Mar 18, 2024 Board Meeting

[Call to Order]

[00:00:05]

THANK YOU. I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARTFORD COUNTY ON MARCH 18TH 2024 AT 6:01 P.M. THIS BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION. MISS ROLLO, PLEASE TAKE ROLL CALL. MS ALVAREZ THAT IT MISS BRUCE HERE. COKER HERE, DOCTOR MILLER HERE, MISS PERRY HERE. MS SARO HERE. MR SEWELL. MS STRAUSS VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, PRESIDENT CLINTON SUPERINTENDENT PAUL HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S RULES OF ORDER. GOOD EVENING. I'M DJ RAVAGE REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING IN KEEPING WITH THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE UPDATED PRACTICES THAT WILL BE ENFORCED THIS EVENING AND FOR ALL FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS. DURING THE BUSINESS MEETING, ALL ATTENDEES ARE REMINDED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER GRANDSTANDING, WHICH INCLUDES A CLAUSE AUDIBLE COMMENTARY, EXCESSIVE GESTURES, STANDING OVATIONS AND SIMILAR DISTRACTING BEHAVIORS IS NOT PERMITTED.

LIKEWISE THREATENING WORDS, GESTURES OR BEHAVIORS ARE NOT PERMITTED. SHOULD ATTEND THE ENGAGE OF ONE OF THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS, THUS ATTRACTING FROM THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING. THE ATTENDEE WILL RECEIVE A WARNING TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR.

IF THE ATTENDEE DOES NOT CEASE THE PROHIBITIVE BEHAVIOR, THE ATTENDEE WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE BUSINESS MEETING BY SECURITY. WE ASK THAT ALL MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE REFRAIN FROM APPROACHING THE DAIS FOR ANY REASON DURING THE BOARD MEETING. WE APPRECIATE YOUR RESPECTFUL ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANK YOU. YEAH, YOU CAN OK? THANK YOU. UH MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE READ THE PROCESS WE FOLLOW FOR THIS EVENING. THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WILL BE USED THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MUTE THEIR DEVICE UPON UNTIL CALLED UPON BOARD MEMBERS. PLEASE HOLD ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION. FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, DOCTOR QUINTON WILL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER FOR THEIR COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF MUST RESTATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING, DOCTOR BOLSON WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL IN THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBER TO DO SO. WHEN A ROLL CALL IS TAKEN FOR A MOTION, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REPLY WITH A YES OR A NO. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS. YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. THIS IS TERRY. I MOVED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.

THIS IS DIANA SECOND. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED. PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. PLEASE RISE AND JOIN US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THE ON THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND FOR WHICH IT STANDS. PATIENT UNDER GOD. WITH THE WORLD. OK WE'LL

[Board Member Comments]

GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. YOUR VOICE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO US, UM THIS MONTH OR SINCE THE LAST MEETING ON FEBRUARY 27TH. I ATTENDED THE CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR, UM, LED BY A HISTORIAN FROM HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, HE PROVIDED A BACKGROUND ON THE RICH CIVIL, UM RIGHT HISTORY IN HARTFORD COUNTY . AND I AM PROUD TO SIT NEXT TO, UM, MISS CAROL BRUCE, WHO IS A TRAILBLAZER IN THAT HISTORY. I DO HOPE THAT OUR COMMUNITY WILL CONTINUE TO EMBRACE CIVIL UNITY.

UM, AND THEN ALSO LAST WEEK, I ATTENDED THE CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY MEETING THAT WAS HOSTED AT THE CLUBHOUSE BY ASHLEY IN ABERDEEN. UM THIS ORGANIZATION SERVES STUDENTS THAT ARE AT RISK THROUGHOUT HARFORD COUNTY IN A NUTSHELL. AND AT RISK ARE THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE AFFECTED BY ADDICTION. UM THIS NONPROFIT PROVIDES A SAFE PLACE FOR STUDENTS AT RISK BOTH AT THEIR FACILITY AND IN ABERDEEN AND IN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND A PROGRAM CALLED ROOT THE ROOTS PROGRAM. UM SO, LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR ALL THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVED ON THE POLICY ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT. UM WE'VE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS AND WE DO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, UM, THE INTEREST THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS AND MAKING SURE OUR SCHOOLS ARE, UM ARE THE BEST THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS BRUCE. YES I WOULD JUST LIKE TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THE 23 STAFF MEMBERS WHO PROVIDE SERVICE TO THE GIFTED AND TALENTED POPULATION IN OUR SCHOOLS. UM I ATTENDED A MEETING AND I WAS REALLY VERY IMPRESSED.

[00:05:06]

MISBEHAVIOR STUDENTS NEGATIVELY IMPACTS. OTHER STUDENTS. MORE THAN A FEW ATTENDEES WERE ADAMANT THAT IMPROVEMENT IS NEEDED IN HANDLING DISCIPLINE BECAUSE OF THE DAMAGE AND LACK OF SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. PARENTS REQUESTED THE BOARD TELL ADMINISTRATORS THAT THEY AND TEACHERS SHOULD BE TOUGHER ON DISCIPLINE SO THAT ONE CAN LEARN AND FEEL SECURE. SO I JUST WANTED TO PASS THAT ON. UM OTHER CONCERNS AND GAPS WERE NOTED REGARDING LACK OF HOMEWORK, LACK OF EMPHASIS ON PHONICS, LACK OF TEACHING SPELLING AND PRIMARY GRADES. WANTING TO TEACH CURSIVE AND IMPROVING TEACHING OF ALL HANDWRITING. SO I WANTED TO TIE THIS, UM, TYPE OF INPUT THAT WE GOT AT THIS NORTH HARTFORD LISTENING SESSION TO OUR CURRENT SITUATION. AND THE ONGOING REVIEW OF THE DRAFT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IN FLAG POLICIES. THE COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE IS DIVIDED ON SOME TOPICS, BUT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT FEELING THAT THERE ARE CRITICAL IMPROVEMENTS WE NEED TO FOCUS ON AS A SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE NEED MORE EFFECTIVE LEARNING AND DISCIPLINE. WE NEED TO REDUCE TEACHER BURNOUT. WE NEED STUDENTS TO FOCUS ON LEARNING. WHEN THEY ARE BEHAVIOR CONCERNS AND THERE ARE A LOT OF DISTRACTIONS IN THE CLASSROOM, AND WHEN STUDENTS ARE FOCUSED ON THEIR DIFFERENCES, LEARNING IS REDUCED. THE FACT THAT THERE IS SO MUCH PASSION AND FEEDBACK REGARDING THE NEW PROPOSED POLICIES SEEMS TO ME TO BE THE VERY REASON WHY THESE POLICIES WILL BE HELPFUL. AS EXAMPLE, AS AN EXAMPLE, SOME FOLKS HAVE MISINTERPRETED THAT THE POLICIES ARE ABOUT CURTAILING INDIVIDUAL FREEDOMS OF STUDENTS OR TEACHERS . THERE HAVE BEEN VERY EMOTIONAL REACTIONS AND EVEN UNFAIR ACCUSATIONS OF DISCRIMINATION. PLEASE READ AND CONSIDER THESE POLICIES CAREFULLY. THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY PROVIDES GUIDANCE REGARDING AGE APPROPRIATENESS, COMPLEX TOPICS

[00:10:01]

NOT JUST ANY PARTICULAR GROUPS AGAIN. WE NEED TO REFOCUS ON AREAS WHERE IMPROVEMENT IS CRITICAL. THESE POLICIES ARE TOOLS TO GUIDE OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THAT DIRECTION. WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT STUDENTS AND TEACHERS ARE HURTING. DUE TO A RANGE OF ISSUES. ANGST CONFIDENCE, LACKING UNHAPPINESS, FEELINGS OF NOT BELONGING, BULLYING AND BAD BEHAVIORS.

WHILE NONE OF THESE CONCERNS ARE NEW, THEY ARE SERIOUS AND POSE SEVERE IMPACTS. BUT WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL TO CONSIDER THE CAUSES OF EACH OF THESE ISSUES AS WELL AS OUR THOUGHTS AROUND HOW TO ADDRESS THEM. FOCUSING ON DIFFERENCES IN GRIEVANCES WILL ONLY DEEPEN DIVIDES AND BRING FURTHER DISTRACTION AND ULTIMATELY WILL NOT HELP BRING PEOPLE PEACE. IF WE TRULY WANT TO ADDRESS BULLYING THE PAIN ISSUES, THE DISCIPLINE ISSUES THE LEARNING ISSUES WE NEED TO FIRST RECOGNIZE THE ROOT CAUSES AND ADDRESS THOSE THE FIRST STEP IN SOLVING ANY PROBLEM IS TO IDENTIFY IT. THESE POLICIES ARE NOT RELATED TO OUR DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS AND MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS OR TO PEOPLE'S FEELINGS OF MARGINALIZATION. THE PURPOSES OF THESE NEW PROPOSED POLICIES.

AND THE CURRENT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY IS TO ENCOURAGE A NEUTRAL ENVIRONMENT IN SCHOOLS THAT MINIMIZES LEARNING DISTRACTIONS AND FOCUSES ON LEARNING, NOT CONTROVERSIES OR DIVIDED IT IS ALSO IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT ANY TIME THERE IS AN ACCOMMODATION TOWARD ONE GROUP TO MAKE THEM FEEL MORE WELCOME. THOSE NOT IN THAT GROUP MAY FEEL UNWELCOME. BASED ON THE VERY DIVIDED INPUT RECEIVED IN COMMENT ON THE FLAG POLICY. MORE THAN HALF OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE CONCERNED ABOUT FEELING UNWELCOME WHEN FLAGS OTHER THAN THE AMERICAN STATE AND COUNTY FLAGS ARE DISPLAYED. WE CANNOT HAVE SCHOOL DISPLAYS THAT MAKE ANYONE FEEL UNWELCOME. AND LOOKING AT SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE COMMENTS COMING IN ON OUR DRAFT POLICIES. ONE KEY TAKEAWAY IS THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE DIVIDED ON THESE POLICIES, BUT WE ARE DIVIDED ON THE TOPIC OF ACTIVISM IN OUR SCHOOLS. THERE ARE MANY WHO SUPPORT HAVING ACTIVISM IN OUR SCHOOLS AND TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THAT ACTIVISM IS A GOOD THING. THEY ARE JUST AS MANY, IF NOT MORE, WHO DO NOT WANT ACTIVISM IN OUR SCHOOLS, AND THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP. FEAR OF RETRIBUTION RIGHT NOW, WHAT DOES THAT TELL YOU WHEN PEOPLE ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP? NOT A GOOD SITUATION. THIS INCLUDES STUDENTS WHO ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP OR TO SHOW THAT THEIR OPINIONS DIFFER FROM OTHERS. THAT IS ONE REASON WHY DO WE DO NOT WANT ACTIVISM IN OUR SCHOOLS , ACTIVISM IS TO PUSH IDEOLOGIES AND MAY HAVE GOOD INTENTIONS. BUT THIS IS NONETHELESS FOISTING THE ACTIVIST GROUP OPINIONS AND IDEOLOGIES ON OUR CHILDREN. WE WANT TO TEACH CHILDREN TO BE CRITICAL THINKERS, NOT ACTIVISTS. THIS REQUIRES A NEUTRAL EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT IN WHICH ALL STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO SPEAK UP WITHOUT PRESSURE OR FEAR OF RETRIBUTION.

I HOPE EVERYONE WOULD AGREE WITH THAT. AS ALWAYS, WE ASK PARENTS TO ENCOURAGE THEIR CHILDREN TO FULLY PARTICIPATE IN LEARNING BOTH AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME AND TO TREAT EVERYONE WITH RESPECT AND KINDNESS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DR MUELLER. WELL THE ONLY THINGS I WANTED TO SAY TONIGHT WAS I WANTED TO THANK JAMIE CARMEL FOR THE CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR . HE SPENT YEARS WORKING IN THE COUNTY GATHERING INFORMATION AND SETTING UP THESE TOURS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO GO TO. SO JAMIE CARMEL IS THE NAME OF THE PERSON WHO DID THAT. I ALSO WANTED TO THANK MR COOK, WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL AT HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE THERE AND TO SEE THE NEW SCHOOL BUILDING AND HOW EXCITING IT IS FOR THE STUDENTS THAT THEY'LL BE GETTING A NEW SCHOOL SOON. UM REALLY GLAD THAT THIS IS FINALLY COMING TO FRUITION. THANK YOU. OK? GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE AND THANK YOU FOR COMING AND RIGHT NOW. I JUST WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU IN PUBLIC COMMENTS UP, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE HAVE A VERY FULL AUDIENCE HERE AND HOW SHOWING YOUR CONCERN FOR OUR STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS THINKING THANK YOU JOINING REMOTELY, MS SAVVA. EVERYONE NO COMMENT FOR TODAY AND SAY THANK YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU, UH, MR SOUL. HELLO, EVERYONE. I WANTED TO, UH GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE FEBRUARY FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOL AWARD WINNER THAT WAS HAVE A GRACE HIGH SCHOOL THIS YEAR. WELL EARNED. CONGRATULATIONS THERE. UM I ALSO ATTENDED THE CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH FOR, UH, JIMMY CARMEL. PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.

UM IF YOU EVER HAVE A CHANCE TO VISIT. THEY HAVE THE GRACE COLORED SCHOOL MUSEUM. I HIGHLY

[00:15:05]

UH, THAT WAS AN OUTSTANDING JOB BY THE DRAMA TEACHER. MR TUCKER. I THANK HIM FOR HIS LEADERSHIP THERE AND ALL THE CAST AND CREW THAT MADE THAT POSSIBLE. THEY DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB. UH, YOU KNOW, BOTH DURING THE PERFORMANCE AND BEHIND THE SCENES, UH AND I WANNA THANK, UH, ALSO THE PARENT VOLUNTEERS, UH, MANY, MANY, UH, HOURS THAT WENT INTO, UM, THE PROPS AND VARIOUS THINGS THERE, SO THANK YOU. I ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THE EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL ENGAGED FOR EDUCATION FORUM. I REALLY APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. UM I WANNA THANK THE BOARD LEADERSHIP FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER. HAVING THAT IDEA. UH, INITIALLY, UM, AND I WANNA THANK UH THE PARENTS , STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, UH, WHO ARE WILLING TO COME OUT AND FREELY SHARE? UH, THEIR VIEWPOINTS WITH US. AND LASTLY, I JUST WANNA GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU. TO EVERYONE THAT WORKS AND VOLUNTEERS FOR OUR COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. UH, THANK YOU TO THE PARENTS AND GUARDIANS WHO WORK HARD TO MAKE SURE THEIR CHILDREN ARE PREPARED TO LEARN EVERY DAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS STRAUSS . GOOD EVENING, SO I'M HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THAT THE DRAFT PROCEDURE FOR THE EVALUATION AND SELECTION OF SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS IS READY TO BE PRESENTED FOR YOUR COMMENT AND FEEDBACK. THIS PROCEDURE IS THE RESULT OF HOURS OF COLLABORATION FROM A DIVERSE GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS WHO ALL BROUGHT VALUABLE INSIGHT TO THE GOAL AT HAND. STATE LAW SPECIFIES THAT THE SCHOOL LIBRARY AND MEDIA PROGRAM MUST PROVIDE STUDENTS ACCESS TO APPROPRIATE MATERIALS TO SUPPORT THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE GOAL OF THIS PROCEDURE IS TO FURTHER DEFINE AGE APPROPRIATENESS AND OUTLINE A SPECIFIC PROCESS FOR EVALUATING AND SELECTING LIBRARY MATERIALS.

IT ALSO PROVIDES A MUCH NEEDED RECONSIDERATION PROCESS. PROVIDING AGE APPROPRIATE READING MATERIALS TO CHILDREN IS CRUCIAL FOR THEIR COGNITIVE, EMOTIONAL AND OVERALL DEVELOPMENT. IT IS IMPERATIVE THAT CONCEPTS, VOCABULARY AND THEMES ARE SUITABLE FOR A STUDENT'S AGE AND STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK EVERYONE ON THE PLANNING ROUTE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS EFFORT. DOCTOR BARWICK. THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE RESEARCH AND FOR FOSTERING COLLABORATION. I BELIEVE THAT ALL MEMBERS FELT THAT THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS WERE VALUED AND RESPECTED, AND THAT'S A TESTAMENT TO YOUR LEADERSHIP AND VISION. I BELIEVE THAT ALL PROCEDURE OR POLICY DEVELOPMENT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A WORKING GROUP SUCH AS THIS ONE. IN THIS SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION. THIS PROCEDURE WILL BE PUT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. PLEASE NOTE. THIS IS NOT STANDARD PRACTICE AS IT IS IN AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE. HOWEVER WE ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT EVERYONE HAS A CHANCE TO REVIEW AND PROVIDE INPUT. I ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GO AND REVIEW AND LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK. IN CLOSING. I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW ATHLETIC ITEMS LAST MONTH, H CS HCPS HOSTED THE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS FOR LIFE BOWLING EVENT. SPORTS FOR LIFE IS OUR ATHLETIC PROGRAM THAT IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES AND OP OPPORTUNITY TO COMPETE ALONGSIDE THEIR PEERS IN SPORTS AND RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES. THE HIGH SCHOOL SECTION HAD OVER 200 PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR, THE HIGHEST PARTICIPATION NUMBERS SO FAR. AND LASTLY, A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO MADISON BERTH WHO TOOK HOME THE SINGLE A GIRLS WRESTLING STATE CHAMPIONSHIP.

SHE IS THE FIRST FEMALE STATE CHAMPIONSHIP IN HAVE A GRACE HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY. MM. THANK YOU, VICE PRESIDENT. AH, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME EVERYONE. THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TODAY, MARCH 18TH IS THE THREE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF WHEN OUR CHILDREN WENT BACK TO SCHOOL, PART TIME AFTER BEING VIRTUAL FOR OVER A YEAR, THEY RETURNED WEARING MASKS EATING LUNCHES BETWEEN

[00:20:01]

HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS AN EMPLOYER AND HAS THE BROAD AUTHORITY TO LIMIT EDUCATOR SPEECH ON THE JOB AS WELL AS LIMIT THE SPEECH OFF THE JOB THAT DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE WORKPLACE, AS DOES ANY GOVERNMENT POSITION OR JOB. SCHOOLS AS WELL AS GOVERNMENT AGENCIES HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LIMIT SPEECH. FOR EDUCATORS. THIS MEANS DURING SCHOOL HOURS OR AT SCHOOL SPONSORED ACTIVITIES TO PROTECT THEIR OWN INTERESTS IN INSTRUCTION AND POLITICAL NEUTRALITY. TEACHERS CANNOT PROMOTE A PERSONAL OR POLITICAL AGENDA IN THE CLASSROOM, AND SCHOOLS HAVE THE ABILITY TO CURTAIL TEACHERS' COMMENTS IN THE CLASSROOM OR ON SOCIAL MEDIA IF THEY DISRUPT THE EDUCATIONAL PROCESS, TEACHERS MUST RESPECT THE RIGHTS OF ALL STUDENTS, TEACHERS MUST ADOPT THE TEACHING STRATEGIES TO SUIT THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF LEARNERS WHILE TEACHING STUDENTS OF EVERY ETHNICITY AND BACKGROUND EQUALLY. THIS COMMITMENT TO EQUALITY IS AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF THE US CONSTITUTION. A PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEE IS A PAID EMPLOYEE THAT IS PAID A SALARY TO WORK AND TO CONTRIBUTE TO AN AGENCY'S EFFECTIVE OPERATION AND THEREFORE HCPS HAS THE POWER TO PREVENT OR RESTRAIN THE EMPLOYEE FROM DOING OR SAYING THINGS THAT DETRACT FROM THE EFFECTIVE OPERATION, MEANING THAT HCPS AS THE EMPLOYER HAS THE AUTHORITY TO IMPOSE RESTRICTIONS OR TO ON A RIGHT A PERSON'S RIGHT TO SPEAK. THE ADMINISTRATION OF K 212 SCHOOLS RESIDES WITH THE STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES, ACADEMIC FREEDOM. IS LIMITED TO HIS OR HER METHOD OF TEACHING WITH THE POLICIES AND THE CURRICULUM ESTABLISHED BY THE LOCAL BOARD AND THE STATE. TEACHERS HAVE A PERSONAL RIGHT UNDER THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO SHARE THEIR VIEWS ON PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES IN PUBLIC, BUT NOT IN THE CLASSROOM. A TEACHER SHARING HIS OPINION OR VIEWPOINT IN THE CLASSROOM MAY BE SEEN AS INDOCTRINATION. SO FOR EXAMPLE, TEACHERS SHOULD AVOID SHARING PERSONAL VIEWS ON ONE'S SEXUAL PREFERENCE REGARDING A PARTICULAR CANDIDATE, A DECISION BY THE GRAND JURY AND FBI CASE OR RACIAL ISSUES. EVERYTHING A TEACHER SAYS OR DOES IN THE CLASSROOM SHOULD BE CONSIDERED BASED ON THE POSSIBLE IMPACT OF ALL OF THE STUDENTS. AND NOT JUST A SELECT FEW. WHEN YOU OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT WITH HCPS YOU SIGN A CONTRACT TO PROVIDE SERVICES AND ALSO ARE PROVIDED A HANDBOOK THAT SPECIFICALLY STATES PER EMPLOYEE HANDBOOK PAGE TWO. THE FOLLOWING REPRESENTS THE MANNER IN WHICH OUR EMPLOYEES ARE EXPECTED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN THE COURSE OF THEIR EMPLOYMENT WITH HTPS. I'M NOT GONNA READ EVERY ONE OF THOSE BULLET POINTS, BUT I URGE YOU TO REREAD THEM TO GO OVER WHAT YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES ARE I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK THOSE THAT ATTENDED THE LISTENING SESSION. IT WAS VERY INFORMATIVE , AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR ATTENDANCE AND YOUR FEEDBACK AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT ONES AS WELL. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. WELL I ATTENDED MANY OF THE EVENTS OF THE BOARD MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT. WE HAVE A FULL AGENDA TONIGHT, SO I WON'T REHASH ALL OF THEM. BUT JUST THREE QUICK THINGS FOR THIS EVENING. FIRST OF ALL, I DID THE CIVIL RIGHTS TOUR AS WELL. AND AS MR SEUL SAID, YOU SHOULD TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO. BUT IF YOU DO GO, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT ALL OF THE LITTLE CHILDREN THERE IN THE PICTURES AND YOU WILL FIND THAT THE ONE THAT LOOKS VERY FAMILIAR, AND I WALKED OVER AND I SAID, YEAH. WHY IS THIS LITTLE GIRL LOOK SO FAMILIAR, AND THERE YOU GO. IT'S ONE OF OUR OWN BOARD MEMBERS. UH, MISS BRUCE. IF YOU'LL ALLOW ME. I'LL SHARE THAT PHOTO ON SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT, UH SHE WAS A CUTE LITTLE GIRL. SO UM, ANOTHER REASON TO ATTEND. UH, HEY, I WAS GONNA PUT IT UP ON THE SCREEN TONIGHT, BUT UM, SECOND, UH, THANK YOU. JACOB BENNETT, WHO'S USUALLY A REGULAR HERE, BUT I DON'T SEE HIM. THERE HE IS BACK THERE. UH, WHO INVITED ME INTO HIS CLASSROOM LAST WEEK? UH, TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH HIM AND HIS STUDENTS DURING THEIR WHEN THEY WERE LEARNING ABOUT READING, AND , UH HE'S AN EXCELLENT TEACHER, AND HE'S GOT SOME VERY WELL BEHAVED KIDS. HOPEFULLY THEY WEREN'T JUST BEHAVING BECAUSE I WAS THERE, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION. AND THEN LASTLY, JUST A NOTE OF GRATITUDE. UM KATIE RIDGEWAY AND STEPHANIE WALL FOR PUBLISHING ADVANCING THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AS YOU KNOW, THE BOARD CREATES STRATEGY, AND

[00:25:01]

[Public Comments]

UH, WHETHER YOU ARE AN INDIVIDUAL OR A GROUP IN PERSON. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY THE BOARD SECRETARY. ALL SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE TWO MINUTES AND 30 SECONDS. SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED AND MAY BE GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30 SECONDS LEFT WHEN SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR TWO MINUTE AND 32 MARK, THEIR TIME WILL EXPIRE. MS ROLLO, PLEASE CALL THE IN PERSON SPEAKERS. THIS EVENING, WE WILL BEGIN WITH, UM DAVID BAUER. OK? THIS MAY BE INTERESTING. GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER. MY COMMENTS THIS EVENING ARE ON THE PROPOSED CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND DISPLAY OF FLAGS POLICIES. AT THE LAST MEETING, MRS ALVAREZ COMMENTED THAT STUDENTS NEED TO BE RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF DATED LANGUAGE AND THAT OUR STUDENTS WILL LIKELY FACE MORE DIVERSE ENVIRONMENTS IN COLLEGES AND WORKPLACES IN THE FUTURE. I AGREE I ALSO THINK STUDENTS NEED TO BE RESILIENT WHEN PRESENTED WITH SYMBOLS OF SUPPORT THAT ARE AIMED AT OTHER PEOPLE, NOT THEM.

DOCTOR PONTON AND MS HAN. AT THE LAST ENGAGE FOR EDUCATION SESSION. THERE WAS A COMMENT THAT I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT IT WAS ABOUT KIDS WHOSE PARENTS DON'T SUPPORT THEM IN SOME ASPECT OF THEIR IDENTITY. UNFORTUNATELY THERE ARE PARENTS WHO WILL OSTRACIZE THEIR KIDS FOR BEING GAY OR TRANS. SUCH KIDS AREN'T LOOKING FOR A GENERICALLY NICE AND SUPPORTIVE TEACHER. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR AN ADULT THAT THEY KNOW IS SAFE TO TALK WITH ABOUT A SPECIFIC TOPIC. THE POLICY AS YOU PROPOSE . SEND AT LEAST TWO MESSAGES TO THESE KIDS. FIRST THAT THE BOARD YOU ARE NOT SAFE. SECOND THAT TEACHERS SHOULD NOT BE SHOWING THEIR SUPPORT. I'M NOT SAYING THAT WAS YOUR INTENT. I'M SAYING THAT IS HOW THE POLICIES WILL BE INTERPRETED. GIVEN THAT YOU'VE RECEIVED HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS, YOU PRESUMABLY HAVE LEARNED THAT THE RECEPTION WAS NOT WHAT YOU EXPECTED. THAT'S OK. WE CAN LEARN, APOLOGIZE AND MOVE ON. WHEN YOU GET TO THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY ON THE AGENDA. DON'T WASTE YOUR TIME TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY THE INTENT OF NEUTRALITY OR FOCUS ON EDUCATION. WE'VE HEARD IT YOU'VE HOPEFULLY LEARNED BETTER BY NOW. SO JUST APOLOGIZE AND MOVE ON. STOP WASTING YOUR TIME ON CULTURE WAR ISSUES. YOU NEED TO RESET AND LEARN ABOUT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. APOLOGIZE AND MOVE ON. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS MEGAN FITZGERALD. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR, BOLSON AND DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT INCREASED INVOLVEMENT AND VISIBILITY ON THE PART OF THE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. TO SAY IT PLAINLY. I THINK MANY OF YOU ARE EASILY CLAIMING IGNORANCE WITH REGARD TO THE BARRIERS TO EQUITABLE EDUCATION IN SOUTHERN HARTFORD COUNTY. AND THAT'S BASED ON THE FACT THAT YOU DON'T SPEND QUALITY TIME. IN THOSE SCHOOLS, AND I'M NOT REFERRING TO THE TOURS YOU TAKE OR THOSE SCHEDULED APPEARANCES THAT ARE PART OF UM YOU KNOW, CHECKING THE BOXES AS A MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. I'M DEFINING QUALITY TIME AS VOLUNTEERING DURING THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LUNCHTIME OR REQUESTING INVITATIONS TO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL CLUBS. SUCH AS VOICES OF EQUITY. I'M SUGGESTING SPENDING MORE TIME. HANGING OUT WITH THE STUDENTS AND GETTING TO KNOW THEM BETTER,

[00:30:03]

THE VENUE WAS NOT THE BEST CHOICE. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN BETTER AT THE EDGEWOOD REC CENTER, THE EDGEWOOD LIBRARY OR THE OR EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THESE ARE ALL LOCATIONS THAT ARE EASILY ACCESSED BY FOOT FOR MANY OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS, SINCE THESE LOCATIONS ARE IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO APARTMENTS IN TOWN HOME COMMUNITIES. THE BOARD OF ED WASTE TOO MUCH TIME ON POLICIES TO PLACATE PARTISAN AND DIVISIVE INDIVIDUALS WHEN WE HAVE A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE HOMELESS, HUNGRY AND COLD AND WHILE YOU ARE ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION I ALSO THINK THAT IT IS INCUMBENT UPON YOU. IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO REACH PAST WHAT YOU THINK IS IMPORTANT AND START TAKING CARE OF THE CHILDREN AND THEIR BASIC NEEDS BEFORE THEY CAN ACTUALLY PICK UP CURRICULUM. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GINA GIBSON.

HI. GOOD EVENING. I'VE LIVED IN HARPER COUNTY. I HAVE TO SAY MY NAME AGAIN OR THEY ARE OK. I'M SORRY. UM I'VE LIVED IN HARFORD COUNTY. MOST OF MY LIFE. I'M A FORMER GRADUATE OF HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND I HAVE CHILDREN THAT, UM, HAVE GRADUATED AND CURRENTLY ATTEND HARPER COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, SO I HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN IN THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHOOLS. UM.

SO THE ADVICE THAT I EVER RECEIVED, UM WAS BEFORE YOU BECAME A CONVERSATION. KNOW WHAT YOU WANT THE OUTCOME TO BE. I'VE BEEN CONSIDERING THIS A LOT THIS WEEK. UM WHEN PREPARING, YOU KNOW THESE COMMENTS FOR THIS EVENING? AND I JUST KEPT COMING BACK TO. I WANT MY KIDS TO THRIVE. I WANT THEM TO BE THE BEST VERSION OF THEMSELVES IN EVERY STAGE OF LIFE, I THINK WE? PROBABLY MANY OF US HAVE THIS ROOM HAVE THAT SAME GOAL. IN MIND. UM SO I FEEL LIKE YOUR POSITION ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. YOU CAN HELP ME. WITH THIS UM, BY HELPING TO SET THEM UP FOR SUCCESS ACADEMICALLY. AND REMOVE THE UNNECESSARY DISTRACTIONS FROM THEIR LEARNING. TO THIS END, I URGE YOU TO ADOPT THE PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY. BY DEFINITION, WE KNOW THAT OPINIONS ON THESE ISSUES VARY GREATLY, AND MANY TIMES THEY PROVOKE EXTREME EMOTIONS. WHEN EMOTIONS ARE RUNNING HIGH. STUDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE POISED FOR LEARNING. SO IT STANDS TO REASON THAT DISCUSSION DISCUSSIONS ON CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. SHOULD ONLY HAPPEN WHEN PART OF THE ACADEMIC CURRICULUM. WHEN REQUIRED. EDUCATORS SHOULD BE GIVEN THE GUIDANCE IN THAT THIS POLICY PROVIDES ADOPT THE FLAG POLICY. AGAIN KEEP THE FOCUS ON ACADEMICS. THE SCHOOL FACILITIES AND CLASSROOMS. ARE NOT THE PLACE FOR SELF-EXPRESSION. THEY EXIST FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF FACILITATING ACADEMIC PURSUITS.

THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS VICTORIA HARVEY. HI. UNITED WE STAND DIVIDED WE FALL. THIS PHRASE DATES BACK TO THE SIXTH CENTURY BC, GREECE. THIS PHRASE STILL RINGS TRUE TODAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR DIVISION AND CONTROVERSY. CONTROVERSY IN CLASSROOMS OVER A MARRIED FLAGS IS ENORMOUS. THE PROPOSED FLAG POLICY IS LONG OVERDUE. IN TODAY'S POLITICALLY CHARGED ENVIRONMENT AND ACROSS THE BOARD POLICY. LIMITING FLAGS DISPLAYED IS A TOOL TO AVOID

[00:35:05]

SO GOOD EVENING. UH, MY NAME IS BRIAN KELLY. I LIVE AT HABER OF GRACE CURRENTLY. SO I STAND, UH, TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE POLICY ON THE FLAGS. RIGHT SO THE THREE FLAGS THAT WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT ARE OUR COMMUNITY FLAG. HARTFORD COUNTY IS OUR STATE FLAG, THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND ITS A UNITED STATES FLAG. THESE ARE THE FLAGS THAT UNIFY US AS A COMMUNITY. OUR COMMUNITY DEMANDS THAT WE ARE TOGETHER. AMERICA HAS ACHIEVED GREAT THINGS WHEN WE ARE TOGETHER. WE FOUGHT A REVOLUTION AND THROUGH THE OCCA TYRANNY OFF OF OUR SHOULDERS SO THAT WE COULD BE FREE. AND ENJOY OUR LIBERTIES AND OUR RIGHTS. WE FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR TWO AFTER WE GOT ATTACKED, AND WE OVERCOME THE IMPERIAL JAPANESE ARMY, AND WE AND WE OVERCAME THE FASCISTS IN EUROPE. THESE ARE THINGS THAT BROUGHT US TOGETHER. RIGHT. WE WERE ATTACKED. WE COME TOGETHER AND WE WERE ABLE TO DEFEND OURSELVES. WE COME TOGETHER IN THE 19 SIXTIES AND PUT A MAN ON THE MOON BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DID.

I'M SORRY, SIR. CAN YOU FACE THIS WAY AND SPEAK TO MY TO THE BOARD? CAN YOU HEAR YOU? THANK YOU. SORRY SO WE COME TOGETHER AND EASE. ARE WHY WE NEED TO SHOW THE FLAGS THAT MEAN AND PROVIDE FOR UNITY. OTHER FLAGS BECOME DIVISIVE AND WE DO NOT WANT A DIVISIVENESS IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO LEARN AND LEARN TO BE TOGETHER AND WHAT DIVERSITY REALLY MEANS.

WE NEED A WE NEED TO UNITE THEM. AND HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DIVIDE THE COUNTRY. WE FOUGHT A WAR A CIVIL WAR IN THE 18 6100 AND 60 YEARS AGO. OVER A DEVI OUT OF OVER DIVISIVE ISSUES.

BROTHER ON BROTHER WAS FIGHTING 19 SIXTIES. WE HAD RACE RIOTS BECAUSE WE COULDN'T COME TOGETHER AND FIGURE OUT WHAT WAS RIGHT. WE WERE FIGHTING IN VIETNAM AND WE HAD WAR PROTESTERS AND LOOK WHAT WE DID TO OUR SOLDIERS THAT WENT AND DID WHAT THEY WERE DRAFTED TO DO. NOT WHAT THEY WERE. VOLUNTEERED TO DO WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER. THE THREE FLAGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEED TO BE THERE. THE UNITED STATES FLAG HARPER COUNTY FLAG, THE MARYLAND STATE FLAG. THE OTHER FLAGS ARE DIVISIVE, AND WE NEED TO LIMIT THEM TO ONLY BE WHEN THERE IS A GENERAL EDUCATION. PROCESS FOR THEM. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHRISTINA LA NOCHE.

YES, WE DO NEED GOD BACK IN OUR SCHOOLS. PSALMS 99 5 EXALT THE LORD OUR GOD AND WORSHIP AT HIS

[00:40:05]

TELLING OUR CHILDREN LIES ABOUT THEIR BODIES IS EXACTLY OPPOSITE OF HIS WILL. WE SHOULD BE PUTTING ONLY PURE AND GOOD BOOKS IN FRONT OF OUR INNOCENT CHILDREN. WE SHOULD ONLY BE TEACHING OUR CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE BEAUTIFUL AND PRECIOUS AS THEY WERE GIVEN TO US BY GOD. IT SHOULD NOT BE AGREEING WITH THEM THAT THEY ARE. THEY ARE WHAT THEY ARE NOT PUTTING OUR CHILDREN ON A PATHWAY TOWARD HORMONE THERAPIES AND GENDER MUTILATING SURGERIES IS LITERALLY CHILD SACRIFICE, WHICH GOT OUR CREATOR DETESTS AND WILL NOT CONTINUE TO TOLERATE. HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER. SO YOU MAY LIVE LONG IN THE IN THE LAND . THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS GIVEN YOU WE SHOULD NOT BE TELLING OUR CHILDREN TO KEEP THINGS FROM THEIR PARENTS UNLESS A PARENT HAS BEEN PROVEN UNFIT, THAT PARENT HAS THE RIGHT TO KNOW ALL THAT IS GOING ON WITH HIS OR HER CHILD. WHEN IN THE CARE OF THE SCHOOL HEALTH CARE OF ANY KIND, PHYSICAL, MENTAL OR EMOTIONAL SHOULD NOT BE ADMINISTERED WITHOUT THE KNOWLEDGE AND CONSENT OF THE PARENTS. IN MY OPINION, SCHOOLS SHOULD FOCUS ONLY ON ACADEMICS, AT LEAST AND UNTIL THE READING AND MATH PROFICIENCY. SCORES ARE AT ACCEPTABLE LEVELS. IN ADDITION, ALL CURRICULUM LESSON PLANS, BOOKS AND ALL MATERIALS THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE ACCESS TO SHOULD BE MADE TRANSPARENT AND ACCESSIBLE TO PARENTS SO THEY CAN OPT OUT OF ANYTHING THAT IS DEEMED INAPPROPRIATE BY THEM FOR THEIR CHILDREN. THE TAXPAYERS IN THIS COUNTY ARE NOT ALLOWED ACCESS TO THE DESTINY DATABASE.

WHEN WILL TRANSPARENCY BE THE STANDARD IN OUR HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS? ALSO FOR THE REQUEST, UH, FOR RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. WHY IS THE SUPERINTENDENT? THE ONE WITH THE FINAL SAY IS NOT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE BODY WHICH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR CHILDREN'S CURRICULUM. WE DID ELECT THIS BOARD FOR THAT PURPOSE AND DON'T WISH THAT AUTHORITY TO BE GIVEN ELSEWHERE. PLEASE PROTECT THE INNOCENCE OF OUR CHILDREN. AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL IN YOUR DECISION MAKING OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS LEANNE LYNCH. GOOD EVENING BOARD MEMBERS, STAFF AND EVERY OTHER AMERICAN CITIZEN WITHIN MY HEARING. MY NAME IS LEANNE LYNCH . AND I AM A MOM AS I WAS AN AT HOME MOM AT ONE TIME, A GRANDMOTHER AND A FORMER ELEMENTARY EDUCATION TEACHER, AND I HAVE A VERY UNUSUAL 40 YEAR HISTORY WITH THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. DUE TO MY EXTENSIVE HISTORY WITH THAT SYSTEM, I VIEW IT VERY STRONGLY AND EQUALLY THROUGH A PARENTAL LENS AND AN EDUCATOR LENS FOR ME . EVEN A PROPOSED FLAG POLICY GETS MY ATTENTION. THE DICTIONARY DEFINES RACE AS A GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO SHARE PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND A SOCIAL OR CULTURAL IDENTITY. IT ALSO DIVIDES THE WORD CREED AS A SYSTEM OF COHESIVE SET OF BELIEFS, WHICH FOSTERS A PARTICULAR PEOPLE GROUP'S ACTIONS AND LIFESTYLE.

UNDENIABLY EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN HERE OR ANYWHERE IN OUR NATION HAS THE FREEDOM TO IDENTIFY WITH ANY RACE OR CREED. HOW DOES THAT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FLAG POLICY? LET ME CONNECT IT FOR YOU. THE AMERICAN FLAG HAS THREE KEY PARTS TO ITS DESIGN. THE 13 STRIPES REPRESENT THE ESTABLISHMENT AND FOUNDATION OF OUR NATION THROUGH THE ORIGINAL 13 COLONIES. THE 50 STARS REPRESENT EVERY STATE IN OUR NATION. IT WOULD BE FACTUAL TO SAY THAT THAT MEANS THAT EVERY AMERICAN CITIZEN IN EVERY STATE IS REPRESENTED. THE CHOSEN COLORS OF THE INFAMOUS RED, WHITE AND BLUE HAVE A WEIGHTY SIGNIFICANCE AND REPRESENTING EVERY SINGLE AMERICAN NO MATTER THEIR RACE OR CREED. RED SIGNIFIES REVOLUTION, BRAVERY, TOUGHNESS. HARDINESS WHITE SYMBOLIZES PURITY AND INNOCENCE, WHICH I PERSONALLY LOVE TO ASSOCIATE WITH OUR PRECIOUS CHILDREN ENTRUSTED TO OUR CHURCH TO EDUCATE WHILE PRESERVING THEIR PURITY AND INNOCENCE.

THAT'S ALL COST. BLUE IS INDICATIVE OF PERSEVERANCE, JUSTICE VIGILANCE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THE FREEDOM THE FREEDOM TO BE A PART OF ANY RACE OR CREED. GIVEN THIS HISTORY OF OUR FLAGS DESIGNED WHEN I SET MY SIGHTS ON THAT FLAG BEHIND YOU, I DON'T SEE A PERSON'S RACE OR CREED. I DON'T SEE THEIR GENDER. I DON'T SEE THEIR SEXUALITY. I DON'T SEE THEIR CULTURAL PRACTICES OR ANY OTHER DIFFERENCES THAT SET THEM APART FROM YOU OR ME. DO YOU? I SEE EVERY AMERICAN'S FREEDOM TO CHOOSE TO LIVE THEIR LIFE. SURELY YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE WHO DESIGNED OUR FLAG THROUGH THE DECADES HAD UNITY, INCLUSIVENESS ON THEIR MINDS AND IN THEIR HEARTS FOR EVERY AMERICAN TO LIVE FREELY FOR THEIR RACE OR CREED. VOTING YES TO THIS POLICY. WHAT UNEQUIVOCALLY SEND A MESSAGE THAT YOU ARE AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM THAT RESOUNDINGLY REPRESENTS LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL WHO ARE PART OF IT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS WILLIAM MARTINO.

[00:45:18]

CONSTITUTIONALLY MINDED PARENTS WOULD OBJECT TO THIS. HANGING A PRIDE FLAG WOULD CONTRADICT THE BELIEFS OF CHRISTIAN PARENTS AND ISLAMIC PARENTS. THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IS BEING MANIPULATED BY PROGRESSIVE GROUPS TO BE ADVOCATES. OR SPECIAL INTEREST ORGANIZATIONS. CHILDREN WERE PLACED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM TO RECEIVE AN EDUCATION AND ACADEMICS, NOT ACTIVISM. I KNOW THERE WILL BE MANY WHO WILL PROVIDE PUBLIC COMMENT TONIGHT THAT WILL CLAIM DISCRIMINATION.

WHAT DISCRIMINATION? EVERYONE HAS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO RECEIVE AN ACADEMIC EDUCATION.

NO ONE IS TELLING STUDENTS THAT SINCE YOU ARE A NON BINARY WE REFUSE TO TEACH YOU MATHEMATICS.

OR THAT YOU ARE A MARXIST AND WE REFUSE TO TEACH YOU SCIENCE. NOBODY IS DOING THAT. EVERYONE HAS AN EQUAL ACCESS TO LEARN TRADITIONAL ACADEMICS. HOW WERE YOUR CONSTITUENTS FROM THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT FEEL IF YOU VOTE TO ENDORSE ACTIVISM OVER ACADEMICS IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT'S TIME TO STOP THE FLAG. NONSENSE AND ONLY HANG THE GOVERNMENT FLAGS. THANK YOU.

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS REID SCOTT. WE SPEAK. I'M GONNA SPEAK QUICK BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT TO SAY I'M HERE BECAUSE I HAVE A GAY AND TRANS I HAVE GAY AND TRANS FRIENDS, FAMILY, COLLEAGUES AND MENTORS. I'M HERE BECAUSE THERE ARE CHILDREN IN CPS THAT HAVE TWO MOMS AND TWO DADS. THE FLAG POLICY, THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY AND THE LIBRARY PLANNING GROUP WORK GROUP ARE A DISAPPOINTMENT, TO SAY THE LEAST. I REVIEWED THE CURRENT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY.

THIS WAS A FAIR AND BALANCED POLICY MEANT TO ENCOURAGE DEBATE AND DIALOGUE ON THOSE POLICIES.

I WANT TO ASK YOU WHO DECIDES WHAT IS CONTROVERSIAL IS TEACHING ABOUT THE MERITS OF CAPITALISM. CONTROVERSIAL IS TEACHING KIDS NATIONALISM CONTROVERSIAL IS TEACHING KIDS ABOUT RELIGION, CONTROVERSIAL TEACHING KIDS ABOUT THE NUCLEAR FAMILY CONTROVERSIAL. DO YOU SEE HOW RIDICULOUS THAT SOUNDS FOR A DOCUMENT THAT DISCUSSES BIAS? WE CAN CERTAINLY TELL WHERE YOURS IS AND WHO THIS IS AIMED AT? THIS IS ESSENTIALLY A ORDER FOR ANYTHING YOU DEEM CONTROVERSIAL.

NOWHERE IN THE ORIGINAL DOCUMENT WHERE THERE ARE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS SHOULD HANDLE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES BECAUSE IT WAS FOCUSED ON THE CURRICULUM. THIS NEW POLICY FOCUS IS ON CONTROLLING HOW A TEACHER CAN INTERACT WITH A STUDENT THAT NEEDS SUPPORT AND NOT A SUBJECT THAT IS BEING TAUGHT IN THE CLASSROOM DURING THE OPEN COMMENTS SECTION SESSION LAST WEEK, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE WERE NO LIBRARY POLICIES IN PLACE THAT IS NOT FACTUAL, AND THE EXISTING POLICIES EVEN COVER STEPS TO CHALLENGE A BOOK H. PS LIKE ALMOST EVERY OTHER PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS HAD LIBRARY POLICIES IN PLACE FOR DECADES. THE LIBRARY PLANNING WORK GROUP IS ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF YOUR OVERREACH AGAINST EDUCATORS THAT ARE EXPERTS IN THEIR FIELD. LASTLY THE FLAG POLICY ACCORDING TO YOUR OWN WORDS, THIS STEM FROM PRIDE FLAG BEING DISPLAYED AT A HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE COULD BE LEGAL ISSUES OF WHAT CONSTITUTES GOVERNMENT SPEECH IN THE POSITION THAT THAT PUTS SCHOOLS IN SO I'D LIKE TO REFER TO SOME LEGAL PRECEDENT IN T VERSUS DES MOINES, THE SUPREME COURT RULED FIRST AMENDMENT PROTECTIONS. EX THE TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, NEITHER OF WHOM SHED THEIR CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH OR EXPRESSION AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE GATE. THE FLAG POLICY IN ITS CURRENT FORM WOULD BE UNCONSTITUTIONAL WITHIN THE CONFINES OF A CLASSROOM. I WANNA

[00:50:07]

MOM'S FOR LIBERTY CHAPTER CHAIR. UM, MOMS FOR LIBERTY, HARTFORD COUNTY NEXT MONTH, WE'LL WE'LL CELEBRATE OUR SECOND ANNIVERSARY AND IT SEEMS LIKE SUCH A LONG TIME AGO, BUT SO MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE WE FIRST CAME HERE WHEN I REMEMBER COMING TO A, UM, ONE OF MY FIRST SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS IN THIS ROOM WAS EMPTY. THERE WASN'T ANYBODY HERE, BUT ME AND MAYBE TWO OTHER PEOPLE, AND NOW LOOK AT IT. SO WHY IS, UM WHY IS EDUCATION SO CONTROVERSIAL? EVERYBODY IS REALLY UPSET AND WORKED UP ABOUT THE FLAG POLICY. I DON'T UNDERSTAND. IT'S A GOVERNMENT SCHOOL. OUR FLAG. THE GOVERNMENT FLAG SHOULD BE THE FLAG THAT'S FLYING IN OUR GOVERNMENT SCHOOL, AND IT'S NOT CONTROVERSY AT ALL CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL. SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF OUR COMMUNITY.

UM MOMS FOR LIBERTY. UM, I STARTED THE CHAPTER, BECAUSE, UM, IN THE LAST CENTURY. UM WHEN MY DAUGHTER WAS IN KINDERGARTEN, I REALIZED THAT HCPS WAS FAILING TO TEACH OUR KIDS HOW TO READ PROPERLY. I HAD FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS AT CHURCH, AND THEY COULDN'T READ AT THE FOURTH GRADE LEVEL. THEY COULDN'T WRITE AT THE FOURTH GRADE LEVEL, AND I WAS CONCERNED. SO I WENT TO THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS THE CURRICULUM AND SHE WOULDN'T TELL ME. SHE SAID. THAT WAS FOR THE TEACHERS. THAT WAS FOR THE EXPERTS. I KEPT TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THEY WERE USING THIS STRETCH SPELLING TECHNIQUE THAT CLEARLY WASN'T WORKING AND WAS ONLY CONFUSING THE KIDS. SHE TALKED TO ME IN ALL THIS EDGY, CRACK EASE, AND I KEPT SAYING, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A TEACHER. JUST TALK IN PLAIN LANGUAGE, BUT I REALIZE NOW THAT'S HOW SHE WAS TRAINED.

SHE'S NOW RETIRED, LONG RETIRED, BUT SHE'S IN THE HCPS HALL OF FAME BECAUSE SHE DOES WHAT YOU ARE ALL TRAINED TO DO. CELEBRATE YOURSELVES AND HIDE. UH, ANY KINDS OF PROBLEM UNDER THE RUG AND NOT FIX IT, SO I TOOK MY KIDS AND I TAUGHT THEM HOW TO READ. I DON'T HAVE AN EDUCATION DEGREE. SO IF I COULD FIGURE OUT HOW TO TEACH MY FIVE KIDS HOW TO READ I DON'T KNOW WHY IT'S SO HARD FOR YOU ALL YOU EXPERTS TO FIGURE IT OUT. WE'RE STILL USING LUCY HAWKINS, WHICH MS DE DOESN'T EVEN RECOMMEND. IT. IT'S BEYOND ME. TEACH THE KIDS THE CODE CRACK THE CODE OF LANGUAGE DIRECT INSTRUCTION IN READING. THIS ISN'T ROCKET SCIENCE. AND SO I'M SO PROUD THAT EVERYBODY IS HERE. WE DESERVE A BETTER EDUCATION FOR OUR KIDS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MARY FRANCES TRACY. GOOD EVENING. I'M MARY FRANCES TRACY AND I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO THE FLYING OF THE AMERICAN, THE MARYLAND AND THE HARTFORD COUNTY FLAGS ONLY IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I'M SPEAKING BECAUSE I BELIEVE IF I HAD KEPT SILENT ON THIS SUBJECT, I WOULD BE ENDORSING THE FLYING OF ANY AND ALL FLAGS IN OUR SCHOOLS AND I AM NOT. THE AMERICAN FLAG IS AN ICONIC SYMBOL THAT EVOKES A SENSE OF PRIDE BELONGING AND UNITY. THE SAVE OUR SCHOOLS WEBSITE SAYS IT BEST IT THE AMERICAN FLAG REPRESENTS THE IDEALS AND ASPIRATIONS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND FLYING IT IN SCHOOLS HELPS TO REINFORCE THESE VALUES. THAT CAN UNITE STUDENTS AND CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY, FOSTERING A SPIRIT OF TOGETHERNESS AND NATIONAL PRIDE. WITH THIS NATIONAL PRIDE AND DUTY TO COUNTRY MINDSET. I AM GLAD TO SAY MY FAMILY HAS SUPPORTED MANY FAMILY MEMBERS IN THE MILITARY. TODAY MY SON IS PRESENTLY ON THE USS EISENHOWER BOBBING IN THE RED SEA DEFENDING FREEDOM. MY FAMILY AND ALL IN SERVICE TO OUR COUNTRY, SEE THE AMERICAN FLAG AS A GREAT SOURCE OF PRIDE, PATRIOTISM AND FREEDOM. DID YOU KNOW THAT BETWEEN 95,000 AMERICAN PATRIOTS DIED DURING ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE DURING THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR? THIS IS 1% OF THE POPULATION, WHICH TODAY WOULD BE 3.5 MILLION. DURING THE CIVIL WAR. IT WAS 2% OF THE POPULATION THAT WOULD EQUATE TO ABOUT 6 MILLION PEOPLE. THAT'S A HUGE CAUSE TO STAND FOR THIS WAR. THE CIVIL WAR WAS FOUGHT TO BRING UNITY TO THE COUNTRY AND TO BRING A HALT TO THE FACTIONS AND DIVISIONS OVER A VERY SOLID PRACTICE IN THESE UNITED STATES, THE HORRIBLE INSTITUTION OF SLAVERY. AND WHAT BROUGHT THIS UNITY? JUST A PIECE OF CLOTH? NO THE AMERICAN FLAG IS A SYMBOL OF

[00:55:07]

CHILDREN ARE NOT LIVING SUCCESSFUL LIVES BECAUSE WE ARE CREATING ENVIRONMENTS WITH OTHER FOCUSES, WHICH TAKE THEM OFF THE PATH OF SUCCESS. THE FOCUS BECOMES ONE OF SELFISH AMBITION.

OUR AMERICAN FLAG CENTERS ON UNITY. WE LIFT OUR FLAGS HIGH BECAUSE WE WANT JUST ONE THING IN EDUCATION, ACCORDING TO MARTIN LUTHER KING, THE FUNCTION OF EDUCATION IS TO TEACH ONE TO THINK INTENSIVELY AND TO THINK CREATIVE TO CREATIVELY IN INTELLIGENCE PLUS CHARACTER THAT IS THE GOAL OF TRUE EDUCATION. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TANYA TAO.

THERE IS A ZERO TOLERANCE BULLYING POLICY IN PLACE IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

THIS SHOULD COVER EVERY SINGLE STUDENT, THEREFORE, LIMITING FLAGS THAT DO NOT BELONG IN OUR SCHOOL OR CLASSROOM SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE AT ALL. THE AMERICAN FLAG, THE MARYLAND FLAG, THE HARPER COUNTY FLAG SHOULD BE SUFFICIENT TO PROTECT EVERY SINGLE STUDENT. THE ONLY REASON WHY STUDENTS DON'T FEEL SAFE IS BECAUSE OF BEHAVIORS, OTHERS BULLYING NAME CALLING, ET CETERA. IF ANY STUDENT IS BULLYING ANOTHER STUDENT, THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. THE ONLY REASON WHY THEY ARE NOT IS BECAUSE THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO LAW AND ORDER GOING ON IN OUR SCHOOLS. TEACHERS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO UPHOLD WHAT IS RIGHT. WHICH IS SENDING CHILDREN TO THE OFFICE THAT ARE INTERFERING WITH OTHER STUDENTS. EDUCATION. THIS NONSENSE NEEDS TO STOP. THE CHAOS NEEDS TO STOP. IT IS UP TO THE TEACHERS, THAT ADMINISTRATION AND ALL OF YOU GUYS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT GETS A PROPER EDUCATION AND THAT THEY ARE NOT BEING BULLIED. BOTHERED BY OTHER STUDENTS. THIS BRINGS ME TO THE CELL PHONE POLICY AS A PARENT THAT STILL HAS ONE CHILD, ONE YOUNG ADULT AND HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I ABSOLUTELY WANT HIM TO HAVE HIS CELL PHONE BECAUSE I WANT HIM TO BE SAFE. I DON'T FEEL SAFE AND SECURE. I DON'T LIKE WITH MY CHILD, EVEN IN ONE HE HAS ONE CLASS LEFT TO GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOL. THE REST ARE A COLLEGE. UM OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. NEEDS TO CLEARLY STRAIGHTEN THIS OUT, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE IT'S DYSFUNCTIONAL. IF MY SON NEEDS TO GET A HOLD OF ME OR MY HUSBAND, THEN HE ABSOLUTELY CAN. I BELIEVE THAT A LOT OF OTHER PARENTS FEEL THE SAME WAY THAT THAT BEING SAID, OF COURSE, STUDENTS. SHOULD NOT USE THEIR CELL PHONES FOR ANY OTHER REASON. UNLESS THEY HAVE PERMISSION TO DO SO. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS NICOLE WILDER, FOLLOWED BY DEBORAH SCHREIBER. GOOD EVENING. I AM A PARENT AND PT A, UH, MEMBER AND I TUTOR HARVARD COUNTY SCHOOL STUDENTS. UM I JUST WANNA SAY REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT YOU PASS THESE POLICIES, THE AMERICAN FLAG IS GOING TO BE FLOWN AT OUR SCHOOLS. OUR STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO SEE THIS BEAUTIFUL FLAG. I DO URGE YOU TO THINK CAREFULLY ABOUT THIS POLICY AND VOTE AGAINST IT, AT LEAST AT THIS TIME UNTIL YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THINK MORE ABOUT IT. CLEARLY THERE'S A LOT OF COMMENTS AND I DON'T THINK IT'S FULLY FLESHED OUT THE WAY THAT IT STANDS. UM I DO THINK THAT YOU'RE RISKING LOSING OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS AND SOME OF OUR PARENTS. IF YOU PASS THIS POLICY AS IT IS, UM ANYONE WHO'S INTERACTED WITH A CHILD KNOWS THAT THEY ARE DRAWN TO COMPLEX. DEEP TOPICS AND THEY'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THEM WITH ANYONE, INCLUDING THEIR TEACHERS. IF WE PASS THIS POLICY AS IT STANDS, WE'RE RISKING PUNISHING TEACHERS FOR INTERACTING WITH THEIR STUDENTS AND WAYS THAT THEY JUST HAVE TO AS TEACHERS. UM I. I THINK WE'RE GOING DOWN A VERY SLIPPERY SLOPE. UM I THINK AN EXAMPLE MY SON'S SCHOOL CURRENTLY HAS DOWN SYNDROME WEEK THIS WEEK. THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO FLY THE DOWN SYNDROME PLAGUE. WITH THE POLICY AS IT STANDS, HOW ARE WE GOING TO CONSIDER ADDING OR MODIFYING THIS LIST? UM AND I. I ALSO I. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE NO ACTIVISM IN SCHOOL. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE COULD POSSIBLY RAISE THE NEXT GENERATION OF HARVARD COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS OF PUBLIC SERVANTS. UM IF WE DON'T ENCOURAGE OUR STUDENTS TO THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX AND TO TACKLE COMPLEX ISSUES. UM I THINK THAT WE ARE STIFLING THEIR RIGHTS. AND, UM THIS IS A SCHOOL SYSTEM

[01:00:04]

MY MOTHER ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES FROM ITALY RIGHT AFTER WORLD WAR I. I AND HER FAMILY ALWAYS FLEW AN AMERICAN FLAG. EVERYONE HERE TONIGHT HAS THEIR OWN RELIGIONS, LACK OF RELIGION, CULTURES AND PERSONAL BELIEFS. WE MUST RESPECT EVERYONE'S BELIEFS. SINCE WE ARE ALL FELLOW AMERICANS. A FEW DAYS AGO, BEL AIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, GRADUATED 277 STUDENTS AND COMPLETED THE SCHOOL'S PATRIOT PROGRAM. THIS IS AWESOME. GLAD THAT ONE OF THE STUDENTS MADE I JUST THINK VULNERABLE. UM I BELIEVE WE SHOULD FIND THE AMERICAN FLAG, THE STATE FLAG AND THE HARPER COUNTY FLAGS AT OUR SCHOOLS AND GOVERNMENT BUILDINGS. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER IS JASON KING CALLED BY BEN WHITE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS JASON KING AND I'M A TEACHER AS WELL AS A PARENT OF TWO CHILDREN IN THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THE BOARD OF EDUCATION'S DECISION TO CONSIDER IMPLEMENTING A DISPLAY OF FLAGS POLICY AND PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. IN REGARDS TO YOUR DISPLAY OF FLAGS POLICY. MY QUESTION TO YOU IS WHY WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY. SORRY WHY DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A POLICY REGARDING FLAGS? ONE OF MY 20 PLUS YEARS OF TEACHING? THIS HAS BEEN A NON-ISSUE. I'VE NEVER HAD A STUDENT TEACHER, PARENT COLLEAGUE OR SUPERVISOR EVER QUESTION ANYTHING THAT I'VE POSTED IN MY ROOM, YOUR POLICY STATES THAT THE PURPOSE OF THIS POLICY IS TO ESTABLISH A UNIFORM COUNTYWIDE POLICY IN REGARD TO DISPLAY OF THE FLAG. WHEN YOU SAY THE FLAG. I INTERPRET THAT AS A DISPLAY OF THE AMERICAN FLAG, WHICH IS PROUDLY DISPLAYED IN MY CLASSROOM. SO WHAT FLAGS DO YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DISPLAYING IN THE CLASSROOM? BASED ON COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BOARD MEMBERS, IT SEEMS AS IF THERE IS A PROBLEM DISPLAYING CERTAIN TYPES OF FLAGS THAT REPRESENT CERTAIN GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS. MAY I REMIND YOU THAT YOUR PURPOSE AS A BOARD OF EDUCATION IS TO SUPPORT THE LEARNING OF ALL STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY IN CASE YOU WEREN'T AWARE WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY DIVERSE POPULATION IN OUR COUNTY? SOME OF MY STUDENTS AND MY OWN CHILDREN HAVE QUESTIONED YOUR MOTIVATION FOR CREATING THIS POLICY IS A POLITICAL OR IS IT PERSONAL? IF IT IS POLITICAL, YOU ARE INDOCTRINATING STUDENTS WITH A SPECIFIC IDEOLOGY BY INDIRECTLY STATING THAT CERTAIN GROUPS OF PEOPLE ARE NOT WELCOME IN THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. IF IT IS PERSONAL , THEN YOU ARE INDIRECTLY STATING THAT YOU DO NOT TOLERATE CERTAIN GROUPS OF INDIVIDUALS IN HARTFORD COUNTY. EITHER WAY PASSING THIS POLICY DEMONSTRATES THAT YOU DO NOT SUPPORT ALL STUDENTS IN THIS COUNTY. WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING CONTROVERSIAL TOPICS. I MUST ASK WHO DECIDES WHAT IS CONSIDERED CONTROVERSIAL . IF THE ANSWER IS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, THEN I ASK WHAT ARE YOUR CREDENTIALS FOR MAKING THAT DECISION? I HAVE A CONTENT SUPERVISOR WHO HELPS MAKE THAT DECISION. I ATTEND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT HELPS MAKE THAT DECISION. AND I HAD THE TEACHING EXPERIENCE THAT HELPS MAKE THAT DECISION. WHEN IS THE LAST TIME ANY OF YOU VISITED ALL OF THE SCHOOLS IN HARTFORD COUNTY TO SEE HOW AMAZING YOUR TEACHERS ARE AND HOW THEY DEAL WITH TEACHING CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES? WHAT DO YOU SO OF NO MATTER WHAT ANYONE ELSE SAYS. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS TO STUDENTS THAT WILL BENEFIT THEM WHEN THEY GO TO COLLEGE OR INTO THE WORKFORCE. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH STUDENTS TO RESPECT THE OPINIONS OF OTHERS, EVEN WHEN THEY DON'T DON'T AGREE. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH TOLERANCE AND CIVILITY IN AN AGE WHERE THAT SEEMS LACKING. INSTEAD OF MICROMANAGING AND CREATING POLICIES THAT ARE DIVIDING OUR SCHOOLS WORK WITH THE EXPERTS TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPLEMENT POLICIES THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL STUDENTS. BEN WHITE. MHM. IT WASN'T SUPPOSED TO BRING A PROP, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING

[01:05:13]

ALL RIGHT. EARLIER THIS YEAR. I GOT THIS FROM YOU GUYS. I HAD TO PROVE THAT MY WIFE, WHO IS AN EMPLOYEE OF 28 YEARS IS IN FACT, MY WIFE. BIRTH CERTIFICATE, A MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE. OK UH, FOR MY CHILDREN WHO WERE ALL BORN ON THE HMO THAT I GOT THROUGH THE SYSTEM. UH, WHO'VE BEEN ON THE WE'VE BEEN ON A CONTINUOUSLY THE ENTIRE TIME, SO I NOW PROVED THAT THEY WERE MY CHILDREN. THIS IS SILLY. OK, I DIDN'T HAVE TO PROVIDE THIS TO THE IRS TO FILE MY TAXES. OK TH TH THIS FLAG POLICY AGAIN IS SILLY. HOW ARE YOU GONNA STOP IT? I CAN FIND A WORKAROUND IN 10 SECONDS I TEACH EARTH SCIENCE. AT A RAINBOW IS AN ATMOSPHERIC PHENOMENON. I'M GONNA PUT RAINBOWS ALL OVER THE ROOM. NO FLAGS. BUT EVERYBODY WILL KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT . BUT YOU CAN'T BAN RAINBOWS ANYMORE THAN YOU CAN BUY B, LIGHTNING BOLTS OR CLOUDS. OK I WENT TO TAKE THE SPANISH FLAG OUT OF THE SPANISH CLASS, THE GERMAN FLAG OR THE GERMAN CLASS. OH, NO, NO, WE'LL GIVE THOSE EXCEPTIONS. OK, SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT THIS IS ABOUT. YOU WANNA BAN THE RAINBOW FLAG? BECAUSE YOU WANNA BEAT ON PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY DOWNTRODDEN. THIS FLAG DOESN'T SAY THAT I SUPPORT BEING GAY. IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT I WANT MY KIDS TO BE GAY. IF I WANTED THEM TO TRY TO CONVINCE MY KIDS TO DO SOMETHING I WOULD GET THEM TO DO THEIR HOMEWORK FOR CRYING OUT LOUD TO READ THE BOOK TO LISTEN IN CLASS TO PUT THE PHONE DOWN. I CAN BARELY CONVINCE HIM TO DO THAT. I CAN'T CONVINCE HIM TO BE GAY. OK ALL THAT FLAG SAYS, IS THAT THIS IS THE SAME FOR ENVIRONMENT FOR YOU. YOU CAN EXPRESS YOURSELF IF A KID COMES TO ME AND SAYS, I'M FALLING APART. I'LL LISTEN TO THEM. I'LL BE SUPPORTIVE. THAT'S ALL IT SAYS. DOESN'T SAY I ADVOCATE FOR THAT PARTICULAR THING. IT SIMPLY SAYS THIS IS A SAFE PLACE. YOU CAN SPEAK TO ME IF YOU NEED TO. OK? IT'S NOT ONLY IT'S NOT ONLY RIDICULOUS. IT'S NOT EVEN WORKABLE. YOU YOU'RE NOT EVEN ABLE TO MAKE THIS FUNCTION. I ALREADY POINTED OUT THAT IN 10 SECONDS I CAME UP WITH A WORKAROUND. IT ISN'T WORKING.

AND EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO DO. YOU'RE TRYING TO POUND ON PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY OPPRESSED. JUST LAY OFF. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JACKIE JOHNSON, FOLLOWED BY GARY JOHNSON.

GOOD EVENING. TRAVELING TO OTHER COUNTRIES. YOU WOULD NOT EXPECT TO SEE THE AMERICAN FLAG DISPLAYED AND RIGHTFULLY SO. VIRGINIA RESIDENTS DO NOT DISPLAY MARYLAND FLAGS.

BALTIMORE COUNTY RESIDENTS DO NOT DISPLAY HARTFORD COUNTY FLAGS. WHY IS THAT A FLAG? IDENTIFIES WHO AND WHERE WE ARE? THIS TRADITION ORIGINATED THOUSANDS OF YEARS AGO IN ALL COUNTRIES DURING TIMES OF CONFLICTS AND BATTLES, THE NOISE AND SMOKE OF BATTLE MADE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO KNOW WHERE YOUR TROOPS WERE, AND THUS YOU WERE SUPPOSED AND WHERE YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE. SO YOU LOOK FOR FLAG THAT WAS HELD HIGH FOR ALL TO SEE TO DAY WE FLY FLAGS FOR MUCH THE SAME REASON TO IDENTIFY WHO WE ARE AND WHOSE WE ARE, ALTHOUGH WE ARE NOT TYPICALLY ON A BATTLEFIELD BATTLES ARE CONSTANTLY BEING WAGED FOR OUR HEARTS AND MINDS, PARTICULARLY FOR THOSE OF OUR CHILDREN. THE DISPLAY OF FLAGS IN OUR SCHOOLS SHOULD BE PROMOTING A UNITY OF THOUGHT REGARDING A LOVE OF COUNTRY, STATE AND COUNTY. NONE OF THESE ARE WITHOUT FLAW. WE HAVE NEVER BEEN PERFECT. BUT OURS HAS BEEN A HISTORY OF EXAMINING OUR MISTAKES AND GROWING TOWARDS PERFECTION. SADLY THIS DESIRE OF UNITY AND LOVE OF COUNTRY IS NOT TAUGHT EVERYWHERE. THERE ARE SOME PARTS OF THIS NATION WHERE AMERICAN FLAGS ARE NOT FLOWN. BUT INSTEAD WE SEE FLAGS OF OTHER LANDS AND IN THOSE PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, OUR LAWS ARE NOT RESPECTED. AND OUR NATION IS NOT HONORED. IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT FOR HARTFORD COUNTY AND HER CHILDREN? HAVING THIS FLAG CONTROVERSY HAS INSPIRED ME TO RESEARCH THESE THREE FLAGS AND TEACHING THIS HISTORY TO THE GRANDCHILDREN HAS BROUGHT ABOUT AN EXCITEMENT WITHIN THEM TO LEARN ALL ABOUT AMERICA, MARYLAND AND HARTFORD COUNTY. IT HELPS THEM TO FOCUS ON THE TRUTH. YOU CAN TYPICALLY FLY OTHER FLAGS OR BANNERS ON YOUR OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY. UNLIKE THE UNITY THAT THE AMERICAN, MARYLAND AND HARTFORD COUNTY FLAGS REPRESENT THESE OTHER FLAGS, DIVIDE AND SEPARATE , FOR EXAMPLE, RAVENS FLAGS AND STEELERS FLAGS. FLAGS IN OUR SCHOOL SHOULD BE ABOUT ESTABLISHING A MUTUAL LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE LAND IN WHICH YOU LIVE THE UNITED STATES,

[01:10:04]

THANK YOU. EP BAUM IS A LATIN PHRASE MEANING OUT OF MANY ONE THE KEY WORD IN THAT PHRASE IS ONE MEANING UNITY. IT NEEDS TO BE MENTIONED HERE. THAT DIVERSITY IS NOT UNITY. THAT IS UNTIL PEOPLE OF DIVERSE BACKGROUNDS FIND A COMMON CAUSE AROUND WHICH THEY CAN JOIN TOGETHER AND LIVE IN PEACE. UNFORTUNATELY THE COMMON CAUSES WHICH ARE DIVERSITY CHAMPIONS HERE, RALLY ROUND, SUCH AS BLACK LIVES MATTER AND TRANSGENDERISM HAVE NOT LED TO PEACE BUT INSTEAD TO DISRUPTION AND DESTRUCTION. SUCH CAUSES MAY BRING ABOUT UNITY FOR SOME BUT PEACE IS NOT TO BE FOUND THERE. THIS BRINGS ME TO THE TOPIC OF THE DISPLAY OF FLAGS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THE UNITED STATES IS A REPUBLIC. OUR STRENGTH LIES NOT IN OUR DIVERSITY, BUT IN OUR COMMON BELIEF IN THE PROTECTION SECURED TO US BY DIVIDED GOVERNMENT.

SUCH AS FEDERAL, STATE AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT. SO ALL THREE SUCH FLAGS THE US, MARYLAND AND HARTFORD COUNTY. WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND I ENCOURAGE THEIR DISPLAY IN CLASSROOMS. THE PURPOSE OF THE DISPLAY OF FLAGS IS TO INCULCATE IN THE MINDS OF OUR STUDENTS THAT WE ARE A REPUBLIC. WITHOUT THAT THEY MIGHT BE LED TO BELIEVE THAT WE ARE A DEMOCRACY. OOPS, THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED. FOR GENERATIONS. OUR COUNTRY HAS WELCOMED THOSE WHO WANTED TO COME HERE AND BECOME ONE OF US. WE DIDN'T JUST SAY THAT YOU WERE NOW A CITIZEN. WE LET YOU SAY, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU WERE BORN, THAT YOU WERE NOW AN AMERICAN. OUR HISTORY IS NOW YOUR HISTORY. OUR FOUNDERS ARE NOW YOUR FOUNDERS. IF THAT IS POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ELSE IN THIS WORLD, IT HAS BEEN A WELL KEPT SECRET. IF YOU HAVE IF YOU HAVE COME HERE FROM ANOTHER LAND. IF YOU PRACTICE A DIFFERENT FAITH IF YOU STILL CLING TO THE CUSTOMS AND PREFER THE ATTIRE OF OTHER CULTURES, THAT'S OK. WE ONLY ASK THAT YOU OBEY OUR LAWS, SPEAK OUR LANGUAGE AND RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE NOW SUBJECT TO THE JURISDICTION OF THE UNITED STATES AND NONE OTHER SEEING THE FLAG OF YOUR BIRTH COUNTRY OR OF IT, CAUSE YOU SUPPORT MIGHT GIVE YOU COMFORT, BUT THIS IS A COMFORT THAT OUR LAND CANNOT AFFORD. SUCH COMFORT LEADS ONLY TO DIVISION. A ABRAHAM LINCOLN DREW UPON THE BIBLE WHEN HE SAID A HOUSE DIVIDED AGAINST ITSELF CANNOT STAND. SO LET US STAND TOGETHER NOW AND LIVE IN PEACE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JAMES RAMSEY, FOLLOWED BY SUE MILLER.

PINK. I'M JAMES RAMSEY. I NOTICED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TWO PROPOSED POLICIES THAT COULD BE DESCRIBED AS EFFORTS TO TAMP DOWN THE VISIBILITY OF GAY STUFF. WHILE TRYING NOT TO LOOK LIKE THAT'S WHAT IT'S BEING DONE. APART FROM THE MORALITY OF SUCH PROPOSALS, THERE'S ALSO THE MATTER THAT BEING SO ROUND ABOUT IS BOUND TO BACKFIRE. ONE PROPOSAL SEEKS TO AVOID DISCUSSING ANY CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE, WHICH IS A SUBJECT OR MATTER ABOUT WHICH THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OF OPINION, UNQUOTE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT EVEN WHEN THE FACTS THE SCIENCE THE LOGIC LOPSIDEDLY FAVOR ONE SIDE OF THE MATTER, THERE CAN STILL BE SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES OF OPINION BECAUSE WELL, WRONG. PEOPLE CAN BE INFLUENTIAL. SOMETIMES THEY'RE INFLUENTIAL BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT OF THEM OR BECAUSE THEY'RE NOISY OR EVEN BOTH. I POINTED OUT IN WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT CHINA'S INFLUENCE HAS MADE THE INDEPENDENCE OF TAIWAN A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. JOHN CENA HAD TO EVEN MAKE A GROVELING APOLOGY TO CHINA A FEW YEARS BACK BECAUSE HE CALLED TAIWAN A ANDROID. THE OTHER PROPOSED POLICY IS ABOUT RESTRICTING THE DISPLAY OF FLAGS. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT THE POLICY TRIES TO BE COMPREHENSIVE IN WHAT GOOD FLAGS ARE ALLOWED. BUT THE EMPHASIS ON TRIES I THE RED CROSS FLAG. FLAG BACK DOWN SYNDROME, OR EVEN JUST A FLAG PROMOTING FIRE SAFETY. THOSE ARE ALL CERTAINLY BE BANNED BY THE POLICY. THAT WOULD BE MINOR THING, BUT IT SEEMS AWFULLY SILLY TO BAN SOME THINGS SO ANODYNE JUST TO KEEP THE RAINBOW FLAGS AWAY. OF COURSE, YOU COULD HAVE WRITTEN IT TO ALLOW SOME DISCRETION BY SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, BUT RELEASED EMAILS MAKE CLEAR THAT THE POLICY WAS WRITTEN TO KEEP DISCRETION AWAY FROM THEM. THE WHOLE FLAG POLICY SMACKS OF UNNECESSARY MICROMANAGEMENT. IN SHORT, THE PROPOSED POLICIES ARE JUST BADLY THOUGHT OUT ALL AROUND. THANK YOU. YEAH. WHEN I DECIDED THAT I

[01:15:09]

ANY CHANGES TO THE WAY WE APPROACH IT WILL AFFECT OUR EDUCATORS ON A DAY TO DAY AND EVEN MINUTE BY MINUTE BASIS. JUST A FEW WEEKS AGO, SCHOOL BASED STAFF SAT IN FRONT OF YOU AND SHARED RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY A FOCUS GROUP. HOWEVER THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE HARD TO FIND IN THE POLICY THAT'S PROPOSED TONIGHT. IT SEEMS THE WORK OF THIS FOCUS GROUP AGAIN, WHICH INCLUDED MANY STAKEHOLDERS HAS BEEN DISREGARDED. IN FACT, IT DOESN'T SEEM THAT THERE IS MUCH CONSENSUS AROUND WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE REGARDING CELL PHONES, WHICH MAKES ME WONDER IF IT IS TIME TO TAKE A STEP BACK, RECONSIDER DO SOME MORE LISTENING BEFORE WE PASS A POLICY THAT ACTUALLY WHILE IT IS THE BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS POLICIES, IT SEEMS RECKLESS TO PASS A POLICY THAT WILL HAVE SUCH A SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON THE DAY TO DAY WORK OF EDUCATORS WITHOUT CREATING WITHOUT HAVING SOME SIGNIFICANT CONSENSUS AROUND IT, AND THAT DOES NOT CLEARLY REFLECT THE NEEDS OF ALL STAKEHOLDERS. MUCH HAS ALREADY BEEN SAID ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES AND FLAG POLICIES, SO I'LL SIMPLY SAY YOU NEED TO SOLVE A PROBLEM THAT DID NOT EXIST, HAS CLEARLY SENT A MESSAGE THAT NOT ALL ARE WELCOME . WHETHER OR NOT THAT HAS BEEN THE INTENT THAT'S BEEN THE IMPACT. PLEASE SUPPORT EDUCATORS . PLEASE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE

[01:20:02]

THANKS. EVENING. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. UM THANKS TO THE BOARD FOR REVISING OUTDATED POLICIES SUCH AS THE CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC POLICY. I WAS ENCOURAGED BY THE SECTION OUTLINING THE INAPPROPRIATENESS OF EDUCATOR SHARING THEIR PERSONAL BIAS AS IT PERTAINS TO POLITICAL TOPICS. WE ARE IN THE MIDST OF A POLITICAL DIVIDE THAT I HAVE NEVER SEEN IN MY LIFETIME. IDENTITY POLITICS. HAS TAKEN OVER THE NARRATIVE. ONE THAT ENCOURAGES THE MANTRA.

DIVERSITY IS OUR STRENGTH. SOUNDS GOOD ON PAPER. DOESN'T TRANSLATE INTO ACTUAL LIFE, SO I RESPECTFULLY DISAGREE. REVIEW OF OUR NATION'S HISTORY CLEARLY REVEALS OUR STRENGTH IS UNITY, NOT SEED ZONE AND DIVISION. AND, SADLY, OUR YOUTH ARE NOT BEING TAUGHT ABOUT UNITY. THAT IS BOTH THE TRAVESTY AND A LIE. THE UPCOMING PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION WILL FURTHER THIS DIVIDE, SO BUCKLE UP. WE'VE ALL CHOSEN SIDES. LET'S BE HONEST, SO I RESPECTFULLY REQUEST US AS THE ADULTS IN THE ROOM. LEAVE OUR KIDS OUT OF THIS SQUIRMISH. THAT INCLUDES EDUCATORS, ESPECIALLY THAT'S NOT AN UNREALISTIC EXPECTATION. I WOULD ADMONISH MY CHILD IF THEY CAME HOME, DECLARING DONALD TRUMP A RACIST AND A LIAR, THE EXACT SAME WAY I WOULD BE CONCERNED IF MY CHILD CAME HOME, DECLARING JOE BIDEN, A AND A SEAL. SENILE OLD MAN, UH, WHO SPEAKS NONSENSE? SO, PLEASE, DESPITE HOW STRONGLY YOU MAY FEEL AS TO POLITICS LEAVE OUR KIDS OUT OF THIS. THEY DON'T HAVE THE BENEFIT OF HISTORY AND CONTEXT. UM WE AS PARENTS DO NOT WANT YOU TO SHAPE OUR CHILDREN INTO ANYTHING. WE WANT YOU TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, SO THEY ARE PREPARED TO GO FORTH INTO THE WORLD AND BE PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. THANK YOU. NEXT. WE HAVE JACOB ZELI, FOLLOWED BY JACOB BENNETT. GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. I'M DR JAKE ZELE. I'M A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER HERE, UM, IN HARTFORD COUNTY. YOU MAY HAVE HEARD THIS STORY BEFORE. UH IN 1853, A MAN NAMED JOSEPH AND HIS WIFE, MARY ELLEN MOVED TO A LITTLE TOWN CALLED HAVE GRACE.

UH, WITH THEIR NEWBORN CHILD, THEY DECIDED THAT HARTFORD COUNTY WAS THE PLACE WHERE THEY WERE GOING TO RAISE THEIR FAMILY AND FOR GENERATIONS, THEIR DESCENDANTS CHOSE TO STAY HERE.

IN 2004, THEIR FOURTH GREAT GRANDCHILD GRADUATED FROM HAVE GRACE HIGH SCHOOL. THAT PERSON WAS ME. A FEW YEARS AGO, I DECIDED TO RETURN TO HARTFORD COUNTY TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPED TO RAISE ME. IT'S THE PLACE MY FAMILY HAS CALLED HOME FOR GENERATIONS. FEW MONTHS AGO, ONE OF THE ENGAGED FOR EDUCATION TOWN HALL MEETINGS I SHARED THAT I WAS CONSIDERING LEAVING PUBLIC EDUCATION IN JUST A FEW YEARS. AFTER SHARING THIS, MRS HAN STATED THAT I WAS THE KIND OF TEACHER YOU WANTED HERE IN THE DISTRICT, AND THAT REALLY MEANT A LOT TO ME. SHE SAID THAT SHE HOPED TO CHANGE MY MIND AND THAT IN A FEW YEARS WELL, MANY YEARS FROM NOW, I'D STILL BE A TEACHER IN HARTFORD COUNTY. SO WHY AM I HERE TONIGHT? I'M HERE TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT THE ACTIONS THAT OUR BOARD HAS TAKEN HAVE IN FACT CHANGED MY MIND. I PLAN TO LEAVE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AT THE END OF THIS YEAR. PROPOSED POLICIES LIKE AMENDMENTS TO THE CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY AND THE NEW FLAG DISPLAY POLICY HAVE IMPACTED MY DECISION. I DON'T WANT TO WORK FOR A SCHOOL DISTRICT THAT PUTS MY IDENTITY ON THE DEFENSIVE. SO I'LL TAKE MY ADVANCED TEACHING CERTIFICATE. MY DOCTORATE AND TEACHER LEADERSHIP. MY HIGHLY EFFECTIVE EVALUATIONS AND MY BROKEN HEART. TO A NEW SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS.

IF YOU'RE ABLE TO REPLACE ME AND NOT SIMPLY ELIMINATE MY POSITION. YOU'LL LIKELY HAVE TO HIRE A CONDITIONAL TEACHER. WILL NOT HAVE THE SUPPORT THEY NEED BECAUSE OF UNDERFUNDING FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. I DON'T KNOW THE NAMES OF THE DOZENS OF PEOPLE THAT HELPED MY FOURTH GREAT GRANDPARENTS IMMIGRATE AND COME HERE TO HARTFORD COUNTY. BUT UNFORTUNATELY I KNOW THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PUSHED ME OUT. THANK YOU. HELLO UM, EXCUSE MY ATTIRE. IT

[01:25:04]

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I SPENT HOURS READING ALL OF THESE POLICIES. RESEARCHING LOOKING INTO FEDERAL LAW, STATE LAW, BUT I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO SAY ANYTHING I WROTE BECAUSE LISTENING TO ALL OF THESE COMMENTS TONIGHT. HAVE A FEW DIFFERENT THINGS I WANNA SAY FIRST IN REGARDS TO THE FLAG POLICY. I'M PRETTY SURE I CAN SPEAK FOR ALMOST EVERYONE WHO IS OPPOSED TO PASSING THIS THAT WE ARE NOT OPPOSED TO HAVING THE US FLAG, THE STATE FLAG AND THE COUNTY FLAG IN SCHOOLS. WE'RE NOT SAYING TAKE THOSE OUT. WE'RE SAYING KEEP THOSE BUT ALLOW ALL THEIR FLAGS AS WELL. I CAN ALSO TELL YOU WITH CERTAINTY. I'LL SAY OK, ALMOST CERTAINTY THAT A RAINBOW FLAG WOULD NEVER MAKE A STRAIGHT KID QUEER, SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT YOUR CONCERN IS ABOUT THESE FLAGS. IT WILL PERHAPS SAVE THE LIFE OF A QUEER KID. IT'S NOT GONNA MAKE YOUR STRAIGHT KID QUEER. I ALSO WANT TO SAY ABOUT THE PROPOSED CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES POLICY.

THERE IS ONE SENTENCE. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT WRONG WITH IT. BUT THIS ONE SENTENCE IN PART G THIS INCLUDES ANY PROMPTING BY STAFF FOR STUDENTS TO ANNOUNCE THEIR PRONOUNS. SOUNDS A LOT LIKE, DON'T ASK. DON'T TELL TO ME YOU'RE TELLING THE TEACHERS SHOULD NOT SAY THEIR PRONOUNS.

AND DON'T YOU DARE ASK A CHILD WHAT THEIR PRONOUNS ARE. I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU'RE SO AFRAID OF PRONOUNS. I REALLY, REALLY DON'T. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE EQUATE PRONOUNS WITH SEXUALITY.

SO MAYBE YOU THINK IF YOU ASK A KID YOUR PRONOUN, YOU'RE ASKING THEM WHO THEY WANT TO HAVE SEX WITH IN FIFTH GRADE OR 10TH GRADE. THIS IS NOT THE CASE. WEBSTER DEFINES A PRONOUN OR GENDER, WHICH IS WHERE WE GET OUR PRONOUNS FROM. AS A PERSON'S INTERNAL SENSE OF BEING MALE.

FEMALE SOME COMBINATION OF BOTH, NOR NEITHER MALE NOR FEMALE. HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHO YOU CHOOSE TO HAVE SEX WITH. YOU SAY IN PART THREE OF LETTER C OF THIS POLICY THAT EDUCATORS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO DEMONSTRATE A DEEP RESPECT FOR THE DIGNITY OF EACH STUDENT. AND HIS OR HER RIGHTS TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS . YOU'RE NOT DOING THIS IF YOU'RE TELLING THEM THAT THEY

[01:30:04]

YOUR VOTES TONIGHT WILL TELL US WHO TRUSTS THE PROFESSIONAL. UH, PROFESSIONALISM OF EDUCATORS AND WHO DOESN'T THE FLAG POLICY IS COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY AND A MANUFACTURED ISSUE. OUR MILITARY FLAGS DIVISIVE. THIS POLICY WOULD BAN THOSE. BUT THIS POLICY IS A CLEAR ATTACK ON JUST ONE GROUP OF PEOPLE. I MEAN, YOU SAID SO YOURSELF IN YOUR EMAILS. THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO HELPED PEN THIS POLICY ARE EXTENDING A POLITICAL MESSAGE TO EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS THAT IN THE LGBT Q COMMUNITY THAT THEY ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. OUR JOB AS EDUCATORS IS TO CREATE AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT, STUDENTS ARE NOT BEING INDOCTRINATED IN OUR CLASSROOMS. INDOCTRINATION DOES NOT OCCUR BY HANGING A FLAG . INSTEAD YOU ARE INDOCTRINATING BY EXCLUDING OTHERS VALUES, CREATING NARROW MINDED, SELF RIGHTEOUS FOLLOWERS WHO WILL BE UNABLE TO THINK FOR THEMSELVES, SO PLEASE STOP TRYING TO DEFEND THIS POLICY BY SAYING NEUTRALITY IS INCLUSIVE. FANNING FLAGS WOULD BE THEN INDIFFERENCE. ELLIE BESSEL, NOBEL PRIZE WINNING HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST SAID THAT THE OPPOSITE OF LOVE IS NOT HATE. IT IS INDIFFERENCE, SO AS A RESULT OF YOUR INDIFFERENCE EDUCATORS WILL LEAVE HCPS BECAUSE YOU ARE TELLING THEM THAT THEY ARE NOT WELCOME HERE. AMAZING TEACHERS WHO WILL NOT BE REPLACED ARE GOING TO WALK OUT THE DOOR IN JUNE. WE WILL BE WATCHING YOUR VOTES ON THIS POLICY VERY CAREFULLY AT THE NEXT MEETING BECAUSE, REMEMBER, WE VOTE. SO DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF 5000 EDUCATORS AND HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR NONSENSE. THIS DISTRICT IS JUST A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM A BUDGETARY CRISIS INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON CREATING A CULTURE OF COLLABORATION. YOU ARE DRAFTING POLICIES THAT WILL DIVIDE US. I REALIZE THAT SOME OF YOU WILL NEVER STOP BEING LOYAL ABOUT KLY. BUT YOU ARE DISTRACTING THE COMMUNITY SO THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT WE'RE READY TO HEAD OFF A CLIFF ONE THAT WILL IMPACT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR DECADES. I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN TOLD THAT WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU WHO THEY ARE, BELIEVE THEM. I SEE WHO YOU ARE, AND SOME OF YOUR FIERCE ADVOCATES FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION. AND I'M PROUD TO WORK WITH YOU. OTHERS NOT SO MUCH. NEXT. WE HAVE DOUGLAS RUDD, FOLLOWED BY THOMAS PIDDINGTON. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.

UH, 30 YEARS IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. ALL BELLA MIDDLE SCHOOL WORKING WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS. I WANT YOU TO PICTURE AN 1112 13 YEAR OLD STUDENT IN FRONT OF YOU. I GREW UP IN AN ALL WHITE ALL PROTESTANT OR CATHOLIC COMMUNITY IN UPSTATE NEW YORK. K THROUGH 12 310 STUDENTS. THERE WAS NOTHING DIFFERENT. BUT ANYTHING THAT WE DID. WE HAD AN AMISH FAMILY MOVE INTO OUR COMMUNITY. AND WE WERE TREATED. TO A CULTURE THAT WAS SO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE DID. WE THOUGHT HE WAS AN ALIEN. I REMEMBER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM COMING IN TO HAVE MEETINGS AND TELL US HE'S JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE. HE DRESSES DIFFERENTLY. THAT'S THE COMMUNITY I GREW UP IN. I MOVED HERE. AFTER GOING AWAY TO SCHOOL BEING EXPOSED TO ALL KINDS OF CULTURE, BUT I HAD NO IDEA EXISTED. THE LEARNING CURVE THAT TOOK PLACE FOR ME. WAS INCREDIBLE. FIVE YEARS LATER COME TO TEACH IN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. REMEMBER THAT STUDENT THAT I TOLD YOU ABOUT? ONE THING THAT I WILL NEVER FORGET IN MY CAREER. THE FIRST TIME I HAD A TRANSGENDER STUDENT IN MY OFFICE. WITH THAT STUDENT WANTED WAS TO BE TREATED LIKE A HUMAN. BUT THAT STUDENT NEEDED WAS FOR ME TO SAY. YOU'RE WELCOME HERE. I REMEMBER WHEN THAT STUDENT LEFT. THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL. I SHARED SOMETHING WITH THAT STUDENT. I SAID. I MAY HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB. BUT I TRIED MY BEST AND I THINK YOU'VE MADE ME A BETTER PERSON AND A

[01:35:05]

UH, WHAT DO YOU WANT? DEAD COPS. WHEN DO YOU WANT THEM NOW? PIGS IN A BLANKET FRY THEM LIKE BACON. TWO MARCHING CHAMPS PUT ON BY BLACK LIVES MATTER, THE SAME ORGANIZATION WHO SAYS THAT THEY WILL DESTROY IN THEIR CHARTER THAT THEY WANT TO CHALLENGE THE NUCLEAR FAMILY.

THEY'RE COMING AFTER US. THE IRONY OF ALL THIS IS THAT PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW, WHO SAW THE AUDACITY TO LAUGH AT FACTS THAT WERE SHARED ABOUT BLACK LIVES MATTER? I CHALLENGE THEM RIGHT NOW TO TURN AROUND AND LOOK AT THAT POLICE OFFICER IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM AND THANK HIM FOR BEING HERE TO PROTECT YOU. BUT THEY WON'T DO IT. THEY WON'T DO IT BECAUSE THEY CAN'T SERVE TWO MASTERS. AT LEAST YOU DID THAT. BUT WITH BLACK WITH BLACK LIVES MATTER. I PROBABLY KNOW MORE ABOUT THAT ORGANIZATION THAN ANYBODY IN THIS ROOM. AND I'M TELLING YOU, NOW THAT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO BE TEACHING AND WORKING WITH OUR CHILDREN, YOU KNOW, MALCOLM X SAID SOMETHING THAT IS REALLY COMING HOME TO BE PROFOUND RIGHT NOW. HE SAID. THE BIGGEST THREAT TO THE BLACK COMMUNITY ARE WHITE LIBERALS. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.

YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER OBSERVATIONS I'VE MADE IS VIRTUALLY EVERY TEACHER HAS STOOD UP AGAINST THIS POLICY. AND VIRTUALLY EVERY PARENT HAS STOOD UP FOR THE POLICY.

TEACHERS TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE SAYING IF YOU GO THROUGH THIS POLICY, I'M GOING TO QUIT.

WITH THAT. I SAY GOOD RIDDANCE, BECAUSE THAT MAY BE GETTING GETTING RID OF PART OF THE PROBLEM. I DON'T MEAN TO SOUND COLD IN CALLOUS ABOUT THIS. I RESPECT POINT OF VIEW. I RESPECT PERSPECTIVES ON THIS. I ABSOLUTELY DO. BUT WHAT I CAN'T ABIDE AND WHAT I CAN'T RESPECT IS WHAT BLACK LIVES MATTER HAS DONE TO THE COMMUNITY. WE GO IN WE GO INTO THE PRIDE FLAG. THE SAME THING WE HOLD NO ILL WILL TOWARDS GAYS TOWARDS TRANS WE HAVE WE HOLD NO ILL WILL TOWARDS THAT. AND I HAVE SOMEBODY BACK HERE CHATTERING BEHIND MY BACK, SO IT KIND OF THROWS ME OFF. IS THAT ADDRESS YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD, PLEASE? OK WELL, IF YOU IF YOU WOULD TELL HER TO SHUT HER COMMENTS OFF IF YOU DON'T MIND, BUT AT AT THIS POINT WE HOLD NO NO ILL WILL WORDS THE GAY AND LESBIAN COMMUNITY. WE DO NOT. WE DON'T CARE WHAT THEY DO IN THE PRIVACY OF THEIR OWN ROOMS. WE DO CARE WHEN THEY TRY TO TEACH IT TO OUR CHILDREN. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. NEXT WE HAVE CHRISTINE LAMARE, FOLLOWED BY DAVID FABIAN. OK? GOOD EVENING. I SAW SOME OF YOU AT THE LISTENING SESSION LAST WEEK. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU REMEMBER ME. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRISTINE LE MATRE. I AM 29 YEARS OLD AND I'VE LIVED IN HARTFORD COUNTY. MY ENTIRE LIFE.

I GRADUATED FROM SEA MOUNTAIN RIGHT HIGH SCHOOL. MY OLDEST DAUGHTER GOES TO THE SAME ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT I DID. HICKORY. ONE IN FOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IDENTIFY AS LGBT, ACCORDING TO THE CDC AND ACCORDING TO THE CDC WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, 56% OF THE 28,000 STUDENTS THAT THEY POLLED SAID THAT THEY WANTED TO GET ACCESS TO MENTAL HEALTH CARE THAT THEY COULD NOT REACH. THEY HAD NO SAFE ADULT AT HOME, AND THEY DIDN'T FEEL LIKE THEY HAD A SAFE ADULT AT SCHOOL. THIS HURTS PEOPLE. THIS HURTS OUR CHILDREN. THIS IS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, BUT YOU CANNOT EDUCATE A DEAD CHILD. IF YOU SAW ME SPEAK LAST WEEK. YOU KNOW THAT? I SAID. NO CISGENDER CHILD HAS EVER COMMITTED SUICIDE BECAUSE THEY WERE BULLIED, ISOLATED OR REJECTED FOR BEING CISGENDER NO STRAIGHT CHILD HAS EVER KILLED THEMSELVES BECAUSE THEY WERE BULLIED, ISOLATED OR REJECTED FOR BEING STRAIGHT. BUT YOU KNOW WHO DID KILL THEMSELVES. BY THE WAY, I HAVE A NEW NAME TO MY LIST SINCE WEDNESDAY. ELIAS FRILEY 12, TENNESSEE. LELA

[01:40:05]

THANK YOU. I AM A PARENT. OF TWO HARTFORD, HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, STUDENTS BOYS IN THE FIFTH AND EIGHTH GRADES IN ABERDEEN SCHOOLS. I TAKE MY KIDS OUT. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PUT THEM IN PRIVATE SCHOOLS. YES. MY FAMILY COULD AFFORD THAT. WHY DO I LEAVE MY KIDS IN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. AND AN ABERDEEN SCHOOLS AT THAT. RIGHT? WE KNOW ABERDEEN SCHOOLS AREN'T THE BEST SCHOOLS. WHY DO I LEAVE THEM THERE? BECAUSE THERE'S DIVERSITY.

BECAUSE THERE'S A RICHNESS THERE. BECAUSE I WANT THEM. TO BE AROUND OTHER CHILDREN. WHO QUESTION WHO HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS, WHETHER THEY BE FAR RIGHT OR FAR AS FAR TO THE LEFT AS YOU CAN GET, THAT'S FINE WITH ME. BECAUSE I WANT MY KIDS. TO GET THAT RICH. IT'S WHAT I NEEDED AS A KID. I GREW UP IN A VERY CONSERVATIVE HOUSEHOLD. THEY THAT WERE OUT OF THE NORM.

[01:45:01]

IDENTITIES. AND THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD BE FOCUSING ON HERE. IF FOLKS WOULD LIKE TO PULL THEIR KIDS FROM SCHOOLS AND GO TO A PAROCHIAL SCHOOL OR OTHER DISTILLED SCHOOL OF THEIR CHOICE , THAT IS THEIR OPTION, AND THEY CAN PAY FOR THAT. BUT WE ARE A PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WE SHOULD REPRESENT ALL I'M HORRIFIED THAT SOME OF THE BEST TEACHERS IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE OF PRESIDENT POINT THAT'S ALL THE IN PERSON SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. ARE THERE ANY VIRTUAL SPEAKERS? WE DO NOT HAVE ANY VIRTUAL. OK THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC

[A. Consent Agenda]

[B. Approval of 7th Grade Career Compass Course]

UM THE OTHER THING IS, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME WE HAVE A NEW CURRICULUM , ADDED THE BOARD IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. IF YOU LOOK AT OUR ROLE, AND SO I TAKE THAT VERY SERIOUSLY A APPROVING OR VOTING ON A NEW CURRICULUM, WHICH IS THIS IS PART OF THAT. UM IT'S NOT A TRADITIONAL CURRICULUM COURSE. LIKE YOU'D SEE DETAILED READING THINGS. UM ANYWAY, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT YOU THINK PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT? SURE WELL, FIRST OF ALL, UH, GOOD EVENING, UH, BOARD PRESIDENT PONTON. UM, VICE PRESIDENT. HA. SUPERINTENDENT BOLSON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.

UM SO WHAT I WOULD FIRST SAY IS, UH WHAT? I KNOW YOU HAD SOME, UM SOME QUESTIONS. SO, UM WE HAVE PROVIDED YOU WITH SCOPE AND SEQUENCE. UM A, UH, GCC PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE GIVEN, UM AND INFORMATIONAL REPORT, SO I AM HERE. I CAN CERTAINLY ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, ALONG WITH, UH, THE REST OF MY GROUP IF THEY WANT TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES GOOD EVENING, LORD. I'M KATIE ECKSTEIN, THE COORDINATOR OF CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION.

EVEN BOARD MEMBERS. NATALIE HOLLOWAY, DIRECTOR OF THE SCHOOL INNOVATION EVENING. HEATHER KUTCHER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT. SO AGAIN, I'M

[01:50:01]

UM AND SO THIS WILL BE A COURSE. UM THAT IS FOR A UNIFIED ARTS COURSE THAT AND THEN THE CURRICULUM WILL JUST BE ANOTHER ITEM ON THE LIST OF THINGS THAT THE STUDENTS GET TO CHOOSE. AND UM THE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAD WAS WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD RESULT IN IMPACTS TO OUR STAFFING. UM AND, UM WE WILL BE USING THE EXISTING STAFFING FOR THE CURRICULUM, SO THIS WON'T ADD COST. IT'LL JUST GIVE THE CHILDREN UM ADDITIONAL VARIETY, UM, TO CHOOSE FROM IN THEIR UNIFIED ARTS. CORRECT CORRECT? YES, IT'S ANOTHER CHOICE OFFERING. UM THEY DO NOT HAVE TO, UH, TAKE THE CLASS IF THEY DO NOT CHOOSE TO DO SO, UM AS WELL, UM, BESIDES BEING ANOTHER OFFERING, UM THE STAFFING IS NOT AFFECTED. WE DO NOT HAVE TO ADD STAFF TO TEACH THIS CLASS. AND I KNOW THAT THE THAT THE CURRICULUM FOR THE DRAMA CLASS UM THE OUTLINE AND THE PACERS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE. CORRECT? YES, BECAUSE THAT WAS PILOTED. THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, I JUST WANNA GUESS, UH, TERRY'S COMMENT. UM, YOU HAD MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE CONCERNED THAT UH, THIS WAS COMING TOO SOON. UM, DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GOT A GOOD ANSWER FOR THAT? WELL, SINCE IT'S AN ELECTIVE, THEY WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT. IT'S JUST ELECTIVE. SO WELL, THERE'S THAT, BUT ALSO THERE'S IF WE DELAY THIS TO SAY, EIGHTH GRADE, THEN THEY WOULDN'T IT WOULDN'T COME IN TIME FOR THEM TO ACTUALLY SELECT, UH, ANY TYPE OF MAGNET PROGRAM IF THEY WANTED TO. YES SO WE, UM, REALLY FELT IT WAS IMPORTANT IN WITH OUR WITH OUR GROUPS. MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPALS , UM, CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT OFFICE TO REALLY HONE IN ON THAT SEVENTH GRADE POPULATION OF STUDENTS, UM, THAT GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO AS A AS A CHOICE AND AN OPTION TO TAKE THIS COURSE SO EIGHTH GRADE WHEN, UM JOE AND ACTUALLY HIS, UM, DEPARTMENT GO OUT FOR FULL VISITS FOR MAGNET PROGRAMS, THEY WILL HAVE MORE OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF AVAILABLE OPTIONS FOR THE MAGNET PROGRAMS OR IF THEY CHOOSE TO GO TO THEIR COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL, SO WE REALLY FELT LIKE IT WAS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY IN SEVENTH GRADE AS WELL. STUDENTS ARE ALSO, UM, PARTICIPATING IN HARVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. UM UH, FIELD TRIPS THAT ARE ACTUALLY HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN SEVENTH GRADE, SO THAT ALONG GOES ALONG WITH THAT, SO STUDENTS HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES ONCE THEY HIT EIGHTH GRADE. THAT THEY CAN SAY OH, WELL, I TOOK THIS IN SEVENTH GRADE. LET ME SEE IF I CAN GO TO THE SCIENCE AND MATH ACADEMY PRESENTATION ONE EVENING, SO THAT WAS THE THINKING BEHIND, UM, SEVENTH GRADE AND NOT WAITING TILL EIGHTH GRADE. ALSO ADD JUST ONE OTHER PIECE. THERE'S A LOT OF FOCUS ON OUR MAGNETS. UM AND SO I DON'T WANT IT TO SOUND LIKE IT'S A MAGNET RECRUITMENT TOOL. IT'S NOT THAT BECAUSE IT ALSO IS MEANT TO BUILD AWARENESS IN BOTH STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES ABOUT THE COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS THAT ARE AVAILABLE AS WELL. SO MANY OF THEM, UH THEM BEING EIGHTH GRADE PERSPECTIVE. HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL SAY TO US WELL, I DIDN'T GET INTO THAT MAGNET NOW. WHAT AND THEY DON'T REALIZE THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GET INTO A MAGNET NECESSARILY TO STUDY ENGINEERING BECAUSE IT'S AVAILABLE IN OUR HIGH SCHOOL WHERE THEY DIDN'T HAVE TO GET INTO A COMPUTER SCIENCE TARGETED MAGNET PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY HAVE A SIGNATURE, OR THEY'RE ABLE TO TAKE A P COMPUTER SCIENCE PRINCIPLES AS 1/9 GRADER, SO THE EARLIER WE CAN BUILD THAT AWARENESS AWARENESS WILL, UM, CULTIVATE SOME SENSE OF BELONGING. REGARDLESS OF WHAT PROGRAM THEY ENTER AS THEY APPROACH HIGH SCHOOL. AND TO ADDRESS CONCERNS. I THINK YOU ALSO SAID THAT WHAT YOU DO IS YOU HAVE THEM SIGN UP, AND WHEN THERE'S A CAP OF HOW MANY YOU CAN ACCEPT, SO IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO ADD TEACHERS AND ADD A LOT OF THEM. YOU YOU CAN ONLY ACCEPT SO MANY WITHIN THE STAFFING THAT WE HAVE SO THAT THAT WAS GOOD INFORMATION TO HAVE THANK YOU. THERE'S NO FURTHER DISCUSSION. I'LL TAKE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE SEVENTH GRADE CAREER COMPASS COURSE THIS IS CAROL BRUCE. AND I MOVE THAT WAY. THAT WE APPROVE THE CAREER EXPLORATION CURRICULUM AS THE SEVENTH GRADE OFFERING IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOR THE 2024 25 SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU, MISS BRUCE. THERE SECOND I SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES YES.

PLEASE SAY NO. AND THE MOTION PASSES. MIGHT AS WELL STAY HERE. I THINK THIS IS YOU AS WELL. AC

[C. Approval of Middle School Drama Curriculum]

[01:55:04]

OK WANT TO STICK? STICK AROUND ANY LONGER THAN YOU OK, UH, OPEN FOR DISCUSSION. MISS COKER, I THINK WAS THAT THAT WAS ME. YEAH I YOU YOU SENT A LOT OF INFORMATION, I. I APPRECIATE THAT A LOT OF A LOT MORE DETAILS THAN WE HAD BEFORE AGAIN. IT'S A NEW CURRICULUM, SO I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND IT AND I TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY, UH, VOTING ON THE CURRICULUM. AND UM SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE INFORMATION THAT YOU GAVE. I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS. SO MY QUESTION IS, UM, LIKE WE HAVE A APPROVED LIST FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS FOR FIELD TRIPS OR HIGH SCHOOLS FOR FIELD TRIPS. UM WITH THIS CURRICULUM. WHEN, UM STUDENTS ARE TAKING THIS DRAMA. CLASSES.

UM I WAS TOLD THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE A TEXT THAT THEY WENT BY. THEY DIDN'T HAVE, UM YOU KNOW, A TEXTBOOK OR OR GUIDELINES WHAT THEY USED. UM, BUT WHEN I CLICKED ON THE LINKS THAT WERE PROVIDED, UM, EIGHT WEEKS, I THINK IT WAS WEEKS NINE AND 10. IT SAID THAT THEY WERE REHEARSING FOR A PLAY. SO MY, UM MY QUESTION IS WHERE DO WE HAVE A LIST OF APPROVED PLAYS? DO WE HAVE A LIST OF THAT APPROVED INFORMATION? BECAUSE I, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE WITH MY SON THAT IN HIGH SCHOOL. UM YOU KNOW, THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT WERE CONCERNED WITH ONE OF THE, UM, THE MOVIES THAT THEY'D WATCHED THAT IT WAS INAPPROPRIATE. UM SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE A LIST OF THOSE APPROVED BECAUSE I ASKED FOR IT EARLIER AND I WAS TOLD THAT THERE WASN'T AN APPROVED LIST. IS THAT ACCURATE? AND I'LL I'LL LET MR WINFIELD IS OUR SUPERVISOR OF FINE ARTS. AND SO HE HAS KNOWLEDGE OF THE DETAILS OF THE COURSE. SO, MR WINFIELD, CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT? YES YOU ARE CORRECT. THERE IS NOT AN APPROVED LIST, BUT WE DO WORK DIRECTLY WITH OUR TEACHERS IN ALL THE CHOICES THAT THEY MAKE, UM SO I DON'T DOES THAT. ANSWER YOUR QUESTION. YES, UM SO I. I. I DON'T KNOW. II I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH JUST APPROVING A CURRICULUM WITHOUT HAVING A LIST OF APPROVED INFORMATION OR APPROVED PLAYS THAT THE STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN. UM YOU KNOW, WE APPROVE THERE. THERE'S GUIDE GUIDANCE FOR FIELD TRIPS.

THERE'S GUIDANCE FOR ALL SORTS OF CURRICULUM AND PLAYS AND EVERYTHING. UM SO FOR A MIDDLE SCHOOL. I JUST I DON'T KNOW. I FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE AT LEAST A LIST OF APPROVED. UM YOU KNOW, PLAYS THAT THEY WOULD BE PERFORMING AND USING THAT WOULD BE, UH HUGE TASK. I UNDERSTAND YOUR REASON FOR ASKING FOR THAT. UM AS WE'RE WORKING FORWARD, I CAN. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT I'M WORKING DIRECTLY WITH OUR FOUR TEACHERS. UM HOPEFULLY TO, UH, EXPAND THAT INTO ALL NIGHT SCHOOLS. UM, BUT WE IN OUR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND ALL OF OUR COMMUNICATION. UM WE ARE ALWAYS SIMILAR TO THE HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS THAT ARE CHOSEN. NOW THEY ARE EXTRACURRICULAR AND THE MIDDLE SCHOOL MUSICALS THAT ARE CHOSEN. THEY'RE ALL GOING. THEY ALL GO THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS, AND THEY DO ASK FOR APPROVAL ON THOSE UM, INDIVIDUAL. I HAD SEVERAL THAT I HAD TO WORK THROUGH THIS YEAR. OK, SO YOU ARE ASKING FOR APPROVAL? THEY'RE ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF THOSE SPECIFIC PLACES THAT THEY'RE USING. CORRECT, OK? UM OK, AS OPPOSED TO PICKING FROM A LIST WHICH WOULD BE ENDLESS. GOT YOU. THAT MAKES SENSE. I JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST SAYING OK. WHATEVER I JUST HAD A II. I RUN A TIGHT SHIP WITH MY TEACHERS. AND THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, BECAUSE OF ISSUES THAT COULD ARISE FROM POOR CHOICES OR NOT WELL THOUGHT THROUGH CHOICES. SO YOU'RE WELCOME. I APPRECIATE THAT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. OK, I'LL REQUEST A, UH, INDICATE A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA CURRICULUM ITEM C.

CAROL BRUCE. I AM MOVED TO PROBE THE OFFICE OF FINE ARTS REQUESTING REGULAR STATUS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL DRAMA COURSES, GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHT IN ALL HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BEGINNING WITH THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR. SECOND, THE MOTION THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES . YES, YES. YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION WELCOME BACK. BOARD WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM D PRESENTATION OF THE IMMERSION PROGRAM IN EDMONTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIKE TO UM NO, NO. DIFFERENT. SORRY PRESENTATION ON

[D. Presentation on the Immersion Program at Emmorton Elementary School, Dr. Chandra Krantz, Supervisor of EnglishLanguage Learners and World Language, Ms. Erin Steelman, Curriculum Specialist - World Languages, Mr. JurajDuracka, ESOL Teacher Specialist, Mrs. Elena Libertini, Program Manager, DoDEA Grant, and Mr. Zachary Greenbaum,Principal of Emmorton Elementary School]

[02:00:07]

ELENI LIBERTINI ARE DOLA GRANT, PROGRAM MANAGER AND VIRTUALLY WITH US ON TEAMS IS MR ZACHARY GREENBAUM, THE PRINCIPAL OF A EMERTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THIS EVENING, WE WILL BE SHARING AN INFORMATIONAL REPORT ON THE STATUS AND PROGRESS OF OUR AWARDED DODEA GRANT AND TIES GRANT INITIATIVE. TO SAY THAT WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT THIS INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU IS TRULY AN UNDERSTATEMENT. IN ADDITION TO HTPS, DETERMINING THAT EARLY LANGUAGE LEARNING IS A GOAL WITHIN THE BLUEPRINT, ESTABLISHING A TIES PROGRAM HAS BEEN A LONG TERM PERSONAL GOAL FOR ME. WHEN I JOINED THE HCPS IN 1992. I STARTED THE MIDDLE SCHOOL WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAM AND BEGAN MY ADVOCACY FOR INTRODUCTION OF A WORLD LANGUAGE EXPERIENCE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. HOWEVER WITH THE EBB AND FLOW OF SYSTEMIC AND PROGRAMMATIC CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WE ARE FINALLY NOW AT THE POINT OF ACTUALLY IMPLEMENTING AN IMMERSION PROGRAM. WITH TIES WE ARE ABLE TO OFFER CHOICE TO OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS THAT WILL PROVIDE THEM A CONTINUUM OF LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES AND GENERALLY TIE OUR WORLD LINE IS OFFERINGS FROM K TO 12 WITH A BOW. SO LET'S BEGIN. GOOD EVENING AS THE DOD GRANT MANAGER . I WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE DODEA GRANT PROGRAM. THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY SEEKS INNOVATIVE APPLICATIONS THAT IDENTIFY AND IMPLEMENT EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF HIGHLY HIGHLY MOBILE MILITARY CONNECTED STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY. THESE FUNDS ARE TO BE UTILIZED TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS THAT CAN BE CONTINUED BEYOND THE GRANT PERIOD AND SHOULD DEMONSTRATE APPROACHES THAT CAN JUST BE DISS. NEEDED AND DUPLICATED TO OTHER LEAS. THE PRIMARY ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENT WAS TO TARGET A SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS WITH A MINIMUM OF 10% MILITARY CONNECTED STUDENT POPULATION. THE WORLD LANGUAGE AND READINESS PROGRAM IS A NEWER BRANCH OF THE DO GRANTS. IT WAS AUTHORIZED IN 2021 UNDER THE NATIONAL DEFENSE ACT, AND IT HAD THE INTENTIONS TO HELP DISTRICTS WANTING TO ESTABLISH IMPROVE OR EXPAND WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. THE DOD WAS FINDING THAT MANY OF THEIR MILITARY PERSONNEL WERE LACKING A STRONG APTITUDE FOR LEARNING A SECOND LANGUAGE AND AS A RESULT OF THIS IDENTIFIED CONCERN, HOUSE AND SENATE APPROPRIATION COMMITTEES BELIEVE THAT THIS COULD BE ADDRESSED BY PROMOTING FOREIGN LANGUAGE STUDY PROGRAMS THAT TARGET ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS. A REPORT CITED IN JOY'S BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT AND APPLICATION GUIDELINES STATES THAT EXPERTS INDICATE THAT STUDENTS LEARNING LANGUAGES AT THE K TO 12 LEVELS DEVELOP HIGHER PROFICIENCY THAN THOSE STARTING IN COLLEGE, THEREFORE, EXPOSING ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY STUDENTS TO WORLD LANGUAGE IS CRITICAL TO DEVELOPING AND SUSTAINING THE PIPELINE OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SKILLS NEEDED TO ADDRESS NATIONAL SECURITY AND ECONOMIC NEEDS. IT FURTHER STATES THAT THE COMMISSION ON LANGUAGE LEARNING, WHICH WAS FORMED IN RESPONSE TO A REQUEST FROM A CONGRESSIONAL BIPARTISAN GROUP THAT THEY BELIEVE THAT INSTRUCTION SHOULD BEGIN AS EARLY IN LIFE AS POSSIBLE. DO. A GRANT FUNDING WAS IDENTIFIED AS A SOURCE AND STRATEGY TO HELP SCHOOLS HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS OF POTENTIAL FUTURE MILITARY MEMBERS. SO SOME DETAILS SPECIFIC TO THE HCPS GRANT. AS PART OF THE DO GRANT PROCESS, WE WERE REQUIRED TO SUBMIT A WRITTEN PROJECT NARRATIVE, A DETAILED BUDGET TABLE, AN EVALUATION PLAN AND A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN. GRANT AWARDS RANGE FROM $500,000 TO $2 MILLION, AND AMOUNTS ARE BASED ON THE NUMBER OF MILITARY CONNECTED FAMILIES AND STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE IMPACTED AT THE TARGET SCHOOL OR SCHOOLS. HOWEVER IT'S NOTEWORTHY THAT ANY JOIA GRANT PROGRAM, UM, IMPLEMENTED AT AN ELIGIBLE TARGET SCHOOL ALLOWS FOR PARTICIPATION OF ALL STUDENTS IN THE TARGETED GRADE LEVELS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR MILITARY CONNECTED STATUS. THIS PARTICULAR GRANT AWARD WAS FOR $500,000 OVER A FIVE YEAR PERIOD WITH THIS FIRST YEAR THIS SCHOOL

[02:05:06]

IN RECENT YEARS. RESEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THE ADVANTAGES OF THE BILINGUAL OR MULTILINGUAL BRAIN INCLUDE THE OUTPERFORM OF THE MONOLINGUAL BRAIN IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS. CREATIVITY PROBLEM SOLVING, DIVERGENT THINKING MENTAL FLEXIBILITY MEAL , LINGUISTIC AWARENESS, VISUAL SPATIAL SKILLS MORE EFFICIENT COGNITIVE AND SENSORY PROCESSING EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONING. WORKING MEMORY, ATTENTION TO DETAIL, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT AND THE ABILITY TO IGNORE DISTRACTIONS THAT'S FROM THOMAS AND COLLIER AS WELL. EARLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS STIMULATE SYSTEMIC AND DISTRICT CHANGE, BECAUSE ADMINISTRATIVE CURRICULAR AND TEACHING PRACTICES MUST BE EXAMINED AND REFLECTED UPON TO FULLY UNDERSTAND AND EMBRACE HOW STUDENTS, LANGUAGES AND CULTURES ADD TO THE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE, LEADING TO INNOVATIVE AND CREATIVE WAYS OF ADDRESSING THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. OVERALL THE TWO MOST IMPORTANT OUTCOMES. EARLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMS ARE HIGHER STUDENT COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT AND STRONGER STUDENT ENGAGEMENT WITH INSTRUCTION. SO WHEN WE BEGAN THE PROCESS OF IDENTIFYING SCHOOLS, WE RAN A REPORT TO DETERMINE WHICH SCHOOLS WERE ELIGIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THIS INITIATIVE, AND THERE WERE 11 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT WERE ELIGIBLE. EMERTON ELEMENTARY WAS CHOSEN OUT OF THE 11 FOR VARIOUS REASONS. ADHERING TO GRANT GUIDELINES IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS INCLUDED CHOOSING A SCHOOL THAT EXCEEDED THE 10% MILITARY CONNECTED STUDENT POPULATION. CONSIDERATION WAS ALSO GIVEN FOR CURRENT PROGRAMS OFFERED WITHIN THAT SCHOOL, AS WELL AS PROGRAMS THAT MAY BE EXPECTED TO BE ADDED. AS YOU CAN SEE, IN THIS GRAPH, EMERTON HAS A SIGNIFICANT LANGUAGE DIVERSITY. COMPONENT IN THEIR SCHOOL POPULATION. CURRENTLY THEY HAVE AT LEAST 13 DIFFERENT

[02:10:05]

THE JOB HAS BEEN POSTED AND INTERNAL INTERVIEW PROCESS HAS BEGUN. THE POSITION IS NOT A NEW OR ADDITIONAL POSITION IN. IN FACT, THIS IS A POSITION THAT WAS DEVELOPED INTERNALLY, WHERE EXISTING STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE QUALIFIED, WOULD BE ELIGIBLE TO TEACH THROUGH THE TIES PROGRAM.

MR GREENBAUM HAS INDICATED THAT A GENERAL EDUCATION PARTNER HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED. HALF OF THE STUDENTS WILL BEGIN THEIR DAY IN SPANISH AND THE OTHER HALF WILL BEGIN IN ENGLISH. MIDDAY THERE WOULD BE A SWAP AND THEY WILL ALSO ROTATE WEEKLY SO THAT STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM THEIR STUDIES AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY. UM THE ENGLISH CONTENT TO BE TAUGHT WOULD BE THEIR ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS, SCIENCE, SOCIAL STUDIES WRITING AND SPECIALS. THE SPANISH CONTENT WOULD BE A WORLD LANGUAGE, SPANISH CLASS, UM, A AN INTERACTIVE WRITING IN SPANISH AND, UM, MATHEMATICS. THE IMMERSION PROGRAM THAT HARFORD COUNTY WOULD BE IMPLEMENTING INCLUDES THE USE OF OUR CURRENT FLEX OR DISCOVERY CURRICULUM THAT WE CURRENTLY USE IN WORLD LANGUAGE. THIS WOULD BE IN THE ADDITION OF AGE APPROPRIATE SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES SUCH AS THE HH AA SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES , UM, INCLUDING DECODABLE READERS. INTERACTIVE PHONIC PHONICS PRACTICE SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION LESSONS THAT ARE DIFFERENTIATED AND SCAFFOLDED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS. SO HAVE SOME EXAMPLES OF OUR LITTLE READERS THAT I BROUGHT WITH US, UM THAT ARE DIFFERENT. SORRY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS, AS WELL AS INTERVENTIONAL ACTIVITIES FOR SPANISH READING COMPREHENSION AND SPANISH FLUENCY. UM THE MATH INSTRUCTION WILL UTILIZE THE CURRENT HCPS MATH CURRICULUM, BUT IN THE SPANISH TRANSLATION OR SPANISH VERSION, UM OUR PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE ARE USING TO HELP US AS WE GET THIS PROGRAM OFF THE GROUND, OUR PARTICIPATE LEARNING THE MARYLAND INSTITUTE FOR LITERACY AND EQUITY, WHICH IS THE MILE PROGRAM. UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO PARTNERED TO GET, UM, INFORMATION AND TO COLLABORATE WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTIES WHO ARE PILOTING OR ACTIVELY HAVE DUAL IMMERSION PROGRAMS SUCH AS PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, MONTGOMERY COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, VIRGINIA BEACH PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM, AND THEN WE'VE ALSO, UM, DRAWN UPON THE ASSOCIATION OF THE TWO WAY AND DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION, DUAL LANGUAGE EDUCATION OF NEW MEXICO AND SHAFER EVALUATION CONSULTANTS. UM SO WE HAVE PLANNED FOR THE T PROGRAM TO, UH, TO INCORPORATE HIGH QUALITY, INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, RESOURCES AND STRATEGIES ALIGNED TO CONTENT STANDARDS. THIS SAMPLE IS HIGH QUALITY AS IT IS GREEN THROUGHOUT ED REPORTS. UM, THIS WOULD BE THE SAMPLE SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCE THAT I WAS DISCUSSING. EARLIER EARLIER, THE ARIBA LUR. UM IT IS RESEARCH DRIVEN AND A COMPREHENSIVE K SIX SPANISH LITERACY RESOURCE THAT WILL COMPLEMENT THE RELAY LITERACY INITIATIVES TO PROVIDE A SOLUTION FOR BI LITERACY AND EARLY LANGUAGE CLASSROOMS. BY UTILIZING THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCE ARE TIES TEACHER WILL HAVE ACCESS TO AWARD-WINNING HIGH INTEREST TEXT THAT WILL HELP STUDENTS BUILD BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE. THEY ARE AVAILABLE IN PRINT AND AVAILABLE DIGITALLY. DECODABLE PASSAGES FOR EARLY READERS SUPPORT STUDENTS AS THEY BUILD ON AUTOMATICITY AND FLUENCY WITH THE BANK OF TEXT THAT THEY CAN READ INDEPENDENTLY. STUDENTS WILL HAVE ONLINE PRACTICE TO REINFORCE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS AND VOCABULARY LEARNED THROUGH WHOLE GROUP INSTRUCTION IN SPANISH LESSONS. UM STUDENTS WILL BENEFIT FROM CULTURALLY RELEVANT AND DIVERSE TEXTS THAT HAVE BEEN RIGOROUSLY REVIEWED TO ENSURE THEIR QUALITY NOTICE. THE ED REPORT RATINGS ARE ALL GREEN.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPLEMENTAL RESOURCES, OUR TIES TEACHER WILL HAVE HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS, MANIPULATIVES PICTURES AND EMPLOYEE ENGAGING INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES TO HELP BUILD THE FOUNDATIONS FOR BI LITERACY. THIS ILLUSTRATES THAT WE ARE

[02:15:05]

THEN THEY WILL SW SWITCH MIDDAY. ADDITIONALLY THIS SCHEDULE WILL ROTATE WEEKLY SO THAT EACH PARTICIPATING STUDENT WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BEGIN. AND END THE DAY IN SPANISH. THROUGH OUT THE YEAR AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE THEIR CLASSES AT DIFFERENT TIMES OF THE DAY.

HERE'S OUR TIMELINE. WE BRIEFLY TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE WE STARTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2023.

WHEN WE WERE ALERTED TO BEING AWARDED THIS WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY, AND WE ARE NOW AT THE POSITION WHERE WE HAVE BEGUN OUR INTERVIEW PROCESS FOR OUR TIES. IMMERSION TEACHER. THIS TIME THAT BRINGS US TO MARCH 2024. WE ARE GOING TO FINALIZE THE THAI SPANISH TEACHER SELECTION PROCESS BY THE END OF THIS MONTH. NEXT MONTH. WE PLAN TO IDENTIFY MATERIAL QUANTITIES AND COMPLETE ORDER OF ALL MATERIALS NEEDED FOR THE TA KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM. IN MAY. WE WILL FOCUS ON ESTABLISHING THE TIES PROGRAM PARTICIPANT POOLS AND ON PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE THAI TEACHER. THE TWO CLASSES OF STUDENTS PARTICIPATING IN TIES WILL BE FORMED IN JUNE. WE WILL CONTINUE WITH THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROCESS INVOLVING TWO EDUCATIONAL ENTITIES, NAMELY , PARTICIPATE LEARNING IN MARYLAND INITIATIVE FOR LITERACY AND EQUITY. WE WILL RAMP UP OUR PREPARATION FOR THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN JULY AND AUGUST WHEN WE ORGANIZE OUR MATERIAL AND SET UP THE CLASSROOMS. THIS SUMMER. WE WILL ALSO START PREPARING FOR ADDITION OF FIRST GRADE FOR SCHOOL YEAR 2025 2026. AGAIN ONE OF THE TWO GOALS OF TAIS IS TO BUILD A PIPELINE OF STUDENTS WHO WILL WORK TOWARDS EARNING THE CPI LITERACY, WHICH WILL ENHANCE THEIR CHOICES FOR POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION, STUDIES AND WORK. IN ORDER FOR HCPS TO ENHANCE WORLD LANGUAGE OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS. IT IS IMPERATIVE TO TIE OUR HIGH SCHOOL LANGUAGE PROGRAM WITH AN EXPANSION OF A PROGRAM IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WELL AS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BY TYING ALL LEVELS OF STUDENTS TOGETHER. MORE OF OUR STUDENTS WILL BE BOTH BILINGUAL AND BI LITERATE BEFORE THEY LEAVE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. WE'RE OPENING UP THE QUESTIONS. ARMS. YOU HAVE A QUESTION, BUT I JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS THAT. I LOVE WHAT YOU GUYS DO. YOU DO SO MUCH FOR OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. YOUR TEAM ? UM, I LOVE THIS PROGRAM. WE ARE SO FORTUNATE. TO BE CHOSEN. OUT OF JUST 54 SCHOOL SYSTEMS IN 23 STATES. TO HAVE THIS PROGRAM. UH, HOW FORTUNATE. THOSE 40 CHILDREN WILL BE TO BE A PART OF THIS PROGRAM. UM AND IT'S JUST SO POWERFUL THAT YOU KNOW THIS THIS PROGRAM COMES FROM REALLY FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE, RIGHT? UM THEY RECOGNIZE THIS NEED UM SO JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW THAT DEEP RESPECT FOR ME FOR WHAT YOU GUYS DO, AND BUILDING THIS PROGRAM. I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF ADDITIONAL WORK ABOVE AND BEYOND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALREADY DO. I'M NOT CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE. YOU KNOW, AND MORE WORK TO COME. RIGHT UM SO JUST JUST THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ALL FOR THE KIDS, AND NOT JUST ALVAREZ. UM, YES, I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. UM SO, UM, MRS LIBERTINI, YOU'RE FROM THE YOU'RE THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE GRANT. UM AND WHEN YOU WERE, UM, EXPLAINING HOW THE GRANT WORKS AND WHAT THE GRANT IS USED FOR, UM, YOU USE THE WORD EXPOSURE. TO LANGUAGES. UM THE, UM, THE ACTUAL BROAD AGENCY ANNOUNCEMENT, UM, USES THE WORDS UM ESTABLISH, IMPROVE OR EXPAND WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS. OK AND THEN, UM AND I AND DOCTOR KRANTZ, UM WE'RE WE'RE TAKING THAT AND USING AN IMMERSION PROGRAM. UM SO WAS THAT DIRECTED BY THE GRANT THAT IT BE A FULL IMMERSION PROGRAM. OR UM, OK, SO I GUESS MY CONCERN ABOUT THIS PROGRAM IS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT ARE ARE, UM, NOT FLUENT AND IN ENGLISH LIT, YOU

[02:20:04]

IT'S IT REALLY IS KIND OF MAGICAL TO WATCH HOW QUICKLY THEY LEARN IT. UM, BUT WE WOULDN'T BE DOING THIS. A THE REASON WE'RE DOING IT NOW IS BECAUSE THE ARMY HAD A GRANT.

FOR THIS BECAUSE IT'S AN EXPENSIVE START UP. BUT FROM THE BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT, SO IT'S BUT FROM THE BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT. IT'S SUSTAINABLE AFTER THE START UP COSTS, AND I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A QUESTION THAT THE BOARD'S ASKED ALSO BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO GRANT TO GET THIS STARTED. YOU GOT TO BUY THE CLASS. YOU GOTTA BUY THE CLASSROOM MATERIALS. YOU GOT TO SET A CLASSROOM UP. BUT ONCE YOU HAVE THAT IT'S THE SAME COST AS RUNNING ANY OTHER PROGRAM, SO IT'S NOT A BUDGET IMPACT, EITHER. SO FOR THOSE TWO REASONS, PERFORMANCE AND THE FACT THAT THIS IS A REALLY RESPONSIBLE USE OF GRANT DOLLARS AND PARTNERING WITH THE MILITARY, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT HERE, SO I WANTED TO SHARE THAT BECAUSE THAT I MEAN, THESE GUYS HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC, BUT I KIND OF WANTED TO BRING IT DOWN TO A SORT OF VERY BASIC LEVEL. I I APPRECIATE THAT, DOCTOR BOLSON, BUT, UM, I GUESS I HAD MADE A REQUEST FOR DATA. UM QUANTITATIVE DATA FROM OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE USING THIS AND I KNOW YOU KNOW, WE GET THE AGENDAS KINDA, YOU KNOW, SHORT NOTICE AND I. I DID NOT GET ANY ANY EMPIRICAL DATA THAT SHOWED THAT THIS WAS EFFECTIVE AND USED WE WE'LL WE'LL GET THAT FOR YOU PARTICIPATE. LEARNING HAS I'M VERY CLOSE WITH WITH THE COMPANY WHO ENDED UP BEING OUR PARTNER. UM THEY HAVE LOTS OF DATA FROM THE PROGRAMS. WE STARTED IN NORTH CAROLINA TO THE PROGRAMS THEY'VE DONE, UM, MOSTLY IN NORTH CAROLINA, BUT IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, SO THERE'S DATA WILL SHARE. ALL MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE IS THAT IT WAS CONFUSING FOR MY CHILD AND YOU KNOW, AND I I'M GONNA TAKE A BRAGGING POINT MOMENT HERE. HIS UM, RECOMMENDATION LETTER. WHEN HE WENT AWAY TO UNIVERSITY WAS HE WAS THE MOST LINGUISTICALLY GIFTED CHILD THAT HER TEACHER HAD EVER MET. IT WAS ONE SENTENCE. SO I DON'T KNOW. HE WAS ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH ME THAT HE DID NOT WANT TO BE IN THAT ENVIRONMENT. I MEAN, HE LEARNED HE KNOWS, UM SPANISH NOW, AND HE'S COMMUNICATES QUITE WELL, BUT HE WAS NOT READY FOR

[02:25:04]

WITH THIS IS LIKE A THIRD LANGUAGE TO THEM, YOU KNOW? UM SO, UM I. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THERE WERE OTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHERE THE PERCENTAGE OF THE STUDENTS MAY HAVE BEEN FROM SPANISH SPEAKING BACKGROUNDS. I KNOW THAT UM YOU KNOW YOU HAVE EDGEWOOD THAT HAS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT A MILITARY THERE. ABERDEEN WE HAVE GEORGE LIBE AND HALLS CROSSROAD AND THERE ARE THE SCHOOLS, SO I WAS JUST KINDA LIKE TO SEE FRANKIE. YEAH, THE LIST THE LIST THAT'S HERE. THERE ARE ONLY 11 THAT WERE ELIGIBLE FOR THE GRANT FROM THE MILITARY'S PERSPECTIVE. AND THEN THE ONLY SCHOOL UM, THAT HAD THE POPULATION, NOT THE POPULATION. UH, WELL, ROY WILLIAMS WAS THE ONLY SCHOOL ALONG SORT OF THAT. YOU KNOW THE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR THAT THAT MET THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ARMY. UM SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE LIST I MEAN, YOU CAN KIND OF GET A SENSE OF THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE HERE. UM, BECAUSE AFTER THAT, IN IN THE REASON. IN FACT, THE FIRST SCHOOL I WENT TO WAS ROY WILLIAMS. WHEN WE HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW THEY WERE THE ONLY OTHER ONE ON THE LIST, BUT ROY WILLIAMS HAS BEEN DOING ALL THIS WORK LATELY ON THE MODEL SCHOOL, AND THEY'VE TAKEN ON SOME OTHER INITIATIVES. SO THAT WAS REALLY A CHOICE OF THE SCHOOL. LIKE THIS SAID, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REALLY ONLY DO ONE INITIATIVE AT A TIME AND THEY WERE KIND OF LEANING INTO THE MODEL SCHOOL WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON. UM OTHERWISE, THAT WOULD HAVE.

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GREAT CHOICE BECAUSE THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO THE INSTALLATION, AND THERE'S A LOT OF SORT OF MILITARY CONNECTEDNESS IN THAT SCHOOL. I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS MOST I THINK IT'S MOST PREVALENT THERE. UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME THAT WAS JUST A CAPACITY ISSUE FOR THEM. AND THEN THE OTHER SCHOOLS YOU MENTIONED WEREN'T ON THE LIST BECAUSE I UM I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERN. I'LL PUT IT THAT WAY. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THAT. YOU KNOW, I HAVE RELATIVES WHO HAVE GONE THROUGH FRENCH EMERSION SCHOOL AND I HAVE A GREAT GRANDSON WHO'S IN THE SPANISH NOW, AND HE'S IN WHAT? THREE OR FOUR YEARS OLD. SO II, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU AND SUPPORT IT. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET OUR SHARE. RIGHT, DENISE. THANK YOU. MILITARY. I HAD A SIMILAR CONCERN WHETHER OTHER OPTIONS WERE LOOKED AT, DOES IT HAVE TO BE TOTAL IMMERSION? IS THAT THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT IF THE GRANT SAYS JUST TO INCREASE OR ESTABLISH YOUR EXPAND WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS IT SEEMS LIKE ALL THE BENEFITS OF BILINGUALISM , WHICH I GREATLY ACCEPT ARE WHEN YOU LEARN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, SO YOU GOTTA LEARN ENGLISH FIRST. AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF KIDS, MAYBE IN CERTAIN AREAS WHO ARE BEHIND AND HAVE TROUBLE WITH READING, ENGLISH AND SO FORTH, AND SO THAT WAS A CONCERN. DOCTOR BOLSON ANSWERED THAT, HE SAID IN NORTH CAROLINA, YOU DID DO IT IN KINDERGARTEN. SO WHEN I SAY THE CHILDREN OUTPERFORM, THEY OUTPERFORM THEIR PEERS ON TESTS GIVEN IN ENGLISH, YOU KNOW THEY'RE NOT JUST OUTPERFORMING, AND THEY'LL DEFINITELY OUTPERFORM THEM IN SPANISH, BUT, UM THEY ALSO OUTPERFORM THEM IN ENGLISH, SO IT IT AGAIN. THAT'S THE PART THAT ALMOST DEFIES LOGIC, BUT IT'S ACCURATE. BUT THEY'RE THEY'RE ONLY LEARNING MATH IN SPANISH. THAT IS THE ONLY CONTENT AS OF NEXT YEAR. YES. AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING TO ROTATE THAT IN THE SECOND GRADE SO THAT WE'LL FOCUS ON PERHAPS SCIENCE OR SOCIAL SCIENCES. OK AND THEN THEY COULD BE LEARNING MATH AND ENGLISH. MAYBE IN SECOND GRADE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. OK YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE ENGLISH. THEY'LL ALWAYS BE LEARNING ENGLISH THAT YOU HAVE THE DUAL TRACK THERE. BUT IT'S JUST THAT THE SPANISH MATH WAS THE ONLY ONE. I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT YOUR THE BOOKS IF I COULD, BUT, UM, LET'S SEE. SO THEN YOU YOU SAY THAT YOU'RE YOU KNOW YOU'RE GONNA EXPAND IT TO OTHER SCHOOLS AND SO FORTH. HOW MUCH DOES THE GRANT COVER BECAUSE MY CONCERNS WITH THE BUDGET AS WELL, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS GRANT ONLY COVERS THE WORK AT EMERTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BUT OUR GOAL IS HOPEFULLY TO HAVE THE BLESSING TO BE ABLE TO, UH, APPLY FOR AN ADDITIONAL GRANT, WHICH WE CAN EXPAND THIS TYPE OF PROGRAM INTO OTHER SCHOOLS. SO YOU WOULD DO THAT THROUGH A GRANT? YES, MA'AM, AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THIS FIVE

[02:30:02]

HERE. YOU ACKNOWLEDGING AND ACCEPTING. WHAT? WHAT'S WHAT? BECAUSE WE'VE APPROVED OTHER PILOT PROGRAMS. SO WHAT? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENTIATING FACTOR FOR WHETHER OR NOT A PROGRAM GETS APPROVED AND WHETHER I GUESS I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TOWARDS DR FOLSON, OR I DON'T KNOW. DO YOU KNOW? YEAH, I THINK I WILL. UM AND TALKING ABOUT? EXISTING CURRICULUM. I DON'T SEE WHAT THERE WOULD BE FOR THIS BOARD TO VOTE ON, UM, BECAUSE THAT THE CURRICULUM THAT'S BEING USED IS JUST A DIFFERENT WAY OF TEACHING IT, I GUESS IS THE WAY THAT I'M INTERPRET IF IT'S AURATE, UM SO IN TERMS OF WHAT THE BOARD WOULD BE DOING HERE, I DON'T THINK IT'S NOT A CURRICULUM RELATED, THOUGH, SO WHEN THERE'S A NEW PROGRAM THE BOARD DOESN'T PROVE IT GOING FORWARD. IT DOESN'T FALL CURRENTLY UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE BOARD, IT'S NOT NEW CURRICULUM NECESSARILY, AND IT'S NOT A IT'S NOT A FUNDING ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S A GRANT. SO I THINK THIS IS THE APPROPRIATE ACTION.

IT'S OPERATIONS OF THE SYSTEM, BUT IT'S ALSO SHARING INFORMATION WITH YOU IS SOMETHING THAT'S GOING ON. ALL MY QUESTIONS, OK, ANYBODY ELSE? OK I'LL I'LL JUST CONCLUDE WITH, UM I'M HIGHLY SUPPORTIVE. I'M SORRY. WHAT BLIND SPOT SORRY. YOU GOT TO SAY ANYTHING. I COULDN'T. SO MY QUESTION IS, IF UM THERE ARE GRANT FUNDS THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO OFFER FOREIGN LANGUAGES. I KNOW THAT FOR ONE HAPPY GRACE. UM THEY ONLY HAVE SPANISH AS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE THAT IS OFFERED THERE. UM AS WELL AS BELLA HAS MULTIPLE DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT ARE OFFERED. SO MY CONCERN IS THAT, UM, HAVE A GRACE DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME. UM EXPERIENCES THAT ARE OFFERED TO THEM VERSUS BEL AIR, SO IN AN EFFORT TO BE FAIR, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD BE EXPANDING THIS TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UNTIL IT'S FAIR ACROSS THE BOARD FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WELL THE INTERESTING THING WITH HIGH SCHOOL IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT A STAFFING ISSUE, WHICH THEN GOES INTO YOUR BUDGET , AND THAT'S GOING TO COST THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. BECAUSE THEN WE NEED SOMEBODY WHO'S CERTIFIED TO TEACH SPANISH. LANGUAGE TO STUDENTS OR FRENCH LANGUAGE TO STUDENTS OR GERMAN LANGUAGE TO STUDENTS, SO THAT WOULD BE ADDING ADDITIONAL STAFF RATHER THAN REALLOCATING. AND REDISTRIBUTING THIS THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE NOW DIDN'T YOU SAY THAT THE GRANT THAT YOU APPLIED FOR IS FOR EXPANDING WORLD LANGUAGE PROGRAMS BECAUSE THAT'S WE'RE DOING. WE'RE TAKING OUR WORLD LANGUAGE CURRICULUM. AND WE'RE MAKING A K THROUGH 12 INSTEAD OF EIGHT THROUGH 12. SO WE'RE EXPANDING OUR WORLD LANGUAGE OFFERINGS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN WE APPLY FOR THIS GRANT, WE ARE VERY

[02:35:03]

[E. Presentation on Harford County Public Schools Library Planning Workgroup , Ms. Martha Barwick, Supervisor ofInnovation in Learning, Ms. Christina Davis, Library Media Specialist, and Ms. Tracy Papinchock, Library MediaSpecialist]

GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT PONTON, VICE PRESIDENT ON BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT BOLSON. I'M MARTHA BARWICK, SUPERVISOR OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING AND JOINING ME THIS EVENING. UM OUR CHRISSY DAVIS, LIBRARIAN AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL AND LIBRARIAN REPRESENTATIVE ON THE LIBRARY PLANNING WORK GROUP. ALSO JOINING US THIS EVENING. TRACY PINS SHOCK LIBRARIAN AT PATTERSON MILL, HIGH SCHOOL AND LIBRARIAN, AND HCAH CE, A REPRESENTATIVE ON THE LIBRARY AND PLANNING WORKSHOP. WE ARE HERE THIS EVENING TO UPDATE YOU ON THE LIBRARY PLANNING WORK GROUP. IN THE FALL OF 2023 UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT, INDIVIDUALS WAS FORMED TO REVIEW THE EXISTING PRACTICES OF THE EVALUATION, SELECTION AND RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. AS A RESULT OF THE AGE OF THE CURRENT PROCESS. IN RESPONSE TO COMMUNITY INTERESTS IN THE PROCESS AND TO BRING TRANSPARENCY AND CLARITY TO THE PROCESS BY WHICH LIBRARY MATERIALS ARE SELECTED. THE WORK GROUP COLLECTIVELY DRAFTED A NEW ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE TO UPDATE THE PROCESS DEFINED IN THE 2019 HANDBOOK. THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION AND THE CODE OF MARYLAND REGULATIONS FOR SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIFY THAT SCHOOL LIBRARIES HAVE COMPREHENSIVE WRITTEN PROCEDURES THAT ARE CURRENT REVIEWED REGULARLY FAMILIAR TO LIBRARY STAFF AND DISTRIBUTED WIDELY FOR UNDERSTANDING BY ALL STAKEHOLDERS. TO ENABLE OUR COMMUNITY TO REVIEW FURTHER THE DRAFT PROCEDURE, WHICH WE WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS EVENING IS POSTED ON HCPS.ORG AND TONIGHT'S AGENDA AND WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THE LIBRARY PLANNING WORK GROUP, WHICH HAS MET MONTHLY IS COMPRISED OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION. THE HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL. THE HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF AND OUR COMMUNITY. WE THANK THIS WORK GROUP ITS MEMBERSHIP FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO THE WORK. AND HCPS LIBRARIANS WHO HAD OPPORTUNITIES AT VARIOUS STAGES THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS TO REVIEW SELECTIONS OF THE DRAFT AND PROVIDE INSIGHT AND FEEDBACK. WE WOULD ALSO LIKE TO THANK KIMBERLY NEAL, GENERAL COUNSEL FOR HCPS FOR THE RESEARCH SHE BROUGHT TO THE WORK GROUP TO GUIDE OUR DISCUSSIONS. AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE HAS BEEN DRAFTED TO OUTLINE THE EVALUATION SELECTION AND RECONSIDERATION OF LIBRARY MATERIALS. THIS PROCEDURE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF THE PRINCIPLES THAT GOVERN THE DEVELOPMENT. OF LIBRARY MEDIA COLLECTIONS IN OUR SCHOOLS. ENSURING THAT LIBRARY MATERIALS SUPPORT CURRICULUM GOALS. GENERAL INTERESTS, INFORMATION AND INQUIRY. AS WELL AS ENSURING A COMMITMENT TO FREE ACCESS TO IDEAS AND INFORMATION THAT REFLECT VARIOUS VIEWPOINTS. THE LIBRARY PLANNING WORK GROUP DISCUSSED AT LENGTH. THE INTERSECTION OF ACCESS TO IDEAS AND INFORMATION WITH AGE APPROPRIATENESS. THE PROPOSED PROCEDURE DELINEATES THAT SCHOOL LIBRARY MEDIA COLLECTIONS SHOULD CONTRIBUTE TO THE FULFILLMENT OF THE CURRICULUM. MEETING THE INSTRUCTIONAL NEEDS OF STUDENTS AND TEACHERS, AS WELL AS PROVIDING GENERAL INTEREST

[02:40:02]

THE MILLER TEST RESULTS FROM A LEGAL CASE. MILLER VERSUS CALIFORNIA, WHICH ASSISTS US IN CAREFULLY EVALUATING MATERIALS BASED ON CONTEMPORARY COMMUNITY STANDARDS, CONSIDERING THE WORK AS A WHOLE AND PRIORITIZING SELECTIONS THAT POSSESS SERIOUS LITERARY, ARTISTIC, POLITICAL OR SCIENTIFIC VALUE. SECOND WE HAVE ALSO ADDED A FORMAL PROCESS BY WHICH LIBRARIANS MEET AS MIDDLE ELEMENTARY AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL GROUPS. WHEN BOOKS DO NOT HAVE REVIEWS AVAILABLE OR WHEN A BOOK DOES NOT CLEARLY FIT INTO THE SELECTION CRITERIA. ONE LIBRARIANS CANNOT REACH A CONSENSUS. THE BOOK WOULD BE A CANDIDATE FOR THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. TO APPLY THE PROCEDURE CONSISTENTLY ACROSS OUR SCHOOLS. LIBRARIANS SPEND SIGNIFICANT TIME IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ENGAGED IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND SCHOOL LIBRARY MATERIALS, ANALYZING THE LIBRARY COLLECTIONS AND DISCUSSING BOOKS WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PROMINENT FOCUS IN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR LIBRARIANS. A RECONSIDERATION PROCESS WILL ADDRESS CONCERNS OR OBJECTIONS REGARDING SPECIFIC ITEMS IN THE LIBRARY COLLECTION. IF AFTER THE PETITIONER HAS READ THE ENTIRETY OF THE WORK. AND HAS CONSULTED WITH THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN. THE NEED FOR A FORMAL REQUEST PERSISTS AND EMPLOYEE PARENT OR LEGAL GUARDIAN. OR STUDENT WITHIN HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MAY SUBMIT A RECONSIDERATION REQUEST. EACH YEAR. A WINDOW WILL OPEN IN MAY FOR MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO APPLY TO JOIN THE RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE. RECONSIDERATION COMMITTEE WILL BE COMPRISED OF 27 MEMBERS DIVIDED INTO THREE SUBCOMMITTEES, WHICH WILL INCLUDE PARENTS. COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, LIBRARIANS AND STUDENTS. A NON VOTING FACILITATOR APPOINTED BY THE SUPERVISOR OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING WILL DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS, FACILITATE MEETINGS AND FINALIZE THE REPORT FOR EACH SUBCOMITTEE. SUB-COMMITTEE MEMBERS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR READING THE ENTIRE WORK THAT IS UNDER CONSIDERATION.

PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS AND THE RECONSIDERATION FORM. THE COMMITTEE WILL DISCUSS THE WORK IN LIGHT OF THE CRITERIA OF HCPS AND VOTE TO RETAIN THE WORK. MOVE IT TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL OR REMOVE IT. IF A CONSENSUS IS NOT REACHED A SECOND SUB-COMMITTEE WILL REVIEW IT. THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL REVIEW THE REPORT AND RECOMMENDATION MADE BY THE SUPERVISOR OF INNOVATION AND LEARNING AN ISSUE A DECISION. WE VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK ON THIS PROCESS AS WELL AS THE DRAFT PROCEDURE. IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL. AND TONIGHT WE WELCOME YOUR FEEDBACK AND QUESTIONS. THANK YOU BEFORE WE OPEN IT FOR A BOARD COMMENT. SUPERINTENDENT HAS A COMMON YEAH, I WANTED TO, SO I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A SECOND. THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS EVENING. UM SO BEFORE I SAY TOO MUCH, BUT I DO WANNA THANK ALL THE PARTICIPANTS. UH, BECAUSE WE HAD, I THINK, UM KIND OF DIVERSE RANGE OF EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES WHO PARTICIPATED IN THIS AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE WE CAME AWAY WITH A GOOD PRODUCT.

AND, UM, WE HAD SOME GOOD CONVERSATION. ONE OF THE THINGS A BOARD. UM IF THIS PROCESS DOESN'T WORK. YOU CAN TAKE IT ON LATER ON YOUR OWN. THE WHOLE IDEA WAS WE WERE TRYING LIKE ANY INTERVENTION. YOU KIND OF WANNA START. UM SORT OF THE LOWEST LEVEL POSSIBLE. AND THEN IF THAT

[02:45:05]

UM I SAID POLICY, AFTER ALL THAT EXPLANATION ABOUT WHY IT'S A PROCEDURE, NOT A POLICY. SO AGAIN. THANK YOU ALL FOR CATCHING THAT. UM ANYWAY, SO WE DO WANT FEEDBACK? UM I THINK WE WILL WE'LL, WE'LL POST IT THE WAY WE DO ON THE BOARD FOR POLICIES WHERE WE GET FEEDBACK, BUT, UM AND THEN THE GROUP WILL COME BACK TOGETHER. IF THERE ARE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES WE NEED TO MAKE BASED ON THE FEEDBACK. WE WILL DO THAT. BUT PART OF THE GOAL IS TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN A REVIEW PROCESS THIS YEAR, UM, TO KIND OF TAKE ON THE FIRST WAVE OF BOOKS THAT MIGHT BE CHALLENGED. AND THEN WE HOPE OVER TIME THAT THIS BECOMES SOMETHING THAT IS MAINTENANCE.

EVERY NOW AND THEN THERE WILL BE CONCERNS, BUT I SUSPECT THAT THE YOU KNOW THE INTEREST IN IT.

WILL YOU KNOW AS AS WE KIND OF GET THINGS INTO A PLACE THAT MORE PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH. SO WITH THAT, UH, M STRAUSS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO JUMP IN SINCE YOU HIT A LOT OF IT, AND I SPOKE IN IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, BUT I'M PROUD OF THE WORK. WE DID. WE REALLY STARTED FROM SCRATCH AND SO TO PUT THIS TOGETHER, BUT I LEARNED A LOT. I'VE BEEN BRAND NEW RESPECT FOR LIBRARIANS AND WHAT YOU GO THROUGH AND THE CHALLENGES THAT YOU FACE, AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THIS. UM AND I'M EXCITED AS WE AS WE MOVE FORWARD, SO THANK YOU. GREAT ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MISS BRUCE. SHE BEAT YOU TO IT. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, UM THERE'S A POLICY ON INSTRUCTIONAL. UM, READING WITH YOURS. THERE'S A POLICY IS THAT GONNA RE REQUIRE A CHANGE TO THE POLICY OR WAS THAT CONSIDERED? THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT WASN'T REALLY CONSIDERED IN THIS GROUP. WE STAYED FOCUSED ON THE MEDIA CENTERS. WELL, THE MEDIA CENTER MATERIALS MORE SO THAN THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS SO THE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS WON'T BE IMPACTED BY THIS PROCEDURE FROM THIS PROCEDURE. OK, THANK YOU. FIRST. I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR ALL THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS DID, AND FOR. AND TO DOCTOR BOLSON FOR YOU KNOW, ALLOWING THE PUBLIC TO ACTUALLY HAVE INSIGHT INTO SOME OF THE INTO THIS PROCEDURE AND FEEDBACK. I DID HAVE A FEW, UM ONE OVERARCHING QUESTION ABOUT, UM, THE PROCEDURE. I READ THROUGH IT , AND, UM, THERE'S SOME CRITERIA THAT YOU USE, UM, CERTAIN THAT IT HAS TWO PEER REVIEWED AND, UH AND THERE'S A LIST. UM BUT THIS SO, UM, A LIST OF I GUESS. ACCEPTABLE ORGANIZATIONS, UM IS THERE OTHER WAYS TO GET BOOKS INTO THE SYSTEM OR ADD TO THAT LIST? THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THOSE, YOU KNOW, PEER REVIEWED, CORRECT. THAT IS WHY, UM, UNDER THAT LIST, WE DID ADD THAT IF A BOOK DOES NOT HAVE REVIEWS AVAI AVAILABLE OR WHEN THE BOOKS DO NOT, UM, CLEARLY SIT. THEN THE

[02:50:06]

[F. Decision on Administrative and Supervisory Appointments, Mr. Ben Richardson, Assistant Superintendent for Human Resources]

THE SUPERINTENDENT. RESPECT RESPECTFULLY REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD. I COME I'M JUST SO THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE A CANDIDATE OF THIS. JUST OUTSTANDING CALIBER, SO

[02:55:04]

WE ACCEPT THE NAME OF CHRISTINE. HIS SUPERVISOR OF SOCIAL WORK, SCHOOL SOCIAL WORKERS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES REQUEST A MOTIONS ALREADY BEEN MADE YOU I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE AN INDIVIDUAL VOTE ON REQUEST A ROLL CALL VOTE, PLEASE. ALVARO, I ABSTAIN. A SPRUCE? YES. MISS COKER? YES. DOCTOR MILLER? YES. MISS PERRY? YES. SARO. YES. MR SEWELL? YES.

MISS STRAUSS? YES. VICE PRESIDENT H. UM I ALSO ABSTAIN. PRESIDENT CLAYTON. YES. MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. JUST FOR CLARITY. ARE YOU REQUESTING A ROLL CALL FOR EVERY NOMINEE OR JUST THAT PARTICULAR ONE? JUST THAT PARTICULAR ONE WOULD BE FINE. I WELL, I MAYBE I BROKE OFF FOR EVERY I JUST WANTED A ROLL CALL FOR THAT ONE. THE OTHER ONES. OK WELL, IF YOU WANNA ROLL CALL ON THE NEXT ONES . JUST LET ME KNOW OTHERWISE, I'LL ASSUME WE'LL DO A GROUP OF PLEASE CONTINUE. SKATEBOARD UH, THE NEXT POSITION I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING IS THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL POLL AND SECONDARY PRINCIPAL POOL. WE CREATE A THREE YEAR POOL OF BOARD OF EDUCATION APPROVED CANDIDATES SO THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS ACCESS TO BOARD OF ED APPROVED CANDIDATES AS NEEDS ARISE THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. PRINCIPLE IS THE INSTRUCTIONAL LEADER OF THE SCHOOL. THEY PROVIDE LEADERSHIP IN THE OPERATION OF THE SCHOOL AND SERVE AS A LEADER FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION WITHIN THE IMMEDIATE SURROUNDING COMMUNITY, THE PRINCIPAL IMPLEMENTS PRACTICES BASED ON DATA TO ADDRESS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND INITIATION, MAINTAINS AN EFFECTIVE, WELL BALANCED INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM. THE PRINCIPAL ASSUMES THE PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITY FOR HIRING, ASSIGNING, SUPERVISING, ASSISTING AND EVALUATING PERSONNEL, INCLUDING ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL. WHO ARE THE DIRECT REPORTS. THERE ARE NINE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL PO CANDIDATES AND SEVEN SECONDARY PRINCIPAL POOL CANDIDATES.

STARTING WITH THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPAL POLE CANDIDATES. STEPHANIE A. BARNES. SANDRA L BENDER. SARAH JO BROWN. LAUREAN B CAVELL. JACQUELINE IN FISHER. GINA M GENTILLI. SHALL BE M.

HOUSMAN. DANIELLE O'NEILL. ERICA VIC. AND FOR SECONDARY JOANNE C FRAILER. C BROOK HARRELL. DREW E HOAGLAND. LAMARCK A HOLLY. ALBERT J JOHNSON. CHRISTINE. I KELLY. ERIN L O'HARA. PRESIDENT POINTING THE SUPERINTENDENT REQUESTS YOUR APPROVAL OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS AT THIS TIME.

THANK YOU, SIR. WE'LL OPEN UP QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD. PRESIDENT CAN YOU NOTE THAT THE STUDENT MEMBER IS A PREFERENTIAL VOTE ON THESE PLACES? YES, THANK YOU. FINAL CALL. OK I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE POLL. I MOVE THAT WE ACCEPT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE POOL.

THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? THIS IS MELISSA AND I SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU. DOES ANYONE SPECIFICALLY REQUEST A ROLL CALL? ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED.

PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. UH, THE NEXT POSITION I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING IS THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL POOL FOR BOTH ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY.

THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL SUPPORTS THE PRINCIPLE AND WORKS WITH THE OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS OF THE BUILDING TO SUPPORT THE OPERATION AND MANAGEMENT OF THE SCHOOL. THEY ASSIST THE PRINCIPAL AND OTHER PERSONNEL IN DEVELOPING, IMPLEMENTING AND EVALUATING THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM AND STAFF DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES. THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL ASSUMES THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCHOOL IN THE ABSENCE OF THE PRINCIPAL. THE CANDIDATES BEING BROUGHT TO YOU THIS EVENING FOR APPOINTMENT TO THE ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL, UH PAUL ARE BROKEN DOWN IN ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY LEVELS. WE'LL START WITH ELEMENTARY KATHY C CORN LA AND DONNELLY.

[03:00:01]

AND YOU'RE OPPOSED. PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU AND BOARD. THE LAST POSITION I WISH TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING IS THE PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKER POOL. THE ROLE OF THE PEOPLE PERSONNEL WORKER POSITION SERVES AS A LIAISON BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE HOME. POSITION WORKS CLOSELY WITH STUDENTS, PARENTS, SCHOOL PERSONNEL AND PUBLIC AND PRIVATE AGENCIES PROVIDING NECESSARY SUPPORTS IN ORDER TO MEET STUDENTS BASIC NEEDS. CANDIDATE BEING BROUGHT TO YOU THIS EVENING, UH, FOR APPOINTMENT INTO THE PUPIL PERSONNEL WORKER POOL. IS MATTHEW F MARKOWSKI. BOARD THE SUPERINTENDENT, REQUEST YOUR APPROVAL OF THIS RECOMMENDATION AT THIS TIME. THANK YOU, BORG. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. IF NOT, I'LL ENTERTAIN EMOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE PPW POOL. THIS IS CAROL. I MOVED TO APPROVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION FOR THE PPW POOL. MR TERRY, I SECOND. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. THERE ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. OK MOVING ON TO ITEM G DECISION ON PROPOSED

[G. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy 06-0005-000 Portable Communication Devices, Dr. Aaron Poynton,Board President and Mrs. Melissa Hahn, Board Vice President]

[03:05:04]

UM IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS A DIFF. THAT THE WAY THAT THIS BOARD INTENDED FOR DEACTIVATED TO THE DEFINITION IS DIFFERENT FROM HOWARD OFF. BUT YOU CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE. BUT SO IF THAT'S THE CASE, THEN I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS SUB SUBST OF AND IT WOULD HAVE TO. I DID. I DID NOT SEE THE KIMBERLY. I DID NOT SEE IT THAT WAY. I ACTUALLY I ACTUALLY SAW THAT THIS WAS THE INTENT. BUT I THINK THE DEACTIVATION, UM TERMINOLOGY WAS USED, UM, TO MAKE IT A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBLE, BUT, UM, BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF COMMENTS FROM , UM THE COMMUNITY AND TEACHERS.

MOST OF THEM WERE CENTERED ON THE ENFORCEMENT. UM ABILITY THAT THEY FELT LIKE THIS POLICY THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ENFORCE IT, SO I THINK THAT CHANGING IT TO POWER OFF WOULD MAKE IT MORE CLEAR. UM AND IT WOULD HELP THE TEACHERS IN THEIR ABILITY TO ENFORCE THE PROCEDURES AND I YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW, UM THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS FEEL THEY CAN WEIGH IN.

BUT I THINK THAT THE INTENT WAS THAT THE STUDENTS WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR PHONES. SO WHY HAVEN'T ONE AT ALL SAVES BATTERIES, TOO? SO IF YOU TURN IT OFF? NO, NO, THAT'S A BIG PROBLEM. PUT IT IN THREE. A DEFINITIONS. DEACTIVATED MEANS POWERED OFF. YEAH, SO SIMPLER.

OK SO LET'S LET'S JUST ADDRESS THIS ISSUE BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT. BEFORE WE MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. WHAT WAS THAT? IF WHAT MS COKER JUST SUGGESTED. IF YOU ALL MEAN THAT DEACTIVATED IF WHAT YOU TRY TO DESCRIBE THERE WAS ACTUALLY POWER OFF, AND IT'S A MORE SIMPLE WAY TO SAY WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY GOT, THEN KEEP THE WORD DEACTIVATED AS THE TERM AND JUST SAY THAT IT MEANS TO POWER OFF AND JUST REMOVE A LOT OF WHAT'S THERE IS THAT AND JUST REMOVE THE OR DO NOT DISTURB MODE. WELL, NO, JUST CHANGE YOU ACTIVATED MEANS POWERED OFF. THE DEVICE, I GUESS THE OTHER STUFF LIKE SOUND AND VIBRATION AND STUFF. WOULDN'T WOULDN'T EVEN UM MATTER IF IT'S POWERED OFF SO IF THAT'S WHAT YOU WERE INTENDING. I THINK THE CHALLENGE WITH THAT, AND I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THIS. THIS PARTICULAR TERM IS THAT MANY MANY PARENTS USE LIFE 360 OR OTHER SUCH SOFTWARE TO TRACK THEIR KIDS, UM AND SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT. AND IF IT'S POWERED OFF, THAT DOESN'T WORK. SO THAT WOULD BE, UM, DIRECTLY AGAINST WHAT THE PARENTS WANT, WHICH WOULD BE ABLE TO PING THAT DEVICE. UH, EVEN WHEN IT'S IN THE DO NOT DISTURB. I MEAN THAT.

YOU WAIVED, MR SO THERE THERE ARE OTHER TRACKING WEIGHT AND MECHANISMS THAT WOULD ALLOW, YOU KNOW IF PARENTS WANTED TO TRACK THEIR THEIR CHILD. UM THERE ARE OTHER TECHNOLOGIES TO I JUST REQUEST THAT WE PUT THIS TO A VOTE. UM THIS PARTICULAR MO. IT IS THE MOTION OR WHATEVER. NOW WE'RE IN DISCUSSION, SO LET'S MAKE SURE WE GET THROUGH ALL THE POINTS. THIS IS ONE OF MAYBE A COUPLE, BUT, UM UM UH, I. I MEAN , CAN I JUST SAY SOMETHING ELSE WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, UM DO NOT DISTURB AND POWERED OFF. DO NOT DISTURB STILL ALLOWS NOTIFICATIONS TO YOUR SMART WATCH. YOU STILL GET ALL YOUR TEXTS? YOU STILL KNOW WHO CALLED YOU? YEAH. I MEAN, IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S A CAREFULLY WRITTEN LIKE THE WORDING WAS CHOSEN FOR A REASON. MESSAGES THE WHOLE MEETING, BUT THAT'S COMING FROM THE CELLULAR IN YOUR PHONE IN YOUR WATCH, THOUGH, JUST DON'T DO THAT. IT'S COMING. IT'S BLUETOOTH. I DO, TOO, RIGHT? YOU'D HAVE TO SPECIFICALLY TURN THIS OFF THE WATCH OR IN ORDER FOR IT TO WORK. YEAH AND DO NOT DISTURB HIS CONFIGURABLE SO YOU CAN ALLOW CERTAIN CALLS TO COME THROUGH. I HAVE MINE ON DO NOT

[03:10:03]

BASED ON A RECOMMENDATION. UH, IN ADDITION TO IEP AND 504 PLANS, UM ALSO EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT WAS DEFINED. AND PERSONABLE WEAR PERSONAL WEARABLE DEVICES WERE ADDED THERE WERE EXCEPTIONS FOR THINGS LIKE TRACKING DEVICES DEVICES THAT DO NOT SEND OR RECEIVE VOICE OR TEXT THAT ARE EXCLUDED FROM THIS DEFINITION, SUCH AS PEDOMETERS, TRACKING LOCATORS, APPLE AIR TAGS, TILE AND THINGS LIKE THINGS LIKE THAT. SO I DON'T THINK THAT WAS THE INTENT OF THE POLICY. IT'S REALLY TO GET THE NOISY BUZZING, BEEPING THINGS OUT OF THE HANDS AND KEEP THE STUDENTS OFF AND FOCUSED ON SCHOOL. SO IF THERE'S I'LL ASK THIS ARE THERE ANY OTHER, UM, TALKING POINTS ON ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT WAS ALREADY RAISED. IF NOT, WE CAN COME BACK TO THAT ISSUE. JUST ANOTHER POINT WITH THE DO NOT DISTURB. YOU CAN ALSO STILL LISTEN TO MUSIC. IF IT'S ON, DO NOT DISTURB, AND IF THEY HAVE EAR BUDS IN, THEY CAN LISTEN TO MUSIC WHILE IT'S ON, DO NOT DISTURB SO, AND THAT IS ALSO A HUGE DISTRACTION IN THE CLASSROOM WITH THE YOU'RE POSITIVE LISTENING TO MUSIC. YEAH, BUT THAT WOULD FALL UNDER A PERSONAL, UH, LISTENING DEVICE , WHICH WOULD ALSO I'M JUST SAYING, WHAT'S THE PHONE BEING OFF? YOU CAN'T LISTEN TO MUSIC AND JUST TO PULL THIS OUT TO WADE CONCERNED, UM, AIR TAGS AS IT IS ONE WAY THAT IT FROM A PARENT CAN TRACK SOMEBODY. THEY'RE CHEAP, VERY INEXPENSIVE. MR RUSSELL. SO, UM, I. I HAVE SOME SUGGESTED CHANGES TO THE POLICY THAT I HOPE THAT ARE NOT SUBSTANTIVE. LET'S FIND OUT. ALL RIGHT, SO ON SECTION TWO POLICY STATEMENT. UH THIRD LINE WHERE IT SAYS WE ENCOURAGE OUR HIGH SCHOOL STAFF MEMBERS, I SUGGEST THAT WE STRIKE HIGH. BECAUSE OK? BECAUSE THIS REALLY THIS POLICY STATEMENT IS FOR EVERY WELL, THAT'S SAYING IT'S ENCOURAGING. THEM TO USE ELECTRONICS, RIGHT? I THINK THAT WAS PUT IN THERE BECAUSE THE HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE ONLY CATEGORY WHICH ALLOWED PHONES TO STILL BE CARRIED IN, AND THEY THOUGHT THEY THOUGHT THERE WOULD BE SOME TIMES WHEN THE PHONES COULD BE USED FOR BONA FIDE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. I GET IT, BUT I ALSO THINK THAT YOU KNOW? IT'S POSSIBLE. THAT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL THAT AT SOME POINT FOR WHATEVER REASON. A TEACHER MAY DECIDE THAT IT'S BENEFICIAL, I. I PERSONALLY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH IT. I THINK THAT WOULD BE NON NON SUBSTANTIVE. SO YEAH, OK, I ANY ANY OTHER? WHAT IF YOU SAID WE ENCOURAGE AND WE GET THE RIGHT ONE. OUR STAFF MEMBERS. AND OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT AND

[03:15:01]

AND THEN I SAID, I WANT TO STRIKE FROM A P CD. SO JUST MEANS ANY ELECTRONIC INSTRUMENT WHICH TRANSMITS SOUND TO A PERSONAL USER. SUCH AS HEADPHONES, EARBUDS OR PERSONAL SPEAKERS. I THINK NON SUBSTANTIVE DOESN'T CHANGE THE INTENT. IT RUNS. YES, YEAH.

BOARD MEMBERS. ANY COMMENTS ON THAT? GREAT NEXT. OK, UM SO DOWN IN FOUR FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.

SEE UH, WHERE IT SAYS ELEMENTARY STUDENTS MAY POSSESS AND USE A P CD PLD. I THINK WE SHOULD ADD RW CD. WHAT IS IT? UH, THAT'S AWARE OF THAT'S WEARABLE DEVICE. TO KEEPING UP WITH THOSE SO MANY DEVICES NOW, UM OK, SO YOU'RE SAYING WEARABLE DEVICES JUST TO SORT OF COMPLETE THE THOUGHT THERE NOT BE USED TO RECORD CALLS PHOTOGRAPHING VIDEO OR AUDIO RECORDING. UH, YEAH, YEAH.

I WOULD SAY THAT'S NON SUBSTANTIVE, BUT. I THINK THE WAY THE WAY IT WAS WRITTEN WAS BASICALLY BOTH ITEMS. ONE AND TWO SHOULDN'T BE DONE SO EXTENDED, BUT THE THING WAS I. I WAS THE ONE THAT ADDED THE WEARABLE DEFINITION IT WAS IT WAS MEANT TO BE COVERED. I DON'T THINK IT IS A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE IF LOOKING AT WHAT THE HISTORY OF THE TRACKING OF THIS IT WASN'T INTENTIONALLY EXCLUDED. THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE ADDED LATER. SO THAT'S FOR C, ADDING WEARABLE. THE BOARD HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS WITH THAT? ALL RIGHT. HOW MANY MORE YOU GOT? UH, IT'S A COUPLE. UH, SO ALSO I WANT I WANNA ADD W CD TO D. BOTH STUDENTS IN GRADE MAY USE A PC DB LD OR WC DD. WHAT D? WHERE'S D? SO IT'S STILL FOUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL JUST RIGHT BELOW THAT. A NEW THERE IS NO, I'M SORRY. I'M LOOKING AT IT. MAYBE AN OLD VERSION. UM BUT YOUR BUT YOUR CHANGES HAVE BEEN SPOT ON SO YEAH, YEAH. YEAH. OK, I'LL GIVE I MAY HAVE ADDED AD IN A LINE. I BUT, YES, WW CD TO THAT AND THEN BELOW THAT IN ONE AND TWO AT W CD. THIS IS UNDER MIDDLE SCHOOL

[03:20:04]

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM I MEAN, I'M READY FOR THE NEXT ONE. OK? FIVE MIDDLE SCHOOL. UM BE. LET ME JUST MAKE SURE IT TRACKS WITH WHAT IS IN HERE. UM IT'S ADDED THERE. IT'S ADDED IN B AND C.

THAT'S WHY I'M NOT. I'M NOT DOING THE W CD ON THIS ONE, OK? SO SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT.

CHANGE IT UP A LITTLE BIT. OK SO THIS ONE IS WHERE IT SAYS. UH, I GUESS THAT'S ACTUALLY A I DON'T KNOW. MAYBE IT'S WHAT IT WHAT IS IT? YOU JUST READ IT BECAUSE YEAH, IT'S UH W CDS ARE PERMITTED ON A STUDENT'S PERSON BUT MUST BE DEACTIVATED IN THE EDUCATIONAL ENVIRONMENT UNLESS OTHERWISE INSTRUCTED BY A TEACHER OR STAFF MEMBER. I WANT TO STRIKE FOR A BONA FIDE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. THERE. WHO'S GOING TO JUDGE THAT? WHAT'S THAT? I SAID EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID. WHO'S GONNA JUDGE IT. BUT THAT TERM IS ALSO USED IN OTHER SECTIONS. YOU DON'T HAVE ISSUES WITH IT IN OTHER SECTIONS, JUST MISSED IT IN THE OTHER SECTIONS. SO WHAT IT WAS FOUND. IT'S FOUND THAT HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL. SO WHY DON'T WE JUST RECOMMEND? WHY DON'T WE LEAVE IT TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AS WELL OF THE TEACHER OF THE EDUCATOR AND JUST REMOVE FOR A BONA FIDE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES BECAUSE THAT SOMETHING THERE'S A PRESUMPTION THERE THAT HAS SOME CONNECTION IF THE TEACHERS AUTHORIZING IT EDUCATORS. YOU'RE ONLY GOING TO DO THAT IF THEY THINK THAT IT'S A NON SUBSTANTIVE. OK, SO NEXT. OK? UM SO I HAD THAT ALSO IN HIGH SCHOOL ON THAT SECTION THERE. UM AND THEN DOWN IN SEVEN GENERAL PROVISIONS. FIVE. SEVEN. 77 AND THEN A 555. UH, IT SAYS VIOLATE BOARD POLICY. I GOT I. I WANNA STRIKE AND PROCEDURE. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE PROCEDURE. THERE'S YEAH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A CORRESPONDING PROCEDURE TO THIS, SO THAT'S PROBABLY UNNECESSARY, NON SUBSTANTIVE. AND SO THERE'S TWO OF THOSE IN THAT SENSE AND TO REMOVE ANY REFERENCE TO PROCEDURE. YEAH, THAT'S FINE. OK? THAT'S IT. OK AND THOSE ARE ALL GOOD CATCHES. UM I. I ACTUALLY HAD THREE COMMENTS, BUT THE FIRST ONE CREATED SUCH DISCUSSION. SO UM, CAN I PROVIDE THE OTHER TWO COMMENTS I HAD YOU STILL GOT THAT TABLE? WE'LL COME BACK TO IT. BUT GO AHEAD TO YOUR NEXT POINTS. OK, SO, UM PARAGRAPH FOUR. ROMANA, FOUR, A AND FIVE A N SIX. A, UM, I'D LIKE TO ADD OR OR OR MAY BE PLACED IN A DESIGNATED AREA LOCATED ALLOCATED BY THE TEACHER. A LOT OF TEACHERS MAY COMMENTS THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THE, UM THE PHONES. UH, A PLACE IN THE FRONT OF THE CLASS, OR YOU KNOW HOW THEY, UM CAN SO THAT THEY CAN CONTROL THE FENCE AND, UM THEY FELT LIKE THE PHONES WOULD BE TOO MUCH OF A TEMPTATION AT THE STUDENTS HAD THEM ON THEIR PERSON. I. I DID HEAR THAT FROM SOME EDUCATORS AS WELL, THOUGH I WOULDN'T SAY IT. IT WAS LIKE A RESOUNDING LIKE CONSENSUS AROUND THAT. I THINK I HEARD IT FROM VERY FEW NUMBER I I'M NOT SURE IT'S APPLICABLE TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ALL DEACTIVATED EITHER IN THE LOCKER IN THE IN THE BACKPACK. I THINK IT'S MORE APPLICABLE TO HIGH SCHOOL. MY CONCERN. THAT IS UM HOW WOULD YOU ENFORCE IT? I MEAN, MY CONCERN WITH THAT IS IF THEY HAD TO PUT THEIR PHONES AT THE TEACHER TOLD THEM TO PUT

[03:25:03]

AND SO IT'S AND I SAW A FEW COMMENTS THAT THIS WOULD GO BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT IF WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE HIGH SCHOOL, THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE TO WHAT'S WRITTEN NOW BECAUSE THAT'S A TOTALLY DIFFERENT THING. SO I DON'T THINK THAT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY AT THIS POINT ONLY BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE THIS KIND OF ADDRESSES ALL OF THOSE CONCERNS AND IF THERE IS A SITUATION THAT ARISES A NEED FOR I GUESS A FURTHER UM EXPLANATION OR PROCESS THEN WE COULD ADDRESS IT AT THAT POINT, BUT HOPEFULLY THIS ADDRESSES ALL THOSE CONCERNS AND DOESN'T MAKE ANYONE ELSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CELL PHONES. I WOULD AGREE. I THINK THE REASON WHY THEY WERE DOING THAT WAS BECAUSE THERE WASN'T REALLY A STRONG POLICY IN PLACE AND BEING ENFORCED. BUT I THINK THAT WITH THIS HERE THAT WOULD YOU WOULDN'T NEED THAT.

ALSO LOOKING AT THE POLICY AS IT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM, SO I GUESS THEY FELT LIKE IT WASN'T CLEAR AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD SOME OF THEM. IT WAS A QUESTION THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD STILL BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT, SO IT SEEMED LIKE THERE WAS IT WAS NOT CLEAR TO THEM WHETHER OR NOT THEY WOULD CONTINUE TO BE ABLE TO DO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING. I WOULD THEY WOULD. THEY NEED TO DO IT IF THIS POLICY WAS IN PLACE, AND CELL PHONES WERE EITHER OFF OR DEACTIVATED. AND I WOULD SAY THERE'S NOT. THERE'S NOTHING IN HERE THAT WOULD PREVENT THEM FROM DOING IT BECAUSE THAT'S OVER AND ABOVE THE POLICY, RIGHT OR NO OR I I'M JUST NOT SURE IT'S AN ISSUE AND I DON'T WANNA PUT IT. I'D LIKE TO TRY TO BRING THIS TO A VOTE AND I DON'T WANT ANY SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES, SO I WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT CHANGE, YOU SAID OR MAINTAIN. IS IT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? YEAH, AND IT WAS JUST LIKE YOU SAID THERE WERE A FEW TEACHERS THAT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE TEMPTATION THAT THE STUDENTS MIGHT HAVE IF IT'S IF THEY HAVE IT CLOSE TO THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE IMPULSIVE, AND THEY FELT LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY THEY WOULD PREFER THAT THEY HAD CONTROL OVER THE PHONE, AND THEY WERE REMOVED FROM THE STUDENTS TEMPTATION AREA. WHAT WOULD THAT BE A SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE? YES, YES WAS. IT WAS THE THIRD ISSUE. YOU SAID YOU HAD THREE AND THE LAST ONE WAS JUST, UM SOME LANGUAGE CHANGE IN SECTION UM, SEVEN B CHANGE TO, UM HTPS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY THEFT OR LOSS OF, OR DAMAGE TO SEVEN GENERAL PROVISIONS. B. I THINK IT'S SEVEN STUDENTS AND PARENTS.

OH, OK. OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? UM YEAH, THAT THAT WAS. I SAW THAT IN THE COMMENTS AS WELL. I FORGET WHO SENT THAT? BUT IT'S KIND OF COUNTERINTUITIVE SHOULD SAY E BAY. I BELIEVE SORRY.

HOW'S THE STUDENT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE THEFT OF THEIR PHONE? IT SHOULD SAY HCPS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE. YEAH. NO, NO, BECAUSE THE INTENTION IS THAT IF THE FAMILY IS ALLOWING THE PHONE INTO THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR WHATEVER HAPPENS TO IT IN THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. THAT'S HOW I READ THIS. YEAH. SO THAT WOULD BE HCPS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY LOST THEFT OR DAMAGE. CAN WE GO BACK TO WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY SAID, WITH UNDER SEVEN FOR FIVE, BECAUSE THE WAY THAT I READ THAT IS 785 YES, STUDENTS, POSSESSION OR USE OF PERSONAL PC DS PL DS OR WC DS PERMITTED UNDER THIS POLICY SHALL NOT VIOLATE BOARD POLICY AND PROCEDURE. I DON'T THINK IT'S SPECIFICALLY MEANS A PROCEDURE IN REFERENCE TO THE CELL PHONES. I THINK IT MEANS PROCEDURE IN GENERAL, UM INCLUDING BOARD POLICY AND PROCEDURE RELATING TO STUDENT CONDUCT AND HARASSMENT. IT SHOULD BE. IT SHOULD BE SEVEN B.

I THINK I SAID D, SO SEVEN, B PRESENTLY READS STUDENTS AND THEIR PARENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY THEFT, LOST OF OR DAMAGE TO THE STUDENTS DEVICES AND IT SHOULD BE CHANGED TO HCPS IS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY THEFT OF LOSS OR DAMAGE OF THE DEVICE. THAT'S GOOD. THAT ONE'S BEEN NOTED, AND IT'S NOT A SUBSTANTIVE. SO WE'RE GONNA YEAH. NO, SHE SHE. THIS IS A DIFFERENT SORRY. LISTEN, IF YOU COULD SAY THAT NUMBERS AND THE LETTERS BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING MIXED UP HERE. SO THIS IS SEVEN. A 55 MISS HAN IS POINTING OUT. THAT PROCEDURE INCLUDES NOT ONLY ANY POLICY OR PROCEDURE RELATED TO CELL PHONE SPECIFICALLY, BUT ALSO BROADLY ANY POLICY OR

[03:30:02]

OK SO IT WOULD SAY BOARD POLICY AND HCPS PROCEDURE, OK, NOSS CHANGE WITH THAT WE DON'T HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER HCPS PROCEDURE NOW SUPERINTENDENT DOES BUT WHAT THIS IS SAYING IS THAT YOU CAN'T BUY THIS. YOU'D BE ABLE TO VIOLATE ANY OF THOSE THAT ARE RELATED TO THOSE PARTICULAR ISSUES. OK, SO DOCTOR P WHAT? WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT? DO YOU THINK PROCEDURE SHOULD BE IN THERE? YEAH I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NEEDS TO BE THERE, BUT I DON'T. I DON'T HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT IT.

THAT'S I MEAN, IT'S I ALMOST I THINK WHAT DOCTOR BOYNTON SAID A MINUTE AGO, ALMOST FIVE COULD ALMOST COME OUT OF SEVEN. A FIVE PROBABLY ALMOST COME OUT ALTOGETHER. BECAUSE I THINK IT IS ADDRESSED. UM, THAT REALLY DOES HAVE REINFORCED ASSUME, RIGHT? YEAH, IT'S WELL, AND THEN AGAIN, YOU ALREADY HAVE IT. D, I THINK DOES CLARIFY THAT RIGHT? SO I MEAN, NONE OF THESE CHANGES ARE SUBSTANTIVE, SO WE JUST NEED TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT HERE. DO WE STRIKE IT? DO WE ADD HCPS PROCEDURE OR DO WE REMOVE PROCEDURE? I'M INDIFFERENT ON ANY OF THESE. I THINK THEY ALL SIMILAR. I THINK IF YOU WANT, THE MORE SPECIFIC YOU WANT TO BE , I WOULD SAY YOU WOULD ADD HCPS PROCEDURE. THE BROADER YOU WANNA BE YOU JUST REMOVE THE ENTIRE THING BECAUSE IT'S A CATCH ALL WHAT'S THAT D? BECAUSE THE D IS THE IS THE CONFLICTING POLICY OR SOMETHING SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND WE SHOULD PROBABLY JUST TAKE IT OUT. SINCE IT IS REDUNDANT, I WOULD SAY REMOVE A FIVE AND DO YOU PUT ON DO YOU KEEP D THE WAY IT IS, OR DO YOU PUT INCONSISTENT WITH THIS POLICY? OR OR DO YOU PUT PROCEDURE DOWN THERE IN D, THEN? WELL, THEN YOU'RE UH, UH, ON BOARD POLICIES OR HCPS PROCEDURES. THEN YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF YOU VIOLATE CERTAIN PROCEDURES THAT YOU COULD HAVE THIS REVOKED THAT THAT WOULD BE ALL RIGHT. SO ARE THERE ANY OBJECTIONS WITH REMOVING, UM SEVEN, A FIVE AND JUST ADDING HTSH GPS PROCEDURE IN D. OK? NON SUBSTANTIVE CHANGE. ALL RIGHT, SO YES, MA'AM. IS THERE A REASON THAT WE HAVE OR NURSING PLANS FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL. DID THEY HAVE NURSING PLANS? THAT WAS THE POINT THAT PHILLIPS WAS MAKING IF SOMEBODY HAS A GLUCOSE MONITOR, WELL, A GLUCOSE MONITOR, BUT, UM, IS THAT A THAT IT'S GOT, UM INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PLANS. SECTION FIVE I. I KNOW THAT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT THIS SPECIFICALLY SAYS ON NURSING, AND I WAS THINKING THAT'S TALKING ABOUT NURSING MOTHERS THAT HAVE NO NURSING LIKE A MEDICAL FROM A MEDICAL LIKE A ME SO THAT THAT THAT THAT REALLY GOT ME ON THE NEWS. WITH THAT? I DIDN'T SEE THAT COMING. I DON'T THINK ABOUT AN ELEMENTARY STUDIO. YOU GOT NURSING PLANS, DON'T WE? WE DO YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, IS THAT WHAT THE TITLE OF IT IS? YES, THEY CALL THAT'S WHAT THEY CALL. I KNEW EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS ADDED ANYWHERE WHERE THERE WAS IAP OR 504. SO IT'S YEAH. THAT IS WHAT IT'S CALLED, RIGHT? YEAH, SOME. SOME STUDENTS IN LIEU OF A FIVE AND FOUR HAVE A NURSING PLAN, WHICH MEANS THAT THEIR CONDITION WILL JUST REQUIRE THE NURSE TO HAVE A SEPARATE PLAN. TO HELP THEM VERSUS HAVING A SO FAR BEFORE, RIGHT? WHAT WE DO CALL NURSING PLANS. BUT I COULD SEE WHERE YOU WERE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WE HAD WE HAD THE WHOLE POLICY. THAT'S KIMBERLY'S FIRST POLICIES. SO BUT WE DON'T BUT IS THAT COVERED ON THE ON THE HIGH SCHOOL? THE NURSING PLAN THE SAME THING YOU WIN. NOW NOW, NOW, I'M UNSURE IF IT NURSING PLAN YOU'RE TALKING. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE LACTATION? YOU KNOW WHEN I DON'T THINK IT'S CALLED THE EXACT SAME THING. I'M NOT SURE. ACTUALLY, I THINK IT IS. BUT LET'S MOVE ON. WE'RE WE'RE GETTING DISTRACTED HERE. YOU NEED TO BE CLARIFIED

[03:35:03]

EXCELLENT AND UPDATE THEM STUFF. IT'S JUST TOO HARD. THEY SHOULD JUST GO AND DO NOT DISTURB.

SEVEN LOCKER. I'M DO NOT DISTURB . THAT'S IT. I'M TELLING YOU, THIS IS HOW THIS IS HOW LIFE IS THESE DAYS WITH KIDS THEY JUST NEED TO BE AND DO NOT DISTURB. HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HAVE THEM ON THEM. RIGHT, LEADING IN ANOTHER. RIGHT MIDDLE SCHOOL WAS LOCKER HIGH SCHOOL WAS ON, BUT YOU THAT PART OF LEARNING CELL PHONES THAT THAT'S WHY WE ENCOURAGE CELL PHONES THAT ARE OK TO HAVE THEM IN STORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO LEARN TO DEAL WITH THIS. THEY HAVE TO LEARN TO TURN THEM OFF SOMETIMES AND THEN TURN THEM BACK ON. I DON'T KNOW. I JUST I JUST THINK IT'S TOO RESTRICTIVE.

I. I THINK THAT I WOULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT. BUT I ALSO WANT TO SEE THIS PASS. UM SO I.

I THINK THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL STEP FORWARD COMPARED TO WHERE WE ARE NOW. AND IF YOU TIE THIS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION'S STRICT ENFORCEMENT OF THIS POLICY, AT LEAST ZERO TOLERANCE RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE. I THINK THAT THIS IS GONNA THAT THIS IS NOT GONNA BE AN ISSUE. SO I WOULD I WOULD.

I WOULD BE INCLINED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS, OR AT LEAST TO ENTERTAIN EMOTION WITH, UM ALL OF THE NON SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FORTH SO FAR, KEEPING THE DEFINITION OF DEACTIVATED AS IT IS. I HAVE ONE QUICK QUESTION, AND THAT'S JUST WHEN DOES THIS GO INTO EFFECT? GOES INTO EFFECT AS SOON AS IT'S THE POLICY DOES AS SOON AS IT'S PASSED, BUT THE ADMINISTRATION MIGHT NEED SOME TIME TO COMMUNICATE AND COME UP WITH ANY ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES, INCLUDING DISCIPLINARY MEASURES. IS THAT RIGHT? THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW THERE'S BEEN A CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DISCIPLINARY MEASURES AND ALSO, WE NEED A COMMUNICATION PLAN FOR GETTING THIS OUT. AND I MEAN, BECAUSE SOME PEOPLE ARE ATTENDING CLOSELY TO THIS, OBVIOUSLY, BUT THERE WILL BE MANY FOR WHOM THIS MAY BE SURPRISING. DO WE SEE THIS ROLLING OUT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? BECAUSE OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR, LIKE WHAT IT BUT JUST ONE. I MEAN, BE REASONABLE FOR ME TO GO BACK TO SENIOR STAFF AND SAY OK, WHAT'S IT GOING TO TAKE? AND I THINK WE CAN PRESENT YOU A REASONABLE PLAN. WE PUT THAT FORWARD WITH.

DOES IT LOOK LIKE? WHAT IS THE COMMUNICATION PLAN? LOOK LIKE WHAT THE I THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO SEE US COME BACK TO OK, SO THE POLICIES DO NOTE THE ADOPTION AND EFFECTIVE DATE AS THE SAME DATE. SO JUST ENFORCEMENT MAY BE DIFFERENT, BUT, YEAH, I MEAN, THIS POLICY WOULD BE EFFECTIVE AS OF BEFORE 10 O'CLOCK NOT QUITE IN THE MORNING, SO PEOPLE

[03:40:04]

[H. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy 04-0020-000 Controversial Issues, Dr. Aaron Poynton, BoardPresident]

BESIDES THE SUPERINTENDENT IS GOING TO BE ITEM. H DECISION ON PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY 400200, AND THAT IS CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES. DR. POINT I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO TABLE THIS POLICY UNTIL, UM, UNTIL THE SUMMER. UM, AUGUST TIME FRAME. THANK YOU. IS THERE A SECOND? HAROLD BRUCE, OUR SECOND. THANK YOU ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES. YES AND WHY ARE WE TABLING THIS? THERE WERE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE, UM, YOU KNOW, REVIEWED AND UPDATED, UM, TO ADDRESS THOSE COMMENTS. SO MAYBE I SHOULD SAY THAT WE NEED TO REFER BACK TO COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS THE COMMENTS THAT WERE RECEIVED. SO I'LL RECOGNIZE THAT A MOTION ENDED AND A SECOND ARE ON THE TABLE. BUT I WILL, UH, ENTERTAIN BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THIS. UM, I, I WILL SAY, UM THERE WAS A LOT OF CONTROVERSY AROUND THIS. THERE IS AN EXISTING POLICY IN PLACE. SO EVEN IF THIS IS TABLED OR DOESN'T PASS, THERE IS A POLICY. UH, ALREADY IN PLACE. THIS WENT TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE A LOT OF CONCERNS AND ISSUES ABOUT IT. I PERSONALLY HAVE SOME CONCERNS AND ISSUES ABOUT IT THAT WERE NOT RESOLVED IN THE 30 DAY PERIOD. I WILL SAY, HOWEVER, THAT I BELIEVE THAT IF A POLICY IS COMES TO THE BOARD AND IS TABLED, IT GENERALLY DOES NOT GO BACK TO THE POLICY COMMITTEE. IT'S THEN THE BOARD'S BUSINESS. SO IF THE BOARD WANTS TO US UP AT A LATER TIME. THE BOARD CAN DO THAT, BUT IT WOULD NOT GO BACK TO COMMITTEE. A QUESTION. UM I WOULD SUGGEST THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES WITH THE EXISTING POLICY IS THAT IT HAS SOME THINGS THAT AREN'T APPROPRIATE NOW. SURE, AND I WOULD ALSO CONTEND THAT WE DON'T WE COULD SURVIVE JUST AS WELL WITHOUT A POLICY FOR A PERIOD OF TIME. THAT IF THE BOARD WERE WILLING TO TAKE TAKE ACTION ON ELIMINATING THAT ONE. WHICH WAS SOMETHING I DON'T THINK THAT HAS TO BE AGAIN. THAT POLICY. TO THIS POLICY WAS LAST REAFFIRMED IN 2002. IT DOESN'T HAVE AN EFFECTIVE DATE ON IT. UM, AT LEAST THE ONE THAT'S POSTED. DOES THAT I HAVE QUESTIONS ON THESE, TOO. OCTOBER. 23RD THERE WAS ONE THAT WAS AMENDED ON DOCTOR B. AND THEN THE OTHER ONE GOES BACK TO 2002. SO THE ONE THAT WAS POSTED WAS 2002. AND I GUESS THAT WAS JUST REAFFIRMED. BUT NO CHANGES. I DON'T KNOW. ONE WAS CHANGED BECAUSE OF LEGAL REQUIREMENTS.

THERE ARE IT IS. YES, IT WAS. I GOT IT. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? KIMBERLY DON'T HAVE THAT. I DO REMEMBER? HOW COULD I FORGET? I'M ON IT THAT IT NEVER MADE IT FOR A VOTE. OK, SO THAT ONE NEVER CAME UP FOR A VOTE. THE OCTOBER 1. THIS HAS A VOTE ON THAT. AND WE DIDN'T WE KNOW FROM THE THAT WAS THE THING TO MOVE FROM THERE, SO IT'S NOT BECAUSE WE WERE DOING LEGAL UPDATES. IT WAS IT WAS PRESENTED. THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T FIND OUT STANTON IN POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE, AND THERE WAS CONSENSUS ON CHANGES IN POLICY REVIEW COMMITTEE. SO IT DID COME BEFORE THE BOARD AND THEN IT GOT W. I DIDN'T COME FOR A WHAT WAS A REAL AN TO ASK WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS. WHAT WHY DID IT GET PULLED PREVIOUSLY? A DIFFERENT BOARD. THEY I WAS ON THE BOARD. THEN I REMEMBER WHEN IT WAS ON THE AGENDA. I DON'T KNOW WHY I GOT PULLED, BUT WE CAN PULL MINUTES. BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE MY MEMORY. I DON'T I DON'T RECALL. II I SO A COUPLE OF THINGS SO II, I DO THINK I

[03:45:01]

OK, THANK YOU. NOTHING ELSE. SO THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY OTHER COMMENT. ALL IN FAVOR TO TABLE. THE POLICY, CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES UNTIL THE BOARD CAN READDRESS THIS SOMETIME THIS SUMMER. IT HAS TO BE THAT LONG CAN WE CAN THAT WAS THE MOTION SO IF YOU DON'T WANT TO APPROVE THAT MOTION, YOU CAN VOTE AGAINST IT. THAT'S THE MOTION ON THE TABLE. I THINK, I SUGGESTED I SUGGESTED THIS SUMMER PRIMARILY BECAUSE WE NEED TO. I FEEL AS THOUGH THE BOARD NEEDS TO FOCUS ON THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON DURING THE ACADEMIC SCHOOL YEAR, AND THIS WOULD BE PROBABLY SOMETHING THAT WOULD NOT GO, YOU KNOW, REALLY GET IMPLEMENTED UNTIL NEXT YEAR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR BECAUSE IT IT KIND OF IS A LITTLE BIT, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH CURRICULUM AND COURSE PLANS PERHAPS, UM, YOU KNOW, SO I. I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE USED.

UNTIL THEY START SITTING DOWN IN THE SUMMER. MONTHS UM, TO REALLY LOOK AT THEIR LESSONS. LESSON PLAN, SO I UNDERSTAND. AND I BEAR IN MIND THE 30 DAY PUBLIC COMMENT, SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE WOULD BE CHANGES TO THIS VERSION THAT WOULD BE SUBSTANTIVE IN NATURE, AND THERE'S LESS BOARD MEETINGS IN THE SUMMER. SO I IF YOU'RE WANTING IT FOR, LIKE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR IN AUGUST, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY MAY THEN WE HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MOTION. THAT'S ON THE TABLE. OK CAN YOU DO WANT TO AMEND THE MOTION? I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION TO TABLE THE POLICY UNTIL THE MAY BOARD BUSINESS MEETING. THERE'S TOO MANY BOARD BUSINESS MEETINGS, WHICH ONE THE FIRST MAIN BUSINESS BOARD MEETING. I DON'T WHAT'S THE DATE FOR THAT ONE? OK. IS THERE A SECOND? I SECOND THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR. PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. IF THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED.

PLEASE SAY NO, NO, NO. NO. OK? NOTE THAT THERE ARE THREE NOS DOCTOR MUELLER. I HAVE WAIT.

THANK YOU, MR SOUL. GOT IT. THANK YOU. OK THANK YOU. MOVING ON TO THE FINAL ITEM THIS EVENING, THE SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT. ON THE AMENDMENT. OR WAS THAT A VOTE? OH, I GUESS WE THAT WAS A NO. NO THAT WAS THE VOTE ON THE AMENDED. UM YOU HAVE TO VOTE TO MEND IT. AND THEN YOU HAVE TO VOTE ON THE MO MOTION AS AMENDED THE QUESTION AS SHE MADE THE MOTION IF SHE DID SHE SO SHE

[I. Superintendent's Report]

[03:50:05]

NOW WE RECOGNIZE PEOPLE FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE HAVE, UM, OUR CENTRAL OFFICE RECOGNITION. WE HAVE OUR SCHOOL BASED STAFF RECOGNITION. WE HAVE, UM YOU'RE THE WE THE WELCOMING SCHOOLS. I MEAN, WE HAVE ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS, BUT WE HADN'T DONE ONE FOR PARENTS. SO ACTUALLY, JUST THIS PAST THURSDAY, WE ANNOUNCED OUR FIRST EVER UM MOST VALUABLE PARENT AWARD AND THAT WENT TO CARRIE HUNTER. SHE'S A PARENT. SHE HAS MANY CHILDREN, BUT SHE NO LONGER HAS ANY AT EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY, WHERE SHE WAS NOMINATED, AND THE AMOUNT THAT SHE DOES TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT SCHOOL, WHICH IS REALLY IMPRESSIVE. SO IT WAS NICE TO RECOGNIZE HER AS OUR FIRST MOST VALUABLE PARENT, BUT WE HAD MANY PEOPLE NOMINATED SO YOU'LL SEE MORE ROLLING OUT, UM IN FUTURE MONTHS, SO THAT WAS THAT WAS KIND OF FUN TO GET STARTED WITH THAT, AND I WANTED TO SHARE ONE OTHER THING. UM AND I HAD A CHANCE TO READ. THE GOVERNOR MOORE'S PLAN FOR THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND ACTUALLY, IT'S ENTITLED THE UM IT'S ENTITLED, I THINK THE MORE MILLER ADMINISTRATION PLAN FOR MARYLAND AND A STATE PLAN. AND ONE OF THE THERE'S A NUMBER OF KEY THINGS IN THERE. OBVIOUSLY THEY'RE NOT ALL EDUCATION. BUT EDUCATION IS, UM ONE OF THE MANY PILLARS THAT THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON, AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE ONE OF THE QUOTES SO AT THE BEGINNING OF EACH SECTION HE HAD, UM HE HAD QUOTES THAT SORT OF ADDRESSED THAT PARTICULAR CONTENT AREA AND UNDER EDUCATION. ONE OF THE PIECES, HE SAID, WAS AND WHILE MARYLAND IS HOME TO SOME OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION, A FACT OF WHICH WE SHOULD BE VERY PROUD. WE MUST END THE MYTH THAT YOUNG PEOPLE MUST ATTEND ONE OF THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL. AND I THOUGHT THAT JUST, UH, DID SUCH A GREAT JOB SUMMING UP WHAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO AROUND APPRENTICESHIPS AND WORK BASED LEARNING AND REALLY HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT. WE CAN DELIVER SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES FOR STUDENTS AND THAT OUR OUR STUDENTS, IT'S NOT A HIERARCHY THAT DOING THAT GOING DOWN. THAT PATHWAY DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN YOU'RE LESS LAND OR YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE. BUT WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS THERE ARE OTHER PATHS AND WE'RE WORKING VERY HARD IN THIS DISTRICT TO CULTIVATE THOSE PATHS, SO PEOPLE REALLY SEE THEM AS AS SORT OF SIMILAR IN QUALITY AND SIMILAR IN RIGOR AND I THINK, IN SOME WAYS UM YOU KNOW THE WORK THAT OUR TEAM IS DOING TO ADVANCE BOTH WORK BASED LEARNING EXPERIENCES AND APPRENTICESHIPS, I THINK IS OUTSTANDING. SO IT WAS. IT WAS NICE TO SEE THAT'S A FOCUS.

THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO SEE MS DE TO LEAN INTO A LITTLE MORE WITH THE WITH THE CAREER. UM, BUT I THINK THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT REALLY RESONATED WITH ME. AND I WANT TO SHARE. SO ON THAT NOTE, I WILL SAY THANK YOU AND GOOD EVENING AND WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE NEXT

[Future Meetings Review]