[B. Presentation of Harford County Public Schools Patriot Program, Dr. Dyann Mack, Executive Director of Elementary Instruction and School Performance, Mr. Thomas Smith, Director of Elementary School Instruction and Performance, Ms. Erin Lange, Supervisor of Social Sciences, Dr. Paula Stanton, Supervisor of Equity and Cultural Proficiency]

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OF WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A CITIZEN AND A PATRIOT. TOGETHER, WE CAN ENSURE THE PATRIOT PROGRAM CONTINUES TO TEACH CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND UNDERSTANDING TO ALL STUDENTS IN ALL OUR SCHOOLS. WAITING FOR THE SLIDE SHOW TO COME BACK UP.

AS WE'RE WAITING FOR IT, I'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND START BECAUSE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT. SO JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ABOUT THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, AND I KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THAT HAVE KIND OF ALLUDED TO THAT BACKGROUND ON IT. AS SOMEONE WHO EXPERIENCED THE ACTUAL DEVELOPMENT OF THIS PROGRAM, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT. MISS BARNEY YEARS AGO STARTED THIS AT PROSPECT MILL, AND IT WAS, I BELIEVE, IN 1993. AND THIS IS AN ABSOLUTELY AWESOME PROGRAM FILLED WITH MEMORIZATION. AND THERE IS A TIME AND PLACE FOR MEMORIZATION. ABSOLUTELY. THAT PROGRAM. THEN TWO OF THE FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS THAT WORKED AT PROSPECT MILL WERE HIRED AT FOUNTAIN GREEN, AND I JOINED THEM IN 1995. SO WE HAD THE PROGRAM THERE IN PROSPECT MILL AND FOUNTAIN GREEN. AT THAT TIME, JUST TWO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. AND THE AND THE PROGRAM WAS PHENOMENAL. I CAN TELL YOU THAT THERE WERE SOME DIFFICULTIES, THOUGH, AS A CLASSROOM TEACHER, WHEN I WAS TESTING MY STUDENTS TO SEE A STUDENT STRUGGLING WHO WAS NOT ABLE TO BECOME A PATRIOT, EVEN THOUGH THEY TRIED AS HARD AS THEY COULD. WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT IEPS. WE DIDN'T THINK ABOUT ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS AT THAT TIME. AND MANY PROGRAMS TODAY ARE STILL NOT THINKING ABOUT THOSE. SO ALTHOUGH WE ARE SAYING THAT MANY STUDENTS ARE ALLOWED TO BE IN THIS PROGRAM AND HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, THERE ARE SOME THAT ARE ALREADY ELIMINATED FROM THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY CANNOT POSSIBLY DO IT. SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT OUR STUDENTS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE THINKING ABOUT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. OUT OF OUR 35 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT THAT 22 OF THEM HAVE SOME FORM OF A PATRIOT PROGRAM. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THE CORRECT NUMBERS, BECAUSE A FEW PEOPLE AT PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY SHARED ABOUT THOSE IN THOSE 22 SCHOOLS, NOT EVERY GRADE LEVEL AND NOT EVERY STUDENT HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THE PATRIOT PROGRAM. SOME IT'S ONLY FIFTH GRADE, SOME IT'S FOURTH AND FIFTH GRADE, SOME IT IS THE ENTIRE SCHOOL. SO WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE NUMBERS AND WE LOOK AT ALL OF THAT, WE HAVE 16,900 STUDENTS IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. OUT OF THAT, IN THOSE 22 SCHOOLS, WE HAVE 8000. 340 STUDENTS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE, MEANING THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY. NOW, LET'S KEEP IN MIND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE ALREADY SHARED, THAT SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT, BUT THOSE STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE THE ELIGIBLE AMOUNT OUT OF THAT 8340, WE HAVE 6000 STUDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN IT. SO 6000 OUT OF 16,900 STUDENTS, RIGHT AROUND 28%. WE'VE BEEN SAYING 30% BECAUSE IT'S AN EASY NUMBER TO DO, BUT IT'S REALLY 28% OF OUR STUDENTS. THAT'S THE POPULATION THAT WE ARE MEETING. I CAN TELL YOU BACK WHEN I WAS A CLASSROOM TEACHER, WE STROVE FOR 100%. WE DIDN'T ALWAYS MEET 100%, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE WERE STRIVING FOR. IN THE 30 YEARS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND, IT HAS CHANGED. IT HAS CHANGED DRASTICALLY TO THE POINT WHERE WE ARE LOOKING AT A COUNTY THAT WE ONLY HAVE 28% OF OUR STUDENTS ACCESSING THIS PROGRAM. SO THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT CHANGE AND WHY WE DID WHAT WE DID. AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT. THERE IS A LACK OF CONSISTENCY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROGRAMS FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL. SOME SCHOOLS STILL HAVE THE SAME MEMORIZATION THAT I USE 30 YEARS AGO, AND THAT'S GREAT FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE REALLY GOOD AT MEMORIZATION. BUT THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT, AGAIN, WERE ALREADY THINKING ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO HAVE THEM BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROGRAM. I ALSO WANT TO STRESS THAT OUT OF THOSE 22 SCHOOLS THAT WE HAVE A PROGRAM THAT IS OPTIONAL FOR KIDS, ABOUT TEN OF THOSE SCHOOLS ARE RUN BY PARENTS. AND WHEN I SAY RUN BY PARENTS, IT STILL FALLS ON THE TEACHERS RESPONSIBILITY DURING THE SCHOOL DAY TO BE THE ONES WHO LISTEN TO THE PROGRAM TO HELP KIDS GET THROUGH THE PROGRAM, BECAUSE I WILL GO THROUGH THOSE ACCOMMODATIONS AND MODIFICATIONS AGAIN, THOSE STUDENTS CANNOT BE TESTED BY A PARENT. IT'S STUDENT CONFIDENTIALITY. THEY CANNOT KNOW THAT THOSE STUDENTS RECEIVED MODIFICATIONS AND ACCOMMODATIONS. SO THE TEACHER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THAT.

SO THAT AND ALSO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE HAVE SOME OF THOSE STUDENTS WHO ARE BEING TESTED

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FROM 830 TO 9:00. IF I'M A STUDENT WHO HAS A LONG BUS RIDE AND I ARRIVE AT 850 AT MY SCHOOL, I AM AUTOMATICALLY ELIMINATED FROM BEING PART OF THE PATRIOT PROGRAM UNLESS MY TEACHER TESTS ME DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL OF THESE, THESE STUDENTS WHO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, PLEASE ALSO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING EVERYONE. IF I GET OFF THE BUS AND I NEED TO GO TO BREAKFAST, I'M GOING TO MISS THE TESTING.

SO I'M NOT GOING TO BE PART OF THE PROGRAM. SO WE'RE ALREADY ELIMINATING SOME OF THOSE 8000 STUDENTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE TO DO IT. WE'RE ALREADY ELIMINATING THEM FROM POSSIBLY BEING PART OF THAT PROGRAM. SO PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE. ALSO, FEW SUPPORTS WERE PROVIDED TO MULTILINGUAL LEARNERS. VERIFICATION OF THE PROGRAM, COMPLETION THAT WAS SPORADIC AT SOME SCHOOLS. SOME SCHOOLS THEY HAD A CHECK OFF SHEET AND SOME SCHOOLS THEY DID NOT. THE TIME THAT SCHOOLS GAVE 50% OF THE SCHOOLS OUT OF THAT, 22 HAD 2 TO 3 MONTHS THAT THEY GAVE THE STUDENTS. ONE SCHOOL ONLY GAVE STUDENTS ONE MONTH. THE REMAINING SCHOOLS VARIED FROM 4 TO 5 MONTHS OR SIX PLUS MONTHS. THE USE OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT WE TALKED ABOUT, THAT 6.5 HOURS A DAY, IF WE TAKE TIER THREE STUDENTS, THAT IS 9 TO 330. IF WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT STUDENTS BEING TESTED, AND LET'S SAY THE TEACHER NEEDS TO DO THE TESTING ON THAT. AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A LITTLE BIT IN OUR SMALL GROUP. IF WE HAVE TEN STUDENTS THAT WANT TO BE TESTED AND IT TAKES TWO MINUTES TO TEST EACH ONE OF THEM ON ONE REQUIREMENT, THAT'S 20 MINUTES OF INSTRUCTIONAL TIME THAT WE ARE LOSING FROM THAT CLASSROOM TEACHER WHO IS OUT LISTENING TO THE PROGRAM. 64% REPORTED SOME OR ALL COMPONENTS COMPLETED DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY. WE TALKED ABOUT WHO CAN WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE PROGRAM IF THE PROGRAM WAS OFFERED. WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THOSE BUS RIDERS. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT CAR RIDERS THAT DON'T ARRIVE ON TIME. WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT STUDENTS WHO DO HAVE BREAKFAST IN THE MORNING AND THAT PARENTAL SUPPORT PIECE. WE DO NEED TO THINK ABOUT THAT, TOO. WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PARENTAL SUPPORT, IT'S GREAT WHEN WE HAVE SUPPORT AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHO ARE COMING FROM A FAMILY THAT IS ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT. BUT IS IT THE STUDENT'S FAULT TO NOT BE A PATRIOT BECAUSE HE DOES NOT, OR SHE DOES NOT HAVE SUPPORT AT HOME? I WOULD THINK THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF THOSE THINGS WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS PATRIOT PROGRAM, HOW PARTICIPANTS WERE CELEBRATED 80% HOSTED ASSEMBLIES TO CELEBRATE PARTICIPATION, 20% DID NOT. TANGIBLE REWARDS WHICH WERE SHIRTS, MEDALS, PINS, SMALLER ITEMS LIKE PENCILS AND FOLDERS. SOME SCHOOLS INVITED OR HAD GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS PRESENTING COMMENDATIONS, FIELD TRIPS, SOME NONE. SOME HAD LOCAL AND SOME HAD OUT OF STATE. SOME SCHOOLS REPORTED REQUIREMENTS FOR BEING SUPER PATRIOTS WHO FACILITATED THE PROGRAM. NEARLY 50% WERE LED BY TEACHERS VOLUNTEERING THEIR OWN TIME. I'M GOING TO SAY THAT AGAIN, TEACHERS VOLUNTEERING THEIR OWN TIME OUTSIDE THEIR DUTY DAY, RIGHT? THEY HAVE TO. THEY ARE THE ONES ON THE COMMITTEE THAT HAS TO CREATE ALL THE REQUIREMENTS. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO CREATE ALL THE PACKETS TO HAND OUT. THEY'RE THE ONES WHO TALK ABOUT THE ASSEMBLIES, GET THE ASSEMBLIES READY. SO I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW THAT WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS, WE'RE THINKING ABOUT TEACHERS WHO ARE ALREADY TAXED BEYOND THEIR DAY TO DO EXTRA THINGS IN THAT 6.5 HOURS. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO ASK THEM WHEN WE'RE ASKING THEM TO DO ONE MORE THING. SOME SCHOOLS REPORTED PREVIOUSLY RUNNING THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, BUT HAVING TO DISCONTINUE IT DUE TO SHIFTS IN AVAILABILITY OF VOLUNTEERS OR STAFF. WORKING. CLICKERS NOT WORKING. OKAY, OKAY, THERE WE GO. AND WE CAN GO TO ONE MORE. JUST TAKING A SECOND. OKAY. OUR GOAL OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PATRIOT PROGRAM, THE CPS PATRIOT PROGRAM SEEKS TO FOSTER CIVIC MINDED STUDENTS WITH A KNOWLEDGE OF THE RICH HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES AND APPRECIATION FOR THE DEMOCRATIC VALUES THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR SOCIETY, AND AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE WAYS THEY CAN RESPONSIBLY PARTICIPATE IN AND CONTRIBUTE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES. SO OUR COMMITMENT, AS WE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW TO EXPAND THE ACCESS OF THIS PROGRAM, INCLUDED. BOARD OF EDUCATION GOALS AND PRIORITIES. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT HAS TO BE A PRIMARY CONCERN FOR US. AND AS

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MR. SMITH TALKED ABOUT, PARTS OF THIS PROGRAM WERE HINDERING OUR ABILITY TO GET THROUGH OUR CURRICULUM TO AND IT WAS TAKING AWAY INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT AS WE WERE THINKING ABOUT HOW TO ELEVATE THIS EXPERIENCE, THAT WE WERE ALIGNING TO THOSE BOARD GOALS AND TO MAXIMIZE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. WE ALSO WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE LINKING TO THE INSTRUCTIONAL OBJECTIVES. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MSD FOR ALIGNING TO THE FRAMEWORKS, THE STANDARDS, THE INDICATORS AND OBJECTIVES THAT THEY PUT FORTH TO US. SO WHATEVER TIME WE ARE USING DURING THE INSTRUCTIONAL DAY, DURING THOSE PRECIOUS 6.5 HOURS EVERY DAY HAS TO BE MAXIMIZING OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO MSD AND TO OUR ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURES, INCLUDING MCAT. WE ALSO WANTED TO ENSURE THAT WE WERE MAXIMIZING OUR PARENT AND COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS. THAT WAS NEVER THE INTENTION TO SEVER THAT TIE. AND AS I HOPE YOU WILL SEE THROUGHOUT THIS PROGRAM, WE ARE CONTINUING TO FOSTER WAYS TO INCLUDE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THIS NEW ITERATION OF THE PROGRAM. AND MOST OF ALL, WE HAVE OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR STUDENTS AND ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE WHAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL NOW AND IN THE FUTURE. BASED ON THIS, WE GATHERED SOME INITIAL FEEDBACK FROM SOME STAKEHOLDER GROUPS, INCLUDING A PRINCIPALS ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND AN AD HOC TEACHER GROUP THAT HAPPENED IN MAY OF 2020 FOR THAT AD HOC TEACHER GROUP, THEN CREATED A DRAFT OF THE INTEGRATED PATRIOT PROGRAM MODEL IN MAY OF 2024. SO BASED ON THAT FEEDBACK, THEY TALKED ABOUT WHAT PATRIOT PROGRAM HAS LOOKED LIKE AT VARIOUS SCHOOLS. WE HAVE A DIVERSE REPRESENTATION OF TEACHERS AND MEDIA CENTER SPECIALISTS WHO SERVED ON THAT COMMITTEE, AND THEY SHARED THEIR THOUGHTS ON WHAT THE PATRIOT PROGRAM IS AND WHAT IT COULD BE BASED ON THEIR EXPERIENCES AND THOSE OF THEIR PEERS. THAT MODIFIED PROGRAM WAS THEN PRESENTED FOR FEEDBACK FOR STAKEHOLDER GROUPS FROM JUNE TO AUGUST OF 2024, AND THAT INCLUDED PARENTS, TEACHERS AND OUR PRINCIPALS. AND THEN WE IMPLEMENTED IN THE FALL OF 2024 THROUGH TODAY AND BEYOND, WITH A PLAN OF THIS YEAR, WE ARE BUILDING OUT THE PRE-K TO FOUR COMPONENTS. SO THIS SCHOOL YEAR, GRADE FIVE PATRIOT PROGRAM IS OPERATIONAL AND WE ARE GATHERING FEEDBACK AND MAKING THOSE MODIFICATIONS THAT WILL EXIST BOTH IN THE FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM MOVING FORWARD. I'M SORRY, THE FIFTH GRADE PROGRAM MOVING FORWARD, AS WELL AS THE PROGRAM IN PRE-K TO FOUR. WE ARE ALWAYS CONSUMMATE EDUCATORS. WE ARE VERY REFLECTIVE. WE ARE ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THINGS BETTER. AND THAT WAS THE GOAL DURING THIS KIND OF PILOT YEAR WHERE WE INTEGRATED IN GRADE FIVE, SINCE WE HAD AN AD HOC GRADE FIVE GROUP THAT COULD DO THAT WORK TO IDENTIFY THE COMPONENTS THAT COULD FULFILL THESE PATRIOT PROGRAM STRANDS THAT THEY'VE THAT THIS GROUP HAS ENVISIONED. AND SO WE HAVE A GOAL THAT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR WE WILL IMPLEMENT IN PRE-K THROUGH FIVE. AND SO IT WILL BE SERVING ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY STUDENTS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. SO THESE ARE THE STRANDS WAS THE TERM THAT WAS CHOSEN BY THE AD HOC GROUP OF THE INTEGRATED PATRIOT PROGRAM. SO THIS WAS THE VISION OF THIS GROUP. AND TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT A CURRICULUM. THESE ARE COMPONENTS. THESE ARE ACTIVITIES. THIS IS NOT A CURRICULUM. THESE COMPONENTS OR ACTIVITIES ARE EMBEDDED THROUGHOUT ALL OF THE RELATED CURRICULA THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN, INCLUDING THE BRACKETED ONES, THOSE FOUR, WHICH WOULD BE THE SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND THEN THE OTHER COMPONENTS ARE WITHIN THE SPECIAL AREAS. SO I ASKED MISS SHEPHERD TO COME HERE AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF OUR AD HOC GROUP. SHE HAS SERVED AND SUPPORTED THE HISTORIC PATRIOT PROGRAM, AS WELL AS HELPING TO KIND OF ENVISION WHAT THIS NEW PROGRAM IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE. AND SHE'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY AS A GRADE FIVE TEACHER AT EMMERTON ELEMENTARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS INTEGRATED PROGRAM. AND SO I WANTED HER JUST TO SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THOSE EXPERIENCES. OKAY. THANK YOU ERIN. THANK YOU. BOARD. SO FAR THIS SCHOOL YEAR, WE HAVE ACTUALLY DONE THREE OF THE STRANDS, THE HISTORY STRAND AND TWO GEOGRAPHY. GEOGRAPHY STRANDS. THE HISTORY STRAND WAS CENTERED AROUND THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AND WHAT HAPPENED AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION AND WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. STUDENTS DID A SOME READING ABOUT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN PREPARATION FOR A DISCUSSION THAT THEY WOULD HAVE WITH THEIR CLASSMATES. AND ALSO PART OF THAT WAS THE PREAMBLE. BUT WE DID A LITTLE BIT MORE WITH THE PREAMBLE THAN JUST LEARN AND RECITE IT. WE ACTUALLY LEARNED WHAT THE PREAMBLE MEANT. SO WE BROKE DOWN THE PHRASES OF THE PREAMBLE TO LEARN WHAT IT ACTUALLY MEANS AS LEADING INTO OUR CONSTITUTION. SO THAT WAS PART OF OUR HISTORY STRAND OF FIRST HISTORY STRAND, OUR GEOGRAPHY STRAND, OUR FIRST ONE WAS ABOUT INDUSTRY AND TRANSPORTATION AND HOW THAT CONTRIBUTED TO NATIONAL GROWTH AND SECTIONAL CONFLICT LEADING UP TO THE CIVIL WAR. WE HAD A FOCUS ON MARYLAND'S ROLE DURING

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THAT TIME, BECAUSE DURING THAT TIME WE HAD THE ADDITION OF RAILROADS, CANALS, HIGHWAYS, AND ONE OF THE FIRST HIGHWAYS THAT WAS PAID FOR BY THE GOVERNMENT WAS RIGHT HERE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND, OUT IN WESTERN MARYLAND, IN CUMBERLAND. AND THIS WAS I DID THIS LESSON AS MY LEARN WITH ME FOR THIS YEAR. AND THE PARENTS GOT AN OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THEIR THEIR CHILD IN THE CLASSROOM TO PREPARE FOR A FISHBOWL DISCUSSION AROUND THESE TOPICS. AFTER THE LEARN WITH ME, I SENT A SURVEY OUT TO THE PARENTS, AND DURING THIS TIME, THEY KNEW THAT THIS WAS A PATRIOTIC STRAND THAT WE WERE DOING A LESSON. ON THAT DAY, I SENT OUT A SURVEY TO THE PARENTS TO GET FEEDBACK FROM THEM, AND IT WAS OVERWHELMINGLY, OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.

POSITIVE. THEY SAID THEY ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT AND LEARNED SOME THINGS THAT THEY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT OUR COUNTRY, AND ABOUT SOME THINGS THAT HAPPENED HERE IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND. AND ANOTHER STRAND THAT WE HAVE DONE, A SECOND GEOGRAPHY STRAND THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS YEAR IN FIFTH GRADE IS THE BORDER STATES, BUT NOT JUST WHAT THE BORDER WHAT STATES WERE BORDER STATES, BUT WHAT MADE THEM BORDER STATES? AND WHY WAS THERE CONFLICT IN THOSE STATES? SO WE HAD A DISCUSSION AROUND THOSE THINGS. AND HOW DID THAT AFFECT THE COUNTRY AT THAT TIME? WE ALSO HAD A FOCUS ON MARYLAND, BECAUSE MARYLAND WAS A BORDER STATE. AND HOW HOW DID OUR STATE LOOK DURING THE TIME? SO THE STUDENTS DID AN ACTIVITY ON THAT FOR OUR SECOND GEOGRAPHY STRAND, AND WE'LL HAVE MORE STRANDS COMING UP THIS SCHOOL YEAR. BUT THESE ARE THE THREE THAT WE HAVE CURRENTLY COMPLETED. SO THE IDEA OF THESE STRANDS WAS TO EMBED EXPERIENCES THAT ARE REALLY ELEVATED IN OUR CURRICULUM AND MAKE THEM SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF A HALLMARK OF EACH OF THESE EXPERIENCES. SO IN HISTORY, AS MISS SHEPHERD MENTIONED, IT'S THAT CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION SIMULATION, WHICH REQUIRES STUDENTS TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND THE ENLIGHTENMENT PHILOSOPHIES THAT INFLUENCED IT. LOOKING AT LEADERS WITHIN THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AND WHY WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AGAINST ALL ODDS, WE THEN LOOK AT WHY WE CREATED THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION AS A CONFEDERATE SYSTEM OF GOVERNMENT, AND WHY WE DID THAT.

WHAT WERE THE REASONS BEHIND THAT? AND ULTIMATELY, WHAT WERE THE STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION THAT LED US TO A CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION IN PHILADELPHIA? AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS WHAT STUDENTS ARE STUDYING AND DIVING DEEP INTO BEFORE THEY EVEN GET TO THE DEBATES WITHIN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION, INCLUDING FACTIONS SUCH AS THE FEDERALIST AND ANTI-FEDERALIST. THOSE DEBATES THAT WERE EXISTING DURING THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION. AND THEY ARE ROLE PLAYING. THOSE DIFFERENT DEBATES WITHIN THIS EXPERIENCE FOR THE PATRIOT PROGRAM HISTORY STRAND. ANOTHER HIGHLIGHT THAT IS COMING UP IN FOURTH QUARTER WILL BE THE CIVICS STRAND. THAT WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR COMMUNITY AND WHAT THE NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITY ARE. THEY WILL IDENTIFY A PROBLEM OR NEED WITHIN THEIR COMMUNITY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SOLVE. THEY WILL RESEARCH THE ROOT CAUSES OF THAT PROBLEM OR NEED. THEY WILL RESEARCH POTENTIAL SOLUTIONS, AND ULTIMATELY THEY WILL DECIDE ON WHAT SOLUTION THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADVOCATE FOR, AND THEY WILL DEVELOP AND GIVE A TWO MINUTE SOAPBOX SPEECH TO CONVINCE OTHER PEOPLE TO GET ON BOARD WITH THEIR SOLUTION. THAT'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR A LEARN WITH ME THAT WE HAVE HIGHLIGHTED. ALTHOUGH SCHOOLS ALWAYS HAVE AUTONOMY TO CHOOSE WHICH OF THESE COULD BE A LEARN WITH ME OPPORTUNITY. AND I ACTUALLY WAS JUST AT JARRETTSVILLE ELEMENTARY THIS MORNING, TALKING TO AN AMAZING GROUP OF FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS ABOUT THEN HOW TO ELEVATE THAT EVEN FURTHER FOR TEAMS THAT WOULD LIKE TO DO SO.

BECAUSE THE IDEA OF THIS INTEGRATED PROGRAM IS FLEXIBILITY FOR SCHOOLS. IT'S PROVIDING A BASELINE PACKAGE OF EXPERIENCES FOR STUDENTS, BUT ALWAYS PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS OR SCHOOLS TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. AND SO WE DISCUSSED WITH THE JARRETTSVILLE TEAM HOW THEY MIGHT INVITE IN CHANGE MAKERS TO WITNESS OR HEAR THESE SOAPBOX SPEECHES AND PERHAPS VOTE ON A TOP 3 OR 4 TO ACTUALLY GIVE THEIR SOAPBOX SPEECHES DURING THE PATRIOT PROGRAM CELEBRATION AT THE END OF THE YEAR. THE MEDIA COMPONENT IS ALL ABOUT DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP. WE KNOW THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE LIVING IN A DIGITAL AGE, AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO THINK ABOUT THE CIVIC VIRTUES THAT THEY HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH AS THEY ENGAGE ONLINE IN THE MUSIC AND ARTS. THEY WILL BE LEARNING PATRIOTIC SONGS, BUT NOT JUST PERFORMING THE SONGS, BUT LEARNING ABOUT THE RICH HISTORY OF EACH OF THESE SONGS, THE WORDS AND WHAT MAKE THEM

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IMPORTANT PARTS OF OUR OUR NATIONAL IDENTITY. THEY WILL COMMUNICATE THEIR OWN PATRIOTIC THOUGHTS AND IDEAS THROUGH VISUAL ARTS. IN PE, THEY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE WITH ONE ANOTHER IN DIPLOMACY, A KEY COMPONENT OF BEING A GOOD CITIZEN IN THE UNITED STATES.

AND LASTLY, THERE WILL BE A SERVICE LEARNING COMPONENT, WHICH IN FIFTH GRADE WILL BE DONE THROUGH THE SCIENCE CURRICULUM. BECAUSE WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN THE INTEGRATION OF CURRICULA. THAT'S JUST THE FIFTH GRADE STRAND. AND I KNOW THERE'S A VISUAL THAT I'VE CREATED THAT WE ARE GOING TO PUT ON THE HTTPS WEBSITE TO COMMUNICATE THAT FIFTH GRADE PROGRAM. HOWEVER, WE DO KNOW THAT THERE'S A PRE-K TO FOUR NEED THERE AND THAT IS BEING DEVELOPED NOW. AND SO I CAN'T SPEAK TO THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT THAT PRE-K TO FOUR PROGRAM WILL LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT CHANGES TO THE CURRICULUM, BUT IDENTIFYING THE ELEMENTS IN THE CURRICULUM THAT COULD ALIGN TO THIS PURPOSE AND ELEVATING THOSE EXPERIENCES. THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN INVITE PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS INTO THOSE EXPERIENCES. BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT SOME OF THE TOPICS WITHIN THE PRE-K TO FOUR CURRICULUM THAT WILL BE ALIGNING TO, OR THAT WE WILL BE ALIGNING THIS PATRIOT PROGRAM TO, AND THAT INCLUDES THE THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT US GEOGRAPHY, INCLUDING STATES, MARYLAND REGIONS, AND HARFORD COUNTY GEOGRAPHY. COMMUNITY HELPERS INCLUDING FIREMEN, POLICE, VETERANS AND MILITARY PERSONNEL. PATRIOTIC SYMBOLS RESEARCHING HISTORICAL FIGURES, CIVIC VIRTUES AND DUTIES, AMERICAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC AND CIVIC PARTICIPATION LEADERS WITHIN THE FEDERAL SYSTEM. SO THAT WOULD BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO IS OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE? WHO IS THE PRESIDENT? WHO IS THE MAYOR? THAT'S OFTEN UP IN HAVRE DE GRACE, THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, AMERICAN PRESIDENTS AND LEADERS, OBVIOUSLY, THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS ARE IN OUR FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM. AND MORE SO THESE COMPONENTS ARE THERE IN THE CURRICULUM. THEY UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT ALWAYS GET TAUGHT WITH FIDELITY BECAUSE OF THE PAUCITY OF TIME WE HAVE. AND SO THIS IS REALLY ABOUT ELEVATING THAT EXPERIENCE TO ENSURE THAT ALL STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO ALL PARTS OF THIS CURRICULUM AND OF A PATRIOT PROGRAM THAT WE CAN BE PROUD OF FOR ALL STUDENTS. THAT PAGE OVER. SO WHAT THIS INTEGRATED PROGRAM WILL BE DOING, IT WILL PROVIDE STUDENTS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT PATRIOTISM, PATRIOTISM, AND CIVICS. AGAIN, WE BELIEVE THAT THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE OPTIONAL. IT WILL BE ALIGNED TO LEARNING STANDARDS AND PART OF THE BOE APPROVED CURRICULUM SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE 22 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT AT TIMES ARE NOT ALIGNED AT TIMES, REQUIRE MORE FOR SOME STUDENTS THAN OTHERS. THAT WILL BE CONSISTENT ACROSS OUR SYSTEM.

BUT AGAIN, THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS OR FOR INDIVIDUAL STUDENTS TO ELEVATE THAT CHALLENGE OR RIGOR. IT WILL PROVIDE CONTINUITY AND CONSISTENCY, AND AGAIN, IT WILL ALIGN TO OUR ACCOUNTABILITY INDICATORS, INCLUDING MCAT. IT WILL ADDRESS THE LEARNING NEEDS OF ALL STUDENTS. AS MR. SMITH MENTIONED, 20% OF OUR SCHOOLS WERE NOT ABLE TO AT ALL PROVIDE ANY ACCOMMODATIONS OR MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROGRAM AND ANY PROGRAM THAT IS RUN BY A PARENT, VOLUNTEER OR COMMUNITY MEMBER CANNOT PROVIDE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE REASONS MR. SMITH STATED. IT WILL ALSO MAXIMIZE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. AS I MENTIONED, THOSE 6.5 HOURS ARE PRECIOUS, AND TIME AND AGAIN, BOTH TEACHERS AND PRINCIPALS CONSISTENTLY SHARE THAT THERE IS NEVER ENOUGH TIME TO GET THROUGH. ALL WE NEED TO GET THROUGH DURING THE DAY, SO ANYTHING THAT DETRACTS FROM THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO STRONGLY CONSIDER. HOW WE CAN HELP STUDENTS ACCESS THOSE OPPORTUNITIES WITHOUT IMPACTING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. THIS PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD STUDENT OR SCHOOLS TO FOR AN OPPORTUNITY TO HOLD STUDENT FOCUSED ASSEMBLIES THAT CELEBRATE ALL STUDENTS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION IN THE CURRICULUM AS IT RELATES TO CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND PATRIOTISM.

DURING THESE CELEBRATIONS, THERE CAN BE OPPORTUNITIES TO FOR SCHOOLS TO MAKE IT THEIR OWN, AND FOR STUDENTS WHO WANT TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO BE CELEBRATED, WE WILL PROVIDE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR STUDENTS TO EARN AWARDS, RIBBONS, PINS THAT WILL AGAIN BE DEPENDENT ON SCHOOLS AND THEIR NEEDS. THIS PROGRAM WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOLS TO HAVE FIELD TRIPS, SO ALL STUDENTS CAN LEARN ABOUT CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY AND PATRIOTISM AGAIN. TRIPS TO ANNAPOLIS, TRIPS TO SEE THE TO SEE INDEPENDENCE HALL IN PHILADELPHIA. THESE ARE TWO IMPORTANT EXPERIENCES. TO HAVE IT BE AN EXCLUSIVE THING. WE WANT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO HAVE THOSE EXPERIENCES. IT WILL MINIMIZE THE WORKLOAD OF TEACHERS AND VOLUNTEERS, SO THERE WILL STILL BE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PARENT VOLUNTEERS OR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS, BUT IT WILL ALLOW THE PROGRAM TO FUNCTION WITH INTEGRITY, INTEGRITY WITHOUT RELYING ON PARENT PARENTAL OR VOLUNTEER AVAILABILITY. AS I MENTIONED, WE ARE VERY REFLECTIVE AND SO WE'VE ALREADY BEEN GATHERING FEEDBACK AND SEE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ELEVATING THIS EXPERIENCE FOR THE HOME TO SCHOOL COMMUNICATION AND CONNECTION. AND SO MY OFFICE IS

[02:15:01]

WORKING TO DEVELOP RESOURCES FOR HOME CONNECTION THAT WILL INCLUDE DISCUSSION QUESTIONS FOR OUR HOME, FOR OUR PARENTS OR OUR GUARDIANS. AND WE'LL ALSO INCLUDE RECOMMENDED EXTENSION ACTIVITIES THAT COULD INCLUDE THOSE MEMORIZATION COMPONENTS THAT I THAT WE HAVE HEARD ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO MANY OF OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. AS ALWAYS, SCHOOLS CAN WELCOME PARENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OR THEY CAN RECRUIT THEM BASED ON THEIR NEEDS AND THEIR BUILDINGS. AND SO THAT IS A SCHOOL BASED DECISION THAT WE CONTINUE TO APPLAUD BASED ON THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL AND THE OPPORTUNITIES AND AVAILABILITY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY. AND AS MISS SHEPHERD MENTIONED, WE HAVE EMBEDDED LEARN WITH ME OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED OR HIGHLIGHTED, AND THEY CAN BE USED AT TEACHER AND SCHOOL DISCRETION. BOTTOM LINE, WE ARE ALLOWING ALL STUDENTS TO BECOME PATRIOTS BECAUSE AGAIN, THIS IS TOO IMPORTANT TO BE OPTIONAL.

SOME OF THE WAYS THAT WE HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS, WE GAVE IT UP TO BUILDING LEVEL ADMINISTRATORS IF THEY WOULD LIKE TO COMMUNICATE IT DURING PTA MEETINGS, BACK TO SCHOOL NIGHTS, TEACHERS WERE ABLE TO DO IT AS WELL, COMMUNICATING IT. SCHOOL COMMUNICATIONS, WHETHER THEY USE A WEEKLY PHONE CALL, NEWSLETTER, ETC. PARENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE THROUGH THE OFFICE OF FAMILY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. AS MRS. LANG POINTED OUT, WE'RE WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, AND WE CERTAINLY SEE THAT THERE WAS ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT WITH REGARDS TO OUR COMMUNICATION ON THIS, AND WE SHOULD HAVE DONE THIS ON THE FRONT END WITH REGARDS TO LETTING EVERYONE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS PROGRAM WOULD BE LOOKING LIKE AND THE BENEFITS TO WHY WE WERE DOING THE PROGRAM THAT WE WERE. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILIES ALL UNDERSTAND THE REQUIREMENTS. SO WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A DOCUMENT THAT'S GOING TO GO HOME TO ALL FIFTH GRADE FAMILIES. SO THE PARENTS UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE SHARING HERE. AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE MAKING A CHANGE TO BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT WILL ENHANCE OUR PROGRAM.

AND AS MRS. LANG SAID, OUR GOAL IS TO GET AS MANY PATRIOTS AS POSSIBLE. WE DON'T WANT THIS PATRIOT PROGRAM TO BE JUST FOR SOME. IT SHOULD BE FOR ALL. WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE PATRIOTIC AND PART OF OUR COUNTRY AND OUR COUNTY. SO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, 100 100% OF OUR SCHOOLS HAVE A FIFTH GRADE PATRIOT PROGRAM, 100%. APPROXIMATELY HALF HAVE ALREADY COMMITTED TO AN END OF THE YEAR CELEBRATION. APPROXIMATELY HALF HAVE COMMITTED TO A FIELD TRIP, AND ALL OF THESE STUDENTS WILL BE PARTICIPATING IN THE CELEBRATION AND IN THE FIELD TRIP. THEY WILL NOT BE LEFT BACK IN THE CLASSROOM. THEY WILL NOT BE SITTING THERE CLAPPING FOR THEIR CLASSMATES. THAT MADE THE MADE THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, AND THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO DO IT.

EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE GIVEN THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PATRIOT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING. DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? GREAT. THANK YOU. WE WILL OPEN IT UP FOR BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. YEAH, I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS. SO WHAT WAS THE TRIGGER THAT THAT CAUSED THIS TO BE LOOKED INTO? WAS IT A PARENT THAT WAS COMPLAINING. WAS IT STUDENTS COMPLAINING OR TEACHERS LIKE WHERE DID IT COME FROM? I THINK IT WAS A COMBINATION OF EVERYTHING.

TEACHERS HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO SUSTAIN THE PROGRAM. SO IF WE HAVE, LET'S SAY, A GROUP OF FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS THAT ARE VOLUNTEERING TO DO THIS PROGRAM AND THEY NO LONGER ARE ABLE TO DO IT BECAUSE THEY HAVE SO MANY RESPONSIBILITIES. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE. AND IF THEY'RE DOING THAT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL DAY, WE CAN'T POSSIBLY ASK THEM TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT WITHOUT COMPENSATING THEM OUTSIDE THE SCHOOL DAY. WHY GO DOWN THE PATH THAT YOU WENT DOWN AND LIKE? BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTAND THE PROGRAM, IT WAS PTA LED, PARENT LED. SO WHY WHY NOT GO DOWN THE PATH THAT WAS ONLY IN TEN OF OUR SCHOOLS, AND THE MAIN IMPETUS FOR US DOING IT IS THAT 30%.

WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT 30% OF OUR, IT'S ACTUALLY LESS THAN 30%, BUT 30% OF OUR STUDENTS ARE PARTICIPATING IN THE PROGRAM. 30% IS JUST NOT A PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE WE'RE OKAY WITH. I'M GOING WAY BACK IN MY MEMORY STORES. MY SON, MY YOUNGEST SON, IT'S LIKE TWO DECADES AGO. AND WHEN I WENT TO THE CELEBRATION FOR HIM GRADUATING FROM THE PROGRAM, IT WAS PRESENTED TO ME THAT THIS PROGRAM WAS FOR CHILDREN THAT WERE INTERESTED IN MAYBE HAVING AN INVOLVEMENT IN SERVE A SERVICE LIFE, YOU KNOW, AND LET ME FIRST SAY THAT IF YOU GO BACK TO MAY, I'M AN ADVOCATE FOR HAVING CIVICS THROUGHOUT OUR CURRICULUM. AND I BROUGHT THAT UP. AND MISS LANG SAID THAT IT WAS ALREADY IN THERE, HONESTLY, BECAUSE I DID, YOU KNOW, SAY WE NEED CIVICS IN THERE. WHEN WE WERE APPROVING THE AP AFRICAN AMERICAN CURRICULUM AS WELL AS THE SOCIAL SCIENCE CURRICULUM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS STATED THAT WE HAD CIVICS ALREADY THREADED THROUGHOUT OUR CURRICULUM. SO

[02:20:02]

THIS PROGRAM, WHEN MY SON GRADUATED, WAS PRESENTED TO THE PARENTS THAT ATTENDED THAT IT WAS FOR STUDENTS THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN GOVERNMENT POSITIONS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, SASHA IS INVOLVED IN STUDENT GOVERNMENT AS WELL AS MANY OTHER STUDENTS. SO IT WAS KIND OF IN PREPARATION FOR THEM TO ENTER INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TO BE ENGAGED AND INVOLVED IN STUDENT ACTIVITIES. SO IT WAS ABOVE AND BEYOND KIND OF WHAT YOU LEARN IN THE CURRICULUM IN THE CLASSROOM.

BUT IT WAS FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAD A STRONG DESIRE TO SERVE IN THAT CAPACITY. SO IT SEEMS LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS, YOU KNOW, I HOPE EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE PATRIOTIC AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, LEARN CIVIC RESPONSIBILITIES. AND I THINK THAT THAT IS TO BE APPLAUDED.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THERE SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. AND THERE WILL BE IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS, AS WE MENTIONED, COMMUNITIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO STILL HAVE THEIR VERY TRADITIONAL THIS IS THE WAY WE'VE DONE IT. PATRIOT PROGRAM ARE WELCOME TO DO SO AS A CLUB. BUT THE OTHER THING WILL BE THAT HOME CONNECTION WHERE WE ARE GOING TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR DISCUSSIONS, AS WELL AS RECOMMENDED EXTENSION ACTIVITIES THAT STUDENTS COULD DO. OR STUDENTS COULD PROPOSE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. AND THAT'S THE BEAUTY OF PROVIDING THAT FLEXIBILITY WHILE STILL HAVING THAT FOUNDATIONAL UNDERSTANDING AND THAT FOUNDATIONAL PROGRAM ON WHICH WE CAN GROUND IT. SO IF SO, CAN YOU TALK TO ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU MEAN BY HAVING IT AS A CLUB AND HOW STUDENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A CLUB, YOU KNOW, AND HOW THAT WOULD BE. BETTER? HOW IS THAT BETTER? BACK TO YOUR POINT, MR. ALVAREZ, IF YOU DON'T MIND ABOUT STUDENTS, WHY THEY WANTED TO DO THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US COULD SIT HERE AND GO BACK 30 YEARS AND SAY WHY KIDS WANTED TO DO IT. SOME MAYBE HAD A STRONG DESIRE TO SERVE IN THEIR COMMUNITY. SOME MAY HAVE WANTED A COOL RULER OR ERASER OR PENCIL THAT THEY SAW THAT THEY WERE GIVING OUT. TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, WE DON'T HAVE EXIT SURVEYS TO SAY WHY KIDS WANTED TO DO IT.

THAT'S WHAT THE PRESENTERS, THE TEACHERS AND THE PARENTS SAID, NOT THE STUDENTS. MY SON, I DID ASK HIM AND HE SAID BECAUSE HE WANTED TO GO ON THE ON THE FIELD TRIP. SO THAT WAS HIS RESPONSE.

HE WANTED TO GO. HE WENT TO FORT MCHENRY AND HE SAID HE WANTED TO GO ON THE FIELD TRIP. AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ANY ANY OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIELD TRIP WAS SOMETHING HE WANTED TO BE INVOLVED WITH. BUT AS FAR AS WHAT THE PARENTS AND THE TEACHERS PRESENT IT WAS, THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, WHY THEY HAD THE PROGRAM AND WHY IT WAS, YOU KNOW, AN ADDITIONAL PROGRAM AND NOT JUST PART OF THE CURRICULUM. BUT I THINK WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TONIGHT IS WE'RE LIMITING IT. THERE'S NO EXCLUSIVITY. IT'S BEING OFFERED TO EVERYONE. EVERYONE IS GETTING THE SAME INFORMATION AND THE SAME OPPORTUNITIES THAT BEFORE WERE ONLY GRANTED TO STUDENTS WHO GOT A PARENT PERMISSION TO DO IT, GRANTED PERMISSION FOR THEM TO BE OUT OF THEIR CLASSROOM, GRANTED THEM PERMISSION TO GO ON A FIELD TRIP IF THE SCHOOL HAD THE FUNDS TO SUPPORT A FIELD TRIP. IN THIS MODEL, THERE IS NO ONE BEING EXCLUDED, AND IT ALSO GIVES THE OPPORTUNITY. YOU HAVE TO THINK BACK TO WHEN THIS STARTED IN 1993, NOBODY, NO KIDS HAD CELL PHONES IN 1993. NONE. DID YOUR KIDS HAVE CELL PHONES IN 1993? YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ONE NOW. YEAH.

SO, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, DEPENDING ON THEIR AGE, BUT I SO THERE'S ELEMENTS THAT ARE BEING THERE'S ELEMENTS THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED NOW IN THIS PROGRAM THAT TEACH KIDS INFORMATION THAT WASN'T AVAILABLE IN 1993, AND HOW TO DEAL WITH PROBLEMS THAT WEREN'T THERE IN 1993, I, I WAS AT PROSPECT MILL WHEN THE PATRIOT PROGRAM WAS THERE. THE SCHOOL I WAS AT PRIOR DID NOT HAVE A VERY STRONG PATRIOT PROGRAM, AND THERE WERE NOT MANY KIDS THAT GOT RECOGNIZED AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WHEN I WENT TO PROSPECT MILL, THEY HAD A VERY, VERY STRONG PROGRAM THAT WAS RICH IN TRADITION THAT A LOT OF KIDS PARTICIPATED IN. BUT IT ALSO MEANT THAT WE RELIED ON A STRONG PARENT BASE TO BE THERE TO HELP SUPPORT GIVING. THIS WAS THE OPPORTUNITY OFFERED TO THE PARENTS TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, THIS PROGRAM IS FALLING APART. YOU KNOW, LETTERS SENT HOME AND SAID, YOU KNOW, WE NEED MORE PARENT INVOLVEMENT. WAS THERE AN EFFORT TO TRY TO GET THE PARENTS MORE ENGAGED? THAT IS ONE OF OUR PILLARS WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE PARENTS MORE INVOLVED.

AND THIS SEEMS LIKE A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO, LIKE KIND OF EXPLORE THAT. BUT TYPICALLY

[02:25:01]

WOULD HAVE HAPPENED, AT LEAST IN MY EXPERIENCES, WERE IF MR. SMITH WAS A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER AND MRS. LANG WAS ONE OF THOSE PARENTS THAT WAS HELPING MR. SMITH AND MR. COOK DID NOT HAVE A PARENT TO COME IN. MRS. LANG WOULD COME OVER AND DO MY KIDS AS WELL. SO WE WERE STRETCHING THOSE RESOURCES THAT THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER FROM MY EXPERIENCES. AND IN SOME CASES THE TEACHERS GOT NO ONE. THEY WOULD REACH OUT, THEY WOULD COMMUNICATE, CAN I GET SOMEBODY TO COME IN? THEY WOULDN'T. SO THEN THEY WOULD HAVE TO DO IT THEMSELVES. I'M SORRY IF I. THAT WAS GREAT.

THANK YOU. THAT'S NOT THE INFORMATION WE'RE GETTING BACK FROM THE COMMUNITY. THE PARENTS THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED ARE DISAPPOINTED. YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN IT FROM THE PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT. THE OUTCRY FROM YOU KNOW, WE'VE EVEN HAD, YOU KNOW, SOME OF OUR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS COME IN TO SPEAK ON THE FACT THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY.

YEAH. AND I THINK EVERYBODY UP HERE AGREES WITH YOU. AND I THINK WHAT MRS. LANG WAS SAYING, IT'S TOO IMPORTANT NOT TO GIVE EVERY CHILD THIS OPPORTUNITY, EVERY CHILD. WE'RE GIVING THEM THIS OPPORTUNITY. WHEREAS BEFORE IT WASN'T. AND THE SPEAKERS, I THINK, DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF ILLUSTRATING THE NEED TO HAVE THIS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND I THINK THE RESPONSE IS WE'RE GIVING IT TO THEM NOW. IT MAY NOT BE THE WAY THEY DID IT IN 1993, BUT WE DON'T DO A LOT OF THINGS LIKE WE DID IN 1993. AND THE RULE IN MY HOUSE WE DID. THERE WERE CELL PHONES. IF YOU WANTED ONE, YOU HAD TO BUY IT YOURSELF. THAT WAS THE SAME WITH ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT WOULD STILL BE MY RULE TODAY. SO ANYWAY, I'M JUST CURIOUS, IS IT IS THERE ANY WAY TO. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU SAID THAT, AND I'D LIKE TO TOUCH BACK ON YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THIS BEING LIKE A CLUB.

NOW, IF WE COULD POSSIBLY EXPAND ON THAT. BUT EVEN TRANSITIONING THIS PROGRAM INTO A CLUB, YOU STILL PUT THAT BARRIER. IF WE WANT THOSE OVERACHIEVING STUDENTS TO HAVE ACCESS TO THIS, YOU PUT THAT TIME BARRIER ON THERE. REALISTICALLY, FIFTH GRADERS WHO WOULD BE INTERESTED IN THAT AREN'T GOING TO HAVE THAT ABILITY TO ALWAYS GET A RIDE HOME. AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU WANT TO PROVIDE SOMETHING FOR THOSE OVERACHIEVING STUDENTS THAT DO WANT THAT RECOGNITION, THEY'RE STILL GOING TO BE A BARRIER THERE. AND SO I WOULD JUST HOPE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE INTEGRATE INTO A CURRICULUM, I THINK THAT'S AMAZING. BUT COULD THERE STILL BE SOMETHING AS LIKE A STANDOUT PATRIOT? SO ALL STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED AS PATRIOTS? YOU KNOW, BY UNDERSTANDING THIS CURRICULUM AND YOUR COURSEWORK THROUGH YOUR TIME IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. BUT I THINK THERE SHOULD STILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THESE STANDOUT PARTICIPANTS. STAND OUT, STANDOUT PATRIOTS IN ORDER TO RECEIVE THAT FURTHER RECOGNITION. AND EVEN AT THOSE ASSEMBLIES, STILL HAVE THAT AWARD FOR THOSE STUDENTS. I DON'T THINK A CLUB WOULD NECESSARILY BE THE PROPER WAY TO DO SO JUST AT THAT AGE, BECAUSE CLUBS ARE INTRODUCED IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND THEY'RE STILL NOT REALLY SUCCESSFUL. THE ONLY ONE I REALLY KNEW OF WAS SGA, AND THAT WAS STILL DURING HOMEROOM. SO IF YOU COULD PLEASE ELABORATE ON THAT, I'D APPRECIATE IT. SURE. I THINK WE'VE TOUCHED ON A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. THE BENEFIT OF THE CLUB WAS MORE ABOUT TRYING TO PROVIDE THAT FLEXIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT ARE REALLY INVESTED IN THIS, THAT WOULD STILL LIKE TO SEE IT HAPPEN, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE CAN'T BE SACRIFICING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME FOR THINGS THAT ARE NOT ALIGNED TO OUR STANDARDS. SO THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR EITHER, YOU KNOW, THE JARRETTSVILLE TEAM THAT I JUST SPOKE WITH THIS MORNING WERE LIKE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO DO A CLUB BECAUSE WE REALLY LOVE THIS. AND I SAID, THAT'S GREAT. YOU DO THAT OR, YOU KNOW, PARENT VOLUNTEERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO. BUT WE ARE ALSO THROUGH THAT HOME CONNECTION GOING TO PROVIDE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES OF SAYING, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THIS STRAND, HERE'S WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE CLASSROOM. HERE'S DISCUSSION STRATEGIES AND DISCUSSION POINTS THAT YOU CAN HAVE AT HOME. AND THEN HERE'S SOME RECOMMENDED OPTIONS THAT STUDENTS THAT WANT TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND COULD TAKE ON. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION EXAMPLE, IF A STUDENT WOULD LIKE TO MEMORIZE THE PREAMBLE, THAT COULD BE A RECOMMENDED ACTIVITY.

OR AGAIN STUDENTS MAY PROPOSE SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT AND THEY WOULD WORK WITH THEIR TEACHERS OR WITH THEIR PARENTS OR THEIR GUARDIANS, DEPENDING ON THE AVAILABILITY OF THOSE ADULT, THOSE ADULTS, TO REALLY BE ABLE TO ELEVATE THAT EXPERIENCE FOR THOSE THAT WANT TO. AND AS I MENTIONED THEN DURING THAT CELEBRATION, WE WOULD ENCOURAGE SCHOOLS TO HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES. SO MAYBE A STUDENT THAT MEMORIZES THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS IS PART OF THE CIVIL WAR STRAND EXTENSION COULD THEN RECITE THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AT THAT CELEBRATION.

OKAY. AND THEN ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE AVAILABILITY FOR AN ADULT. AND AS I MENTIONED IN MY BOARD COMMENT, WOULD YOU BE OPEN TO THE IDEA OF INCORPORATING WHETHER THAT BE COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENTS TO HELP OUT, OR JUST EXTENDING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, SUCH AS HIGH SCHOOLERS WHO ARE IN HONOR SOCIETIES OR STUDENT GOVERNMENT, WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR THOSE SERVICE HOURS. I CAN OKAY, TWO THINGS. ONE IS GOING BACK TO

[02:30:07]

LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR KIDS THAT MAY WANT TO TAKE A MORE ACTIVE INTEREST TO AREAS THAT COME TO MIND ARE THE ABILITY OF MY GT TEACHER TO MAYBE PULL A GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT COULD BE INTERESTED IN SOME TYPE OF TOPIC, AND DOING A PROJECT BASED ON THAT. MY OTHER IDEA WAS BASED ON A LESSON THAT WE JUST RECENTLY SAW ABOUT WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY WHERE STUDENTS COULD EXPRESS THEIR PATRIOTISM OR EXPRESS WHATEVER THEY WANTED TO BY WRITING AN ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY. SO JUST A CONNECTION I THOUGHT OF AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT. AND THEN WHAT WAS THE OTHER POINT YOU WERE? CHEERS. OH, VOLUNTEER. I HAVE HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS COME OVER ALL THE TIME AND OFFER TO DO DO THEIR SERVICE LEARNING.

SO THOSE OPPORTUNITIES DO EXIST. SO BOARD MEMBERS, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE HAS THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK. SO IF YOU COULD JUST LIMIT YOUR QUESTIONS TO 1 OR 2 AND THEN AT THE END, IF YOUR QUESTIONS HAVEN'T BEEN ANSWERED BY THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU, MISS BRUCE. YES, I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, WHEN THIS WAS PILOTED, WHEN YOU STARTED WORKING WITH THE GROUPS, IS THAT WHEN IT GOT OUT OF HAND? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS IS MY FIRST TIME, YOU KNOW, HEARING THE PRESENTATION. AND I GUESS I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I NORMALLY YOU COME BEFORE US AND WE APPROVE WHATEVER IT IS THAT YOU HAVE. SO HOW DID THIS SEEM TO BLOSSOM OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY WITH? I GUESS WE'LL GO AROUND. SOME BOARD MEMBERS MAY KNOW BECAUSE THEY GET COMMUNICATION. WE'VE BEEN GETTING TONS OF COMMUNICATION NOW. SO WHAT WHAT PRECIPITATED THAT? THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND IT. ARE YOU SPEAKING OF THE KIND OF THE FERVOR BEHIND THE PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN GOING ON IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS? YEAH. YOU KNOW, I CAN ONLY SPECULATE BECAUSE HONESTLY, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT HAS BEEN OUT THERE THAT I HAVE SEEN HAS BEEN NOT ACCURATE. I THINK THAT PART OF THAT IS SOMETHING, AS MR. SMITH MENTIONED, THAT WE NEEDED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF, AND WE ARE TRYING TO RECTIFY THAT NOW OF, YOU KNOW, WE WERE MAKING AN OPERATIONAL DECISION THAT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, WE WENT AHEAD AND DID THAT AND WE DID NOT COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH OUR COMMUNITIES. WE CERTAINLY MET WITH OUR PRINCIPAL GROUPS AND WE TALKED TO THEM. WE DURING LAUNCH WEEK, HAD PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS. AND THAT INCLUDED A SLIDE TALKING ABOUT, HERE'S THE CHANGES THAT WE'RE GOING YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE PATRIOT PROGRAM AND HOW THEY WILL BE INTEGRATED INTO THE CURRICULUM.

BUT CERTAINLY WE NEEDED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE COMMUNITY. AND THAT SHOWS IN THE FACT THAT THERE IS JUST A LOT OF ERRONEOUS INFORMATION THAT IS OUT THERE THAT THAT IS CREATING SOME, SOME DISCORD THAT I THINK WOULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED HAD WE BEEN ABLE TO PRESENT THIS INFORMATION DIRECTLY. I THINK THAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MUCH BETTER FOR ME IF I KNEW YOU WERE DOING THIS BEFORE YOU STARTED EVEN YOUR INTERACTION AND ALL OF THAT, THAT THIS IS WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED TO CORRECT THE PROBLEM. THE OTHER ONE IS THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE. IS IT GOING TO BE YOU'RE GOING TO USE DEBATES, POSSIBLY AS ONE OF THE TOOLS FOR THE STUDENTS. OH YES.

OKAY. YEAH. WELL, AS I SAID BEFORE, YOU KNOW, IF I CAN BE OF ANY RESOURCES TO YOU, PLEASE LET ME KNOW. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I GO BACK TO YOUR FIRST QUESTION ABOUT WHEN DID ALL THIS START ON THE TIMELINE? YOU ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS. IT STARTED BACK IN MAY. I HAVE TO TAKE ISSUE WITH ONE OF YOUR SLIDES THAT SAY YOU'RE COMMITTED TO TRANSPARENCY. THAT INCLUDES TRANSPARENCY TO THE BOARD. SO THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SIX PLUS MONTHS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE'RE HEARING ABOUT IT. WE KIND OF HEARD ABOUT IT 2 OR 3 MONTHS AGO BY ACCIDENT, JUST BEING OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OR SO FORTH. THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE. YOU KNOW, TRANSPARENCY TO THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE PART OF THE COMMUNITY. I THINK THAT WE DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.

TAKING AWAY A PATRIOT PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE FOR 30 YEARS IS A KEY DECISION. I DON'T THINK IT'S JUST AN OPERATIONAL DECISION. IT'S NOT A MINOR DECISION. IT'S SOMETHING THAT DOES IMPACT THE COMMUNITY. NOW, I UNDERSTAND YOU'VE GOT SOME, YOU KNOW, GOOD IDEAS TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE YOU KNOW SHOULD BE GIVEN THAT INFORMATION. AND I AGREE WITH THAT. THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE CURRICULUM ANYWAY. SO I'M KIND OF PUZZLED LIKE WHAT IT'S REPLACING. BUT THAT'S ANOTHER QUESTION. I DON'T THINK YOU'VE SHOWN THE IMPACT ON INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ALL THESE EXTRA STRANDS AND EVERYTHING, THAT'S EVEN MORE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, BUT IT'S WELL SPENT. AND I DO AGREE IT SHOULD BE ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE. THE INCONSISTENCY FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL WAS CITED OVER AND OVER OFFER AN ALTERNATE VIEW. IT'S GOOD

[02:35:03]

THAT EACH SCHOOL HAS TAKEN THE INITIATIVE TO EVOLVE THEIR PROGRAM, GEARED TO THEIR STUDENTS AND WHAT WORKS FOR THEM. MEMORIZATION IS A KEY PART OF LEARNING, CLEARLY LINKED TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT. MANY STUDIES HAVE SHOWN MEMORIZATION IS A BUILDING BLOCK TO LEARNING ANALYTICAL THINKING. IT EXERCISES THE BRAIN, STRENGTHENS THE BRAIN FOR LEARNING AND RETENTION, A KEY CONCERN BUILDING NEUROPLASTICITY. OBVIOUSLY THESE ARE NOT MY WORDS. THIS IS RESEARCH THAT SHOWS THIS. NOW AGAIN, EVERY STUDENT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO STRICT MEMORIZATION. AND OUR STRATEGY HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO GIVE EACH STUDENT THE TOOLS THEY NEED. SO SOME STUDENTS MAY HAVE ALTERNATE LEARNING STYLES. SOME STUDENTS MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MEMORIZE, BUT TO BE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO EXTRA HARD WORK IS THE HALLMARK OF THE EXISTING PATRIOT PROGRAM. AND TO GET REWARDED BY THAT. AND WHEN YOU GIVE THAT OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, IT SETS STUDENTS ON A PATH TO DO MORE. THEY LEARN STUDY SKILLS.

AS MISS BOZOKI SAID EARLIER, THEY LEARN TIME MANAGEMENT. THEY SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT OF LIFELONG MENTAL ABILITIES, AND THEY TAKE PRIDE IN DOING EXTRA WORK. NOW IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'LL HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO DO THAT, BUT I THINK BY MAKING IT A CLUB, YOU'RE MAKING IT LESS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL THE STUDENTS THAT WANT TO DO THAT EXTRA WORK, AND I DON'T THINK THAT SHOULD CHANGE. YOU'VE GOT TO GIVE THEM OPPORTUNITIES IF THEY WANT TO WORK HARD AND DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT AND ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT OTHER KIDS CHOOSE TO DO. IT'S NOT THAT PEOPLE WERE EXCLUDED. SOME CHOSE NOT TO DO IT. I KNOW A LOT OF KIDS THAT CHOSE NOT TO DO IT. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT STUDENT CHOICE. THEY SHOULD BE GIVEN THE CHOICE TO DO THAT EXTRA WORK, AND WE SHOULD KEEP THE PATRIOT PROGRAM THE WAY IT IS. STUDENTS, IT WAS CITED WERE BEING EXCLUDED AND THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. IT YOU KNOW, IT SAID IN THE PACK MINUTES THAT FOLKS DID ADAPT TO THE 504 PLANS AND IEPS THAT TEACHERS WERE ADAPTING TO DIFFERENT LEARNING STYLES. THAT'S ALREADY THERE. WE ALREADY DO THAT. SO THAT WOULD NOT CAUSE US TO CHANGE THE PATRIOT PROGRAM LIKE THIS. SO I DON'T SEE MEMORIZATION IN THE CURRENT OVERVIEW THAT WAS PROVIDED. I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE CURRICULUM. HOW CAN YOU DEBATE THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION WITHOUT ACTUALLY KNOWING ALL THAT INFORMATION UP FRONT? AND YOU DO WANT TO GIVE THOSE STUDENTS FOR WHOM MEMORIZATION CAN BE DONE. YOU WANT TO ENCOURAGE THEM TO DO THAT BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO HELP THEM IN THE LONG RUN. THE PERSISTENCE, THE PERSEVERANCE OF DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ENCOURAGE HERE. ALSO, THE PARENTS IN THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE WENT TO A COUPLE OF THE SCHOOLS LAST FALL, THEIR KEY FOCUS WAS TO GET THE PARENTS IN THE SCHOOLS. AND SO FOR THEM TO BE TOLD LAST SUMMER, OH, WE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE, THAT WAS DISAPPOINTING. THAT WAS VERY DISTURBING TO THOSE PEOPLE. AND YOU'VE SEEN THE PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT BEING UPSET BY THIS. SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO KEEP THE PATRIOT PROGRAM AS IT IS. IF CIVICS ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CURRICULUM AS YOU'RE AS YOU'RE SAYING EVIDENTLY, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE, HEY, LET'S DO IT. BUT THAT DOESN'T PRECLUDE KEEPING THE PATRIOT PROGRAM AS IT IS, TOO. IT REALLY IS A CONCERN THAT THIS DECISION WAS MADE WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE BOARD AND HAVING A WHOLE PILOT PROGRAM WITHOUT NOTIFYING THE BOARD. SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS. ONE IS ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAD FROM THE AUDIENCE TODAY WAS THAT THE ECONOMICS THEY WERE CONCERNED ABOUT TEACHING ECONOMICS. I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHY THEY HAD A CONCERN ABOUT THAT, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH THAT? ABSOLUTELY. ECONOMICS IS ONE OF THE FOUR PILLARS OF SOCIAL SCIENCES THAT IS EMBEDDED IN EACH OF OUR FRAMEWORKS. THERE'S AN ECONOMICS UNIT IN EACH OF OUR CURRICULA AT GRADES ONE, TWO AND THREE, AND THEN IT IS EMBEDDED THROUGHOUT IN FOUR AND FIVE. IN THE FIFTH GRADE PATRIOT PROGRAM, WHAT WAS ALREADY IN THE CURRICULUM AND WHAT WE ELEVATED TO MAKE IT MORE RIGOROUS AND MORE OF A CAPSTONE EXPERIENCE, IS THE STOCK MARKET GAME THROUGH A VERY GENEROUS PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH APG SEFCU, ALL OF OUR STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO PLAY THE STOCK MARKET GAME AT NO COST. SO THE STOCK MARKET GAME IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS TO DO RESEARCH ABOUT THE ECONOMIC SYSTEM OF THE UNITED STATES, OF THE FREE MARKET, OF THE WAYS THAT THE STOCK MARKET WORKS, AND THEN THEY GET TO DECIDE FOR THEMSELVES A COMPANY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW, AND THEY TRACK THAT COMPANY WITH VIRTUAL MONEY, AND THEY INVEST IN A VIRTUAL STOCK MARKET AND GET TO ANALYZE THE RESULTS OF THEIR EXPERIENCE THERE. AND SO THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE CURRICULUM. THERE HAS BEEN A COUPLE MENTIONS OF, WE'RE NOT SURE HOW WE'RE GETTING THIS ALL DONE WHEN WE'RE PUTTING IN EXTRA EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THIS CURRENT PROGRAM THAT WE'VE PRESENTED TO YOU WAS IN THE CURRICULUM ALREADY. IT WAS. IT'S HOW WE ARE ELEVATING IT AND

[02:40:03]

CELEBRATING IT, BRINGING IN COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND MAKING IT CAPSTONE PROJECTS THAT ARE REALLY THE ONLY SHIFT THAT IS GOING ON HERE. AND WE'RE KIND OF PACKAGING IT TO MAKE IT AN INCLUSIVE PROGRAM. AND SO THAT ECONOMIC STRAND WAS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS DO NEED TO BE CIVICALLY MINDED IN TERMS OF THEIR FINANCIAL LITERACY AND HOW THEY ENGAGE IN AN ECONOMIC MARKET IN THE UNITED STATES. OKAY. THE OTHER QUESTION IS, AGAIN, I HEARD THIS IN THE PUBLIC COMMENTS TONIGHT. THEY SAID THAT THE STUDENTS WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO LEARN THE 50 NIFTY STATE SONG. IS THAT GOING TO BE REMOVED FROM THE CURRICULUM? SO I CANNOT ANSWER ONE WAY OR THE OTHER BECAUSE THE PRE-K TO FOUR PROGRAM IS BEING GENERATED AS WE SPEAK. REALLY.

AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE SONGS THAT IS UP FOR CONSIDERATION IN THE MUSIC STRAND. SO IN THE MUSIC STRAND IN PRE-K, K ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR AND FIVE, STUDENTS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A PATRIOTIC SONG, TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY BEHIND THAT SONG AND TO BE ABLE TO PERFORM THAT SONG AT THEIR CELEBRATION, IF THEY SO CHOOSE. WELL, I HOPE YOU DON'T TAKE THAT AWAY, BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THAT. YOU ARE ALSO TEACHING THEM THINGS LIKE THE NATIONAL ANTHEM AND ALL THOSE, OKAY, ALL RIGHT, I'LL LET IT GO BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ASKED ME TO LIMIT. WE CAN COME BACK IF THERE'S ANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS, MR. SEWELL. YES. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE. I REALIZE THAT WE'RE PRETTY UNDER-RESOURCED WHEN IT COMES TO MAKING REALLY JUST RUNNING THE SHOW, BUT THEN TRYING TO MAKE CHANGES, RIGHT? SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HAS BEEN PUT ON YOU AND, AND EVERYONE THAT'S BEEN INVOLVED ABOVE AND BEYOND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH. SO JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU. AND WE HAVE MR. COOK, PRINCIPAL OF HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD, IF NOT THE LARGEST, ONE OF THE LARGEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS HERE. AND MR. SMITH, WHO WAS THE PRINCIPAL OF USE BENEFIT. AND MY CHILDREN WENT THROUGH THAT SCHOOL AND PARTICIPATED IN THE PATRIOT PROGRAM THERE. COVID GOT IN THE WAY OF THEIR COMPLETING IT. BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO. OF COURSE, WITH, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND SO.

I JUST WANT TO JUST TAKE A PAUSE HERE AND JUST THANK YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR PERSPECTIVE. YOU KNOW, I KNOW YOU BENEFIT. PROBABLY HAD, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE MOST WELL EVOLVED PATRIOT PROGRAMS OF THE WHOLE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT OF IT. YOU KNOW, AS PRINCIPAL WHEN YOU WERE THERE, I KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT WAS. AND BEING, YOU KNOW, PTA TREASURER, HOW MUCH RESOURCES FROM THE PTA WENT INTO THE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING BOTH PURCHASING THE MEDALS FOR THE STUDENTS. PAYING FOR THE FIELD TRIP TO GETTYSBURG FOR THOSE WHO QUALIFIED. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS A PARENT THERE AND SO INVOLVED WITH THE SCHOOL, IT NEVER DAWNED ON ME THAT SOME STUDENTS WERE EXCLUDED. AND WHAT THAT WOULD MEAN TO THOSE STUDENTS. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT THAT'S I THINK THAT'S BIG, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE ALL WANT TO BE PATRIOTS. WE ALL WANT TO LOVE OUR COUNTRY. WE ALL WANT TO SUPPORT OUR COUNTRY. WE ALL WANT TO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND THEN BUT SOME STUDENTS CLEARLY DID NOT MEET THAT CUT FOR WHATEVER REASON. AND TO ME, THAT'S THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR REALLY FOR THAT STUDENT'S DEVELOPMENT WITHIN OUR DEMOCRACY, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THEIR LIFE THAT THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO THEY DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY. SO I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING HERE TO TRY TO INCLUDE EVERY STUDENT IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS STRAUSS. SO I'M TRYING TO THINK ABOUT HOW I WANT TO ARTICULATE THIS. I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE. I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU KNOW, MAKING THIS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL STUDENTS. YOUR PRESENTATION FRUSTRATES ME, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S VERY NEGATIVE. I FEEL LIKE YOU MISSED AN OPPORTUNITY TO HIGHLIGHT THE VALUE OF OUR CURRENT PATRIOT PROGRAMS, RIGHT? AND THE GOODNESS THAT IT HAS BROUGHT. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN THAT. I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE SEEN YOU INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND LIKE, WHAT PARENT GROUPS WERE INVOLVED. RIGHT. AND REALLY GET THE FEEDBACK OF THOSE THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROGRAM. WHEN YOU LOOK AT A SCHOOL LIKE I CAN SPEAK FOR MEADOWVALE, RIGHT, THERE IS NO TEACHER TIME. THEY SEND THESE PACKETS HOME, THEY DO THEM WITH THEIR FAMILY AND THEY SEND THEM BACK. RIGHT. THAT'S A MODEL I THINK THAT THAT SHOULD AND NEEDS TO CONTINUE. I'VE LISTENED TO THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT. THOSE ARE THINGS MY KIDS WENT THROUGH IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL ALREADY. IT ALREADY EXISTS. SO KEEPING THIS

[02:45:04]

PROGRAM ABOVE AND BEYOND IS IMPORTANT, AND I HOPE THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT. THE PRE-K THROUGH FOURTH GRADE THAT YOU ARE WORKING TOWARD, IS THAT GOING TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD? IF DOCTOR BALSAM WOULD LIKE US TO BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD? YES, BECAUSE IT DEPENDS. IF IT'S IF IT'S A DIFFERENT CURRICULUM. I MEAN, AGAIN, WHAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TONIGHT IS ELEVATING ELEMENTS THAT ARE IN THERE. I MEAN, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, WE SHAPE, WE FOCUS. IT ALLOWS US TO, AS MISS LANG SAID, ELEVATE THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE. WE'RE NOT WRITING NECESSARILY NEW CURRICULUM, BUT IT DOES HIGHLIGHT THE FACT THAT THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF CIVICS.

ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS IN THERE. THAT AND SO IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM DIFFERENTLY, WE'RE UNDERSCORING THEM. I THINK THIS IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT FROM SITTING DOWN AND WRITING A WHOLE NEW CURRICULUM. I MEAN, IT'S ALREADY WHAT'S IN THE VARIOUS CURRICULA THAT THE BOARD'S APPROVED. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. I JUST DON'T SEE THE NEED TO GET RID OF THE PATRIOT PROGRAMS THAT ALREADY EXIST, FOR IT'S IN OUR CURRICULUM. ALL STUDENTS ARE ALREADY GETTING ACCESS TO IT, SO ALLOW THOSE TOS. AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO PARTNER WITH VETERAN GROUPS. I MEAN, I THINK THEY WOULD COME INTO THOSE SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE IT AND WORK AND SUPPORT AND NOT TAKE AWAY YOUR RESOURCES. I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, ABG'S OUR LARGEST EMPLOYER, WE HAVE RESOURCES HERE THAT ARE UNTAPPED TO HELP US. AND THEN ARE YOU CALLING IT A PATRIOT PROGRAM? I MEAN, OUR KIDS IN FIFTH GRADE WALKING AWAY WITH I'M A PATRIOT IS YES, THEY ARE. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I HAVE. SO MANY PROGRAMS THAT CPS HAS ARE INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY IN EACH SCHOOL. EVERY SCHOOL, LIKE WE'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION IN THE CURRICULUM COMMITTEE THAT EACH SCHOOL IMPLEMENTS THINGS DIFFERENTLY, HOW THEY FEEL IS APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR STUDENTS, FOR EXAMPLE. AND I DON'T MEAN TO CALL OUT JACOB BENNETT, BUT HE IS AN AMAZING TEACHER. JACOB BENNETT IMPLEMENTS CURRICULUM DIFFERENT THAN MANY OTHER TEACHERS IMPLEMENT CURRICULUM. SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTERPRETATION UP TO, YOU KNOW, THE CURRICULUM AND WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT. I'D LIKE TO ECHO THE SAME CONCERNS THAT MISS KOCHER. MISS ALVAREZ, SASHA. SORRY, MISS MAZZOCHI AND LAUREN ALSO HAVE.

THERE ARE MENTORS. I'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT. THERE ARE MENTORS THAT ARE STANDING BY, WAITING TO GET INTO OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY WANT TO GET IN THERE AND TOUCH THESE CHILDREN. WHAT BETTER WAY FOR THEM TO GET IN THERE AND HELP THESE STUDENTS THAN TO GIVE THEM THAT PRIDE THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS PROGRAM? YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I HAD A CONVERSATION EARLIER TODAY WITH SOMEONE THAT WANTS ME TO COME TO A MEETING TO HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO TALK ABOUT THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND EXTENDING OUR MENTORSHIPS. RIGHT. WHY WOULD WE NOT LOOK TO THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS THAT WANT TO GET IN OUR SCHOOLS, THAT WANT TO HELP, LIKE LAUREN SAID AND LIKE MISS MAZZOCHI SAID? I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY TAKING THIS PROGRAM AWAY AS IT EXISTS. HOW IS THAT BENEFICIAL? I UNDERSTAND, AND I 100% SUPPORT HAVING IT INTEGRATED INTO THE CURRICULUM, BUT I ALSO HAVE A HUGE ISSUE WITH TAKING THE PROGRAM AWAY AS IT HAS EXISTED FOR 30 YEARS, BECAUSE THE BENEFITS THAT THIS PROGRAM HAS PROVIDED FOR THOUSANDS OF CPS STUDENTS IS SO IMPORTANT. I JUST I HAVE A HUGE ISSUE WITH IT BEING TAKEN AWAY, AND ESPECIALLY WITH THE BEING NONTRANSPARENT LIKE US NOT FINDING OUT ABOUT IT UNTIL WE HAVE PEOPLE REACH OUT TO US THAT ARE CONCERNED THAT THE PATRIOT PROGRAM IS BEING TAKEN AWAY. HOW? I MEAN, THIS IS A THIS IS A COMMUNICATION ISSUE. I MEAN, ALSO, PARENTS DON'T FEEL WELCOME IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE WANT PARENTS TO FEEL WELCOME IN OUR SCHOOLS. THE PREVIOUS BOARD TOOK AWAY AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK, WHERE PARENTS COULD COME SIT IN THE CLASSROOM AND THEY COULD EXPERIENCE THEIR, THEIR, THEIR CHILDREN'S LEARNING FOR A WHOLE WEEK. GRANDPARENTS DAY WAS TAKEN AWAY. IT'S NO LONGER THERE. THESE LEARN WITH ME EXPERIENCES HAVE TAKEN THE PLACE OF AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK, WHEN DISTRICTS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND ALL OVER, YOU KNOW THE STATE. THEY STILL HAVE AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK. WE'VE TAKEN THAT OPPORTUNITY AWAY SO OUR PARENTS DON'T FEEL WELCOME IN OUR SCHOOLS. THAT IS A HUGE PROBLEM. AND THIS AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD MANY PARENTS REACH OUT WITH THEIR CONCERNS SAYING I DON'T FEEL LIKE I MEAN, WHY WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AWAY? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN SO BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS. LIKE I SAID, THE 50 NIFTY UNITED STATES. I HAD COLLEGE KIDS TELLING ME, AM I MY SON? I MEAN, MY SON IS A PATRIOT. I WENT THERE, I WAS THE PATRIOT MOM. I WENT TO SCHOOL ALL THE TIME, AND I ACTUALLY DID. I WAS FOR THE WHOLE FIFTH GRADE. I WORKED ON EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE

[02:50:03]

STUDENTS, AND I LOVED EVERY SECOND OF IT. AND I WOULD DO IT AGAIN. I IT IS SUCH AN AMAZING PROGRAM THAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT WAYS TO EXPAND THE CURRENT PROGRAM IN EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL AND NOT TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE STUDENTS AND THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD THIS PROGRAM. I, I IT IS REALLY CONCERNING TO ME. IT JUST BREAKS MY HEART THAT INSTEAD OF ELEVATING A PROGRAM THAT HAS HAS DONE SUCH AMAZING THINGS FOR THESE STUDENTS THAT WE FEEL IT NECESSARY TO, YOU KNOW, I AGREE BY ADDING IT TO THE CURRICULUM, BUT WHY TAKE AWAY WHAT IS CURRENTLY EXISTING? WHY CAN'T WE DO THAT IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING IN THESE SCHOOLS? WOULD YOU LIKE US TO ANSWER THAT? SURE. SO MANY OF THE REASONS THAT MR. SMITH HIGHLIGHTED ARE THE REASONS WHY PROGRAMS THAT ARE PUSHING INTO OUR SCHOOLS. AND BY PUSHING, I MEAN USING INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES, NOT BEING PUSHY, ARE ARE PROBLEMATIC. AND YES, THERE ARE AMAZING THINGS THAT THESE PROGRAMS HAVE DONE. THEY'RE THE REASON WHY WE SPENT SO MUCH TIME AND EFFORT TRYING TO EMULATE THESE PROGRAMS IN A NATURE THAT WOULD BE INCLUSIVE, BUT WHEN WE'RE TAKING INSTRUCTIONAL TIME AWAY FROM STANDARDS BASED INSTRUCTION, THAT CREATES SOME PROBLEMS THAT WE NEEDED TO BE ABLE TO RECTIFY. MISS STRAUSS'S EXAMPLE OF HAVING A PACKET THAT GOES HOME AND COMES BACK, THAT DOESN'T IMPACT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME. THAT COULD CERTAINLY STILL CONTINUE EXACTLY AS IT IS. BUT PROGRAMS THAT ARE TAKING INSTRUCTIONAL MINUTES AWAY FROM STUDENTS, PULLING STUDENTS OUT OF STANDARDS BASED INSTRUCTION, ASKING OUR TEACHERS TO MODIFY THEIR LESSON PLANS, TO INCORPORATE THAT DISRUPTION TO THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE JUST CAN'T SACRIFICE THAT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, DESPITE THE FACT THAT WE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IN IT, AND ACTUALLY BECAUSE WE BELIEVE SO STRONGLY IN IT, THAT IS WHY WE ARE TRYING TO FIND THIS COMPROMISE, THIS MIDDLE GROUND. BUT ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT VERY CAREFULLY, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE REPORTS EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT SOCIAL SCIENCE DOESN'T GET TAUGHT BECAUSE THEY TAKE AN ENTIRE UNIT AWAY AND REPLACE IT WITH, LET'S ALL SIT DOWN AND MEMORIZE THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS AND LET'S TEST THE STUDENTS.

WE'RE NOT TEACHING FULL INSTRUCTION. WE'RE PULLING STUDENTS OUT OF MORNING MEETINGS. WE'RE PULLING STUDENTS OUT OF RECESS. THAT BECOMES THE PROBLEM. AND THAT IS WHY THAT DECISION WAS MADE FROM A BUILDING BASED PERSPECTIVE. MRS. HAHN, TIME IS VERY CRITICAL. MY FIFTH GRADE TEACHERS CONSTANTLY TALK TO ME ABOUT NOT HAVING ENOUGH TIME IN THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL DAY TO GET DONE WHAT THEY NEED TO GET DONE, AND THEN NOT TO MENTION WE'RE FIGHTING THINGS LIKE CLASS SIZES. WE'RE FIGHTING THINGS LIKE DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR TO THE POINT WHERE YOU HAVE TO EVACUATE CLASSROOMS. THOSE ARE ALL CONTRIBUTING FACTORS THAT ON THE FRONT LINES, ARE IMPACTING US TREMENDOUSLY. AND I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT AGAIN, IF THIS PROGRAM IS LEFT AS AN ADDITION TO WHAT YOU'RE CURRENTLY DOING, IT LEAVES IT UP TO THE SCHOOLS AND THE WAY THAT THEY HAVE BEEN DOING THINGS FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE TAKING AWAY. THIS THIS EXPERIENCE IS SUCH A VALUABLE EXPERIENCE. I JUST I DON'T AGREE AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN AWAY. AND I'LL JUST SAY THAT AT ONE POINT WE HAD A PATRIOT PROGRAM IN EVERY SCHOOL IN THE COUNTY. THE WAY THE PATRIOT PROGRAM IS STANDING NOW, IT'S CONTINUING TO DECLINE. AND IT HAS BEEN DECLINING TO THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT 28% OF OUR STUDENTS, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO INCREASE IT TO ALL. THE MEADOWVALE EXAMPLE IS PHENOMENAL THAT MEADOWVALE CAN DO THAT. THAT'S ONLY ONE SCHOOL OUT OF OUR 35, THE OTHER 34. WE STILL NEED TONS OF RESOURCES TO BE ABLE TO HELP MAKE THAT GO. THE TEACHERS CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO IT. EVEN SOME OF THE SCHOOLS THAT WE SURVEYED THAT THE TEACHERS ARE RUNNING IT, THEY CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO IT THE WAY THAT IT IS. SO IF WE LEAVE IT UP TO INDIVIDUAL SCHOOLS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE LESS AND LESS BE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROGRAM. IF WE KEEP IT THE WAY THAT IT IS, THE NUMBER WILL CONTINUE TO DECLINE. I WISH WE COULD ALL DO THE MEADOWVALE MODEL. I MEAN, THAT MODEL IS PHENOMENAL, BUT IT DOES NOT ALL SCHOOLS ARE THAT WAY. AND IF WE'RE LOOKING AT IF WE'RE LOOKING AT VOLUNTEERS AND THAT WE HAVE TEN SCHOOLS RIGHT NOW THAT USE VOLUNTEERS AND IT'S NOT EXCLUSIVE VOLUNTEERS. SO WE NEED 25 MORE SCHOOLS TO BE FILLED WITH VOLUNTEERS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THIS WORK. WE'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ENORMOUS LIFT. BUT IS IT WORTH IT? ABSOLUTELY. WE COULD CERTAINLY TAKE A LOOK AT IT.

WELL, THE ISSUE THAT I HAVE WITH THAT IS THAT THOSE SCHOOLS, FOR WHATEVER REASONS, DECIDED TO NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE PATRIOT PROGRAM. THOSE SCHOOLS HAD, YOU KNOW, FOR WHATEVER REASON, SAID,

[02:55:03]

WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS ANYMORE. SO THEY DIDN'T WANT TO PARTICIPATE. IF THEY DO WANT TO PARTICIPATE AND THEY NEED SUPPORT, THEN THAT'S WHERE THEY NEED TO REACH OUT TO, YOU KNOW, THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THAT GROUP, RIGHT, THAT THEY'RE THERE TO CONNECT PEOPLE WITH OPPORTUNITIES AND TO EXPAND THE FAMILY AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE HAVE EXISTING OUT THERE. RIGHT. LIKE I SAID, THERE IS A GROUP OF PEOPLE, THERE ARE MENTORS WAITING TO GET INTO OUR BUILDINGS THAT I'M SURE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY, THEY WOULD LOVE TO HELP, YOU KNOW, WITH THE PATRIOT PROGRAM. RIGHT. SO I FEEL LIKE THERE INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS DOING THE TAKING IT AWAY, LET'S NOT JUMP TO CONCLUSIONS AND JUST DISMISS SUCH AN AMAZING PROGRAM INSTEAD OF LOOKING AT OTHER OPTIONS FIRST. THAT'S JUST MY PERSPECTIVE. I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE TRYING TO DO, I REALLY DO. I THINK THE INTENT WAS IN A MAYBE THE EXECUTION WAS A C. I THINK THE BOARD COULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, INVOLVED AS A PRIMARY STAKEHOLDER A LOT EARLIER IN THIS PROCESS. I THINK A LOT OF THAT COULD HAVE BEEN HEADED OFF HERE. I AS I MENTIONED IN MY OPENING COMMENTS, YOU KNOW, I DO SUPPORT EXPANDING IT AND FURTHER INCLUSION. BUT OBVIOUSLY THIS COMMUNITY HOLDS THIS 30 YEAR OLD PROGRAM NEAR AND DEAR TO THEIR HEARTS. AND I THINK, AS MISS POZZO SAID, THERE SHOULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR SUPER PATRIOTS OR WHATEVER YOU CALL THEM, STANDOUT PATRIOTS TO BE ABLE TO GO OVER AND ABOVE. SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD FULLY SUPPORT WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND I WOULD ALSO SUPPORT SOME VERSION OF THE CONTINUATION OF THE PATRIOT PROGRAM, AS IT IS, YOU KNOW, WAS DEVELOPED FROM ITS ITS INCEPTION AND HAS INVOLVED. SO I'M NOT SURE WHERE TO WHERE THAT GOES TO, BUT THOSE ARE MY THOUGHTS. ONE MORE, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO KEEP THE PATRIOT PROGRAM INTACT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AND AS PREVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTED IN HC PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS LED BY THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL PARENTS AND PTA, BOTH AS A SUPPLEMENTARY AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THIS PROGRAM SHALL REMAIN IN ADDITION TO ANY MANDATORY CIVICS EDUCATION OR ENGAGEMENT EMBEDDED IN THE REGULAR CURRICULUM. IS THAT A MOTION? YES, I SECOND THAT. SO IT'S A MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION. ROLL CALL. VOTE, PLEASE. MISS ALVAREZ. YES, MISS.

BRUCE? NO. MISS COKER. YES, DOCTOR. MUELLER. NO. MISS PERRY. ANNOUNCED. THANK YOU FOR STAYING. CARRY ON, MR. PERRY. YOU HEAR ME? I DID NOT, OKAY. DID YOU HEAR THAT? COULD YOU HEAR THE MOTION? IT'S A RESOLUTION TO. IN SUMMARY, TO KEEP THE PROGRAM AND CONTINUE WITH THE INCLUSION OF THE CHANGES IN THE CURRICULUM. YEAH, I HEARD THE MOTION. I. I'M ASSUMING YOU CAN'T HEAR ME. NO, WE CAN, WE CAN. OKAY. YES, SIR I SAID NO. NO OKAY. MR. SEWELL.

YES, SIR. I MOVE THAT THE BOARD ADOPT A RESOLUTION TO KEEP THE PATRIOT PROGRAM INTACT AS ORIGINALLY DESIGNED AND AS PREVIOUSLY IMPLEMENTED IN HC PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS LED BY THE INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL PARENTS AND PTA, BOTH AS A SUPPLEMENTARY AND VOLUNTEER PROGRAM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THIS PROGRAM SHALL REMAIN IN ADDITION TO ANY MANDATORY CIVICS EDUCATION OR ENGAGEMENT EMBEDDED IN THE REGULAR CURRICULUM. SO MY QUESTION IS WHAT IS THE RESOLUTION? I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD A RESOLUTION ON THE BOARD FOR A FEW YEARS. I MY APOLOGIES, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT A RESOLUTION, WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THIS BOARD. IT'S BEEN PASSED RESOLUTIONS OR STATEMENTS ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD THAT GIVE GUIDANCE TO THE ADMINISTRATION. BUT IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A ITEM THAT'S CONSIDERATION IN CONSIDERATION UP FOR A VOTE AT THE MOMENT. SO IT GENERALLY LEADS TO SOME SORT OF ACTION AFTERWARDS THAT'S IN LINE WITH THE RESOLUTION. OH I SEE THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S A IT'S A STATEMENT ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. THAT'S OKAY. OKAY. YOU WANT US TO COME BACK TO YOU.

YEAH. MISS STRAUSS YES. MISS HAHN? YES. DOCTOR BOYNTON. YES. MISS POZYCKI. YES. MR. YES, IT

[03:00:09]

WOULD BE. FOR THE RECORD, YOUR VOTES FOR THE RECORD, I GUESS, DOESN'T MATTER. IT'S FOR THE RECORD, IT'S A STATEMENT THAT HE WOULD MAKE. YEAH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THE MOTION AND THE RESOLUTION PASSES AND WE WILL BE IN TOUCH WITH FURTHER GUIDANCE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO ME WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THAT NOW? I'M NOT QUITE SURE YET, BUT WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT SO THEY CAN PROCEED WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING. YES. THAT WAS PART OF THE RESOLUTION. OH, OKAY. CAN WE ASK WHEN WILL THEY COME BACK AND VERIFY THAT THE PATRIOT PROGRAM WILL REMAIN AS IS? I DON'T KNOW, I'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON ALL OF THIS. LATER FOR THE STUDENTS.

YES. OKAY. WELL, LET'S LET'S MOVE ON. THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME TO DISCUSS THIS LATER. WE ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND SCHEDULE, AND WE STILL HAVE THE BUDGET TO GET TO. BUT I'LL GO AHEAD, MAKE A STATEMENT, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON. THE REASON WHY I STRUGGLED. LET'S LET'S HAVE SOME THE REASON WHY I STRUGGLED WITH THIS IS THAT THERE THERE ARE ELEMENTS OF A VOLUNTEER SLASH PTA RUN PROGRAM THAT GO AGAINST. STUDENTS, PROBABLY STUDENTS RIGHTS, CERTAIN STUDENTS RIGHTS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE STUDENTS WHO HAVE IEPS, 500 FOURS. THAT'S THE CHALLENGE, RIGHT? THAT'S THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST PIECES HERE THAT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO OVERCOME. SO IN THE PACK MINUTES, IT SAID THAT TEACHERS ALREADY DO MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS.

I HEARD YOUR FOURS AND IEPS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP BECAUSE I HEARD THAT COMMENT EARLIER. BUT I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT TEACHERS. I'M TALKING ABOUT VOLUNTEERS, PARENTS AND VOLUNTEERS AND PTAS WHO ACTUALLY WERE RUNNING THE TEN. YOU KNOW, THOSE THOSE REALLY WASN'T THE TEACHERS FOR THE MOST PART. SO THEY'RE WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS THERE'S PROBLEMS WITH THIS RESOLUTION, RIGHT? IT'S NOT PERFECT. SO I THIS I'M GOING TO CLOSE THIS CONVERSATION. ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE RECORD. WE CAN CONTINUE THIS IN

[C. Presentation of Superintendent's Proposed FY2026 Budget, Ms. Deborah Judd, Assistant Superintendent for Business Services and Mr. Eric Clark, Director of Budget]

A DIFFERENT FORM, WHETHER IT'S A DIFFERENT BOARD MEETING OR A CLOSED SESSION. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ITEM C, PRESENTATION OF THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED 2026 BUDGET. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MISS DEBORAH JUDD, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES, AND ERIC CLARK, DIRECTOR OF BUDGET. WELCOME. ALL RIGHT. I'LL BE STARTING THIS EVENING. WE'LL GET TO MR. CLARK AND MISS JUDD IN JUST A MOMENT. I WILL NOTE IT'S JANUARY 27TH, 2025. YEAH, MY. I'LL TAKE THE HEAT ON THAT ONE. WE LOOKED AT THIS 17,000 TIMES, AND TODAY I JUST I JUST REALIZED, YEAH, I'LL TAKE THE HEAT ON THAT. YEAH. WE LIKE IT WHEN OUR BUDGET FOLKS GET NUMBERS WRONG. THANKS, ERIC.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, I GUESS LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY. WE'RE GOING TO GET A NUMBER WRONG. THAT'S PROBABLY THE ONE. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAS QUITE A DISCUSSION. WE JUST HAD. AND. WHILE I WON'T BE TALKING ABOUT THAT, I THINK WE'LL SEE SOME CONNECTIONS. SO HOW DO WE GET THERE ALREADY? SO EVERY BUDGET IS AN INVESTMENT IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND IN YOUR STUDENTS. EVERY BUDGET HIGHLIGHTS WHAT YOU VALUE, WHAT YOU, YOU KNOW, WANT TO TRY TO DO FOR YOUR STUDENTS. BUT ALSO EVERY BUDGET HAS TO BE A REFLECTION OF YOUR COMMUNITY. AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE ARE CONFRONTING AND WE ARE FULLY AWARE OF THIS, IS THAT. IN THE STATE AND THIS COUNTRY AND THIS COMMUNITY, THE DOLLARS DON'T EXIST TO DO EVERYTHING WE WANT. AND THIS BUDGET WE'RE ABOUT TO PRESENT. I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT BEFORE WE GET TOO DEEP INTO THAT, THAT DESPITE SOME OF THE RHETORIC WE HEAR, CAN'T TURN AROUND IN THIS DISTRICT WITHOUT FINDING ANOTHER THING THAT'S GOING WELL. WE RARELY HEAR ABOUT THAT HERE AT THE BOARD. OR EVERY NOW AND THEN WE NOD OUR HEADS AT SOMETHING GOOD THAT'S HAPPENING, BUT WE WRITE IT OFF AS NOT GOOD ENOUGH OR SOMETHING TO THAT

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