Sep 23, 2024 Board Meeting

[Call to Order: Board President]

[00:00:10]

I GOT QUIET FAST. GOOD EVENING. THIS TIME I ASK THAT EVERYONE PLEASE MUTE YOUR DEVICE TO AVOID INTERRUPTIONS UNTIL CALLED UPON. I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD OF BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, 2024 AT 6 P.M. THIS BOARD MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION. MISS ROLLO, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. MISS ALVAREZ. PRESENT.

MISS BRUCE. HERE. MRS. COKER. HERE DOCTOR. MUELLER. HERE. MISS I BELIEVE MISS IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. MISS PERRY. HERE MR. SEWELL. HERE. MISS STRAUSS. HERE. VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN.

PRESENT. PRESIDENT. BOYNTON. HERE. SUPERINTENDENT. WILSON. YEAH. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU, MADAM VICE PRESIDENT, PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S STATEMENT AND PROCESS.

THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WILL BE USED. THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MUTE THEIR DEVICES UNTIL CALLED UPON. BOARD MEMBERS, PLEASE HOLD ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END OF EACH PRESENTATION. FOLLOWING THE PRESENTATION, DOCTOR BOYNTON WILL CALL ON EACH BOARD MEMBER FOR COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF MEMBERS SHOULD RESTATE THEIR NAME BEFORE SPEAKING. DOCTOR BALSAM WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL ON THE

[Adoption of Agenda]

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. THANK YOU.

PLEASE READ THE RULES OF ORDER FOR THIS EVENING. ACTUALLY BEFORE YOU DO, JUST A QUICK COMMENT. IF YOU COULD JUST PAY ATTENTION TO THE RULES OF ORDER BECAUSE THEY HAVE BEEN REVISED RECENTLY BASED ON AN INCIDENT LAST WEEK AND SOME FEEDBACK THAT WE'VE GOTTEN FROM THE COMMUNITY.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE STRIVE TO DO IS TO MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF DECORUM AND RESPECT. OF COURSE, THE FIRST AMENDMENT DOES GIVE YOU BROAD LATITUDE TO SAY MANY THINGS, BUT WE'RE ALSO ENTITLED TO PUT SOME COMMON SENSE RESTRICTIONS ON THAT. LAST WEEK, THERE WAS AN INCIDENT WHERE SOMEONE DID BREAK THE RULES OF ORDER. I ADDRESSED IT AFTER THE FACT, NOT IN THE MOMENT. AND FOR THAT I DO APOLOGIZE. I THINK THOSE COMMENTS WERE OUT OF LINE. SO MOVING FORWARD, PLEASE ABIDE BY THE RULES OF ORDER. IF YOU BREAK THE RULES OF ORDER, YOU GET A LETTER. WE REMIND YOU OF WHAT THE RULES ARE AND CONTINUED INFRACTIONS CAN LEAD TO OTHER CONSEQUENCES. THOSE LETTERS ARE ALSO A MATTER OF PUBLIC RECORD, BUT PLEASE TRY TO MAINTAIN SOME ORDER AND SOME RESPECT. WE'RE ALL HERE TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS THAT WE HAVE IN THE COMMUNITY WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND MAKE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BETTER, BUT PERSONAL ATTACKS WON'T BE WARRANTED. ALSO, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU ALSO HAVE THE RIGHT FOR A POINT OF ORDER. IF YOU THINK THAT SOMETHING IS OUT OF ORDER THAT I DON'T CATCH, AND IF THAT OCCURS, WE WILL STOP THE CLOCK. THE PRESIDING OFFICER WILL

[Public Comments]

[00:05:02]

WE DO HAVE PRETTY FULL PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK WE HAVE 22. IS THAT STILL RIGHT? YES 22 IN PERSON SPEAKERS AND TWO VIRTUAL. OKAY. WE MOVE SOME STUFF OFF THE AGENDA SO I'M INCLINED TO DO THE FULL THREE AND FIVE MINUTES. SO PLEASE PROCEED WITH IN PERSON SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. WE WILL START WITH DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY JOE FLECKENSTEIN. GOOD EVENING. I AM DAVID BAUER. WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE SOME REAL EDUCATION EXPERTS COME AND SPEAK AT THESE MEETINGS, MOSTLY HC EMPLOYEES. I WISH WE HAD EVEN MORE BECAUSE WHEN I LISTENED TO COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC AT THESE MEETINGS, I OFTEN FEEL LIKE FORGIVE THEM FOR THEIR IGNORANCE. THEY KNOW NOT OF WHAT THEY SPEAK. BOARD MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY BOARD OFFICERS, DON'T HAVE THAT EXCUSE. WHEN RANDOM COMMUNITY MEMBERS CRITICIZE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT FOR THE DROP IN SCHOOL PERFORMANCE BECAUSE THEY ARE COMPARING APPLES AND BOWLING BALLS, THAT'S NOT GOOD. BUT I DON'T EXPECT EVERYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN THE STANDARDS, TESTS AND STUDENT POPULATION THAT HAVE OCCURRED. BOARD MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY BOARD OFFICERS, SHOULD KNOW REPEAT CRITICS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM MAY NOT CARE THAT THEIR ATTACKS CONCERNING HC. S ALLOWING THE ENROLLMENT OF AN ALLEGED GANG MEMBER MEMBER ARE BASED ON THE FALSE ASSUMPTION THAT HC KNEW THE STUDENT'S STATUS. BOARD MEMBERS SHOULD CARE AND WHY. DON'T ASSUME THE GENERAL PUBLIC KNOWS THAT PRIVACY AND DUE PROCESS LAWS RESTRICT THE PASSING OF INFORMATION TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND TO THE PUBLIC. BOARD MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY BOARD OFFICERS, SHOULD KNOW THAT AND HAVE ACCESS TO LEGAL LEGAL COUNSEL AS WELL. YOU ALL SHOULD KNOW THE DIVIDE OF RESPONSIBILITIES BETWEEN THE BOARD AND THE ADMINISTRATION. POLICIES VERSUS PROCEDURES, FOR EXAMPLE. THIS BOARD HAS CLAIMED FOR ITSELF MORE RESPONSIBILITIES AND POWERS THAN ANY PREVIOUS HC BOARD THAT I'M AWARE OF WITHIN THE BOARD. THE CURRENT BOARD OFFICERS APPEAR TO HAVE CLAIMED AN UNPRECEDENTED AMOUNT OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEMSELVES. IF YOU'RE GOING TO PLACE BLAME FOR THE JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL SHOOTING ON SCHOOL SYSTEM OFFICIALS FOR NOT TAKING THE RIGHT ACTION TO PREVENT IT, MAKE SURE THAT THE BLAME GETS AIMED CORRECTLY. THE BOARD HAS ULTIMATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR ALL OFFICIAL ACTS DONE BY HCS. REQUESTS FOR A RESIGNATION IN RESPONSE TO THIS TRAGEDY SHOULD THEREFORE START WITH REQUEST FOR THE CURRENT BOARD PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT TO RESIGN. AND FOR THE RECORD, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN ALREADY HAD A PETITION CALLING FOR HER REMOVAL BEFORE THE SHOOTING AND BEFORE HER INAPPROPRIATE COMMENTS AT THE LAST BOARD MEETING. THANK YOU. JOE FLECKENSTEIN. HI. GOOD EVENING. I'M KIND OF DOING THIS ON THE FLY HERE, I RESPECT THE COMMENTS OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER, BUT I DO DISAGREE, SOMEWHAT, I THINK THAT OUR CURRENT VICE PRESIDENT IS DOING A FANTASTIC JOB, AND I WANT HER TO KEEP DOING WHAT SHE'S DOING, STICK TO YOUR GUNS. REALLY GOOD JOB, WITH THAT SAID, I DO AGREE WITH THE BOARD PRESIDENT THAT WITH THE NEW STANDARDS THAT WE SHOULD MAINTAIN LAW AND ORDER IN THE IN THE ROOM HERE, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA. AND THIS IS NOT AN

[00:10:01]

NOW, NOT EVERYONE HERE IS, RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT. JUST A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT BECAUSE IT'S A DIFFERENT BOARD. BUT BY DOING THAT, THOSE GREAT HISTORY TEACHERS THAT I HAD BACK IN THE DAY, BACK IN THE 80S, IT'S KIND OF A SLAP IN THE FACE TO THEM.

IT REALLY IS. ERASING HISTORY. THAT'S HORRIBLE. SO I ENCOURAGE THIS BOARD TO RESTORE THOSE THOSE NAMES BACK TO OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. NEXT WE HAVE FRANCIS GRAHAM, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MARTINO. GOOD EVENING. BOARD MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS GO OUT TO EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS MOST RECENT BOUT OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE. WE'RE TRULY DISGUSTED BY THE NEWS. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT'S OBVIOUS THAT CPS HAS A SERIOUS LEADERSHIP PROBLEM. THE CULTURE OF DIVISION AND VIOLENCE THAT HAS BEEN CREATED AND BUILT AT CPS RECENTLY CAN NO LONGER BE TOLERATED BY OUR COMMUNITY, NO MATTER HOW RACIST THE SUPERINTENDENT THINKS. HE WAS, IS. THE STUDENTS WERE NEVER IN MORE DANGER THAN THEY ARE NOW.

THIS FAILED EXPERIMENT IS OVER. IT'S TIME FOR NEW LEADERSHIP AT CPS. I USED TO SIT THERE TOO AND I LOOKED AT EVERYBODY THAT WAS COMMENTING LAST WEEK. THE BOARD HELPED PERHAPS ITS MOST IMPORTANT MEETING EVER. THE BOARD PRESIDENT IS CLEARLY MORE CONCERNED WITH SPEAKERS THAT MAY HAVE HURT SOMEONE'S FEELINGS THAN WITH THE SHOOTING DEATH OF ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S. THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF THE STUDENTS MUST BE PART OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS. DESPITE WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS SAID TO THE BOARD, CPS HAS A SERIOUS LEADERSHIP PROBLEM. SEE, WE'RE NOT USED TO THIS IN HARFORD COUNTY. WE'RE NOT USED TO TEST SCORES THAT LOOK LIKE THEY CAME OUT OF BALTIMORE CITY. WE'RE NOT USED TO EMPLOYEES OF CPS BEING ARRESTED ON WEAPONS CHARGES AND REMAINING IN SCHOOL. WE'RE NOT USED TO SEXUALLY EXPLICIT IMAGES IN OUR SCHOOL CHILDREN'S LIBRARY BOOKS, AND WE'RE NOT USED TO LEADERSHIP LOSING LAPTOPS IN NEW ORLEANS, IF THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. WE'RE NOT USED TO A MURDERER OR RAPIST WALKING THE HALLS AT CPS, DESPITE BEING KNOWN TO AUTHORITIES. WE'RE NOT USED TO STUDENTS FIGHTING IN THE BATHROOMS AT CPS. IN FACT, GUYS, THE BATHROOMS ARE WHERE YOUR PROBLEMS ARE JUST A LITTLE TIP FOR YOU. WE'RE NOT USED TO STUDENTS ATTACKING OTHER STUDENTS WITH A KNIFE, AND WE'RE NOT USED TO A STUDENT SHOOTING AN ARMED ATTACKER WITH A GUN. SEE, WHAT HAPPENED WAS A FIGHT BETWEEN TWO STUDENTS. OKAY, THIS IS THIS IS TERRIBLE. IT'S OBVIOUS. THIS LATEST INCIDENT IS NOT AN ANOMALY. WE SHOULD ALL BE TERRIFIED OF WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. WHEN WILL THIS CULTURE OF VIOLENCE EXPLODE INTO TRAGEDY AGAIN? THAT'S WHAT THESE GUYS ARE HERE WAITING FOR. CPS IS A SERIOUS LEADERSHIP PROBLEM. IT'S TIME TO END THIS FAILED EXPERIMENT. AND WHEN YOU DO, PLEASE DO NOT USE MADE FOR YOUR UPCOMING SUPERINTENDENT SEARCH. THEY'RE PART OF THE PROBLEM. GOOD EVENING. SUPERINTENDENT BOLTON HAS MADE DISASTROUS DECISIONS FOR EPS AND HAS LED TO THE TRAGIC RESULTS AND NEGATIVE

[00:15:05]

[00:20:03]

YOUR BIAS AND DISDAIN TOWARDS STUDENTS OF COLOR AND THE LGBTQ POPULATION IS CRIMINAL. NOT ONCE HAVE YOU PUBLICLY ADVOCATED FOR OUR SCHOOLS. YOU ARE HERE FOR ONLY ONE REASON TO PUSH YOUR OWN PERSONAL AGENDA. YOU ARE UNFIT FOR A SEAT ON THIS BOARD AND SHOULD RESIGN IMMEDIATELY. MRS. ALVAREZ, YOUR CONTINUED DEMONSTRATION OF CONFUSION AND GENERAL LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF SO MANY THINGS IS MIND BOGGLING. YOU STRUGGLE TO UNDERSTAND SIMPLE THINGS LIKE PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURES AND APPEAR TO BE UNPREPARED MOST OF THE TIME. YOUR CONTINUED USE OF PRAYER FROM THE DAIS IS INAPPROPRIATE, AND UNDERSCORES YOUR LACK OF UNDERSTANDING OF THE ROLES OF CHURCH AND STATE. YOU HAVE ALSO DONE NOTHING TO SUPPORT CPS. NOT ONE WORD OF ADVOCACY. YOU SHOULD ALSO RESIGN IMMEDIATELY AND TAKE A BREAK FROM PUBLIC SERVICE. FINALLY, I STAND WITH THE STAFF, PARENTS AND COMMUNITY OF CPS THAT NOT ONLY WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT DOCTOR OLSON, BUT APPRECIATE HIS WISDOM, HIS FORESIGHT, HIS SPIRIT OF COLLABORATION, AND HIS CONTINUED EFFORTS TO GIVE THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY A WORLD CLASS EDUCATION.

I'M GARY JOHNSON. MANY OF US STARTED COMING TO THESE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS LATER IN LIFE. MOST OF US HAD BEEN EDUCATED IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM, AND WE ASSUME THAT OUR CHILDREN WERE RECEIVING THE SAME QUALITY OF EDUCATION AS WE HAD RECEIVED. WE ASSUMED THAT IF OUR CHILDREN WERE STRUGGLING, AND IT WAS ONLY BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T APPLYING THEMSELVES. HOWEVER,

[00:25:03]

THEY WERE ALSO BEING TAUGHT TO HATE. THEY WERE BEING TAUGHT TO HATE THEIR NATION AS IT WAS FOUNDED. THEIR RACE AND THE RACE OF OTHERS, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR GENDERS AND THEIR GOD. THESE THINGS THAT ARE BEING TAUGHT THAT THEY ARE BEING TAUGHT TO HATE WERE THE VERY FOUNDATIONS UPON WHICH OUR NATION WAS BUILT. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM NOW SEEMS MORE INTERESTED IN DESTROYING THAN IN BUILDING. OUR CHILDREN ARE NOT, ARE ONLY, ARE NOT ONLY SUFFERING SCHOLASTICALLY, BUT THEY ARE ALSO BEING CORRUPTED CIVICALLY AND MORALLY. AS I SAID LAST WEEK, A FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD DOWN. IN THIS CASE, THE HEAD IS MR. BOLSON. THE ROT HAS ALREADY SPREAD TO OTHERS, SO I. I BEG YOU, SAVE YOURSELVES AND REMOVE THE HEAD BEFORE IT GETS YOU TO. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CHERYL ADAMS, FOLLOWED BY BONNIE. GOOD EVENING. AFTER ADDRESSING THE BOARD LAST WEEK AND MAKING A PLEA FOR YOU TO SUPPORT EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS AND THE STAFF OF CPS, I WAS SO DISCOURAGED TO SEE THE OPPOSITE TAKING PLACE. FIRST, THERE IS A SMALL GROUP OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY AND ON THE BOARD WHO DO NOT SEEM TO BE HERE WITH GOOD INTENTION AND SEEK ONLY TO BLAME AND POINT FINGERS. THEY SEEM HELL BENT ON DISMANTLING AND DISRUPTING PUBLIC EDUCATION.

THEIR ONLY AGENDA SEEMS TO BE TO IMPOSE THEIR PARTICULAR BRAND OF RELIGION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS SERVE ALL OF THE CHILDREN IN THIS COUNTY, MANY OF WHOM WHO DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TO YOUR PARTICULAR BRAND OF RELIGION OR TO ANY RELIGION AT ALL. IF YOUR PARTICULAR BRAND OF RELIGION IS WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING FOR, THEN MAYBE YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF TURNING YOUR ATTENTION TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS AND SERVE ON THE BOARD OF ONE OF THEM. SECOND, THE NOTION THAT ONE INDIVIDUAL, SPECIFICALLY SUPERINTENDENT, THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO MISS HAHN HAS REQUESTED RESIGN, IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE INCIDENT THAT TOOK PLACE AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL IS RIDICULOUS. WOULD YOU ALSO EXPECT THE CEO OF A COMPANY OR THE MANAGER OF A GROCERY STORE WHERE A SHOOTING TOOK PLACE TO RESIGN AND HOLD THEM SOLELY RESPONSIBLE? USING THIS INCIDENT TO FURTHER YOUR POLITICAL AGENDA IS IRRESPONSIBLE. I RESPECTFULLY SUGGEST THAT ANY BOARD MEMBER WHO DOES NOT FIRMLY BELIEVE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION, FREE FROM RELIGIOUS INTERFERENCE, MIGHT CONSIDER RESIGNING THEMSELVES. AND AGAIN, I WOULD ASK ALL BOARD MEMBERS AND THE COMMUNITY TO SELF-REFLECT AND ASK YOURSELF IF YOU ARE PART OF THE PROBLEM OR PART OF THE SOLUTION. ARE YOU STOKING FEAR AND HATE, OR ARE YOU EXTENDING GRACE AND LOVE IN YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH ONE ANOTHER? AND ON BEHALF OF THE CHILDREN OF THIS COMMUNITY? WE ARE NOT HERE TO DICTATE HOW OUR CHILDREN SHOULD LIVE THEIR LIVES, OR WHAT RELIGION, IF ANY, THEY SHOULD PRACTICE. BUT TO PROVIDE A WELL-ROUNDED, SUPERIOR EDUCATION AND SUPPORT AS THEY NAVIGATE THEIR OWN PATH. AND FINALLY, PLEASE CONDUCT THESE MEETINGS IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER. THERE WERE SEVERAL PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT VIOLATED THE GUIDELINES, AND THOSE PEOPLE SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. THANK YOU FOR ADDRESSING THAT. I DO APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING.

[00:30:02]

BEFORE WE START TIME, COULD SOMEBODY TELL ME WHAT THESE BOXES ARE UP HERE? I ACTUALLY HAVE NO. IS THAT A WIRELESS MIC? OH. THE MICROPHONE. OKAY, COOL. I'M TOM PENNINGTON. I'M REPRESENTING THE BLACK ROBE REGIMENT, AND I'LL START OFF BY VICE PRESIDENT HAHN. KEEP.

PLEASE KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING. YOU CAN SEE THE EFFECT IT'S HAVING ON OUR ADVERSARIES, I WANTED TO TALK TONIGHT A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FAILURE OF OUR GUN LAWS. THIS ISN'T NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, DOCTOR BOLSON SHOULD BE COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY BLAMED FOR. THIS IS A SYSTEMIC THING THAT'S TAKEN CARE OF, THAT'S TAKING PLACE. AND I WANT TO SORT OF GO OUTSIDE THE BOX TONIGHT. I'M PROBABLY NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO DO THE BEST THAT I CAN. IT'S ALSO THE FAILURE OF OUR GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TO PROTECT US. AND NEEDLESS TO SAY, CPS IS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY ON THIS, NOT KNOWING. I'M VERY SURPRISED. THE FIRST SPEAKER HERE, I ACTUALLY AGREED WITH SOME OF WHAT HE SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL DID NOT KNOW ABOUT SOME OF THE CRIMINAL CRIMINALS THAT HAD BEEN ALLOWED IN HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS. THE SAME THING IS HAPPENING IN BALTIMORE COUNTY, BALTIMORE CITY. IF IT'S HAPPENING IN ANY COUNTY, IT CAN HAPPEN IN ANY COUNTY IN MARYLAND BECAUSE IT'S PRETTY MUCH A COOKIE CUTTER. THE WAY THE WAY THINGS ARE SET UP, IT APPEARS. BUT AS FAR AS AS THE FAILURE GOES AND DOCTOR BOLSON, YOU'VE DONE A VERY GOOD JOB OF PROTECTING US AGAINST THE NAMES OF OUR OF OUR FOUNDING FATHERS FROM OUR SCHOOLS. BUT I HAVE TO WONDER HOW MANY METAL DETECTORS, PERHAPS THAT $325,000 THAT IT TOOK TO REMOVE THOSE NAMES AND CHANGE THOSE NAMES MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUY. IT'S A MATTER OF PRIORITIES. IT'S A MATTER OF INITIATING SAFETY. AND WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF CHANGES THAT ARE GOING TO BE TAKING PLACE. BUT THESE THINGS ARE FROM THE GOVERNMENT ALL THE WAY DOWN. I WANT TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING OUTSIDE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, DAWSON FAMILY IN BALTIMORE CITY IN 2002, BALTIMORE CITY HAD SOMETHING CALLED A BELIEVE CAMPAIGN WHERE THEY WANTED TO PEOPLE TO ENCOURAGE THE CITIZENS TO CONTACT THEM ABOUT CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE, DRUG DEALING, THINGS LIKE THAT. AND THE DAWSON FAMILY PARTICIPATED.

THEY WERE, FIVE CHILDREN, TWO PARENTS AND EVEN THE DRUG DEALERS THERE SAID, IF YOU DON'T DO SOMETHING, IF YOU DON'T STOP THIS BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN TO YOU. AND WELL, IN OCTOBER OF 2002, THEY WERE FIREBOMBED NOT ONCE, BUT TWICE. THE SECOND TIME DID THE JOB, MOTHER, FATHER AND FIVE CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH IN THEIR HOUSE. NOW, THE BELIEF CAMPAIGN WAS SOMETHING THAT THE BALTIMORE CITY GOVERNMENT HAD PUT TOGETHER TO ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO STEP FORWARD, BUT THEY WEREN'T WILLING TO PROTECT THOSE CITIZENS. IN 2005, THERE WERE REMNANTS OF THE DAWSON FAMILY SUED BALTIMORE CITY AND BALTIMORE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT. THEY LOST. THEY APPEALED, AND THEY LOST AGAIN. AND THE SUM SUMMARY OF THE DECISION WAS THAT THE POLICE HAVE NO MORE FIDUCIARY RESPONSIBILITY TO PROTECT ONE CITIZEN OVER ANOTHER, EVEN IF THAT OTHER CITIZEN HAS A LARGER THREAT AGAINST THEM THAN ANYTHING ELSE. SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT BALTIMORE CITY IS SAYING IS WE WANT TO DISARM YOU. WE WANT TO MAKE IT DIFFICULT FOR YOU TO DEFEND YOURSELF AND TO PROTECT YOURSELF. AND OH, YEAH, BY THE WAY, WHEN YOU'RE TOTALLY RELYING ON US, THE GOVERNMENT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE YOU THE HELP THAT YOU NEED. AND THAT'S THAT'S MY MESSAGE ALL THE WAY ALONG IS HERE WE ARE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE RELYING ON THE GOVERNMENT IN THIS CASE SCHOOLS, TO EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN, TO PROVIDE A SAFE SPACE FOR OUR CHILDREN. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF US WHO DO NOT FEEL THAT'S HAPPENING. I HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE SITTING BEHIND ME

[00:35:01]

WELL, YOU'VE DONE THAT AND NOW WE'RE SEEING THE RESULTS. I COULD GO ON FURTHER, BUT I'D END UP HAVING TO HAVING TO STOP. WHAT? WHAT? I'LL JUST SAY HERE IS THIS IS A CULTURE CHANGE THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE. AND I'M GOING BACK ONCE AGAIN TO THE PRIORITY THAT IT WAS TO CHANGE THE NAMES OF SCHOOLS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT EFFECT IT HAD. DID IT MAKE THEM? DID IT MAKE THE STUDENTS SAFER? DID IT MAKE THEM HAPPIER? DID IT MAKE THEM WORK TOGETHER BETTER WITH EACH OTHER? IF ANYTHING GOOD HAPPENED, I SUSPECT YOU SUCCEEDED IN MAKING THE NAACP HAPPY. SO THAT RIGHT THERE, I GUESS YOU COULD PUT A FEATHER IN YOUR CAP FOR. BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE $325,000 THAT IT TOOK TO REMOVE THOSE SIGNS, I THINK THAT COULD HAVE BEEN VERY MUCH BETTER SPENT. GOD BLESS YOU. THANK YOU. MICHAEL PARKER, GRANDPARENT OF THREE CHILDREN ATTENDING HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROMPT, PRACTICAL AND IDEOLOGICAL FREE SOLUTIONS TO SAFETY ENHANCEMENT AND THE LOGIC THAT IS BEING APPLIED THAT WOULD HOLD DOCTOR WILSON RESPONSIBLE PERSONALLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRAGIC AND SENSELESS DEATH OF A STUDENT, A MURDERER OF A STUDENT AT JOPPATOWNE IS APPLIES EQUALLY TO THIS BODY. SO I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU SET AN EXAMPLE FOR DOCTOR WILSON AND RETIRE IN MAS. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS KATHY KOWALEWSKI. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU'LL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. AND SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY RON WOODEN.

GOOD EVENING. I AM HERE TO READ CHRISTY CRAWFORD SCHMICK'S, INFORMATION TONIGHT. THOSE WHO USE THE TRAGEDY FOR POLITICAL GAIN ARE AMONGST THE MOST SHAMEFUL OF OPPORTUNISTS. VICE PRESIDENT HAHN DID THAT BY CALLING FOR DOCTOR BOLTON'S RESIGNATION ON MONDAY NIGHT.

THIS IS YET ANOTHER CHAPTER OF THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. THIS BOARD HAS REPEATEDLY DISPLAYED. VICE PRESIDENT HAHN HAS BEEN CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION UNJUSTLY SINCE THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC. NO ONE TAKES IT SERIOUSLY AND THEY SHOULDN'T. SOMEONE WHO NEVER BOTHERED TO ADVOCATE FOR SCHOOL SYSTEM FUNDING PROPERLY HAS A LOT OF NERVE, CALLING FOR THE RESIGNATION OF SOMEONE WHO HAS RECEIVED NUMEROUS ACCOLADES FOR HIS WORK DURING HIS TENURE IN HARFORD COUNTY. CALLING FOR HIS RESIGNATION ONLY MAKES HER LOOK FOOLISH. I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT MOST OF THE EDUCATORS WHO WORK HERE WHOLEHEARTEDLY SUPPORT HIM. AND IT'S NOT JUST US. THE COMMUNITY STANDS WITH DOCTOR BOLTON, APART FROM A FEW GROUPS OF EXTREMISTS. SHE'S ALSO CLAIMED THAT YOUNGER STUDENTS WERE DISTRESSED BY THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND DISPLAY OF PURPLE PRIDE. ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER NINTH. IT MAKES ME WONDER IF SHE HAD THE SAME CONCERNS WHEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTY ENCOURAGED STUDENTS TO WEAR RED, WHITE AND BLUE ON SEPTEMBER 11TH, MY FOURTH GRADER PROUDLY WORE PURPLE ON SEPTEMBER 9TH FOR WHAT SHE CALLED JOPPATOWNE DAY, JUST AS SHE WORE BLUE AND WHITE ON SEPTEMBER 11TH TO HONOR THE LIVES LOST IN 2001. BOTH WERE FAMILY DECISIONS, BUT BOTH WERE ALSO A TESTAMENT TO THE IMPORTANCE OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT. LET US NOT CREATE A FALSE NARRATIVE ABOUT TRAUMA WHEN WE HAVE BEEN USING THEMED SPIRIT DAYS TO RALLY TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY COMMUNITY FOR DECADES, PERHAPS THOSE WHO EXHIBIT THIS BEHAVIOR SHOULD RECONSIDER SITTING BEHIND THE DAIS, I NOTICED THAT VICE PRESIDENT HAHN WAS AT NORTH HARFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WITH OTHER LOCAL FAMILIES, WAVING SIGNS IN HONOR OF A STUDENT WHO HAD PASSED AWAY. THE MESSAGES OF POSITIVITY ARE SUCH A HEARTWARMING WAY TO HONOR THE LIFE OF SUCH A KIND AND CARING YOUNG MAN. HER PRESENCE WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT I WOULD APPRECIATE IF SHE DIDN'T SPEND SO MUCH TIME ADVOCATING AGAINST OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS IN THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY. I ALSO NOTICED THAT SHE WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN SOME OF THE SAME GROUP OF PARENTS WAVED THOSE SAME SIGNS IN SUPPORT OF THE STUDENTS OF JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. AS THEY RETURNED TO SCHOOL LAST WEEK. THIS SENDS AN UNMISTAKABLE MESSAGE TO ME THAT SOME STUDENTS ARE MORE WORTHY THAN OTHERS. IN HER EYES, PERHAPS THOSE WHO DO NOT VALUE ALL STUDENTS SHOULD RECONSIDER SITTING BEHIND THE DAIS. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS MADE MANY ADVANCEMENTS TO SECURITY IN RECENT YEARS, BUT THIS IS A MULTIFACETED ISSUE. THERE IS NO EASY FIX, ESPECIALLY IN A DISTRICT THAT IS UNDERFUNDED BY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS YEAR AFTER YEAR. MAYBE THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE PERSONAL FRIENDS OF MR. CASSILLY SHOULD TALK WITH HIM ABOUT THE LACK OF FUNDING, AND ASK HIM HOW WE CAN EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY MEASURES AT

[00:40:04]

GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR BALSON, PRESIDENT BOYNTON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I AM RON WOODEN, THE PROUD PRINCIPAL OF OLD POST ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR. I WANT TO FIRST TAKE THE TIME TO CELEBRATE ALL MY COLLEAGUES AND THEIR SCHOOLS FOR THE OPENING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. YES, WE DID FACE A CHALLENGE. YES, WE DID FACE A TRAGEDY. BUT THERE WAS A LOT OF GREAT THINGS THAT OCCURRED TO WELCOME OUR STAFF, STUDENTS, FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS BACK. I APPLAUD ALL OF THE EFFORTS PUT FORTH BY MY COLLEAGUES OVER THE SUMMER TO PREPARE FOR THE OPENING OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR, DOCTOR OLSON, I, I WANT TO PUBLICLY CELEBRATE YOU. NOT THAT YOU NEED IT BECAUSE YOUR RESUME AND ACCOLADES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. HOW HOWEVER, IN MY 26 YEARS AS AN HC EMPLOYEE, IT WAS UNDER YOUR LEADERSHIP THAT WE BEGAN TO PRACTICE SAFETY DRILLS AT SUCH A HIGH MAGNITUDE AND INCREASE OUR SECURITY MEASURES IN OUR SCHOOLS FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I, ALONG WITH THE TEACHERS AND STAFF IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, SUPPORT YOU 100%.

PLEASE DO NOT LET THOSE WHO ARE TRYING TO DESTROY YOU KEEP YOU FROM LEADING US, AS YOU HAVE DONE SINCE COMING TO CPS. WE ARE A BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE OF YOUR GUIDANCE AND LEADERSHIP.

PLEASE TAKE HEED TO THESE WORDS. NOTHING IN LIFE IS BIG ENOUGH TO DEFEAT YOU UNLESS YOU ARE LITTLE ENOUGH TO LET IT. LASTLY, DURING THIS LAST, DURING THIS LAST WEEKS, DURING LAST WEEK'S BOARD MEETING, I WAS DEVASTATED TO HEAR THE EGREGIOUS COMMENTS MADE ABOUT MY PRINCIPAL COLLEAGUE AND FRIEND. IT WAS DISAPPOINTING THAT IT WAS ALLOWED AND NOT CORRECTED WHILE IT WAS OCCURRING. I WANT MY FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE TO KNOW THAT YOU ARE A WOMAN OF EXCELLENCE. I AM NOT SURE HOW MANY OF US COULD HAVE HANDLED THE IMPOSSIBLE THAT OCCURRED AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. NO LOCKERS, NO SSL, COULD HAVE PREVENTED WHAT OCCURRED. THANKS FRIEND FOR YOUR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THE STUDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. YOU ARE THE DEFINITION OF A LEADER. TONIGHT, I WANT TO LEAVE THIS BOARD WITH THE WORDS OF DOCTOR KING.

INJUSTICE ANYWHERE IS A THREAT TO JUSTICE EVERYWHERE. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS CASSANDRA BEVERLY, FOLLOWED BY GREG JOHNSON. GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT BOLTON, DOCTOR BOYNTON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MY NAME IS CASSANDRA BEVERLY, AND I AM A LOCAL ATTORNEY. I'M USUALLY HERE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE CAUCUS OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LEADERS. BUT HERE TONIGHT, I'M HERE IN MY OWN CAPACITY. I ATTENDED HIGH SCHOOL HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. I'M A PROUD GRADUATE OF ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL. AND AS I SAID, I'M A LOCAL ATTORNEY. I CAME HERE PRIMARILY TO LISTEN. I HEARD ABOUT A CALL FOR DOCTOR BOLTON'S RESIGNATION, AND IT CAME AFTER THE TRAGIC LOSS OF LIFE AT JOPPATOWNE. MY HEART JUST GOES OUT TO THE FAMILY AND FRIENDS OF THAT YOUNG MAN AND THAT ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY, THE PRINCIPAL I JUST CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT SHE MUST HAVE GONE THROUGH TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT INCIDENT AND THEN TO HAVE TO GO BACK AND BE THERE FOR HER STUDENTS AFTER HAVING EXPERIENCED SOMETHING LIKE THAT. I'M VERY DISAPPOINTED IN THOSE PERSONS WHO WOULD USE THIS TRAGEDY AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO GAIN ADVANTAGE AND CALL FOR DOCTOR BOLTON'S RESIGNATION, KNOWING THAT IT HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ANY ROLE THAT HE PLAYED WITH REGARD TO

[00:45:02]

IN ITS OWN PRESS RELEASE FROM AUGUST OF 2023, TOUTED AN IMPROVEMENT TO ALGEBRA PROFICIENCY. IT WAS AN INCREASE OF 3% TO 17.1%. AN IMPROVEMENT REALLY. THERE IS NO PRIVATE SECTOR JOB IN THE WORLD THAT WOULD CALL THAT A SUCCESS. NONE HERE. OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS HONORED WITH AN AWARD. NOW, ON TO THE MUZZLE THAT YOU'VE TRIED TO PLACE ON US THIS EVENING WITH YOUR RULES OF ORDER. AS I LISTENED TO THE POLICY, I WAS REMINDED OF THE 1964 SUPREME COURT CASE OF NEW YORK TIMES VERSUS SULLIVAN. IN THAT CASE, JUSTICE BRENNAN WROTE THE OPINION OF THE COURT IN A VERY RARE 9 TO 0 RULING, AND HE CITED MULTIPLE SETTLED CASES. ROTH V UNITED STATES STATED THAT THE FIRST AMENDMENT WAS FASHIONED TO ASSURE THE UNFETTERED INTERCHANGE OF IDEAS FOR THE BRINGING ABOUT OF POLITICAL AND SOCIAL CHANGES DESIRED BY THE PEOPLE. BRIDGES V CALIFORNIA SAID IT IS A PRIZED AMERICAN PRIVILEGE TO SPEAK ONE'S MIND, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS WITH PERFECT GOOD TASTE, ON ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS LEARNING OR EXCUSE ME, LEANING ON THESE CASES AND SEVERAL OTHERS, THE COURT CONCLUDED IN NEW YORK TIMES V SULLIVAN, SOMETHING THAT I BELIEVE EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM NEEDS TO KNOW AND PUT INTO PRACTICE. IN AMERICA. THERE IS , QUOTE, PROFOUND NATIONAL COMMITMENT TO THE PRINCIPLE THAT DEBATE ON PUBLIC ISSUES SHOULD BE UNINHIBITED, ROBUST AND WIDE OPEN, AND THAT IT MAY VERY WELL INCLUDE VEHEMENT, CAUSTIC, AND SOMETIMES UNPLEASANT. SHARP ATTACKS ON GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC OFFICIALS. YOUR RULES OF ORDER VIOLATE TIMES V SULLIVAN, AND I WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU CHANGE THEM LEST YOU FACE LEGAL ACTION. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS TINA GRAF, FOLLOWED BY JESSICA FENDRICK. DOCTOR BOYNTON, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT AND RESPONSE TO THE DISPARAGING REMARKS. BUT YOUR LAST PARAGRAPH STATES THAT THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME, WHICH IS UNEQUIVOCALLY FALSE. LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC AND OUR BOARD MEMBERS IS DETRIMENTAL TO THIS COMMUNITY, AS NO ONE REFUTES THE INACCURACIES. SO THE PUBLIC IS LEFT TO BELIEVE WHAT WAS SAID, AND THE STAFF HAS TO TRY TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRES THAT YOU'VE SET. TRYING TO PROMOTE A POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE AND CULTURE IS IMPOSSIBLE. WHEN WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS ACTING LIKE PETULANT CHILDREN. TO HEAR MISS HAHN USING A TRAGEDY, ASKING FOR DOCTOR OLSON'S RESIGNATION IS HORRIFIC. WHEN WE KNOW THAT THIS HAS BEEN HER AGENDA SINCE COVID AND SEEING MISS ALVAREZ'S LETTERS WE THAT PRINCIPLE IS SPELLED WITH A PAL AT THE END, AND WE HAVE BRAKES.

BRAKES ON OUR CARS. BUT SOMETIMES WE NEED A BRAKE. B-R-E-A-K. IT'S IRONIC THAT THE

[00:50:02]

YOU'VE WASTED TIME TRYING TO CHANGE POLICIES THAT ARE HATEFUL AND YOU KNOW WON'T PASS SIX HOURS DISCUSSING CURRICULUM. THIS SUMMER WHEN YOU COULD HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING SAFETY. SO TELL ME AGAIN HOW THIS BOARD PRIORITIZES, PRIORITIZES SAFETY AND SECURITY FOR ALL OF THE STUDENTS AND STAFF. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU, DOCTOR OLSON. YOU'VE BEEN AN EXCELLENT SUPERINTENDENT. JESSICA FENDRIC. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING WRITTEN TONIGHT. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THINGS. ONE, DOCTOR OLSON, YOU AND I DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, BUT I DO THINK YOU DO AN AMAZING JOB FOR THE COUNTY, THE TEACHERS, THE STUDENTS IN IT. AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN LET THE NONSENSE THAT'S BEING SPOKEN FROM PEOPLE WHO HAVE DIFFERENT AGENDAS THAN THE WELFARE OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, TO STOP YOU FROM DOING THE WORK THAT YOU DO, ON THAT NOTE, I'D LIKE TO JUST ASK SOME OF THESE BOARD MEMBERS HOW THE FLAG POLICY HELPED SECURE THAT GUN.

I'D LIKE TO ASK HOW THE POLICY ON WHETHER OR NOT, KIDS CAN LOOK AT RAINBOWS HELPED PEOPLE STOP THAT GUN. I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS DIDN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I ACTUALLY WORK IN THIS AREA AS A VOLUNTEER. I KNOW THAT THERE'S LEGISLATION COMING DOWN THE PIKE THAT'S GOING TO HELP MAKE THE TRAUMA THAT IS INFLICTED BY SHOOTER DRILLS BETTER FOR OUR STUDENTS. DID YOU GUYS KNOW THAT? ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING INTO THAT? BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THE WRONG THINGS HERE. THERE ARE WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP OUR STUDENTS, BUT KICKING DOCTOR OLSON OUT OR REQUESTING HIS RESIGNATION IS NOT THE WAY YOU ALL HAD. PLENTY OF TIME DURING THE BUDGET SESSIONS TO ADVOCATE FOR WHAT WE NEEDED. I SPECIFICALLY REMEMBER DOCTOR POINT MENTIONING SOMETHING THAT HE COULD ASK THE DOCTOR, MR. CASSELL, TO DO. IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S THE THING THAT YOU GUYS MANAGE TO GET DONE NOW. COULD HAVE DONE THAT EARLIER, AND WE WOULD HAVE HAD THE MONEY NEEDED FOR SECURITY AND SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOLS. BUT NO, YOU WERE TOO BUSY MAKING A CALENDAR THAT NOBODY WANTED. SO AS WE GO INTO THE END OF THIS NIGHT, I HOPE YOU GUYS JUST REMEMBER YOU'VE DONE NOTHING. NOTHING TO SUPPORT THE SAFETY IN SCHOOLS. YOU'VE WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF THAT'S POLITICAL. YOU'VE WORRIED ABOUT A LOT OF STUFF TO MAKE STATEMENTS FOR THE PUBLIC AND FOX NEWS, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU GUYS LIKE THAT, BUT YOU'VE DONE NOTHING PRODUCTIVE FOR THE STUDENTS OF THIS COUNTY. YOU GUYS SHOULD BE THE ONE RESIGNING. THIS IS YOU. TELL US ALL THE TIME IT IS UP TO YOU TO CHECK THE THINGS THAT ARE DONE HERE IN THIS COUNTY. SO IT WOULD HAVE BEEN UP TO YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STUDENT WAS SAFE. AND YOU'VE DONE NOTHING TO DO THAT.

I ASKED FOR MISS HAHN TO STEP DOWN A LONG TIME AGO, WHEN SHE AND THE MOMS FOR LIBERTY ORGANIZATIONS HAD REQUESTED ABOUT BOOK BANNING. SO THIS IS NOT NEW THAT I'M ASKING FOR YOUR RESIGNATION. I'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR A WHILE, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, THOUGH, BECAUSE YOU REALLY LIKE THE ATTENTION THAT YOU GET UP THERE ON THE ON THE DAIS. YOU LIKE TO HAVE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT YOU. WELL, GUESS WHAT? YOU SHOULD RESIGN. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SAYING NOW. SO LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT YOU, OKAY? NIGHT, EVERYBODY. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS AMBER MELNICK, FOLLOWED BY JACOB BENNETT. I HATE BEING HEIGHT CHALLENGED. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE

[00:55:07]

HOWEVER, ALL OF YOU WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE STUDENT MEMBER OF THE BOARD, HAVE ALL BEEN ON THIS BOARD FOR AT LEAST A YEAR AND HAVE NOT PUT FORTH ANY POLICY TO IMPROVE SAFETY CONCERNS. PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THIS WAS NOT THE FIRST TIME THAT A WEAPON HAS BEEN BROUGHT AND CONCEALED BY AN HCP STUDENT, BUT NOT ONE OF YOU RAISED ANY CONCERNS OR RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING SAFETY PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. HE WHO HAS NO SIN SHOULD THROW THE FIRST STONE. THEREFORE, IN CALLING FOR THE FIRING OF ONE, WHEN YOU HAVE ALL NEGLECTED YOUR SWORN OATH AND DUTY MEANS YOU ALL NEED TO CALL FOR ALL OF YOUR RESIGNATIONS. IF WE ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY AND EDUCATION OF ALL AJK STUDENTS, THEN AS A BOARD, IT'S TIME TO STOP THE DIVISIVENESS AND COME TOGETHER TO MOVE US FORWARD. A HOUSE DIVIDED CANNOT STAND AS LONG AS THIS CONTINUES. ACADEMICS ARE NOT THE PRIORITY. SO PLEASE STOP SAYING THAT THEY ARE. AGENDAS ARE. ALL OF THIS IS A DOG AND PONY SHOW TO DISTRACT FROM THE FACT THAT SEVERAL OF YOU ARE JUST INCOMPETENT AT YOUR POSITION, THE ONLY THING SEVERAL OF YOU ARE ACTUALLY PROFICIENT AT IS GASLIGHTING PEOPLE TO HIDE YOUR LACK OF ABILITY TO RECOMMEND ACTUAL POLICIES AND FUNDING OF STAFF TO ACTUALLY IMPROVE ACADEMICS. IN THE END, OUR STUDENTS ARE THE ONES PAYING THE PRICE, ESPECIALLY STUDENTS LIKE MINE WHO ARE ALREADY MARGINALIZED ENOUGH. HELLO JACOB BENNETT, HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, HARFORD COUNTY COUNCILMAN, FIRST, I JUST WANT TO CELEBRATE SOME POSITIVE CHANGES I'VE SEEN IN REGARDS TO LITERACY. THIS YEAR. IT APPEARS THAT ALL KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS WILL BE SCREENED THIS YEAR USING DIBELS. ALL THREE TIMES, AS THE STATE LAW REQUIRES. I WAS HAPPY TO SEE THAT IN MY DOCUMENTATION. AS I GOT READY TO SCREEN MY STUDENTS FOR THE FALL, MORE AND MORE OF OUR EDUCATORS ARE RECEIVING LETTERS TRAINING, WHICH IS A COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING AND BEST PRACTICES OF READING INSTRUCTION AT OPR. THIS YEAR, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A REAL URGENCY AMONG STAFF TO ENSURE THAT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN LEARN HOW TO READ RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW. IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN AT THE START OF THE YEAR TO BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS, BE A PART OF THOSE PLANNING SESSIONS, BE A PART OF THOSE TRAININGS THAT WE'VE DONE. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ADMIN STEPPING INTO CLASSROOMS AND SHOWING US HOW TO TEACH BETTER. AND IT'S JUST IT'S REALLY EXCITING RIGHT NOW AT OUR SCHOOL, MY STUDENTS THIS YEAR, WHO MANY OF THEM CAME TO KINDERGARTEN KNOWING ZERO LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET, READ THEIR FIRST WORD LAST WEEK. THE WORD MAT, WHICH THEY SOUNDED OUT USING THE FIRST THREE LETTERS THAT THEY LEARNED, WHICH WAS JUST ALSO VERY EXCITING, MANY FIRST GRADE TEACHERS HAVE COME TO ME THIS YEAR TO BRAG ABOUT MY FORMER STUDENTS AND SHARE THAT THEY'VE NEVER HAD FIRST GRADERS WHO COULD READ THIS WELL, AT THE START OF THE YEAR, WHICH AGAIN MAKES ME EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR SCHOOL, I WANT TO SHARE A FEW AREAS OF CONCERN IN REGARDS TO READING INSTRUCTION IN OUR COUNTY. AS WE CONTINUE TO PUSH FORWARD, WE NEED TO START WORKING THROUGH A THOROUGH IMPLEMENTATION PLAN AS WE TRANSITION TO BETTER INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT. WE AS A SYSTEM NEED TO TAKE TIME TO TRAIN OUR EDUCATORS TO KNOW THAT THE F AND P ASSESSMENT IS A FAULTY ASSESSMENT. THAT'S AS ACCURATE AS A COIN FLIP, AND ENCOURAGES CHILDREN TO USE BAD PRACTICES WHEN READING, LIKE GUESSING WORDS. BY LOOKING AT THE PICTURE OR THINKING OF THE CONTEXT, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO FULLY TRANSITION AWAY FROM UNITS OF STUDY, ESPECIALLY AS IT BECOMES ABUNDANTLY CLEAR THAT VERY SOON, THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WILL FORCE US TO DO SO, HOW WE DECIDE TO IMPLEMENT.

HONESTLY, I SEE AS MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHAT WE CHOOSE TO IMPLEMENT AFTERWARDS. WE HAVE TO HAVE OPEN AND FRANK CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT, WHY, WHAT WE USED BEFORE WAS WRONG, SO THAT TEACHERS KNOW HOW TO DO BETTER, LAST TONIGHT, AS WE HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT OUR ACHIEVEMENT IN THE COUNTY, I HOPE YOU PAY ATTENTION TO THE RACIAL ACHIEVEMENT GAP THAT EXISTS IN OUR TEST SCORES, WHICH FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS HAS BEEN THE THIRD LARGEST IN THE STATE. I THINK IT CAN BE VERY EASY, AS A BOARD OF EDUCATION, TO ONLY LOOK AT OUR CEILING AND SEE HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS, WHICH WE KNOW IT IS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE FRANK

[01:00:03]

OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JASON KING, FOLLOWED BY ALEXA SCIUTO. WATCH OUT FOR THAT. STOP. MY NAME IS JASON KING, AND THIS IS MY NINTH YEAR AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. I WAS THERE. NOBODY ELSE. I DON'T THINK IN THIS ROOM CAN SAY THAT YOU WERE THERE, BUT I WAS, AND I WASN'T PLANNING ON SPEAKING TONIGHT. I REALLY JUST WANTED TO COME AND HEAR THE COMMENTS THAT THE PUBLIC HAD, BECAUSE NOT BEING HERE LAST WEEK, I WAS DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF, BUT I JUST WASN'T READY TO HEAR THOSE COMMENTS. AND I'M STILL NOT READY TO HEAR THEM TONIGHT. ALL I HEAR IS BLAME.

BLAME BLAME WITH NO SOLUTION. I HEAR PEOPLE CALLING FOR THE HEADS FOR DOCTOR BOLTON, AND FOR MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD OF EDUCATION. AND I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, I THINK YOU'RE WRONG. WHEN ARE WE GOING TO WORK TOGETHER? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO SOLVE THESE ISSUES TOGETHER? NOBODY HAS COME TO ANY OF US TO SAY, HEY, LET'S SIT DOWN AND TALK. WE TALK ABOUT COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS IN THE CLASSROOM ALL THE TIME, HAVING COURAGEOUS CONVERSATIONS WITH STUDENTS. IF YOU'RE AN ADMINISTRATOR, HAVING A COURAGEOUS CONVERSATION WITH A TEACHER. BUT YET WE DON'T DO THAT. AND I HEAR PEOPLE THAT WANT TO THROW THIS BLAME OUT THERE. AND YOU SAY THAT THESE ARE SOME OF THE SAME PEOPLE THAT SPOKE WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT BUDGET, AND WE'RE SAYING THAT WE DIDN'T NEED TO BE FULLY FUNDED. YOU KNOW, MY DAD USED TO SAY THAT THE MONEY TREES GONE DRY AND IF WE ARE NOT GETTING WHAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, THEN WHERE DO YOU EXPECT US TO IMPROVE ON SAFETY? I ENJOY BEING AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. LIKE I SAID, I'VE BEEN THERE FOR NINE YEARS. I LOVE THE PEOPLE I WORK WITH. I LOVE THE KIDS THAT GO THERE. THIS WAS A TRAGEDY AND WE'RE LEARNING FROM THIS TRAGEDY, AND IT'S AN UNFORTUNATE THING THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS AFTER THIS. BUT IF YOU GUYS TRULY WANT TO MAKE CHANGE, I'M TALKING TO EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, THEN GO ADVOCATE. WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAYS HE'S NOT GOING TO FULLY FUND LEARN THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND THEN GO DOWN TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, GO SPEAK TO YOUR LEGISLATORS AND ASK THEM TO MAKE THAT CHANGE, BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE PEOPLE HERE, IT'S THOSE OTHER PEOPLE THAT I JUST MENTIONED THAT ARE GOING TO MAKE THAT CHANGE. THANK YOU. NO GRANDSTANDING PLEASE. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT I'M SPEAKING NOT ONLY AS AN EDUCATOR, BUT AS A SURVIVOR OF THE SCHOOL SHOOTING AT PERRY HALL HIGH SCHOOL IN 2012. AND I EXTEND MY DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THOSE AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL WHO ARE NOW ALSO SURVIVORS OF SUCH A TRAGEDY. WHAT IS DISGUSTING IS THOSE WHO ARE EXPLOITING THIS TRAGEDY AND THE TRAUMA INFLICTED BY THE SHOOTING TO FURTHER A POLITICAL AGENDA.

YOU CANNOT TWIST A CHILD BEING SHOT AND MURDERED AT SCHOOL TO FIT A NARRATIVE ABOUT IMMIGRATION. LIBRARY BOOKS, WHINING OVER RENAMING SCHOOLS, COVID LOCKDOWNS, SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING, GOD CURSIVE OR EVEN TEST SCORES AND PRETEND YOU CARE ABOUT THE WELL-BEING OF SCHOOL SHOOTING SURVIVORS. YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT US. IF YOU DID, YOU WOULD BE AT A GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADVOCATING FOR GUN REFORM. NOT HERE. THE ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE SUPERINTENDENT UNDER THE GUISE OF CONCERN ABOUT VIOLENCE IS PLAINLY OFFENSIVE. THIS PROPOSAL IS SEVERELY LACKING IN BOTH EMPATHY AND COMMON SENSE. PERHAPS YOU COULD BENEFIT FROM A LITTLE SCHOOL.

THIS IS A SOCIOPATHIC TEMPER TANTRUM BY EXTREMISTS, BECAUSE DOCTOR BOLSIN WON'T DO WHAT YOU SAY AND GOOD BECAUSE THAT MEANS HE'S GOOD AT HIS JOB. MELISSA HAHN, YOU SHOULD STEP DOWN. I PROUDLY SIGNED THAT PETITION FOR YOUR RESIGNATION, I HAVE SAID BEFORE, AND I'LL REMIND YOU AGAIN, YOU ARE THE ONE THAT RELIES ON REELECTION TO KEEP YOUR JOB. AND PERSONALLY, I CAN'T WAIT FOR 2026. YOU FEIGN CONCERN FOR STUDENT SAFETY, YET YOU INITIATE AND ADVOCATE FOR

[01:05:05]

GOOD EVENING. YOU ARE NOW ON THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING. JOINING. BEFORE YOU BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT, PLEASE STATE YOUR FIRST AND LAST NAME. YOUR TIME WILL CONCLUDE IN THREE MINUTES. YOU WILL HEAR A BELL RING WHEN YOU HAVE 30S REMAINING. PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND YOU MAY BEGIN YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. NOW GOOD EVENING. I AM CRYSTAL DAWN PARK.

THANK YOU DOCTOR BOLTON. ANOTHER PROFESSIONAL FOR PARTICIPATING IN THE NAACP AND MOMS DEMAND ACTION COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS. ZOOM ON SEPTEMBER 15. YOUR ANGUISH AND INTEGRITY WAS VISIBLE IN LEADING JOPPATOWNE AND THE GREATER HARTFORD COMMUNITY. FORWARD WITH TRANSPARENCY AND RESPONSIVENESS. I AM DISGUSTED BY SOME OF THE ANTICS AND LACK OF SKILL SET THAT I OBSERVE ON THIS BOARD. AS WE DEMAND AND GET MORE FROM OUR EARLY LEARNERS. WHY ARE YOU PRAYING TO YOUR PERSONAL OBJECT OF FAITH? WHY DO YOUR LETTERS CONTAIN MISSPELLED WORDS AND HORRIFIC GRAMMAR ERRORS? WHY ARE YOU STRUGGLING FOR WEEKS WITH A REDLINED DOCUMENT REVISION AND APPROPRIATE ATTACHMENT? WHY ARE THE RULES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT NOT ENFORCED? WHY ARE YOU NOT VERIFYING SOME OF THESE GROUPS THAT DON'T EXIST? WHY ARE YOU STRATEGIZING AND EXPLAINING WHY MOTIONS ARE BEING CALLED FOR BEFORE A VOTE AND TALLYING WHERE THE VOTE WOULD STAND? WHY WHY, WHY THE AUDACITY AND THE DISREGARD OF THE DEATH OF A STUDENT WHO HAD NOT YET BEEN LAID TO REST, TO CALL FOR THE RESIGNATION OF OUR SUPERINTENDENT? IT WOULD BE FINANCIALLY IRRESPONSIBLE TO TERMINATE ANY ADMINISTRATIVE EMPLOYEE WITHOUT CAUSE, GIVEN THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS, AS THE FULL CONTRACT WOULD HAVE TO BE PAID OUT AND THEN YOU'D HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE NEW. MANY HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL EDUCATORS WOULD WALK AND ULTIMATELY, THE DECISION IS NOT EVEN THIS BOARD'S DOCTOR. BOLSON YOUR PEERS RECOGNIZED YOU AS MARYLAND SUPERINTENDENT OF THE YEAR FOR A REASON. THAT IS A PEER VOTE. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS BENEFITED GREATLY BY YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU HAVE MY FULL CONFIDENCE, SIR. AND IF I HAD ANY DOUBT THIS COMMUNITY WOULD KNOW. THANK YOU TO MY BOARD REPRESENTATIVE AND THE OTHERS WHO HAVE MY TRUST AND THE BEST OUTCOMES FOR ALL OUR STUDENTS IN MIND. HARFORD STANDS AGAINST HATE. GOOD EVENING. THAT CONCLUDES OUR VIRTUAL PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE EVENING. GREAT.

[Board Member Comments]

CLARIFY THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF THIS BOARD IN RELATION TO THE STAFF AND

[01:10:02]

THANK YOU, MR. SEWELL. HELLO. I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY UNWAVERING SUPPORT FOR THE PRINCIPAL AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL, AND ALSO THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. I ALSO WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR THIS SUPERINTENDENT. I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO GET THE WORD OUT FOR A5K THAT'S COMING UP. THE HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS, WHICH IS THE ORGANIZATION THAT SITS ON TOP OF ALL THE STUDENT GOVERNMENTS IN OUR MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS, IS HOSTING A5K, THERE'S A COUPLE DETAILS. WE STILL HAVE TO WORK OUT, BUT I'M SURE WE'LL GET GET THERE. THAT'S COMING UP, THIS FALL, LOOK FOR THAT THROUGH YOUR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. AND I HOPE THAT YOU COME OUT TO SUPPORT EACH TASK.

AND THEN FINALLY, I JUST WANTED TO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO HELP OUT IN THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY, BY, YOU KNOW, JOINING THEIR PTA, AND I HOPE THAT EVERYONE ON THIS BOARD, JOINS AT LEAST A PTA.

THAT'S, THAT'S IN THEIR DISTRICT. FOR THOSE OF US THAT ARE ELECTED AND THOSE OF US WHO ARE AT LARGE, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS PERRY. GOOD EVENING. I WANT TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY, OF THE CHILD THAT WE LOST JOPPATOWNE. AND TO THANK THE PRINCIPAL THERE AND THE REST OF THE STAFF, I SPOKE WITH THE PRINCIPAL THERE AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. SHE'S VERY DEDICATED TO HER STUDENTS, AND I BELIEVE THAT SHE WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE HER SCHOOL SAFER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS MADE BY MRS. STRAUSS TONIGHT. AND I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, I NOT ONLY DO I THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, I THINK WE SHOULD HAVE THAT DAY LONG RETREAT AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL. I THINK IT WOULD BE VERY APPROPRIATE TO DO THAT. I DON'T USUALLY WRITE MY COMMENTS OUT. IN FACT, I'VE NEVER WRITTEN THEM OUT BEFORE. BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO FORGET ANYTHING. THIS PAST WEEK I ATTENDED THE CELEBRATION HOSTED BY THE DAILY RECORD FOR THE MOST INFLUENTIAL MARYLANDERS, INFLUENTIAL MARYLANDERS WAS CREATED IN 2006 TO HONOR PEOPLE WHO'VE MADE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS IN THEIR FIELD AND CONTINUE TO BE LEADERS IN MARYLAND. THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE SELECTED BY THE DAILY RECORDS EDITORS FOR THEIR SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO THEIR RESPECTIVE FIELDS, AND FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN 11 DIFFERENT AREAS, ONE OF THOSE BEING EDUCATION DOCTOR BOHLSEN WON THE AWARD ALONG WITH DOCTOR WRIGHT. OUR STATE SUPERINTENDENT. WHILE MANY WOULD THINK THAT HARFORD COUNTY IS FORTUNATE TO HAVE DOCTOR BOHLSEN AS THEIR LEADER, A FEW DO NOT AND WILL NOT, NO MATTER WHAT. I RECALL THE MOMS FOR LIBERTY CANDIDATE FORUM IN OCTOBER OF 2022, PRIOR TO THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION. MY HUSBAND TALKED ME INTO ATTENDING AND NOW I'M GLAD HE DID. IT GAVE ME AN INSIGHT INTO THEIR AGENDA. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THEY ASKED ME WAS IF ELECTED, WOULD I PROMISE TO FIRE OLSEN? DIANE ALVAREZ SAID YES. CAN YOU? I SAID YES. MELISSA HAHN SAID YES.

THEN THEY ASKED ME. I STARED AT THEM IN DISBELIEF AND SAID, AND THEN WHAT? YOU SEE, AT THE TIME THERE WERE NINE DISTRICTS IN MARYLAND LOOKING FOR NEW SUPERINTENDENTS. WHY WOULD WE LOOK FOR SOMEONE NEW WHEN WE HAD A GOOD SUPERINTENDENT ALREADY? THE MASK MANDATES SCHOOLS CLOSED, VIRTUAL LEARNING. NONE OF THAT WAS IDEAL. AND THERE WERE MISTAKES MADE BY EVERYONE, EVERYWHERE. BUT WE ALL DID THE BEST WE COULD DURING DIFFICULT TIMES AND AMID STATE AND FEDERAL MANDATES. WHILE MY COLLEAGUES ARE BUSY TRYING TO FULFILL THEIR CAMPAIGN PROMISE, THEY'RE NOT

[01:15:06]

BUT I DO NOT SEE THAT SAME INNOVATION AND EFFORT FOR STUDENTS WHOSE LEARNING AND IN MANY CASES, SAFETY, ARE DEGRADED BY DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS IN THE CLASSROOMS AND FOR THEIR

[01:20:04]

OVER THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS. YET SOME COMMENTS MADE LAST WEEK WERE NEW TO ME. IN ORDER TO BE EFFECTIVE AS A BOARD, WE MUST HAVE COMMUNICATION, NOT BLINDSIDING. IT SEEMS WE FORGOT THE IMPORTANCE OF COLLABORATION AND ACTING AS A BOARD. I WILL CONTINUE TO ATTEMPT TO BE COLLABORATIVE. I HAVE DISTRIBUTED A CLEAN COPY OF THE HANDBOOK TO ALL MEMBERS TONIGHT.

I REQUEST MEMBERS TO REVIEW THIS FINAL DRAFT OF THE HANDBOOK AND SEND ME YOUR COMMENTS. I REQUEST WE DO AN OPEN BOARD WORKING GROUP MEETING ON OCTOBER 17TH. THE THURSDAY BEFORE OUR NEXT MEETING ON OCTOBER 21ST. THIS WILL BE AN OPEN MEETING WITHOUT PUBLIC COMMENT. SPECIFICALLY, A WORKING GROUP TO GO OVER THE HANDBOOK AND ESTABLISH CONSENSUS BEFORE VOTING. ON OCTOBER 21ST, DOCTOR BOYNTON, PLEASE LET ME KNOW THAT YOU WILL SCHEDULE THIS MEETING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS BRUCE. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. LAST WEEK IN MY COMMENTS, I, REQUESTED THAT WE THINK ABOUT WORDS AND THE NEED FOR CIVILITY, THE NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. ALTHOUGH WE AS A BOARD DON'T ALWAYS AGREE, AS A BOARD MEMBER, WE RECEIVED MANY EMAILS LAST WEEK. I APPRECIATE THOSE OFFERING POSITIVE ACTIONS FOR CHANGE. I WANT TO READ ONE EMAIL BECAUSE I THINK IT'S WORTHY OF REPEATING. AND THE YOUNG LADY THAT WROTE THIS EMAIL IS PRESENT AND I HOPE SHE REALIZES THAT. I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD SUGGESTION, SHE SAYS. I DO BELIEVE THAT AN IMMEDIATE STANCE CAN BE TAKEN AGAINST VIOLENCE OF ALL KINDS IN OUR SCHOOLS. IT PROBABLY WON'T EVEN COST A LOT OF MONEY. I'M REQUESTING THAT SIGNS BE PLACED ON ALL CAMPUSES STATING VIOLENCE FREE SCHOOL ZONE WEAPONS ARE PROHIBITED, AND I THINK THIS WOULD SERVE A GOOD PURPOSE NOT ONLY FOR THE STUDENTS, BUT MANY OF THE VISITORS OF THE SCHOOL AND, THE PARENTS, AS WELL, SHE ALSO STATED IN HER HER EMAIL THAT THIS WILL LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW YOU THE HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION PUBLICLY DO NOT CONDONE VIOLENCE IN THE SCHOOL BUILDINGS, AND WEAPONS ARE NOT ALLOWED. THIS IS NOT EXPLICITLY CLEAR IN MANY HBC SCHOOL BUILDINGS I'VE BEEN IN, AND I'VE VISITED ALMOST EVERY SCHOOL IN THE DISTRICT AT LEAST ONCE. AND SHE HAS, SHE SAYS, REMOVING DOCTOR BOLSON DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. REMOVING THE BOARD DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. REMOVING MRS. WILLIAMS DOES NOT SOLVE THE PROBLEM. SO SHE SAYS, NOW IT IS TIME TO SET A PRECEDENT. AND I AGREE. I REALLY APPRECIATE WHEN MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY SUBMIT SOLUTIONS, I WANT TO APPLAUD, YOU KNOW, MR. JACOB BENNETT, HE'S BEEN HERE, HE'S GIVEN INFORMATION AND WE'RE ACTING ON IT. BUT WE NEED SOLUTIONS AND WE DON'T NEED COMPLAINTS, IT'S ALSO I WANT TO COMMEND THE STUDENT BOARD MEMBER LAST WEEK, SHE PUT A MESSAGE OUT TO STUDENTS TO BECOME MORE INVOLVED IN LEGISLATIVE ISSUES. SHE SAID THAT THEY SHOULD TAKE RESPONSIBILITY AND STEP OUT ON FAITH AND GET TO KNOW THEIR REPRESENTATIVES. AND I THINK THIS IS WHAT PARENTS NEED TO DO.

PARENTS NEED TO GET INVOLVED AND TAKE THESE ISSUES RELATED TO GOD IN THE SCHOOLS AND, AND ALL THE OTHER ISSUES THAT WE AT THIS BOARD CANNOT RESOLVE. RIGHT NOW THEY ARE CONSIDERING. AND FOX NEWS IS GOING TO HAVE IT ON THE NEWS. THEY HAD IT ON ALL AFTERNOON. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE IT ON TONIGHT. IN REGARDS TO LEGISLATIVE ACTION ABOUT, PUPIL PROTECTION RIGHTS, BECAUSE A LOT

[01:25:08]

NO ONE WANTS TO SEE A CHILD'S LIFE CUT SHORT. I HAVE YOU, PRINCIPAL WILLIAMS, AND THE COMMUNITY AND SPECIAL PRAYER. THE VIOLENCE IN OUR SCHOOL IS AN EVIL THAT MUST BE COMBATED WITH GOODNESS, WHICH IS TRUTH, LOVE AND HOPE. AT LAST WEEK'S BOARD MEETING, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN CALLED FOR YOUR RESIGNATION. THAT WAS A BOLD STATEMENT, BUT ONE WORTHY OF CONSIDERATION.

THERE'S NO SHAME IN STEPPING DOWN TO TAKE A BREAK. YOU ARE WELL RESPECTED, INTELLIGENT AND COMPETENT. SUPERINTENDENT. I BELIEVE MANY SCHOOLS WOULD BE HAPPY TO EMPLOY YOU, BUT I DO NOT THINK HARFORD COUNTY IS PLEASED WITH YOUR PERFORMANCE. THIS DISSATISFACTION IS NOT JUST BECAUSE OF A SCHOOL SHOOTING, BUT ALSO THE FAILURE TO FOCUS ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT AND MY SHORT TIME ON THE BOARD. I HAVE EXPERIENCED ROADBLOCK AFTER ROADBLOCK TO ADDRESS A REAL ANALYSIS ON THE ACADEMIC TRAJECTORY. EVERY INQUIRY WAS DENIED BY YOU. INSTEAD, THERE IS A FOCUS ON BUILDING A CULTURE OF INCLUSION. BUT EVEN IN THAT DESIRE, THERE ARE FEW METRICS OR ANALYSIS TO MEASURE EFFECTIVENESS AND RETURN ON INVESTMENT. I SEE THAT I SEE IN THE EQUITY COMMITTEE GO FROM A SMALL GROUP TO SEVERAL SUBGROUPS. THE SAME THING IS OCCURRING WITH BLUEPRINT SUPPORTS THIS COMPLEX SYSTEMS OF SUBGROUPS WITH NO ANALYTICAL WAY TO MEASURE SUCCESS, IS WASTEFUL, AND HAS LOW PROBABILITY OF SUCCESS. THESE GROUPS ARE NOT INTERESTED IN DEFINING WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE THIS. I WILL KNOW IT WHEN I SEE IT. APPROACH IS EXHAUSTING AND IT'S IT CREATES A TOXIC WORKPLACE. NOT TO MENTION IT'S COSTLY. WE NEED A LEADER WHO SUPPORTS OUR TOP THREE AREAS SAFETY, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND A COMMUNITY CONNECTION WITH A FOCUS ON TRANSPARENCY. YOU HAVE NOT DEMONSTRATED THAT YOU ARE ALIGNED WITH THESE GOALS. THIS IS EVIDENT IN THE INCIDENT AT JOPPATOWNE, WHERE WE LEARNED BOARD POLICY WAS NOT BEING FOLLOWED, CREATING AN UNSAFE SITUATION THAT CONTRIBUTED TO THE KILLING OF WARREN GRANT AND THE ACADEMIC REPORT PLANNED FOR TONIGHT IS MOSTLY SOUNDBITES AND THE FAILURE TO HOLD COMMUNITY LISTENING SESSION FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT AT JOPPATOWNE DOES NOT SHOW A DESIRE TO CONNECT WITH THE COMMUNITY. THESE ARE JUST THREE EXAMPLE EXAMPLES WHERE THERE WAS A FAILURE TO CONSIDER BOARD PRIORITIES. I HOPE THAT YOU WILL DECIDE TO TAKE A BREAK AND STEP DOWN AS SUPERINTENDENT. YOU WILL NOTICE ON THE ACADEMIC CHARTS TONIGHT. IF YOU LOOK AT CHART FIVE, THERE'S NO KEY, IF I'M CONFUSED, THERE'S NO WONDER BECAUSE THE DATA THAT IS PRESENTED BY THE ANALYTICAL. TEAM THAT EXISTS IN CPS DOES NOT WANT TO PRESENT AN ANALYSIS THAT CAN BE FOLLOWED WITH ANY RIGOR. THEY DON'T WANT TO DEFINE SUCCESS. THEY DON'T WANT TO DEFINE METRICS. THEY DON'T WANT TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM. WE SIT ON THIS BOARD AS VOLUNTEERS.

THERE'S ONLY ONE MEMBER ON THIS DAIS THAT IS PAID AND THAT'S SUPERINTENDENT OLSON. YOU ASKED

[01:30:01]

WHILE RIGHT NOW THE SAFETY ISSUES AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL IS THE FOCUS, MANY OF THESE BEHAVIORS ARE BEING ALLOWED IN EVERY SCHOOL IN HARFORD COUNTY. PARENTS ARE CONSTANTLY COMPLAINING ABOUT BULLYING AND NOTHING IS DONE. THE BULLIES CONTINUE AND IN MOST INSTANCES IT ESCALATES AND IN A FEW INSTANCES, PARENTS HAVE TAKEN MATTERS INTO THEIR OWN HANDS BECAUSE THEY FELT THEY HAD NO OTHER OPTION TO PROTECT THEIR CHILDREN. WHAT HAPPENED AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL IS WRONG. DOCTOR BOLSTON KNEW THAT THEY WERE SHORT LOCKERS. DOCTOR BOLSTON KNEW THAT STUDENTS WALKED THE HALLS DAILY WITH UNCHECKED BACKPACKS. DOCTOR BOLSTON KNEW THE STUDENTS HAD NO CONSEQUENCES AND THAT THE STUDENTS RULED THE SCHOOL.

DOCTOR BOLSTON KNEW THE MANY SECURITY SHORTFALLS AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL AND DID

[01:35:03]

BOARD MEMBERS, FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. YOU'RE WELCOME. GOOD EVENING. AT OUR LAST MEETING AND AGAIN THIS EVENING, I'VE HEARD CALLS FOR DOCTOR DAWSON'S RESIGNATION FOLLOWING THE TRAGIC SHOOTING AT JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE RELATED CONCERNS ABOUT SAFETY AND DISCIPLINE, THE LOSS OF ONE OF OUR STUDENTS IS HEARTBREAKING, AND IT WEIGHS HEAVILY ON ALL OF US, AND I FEEL AN IMMENSE SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT NOTHING LIKE THIS EVER HAPPENS AGAIN. WHILE SWIFT ACTION IS NECESSARY, WE MUST ALSO RESPOND WITH THOUGHTFULNESS AND EFFECTIVENESS. LEADERSHIP DOES START AT THE TOP, BUT A KNEE JERK REACTION TO PIN ONE FALL MAN WILL NOT ADDRESS THE DEEPER CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE. SINCE BECOMING PRESIDENT, OUR STUDENTS AND STAFF, SAFETY AND SECURITY HAS BEEN ONE OF MY HIGHEST PRIORITIES. OVER THE PAST YEAR.

I'VE WITNESSED THE ADMINISTRATION ALIGN WITH THESE PRIORITIES IN THE AFTERMATH OF THE TRAGEDY, I WORKED CLOSELY WITH DOCTOR BOLSON AND WITH THE ADMINISTRATION TO JOINTLY MAKE DECISIONS THAT PRIORITIZE THE WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STAFF. YES, THERE IS PLENTY OF ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT, BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I HAVE SEEN NO EVIDENCE OF GROSS NEGLIGENCE, WILLFUL NEGLECT OR INCOMPETENCE THAT WOULD JUSTIFY A RESIGNATION OR TERMINATION. I BELIEVE DOCTOR BOLSON REMAINS FULLY COMMITTED TO THE SAFETY OF OUR SCHOOLS, BUT I SHARE THE CONCERNS OF THIS COMMUNITY, AND I UNDERSTAND THE GRAVITY OF OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, HOWEVER MEANINGFUL PROGRESS REQUIRES BOTH DECISIVE AND INFORMED ACTION. THEREFORE, THIS EVENING I'M ANNOUNCING THAT I WILL WORK WITH MY BOARD, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS, AND BOARD COUNSEL TO INITIATE AN INDEPENDENT ANALYSIS OF THE SHOOTING AND THE MURDER AND THE FACTORS THAT LED TO IT. THIS PROCESS WILL BE CONDUCTED TRANSPARENTLY, AND WE WILL SHARE THE RELEVANT FINDINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE TAKE EVERY STEP NECESSARY TO PREVENT FUTURE TRAGEDIES IN TIMES OF CRISIS, IT IS NATURAL TO SEEK SOMEONE TO BLAME. HOWEVER LEADERSHIP CALLS FOR US TO FOCUS ON SOLUTIONS THAT ARE ROOTED IN FACTS. WE WILL NOT SHY AWAY FROM THE DIFFICULT DECISIONS STEMMING

[01:40:01]

[A. Consent Agenda]

NUMBER ONE CONTRACT AWARD, MATERIALS OF INSTRUCTION CATALOG. DISCOUNT PROGRAM.

NUMBER TWO. SCHOOL SPONSORED PROJECT. RED PUMP ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HARFORD COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS, TREE PLANTING AND MEADOW ESTABLISHMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU.

MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA, PLEASE? I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. CAROL. BRUCE, I SECOND THE MOTION. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES.

YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. NO. OH, NO. OKAY THAT'S THAT'S ALL. YESES. FOR THE RECORD, IT'S ALL YESES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE

[B. Presentation of Harford County Public Schools Academic Performance Data Reports and School Performance and Achievement, Ms. Heather Kutcher, Executive Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, Mr. Phillip Snyder, Supervisor of Accountability, Ms. Sara Saacks, Coordinator of North Star & School Performance Initiatives, Ms. Rose Martino, Principal of Roye-Williams Elementary School, and Mr. Brad Spence, Principal of Havre de Grace High School ]

HI. GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT WILSON AND BOARD, I AM HEATHER. I'M SORRY WE CAN'T HEAR YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A MIC THING. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES. OKAY I'M HEATHER KUTCHER, THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CURRICULU, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT. AND BEFORE I GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'LL BE SHARING THIS EVENING, I'M GOING TO ASK EACH MEMBER WHO'S UP HERE TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, ALTHOUGH YOU WILL HEAR FROM THEM AS WE GO THROUGHOUT OUR PRESENTATION, BRAD SPENCE, THE PRINCIPAL OF HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL. GOOD EVENING, ROSE MARTINO, PRINCIPAL AT ROY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY. AND PHIL SNYDER, SUPERVISOR OF ACCOUNTABILITY. HI. GOOD EVENING, SARAH SACHS, COORDINATOR OF NORTH STAR AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE INITIATIVES. THANK YOU ALL. SO OUR PURPOSE THIS EVENING IS TO SHARE AN OVERVIEW OF DATA REPORTS THAT WILL BE PRESENTED PUBLICLY THROUGH BOARD MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THIS YEAR, AND WILL HELP PAINT THE PICTURE OF THE SCHOOL PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT PROCESS, AS WELL AS HOW CENTRAL SERVICES COLLABORATES WITH SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ON COLLECTING AND ANALYZING STUDENT DATA IN ORDER TO SET GOALS AND MONITOR PROGRESS AND GROWTH. THE WORK OF ALL CPS OFFICES ALIGNS WITH THE MISSION VISION CORE VALUES, AND LONG TERM GOALS OF THE BOARD. THROUGH THESE DATA PRESENTATIONS, YOU WILL SEE THE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN CENTRAL SERVICES AND SCHOOLS HIGHLIGHTED WITH A SPECIAL FOCUS ON OUR COLLECTIVE WORK TOWARDS GOAL ONE. PREPARING EVERY STUDENT FOR SUCCESS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION AND CAREER IS NOT THE PURVIEW OF ANY ONE INDIVIDUAL OR ANY ONE OFFICE. IT IS THE COLLECTIVE ALIGNMENT OF EFFORTS RELATED TO ORGANIZING AND PUBLISHING ASSESSMENT DATA, DELIVERING TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT AROUND CONTENT PEDAGOGY, ASSESSMENTS AND USE OF DATA. SUPPORTING THE ONGOING CYCLE OF SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT WORK THROUGH COACHING AND ANALYZING DATA FROM BOTH. BOTH THE MOST MACRO LEVEL OF THE DISTRICT DOWN TO THE MOST MICRO LEVEL OF AN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT. THAT IS WHAT ALLOWS US TO MAKE CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTS. THESE PRESENTATIONS ARE DESIGNED TO BOTH INFORM THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC OF HOW OUR STUDENTS PERFORMED ON MULTIPLE MEASURES OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES, AND TO SHARE THE EXTENSIVE EFFORTS TOWARDS IMPROVING WHEREVER WE ARE ON EACH ONE. OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, YOU WILL SEE PRESENTATIONS THAT INCLUDE PERFORMANCE DATA FROM SOURCES SUCH AS STATE ASSESSMENTS, LOCAL ASSESSMENTS, DUAL ENROLLMENT COURSE GRADES, SYSTEMIC WRITING PROJECTS, AND MORE. TONIGHT LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR THESE RECURRING PRESENTATIONS. MR. PHIL SNYDER WILL DIG MORE INTO OUR PURPOSE FOR THIS PARTICULAR EVENING. GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS.

THANK YOU, MRS. KOCHER. SO TONIGHT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE SHARING ANY DATA, BUT WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT OUR OVERVIEW FOR WHAT THE ENTIRE YEAR IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE AS MEMBERS OF CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION, ASSESSMENT AND OR OTHER OFFICES WILL BE AT THE AT THE TABLE HERE SHARING SOME DATA WITH YOU REGARDING MANY OF OUR TOPICS. SO TONIGHT, IS AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT

[01:45:05]

SO SPA, WE TAKE THIS PROCESS, ALIGN IT WITH THE INFORMATION WE HAVE WITH OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMS TO MAKE THOSE DECISION. THIS GRAPHIC HERE IS TO ILLUSTRATE THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS. SO AS EACH NEW DATA SET COMES IN, MR. SNYDER DESCRIBED THOSE EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION AS EACH OF THOSE DATA SETS COMES IN OUR SCHOOL TEAMS AS WELL AS OUR CENTRAL SERVICES, GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS OF ANALYZING THAT DATA, SETTING GOALS TO HIT TARGETS, AND THEN CREATING VERY SPECIFIC ACTIONS WITHIN THE PLAN THAT WE MONITOR THE PROGRESS.

AND THEN IS IT WORKING? IS THIS TRULY WORKING? HOW CAN WE OPTIMIZE? WHAT IS LEVERAGE THAT.

AND THEN ALSO DETERMINE WHAT DO WE NEED TO MOVE AWAY FROM OR WHAT DO WE NEED TO ADJUST. SO FOR AN EXAMPLE, AT THE END OF A SCHOOL YEAR WE HAVE END OF YEAR LOCAL ASSESSMENT DATA. WE HAVE

[01:50:04]

AND TO HELP OUR SCHOOLS PRIORITIZE WHAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT WITHIN OUR GOALS. EACH LEVEL HAS CONSISTENT FOCUS AREAS FOR THE GOALS. SO READING ACROSS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT WE START WITH THOSE HIGH SCHOOL FOCUS AREAS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE GRADUATE OUTCOMES FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER PREPARATION. IN THE MIDDLE, WE HAVE MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THEIR FOCUS AREAS ARE GOALS THAT ARE ALIGNED TO ON TRACK TOWARDS THAT CCR, THAT COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS PREPARATION THROUGH READING, WRITING AND MATHEMATIC. AT THE ELEMENTARY, THE FOCUS AREAS ARE THOSE LEARNER ATTRIBUTE OUTCOMES THAT WE ALIGN TO IN READING AND MATHEMATICS. MANY OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ALSO INCLUDE A THIRD GOAL FOCUS AREA WITH WELLNESS, WHERE THEY MONITOR ATTENDANCE DATA BASED ON THEIR NEEDS AND THE DIFFERENCE THERE AT THE SECONDARY SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL, IS THAT ATTENDANCE IS MONITORED WITH A SEPARATE ATTENDANCE TEAM. SO IT'S JUST NOT DIRECTLY INCLUDED IN THE SPA PLAN. BUT IT'S RELATED, AND THE TEAM MEMBERS ARE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TO DO SOME OF THAT TRIANGULATION OF THE DATA. AS MR. SNYDER MENTIONED, THE OTHER CONSISTENT PIECE YOU SEE HERE IS THAT FOR EACH FOCUS AREA, THERE ARE KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS THAT ARE LEADING INTO THAT DATA. BECAUSE WE KNOW OUR MCAT DATA, OUR TESTING DATA, IT'S AN ANNUAL PIECE. SO WE CAN'T MEASURE MID-YEAR ON AN MCAT TEST NECESSARILY. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE LEADING INDICATORS TO SHOW ARE WE MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS TOWARDS THOSE GOALS. SO THOSE COME INTO PLAY WITH THE DATA POINTS THAT AGAIN MR. SNYDER MENTIONED YOU'LL BE HEARING DIFFERENT BRIEFINGS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. OUR I-READY DATA, THAT'S A NEW PIECE FOR US.

YOU SEE, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND ELEMENTARY, WE ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT GRADES CREDITS ON TRACK TOWARDS GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. SO EACH LEVEL HAS THOSE CONSISTENT MEASURES. WE CAN LOOK AT ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO THIS SLIDE HAS WHAT IS A SCREENSHOT OF A PORTION OF THE SPAR PLAN TEMPLATE THAT SCHOOLS UTILIZE TO DOCUMENT THIS INFORMATION THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

SPAR PLANS FOR US HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY ARE LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENTS. WE TAKE THAT SUMMER TIME TO REALLY LAUNCH OUR SCHOOL YEAR AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE YEAR IN EACH INTERVAL, SCHOOLS ARE LOOKING AT THAT DATA. YOU SEE THAT ILLUSTRATION OF THAT CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT PROCESS UP IN THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF YOUR SCREEN? WE WALKED THROUGH THAT. SO THIS IS WHERE THEY DOCUMENT EACH PART OF THAT AND THEN CAN MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. NOW WHAT YOU DON'T SEE ON THE SCREEN ARE THOSE INTERVAL SPOTS FOR THAT SUMMARY. BUT THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR EXHIBITS ALSO INCLUDED IN TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION. SO YOU HAVE A FULL COPY. SO AS YOU SAW ON THIS SLIDE, EACH LEVEL HAS CONSISTENT FOCUS AREAS. SO IN THE SPAR PLAN TEMPLATE SCHOOLS RECEIVE A TEMPLATE THAT HAS A FOCUS AREA A CHART WITH ALL OF THOSE COMPONENTS FOR EACH FOCUS AREA. SO THEY HAVE THIS CONSISTENCY TO BE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH THAT WITHIN THEIR RHYTHM AND CADENCE OF THEIR MEETINGS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO TONIGHT, AS INTRODUCED EARLIER, MRS. MARTINO AND MR. SPENCE ARE HERE WITH US TO SHARE THEIR PRINCIPALS PERSPECTIVE. SITTING IN THE SEAT IN THE BUILDING WITH THEIR SCHOOL TEAMS, THEIR GRADE LEVELS, THEIR DEPARTMENT MEETINGS TO REALLY GIVE INSIGHT AS TO HOW THIS PROCESS IS IMPLEMENTED AT THE SCHOOL LEVEL.

MRS. MARTINO. SO GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. I APOLOGIZE FOR MY VOICE, SO OUR SPAR TEAM AT OUR SCHOOL IS MADE UP OF SEVERAL EDUCATORS, ADMINISTRATORS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS. IT'S A WIDE

[01:55:06]

SO THAT LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT PIECE REALLY SHOWED FOR US LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE STARTED WITH ONE PLAN, AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, IT HAD COMPLETELY CHANGED TO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.

THAT REALLY DID IMPACT OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE HAVE SOME GOOD DATA COMING OUT SOON TO SHOW THAT ON OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL SIDE, IT REALLY DID HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT ON OUR ACHIEVEMENT. FOR THE HIGH SCHOOL SIDE, WE REALLY WANTED TO FOCUS ON HAVING OUR 10TH GRADERS BE CCR, AND NOW THAT'S A THAT'S A TERM THAT IS USED. BUT REALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS IT PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR STUDENTS PAST 10TH GRADE TO DO A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS IN THEIR INTEREST LEVEL. AND WE TALK ABOUT MEETING KIDS WHERE THEY ARE AND HAVING KIDS BE WHAT THEY WANT TO BE WHEN THEY GET OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, BEING THE PRINCIPAL OF A OF A SIX THROUGH 12

[02:00:01]

SO WE STARTED FOCUSING ON OUR NINTH GRADERS, MID YEAR LAST YEAR. THAT MAY NOT BE ON TRACK TO EARN ALL THEIR CREDITS. WE DID AGAIN, SMALL GROUP INTERVENTION TUTORING PRACTICES WE ADOPTED. WE HAD AN ADOPT A FRESHMAN PROGRAM THAT ALL DEVELOPED OUT OF SPAR. AND THESE PRACTICES CONTINUED TO GROW TO A LARGER GROUP OF STUDENTS AS THE YEAR WENT ON, AS WE END AT THE END OF LAST YEAR, WE LOOKED AT THE DATA THAT WE HAD MET WITH, SAW SOME SUCCESS WITH THOSE STUDENTS, SAW THAT WE DID HAVE BETTER ATTENDANCE, HIGHER TEST SCORES, THEY EARNED MORE CREDIT.

AND WE DECIDED AS A TEAM IN THE SUMMER THAT WE WERE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH THAT COHORT OF STUDENTS THROUGH THE BEGINNING OF 10TH GRADE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WERE ON TRACK TO EARN THEIR CREDITS TO BE CCR CERTIFIED. AND THEN ONCE WE WERE CONFIDENT THAT THEY HAVE THE SKILLS AND PROCESSES NECESSARY TO DO IT ON THEIR OWN IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO A NEW GROUP OF NINTH GRADERS, AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE THAT CYCLE. LOOKING AT THAT DATA ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THOSE KIDS. SO WE HAVE BEEN THE PAST TWO YEARS WITH OUR SPAR TEAM HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL, AND WHILE SHE SAID, I HAVE TO SAY BECAUSE HAVRE DE GRACE IN ATTENDANCE, WHILE SHE SAYS ATTENDANCE IS NOT PART OF THE SPAR PLAN, IT IS A VERY LARGE PART OF OUR SPAR PLAN. WE DON'T QUANTIFY IT WITHIN THE SPAR PLAN, BUT WE SHOWED THE DIRECT CORRELATION OF OUR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT THAT GOES ALONG WITH THEIR ATTENDANCE IN OUR BUILDING. AND WE HAVE IMPROVED IN THAT AS WELL. SO THE LIVING BREATHING DOCUMENT TRULY DOES HAPPEN AT HAVRE DE GRACE. THANK YOU BOTH. I THINK THE ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM BOTH OF YOUR YOUR STORIES HERE AND YOUR, YOUR INSIGHTS IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE THOSE CONSISTENT MEASURES, THE CONSISTENT FOCUS AREAS, WE ARE A SCHOOL SYSTEM. IT ALLOWS AUTONOMY FOR SCHOOL LEADERS TO MAKE THE INSTRUCTIONAL DECISIONS THEY NEED TO BASED ON THE DATA THEY HAVE, AND TO PERSONALIZE IT TO THEIR SCHOOL COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU BOTH FOR SHARING THAT. AS I MENTIONED AT THE START, EVERY OFFICE IS EVERY OFFICE IN CENTRAL SERVICES IS INVOLVED IN SUPPORTING THE SCHOOL HOUSE. AND SO EVERY OFFICE WORKS TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC DATA. FOR EXAMPLE, THE CURRICULUM OFFICE HAS QUARTERLY MEETINGS BETWEEN MRS. SACKS AND SPECIFICALLY THE MATH AND ELA OFFICES TO STAY ALIGNED IN THAT WORK TO SUPPORT GOALS LIKE YOU HEARD FROM MRS. MARTINO AND MR. SPENCE, WE PROVIDE SUPPORT DIRECTLY TO SCHOOLS BASED ON THEIR SPA GOALS. WHAT IS IDENTIFIED AND WHAT THEY WOULD NEED IF THAT'S ATTENDANCE AND SUPPORTED BY STUDENT SERVICES, IF IT'S SPECIFIC TO MATH, READING OR ANOTHER CONTENT AREA SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR OFFICE. AND ALL OF US ALSO LEND A HAND TO OBSERVATIONS AND EVALUATIONS TO IMPROVE TEACHER PRACTICE, TO ALSO IMPROVE THAT STUDENT DATA.

SO AGAIN, THIS IS NOT THE OWNERSHIP OR THE PURVIEW OF ANY INDIVIDUAL OR OFFICE. IT IS A COLLECTIVE EFFORT TOWARDS GOAL ONE. SO HOPEFULLY YOU HEARD SOME OF THAT. THIS EVENING WITH THE MULTIPLE OFFICES REPRESENTED HERE, AND THAT COLLECTIVE COLLABORATIVE EFFORT TO TAKE THE DATA DOWN TO THAT MICRO LEVEL OF A STUDENT AT A SCHOOL TO MAKE SOME IMPACT ON STUDENTS. WE ARE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. WELL, I HAVE SEVERAL COMMENTS AND CONCERNS. SO WE STARTED OUT WITH THE STATEMENT THAT WE HAVE MACRO AND MICRO DATA, BUT THERE'S VERY LITTLE DATA PRESENTED HERE, THERE'S NO DATA MODEL THAT'S SHOWN. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF SOUNDBITES ON WHAT WE WANT TO ACHIEVE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SPAR FORMAT, IT'S BASICALLY A FORM. IT'S NOT QUANTIFIABLE DATA. SO I'M NOT REALLY FOLLOWING HOW YOU PLAN ON DOING ANY KIND OF ANALYTICAL ASSESSMENT OF THE SUPPORTS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN PLACE. I HEARD TUTORING MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO SEE WHETHER OR NOT TUTORING IS ACTUALLY MAKING AN IMPACT ON THAT INDIVIDUAL STUDENT. I HEARD INDIVIDUAL STUDENT MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES. THERE'S NOTHING HERE THAT SHOWS THAT THERE'S A THERE'S ANY KIND OF ANALYSIS FOR AN INDIVIDUAL STUDENT. DO WE HAVE A DATA MODEL LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF ORGANIZATION OF THE DATA, AND YOU KNOW, I DON'T SEE IT. I HAVEN'T SEEN IT SINCE I'VE GOTTEN ON THE BOARD. I'VE, YOU KNOW, I IT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING AS A DATA SCIENTIST AND AN ANALYST TO NOT SEE THAT THERE'S A STRUCTURE THAT CAN REALLY LOOK AT THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'RE MAKING AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR STUDENT SUCCESS. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CONTINUE DOWN THIS PATH, WE WASTE A LOT OF MONEY ON THINGS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. SO I AM VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S PRESENTED THERE WAS THERE WAS MENTION IN, IN SLIDE, SLIDE

[02:05:06]

YOU HAVE IT BROKEN OUT ALWAYS BY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, DEMOGRAPHICS. CAN YOU BREAK THAT OUT? CAN YOU CONSIDER OTHER COVARIATES IN YOUR ANALYSIS, SUCH AS CLASS SIZE. SO IF YOU'RE REFERRING TO THE PERFORMANCE MATTERS IN DATA DASHBOARDS, THAT WAS JUST AN EXAMPLE TO SHOW YOU WHAT OUR DASHBOARDS LOOK LIKE. RIGHT? I'M JUST ASKING CAN THOSE TOOLS BE OFFER AN ANALYSIS OR BE USED TO DO AN ANALYSIS THAT LOOKS AT OTHER VARIABLES AS WELL, SUCH AS CLASS SIZE, IT COULD BE, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE PROGRAMED IN, BUT YES, THAT IS AN EXAMPLE THAT WE COULD DISSEC.

I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, AND ON YOUR SLIDE NINE ON THE LOWER RIGHT IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU HAVE BEHAVIORAL REFERRALS, DISCIPLINE, ATTENDANCE AS PROGRESS MONITORING IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE THOSE ALSO MONITORED IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND HIGH SCHOOLS? YES. IT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT CORRECT. SO FOR IN WORKING WITH ELEMENTARY ED SERVICES AND THE PRINCIPALS AT THE ELEMENTARY THROUGH LAST YEAR TO DETERMINE WHERE WE GO, BECAUSE IT'S A CONTINUOUS FEEDBACK CYCLE FOR US AS WELL TO GET INPUT FROM THE SCHOOLS. WHEN WE LOOKED AT GOAL THREE, FOCUS AREA OF WELLNESS, THERE IS A NOTE. IT'S BASED ON DATA AND NEED. AS SOMETIMES AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL WE MAY HAV. AND I DEFINITELY WANT MISS MARTINO TO JUMP IN. AND I BELIEVE DOCTOR MACK IS HERE AS WELL. SO WE MAY HAVE VARIOUS NEEDS DEPENDING ON THAT DATA AT A PARTICULAR SCHOOL. SO GOAL THREE WAS CONSIDERED OPTIONAL, BUT REALLY BASED ON THAT DATA NEED. AND SO IF A SCHOOL AT ELEMENTARY IS MONITORING ANY TYPE OF DISCIPLINE OR REFERRAL

[02:10:06]

THUMBS UP. ARE YOU HAVING A GOOD DAY? AND IF THEY'RE NOT JUST KIND OF TALKING TO THEM? BUT I AGREE WITH YOU. I THINK THAT JUST REALLY SOLIDIFIES FOR THAT CHILD. I DO HAVE SOMEONE HERE THAT'S LOOKING OUT FOR ME AND HELPING ME, AND WE GOT THAT THROUGH THE CHECKING CONNECT SYSTEM, AND WE KEEP DATA ON THAT. THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO OUR SCHOOL AND TO OUR PBIS PLAN, THAT KIND OF THING. VERY GOOD. AND DO YOU THINK THOSE ARE FAIRLY REFLECTIVE OF THE OTHER MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS? I CAN TELL YOU. AND I HEARD MR. SPENCE SAY, ABSOLUTELY. AND EVERYTHING I'M PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY, I HAVE LISTENED TO MY COLLEAGUES, THE WONDERFUL ADMINISTRATORS IN ELEMENTARY AROUND THE COUNTY, AND I'VE BORROWED IDEAS FOR THEM, OR WE DEVELOPED IDEAS TOGETHER. SO IT'S ACROSS THE COUNTY AND ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL COLLEAGUES ARE ALL ON BOARD. NONE OF THIS WORK IS DONE INDIVIDUALLY. WE'RE ALL BUILDING UPON THE WORK OF EACH OTHER, SPEAKING TO EACH OTHER ACROSS GRADE LEVELS, ACROSS GROUPS. IT'S ALL DONE TOGETHER, AND WE COULDN'T DO IT WITHOUT EACH OTHER. THE CHECK AND CONNECT EMPLOYEES ARE THEY FULL TIME OR PART TIME? THEY'RE OUR STAFF AT SCHOOL. I CAN BE A CHECK AND CONNECT PERSON FOR A STUDENT. WE HAVE ADMINISTRATORS, PARENT EDUCATORS, INCLUSION HELPERS, CLASSROOM TEACHERS, CUSTODIANS. THEY SIGN UP. IT IS VOLUNTARY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU OUR LIST IS LONG AND OUR PEOPLE ARE CARING. THAT'S GREAT. THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU. CAN YOU GIVE ME AN EXAMPLE OF A GOAL ON A SPA PLAN FOR ONE OF THOSE ELEMENTS? IS IT LIKE IMPROVEMENT IN PERCENT IMPROVEMENT IN DIBELS SCORE OR WHAT? WHAT'S AN EXAMPLE OF ONE.

SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT KINDERGARTEN AND THE DIBBLE SCORE, WE TAKE THE BASELINE DATA THAT WE WILL GET AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR. THEN WE'LL SIT DOWN AS A KINDERGARTEN TEAM AND WE'LL MAKE A GOAL OF WHERE WE WANT TO GET BY MID YEAR, AND THEN WE'LL MAKE A GOAL FOR WHERE WE WANT TO GET BY END OF YEAR. AND THEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN TO MAKE THAT GOAL. YOU KNOW, FOR THOSE STUDENTS, A LOT OF THAT WILL HAPPEN IN THE SEE FIT PROCESS. A LOT OF THAT WILL HAPPEN, THROUGH THE SPA TEAM MEETING, TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS TALKING ABOUT DATA AND MOVING IT FROM THERE. AND EACH CHILD IS DIFFERENT. IT DEPENDS ON WHERE THEY COME IN.

SO I CAN'T WE CAN'T DO LIKE AN OVERARCHING SOMETIMES IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY CLASS AND THAT TYPE OF THING. SO IT'S INDIVIDUAL VERY INDIVIDUALIZED OKAY. SOME OF OUR SPA GOALS ARE A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE BIT BROADER, IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WE WERE A LOT MORE. YEAH, YEAH. IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WE WERE LOOKING TO IMPROVE OUR MATH SCORES, ESPECIALLY WITHIN A CERTAIN SUBGROUP. SO OUR GOAL WAS TO IMPROVE IT A CERTAIN AMOUNT, CERTAIN PERCENTAGE TO MOVING STUDENTS TO PROFICIENT, AND THAT AGAIN, IT'S NOT A ONE SHOT DEAL FOR US. WE ARE MOVING FORWARD IN

[02:15:06]

SO ABSOLUTELY, THOSE THINGS GO HAND IN HAND AND ARE OCCURRING OKAY. THANK YOU. THANKS A LOT FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I HAVE A QUESTION. YOU SAID THAT YOU MEET REGULARLY THESE GROUP FOR THIS.

WOULD IT NOT BE HELPFUL IF A MEMBER OF THE BOARD WANTED TO JUST OBSERVE THAT PROCESS, AS OPPOSED TO HAVING TO COLLECT A LOT OF DATA AND GET THE DATA UP HERE? IF YOU. BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I WENT OUT AND LOOKED AT THE PROCESS FOR DOING THIS ELECTION, WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR READY AND ALL THAT, IT HELPED ME TO JUST OBSERVE. SO I WOULD RECOMMEND TO BOARD MEMBERS AS OPPOSED TO ASKING FOR A LOT OF DATA, MAYBE SITTING IN ON ONE OF YOUR SCHOOLS SPA PLAN MEETINGS AND YOU WOULD SEE WHAT DATA WAS COLLECTED AND HOW IT WOULD BE USED. ABSOLUTELY. JUST A SUGGESTION BECAUSE I DON'T NEED A LOT OF DATA. WE'LL SIGN YOU U. I WOULD BE OPEN TO THAT. I WOULD LOVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA. I WOULD LOVE TO LOOK AT THE DATA MODEL, THE STRUCTURE AND HOW IT'S ANALYZED THE PROCESS. AND IT'S THAT DATA. ANYTHING ELSE I WOULD ALSO BE OPEN TO COMING AND SITTING IN ON IT. I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING AND I CAN'T WAIT TO, DIVE IN DEEPER AND FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION, EXACTLY HOW EVERYTHING IS, AND THANK YOU GUYS FOR BRINGING THE INFORMATION TO US. AND THANK YOU FOR DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU D. MISS MACK, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? SO I'LL JUST GIVE A COUPLE OF. I'M SORRY. GO AHEAD, MR. SEWELL. YEAH. SO FIRST, I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT ABOVE AND BEYOND YOUR REGULAR WORK DAY. REALLY APPRECIATE THA. AND IT'S CLEAR TO ME ALL THE EFFORT THAT'S GOING IN TO IMPROVING STUDENT PERFORMANCE, TO INNOVATING, AND FOR MANY OR MOST IF NOT ALL OF THESE FOLKS THAT ARE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS, THEY'RE THEY HAVE A REGULAR JOB LIKE THEY THEY'RE TEACHERS, THE SPOT THERE'S A SPOT COORDINATOR. IS THAT RIGHT? AND A FACILITATOR AT EACH SCHOOL. AND THAT IS TYPICALLY A REGULAR TEACHER, RIGHT? IT IS A CLASSROOM TEACHER. OKAY. SO THIS IS ABOVE AND BEYOND. SO WE DON'T HAVE LIKE A JOB LIKE A SPA FACILITATOR. THAT'S A JOB LIKE A THAT'S WHAT THE PERSON DOES. WE HAVE CERTAIN SCHOOLS THAT DO HAVE IT THEIR PRIORITY SCHOOLS.

THAT WAS BASED ON PRIORITY STAFFING. SO WE HAVE A SMALL SELECT FEW THAT DO. IT'S ONE ELEMENTARY AND THE OTHERS ARE AT SECONDARY. SO MR. SPENCE HAS I JUST GOT ONE THIS YEAR. AWESOME SO BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO MOVE THAT NEEDLE SO FAR THE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IS REQUIRED, THERE'S NO WAY A REGULAR JUST A NORMAL EVERYDAY SCHOOL TEACHER COULD COULD POSSIBLY TACKLE THAT MUCH WORK. AND COORDINATION AND STILL TEACH A CLASS, TEACH CLASSES EFFECTIVELY, SO I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THAT, SO JUST WANTED TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION FOR HOW HARD YOU WORK AND FOR EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S OUT THERE, IF ANYBODY'S LISTENING, THAT'S PART OF THE SPOT PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THIS BOARD IS UNDER A LENS, RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT STUDENT PERFORMANCE, YOU HEAR IT? SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST IT'S REALLY AMAZING THE EFFORT THAT'S GOING GOING IN AND THE THING IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANALOGY THAT IS PROBABLY OVERUSED, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU ARE TRYING TO INNOVATE THE AIRPLANE AS WE'RE FLYING IT. RIGHT? AND THAT AIRPLANE IS CHANGING EVERY YEAR. THE IN PARTICULARLY IN SOME COMMUNITIES. RIGHT? I MEAN, WE HAVE COMMUNITIES WHERE THE STUDENTS ARE PRETTY, PRETTY STABLE, RIGHT. LIKE PARTICULARLY ELEMENTARY LIKE K THROUGH FIVE, YOU GOT SIX YEARS. THE STUDENTS ARE PRETTY MUCH THE SAME WHERE WE HAVE OTHER COMMUNITIES THAT IT'S VERY TRANSIENT. THE STUDENTS ARE IN AND OUT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE SAME SCHOOL YEAR AND TO TRY TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT STUDENTS COMING IN WITH THEIR DIFFERENT NEEDS AND TRYING TO ADDRESS THOSE AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THEY ARE AND THEN ADDRESS THEM. IT TAKES TIME AND THEN BY THE TIME WE FIGURE IT OUT, THE STUDENT MAY BE GONE TO ANOTHER EITHER

[02:20:03]

ANYTHING ELSE? OKAY, JUST SOME CONCLUDING COMMENTS. SO AS YOU GUYS ARE WELL AWARE OF, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IS ONE OF THE TOP. IF NOT THE TOP BOARD PRIORITY, I MEAN, AT THE END OF THE DAY WITH EVERYTHING WE DO, THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE, RIGHT, SO I APPRECIATE THE, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT WAS AN APPETIZER OF THINGS TO COME, WE HAVE I JUST PUSHED IT OUT TO THE BOARD. IT WAS KIND OF IN DRAFT FORM, BUT I JUST PUSHED OUT THE FULL SCHEDULE. SO WITH THIS BEING A TOP BOARD PRIORITY, AT LEAST MONTHLY, I THINK WE HAVE A BRIEFING ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, AT LEAST SOMETIMES TWICE PER MONTH. SO WE'LL SEE A LOT OF YOU GUYS. SO THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LOT OF DATA TO COME, WHICH WILL HELP US MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS ON HOW TO IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. WE'LL HEAR MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN DOCTOR BOLSON BRIEFS THE HIS

[C. Presentation of Proposed 2025-2026 Harford County Public Schools Calendar, Ms. Jillian Lader, Manager of Communications and Dr. Peter Carpenter, Director of Organizational Development and Continuous Learning ]

I APPRECIATE IT. OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C PRESENTATION OF PROPOSED 2025 2026 SCHOOL CALENDAR. MISS JILLIAN, LATER MANAGER OF COMMUNICATIONS AND DOCTOR PETER CARPENTER, DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND CONTINUOUS LEARNING, WELCOME BOTH OF YOU. TO THE FACE TO THE NAME. THAT WAS REALLY SWEET. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT PUTIN.

VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, I'M GOING TO BEFORE I EVEN START BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE I JUST SHRUNK. YOU MAY HAVE CHAIRS HERE, TAKE THIS ONE. TAKE THAT ONE. THANK YOU. SORRY. MUSICAL CHAIRS. THERE WE GO.

NEVER KNEW THAT. FELT VERY LOW. THANK YOU, AND CONTINUING ON BOARD MEMBERS AND OF COURSE, SUPERINTENDENT PAULSON, I JUST WANT TO MAKE A LITTLE CLOSER. WE CAN HEAR YOU, BUT IT DOESN'T SEEM LIKE IT'S COMING. IS THAT BETTER? YEAH. OKAY. THANKS. WE ARE BRINGING THE 2025, 2026 SCHOOL CALENDAR, FOR THE FIRST PRESENTATION TONIGHT. SO THERE'S NO VOTE TONIGHT. THIS IS SIMPLY PRESENTING THE INFORMATION AND THEN THE BOARD POLICY REQUIRES THAT IT GO OUT FOR 60 DAYS OF PUBLIC COMMENT AND FEEDBACK. SO THIS TONIGHT IS JUST SHARING WITH YOU WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS. SO LAST YEAR WE WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS AS WE NORMALLY DO. AND FOLLOWING THAT CONVERSATION LAST YEAR WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH DOCTOR POINTON AND TALK ABOUT HOW MAYBE WE COULD STREAMLINE THE PROCESS THIS YEAR. SO ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE ARE INITIATING A CHANGE IN THE CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS THIS YEAR WAS THAT WE ASKED THE BOARD TO PRESENT THEIR STARTING POINT FOR THE CALENDAR TO US FIRST, AS A CALENDAR COMMITTEE. THAT WAY, WE COULD TAKE THE THINGS THAT THE BOARD WAS HOPING TO ACHIEVE THIS YEAR, HAVE THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE DISCUSS THOSE ITEMS, MAKE ANY PROPOSALS THAT THEY, AS A COMMITTEE, FELT PASSIONATE ABOUT, AND THEN GIVE YOU BOTH OPTIONS TO CONSIDER AND THEN MOVE FORWARD WITH. SO AS A REMINDER, FOR ANYONE THAT IS NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE CALENDAR PROCESS THAT MAY BE LISTENING, BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE LIVED AND BREATHED THIS PREVIOUSLY, BUT LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE MEET AS A CALENDAR COMMITTEE, THAT HAS MULTIPLE PEOPLE ON IT FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE, FROM WITHIN THE SYSTEM, FROM OUTSIDE THE SYSTEM, PARENT, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WE TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP OF COMMITTEE MEMBERS SO THAT WE GET ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. THE COMMITTEE COMES TOGETHER THIS YEAR. THE COMMITTEE REVIEWED THE PROPOSAL FROM THE BOARD FOR THE 2526 CALENDAR. AND THEN, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, WE REVIEW THOSE SUGGESTIONS THAT THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT, WE GO OVER THOSE TOGETHER AND THEN CREATE THOSE TWO DRAFTS. SO TONIGHT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO START WITH THE BOARD DRAFT CALENDAR FOR 2526, WALK THROUGH THAT, POINT OUT SOME OF THE MAIN POINTS AND SUMMARY POINTS OF THE CALENDAR AND THOSE GOALS FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS. AND WE DID HAVE MULTIPLE BOARD MEMBERS ON THE COMMITTEE. SO I KNOW THAT YOU GUYS WILL JUMP IN IF THERE'S ANYTHING I MISSED OR ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE POINTED OUT AS WELL. AND THEN WE'LL GO OVER THE CHANGES THAT THE COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED. SO WE HAVE OUR LOVELY COLOR CODED. MISS COKER STARTED THIS NEW CALENDAR DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WHICH WE USED AGAIN THIS YEAR BECAUSE IT IS VERY USER FRIENDLY TO COLOR CODE. ALL THOSE LITTLE BOXES, WHICH I KNOW PROBABLY GIVES SOME PEOPLE HEART PALPITATIONS. BUT NOW I KNOW ALL THE COLORS VERY WELL. AND SO THIS IS ALWAYS THE CALENDAR I LOOK AT, BECAUSE TO ME THIS IS THE QUICK AT A GLANCE. SO I WILL START WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR IN AUGUST 2025, THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN PINK, NOT SOLID PIN, BUT OUTLINED. THAT'S WHEN NEW NEW TEACHERS WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO START PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AND THEN ALL TEACHERS WOULD RETURN ON THE 25TH OF AUGUST FOR FIVE DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH WOULD BE THE TUESDAY AFTER LABOR DAY. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS PRESENTED IN THIS CALENDAR BY THE BOARD IS THE CONCEPT OF STARTING THE CLOSEST TUESDAY TO SEPTEMBER 1ST, EACH

[02:25:06]

GOING INTO SPRING BREAK, STARTING MARCH 30TH. AND THEN THAT CONTINUES FOR STUDENTS THROUGH APRIL 6TH. APRIL 6TH IS A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY, SO STAFF WOULD RETURN MONDAY, APRIL 6TH. THEN YOU HAVE THE 17TH AS AN EARLY DISMISSAL AS WELL AS MAY 22ND GOING INTO THE HOLIDAY ON THE 25TH, AS YOU ALL KNOW. AND JUST TO REMIND THOSE LISTENING AND ANYONE THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED IN MARYLAND TO HAVE 180 DAYS OF INSTRUCTION, AND THAT WOULD TAKE US TO JUNE 11TH. IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS. THE BOARD POLICY REQUIRES THAT WE BUILD SIX INTO THE CALENDAR, SO THOSE ARE THOSE BLUE OUTLINE DAYS. AND THOSE WOULD GO THROUGH JUNE 22ND. IF ALL SIX INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS WERE UTILIZED, THE DAY, THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, WHATEVER DAY THAT LANDS ON, SO WE HAVE IT MARKED ON THE 11TH WITH THE HOPE THAT THERE ARE NO INCLEMENT WEATHER. DAYS WILL BE AN EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS. AND THEN THE DAY AFTER THE LAST DAY FOR STUDENTS WOULD BE A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY FOR STAFF. SO AS A REMINDER TO ANYONE LISTENING THAT MAY NOT BE AWARE, THERE ARE SOME REQUIREMENTS LIKE IN THE NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS ABOUT WHICH HOLIDAYS AND THOSE ARE ALL REFLECTED IN THE BOARD'S PROPOSED CALENDAR. AND MELISSA, I SAW A HAND. DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE A BREAK BETWEEN THE CALENDARS SO WE CAN ASK WHENEVER YOU'RE DONE? OKAY. IS THAT OKAY? WE'LL DO ONE BREAK, CONTINUE.

THANK YOU. OH. THAT'S IT. SURE. OKAY WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR. YEAH. BUT JUST BEFORE WE MOVE ON. SO OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, MISS HAHN. THE FIRST DAY OF PRE-K, I THINK IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE THIRD, AND IT WASN'T HIGHLIGHTED. IF YOU, IF YOU WE CAN MAKE IT'S USUALLY AM I AM I LYING? IT'S USUALLY TWO DAYS AFTER. SO THE FOURTH CORRECT. THE FOURTH. SO WE CAN ADD THAT AS THE PRE-K START DATE. AND THEN PRE-K SHOULD END TWO DAYS BEFORE. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD BE THE 9TH OF JUNE. I JUST DIDN'T SEE THE START DATE ON THERE. THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANT TO I DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE THE BOARD'S CALENDAR WITHOUT EXPRESSLY DISCUSSING IT WITH ANYONE. GOTCHA. THANK YOU. NO PROBLEM. I HAVE ONE QUESTION CONCERNING ASYNCHRONOUS AND SYNCHRONOUS DAYS, HOW ARE THEY BEING ADDRESSED? AND ARE WE GOING TO UTILIZE THEM, IN THIS CALENDAR, I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS FOR INCLEMENT WEATHER. ARE WE GOING TO GO, YOU KNOW, SYNCHRONOUS OR ASYNCHRONOUS? OF THE 2526 CALENDAR CONVERSATION, I THINK THAT THAT MAY BE A LITTLE PREMATURE, BECAUSE THAT DOES COME DOWN FROM THE STATE DEPARTMENT. AND SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT RULES THIS YEAR. I THINK THERE'S A SEPARATE CONVERSATION ABOUT HOW TO HANDLE INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. 2425 SO I DON'T WANT TO GET AHEAD OF US OR HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE THIS YEAR. AND I DON'T WANT TO START TALKING ABOUT 25, 26 AND CONFUSE ANYONE. OKAY I CAN ANSWER THAT ALSO. SO WE SENT OUT A SURVEY, I GUESS WHAT, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, ERIC AND WE GOT THE RESULTS BACK FROM THAT. SO THAT'LL BE A SEPARATE ITEM FOR THIS BOARD TO CONSIDER. PROBABLY

[02:30:03]

YEAH THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. SO THE THREE SYNCHRONOUS DAYS WE'RE LOOKING THE BOARD WILL DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO IMPLEMENT THAT. AND DOCTOR DAVIS IS THAT A YEAR BY YEAR THING. THAT'S A YEAR. SO WE WOULD MAKE THAT DECISION FOR THIS SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN FOR NEXT YEAR WE'D HAVE TO MAKE THAT DECISION AGAIN. AND WE WOULD JUST MODIFY THE CALENDAR ACCORDINGLY. IF THE BOARD FELT LIKE THEY WANTED TO DO THOSE DAYS. AND SO THAT WOULD JUST, YOU KNOW, IF WE IMPLEMENTED THOSE, THAT WOULD JUST MOVE THE, THE WORST POSSIBLE END DATE IN JUNE, UP THREE DAYS. RIGHT. BECAUSE YEAH. YEAH. SO IT'S. OKAY. ANYBODY ELSE OR WE CAN GO ON TO THE NEXT ONE. YEAH. OKAY. GOOD. SO THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE TOOK THE BOARD'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND HAD SOME DIALOGS ABOUT HOW WHAT WAS MOST IMPORTANT TO THEM AS WELL. SO LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE'S DRAFT PROPOSAL, YOU WILL SEE THAT THAT START DATE HAS MOVED. THERE WAS A LOT OF CONVERSATION AROUND THE REQUEST TO ALIGN WITH THE RETURN TO ATHLETICS IN OUR CAMPUSES.

THE REQUEST TO ALIGN WITH THE DUAL ENROLLMENT CLASSES STARTING AT HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.

WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE COLLEGE WHO REMINDED US OF THAT. AND THEN, OF COURSE, THE REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTION TIME PRIOR TO THE TESTING ADMINISTRATION THAT OCCURS. SO THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE PUT TOGETHER THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DEVELOPMENT FOR NEW HIRES BEGINNING AUGUST 14TH, AND THEN FOR ALL STAFF TO RETURN THE 18TH. SO THEN THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL FOR MOST STUDENTS WOULD BE THE 25TH. AND YOU HAVE THE DAY TWO DAYS LATER FOR PRE-K TO START, DENOTED IN THAT PURPLE. ON THE 27TH, WE WOULD STILL CLOSE FOR LABOR DAY, AND THEN THE COMMITTEE WANTED A CLOSURE FOR THE FIRST JEWISH HOLIDAY ON SEPTEMBER 23RD, AS WELL AS OCTOBER SECOND. AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THAT EARLY DISMISSAL ON THE 16TH GOING INTO THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAYS ON OCTOBER 17TH AND 20TH, WITH AN ADDITIONAL EARLY DISMISSAL ON THE 31ST AND THEN ELECTION DAY, NOVEMBER 4TH. THAT TIME IT ROLLED RIGHT OFF MY TONGUE. THANK YOU. AND NOVEMBER 11TH, VETERANS DAY, AN EARLY DISMISSAL. YOU'LL SEE THE THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY REMAINS THE SAME. THE WINTER BREAK STARTS ON THE 23RD WITH AN EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF, BUT THEN GOES THROUGH JANUARY 2ND, HAVING THE RETURN FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ON THE 5TH OF JANUARY. SO STUDENTS WOULD STILL BE OFF THAT MONDAY THE FIFTH. BUT STAFF WOULD RETURN FOR A FULL DAY OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY. AND I JUST MISSPOKE. THAT WOULD ALSO BE A TEACHER LED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY. LIKE IT WAS ON THE BOARD CALENDAR. SO THAT IS NOT A CHANGE FROM THE BOARD CALENDAR THAT IT WOULD BE TEACHER LED. AND THEN JANUARY 16TH WOULD BE AN EARLY DISMISSAL. AND THEN LEADING INTO THE 19TH HOLIDAY, SAME THING IN FEBRUARY AND EARLY DISMISSAL ON THE 13TH WITH THAT CLOSURE ON THE 16TH. AND THEN MARCH 13TH IS AN EARLY DISMISSAL FOR STUDENTS.

STAFF WOULD REMAIN AND SAME THING ON MARCH 27TH GOING INTO THE SPRING BREAK HOLIDAY, WHICH LOOKS EXACTLY THE SAME ON THIS CALENDAR AS WELL. AND THEN WITH THIS CALENDAR YEAR, 180 DAYS FOR MOST STUDENTS IS MONDAY, JUNE 8TH, WITH THE PRE-K ENDING TWO DAYS EARLIER ON THE FOURTH, AND AGAIN, WE HAVE THOSE SIX INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS THAT ARE DENOTED ON THE CALENDAR PER THE BOARD POLICY. SO WITH ALL SIX INCLEMENT WEATHER DAYS, THE LAST DAY WOULD BE JUNE 16TH. SO THAT IS A QUICK RUNDOWN OF ALL THE DIFFERENT COLORS ON BOTH CALENDARS, SO WHAT HAPPENS NOW IS LAST YEAR WE HAD A SURVEY AND WE'VE HAD SOME I'VE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH A COUPLE OF YOU THAT ARE ALSO ON THE BOARD, ON THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE ABOUT PUTTING OUT A SURVEY THIS YEAR THAT FOCUSES US ON CHOOSING ONE OR THE OTHER. AS WE ALL KNOW, WE COULD ALL TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT NUANCES AND PICK DIFFERENT PLACES TO PUT EARLY DISMISSALS AND MOVE LITTLE PIECES OF THIS. BUT IN THE END, WE ALSO KNOW, AS DOCTOR BOYNTON WILL SAY, THAT HE PROBABLY CAN QUOTE ME NOW, WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. WE'RE NOT GOING TO ANSWER EVERYONE'S REQUESTS FOR THE CALENDAR. SO OUR GOAL REALLY IS ABOUT FOCUSING ON THAT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THAT'S SO IMPORTANT TO THE BOARD. AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THAT WITH THE CALENDAR THAT WE PUT FORTH FOR THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR, SO MY GOAL WOULD BE TO PUT OUT A

[02:35:01]

OKAY. YEAH. YEAH. GREAT. THANK YOU. SO WE'RE DOING BETTER THAN THEN. YES. SO, YOU KNOW, COMING BACK TO THE DATA INTEGRITY PIECE OF IT FOR THE SURVEY. YOU KNOW THIS IS GOING TO GO OUT, I GUESS, THEN TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT THEY CAN THEY CAN TAKE THE SURVEY. I'LL HAVE TO CHECK WITH USMAN BECAUSE I'M NOT SURE HOW THE GENERAL PUBLIC FILLS ONE OUT IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT VERIFICATION PIECE. RIGHT, BUT I WOULD THINK IN THAT CASE, IF SOMEONE WERE TO APPROACH ME, I WOULD ENCOURAGE THEM TO WRITE IN COMMENTS IF THEY FELT AS THOUGH THEY COULDN'T COMPLETE THE SURVEY. PERFECT. SO THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE TIED TO STUDENT ID. ONE RESPONSE PER STUDENT ID THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. OKAY GREAT. THAT THAT'LL THAT'LL BE WONDERFUL, DOCTOR DAVIS. THAT'S HOW WE DID IT THE LAST COUPLE. RIGHT OKAY. YEAH, THAT'S AMAZING. ALL RIGHT. SO, AND HOPEFULLY A PARENT DOESN'T HAVE A DIFFERENT OPINION THAN THEIR STUDENT. THAT'S YOUR CHALLENGE IS YOU. YOU'RE LIMITING A STUDENT VOICE IF YOU DO IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO ASK SASHA TO REALLY REPRESENT AT THE SECOND COMMITTEE MEETING, SHE CAN DO A SURVEY FOR STUDENT. BUT I THINK THE STUDENT VOICE IS IMPORTANT ALONG WITH. SO I CAN ASK USMAN ABOUT FOLLOWING UP WITH HOW WE COULD MAKE IT SO THAT STUDENTS THEIR EMAIL ADDRESS. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY IF A STUDENT EMAIL, I CAN ASK HIM ABOUT THAT. YEAH, COOL. AND THEN, I DO THINK SORRY, MR. SEWELL, I DO THINK THAT THE H. CROSS HAS IN THE PAST, I KNOW THAT THE BOARD STUDENT BOARD MEMBER HAS ALWAYS BEEN VERY VOCAL AND GREAT ABOUT ADVOCATING FOR THE STUDENTS. AND I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT SASHA WILL AS WELL. YEAH. SO I JUST THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT BEFORE WE, SEND THIS START THE SURVEY THAT WE'RE ALL THIS, THIS WHOLE BOARD IS ON BOARD WITH THAT PROCESS, WHAT WE'RE USING AND AGREE TO I, YOU KNOW, AND AGREE TO WHAT COMES OUT OF IT AS BEING, YOU KNOW, THE REAL DEAL. RIGHT? SO I REALIZE THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE DAYS RIGHT BEFORE YOU SEND THIS OUT. SO I WILL BE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO GET IT OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE SO THAT WE CAN GET THAT FULL 60 DAYS PER THE BOARD POLICY. YEAH, JUST SHARE IT WITH US BEFORE IT GOES

[02:40:03]

OKAY. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. I MEAN THE ONE THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE BOARD, I MEAN, SO LOOK WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION LAST YEAR. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY. I THINK YOU AND I ARE BOTH ON THE SAME PAGE, THAT THERE SHOULD BE SOME GUIDANCE ABOUT THE PRE AND POST START HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST ISSUE, RIGHT? I MEAN, EVERYONE'S REALLY DIVIDED ON THAT, BUT IT WAS MORE ABOUT SETTING SOME GUIDELINES ABOUT, HEY, SOME YEARS IT FALLS EARLY, SOME YEARS IT FALLS LATE, SOME YEARS WE'LL DO PRE SOME YEARS WILL DO POST. I THINK THE ONE THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY THE BOARD THIS YEAR WAS IT HAD A POST-LABOR DAY START BECAUSE IT IS FALLING. THE EARLIEST PART OF THE YEAR BECAUSE IT GOES FROM LIKE THE SECOND OR THE FIRST TO THE SEVENTH, OR THE SECOND TO THE EIGHTH OR WHATEVER. RIGHT. SO BUT THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR IT WOULD BE ON THE EIGHTH. IF WE STICK WITH THAT WOULD BE ON THE EIGHTH. SO I THINK THERE WAS AGREEMENT THAT THAT WAS TOO LATE TO START. SO THEN THAT YEAR WE WOULD GO BACK TO A PRE-LABOR DAY START. SO ABOUT HALF THE TIME YOU WOULD HAVE A PRE AND ABOUT HALF THE TIME YOU'D HAVE A POST.

BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING THAT UP AS A POLICY OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BECAUSE I JUST FELT THAT FUTURE BOARDS WOULD WANT TO HAVE THE DISCRETION TO MAYBE POTENTIALLY DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT. SO I THINK THAT'S HOW WE ENDED UP WITH THAT POST-LABOR DAY START. SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS JUST, YOU KNOW, WHICH WHICH CALENDAR YEAR IS THERE A CLEAR CALENDAR THAT PRIORITIZES ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT? I THINK THAT'S A MATTER OF OPINION. AND EACH BOARD MEMBER WILL HAVE THEIR OWN OPINION ON THAT. SO THERE'S OPINIONS AND THEN THERE'S ACTUALLY INFORMED OPINIONS. RIGHT EXACTLY. THE ACTUAL ONE PERSON AT A TIME PLEASE. YEAH I WANT TO POINT OUT I'M SORRY. WERE YOU DONE SPEAKING. YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT SOME DATA THAT I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU ADDED TO THE CALENDAR BECAUSE IT LOOKS IT SHOWS THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE QUARTERS, HOW MANY DAYS THEY ARE. AND IT DOES LOOK LIKE THEY'RE EVENLY, RELATIVELY EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. I THINK ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT CAME UP LAST YEAR WAS ALSO THE CALENDAR, AS IT PERTAINS THE DAYS THAT WE WOULD HAVE OF INSTRUCTION PRIOR TO TESTING. SO MY QUESTION IS, DO WE HAVE THE TEST DATES? HAVE THEY COME OUT SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT TO GET TO, TO MR. SILLS? CONCERN, YOU KNOW, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY DAYS OF INSTRUCTION THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE PRIOR TO TESTING? WE DO NOT HAVE THE TEST DATES YET, MSD ROLLS OUT THE STATE TESTING DATES, BUT WE USUALLY KNOW THE WINDOWS OF WHEN THEY TYPICALLY WILL OCCUR. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE 2526 CALENDAR, I BELIEVE THE TESTING WILL BEGIN IN APRIL. SO BUT I DON'T WANT TO MISSPEAK FOR MR. SNYDER. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HAVE OTHER TESTING MILESTONES TOO, SUCH AS WHEN AP TESTING BEGINS. TYPICALLY, AP TESTING WILL BEGIN THE SECOND TO LAST WEEK IN APRIL OR THE LAST WEEK IN APRIL APRIL, AND FLOW ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAY, SO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE CALENDAR COMMITTEE SAID IF WE CAN GET THOSE ADDITIONAL FIVE DAYS OF INSTRUCTION, TEN DAYS OF INSTRUCTION IN THE FRONT END OF THE CALENDAR, AND BACK UP THE START DATE, WE GET BONUS, ADDITIONAL DAYS PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL ASSESSMENT WINDOW. IF I CAN GO BACK AND ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, I'M WITH JILLIAN, THAT, IT'S AN EITHER OR. I THINK THERE ARE PRINCIPLES, THOUGH, THAT WE FOLLOW. SO THE LONGER THAT WE HAVE CONNECTED INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, THE BETTER. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF UNINTERRUPTED DAYS OF INSTRUCTION. THEY CONTINUOUSLY FLOW. IT'S WHEN WE HAVE A LOT OF FRAGMENTATION THAT THAT KIND OF GETS IN THE WAY OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMING. SO WE REALLY TRY TO TAKE AN EYE TO THAT, THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT THERE'S GOOD FLOW. WE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE TEND TO OUR TEACHER'S NEEDS THROUGHOUT THE CALENDAR. SO FOR EXAMPLE ON THIS ONE YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE UNDERLYING DATES ARE ALL END OF QUARTERS. YOU'LL NOTICE THERE ARE EARLY DISMISSALS ON ALL OF THOSE DAYS. AND THAT IS FOR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO RECONCILE

[02:45:03]

[E. Presentation on Advancing the Board of Education Strategic Plan: 2024-2025, Dr. Sean W. Bulson, Superintendent of Schools ]

SO HERE WE ARE AND LOOK FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU. I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO KEEP TRACK OF THIS ON TWO DIFFERENT SCREENS. SINCE MY EFFORT TO LOG INTO TEAMS WENT SIDEWAYS A FEW MINUTES AGO.

OKAY. WELL, BOARD, THANK YOU FOR THIS, WHAT I REALLY WANTED TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO. AND IN

[02:50:02]

WE DID NOT HAVE ANY TYPE REALLY OF DISTRICT WIDE ANNUAL REPORTING OR, YOU KNOW, ACCOUNTABILITY PLAN IN PLACE OTHER THAN THE STATEWIDE ESSA PLAN, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN PRODUCING FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND IT'S OVER 100 PAGES. BUT SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS WAS TO CREATE AN ACCOUNTABILITY MODEL THAT MATCHED NORTH STAR, MATCHED THE BLUEPRINT, AND BUT ALSO ADVANCED HARFORD COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION STRATEGIC PLAN. SO I WANT TO DO ESSENTIALLY A CROSSWALK BETWEEN THOSE THINGS.

SO WHEN THE BOARD IDENTIFIED PRIORITIES, FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT THIS YEAR, THE BOARD OF EDUCATION PRIORITIES, YOU TARGETED THREE OF THE FOUR BOARD OF EDUCATION GOALS, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND SAFETY, AND SCHOOL CULTURE. AND SO WHAT I WANT TO WALK YOU THROUGH IS, THOSE THINGS THAT ARE IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE METRICS IN PLACE TO MEASURE, AND SOME OF THE MODIFICATIONS THAT HAVE HAD HAVE COME UP RECENTLY, BECAUSE THIS ISN'T THE TYPE OF PLAN YOU JUST BUILD IN A MONTH OR TWO MONTHS OR THREE MONTHS. THIS IS ACTUALLY THE ACCUMULATION OF SIX YEARS WORTH OF WORK. TO ALIGN WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE SYSTEM FOR BETTER ACHIEVEMENT, BUT ALSO FOR STRATEGIC OUTCOMES THAT, THAT CAN PERSIST OVER TIME. SO ON TO THIS DOCUMENT ADVANCING THE STRATEGIC PLAN. AGAIN, THIS WAS PROVIDED LAST YEAR. WE WILL UPDATE THIS AS WELL. BUT AGAIN, I THINK MUCH OF THIS IS, STILL, CURRENT AND PERTINENT, BECAUSE WHAT YOU SEE GOING HERE IS YOU KIND OF WALK PAST THE INITIAL PAGES, PAST THE DEMOGRAPHICS.

YOU GET TO THIS SPREAD IN PAGES EIGHT AND NINE, WHICH ESSENTIALLY OUTLINES, THE LETTERED THINGS IN THE FAR RIGHT THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE. THERE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE CATEGORIES OF THE WORK WHERE OUR ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS, OUR INITIATIVES ARE ALIGNED WITH THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PLAN. SO YOU SEE THOSE PRIORITIES AS THEY'RE LISTED. AND I'M GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH EACH OF THOSE, WE PUT THIS SLIDE HERE WITH THE QR CODE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T KNOW WE'D HAVE PRINTED COPIES FOR TONIGHT, BUT NONE OF YOU NEED TO USE A QR CODE TONIGHT. BUT THIS, OF COURSE, IS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE. IF YOU BRING YOUR OWN, MR. BENNETT, YOU HAVE TO PRINT IT YOURSELF. USE YOUR OWN INK, OR OLD POST ROAD INK. NOT SURE. THAT'S OKAY. MR. WOODEN WOULD BE FINE WITH THAT, I'M SURE. SO THIS YOU CAN FIND IT ON OUR WEBSITE UNDER IF YOU GO IN THE ABOUT TAB, YOU GO DOWN TO DISTRICT DATA AND THEN THERE'S A BUNCH OF LINKS THERE. BUT ANNUAL REPORT AND ADVANCING STRATEGIC PLAN ARE THERE. SO LET'S JUST WALK THROUGH THE CULTURE. SO LET'S GO THROUGH THE THREE GOALS. NOW WE'VE PUT THEM KIND OF IN ORDER OF CURRENT PERTINENCE. SO NOT IN THE ORDER THEY APPEAR IN THE PLAN, BUT AGAIN, I JUST WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU THE CROSSWALK. SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE IS BOTH. AND I CAN WALK THROUGH THESE OR TO

[02:55:04]

I-READY DIBELS IN PARTICULAR. THOSE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST MEASURES. OKAY. SO LET'S GO THROUGH SOME SPECIFICS AND SAFETY IN SCHOOL CULTURE, REALLY FOCUSING ON THE CURRENT IN

[03:00:06]

WEAPONS DETECTION SYSTEMS, AS WE'VE INDICATED, WE'VE HAD IN THIS INFORMATION WE SHARE, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY AND COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, TO PILOT SYSTEMS. FRANKLY, WE'RE LOOKING AT A NUMBER OF SYSTEMS, FOR WEAPONS DETECTION. BUT WHILE WE HAVE SOME IMMEDIATE FIRST MOVES TO HAVE A CHANCE TO SEE HOW THEY WORK, WE HAVE QUITE A BIT TO GO BEFORE WE CAN ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT OR EVEN, YOU KNOW, PRESS GO ON A PILOT. OH, GOSH, I CHANGED THE WRONG ONE. SORRY, GUYS. YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. THANK YOU. SO THERE WILL BE MORE INFORMATION TO FOLLOW ON THAT. I CAN'T SAY THAT WE HAVE MEMBERS OF OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM WHO WILL BE VISITING ANOTHER DISTRICT THAT HAS, ONE SYSTEM IN PLACE THAT WE'RE CURIOUS TO LEARN ABOUT. I BELIEVE WE'LL ALSO HAVE REPRESENTATIVES FROM COUNTY GOVERNMENT ON THAT VISIT, AND THEN SOON AFTER, WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO SHARE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WE HOPE TO BE PILOTING, NOT JUST ONE PROGRAM, BUT, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE ACROSS A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT SCHOOLS TO START. SO TWO THINGS. OH, GEEZ, THIS IS THERE WE GO. THANK YOU. YOU CAN BE MY SLIDE.

POLICE. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHEN CONCERNS WERE RAISED APPROXIMATELY A YEAR AND A HALF AGO. AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT, WE ASSEMBLED A DISTRICT WIDE, SYSTEM WIDE BEHAVIOR WORK GROUP, AND IT'S HAD A WIDE RANGE OF PEOPLE. YOU'VE HEARD, IN ADDITION TO HAVING ADMINISTRATORS AND PEOPLE FROM ALL LEVELS ON THIS BEHAVIOR WORK GROUP, YOU'VE ALSO HEARD MR. BROOKS TALK ABOUT HOW IN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY, HE ACTUALLY HAS A STUDENT ADVISORY WHO PROVIDES GUIDANCE AND SUGGESTIONS FOR LOOKING AT SAFETY ACROSS DISTRICTS. SO INVOLVING STUDENT VOICE IN ADDITION TO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FROM ALL LEVELS, THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OUTCOMES THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN THE RESULT OF THIS BEHAVIOR WORK GROUP. A LOT OF IT HAD TO DO WITH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT HOW TO MANAGE STUDENT BEHAVIORS, PARTICULARLY BECAUSE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE SEEN A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE IN STUDENT BEHAVIOR. I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT WHEN WE GET TO THE BOX IN THE MIDDLE THERE. SO IN ADDITION TO SOME VERY PRACTICAL THINGS, ISSUES LIKE ADDITIONAL LIGHTS AT LARGER EVENING EVENTS, BECAUSE THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT CAME UP AS A CONCERN, WE WERE ABLE TO IDENTIFY WAYS TO BRING LIGHTS IN FOR SOME OF THOSE TYPES OF EVENTS, THEY THERE WAS ALSO TRAINING THAT OCCURRED FOR EVERY STAFF MEMBER AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR RELATED TO BULLYING, THAT TRAINING WAS CREATED IN NO SMALL PART DUE TO INPUT SPECIFICALLY FROM STUDENTS. AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT EVERY STAFF MEMBER RECEIVED BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND A NUMBER OF OTHER SORT OF DETAILED THINGS RELATED TO SAFETY AND SECURITY THAT HAVE GONE ON AS A RESULT OF THAT WORK GROUP, WHICH IS ONGOING. THEIR WORK PROBABLY WON'T EVER, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER ARE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, CLAIM VICTORY. AND WE'RE FINISHED, BUT THE IDEA THAT WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE CHIPPING AWAY TO MAKE PROGRESS, THE NEXT BOX DOWN THE PRE-K TO TWO BEHAVIOR WORK GROUP IS SOMETHING THAT I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON. THIS IS SOMETHING LED BY DOCTOR MACK, WHO WAS HERE EARLIER THIS EVENING. AND, MR. SMITH, THE DIRECTOR OF ELEMENTARY INSTRUCTION, BECAUSE WE'VE SEEN SUCH AN IMMENSE UPTICK IN CONCERNS WITH OUR 4 OR 5 AND SIX YEAR OLD STUDENTS,

[03:05:03]

[03:10:03]

AND, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD AN INTEREST IN SORT OF STEPPING BACK AND DOING THIS IN A TIMELY MANNER. SO WE WILL HAVE DATES TO ANNOUNCE ABOUT THAT SOON, AND THEN AGAIN, ONE OF THE OTHER PIECES OF FEEDBACK COMING OUT OF THIS WAS INCREASING COMMUNICATION TO FAMILIES REGARDING EMERGENCY DRILLS AND CONTINUOUS ASSESSMENT ABOUT COMMUNICATION NEEDS AND OPPORTUNITIES. YOU KNOW, WHEN ANYTHING HAPPENS, COMMUNICATION IS ALWAYS THE FIRST THING PEOPLE SORT OF LOOK AT AND CRITICIZE, AND, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE DEFINITELY COMMUNICATIONS, THINGS WE LEARNED THROUGH THIS EVENT THAT WE CAN UPGRADE. BUT THERE WAS ALSO A RECOGNITION THAT, PARTICULARLY IN SITUATIONS LIKE WE EXPERIENCED AT JOPPATOWNE, THERE IS SOME DEGREE OF CHAOS THAT'S GOING TO OCCUR REGARDLESS. AND HAVING STRUCTURES IN PLACE HELP SAFEGUARD AGAINST THAT. AND WE SAW THAT MOST OF THOSE SORT OF PRACTICES CAME INTO PLAY AND WERE EFFECTIVE, DESPITE THE FACT THAT IT WAS A VERY CHAOTIC, CHAOTIC TIME. OKAY. FAMILY ENGAGEMENT. SO THE FIRST ONE IS, OF COURSE, THE RETURN TO ENSURE PARENT TEACHER CONFERENCES IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE HEARD VERY CLEARLY FROM THIS BOARD. DOCTOR MACK IS NO LONGER HERE. SHE MIGHT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE MORE DETAILS AROUND THAT, BECAUSE IT IS PRIMARILY AN ELEMENTARY PRACTICE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S COMING BACK FOR EVERY SCHOOL THIS YEAR. THE SECOND ONE THERE, ENHANCED COMMUNICATION FOR EXAMPLE, EMAILING REPORT CARDS. AGAIN, A NEW PRACTICE. THE DAYS OF PRINTING REPORT CARDS REALLY HAS CHANGED, BUT WE HADN'T IN THE PAST. WE HAD ASKED PEOPLE TO SORT OF GO IN AND SEE THEM, SO A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH IN EMAILING THEM, BUT AGAIN, WE CAN LOOK AT OTHER THINGS RELATED TO COMMUNICATION. THE LEARN WITH ME OPPORTUNITIES, THAT'S SOMETHING YOU SEE IN EVERY SCHOOL. YOU SEE SCHOOLS, SOME SCHOOLS. THIS HAS GROWN GREATLY. YOU HEARD MR. SPENCE TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT TONIGHT, AND HIS SETTING AT HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL, BUT IT'S SOMETHING I SEE IN EVERY IN ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THE REAL BENEFIT THERE IS, AGAIN, THEY CREATE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO HELP PARENTS KNOW HOW TO SUPPORT THEIR CHILDREN IN THE ACADEMICS, BECAUSE WE DO NEED THEIR SUPPORT. WE GIVE THEM THE TOOLS THEY NEED, PARTICULARLY TO FOCUS ON READING AND MATH, BUT WE DO LEARN WITH ME AROUND OTHER TOPICS AS WELL. ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE HAD FEEDBACK ON THAT WE CONTINUE TO NEED TO WORK ON IS INCREASING PARENT ENGAGEMENT ON THE POST, CCR, PATHWAYS, CAREER PATHWAYS, AND STUDENT OPPORTUNITIES.

FRANKLY, WE KNOW THIS IS KIND OF A COMPLICATED TOPIC. WE KNOW STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO MANY MORE OPPORTUNITIES AROUND HOW TO FINISH OUT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL CAREERS, OR EVEN HOW TO EMBARK ON A SUCCESSFUL HIGH SCHOOL CAREER. SO INFORMATION FOR PARENTS FROM MIDDLE SCHOOL ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THIS HAS ALREADY BEEN DEVELOPED. THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES THAT WE'VE PUSHED OUT TO FAMILIES TO HELP THEM BETTER UNDERSTAND, THOSE PATHWAYS AND WHAT'S WHAT'S AVAILABLE THERE, WE'VE ALSO HAD CHANGES TO THE FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOL PROGRAM, BASICALLY ENSURING THAT IT GOES FROM JUST A SIMPLE POPULAR VOTE TO ACTUALLY PUTTING CRITERIA IN PLACE AND ENSURING THAT SCHOOLS ARE MEETING CERTAIN CRITERIA. AND THEN, SO MAKING THAT PROCESS, I GUESS, A TOUCH MORE RIGOROUS, BUT STILL USING THAT AS A WAY TO KEEP FAMILIES ENGAGED AROUND, IDENTIFYING YOUR

[03:15:04]

STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, NUMBER FOUR, EMPHASIS ON RIGOR AND CAREER DRIVEN EFFORTS, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF SORT OF MY MAJOR TALKING POINTS WITH THE LEADERSHIP. THIS WAS REALLY KIND OF MY DRIVING PRIORITY THIS YEAR WHEN AND PARTICULARLY WHAT I'M FOCUSING ON HERE IS HIGH SCHOOL RIVER RIGOR IN THE CAREER DRIVEN EFFORTS. IT'S ENSURING THAT, WE'RE IDENTIFYING WHAT THE STUDENTS WHO HAVEN'T MET ONE OF THOSE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOMES, WHAT THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND HOW WE'RE MAKING THEM SUCCESSFUL. AND SO BUT IT'S ALSO ENSURING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON ENSURING OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO THE MOST RIGOROUS POSSIBLE COURSES THAT THEY CAN HANDLE. AND CONSTANTLY PUSHING THEM TO PUSH THEMSELVES HARDER.

AND SO AND THAT IS A CONVERSATION THAT I THINK WE CONTINUE TO NEED TO SEE, PARTICULARLY AT THAT LEVEL, AND SO ONE ONE EXAMPLE OF HOW THIS WORK IS TAKING PLACE IS IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, BECAUSE I KNOW ANOTHER CONCERN THAT THIS BOARD RAISED TO MY ATTENTION WAS THE CONCERNS ABOUT, THE NUMBER OF SENIORS WITH PART TIME SCHEDULES AND SENIORS WHO DIDN'T, WHO WEREN'T TAKING CLASSES DURING THE YEAR. SO THAT NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO'VE BEEN APPROVED FOR PART TIME SCHEDULES JUST IN THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN REDUCED BY MORE THAN HALF. AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON THAT, WHERE A TRULY PART TIME SCHEDULE WILL BE THE EXCEPTION, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT OUR STUDENTS TO CONTINUE LEARNING, ALL THE WAY THROUGH 12TH GRADE. HOWEVER, THE OPTIONS THEY HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM ARE CONTINUING TO GROW. SO WHETHER IT'S DUAL ENROLLMENT, WHETHER IT'S APPRENTICESHIP. SO THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY BE SPENDING ALL OF THAT TIME SITTING IN A CLASSROOM, OR AT LEAST IN A TRADITIONAL HIGH SCHOOL CLASSROOM, BUT THE EXPECTATION THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE, NOT ESSENTIALLY GIVING UP ON MUCH OF THEIR FINAL YEAR OF HIGH SCHOOL. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ALREADY BEGUN FOCUSING ON. ALSO CONDUCTED THIS YEAR, A DEEP, DEEP DIVE INTO SPECIAL EDUCATION, STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AND RESOURCES. AND I TALKED ABOUT THIS BRIEFLY, A FEW BOARD MEETINGS BACK IN MY SUPERINTENDENTS REPORT THAT.

WHAT'S BECOMING INCREASINGLY EVIDENT IS THAT BOTH THE RISING NEEDS AMONG OUR STUDENTS AND

[03:20:03]

AND FRANKLY, JUST THE IMPACT ON THE BUDGET, LET ALONE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALL GOING TO HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH GREATLY. THIS YEAR. NUMBER SIX, FUTURE READY SKILLS NORTHSTAR LEARNER ATTRIBUTES. WE'VE HAD THE SENSE OF HOW TO ADVANCE THOSE LEARNER ATTRIBUTES, AND THAT'S THE READER WRITER, PROBLEM SOLVER, HEALTHY, EMPLOYABLE ATTRIBUTES THAT WE TALK ABOUT, BUT WHAT WE ALSO KNOW, AND WE CONTINUE TO HEAR THIS, FOR EXAMPLE, FROM THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, IS WHEN IT COMES TO EMPLOYING PEOPLE, THE CONTENT KNOWLEDGE THEY HAVE IS ONE THING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE AND THAT'S WHAT OUR SCHOOLS HAVE BEEN SET UP FOR YEARS TO, EVALUATE IS IN OUR CURRICULUM IS DESIGNED AROUND THE CONTENT. IT'S NOT DESIGNED AROUND ENSURING STUDENTS POSSESS CERTAIN SKILLS. AND WE CAN'T ELIMINATE THE CONTENT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THOSE CONTENT STANDARDS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF MEASURING STUDENTS ABILITY TO PRESENT THESE SKILLS THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL, NOT JUST IN THE WORKFORCE, BUT IN LIFE. AND SO WE'VE HAD A TEAM WORKING FOR MORE THAN A YEAR ON IDENTIFYING BOTH HOW THEY APPEAR IN OUR CURRICULUM ALREADY, WHERE WE HAVE GAPS IN THE CURRICULUM FOR THESE SKILLS. BUT THE BIGGEST QUESTION THAT I HOPE TO HAVE, AT LEAST THE BEGINNINGS OF AN ANSWER TO THIS YEAR, IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE THOSE SKILLS, EVEN THOUGH MEASUREMENT OF THOSE SKILLS IS NOT SOMETHING REQUIRED IN, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS STATE'S OVERALL CURRICULUM GUID.

BUT THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO ENSURE, FOR THE SAKE OF OUR EMPLOYERS AND THE SAKE OF ENSURING WE'RE MAKING GOOD CITIZENS, THAT THOSE SKILLS ARE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALSO HOLDING OURSELVES ACCOUNTABLE FOR, YOU'VE HEARD PRESENTATIONS ABOUT OUR FOCUS ON ATTENDANCE, THE MANY ADJUSTMENTS TO HOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT THIS YEAR. CHRONIC ATTENDANCE HAS BEEN KIND OF A BUZZWORD SINCE THE PANDEMI, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERY DISTRICT ACROSS THE COUNTRY IS WORKING TO DEAL WITH, LAST YEAR, OUR PROGRESS IN ATTENDANCE, OUTPACED THE STATE. BUT IT'S STILL A CHALLENGE, WE HAD OTHER DISTRICTS LOOKING AT THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DOING TO IMPROVE OUR CHRONIC ATTENDANCE NUMBERS, BUT THE BUT EVEN THE FACT THAT WE'RE SHOWING SOME SUCCESS THERE, DOESN'T MEAN THAT THAT'S A BATTLE WE FEEL WE'VE WON. THERE'S A LOT STILL TO DO. IT'S A CHALLENGE. AGAIN, IT WAS SOMETHING THAT INCREASED GREATLY THROUGH THE PANDEMIC. IF I HAD TO SIMPLY DESCRIBE ONE OF THE BIGGEST SHIFTS THIS YEAR ABOUT OUR WORK ON ATTENDANCE, IT'S GOING IT'S GOING FROM THE REACTIVE SITUATION WHERE WE WERE IDENTIFYING THESE STUDENTS WHO WERE CHRONICALLY ABSENT AND, AND THEN TRYING TO WORK WITH THEM TO GET THEM REENGAGED WITH SCHOOL.

WE NEED TO STILL DO THAT. BUT THE WORK THIS YEAR HAS HAS MOVED BACK FARTHER. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT STUDENTS WHO ARE AT RISK OF BEING, CHRONIC ATTENDANCE CHALLENGES BECAUSE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, HOW WE COUNT THAT 10%, WHICH WITH 180 DAYS IS, IF YOU'RE ABSENT, 18 DAYS, YOUR YOUR, CHRONICALLY ABSENT. AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT STUDENTS ONCE THEY'VE GOTTEN A FEW NUMBER OF ABSENCES IN A HURRY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT REACHING THAT POINT WHERE THEY'RE CONSIDERED CHRONICALLY, A CHRONIC ATTENDANCE PROBLEM. AND SO, AGAIN, A GREAT DEAL OF WORK GOING ON THAT A GREAT DEAL OF ANALYSIS INTO HOW TO IMPROVE STUDENT ATTENDANCE, BUT THAT IS ONE OF THOSE KEY METRICS FOR US INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP WALKTHROUGHS. AGAIN, THIS IS JUST A FOCUS ON, HOW WE HOW WE ENGAGE IN INSTRUCTION AND MAKING SURE THAT THE PRACTICES WE'RE SEEING IN CLASSROOMS ARE EFFECTIVE AND ESSENTIALLY, ARE SORT OF RESEARCH BASED PRACTICES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THE CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION ASSESSMENT TEAM HAS BEEN FOCUSED

[03:25:03]

THANK YOU FOR THE TAP. THE KINDERGARTEN READINESS ASSESSMENT IS SOMETHING THAT THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE STATE BOARD HAVE ACTUALLY CANCELED FOR THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THEY HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE ACTUAL ASSESSMENT, WHILE I VALUE THAT, THERE WERE CONCERNS ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT, I WISH THEY HAD HAD A REPLACEMENT BEFORE THEY CANCELED IT BECAUSE IT'S HELPFUL TO HAVE THAT ONGOING DATA, EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN ACKNOWLEDGE THAT ALL OF THE STATE ASSESSMENTS NEED MODIFYING. I THINK MOST OF OUR TEACHERS WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.

AND THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. BUT FLAWED OR NOT, THEY'RE STILL HELPFUL TOOLS FOR US TO TRACK. YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN TRACK FROM THEM. WE GLEAN WHATEVER INFORMATION WE CAN GET.

EVERY SOURCE OF DATA GIVES YOU SOMETHING TO WORK WITH. YOU JUST HAVE TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW THAT YOU DON'T OVERINTERPRET WHAT THAT WHAT THAT DATA GIVES YOU, SO THE STATE IS WORKING TO IDENTIFY A NEW KINDERGARTEN ASSESSMENT. HOPEFULLY THAT WILL COME QUICKL, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT THIS YEAR. AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATE. WE BEGIN FOCUSING ON A LEARNER ATTRIBUTES. WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THOSE ALREADY. SO WE HAVE CHECK INS FOR THOSE LEARNER ATTRIBUTES AT THE GRADE TWO LEVEL. GRADE FIVE LEVEL. THIS IS WHERE WE LOOK AT WE HAVE SPECIFIC WRITING CHECK INS. WE HAVE CHECK INS ON A NUMBER OF FRONTS, INCLUDING OUR CAP ASSESSMENTS. YOU SEE THE PROJECT BASED LEARNING IS AGAIN THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO SIX IN GRADES SIX THROUGH EIGHT, THEN WHEN WE GET TO NINTH GRADE, WE FOCUS ON ON TRACK FOR GRADUATION, THE, MISS SACK SHARED SOME OF THE DATA AROUND THAT, OR AT LEAST SHARED WHAT WE DO WITH THE DATA. THAT'S PART OF OUR OVERALL ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE. YOU'LL SEE THAT IN THE ANNUAL REPORT, AND THEN WE GET TO THE DEFINITION OF CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS AS SET BY MSD IN THE STATE BOARD, THAT HAS CHANGED. SO AGAIN, IT WILL NEED TO CHANGE IN OUR DOCUMENTS. AND THEN OF COURSE, WE ALSO HAVE AS A, AS A, A SORT OF A FINAL OUTCOME IS THE NORTH STAR GRADUATE OUTCOMES. THE STATE HAS NOT YET SET A BLUEPRINT OUTCOME, EXPECTATION EVEN THOUGH THERE ARE THINGS, YOU KNOW, IN THE

[03:30:02]

OH, PIE. SCHOLARS, ACADEMICS AND PERSONNEL SUCCESS THAT HAS ALL THE COMMUNITY. BECAUSE THE NUMBERS OF DIVERSE AND EVER CHANGING GLOBAL COMMUNITY. WE ARE O P R. I HAVE NO CONCERNS ABOUT THIS YOUNG MAN. HE'S GOING TO BE JUST FINE. SO APPARENTLY THE STORY IS HE MEMORIZED THAT WHEN HE WAS IN PRE-K AND CAME BACK THE NEXT YEAR READY TO DELIVER THE MISSION FOR OLD POST ROAD. AND THIS IS PART OF THE WORK. IT'S THE ALIGNED WORK, THE MISSION THEY SET IN SCHOOLS LIKE OPR WITH THIS YOUNG MAN IS THE WORK WE SEE CARRYING THEM THROUGH TO THE NORTH STAR.

GRADUATE OUTCOMES. AND WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, TREMENDOUS GROWTH IN THOSE OUTCOMES, WE PARTICULARLY WHAT WE'RE SEEING WITH OUR GRADUATES, WE'RE SEEING TREMENDOUS GROWTH. WE WILL SHARE WITH YOU THE CAP DATA. OF COURSE, YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE BASICS ON THOSE, THEIR CELEBRATIONS. AND THERE'S, THERE'S ONGOING CHALLENGES, I WON'T GET INTO THAT TONIGHT.

YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WITH MR. SNYDER.

PRESENTS IT, BUT WHAT I WANTED TO LEAVE YOU WITH IS THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF WORK GOING ON FOCUSED ON THESE BOARDS PRIORITIES. SOME AGAIN, AS I SAID, SOME OF THIS WE'VE SHARED WITH YOU IN THE PAST, SOME OF IT IS STILL EVOLVING, AS I SHOWED IN THOSE LAST FEW SLIDES, BUT YOU WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO INTERACT WITH THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AS WE PRESENT, DATA TO YOU IN AN ONGOING MANNER AT, I BELIEVE THE SCHEDULE WE SENT YOU HAS A DATA PRESENTATION CURRENTLY PLANNED FOR EVERY SINGLE BOARD MEETING THIS YEAR EXCEPT TWO, WHICH WE KIND OF HAVE IN THERE AS OVERFLOW, KNOWING THINGS GET MOVED FROM TIME TO TIME, BUT DATA WILL BE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION FOR THIS BOARD, SO I WILL STOP THERE. I KNOW I TOOK MORE THAN THE FIVE MINUTES YOU GAVE ME. ALL RIGHT, DOCTOR BALSAM, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD. I'LL GO FIRST. I HAVE A LOT OF COMMENTS, I THINK WE HAVE TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND IMPROVING ASSESSMENT OF THAT ACHIEVEMENT. LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE SLIDE 18 THERE, THESE ARE ALL ASSESSMENTS. I WOULD THINK THAT SLIDE SHOULD BE CALLED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. ASSESSMENT MAY SEEM LIKE A MINOR POINT, BUT IT'S PRETTY IMPORTANT BECAUSE, HOW YOU ASSESS ACHIEVEMENT IS ONE THING, HOW YOU ACTUALLY IMPROVE ACHIEVEMENT IS SOMETHING ELSE. AND SO, I THINK YOU'RE DOING BOTH, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE EMPHASIS ON SEPARATING OUT.

I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHAT YOU SAID THAT THE MCAT DATA ARE NOT REALLY USEFUL TO HELP STUDENTS BECAUSE IT'S TOO LATE, SO WE SHOULD NOT BE PLANNING OUR EFFORTS IN OUR CALENDAR AROUND THE MCAT DATA BECAUSE IT DOES NOT HELP STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU USE AFTERWARD TO ASSESS, OKAY, HOW DID THE SCHOOLS DO? BUT LIKE SOMEONE SAID BEFORE, WE'RE NOT TEACHING TO THE TEST. WE'RE DOING OUR ASSESSMENTS. WE'RE DOING OUR ACHIEVEMENT IMPROVEMENT. ALL ALONG THE YEAR. AND SO THE TWO CALENDARS BOTH HAVE 180 DAYS.

AND SO THEY'RE EQUALLY VALID FOR INSTRUCTION. YOU KNOW, THE WORKING GROUPS, THE SYSTEMWIDE BEHAVIORAL WORKING GROUP, THE PRE-K THROUGH GRADE TWO BEHAVIORAL WORKING GROUPS, I'D LIKE TO SEE REPORTS HERE AT THE MEETINGS. LET'S REPORT WHO'S ON THE GROUP. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE? THE FIRST STEP IN SOLVING ANY PROBLEM IS TO IDENTIFY THE PROBLEMS. WHAT PROBLEM STATEMENT DID THEY START WITH, AND ARE THEY GETTING INPUT FROM THE GROUND FROM THE FRONT LINES? YOU KNOW WE'VE HEARD THERE'S A LOT OF PROBLEMS. WE'VE HEARD THAT, THE SYSTEMWIDE BEHAVIORAL WORKING GROUP HAS BEEN AROUND FOR ONE AND A HALF YEARS. OKAY. WHAT WHAT HAS CHANGED? OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, IT DIDN'T PREVENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENED RECENTLY. SO HOW DO WE NEED TO IMPROVE THERE? HAVE WE DEFINED THE PROBLEMS? THE REAL CORE PROBLEMS? YOU TRACK A CHRONIC ATTENDANCE. DO WE ALSO TRACK CHRONIC DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS? PEOPLE, STUDENTS WHO CHRONICALLY DISRUPT. LET'S TRACK THAT. LET'S GET REPORTS ON THAT. LET'S INCLUDE THAT IN OUR DASHBOARD BECAUSE THAT SEEMS TO BE A BIG SOURCE OF THESE CORE PROBLEMS. I THINK THAT'S IT. THANK YOU.

OKAY, LET ME JUST I'LL RESPOND. I MEAN, ONE THING I WANT TO SHARE ABOUT THE MCAP ASSESSMENTS

[03:35:06]

DO YOU HAVE TWO? YEAH. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE SECOND ONE YET. YEAH. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH SO I DON'T SEE HOW YOU CAN SAY IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE THE BOOK REVIEW COMMITTEE BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY DIFFERENT. I AGREE. YEAH I'D LIKE TO BE AT THE NEXT MEETING TOO, WHENEVER THAT'S SCHEDULED. I'M JUST CONFUSED. I SEE THE INFORMATION THAT CAME OUT THAT ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAD TO DO IN ORDER TO LEVEL DOWN IN WHAT'S OUT THERE IN THE CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE ACTUAL LESSON PLANS. I'M NOT SURE WHAT WHAT'S BEING ASKED. EVERY TIME I SEE THE EMAILS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT REALLY. I EVERY YOU'RE LOOKING FOR EVERY COURSE THAT IS CONDUCTED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. YOU WANT TO SEE EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING TAUGHT. NO. JUST WHAT GOES TO THE TEACHERS. IT STOPS THERE AT WHAT GOES TO THE TEACHERS FOR THEM TO DEVELOP THEIR LESSON PLANS. I DON'T NEED TO SEE LESSON PLANS AND ALL THAT. JUST WHAT WE'VE BOUGHT, WHAT WE'VE DEVELOPED, WHAT'S IN OUR SYSTEM THAT FOLKS HAVE ELECTRONIC ACCESS TO. PARENTS HAVE ACCESS THROUGH CANVAS, STAFF HAS ACCESS, BOARD MEMBERS DON'T. AND I THINK THAT'S UNSATISFACTORY. OTHER SCHOOL SYSTEMS BOARD MEMBERS DO HAVE ACCESS TO THE CURRICULUM. SO THEY'RE JUST ASKING FOR THE SAME THING THAT THE PARENTS WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO. EXACTLY. THAT'S

[03:40:04]

[03:45:04]

SO ANY ANY OTHER ANYTHING ELSE RELATED TO THIS PRESENTATION? JUST YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY I APPRECIATE THE STATEMENT YOU MADE ABOUT TRYING TO LOOK AT THIS GLOBALLY, AND I THINK THAT'S A GOOD THING. I THINK I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED SOMETIMES THAT WE MAKE, ASSUMPTIONS ON WHY, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE NOT WORKING WITHOUT ACTUALLY TAKING AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH. LOOKING AT IT, I MEAN, SOME THINGS SEEM OBVIOUS. ATTENDANCE IS GOING TO, YOU KNOW, POOR ATTENDANCE WILL CAUSE BAD GRADES. BUT, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING AT THOSE ACTUAL ATTRIBUTES TO SEE HOW THEY AFFECT INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS, AND THEN I JUST HAD SOME QUESTIONS ON PAGE 12 AND 13, OF THE ANNUAL REPORT, THE LEARNING ATTRIBUTES, WHERE IT SHOWS THE PERCENTAGE FOR DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS, OR IS THAT DATA ALL OFF OF THE MCAT SCORES? IT APPEARS TO BE. I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY THAT THAT'S THE CASE. NO WELL, IT'S DESCRIBED HERE. SO PERCENTAGE OF EACH YEAR WHO MEET OR EXCEED GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY ON LOCAL READING ASSESSMENT. AND THEN BELOW IT IS MCAT. SO THE LOCAL READING ASSESSMENT WOULD HAVE NOW WILL BE WHEN WE MAKE THE ADJUSTMENT WILL BE THE I-READY OR OKAY FOR THE MATH LANGUAGE ARTS, WHATEVER WE ARE USING FOR THAT FOR THAT. SO THAT'S WHY IT'S, THAT'S WHY IT'S PUT IN HERE MCAP OR LOCAL. THOSE ARE THE TWO WORDS THAT DISTINGUISH. AND LIKE FOR THE PROBLEM SOLVER I MEAN THERE'S A HUGE DROP. DID WE START USING A DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT OR I MEAN YOU KNOW I DON'T WANT TO GET INTO LIKE BREAKING EVERYTHING APART. NO, YOU'RE LOOKING BUT THE, THE PROBLEM SOLVER I MEAN, WE'RE LOOKING PRIMARILY AT THE, THE MATH MCAT BECAUSE, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE THE MSA, WHICH IS THE SCIENCE. AND SO AGAIN, WE CAN MODIFY THIS IF YOU SEE BETTER MEASURES. BUT THE WHOLE IDEA WAS ALSO CAPTURING THE DATA THAT WE HAVE AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH YOU IN A, IN A WAY THAT'S AGAIN, SO THAT WE CAN INCLUDE BOTH THE LOCAL AND AS I SAID, THE MCAT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES IT'S A LITTLE HARDER TO USE THAT FOR IMPROVING INSTRUCTION. SO THE LOCAL IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US. SO WHEN WE WHEN I SEE THIS DATA, IT'S PARTICULARLY THE PROBLEM SOLVER JUMPS RIGHT OUT AT ME BECAUSE WE WENT FROM, YOU KNOW, 56% DOWN TO 26%. SO YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO. LIKE THAT'S THERE. LIKE THAT'S EIGHTH GRADE. LIKE, SO THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOME PROBLEM SOLVING. AND IT'S ALSO BUT THAT'S ALSO PART OF THE COMPLICATION OF WHAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE MCAT ASSESSMENTS. RIGHT. BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AS. THESE ARE LOCAL MATH ASSESSMENTS. THIS THIS ONE, CAUSE THAT'S THE ONE ASSESSMENT.

YES IS LOCAL. IT SAYS LOCAL FOR PROBLEM SOLVERS THAT THAT IS JUST WE'RE SHARING WE'RE SHARING THOSE DATA WE HAVE FROM THOSE TOOLS. SO WE'LL HAVE A NEW TOOL THIS YEAR. SO WE'LL HAVE ESSENTIALLY WE'LL HAVE COMPLETELY NEW PERCENTAGES IN THE LOCAL BECAUSE IT'S ENTIRELY DIFFERENT ASSESSMENT, BUT. WHEN WE SEE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IS THERE AN EFFORT TARGETED TOWARD THAT? OF COURSE. THAT'S SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WORK THAT MISS SAX IS DOING, I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY HER ROLE IS GOING INTO THE SCHOOLS SITTING DOWN WITH THEM, AND THEY'RE GOING DEEPER THAN JUST THE WHOLE GRADE LEVEL. THAT'S WHERE YOU HEARD MR. SPENCE, FOR EXAMPLE, TALKING ABOUT LOOKING AT CERTAIN GROUPS OF STUDENTS, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IN EIGHTH GRADE IS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE STUDENTS IN EIGHTH GRADE MATH. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE STUDENTS IN GEOMETRY, YOU HAVE STUDENTS IN ALGEBRA. AND TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS TOGETHER, YOU'RE MEASURING ALL THOSE STUDENTS ON THAT. SO SIMPLIFYING IT DOWN TO SOMETHING WE CAN DO IN ONE PAGE, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S MEANT FOR SORT OF EASY ACCESS, BUT WE HAVE TO GO FAR, FAR DEEPER, TO, TO BE ABLE TO ASSESS THE NUANCES WITHIN THE DIFFERENT MATH COURSES. SO IT DOES GET HARDER WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE MEASURING THE MATH BECAUSE AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT MATH PERFORMANCE, FOR EXAMPLE, IN HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, THE STUDENTS LIKE YOU KNOW, WADE CHILDREN PAST THE MASSIVE MATH ASSESSMENT IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND IT'S A VERY HARD ASSESSMENT. AND AS YOU SEE, VERY FEW 10TH GRADERS PASS THAT IF THEY HAVEN'T PASSED IT BY THE TIME THEY GET TO 10TH GRADE, IT'S RARE THAT THEY PASS IT. AND THAT'S A CHALLENGE. AND SO YOU SEE IT LOOKED LIKE SCORES DROPPING OFF. BUT ALL OF THE KIDS WHO WERE SUCCESSFUL IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, THEY'RE NOT EVEN COUNTED IN THE OVERALL PERCENTAGE. YOU KNOW, IF WE SHOWED YOU DATA OF WHAT PERCENTAGE OF OUR STUDENTS IN 10TH GRADE HAVE ALREADY MET THIS ASSESSMENT AT SOME POINT YOUR

[03:50:01]

THEY REALLY WHAT THE STATE REPORTS IS WHO TOOK THE TEST THIS YEAR AND HOW DID THEY DO SO HOW DO WE GET TO THAT VISUALIZATION OR THAT PRESENTATION THAT INFORMS EVERYBODY THAT WE HAVE SUCCEEDED AND THESE THESE STUDENTS, THEY'VE SUCCEEDED. SO ARE WE.

YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT DATA THAT MAY NOT HAVE ALL OF THE INFORMATION AND IT MAY BE MISLEADING. WELL, YOU'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT DATA. I MEAN, BECAUSE THERE'S A MILLION WAYS TO LOOK AT DATA. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THE DASHBOARDS DO FOR OUR FOLKS. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE RIGHT LEVEL OF DETAIL, YOU KNOW, TO GET INTO AT THE GOVERNANCE LEVEL IS, BUT THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO LOOK AT SO MANY DIFFERENT VARIABLES, BUT THE, YOU KNOW, PATIENCE TO SIT THROUGH A 25 HOUR DATA PRESENTATION, IS LIMITED. AND THAT'S AN EXAGGERATION, OF COURSE. BUT THE FACT IS, IT'S THERE. WE CAN, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE I MEAN, I DO THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY. I'LL GO BACK TO EITHER MR. SNYDER OR TO MISS CUTCHER OR TO SOMEONE IN THAT SERVICE AND SAY, OKAY, DID WE LOOK AT THE DATA THIS WAY? DID WE LOOK AT THE DATA THAT WAY? THAT IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO IN, YOU KNOW, IN TRYING TO CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE INSTRUCTION, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT IS THAT YOU KNOW, IS IMPACTING OUR STUDENTS BECAUSE WE KNOW THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS I MEAN, THE CHALLENGE WITH ALL EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH IS THAT IT'S REALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARATE THE VARIABLES, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO SAY THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT COST AS A VARIABLE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE ANALYZING WHAT'S SUCCESSFUL. AND I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE? YES, MA'AM, ON PAGE 15, WHERE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEHAVIORAL SUPPORT, IT SAYS POSITIVE BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS AND SUPPORTS, WITH THE PBIS. HOW DOES THAT ADDRESS. BECAUSE FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND ABOUT PBIS IS THAT IT DOESN'T ADDRESS MISBEHAVIOR. IT THE TEACHERS IGNORE THE MISBEHAVIOR AND FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR, SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO I GUESS WHAT I WOULD RESPOND TO WITH THAT IS THAT'S THAT'S NOT A SIMPLE ANSWER. PBIS IS ONE TOOL IN THE OVERALL PRACTICE AND NATIONALLY HAS PROVEN TO BE A VERY EFFECTIVE TOOL. BUT I GUESS I'D WANT TO GIVE YOU A SLIGHTLY MORE COMPLEX VIEW OF IT. SO MAYBE IF YOU WANTED TO COME IN. I KNOW MR. HANNIGAN'S OFFICE.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE TRAINING AROUND THAT, IS MANAGED BY HIS OFFICE. IF YOU WOULD LIKE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF PBIS, WE CAN DO IT. BUT TO BOIL IT DOWN TO ALL WE DO IS FOCUS ON THE POSITIVE BEHAVIORS AS KIND OF AN UNREASONABLE, DESCRIPTION OF THAT. AND THE GREAT DEAL OF KIND OF PRACTICE AND RESEARCH THAT GOES INTO DELIVERING A PROGRAM LIKE THAT, THAT IS SO I GUESS I WOULD SAY SO IT IS ONE STRATEGY. THAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET MORE UNDERSTANDING OF. AND WE CAN HAVE MR. HENNIGAN SET SOMETHING UP FOR YOU ON THAT. I WOULD APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? WELL, SINCE MELISSA BROUGHT UP THE BEHAVIORAL, ASPECTS, WHEN A CHILD DOES MISBEHAVE, I WOULD THINK THAT THEY GET SOME KIND OF BEHAVIORAL MODIFICATION AND TOOLS. I MEAN, WE PUT A LOT, OF LOT, A LOT OF BEHAVIORAL SUPPORTS IN PLACE FOR STUDENTS TO GET, YOU KNOW, TO LEARN COPING SKILLS OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE. DO THEY HAVE A PLAN THAT THEY HAVE TO LIKE, SATISFY TO SAY, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M WORKING TOWARDS BECOMING A CHILD THAT'S MORE CIVILLY RESPONSIBLE. IS THERE ANYTHING LIKE THAT WHERE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS? IT DEPENDS, BECAUSE ESSENTIALLY WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IS DO WE HAVE A PERSONALIZED PLAN FOR EVERY INDIVIDUAL STUDENT? I'D LOVE TO SAY WE DO NOT EVERY INDIVIDUAL STUDENT, JUST THE ONES THAT ARE BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS. WE THE PRACTICE THAT YOU SEE MOST FREQUENTLY IN SPECIAL EDUCATION IS A BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION PLAN THAT HAS A VERY CLEAR, IF THE STUDENT EXHIBITS THIS BEHAVIOR, HERE'S HOW YOU RESPOND. AND THAT'S IT OUTLINES THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THOSE STAFF MEMBERS WHO ARE WORKING WITH THAT STUDENT, BUT OF COURSE, THAT IS A VERY RESOURCE INTENSIVE THING TO PUT IN PLACE, SO. SCHOOLS AGAIN,

[03:55:14]

BUT AGAIN, AS A RESOURCE INTENSIVE APPROACH. THIS IS DOCTOR MACK. HI HI. WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE SOMETHING THAT I THINK I WAS GOING TO SHARE SOMETHING, IF THAT'S OKAY? ABSOLUTELY. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR THE BOARD AND THERE'S AN ECHO I CAN HEAR IT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALSO HAVE A STUDENT, AN SST, WHICH IS A STUDENT SERVICES TEAM. AND SO AS WE HAVE OUR STUDENTS THAT COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS, K TO 12, AND WE SEE THAT THERE'S ACADEMIC CONCERNS OR WE SEE THAT THERE'S BEHAVIORAL CONCERNS, THAT THERE IS AN ENTIRE PROCESS THAT IS OUTLINED FOR HOW WE CAN BEGIN TO TRIAGE SOME OF THOSE THINGS, EITHER INFORMALLY OR FORMALLY, MRS. ALVAREZ, AS YOU TALK ABOUT, IS THERE A PLAN? WE DO HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A STUDENT INTERVENTION SUPPORT PLAN THAT CAN BE PUT INTO PLACE AT THE SST LEVEL. IT HAS IDENTIFIED GOALS. IT HAS IDENTIFIED, SUPPORTS THAT WILL PROVIDE THE STUDENTS EITHER WHETHER IT'S FOR BEHAVIOR OR IF IT'S FOR ACADEMICS. AND THEN, WE LOOK AT THE PROGRESS OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL WEEKS. WE COME BACK, WE REVISIT THE DATA, WE DATA COLLECT. SO THERE'S A SERIES OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE NEEDS OF VARIOUS LEARNERS. THE OTHER THING THAT CAN OCCUR IS IF WE START TO SEE THAT WE'RE NOT MAKING PROGRESS, WE HAVE ACCESS TO OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS IN ORDER TO DO MORE FORMALIZED BEHAVIOR PLANS THAT ARE OCCURRING AT THAT TABLE WITH A COLLABORATIVE GROUP, GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS. OR WE CAN ALSO MAKE THAT REFERRAL TO THE IEP TEAM. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR PRE K TO TWO BEHAVIORS, WE WORKED WITH OUR TEAM OVER THE LAST YEAR TO IDENTIFY WHAT WE CALL TIER ONE, TIER TWO AND TIER THREE SUPPORTS. AND SO THOSE ARE THOSE TYPES OF SUPPORTS THAT CAN BE PROVIDED TO STUDENTS IN OUR CLASSROOM BY OUR CLASSROOM TEACHERS, THEN SUPPORTS THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED TO BE PROVIDED WITH SOME MAYBE SOME SUPPORT FROM CENTRAL OFFICE AND THEN SO ON AND SO FORTH. WE DO HAVE PLANS TO PRESENT SOME OF THE ASPECTS AND SOME OF THE WORK THAT HAS COME OUT OF THE PRE K TO TWO WORK GROUP THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS YEAR. AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT DISCUSSION LATER ON, AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE YEAR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR THE DETAILS. WE DO NEED TO MOVE ON. I WILL SAY THAT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, BRIEFING ONE OF SEVERAL BRIEFINGS THAT THE BOARD WILL GET ON THESE TOPICS.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, YOU KNOW, LET US KNOW HOW THE BOARD CAN HELP YOU ACHIEVE THE GOALS THAT

[F. Superintendent’s Report ]

[04:00:07]

AND SHARING THAT WITH THE OUTSIDE WORLD IS NOT AMONG THE THINGS WE CAN DO. WE HAVE TO BE AWARE OF IT. WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE. AND AS YOU HEARD MR. WILLIAMS DESCRIBE, IF WE HAD INFORMATION RELATED TO A REPORTABLE OFFENSE ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THE SEVERITY, THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS THIS PARTICULAR CASE TOUCHED ON, WE WOULD HAVE HAD A VERY DIFFERENT PLAN FOR THAT STUDENT. AND IN FACT, AS SOON AS WE KNEW INFORMATION THAT THAT STUDENT WAS NO LONGER ABLE TO BE AND WOULD NOT BE IN OUR SCHOOLS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE SUGGESTION THAT EVEN AFTER THE FACT, AFTER THIS PARTICULAR INDIVIDUAL HAD BEEN ARRESTED AND WAS NO LONGER IN OUR SCHOOLS, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PUT INFORMATION OUT AGAIN, ANY INFORMATION WE COULD HAVE SHARED THAT IT IS ILLEGAL FOR US TO SHARE IT NOW. THERE WAS ALSO A COMPARISON DRAWN BECAUSE RECENTLY ANOTHER EVENT WHICH IS. ANOTHER TERRIBLE EVENT. WE HAD AN ADULT ARRESTED AND YES, WE DID SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT ADULT BECAUSE IT WAS IMPORTANT AT THAT TIME TO ASCERTAIN, WHETHER WE HAD ADDITIONAL VICTIMS OUT THERE FROM THIS PARTICULAR ADULT. AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT. AS MUCH AS IT'S NEVER APPEALING TO SHARE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ADULT. WE'RE NOT RESTRICTED IN THE INFORMATION WE CAN SHARE ABOUT AN ADULT UNLESS WE'RE DEALING INTERNALLY WITH AIR RELATED ISSUES THAT THAT MIGHT AFFECT, SO THE SITUATIONS ARE ENTIRELY DIFFERENT. AND DO WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT, RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS? WE PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THE SUGGESTIONS THAT WE PROVIDE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT DOCUMENTED IN THIS, WE DO NOT HAVE ADDITIONAL RIGHTS AND PROTECTIONS, AND SO I THINK THERE'S SOME SUGGESTIONS IN THAT CONVERSATION THAT, ARE NEITHER APPROPRIATE FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, AGAIN, NOR WITHIN THE LAWS THAT GOVERN THE WORK WE DO. AND WE DO TAKE THE PROTECTION O, INDIVIDUAL PRIVACY RIGHTS VERY SERIOUSLY. AND, I MEAN, I KNOW WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED ON THAT A NUMBER OF OTHER FRONTS, AND WE WORK VERY HARD TO MAKE SURE THE DATA WE COLLECT AND THE DATA WE SHARE IS ALWAYS, WITHIN OUR LEGAL LIMITS. AND SO. WELL, I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WILL END THIS CONVERSATION. I WANTED TO BE CLEAR WITH THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO INFORMATION WE COULD HAVE SHARED EVEN AFTER THE FACT, AT LEAST NOT THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN SUGGESTED BY SOME. SO WITH THAT, I WANT TO MOVE ON A LITTLE BIT. FROM THE ADVANCING STRATEGIC PLAN, AS WE SAID, THIS PRESENTATION WAS IT'S THIS IS THE FIRST ROADMAP, THERE WILL BE UPDATES TO ALL THE DATA, AS I INDICATED, BECAUSE THERE'S MORE TO COME THERE. BUT IF YOU'D LIKE, I MEAN, YOU CAN FIND IT ON THE, ON THE WEBSITE ABOUT US IN YOUR REPORTS, YOU KNOW, GO BACK AND LOOK AT PREVIOUS ANNUAL REPORTS THAT THIS ISN'T SOMETHING THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAD IN PLACE BEFORE. SO THIS IS THE FIRST OF ITS KIND, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO EVOLVE AND STRENGTHEN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE BEHAVIOR WORKGROUP. I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE, NO PROBLEM BRINGING PRESENTATIONS TO THIS BOARD ABOUT THE WORK OF BOTH OF THOSE TEAMS. I ALREADY SHARED. YOU KNOW, IN THE COURSE OF MY OTHER PRESENTATION, THE INCREDIBLE CHALLENGES WE'RE HAVING WITH THOSE STUDENTS IN THE K TO TWO RANGE, AND THAT IS ON THE MINDS OF EVERYONE IN OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS IN PARTICULAR, AND SOMETHING THAT OUR PRINCIPALS ARE CONSTANTLY BRINGING BACK FOR US TO TRY TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO, AND WITH ALL OF THE CHALLENGES, DESPITE THE CHALLENGES WE'RE FACING WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS, DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS IN SOCIETY, DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS, AND THE STUDENTS ARE BRINGING TO THE SCHOOLS, WE'RE MAKING PROGRESS. DESPITE THAT,

[04:05:07]

THAT BEING SAID, WE'RE STILL AFFECTED BY THIS SHORTAGE BECAUSE WE HAVE MORE UNDER CERTIFIED TEACHERS, AS DOES EVERY DISTRICT IN THE STATE THAN WE'VE EVER HAD BEFORE. BUT DESPITE THAT, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WITH MORE UNDER CERTIFIED PEOPLE, WE HAVEN'T ADDED ANY ADDITIONAL SPA FACILITATORS IN SCHOOLS, WE'VE ASKED PEOPLE TO PICK UP THAT WORK. THIS PAST YEAR. WE DIDN'T ADD ANY ADDITIONAL TEACHER SPECIALISTS TO SUPPORT ALL OF THESE NEW TEACHERS WHO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF NEEDS, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE NOT CERTIFIED. DESPITE THAT, WE'VE BEEN FLAT FUNDED FOR TWO YEARS, SO NO NEW RESOURCES SUPPORTING OUR OUR TEACHERS WHO NEED IT. AND SUBSEQUENTLY THE STUDENTS. WE'RE STILL WATCHING SCORES GROW. WE'RE STILL WATCHING THEM MOVE IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, AND SO DESPITE EVERYTHING WE'VE DEALT WITH, AGAIN, FLAT FUNDING, THESE TYPES OF ISSUES, IT CAN POINT TO MULTIPLE SAFETY MEASURES THAT WE'VE GROWN IN THE SCHOOLS IN THE LAST FEW YEARS. EVEN WHILE REVENUE WASN'T INCREASING. AND SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO CONTINUE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT AS WE GO FORWARD. THAT AGAIN, NOT HERE TO MAKE EXCUSES. WE HAVE A MISSION TO DELIVER ON, AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DELIVER ON THAT MISSION. BUT THE CONDITIONS ARE TURNING THIS INTO A GREATER UPHILL BATTLE. EVERY YEAR, NOW, WITH THAT SAID, AND MORE OF A TRADITIONAL VEIN OF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT, I DO WANT TO ANNOUNCE, THE EXCELLENCE IN EDUCATION SHOWCASE, I KNOW THAT WE'VE COME TO REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PARTICULAR EVENT. THE AWARDS BANQUET WILL BE OCTOBER 11TH.

THIS YEAR AT THE WATER'S EDGE EVENT CENTER, THE EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION, WITH THE GREAT SUPPORT FROM APG FEDERAL CREDIT UNION, HAS, YOU KNOW, SPONSORED THIS EVENT. IT'S BEEN AN AMAZING EVENT, A GREAT TIME TO CELEBRATE SOME OF OUR AMAZING STUDENTS AND OF COURSE, OUR AMAZING STAFF WHO HELP THEM ACHIEVE WHAT THEY DO. SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO LOOK FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENTS

[Future Meetings Review]