[Call to Order: Board President]
          [00:00:06]
          MAY I CALL TO ORDER THIS OPEN SESSION ON MONDAY, JUNE 9TH, 2025? AT THIS TIME, I PLEASE ASK THAT EVERYONE MUTE YOUR DEVICE TO AVOID INTERRUPTIONS UNTIL CALLED UPON. MISS ROLLO, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL, MISS ALVAREZ. PRESENT, MISS BRUCE. HERE, MISS COKER. HERE. DOCTOR MUELLER. 
          HERE, MISS. MISS POZZO IS ABSENT THIS EVENING. MISS PERRY. HERE, MR. SEWELL. I'M HERE, MISS STRAUSS, VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN. THEY MAY SEE HER ONLINE. YEAH, SHE'S ONLINE. PRESENT. I'M HERE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BOYNTON HERE. SUPERINTENDENT WILSON HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. THE BOARD IS NOW IN OPEN SESSION. THE PURPOSE OF THIS OPEN SESSION IS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER ACTION REGARDING A POTENTIAL CLOSED SESSION FOR THE BOARD CONSIDERS THIS ACTION. IT NEEDS TO DECIDE WHETHER TO PERMIT PUBLIC COMMENT. THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO WAIVE PUBLIC COMMENT IN ITS ENTIRETY. IN LIGHT OF THE LIMITED NATURE OF THIS OPEN SESSION, WE HAVE A MOTION IN A SECOND, PLEASE. I MOTION TO HAVE A CLOSED SESSION. 
          I'M SORRY. THE MOTION IS TO WAIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. I MOTION TO WAIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. 
          MELISSA, MOVE. THE PUBLIC GOT LOTS OF MOTIONS, LOTS OF MOVEMENT. SO LET'S. DIANE. MISS ALVAREZ HAD THE MOTION AND I THINK I SECOND. THERE YOU GO. WE'RE ALL MOVED. YEAH. ALRIGHT. 
          IT'S POTENTIAL. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. THERE ARE ANY OPPOSED. SAY NO THANK 
          [Additional item]
YOU. THE MOTION PASSES. POTENTIAL CLOSED SESSION IS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER. THE BASIS FOR THE CLOSED SESSION IS TO PRESERVE THE PRIVACY AND CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PERFORMANCE, AND TO MAINTAIN CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE MATTERS RELATED TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH BARGAINING UNITS AND DISCUSSIONS RELATED THERETO. PURSUANT TO SECTION 3-305B19 OF THE GENERAL PROVISIONS ARTICLE OF MARYLAND CODE, THE CHAIR WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO CLOSE THE SESSION. THIS IS TERRY SO MOVED I SECOND. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES YES YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE BOARD WILL NOW MOVE TO A CLOSED SESSION. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME. SO AT THIS TIME I PLEASE ASK THAT EVERYONE MUTE YOUR DEVICE TO AVOID INTERRUPTIONS UNTIL CALLED UPON. 
          I CALL TO ORDER THIS BOARD BUSINESS MEETING OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION OF HARFORD COUNTY ON JUNE 9TH, 2025 AT 6:10 P.M. THIS BUSINESS MEETING WILL BE CONDUCTED IN A HYBRID FASHION. 
          MISS ROLLO, PLEASE TAKE A ROLL CALL. MRS. ALVAREZ, PRESENT MISS BRUCE HERE, MRS. COKER. HERE, DOCTOR MUELLER PRESENT. MISS. HERE, MISS PERRY HERE, MR. SEWELL HERE, MISS STRAUSS HERE, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN. SHE'S HERE. VICE PRESIDENT HAHN. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT SHE IS HERE. 
          OKAY. CAN YOU NOT HEAR ME NOW? WE CAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. JUST MAKING SURE. THANK YOU. 
          PRESIDENT BOYNTON HERE. SUPERINTENDENT WILSON HERE. THIS COMPLETES THE ROLL CALL. THANK YOU. MISS HAHN IS JOINING US VIRTUALLY. SO I THINK WITH WITH TWO MORE BOARD MEETINGS LEFT, I'VE ASKED OUR OUR STUDENT MEMBER, MISS PSZCZOLKI, TO FILL IN FOR THE DUTIES OF VICE PRESIDENT THIS EVENING. SO PLEASE READ THIS EVENING'S STATEMENT AND PROCESS. THE FOLLOWING PROCESS WILL BE USED THIS EVENING. BOARD MEMBERS AND STAFF WILL MUTE THEIR DEVICE 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 BOLSON WILL TAKE WILL RESPOND TO QUESTIONS OR CALL IN THE APPROPRIATE STAFF MEMBERS TO DO SO. WHEN A ROLL CALL IS TAKEN FOR A MOTION, I ASK THAT YOU PLEASE REPLY WITH A YES OR NO. THANK YOU BOARD MEMBERS, YOU HAVE THE AGENDA BEFORE YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA PLEASE. CAROL. BRUCE. SO MOVED. SECOND, I SECOND IT. THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES YES YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. 
          THANK YOU. THE AGENDA PASSES. MISS YOU. PLEASE LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE. 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. IF YOU COULD PLEASE 
          [00:05:06]
READ THIS EVENING'S RULES OF ORDER. GOOD EVENING. I'M DJ RAVAGE, REGIONAL COORDINATOR FOR THE OFFICE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY. THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING TONIGHT'S BOARD OF EDUCATION BUSINESS MEETING. IN KEEPING WITH THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THE MEETING, I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE UPDATED PRACTICES THAT WILL BE ENFORCED THIS EVENING AND FOR ALL FUTURE BOARD MEETINGS. DURING THE BUSINESS MEETING, ALL ATTENDEES ARE REMINDED TO CONDUCT THEMSELVES IN A RESPECTFUL MANNER. GRANDSTANDING WHICH INCLUDES APPLAUSE, AUDIBLE COMMENTARY, EXCESSIVE GESTURES, STANDING OVATIONS, AND SIMILAR DISTRACTING BEHAVIORS IS NOT PERMITTED. LIKEWISE, THREATENING WORDS, GESTURES, OR BEHAVIORS ARE NOT PERMITTED. THE RULES OF ORDER REQUIRE COMMENTERS TO REFRAIN FROM IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC AND DO NOT SIT ON THE BOARD. COMMENTS SHOULD BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD, AND IT IS NOT ACCEPTABLE TO ADDRESS OR IDENTIFY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC BY NAME. IN THE CONTEXT OF A BOARD BUSINESS MEETING, THE PUBLIC INCLUDES SCHOOL STAFF OTHER THAN THE SUPERINTENDENT, ADDITIONALLY DISPARAGING COMMENTS, PERSONAL ATTACKS, AND INFLAMMATORY REMARKS ABOUT SPECIFIC SCHOOLS PERSONNEL. ANY PERSON OR GROUP ARE NOT PERMITTED. WE APPRECIATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING AND ARE COMMITTED TO ENSURING A RESPECTFUL AND CONSTRUCTIVE DIALOG IN OUR MEETINGS. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER CONCERNS OR NEED ADDITIONAL SUPPORT. SHOULD AN ATTENDEE ENGAGE IN ONE OF THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIORS, THUS DETRACTING FROM THE BUSINESS PURPOSE OF THIS MEETING, THE ATTENDEE WILL RECEIVE A WARNING TO IMMEDIATELY CEASE THE PROHIBITED BEHAVIOR. IF THE ATTENDEE DOES NOT CEASE TO PROHIBIT A BEHAVIOR, THE ATTENDEE WILL BE ESCORTED FROM THE BUSINESS MEETING BY SECURITY. WE APPRECIATE YOUR RESPECTFUL ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION AND LOOK FORWARD TO A PRODUCTIVE MEETING. THANK YOU. I DON'T THINK WE'RE HAVING ANY ISSUES TONIGHT. I GAVE OUT 
          [Public Comment]
COOKIES TO EVERYONE, SO HOPEFULLY THEY'RE IN A GOOD MOOD. SO I EXPECT ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO BE VERY FAVORABLE IN PERSON. SPEAKERS WILL BE CALLED BY THE BOARD SECRETARY. ALL SPEAKERS WILL RECEIVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. IF YOU'RE AN INDIVIDUAL IN FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK. IF YOU'RE A GROUP, PLEASE NAME A STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP. HOW MANY GROUPS DO WE HAVE? WE HAVE FOUR. FOUR OKAY. WHEN SPEAKERS. SO WE'LL DO THE THREE FULL THREE AND FIVE MINUTES THIS EVENING. SPEAKERS MAY BE INTERRUPTED AND MAY BE GIVEN NOTICE WHEN THEY HAVE 30S LEFT. THAT IS WHEN SPEAKERS HAVE REACHED THEIR THREE OR THEIR FIVE MINUTE MARK, THEIR TIME WILL EXPIRE. WE WILL BEGIN WITH IN-PERSON SPEAKERS, AND WHEN YOU CALL THE PERSON, PLEASE ALSO CALL THE NEXT NAME SO THEY CAN PREPARE. YES. THIS EVENING WE HAVE 15 IN-PERSON SPEAKERS. WE WILL START WITH REBECCA ROBERTS, FOLLOWED BY WILLIAM MARTINO. GOOD EVENING. I'M WRITING IN OPPOSITION TO LIFEWISE ACADEMY AS A FORMER SUNDAY SCHOOL TEACHER, A FORMER CONGRESSIONAL YOUTH DIRECTOR, THE DAUGHTER OF A FAITH LEADER, THE OWNER AND DIRECTOR OF AN INCLUSIVE PRESCHOOL, AND A MOM, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER. GIVEN THE LENGTH OF PROTECTED LIFEWISE ACADEMY LESSONS AND TRAVEL TIME, MISSING CORE CLASSROOM TIME SIMPLY CANNOT BE AVOIDED. HOW DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY PROPOSE TO ENSURE THAT ALL CHILDREN ARE PRESENT AND PREPARED TO LEARN AT APPROPRIATE TIMES? ELECTIVES, SPECIALS AND RECESS ARE REQUIRED IN SUMMER. WHEN DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY PROPOSE TO HOLD THEIR LESSONS? HEALTH AND WELLNESS POLICY SPECIFICALLY STATES NO FOOD SHALL BE USED AS A REWARD TO STUDENTS AND ANY FOOD AND BEVERAGES ADVERTISED OR PROMOTED TO STUDENTS ON SCHOOL PROPERTY DURING THE SCHOOL DAY WILL MEET OR EXCEED THE FEDERAL STATE STANDARDS FOR PUBLIC FOOD AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND COMPLY WITH POLICY. A KEY COMPLAINT IN LIFELINE'S ACADEMY SCHOOLS IS THAT STUDENTS COME BACK WITH SPECIAL FOOD AND DRINKS. I ASSUME LIFEWISE ACADEMY WILL BE EXPECTED TO COMPLY WITH ALL THIS AND ALL SCHOOL POLICIES. MARYLAND EDUCATIONAL AND CHILDCARE INSTITUTIONS MUST COMPLY WITH MSDE REGULATIONS AS AN ACADEMY, WHICH GOVERNING BOARD OF MSDE WILL HAVE JURISDICTION OVER LICENSING AND COMPLIANCE, ALL CHILD ARE ENTITLED TO AN EQUITABLE EDUCATION. THEREFORE, I ASSUME ALL CHILDREN ENROLLED WILL BE ELIGIBLE TO ATTEND LIFEWISE ACADEMY WITHOUT THE USE OF SCHOOL PUBLIC RESOURCES. HOW DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY PROPOSE TO COMPLY WITH FEDERAL NONDISCRIMINATION LAWS, SPECIFICALLY, SECTION 504 AND IDA? FINALLY, DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY SUPPORT THE BOARD'S MISSION, GOALS AND VALUES? DOES THE ADDITION OF LIFEWISE ACADEMY SUPPORT A SAFE AND CARING ENVIRONMENT THAT HONORS THE DIVERSITY OF STUDENTS AND STAFF, OR DOES IT ISOLATE MINORITIES AND ENCOURAGE ITS STUDENTS TO TURN THE SCHOOL INTO A MISSION FIELD AND PREACH EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN TEACHINGS TO THEIR NON-CHRISTIAN PEERS? DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY HELP ENSURE THAT EACH SCHOOL RUNS EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY, OR DOES IT CREATE MORE LOGISTICAL HURDLES IN THE DAY? DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY HELP PROVIDE A SAFE AND SECURE ENVIRONMENT WHERE SCHOOLS AND PARENTS REPORTING MORE BULLYING IN SCHOOLS RELATED TO LIFEWISE ACADEMY AND ITS STUDENTS? DOES LIFEWISE ACADEMY HELP THE SCHOOLS PROVIDE SAFE, SECURE AND HEALTHY LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS THAT ARE CONDUCIVE TO EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND LEARNING, CREATIVITY AND INNOVATION? OR DOES IT INTERRUPT THE SCHOOL DAY AND REQUIRE ADDITIONAL TRANSITION TIME AWAY FROM CORE 
          [00:10:01]
SUBJECTS AND THE NATURAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENT, ALLOWING LIFEWISE TO OPERATE IN HCPS DOES NOT FURTHER THE EDUCATION OF OUR STUDENTS, NOR DOES IT SUPPORT THE MISSION, VALUES AND GOALS OF YOUR BOARD. THANK YOU. MR. MARTINO. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. SPEAKING FOR HARFORD COUNTY CHAPTER OF MOMS FOR LIBERTY, SO MUCH OF THE HCP S BUDGET IS CONSUMED WITH USING TECHNOLOGY TO EDUCATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF CHILDREN. 
          THIS BOARD IS INVESTING MILLIONS IN SOFTWARE, WEBSITES, TABLETS, LAPTOPS, POSSIBLY AI TO INSTRUCT THE STUDENTS. MANY CITIZENS ARE CONVINCED THAT TECHNOLOGY IS SUPERIOR TO TRADITIONAL LEARNING METHODS. DOES TECHNOLOGY REALLY IMPROVE EDUCATION OR ARE WE BEING DECEIVED? MANY STUDENTS HAVE SHOWN TRADITIONAL LEARNING METHODS PRODUCE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER RESULTS. EDUCATIONAL FADS WILL COME AND GO, BUT THE CORE OF EDUCATION REMAINS READING, WRITING AND MATH. MOVING YOUR FINGERS STIMULATES THE MIND AND BURNS THAT MEMORY MORE THAN PUSHING A KEY. IT SHOULD GO WITHOUT SAYING THAT PHYSICALLY WRITING OUT WORDS IN PRINT OR CURSIVE IMPROVED THE CHILD'S ABILITY TO WRITE. THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE KEYBOARD WHEN IT COMES TO READING. MANY FALSELY BELIEVE THAT READING IS READING REGARDLESS OF WHAT MEDIUM IS BEING USED. DOES THAT HOLD UP TO SCIENTIFIC SCRUTINY? RECENT STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT PRINT BOOKS IN THE HOME AND CLASSROOM STRONGLY IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT VERSUS EBOOKS. RESEARCHERS HAVE TERMED IT SCREEN INFERIORITY EFFECT. A 2024 ANALYSIS OF 49 STUDIES WITH THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS FIND THAT PUPILS WHO READ ON SCREENS HAVE LOW OR LOWER IN COMPREHENSION THAN THOSE WHO READ THE EXACT SAME MATERIAL IN PRINT. THE STUDIES WERE DONE AT EVERY GRADE LEVEL, INCLUDING COLLEGE. A PRINCETON STUDY SHOWED THAT STUDENTS WHO TOOK HANDWRITTEN NOTES SCORED 20% BETTER ON CONCEPTUAL UNDERSTANDING QUESTIONS THAN THOSE WHO USE THE LAPTOP. NOT ONLY DID THE STUDENTS SCORE BETTER, BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO SUMMARIZE THE MATERIAL MORE CONCISELY, WRITING BY HAND FORCES THE INDIVIDUAL TO ORGANIZE THE INFORMATION AND GET TO THE BOTTOM LINE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN DIGITAL SCREENS. THE BRAIN WORKS COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, PUSHING THE KEYBOARD VERSUS WRITING IT OUT. PUSHING A KEY BECOMES ALL THE SAME TO THE MIND, BUT PRECISE MOTOR COORDINATION REQUIRED FOR HANDWRITING STIMULATES THE MEMORY IMPRINTS OF THE BRAIN. 
          NEW SHINY TOOLS THAT ARE USED FOR NOTE TAKING AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE MAY APPEAR TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, BUT IN REALITY, CONVENIENCE DOES NOT ENHANCE LEARNING. RESEARCHERS ADVICE IS TAKE TO WRITING AS OFTEN AS YOU CAN DURING THE DAY. HAVE PENCILS, PENS, CRAYONS AND PAPER READILY AVAILABLE FOR CHILDREN TO ENHANCE BRAIN DEVELOPMENT. HANDWRITING IS AN UNDERVALUED TREASURE. ALSO, STUDIES SHOWED THAT STUDENTS WHO TOOK THE HANDWRITTEN NOTES SCORED LOWER WHEN THEY WERE SEATED NEXT TO A STUDENT TAKING NOTES WITH A LAPTOP THAN SITTING NEXT TO A STUDENT WHO ALSO TOOK HANDWRITTEN NOTES. SO WHAT IS GOING ON HERE? WELL, IT SEEMS THAT THE LAPTOP SCREEN CAN'T HELP BUT DRAW THE ATTENTION OF THOSE AROUND THEM, CAUSING DISTRACTIONS. THE EYES SEEM TO BE NATURALLY DRAWN TO SCREENS, CAUSING LESS FOCUS ON THE INSTRUCTOR. THE EVIDENCE IS CLEAR GET RID OF DIGITAL DEVICES AND RETURN TO TRADITIONAL HANDWRITTEN METHODS. ON ANOTHER NOTE, HUMAN GEOGRAPHY IS ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA. I SUSPECT THAT MORE OF THE CURRICULUM PUSHES THE FAKE SCIENCE NONSENSE THAT THE EARTH IS BEING DESTROYED BY THE STUDENTS VERY EXISTENCE, ALONG WITH THEIR FARM ANIMALS. IN THE PAST, THE STUDENTS WERE SPOON FED FALSE INFORMATION FROM THE CLIMATE APOCALYPTIC APOCALYPTIC CULT. WILL THE STUDENTS EVER HEAR TRUE FACTS ABOUT MAN'S POSITIVE IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT? ACCORDING TO NASA SATELLITE DATA, THE PLANET IS 20% GREENER TODAY THAN IT WAS 30 YEARS AGO. THE PLANTS ARE THRIVING TODAY. THERE HAS BEEN A 13% IN AGRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTION AS WELL. NO ONE EVER MENTIONS THESE FACTS. IF 20% OF PLANT LIFE HAD VANISHED, IT WOULD BE FRONT PAGE HEADLINES IN 
          [00:15:06]
EVERY NATION FOREVER. CLIMATE ALARMISTS HAVE A FAILED RECORD GOING BACK MORE THAN 50 YEARS. 
          IT IS TIME TO REMOVE THE FAKE, CHERRY PICKED DOOMSDAY MATERIAL OUT OF THE LESSON PLANS. WE NEED TO RETURN TO TRADITIONAL ACADEMICS AND TRADITIONAL METHODS OF LEARNING. THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS GABRIELLE MOORE BROOKS. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY IRIS BAUER, GABRIELLE MOORE BROOKS REPRESENTING HARFORD COUNTY REGIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS. GOOD EVENING. 
          PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT HAHN AND FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS. I'M THE STUDENT LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS COORDINATOR. I'M HERE TODAY TO SHARE STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE PROPOSED CELL PHONE POLICY. TO GATHER STUDENT INPUT, I CREATED A SURVEY THAT WAS SENT TO SGA ADVISORS AND THEIR MEMBERS. THAT SURVEY RECEIVED OVER TWO 246 RESPONSES FROM STUDENTS FROM NINE HIGH SCHOOLS AND FOUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS ACROSS OUR COUNTY. THE RESULTS WERE OVERWHELMINGLY CLEAR. 92% OF STUDENTS ARE NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS CHANGE POLICY. WHEN ASKED WHETHER THEY BELIEVE THE CURRENT POLICY IS FOLLOWED, 76% SAID IT WAS MOSTLY OR ALWAYS FOLLOWED. BUT WHEN ASKED ABOUT THE PROPOSED POLICY THAT THEY SAID ONLY 22% SAID THAT IT WOULD MOSTLY OR ALWAYS BE FOLLOWED, WHILE 77% SAID IT WOULD RARELY OR NEVER BE FOLLOWED. BEYOND THE NUMBERS, I ALSO RECEIVED OVER 100 THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS. MANY STUDENTS EXPRESSED THAT A STRICTER POLICY WOULD LEAD TO MORE RESISTANCE AND RULE BREAKING. OTHERS EMPHASIZE THAT PHONES ARE ESSENTIAL FOR SAFETY AND COMMUNICATING WITH OUR FAMILY. SEVERAL ALSO SUGGESTED THAT STUDENTS SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO USE THEIR PHONES WHEN THEY FINISH THEIR WORK, AND THAT PHONES SHOULD BE LEFT TO THE TEACHER'S DISCRETION. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE, THE STUDENTS ARE THE ONES MOST DIRECTLY AFFECTED BY THIS POLICY. WE ASK YOU TO LISTEN TO OUR VOICES TAKING OUR INPUT SERIOUSLY. WORK WITH US, NOT AGAINST US, TO CREATE A POLICY THAT SUPPORTS LEARNING WITHOUT UNNECESSARY PUNISHMENT. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WILLINGNESS TO HEAR FROM THE STUDENTS. IRIS BAUER. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS IRIS BAUER AND I'M A STUDENT AT PATTERSON MIDDLE. CONCERNED THE UPDATE TO THE BAG POLICY Y'ALL ARE CONSIDERING MAKING. I'M JUST RIGHT OFF THE BAT GOING TO SAY NO. IT'S IMPRACTICAL. WE'RE HORRIFIED AND I HONESTLY DOUBT IT WOULD WORK ANYWAYS. WHAT POINT DOES IT SERVE THE ACCOMPLISHES? WELL, PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO SEE WHAT'S INSIDE YOUR BACKPACK, BUT SINCE I HAVE YET TO MEET ANYONE WITH X RAY VISION, THEY WON'T BE ABLE TO SEE PAST THINGS LIKE BINDERS. SO THEORETICALLY, SOMEONE COULD CONCEAL WEAPONS IN ANY NUMBER OF PLACES. IT'LL SHOW EVERYTHING IN OUR BACKS, WHICH MIGHT BE PENCIL SHAVINGS AND GUM WRAPPERS. LAST I CHECKED, THOSE WEREN'T DANGEROUS, AND IT MIGHT BE CANDY AROUND MIDDLE SCHOOLERS. GUM IS A CURRENCY, AND CANDY MAY BE DESCENDED ON LIKE A BUNCH OF PIRANHAS. EVERYONE K TO 12 WOULD HAVE TO GET NEW BACKPACKS WITH 40,000 KIDS. THAT'S A LOT OF BACKPACKS. AND SINCE OBVIOUSLY Y'ALL ARE GOING TO GET ONES THAT WILL LAST AT LEAST A YEAR AND HOLD A GOOD AMOUNT OF STUFF, IT'LL BE ABOUT $25 EACH. THAT'S $1 MILLION. AND WHO'S PAYING FOR THAT? CPS IS ALREADY UNDERFUNDED, SO YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE THE FAMILIES PAY FOR IT. I DON'T THINK THEY EVEN WANT IT. I TOLD SOME OF MY CLASSMATES ABOUT THIS. NO ONE SUPPORTED THIS. REACTIONS RANGED FROM NEUTRAL. 
          OH YEAH, I HEARD ABOUT THAT TO AGAINST. I'M NOT WEARING ONE OF THOSE BACKPACKS, AND ONE CLASSMATE EVEN STATED THAT SHE WOULD NOT USE A BACKPACK AT ALL IF THIS POLICY PASSED. WHY DO YOU THINK WE WANT OR AGREE TO THIS? WHY DO YOU THINK THAT IS NECESSARY? WHY DO YOU THINK IT WILL AT ALL HELP? BECAUSE I DON'T AGREE OR FIND IT NECESSARY, OR THINK IT WILL ALL HELP. I HONESTLY THINK THAT IT'S A WASTE OF BOTH MONEY AND TIME, AND I HOPE THAT ANY OTHERS THAT ARE EQUALLY IMPRACTICAL WILL NOT PASS. THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DOCTOR DAVID BAUER, FOLLOWED BY CHARLENE HAUPT. GOOD EVENING, I'M DAVID BAUER. I HAVE COMMENTS ON SEVERAL TOPICS THIS EVENING. FIRST, I SUPPORT THE PROPOSED CELL PHONE POLICY. WHILE I MIGHT WANT SOME CLARIFICATIONS IN THE POLICY, I WOULD RATHER YOU ALL PASS THIS POLICY TODAY AS WRITTEN AND THEN AMEND OR CLARIFY IT LATER. SECOND, I OPPOSE THE PROPOSED BACKPACK BAG USE POLICY. I SEE 
          [00:20:04]
THE REQUIREMENT FOR TRANSPARENT BACKPACKS AS UNREASONABLE SECURITY THEATER. IT IS AN ACTION THAT IS MEANT TO BE VISIBLE, BUT ISN'T ACTUALLY AN EFFECTIVE SECURITY MEASURE. 
          NEXT, I DO NOT BELIEVE IT IS APPROPRIATE TO HAVE STUDENTS LEAVING PUBLIC SCHOOL FOR RECURRING RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION. SUPPORTERS OF SUCH PROGRAMS WILL POINT YOU TO THE 1952 SUPREME COURT CASE ZORACH V CLAUSON. WHAT THAT CASE ACTUALLY SAID WAS THAT A STATE LAW ALLOWING STUDENTS TO BE RELEASED FROM SCHOOL WAS LEGAL. MARYLAND HAS NO SUCH LAW. SUPPORTERS OF THIS RELEASE TIME ALSO REFERENCED A 1984 MARYLAND ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION. THAT OPINION WAS ABOUT STUDENTS MEETING DURING THEIR FREE TIME, BEFORE OR AFTER SCHOOL OR DURING LUNCH. THE OPINION IS QUITE LONG AND INCLUDES, AS A CONDITION FOR A PROGRAM TO BE CONSTITUTIONAL, THAT, QUOTE, SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SHOULD DECIDE, AS A GENERAL MATTER AND IN ADVANCE OF ANY REQUEST FROM A STUDENT RELIGIOUS GROUP, WHETHER TO ADOPT A PERIOD OF FREE TIME FOR PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. END QUOTE I AM NOT A LAWYER, BUT I DO NOT SEE A LEGAL BASIS FOR HC TO ALLOW LIFEWISE OR A SIMILAR PROGRAM BASED ON THE PUBLIC DESCRIPTION OF IT. I SENT YOU ALL AN ARTICLE WRITTEN BY A CHRISTIAN MINISTER FOR A CHRISTIAN AUDIENCE, WHICH I WOULD DESCRIBE AS TALKING ABOUT MORAL DECAY IN THIS COUNTRY. IT SPECIFICALLY CALLS OUT THE CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR BY NAME FOR IMMORAL BEHAVIOR. BUT THE GROUP OF PEOPLE IT'S TALKING ABOUT INCLUDES A LOT OF SENIOR WHITE HOUSE OFFICIALS AND PUBLIC COMMENTERS HERE TRYING TO PUSH RELIGION INTO OUR SCHOOLS. GIVEN THE STATE OF THE COUNTRY TODAY, I THINK IT IS AN ESPECIALLY INAPPROPRIATE TIME TO ENTERTAIN THE IDEA OF RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION DURING PUBLIC SCHOOL TIME. THANK. GOOD EVENING. I'M CHARLENE HAUPT. I WAS A TEACHER FOR 37 YEARS. 18 OF THOSE YEARS WERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. SIX OF MY CHILDREN WERE ALL IN HARFORD COUNTY. SCHOOLS THROUGHOUT THEIR ENTIRE EDUCATION PERIOD. THIS IS KIND OF OFF THE CUFF. I HAD ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SPEAK ABOUT LIFEWISE, BUT I DID SOME RESEARCH AND I WASN'T AWARE OF ALL THE FACTS, AND I DIDN'T WANT TO GET UP HERE AND SPEAK OF ANYTHING THAT MIGHT BE INCORRECT. SO I'LL SAVE THAT FOR ANOTHER TIME. BUT WHAT I AM GOING TO ADDRESS IS WHAT I'VE BEEN ADDRESSING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS, SINCE I'VE BEEN ATTENDING MOST OF THESE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS WHENEVER I COULD. AND THAT IS, I WOULD HOPE THAT NEXT YEAR, IN YOUR SECULAR YEAR OF EDUCATION, THAT BANNING BOOKS WILL BE ERASED FROM THE AGENDAS THAT IT WILL NEVER OCCUR. I SPENT 18 YEARS IN HARFORD COUNTY BEING A LITERATURE TEACHER, A LANGUAGE TEACHER, A SCIENCE, A LIBRARY SCIENCE INSTRUCTOR. I BUILT LIBRARIES UP IN DIFFERENT STATES, AND BANNING BOOKS IS ANATHEMA TO ANYTHING THAT I'VE EVER BEEN EDUCATED FOR. SO, AND THAT'S BEEN A REAL, REAL POINT OF DISAGREEMENT AMONG MANY, I KNOW. BUT THERE ARE PROCEDURES IN PLACE TO DO THIS LEGALLY AND SUFFICIENTLY TO KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR THE STUDENTS AND WHAT'S NOT. 
          AND I LEAVE THAT IN YOUR HANDS, NOT IN THE HANDS OF PARENTS THAT THAT THINK THAT THEY CAN TELL OTHER PARENTS OR OTHER CHILDREN WHAT TO READ. AND THAT'S JUST WRONG. SO I WILL CONTINUE TO COME TO THE MEETINGS AND I WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE MY THOUGHTS KNOWN. AND I TOLD MY GRANDCHILDREN WHEN THEY ASKED ME WHY I WAS SO AVID ABOUT THIS SUBJECT, I NEVER WANT YOU TO BE ABLE TO SAY THAT YOU WERE ASHAMED OF ME BECAUSE I DID NOT SPEAK UP, AND THAT IS ONE REASON WHY I WILL ALWAYS CONTINUE TO THINK AND RESEARCH AND LOOK FOR THE REAL ANSWERS AND PUT ALL THE OTHER ISSUES ASIDE, UNLESS THEY ARE NECESSARY TO ALSO ADDRESS. BUT I DO THANK YOU FOR LISTENING 
          [00:25:01]
TO ANYBODY THAT COMES UP HERE, NO MATTER WHICH SIDE WE'RE ON, WHICH ISSUE WE'RE ARGUING ABOUT, WE NEED EDUCATION FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE DON'T NEED THEM TO SEE US AT WAR WITH EACH OTHER ALL THE TIME. AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN SOME OF OUR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS OVER THE LAST TWO, THREE, MAYBE FOUR YEARS. MAYBE IT WAS ALWAYS THIS BAD. MAYBE I JUST WASN'T AWARE. 
          BUT ONE THING I WILL DO IS ALWAYS ADDRESS THE ISSUES AT HAND AND HOPE THAT THE BOARD WILL BE AS STAUNCH AS YOU HAVE BEEN FOR ALL THESE PERIODS THAT I'VE BEEN DOING SPEECHES UP HERE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS ANNIE BEESON. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU, YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. SHE WILL BE FOLLOWED BY JACOB BENNETT. I'M HERE FOR THE EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PTA. GOOD EVENING. MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DISTRICT LEADERS, EDUCATORS, AND FELLOW COMMUNITY MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ANNIE BEESON, AND I COME TO YOU TONIGHT NOT JUST AS A VICE PRESIDENT FOR EMERSON ELEMENTARY PTA. SHOUT OUT TO LAUREN SMITH, MY BETTER HALF. BUT AS A PARENT AND A PROUD MEMBER OF THE EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL COMMUNITY, OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS, OUR PTA REACHED OUT TO PARENTS TO GATHER THEIR THOUGHTS, ASKING THEM WHAT MAKES OUR SCHOOL SPECIAL. WHAT I HEARD WAS OVERWHELMING NOT JUST IN VOLUME, BUT IN PASSION. IT'S CLEAR THAT EMERSON ISN'T JUST A SCHOOL, IT'S A COMMUNITY THAT THRIVES BECAUSE OF THE COMMITMENT OF ITS EDUCATORS, THE INVOLVEMENT OF ITS FAMILIES, AND THE WELCOMING CULTURE THAT BRINGS US ALL TOGETHER. IN FACT, 58% OF THE PARENTS WHO RESPONDED TO OUR SURVEY SAID THAT THEY VISIT THE SCHOOL 3 TO 4 TIMES PER SCHOOL YEAR, AND 25% REPORTED THAT THEY COME AT LEAST ONCE PER MONTH. THAT'S AN IMPRESSIVE LEVEL OF ENGAGEMENT, AND IT'S NO ACCIDENT. IT REFLECTS A SCHOOL THAT ACTIVELY ENCOURAGES PARENT INVOLVEMENT, BUILDS TRUST AND OPENS ITS DOORS NOT JUST TO STUDENTS, BUT TO FAMILIES AS FULL PARTNERS IN THE LEARNING JOURNEY, OUR TEACHERS GO ABOVE AND BEYOND TO ORGANIZE AND WORK WITH ROOM PARENT VOLUNTEERS FOR EVERY SINGLE CLASSROOM. SIGN UPS ARE ROUTINELY PASSED AROUND SO THAT INTERESTED PARENTS MAY COME IN DURING LEARNING HOURS TO HELP TEACHERS PREPARE MATERIALS, READ STORIES TO THEIR CHILDREN'S CLASSROOM, HELP WITH ASSEMBLIES, AND MORE, ONE PARENT SHARED. 
          IT'S THE TEACHERS AND STAFF THAT CARE SO MUCH ABOUT THESE KIDS. THERE ARE ALWAYS ACTIVITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH OTHER STUDENTS AND PARENTS. I'M SO LUCKY TO HAVE MY CHILD AND NEXT YEAR MY OTHER CHILDREN ATTEND EMERSON. ANOTHER WROTE E-M-S REALLY FEELS LIKE A COMMUNITY. ALL THE FAMILIES, TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE FRIENDLY, WARM, WELCOMING AND CARING. THE EVENTS ARE GREAT AND OFFER THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OTHER FAMILIES AND ENGAGE. WE FEEL EXTREMELY BLESSED TO BE AT EMMA'S. IT'S CLEAR THAT WHAT'S HAPPENING AT EMERSON GOES FAR BEYOND CURRICULUM AND CLASSROOMS. IT'S ABOUT CULTURE. ONE PARENT DESCRIBED IT BEAUTIFULLY THE CULTURE AMONGST THE ENTIRE STAFF FEELS INCLUSIVE AND UPLIFTING. HAVING THE PRINCIPAL OUTSIDE EACH AND EVERY DAY FOR PICKUP IS SOMETHING THAT DOES NOT GO UNNOTICED. YOU FEEL MEMBER IS INVESTED. IN OUR SCHOOL, SO MANY MAGICAL MOMENTS ARE HAPPENING WITHIN THOSE SCHOOL HALLWAYS AND CLASSROOMS THAT WE PARENTS ARE PRIVILEGED TO WITNESS. TEACHERS, SPECIAL EDUCATORS, AND PARAEDUCATORS ARE WORKING WITH STUDENTS ONE ON ONE OR IN GROUP SETTINGS AND ALWAYS ON THE GO. FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, WITNESSING OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF AT WORK. WHY? I'M POSITIVE THAT THEY GET THEIR DAILY STEPS IN AND EVEN DO SOME CROSS TRAINING BY CARRYING BOOKS, WHEELCHAIRS, AND PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT THROUGH THE HALLWAYS. I TEND TO SERIOUSLY QUESTION WHETHER MANY EVEN TAKE THEIR LUNCH BREAK EACH DAY. STUDENTS READ TOGETHER FOR BOOK CLUBS, HELP NEW FRIENDS TO FIND THEIR CLASSROOMS, AND GET ACQUAINTED WITH THE SCHOOL. THEY GREET EACH OTHER KINDLY WHEN THEY ENTER THEIR CLASSROOMS. THEY ARE ENCOURAGED BY SHINING EXAMPLE TO LEND A HAND, APPROACH EACH OTHER WITH KINDNESS AND COMPASSION. THEY ARE TAUGHT HOW TO PROBLEM SOLVE WHEN FACED WITH CHALLENGES. OUR STUDENTS ARE ENGAGED IN MEANINGFUL LEARNING EXPERIENCES LIKE FIELD TRIPS TO THE SCIENCE MUSEUM AND PLANETARIUM, AND THEY ARE EXCITED TO COME TO SCHOOL EACH DAY. AS ONE PARENT SAID, EMERSON IS SPECIAL BECAUSE THEY ARE MAKING LEARNING FUN AGAIN WITH EDUCATIONAL SURPRISES FOR THE CHILDREN, CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ON HOW THEY SHOULD TREAT ONE ANOTHER, AND RECOGNIZING THAT ALL CHILDREN AND FAMILIES ARE DIVERSE AND HAVE THEIR OWN SET OF NEEDS. THAT COMMITMENT TO INCLUSION AND SHARED VALUES IS SYMBOLIZED POWERFULLY BY EMERSON'S PEACE POLE, WHICH STANDS AT THE FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL, A VISUAL TESTAMENT TO THE PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE THE COMMUNITY INSIDE. TO EXEMPLIFY THIS POINT, A PARENT WROTE, EVERYONE IS SEEN AND VALUED. I AM NOT PARAPHRASING. TAKE A 
          [00:30:07]
SECOND TO CONSIDER HOW THAT SOUNDS AND HOW VALUABLE THAT SENTIMENT. THAT SENTIMENT IS EVERYONE IS SEEN AND VALUED, AND FOR SOME FAMILIES, EMERSON'S IMPACT SPANS GENERATIONS. ONE PARENT SHARED. I'M AN EMERSON ALUM AND MOVED BACK TO THE AREA WHEN MY CHILD HIT SCHOOL AGE, SPECIFICALLY SO SHE COULD GO TO EMERSON AND BE A PART OF THE LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAM. WE LOVE THIS SCHOOL. THESE VOICES, AND MANY MORE, ARE A REMINDER THAT WHAT WE HAVE AT EMERSON IS SOMETHING RARE AND WORTH PROTECTING. OUR STAFF WORKS TIRELESSLY, OUR FAMILIES SHOW UP, OUR STUDENTS THRIVE. BUT WE CANNOT EXPECT PASSION ALONE. TO SUSTAIN THIS MOMENTUM. WE NEED ONGOING, INTENTIONAL SUPPORT FROM OUR DISTRICT THROUGH EQUITABLE FUNDING, RESOURCES FOR STAFF AND STUDENT WELLNESS, AND CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THE PROGRAMS THAT MAKE EMERSON A PLACE WHERE FAMILIES WANT. LET'S NOT WAIT UNTIL WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THIS VALUE. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. HELLO. GOOD EVENING. IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK FROM MY PATERNITY LEAVE AND BACK TO BEING HERE IN PERSON. I SENT YOU ALL AN EMAIL ON MAY 27TH ABOUT OUR SUCCESS THIS YEAR AT OLD POST ROAD. 60%, 66% OF YOU OPENED THE EMAIL, AND ON AVERAGE, YOU SPENT 10S READING THE EMAIL. SO I JUST WANTED TO SUMMARIZE SUMMARIZE WHAT I HAD SHARED IN THAT EMAIL. LAST YEAR, 56% OF OPR KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS FINISHED THE YEAR ON GRADE LEVEL, COMPARED TO 71% OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS DURING THAT SAME TIME FRAME. THAT'S A 15 POINT GAP. THIS YEAR, 78% OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ARE ON GRADE LEVEL. THAT'S A SEVEN POINT IMPROVEMENT. 72% OF KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS ARE ON GRADE LEVEL. THAT'S A 16 POINT IMPROVEMENT. WE'VE SHRUNK THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP FROM 15 POINTS TO JUST SIX POINTS AT OLD POST ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. IN MY CLASS, AS AN EXAMPLE, ALL BUT ONE STUDENT CAME INTO THE SCHOOL YEAR BELOW GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS, MANY NOT KNOWING ANY LETTERS OF THE ALPHABET. TODAY, ALL BUT ONE WHO STARTED WITH ME ARE LEAVING ADVANCED. WE HAVE OTHER SCHOOLS COMING TO US TO LEARN FROM US AND REPLICATE OUR PRACTICE. WE HAVE FIRST GRADE TEACHERS AT OUR SCHOOL THRILLED TO SEE WHAT NEXT YEAR BRINGS FOR THEM, HAVING STUDENTS THEY'VE NEVER HAD BEFORE. WE'VE ACCOMPLISHED ALL THIS WITHOUT BUYING A BUNCH OF STUFF OR BY REINVENTING THE WHEEL. SO HOW DID WE DO IT? DEEP AND SIMPLE PRACTICES LIKE HIGH QUALITY PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH, PROVEN INSTRUCTIONAL DESIGN, AND FULL STAFF COMMITMENT TO THE CHANGE, DEEP AND SIMPLE IS WORTH SO MUCH MORE THAN SHALLOW AND COMPLEX. FRED ROGERS. ON A PERSONAL NOTE, I AM ONE OF 12 EDUCATORS RECOGNIZED ACROSS THE COUNTRY AS PART OF THE GOYEN LITERACY FELLOWSHIP NEXT YEAR, WHICH WORKS TO IDENTIFY THE BEST LITERACY TEACHERS IN THE NATION. IT'S BEEN FOUR YEARS SINCE I FIRST CAME TO THE BOARD OF ED AND LEADERSHIP WITH MY CONCERNS ABOUT INSTRUCTION. FOUR YEARS AGO, I WAS TOLD BY LEADERSHIP THAT I WAS JUST A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AND I ONLY HAD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, AND I WAS DISMISSED FROM THE ROOM. AND THE FOUR YEARS SINCE, I'VE BECOME NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR MY EXPERTISE IN READING INSTRUCTION FOR FOUR YEARS, I'VE COME TO YOU. NEXT YEAR, OUR PRE-K STUDENTS WILL HAVE BEEN BORN. AFTER I FIRST CAME TO YOU ASKING FOR HELP. IN THAT TIME, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO EDUCATE YOURSELF? HOW HAVE YOU PUSHED FOR STRONGER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS IN OUR SCHOOLS? WHAT PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TIME HAS BEEN SPENT FOCUSED ON RAISING READING ACHIEVEMENT? TO QUOTE THE FOUNDER OF IKEA, YOU CAN DO SO MUCH IN TEN MINUTES, TEN MINUTES. ONCE GONE OR GONE FOR GOOD, DIVIDE YOUR LIFE INTO TEN MINUTE UNITS AND SACRIFICE AS FEW OF THEM AS POSSIBLE ONTO MEANINGLESS THINGS. THE CLOCK IS TICKING. OUR CHILDREN WON'T GROW YOUNGER, FOR YOU WILL. HOW WILL YOU USE YOUR NEXT TEN MINUTES TO TAKE CARE OF OUR CHILDREN? OR WILL YOU LET FOUR MORE YEARS SLIDE BY? THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS SHEILA ALLEN. PLEASE STATE THE NAME OF YOUR GROUP AND YOU WILL RECEIVE FIVE MINUTES. 
          AND SHE IS FOLLOWED BY NOAH MYERS. HI, MY NAME IS DOCTOR SHEILA ALLEN. I AM CURRENT PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF UNIVERSITY WOMEN, THE HARFORD COUNTY BRANCH. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO CELEBRATE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR MAKING SUCH GREAT STRIDES IN ADVANCING WOMEN IN THE STEM AREAS. ON SATURDAY, APRIL 26TH IN THE STUDENT CENTER AT HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS FROM EACH OF YOUR HIGH SCHOOLS GATHERED TO HONOR THE TOP JUNIOR STEM FEMALE STUDENT IN HER SCHOOL. THIS IS A YEARLY EVENT COMMEMORATING THE LIFE OF JUDITH RESNICK, WHO LOST HER LIFE IN THE 86 CHALLENGER EXPLOSION. BUT IT'S ALSO A CELEBRATION OF THESE 12 YOUNG WOMEN EACH YEAR. THE SPEAKER THAT MORNING WAS A FORMER FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, DOCTOR LISA THOMAS. SHE IS NOW CHAIR AND MEDICAL 
          [00:35:05]
DIRECTOR OF THE EMERGENCY MEDICINE AT UPPER CHESAPEAKE MEDICAL CENTER IN BEL AIR. SHE HAPPENED TO BE FALSTEIN'S TOP CHOICE FOR STEM STUDENT IN 1998, AND WAS AT THAT EVENT AS A STUDENT THEN. SHE ATTENDED NEW YORK UNIVERSITY FOR A BACHELOR'S AND MD COMBINED UNDERGRADUATE AND MEDICAL SCHOOL PROGRAM, GRADUATING WITH HONORS. CONTINUED HER EDUCATION AT JOHNS HOPKINS, WORKING WITH BEN CARSON, AND THEN WENT ON TO TEACH AT HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL. 
          OUR SPEAKERS ARE ALWAYS SUCCESSFUL WOMEN WORKING IN A STEM FIELD, AND YOU SHOULD KNOW THAT FOR AT LEAST THE LAST THREE YEARS, OUR SPEAKERS HAVE ALL BEEN GRADUATES OF HARFORD COMMUNITY OR OF HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. IN FACT, MY DAUGHTER WAS THERE LAST YEAR. 
          SHE ALSO GRADUATED FROM BEL AIR HIGH SCHOOL AND THEN FROM JOHNS HOPKINS WITH A MASTER'S IN COMPUTER PROGRAMING. SO I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ALL FOR A JOB WELL DONE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THIS TELLS ME THAT AND AS MY EXPERIENCE AS A MOM, THIS IS A GREAT SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND FINALLY, I JUST WANT TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF INFORMATION ABOUT THE YOUNG WOMEN WHO EARNED THIS HONOR OF BEING TOP JUNIOR STEM FEMALE AT HER SCHOOL. NOT ONLY ARE THESE YOUNG WOMEN ADEPT IN THE SCIENCES, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS INVOLVED IN SOME CURRICULAR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITY INVOLVING MUSIC, ART, AND OR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. AS A MEMBER OF THE RESNICK COMMITTEE TO PLAN THIS EVENT, I GET TO WRITE TO THEM AND ASK THEM A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS SO THAT WE CAN WRITE ABOUT THEM IN THEIR INTRODUCTIONS IN OUR PROGRAM THAT I HAVE HERE, AND WE WRITE AN EGIS ARTICLE, AND I HAVE A COPY OF THAT FOR YOU. I CAN EITHER SEND IT TO YOU OR I CAN PASS IT AROUND. THE ARTICLE IS ON THE BACK OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. OKAY. DOCTOR MUELLER HAPPENED TO BE THERE TOO. OKAY. NINE OUT OF 12 YOUNG WOMEN RECEIVING THIS RECOGNITION VALUED AND PLAYED AT LEAST ONE SPORT. FOUR OF THEM WERE INVOLVED IN MULTIPLE SPORTS. SEVEN OF THE 12 CITED THE ARTS PAINTING, CRAFTING AND OTHER DESIGN DESIGNING AS A HOBBY. TWO ARE IN BAND AND OR ORCHESTRA, WITH FOUR MENTIONING MUSIC AS A HOBBY. HAVING TAUGHT EDUCATION AT HARVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOR 30 YEARS, THIS AMAZED ME BECAUSE I THOUGHT OF THE BENEFITS OF ARTS AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. SO I DID A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH TO FIND OUT HOW THESE YOUNG WOMEN WILL PROSPER IN THEIR SCHOOL ACTIVITIES IN THE FUTURE. DO YOU KNOW THAT NOBEL LAUREATES IN THE SCIENCES ARE 25 TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE ENGAGED IN THE ARTS AS SCIENTISTS? I PARAPHRASE FROM A 2008 STUDY. ALMOST ALL NOBEL LAUREATES IN THE SCIENCES ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN ARTS. AS ADULTS. THEY ARE 25 TIMES MORE LIKELY, AS AN AVERAGE SCIENTIST TO SING, DANCE OR ACT AND 17 TIMES AS LIKELY TO BE AN ARTIST. IN FACT, THEY FOUND THAT THE NOBEL PRIZE WINNING SCIENTISTS WERE MORE LIKELY TO ENGAGE IN CREATIVE WRITING, PHOTOGRAPHY AND PERFORMANCE ARTS. THESE CREATIVE PURSUITS WERE NOT JUST HOBBIES. THEY OFTEN INFORMED AND INSPIRED THEIR SCIENTIFIC BREAKTHROUGHS. THE RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT THE INTEGRATION OF ARTISTIC AND IMAGINATIVE THINKING FOSTERS A MORE FLEXIBLE, INNOVATIVE MIND. WOW, THESE GIRLS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO BEING GREAT. SOME OF THESE STUDENTS ARE IN BAND AND PLAY MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS. THERE'S SIGNIFICANT CORRELATION BETWEEN MUSIC INSTRUCTION AND IMPROVED MATH SKILLS. ADDITIONALLY, MUSIC TRAINING ENHANCES SPATIAL TEMPORAL REASONING, WHICH IS KEY IN ENGINEERING AND PHYSICS, AND MANY OF THESE YOUNG WOMEN WERE ON SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS OR TOOK JOY IN PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES. A 2019 REPORT FOUND THAT STUDENTS WHO ARE PHYSICALLY ACTIVE TEND TO HAVE BETTER GRADES, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE, AND CLASSROOM BEHAVIORS. OTHER STUDIES SHOW THAT REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS LINKED TO IMPROVED EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS, WHICH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR STEM TASKS. CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU AND TO ALL THE TEACHERS WHO MAKE THIS SCHOOL SYSTEM AS SUCCESSFUL AS IT IS. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. PLEASE DON'T SHORTCHANGE THESE STUDENTS BY TAKING AWAY ANYTHING THAT WILL KEEP THEM ON THE TOP OF THEIR GAME. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE THIS NOW, OR I CAN SEND SOME OF IT TO YOU. EMAIL. YOU COULD DO BOTH. YOU CAN EMAIL IT TO THE BOARD. AND THEN IF YOU JUST WANT TO HAND IT OFF OVER HERE, WE'LL MAKE SURE IT GETS DISTRIBUTED IN HARD COPY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          GOOD EVENING MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. MY NAME IS NOAH MYERS, AND WHILE I AM A MEMBER OF THE HARFORD COUNTY NAACP, I'M HERE BEFORE YOU AS A CITIZEN TONIGHT. AND I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY WISHING YOU ALL A HAPPY PRIDE MONTH. ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA IS THE DECISION FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES 
          [00:40:01]
CURRICULUM UPDATE FOR HUMAN GEOGRAPHY SEVEN. AMONG THE CHANGES TO THESE TO THIS COURSE ARE UNITS ON THE MOVEMENT OF PATHOGENS AND IDEAS, AND A PROJECT BASED REGIONAL CASE STUDY UNIT, WHICH WILL ALLOW STUDENTS TO CREATE A MUSEUM EXHIBIT FOR HARFORD COUNTY FOR THE HARFORD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. THESE UNITS AND OPPORTUNITIES WILL OFFER INVALUABLE RESOURCES AND EXPERIENCE TO OUR STUDENTS THAT WILL CONTINUE TO PREPARE THEM TO NAVIGATE OUR RAPIDLY CHANGING WORLD. OUR CHILDREN HAVE THE WORLD AT THEIR FINGERTIPS VIA SOCIAL MEDIA AND THE INTERNET, AND WE ALL KNOW THEY CAN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD. 
          STUDENTS RELY ON EDUCATIONAL GUIDANCE FROM TRAINED PROFESSIONALS, AND BY LEARNING ABOUT THE WAYS THAT HUMAN MOVEMENTS, GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS, POWER, RELATIONSHIPS AND IDEAS CAN BE VEHICLES FOR CHANGE, OUR CHILDREN WILL BE BETTER PREPARED GLOBAL CITIZENS IN THE FUTURE. KNOWLEDGE IS POWER AND EDUCATION BRINGS HOPE. OUR CHILDREN NEED THAT MORE THAN EVER. I URGE YOU TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND APPROVE THIS COURSE FOR REGULAR STATUS. 
          THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS RONNIE DAVIS, FOLLOWED BY CHRISTOPHER FENDRICK. GOOD EVENING, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I'M HERE TONIGHT AS A FORMER EDUCATOR, A PARENT WHOSE CHILDREN WENT THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY STRONG OPPOSITION TO ALLOWING LIFEWISE ACADEMY INTO OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THIS IS NOT ABOUT BEING FOR OR AGAINST RELIGION. MANY OF US CHERISH OUR OWN PERSONAL FAITHS. THIS IS ABOUT UPHOLDING THE FUNDAMENTAL SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE. PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE PLACES OF LEARNING FUNDED BY ALL TAXPAYERS, AND THEY MUST REMAIN NEUTRAL IN MATTERS OF RELIGION. 
          BRINGING IN A RELIGIOUS PROGRAM DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, EVEN OFF SITE CROSSES A LINE. IT INSERTS RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION INTO PUBLIC EDUCATION WHERE IT SIMPLY DOES NOT BELONG. MORE THAN THAT, LIFE LIVES PULL STUDENTS OUT OF WHAT WE CALL SPECIALS ART, MUSIC, PHYSICAL EDUCATION, LIBRARY. THESE CLASSES AREN'T EXTRAS. THEY'RE ESSENTIAL. THEY LIGHT UP PARTS OF THE BRAIN THAT SUPPORT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, BOOST EMOTIONAL HEALTH, AND HELP CHILDREN DEVELOP CONFIDENCE AND COLLABORATION SKILLS. WHEN WE TAKE STUDENTS OUT OF THESE EXPERIENCES, WE'RE LIMITING THEIR POTENTIAL AND UNDERVALUING THE WORK OF OUR EDUCATORS. WE SAY WE'RETUDENTS FOR THE FUTURE, BUT ARE WE? IF WE DISRUPT THE VERY CLASSES THAT HELP THEM GROW INTO WELL-ROUNDED CRITICAL THINKERS? LIFEWISE DOESN'T JUST VIOLATE CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES, IT SHORTCHANGES STUDENTS EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE. LET'S RESPECT FAMILIES RIGHTS TO GUIDE THEIR CHILDREN'S RELIGIOUS UPBRINGING OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL HOURS. LET'S PROTECT INSTRUCTIONAL TIME, AND LET'S SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE. PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE FOR LEARNING FOR EVERY CHILD, REGARDLESS OF THEIR FAITH BACKGROUND. I URGE YOU TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS FOCUSED, INCLUSIVE AND STRONG. PLEASE SAY NO TO LIFEWISE. THANK YOU. THE TOPIC OF LIFEWISE HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP SEVERAL TIMES. NOT BEING FAMILIAR WITH THEM, I DECIDED TO RESEARCH. THE PROGRAM ALLOWS OFF SITE RELIGIOUS STUDIES DURING THE SCHOOL DAY, USUALLY 45 MINUTES. THEIR SITE BOASTS A 91% BEHAVIORAL IMPROVEMENT, 94% IMPROVEMENT IN DECISION MAKING, AND 94% IMPROVEMENT IN ATTITUDE FROM THEIR PROGRAM. IF YOU READ THE FINE PRINT THAT 91% IN BEHAVIORAL DROPS TO 57. THE 94 IN DECISION MAKING IS REALLY 62, AND THE 94% FOR ATTITUDE DROPS TO 61. SEEMS DISHONEST OF A CHURCH BASED PROGRAM TO PROVIDE MISLEADING INFORMATION REGARDING THE PROGRAM. THE CURRICULUM IS PUBLISHED BY LIFEWAY CHRISTIAN RESOURCES, WHICH IS A DIVISION OF THE SOUTHERN BAPTIST CONVENTION AND TAKES A LITERAL INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE. 
          THESE INTERPRETATIONS INCLUDE CREATION CREATIONISM OVER EVOLUTION. WOMEN MUST BE SUBSERVIENT TO THEIR HUSBANDS AND STRONG ANTI LGBT Q STANCES. SINCE THE CURRICULUM IS SET BY LIFEWAY, THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO NOT HAVE A WAY OR A SAY IN WHAT IS BEING TAUGHT. DEPENDING ON HOW MANY KIDS PARTICIPATE, THE REMAINING KIDS WOULD BE EITHER SENT TO THE LIBRARY OR WOULD HAVE TO SIT THROUGH A LESSON TWICE SO THAT THE LIFEWISE KIDS CAN CATCH UP. THERE ARE ALSO REPORTS OF INCREASED BULLYING AMONG THE CHILDREN WHO LEAVE, AND THE ONES WHO STAY BEHIND BY PULLING STUDENTS OUT OF REGULAR CLASSES FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTIONS, WE RISK CREATING AN IN-GROUP OF PARTICIPANTS AND AN OUTGROUP OF NON-PARTICIPANTS. IF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IS OF IMPORTANCE TO THE PARENTS, THEN WHY ISN'T IT BEING TAUGHT AFTER SCHOOL? WHY DO KIDS NEED TO LEAVE AN AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM WORK JUST AS WELL? PICKING UP MY SON FROM SCHOOL, I HAVE SEEN THE 
          [00:45:07]
KARATE BOSS, THE ARENA CLUB BOSS AND NUMEROUS DAYCARE BUSSES. WHY WOULDN'T LIFEWISE DO THE SAME? THANK YOU. OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS JESSICA FENDRICK FOLLOWED BY SUZY SCOTT. HI EVERYONE, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR TO GIVE A BIG THANKS TO ALL OF THE TEACHERS AND EDUCATORS AND STAFF AND ALL THE EMPLOYEES OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE ADMINISTRATION BUILDING HERE. I RECENTLY DROPPED MY SON OFF AT HARTFORD TECH. HE'S A JUNIOR THIS YEAR, AND HE GOT A NOTE THAT THE TOILETS WEREN'T WORKING, THAT THEY WERE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE OFFICE AND USE A BUCKET TO FLUSH THE TOILET. NOW, THAT DIDN'T LAST LONG, BUT THAT WAS WHAT WAS HAPPENING WHEN WE WERE DROPPING OUR KIDS OFF IN THE MORNING. AND I WILL ADMIT, I WAS A LITTLE SELFISHLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE KIDS, BUT IT DIDN'T OCCUR TO ME TO THINK ABOUT WHAT THE SCHOOL EMPLOYEES AND THE TEACHERS WERE DEALING WITH THAT DAY AS WELL. SO I WANT TO GIVE A REALLY BIG THANK YOU TO ALL THE FOLKS AT HARTFORD TECH THAT HAVE BEEN WORKING THROUGH ALL THIS CONSTRUCTION AND CHANGES AND DOING THEIR VERY BEST TO KEEP OUR KIDS LIFTED UP AND DOING THEIR BEST. SO THANK YOU TO HARTFORD TECH AND ALL OF THEM. ANYBODY THAT'S LISTENING FROM THERE, AND ALL THE PARENTS AND EVERYONE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN DOING SUCH HARD WORK. I KNOW A LOT OF YOU WORK ALL YEAR ROUND, BUT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SAY THANK YOU. AND TO OUR SENIORS GRADUATING, SPECIFICALLY OUR SMOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND ALL OF OUR SENIORS. CONGRATULATIONS ON ALL YOUR HARD WORK. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. TONIGHT, I'M CALLING ON THIS BOARD TO REJECT THE PROPOSED RADICAL CHANGES TO THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM. 
          WE'RE BEING ASKED TO JETTISON ANCIENT WORLD HISTORY FOR SOMETHING CALLED HUMAN GEOGRAPHY. READING THE PRESENTATION NOTES, I WAS STAGGERED BY THE AMOUNT OF NONSENSE BEING PEDDLED. WE CAN EXPECT THE STANDARD WORD SALAD AND WILL BE WILL BE THAT WILL BE USED TONIGHT TO DAZZLE AND MANIPULATE US. PLEASE DON'T BE BAMBOOZLED. I URGE THIS BOARD TO PUSH BACK ON THIS REVISED RADICAL ANTI-AMERICAN PROPAGANDA POSING AS CURRICULUM. CASE IN POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO A RECENT HISTORY ASSIGNMENT IN EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL TITLED THIRD WAVE FEMINISM AND LGBTQ PLUS RIGHTS. AT THE TOP OF THE NOTES PAGE IS A GRAPH FROM THE POLLING ORGANIZATION GALLUP SHOWING US SUPPORT FOR GAY MARRIAGE INCREASING STEADILY FROM 26% IN 1996 TO 71% IN 2022. THE PROMPT TO THE LEFT OF THE GRAPH SAYS, WHAT DOES THIS CHART SAY ABOUT US ATTITUDES TOWARDS SAME SEX MARRIAGE IN THE US? LET'S STOP AND EXAMINE THIS CRITICALLY. THE GRAPH IS DATA FROM 2022, BUT SINCE 2022, THE TREND LINE IS NOW HEADING DOWNWARD. ACCORDING TO A RECENT GALLUP NEWS ARTICLE. FROM THE END OF THIS MAY, REPUBLICAN SUPPORT HAS DROPPED 14 POINTS SINCE 2022. QUOTING FROM THE ARTICLE REPUBLICAN SUPPORT, WHICH PEAKED AT 55% IN 2021 AND 2022, HAS GRADUALLY EDGED DOWN TO 41%, THE LOWEST POINT SINCE 2016. THE CURRENT 47 POINT GAP BETWEEN REPUBLICANS AND DEMOCRATS IS THE LARGEST SINCE GALLUP FIRST BEGAN TRACKING THIS MEASURE 29 YEARS AGO, BUT CPS WANTS STUDENTS TO BELIEVE THAT 71% OF AMERICANS ARE CURRENTLY IN FAVOR. WHY ARE WE NOT GIVING THE STUDENTS ACCURATE INFORMATION FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT? AS IS THE CASE THESE DAYS, STUDENTS ARE BEING FORCE FED DATA DESIGNED TO GET A VERY SPECIFIC OUTCOME. IN OTHER WORDS, THEY'RE BEING BRAINWASHED INTO THINKING THINGS THAT AREN'T ACCURATE. ACCORDING TO THE NOTES AND SOURCES GIVEN ON THIRD WAVE FEMINISM, WE LEARNED THAT IT PRODUCED INTERSECTIONALITY, ECOFEMINISM, AND TRANS FEMINISM, AND THAT IT PROMOTES A SYSTEMIC APPROACH TO COMBATING INEQUALITY, SEEING SPECIFIC FORMS OF INEQUALITY AS PARTS OF A SINGLE SYSTEM. WHILE DOCTOR BOLTON IS AFRAID TO SAY THE WORDS ANYMORE, THIS LESSON IS CLEARLY PUSHING A DEI IDEOLOGY ONTO STUDENTS UNDER THE GUISE OF HISTORY. TURNING TO THE Q'S FOR LGBTQ, WE FIND MORE POINTED IN LEADING INFORMATION, WHICH I DON'T HAVE TIME TO DETAIL FOR YOU. SUFFICE IT TO SAY, STUDENTS ARE BEING DIRECTED TO PONDER VARIOUS POLITICAL ACTIVISTS AND COMPARE AND CONTRAST THEIR ACTIVISM, ANSWERING QUESTIONS LIKE, WHO DO YOU THINK WAS THE BOLDEST IN THEIR ACTIVISM AND WHAT MADE THEIR ACTIONS SO BOLD? WHICH TWO ACTIVISTS HAD THE MOST DIFFERENT STRATEGIES FOR CHANGE? AND ON AND ON. I STAND WITH THE EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL MOTHER WHO BROUGHT THIS ASSIGNMENT TO OUR ATTENTION, AND I REJECT THIS LESSON AS WELL, AND I HOPE YOU WILL EXERCISE YOUR OVERSIGHT OVER THIS NONSENSE. THANK YOU. 
          OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS DAVID FABI. GOOD EVENING BOARD. WELL, WE'RE JUST ABOUT 120 DAYS INTO THE NEW 
          [00:50:08]
ADMINISTRATION. YOU'RE ALL AWARE OF THE CHANGES IN YOUR FUTURE, THE END OF DEI, THE END OF CRT AND K THROUGH 12 SCHOOLS. ALSO RESTORING TITLE NINE. NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS SPORTS. NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS BATHROOMS. NO MORE BOYS AND GIRLS SHOWERS. FOR ALL THE PARENTS IN HARFORD COUNTY. IF YOU'RE AWARE AND SEE THIS ON THE SPORTS FIELD, FEEL FREE TO REPORT IT TO THE NEW WEBSITE AND DIE. VERY SIMPLE ONE PAGE FORM TO FILL OUT ON MAY 19TH. IT'S A BOARD. THIS BOARD WAS SCHOOLED BY. ITS OWN PSYCHOLOGIST FROM DEERFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. YOU WERE SCHOOLED IN THE MEANING OF DEI. KATHY PROVIDED SEVERAL MEETINGS FOR EACH OF THE WORDS DIVERSITY. 
          ALL ARE WELCOME. EQUITY PROVIDE FOOD AND CLOTHING. INCLUSION. BUILD CONNECTIONS. THEN ASK A QUESTION WHO DO YOU BELIEVE SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT BE WELCOME IN HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS? DID ANY OF YOU GIVE IT A MINUTE OR EVEN CONSIDER IT? I DIDN'T THINK SO. WELL, I TOOK A SURVEY RESPONSE. WAS MS. 13 GANG MEMBERS ARE NOT WELCOME IN SCHOOLS SUCH AS WALTER MARTINEZ, WHO KILLED KAYLA HAMILTON, OTHER GANG MEMBERS, ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS NOT LIVING IN THE COUNTY, ANYONE WHO'S ACTIVELY BEING INVESTIGATED FOR OR IS A DOCUMENTED THREAT FOR CRIMES SUCH AS ADULT ASSAULT, THEFT, RAPE, MURDER. WE'VE ALL SEEN THE DHS. HHS CAN'T BE TRUSTED TO FULLY VET ILLEGALS. SINCE THE BOARD IS NOT INFORMED BY THE MARYLAND CHILD PROTECTIVE SERVICES. WHO ARE THEY PROTECTING? WHEN WILL THIS BOARD CREATE A POLICY TO HOLD ACCOUNTABLE ITSELF, OR FEDERAL OR STATE AGENCIES WHO TRY TO ENTER THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? ACADEMY IN ANNAPOLIS EVALUATED OVER 900 BOOKS AND PROMPTLY REMOVED 400 BOOKS FROM ITS LIBRARY THAT PROMOTE DEI. THE CURRICULUM IS BEING REASSESSED AT THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY, WEST POINT, IN SUPPORT OF REMOVING DEI FROM THE ENTIRE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. HARFORD COUNTY'S LARGEST EMPLOYER IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IN THE FORM OF ABERDEEN AND EDGEWOOD PROVING GROUNDS. IT'S TIME TO REMOVE IT FROM OUR SCHOOLS AS WELL. I'LL LEAVE IT AT THAT. THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BOYNTON. THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE THIS EVENING. NO VIRTUAL SPEAKERS. WE 
          [Board Member Comments]
DO NOT HAVE ANY VIRTUAL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THIS EVENING WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION TO BOARD MEMBER COMMENTS. AND WE'LL START DOWN HERE WITH MISS STRAUSS. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. I JUST HAVE ONE THING THIS EVENING AND I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THIS EVENT. THE HARFORD COUNTY BIKE CAMP. THIS BIKE CAMP GIVES INDIVIDUALS WITH DIFFERING ABILITIES, AGE EIGHT AND OLDER, THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND EXPERIENCE THE THRILL OF RIDING A BIKE. IT'S MONDAY, JUNE 23RD. IT'S THE WEEK THAT IT STARTS. IT'S AT CHURCHVILLE REC. THIS IS ALSO A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR YOUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO VOLUNTEER IN SUPPORT OF THIS PROGRAM. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT AND LET PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT IT. YOU CAN FIND MORE JUST BY GOOGLING HARFORD COUNTY BIKE CAMP@MARYLAND.GOV. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WAIT. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYONE FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND FOR ALL YOUR COMMENTS TO THE BOARD. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I ALSO JUST WANTED TO WISH EVERYONE A GREAT SUMMER AND I, WE HAVE A FEW MORE MEETINGS HERE IN IN JUNE, BUT THIS IS THE LAST MEETING WHERE PUBLIC'S GOING TO BE INVOLVED BEFORE THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO JUST WISH EVERYONE A RESTFUL AND REJUVENATING SUMMER WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS PERRY. HELLO EVERYONE. I'M GLAD TO SEE THIS AMOUNT OF PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE SO PROTECTIVE OF OUR CHILDREN. AND I HOPE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE A NICE SUMMER. THANK YOU. TAGGING ALONG TO ALL OF THAT AND MORE DIRECTING TO STUDENTS. BUT, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR APPROACHES, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO CONTINUE TO CHERISH YOUR RELATIONSHIPS WITH TEACHERS AND STAFF. SO IT'S A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO WRITE A KIND LETTER, GIVE A SMALL GIFT TO ANYONE WHO HAS MADE ANY IMPACT IN YOUR LIFE IN REGARDS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT WHO CAN YOU GET A LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM? IT'S REALLY ABOUT WHO HAS ACTUALLY MADE YOUR EDUCATIONAL EXPERIENCE MEANINGFUL AND TAILORED TO YOU AS AN INDIVIDUAL. SO PLEASE TAKE THE TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO THANK ALL OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF WHO HAVE 
          [00:55:02]
HELPED YOU ALONG YOUR JOURNEY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. SO ONE THING IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAD A MEETING HERE, AND THE FAMILY FRIENDLY SCHOOL AWARD WENT TO BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF THE YEAR. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM BECAUSE THE CRITERIA HAS BEEN TIGHTENED UP. IT STARTED OUT AS A PROGRAM WHERE IT WAS JUST THE PARENTS VOTING FOR THE SCHOOL WHERE THEY FELT MOST WELCOME, AND THEN WE ADDED CRITERIA TO THAT. SO IT'S A REAL SELECTION PROCESS NOW. AND BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL HAS DONE A WONDERFUL JOB WITH WELCOMING PARENTS AND THE COMMUNITY INTO THEIR SCHOOL. OF COURSE, WE HAD GRADUATIONS FOR THE LAST TWO WEEKS, TWO AND A HALF WEEKS. I GUESS. IT'S BEEN BEEN A BUSY TIME, AND I DO WANT TO CONGRATULATE EVERYBODY WHO HAS GRADUATED AND WISH THEM WELL ON THEIR WAY. I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE THERE WHEN SASHA GRADUATED, AND IT WAS VERY NICE TO SEE THAT. AND THEN I JUST WANT TO MENTION ONE OTHER THING, AND THAT IS I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND VISIT A KINDERGARTEN CLASS THERE AND HAVE LUNCH WITH THE STAFF, AND IT WAS REALLY A GREAT EXPERIENCE, AND I'D SEEN THE SAME CLASS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THE END OF THE YEAR, AND THE GROWTH IN THESE KIDS WAS JUST AMAZING. I THINK KINDERGARTEN IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST FUN PLACES TO BE, BECAUSE YOU SEE THE BIGGEST CHANGES IN THEM. I SEE JACOB OUT THERE GIVING ME THE THUMBS UP. IT REALLY IS. IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THE CHANGES THAT THEY'VE MADE. SO JUST CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYBODY FOR MAKING IT TO THE END OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND LOOKING FORWARD TO HAVING YOU ALL RETURN NEXT YEAR, EXCEPT FOR OUR SENIORS WHO ARE GOING ON THERE TO BLAZE THEIR OWN TRAILS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS KOCHER. OKAY, WELCOME AND THANKS, EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE OR FOR LISTENING IN. IT HAS BEEN A BUSY TIME WITH ALL THE GRADUATIONS, PREPARATIONS FOR SPRING BREAK, BUT STILL A COUPLE MORE WEEKS OF SCHOOL. SO WE'VE GOT A SUMMER BREAK. SORRY. HANG IN THERE. YEAH, I'M SURE I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE WHEN I SAY HOW PROUD WE ARE OF ALL OUR GRADUATES, AND HOW THANKFUL WE ARE FOR ALL THE EFFORTS AND EXCELLENCE IN OUR SCHOOL. PRINCIPALS, STAFF MEMBERS, HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND PUTTING ON SUCH GREAT GRADUATION EVENTS. THESE THINGS ARE STANDING ROOM ONLY. THEY'RE PACKED AND THEY GO SMOOTHLY WITHOUT HICCUP AND ALL THE STUDENTS ARE RECOGNIZED INDIVIDUALLY. SO THE GRADUATIONS WERE FANTASTIC THIS YEAR, THANKS TO MISS BEESON REGARDING THE EMERSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AS A SHINING EXAMPLE, IT WAS GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THE TEACHERS AND PRINCIPAL ENGAGEMENT WITH THE STUDENTS AND ESPECIALLY THE PARENT VISITS. AND CONGRATULATIONS TO MR. BENNETT ON YOUR SELECTION AS A NATIONAL RECOGNIZED LITERACY TEACHER. THAT'S FANTASTIC. AND ALL THE IMPROVEMENTS YOU'VE MADE AT OPR, YOU KNOW, THE TOPICS. TWO TOPICS WE'LL DISCUSS TONIGHT, THE COMMON LIT DIGITAL LITERACY, WHICH I REQUESTED TO GET PULLED OFF THE CONSENT AGENDA, AND THEN THE SOCIAL STUDIES SEVEN THAT BECAUSE I THINK THE COMMITTEE SHOULD BE AWARE, THESE GO BACK TO STATE'S SCHOOL CURRICULUM STANDARDS. SO WHILE WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO THE STANDARDS, PARENTS NEED TO BE AWARE THAT THERE ARE THERE ARE THINGS IN THOSE THAT YOU MAY NOT AGREE WITH. THE INFORMATION MAY BE INCOMPLETE. 
          THERE COULD BE SOME INACCURACIES. AS SOME FOLKS HAVE SAID AND INDICATED, WE'VE SEEN ALL THOSE WHEN WE'VE REVIEWED IN DETAIL WHAT WE HAVE SO FAR. WE HAVEN'T SEEN ALL OF IT, BUT WHAT WE'VE REVIEWED SO FAR. SO IT REALLY BECOMES INCUMBENT ON THE PARENTS TO BE AWARE. AND I WOULD SAY THAT THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPT IN FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS, NOT JUST OPT OUT. THEY NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT THEIR CHILDREN ARE GOING TO BE TAUGHT. AND WHEN THERE'S A PARTICULARLY SENSITIVE OR CONTROVERSIAL AREA, THEY SHOULD GIVE THEIR PERMISSION TO OPT IN IN SOME CASES. AND TEACHERS PROBABLY HAVE A FEEL FOR, YOU KNOW, WHICH FAMILIES ARE GOING TO GIVE THEM GRIEF ABOUT. THINGS ARE GOING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT THINGS. AND SO I WOULD JUST RECOMMEND THAT PARENTS BE GIVEN THAT OPPORTUNITY. THIS GOES BACK TO THE COMMON CORE, WHICH WAS INTRODUCED, YOU KNOW, OVER TEN YEARS AGO NOW. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, THERE'S AN ARTICLE CALLED COMMON CORE AND THE DECLINE OF HISTORY EDUCATION. AND I COULD READ THE WHOLE THING, BUT BASICALLY, COMMON CORE HAS CHANGED THE WAY THAT HISTORY EDUCATION IS APPROACHED. 
          IT CHANGED ELA INSTRUCTION TO AWAY FROM PHONICS. AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE INCORPORATED IN THESE STATE STANDARDS THAT COULD BE A LOT BETTER. THAT SAID, I THINK THE STATE STANDARDS SHOULD BE SEEN AS A MINIMUM, AND WE DEVELOP OUR CURRICULUM. WE NEED TO ADD BALANCE, AND WE NEED MAY NEED TO ADD OTHER THINGS TO FILL IN THE GAPS AND AGAIN, ALLOW PARENTS THEIR RIGHTS AND CONSIDERATION FOR SENSITIVE TOPICS THAT THEY MAY CHOOSE TO OPT OUT OF, BUT SHOULD BE AWARE OF SO THEY CAN OPT IN. HISTORY CLASSES SHOULD FOCUS ON CONTENT, NAMELY HISTORY. WE SHOULD MAKE THE HISTORY AND LITERATURE OF THE CLASSICAL WORLD MORE 
          [01:00:04]
MEMORABLE, MORE STORIES, AND TIE THEM DIRECTLY TO THE AMERICAN REPUBLICAN EXPERIMENT BEFORE 1776. BEFORE 1619. THE TIMELINE OF THESE THINGS OUR CIVILIZATION WAS FOUNDED BASED ON SOME OF THOSE BASIC EVENTS. AND TO ADAPT MILTON'S ADVICE, WE SHOULD JUSTIFY THE WAYS OF AMERICA TO HER CHILDREN. WE CAN'T DO THAT WITH THE COMMON CORE STANDARDS, WHICH TAKES EXACTLY THE WRONG APPROACH TO REFORMING HISTORY EDUCATION. SO I READ A LITTLE BIT FROM THE ARTICLE, AND IF ANYBODY WANTS A COPY OF IT, PLEASE EMAIL ME. I'LL BE GLAD TO SEND IT TO YOU, BUT I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN MIND WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR CURRICULUM, THAT IT'S BEING DRIVEN BY STATE STANDARDS, AND WE NEED TO KEEP SPEAKING OUT IF WE WANT TO GET THOSE CHANGED. AS ALWAYS, WE ASK PARENTS TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THEIR KIDS AND BEING PRESENT IN SCHOOL AND TO HANG IN THERE FOR THE YEAR AND TREATING EVERYONE WITH RESPECT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS BRUCE. 
          WELCOME. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT. I WANT TO SAY THAT IT IS ENCOURAGING TO SEE WHAT THE STAFF AND INVOLVEMENT IS IN THE GRADUATIONS AND, AND THE WORK THAT THEY PUT IN. SO I WANT TO APPLAUD STAFF FOR BEING THERE AND GETTING PULLING ALL OF THAT TOGETHER. I ATTENDED ABOUT FIVE GRADUATIONS THIS YEAR BECAUSE LAST YEAR I HAD HEALTH REASONS AND COULDN'T, AND I WAS TRULY ENCOURAGED. AND I CAN SAY THAT THE LARGEST ONE WAS LIKE OVER 300 STUDENTS. BUT THE ONE THAT WAS SO EMOTIONAL TO ME WAS THE ONE THAT WE WENT TO AT THE HARFORD ACADEMY, AND THERE WERE ABOUT SEVEN STUDENTS, AND THEN THEY HONORED TWO STUDENTS WHO WERE DECEASED. AND IT WAS SO ENCOURAGING TO SEE THAT SOME OF THESE STUDENTS HAD BEEN IN SCHOOL OR ATTENDING THAT SCHOOL FOR LIKE 18 YEARS, AND NOW THEY WERE STEPPING OUT AND GRADUATING. SO I WANT TO APPLAUD THAT STAFF. I WANT TO APPLAUD THEM BECAUSE IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE HOW THEY MADE THEM FEEL SPECIAL AT THAT GRADUATION CEREMONY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE OUR REPRESENTATIVES FROM THE STATE. SUSAN SENATOR MCCOMAS. SHE TOOK HER TIME OUT AND I KNOW SHE SHE WAS THERE FOR EVERY GRADUATION THAT I ATTENDED. LIKE I SAID, FIVE AND THE JOHNSON BROTHERS, THEY ATTENDED. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS AND SUPPORT THE STUDENTS. SO I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THEM TO TAKE THE TIME OUT TO COME. SO AND THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU, FOR COMING AND VOICING YOUR OPINIONS ON ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO AND GIVING US INSIGHT INTO HOW YOU FEEL. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS ALVAREZ. YES. WELCOME, CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY, THANK YOU FOR BEING ENGAGED IN PUBLIC EDUCATION. ONLY A WEEK, A LITTLE OVER A WEEK LEFT IN THE SCHOOL FOR THIS YEAR. AND WE'RE WE'VE GRADUATED 2700 STUDENTS, ROUGHLY ACHIEVING A 91, LITTLE OVER 91% GRADUATION RATE, THE HIGHEST SINCE 2011, IS WHAT I WAS TOLD. 
          SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THE TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THAT HAVE WORKED REALLY HARD TO SEE THIS, THESE SUCCESSES. AND AS THEY LOOK FORWARD TO SUMMER BREAK, YOU KNOW, MAY THEY HAVE A RESTFUL ONE. ADMINISTRATORS AND CENTRAL OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER TO UPDATE CURRICULUMS AND ANALYZE SUCCESSES AND FAILURES AND PREPARE US FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. 
          THE BOARD IS ALSO COMMITTED AS WELL, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO WORK OVER THE SCHOOL OVER THE SUMMER TO LOOK AT HOW WE CAN COLLABORATE IN AREAS WITH THE SCHOOL AND THE STAFF, AND COMMUTE OVER COMMUNITY CONCERNS THAT ARE BROUGHT UP IN THIS BOARD ROOM AND AS WELL AS IN EMAILS. TONIGHT WE WILL BE DISCUSSING THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM THAT WAS REVIEWED BY THE BOARD MEMBERS THIS PAST MONTH. I, ALONG WITH OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, PROVIDED SEVERAL COMMENTS WHICH WERE PARTIALLY PARTIALLY ADDRESSED AS WE DISCUSSED THE CURRICULUM TONIGHT, I HOPE THAT WE WILL GAIN A BETTER UNDERSTANDING TOGETHER OF WHAT THE LEARNING GOALS ARE FOR THIS CURRICULUM AND THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER THE ACTIONS BY EXECUTIVE ORDER 14 190 TO REMOVE CRT FROM OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM, AS IT'S A DIVISIVE IDEOLOGY AND CREATES A LOT OF CONFLICT AMONG OUR STUDENTS. THIS MONTH, WE WILL ALSO BE VOTING ON THE BUDGET. 
          THERE ARE SEVERAL AREAS THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE HAD CONCERN. THE STAFF HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME WITH US, AND WE REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME THAT HAS BEEN SPENT. THIS IS ONE OF OUR 
          [01:05:03]
PRIMARY ROLES, AND SERVING AS A PUBLIC SERVANT IS TO ENSURE THAT OUR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS ARE USING TAX DOLLARS AND SERVICE TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND INSTILLING AMERICAN VALUES. 
          THERE'S A SPECIAL SESSION ON MONDAY WHERE WE WILL TAKE A VOTE ON THE BUDGET. IT'S A HYBRID MEETING, SO IT WILL BE STRUCTURED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC THAT YOU KNOW, THAT THIS MEETING WILL GIVE YOU SOME INSIGHTS INTO UNDERSTANDING THE 2526 BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR. FINALLY, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE 53RD ANNIVERSARY OF TITLE NINE, ENACTED IN 1972. PRESIDENT TRUMP HAS DECLARED JUNE AS TITLE NINE MONTH. THE US DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION STATED THAT THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION IS DEDICATED TO COMMEMORATING WOMEN AND CELEBRATING THEIR STRUGGLES FOR AND ACHIEVING EQUAL EDUCATION OPPORTUNITY OPPORTUNITIES. FAMILIES DEPEND ON ATHLETIC SCHOLARSHIPS TO HELP PAY FOR EDUCATION, AND THROUGH THIS EDUCATIONAL AMENDMENT, WOMEN WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THOSE SAME RIGHTS AS MEN IN COMPETING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS TO ATTEND COLLEGE. SO AND THEN I DID WANT I DIDN'T HAVE THIS IN MY NOTES, BUT I WANTED TO MENTION THE BOOK BANNING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP IN PUBLIC. COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE SCHOOL WORK TOWARDS MORE TRANSPARENCY. I ALLOWED MY CHILD TO READ WHATEVER HE WANTED, AND HE SHARED WITH ME WHAT HE READ, AND WE DISCUSSED WHAT HE READ A LOT. AND I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT PARENTS TAKE THAT ROLE SERIOUSLY, THAT THEY KNOW WHAT IS BEING READ BY THEIR CHILDREN, AND THAT THEY HAVE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT'S BEING READ. SO I DO HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SOME OF THE BOOKS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S GRAPHIC SEXUAL NATURE IN THE BOOKS. BUT I BELIEVE THAT, YOU KNOW, READING A BOOK IS IMPORTANT AND NOT BANNING ANYTHING FROM A CHILD WHO IS READY FOR READING THAT. BUT THE PARENTS NEED TO HAVE TRANSPARENCY INTO THAT AS WELL. SO I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MISS HAHN. I'LL MAKE SURE YOU SPEAK AND I DON'T SKIP YOU LIKE YOU SKIPPED ME LAST WEEK. SORRY. 
          THANK YOU SO MUCH. I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT THIS EVENING TO SPEAK. I WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF OUR SENIORS THAT GRADUATED. UNFORTUNATELY, I WASN'T ABLE TO ATTEND AS MANY AS I DID LAST YEAR, WHICH I THINK IT'S THE BEST PART OF THE JOB, BEING ABLE TO SHAKE ALL THEIR HANDS AND CONGRATULATE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THOSE KIDS AS THEY GRADUATE. LIKE, WHAT AN AMAZING HONOR THAT IS. ALSO, I AGREE WITH HARRY. MANY OF HER POINTS ARE ACCURATE, CORRECT, AND I CONCUR. OTHER THAN THAT, WE YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS THIS EVENING AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE REST OF THE NIGHT. THAT'S IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. JUST A FEW FINAL THINGS HERE WITHOUT BEING REDUNDANT. 
          FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY GRADUATIONS WERE AWESOME. I HAD THE CHANCE TO GO TO A COUPLE OF THEM. I MEAN, SUCH ENERGY AND SO MANY HAPPY FAMILIES AND FACES. AND REALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, 13 YEARS OF HARD WORK, IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR AS A BOARD AND AS A COMMUNITY AND OUR EDUCATORS, WE BRING THEM IN, AS, YOU KNOW, LITTLE PEOPLE THAT WADDLE IN THE DOOR THAT KNOW NOTHING. AND NOW THEY'RE ALL ADULTS, GROWN UP GOING INTO THE WORKFORCE AND THE COLLEGE. IT'S TRULY AMAZING TO SEE THE CULMINATING POINT OF ALL OF THAT HARD WORK. A LOT OF COMMENTS TONIGHT. THERE'S A LOT THAT WE'RE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT WE'RE WORKING ON TOGETHER. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THE BOARD AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RECEIVE CRITICISM AND THAT'S PAR FOR THE COURSE. WE EXPECT IT. WE WANT IT. WE STRIVE FOR PERFECTION, BUT WE'LL NEVER BE PERFECT. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE. BUT I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO HIGHLIGHT THE GREAT WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE THIS YEAR BY THE BOARD, THE ADMINISTRATION. SO MISS ALVAREZ TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT WITH A BUT IN CASE YOU HAVEN'T SEEN IT, THE RANKINGS FOR THE STATE CAME OUT AND HARFORD COUNTY RECEIVED AN A RATING FOR OUR TEACHERS, WHICH WAS THE HIGHEST GRADE POSSIBLE. THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS, OF 
          [01:10:01]
COURSE, IT WAS ABOUT OUR TEACHERS BECAUSE WE HAVE AMAZING TEACHERS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CRITERIA THAT THEY USE, THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS THEY LOOKED AT. BUT ACADEMICS WAS WEIGHED AT MOST HIGHLY. AMONG ALL OF THESE FACTORS IN THE TEACHER SCORE. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE, WE'RE HERE TO DO A LOT OF THINGS. AND THE BURDEN HAS CERTAINLY GROWN ON EDUCATORS, THE ADMINISTRATORS, WE'RE ASKED TO DO MORE AND MORE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT ARE WE HERE TO DO? WE'RE HERE TO EDUCATE. RIGHT? AND SO IT'S AMAZING TO SEE THAT OUR TEACHERS WERE RANKED THE HIGHEST AND IN PART BECAUSE OF THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT THAT WE HAVE MADE IN THE PAST YEAR, IT'S NOTEWORTHY THAT THAT IS THE BOARD'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND LIKELY WILL BE FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE. SO WE DO HAVE A LOT TO WORK ON. WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING TO IMPROVE. 
          NEXT YEAR WILL BE BETTER THAN THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK THAT'S NOTEWORTHY AND CERTAINLY WORTH CELEBRATING. REGARDING THE SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT TONIGHT, I WANT TO SAY THAT THERE'S A LOT THAT GOES INTO THE CURRICULUM. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S CERTAINLY EASY TO CHERRY PICK THINGS OUT OF IT THAT YOU DON'T LIKE. BUT TO A CERTAIN DEGREE, WE DO HAVE SOME DISCRETION AS A BOARD, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE LAW AND A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS. 
          REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS WITH CURRICULUM, I WANT TO JUST, YOU KNOW, ALIGN WITH WITH MISS BELIEVE IN TWO THINGS. ONE IS THAT I BELIEVE WE SHOULD BE TRANSPARENT ON THE CURRICULUM. 
          AND I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF COMMENTS, AND THERE'S BEEN SOME SUPPORTERS AND SOME CRITICISM. TRANSPARENCY IS KEY. SECOND IS IF YOU DON'T LIKE PARTS OF THE CURRICULUM, TO THE EXTENT THAT'S FEASIBLE, I BELIEVE THAT ALL PARENTS SHOULD BE ABLE TO OPT OUT ON CERTAIN PARTS OF CURRICULUM, SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO EVER BE ABLE TO MAKE EVERYONE HAPPY. BUT PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO PUSH OUT THE BEST CURRICULUM POSSIBLE WITH THE LAWS AND CONSTRAINTS AND BEST PRACTICES THAT WE TAKE A LOOK AT. BUT I WILL ALWAYS SUPPORT TRANSPARENCY AND PARENTAL RIGHTS IN CURRICULUM. LASTLY, I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH THE STATE BOARD PRESIDENT THIS WEEK. HE'S THE STATE BOARD IS VERY HAPPY WITH A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING UP HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY IN PARTICULAR. 
          HE'S VERY INTERESTED IN THE MENTORSHIP PROGRAM THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THAT DOCTOR DAVIS HAS BEEN LEADING. THE STATE'S INTERESTED IN LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE AND TO SEE THE RESULTS OF THAT ONCE WE GET IT IMPLEMENTED, TO POSSIBLY ROLL THAT OUT TO OTHER COUNTIES IN THE STATE. SO WITH ALL THAT, WE'VE GOT A LOT ON THE AGENDA THIS EVENING. SO WE WILL CONTINUE WITH OLD BUSINESS AND THEN THE CONSENT AGENDA. I BELIEVE WE HAVE NO OLD BUSINESS 
          [A. Consent Agenda]
THIS EVENING. IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. 
          AND I DIDN'T NOTICE IT UNTIL NOW. BUT MISS COKER ASKED TO PULL OFF NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS DIGITAL LITERACY. WAS THERE ANYTHING ELSE FOR ME? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO PULL OFF NUMBER ONE, THE LAPTOPS. ALL RIGHT. GREAT. SO, MISS, IF YOU COULD READ THE CONSENT AGENDA ITEMS THREE THROUGH SIX PLEASE. CONTRACT AWARD. CHURCH CREEK ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND EDGEWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS BLUEPRINT PROJECT CONTRACT AWARD. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TRACKING PLATFORM FIVE CONTRACT AWARD. NORTH HARFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL FUEL TANK REMOVAL PROJECT AND SIX CONTRACT AWARD. ELEVATOR, ESCALATOR AND WALKWAY MAINTENANCE, MAINTENANCE AND MODERNIZATION SERVICES AND RELATED SOLUTIONS. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. MAY I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE? THREE THROUGH SIX. THIS IS TERRY. I MOVE TO APPROVE THREE THROUGH SIX. THIS IS MELISSA I SECOND, THANK YOU. ALL IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? 
          [A.1. Contract Award: Dell High School Laptop Lease]
PLEASE SAY NO. THANK YOU. THE CONSENT AGENDA PASSES. WE'LL START WITH NUMBER ONE CONTRACT AWARD DELL HIGH SCHOOL LAPTOP LEASE. MISS HAHN, FLOOR IS YOURS. MISS. ON THE FLOOR IS YOURS. I'M SORRY. I'M HAVING ISSUES WITH MY CONNECTION. EXCUSE ME. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE THE USE OF LAPTOPS ONE ON ONE DEVICES. PREVIOUSLY, BEFORE COVID, WE HAD LAPTOPS THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, PER CLASSROOM USE AND THEY, YOU KNOW, HAD DIFFERENT LOG ONS FOR THE STUDENTS. AND THAT SEEMED TO WORK. OKAY. SO THAT WAY THE STUDENTS STILL GOT THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING ON THE LAPTOPS AND KIND OF HAD, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE ABLE TO USE THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS TO WRITE ASSIGNMENTS AND TO GAIN EXPERIENCE USING THEM. BUT I 
          [01:15:03]
DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED ONE ON ONE DEVICES. THESE KIDS NEED PEN AND PAPER IN THEIR HANDS. I BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A LOT OF THE REASON THAT WE'VE LOST SO MUCH LEARNING, LOOKING AT STUDIES AND STUFF THAT HAVE GONE THAT HAVE BEEN OUT THERE. THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS THAT, YOU KNOW, STUDENTS DON'T DO WELL AS WELL WITH A LAPTOP IN THEIR HAND. THEY'RE 11% HAS. YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT STUDENTS DO 11% BETTER JUST BY REMOVING THE LAPTOP, BECAUSE THEY'RE ACTUALLY FORCED TO TAKE NOTE, AND BY WRITING AND SEEING WHAT THEY'RE WRITING, THEY RETAIN MORE INFORMATION. SO I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ONE ON ONE DEVICES. NOT TO MENTION THIS IS $2 MILLION FOR FOUR YEARS. IT'S $8 MILLION CONTRACT, AND THAT IS 22 TEACHERS THAT WE COULD HAVE AND NOT, YOU KNOW, MOVE THEM OR, YOU KNOW, SHIFT THEIR POSITIONS. SO I DON'T AGREE WITH THIS. ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? SURE. SO MELISSA, LET ME UNDERSTAND YOU. YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT $8 MILLION WOULD BUY US 22 TEACHERS FOR THOSE SAME FOUR YEARS? AND SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING NO COMPUTERS IN THE CLASSROOMS? I DIDN'T SAY NO. I SAID ONE ON ONE OR NOT. SOMETHING THAT I THINK THAT WE CAN. YOU HOW CAN YOU EQUATE THE ENTIRE CONTRACT TO 22 TEACHERS IF YOU SAY WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE LAPTOPS? SO HOW MANY ARE YOU KEEPING? HOW MANY ARE YOU GETTING RID OF? THE 22 TEACHERS WOULD BE A YEAR, AND I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE THOSE NUMBERS BEFORE. AGAIN, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAVE AT MY FINGERTIPS AT THIS POINT. BUT EVEN STILL, IF EVEN IF IT'S 18 TEACHERS THAT WE SAVE BY ONLY HAVING, YOU KNOW, CLASSROOM USE LAPTOPS INSTEAD OF HAVING ONE ON ONE DEVICES, I MEAN, THAT'S STILL 18 TEACHERS THAT WE SAVE. ALSO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT GOING FORWARD, IF WE'RE GOING TO DO ANY VIRTUAL SNOW DAYS, THEY HAVE TO BE SYNCHRONOUS AND THEREFORE STUDENTS WOULD HAVE TO HAVE LAPTOPS AT HOME OR COMPUTERS AVAILABLE FOR THEM AT HOME. SO ARE YOU SAYING WE SHOULD DO ALL OF OUR SNOW DAYS AS HAVING DAYS OFF LIKE WE DID THIS YEAR AND CONTINUE ON LATE INTO THE SUMMER? I'M SAYING THAT IF IT CREATES AN 11% BOOST IN OUR TEST SCORES AND STUDENTS RETAINING KNOWLEDGE, THEN ABSOLUTELY 100% YES. SO I DON'T KNOW WHICH STUDIES YOU'RE CITING WITH THIS 11% KNOWLEDGE, BUT JUST BECAUSE STUDENTS HAVE LAPTOPS IN THE CLASSROOM, THEY HAVE TO USE THEM FOR TAKING NOTES. DOCTOR MILLER, THIS IS NOT A DISCUSSION THAT YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T NEED TO QUESTION ME. YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HAVE A DIFFERENCE OF OPINION. BUT MY OPINION IS THIS YOU AGREE OR YOU DON'T. OKAY. I'M LOOKING I'M LOOKING FOR RESEARCH. I'M SORRY. 
          IT'S JUST JUST TYPE IT IN. YOU CAN JUST TYPE IT INTO GOOGLE AND YOU CAN FIND THE INFORMATION. 
          THE STUDIES ARE THERE. ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS LOOK THEM UP. I DID THE RESEARCH THAT I LOOKED UP THE INFORMATION. I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. MELISSA, I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND THAT THIS WAS ALL OPINION. ALL RIGHT. MISS, MISS HAHN, YOU'VE YOU'VE MADE YOUR POINT. DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? NO. THAT'S IT. SO I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE THAT. WE DO NOT APPROVE THE CONTRACT FOR NUMBER ONE FOR THE DELL LAPTOPS. I HAVE ONE CLARIFYING QUESTION. IF SOMEONE COULD THE TERM IT SAYS FOUR YEARS, BUT THE TERM SAYS 23 TO 26. IF SOMEONE COULD JUST CLARIFY, IS THIS 26 PLUS FOUR? WHY WE'RE WHY IT STARTS AT 23. HI. HI. THIS IS JEN HORNER, SUPERVISOR OF PROCUREMENT. 
          THAT'S ACTUALLY THE CONTRACT TERM THAT WE'RE WRITING. THAT'S THE CONTRACT VEHICLE. SO THAT ACTUALLY STARTED THE CONTRACT STARTED ON MARCH 15TH, 2023. AND IT GOES THROUGH MARCH 14TH, 2026 FOR US TO RIDE TO GET THE PRICING ESTABLISHED UNDER THAT CONTRACT. OKAY. SO WE COULD STILL DO A FOUR YEAR LEASE ON THIS CONTRACT, OR IT WAS AS LONG AS YES, AS LONG AS YOU GET THE ORDER IN BEFORE 26. CORRECT? OKAY. THAT'S CORRECT. SO LET ME IS THIS A LEASE OR IS THIS A PURCHASE? THEY'RE ALL LEASED. IT'S AT LEAST. YEAH OKAY. IT'S A LEASE. AND THIS IS FOR THE 12,000 STUDENTS JUST GRADES NINE THROUGH 12, NOT MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ANYTHING ELSE. JUST THE THOSE STUDENTS. THAT'S CORRECT. IT'S FOUR YEAR LEASE FOR ALL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH IS 12,100 LAPTOPS. AND THE AND THE COMPUTERS THAT THEY'RE ISSUED, DO THEY GET REFRESHED IF TECHNOLOGY IS UPDATES ARE NEEDED OR LIKE IT'S THE SAME COMPUTER? THAT'S WHY YOU DO A LEASE INSTEAD OF A PURCHASE. YOU GET SUPPORT WITH IT, INCLUDING SOFTWARE UPGRADES. AND THEN AT 
          [01:20:02]
THE END OF THE LEASE, YOU CAN TURN IT IN FOR BASICALLY A NEWER ONE. SO LIKE SENIOR LIKE THEY WOULD A STUDENT WOULD GET IT'S A FOUR YEAR CONTRACT. SO THEY WOULD GET A COMPUTER. WOULD THEY KEEP THE SAME COMPUTER FOR THE SAME FOUR YEARS IS WHAT I'M ASKING. OR WOULD THEY GET A NEW ONE EVERY YEAR? TOURNAMENT. THEY GET A NEW THEY GET A NEW ONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I'M PROBABLY GETTING TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS. SO I'M GOING TO STOP THERE. LOOK, I THINK LET ME, LET ME, LET ME SORT OF BRING THIS TO A POINT HERE BECAUSE WE NEED TO WE NEED TO TAKE A VOTE ON THIS AND MOVE ON. I THINK THE UNDERTONE HERE IS HOW MUCH SHOULD THE SCHOOL SYSTEM RELY ON TECHNOLOGY VERSUS TRADITIONAL, YOU KNOW, READING, WRITING, PEN AND PAPER, HOWEVER YOU WANT TO PUT IT. I DON'T THINK THEY'RE MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE. I AM DISAPPOINTED THAT WE STOPPED TEACHING CURSIVE. RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, THERE'S SOME THINGS I THINK YOU CAN DO. I THINK YOU CAN DO BOTH. I DON'T SEE QUITE HONESTLY HOW WE OPERATE TODAY, ESPECIALLY SINCE SO MUCH OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO IS ELECTRONIC WITHOUT COMPUTERS, AND KIDS ARE GOING TO NEED TO KNOW HOW TO LEARN COMPUTERS AS THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. OTHERWISE THEY WON'T BE EMPLOYABLE WHEN THEY GRADUATE. AND EVERYTHING THAT WE DO, WHETHER IT'S CURRICULUM TO CHECKING YOUR GRADES, IT'S ALL ELECTRONIC. SO I DON'T SEE HOW WE DO WITHOUT IT. BUT I JUST WANT TO EMPHASIZE TO MAYBE WHAT MELISSA IS THINKING IS I DO THINK THAT WE IN THE ADMINISTRATION NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE KEEP SOME OF THE BASICS SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE SOME OF THOSE CORE SKILLS. SO WITH ALL OF THAT IN MIND, THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE AND THE MOTION WHICH THE MOTION WAS BROUGHT UP. SO I'LL ASK FOR A SECOND. IS THERE A SECOND TO NOT APPROVE THIS CONTRACT? OKAY, I'LL ACCEPT THE MOTION. I WOULD LIKE TO AMEND THE MOTION THAT WE FORM A COMMITTEE TO CREATE A POLICY ON THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY IN THE SCHOOL, OR UPDATE EXISTING POLICIES. THE MOTION WAS TO NOT APPROVE, SO WE'RE GOING TO STICK WITH THAT FOR NOW. I THINK THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT LATER, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW IT GETS INCORPORATED IN A MOTION TO APPROVE OR DENY THE CONTRACT. SO I DIDN'T HEAR A SECOND. SO I'LL ACCEPT THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT. I MOVE TO APPROVE THE CONTRACT I SECOND. OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR SAY YES. YES YES YES. ANY OPPOSED? SAY NO. NO. ANY ABSTENTIONS. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES. ALL 
          [A.2. Contract Award: CommonLit (Digital Literacy Program)]
RIGHT, MISS COKER, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO YOUR QUESTION ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, WHICH IS THE DIGITAL LITERACY PROGRAM. YEAH, A COUPLE OF THINGS. SO THIS COSTS ABOUT $130,000 PER YEAR. 
          AND I WAS WONDERING IF ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES WERE CONSIDERED. GOOD EVENING. CHRIS GARY, SUPERVISOR OF READING ENGLISH AND LANGUAGE ARTS, AND I ARE HERE TO ADDRESS ANY QUESTIONS. 
          SO THE QUESTION, MRS. COKER, IS DO WE LOOK AT ANY OTHER OPTIONS? MRS. GARY, CAN YOU TALK TO THE PROCESS? YES, WE'VE HAD A PARTNERSHIP WITH COMMON LIT SINCE 2021 AS A SUPPLEMENT TO OUR CURRICULUM, LARGELY BECAUSE OF ITS COST EFFECTIVENESS, WHERE SOME PROGRAMS CHARGE YOU BY STUDENT LICENSES OR BY TEACHER. THE COMMON LIT PROGRAM DOES JUST A SITE BASED LICENSE. SO REGARDLESS OF THE NUMBER OF TEACHERS OR STUDENTS, EACH SITE IS 2500 PER SCHOOL YEAR. AND WHAT THAT PROVIDES FOR OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS IS A LARGE DATABASE THAT INCLUDES A WIDE VARIETY OF TEXTS, BOTH FICTION AND NONFICTION. THEY HAVE BEEN A SUPPLEMENTAL STANDARDS BASED LESSONS FOR OUR TEACHERS ACROSS GRADES 3 TO 12. IT PROVIDES BENCHMARK ASSESSMENTS WITH STANDARDS REPORTS THAT REALLY MIRROR OUR MCAT ASSESSMENT FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE PLATFORM IS DESIGNED TO ALSO PROVIDE TEXT SETS SO THAT THAT SAVES TEACHERS TIME. IF YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT BUILDING BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE, WHICH WE KNOW IS SO ESSENTIAL WITH THE SCIENCE OF READING THAT IF A TEACHER WAS TEACHING A NOVEL PER SE, THAT THE SETTING WAS MAYBE WORLD WAR TWO, TEXT SETS WOULD ALREADY BE CURATED SO THAT TEACHERS CAN THEN PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH MULTIPLE TEXTS TO READ ON THAT SAME SUBJECT, AS WELL AS ONE OF MY FAVORITE PARTS OF THIS PLATFORM THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE THAN OTHER DATABASES ARE THE TARGET TUTORIAL LESSONS. IF A TEACHER SEES BY A STANDARDS REPORT THAT A STUDENT IS STRUGGLING, LET'S SAY WITH A CERTAIN SKILL OR STRATEGY LIKE MAIN IDEA, AND THAT'S A STANDARD THAT'S GOING TO BE ASSESSED ON OUR STATE TEST. THE TEACHER CAN ALSO ASSIGN ONLINE TUTORIALS WHERE THE STUDENTS CAN GET INSTRUCTION AND PRACTICE TOWARDS THAT STANDARD, AND THEN BE REASSESSED. AND ALSO BESIDES 
          [01:25:05]
HAVING ONLINE MATERIALS, ALL OF THE ASSESSMENTS AND ARTICLES AND TEXTS CAN BE DOWNLOADED SO THAT YOU DO GET AN OPTION FOR BOTH ONLINE AND PRINT VERSION OF RESOURCES FOR OUR OUR STUDENTS. 
          SO YOU'RE SAYING WHEN YOU CHOSE THIS BACK IN 2021, THAT ALL THAT WAS CONSIDERED AND THIS WAS THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE WAY TO DO IT? I DO SEE THE POINT THAT IT'S A GREAT TOOL FOR TEACHERS AND ANYTHING THAT MAKES TEACHERS LIVES EASIER. I'M ALL FOR IT. HAVE WE MADE ANY PROGRESS ON GETTING THE LIST OF THE TEXTS THAT, YOU KNOW, I WENT ON THE WEBSITE AND IT SAID TEXT LIST, BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ACCOUNT TO GET THAT. SO MRS. GARY DID REACH OUT TO COMMON LIT SO THAT THE BOARD WAS PROVIDED DEMO ACCOUNTS SO THAT YOU HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT THAT YOU NEEDED AN ACCOUNT FOR. OH, COOL. WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN? EARLIER TODAY. SOMETIME LATE MORNING, CLOSE TO 12 NOON, I BELIEVE I MISSED THAT OKAY. OKAY. ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I DID HAVE. SO I SENT AN EMAIL. I KNOW IT WENT TO HEATHER AND DOCTOR MAC AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU RECEIVED IT, BUT I WAS WONDERING. THIS TOOL PROVIDES A LOT OF INSIGHT INTO THE AREAS THAT A STUDENT IS STRUGGLING, AND IF AND HOW MUCH OF THIS INFORMATION COULD BE PROVIDED TO PARENTS SO THAT THEY'LL KNOW WHERE THEIR CHILD IS HAVING HICCUPS AS WELL AND THEIR EDUCATIONAL STRUGGLES. TEACHERS CAN DOWNLOAD THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT PERFORMANCE REPORTS. 
          TEACHERS CAN SEE BY A CLASS SO THAT IF YOU SEE SEVERAL STUDENTS OR A LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH A CERTAIN STANDARD, BUT YOU CAN ALSO DRILL DOWN TO THE INDIVIDUAL STUDENT LEVEL. AND SO AT THAT REPORT COULD BE DOWNLOADED, SHARED WITH PARENTS. PARENTS WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE ANY OF THE UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS. THEY'D BE ABLE TO SEE ANY INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS. 
          THEY WOULD ALSO GET TO SEE AN OVERALL PERFORMANCE DATA THAT TRACKS AND SHOWS TOWARDS STUDENT GOALS. AND THOSE ARE ALL AGAIN AT TEACHERS FINGERTIPS TO DOWNLOAD AND SHARE WITH PARENTS. 
          AND I'M SURE WE'RE COVERING ANY ISSUES WITH PRIVACY CONCERNS WITH THE STUDENTS AND THE USE OF THIS. TECHNOLOGY. COMMON LIT HAS GONE THROUGH THE HARFORD COUNTY DATA PRIVACY SIGN OFF BETWEEN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS. YES. THANK YOU. I WAS JUST WONDERING IF COMMON LIT HAS ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE STUDENTS, SUCH AS TEXT TO SPEECH, FOR THOSE WHO MAY STRUGGLE. YES. AND IT ALSO PROVIDES DIFFERENT LANGUAGES. IT PROVIDES THE HIGHLIGHTING. IT PROVIDES. IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. NOW WHENEVER WE LOOK AT A PLATFORM THAT WE CHECK IT FOR ITS ACCESSIBILITY. 
          AND SO FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO NEED THE PRINTED SPEECH FEATURE. BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHERS AS WELL. THANK YOU. OKAY, THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS. I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE CONTRACT AWARD. COMMON LIT I MOVE TO APPROVE THIS CONTRACT AWARD SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. ANY ABSTENTIONS. THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. ABSTENTION. YES. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. LET THE RECORD REFLECT, MISS HAHN. ONE ABSTENTION. MOTION PASSES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. OKAY, SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO THE 
          [B. Presentation of National Board Certification Recognition, Ms. Rebecca Spencer, Supervisor of Teacher Preparation & Professional Development, Ms. Betty Jo Marzec, Teacher Specialist, Ms. Crystal Rufenacht, Music Teacher at Halls Cross Roads Elementary School, and Ms. Kathleen Thompson, Gifted and Talented Teacher at Ring Factory Elementary School]
FIRST ITEM, ITEM B, PRESENTATION OF NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION RECOGNITION. I'D LIKE TO WELCOME MISS REBECCA SPENCER, SUPERVISOR OF TEACHER PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. MISS PATTY JO MARCEK, TEACHER SPECIALIST. MISS CRYSTAL ROOFING. RUFENACHT RUFENACHT. 
          RIGHT. I HAD HIM WHISPERING IN MY EAR. MUSIC TEACHER AT HALLS ROAD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND MISS KATHLEEN THOMPSON. THAT WAS AN EASY ONE. GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER AT RING FACTORY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WELCOME. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT BOYNTON, VICE PRESIDENT HAHN, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, DOCTOR BOLSON, AS WELL AS OUR AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS REBECCA SPENCER, SUPERVISOR OF TEACHER PREPARATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. AND AS YOU HEARD, I BROUGHT SOME COLLEAGUES WHO ARE INSTRUMENTAL IN SUPPORTING OUR PROGRAM FOR NATIONAL BOARD CANDIDATES WHO ARE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND HAVE ACHIEVED. AND THIS EVENING, WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE INDIVIDUALS WHO NEWLY CERTIFIED IN DECEMBER OF 2024. THEY WORKED ON THIS PROCESS 
          [01:30:05]
DECEMBER IN 2023 TO 24. AND IN YEARS PRIOR, WE HAVE SHARED THE FULL PRESENTATION OF ALL ABOUT NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION, WHAT IT TAKES TO WORK THROUGH THE PROCESS, HOW IT ALIGNS TO MARYLAND'S BLUEPRINT, AND THE EXPECTATIONS AROUND IT FOR THE CAREER LADDER. TONIGHT, WE ARE SOLELY HERE JUST TO RECOGNIZE THE PERFORMANCE AND ACHIEVEMENT OF THOSE WHO ARE NEWLY CERTIFIED. SO WE WILL GIVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW FOR THOSE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO MAY NOT BE FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM AND THE CERTIFICATION PROCESS, AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE RECOGNITIONS. HI, I'M KATHLEEN THOMPSON, THE GIFTED AND TALENTED TEACHER AT RING FACTORY IN NORTH BEND ELEMENTARY, NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED AS A GENERALIST IN MIDDLE CHILDHOOD. SO WHAT IS NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION? NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION IS A RIGOROUS PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT PROCESS AND A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PROFESSIONAL TEACHING CREDENTIAL. IT IS DESIGNED TO DEVELOP, RETAIN, AND RECOGNIZE OUR ACCOMPLISHED TEACHERS AND GENERATE ONGOING IMPROVEMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS. THERE ARE FOUR COMPONENTS TO THE NATIONAL BOARD PROCESS. THE FIRST IS A CONTENT KNOWLEDGE EXAM TAKEN AT AN ASSESSMENT CENTER. SO ALL CANDIDATES WILL TAKE THIS IN THEIR CERTIFICATE AREA. THE SECOND COMPONENT CANDIDATES SHOW DIFFERENTIATION IN THEIR INSTRUCTION. THEY BASICALLY TAKE THEIR STUDENTS THROUGH A UNIT OF INSTRUCTION AND SHOW HOW THEY MEET THEIR NEEDS AND HELP THEM TO BE SUCCESSFUL THROUGHOUT THAT UNIT. THE THIRD COMPONENT DOCUMENTATION AND REFLECTION OF THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT. 
          THERE'S VIDEOS OF THEIR TEACHING, THEIR KIDS, INTERACTING WITH THEM WITH EACH OTHER, AND THEN WRITTEN REFLECTION. AND THEN THE FOURTH COMPONENT IS FORMATIVE AND SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT ANALYSIS, STUDENT DATA, AS WELL AS COLLABORATION BETWEEN PARENTS AND OTHER EDUCATORS DEMONSTRATING THE TEAMWORK IN THE PROCESS. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS BETTY JO MARZAK AND I AM THE TEACHER SPECIALIST IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OFFICE. 
          PART OF MY ROLE IS TO SUPPORT THE PROCESS FOR NATIONAL BOARD TEACHERS AND FACILITATORS TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THIS YEAR WE CELEBRATED 52 TOTAL NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS. IN DECEMBER OF 2024, 42 OF THOSE TEACHERS WERE NEWLY CERTIFIED AND TEN OF THOSE WERE RENEWING THEIR CERTIFICATE FOR NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION THIS YEAR. THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OFFICE WE HAVE COLLABORATED WITH PRINCIPALS AND ADMINISTRATORS AROUND THE COUNTY AND SUPERVISORS AND CONTENTS TO COORDINATE CELEBRATIONS WITHIN THE SCHOOLS AND CELEBRATE ALL THE RENEWED AND NEWLY CERTIFIED TEACHERS. IN DECEMBER OF 2024, OUR PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OFFICE VISITED. DURING FEBRUARY, MARCH AND APRIL. WE WERE ACCOMPANIED BY ADMINISTRATORS AND INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERS IN THE COUNTY TO EACH TO CERTAIN SCHOOLS. WE CELEBRATED THOSE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHERS BY PRESENTING PINS, LANYARDS, DOOR SIGNS, AND OTHER SWAG, AS WE CALL IT, TO RECOGNIZE THIS PRESTIGIOUS ACCOMPLISHMENT ACROSS THE COUNTY SO OTHERS CAN LOOK AT THAT ACCOMPLISHMENT AND WANT TO ACHIEVE THE SAME. OUR CELEBRATIONS VARIED BY SCHOOL. IN SOME SCHOOLS, WE PARTICIPATED IN A VIDEO MORNING ANNOUNCEMENT PRESENTATION FOR THE NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER. IN SOME SCHOOLS. WE WENT INTO CLASSROOMS AND WE CELEBRATED WITH STUDENTS PRESENTING THE TEACHER WITH THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND TOYS OR SWAG THAT WE BROUGHT. AND THEN IN SEVERAL SCHOOLS, WE CELEBRATED IN TEAMS WITH OTHER COLLEAGUES SO THEY CAN ENJOY AND APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK THAT THEY HAD DONE. THE PROFESSIONAL LEARNING OFFICE CONTINUES TO BE EXCITED TO CELEBRATE AND RECOGNIZE THESE EDUCATORS AS WE'RE ELEVATING THEM TO IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IN THE FUTURE AND IMPACT THAT LEARNING. NEXT YEAR, WE WILL HAVE ALMOST 200 TEACHERS GOING THROUGH THE NATIONAL BOARD PROCESS, AND SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, EITHER RECERTIFYING BEING INITIAL CANDIDATES OR CONTINUING THE PROCESS. SOME COMPLETED IN ONE YEAR, SOME COMPLETED IN THREE YEARS. WE LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK AND CELEBRATING THAT NEXT GROUP IN DECEMBER OF 2025 AND PRESENTING NEW NAMES. BUT TONIGHT, TONIGHT, WE'RE HERE TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO ARE NEWLY ACHIEVED. AND IN ADDITION TO THE SCHOOL LEVEL ACHIEVEMENTS, WE WANTED TO PRESENT THEM BEFORE THE BOARD AND BEFORE OUR ENTIRE SCHOOL COMMUNITY. AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME IN OUR AUDIENCE THIS EVENING. THERE MAY BE SOME JOINING VIRTUALLY. IF YOU ARE IN OUR AUDIENCE, WE WELCOME YOU TO STAND TO BE RECOGNIZED WHEN YOUR NAME IS CALLED. ASHLEY ALEXANDER SIMELTON. RIGHT. HIGH SCIENCE ELIZABETH BARTLESON EMERSON ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY, MEGAN BENNETT MARKS, RIVERSIDE 
          [01:35:04]
ELEMENTARY IN LIBRARY MEDIA ASHLEY BIXLER HALLS, CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY MICHELLE BOWERSOX, JARRETTSVILLE ELEMENTARY IN EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS LAUREN BULL AT RED PUMP ELEMENTARY IN EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS AMY DENSMORE AT NORTH HARFORD HIGH IN CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. JENNIFER EDWARDS AT NORTH HARFORD ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY. FRANK FAITH FRANKENHAUSER AT JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY GENERALIST. VINCA GREEN AT NORTH HARFORD HIGH IN MATHEMATICS JASON GUARINO, SWAN CREEK SCHOOL CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION KRISTEN HENNESSEY, HOMESTEAD, WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY LORI JANICKI, HARFORD TECHNICAL HIGH SCHOOL IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS CATHERINE JONES, MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL, ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ERIN KAPINOS AT NORTH HARFORD MIDDLE IN MATHEMATICS BRYONY HERE. OH, THAT'S A BUMMER. YOU'RE WATCHING. PROBABLY. THEY'RE WATCHING. THEY'RE TUNED IN. WE HAD SEVERAL RESPONDED. YEAH. AND MOST OF THEM WERE PROBABLY GOING TO ATTEND VIRTUALLY. SOME I WAS HOPING WOULD SHOW UP, BUT WE'VE ALREADY BEEN OUT TO GIVE THEM THE RAH RAH SO I DON'T KNOW. 
          STACY KERBER AT ABINGDON ELEMENTARY GENERALIST JOSEPH LANDGRAF ABERDEEN HIGH SOCIAL STUDIES HISTORY SHAWN LUAL, FOREST HILL ELEMENTARY MUSIC KATRINA MARANTO EMERSON, ELEMENTARY GENERALIST REBECCA MARTINEC, SEE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL SCIENCE GLENN MATHIAS, SEE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH CAREER TECH. ED PAIGE MALINOWSKI, HAVRE DE GRACE HIGH ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS ELIZABETH NEMETH, HAVRE DE GRACE, MIDDLE SOCIAL STUDIES KATHLEEN OLMSTEAD, HARFORD, TECHNICAL HIGH SCIENCE FATIMA PETERSON, PATTERSON MILL, HIGH IN MUSIC KELLY PROCHASKA AT EDGEWOOD MIDDLE IN EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS SETH RANNEBERGER AT PATTERSON MILL HIGH IN SCIENCE. 
          MICHAEL REX AT SEA MILTON WRIGHT, HIGH IN SCIENCE JESSICA SANDERS AT YOUTH BENEFIT ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY JESSICA SHAMROCK AT ABERDEEN, MIDDLE IN MATHEMATICS. ORATION AT EMERSON ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY. DONNA SUMMERS, SWAN CREEK SCHOOL GENERALIST MICHELLE SPENCER, CHURCHVILLE ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY ELIZABETH STEINMAN, EMERSON, ELEMENTARY LITERACY KIMBERLY TADEO EMERSON, ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY. ANYA TORPEY, HAVE A GRACE MIDDLE HEALTH EDUCATION LISA VIVIAN, ABERDEEN, MIDDLE MATHEMATICS SARAH WARNER, ABINGDON ELEMENTARY LITERACY CAITLIN WINDLEY, SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL, HEALTH EDUCATION KELLY WHEELER, SEE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL, SOCIAL STUDIES HISTORY MEGAN WHEELER, PATTERSON MILL HIGH IN EXCEPTIONAL NEEDS, AND REBECCA WILL AT BELLAIRE HIGH IN ART. SO THOSE ARE OUR INITIAL CERTIFICATIONS, WHICH IT COULD HAVE BEEN A ONE YEAR, TWO YEAR OR THREE YEAR PROCESS. AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO RECOGNIZE THOSE WHO ARE RENEWED. RENEWAL TAKES PLACE EVERY FIVE YEARS. 
          CONGRATULATIONS TO JESSIE ANDERSON AT FALLSTON MIDDLE IN SCIENCE, SHANNON COPELAND AT JOPPATOWNE ELEMENTARY IN LITERACY, HEATHER FLORES AT SEE MILTON WRIGHT HIGH IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS LAURA GARFUNKEL AT FALLSTON HIGH IN SCIENCE, JESSICA CARRICK AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE AND HEALTH EDUCATION TERRY MORRISON AT HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY. MUSIC AMANDA ROBERTS, HARFORD TECH, SOCIAL STUDIES HISTORY KATIE STOUT, FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL MUSIC CLARISSA WARD, FOUNTAIN GREEN ELEMENTARY MUSIC. AND ELIZABETH WHITE, HARFORD TECH SOCIAL STUDIES AND HISTORY. LET'S CONGRATULATE OUR NEW AND RENEW BASKETBALL TEAMS. THANK YOU FOR BEING IN SUPPORT OF THIS HUGE ACCOMPLISHMENT IN THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY AND THE IMPACT THAT IT HAS ON OUR STUDENTS HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AWESOME. GREAT WORK. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO A MEETING IF OUR PANEL COULD JOIN US I'D LIKE TO WELCOME ANDREW RENZULLI. HE IS THE DIRECTOR OF 
          [C. Decision on Social Studies Curriculum Update: Human Geography 7, Mr. Andrew Renzulli, Director of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment, Ms. Erin Lange, Supervisor of Social Studies, Casey Newton, Social Studies Teacher, North Harford Middle School, and Ms. Katelynn Ruby-Leftridge, Social Studies Teacher, Havre de Grace Middle School Human Geography 7 Presentation]
CURRICULUM, INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT. OTHER THAN THAT, AARON LANG, SUPERVISOR OF SOCIAL STUDIES. MISS CASEY NEWTON, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT NORTH HARFORD MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND MISS 
          [01:40:01]
CAITLYN RUGBY, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER, HAD HABIT OF GRACE MIDDLE SCHOOL. WELCOME FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. HELLO. HELLO. GOOD EVENING, DOCTOR BOLSON, DOCTOR POINTON AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. I AM JOINED THIS EVENING AGAIN BY OUR SUPERVISOR OF SOCIAL STUDIES, MRS. AARON LANG. 
          MISS CAITLIN RUBY LEFTRIDGE, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE SCHOOL, AND MISS JACKIE REAM, SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER AT BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL. MISS SELFRIDGE AND MISS REAM HAVE GRACIOUSLY AGREED TO REPRESENT THE TWO TEAMS OF CONTENT EXPERTS WHO'VE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO DEVELOP THE GRADE SEVEN WORLD GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM THAT IS BEFORE YOU TONIGHT. THIS CURRICULUM WAS DEVELOPED LOCALLY BY TWO TEAMS OF TEACHERS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES OFFICE IN HIS HOUSE ON CANVAS, WHICH THE BOARD HAS HAD ACCESS TO SINCE OUR SMALL GROUP MEETINGS LAST MONTH. THIS NEW GRADE SEVEN HUMAN GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM BRINGS HCPS INTO FULL ALIGNMENT WITH THE MSDE REQUIRED CONTENT FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS, WHICH SPAN GRADES SIX AND SEVEN. 
          IT ALSO MIRRORS THE STRUCTURE AND THE INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACH OF THE GRADE SIX SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM THAT THIS BOARD APPROVED LAST YEAR. THIS CURRICULUM REPRESENTS THE FINAL COMPONENT IN A FULLY ALIGNED, SEQUENTIAL, AND HIGHLY EXPERIENTIAL MIDDLE SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES PROGRAM. IMPORTANTLY, IT ENSURES THAT ALL STUDENTS ARE TAUGHT THE CONTENT ASSESSED ON THE GRADE EIGHT, OF WHICH MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS ATTEND. FOR THESE REASONS, WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE BOARD ACT ON THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE THE GRADE SEVEN WORLD GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN THE 2526 ACADEMIC YEAR. MRS. LANG WILL NOW PROVIDE A DETAILED OVERVIEW OF THE CURRICULUM AND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS. SO TO TAKE US BACK STARTING IN SCHOOL YEAR 2122 AND EXTENDING INTO SCHOOL YEAR 2223, MSD ENDEAVORED TO UPDATE THE SOCIAL STUDIES SIX AND SEVEN FRAMEWORKS. THEY WERE THE LAST IN THE SERIES TO BE UPDATED, AND OVER THAT TWO YEAR SPAN, THEY WORKED WITH A VARIETY OF EDUCATORS, LOCAL PARTNERS, PROFESSIONALS IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE, INCLUDING IN GEOGRAPHY AND ON COLLEGE CAMPUSES TO DEVELOP THIS TWO YEAR THEMATIC HUMAN GEOGRAPHY COURSE IN JANUARY OF 2024, A LITTLE BEHIND SCHEDULE, THEY APPROVED THAT UPDATED SIX AND SEVEN FRAMEWORK AND THEN QUICKLY GOT TO WORK UPDATING OUR CURRICULA. TO ALIGN TO THAT, WE MADE THE DECISION TO ROLL OUT SIXTH GRADE IN ONE YEAR AND THEN ROLL OUT SEVENTH GRADE THE NEXT YEAR, SO THAT OUR STUDENTS HAD THE REQUISITE PRE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY NEEDED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN EACH SUBSEQUENT GRADE. IN JULY OF 24, THIS BOARD APPROVED THE SIXTH GRADE HUMAN GEOGRAPHY COURSE AND THAT IS IN IMPLEMENTATION DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN WORKING TIRELESSLY DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR TO DEVELOP THE SEVENTH GRADE COURSE THAT WILL BE FINISH THAT ALIGNMENT. THE PROCESS THAT YOU SEE ON YOUR SCREEN IS AS FOLLOWS. AN INITIAL TEAM DEVELOPS THE CURRICULUM USING THE FRAMEWORK AS OUR GUIDE. I'M REALLY PROUD OF THIS TEAM. IT IS REPRESENTATIVE OF ALL OF OUR BRICK AND MORTAR SCHOOLS ACROSS THE DISTRICT. SO A REALLY DIVERSE RANGE OF PERSPECTIVES, AS WELL AS A MEDIA CENTER SPECIALIST AND A SPECIAL EDUCATOR, AS WELL AS A TEAM OF HIGH SCHOOL TEACHERS. CONSULTING. THEY WORKED DURING THE SCHOOL DAY TO COLLABORATE IN PERSON, TO DEVELOP THOSE MATERIALS AND RESOURCES, AND TO PROVIDE FEEDBACK TO ONE ANOTHER IN A REALLY ITERATIVE PROCESS TO ENSURE THE HIGHEST LEVEL OF PRODUCT WOULD BE WHAT ULTIMATELY CAME BEFORE YOU. WE ALSO PROVIDED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT TO OUR WRITERS SO THAT THEY HAD WHAT THEY NEEDED TO TURN THE FRAMEWORK INTO AN IMPLEMENTABLE CURRICULUM INDEPENDENTLY. WE HAD A SECOND TEAM OF MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS WHO WORKED TO EVALUATE AND TO EDIT THE INITIAL TEAM'S WORK. THEY'RE LOOKING FOR ALIGNMENT OF THE MATERIALS TO THE FRAMEWORK TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE IN ALIGNMENT WITH ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR WHICH WE ARE RESPONSIBLE. THEY LOOKED FOR BALANCED PERSPECTIVES AND RESOURCES, AS WELL AS THE QUALITY AND DIVERSITY OF INSTRUCTIONAL APPROACHES, MAKING SURE THAT THERE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO OUR TEACHERS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF ALL OF OUR DIVERSE LEARNERS ACROSS OUR SYSTEM, AND READABILITY OF PROCEDURES. MAKING SURE THAT WHAT OUR WRITERS INTENDED FOR OUR TEACHERS WAS SOMETHING THAT OUR TEACHERS COULD UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT. AND LASTLY, MY CURRICULUM SPECIALIST AND I THEN HAD THAT FINAL REVIEW BEFORE WE FINALIZED IT IN PREPARATION FOR BRINGING IT TO ALL OF YOU. AS JUST A LITTLE REVIEW. THIS IS THE SIXTH GRADE COURSE THAT IS IN CURRENT IMPLEMENTATION, AND IT IS THE FIRST HALF OF THIS TWO YEAR COURSE. IT IS TO ALIGN TO THE MSDE FRAMEWORK, AND IT IS IMPLEMENTED IN THIS SCHOOL YEAR FOR THE FIRST YEAR. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE IT IS DEVELOPED ON FOUR UNITS, EACH WITH SOME EXPERIENCES THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE STUDENTS FROM EARLY HISTORY TO PRESENT AROUND SOME ENDURING GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS. AND THAT SAME STRUCTURE AND FORMAT IS WHAT SEVENTH GRADE IS ALSO 
          [01:45:03]
DEVELOPED AROUND. SO IN SEVENTH GRADE, WHAT'S CHANGING? WE HAVE BEEN TEACHING ANCIENT WORLD HISTORY. SO THIS IS A CHRONOLOGICAL STUDY THAT STARTS IN EARLY HISTORY WITH PALEOLITHIC TIMES AND GOES THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES. THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD THINK OF AS OUR ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS. THINGS LIKE ANCIENT EGYPT, ANCIENT GREECE, ANCIENT ROME, AND UP THROUGH THE MIDDLE AGES IN EUROPE AND ALSO IN AFRICA, IN THE AMERICAS AND IN THE MIDDLE, IN THE MIDDLE EAST. WHAT WE ARE GOING TO IS THAT SECOND HALF OF THE SOCIAL STUDIES SEQUENCE FOR HUMAN GEOGRAPHY, STRUCTURED AROUND THOSE GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS, AND IT'S THROUGH THOSE CASE STUDY APPROACHES. SO EACH UNIT HAS FOUR CASE STUDIES THAT START IN EARLY HISTORY AND MOVE TOWARD PRESENT, ALL SPIRALED AROUND THESE ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS AND LOOKING AT GLOBAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL SCALE PATTERNS. I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER THEN IN A MOMENT, TO THE REAL EXPERTS, THE ONES THAT WROTE THIS CURRICULUM AND WILL BE IMPLEMENTING IT IN THE FALL PENDING YOUR APPROVAL, OF COURSE. BUT HERE'S A GENERAL OVERVIEW. YOU CAN SEE UNIT ONE PLACE IN REGION. THAT'S ONE OF OUR ENDURING GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS, FOLLOWED BY MOVEMENT OF HUMANS AND MOVEMENT OF PATHOGENS AND IDEAS. AND THEN IT CULMINATES IN A REGIONAL CASE STUDY THAT SERVES AS A BRIDGE UNIT INTO EIGHTH GRADE US HISTORY. AND THAT BRIDGE UNIT IS ALSO, WE ARE PROUD TO SAY, OUR PROJECT BASED LEARNING UNIT, WHERE STUDENTS WILL ULTIMATELY BE CREATING A MUSEUM EXHIBIT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE HARFORD COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. SO I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE LADIES HERE TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A DEEP DIVE INTO EACH OF THESE UNITS. OKAY. GOOD EVENING. IN UNIT ONE, STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE HOW GEOGRAPHY INFLUENCES POWER AND HUMAN EXPERIENCE ACROSS TIME AND PLACE, CENTERED ON THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION OF DOES WHERE YOU LIVE DETERMINE HOW YOU LIVE? WE WILL BEGIN BY EXAMINING HOW PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENTS SHAPE THE WAY PEOPLE LIVE, USING THE LENS OF A PRE-COLUMBIAN CIVILIZATIONS, STUDENTS WILL DESIGN, TRADE MAP, TRADE ROUTE MAPS, BUILD INFOGRAPHICS, AND CRAFT ARTIFACTS TO CAPTURE THE UNIQUE FEATURES OF THE ANCIENT AMERICAS. AS WE MOVE ACROSS THE GLOBE AND FORWARD IN TIME, WE WILL INVESTIGATE HOW GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES INFLUENCE THE DESTRUCTION AND EXERCISE OF POWER THROUGH THE JAPANESE TOKUGAWA SHOGUNATE. STUDENTS WILL BUILD 3D VIRTUAL FEUDAL PYRAMIDS TO VISUALLY AND CONNECT FEUDAL JAPAN TO THE ANCIENT AMERICAS AND THEIR OWN SOCIAL ENVIRONMENTS, TO REINFORCE THEMES OF HIERARCHY OF POWER AND GEOGRAPHY IN SHAPING SOCIETY, STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THE HISTORY OF APARTHEID IN SOUTH AFRICA THROUGH INTERACTIVE ACTIVITIES LIKE GALLERY WALKS, SPEECH ANALYSIS, AND INVESTIGATIONS. EACH TASK ENCOURAGES CRITICAL THINKING AND CREATIVITY WHILE REINFORCING SOCIAL SCIENCE SKILLS. THE UNIT WILL CULMINATE WITH AN INQUIRY INTO JERUSALEM, A CITY RICH IN RELIGIOUS AND HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE THROUGH MOVEMENT BASED ACTIVITIES AND CLOSE READING OF BOTH ISRAELI AND PALESTINIAN PERSPECTIVES. STUDENTS WILL USE THIS NEW KNOWLEDGE TO STEP INTO THE ROLE OF NEGOTIATORS IN A PEACE PROCESS SIMULATION. THROUGH HANDS ON PROJECTS, RICH TEXT AND THOUGHTFUL DISCUSSIONS, STUDENTS WILL UNCOVER HOW GEOGRAPHY, POWER AND IDENTITY HAVE SHAPED OUR WORLD AND WILL CONSIDER HOW THE PAST CONNECTS TO THEIR LIVES TODAY AND WHAT LESSONS HISTORY OFFERS FOR THEIR FUTURE. IN UNIT TWO, THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION IS HOW DOES HUMAN MOVEMENT CREATE CHANGE? AND HUMAN MOVEMENT DRIVES THE EXCHANGE OF IDEAS, BELIEFS, GOODS AND PRACTICES LEADING TO BOTH CONFLICT AND TRANSFORMATION. AS PEOPLE MOVE, THEY SHAPE HOW LAND IS USED, WHERE SETTLEMENTS FORM, AND HOW POLITICAL SYSTEMS DEVELOP, RESULTING IN BOTH UNITY AND STABILITY, DIVISION AND UNREST ACROSS DIFFERENT REGIONS AND SCALES. STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE THESE THEMES THROUGH THE EYES OF THE MUSLIM WORLD AND THE MONGOL EMPIRE. DURING THE MIDDLE AGES, THE PARTITION OF INDIA IN THE 1900S, AND MODERN 21ST CENTURY MIGRATIONS. JUST A FEW OF THE IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES STUDENTS WILL GET TO PARTICIPATE IN INCLUDE EXPLORING HOW ISLAM CONTRIBUTED TO THE SPREAD OF SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS BY ENGAGING IN AN INTERACTIVE JOURNEY, COLLECTING PASSPORT STAMPS AND INFORMATION AS THEY PROGRESS THROUGH VARIOUS HISTORICAL AND CULTURAL EXPERIENCES. THEY WILL LITERALLY GET TO PUT GENGHIS KHAN IN HIS EMPIRE ON TRIAL TO DETERMINE IF THEY WERE AGENTS OF CHANGE OR DESTRUCTION. THEY WILL EXAMINE THE PARTITION OF INDIA THROUGH ORAL HISTORIES THAT PRESENT VARIED PERSPECTIVES AND FIRSTHAND ACCOUNTS OF THEIR EVENTS AND IMPACTS, AND INVESTIGATE FACTORS DRIVING GLOBAL MIGRATION. BY ANALYZING CASE STUDIES FROM A VARIETY OF REGIONS AND CONTEXTS. THIS UNIT PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXAMINE HUMAN MOVEMENT AND ITS IMPACTS FROM MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES, FOSTERING CRITICAL THINKING AND ENABLING THEM TO DEVELOP INFORMED, INDEPENDENT CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THEIR WORLD. FOR UNIT THREE, WE WILL GUIDE OUR STUDENTS THROUGH THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION OF HOW CAN MOVEMENT OF IDEAS AND THE 
          [01:50:02]
SPREAD OF DISEASE CREATE CHANGE? STUDENTS WILL BEGIN BY EXPLORING THE SIX MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS JUDAISM, HINDUISM, BUDDHISM, SIKHISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM. THEY WILL INVESTIGATE HOW THESE BELIEF SYSTEMS SPREAD ACROSS REGIONS THROUGH TRADE AND HOW THEY SHAPE THE SOCIETIES AND EMPIRES THEY TOUCHED. THIS LESSON PROVIDES STUDENTS WITH INTERACTIVE LESSONS LIKE MIND MAPPING, GALLERY WALKS AND WEBCASTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENT CHOICE IN PROJECTS AND RESEARCH TOPICS. STUDENTS WILL SEE HOW RELIGION SHAPED HISTORICAL SOCIETIES. NEXT, WE'LL SHIFT OUR FOCUS TO THE SPREAD OF DISEASE, EXAMINING HISTORICAL PANDEMICS SUCH AS THE BUBONIC PLAGUE. STUDENTS WILL TAKE ON THE ROLE OF HISTORICAL DETECTIVES USING PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCES AND HEXAGONAL HEXAGONAL THINKING TO UNCOVER THE EFFECTS OF THE BUBONIC PLAGUE HAD ON EUROPE. FROM THEIR STUDENTS WILL EXPLORE HOW BOTH IDEAS AND ILLNESS CAN HAVE THE POWER TO DESTABILIZE EMPIRES. THEY WILL LOOK AT MAJOR TURNING POINTS IN GLOBAL HISTORY, SUCH AS WORLD WAR TWO AND THE FORMATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THESE EVENTS SPARKED DECOLONIZATION, STUDENTS WILL GET TO BECOME RESEARCHERS AND INVESTIGATE NEWLY INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES AND GRADE THEM ON HOW THEY ARE DOING. POST-INDEPENDENCE. STUDENTS WILL FINISH OUT THIS UNIT WITH A MODEL UNITED NATIONS SIMULATION, WHERE STUDENTS WILL DRAW ON THEIR KNOWLEDGE OF RELIGION, DISEASE AND THE POWER OF IDEAS AND WILL TAKE ON ROLES AS HISTORIANS AND DIPLOMATS TO BETTER UNDERSTAND INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION. THEY WILL PROBLEM SOLVE BY RESPONDING TO A FICTIONAL GLOBAL OUTBREAK. THROUGH THIS UNIT, STUDENTS WON'T JUST LEARN ABOUT HISTORICAL CHANGE, THEY'LL EXPLORE THE FORCES THAT CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR WORLD TODAY, AND THEY'LL BEGIN TO SEE THEIR OWN POTENTIAL ROLE IN RESPONDING TO GLOBAL CHALLENGES. AND THEN FINALLY, IN UNIT FOUR, OUR CENTRAL QUESTION IS HOW DO GEOGRAPHIC UNDERSTANDINGS EXPLAIN THE HISTORY OF AMERICAS? THIS UNIT PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE OVERVIEW OF THE HISTORICAL AND ONGOING RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES, AFRICANS, EUROPEANS, AND THEIR DESCENDANTS, SERVING AS A BRIDGE BETWEEN MIDDLE SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY AND US HISTORY, IT COVERS THE NATURE OF SLAVERY BEFORE EUROPEAN COLONIZATION, THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE, AND ITS LASTING EFFECTS ON COLONIAL NORTH AMERICA. THE UNIT ALSO EXPLORES INDIGENOUS SOCIETIES, THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS AND RESULTING CONFLICTS AND ALLIANCES, INCLUDING THE FRENCH AND INDIAN WAR. IT CONCLUDES BY CONNECTING HISTORY TO THE PRESENT, EXAMINING CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN INDIAN COMMUNITIES, THEIR RESILIENCE, AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO MODERN SOCIETY. IN THIS UNIT, STUDENTS WILL GET TO DEVELOP A TRADITIONAL AFRICAN AMERICAN STYLE QUILT BASED ON EXPERIENCES AND CULTURE THAT WAS DEVELOPED BY ENSLAVED AFRICANS IN THE AMERICAN COLONIES, OR CREATE A MONUMENT TO COMMEMORATE THE CULTURE LOST, PRESERVED AND CREATED BY ENSLAVED AFRICANS AND ITS ROLE IN THE FABRIC OF AMERICAN LIFE. THEY WILL EXPLORE THE CULTURE REGIONS OF EARLY, COMPLEX SOCIETIES BY STEPPING INTO THEIR GEOGRAPHIC WORLD AND PARTICIPATING IN A SCAVENGER HUNT. READ REAL TREATIES THAT TOOK PLACE BETWEEN INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, AND ENGAGE WITH REAL DEMOGRAPHIC AND GEOGRAPHIC DATA ON MODERN DAY INDIGENOUS TRIBES. IMPLEMENTED THROUGHOUT THIS UNIT IS OUR PROJECT BASED LEARNING, IN WHICH STUDENTS WILL EXAMINE AN EAST COAST INDIGENOUS TRIBE OF THEIR CHOICE TO DEVELOP A HISTORICAL EXHIBIT THAT COULD ULTIMATELY BE PRESENTED IN A PUBLIC FORUM. THROUGH PROJECT BASED LEARNING, STUDENTS WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO VIEW SEVERAL PERSPECTIVES, DRAW CONCLUSIONS, MAKE CONNECTIONS, DEMONSTRATE THEIR CREATIVITY, AND SHARE THEIR KNOWLEDGE WITH OTHERS, ALL WHILE PUTTING THEIR 21ST CENTURY SKILLS ON DISPLAY. PENDING YOUR APPROVAL, WE DO HAVE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TO ENSURE THAT IMPLEMENTATION IS DONE SUCCESSFULLY, AND THAT WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR TEACHERS TO MAKE SURE THEY FEEL SUPPORTED AND READY TO USE THIS CURRICULUM. OUR PLAN IS TO HAVE SNEAK PEAKS THIS SUMMER, WITH VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR TEACHERS TO ENGAGE WITH MY OFFICE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS CURRICULUM, DO A DEEP DIVE, AND ULTIMATELY GET PAID TO BEGIN PLANNING THEIR FIRST UNIT. DURING OUR LAUNCH WEEK, WE HAVE THREE HOURS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR LEVEL ALIKE TIME. THAT'S SET ASIDE TO SPRINGBOARD THIS FOR A SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION, AND WE WILL BE UTILIZING, OF COURSE, OUR EXPERTS WHO HAVE WRITTEN THIS CURRICULUM TO TALK DIRECTLY TO THEIR PEERS ABOUT WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN WRITING AND THEN IN ACTION THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. THEN WE WILL BE SUPPORTING OUR TEACHERS WITH WRAPAROUND SERVICES, INCLUDING MY TEACHER SPECIALIST OFFICE HOURS. MY TEACHER SPECIALIST GOES INTO EACH OF OUR SCHOOLS AND PROVIDES INDIVIDUALIZED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR BOTH TEACHERS, AS INDIVIDUALS AND FOR COLLABORATIVE PLANNING. WE WILL ALSO BE HOSTING CONTINUED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSIONS DURING OUR PD TIME AS ALLOWED. BUT ALSO, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR PLAN TO HAVE A TEACHER LEADER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT, WHERE WE WILL PULL A TEACHER LEADER FROM EACH OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS TO MEET WITH US, GATHER SOME PROFESSIONAL LEARNING, HAVE COLLABORATIVE PLANNING TIME THAT IS CROSS BUILDING, AND THEN THEY'LL BE TAKING THAT LEARNING BACK INTO THEIR BUILDING. SO 
          [01:55:01]
REALLY AMPLIFYING THE LEARNING THAT WE HAVE AND THE EXPERTISE THAT WE HAVE AROUND THE DISTRICT. AND OF COURSE, I WOULD ALWAYS BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T ACKNOWLEDGE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT ABOUT TEACHING CHALLENGING OR CONTESTED ISSUES TO ENSURE THAT IT'S DONE WITH FIDELITY AND RESPECT FOR THE DIVERSE EXPERIENCES AND PERSPECTIVES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. SO, AS YOU'VE HEARD SEVERAL TIMES TONIGHT, THIS IS A LOCALLY DEVELOPED CURRICULUM. AND AS SUCH, THE FISCAL IMPACT IS VASTLY LESS THAN A PURCHASE PROGRAM. SO IN TERMS OF THE FISCAL IMPACT DURING THE 2425 SCHOOL YEAR, $31,073 WAS ALLOCATED TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS CURRICULUM, WHICH INCLUDED SUBSTITUTE TEACHER COVERAGE AS WELL AS TEACHER STIPEND DAYS. LOOKING AHEAD TO THE 2526 SCHOOL YEAR, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT A COST OF JUST OVER $9,000 WILL BE REQUIRED TO SUPPORT TEACHER PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AS MRS. LANG JUST DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF ONGOING EVALUATION, THE OFFICE OF SOCIAL STUDIES WILL VERY CLOSELY MONITOR AND EVALUATE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS NEW CURRICULUM USING A VARIETY OF MEASURES. THESE INCLUDE QUARTERLY ANONYMOUS TEACHER SURVEYS AND DIRECT CLASSROOM OBSERVATIONS TO DEVELOP A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IMPLEMENTATION IS PROGRESSING FOR BOTH TEACHERS AND STUDENTS. FEEDBACK GATHERED THROUGH THESE ONGOING EFFORTS, ALONG WITH INPUT FROM SCHOOL LEADERSHIP, WILL BE USED TO INFORM AND GUIDE ANY NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO ENSURE SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION. SO WITH THAT, WE RESPECTFULLY SEEK THE BOARD'S APPROVAL OF THE GRADE SEVEN WORLD GEOGRAPHY CURRICULUM AND WOULD BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. THANKS. WE'LL OPEN UP FOR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR DEVELOPING THIS CURRICULUM. I KNOW IT'S NOT EASY. IT'S A LOT OF WORK. YOU KNOW, ALL THINGS CONSIDERED, I PREFER IT WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR OWN CURRICULUM. YOU HAVE A LOT MORE CONTROL OVER IT. YOU CAN TAKE ANY FEEDBACK THAT THE BOARD OR THE PUBLIC MIGHT GIVE YOU AND MAKE CHANGES WITHOUT HAVING TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS PROTECTED IP OR WHATEVER, AND WE'RE PAYING OUR OWN PEOPLE INSTEAD OF PAYING TEXTBOOK COMPANIES. I WILL SAY WE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO THIS. IF WE COULD FIND A WAY TO SELL THIS TO OTHER COUNTIES AS A REVENUE, I'M SERIOUS. YOU SELL IT TO OTHER COUNTIES. SO THEY'RE BUYING. SO LET'S SEE IF WE'RE DEVELOPING IT. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN SELL IT, ESPECIALLY IF IT'S GOOD. SO SOCIAL STUDIES IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A HARDER TOPIC RIGHT. LIKE ONE PLUS ONE ALWAYS EQUALS TWO. BUT WHAT ARE THE ORIGINS OF COVID. YOU MIGHT GET YOU KNOW, PEOPLE LINING UP ON ALL DIFFERENT SIDES. SO LET THE FUN BEGIN. WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR THE BOARD. I DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS. YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THE WORK YOU'VE DONE, THE WORK YOU PRESENTED. LIKE WHAT THE YOU WANT THE STUDENTS TO LEARN. YOU KNOW, YOU'VE LAID IT OUT. THIS IS THIS IS THE PATH. THESE ARE THE IDEAS. THESE ARE THE GOALS. THESE ARE THE OBJECTIVES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO INSTILL IN THE STUDENTS. YET YOU TRY TO CREATE A NARRATIVE IN THE CURRICULUM AND GIVE THAT TO THE TEACHERS, RATHER THAN AN OUTLINE OF THE GOALS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO ACHIEVE. WE SHOULD BE LETTING YOU KNOW. STUDENTS EXPLORE THE IMPACTS OF OUR HISTORY. INSTEAD, WE'RE WE'RE PUTTING IN NARRATIVES ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW THERE WAS A PERSPECTIVE OF THE INDIVIDUAL WHO PUT THIS IN THERE AND, YOU KNOW, COMMENTED IT'S IT BASICALLY SAID THAT THAT EUROPEANS CAME IN AND TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE OF THE INDIANS, AND THEY CREATED TREATIES THAT WERE UNFAIR. AND, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, MAKING OUR STUDENTS FEEL LIKE AMERICANS ARE BAD EUROPEANS THAT CAME IN AND SETTLE OUR COUNTRY ARE BAD. THESE KINDS OF NARRATIVES ARE HAVE CLEARLY BEEN SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR PRESENT ADMINISTRATION IS TRYING TO CAUTION AGAINST BECAUSE IT DOES CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT. THE CRT NARRATIVE CREATES AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE INDIVIDUALS FEEL LIKE THEY'VE BEEN VICTIMIZED, AND WE REALLY NEED TO MOVE PAST THAT AND TEACH THE STUDENTS THAT, YEAH, THERE ARE VICTIMS AND THEY NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY READ. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THEY'RE SIGNING SOMETHING, YOU KNOW THAT THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE SIGNING, YOU KNOW, SO INSTEAD OF SAYING, THESE ARE THE GOALS FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS CURRICULUM, WHAT I SAW IN THERE WERE WERE PERSPECTIVES AND NARRATIVES THAT CREATED THIS IDEOLOGY, THAT OF VICTIMHOOD. IT WAS IT WAS VERY CRT. DRIVEN, AND I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT IT. SO I'LL PAUSE THERE AND ALLOW YOU TO RESPOND. THANK YOU. I'M SO GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, BECAUSE IN PARTICULAR, THAT LANGUAGE THAT YOU JUST CITED WAS TEACHER ONLY FACING. AND WE DID TELL YOU THAT WE WOULD BE TAKING THAT OUT AND WE WILL BE TAKING IT OUT. IN ADDITION, I'M SO EXCITED ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR PART OF THE EXPERIENCE, BECAUSE WHAT FOLLOWED THAT LANGUAGE, WHICH IS 
          [02:00:03]
COMING OUT AND AGAIN, WAS ONLY TEACHER FACING TO CONTEXTUALIZE, BUT WE DID TAKE IT OUT, OR WE HAVE SAID THAT WE ARE GOING TO TAKE IT OUT AND WE WILL. THE EXPERIENCE THAT FOLLOWED WAS PRESENTING TWO TREATIES, ONE THAT WAS PREDOMINANTLY POSITIVE, THE MONTREAL TREATY AND ONE THAT WAS LESS POSITIVE. WE HAD STUDENTS OR WE ASKED STUDENTS TO DO A SEE, THINK, WONDER. SO JUST FIRST BLUSH, HERE'S TWO TREATIES. WHAT DO YOU SEE? WHAT DO YOU THINKING? WHAT ARE YOU WONDERING? WHY ARE WE OVER COMPLICATING THIS? I MEAN, LIKE BECAUSE I'VE TAUGHT CLASSES. I KNOW I'M NOT A TEACHER, BUT, YOU KNOW, I WAS A PROFESSIONAL FOR, YOU KNOW, OVER 30 YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAD I'VE DEVELOPED CURRICULUMS AND STUFF AND, YOU KNOW, AND, I MEAN, WHY ARE WE GETTING INTO THE WEEDS? WHY AREN'T WE JUST PROVIDING THE OBJECTIVES THAT THE TEACHERS NEED TO TEACH AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING THEM SOME FREEDOM IN THEIR CLASSROOM? THERE'S SO MANY. RESOURCES AVAILABLE NOW ONLINE THAT THE STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO. WHY DO WE HAVE TO DIRECT EXACTLY THE STORYLINE THAT WE WANT THE TEACHERS TO BE EXPOSED TO? AND WHEN I LOOKED AT THIS CURRICULUM, THERE WAS A MULTIPLE THERE WASN'T MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES. THERE WAS A VICTIMHOOD PERSPECTIVE, AND THAT WAS IT. SO YEAH, MAYBE ONLY TEACHER FACING, BUT IT IF I WERE A TEACHER AND I WAS COMING IN, I'M LIKE, I WOULD BE THINKING, THAT'S WHAT THE SCHOOL'S STORYLINE WANTS TO BE. AND I'M. OLD. I'VE GONE THROUGH SCHOOL AND I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS IN SCHOOL AND I KNEW WHEN THE TEACHER WAS SAYING SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE BEING FORCED TO BE TOLD TO SAY, AND, AND, AND THERE IS A REAL DANGER HERE, ESPECIALLY IN THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN. THERE'S BEEN AN EXECUTIVE DIRECTIVE TO REMOVE CRT FROM OUR EDUCATION, GIVE HER A TIME TO RESPOND. THANK YOU. SO CRT IS A COLLEGE LEVEL THEORY THAT IS NOT TAUGHT HERE. AS I WAS SAYING, STUDENTS WOULD DO A SEE THINK, WONDER WITH THAT PARTICULAR EXPERIENCE. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING TWO TREATIES, TWO PRIMARY SOURCES AND THE PROCEDURES WOULD THEN ASK STUDENTS TO DO A SIX THINKING HATS PROCEDURE, WHICH BASICALLY SAYS TAKE ON THE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT ARE THE FACTS? WHAT DO YOU SEE FACTUALLY HERE NOW? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS NOW? WHAT ARE THE DRAWBACKS OR THE DEVIL'S ADVOCATE? THERE'S MULTIPLE PERSPECTIVES THAT STUDENTS TAKE ON AS THEY ASSUME THOSE DIFFERENT THINKING HATS. AND ULTIMATELY STUDENTS WOULD THEN ENGAGE IN WHAT'S CALLED A MUDDIEST POINT IDENTIFYING WHERE AM I STILL CONFUSED ABOUT THIS? BUT ULTIMATELY, STUDENTS ARE TRYING TO ANSWER THAT COMPELLING QUESTION OF HOW DID INDIGENOUS AND EUROPEAN APPROACHES TO LAND USE DIFFER, AND HOW RETREAT IS USED TO DESIGNATE AND DENY SOVEREIGNTY. AND WE INTENTIONALLY GAVE STUDENTS TWO CONTRASTING TREATIES. WE COULD HAVE GIVEN THEM A WHOLE LOT MORE OF ONE VERSUS THE OTHER, BUT WE MADE SURE TO HAVE THOSE BALANCED PERSPECTIVES AND PROVIDE STUDENTS WITH THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TO THEIR OWN CONCLUSIONS. 
          NOW, WHAT WE COULD DO, AS YOU WERE ASKING ABOUT, WHY DO WE HAVE THIS IN PLACE? FIRSTLY, OUR CURRICULA DOES PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR FLEXIBILITY. IF YOU'LL READ IN THE CURRICULUM, IT HAS WORDS LIKE CONSIDER USING THIS OR CHOOSE FROM THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS. WE TRY TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR TEACHERS TO HAVE CURATED RESOURCES THAT GIVE THEM IDEAS, BUT IT IS NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST, AND TEACHERS ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO DEVELOP THEIR OWN MATERIALS. AND IN FACT, WE ACTUALLY SOLICIT THEM TO SEND THEM TO US. PLEASE BRAG ON WHAT YOU'RE PROUD OF, IS WHAT I USUALLY EMAIL OUT TO THEM. GIVE ME WHAT YOU'RE GREAT AT, AND I CAN THEN AMPLIFY THAT. AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE A COLLABORATIVE COURSE ON CANVAS FOR TEACHERS TO DO THAT TO EACH OTHER DIRECTLY AND TO COLLABORATE ON THAT. THE ALTERNATIVE, SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS ACTUALLY JUST GIVE THEM THE FRAMEWORK AND SAY, HAVE AT IT. BUT THAT REALLY ISN'T SUPPORTING TEACHERS. THERE IS SUCH A WEALTH OF RESOURCES. IT'S EXHAUSTING. AND OUR TEACHERS WE KNOW ARE EXHAUSTED. AND SO WHAT WE PROVIDE TO THEM BY BUILDING A CURRICULUM, RATHER THAN JUST GIVING THEM THE FRAMEWORK, IS TRYING TO CURATE SOME OPTIONS FOR THEM THAT ARE ALIGNED TO THE FRAMEWORK, BUT THAT TAKES SOME OF THE WORK OUT FOR THEM. BUT IF THEY'D LIKE TO DEVELOP SOMETHING DIFFERENT, WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE THE EXPERTS OF THEIR STUDENTS AND ALSO OF THEIR CONTENT, AND WE ALWAYS ENCOURAGE IT. AND THEN WE WANT TO AMPLIFY THOSE BEST PRACTICES THAT THEY DO IN THEIR CLASSROOM. AND I WOULD JUST ADD TO THAT, THAT THE STATE FRAMEWORK AND STANDARDS CAN BE VERY CHALLENGING TO UNPACK. SO AS A CURRICULUM DIVISION, IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO ENSURE THAT WE PROVIDE ALL OF OUR TEACHERS WITH MODEL RESOURCES THAT THEY CAN BUILD AND WORK FROM. SO WE DO NOT HAVE A ONE SIZE FITS ALL CURRICULUM. OUR SCHOOLS ARE TOO DIVERSE, STUDENTS ARE TOO DIVERSE. TEACHERS ARE TOO DIVERSE. EVERY CLASS PERIOD IS DIVERSE IN ITS 
          [02:05:04]
OWN UNIQUE WAY, SO A ONE SIZE FITS ALL CURRICULUM WOULD BE A DISSERVICE TO THE STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM. AND, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK WE BROUGHT UP EARLY IN THE PRESIDENT, WE'VE GOT NINE OTHER MEMBERS THAT CAN WE CAN WE MOVE ON? I JUST HAVE ONE OTHER ONE. 
          ONE ADDITIONAL COMMENT. BUT DIANE, THAT'S THE PROBLEM. WE ALL HAVE COMMENTS. I HAVE THE FLOOR. WE ALL HAVE COMMENTS AND THEY'RE DIFFERENT. IF WE IF WE CAN, WE CAN COME BACK. I HAVE TRIED TO GET THESE QUESTIONS ANSWERED BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING. I'VE I'VE GONE BACK AND FORTH 4 OR 5 TIMES TO HAVE THE QUESTIONS ANSWERED. SO I HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE CUT OFF DURING THIS MEETING. RIGHT. WELL, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK I WOULD LIKE TO COMPLETE MY COMMENTS. THANK YOU. IF YOUR COMMENTS ARE GOING TO REQUIRE THEM TO AGREE WITH YOU THAT THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU'RE GETTING, BECAUSE YOU SAID YOU'VE ASKED THESE QUESTIONS OVER AND OVER. LET'S GET LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK. I ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE QUIET, PLEASE. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER BOARD MEMBER. I APPRECIATE ALL OF YOUR COMMENTS, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ON TO OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU WHEN IF YOUR QUESTION HASN'T BEEN ANSWERED BY ONE OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS. BRUCE, I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THE CRT ISSUE. IT IS NOT TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS. IT'S A COLLEGE LEVEL PROGRAM, AND I'VE HEARD IT OVER AND OVER THAT THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE THIS AND THE PRESIDENT HAS DONE THAT. AND I WANT TO APPLAUD YOU FOR TAKING YOUR TIME TO WORK ON A CURRICULUM THAT WILL ALLOW THESE STUDENTS TO THINK, THEY WILL REALLY THINK THEY WILL THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON THE PARENTS TO ALSO HELP THEM. AND AS AN AFRICAN AMERICAN INDIVIDUAL WHO WENT TO A HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND WHO WENT TO A COLORED SCHOOL, A SEGREGATED SCHOOL WHERE BOOKS WERE USED BOOKS, I AM HAPPY THAT THE STUDENTS ARE NOW BEING ABLE TO HAVE PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF DO THE JOB TO HELP THE TEACHERS, TO TEACH AMERICAN HISTORY. SO I APPLAUD YOU AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU. I THINK EVERYONE'S GOING TO HAVE A COMMENT. SO WE'LL JUST CONTINUE DOWN THIS WAY. MISS COKER, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING THAT DIANE SAID. IT'S NOT THAT. SAY WHAT YOU WANT TO SAY. Y'ALL AGREE WITH DIANE. THIS ONE AGREES, YOU KNOW I'M UP HERE WITH THE RESPECT HERE. AND PLEASE DON'T CUT OFF ANOTHER. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. WHAT I WAS SAYING WAS I WASN'T GOING TO REPEAT EVERYTHING THAT THAT DIANE JUST SAID. THE ONLY THING I WOULD ADD TO THAT IS THERE'S A LOT OF INACCURACIES, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT THEY COME FROM THE STATE STANDARDS. CLIMATE CHANGE CAUSES MIGRATION. THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE ABOUT ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, WHICH IS REALITY. AND IT'S NOT THAT IT TEACHES CRT, BUT IT'S A SUBTLE THEME AND THE TONE OF THE INFORMATION, I RECOGNIZE IT, IT'S NOT TAUGHT, BUT BUT AND IT'S NOT IT'S CLIMATE THEORY. IT'S ALL THOSE KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY SUBTLE THEMES THAT DON'T TEACH LOVE OF OUR COUNTRY AND OFFER BALANCED PERSPECTIVES. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE BALANCE PERSPECTIVES IN THERE. AS, AS I COMMENTED, TO SAY, SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS ABOUT CLIMATE CHANGE. 
          SOME PEOPLE THINK THIS. I DON'T SEE THAT IN THE CURRICULUM. THAT'S ALL. WOULD YOU LIKE TO RESPOND? WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO ENSURE BALANCED PERSPECTIVES WHILE ADHERING TO AND ALIGNING TO THE FRAMEWORK. AS I MENTIONED TO YOU IN THE FEEDBACK THAT I PROVIDED, YOU KNOW, OUR TEACHERS ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS AND GRAPPLING WITH THE WORLD AROUND THEM. SO JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SUBJECT WHERE THEY MAY EXPERIENCE OR ENCOUNTER ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES, OUR TEACHERS ARE GOING TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE PREPARING OUR STUDENTS FOR THAT. SO ACKNOWLEDGING THAT THERE ARE ALTERNATIVE PERSPECTIVES IS CERTAINLY PART OF WHAT OUR TEACHERS WOULD DO. HOWEVER, WE HAVE TO ALIGN TO THE FRAMEWORK, AND WE CANNOT PUT THINGS INTO OUR CURRICULUM THAT WOULD CONTRADICT WHAT THE FRAMEWORK REQUIRES OF US. I THINK YOU CAN SUPPLEMENT WHAT'S IN THE STATE STANDARDS THERE. THAT'S A BEGINNING. IT'S A START. YES, YOU ALIGN TO IT. BUT YOU CAN ALSO SAY, HERE'S ADDITIONAL REFERENCES, HERE'S ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT HAS ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE. I APPRECIATE YOUR SAYING THE TEACHERS WILL GIVE ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVES. I'M SURE YOU DO, BUT THE CURRICULUM DOESN'T DRIVE THEM TO THAT. THANK YOU, DOCTOR MUELLER. I THINK I'M GOING TO PASS AND LISTEN ON THIS ONE. SAME HERE. YEAH I'M WAITING TO MR. SEWELL. MISS STRAUSS OKAY OKAY. ONE. 
          THANK YOU. RIGHT. FOR THE TIME THAT WE HAD TIME TO ACCESS THE CURRICULUM. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS AN ISSUE LAST GO AROUND. SO I APPRECIATE MAKING IT AVAILABLE. THAT WASN'T AN ISSUE AT ALL. WE HAD TIME TO GO THROUGH IT. WHERE I'M AT AND I. AND I UNDERSTAND IT'S STATE STANDARDS. BUT IS THE 
          [02:10:01]
SHIFT TO THEMATIC GEOGRAPHY RIGHT. AND I THINK WE LOSE SOME FOUNDATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE IN THIS SHIFT. RIGHT. WHILE IT MIGHT BE MORE ENTERTAINING AND ENGAGING, I'M NOT SURE IT'S EQUIPPING OUR CHILDREN WELL ENOUGH. SO THAT'S MY STRUGGLE. I BELIEVE WE PUT A LOT OF HOURS. I UNDERSTAND THE FISCAL IMPACT RIGHT IF WE HAVE TO REWORK THINGS. BUT I'M ALSO BALANCING THIS CHANGE IN WHAT WE'RE LOSING IN THIS, THIS TOTAL STATE SHIFT IN HOW WE'RE TEACHING. IT'S JUST THE THOUGHTS RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD. BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. IT'S NOT LOST THE HOURS AND EXPERTISE THAT GOES INTO DEVELOPING THIS CURRICULUM, MISS HAHN. I ALSO, IN AN EFFORT TO NOT BE REDUNDANT, I AGREE WITH LAUREN, TERRY AND DIANE AS WELL. ALL OF THE POINTS ARE VALID AND I AGREE. SO THAT'S IT. WE DID CUT OFF MISS ALVAREZ. WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU IF YOU HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT. YEAH. I YOU KNOW, I MAYBE IT'S HARD TO GET OUT EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO SAY IN THE PRESS UNDER THE PRESSURE AND THE TIME CONSTRAINTS, AND I DO I'M TRYING TO BE CONSIDERATE AND I'M OUT OF TIME, BUT END UP MESSING IT ALL UP. CRT IS TAUGHT IN COLLEGES, NOT NOT IMPLICITLY IN OUR SCHOOLS, BUT THE ASPECTS LIKE MISS COKER SAID, YOU KNOW, DO FIND THEIR WAY BACK INTO THE CLASSROOM. I DID WANT TO SAY THAT THERE WAS A CONCERN THAT I HAD, THAT THERE WAS A POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, AND IT WAS EXPLICITLY THE TEACHER WAS EXPLICITLY TOLD TO ONLY USE THE INFORMATION ON THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION FOR THE FACTS, AND THAT WAS PERTAINING TO THE RELIGIOUS SECTION. AND WHEN IT TALKED ABOUT CHRISTIANITY, IT SAID ITS BELIEF. IT FAILED TO MENTION THE NUMBER ONE BELIEF IN THAT ALL CHRISTIANS HAVE, AS WELL AS ISLAMIC PEOPLE AS WELL AS JEWISH JUDAISM PEOPLE, JUDAH, JEWISH PEOPLE THAT ALL THE ABRAHAMIC RELIGIONS BELIEVE THAT GOD IS OUR CREATOR. YET THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, THAT WAS THE ONLY THING THEY WERE ALLOWED TO USE FOR FACTS. AND WHEN THEY WERE DOING THEIR ASSIGNMENT, FAILED TO MENTION THAT. AND I WAS TOLD THAT IT WAS AT IT AND IT WASN'T. I WENT AND CHECKED AND IT WASN'T ADDED. SO. SO THE FIRST THING I DO WANT TO ADDRESS IS THAT THERE IS NO POINT WHERE WE ARE TELLING TEACHERS THAT THIS IS THE ONLY THING YOU CAN USE THAT IS NOT IN THE CURRICULUM. AND THAT PARTICULAR POWERPOINT IS TEACHER FACING. WE DID TELL TEACHERS IF YOU WANTED TO USE PARTS OF IT THAT IT COULD BE APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENT USE, BUT IT IS A TEACHER FACING DOCUMENT THAT'S JUST SUPPOSED TO BE KIND OF A CRASH COURSE IN THE MAJOR WORLD RELIGIONS. HOWEVER, AS I SAID TO YOU, AND WHEN YOU RAISE THAT CONCERN TO ME, WE'D BE HAPPY TO ADD IT THERE. IT IS COMPLETELY FACTUAL THAT FROM A THEOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE, THE ABRAHAMIC TRADITIONS OF JUDAISM, CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM ALL TRACE THEIR ROOTS BACK TO A ONE CREATOR GOD, AND THAT WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO ADD THAT WHERE YOU DIDN'T SEE IT WAS BECAUSE WE ARE WAITING UNTIL THIS BOARD PRESENTATION TO ENSURE THAT ANY OTHER FEEDBACK THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WOULD ALL BE GATHERED IN ONE PLACE. AND THEN ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE PROMISED THE BOARD THAT WE WILL BE CHANGING, AND ANYTHING ELSE THAT WAS BROUGHT UP AS A RESULT OF THIS PRESENTATION. WE WOULD THEN MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS. SO YOU WOULDN'T HAVE SEEN THAT CHANGE RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WE WERE WAITING FOR TONIGHT TO FINISH GATHERING ALL THAT FEEDBACK AND THEN PENDING AN APPROVAL, THEN WE WOULD MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS AND WE WILL CERTAINLY MAKE THAT ONE. AND MAYBE IT DIDN'T SAY IT DID SAY DO NOT USE ANYTHING. BUT BUT I DON'T WANT TO ARGUE ABOUT THAT AND I WILL. I'M DONE WITH MY COMMENTS. NOW THEIR LIST OF CHANGES PLANNED ARE THAT EVERYTHING IN THAT SPREADSHEET THAT WE SAID, AND I BELIEVE I BOLDED ANYTHING, I HOPEFULLY BOLDED EVERYTHING THAT WE SAID WE CAN CHANGE, WHETHER IT WAS A VERBIAGE OR SOMETHING SPECIFIC. I HAD ADDED MISS ALVAREZ'S EXCHANGE BECAUSE THAT WAS DONE IN AN EMAIL. I ADDED THAT TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT SPREADSHEET TO ENSURE THAT IT WAS ALL CAPTURED IN ONE PLACE. SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE POSTPONE THE VOTE ON THIS CURRICULUM UNTIL THE CHANGES ARE MADE. I SECOND THAT MOTION. ALL RIGHT. THERE'S A MOTION AND A SECOND. 
          LET'S DO A ROLL CALL VOTE. I'M SORRY. LET ME ASK A QUESTION FIRST. YOU'VE GOT SOME VALUABLE FEEDBACK TONIGHT. YOU PUT A LOT OF HARD WORK INTO IT. I THINK YOU UNDERSTAND THE SENTIMENT OF THE BOARD. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE YOU TO MAKE THOSE CHANGES, TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD? COULD YOU DO IT IN TWO WEEKS? YES. ALL RIGHT. THEN THE COULD YOU AMEND THE MOTION TO FOR THE NEXT BOARD MEETING THEN, WHICH IS IN TWO WEEKS FROM NOW, I YES, I CAN AMEND THE MOTION THAT WE WOULD POSTPONE THE VOTE UNTIL TWO WEEKS AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING AND GIVE US A WEEK TO REVIEW THE 
          [02:15:07]
CURRICULUM AS WELL. THAT WOULD REQUIRE ME TO HAVE THOSE CHANGES DONE IN ONE WEEK, I THINK. I THINK WE I DON'T THINK WE NEED A FULL WEEK TO REVIEW IT, ONLY BECAUSE WE'VE GOT 98% OF IT. AND SO THE CHANGES ARE FAIRLY MINOR. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE. AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD IT, MAYBE THE WEDNESDAY OR THE THURSDAY BEFORE THAT WOULD GIVE THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, FIVE FULL DAYS TO REVIEW IT. WOULD THAT BE SUFFICIENT, DOCTOR PAYNE YEAH. MAY I JUST ADD A DYNAMIC HERE? SURE. THE SOCIAL STUDIES OFFICE AND AS DIRECTOR OF CURRICULUM, I CAN ASSURE THE BOARD THAT THAT CHANGE WILL BE MADE TO THE CURRICULUM. NOT APPROVING TONIGHT DOES PUT US IN A SITUATION AS FAR AS TIME IS CONCERNED, PARTICULARLY IN REGARD TO THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT THAT MRS. LAING AND HER TEAM ARE PREPARING FOR TEACHERS, TEACHERS ARE ABOUT TO LEAVE AND A FURTHER DELAY. WOULD YOU DO YOU NEED TO HAVE THE BOARD APPROVE IT IN ORDER TO START PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? I THINK THERE'S A PRESUMPTION OF APPROVAL AT THE AT THE NEXT BOARD MEETING THAT IF THESE CHANGES ARE MADE AND THEY'RE IN THE CURRICULUM, THAT IT WILL BE APPROVED. IT'S JUST THAT THE BOARD JUST WANTS TO SEE THE FINAL PRODUCT BEFORE VOTING. SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, MAKE THE CHANGES AND START THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. IF YOU CAN DO THAT, THERE'S A MOTION THAT'S BEEN SECONDED. YEAH. YOU'RE RIGHT. LET'S VOTE ON THE MOTION ROLL CALL PLEASE. CAN YOU REPEAT THE MOTION. YEAH. IT'S BASICALLY TO TABLE THIS UNTIL THE FINAL CHANGES HAVE BEEN MADE AND PRESENTED TO THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. MEETING? YEAH. YEAH. 
          JUNE 23RD. YES. SHE SAID SHE COULD. SHE WOULDN'T HAVE IT. NO, I MEAN, ACTUALLY IF IT'S OUT BY FRIDAY, YOU GIVE US THREE DAYS. THAT'S FINE. I'M NOT GOING TO I'M NOT GOING TO JUST REQUIRE REMOVE THAT FROM THE MOTION. THE MOTION IS THAT THEY PRESENT IT. THEN WE'LL WORK OUT THE DETAILS LATER. SO THE MOTION IS THAT THEY THIS IS TABLED UNTIL THE NEXT BOARD MEETING. AND THERE'S A SECOND ON THAT. YES I BELIEVE OKAY. SO LET'S DO A ROLL CALL. VOTE MRS. ALVAREZ. YES, MISS. 
          BRUCE. NO. MISS COKER. YES, DOCTOR. MUELLER. NO. MISS PAZUKI. NO. MRS. PERRY. NO. MR. SEWELL. NO. MISS STRAUSS. YES. VICE PRESIDENT. HAHN. YES. PRESIDENT. BOYNTON. YES. WHAT IS THE STUDENT VOTE ON THAT PREFERENTIAL OR. YES, IT'S PREFERENTIAL. PREFERENTIAL. SO IT'S FIVE FOUR. NO. IS IT CURRICULUM? OH, RIGHT. IT'S CURRICULUM. OKAY. SO WE'LL SEE YOU IN TWO WEEKS OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. SO MOVING ON TO ITEM D PRESENTATION OF 2025 
          [D. Presentation of the 2025 Educational Facilities Master Plan and Comprehensive Maintenance Plan, Ms. Cathy Bendis, Assistant Superintendent for Operations, Ms. Patti Jo Beard, Executive Director of Facilities Management, Mr. Chris Morton, Supervisor of Planning and Construction, and Ms. Missy Valentino, Facilities Planner]
EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN AND COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN. MR. PRESIDENT I HAVE A QUESTION. WE HAVE SMALL GROUP SESSIONS ON THIS BEFORE. AND WHEN THEY PRESENTED US THE SMALL GROUP SESSIONS, ARE THEY GOING TO COME BACK IN SMALL GROUPS. ARE THEY GOING TO HAVE TO COME TO US IN SMALL? IF YOU DON'T MIND, LET ME WORK THAT OUT WITH THEM AFTER THE MEETING AND I'LL GET BACK TO THE BOARD. I DON'T KNOW, BUT MY THAT MY GOAL WOULD BE FOR THEM TO PRESENT THE WEEK OF IN SMALL GROUPS SO THAT WE CAN HEAD OFF, ENSURE THAT THEY'VE RECEIVED ALL THE FEEDBACK BEFORE THE BOARD MEETING AND SAY, AND THE QUESTION I HAVE WITH THAT IS WHEN THE PURPOSE OF THE SMALL GROUPS IS TO REALLY IRON OUT THESE THINGS. AND I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT THIS IS TAKING A LOT OF STAFF TIME. WHEN WE MEET IN SMALL GROUPS, THEY BRIEF US AND THEN WE GET HERE AND THEN MORE QUESTIONS AND WE'RE BACK TO THE SAME THING. YEAH, THAT WHAT DID WE AGREE TO? WHAT WHAT WERE THE EXACT CHANGES? THE ONLY THING THAT WE'VE AGREED TO AT THIS POINT WAS TO TABLE IT. THAT WAS THE MOTION IN THE SECOND. BUT YOU HAD SAID THAT WE'RE WAITING TO MAKE THE CHANGE. WHAT WHAT SPECIFIC CHANGES? THAT WASN'T IN THE MOTION. BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF CHANGES THAT WERE REQUESTED OR SUBMITTED. YES. NOT ALL OF US WANT THAT. IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE. IT'S STILL IT'S STILL PASSED. SO IT WAS THAT. BUT BUT IT MAY NOT PASS NEXT TIME I UNDERSTAND. YEAH I KNOW IT'S A TO BE CONTINUED. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LET'S LET'S WHAT CHANGES THOUGH. WHAT SPECIFIC CHANGES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ANOTHER TOPIC. AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT THIS AT SOME OTHER POINT OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. MISS PATTY JO BEARD, COULD YOU ALSO INTRODUCE YOUR TEAM. SURE. MISS KATH KATHY I'M SORRY. 
          NO WORRIES. SO I'M KATHY BENDA'S, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS. 
          GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT OLSEN, PRESIDENT BOYNTON AND BOARD MEMBERS. WITH ME THIS EVENING IS MISS PATTY JO BEARD, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR FACILITIES MANAGEMENT. MR. CHRIS MORTON, SUPERVISOR FOR PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION. AND MISS MISSY VALENTINO, FACILITIES PLANNER. 
          THIS EVENING WE ARE GOING TO BE BRINGING TO YOU OUR 2025 COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN 
          [02:20:02]
AND EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN. MASTER PLAN. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO NEED TO VOTE ON THIS EVENING. THIS IS JUST YOUR FIRST LOOK AT THIS PLAN, AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK TO YOU IN THE FUTURE FOR A VOTE. SO WITH THAT, I AM GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO MISS VALENTINO, WHO'S GOING TO WALK US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION. GOOD EVENING. 
          EVERY YEAR WE COME TO YOU WITH BOTH OF THESE PLANS. THE COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN IS REALLY JUST A LOOK AT HOW WE MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES. THIS IS A STATE REQUIREMENT. THEY DO HAVE A VESTED INTEREST IN OUR FACILITIES. THEREFORE THEY WANT TO SEE HOW WE'RE MAINTAINING THEM, HOW WE'RE SCHEDULING THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THE COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN. THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN IS REALLY A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT OUR FACILITIES AND THEIR CONDITIONS. AND BOTH OF THESE SERVE TO INFORM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM. THIS HERE IS JUST A SLIDE SHOWING THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT THE COMPREHENSIVE MAINTENANCE PLAN COVERS, AND PRETTY MUCH PROVIDES JUST A TIMELINE AND SCHEDULING FOR THAT. AND THEN IT MEETS OTHER STATE REQUIREMENTS, OF COURSE, THAT WE HAVE TO MEET AND REPORT ON THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES. MASTER PLAN IS ALSO A STATE REQUIREMENT. THIS IS USED FOR PLANNING, TOOL DETERMINING CAPACITY NEEDS, FACILITY CONDITIONS, AND THIS IS ALSO A BASIS FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM AND OUR REQUIREMENT FOR OUR CAPITAL REQUEST. AS WE MOVE FORWARD, NEEDS NEED TO BE IDENTIFIED IN THIS DOCUMENT FOR IT TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR STATE FUNDING. I'M JUST GOING TO GO THROUGH A FEW OF THE RESULTS. AS WE WENT THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS. FIRST, WE'LL LOOK AT CAPACITY AND ENROLLMENT. YOU CAN SEE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS ARE AT 90%, MIDDLE SCHOOLS 79 AND HIGH SCHOOLS ARE AT 81% CAPACITY. 
          WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT OUR MAP, WE KIND OF HAVE THESE DIFFERENT REGIONS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT FOR PLANNING. OUR NORTH HAS NO CAPACITY CONCERNS. IT'S PRETTY RURAL. WE MOVE INTO THAT MIDWEST AREA. THAT'S THE BELL AREA OUT TO YOUTH'S BENEFIT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE ARE A LOT OF CAPACITY CONCERNS THERE, AND MOST OF THOSE SCHOOLS DO NOT OFFER PRE-K. FULL DAY PRE-K. WE ARE CURRENTLY IN DESIGN FOR THE NEW HARTFORD ACADEMY, WHICH WILL INCREASE OUR ELEMENTARY CAPACITY AND ALLOW US TO BALANCE THE ENROLLMENT IN THAT AREA BY MOVING KIDS AROUND AND HOPEFULLY FREEING UP SPACE WITHIN THE SCHOOLS TO EXPAND OUR PRE-K. AS WE LOOK AT THE SOUTHWEST REGION, THAT THAT SOUTHERN PORTION OF OUR COUNTY, THERE ARE A FEW MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN THAT AREA WHICH ARE IMPACTING CAPACITY IN OUR SCHOOLS AS WE GO THROUGH THAT BALANCING ENROLLMENT PROCESS. WHEN WE OPEN THE NEW SCHOOL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE TO TRY TO EVEN THAT OUT BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS SO THAT IT'S NOT OVERCROWDING IN ONE WHILE WE'RE UNDER CROWDED IN ANOTHER. 
          THE GOOD THING IN THAT AREA IS MOST OF THOSE SCHOOLS DO CURRENTLY OFFER PRE-K PROGRAMS. THEN WE HAVE THAT SOUTHEAST REGION, WHICH IS MORE OF A OUR FUTURE CONCERN. THIS INCLUDES ABERDEEN AND HAVRE DE GRACE. BOTH ARE GROWING PRETTY RAPIDLY. THERE ARE MAJOR HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS UNDERWAY, ONE OF THE MOST RECENTLY TO BE APPROVED THROUGH THE PLANNING COMMISSION IN THEIR AREA IS THE WETLANDS GOLF COURSE, WHICH I BELIEVE IS 882 RESIDENTIAL UNITS. THEY ARE ALL CURRENTLY SLATED FOR BAKERFIELD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 95% CAPACITY. SO IT IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE LOOKING AT. WE ARE WORKING WITH THE COUNTY. 
          EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT NEED IN THE AREA GROWING. WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE BALANCING ENROLLMENT PROCESS, WE DO HAVE RORY WILLIAMS THAT HAS A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF CAPACITY THERE THAT WE CAN DO A LITTLE SHIFTING TO BUY US A LITTLE TIME FOR THAT LONG TERM PLAN. WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF SYSTEMIC NEEDS IN THE AREA. SO A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS IN THAT AREA HAVE HVAC SYSTEMS. THEY'RE OLDER FACILITIES. THEY NEED A LOT OF UPDATING. SO WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER OUR PLANS TO KIND OF DEVELOP THAT ONE PLAN TO HELP BENEFIT THE AREA THAT MOST EFFICIENTLY AND ECONOMICALLY ADDRESSES ALL OF THE NEEDS IN THE AREA. NEXT, WE WILL GO INTO THE STATE FACILITY CONDITION INDEX. AND THIS IS REALLY LOOKING AT STATE RESULTS OR LOCAL RESULTS FROM THE STATE ANALYSIS, YOU CAN SEE MANY OF OUR BUILDINGS FALL IN THOSE THOSE CATEGORIES. THERE REALLY THE ONLY ONE THAT FALLS IN THAT FEELS LIKE NEW IS OF COURSE HAVRE DE GRACE MIDDLE HIGH SCHOOL, WHICH IS NEW. THERE ARE A FEW THAT FALL IN THAT SECOND, AND THEY ARE MORE RECENT PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ADDRESS WITH JOPPATOWNE YOUTH BENEFIT ELEMENTARY. THOSE ARE SOME OF OUR NEWER SCHOOLS, BUT THIS IS ALSO MAPS TO SHOW THE GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION OF WHERE THEY RATE IN THE COUNTY. 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT THE SCORE OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, SINCE THE STATE HAS BEEN DOING THESE 
          [02:25:06]
ASSESSMENTS, WE SEE THAT OUR AVERAGE SCORE INCREASES WELL. AN AVERAGE SCORE INCREASE ISN'T GOOD IN THIS. IN THIS SCENARIO, IT MEANS THAT THE CONDITION OF OUR FACILITIES IS DECREASING. 
          THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST OCCURRING HERE IN HARFORD COUNTY. THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE SEEING ACROSS THE STATE. SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WHILE WE ARE LOOKING AT THIS AND TRYING TO DEVELOP PLANS TO MOVE FORWARD, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S A STATEWIDE ISSUE AS WELL. WHEN WE LOOK AT THOSE RESULTS, WE ALSO LOOK AT INDIVIDUAL SYSTEMS. THIS HERE IS JUST KIND OF A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THOSE SYSTEMS. AND REALLY WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE LONG TERM SYSTEMS WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROGRAM EQUIPMENT. THIS IS THINGS LIKE YOUR CASEWORK, THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          WHEN YOU WALK IN A BUILDING, YOU LOOK AT, I KNOW SOME OF OUR EDUCATIONAL KITCHENS ARE KIND OF OLD AND DATED, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE YOU SEE THAT LARGE PORTION FOR THOSE PROGRAM EQUIPMENT. 
          PLUMBING IS ANOTHER ONE THAT HAS A HIGH PERCENT IN THAT UNRELIABLE AREA. AND IF YOU THINK ABOUT BUILDING, WE MAY GO IN AND DO A SYSTEMIC REPLACE THE HVAC, REPLACE THE ROOF. WE'RE NOT GOING IN AND REPLACING ALL THE UNDERGROUND PLUMBING UNLESS WE'RE DOING A MAJOR PROJECT IN THAT FACILITY. THE SAME WITH THE PROGRAM EQUIPMENT, INTERMITTENT RENOVATIONS. WE'RE ABLE TO ADDRESS SOME THINGS AS WE'RE IN THE BUILDINGS, BUT WE STILL HAVE THOSE GROWING NEEDS. AND THEN WE HAVE THE SYSTEMIC ROOFING, HVAC AND ELECTRICAL. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THEY'RE ABOUT 50% OF THEIR LIFE. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR FUNDING SOURCES, THE STATE HAS A POT OF FUNDING THAT THEY DISTRIBUTE ACROSS ALL THE LEAS, ALL 24. IT'S BASED ON POPULATION AND WEALTH, AVERAGE. EVERY YEAR WE GET ABOUT 15 MILLION. THIS YEAR WE'RE LOOKING TO GET ABOUT 16 MILLION, A LITTLE MORE THAN 16 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOVE OUR AVERAGE. WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR COUNTY FUNDING, WE'VE BEEN LOOK WE'VE BEEN TOLD THAT WE CAN EXPECT ABOUT 50 MILLION ANNUALLY. IN ADDITION, IN ADDITIONAL BONDS. SO WHEN WE LOOK AT WHERE OUR FUNDING REALLY COMES FROM, WE HAVE THE COUNTY MAKING UP THE MAJORITY OF THAT. MOST OF IT'S IN BONDS AND PAYGO. THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE SKEWED. 
          I'M NOT SURE THE LAYOUT UP THERE, BUT THEN IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE PORTION, THAT 30%, WHEN YOU BREAK THAT OUT, WE HAVE 79% OF THAT IS CAPITAL FUNDING, THEN YOU HAVE THAT 14% THERE. 
          THIS IS IMPORTANT WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS SLIDE. THAT'S THE BUILD TO LEARN FUNDING. THAT IS THE FUNDING WE WERE ABLE TO UTILIZE TO BUILD HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD ELEMENTARY. THAT'S A ONE TIME FUNDING SOURCE. SO THAT WILL GO AWAY. SO THAT STATE PORTION WILL DECREASE WHEN THAT'S NOT THERE ANYMORE. AND THEN WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PROGRAM, THE GRANT PROGRAM FOR HEALTHY SCHOOLS MORE RECENTLY. AND WE'RE FOCUSING OUR ROOF REPLACEMENTS ON THAT. THIS HERE IS JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR REQUEST VERSUS WHAT WE WERE FUNDED OVER TIME. YOU WILL SEE EVERY YEAR OUR REQUEST AND NEEDS INCREASE. THIS IS JUST KIND OF A SNAPSHOT. 
          BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT AND WHY THE NEEDS INCREASE, THIS SLIDE IS MORE GRAPHICAL TO KIND OF GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS TO TALK ABOUT FLAT FUNDING. AND REALLY FIRST STEP, WE HAVE $62 MILLION IN NEEDS. WE TAKE THAT FORWARD. AND OUR COUNTY AND STATE REPRESENTATIVES COME UP THEIR FUNDING AND GIVE US THE 62 MILLION THAT NEXT YEAR. IT TAKES THE SAME 62 MILLION TO MAINTAIN THOSE FACILITIES. EXCEPT NOW WE HAVE THAT THREE AND A HALF TO 4% ANNUAL ESCALATION. WELL, WE KEEP THAT FLAT FUNDING THAT ESCALATED AMOUNT A LITTLE OVER 2 MILLION. WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. SO THE NEXT YEAR WE'RE ALREADY STARTING WITH THAT. WE HAVE THAT SAME NEED AGAIN, THAT FOUR AND A HALF, THAT THREE AND A HALF TO 4% ESCALATION, THAT FLAT FUNDING. THEN WE HAVE ABOUT 5 MILLION THAT WE'RE CARRYING FORWARD. THIS IS REALLY HOW WE GET THE BACKLOG OF DEFERRED MAINTENANCE. 
          AND THIS IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OVER TIME OF A $62 MILLION MOVING FORWARD. SO YOU CAN SEE EVERY YEAR THAT WE'RE NOT ONLY ACCUMULATING THAT INTEREST OR THAT ESCALATION ON THAT 62 MILLION, BUT ALSO ANY OF THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE THAT GOES OVER. SO THIS IS JUST A LOOK AT FIVE YEARS TO KIND OF SHOW HOW THAT BUILDS UP. WE HAVE A LOT FURTHER BACK THAN THAT, JUST TO BE CLEAR. BUT THIS IS JUST KIND OF A SNAPSHOT OF HOW THAT LOOKS OVER TIME AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OUR FACILITIES. REALLY, WE ARE CONTINUALLY CARRYING THAT DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OVER SOME OF THE FUNDING CHALLENGES. OF COURSE, WE HAVE MULTIPLE MAJOR CAPITAL NEEDS, BUT WE'RE LIMITED IN STATE FUNDING, RISING CONSTRUCTION COSTS. WE'RE REQUIRING LOCAL COUNTY TO EXTEND THEIR FINANCIAL CAPACITY. AND WE ALSO HAVE THE LOCAL FUNDING TREND OF PRIMARILY MATCHING THE STATE FUNDING PROJECTS, AND THAT IS THOSE HVAC PROJECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, IF IT'S NOT 
          [02:30:05]
ELIGIBLE FOR STATE FUNDING. SO AS THE PROJECTS INCREASE, THAT 15 MILLION WE'RE EXPECTED TO GET FROM THE STATE DECREASES, AND THEN WE'RE ONLY GETTING THE MATCH TO WHATEVER THAT MAJOR PROJECT IS. SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR US AS WE MOVE FORWARD? WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR CAPITAL, WE HAVE THE HARFORD ACADEMY. REALLY, THAT'S OUR MAJOR PROJECT THAT WILL PROBABLY TAKE OUR STATE FUNDING IF WE'RE ONLY GETTING THE MATCH FROM THAT, FROM OUR LOCAL TO MAINTAIN THESE FACILITIES, WE'RE REALLY GOING TO BE FAR FURTHER BACK THAN WE CURRENTLY ARE, THAT STATE HEALTHY SCHOOLS. WE ARE TRYING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH GETTING A ROOF REPLACEMENT FROM THERE. EACH YEAR. WE'LL SEE IF WE'RE SUCCESSFUL THIS YEAR. WE DID RECENTLY SUBMIT THAT APPLICATION. WE DO HAVE THE LOCAL MATCH FOR THAT, BUT BASICALLY OVERALL FUNDING SHORTFALLS EQUALS DELAYS IN OUR PROJECT. SO CRITICAL PROJECTS GET DEFERRED, DELAYED AND PUSHED BACK. WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE LIFE CYCLE OF A BUILDING, WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN? WE BROUGHT THIS LAST YEAR TO YOU TO TALK ABOUT THAT 50 YEAR LIFE CYCLE. YOU KNOW, 25 YEARS. WE'RE REPLACING SYSTEMS AND THEN WE'RE CONSTRUCTING NEW FACILITIES. THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD IDEALLY DO TO MAINTAIN OUR BUILDING. AND WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT HAVING ONE PROJECT EVERY TWO YEARS, AND THAT'S THE NEW CONSTRUCTION. BUT CURRENTLY WE'RE ON THAT THREE PLUS YEAR JUST DUE TO DEFERRED AND DELAYED PROJECTS. WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE PLUS YEARS FOR ONE PROJECT. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN FOR A LIFE CYCLE OF OUR BUILDINGS? WE HAVE 55 SCHOOLS. WE'RE DOING ONE PROJECT NOW. 
          EVERY THREE YEARS. WE'RE AT 165 YEAR LIFE FOR OUR FACILITIES, WHICH IS INCREASING, NOT DECREASING. A SCHOOL FACILITY AT 165 YEARS OLD IS JUST NOT SUSTAINABLE. SO IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY NEED TO WORK TOGETHER TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT A WAY TO SUSTAIN AND MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES. THE MAIN PORTION OF THE EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES MASTER PLAN IS THIS TIMELINE OF MAJOR PROJECTS. THIS HERE WOULD PUT US BACK IN THAT TWO YEAR CYCLE, ALLOW US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE HARFORD ACADEMY AND SEE MILTON, RIGHT. AND THEN START PLANNING FOR THAT HVAC SYSTEMIC AT SOUTHAMPTON MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE STILL HAVE OLD POST ROAD AS THE NEXT MAJOR PROJECT. 
          AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT AND GET COMMITMENT AND THAT FUNDING SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD IN THE PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE FOR THAT. AND THEN WE MAINTAIN BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND EDGEWOOD. I WON'T READ THEM ALL OUT, BUT THIS IS IDEALLY WHAT WE WOULD DO TO GET BACK ON TRACK WITH THAT. THIS IS ANOTHER SLIDE. THIS IS LOOKING. SO THOSE HVAC JOBS, THESE ARE ALL BEEN IDENTIFIED AS NEEDS. WE'VE BEEN REQUESTING MANY OF THESE PROJECTS FOR MULTIPLE YEARS NOW. AND THEY ARE NOT GETTING FUNDED WITH JUST THE LOCAL ONLY REQUEST. AND I ONLY HIGHLIGHT THIS BECAUSE FOUNTAIN GREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL HAD TO CLOSE HALF A DAY THIS YEAR BECAUSE THEY HAD A CHILLER FAIL. WE HAVE HAD THAT IN OUR REQUEST FOR MULTIPLE YEARS. WE KNOW THERE'S ISSUES THERE, AND I, I KIND OF POINT THIS OUT BECAUSE I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS WHEN WE SAY IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE TO MAINTAIN THESE TIMELINES ON OUR BUILDINGS. OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO GET STUDENTS IN THE CLASSROOM SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE INSTRUCTION TIME. AND IF WE HAVE BUILDINGS CLOSING, THEN WE'RE NOT ABLE THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT INSTRUCTION TIME. THIS WILL BECOME MORE FREQUENT IF WE CONTINUE ON THE PATH WE'RE ON RIGHT NOW, AND WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT PJS FOLKS WILL BE ABLE TO GET US BACK IN THE BUILDING BY THAT NEXT DAY. 
          SOME ISSUES MAY BE LONGER, WE MAY HAVE LONGER CLOSURES. AND THIS IS WHAT WE'RE THIS IS WHAT KEEPS PEOPLE UP AT NIGHT. THIS IS WHAT NO ONE WANTS TO HAVE TO HAPPEN IN OUR SCHOOLS. WE'RE ALL HERE FOR THE SAME REASON, AND WE NEED TO REALLY ADDRESS THESE BUILDINGS AT THE BOTTOM. THAT'S JUST THE LONG TERM PLAN FOR OUR ROOF. REPLACEMENTS ONE EACH YEAR ADDRESSING THE WORST FIRST. AND WITH THAT, BASICALLY WE'LL BE BACK IN THE 23RD FOR A VOTE. THE MAIN THING THAT COMES OUT OF THAT IS THAT UPDATED PROJECT TIMELINE. AND THEN WE WILL START DISCUSSING OUR CAPITAL AND WHERE THIS LEADS US. WELL, THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING A PLAN THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE 165 YEARS. MY GOD, COULD YOU IMAGINE WHAT THAT MAINTENANCE BILL WOULD BE LIKE ON A SCHOOL 165 YEARS OLD? SO WE'VE CLEARLY LIKE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE ACCIDENT WE'RE WATCHING HAPPEN IN SLOW MOTION. SO WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN WITH THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE. BUT WE NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THIS. I DON'T THINK THAT IN DOCTOR BOLTON AGREES THAT WE CAN REALLY CROSS OUR FINGERS AND HOPE THAT THE STATE'S GOING TO COME IN AND FUND A LOT OF THIS. 
          [02:35:05]
I THINK A LOT OF THIS IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM LOCAL INITIATIVES AS WELL. SO WE'LL OPEN IT UP. BUT ONE QUICK QUESTION. IS IT MORE EFFICIENT TO BUILD SCHOOLS THAT ARE LIKE MIDDLE HIGH COMBOS FROM LIKE AN OPERATIONS AND BUILDING PERSPECTIVE? IT DEPENDS. WELL, OPERATIONALLY, THERE'S POTENTIAL SAVINGS THERE BECAUSE YOU ARE COMBINING RESOURCES SPECIFICALLY WITH ADMINISTRATION. CUSTODIAL SERVICES JUST DEPENDS ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE BUILDING AND WHAT WE WANT THAT PROGRAM TO LOOK LIKE. I THINK THAT HAS BEEN OUR PREFERENCE AND I THINK IT'S WORKED WELL FOR US. I WOULDN'T WANT TO SAY THAT IN EVERY SINGLE CASE. AND CHRIS, I'LL TURN THAT OVER. NO, WE'VE DONE A COUPLE OF THEM. THEY SEEM TO WORK WELL, SO. RIGHT. YEAH. SO I WOULD MAKE A CASE. HOW MANY GRACE MIDDLE HIGH WAS LIKE THE PERFECT SCENARIO BECAUSE GENERATIONS OF FAMILIES GROW UP AND THEN THEY MOVE BACK. AND SO AND IT'S A PURE FEEDER PATTERN. SO IN THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE HIGH, IT WAS A TRUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL. IT WAS THE SAME KINDS OF KIDS IN THE SAME. SO IT JUST KIND OF AND YOU DO HAVE EFFICIENCIES BECAUSE YOU HAVE ONE CAFETERIA, YOU DON'T HAVE TWO SEPARATE BUILDINGS AND TWO CAFETERIAS AND TWO MEDIA CENTERS AND TWO GYMS. AND SO THERE ARE EFFICIENCIES WITH SINGLE FACILITY, THERE'S NO DOUBT. THE ONLY THING I WANTED TO ADD, AND THIS IS JUST A DIFFERENT LOOK, OUR NEEDS AREN'T HIGH SCHOOLS. SO IF WE LOOKED AT THE NEEDS ARE IN HIGH SCHOOLS FROM A HIGH OR NOT HIGH SCHOOLS. HIGH SCHOOLS. YEAH. SO NEITHER FROM A LOOK AT A COMBINED FACILITY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY ELEMENTARY MIDDLE SCHOOL FACILITIES. THAT WOULD BE I GUESS, THE NEXT. I MEAN, THEY DO HAVE THEM IN THE STATE. I BUT IT'S JUST OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD CONDITION. THEY DO HAVE SYSTEMIC NEEDS NOW, BUT THEY'VE BEEN RECENTLY RENOVATED FOR THE MOST PART, NOT ALL, BUT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A CAPACITY ISSUE AS WELL. WHEN WE START PUTTING MORE PRE-K CLASSES IN THERE TOO, AND YOU'LL BE STARTING IS GOING TO BE ANNEXING MORE LAND. THAT WHOLE AREA IS JUST GOING TO EXPLODE. AND SO WE NEED THIS AND REDISTRICTING PROBABLY COMING UP. BUT WITH THAT, I DON'T WANT TO SPLIT OFF ONE THING AT A TIME. SO GREAT PLAN. THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING IT. WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR BOARD MEMBER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS. I HAVE A QUESTION. I'M I'M CONCERNED WHEN WE LOOK THAT SLIDES FIVE AND SIX WHERE WE HAVE BAKER FIELD AND ROY WILLIAMS IS LOOKING AT THE ROY WILLIAMS IS ALREADY A 31 YEAR OLD BUILDING. AND WE HAVEN'T UP FOR A ROOF ON A 31 YEAR OLD BUILDING. WHEN WE KNOW THAT IN THAT ABERDEEN HAVE ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR, HOW DO WE PRIORITIZE, YOU KNOW, A SCHOOL I MEAN, WE'RE PUTTING THE MONEY INTO REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE IN A BUILDING THAT I WENT TO ROY WILLIAMS, YOU KNOW, SO I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT THE SCHOOL IS LIKE. WHEN I WENT THERE, I THOUGHT IT WAS GREAT. BUT 31 YEARS LATER, NOW IT I JUST THINK WE NEED A PLAN TO LOOK AT REPLACEMENTS, EVEN IF IT DOESN'T GO TO THE STATE. BUT WE NEED TO LOOK AT THESE PLANS OF WHERE WE PUT OUR ROOF. WE DON'T NEED A ROOF, WE NEED A SCHOOL. 
          WE RECENTLY COMPLETED AN HVAC SYSTEMIC PROJECT THERE. SO THAT IS NEWER. SO THAT FACILITY DOES NOT RATE AS HIGH ON THE STATE STANDARDS. WE HAVE FACILITIES THAT HAVE FAILING HVAC. WE HAVE THE ROOFS OF COURSE ARE AN IMPORTANT THING. THE PROGRAMS THE BUILDINGS ARE NOT MEETING THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT IN THE ABERDEEN HAVRE DE GRACE AREA. WE HAVE A LOT OF AGING FACILITIES THERE, ROY WILLIAMS, BUT SOME THAT HAVE REALLY HIGH SYSTEMIC NEEDS HAVE. DE GRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS ONE OF OUR OLDEST AND IN WORSE CONDITION, YOU KNOW, SYSTEMIC. AND FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SIDE, WE ALSO HAVE BAKER FIELD, WHICH HAS A LOT OF HIGH SYSTEMIC NEEDS. KNOWING THE GROWTH IN THE AREA AND WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, TRYING TO ALIGN AND ADDRESS THOSE NEEDS AND BE AS ECONOMICALLY EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE WHILE MEETING THOSE NEEDS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TRYING TO LOOK AT. THE COUNTY IS LOOKING TO IDENTIFY NEW PROPERTY FOR NEW SCHOOL. THERE ARE FURTHER DISCUSSIONS OF FURTHER ANNEXATION OF AREAS INTO ABERDEEN. WE YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY AWARE OF AND WE'RE LOOKING AT WE HAVE A LOT OF OLD SCHOOL CENTER IN OUR SYSTEM. AND I ASK YOU TO INCLUDE A SLIDE THAT IS THE AGE OF THE BUILDINGS. SURE. ADD THAT TO THE PRESENTATION SO WE CAN SEE I ACTUALLY I THINK I HAVE IT IN THE PLAN. IT'S ACTUALLY I THINK IT'S ABOUT 50 YEARS OLD IS 
          [02:40:03]
THE AVERAGE AGE OF OUR BUILDINGS CURRENTLY. SO THE 165 YEAR REPLACEMENT PLAN ON TOP OF THAT, NOW WE HAVE GONE IN TO, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE FACILITIES AND MORE RECENTLY HAVE USED THE LIMITED RENOVATIONS. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO GO IN AND FULLY GUT A BUILDING AND DO EVERYTHING, BUT THE LIMIT ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THOSE HIGHER NEEDS FOR THE EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM. TECH, WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION, WAS ORIGINALLY IDENTIFIED AS A SYSTEMIC. THE MORE WE TALKED, THE MORE THAT SOME OF THOSE OTHER NEEDS WERE IDENTIFIED. THEY HAVE A LOT OF PROGRAMS THERE, AND THE BUILDING WAS NOT MEETING THE PROGRAM NEEDS AND BEING ABLE TO GO IN AND UPDATE AND REFRESH A LOT OF THOSE SPACES, I THINK WILL TAKE IT A LONG WAY. IT'S NOT A NEW BUILDING. IT'S, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT BUILDING A NEW, NEW ONE. SO I JUST WHEN I SEE ALL THE ONES ON THAT ROUTE 40 CORRIDOR FROM ABERDEEN TO HAVRE DE GRACE DOWN ON THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST AND THE AGE OF THE BUILDINGS, I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB SELLING WHAT'S GOING ON? I WILL POINT OUT, AND I THINK CHRIS IS USUALLY THE PROPONENT, TO PUSH THIS AS AS CAPACITY BECOMES AN ISSUE, THOSE THAT WILL WAIT, SOME OF THOSE. SO IF WE BECOME OVER CAPACITY AND SOME OF THESE SCHOOLS AND ARE NOT ABLE TO BALANCE IT OUT THROUGH THE REDISTRICTING PROCESS, THOSE SCHOOLS WILL JUMP AND TRUMP. SO WE LOOK AT AND I BRING THAT UP TO INFORM. BUT ALSO WHEN WE LOOK AT OLD POST ROAD, WHICH HAS BEEN WE COMPLETED THE SCOPE STUDY FOR THAT IN 2009. AND IF, IF OUR CAPACITY, THAT'S HOW LONG IT'S BEEN WAITING TO GO FORWARD FOR REPLACEMENT. AND IT WAS RECOMMENDED THEN IN THE STATES, ALSO IDENTIFIED IT AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT BUT IF WE HAVE A CAPACITY PROBLEM IN AN AREA, THAT PROJECT WOULD TRUMP OVER ANYTHING ELSE. 
          THAT IS A SYSTEMIC TYPE OF THEY WAITED FROM 2009 TO NOW, AND THEY'RE JUST RECOGNIZING. SO ABERDEEN IS GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT WITH THIS OVERCAPACITY FOR ANOTHER 20 YEARS BEFORE THEY EVEN CONSIDER REPLACEMENT SCHOOL. AND WHEN WE'RE DOING THESE, WE'RE PUSHING A LOT OF THESE OTHER SYSTEMIC NEEDS DOWN. AND THAT'S WHERE WE GET A LOT OF THOSE FAILURES. SO WE USED TO DO A LOT MORE SYSTEMICALLY WITH STATE FUNDING. UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE FUNDING JUST DOESN'T COVER AS MUCH AS IT USED TO. AND THEN WE'RE ONLY GETTING THE LOCAL MATCH TO THOSE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE LARGE PROJECTS. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LARGE BUDGET NUMBERS. SO WHEN WE'RE ONLY GETTING THAT LOCAL MATCH, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE SYSTEMIC NEEDS. SO THAT'S THAT'S OUR CONCERN. THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS WHEN WE GET THE NOTICES FOR OKAY. SOME SCHOOLS WATER WENT OUT THAT DAY AND HAD TO BE FIXED. I GUESS THE STUDENTS HAD TO GO HOME. DO THOSE THOSE REPORTS, THOSE REAL INCIDENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING TO THOSE AFFECT, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'RE PRESENTING HERE. SO IF AND YEAH. SO BASICALLY WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS IT'S THE OVERALL CONDITION. IT DOES. SO WHEN WE PUT TOGETHER OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM WE TAKE A LOT OF THIS IS FROM WHAT THE STATE SAYS. YOU KNOW WHEN THEY GO INTO OUR BUILDINGS AND THEY DO THEIR EVALUATION, BUT WE MEET WITH OUR FACILITIES FOLKS TO KIND OF GO THROUGH. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING'S OLDER DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT IT'S FAILING MORE OFTEN. SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION. UNFORTUNATELY, THE CAPITAL CYCLE ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT, IT TAKES A LOT LONGER TO GET INTO QUEUE TO GET REPLACEMENT. AND YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A TWO YEAR CYCLE ONCE THE NEEDS ARE IDENTIFIED. SO FOR THOSE ISSUES THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, PJ'S GROUP, THEY DO AN AMAZING JOB OF BAND AIDING OUR FACILITIES TO MAKE THEM LAST SO THAT WE CAN GET THE KIDS BACK INTO SCHOOL. 
          AND LET ME JUST SAY SOMETHING. SO YES, THAT'S TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, BUT ALSO THE REASON BEHIND IT. SO SOMETIMES IT COULD BE SOMETHING LIKE THERE IS A POWER OUTAGE, WHICH WOULDN'T NECESSARILY IMPACT WHY WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT THAT. BUT YES, IN THE WORK ORDER SYSTEM THAT'S REVIEWED, EVERYTHING'S REVIEWED IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PUT FORWARD, YOU KNOW, FOR WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE WORST CONDITION. OKAY. THANK YOU. IT KIND OF GOES ALONG WITH THIS. GOING BACK TO KIND MISS MISS BRUCE'S QUESTION, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AFFORDABLE TO DO A REPLACEMENT SCHOOL. AND THE STATE'S NOT GOING TO SUPPORT THE LOCALS NOT GOING TO SUPPORT IT. 
          WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE INVENTORY AND WE TRY TO PUT THE MONEY AS WE GET MONEY IN THE PLACES THAT IT NEEDS IT THE MOST, KNOWING THAT YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A REPLACEMENT SCHOOL. SO GEORGE LISBY AND ROY WILLIAMS, ALL THOSE PROJECTS GOT MAJOR HVAC SYSTEMICS. SO HAD WE NOT DONE THAT, YOU'D HAVE MORE CLOSURES, YOU'D HAVE MORE ISSUES. NOT ONLY WHEN WE DID THOSE SCHOOLS. WE 
          [02:45:01]
DON'T. NOTHING IS JUST DONE IN KIND ANYMORE THERE. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T JUST REPLACE THINGS IN KIND THAT, THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN FOR TWO DECADES. WHEN YOU GO IN, YOU LOOK AT WHAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE FOR THIS FACILITY WITHIN THIS BUDGET OR WHATEVER. AND WE LOOK AT THE WHOLE GAMUT. WE LOOK AT YOU THERMAL, WE LOOK AT THE RF, WE LOOK AT VALVES AND DIFFERENT SYSTEMS, AND WE WEIGH ALL THAT. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHEN WE MADE OUR CHOICES AND DECISIONS AS A GROUP. THERE WERE CHILLERS THAT WERE LIKE 3 OR 4 YEARS OLD ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS THAT WERE NOT OUT OF DATE, BUT WASN'T GOING TO DRIVE THE DECISION OF THE BUILDING, THAT ONE PIECE, BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE WAS AGED AND OUTDATED AND ANTIQUATED, AND WE ACTUALLY SALVAGED THEM AND PUT THEM ON A TRAILER, AND WE UTILIZE THEM WHEN WE HAVE CHILLERS THAT GO DOWN. WE DID THAT ON OUR OWN BECAUSE TO RUN A CHILLER, IT'S $30,000 JUST TO GET IT THERE. AND IT'S ANOTHER, I DON'T KNOW, 30 A MONTH TO RENT. AND THEN YOU GOT TO LOCATE IT, YOU GOT TO FIND IT AND YOU GOT TO SIZE IT. RIGHT. AND SO AT LEAST WE HAD THE FORETHOUGHT. WE HAVE TWO SALVAGED AIR COOLED CHILLERS SITTING ON THAT HAVE SAVED US MULTIPLE TIMES. SO WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY IS WE DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH THE MONEY THAT WE'RE GIVEN. NO DOUBT THAT'S WHAT I'M REALLY COMING BACK TO, NO DOUBT WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE OLD HARFORD ACADEMY ONCE WE BUILD THE NEW ONE. SO THERE'S A LOT OF DISCUSSION. THAT BUILDING, IT'S LIMITED. IT IS LIMITED IN THE CAPACITY BECAUSE IT IS WE ARE IT'S NOT A PUBLIC UTILITY. SO I THINK 308 IS THE TOTAL NUMBER THAT THAT BUILDING CAN HAVE ACCORDING TO OUR PERMITS. SO THE USE IS KIND OF LIMITED BY THAT. WE ARE LOOKING AT SPECIAL EDUCATION AND KIND OF THAT REGIONAL PROGRAMING IN THAT AREA, BECAUSE IT IS CENTRALLY LOCATED IN, IN THE COUNTY, AND WE CAN PROVIDE SOME OF THOSE EARLY LEARNER EXPERIENCES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THAT CENTRAL LOCATION. BUT THERE'S FINAL DECISIONS. WE HAVE A WHILE TO GET THERE. YOU'RE LOOKING AT WE STILL USE THAT IN SOME CAPACITY, SWAN CREEK WEST SAY THAT AGAIN. 
          SWAN CREEK, WEST. SWAN ANOTHER CENTRAL. CENTRAL CENTRAL. THERE YOU GO. ANOTHER IDEA IN YOUR BUCKET. YEAH. THANK YOU. GOOD PRESENTATION. SO THAT BEING SAID, JUST ONE MORE POINT ON THE HARFORD ACADEMY. IT DOES HAVE ITS OWN NEEDS. AND THAT'S WHY THE PROJECT WAS JUSTIFIED. ALSO WE COULD NOT RENOVATE WITH THAT POPULATION IN THE BUILDING. BUT WHATEVER DECISIONS ARE MADE, WHAT WILL REMAIN AT THAT BUILDING AND WHAT FUTURE NEEDS IT MIGHT SERVE, IT WILL REQUIRE A CAPITAL PROJECT TO DO THE PROPER MODIFICATIONS FOR WHATEVER WOULD REMAIN THERE. IS THAT IN YOUR. BUCKET IN THERE? YEAH. IT'S. ON THE OUT YEAR. I WILL SAY THAT WAS KIND OF DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A STUDENT POPULATION. SO IT WAS AS MUCH AS THE NEEDS ARE THERE. ONCE THE STUDENTS ARE OUT WE'RE FOCUSED ON THAT. SO I'M LOOKING AT ALL THESE ROOF REPLACEMENTS YOU HAVE LISTED HERE. AND I'M THINKING TRASH CANS, YOU KNOW, BUYING A LOT OF BIG TREES. THERE WAS A TIME THERE WAS A EDGEWOOD, THE OLD EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. THERE WAS JUST TRASH CANS EVERYWHERE SCATTERED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING AND ABERDEEN MIDDLE UNTIL WE DID THAT. WE'RE PAST. 
          THANK GOD WE'RE NOT THERE ANYMORE. I'M JUST WE HAD BEEN AT ONE TIME. I KNOW YOU GUYS DO AN AMAZING JOB AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION. I'M NOT GOING TO KEEP THIS GOING. OH, GOOD. 
          GREAT JOB. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO WE'LL SEE YOU BACK. SO WHAT IS THE ASK. IS IT IN TWO WEEKS OR WHEN IS IT TWO WEEKS. WE'LL BE IN. THE ASK IS TO APPROVE THE PLAN CORRECT. 
          YEAH. BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SUBMIT IT BY JULY 1ST. GOT IT. THANK YOU MUCH. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. 
          [E. Decision on Proposed Board Policy 02-0037-000 Student Backpack/Bag Use, Dr. Aaron Poynton, Board President]
ROUNDING THIRD HERE. LET'S MOVE ON. SO OKAY. TWO FINAL PIECES. SO ITEM E DECISION ON PROPOSED BOARD POLICY 020037 STUDENT BACKPACK BAG USE. SO JUST FOR SOME HISTORY HERE WE HAD A BACKPACK POLICY. AND THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE A BACKPACK POLICY OVER COVID I BELIEVE IT WAS RETRACTED. IT WAS IT WAS. RESCINDED. RESCINDED NOT RETRACTED I MEAN IT WAS IT WAS DONE BUT WE KILLED IT OKAY. SO WE KILLED IT. OBVIOUSLY WE'RE PAST COVID NOW. WE PUSHED THIS OUT, I GUESS, A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO IN IN ONE FORM. AND THEN THERE WAS SOME PUBLIC FEEDBACK AND SOME BOARD DISCUSSION ABOUT MAYBE ALTERING IT TO MAKE BACKPACKS TRANSPARENT, SORT OF FOR EVERYONE, I THINK. IS ANYBODY HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS OR YOU WANT YOU WANT TO COME UP BECAUSE WE MIGHT JUST NEED YOU FOR PART OF THE DISCUSSION. AND SO WE RECEIVED SOME FEEDBACK AND 
          [02:50:03]
HAD SOME BOARD DISCUSSION AND THOUGHT IT WAS SORT OF IN THE BEST INTEREST AT THIS POINT TO GO BACK TO WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PUSHED OUT THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WHICH IS IN THE FORM THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE WAS AN ERROR. DID WE ACCIDENTALLY POST THE WRONG ONE? WAS THERE SOME CONCERN OVER THAT THAT'S BEEN FIXED NOW, RIGHT. SO THAT'S WHY THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT PEOPLE TONIGHT AT PUBLIC COMMENT, SPEAKING ABOUT THE TRANSPARENT PIECE. EVEN WHEN THAT HAD BEEN REMOVED. OKAY. GOT IT. SO ANYWAY, WHAT WE WOULD BE VOTING ON THIS EVENING WOULD BE THE INITIAL ONE THAT WAS PUSHED OUT BEFORE WE MADE THE AMENDMENT FOR THE TRANSPARENT BACKPACKS FOR ALL STUDENTS. I THINK THE DOWNSIDE OF THAT IS, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THAT WAS TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO HAVE BACKPACKS TO CARRY A LOT OF THEIR STUFF, THEIR LAPTOPS AND THEIR STUFF THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL DURING THE DAY BECAUSE CURRENTLY THEY CAN'T DO THAT, RIGHT. THEY GO TO SCHOOL, THEY PUT THEIR BACKPACKS IN THEIR LOCKER, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO KIND OF CARRY EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW, AROUND LIKE THIS ALL DAY AND HOPE THAT YOU DON'T DROP YOUR LAPTOP. RIGHT. AND SO BUT THERE WERE A LOT OF A LOT OF LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES, COST ISSUES, QUALITY ISSUES WITH EVERYTHING. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE AND WE DON'T NEED TO PUSH IT BACK OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BECAUSE WE ALREADY DID THAT. THE FIRST TIME IS TO APPROVE THE BACKPACK POLICY AS IT WAS PUSHED OUT THE FIRST TIME. THE TRANSPARENT PIECE IS GONE. THERE'S PROS AND CONS TO THAT. OBVIOUSLY, I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY ISSUE, BUT THAT'S BEEN REMOVED AND WE CAN ALWAYS EVALUATE WHETHER OR NOT WE WANT TO DO TRANSPARENT BACKPACKS AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. SO THERE WE ARE. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, PRESIDENT BOYNTON, FOR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER THE SUMMARY OF ALL THE COMMENTS AND, YOU KNOW, DOING THE UPDATES AND STUFF. I THINK WE ALL LEARNED A LOT IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS. AND I THINK THE POLICIES IN IT IN A MUCH BETTER POSITION. IT'S SIMPLER. I THINK IT'S CLEAR, YOU KNOW. SO THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND THANK YOU TO YOU AS WELL. VERY WELCOME. ANYTHING ELSE? YEAH. ONE QUESTION. ONE SAYS AT THE TOP OF PAGE TWO, PRINCIPALS HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GRANT EXCEPTIONS TO STUDENT BACKPACK BAG USE POLICY. IF A STUDENT WANTED TO BRING A TRANSPARENT BAG AND CARRY THAT THROUGHOUT THE DAY, WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING THAT THAT SENTENCE COULD COVER? NO. EXCEPTIONS ARE USUALLY DONE FOR MEDICAL REASONS. SO JUST AS A GENERAL RULE, WE REALLY WENT BACK TO THE SIMPLICITY OF THE POLICY. KIDS CAN BRING BACKPACKS OF WHATEVER KIND, AND THEY'RE TO BE STORED IN LOCKERS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. MOST OF THE TIME, EXCEPTIONS ARE GIVEN FOR MEDICAL REASONS. COULD BE TEMPORARY. 
          KIDS ON ON CRUTCHES CARRIES A BACKPACK, BACKPACK WHILE THEY'RE ON CRUTCHES, AND THEN THAT IS TAKEN AWAY ONCE THEY'RE OFF CRUTCHES. FOR SOME STUDENTS, IT'S ALL YEAR AND THEY HAVE A MEDICAL EXEMPTION. SOME REASON WHY, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, OTHER THAN THAT, BACKPACKS WILL BE IN THE LOCKERS DURING THE SCHOOL DAY. YEAH. I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO BRING A TRANSPARENT ONE, YOU CAN IF YOU WANT TO BE COOL OR DIFFERENT. BUT THERE'S NO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN STILL DO IT. I JUST THOUGHT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A COOL SENTENCE TO ADD THAT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO CARRY A TRANSPARENT BACKPACK, YOU COULD. IT BECOMES A MANDATE. IT PROBABLY BECOMES A. ISSUE. 
          SAFETY ISSUE. WELL ENFORCEMENT TOO. OKAY, LIKE I SAID, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE END OF IT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO PUT SOMETHING IN PLACE BEFORE THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND YES, BUT THIS IS, I THINK, A GOOD COMPROMISE. SO MY QUESTION IS, IF THIS GOES BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ONE, WHY DO WE HAVE THESE SENTENCES IN HERE ABOUT NONTRANSPARENT BAGS? I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT, YOU KNOW. SURE, SURE. AND WE TRY TO MIMIC IT TO OUR ATHLETICS POLICY THAT IF STUDENTS CARRY THINK OF IT ALMOST LIKE A PENCIL CASE, RIGHT? THAT IF I'M BRINGING THAT SOMETIMES PEOPLE HAVE MEDICAL SUPPLIES, DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY MAY CARRY. WE DID MIMIC THAT AFTER OUR ATHLETICS POLICY, WHERE WE DO ALLOW NONTRANSPARENT SMALL BAGS INTO OUR GAMES. SO IF YOU THINK OF IT KIND OF LIKE A PENCIL CASE THAT, THAT SORT OF THING, STUDENTS CAN CARRY THAT THROUGH THE DAY, BUT NOT NOT A BACKPACK PER SE. SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE TWO HIGH SCHOOLS NOW THAT ARE CURRENTLY USING THE CLEAR BACKPACKS. IS THAT CORRECT? WE DO. AND SO WHAT IS THE PLAN? COME SCHOOL YEAR? THAT REQUIREMENT JUST GOES AWAY. FOR THOSE TWO SCHOOLS IT DOES OKAY. 
          YEP. NO BAGS. LET'S SEE IF THERE'S A MY QUESTION IS WILL THIS POLICY THEN BE ENFORCED ACROSS THE BOARD AT ALL SCHOOLS EQUALLY. YEAH THAT'S CORRECT. KEEP IT DOWN. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          [02:55:01]
BUT THIS IS NOT THE POLICY THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL POLICY DIDN'T HAVE THOSE THINGS ABOUT NONTRANSPARENT BAGS. SO MY CONFUSION IS WHERE DO WE COME UP WITH THE 520 2002 ON HERE? BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE SAME. IT'S NOT THE SAME AS THE ONE THAT WE REPEALED DURING COVID. IT'S A LITTLE MORE SPECIFIC BECAUSE. WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF GRAY AREA WERE THINGS LIKE STRING BAGS. IS THIS A BACKPACK? IS IT NOT A BACKPACK? WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THIS POLICY, IT FEELS MORE ENFORCEABLE. IT FEELS VERY CLEAR WHEN WE PUT IT IN FOR ATHLETICS, IT IT WORKED PRETTY WELL. AND FAMILIES REALLY JUST KIND OF GOT ON BOARD. YOU GO TO ORIOLE, ORIOLE PARK, IT'S THE SAME KIND OF THING. SO WHAT I DO LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S A LITTLE CLEARER TO WHAT I THINK SCHOOLS ACTUALLY EXPERIENCE THAN WHAT WE PREVIOUSLY HAD. SO, SO THIS BUT THIS IS WHAT WENT OUT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS EXACT WITH THE NON TRANSPARENT BAGS AND STUFF. THIS IS WHAT WENT OUT FOR. SO WE'VE DONE IT TWICE. SO THE FIRST TIME IT WENT OUT TO PUBLIC COMMENT VERY SIMILAR TO THIS SIMILAR I THINK IT'S I WOULD CALL IT NON-SUBSTANTIVE IN MY OPINION. 
          OKAY. THERE MIGHT BE A COUPLE LITTLE LANGUAGE THINGS, BUT IT WAS, WHEREAS THE ESSENCE OF IT WAS BASICALLY THE SAME. I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT, WE'RE SAYING ADOPTION EFFECTIVE DATE FIVE 2020. YEAH. WHY DO WE HAVE THAT DATE TWO? THAT'S WHAT'S CONFUSING. THE ADOPTION DATE WOULD BE TODAY. THAT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER, RIGHT. WELL, I THINK THAT WAS WHEN IT FIRST CAME INTO PLACE. THAT'S WHEN WE HAD THE FIRST BAG POLICY. THAT'S THIS ISN'T A MOTION. I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE A PLACE IN OUR POLICY HEADER TO PUT THE DATE OF THE DOCUMENT THAT AS DRAFTED, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION AROUND WHAT DRAFT, WHAT VERSION WE'RE LOOKING AT. WELL, I DON'T HAVE TO SAY DRAFT AND THEY'RE ALL FIVE AND THEY'RE ALL DIFFERENT THOUSAND TWO. WE DON'T NEED A MOTION FOR THAT. WE CAN WE CAN JUST DO IT. BUT WHAT'S WHAT'S THE QUESTION HERE? IS IT WHAT ARE WE APPROVING THIS TONIGHT. WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO APPROVE TONIGHT. ONLINE. YEAH. SO WHAT'S ONLINE? WHICH IS A HARD COPY IF YOU COPY. THIS IS WHAT'S ONLINE. 
          YEAH, BUT IT'S STILL 520 2002. THAT WAS THE LAST TIME THAT THE BOARD TOOK ANY ACTION AS A BOARD TO PUT THIS IN PLACE. SO THIS WAS IN PLACE FROM THEN UNTIL, WHAT, 2021, 2021 WHENEVER WE WENT BACK TO SCHOOL. SO IF THE BOARD TAKES ACTION TONIGHT AND APPROVES THIS, THEN THAT DATE WILL BE TODAY'S DATE. BUT THAT SO WE'RE REPLACING IT AND IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME POLICY NUMBER. WHY ARE WE USING THAT DATE. THE POLICY NUMBER STAYS THE SAME. YEAH. YES. YEAH. SO WE'RE USING UPDATE. UPDATE IS DOWN IN HERE THE HEADER AND FOOTER INFORMATION. SO IF YOU LOOK AT IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST PAGE WHERE IT HAS POLICY ACTION DATES. AGAIN THIS IS INCORRECT BECAUSE THIS SAYS THIS WAS ADOPTED AND THIS WASN'T THE ONE THAT WAS ADOPTED. THIS HAS BEEN CHANGED. BUT YOU'RE SAYING IT'S NON-SUBSTANTIVE. BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THE DATES THAT WOULD TRACK ANY CHANGES. ACTUALLY, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, WHAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. I DIDN'T DO IT. SINCE THIS WAS KILLED OVER COVID, WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE JUST STARTED OVER WITH THE NEW POLICY. NO ADOPTION DATE? YES. AND A NEW POLICY NUMBER. THAT'S IT. AND THAT'S IF WE WANT TO PUT A NEW POLICY NUMBER. THE ADOPTION DATE WILL BE THE DATE THAT THE BOARD VOTES ON IT, WHICH WILL BE TODAY. WE CAN CHANGE THE POLICY NUMBER. 
          ACTUALLY WE PROBABLY SHOULD DO THAT. SO THERE'S NO CONFUSION BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME ACCESSIBLE OLD POLICIES THAT CAN COME UP. SO LET'S JUST COME UP WITH A NEW POLICY NUMBER FOR IT. WHATEVER'S NEXT IN THE QUEUE WITH TODAY'S DATE. BUT LET'S JUST FOCUS ON APPROVING THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT'S IN THERE. THIS IS AN ADMINISTRATIVE ISSUE. SO AGAIN I'LL ASK IF THERE'S ANY, ANY QUESTIONS ON THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT'S IN THE POLICY. OKAY. THEN I'LL ACCEPT A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE POLICY. MOTION TO APPROVE THE POLICY. SECOND THIS IS MELISSA I SECOND OKAY. THERE WAS ALREADY A SECOND, WHICH I THINK WAS FOR THE RECORD, TERRY. NOT THAT IT MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES. IF THERE ANY OPPOSED PLEASE SAY NO. IF THERE ARE ANY ABSTENTIONS PLEASE SAY ABSTENTION. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THE MOTION PASSES. THANK YOU. JUST MAKE SURE WE GOT A COMMUNICATION PLAN ON ALL THIS. AND THIS WILL GO INTO EFFECT OBVIOUSLY. NOW NEXT SCHOOL YEAR NEXT SEPTEMBER. YES, SEPTEMBER. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OKAY. SO. IT'S SIMILAR BUT A BIT DIFFERENT. WE'RE GOING 
          [F. Decision on Proposed Revisions to Board Policy 06-0005-000 Portable Communication Devices, Dr. Aaron Poynton, Board President]
TO MOVE ON TO ITEM F. ARE YOU STICKING UP HERE FOR THIS ONE TOO OKAY. ALL RIGHT. DECISION ON 
          [03:00:06]
PROPOSED REVISIONS TO BOARD POLICY 06-0005 PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICES. THIS IS ONE WHERE IT WASN'T KILLED. WE'RE JUST AMENDING IT SO THE POLICY NUMBER CAN STAY THE SAME. 
          AND IF PASSED BY THE BOARD TONIGHT, THE ADOPTION DATE WOULD BE TODAY. OKAY. SO THIS WAS BASED ON FEEDBACK. ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS DOES ESSENTIALLY ALL THIS DOES IS IT PUTS THE SAME POLICY IN PLACE FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE IN PLACE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY BELL TO BELL. CELL PHONES ARE OUT OF YOUR HANDS IN YOUR LOCKER SO THAT YOU CAN FOCUS ON LEARNING. WE RECEIVED. SO I WILL SAY THAT WHEN THIS POLICY WENT INTO PLACE, OF COURSE YOU RECEIVE FEEDBACK ON BOTH SIDES. BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT MOST OF THE FEEDBACK WAS VERY POSITIVE, INCLUDING AS WELL ON THE DISCIPLINARY FRONT, WHICH WE WERE BRIEFED ON A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. SO AGAIN, THIS RIGHT HERE JUST KIND OF CHANGES HIGH SCHOOL TO BE MIDDLE SCHOOL, BECAUSE THERE WERE ISSUES WITH ONE ENFORCEMENT, TWO CONSISTENCY. AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW I WAS ON SEVERAL HIGH SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, TOURS AND I'M WALKING AROUND AND PEOPLE JUST CAN'T HELP THEMSELVES. YOU KNOW, IF YOUR CELL PHONE IS GOING TO BE IN YOUR POCKET, YOU'RE GOING TO REACH FOR IT. WE ONLY HAVE STUDENTS. FOR WHAT? WHAT'S WORTH HOW MANY HOURS? WE HAVE STUDENTS A DAY, FIVE, SIX OF INSTRUCTION, SIX AND A HALF, 6.5 HOURS OF INSTRUCTION. WE DON'T HAVE THEM FOR A LOT OF TIME. THEY NEED TO BE FOCUSED. RIGHT. AND IT'S JUST SO HARD. IT'S ALSO GOING TO BE A HUGE RELIEF, I THINK, ON THE EDUCATORS WHO RIGHT NOW HAVE THE BURDEN OF ENFORCEMENT. SO I'M A STRONG PROPONENT OF THIS CHANGE AND WELCOME ANY BOARD DISCUSSION ON THIS CHANGE, WHICH ALSO WOULD GO INTO EFFECT NEXT SCHOOL YEAR, OBVIOUSLY. OKAY, SO ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO, I GUESS I WAS OVER AT FALLSTON HIGH SCHOOL AND IN THEIR TECH CLASS, THEY WERE USING THE CELL PHONES TO DO PROGRAMING TO USE THEIR LITTLE CARS THAT THEY I MEAN, IT WAS REALLY COOL. THEY HAD OBSTACLE COURSES AND THEY PROGRAMED THEIR CARS USING THEIR CELL PHONE AND THEN HAD THE CARS RUN THE COURSES AND STUFF. AND IT WAS A GREAT PROJECT AND THEY HAD A LOT OF FUN DOING IT. I ALSO KNOW CLASSES THAT USE LIKE KAHOOT TO PLAY FOR REVIEW, FOR TESTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, AND THE STUDENTS LOVE IT. THEY HAVE A LOT OF FUN DOING IT. I HAVE ISSUE WITH THEM NOT BEING ABLE TO USE A PHONE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES. SO ACTUALLY I THINK IT'S ACTUALLY OKAY. SO IF YOU LOOK AT PAGE THREE POLICY UNDER THE HIGH SCHOOL SECTION OF THE HIGH SCHOOL, I CAN'T HEAR WADE COMMENTS. I'M NOT SURE IF IT'S MY MIC ON ONE SECOND. SORRY. I'M SORRY. HERE, HERE HERE WE GO. SO I BELIEVE WHAT DOCTOR MUELLER IS REFERENCING IS COVERED IN ON PAGE THREE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM. HIGH SCHOOL APOLOGIZE. I THOUGHT THAT AARON SAID THAT IT WAS THE SAME AS THE MIDDLE SCHOOL POLICY, AND THEREFORE I WAS CONFUSED. I APOLOGIZE THAT PROVISION IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL AS WELL. IT DOESN'T. IT IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE DIFFERENT. OKAY. WE WROTE IT JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT. SO IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL YOU PUT IT IN YOUR LOCKER AT THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY AND YOU CANNOT ACCESS IT UNTIL DISMISSAL. THE HIGH SCHOOL, IF YOU NOTICE THE LANGUAGE IT SAYS DURING CLASS TIME, AND THERE IS A PROVISION IN THERE FOR IF IT IF IT IS REALLY USED FOR A BONA FIDE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSE. AND THERE REALLY ARE SOME OF THOSE. SO IT WILL FEEL A LITTLE DIFFERENT. YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES HIGH SCHOOL KIDS LIKE TO USE IT IN THE CAFETERIA. YOU MAY SEE A HIGH SCHOOL KID ACTUALLY HAVE IT, LIKE GO AND CHECK THEIR PHONE WHILE THEY GO TO THEIR LOCKER AND PICK UP BOOKS. AND SO WE WEREN'T REALLY THINKING THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL KIDS WOULDN'T BE ALLOWED TO DO THOSE THINGS. SO WE DID WRITE IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT. IT WILL FEEL A LITTLE DIFFERENT BETWEEN OUR MIDDLE AND OUR HIGH. WE REALLY CELEBRATE THE FACT OF HOW FAR WE DID COME THIS YEAR. THIS WAS THE RIGHT POLICY THE SCHOOLS WORKED SO HARD TO IMPLEMENT, AND IT WAS NEVER PERFECT AND IT WAS NEVER PERFECT. BUT WE DO BELIEVE THAT THIS IS THE RIGHT NEXT STEP, TAKING ESPECIALLY YOUR HIGH SCHOOLS, TAKING THE PHONES OUT OF THE KIDS HANDS. I THINK YOU GUYS ARE RIGHT ON POINT. WE FEEL LIKE IT'S FLEXIBLE ENOUGH, BUT ENFORCEABLE ENOUGH TO. IF THE KIDS CAN'T BRING THEM TO CLASS, IT'S GOING TO BE MUCH MORE EASY TO ENFORCE THAN IF THEY'RE HIDING IT. YOU KNOW, HIGH SCHOOL KIDS ARE REALLY GOOD AT HIDING THEIR PHONE, AND WE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT THAT THIS YEAR. SO AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THIS IS THE PERFECT POLICY EITHER. BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY GOOD. AND I THINK IT'S A GOOD NEXT STEP TO REALLY GET KIDS FOCUSED. NOW, I APPRECIATE THAT. I WAS JUST 
          [03:05:03]
CONCENTRATING ON AARON SAYING IT WAS THE SAME. AND SO NOW THAT YOU POINTED OUT THAT IT'S DIFFERENT, I'M FINE. I'M FINE. GOOD. GOOD POINT. THERE IS THERE ARE SOME PROVISIONS IN THERE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO USE IT AT A CERTAIN TIME. SO DO WE HAVE TO FILM ANOTHER VIDEO AGAIN? DO WE. 
          BECAUSE I WANT AN AWARD FOR THA. NOW WE GOT TO REDO THE WHOLE THING. THE VIDEO WOULD BE NOT REQUIRED NOW. SO BUT IT WAS A GREAT VIDEO SHOOT. THE LAST PART OF IT. WHAT DO YOU THINK? I THINK IT'S I MEAN, I PERSONALLY YOU'RE LEAVING ANYWAY. YEAH, I GUESS SO. YEAH, I PERSONALLY LIKE IT JUST BECAUSE I'VE SEEN THE IMPACTS IN THE CLASSROOM. I KNOW A LOT OF STUDENTS AREN'T NECESSARILY FOND OF IT. AND AGAIN, THERE LIES THE QUESTION OF THAT SAFETY CONCERN. BUT I THINK THAT STATEMENT COMES WITH A LOT OF NEGLECT OF WHAT WE'RE DOING AS OUR PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES, WHICH I DON'T BLAME BECAUSE THE PUBLIC CAN'T NECESSARILY KNOW EVERYTHING THAT WE DO FOR SAFETY MEASURES. BUT PERSONALLY, I, I SUPPORT IT AND I DO SEE THAT IT'S GOING TO BE MORE EFFECTIVE BECAUSE JUST AS YOU WERE SAYING, IF THERE'S A PHONE IN MY PRESENCE, I'M GOING TO TAP THE SCREEN TO SEE IF SOMEONE MESSAGED, MAYBE GET A LITTLE EXCITED, PEEK AT IT. YOU KNOW, THE USUAL ROUTINE THAT STUDENTS GO THROUGH. SO I THINK THIS IS GOOD AND NOT 100% REMOVING IT FROM THE CLASSROOM, IF IT INVOLVES THE EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, IS A GOOD WAY TO APPROACH THIS. I ADMINISTRATIVELY ON THE BACK IT HAS, YOU KNOW, THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE REFERENCE. KATIE RIDGEWAY AND WE NEED KATIE TITLE. WRONG. WE GOT WELL WE NEED TO JUST TIGHTEN UP THESE KINDS OF THINGS. WHEN THEY PUT YOU IN CHARGE, WE'LL PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF THAT. WELL, OKAY, I'M TELLING YOU, I'LL CHECK IT. 
          ALRIGHT. WE'LL MAKE THAT. WE'LL, WE'LL GIVE KATIE'S A I MEAN IS IT NEEDED. WE HAVE TO. IT'S NOT CONSISTENT ON ALL OF THESE BECAUSE. BECAUSE I THINK SOME OF THEM IT JUST SAYS DOCTOR BOLSON APPROVED IT AND THAT'S ALL. THEY DON'T HAVE ANY RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE. IT SHOULD PROBABLY BE THERE. RESPONSIBLE PEOPLE ANYWAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. I THINK THIS IS RIGHT FOR A VOTE. SO LET'S GET A MOTION IN A SECOND TO APPROVE THE POLICY. 060005 REVISIONS TO CELL PHONE. 
          I'M SORRY. IT'S ACTUALLY PORTABLE COMMUNICATION DEVICES. THIS IS. THANK YOU. MELISSA AND I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE. OH, I, I SECOND OKAY, I DON'T THINK WE NEED A ROLL CALL VOTE, DO WE? OKAY. ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY YES. YES, YES YES. THERE. ANY OPPOSED? PLEASE SAY NO. ANY ABSTENTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK. POLICY PASSES. OKAY, LAST BUT NOT 
          [G. Superintendent's Report]
LEAST, SUPERINTENDENT REPORT. ALL RIGHT, SO I'LL MOVE TO THE TOP HERE. DOCTOR POINTON JUST SHARED THAT OUR FANTASTIC VIDEO DID WIN AN AWARD FOR THE NATIONAL SCHOOL PUBLIC RELATIONS ASSOCIATION. THIS IS THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE HONOR IN THE CATEGORY AWARDED BY NSPRI. SO IT HAD TO BE. WHAT'S THAT VIDEO? THE CELL PHONE VIDEO. CELL PHONE VIDEO. SMART STUDENTS, NOT SMARTPHONES. 
          AND IT REALLY HAD A LOT TO DO WITH THE FANTASTIC ACTING THAT OCCURRED. IT WAS THE CAST. IT WAS ALL ABOUT THE CAST. NO, IT WAS WELL DONE. AND OF COURSE, OUR OUR, OUR STUDENT LEADER IN THAT ONE REALLY KILLED IT. SO ANYHOW, ONE ANNOUNCEMENT I JUST WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ON WE ARE AND THIS IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT MAY HAVE LONG TERM IMPACTS. OUR KINDERGARTEN REGISTRATIONS FOR NEXT YEAR ARE DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY FOR THE COMPARABLE TIME. AND THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS CONTRIBUTING TO THAT. ONE IS WE KNOW THAT FIVE YEARS AGO THE BIRTH RATE WAS ACTUALLY LOWER A LITTLE BIT. SO THERE'S POSSIBILITY THAT THIS HAS SORT OF MEDIUM TO LONG TERM IMPACT ON US IN TERMS OF ENROLLMENT AND DOWN THE ROAD FUNDING. BUT WE ALSO DON'T KNOW IF THERE ARE JUST A LOT MORE KINDERGARTEN FAMILIES OUT THERE JUST NOT ENROLLING AS QUICKLY AS WE NEED THEM TO. SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF, WHETHER YOU'RE MAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS IN YOUR CHURCH OR OUT IN THE COMMUNITY OR WHEREVER YOU HAPPEN TO BE, MAKE SURE YOU KNOW YOU'RE POINTING PEOPLE TOWARD THAT KINDERGARTEN ENROLLMENT BECAUSE IT WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US, PARTICULARLY WITH, YOU KNOW, THE MODIFICATIONS WE'VE MADE TO STAFFING THIS YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE TIGHT IN A LOT OF PLACES. YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE ENROLLING. SO ANY HELP YOU CAN GIVE THAT AS AN INDIVIDUAL OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WOULD BE GREAT. ALSO, A QUICK THANK YOU TO OUR COLLABORATION BETWEEN OUR FACILITIES PLANNING AND CONSTRUCTION TEAM. THEY WERE HERE, SOME OF THEM PRESENTING TONIGHT WORKING WITH THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. THEY DID DEMOLISH THE STRUCTURE. THAT IS WHERE WE'LL BE PUTTING THE NEW HARTFORD ACADEMY AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THERE WAS A KIND OF A LEFTOVER BUILDING THERE THAT APPARENTLY HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. SO THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD START. NOW WE NEED TO BUILD 
          [03:10:06]
SOMETHING. SO WITH THAT SAID, I'LL LEAVE MY REPORT THERE AND WE'LL SEE YOU IN A COUPLE WEEKS. 
          [Future Meetings Review]
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE NEXT BOARD MEETING WILL BE
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.