>> 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'M HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, THE BOARD VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA, AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY.
>> 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.
>> 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 MATERIAL 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. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]
>>Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 4, 2023, IS 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. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] THANK YOU. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] YOU MAY BE SEATED.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER WASHINGTON, WILL YOU NOW PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT?
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: YES, WE HAVE THE GREAT SINGERS FROM TURNERS BARTLE -- TURNER BARTLE. WE ALSO HAVE THE DIRECTOR AND THE PRINCIPAL, MR. BUGGS. ONE OF MY FAVORITE PRINCIPALS, MR. BUGGS. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO COME UP AND INTRODUCE YOURSELVES. HERE WE GO.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS TRIA. I AM IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS AKEEL AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS ABBEY. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS MARY ANDERSON, AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS TENISHI IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> SARAH, IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> RILEY IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS -- I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MALORY. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS KALLEN. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS RAY. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> MORGAN I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> VICTORIA. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS -- I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. AVA. I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. CHLOE. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS SAMMY COOK AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS TORY AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS GWEN. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS ABIGAIL. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS RACHAEL AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS NIKITA AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS FLORA. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS ALYSSA SMITH AND I AM IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS ATHEA JOHNSON. I AM IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS MELODY, AND I AM IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JULIAN. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS JEROME AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS OLIVIA AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS SKYLER AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS TIMOTHY. IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS AMALIE AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS DAPHNEE AND I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> VICTORIA AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS VERA. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS REED. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
>> MY NAME IS EMILY. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS ANIAH. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE.
>> AND I AM KYLA. I AM THE CONDUCTOR OF BENGAL SINGERS AT TURNER/BARTELS. I WANT TO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE TO COME OUT AND PERFORM OFF CAMPUS. IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO PERFORM. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL THAT YOU DO AND CONTINUE TO DO TO SUPPORT MUSIC PROGRAMS IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. IT IS WORTH IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. AND PARENTS, YOU CAN COME UP AND TAKE PICTURES, PLEASE. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU. YOU'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
>>Nadia Combs: ALL OF YOU DID A REALLY WONDERFUL JOB. GREAT JOB. I'M SINGING O'YAY THE WHOLE DAY. THANK YOU SO MUCH. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HEARD THEM OUTSIDE, THEY DID A MAGNIFICENT JOB. WE HAVE NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS TODAY. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. 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. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT. WE HAVE THREE SET OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. FEBRUARY 13, 2023 SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP, MARCH 9, 2023, SCHOOL BOARD WORKSHOP. MARCH 21st, 2023 SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN. 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 ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED 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 FIVE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK INTO THE QUEUE. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW READ 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 FROM STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONS ON LIVE WEBCASTS, ON CABLE TV, 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 P.M., THE EMPLOYEE INPUT. I'D LIKE TO GO OVER 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 DIRECTED PERSONALLY AGAINST A 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'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. A RED LIGHT AND CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL CALL UP THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS AGAINST THE WALL. THE FIRST SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. CARLING, HILLSBOROUGH. I AM THE MOTHER OF FOUR CHILDREN IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS HERE. I RECENTLY DISCOVERED IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES A GRAPHIC NOVEL SERIES CALLED ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, WHICH DEPICTS VERY VIOLENT AND DISTURBING SCENES OF SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, PEDOPHILIA, CHILD RAPE, CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING, SOFT PORN, PROSTITUTION AND SUICIDE. THERE ARE SCENES OF CHILDREN USING ASSAULT RIFLES TO SHOOT TEACHERS. THE PLOT LINE GOES SOMETHING LIKE THIS. A GROUP OF MISFIT JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE BEING TAUGHT TO ASSASSINATE THEIR PERVY TEACHER WITH A WEAKNESS FOR STUDENTS WITH BIG BOOBS. I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES BOOKS MAY HAVE REDEMPTIVE VALUES IF THEIR OVERALL MESSAGE IS BENEFICIAL, BUT THIS BOOK SERIES IS VULGAR AND DISTURBING, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT SCHOOL SHOOTING IN NASHVILLE. IT'S RATED T-PLUS FOR OLDER TEENS, BUT MOST -- ACTUALLY, NOW 139 COPIES, THEY JUST PURCHASED TWO VOLUMES SINCE FRIDAY, TWO FULL SETS, ARE IN CIRCULATION IN OUR MIDDLE SCHOOL LIBRARIES, WHICH MEANS CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 11 HAVE ACCESS TO THIS MATERIAL. WHEN I APPROACHED YOU ALL ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK THROUGH E-MAIL, I WAS TOLD TO SUBMIT A BOOK CHALLENGE FOR EACH BOOK FOR EACH SCHOOL. EVEN IF I HAD AN INFINITE AMOUNT OF TIME, WHICH I DON'T, IT WOULD TAKE ME AT THAT TIME 56 YEARS TO CHALLENGE EACH BOOK SINCE THE LAST BOOK CHALLENGE TOOK SEVEN MONTHS. I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING FUNDAMENTALLY WRONG HERE IF THIS KIND OF MATERIAL WAS ALLOWED INTO THE SCHOOL LIBRARIES IN THE FIRST PLACE. WHAT KIND OF SCHOOL EMPLOYEE WOULD SEEK OUT AND PUT THIS MATERIAL BEFORE MINORS? WHAT KIND OF ADULT WOULD DEFEND THIS BEING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS PAID FOR BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS? CERTAINLY ONE THAT I WOULDN'T TRUST TO BE AROUND MY CHILDREN.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS INDICATEA CARLING. I AM IN FOURTH GRADE. I AM HERE TO ADDRESS THE BOOK CALLED ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM. EVERY MONTH WE PRACTICE LOCKDOWN DRILLS AT SCHOOL. SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ON AVERAGE ONCE A WEEK SCARES ME VERY MUCH. IT HORRIFIES ME THAT THERE IS A BOOK IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES RIGHT NOW THAT CONDONES SCHOOL SHOOTINGS. NOT ONLY THAT, BUT RATED T-PLUS FOR OLDER TEENS AND IS RECOMMENDED FOR 16 AND UP. IT CONTAINS REALISTIC VIOLENCE AND SUGGESTIVE SITUATIONS, YET THIS BOOK CAN BE ACCESSED BY CHILDREN AS YOUNG AS 11 YEARS OLD. I WILL NOW READ SOME SAMPLE PACKAGES. PAGE 184 HAS A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR THAT SAYS, KILL IS A FASCINATING WORD. IT IS OFTEN USED BUT RARELY PUT INTO ACTION. SO I DECIDED TO CREATE A STORY CENTERED AROUND THIS UNIQUE WORD. IF YOU ENJOY IT, YOU CAN KILL ME NOW AND I WILL DIE HAPPY. PAGE 135 SAYS, I CAN'T BELIEVE I GET TO KILL MY TEACHER WITH MY OWN HAND. IT'S PAYBACK TIME AFTER WHICH WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE LAST ONE. PAGE 128 SAYS I'VE BEEN WANTING TO KILL A TEACHER, SO I VERY MUCH ASK YOU, PLEASE TAKE THIS OUT OF OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> MY NAME IS MOLLY BLANTON FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WE ARE ASSASSINS AND THE TARGET IS OUR TEACHER. I CAME ACROSS THIS PHRASE THIS PROMOTIONAL STATEMENT MULTIPLE TIMES WHEN I BEGAN LOOKING INTO THIS SERIES OF BOOKS AND ALSO A TV ANIMATION NOW AS WELL. BOOKS RATED AS STATED T-PLUS SO FOR OLDER TEENS. 139 COPIES IN OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL LIBRARIES, MOST IN MIDDLE SCHOOL. WE'VE ALREADY HEARD ABOUT THOSE AGES. AND ONLINE PROMO READS, EVER CAUGHT YOURSELF SCREAMING, I COULD JUST KILL THAT TEACHER! WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO JUSTIFY SUCH ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND WEEKS OF DETENTION, ESPECIALLY IF HE'S THE BEST TEACHER YOU'VE EVER HAD? GOES ON, OKAY, NOW THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO PULL THIS OFF? IN A LATER VOLUME PROMO, WHEN THE STUDENTS BEGIN EXHIBITING SIGNS OF SELF-ESTEEM, THE PRINCIPAL DEMANDS THAT THE TEACHER CRUSH THEIR SPIRITS. SO NOW THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL, WHO IS NOT AN ALIEN IS ALSO AN ENEMY OF THE STUDENTS. THIS SERIES MAY USE IRONY, HUMOR, AND SKILLFUL DRAWING, BUT IT ALSO USES COLOR, PSYCHOLOGY, ADOLESCENT YEARNING TO FIT IN AND TO STAND OUT, TO BE NOTICED, CLASSIC COMING OF AGE EMOTIONAL APPEALS. BUT THE THEME IS THE TEACHER IS ALIEN, EVIL, AND THE STUDENTS ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN SAVE EVERYONE AND THEY MUST KILL THE TEACHER TO DO THIS. WE'RE ASSASSINS AND THE TARGET IS OUR TEACHER. MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS AGE 11, YOU KNOW, COMING OF AGE IS AN APPROPRIATE THEME, BUT KILLING YOUR TEACHER TO DO SO IS NOT AN APPROPRIATE THEME. WE MUST DO BETTER. YOU MUST TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO WHICH YOU WERE ELECTED, TAKE CARE OF OUR CHILDREN.
>>Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF I COULD CALL UP THE NEXT, 6 THROUGH 10.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. PAT McCALF, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. IN TODAY'S CLIMATE, THIS ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM SERIES, IT BLENDS MIXED MESSAGES OF REDEMPTION WRAPPED TOGETHER WITH A VERY INTENT TO KILL. IT SENDS CONFLICTING MESSAGES TO YOUNG READERS. THE NOTION OF GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED ATTEMPTED MURDER PORTRAYED IN THE SERIES IS OUTRIGHT INAPPROPRIATE, PARTICULARLY GIVEN TO THE YOUNG AGE GROUP OF THE STUDENTS INVOLVED. THIS COULD INSPIRE REAL-WORLD HARM, PARTICULARLY AMONG YOUNG IMPRESSIONABLE STUDENTS. AND DID YOU KNOW THAT THIS SERIES PROMOTES A MESSAGE THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO KILL A TEACHER? IN THIS BOOK, AND THIS IS ON PAGE 89. IT'S GOT PICTURES OF STUDENTS WANTING TO KILL THEIR TEACHER, AND IT SAYS AT THE BOTTOM, TAKE IT TO THE LIMIT ONE MORE TIME. THE ROOT CAUSE OF SCHOOL VIOLENCE IS OFTEN LINKED TO MENTAL ILLNESS. IT'S CONCEIVABLE THAT A MENTALLY ILL OR TROUBLED CHILD MIGHT PERCEIVE THEIR TEACHER AS AN ADVERSARY AND VIEW THEMSELVES AS A HERO BY ELIMINATING THEIR ADVERSARY, THEIR TEACHER. THIS TYPE OF THINKING CAN BE DANGEROUS AND A DISTURBING SYMPTOM OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND IT HIGHLIGHTS THE IMPORTANCE OF REMOVING THESE BOOKS THAT SUPPORT SUCH A DANGEROUS MINDSET. WE HAVE A DUTY TO TAKE APPROPRIATE MEASURES TO PREVENT VIOLENT BOOKS LIKE THESE FROM BEING DISSEMINATED AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE. IT'S ULTIMATELY YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE OUR CHILDREN ARE SUPPLIED WITH QUALITY EDUCATION FREE FROM HARMFUL IDEOLOGIES AND PREJUDICE, MATERIALS LIKE THESE, LIKE THESE, CERTAINLY DO NOT BELONG IN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR SCHOOL LIBRARIES FUNDED BY TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> I'M THEO TOWNSEND FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. YOUR FUTURE THAT YOU ARE IN CHARGE OF IS SERIOUSLY IN DANGER. YOUR DECISION LAST WEEK FOR UNIVERSAL BANNING OF BOOKS IS A VERY AUTHORITARIAN DIRECTION THAT THIS BOARD HAS TAKEN. IT IS INAPPROPRIATE FOR A FREE SOCIETY. WE MUST LIVE IN THAT FREE SOCIETY. THERE ARE RULES AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO PREVENT VIOLENCE, BUT AUTHORITARIANISM, AS YOU HAVE DEFINED IT, IS TERRIBLY INAPPROPRIATE. I URGE YOU TO CONSIDER ADOPTING RESOLUTIONS THAT PROHIBIT UNIVERSAL BOOK BANNING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND SECONDLY, THAT YOU DEVELOP AND YOU HAVE STAFF DEVELOP THIS PROCEDURE WHEREBY PARENTS CAN TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY ON THEIRSELVES TO OPT OUT OF BOOKS FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN IN OUR LIBRARIES. YOU SHOULD NOT BE INSTITUTING AUTHORITARIAN BANS THAT LIMIT PARENTAL FREEDOM. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> DAVID KOONTZ, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. THE SUPERINTENDENT'S BOUNDARY RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT PROVIDE STABILITY OF SCHOOL FEEDER PATTERNS FOR OUR CHILDREN WHICH IS WHAT YOU RECOMMEND. IF SCENARIO FOUR BOUNDARY ANALYSIS IS IMPLEMENTED BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL WILL ONLY BE AT 91% CAPACITY IN FIVE YEARS. WHY IS IT NECESSARY TO REMOVE MORE NEIGHBORHOODS FROM BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL BOUNDARY? THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS RECEIVED A PETITION FROM OVER 550 CONCERNED INDIVIDUALS FROM LA COLINA AND BRENTWOOD HILLS REQUESTING TO REMAIN AT BLOOMINGDALE HIGH SCHOOL. BY SUPPORTING THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION, YOU MAY BE BREAKING UP FAMILIES, INHIBIT ACADEMIC MOMENTUM AND DESTROY WELL ESTABLISHED FEEDER SCHOOL ZONES. JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, YOU WILL BE SEPARATING MY FAMILY, MY DAUGHTER WILL START AT BLOOMINGDALE THIS FALL FOR NINTH GRADE AND WILL HAVE TO TRANSFER IN 2024 FOR TENTH GRADE TO BRANDON HIGH SCHOOL. BLOOMINGDALE IS THE FOURTH RANKED HIGH SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY WHILE BRANDON IS THE 28th RANKED AND UNDERPERFORMING IN ALL AREAS, INCLUDING 29% MATH PROFICIENCY PER U.S. NEWS. THE DISTRICT OVERALL IS 43%. MY SON SHOULD GET TO STAY AT BLOOMINGDALE AS PART OF BEING GRANDFATHERED IN 2024 AS HE IS RISING TO 11th GRADE, HOWEVER YOU MAY NOT ALLOW MY DAUGHTER AS RISING TO 10th GRADE AT THE SAME HIGH SCHOOL. HOW IS THIS MAINTAINING ACADEMIC MOMENTUM FOR MY FAMILY? BY DELAYING THE REZONING DECISION, YOU HAVE ALSO TAKEN AWAY OUR ABILITY TO MAKE AN INFORMED DECISION ABOUT WHERE TO SEND MY DAUGHTER TO HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAVE ALREADY TRANSFERRED OUR CHARTER SCHOOL COMMITMENT TO BLOOMINGDALE AFTER IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT WE WERE GOING TO BE DOING SCENARIO FOUR. THE DEADLINE FOR US AS A FAMILY WAS JANUARY 31st. OUR DAUGHTER'S SPOT HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. I AM ASKING YOU TO ALLOW THE SIBLINGS OF STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE TO STAY AND CURRENTLY ENROLLED AT THE SAME SCHOOL ALSO BE ABLE TO STAY TOGETHER SO FAMILIES ARE NOT SEPARATED WITH THIS REZONING. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS NICK. I'M FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO REVIEW THE CONTENT OF THE ASSASSINATION SERIES. I WAS GIVEN A BOOK LOOKS ORG WEBSITE AS A PLACE TO LOCATE AND LOOK AT THE SUMMARY OF BOOKS. FRANKLY, I WAS SHOCKED AND SURPRISED, APPALLED SIMPLY IN DISBELIEF TO READ THE CONTENT OF MANY OF THE BOOKS. THE ASSASSINATION SERIES COVERS TOPICS OF RAPE OF MINORS, CHILD MOLESTATION, CHILD TRAFFICKING, BEHAVIORAL PER VERSIONS OF ALL MANNER, HARMFUL INFLUENCES THAT HAVE NO PLACE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR YOUNG CHILDREN. I JUST RANDOMLY LOOKED AT SOME OTHER BOOKS ON THE SITE AND I SAW A BOOK BY E.R. FRANK FROM AMERICA. AND IN THAT BOOK, THE WORD ASS 32 TIMES, BITCH 6 TIMES, DICK 28 TIMES. THE F WORD 69 TIMES. G DAMN ONE TIME. N WORD ONE TIME. P FEMALE GENITALIA 13 TIMES. AND SHT, 136 TIMES. I ASK RHETORICALLY WHAT VALUE DOES THIS PROVIDE BY DESCRIBING THE DISTASTEFUL FORMS OF HUMAN BEHAVIOR. HOW DOES THIS ENHANCE THE EMOTIONAL AND MENTAL STATURE OF OUR YOUTH OR FOR THAT MATTER ANYBODY? WHO ARE THE DISTORTED EVALUATORS WHO DECIDE HOW SUCH BOOKS SHOULD BE CHOSEN FOR YOU'LL HAVE MINDS? I THINK THE ANSWER SHOULD BE CLEAR TO JUST ABOUT ANYBODY. NONE I WOULD IMAGINE ANY OF US WOULD LIKE TO SIT DOWN WITH OUR 10- OR 11-YEAR-OLD AND REPEAT ANY OF THE WORDS I MENTIONED TODAY MANY TIMES OVER. I THINK MR. AND MRS. LIBRARIAN SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF YOURSELF. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS FRED ROCK OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE BEEN ASKED TO SHARE SOME OF THIS INFORMATION FROM ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, VOLUME 21. ON PAGE 4, IT SHOWS -- A TEACHER IS SHOWN IN THE CROSSHAIRS OF A GUN SITE. HE SAYS, AFTER GIVING IT A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGHT, THE ANSWER I ARRIVED AT WAS THAT I MUST STAKE MY LIFE ON TEACHING THE ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM. ON PAGE 6, ALWAYS ASSASSINATE YOUR TARGET USING A METHOD THAT BRINGS A SMILE TO YOUR FACE. PAGE 36, THE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IS SHOWN DRINKING ALCOHOL WITH HIS JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS. PAGE 42, FEMALE ENGLISH TEACHER IS SITTING ON THE P.E. TEACHERS DESK PROVOCTIVELY AS SHE SAYS, BUT I'M WORRIED, IF A WOMAN AS BEAUTIFUL AS ME WERE TO MEET A HANDSOME RADICAL EXTREMIST OVER THERE, OR MAYBE THAT EXCITES YOU, TO IMAGINE THESE THINGS HE MIGHT DO WITH YOUR WIFE. PAGE 52, ONE OF THE WELL-ENDOWED JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS IS RUBBING HIS HEAD OF THE TEACHER WHILE HE PANTS HEAVILY AND STARES AT HER CHEST. PAGE 53, THE HEADING READS, FINAL CLASS, A TIME TO KILL. PAGE 65, THE TEACHER IS SHOWN STANDING IN FRONT OF A CHALKBOARD WHILE NUMEROUS WEAPONS ARE POINTING AT HIM. THE CAPTION READS, IN THIS CLASSROOM, MURDEROUS VIBES. PAGE 68, A STUDENT SURROUNDED BY DEMONIC LOOKING MEN. ONE ASKS, IS THIS GIRL A GUY? LET'S CHECK. FINALLY, PAGE 72, A STUDENT MUSES, BUT TO MY CLASSMATES AND I, KILL IS THE MAGICAL WORD THAT GIVES US COURAGE. THEN THE STUDENT STICKS HIS MIDDLE FINGER IN THE CAROTID ARTERY OF A TEACHER'S NECK. DEMONIC FACES ARE SEEN LOOKING ON. PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> EVE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, MY SISTER AND I DECIDED TO TRY OUT FOR BASKETBALL AT COLEMAN MIDDLE. AFTER WALKING THROUGH THE RAIN AND WAITING TEN MINUTES WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WAS PLAYING WE WERE KICKED OUT OF THE GYM AND TOLD WE COULD NOT PLAY. WE COMPLETED ALL OF THE CERTIFICATE COURSES AND FILED ALL THE FORMS AND PAPERWORK THE VICE PRINCIPAL PROVIDED US BUT THAT WASN'T ENOUGH. WE ARE BANNED FROM SPORTS FOR PROTECTING OUR DIGITAL PRIVACY FROM COMPANIES. MY PARENTS DECIDED TO SHIELD US FROM DATA COLLECTION AND CLOUD STORAGE OF OUR INFORMATION. THEY WORKED HARD TO MAKE SURE THAT FAMILY AND FRIENDS NOT POST PICTURES OF US ONLINE. YOU HAVE UNDONE THEIR YEARS OF WORK. NOW LOOK WHAT I'M HAVING TO DO. STAND HERE AND BE STREAMED LIVE ON YouTube BECAUSE YOU ONLY ACCEPT THOSE WHO UNKNOWINGLY COMPLY WITH THE DANGERS OF YOUR UNCONSTITUTIONAL MANDATES. YOU FORCE US TO UPLOAD PERSONAL AND VERY SENSITIVE MEDICAL INFORMATION TO DIGITAL PLATFORMS RUN BY BIG-TECH COMPANIES. YOU HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHAT THEY DO WITH THAT DATA. APPS LIKE PLANET HIGH SCHOOL ARE CREEPILY INTRUSIVE OF OUR PRIVACY. WE CAN OPT OUT, RIGHT? NO. CAN WE DECLINE THESE COMPANIES' PRIVACY POLICIES AND TERMS OF USE? NO. IF WE DON'T COMPLY WITH POLICIES OF A PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT COMPANY, WE ARE BANNED FROM PUBLIC SCHOOL SPORTS. WAS OUR REMOVAL FROM THE GYM EVEN LEGAL? PROBABLY NOT. ALL I WANT TO DO IS PLAY BASKETBALL WITHOUT HAVING TO GIVE AWAY MY INFORMATION TO STRANGERS WHO MAY BE LOCATED HALFWAY ACROSS THE PLANET. WHAT'S WRONG WITH KEEPING PAPER FORMS IN A LOCKED BOX IN THE OFFICE? CERTAINLY MORE SECURE THAT WAY. YOU KICKED OUT STUDENTS FULLY QUALIFIED TO PLAY SPORTS IN FRONT OF THEIR CLASSMATES OVER PAPER. WE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO GIVE OUR PROPERTY, OUR DATA TO CREEPY FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES, STRANGERS THAT CAN USE OUR PROPERTY TO ENRICH THEMSELVES. THIS TYRANNY NEEDS TO END. PLEASE LET ME PLAY SPORTS AND RESPECT MY RIGHT OF PRIVACY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> KATHERINE MOORING, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'LL BE READING FROM ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, VOLUME 21. ON PAGE 172 TO 173, THERE IS A LITTLE GIRL PROTESTING SAYING, QUOTE, BUT I DON'T HAVE ANY MONEY. THE MAN SAYS, DON'T WORRY, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY WITH MONEY. YOU KNOW WHAT I WANT DOESN'T MATTER IF YOU ARE YOUNG OR OLD, MALE OR FEMALE. TELL ME WHAT DO YOU DESIRE. THE GIRL SAYS, I REALLY WANT IT. I REALLY, REALLY WANT. THE MAN SAYS, ALL RIGHT, LITTLE LADY. ON PAGE 181, THE MAN THINKS HE'S ABOUT TO SLEEP WITH THE LITTLE GIRL AND EXCLAIMS, ALL RIGHT, THAT MEANS I CAN HAVE IT, RIGHT? LUCKY ME, IT'S ONLY NATURAL THAT THE ONE WITH THE STRONGEST DESIRE SHOULD GET IT, RIGHT? PAGE 182, THE MAN SAYS TO THE LITTLE GIRL, QUOTE, LITTLE LADY, WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO DESIRE? IS THAT DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND? WHEN I DESIRE SOMETHING I CAN'T THINK OF ANYTHING ELSE. I'M EXCITED, ITCHY, TURNED ON, ISN'T IT THE SAME WITH YOU? PAGE 188, ADULT MAN SAYS TO THE LITTLE GIRL, MY CUSTOMER AND I WANT YOU. YOU SHOULD BE FLATTERED. ON PAGE 192, THE BOTTOM LEFT FRAME SHOWS A DEMONIC LOOKING MAN GRABBING THE LITTLE GIRL AND LAYING ON TOP OF HER WHILE VIOLENTLY TRYING TO PENETRATE HER. ON PAGE 193, THE LITTLE GIRL THINKS, THIS GUY'S DESIRE IS A BOTTOMLESS PIT. BIG THINGS, SMALL THINGS, LECHEROUS THINGS, HE WANTS THEM ALL REALLY BADLY AND AT ANY COST. PAGE 184 TO 185, THE LITTLE GIRL HAS ON A SEXY DRESS. THE MAN LOOKS AT HER AND SAYS, QUOTE, COME ON AND PAY ME WHEN YOU'VE GROWN INTO WOMAN WORTHY OF WEARING THAT DRESS. THE LITTLE GIRL THINKS, QUOTE, HE SAW RIGHT THROUGH IT AND MY DESIRE, TOO. THAT MAN GLITTERED LIKE THE STARS, HIS CLOTHES, HIS DESIRES. AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE GIRL WHO LOOKS LIKE SHE'S ABOUT NINE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. IF I COULD PLEASE CALL UP SPEAKERS 13 TO 17 UP AGAINST THE WALL. NEXT SPEAKERS, PLEASE. 13 TO 17.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LAURA KISSIC. A MOM OF THREE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I AM HERE TODAY TO ASK THAT YOU TAKE A PROACTIVE STANCE ON THE ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM SERIES OF BOOKS AND REMOVE THEM IMMEDIATELY. IN LIGHT OF THE RECENT SCHOOL SHOOTING IN TENNESSEE, THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW, NOT SIX MONTHS FROM NOW AS WE LEARN THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO GET ONE BOOK REMOVED VIA FORMAL PROCESS, JUST ONE BOOK, NOT THE 139 ACROSS 21 BOOKS IN THE SERIES THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH. THE SERIES IS EVIDENT ON ITS FACE THAT IT PROMOTES SCHOOL SHOOTINGS THROUGH REALISTIC VIOLENT IMAGES AND LANGUAGE. HOW CAN ANYONE JUSTIFY A TITLE LIKE ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM? IT PLANTS SEEDS OF VIOLENCE IN IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG MINDS. SOME WILL ARGUE WHAT THEY SEE ON THEIR PHONE AND TV IS WORSE. THE SCHOOLS CAN'T CONTROL THAT BUT THEY CAN CONTROL WHAT IS ON THE SHELF AND TAKE ACTIONS NOT TO BE A PART OF THE PROBLEM. WHY CAN'T OUR SCHOOLS BE THAT ONE SAFE PLACE WHERE THEY AREN'T EXPOSED TO ANY OF THIS, NO VIOLENCE OR PORN, PERIOD. THE WORLD IS HARSH ENOUGH AND BECOMING AN ADULT IS HARSH ENOUGH. THEY WILL LEARN AND SEE ALL THIS IN DUE TIME. FOR NOW, INNOCENCE IS SOMETHING TO BE PROTECTED AND VALUED. FROM THE VOLUME 11 OF THE SERIES, HERE ARE SOME QUOTES. WHY IS IT YOU AREN'T ON THE VERGE OF KILLING YOURSELF EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE BEEN DEFEATED? IS THIS MESSAGE WE NEED TO SEND TO STUDENTS TO KILL YOURSELF IN DEFEAT? THIS PLANTS SEEDS OF SUICIDE IN IMPRESSIONABLE YOUNG MINDS. ALSO, THERE ARE TWO FEMALE CHARACTERS WHO ARE MENTIONED HAVING BIG BOOBS AND USING THOSE BOOBS AND WOMANLY CHARMS TO GET TO THEIR ASSASSINATION TARGET QUICKLY. THERE IS A LINE THAT SAYS POLYGAMY IS A MUST. ALSO MENTIONS ALWAYS ASSASSINATE YOUR TARGET USING A METHOD THAT BRINGS A SMILE TO YOUR FACE. SCHOOLS HAVE ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY FOR BRINGING GUNS ON CAMPUS YET A BOOK THAT ENCOURAGES GUNS ON CAMPUS AND SHOOTINGS NO PROBLEM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, NEXT SPEAKER.
>> GOOD EVENING, SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RENEE BOWSER. I'M A RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, THE PARENT OF A 7th GRADER AND A 9th GRADER AND AN EDUCATOR IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR 17 YEARS. THE LAST TEN YEARS I'VE BEEN AN ELEMENTARY MEDIA SPECIALIST AND RECENT TBT ARTICLE ABOUT THE RECENT BOOK CHALLENGE, MR. DAVIS SAID, I DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO REMOVE BOOKS. THERE'S A PROCEDURE IN PLACE THAT WE HAVE TO FOLLOW. WE'LL FOLLOW THE INTEGRITY OF THAT PROCEDURE, WHETHER IT IS MY PERSONAL VIEW OR NOT. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW PROCEDURES RELEVANT TO THIS PROCESS. THIS WAS REFERENCING THE MATERIAL CHALLENGE PROCEDURE. THIS ALLOWS COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CHALLENGE A BOOK AT A PARTICULAR SCHOOL. MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THIS POLICY IS IN PLACE BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT, NOT TO ALLOW ONE PERSON'S OPINION OR VIEWS TO REMOVE ACCESS TO A BOOK FROM AN ENTIRE SCHOOL OR ENTIRE DISTRICT POPULATION. A PARENT ABSOLUTELY HAS THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT THEIR OWN CHILDREN CANNOT READ, BUT THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHAT MY CHILDREN ARE NOT ALLOWED ACCESS TO. OUR CHILDREN ARE GROWING UP IN A SOCIETY FAR DIFFERENT THAN THE ONE IN WHICH WE WERE RAISED. THEY HAVE ACCESS TO THE ENTIRE WORLD'S KNOWLEDGE IN THEIR POCKET. THEY ARE EXPOSED TO MANY THINGS ONLINE, ON TELEVISION AND THROUGH THEIR PEERS. IF THEY CAN READ ABOUT SENSITIVE TOPICS IN A WELL-WRITTEN BOOK, IT CAN FOSTER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THESE HARD SUBJECTS. STUDENTS NEED MANY DIFFERENT TYPES OF BOOKS. DR. BISHOP INTRODUCED THE CONCEPT OF BOOKS THAT ARE MIRRORS, WINDOWS AND SLIDING GLASS DOORS. STUDENTS NEED BOOKS THAT MIRROR THEIR ENSHRINES SO THEY UNDERSTAND THEY ARE NOT ALONE. THEY NEED BOOKS THAT ARE WINDOWS INTO LIVES THAT ARE DIFFERENT THAN THEIR OWN TO LEARN TO BE MORE COMPASSIONATE AND THEY NEED BOOKS THAT ARE DOORS INTO OTHER WORLDS TO FOSTER THEIR IMAGINATION. THESE CATEGORIES MAY LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EACH STUDENT AND A BOOK THAT IS A MIRROR FOR STUDENTS AT MY TITLE ONE TRANSFORMATION SCHOOL MAY BE A WINDOW BOOK FOR STUDENTS IN NEW TAMPA OR FISHHAWK. JUST BECAUSE THE BOOK SERVES A DIFFERENT PURPOSE FOR DIFFERENT KIDS DOESN'T MAKE IT ANY LESS IMPORTANT. WHEN YOU REMOVE BOOKS THAT ARE MIRRORS FOR MY STUDENTS, YOU TELL THEM THAT THEIR LIFE EXPERIENCES ARE NOT VALID AND THEY ARE UNIMPORTANT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M HEATHER. I LIVE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND I'M JUST GOING TO READ A FEW SECTIONS OUT OF VOLUME 21 OF ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM. ON PAGE 110 THROUGH 111, AN EVIL-LOOKING MAN CORNERS A BLIND MAN -- A WOMAN AND LICKS HER FACE AND THEN GRABS HER AND THEN SAYS, WE'LL DISCUSS YOUR PAYMENT PLAN AT MY OFFICE. WITH YOUR LOOKS AND YOUR BOD, IT'S A SHAME TO WASTE ALL THAT IN A DINGHY DIVE LIKE THIS. EVEN BETTER, YOU'RE BLIND. POLITICIANS AND CEOs WILL PAY BIG BUCKS FOR YOU TO PRESERVE THEIR ANONYMITY. I DON'T THINK ANY CHILD SHOULD HAVE THIS AS A WINDOW TO SEE THE WORLD THROUGH. IT'S TERRIBLE. PAGE 112, A MAN GRABS THE GIRL WHO LOOKS TO BE ABOUT NINE. SOUNDS LIKE HUMAN TRAFFICKING. AND DOESN'T -- AND HE SAYS, DON'T WORRY, YOUR MOTHER IS JUST TAKING A NEW JOB AND HE THROWS THE LITTLE GIRL TO THE FLOOR AND SAYS, MAYBE YOU'D LIKE TO HELP YOUR MOM WITH HER WORK. YOU COULD PAY HER DEBT BACK FASTER THAT WAY, HE, HE, HE. THAT'S DESPICABLE. WE DON'T WANT TO TEACH OUR CHILDREN TO DO THAT KIND OF THING. OH, MY GOSH. IT TRIGGERS ME SO BAD I CAN HARDLY STAND IT. THE SCENE ON PAGE 114 SHOWS A TEACHER LOOKING AT PORN. PAGE 122, AN EVIL-LOOKING MAN GIVES THE MOM AND HER YOUNG DAUGHTER A CONTRACT TO SIGN AND SAYS THERE'S NO WAY YOU'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PAY OFF THE DEBT WITHOUT USING YOUR BODY. LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT'S WHAT. IS THAT WHAT WE WANT TO TEACH OUR KIDS? THEY PAY OFF DEBTS WITH THEIR BODIES? SICKENING. THE TEACHER SAYS, I NOTICED THAT A PROPRIETOR'S EYES WERE LIT BY A MELANCHOLY DETERMINATION TO KILL. A STUDENT OF MINE USED TO HAVE THAT SAME LOOK IN HIS EYES. HE, TOO, DIDN'T VALUE HIS LIFE. HE PARTICIPATED IN A SUICIDE BOMBING --
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HI. MY NAME IS KATHY FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. WHY DO WE READ BOOKS? WELL, IT COULD BE FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, SELF-HELP, PERSONAL GROWTH, OR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES. THESE MAY BE FICTIONAL BOOKS BUT THERE HAVE BEEN STUDIES DONE THAT SHOW HOW FICTIONAL STORIES AFFECTS THE BRAINS OF CHILDREN. PSYCHOLOGISTS HAVE STUDIED HOW WE CONNECT WITH CHARACTERS IN BOOKS. AS WE COME INTO OUR TEENAGE YEARS, WE OFTEN GO ON A BIT OF A JOURNEY OF DISCOVERY TO GET TO KNOW OURSELVES. WHEN WE EMOTIONALLY CONNECT WITH A CHARACTER AND FEEL REALLY IMMERSED IN THE STORY, WE GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRY ON THAT CHARACTER'S IDENTITY FOR A WHILE TO SEE WHAT IT FEELS LIKE. SOME RESEARCH SHOWS OUR OWN IDENTITIES CON TEMPORARILY GROW TO INCLUDE THE THOUGHTS, FEELINGS AND EXPERIENCES OF FICTIONAL CHARACTERS. ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, THE NAME ITSELF SHOULD HAVE GIVEN PAUSE TO WHOEVER VETTED THESE BOOKS. THIS IS A STORY OF STUDENTS PLOTTING TO KILL THEIR TEACHER. I ASK YOU, IS THIS SOMETHING YOU WANT MIDDLE OR HIGH SCHOOLERS TO IMMERSE THEMSELVES IN THE CHARACTERISTICS? IT'S COMMON SENSE. I WOULD HOPE YOUR ANSWER WOULD BE NO AND PULL THESE BOOKS. IT'S NOT ABOUT RELIGION. IT'S NOT ABOUT POLITICS. IT'S NOT ABOUT RACE, GENDER, OR ANY OF THOSE THINGS. HOWEVER, WHAT IT IS ABOUT IS WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS SERIES OF BOOKS TEACHING THE CHILDREN? HOW IS IT AFFECTING THE MINDS OF 11 TO 14-YEAR-OLDS. YOUR JOB IS TO PROTECT THE STUDENTS FROM HARMFUL MATERIAL. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE IF YOU TRIED TO DEFEND THESE BOOKS AND IT'S NOT FAIR TO TEACHERS. IF YOU CHOOSE TO KEEP THESE BOOKS, YOU'RE FAILING YOUR TEACHERS. YOU'RE FAILING YOUR STUDENTS, AND YOU'RE FAILING YOUR COMMUNITY WHEN ALL IT TAKES IS ONE STUDENT TO WANT TO FULLY IMMERSION THEMSELVES IN THE CHARACTER AND TO ACT ON WHAT THIS BOOK IS DEPICTING. MY FINAL POINT IS IT'S NOT ABOUT CHOOSING. IT'S NOT ABOUT -- EXCUSE ME, IT IS ABOUT CHOOSING. IT'S NOT ABOUT BANNING. ARE WE CHOOSING APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE STUDENTS AND THAT'S WHERE IT STARTS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF I COULD CALL UP THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS OLIA. I'M COMING FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MY SON JUST STARTED HIGH SCHOOL. HE GOES TO NINTH GRADE AND THIS YEAR WE REALIZED HE'S VERY GIFTED. BASS SOON PLAYER. HIS GOAL IS TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BASSOON PLAYER. HE'S WEEKS AWAY FROM BEING EAGLE SCOUT. WE TRY TO DO EVERYTHING RIGHT. WE JUST LEARNED THIS YEAR BY MY SON THAT THERE IS A GREAT PLATFORM FOR HIM AT THE PERFORMING ART AT BLAKE. THEY GIVE HIM THE PLATFORM OF EXTRA CURRICULA FOR MUSIC, GIGS AT THE STRAZ MUSEUM, UNIVERSITIES WITH MUSIC, PICK AND CHOOSE THE BEST OF THEM. AS A MOM, WHEN HE WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL AND -- I UNDERSTAND TO GIVE HIM BETTER FUTURE, I SIGN HIM UP TO AN IB PROGRAM. MY MISTAKE BECAUSE I'VE LEARNED TO KNOW THAT THERE IS A RULE THAT YOU CANNOT SWITCH BETWEEN MAGNET EVEN IF YOU REALIZED YOUR SON BELONGS ELSEWHERE. AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IB AND PERFORMING ARTS ARE CHOICE IN MAGNET, ALL THE SAME. I CALL THE CHOICE TO TELL THEM TO LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL NEEDS AND NOT LIKE ALL SIZE FITS ALL. I TOTALLY UNDERSTAND RULES AND REGULATIONS. I WAS IN THE MILITARY. I GO BY THEM. I DON'T HAVE A PARKING TICKET. BUT SOME EXCEPTIONS NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT AND SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE. WHEN I CALLED THE CHOICE OFFICE, I WAS TOLD THIS RULE IS 30 YEARS OLD. MANY PARENTS TRIED BEFORE YOU AND FAILED. YOU HAVE NO CHOICE. GIVE UP. IS THIS WHAT WE TEACH OUR CHILDREN? TO GIVE UP, TO GIVE UP THEIR DREAMS, PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE. I REALLY, REALLY ASK YOU TO SEEK TO HELP MY SON. I DON'T HAVE TIME. NINTH AND TENTH, IF HE GOES BACK TO HIS NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC SCHOOL, HE WILL BE 11th GRADE WHEN HE GETS THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO MAGNET AGAIN AND HE HAS NOT -- HE DOESN'T HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY ANYMORE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
>> HELLO. DR. WENDY SAMFORD, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I AM HERE. I WAS HERE PROBABLY ABOUT FOUR MONTHS AGO AND INTRODUCED A PROGRAM, HANDLE WITH CARE. SIMPLY PUT AND JUST TO REMIND YOU, HANDLE WITH CARE IS A PROGRAM THAT IF THE POLICE ARE CALLED INTO A HOME, IF THERE ARE ANY CHILDREN PRESENT IN THE HOME, THAT OFFICER SENDS A NOTICE TO THE SCHOOL AND ALL IT SAYS IS HANDLE WITH CARE OR HWC. THIS IS A NATIONAL PROGRAM. THERE ARE FIVE STATES THAT DO IT STATEWIDE. WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES DOING IT. THERE ARE 22 COUNTIES IN FLORIDA THAT HAVE ALREADY IMPLEMENTED THE PROGRAM. SO YOU CAN IMAGINE MY SURPRISE WHEN I GOT THIS LETTER THIS WEEK. I'VE BEEN AT THIS FOR ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS WORKING WITH POLICE AND THE TAMPA POLICE DEPARTMENT ARE ON BOARD, HAD THEIR OKAY. I WORK WITH MATT KINNETTE AND SAMUEL KURT ROYKA WITH THE SCHOOLS, CHRISSY DORIAN. I TALKED TO SUPERINTENDENT ADDISON DAVIS AND HOLLY SAIA WITH THE SCHOOLS. WE WERE ON BOARD. STILL WORKING ON THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT THOUGH, BUT I HAVE HOPE. SO I RECEIVED THIS E-MAIL FROM THOMAS FARRIOR, AND IT SAYS, I CAN'T READ THE WHOLE THING. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT ALTHOUGH THE DISTRICT GREATLY ADMIRES YOUR EFFORTS TO ASSIST STUDENTS, TO ME, THE HCSD WILL NOT BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE HANDLE WITH CARE PROGRAM. NONETHELESS, IF THE DISTRICT WISHES TO UTILIZE THE HANDLE WITH CARE PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE IT WILL BE SURE TO CONTACT YOU. DON'T CALL US. WE'LL CALL YOU IS WHAT I'M BEING TOLD. THIS CAME ON MARCH 20th. I SENT AN E-MAIL RESPONSE THE SAME DAY TO SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, ALSO TO ALL THE PEOPLE ON THE LIST OF THE CHAIN. TO SAY I'M DISAPPOINTED I CAN'T EVEN SAY THAT. I DON'T GET PAID FOR THIS. I'M NOT A PERSON THAT WORKS FOR THAT PROGRAM. I AM A RETIRED TEACHER, A RETIRED ADMINISTRATOR, A RETIRED DISTRICT PERSON IN CURRICULUM. THIS IS A GOOD PROGRAM. TWICE, THIS PAST WEEK, MY GRANDDAUGHTER GOES TO SICKLES HIGH SCHOOL, TUESDAY AND THURSDAY I HAD TO PICK HER UP FROM SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE WERE LOCKDOWNS IN THE CLASSROOM. KIDS ARE SCARED. THIS IS A PROACTIVE PROGRAM THAT WE CAN DO AHEAD OF TIME THAT WORKS. PLEASE, SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE. SIT DOWN AT THE TABLE AND IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS THAT ARE LEGAL, LET'S TALK THROUGH THEM. IT'S A NATIONAL PROGRAM. THANK YOU. HANDLE WITH CARE. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS GAY JONES. I LIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE NUMBER 20 IN THE SERIES OF ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM. ON THE COVER, WE TALKED ABOUT, HAVE YOU EVER CAUGHT YOURSELF SCREAMING, I COULD JUST KILL THAT TEACHER. WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO JUSTIFY SUCH ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND WEEKS OF DETENTION? FIRST OF ALL, MURDERING A TEACHER SHOULD BE MET WITH FAR MORE THAN THE CLAIM OF ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOR AND IS PUNISHED BY MORE THAN WEEKS OF DETENTION. THAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN JAPAN WHERE THIS BOOK CAME FROM, BUT THAT SHOULDN'T HAPPEN HERE. BOOK 20 IS AN ACCOUNT OF THE VIOLENT HOURS OF OCTOPUS LIKE CREATURE, TEACHER OF A MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASS OF ASSASSINS WITH SUPERPOWERS, CREEPY SMILEY FACE CREATURE TEACHER IS SCHEDULED TO DESTROY THE EARTH AND THE STUDENTS ARE HIRED BY THE GOVERNMENT TO STOP HIM. BILLIONS OF YEN ARE THE REWARD FOR THE KILLING. SO THEY ARE NOT JUST ASSASSINS. THEY ARE PAID. THE CAST OF CHARACTERS INCLUDE THE PE TEACHER SHACKED UP WITH SEXY ASSASSIN ENGLISH TEACHER KNOWN FOR USING HER WOMANLY CHARMS TO GET CLOSE TO A TARGET. ONE STUDENT IS IDENTIFIED AS A BIGGEST CLASS GIGOLO AND ANOTHER A TALENTED ASSASSIN AND GOOD KISSER, TOO. THE CLASS AND THEIR CREATURE TEACHER APPEAR TO BE EXPERIENCING A MUTUAL STOCKHOLM SYNDROME. THIS IS PROBABLY WHAT BOTHERED. THERE IS A WEIRD PSYCHOLOGY THING THAT I CAN'T PUT MY FINGER ON, BUT IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT WELL PEOPLE NEED TO BE READ. KILL OR BE KILLED. THE TEACHER SAYS, AS YOUR TEACHER I AM HAPPY TO BE ASSASSINATED BY YOU. WHEN AT LAST THAT HAPPENS, HE TURNS INTO A BUNCH OF SPARKLY SPARKLES, WHICH IS NOT EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS WHEN PEOPLE GET ASSASSINATED. THE BOOK IS CARTOONISHLY DARK AND MEAN TO WOMEN. FEMALE STUDENT AFTER A DEADLY BATTLE, WHEN HE HEALED HER, HE MIGHT HAVE GIVEN HER SLIGHTLY BIGGER BOOBS. SOME LESSONS FROM THE BOOK, ASSASSIN MUSTN'T LET A DYING TARGET ESCAPE. ALWAYS BE READY TO KILL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> NICOLE HUFF FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BOTH PARENT AND TEACHER. LAST WEEK AT A SPECIAL SESSION OVER OBJECTIONS FROM SCHOOL BOARD ATTORNEY, THIS BOARD VOTED TO BAN A BOOK FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THIS IS AGAINST OUR DISTRICT POLICY. OUR POLICY STATES THAT EACH LIBRARY IN OUR COUNTY IS UNIQUE BECAUSE IT SERVES AND ANSWERS TO A UNIQUE COMMUNITY AROUND IT. OUR COLLECTIONS ARE PURCHASED BY CERTIFIED MEDIA SPECIALISTS WITH INPUT FROM COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND CONSULTATION OF PROFESSIONAL REVIEWS. IF A COMMUNITY MEMBER DOES NOT AGREE WITH A PARTICULAR BOOK AND DOES NOT WANT IT AVAILABLE, THE FIRST STEP IS TO TALK TO THE MEDIA SPECIALIST. IF A PARENT CALLS ME AND SAYS, I DO NOT WANT MY STUDENT TO READ "THIS BOOK IS GAY" THEN I WON'T CHECK THAT BOOK OUT TO THE STUDENT. IF THEY SAY I DO NOT WANT MY STUDENT TO READ A BOOK WITH THE MENTION OF SEX IN IT. I WILL NOT CHECK OUT A BOOK WITH ANY MENTION OF SEX TO THE STUDENT. IT IS THAT SIMPLE AND THAT PARENT'S RIGHT. BUT THE PARENTS DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT TO CHOOSE FOR EVERY OTHER STUDENT. IF THIS DOES NOT SATISFY THE PARENT, HE OR SHE MAY CHALLENGE THE BOOK. RESULT IN A DISTRICT COMMITTEE ON APPEAL AND YOU GUYS. AND IT IS YOUR RIGHT TO REMOVE A BOOK FROM A SCHOOL SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO. HOWEVER WE DO NOT HAVE A POLICY TO BAN BOOKS DISTRICTWIDE. IT IS A SCHOOL BY SCHOOL DECISION. YOUR MOTION, WHICH PASSED, REMOVED IT FROM ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS. THIS TELLS PARENTS AND ACTIVIST GROUPS THAT IT'S OKAY TO COME AND READ SELECT PASSAGES OUT OF CONTEXT, AS WE'VE SEEN TODAY, AND THAT IS A PROBLEM. PLEASE, TRUST YOUR MEDIA SPECIALIST. IT IS OUR JOB TO TALK TO STUDENTS ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE BOOKS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY APPROVE OF THEM AND THAT THE ADULTS APPROVE OF THEM. AND BEYOND THAT, TRUST THE COMMUNITIES. YOU DIDN'T PROTECT A SINGLE STUDENT BY DOING THIS BECAUSE THE BOOK WASN'T IN OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOLS BECAUSE MEDIA SPECIALISTS HAD DEEMED THEY WOULD KEEP IT AT HIGH SCHOOL EXCEPT FOR THE OVERAGE STUDENT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. MY NAME IS RACHELLE PA LARO FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'M HERE TODAY NOT JUST REPRESENTING CARROLLWOOD ELEMENTARY BUT ADVOCATING SPECIFICALLY FOR THE 100 FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS AND FAMILIES THAT COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. THERE ARE 37 DAYS LEFT IN THE SCHOOL YEAR. 37. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT. WHILE MANY STUDENTS ARE EXCITED ABOUT THE SUMMER, OUR 100 FIFTH GRADERS STILL DON'T KNOW WITH CERTAINTY WHAT MIDDLE SCHOOL THEY WILL BE ATTENDING IN THE FALL. IN ABOUT SEVEN WEEKS THOSE 100 STUDENTS WILL LEAVE CARROLLWOOD ELEMENTARY AND AT THIS POINT THEY DON'T KNOW, AGAIN, IF THEY ARE COMING BACK OR NOT. PARENTS ARE CAUGHT IN LIMBO AND WERE NOT ABLE TO MAKE PLANS WITH REGARDS TO WORK, CHILD CARE, TRANSPORTATION TO AND FROM SCHOOL OR EVEN EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES BECAUSE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS WHAT TIME OUR CHILD WILL NEED TO BE AT SCHOOL OR WHAT TIME THEY WILL GET OUT IS STILL UNDETERMINED AS IT IS BASED ON WHICH MIDDLE SCHOOL THEY CHOOSE TO ATTEND. SO WE ARE RESPECTFULLY ASKING TO BE ADDED TO THE NEXT AGENDA SO THAT THESE FAMILIES AND STUDENTS CAN HAVE CLOSURE ABOUT WHAT THEIR FUTURE MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL BE. FIFTH GRADE STUDENTS RECEIVED A LETTER LAST WEEK ASKING IF WE WOULD BE ATTENDING CARROLLWOOD OR ANOTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND PARENTS HAD NO CLUE HOW TO ANSWER, WONDERING, IS CARROLLWOOD EVEN AN OPTION. SO LET THESE CHILDREN HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENJOY THEIR LAST WEEKS OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL KNOWING EXACTLY WHERE THEY WILL BE GOING NEXT YEAR SO THEY CAN GIVE THEIR PROPER GOOD-BYES AND SEE YOU LATERS. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, SO WE CAN ADEQUATELY PREPARE THEM FOR THE CHANGES AND EMOTIONS THAT COME WITH MIDDLE SCHOOL. AGAIN, I'M HERE TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO PUT US ON THE AGENDA. PLEASE STOP THE FRAGMENTATION OF A COMMUNITY. THIS CYCLE WILL CONTINUE WITHOUT YOUR INTERVENTION. WE ARE ASKING FOR AN ANSWER THIS MONTH SO STUDENTS, PARENTS, AND STAFF CAN MOVE FORWARD, PLAN, AND PREPARE. FINALLY, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. WASHINGTON.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER. IF WE COULD HAVE SPEAKERS 21 TO 25 TO PLEASE LINE UP. SPEAKERS 21 TO 25. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYBODY. I'M CHRIS BLACKBURN. NORTH BON AIR, WESTSHORE PALMS AREA. WOW, OPENING STUFF BEING TALKED ABOUT HERE TODAY, AND I UNDERSTAND FREEDOM OF SPEECH, BUT, BOY, I HOPE SOMEBODY IS DOING A BETTER JOB VETTING SOME OF THE BOOKS GOING INTO OUR SCHOOLS. BECAUSE THAT IS SHOCKING TO ME THAT MY SON WOULD GO INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HAVE TO POSSIBLY SEE SOMETHING COME IN FRONT OF HIM. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE PLENTY OF OTHER THINGS TO WORRY ABOUT AS WELL. I'M HERE AGAIN TO ADVOCATE FOR MY SON KALEB. HE IS COMING OUT OF FIFTH GRADE, GRADY ELEMENTARY, GOING INTO SIXTH GRADE WHICH RIGHT NOW STANDS AS COLEMAN. WE ACTUALLY WENT TO COLEMAN THE OTHER DAY AS A PRE-ORIENTATION, MEET SOME TEACHERS, SEE THE SCHOOL SO HE GETS SOMEWHAT ORIENTED COME JULY. I BELIEVE JULY THAT THINGS PROCEED FURTHER, HIM GOING INTO SIXTH GRADE. WHAT ALSO IS A LITTLE CRAZY IS HE AND I WERE OUT FOR A DRIVE THE OTHER DAY AND WE STOPPED OVER NEAR ONE OF THE SCENARIOS OF PIERCE MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND I TOLD HIM THERE IS THE SCHOOL RIGHT THERE THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TO GET SENT TO. HIS DIRECT QUOTE TO ME WAS, DADDY, THAT LOOKS LIKE A JAIL. AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO TELL HIM. I SAID, I'M SORRY, SON, BUT THIS IS WHAT COULD BE GOING ON IN YOUR FUTURE. I DON'T WANT THAT TO HAPPEN FOR HIM IN HIS FUTURE. HIS FUTURE DESERVES TO BE WHERE HE'S AT WITHIN WALKING AND RIDING HIS BIKE, WHICH HE DOES TO GRADY, NOT SENT SIX, SEVEN MILES AWAY TO A SCHOOL HE THINKS HE'S GOING TO BE IN A JAIL AT. I KNOW YOU HAVE SOME WORKSHOPS COMING UP, AND I APPRECIATE YOU ALL CONTINUING TO DO WHAT YOU DO. I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT HAPPENS AT THE WORKSHOPS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. MY NAME IS LEE KARDON. I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I THINK THE INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT OF THE BOOKS IN THE ASSASSINATION SERIES IS PATENTLY OBVIOUS, NOT JUST FROM WHAT YOU HEARD READ HERE TODAY, BUT ON THE COVER OF EACH ONE OF THEM, THEY ARE MARKED EITHER TEEN PLUS OR YOUNG ADULT. WHICH BY DEFINITION OF THE PUBLISHER SAYS THEY ARE INAPPROPRIATE FOR THE SCHOOLS IN WHICH YOUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ARE PURCHASING THEM. SO THAT REALLY RAISES THE QUESTION. WHAT IS THE SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTY THAT WE HAVE MEDIA SPECIALISTS WHO REGULARLY, CONSISTENTLY ARE BUYING BOOKS LIKE THIS AND PUTTING THEM IN LIBRARIES FOR CHILDREN WHO DON'T MEET THE STANDARD THE PUBLISHER HAS SET FOR THEM? THAT IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM. WHY ARE THEY STILL HERE? WHY WERE THEY HIRED INITIALLY? THIS IS NOT A TRAINING ISSUE. IF THEY CAN'T READ THE COVER, THE MARKER ON THE COVER THAT SAYS TEEN PLUS, OR YOUNG ADULT AND THEY STILL PUT IT IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, MUCH LESS HIGH SCHOOLS, THEY ARE NO MORE APPROPRIATE FOR HIGH SCHOOLS THAN THEY ARE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOLS, BUT THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR THIS BOARD. THERE IS A SYSTEMIC PROBLEM IN THIS COUNTY, AND IT'S UP TO YOU ALL TO FIX IT TO PROTECT OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. DEBBIE HUNT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR MORE THAN 35 YEARS. ALSO ABOUT THE ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM, IT APPALLS ME THAT A BOOK WITH THIS NAME IS EVEN IN OUR SCHOOLS FOR KIDS TO CHECK OUT WITH THE DIFFERENT ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS THAT HAVE HAD HORRIFIC ATTACKS UPON THEM, NASHVILLE BEING THE MOST RECENT. THE AUTHOR HIMSELF, SAYS KILL IS A FASCINATING WORD. IT IS OFTEN USED BUT RARELY PUT INTO ACTION. SO I DECIDED TO CREATE A STORY CENTERED AROUND THIS UNIQUE WORD. IF YOU ENJOY IT, YOU CAN KILL ME NOW AND I'LL DIE HAPPY. NOT ONLY DOES HE HAVE THE PLOT IN THERE TO KILL THEIR TEACHER, AND TO KILL FOR MONEY, A COOL HUNDRED MILLION FROM THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE, WHICH IS WRITTEN ON EVERY SINGLE BOOK WHEN IT TALKS ABOUT WHAT IT'S ABOUT, AND THEN EACH BOOK HAS A DIFFERENT ASSIGNMENT IN IT FOR THE KIDS TO GO AND DO. ONE OF THE BOOKS TALKS ABOUT KILLING THEIR PARENTS. ONE TALKS ABOUT KILLING WHOMEVER. A STUDENT IN ONE OF THE LATER BOOKS GETS KILLED IN THE CROSS-FIRE, WHICH BECOMES AN ISSUE. IT TALKS ABOUT A CHILD HOLDING A LARGE GUN. YOU'RE RELYING TOO MUCH ON THE SPRAY AND PRAY METHOD. YOUR METHOD IS TOO PREDICTABLE. YOUR TRIGGER FINGER, WHERE YOU'RE AIMING, CONSIDER YOUR LINE OF SIGHT IN THE BOOK, ONE OF THEM. THE ASSASSINATION SPECIAL GOTCHA GRENADE, AS SHE WEARS A GRENADE AROUND HER NECK. IT ALSO IN ONE OF THEM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, SAYS KILL MY PARENTS, KILL WHOMEVER, AND TO REITERATE WHAT LEE WAS TALKING ABOUT, YOUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS ON FIVE OF THE BOOKS HAVE RATED THEM FOR TEEN, OLDER TEENS, 16 PLUS. ALL OF THE REST OF THEM --
>>Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. THANK YOU.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON. TINA WILLIAMS BREWSTER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. TODAY, I WOULD LIKE TO CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF THE DISCUSSION TO SCHOOL RESOURCES. AS I'VE HEARD ONE PARENT SAY -- LET ME BACK UP A LITTLE BIT. I HAVE SIX KIDS. THREE OF WHICH HAVE SUCCESSFULLY GRADUATED FROM HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THROUGH NO FAULT OF THE SCHOOL, DEFINITELY MOM AND DAD AND THEIR OWN TENACITY. A PARENT STATED THAT A SCHOOL LOOKED LIKE JAIL. WELL, WHAT ABOUT THE KIDS THAT ACTUALLY GO TO THE SCHOOL THAT LOOKS LIKE JAIL? WHY ARE THE RESOURCES SO LOPSIDED? WE HAVE SCHOOLS WITH PLENTY OF RESOURCES VERSUS SCHOOLS WITH RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE, BUT IN OUR CASE, THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE GATEKEEPERS OF THOSE RESOURCES PICK AND CHOOSE WHO GETS THE RESOURCES, HOW THE RESOURCES ARE DISTRIBUTED, ALWAYS BROWN, BLACK AND UNDERDESERVED KIDS ARE ALWAYS LEFT OUT. TAXPAYERS PAY THIS MONEY. WE EVEN GET EXTRA MONEY FOR KIDS WHO NEED EXTRA HELP. THE YOUNG LADY WAS RIGHT ABOUT ONE THING. IT IS SYSTEMIC. RECENTLY THIS WEEK, I READ ABOUT A TEACHER FOR 23 YEARS, 23 YEARS HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO BULLY STUDENTS REPEATEDLY. THIS IS SYSTEMIC. THIS NEEDS TO STOP. WHEN, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, WHEN ARE WE GOING TO BE RESPONSIBLE? IT'S BEYOND BOOKS. IT IS THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR STUDENTS, THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR TEACHERS. THE MENTAL HEALTH OF OUR PRINCIPALS. LET'S DO BETTER. OUR KIDS ARE WORTH IT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THROUGH 30 TO PLEASE LINE UP. 26 TO 30.
>> ALAN BREWSTER, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THEMSELVES IN THE MIRROR. WHAT IS THE STANDARD HERE? WHAT IS THE EXPECTATIONS? WHEN WILL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL CLIMB THE LADDER OF STANDARD TO ITS HIGHEST POINT? WHEN WILL THEY CLIMB THE LADDER, EXPECTATION TO ITS HIGHEST POINT? FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, THE WORD EDUCATION MEANS TO PULL OUT WHAT'S ALREADY IN YOU. BUT AS EVERY PERSON THAT ADVOCATED HERE TODAY, THEY ARE SAYING WHEN WILL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CLIMB THAT LADDER OF STANDARD? WHEN WILL THEY RAISE THE STANDARD IN THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM? WHEN WILL THEY RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS IN THIS PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM? ME AND MY WIFE HAVE SIX KIDS. WE'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST EIGHT YEARS, AND WE'VE HAD TO ADVOCATE HARD FOR THE SCHOOLS TO RAISE THE STANDARD, TO RAISE THE EXPECTATIONS. MY DAUGHTER IS AUTISTIC, ON THE SPECTRUM, AND MY WIFE TELL HER YOU DON'T GET A PASS BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DISABILITY. YOU HAVE TO RAISE THE STANDARD. YOU HAVE TO RAISE YOUR EXPECTATIONS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. PLEASE START THE TIME.
>> MY NAME IS ELIZABETH. ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM VOLUME 21. I'M SORRY. ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM VOLUME 21, PAGE 100. A MAN YELLS AT THE TEACHER, SAINT, MY FOOT. YOU COLLECT PORN MAGAZINES OFF THE STREET, NEAR THE SCHOOL, TOO. PAGE 106, IN THE TEACHERS BOOK OF ADVICE TO THE STUDENTS, HE WRITES, AND SO ALTHOUGH YOU PROBABLY NEVER NOTICED IT, I BARELY MANAGED TO EVADE YOUR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS IN A SMALL SPACE OF THE CLASSROOM AND AMONGST THE TREES OF THE FOREST. AS A RESULT, YOUR ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS WERE QUITE EXHILARATING. PAGE 107, IN THIS SCENE, A GROUP OF MEN DRINKING AT A BAR START TO SEXUALLY FANTASIZE ABOUT THE LITTLE GIRL WORKING AT THE BAR. THE CAPTION READS, THIS PUB IS THE PERFECT MEETING PLACE FOR US BECAUSE THE OWNER IS BLIND AND HER SERVER IS HER DAUGHTER? A CLUELESS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL STUDENT. SINCE WE'VE BEEN MEETING HERE SO OFTEN TO PLAN OUR ASSASSINATION AND KEEP UP OUR SPIRITS, OUR MINDSET HAS CHANGED. ONE OF THE MEN HAS HARD EYES AND GRINS LECHEROUSLY AT THE LITTLE GIRL. THE CAPTION CONTINUES THIS PLACE HAS BECOME AN OASIS STAFFED WITH TWO ANGELS, HER DAUGHTER, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLGIRL. PAGE 112, 113, MAN SAYS TO THE TEACHER YOU SURE ARE OBSESSED WITH UNIVERSITY STUDENTS. GUYS WHO FANTASIZE ABOUT UNIVERSITY STUDENTS TEND TO BE MIDDLE-AGED OLD FARTS. ALL WE HAVE IS A MIDDLE AGE WOMAN AND AN ELEMENTARY STUDENT. BETTER THAN NOTHING. I'M THE DAUGHTER OF A PUB OWNER. WHY DOES THAT SURPRISE YOU THAT I KNOW HOW TO PLAY MIXER GAMES AND ALL THE MEN GET HARD EYES AND EXCLAIM, WE ARE TRULY IN THE PRESENCE OF TWO ANGELS. LET'S DO. THE LITTLE GIRL AND GROUP OF MEN PLAY A DRINKING GAME WITH THE TEACHER.
>>Nadia Combs: NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. PLEASE REMEMBER OUR CIVILITY POLICY. THANK YOU. SORRY.
>> TINA MARIE, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I HAVE A SIX-YEAR-OLD SON AND A 13-YEAR-OLD SON. I AM READING FROM VOLUME 21, PAGE 76, THE CLASSROOM IS SHOWN IN DISARRAY WITH WEAPONS EVERYWHERE AND THE WORDS F YOU, FALLEN ANGEL WRITTEN IN BLOOD ALL OVER THE WORDS AND DESK. THE MAIN THEME OF ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM IS KILLING THE TEACHER. I IMMEDIATELY REALIZED THAT THE OUTCOME OF THE STORY WOULD BE TRAGIC. I THOUGHT IT COULD BECOME A PIECE OF WOULD WORK THAT WOULD LIVE IN THE HEARTS OF ITS READERS. IDEA THAT WEEK PEOPLE SHOULD USE ASSASSINATION TACTICS. PAGE 91, A PICTURE OF ONE OF THE ASSASSINATIONS PORN COLLECTION SITTING ON THE TABLE WITH THE CAPTION, ONE GUY HAD HIS ENTIRE HOUSE CLEANED FROM TOP TO BOTTOM AND HIS HIDDEN PORN MAGS NEATLY LAID OUT ON HIS DESK. PAGE 97 SHOWS A TEACHER SITTING CROSS LEGGED IN A ROOM, WALL TO WALL PORN WALL MAGAZINES AS HE EXHALES DEEPLY. GET THE POINT. WE'VE READ A LOT, RIGHT? I AM HIGH SCHOOL AND MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRLS YOUTH DIRECTOR AT MY CHURCH. I WALK ALONGSIDE GIRLS FROM THE AGES OF 11 TO 18. I WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND THIS BOOK OR ANY OTHER THAT PROMOTES THEM TO USE THEIR BODIES TO GET ATTENTION OR TO GIVE THEM A REASON THAT THIS TYPE OF BEHAVIOR IS JUSTIFIED. IT IS OUR JOBS AS PARENTS, TEACHERS, LEADERS, WHO WORK WITH THE CHILDREN AND TEENS TO HELP GUIDE AND PROTECT THEM. WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE THEN? WHY ARE YOU IN THIS BUSINESS? IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO STEP OUTSIDE THE BOX AND SAY THIS IS THE RIGHT -- THIS IS NOT RIGHT. WE KNOW, AND YOU HAVE HEARD IT, ABOUT THE BOOKS BEING ALLOWED IN THE PUBLIC AND MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOLS. WE DON'T NEED ANOTHER BOOK READING. WE NEED TO CHANGE THE PROCESS. I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO SHARE IN THE PAST YEAR AND A HALF, MY HIGH SCHOOL SON HAS WALKED ALONG TWO OF HIS FRIENDS WHO HAVE ALMOST COMMITTED SUICIDE. AND THERE HAS BEEN ONE PEER THAT HAS TAKEN HIS LIFE THAT YOU KNOW OF. THESE BOOKS DO NOT PROMOTE ANY HEALTHY CHANGE IN THE LIVES OF THE TEENS THAT WE -- IN THE LIVES OF TEENS. WHAT THEY NEED IS US TO DO OUR JOBS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HI. MY NAME IS JEN HART. I LIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'M A PROUD TEACHER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BUT I CAN'T SAY I'M A PARENT ANYMORE BECAUSE MY BABY GRADUATED LAST MAY. ANYWAY, GOOD AFTERNOON SCHOOL BOARD. FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU AND THE UNION FOR OUR NEW PROPOSED SALARY SCHEDULE WITH STEPS. YAY. I KNOW I AM BREATHING A SIGH OF FINANCIAL RELIEF AND I HOPE THIS GOES TO IMPROVE TEACHER MORALE. I AM HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT BOOK BANNING. THIS IS A TOPIC THAT HAS BEEN OVER-POLITICIZED AS A MEANS FOR THE FEW TO CONTROL THE MANY AND IT IS ABOUT POWER. IT IS ABOUT PEOPLE SAYING, IF I DON'T LIKE IT, YOU CAN'T HAVE IT. MY SON GRADUATED FROM HIGH SCHOOL LAST YEAR, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, I HAVE NIECES AND NEPHEWS IN HIGH SCHOOL. MY HUSBAND TEACHES HIGH SCHOOL IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I CAN TELL YOU ABOUT TEENAGERS. ONE THING THE VAST MAJORITY OF THEM NOT DOING IS CHECKING OUT BOOKS FROM THE LIBRARY. IF WE WERE CONCERNED WE WOULD TAKE CELL PHONES OUT OF THEIR HANDS. SINCE PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO DO THAT, THIS FEELS PER FORMATIVE. I ENCOURAGE YOU TO UPHOLD THE -- FOR THE MEDIA CENTERS TO DECIDE WHICH BOOKS -- PARENTS DO THEIR JOBS AND DECIDE FOR THEIR OWN CHILDREN. FREEDOM CANNOT EXIST WHERE THIS IS CENSORSHIP AND BOOK BANNING AND JUST TO KIND OF BREAK IT UP AND READ A LITTLE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN ALL THAT, I'M GOING TO READ FAMOUS QUOTES FROM AUTHORS ABOUT BANNING BOOKS. WHEN A BOOK IS BANNED A WHOLE SET OF THOUGHTS IS LOCKED BEHIND THE ASSERTION THAT THERE IS ONLY ONE SET OF VALUES, ONE VALID SET OF BELIEFS, ONE VALID PERCEPTION OF THE WORLD. IT IS A SCARY IDEA, ESPECIALLY IN A SOCIETY WHICH HAS BEEN BUILT ON THE IDEAS OF FREE CHOICE AND THOUGHT. STEPHEN KING. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING WRONG WITH A PARENT DECIDING A CERTAIN BOOK IS NOT RIGHT FOR HER CHILD. COLOSSAL PROBLEM WITH THE PARENT DECIDING THAT THEREFORE NO CHILD SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO READ THE BOOK. JODY. ANY BOOK WORTH BANNING IS A BOOK WORTH READING. BANNING BOOKS GIVES A SILENCE WHEN WE NEED SPEECH. CLOSES OUR EARS WHEN WE NEED TO LISTEN AND BLIND WHEN WE NEED SIGHT. IT IS NOT JUST THE BOOKS UNDER FIRE NOW --
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. MY NAME IS DALTON GREGORY. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO READ ASSASSINATION CLASSROOM. I THINK WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF STUFF FROM THIS BOOK. IT'S DISTURBING. THE ONE CONSISTENCY IS EVERY BOOK HAS A RAPE SCENE AND EVERY BOOK HAS A SEX SCENE WITH THE INSTRUCTOR. THERE'S NOT MUCH OTHER CONSISTENCY TO THE BOOK, EXCEPT THAT THEY TRY TO KILL THEM AT THE END OF EVERY BOOK AND FAIL. I'VE LIVED IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FOR 20 YEARS, AND I'VE NOT BEEN A POLITICAL PERSON. I FEEL LIKE THINGS ARE GETTING CHAOTIC. BUT THIS ONE IS -- THIS IS AN OBVIOUS LIABILITY. THIS NEEDS TO GO BEFORE SOMETHING HAPPENS. SO, PLEASE, JUST DO THE RIGHT THING. REMOVE THIS ONE. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HELLO. TODAY IS TUESDAY. MY TUESDAYS ARE MY LEG DAY FOR THE GYM. BUT I AM HERE TALKING ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT APPROVES CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, RAPE, AND LIKE, I DON'T EVEN UNDERSTAND HOW THIS IS IN OUR SCHOOLS. THE SUICIDE THING, I'VE HAD TWO FRIENDS WHO HAVE ALMOST COMMITTED SUICIDE. AND THEN I HAVE TO FIND OUT THAT MY MIDDLE SCHOOL LITTLE BROTHER HAS TO DEAL WITH THIS? HE HAS TO SEE PEOPLE SHOOTING THEMSELVES, HAVING SEX. PORN IS ALREADY A SERIOUS ADDICTION THAT TEENS STRUGGLE WITH AND NOW IT'S BEING BRAIN WASHED INTO THE LITTLE KIDS. THESE KIDS ARE HAVING TO -- I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS CAN ALL SEE THIS. MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRL, IN A VERY SCANDALOUS OUTFIT WITH A TEACHER WITH A SLY GRIN ON HIS FACE LOOKING. THE NAME, BECAUSE EACH BOOK HAS WHATEVER, THEY ARE LIKE LITTLE OPERATIONS, IT IS CALLED OPERATION HOOKUP. REALLY APPROPRIATE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL KIDS. THE NEXT PAGE GOES, ALL THE KIDS AND THE TEACHER, THE KIDS LOOK FRIGHTENED BUT THE TEACHER HAS A SLY GRIN ON HIS FACE GOING, SHE LOOKS EVEN MORE SLUTTY. GUYS, C'MON. FOR THE WELL-BEING OF THE KIDS, THINK, GUYS. PLEASE. THIS IS NOT HELPING ANYONE. SO WHAT -- LIKE, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO READ THIS BOOK, READ IT OUTSIDE THE SCHOOLS. LIKE I DON'T CARE IF YOU DON'T WANT -- IF YOU WANT IT IN THE SCHOOLS, THINK HOW SICK THAT SOUNDS. I WANT THIS BOOK THAT SUPPORTS CHILD PORNOGRAPHY, RAPE AND SEX AND SHOOTING TEACHERS, AS A HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT, WE HAVE A LOCKDOWN AT PLANT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR. WE FOUND OUT IT WAS A FAKE -- SORRY. IT WASN'T A PRACTICE. IT WAS AN ACTUAL WARNING BECAUSE SOMEBODY GOT A CALL. THE SCHOOL WENT ON LOCKDOWN BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THERE WAS A PERSON WITH A GUN IN THE SCHOOL. FIND OUT, HALF THE KIDS WERE CRYING. HALF OF US ARE STILL SCARED FROM THAT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> HELLO. MY NAME IS NINA. I LIVE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I WANT TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF THE COUNTY SITE-BASED PROCESS FOR CENSORED MATERIALS. PLEASE DO NOT WATER DOWN THIS PROCESS. I WAS CONCERNED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT'S RECOMMENDATION THAT WENT AGAINST THE DISTRICT'S OWN LEGAL COUNSEL AND THE FINAL VOTE INCLUDING ALL MIDDLE SCHOOLS DURING THE SPECIAL MEETING LAST WEEK. I AM UNIVERSALLY AGAINST BANNING TEACHING MATERIALS AND WHITEWASHING OUR NATION'S HISTORY. I WANT TO COMMEND THE SUPPORT OF ALL THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS CONCERNING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION THAT ARE ON YOUR AGENDA TODAY. MY DAUGHTER ALSO HAD A CLASSMATE WHO TOOK HIS LIFE BY A GUN, AND YES, THERE ARE TOO MANY GUNS. IN THE WORLD, ESPECIALLY IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. YET WE JUST HAD A BAD GUN LAW PASSED YESTERDAY. I WANT TO END I DO NOT CONSENT TO THE AUTHORITARIAN BULLYING THAT IS COMING DOWN FROM TALLAHASSEE AND I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE.
>> HI. GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M SHARON GRAHAM. I'M A RESIDENT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, AND I'M ALSO A FORMER TEACHER, CURRENTLY A THERAPIST, AND I WANT TO SPEAK IN SUPPORT. I THINK WE HAVE A VERY WISE AND FUNCTIONAL SYSTEM IN PLACE TO REVIEW BOOKS AT THE LOCAL SITES, AT THE LOCAL SCHOOLS, AND I WANT TO THANK MR. PORTER FOR SPEAKING TO THAT LAST WEEK IN THE MEETING. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK THOSE WHO VOTED IN FAVOR OF THAT LOCAL PROCESS. I BELIEVE THAT IS VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE WE HAVE LIBRARIANS. MY AUNT IS A LIBRARIAN. BOTH OF MY PARENTS RETIRED FROM PUBLIC EDUCATION, 30 YEARS. SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE MEDIA SPECIALISTS WHO POUR THEIR HEARTS INTO CURATING A COLLECTION OF LITERATURE. AND PARENTS CAN ALWAYS OPT OUT OF ANY LITERATURE THAT THEY DO NOT WANT THEIR CHILDREN TO READ. AGAIN, JUST TO REITERATE, WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PROCESS IN PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN REPORT ANY BOOKS, CHALLENGE BOOKS THAT ARE FOUND, THAT THEY DO NOT THINK ARE APPROPRIATE. AND I THINK THAT'S A VERY VALID CONVERSATION, BUT LET'S PLEASE UPHOLD THE PROCESS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. OUR FINAL SPEAKER FOR TODAY.
>> GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU FOR GETTING ME IN THIS AFTERNOON. ALSO, THANK YOU FIRST AND FOREMOST ALL OF MY FELLOW TEACHERS FOR YOUR TIRELESS AND UNFLINCHING SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITIES. PUBLIC SERVICE IS SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM CAN IDENTIFY WITH. OUR BOARD MEMBERS, OUR SUPERINTENDENT, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, STATE LEGISLATURE, OUR GOVERNOR, WE ALL HAVE THAT IN COMMON, PUBLIC SERVICE. WE ARE ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS. ON THAT WE CAN SURELY AGREE. AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE ALL PUBLIC SERVANTS, IT SEEMS THAT THERE IS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT WHO EXACTLY THE PUBLIC IS THAT WE SERVE AND WHAT SERVES THE PUBLIC. THE PUBLIC IS MADE UP OF OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. OUR COMMUNITIES ARE MADE UP OF PEOPLE OF ALL RACES, ETHNICITIES, SEXUALITIES, GENDERS AND RELIGIONS. EXISTENCE IS NOT INAPPROPRIATE. PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE MEANT TO SERVE ALL MEMBERS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES, NOT STIGMATIZE CERTAIN MEMBERS THROUGH FEAR AND FALSE CLAIMS TO CREATE SOME SORT OF MORAL PANIC. EXISTENCE IS NOT INAPPROPRIATE. TO THOSE PUBLIC SERVANTS WHO BELIEVE THAT THE HISTORY OF BLACK AMERICANS OR LGBTQ COMMUNITIES IS INAPPROPRIATE TO BE LEARNED IN SCHOOLS OR THAT BLACK OR LGBTQ REPRESENTATION IN BOOKS IS UNSUITABLE, OR THAT BOOK BANNING HAS EVER BEEN A SIGN OF FREEDOM OR THAT ONE TYPE OF PARENT HAS RIGHTS OVER OTHER TYPES OF PARENTS. TO THOSE PUBLIC SERVANTS I SAY, YES, YOU ARE ALLOWED TO HOLD THOSE OPINIONS. THE CONSTITUTION GUARANTEES YOUR RIGHTS TO FREE SPEECH. HOWEVER, TO THOSE SAME PUBLIC SERVANTS I SAY YOUR OPINIONS DO NOT GET TO DENY THE RIGHTS, HISTORY, OR EXISTENCE OF OTHERS. WHERE IS THE COMPASSION AND HUMANITY FOR FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS THAT MAKE UP THE VERY COMMUNITY THAT WE AS PUBLIC SERVANTS ARE MEANT TO SERVE? EVERY GAY, TRANS, NONBINARY, BLACK, BROWN, WHITE, INDIGENOUS, CHRISTIAN, MUSLIM, JEWISH, AGNOSTIC STUDENT, YOU ARE SEEN, YOU ARE LOVED AND THE WORLD INTERBECAUSE YOU EXIST. THE WORLD NEEDS YOU. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TODAY. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO THE RECOGNITIONS AND PROCLAMATIONS. A 01, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION, INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES ACCEPTANCE MONTH, MARCH 2023, MEMBER RENDON WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. IT IS MY HONOR TO ANNOUNCE THIS PROCLAMATION. DURING THE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES MONTH, OUR DISTRICT RECOGNIZES THE AMAZING TALENTS AND ABILITIES OF OUR STUDENTS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES. AND THE CONTRIBUTIONS THEY SHARE WITH OUR SCHOOLS, CLASSMATES, AND COMMUNITIES. ACTIVITIES AND CELEBRATIONS BEING PLANNED IN HONOR OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES MONTH INCLUDE HIGHLIGHTING THEIR MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS ON MORNING SHOWS, CREATING AWARENESS, FASHION SHOWS, MUFFINS WITH A MESSAGE ABOUT INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES, AND MANY SCHOOLS ARE RECOGNIZING THIS MONTH BY HAVING THEIR STAFF AND STUDENTS WEAR BLUE. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BELIEVES ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE CAPACITY TO LEAD FULL, PRODUCTIVE LIVES AND CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO THE WORLD.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES ACCEPTANCE MONTH, MARCH 2023. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER HAHN. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. YOU KNOW, THIS TOKIN' IS VERY NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS I'VE HAD 30 YEARS OF WORKING WITH INDIVIDUALS WITH DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES. I HAVE SEEN INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE WORKING THROUGH THE MOTE AQUARIUM, ON RESCUES WITH TURTLES, SEEING INDIVIDUALS BY THEIR -- BUY THEIR OWN HOMES, BUY THEIR OWN CARS, LIVE COMPLETELY INDEPENDENT LIVES AND IT ALL STARTS WITH EDUCATORS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK NOT ONLY THE DISTRICT FOR ALLOWING THIS TO BE A MONTH IN WHICH WE RECOGNIZE ALL OF OUR UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS IN OUR SCHOOLS BUT TO RECOGNIZE THOSE TEACHERS, PARAPROFESSIONALS, THERAPISTS, ADMINISTRATION, EVERYONE THAT PUTS EXTRA TIME, TALENT, AND ENERGY INTO SUPPORTING THESE INDIVIDUALS ON A DAILY BASIS. IT IS THE BEGINNING OF THEIR LIVES AND IT IS THE BEGINNING IN WHICH WE STRIVE TO GIVE EACH INDIVIDUAL WE SUPPORT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY A FUTURE FOR TOMORROW. SO THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR STAFF AND ADMINISTRATORS THAT SUPPORT ALL OF OUR INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AS WELL AS OUR STUDENTS. YOU ARE OUT THERE STRIVING FOR DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE YOURSELVES BETTER, AND WE RECOGNIZE THAT. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND TO THE PARENTS, CONTINUE TO WORK HARDER, ADVOCATE FOR YOUR CHILDREN. YOU'RE DOING AN AMAZING JOB.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: YES, TO COSIGN ON WHAT MEMBER RENDON SAID, IN THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS, WE SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE ABLE DIFFERENTLY. OUR STUDENTS ARE ABLE TO STAY IN THEIR SCHOOLS UNTIL AGE 21, AND OUR TEACHERS WORK WITH THEM. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS SUPPORTS OUR STUDENTS AND, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU FOR THE TEACHERS WHO ARE THERE WITH THEM ON A DAILY BASIS HELPING THEM LEARN THAT INDEPENDENCE TYPE OF LIVING. I'M ABLE TO WORK WITH THESE STUDENTS AS WELL AND TALK WITH THEM AND THE PARENTS JUST ARE SO EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO SEE HOW THEIR STUDENTS ARE LEARNING, THESE ACTIVITIES OF DAILY LIFE THAT THEY WILL NOT GET ANYWHERE ELSE UNLESS THEY ARE WITH US. SO I WANT TO THANK THE TEACHERS OUT THERE WHO ARE SUPPORTIVE OF THESE STUDENTS AS WELL AND THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON, FOR READING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. A 02, ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION, NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH, APRIL 2023. MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH PROCLAMATION. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAS MORE THAN 41,000 VOLUNTEERS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, AND MENTORS THAT HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO A TOTAL OF 323,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS. AT A VALUE OF MORE THAN $9 MILLION TO OUR DISTRICT. VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION MONTH IS DEDICATED TO HONORING ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS ENCOURAGING VOLUNTEERISM THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. WE HONOR OUR VOLUNTEER'S TIME, TALENTS AND TREASURES AND THANK THEM FOR THE LOVE AND TIME THEY GIVE TO OUR SCHOOLS, OUR STUDENTS EVERY DAY. THROUGHOUT THE MONTH, THE DISTRICT VOLUNTEER SERVICES OFFICE WILL PROVIDE VOLUNTEER RECOGNITION RESOURCES, SUPPORT, AND RECOGNITION TOKENS TO ALL SCHOOL SITES. THE DISTRICT WILL ALSO SHOWCASE SOME OF THE AMAZING VOLUNTEERS AND THEIR STORIES IN SOCIAL MEDIA SITES THROUGHOUT APRIL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MR. WASHINGTON. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE NATIONAL VOLUNTEER MONTH, APRIL 2023. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER PEREZ. ANY DISCUSSION?
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: YES. I WANT TO TELL YOU, WE COULD NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. THEY REALLY DO A GREAT JOB WITH THE STUDENTS, WITH THE TEACHERS, THE COMMUNITY, AND PARENTS, AND IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HELP THESE VOLUNTEERS BECAUSE LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF HOURS THEY GIVE, GIVING FREE HOURS TO OUR COMMUNITY. 323,000 HOURS OF VALUE, WHICH IS $9 MILLION IF YOU HAD TO PAY THE DISTRICT FOR IT. SO I WANT TO THANK THE VOLUNTEERS FOR ALL THAT THEY DO AND WE PRAY AND HOPE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO BE THEIR VOLUNTEER AND HELPING US OUT IN THE DISTRICT. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: YES, I JOIN WITH MEMBER WASHINGTON. WE KNOW THAT THE VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HUMAN RESOURCES THAT BRING THE TALENT, THE LOVE, THE NURTURING. THEY FILL IN SO MANY GAPS FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND INTERESTINGLY AND SADLY, THE MORE OF THE NEEDS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE, WHICH ARE GROWING, THE MORE THE VOLUNTEERS BECOME SO MEANINGFUL AND SO NEEDED. JUST AS AN INSTANT EXAMPLE, I MEAN A NEARBY EXAMPLE, WE HAD OVER A HUNDRED VOLUNTEERS FOR THE RACE FOR EDUCATION, AND MANY OF THEM, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, WERE YOUR STAFF WHO WORK JUST BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO BE THERE TO HELP THE CHILDREN AND THE PARTICIPANTS. BUT THE VOLUNTEERS ARE THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM AND WE VALUE THEM SO MUCH. AND I CAN SEE THAT THE BOARD MEMBERS ARE GOING TO SAY THE SAME. BUT THANK YOU ALL, VOLUNTEERS OUT THERE, WE APPRECIATE YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: YEAH, I JUST WANT TO TAKE AN EXTRA MOMENT TO JUST THANK EACH AND EVERY PARENT AND THEN COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER THAT COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS EACH AND EVERY DAY. TEACHERS ARE THERE TO TEACH, BUT THEY CAN'T DO IT ALONE AND THEY KNOW THAT AND THEY REALLY APPRECIATE EACH TIME YOUR GRANDPARENT OR COMMUNITY MEMBER COMES IN AND READS TO A CHILD OR PICKS UP THAT EXTRA PIECE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT EXTRA EVENT IN THE SCHOOL, WHETHER IT'S FUND-RAISING OR SUPPORTING A TEACHER IN A CLASSROOM OR DOING, EVEN MONITORING CAFETERIAS, WATCHING THE HALLWAYS. EACH AND EVERY TIME A VOLUNTEER IS IN THAT SCHOOL, IT'S ONE ADDITIONAL PERSON THAT'S PROVIDING JUST AN EXTRA SET OF HANDS TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. SO I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY VOLUNTEER OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, BOTH OUR FAMILIES, OUR EXTENDED FAMILIES, OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS. WE JUST TREMENDOUSLY THANK YOU FOR EACH AND EVERY HOUR YOU GIVE. WE COULD NOT DO IT ALONE WITHOUT YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. AND I ALSO WANT TO THANK, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT OFTEN IT'S NOT EVEN THE SCHOOL THAT THEIR CHILD ATTENDANCES. I SEE THAT IN WEST TAMPA AND SO MANY SCHOOLS WHERE YOU HAVE PARENTS, GRANDPARENTS, SIBLINGS, EVERYBODY COMING OUT TO THE SCHOOL SUPPORTING THEM. ALSO, I CAN'T FORGET ALL THE TEACHERS THAT DO SO MANY VOLUNTEER WORK AFTER THE FACT AND ADMINISTRATORS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS AND CUSTODIANS BECAUSE OFTEN THE TEACHERS AT THE END OF THE DAY, THEY COME AFTER SCHOOL AND ALSO VOLUNTEER AS WELL. SO I THINK IT OBVIOUSLY IS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS AND I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. OUR LAST PROCLAMATION OF THE DAY IS A 03, APPROVE THE ADOPTION OF PROCLAMATION FOR AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS ACCEPTANCE MONTH, APRIL 2023. MEMBER VAUGHN WILL BE HIGHLIGHTING THIS PROCLAMATION.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS CELEBRATES OUR RICH DIVERSITY AS WE HONOR STUDENTS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM WITH THE ADOPTION OF AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS ACCEPTANCE MONTH PROCLAMATION. IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, WE SERVE MORE THAN 4,000 STUDENTS WITH ASD. OUR DISTRICT IS PROUD TO HAVE A LONG HISTORY OF IMPLEMENTING INNOVATIVE, RESEARCH-BASED PRACTICES FOR STUDENTS WITH ASD WHILE SUPPORTING INCLUSION AND CELEBRATING NEURODIVERSITY. WITH THIS PROCLAMATION, HCPS JOINS PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, TEACHERS, AND STUDENTS IN RECOGNIZING THE AMAZING TALENTS AND ABILITIES OF INDIVIDUALS ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS ACCEPTANCE MONTH, APRIL 2023. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL FOR SPEAKING SO PASSIONATELY ABOUT OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES OR WHO ARE NEURODIVERSE. MEMBER RENDON, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. IT'S UP TO US AS A DISTRICT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CREATING INCLUSIVE CLASSROOMS AND MEETING THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS, BUT IT'S REALLY THE PARENTS, THE COMMUNITY, THE TEACHERS WHO ADVOCATE FOR OUR STUDENTS. AND WE'VE COME LIKE SUCH A FAR WAY IN MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE KNEES OF OUR STUDENTS WHO NEED IT THE MOST, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEURODIVERSE STUDENTS, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT STUDENTS WITH A LEARNING DISABILITY, WHETHER WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PHYSICALLY DISABLED STUDENTS, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS BOARD ALWAYS HAVING A COMMITMENT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE INCLUSIVE. I CAN EVEN SEE THIS IN THE LANGUAGE THAT'S CHANGED SINCE LAST YEAR. THE SPECTRUM AND HOW WE LOOK AT OUR STUDENTS ON THE SPECTRUM, IT'S CHANGING SO QUICKLY FROM LANGUAGE TO SYMBOLS, TO SO MANY DIFFERENT RAPIDLY CHANGING THINGS. JUST THE FACT THAT WE'VE CHANGED THIS FROM AWARENESS TO ACCEPTANCE MONTH IN A YEAR SPEAKS VOLUMES TO THE FACT THAT WE'RE REALLY COMMITTED TO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE USING LANGUAGE AND THAT WE'RE BEING SUPPORTIVE. AGAIN, I KNOW I USE THIS WORD A MILLION TIMES, BUT INCLUSIVE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SO IMPORTANT. THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS AND FOR THE DISTRICT FOR MAKING SURE THAT WE HONOR OUR STUDENTS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: I WANT TO SAY TO ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WITH -- ON THE AUTISM SPECTRUM AND OUR PARENTS THAT ARE WALKING THROUGH THIS LIFE WITH OUR INDIVIDUAL AND UNIQUE STUDENTS, WE ARE SO THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE PART OF OUR SCHOOLS, THAT YOU ARE ACTUALLY BRINGING A DIVERSITY THAT EDUCATES OURSELVES AS WE EDUCATE YOU. IT IS SUCH A UNIQUE COMMUNITY THAT ALLOWS ALL OF US TO LEARN FROM EACH OTHER. SO WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE A PART OF YOUR JOURNEY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. THE FOLLOWING ITEMS WILL NOW BE HEARD: C 1.01. 1.04, 1.07, 1.08, 5.06, 7.01, 7.02, 10.01, 10.02. 1.01, INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE CITY OF AND TAMPA BAY WORKFORCE ALLIANCE, DBA CareerSource OF TAMPA BAY FOR THE TAMPA FIRE RESCUE PARTNERSHIP ACADEMY 2023-2025. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, THIS IS A LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF AND TAMPA BAY WORKFORCE ALLIANCE AND ALSO IN COLLABORATION WITH CareerSource OF TAMPA BAY. TAMPA FIRE AND ALSO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY FIRE STATIONS, THEY BUILT TRAINING FACILITIES WITHIN THEIR REALM AND FOR US WHAT WE DO IN THOSE TRAINING FACILITIES, WE GO OUT AND THEY RECRUIT POTENTIAL FIREFIGHTERS AND WE TRANSITION AND OUR INSTRUCTORS GO IN AND TEACH TO BE ABLE TO CREATE A LONGER, STRONGER BENCH FOR THE CITY OF AND ALSO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY COMMUNITY. WITH THAT SAID, WHAT THIS DOES IS THERE IS A $23,000 ASK FOR US THAT WE PAY, AND THIS IS ALL THROUGH WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT TO BE ABLE TO PAY OUR INSTRUCTORS. HOWEVER, AS WE RECRUIT INDIVIDUALS THAT TRANSITION AND ARE PART OF THIS PROCESS, WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO RECOUP SOME OF THE MONEY THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND GET FTE FOR THE STUDENTS THAT ARE ACTIVELY INVOLVED THROUGH ADULT EDUCATION. THAT MONEY TURN -- FOR ALL THE INSTRUCTORS AND ALSO ANY DIRECTORS THAT WE USE FOR EMT AS WELL. REALLY THANK YOU TO CareerSource BECAUSE CareerSource PAYS THE TUITION FOR ANY ADULT THAT SEEKS TO TRANSITION TO BECOME A FIREFIGHTER, AND THIS IS JUST A GREAT, AS I SAID, A GREAT LONG-STANDING RELATIONSHIP THAT WE HAVE.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 1.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON, AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Patti Rendon: YEAH, I JUST WANT TO MAKE COMMENTS. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT THE DISTRICT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RECOGNIZES WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM WE HAVE HERE IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY TO NOT ONLY SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS AND GIVING THEM A WAY TO HAVE A FUTURE CAREER BUT IMPACTING OUR WHOLE COMMUNITY, IMPACTING HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BY HAVING STUDENTS WALK AWAY FROM HIGH SCHOOL WITH AN ACTUAL TRADE THAT WILL SUPPORT OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HIGHLIGHTED THIS AREA TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS NOT JUST PUTTING MONEY INTO OUR SCHOOLS OR PUTTING MONEY INTO A PROGRAM, BUT THIS PROGRAM REALLY IS BENEFITING ALL HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY RESIDENTS WITH THE PARTNERSHIP OF CareerSource, THIS PARTNERSHIP AND THE CITY OF WILL PROVIDE TRAINING FACILITIES, EQUIPMENT, SITE, CONSUMABLES, CareerSource OF TAMPA BAY WILL PROVIDE TUITION, FEES, TEXTBOOKS, TOOLS, UNIFORMS, AND SUPPLIES FOR THE STUDENTS AS WELL AS ASSISTANCE WITH CHILD CARE AND TRANSPORTATION. I THINK THAT'S CRITICAL THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THAT WE ARE TRULY PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE IN MANY WAYS, AND THIS IS JUST ONE WAY WE'RE HIGHLIGHTING THAT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. AND TO FOLLOW UP, TEMPLE TERRACE AND ALSO PLANT CITY FIRE DEPARTMENTS DO NOT HAVE A TRAINING FACILITY. HOWEVER, WE ARE WORKING ALONGSIDE THEM TO MAKE CERTAIN THEY ARE PART OF OUR ADVISORY BOARD MEETINGS AND ALSO TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO HAVE RIDE-ALONGS AS WELL SO STUDENTS CAN EARN THE ACCREDITATION HOURS THEY NEED FOR LICENSURE. I APPRECIATE THE HIGHLIGHT. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO HELP OUR COMMUNITY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 1.04, PURCHASE OF PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR ELEMENTARY SCIENCE GAP YEAR 2023-2024. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. IN 2018, THE BOARD APPROVED THE ADOPTION OF SCIENCE INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS FOR ELEMENTARY. THAT ENDS ON JUNE 30th, 2023. IF WE REWIND AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN 2020, THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION DECIDED TO REVISE ALL OF THEIR STANDARDS IN THEIR CORE CONTENT AREAS. WITH THIS SAID, WHAT THEY DID IS ALSO PUSH BACK ONE CALENDAR YEAR, THE ADOPTION PROCESS CYCLE. SO JUST COMING TO THE BOARD AND RECOGNIZING THAT THE CURRENT CONTRACT ENDS AND BE ABLE TO HAVE AND FILL A GAP YEAR AS SCIENCE WILL BE ON THE FOREFRONT OF THE '24-'25 SCHOOL YEAR AND THAT PROCESS WILL MOVE FORWARD. BEING ABLE TO BRING $1.4 MILLION LEVERAGE IN INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS MONEY TO BE ABLE TO FILL THE GAP FOR ONE CALENDAR YEAR WITH THE CURRENT CURRICULUMS THAT WE HAVE AND THIS IS ALL BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE CONSUMEABLES AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND PREPARE FOR THE NEW ADOPTION PROCESS.
>>Nadia Combs: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE 1.04. MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Patti Rendon: YES, THANK YOU. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CLEAR THAT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF IF THE DOE COMES OUT AT ANY POINT IN TIME WITH ANY CHANGES TO THE CURRENT CURRICULUM, WE'LL TAKE THE TIME OUT TO MAKE SURE ALL OF OUR TEACHERS HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO MERGE THE TWO CURRICULUMS TOGETHER.
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, YES, MA'AM. ANY CHANGES THAT MAY HAPPEN, AND I DON'T FORECAST ANY, BUT IF THERE IS THROUGH LEGISLATION, THEN OUR ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITY WILL TRAIN TEACHERS, WE'LL TRAIN PRINCIPALS AND ALSO EDUCATE COMMUNITY ABOUT WHAT CHANGES EXIST AND WE'LL MAKE THE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR CURRICULUM GUIDES AND IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR MATERIALS THAT WE'VE ADOPTED.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ON RECORD THAT WE'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT SINCE IT IS AN EVER-FLOWING CHANGE.
>>Addison Davis: I AGREE WITH THAT.
>>Patti Rendon: SO MANY THINGS HAVE BEEN ADOPTED AND CHANGED WITHIN THE LEGISLATURE AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT I KNOW THE DOE IS LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR CURRICULUM ON AN ONGOING BASIS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THIS. SO THIS IS ONLY FOR A ONE YEAR, WHILE WE'RE IN PROCESS OF WAITING FROM THE DOE FOR APPROVED CURRICULUM, CORRECT?
>>Addison Davis: THAT IS CORRECT.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 1.07, SOLE SOURCE, 22309-SSD-SK, PURCHASE OF COMPUTING TOOLS WITH ACCOMPANYING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT, ROCKETRY SETS, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, MATH, S.T.E.M., SPRING AND SUMMER CAMP MATERIALS AND HIGH ALTITUDE WEATHER BALLOONS WITH ASSOCIATED PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT FROM ATLANTIS EDUCATIONAL SERVICES INCORPORATED. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. AS YOU KNOW AS A DISTRICT, WE CONTINUE TO BROADEN OUR SCOPE OF WORK FOR S.T.E.M. WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS. AND BEFORE, DURING OR AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES. WITH THIS PROCESS WE'RE BRINGING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EXPAND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR CLOSE TO 200 TEACHERS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. AT THE SAME TOKEN, BEING ABLE TO BUY ROCKETRY KIDS, DATA PROBE SENSORS, FOCUS ON ROBOTICS, LOOKING AT FOCUS ON AEROSPACE EXPOSURE, COMPUTING TOOLS, HIGH ALTITUDE WEATHER BALLOONS, ALL THAT TO BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND A LITTLE BIT OVER 11,000 STUDENTS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT THROUGH THE SIMILAR INITIATIVE AND AS WE START THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR. THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY WHERE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER FOR OUR TEACHERS AND THOSE WHO DEEM AND WANT TO BE ABLE TO BE INVOLVED IN THIS PROCESS. WE ALSO WILL BE LEVERAGING MULTIPLE FUNDING SOURCES WITH THIS, BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT THE NATIONAL DEFENSE EDUCATIONAL GRANT, ALSO WITH SUMMER LEARNING, WHICH IS ARP AS WELL, ALL BEING ABLE TO FOCUS TO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO MORE S.T.E.M. ACTIVITIES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 1.07. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER GRAY, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Lynn Gray: WELL, NO. WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT IT. I THANK LARRY PLANK AND HIS STAFF. I KNOW THAT S.T.E.M. GETS REPEATED A LOT, SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATH, BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT LAST YEAR, AND I DON'T KNOW IF MEMBER HAHN REMEMBERS, BUT THE STATE OF THE REGULARS, WE HAD, THERE'S 18 REGIONS, BUT OUR REGION WAS LOW ON INNOVATION AND ON PATENTS. I THINK I MENTIONED THAT TO YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. AND THIS YEAR, WE HAVE IMPROVED. NOW, ALL THIS IS TO SAY, MR. PLANK AND TEAM, BECAUSE MR. PLANK ALWAYS WANTS TO GIVE HIS TEAM A LOT OF CREDIT AS WELL DESERVED. WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INQUIRY TYPE THINKING, THE HIGHER LEVEL, AND WE'RE TALKING, AND I KNOW, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, ROCKETRY, ROBOTICS, AND BEING AT NASA, CONNECTING THAT PARTNERSHIP WITH NASA, WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR CHILDREN. AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE GROWING, WE ARE, WE HAVEN'T YET FINISHED OUR BOUNDARY SITUATION, BUT PERHAPS MADISON WILL BE A FULL-SCALE S.T.E.M. SCHOOL. WHAT WE'RE SEEING NOW IS THE STUDENTS ARE GOING TO HAVE AVAILABLE TO THEM AND THE TEACHERS THROUGH TRAINING WILL HAVE A WONDERFUL, EXCITING WAY TO PURSUE EDUCATION. AND SOME OF THAT IS VOCATIONAL IN SOME AREAS. I THINK THE VOID IS BEING FILLED IN MANY CASES, AND I THINK YOUR STAFF -- I THANK YOUR STAFF, MR. PLANK, AND THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, FOR MAKING THIS HAPPEN. AND OUR GRANT DEPARTMENT, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY ARE EXCELLENT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS SUPERVISE. -- WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 1.08, 2023 SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, WE HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO HAVE ACCESS TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND OUR INITIATIVES AND OUTREACH FOR OUR SUMMER LEARNING PROGRAM. WITH THIS SAID, ESSER 2 IS AROUND $30 MILLION THAT WE'LL USE AND LEVERAGE TO EXTEND SO MANY INITIATIVES AT A GREATER SCALE. THIS WILL ALSO BE AT THE ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE, AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL FROM ELEMENTARY, VPK, THIRD GRADE RECOVERY, DUAL LANGUAGE, BRIDGE BY LITERACY, BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT IMMIGRANT CAMPS, NATURE'S CLASSROOM CAMPS. WE'LL HAVE HOST ALSO WITH SOME SECOND AND THIRD GRADE BRIDGE TO BE ABLE TO JUMP START LEARNERS. AS WE LOOK AT THE MIDDLE SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL WILL ALSO OFFER ALGEBRA BOOSTER, GREAT ENHANCER. S.T.E.M. CAMPS, NATURE CLASSROOM AND THE LIST CONTINUES. IN HIGH SCHOOL, A LOT OF RECOVERY, A.C.T. PREP FOR ACCELERATION. FRESHMAN TRANSITION AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE OTHER ELECTIVES SUCH AS DRIVER EDUCATION AND THE LIST GOES ON FOR STUDENTS WITH EXCEPTIONAL DISABILITIES AND ADULT EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS AS WELL. THIS IS ALL GEARED TO BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ACHIEVEMENT GAP, TO CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN STUDENTS ARE EXPOSED TO OUR CORE CURRICULUMS AND WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE, STRENGTHEN OUR CORE CONTENT AND MAKE THAT CONTINUITY OF LEARNING CONTINUOUSLY THROUGH THE ENTIRE SUMMER. WE WILL CONTINUE ONCE APPROVED THIS EVENING, WE'LL CONTINUE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE PUSH THIS OUT TO ALL OF OUR CONSTITUENTS TO ALLOW THEM TO BE ABLE TO JOIN THIS INITIATIVE AND AT THE SAME TOKEN WE'RE GOING TO REALLY WORK TO INCENTIVIZE ALL OUR TEACHERS AND THOSE WHO WORK SUMMER SCHOOL IN A MORE AGGRESSIVE MANNER TO SHOW THE CARE AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 1.08. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER VAUGHN. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER VAUGHN, MEMBER GRAY, AND MYSELF PULLED THIS ITEM. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH MEMBER GRAY.
>>Lynn Gray: MEMBER GRAY, OKAY. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. THIS IS ANOTHER REALLY PLUS FOR OUR DISTRICT AND FOR OUR STUDENTS. THERE IS A HUGE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS, MAINLY DUE TO COVID, THAT LAPSE OF TIME IN EDUCATION, BUT 112,000 STUDENTS HAVE FAILED ONE OR MORE CLASSES, AND WE HAVE DONE, AND WE ARE DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT. SO THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY WILL BE SPENT TO SEE THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE THOSE CORE CLASSES. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, YOU MENTIONED CORE CLASSES, I THINK THAT'S SO CRITICAL RIGHT NOW THAT WE GET BACK TO THE BASICS IN MAKING SURE THAT THEIR READING LEVEL AND THEIR NUMERACY AND ALL THE BASICS GET REALLY REMINDED AND TAUGHT TO THEM. I ALSO BELIEVE, TOO, THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INCLUSION, THIS IS TAKEN CARE OF AS WELL BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE ESE AND YOU HAVE THE ADULT EDUCATION. YOU REALLY KIND OF INCLUDING THE WHOLE AMOUNT, THE WHOLE DISTRICT AND THOSE NEEDS. I APPLAUD THE DIVERSE AMOUNT OF SUBJECT AREAS THAT WE'RE EXPANDING, AND THERE AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE FILLING THE NEED THAT IS HUGE WITHIN OUR DISTRICT AND VERY RELEVANT. SO I THANK YOU FOR PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE STAFF WHO MET WITH ME AND ALLOWED ME TO ASK A LOT OF QUESTIONS AS I'M SURE YOU KNEW I WOULD HAVE. FIRST, I WANT TO CLARIFY THAT THIS IS BECAUSE -- I MEAN, NOT THAT IT'S NOT A GREAT PROGRAM BUT FOR PEOPLE WHO PAY ATTENTION TO OUR BUDGET WHEN WE ALLOCATE MONEY, THIS IS ESSER MONEY THAT WE WERE MANDATED FROM THE STATE TO PUT TOWARDS OUR SUMMER PROGRAMMING.
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT. WE USUALLY HISTORICALLY SPEND BETWEEN 14 AND $18 MILLION ON SUMMER LEARNING, BUT WE GOT ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO REALLY FOCUS ON SUMMER LEARNING IN 2023.
>>Jessica Vaughn: WHICH, AGAIN, I THINK IS FANTASTIC BUT I WANT TO CLARIFY BECAUSE SOMETIMES WHEN PEOPLE SEE US SPENDING MONEY OR PRIORITIZING, I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR WITH THINGS, THAT THIS WAS ONLY ALLOCATED FOR THE SUMMER PROGRAMS PER THE STATE, SO WE HAD TO USE IT TOWARDS THAT. I THINK YOU GUYS DID A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO COVER DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS AND AS MEMBER GRAY HAD MENTIONED, DUAL LANGUAGE, ESE, ADULT LEARNING, ALL THAT IS REALLY GREAT. ONE THING THAT I'M NOT SURE AND I KNOW THAT WE WERE GOING TO WORK ON IN GETTING BACK, FOR SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE PAID FOR NATURE'S CLASSROOM, FULL DAY, WE HAD TALKED ABOUT MAYBE BEING ABLE TO USE A LITTLE BIT OF ESSER MONEY TO ALLOCATE SCHOLARSHIPS. WERE WE ABLE TO WORK THAT OR WHAT WAS -- WHERE DID WE LAND ON MAYBE OFFERING SOME SCHOLARSHIPS FOR THOSE PAID SUMMER PROGRAMS?
>>Addison Davis: THROUGH THE CHAIR, WE DID, MR. CONNOR, ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT? BEING ABLE TO PROVIDE SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES.
>>Terry Connor: WE'RE STILL WORKING WITH NATURE'S CLASSROOM TO DO EXACTLY WHAT WE DISCUSSED IN TERMS OF OFFSETTING SOME OF THE COSTS. ONE OF THE MAJOR ALLOCATIONS BUDGETED FOR SUMMER SCHOOL IS THE EXTENSION FOR STUDENTS WHO ARE IN THE PROGRAM TO RECEIVE HOST SERVICES AT NO COST. SO THAT WAS A MAJOR PART OF OUR BUDGETING. AND TO YOUR POINT WITH THE NATURE'S CLASSROOM, WE DO HAVE A FEW PAID CAMPS, AND WE'RE WORKING WITH MR. PLANK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN OFFSET THOSE OF US COSTS AND OFFER SOME SCHOLARSHIPS.
>>Jessica Vaughn: GREAT. THANK YOU. AGAIN, I APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND THE TIME TO SIT WITH US AND MAKE SURE WE REALLY UNDERSTOOD WHAT WAS HAPPENING HERE AND THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING WHERE THE FUNDING IS COMING FROM.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: I DO WANT TO THANK OUR STAFF FOR REALLY TAKING THE TIME TO REALLY PULL TOGETHER A REALLY ROBUST AND DIVERSE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. WHETHER IT'S INTRODUCTORY INTO HIGH SCHOOL CAMPS OR EVEN GOING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL CAMPS, WE ARE REALLY APPROACHING THIS FROM ACROSS THE BOARD STANDPOINT, WHICH IS REALLY UNIQUE. A LOT OF TIMES WHEN WE LOOK AT SOME OF OUR ESSER DOLLARS, THEY AFFECT INDIVIDUALIZED SITUATIONS, SO WE DON'T ALWAYS LOOK AT THINGS WITH ALL OF OUR STUDENTS IN MIND, AND THIS PARTICULAR APPROACH THIS SUMMER IS REALLY ADDRESSING ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT THINGS, THAT THEY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE MONEY THAT WAS REALLY DIRECTED TO BE ABLE TO REACH AS MANY STUDENTS AS POSSIBLE AND WE'RE REALLY DOING THAT WITH THIS ROBUST CURRICULUM FOR THE SUMMER. SO THANK YOU ALL. I KNOW THIS WAS MANY, MANY HOURS OF TIME AND TALENT. SO WE REALLY THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE WHAT MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER RENDON SAID. I THINK THIS LOOKS LIKE A REALLY GREAT PLAN. I SPENT QUITE A BIT OF TIME LOOKING AT THAT, LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES, ESPECIALLY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE DISTRICT AND OFFERING THAT. AND I KNOW THAT TEACHERS ARE EXHAUSTED, SO I KNOW WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT AND SUPERINTENDENT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE COMPENSATION AND SOME OF THE THINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE RECRUIT TEACHERS WHO ARE MOTIVATED AND EXCITED TO WORK THIS SUMMER?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE WAY THAT WE SEE STUDENT PERFORMANCE INCREASE IS THROUGH HIGH DOSES OF HIGH-QUALITY TEACHING EVERY SINGLE DAY. ONE OF THE PROVEN MECHANISMS THAT WE'LL IMPLEMENT THIS SUMMER WILL BE $35 AN HOUR FOR TEACHERS PLUS AN ADDITIONAL $50 A DAY BONUS. SO BEING ABLE TO GET OUR TEACHERS, I KNOW THEY WORK TREMENDOUSLY HARD EVERY DAY, AND THIS IS ALSO INCLUSIVE OF NOT ONLY OUR TEACHERS BUT ALSO OUR SUPPORT STAFF, BUS DRIVERS, FOOD NUTRITION AND EVERYONE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN OUR SUMMER SCHOOLS. THIS IS A WAY TO SHOW AND DEMONSTRATE THAT WE APPRECIATE THEM AND WE KNOW THE SUMMER IS THEIRS, BUT OUR STUDENTS NEED THEM EVERY SINGLE DAY AND EVERY CHANCE THAT WE CAN.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I THINK THAT'S REALLY CRITICAL IN MAKING SURE THAT OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND NONINSTRUCTIONAL STAFF WHEN THEY ARE GIVING UP THEIR SUMMERS, THEY ARE COMPENSATED AND APPRECIATED FOR THAT. THANK YOU. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 5.06, AGREEMENT 23033-XMT-DST-IV WITH EXTRAVAGANZA PRODUCTIONS INCORPORATED FOR THE 2022-2023 GRADUATION REHEARSALS AND CEREMONIES. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, LAST MEETING WE BROUGHT TO BE ABLE TO -- AGREEMENT TO RENT THE FACILITIES FOR OUR GRADUATIONS COMING UP AND WE HAVE 30 PLUS GRADUATIONS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT THE STATE FAIRGROUNDS. THIS IS BEING ABLE TO ALSO HAVE A VENDOR TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL OF OUR DECORATION RENTALS, LIGHTING, RIGGING, REHEARSALS, AUDIO, VISUALS FOR THE EVENTS TO MAKE CERTAIN WE HAVE A FLAWLESS GRADUATION. THEY HAVE BEEN A GREAT PARTNER THE LAST 11 YEARS IN BRINGING THIS TO THE BOARD AS IT IS A GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURE FOR $55,000.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 5.06. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? MEMBER GRAY. NO. OKAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.01, APPROVE AMENDMENT NUMBER 1, 22211-PSA-IV OCCUPATIONAL PHYSICALS AND DRUG TESTING AGREEMENT. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, HISTORICALLY WE'VE HAD TWO VENDORS TO BE ABLE TO HELP US WITH HAVING ANY PREEMPLOYMENT EXAMINATIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR OUR WORKFORCE. THIS YEAR, WE HAD ONE OF OUR PARTNERS THAT CAN NO LONGER MEET THE GROWING NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT, THEREFORE BRINGING ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN AMENDMENT TO NUMBER ONE TO BE ABLE TO PARTNER WITH ANOTHER ENTITY TO BE ABLE TO USE GENERAL FUND DOLLARS FOR US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PARTNERSHIP TO BE ABLE TO HAVE PREEMPLOYMENT EXAMINATIONS TAKE PLACE. THESE ARE HISTORICALLY BETWEEN 45 MINUTES AND AN HOUR EXAMINATIONS, FOR OUR TEACHERS, OUR PARAS, AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO EXPEDITE THAT AS QUICK AS WE CAN SO WE CAN GET OUR EMPLOYEES IN, CREDENTIALED SO THEY CAN DO COOL THINGS FOR OUR KIDS EVERY DAY. THE MEDICAL CENTER WE'LL PARTNER WITH HAS 13 PLACES THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT TO EXPEDITE THE PROCESS AND CONTINUE TO USE BAY CARE AS WE CONTINUE OUR GROWING NEEDS. ALSO, THEY DO DRUG TESTING AS WELL FOR ANYONE THAT DRIVES CDL OR CAR ACCIDENTS OR OPS EXAMINATIONS THAT NEED TO TAKE PLACE, AND THIS PARTNERSHIP ALLOWS US TO EXPEDITE THE ELEMENTS TO BE MORE EFFICIENT WITHIN OUR DISTRICT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER RENDON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. 7.02, APPROVE INCREASE IN EXPENDITURES FOR PIGGYBACK 22129-MST-BJH OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN SOURCEWELL AND HUSSEY SEATING COMPANY. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO EITHER TO CREATE REPAIRS, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY SEATING, RAILINGS, OR STEPS INTERNALLY, EXTERNALLY FOR BLEACHERS FOR OUR SCHOOLS. YOU WILL SEE THERE IS AN INCREASE OF EXPENDITURE FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS LETO AND JEFFERSON. THEY NEED A COMPLETE REHAUL OF THEIR BLEACHERS AT THAT PARTICULAR SCHOOL. WE GO OVER AND BEYOND OUR REPAIRS. WE KNOW THAT ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT I JUST MENTIONED, I BELIEVE IT WAS LETO, THAT COULD NOT EVEN HOST SENIOR NIGHT AT THEIR HIGH SCHOOL FOR BASKETBALL BECAUSE THEIR BLEACHERS BROKE AND WE DIDN'T HAVE THE PARTS OR THE ABILITY TO GET THEM BACK OUT. SO OPENLY, THIS ALLOWS US TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THOSE TWO SCHOOLS AND CONTINUOUSLY BE ABLE TO ADDRESS ALL THE REPAIRS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS FOR INTERNAL, EXTERNAL BLEACHERS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 7.02. MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER VAUGHN AND MEMBER RENDON, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. GO AHEAD, WE'LL BEGIN WITH MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS NOT ABLE TO DISCUSS IT DURING OUR AGENDA REVIEW, SO THAT'S WHY I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS. NOT THROUGH ANY QUALITY OF HIS. IT WAS NOT IN HIS BOOK. SO I WASN'T ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT IT. I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, WHEN I WAS LOOKING OVER THE CONTRACT PGB, HAVE WE PIGGYBACKED THIS SINCE 2019? BECAUSE THAT DATE IS ALL OVER THAT INSTRUMENT THAT WE HAVE IN HERE EVEN THOUGH IT IS SIGNED 2023.
>>Christopher Farkas: YES, WE BRING IT BACK EVERY YEAR. THIS IS THE LAST YEAR IN A FIVE-YEAR OF ONE-YEAR RENEWALS. SINCE 2019, THIS IS THE FIFTH YEAR. THIS WILL BE THE LAST YEAR WE CAN EXTEND IT ONE MORE YEAR.
>>Jessica Vaughn: OKAY, SO WE STARTED IN 2018. EVERY YEAR WE COME BACK AND THEY'VE BEEN REPLACING OUR SEATING IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. SO I SAW WHERE IT SAID LETO AND I WAS CONFUSED BECAUSE IT'S ASKING TO BE APPROVED FOR A MILLION DOLLARS, I SAW IT WAS ABOUT HALF A MILLION DOLLARS. I DIDN'T SEE ANYWHERE ON THE DOCUMENTATION THE OTHER SCHOOL THAT YOU'RE ANTICIPATING IS JEFFERSON.
>>Christopher Farkas: IT'S MY FAULT. I TOLD SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS THAT IT WAS JEFFERSON. IT WAS ACTUALLY GAITHER THAT HAD THE FAILURE. THAT'S MY FAULT. 100%. IT ISN'T A FULL REPLACEMENT AT GAITHER BUT A LARGE REPLACEMENT. THE COST IS SUBSTANTIAL. WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A FINAL BID BUT THEY EXPECT TO BE IN THE ONE TO TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND. LETO IS MORE IN THE HALF MILLION DOLLARS RANGE BECAUSE WE'RE DOING ENTIRE REPLACEMENT AT LETO.
>>Jessica Vaughn: IF WE ARE BUDGETING A MILLION DOLLARS AND LET'S SAY LETO HALF A MILLION, GAITHER A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS, IF WE DON'T USE THE OTHER QUARTER OF THE MILLION DOLLARS, HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS JUST LIKE I'VE HAD QUESTIONS PREVIOUSLY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THE AMOUNT WE'RE APPROVING. DO WE GET AN UPDATE THAT IT COMES BACK AND HAVEN'T SPENT THAT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THIS FULL AMOUNT?
>>Christopher Farkas: DON'T SPEND IT, STAYS IN THE CAPITAL ACCOUNT. NOT EXPENDED NO REQUIREMENT THAT WE PAY THAT. THE NEXT TIME YOU'LL SEE THIS, THE NEXT TIME WE COME BACK, PREVIOUS SPEND, WE HAVE TO APPROVE IT EVERY YEAR. THE NEXT TIME WE COME BACK FOR A BLEACHER, RFP OR PIGGYBACK BECAUSE THIS ONE EXPIRES. WHEN YOU SEE IT NEXT YEAR, YOU'LL SEE WHAT OUR PREVIOUS SPEND WAS. WE CAN'T SPEND OVER A MILLION DOLLARS. WE HAVE TO BRING TO THE BOARD FOR APPROVAL.
>>Jessica Vaughn: 2023 WHEN WE BUDGETED -- DID WE BUDGET $650,000 OR DID WE SPEND THAT?
>>Christopher Farkas: BOTH.
>>Jessica Vaughn: WE BUDGETED THE PERFECT AMOUNT?
>>Christopher Farkas: WELL, I'M SURE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A GAP.
>>Jessica Vaughn: MY FINAL QUESTION ON THIS IS, ONCE AGAIN, ARE WE SURE THIS IS THE LOWEST PRICE? IF WE'VE BEEN PIGGYBACK WITH THIS AGREEMENT FIVE YEARS AND THEY HAVE BEEN A SOLE-SOURCE PROVIDER, HOW DO WE KNOW THERE AREN'T PROVIDERS LOCALLY ONCE AGAIN THAT MIGHT BE PROVIDING US SOMETHING THAT'S AFFORDABLE OR, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GUARANTEEING IF WE'RE DOING FIVE-YEAR PIGGYBACK AGREEMENTS THAT WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PRICE, ESPECIALLY IF WE'RE BYPASSING OUR LOCAL WORKFORCE OR OUR LOCAL COMPANIES TO MAKE ARRANGEMENTS WITH THIS. HAVE WE CHECKED THE PRICES? DID WE GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY? HOW DO WE KNOW WE'RE GETTING THE BEST PRICE?
>>Christopher Farkas: TWO PARTS AND LEGITIMATE QUESTION WE HAVE ABOUT LOCAL VENDORS BECAUSE WE ALWAYS ESPECIALLY IN OPERATIONS LOVE TO USE LOCAL VENDORS. FULL BLEACHER REPLACEMENT IS NOT A BUSINESS THAT SPEAKS TO LOCAL VENDORS. NOT LOCAL VENDORS THAT CAN DO A FULL BLEACHER REPLACEMENT. COMPANIES THAT FIT INTO THE CATEGORY ARE NOT LOCAL COMPANIES. WE ALWAYS WANT TO CHECK THE PRICES. NO ONE CAN GET A LOWER PRICE ON A SOURCEWELL. IF HUSSEY OR ONE OF THE COMPANIES LOWERED IT, WE WOULD KNOW IT BECAUSE WE'RE IN SOURCEWELL, WHICH IS A BIG CONGLOMERATE OF PROCUREMENT GROUPS. THERE'S NOT A LOCAL VENDORS WE FOUND THAT CAN DO THAT. BASED ON BOARD DIRECTION, WE'LL DEFINITELY PUT IT OUT FOR RFP AS WE COME TO THE NEXT ROUND. HOPEFULLY THERE IS A LOCAL VENDOR THAT DOES IT BECAUSE IT IS A LOT EASIER. WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE TRAVEL FOR THEM TO COME AND FIX IT. AS OF RIGHT NOW WE KNOW BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE CAN GET A LOWER PRICE ON THAT, WITH HUSSEY ESPECIALLY, BECAUSE WE GET THE SAME PRICE THROUGH SOURCEWELL.
>>Jessica Vaughn: I HOPE YOU'RE RIGHT. I HOPE I DON'T GET E-MAILS FROM PEOPLE WHO SAY THEY CAN DO IT.
>>Christopher Farkas: PLEASE SEND THEM TO ME IF YOU DO.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER RENDON.
>>Patti Rendon: A LITTLE BIT LIKE MEMBER VAUGHN, PART OF ME WANTED TO KNOW WHERE WE WERE PUTTING THE MONEY OTHER THAN LETO BECAUSE LETO IS THE ONLY ONE THAT IDENTIFIED THAT. HONESTLY, I WAS GOING TO ASK ARE WE PREPARED, IS THIS THE ONLY CONTRACT WE'LL HAVE FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR? ARE WE PREPARED FOR THE OTHER SCHOOLS? BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF SCHOOLS THAT HAVE A LOT OF WEAR AND TEAR ON THEIR BLEACHERS. I DON'T WANT ANOTHER SENIOR NIGHT NOT TO HAPPEN.
>>Christopher Farkas: THAT'S CORRECT. YES, THAT IS THE PLAN TO DO THAT. OBVIOUSLY, UNFORESEEN CIRCUMSTANCES, I CAN'T GUARANTEE YOU THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT THE PLAN IN PLACE TO DO THAT. WE ALSO HAVE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, SUMMER PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT PART OF THIS THAT GO THROUGH A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR THAT WE MAY BE REPLACING BLEACHERS ON SOMETHING OLD. THIS IS REPAIR OR SOMETHING DONE THROUGH MAINTENANCE. IF IT DOESN'T COVER IT, WE'LL BE BACK TO YOU. THE REASON LETO HAD TO BE REPLACED, THERE WASN'T A COMPANY THAT COULD PROVIDE THAT. WE CALLED OTHER COMPANIES OTHER THAN HUSSEY WHEN THAT HAPPENED. THERE WASN'T ANYBODY THAT COULD PROVIDE THE SERVICE OR WE WOULD HAVE DONE THAT. ANSWER THE QUESTION, OUR GOAL IS TO NEVER HAVE THAT HAPPEN. THAT IS A FAILURE ON OUR PART TO DO THAT. WE COULDN'T CONTROL IT BUT STILL A FAILURE ON OUR TEAM'S PART WHEN THAT KIND OF STUFF HAPPENS. LITERALLY MR. ROBINSON FROM ATHLETICS, MR. CULL PEPPER FROM SAFETY, MR. POOR FROM MAINTENANCE IN LETO TO FIGURE ANOTHER WAY TO GET TEMPORARY BLEACHERS AND UNFORTUNATELY COULDN'T FIND A WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. OUR GOAL IS TO NOT EVER LET THAT HAPPEN. I CAN'T THINK OF A TIME WHEN THAT'S HAPPENED PREVIOUSLY.
>>Patti Rendon: THANK YOU FOR THAT BECAUSE I WAS ACTUALLY IN THOSE LETO BLEACHERS NOT TOO LONG AGO. I'M THANKFUL THAT YOU ARE REPAIRING THEM. ANYWAYS, BUT THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD IS, JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE LAST YEAR YOU CAN BRING THIS BEFORE THE BOARD BEFORE WE HAVE TO GO OUT TO RFP, CORRECT? FOR BOTH SIDES.
>>Christopher Farkas: YES, MA'AM.
>>Patti Rendon: RIGHT. WITH THAT BEING SAID AND -- I LOST MY TRAIN OF THOUGHT NOW. I THINK I GOT ALL THE QUESTIONS. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL NOW GO TO 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. 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 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 DISTRICT. EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. THANK YOU.
>> HI. I'M CARISSA FROM GAITHER HIGH SCHOOL. I DIDN'T KNOW OUR BLEACHERS HAD AN ISSUE. IT'S ON ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SCHOOL. FIRST, I AM ECSTATIC TO COME UP HERE AND SAY WE'RE PASS IMPASSE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOWARD RATIFICATION, THAT ON THE NEXT SCHOOL BOARD MEETING WHICH I WILL NOT BE AT BECAUSE I'M GOING ON A TRIP, YOU GUYS SHOULD BE VOTING ON IT. AND I DON'T WANT TO SEEM LIKE I AM BEING NEGATIVE, BECAUSE I KNOW IT WILL COME OFF THAT WAY, BUT I WANT TO KIND OF MAKE YOU AWARE OR YOU'RE PROBABLY AWARE, BUT REALLY KIND OF POINT OUT THE FACT THAT RIGHT NOW TEACHERS START AT 475 IF THEY GO THROUGH AT 23 YEARS AND HOPEFULLY GO AND RETIRE IN THE SYSTEM, THEY ONLY END UP AT 68,000. I DON'T KNOW OF ANOTHER KIND OF JOB THAT WOULD ONLY EARN $20,000 MORE AS A FINAL PUSH TOWARDS THAT. IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR STRENGTH OF TEACHERS, IF WE WANT OUR TEACHERS TO BE ABLE TO BE STRONG IN WHAT THEY ARE DOING, THEN WE WANT TO KEEP THEM THERE. WE DON'T WANT TO KEEP MOVING THEM OUT. BECAUSE FRANKLY AT THIS POINT THE ONLY WAY TO GET MORE MONEY OUT OF THIS IS BY BECOMING AN ADMINISTRATOR OR BY BEING MAYBE AN ACADEMIC COACH OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. TO KEEP STRONG TEACHERS, I THINK WE HAVE TO BE MORE INNOVATIVE IN HOW WE CAN INCREASE THE PAY. WE'RE IN IT FOR THE OUTCOME, NOT THE INCOME. AGAIN, I'M GOING TO ALWAYS SAY I STILL HAVE TO PAY MY BILLS. SO ONE OF THOSE SOLUTIONS, AND IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ONE THAT PEOPLE LIKE, THE PEOPLE IT AFFECTS AS WELL, AND I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT THE MORALE AS WELL, IS IF ADMINISTRATORS AND ACADEMIC COACHES, THE PEOPLE AT THE DISTRICT LEVEL THAT USED TO BE TEACHERS ACTUALLY STILL TAUGHT A CLASS. THE PEOPLE THAT HAD TO DO IT FOR THOSE 20 DAYS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SCHOOL YEAR REALLY LEARNED THE THINGS THAT WE WERE HAVING TO DEAL WITH. AND I TALKED TO MY ADMINISTRATORS ABOUT IT, TOO, AND ONE OF THEM SAID, THAT WOULD BE GREAT BECAUSE WHAT'S THAT'S GOING TO DO? THEY ARE GOING TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE STUDENTS. THEY'LL KNOW THEIR STUDENT IS A WHOLE LOT BETTER AND NOT JUST THE KIDS THAT ARE IN THEIR OFFICE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GOING ON. THEY'LL HAVE TO KNOW HOW YOU GUYS WANT US TO DIFFERENTIATE AND EVERYTHING ELSE WITHOUT JUST JUDGING US ON IT. THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUDGING AND CRITICIZING, RIGHT? WE ALL KNOW THIS, THEN ACTUALLY DOING THAT WORK. WITH MY LAST 20 SECONDS, I WANT TO JUST SUGGEST, OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE THE BOOKS COMING IN ALL THE TIME. WE GO THROUGH THIS SYSTEM. HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT MY KID TO REALLY READ SOME OF THOSE THINGS EITHER. HOWEVER, I DON'T WANT TO DETERMINE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE'S KIDS CAN READ EITHER. SO WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS SOME KIND OF ELECTRONIC FORMAT FOR THE PARENTS THAT ARE CONCERNED ON WHAT THEIR KIDS ARE READING, THAT THEY CAN ACTUALLY SEE IT.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. NEXT SPEAKER.
>> GOOD EVENING. REBECCA BORE. I AM A READING TEACHER AT RIVERVIEW HIGH SCHOOL. I WANTED TO START BY SAYING THANK YOU FOR INDICATING THAT YOU ARE ACCEPTING THE MAGISTRATE'S DECISION. I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE NOT CONTINUING TO FIGHT THIS FIGHT BECAUSE WE'VE WORKED REALLY, REALLY HARD AND WE ABSOLUTELY DESERVE OUR TWO STEPS. AND WITH THAT, I WILL SAY THAT I'M IN MY 7th YEAR IN THE DISTRICT, WHICH MEANS THAT WHEN MY PAYCHECK, WHICH CURRENTLY SAYS E-4 ON IT, MOVES TO MY TWO STEPS AND SAYS E-6 ON IT, I WILL ONLY BE RECEIVING A $300 RAISE THAT IS A $300 TOTAL RAISE, NOT A PER MONTH RAISE OR PER PAYCHECK RAISE. WHICH IS NOT A LOT OF MONEY. I HAVE A KID AND HER DAY CARE IS $325 A WEEK. SO MY RAISE THAT I'M GOING TO GET OUT OF THIS DOESN'T COVER ONE WEEK OF DAY CARE FOR HER. I'M GLAD THAT THERE'S ENOUGH MONEY FOR SUMMER SCHOOL, THOUGH, BECAUSE I WILL TEACH IT BECAUSE I NEED THOSE DOLLARS AND I TEACH SUMMER SCHOOL BECAUSE I TEACH READING TO STUDENTS WHO DON'T LIKE TO READ AND WHO DON'T DO IT VERY WELL. AND SO RECENTLY WITH MY JUNIORS, BECAUSE WE HAVE FINISHED TESTING BECAUSE IT'S APRIL, AND SO WE'RE DONE WITH THE OFFICIAL RETESTING OF THE THINGS THEY FAILED LAST YEAR AND WE FOCUS ON LIFE SKILLS AND PLANS FOR AFTER HIGH SCHOOL. I TEACH FUN THINGS LIKE JOB HUNTING, INTERVIEWING, BUDGETING, AND MY JUNIORS HAVE BEEN WORKING OUT STUFF WITH THEM, AND YOU KNOW WHAT? NONE OF THEM WANT TO BE TEACHERS. THEY DON'T. BECAUSE WE TALK ABOUT THE MONEY ASPECTS AND I LOVE MY JOB AND I TELL THEM FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE BUT ALSO FIND SOMETHING THAT PAYS. I KNEW I WASN'T GOING TO GET RICH BEING A TEACHER. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT I ALSO THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO PAY MY BILLS. I THOUGHT I COULD CONTINUE BEING A TEACHER AND THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO RETIRE FROM BEING A TEACHER. NOW I'M LOOKING AT THE PAY SCALE, LOOKING AT 23 YEARS, NOT THAT FAR AWAY BUT I'M NOT GOING TO MAKE MUCH MORE MONEY AND HOW WILL I RETIRE AND I HAVE TO SEND MY KID TO COLLEGE HOPEFULLY. MY KID WANTS TO GO TO COLLEGE BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. I WENT TO COLLEGE AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I DO BUDGETING WITH MY KIDS AND IT'S NOT ADDING UP. WAIT, WAIT, THIS DOESN'T MAKE SENSE ANYMORE. I'M LIKE, HOW AM I GOING TO CONTINUE DOING THIS? I REALLY DON'T KNOW. I HAVE TWO STUDENT TEACHERS THIS SEMESTER WHO ARE OBSERVING ME AND LEARNING FROM ME AND I TALK TO THEM ABOUT TEACHING. HOW DO YOU DO THIS? HOW DO YOU KEEP COMING BACK EVERY DAY? I LOVE WHAT I DO. THEY ARE LIKE, YEAH, BUT LIKE, BUT SERIOUSLY, HOW DO YOU DO THIS? I LOVE WHAT I DO. THAT'S HOW I DO WHAT I DO EVERY DAY. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR COMMENTS FROM OUR TEACHERS, OUR EMPLOYEES. WE WILL NOW RESUME WITH OUR AGENDA TO 10.01, RFP 23009-DST-EJ DISTRICTWIDE NETWORK EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE CHAIR,. THIS IS AN AWARD, COMPETITIVE BID CONTRACT TO PROVIDE INTERNET INFRASTRUCTURE EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES FOR THE ENTIRE DISTRICT. THIS IS OPENLY TO BE ABLE TO MODERNIZE OUR DISTRICT CONSECUTIVE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL -- CONNECTIVITY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS AND DISTRICT SITES AS WELL. THIS IS TO ADD NETWORK SWITCHES. THIS IS TO BE ABLE TO ADD NEW FIBEROPTIC CABLES WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS AND AT THE SAME TOKEN BEING ABLE TO HAVE THE MANAGEMENT OF THE NEW SWITCHES AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN PLACE. THIS WILL BE AWARDED TO ACCI, WHICH IS AN ADVANCED CABLE CONNECTION INCORPORATED. THIS IS A $36 MILLION EXPENDITURE IN WHICH THERE IS A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF THIS THAT WILL BE REIMBURSABLE, USING THE E-RATE PROGRAM. ASK DR. LEEKS IF THERE'S ANYTHING HE WOULD LIKE TO ADD AT THIS TIME. IF NOT, THEN WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.
>>Nadia Combs: I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 10.01. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER HAHN. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Jessica Vaughn: MR. WEEKS MET WITH ME AND ASSURED ME WITH OUR E-RATE WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF MONEY BACK AND IT'S COMING OUT OF CAPITAL EXPENSES. FOR MEMBER WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY, I'M NOT GOING TO ASK ANY MORE QUESTIONS. [ LAUGHTER ]
>>Addison Davis: AND THROUGH THE CHAIR, THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THAT, MEMBER VAUGHN. IT'S A $36 MILLION EXPENDITURE AROUND $28.8 MILLION WILL BE RECOUPABLE AND REIMBURSABLE TO OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. WE'LL SPEND A LITTLE OVER $7 MILLION TO PUT NEW INFRASTRUCTURE IN THIS ENTIRE DISTRICT, WHICH WE NEED.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBERS, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH MEMBER VAUGHN NOT AT THE DAIS. 10.02, RFP 23005-DST-IV INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS WILL HIGHLIGHT THIS ITEM.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. THIS IS ALL TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A NEW CONTRACT FOR INTERNET ACCESSIBILITY AND ALSO FOR FIREWALL SUPPORT WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. THIS WILL BE FOR EVERY SITE, WHETHER IT BE A SCHOOL SITE, DISTRICT SITE TO HAVE THAT CONNECTIVITY. THIS IS IMPROVING OUR GIGABYTES FROM 140 GIGABYTES TO 220 GIGABYTES AND BE ABLE TO HAVE INCREASED PERFORMANCE OF ACCESSIBILITY AS WE CONTINUE TO USE THE INTERNET AND A NUMBER OF SERVICES TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE STUDENT LEARNING AND ALSO TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION. THIS ONCE AGAIN IS ALSO A LARGE AMOUNT OF THIS IS GOING TO BE REIMBURSABLE AND YOU WILL SEE THAT GOING OUT THROUGH A NEW VENDOR AND RENEGOTIATING OUR PRICE, WE DID REDUCE OUR CONTRACT OVER -- SAVING OVER $400,000 PLUS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. I NEED A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ITEM C 10.02. MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. A SECOND BY MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU PULLED THIS ITEM. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS?
>>Jessica Vaughn: NO, I'M GOOD. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. IT'S FOR YOUR BIRTHDAY. PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR.
>>Addison Davis: IT'S GOING TO BE SHAKE'S BIRTHDAY EVERY NIGHT. ∫ EVERY NIGHT IS YOUR BIRTHDAY ∫ HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHAKE.
>>Nadia Combs: AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO SUPERINTENDENT AND BOARD COMMENTS. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS.
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM, THROUGH THE BOARD, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION AT OUR SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING RELATED TO OUR BOOK CHALLENGE. I WANT TO TAKE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CLEAR THIS UP IN FRONT OF THE BOARD AND ALSO THE PUBLIC. AS WE KNOW, THERE WAS A PARENT THAT CHALLENGED THIS PROCESS AT ONE OF OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN OUR DISTRICT. WHEN THAT CHALLENGED PROCESS REACHED THE BOARD LEVEL I INITIALLY RECOMMENDED THIS BOOK NOT TO BE AGE APPROPRIATE FOR ANY MIDDLE SCHOOLS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE OUR STUDENTS THAT WE SERVE IN MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE 11 YEARS OF AGE. WE UNDERSTAND THAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IS A LARGE SCHOOL DISTRICT REALLY RICH AND DIVERSE. MY RECOMMENDATION WAS BEING ABLE TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT SCHOOLS HAVE ACCESSIBILITY TO AGE-APPROPRIATE CONTENT. HOWEVER, IN THIS CASE, ONE THING THAT WHILE MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO IDENTIFY AND PROTECT CHILDREN FROM AGE APPROPRIATE, IT DID NOT ADDRESS THE UNIQUE AND PARTICULAR NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOL WHERE THE BOOK WAS FOUND. IN AN EFFORT TO PROTECT ALL KIDS AND MY INITIAL RECOMMENDATION WENT FURTHER THAN THE INITIAL PROCESS. FOR THAT I APOLOGIZE TO THE BOARD IF I CREATED ANY CONFUSION IN THIS PROCESS. THE FIDELITY OF OUR PROCESS IS SO IMPORTANT AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD WE'LL CONTINUE TO PROTECT THAT. ALSO BEING ABLE TO LOOK FORWARD TO ENGAGING EVERY ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AS WE MOVE TO A MAY WORKSHOP TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR PROCESSES, OUR PROCEDURES, AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO TO CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN THOSE PROCESSES, BUT AT THE SAME TOKEN, BEING ABLE TO PROTECT CHILDREN ALONGSIDE AND ALSO RESPECT OUR COLLEAGUES AT OUR SCHOOLS. WITH THAT SAID, I'LL TRANSITION TO OUR PowerPoint THIS EVENING. SORRY, SHAKE. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUT I DO HAVE SOME AREAS I WANT TO ADDRESS. WITH THAT SAID, I CAN'T GET THE CONTROLLER TO WORK. PROVIDE UPDATES TONIGHT AND GO DIRECTLY TO UPDATE AND CELEBRATIONS WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. CONGRATULATIONS TO EISENHOWER. THIS IS A SCHOOL THAT CONTINUES TO SHOW POSITIVE MOVEMENT. THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED ONE OF THEIRS LOCATIONS FOR PBIS ROOM RIBBON CUTTING. THIS IS A ROOM THEY RECEIVED A $35,000 GRANT FROM OUR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION, TAMPA BAY. THIS IS ALL TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS OUR SNACK BARS. THEY HAVE VIP AREAS, SEVERAL GAME STATIONS. WHEN OUR STAFF TALKED TO ONE OF THE STUDENTS, THEY GO, I'LL COME EARLY AND DO EVERY DAY. EVEN COME IN ON SATURDAYS AND SUNDAYS TO BE A PART OF THIS. THANK YOU TO OUR LEADERS FOR BEING INNOVATIVE AND REACHING OUT TO FIND PRIVATE MONEY TO BE ABLE TO HELP AND POSITIVELY IMPACT OUR COMMUNITY. ALSO, WE HAD RACE FOR EDUCATION THIS LAST WEEKEND ON SATURDAY. SO MANY THINGS TO -- SO MANY THANKS TO EVERYONE ACTIVELY ENGAGED AND INVOLVED. THANK YOU, MRS. GRAY, FOR BEING THE CHAMPION OF THIS INITIATIVE AND ALSO KIM JOWELL FOR LEVERAGING HER PARTNERSHIP THROUGH HEF, BUT WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT THIS INITIATIVE. ALSO, WE HAD MAYOR JANE CASTOR CAME OUT AND WE HAD A NUMBER OF OUR LEADERS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THIS PROCESS. ALL I CAN SAY IS THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE. WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR. WE'LL GET READY TO GO AGAIN. WE HAD OVER OVER A THOUSAND PARTICIPANTS AND WE'RE EXCITED TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE INITIATIVE. THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR WHO ALLOWED US TO HAVE THE ROUTE. SO IMPORTANT AND SO HARD TO BE ABLE TO GET. I APPRECIATE MY WIFE FOR BEING ABLE TO COME OUT AND COMPETE AS WELL, AND WE'RE GOING TO BEAT OUR TIME NEXT YEAR. WE'LL GET HER READY TO GO. ALSO, I KNOW THIS BOARD RECOGNIZED ALL THE VOLUNTEERS WITHIN OUR SCHOOLS, IN OUR COMMUNITY. WE HAD OVER 41,000 VOLUNTEERS IN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. OVER 300,000 VOLUNTEERS AS WELL. AND $9 MILLION VALUE TO OUR DISTRICT. SO WE THANK EVERYONE WHO CONTINUES TO HELP US EDUCATE OUR CHILDREN, KEEP THEM SAFE EVERY SINGLE DAY, BEING ABLE TO ADDRESS THEIR NEEDS. WE HAD A NUMBER OF RECIPIENTS THAT WERE RECOGNIZED FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WHERE THE ELEMENTARY AWARD FOR PARENT RESOURCE CENTER WENT TO MORT ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THEY CONTINUE TO DO REALLY COOL THINGS OUT THERE FOR THAT CONNECTIVITY. OUR SECONDARY AWARDS WAS AT CHAMBERLAIN AS WELL, LEGACY ALLIANCE WHO HAS GREAT CONSECUTIVE. CONNECTIVITY. YOUTH VOLUNTEER AWARD GOES TO LANGSTON BURKE A STUDENT AT STEINBRENNER SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL WHO WENT TO POTTER ELEMENTARY AND GOES TO POTTER TO PROVIDE SUPPORT. THE ADULT AWARD IS MICHELLE FRITZKE AT WILLIS PETERS EXCEPTIONAL CENTER. AND SENIOR VOLUNTEER AWARD IS JANET SALAS AT COLSON AND A NUMBER OF OUR -- OUTSTANDING SCHOOL VOLUNTEER, BARBARA HOWARD, MIGRANT EDUCATION PROGRAM. AND SUSAN BURKETTE CLAYWELL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. EACH OF YOU, CONGRATULATIONS. ALSO REMIND OUR CONSTITUENTS WHO ARE WATCHING THAT OUR APPLICATION PROCESS FOR OUR CHOICE WINDOW, IT LAUNCHED ON MARCH 8, CONTINUES TO APRIL 30. PLEASE TAKE FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE PROCESS. IT IS SO IMPORTANT. WE HAVE SO MANY INITIATIVES AND PROGRAMS THAT WE OFFER TO OUR CHILDREN AND WE THANK YOU FOR THE SCHOOLS FOR THE FLEXIBILITY OF EXTENDING THE WINDOW AND BEING ABLE TO ACKNOWLEDGE CHILDREN. A MAJOR CELEBRATION, WE ALWAYS LOOK AT ANALYTICS FOR IMPROVING STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, STUDENT PERFORMANCE AND I WANT TO SHARE THE COLLEGE AND CAREER ACCELERATION. WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE SINCE 2017 IN THE LAST THREE YEARS BEING MORE AGGRESSIVE FOR WHAT WE OFFER CHILDREN RELATED TO CTE COURSES IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS, HIGH SCHOOLS AND ALSO DUAL ENROLLMENT, ACE, IB, AP COURSES. WE THINK OUR MASTER SCHEDULE FOR MAKING CERTAIN THIS IS A PRIORITY AND GIVING MORE ACCESSIBILITY TO STUDENTS WHO HAVE NEVER HAD ACCESS TO THESE TYPES OF COURSES WITHIN OUR SCHOOL DISTRICT. AND WE SEE THAT LAST YEAR'S TOP PERFORMERS ARE LEONARD, WHARTON AND JEFFERSON. THANK YOU FOR THAT COMMITMENT WITHIN YOUR SCHOOLS. LOOKING AT FIVE-YEAR GROWTH, WE SEE SYSTEMIC MOVEMENT FOR HIGH SCHOOLS FOR MAKING THIS A PRIORITY. CONGRATULATIONS, AND WHARTON HAVING A 31% INCREASE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WHICH IS REALLY MAJOR AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE THE NEEDLE. AND THEN WITH THAT SAID, THIS IS, AS OUR TEACHER SAID, THE TIME OF YEAR THAT WE START TO ASSESS FOR OUR STATE ASSESSMENTS AND JUST WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS WELL AWARE OF WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US. WE WILL BEGIN TO START THE FAST ASSESSMENT ON APRIL 17th AND THAT WILL COVER ALL THE WAY THROUGH MAY, NOT ONLY THROUGH LOOKING AT SCIENCE, CIVICS, HISTORY, ALGEBRA, HISTORY, MATHEMATICS, WE ALSO HAVE AP EXAMS THAT WILL BE IN THE FOREFRONT AND OTHER EXAMINATIONS FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT WILL RUN ALL THE WAY TO MAY AND WE THANK OUR STUDENTS FOR BEING GEARED AND READY TO PERFORM AND OUR TEACHERS FOR HELPING OUR CHILDREN HAVE THAT CONFIDENCE TO BE SUCCESSFUL. I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR ALLOWING US TO RECOGNIZE MULRENNAN AND NEWSOME HIGH SCHOOL FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL AND HAVE FIELD EXPERIENCES TO BE ABLE TO IMPROVE THEIR OVERALL KNOWLEDGE AND HOW TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF OUR CLASSROOMS. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. AND THEN ALSO ABOUT FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE AN ELEMENTARY MUSIC BANQUET. I KNOW SOME OF YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTEND. I WANT TO PLAY A SHORT VIDEO. AND THANK THERE'SY FOR WHAT SHE DOES EVERY SINGLE DAY AND JOHN AS WELL FOR THEM AND WHAT THEY IMPLEMENT. ∫ ALL OF OUR TEACHERS COMING TOGETHER, AND REALLY COOL INITIATIVE. WE THANK THEM FOR BEING A PART OF IT AND COMING TOGETHER. THAT'S IT. WE THANK THE BOARD FOR CONTINUING TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE AND FOR DOING SOME REALLY SPECIAL THINGS FOR KIDS.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS. WE WILL NOW MOVE TO BOARD COMMENTS. MEMBER GRAY, WE'LL START WITH YOU.
>>Lynn Gray: I'VE GOT TO BE FAST NOW. FIRST OFF, I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE SCHOLASTIC ART AND WRITING AWARDS FROM THE ALLIANCE FOR YOUNG ARTISTS AND WRITERS, EXTRA -- GRADE 12, GOLD MEDAL, THANK YOU MOLLY DRESSEL, AS ALWAYS FROM HOWARD W. BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. A CHILD'S EYE FROM STRAWBERRY CREST HIGH SCHOOL ART TEACHER BARBARA LAWTON. AND THE AWARD WAS ANOTHER GOLD MEDAL AND THESE ARE NATIONAL AWARD WINNERS. AND THE HUMAN BRAIN, THIS IS THE THIRD ONE, BUT STILL GOLD MEDAL FROM LETO HIGH SCHOOL AND THE ART TEACHER IS JACKIE LUCAS. ALL OF THIS IS ABOUT OUR ARTS IN EDUCATION AND WHAT A -- AND WHAT GREAT TEACHERS AND WHAT GREAT ARTISTS. SECONDLY, I WANT TO INVITE BOARD MEMBERS, WE ARE HAVING THE SOS STUDENT ONLINE SAFETY PANEL. WE'LL HAVE THE FIRST ONE, THANK YOU TOMMY MOREL AT GAITHER, APRIL 12th AT 6 P.M., AND WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER ONE ON APRIL 19th SAT LENNARD HIGH SCHOOL, THANK YOU DENISE SAVINO. THE PANEL WILL BE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ALSO EXPERTS FROM THE HUMAN TRAFFICKING TOPIC AREA AND OUR OWN STAFF AND OUR RESOURCES. SO WE WANT THE PARENTS ALSO TO BE INVOLVED WITH THE REALIZATION THAT OUR STUDENTS FROM SOCIAL MEDIA ARE BEING TARGETED IN NOT SO GOOD WAYS. THAT'S PUTTING IT MILDLY. AT ANY RATE, BIG ONE IS THE RACE FOR EDUCATION AND, BOARD MEMBERS, I CANNOT THANK MEMBER RENDON ENOUGH AND OUR CHAIR AND CO-CHAIR, CHAIR COMBS AND CO-CHAIR SHAKE WASHINGTON, KAREN PEREZ, FOR BEING AT THIS RACE. THE BIG KUDOS OF COURSE, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS GAVE PERMISSION FOR ALL OF THIS. THANK YOU, KIM JOWELL FOR HEF, HILLSBOROUGH EDUCATION FOUNDATION, FOR GIVING US ALL OF THE NETWORKS AND THE FUNDAMENTALS TO PUT ON THE RACE. ALSO, OUR SECRET WEAPON FOR EVERYBODY, EVERY CAUSE, AND THANK YOU SUE BURKETT ALSO FOR WAKING UP IN THE MORNING ON SATURDAY, BUT THE SECRET WEAPON IS EMERY COURTNEY WHO SEEMS TO COORDINATE LIKE, OH, I THINK 12 SUPPORT TABLES THAT ARE EMBLEMATIC OF WHAT OUR DISTRICT% DOES ACADEMICALLY AND SOCIAL AND EMOTIONALLY. OKAY. PABLO, YOU MAY PLAY. ∫ THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE ∫
>>Lynn Gray: THANKS TO LAUREN. THIS IS THE PHOTOGRAPHY THAT WAS SO INVOLVED WITH THIS. AND PABLO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING EVERYWHERE, LITERALLY. PABLO ACTUALLY DOES RUN, BUT HE WON'T ADMIT IT, HE WAS RUNNING FROM PLACE TO PLACE. HE'S A BIKER. BUT THANK YOU ALSO TO ALEXIS, SEBASTIAN, ALSO FOR TAKING SO MANY GREAT PHOTO SHOTS. ALSO, IT MIGHT BE MENTIONED THAT MEMBER COMBS DID DO THE WALK AND A LOT OF TALKING, NO DOUBT, BUT THE MAYOR, MAYOR JANE CASTOR GAVE SUCH A HEARTFELT TALK ON THE ONE MILE ABOUT OUR TEACHERS AND HER APPRECIATION FROM THE CITY OF FOR THE WORK -- FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA FOR THE WORK OF OUR TEACHERS. AND THAT JUST RESONATED AMONG THE STUDENTS THAT WERE THERE AND, OF COURSE, THE TEACHERS, BUT SHE REALLY GOT TO THE HEART OF THE APPRECIATION, IF I CAN JUST PUT IT THAT WAY, FROM THE CITY OF TAMPA, FROM HER HEART TO THE MANY, MANY TEACHERS THAT WERE THERE AND STAFF MEMBERS. AND VAN AYRES, HE'S FAST AND FURIOUS, BUT I'M NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT HIM. HE'LL GO TO THE BOSTON MARATHON AND HIS HEAD IS FULL OF RACE THOUGHTS. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, DID YOU WANT TO SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE YOU WERE RUNNING WITH YOUR WIFE, RIGHT?
>>Addison Davis: YES, MA'AM. SHE WAS A TEAM PLAYER. SHE DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. COUPLE OF KNEE SURGERIES, SO I'M EXCITED THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO RUN. AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR. BEAT OUR TIME. WE'LL TRY TO RACE VAN NEXT YEAR.
>>Lynn Gray: YES, TRY TO BEAT VAN. THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING IN. I'LL SAY THAT'S ALL FOR TONIGHT. THANK YOU.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY. MEMBER VAUGHN.
>>Jessica Vaughn: THANK YOU. THAT LOOKS LIKE A FUN EVENT. I HAD LOTS OF EVENTS THAT I WAS AT. I COULDN'T BE AT THAT BECAUSE MY SON WAS HAVING HIS SPRING CARNIVAL. BUT FIRST, SINCE YOU TALKED ABOUT THE MUSIC BANQUET, I HAVE SOME PICTURES FROM THAT. UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE A PHOTOGRAPHER, SO YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF MY FACE IN SELFIES. THERE WILL BE A LOT OF JESSICA VAUGHN UP HERE BECAUSE I SNAG A SELFIE, SO I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE. PABLO, DO YOU HAVE THE PICTURES FROM THE MUSIC BANQUET? THE ELEMENTARY MUSIC BANQUET WHICH HAPPENED RIGHT AFTER OUR SPECIAL CALLED BOARD MEETING. SO IT WAS REALLY NICE TO GET OUT AND CELEBRATE OUR MUSIC EDUCATORS. THEY ALWAYS THROW ONE OF THE BEST PARTIES. THIS TIME IT WAS HAVANA NIGHTS. IT WAS SPECTACULAR. THEY GAVE OUT REWARDS. YOU WENT TOO FAR, PABLO. NOT YET. THEY GAVE OUT AWARDS, AND ACTUALLY, MS. KYLIE, WHO IS HERE TONIGHT FROM TURNER/BARTELS AND PRINCIPAL BUGGS IS IN THE CENTER PICTURE SHE WAS NOMINATED FOR BEST MUSIC EDUCATOR OF THE YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, SHE DID NOT WIN, BUT THE BLACK-AND-WHITE PICTURE WAS THE MUSIC EDUCATOR WHO WON. SO WE HAD A GREAT NIGHT. THANK YOU FOR EVERYBODY WHO ATTENDED THAT. YOU CAN SEE I COERCED MEMBER RENDON INTO A PICTURE IN THE CORNER OVER THERE. AND THEN I THINK THE NEXT NIGHT OR THE NIGHT AFTER THAT, I CAN'T REMEMBER. IT'S ALL BLUR. MR. PLANK -- NOW YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT ONE. THANK YOU. INVITED US TO SEE JANE GOODALL SPEAK AT THE TAMPA THEATRE. IT WAS A PHENOMENALLY AMAZING EVENT. FIRST THREE ROWS WERE RESERVED FOR OUR S.T.E.M. STUDENT WINNERS WHO WERE ALL EXTREMELY EXCITED. THERE'S ACTUALLY ANOTHER SLIDE THAT GOES WITH THIS AS WELL. AND IT WAS JUST SO FAN TASTIC. IN THE CORNER, S.T.E.M. WINNER TWO YEARS IN A ROW. JANE GOODALL WAS AMAZING, TALKED ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION AND EQUALIZER IN OUR SOCIETY. THERE WAS NOT A DRY EYE IN THE HOUSE, I WOULD DARE TO SAY BY THE END OF HER LECTURE. WHEN I GOT HOME, AS MY SON WAS FALLING ASLEEP, I TOOK MY SON ON THE WAY HOME, WHAT WAS ONE THING YOU LEARN OR FELT, MOM, SHE MADE ME FEEL HOPEFUL. SO THAT WAS REALLY POWERFUL. THANK YOU AND ALL THE PARTNERS. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE PARTNERED ON THAT TO MAKE A POSSIBILITY. THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO DROVE FOR HOURS TO COME AND PEOPLE WHO STOOD IN LINE FOR HOURS. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THAT EVENT. AND THEN THIS WEEKEND I WAS NOT ABLE TO MAKE IT UNFORTUNATELY TO THE RACE BECAUSE TAMPA PALMS ELEMENTARY HAD THEIR SPRING CARNIVAL WHICH WAS AMAZING, FANTASTIC. I LOVE TO HIGHLIGHT LOCAL SCHOOLS, WHAT THEY DO. ALL THE TEACHERS CAME OUT AND WORKED SO HARD TO RAISE FUNDS TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE SUPPORTING THE SCHOOLS. SOMETIMES WHEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW SOME SCHOOLS HAVE MORE THAN OTHERS, IT'S DEFINITELY TO OUR PTAs. IT'S IMPORTANT, I HOPE, THAT WE CAN GET PARENT INVOLVEMENT, AS MANY SCHOOLS AS POSSIBLE AND OTHER PTAs CAN LEVERAGE WITH THE SKILLS OR MONEY THEY RAISE TO SUPPORT OTHER SCHOOLS THAT DON'T HAVE THAT KIND OF INFRASTRUCTURE. THANK YOU TO OUR PTA, OUR PRESIDENT. RIGHT THERE IN THE CENTER. SHE DOES AN AMAZING JOB. ONE MORE SLIDE, I THINK. THAT IS OUR HEAD CUSTODIAN RIGHT THERE. ALL THE TEACHERS. ROBOTICS CLUB FROM MIDDLETON WAS THERE TALKING TO THE STUDENTS ABOUT THE VALUE OF ROBOTICS AND SHOWING WHAT THEY BUILT. IT WAS A FANTASTIC EVENT. FINALLY TODAY I WAS ABLE TO STOP BY FREEDOM HIGH SCHOOL. THEY HAVE SOMETHING CALLED FREEDOM FEST THIS MORNING WHERE THEY ACTUALLY INVITE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS. THIS TIME -- WHICH WAS TAMPA PALMS ELEMENTARY. THEY INVITE ALL THE ELEMENTARY KIDS ON THE FIELD AND DID A LITERACY THEME THIS YEAR. DR. HAHN WOULD LOVE IT. GAVE OUT FREE BOOKS AT EVERY DIFFERENT EVENT STATION, THERE WERE 40 DIFFERENT EVENTS. THE STUDENTS GOT SOME KIND OF LITERACY SUPPORTER FOUNDATION AND KIDS WERE RUNNING AROUND BEING LIKE, THIS IS SO MUCH BETTER THAN -- LIKE, THEY WERE SO EXCITED TO BE THERE, EVEN THOUGH THERE WAS LIKE A BUTTER CHURNING STATION, BUT THEY WERE REALLY EXCITED TO BE THERE. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY SHOUT-OUT TO FREEDOM. THEIR STUDENT CLUBS VOLUNTEER AND TOOK CARE OF THE KIDS AND IT WAS A SPECTACULAR EVENT. EVERYBODY HAD FUN. THERE ARE AMAZING THINGS HAPPENING IN OUR DISTRICT AND IN OUR COMMUNITY. I HAVE SOME OTHER THINGS I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT BUT I'LL SAVE THEM FOR ANOTHER MEETING FOR MR. WASHINGTON AGAIN. HAPPY RAMADAN TO THOSE WHO CELEBRATE. THIS MONTH IS THE MONTH OF RAMADAN. I POSTED WAYS THAT TEACHERS CAN MAKE SURE THEY ARE SUPPORTING OUR STUDENTS. OUR STUDENTS ARE FASTING AND NOT ALLOWED ANY FOOD OR WATER THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. SO PLEASE MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE SENSITIVE TO THAT. ALSO TO EVERYONE WHO CELEBRATES, HAPPY EASTER. I KNOW THAT'S COMING UP. MY SON IS PRETTY EXCITED. I STILL DO SOME STUFF. I JUST WANTED TO SAY FOR EVERYBODY WHO HAS CELEBRATIONS THIS MONTH, HAPPY CELEBRATIONS AND THANK YOU AGAIN TO ALL OUR TEACHERS AND OUR EMPLOYEES AND ALL OF OUR STAFF WHO ARE REALLY THE HEARTS OF OUR SCHOOL, TO OUR STAFF HERE WHO ALL MAKES THIS HAPPEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER VAUGHN. MEMBER HAHN.
>>Stacy Hahn: THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS. MEMBER VAUGHN, YOU ROCKED THAT HAT PRETTY WELL. I LIKE HATS AND I LIKE THAT SUMMER-SPRING HAT. WEAR THAT ON THE BOARD. [ LAUGHTER ] AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HOPE YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL CELEBRATION WHEN YOU GET HOME TONIGHT NICE AND EARLY. THANK YOU, MEMBER COMBS, FOR THAT. MOVING THE MEETING ALONG QUITE EFFICIENTLY. YOU MENTIONED YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE FIDELITY OF THE BOOK PROCESS, AND THAT MADE ME THINK ABOUT SPECIFICALLY THE BOOK CHALLENGE PROCESS, AND THAT REALLY MADE ME THINK ABOUT THE FIDELITY OF PURCHASING AND PLACING BOOKS IN LIBRARIES. AND I THINK WHAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION BETWEEN THE SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS TONIGHT THAT WE HEARD ABOUT THE BOOK THAT THEY SPOKE ABOUT TONIGHT IS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE A BREAKDOWN IN THAT EVEN THOUGH BOOKS ARE LABELED FOR A CERTAIN AGE OR GRADE BY THE AUTHOR OR PUBLISHER, IT'S STILL BEING PURCHASED AND PLACED IN SCHOOLS THAT DON'T EVEN MEET THAT BASIC MINIMUM. AND SO THAT'S CONCERNING TO ME BECAUSE THAT'S A BREAKDOWN IN THE FIDELITY OF OUR PROCESS OR YOUR STAFF'S PROCESS IN PURCHASING AND PLACING BOOKS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES. THERE NEEDS TO BE AT LEAST A LEVEL OF, YOU KNOW, SOME STANDARD THAT WE'RE GOING BY WHEN PURCHASING AND PLACING BOOKS IN SCHOOL LIBRARIES. I WOULD HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU COULD DIRECT SOME ATTENTION ON SO THAT THESE BOOK CHALLENGES -- I MEAN -- I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY BOOKS ARE OUT THERE SITTING IN LIBRARIES IN OUR SCHOOLS AT THE BASIC MINIMUM STANDARD ARE NOT MEETING THAT STANDARD ON AGE APPROPRIATENESS OR GRADE LEVEL APPROPRIATENESS. SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU NEED TO PUT IN PLACE TO NOW GO IN AND CHECK THOSE BOOKS OR AT THE VERY LEAST, I KNOW SOME BOARD MEMBERS TALKED ABOUT RATING BOOKS. IF YOU CAN PUT PROCESSES IN PLACE ALL OVER THE PLACE, BUT IF PEOPLE AREN'T WILLING TO FOLLOW THEM, THEN THE WHOLE SYSTEM KIND OF BREAKS DOWN. EVEN THE PROCESS FOR CHALLENGING BOOKS IS NOW BROKEN. SO I HOPE WE CAN ADDRESS THIS AT ALL THE DIFFERENT LEVELS BECAUSE I THINK IT WAS OBVIOUS TO ME BETWEEN OUR DISCUSSION AT THE SPECIAL-CALLED BOARD MEETING THAT THAT BOOK HAPPENED TO BE RECOMMENDED FOR 14 AND OLDER, AND THIS BOOK THEY SPOKE ABOUT TONIGHT WAS ALSO AN OLDER AGE. I THINK THEY SAID 16 OR YOUNG ADULT, YET SOME OF THEM ARE IN MIDDLE SCHOOLS. SO THERE IS A BREAKDOWN HERE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. AND I'M DONE.
>>Jim Porter: I THINK THAT IS AN EXCELLENT SUGGESTION. YOU HAVE THE WORKSHOP COMING UP, AND I THINK THAT IS A PERFECT OPPORTUNITY.
>>Stacy Hahn: I RECOGNIZE THAT. I JUST WANT, BECAUSE I THINK WE HEAR, FOLLOW YOUR PROCESS AND LET PARENTS CHOOSE BOOKS THAT THEY WANT OR, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE AT LEAST A BASIC STANDARD WHEN OUR LIBRARIANS ARE PURCHASING BOOKS AND ONE OF THEM IS TO, YES, LOOK AT THE REVIEWS, BUT THEY SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT THE AGE APPROPRIATENESS BY THE PUBLISHER AND AUTHOR. YES, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT AT OBVIOUSLY THE WORKSHOP, BUT I JUST WANTED TO, AS WE'RE ALL SITTING HERE, THE ONLY TIME WE ALL GET TO KIND OF HEAR, AND IT'S A CONVERSATION I WAS CERTAINLY GOING TO HAVE WITH YOU BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. I WANT TO TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL MY COLLEAGUES TO KNOW THAT IS A CONCERN OF MINE. THEY MAY SHARE IT OR MAY NOT. THIS IS THE ONLY OPPORTUNITY I HAVE TO SHARE THAT WITH THEM AS WELL.
>>Jim Porter: IT'S AN EXCELLENT POINT. TWO THINGS I HEARD THAT NEED TO BE PART OF THE WORKSHOP. HOW THE BOOKS ARE SELECTED AND THEN HOW THEY ARE PLACED AND THE FIDELITY OF THAT. I THINK THAT IS A PERFECT THING FOR THE SUPERINTENDENT TO BRING BACK TO YOU SO YOU UNDERSTAND IT AND THEN DISCUSS IT, AND THEN MAKE CHANGES IF NECESSARY.
>>Stacy Hahn: OKAY. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. HAPPY EASTER, EVERYBODY.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN. MEMBER WASHINGTON.
>>Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. WE HAVE THE -- WE HAVE A VIDEO ABOUT ZION CEMETERY. WE BELIEVE TO BE TAMPA'S FIRST AFRICAN AMERICAN CEMETERY THAT WAS CREATED IN 1901 TO SERVE THE THRIVING AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY OF DOVERVILLE AND POND. RICHARD DOBY, A PROMINENT AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSMAN SET ASIDE APPROXIMATELY 2.5 ACRES FOR THE ZION CEMETERY. AND ON THE SCREEN, YOU CAN SEE YOU HAVE A CODE WHERE YOU CAN SCAN IT AND THEN YOU CAN VIEW THE VIDEO ABOUT THE ZION CEMETERY. AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I'LL BE REALLY SHORT TONIGHT. AND THANK YOU ALL. HOPEFULLY WE HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
>>Patti Rendon: WE WERE TRYING TO GET THE SCAN ON THE SCREEN. THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN, FOR ADDRESSING THAT. I THINK IT'S CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE REALLY FOCUS, AND THAT WAS SOMETHING I THINK THIS BOARD REALLY TRIED TO DO LAST WEEK IS REALLY FOCUS ON THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND THE LAWS AND THE RULES OF THE STATE OF FLORIDA. AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALWAYS DOING AND WE'RE ALWAYS CONSCIOUS OF. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS THAT WHEN THIS BOARD LOOKS AT DIFFERENT ITEMS, DIFFERENT AGENDA ITEMS, WE ARE CONSTANTLY GOING BACK TO THE RULES FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE ACTUAL STATE LAWS THAT COME DOWN TO US THAT WE ARE BOUND TO FOLLOW. THAT IS WHERE OUR GUIDELINES LIE. SO THANK YOU, MEMBER HAHN, FOR BRINGING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION. THE FIDELITY OF THE PROCESS, WHICH IS HUGE, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO THAT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MEMBER GRAY. THE RUN WAS PHENOMENAL. I DID NOT. WE STARTED TALKING AND YOU ALL LEFT. BUT CALLED ME OUT ON THE DAIS ABOUT IT. GO RIGHT AHEAD. [ LAUGHTER ] SO ANYWAYS, BUT WE WERE ALL THERE TO SUPPORT MEMBER GRAY AND ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION. BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOES COME OUT FROM THAT AND I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING REALLY CRITICAL TO UNDERSTAND IS WE HAD SO MANY PRINCIPALS, SO MANY STUDENTS FROM SO MANY OF OUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS, AND IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE. SECOND YEAR OF EXISTENCE AND HAVE OVER ALMOST A THOUSAND PEOPLE PARTICIPATING, IT CAN JUST GROW BIGGER. SO I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO PUT THE TIME TO PUT IT OUT. AND AS MEMBER VAUGHN SAID, WE HAD A WONDERFUL TIME AT THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL MUSIC AWARDS. THEY DID A PHENOMENAL JOB. THAT ORGANIZATION JUST DID A PHENOMENAL JOB HONORING ALL OF OUR TEACHERS THAT ARE REPRESENTING IN OUR ARTS. I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH FOR OUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING OUR ARTS, OUR SPORTS, OUR CLUBS, OUR ACTIVITIES IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. WE TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, AND THAT IS SUCH A KEY PART OF OUR EDUCATION SYSTEM TO REALLY BE ADDRESSING EVERY SINGLE DAY, HOW OUR KIDS FEEL ABOUT THEMSELVES, HOW THEY IDENTIFY WITH EACH OTHER, HOW THEY MAKE CONNECTIONS AND HOW THEY BUILD CONNECTIONS FOR THEIR LIFE. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUAL EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES THAT WE HAVE IN ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT OUR TEACHERS DO ON A REGULAR BASIS THAT DO NOT GET ENOUGH CREDIT FOR. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT AS A BOARD I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR THEM ALL BECAUSE I KNOW THEY ALL AGREE WITH ME, THAT WE THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT EXTRA YOU DO FOR OUR STUDENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS. I WANT TO TAKE THAT TIME TO THANK ALL OF OUR TEACHERS BUT IN PARTICULAR, ALL OF OUR EXTRACURRICULAR THAT THEY DO ABOVE AND BEYOND THE JOB THAT THEY HAVE BEEN CHALLENGED TO DO. SO THANK YOU ALL.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER RENDON. MEMBER PEREZ.
>>Karen Perez: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AND MEMBER RENDON, ME AND YOU BOTH, BECAUSE I WAS THERE. DOING SOME PUPPY LOVING. I HAD BAXTER WITH ME, AND -- YEAH, HE WAS SHARING SOME LOVE OVER THERE AT THE RACE. AND THANK YOU, MEMBER GRAY, FOR HOSTING THAT EVENT. IT WAS JUST AMAZING. I'M SEEING EVERYONE COME OUT AND REALLY PARTICIPATE. YESTERDAY I HAD MY CYBER TASK FORCE COMMITTEE, AND WE TALKED ABOUT GHOST APPS. YOU KNOW, PARENTS, THERE ARE SOME APPS THAT OUR CHILDREN DOWNLOAD ONTO THEIR PHONES THAT HIDE PICTURES, IT HIDES INFORMATION. IT HIDES, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THAT YESTERDAY DURING OUR CYBER TASK FORCE. I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT MEETING TO GET SOME INFORMATION ON THOSE GHOST APPS, WHERE TO FIND THEM, WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE, TO REALLY HELP YOU AND INFORM YOU AS PARENTS. SECOND, I WANT TO SHARE A CONCERN I HAVE, SUPERINTENDENT, WITH OUR STUDENTS. WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND STUDENT PERFORMANCE. WE HAVE ABOUT 300 CHILDREN THAT ARE BUSSED TO NEW TAMPA FROM THE FLETCHER USF AREA. THESE BUSES PICK UP OUR CHILDREN ABOUT 6:12 IN THE MORNING FOR A START TIME OF SCHOOL OF 7:40. AND IN THE AFTERNOON, MANY OF THOSE STUDENTS DON'T GET DROPPED OFF UNTIL AFTER 3 P.M. WHEN THEIR SCHOOLS GET OUT AT 2:10. THERE IS A PROBLEM HERE. WHEN THE BUSES ARE RUNNING LATE AND THEY GET TO THEIR SCHOOL, MANY OF OUR STUDENTS, FIRST OF ALL, DEPEND ON THE BREAKFAST FROM THE SCHOOLS. THEY DON'T GET THERE UNTIL AFTER BREAKFAST, AND SOMETIMES AFTER THE FIRST PERIOD HAS STARTED OR EVEN LATER. AND MANY OF OUR STUDENTS ARE FAILING FIRST PERIOD CLASS DUE TO NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN. A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS ARE VERY STRESSED OUT ABOUT THIS ISSUE BECAUSE IT'S AFFECTING THEIR GRADES, AND THEY ARE STRUGGLING ACADEMICALLY. YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR STUDENTS FROM THE FLETCHER USF AREA ARE MOVED FROM TITLE I SCHOOLS, TITLE I SCHOOLS HAVE SUPPORTS IN PLACE TO SUPPORT A LOT OF THESE STUDENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES. BUT WHEN THEY ARE MOVED ACROSS TOWN, THEY LOSE THOSE SUPPORTS. THEY LOSE THOSE SUPPORTS THAT THEY AND THEIR FAMILY ARE RECEIVING BUT ALSO THEY ARE NOT GETTING THAT SAME EDUCATIONAL PIECE BECAUSE THEY LOSE OUT ON THAT FIRST PERIOD. AND THEN WHEN THEY GET HOME, THEY ARE STRESSED OUT. THINGS START HAPPENING. THEY START FIGHTING IN SCHOOL. THEY GET STRESSED OUT ON THE BUS. AND I'M GOING TO SAY THIS AS WELL. A LOT OF THESE PARENTS HAVE NEVER SET FOOT IN THESE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T GET TO THESE SCHOOLS. I HAVE PARENTS THAT HAVE NEVER SEEN THE INSIDE OF THEIR CHILDREN'S SCHOOLS OR DON'T EVEN KNOW WHERE THE SCHOOLS ARE. SO I WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS AND HOW WE COULD NOT ONLY HELP OUR STUDENTS IN THEIR ACHIEVEMENT BUT ALSO THE PARENTS AND THEIR SUPPORT, BECAUSE THIS IS BECOMING AN ISSUE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST 300 STUDENTS. IF WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO HELP OUR STUDENTS, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THAT IS IT FOR ME. OH, AND HAPPY PASSOVER FOR EVERYONE. THANK YOU. AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MEMBER WASHINGTON.
>>Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER PEREZ. I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS. LIKE ALL OF YOU, THE REASON I RAN FOR SCHOOL BOARD IS BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE CHILDREN, CARE ABOUT CHILDREN, AND CARE ABOUT THIS DISTRICT. I WANT TO GO OVER A FEW FACTS REGARDING THE BOOK IN THE WORKSHOP LAST WEEK. FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NOBODY ON THIS BOARD WANTS PORNOGRAPHY, VIOLENCE, OR NOT AGE-APPROPRIATE MATERIAL IN OUR SCHOOLS. SECOND OF ALL, WHEN WE WENT TO PIERCE, THERE WERE TWO BOOKS THAT WERE THERE. IN 2021, ONE WAS IN 2021, ONE WAS CHECKED OUT AND NOT RETURNED AND THE OTHER ONE WAS CHECKED OUT AND IS MISSING. THIRD, THERE WAS NO OTHER BOOK WITH THAT TITLE IN ANY OTHER MIDDLE SCHOOL ACROSS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. AND FINALLY, I TOOK MY ATTORNEY'S RECOMMENDATION TO NOT BREAK THE PROCESS AND NOT BREAK WHAT WE HAVE AND TO VOTE NO. YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE FOLLOWING A PROCESS. WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY. THIS IS AMERICA. I WAS BORN IN A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY, HAVE TRAVELED TO OTHER COMMUNIST COUNTRIES. WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY WHERE CHOICES ARE MADE AND WE FOLLOW PROCESSES. SO SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, I WANT TO SAY THAT I WAS COMPLETELY BLINDSIDED LAST WEEK WHEN I THOUGHT WE CAME INTO A MEETING WHERE A BOOK WAS BEING CHALLENGED AT THE SCHOOL AND NOT DISTRICTWIDE, AND I HAVE TO BE THE VOICE FOR MYSELF, FOR MEDIA SPECIALISTS, FOR YOUR STAFF, AND FOR YOUR FACULTY THAT WAS NOT AWARE AND ALSO DISAPPOINTED. I AGREE, YOU KNOW, MEMBER HAHN, THAT WE DO NEED TO LOOK AT THIS, BECAUSE FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS, WE HEAR PEOPLE COMING, BUT WE MUST FOLLOW A PROCESS. AND IF WE DECIDE TO CHANGE THE PROCESS, THEN WE MUST DISCUSS TOGETHER AND COME UP WITH A SOLUTION. SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS, YOU KNOW THAT I THINK YOU WORK VERY HARD AND YOU'VE DONE GREAT THINGS FOR THIS DISTRICT, AND I KNOW YOU WILL CONTINUE TO DO SO, BUT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND AS SOMEONE WHO SITS HERE, I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KNOW WHAT'S COMING BEFORE ME. IT WAS UNFAIR FOR THIS BOARD TO RECEIVE THAT INFORMATION SLIGHTLY BEFORE, AND EVERYONE CAN GLOSS OVER AND NOT TALK ABOUT IT. YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M HERE TO BE THE VOICE OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THE BOOKS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOW. MY BIG CONCERN IS WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN FIVE OR TEN YEARS FROM NOW, AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW A PROCESS BECAUSE WE LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE, I WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT, THAT WAS VERY IMPORTANT TO ME. AND IT'S WEIGHED HEAVY IN MY HEART FOR THE LAST WEEK. SO I DID WANT TO SAY THAT. AND THANK YOU ON A LIGHTER NOTE, THANK YOU ALL FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO. I KNOW ALL OF YOU WORK VERY HARD EVERY SINGLE PERSON. I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. AND I HOPE ALL OF YOU HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY AND FINALLY, MR. WASHINGTON, I WANTED TO WISH YOU A HAPPY BIRTHDAY. THANK YOU. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. [ SOUNDING GAVEL ]