTENTIALLY STRIPPING AWAY PARENTS. PARENTAL RIGHTS. HOW IS IT EVEN APPROPRIATE IN THE CLASSROOMS FOR TEACHERS TO DISCUSS GENDER TRANSITIONING WITH MINORS? SO I JUST WANT TO CLOSE BY THANKING YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME, BUT I LOOK FORWARD TO A DAY WHEN WE HAVE NEW APPOINTEES ON THE BOARD. THAT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE RECEPTIVE TO GETTING BACK TO THE STRESS OF ACADEMICS, ACADEMICS, ACADEMICS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. PRESIDENT MILLER. THAT'S ALL THE M PERSON SPEAKERS. THANK YOU. UM MS GILLIAN LATER. CAN YOU PLEASE BEGIN VIRTUAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS? YES. THANK YOU, DR MUELLER. AND IT'S JUST TAKING A MOMENT AND I THINK NOW WE HAVE THE NUMBER IN HERE. GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. YOUR TIME WILL CONCLUDE IN THREE MINUTES. YOU WILL HEAR A BELL RING WHEN YOU HAVE 30 SECONDS REMAINING, PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT NOW. 
          GOOD EVENING. I AM CRYSTAL DON PARK. MY PRONOUNS. OUR SHE HER. MY HEART ACHES WITH DISAPPOINTMENT AND FEAR OVER REVIEWING THE BUDGET ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. IT WILL IMPACT EVERY CHILD. EVERY FUTURE. PLEASE KNOW THAT THE COMMUNITY ISN'T UPSET AND ORGANIZING ADVOCATE. CITIZENS TO DIRECT SHOULD DIRECT BUDGET FEEDBACK TO THE COUNTY COUNCIL IN ADVANCE OF THE BUDGET. BOTH. THEY ARE THE INDIVIDUALS THAT REPRESENT AND LET'S BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. HOLDING ELECTED OFFICIALS ACCOUNTABLE IS PERHAPS THE GREATEST FREEDOM ARE RIGHT PROVIDE TO CITIZENS. FOR BOARD OF EDUCATION MEMBERS. WE EXPECT TRANSPARENCY, ETHICAL CONDUCT AND NON PARTISAN ACTIONS. YOU WERE AT THE SERVICE. YES. 
          SERVANT. OF THE COMMUNITIES YOU REPRESENT. COMMUNITIES THAT ARE DIVERSE. REPRESENTATION IS FOR ALL. SOME OF YOU RAN ON A PLATFORM THAT EMPHASIZED OPEN COMMUNICATION WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STAKEHOLDERS. JUST STRENGTHEN RETENTION. I WAS EXTREMELY CONCERNED TO LEARN THAT THE UNIONS ARE AWAITING A CONVERSATION THAT APPEARS TO BE ON HOLD INDEFINITELY WITH AT LEAST ONE OF YOU. HOPEFULLY THAT CAN BE SCHEDULED PROPERLY. THE COMMUNITY IS LOOKING FORWARD TO UPCOMING TOWN HALLS AS WELL TO DISCUSS CONCERNED PLEASE LET US KNOW IF THOSE END UP CANCELED. THANK YOU FOR THE ACCESSIBILITY CHANGES THAT ARE OCCURRING ACROSS PLATFORMS, ALTHOUGH THEY MAY BE MINOR, AND SOME MAY NOT NOTICE. THESE ENSURE THAT THE LIFE FOLLOWED AND EVERY CITIZEN IS SEEN. HEARD. AND VALUED. HARFORD STANDS AGAINST EIGHT. 
          BLACK LIVES MATTER. LOVE IS LOVE. NOTHING ABOUT US WITHOUT US. GOOD NIGHT. PRESIDENT MUELLER THAT CONCLUDES OUR VIRTUAL COMMENTS FOR THE EVENING. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AS WE'RE ALREADY TWO HOURS INTO THE MEDIA AND HAVE QUITE MORE ON OUR AGENDA. I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST A 10 MINUTE BREAK AND THEN HAVE SEAT. IT'S TIME TO START THE MEETING AGAIN. FIVE BUCKS 
          [01:55:04]
APIECE. WHAT I SUGGEST. THANK YOU. EVERY SHORTAGE CREATES AN OPPORTUNITY. TAKE A MOMENT TO MENTION A POINT OF ORDER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEDIUM WHEN WE WERE VOTING ON THE AGENDA IS ASKED PEOPLE TO COME BACK GOING. LET'S ROLL AT THE BEGINNING WHEN I ASKED FOR PEOPLE TO VOTE ON THE AGENDA, EMOTION WAS MADE TO REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA THAT WAS OUT OF ORDER. I DID, I GAMBLED. HAVE TO GAVEL LOUDER. AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEDIA MOTION WAS MADE TO REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA , WHICH WAS OUT OF ORDER. WE WERE VOTING ON THE ENTIRE AGENDA AT THAT POINT ANY BOARD MEMBER CAN REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA WITHOUT A VOTE. 
          [D. Consent Agenda]
AT THAT TIME, WE CAN ALSO VOTE TO PUT THAT ITEM BACK ON FOR CONSIDERATION. SO RIGHT NOW IT IS MR SEWELL'S TIME TO READ THE CONSENT AGENDA. ALRIGHT SO TONIGHT THE CONSENT AGENDA CONSISTS OF THE RATIFICATION OF THE HC. A TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS, WHICH CONSISTS OF BOTH THE CERTIFICATED BARGAINING UNIT AND THE CERTIFICATED BARGAINING UNIT AND EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS. WE ALSO HAVE A RESOLUTION OF PASTOR MARK NOLAN SERVICE ON THE ETHICS PANEL, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARPER COUNTY. DO I HAVE A MOTION TO IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA? THIS IS NOAH BLINKEN MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA. THANK YOU. DO I HAVE A SECOND? AND SECOND THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AGAIN. I HAVE TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, SINCE APPARENTLY , I'M SUPPOSED TO MOTION AT THIS POINT IN TIME. NO ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS SAY THAT AS A BOARD MEMBER, YOU WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE AN ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA . THAT'S WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED. 
          RIGHT. OKAY SO AS A MEMBER I WOULD LIKE TO REMOVE AND ITEMS FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA DUE TO LACK OF TIME TO REVIEW THE INFORMATION WAS THE AGENDA ALREADY. JUST THE AGENDA ITEM IS, UM THE RATIFICATION OF HC TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS BECAUSE THE INFORMATION. IT DOESN'T WORK. 
          THAT ITEM WAS ONLY RECEIVED BECAUSE DOESN'T NEED A DISCUSSION THAT DOES NOT NEED TO BE A DISCUSSION. SO ALL YOU DID WAS YOU REMOVE THAT ITEM FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH I'M NOT SURE ABOUT THE ORDER BECAUSE THERE IS ALREADY IN MOTION AND THE SECOND TO ACCEPT IT AND ITS ENTIRETY. BY NATURE EVICTED. ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS CONSENT, SO MS ALVAREZ HAS STATED, AND IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT OF A CONFUSING EVENING WITH THE EARLIER REMARKS, BUT MISS ALVAREZ DOES HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE AS A BOARD MEMBER TO REMOVE IT WITHOUT A VOTE WITHOUT DISCUSSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU CLEAR THAT'S REMOVING FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA, BUT IT CAN MOVE INTO THE CORRECT THEN IT MOVES INTO JUST A REGULAR ITEM TO BE VOTED ON. YES THANK YOU. I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I'M TRYING . SOME OF THESE THINGS GET A LITTLE CONFUSING SOMETIMES BECAUSE THEY HAPPEN OUT OF ORDER. SO THIS WILL BE FOR APPROVAL OF THE CONSENT AGENDA WITH ITEM ONE REMOVED, SO WE'RE JUST VOTING ON THE RESOLUTION OF PASTOR MARK NOLAN'S SERVICE AND THE ETHICS PANEL OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY. SO WE'VE HAD A MOTION AND A SECOND, UM ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SIGNIFIED BY SAYING YES. YES, OPPOSED. OKAY SO NOW THAT FIRST 
          [D.1. Ratification of HCEA Tentative Agreements]
ITEM MOVES ON TO THE REGULAR AGENDA, AND IT'S THE RATIFICATION OF THE H C E A TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS. SO IS THERE DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RATIFICATION OF THE CE A TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS. THERE IS I HAVE SOME COMMENTS ON THE FIRST WE NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND BEFORE WE CAN HAVE DISCUSSIONS, EMOTION TO DISCUSS THE ITEM. NO YOU CAN'T MOVE. 
          MOVE MOVED TO APPROVED THE I DON'T NUMBER IT'S DO ONE. THE ONE ON THE AGENDA THAT WAS MOVED TO THE REGULAR, UM, AGENDA. RATIFICATION OF THE HCG A TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS. THANK YOU . DO I HAVE A SECOND? THIS IS NO LINK AND I SECOND OKAY. NOW WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION. SO I UNDERSTOOD THAT IF YOU MAKE A MOTION, IF YOU MOTION IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU'RE AND JUST FOR CLARIFICATION. YOU MAKE A MOTION DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU AGREE WITH THE ITEM CORRECT. AND THE PERSON WHO MAKES THE MOTION GETS TO SPEAK FIRST OR SOMETHING IS THAT ROBERT'S RULES ALWAYS LET YOU 
          [02:00:05]
SPEAK FIRST. AND OKAY, WELL, NOW I MEAN, I THOUGHT THAT ACTUALLY , ROBERT SWIRLS FROM THE THAT WHOEVER MAKES THE MOTION TO ACCEPT THE DISCUSSION IS THE ONE THAT SPEAKS FIRST AND THEN IN TURN, AND THE AND THAT IS CORRECT, BUT THEN YOU SPEAK ONCE YOU DON'T KEEP ON SPEAKING FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY HAS A TURN TO SPEAK. AND THEN AFTER EVERYBODY HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, THEN THERE CAN BE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS. AFTER THAT OPPORTUNITY IS AFFORDED TO EVERY MEMBER. SO THIS IS YOUR DISCUSSION TIME. OKAY, ALRIGHT, SO UM, I. NOT GIVEN A WHOLE LOT OF TIME TO LOOK AT THE AMENDED ARTICLE. I FIND NUMBER TWO UM, ADDITIONS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED UNPRECEDENTED THAT IN ANY JOB I HAVE EVER SEEN THAT AN EMPLOYEE WHO IS BEING SUBJECT TO QUESTIONABLE. DISCIPLINE THAT THEY WOULD BE AFFORDED. COMPENSATION. FOR THE WHOLE. 
          TIME PERIOD, UNTIL WHICH TIME THEY GET TO GO TO HAVE DUE PROCESS. AND AS ANY WELL. 
          LAWYERS MAY NOT GETTING IN GETTING SOMETHING IN THE COURT TAKES TIME. SO UM, IF THERE'S IF THERE ARE CIRCUMSTANCES TYPICALLY, I WOULD THINK THE COMPENSATION WOULD NOT BE AFFORDED TO THAT INDIVIDUAL. UM LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE WERE VISUAL PROOF THAT THAT THE INDIVIDUAL DID SOMETHING OF A MATTER THAT WAS OF GRAVE CONSEQUENCES THAT, UM BAD. 
          COMPENSATION WOULD BE PAUSED. NOW, HOWEVER, IF THEY'RE FOUND UM AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME IF THEY'RE FOUND NOT GUILTY, PERHAPS THERE COULD BE A TIME WHEN THEY WOULD THEN RECEIVE BACK PAY. UM BUT THE WAY THAT THIS IS WORDED IS THAT THEY WILL RECEIVE COMPENSATION. ALL THE WAY THROUGH UNTIL DUE PROCESS. SO AND WE KNOW LIKE AND MOST GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES GOVERNMENT JOBS ARE MOST JOBS ONCE THE CHECK IS SENT. YOU DON'T GET IT BACK. SO UM, SO YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT THIS EDITION IS REALLY, UM, JUST. REALLY UM NOT FAIR TO THE TAXPAYERS. UM. AND IT ALSO GOES ON TO SAY THAT THERE ARE ADVISED OF THEIR RIGHT TO REPRESENTATION. AND I'M WONDERING, DOES THAT MEAN THAT ALSO, THE TAXPAYERS HAVE TO PAY FOR THEIR REPRESENTATION AS WELL AND PAY FOR THE LEGAL COUNSEL WHEN AN EMPLOYEE IS BEING UM, CHARGED WITH SOME THINGS OF A DISCIPLINARY NATURE? SO I'M I HAVE SOME ISSUES ABOUT THE AMENDMENT. UM AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND. THE I WASN'T INVOLVED WITH THE DISCUSSIONS OF ADDING THIS TO, UM ARTICLE 22.1 . BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THIS WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE TAXPAYERS WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF. THANK YOU. MRS BRUCE. I GUESS THE QUESTION THAT I HAVE IS THIS, UM HOW IS YOU? WE LOOKED AT THIS. AND WE HAD ALL THE INFORMATION ON THIS. AND I DEPART THAT. I'M SORRY, CAROL . YOU'RE NOT PULLING UP THE DOCUMENT THAT WE RECEIVED. SO THIS IS THE DOCUMENT THAT I'M REFERRING TO. WE JUST GOT THIS AT FIVE O'CLOCK. SO THIS WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAD RECEIVED PRIOR. THAT'S MY QUESTION. DO YOU HAVE THE PRIOR DOCUMENT PULLED UP? BECAUSE I JUST HAVE IT. HAVE IT THAT YOU KNOW THIS IS WHAT WE CONCLUDED AND AGREED UPON. AND THAT'S WHAT WE DIDN'T HAVE A LOT OF DISCUSSION ON THE WHOLE NEGOTIATED, UH, YOU KNOW. WE DID , AND THERE WERE PARAMETERS FOR THAT. YEAH BUT DO I HAVE THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT MEMORIZED? NO SO WHEN WAS WHEN WAS THE ADDITIONS ADDED, IS THE QUESTION THAT I WOULD HAVE THAT MS ALVAREZ IS TALKING ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS, AS SHE SAYING IT WAS ADDED TODAY. NO. FEBRUARY 10TH IS THE DATA ON THE DOCUMENT THAT WE JUST GOT TODAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK. AM I ALLOWED TO ANSWER 
          [02:05:02]
? I DON'T MEAN THAT. BUT BUT BUT THE DOCUMENT THAT WE GOT IN FEBRUARY WE WENT OVER MY QUESTION WE DID. OKAY? THAT'S ALL I HAVE. MR FAN. I DON'T EVEN SEE THE DOCUMENT THAT DIANE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHERE TO FIND THAT? BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IT IS ON THE ON THE CURRENT AGENDA. AND IT IS THE SECOND LENGTH THAT WAS AT IT. 
          IT'S THE SECOND EXHIBIT UNDER UM, DR ALFRED HEYZER AND UP WE SHOULD GET DR. TENTATIVE AGREEMENT H C E, A TENTATIVE AGREEMENT. I HAVE NOT SEEN THIS AT ALL. SHE'S RAISED HER HAND, PLEASE. UM CAN WE LET MAY OF THE DOCTOR ALFIE ANSWER, PLEASE. GO AHEAD, DR ALFRED. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. UM, THE LATE EDITION IS NOT A CHANGE TO ANYTHING. UM, MS ALVAREZ REACHED OUT AND WANTED TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CONTRACT. WHAT THE CONTRACT ACTUALLY SHOWS THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT THAT WAS ADDED THIS AFTERNOON WAS JUST THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION. IT SHOWS THE COLA THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD BACK IN DECEMBER. AND THEN THE LANGUAGE ITEMS AND EACH EVERYTHING ON THAT WAS REVIEWED BY THE BOARD IN CLOSED SESSION. THERE IS NO CHANGES TO THAT IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN WE MET. THAT'S JUST WHICH WHICH MEETING WAS THAT DECEMBER. WE MET ORIGINALLY IN NOVEMBER, AND THEN WE MET AGAIN ONCE A NEW BOARD MEMBERS WERE ON AND THEN WE CAME AGAIN. UM, AFTER WE HAD SOME FINAL LANGUAGE TO GO THROUGH, BUT IN CLOSED SESSION, WE WENT THROUGH EVERY LINE ITEM FROM THE AGREEMENT DURING NEGOTIATIONS. THERE IS NO CHANGE TO THAT. AND THAT'S NOT REACHED OUT TODAY AND ASKED FOR THE TENTATIVE AGREEMENT SO SHE COULD SEE THE CHANGES. SO THAT WAS ADDED AS AN ADDITION THIS AFTERNOON AND THAT WAS THE DECEMBER 5TH MEETING OR THE DECEMBER WHAT WAS THE OTHER? IT WAS ACTUALLY IN NOVEMBER, WHEN WE STARTED WITH THE UH, WITH THE PARAMETERS SO THAT WE COULD GO TO THE TABLE IN DECEMBER BEFORE THE BEFORE THE BOARD WAS APPOINTED, AND BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE MET SINCE THEN. AND WHAT DATE WAS THAT AGAIN? I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY TO HAVE TO PULL UP MY SCHEDULE TO LOOK THAT WE HAVE MET AT LEAST ONE TIME SINCE THE NEW BOARD WAS SEATED. I KNOW THAT IT WAS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA LAST MONTH TO GO INTO I UNDERSTOOD IT TO GO IN TO DISCUSSIONS. UM, BUT THAT WAS NOT THE RESULT OF THE DISCUSSIONS. NO THEY LIKE THE LAST MONTH WITH THE BOARD AGREED TO WHERE THE, UM THE NEW AGREEMENTS WITH ABSTRACT CATS BELL AND ASKED ME SO THOSE WERE APPROVED. WE DID NOT HAVE HCEA AT THAT TIME THEY WERE RATIFIED , BUT THEY WEREN'T RATIFIED UNTIL THAT WEEKEND, SO IT WAS TOO LATE TO THE AGENDA. SO THE THREE CONTRACTS THAT WERE APPROVED LAST MONTH BY THE BOARD WAR FOR OUR EH AND S UNIT, OUR MINIMUM MINISTRATIONS AND SUPERVISORS, WHICH IS THE ABSOLUTE AGREEMENT. OUR CENTRAL OFFICE. NON CERTIFICATED ADMINISTRATORS ARE CATS VAH AND ARE ASKED ME WHICH IS OUR CUSTODIANS AND TECHNOLOGY AND CUSTODIAN GROUP. THOSE CONTRACTS WERE ALL RATIFIED BY THE BOARD LAST MONTH AND THEN THE TEACHERS UNION. WE ITEMS OF PEACE AND THE COLA AND THEN THE BENEFITS PIECE, WHICH WAS FOR ALL HC A ARE THE EXACT SAME BENEFITS THAT WERE RATIFIED BY THE BOARD LAST MONTH FOR THE OTHER THREE UNITS. THANK YOU, DR AL FREE. DID YOU HAVE MORE COMMENTS? MRS HAN? I DON'T RECALL SEEING THIS DOCUMENT SO I MEAN, I. I DON'T RECALL SEEING THIS. UM. AND I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING ON SOMETHING. IF I HAVEN'T SEEN THAT PREVIOUSLY, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW WHEN WE SAW IT PREVIOUSLY SO THAT I COULD LOOK AT THE INFORMATION BECAUSE I DO NOT RECALL SEEING THIS SPECIFIC DOCUMENTATION. SO IT WAS GONE OVER IN A CLOSED SESSION ON LANGUAGE ISSUES ON THE CONTRACT . WE DID DO THAT THE ORIGINAL PARAMETERS FOR THIS WERE GONE OVER IN NOVEMBER BECAUSE THIS WAS UNPRECEDENTED TO HAVE A 
          [02:10:02]
BOARD SEATED IN DECEMBER IN ORDER FOR THEM TO HAVE TIME TO DO THE NEGOTIATIONS AND GET IT TO THE BUDGET. WE HAD TO DO THAT IN NOVEMBER. THEN THEY DISCUSSED IT AGAIN AFTER YOU CAME ON THE BOARD TWO TIMES. SO ONCE WAS THE COLOR AMOUNT AND THEN AND THEN THE SECOND TIME WAS THE LANGUAGE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE ISSUES. I MEAN , I DO REMEMBER THE COLA. I DO REMEMBER VOTING ON THAT, BUT I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING THIS DOCUMENT AND THE LANGUAGE ISSUES IT WASN'T PRESENTED IN THIS SAME FORMAT, BUT IT WAS THE SAME LANGUAGE. THEY HAD. LIKE THE OLD ONE CROSSED OFF WITH THE NEW STUFF PUT INTO IT. DR HAROLD NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. MRS PERRY QUESTION. DR PHILLIPS, MR CURTI. 
          I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO, UM AND DR ALFRED. UM I THINK THE QUESTION IS ON THE AGENDA. WE'VE GOT SOME ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT WAS PUT FORWARD. LITTLE QUESTION FROM MRS ALVAREZ. AM I CORRECT? NO YES. YOU ARE CORRECT . SHE WAS INTERESTED IN THE CHANGES TO THE DOCUMENT. THERE WAS TWO LANGUAGE ITEMS FOR EACH SIDE THAT WERE NEGOTIATED, UM, WERE AVAILABLE BEING NEGOTIATED AND THOSE, UM, WERE BROUGHT FORWARD TO THE BOARD. I'M TRYING TO SPEND THROUGH SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE THAT IT WAS BEING SHOWN ON THE AGENDA. IS WAS THAT EXACTLY WHICH WAS DISCUSSED OR A VERSION OF THAT WAS DISCUSSED AS AN UPDATE IN THE AND IF YOU COULD RECALL, WHICH BOARD MEETING OR CLOSED SESSION MEETING IT WAS DISCUSSED. I THINK THAT WOULD HELP. YES IT WAS DISCUSSED. IT WAS PRESENTED AS AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET. I'M GOING THROUGH MY EMAIL NOW TO SEE WHEN IT WAS SENT TO YVONNE FOR YOU. BUT YES , IT WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS PRESENTED BY H C. A. I'M SORRY. 
          MY MIC WENT OFF ON ME. YES IT WAS PRESENTED TO THIS BOARD. I'M GOING THROUGH MY EMAIL NOW TO SEE WHEN IT WAS SENT TO U BAHN TO BE UPLOADED. UM IT WAS SENT AS AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET THAT CHOSE THE LANGUAGE THAT WAS RECOMMENDED OR SUGGESTED BY HC A RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD AND ANY COST IMPLICATION FOR IT. AND THEN IT WAS VOTED UPON BY THIS BOARD BEFORE WE WENT BACK TO H D. E. A I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL IF YOU COULD FIND THE DATE THAT THE NEW BOARD MEMBERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW IT. I THINK THAT'S THE POINT OF QUESTION RIGHT NOW. I THINK MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT MUST BE LISTENING IN AT THE SAME TIME. SHE JUST TEXT ME THAT IT WAS JANUARY 9TH. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE LIFELINE PRESIDENT MILLER. I FOUND THE EMAIL. I JUST RE SENT IT TO THE BOARD. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE THAT. SO YOU'VE HAD IT SINCE JANUARY, 9TH. THIS WAS JUST IT WAS IN AN EXCEL SPREADSHEET, AS OPPOSED TO BEING IN THIS FORMAT. MADAM CHAIR IS THAT DIRECTED AT ME. YES MA'AM. I WAS TRYING TO ANSWER THE QUESTION THAT YOU HAD I WILL. I WILL LOOK AT THE EMAILS. MISTERS OH, MHM. DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I'M JUST TRYING TO PULL THIS EXCEL SPREADSHEET UP. GIVE ME ONE SECOND, I APOLOGIZED. YOU'RE FINE. MR SEWELL AND HE COMMENTS? YES. SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT LARGELY THESE CHANGES ARE. MADE WHAT THE REALLY THE WHOLE DOCUMENT, UH, LARGELY IS DUE TO STATE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE LAW. WE HAVE TO HAVE THESE THINGS BECAUSE OF STATE LAW, LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WE ARE STATE LAW TO PAY. LIKE STATE LAW THAT WE HAVE TO COMPENSATE PEOPLE. UH THERE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING DISAPPOINTED. IT'S ACTUALLY STATE LAW SO WE CAN CHANGE. WE CAN CHANGE. THAT IS ANYBODY. ANYBODY CAN VERIFY THAT MAYBE DR ALFRED I'M NOT. YES THAT IS CORRECT. OKAY SO THE MAJOR OBJECTION THAT'S BEEN VOICED WAS IS A STATE LAW THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. UNDER 602. BUT WE CANNOT, UM. ONLY THE BOARD CAN TAKE SOMEONE REDUCED THEIR PAY. 
          AND WHEN THEY HAVE THAT IS SUBJECT TO 6202, WHICH IS AN APPEAL PROCESS. THANK YOU. WHICH THIS? THIS IS NOT TAKING AWAY RIGHT THAT THAT IT IS NOT TAKING THAT AWAY. NO, NO. MRS ALVAREZ 
          [02:15:02]
YET ANOTHER COMMENT YES. I WANTED TO CALL TO MIND THAT THE WORDING IN THE SPREADSHEET IS NOT UM, IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE WORDING IN THE DOCUMENT THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US. UM PARTICULARLY, UM, THE. YEAH THERE'S DIFFERENT WORDING. UM SO. UM MAYBE CHANGED SLIGHTLY. UM AND THAT WOULD BE A PROCESS OF THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS. TO REACH AN AGREEMENT ARE WE WERE LOOKING AT THE ONE TITLE BOT REVIEW PROPOSALS. AT THE TOP OF THE ONE THAT EVEN JUST SENT OUT OR THE ONE THAT SAYS HCPS FY 24 UNRESTRICTED OPERATION DOES IT? THE AGREEMENT THAT WE WOULD BE AGREEING TO IS THE ONE THAT IS ON THE AGENDA ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT'S IS TENTATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY AND THE HARTFORD COUNTY EDUCATION ASSOCIATION. IT'S THE SECOND, UM, LINK UNDER THE CONSENT AGENDA. SO ONCE WE DID REVIEW THIS DOCUMENT IN CLOSED SESSION. THEY THEN WENT TO THE TEACHERS UNION TO GO OVER WHAT WE PROVIDED TO THEM CORRECT NEGOTIATIONS AND CAME TO AN AGREEMENT. CORRECT THIS DOCUMENT THAT WE HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY SEEN IS THE AGREEMENT THAT THEY CAME TO CORRECT. CORRECT, BUT THE PARAMETERS WERE AGREED UPON. 
          THERE WAS ONE. IF I MAY, MADAM CHAIR THERE WAS ONE, UM, PRETTY PRETTY SIGNIFICANT ADDITION. UM TO THIS DOCUMENT THAT WAS NOT IN THE PREVIOUS DOCUMENT THAT SAYS , UM, WITHOUT DUE PROCESS, WHICH WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD RECEIVE COMPENSATION FOR THE ENTIRE PERIOD UNTIL SOMETHING GOES TO TRIAL. AND, UM, IF THERE'S SIGNIFICANT EVIDENCE OF , OF, UH OF, UH OF A DISCIPLINARY ACTION THERE MAY BE CAUSED TO NOT CONTINUE THAT COMPENSATION. FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE WERE, YOU KNOW SOMETHING THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS SOMETHING RECORDED, UM, WHERE TEACHER HIT SOMEBODY. YOU KNOW, OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE WHERE IT'S VERY CLEAR. UM YOU KNOW THE WAIT FOR IT TO GO TO TRIAL AND TO CONTINUE COMPENSATION IS REALLY, UM, REALLY NOT FAIR TO THE TAXPAYER . IT'S NOT A TRIAL. LET'S START WITH THAT. BUT THEN AFTER THAT, WHAT DOES IT SAY? WHAT'S THE BLACK LETTERS RIGHT AFTER THAT? IT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER, IT SAYS WITHOUT DUE PROCESS. OR FOR ARBITRARY OR CAPRICIOUS REASONS. DUE PROCESS WHAT'S DUE PROCESS? SO YOU'RE SAYING I MEAN, MAYBE WE SHOULD SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL IN THIS BECAUSE IT'S THIS AND OR AND WHO MAKES THE DETERMINATION OF WHETHER OR NOT WE GO HERE OR THERE, YOU KNOW SO LIKE AND THEN THAT HAS TO GO TO TRIAL AS WELL . WHICH COULD BE LENGTHY. SO YOU KNOW WHEN WE GET INTO SO I THINK THAT WE NEED TO, UM YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE WORDING OF THIS AND , YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT CREATING AND BUDGETARY BURDEN, UM, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM THE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS. DR ALFRED HAS HER HAND UP AGAIN, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY SHE HANDLES THE NEGOTIATIONS FOR THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. SO I WON'T SPEAK TO THIS WELL, SHE'S SHE'S LEGAL COUNSEL FOR THEM IS THAT I DON'T I DON'T KNOW WHO WHO IS WITHIN OUR HR DEPARTMENT. HR DEPARTMENT REPRESENTS OUR SIDE. OKAY THANK YOU, MA'AM. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF STAFF AND LABOR RELATIONS FOR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I DO NOT REPRESENT HD AT UM 62. OH, TWO. IS THE LAW THAT SAYS THAT YOU CAN ONLY DISMISSED OR REDUCED THE COMPENSATION, ASSERTED CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEE FOR FIVE REASONS. WE DO NOT HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL THEY GO TO TRIAL. THE MINUTE WE HAVE ANY EVIDENCE THAT THEY HAVE DONE SOMETHING WRONG. THAT FITS ONE OF THOSE CRITERIAS. WE CAN MOVE FOR A RECOMMENDATION FOR TERMINATION. THAT BOARD WOULD ACT UPON THAT. 6202 DOES GIVE THE CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES THE RIGHT TO REQUEST ARBITRATION OR TO GO BEFORE THE BOARD, BUT THERE IS NO REASON FOR US TO HAVE TO WAIT FOR A TRIAL. IF WE HAVE ANY KIND OF PROOF THAT WE CAN PLACE THAT FORWARD. WE HAVE USED THAT IN THE PAST AND WE HAVE USED THAT IN MY TIME IN THE PERFECT COUNTY PUBLIC SPORTS, SO THAT IS NOT A CHANGE. AND IT IS NOT A CHANGE IN THAT LANGUAGE. AND PART OF ME. I'M DOCTOR. WHAT WAS THE I MIGHT HEARING IS NOT VERY GOOD. SO COULD YOU REPEAT YOUR NAME AGAIN? I'M SORRY. DO. IT'S MAY ALL FREE AND I'M THE DIRECTOR, STAFF AND LABOR RELATIONS 
          [02:20:03]
DOCTOR, ALL FREE. YES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND I'M SORRY IF I MISPRONOUNCE THAT, BUT FINE, YEAH. THANK YOU, UM. YEAH SO THAT THE THING THAT, UM AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS DUE PROCESS HAS A MEAN A CERTAIN MEANING TO ME, UM, THAT THAT MEANS THAT THE PERSON HAS THE RIGHT, UM TO GO. 
          THROUGH THE JUDICIAL PROCESS. THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE PROCESS MEANS THAT THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO PRESENT THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY, AND THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD. IT'S CALLED A LOUDERMILK HEARING THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS, DOCTOR ALL FREE BUT THE WORDING AND THERE'S AMENDMENT DOES NOT STATE THAT AND SO I WOULD I WOULDN'T MOVE THAT WE ADD WORDING TO CLARIFY EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, OKAY? BUT I THOUGHT I THINK I MADE A MOTION TO MOVE TO OUR MOVES. MOVEMENT OKAY, THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR. IS TO VOTE ON THIS AGREEMENT. THE MOTION WAS MADE AND WAS SECONDED. EVERYBODY HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE COMMENTS. 
          YOU HAD OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE MULTIPLE COMMENTS. I DID NOT. BUT THAT'S OKAY. I'LL WAVE THAT I AM GOING TO CALL FOR THE VOTE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING, YES, YES. ALL THOSE OPPOSED. NO. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM E. THE ACTION ITEM DECISION 
          [E. Decision on Recommendation of Candidate for the Ethics Panel Position for the Board of Education of Harford County, Kimberly H. Neal, Esq., General Counsel]
AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE CANDIDATE FOR THE ETHICS PANEL POSITION FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY. MISS KIMBERLY NEAL IS GOING TO HAVE THE DISCUSSION ON THIS. 
          SURE SO. THANK YOU VERY EVENING. UM AS YOU ALL MAY BE AWARE OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ETHICS POLICY, UM AND STATE LAW REQUIRES US TO HAVE A FIVE MEMBER ETHICS PANEL TO IMPLEMENT THE ETHICS POLICY. AND UM THESE ARE PEOPLE WHO APPLY AND ARE SELECTED BY THE BOARD, BUT THEY'RE NOT EMPLOYED BY THE BOARD. UM, THERE'S ONE VACANCY THAT HAS ARISEN IN THIS PANEL AS THE RESULT AND WITHIN THE CONSIDER AGENDA. MY GOSH! UM WITH THE RESOLUTION OF PASTOR MARTIN NOLAN SERVICE ON THE ETHICS PANEL, HIS TERM CAME TO AN END. UM SO THE VACANCY NEEDED TO BE FILLED. AND WE HAVE, UM SORRY THAT JUST THREW ME FOR A SECOND. UM. WE ARE. WE ARE. WE NEEDED TO FILL THE VACANCY, UM, DUE TO PASTOR MARK NOLAN'S, UM, END OF HIS TERM, SO THERE WAS AN ADVERTISEMENT THAT WAS POSTED FOR THE VACANCY. UM WE DID HAVE SOME CANDIDATES APPLY AND SUBMIT THEIR LETTERS OF INTEREST ALONG WITH A RESUME AND THEN MYSELF AND JOHN BURKE IN THE OFFICE OF THE GENERAL COUNSEL WHO SERVED AS A LIAISON TO THE ETHICS PANEL IN THE BOARD. DID INTERVIEW THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND SO TONIGHT , UM AND WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BLESSING, AND AS DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY WITH THIS BOARD, WE WANT TO PUT FORWARD IRENE NIKKI WIGGINS TO SERVE ON THE BOARDS. ETHICS PANEL. IF APPROVED, MISS WIGGINS WILL SERVE A FIVE YEAR TERM ON THE BOARDS ETHICS PANEL THAT WOULD BEGIN TODAY AND END ON APRIL. 17TH 2028. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UM. YES PUT, UM MRS NIKKI WIGGINS AND THE ETHICS PANEL. I APOLOGIZE. I MOVE. DO THAT? IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND THANK YOU, MADAM CLAIRE. MADAM CHAIR FOR CLARIFICATION. POINT OF TRICK CLARIFICATION, I GUESS, UM IT'S SO IT APPEARS TO ME THAT WHEN WE MAKE A MOTION, WE'RE MAKING A MOTION IN THE AFFIRMATIVE. BUT AS I UNDERSTAND ROBERT'S RULES THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE OF MOTION IS JUST TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION. UM AND SO MAKING A MOTION IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, UM, BIASES THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE. I DON'T KNOW THAT I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU JUST SAID. YOU SAID THAT IF WE MAKE A MOTION IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THAT THAT DETERMINES THE OUTCOME OF THE VOTE SPLITTING UP SUBLIMINAL MESSAGES. BUT WHAT WE'RE HERE TO DO TONIGHT IS TO AFFIRM HER. AND SO YOU WANT US TO MAKE A MOTION IN THE NEGATIVE AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO MAKE AN EMOTION. CLARIFICATION. UM THE MOTION IS TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION, AND IT'S NOT TOO BIAS IN EITHER DIRECTION. THIS WAS. MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO UM, APPROVED 
          [02:25:07]
MISS WIGGINS ON AS AN ADDITION TO THE ETHICS PANEL FOR A FIVE YEAR TERM. SO THE QUESTION AT HAND WAS WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD MOVES TO APPROVE THAT RECOMMENDATION. AND WE HAD A MOTION AND IF THERE WAS A VOTE? NO. THEN THERE ANYWAY. YEAH. SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY SO THERE SHOULD BE A DISCUSSION. SO THE MOTION IS SUPPOSED TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION AND I DO HAVE COMMENTS. PLEASE MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. SO. IN LOOKING UP THE ETHICS PANEL. UM MAKEUP. UM THERE ARE THERE WERE LISTED ON TRYING TO FIND THE LINK. NOW ■UM AND INDIVIDUAL, UM PERSONS FROM DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS. UM BEING AT THAT WE ARE UM OR PASTOR NOLAN WAS PASTOR NOLAN. UM, WAS THE WAS THE MEMBER THAT UM UH, FILLED OUT HIS TERM AND FOR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON IS THAT HE'S NO LONGER ON THE COUNTER, AND HE DID NOT. TWO MINUTES DID NOT SEEK. UM SO, UM AND BEING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ETHICS POLICY THAT ADS IN A LOT OF, UM . WELL THAT IS ASSOCIATED WITH, UM. HEALTH ISSUES. UM I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE. PANEL BEING REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT THE NEEDS ARE TO LOOK AT POLICY, UM, AND TO REVIEW ETHICAL ETHICAL PRACTICES. THE ETHICS POLICY. DOESN'T HAVE AN I'M NOT. I'M NOT CLEAR ON WHAT YOUR QUESTION IS MS ALVAREZ, BUT BECAUSE THIS IS A TYPE OF MATTER THAT WE SCHEDULED A CLOSED SESSION FOR DISCUSSION, UM I WOULD NOT. I SHOULD NOT. UM, AND FRANKLY, THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD NOT EITHER DISCUSSED SOME OF THE WHAT LED UP TO THIS RECOMMENDATION. THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF A CLOSED SESSION IS TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THE BOARD COMMENT AND FEEDBACK AND DISCUSSION ON WHAT THE ROLE IS AND WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION IS AND THE CANDIDATES THAT APPLIED AND AT THE LAST MEETING, UM AND I BELIEVE JOHN BURKE WAS SITTING IN YOUR POSITION, AND, UM, WE WERE REVIEWING THE ETHICS POLICY WHICH I BELIEVE IS BACK. YES AND HE HAD I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT POLICY, WHICH HE DID PROVIDE ANSWERS TO UM AND. AND THAT'S WHY I KIND OF AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU LISTEN TO ANY OF MY OPENING REMARKS. I NEED TO INTERRUPT. I'M SORRY. I'M I'M A LITTLE BIT LOST. I WAS. I'M NOT WELCOME IN THE CLOSED BOARD SESSIONS, AND THE PUBLIC ISN'T EITHER. IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST LAYMAN'S TERMS FOR ME. WHAT ARE WE LOOKING TO FIGURE OUT HERE? WHAT IS LIKE? JUST TALK TO ME IS NO. UH, NOT AS WORD. SO AS AS A, UM GRADUATE STUDENT WHO HAD TO TAKE ETHICS AND BOTH, UM AND BOTH COUNSELING AND ALSO IN WELL THERE WAS IN AND ALSO ENGINEERING. I HAD TO TAKE ETHICS THAT I'VE HAD SEVERAL ETHICS CLASSES. THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT ETHICAL ISSUES. THAT I WOULD THINK THAT THE ETHIC ETHICS BOARD WOULD BE LOOKING AT THE FACT THAT WE HAD A PASTOR ON THE BOARD PREVIOUSLY SHOWS THAT THERE WAS THAT THERE WAS A GOOD DIVERSITY OF INDIVIDUALS ON THE BOARD. SO UM, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DIVERSITY AND I HAVEN'T LOOKED AT THE I'M SURE THAT THE CANDIDATE IS VERY WELL QUALIFIED . WHAT AGAIN? I'M SORRY. I HATE TO INTERRUPT. BUT I THINK THAT'S WHAT MRS NEAL WAS SAYING IS THAT WE NOW AREN'T GOING TO DISCUSS IT. NOW WE'RE LOOKING FOR A YES OR NO NOT DISCUSSION ON THE CANDIDATE HERSELF. SO IF WE SAY NO TO THIS CANDIDATE, THAT'S OKAY. WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TAKE IT BACK TO A CLOSED SESSION WHERE I'M NOT WELCOME FROM THE PUBLIC ISN'T WELCOME AS WELL. 
          CORRECT RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO KEEP THIS UP. LIKE AN OPEN. SESSION LANGUAGE WHERE WE CAN'T DISCUSS THE ACTUAL CANDIDATES QUALIFICATIONS. IT'S A YES OR NO QUESTION NOW, SO IF YOU DISAGREE WITH HER QUALIFICATIONS, I THINK THE ANSWER IS CERTAINLY WOULDN'T BE RECOMMENDED IF SHE WAS NOT HIGHLY QUALIFIED. UM AND THE MAIN ROLE OF THE ETHICS PANEL IS TO REVIEW FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES THAT ARE ANNUAL DISCLOSURES REQUIRED BY ALL THE LEADERSHIP. THE BOARD MEMBERS PRINCIPLES. UM THAT IS ACTUALLY FOR OVER A DECADE THAT HAS BEEN THE SOLE FUNCTION OF THE ETHICS PANEL. 
          THERE'S NOT BEEN ANY FURTHER DUTIES OF THE ETHICS PANEL, AND I HAVE CONFIRMED THAT THEY MIGHT 
          [02:30:02]
ALSO INVESTIGATE CERTAIN ETHICAL COMPLAINTS. AND THERE'S CRITERIA FOR THAT. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT MORE YOU'RE REFERRING TO. BUT PART OF THE CONSIDERATION, OF COURSE, IS, UM THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THIS CANADA AND SHE HAS RECOMMENDED BECAUSE SHE WAS VERY HIGHLY QUALIFIED. 
          SO CAN I SAY SOMETHING FOR A MOMENT TO ADDRESS NOAH? UM MS. ALVAREZ WAS IN THE LOBBY AND WAS NOT ADMITTED INTO THE CLOSED SESSION, SO SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO ENGAGE. PLEASE DON'T INTERRUPT. 
          SHE WAS NOT ABLE TO ANSWER OR TO HAVE HER QUESTIONS ADDRESSED AND ANSWERED. IN THE CLOSED SESSION , SO THAT'S WHY SHE HAS QUESTIONS THAT ARE UNANSWERED BECAUSE SHE WAS UNABLE TO ANSWER THAT, OR HAVE THEM ANSWERED IN THE CLOSED SESSION BECAUSE SHE WAS SITTING IN THE LOBBY WAITING WAS NOT ADMITTED. SO HER AND I ARE ON THE SAME PAGE. THAT WE BOTH WEREN'T IN THE CLOSED SESSION. RIGHT? RIGHT. THAT'S ALL I'M RIGHT? AND I'M MELISSA, AND NOW I WAS ABLE TO SPEAK WITH KIMBERLY ON THE PHONE HERE, AND SHE DID RAISE MY QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS AND I THINK THEY WERE. 
          WELL, UM WELL ANSWERED, UM AND I UNDERSTAND. I HAVEN'T LISTENED TO EVERYTHING BUT FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, GOING FORWARD, BUT THAT'S I GUESS, UM AND I'M GONNA STOP TALKING RIGHT NOW. THAT'S OKAY. I WAS AWARE OF CERTAIN QUESTIONS THAT MS ALVAREZ HAD, AND I DID PERSONALLY RAISED THOSE IN THIS SESSION. YOUR PHILIPS HAS CALLED FOR THE VOTE SO UM MISS MISS RALLO, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS. ALVAREZ. BIRTH. I WILL. TAKE THAT, AS ABSTAINING. MISS BRUCE. YES. MISS HAN. DR HAROLD YES. PERRY? YES. DR PHILLIPS. YES. MR RICCARDI. YES. MS BLACKEN. PREFERENTIALLY? YES. CORRECT. CORRECT THANK YOU. PRESIDENT SEWELL. YES? PRESIDENT MUELLER. YES, MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. ITEM F DECISION AND PROVIDE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO 
          [F. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy 14-0007-000 Assault Leave, Kimberly H. Neal, Esq., General Counsel, Ms. Julie Uehlein, Supervisor of Risk Management, and Ms. Elizabeth Miller, Supervisor of Benefits]
BOARD POLICY 14-0. ASSAULT LEAVE. MS NEAL AGAIN. UM OKAY. THIS UM POLICY WAS PRESENTED TO THE BOARD. ACTUALLY BACK ON FEBRUARY 27TH AND THEN WAS POSTED FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. IT WAS PRESENTED BY MS JULIE YULIN , WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF RISK MANAGEMENT, AND BY ELIZABETH MILLER, WHO IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF BENEFITS, AND I BELIEVE MISS MILLER IS OR WAS, UM IN ATTENDANCE VIRTUALLY TO THE EXTENT THERE ARE QUESTIONS, HOWEVER, THIS IT MATTERS UP FOR A VOTE AFTER THE LENGTHY DISCUSSION ON FEBRUARY 27TH AND THEN THE POSTING FOR ACTUALLY MORE THAN 30 DAYS. THERE WERE THERE WAS NO PUBLIC COMMENT RECEIVED. AND SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UM, THE UPDATED UPDATES TO THE ASSAULT LEAVE POLICY BE APPROVED THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. LORD MEMBERS MAY HAVE EMOTION IN A SECOND. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE POLICY ON ASSAULT LEAVE CAROL BRUCE. THIS IS NO BLINK SECOND AND I CAN'T SECOND THIS ONE NIGHT. YES, YOU CAN. SECOND THIS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU APPRECIATE IT. UM IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? YOU AIN'T NONE. I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE. UM ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING YES, YES, YES, 
          [G. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy 12-0001-000 Ethics, Kimberly H. Neal, Esq., General Counsel and John E. Burke, Esq., Deputy General Counsel]
YES. CLOSED. MOTION CARRIES. EIGHT MG. PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY 12-0. ETHICS MRS NEAL LAST ONE. UM, THANK YOU. THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, UM, WAS PRESENTED BY JOHN BURKE ON MARCH THE 13TH TO THE BOARD. IT INVOLVED A FEW, UM, UPDATES THAT ARE REQUIRED BY STATE LAW AND THAT THE STATE ETHICS COMMITTEE HAD NOTIFIED US IN WRITING THAT WE NEED TO IMPLEMENT THESE REQUIRED CHANGES. UM I UNDERSTAND THAT MR BURKE SPENT SOME TIME I'M GOING OVER THOSE PARTICULAR CHANGES AT THE MEETING. THERE WAS THE POSTING FOR 30 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          ONE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS RECEIVED . UM AND SO THIS EVENING, THE MATTER IS BROUGHT FOR A VOTE TO APPROVE THE CURRENT CHANGES, WHICH ARE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO, UH, APPROVED THE PROPOSED REVISIONS. I MOVED TO APPROVE. OKAY DO I HAVE A 2ND 2ND? 
          [02:35:07]
FANTASTIC, OKAY. IS THERE ANY MORE DISCUSSION? I HAVE DISCUSSION, MADAM CHAIR. AS I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENTS WERE ACCEPTED AND WERE SUBSTANTIVE. AND I BELIEVE THAT WOULD MEAN THAT THEY WOULD BE IMPLEMENTED AND THEN RE SENT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. NO JUST BECAUSE SOMEBODY MAKES A COMMENT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE ARE WE MAKE THOSE CHANGES. BUT RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE VOTING ON IS TO BRING US INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW. THERE IS NO PERIOD OF TIME THAT YOU HAVE TO WAIT BEFORE YOU CAN CONSIDER REVISING A POLICY AGAIN . I HAVE ACTUALLY SPOKEN TO THE PERSON WHO MADE THOSE SUGGESTIONS. AND WHILE WE MAY CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT ALL OR NONE OF THEM, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT CAN GO BACK IN FRONT OF THE COMMITTEE. AND BE CONSIDERED AT THE POLICY COMMITTEE AND THEN VOTED ON CHANGES MADE AND PUT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AND VOTED ON AT THAT TIME, SO THIS IS JUST TO BRING US INTO COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW. IT IS NOT SAYING THAT IT'S THE LAST THAT WE WILL VISIT THIS POLICY. MAY I REFERENCE MY CLARIFICATION EMAILS THAT WERE SENT TWO. TO YOU, AND ALSO TO LIGHT LEGAL COUNSEL IN REFERENCE TO HOW THIS WOULD PROCEED AND MY UNDERSTANDING OF IMPLEMENTING THOSE COMMENTS, WHICH I UNDERSTOOD OR SUBSTANTIVE. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE INCORPORATED. YOU KNOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS. RECOMMENDATION THIS EVENING IS THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCORPORATE THOSE CHANGES. THEY ARE SUBSTANTIVE IN NATURE, WHICH MEANS THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO BE PRETTY LENGTHY DISCUSSION THAT WOULD NOT NECESSARILY BE APPROPRIATE IN THIS BOARD BUSINESS MEETING ITS ITS INFORMATION OR SUGGESTIONS THAT COULD GO BEFORE THE POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE AND THEN COME BACK. TO THIS BOARD BECAUSE IT WOULD REQUIRE A WHOLE NEW 30 DAY POSTING, SO THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE THE REQUIRED LEGAL CHANGES THAT THE MARYLAND ETHICS PANEL HAS REQUESTED THAT WE DO GO AHEAD AND DO THAT AND NOT SAYING THAT WE WON'T CONSIDER THE ADDITIONAL , UM, SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES BUT TO DO THAT AT A LATER DATE. OKAY I MAKE THEM I MAKE A MOTION THAT WE REVIEW THE SUBSTITUTE. HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR. 
          THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR IS TO ACCEPT THIS, AND I'M MAKING A MOTION THAT WE DEFER THIS UNTIL A LATER TIME AS TO WHICH WE CAN REVIEW THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES THAT WERE PROVIDED BY MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE. NO. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH THIS, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO VOTE NO TO IT. IF YOU DISAGREE WITH IT, YOU'D VOTE NOW AND THEN WE CAN PRODUCE ANOTHER MOTION AFTER THIS CORRECT BECAUSE WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR ON THE MOTION ON THE FLOOR, OR SHOULD WE CAN SHOULD VOTE ON THE MOTION. THAT'S ON THE FLOOR. SHOULD WE NOT? OKAY? SO THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR IS FOR US TO, UM ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION. FOR THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY. 12 DISH 0001 GETS 000 ETHICS CORRECT. OKAY ALL THOSE IN WELL , MAYBE WE SHOULD DO A ROLL CALL VOTE ON THIS ONE. ALSO, MRS RALLO VERIFICATION, MADAM CHAIR. 
          OF COURSE. IT'S CONFUSING TO ME. THAT WE CAN MOVE FORWARD WITH. VOTE. WHEN THERE'S A CONFLICT ACTUAL. UM MOTION ON THE FLOOR. NO. THE MOTION THAT'S ON THE FLOOR IS TO YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS THE CONFLICTUAL NATURE. PRIOR TO THAT WAS DURING DISCUSSION. SO THERE WAS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR TO ACCEPT THE PROPOSED REVISIONS THAT WERE PRESENTED ON MARCH THE 13TH AND PUT OUT A POINT OF CLARIFICATION AS IF I MIGHT GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON ROBERT'S ROLES AS I UNDERSTAND IT AND STATED PREVIOUSLY THE MOTIONS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE AGENDA ITEM IS FOR DISCUSSION AND NOT FOR APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL. MOTION WAS TO ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION. THE MOTION SHOULD BE TO OPEN THE DISCUSSION , AS I HAVE STATED BEFORE. AND I SO YOU'RE SAYING EVERY MOTION IS JUST OPEN DISCUSSION, AND IT'S NOT TO TAKE A VOTE. THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS WHAT WE LEARNED AT THE CONFERENCE THAT WE JUST WENT TO. THAT'S WHAT WE CAN FIND . IN THE BOOK THAT EMOTION IS TO 
          [02:40:05]
OPEN THE DISCUSSION FOR THE AGENDA ITEM PRESENTED TO THE BOARD. AND TO PRESENT THE MOTION AND IN AFFIRMATIVE OR A NON INFORMATION IS NOT THE WAY TO LOOK AND UNDERSTAND THE ITEM. IF THERE'S DISCUSSION ON THE BOARD THAT SHOULD BE PROVIDED FIRST TO THE PEOPLE ON THE BOARD AND ON THE DIET. POINT POINT OF CLARIFICATION, MADAM CHAIR IF WE TAKE THE VOTE ON THIS TONIGHT, THEN IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. TO MAKE ANOTHER MOTION THAT THE SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES BE REFERRED TO THE ETHICS COMMITTEE. FOR CONSIDERATION THAT WOULD COME BACK TO THE BOARD AND THEN GO OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE POLICY MEDIA. YEAH SO WE'RE VOTING TO BECOME COMPLIANT WITH THE LAW. IN THESE IN THIS THIS PARTICULAR CHANGE, THEN THE SECOND MOTION COULD BE TO ACCEPT THOSE COMMENTS. THAT WE'VE RECEIVED TO BE CONSIDERED BY THE ME. THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. HOWEVER COMMENTS ARE ONE THE POLICY AS PROVIDED. AND TO ACCEPT THE POLICY WITHOUT THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY'S INPUT WOULD BE. I DID SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT VOTED US TO BE UP HERE ON THE DIETS. SO MAY I MAY CLARIFY THIS. WE HAD ONE COMMENT. OKAY. WE HAVE ONE COMMENT. SO THEIR COMMENT YOU'RE SAYING 111 PERSON MAKES A COMMENT THAT THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD ON ANYTHING BECAUSE ONE PERSON MADE A COMMENT. WHAT WHAT I'M SAYING. 
          WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT THE PERSON THAT MADE THE COMMENTS MADE SEVERAL COMMENTS TO THE DOCUMENT, OF WHICH MANY OF THEM WERE SUBSTANCE ITSELF SUBSTANTIVE. I THINK THERE WERE AT LEAST THREE I CAN'T REMEMBER . I COULD PULL IT UP, BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE WASTING TIME. THERE WERE THREE. I THINK SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS THAT WAS AN UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY WOULD BE ACCEPTED WHICH I SENT FOR CLARIFICATION. THERE IS NO SUCH UNDERSTANDING. WHEN ONE PERSON MAKES A COMMENT. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE CHANGE THE POLICY BECAUSE ONE PERSON MADE A COMMENT. WHAT IT DOES MEAN IS THAT WE ARE WILLING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE COMMENTS FOR FUTURE CHANGE. THE VOTE TONIGHT IS SO THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE LAW. MADAM CHAIR. I CALLED FOR THE VOTE, PLEASE. THANK YOU SECOND TIME THAT'S HAPPENED, UM MISS ROLA, WOULD YOU PLEASE DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. MISS ALVAREZ. NO. MISS BRUCE. MISS HAN. I'M GOING TO ABSTAIN FROM VOTING. DR HAROLD YES. MISS PERRY? YES. DR PHILLIPS. YES. MR RICCARDI. YES. MS BLANKEN? YES. 
          PRESIDENT SEWELL YES. PRESIDENT MILLER. YES. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. MADAM CHAIR. YES I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT WE THE COMMITTEE RECEIVED THE SUBSTITUTE COMMENTS MADE AND BRING THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THE BOARD FOR CONSIDERATION ON THIS POLICY. I HAVE A 2ND 2ND. 
          THANK YOU. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SIGNIFY BY SAYING YES, YES, YES, OPPOSED. MOTION 
          [H. Superintendent's Report]
CARRIES. THANK YOU. NEXT WE HAVE ITEM H, WHICH IS THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. ALL ON YOU NOW. THANK YOU. SO I WANT TO START WITH SORT OF TYPICAL SUPER DENSE REPORT ITEMS I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE, AS MANY OTHERS HAVE. MEDINA FOR HER ELECTION AS OUR INCOMING. STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD. VERY EXCITING. SHE WAS HERE TO VISIT A COUPLE OF MEETINGS BACK. CORRECT YES. LAST MEETING. OH, MY GOSH. IT WAS A WHILE AGO. UM I ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE MR BROADLY FROM C. 
          MILTON WRIGHT FOR. EFFORT BEING NEXT YEAR'S TEACHER OF THIS YEAR'S TEACHER OF THE YEAR AND ALSO, OF COURSE TO CONGRATULATE THE OTHER FOUR FINALISTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE SORT OF VERY BUSY WITH US, UM AND THE WAY THAT OUR TEACHER THEY'RE FINALISTS ALWAYS SAW SUPPORTING OUR SCHOOLS TO STAFF. UM, BUT I DO HAVE A I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IS SLIGHTLY LONGER THAN NORMAL. AH SUPER TENNIS REPORT TONIGHT BECAUSE I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET. AND WE WILL DO. WILL BE PRESENTING MUCH MORE INFORMATION WITH REGARD TO THE BUDGET COMING SOON. UM BUT AS WE ALL KNOW, ON 
          [02:45:02]
FRIDAY AROUND THREE O'CLOCK COUNTY EXECUTIVE RELEASED HIS FIRST BUDGET AND IT APPEARS MR CASTLE E IS MORTGAGING OUR CHILDREN'S FUTURE FOR POLITICAL GRANDSTANDING. UM MR CASTILE'S BUDGET IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO. FOR HCPSS, CURLY SHONEY'S DOES NOT CARE ABOUT EDUCATION, HARFORD COUNTY UM, I CERTAINLY HOPE MR CASTLE IS UNDERESTIMATED THE VALUE OUR COMMUNITY PUTS ON EDUCATION. SO IN HIS VIDEO THAT HE RELEASED, MR CASTELLI SAID. MY FY 24 BUDGET CONTINUES THE COUNTY'S COMMITMENT TO A HIGH QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN AND PROVIDES THE COUNTY'S FULL SHARE OF FUNDING AS REQUIRED BY THE STATE LAW. UM, THAT STATEMENT BY ITSELF. YOU KNOW? SOUNDS FINE. UM THE CHALLENGES IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FAR EASIER TO UNDERSTAND AND, FRANKLY, MORE ACCURATE. IF YOU'D SAID HIS PROPOSAL PROVIDES THE COUNTY THE MINIMUM POSSIBLE ALLOWABLE SHARE OF FUNDING AS REQUIRED BY LAW. THE STATE HAS HAD. A LAW IN PLACE FOR A VERY LONG TIME. TO ENSURE THAT LOCAL JURISDICTIONS DON'T DRAMATICALLY CUT SCHOOL SYSTEM FUNDING. IN FACT, THIS YEAR. FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE LAW SINCE THE STATE HAD THIS MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT REQUIREMENT IN PLACE. LEGISLATURE. UM PASSED LEGISLATION AT THE VERY END OF LAST YEAR'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION. THAT GAVE DISTRICTS ONE TIME OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE FUNDING DISCOURSE SYSTEMS BELOW THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S FUNDING LEVELS. UM. THAT'S NEVER BEEN A CHALLENGE FOR HARFORD COUNTY BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO GONE BACK HISTORICALLY AND WE'VE HAD TO GO QUITE SOME DISTANCE BACK. BUT WE HAVEN'T FOUND AN INCIDENT. WHERE A COUNTY EXECUTIVE ACTUALLY FUNDED THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AT THE MINIMUM ALLOWABLE LEVEL. WE'VE ALSO GONE BACK THROUGH OUR BUDGETS. WE, UM ARE THE EASIEST TO ACCESS THE ONES WE HAVE ELECTRONIC VERSION BEFORE I GO BACK 37 YEARS TO 1988. NEVER DURING THAT TIME. HAS THE FUNDING. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE PROPOSED FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION TO RECEIVE TO BE LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. NEVER HAS THAT OCCURRED. YET THIS YEAR. UM MR CASTILE'S PROPOSED BUDGET IS $19.4 MILLION BELOW WITH HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVED LAST YEAR AND $39 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT WE REQUESTED. UM, FOR A CURRENT OPERATION BUDGET. MR SEWELL SHARED THIS EARLIER. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT $39 MILLION GAP THAT EQUATES TO. PRETTY CLOSE TO $1000 PER STUDENTS. THAT WE'RE NOT BEING FUNDED. UM. SO HOW WILL THESE CUTS THAT WE'RE ABOUT TO EXPERIENCE IMPACT. THE CHILDREN OF HARTFORD COUNTY. CLASS SIZES WILL INCREASE. UM THERE WILL BE MORE STUDENTS IN THE CLASSES. OUR BUDGET AS WE'VE DESCRIBED. 84% SALARIES. 76% STUDENT FACING. POSITIONS. THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE SUBSTANTIVE CUTS. WITHOUT AFFECTING THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SERVING OUR STUDENTS. UNFORTUNATELY, WE? WE THINK WE CAN MITIGATE THIS TO THE LEVEL WHERE UM, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THESE CUTS WITH. BY DEALING WITH TURNOVER IN OTHER WORDS, USING VACANT POSITIONS, SO I DON'T CURRENTLY SEE A SITUATION WHERE ANYONE SHOULD BE LOSING A JOB WHO HAS ONE BUT OBVIOUSLY JUST BRINGS LOTS OF DISRUPTION. WE HAVE MANY MORE DECISIONS TO MAKE. UM. SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN EXPECT TO SEE. WE ASKED FOR TWO THINGS IN THE FUNDING TO NEW THINGS WE SENT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IF YOU CALL THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE ASKED FOR, WHICH WAS BETWEEN 19 AND $20 MILLION INCREASE OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          HAD TWO THINGS THAT HAVE THE TEACHER'S SALARY PACKAGE. AND IT HAD THE FUNDS. TO MAKE IT SO THAT WE DID NOT HAVE TO RETURN. UM, THE ATHLETICS PARTICIPATION FEES. NOW. CLEARLY, NEITHER OF THOSE WERE FUNDED. SO THEY WILL HAVE TO BE EXTENDED DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH REGARD TO THE SALARY PACKAGE. UM BUT THAT CAN ONLY BE NEGOTIATED. THERE HAS TO BE NEGOTIATED WITH OUR ASSOCIATIONS, AND IT CAN ONLY HAPPEN AFTER THE COUNTY COUNCIL HAS RATIFIED THEIR BUDGET, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE IMPACT WILL BE, BUT I THINK IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT WE WILL HAVE TO 
          [02:50:01]
BRING BACK THE ATHLETIC PARTICIPATION FEES THAT WILL BE AN IMPACT ON STUDENTS. LAST YEAR, WE MADE GREAT STRIDES WITH THE 7% COLA. UM THAT MADE IT COMPETITIVE FOR US TO HIRE TEACHERS WITHIN THIS REGION. UM, BUT WITH THIS SETBACK WITH THE LOWER SALARY PACKAGE. IN THE CONTEXT OF PROFOUND TEACHER SHORTAGE NATIONALLY AND REGIONALLY. UM AND THE FACT THAT PARTICULARLY OUR BIGGEST NEIGHBOR FOR HIGHER AND SORRY, BIGGEST COMPETITOR BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR HIRING THEY HAVE MADE AN AGGRESSIVE CHANGE TO THEIR STARTING SALARIES, AND IN FACT, THIS YEAR'S BUDGET FOR THEM WILL SEE AN INCREASE FOR THEIR TEACHERS. SO I THINK THAT WILL INCREASE. CERTAINLY COMPETITION FOR OUR MOST TALENTED STAFF. SO . IN TIGHT TIMES, AND WE KNOW THE FUNDING IS TIGHT. UM WE DON'T BELIEVE IT'S AS TIGHT AS WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED. BUT I WOULD SAY, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE ANOTHER SETTINGS. THAT HEALTH CARE WORKERS. LAW ENFORCEMENT. EDUCATORS. IN SOME WAYS THEY'VE TAKEN REALLY THE BIGGEST HIT IN THE LAST FEW YEARS IN TERMS OF THE CHALLENGES ON THE JOB. AND I HAVE NO INTEREST WHATSOEVER. AND, YOU KNOW, QUESTIONING WHAT OTHERS RECEIVING YOU KNOW, AND SUGGESTING THAT WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING MORE AT THEIR EXPENSE. IN FACT, AND MR CASTLE, HIS COMMENTS. I BELIEVE IT WAS IN THE NEWS PIECE THIS MORNING. HE TALKED ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS TO MAKE SALARY ADJUSTMENTS. 
          UM, FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT. TO BE VERY COMPETITIVE IN THESE DAYS. TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. SALARY INCREASES WILL GO TOWARDS THEM AND CONSEQUENTLY YOU KNOW THOSE WE SERVE. WE NEED TO ALLOW SALARIES TO ENCOURAGE GOOD FOLKS TO ENTER. THIS COMMUNITY WORKFORCE AND STAY WITH IT AS A CAREER. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH HIM. I AGREE WITH THAT. WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING LAW ENFORCEMENT HEALTH CARE. FOR EDUCATORS. UM BECAUSE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, THIS HAS BEEN A VERY CHALLENGING TIME FOR THEM. AND ALSO, I DON'T BEGRUDGE ONE CENT. GOING THERE. UM. BUT YOU CAN'T JUST HAVE ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITY SERVICES WITHOUT THE OTHER. WE NEED THE EDUCATION. AND TO SAY THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN ABSORB A CUT LIKE THIS IS INACCURATE AND THERE WILL BE REPERCUSSIONS. WE MADE SOME OTHER ALLEGATIONS THAT I FEEL I NEED TO ADDRESS THERE'S WAY TOO MUCH MONEY GOING INTO THE CENTRAL OFFICE, WHERE MOST FOLKS ARE STILL WORKING REMOTELY AND NOT INTO THE CLASSROOM WHERE TEACHERS ARE WORKING EVERY DAY AND DOING AN AWESOME JOB FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND THAT WILL BE THE PRIORITY PRIORITY IS TO KIDS AND NOT THE ADMINISTRATION. OKAY. WORKING REMOTELY? YES. WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 25 PEOPLE. OUT OF THE HUNDREDS WHO ARE ASSIGNED TO CENTRAL OFFICE WHO WORK 100% REMOTELY. WE HAVE A HANDFUL OF OTHERS WHO WORK REMOTELY. SOMETIMES. THOSE WHO WORK REMOTELY. MAKE IT STILL THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO RENT MORE OFFICE SPACE. UM WE WERE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SECURE EFFICIENCIES FOR THIS COMMUNITY FOR OUR TAXPAYERS. UH UM BY BEING ABLE TO USE OUR SPACES DIFFERENTLY AND, FRANKLY, MEETING THE CURRENT TIMES AT THE TIME CURRENT SIGNS AT THE TIME AND THE WAY THINGS HAVE CHANGED, UM , AND WE'RE STILL COMPLETELY COMMITTED TO CUSTOMER SERVICE AND EFFICIENCY. IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE EIGHT OF OUR BUDGET BOOK, I KNOW IT'S A HUGE BOOK ONLINE. 
          YOU CAN FIND THE PDF PAGE A ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES ACCOUNT FOR 3.1% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET $21 MILLION. THAT'S OUR ENTIRE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES BUDGET. 3% $21 MILLION. WE'RE LOOKING AT A $39 MILLION CUT. SCALE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. EVEN IF YOU ADJUST SOME THINGS YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SOLVE THIS JUST IN ONE END AND IN FACT THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TRACKS SCHOOL SYSTEM. EXPENDITURES. ON ALL DIFFERENT LEVELS LINES AND THEY HAVE A REPORT WHICH THEY PUBLISHED WHICH YOU CAN FIND ON THEIR WEBSITE CALLED SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA. AND WITH REGARD TO ADMINISTRATORS OR SCHOOL LEADERSHIP OR SCHOOL SYSTEM LEADERSHIP BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION OF SYSTEM LEADERSHIP. THEY HAVE TWO CATEGORIES. ONE IS ADMINISTRATION AND THE OTHER IS MID LEVEL ADMINISTRATION AND ADMINISTRATION. WE RANKED 14TH IN THE STATE IN MID LEVEL ADMINISTRATION REWARD. WE RANK 20 SECONDS. IN OTHER WORDS. WE HAVE THE 14TH HIGHEST OR THE 22ND HIGHEST REMEMBER OF 24. IF YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO EXPENDITURE LINES, AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BENDS ON ADMINISTRATION. 
          [02:55:02]
24TH 24. THE MOST EFFICIENT. LEAST EXPENSIVE ADMINISTRATION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. UM SO SUGGESTING THAT WE'RE SOMEHOW. OUT OF TOUCH OR RESPONSIBLE. 
          IT'S JUST GROSSLY INACCURATE. THAT COUPLED WITH THE SUGGESTION THAT SCHOOL SYSTEMS SPENDING IS DRIVING FINANCIAL CHALLENGES IN HARFORD COUNTY, WHICH IS ANOTHER LEAP. I SAID THIS WHEN I PRESENTED ON THE BUDGET A FEW MEETINGS AGO. HARFORD COUNTY'S PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL COUNTY BUDGET. HAS CONSISTENTLY STRUCK SHRUNK EVEN THROUGH FULL FUNDING THE LAST FEW YEARS. THE PERCENTAGE THAT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS REPRESENTING THIS COUNTY'S BUDGET HAS GONE DOWN. 
          THIS BUDGET PROPOSAL. DECREASES THAT BY ANOTHER. 3% SO AGAIN, THE SUGGESTIONS THAT IT'S. 
          IRRESPONSIBLE SPENDING IN THE SCHOOLS. IT'S DRIVING INCREASES OR POSSIBLY SOMEHOW, A FACT AFFECTING TAXPAYERS AGAIN. GROSSLY INACCURATE. SO IN ADDITION. TO THE DEPLORABLE NATURE OF THIS PARTICULAR PROPOSAL FOR HCPS SEE IMPACTS TO THE REMAINDER OF THE COUNTY ARE ALSO CONCERNED. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FLAT FUNDS ARE TWO MOST IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL PARTNERS, HARFORD COUNTY HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. AND THE HARTFORD COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. AND THEY'RE BOTH FLAT FUNDED PARKS AND RECREATION , I BELIEVE TOOK APPROXIMATELY $700,000 CUT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TOTAL BUDGET IS. BUT AGAIN, THOSE THREE ENTITIES COLLEGE, THE LIBRARIES, PARKS AND REC. YOU KNOW, THEY'RE THE ENTITIES IN THIS GOVERNMENT THAT DO THE MOST FOR OUR CHILDREN. 
          AND WHEN YOU ADD THAT TO THE RECORD THE UNPRECEDENTED HISTORIC CUTS. PUBLIC COUNTY SCHOOLS. IT MAKES FOR UM, VERY CLEAR. CONCLUSION. THAT THIS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. WHO DOES NOT SUPPORT EDUCATION, AND IN FACT, I WOULD CHALLENGE ANYONE TO FIND BEEN ELECTED LEADER IN THE STATE WHO SUPPORTS EDUCATION LESS. UM . SOON AFTER WE RECEIVED THE MESSAGE ON FRIDAY. I WANTED TO SHARE A COUPLE OF THINGS WITH STAFF. AND SO WE SENT A MESSAGE OUT, OBVIOUSLY, THAT WE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET. UM. BUT WITH THAT SAID, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF WORK IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. I THINK MR STILL REFERENCED THIS ALSO. FOR 11 YEARS. ENDING WITH THE F Y. 20 BUDGET. WE CUT POSITIONS. IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN ORDER TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET. SO WE STARTED EVERY SCHOOL YEAR REGARDLESS OF WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH OUR ENROLLMENT. WE STARTED EVERY SCHOOL YEAR WITH FEWER EMPLOYEES THAN THE YEAR BEFORE. WHICH HELPS EXPLAIN HOW WE'VE REACHED THE POINT OF HAVING THE 24TH OF 24. SPENDING IN CENTRAL OFFICE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CUTS ENDED UP THERE. NOW. OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS. WE'VE BEGUN. BUILDING THAT BACK. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SUPPOSED THAT WE HAD SOUGHT TO HAVE OCCUR IN THIS BUDGET. WAS TO MOVE SOME OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAD HIRED FOR POSITIONS THAT WE HAD ADDED IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE PANDEMIC. AND THERE WERE. I THINK I DON'T REMEMBER THE NUMBER OF HAND APPROXIMATELY 100 POSITIONS. UM THAT WERE TO MOVE OVER FROM FEDERAL STIMULUS FUNDS. INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET. IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, 94% OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE STUDENTS FACING POSITIONS. THOSE WERE POSITIONS. BY PEOPLE WHO WORK DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS IN CLASSROOMS IN FRONT OF THEM. AND THOSE ARE POSITIONS THAT RIGHT NOW. WE CAN SUSTAIN MANY OF THEM FOR ADDITIONAL YEAR IN THE FEDERAL FUNDS. WE WERE LOOKING TO SPEND THOSE DOWN SORT OF MORE QUICKLY AND ANOTHER WAYS, BUT WE WILL CARRY THAT A LITTLE BIT LONGER. MY GREATEST CONCERN. IS THAT THIS WASN'T THE YEAR FOR THE CRISIS. ALL THESE FEDERAL FUNDS ARE GOING TO EXPIRE NEXT YEAR. AND WE STILL HAVE POSITIONS THAT ARE SITTING IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET. THAT WE DO HELP TO MOVE OVER BECAUSE AGAIN, THESE ARE POSITIONS. THAT ARE IN CLASSROOMS FACING STUDENTS WORKING WITH STUDENTS SUPPORTING 
          [03:00:01]
STUDENTS IN THEIR ACADEMIC UM, NEEDS IF WE GET TO NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE WE DO HAVE. HEALTHY FUND BALANCE. IT'S NOT WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE UH, ANNOUNCED, BUT MR SLOW WENT THROUGH THAT PRETTY CLEARLY. WE CAN USE SOME OF THAT. TO TAKE US THROUGH THE CRISIS THIS YEAR. BUT NEXT YEAR WITHOUT QUESTION WILL BE THE MOST DIFFICULT YEAR WE'VE EVER FACED. BUDGET WISE. AND IF WE DO NOT RETAIN SOME OF THOSE FUNDS TO HELP US ADDRESS THIS CLIFF NEXT YEAR, WHICH I THINK WAS ARBITRARILY CREATED THIS YEAR FOR NO GOOD REASON. UM. I AM VERY CONCERNED FOR WHAT WILL WE WILL BE LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR. AND SO. AGAIN OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS WEEKS. MINISTRATIONS WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON UM IDENTIFYING WAYS TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET. YEAH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE HAVE TO BALANCE IT BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET? THAT BEING SAID. UM. THE COUNTY COUNCIL'S STILL HAS TIME TO SPEAK AND TIME TO WORK. AND WE REALLY DO HOPE THAT, UM WE CAN APPEAL TO THE COUNCIL FOR HELP. AND POSSIBLY ENCOURAGING SOME CHANGES TO THIS PROPOSED BUDGET. AGAIN. MY GOAL ISN'T TO TAKE FROM OTHERS IN THIS COMMUNITY. UM WE'VE BEEN MAKING GREAT PROGRESS IN ALL THE AREAS. AND, UM. SO I HOPE WE CAN. WE CAN FIND SOME HELP. FROM OUR COUNTY COUNCIL, SO. THE PROCESS WILL BE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL HAVE BUDGET HEARINGS OPPORTUNITIES FOR INPUT. THEY WILL OBVIOUSLY HAVE THEIR NORMAL MEETINGS. THEY WILL VOTE TO APPROVE A BUDGET. WE DON'T KNOW WHAT FINAL PRODUCT THAT WILL BE. AFTER THAT. WE HAVE TO COME BACK. AND AT THIS DAY I HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO PRODUCE A BALANCED BUDGET AND WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THAT BALANCED BUDGET. I WILL MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE CHANGES WE WILL MAKE IN ORDER TO BALANCE THAT. 
          UM SO THE BUDGET WILL BE BASED ON RECOMMENDATIONS AND YOU CAN VOTE THOSE THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN. AND, UM AND THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS WE GO THROUGH. WE NEED TO HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET BY JUNE 30TH. SO WITH THAT. I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH EVERYBODY. AS WE CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS. WE HAVE A LOT TO WORK ON A LOT OF TALKING TO DO. UM, BUT THE ENERGY WE'RE ABOUT TO EXPAND. ADVOCATING FOR OUR KIDS IS ESSENTIAL. UM AND THANK YOU ALL FOR WORKING WITH US, AND I WILL SEE YOU ALL I DON'T NEXT MEETING NEXT MONDAY NIGHT. THANK YOU. CHAIR IF I MAY? NO, NO. NOT ASK A QUESTION ABOUT WHEN WE'RE GOING TO DISCUSS IT AS A BOARD. JUST ASKING FOR A DATE. THAT'S ALL. YOU'RE WELCOME TO RETURN THEM. BUDGET. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING 
          [Future Meetings Review]
IS ON MONDAY, APRIL 24TH 2023
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.