>> HI. I'M NADIA COMBS, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM.
>> I AM HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, THE BOARD VICE-CHAIR, OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA. OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC, IN WHAT WE DO.
>> YOU ARE WELCOME TO E-MAIL OR MEET WITH ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV, ON SPECTRUM CABLE CHANNEL 635 AND FRONTIER CABLE CHANNEL 32. SPECIAL MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE.
>> WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org.
>> OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE.
>>Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING FOR NOVEMBER 1st, 2022 IS CALLED TO ORDER. MOMENTARILY. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Nadia Combs: HI, OUR BOARD MEETING FOR NOVEMBER 1st, 2022, IS CALLED TO ORDER. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Nadia Combs: HI, OUR BOARD MEETING FOR NOVEMBER 1st, 2022, IS CALLED TO ORDER. THANK YOU. WE'RE HAVING TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 1st, 2022, IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING OF NOVEMBER 1st, 2022, IS NOW CALLED TO ORDER. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. [AUDIO REPEATS]
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS
>> MY NAME IS MADDOX. I PLAY THE BASS GUITAR AND I'M A SOPHOMORE.
>> MY NAME IS SAMUEL ROBERT HARRISON. I PLAY THE DRUM SET AND I AM A JUNIOR.
>> MY NAME IS MADDOX. I PLAY THE BASS GUITAR. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> THANK YOU. VERY SWEET.
>> THANK YOU. VERY SWEET. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> OUR OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER AND MY PRINCIPAL IS DR. MARCOS RODRIGUEZ. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND RECONVENE THE MEETING. SOUNDS LIKE EVERYTHING IS WORKING. THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR YOUR PATIENCE, ESPECIALLY THOSE HERE TO SPEAK. WE HAVE WITHDRAWN ITEM, A 02, RECOGNITION OF CASPERS COMPANY. THAT IS FROM THE STRATEGIC PLANNING AND PARTNERSHIP. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER -- I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S WORKING UP HERE. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER SNIVELY AND A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE ONE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. THAT'S OCTOBER 18, 2022, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE'RE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWRED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING. TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE AGENDA STATEMENTS AND/OR QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW GO OVER THE BOARD GUIDELINES.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONS ON LIVE WEBCASTS, ON CABLE TV AND ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONS IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN, AND THAT'S 6:00. THAT'S EMPLOYEE INPUT. I WILL NOW MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL BOARD RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT IS REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD, COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTLY PERSONALLY AGAINST THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE TWO MINUTES. REMINDER THAT YOUR TWO MINUTES START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU WILL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS, IF YOU WOULD PLEASE LINE UP. AND THE FIRST SPEAKER. I THINK WE'LL START WITH MS. JENKINS. THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS, PLEASE LINE UP.
>> HELLO, EVERYBODY. I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS MY TIME. MY NAME IS ANN JENKINS. I RESIDE 5023 NORTH 39th STREET. I'M RETIRED FROM THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE AFTER 21 YEARS. TAMPA IS MY HOME. I CARE ABOUT TAMPA, AND I CARE ABOUT THE CHILDREN. THE PROBLEM THAT I'M HERE FOR TODAY, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE NAACP AND THE RESIDENT THAT THEY HAVE OVER ON 40th STREET. THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS GIVEN THEM FREE RENT. NO LIGHT THERE. NO WATER BILL, NO NOTHING. THAT'S A PROBLEM. AND THE REASON IT'S A PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS TIED THEIR HANDS. IF I WANTED TO COME, GO TO THE NAACP AND FIGHT ABOUT A PROBLEM THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD IS HAVING, SAY I WANT TO FIGHT ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT GETTING PAID TOO MUCH MONEY, AND I GO TO THE SCHOOL BOARD -- I GO TO NAACP AND THEY CAN'T HELP ME BECAUSE YOU-ALL LETTING THEM RENT FOR FREE. THAT'S NOT RIGHT. AND IT'S SOMETHING NEED TO BE DONE ABOUT IT. THERE'S SO MUCH, YOU KNOW, I ONLY HAD TWO MINUTES, BUT EVERY WEEK I'LL BE DOWN HERE UNTIL I SAY EVERYTHING THAT I GOT TO SAY. BUT YOU ALL NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT. YOU ALL NEED TO GET NAACP OUT OF THERE BECAUSE YOU ALL ARE TYING THE HANDS IF SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING BECAUSE THEY ARE AFRAID YOU ARE GOING TO PUT THEM OUT OF THAT SCHOOL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> YOU'RE WELCOME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. I'M HERE. MY NAME IS TWYLA JOHNSON. I AM THE GRANDMOTHER OF DAVID RAMBOS. HE WAS BRUTALLY ASSAULTED THAT THE HIGH SCHOOL HE'S JUST NOW STARTING TO GO, BY ANOTHER STUDENT. WHY I AM HERE TODAY IS BECAUSE OF THE ACTION OF YOUR EMPLOYEES. THEY DID NOT FOLLOW YOUR-ALL SCHOOL RULES. WE WERE NOT NOTIFIED UNTIL MY GRANDSON CAME HOME BRUTALLY BEAT UP. WE HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM. WHEN WE TRIED TO NOTIFY THE AUTHORITIES AT THE SCHOOL, WE WERE PUT OFF. WE WERE NOT TREATED AS HUMAN THAT I EXPECTED. THE MORALS OF GOING DOWN TO THE PRINCIPAL WAS NOT APPROPRIATE OF YOUR ALL POLICIES. IT SHOULDN'T TAKE A GRANDMOTHER TO CALL CONSTANTLY DOWNTOWN TO THE SCHOOL AND THE RESOURCE OFFICER AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL, SUPERVISORS TO GET SOMETHING DONE ABOUT HER GRANDSON BEING ASSAULTED LIKE HE WAS A GROWN MAN FROM ANOTHER STUDENT. AND THIS IS HIS FIRST YEAR AT GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. THANK YOU. HAVE A BLESSED DAY. AND ALSO, MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW IS HERE TO FINISH THE STORY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS. MY NAME IS ZAIDA. I AM THE MOTHER OF DEGA RAMOS, AS MY MOTHER-IN-LAW SAID. BULLYING AND HARASSMENT AND HOW THE SCHOOLS ARE HANDLING THE SITUATION, IT HASN'T BEEN APPROPRIATE, THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS WRITTEN POLICIES AGAINST BULLYING AND HARASSMENT FOR THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY POOL MANUAL. THE SCHOOL BOARD IS EXPECTED TO PROVIDE AN EDUCATION SETTING FREE FROM BULLYING AND HARASSMENT. THE BOARD WILL NOT TOLERATE. THE CONSEQUENCES SHOULD BE SUSPENSION OR EXPULSION. ON OCTOBER 17, MY SON WAS BRUTALLALLY ATTACKED BY ANOTHER STUDENT IN THE CLASSROOM. IF IT HAD NOT BEEN BY ANOTHER STUDENT WHO INTERVENED, MY SON WOULD HAVE HAD MORE SERIOUS INJURIES. THE INCIDENT BEEN PREVENTED IF THERE HAS BEEN -- I'M SORRY, I'M EMOTIONAL, IF THERE HAD BEEN A TEACHER IN THE CLASSROOM. THE BULLIES STARTED WITH THREATS TO HIS FRIEND. MY SON STOOD UP TO THOSE THREATS. THEREFORE, THE GIRL SAID THAT SHE WAS GOING TO HAVE MY SON BEING BEAT UP BY HER BOYFRIEND. MY SON RECEIVED A HARD PUNCH TO THE LEFT OF THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD KNOCKING HIM DOWN AND FELL TO THE GROUND. IN 2002, SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL, 18-YEAR-OLD CHRISTOPHER, ONE PUNCH OF THE RIGHT SIDE OF HIS HEAD KILLED HIM. 1998, UNIVERSITY HIGH SCHOOL ORLANDO, MARK, FATAL INJURED BY ONE PUNCH TO THE SIDE OF HIS HEAD. I AM GRATEFUL MY SON IS ALIVE. HOW MANY MORE DEATHS IN THE SCHOOL THE BOARD IS WAITING TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS. THE SCHOOL NEVER NOTIFIED ME. THEY NEVER CALLED ME. RIGHT NOW, I'M STILL AWAITING A CALL FROM THE PRINCIPAL. I WORK FOR AN ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JOES AEVEN IF AMATO. -- JOSEPHINE AMATO. I HAVE A LONG LIST OF THINGS TO ADDRESS THE BOARD TO INCLUDE UNEQUAL ACCESS, FREE AND PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR STUDENTS OF COLOR THAT ARE SYSTEMIC IN OUR DISTRICT AND US NOT FOLLOWING OUR POLICY. BUT TODAY, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A BREAK. TODAY, I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO HONOR SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MELISSA SNIVELY. I AM A RESIDENT IN HER AREA SCHOOLS. WE ARE EAST AND SOUTH COUNTY. WE ARE ONE OF THE LARGEST NUMBER OF TITLE I SCHOOLS, LARGEST LAND MASSES, LARGEST POPULATION, AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. I AM HONORED TO KNOW SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MELISSA SNIVELY FOR OVER 8 YEARS, NOT JUST AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, BUT AS A DAUGHTER, AS A MOTHER, AS A FRIEND, AS A WIFE, AND AS A SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS WOMAN. AND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW ABOUT SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER MELISSA SNIVELY. AND ONE OF THEM IS FOR THE ENTIRETY UP UNTIL THE SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN FOR COVID, SHE HAD A MONTHLY MEETING OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN HER AREA WHERE ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY COULD APPROACH HER AND ASK HER ANYTHING. SHE STOOD UP MANY TIMES ALONE, COMPLETELY ALONE, BUT SHE STOOD UP FOR THE SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. SHE STOOD UP AGAINST ELIMINATING EQUAL ACCESS TO THE FREE AND APPROPRIATE PUBLIC EDUCATION FOR SCHOOL BUSES BECAUSE PUBLIC BUS, PUBLIC SCHOOL, OVER PUBLIC ROADS FULLY FUNDED BY PUBLIC DOLLARS SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO ALL STUDENTS. SHE STOOD UP WHEN OUR SCHOOL BUS STOPS ARE DANGEROUS. SHE STOOD UP TO KEEP OUR SCHOOLS OPEN AND MANY TIMES SHE JUST STOOD UP FOR EAST AND SOUTH COUNTY WHO IS UNDERREPRESENTED, AND WE HAVE THE POPULATION, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE THIS EQUAL VOICE. SHE'S DONE THAT ALONE. AND SHE'S REMEMBERED THAT SHE REPRESENTS US, THAT SHE REPRESENTS THE PEOPLE. SHE'S NOT SPEAKING FOR HERSELF BUT FOR THE PEOPLE AND FOR THE REPUBLIC. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW HER FAMILY'S LONG HISTORY OF SERVICE TO THE NATION. THANK YOU, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER SNIVELY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I, TOO, WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS BULLYING. MY NIECE HAS BEEN BULLIED AND IN MY OPINION STILL BEING BULLIED BECAUSE SHE'S OUT OF SCHOOL BECAUSE OF THE INCIDENT. ON OCTOBER 19th, SHE WAS ATTACKED IN THE OFFICE DURING A MEDIATION. SHE, TOO, HAD TO GO GET CHECKED OUT AND EVERYTHING. SHE'S BEEN OUT OF SCHOOL. THE ATTACKER IS BACK IN SCHOOL, I BELIEVE. MY NIECE IS IN THE COLLEGIATE PROGRAM. HAS A 3.9 UNWEIGHTED GPA. 5.2 WEIGHTED GPA. AND SHE HAS TO LEAVE HER SCHOOL AND BE DUAL ENROLLED IN TWO SCHOOLS. AND THE OTHER PERSON STILL IN SCHOOL. OUR OTHER OPTION WOULD BE TO LEAVE THE COLLEGIATE PROGRAM. RECEIVE F AND LEAVE THE PROGRAM. GO TO ANOTHER SCHOOL WHERE TRANSPORTATION IS NOT PROVIDED, NOT FAIR ONCE AGAIN. AND MY NIECE IS VERY -- SHE WAS ACTIVE. SHE'S INVOLVED IN THE SCHOOL. SHE'S BEEN A CHEERLEADER. HAS A -- WORKING IN THE YOUTH EMPOWERMENT GROUP. SHE HAS A DESIRE TO BECOME A PILOT IN THE AIR FORCE. AND REALLY AND TRULY NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO SATISFY THE SITUATION. AGAIN, TO ME, SHE'S STILL BEING BULLIED BECAUSE SHE'S OUT OF SCHOOL. SHE MISSED I THINK ALMOST TWO WEEKS OF SCHOOL BECAUSE SHE IS DISPLACED. SHE CAN'T GO WHERE SHE'S CONTINUED TO BE BULLY. BECAUSE THE BULLIER IS IN THE COLLEGIATE PROGRAM AS WELL. SHE'S THERE. SHE CAN STILL CONTINUE HER PROGRAM THERE. MY NIECE WHO HAS DONE NO WRONG BUT REPORTED INCIDENT AFTER INCIDENTS WHERE NOTHING JUSTIFIABLE HAS BEEN DONE. SO I SAY IN THE TIME WHEN WE ARE HAVING SO MANY KIDS BULLIED AND DEATHS BECAUSE OF IT, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING. AND I JUST WANT THIS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION THAT WE UNDERSTAND, THERE HAS TO BE A STOPPING POINT FOR BULLYING.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
>> HI, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS STACY MELON. I'M AN ENGLISH TEACHER HERE IN THE DISTRICT. I HOLD MASTERS DEGREES IN TEACHING ESOL AND EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP. I'M HERE TODAY TO PROVIDE SOME SUGGESTIONS THAT WE COULD IMPLEMENT RIGHT NOW TO SHOW TEACHERS THE MUCH DESERVED RESPECT. FIRST, DO YOU KNOW WHAT ULTIMATELY CONVINCED ME TO WORK AT PLANT? NOT THE SOUTH TAMPA LOCATION OR THE AP CLASSES, THOUGH THEY WERE ENTICING, BUT THE MAIN OFFICE. I'D LIKE TO TELL THE ADMINISTRATION ENGAGED WITH THE TEACHERS AND DESPITE HOW BUSY THEY WERE, HOW THE OFFICE STAFF CONTINUOUSLY REMAINED PROFESSIONAL, COURTEOUS AND RESPONSIBLE. FIRST IMPRESSIONS MATTER. IN CONTRAST, MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE DISTRICT WAS A DAY OF PROCESSING. PROCESSING IS A TERM PRISONS USE TO BOOK NEW INMATES. THIS IS A TERM THAT NEITHER DEMONSTRATES COURTESY NOR RESPECT. LANGUAGE MATTERS. CONSIDER CHANGING THE NAME OF THE FULL PROCESSING EXPERIENCE TO SOMETHING MORE MODERN SUCH AS ON BOARDING OR ORIENTATION. NOW, ON TO SOME MORE URGENT MATTERS. AS TEACHERS, WE SERVE AS ROLE MODELS FOR THE STUDENTS AND TEACH THEM TO SELF-ADVOCATE AND SPEAK UP WHEN SOMETHING COULD BE DONE BETTER. AS SUCH, I REQUEST THAT YOU AWARD OUR STEPS THAT WE HAVE ALREADY EARNED. I'M REQUESTING, I'M NOT ASKING, BECAUSE WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE WOULD WE BE SENDING TO STUDENTS IF WE ARE CONTENT WITH ONLY RECEIVING THE BARE MINIMUM AND BEGGING FOR WHAT WE HAVE ALREADY EARNED. AS THE UNION SAID, STEPS ARE FEASIBLE. FINALLY, PLEASE CONSIDER OR DECIDE WHETHER YOU VIEW TEACHERS AS SALARIED EMPLOYEES OR AS HOURLY EMPLOYEES AND SHARE WITH US. IT'S CONFUSING. WE ARE TOLD WE ARE SALARIED BUT IF WE LEAVE 30 MINUTES EARLY, OUR PAY IS DOCKED. THAT'S NOT HOW SALARY JOBS WORK. IF, IN FACT, WE ARE HOURLY, WE SHOULD BE PAID OUR HOURLY RATE FOR COVERING CLASSES OR ATTENDING TRAININGS, NOT $15 AN HOUR.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. YOU CAN COME BACK AT 6. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, AND IF THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS WILL LINE UP, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M MARIE MESSER. I'M THE LIBRARY MEDIA SPECIALIST AT MacFARLANE PARK ELEMENTARY. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SAY THANK YOU. A THANK-YOU TO THE BOARD AND TO DISTRICT LEADERSHIP. I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT BOOKS AND EVERYTHING GOING AROUND, BUT I WANT TO SAY A THANK-YOU FOR SUPPORTING THE CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOLS SO THAT ALL OF OUR BOOKS HAVE WINDOWS, MIRRORS AND DOORS THROUGH WHICH THEY SEE THEMSELVES. WE ARE TRULY LIVING IN A RENAISSANCE OF CHILDREN'S LITERATURE AND YOUNG ADULT FICTION. I WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO SHOW YOU THIS BOOK. IT CAME HOME TO ME WHEN A SIX-YEAR-OLD, AFTER HAVING A DISCUSSION WITH MATT DELAPENIA AT USF, THEY SPECIFICALLY SAID THEY PICKED NO GENDER AND NO ETHNICITY WHEN PICKED THE PICTURE. SIX YEARS OLD AT CARTER G. WOODSON, SHE STOOD UP AND SAID "THAT'S ME." AND SHE WAS SO HAPPY ABOUT IT. I READ ABOUT IT. I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. I HAD TAUGHT AND PREACHED THAT, BUT THAT WAS THE TIME IT CAME HOME TO ME. AND FOR ME, THIS IS THE BOOK. I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO READ AN EXCERPT. I BELIEVE EVERYONE SHOULD READ THE BOOK, ESPECIALLY WHEN MY STUDENTS LAUGHED AT IT. STAR FISHING IS WHAT THIS CHARACTER DOES TO SPREAD OUT. AS YOU CAN SEE, I WAS NOT A NORMAL SIZE IN SCHOOL AND THIS BOOK IS MY STORY EXCEPT FOR THE EVIL MOTHER IN IT. SO BOOKS ARE PICTURES FOR OUR CHILDREN AND, YES, LIFE IS DIFFICULT. LIFE IS MESSY, AND NOT EVERY BOOK IS FOR EVERY CHILD, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND I JUST WANT TO OFFER ONE MORE SCENARIO. JUST LAST MONTH SOMEONE SAID TO ME WHEN I OFFERED THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, THEY SAID IT'S TOO CHRISTIAN. WHEN WE START TO ATTACK AND PULL BOOKS, CONSIDER THE OTHER. WE COULD HAVE THOSE BOOKS THAT WE CONSIDER TO BE MOST IMPORTANT TO US TO BE PULLED AND AS A DEVOUT CATHOLIC, THAT IS MY POSITION, BUT AS A MEDIA SPECIALIST, MY JOB IS TO PROVIDE BOOKS FOR EVERY CHILD IN EVERY WALK OF LIFE AND EVERY EXPERIENCE. SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BOOKS TO OUR CHILDREN THAT BRING PEACE TO OUR CLASSROOMS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GREETINGS, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND SCHOOL BOARD. I AM DEBRA BROWN. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH MY YOUNGER COUSIN, TANIA, WHO HAS BEEN BULLIED FOR 18 MONTHS NOW. I WANT TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF THE TIMELINE AND SOME OF THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND WILL CONTINUE. OCTOBER 19, TANIA WAS CALLED WITH MEDIATION BY BULLY BY A STAFF MEMBER. SHE WAS CALLED IN BECAUSE SHE DECIDED SHE DID NOT WANT TO BE FRIENDS WITH THE BULLY ANYMORE BECAUSE OF HER BULLYING. FOLLOWING WHAT APPEARED TO BE A SUCCESSFUL MEDIATION, SHE WAS ATTACKED FROM BEHIND WHILE ATTEMPTING TO EXIT THE SCHOOL'S OFFICE. THE BULLY ATTACKED HER VERBALLY AND ASSAULTED HER PHYSICALLY. AROUND 4 P.M., HER MOM RECEIVED NOTIFICATION AND SHE STATED, I WANT TO PRESS CHARGES. SOMEONE AT THE SCHOOL MADE A REPORT AND THE REPORT STATED, STUDENT WAS A VICTIM OF A PHYSICAL ATTACK WHEN ATTEMPTING TO WALK AWAY FROM MEDIATION. PARENT HAS GIVEN US PERMISSION TO SPEAK WITH HER HUSBAND WHO IS NOT ON HER CARD. I LET THE FAMILY KNOW THAT THE DEPUTY WILL BE FOLLOWING UP AS THEY ARE WANTING TO PRESS CHARGES, END QUOTE. THE BULLY WAS SUSPENDED FOR 10 DAYS AND THE VICTIM WENT TO RECEIVE MEDICAL ATTENTION. ON THE 20th, HER MOM CALLS THE RESOURCE OFFICER TO PRESS CHARGES. NEXT, SHE FILLS OUT A BULLYING REPORT ONLINE AND THEN HEADS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. INVESTIGATION IS LAUNCHED. AFTER THE MOM LEAVES, AND 4 P.M. SHE RECEIVED ANOTHER CALL FROM THE SCHOOL AND NOTIFIED HER THAT HER DAUGHTER WOULD NOW BE SUSPENDED FOR THREE DAYS. THIS WAS AFTER THE FACT. ANYWAYS, SPOKE TO MOM AND LET HER KNOW WE GOT MORE DETAILS ABOUT YESTERDAY'S INCIDENT AND THAT THE TEACHER STATING THAT TANIA TURNED AROUND AND BEGAN ARGUING BACK AND THEN STARTED FIGHTING. NOTE, THIS WAS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS DAY'S REPORT. MOM IS UNDERSTANDABLY BOTH UPSET AND WITH A CONFLICT IN STATEMENTS. ON THE 21st, MOM RETURNS --
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU.
>> ANYWAY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING, SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS KATHY. I'M ONE OF THE COMMUNITY LADIES HERE IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA. AND I'M SPEAKING ON THE BEHALF OF THE BULLYING ALSO FOR TANIA. AS OF NOW, TANIA HAS SPENT 13 DAYS OF THE PROGRAM AND HAS MISSED OUT ALMOST A MONTH'S WORTH OF WORK. WHY IT IS THAT -- SUSPENDED FOR TEN DAYS, HAVE ALSO CHARGED PRESSES ON HER REMAIN IN THE PROGRAM. ONE OF THE THINGS WE WANT TO EXPRESS IS EVEN THOUGH THAT SHE IS AN HONOR STUDENT THAT HAS BEEN PRESSING ON, I'VE KNOWN HER SINCE SHE WAS A CHILD. ALWAYS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SEE NOW WITH CHILDREN, THEY DON'T SAY YES, MA'AM AND NO, MA'AM OR YES, SIR AND NO. ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED ABOUT HER, SHE ALWAYS SAYS THAT. SHE ALWAYS ADDRESSES PEOPLE IN A POLITE WAY. FOR HER TO BE IN THE SITUATION OF BULLIED AND ALSO HAVE TO GO TO TWO SCHOOLS NOW AND ALSO POSITION AND THEN ALSO PUT HER MOTHER IN THE POSITION WHERE SHE HAS TO FIND TRANSPORTATION FOR HER DAUGHTER THAT WAS BULLIED IS NOT A GOOD POINT AND A GOOD FEEL ON HER REPUTATION AS WELL. WITH HER HAVING SLEEPLESS NIGHTS AND ALSO DEALING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AS WELL WITH THIS. SO AS FAR AS BEING BULLIED, IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND NOT JUST HER, BUT OTHER STUDENTS AS WELL THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND THAT'S WHY WE CANNOT BE QUIET ABOUT THIS SITUATION. WE NEED TO BE HEARD AND WE NEED TO ALLOW YOU TO KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON AT ARMWOOD. ALSO ANOTHER THING, TOO, IS THAT WITH HER BEING HERE, IT LETS HER KNOW THAT WE'RE NOT JUST GOING TO BE QUIET. WE'RE GOING TO STAND UP FOR HER RIGHTS AND SHE KNOW SHE DON'T HAVE TO BE QUIET AND SHE CAN PUSH FORWARD TO WHAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF. I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR LISTENING TO US TODAY AND MAKE SURE THAT BULLINESS MUST STOP NOW.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> MY NAME IS JOE DENICA. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE TODAY AND ADDRESS EACH OF YOU ON THIS BOARD AND THIS ADMINISTRATION. I'M HERE TODAY IN THE CAPACITY OF BOTH A SPOUSE, BUT ALSO TO STAND AS A ROLE MODEL FOR MY GIRLS SIX AND NINE YEARS OLD. BY NOW, EACH OF YOU ARE AWARE OF WHO MY WIFE IS AND WHAT HER ROLE IS IN THE DISTRICT. SHE HAS ADDRESSED THIS BOARD MANY TIMES ON TOPICS OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS, SECURITY CONCERNS FOR HER SCHOOL AND MANY OTHER TOPICS. SHE'S A TEACHER, IF YOU DON'T KNOW. SHE IS SOMEONE THAT SPEAKS UP AND ADVOCATES WITHOUT SELFISH INTENTIONS FOR HER COLLEAGUES AND FOR OUR CHILDREN. AS A HUSBAND, SHE MAKES ME PROUD. AS AN INDIVIDUAL TO THIS COMMUNITY, I HAVE THE UTMOST RESPECT FOR HER, MY BIAS ASIDE. I'M NOT HERE TO PRAISE MY WIFE CONTRARY TO AS IT MAY SEEM. SHE IS ONE OF MANY THAT DOES THE SAME IN THIS DISTRICT AS HER. I'D LIKE TO PAINT A PICTURE FOR EACH OF YOU TO PUT IN THE BACK OF YOUR MINDS. THINK BACK TO WHEN YOUR KIDS BEGAN TO DREAM OF THEIR FUTURE. THEY WERE GOING TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANTED TO BE WHEN THEY GREW UP. MAYBE NOT YOUR OWN CHILDREN. MAYBE THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE MENTORED AND HELP SUCCEED IN THEIR FUTURES. NOW, PUT YOURSELVES IN THE SHOES OF THAT CHILD AND TODAY'S CURRENT SETTING THAT YOU ALL MANAGE. THAT CHILD SAYS THEY WANT TO BE LIKE YOU AND FOLLOW THAT DREAM. THEY WANT TO TEACH AND INSPIRE OTHERS. THEY WANT TO GROW THE MINDS AND THE DREAMS OF THE TOMORROW'S YOUTH THAT THEY ARE IN THERE NOW. WOULD YOU LET THEM FOLLOW THAT DREAM? NOW TIME AND AGAIN, EMPLOYEES HAVE COME HERE BEGGING TO BE HEARD. I'VE SEEN IT. TO DATE, NO GRATITUDE OR VALIDATION IN THE CAREER OF THESE PARENTS, MENTORS OR ROLE MODELS THAT WORK IN THIS DISTRICT HAVE COME TO FRUITION. YOU ASK FOR MORE WHEN THERE IS NOTHING LEFT TO GIVE. I SEE IT FIRSTHAND. I'M NOT HERE TO BADGER YOU. LIKE MY WIFE, I COME WITH SOLUTIONS. THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE. SHOW YOUR EMPLOYEES THAT THEY ARE RESPECTED.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS DARA LYNN SANDERS. THE MOTHER OF THE ONE WHO HAS BEEN BULLIED FOR 18 MONTHS TO NO AVAIL. I WANT TO SPEAK TO THE TPD. THIS HAPPENED IN THE SHERIFF'S DISTRICT BUT TPD CAME TO MY HOME AND ASKED ME IF I WAS OKAY. I BEGAN TO CRY BECAUSE I'M NOT OKAY. BUT THEM ASKING ME THAT SHOWED ME THEY CARED. WE LOST MY MOTHER AUGUST 8, MY UNCLE NEXT MONTH, TWO KIDS COMMITTED SUICIDE. WE'RE NOT OKAY. THE POLICE SAID WHAT'S GOING ON. SHE SAID I DON'T WANT TO TELL MY MOTHER ANYTHING BAD BECAUSE SHE'S GOING THROUGH TOO MUCH ALREADY. I BEGAN TO E-MAIL EVERYBODY TO NO AVAIL. ONLY ONE PERSON REACHED OUT TO ME. I WANT TO THANK TPD FOR COMING INTO OUR HOME AND LETTING US FEEL SAFE AND THAT YOU CARE. YOU KNEW THE GIRL WAS BULLYING HER 18 MONTHS. SHOULD ASK SOMEONE ELSE THERE TO PROTECT MY DAUGHTER BUT YOU DIDN'T. THE LACK OF CONCERN THAT ARMWOOD HAS. I DIDN'T GET A CALL FROM THE PRINCIPAL UNTIL FRIDAY AFTER COMING TO THIS OFFICE TWO TIMES. SHOWERS AND FRIDAY. THE EMERGENCY ROOM VISIT, YOU HAVE NOT HEARD OF TPD INJURIES. SHE HAD A FOREHEAD ALSO A RAKES, CONCUSSION, NECK PAIN, HER LEFT RING FINGER WILL NEVER GROW AGAIN. THE NAIL IS GONE. THE FIRST SPEAKER, GO TO THE NAACP TO NO AVAIL. I'M NOT BEING HELPED HERE. WHAT I ASK YOU ALL RIGHT NOW, IMAGINE THIS BEING YOUR CHILD. YOU WOULDN'T STAND FOR IT. MY LAST 30 SECONDS, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT TRANSPORTATION. TPD IS GOING TO TWO SCHOOLS NOW. SHE WILL BE AT SPOTO FOR HER TRADITIONAL COURSES AND SHE WILL TAKE HER HCC COURSES AT ARMWOOD. I HAVE TO PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION. YOU GIVE HER A HOPE SCHOLARSHIP, NO TRANSPORTATION. ME AND HER FATHER, DeANGELO SANDERS, WE HAVE TO GO TO WORK 4 A.M. IN THE MORNING. HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO GET HER THERE. LAST SEVEN SECONDS, PLEASE SHOW THAT YOU CARE ABOUT MY DAUGHTER. TPD, 3.9 UNWEIGHTED GPA.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS WILL PLEASE LINE UP.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS NOREENE COPELAND MILLER. I LIVE AT 1911 EAST CHELSEA STREET IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE WAY THAT I WAS TREATED AT GARY SCHOOL, AT THE BUILDING WHERE THE NAACP IS HOUSED. I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR. I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE NAACP. I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP. LEWIS, THE PRESIDENT, WOULD NOT ALLOW US, ME AND MY FRIEND THAT WENT OUT FOR GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING ON OCTOBER 20 TO ENTER THE BUILDING. AND I HAVE A DISABILITY THAT'S VISIBLE AND MY FRIEND WAS 88 YEARS OLD. AFTER WE CAME FROM THE PARKING LOT, WHICH IS QUITE A DISTANCE AND ASKED TO JUST COME IN, THEY WAS LIKE WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO COME IN. I DID REQUEST A CHAIR SO WE COULD AT LEAST REST BEFORE WE GO BACK, AND THIS MAN, REVEREND MAURICE WILSON YELLED THAT, NO, YOU CAN'T COME IN AND THEN HE SAID A FEW WORDS THAT MADE ME FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE. SO I LOOKED AT MY FRIEND THAT'S 88 YEARS OLD AND I KNOW WE DIDN'T NEED THAT KIND OF STRESS. I'M HERE TODAY TO ASK YOU, ARE THEY ALLOWED TO NOT LET -- I'M A MEMBER, LIFE MEMBER. CIVIL LIFE MEMBER. AND MY FRIEND WAS A MEMBER OF 32 YEARS, LIFE MEMBERSHIP. BEING A MEMBER OR NOT, WE WERE AT A PUBLIC BUILDING OWNED BY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, NOT ALLOWED IN. FELT THREATEN. IS THAT RIGHT? I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE NAACP FOR MANY YEARS. ON OCTOBER THE 20th, MY CIVIL RIGHTS WAS VIOLATED AT GARRY ELEMENTARY AND MY VOTER SUPPRESSION, AS WE TALK ABOUT A CIVIL RIGHTS ORGANIZATION THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LEADING THE CHARGE, THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. I PLEAD WITH YOU ALL TO INVESTIGATE THE NAACP AT GARRY BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT DOING CIVIL RIGHTS WORK. PLEASE DO THAT AND THE PUBLIC IS NOT ALLOWED IN THE BUILDING UNLESS MS. YVETTE LEWIS SELECTS YOU TO COME IN. PLEASE HELP US. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M BISHOP MICHELLE B. PATTY. I THINK YOU ALL HAVE MY HANDOUT. I STAND BEFORE YOU WITH A HEAVY HEART THIS EVENING. I WANT TO MAKE IT VERY CLEAR. I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NAACP, BUT THE CURRENT LEADERSHIP, THE BULLY, YVETTE LEWIS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE UHURU CONNIE BURTON. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SALINA WARD WHO ACTS AS SECRETARY. ALSO, THERE WAS A GENTLEMEN, I THINK THEY SAY HE WORK FOR YOUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, MR. EARNEST WOOD, WHO WAS IN THAT MEETING WHEN WE ATTENDED, ATTEMPTED TO ATTEND A PUBLIC MEETING AT GARRY ADULT SCHOOL. HERE YOU SEE ON OCTOBER THE 10th, THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION SENT DOWN A MEMO. IT STATED CLEARLY FIVE DIFFERENT TIMES THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE ALLOWED TO BE A PART OF A PUBLIC MEETING. AND THAT WAS NOT DONE. HERE YOU SEE, GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, THESE ARE PEOPLE. MANY OF THEM ARE RIGHT HERE BEHIND ME. THEY WERE OUT HERE IN THE COLD. WE HAD CHILDREN THAT WAS OUT IN THE COLD, AND THEN YOUR OFFICERS, TAMPA PD, SECURITY HAD TO COME OUT TO THIS PLACE, GARRY ADULT SCHOOL, WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN PATROLLING OTHER PLACES, OUR RESOURCES. YOU ALL ARE LETTING PEOPLE, OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER THAN MEMBERS OF THE NAACP USE THE FACILITY THIS SATURDAY COMING ON THE WEBSITE OF THE FRRC, THEY ARE GOING TO BE HOLDING ANOTHER LOCAL MEETING FOR RETURNING FELONS. WE ALL SUPPORT FELONS, BUT WE NEED TO KNOW WHO IS VETTING THE FELONS TO SEE IF THERE IS ANY SEXUAL PREDATORS ON THAT PROPERTY. BUT ACCORDING TO YOUR MOA, IT SAYS CLEARLY THAT NO ONE, NUMBER 8, NO ORGANIZATION DOES NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO SUBLEASE OR ALLOW ANY ORGANIZATION OR PERSON ON ANY PORTION OF THIS AGREEMENT. IT ALSO SAY THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCRIMINATION TAKING PLACE OUT THERE. IT WAS TAKING PLACE. THERE NEED TO BE A CLEAR INVESTIGATION OF WHAT'S GOING ON OUT THERE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS CHRIS BERGERON. EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER OF LINKS SYSTEM INTERNATIONAL. WE'RE HEADQUARTERED IN TAMPA. WE WERE INCORPORATED IN FLORIDA IN 1996. WE OFFER A SERVICE CALLED NET TUTOR, ONLINE TUTORING AND A PLATFORM CALLED PISCES FOR ONLINE TUTORING. I'M HERE TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN REFERENCE TO AN ITEM ON TODAY'S AGENDA, 1.03, THE SOLE SOURCE AWARD TO PAPER EDUCATION COMPANY. WE HAD CONCERNS ABOUT THE SOLE SOURCE PROCESS. WE EXPRESSED THOSE CONCERNS DURING THE OPPORTUNITY TO OUTLINE OUR PROTEST TO THE SOLE SOURCE. AND WE FEEL THAT WE SUCCESSFULLY ADDRESSED EACH ITEM ON THE ORIGINAL SOLE SOURCE, AND THAT PROTEST WAS DENIED. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONLINE TUTORING PROVIDER, AND WE'RE PROBABLY ONE OF THE LONGEST PROVIDERS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER WELL-KNOWN ONLINE TUTORING PROVIDERS THAT COULD HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A FAIR PROCUREMENT PROCESS. SO THE ONLY THING THAT WE COULD DO WHEN THE INTENT TO AWARD WAS PUBLISHED, WHICH HAD NEW INFORMATION ON IT THAT WAS NOT PROVIDED TO US TO PROTEST IN THE FIRST PLACE, WHICH HAD CONTENT ON IT THAT'S NOT RELATED TO ONLINE TUTORING. THEY TALKED ABOUT GAMES AND TROPHIES, AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT INCENTING STUDENTS TO SEEK HELP IS IMPORTANT, BUT THAT WASN'T THE REASON THAT THEY WERE AWARDED, ALTHOUGH IT WAS LISTED ON THE INTENT TO AWARD. SO WE WERE ONLY GIVEN ONE OPTION, WHICH WAS TO SUE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR THE RIGHT TO PROTEST THE INTENT TO AWARD. AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO SUE OUR HOMETOWN. SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU THAT BY BYPASSING THAT COMPETITIVE PROCESS, WE FEEL CERTAIN WE WOULD HAVE SERVED THE STUDENTS IN OUR COMMUNITY EVEN BETTER. WE WOULD HAVE HAD MORE LOCAL TAMPA BAY BASED. OUR SERVICES WOULD HAVE BENEFITED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BY CREATING JOBS, AND THE PAPER SERVICE PROVIDES CHAT AND TEXT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE WHITE BOARD AND AUDIO AND VIDEO AND SCREEN SHARING. ANYWAY, THE FAIR AND COMPETITIVE PROCESS WASN'T MET.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> TERRY CISCO, CHAMBERLAIN LEGACY ALLIANCE. EVERY ORGANIZATION HAS A SELF-ESTEEM, A SELF-CONCEPT, WHETHER A COUNTRY, A BUSINESS, A SCHOOL, A FAMILY, HAS A SELF-CONCEPT. I AM HERE TONIGHT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR HELPING RAISE THE SELF-CONCEPT OF CHAMBERLAIN AT ITS FEEDER PATTERN SCHOOLS, SPECIFICALLY CHRIS FARKAS SITTING HERE. WE HAD OUR HOMECOMING FRIDAY NIGHT AND REDEDICATED THE FIELD TO THE ADCOCK AND TURNER FAMILIES WHO CAME AND TOOK THE FIELD. I HAD NO CLUE HOW THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE ANYTHING WAS GOING TO BE READY. THIS MAN MADE IT HAPPEN. AND THE NEW LIGHTING SYSTEM THAT WE HAVE IN THE STADIUM WILL PUT ANY D-2 COLLEGE JEALOUS. THE SCHOOL BY THE TIME MR. FARKAS GETS DONE PARTNERING WITH US, THAT SCHOOL IS GOING TO BE THE BEST-LOOKING SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, MARK MY WORDS. IT'S ALSO GOING TO BECOME YOUR SUCCESS STORY. MARK MY WORDS ON THAT ONE, TOO. WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. I JUST HAD A WOMAN WALK UP TO ME AT CHURCH ON SUNDAY. SHE HAD BEEN WATCHING OUR SOCIAL MEDIA. SHE HANDED ME A CHECK FOR $5,000. THIS IS WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COMMUNITY. EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE A PART OF SUCCESS. SUCCESS BREEDS SUCCESS. AND THIS GROUP RIGHT HERE, THEY HAVE BEEN TREMENDOUS PARTNERS WITH US. SO I WANT TO THANK YOU AND I WANT TO THANK THEM. THE SECOND PART OF IT IS, LAST TIME I WAS HERE I TALKED ABOUT ADAMS MIDDLE SCHOOL. I KNOW YOU HAVE DECISIONS COMING UP THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE CONCERNING BOUNDARIES AND SO ON AND SO FORTH. I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER TO YOU TO HOST AN ALL HANDS ON DECK MEETING AT CHAMBERLAIN'S OUTBACK AND LET'S START A CONVERSATION OF WHAT ADAMS COULD LOOK LIKE IF WE REIMAGINE. WE'VE GOT A BUILDING. WE KNOW THIS. WE'VE GOT KIDS, WE KNOW THAT. WE'VE GOT KIDS THAT NEED AN EDUCATION. WE KNOW THAT. I WANT TO OFFER TO YOU. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THANK YOU.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS DANIELLE EICHMANN. I'M FROM CARROLLWOOD ELEMENTARY ALONG WITH SOME OTHER CARROLLWOOD K-8 INITIATIVE COMMITTEE MEMBERS. WE ARE HERE AGAIN TO SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF TRANSITIONING CARROLLWOOD TO A K-8 FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. WE WOULD LIKE TO REMIND YOU WHY IT'S IMPERATIVE TO KEEP K-8 ON THE FOREFRONT OF YOUR MINDS. TRANSITIONING TO A K-8 NOT ONLY PROVIDES STABILITY FOR THE STUDENTS, INCLUDING BETTER MENTAL AND SOCIAL HEALTH, BUT IT ALSO IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED IN OUR COMMUNITY. AS YOU ARE AWARE, SCHOOL CHOICE HAS OPENED AND FAMILIES AT CARROLLWOOD ARE ABSOLUTELY FEELING THE STRESS ABOUT CHOOSING A MIDDLE SCHOOL, AS THERE IS NOT A SINGLE STUDENT THAT WE ARE AWARE OF THAT IS PLANNING TO ATTEND OUR ZONED MIDDLE SCHOOL AT THIS TIME. CARROLLWOOD FAMILIES ARE AGAIN FACING THE DECISION TO EITHER MOVE OUT OF THE DISTRICT, PREPARE TO ACQUIRE THE SOARING COSTS OF PRIVATE SCHOOL TUITION OR GET READY TO SPEND COUNTLESS HOURS IN THE CAR DRIVING. THIS COULD BE AVOIDED WITH TRANSITIONING CARROLLWOOD TO A K-8. WE HAVE SHARED THAT THE CARROLLWOOD COMMUNITY IS STRONG, AND THAT WE TAKE GREAT PRIDE IN BEING A PART OF IT. OUR CARROLLWOOD STUDENTS DESERVE TO STAY TOGETHER AND MAINTAIN THE CONNECTIONS THAT THEY HAVE MADE FOR THE LAST SIX YEARS AND NOT SCATTER. WE RECOGNIZE A LOT OF EFFORT AND OUT-OF-THE-BOX THINKING IS NEEDED FOR THIS TRANSITION TO BE SUCCESSFUL, BUT WE ARE EXCITED TO STEP UP TO THE CHALLENGE WITH YOUR SUPPORT AND MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. 2003-2024 SCHOOL YEAR. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS KRISTA MILLS. I AM GLAD TO BE BACK HERE AGAIN TODAY. I WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD MEMBERS WHO WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH, WHO WE'VE MET WITH. WE KNOW YOUR TIME IS VALUABLE AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR GUIDANCE IN HELPING US ADVOCATE FOR OUR KIDS. I'M HERE TO REMIND YOU OF THE NUTS AND THE BOLTS OF OUR PLAN TO TRANSITION CARROLLWOOD TO K-8. LIKE DANIELLE MENTIONED, TRANSITIONING CARROLLWOOD WILL TAKE EFFORT, BUT WE KNOW THAT IT CAN BE DONE WITH LITTLE TO NO COST TO THE DISTRICT. OUR PLAN CALLS FOR BALANCING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THE SCHOOL BY LIMITING THE NUMBER OF INCOMING CHOICE SEATS IN GRADES K-5. THOSE SEATS WILL BECOME REALLOCATED TO GRADES 6-8 WITH THE ADDITION OF ONE GRADE LEVEL AT A TIME, THIS WILL ALLOW THE DISTRICT TO MODIFY CHOICE SPOTS TO GIVE PRIORITY TO OUR CARROLLWOOD RISING SIXTH GRADE STUDENTS. THIS DOES NOT IMPACT THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ALREADY CHOICED IN BUT IT WOULD JUST LIMIT THE FUTURE CHOICE ENROLLMENTS. OUR GOAL IS A CLASS SIZE OF 110 STUDENTS PER GRADE. AT THIS SIZE, THE FTE FUNDING PROVIDED WILL SUPPORT THE TEACHERS AND MATERIALS AT OUR SITE. WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS. CARROLLWOOD HAS ENOUGH ROOM TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY WITHOUT AFFECTING THE SCHOOL CAPACITY. AS SEEN WITH MANISCALCO, TRANSITIONING TO K-8 CAN BE DONE WITH LITTLE FUNDING BY USING RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN THE DISTRICT. THE TRANSITION A WIN FOR THE DISTRICT. IT IS A WIN FOR OUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S A WIN FOR OUR SCHOOL. WE WILL BE ABLE TO RETAIN STUDENTS THAT ARE LEAVING AS EARLY AS THIRD GRADE AND WE WILL BE ABLE TO CAPTURE STUDENTS WHO MAY HAVE ATTENDED A CHARTER OR A PRIVATE SCHOOL INSTEAD OF CARROLLWOOD ALTOGETHER. THIS PLAN DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS AND IT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEMONSTRATE CONCERN FOR CHILDREN AND A COMMITMENT OF HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION FOR THE CARROLLWOOD COMMUNITY. WE NEED THIS ON THE AGENDA NOW TO MAKE IT FEASIBLE FOR GRADE 6 CLASSES TO BE IN SESSION FOR NEXT YEAR. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS BRITTANY COOPER. I'M HERE TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO LIKE SCHOOLS, STUDENTS ARE ALL DIFFERENT, WHICH MEANS THEY REQUIRE DIFFERENT TYPES OF LEARNING, DIFFERENT TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT, AND I MYSELF HAVE THREE KIDS AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL THREE OF THEM ARE DIFFERENT WHICH I'M SURE YOU WOULD AGREE WITH, WITH YOUR OWN CHILDREN. SO A TRADITIONAL MIDDLE SCHOOL WOULD BE GREAT FOR SOME CHILDREN, BUT IT ALSO, A K-8 ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL FOR OTHERS. I CAN TELL YOU TWO OF MINE WOULD BE GREAT IN A K-8 ENVIRONMENT. WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TODAY IS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT SMALLER K-8 ENVIRONMENT FOR THE STUDENTS AT CARROLLWOOD. SO I PERSONALLY WENT TO A SMALLER MIDDLE SCHOOL AND I FELT VERY SAFE AND WAS ABLE TO THRIVE AND NOT BE THROWN INTO A BIGGER MIDDLE SCHOOL. SO MIDDLE SCHOOL IS A HARD ENOUGH TIME ON ITS OWN. I THINK A MORE PERSONALIZED AND INTIMATE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WOULD BE VERY BENEFICIAL FOR THE STUDENTS AT OUR SCHOOL OR JUST THE OPPORTUNITY. AND THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT WITH YOU GUYS TODAY. OUR CARROLLWOOD K-8 ASK IS FOR THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STUDENTS. THE SAME OPPORTUNITY TO WALK TO SCHOOL, TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR PEERS, AND AN ENVIRONMENT THAT'S JUST EASY AND INTIMATE AND SMALLER. SO TRANSITIONING CARROLLWOOD TO A K-8 ENSURES THE STUDENTS STAY IN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL BOARD INSTEAD OF LEAVING THE DISTRICT. SO I DO WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN. YOU GUYS HAVE GONE OUT OF YOUR WAY TO SUPPORT US, TO MEET WITH US, TO TALK TO US, TO ANSWER E-MAILS, AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR YOU GUYS DOING THAT. WE HAVE SPECIFIC NEED FOR OUR SPECIFIC COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT THIS WOULD BE A SOLUTION TO GIVE THESE KIDS THE OPPORTUNITY. SO PLEASE SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. ADD IT TO THE AGENDA, VOTE YES, AND GIVE THESE KIDS THAT SAME OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE CARROLLWOOD A K-8.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JENNA MALASSEY. I HAVE TWO KIDS AT CARROLLWOOD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM A FORMER KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, AND I SPEND A LOT OF MY TIME AT THE SCHOOL, SO MUCH SO THAT I PROBABLY SHOULD GET HIRED THERE. ONE COMMITTEE THAT WE ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT IS OUR OWL PANTRY. OUR OWL PANTRY IS AN IN-HOUSE FOOD PANTRY EXCLUSIVELY FOR OUR STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE FUND RAISE, COLLECT FOOD FROM LOCAL CHURCHES AND FAMILIES TO SEND HOME TO OUR STUDENTS IN NEED. WE HAVE ABOUT 50% ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS. WE SERVICE ABOUT 50 CHILDREN WEEKLY. I AM SO PROUD OF OUR SCHOOL AND THE DEMOGRAPHICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS THAT ARE PART OF OUR COMMUNITY. AS A TEACHER AND LIFELONG LEARNER, I NOT ONLY WANT WHAT IS BEST FOR MY CHILDREN, BUT FOR THE ENTIRE CARROLLWOOD COMMUNITY THAT I CALL HOME. WE ARE READY TO TRANSITION TO A K-8 MODEL FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. WE HAVE THE SPACE AND THE ADMINISTRATION'S SUPPORT TO DO SO. THIS MAKES CARROLLWOOD K-8 A REALITY. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER OUR PLAN IN DETAIL. CARROLLWOOD FAMILIES ARE FIERCE ADVOCATES OF THIS CHANGE, AND WE NEED YOUR HELP TO PLEASE MAKE IT HAPPEN. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF THE NEXT FEW WILL LINE UP.
>> HI. MY NAME IS MICHELLE SANCHEZ. AND I'M THE MEDIA SPECIALIST AT WILSON MIDDLE SCHOOL. I SIMPLY WANT TO EXPRESS MY GRATITUDE TO THE BOARD FOR TRUSTING MEDIA SPECIALISTS AND OUR AMAZING DISTRICT LIBRARY MEDIA TEAM. I APPRECIATE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO UPHOLD OUR PROFESSIONAL SELECTION, POLICIES, AND OUR FAIR CHALLENGE PROCEDURES IN THE FACE OF INCREASED PRESSURE TO ISSUE BLANKET BANS ON BOOKS, LIMITING ACCESS TO BOOKS BASED ON THE EXPERIENCES AND VALUES OF ONE GROUP OF CITIZENS IS WRONG. THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT FAMILY VALUES CAN LOOK VERY DIFFERENT FROM ONE FAMILY TO ANOTHER. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. DEBBIE HUNT. FIRST AND FOREMOST, I WANT TO THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY, FOR YOUR INCREDIBLE COMMITMENT, AND IT HAS BEEN SO CONSISTENT AND SO FOR THE KIDS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. SO THANK YOU. SORRY TO SEE YOU GO. I WANT TO TALK TODAY ABOUT THE TUTORING PROGRAM CALLED PAPER BEING DISCUSSED BY YOU ALL. FIRST, I DO WANT TO THANK TERRY CONNOR FOR SENDING A RESPONSE TO ME ON THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD E-MAILED EVERYBODY. VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. WE ARE STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF THE CHILDREN'S INFORMATION, THEIR PERSONAL INFORMATION, AND ABOUT THE LIE -- AND I'M QUOTING FROM THE RESPONSE, LIVE EDUCATIONAL ENTERTAINMENT PLATFORM, WHICH INCLUDES GAMIFIED STORYLINES AND CAPTIVATING STORYTELLING. WE ARE ALSO CONCERNED WITH THE GENERALIZED PARENT WEBINARS AND THE SCHEDULE SHARED TO PROMOTE THE TUTORING, WHICH ACTUALLY STARTED BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2022 WHEN THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE NEW THAT YOU GUYS ARE CONTINUING. WE DO APPRECIATE THAT THE AGENDA ITEM WAS MOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA TO THE DISCUSSION AGENDA FOLLOWING YOUR OWN PROCESS. HOWEVER, WE ARE CONCERNED THAT THE TUTORING AND I PROVIDED A COPY FROM YOUR OWN WEBSITE ON THE HOME PAGE THAT SPEAKS TO THE FACT IT'S ALREADY BEING ADVERTISED TO THE KIDS AS BEING AVAILABLE BEFORE YOU ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO DISCUSS AND DETERMINE WHETHER YOU'RE GOING FORWARD OR NOT. FINALLY, WE'RE VERY CONCERNED THAT YOU'RE WILLING TO SIGN A CONTRACT THAT STATES NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE -- I'M QUOTING DIRECTLY FROM WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SIGN, NEITHER PARTY SHALL BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL AND/OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO --
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS JULIE GEBHARTS. IF THERE ARE IN CHILDREN IN HERE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE THEM OUT AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. BECAUSE HERE IS A BOOK THAT WE HAVE IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL. IT CONTAINS THIS. LET'S SEE, HIS PALM RUBBED ACROSS HER NIPPLE CAUSING IT TO HARDEN WHICH NOTICED AS IF WATCHING FROM SOME DISTANCE RATHER THAN PROMOTING -- RUNNING HIS HAND AGAINST THE DOWNY NEST OF HAIR, PUSHING FINGERS INSIDE OPENING HER IN A WAY SHE HAD NOT KNOWN COULD BE OPENED. THOSE ARE SAMPLES. THERE ARE A LOT OF EXAMPLES. I HAVE A PACKET HERE THAT I'LL GIVE TO YOU GUYS THAT HAS SAMPLES FROM FOUR DIFFERENT BOOKS. I KNOW YOU ENCOURAGE US TO READ THE ENTIRE BOOK, BUT READING THE ENTIRE BOOK DOES NOT REMOVE THE PORNOGRAPHY. IT'S FRUSTRATING TO HEAR PEOPLE COME AND SPEAK OPPOSED TO SOME OF THESE BOOKS. LITERALLY, I'LL KEEP READING. DO IT, SHE SAID. AND THIS IS RANDOMLY OFF THIS PAGE. HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD. SARAH J. MOSS. SEVEN COPIES. FEEL INSIDE HER, FINGERS, COCK, IF SHE DIDN'T FEEL HIM INSIDE SHE MIGHT BEGGING. BURIED FACE IN LIST, BITING AND NICKING, HE PUMPED HIS HAND INTO HER AGAIN. BREATHED INTO HER EAR, I'M GOING TO F YOU UNTIL YOU CAN'T REMEMBER YOUR GOD DAMN NAME. I HAVE PLANS FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL ASS. FILTHY, FILTHY PLANS. SHE MOANED AGAIN AS FINGERS STROKED HER OVER AGAIN. COME FOR ME, SWEETHEART. TONGUE FLICKING OVER HIS NIPPLE -- THIS IS NOT OKAY. I DON'T CARE WHAT LIBRARY YOU'RE IN CHARGE OF. THIS IS NOT CONTENT FIT FOR YOUNG PEOPLE. THIS IS IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS, EVEN SOME ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS. IF YOU REMEMBER, ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE IS IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I HAVE HAD EVIDENCE OF THAT. ALL BOYS AREN'T BLUE. ANAL SEX.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. THE NEXT FIVE, PLEASE. NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS. I FIRST WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING I AGREE WITH THOSE PARENTS THAT ARE UP HERE TALKING ABOUT BULLYING OVER AT ARMWOOD. IT'S AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS DEFINITELY NOT ADDRESSING. I'M HERE TO EXPRESS MY HIGH CONTAINERS FOR CHILDREN THAT HAVE BEEN SITTING IN CLASSES AT MIDDLETON HIGH SCHOOL FOR THE PAST 12 WEEKS WITHOUT ANY TEACHERS. YET RECEIVING FAILING GRADES. THESE STUDENTS HAVE BEEN SITTING IN THIS CLASSROOM FOR THE PAST 12 WEEKS RECEIVING WORK SHEETS AND COLORING SHEETS. AS JUNIORS. WE HAVE CHILDREN THAT ARE BEING BUSED INTO MIDDLETON DAILY THAT ARE SITTING IN FRONT OF TEACHERS, BUT THE KIDS FROM OUR COMMUNITY ARE NOT. I'VE ASKED THE PRINCIPAL AND THE APs AND CALLED DOWNTOWN ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS ASKING WHY MY SON IS SITTING IN A CLASSROOM ON 7th PERIOD WITH NO INSTRUCTION, WITH NO TYPE OF HELP, KNOWING THAT HE WOULD NEED READING TO PASS THE FSA NEXT YEAR TO GRADUATE. I AM TIRED OF CALLING. TIRED OF SAYING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. IF WE ARE HERE TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL KIDS, ALL OF OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE HAVING TEACHERS IN FRONT OF THEM. AND IF YOU CAN'T HIRE ANYONE, SOME FROM DOWNTOWN, LEAVE THEIR COMFY OFFICES AND GO BACK DOWN TO THOSE CLASSROOMS WHERE THEY WERE FOR THE FIRST 20 DAYS BEFORE YOU ALL SIGNED OFF ON THOSE FTE DOLLARS. OUR KIDS DESERVE BETTER AND I'M TIRED OF SAYING THE SAME THING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. ALSO, I WANT TO POINT OUT THE FACT THAT AGENCY WAS ABLE TO GO OVER TO WOODSON AND TAKE A CHILD FROM WOODSON AND NO ONE AT THE SCHOOL KNEW WHAT AGENCY OR KNEW HER THE PERSON WAS THAT REMOVED THIS CHILD OFF THE PROPERTY. THAT IS NOT OKAY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU. MY NAME IS KATHY HENRY. I'M HERE THIS EVENING TO ADDRESS MY CONCERNS, CONCERNING THE SCHOOL BOARD ALLOWING US, THE PEOPLE OF THE COMMUNITY, 5139 BRANCH OF THE NAACP TO HAVE SPACE, OFFICE SPACE TO MEET AND CONDUCT MEETINGS THAT WE CAN INFORM THE COMMUNITY WITH BEING ABLE TO COME TOGETHER WITH WAYS TO PARTNER WITH TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT, THE CITY MAYOR, AND WE'RE BEING LIKE BULLIED. I WOULD SAY PERSONALLY EXPERIENCED MYSELF, I'VE BEEN TO THAT OFFICE ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS. I WAS TREATED RUDELY AND VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. AND I WENT THERE TO SEE WHAT I CAN VOLUNTEER TO DO. IT DOESN'T LOOK GOOD WHEN I GO UP THERE MYSELF PERSONALLY AND I SEE AND KNOW THAT OTHER ORGANIZATIONS ARE MEETING AND THERE ARE RUMORS THAT THEY ARE BEING PAID, THE NAACP ARE BEING PAID FOR THESE PEOPLE TO MEET IN THIS BUILDING. IT'S NOT A PRETTY PICTURE HERE. MY PLEA THIS EVENING IS IF WE CAN GET SOME HELP AS AN ORGANIZATION TO FIND OUT WHY WE ARE BEING BULLIED. I CALL IT BULLYING BECAUSE THAT'S MY EXPERIENCE, AND BEING MISTREATED AND NOT ABLE TO COME. I'M HERE THIS EVENING BECAUSE I EXPERIENCE IN PERSON OCTOBER 20 WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN A GENERAL MEETING FOR MEMBERS AND WE TURN OUT IN NUMBERS AND WE WERE VERY RUDELY LOCKED OUT, NOT EVEN BE ADDRESSED AND ASKED TO GO IN ONE OF THE OTHER ROOMS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THIS BRANCH. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> JOE ROBINSON. I'D LIKE TO HAVE THIS SLATE RECEIVED AND FILED IN THE RECORD. THAT'S WHO NEEDS TO BE AT THE NAACP. WE NEED A FORMAL INVESTIGATION. THERE WAS POLICE CALLED. STAFF SECURITY CALLED. I'M SECOND VICE PRESIDENT, LOCKED OUT. THEY WANT ME OUT. TURN FBI -- PUBLIC CORRUPT AND PEOPLE CIVIL RIGHTS WERE VIOLATED. THE NAACP OFFICE NEEDS TO BE SHUT DOWN AND FOLLOW YOUR AGREEMENT THAT I SIGNED, YVETTE LEWIS SIGNED. YOU SIGNED, ADDISON DAVIS, AND THE CHAIR OF THIS BOARD, MS. LYNN GRAY, IN UP WITH IT. NUMBER ONE, WE WAS DISCRIMINATED. WOULD ANY ORGANIZATION DENY ANY PERSON THE OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE ON THE SIZE OF THE CAMPUS. THAT WAS DONE. WE'VE GOT VIDEO TO PROVE IT. BIGGEST VIOLATION GOING ON, OR ALLOW ANY OTHER ORGANIZATION OR PERSON TO USE ANY PORTION OF THE SITE, CAPITAL S, DURING THE TERM OF THE AGREEMENT. THAT'S HAPPENING. FLORIDA RESTORATION. THE DIVINE NINE AND ANYBODY ELSE, INCLUDING YOU CANNOT GO OUT THERE, MR. PORTER. YOU GUYS CAN'T GO OUT THERE BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT MEMBERS OF THE NAACP, UNLESS YOU ARE. SHUT IT DOWN. WE WANT AN INVESTIGATION. A FORENSIC ANALYSIS OF THE NAACP, FINANCIAL MONEY AND ALL THE STUFF YOU'RE DOING BECAUSE THEY WON'T DO AN AUDIT. I'M SICK OF IT, AND THEY WANT TO THROW ME OUT. BUT ON THE WAY OUT, I DON'T WANT TO PUSH THE PREDATOR ON HERE, MR. PORTER. PORTER KNOWS ABOUT IT, ADDISON KNOWS ABOUT IT. SHAKE, YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. YVETTE LEWIS IS OUT OF CONTROL. THEY ARE CONSPIRING TO DEPRIVE OUR CIVIL RIGHTS AND NOT LETTING A PUBLIC BUILDING BE UTILIZED ACCORDING TO THE CONTRACT. THEY DONE VIOLATE IT. THEY KNOW IT. THERE IS NO PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY BECAUSE SHE SIGNED IT. I SIGNED IT. I'M HERE TO BE ON THE RECORD TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT BEFORE I BRING ANOTHER ORGANIZATION TO REALLY INVESTIGATE CORRUPTION IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WITH THE LOCAL BRANCH OF THE NAACP.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. RON VETTERLO. I WANTED TO COME UP HERE TO PUBLICLY CONGRATULATE MY WIFE WHO GOT TEACHER OF THE YEAR AT HER SCHOOL. AND TODAY, I GOT A TEXT MESSAGE SAYING I NEED A NEW SHIRT. MINE IS BLOODY AND COVERED IN VOMIT. SHE HAS A CLASSROOM WITH TEN CHILDREN THAT HAVE SPECIAL NEEDS AND ACROSS THE BOARD THERE'S ABOUT -- WHY, I COULDN'T TELL YOU, IT'S SO MANY, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STUDENTS THERE THAT ARE BEING UNDERSERVED BECAUSE OF THE CLASSROOM SIZES AND BECAUSE OF THE LACK OF QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN THE DISTRICT BECAUSE OF THE UNDERFUNDING FOR THE TEACHER SALARIES BECAUSE FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER, THE STEPS WERE NOT HONORED OR COULD NOT BE HONORED, BUT REGARDLESS, YOU ALL HAVE A CHOICE AND I WOULD SAY RESPONSIBILITY BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, IT'S UP TO CHOICE, A YES OR NO VOTE, AND EACH ONE OF YOU COULD MAKE THIS HAPPEN, AND WE'RE HEARING ALL OF THESE ISSUES WITH THE BULLYING. KIDS ARE BEING BULLIED. KIDS ARE BEING NEGLECTED. IT'S BECAUSE THERE ARE NO TEACHERS TO FILL THESE VACANCIES. AND I COULD MAKE A PRETTY WELL EDUCATED GUESS THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THE SALARIES THEY WERE TOLD THEY WERE GOING TO GET IS NOT BEING HONORED. I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT EVERY NIGHT IT IS ON OUR ENTIRE FAMILY. THE STRESS. IT IS VERY PALATABLE ON ME, MY TWO DAUGHTERS, MY WIFE. IT COMES HOME. AS SOMEBODY SAID, THOSE HOURS THAT MY WIFE IS DOING IEPs NIGHT AFTER NIGHT OR INSERTS, WHATEVER SHE'S DOING FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS, THOSE AREN'T COVERED. SHE'S, LIKE THEY SAID, HER SALARY GETS DOCKED, BUT IT'S NOT GETTING COMPENSATED ON THE OTHER END. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M KIMBERLY ENRIQUEZ. I'M A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER. I WANT TO WISH YOU ALL HAPPY ALL SAINTS DAY. I CAME EARLY TO SPEAK BECAUSE IT IS A HOLY DAY OF OBLIGATION. I WILL BE GOING TO 7 P.M. MASS IN DUNEDIN, WHICH IS WHERE I LIVE. I TRAVELED QUITE A DISTANCE TO BE HERE. LAST TIME I TOLD YOU ABOUT MY MORNING IN THE KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOM. I THOUGHT I'D SHARE ABOUT THE AFTERNOON. ALSO, I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THERE IS ACADEMICS THAT GO ON. IT JUST ISN'T RECESS AND LUNCH. ONE OF MY PARENTS ACTUALLY TOLD ME YESTERDAY ON THE PHONE, SHE SAID, I AM SO HAPPY, MY SON, WE'RE IN THE CAR, HE'S SEEING LETTERS AND KNOWS THE NAME OF THE LETTER AND THE SOUND OF THE LETTER. I'M LIKE, YES, JOB WELL DONE, ENRIQUEZ. YOU'RE DOING IT. LIKE TODAY, THIS AFTERNOON, WE HAVE THIS NEW SYSTEM WHERE OUR PRINCIPALS GET TO POP IN ON US. I'M FINE WITH IT. IT'S OKAY. I'M ME, I'M GOING TO DO ME. YOU'RE GOING TO SEE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT THEY WERE IN THERE LIKE RIGHT AS I WAS COMING IN THE DOOR FROM LUNCH, WHICH WAS A LITTLE HAIRY, BUT WE MADE IT THROUGH. I WAS VERY NERVOUS BECAUSE I KNEW THAT, OH, MY GOD, I NEED TO BE TEACHING MATH RIGHT NOW AND I'M NOT TEACHING MATH AND I'LL GET IN TROUBLE, A HHH, ALL THE ANXIETY THAT COMES WITH IT. THEN I FOUND OUT WE WERE DOWN A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER TODAY. HER SON IS SICK, AND NOW WE JUST FOUND OUT SHE'S SICK SO SHE WON'T BE HERE. LONG STORY SHORT, WE HAD TO DIVIDE HER CLASS. WE HAVE ONE AIDE FOR SEVEN TEACHERS. IT WAS A CRAZY DAY AND AFTERNOON AND THE TOILET GOT BACKED UP BECAUSE A CHILD DOESN'T KNOW HOW TO WIPE HIMSELF YET. I HAD TO PUT MY GLOVES ON AND CLEAN THAT UP IN THE MIDDLE OF A LESSON. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? TWO STEPS. I THINK THAT'S PRETTY GOOD DEAL. I DON'T KNOW. I'M WORKING 12-HOUR DAYS. YOU'RE PAYING ME FOR 8.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. HAPPY INDIGENOUS PEOPLE MONTH. I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MY NAME IS SHANNON DURANT. I WORK WITH TITLE 6. I WORK WITH FLORIDA ADDITION ALLIANCE. I'M HERE ON A HAPPY MOMENT. I WON'T SPEAK ANYTHING NEGATIVE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT I COME UP HERE AND SPEAK VERY NEGATIVE AT TIMES. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY HAPPY THINGS. I WON'T EVEN SPEND MY WHOLE TWO MINUTES. I PROMISED JESSICA AND MONICA FRIED BREAD AND WAN JOBBIE. I BROUGHT YOU FRIED BREAD AND WAN JOBBIE. THERE ARE 40 PIECES, SO PLEASE SHARE. I DO HAVE ONE COMMENT. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MS. HAHN FOR SHOWING UP TODAY AT A NATIVE AMERICAN EVENT. SO THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I THINK WE HAVE TWO MORE SPEAKERS. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HI. KELLY CHAMPION. GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. I SPOKE TO THE BOARD ABOUT THE VERY ISSUE IN SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER 4, ADULT MALE PARENT ENTERED OUR GYM FROM THE STUDENT PARKING LOT DOORS. THE DOORS FREQUENTLY DO NOT SHUT. WE PUT MRs IN. THEY COME FIX THEM A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER. TO NO AVAIL, STUDENTS LOVE TO PROP THINGS IN THE DOORS TO KEEP THEM OPEN. THE MALE HAPPENED TO BE A PARENT LOOKING FOR A STUDENT. WE ASKED HIM TO EXIT THE GYM AND GO TO THE MAIN OFFICE. HE COMPLIED AND WAS VERY NICE ABOUT IT. THIS MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE WITH EVERY PERSON THAT ENTERS THE GYM. ON OCTOBER 28, WALKING BACK FROM AN ACTIVITY OUT ON THE FIELD I SAW A YOUNG MALE MOST LIKELY A STUDENT, I'M NOT SURE, HE WAS ATTEMPTING TO ENTER THE GYM DOORS AS WELL. I ASKED HIM TO PLEASE GO AROUND. THIS IS A CLASSROOM. THIS IS NOT THE ENTRANCE OF SCHOOL. HE SUDDENLY JUST RAN UP TO THE ORCHESTRA DOORS, WHICH ARE RIGHT NEXT TO THE GYM DOORS AND PULLED THOSE OPEN, WALKED RIGHT IN. THE DOORS WERE NOT SECURE. AGAIN, DID ANOTHER MR. THE DOORS WERE FIXED TODAY, FROM WHAT MY CUSTODIAN TOLD ME. IT'S A SAFETY ASPECT. WE HAVE BEGGED THE DISTRICT FOR YEARS TO HAVE ONE FENCE FROM THAT ORCHESTRA DOOR DOWN TO THE DRIVER'S ED ROOM. GAITHER'S LAYOUT, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. OUR ADA DID EXPRESS SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY CAME TO LOOK AT SUCH ISSUES. SHE'S I'M NOT PROMISING YOU ANYTHING. I'VE BEEN AT THE SITE FOR EIGHT YEARS. BEEN ASKING FOR SIX YEARS FOR ONE FENCE. I UNDERSTAND THAT FENCES ARE NOT PROTECTORS OF EVERYTHING BUT DO DETER PEOPLE FROM COMING IN THE WAY THEY ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO. THERE ARE 15 EXTERIOR DOORS THAT LEAD TO MY CLASSROOM. THAT'S INCLUDING THE ORCHESTRA DOORS. 15. PONDER THAT. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE NEXT PARKLAND, COLUMBINE OR ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI. WE HAVE TO FIGHT THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY OF PEOPLE BANGING ON OUR DOORS ENTERING THE CLASSROOM. MY STUDENTS KNOW DO NOT OPEN THE DOORS. OTHER STUDENTS IN OTHER CLASSES, THEY'LL POP THEM RIGHT OPEN. LASTLY IN THE DRIVER'S ED ROOM, THERE IS A HOLE ABOUT THE SIZE OF THIS DESK RIGHT HERE. IT WAS JUST PLYWOOD PUT OVER IT, HAMMERED DOWN, STARTING TO CRACK AROUND. HOPEFULLY NOBODY FALLS THROUGH.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'LL NOW MOVE ON TO OUR RECOGNITION AND PROCLAMATION. A 01, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION, NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK NOVEMBER 7 TO NOVEMBER 11:2022. MEMBER HAHN WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANT WORK SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS AND OTHER EDUCATORS DO TO PREPARE STUDENTS FOR LIFE. THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS DECLARED THIS YEAR'S THEME AS TOGETHER WE SHINE, WHICH EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF RECONNECTING WITH OTHERS AND REESTABLISHING A SENSE OF BEING VALUED PARTS OF A GREATER WHOLE. DESPITE DIFFICULTIES CREATED BY THE PANDEMIC, SOCIAL INJUSTICE, INEQUITY, ECONOMIC STRESS AND THE IMPACT ON MENTAL AND PHYSICAL HEALTH, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS ENDEAVOR TO HELP STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES THRIVE. SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS PROVIDE DIRECT SUPPORT AND INTERVENTIONS TO STUDENTS, CONSULT WITH EDUCATORS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, AND COLLABORATE WITH COMMUNITY PROVIDERS TO COORDINATE NEEDED SERVICES. THEY HELP SCHOOLS SUCCESSFULLY IMPROVE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, PROMOTE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND MENTAL HEALTH AND CREATE SAFE, POSITIVE, SCHOOL CLIMATES. OUR SCHOOLS WILL RECOGNIZE SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS ON SCHOOL MARQUEES, MORNING SHOWS, AND SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS, POSTERS AND WALL ART. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO OUR SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE NATIONAL SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGY WEEK NOVEMBER 7 THROUGH NOVEMBER 11, 2022. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER PEREZ AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER HAHN. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. A 03, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION, AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK, NOVEMBER 14-18, 2022, AND NATIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS DAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022. MEMBER SNIVELY WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE BACKBONE OF OUR NATION PROVIDING YOUNG PEOPLE WITH TOOLS THEY NEED TO MAINTAIN OUR VALUES OF FREEDOM, CIVILITY, AND EQUALITY. PUBLIC EDUCATION EMPLOYEES WORK TIRELESSLY TO SERVE OUR CHILDREN AND COMMUNITIES WITH CARE AND PROFESSIONALISM, WHETHER THEY ARE TEACHERS, COUNSELORS, CUSTODIANS, BUS DRIVERS, CLERICAL OR FOOD SERVICE PROFESSIONALS. PUBLIC SCHOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES BRINGING EVERYONE TOGETHER IN A COMMON ENTERPRISE. AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADVOCATE FOR LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL POLICIES THAT GUARANTEE AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL STUDENTS TO SUCCEED, SHARE WITH OUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS ABOUT CHALLENGES FACING OUR STUDENTS, EDUCATORS, AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS, AND WORK TOGETHER TO FIND SOLUTIONS FOR THESE CHALLENGES. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE AMERICAN EDUCATION WEEK NOVEMBER 14-18, 2022, AND NATIONAL EDUCATION SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS DAY, NOVEMBER 16, 2022. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER SNIVELY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER GRAY, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK?
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY. FOR READING A VERY CRITICAL PROCLAMATION. PUBLIC SCHOOLS IS THE LIVELIHOOD AND LIFEHOOD OF OUR CHILDREN. YOUNG ADULT STUDENTS, AND I JUST THINK MATCHING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS NOTORIETY AND IMPORTANCE IS ALSO OUR TEACHERS, WHICH MAKE THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS FUNCTION AS THEY DO AND RECOGNIZING THEM AS WELL. THANKING THEM AS WELL AT THIS POINT IN TIME. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MADAM CHAIR.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. A 04, RECOGNITION FOR THE FAMILY OF HEROES IN EDUCATION. MEMBER SNIVELY WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS RECOGNITION.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE ANN MARIE COURTNEY, THE SUPERVISOR OF PARTNERSHIP, ENGAGEMENT, AND PHILANTHROPY FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT WHO WILL PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD MEMBERS, MR. DAVIS. TODAY WE RECOGNIZE SOME OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO HAVE SHOWN MEANINGFUL ACTS OF KINDNESS TO OTHERS IN THEIR DAILY WORK ENVIRONMENTS. SCOTT ADAMS ONCE SAID, "REMEMBER, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A SMALL ACT OF KINDNESS. EACH ACT CREATES A RIPPLE WITH NO LOGICAL END." IN EACH OF THE VIDEO SUBMISSIONS, THE PERSON MAKING THE NOMINATIONS STATED WHY THEIR COLLEAGUE SHOULD BE RECOGNIZED AS A HERO IN EDUCATION. LET'S WATCH A MONTAGE OF THE SUBMITTED WINNING VIDEOS. ∫
>> I LOVE WHEN I FIND PEOPLE WHO TRY TO MULTIPLY THEIR IMPACT OUTSIDE OF JUST THEIR REGULAR JOB. AND I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGIST.
>> I AM.
>> AND YOU WORK VERY HARD WITH YOUR CASELOAD OF YOUR STUDENTS BUT YOU DO SO MUCH MORE THAN THAT IN OUR SCHOOL. THE GEMS PROGRAM IS SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL.
>> THEY HAVE JUST BEEN SO INCREDIBLE. ABSOLUTELY LOVING. THEY MADE ME FEEL SO COMFORTABLE EVERY SINGLE DAY COMING TO WORK AND NO QUESTION FELT UNIMPORTANT OR NOT VALUED.
>> THEIR EXCITEMENT FOR THEIR JOB EVERY SINGLE DAY, THE WAY THEY MAKE PEOPLE FEEL, THE WAY THEY MAKE FAMILIES FEEL IS SOMETHING THAT JUST SETS A TONE FOR OUR ENTIRE BUILDING.
>> STAFF MEMBER WHO IS ALWAYS SO KIND AND WILLING TO HELP JUST ABOUT ANYONE IS OUR MEDIA SPECIALIST, MS. CHRISTIE MAYFIELD. SHE DOES SO MANY INNOVATIVE PROJECTS FOR NOT ONLY OUR KIDS, BUT OUR STAFF AS WELL, INCLUDING EVEN JUST HAVING FUN BAKED GOODS SHE LIKES TO MAKE FOR MEETINGS TO MAKE THINGS MORE INTERESTING.
>> I'M NOMINATING ILEANA ZONER FROM BUCKHORN ELEMENTARY TO BE MY HERO IN EDUCATION FOR HER KINDNESS AND DIVERSITY. SHE IS ALWAYS KIND TO MY SPECIAL NEEDS DAUGHTER JESSICA, ALTHOUGH JESSICA MAY NOT ALWAYS BE KIND TO HER. MS. ILLIANA IS WONDERFUL DESPITE THE ADVERSITY SHE MAY FACE EVERY DAY.
>> SHE'S THE LITERAL DEFINITION OF KINDNESS AT HEART. SHE BENDS OVER BACKWARDS FOR OUR FACULTY, OUR STAFF, OUR PARENTS, AND OUR STUDENTS. SHE HAS HELPED SET UP OUR FOOD PANTRY WHICH SERVES OVER 40 FAMILIES EACH WEEK. SHE IS THE BACKBONE OF THE SCHOOL. SHE IS WHO EVERYBODY LOOKS FOR A SMILE, HIGH-FIVE OR HUG. AND SHE BRINGS SO MUCH JOY TO OUR SCHOOL IN EV EVERY WAY.
>> AMAZING VIDEOS. WE'D LIKE TO THANK ADRIA FROM OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT FOR COMPILING THESE VIDEOS FOR US. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE WARD COX, ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION FOR THE FAMILY.
>> IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE ALL OF YOU THIS AFTERNOON. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL DID TO HELP OUR HEROES IN EDUCATION PROGRAM TAKE OFF IN ITS FIRST YEAR. I THINK THAT THE BEST IS YET TO COME AND I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT WORKING WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS. WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT SINCE 2012. I WOULD LIKE TO EXTEND A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOTH ANN MARIE COURTNEY AND ALSO TO RAY PAGEANT. THEIR SUPPORT HAS BEEN CRITICAL IN OUR PARTNERSHIP AND ITS EFFECTIVENESS AND HOW IT'S GROWN. THEIR SUGGESTIONS MEANT THE WORLD TO US. IT IS A DISTINCT PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU IN RECOGNIZING THE CARING SPIRIT THAT IS PLAIN TO SEE THROUGHOUT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE AT FOR THE FAMILY ARE GRATEFUL TO THE BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT FOR THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT. NOW WE CAN BE LOUD AND PROUD IN HONORING THE HEROES IN EDUCATION WHO HAVE BEEN NOMINATED BY THEIR PEERS IN SMARTPHONE VIDEOS THAT GIVE KINDNESS THE VISIBILITY IT DESERVES. THEIR EXAMPLES UNDERSCORE HOW THE ART OF CARING ABOUT OTHERS IS ALIVE AND WELL IN OUR COMMUNITY. IT'S MY HONOR TO INTRODUCE YOU TO THESE EXTRAORDINARY HEROES IN EDUCATION WHO ARE KINDNESS AMBASSADORS AT THEIR SCHOOLS AND WHEREVER THEY GO. PLEASE SAVE YOUR APPLAUSE UNTIL EACH HONOREE HAS BEEN INTRODUCED. FROM MILES ELEMENTARY, IT IS MY PLEASURE TO INTRODUCE SPEECH AND LANGUAGE SPECIALIST MEGAN KEARNEY. OUR NEXT HONOREES ARE THE OFFICE STAFF AT BOYETTE SPRINGS GIFTED CENTER. WENDY TAYLOR, LORI BOTTS AND JUNE HALL. OUR NEXT HONOREE IS CHRISTINA MAYFIELD, MEDIA SPECIALIST AT LINCOLN ELEMENTARY MAGNET. FROM BUCKHORN ELEMENTARY, ESE PARAPROFESSIONAL ILLIANA ZOELLNER. AND OUR FINAL HONOREE FOR 2002, FAITH SMITH, PARENT LIAISON AT TEMPLE TERRACE ELEMENTARY. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> CONGRATULATIONS!
>> IN FACT, EACH HERO IN EDUCATION NOMINEE IS A HERO TO US, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OF THEIR POSITIVE EXAMPLE, BUT BECAUSE OF WHO THEY ARE. WE ARE ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO THE HEROES WHO WILL BE NOMINATED IN NEXT YEAR'S OBSERVANCE. EVERY VIDEO NOMINATION IS ALSO BEING CONSIDERED FOR A FAMILY FLAME AWARD AT THE 7th ANNUAL NATIONAL FAM AWARDS ON NOVEMBER 18 AT THE CHILDREN'S BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THAT IS THE FRIDAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING. CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF OUR HEROES IN EDUCATION AND THANK YOU AGAIN. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I THINK A FEW OF THE MEMBERS WANTED TO MAKE SOME COMMENTS. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: MR. COX, WARD COX, AND JUST HAVE TO SAY BIG THANK YOU BECAUSE I KNOW YOU STARTED THIS SINCE I GOT -- WAS, WELL, ON THE BOARD, 2016, AND LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE. YOU'VE MANIFESTED AX OF KINDNESS AMONG STUDENTS, AMONG STAFF, AMONG OUR LEADERS, AND IT RESONATES THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITIES. I THINK THAT THE VERY BASIS OF EVERY ONE OF OUR THOUGHTS SHOULD RELY ON KINDNESS. BE GOOD TO OTHERS AND TO BE KIND. AND YOU HAVE EXEMPLIFIED THAT WITH YOUR OWN SELF BUT ALSO WITH ALL THE LINEAGE THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU AND ON YOUR SIDE AND ANN MARIE COURTNEY, THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU'RE A WONDERFUL MAN. AND THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU'VE DONE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I ALSO WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO MR. COX FOR HIS PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU ANN MARIE COURTNEY AND YOUR TEAM FOR WORKING TOGETHER TO PROMOTE KINDNESS IN OUR SCHOOLS. I THINK THIS IS A WONDERFUL PROGRAM, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD -- WELL, YOU ALL CAN LOOK FORWARD TO. I'LL BE WATCHING IT FROM HOME, MAYBE, IN THE FUTURE. BUT I THINK IT'S A WONDERFUL PROGRAM AND I HOPE TO SEE IT CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT, AND I WILL SAY, BECAUSE I HAD A CHILD THAT ATTENDED BOYETTE SPRINGS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THEY ARE A WONDERFUL FRONT OFFICE TEAM, AND I HOPE TO VISIT THEM ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I LEAVE OFFICE AND MAYBE BRING THEM A TREAT FOR BEING SUCH A WONDERFUL OFFICE TEAM. SO THEY ALWAYS WELCOMED ME WITH A SMILE. ANYBODY WHO CAME IN THE OFFICE THE ENTIRE TIME MY SON ATTENDED SCHOOL THERE. AND IT WAS JUST A WONDERFUL WAY TO GET WELCOMED. SO I CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THEY ARE SO DESERVING OF THIS RECOGNITION. THE WHOLE GROUP IS AMAZING. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT. THERE'S NO QUESTION, ESPECIALLY THE WORLD WE LIVE IN TODAY, RECOGNIZING PEOPLE WHO DO WONDERFUL THINGS. THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE WE COULD RECOGNIZE, BUT I'M GLAD TO SEE THAT PROGRAM. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. A 05, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION FOR NATIVE AMERICAN ALASKAN NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH, NOVEMBER 2022. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Jessica Vaughn: WHAT STARTED AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AS A DAY OF RECOGNITION FOR THE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS THE FIRST AMERICANS MADE TO THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF THE UNITED STATES HAS RESULTED IN A WHOLE MONTH BEING DESIGNATED FOR THAT PURPOSE. IN 1990, PRESIDENT GEORGE H.W. BUSH APPROVED A JOINT RESOLUTION DESIGNATING NOVEMBER 1990, NATIONAL AMERICAN INDIAN HERITAGE MONTH. DURING THIS MONTH, THE SCHOOL BOARD ENCOURAGES ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF TO THOUGHTFULLY PLAN CULTURALLY SENSITIVE SCHOOLWIDE ACTIVITIES AND LESSONS FOR STUDENTS THAT FURTHER EXPLORE THE HISTORY AND CULTURE OF NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE PEOPLE AND TO CELEBRATE THE CONSIDERABLE ROLE THE FIRST AMERICANS PLAYED IN THE ESTABLISHMENT AND GROWTH OF OUR NATION. THE SCHOOL BOARD ACKNOWLEDGES THE IMPORTANCE OF HONORING THESE CONTRIBUTIONS, ACHIEVEMENTS, AND THE CULTURAL AND HISTORICAL LEGACY OF THE NATIVE AMERICAN AND ALASKAN NATIVE PEOPLE. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE NATIVE AMERICAN ALASKA NATIVE HERITAGE MONTH NOVEMBER 2022. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER PEREZ AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M JUST REALLY HONORED TO BE ABLE TO READ THIS PROCLAMATION. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AT A TIME RIGHT NOW WHERE THERE IS MISINFORMATION ABOUT NATIVE AMERICAN PEOPLE AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY WERE THE FIRST PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY. I WANT TO THANK SHANNON. THANK YOU FOR THE FRIED BREAD OUT THERE. THE LAST MEETING I WANTED TO THANK TITLE SIX AND MADE A MISTAKE AND SAID TITLE FIVE. BUT THANK YOU TITLE SIX FOR ALL YOUR ADVOCACY TO MAKE SURE THAT NATIVE AMERICAN STUDENTS ARE TREATED KINDLY AND RESPECTFULLY IN ALL THAT YOU DO TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE AT THE FOREFRONT OF EDUCATION. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR FINAL RESOLUTION IS IN HONOR OF MEMBER SNIVELY THIS EVENING. WE WILL NOW RECOGNIZE THE SERVICE OF OUTGOING MEMBER MELISSA SNIVELY AND READ A RESOLUTION IN HER HONOR. MEMBER SNIVELY, I HAVE THE HONOR TO DO THAT. WHEREAS, MRS. MELISSA SNIVELY HAS SERVED EIGHT YEARS AS A MEMBER OF THE SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BEING ELECTED IN 2014 AND REELECTED IN 2018 AS A REPRESENTATIVE FROM DISTRICT 4, SHE'S ALSO SERVED AS CHAIR AND VICE-CHAIR. AND WHEREAS, MRS. MELISSA SNIVELY HAS BEEN A PASSIONATE ADVOCATE FOR DISTRICT FOUR. SHE'S NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM BEING AN UNAPOLOGETIC VOICE OF HER CONSTITUENTS. AND WHEREAS MELISSA SNIVELY HAS HELPED LEAD OUR DISTRICT AND OUR COMMUNITY THROUGH ONE OF THE TOUGHEST TIMES IN HISTORY, THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC. SHE ADVOCATED FOR CONSTITUENTS THROUGH SOME OF THE MOST CONTENTIOUS DECISIONS OUR BOARD HAS HAD TO MAKE ALWAYS WITH PARENTAL CHOICE AT THE FOREFRONT. AND WHEREAS MELISSA SNIVELY HELPED GUIDE THE DISTRICT'S FIRST STRATEGIC PLAN TOWARD RAISING GRADUATION RATES. SHE WAS AN INTEGRAL PART IN SEEING THE GRADUATION RATE JUMP FROM 73.5 IN 2014 TO 89.2 IN 2021. AND WHEREAS OVER HER EIGHT YEARS ON THE BOARD, MRS. SNIVELY HAS SEEN RECORD GROWTH IN HER PART OF THE DISTRICT. SHE'S BEEN A TIRELESS CHAMPION FOR OUR SCHOOLS AND FAMILIES BY ADVOCATING FOR NECESSARY BOUNDARY CHANGES TO ALLEVIATE OVERCROWDED SCHOOLS. AND WHEREAS, MRS. SNIVELY HAS ALWAYS BEEN A STRONG PROMOTER OF SAFER ROADWAYS AND LOBBIED EXTENSIVELY FOR SAFER TRANSPORTATION FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND WHEREAS, MRS. SNIVELY HAS BEEN AN ACTIVELY MEMBER OF THE TAMPA BAY COMMUNITY SERVING ON NUMEROUS BOARDS AND COMMITTEES, INCLUDING THE PTSA, AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY, THE JUNIOR LEAGUE, BOY SCOUTS OF AMERICA, THE BRANDON COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE AND TAMPA THEATRE; AND WHEREAS, MRS. SNIVELY HAS USED HER LEADERSHIP SKILLS AND EXPERIENCES AND A SUCCESSFUL SMALL BUSINESS OWNER TO WORK HARMONIOUSLY WITH OTHER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND DISTRICT LEADERS TO PROMOTE A SAFE AND THRIVING DISTRICT COMMUNITY. AND WHEREAS MRS. SNIVELY IS ABOVE ANYTHING ELSE A WIFE AND MOM. HER FOUR CHILDREN ALL ATTEND HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MRS. SNIVELY ALWAYS USED HER EXPERIENCES AS A MOM TO HELP GUIDE HER THROUGH THE TOUGHEST DISTRICT DECISIONS. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, DEEMS IT FITTING AND PROPER TO PUBLICLY RECOGNIZE THE DISTINGUISHED CONTRIBUTIONS OF MELISSA SNIVELY. AND TO EXPRESS GREAT APPRECIATION TO MRS. SNIVELY FOR HER EFFORTS AND WORK AT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BOARD MEMBER FROM 2014 TO 2022. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THAT A COPY OF THIS RESOLUTION CERTIFIED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND IMMEDIATELY PRESENTED TO MRS. SNIVELY, ADOPTED THIS FIRST DAY OF NOVEMBER, 2022. MEMBER SNIVELY, WE HAVE THIS FOR YOU. WE HAVE A BEAUTIFUL STUDENT WORK. AND THIS IS -- ALL OF THIS IS FROM -- AND THEN FROM THE BOARD WE HAVE FLOWERS. WE HAVE A GREAT JAR. YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE PRESENTS AND GIFTS AND CARDS. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: MEMBER SNIVELY, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS AND BOARD MEMBERS AND SUPERINTENDENT AND MR. PORTER AND DISTRICT STAFF. IT HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE EIGHT YEARS SERVING THIS COMMUNITY. I'VE BEEN VERY HONORED TO SERVE DISTRICT 4 IN THE CAPACITY OF A BOARD MEMBER THROUGH MANY UPS AND DOWNS AND CHALLENGES. I THINK THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING TIMES TO EVER SERVE ON ANY SCHOOL BOARD ACROSS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH. I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM SO MANY PEOPLE. I HAVE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO WORK WITH PEOPLE. I NEVER DREAMED I'D GET TO WORK WITH. MOST IMPORTANTLY, I'VE GOTTEN A CHANCE TO SERVE STUDENTS ACROSS THE DISTRICT WHO I ABSOLUTELY LOVE. AND ANYBODY KNOWS THIS THAT WHEN SOME DAYS ARE HARDER THAN OTHERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SOMETIMES THINK YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION BECAUSE YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO MAIM 50% OF THE POPULATION HAPPY AND THE OTHER 50% ANGRY, ANYTIME I FELT DISCOURAGED OR DOUBT, I WOULD VISIT A CLASSROOM AND IMMEDIATELY REMEMBER, THIS IS WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO BECAUSE THE STUDENTS ALWAYS LIFT EVERYBODY UP. THEY ALWAYS LIFT UP THE ADULTS, AND THEY REMEMBER, HELP US REMEMBER THAT IT'S NOT ABOUT THE GROWN-UPS. IT'S ABOUT THE CHILDREN. I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK MY FAMILY, MY HUSBAND WHO IS HERE, DAVID, WHO HAS HAD TO PUT UP WITH MY PHONE CALLS ON THE WAY BACK FROM BOARD MEETINGS FOR THE LAST EIGHT YEARS BECAUSE HE'S USUALLY THE FIRST PERSON I CALL WHEN I GET IN THE CAR TO DOWNLOAD. [ LAUGHTER ] SO I WANT TO THANK YOU, DAVID, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART. YOU'RE MY ROCK. YOU'RE MY SUPPORT. YOU'RE THE ONE WHO BELIEVES IN ME SOMETIMES WHEN I DON'T EVEN BELIEVE IN MYSELF AND I APPRECIATE THAT. AND I WANT TO THANK MY CHILDREN WHO HAVE HAD TO PUT UP WITH A LOT AS WELL OF ME NOT BEING NECESSARILY AROUND AS MUCH AS I'D LIKE TO BE, BUT THEY HAVE HAD AN AMAZING EDUCATION AND TWO HAVE GRADUATED FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND TWO ARE STILL IN SCHOOL AND WILL BE GRADUATING IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS FROM NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THAT. I'M MOST EXCITED ABOUT BEING A BAND PARENT, ACTUALLY, BECAUSE MOO -- OUR YOUNGEST SON PLAYS ALTO SAXOPHONE AND HE JOINED THE MARCHING BAND. WE'VE BEEN MANY BAND COMPETITIONS AND PERFORMANCES AND FOOTBALL GAMES. SO IT'S BEEN REALLY FUN AND I LOOK FORWARD TO DOING MORE OF THAT AND MORE SPENDING TIME WITH FAMILY AND MORE SPENDING TIME AT MY OFFICE. THAT'S THE OTHER GROUP I'D LIKE TO THANK. THEY ARE PROBABLY NOT WATCHING, BUT -- [ LAUGHTER ] -- BUT MY OFFICE TEAM IS AMAZING AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO HAVE A SMALL BUSINESS AND OWN A SMALL BUSINESS IN OUR COMMUNITY WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MY EMPLOYEES AND KEEPING MY CUSTOMERS HAPPY THROUGH THEIR AMAZING SUPPORT BEING ABLE TO BE HERE WHEN -- I CAN FEEL REALLY CONFIDENT THAT THEY ARE TAKING CARE OF MY CUSTOMERS WHEN I'M NOT THERE. MR. SUPERINTENDENT, THANK YOU. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU. THE FLOWERS. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU, ALBEIT A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME. I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH THREE SUPERINTENDENTS IN MY TENURE, AND ALL THREE VERY DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES. RIGHT, MR. PORTER? IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE. I WAS VERY HONORED TO BE ON THE BOARD THAT SELECTED YOU FOR THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT. I BELIEVE IN MY HEART AND IN MY MIND THAT YOU ARE THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THIS DISTRICT AT THE TIME THAT WE HIRED YOU AND THAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT MOVING FORWARD. SO I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE SUCCESSES IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND, MR. PORTER, IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE WORKING WITH YOU AS WELL OVER THESE LAST. YOU'VE TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. [ LAUGHTER ] PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE AND BOBBY'S RULES OF ORDER. IT'S WHAT WE'LL CALL THAT. BUT THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE TO SUPPORT NOT JUST ME, BUT EVERY BOARD MEMBER. AND I KNOW EVERY BOARD MEMBER APPRECIATES THAT. AND THANK YOU, ESPECIALLY, SUPER, SUPER, SUPER GRATEFUL TO THE SECRETARIES IN THE SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE, SPECIFICALLY LORI POWELL. LORI, WHO USED TO BE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S SECRETARY AND TRANSITIONED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD OFFICE AS THE SCHOOL BOARD SECRETARY KIND OF LEADING THAT TEAM UPSTAIRS, AND THEY ARE AN AMAZING GROUP OF PEOPLE WHO HELP US STAY ORGANIZED AND GET WHERE WE NEED TO BE AND KNOW WHAT WE NEED TO KNOW. AND THEY ARE VERY, VERY SUPPORTIVE OF EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF LORI AND THE TEAM UPSTAIRS. SO WITH THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S BEEN AN HONOR WORKING WITH EVERYONE. IT'S BEEN A PLEASURE MOSTLY. [ LAUGHTER ] I LOOK FORWARD TO SPENDING MORE QUALITY TIME WITH MY FAMILY AND MY BUSINESS. BUT I HOPE THAT I GET TO KEEP IN TOUCH WITH MANY PEOPLE HERE IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE I WILL MISS EVERYBODY THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH. EVERYONE THAT I'VE BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I KNOW ALL THE BOARD MEMBERS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME COMMENTS. MEMBER PEREZ, I'LL START WITH YOU.
>>Karen Perez: MEMBER SNIVELY, SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD THE AMAZING HONOR, WHEN I FIRST RAN, I RAN WITH YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR YOUR REELECTION AND MY FIRST ELECTION. I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALLY SEE IS THE WORK THAT WE DO BEYOND THIS DAIS. WHEN WE GO UP TO TALLAHASSEE, WHEN WE REALLY TAKE THE LEAD IN FIGHTING FOR OUR CHILDREN, FIGHTING FOR THE DISTRICT, SPEAKING TO THE UPPER LEADERSHIP AND THE NEEDS FOR THIS DISTRICT. I'VE LEARNED A LOT FROM YOU. I DON'T KNOW IF A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT AS YOU SAT ON THE BOARD FOR THE FLORIDA SCHOOL BOARD ASSOCIATION, AND I WILL BE FILLING YOUR SHOES BEHIND THAT. WATCHING YOU TAKE THE CHARGE ON THAT I LEARNED A LOT. SO I HOPE TO DO THE SAME GREAT WORK THAT YOU DID. AND FILL THOSE SHOES AND HELP THIS DISTRICT THE WAY YOU HAVE. THANK YOU FOR THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU TAUGHT ME AND THE EDUCATION YOU GAVE ME BECAUSE TOGETHER I THINK ALL OF US HAVE OUR IDEAS THAT WE BRING TO THIS TABLE, BUT WORKING TOGETHER IT MOVES THE DISTRICT ALONG. SO THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING. IT'S BEEN AN AWESOME PLEASURE FOR ME TO WORK WITH YOU. AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST IN YOUR NEW CHAPTER.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER HAHN.
>>Melissa Snively: THIS IS NOT A ROAST, DR. HAHN. I JUST WANT TO REMIND YOU.
>>Stacy Hahn: THIS IS GOING TO BE A TOUGH ONE FOR ME FOR SURE. WE'VE BEEN FRIENDS BEFORE I BECAME A BOARD MEMBER AND WE ALWAYS TEASED THAT YOU'RE MY SISTER FROM ANOTHER MISTER, AND YOU ARE. I ADORE YOU. AND EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE YOU MEET A PERSON YOU INSTANTLY CLICK WITH, AND YOU ARE DEFINITELY ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE FOR ME. SO IT'S JUST BEEN SUCH A WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO WORK WITH YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS. IT'S OBVIOUSLY DEEPENED OUR FRIENDSHIP AND AS TWO OF THE FEW BOARD MEMBERS THAT HAVE SERVED ON THIS BOARD PRE-COVID AND THEN POST COVID, IT'S A REALLY UNIQUE BOND THAT I WOULD SAY YOU AND MEMBER GRAY AND MEMBER PEREZ AND I HAVE GOING THROUGH THAT EXPERIENCE TOGETHER. YOU REALLY SET THE TONE OF PROFESSIONALISM, NOT JUST DURING THAT TIME BUT THROUGH THE ENTIRE TIME YOU'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD. YOU HAVE A VERY STRONG LEGACY THAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND, NOT JUST -- OBVIOUSLY, ALL THE WONDERFUL THINGS THAT MEMBER COMBS MENTIONED, BUT ALSO THE WAY THAT YOU BUILT RELATIONSHIPS THAT HAVE GROWN INTO A GREAT AMOUNT OF SUPPORT FOR THIS DISTRICT THAT WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON. YOU'VE REALLY BEEN A TRUE CHAMPION FOR CHILDREN IN YOUR ROLE AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. GOSH, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO MISS YOU MORE THAN I CAN REALLY EVEN SAY. BECAUSE THERE'S NOTHING BETTER WHEN YOU WORK WITH A FRIEND. IT MAKES THOSE REALLY CHALLENGING TIMES MORE BEARABLE AND IT MAKES THE GOOD TIMES EVEN MORE EXCITING. SO I WILL MISS THAT, AND I WISH YOU SUCCESS WHEREVER YOU GO AND WHATEVER YOU DO IN YOUR NEXT CHAPTER, AND I ALSO PRAY THAT GOD WILL BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU SAFE ALL THE DAYS THAT WE'RE NOT TOGETHER. BUT I DO. I HOPE THAT YOU DO -- YOU CONTINUE TO -- I HOPE THAT YOU CHOOSE TO TAKE A LITTLE BREAK AND OBVIOUSLY RECONNECT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND RECHARGE YOUR BATTERIES AND THEN JUMP BACK IN AND CONTINUE TO SERVE YOUR COMMUNITY IN SOME WAY. AND I THINK YOU WILL. I HOPE YOU DO. I LOVE YOU, MY FRIEND AND GO GATORS! I WISH YOU THE BEST.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER BE WASHINGTON.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I WANT TO MAKE SURE MY WIFE IS LOOKING BECAUSE SHE TOLD ME NOT TO CRY BECAUSE I AM A BIT CRY-BABY. BELIEVE ME. FIRST MS. SNIVELY, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND SUPPORT. OFF ALWAYS BEEN A SUPPORTER OF ME. WE ARE LOSING A LOT OF KNOWLEDGE ESPECIALLY IN THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE'S SO MUCH WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT BUDGETS AND SO FORTH. YOU ALWAYS LED THAT CHARGE. AND JUST MAKING THE SCHOOL BOARD SUCCESSFUL. WE HAVE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES AND EVERYBODY IS UNIQUE IN WHAT THEY DO. AND I WANT TO TRULY SAY, YOU STAND UP FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN NO MATTER WHAT, WHO AGAINST YOU, DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE, YOU STAND UP FOR IT. I REALLY TRULY RESPECT YOU FOR THAT, MELISSA. AND FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK AND DEDICATION, BECAUSE YOU TRULY WORK HARD AND YOU ARE VERY DEDICATED TO THE STUDENTS AND PARENTS IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND I WANT TO SAY TO YOU, YOU ALWAYS PUT STUDENTS FIRST NO MATTER WHAT, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I ADMIRED THE MOST, YOU PUT STUDENTS FIRST. I THANK YOU. DAVID, YOU HAVE MORE TIME WITH THE WIFE NOW. THANK YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE. REMEMBER, I LOVE YOU, TOO.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: SO, MEMBER SNIVELY, I WAS TAKING MY LONG RUN THIS MORNING AND REFLECTING AS I USUALLY DO. I THOUGHT MANY THINGS, MANY GREAT THOUGHTS THAT RESONATE FROM YOUR RECOGNITION. I WANTED TO SAY WHEN I AND MOST PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET ON A BOARD, WHO ARE YOU MOST ALIKE? WHAT PERSON CAN YOU DRAW KNOWLEDGE FROM AND TRUST? REMARKABLY, YOU CAME AT LEAST IN MY WORLD WITH FAMILY FIRST, WITH VALUES OF HONESTY, INTEGRITY, WITH GOODWILL, KINDNESS. YOUR MORAL COMPASS IS TO ME, HAS ALWAYS BEEN OUTSTANDING. WE HAVE GONE AS MEMBER HAHN HAS SAID THROUGH VERY TOUGH TIMES. VERY TOUGH TIMES. IN TERMS OF ARGUMENTATIVELY PROBABLY THE MOST CIVIL IN ANY SCHOOL BOARD HISTORY, I WOULD SAY. AND YOUR CHARACTERISTICS OF BEING A TRUE HERO, A TRUE LEADER, AND DEDICATED TO THE WELL-BEING OF OUR STUDENTS AND DEDICATED TO OUR DISTRICT AND CONTINUALLY DEVOTED TO YOUR SCHOOL, THE SCHOOLS THAT YOU SERVE WHO ALWAYS REMIND ME OF HOW MUCH THEY VALUE YOU. I WOULD SAY YOU ARE EMBLEMATIC OF NOT ONLY A WONDERFUL PERSON INSIDE, BUT YOU HAVE GIVEN ALL OF US MORE OF A COMMANDING PROFILE AS A BOARD. YOU HAVE ADDED I WANT TO SAY AN ASTUTE SENSE OF PROFESSIONALISM. AS CHAIR, YOU ADDED ALSO LEADERSHIP WITH KINDNESS AND AGAIN GOODWILL. I SAY THAT OFTEN. AND YOU'VE BEEN EXTREMELY PATIENT, ESPECIALLY WITH BOARD MEMBERS LIKE ME WHO HAVE A TENDENCY TO GO ON AND ON. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAD -- YOU AND I HAVE HAD DIFFERENCES AND THIS IS SOMETHING FOR THE WORLD TO SEE RIGHT NOW. WE ARE OF TWO DIFFERENT KINDS AND YET WE HAD FORGED A RELATIONSHIP WHERE WE GOT ALONG VERY FINE. AND I KNOW THAT WE'RE NONPARTISAN, BUT MIND YOU, WE WORK TOGETHER AND WE DISAGREED BUT WE GOT BACK TO THE AGREAL AND NEVER REALLY HAD FIGHTS. I RELIED ON YOUR, AS SHAKE WASHINGTON SAID, THE FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, AND IN TURN YOU RELIED ON ME FOR MORE OF THE INSTRUCTION. SO WE HAD A REALLY GOOD RELATIONSHIP. AND IN OUR SUPERINTENDENT WE BOTH AGREED AND WE KNEW THAT THE CHANGE HAD TO BE HAD. SO I'M GOING TO FINISH BECAUSE AS USUAL, I WENT A LITTLE BIT OVER, BUT I ALSO HAVE TEARS AND I CRIED THIS MORNING BECAUSE I RECOGNIZED THAT I'M GOING TO MISS YOU VERY, VERY MUCH. AND I DO LOVE YOU ALSO. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: WELL, THOSE ARE SOME HARD ACTS TO FOLLOW. I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO WORK WITH YOU VERY LONG. IT'S ONLY BEEN TWO YEARS AND IT'S BEEN A VERY, VERY FAST TWO YEARS. IT WENT BY QUICKLY. IT HAS BEEN SOME OF THE HARDEST TWO YEARS FOR SCHOOL BOARDS IN GENERAL. WE HAD A BIT OF A BUMPY START, BUT WHAT I WANT TO ECHO IS THAT YOU ARE NEVER AFRAID TO SPEAK UP FOUR YOUR CONSTITUENCY, EVEN IF IT IS UNPOPULAR, THAT YOU COME IN AND YOU BE THE VOICE FOR THEM. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW HARD THAT IS. YOU ARE PERFECTLY RIGHT WHEN YOU SAY NO MATTER WHAT DECISION YOU MAKE OR WHAT YOUR ADVOCATING FOR, WHO YOU'RE TRYING TO REPRESENT, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE WHO YOU MAKE UNHAPPY AND YOU'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE VILLAIN TO SOMEONE AND THE HERO TO SOMEONE ELSE. BUT I DO ADMIRE THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WHERE I FEEL IT'S MUTUALLY RESPECTFUL. EVEN IF WE'RE ON OPPOSING SIDE OF AN ISSUE SOMETIMES, I FEEL LIKE THE PERSPECTIVE YOU BRING HAS VALUE. YOU LOOK AT MY PERSPECTIVE AND VICE VERSA. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. CHANGE IS ALWAYS HARD. WHEN YOU BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND YOU WORK WITH COWORKERS, ONE OF THEM LEAVES, IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO EMBRACE THAT CHANGE. I KNOW GOOD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN FOR YOU. I KNOW YOUR SMALL BUSINESS WILL DO WELL AND STAY ENGAGED IN THE COMMUNITY. I KNOW ALL OF OUR FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS WISH YOU NOTHING BUT THE BEST AND APPRECIATE THE TIME WE HAD WITH YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. MEMBER SNIVELY, I ALSO WANTED TO SAY, ALTHOUGH I'VE ONLY BEEN HERE TWO YEARS, I HAVE SO MUCH RESPECT FOR YOU SERVING FOR EIGHT YEARS. IT IS SUCH A DIFFICULT JOB, AND I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE YOU ALWAYS PUT STUDENTS FIRST. YOU UNDERSTAND AS A MOTHER TO SEE ALL THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR CHILDREN FACE TODAY, AND I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT. I REALLY RESPECT YOUR LEADERSHIP. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. WE WANT A BOARD THAT IS NOT ALL LIKE-MINDED. WE NEED DIFFERENT OPINIONS. WE NEED DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS. WE NEED FROM DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, WE NEED A BALANCE TO HEAR DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES. I THINK THAT'S VERY IMPORTANT, AND YOU BRING A LOT OF THAT. YOUR STRENGTH AND YOUR OPINION, I REALLY WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I HAVE A LOT OF RESPECT FOR YOU. YOU BROUGHT SO MUCH LEADERSHIP TO THIS DISTRICT AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT. AND ON A LIGHTER NOTE. ONE OF THE THINGS I'LL MISS MOST IS YOUR LAUGH. BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUCH A GREAT LAUGH. WHEN THINGS ARE SOMETIMES SO CHALLENGING, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO LAUGH AND REMEMBER IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT US, IT'S ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND IT'S ABOUT ALL THE EMPLOYEES AND THE TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AND CUSTODIANS AND EVERYONE WHO WE ALL WORK TOGETHER. AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S SO MUCH NOT ABOUT US, BUT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT DEPEND ON US. SO I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST. I KNOW THAT WE'LL KEEP IN TOUCH AND WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AS YOU MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PART OF YOUR LIFE. I KNOW SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS HE WANTED TO MAKE A COMMENT AS WELL.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. YOU KNOW, EVERYONE SPOKE SO ELOQUENTLY ABOUT YOUR LEADERSHIP. WHEN YOU HEAR TERMS SUCH AS STRONG ADVOCATES, STABILITY, CONSISTENCY, A ROLE MODEL, STUDENTS FIRST, CHILD CENTRIC, ONE THAT CONTINUES TO BE AN ACTIVE VOICE FOR HER COMMUNITY, IT ALL REPRESENTS WHO YOU ARE, MS. SNIVELY. AND THE ONLY PLACE TO REALLY START FOR ME IS SAYING THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION, YOUR EFFORTS, YOUR TIME. EIGHT YEARS ON A SCHOOL BOARD IS A VERY LONG TIME. BUT IT'S ALSO A TIME TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EVERY FACET THAT YOU CAN TO BE ABLE TO LEAD AND BE A NURTURER AND MENTOR TO EVERY ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AND ALSO EVERY ONE OF THE STAFF MEMBERS, INCLUSIVE OF MYSELF. I THANK YOU FOR TAKING A CHANCE ON ME. WE HAVE LEARNED. WE'VE GROWN TOGETHER. WE'VE HAD SOME HARD CONVERSATIONS TOGETHER. WE MAXIMIZED COACHING OPPORTUNITIES TOGETHER AND I'M SO THANKFUL FOR THAT PROCESS. AND THAT RELATIONSHIP WILL NEVER GO AWAY. I HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO BUILD, AND YOU HAVE BEEN AN EXEMPLAR FOR SO MANY AND FOR MANY IN MY HOUSEHOLD AS WELL BEING A STRONG YOUNG WOMAN THAT HAS BEEN DRIVEN AND PROFESSIONAL ALONG THE WAY AND TAKEN COURAGEOUS STEPS THAT MANY HAVE NOT TAKEN AND WILLING TO TAKE. THANK YOU FOR BEING A TRAILBLAZER. FOR THAT I THANK YOU AND THIS ENTIRE STAFF THANKS YOU AS WELL BECAUSE YOU HAVE BEEN THROUGH AN EXEMPLAR AND ROLE MODEL WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY AND WITHIN THIS DISTRICT. IN OUR EFFORTS, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HOW EVERY SINGLE DAY, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT EVERY SINGLE DAY HOW EVERYONE, WE COME TO WORK GETS OUR BEST AND OUR FAMILY GETS THE REST. WE HOPE NOW THAT WILL BE ABLE TO FLIP AND THE FAMILY, FOR ALL OF US CAN HAVE THAT BALANCE. THANK YOU, SIR.
>>Melissa Snively: MADAM CHAIR, I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL OF YOUR KIND AND HUMBLING WORDS. I JUST AM SO HONORED. IT'S WEIRD NOT TO -- THAT THIS IS THE LAST BOARD MEETING THAT I'LL BE ATTENDING. BUT I'M SO HAPPY FOR THE NEXT PERSON WHO IS GOING TO BE HERE THAT EVERYONE HAS MET, AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE PATTY RENDON AGAIN. I SUPPORTED HER, ENDORSED HER FOR HER ELECTION. YOU'RE GOING TO LOVE HER. CHAISE GOING TO BE A GREAT REPRESENTATIVE FOR DISTRICT FOUR. I'M VERY EXCITED FOR HER. I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN. AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING, WE ALL WANT TO DO WHAT IS RIGHT AND WE ALL WANT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE. I HOPE THAT I HAVE. I HOPE LOOKING BACK THAT PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT I IMPACTED IN A POSITIVE WAY THE LIVES OF CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT IS NOW JUST A MINUTE AFTER 6. WE'LL MOVE RIGHT TO EMPLOYEE INPUT AND THANK YOU FOR THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE HERE TODAY. WE'LL NOW TAKE EMPLOYEE INPUT. EVEN THOUGH WE HEAR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, IT IS SOMETIMES DIFFICULT FOR EMPLOYEES OF OUR DISTRICT TO ATTEND MEETINGS AT 4 P.M. THERE ARE MANY WAYS FOR EMPLOYEES TO MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD, INCLUDING THROUGH UNION REPRESENTATIVES, E-MAILS, PHONE CALLS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS AND PUBLIC COMMENT AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING. THE BOARD WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. WITH THIS SECTION OF OUR AGENDA, WE'RE CREATING ANOTHER AVENUE FOR EMPLOYEES TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD. WE'RE SETTING ASIDE 30 MINUTES FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE DISTRICT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES THAT ARE ON YOUR MIND. THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DISCUSSION ABOUT SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM ON TONIGHT'S AGENDA, BUT RATHER AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD ABOUT ANY ISSUES RELATED TO YOUR JOB OR THE DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER THIS EVENING WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKER. THANK YOU. MR. KRIETE.
>> GOOD EVENING. ROB KRIETE, PRESIDENT OF CTA. MEMBER SNIVELY, CONGRATULATIONS. AND YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ACCURATE. THE PAST FEW YEARS IN THIS FIELD, WHETHER YOU'RE IN THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER, WHETHER YOU ARE AN EMPLOYEE, WHETHER YOU'RE A CLASSROOM TEACHER, AN AIDE, ESP, THOSE DOING THE JOB, IT HAS BEEN MORE DIFFICULT THAN EVER BEFORE. THIS BOARD NEEDS TO RECOGNIZE THAT. WHEN WE LOOK AT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BOARD WEBSITE, WE HAVE -- THERE ARE SALARY SCHEDULES THERE. IT SAYS THAT THIS DOCUMENT CONTAINS THE SALARY SCHEDULE APPLICABLE TO EMPLOYEE GROUPS PURSUANT TO NEGOTIATED AGREEMENTS WITH RESPECTIVE UNIONS, YA-DA YA-DA YA-DA. ULTIMATELY THE POSTED SALARY SCHEDULES ARE WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR AT THE TABLE. WE AGREE! WE CAN DO THIS RIGHT NOW. WE CAN GET THAT DONE. WE'RE IN. NOW, ALL OF THESE PEOPLE, ALL OF THESE EMPLOYEES HERE, THE ADMINISTRATORS, THE TEACHERS, THE SUPPORT PROFESSIONALS, EVERYONE DESERVES RAISES. WE ALL AGREE ON THAT. THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING ABOUT. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CONDITIONS OF WHAT WE'RE DOING IN THE CLASSROOM. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POSTED SALARY SCHEDULES AND WE AGREE TO THEM. WE WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. UNFORTUNATELY WE'RE GOING TO BE GOING TO IMPASSE. IT'S DISAPPOINTING AND ABOVE THE REQUIRED 3% FUND BALANCE IS NOT HELPING ANY STUDENT REACH THEIR POTENTIAL. IT'S NOT LOWERING OUR LARGE CLASS SIZES AND IT'S NOT MEETING THE STUDENT'S GROWING NEEDS. THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN DONE MONTHS AGO, BUT YET HERE WE ARE AT IMPASSE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO MAKING OUR CASE FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES AND FOR OUR COMMUNITIES ON NOVEMBER 29. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MY PLANNING PERIOD BACK BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS COVERING BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TEACHERS. PLEASE, WE NEED MORE TEACHERS. AND WE NEED AIR CONDITIONING THAT IS RELIABLE, MORE THAN 60% OF THE TIME. IN OUR SCHOOL, OUR SCHOOL IS NEVER 100% WITH AIR CONDITIONING. WHEN YOU GET ONE SIDE, THE OTHER ONE GOES OFF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR IN MIND.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> I'M FROM THONOTOSASSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. WE HAVE EXTREMELY OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS IN SPITE OF HAVING FOUR ACADEMIC COACHES ON CAMPUS. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> HELLO. I'M FROM LIE MONA ELEMENTARY. WE STILL DON'T HAVE OUR MATH BOOKS. WE'VE MADE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF COPIES. THANK YOU, MS. VAUGHN, FOR SENDING US FIVE REAMS OF PAPER THIS WEEK. BUT, YES, WE HAVE NO MATH BOOK, AND I HAVE TO MAKE COPIES OF TESTS, QUIZZES, HOMEWORK, CLASS WORK, EVERYTHING.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR HEARING US, THANK YOU FOR THE JOBS THAT YOU DO. ONE OF MY GREAT CONCERNS IS THE NUMBER OF YOUNG TEACHERS LEAVING, NOT BECAUSE THE SALARY BUT BECAUSE OF CONDITIONS. THE STRESS OF THE JOB AS WAS SAID IS INCREDIBLE. BUT ALONG WITH THAT WE HAVE NO TEXTBOOKS. WE HAVE OVERCROWDED CLASSES. IN FACT, WE'RE DOWN TO TWO FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS WITH 27 IN EACH ROOM BECAUSE THE DISTRICT CUT ONE OF OUR POSITIONS. OUR SUPPORT STAFF, GUIDANCE COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, SCHOOL PSYCHOLOGISTS DON'T EXIST. WE HAVE I'M SURE ALL OF US ARE SEEING INCREASED AGGRESSION WITH YOUNG STUDENTS WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR COPING SKILL IN ORDER TO HANDLE THEIR ANGER. WITHOUT SUPPORT STAFF, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US TO LIVE OUR DREAM, MS. SNIVELY, OF MEETING THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN. AIR CONDITIONING REFURBISHED IS BREAKING DOWN MORE THAN THE ORIGINAL AIR-CONDITIONING. TEACHING IN 82.5-DEGREE CLASSROOMS IS A REAL CHALLENGE. FROM SIMMS, WE'RE HOPING THAT THESE CONDITIONS CAN IMPROVE SO THAT WE CAN BETTER MEET THE NEEDS ACADEMICALLY AND EMOTIONALLY OF OUR STUDENTS. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> McKENZIE ROBERTS, KINGSWOOD ELEMENTARY. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US TODAY. ONE OF OUR BIG CONCERNS IS THE VACANCIES. THE VACANCIES. ALL OF YOU WHO ARE NOT HELPING US FILL THESE VACANCIES, THIS IS THE ISSUE. WE NEED TO RETAIN TEACHERS, KEEP THEM. I JUST HAD OUR GUIDANCE COUNSELOR RESIGN LAST WEEK. THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT POSITIONS. WE STILL HAVE TWO INSTRUCTIONAL OPENINGS IN ADDITION TO THE GUIDANCE COUNSELOR PLUS WE STILL HAVE A PARAOPENNING. THIS IS A REALLY BIG CONCERN FOR OUR SCHOOL. WE NEED THEM STAFFED. WE NEED OUR CHILDREN TAKEN CARE OF. ALSO, ALL THE DEPLOYMENTS THAT HAPPENED IN ESE STAFFING AREA OFFICE HAVE HINDERED ESE STUDENTS IN THE CORRECT PLACEMENT AND THE SUPPORT THAT I NEED AS THE ESE CONTACT AND I'M SURE THE OTHER 50 TO 80 SCHOOLS THAT THE STAFFING SPECIALISTS WERE THEN TRYING TO KEEP UP AND TAKE CARE OF ALL THOSE OTHER SCHOOLS. SO PLEASE, HELP US OUT. WE WANT TO MAKE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY NUMBER ONE AND CONTINUE TO BE THERE FOR OUR KIDS. HERE IS MY LITTLE SIGN AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS KEISHA SALES. I'M A TEACHER AT SLIGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. I WAS CALLED TO COME OVER FROM BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE, I AM THE ONLY SCIENCE TEACHER THERE. I'M ALSO COVERING CLASSES DURING MY CONFERENCE AND MY BREAK AS WELL AS MY COLLEAGUES. WE DON'T HAVE A BREAK. I TEACH SCIENCE. I DON'T HAVE A BREAK TO PREPARE MY CLASSROOMS FOR NEXT LESSON WHEN WE HAVE SCIENCE LAB. I'M RUNNING BACK AND FORTH. WE HAVE SEVERAL TEACHERS JUST WALK OFF THE JOB. SO NOW ALL THE OTHER TEACHERS THAT ARE THERE HAVE TO PICK UP THE SLACK. WE'RE NOT GETTING PAID. WE'RE NOT GETTING COMPENSATED, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY BREAKS. SO I'M JUST ASKING, WILL YOU THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN YOU MAKE YOUR DECISIONS, PLEASE HIRE MORE TEACHERS. PLEASE PAY. I'VE BEEN TEACHING FOR 25 YEARS AND THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST CHALLENGING YEAR OF MY TEACHING CAREER. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS EBONY ROBINSON. I'M ALSO FROM SLIGH MIDDLE MAGNET SCHOOL. SO A CONCERN THAT OUR SCHOOL IS HIGH TEACHER TURNOVER, YOU HEARD FROM COLLEAGUE COVERING CLASSES. WE'RE TRYING TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS BEHAVIORALLY, ACADEMICALLY, AND WE DO NEED TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO STAY ON. THIS IS MY FIRST TIME EVER SPEAKING AT ONE OF THESE. I REALLY HOPE YOU GUYS ARE LISTENING TO US BECAUSE I'M KIND OF NERVOUS BEING UP HERE. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED. WE NEED TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO COME IN. THIS IS UNFORTUNATELY -- IT'S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE A DYING FIELD. WHEN I CAME HERE, I MOVED HERE FROM ILLINOIS. I HAVE A DEGREE IN EDUCATION, AND I WAS LIKE, OKAY, I'LL GO IN THE SCHOOL AND I'LL DO THIS, AND YOU COULD HEAR THE MORALE OF THE OTHER TEACHERS THERE. THEY ARE NOT STAYING. THE SUPPORT ISN'T THERE. THE MONEY ISN'T THERE. WE'RE TRYING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS. WE'RE TRYING TO CHANGE CULTURES AND IT'S NOT HAPPENING. PART OF IT IS THE PAY. PART OF IT IS YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH STAFF. IF WE COULD PLEASE GET THE SUPPORT WE NEED AND FOLLOWING THE CONTRACT THAT WAS REALLY CONFUSING FOR ME. I'M READING MY CONTRACT. LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO DO HAPPEN. WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S NOT HAPPENING? I'M CONFUSED. WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT GETTING STEPS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. IT'S VERY NEW TO ME COMING FROM ANOTHER DISTRICT WHERE YOU HAVE STEPS BY YEARS. YOU HAVE STEPS BY EDUCATION. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE THE STEPS BY EDUCATION OPTION ANYMORE. I DON'T KNOW. IF WE COULD JUST GET SOMETHING IN ORDER AND ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ALL BE DOING THIS FOR THE KIDS BUT I DON'T FEEL LIKE -- WE NEED EACH OTHER. THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS RICHARD PAZ. I'M FROM PIZZO K-8. I'M THE LEAD REP OVER THERE. THE MAIN ISSUE, LACK OF SUB COVERAGE. SOME PEOPLE IN OTHER SCHOOLS APPARENTLY ARE MISSING TEACHERS. THAT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE. I'M AT LEAST AT A SCHOOL WHERE WE COVER MOST OF THE POSITIONS. ONLY A FEW SLOTS, BUT THIS IS OUR MAIN ISSUE THAT WHEN WE DON'T HAVE OUR TEACHERS, WE DON'T HAVE SUBS. SO IT ALWAYS HAS -- WE TAKE IT UPON OURSELVES TO SPLIT AMONGST OURSELVES AND WORK AS A TEAM ESPECIALLY AT MY MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TRY AND COVER THE HOLES EVERY SINGLE TIME. AND IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE ACTUALLY HAD THE SUBS GUARANTEED, AT LEAST A GOOD AMOUNT OF SUBS TO COVER US IN OUR TIME OF NEED WHEN WE ARE OUT. WHETHER FOR AILMENTS, WHETHER FOR FAMILY, WHETHER FOR ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN OUR LIVES. THAT'S ALL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS JoANN JAMESTON FROM VALRICO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I'VE TAUGHT IN THIS DISTRICT FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS AND I HAVE MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AND THIS IS A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR. AT OUR SCHOOL, WE, OF COURSE, HAVE GRADE LEVELS THAT ARE NOT HAVING THE PLEASURE AND LUXURY OF TEXTBOOKS STILL. AND WE ARE GOING THROUGH BOXES AND BOXES OF PAPER BECAUSE STUDENTS DON'T NEED TEXTBOOKS THAT THEY NEED TO BE RECORDING THEIR THINKING ON PAPER OF SOME SORT SO THEY CAN DISCUSS THEIR THINKING. SO WE NEED YOUR HELP IN GETTING THOSE MATERIALS TO OUR TEACHERS. BUT FROM OUR MEMBERS, OUR BIGGEST CONCERN AT VALRICO IS OUR AGING TECHNOLOGY. AT VALRICO ELEMENTARY, WE DO NOT GET TIER 3 FUNDING. WE DO NOT HAVE A PTA THAT CAN COME IN AND FUND. AND OUR TECHNOLOGY IS DYING. OUR DOCUMENT CAMERAS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE. OUR PTA CAN'T BUY THEM. WE DON'T HAVE FUNDS. WE'RE WORKING ON HAND-ME-DOWN COMPUTERS AND LAPTOPS. WE'RE ONE OF THOSE SCHOOLS THAT'S IN THE MIDDLE THAT DOESN'T GET THINGS. WE DON'T GET CYCLED UNTIL THE VERY END OF A SCHOOL. AND I'M ASKING FOR YOUR HELP BECAUSE MOST OF WHAT TEACHERS NEED TO ACCESS IS ON COMPUTERS. THE TEACHERS DID GET NEW LAPTOPS THIS YEAR. WE DO HAVE SOME LAPTOPS IN OUR CLASSROOMS, BUT WE ARE NOT A ONE-TO-ONE SCHOOL AND OUR LAPTOPS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ARE FOR QUALITY. WE WANT OUR STUDENTS TO BE AS TECHNOLOGICALLY ADVANCED AS ANY OTHER STUDENTS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR HOMES AND WE'RE ASKING FOR YOU TO HELP US WITH THIS NEED. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI THERE. KINGSLEY KELLY PARATINO, LOUIS ELEMENTARY. IT'S VALUE DIFFICULT TO FIND THINGS AT LOUIS THAT AREN'T AMAZING. HOWEVER, WE WENT WITH NO ELEVATOR FOR 25 DAYS. WE HAVE A WHEELCHAIR-BOUND STUDENT WHO IS CARRIED UP A FLIGHT OF STAIRS AT LEAST FOUR TIMES A DAY BY OUR RESOURCE OFFICER, OFFICER JAMES THAT WAS AN ADA NONCOMPLIANCE. OUR ELEVATOR WAS FIXED AT THE END OF LAST WEEK AND THE STAIRS THAT OUR OFFICER HAD TO CARRY HIM UP AND DOWN WERE CHIPPED AND BROKEN. SO HELP.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JESSICA WUGG. ALSO FROM LEWIS ELEMENTARY. AT OUR SCHOOL, WE WERE WITHOUT WORKING COPY MACHINES FOR THREE WEEKS AND ALSO WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR OFFICE STAFF IS NOT ABLE TO PURCHASE TONER FOR ONE OF OUR COPIERS BECAUSE THEY GET QUESTIONED OR ARE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE TONER THAT THEY NEED AS FREQUENTLY AS IT'S NEEDED. WE ALSO WERE WITHOUT -- WE STILL HAVE TEACHERS WITHOUT MATH TEXTBOOKS AS ECHOED FROM SOME OF THE OTHER SPEAKERS TONIGHT, AND WE HAVE TEACHERS WITH INSUFFICIENT RESOURCES FOR THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN THEIR ROOMS. THESE ISSUES REALLY ARE THINGS THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH AND TAKEN CARE OF FOR OUR STUDENTS, FOR OUR STAFF. WE ARE WORKING TIRELESSLY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS AND WITHOUT THESE RESOURCES IT BECOMES MORE AND MORE DIFFICULT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS MARIA CALVO FROM DEER PARK. WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN ON MY PAPER IS WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR TEXTBOOKS. WE STILL HAVE CLASSROOMS WHERE THERE ARE MORE KIDS THAN TEXTBOOKS. IT MAY SOUND TRIVIAL BUT IT MAKES A HARD JOB HARDER. THIS IS MY 31st YEAR. YOU WOULD THINK BY NOW EVERYTHING SHOULD BE NICE AND SMOOTH AND EASY. IT ISN'T. AND I KNOW MANY PEOPLE WHO ARE WITHIN FIVE YEARS, 15 YEARS, 20 YEARS WHO ARE UNHAPPY AND ARE THINKING ABOUT LEAVING. I KNOW YOU'VE HEARD THIS OVER AND OVER, BUT AT SOME POINT IT'S GOT TO START SINKING IN AND WE NEED TO BE MAKING A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE WE ARE HERE FOR THE KIDS, BUT WE NEED TO FEEL THAT SOMEBODY IS HERE FOR US.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS RACHAEL JOHNSON. I'M A TEACHER AT BAILEY ELEMENTARY. WHAT'S ON MY PAPER IS OUR FIRST GRADE, WE ALREADY HAVE HIGH CLASS SIZES, AND WE HAVE HAD TO SPLIT ANOTHER CLASS FOR OVER A MONTH BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO KEEP A SUBSTITUTE IN THERE. AND A COUPLE OF TIMES WE HAD SUBS WHO ACCEPTED LONG TERM AND AFTER TWO DAYS QUIT, WALKED AWAY. BECAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE AND NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN TRULY DON'T REALIZE WHAT GOES INTO BEING A TEACHER EVERY DAY. AND AS A PARENT, SINCE I HAVE YOUR EAR, MY STUDENT -- I'M SORRY, MY CHILD IS A SENIOR AT ARMWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. AND THEY HAVE A COLLEGE-LEVEL MATH COURSE, AND THEY WERE THRIVING, AND THEIR TEACHER HAD TO QUIT. SHE QUIT. SHE COULDN'T DO IT ANYMORE. PAY US. PLEASE. PAY US. WE NEED TO STAY. WE WANT TO STAY. AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN HER LIFE NOW, SHE'S VIRTUAL WITH NO ONE TO HELP. THANKS. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. I'M ANGELA FRAZIER. I TEACH AT NELSON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I'VE BEEN THERE FOR MY ENTIRE TEACHING CAREER. THIS IS MY 17th YEAR. AT OUR SCHOOL, THE STAFF HAS ECHOED OVER AND OVER THE CONCERN ABOUT NOT HAVING OUR STEPS MET. AND YET THERE'S AN INCREASE IN OUR WORKLOAD. AND THAT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE WE HAVE VACANCIES OF WHICH WE HAVE MANY AT OUR SCHOOL. BETWEEN TRYING TO ACT AS A SOCIAL WORKER, TRYING TO BE THE ESE TEACHER AND IN SOME CLASSES NOT HAVING A PARATHAT'S NEEDED, IT MAKES IT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO HAVE THE GUMPTION AND THE GRIT TO GET UP EVERY DAY AND GO IN WITH A SMILE ON OUR FACE FOR OUR KIDS. AND WHEN WE'RE BEING DISRESPECTED BY NOT GETTING OUR STEPS. SO PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT ALL OF US ARE SAYING TONIGHT. BECAUSE WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR AND IN THE LAST, WITHOUT COVID, YOU'RE REALLY AT A PIVOTAL SPOT RIGHT NOW WHERE YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE AN INCREDIBLE DIFFERENCE, NOT JUST FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN HERE WEARING RED, BUT FOR THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF KIDS IN ONE OF THE LARGEST COUNTIES OR LARGEST DISTRICTS IN THIS COUNTRY. SO I FEEL COMPELLED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT'S WHAT IS MOTIVATING ME AND PROBABLY A LOT OF THE OTHER PEOPLE HERE TONIGHT. IT'S THOSE KIDS. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS CHARLES STANDBACK. I'M AT SLIGH MIDDLE MAGNET. I AM THE THIRD PERSON TO COME UP HERE FROM MY SCHOOL TO VOICE OUR CONCERNS, SO I'M JUST GOING TO KEEP IT REALLY SHORT. WE NEED OUR TWO STEPS. WE NEED OUR TWO STEPS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS DANA COOK. I WORK AT RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL. SO TODAY I'M VOICING MY CONCERN THAT OUR CLASSROOMS ARE OVERSTUFFED WITH STUDENTS. MY 8th PERIOD IS A FUSE CLASS AND I HAVE 34 STUDENTS. I DON'T CARE THAT I HAVE A COTEACHER WHO IS WONDERFUL. THERE'S NO WAY SHE AND I CAN MEET THE NEEDS OF 34 CHILDREN, MANY OF WHOM HAVE IEPs AND 504s. NEVER MIND THE FACT AT THIS POINT IF I ADD ONE MORE GUEST TO MY ROOM I PHYSICALLY CAN'T WALK TO MY STUDENTS. AT THIS POINT, MY ROOM IS NOT BUILT FOR THIS NUMBER OF CHILDREN. PLEASE HELP US ALLEVIATE THIS PROBLEM BY INCREASING OUR FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN CREATE MORE POSITIONS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. ROGER MARCELLIS FROM BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. LIKE DANA, WE ARE ALSO FACING OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS. WE HAVE SOME CORE CLASSES WITH ANYWHERE FROM 30 TO 40 STUDENTS, WHICH I BELIEVE IS IN VIOLATION OF THE AMENDMENT THAT THE FLORIDA VOTERS PASSED SEVERAL YEARS AGO. AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE ALSO HAVE A SHORTAGE OF ESE TEACHERS. I HAVE TWO FUSE CLASSES WITHOUT AN ESE TEACHER. SO I'M HAVING TO DO THAT. EVEN THOUGH I'VE HAD SOME TRAINING AS AN ESE, I AM NOT ESE CERTIFIED. SO THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M ROBERTO ROSA FROM TOMLIN MIDDLE SCHOOL IN PLANT CITY. I AM AN ESE TEACHER. OUR SHORTAGE OF ESE TEACHERS IS PUSHING A HEAVY LOAD ON THE OTHER CASE MANAGERS, AND WE'RE EXPERIENCING NEARLY 30 STUDENTS PER CASELOAD. I KNOW OTHER SCHOOLS ARE EXPERIENCING WAY MORE, BUT THAT TAKES UP A LOT OF TIME ON TOP OF HAVING THE RESOURCE CLASSES, THE COTEACH CLASSES, PLANNING FOR THEM. SO JUST WANTED YOU ALL TO BE AWARE. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SANDRA VAN DYKE. I'M AT HE IS RICK ELEMENTARY. I'M A PARA THERE. THE ISSUE AT OUR SCHOOL IS THAT OUR AC IS ON THE FROM ITS AGAIN. -- ON THE FRITZ AGAIN. THE SMELL OF MOLD AND OLDNESS IS UNBEARABLE WHEN YOU WALK IN IN THE MORNING. WE HAVE A SHORTAGE OF SUBS AT OUR SCHOOL, TOO, AND THE ELL AND THE ESE STAFF IS BEING PULLED TO COVER THESE CLASSES. AND THAT MEANS THAT THE KIDS THAT THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO SERVICE ARE NOT BEING SERVICED. PLEASE GIVE US OUR TWO STEPS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS SUE McCROSSON FROM EERIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I SERVED THE DISTRICT FOR 28 YEARS. HOLD A BACHELOR'S DEGREE, MASTER'S DEGREE AND TWICE RENEWED NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFIED TEACHER. I AM A PROFESSIONAL EDUCATOR. DESPITE WHAT PEOPLE SAY, YOU CANNOT TAKE SOMEONE, ASSIGN THEM A MENTOR AND PLACE THEM IN A CLASSROOM AND EXPECT RESULTS. OURS IS A HIGHLY SKILLED PROFESSION AND I VENTURE TO SAY YOU FEEL THE SAME ABOUT YOURS. ALL TEACHERS WANT IS TO BE TREATED AS PROFESSIONALS AND PAID ACCORDINGLY. I'M AT THE TOP OF THE PAY SCALE, YET I CONTINUE TO WORK MULTIPLE JOBS TO MAINTAIN MY STANDARD OF LIVING, MODEST AS IT IS. MR. WASHINGTON WAS MY PRIOR AREA DIRECTOR TO SCHOOLS. HE ALWAYS SAID YOU HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR PEOPLE. PLEASE HEED HIS WORDS, NOT WITH E-MAILS SAYING YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. WE ALREADY KNOW THAT. NOT WITH SUPPLEMENTS THAT ARE ONLY A BAND-AID ON A FESTERING WOUND BEING ASKED TO DO MORE AND MORE WITHOUT BEING COMPENSATED ACCORDINGLY. I ALSO ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT DISTRICT ASSETS THAT COULD BE LIQUIDATED IN ORDER TO FREE UP FUNDS. FOR EXAMPLE, SELLING THE ROSSAC BUILDING AND THE ISC BUILDING. IF THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE, PLEASE LOOK AT OTHER WAYS. WE HAVE SITES WITH LOW ENROLLMENT. WHY NOT SHIFT SOME DISTRICT STAFF TO THOSE SCHOOLS? AND IF THAT STILL ISN'T FEASIBLE, THEN MAYBE THE HIGH LEVEL DISTRICT STAFF WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A PAY CUT FOR A YEAR TO FEEL OUR PAIN WITHOUT ANY SUPPLEMENTAL INCOME AT ALL. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND SUPPORT YOUR TEACHERS. WE HAVE CONTINUED TO SUPPORT YOU OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HI. I'M MISSY KARL. I TEACH AT GRADY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. AND I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. BACK IN 2009, MANY OF US TEACHERS WERE TOLD ABOUT A NEW MODEL OF TEACHER EVALUATION SALARY PLAN CALLED EMPOWERING EFFECTIVE TEACHER INITIATIVE. SUPERINTENDENT ELIA NETWORKED AND CAMPAIGNED FOR ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TEACHERS TO BUY INTO THIS AND MOST OF US DID. NOW FAST-FORWARD TO TODAY. I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY ABOUT 95% OR MORE TEACHERS ARE PART OF THE SALARY SYSTEM WHICH INVOLVES STEPS. LAST YEAR, NEGOTIATIONS OCCURRED WITH THE DISTRICT OFFERING A ONE-STEP PAYMENT CALLED A SUPPLEMENT. THIS IS LIKE A BONUS. THE PROPOSAL WAS TO USE ESSER FUNDS, AKA COVID FUNDS, TO PAY FOR THE SUPPLEMENT. ESSER FUNDS ARE NOT DESIGNED FOR REOCCURRING EXPENSES, ESPECIALLY FOR SALARY STEPS OF TEACHERS. THE TEACHERS VOTED IN GOOD FAITH TO ACCEPT THIS PROPOSAL TO HELP HCPS WITH THE FINANCIAL RECOVERY PLAN IN PLACE. STATE TAKEOVER WAS A POSSIBILITY AND WE PARTNERED WITH YOU IN THIS PROCESS. AND ACCEPTED THE PROPOSAL. THERE WAS NEVER A LEGAL DOCUMENT SIGNED THAT YOU WOULD GIVE US OUR CORRECT STEP INCREASE FOR THE YEAR, BUT THERE WAS VERBAL DISCORD AMONG NEGOTIATORS THAT WE WOULD GET OUR TWO STEPS THIS YEAR. THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN. NOW YOU ARE ASKING US TO ACCEPT ANOTHER PROPOSAL WITH NO LEGAL GUARANTEE OF OUR SALARY STEPS BEING GIVEN FOR TWO YEARS. THIS IS NOT OKAY. FUNDING IS AVAILABLE IN THE BUDGET TO PAY FOR SALARIES, AND YOU ARE BREAKING AN AGREEMENT FOR ALL OF US THAT ENTERED THE EMPOWERING EFFECTIVE TEACHER INITIATIVE THAT BEGAN IN 2009. WE ARE NOW AT IMPASSE WITH THE MAGISTRATE ASSIGNED TO HEAR THE CASE. IT SADDENS ME THAT WE ARE NOW HERE, ESPECIALLY WHEN ESSER FUNDS SHOULD BE USED TO RECOVER FROM A PANDEMIC, NOT TO SUPPLEMENT SALARIES. SALARIES ARE A BUDGETED ITEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. MY NAME IS EMILY LEE. I TEACH AT BERNIE ELEMENTARY IN PLANT CITY. IF YOU CAN'T TELL BY THE INCREASING NUMBER OF STAFF SHOWING UP AT THESE MEETINGS EVERY MONTH, THINGS AREN'T GOING WELL IN OUR SCHOOLS FOR ANYONE. OUR STUDENTS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE SUFFERING THE MOST. MORALE IS LOWER THAN IT'S EVER BEEN BEFORE AND STILL DECLINING DAILY. CLASS SIZES ARE TOO LARGE TO PROPERLY SUPPORT STUDENTS AND THEIR LEARNING. TEXTBOOKS ARE STILL MISSING FOR MANY SCHOOLS. THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DELIVERED HAVE ERRORS, TYPOS AND INK SMEARED ALL OVER THEM. BECAUSE MORALE IS SO LOW, STAFFING IS ALSO LOW. WE ARE SO SHORT ON TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF THAT THERE AREN'T PERMANENT TEACHERS OR PARAS FOR MANY CLASSES ACROSS THE COUNTY AND MULTIPLE SUBJECT AREAS. NATIONAL DATA WAS RELEASED SHOWING US, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS A BRIGHT SPOT. ALL THE PRAISES THAT HAVE BEEN SUNG IN THE NEWS AND ON SOCIAL MEDIA ABOUT HCPS BEING ONE OF THE FEW DISTRICTS TO HOLD SCORES AND NOT DROP BY THE TOP ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN INSULTING. FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS, WE HAVE TAUGHT LIKE OUR HAIR WAS ON FIRE, JUST LIKE OUR SUPERINTENDENT REQUESTED WHEN HE GOT HERE. THE TEACHERS AND SCHOOL STAFF HAVE MADE THAT NATIONAL NEWS HAPPEN. THROUGH THEIR DEDICATION AND HARD WORK, EVEN THOSE THESE HAVE BEEN THE MOST TRYING TIMES FOR EDUCATION IN THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY. IT'S BAFFLING TO ME THAT OUR PRAISES AND HARD WORK ARE RECOGNIZED BY WORDS AND DISINGENUOUS THANK YOUS. EMPTY APPRECIATION, CAN'T PAY MORTGAGES OR RENT. EMPTY APPRECIATION CAN'T PUT FOOD ON OUR TABLES OR GAS IN OUR CARS TO GET TO WORK. THE CROWD OF TEACHERS HERE AT THESE MEETINGS MIGHT SEEM SMALL COMPARED TO THE AMOUNT OF TEACHERS THAT WOULD COME IF THEY WEREN'T WORKING SECOND AND THIRD JOBS JUST TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY. APPRECIATION HASN'T EVEN BEEN ENOUGH TO KEEP OUR CLASSROOMS AND SCHOOLS FULLY STAFFED. WE HAVE HIGHER VACANCIES THAN EVER AND MORE IN LINE TO LEAVE THE CLASSROOM AND THIS DISTRICT AS I SPEAK. MY QUESTION THAT REQUIRES THE DISTRICT TO DO SOME SERIOUS LOOKING AHEAD AND CRITICAL THINKING IS, WHAT WILL THE DATA LOOK LIKE AT THE END OF THIS YEAR? WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE WHEN CLASSES ARE COVERED ALL YEAR BY ANY WARM BODY OR BY KIDS SPLIT RANDOMLY TO ROOMS IN DIFFERENT GRADE LEVELS FROM THEIR OWN? WHAT WILL IT LOOK LIKE WHEN THE LARGE NUMBERS OF YOUR EMPLOYEES, TEACHERS, BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS, SECRETARIES, NUTRITIONAL SPECIALISTS CONTINUE TO LEAVE TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A CHANCE OF PROVIDING THEIR FAMILIES. WE HAVE A PUBLISHED PAY SCALE THAT INCLUDES STEPS EACH YEAR. WE DESERVE TO BE PAID FOR THE YEARS THAT WE'VE WORKED. THE TEACHER WORKING CONDITIONS ARE OUR STUDENT LEARNING CONDITIONS. SPOILER ALERT, THE OUTLOOK IS VERY, VERY BLEAK. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS DAVID WAGNER. I TEACH AT ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL. THIS IS MY FIRST YEAR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I TAUGHT IN BROWARD COUNTY LAST YEAR AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN MARYLAND FIVE YEARS BEFORE THAT. MY STORY IS DIFFERENT FROM MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES BUT I THINK YOU'LL RECOGNIZE COMMON THEMES. ALONSO IS THE BEST SCHOOL I TAUGHT AT. I'M FORTUNATE TO WORK WITH OUTSTANDING COLLEAGUES AND THE ADMINISTRATORS ARE GENERALLY SUPPORTIVE, THOUGH LOSING THREE ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS AND HAVING TO REPLACE THEM IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS HAS CREATED NOTICEABLE PROBLEMS. THE KIDS ARE GREAT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TEACHING THEM EVERY DAY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROVIDES MORE CURRICULUM SUPPORT THAN THE PLACES I'VE TAUGHT PREVIOUSLY. THE PLACES WHERE I PREVIOUSLY TAUGHT HAD MUCH LESS UNIFIED APPROACHES TO CURRICULUM AND THE WAY HILLSBOROUGH APPROACHES IT IS A STRENGTH. ALTHOUGH MY STUDENTS' MUSIC THEORY AND PIANO WORKBOOKS DIDN'T ARRIVE UNTIL THE SECOND WEEK OF THE SECOND QUARTER, THE SUPPORT I RECEIVED FROM THE DISTRICT MUSIC'S OFFICE AS A NEW TEACHER TO HILLSBOROUGH HAS BEEN EXCEPTIONAL, THOUGH THAT SUPPORT WAS STRETCHED PRETTY THIN WHEN SUPERVISORS HAD TO BE PLACED IN CLASSROOMS TO PLUG THE TEACHER SHORTAGES AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. BE CAREFUL NOT TO PAT YOURSELF TOO HARD ON THE BACK BY HAVING SOLVED THAT SHORTAGE BECAUSE IT HASN'T BEEN SOLVED. TEACHERS ARE NOT STAYING BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE ON THE SALARIES YOU ARE PAYING. I TEACH TWO ORCHESTRAS, CHORUS WORKS TO KEYBOARD CLASSES AND ONE SECTION OF SPECIAL EDUCATION MUSIC. ADDITIONALLY I TEACH AN AFTER-SCHOOL ORCHESTRA ONE DAY A WEEK AND THE HONOR SOCIETY AS A CLUB. I USUALLY SPEND BETWEEN 55 AND 60 HOURS PER WEEK TEACHING AND PLANNING FOR MY CLASSES, INCLUDING SATURDAY MORNINGS AND SOMETIMES MUCH MORE TIME THAN THAT ON THE WEEKENDS. YOU WILL NOTE THAT THE CONTRACT, THE TERMS OF WHICH YOU CURRENTLY CAN'T BE BOTHERED TO MEET PAYS US FOR 40 HOURS. FOR ALL THAT WORK, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL PAY ME $52,449.62 THIS YEAR. THE ONLY REASON THAT THAT NUMBER IS ABOVE 50,000 AT ALL IS THAT I RECEIVE ABOUT 4,000 ANNUALLY IN STIPENDS FOR BEING A HIGH SCHOOL FOR US AND ORCHESTRA DIRECTOR. MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES WITH SIMILAR EXPERIENCE WHO ARE WORKING SIMILAR HOURS TO TEACH THEIR STUDENTS AND PREPARE THOROUGHLY ARE STILL PAID $47,501 FOR THE YEAR. LAST YEAR, BROWARD COUNTY PAID ME $2500 FOR MY MASTER'S DEGREE. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PAYS NOTHING FOR ADVANCED DEGREES. LAST YEAR, BROWARD COUNTY PAID ME $1700 FOR SPONSORING A CLUB IN ADDITION TO MY REGULAR TEACHING LOAD. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PAYS NOTHING FOR THAT AND TEACHERS WHO SPONSOR CLUBS ARE EXPECTED TO DO SO ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHY YOU ARE NOT ATTRACTING AND RETAINING TEACHERS? PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO WORK HERE ON THE SALARIES. FLORIDA'S LACK OF STATE INCOME TAX DOESN'T MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE COMPARED TO WHAT OTHER STATES PAY. THE -- WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME ANY OF YOU WORKED FOR $50,000 OR LESS FOR THE YEAR OR RAISED A FAMILY ON THAT? OR RAISED A FAMILY ON 30,000 OR LESS, LIKE MANY OF OUR SUPPORT STAFF HAVE TO? WHAT WOULD YOU OR YOUR CHILDREN HAVE TO GIVE UP TO LIVE OR RAISE A FAMILY ON THAT SALARY? WOULD YOU WANT TO GIVE THOSE THINGS UP? PAY YOUR SCHOOL TEACHERS AND STAFF LIVABLE SALARIES.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS KATHLEEN DUNGLEBERGE. NORTHWEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, FOURTH GRADE MATH AND SCIENCE TEACHER. I'LL GIVE A MINI-MATH LESSON. SOME OF MY FELLOW TEACHERS ASKED ME TO COME UP HERE BECAUSE THEY LIKE HOW SIMPLIFIED I MADE MY EXPLANATION OF WHAT I FEEL IS GOING ON AND THE IMPACT TO MY FAMILY AND I AM NOT ALONE IN THIS. I AM THE ONLY ONE PERSON SPEAKING FOR ONE PERSON, BUT MY STORY IS JUST LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE'S. HERE IS MY MATH LESSON. BECAUSE OF RECORD HIGH INFLATION FOR THE PAST -- IN THE LAST 40 YEARS, WE HAD RECORD HIGH INFLATION. MY GROCERY BILL FOR MY SON, MY VETERAN HUSBAND, AND MYSELF HAS GONE FROM $600 A MONTH TO OVER $1200 A MONTH. THAT'S JUST FOR GROCERIES. MY PROPERTY TAXES, BECAUSE OF RECORD HIGH HOUSING PRICES IN TAMPA, MY PROPERTY TAXES WENT FROM $2,000 A YEAR TO $7,000 A YEAR. THEY MORE THAN TRIPLED. MY TEACHER SALARY TAKE-HOME PAY IS LESS THAN $3,000 A MONTH. THAT'S TWO AND A HALF MONTHS SALARY JUST FOR MY PROPERTY TAXES NOW. AND I DIDN'T MOVE. AM I GOING TO HAVE TO? WILL I HAVE TO GET A SMALLER HOUSE IN NOT A NICE NEIGHBORHOOD IN ORDER FOR ME TO CONTINUE TO BE A TEACHER? TO ME, THESE STEPS ARE CRITICAL TO SURVIVE AND CONTINUE BEING THERE FOR THE KIDS. WHAT I FEEL THAT WE ARE NEGOTIATING AT IMPASSE IS NOT A RAISE. WE ARE NEGOTIATING OUT OF A SALARY CUT DURING RECORD HIGH INFLATION AND RECORD HIGH PRICES ON THE HOUSING MARKET. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> MY NAME IS SAM WEISS. A TEACHER AT BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ANYTHING THAT'S BEEN SAID ALREADY OTHER THAN THREE OR FOUR MAJOR ISSUES I'VE SEEN AT MY SCHOOL THAT INCLUDE AIR-CONDITIONING, CLASS SIZES, TEACHER MORALE AND THE TREATMENT OF STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. THE BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL AC UNIT WAS AFFECTED BY A LIGHTNING STRIKE AUGUST 19. SEVERAL WEEKS THEREAFTER IT STAYED AT 83 DEGREES IN MY CLASSROOM CAUSING ME TO HAVE AN ASTHMA ATTACK AND LEAVE SCHOOL EARLY. WHEN IT WAS FIXED IT STAYED 68 DEGREES EVERY DAY ALL DAY AND THIS WAS THE CASE UNTIL A MONTH AGO WHEN THE DISTRICT FINALLY SENT PEOPLE OUT TO WORK AT IT AND IT'S NOW BEEN AT A COMFORTABLE TEMPERATURE. WHY DID THEY TAKE SO LONG TO BE FIXED IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS INVESTED IN? I HAVE MANY COLLEAGUES COMPLAINING ABOUT VARIOUS CLASS SIZES, TWO IN PARTICULAR THAT ARE SIX OVER CAPACITY WITH 31 STUDENTS. THERE ARE TEACHERS COMPLAINING ABOUT TEACHER MORALE WHO HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE DISTRICT SINCE 2011 AND FEEL THAT THEY ARE OVERWORKED ON A DAILY BASIS. AND THE TEACHER FELT SURVIVOR'S GUILT FOR ALMOST TAKING A LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO DEAL WITH HER MENTAL HEALTH TO BE A POSITIVE ROLE MODEL FOR HER CHILDREN. MANY FRIENDS ARE STILL TEACHING. HER GREATEST CONCERN IS HER CHILDREN WON'T HAVE ANY OF THE GREAT TEACHERS LEFT BECAUSE THEY ARE ALL LEAVING BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING OVERWORKED. WE HAVE TO BRING BACK RESPECT, BASIC CARE AND REALISTIC WORK EXPECTATIONS FOR EDUCATORS TO BE ABLE TO THRIVE RATHER THAN SURVIVE. AND FOR OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE LEARNING ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE, THEY ARE A VAST MAJORITY OF OUR STUDENT POPULATION. BUT HOW ARE THEY GOING TO BE ABLE TO GRADUATE WITH SUCH DEMANDING REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION? WHAT IS THE BOARD DOING TO ADDRESS THIS HUGE INEQUITY BETWEEN ENGLISH SPEAKERS AND NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS? A CONCERN THAT OUR SCHOOL HAS IS THE HUGE WORKLOAD FOR ESOL TEACHERS THAT HAVE THREE OR MORE PREPS. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HOLD A LARGE NUMBER OF YEARLY MEETINGS AND PREP FOR THE-YEAR-OLD -- TESTING. WHAT IS THE BOARD DOING TO ADDRESS THE NEED FOR MORE SUPPORT IN THIS VULNERABLE MEMBERSHIP OF OUR SCHOOL? OUR NUMBERS REFLECT THE VARIOUS SCHOOL GRADES AND ESE REQUIREMENTS AND YET STUDENTS CONTINUE TO EXPERIENCE A LACK OF SUPPORT TO MEET THE STRINGENT GRADUATION REQUIREMENTS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, BOARD. I HAVE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAT I WANT TO SHARE. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY SOME INACCURATE INFORMATION THAT WAS SHARED ON THE NEWS, IN MY OPINION. AND IT'S REGARDING REOPENING OF SCHOOLS. IT WAS MENTIONED THAT OUR DISTRICT, WE EXCELLED SO WELL, WHICH WE, IN FACT, DID. BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT REOPENING OF SCHOOLS DOES NOT GUARANTEE STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. REOPENING OF SCHOOLS DOES NOT IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLS WERE OPENED WITHIN OUR STATE AND THOUSANDS IN OUR NATION. THE ACTUAL IMPACT OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT IS TIED TO STUDENT TEACHER RELATIONSHIP. THE IMPACT OF TEACHER-PARENT RELATIONSHIP, THE IMPACT OF TEACHER-CARETAKER RELATIONSHIP. THE IMPACT OF TEACHER-ESE SPECIALIST RELATIONSHIP. THE IMPACT OF TEACHER IN SUBJECT AREA LEADER RELATIONSHIP. THE IMPACT OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, SOCIAL WORKERS, ASSISTANT PRINCIPALS, AND PRINCIPALS ARE FACTORS THAT ALLOWED OUR FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS TO EXCEL, NOT REOPENING SCHOOLS. AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE ALL OF MY PEERS, ALL OF THE COLLEAGUES IN THE FOURTH GRADE -- AND THE FOURTH GRADE TEACHERS AND STAFF THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT ON THAT HIGH ACHIEVEMENT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> IT'S A TOUGH ACT TO FOLLOW. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS CHRISTINA DONNELLY. I AM REPRESENTING LITHIA SPRINGS ELEMENTARY. UNFORTUNATELY, NOT MANY OF MY COLLEAGUES WERE ABLE TO JOIN ME TONIGHT DUE TO THE FACT THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME AND THE ENERGY TO TAKE ON ONE MORE CAUSE. MANY TEACHERS AT OUR SCHOOL ARE AT THE BREAKING POINT BETWEEN THE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS AND THE DEMANDS OF THIS PROFESSION. THE REALITY IS THE TEACHERS ARE NO LONGER RESPECTED. WE ARE BEING ASKED TO DO MORE AND MORE EVERY DAY, YET ARE CONSTANTLY BEING CRITICIZED THAT WE ARE NOT DOING ENOUGH. WE ARE EXPECTED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR ADMINISTRATION, THE DISTRICT. HOWEVER, OUR NEEDS ARE CONTINUOUSLY IGNORED TIME AND TIME AGAIN. TEACHING USED TO BE A PROFESSION THAT YOU COULD BE PROUD OF. NOW WE SEEM TO BE A SCAPEGOAT FOR ALL THE THINGS WRONG WITH PUBLIC EDUCATION TODAY. OUR EXPERIENCE, OUR KNOWLEDGE, OUR OPINIONS, THEY DON'T MATTER ANYMORE. ACCORDING TO OUR GOVERNOR ANYBODY CAN BE A TEACHER. SO I WOULD LIKE -- ANYBODY OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC THAT IS WATCHING, I WOULD LOVE FOR YOU TO COME IN AND SEE WHAT A TEACHER DOES EVERY DAY, WHAT THE REALITY OF BEING A PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHER IS. WE ARE DISCOURAGED. WE ARE ANGRY. WE ARE EXHAUSTED. AND AS MUCH AS WE LOVE OUR JOBS, WHICH ALL OF US DO OR WE WOULDN'T BE HERE, THERE'S A BREAKING POINT. THE SACRIFICES THAT WE ARE MAKING TO DO OUR JOBS WELL OR NOT WORTH OUR WELL-BEING NOR THAT OF OUR FAMILIES AND THEY ARE SUFFERING. I URGE YOU TO LISTEN, TAKE ACTION BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE. MRS. SNIVELY MADE A COMMENT AS SHE WAS WRAPPING UP HER SPEECH AND SHE SAID THE ONE THING YOU ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS YOU WANT TO DO THE RIGHT THING. SO DO IT. TAKE CARE OF YOUR TEACHERS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. I AM CARISSA DENNICA. ALSO THE SITE REP FOR GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL OTHER THAN THE SQUEAKY WHEEL. I ASKED MY MEMBERS WHAT THE BIGGEST ISSUES WERE AT OUR SCHOOL. OVERWHELMLY STUDENT MANAGEMENT, VISION AND ACCOUNTABILITY. MANAGEMENT OF STUDENTS IS THE MOST COMMON ISSUE. DISCIPLINE IS NOT DONE EFFECTIVELY AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE OUR APs AREN'T DOING ANYTHING. THERE ARE TOO FEW OF THEM AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES. SOMETHING MUST CHANGE. IF STUDENTS ARE ONLY AT SCHOOL FOR SOCIAL REASONS, THEN YOU END UP WITH CONSISTENT TARDIES. YOU END UP WITH SKIPPING. YOU END UP WITH FIGHTS AND YOU END UP WITH DISRESPECT. IF STUDENTS DON'T WANT TO BE IN SCHOOL, LET'S MAKE A PROGRAM THAT REMOVES THEM FROM DISRUPTING OTHER STUDENTS' EDUCATION. SUPERVISION AT MY SCHOOL IS IMPOSSIBLE. THE ARCHITECT CERTAINLY WASN'T WORRIED ABOUT SHOOTERS. STUDENTS ROAM THE HALLS, CAUSING DISRUPTIONS. THEY LEAVE DURING LUNCHTIME TO GO TO THE LOCAL CHICK-FIL-A AND BOB EVANS AND TACO BELL. COME, ANYBODY. COME TO OUR SCHOOL WITHOUT TELLING ANYBODY. DON'T TELL ANYBODY. AND SEE AROUND LUNCHTIME AND SEE THE KIDS LEAVING EN MASSE, LEAVING CAMPUS AND THERE AREN'T ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. COME KNOCK ON A DOOR. HAVE A STUDENT OPEN THE DOOR FOR YOU BECAUSE THERE'S NO FENCE IN FRONT OF OUR SCHOOL, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE AT OTHER SCHOOLS. FINALLY, TEACHERS ARE BEING HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR KEEPING LEARNING IN OUR CLASSROOMS, BUT THERE ISN'T ACCOUNTABILITY FOR STUDENTS. SOME STUDENTS ARE SITTING IN CLASSES AND DOING NOTHING, NOT BECAUSE THERE ISN'T A TEACHER. THERE ARE THOSE, TOO, BUT BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO DO ANYTHING. WHEN SOMEONE COMES IN AND SEES THAT STUDENT DOING NOTHING, WHAT ENDS UP HAPPENING IS IT'S OUR FAULT. IT'S MY FAULT THAT THAT STUDENT MADE A CHOICE. WE ARE EXPECTED TO ENTERTAIN. WE'RE EXPECTED TO BABY SIT, AND WE'RE EXPECTED TO SOMEHOW FIT TEACHING IN THERE, BUT THE STUDENTS HAVE NO REAL ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THEIR ACTIONS. WHAT THIS LEADS TO IS TEACHER BURNOUT AND WE ARE SEEING THAT. FINALLY, AT MY SCHOOL, WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO LOOK AT AND MAYBE THIS IS A DISTRICT ISSUE. I'D LIKE YOU TO LOOK AT WHAT PROPORTION OF STUDENTS HAVE VIRTUAL PLACE-HOLDERS MAP MAYBE THIS IS A THIS YEAR ISSUE. BUT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING IS THAT THERE ARE WAY MORE STUDENTS THAT HAVE VIRTUAL PLACE-HOLDERS AND I DON'T THINK THEY ACTUALLY HAVE A VIRTUAL CLASS THAT THEY ARE BEING PLACED INTO. THAT'S MONEY OUT OF OUR POCKET. THAT'S GOING TO FLORIDA VIRTUAL OR NOWHERE. ADDITIONALLY, MY HUSBAND IS AMAZING. HE LEFT HERE TO GO TO -- TO TAKE MY KID TO SWIM CLASS AFTER LEAVING HERE BECAUSE HE FELT IT WAS THAT IMPORTANT, AND MY KIDS AREN'T GOING TO BE TEACHERS.
>> GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS NICOLE TEAGARDEN. I TEACH SECOND GRADE AT HERITAGE ELEMENTARY. THIS IS MY 8th YEAR HERE IN THE DISTRICT. I CURRENTLY MAKE THE SAME AMOUNT AS A FIRST-YEAR TEACHER AND LESS IF YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE RIDICULOUSLY PRICED HEALTH INSURANCE PLAN THAT I PAY FOR MY FAMILY. THE SAME PLAN THAT THE DISTRICTLY QUIETLY TRIED TO GET RID OF LAST SUMMER AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR MOST COMMITTED FAMILY EMPLOYEES. I DIGRESS. I'M NOT HERE TO TALK ABOUT MONEY PROBLEMS TONIGHT EVEN THOUGH THAT IS A LEADING CAUSE OF TEACHERS LEAVING THIS DISTRICT. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME OF THE STRUGGLES THAT WE FACE DAILY AT HERITAGE ELEMENTARY. I WANT TO PREFACE THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION BY SAYING I LOVE MY SCHOOL. I LOVE MY STUDENTS, I LOVE THE TEACHERS I WORK WITH. I LOVE MY ADMIN. I AM SO CONNECTED TO THAT SCHOOL. I LOVE IT. WE HAVE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO MAKE OUR SCHOOL BEAUTIFUL AND AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE, BUT THERE ARE THINGS THAT ARE OUT OF OUR CONTROL AND SUBPAR WORKING CONDITIONS THAT WE ARE IN DAILY WITH LITTLE COMPLAINT. HERITAGE ELEMENTARY IS ONLY 19 YEARS OLD YET IT IS EVIDENT WHEN IT HAS RAINED OUTSIDE BECAUSE MANY OF THE CLASSROOMS WHILE PAINT STARTS BUBBLING AND PEELING AFTER EACH RAIN. THERE IS AN ENTIRE WING OF OUR SCHOOL THAT LEAKS EVERY SINGLE TIME IT RAINS. I'M SURE YOU CAN IMAGINE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE INSIDE THE WALLS WITH ALL THAT MOISTURE. ALTHOUGH I'VE NEVER LOOKED INSIDE THE WALLS OR VENTS MYSELF, I DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED MOLD ALLERGY SYMPTOMS EVERY SINGLE AUGUST WHEN WE GO BACK TO SCHOOL. THERE IS VISIBLE BLACK MOLD ON THE CEILING TILES IN OUR MEDIA CENTER THAT COMES RIGHT BACK EACH TIME THEY GET REPLACED BECAUSE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM NEVER EVER GETS FIXED. OUR SCHOOL WORKS VERY HARD TO PLAN AND FACILITATE SCHOOL BEAUTIFICATION DAYS, MURAL PAINTING CLUBS WITH STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MURAL PROJECTS AT VARIOUS SCHOOL FESTIVALS. MURALS AND PRETTY PAINT CAN ONLY COVER UP MOLD STAINS SO MUCH. MY CLASSROOM SPECIFICALLY HAS BEEN FIGHTING A LOSING BATTLE WITH ROACHES RECENTLY. OUR CLASSROOM -- MY CLASSROOM HAS HAD MULTIPLE MR SUBMITTED AND PEST CONTROL COMES TO SPRAY ONCE IN A WHILE. TODAY WHEN I OPENED UP MY DRAWER TO TAKE THE BAG OUT TO COME HERE A ROACH SCURRIED ACROSS MY PURSE. CHERRY ON TOP OF THAT SITUATION, WE'RE ALL OUT OF ROACH TRAPS AT HERITAGE. IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROBLEMS WE HAVE, OUR SCHOOL HAS HAD MAJOR ISSUES WITH NEW EVOLVED LAPTOPS WE RECEIVED OVER THE PAST YEAR. I PERSONALLY HAVE HAD 8 OF MY 15 LAPTOPS BREAK. THESE LAPTOPS ARE BRAND-NEW WITHOUT A SCRATCH AND SOME STILL HAVE THE PROTECTIVE PLASTIC COATINGS AND YET IF YOU LOOK AT THEM TOO HARD, THE SOUND GOES OUT RENDERING THE ENTIRE DEVICE COMPLETELY USELESS FOR SECOND GRADE. THESE ISSUES ARE MARKED AS A KNOWN ISSUE FOR THE MODEL AND YET THEY DISAPPEAR INTO SOME REPAIR PROCESS NEVER TO RETURN. WE CONTINUE TO EXCEL IN SPITE OF ALL OF THIS AND WE WOULD REALLY -- WE DON'T NEED TO APPRECIATE IT. WE DESERVE THE STEPS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HELLO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS REBECCA BORE. I AM A READING TEACHER AT RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL. I'VE BEEN -- I'VE BEEN IN THE DISTRICT FOR SEVEN YEARS. SO EVERY SCHOOL BOARD MEETING SEEMS TO APPROVE PURCHASING OF NEW PROGRAMS. YOU RECENTLY APPROVED THE PURCHASE OF A PROGRAM CALLED CHALK TALK TO HELP OUR STRUGGLING JUNIORS AND SENIORS MEET THEIR GRADUATION REQUIREMENT. TO IMPLEMENT THIS PROGRAM, THE TEACHERS NEED TRAINING. TRAINING SHOULD OCCUR ON A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DAY BEFORE THE START OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. INSTEAD, THIS TRAINING NEEDS TO OCCUR ASAP. SO SUBS HAVE BEEN SUMMONED WILL BE PAID. STUDENTS WILL MISS A DAY OF INSTRUCTION SO THAT TEACHERS CAN GATHER FROM ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO LEARN THE LATEST PROGRAM. THE LAST TIME I SPOKE TO YOU, I COMPLAINED ABOUT ANOTHER PROGRAM. YOU RECENTLY PURCHASED LANGUAGE LIVE. IT TOOK THE ENTIRE FIRST QUARTER TO GET THAT WORKING FOR ME AND MY STUDENTS. BUT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WITH NEW PROGRAMS. THEY DON'T WORK VERY WELL. I DON'T THINK LANGUAGE LIVE IS A BAD PROGRAM OR THAT MY STUDENTS SHOULDN'T BE USING IT, BUT THIS NEW PROGRAM DOESN'T SEEM THAT DIFFERENT FROM THE OLD PROGRAM, BREAK FISH. AND WE AREN'T A ONE-TO-ONE DEVICE SCHOOL. SO TRY TO GET STUDENTS TO COMPLETE 40 MINUTES A WEEK OF ANYTHING REQUIRING A COMPUTER REQUIRES I CHECK OUT A LAPTOP CART THROUGH MICROSOFT AFTER A REQUEST IS APPROVED DURING TEAMS. I'M SURE THE NEW CHALK TALK PROGRAM IS GREAT AND OFFER MORE THAN KHAN ACADEMY ARE A ACHIEVE3000. I REALLY LIKED COMMON LIT, HOWEVER THE ACCESS THROUGH CLEVER HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY SO I CAN'T USE THAT ONE ANYMORE. I DON'T THINK SYNERGY WAS A NECESSARY PURCHASE IF SCHOOLS ARE ABLE TO PULL GRADES DIRECTLY FROM CANVAS FOR PROGRESS REPORTS BUT I ALSO DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE HAD TO GO BACK AND INTEGRATED ON EDSBY AFTER WE TRANSITIONED TO CANVASS. WHY IS IT THAT ED CONNECT JUST WON'T CONNECT? [ LAUGHTER ] I'M SORRY IF I'VE CONFUSED ANY OF YOU WITH ALL THESE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS. I ALSO HAVE STRUGGLED TO KEEPING THEM STRAIGHT. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE CONFUSION OF ALL THE LONG-TERM SUBS WHO ARE ASKED TO COVER ONE OF THE MANY VACANCIES IN OUR DISTRICT ON ANY GIVEN DAY. AGAIN, NONE OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE NECESSARILY BAD. BUT THERE ARE TOO MANY. AND TOO MANY CHANGES TOO OFTEN. AND IF YOU'RE WILLING TO SPEND MONEY ON ANYTHING, PLEASE MAKE IT TEACHER SALARIES. I ALSO HAVE A REQUEST. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU GUYS TO FUND THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL JUNIORS AND SENIORS TO TAKE BOTH AN A.C.T. AND S.A.T. EACH SEMESTER. OKAY. I WOULD LIKE FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY TO BE PROVIDED ON A SCHOOL DAY, PREFERABLY ON A DAY ALREADY DEDICATED TO TESTING, SUCH AS THE PSTA DAY. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY WE INSIST OUR JUNIORS NEEDING THAT GRADUATION REQUIREMENT TAKE A PSTA THAT DOESN'T COUNT AND PAY US. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. IT IS A LITTLE UNCOMFORTABLE BEING HERE, BUT I DEFINITELY WANTED TO BE SOMEONE WHO I STAND WITH THE TEACHERS. I STAND WITH OUR KIDS. I STAND WITH OUR SCHOOLS. EDUCATION IS WHAT'S GOING TO TAKE OUR KIDS SOMEWHERE. AND THIS IS MY 8th YEAR AT POTTER ELEMENTARY. I'VE ONLY BEEN AT POTTER. IT IS A GREAT PLACE TO BE, BUT IT'S A GREAT PLACE TO BE BECAUSE OF THE PEOPLE. IT'S THE PEOPLE WHO MAKE IT THAT. IT'S NOT EASY. OUR KIDS COME. I WAS AT THE TAIL END OF THE FIVE-YEAR F RUN, AND I STILL HAVE GOOSE BUMPS THINKING ABOUT WHEN WE PUSHED IT AND MADE THAT SEAT. WE DID THAT WITH HELP FROM THE DISTRICT. AND THEN THE NEXT YEAR, THE DISTRICT LEFT, OF COURSE. BUT WE FELT EMPOWERED. OUR KIDS DID IT, AND THAT IS A HUGE THING FOR OUR KIDS AT OUR SCHOOL TO DO. THIS YEAR AGAIN BEING MY 8th YEAR, I AM NOW VE, OUR SCHOOL IS CHANGING AGAIN. I HAVE A COUPLE OF COLLEAGUES WITH ME. OUR KIDS ARE STRUGGLING NOT -- LIKE THEY ARE ACADEMICALLY, BUT THEY ARE COMING WITH SO MUCH BAGGAGE NOW THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE LIKE THE LAST FOUR YEARS. THEY ARE DROWNING. WE ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THEM. THEY WALK THROUGH THE DOOR AND WE ARE TOLD TODAY AT A STAFF MEETING, LOVE OUR PRINCIPAL. SHE'S AMAZING. SHE'S FILLING IN IN A FIFTH GRADE VACANCY. SHE TEACHES PART OF THE DAY. AP TEACHES PART OF THE DAY. RESOURCE TEACHERS WHO COME IN AND TEACH IT AS WELL. WE'RE TOLD AS BEST AS YOU CAN, STAY ON SCHEDULE. IF YOU ARE BEHIND SCHEDULE, TRY TO GET BACK ON SCHEDULE. I'M TRYING TO DEAL WITH KIDS WHO HAVE ALREADY MOVED TO SCHOOLS THIS YEAR. IT'S A LOT. SO THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TEACHERS, IT'S DEDICATED PEOPLE WHO STAY. PEOPLE WHO REALLY GENUINELY CARE, BUT IT'S GETTING HARDER. THE THINGS THAT MY TEACHER HAD TO SAY WAS AT OUR SCHOOL, ONE OF THE TEACHERS, SHE'S BEEN A ROCK, OUR INCENTIVES FOR BEING A TRANSFORMATION SCHOOL, THOSE ARE DISAPPEARING. SO WHY ARE WE GOING TO TAKE ON THE TRAUMA FROM OUR KIDS AND FROM OUR PARENTS? ONE OF MY OTHER COLLEAGUES WAS GOING TO COME TONIGHT. HE SAID, YOU KNOW, I'M SO TIRED. I'M TRYING TO GET THINGS READY FOR PROGRESS REPORTS AND I HAD TO KIND OF INTERVENE BETWEEN TWO FEUDING PARENTS. WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO DO THAT. HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO COME HERE AND REPRESENT HIS SCHOOL AND HIS KIDS. WE ALSO HAVE TOO MANY CLASS SPLITS. TODAY AGAIN, WE HAD IT IN FOR THE FIRST GRADE. THEY HAVE ABOUT 20 KIDS IN EACH CLASS. THEY HAD TO TAKE SIX EXTRA KIDS TODAY, BECAUSE ONE OF THEIR COLLEAGUES ENDED UP HAVING TO LEAVE BY AMBULANCE BECAUSE SHE HAD A MASSIVE MIGRAINE THAT SEEMED LIKE A MINISTROKE. IT'S TOO EMOTIONALLY TOO MUCH FOR TEACHERS ANYMORE. THEY ARE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY WITH A LACK OF TRANSFORMATION PAY DELAY. USUALLY WE WOULD GET THAT IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER, AND THEN IT WAS A LITTLE BIT IN EVERY CHECK. IT'S NOT THAT ANYMORE. SO PLEASE JUST, AGAIN, IT'S ABOUT RESPECT. IT'S ABOUT WHAT WE NEED SO WE CAN BE THERE AND SHOW UP FOR OUR KIDS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS. ERIN ZINES, PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. FORMER CTA BOARD MEMBER, FEA GOVERNANCE MEMBER. I'M PLEASED TO RECEIVE THE E-MAILS THAT WE ARE DOING SO WELL THAT WE ARE RANKED NUMBER ONE IN FOURTH GRADE, READING AND MATH. THREE IN 8th GRADE AND IN SIMPLE BUSINESS TERMS, IT'S RESPECT THE PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR YOU, WHICH MEANS YOU'RE GOING TO HONOR THE CONTRACT. IT IS A CONTRACT BASED UPON YEARS OF SERVICE, NOT ON STEPS. YEARS OF SERVICE MEANS HOW MANY YEARS HAVE YOU BEEN HERE, HOW MANY YEARS SERVICING YOU, 21. 21 AT THE SAME SCHOOL. INNER CITY SCHOOL NEVER LESS THAN A C. ALWAYS LOVE TO SAY THAT BECAUSE IT'S TOUGH TO WORK IN SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS. PEOPLE HERE HAVE BEEN TELLING YOU ALL DAY LONG. I SAT ON CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. I WAS THERE WHEN WE SAID, HEY, WE ONLY HAVE 3% RESERVES. WE CAN'T GO BELOW 3% RESERVES. ALL RIGHT, WE'LL WORK WITH YOU. WE HAVE 11% RESERVES. ABOUT $136 MILLION. THE CHARGE TO GO TO -- IF I REMEMBER THE NUMBERS CORRECTLY, MAY BE CLOSE TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, WHATEVER IT IS. THE CHARGE TO GO AND PAY THIS PAY RATE IS REALLY $26 MILLION, WHAT YOU SAID YOU PAY. HERE IS THE THING THAT DISRESPECTS THE TEACHER. OH, BUT WE WON'T MAKE IT YOUR SERVICE YEARS. THEY WANT THEIR SERVICE YEARS. I'M RETIRING. IT'S NOT MY MONEY ANYMORE. I'M GOING TO FINISH MY YEARS HERE AND I'M RETIRING. BUT THEY ARE STILL GOING TO BE HERE AND I'M INSPIRED BY A LOT OF THEM. BUT WHAT WE DO TO OUR TEACHERS IS NOT INSPIRING. TAKE RENAISSANCE, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO PAY YOU A LITTLE BIT IN NOVEMBER, USED TO BE OCTOBER AND A LITTLE BIT IN MAY. CHRISTMAS PRESENTS, OH, YEAH, THAT'S THE MONEY IN MAY. I GUESS WE'LL HAVE CHRISTMAS IN MAY THIS YEAR. I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE OUR TEACHERS ARE. I'M FORTUNATE. I'M VERY FORTUNATE AND I'M BLESSED. BUT I SIT HERE WITH TEACHERS THAT STRUGGLE EVERY DAY, AND IT'S NOT FAIR, AND YOU GUYS NEED TO CORRECT IT AND YOU HAVE THE POWER TO. THAT WAS A JOKE COMING TO THE TEACHERS AND SAY, LET'S JUST GIVE YOU A BONUS. WE'LL GIVE YOU ONE BUT NOT TWO. IN BUSINESS, YOU'D HAVE WHAT HAPPENED IN CHINA. THEY ALL WALKED OUT OF APPLE. WE'RE NOT DOING THE TWO-WEEK SURRENDER ANYMORE. LOOK AT WHERE YOU'RE AT. 900 TEACHERS YOU NEED. 150 BUS DRIVERS. WE HAVE BUSES THAT GET TO SCHOOL SO LATE AND COME SO LATE. ROGER AND I DIDN'T GET HERE UNTIL 6:00 DAY HAVING TO STAY ON DUTY AND WE WANT TO PARTICIPATE. BY THE WAY, IF YOU WANT TO RESPECT ME, I'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO COME TO THE MEETING AND HEAR THE WHOLE MEETING. I'M A MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO, EVERYONE. ANGELA KOLINELLO. MS. VAUGHN, I HEARD YOU WERE GETTING PAPER FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE. THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT'S MUCH APPRECIATED. I'M VERY HAPPY TO SEE ALL THE FACES HERE. I WANT TO ASK YOU, YOU HAVE YOUR TEACHERS HERE, YOUR WORKFORCE. DO YOU FEEL THE DESPERATION? YOU CAN FEEL IT IN THE ROOM. YOU CAN SEE IT. YOU CAN HEAR IT. I WALKED IN HERE AND I WAS AMAZED WITH HOW MUCH DESPERATION I FEEL OUT OF EVERYONE HERE. BRINGING MY QUOTES WITH YOU FROM ME, FROM THE LAST TIME THAT I HEARD. ALSO, I TOOK SOME TIME, PROBABLY LATE BECAUSE AS AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER REFLECTING ON MYSELF FROM THE LAST COUPLE OF TIMES I SPOKE WITH EVERYONE HERE. I SOUNDED SO MOUSY AND SMALL I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT. I'M TRYING TO ASSERT MYSELF AND MAKE SURE THAT I AM HEARD FOR MY PEOPLE. I'M SHARING SOME QUOTES WITH YOU FROM THE LAST TIME. I HEARD A THIRD GRADER SAY THAT'S WHY I DON'T WANT TO BECOME A TEACHER. I HEARD A FIFTH GRADE TEACHER SAY, I JUST DON'T WANT TO TEACH ANYMORE. I JUST DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. I HEARD ANOTHER THIRD GRADE TEACHER THROUGH THE TEARS IN THE MORNING, I'M SO OVERWHELMED I JUST DON'T WANT TO BE HERE. CRYING, THIRD YEAR HERE. READING MY LITTLE PAPA JOHN'S PAPER, FOR THE SACRIFICE THAT YOU MAKE, HERE IS A FREE PIZZA. IT'S BEING RECOGNIZED THE SUFFERING, THE DESPERATION, THE OVERWORK, EVERYTHING. WE'RE ALL DOING THE WORK OF FOUR OR FIVE PEOPLE. IT'S VERY, VERY EXHAUSTING. ANOTHER QUOTE TODAY FROM ANOTHER TEACHER, I WANT TO TALK TO YOU. I'M JUST SO CONFUSED. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHO DECIDED ON THESE ALL UNANNOUNCED OBSERVATIONS. I'M SO WORRIED ABOUT THIS VAM SCORE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT I'M SUPPOSED TO BE DOING OR WHO DECIDED THIS AND WHAT IS SO SUBJECTIVE. WHAT IF THAT PERSON DOESN'T LIKE ME? THERE'S SO MUCH PRESSURE. AND AS EVERYONE HERE HAS SAID, THE MORALE AND THE WORRY AND THE CONCERN OF EVERY SINGLE TEACHER WALKING DOWN THE HALLS. YOU SEE IT IN THE FACES. YOU HEAR IT IN THE KIDS. I'M GOING TO GO ON AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET AND HOW WE SPOKE ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS THE COVID BUDGET OR REGULAR BUDGET AND HOW TEACHER PAY CANNOT BE PART OF THE BUDGET. TEACHER INCREASES. I NEED TO SIT HERE AND REMIND YOU, PLEASE LISTEN. TEACHERS ARE THE BUDGET. WITHOUT THE TEACHERS, WITHOUT THE STUDENTS, THERE IS NO SCHOOL BOARD. WE DON'T HAVE A DISTRICT. WE ARE THE BUDGET. WE ARE THE WORKFORCE. TEACHERS, SAFE BUILDINGS, SOME CURRICULUM, CHILDREN, BUDGET. AND THEN SPRINKLE IN SOME COACHES, SOME PEOPLE, OTHER STAFF. I NEED YOU TO PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HERE, STILL BEGGING, STILL DESPERATE, AND PLEASE, PLEASE START TAKING CARE OF OUR PEOPLE. THANK YOU ALL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. OUR FINAL SPEAKER THIS EVENING. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD EVENING TO OUR ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND OUR CURRENT SUPERINTENDENT. HIEDI GLICK FROM ALONSO HIGH SCHOOL. SENIOR REP AND MEMBER OF THE HCTA BOARD. THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE TO DO TONIGHT IS APOLOGIZE. I WAS RATHER HEAVY-HANDED IN MY SPEECH THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE. ACTUALLY HIT THE PODIUM. I WAS VERY UPSET BY SOME OF THE COMMENTS MADE EARLIER AND I LET IT AFFECT ME. FOR THAT I'M SORRY. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO SAY THANK YOU. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR LETTING ALL OF THE TEACHERS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK, SPEAK AND FOR THE FULL THREE MINUTES. WE ALL REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. I THINK IT'S ALMOST 7:00 RIGHT NOW. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THE THINGS THAT I HAVE LEARNED OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS. I LEARNED THAT KIRKLAND IS NOT REALLY A BRAND. IT IS ACTUALLY COSTCO'S REQUIREMENT THAT COMPANIES THAT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM CREATE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THE SAME EXACT PRODUCT WITH THE KIRKLAND LABEL. KIRKLAND TOILET PAPER IS CHARMIN TOILET PAPER. I LEARNED THAT SOME STORE BRANDS ARE JUST AS GOOD AS THE NAME BRAND. DR. THUNDER IS ALMOST AS GOOD AS DR. PEPPER. I LEARNED THAT SOME GENERIC DRUGS DO WORK AS WELL AS THE OTHERS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY I LEARNED THAT SOME DO NOT BUT I'M OKAY NOW. I LEARNED THAT SUAVE DOES NOT REALLY DO WHAT OTHERS DO FOR LESS AS THEY CLAIM. I LEARNED THAT EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NOT RECEIVED A RAISE AND MY SALARY IS THE SAME I ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PAY CUT AS THE DISTRICT'S MEDICAL HAS INCREASED AND ACTUALLY PRICES FOR EVERYTHING ELSE HAS INCREASED. I LEARNED THAT I DO NOT HAVE A HARD CORNER FOR SAFETY BECAUSE I NEED DESKS FOR MY STUDENTS. I LEARNED TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ASSIGNMENTS I HAVE GIVEN IN THE PAST BECAUSE I CANNOT GET THEM GRADED IN A TIMELY FASHION DUE TO THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN MY CLASSES. I LEARNED THAT EVEN THOUGH SUPPORTIVE ADMINISTRATORS ASK FOR THINGS TO HELP US, THE ONES IN THE ACTUAL CLASSROOMS, THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN TURNED DOWN AS WELL. I LEARNED THAT MY STUDENTS ARE AS FRUSTRATED AS WE ARE WITH THE CROWDED CLASSROOMS. I LEARNED THAT STUDENTS ARE FRUSTRATED FOR THEIR TEACHERS. I LEARNED THAT A FIRST-YEAR ADJUNCT AT HCC MAKES MORE MONEY PER HOUR THAN A TEACHER AT THE TOP OF OUR SCALE. I LEARNED THAT OLD CLASSROOM DECORATIONS WILL JUST HAVE TO DO. I LEARNED THAT MORE RESPONSIBILITIES DOES NOT EQUAL MORE RESPECT NOR DOES IT EQUAL MORE PAY. I LEARNED THAT FIVE EAP VISITS ARE NOT ENOUGH. I LEARNED THAT HOPE AND SKIDS -- HOPING KIDS ARE ABSENT SO THERE ARE MORE CHAIRS IS NOT NICE BUT UNFORTUNATELY NECESSARY. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ENCOURAGING EVERYONE WHO MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE FOR DROP TO LOOK INTO IT AND ENROLL IF THEY WERE ABLE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ENCOURAGING OUR YOUNG TEACHERS TO UPDATE THEIR RESUMÉS AND TO LOOK FOR OUTSIDE EMPLOYMENT SO THEY CAN HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE AND GET THE MONEY THEY DESERVE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING OUR ADMINISTRATORS TO DO THE SAME. SO ALL IN ALL, WE HAVE LEARNED QUITE A FEW THINGS IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AT LEAST WORKING HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND ONE LAST THING, MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME WHEN I WAS VERY YOUNG TO NEVER SAY I'M SORRY BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING. SHE SAID CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR. PLEASE STOP SAYING YOU RESPECT US. PLEASE STOP SAYING YOU APPRECIATE US. CHANGE YOUR BEHAVIOR AND PROVE IT. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. WE'LL TAKE A SHORT RECESS. WE'LL TAKE LIKE A FIVE-MINUTE RECESS SO THAT WAY EVERYBODY CAN CLEAR OUT. THANK YOU ALL OF YOU FOR COMING. THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING, AND THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. WE'LL TAKE A SHORT RECESS. [RECESS]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE. THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, FOR YOUR PATIENCE. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE CONSENT AGENDA. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. WE'RE VOTING ON THE CONSENT AGENDA. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD. C 1.03, 3.01, 7.01, 7.03, 7.04, 7.06, 7.11, 10.01 AND C 10.02. GO AHEAD AND START WITH 1.03, WHICH IS THE SOLE SOURCE PAPER EDUCATION COMPANY INCORPORATED FOR THE PURCHASE OF UNLIMITED CHAT-BASED TUTORING FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 6-12. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH PAPER EDUCATION. WHEN WE STARTED A YEAR AND A HALF AGO TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS TO BE ABLE TO HELP STUDENTS WHO WERE OUT FOR COVID AND NEEDED US TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT INSTRUCTIONAL MOMENTUM CONTINUED, WE WERE TRYING TO FIND SOLUTIONS, NOT ONLY FOR ELEMENTARY, BUT FOR SECONDARY AS WELL. AND ELEMENTARY WE STOOD UP A HANDFUL OF TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE AVAILABLE TO OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE SICK, STUDENTS WHO ARE OUT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT LEARNING WAS CONTINUOUS TO HELP THEM. WE ALSO IDENTIFIED A PLATFORM AND A CORPORATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE 24/7 TUTORING TO GRADES 6-12. WITH THAT PROCESS, WE KNOW THAT OVER THAT YEAR WE SERVED CLOSE TO 16,000 STUDENTS, OVER 47,000 ACTIVITIES, AND STUDENTS FROM 105 SCHOOLS. WE KNOW THAT THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO REALLY CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON AND GROW TO EXPAND AS A NUMBER OF OUR TEACHERS LEVERAGED THIS CURRENT PLATFORM IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF ANY MAJOR ISSUES THAT STUDENTS HAD TO LEARN THROUGH IN AN EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN THEIR KNOWLEDGE IN THE CORE CONTENT OR IN STANDARDS BEING TAUGHT. IN THE SAME PROCESS WE LOOK AT THIS YEAR, WE HAD OVER 4500 STUDENTS THAT ARE ACTIVELY ENGAGED SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR AND AROUND 9,125 ACTIVITIES IN 92 SCHOOLS, HAVE LEVERAGED THIS PLATFORM. RIGHT NOW WE DO HAVE A MARKETING PLAN THAT WE PUT IN THE BACKUP AND HAVE CONVERSATION TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE ACTIVELY ENGAGING STAKEHOLDERS. PROVIDING ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IF APPROVED TO TEACHERS WE WILL FOCUS ON MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE CONTINUE TO EXTEND THIS WITH OUR PRINCIPALS WITHIN OUR PRINCIPAL MEETINGS AND MAKE THIS A VIABLE SOLUTION FOR OUR STUDENTS AS WE MOVE FORWARD. TONIGHT, THE FIRST PHASE FROM FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE, SEI DOLLARS TO COVER AND TRANSITION TO ESSER TWO DOLLARS WHICH IS ALL ABOUT SUPPLEMENTAL PROGRAM GRANT FUNDING WHICH IS UNIQUE TO BE ABLE TO USE ON EXTENDED LEARNING AND ADDRESS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP AND ISOLATED CATEGORICAL FUND TO USE AND LEVERAGE THIS PROCESS. I'LL TRANSITION TO MR. CONNOR TO SPEAK MORE ABOUT THE INITIATIVE AND HOW WE CONTINUE TO USE IT AND LEVERAGE IT IF APPROVED THIS EVENING.
>>Terry Connor: GOOD EVENING, BOARD. THANK YOU SO MUCH. I KNOW I'VE HAD A LOT OF PERSONAL CONVERSATION WITH EACH OF YOU IN TERMS OF THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM. AND YOU RIGHTFULLY HAVE COME WITH SOME CONCERNS AROUND JUST UTILIZATIONS AND THE AMOUNT THAT OUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT AND CONTINUING IT INTO THIS YEAR. SO WE WENT TO THIS, BACK TO THE COMPANY AND WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE MAXIMIZING EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REDUCE THE CONTRACT AND WE WERE SUCCESSFULLY ABLE TO NEGOTIATE DOWN FROM $27 PER STUDENT TO 12. 12 DOLLARS AND SOME CHANGE. SO THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT AGREEMENT OR PROPOSAL FOR AS WE MOVE INTO THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THE COMPANY ALSO REALIZED THAT THERE IS MORE TO DO IN TERMS OF REALLY MARKETING TO GET MORE STUDENTS INVOLVED. WE NEED EXPOSURE, AND WAS EVE DONE AN ANALYSIS OF THIS AND AS WE DETERMINE WHAT OUR PLAN IS TO REALLY INCREASE THIS, I REALLY THINK IT COMES DOWN TO PROMOTION WITH OUR TEACHERS AND GETTING THEM TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THE VALUE AND HOW TO LEVERAGE THIS WITH THEIR STUDENTS. SO SINCE THEN, IN ABOUT FEBRUARY, WE WERE ABLE TO SECURE FROM PAPER, THE COMPANY, ACTUAL DEDICATED CUSTOMER SUCCESS MANAGER, SOMEONE WHO LIVES RIGHT HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WHO IS DEDICATED TO REALLY HELPING MARKET IT AND PROVIDE TRAINING AND TO DO ALL THE NECESSARY COMPONENTS SO THAT WE CAN SEE AN INCREASE IN USAGE. SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE DONE THINGS SUCH AS POSTERS AT EVERY SCHOOL. THEY PUT UP SIX BILLBOARDS ACROSS THE COUNTY. THEY DID TV COMMERCIALS IN THE MONTH OF MARCH TO START PROMOTING THIS IN THE SUMMER, AND WE KNOW THAT THE USAGE OBVIOUSLY DECLINES IN THE SUMMER, BUT WE LEVERAGED EVERY ONE OF OUR SUMMER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES, OUR BRIDGE CAMPS AT HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL, TO REALLY EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS ON WHAT THE PROGRAM IS ABOUT, WHICH IS GREAT WHEN YOU THINK OF AN 8th GRADER MOVING TO HIGH SCHOOL AND NINTH GRADE AND BEING ARE AIENTED TO THEIR NEW CLASSROOMS AND THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT AND UNDERSTANDING SOME OF THESE RESOURCES THAT ARE AT THEIR DISPOSAL IF THEY HADN'T SEEN THEM BEFORE. WE HAVE REALLY MADE A PRESENCE IN SOME OF THE COMMUNITY EVENTS SUCH AS THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL BASH PUT ON BY MR. THADDEUS BULLARD. THEY HAD A PRESENCE OUT THERE AND OTHER COMMUNITY EVENTS AS WELL. THEY HAVE BEEN INVITED TO ALL OF OUR PRINCIPAL MEETINGS TO ENSURE THAT OUR PRINCIPALS UNDERSTAND. WE ACTUALLY DID SURVEY OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR PRINCIPALS, THE 71 OUT OF 80 SOME ODD PRINCIPALS THAT RESPONDED TO THAT, WE HAVE A VERY HIGH RETURN RATE. WE HAD 87% OF OUR PRINCIPALS SAY THIS IS A PRODUCT THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO USE FOR OUR STUDENTS. ANOTHER PART OF THAT SURVEY WAS WHAT ELSE COULD WE DO TO HELP PROMOTE THAT AND THAT INCLUDED SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. AND WHAT WAS RATED REALLY HIGHLY WAS TEACHER DEVELOPMENT, MAKING SURE TEACHERS UNDERSTOOD HOW THEY CAN LEVERAGE THIS PROGRAM. SO THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE FOCUSING AS WE MOVE INTO THE REMAINDER OF THIS -- OR PROGRESS INTO THE NEW AGREEMENT THAT WE HAVE. SO THE IMPACT TEAM IS GOING TO BE WORKING TO HOST A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SESSION FOR TEACHERS AT EVERY ONE OF OUR SITES. WE FEEL THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL IN ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE THE AWARENESS OF WHAT SERVICES ARE THERE. ALSO, WE'RE GOING TO BE HOSTING WHAT ARE CALLED PAPER DAYS, WHICH IS GOING TO HELP STUDENTS UNDERSTAND HOW THEY CAN USE AND LEVERAGE THE PLATFORM AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME. EVERY SCHOOL IS GOING TO IDENTIFY A PAPER TRAILBLAZER OR CHAMPION, IN OTHER WORDS, THAT WILL BE IDENTIFIED AT THE SCHOOL WHO IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SHARE RESOURCES, BE ABLE TO SHARE THE TIPS AND TRICKS AT THEIR SCHOOL SITE. SO EVERY SCHOOL WILL HAVE THAT PERSON THAT THEY CAN CONNECT WITH ON THEIR SITE. WE'RE ALSO GOING TO CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE OUR COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT, MAKE SURE THAT PARENTS UNDERSTAND WHEN PAPER IS PUTTING WEBINARS OUT THAT THEY ARE THERE, THEY ARE IN ENGLISH. THEY ARE IN SPANISH, DIFFERENT LANGUAGES, MAKING SURE THAT THAT INFORMATION IS SHARED ON A BIWEEKLY BASIS. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THINGS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IS THE CONCERN IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE AN INVESTMENT LIKE THIS, WE WANT TO SEE STUDENTS LEVERAGING THIS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WE KNOW WE'VE GOT TO DO BETTER. WE FELT LIKE IN THE FIRST YEAR OF AN IMPLEMENTATION, WHICH TYPICALLY IS NOT EASY, ESPECIALLY DURING THE COVID AND ALL THE THINGS, QUARANTINES AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH, THAT WE DIDN'T SIGH THE USES THAT WE WOULD HAVE LIKED, BUT WE DID SEE USAGE AND WE DO SEE TEACHERS THAT ARE USING THIS PRODUCT AND WE'RE SEEING THAT'S WHERE THE SUCCESS IS AND THE INCREASE IN USAGE IS WHEN TEACHERS UNDERSTAND IT, KNOW HOW TO LEVERAGE IT, THEIR STUDENTS IN TURN ARE LEVERAGING IT. THAT'S WHERE WE'LL FOCUS OUR EFFORTS A LOT IS ON INFORMING TEACHERS AND GETTING THEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT PRODUCT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 1.03. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER HAHN. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY, MEMBER VAUGHN, MEMBER SNIVELY AND I PULLED THIS ITEM. SO WE CAN GET STARTED IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD AND COMMENTS.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THANK YOU, MR. CONNOR, FOR EXPLAINING THE PROS ON THIS PAPER EDUCATION COMPANY. THE QUESTION I HAVE, AND YOU HIT UPON IT BRIEFLY ON THE SURVEYS, BUT WHAT ARE THE LEARNING BENEFITS THAT WE CAN ABSOLUTELY DO A DATA CHECK IN TERMS OF LEARNING LOSS. DO WE HAVE ANY NUMBERS THAT WE CAN CAPTURE? ANY INCREASE IN THE READING SCORES, ANYTHING THAT WOULD MEASURE, SHOW MEASUREMENT?
>>Terry Connor: IT'S VERY HARD TO DRAW A DIRECT LINE TO THE 24/7 TUTORING TO ACHIEVEMENT. BUT WHAT WE HAVE SEEN, AS NOTED IN A LOT OF OUR DATA RECENTLY RELEASED AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN OUR PROGRESS MONITORING DATA IS THAT WE'RE SEEING THAT WE ARE MITIGATING LEARNING LOSS AS COMPARED TO OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. SO WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS AND YOU'RE SEEING SCHOOL DISTRICTS, SEEING SOME SIGNIFICANT DECLINES AS A RESULT OF THE LAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS AND HILLSBOROUGH IS MAINTAINING AND SOMETIMES EXCEEDING, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STRATEGIES IN MULTITUDE, RIGHT? WE KNOW THAT TEACHERS ARE REALLY THE KEY COMPONENT OF THAT. BUT THERE ARE OTHER THINGS, TOO, SUCH AS PROVIDING AN ACCESS TO 24/7 TUTORING THAT STUDENTS CAN LEVERAGE. WE TALKED EXTENSIVELY WITH PAPER ABOUT HOW CAN WE CORRELATE SPECIFIC USAGE WITH THE PROGRAM TO SPECIFIC OUTCOMES AND STATE DATA. AND THEY ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT PROCESS WITH US AND WANT TO WORK WITH US SPECIFICALLY TO DETERMINE HOW WE CAN DO THAT BETTER SO THAT WE CAN CREATE THAT STRAIGHT LINE IN TERMS OF THAT CORRELATION. THAT'S MORE TO COME ON THAT. WHAT I SEE IN TERMS OF ALL THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE, IT'S NOT ONE THING THAT DOES IT. IT IS A CULMINATION OF ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT KEEP HILLSBOROUGH WHERE WE'RE AT ACADEMICALLY.
>>Lynn Gray: ON A PRAGMATIC SIDE, I LOOK AT IT IN TWO POSITIVE WAYS. NUMBER ONE, WITH THE COMING ABOUT OF MORE AND MORE TECHNOLOGY WITH THE STUDENTS, STUDENTS USE TECHNOLOGY, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS STUDENT FRIENDLY, AND IF THE TEACHERS ARE SUPPORTING IT, WHICH I'M GOING TO ASK, I KNOW THE PRINCIPALS SEEM TO BE SUPPORTING, BUT HOW ABOUT OUR TEACHERS, ANECDOTAL TYPE OF COMMENTS MADE, ANYTHING OF THAT NATURE.
>>Terry Connor: YES, WE DO GET ANECDOTAL DATA ACTUALLY AS THEY ENGAGE INTO THE PROGRAM. THEY MAY BE PRESENTED WITH A SURVEY, AND WE DO GET SOME ANECDOTAL FEEDBACK FROM THEM. I DON'T HAVE QUANTITATIVE DATA BUT PLENTY OF TESTIMONIALS OF HOW THIS HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL AND HOW TEACHERS PERCEIVE THIS PROGRAM, WHICH I DID PROVIDE TO THE BOARD THIS AFTERNOON. SO I WON'T READ THEM ALL, BUT DEFINITELY THERE ARE SOME VERY POSITIVE FEEDBACK FROM OUR TEACHERS IN TERMS OF USAGE.
>>Lynn Gray: MY LAST QUESTION, IS MR. CONNOR, WHEN WE DEAL WITH THE HIGH NEEDS CHILDREN AND PERHAPS EVEN A LACK OF TECHNOLOGY IN THEIR HANDS, DO WE SEE THAT THERE'S MORE USAGE FROM OUR HIGH-NEEDS STUDENTS VERSUS THOSE WHO PERHAPS ARE IN PROGRAMS LIKE ACE OR CAMBRIDGE, ET CETERA. IS THERE ANY TYPE OF DIFFERENT USAGE TRENDS THAT YOU SEE?
>>Terry Connor: SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT SCHOOL BY SCHOOL AND REALLY WHERE, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO THE POINT OF WHEN TEACHERS UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF IT AND UNDERSTAND HOW TO LEVERAGE IT, THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE INCREASED USAGE. IN SOME SCHOOLS WE HAVE EXTREMELY HIGH USAGE. THAT'S WHERE TEACHERS HAVE FOUND THAT. IN SOME SCHOOLS WE HAVE NOT. WHEN YOU LOOK ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND YOU LOOK AT OUR DIFFERENT DISTRICTS, THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME IMPACT, OBVIOUSLY, WITH YOUR HIGH SES SCHOOLS IF THEY DO LACK SOME OF THAT TECHNOLOGY. SO WHAT WE DO, WHAT WE'RE PLANNING TO DO IS WORK WITH, ESPECIALLY IN OUR TRANSFORMATION NETWORK, OF HOW CAN WE CONNECT THOSE TECHNOLOGY RESOURCES FROM SCHOOL TO THE HOME? SO IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY IF YOU'RE ONE TO ONE AND A STUDENT CAN CHECK OUT A DEVICE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BEING CREATIVE TO KIND OF CLOSE THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR STUDENTS IN NEED. THAT'S WHAT WE'LL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT SO WE DON'T SEE THOSE TYPE OF NEGATIVE IMPACTS.
>>Lynn Gray: I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THIS ITEM, BECAUSE IN MY MIND, THE LEARNING LOSS IS SO SEVERE THAT IF WE CAN MAKE PROGRESS WITH THAT AND MAKE MORE AND MORE -- I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE WORD NECESSARILY DENSE, BUT IT'S SO CRITICAL THAT WE ADDRESS THAT. AND THIS SEEMS TO BE A COST-EFFECTIVE WAY. SO I WILL SUPPORT THIS ITEM. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MR. CONNOR, I APPRECIATE YOU ACTING ON THAT SURVEY PER MY REQUEST BECAUSE IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR SCHOOLS ACTUALLY WANT WHEN WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS FROM THE DAIS. I DID NOT GET THE COMMENTS I ASKED YOU FOR WHEN WE SPOKE EARLIER TODAY. DID YOU E-MAIL THOSE?
>>Terry Connor: I DID, YES, MA'AM.
>>Jessica Vaughn: I WOULD HAVE LIKED TO HAVE THOSE AND I DIDN'T GET THOSE BECAUSE I THINK THOSE ARE TELLING. SO I HAVE QUESTIONS, ONE, WE HAD SOMEONE SPEAK ABOUT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS. WHAT WAS THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS ON THIS?
>>Terry Connor: IT WAS ADVERTISED AS A SOLE SOURCE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: MEANING WE DIDN'T OFFER OTHER PEOPLE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BID ON THIS AT ALL.
>>Terry Connor: IT WAS NOT DONE THROUGH RFP, IT WAS SOLE SOURCE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: OF WHAT'S THE REASONING FOR THAT.
>>Terry Connor: THEIR PROGRAMS OFFER VERY SPECIFIC SOLE-SOURCE FEATURES.
>>Jessica Vaughn: I SEE. THE OTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS I APPRECIATE ONE MAKING THE CONNECTION THAT REGARDLESS OF WHETHER IT'S A FANTASTIC PLATFORM OR PROGRAM, THE KEY LIES WITH HOW MUCH OUR TEACHERS ACTUALLY UTILIZE THAT AND MAKING THE CONNECTION TO THE HUMAN CAPITAL THAT PROGRAMS AND PLATFORMS CAN'T REPLACE OUR TEACHERS. AND I APPRECIATE THAT PER THE SURVEY ONE THING THAT WE IDENTIFIED IS SUPPORT AND REIMPLEMENTING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE A PLAN BECAUSE I KNOW THAT WE GLEANED THAT FROM THE SURVEY. MY CONCERN IS WE HAD SEVERAL TEACHERS SPEAK TONIGHT THAT THEY ARE OVERWHELMED WITH PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THAT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE BUY A NEW COMPUTER PROGRAM AND WE TALK ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF IT AND WE TALK ABOUT THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THESE DAYS REALLY ACCUMULATES TO TEACHERS SELF-TEACHING THEMSELVES THROUGH VIDEOS OR WEBINARS. IT'S NOT LIKE WE HAVE PEOPLE IN OUR SCHOOLS WHO ARE TRAINING OUR TEACHERS. IT'S MORE TIME WHEN THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT ALREADY BEING OVERWORKED AND TIRED AND EXHAUSTED AND LEARNING A NEW CURRICULUM AND A NEW TESTING STANDARD AND A NEW EVALUATION FORM AND ALL THE OTHER THINGS WHEN THEY TALK ABOUT CHANGES. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH WE'LL PUSH THIS ON THEM AND ASK FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, WHAT I HEAR IS THAT EQUATES TO MORE WORK TO OUR TEACHERS WHO ARE ALREADY DROWNING IN WORK. SO THAT IS A CONCERN FOR ME. I WANT TO KNOW YOUR FEEDBACK ON THAT. MY FINAL COMMENT IS, IT'S REALLY HARD AND I KNOW THAT WE TALK ABOUT THIS CONSISTENTLY, THAT WE HAVE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF MONEY AND THAT THE MONEY WE SPEND ON COMPUTER PROGRAMS OR DIFFERENT THINGS, CATEGORICAL AND THAT CAN'T BE USED FOR TEACHER SALARIES, PER SE, BUT IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD FOR ME TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THESE ITEMS WHEN TEACHERS SPOKE THIS WEEK BECAUSE I GOT PAPER FOR THEM BECAUSE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PAPER IN OUR SCHOOLS. THERE'S NOT TONERS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THERE'S NOT THE BASIC NEEDS THAT WE HAVE AND PLETHORA IN OUR SCHOOLS. I'LL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE. I HAVE 30 SECONDS. IT'S INCREASINGLY HARD FOR ME TO WRAP MY BRAIN, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT MONEY THAT WE NECESSARILY CAN EQUATE TO PAYING OUR TEACHERS, THAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING SPENDING MONEY ON A PLATFORM WHICH HOPEFULLY HELPS WITH LEARNING LOSS, WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THE BASIC NEEDS IN OUR SCHOOL. MAYBE THAT'S JUST MISCOMMUNICATION. MAYBE THERE IS MONEY AVAILABLE FOR THAT. BUT THE FACT THAT WE CONTINUALLY HAVE TEACHERS TALKING ABOUT THAT IS PROBLEMATIC FOR ME. AND I WILL GET BACK IN THE QUEUE THIS TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, YOU WANTED TO COMMENT.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. I'LL TRANSITION TO MR. CONNOR. FIRST AND FOREMOST, ANYTHING OUR SCHOOLS NEED FOR THE ESSENTIALS, THAT MONEY HAS ALREADY BEEN BUDGETED AND READY TO GO. OUR LEADERS JUST NEED TO SIGNIFY WHAT THEY NEED. EVERYONE HERE THIS EVENING AND REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS AND WE WILL HELP AND PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORTS AS NEEDED, WHETHER THAT'S PAPER. WHETHER THAT'S TONER, RIGHT NOW THE ONLY THING THAT WE SEE RELATED TO THE OVERARCHING NEEDS ARE THE S.T.E.M. SCOPES WHICH WE CANNOT CONTROL. WE ORDERED THE MATERIAL BACK IN MARCH AND THEY HAD THE NUMBERS IN APRIL. RELATED TO WHERE WE ARE AND THERE'S ONE GRADE LEVEL SPECIFICALLY THAT NEEDS THEIR STUDENT NOTEBOOKS. WE WILL PROVIDE ANYTHING TO BE ABLE TO HELP AND ASSIST TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT TEACHERS DO NOT COME OUT OF THEIR POCKETS. WE JUST NEED TO KNOW. WE NEED TO KNOW IF THERE ARE AREAS OF ISSUES OF CONCERN SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE FILL THOSE VOIDS. AS IT RELATES TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THAT'S THE WAY WE CONTINUE TO LEARN AND GROW. IT MAY BE EXHAUSTING BUT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAS TO HAPPEN SO WE'RE NOT STAYING AND REMAINING STAGNANT. AT THE SAME TOKEN, WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE SURVEYING OUR TEACHERS THE SAME WAY WE SURVEY PRINCIPALS TO DETERMINE AND REFLECT WHETHER OR NOT THAT PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN ONE THAT'S BEEN VALUABLE OF TIME, CONNECTED TO THE OVERARCHING OBJECTIVES AND REALLY BENEFICIAL FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AS AN ORGANIZATION AND INSTRUCTION. WE HAVE RESOLUTIONIZED OUR INDUSTRY. WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE CERTAIN WE CONTINUE TO PUSH THE BALL DOWN THE ROAD AND CONTINUE TO PROGRESS BUT AT THE SAME TIME UNDERSTANDING AND RECOGNIZING WHERE OUR WORKFORCE IS AND BE ABLE TO BE VERY SENSITIVE TO THAT CONTINUED PROCESS. MR. CONNOR, DO YOU WANT TO ADDRESS ANYTHING RELATED TO P.D. OR NEEDS FOR THIS INITIATIVE?
>>Terry Connor: ABSOLUTELY. I THINK YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, MS. VAUGHN IN TERMS OF OVERWHELMING OUR TEACHERS WITH ANOTHER THING. I THINK WE CAN LEVERAGE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN VERY BITE-SIZE PIECES THROUGH THEIR ALREADY EXISTING STRUCTURES LIKE THEIR COMMON PLANNING. THEIR PLCs, WHERE THIS DEDICATED SUCCESS MANAGER WHO WILL DEDICATE THEMSELVES AT THAT SITE FOR THAT ENTIRE DAY OR MULTIPLE DAYS TO GET IN AND WORK WITH GRADE LEVELS, INDIVIDUAL TEACHERS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN VERY BITE-SIZED, MANAGEABLE PIECES, SO THEY ARE NOT SITTING DRUDGERY THROUGH A POWERPOINT. THIS IS SOMETHING POWERFUL. IT'S HANDS ON. AND THEY GET IT AND GET OUT AND MAKE IT QUICK FOR TEACHERS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. MEMBER SNIVELY.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE PUTTING TOGETHER A STRATEGIC MARKETING PLAN OR THEY ARE HELPING TO DO THAT. I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A WHOLE LOT OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT NECESSARY FOR PAPER AS MUCH AS PROMOTION TO -- FOR KIDS TO ACTUALLY USE THE PRODUCT. I'VE GOT TWO STUDENTS IN HIGH SCHOOL. I'VE GOT A JUNIOR AND I'VE GOT A PRETTY SUREMAN. -- FRESHMAN. ONE IS A LITTLE MORE ACADEMICALLY ADVANCED THAN THE OTHER. NEITHER OF THEM HAVE HEARD PAPER. NEITHER. SO I THINK THAT MORE SO, I LIKE THE FACT THAT IF THEY ARE USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO ADVERTISE, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD THING. BUT I WILL BE CURIOUS GOING FROM 38,291 LEARNING ACTIVITIES TO THE GOAL OF 100,000. THAT'S ALMOST THREE TIMES AS MANY. SO I THINK THAT WE'LL NEED TO -- I THINK THAT YOU'LL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS AND MAYBE WE GET A PROGRESS REPORT SIX MONTHS DOWN THE ROAD FROM NOW AS TO WHETHER THEY ARE ON TRACK FOR THAT GOAL TO EITHER MEET OR EXCEED THAT GOAL. I THINK THAT'S A LOFTY GOAL BUT I HAVEN'T SEEN THE STRATEGY AROUND IT EITHER. SO THAT'S, I GUESS, TO BE SEEN WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE EFFECTIVE. BUT I DO THINK THE BIGGER PROBLEM IS THE AWARENESS PIECE THAT THE STUDENTS DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THAT PRODUCT EXISTS. GOOD LUCK WITH THAT AND I HOPE THAT THEY ARE MADE MORE AWARE OF THAT. I'M MAKING MY KIDS AWARE OF IT NOW, AND I'M HOPING THAT MORE KIDS BECOME AWARE OF IT IF IT'S THERE TO TRULY HELP KIDS WITH ONLINE TUTORING. THAT'S FOR A PARENT WHO HAS CHILDREN WHO HAVE USED OUTSIDE SOURCING FOR TUTORING. IT'S VERY HELPFUL FOR ME BECAUSE TUTORING IS EXPENSIVE. IT CAN BE ANYWHERE AND YOU KNOW, MS. COMBS, YOU OWNED A TUTORING COMPANY AT ONE POINT IN TIME. IT CAN BE LIKE 25 TO 50 DOLLARS AN HOUR DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF TUTORING IS DONE AND WHAT LEVEL OF TUTORING IS DONE. AS A PARENT, THIS IS GREAT BECAUSE I'M NOT HAVING TO PAY ADDITIONAL DOLLARS. IT'S NOT EXACTLY THE SAME OBVIOUSLY AS A ONE TO ONE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GET WITH A TUTOR. SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY FOR EVERY STUDENT. SOME STUDENTS WILL STILL NEED THE ONE TO ONE WITH AN ACTUAL TUTOR, BUT MAYBE FOR THE KIDS WHO NEED JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HELP AND NOT NECESSARILY THAT LEVEL OF ONE TO ONE THAT THIS COULD BE SOMETHING THAT HELPS THEM AS WELL. I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT MAKING SURE THAT THE STUDENTS KNOW THAT EXISTS AND THAT WHETHER IT'S JUST BRINGING IT TO THEIR ATTENTION ON A REGULAR BASIS, WHETHER IT'S IN THE CLASSROOM OR OTHER OUTLETS OF MARKETING, THAT THEY JUST NEED TO KNOW WHERE TO GO. WHERE TO GO IS ON CANVAS, WHERE YOU CLICK, HOW DO YOU GET INTO IT, AND REALLY THEY ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT. THEY ARE GOING TO FIGURE IT OUT. THEY DON'T NEED ANYBODY TO TEACH HOW TO DO IT. MAYBE TO FIND IT, CLICK ON IT AND GET LOGGED INTO IT. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH ALL THEY ARE GOING TO NEED, I THINK.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY. I WAS GOING TO SAY REALLY THE SAME THING. FOR ME, JUST THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MARKET THIS PROGRAM. WHEN I REALLY LOOKED AT WHO IS USING IT, IT HAPPENS TO BE THE HIGHER SOCIOECONOMIC SCHOOL. I HAVE A SENIOR, TOO, AND I ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST TEN KIDS STAYING AT MY HOUSE. WHEN I ASKED THEM THE OTHER DAY, HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD OF PAPER, IT WAS ABOUT THREE OR FOUR STUDENTS. HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT OUT THERE? THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN MY CONCERN, BUT THE IDEA THAT THEY ARE MARKETING IT TO HALF THE PRICE THAT WE RECEIVED LAST YEAR, SO THE COST OF IT HAS DECREASED BY 50% BECAUSE THEY WANT A YEAR TO PROVE THEMSELVES THAT THEY CAN MARKET OUT THERE, WE CAN GO OUT THERE AND WE CAN GET THE STUDENTS I THINK IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE MONEY COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE LEVEL AND FEDERAL LEVEL, ALL OF IT HAS TO DO WITH AFTER-SCHOOL TUTORING, SUPPORTING STUDENTS BECAUSE OF THE HUGE ACADEMIC LOSSES. SO I KNOW FOR MYSELF, I'VE OWNED A TUTORING CENTER IN SOME CAPACITY FOR ALMOST 17 YEARS. THE LEAST I'VE EVER CHARGED WAS $35 FOR AN HOUR. SO THE IDEA TO HAVE A FULL YEAR FOR $12 FOR A CHILD IS JUST A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY. I DON'T THINK OTHER COMPANIES CAN MATCH THAT. I KNOW THAT THERE'S OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES THAT WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT, BUT THE IDEA OF BEING ABLE TO DO THAT AT THAT LEVEL, ONE OF MY FRIENDS THE OTHER DAY, SHE ACTUALLY SAID, HEY, WHAT WAS THAT PROGRAM YOU TALKED ABOUT, BECAUSE SHE'S NEW TO FLORIDA AND SHE RECEIVED A REALLY GREAT SUMMARY FROM HER SON AND SHE SHOWED ME THE SUMMARY AND SHE FOUND IT REALLY WONDERFUL. SO I THINK IT'S JUST THE MARKETING OUT THERE, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN GET THE MARKETING. IF WE CAN'T, THEN WE WON'T USE IT. BUT FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WHEN WE KNOW THAT THERE'S ACADEMIC LOSS, AND I WILL SAY SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS THAT HAD, WENT THROUGH COVID AND MISSED A LOT OF MATH AND MAYBE THEY ARE TAKING ALGEBRA TWO BUT DIDN'T GET A GOOD FOUNDATION OF ALGEBRA ONE OR GEOMETRY BECAUSE THEY WERE OUT WITH COVID. LIKE MY DAUGHTER. SHE MISSED 40 DAYS OF SCHOOL. THOSE SOURCES AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING OR 1:00 IN THE MORNING TO BE ABLE TO LOG ON AND ASK A QUESTION ABOUT MATH IS REALLY IMPORTANT. SO WE JUST HAVE TO GET THOSE SOURCES OUT. SO I AM GOING TO SUPPORT THIS. THANK YOU. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: SO I HAD THE SAME CONCERN AS MEMBER VAUGHN WITH THE TEACHERS, BUT YOU ANSWERED THAT QUESTION. AND ALSO, AS MEMBER SNIVELY. SO I HAVE THREE GRANDCHILDREN THAT ARE IN GRADE, BETWEEN GRADES 6 AND 12. WHEN I ASKED THEM AND THEY GO TO TWO SEPARATE SCHOOLS, THEY HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT. AND THEY THOUGHT I WAS MAKING THINGS UP TO SEE IF THEY WERE STUDYING. AND THEY THOUGHT BECAUSE I'M A BOARD MEMBER I WAS MAKING THINGS UP TO SEE IF I COULD CATCH THEM IN SOMETHING AND I SAID NO. THIS ACTUALLY EXISTS. SO HOW IS IT THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PUSHING THIS OUT TO THOSE SCHOOLS TO ENSURE THAT THESE STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO CAPTURE THIS? AND THEN I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
>>Terry Connor: THANK YOU. I REALLY DO BELIEVE THE LINCHPIN IN THIS IS THE TEACHER BECAUSE STUDENTS WILL RESPOND TO WHAT TEACHERS EXPECT. AND IF TEACHERS FEEL THAT THIS PROGRAM IS VALUABLE, WE HAVE TO DO A BETTER JOB OF REALLY EDUCATING OUR TEACHERS ABOUT THE POWER OF THE PROGRAM AND HOW THEY CAN LEVERAGE IT FOR ESSAY REVIEW TO HELP THEM IN THEIR WORKLOAD, BUT ALSO THE IMPORTANCE FOR THEIR STUDENTS TO HAVE THIS ACCESS BEYOND SCHOOL HOURS, RIGHT? I THINK THE TEACHERS WILL BECOME THE BEST MARKETERS FOR THE PROGRAM THAN ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE STUDENTS LISTEN TO THEIR TEACHERS. AND I THINK THAT'S OUR OPPORTUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD IS THAT IF OUR TEACHERS CAN BE OUR SALES PEOPLE FOR US, WE WILL GET AN EXPLOSION OF USAGE?
>>Karen Perez: WILL PAPER PUT UP POSTERS OR ANYTHING AROUND THE SCHOOLS?
>>Terry Connor: ABSOLUTELY AND THEY HAVE. WE ACTUALLY DID ACCOMPLISH THAT GOAL. SO WE HAVE POSTERS OUT. LIKE I SAID, A LIST OF SEVERAL DIFFERENT MARKETING. WE'VE DONE TV COMMERCIALS. OUR SOCIAL MEDIA TEAM HAS PROBABLY OVERKILLED ON PAPER. IT'S ALL OVER THE FRONT PAGE OF OUR WEBSITE. IT'S EVERYWHERE, BUT THAT'S WHY I STILL BELIEVE THAT WHEN THE TEACHERS BECOME THE SALES PEOPLE, YOU'LL SEE BETTER RETURN, BECAUSE WE CAN POST THIS STUFF EVERYWHERE. BUT IF THEY DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT PAPER -- AND THAT CAN BE TRICKY. YOU SEE PAPER. WHAT DOES THAT HAVE TO DO WITH ACTUALLY TUTORING. HAVING THOSE EXPLANATIONS AND REALLY UNDERSTANDING IT, I DO THINK THAT WILL BE THE LINCHPIN.
>>Karen Perez: SUPERINTENDENT, WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS COMING IN FROM DIFFERENT AREAS, CUBA TO NAME ONE. HOW WILL THIS PROGRAM ASSIST OUR ELL LEARNERS?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MULTIPLE LANGUAGES TO BE ENGAGED WITH OUR STUDENTS. ONE THING PAPER CONTINUED STRENGTH, THEY UNDERSTAND THE DIVERSITY OF OUR COMMUNITY. SO THEY HAVE THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT WITH OUR LEARNERS AND FAMILIES.
>>Karen Perez: BECAUSE I HEARD MR. CONNOR SAY THAT INFORMATION WAS GOING TO GO OUT TO IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES TO THE PARENTS BUT NEVER ADDRESSED THE ELL LEARNERS THEMSELVES. THANK YOU.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. I SHARED SOME OF THE SAME CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT AND I WAS A LITTLE SURPRISED AT THE UTILIZATION RATE BECAUSE, AGAIN, I REALLY THOUGHT THIS WOULD BE USED SO WIDELY ACROSS OUR DISTRICT. SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU'RE RECOGNIZING THAT THIS IS A COMMUNICATIONS ISSUE FOR A BIG PART OF THIS AND THAT PAPER IS GOING TO BE ENGAGING AROUND A COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN AND BECAUSE LIKE I'VE SAID, IF NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT, IT'S LIKE IF A TREE FALLS IN THE FOREST AND NOBODY HEARS IT, DID IT REALLY FALL? IF NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT IT, IS IT REALLY VALUABLE FOR US? I THINK THIS IS A GOOD YEAR TO KIND OF REIGNITE THIS CAMPAIGN AND TRY AND GET SOME INTEREST. I DO VALUE MEMBER COMBS' COMMENTS AROUND THE VALUE BECAUSE THIS IS HER EXPERTISE. THIS IS WHERE SHE RAN HER BUSINESS. SHE UNDERSTANDS THE COSTS OF THESE TYPES OF SERVICES. SO I FOUND THAT INFORMATION REALLY VALUABLE. SO THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. YOU KNOW, I THINK HAVING THIS 24/7 ACCESS, WE HAVE STUDENTS WHO WORK AFTER SCHOOL. THEY DON'T GET HOME LATE. HAVING A TUTOR MAY NOT BE REALISTIC GIVEN THE COMMITMENTS THEY HAVE. THE COST IS OUTRAGEOUS. I KNOW FOR MY OWN CHILD WE DO SMALL GROUP TUTORING WHEN NEEDED BECAUSE THE COSTS CAN RUN AS HIGH AS $100 AN HOUR. AND THE MULTI-LANGUAGE PIECE THAT MEMBER PEREZ BROUGHT UP IS REALLY IMPORTANT. HAVING SO MANY DIFFERENT LANGUAGES THAT OUR STUDENTS NEED WOULD BENEFIT FROM INSTRUCTION IN THEIR OWN NATIVE LANGUAGE AND THE FACT THAT THIS HAS IT EMBEDDED IN IT TO A LARGER EXTENT THAN WE PROVIDE IS POSITIVE. SO I'LL BE SUPPORTING THIS ITEM.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER WASHINGTON.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ALSO, I THINK IT'S SO IMPORTANT, MR. CONNOR, TO HAVE THAT PROGRESS REPORT SO WE KNOW HOW WELL WE'RE DOING FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR. WHAT I LIKE ABOUT IT, YOU'LL BE WORKING WITH TRANSFORMATION, SO WE CAN GET SOME OF THAT DIGITAL DIVIDE CAUGHT UP WITH, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT. YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THAT?
>> BECAUSE I KNOW YOU WERE A FORMER COACH, WE ALSO TALKED TO MR. ROBINSON IN ATHLETICS, AND WE ARE GOING TO MAKE IT A PART OF THEIR MANDATORY STUDY HALL AS WELL. I DIDN'T SAY THAT EARLIER.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: YOU ALREADY GOT MY VOTE YES. THAT SEALED THE DEAL WITH SHAKE WASHINGTON. ANYWAY, I THINK IT'S A GREAT DEAL, AND I WILL SUPPORT IT.
>>Nadia Combs: SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME CLOSING COMMENTS ON IT?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. I APPRECIATE THE CONVERSATION BECAUSE THIS IS A LOT OF MONEY. I ALSO THANK OUR TEAM FOR GOING BACK TO PAPER AND HOLDING THEM ACCOUNTABLE ABOUT THE USAGE RATE AND TAKING FROM $2.6 MILLION TO $1.2 MILLION ASK AND EXPENDITURE. ALSO US BEING ABLE TO LEVERAGE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS BECOME AVAILABLE TO USE CATEGORICAL OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO. I THINK THIS YEAR IS PIVOTAL FOR US TO DETERMINE THE OVERALL EFFECTIVENESS AND WE WILL PROVIDE THE QUARTERLY MIDYEAR REPORT TO BE ABLE TO SHOW THE BOARD THE ANALYTICS AND ALSO TO LOOK AT THE IMPACT OF THE MARKETING THAT CONTINUES THAT WE WILL PARTNER WITH PAPER TO BE ABLE TO PUSH OUT. IF THIS DEEMS AT THE END OF THE YEAR NOT TO HAVE MAJOR INCREASE IN VALUE WITH USAGE RATES, ALSO STUDENTS AND NUMBER OF SCHOOLS, THEN OPENLY WE WILL BRING THIS BACK TO THE BOARD. I THINK THAT'S ABOUT HAVING ORGANIZATIONAL CONTROLS AND QUALITY CONTROLS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE GETTING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT IN THIS PROCESS. BUT WE APPRECIATE IT.
>>Nadia Combs: MEMBER HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: ONE REQUEST, KIND OF PIGGYBACKING ON WHAT MEMBER SNIVELY SAID, IF YOU CAN BRING US UTILIZATION NUMBERS, MAYBE QUARTERLY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR I WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. MAYBE YOU COULD PUT THAT ON -- THANK YOU. SUSPENDED AGENDA.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM.
>>Lynn Gray: WELL, AT ANY RATE, WHAT I WANTED TO SAY IS THE SUSTAINABILITY, MR. CONNOR, ANYTIME THAT WE HAVE AN INFUSION OF MONEY, A DEVICE, IN MY MIND, THAT ORIGINAL OUTPUT OF COST AND LEARNING CURVE, IF WE JUST CUT IT SHORT, IT WOULD BE JUST LIKE ANY OTHER PROGRAM THAT COMES AND GOES, AND THAT IS REALLY BAD FOR MORALE. TEACHERS WANT CONTINUITY. STUDENTS NEED CONTINUITY. THE BOARD MEMBERS NEED THE SAME, BUT AS MEMBER HAHN AND THE REST OF US SAID, WE DEFINITELY HAVE TO HAVE THE DATA AND SUSPENDED AGENDA IS A GREAT VEHICLE TO DO SO.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES 6-1 WITH MEMBER VAUGHN VOTING NO. WE'LL MOVE ON TO 3.01, APPROVE ALL IMPROVEMENT PLANS, SIP, SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL COMPOSITION FORMS, AND SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT WAIVERS FOR 2022-2023. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD POLICY 2120 STATES THE SCHOOL BOARD SHALL ANNUALLY APPROVE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS IN AN EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EFFORTS, WORK, AND CONCENTRATION OF EACH INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL IN ORDER TO MOVE THE NEEDLE IN PERFORMANCE AND ALSO WELL-BEING AND OVERALL OF OUR STUDENTS. IN THIS, THERE ARE MAJOR FOCAL POINTS IN OUR SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PLANS. REVIEWED AND THOROUGHLY SUPPORTED THROUGH OUR SCHOOLS AND OUR DIVISIONS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT CONTENT AREAS OF FOCUS, HOW THEY WILL LIFT CERTAIN CONTENT IN ORDER TO, AND MOVE THE NEEDLE AND HELP STUDENTS WITH PERFORMANCE, ALSO WITH FAMILY ENGAGEMENT, WHAT THEY SEEK TO DO FROM A PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WILL BE THE INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES AT THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL, HOW THEY WILL ADDRESS ANY BEHAVIOR STRATEGIES AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO USE ALL THIS INFORMATION BASED ON DATA ANALYTICS TO BE ABLE TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS TO BE ABLE TO HELP AND ENGAGE OUR STAKEHOLDERS WITH INPUT AND TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS FLUENT DOCUMENT THAT WE SEE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING. JUST BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL, BUT ALSO UNDERSTAND THIS DOCUMENT COULD BE ADJUSTED AS THEY CONTINUE TO LOOK AT PROGRESS MONITORING AND ALSO WORK WITH THEIR LOCAL INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP TEAMS AND COMMUNITY TO DETERMINE AND RECOGNIZE PRIORITIES WITHIN THEIR PARTICULAR SCHOOL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 3.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER SNIVELY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Melissa Snively: NO. I JUST THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO PULL THIS ONE AND VOTE SEPARATELY BECAUSE IT'S TO SUPPORT OUR BOARD POLICY AND TO ALSO HIGHLIGHT THE ITEM AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE STRIVING TO HAVE MORE AB AND C SCHOOLS AND LESS D AND F. I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE GOOD IN CASE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS ALSO HAD ANY COMMENTS OR DISCUSSION ON IT AS WELL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER SNIVELY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.01, APPROVE INVITATION TO BID 22225-DST-CH INTERNATIONAL PARTS AND LABOR. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE A CORPORATION TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A VENDOR FOR OEM PARTS AND REPAIRS FOR OUR SCHOOL BUSES. AS WE KNOW WE HAVE SO MANY FLEET ON THE ROAD AND BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY A PARTNER TO BE ABLE TO ASSIST TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE CONTINUOUS MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT THIS DISTRICT FOR ACCESSIBILITY TO TRANSPORT STUDENTS, AT THE SAME TOKEN BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE STAFF TO BE ABLE TO SERVE SCHOOLS TO ADDRESS ANY CONTINUED ISSUES. WE SEE THERE IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN COSTS, AND WE PULLED THIS DUE TO THE FACT THAT IT IS GENERAL FUNDS AND THE COST IS RELATED TO INCREASE OF PARTS, THE FUEL THAT IT TAKES FOR THAT CORPORATION TO COME TO OUR VEHICLES TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THEM AND ALSO AN INCREASE IN LABOR.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.03, INVITATION TO BID 22137-MST-EJ WAX AND FLOORING PRODUCTS.
>>Addison Davis: THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO AWARD A VENDOR TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE REFINISHING OF OUR HARDWOOD FLOORS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS IS THE FINISHED FLOORS. THEY LOOK AT FLOOR REMOVAL. THEY LOOK AT CLEANING THE FLOORS AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO GO BACK AND MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE'RE RESTORING THESE FLOORS. THESE ARE FOR EVERY HARDWOOD SURFACE IN OUR SCHOOLS. THIS IS FOR RAW PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS AND ALSO LABOR AS WELL. THIS IS A $903,000 EXPENDITURE THAT WE USE FOR GENERAL FUNDS. YOU WILL SEE AN INCREASE, AND THIS INCREASE IS ONCE AGAIN BECAUSE OF THE CPI, THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX CONTINUES TO GROW, AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS TO MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL THE DISTRICT SAFETY APPROVED PRODUCTS AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO APPROVE THE POLICIES AND MAKE CERTAIN THE STUDENTS HAVE AND TEACHERS HAVE THE BEST FACILITIES POSSIBLE EVERY DAY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.03. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.04, REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS, 22235-MST-EJ SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICES.
>>Addison Davis: THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO REALLY LOOK AT SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING SERVICES AND MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY EXPECTATIONS AND ALSO THE CITY OF TAMPA EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS. AND WHAT THIS DOES IS REALLY LOOK AT OUR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING MANAGEMENT SERVICES AS WE TRANSITION TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THIS EXPENDITURES AND RECYCLE DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE A BIG ORGANIZATION. THIS IS A $2.7 MILLION EXPENDITURE WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, WHICH IS OUT OF GENERAL FUND.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.04. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.06, APPROVE CHANGE ORDER NUMBER ONE FOR THE ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEM INSTALLATIONS AT VARIOUS SITES, PROJECT NUMBER 100474. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS CONTINUED EFFORTS FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY. ONE THING WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO IS MAKE CERTAIN THAT EVERY ONE OF OUR STRUCTURES FROM ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL HAVE HARDENED STRUCTURES TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT WHO IS TRANSITIONING AND GAINING ACCESS TO OUR FACILITIES EVERY SINGLE DAY WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION. THIS IS CONTINUED EXPANSION OF THE WORK WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND MAKE CERTAIN EVERY ONE OF OUR FACILITIES IS PRIMED AND READY AND HAS CONTROLS TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES, AT THE SAME TOKEN OUR STUDENTS. THIS IS A $1.2 MILLION BUDGETED ACCESS THAT WE WILL USE WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY DOLLARS OUT OF CATEGORICAL FUNDS OUTLINED AND IDENTIFIED BY THE STATE.
>>Nadia Combs: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.06. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. I PULLED THIS ITEM. I KNOW YOU ANSWERED SOME OF THE QUESTIONS I HAD. I'M REALLY GLAD TO MAKE SURE. I KNOW WE'RE PUTTING SAFETY AS A BIG PRIORITY IN OUR DISTRICT. IT IS THE NUMBER ONE, WHEN PARENTS SEND THEIR CHILDREN TO SCHOOL, AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE DOING SEVERAL ADDITIONAL SAFEGUARDS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR UNLESS ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.11, AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF TAMPA/TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE 2022-2023 SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS TO MAKE CERTAIN WE REMAIN IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE BILLS THAT WERE PASSED DUE TO THE HORRIFIC INCIDENT WITHIN PARKLAND TO MAKE CERTAIN WE PUT AN ASSET AT EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS. THIS IS RENEWAL OF A CONTRACT WITH ANNUAL RENEWAL WITH TAMPA BAY -- WITH TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT TO MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE RESOURCE OFFICERS IN 26 OF OUR SCHOOLS. THIS COVERS 50% OF THE FTE OF OUR OFFICERS, THE SALARIES, THE BENEFITS, THEIR VEHICLES, AND THEIR EQUIPMENT AND FOR US, IT'S A CONTRACT THAT DOES NOT EXCEED $2 MILLION.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.11. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Jessica Vaughn: YES, THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I ACTUALLY HAD SOME CONSTITUENT CALLS ON THIS WHICH IS THE REASON THAT I PULLED THIS ITEM. SO YOU SAID THERE WERE 26 SCHOOLS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. ANYTHING THAT'S IN THE CITY OF TAMPA THEY PROVIDE SUPPORTS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: CITY OF TAMPA THAT HELPS IDENTIFY WHAT THOSE SCHOOLS ARE. AND THE DESCRIPTION OF IT SAYS THAT PART OF THE FOCUS IS ADDRESSING GUN VIOLENCE ON SCHOOL CAMPUS. SO JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND FOR MY CONSTITUENTS, IS THIS BECAUSE THE OFFICERS ARE BETTER TRAINED TO RESPOND TO THAT OR HOW DOES THIS MATCH UP WITH THE DESCRIPTION, THIS PARTNERSHIP, HOW DOES THAT MATCH UP WITH THE DESCRIPTION IN THE AGENDA ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS ALL ABOUT BEING ABLE TO TO, A, MAKE CERTAIN WE'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATUTORILY REQUIREMENTS. B, IT'S ABOUT BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE SOPHISTICATELY TRAINED BY THE TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT THAT KNOW THE COMMUNITY AND SERVE THE PARTICULAR SCHOOLS UNDER THEIR SCOPE AND UNDER THEIR JURISDICTIONS. SO THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF ELEMENTS THEY HAVE TO BE TRAINED UPON. IDENTIFIED STATUTORILY REQUIRED BUT ALSO IDENTIFIED WITHIN THE POLICE DIVISION AND THEN THAT TRANSITIONS TO BE ABLE TO REALLY BUILD MENTORSHIPS AND ALSO GAIN ACCESS TO EDUCATE OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS EVERY SINGLE DAY. RELATED TO THIS PARTICULAR ITEM, THIS IS BEING ABLE TO PROPERLY COVER AND SO THAT WE CAN HAVE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRANSITIONING. WE HAVE THE OPTION TO EITHER PLACE THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRAINED THROUGH THE HISTORICAL GUARDIAN PROGRAM WHICH IS THE SCHOOL OFFICERS THAT WE HAVE IN SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY. BUT WE PROCEEDED TO TRANSITION TO PUT SCHOOLS THAT ARE IN THE TAMPA REGION TO HAVE FULL-FLEDGED RESOURCE OFFICERS WITHIN THOSE SCHOOLS EVERY SINGLE DAY.
>>Jessica Vaughn: GOT YOU. SO WOULD YOU SAY BECAUSE THE WAY THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IT, PART OF THE FOCUS IS FOSTERING POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR STUDENTS.
>>Addison Davis: HAS TO BE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: AND MAKING SURE THAT THEY ARE SUPPORTING THEM AND MAKING GOOD CHOICES.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THAT IS A CONTINUOUS CRITERIA THAT WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE DON'T NEED INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE JUST ON CAMPUS TO ENFORCE THE LAW. EVEN THOUGH THAT IS THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY, WE NEED THEM TO BE ABLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS EVERY SINGLE DAY NOT ONLY WITH OUR STUDENTS, BUT WITHIN THAT PARTICULAR COMMUNITY AND BE A PART OF THAT IN A PROACTIVE MANNER. EDUCATING, MENTORING, JUST BUILDING POSITIVE CONNECTIONS, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT OUT OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND SAME TOKEN ENFORCING THE LAW AND PROTECT OUR STUDENTS AND ALSO OUR EMPLOYEES ON CAMPUS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: IN LIEU OF THIS IN COUNTY SCHOOLS WHERE THEY ARE NOT WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS, YOU'RE SAYING WE UTILIZE OUR GUARDIAN AD LITEM PROGRAM.
>>Addison Davis: WE USE OUR SCHOOL OFFICERS AND WE USE.
>>Jessica Vaughn: GUARDIAN AD LITEM IS DIFFERENT.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. WE USE OUR SCHOOL OFFICERS AT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND ALSO WE LEVERAGE IN HIGH SCHOOLS AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF THE CITY OF TAMPA WE USE THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND THEY DO A REALLY GOOD JOB. CHIEF O'CONNOR, AT THE SAME TOKEN WITH SHERIFF CHAD CHRONISTER THEY WORK IN CONCERT WITH JOHN NEWMAN IN AN EFFORT TO STAND UP A WORKFORCE CONSISTENT IN THEIR APPROACH EVERY DAY.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: OVER THE WEEKEND I WAS -- I HAD THE AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE TAMPA BAY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SUMMIT. AND I SAT ON A PANEL REGARDING OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND ISSUES WITH OUR BLACK AND LATINO POPULATION AND THE IMPACT OF OUR CHILDREN AND THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE. AND A LOT OF THE CONVERSATION WAS SURROUNDING THE FACT OF THE SROs IN OUR SCHOOLS. CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT, PLEASE?
>>Addison Davis: SPEAK TO THE RELATIONSHIP OR --
>>Karen Perez: THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE ISSUE AND THE SROs.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THROUGH THE CHAIR, IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR US TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO REALLY FOCUS ON BREAKING THE CYCLE OF PRISON TO PIPELINE. THIS IS ALL ABOUT MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE A CODE OF STUDENT CONDUCT AND AT THE SAME TOKEN WE BUILD BEAUTIFUL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN STUDENTS AND OUR TEACHERS AND OUR ADMINISTRATION AND OUR RESOURCE OFFICERS ON CAMPUS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND WE ARE MAKING CERTAIN THAT WE IMPLEMENT POSITIVE BEHAVIOR, INTERVENTION SUPPORTS ALONG THE WAY THAT WILL REALLY COACH OUR STUDENTS TO MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. AND THIS IS WHERE MINDSETS COME INTO PLAY, ESPECIALLY FOR THE SECONDARY LEVEL, REALLY SO STUDENTS CAN MAKE, JUST BECOME A BETTER SELF. AND I THINK FROM OUR SIDE OF IT, WHAT WE'VE SEEN AS WE TRANSITION THROUGH THE PANDEMIC AND AS WE TRANSITION OUT OF THE PANDEMIC, WE DO SEE THAT THERE WAS A SPIKE RELATED TO STUDENT BEHAVIORS, BUT WE TRY TO BE ABLE TO CONCENTRATE AND REDUCE THE NUMBER OF ARRESTS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS. AND THAT'S THROUGH JUST REALLY PUTTING INTERVENTIONS IN PLACE BEFORE THOSE ARRESTS ARE MADE. AND ONE OF THOSE EXAMPLES IS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING AND PUTTING MITIGATION STRATEGIES FOR DE-ESCALATION STRATEGIES THAT WE TRAINED, BE ABLE TO TRAIN FOR TRAUMA-INFORMED SCHOOLS. TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH AND TO GIVE OUR TEACHERS AND LEADERS COPING STRATEGIES TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE ONGOING SUPPORTS FOR OUR LEARNERS. WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON DECREASING THE ARRESTS FOR OUR BLACK AND BROWN STUDENTS AND EVERY STUDENT WITHIN THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE WE DON'T BELIEVE ONE BAD DECISION DEFINES WHO THAT LEARNER IS. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THERE ARE PROACTIVE STRATEGIES THAT WE CAN ENTAIL THAT WE CAN HELP BE ABLE TO BUILD THE INTELLECTUAL BEHAVIOR CAPACITY, THE FAMILY AS WELL. IT IS A FOCAL POINT FOR US. OPENLY, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE LAST YEAR OF REFERRALS BECAUSE WE WERE COMING OUT OF THE PANDEMIC AND SOME OF THE STUDENTS HADN'T BEEN ON OUR CAMPUSES IN 18 MONTHS. WE HAD TO REDEFINE OUR CULTURE. REDEFINE SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES, AND WE'RE DOING THAT EVERY SINGLE DAY NOW AS WELL.
>>Karen Perez: THIS PARTNERSHIP IS ALSO TO ASSIST THAT, BUILDING THAT PARTNERSHIP, BUILDING WITH OUR STUDENTS AND THE SROs AS WELL?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, IT IS VITAL FOR US TO ALL BE ON THE SAME PAGE AND REALLY HAVING THE UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH AND HELP THEM GO TO SCHOOL DISRUPTION FEE AND THE RESOURCE OFFICERS BE THERE MORE THAN AN ENFORCER. BE THERE TO HELP IN ANY WAY.
>>Karen Perez: IT IS IMPORTANT TO BUILD THAT POSITIVE INFLUENCE WITH OUR BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS AND TO DECREASE THE SCHOOL TO PRISON POPULATION RIGHT NOW WITH OUR BLACK AND LATINO STUDENTS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 10.01, EDUPOINT SYNERGY TRAINING SUPPLEMENT.
>>Addison Davis: AS YOU KNOW IN JULY OF 2019, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE TRANSITION TO EDUPOINT EDUCATION SYSTEMS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AS THE NEW SYSTEM INFORMATION -- THE NEW STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM. THAT INFORMATION SYSTEM WILL LOOK AT CAPTURING MASTER SCHEDULES, LOOK AT THE ENROLLMENT, LOOK AT GRADING, STUDENT RECORDS. LOOK AT ATTENDANCE, BEHAVIOR INTERACTION, ESE CONTENT, ALL TO BE THE REALLY MAJOR HUB AS WE TRANSITION. THIS YEAR WE LAUNCHED OUR GRADE BOOK. WE ARE GOING TO FULL IMPLEMENTATION NEXT YEAR. BRINGING TO THE BOARD TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AN IMMEDIATE AND AGGRESSIVE PUSH FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THIS IS NONINSTRUCTIONAL PERSONNEL. THIS IS FOR DATA PROCESSORS. THIS IS FOR BOOKKEEPERS. THIS IS FOR EXECUTIVE ASSISTANTS AND ALSO A TRANSITION TO TEACHERS AND ADMINISTRATORS AS WELL BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION EFFICIENTLY. THIS TRANSITION WAS SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN EARLIER, BUT WE WERE FACED WITH THE PANDEMIC, AND WE WANTED TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE -- BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING FOR THIS PRODUCT THAT WE TRANSITION AND WE'RE EFFICIENT IN THE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SO WE HAVE A SEAMLESS OPENING TO JULY 2023 AS WE MOVE TO A NEW STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 10.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER GRAY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Lynn Gray: MY ONLY COMMENT IS I WANTED THE SIS TO BE SHARED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, NEW LEARNING SYSTEM. SO TEACHERS WILL BE, LET'S JUST SAY, KEENLY AWAITING, SHOULD BE A LOT EASIER. SHOULD BE A BIG TRANSFORMATION FOR COMPUTER USAGE. SO I'M GLAD TO SEE IT OCCURRING. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: YES, SO WE'RE OUTSOURCING THE TRAINING ON THIS FOR $330,000. WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? IS THAT GOING TO BE IN-PERSON TRAINING OR YET AGAIN PEOPLE WATCHING VIDEOS AND WEBINARS FOR THIS MUCH MONEY?
>>Thomas Weeks: THIS IS ACTUALLY DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAINING MATERIALS AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY ALLOW US, AFFORD US THE ABILITY TO TRAIN OUR TRAINERS. WE WOULD HAVE PERSONNEL IDENTIFIED AT EACH OF THE SCHOOL SITES, BUT ULTIMATELY WOULD BE THE LOCALIZED CHAMPION OR TRAINER, THE GO-TO PERSON AS IT WERE WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRAINING. THE MATERIALS THEMSELVES WILL BE CUSTOMIZED BASED OFF OF OUR INSTALLATION, SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S JUST OFF THE SHELF. IT WILL CONSIST OF WRITTEN MATERIALS. IT WILL LIKELY CONSIST OF VIDEOS AND OTHER TRAINING MATERIALS. SO IT'S GOING TO BE MULTIMODAL.
>>Jessica Vaughn: WE'RE PAYING THEM THIS MUCH MONEY TO TRAIN PEOPLE THAT WILL BE AT OUR SCHOOLS TO HELP PEOPLE USE THE MATERIALS AND WATCH WEBINARS AND LEARN THINGS ONLINE?
>>Thomas Weeks: MOST OF THIS IS ACTUALLY FOR THEM TO DEVELOP THE TRAINING MATERIALS ITSELF. WITHIN OUR RPD DEPARTMENT, AND WITHIN THE I.T. ORGANIZATION, WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO ALLOCATE TO THIS SPECIFIC PURPOSE. THIS WOULD INVOLVE A TOTAL OF 251 MAN DAYS' WORTH OF DEVELOPMENT FOR THE TRAINING MATERIALS AND THEN ALSO IMPLEMENTING THAT MATERIALS FOR A TRAIN THE TRAINER TYPE SCENARIO.
>>Addison Davis: TRANSITION TO MR. McAULEY AS WELL.
>>Michael McAuley: TO THE CHAIR, AS A CONTINUATION OF THAT, THE MATERIALS THAT THEY ARE GOING TO PROVIDE FOR US ARE GOING TO BE BUILT AROUND THE CUSTOMIZATION ELEMENTS OF SYNERGY AND SIS. WE'VE MET WITH DEBBIE PEPE, AMELIA JACKSON, MR. CONNOR, AND TOM WEEKS. WE ARE FOR IDENTIFICATIONING WHO THOSE DATA PROCESSORS ARE THAT ARE IN OUR BUILDINGS, THE BOOKKEEPERS, THE SECRETARIES THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO BE THE ONES THAT WE'RE TARGETING WITH THIS KIND OF MATERIAL. THEY WILL HELP US BASICALLY CROSSWALK THE WORK THAT THEY DO EVERY DAY WITH THE MATERIALS SO ULTIMATELY WHEN SYNERGY IS LAUNCHED IT WILL BE MUCH MORE FAMILIAR TO THEIR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS THAN SOMETHING THAT SYNERGY COULD JUST DEVELOP FOR US IN A GENERIC FASHION.
>>Jessica Vaughn: I SEE. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES 6-1 WITH MEMBER VAUGHN VOTING NO. 10.02, SHI QUOTE NUMBER 22620117 WITH SHI INCORPORATED FOR INFOR SOFTWARE LICENSING RENEWAL AND SUPPORT.
>>Addison Davis: THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE UPGRADE TO INFOR OUR ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING SOFTWARE IN ADDITION, WITH OUR WORKFORCE MANAGEMENT SUITES. THIS IS AN AGREEMENT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT OUR INFOR CLOUD SUITE FOCUSES ON FINANCIALS, MANAGEMENT SUPPLIES, OUR HUMAN CAPITAL NEEDS, AT THE SAME TIME BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT ATTENDANCE SERVICES AS WELL. THIS IS DEFINITELY AN EXPENDITURE THAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY HAVE. THIS IS A $2.1 MILLION EXPENDITURE THAT WE HAVE TO USE OUT OF GENERAL FUND DOLLARS. DR. WEEKS, ANYTHING?
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 10.02. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. THANK YOU. MEMBER GRAY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. QUICK QUESTION, DR. WEEKS, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, AM I CORRECT IN ASKING -- IN SAYING THAT THIS CONTROLS -- THIS SYSTEM CONTROLS ABOUT EVERY ASPECT OF HR?
>>Thomas Weeks: SO THIS ACTUALLY IS THE LIFEBLOOD OF THE DISTRICT IN TERMS OF OUR OVERALL DATA, FINANCIAL DATA, FROM OUR HUMAN RESOURCES, HUMAN CAPITAL DATA, AND THIS REALLY PROVIDES US ALL THE REPORTING AND THE DATA THAT'S REQUIRED TO MAKE COMPREHENSIVE AND DIVISIVE DECISION-MAKING PROCESSES FOR THE DISTRICT. THIS IS HOW WE ACTUALLY PAY OUR BILLS. THIS IS HOW WE HIRE OUR PEOPLE. THIS IS HOW WE PERFORM OUR BUSINESS FUNCTIONS FOR THE DISTRICT.
>>Lynn Gray: ESSENTIALLY, WE MUST HAVE THIS BECAUSE PAYROLL IS ATTACHED TO THIS.
>>Thomas Weeks: ABSOLUTELY.
>>Lynn Gray: ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL NOW GO TO OUR ONLY INFORMATIONAL ITEM, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CHARTER SCHOOLS ANNUAL REPORT. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BRING TO THE BOARD ALL INFORMATION RELATED TO EVERY CHARTER SCHOOL WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. THIS LOOKS AT INFORMATIONAL SHEET AND IT IS AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT LOOKS AT SCHOOL INFORMATION. LOOKS AT THEIR ENROLLMENT, THEIR ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE. IT LOOKS AT THE OPERATIONAL COMPLIANCE AND ALSO THEIR FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE AS WELL. THIS IS A SNAPSHOT OF HOW EVERY CHARTER SCHOOL UNDER OUR UMBRELLA IS FUNCTIONING WITHIN OUR ORGANIZATION. THIS DOCUMENT REALLY GETS A POINT FOR US TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS HOW WE SUPPORT, HOW WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS, ABOUT HOW WE CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ARE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND ALSO MAKE CERTAIN THERE IS ACCOUNTABILITY DISCUSSIONS RELATED TO ONGOING STANDARDS AND QUALITY STANDARDS RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CHARTER. SINCE WHY A, YOU WANT TO -- CHINS WHY A, DO YOU WANT TO EXPAND?
>>Cinzia DeLange: YES. IT IS BEST PRACTICE BASED ON FLORIDA PRINCIPLES AND STANDARDS FOR AUTHORIZERS IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IT'S NOT A REQUIREMENT, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A BEST PRACTICE. SO EVERY WAY, WE PUT TOGETHER, THE CHARTER OFFICE PUTS TOGETHER THE NUMBERS BASED ON ENROLLMENT, ACADEMICS, AND FINANCIALS, AND THAT WAY, AND THEN WE POST IT ON THE WEBSITE FOR THE PUBLIC TO VIEW.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, DR. DELANGE. THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM SO WE'RE NOT GOING TO VOTE ON IT, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GO TO COMMENTS. MEMBER VAUGHN. BEGIN WITH YOU.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. I REALLY LOVE THE LAYOUT OF THIS. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY EASY TO READ AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. I THINK IT'S VERY EYE-OPENING AND REALLY IMPORTANT. AND BECAUSE WE MAKE IT PUBLIC, I JUST REALLY ENCOURAGE PARENTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY ARE LOOKING AT CHARTER SCHOOLS, TO GO AND LOOK AT THE GRADES AND THE INFORMATION ON HERE AND SPECIFICALLY THE STATISTICS AS WELL. ONE THING I THOUGHT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THIS IS HOW MANY OF THESE HAVE A VERY LOW FREE AND REDUCED LUNCH AS WELL AS A LOW ESE POPULATION, WHICH I THINK IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY DEALING WITH THE SAME CHALLENGES THAT WE ARE. OVERALL, I JUST WANTED TO SAY I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS DOCUMENT. I THOUGHT IT WAS REALLY USER FRIENDLY, VERY EASY TO READ, REALLY LAID OUT VERY WELL. I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT WENT INTO IT. I ENCOURAGE PARENTS WHEN THEY ARE MAKING CHOICES TO GO AND READ THIS INFORMATION AND REALLY MAKE EDUCATED CHOICES. THANK YOU.
>>Cinzia DeLange: THANK YOU, MS. VAUGHN.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, DR. DELANGE, THIS IS VERY INFORMATIVE. AND DITTO DITTO MEMBER VAUGHN. I WOULD SAY THIS, SHOW, EVEN THOUGH WE'VE ADDED -- YOU'VE ADDED UPON OUR REQUEST MORE COLUMNS OF INFORMATION, VERY GOOD FOR THE PARENTS TO KNOW BECAUSE THIS IS THE ERROR OF COMPETITION, SCHOOL CHOICE. DR. DELANGE, I WENT OVER THE LIST OF CERTIFIED AND UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS. AND I THINK IT PROBABLY -- IT'S MUCH MORE CRITICAL NOW BECAUSE OF THE TEACHER SHORTAGE NATIONWIDE, BUT I THINK IF WE HAVE ANOTHER COLUMN THAT SHOWS CERTIFIED VERSUS UNCERTIFIED, NOW, I KNOW ABOUT THE TWO-YEAR PROMISSORY, BUT THE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF CERTIFICATION, AGAINST, YOU KNOW, DR. WHELAN, YOU MENTIONED THAT ALL OF OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLTEACHERS ARE CERTIFIED. SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE PUBLIC TO -- AND YOU CAN INTERRUPT FOR SURE, BUT THAT'S THE QUOTE THAT I GOT. I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THE PUBLIC SEES THE ABSOLUTE MATURITY OF THE FACULTY AND MATURITY MEANING THE AMOUNT OF YEARS THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE AND FOR SURE IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED, IF THEY ARE CERTIFIED IN THEIR SUBJECT AREA. YOUR COMMENT?
>>Cinzia DeLange: SURE, THANK YOU. IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO CAPTURE ONE GIVEN TIME OF ALL CHARTER TEACHERS THAT ARE CERTIFIED. AGAIN, WE DO TRACK ACTUALLY OUR CERTIFICATION OFFICE TRACKS THAT. THEY GO THROUGH OUR CERTIFICATION OFFICE IN HR TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE ELIGIBLE OR NOT. SOME WHO ARE ELIGIBLE START WORKING AS NONCERTIFIED AND THEN THEY WORK TOWARDS THEIR CERTIFICATION. BETWEEN OUR OFFICE AND OUR CERTIFICATION OFFICE, WE CONTINUOUSLY ASK WHERE THEY ARE IN EARNING THEIR CERTIFICATION THROUGH EITHER OUR ACP PROGRAM THROUGH THE DISTRICT OR THE HCC EPI PROGRAM. SO THAT'S ONGOING ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND ACTUALLY I THINK THE HCP PROGRAM IS TWO OR THREE-YEAR PROGRAM, SO IT TAKES A WHILE. SO MAYBE WHAT WE COULD CAPTURE IS THE ACTUAL CERTIFIED TEACHERS, BUT NOT THOSE TEACHERS WHO ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE CERTIFIED OR WORKING TOWARDS THEIR CERTIFICATE.
>>Lynn Gray: YEAH, AND I THINK THAT IS A GREAT START, AN OLIVE BRANCH, BUT I WILL SAY WHEN YOU HAVE, SAY, NAVIGATOR, LEADERSHIP SCHOOL THAT IS MINUS PROBABLY ABOUT -- I HAVE THE NUMBERS IN MY HEAD -- BUT IT MIGHT BE ALMOST 26 TEACHERS THAT ARE UNCERTIFIED, ACCORDING TO THE LIST THAT YOU GAVE ME OF CERTIFIED VERSUS UNCERTIFIED. THAT'S SIGNIFICANT FOR ANY SCHOOL. IT'S SIGNIFICANT IF WE HAD IN, SAY, ANY GIVEN OF OUR SCHOOLS, IF WE HAD 26 UNCERTIFIED TEACHERS. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IF THERE'S A WAY WE CAN BE MORE SPECIFIC WITH THE EXPERIENCE LEVEL AND YOU AND I CAN TALK OFF-LINE OR OFF DAIS, BUT I DID WANT TO BRING THAT UP. I SPECIFICALLY WANT TO THANK YOU, TOO, FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER AGAIN. I KNOW A LOT OF WORK WENT BEHIND THIS.
>>Cinzia DeLange: ABSOLUTELY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STAFF IN THE CHARTER OFFICE GETS THE CREDIT BECAUSE IT DOES TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND A LOT OF -- IT TAKES MONTHS, ACTUALLY, TO DO THIS, AND THEY ARE JUST A PHENOMENAL GROUP OF LADIES.
>>Lynn Gray: YES. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, DR. DELANGE. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THE PARENTS REALLY NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE SOME SCHOOLS THAT ARE DECREASING IN ENROLLMENT, AND THE GRADES ARE VERY TELLING IN THERE. BUT THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. AND ALSO THE FACT THAT THERE'S -- WE HAVE A LOT OF STUDENTS THAT ARE ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED USING CHARTER SCHOOLS. AND THE ETHNICITY, THE DEMOGRAPHICS OF THESE STUDENTS IN THESE SCHOOLS. THE PARENTS MIGHT JUST WANT TO LOOK AT THIS, BUT THE COMPARISON BETWEEN THE DISTRICT AND THE CHARTER SCHOOL, THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AS WELL. THIS JUST WAS VERY EYE OPENING FOR ME.
>>Cinzia DeLange: THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: YES, THANK YOU, DR. DELANGE FOR BEING HERE AND FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM FOR THE CONSTANT WORK IN THE CHARTER OFFICE. IT'S AMAZING. IT'S A SMALL GROUP OF YOU AND YOU'RE DOING THE JOB OF PROBABLY A HUNDRED PEOPLE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO OUR CLOSING AND SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS. THANK YOU, DR. DELANGE. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, I'LL START WITH YOU, YOUR COMMENTS.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. THIS EVENING WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT DISTRICT UPDATES, LOOK AT NATE RESULTS, HIGHLIGHT CONSENT AGENDA AND UPDATE BOUNDARY AND SUSPENDED AGENDA ITEMS. WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE OUR PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, KATIE AT NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. WELL DESERVED. SHE IS A MAGNIFICENT LEADER AND A COUPLE OF YEARS IN HER PRACTICE BUT SHE HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB IN A VERY LARGE SCHOOL. CONGRATULATIONS TO KATIE FOR HER HARD WORK, CONTINUED EFFORTS AND SUCH EXCITEMENT TO BE ABLE TO VISIT HER SCHOOL AND ACKNOWLEDGE HER FOR HER HARD WORK EVERY SINGLE DAY. ALSO, OUR ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR IS ANGELA BROWN AT LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL. SHE WAS THERE, SHE'S BEEN THERE SINCE THE OPENING OF THE SCHOOL, WHICH IS REALLY COOL. SHE HAS GREAT WISDOM, GREAT STRUCTURE. SHE IS A VERY GOOD LEADER THAT'S WELL-RESPECTED AT THAT SCHOOL AND EXCITED TO SEE THE FUTURE HERE FOR HER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AS WE TRANSITION OVER OUR NEEDS. THEN ALSO WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT NOVEMBER IS FAMILY ENGAGEMENT MONTH. OUR FAMILY ENGAGEMENT DEPARTMENT IS SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE WITH OUR FAMILIES. THEY DO A WONDERFUL JOB TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT PARENTS ARE OUR FIRST EDUCATORS, AND SO THEY HAVE PROACTIVE SOLUTIONS. THEY HAVE THE POWER HOUR AND THAT HAPPENS IN BOTH ENGLISH AND SPANISH AND THAT HAPPENS ON A CONTINUOUS BASIS. IT'S FREE TO OUR FAMILIES AND THEY REALLY FOCUS ON HOW PARENTS CAN BE ADVOCATES FOR THEIR CHILDREN, HOW THEY CAN FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO HELP THEM IN PARTNERSHIP WITH FINANCIAL LITERACY, AND WE'RE THANKFUL TO OUR PARTNER OF SUNCOAST CREDIT UNION TO BE IN FRONT OF OUR FAMILIES AS WELL. SO WE WANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THIS IS A HOLISTIC APPROACH AND EDUCATION. WE CANNOT DO THIS IN ISOLATION. WE NEED OUR FAMILIES TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT TO BE CONTINUED CHAMPIONS TO BE ABLE TO CREATE POSITIVE CHANGE WITHIN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. ALSO, WE HAD A KICKOFF FOR CEOs IN SCHOOLS ON OCTOBER THE 12th WITH ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARY PRINCIPALS AND OUR BUSINESS LEADERS. GOT A CHANCE TO COME TOGETHER. WE'RE SO THANKFUL TO HEF FOR CHAMPIONING THIS INITIATIVE AND BRIAN BUTLER WHO WAS THE ORIGINATOR OF THIS AND CONTINUE TO CHAMPION. THIS HAPPENS ON NOVEMBER THE 4th. THIS IS LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS LEADERS, CIVIC LEADERS, COMMUNITY LEADERS TO COME IN OUR SCHOOLS AND BE A PART TO BE ABLE TO DETERMINE HOW EFFICIENT THAT WE HAVE BEEN AND REALLY NOT TO ONLY LOOK AT BUILDING A FINANCIAL PARTNERSHIP, BUT REALLY BUILD IN SYSTEMIC PARTNERSHIP THROUGH AGENCIES. THEY CAN REALLY HELP US FILL THE GAPS WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY, AND WE APPRECIATE ALL THE CEOs TO BE A PART OF THE PROCESS AS WE MOVE TO NOVEMBER THE 4th. ALSO NAEP. WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST WEEK TO BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE, LOOK AT THE NATIONAL REPORT CARD. WE SEE EVERY ARTICLE THAT TALKS ABOUT, THAT COVID HAS HAD A MAJOR NEGATIVE IMPACT ON THE MOVEMENT OF ACCELERATION WITH STUDENT PERFORMANCE. BUT ONE THING WE HAVE TO RECOGNIZE IS THE HARD WORK THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TEACHERS, ADMINISTRATORS, REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENTS, DISTRICT STAFF, CHIEFS HAVE NUT PLACE TO BE ABLE TO CREATE CHANGE. THIS IS A SLIDE THAT RECOGNIZES ALL OF THE JURISDICTIONS THAT WERE A PART OF THE TRIAL URBAN DISTRICT ASSESSMENT. IT'S ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. ONCE AGAIN RECOGNIZING THAT OUR FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS. THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY THAT FOURTH GRADE READING AND MATHEMATICS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS RANKED NUMBER ONE IN THE NATION. AND IT IS ABOUT THE HARD WORK AND CONCENTRATION OF OUR TEACHERS, BUT IT'S ALSO COUPLED WITH ALL THE POSITIVE CHANGES THAT WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS TO BE ABLE TO FOCUS ON INSTRUCTIONAL FRAMEWORK, ALIGN CURRICULUM, AND GIVE SOPHISTICATED PLATFORMS THAT ALLOW US TO BE SUCCESSFUL. HATS OFF TO EVERYONE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THE ORGANIZATION. THIS GOES TO EVERY EMPLOYEE, EVERY STUDENT, EVERY BOARD MEMBER, EVERY FAMILY MEMBER WHO IS TAKING THIS SERIOUS. SAME THING IN FOURTH GRADE MATHEMATICS. AND THEN WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT AREAS TO BE ABLE TO GROW IN THE AREA OF EIGHTH GRADE MATHEMATICS BECAUSE THOSE ARE ALL COMPLEX CONTENTS THAT PRE-ALGEBRA IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED. WE'RE LOOKING TO FIGURE OUT THE CAUSATION FOR THAT. WE ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE NOVEMBER THE 17th. THIS IS THE GREAT AMERICAN TEACH-IN. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR VOLUNTEERS, SPORTS FIGURES, LOCAL PERSONALITIES, RETIREES, YOU KNOW, OUR PARENTS, COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS TO REALLY COME IN AND JUST HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR NEW GENERATION, AND THIS IS ABOUT AN HOUR IN OUR CLASSROOMS, JUST INSPIRE STUDENTS TO BE FOCUSED AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN LOOK FOR IN THE FUTURE AND TALK ABOUT OUR JOURNEYS AND HELP THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE. LAST YEAR, WE HAD OVER 6,000 SPEAKERS THAT IMPACTED OVER 98,000 STUDENTS. WE'RE -- ANYONE THAT WANTS TO BE ACTIVELY PARTICIPATING IN THIS PROCESS, WE ASKED THEM TO EITHER CALL 813-272-4446 OR GO TO VOLUNTEER.SERVICES AT HCPS.NET AND BE ACTIVELY ENGAGED TO VOLUNTEER TO GO INTO OUR SCHOOLS. I'LL BE THERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO OUR PARTNERSHIP FOR OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR INDIVIDUALS GIVING THEIR TIME TO OUR STUDENTS TO ALLOW THEM TO PROGRESS. FOR OUR CONSENT AGENDA THIS EVENING, WE HAVE STEINBRENNER, THEY ARE TAKING THE JOURNEY GOING TO NORTHEAST FLORIDA AND ALSO TO FLORIDA STATE. GOING TO JACKSONVILLE UNIVERSITY AND FLORIDA STATE TO TAKE FIELD TRIPS JUST TO GIVE HOPE AND INSPIRATION FOR OUR STUDENTS, THOSE WHO WANT TO TRANSITION TO POSTSECONDARY OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEN GOAL FIVE ABOUT OPERATIONAL RESPONSIBILITY. ONE THING WE COMMITTED THE BOARD IS BRINGING OUR BUDGET ANALYSIS TO THE BOARD AND AS WE TRANSITION TO FINALIZE THE COMMUNICATION PHASE OF PHASE TWO, THIS IS ALL ABOUT BRINGING CLARITY OF THE PROJECTS, THE INTENT, THE INCLUSIVENESS OF OUR DEMOGRAPHICS AND ALSO INFORMING OUR COMMUNITY ABOUT WHATEVER CHANGES WE ASPIRE TO MAKE. AND THIS IS THE SCHEDULE FOR IMPLEMENTATION IN OUR PHASE TWO. WE HAVE COUNTYWIDE VIRTUAL WEBINARS THAT TAKE PLACE. WE HAVE THREE VIRTUAL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH MULTIPLE CIVIC ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED FOR FEEDBACK FOR BOUNDARY ANALYSIS AND THEN THE LAST ONE ATTEND IN-PERSON ENGAGEMENT DIRECTLY IMPACTED WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS TO BE ABLE TO GO THROUGH SCENARIOS. THERE'S INTERACTION AND CONVERSATIONS TO MAKE INFORMED DECISION AS AN ORGANIZATION. WE KNOW THAT THIS IS, NO ONE THROUGH OUR -- KNOWING THROUGH OUR SURVEY, WANTS TO ADDRESS OR HAVE BOUNDARIES ADJUSTED BUT THIS HASN'T BEEN DONE IN DECADES AND IT HAS TO BE DONE IN AN ORGANIZATION TO BE MORE EFFICIENT ALONG THE WAY. AND LOOK FORWARD TO BRINGING THAT INFORMATION TO THE BOARD. FINALLY, LITERACY UPDATE FOR OUR PREKINDERGARTEN AND I'LL TRANSITION TO MR. CONNOR TO ALLOW HIM TO TALK ABOUT OUR DEDICATED SUPPORTS FOR PRE-K CLASSROOMS, EXPANDED INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDES, FAMILY ENGAGEMENT AND ALSO OUR EARLY LEARNING TEAMS. WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE.
>>Terry Connor: WE'RE PROUD. IT'S A K-12 APPROACH. IT SEEN STARTS IN PRE-K. WE'VE DONE SOME AMAZING WORK ALONG THE WAY IN OUR PREKINDERGARTEN, AND WE NOW HAVE DEDICATED DISTRICT SUPPORT IN EVERY ONE OF OUR PRE-K CLASSROOMS, REALLY FOCUSING ON SUPPORTING THE TEACHERS WITH IMPLEMENTATION WITH INSTRUCTION AND THE CURRICULUM. IN TERMS OF CURRICULUM, THE INSTRUCTIONAL GUIDES, WE'VE REALLY EXPANDED WHAT'S BUILT INTO THAT TO HELP SUPPORT OUR TEACHERS, REALLY LOOKING AT HOW THEY CAN USE FORMATIVE TOOLS BASED ON EVIDENCE AND RESEARCH PRACTICES TO MAKE SURE THAT STUDENTS ARE GETTING A REALLY HOLISTIC EDUCATION. ALSO, THE TEAM HAS REALLY DONE A GREAT JOB IN ENGAGING FAMILIES THROUGH THE MONTHLY NEWSLETTERS THAT WE'RE CREATING, BRINGING HOME THE FOCUS SKILLS AND FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES THAT CAN EASILY BE IMPLEMENTED AT HOME AND THOSE ARE IN ENGLISH AND IN SPANISH AND ALSO JUST THAT VERTICAL ARTICULATION, BECAUSE WE KNOW ONCE THEY TRANSITION INTO KINDERGARTEN UP TO FIRST GRADE, THAT VERTICAL ARTICULATION AND GETTING THAT ALIGNMENT FROM THOSE EARLY DEVELOPMENTAL STANDARDS TO THE NEW BEST STANDARDS IS CRITICAL. WE ALIGNED THE DISTRICT SUPPORT SO WE CAN SEE THAT. THAT IS THE UPDATE FOR PREKINDERGARTEN LITERACY.
>>Addison Davis: THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. MEMBER WASHINGTON. I THINK PEOPLE HAVE DIRECT QUESTIONS, SO DURING THEIR COMMENTS THEY CAN. MEMBER WASHINGTON, GO AHEAD.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ABOUT TONIGHT WITH THE NAACP. WE HAVE TO REALIZE THE OPERATION OF THE NAACP IS NOT OUR RESPONSIBILITY. THIS IS THE BOARD. WE DON'T GOVERN THE OPERATION OF THE NAACP. WE DID HAVE SOME CONCERNS TONIGHT AND I WOULD LIKE FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO ELABORATE ON THOSE CONCERNS, PLEASE, IF YOU WOULD.
>>Addison Davis: YES, SIR, THROUGH THE CHAIR,. WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE CONCERNS WHEN THIS INITIATIVE TOOK PLACE I BELIEVE IT WAS ABOUT A WEEK AGO, WEEK AND A HALF AGO, WE KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE AN MOU THAT STANDS AND TRY TO SHOW GOOD FAITH PARTNERSHIP WITH THE NAACP WHO CONTINUES TO BE ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE WILL BE LOOKING INTO ANY VIOLATIONS OF OUR MOU TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THAT WITH LEADERSHIP OF THE NAACP. OPENLY, TO BE ABLE TO PROTECT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. THAT'S WHAT OUR OVERARCHING NEEDS HAVE TO BE IN THE FOREFRONT. SO THIS IS ABOUT MAKING CERTAIN THAT THERE'S NO OTHER ENTITIES THAT ARE USING THOSE FACILITIES AND THAT IF WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO HOST THEM AS A PARTNER, THEN THEY CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE IN SEAMLESS COMMUNICATION WITH OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND COMMUNITY HOLDERS TO MAKE CERTAIN THEY ARE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE WITH THE IMPLEMENTATION. BUT WE WOULD DEFINITELY LOOK. THE MOU THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH LEADERSHIP AND PRESIDENT LEWIS TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY CONCERNS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT. I WANT TO GO INTO OUR, THIS WEEKEND AT ALAN TEMPLE, MEMBER PEREZ AND I HAD A GREAT TIME. WE HAD THE HEALTH FAIR AT BLAKE, QUITE A FEW PEOPLE WERE THERE. WE GAVE VACCINATIONS. THEY HAD MUSIC, FOOD, A LOT OF HEALTH ENHANCEMENT THERE, WHICH WAS GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY. IT WAS A COMMUNITY AFFAIR, AND WE HAD A GREAT TIME AND WE ALSO HELPED OUT THE COMMUNITY WITH HEALTH ISSUES. MOVING ALONG, WE ALSO WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE HOUSE OF MAYORS LUNCHEON. IT WAS GREAT. I HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO PEOPLE DIDN'T SPEAK IN A LONG TIME. THE OLD-TIMERS, THEY WERE THERE. I HAD A CHANCE TO SHARE THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THEY WERE REALLY, REALLY GREAT. APPRECIATED ALL THE INFORMATION THAT I SHARED. I FILLED IN FOR YOU WELL. I TOLD A COUPLE OF JOKES, TOO, SO THEY WERE OKAY. WE REALLY HAD A GOOD TIME. YES, YES. I UNDERSTAND. AND, AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO SAY TO MS. SNIVELY, WE LOVE YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MISS YOU. YOU BEING A PART, ESPECIALLY MY TWO YEARS HERE. YOU'VE BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT PART OF THE BOARD WITH THAT EXPERIENCE, SO WE'RE REALLY GOING TO MISS YOU. I KNOW WHATEVER YOU DO IN LIFE YOU'RE GOING TO BE SUCCESSFUL. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: SUPERINTENDENT, I DO HAVE A CONCERN AS A BOARD MEMBER. WOODSON ELEMENTARY. I THINK YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN ANYONE FROM THE STATE COMES TO EITHER GIVE A CHILD A TEST OR TAKE A CHILD OUT OF THE DISTRICT OR A SCHOOL, THAT THERE IS A PROCESS. THERE IS A PROCESS, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A SCHOOL DOES NOT FOLLOW THAT PROCESS?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. FIRST AND FOREMOST THROUGH THE CHAIR, IT IS AN EXPECTATION THAT EVERY SCHOOL FOLLOWS PROCEDURES RELATED TO BEING ABLE TO CHECK OUT STUDENTS. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS. WE KNOW WE HAVE CAREGIVERS THAT CHECK OFF STUDENTS EVERY SINGLE DAY. ALSO CASE MANAGERS THAT CHECK OUT STUDENTS ALONG THE WAY. OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY IS TO CHECK IDENTIFICATION, TO CHECK THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN. THEY HAVE A SIGN-OUT LOG THAT THEY SIGN OUT SO THAT WE TRULY UNDERSTAND AND APPROVE OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE TRANSITIONING AND TAKING OUR STUDENTS, BRINGING THEM IN THE SCHOOL AND ALSO TRANSITION OUT OF SCHOOL. SO IF IT IS NOT FOLLOWED THEN WE WILL START PROGRESSIVE DISCIPLINE IMMEDIATELY AND THIS IS OUTLINED BY OUR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, AND THIS IS AN EXPECTATION FOR THIS. AS IT RELATES TO THE SCHOOL, A POOR DECISION WAS MADE. WE HAVE ADDRESSED THAT INDIVIDUAL EMPLOYEE, AND WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION. AND PRINCIPAL MEETINGS I WILL MAKE CERTAIN THAT I REMIND ALL OF OUR LEADERS TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THERE'S PROTOCOLS TO BE FOLLOWED BECAUSE SAFETY IS OUR GREATEST PRIORITY WITHIN OUR SCHOOL.
>>Karen Perez: WHEN CHILDREN ARE -- COME THROUGH THE DOORS OF OUR SCHOOLS, WE ARE THEN RESPONSIBLE FOR THOSE CHILDREN. I KNOW THAT WHEN MY GRANDCHILDREN ARE WITH ME, I FEEL -- YOU KNOW, I AM LIKE EAGLE EYES BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THEIR MOTHER, MY DAUGHTER, HAS PLACED THOSE CHILDREN IN MY -- ALTHOUGH THEY ARE MY GRANDCHILDREN, IN HAD MY RESPONSIBILITY. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN THEY ARE MISSING FOR ONE SECOND, MY HEART DROPS TO MY FEET AND I'M JUST RUNNING AND TRYING TO FIND THEM. SO I CAN'T IMAGINE WHEN A PARENT COMES TO SCHOOL AND THEY ARE TOLD, OH, SOMEBODY TOOK YOUR CHILD AND IT'S A 35-MINUTE WINDOW BEFORE THEY KNOW WHERE THEIR CHILD IS. THAT'S UNEXCUSABLE.
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I COMPLETELY AGREE. IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, THIS WAS THE CASE MANAGER CHECKS A STUDENT OUT MULTIPLE TIMES A WEEK. THE SIGN-OUT LOG JUST WAS NOT SIGNED. IT IS UNACCEPTABLE. THIS SHOULD BE FOLLOWED EVERY SINGLE DAY REGARDLESS IF YOU KNOW, IF I'M THE PARENT AND I GO AND CHECK OUT KATLYN EVERY SINGLE DAY, I SHOULD BE REQUIRED TO SHOW MY IDENTIFICATION AND SIGN THAT LOG EVERY SINGLE DAY, REGARDLESS IF THEY KNOW ME AS SUPERINTENDENT OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE, IT IS AN EXPECTATION FOR EVERYONE.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THESE TEXTBOOKS. I HAVE AN ISSUE WITH TEACHERS NOT HAVING TEXTBOOKS. CAN YOU ADDRESS THAT PLEASE?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR,. THIS IS WHAT WE CONTINUE TO FACE RELATED TO S.T.E.M. SCOPES. IT IS OUR MATH ADOPTION. WE SELECTED A VENDOR IN MARCH. WE HAVE INFORMED THAT VENDOR OF WHAT WE NEEDED. THEY HAVE ALL THAT IN WRITING IN APRIL, AND IT CAME TO A PAPER SHORTAGE. THIS IS NOT ONLY UNIQUE TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THROUGHOUT THE NATION THAT MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS DO NOT HAVE MATERIALS. EVERYONE -- AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE PRINT MATERIALS. EVERYONE HAS THE DIGITAL MATERIALS AND THE BIGGEST STRESSOR IS BEING ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THEY ARE PRINTING THE CONTENT TO BE ABLE TO INTERACT WITH OUR STUDENTS. AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIRD GRADE STUDENT, NO BOOKS, ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS THAT STUDENTS DO NOT HAVE THOSE NOTEBOOKS AND SOME OF OUR FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS AS WELL DO NOT HAVE THAT CONTENT, DO NOT HAVE THE NOTEBOOKS. OUR TEACHERS ARE DOING A REMARKABLE JOB AND ALSO OUR LEADERS AS WELL PRINTING OUT CONTENT AND ACADEMIC SERVICES PROVIDING CONTINUED SUPPORT THROUGH WHETHER IT BE DANIELLE SIMIC, WHETHER DEBBIE PEPE, THEY HAVE BEEN INUNDATED SCHOOLS TO BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY. ONE THING I HAVE ASKED AND ENGAGED OUR TEAM TO DO IS TO REACH OUT TO OUR SCHOOLS AND DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED ONGOING ASSISTANCE WITH PAPER PURCHASING OR TONER AS WELL BECAUSE THAT NEVER SHOULD BE A BARRIER TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE HAVE SYSTEMIC MOVEMENT. I AM DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THIS. WE WILL ADDRESS THIS UPON COMPLETION ONCE WE HAVE ALL OF OUR MATERIALS IN HAND AT EVERY ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS. WE WILL MAKE CERTAIN I GET WITH MR. CONNOR AND HIS TEAM AND ALSO WITH OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S LIQUIDATED DAMAGES WE CAN ASSESS FOR NOT HAVING THE CONTENT IN OUR SCHOOLS AND HOLD THEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR THAT PROCESS.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. AND THE ELEVATOR. YOU KNOW, A CHILD WITH DISABILITIES ALWAYS HAS TO HAVE ACCESSIBILITY. AND IF THERE WAS A FIRE, IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE, THAT CHILD SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE ACCESSIBILITY TO A WAY OUT, THE ELEVATOR. IS THAT ALREADY HANDLED AND FIXED?
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, I JUST LEARNED OF THE ISSUE TONIGHT. SOUNDS LIKE THROUGH THE TEACHER THAT SPOKE THIS EVENING THAT THE OPERATIONS TEAM DID ADDRESS IT. I WILL SAY OPENLY THAT WE'VE HAD MAJOR CONCERNS BEING ABLE TO GET PARTS FOR EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN OUR FACILITIES ARE FUNCTIONAL. WE'VE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH AC PARTS. I'M SURE THE SAME THING HAPPENED, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THIS PARTICULAR ISSUE. I'M GOING TO GET WITH OUR TEAM THIS EVENING TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO IT. BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE IT'S GOT AN OPERATIONAL. ONE DAY IS TOO MUCH AND WE'VE GOT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THAT STUDENT. SO WE KNOW THAT IF WE HAVE AN ELEVATOR THAT'S NOT FUNCTIONAL AND THAT A CHILD NEEDS TO BE ABLE TO TRANSITION, WE NEED TO MAKE THE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THAT STUDENT AND LEAD THAT STUDENT, IF WE CAN ON THE FIRST FLOOR AND SERVE THAT CHILD EVERY SINGLE DAY. PUTTING DIFFERENT SITUATIONS, WE'LL FIND OUT MORE ABOUT IT, BUT OPENLY, IF WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT IT, I CAN'T BE ABLE TO TRIAGE TO ASSIST. I WILL HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE WE ARE WITH THE PROCESS AND PROVIDE THAT IN THE FEEDBACK AND FOLLOW-UP TO THE BOARD.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU. I ALSO WANT TO THANK EQUALITY FLORIDA FOR RECOGNIZING ME AS A CHAMPION FOR EQUALITY, BASICALLY, AND THAT'S IT FOR ME. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I HAVE A LOT TO COVER I'LL TRIED TO DO IT QUICKLY. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO SAY HAPPY BELATED TO THE ASIAN FAMILIES IN MY COMMUNITY. I HAVE A HUGE POPULATION THERE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN FIREWORKS AND SPARKLERS AND SO MANY AMAZING FESTIVITIES. IT'S REALLY BEAUTIFUL. SO I WANT TO SAY HAPPY BELATED DIWALI. I ALSO WANT TO SAY SHOUT-OUT TO MS. BROWN. I KNOW YOU COVERED THIS IN YOUR SUPERINTENDENT COMMENTS BUT FOR WINNING VICE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR AWARD. AMAZING VICE PRINCIPAL. EXTREMELY LUCKY TO HAVE HER. PROUD OF LIBERTY AND THE WORK THEY ARE DO THERE. I ALSO WANTED TO ADDRESS THAT. WE HAD A LOT OF TEACHERS COME AND SPEAK AND WORDS FEEL MEANINGLESS WHEN THERE'S QUESTIONS OF BEING ABLE TO HAVE A LIVABLE WAGE. HOWEVER I WANT TO REITERATE TO ALL OF OUR TEACHERS WHO CAME TO SPEAK TONIGHT, EVEN THOUGH IT FEELS HOLLOW, HOW MUCH WE VALUE YOU, HOW MUCH I HEAR YOU, HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU. I KNOW IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE NEEDLESSLY DEMONIZING YOU TO SHOW UP EVERY SINGLE DAY AND JUMP THROUGH THE HOOPS AND DEAL WITH THE NEW CURRICULUM AND NEW STANDARDS AND NEW TESTING AND NEW EVALUATIONS ON TOP OF ALL OF THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I'M JUST SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON WHO WORKS IN OUR DISTRICT DESERVES A LIVABLE WAGE AND IT REALLY SHOWS WHAT YOU VALUE BY HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY. ASIDE FROM THAT, I DO WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ, FOR TALKING ABOUT THE S.T.E.M. SCOPE. THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE BEEN INCREASINGLY FRUSTRATED ABOUT. THE FACT THAT WE'RE GOING INTO OUR SECOND SEMESTER AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE GRADE BANDS THAT DON'T HAVE THE BOOKS THEY NEED AND HAVEN'T HAD THEM AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T ASKED FOR A REFUND OR DEMANDED IT AND THAT DUE TO MY CONTINUED QUESTIONING ABOUT THIS, WE FINALLY TALKED TO SOME PEOPLE AT THE PUBLISHING COMPANY AND GOT SOME FIRES LIT UNDER THAT, BUT THE EXCUSES I'M HEARING ARE UNACCEPTABLE. THE FACT THAT WE'RE PAYING FULL PRIZE FOR THAT AND GOING TO THE SECOND SEMESTER AND ALMOST ALL OF FOURTH GRADE AND MANY THIRD GRADERS DIDN'T HAVE THEIR WORKBOOKS OR S.T.E.M. SCOPES IS UNACCEPTABLE. AND WE REALLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT IN THE CONTRACT GOING FORWARD FOR ANY OF OUR TEXTBOOK ADOPTIONS, MAKING SURE WE HAVE A CLEAR TIMELINE OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND THAT THERE IS A CAUSE FOR A REFUND IN THIS CASE. AGAIN, SECOND SEMESTER, NO BOOKS, UNACCEPTABLE. I ALSO WANT TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS, MEMBER PEREZ, FOR THE EQUALITY FLORIDA AWARD. THAT WAS AMAZING. IT WAS AN AMAZING EVENT. SO MANY GREAT PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY THERE. I WANT TO SAY THAT WE WENT TO THE GREAT CITY SCHOOLS CONFERENCE AND I THOUGHT THAT WAS FANTASTIC. I'VE COME BACK WITH SO MANY GREAT TIPS AND IDEAS ABOUT SPECIFICALLY SUPPORTING STUDENTS IN URBAN COMMUNITIES FROM AROUND THE COUNTRY THAT I'M SO EXCITED TO SHARE. I DO WANT TO SAY, YES, IF YOU CAN PARTICIPATE IN THE GREAT AMERICAN TEACH-IN, PLEASE DO. IT'S A GREAT EVENT. I'M SCHEDULED THE ENTIRE DAY. I ALWAYS LOVE GOING IN AND CONNECTING WITH KIDS AND TELLING THEM ABOUT PUBLIC SERVICE AND ALL THE REASONS THEY SHOULD COME ABOARD AND BE INVOLVED IN THAT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE SUPERINTENDENT WHO WAS ABLE TO GET THE BUCS CHEERLEADERS AND CAPTAIN FEAR OUT AT THONOTOSASSA ELEMENTARY. THEY HAD GREAT ADVANCEMENTS AND THEY GOT THEIR GRADE UP FROM A C TO AN A IN ONE YEAR AND THE PRINCIPAL IS A GIGANTIC FAN OF THE BUCCANEERS AND THE SCHOOL WAS SO EXCITED TO SEE CAPTAIN FEAR. I'VE NOT SEEN KIDS THAT EXCITED AND ENTHUSED IN SO LONG. THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT HAPPEN. I GUESS I HAD LESS TO TALK ABOUT THAN I THOUGHT I DID. GOT IT IN WAY UNDER THE WIRE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT, MEMBER COMBS. ONE THING THAT I'VE NOTICED IN REGARDS TO THE SEX ED CURRICULUM OPT-OUT FORM, I'VE HAD SOME CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT BECAUSE THEY WERE FRUSTRATED THAT THEY STILL COULDN'T FIND THE FORM. IT TOOK ME QUITE A WHILE BECAUSE IT IS AT THE VERY, VERY, VERY, VERY BOTTOM AS BOTTOM CAN BE OF OUR WEBSITE. IT'S PRETTY SMALL. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN MOVE THAT TO A MORE VISIBLE AREA GIVEN THAT THAT INSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING NOW. SO PARENTS ARE LOOKING FOR THAT FORM NOW. IT ALSO SAYS, IT SAYS SCIENCE COURSE OPT-OUT. IT'S NOT REAL SPECIFIC. AGAIN, MY PARENTS, MY CONSTITUENTS, WHERE IS THE SEX ED ONE? BECAUSE THEY SAW SCIENCE. THEY DIDN'T CONNECT THAT. IF WE COULD BE MORE EXPLICIT THAT THIS IS THE SEXUAL EDUCATION OPT-OUT FORM. THAT WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL. THE OTHER THING I KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS LOTS OF CONVERSATION ABOUT BEING SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A MAJORITY OF HISPANIC FAMILIES IN OUR DISTRICT AND YET WHEN I CLICK ON THE WEBSITE TRANSLATION, THE WEBSITE WILL TRANSLATE TO SPANISH. HOWEVER, THE FORM DOES NOT, BECAUSE IT IS A STATIC PHOTO. SO IF THAT COULD BE CHANGED BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN OPT OUT OF SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN'T READ, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS, BECAUSE AS I SAID, THE INSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING NOW AND PARENTS ARE LOOKING FOR THAT FORM NOW. ANOTHER NOTE, I WANT TO CATCH UP ON SOME THINGS. ONE, I DON'T KNOW IF PABLO CAN SHOW THE EARLY CHILDHOOD LITERACY FAIR VIDEO. THAT TOOK PLACE TWO WEEKS AGO, AND WE HAD HUNDREDS OF FAMILIES SHOW UP ON A SATURDAY MORNING, CLOSE TO 600 FAMILIES ARE REGISTERED, AND THERE ARE SOME PHOTOS. YES, I WORE THE COSTUME. I WAS READY FREDDY. AND IT WAS HOT AFTER A WHILE. I GOT DIZZY. IT WAS A WHOLE THING. BUT IT WAS FUN. I WANT TO THANK OUR MANY PARTNERS WHO MAKE THIS EVENT SO SPECIAL. WE HAD THE BLAKE THEATER AND COSTUME DESIGN STUDENTS THAT CAME OUT, AND THEY WERE DRESSED IN STORY TIME COSTUMES AS YOU CAN SEE THERE. THE KIDS FOUND IT SO INCREDIBLY ENTERTAINING. SO I WANT TO THANK THEM. I WANT TO THANK HEATHER DEPAUMA, SHAWN PARIS AND BETTY JO JENKS FOR ORGANIZING THE STUDENTS WHO ATTENDED FROM BLAKE. IT WAS JUST A LOT OF FUN. LIKE I SAID, THE KIDS GOT REALLY EXCITED. I WANT TO THANK SOME OF OUR HCPS EMPLOYEES THAT ALWAYS COME OUT. TRACYE BROWN, DEBBIE PEPE, VERY SPECIAL. THEY ALWAYS COME OUT AND THEY HELP OUT. ANN MARIE COURTNEY AND SHARON O'CONNOR AND LAURA CROSS, COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT YOU. AS WELL AS OUR HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ELL FACE, VPK, HOST, HUMAN RESOURCES AND OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS, THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION, THE LIGHTNING, THE BUCS, THE RAYS, THE UNITED WAY, SENIORS IN SERVICE, TAMPA FAMILY HEALTH, CHILDREN'S BOARD, GLAZER VISION, FIDDLERS, CHILD FINE, MY ON-AND THE BULLARD -- myON AND BULLARD FAMILY FOUNDATION AND HEF FOR ALL THE BOOKS THEY DONATED THAT CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A SUCCESS OVER AND OVER. THE NEXT FAIR IS MARCH 5th AT FOSTER AND SLIGH. LOOKING FORWARD TO ANOTHER BIG CROWD. AND THEN THE SAME DAY LITERACY FAIR BUT IN THE AFTERNOON. THE LAST DAY OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH WAS A S.T.E.M. EVENT THAT WAS FOCUSED ON CODING ROBOTS, AND IT WAS -- GROUPS OF KIDS CAME FROM ALL OVER SOUTH COUNTY. IT TOOK PLACE IN WIMAUMA AT A CHURCH DOWN THERE AND MANY OF OUR HISPANIC YOUNG STUDENTS FROM SURROUNDING SCHOOLS ATTENDED FOR FREE. WE GAVE THEM BREAKFAST AND LUNCH FOR THE EVENT. AND THEY HAD SO MUCH FUN AND THEY GOT -- I GAVE AWAY TWO BOOKS AND THEY PROBABLY POPPED UP THERE. ONE WAS ABOUT WOMEN, WOMEN IN S.T.E.M. WHO HAVE MADE GREAT STRIDES AND THE OTHER WAS TO CELEBRATE HISPANIC HISTORY MONTH. IT WAS HISPANIC WOMEN WHO HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS AROUND THE WORLD AND HALF THE BOOK -- THE BOOK WAS ALL IN ENGLISH. THE SECOND PART OF THE BOOK WAS THE SAME BOOK BUT ALL IN SPANISH. SO IT HAD BEAUTIFUL ILLUSTRATIONS. SO THAT KIND OF WRAPPED UP HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH. I WANT TO THANK REAL QUICK, BECAUSE I KNOW TIME IS SHORT. I WANT TO THANK MY SPONSORS, WHICH WAS ED GEMS MATH AND THE WOMEN'S CONFERENCE OF FLORIDA. THEY WERE PHENOMENAL. ED GEMS HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF S.T.E.M. AND LITERACY THROUGHOUT OUR COMMUNITY, AND THEY UNDERSTAND THE POSITIVE IMPACT THAT THIS TYPE OF EXPERIENCE CAN HAVE FOR STUDENTS WHETHER THEY GO ON TO PURSUE A S.T.E.M. FIELD OR FOR ANY FIELD THEY PURSUE, THE SKILLS THEY LEARN, WHETHER TEAM BUILDING OR PROBLEM SOLVING OR ANALYTICAL SKILLS OR -- THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT THEY CAN CARRY WITH THEM THROUGH LIFE. SO I COULDN'T BE MORE THANKFUL FOR THEIR SUPPORT. ALSO A BIG THANK YOU TO PASTOR CARLOS EZZERIE OF WHOLESOME COMMUNITY CHURCH IN WIMAUMA FOR PROVIDING SPACE AND HOSTING THE EVENT. ERIC AND DORRIE JONES AGAIN FROM ED GEMS FOR PROVIDING THEIR MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM WHICH WE USE TO CREATE THE ACTIVITIES FOR THAT DAY. SO THERE WAS A REAL CONNECTION BETWEEN OUR MATH MIDDLE SCHOOL CURRICULUM AND WHAT THE GIRLS WERE DOING THAT DAY DURING THE EVENT WHICH WAS REALLY COOL TO SEE. AND DR. HOME QUIST JOHNSON FOR PROVIDING THE DAYLONG CODING ACTIVITIES. SHE'S AN EXPERT AROUND S.T.E.M. AND THESE TYPES OF EVENTS. TO THE PARENTS WHO TRUSTED US WITH THEIR CHILDREN FOR THE WONDERFUL EVENT AND FOR THAT DAY, THEY CAME AND WATCHED THE COMPETITION AT THE END AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN, AND THAT IS IT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE GARY GRAHAM OF DURANT HIGH SCHOOL WHO HAS BEEN AWARDED AND RECOGNIZED AS ACHIEVING A GOLD SCHOOL STATUS FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH HEALTHY SCHOOLS. HIS WORK AND HIS STAFF AT DURANT HIGH SCHOOL HAVE CREATED A HEALTHY SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. THIS IS SUPPORTED BY THE MANY PROGRAMS AND POLICIES THAT NURTURE POSITIVE BEHAVIOR AND PROMOTE A FEELING OF BELONGING AND RESPECT FOR ALL STUDENTS, STAFF, AND FAMILIES. AND INDEED, GARY, YOU WERE AND YOU ARE A TRANSFORMATIONAL TYPE OF PRINCIPAL AT DURANT. WE THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT WONDERFUL POSITIVE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. I WANT TO ALSO THANK OUR GREAT PRINCIPAL, STRAWBERRY CREST, RAY BURN. SHE ALLOWED ME TO JUDGE HALLOWEEN DOORS. I THINK WHAT I GOT OUT OF IT MOST WAS THE AMOUNT OF WORK EACH TEACHER DOES TO PREPARE FOR THEIR CLASS. SOME OF THE TEACHERS TAUGHT AP ALONG WITH, OH, GOSH, TWO OTHER SUBJECT AREAS OF HIGH DEPTH, VERY HIGHLY SKILLED FACULTY AND HARD WORKING ONE AT THAT. MS. RAEBURN, WHEREVER YOU ARE, YOU HAVE REALLY COLLECTIVELY PUT FORTH SUCH A POSITIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AT STRAWBERRY CREST AND I SO MUCH ENJOYED IT AND I HOPE THAT YOU'LL LET ME KNOW WHO WON THE FIRST, SECOND AND THIRD PRIZE. NEXT, I WANT TO THANK THE PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES FOR NOT ONLY THEIR WONDERFUL RIDE, WHICH MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER VAUGHN, MEMBER WASHINGTON, WE ALL HAD A GREAT TIME. AND ALSO, PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PART, TOO, IS SUPPORT FOR THE COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND JUST TO REMIND ALL THOSE WHO WANT TO KNOW ABOUT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS, IT REALLY INVOLVES SUPPORTING WITH TRANSPORTATION, MEDICAL CARE, FOOD PANTRIES, PARENT, PARENTAL ENGAGEMENT, INTERNSHIP FROM UNIVERSITIES AND ON AND ON. GREAT ORGANIZATION. THANK YOU, PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES. ALSO, I WAS HAPPY THAT WE ALL, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND I BELIEVE IT WAS -- I KNOW IT WAS MEMBER WASHINGTON, MEMBER COMBS, MEMBER VAUGHN, MYSELF, WE TRULY GOT A LOT OUT OF THE COUNCIL OF GREAT CITY SCHOOLS AND I KNOW THAT WE, AT LEAST FOR MYSELF, I REMEMBER GETTING A LOT OF THE HIGH NEED BLACK STUDENTS AND HIGH NEEDS HISPANIC STUDENTS, BOTH MALE AND FEMALE, LEARNING ABOUT WHAT SUPPORTS AND RESOURCES HAVE EFFECTIVELY CHANGED THEIR TRAJECTORY AS FAR AS EDUCATION GOES AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL NEEDS. VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE, RICH CONVENTION. THANK YOU, KRISTIN DAVIS, FOR DRIVING ME THERE AND BACK AND SUPPORTING ME AS WE COLLECTIVELY ENGAGE IN MANY WORKSHOPS. OKAY. SHE GETS A FEW POINTS. BY THE WAY, MS. DAVIS USUALLY DOES DRIVE ME TO ORLANDO AND BACK ON OTHER OCCASIONS. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. WE GO TO CENTRAL FLORIDA. CENTRAL FLORIDA EDUCATION, ALL WORK RELATED. YESIRREE. OKAY. ALSO, AGAIN, A CONGRATULATORY EXPRESSION OF HIGH -- HIGH -- JUST A HIGH CALIBER PRINCIPAL. PRINCIPAL KATIE ROCHA OF NEWSOME. WE'RE SO HAPPY FOR HER TO HAVE THE PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR AND ANGELA BROWN AT LIBERTY MIDDLE SCHOOL AS THE AP PRINCIPAL -- ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR. LAST, ALSO, MEMBER SNIVELY YOU WILL BE MISSED. WE ARE JUST SO FORTUNATE AND BLESSED TO HAVE YOUR PRESENCE FOR ALL THESE YEARS. SO THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. I WANT TO THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. WE HAD ANOTHER REALLY SUCCESSFUL LATIN EDUCATION EQUITY COMMUNITY ROUNDTABLE, AND YOU CONTINUE TO REALLY LISTEN TO THE LATIN COMMUNITY AND WE'RE SEEING THE NUMBERS INCREASE WITH THE AMOUNT OF PRINCIPALS GOING IN THE PRISON PIPELINE. AIR CELLI, MELISSA, MARCOS, WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT LEADERS WHO ARE IN THE DISTRICT AND THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO IS GOING AND CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THAT. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL ADVOCATES. IT WAS SUCH A GREAT EVENING THERE. IT'S A NONPARTISAN GROUP. WHAT'S GREAT IS THEY REALLY MAKE SURE THAT THEY SUPPORT COMMUNITY SCHOOLS AND THEY SEE THE NEED OF COMMUNITY AND ADVOCATING AND HOW THAT CAN REALLY MOVE STUDENTS. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF TODAY AND ALSO LAST WEEK TO WORK WITH FUTURE CAREER ACADEMY AND BE ON THE BUSINESS PANEL AT HILLSBOROUGH HIGH, WHARTON, BOWERS/WHITLEY AND CHAMBERLAIN. IT'S JUST AMAZING TO SEE ALL THOSE SENIORS OUT THERE AND TO HEAR JUST FROM A GROUP OF BUSINESS INDIVIDUALS TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S SO IMPORTANT THAT -- THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND THAT NOT EVERY CHILD IS GOING TO GO TO COLLEGE, BUT IF THEY DO DECIDE TO GO TO COLLEGE, A LOT OF THOSE BUSINESSES OFFER THAT SUPPORT SO STUDENTS CAN GRADUATE DEBT-FREE. AS I WAS GOING THROUGH, I JUST -- I WOULD BE REMISS TO TALK, IF I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT GOING TO CHAMBERLAIN AND MEETING MR. BARTHOLOMEW WHO IS THE CULINARY TEACHER THERE WHO WAS A STUDENT THERE EIGHT YEARS AGO AT CHAMBERLAIN. AND NOT ONLY DID I HAVE THE BEST SALAD EVER THERE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THE PASSION HE HAD FOR HIS STUDENTS AND THE PASSION HE HAD FOR THAT PROGRAM WAS JUST SO POWERFUL. AND IT GOES ALONG WITH SO MANY TEACHERS LIKE THAT. TOMORROW I HAVE THE PLEASURE TO WORK WITH MS. LEWIS AT HILLSBOROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. TEAM TEACHING THE 3DE PROGRAM. I'M GOING TO GIVE THE STUDENTS ALL OF THE MANY CHALLENGES THAT WE HAVE AS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. WITH UNIFORMS, BOOKS. I'M GOING TO WAIT TO HEAR WHAT THE STUDENTS SAY. THEY LOOK AT THE PROS, THEY LOOK AT THE CONS AND THEN THEY COME UP WITH A RECOMMENDATION. I'M REALLY CURIOUS AND EXCITED ABOUT THAT. FINALLY, THIS COMING UP SATURDAY NOVEMBER 5th IS GOING TO BE THE VETERANS DAY PARADE IN TOWN N' COUNTRY, WHICH IS AN AMAZING EVENT. I MEAN, LAST YEAR, I WALKED THE ENTIRE THING. I WAS WITH SOME FIREFIGHTERS FOR A LITTLE BIT. MOST OF THE TIME I WALKED THROUGH BECAUSE IT IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE REALLY THE PEOPLE IN MY COMMUNITY, THE PEOPLE IN TOWN N' COUNTRY, SO I WELCOME ALL OF YOU TO COME OUT. IT'S A WONDERFUL EVENT TO HONOR OUR VETERANS AND ALSO TO REALLY GET TO KNOW OUR COMMUNITY. LASTLY, MEMBER SNIVELY, I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE. PLEASE, IF YOU'LL CLOSE OUT THE MEETING FOR US.
>>Melissa Snively: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'M GOING TO START HEAVY AND THEN GO LIGHT AND THEN END HEAVY. SO THE HEAVY PART IS YOU KNOW WHEN WE SEE THE PUBLIC COMMENT LIST COME ONTO OUR DAIS SEATS, WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE SOME PATTERNS. WE'RE LOOKING TO SEE SOME THINGS THAT IF THERE ARE ISSUES. SO TONIGHT WHAT CONCERNED ME BECAUSE I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF OTHER PARENTS CONTACT ME, ARE THE AMOUNT OF BULLYING AND HARASSMENT COMPLAINTS THAT CAME BEFORE US. AT FIRST I THOUGHT WHEN I SAW HOW MANY THERE WERE, I THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S THE SAME ISSUE OR THE SAME SCHOOL, BUT THEN AS YOU HEARD, THEY WERE FROM VARIOUS SCHOOLS, NOT JUST ONE INCIDENT, NOT JUST ONE SCHOOL. AND SO I'VE ASKED SOME FOLKS TO MEET WITH ME RECENTLY. KEN HART AND MONICA, WE HAVE A MEETING TOMORROW JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME ISSUES AROUND OUR DISCIPLINE AND CODE OF CONDUCT AND MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT PRACTICES IN PLACE SURROUNDING THAT. SO I WOULD ASK MOVING FORWARD, IF YOU COULD PLEASE AS A BOARD TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THAT CODE OF CONDUCT AND THE DISCIPLINARY ACTION THAT'S BEEN TAKEN AND MAKING SURE IT'S APPROPRIATE FOR STUDENTS AND FOR THE SCHOOL, FOR THE SAFETY OF STUDENTS. 5517 -- 5,517.01 IS OUR BULLYING AND HARASSMENT POLICY. PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT IT ALIGNS WITH OUR CODE OF CONDUCT AND DISCIPLINARY ACTION. THAT IS THE HEAVY PART. THE LIGHT PART IS THERE ARE THREE SCHOOLS LEFT FOR CEOs IN THE SCHOOLS NOVEMBER 4. LOPEZ ELEMENTARY AND SEFFNER, THOMPSON ELEMENTARY AND RUSKIN AND THONOTOSASSA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THEY DO NOT HAVE CEOs SIGNED UP AS OF THIS MOMENT. SO PLEASE, IF YOU KNOW ANYONE THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO GO AND VOLUNTEER IN THOSE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW WHAT, EVERYONE WHO GOES TO CEOs IN THE SCHOOLS, BRING A CASE OF PAPER FOR THE COPY PAPER. PLEASE BRING SOME COPY PAPER WITH YOU. BRING A REAM, BRING A CASE, BRING SOME COPY PAPER TO THESE POOR SCHOOLS. OKAY. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN TO MRS. KATY ROCHA AT NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL. SHE IS A FANTASTIC. PRINCIPAL OF THE YEAR, WELL DESERVED AND IT WAS FUN PRESENTING HER WITH THAT SURPRISE. ALSO WANT TO CONGRATULATE SUSAN SULLIVAN WHO IS THE PRINCIPAL AT PLANT CITY HIGH SCHOOL. SHE IS THE ASPIRE 2023 WOMAN OF DISTINCTION AND WE'LL BE HONORING HER TOMORROW AT A NICE LUNCHEON. AND THEN, AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT'S BEEN A WILD RIDE THESE EIGHT YEARS. I FEEL GOOD LEAVING ON MY TERMS AND WELCOMING A NEW PERSON IN. I KNOW THAT YOU WILL WELCOME HER AND MAKE HER FEEL RIGHT AT HOME AND GET HER UP TO SPEED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SHE WILL BE A GREAT ADVOCATE FOR CHILDREN. WITH THAT, SPEAKING OF CHILDREN, I'M GOING TO READ A LITTLE POEM BECAUSE I ALWAYS FELT AS A PARENT THAT WE SHOULD BE ON THE TEACHER'S SIDE AND THE TEACHER AND THE PARENT SHOULD BE A TEAM. IT'S TEAM DAVID OR TEAM SARAH OR TEAM SNIVELY OR WHATEVER IT IS, I ALWAYS FEEL THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE WAY IT IS. IT SHOULDN'T BE ADVERSARY LIKE IT HAS STARTED TO EVOLVE INTO THAT TYPE OF RELATIONSHIP AND THAT MAKES ME A LITTLE SAD. I FOUND THIS POEM CALLED WHOSE CHILD IS THIS? I'LL READ IT TO END THE MEETING. WHOSE CHILD IS THIS? I ASKED ONE DAY, SEEING A LITTLE ONE OUT AT PLAY. MINE, SAID THE PARENT, WITH A TENDER SMILE. MINE TO KEEP A LITTLE WHILE, TO BATHE HIS HANDS AND COMB HIS HAIR, TO TELL HIM WHAT HE IS TO WEAR TO PREPARE HIM THAT HE MAY ALWAYS BE AND EACH DAY TO DO THE THINGS HE SHOULD. WHOSE CHILD IS THIS I ASKED AGAIN AS THE DOOR OPENED AND SOMEONE CAME IN. MINE SAID THE TEACHER WITH THE SAME TENDER SMILE. MINE TO KEEP JUST FOR A LITTLE WHILE, TO TEACH HIM HOW TO BE GENTLE AND KIND, TO TRAIN AND DIRECT HIS DEAR LITTLE MIND, TO HELP HIM LIVE BY EVERY RULE AND GET THE BEST HE CAN FROM SCHOOL. WHOSE CHILD IS THIS, I ASKED ONCE MORE, JUST AS THE LITTLE ONE ENTERED THE DOOR, OURS, SAID THE PARENT AND THE TEACHER AS THEY SMILED AND EACH TOOK THE HAND OF THE LITTLE CHILD. OURS TO LOVE AND TRAIN TOGETHER, OURS THIS BLESSED TASK FOREVER. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]