[ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Lynn Gray: GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. THIS IS THURSDAY. JUST TO REMIND YOU, IT'S NOT TUESDAY. TUESDAY IS OUR NORMAL WORKSHOP DAY. WE HAVE FOUR BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT, AND WITH MEMBER HAHN ON HER WAY. OH, WE HAVE FIVE. OH, GOOD MORNING, MEMBER SNIVELY. SO JUST MEMBER HAHN IS ON HER WAY AND MEMBER VAUGHN IS ON THE TEAMS, AND WE ARE GOING TO BEGIN WITH A FEW REMARKS, BUT I'M GOING TO START FIRST WITH SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. THIS BOARD MEETING WORKSHOP, THAT IS, REGARDS POLICIES. SO WE WILL BE EXTREMELY BUSY, BUSY PACKED SCHEDULE TODAY. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, WOULD YOU MIND SAYING A FEW WORDS OF WELCOME?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THANK YOU, MRS. GRAY. WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TOGETHER TODAY TO REALLY TALK ABOUT POLICIES THAT STRENGTHEN OUR WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I APPRECIATE THE BOARD BRINGING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US AND STAFF TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT AS WELL. YOU SEE THE STAFF HAS BROUGHT A NUMBER OF POLICIES THAT WE BELIEVE WILL STRENGTHEN OUR ALIGNMENT TO STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS AND CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE PROTECT THE WORKING CONDITIONS OF OUR EMPLOYEES, AT THE SAME TOKEN, BEING ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR BEING ABLE TO HELP CHILDREN EVERY SINGLE DAY EXCEL. SO OUR STAFF STANDS READY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ANY INSIGHT ABOUT WHAT'S WORKING, WHAT'S NOT AND WHAT WE CAN DO DIFFERENTLY AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO INTERACT WITH OUR POLICIES ALONG THE WAY. I APPRECIATE MR. GIBSON, MR. PORTER BEING THERE FOR US TO MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE EVERY WAY, SHAPE, AND FORM. SO THANK YOU.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. INDEED, WE'RE VERY THANKFUL FOR MR. GIBSON, MR. JIM PORTER, WHO WILL PEEK NEXT, AND CERTAINLY KRISTIN DAVIS, WHO COMPILED A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION. MR. PORTER, CAN YOU GO OVER THE GUIDELINES AND ANYTHING THAT YOU THINK IS RELEVANT? THEN I'LL GO INTO HOUSEWORK.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBERS. BOARD MEMBERS, THE POLICY CYCLE IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT DUTIES THAT YOU HAVE. UNDER FLORIDA LAW, THE BOARD SETS POLICY FOR THE DISTRICT AND THEN THE SUPERINTENDENT IMPLEMENTS THAT POLICY THROUGH PROCEDURES. SO IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF YOUR DUTIES AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE POLICIES ARE DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS, BUT BECAUSE OF THE EVENTS OF THE LAST FEW MONTHS WITH COVID -- ACTUALLY, THE LAST YEAR OR SO -- IT'S BEEN OUT OF CYCLE. THIS WORKSHOP WAS ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MARCH. MANY OF THE ITEMS THAT WERE PUT ON THE AGENDA AT THAT TIME MAY OR MAY NOT BE APPROPRIATE NOW, BUT THEY WERE INTENDED TO BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD SENIOR IN MARCH. WE HAVE A GOAL OF TRYING TO DO POLICIES AT LEAST TWICE A YEAR AND MAYBE EVEN QUARTERLY. AGAIN, THAT GOT PUT ASIDE BECAUSE OF COVID. SO THERE ARE MORE HERE NOW THAN YOU WOULD TYPICALLY SEE IN ONE POLICY CYCLE. THERE IS A LOT TO GET THROUGH TODAY, BUT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS CYCLE, KRISTIN AND I ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE DO THIS MORE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND WE REALLY DO STICK TO THE SCHEDULE SO THE BOARD IS NOT FACED WITH HAVING TO ADDRESS A LOT OF POLICIES AT ONCE. THERE ARE TWO TYPES OF POLICIES THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE CONSIDERING TODAY. AS THE SUPERINTENDENT ALLUDED, THE FIRST SET ARE BROUGHT BY STAFF. AND THESE ARE TO MAKE SURE THAT THE DISTRICT'S POLICIES ARE ALIGNED WITH FLORIDA STATUTES. EVERY YEAR, KRISTIN, MR. GIBSON AND I SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH WHAT THE LEGISLATURE PASSED AND THEN WE WORK WITH STAFF TO MAKE SURE POLICIES THAT NEED TO BE AMENDED OR NEW POLICIES NEED TO BE CREATED TO BE IN ALIGNED WITH STATUTES ARE DONE. SO THAT'S THE FIRST SET OF POLICIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TODAY BECAUSE THEY ARE CRITICAL THAT WE GET DONE AND YOU PASS THEM AS POLICIES. THE OTHER SET ARE POLICIES THAT COULD BE INITIATED BY BOARD MEMBERS. ANY BOARD MEMBER CAN INITIATE A POLICY. AND YOU SEE SEVERAL THAT BOARD MEMBERS HAVE INITIATED AND THAT YOU'LL BE DISCUSSING TODAY. TYPICALLY, THE WAY THIS HAPPENED IN THE PAST -- AND THIS IS NOT SET IN STONE, BUT IT'S BEEN A SORT OF INFORMAL WAY OF WORK -- THAT IF THERE IS CONSENSUS TO MOVE ONE OF THE ITEMS FORWARD TO THE PUBLIC HEARING IT WILL BE MOVED FORWARD. IF ONLY ONE BOARD MEMBER WANTS TO DO THE POLICY, THEN TYPICALLY THEY HAVE NOT GONE FORWARD. THAT'S NOT SET IN STONE. THAT'S JUST SORT OF A WAY OF WORK. SO TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS, TODAY IS A WORKSHOP. THERE'S NO VOTING TODAY. THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMENT. THIS IS FOR THE BOARD TO DISCUSS AND VET THE PROPOSED POLICIES. THE ONES THAT ARE CHOSEN TO GO FORWARD WILL BE ADVERTISED, AND YOU'LL HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING AT A BOARD MEETING WHERE ANYONE CAN COME AND SPEAK. IT'S NOT JUST PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S AN ACTUAL PUBLIC HEARING AND FOR THE POLICIES, ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO SPEAK MAY COME TO SPEAK. THERE ARE STRINGENT NOTICE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE NOTICE FOR BEFORE THEY CAN GO FORWARD. SO WE WOULD ANTICIPATE THE ONES WE GET THROUGH TODAY, THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE SOMETIME IN LATE SEPTEMBER OR EARLY OCTOBER. AND THEN, AGAIN, MS. DAVIS AND I REALLY WANT TO THEN START THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE SHORTLY THERE AFTER THAT, SO THAT WE REALLY DO GET BACK ON TRACK AND WE'RE DOING THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS. IF FOR SOME REASON YOU HAVE A POLICY YOU WANT TO INTRODUCE, YOU DON'T NEED TO WAIT FOR A YEAR, SIX MONTHS, BUT WE'LL KEEP IT GOING ON A REGULAR BASIS AND I THINK THAT WOULD BE MORE EFFICIENT. I THINK IT WOULD PROVIDE A BETTER OPPORTUNITY FOR STAFF TO VET THESE MORE EFFICIENTLY AND FOR THE BOARD TO REALLY CONSIDER THEM. THAT'S SORT OF THE OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY. I DO FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO GET THROUGH. YOU ONLY HAVE TWO HOURS. I THINK TOWARDS THE END OF THIS, IF IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THROUGH THEM ALL, I THINK THE BOARD REALLY HAS TWO ALTERNATIVES. WE COULD HAVE ANOTHER WORKSHOP SOMETIME IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, OR THE ONES THAT DON'T GO FORWARD COULD BE MOVED INTO THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE. THAT'S COMPLETELY UP TO YOU. BOTH APPROACHES ARE VALID. OR MAYBE WE WILL GET THROUGH ALL OF THEM BUT I WANT TO SET EXPECTATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING BECAUSE THERE ARE A LOT TO GO THROUGH. THAT'S ENOUGH INTRODUCTORY REMARKS, AND I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. VERY WELL DONE. ESPECIALLY FOR THE NEWER BOARD MEMBERS, POLICY LANGUAGE TODAY WILL -- AND I'M JUST GOING TO SET THE TABLE JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT MR. PORTER AND MS. DAVIS WILL BE IN CHARGE OF THIS OPERATION AND CALL UPON YOU FOR DISCUSSION AND QUESTIONS VERSUS ME WHO I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME POLICIES. BUT NONETHELESS, THERE IS A LOT OF POLITICAL FIRE GOING ON, AS IF WE DIDN'T NO, INCLUSIVE IS MASK. THE FLORIDA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION HAS HANDED US BOARD MEMBERS SOME SUGGESTIONS. I'M NOT GOING TO READ IT ALL. IT'S ON YOUR TABLE. BUT THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE VERY MINDFUL. I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD POLICY DEALINGS, I ALWAYS WANTED IT TO BE COLLABORATIVE AND CONDUCIVE FOR FRIENDLY, POLITE DISCUSSION AND ROBUST DISCUSSION. THAT'S A GOOD THING. BUT RIGHT NOW, WE MAY HAVE TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT RATHER THAN GET CAUGHT UP IN A NATIONAL DEBATE TOPIC, PERHAPS WE SHOULD TALK MORE BASICALLY WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING IN OUR OWN COMMUNITY AND IN OUR OWN DISTRICT. SO WE DON'T REALLY WANT TO GET INTO THE -- I TRIED TO USE THAT WORD TODAY -- THE POLITICS, AS MUCH AS WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN. I KNOW ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE ON BOARD. WE ALWAYS ARE ALSO REMINDED IT ONLY TAKES ONE BOARD MEMBER OR TWO TO REALLY ASSET TONE OF THE PERCEPTION OF THIS -- SET A TONE OF THE PERCEPTION OF THIS ENTIRE BOARD. WE HAVE A HIGHLY FUNCTIONING BOARD. SO LET'S KEEP IT THAT WAY. OTHER THAN THAT, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT MR. PORTER WILL LOOK FOR POLICY CONSENSUS, AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER RIGHT NOW TO MR. PORTER, MS. KRISTIN DAVIS, AND I BELIEVE WE'RE DOING STAFF POLICY FIRST.
>>Jim Porter: YES, MADAM CHAIR.
>>Lynn Gray: MR. PORTER, HOW WOULD YOU LIKE THE QUESTIONS TO BE HANDLED BY BOARD MEMBERS IF THEY SHOULD HAVE ANY QUESTIONS?
>>Jim Porter: SO I THINK WE'LL GO THROUGH THE POLICIES. EACH POLICY THAT STAFF IS RECOMMENDING IS ALIGNED WITH A STAFF MEMBER. DR. WHALEN WILL BE UP FIRST WITH SEVERAL POLICIES. I THINK WHAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE AND EFFICIENT IS IF WE LET DR. WHALEN AND EACH STAFF MEMBER GET THROUGH THE PARTICULAR POLICY, TAKE BOARD QUESTIONS AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. I WILL ASK THE BOARD TO BE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT TIME BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A LOT TO GO THROUGH. WE'LL BE TRYING TO KEEP YOU TO THE THREE MINUTES FOR EACH REMARK. AGAIN, SOME OF THESE WILL GO PRETTY QUICKLY; SOME WILL TAKE MORE DISCUSSION, BUT BE THOUGHTFUL OF THE TIME. I WILL BE KEEPING THE TIME AND REMIND YOU WHEN WE'RE AT THE THREE-MINUTE MARK. AFTER EACH POLICY, GET THROUGH THE POLICY AND THEN ASK QUESTIONS.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. ALSO, BOARD MEMBERS, SHOULD YOU WANT A POLICY TO BE REMOVED OR MOVED DOWN BECAUSE THE LIKELINESS OF US NOT COMPLETING THIS WILL BE TODAY WILL BE CONTINUED IN AN OCTOBER WORKSHOP NO DOUBT. YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND AT ANY TIME SAY THE POLICY THAT I HAVE MENTIONED, LET'S PULL IT DOWN TO THE BOTTOM SO WE CAN GET THOSE THAT ARE RELEVANT TO THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR INITIATED AND HEARD. WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, MS. WHALEN.
>> THANK YOU. THE FIRST THREE POLICIES THAT I WILL BE REVIEWING WITH YOU ARE RELATED TO THE FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE ACT OF 1993. THE REASON THERE ARE THREE POLICIES AND WE HAVE THE SAME CHANGES TO EACH OF THEM, THE 1,000 POLICY IS RELATED TO ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF MEMBERS. THE 3,000 POLICY IS RELATED TO OUR INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF AND THEN THE 4,000 POLICY IS RELATED TO OUR SUPPORT STAFF. SO THAT IS THE REASON FOR THE THREE. YOU WILL FIND THAT THE CHANGE OR THE UPDATE -- IT'S REALLY NOT A CHANGE, BUT IT'S A CLARIFICATION OF HOW WE HAVE TO APPLY THE 12-MONTH PERIOD RELATED TO FMLA LEAVE. SO IT'S NOT DEFINED BY A JULY TO JUNE 30th AS OUR SCHOOL CALENDAR NECESSARILY IS RELATED OR OUR WORK CALENDAR. IT IS A ROLLING 12-MONTH PERIOD. SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE HAVE DONE WITH THIS POLICY IS JUST MAKE THAT CLARIFICATION TO THE -- TO THOSE THREE POLICIES.
>>Jim Porter: IF BOARD MEMBERS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR DR. WHALEN ABOUT THE FIRST THREE POLICIES.
>>Lynn Gray: WE HAVE SOME SOUND CHALLENGES.
>>Jim Porter: YOU HAVE POLICY 8141, MANDATORY REPORTING OF MISCONDUCT BY EMPLOYEES.
>> GREAT. THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. THIS POLICY CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF THIS PAST SESSION'S LEGISLATIVE SESSION, AND IT WAS RELATED TO HOUSE BILL 131. AND THIS IS IN REGARDS TO REPORTING EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT. PREVIOUSLY, OUR POLICY WAS ONLY RELATED TO CERTIFICATED EMPLOYEES. THIS IS NOW INCLUDING ALL EMPLOYEES. SO WE ALREADY HAD A VERY STRICT POLICY AROUND THIS, AND SOME SCHOOL BOARDS DID NOT HAVE THAT CURRENT POLICY. SO WE WERE REQUIRED TO ADOPT A POLICY. WE ALREADY HAVE A POLICY. WE JUST HAD TO NOW INSERT THAT THIS IS RELATED TO ALL EMPLOYEES IN THE ORGANIZATION. SO YOU WILL SEE THOSE UPDATES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TO THE LANGUAGE IN THE BLUE ON PAGE 1 OF THAT POLICY, AND THEN WHEN ELIMINATED THE INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF MEMBERS ONLY, AND THAT NOW INCLUDES ALL EMPLOYEES.
>>Jim Porter: ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR DR. WHELAN ABOUT THIS POLICY? MS. PEREZ, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
>>Karen Perez: ON LINE 22 AND 23, YOU ELIMINATED THE REASSIGNMENT PENDING OUTCOME. WHAT IS IS IN PLACE OF THAT?
>>Marie Whelan: YES, MA'AM, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, BECAUSE WE MIGHT BE MOVING FORWARD TO SEEK TERMINATION, AND WE WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THAT OPTION AND NOT HAVE TO HAVE OUR HANDS TIED AS SAYING IT IS A REASSIGNMENT. SO THERE ARE CERTAIN FELONY CHARGES THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO RESULT IN A REASSIGNMENT. WE HAVE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH TERMINATION FOR THOSE TYPES OF ASSIGNMENTS. SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE THAT ANY LONGER BECAUSE THAT'S LOOKING AS IF WE WILL HAVE TO BE REQUIRED TO REASSIGN AND, NO, WE'RE GOING TO COME TO THE BOARD WHEN WE NEED TO TERMINATE AN EMPLOYEE.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? OKAY. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. THAT COMPLETES THAT POLICY AND DR. WHELAN. DR. HOWTON WILL BE UP NEXT WITH POLICY REVISION 2,260.01, SECTION 504 ADA PROHIBITION AGAINST DISSIM NATION BASED ON DISABILITY.
>> THIS CAME UP BECAUSE OF REORG THAT WAS HAPPENING AND HAPPENED A COUPLE OF TIME. WE NEEDED TO CLEAN IT UP. THIS IS JUST A CLEANUP POLICY. INSTEAD OF HAVING IDIA, IT IS JUST IDEA BECAUSE THAT TERM CHANGED.
>> TO BE CLEAR, I BELIEVE THIS WAS UNDER A PREVIOUS DECISION TO MOVE THE 504 SERVICES FROM STUDENT SERVICES UNDER DR. ANNE TOWNSEND INSTEAD TO EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION UNDER SUZETTE SAMPLE. THIS HAS BEEN IN PLACE THE WHOLE LAST YEAR. WE NEEDED TO ADAPT THE LANGUAGE TO DO THAT. YOU SEE NOW THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STAFFING COMPLIANCE, THE ADDRESS, PEOPLE KNOW HAD TO CONTACT. -- PEOPLE KNOW WHO TO CONTACT. THE WORK BETWEEN -- THE WORK IS COLLABORATIVE. ADDITIONALLY, AS WE GO INTEREST TO DR. HOUGHTON POINT, MOST IS CLEANUP. YOU DO SEE AN ADDITION. LINE 133 OF THIS POLICY. WHERE IT'S DEFINING AND DESCRIBING SECTION 504 WHICH INCLUDES THE LANGUAGE OF ANOTHER MAJOR LIFE ACTIVITY IN THE EDUCATIONAL SETTING. THAT IS REQUIRED TO BE CONSISTENT WITH SECTION 504. THE STRIKE-ALL IS REFERRING TO AN OLD FORM FROM 2009 THAT AT ONE POINT WAS USED AS AN ELIGIBILITY CHECKLIST FOR SECTION 504 WHICH WOULD NO LONGER ACTUALLY BE APPROPRIATE TO USE. WE HAVE UPDATED FORMS AND RESOURCES AND PROCESSES. IT WOULD BE ELIMINATING THAT. BUT IT HAS NOT BEEN IN USE FOR YEARS. IN FACT, DR. TOWNSEND HAD TO DO A LOT OF EXTENSIVE RESEARCH TO EVEN FIND THE FORM, QUITE FRANKLY. DR. HOUGHTON, HAVE I MISSED ANYTHING? THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION.
>>Jim Porter: ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE DOUBLE DOCTORS?
>>Lynn Gray: I JUST WANTED TO -- KRISTIN DAVIS ALSO TO SPEAK ON THE FLORIDA LEGISLATIVE BILL. SOME OF THESE CHANGES AND MAYBE NOT THIS ONE, WAS IN REGARDS TO TO WHAT WAS RECENTLY PASSED BY THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE. DID YOU WANT TO MAKE A REMARK?
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR GRAY. I BELIEVE THAT MR. PORTER DID BRIEFLY MENTION AS WELL, IT WAS ALLUDED WITH DR. WHELAN THAT SOME OF THESE THAT ARE BEING BROUGHT FORWARD ARE TIED TO BILLS FROM THE 2021 LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME IN LETTING US UPDATE POLICIES AND JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR DUE DILIGENCE IN REFLECTING THE WORK THAT WAS DONE UP IN TALLAHASSEE THIS SESSION.
>>Lynn Gray: THANKS, KRISTIN.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS SHEA McCRAY AND THEN HOLLY SAIA IS ON DECK. SHEA McCRAY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT TRANSPORTATION NETWORK FOR POLICY 2800.
>> GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. OUR OLD POLICY WAS REFERRING TO ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOLS. WE NOW HAVE A NEW NAME. THAT IS OUR TRANSFORMATION NETWORK. IN OUR POLICY, WE WANTED TO REPLACE EVERYTHING THAT WAS ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOLS WITH THE TRANSFORMATION NETWORK. ALSO, YOU'LL NOTICE THERE IS A LARGE STRIKEOUT. STARTING ON LINE 30 GOING DOWN TO 46, WE HAD A TIERING SYSTEM THAT WAS ON TOP OF STATE STATUTE TIERING. WE DON'T NEED TO COMPLICATE THINGS IN A POLICY. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW STATE STATUTE SO I TOOK THAT LANGUAGE OUT BECAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS FOLLOWING STATE STATUTE ON THAT. IF YOU TURN TO THE BACK OF THE PAGE, THE THINGS THAT OUR BOARD AND OUR DISTRICT, WHAT WE DO HAVE CONTROL OVER ARE THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS THAT WE TAKE IN SCHOOLS AND THOSE ARE PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES. SO I WANTED TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN OVERSEE AND MONITOR AS A BOARD AND AS A DISTRICT, AND THAT WAS ABSENT IN THIS POLICY. SO I WANTED TO ADD THAT LANGUAGE IN THIS POLICY. THIS IS WORK THAT'S HAPPENING EVERY SINGLE DAY AND WE WANTED TO DENOTE THAT. OTHERWISE, THE REST OF THE CHANGES ARE JUST CHANGING ACHIEVEMENT SCHOOL WITH TRANSFORMATION NETWORK.
>>Jim Porter: ANY QUESTIONS? MS. VAUGHN HAS A QUESTION. MS. VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: YES, THANK YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME?
>>Jim Porter: YES.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. UNDER CRITERIA, I SEE THAT WE HAVE THE STATE RULES, SCHOOL GRADE AND MARKED OUT C OR BETTER. INSTEAD WE ADDED DESIGNATED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT. CAN YOU TELL ME MORE ABOUT THAT?
>> YES, IF YOU LOOK UP AT LINE 16, WE HAVE THAT A SCHOOL MAY BE DESIGNATED -- TRANSFORMATION NETWORK SCHOOL BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, SO THAT WAS A REDUNDANT STATEMENT.
>>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU, I APPRECIATE IT.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>>Jim Porter: DR. HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: I WANT TO TAKE THE MOMENT WHILE SHEA IS HERE AND SAY CONGRATULATIONS ON THE SCHOOL GRADES WITHIN THE TRANSFORMATION NETWORK.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Jim Porter: CHAIR GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: ALSO, THANK YOU, DR. HAHN, FOR SHARING THAT CONGRATULATORY MESSAGE. ALSO, THANK YOU, SHEA McCRAY, FOR LINE NUMBER 94, THE SUPERINTENDENT SHALL ANNUALLY IDENTIFY RESOURCES BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS, AS YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW, NOW WE'RE DOWN TO, WHAT, 14 -- I DON'T REMEMBER HOW MANY. BUT EVERY YEAR THERE WILL BE CHANGES. SO I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU. HOLLY SAIA WILL BE UP NEXT FOR POLICY 5350, STUDENT SUICIDE. AFTER THAT, COREY MURPHY. OF.
>> HELLO, EVERYONE. FOR THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, WE'RE DOING THIS BECAUSE IT REQUIRES REVISIONS AND UPDATES BASED ON THE RECENTLY SIGNED INTO LAW SENATE BILL 590 BY OUR GOVERNOR, ALONG WITH DOE RULES. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE INCORPORATING OUR MOBILE RESPONSE TEAMS AND CONTINUE EDUCATION FOR STAFF WITH PREVENTION, INTERVENTION AND POST INTERVENTION MATERIALS.
>>Jim Porter: ANY QUESTIONS FOR MS. SAIA? MS. SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MS. SAIA. IS THIS VERBATIM FROM THE STATUTE? I'M LOOKING AT LINE 19 ON THE POLICY WHERE IT SAYS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SUICIDE ASSESSMENT PROTOCOL BY A TEAM OF INDIVIDUALS INCLUDING THE ADMINISTRATORS AND STUDENT SERVICES PERSONNEL, INCLUDING CONSULTATION, COLLABORATION WITH PARENTS, RELEVANT SCHOOLS, PERSONNEL AND MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAMS AS APPROPRIATE. IS THAT VERBATIM OR IS THAT FROM YOUR DEPARTMENT?
>> THAT'S FROM OUR DEPARTMENT USING THE VERBIAGE THAT WE NEEDED TO USE AS PART OF THAT.
>>Melissa Snively: OKAY. THE CONCERN I HAVE IS JUST THE EXPERIENCE THAT IS NECESSARY FOR SOMEONE WHO HAS CLINICAL EXPERIENCE TO BE ON THIS TEAM. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S INCLUDED ON HERE OR IF WE SHOULD ADD IT. IF IT'S NOT CLEAR TO ME AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER READING IT, IF THERE ARE EXPERIENCED CLINICAL INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE GOING TO BE ON THIS TEAM AND IF THAT'S THE CASE, I THINK WE SHOULD ARTICULATE THAT IN THE POLICY TO MAKE SURE THAT THE APPROPRIATE TRAINED AND LICENSED AND CERTIFIED PEOPLE ARE ON THAT TEAM.
>> YES, MA'AM. RESPONSE TEAM, IN ORDER TO BE ON A MOBILE RESPONSE TEAM, YOU MUST BE A LICENSED MENTAL HEALTH CLINICIAN. THAT'S WHY WE'RE INCORPORATING THEM. OUR STUDENT SERVICES STAFF, WE WORK OFF OF OUR CERTIFICATIONS, NOT OUR LICENSURE. NOW WE HAVE THIS LICENSE TEAM.
>>Melissa Snively: AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT SHOULD BE ARTICULATED IN THE POLICY SO A PERSON THAT READS THAT UNDERSTANDS THAT, WHAT A MOBILE RESPONSE TEAM IS OR THE DEFINITION OF THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>Jim Porter: DR. HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: I APPRECIATE THAT CLARIFICATION, BUT IT DOES SAY "AS APPROPRIATE." DOES THAT MEAN THE MOBILE CRISIS RESPONSE TEAM THAT MAY HAVE THOSE HIGHLY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS MAY OR MAY NOT BE INVOLVED?
>> SO WHAT HAPPENS IS WE DO THE COLUMBIA SCREENER AT A SCHOOL SITE FIRST. AND BASED ON THAT SCREENER, WE CALL IN OUR MOBILE RESPONSE TEAM. WE HAVE A TEAM THAT'S AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL, TWO OF OUR CLINICIANS THAT ARE TAKING THOSE CALLS, AND THEY ARE DETERMINING BASED ON WHAT LEVEL OF PRIORITY THE STUDENT HAS ON THE COLUMBIA SCREENER, WHETHER OR NOT WE NEED TO SEND OUT THE MOBILE RESPONSE TEAL. PART OF THE BILL IS THEY MUST USE DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES FIRST, SO WE'LL BE TALKING THROUGH THAT. AND THEN AFTER THAT, THE STUDENT, IF MRT IS TRULY NEEDED WE'LL SEND OUT THE MRT. WE ACTUALLY HAVE DONE THAT ONCE THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
>>Stacy Hahn: I APPRECIATE THAT. IN THIS CASE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WHO ARE SWALLOWED AND IT'S VERY TIME -- WHO ARE VERY SUICIDAL. WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED HAVING THE SCREENING DONE AT SCHOOL, TO ME, THAT'S NOT AN IMMEDIATE RESPONSE BECAUSE WHAT IF THIS HAPPENS ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WEEKEND, CHRISTMAS BREAK, SUMMER VACATION? I'M SURE -- I'M NOT A PSYCHOLOGIST OR A SOCIAL WORKER, BUT I WOULD IMAGINE THAT WHEN SOMEBODY IS IN SUICIDE CRISIS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE INTERVENTION IMMEDIATELY. THAT'S WHY THEY HAVE SUICIDE HOT LINES. SO THIS IS FINE, BUT I HAVE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE, THE NEED FOR A SUICIDE HOT LINE WHERE STUDENTS CAN GET IMMEDIATE TELEMENTAL HEALTH AND NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH A CHECKLIST, AN EMPLOYMENT, A SCHOOL DAY. SO I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE NEED FOR THAT AGAIN, FOR THIS SPECIFIC MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: CHAIR GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: THE TELEHEALTH IS VERY ACTIVE. WE NEED TO EXPAND IT. AND IT'S BEING USED COMPLETELY, OVERWHELMINGLY VERY NECESSARY, AND IT'S JOHNNY-ON-THE-SPOT, BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE CAN'T EXPAND TELEHEALTH. I KNOW MEMBER PEREZ REALIZES THAT AND HAS CHAMPIONED IT. ALSO, WE HAVE TO BE REMINDED THAT WE HAVE THE SEVEN MINDSETS WHICH DOES PREPARE STUDENTS TO THE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THAT. THE SEL PROGRAM, WHICH IS QUITE EXPANSIVE AND WE PAID A HECK OF A LOT OF MONEY FOR IS IN THE HANDS OF OUR TEACHERS. THEY ARE BECOMING TRAINED AS WELL AS NOT EXPERTS TO SNIVELY'S POINT, BUT CERTAINLY TO GET THE IDENTIFICATION AND WARNING SIGNS. WE ARE IMPROVING. THANK YOU, MS. SAIA, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD, AND I APPRECIATE THE BOARD COMMENTS. THEY ARE VERY WELL INTENDED AND NECESSARY.
>> MAY I SAY ALSO THAT WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH CLARA REYNOLDS FROM THE CRISIS TEAM. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE DISTRIBUTING IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS THE 211 CARDS BECAUSE WE DO WANT STUDENTS, IF THEY ARE NOT ON SCHOOL GROUNDS, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE 24-HOUR CARE, HAVE THAT AVAILABILITY. ALSO AS PART OF THE SENATE BILL, EVERY STUDENT -- WILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR THE CRISIS CENTER AND THE SUICIDE HOT LINE AS WELL. WE ARE TAKING THOSE STEPS TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE IMMEDIATE ATTENTION THAT THEY NEED.
>>Jim Porter: IT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE TO HAVE CLARA REYNOLDS WITH THE CRISIS CENTER ACTUALLY PRESENT TO THE BOARD. I KNOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TAKEN TOURS. DISCLOSURE, I'M ON THE BOARD OF THE CRISIS CENTER. IT'S AN IMPORTANT RESOURCE FOR THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW HOLLY WORKS CLOSELY WITH HER. I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC TO HEAR WHAT THE CRISIS CENTER CAN REALLY DO FOR THE COMMUNITY. MAYBE WE CAN ARRANGE THAT. SEPTEMBER IS SUICIDE AWARENESS MONTH, I BELIEVE. I THINK THAT WOULD BE AN APPROPRIATE TIME TO HAVE MS. REYNOLDS APPEAR AT THE BOARD FOR A BRIEF PRESENTATION. WE CAN ARRANGE THAT.
>>Stacy Hahn: I APPRECIATE THAT. I HIGHLY RESPECT MS. REYNOLDS. I'VE KNOWN HER MANY, MANY YEARS. I'M GLAD YOU'RE PARTNERING WITH THE CRISIS CENTER AROUND THIS WORK. THAT CERTAINLY ALLEVIATES SOME OF MY CONCERNS.
>>Lynn Gray: I WANT TO LET HOLLY KNOW, SET THAT UP WITH ME. WE'LL MAKE SURE SHE IS FRONT AND CENTER TO ALL BOARD MEMBERS. ALSO, BOARD MEMBERS, I HAVE ALL THE CARDS, THE LITTLE CARDS. I'LL HAND THOSE OUT DURING OUR BOARD MEETING. I FORGOT TO HAND THEM OUT BEFORE.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? MS. PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: AS WE GO ALONG TO PROVIDE A NUMBER ON THE POLICY IS NOT APPROPRIATE BECAUSE THOSE NUMBERS CHANGE AND CONSTANTLY ARE -- THERE'S AN EBB AND FLOW. PROVIDING THE NUMBER, THE HOT LINE SUICIDE NUMBER IS APPROPRIATE ON THE STUDENT IDs OR THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL, ON POSTERS OR THROUGH ANNOUNCEMENTS OR HOWEVER YOU GET IT OUT TO THE STUDENTS. BUT THE STUDENTS DO RECEIVE THAT HOT LINE NUMBER CONSISTENTLY. I BELIEVE IT'S ON THE WEBSITE WITH THE DISTRICT, AND I CONSTANTLY SPEAK ABOUT IT AS WELL. SO WE ARE CONSTANTLY GETTING IT OUT TO OUR STUDENTS WHEN WE CAN.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS? WE CAN MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. THANK YOU, HOLLY. COREY MURPHY IS UP NEXT AND THEN CHRIS FARKAS. COREY DISCUSSING PROCUREMENT REVISION TO POLICY 6320.
>> HI, GOOD MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING, BOARD MEMBERS. WE'RE GOING TO BE REVISING POLICY 6320 TO BE IN LINE WITH THE STATE REQUIREMENTS AND VERBIAGE. MINOR REVISIONS TO THE POLICY NUMBERS. TO DESIGNATE THE SUPERINTENDENT, HAVE A DESIGNEE OTHER THAN THE SUPERINTENDENT WITHIN THE CRITERIA SUCH AS THE DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT, THE CHIEF OF STAFF, CFO OR GENERAL MANAGER OF PROCUREMENT SO WE STAY IN LINE WITH THE PROCUREMENT POLICY, TO TAKE OUT THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENT THAT WE HAD IN THERE BECAUSE THAT WAS ONLY A HILLSBOROUGH REQUIREMENT. IT DOESN'T ALIGN WITH THE STATE. ANYTHING ELSE YOU SEE, COREY THAT WE NEED TO HIGHLIGHT?
>> NO. IN ORDER TO HELP TAKING THE PRESSURE OFF OF THE SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS, THEY HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO SIGN CONTRACTS UNDER $5,000, AND, OF COURSE, WHEN YOU SIGN A CONTRACT, THERE IS THAT LITTLE LINK AT THE BOTTOM WHERE YOU SAY CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPANY LINKS AND IT OPENED UP TO A 50-PAGE DOCUMENT, TO HELP TAKE THAT OUT OF THEM, BECAUSE WE HAVE CONTRACT MANAGER WHO REVIEWS AND KNOWS FEDERAL STATUTES AND FEDERAL GUIDELINES AND ANYTHING ESPECIALLY WHEN SPENDING FEDERAL FUNDS SO THAT WILL HELP TAKE THAT OFF OF THEM. WE DO IT NOW ANYWAY. WHY NOT HELP EVERYONE. IT USED TO SAY PURCHASE ORDER BECAUSE POLICY HAS BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG. I SAID PURCHASES TO INCLUDE P CARD BECAUSE, OF COURSE, THAT IS IN THERE. AND THEN IN THE BACK, JUST TO ALIGN THE STATUTE, WE SAID BIDS. WELL, THERE ARE BIDS, THERE ARE PROPOSALS, AND THERE ARE REPLIES. IT IS COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS. THE LAST ONE, PROTEST B IN 82, NEVER A MINIMUM ESTABLISHED IN THE POLICY. IF A BID IS ISSUED WITH NO BUDGET ESTIMATE IN THERE, THEN THE VENDOR DOESN'T HAVE TO PRESENT A PROTEST BOND. THIS ESTABLISHES A MINIMUM.
>>Jim Porter: ANY QUESTIONS FOR THE FINANCE TEAM? MS. SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION THAT IS SORT OF RELATED TO THIS. I JUST WANTED SOME CLARIFICATION. WHEN A CONTRACT RENEWS AND THE CONTRACTOR REQUESTS AN INCREASE, A PERCENTAGE INCREASE, WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO APPROVE THAT? AND IS THERE A THRESHOLD THAT THEY CAN APPROVE A CERTAIN COUNTEROFFER? OR WHAT'S THAT PERCENTAGE THRESHOLD OR DOLLAR AMOUNT THRESHOLD? AND AT WHAT POINT DO WE GO OUT FOR ANOTHER RFP? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?
>> ABSOLUTELY. IN OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF ALL THE COMPETITIVE SOLICITATIONS THERE LISTS THE ESCALATION CLAUSE. IT SAYS IT'S USUALLY NO MORE THAN 2% OR THE CPI, WHICHEVER IS GREATER. IF THEY COME IN WITH MORE THAN THAT AND, AGAIN, WHEN DOES THAT GO BACK TO THE BOARD ON THE COVER OF AGENDA COVERS IT SAYS THE SUPERINTENDENT, AND NOW WE'RE DEFINING DESIGNEE, HAS THE ABILITY TO RENEW THE CONTRACT ACCORDING TO TERMS AND CONDITIONS IN THE SOLICITATION. IF THE VENDOR -- AND WE STILL NEGOTIATE. IF IT SAYS NO MORE THAN 2%, WE STILL NEGOTIATE AND START AT .5 SO WE CAN HOPEFULLY MEET IN THE MIDDLE. SO WE WILL -- WE CAN DO THAT UPON RENEWALS IF THEY DO ASK FOR MORE THAN THAT, THEN WE CAN GO BACK OUT TO BID BECAUSE IT'S NOT ALLOWED. IF THE PRICE INCREASE IS GREATER THAN 50,000, WE BRING IT BACK TO YOU FOR APPROVAL, WHICH I HAVE DONE A FEW TIMES WHERE I SAID ON MARCH 20th, 2020, THE BOARD APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR THE ESTIMATED VALUE AT 100. NOW DUE TO THE EFFECT THAT WE HAVE A GRANT AND EXPECTING TO SPEND 500,000, WE'RE REQUIRING BOARD APPROVAL. I BROUGHT IT BACK A FEW TIMES WHEN THAT PRICE INCREASE IS GREATER THAN 50,000 AS THE STATE REQUIRES.
>>Melissa Snively: IS THERE EVER A SITUATION WHERE A CONTRACTOR WOULD COME TO US WITH MAYBE A 2% INCREASE AND THEN WE COUNTER WITH EVEN A HIGHER INCREASE, JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE THAT CONTRACTOR, THAT THERE'S NOT -- TO ANTICIPATE ANYTHING?
>> NOT THAT I CAN THINK OF, NO. NEVER HAPPENED THAT I'VE KNOWN OF.
>>Melissa Snively: OKAY. JUST MAKING SURE. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER COMBS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I HAD THE SAME QUESTION AS MEMBER SNIVELY, AND YOU ANSWERED THAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. ALSO, IN REGARD TO LINE 13, THE $50,000 NO GREATER OR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ESTABLISHED, IS THAT SOMETHING NEW OR WHAT WAS THAT NUMBER PRIOR TO THIS?
>> IT HAS BEEN 50,000 SINCE '09. IF I GO TO 6A WHICH WE'RE GOVERNED BY THE FLORIDA ADMINISTRATIVE CODE DOE 6-81 -- LAST UPDATE IN '09. BEFORE THAT -- I WASN'T AROUND. I DON'T RECALL. IT HAS BEEN 50. I HAVEN'T HEARD OF CHANGES COMING. I DON'T KNOW IF MAYBE KRISTIN HAS. IT'S BEEN 50 SINCE '09.
>>Nadia Combs: WHAT IS THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ESTABLISHED BY THE PURCHASE?
>> SHOULD THE RULE CHANGE AND A POLICY CYCLE IS NOT COMING UP.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
>>Addison Davis: SOME OF THE SCHOOLS -- SORRY TO INTERRUPT. IN SOME OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AROUND 175,000, 100,000. 125,000. I THINK THAT'S WAY TOO MUCH. I THINK 50 IS ALIGNED WITH THE EXPECTATIONS AND STATUTE AND ALIGNS WITH WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO ACCOMPLISH.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN IS NEXT. HAHN, VAUGHN, AND THEN MR. WASHINGTON. AND THEN MS. GRAY. MS. VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: DR. HAHN AND I ARE ALWAYS BACK TO BACK, AREN'T WE? THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING WHAT MEMBER SNIVELY AND MEMBER COMBS. I HAD A SIMILAR QUESTION. I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION JUST TO CLARIFY HERE. FOR LINE 71 AND 72, THE WAY THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS IS THAT WHILE WE HAVE A PROCESS FOR BIDDING WITHIN THE DISTRICT ON ITEMS THAT THERE'S ALSO A LIST OF APPROVED VENDORS THAT THE STATE GIVES US. IF THE VENDOR IS ON THIS LIST, THEN WE CAN FOREGO THE BIDDING PROCESS AND JUST USE THAT VENDOR? IS THAT THE CORRECT UNDERSTANDING OF THE LINES. I KNOW THE LANGUAGE HAS JUST CHANGED BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THIS PIECE OF IT AS WELL.
>> YES, AGAIN, IN THE DOE RULE 68-1.02 THERE IS A CLAUSE THAT ALLOWS US TO PIGGYBACK CONTRACTS AWARDED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES. I HAVE IT HERE. AS REQUIRED BY SECTION 1,001.42, THE DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD SHALL RECEIVE AND GIVE CONSIDERATION TO THE PRICES AVAILABLE TO IT UNDER THE RULES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT SERVICES DIVISION OF PURCHASING. DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARDS MAY USE PRICES ESTABLISHED BY THE DIVISION OF PURCHASING THROUGH ITS STATE PURCHASING AGREEMENT PRICE SCHEDULE. SO IT DOES ALLOW US TO CHECK STATE BIDS. THEY DO IT FOR THE WHOLE STATE FOR ALL GOVERNMENTS SO THAT THEY HAVE THAT PROVIDED LIST. THERE IS ONE INSTANCE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD BUS BID WHERE THE STATE DOES THE BID. WE HAVE TO CHOOSE VENDORS FROM THAT BID. WE ARE NOT ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND GO OUT ON OUR OWN. WE HAVE TO USE THOSE VENDORS ON THE BUS BID.
>>Jessica Vaughn: IS THERE A LOCATION, INTERNET SITE WHERE THAT LIST IS MADE PUBLIC WHERE IF PEOPLE WANT TO LOOK AT AND SEE WHAT THE VENDOR LIST LOOKS LIKE, THEY ARE ABLE TO ACCESS IT?
>> ABSOLUTELY. I CAN SEND THAT LINK TO EVERYONE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: HOW CAN WE MAKE IT AVAILABLE SO THAT THE PUBLIC KNOWS? A WAY TO HOST IT ON THE WEBSITE?
>> ABSOLUTELY. SURE. I'LL PUT IT ON THE PURCHASING WEBSITE, SURE.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. I WANT TO GO BACK TO LINE 13 WHERE IT SAYS THE AMOUNT NO GREATER THAN $50,000. EVERYTHING IN RED IS NEW?
>> CORRECT.
>>Stacy Hahn: THAT'S ALIGNING WITH THE STATE STATUTE, DID YOU SAY?
>> YES.
>>Stacy Hahn: OKAY. DOES THE STATE STATUTE SAY NO GREATER THAN 50? LIKE, DOES IT SET THAT RATE, OR IS IT WE CAN SET IT BELOW THAT?
>> YOU CAN. IT'S NO GREATER THAN.
>>Stacy Hahn: WHERE I AM UNCOMFORTABLE IS REMOVING LINES 28 THROUGH 31, AUTHORIZING THE SUPERINTENDENT TO APPROVE -- WHERE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD. MY RATIONALE FOR THAT IS WE ARE CURRENTLY IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS. I WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S BEING SPENT. I'M RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET AND I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP MY OVERSIGHT ABILITY AROUND SPENDING. I'M NOT COMFORTABLE WITH REMOVING LINES 28 THROUGH 31. I REALLY RATHER HAVE -- I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND THAT OTHER DISTRICTS ARE AT 100 AND 150. I WANT TO UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE FOR 50,000 AND NOT 25.
>> THE REASON FOR 28 THROUGH 31 BECAUSE IN MATCHING WITH THE 6A, THE WORD TECHNICAL IS NOT IN THERE. IT IS A THREE-PAGE DOCUMENT AND NOWHERE IN THERE IS THE WORD TECHNICAL OR TECHNICAL IS DEFINED. WE WERE BRINGING IT TO ALIGN TO THAT STATUTE OR RULE.
>>Stacy Hahn: YOU COULD TAKE TECHNICAL SERVICES OUT, WHY DO YOU HAVE TO TAKE OUT LINES 28 THROUGH 31?
>> OKAY.
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I THINK IT ALLOWS -- I UNDERSTAND WHERE WE ARE FINANCIALLY AND I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN. I THINK IT'S VALID. I THINK IT ALLOWS US TO EXPEDITE SOME OF THE WORK WE NEED TO POTENTIALLY GET DONE IN THE DISTRICT. ANYTHING THAT WE CAN CHOOSE AND ELECT TO DO THAT'S UP TO 50,000, IF THE BOARD FEELS COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT EVERY BOARD MEMBER IS ENGAGED IN THAT PROCESS FOR THE SELECTION IN WHICH I CHOOSE. IF THERE IS A CONTRACT THAT NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO BE IMPLEMENTED SO YOU FEEL VALUED AND RESPECTED IN THE PROCESS. FOR US, IT'S A LOT OF THINGS GET BOTTLENECKED BUT I UNDERSTAND THE CONCERN.
>> ALSO TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UNDER 50, WE DO HAVE PROCEDURES THAT ARE NOT IN POLICY WHERE PURCHASES BETWEEN FIVE AND TEN THOUSAND REQUIRE THREE QUOTES AND PURCHASES BETWEEN 10,000 AND 50,000 REQUIRE AN INVITATION TO QUOTE, WHICH IS AN INFORMAL BELOW THE COMPETITIVE THRESHOLD BUT SENT OUT THROUGH VENDOR LINK SYSTEM AND INVITATION TO ALL THE VENDORS IN VENDOR LINK. THERE ARE GREATER CONTROLS SET BELOW 50. JUST THAT TECHNICAL WORD WE ARE TAKING OUT, BUT I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION.
>>Stacy Hahn: IT'S KIND OF GOING AROUND THE BOARD. IT IS OUR JOB TO MANAGE THE BUDGET AND THE MONEY AND WHEN THEY ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FINANCIAL CRISIS SO GIVING UP THAT APPROVAL, I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH. I UNDERSTAND YOUR RATIONALE FOR A HIGHER AMOUNT, BUT I WOULD SAY IN RESPONSE TO THAT, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE APPROPRIATE TIMELINES AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT THINGS DON'T GET BOTTLENECKED. RIGHT NOW, THIS MAKES ME UNCOMFORTABLE. I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM MAYBE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AROUND THAT. DEFINITELY LINES 28 THROUGH 31, I CANNOT AGREE TO.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. I AGREE WITH YOU, DR. HAHN. WE'VE BEEN IN A FINANCIAL CRISIS FOR A WHILE, AND WE WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING TO BECAUSE SO MANY TIMES ON THE BOARD PEOPLE DON'T KNOW WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING TO. 50,000 IS $50,000. THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY. AND I'D LIKE TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING TO. I'M WITH DR. HAHN, WE NEED TO KNOW. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. IT'S NOT THAT WE DON'T TRUST YOU. IT IS THE MERE FACT THAT WE NEED TO KNOW AS BOARD MEMBERS CONTROL THE BUDGET TO HELP WITH THE BUDGET. I AGREE 100%. NEXT, THE BID COMMITTEE, TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BID COMMITTEE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR EVERYBODY TO KNOW.
>> SURE. 6A, DOE RULE 6A, THEY ALLOW FOR INVITATION FOR BIDS, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS AND INVITATIONS TO NEGOTIATE. FOR THE RFPs AND ITNs THERE IS A COMMITTEE. INVITATION TO BID IS LOW BID IF IT MEETS OUR SPECS. BUT RFP AND ITN HAS AN EVALUATION COMMITTEE OF THE DISTRICT EXPERTS TO REVIEW THOSE BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT EVALUATION POINTS. A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE, SAY 40% IS ON PRICE. 30% IS ON YOUR QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE. 20% IS ON YOUR PLAN. I'M PULLING NUMBERS OUT. I'M MAKING THEM UP. 20% IS ON YOUR PLAN HOW YOU ATTEMPT THIS PROJECT AND HOW YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT. IF IT'S NOT USING FEDERAL FUNDS, WE INCLUDE 10% FOR VENDORS REGISTERED WITH OUR SMALL BUSINESS, WITH OUR OFFICE OF SUPPLIER DIVERSITY BUT FEDERAL FUNDS DO NOT ALLOW FOR THAT. IF FEDERAL FUNDS ARE NOT GOING TO BE EXPENDED THEN WE HAVE THE POSSIBILITY OF UP TO 10 POINTS. THEN THE EVALUATION COMMITTEE EVALUATES THOSE PROPOSALS AND REPLIES. IT MIGHT BE THREE TO FIVE APPROXIMATE PEOPLE OF THE END-USING DEPARTMENTS, THE EXPERTS IN THAT FIELD. SO THEY DO THEIR SCORING, THEIR VOTING, AND THEY DETERMINE THE RANKING, TOP-RANKED VENDORS. IF THE COMMITTEE WISHES, THEY MAY SEE PRESENTATIONS AND THEN THEY RESCORE.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: ALSO, DO WE HAVE PRINCIPALS INVOLVED IN THAT BID COMMITTEE?
>> WE CAN OCCASIONALLY IF IT'S SOMETHING RELATED TO A PRINCIPAL BUT USUALLY IF YOU WOULD THINK OF MAINTENANCE, YOU HAVE THE MANAGERS IN MAINTENANCE AND THE WORKERS AND THOSE EXPERTS. WE HAVE HAD PRINCIPALS AND I CAN'T THINK OF THE BID OFFHAND, WHEN IT'S PERTAINING TO THEM. THEY WERE VERY INVOLVED IN THE I.T. BID FOR THE CANVAS SOFTWARE.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: DO WE USE THE SAME BID COMMITTEE ALL THE TIME?
>> NO. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT THE BID IS. IF THE BID IS FOR FENCING, WE'RE GOING TO USE THOSE MAINTENANCE EMPLOYEES, PERSONNEL THAT DO THAT. WHEN THE BID WAS FOR THE CANVAS SOFTWARE, THERE WERE TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS, AND I.T.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: ALL RIGHT. JUST CHECKING. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER GRAY, YOU'RE NEXT, FOLLOWED BY MS. PEREZ.
>>Lynn Gray: THANKS, COREY. I HAD A QUESTION -- AND THIS WAS MR. FARKAS -- I THOUGHT I HAD THE AMOUNT -- AND I THINK SNIVELY REMEMBERS -- WE HAD A HIGHER THRESHOLD THAN 50,000, I MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT I WANTED IT LOWERED. DO YOU REMEMBER THAT WHERE I HAD THE STATEMENT THAT RATHER THAN WAITING TILL WE GET THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY OUT THERE, I'D RATHER HAVE A LOWER THRESHOLD TO BE REPORTED TO THE BOARD.
>> IT MIGHT BE THAT MR. FARKAS' AREA IS CONSTRUCTION. HE'S GOVERNED BY A DIFFERENT STATUTE. HE HAS HIGHER THRESHOLDS. I DON'T KNOW THEM. HE CAN RECITE THEM, 200, 300, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 300 AND HE HAS A DIFFERENT STATUTE. HE'S NOT UNDER 6A. CONSTRUCTION, THIS IS GOODS AND SERVICES, AND MR. FARKAS IS CONSTRUCTION. SO THAT MIGHT BE IT.
>>Lynn Gray: THE REMARKS THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE MAKING IS INDICATIVE OF WATCHING EVERY PENNY. I HAD THE ANALOGY THAT I'M NOW CARRYING A SCHOOL BOARD CHECKBOOK. SO ANYTHING SPENT AND ANYTHING GOTTEN, I TAKE CARE OF, AND I KNOW THAT WHEN WE GET INTO 5,000, 10,000, THE ONLY THING IS -- I'M JUST BEING DEVIL'S ADVOCATE -- ON TELLING THE SUPERINTENDENT OR ASKING HIM TO REPORT. SO YES -- WAS IT TWO DAYS AGO, WE VISITED FOSTER, AND THEY NEED MORE TEXTBOOKS. THEY ONLY HAVE I THINK 12 OR 14. THEY NEED MORE. THEN WE'LL GO AHEAD AND WE HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO WRITE UP SOMETHING, AND I KNOW THAT EACH SCHOOL HAS 5,000 -- THEY HAVE THEIR OWN ACCOUNT, INTERNAL ACCOUNT. BUT LAST YEAR, MAYBE TWO YEARS AGO, WE HAD EXPEDITIONARY LEARNING AND THAT WAS FOUND TO BE EXTREMELY POWERFUL. THIS IS WHEN McMANNIS WAS HERE. WE HAD TO ORDER MORE. ANECDOTALLY, WHEN YOU GO TO SCHOOLS, THERE ARE REAL NEEDS REAL QUICK THAT HAVE TO BE DECIDED ON TO MOVE THE TRAJECTORY OF GOOD INSTRUCTION, EFFECTIVE INSTRUCTION. SO WHAT I DON'T WANT US TO DO IS TO BOX THE SUPERINTENDENT INTO A CORNER WHERE HE CAN'T SAY TO A PRINCIPAL, HEY, MAN, I KNOW THIS COSTS $5,600, WHATEVER, AND THEN WE HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER MONTH. THIS ACTUALLY HAPPENED AND THE STUDENTS, OF COURSE, ARE THE ONES THAT PAY THE LEARNING PRICE. SO LET'S BE CAREFUL. I MEAN, I'M A CONSENSUS BUILDER. I UNDERSTAND MONEY AS WELL, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BOX THE SUPERINTENDENT OR THE TRAJECTORY OF IMMEDIATE STUDENT LEARNING TO A POINT WHERE HE HAS NO FREEDOM AND HAS TO WAIT ANOTHER SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. OKAY. I'M DONE. THANKS.
>> I WANT TO COMMENT THIS 50,000 IS A SMALL THRESHOLD FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO HAVE OVERSIGHT OVER. WHEN YOU'VE GOT A $1.5 BILLION BUDGET. AND IN THE GENERAL FUND, TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATIONAL FUND BECAUSE IF WE CAN GIVE YOU THE DATA OF HOW MUCH THOSE THRESHOLDS, WE'LL PULL THE DATA AND BRING IT BEFORE THE BOARD, PROCUREMENT ITEMS LESS THAN 50,000 AND THE IMPACT, YOU CAN SEE THE TOTAL IMPACT ON A $1.5 BILLION BUDGET, THEN THAT WILL GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING FOR PROCUREMENT, IN THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT AND THAT LEVEL, SO YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION TO SAY, IS THIS AMOUNT WORTH TRACKING GOING FORWARD? I THINK THAT WOULD GIVE YOU A MORE IDEA HOW MUCH IS SPENT IN THAT AREA. IF YOU MONITOR THE BUDGET LIKE THAT, WE'RE GIVING YOU MONTHLY BUDGET AMENDMENTS SO YOU CAN SEE THE DELTA AND THE CHANGE IN THE BUDGET, THAT SHOULD GIVE YOU AN IDEA AND OVERSIGHT IN A LOT OF AREAS. THE VALUE WE WANT TO LOOK AT, ANY ITEMS LIKE OVER 200,000, THAT IS REALLY, A DISTRICT OF THIS SIZE, YOU WANT TO BE CONCERNED AND ALL THOSE THINGS COME TO YOU. I THINK THIS THRESHOLD, BEING OVERSIGHT IN A LOT OF PLACES WILL BOTTLENECK THE SYSTEM, TAX OUR EMPLOYEES TO DO A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE SURE THIS COMES BEFORE THE BOARD. I JUST WANT YOU GUYS TO GET SOME IDEAS OF THOSE CONTRACTS SO YOU CAN MAKE A DECISION BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CONTRACTS WE HAVE THAT'S UNDER 50,000 AND THE IMPACT ON THE BUDGET.
>>Jim Porter: MS. PEREZ IS NEXT.
>>Karen Perez: I WAS GOING TO MENTION SOMETHING. THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. I GET THAT IT MIGHT BE MINIMAL, BUT DROPS IN THE BUCKET CAN DO PLENTY OF DAMAGE. JUST SAYING. AND THE FINANCIAL HEALTH OF THE DISTRICT IS EXTREMELY IMPERATIVE TO ALL THESE BOARD MEMBERS, ESPECIALLY MYSELF. WE ALSO HAVE A FINANCIAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE THAT'S GOING TO BE STARTING. FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW THE MONEY, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TRACK ANY MONEY SPENT IN THIS DISTRICT. I, TOO, WAS GOING TO SPEAK ABOUT THAT LINE 28 THROUGH 31 AND WHY IT WAS CROSSED OUT, BECAUSE I DO HAVE A CONCERN AND AM REQUESTING THAT THAT BE PUT BACK INTO THIS POLICY.
>>Jim Porter: [INAUDIBLE]
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. YOU CUT OUT.
>>Jim Porter: SORRY. MEMBER VAUGHN, MEMBER SNIVELY, AND DR. HAHN. AND THEN BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO WRAP THIS UP BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER POLICIES TO GET THROUGH. I THINK THESE ARE GOD QUESTIONS AND YOU CAN CONTINUE TO ASK THEM WITH STAFF AND AT THE PUBLIC HEARING. I THINK THESE ARE GOOD QUESTIONS AND YOU CAN CONTINUE TO ASK THEM WITH STAFF AND AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU MEMBER HAHN AND MEMBER PEREZ. I AGREE. I HEAR BOTH SIDES OF THE STORY, AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE CONCERNED WITH BOTTLENECKING. BUT FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WAY WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH OPERATIONS, HAVING THE THRESHOLD, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY ITEMS THAT HAVE BEEN BOTTLENECKED. WHEN MEMBER GRAY REFERENCES $5,000 FOR POSSIBLE BOOKS, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT UP TO $10,000 AS OPPOSED TO $50,000. I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND HOW THAT MIGHT CAUSE A PROBLEM WITH THE BOOKS. AND EVERY SINGLE TIME WE HEAR THE SUPERINTENDENT SPEAK, HE REMINDS US OF HOW EVERY SINGLE PENNY THAT WE'RE SPENDING RIGHT NOW IS CRITICAL TO GETTING OUR BUDGET HEALTHY. I KNOW THAT IS A PRIORITY FOR ALL OF US. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVEN FOR REGAINING THE PUBLIC TRUST, THE REASON WE BUILT THIS OR WE AGREED TO THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE IS BECAUSE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ROBUST DISCUSSIONS ABOUT ALL OF OUR PURCHASES. I KNOW THAT TO MEMBER SNIVELY'S POINT THAT SHE'S MADE SEVERAL TIMES, JUST HAVING A CONVERSATION AND BEING ABLE TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT IDEAS, AND I KNOW MEMBER COMBS WAS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT ONE OF THE ISSUES AND WAS ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE TRAINING IN-HOUSE AND SAVE LOTS OF MONEY, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT WHEN TALKING ABOUT $50,000, IT MIGHT BE A DROP IN THE BUCKET FOR A DISTRICT OUR SIZE BUT OTHER DISTRICTS AREN'T NECESSARILY IN THE FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'RE IN. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE RESPONSIVE TO THE CONSTANT REMINDERS OVER HOW MUCH OUR BUDGET IS CRUCIAL, EVERY SINGLE PENNY IS TO BE MADE HEALTHY. IT IS OUR JOB AS A BOARD TO HAVE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE BUDGET AND EXPENDITURES. WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I AGREE WITH DR. HAHN. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER SNIVELY AND DR. HAHN CAN WRAP THE BOARD UP.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP. IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION. I APPRECIATE, COREY, YOUR EXPLANATION OF THE RATIONALE BEHIND IT. I CERTAINLY DON'T WANT -- THERE'S A LOT OF BUREAUCRACY IN THIS ORGANIZATION ALREADY. SO I APPRECIATE MS. GRAY'S COMMENTS ABOUT NOT LETTING THAT ENDANGER SOMETHING THAT COULD BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR STUDENTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE CONTROLS BEING PUT INTO PLACE. I DON'T HAVE NECESSARILY AN ISSUE WITH THIS PARTICULAR AMOUNT AS LONG AS WE ARE INFORMED OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. WHETHER IT IS PUTTING ALL OF THESE PURCHASES ON OUR WEBSITE TO SAY THESE ARE THE RECENT PURCHASES THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT DID NOT GO TO THE BOARD AND HERE'S WHAT THEY ARE FOR. THAT WAY THE PUBLIC CAN SEE IF WE'RE DOING THIS, IT'S TRANSPARENT AND THAT WAY, IF YOU CAN DO THIS AND YOU DO IT EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY, THAT BUILDS TRUST. IT ESTABLISHES TRUST TO SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE ALL THE PURCHASES THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS MADE VERSUS THE PURCHASES THAT GO TO THE BOARD AND BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING THAT ON AND THEREFORE PEOPLE CAN SEE, OKAY, WE'RE GIVING YOU THIS AUTHORITY TO SPEND THIS UP TO THIS AMOUNT BUT LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'RE PURCHASING WITH IT. LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH IT BECAUSE THERE DOES NEED TO BE CONTROLS AND CHECKS AND BALANCES FOR THAT. BUT ALSO A LESS LEVEL OF BUREAUCRACY TO KEEP THE ORGANIZATION MOVING ALONG. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE. IT'S KIND OF A FINE LINE. WE HAVE TO FIND THAT PLACE IN THE MIDDLE WHERE WE CAN ESTABLISH IS THAT THE RIGHT AMOUNT? WHAT ARE YOU SPENDING IT ON? CAN YOU ESTABLISH THAT WE CAN TRUST YOU WITH THAT AMOUNT? MAYBE AT SOME POINT WE REVISIT THIS AND COME BACK AND SAY, WE'RE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THAT AMOUNT AT THIS JUNCTURE, WE NEED TO LOWER IT BACK DOWN TO 10,000 OR WE SAY YOU CAN KEEP IT GOING AT THIS AMOUNT AS LONG AS YOU CAN KEEP IT TRANSPARENT, AND WE FEEL WE CAN TRUST THAT. THEN I'D REALLY LIKE TO HEAR WHAT -- TO HAVE THE FINANCIAL COMMITTEE THAT GET ESTABLISHED WEIGH IN ON THIS TO SEE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE. BUT I THINK THAT MAYBE WE JUST NEED TO FIND THAT SOLUTION OF IF WE DON'T WANT THE BUREAUCRACY, BUT MAYBE WE CAN FIND A WAY TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT IS APPROVING TO ESTABLISH THAT TRUST IN OUR ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: DR. HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: I THOUGHT THAT IN NOVEMBER, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THE BOARD DID INCREASE FROM 10 TO 25 THOUSAND AT A BOARD MEETING.
>> NOT PROCUREMENT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
>>Stacy Hahn: I DON'T THINK SO. OKAY. I APPRECIATE MEMBER GRAY'S COMMENTS. WE DO HAVE A BOARD MEETING EVERY TWO WEEKS WHICH IF THERE IS ANYTHING THAT IS MORE URGENT THAN TWO WEEKS, I THINK YOU CAN CALL A SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING IF YOU HAVE TO. WE'VE DONE THAT MANY TIMES RECENTLY. AND I THINK THAT WE ALSO HAVE SOME THINGS IN WAREHOUSES THAT CAN BE PUSHED OUT. I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE CIRCUMVENTING THE BOARD RIGHT NOW GIVEN OUR CRISIS, SAYING THAT IT'S GOING TO BE PUT ON A WEBSITE IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN HAVING IT COME AS AN AGENDA ITEM TO DISCUSS AT MEETINGS AND TO MAKE A DECISION. THE ONLY THING THAT IS OUR BIGGEST RESPONSIBILITY RIGHT NOW IS MAKING SURE THAT WE PUT THIS DISTRICT IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION. I THINK THAT TO AVOID BOTTLENECKING, MAYBE IT WILL FORCE BETTER PLANNING AND PROJECT MANAGEMENT TO HAPPEN. THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF OUR CONCERNS FOR MANY, MANY MONTHS NOW. MAYBE IT WILL IMPROVE SOME OF THE SYSTEMS, BUT I AM NOT COMFORTABLE JUST SAYING THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN SPEND UP TO $50,000 OR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT ESTABLISHED FOR THE PURCHASE WITHOUT IT COMING BEFORE THE BOARD AT THIS TIME. I KNOW THAT WE COULD INCREASE IT, AND THEN IF IT'S NOT WORKING, DECREASE IT. MY PROPOSAL IS, LET'S EITHER KEEP -- PUT IT AT 25,000, LET THINGS COME BEFORE THE BOARD, ESTABLISH THE TRUST, AND THEN WHEN WE'RE IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION, TALK ABOUT MAYBE INCREASING IT. BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET. WE'RE STILL IN A VERY TENUOUS PLACE RIGHT NOW WITH OUR FINANCES. SO I RESPECT MEMBER GRAY'S COMMENTS BUT I DO GO BACK TO BOARD MEETINGS ARE EVERY TWO WEEKS. ANYTHING THAT IS A BIG CURRICULUM EXPENSE WILL PROBABLY COME BEFORE THE BOARD ANYWAY BECAUSE IT WILL IMPACT MULTIPLE SCHOOLS. THOSE ARE MY LAST WORDS. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER GRAY HAD SOME CLOSING COMMENTS.
>>Lynn Gray: YEAH. AND I THINK SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL NEED TO SPEAK. I TOTALLY, AS I SAID BEFORE, I TOTALLY AGREE THE CONSENSUS, BUT I ALSO HAVE TO POINT OUT SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT MADE FOR CERTAIN EXPENDITURES. IF WE HAD THAT, WE'D HAVE A SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING EVERY MONTH AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED THAT. I ALSO THINK THAT IT'S A LINE BETWEEN BUREAUCRACY, HAVING THE SCHOOLS FUNCTION IN A WAY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN PROMOTE STUDENT LEARNING, THEN THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COIN IS FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY. WHICH WE WANT TO DO BOTH SIDES, BUT IF WE ARE SPLITTING HAIRS, WHICH WE ARE, WE ARE JUST SPLITTING HAIRS, THEN I THINK THE BOARD NEEDS TO DECIDE HOW THEY WANT TO SPLIT THOSE PARTICULAR ITEMS. FISCALLY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT ON THE WEBSITE, OR WHATEVER APPARATUS, MAYBE IT'S MULTIPLE, COREY. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT, BUT WE DO HAVE SUSPENDED AGENDA. THAT CAN BE ONE WAY TO SHARE THE UPCOMING EXPENDITURES. THAT'S ALREADY BUILT IN. WE'RE GOING TO VOTE ON THAT TODAY. SO THAT'S ONE VEHICLE. BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WHERE I'M COMING FROM AS A COUNTYWIDE BOARD MEMBER WHO HAS SEEN AND BEEN IN THE CLASSROOMS FOR MANY YEARS AND NOT MANY ON THE BOARD, BUT MANY IN THE IDEA OF TEACHING, BUT ALSO ON THE BOARD SEEING THE EMERGENCIES THAT COME UP. I SAY EMERGENCIES, BUT LEARNING, KIDS EVERY FIVE MINUTES, BE IT SEL NEEDS OR BE IT ACADEMIC NEEDS, CHILDREN HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED, THE TEACHERS HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED, AND THE PRINCIPALS HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED IN A VERY IMMEDIATE WAY. THEY ARE SUBSCRIBING TO ANOTHER MONTH. I THINK WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL. WE'RE ALREADY BUREAUCRACY FILLED VERSUS JESUIT. JESUIT IS LIKE A VACATION. IT'S A RETIREMENT BECAUSE YOU HAVE HARDLY ANY BUREAUCRACY. MEMBER HAHN'S SON GOES THERE. I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL. I THINK THAT WE'RE KIND OF SLICING AND DICING WHERE IT REALLY DOESN'T BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY MULTIPLYING WAYS OF EXECUTING CLARIFICATION ON EXPENDITURES, BUT, AGAIN, THAT'S REALLY WHERE I WANT -- I DON'T WANT TO HAVE SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETINGS ON THESE ISSUES EITHER OR ANY OTHER CHAIR I THINK WOULD PROBABLY NOT WANT THAT TO BE RECOMMENDED. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS.
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I WOULD SAY I THINK IT'S A HEALTHY CONVERSATION. I RESPECT EVERY END OF IT. I THINK THERE SHOULD BE ACCOUNTABILITY, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYONE TALKING ABOUT RELATED TO TRUST. I'VE PROVEN TO BE FISCAL RESPONSIBLE EVERY SINGLE DAY IN THIS DISTRICT AND WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO. I JUST KNOW THAT I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF POTENTIALLY PUTTING IT ON THE SUSPENDED AGENDA. I DO THINK $50,000 SHOULD BE THE THRESHOLD IN LINE WITH THE STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS. SAME TOKEN, IT'S NOT ABOUT PLANNING. IT'S MORE ABOUT THINGS THAT COME UP. STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES NEED EQUIPMENT, MATERIALS AND SERVICES, AND SOMETIMES THOSE CAN'T WAIT TWO WEEKS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE SERVE THEM OR CLASSROOMS WITH BOOKS THAT MAY NEED ADDITIONAL. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION AND I'LL MOVE IT FORWARD FOR MR. PORTER.
>>Jim Porter: THIS IS ONE YOU HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT. DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE CLEAR CONSENSUS ABOUT WHAT THE POLICY SHOULD LOOK LIKE, IF AT ALL. THERE ARE MANY THINGS WITHIN THE PROPOSED POLICY. KRISTIN HAS BEEN TAKING NOTES. I'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES. I KNOW THE FINANCE TEAM HAS BEEN TAKING NOTES AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL. IF YOU CHOOSE TO SET THIS FOR PUBLIC HEARING, I THINK YOU CAN CONTINUE THE DEBATE, ALSO GET MORE CONTEXT, WHAT DO OTHER DISTRICTS DO, WHAT DOES THE RULE ALLOW, WHAT HAVE WE TRADITIONALLY DONE IN HILLSBOROUGH? WHAT ARE THE PURCHASES USED FOR AND MEAN FOR A BUDGET OUR SIZE? IF YOU ULTIMATELY DON'T APPROVE IT, YOU DON'T APPROVE IT. STAFF HAS WORK TO DO ABOUT WHAT THE POLICY LOOKS LIKE. THERE ARE OTHER THINGS IN HERE PROBABLY NOT CONTROVERSIAL AND PROBABLY SHOULD BE APPROVED. IF THE BOARD IS OKAY WITH IT MOVING FORWARD WITH THE UNDERSTANDING YOU MAY NOT APPROVE IT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE PROBABLY WILL BE CHANGES TO THE PROPOSED POLICY, IF WE COULD GET CONSENSUS AROUND THAT. AND IF YOU WANT TO KILL IT NOW, THAT'S FINE. IT SEEMS LIKE THERE ARE THINGS IN HERE WORTHY OF CONTINUING THE DISCUSSION AND OTHER THINGS IN THE POLICY THAT MIGHT NEED TO MOVE FORWARD.
>>Melissa Snively: YOU SAID THE POLICY COULD CHANGE BEFORE IT BECOMES ADVERTISED OR BEFORE IT COMES TO THE BOARD FOR POLICY HEARING?
>>Jim Porter: ADVERTISING PURPOSES. FOR INSTANCE, IF THIS POLICY WAS ADVERTISED AS-IS AND THE BOARD DECIDED TO REDUCE THE THRESHOLD, THAT WOULD BE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT AND FINE. IF YOU TRIED TO ADD THINGS AFTER THE POLICY WAS ADVERTISED, THAT WOULD BE A PROBLEM FOR US AND WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO CONSIDER IT AT THE TIME. IF THEY COULD ADVERTISE THIS ONE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THIS ONE PROBABLY WILL NOT BE APPROVED OR MAKE CHANGES. YOU JUST CAN'T ADD THINGS AFTER THE POLICY HAS BEEN ADVERTISED.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, IN CASE WE DECIDE TO LOWER, THAT'S ACCEPTABLE.
>>Jim Porter: THAT'S ACCEPTABLE. YOU CAN'T RAISE IT BUT YOU CAN LOWER IT.
>>Melissa Snively: BUT THAT WOULD KEEP IT MOVING ALONG.
>>Jim Porter: YES.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU. MR. FARKAS IS UP NEXT WITH POLICY 6330. THE ACQUISITION OF PROFESSIONAL, ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT, LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURAL OR LAND SURVEYING SERVICES, MR. FARKAS.
>>Christopher Farkas: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TALK TO YOU TODAY. SEVEN MEMBERS ON SELECTION COMMITTEE. WE DO SELECTION COMMITTEE FOR ANY ITEM OVER $4 MILLION IN CONSTRUCTION. WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS TIME IS THE MEMBERS TO STAY THE SAME. RIGHT NOW MYSELF OR DESIGNEE. DR. VERRA-TIRADO, PLANNING, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE. THE SEVENTH MEMBER IS A MEMBER FROM THE PTSA THE DISTRICT OR THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE. THE COMMITMENT OF TIME TO DO THE SELECTION IS LONG. IT'S AT LEAST TWO FULL DAYS TO DO THAT. AND WE'VE HAD SOME CHALLENGES WITH GETTING A MEMBER FROM PTSA, THE DISTRICT PTSA OR FROM THE DISTRICT CITIZENS ADVISORY. THE AMENDMENT YOU HAVE, THE RED LINE IN FRONT OF YOU, IF BY CHANCE THEY CAN'T DO IT, ONE OF THE TWO GROUPS AND THEY STILL WOULD BE OUR FIRST CHOICE, HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE ACTUAL SCHOOL SITE. PTSA FROM THE SCHOOL SITE, PRINCIPAL FROM THE SCHOOL SITE TO SERVE ON THE COMMITTEE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO PROLONG OR PUSH -- COMMITTEES. THAT'S THE ONLY CHANGE TO THIS POLICY.
>>Jim Porter: ANY QUESTIONS OF MR. FARKAS? THANK YOU, MR. FARKAS. DR. DELANGE IS UP NEXT WITH POLICY 9800.
>> GOOD MORNING, CHAIR GRAY, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. THE MAJORITY OF THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE TO POLICY 9800 WERE MADE TO ALIGN TO THE NEW STATUTORY LANGUAGE IN SENATE BILL 1028. THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE ADDED LANGUAGE. LINE 76, WE ADDED LANGUAGE TO EASE THE BURDEN OF THIS NEW WAY OF WORK THAT THE SENATE BILL 1028 IS PUTTING ON US, SAYING THAT NEW APPLICATIONS CAN BE SUBMITTED ANYTIME OF THE YEAR. SO TO EASE THE BURDEN ON OUR SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES, WE HAVE INCLUDED IN THE NEW POLICY THAT RECOMMENDING THAT NEW APPLICANTS SUBMIT TO US A LETTER OF INTENT, LETTING US KNOW THAT 30 DAYS PRIOR TO SUBMISSION, LETTING US KNOW WHAT THEY WILL BE SUBMITTING, WHAT TYPE OF APPLICATION, THAT WAY WE WILL BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER A REVIEW TEAM THAT IS SPECIFIC TO THAT APPLICATION. WE CAN'T MANDATE THAT BUT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IT IN OUR POLICY. LINE 447 ADDS REQUIREMENTS. WE OFTEN HAVE AMENDMENTS TO PROGRAMS, AND THAT IS STATUTORILY OKAY, BUT WE'VE ADDED A REQUEST FOR BUDGETS OR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS JUST TO GET AN EVEN BETTER PICTURE OF WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ALL ABOUT. LINE 546 ADDED LANGUAGE TO ENSURE THAT WHEN WE RECEIVE CONSOLIDATION REQUESTS THAT IS ALLOWED BY STATUTE, THAT THEY ARE -- THEY WILL HAPPEN DURING ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S CONTRACT RENEWALS AND NOT DURING ANY OTHER TIME OF THE CONTRACT. LINE 965 IS JUST CLARIFICATION AS TO THE ROLE OF OUR ESE STAFF, OUR DISTRICT RESOURCE TEACHERS ASSIGNED TO CHARTER SCHOOLS THE ONUS IS BASICALLY ON THE SCHOOL TO NOTIFY THE NEED FOR ONE OF OUR ESE STAFF TO ATTEND IEP MEETINGS AND TO ACT AS AN LEA. THEY LITERALLY CANNOT ATTEND EVERY SINGLE IEP IN THE 55 SCHOOLS. SO WE ARE PUTTING THE BURDEN, THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THE SCHOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT LEAD THE PLANNING OF THE ELIGIBILITY MEETING, ORGANIZE EVERYTHING, AND NOTIFY US.
>>Jim Porter: OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS. WE HAVE MS. COMBS UP FIRST FOLLOWED BY MS. PEREZ. WE HAVE GRAY, HAHN, SNIVELY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I HAVE SEVERAL QUESTIONS. FIRST ON LINE 549, I GUESS ONE OF MY BIGGEST CONCERNS WITH THE CONSOLIDATION IS I'M REALLY THINKING ABOUT TAXPAYER MONEY. WHEN CHARTERS INITIALLY OPENED THEY RECEIVE FOUR TO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM OUR TAXPAYER MONEY AND THEN THEY RECEIVE PECO DOLLARS. YOU SEE THAT MANY SCHOOLS ARE OPERATING SEPARATELY, RECEIVING THAT INITIAL FUNDING, AND THEN CONSOLIDATING TO ONE. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TWO SCHOOLS, RECEIVING FOUR TO FIVE HUNDRED THOUSAND EACH. RECEIVING PECO DOLLARS. THEY ARE GIVING US 5% OF OVERSIGHT TO RUN THE DISTRICTS. A FEW YEARS LATER, THEY CONSOLIDATE JUST SO THEY GET THAT INITIAL MONEY. THAT'S A BIG CONCERN TO ME, ADDING THAT THEY CONSOLIDATE AT ANY TIME BECAUSE I DO THINK IT IS A REALLY BIG CONCERN FOR TAXPAYERS AS IT SHOULD BE HOW THIS MONEY IS BEING USED. THAT'S ONE PART. THE OTHER PART I'M CONCERNED ABOUT IS I REALIZE THAT IN TALLAHASSEE AND THROUGHOUT THE STATE THAT THE MOVE TOWARDS PRIVATIZATION IS VERY CLEAR. SO MY CONCERN IS NOT THAT THIS IS GOING TO HAPPEN, THE OVERSIGHT AND ENSURING THAT KIDS ARE RECEIVING ADEQUATE EDUCATION. IN LINE 96 TO 97, SAYING THAT NOT ALL IP, STRIKING THAT, EVEN IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF CHANGING THE POLICY. I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT AS IT WAS AND NOT STRIKING THAT OUT. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT IS THAT WE DO OVERSEE THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS AND WE ARE ENSURING THAT KIDS ARE RECEIVING A WONDERFUL EDUCATION. I ALWAYS RECALL THAT GRADES ARE VERY SUBJECTIVE. WHEN I HEARD STUDENTS COME UP AND SAY MY CHILD HAS A 3.5 GPA. THAT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOUR CHILD CAN'T PASS FSA OR READING LEVEL LOW OR NOT MEETING MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES OR RECEIVING GIFTED SERVICES. FOR ME, THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF NOT HAVING OVERSIGHT. BOTH OF THOSE ARE REALLY BIG ISSUES FOR ME WITH THIS POLICY.
>> MAY I RESPOND? THE CONSOLIDATION PIECE, IT IS A STATUTORILY ALLOWED FOR SCHOOLS TO CONSOLIDATE. THAT'S NOT NEW LANGUAGE. THE LANGUAGE THAT WE'RE IMPLEMENTING HERE IS MAKING SURE THAT THE CONSOLIDATION HAPPENS DURING CONTRACT RENEWAL SO WE CAN DO A DEEP DIVE OF THE SCHOOL BEFORE CONSOLIDATING. BUT CONSOLIDATION IS ALLOWABLE BY STATUTE.
>>Jim Porter: MS. PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: BETWEEN LINES 968 AND 975, WITH THE CONTRACTS THAT CAME TO US, THE IEPs WERE A BIG ISSUE, AND THESE CHARTER SCHOOLS MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS WITH THE IEPs. THE FACT THAT YOU'RE ELIMINATING ALL, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I NEED FOR SOMEONE TO ATTEND ALL THE IEP MEETINGS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN, THE SPECIAL EDUCATION RELATED TO OUR STUDENTS, IS BEING MET. AND IF YOU'RE SAYING THAT THESE FACILITATORS ARE NOT ABLE TO GO TO ALL OF THE IEP MEETINGS, THAT'S A PROBLEM WITH ME, ESPECIALLY WHAT I SAW WITH THESE CONTRACTS AND THEIR INABILITY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THESE STUDENTS. ELIMINATING ALL, I HAVE A MAJOR ISSUE WITH THIS.
>> IT WAS DONE FOR THE INTENTION TO PROTECT OUR STAFF, BUT I'LL TURN IT OVER TO --
>> SO, AS YOU KNOW, EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION IS NOW UNDER THE DIVISION OF EQUITY, INCLUSION -- DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND INCLUSION, DEI. AND, QUITE HONESTLY, I'M OKAY WITH STRIKING THAT BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENED KIND OF BEFORE, THE TRANSITION. BUT I WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT A COUPLE OF THINGS. FIRST OF ALL, THE RESOURCE TEACHERS FOR BOTH EXCEPTIONAL STUDENT EDUCATION AND ESOL SERVICES ARE NOW GOING TO BE -- AND ELL IS ALSO UNDER MY DIVISION, ARE GOING TO BE REPORTING DIRECTLY UNDER DIVISION. SO THEY ARE GOING TO BE HAVING THE SAME TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND TRAINING IN REAL TIME AS WE'RE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AS WE'RE WORKING WITH COMPLIANCE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A HIGH LEVEL OF FIDELITY, WHICH I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE HAVEN'T, BUT I THINK IT WILL STREAMLINE THINGS A LITTLE BIT MORE. NOW, IN TERMS OF ATTENDING EVERY IEP MEETING, IT'S NOT EVEN ABOUT PROTECTING STAFF. QUITE FRANKLY, AN INDIVIDUAL IEP MEETING THAT OCCURS, LET'S SAY ONE HAPPENING TODAY WITH THE TEACHER AND THE PARENT AND THE SPEECH PATHOLOGIST ABOUT CHANGING THE CHILD SERVICES FROM 30 MINUTES A WEEK TO 40 MINUTES A WEEK, THOSE TYPES OF MEETINGS, IT'S NOT ROUTINE FOR A DISTRICT OFFICIAL TO ATTEND. IN FACT, SOME PARENTS MIGHT SEE THAT A LITTLE BIT INVASIVE THAT WE WOULD BE AT THAT. ARE WE PART OF REVIEWING THE PROCEDURES AND THEN REVIEWING IEPs AFTER THE FACT TO ENSURE THE PROPER PERSONNEL WERE THERE, ET CETERA? ABSOLUTELY. ADDITIONALLY, DISTRICT STAFF DO ATTEND MEETINGS WHEN EITHER A PARENT HAS ASKED, A STAFF MEMBER HAS ASKED OR WE PREDICT THAT THERE MAY NOT -- WE KNOW BECAUSE WE'VE HEARD FROM THE FAMILY AND THE TEAM THAT PERHAPS THERE'S NOT AGREEMENT ON ISSUES, AND THEN WE'RE THERE TO HELP ENSURE WE'RE FACILITATING, HELPING TO FACILITATE THE MEETING, HELPING TO ENSURE THAT OUR STATE, OUR BOARD POLICY, STATE POLICY, FEDERAL POLICIES ARE FOLLOWED AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. THAT CAN STILL CONTINUE WHETHER WE LEAVE THE LANGUAGE THE SAME. I PERSONALLY AM FINE REMOVING THOSE CHANGES.
>>Karen Perez: WELL, I'M NOT. I'M NOT FINE WITH IT.
>> I WAS AGREEING WITH YOUR ASK. I'M SUPPORTING YOUR.
>>Karen Perez: WANT IT TO STAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I WANT IT LEFT.
>>Lynn Gray: MEMBER PEREZ, ARE YOU FINISHED WITH THAT ONE?
>>Karen Perez: YES.
>>Lynn Gray: I KNOW I MADE MOST OF THE CHANGES ON THIS POLICY. I CAN'T REMEMBER -- I KNOW MEMBER SNIVELY WAS THERE. I KIND OF ADDED AND ADDED. THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LINE 394, REFLECT 2020 FLORIDA LEGISLATION, I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL, IS THIS BECAUSE WE MUST NOW, WHERE IT SAYS THE APPLICANT, 396, WE MUST -- THE APPLICANT AND THE BOARD MAY MUTUALLY AGREE TO EXTEND THE STATUTORY TIMELINE, IS THAT IN FLORIDA STATUTE?
>> THE FLORIDA STATUTE ALLOWS FOR A NEW APPLICANT TO TAKE THREE YEARS TO OPEN A SCHOOL. DURING THAT TIME, SOME DECIDE TO NOT NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT YET BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY ONCE THE CONTRACT IS EXECUTED, THE FIVE YEARS BEGIN, SO THEY HAVE THREE YEARS TO ACTUALLY NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACT AND EXECUTE IT.
>>Lynn Gray: THE QUESTION AGAIN REMAINS, THIS HAS TO BE REMOVED BECAUSE IT IS A FLORIDA STATUTE SITUATION?
>> THAT'S CORRECT.
>>Lynn Gray: THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO KNOW. THE OTHER QUESTION, AND I THINK MEMBER PEREZ SPOKE ON THIS IN-DEPTH. THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE WAS, YES, ABOUT THE 968. WE NEED THE REPRESENTATION OF ESE. AGAIN, CHILDREN CHANGE SO QUICKLY AND NOT EXACTLY QUIETLY, BUT THE PARENTS ARE VERY, VERY OBSERVANT OF THE IEPs. IF IT'S A DISTRICT CHARTER SCHOOL, WE SHOULD HAVE EQUIVALENTS. IN EVERY AREA WHERE THERE'S EQUITY FROM THE PUBLIC TO THE CHARTER, I THINK WE NEED TO SPEND TIME ON THAT. I'M NOT TALKING TO YOU, CHINTZY, I KNOW YOU'RE TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING THAT IS THE RIGHT THING. EVERY AREA ASPECT, TO THE DEGREE THAT WE CAN AVOID NOT SHOWING A DISPARITY BETWEEN ONE VERSION OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL AND ANOTHER VERSION OF A PUBLIC SCHOOL, I THINK WE NEED TO ALWAYS HAVE AN EQUIVALENCE. SADLY, THE ESE PEOPLE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE THE AUDIENCE MANY TIMES AS THEY SHOULD. I GUESS RIGHT NOW, THIS BOARD WILL BE THE AUDIENCE. I AGREE, MEMBER PEREZ. OTHER THAN THAT, I'M SAD TO SEE THE STUFF I PUT IN THERE A WHILE BACK IS ALL CROSSED OUT. IF IT'S FLORIDA STATUTE, THERE IS NOT A WHOLE LOT WE CAN DO. I'M DONE WITH MY REMARKS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND FOR YOUR, LET'S JUST SAY, ABLE -- YOUR ABILITY TO SEE BOTH SIDES OF THE COIN. VERY IMPORTANT.
>> THANK YOU, CHAIR GRAY.
>>Jim Porter: DR. HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. A LOT OF THE COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS I WAS GOING TO ASK HAVE BEEN ASKED, BUT CERTAINLY AROUND THE IEPs, I HAD A LOT OF PARENTS WHEN YOU WERE GOING THROUGH THE LAST RENEWAL PERIOD OF CERTAIN SCHOOLS, THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THE IEPs WEREN'T BEING IMPLEMENTED BECAUSE A CHILD WITH A DISABILITY ISN'T COMING HOME AND SAYING, MOM, DAD, MY IEP HASN'T BEEN IMPLEMENTED TODAY. I DO GET CONCERNED. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHETHER IT'S OUR OWN TRADITIONAL PUBLIC SCHOOLS OR OUR OWN CHARTER SCHOOLS, THAT WE ARE MAKING SURE THAT CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL NEEDS ARE GETTING THE SERVICES THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO RECEIVE UNDER STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS. THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ, FOR ADDRESSING THAT.
>> I WANT TO ASSURE ALL OF YOU, ACTUALLY, THAT CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED AND NEW PROCESSES HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF KIM WORKMAN, AND WE ARE COLLABORATING TO STRENGTHEN THE SYSTEMS FOR ESE STUDENTS AND I FEEL CONFIDENT YOU WILL SEE THE CHANGES.
>>Stacy Hahn: I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. I HAD A QUESTION ON LINE 549, SECTION D, CONSOLIDATION REQUEST. I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY, IT SEEMS CONTRADICTORY THAT THE FIRST LINE SAYS THAT A CHARTER GOVERNING BOARD CAN REQUEST TO CONSOLIDATE TWO OR MORE SCHOOLS ONLY UPON THE RENEWAL OF ONE OR MORE OF THE SCHOOLS WHEN THE STATUTE SAYS A CHARTER MAY BE MODIFIED DURING ITS INITIAL TERM OR AT ANY RENEWAL UPON THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE SPONSOR. IT SEEMS -- AND OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS TO DO WITH THE MOST RECENT CONSOLIDATION REQUEST THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT THIS STEMS FROM OF KID'S COMMUNITY COLLEGE, BUT IS THAT CONTRADICTORY? THE STATUTE SAYS THEY CAN DO IT DURING THE INITIAL TERM, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO CODIFY IT BY SAYING THAT YOU CAN ONLY DO IT UPON RENEWAL.
>> THE STATUTE SAYS UPON AGREEMENT OF BOTH PARTIES AND HISTORICALLY, OUR POLICY, OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY POLICIES HAS ALWAYS BEEN DURING CONTRACT RENEWAL, SO WE JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT WAS PUT DOCUMENTED IN OUR POLICY.
>>Melissa Snively: WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE'RE NOT FOLLOWING STATE STATUTE BY DOING IT THE WAY THAT WE DO IT?
>> NO, NO, WE'RE FOLLOWING IT. YOU ARE CORRECT. THE STATUTE SAYS THAT THEY CAN DO IT ANYTIME IF BOTH PARTIES AGREE.
>>Melissa Snively: BUT WE'RE SAYING YOU CAN ONLY CONSOLIDATE UPON THE RENEWAL, CONSIDERING THE REQUEST UPON A SUCCESSFUL CONTRACT RENEWAL.
>>Jim Porter: CONTRACT REQUIRES BOTH PARTIES TO AGREE. WHAT SHE'S SAYING IS WE DON'T AGREE TO THAT. IN ORDER FOR THE CONTRACT TO BE RENEWED THIS IS WHAT OUR TERMS ARE. IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE STATUTE BECAUSE BOTH PARTIES HAVE TO AGREE.
>>Melissa Snively: I WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE CONSISTENT WITH STATE STATUTE AND NOT TRYING TO CREATE OUR OWN. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU'RE NEXT.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I'M JUST AS WELL TRYING TO GET CLARIFICATION SIMILAR TO MEMBER SNIVELY. AS MEMBER PEREZ HAS IDENTIFIED THE PART OF THE LANGUAGE WITH THE ESE SUPPORT THAT SHE DOESN'T FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH AND I KNOW MEMBER GRAY HAD SAID THAT'S STATE STATUTE. I GUESS MY QUESTION WOULD BE, DO WE HAVE FLEXIBILITY IN THE PIECE THAT MEMBER PEREZ IS CONCERNED WITH AND WOULD LIKE TAKEN OUT? OR DUE TO THAT BEING STATE STATUTE, WE HAVE ZERO FLEXIBILITY AS A BOARD TO ADD THAT TO THE POLICY?
>> MEMBER VAUGHN, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE ESE? YES. NO, WE CAN TAKE IT OUT. IT'S NOT STATUTE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: ARE WE GOING TO DISCUSS TAKING THAT OUT NOW OR WHEN WOULD BE THE APPROPRIATE PLACE? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED WITH THIS PROCESS AS FAR AS CONSENSUS AND MAKING CHANGES.
>> WE WILL REMOVE THE PROPOSED CHANGES.
>>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS ON THIS ONE? I THINK WHAT WE'VE HEARD IS THAT THERE'S -- THERE'S CONSENSUS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD WITH THE LANGUAGE THAT MS. PEREZ IDENTIFIED AS BEING TROUBLESOME TO BE TAKEN OUT. THE REST OF THE CHANGES ARE STATUTORILY REQUIRED AND THOSE NEED TO BE BROUGHT FORWARD AND CODIFIED INTO POLICY. WITH THAT, WE CAN ADVERTISE THE POLICY. KRISTIN HAS THE APPROPRIATE NOTES FOR THAT. THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, THAT ENDS THE STAFF SECTION OF POLICIES. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO BOARD. I DO WANT YOU TO BE THOUGHTFUL. WE HAVE A LOT OF POLICIES TO REVIEW. IT IS 10:50 AND THE WORKSHOP ENDS AT 11:30. BACK TO THE CHAIR.
>>Lynn Gray: BOARD MEMBERS, WHY DON'T WE TAKE A FIVE-MINUTE BREAK, STRETCH LEGS AND WE'LL GET RIGHT BACK AT IT. AND I WILL CONTINUE TO LET MR. PORTER GUIDE US THROUGH THIS POLICY WORKSHOP. THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. [RECESS]
>>Lynn Gray: FOLKS, WE'RE LIVE. WE'RE GOING TO BEGIN WITH THE POLICY THAT IS, WELL, THE ORDER I HAVE, AGAIN, MR. PORTER, IF YOU'LL DIRECT THE MEETING AND YOU SEE WHAT I SEE AND LET'S GO.
>>Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS. JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS FIRST. OBVIOUSLY, THE BOARD MEMBER POLICIES ARE WORTHY OF A LOT OF DISCUSSION. YOU HAVE EXACTLY ONE HALF HOUR LEFT. BECAUSE THIS IS A BOARD MEETING DAY, I THINK KRISTIN IS ALREADY LOOKING AT ANOTHER DATE FOR A WORKSHOP, MAYBE ON A NON-BOARD MEETING DAY IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS SO WE CAN TAKE YOUR TIME GETTING THROUGH THE ONES YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TODAY AND NOT FEEL RUSHED AND GIVE EACH POLICY THAT'S BEEN RECOMMENDED BY A BOARD MEMBER THE WEIGHT AND COURTESY IT DESERVES. I THINK WE SHOULD GO DOWN THE LIST. WHEN WE STOP AT 11:30, THEN WE'LL MOVE THE NEXT ONES TO A POLICY WORKSHOP IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS. TWO ITEMS WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED TODAY. MEMBER SNIVELY BRINGING 2240 CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES IS DROPPING THAT FOR NOW AND MAY BRING IT BACK IN THE FUTURE. AND MS. VAUGHN WITH POLICY 5,300.02, MEDICAL MARIJUANA, SHE ALSO WANTS TO DROP THAT TODAY BUT BRING IT BACK FOR A LATER MEETING. THOSE TWO THINGS WILL NOT BE DISCUSSED. I THINK MS. SNIVELY WANTED TO MAKE COMMENT AND WE'LL GET RIGHT INTO THE POLICIES.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. IT WAS KIND OF A LAST-MINUTE DECISION TO DROP THAT, BUT I DID WANT TO JUST REMIND THE BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT THAT THERE IS STATE STATUTE AND FEDERAL LAW AROUND EXPLICIT SEXUAL CONTENT AND CHILD PREROGATIVE IN OUR INSTRUCTION CURRICULUM. I'M GOING TO BRING THIS BACK WHEN WE HAVE WORKED ON THE POLICY LANGUAGE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING STATE LAW AND FEDERAL LAW BY THAT, AND I WILL CONTINUE TO PUT PRESSURE ON THE SUPERINTENDENT TO MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS AND CONTINUE TO PROMOTE TRANSPARENCY FOR PARENTS TO BE INVOLVED IN WHAT THEIR CHILDREN SHOULD, AND WHAT THEIR PARENTS FEEL AND SHOULD AND SHOULDN'T BE EXPOSED TO IN SCHOOL.
>> MAYBE THE NEXT POLICY CYCLE?
>>Melissa Snively: HOPEFULLY SO. JUST FOR NOW. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: THE FIRST POLICY RECOMMENDED BY BOARD MEMBER, MEMBER VAUGHN 1065 DEALING WITH MEETINGS. BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'LL RECALL THERE HAD BEEN SOME DISCUSSION EARLIER IN THE YEAR ABOUT HOW MANY MEETINGS YOU WANTED TO HAVE. THE POLICY IS SUGGESTING THAT YOU HAVE TWO REGULAR MEETINGS AT LEAST TEN MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. WE IDENTIFIED THERE WERE CERTAIN MONTHS WHERE IT'S NOT REALLY CONVENIENT OR APPROPRIATE TO HAVE MORE THAN ONE MEETING, BUT THIS GIVES FLEXIBILITY IF WE HAVE TO HAVE. THAT'S PROPOSED BY MEMBER VAUGHN, IF SHE WANTS TO SPEAK TO IT.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO SPEAK TO THIS ONE BECAUSE I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THIS PREVIOUSLY AND EVERYBODY IS UP TO DATE ON IT. I DID JUST KIND OF WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT REGARDING THIS FORMAT IN GENERAL, THAT I HAVE WORKED -- IF YOU NOTICE, I HAVE A LOT OF POLICIES. THAT'S BECAUSE I'VE WORKED WITH A LOT OF MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY TO BRING FORWARD THESE POLICIES FOR DIFFERENT GROUPS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND ADVOCACY GROUPS. I KNOW MANY OF THEM ARE CONCERNED THAT THEY CAN'T SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS ON SOME OF THESE POLICIES IN THE FORMAT WE HAVE. I IMAGINE SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES MIGHT EXPRESS SIMILAR CONCERNS WITH POLICIES THEY HAVE. AS WE MOVE FORWARD IN THIS PROCESS AND THE NEXT MEETING, IF WE DECIDE TO MOVE ANY POLICY FORWARD SIMPLY BASED ON THE IDEA THAT IT DESERVES A CHANCE TO BE DEBATED PUBLICLY, THAT WE DO SO FOR ALL OF THE POLICIES SUBMITTED BY BOARD MEMBERS AND NOT KIND OF PICK AND CHOOSE. I WANTED TO SAY THAT BEFORE WE WENT INTO THE PROCESS. REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC POLICY, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING I WANT TO ADD ABOUT IT. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: ANY BOARD COMMENTS ON THIS ONE? MS. SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. I AM STRUGGLING TO REMEMBER OUR CONVERSATION. I KNOW WE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MORE MEETINGS. I KNOW THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF DEBATE ON WHAT WE SHOULD BE BOXED INTO IN POLICY, SO TO SPEAK. I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE TEN MONTH INSTEAD OF -- WE STRUGGLE AS A BOARD TO MEET TEN MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. WE USUALLY HAVE CHALLENGES DURING SPRING BREAK, THE MONTH OF SPRING BREAK, THANKSGIVING BREAK, CHRISTMAS, WINTER BREAK IN DECEMBER. I WOULD ASK RESPECTFULLY THAT MAYBE WE REDUCE THAT TO NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR. WE HAVE NOT HAD TWO MEETINGS PER MONTH FOR TEN MONTHS SINCE 2013. IN 2014, WE HAD 18 MEETINGS. IN 2015, 18, 201619, 2017, 17. 2018, 16 -- WE HAD A TOTAL OF NINE MEETINGS THIS YEAR. I WOULD LIKE TO RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT WE CONSIDER NINE MONTHS. IF WE WANT ANOTHER MEETING, WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE ANOTHER MEETING, BUT TO PUT IT IN A POLICY AND SAY WE MUST HAVE TWO MEETINGS FOR TEN MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, I'M JUST AFRAID THAT'S GOING TO BOX US IN SINCE WE HAVE A REALLY DIFFICULT TIME HAVING 20 MEETINGS A YEAR, REGULAR CALLED BOARD MEETINGS. THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WOULD ASK, THAT WE CONSIDER NINE MONTHS.
>>Lynn Gray: THIS IS INTERESTING, AND I'M HOPING TO, TOO, THAT OUR ATTORNEY, MR. PORTER HAS GUIDED THE NEWER BOARD MEMBERS THAT WHENEVER YOU CAPTURE A FINITE AMOUNT OF TIME IN MONTHS, DAYS OR WHAT A PERSON SHOULD OR SHOULD NOT DO IN A FINITE WAY, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE POLICY ISN'T OVERARCHING. I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT'S COMPLETELY BENIGN TO BE NEBULOUS, BUT ALSO, IT HAS TO BE RELEVANT ENOUGH THAT BOARD MEMBERS CAN, IN FACT, NEGOTIATE AND COLLABORATE WHEN NECESSARY. IF WE LOCK OURSELVES INTO A POLICY WITH TIME AND ELEMENTS THAT SUBTRACT THE COLLABORATIVE NATURE OF A BOARD, I THINK WE ARE NOT REALLY REVIVING WHAT IS CALLED DEMOCRACY, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS. SO I ALSO WILL AGREE WITH MEMBER SNIVELY. I DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE SHOULD PUT MONTHS, BUT TO VAUGHN'S POINT, THERE WAS A LITTLE TIME THERE WE NEEDED MORE BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD MEETINGS, BUT THERE HAS -- I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT DOWN AS MY PHILOSOPHICAL BACKGROUND ON POLICY MAKING. SNIVELY HAS BEEN DOING THIS FOR FIVE, SIX YEARS AS WELL, SO SHE HAS THE BACKGROUND ALSO. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN AND THEN, OF COURSE, MEMBER HAHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO REMIND THE BOARD THE REASON I BROUGHT THIS POLICY FORWARD IS BECAUSE I HAD ASKED ONCE I HAD LEARNED THAT WE WERE ONLY HAVING ONE MEETING ONCE A MONTH DURING CRUCIAL TIME, I HAD ASKED THE SUPERINTENDENT IF WE COULD HAVE MORE MEETINGS, AND I WAS TOLD NO AND THAT WASN'T IN MY ABILITY OR POWER TO REQUEST MORE BOARD MEETINGS. THAT'S WHY I MOVED IT TO A POLICY. SO THE CONVERSATION THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST EASY TO REQUEST A BOARD MEETING IF WE NEED MORE, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS JUST UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CHAIR CAN DO THAT OR IF THAT'S REFLECTIVE OF THE ENTIRE BOARD. IF WE CAN TAKE SOME KIND OF CONSENSUS. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THAT BUT THIS POLICY WAS BRED OUT OF NOT BEING ABLE TO GET MORE BOARD MEETINGS.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN, DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF NINE MONTHS INSTEAD OF TEN MONTHS?
>>Jessica Vaughn: I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP IT AT TEN MONTHS. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S A CHALLENGE, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE -- HERE WE'RE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT HOW OFTEN WE MEET AND NOT BOTTLENECKING THE PROCESS BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO SAYING WE MIGHT NOT HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO MEET OFTEN. AT OUR BOARD MEETINGS IS WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN REALLY ENGAGE WITH US AND SPEAK TO ISSUES. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HOLD BOARD MEETINGS. I WOULD PREFER TO KEEP THE TEN, BUT I'M OPEN TO WHAT THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD IS TO ADVANCE THE POLICY.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU. NEXT UP IS DR. HAHN AND THEN MEMBER COMBS.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. JUST A FEW COMMENTS, FOR THE RECORD, I AM GLAD WE ARE BACK TO TWO MEETINGS A MONTH. I THINK IT JUST IS A BETTER WAY -- A MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF WORK. I DO APPRECIATE THAT. I HAVE A QUESTION FOR MR. PORTER. IS THIS BETTER SUITED TO BE IN THE BOARD'S WAY OF WORK VERSUS IN A POLICY? THIS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A PART OF OUR WAY OF WORK WHICH AS A BOARD WE SIT AND DISCUSS AND AGREE UPON, AND WE CAN ALWAYS CHANGE IT. SO IF WE WANTED TO GO FROM NINE MEETINGS TO TEN MEETINGS -- I MEAN, NINE MONTHS TO TEN MONTHS OR BACK THE OTHER WAY, WE WOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE VERY NIMBLE AROUND THAT. AND I DO UNDERSTAND MEMBER VAUGHN'S FRUSTRATION, THE BEGINNING OF HAVING ONLY ONE MEETING A MONTH AND TOOK A WHILE TO GET BACK TO TWO, BUT THAT WAS ALSO, I THINK NOT HELPED BY THE FACT THAT WE WEREN'T HAVING OUR RETREATS AND HAVING DISCUSSIONS AROUND WAY OF WORK. SO I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK, MR. PORTER.
>>Jim Porter: ONE, STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT YOU MEET AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH. THAT IS A STATE LAW. SO THE POLICY IN FRONT OF YOU IS ACTUALLY AN EXISTING POLICY THAT'S BEING REVISED. IT'S TRADITIONALLY BEEN A POLICY, NOT A WAY OF WORK. AND SO THE WAY IT'S WORDED NOW WITH TEN MONTHS, IT'S AT LEAST TEN MONTHS. YOU CAN ALWAYS ADD MORE. IF YOU GO DOWN TO NINE, YOU COULD ALWAYS ADD MORE AT LEAST. I THINK IT'S UP TO THE BOARD IF YOU WANT IT TO BE A POLICY BUT IT'S AN EXISTING POLICY NOW. JUST REQUIRES ONE. I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO BE A POLICY. IT'S IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW. IT JUST DEPENDS ON HOW YOU WANT TO GOVERN YOURSELVES. I THINK THE POINT THAT MS. VAUGHN WAS MAKING, THERE WAS A SENSE OF FRUSTRATION WITH THE BOARD THAT THERE WEREN'T AS MANY MEETINGS AS YOU FELT YOU SHOULD HAVE. POLICY IS THE WAY TO DRIVE THAT AS BOARD MEMBERS. THAT'S WHY IT WAS BROUGHT UP BEFORE YOU TODAY.
>>Stacy Hahn: I LIKE THE TWO MEETINGS A MONTH. I'M FINE WITH NINE MONTHS. I DON'T WANT TO PUT A POLICY IN PLACE THAT WE IMMEDIATELY BREAK OUR OWN POLICY, AND WE CAN ALWAYS CALL FOR SPECIAL MEETINGS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. I'M FINE WITH THE NINE MONTHS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: I WANT TO THANK MEMBER VAUGHN FOR BRINGING THIS AS A CHANGE OF POLICY, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS FIRST ON THE BOARD, I WAS VERY FRUSTRATED THAT WE WERE ONLY MEETING ONCE A MONTH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE WERE SO MANY AGENDA ITEMS. I THINK THIS IS VERY NECESSARY, BUT I ALSO -- I'M ALSO DRIVEN BY THE AVERAGE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, IF THE AVERAGE HAS BEEN NINE MONTHS, I THINK IT SHOULD BE NINE MONTHS. THAT WAY WE'RE FOLLOWING OUR OWN POLICY. YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL -- WE CAN ALWAYS BE TEN MONTHS. WE CAN ALWAYS BE 11 MONTHS. I THINK NINE MONTHS IS GOING TO ENSURE. I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THAT TO NINE MONTHS OF THE YEAR, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT. I APPRECIATE MEMBER VAUGHN BRINGING THIS BECAUSE I REALLY FELT WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, I FELT VERY FRUSTRATED THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO MEET. THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WE DID HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING. BECAUSE I FELT LIKE MY VOICE WASN'T BEING HEARD. I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO KEEP MEMBER VAUGHN'S POLICY AND CHANGE IT TO NINE MONTHS.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MR. WASHINGTON AND THEN MS. PEREZ.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: I AGREE WITH YOU, MS. COMBS. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE IT TO NINE MONTHS. ONE OF THE THINGS I HAD CONCERN WITH IS JUST HAVING ONE BOARD MEETING A MONTH BECAUSE IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO SOLVE ALL THE PROBLEMS, CONCERNS YOU HAVE AND MAKE DIFFERENT DECISIONS. SO I AGREE NINE MONTHS. I WOULD GO WITH NINE MONTHS. LOOK LIKE WE ALREADY HAD A HUNDRED BOARD MEETINGS ALREADY. YEAH, WE HAVE. BUT I UNDERSTAND. I UNDERSTAND. BUT WE JUST HAVE TO BE PARTICULAR AND DO THE THINGS IT TAKES WHEN WE'RE AT THE BOARD MEETINGS AND NOT GO OFF BASE. SO I AGREE WITH NINE MONTHS.
>>Jim Porter: MS. PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: YES. LIKEWISE. IT SAYS TWO REGULAR MEETINGS PER MONTH AT LEAST. IT WOULD BE NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR, SO "AT LEAST" IS GIVING THAT LEEWAY. SO NINE MONTHS IS GOOD.
>>Jim Porter: MS. VAUGHN, AS THE PROPOSER OF THIS POLICY, ARE YOU COMFORTABLE WITH MOVING IT TO NINE MONTHS AT THIS POINT?
>>Jessica Vaughn: YES. IF THAT'S THE CONSENSUS AND WHAT MY OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ARE COMFORTABLE WITH, YES.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MS. VAUGHN. WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT POLICY. ANOTHER ONE RECOMMENDED BY MEMBER VAUGHN, THIS IS AN AMENDMENT TO AN EXISTING POLICY, POLICY 169.1, PUBLIC PARTICIPATION AT BOARD MEETINGS. THIS WOULD PROVIDE -- PUBLIC COMMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S REQUIRED BY STATE STATUTE BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION ON ANY ITEM, YOU HAVE TO HAVE MEANINGFUL PUBLIC COMMENT. IT'S UP TO THE LOCAL BOARD TO DECIDE WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. THIS HAS NEVER REALLY BEEN CODIFIED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE'VE DONE 45 MINUTES. BUT IT'S BEEN A CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO GIVEN ALL THE WEIGHTY ISSUES WE'VE HAD TO DEAL WITH. WE HAVE AN EXISTING POLICY THAT REFLECTS THE STATE STATUTE. MS. VAUGHN IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE ACTUALLY CODIFY IT. THAT TAKES SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF THE CHAIR OF HAVING TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS AT THE MEETING AND TAKES SOME OF THE PRESSURE OFF THE BOARD AS WELL BECAUSE IT'S YOUR POLICY. THE NEW POLICY WOULD PROVIDE FOR ONE HOUR OF PUBLIC COMMENT NEAR THE BEGINNING OF THE BOARD'S AGENDA. IT SHALL BE TREATED EQUALLY TO OTHER SECTIONS OF THE AGENDA AND SHALL BE TELEVISED. AGAIN, IN THE PAST, JUST TO GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY, PAST BOARDS HAVE TRIED TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT NOT BE TELEVISED. OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE DONE THAT AS WELL. THAT'S RESULTED IN CONTROVERSY. THIS WOULD MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALWAYS TELEVISED AND TREATED EQUALLY WITH OTHER PARTS OF THE BOARD MEETING, AGENDA AND THE BOARD MAY EXTEND ALLOTTED TIME BY A VOTE OF THE BOARD. THAT TAKES PRESSURE OFF THE CHAIR TO MAKE A UNILATERALLY DECISION. WHEN YOU HAVE AN HOUR BUT YOU HAVE A HUNDRED PEOPLE WHO WANT TO SPEAK, THE BOARD CAN MAKE A MOTION TO EXTEND IT. THE BOARD SHALL NOT HAVE THE POWER TO LIMIT THE TIME OF PUBLIC COMMENT WITHOUT A VOTE OF THE BOARD. THIS PUTS IN PLACE GOOD PRACTICES. THIS IS WHAT MEMBER VAUGHN HAS SUGGESTED. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD NEEDS TO DISCUSS TO SEE IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS. I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MEMBER VAUGHN TO EXPLAIN MORE OF WHAT HER INTENT OR GOAL WAS WITH THIS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I'D ACTUALLY LIKE TO SAVE MY COMMENCE FOR THE END AFTER I HEAR DISCUSSION FROM MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
>>Jim Porter: BOARD MEMBERS, OKAY. SNIVELY, GRAY, WASHINGTON.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU. JUST TO GO BACK REAL BRIEFLY TO THE FIRST POLICY, I DID MEAN TO THANK MEMBER VAUGHN FOR BRINGING THAT FORWARD BECAUSE I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE DO HAVE MORE REGULAR MEETINGS FOR THE BUSINESS OF THE DISTRICT. THANKS FOR AGREEING TO MAKE THAT A NINE MONTHS OUT OF THE YEAR POLICY. ON THIS ONE, I THINK THIS IS REALLY GOOD. I THINK THIS IS GOOD BECAUSE WE STRUGGLE WITH THIS AS A BOARD, AND I THINK THIS WILL HELP THE CHAIR. THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE BOARD CHAIRS HAVE MADE UNILATERAL DECISIONS ABOUT THIS IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW WE TREAT PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK THE MORE THAT WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS TO THE BOARD, I KNOW THAT WE HAVE MANY OTHER WAYS THAT THEY CAN COMMUNICATE WITH US, BUT SOME FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT AN ISSUE AND MAY WANT TO COME AND ADDRESS THE BOARD IN PERSON. GIVING US A LITTLE MORE TIME TO HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT I THINK -- WE KIND OF ALREADY DO THAT ANYWAY. THIS IS REALLY JUST SUPPORTING WHAT WE'RE DOING BUT PUTTING IT INTO A POLICY IS ALSO VERY GOOD AND MAKING SURE THE BOARD, IF WE DECIDE TO DO SOMETHING TO CHANGE IT, THE WAY IT HAPPENS, THAT IT'S A MAJORITY VOTE. I'M VERY MUCH IN AGREEMENT WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY REVISION. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: YES, IT DOES TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF ONE CHAIR AND FUTURE CHAIRS. AND THAT'S IMPORTANT. PUBLIC COMMENT IS ESSENTIAL. I THINK WE ALL AGREE, BUT ALSO DOING THE BUSINESS OF THE BOARD IS ESSENTIAL. AND THE OTHER PART THAT'S ESSENTIAL, TOO, IS THE CIVILITY OF A BOARD MEETING. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE FLORIDA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION LIST OF BOARD CHAIR RESPONSIBILITIES, IN EVERY SENSE AND I HAVE IT HERE BEFORE ME, THE CHAIR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF A BOARD MEETING, AND EVERY BOARD CHAIR HAS HAD MOMENTS WHERE CONDUCT FROM THE AUDIENCE HAS BEEN, LET'S SAY, LESS THAN ADMIRABLE, BUT ALSO IN MANY SENSES IN THE SENSE OF THE TEACHERS, WE'RE VERY -- WE ALSO NEEDED TO HEAR FROM THEM. BUT LATELY, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE CIVILITY OF THE ACTUAL AUDIENCE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO ALWAYS SAY TO BOARD MEMBERS OF THE FUTURE, YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT AUTHORITY TO MEASURE THE REALITIES OF A CIVIL BOARD MEETING. IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY FROM A CHAIR, THEN YOU HAVE PERHAPS, DEPENDING ON THE SIZE OF THE BOARD, YOU HAVE MANY OTHER FACES AND MINDS, AND IT CAN GET CONFUSING. SO JUST BE CAREFUL. I THINK THAT WHEN YOU START UNDERMINING OR SUBTRACTING A CHAIR'S ABILITY TO KEEP A CIVIL DECORUM IN A BOARD MEETING, I DON'T THINK IS A WISE DECISION. I ALSO WILL SAY THAT WHEN YOU ARE TRYING TO MOVE A BUSINESS MEETING FORWARD, THERE IS A FINE LINE OF HAVING SO AND SO AMOUNT OF MINUTES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THEN YOU HAVE EMPLOYEE COMMENT THAT WILL NOT OVERTAKE THE ESSENCE OF THE ACTUAL BOARD MEETING. ONE THING I WOULD SAY TO BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY COMFORTABLE WITH THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OR LONG AMOUNT OF TIME IS THAT MANY BOARD MEMBERS ARE ACTUALLY HAVING TOWN HALL MEETINGS. I HAVE FORUMS. I KNOW PEREZ HAS HER VARIOUS FORUMS. THERE ARE SO MANY WAYS THAT YOU CAN -- EVERY BOARD MEMBER HERE IS INVOLVED WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS. THERE ARE WAYS THAT YOU CAN ELICIT AND BE PART OF PUBLIC CONVERSATION. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO JUST BE ONLY IN A BOARD MEETING. SO I JUST WANT TO BE CAREFUL -- AND THIS IS MY LAST HURRAH IN SAYING IT -- FOR THE FUTURE OF A BOARD CHAIR, WE HAVE TO GIVE THAT PERSON THE RIGHT TO KEEP A CIVIL MEETING THAT IS OPEN AND FAIR DISCUSSION AND NOT TO LET IT GET OUT OF HAND FOR TWO, THREE, FOUR HOURS. THAT TO ME IS NOT A POSITIVE OUTCOME THAT SHOULD BE SUSTAINED -- OR STARTED OR SUSTAINED IN ANY PUBLIC MEETING. THAT'S MY OPINION. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: I THINK YOUR POINT IS RIGHT ON POINT AND THIS DOES NOT DETRACT FROM THE ABILITY OF THE CHAIR TO CONTROL THE MEETING. I THINK THAT'S AN ESSENTIAL PART OF BEING A CHAIR. I THINK THAT'S NOT THE INTENT AT ALL. IF THERE'S ANYTHING IN HERE THAT SUGGESTS THAT, WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT'S NOT -- WE'LL REVISE IT APPROPRIATELY. MEMBER WASHINGTON.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: YES. I WANT TO ALSO THANK MEMBER VAUGHN. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT SUGGESTION. I ALWAYS FELT LIKE PEOPLE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SPEAK AND GIVING TIME TO SPEAK. WE DON'T EVER WANT TO CUT PEOPLE OFF TO GIVE THEIR OWN OPINION ON WHAT THEY THINK. MANY TIMES PEOPLE HAVE GREAT SUGGESTIONS WHEN THEY DO COME UP AND MAKE COMMENT. I AGREE, WE CAN KEEP IT AT ONE HOUR. IF WE WANT MORE, WE HAVE THE CHANCE AS A BOARD TO INCREASE. I DON'T WANT TO DECREASE THE FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR A PERSON. I KNOW SOMETIMES PEOPLE COME UP AND MAKE DEROGATORY REMARKS BECAUSE THEY ARE UPSET. WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PEOPLE GET UPSET, TOO. WE DON'T JUST WANT IT TO GET OUT OF HAND, IN OTHER WORDS. WE WANT TO KEEP IT IN PERSPECTIVE. I AGREE, MEMBER VAUGHN, THAT IS A GOOD SUGGESTION. I AGREE ONE HOUR WOULD BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER COMBS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN, FOR BRINGING THIS. I ABSOLUTELY THINK WE NEED THIS. I FEEL THAT AS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, IT'S BEEN VERY INCONSISTENT WHEN THERE HAS BEEN EXTENDED PUBLIC COMMENT OR I'VE ATTENDED A MEETING WHERE I DON'T THINK THERE'S PUBLIC COMMENT AND IT'S OBVIOUS PEOPLE KNEW THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE'RE CONSISTENT AND THAT WE ALLOW. I DON'T CARE IF I'M THERE UNTIL MIDNIGHT. THAT'S MY JOB AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. WE MEET EVERY TWO WEEKS, IF WE HAVE TO BE THERE SIX, SEVEN HOURS, IF SOMEBODY TAKES THE TIME TO COME TO TALK TO US, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE HEARING THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND I THINK WE NEED TO EXTEND IT. THIS IS DEMOCRACY. I DON'T WANT IT TO BE THE CHAIR WHO ALWAYS DECIDES BECAUSE THE CHAIR IS GOING TO CHANGE MULTIPLE TIMES WHILE I'M HERE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE IT'S CONSISTENT AND THE WILL OF THE BOARD TO EXTEND THAT AND WE DO ALLOW PUBLIC COMMENT. I APPRECIATE THIS AND WANT TO KEEP IT AS-IS.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER BOARD COMMENTS ON THE POLICY? MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: WITH BOARD COMMENTS, IT ALLOWS US TO DO OUR WORK EFFECTIVELY FOR THE STUDENTS AND THE FAMILIES THAT WE REPRESENT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HEAR WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY. SO THIS POLICY IS AMAZING. THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN, FOR BRINGING IT FORWARD, AND THAT'S ALL I NEED TO SAY.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS POLICY? THERE SEEMS TO BE CONSENSUS, OBVIOUSLY, FOR THIS ONE TO MOVE FORWARD. SO THIS ONE WILL MOVE FORWARD. THE NEXT ONE IS THE ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY BROUGHT BY MEMBER VAUGHN. THIS IS A REVISION TO AN EXISTING POLICY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS A VERY ROBUST ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY -- ACTUALLY, POLICIES IN PLACE THAT APPLY TO ADMINISTRATORS, SUPPORT STAFF, INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF AND STUDENTS. AND MS. VAUGHN IS SUGGESTING THAT WHILE THERE'S EDUCATION AND TRAINING FOR STAFF THAT WE ALSO PROVIDE CURRICULUM AROUND ANTI-HARASSMENT FOR STUDENTS, AND IT WOULD ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT OR DIRECT THE SUPERINTENDENT TO DEVISE POLICIES THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. IF THIS POLICY DOES GO FORWARD AND WE'LL LET MEMBER VAUGHN SPEAK ABOUT IT, AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THERE ARE SEVERAL POLICIES ON ANTI-HARASSMENT. DR. HOUGHTON IS TELLING ME WE MIGHT NEED TO REVISE OTHER POLICIES WITH SAME LANGUAGE. IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THIS SUBSTANTIVELY, WE'LL MAKE SURE IT IS DONE CORRECTLY BECAUSE WE NEVER WANT HER TO BE MAD AT US. MEMBER VAUGHN, IF YOU WANT TO SPEAK TO YOUR RATIONALE FOR THIS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THANK YOU, STAFF, FOR WORKING SO HARD ON THESE. SOME OF THESE WERE JUST KIND OF IDEAS I THREW OUT WITHOUT REALLY UNDERSTANDING WHAT POLICIES WOULD BE IMPACTED BY IT. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT STAFF WORKED SO HARD TO ACCOMMODATE MY REQUESTS AND MAKE THEM ACTUAL POLICIES. MY RATIONALE BEHIND THIS WAS JUST WE'RE SENDING OUR YOUNG STUDENTS OUT INTO A WORLD WHERE THINGS HAVE CHANGED. I JUST WANT THEM TO BE PROPERLY PREPARED IN THE WORLD TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING INAPPROPRIATE THAT COULD EVENTUALLY GET THEM INTO TROUBLE OR MAKE SOMEONE FEEL UNCOMFORTABLE. SINCE SOCIETY IS CHANGING KIND OF RAPIDLY, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE PREPARED AND THAT OUR ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICIES AREN'T JUST ABOUT STAFF, BUT THEY ACTUALLY EXTEND TO OUR STUDENTS SO WE'RE SUPPORTING THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT THEY NEED TO BE SUCCESSFUL GOING FORWARD. THAT WAS JUST MY RATIONALE BEHIND THIS. I LOOK FORWARD TO DISCUSSION ON IT.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. THE ONLY DISCUSSION I WOULD HAVE IS THE CONTENT APPROPRIATE CURRICULUM AND JUST TO BE VERY MINDFUL THAT THIS IS A PLAY ON WORDS THAT WE HAVE THE SEVEN MINDSETS, THE SEL COMPONENT THAT DOES ADDRESS NOT ONLY THE VERY WORD OF BULLYING, BUT HARASSMENT. WE HAVE ALSO TWO SITUATIONS OF BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT. ONE IS THE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR INCENTIVE SUPPORTS, WHICH IS PBIS AND ALSO THE HOUSE SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE RON CLARK, BOTH AND ALL ADDRESS THE IDEA OF HARASSMENT. SO IF WE'RE TALKING CURRICULUM WITH THE VERY WORD OF CURRICULUM, WE ARE VERY REMINDED THAT WE DO HAVE CURRICULUM. AND ALSO, MS. CA POOCHY, THANK YOU FOR COMING, IS VERY, VERY -- VERY COGNIZANT THAT SHE HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ANTI-BULLYING CONTENT IN HER CURRICULUM. IF WE CAN JUST GET A LITTLE EDUCATION. MR. PORTER, WOULD MS. CAPUCCI BE ABLE TO SPEAK?
>>Jim Porter: IT'S 11:25. I THINK THIS WILL BE THE LAST POLICY TO DISCUSS. WE HAVE HOUSEKEEPING AND WE'LL GET A DATE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE POLICIES, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH THE BOARD.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU. MS. CAPUCCI.
>> CURRENTLY, THROUGH OUR HUMAN TRAFFICKING K-12 EDUCATION WE DO PROVIDE LESSONS ON CYBERBULLYING, BULLYING, SEXUAL HARASSMENT, ANY TYPE OF HARASSMENT THAT COULD COME ALONG WITH A TRAFFICKER TRYING TO LURE STUDENTS INTO THEIR LIFESTYLE. WE DO COVER THAT. WE TALK ABOUT DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP, SO THAT WOULD ALSO MAKE OUR STUDENTS MORE AWARE OF WHAT THEY ARE EXPOSED TO ONLINE THROUGH DIGITAL BULLYING THAT HAPPENS. AND WE COVER THIS IN A SCAFFOLDING WAY FOR OUR STUDENTS SO THAT IT'S AGE APPROPRIATE, AS MS. GRAY ALLUDED TO. AND WE MAKE SURE THAT HAPPENS IN K-12. K-5, IT HAPPENS THROUGH OUR PHYSICAL EDUCATION COURSES. 6-8 HAPPENS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION AGAIN. AND THEN IN NINTH GRADE WE BREAK OFF FOR HUMAN TRAFFICKING AND DOING IT IN OUR HOPE COURSES THROUGH CHOSEN, OUR SHARED HOPE CURRICULUM AND 10-12 GRADE WE TOUCH TEAM SAFETY MATTERS TO THE BURR FOUNDATION AGAIN THROUGH SOCIAL STUDIES. ALL THE K-5, THE SCAFFOLDING IS HAPPENING THROUGH THE MONIQUE BURR FOUNDATION CURRICULUM. WE HAVE A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM. AND ALSO THE ONE TIME WE BREAK OFF IS THE NINTH GRADE HOPE WHERE IT IS A DIFFERENT CURRICULUM BECAUSE WE GO A LITTLE MORE DETAILED WITH THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING EDUCATION. THAT IS A STATE STATUTE AND A LAW. ALSO IN OUR SEXUAL HEALTH EDUCATION, WE PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE SAFE SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT FOR STUDENTS, AND WE REALLY TACKLE THE BULLYING AND TALKING ABOUT THE TYPES OF BULLYING THROUGH THAT EDUCATION TO SET UP AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE STUDENTS ARE WELCOME TO LEARN AND THEY ARE NOT BULLIED FOR THEIR OWN BELIEFS OR OWN VALUES THAT THEIR PARENTS TEACH THEM.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MS. CAPUCCI.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS? MS. VAUGHN, BASED ON WHAT YOU'VE HEARD, DO YOU WANT TO CONTINUE WITH THE POLICY? DO YOU WANT TO WITHDRAW IT? DO YOU WANT TO MODIFY IT? OR DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER THOUGHTS ON THIS POLICY?
>>Jessica Vaughn: I DO HAVE A QUESTION. IN UNDERSTANDING THE CURRICULUM, I HEAR YOU'RE SAYING WE HAVE ANTI-BULLYING THAT THEY GET AND THAT THERE IS SOME CONCERN WITH, LIKE, SEXUAL HARASSMENT UNDER HUMAN TRAFFICKING, BUT IS THERE CLEAR CURRICULUM THAT GUIDES OUR STUDENTS ON INTERACTING WITH EACH OTHER, MAKING SURE THERE'S NOTHING INAPPROPRIATE IN COMMENTS AND TOUCHING AND MORE ALONG THE LINES OF THAT?
>> THOSE ARE THE LESSONS THAT ARE PROVIDED WITHIN THE MONIQUE BURR FOUNDATION, SO IT TEACHES THE STUDENTS. WE GO THROUGH FIVE SAFETY RULES. AND TRUE THOSE FIVE SAFETY RULES, THEY LEARN THE ADVOCACY SKILLS TO REALLY DEFEND THEMSELVES OR NOT ONLY SPEAK UP OR REPORT. SO THEY HAVE THE PROPER REPORTING PROCEDURES, BUT WE MAKE SURE THAT WITHIN THIS IT DOESN'T JUST TOUCH -- IT TOUCHES ON ALL TYPES OF BULLYING, BUT THEY ARE REALLY EDUCATED ON HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR THEMSELVES AFTER A BULLYING SITUATION HAPPENS SO THEY KNOW HOW TO SELF-REPORT. WE KEEP THAT CONSISTENCY K-12, SO THE FIVE SAFETY RULES CONTINUE TO BE LEARNED EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
>>Jessica Vaughn: I'M NOT SPECIFICALLY ASKING ABOUT BULLYING, BUT JUST FROM HEARING YOUR ANSWERS, TO ME, THIS POLICY IS JUST ASKING THE SUPERINTENDENT TO REEVALUATE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE FILLING IN ANY HOLES. I WOULD ASK THAT THE POLICY GOES FORWARD SO IT'S UNDER THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DISCRETION AND WE CAN REVISIT IT. FIPPS NOT THE WILL OF THE -- IF IT'S NOT THE WILL OF THE BOARD, THEN WE CAN MOVE ON.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING FIRST?
>>Addison Davis: I CAN. I WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN TO REITERATE WHAT ASHLEY SPOKE ABOUT, THERE ARE SO MANY CURRICULUMS WE HAVE TO FILL GAPS IN THE DISTRICT AND WE ALWAYS LOOK AT CURRICULUM GUIDES. WE LOOK AT STRENGTHENING IT, FILLING IN GAPS WHETHER ACT NOW, WHETHER SECOND STEP, LEADER IN ME, WHETHER IT BE A LEVERAGE IN PANORAMA OR WHETHER IT BE SEVEN MINDSETS, LEVERAGE IN FRAMEWORKS, ALL OF THOSE ELEMENTS ALLOW US TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE LEARNER TO COACH THEM TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS INSIDE AND OUT. OUR TEAM CONTINUES TO DO A NICE JOB. AND WE ALWAYS KNOW WE CAN HAVE A CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT MINDSET AND WE CAN ADDRESS IT IN A DIFFERENT MANNER IF NEED BE.
>>Lynn Gray: IF I MIGHT ADD TO THAT. MEMBER HAHN, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK FIRST?
>>Stacy Hahn: SURE. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT MAYBE JUST ON LINE 210, IN SUPPORT OF THIS POLICY, THE BOARD PROMOTES AGE APPROPRIATE PREVENTIVE EDUCATIONAL MEASURES TO CREATE GREATER AWARENESS OF UNLAWFUL DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES. SUPERINTENDENT OR DESIGNEE SHALL PROVIDE AGE-APPROPRIATE TRAINING TO ALL MEMBERS OF THE DISTRICT, COMMUNITY. AND THAT MIGHT CAPTURE THE SPIRIT OF WHAT MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU KNOW, WANTS -- STATES HERE AND JUST KIND OF REINFORCING THAT WHAT WE'RE PROVIDING IS PROVIDING SUPPORT IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE WAY FOR ALL MEMBERS OF OUR DISTRICT COMMUNITY. AND WHEN WE SAY "ALL MEMBERS," THAT CAPTURES STUDENTS, STAFF, FACULTY. SO MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THAT, MEMBER GRAY. THAT'S JUST MY RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CAN JUST ADD THE AGE-APPROPRIATE PIECE AND IT KIND OF CAPTURES THAT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING. I KNOW THAT WHEN I WAS A NEW BOARD MEMBER, YOU MADE A LOT OF REVISIONS. WAS IT THE HOPE CURRICULUM? AND MAYBE NEW BOARD MEMBERS IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF THEY GOT A COPY OF THAT BECAUSE IT REALLY, I THINK, WILL ADDRESS A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS MEMBER VAUGHN HAS BROUGHT UP AROUND HARASSMENT ACROSS ALL OF THESE AREAS, NOT JUST BULLYING, BUT YOU REALLY ADDRESS SEXUAL HARASSMENT, I MEAN, EVERYTHING. YOU CHECK EVERY AREA UNDER THAT CURRICULUM. THAT WAS JUST MY INPUT. THANK YOU.
>>Lynn Gray: YOU'RE WELCOME. I JUST WANTED TO TO SAY, THE HOPE CLASSES, WILL BE PART -- JACKIE TOLEDO IS PRESENTING THAT TO TALLAHASSEE IN TERMS OF WE ALREADY HAVE. IT'S ALREADY A COURSE THAT IS IN THE SCHOOLS. IT'S AN ELECTIVE, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, STUDENTS ARE OPTING OUT OF THE ELECTIVE. WE WANT THEM TO NOT HAVE THAT CHOICE, AND THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER STORY. BUT OUR CURRICULUM, AS FAR AS SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD HAS BEEN SO UNIFORMLY DETERMINED TO FACE THE PROBLEMS OF HARASSMENT AND BULLYING TO THE EXTENT WHERE EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL NOW HAS AN SEL COMPONENT ON BULLYING, AND THEN WE ACTUALLY PURCHASED, AGAIN, SEVEN MINDSETS AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON OF WHAT WE PURCHASED TO ADDRESS THIS. I AGREE WITH DR. HAHN'S SUGGESTION. WE ARE A NATION RIGHT NOW THAT THERE'S A LOT OF HARASSMENT GOING ON. THE MORE THAT WE CAN EXPOSE NOT ONLY EVERY GRADE BUT EVERY PART OF OUR CONSTITUENCY WILL NOT HURT. I STAND THAT I THINK WE'RE DOING AN EXCELLENT EXPANSIVE JOB ON FACING THIS MALADY OF HARASSMENT. THANK YOU, JESSICA VAUGHN, FOR BRINGING THIS FORWARD.
>>Jim Porter: ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THIS POLICY? BOARD MEMBERS, WE HAVE COME TO THE END OF THE WORKSHOP. I THINK, MADAM CHAIR, IT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE TO LET BOARD MEMBERS MAKE ANY FINAL COMMENTS THEY WANT. AND THEN, AGAIN, MS. DAVIS AND I WILL WORK ON FINDING A DATE SO WE CAN GO THROUGH THE OTHER POLICIES, GET THESE FOR PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN GO ON TO THE NEXT CYCLE.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER, FOR GUIDING THIS AND MS. DAVIS FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND, BOARD MEMBERS, FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUL RESPONSES. AT THIS POINT IN TIME, IF YOU'LL RAISE YOUR HAND SHOULD YOU WANT TO MAKE FINAL REMARKS. AGAIN, WE HAVE A BOARD MEETING TONIGHT. MEMBER SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I RESPECT THE TIME THAT EVERYONE HAS TAKEN TO COME TOGETHER TODAY FOR THIS WORKSHOP. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA WOULD HAVE BEEN THE PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT -- AND I'LL GO WITH WHATEVER THE BOARD MEMBERS CONSENSUS IS, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR POLICY AND PUT IT TO BED. I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK THAT LETTING IT DANGLE OUT THERE FOR TWO OR THREE WEEKS UNTIL OUR NEXT POLICY WORKSHOP IS GOING TO BE NECESSARILY HELPFUL FOR OUR STUDENTS. I WOULD LIKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, IF THE BOARD AGREES, TO GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS AT LEAST THE NEXT POLICY, IF TIME ALLOWS IT. AGAIN, IT'S THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD. OBVIOUSLY, IT'S TURNING OUT TO BE A BIT OF A CONTROVERSIAL ISSUE. I JUST DON'T KNOW THAT NOT DISCUSSING IT TODAY COULD BE --
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: I AGREE. LET'S PUT IT ON THE TABLE NOW SINCE WE'RE HERE.
>>Lynn Gray: WE HAVE CONSENSUS FROM MEMBER WASHINGTON. I'M LOOKING AT HEADS BAUBLING FORWARD. MEMBER SNIVELY, IF YOU WILL DIRECT YOUR RATIONALE. THANK YOU.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, AGAIN, FOR ALLOWING US TO CONTINUE OUR DISCUSSION WITH THIS NEXT POLICY. 2215, PROGRAM OF INSTRUCTION. ESSENTIALLY, THE RATIONALE FOR THIS POLICY IS I UNDERSTAND THAT CRITICAL RACE THEORY IS CURRENTLY NOT BEING TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOLS, ACCORDING TO SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND HIS STAFF. I UNDERSTAND THERE'S NO INTENT TO TEACH CRITICAL RACE THEORY. HOWEVER, I HAVE BEEN INUNDATED WITH COMMUNICATION, CALLS, PHONE CALLS AND CONVERSATIONS WITH MY CONSTITUENTS WITH JUST A CONCERN ABOUT NOT JUST CRITICAL RACE THEORY, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR TOPICS THAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN ARE FACTUAL AND OBJECTIVE, AND THAT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT OUR INSTRUCTION DOES NOT PARTICULARLY INDOCTRINATE OUR STUDENTS TO A PARTICULAR POLITICAL VIEW OR POINT OF VIEW. THIS RULING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BECAUSE I HAVE RECEIVED SOME CRITICISM ABOUT THE WORDING OF THIS RULING, BUT I WILL TELL YOU IT IS VERBATIM FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. AND ALL IT DOES INTENDED TO DO IS TO EMPHASIZE THAT A RULING WAS MADE BY THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION TO NOT SUPPRESS OR DISTORT SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL EVENTS, AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PARENTS ARE ASSURED THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THAT DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RULING AND JUST REEMPHASIZE THAT. I'M HOPING THAT THIS JUST BRINGS SOME CLARITY TO WHAT THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IS RULING, THEIR RULING IS ASKING US TO MAKE SURE, TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE DOING FOR OUR STUDENTS. REALLY, THAT'S THE RATIONALE. JUST BRINGING IT DOWN FROM THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION.
>>Jim Porter: ANY COMMENTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS?
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: YES. MY CONSTITUENTS ARE DIFFERENT. WE DON'T WANT TO EVER HAVE FAKE HISTORY. WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? WHEN I SAY FAKE HISTORY, YOU'RE NOT TELLING THE TRUE STORY OF WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN LIFE. I THINK WHAT BOTHERS ME THE MOST ABOUT IT IS I'M A PERSON THAT LIVED THAT. IF I HAD NOT LIVED THAT, IF I WAS YOUNG AND -- I LIVED -- AND I MADE SOME NOTES. YOU KNOW, AND I THINK IT'S VERY TOUCHING TO ME. BECAUSE, FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU LIVED IT, YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. I LIVED WHAT YOU -- COULDN'T RIDE IN THE FRONT OF THE BUS. I LIVED WHEN YOU HAD TO USE THE COLORED BATHROOMS. THAT'S A PART OF HISTORY YOU CAN'T IGNORE. YOU COULDN'T DRINK OUT OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN BECAUSE THE WHITES DRANK OUT OF THE WATER FOUNTAIN. YOU HAD TO DRINK OUT OF ANOTHER FOUNTAIN. I LIVED THAT. WE ONLY HAD A CHANCE TO GO TO THE FAIR WHEN WE HAD NEGRO DAY TO GO TO THE FLORIDA STATE FAIR. AND THAT'S THE DAY WE WENT. NEGRO DAY. I'M KIND OF EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I BELIEVE EVERY PERSON SHOULD KNOW THEIR BACKGROUND AND WHERE THEY CAME FROM. HOW ABOUT WHEN I WAS COLLEGE. I PLAYED FOOTBALL. WENT OFF TO THE SERVICE, CAME BACK, WENT TO A UNIVERSITY BECAUSE I WAS A LITTLE BIT OLDER THEN AND I WAS A BLACK QUARTERBACK. BACK THEN THEY DIDN'T HAVE BLACK QUARTERBACKS, MR. PORTER. THEY DIDN'T BELIEVE IN HAVING THEM. HOW ABOUT ON THE DORM THEY WROTE -- N, GO HOME. HOW ABOUT WHEN I WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL AND GAVE YOU HAND YOU DOWN UNIFORM TO MY BLACK SCHOOLS. ONLY TWO BLACK SCHOOLS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THEY SAY WE WANTED EQUALITY, SO THEY CLOSED US DOWN AND SENT US TO OTHER SCHOOLS. AND WHEN WE WERE THERE, THEY GAVE YOU HAND-ME-DOWN UNIFORMS FROM OTHER SCHOOLS. HOW ABOUT INTEGRATION ATHLETICS MY SENIOR YEAR WHERE YOU WENT, YOU PLAYED A GAME, ALL WHITES ON ONE SIDE AND ALL BLACKS ON THE OTHER SIDE. I LIVED THAT PEOPLE. I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO TAKE THAT AWAY. TELL THE TRUTH. I'M ALL ABOUT TELLING THE TRUTH. IF WE'RE GOING TO PUT IT IN, TALK ABOUT AFRICAN AMERICAN. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SLAVES. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SHAKE WASHINGTON WAS NOT A SLAVE. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW, THEN. WE HAVE TO ADD EVERYTHING IN THERE SO STUDENTS ARE UNDERSTANDING THE TRUE BACKGROUND. IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO -- IT'S NOT THAT YOU'RE MAKING EVERYBODY UNDERSTAND BECAUSE EVERYBODY IS NOT GOING TO UNDERSTAND. YOU GOT TO GET THE TRUE BACKGROUND OF WHAT HAPPENED TO BLACKS. CASCADIAN PARK. THIS IS SOMETHING I LIVED. WE USED TO GO TO THE POOL ON WEDNESDAYS. WE HAD ONE DAY TO GO TO THE POOL AT CASCADIAN PARK ON 15. THE DAY WE WENT TO THE POOL, THE NEXT DAY THEY CLEANED THE POOL. THEN YOU HAVE OTHER DAYS, YOU GO BACK TO THE NEXT DAY WE GO TO THE POOL ANOTHER WEDNESDAY, AND EVERY TIME WE LEFT THE POOL, DR. HAHN, THEY CLEANED THE POOL. THAT'S PRETTY ROUGH. YOU TELL ME THAT'S LOVE. YOU TELL ME WE WANT TO LEAVE THAT OUT. WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THAT OUT. WE WANT TO TELL THE TRUTH. EVERYBODY HERE KNOW ME. I RESPECT EVERYBODY. I WENT THROUGH ALL THAT AND I RESPECT EVERYBODY. I DON'T HATE PEOPLE. BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO OVERCOME AND SOMETHING I FEEL WE CAN'T HIDE. WE'LL HAVE TO OVERCOME THIS. THIS IS WHY I DON'T BELIEVE IN IT. I DON'T BELIEVE IN. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY, MADAM CHAIR. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER COMBS -- OH, YES. YOU DO HAVE THE LIST.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER PEREZ -- [INAUDIBLE]
>>Karen Perez: -- SAID DURING EDUCATION OUR YOUTH BECOME ALIENATED FROM THEIR LANGUAGE, HISTORY, ANCESTORS, CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION IT MEANS THAT THERE IS A VERY SERIOUS EDUCATION PROBLEM THERE. THE LIVED EXPERIENCE. TODAY WILL BE OUR EXPERIENCE TO PASS DOWN TO OUR CHILDREN'S CHILDREN AND OUR CHILDREN WILL PASS DOWN TO THEIR GRANDCHILDREN. YOU KNOW, THE ISSUE AND DEBATE WITH MASKS TODAY, THE STORY OF WHAT HAPPENED JANUARY 6th, THE PROTESTS, HOW SOME GROUPS ARE TREATED DURING THIS TIME, ESPECIALLY BY PEOPLE WHO WERE ELECTED TO KEEP US SAFE FROM HARM, THAT WOULD BE A STORY, BE A TWO-SIDED STORY. AND WE WILL HAVE WITNESSED PEOPLE OF COLOR, IMMIGRANTS WHO BUILT THIS GREAT NATION OF OURS. BLACKS BUILD THE -- BLACKS BUILT THE WHITE HOUSE. PEOPLE OF COLOR BUILT THE WHITE HOUSE AND IT'S ONLY BEEN ONE BLACK PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS NATION. AND THEY'VE BEEN DISMISSED. SHOVED ASIDE AFTER BEING USED, AREAS BEING RED LINED. GENTRIFICATION, AND, YES, EVEN GENOCIDE. I'M GOING TO USE ROSE WOOD AS AN EXAMPLE. THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE, USING PEOPLE OF COLOR EXPERIMENTAL VESSELS BUT ALL OF A SUDDEN CRITICAL RACE THEORY WANTS TO SILENCE THE OUTCRY OF HISTORY. CRT, WANTS TO PUT A VEIL OVER THE SHAME SO THAT OUR CHILDREN WILL NOT LEARN EARLY HOW THEIR PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, AND ANCESTORS HOW WERE TREATED BY OTHER PEOPLE. AND THEN HOW PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY DON'T WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO LEARN HOW THEY TREATED OTHERS. AND MAYBE IT'S BECAUSE THEIR CHILDREN NOW ARE BEFRIENDING THESE CHILDREN. HIDING BEHIND CRT DOES NOT ELIMINATE FACTS. HISTORY ERASE MEMORIES AND SCARS. TALKING THE TRUTH AND OWNING WHAT HAPPENED HELPS. AS THE QUOTE SAYS, THOSE WHO FORGET HISTORY ARE CONDEMNED TO REPEAT IT, AND IF WE CONTINUE TO HIDE THE FACTS WE'LL CONTINUE TO REPEAT THEM. AND I AM NOT FOR THIS AT ALL.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MS. PEREZ. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: YES. I'LL SPEAK TO THIS FROM THE THREE DECADES OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING. I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT, WELL, I PUT SOME NOTES DOWN. I ALWAYS REMEMBER THE PRIDE THAT I HAD TEACHING OUR YOUTH NO MATTER WHETHER IT WAS ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOL WAS THE AVENUE OF THERE'S NO BOUNDARIES OF WHAT WE COULD TALK ABOUT AND HOW WE COULD TALK ABOUT IT AND WHY WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT IT. THE IDEA OF SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHING DOES NOT JUST INCLUDE FACTS AND FIGURES, BUT IT DOES INCLUDE CRITICAL THINKING, IT INCLUDES AN UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF ALL CULTURES AND ALL PERIODS OF TIME SUCH AS THE HEARTFELT HORRIFIC EXPERIENCES THAT MEMBER WASHINGTON MENTIONED. MY UNCLE WAS THE HOLOCAUST LEADER IN ELLIS ISLAND IN NEW YORK, AND WE COME FROM A JEWISH FAMILY, AND I TAKE -- I'VE LEARNED A LOT OF HISTORY THROUGH HIM THROUGH THAT ORGANIZATION, WHICH IS QUITE LARGE. AND I DO TEACH THE HOLOCAUST AS A SEPARATE UNIT, HAVE TAUGHT IT. AT JESUIT, BECAUSE AP ALLOWS YOU TO SELECT PRIMARY SOURCES, ANECDOTAL SOURCES, I WAS ALWAYS MINDFUL THAT, HEY, GUYS, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GO TO ANY AREA TO PROVE YOUR POSITION STATEMENT WHEN YOU MAKE AN AP ESSAY. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE LATITUDE OF MATERIALS FROM EVERY SCOPE OF LIFE, EVERY TIME PERIOD OF LIFE, ESPECIALLY AS IT GETS TO BE -- YOUTH IS BECOMING MORE EDUCATED AND WELL-ROUNDED. I KNOW YOU HAVE TWO CHILDREN -- GOSH, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S THREE OR FOUR NOW. I'M SORRY. THEY ARE ALL EXPOSED -- FOUR. FOUR CHILDREN AND YOU'VE EXPOSED THEM TO A GREAT SCHOOL, NEWSOME AND TEACHERS THERE ARE VERY VARIED AND VERY ECLECTIC, BUT I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE MINDFUL THE MIND OF A CHILD HAS TO EXPERIENCE ALL OF THE CULTURES, AND NOTHING CAN BE EXEMPT BECAUSE THEN WE SUBTRACT THEIR LATITUDE OF THEIR THINKING. AS WE ALWAYS REMEMBER AND I CAN GO ON AND ON, WHICH I KNOW I BETTER STOP, BUT THE TEACHING OF SOCIAL STUDIES, POLITICAL SCIENCE IS ALWAYS BASED ON THE TRUTH. WE TRY TO GET TO THE TRUTH. SOMETIMES IT TAKES PERSONAL STORIES AND WE'RE HERE RIGHT NOW LISTENING TO A MEMBER THAT HAS PERSONAL STORIES. I WOULD HATE TO SEE ANYTHING SUBTRACTED FROM AN EDUCATION BECAUSE AN EDUCATED PERSON REALLY DOES HAVE A VAST AMOUNT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN. IF WE SUBTRACT IT, THAT'S NOT A TRUE EDUCATION. SO THAT'S WHERE I STAND FROM, AND THAT'S MY POINTS. THANK YOU.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I HAVE SO MUCH TO SAY ON THIS I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO BEGIN. FIRST OF ALL, LET ME SAY THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON, FOR SHARING YOUR LIVED EXPERIENCES AND SHARING YOUR VULNERABILITY AND YOUR EXPERIENCES SO WE CAN PUT SOME REAL CONTEXT TO THIS. FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS JUST IN GENERAL AS FAR AS THE LANGUAGE IS CONCERNED IT IS A SLIPPERY SLOPE AND IT'S VERY CONCERNING. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT SUPPRESSING OR DISTO THERE SIGNIFICANT HISTORICAL EVENTS, THAT BECOMES SUBJECTIVE. TALK ABOUT WORDS LIKE SUPPRESSION OR DISTORTION. THEN THE AREA OF WHO DECIDES IF SOMETHING HAS BEEN DISTORTED OR SUPPRESSED. IN MY EDUCATION, I FEEL LIKE MY UNDERSTANDING OF BLACK HISTORY HAS BEEN SUPPRESSED. MY TEACHING OF BLACK HISTORY WAS THE CIVIL RIGHTS WAR AND THEN THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND NOTHING IN BETWEEN AND ALL OF THE RICH HISTORY, BLACK HISTORY WAS NEVER GIVEN TO ME IN MY EDUCATION GROWING UP. I HAD TO PIECE TOGETHER SO MANY STORIES AND IMPORTANT FIGURES WITHIN BLACK HISTORY ON MY OWN. TO SAY WE HAVEN'T ALREADY SUPPRESSED AND WHITEWASHED HISTORY IS ANOTHER TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION. AND THEN IT ALSO GOES ON TO TALK ABOUT HOW EMBEDDING AN AMERICAN SOCIETY, INSTRUCTION MAY NOT DEFINE HISTORY AS SOMETHING OTHER THAN A CREATION OF A NEW NATION BASED LARGELY ON UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES STATED IN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE. WE ALL KNOW THAT OUR CONSTITUTION, AS WELL INTENTIONED AS IT WAS, DID NOT INCLUDE, WHEN IT SAYS JUSTICE AND LIBERTY FOR ALL, ALL OF OUR FOUNDING DOCUMENTS, IT DID NOT INCLUDE SLAVES AND WOMEN AND BLACK VOICES. WE HAD TO FIGHT TO CHANGE THE CONSTITUTION TO ACTUALLY BE REFLECTIVE FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS AND WE STILL HAVEN'T RATIFIED THE EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT FOR WOMEN, SO WE'RE STILL IN THAT PROCESS. TO SAY WE'RE ONLY GOING TO TEACH IT FROM THIS LENS OF IT BEING FOUNDED ON THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, WHEN THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE DIDN'T ACTUALLY ENCOMPASS EVERY ONE OF OUR AMERICAN PEOPLE I THINK IS CONCERNING. AND, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT OUR DISTRICT. I UNDERSTAND MEMBER SNIVELY IS SAYING SHE'S REPRESENTING A DISTRICT OF HER COMMUNITY, BUT WHEN WE LOOK AT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT, OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS RECENTLY, 39% OF OUR STUDENTS, WAS IT 38 OR 39 ARE HISPANIC AND 21 OR 22 I THINK PER THE SUPERINTENDENT ARE BLACK AND BROWN. THE MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENTS IN OUR DISTRICT ARE BLACK AND BROWN, AND THEY NEED TO SEE THEIR HISTORY REFLECTED AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THAT CRITICALLY. AS MEMBER PEREZ HAS TALKED ABOUT, I DIDN'T LEARN ABOUT THE HARMFUL PRACTICES OF RED LINING UNTIL I WAS IN MY LATE TEENS, EARLY 20s AND HOW THAT SHAPED A LOT OF THESE COMMUNITIES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE AND HOW THESE COMMUNITIES HAVE BEEN AFFECTED BY ESSENTIALLY TAKING MEN OUT OF THE COMMUNITIES. THESE ARE ALL THINGS THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT UNITY AND GROWING STRONGER AND BEING ABLE TO REFLECT AND MAKE CHANGES SO THAT OUR SOCIETY GROWS IN A BETTER DIRECTION, NEED TO BE TALKED ABOUT AND UNDERSTOOD SO WE CAN CHANGE THOSE PRACTICES SO THAT WE CAN ERASE RACISM FROM OUR SOCIETY. WE CAN'T WHITEWASH THINGS AWAY. WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO CRITICALLY TALK ABOUT THE MISTAKES WE'VE MADE AS A SOCIETY SO THAT WE CAN ALL GET BETTER AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND EQUALITY. TO ME, INSTEAD OF MOVING FORWARD AND ALIGNING WITH OUR STRATEGIC PLAN WHERE WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND EQUALITY AND OUR STUDENT CODE OF CONDUCT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE AND RESTORATIVE PRACTICES AND HOW WE HAVE TO SUPPORT OUR TRANSFORMATION SCHOOLS BY HAVING CULTURALLY RELATIVE MATERIAL IN FRONT OF THEM TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE CONTENT, THIS IS THE OPPOSITE IN ANTITHESIS TO THAT. THIS IS A MOVE BACKWARDS. I WOULD BE VERY FRUSTRATED IF THIS EVEN MOVED FORWARD. I THINK FROM WHAT I'M SEEING AS THE CONSENSUS OF THE BOARD IS THAT WE HAVE DECIDED THAT THIS DOES NOT -- I CAN'T SAY WE'VE DECIDED, BUT WHAT I'M HEARING IS THIS DOES NOT REFLECT US, OUR GOALS AND HOW WE TALK ABOUT WANTING TO BE THE NUMBER ONE DISTRICT WHEN IT COMES TO EQUITY AND EQUALITY AND ALL THE THINGS WE LAY OUT TO SUPPORT AND ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY, THIS IS THE ANTITHESIS TO THAT. THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER COMBS.
>>Nadia Combs: FIRST OF ALL, MEMBER WASHINGTON, I WAS SO EXTREMELY MOVED WHEN YOU SPOKE, AND I WILL SAY, I WAS A SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER. I SPENT MANY, MANY YEARS TEACHING SOCIAL STUDIES IN THIS DISTRICT. I TAUGHT RIGHT NEXT DOOR HERE AT FRANKLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL. DURING THAT TIME, I CAN TELL YOU, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, MY STUDENTS NEVER KNEW IF I WAS A DEMOCRAT OR A REPUBLICAN. THAT WAS NOT IMPORTANT. WHAT I WANTED TO TEACH THEM WAS CRITICAL SKILLS. I WANTED TO TEACH THEM ABOUT THE HISTORY. WE REENACTED SLAVESHIPS. WE TALKED ABOUT ALL THE THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTRY. I REALLY AM DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS POLICY WOULD BE BROUGHT UP. IT'S VERY DIVISIVE. I RAN AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER BECAUSE I LOVE CHILDREN. I CARE ABOUT ALL CHILDREN. I AM NOT IN THIS POSITION TO BE POLITICAL. I AM NOT HERE TO DIVIDE OUR DISTRICT. WE ARE IN A TIME WHERE OUR HOSPITALS ARE FILLED. KIDS HAVE LOST LEARNING. WE HAVE HIGH SUICIDE RATES, AND WE'RE BRINGING ABOUT POLICIES TO DIVIDE OUR DISTRICT. THIS IS NOT THE TIME, THE PLACE. IT IS NEVER THE PLACE FOR THIS. I AM REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTED THAT THIS WOULD EVEN BE BROUGHT UP. I THINK IT IS VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE FOCUS ON WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO EDUCATE ALL OF OUR CHILDREN ABOUT THE PAST, THE CURRENT, AND THE FUTURE. SO I AM VERY NOT IN FAVOR OF BRINGING THIS POLICY TO OUR DISTRICT NOW OR EVER.
>>Jim Porter: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. SHAKE, I REALLY CARE ABOUT YOU AND I'VE REALLY ENJOYED GETTING TO KNOW YOU AND I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR EXPERIENCES. IT'S IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, LIVED EXPERIENCE IS VERY VALUABLE, NO MATTER WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, WHICH IS VERBATIM FROM TALLAHASSEE, HAS ALREADY BEEN ADDRESSED BY THE GOVERNOR. WE KNOW WHERE WE STAND AROUND THIS AS A DISTRICT AS FAR AS HOW WE ARE OPERATING MOVING FORWARD. SO I'M AT A LOSS WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION TODAY. AS A LOT OF MY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS HAVE SAID, THE COMMUNITY IS DIVIDED CURRENTLY UNDER THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. SO WE HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT. BUT I DO JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE LOVE YOU VERY MUCH AND CARE ABOUT YOU.
>>Jim Porter: [INAUDIBLE]
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MR. PORTER. MR. WASHINGTON, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT BRINGING THIS FORWARD TO CODIFY AN EXISTING RULE IS IN NO WAY TRYING TO MINIMIZE YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCES OR THE EXPERIENCES OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, THE TRUE EXPERIENCES THAT WE ALL SHOULD HEAR ABOUT AND UNDERSTAND AND LEARN ABOUT OVER HISTORY. SO I WANTED TO TELL YOU PERSONALLY AND PUBLICLY THAT I AM IN NO WAY TRYING TO MINIMIZE AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY. WHAT I AM TRYING TO DO IS JUST LIKE ALL OTHER BOARD MEMBERS, WE ALL HEAR FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS. WE ALL HEAR CONCERNS FROM OUR CONSTITUENTS. AND SOMETIMES THEY ASK BOARD MEMBERS TO BRING THINGS FORWARD FOR CONSIDERATION. AND THIS RULE IS AN EXISTING RULE AND BRINGING IT FORWARD WASN'T NECESSARILY MY INTENT TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON RACE OR RACISM. IT WAS REALLY JUST A DISCUSSION TO CODIFY THIS RULE AND TO LET PARENTS KNOW THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TEACH FACTUAL HISTORY. WE ARE TRYING TO TEACH THE FACTS, AND THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT. AND THAT WE SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO -- THAT INSTRUCTION SHOULDN'T BE TRYING TO CHANGE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IN HISTORY. THAT THE TRUTH SHOULD BE COMING FORWARD FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS TO TRY AND UNDERSTAND WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND HOW WE GOT HERE. SO I APOLOGIZE IF THIS OFFENDED YOU IN ANY WAY BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT MY INTENT TO DO THAT. AND I APPRECIATE YOU SHARING YOUR PERSONAL EXPERIENCE WITH THE BOARD AND THE PUBLIC TO HEAR. OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO CONSENSUS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS. I'M GLAD THAT WE WERE GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY AS A BOARD TO DISCUSS IT. THERE'S NO APPETITE FOR CODIFYING THIS PARTICULAR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION RULING MOVING FORWARD, SO I WILL PULL IT FROM CONSIDERATION, OBVIOUSLY, IF THERE'S NO CONSENSUS MOVING FORWARD WITH IT. I WILL ASK THE SUPERINTENDENT, THOUGH, BECAUSE ACCOUNTABILITY AND MAKING SURE, EVEN THOUGH WE DIDN'T COME UP WITH THIS PARTICULAR POLICY, IT IS A RULING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND THERE ARE PARENTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT INSTRUCTION ON THE REQUIRED TOPICS BEING FACTUAL AND OBJECTIVE AND NOT SUPPRESSING OR DISTORTING HISTORICAL EVENTS SUCH AS THE HOLOCAUST, SLAVERY, THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION, THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT AND CONTRIBUTIONS OF WOMEN, AFRICAN AMERICAN, AND HISPANIC PEOPLE TO OUR COUNTRY, RIGHT? WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS ENJOY THE TRUE HISTORY BEHIND IT. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT IS GOING TO ENSURE THAT THAT CONTINUES TO HAPPEN IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, FOR OUR PARENTS -- WHERE EVERYONE WHO SHOULD BE CONCERNED THAT WE ARE TEACHING FACTUAL HISTORY TO OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS, FOR ALLOWING US TO TAKE A LITTLE EXTRA TIME TODAY TO CONTINUE THIS DISCUSSION. I HAD A FEELING THAT YOU ALL WANTED TO PROBABLY GET THAT OFF THE TABLE AND NOT WAIT A COUPLE OF WEEKS UNTIL THE NEXT POLICY WORKSHOP. AND I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRING IT FORWARD AND HAVE THIS DISCUSSION, AND I RESPECTFULLY WILL PULL IT OFF FROM MOVING FORWARD. AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK MR. WASHINGTON FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
>>Jim Porter: MADAM CHAIR, I BELIEVE THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT WANTS TO SPEAK, MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER COMBS WANT TO MAKE BRIEF COMMENTS. I'LL REMIND THE BOARD THAT IT IS NOON. AT SOME POINT YOU NEED TO WRAP IT UP. I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU. THE QUEUE IS SUPERINTENDENT, VAUGHN, COMBS.
>>Lynn Gray: VAUGHN AND COMBS, IF YOU'LL MAKE IT VERY BRIEF. WE HAVE ANOTHER LONG EVENING.
>>Addison Davis: THANK YOU. THROUGH THE CHAIR, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. MR. WASHINGTON, IT TAKES COURAGE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE. PLEASE KNOW THAT YOU WERE HEARD NOT ONLY BY ME BUT OTHERS IN THIS ROOM AND THIS COMMUNITY. YOUR EXPERIENCE IS A REALITY. I'M SORRY THAT YOU HAD TO GO THROUGH THOSE ELEMENTS. BUT KNOW THAT JUST LIKE YOU AND LIKE EVERYBODY ON THIS BOARD, I'M HERE FOR EVERY CHILD. WE'LL EDUCATE THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY AND WE'LL MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERYTHING OUTLINED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION WILL BE IMPLEMENTED AND CURRICULUM ALONGSIDE OUR TEACHERS THAT REALLY SHARES THE EXPERIENCES AND REALLY TEACHES IN THE SCOPE AND SEQUENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY. BUT KNOW THAT I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOU'RE A REMARKABLE PERSON, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING FROM YOU EVERY DAY. THANK YOU, SIR.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. MEMBER VAUGHN AND THEN MEMBER COMBS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, CHAIRWOMAN GRAY. I WANT TO REITERATE THAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH LEADERSHIP AND THE SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR CURRICULUM FOR A WHILE. I AM CONCERNED IN GENERAL ABOUT THE STATE'S DIRECTION WHEN IT COMES TO CIVICS AND HISTORY AND OUR OWN DISTRICT GOALS. I THINK THIS GOES BACK TO, AGAIN, THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE AUTONOMY OF OUR DISTRICT AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BEST NEEDS FOR OUR STUDENTS ARE, BUT ALSO AS WE HAVE AN -- AGREEMENT WITH THE NAACP. THEIR STATUTE ABOUT TEACHING BLACK HISTORY. AGAIN, I'VE ASKED THIS QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES IF WE'RE GOING TO RUN INTO A CONFLICT AS THE STATE KIND OF ROLES OUT MORE OF THEIR CIVICS AND HISTORY, GOALS AND INTENTIONS. I THINK THAT THIS STARTS THE CONVERSATION BUT HOLISTICALLY, AS A BOARD WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT, WE HAVE TO DECIDE AS A DISTRICT HOW WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THIS. SO I THINK TODAY'S CONVERSATION WAS A GOOD FIRST STEP. BUT I DO ANTICIPATE MORE OF THIS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. THANK YOU.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER COMBS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. AS WE TALK ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL AND DIVISIVE THINGS, I ALSO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WE TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S COMING UP ON THE POLICY AND THAT WAY WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR STAKEHOLDERS, PARENTS, COMMUNITY, ALUMNI KNOW ABOUT THIS. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, POLICY NUMBER 2900, WE TALK ABOUT THE MASCOTS FOR EAST BAY AS WELL AS CHAMBERLAIN, AND WE ARE LOOKING AT POSSIBLY OPENING THIS UP IN TWO WEEKS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RECOMMENDATION FROM YOU TO OPEN THIS UP FOR SIX WEEKS AT LEAST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF THE POSSIBLE CHANGE AND IS AWARE SO THAT WAY WE HAVE ALUMNI, PARENTS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS AWARE OF THIS. WITH SO MUCH GOING ON WITH COVID IN OUR SCHOOLS, I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT THIS POLICY IS GOING TO QUICKLY BE PASSED THROUGH. AS I SAID I'M AN EQUAL OPPORTUNIST. I'M NOT HERE FOR POLITICAL REASONS. I'M NOT HERE AS A REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT. I'M HERE TO DO WHAT'S BEST FOR KIDS. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE POLICY 2900, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMUNITIES AND THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE AFFECTED RECEIVE ENOUGH TIME TO KNOW ABOUT THIS INSTEAD OF RUSHING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR FOR YEARS. I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO COMMENT ON THAT AND I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO MAKE A PLAN AND LET'S TALK ABOUT HOW WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES ENGAGE IN THIS POSSIBLE CHANGE.
>>Lynn Gray: SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS POLICY PULLED AND I UNDERSTAND WHY. I THINK THE MORE GUIDANCE WE GET FROM THE BOARD ALLOWS US TO MOVE FORWARD. THERE WAS PREWORK DONE PRIOR TO ME COMING TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND THEN TWO HIGH SCHOOLS THAT POTENTIALLY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. I KNOW MONICA VERRA-TIRADO HAS WORKED WITH TITLE SIX ALONG WITH A NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND POTENTIAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS, BUT I AGREE THERE SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT OF A DRAWN-OUT TIMELINE TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE THE BOARD SO WE CAN GET REFLECTIVE INFORMATION SO WE DO IT IN A CAREFUL MANNER AND RESPECTFUL MANNER AS WELL.
>>Jim Porter: MEMBER VAUGHN HAS INDICATED SHE WANTS TO SPEAK. I WILL NOTE FOR THE RECORD THIS POLICY IS NOT BEING BROUGHT FORWARD. IT'S BEEN DROPPED. THERE IS A POTENTIAL BOARD ITEM COMING UP THAT MIGHT BE BEING REFERRED TO, MEMBER VAUGHN WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK AGAIN, MADAM CHAIR. IT'S UP TO YOU.
>> MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WAS NOT PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THIS BECAUSE WE DID CHANGE DIRECTIONS ON THIS. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY I HAVE REVIEWED BOARD MEETINGS FROM 2019 THAT THIS HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION, AND I URGE ALL BOARD MEMBERS TO REVIEW THAT, FOR A WHILE, THAT THIS IS NOT KIND OF OUT OF THE BLUE. THERE'S BEEN A GROUP WORKING ON THIS FOR A VERY LONG TIME, THAT THEY HAVE SPENT MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS AND GETTING COMMUNITY FEEDBACK. WE'VE BEEN GIVEN A LIST OF ALL THOSE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT THE COMMUNITY THINKS, WHAT THE ALUMNI THINKS, THE GROUP ORGANIZING AROUND THIS HAS BEEN VERY PATIENT FOR YEARS ABOUT THIS INSTANCE AND THEY DO BELIEVE THIS IS THE BEST INTEREST OF THE STUDENTS. THE MASCOTS NO LONGER REPRESENT THE STUDENT POPULATION. THE SCHOOLS THEMSELVES ARE ANXIOUS AND EAGER TO GET SOME CLARITY ON THIS BECAUSE THEY NEED TO REDO GYMNASIUMS AND ORDER SUPPLIES. AND ONE OF THE PRINCIPALS IS A PRINCIPAL AT ONE OF MY SCHOOLS AND HAS CONTINUALLY ASKED FOR THE BOARD TO GIVE HIM SOME CLARITY EITHER WAY BECAUSE IT'S REALLY HOLDING UP HIS ABILITY TO DO THINGS ACADEMICALLY FOR HIS SCHOOL AND HE BELIEVES HIS STUDENTS NEED A MASCOT. IF WE NEED TO FURTHER THIS CONVERSATION, I'VE ASKED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR TWO WEEKS AND HE AGREED. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE NEED TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS.
>>Lynn Gray: MEMBER VAUGHN, AND I APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SHARING, AND WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO THIS TOPIC PROBABLY BEST TO FINISH IT OFF WITH SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. HE'S VERY COGNIZANT OF WHERE IT IS. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND THEN, BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE GOING TO CONCLUDE THIS MEETING. AND WE'LL TAKE UP OTHER TOPICS AS THEY COME ALONG. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, WILL YOU GO AHEAD AND BRING HER TO SOME TYPE OF RESOLUTION?
>>Addison Davis: I THINK I'M GOOD. WE'LL GO BACK AND CIRCLE BACK AND LOOK WITH POTENTIAL TIMELINE. GO BACK AND REVIEW 2019. I'LL GET WITH MR. PORTER ABOUT ITEMS AND BRINGING, NOT BRINGING, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
>>Lynn Gray: OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS, THIS WORKSHOP HAS CONCLUDED. SEE YOU AT 4:00. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]