Thank you. Good afternoon everybody. I would like to call the plant board of education board meeting to order at 6:30 p.m. Board member as I call your name. Could you say present for the record? Trusty King
>> presy >> present. >> Vice President McIntyre >> Trusty >> present. >> Secretary Perkins >> present. >> Myself President we have six present one absent.
I would now call upon Secretary Perkins to read the district mission statement and first statement in the standards of practice. District mission statement. [clears throat] It is the mission of the Flint School District to develop a community of learners who are prepared
to live, work, and contribute in an everchanging society. the [snorts] Flint Board of Education standards of practice. In order to provide outstanding leadership and better serve the Flint Community Schools, we the members of the Flint Board of Education commit to the
following standards of practice. Number one, we will be consistent in our dealings with each other as well as students, staff, and community. Number two, we will model trustworthiness and honesty in our relationship with each other, with our
superintendent, and with our constituents. >> We will focus on a common goal of providing the best education possible for the students in the Flint Community Schools. We will respect the diverse views that
each of us bring to the organization as well as the views of other that we interact with as we carry out the business of the board of education. We will be open and authentic with each other, our staff and community.
>> As we work to make decisions, we will f we will focus on issues, not personalities. Our decisions will be student centered and based on objective facts. >> We will practice good listening skills
and better understanding our fellow board of education members and constituents. >> Thank you. I will now seek a motion and a second to approve the minutes from the February 10th special board meeting. February 11 special board meeting. And
we did the February 11 board committee of the whole meeting, February the 18 special board meeting, and the February the 18, 2026 regular board me. Board member will take a few minutes to review the minutes.
>> It been properly moved and second. Are there any correction to the minutes? Seeing none, the motion to approve the minutes from the February 2026 board meeting will be conducted by roll call vote. Board members, since I call your
name, please say yes and no. Secretary Perkins, >> yes. >> Trusty Boo, >> yes. >> Vice President McIntyre. >> Yes. >> Trusty Reford. >> Yes. >> Trustee King. >> Yes. >> Treasure is absent. Myself, President
McNeil. We have six. Yes. One absent. The board will now hear comments from the public. We ask that you state the reason for addressing the board and that your remarks remains to three minutes on matters within authority of the board
and not addressed individual by name. The presiding office of the board should have the right to limit the number of person who may address the board on the same subject. Please state your name and zip code before beginning to speak. You
can just come up there and speak as you please. Please feel free to speak. And I do want to make this announcement. Uh when you're doing your comments, normally at the end of our meeting, then board will make comments to what you're saying. >> Okay.
>> Good evening. Thank you. >> My name is Terry Bush. I am a LSS11 parap. >> I'm an LS My name is Terry Bush. >> Thanks. >> And I'm an LSS parapro. Sorry, I'm nervous. >> That's okay.
>> Here at Brownale STEM Academy and I've worked for the board for 32 years. I mean for the schools for 32 years. This school year, I have worked as one of a 101 parapro in a CI classroom with an
autistic student in the second grade. >> On Friday, March 13th of this year, I was informed >> I really want to hear you. Uh, could you adjust the sound? >> Thank you. >> You want me to start over? >> Yes, ma'am. Please do. We're gonna
restart your time. Thank you. >> All right. My name is Terry Bush and I'm an LSS par profofessional at Brownell and I work for the Flint Schools for 32 years. This school year I have worked as a one-on-one parro in a CI classroom
with an autistic student in second grade. On Friday, March 13th of this year, I was informed that I was being moved to another student in the fifth grade. My concern is the student I'm being moved to has displayed dangerous
behavior to others in our building. I have seen him chase a student down the hall because he was going to beat him up for teasing him and several staff members had to talk him down. I witnessed him tearing things off the wall that we had put up out of the
classroom and it took and he tried to enter our room without permission. There have been several occasions I have been told about the vulgar and disgusting things he has said to others, especially women. I have heard about him
throwing a chair at his teacher and starting a fight in his classrooms. For these reasons, I feel it would be a danger to work with this student, a danger for me to work with this student. I fear for my safety and well-being.
He's about my height and almost 300 pounds and there's no way that I will be able to handle him. He has no respect for women. Those are the ones he target and they have just said that I'm going to do
this and I don't feel comfortable being with him. I sent a letter a letter to LSS about cons my concerns and they did not respond until I got a letter from the principal saying we're having a meeting with them tomorrow.
So I'm just not comfortable. I don't feel safe working with him because of his past behavior. >> Thank you very much. And like I say um it's going to be like a short meeting and you will hear comments from the
board superintendent at the end of the meeting if there any. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Next public speaker. >> Good evening. My name is Sabrina Miles. I too have 32 years in this district. Congratulations.
>> I'd like to speak on something that I feel is unseen or ignored. Every day I work with students who learn differently due to various learning disabilities, diagnosed as well as undiagnosed.
The GSRP program is the entry point for all early learners. Um, what I what I want you to understand is that our GSRP program staff members are not compensated for the constant
physical physical and emotional adjustments that are required when working with students that learn differently. Our GSRP program understands that students who learn differently deserve to be supported, understood, and given every opportunity
to succeed. It is also important to acknowledge the value of our work as well as recognize our efforts. It's time to think about fairness and compensation for the Flint Community Schools GSRP parapros.
Thank you. Thank you for your comments. Anyone else would like to speak public speaking? Feel free. >> Hello, I'm Nicole Bellman. I am a parent of an autistic child who goes here and
his parro is Miss Bush over here and recently as she stated that they are planning on removing him from uh my son as being his his parapro and my concern is that he is not able to function
without someone there to you know help him every day with every daily thing that you need to do and I'm uncomfortable sending him school without having his parro. So that's my concern. Thank you. Thank you very much.
Is there anyone else from the public would like to speak? Seeing none, as I stated before, your comment will be addressed shortly. This should be a short meeting and Superintendent Jones is the one that would address your questions because
this is his role at this point. At this time, I will have a presentation regarding the enrollment initiatives from the director of student service and centralized enrollment. Mr. Ernest
Stewart, please come forth. >> Board of Education President. >> Sure. Uh Mr. Stewart and uh the enrollment uh student services department has been working um at um
our ask to build upon what the board of education has been speaking about in our meetings about enrollment um also working with partners to ensure that we start our initiative earlier than last year. So uh the work that Mr. Steuart
has done has not only been vetted by himself and his team but the cabinet as well uh as we continue to move forward and uh thank you Mr. Stewart for your time and your effort and being here tonight. >> Thank you superintendent and good
evening board. >> Good evening. >> Um Mr. John was saying, I've been working with um my team and um we've been trying to our goal is to strengthen enrollment and retention districtwide. And so we
put together a plan um to to to do just that, right? To be more um to to strengthen our efforts when it comes to enrollment and retention. And we have four focus areas that we
want to look when we looking at um strengthening our enrollment and retention. Number one would be retaining current families that are that we already have in our district, preventing scholar withdrawals, um engaging former families and
increasing enrollment. That's our ultimate goal is increase enrollment and retain those current families who are in our district. Just a few bullets here. when we look at retaining current families. Um I I just noted a few things that that Flint
Community School is currently doing and that we look to strengthen even more as we roll out this um initiative. Um creating a positive positive school culture that's inclusive trauma informed you know PBIS practices of justice um
MTSS all of those things are a part of us strengthening a positive school culture for our students. um being in the director of student services when I deal with more than 150 or more administrative release to lead the
district every year and one of the major reasons um they want to lead the district is is due the school culture the culture and environment and so we we we must improve that and create a positive school culture. Secondly,
family center enrollment. So what that means is that we're going to we're prioritizing enrolling siblings in the same building to reduce burdens. So to be more convenient for our families, you know, if it's appropriate to where we can enroll all the kids in the same
school, then that's what we'll do. Um, and that's what we prioritize. Now, we do know that there are some times during the school year when classrooms are full and we have to placing students in um other buildings.
So in doing that, we also look to see if that building can take all of the kids instead of just one. >> So prioritizing the family center enrollment is a big one because you know most of our families they don't want to
go to multiple schools for their their children. They want to go to one building and deal with their you know with their children unless that kid is a seventh grader or or high school. They they have to go to different schools >> um and you know just to reduce that
burden intention of family engagement. Okay. So we know as a district that we have to improve on family engagement. We have to get our families more involved in our student um education. Um and we're currently we you know we have monthly meetings incentives incentive
based and you know intentional scheduling for families with students in multiple buildings. So what that means is If I have a student in um Barnell Homes in Southwestern, we have to make sure that those family engagement workers are scheduling their family
meetings or their parent meetings on different days to where the parents can um attend those meetings if they have students in each one of those. So, we have to be intentional about that. >> And then targeted family support. This is a big one for us because a lot
of times what you guys fail to realize is that a lot of our parents come to our district because of the support that we have for their children and um and we want to improve on that right um so we you know we like we want to work on removing barriers providing additional
resources to ensure all families and especially those in the special population when I refer to special population I'm I'm talking about special education you know you have We have the foster care students. Those are considered our special population
that we have to make sure that we focus on and we provide all the access and benefits for you know that they require. So those are some target areas that the team and I sat down and we discussed
what we need and focus on this um this initiative. Our next topic is preventing scholar withdraw. Okay. So exit prevention conversation by staff and that's
building staff and district staff. I'm sorry. >> Can you hear me now? Okay. Yeah. >> Perfect. [laughter] >> Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't know. So, preventing scholar withdrawal. Okay. That's like I said, that's building
staff as well as district staff. So, no longer should we a parent come and say, "I'm going to withdraw my student." And we just give them paperwork and say, "Okay, withdraw your student." have a conversation with this is to have conversation with those parents and try to figure out okay what is the reason
why you want to leave this district right and then you know just have those conversations at the building level as well as the district level I've had multiple conversations like that this year and we were able to change the parents' mind to um maintain their
students in Flint Community Schools so I think that we need to be intentional about those conversation with parents students come to um withdraw their students whether they're upset or not. We need to go that extra mile um to be intentional about finding out why
they're leaving. Okay. Identify the root causes through surveys and neighborhood canvasing. So, this is a pretty big one here. Um, we created a couple of surveys that we have, um, you're probably going to see later on that we created a survey
to, um, to ask parents, you know, why they're leaving the district. We've created a survey that's going out to, um, former parents. I think I'm being a little bit ahead of myself, but it's just a a number of survey that we've
created to get information, get feedback from parents around um the root causes as to why they're leaving the school district. And the neighborhood canvasing, when we look at neighborhood canvasing, we want to start that early.
All right? We want to start that, you know, once the weather gets nicer and we able to get out in the streets and knock on doors or with flyers and things of that nature to just, you know, have conversation with parents, um, go to businesses, um, you know, any type of
event. You know, we have tables and things like that set up for Flint Schools for enrollment. Um, but it's a it's an intentional effort to find out why parents are choosing to take their kids elsewhere and what we can do
um to what we can improve upon to get them to reconsider um enrolling their kids in schools. Um we're going to partner with the group called Concentric. I'm pretty sure you guys are aware of them. um you guys um have approved for us to work with them
and they're going to work with us on the canvasing and things of that nature. Um you know, we have we have a canvasing team like our attendance agent, but the more we have in the community, the better we can cover more grounds with more people. And again, like we already
created the QR code for um the Flint Community School satisfaction survey and um if you come down to central office, there's a QR code. If you scan it with your phone, the survey pops up and parents can answer questions around um
you know, like what are we doing now? What why are you you know what makes you continue to trust us with your student? Okay, why did you leave? you know, and just get it get that type of information from parents. So, this QR code is going to be given to all the buildings. So,
when parents come into the building, they can just on the on the go, they can just scan it and answer their question and keep on going. And then, um, Miss Willis, who's our communications person, she will be able to get that information so we can look at it. And it's ongoing,
right? So, it it's not just this period. We're going to it's going to stay out there to where if we want to look at it every quarter to see what people are saying, we can do we can do that. So that's um a way that we're trying to gather that information
as well. Clear pathways for timely concerns resolutions. Um as you guys know, we have a lot of um parent who have concerns about what's going on. So that so the district has created a um
communication protocol for parents and that's been vetted by the cabinet and so that tells parents like the process for communication when they have concerns who to go to and if that person doesn't respond what's the who who's the next person to go to. So that's been already
created by the district. >> Yes, you can sir. So with that communication protocol, uh we sent it to the principles for vetting and it's coming back to cabinet for one last look and then it's coming to the board of education. So I just want Yeah. So I
just want you all to know you have we have not put that out into the district yet. Uh we wanted the principles to have the opportunities to vet it uh to add to it and to bring it back to cabinet which will be Monday and then it will be sent to the board of education for you all to
see that process and what that looks like uh so that we can put that out to the public. Okay. So that's that's important. >> Yeah. Thank you for that clarification. Okay. And then we have principalled retention efforts and family engagement
during tours and conferences. So when we when we say principalled, you know, our our parents visit our buildings, our buildings must be welcoming, you know, and and our principles and our administrators in the
building has to lead that charge. So most of our parents will withdraw their students based on their experience at the building, not the you know, not the child, you know. So we need to make sure that we have a um that the principles
lead you know the initiative around making the building look and feel welcoming to parents and students. Okay. All right. The next slide we're going to discuss engaging former families.
So we came up with a we it's on here as campaign but we're going to do it's call it an initiative a we miss you initiative right so what we've already done we've already gathered um names of parents who have left the district over
the past year or so and I believe it was around 300 right around 300 parents that we've sent a survey out to already to get get some information on and find about, you know, why they left and what we can improve upon to get them to
reconsider returning to Flint Community Schools. Okay. Um so that's the we miss you program so that you know and we and we're going to do personalized um phone calls from building enrollment teams highlight district academic building and
support success school experience review surveys. Now at the bottom, this is something that we have not been good at doing. We have not been good at telling our story. And so in everything we do, we have to tell our
story. We have to get out and be the dictator of what's going what's being said to the community because if we allow someone else to do it, then we're running behind them trying to correct it, right? So, we need to tell our story
um and be out there first and forehand just saying, "Hey, this is what Flint Community Schools is doing academically. This is what we're doing." And so, I think that's a big part of this whole initiative is that we're going to be telling our story.
Okay? And that leads us right into telling our story, getting our story out there, which we can try to improve or increase our enrollment. So, as you can see, increasing our enrollment is is centered
around marketing and messaging. You know, that's, you know, districtwide, you know, why Flint Community Schools is the best choice, right? We we need to tell why people why we're the best choice. >> Because if we don't know why we're the
best choice or we don't feel like we're the best choice, then why should they? Building specific points of pride. So those are like when we have these tables at these um events, we have um brochures with points of pride from each
individual building and districtwide to pass out to parents. staff visibility and parent scholar testimony. So, we're going to work with communication to get with some of our current families um who just love Flint Community Schools and we're going to
have them do some some testimonies and for like videos and things of that nature. Um you know, again, telling our story that the the um digital strategy that's around enrollment, graphics, and videos,
that's social media. That's all the same thing. And you see I ended it with tell our story. Okay. So the next couple of slides I'm not going to go through each one but it is a it's a timeline
um for increasing enrollment and it's the things that we're doing around they got kindergarten roundup you got ready set succeed program. Um that's when um we're working with the center and the ISD is going to go to each in every um building and we're going to have
enrollment staff there. Parents want to enroll so they can enroll student. We're going to have popup events and you have a timeline. Um what we want to do this year is really focus on like buildings being involved as well. So we want all
of the orientations. This is what we want, right? But we want all of the orientations and open houses to take place before school start. >> We want it to happen during the month of August and it leads up to our biggest
our grand finale. The event will be the back to school event, right? And that will be the last thing we do to bring kids into the upcoming school year. So that's how that's the way we want to look at doing this this year and try to work that out. Right? So
I'm just going to let you guys look at that. This is certain timeline. Those are all the things that we're doing. Some of them we've already started doing, but you have that information and then I'm going to get to the real reason why I'm here, >> why I'm here.
That that last page, the budget page. [laughter] So, we're here as a team to ask that that you approve us to have uh a budget of $52,000
so we can do all of these things so we can put all of these things in place. Now, you see in red that the budget increase is due to we added kindergarten roundup this year and the back to school event. Last year they were paid out of a different grant and we don't have that
this year. So this is the budget that we're asking for. This is the amount that we're asking for to put the things in place that we've just went over. >> Okay. >> Great job. >> Thank you.
And this just for your visual, this is a copy of like the the Flint Community School satisfaction survey where they can just scan their QR code and Great job. >> Yes. >> So, Mr. Stewart, just before you walk away, I want to board me questions or
any comments uh before I seek a motion. >> Okay. Board members, um we just go around the table. Trusty Perkins, >> I uh I think it's a good effort with the uh communication piece to the former
families especially and find out their specific concerns are that we go to targeting those comp and target them and let's focus on really driving that home because you can get some of them back. I've gotten some back in the in
our schools. Uh I put certain things before them. Some didn't have the uh athletics back. You know, some folk even know about the STEM Academy where kids six weeks up to 8th grade can go here on campus. There are a lot of things that
we just don't say when we should. So, if we target those things and then I would like to see a little including the board in some of the um TV radio commercials because some of us are drawing people.
Sorry. Is it >> Oh, is it? Okay. Well, you asked. Well, that's all I got cuz you know I will go. I'm trying to get them back. >> Uh, Trusty King. >> Yes. >> Awesome. Um, first off, I will start
with a couple thank yous to you and your team. I know you don't do everything alone knowing you're in your enrollment team doing everything. You got to help a couple team members here today. I want to say thank you. Um, one thing I do also want to note is how you owned what we didn't do. what are we not doing well? >> We don't see that from a lot of leaders
to admit, hey, we're not doing this well right now, but you not only just admitted what we weren't doing well. You tell us what we want, what we're going to do differently to achieve the things we want to do well in. So, I want to commend you and your leadership for that is, you know, some leaders is hard to grasp, but you you shared that today and I want to commend you for doing that
piece. Um, as we dive into and wait before that, also thank you for the conversations you held to um retain students. So when parents come frustrated having that conversation sometimes it's hard to be in the complaint person consuming it all right turning back to make it a positive and
you know retain parents or thank you for you and your team work that you do um as it pertains to the um budget piece can you help me understand what would go into movie theaters? >> Oh okay >> that was something um new that we that
we came up with this year. So, you guys know how you go to the movies and before the movie starts, you have all of these little trivia and things like that. >> It could be a video. It could be any something from Flint Community Schools that shows before every movie. >> Yeah. >> Promoting Flint Community Schools.
That's That's what we're talking about. >> That's good. >> That's outside the box thinking. >> Now, I saw a um there was a school district that was at a bowling no a skating uh skating rink recently, but I'm thinking that's outside the box. But here in the movie theater as they go
watch the new movies coming out lineups. >> Hey, that's a good thinking. Good job with thinking you and your team for coming up coming up with that one. Um, what would go into the when you talk about supplies, what would supplies look like? Like itemize that. Is that paper? Is that is everything?
It's paper. It's also like when we look at um the event things that we want to uh give away. Yeah. >> Um to students like offer that kind >> and just really just supplies just getting get supplies to where we can do
>> because it's going to take paper. It's going to take things that we need to get done >> um >> to do all of this um advertising and marketing. >> Okay. >> So, >> um lastly here, so before we did a PR push uh with the same billboards and TV
radio commercials, will be will we be using the same platforms that we used previously or will we be adding some? So, what we're doing is we're um I'm working with Miss Willis and then um it's like we looked at one venue that um didn't really she felt like didn't
really work and so we did so we're not going to use that this year but we will be using the billboard. Yes. Um can if we can put up more I would love it. Right. Um so that's what we're looking at doing. The more the marrier um is whatever our budget would allow us to
do. >> Awesome. Yes, >> I did see the engagement piece. Superintendent, did I see something about Tik Tok doing videos >> in here? >> I like that idea. That's a good idea to um engage families and you know, as they're scrolling in the middle of the night, hey, join Flint Community Schools
while you thinking about it at night time. I like that idea. Um well, thank you. Um thank you for your leadership. Thank you for coming with bold ideas, trying something new, especially movie theaters. Um now, now out people going to try to do it differently, but I'm excited to see us uh do it first in my
that I've seen. Uh, so thank you for that. You're welcome. >> Great job. >> Yes. Um, I really like this layout. This is really nice. And what I like most about it, you're uh you re-engaging the parents. You're getting the parents
engaged. Uh, I would like to see a um a conference uh for the parents. you know how you have a I know you have it in here um some type of conference you know to educate the parents or to I don't know it does it can be some something to
benefit them it doesn't have to be just um you know no workshop or anything like that I'm talking about a real conference where they can come and and you actually doing something for the parents that especially the ones who uh decide to to
remain here in the district it be nice to have some something special for them. >> And on under this budget, I don't see any brochures. Do we have any updated brochures with the schools that we have open? >> We will be working with Miss Willis to
create those. >> Okay. Because I didn't see that in the budget. Would that go under? >> Well, we probably under supplies or some of the other things that they'll be using the funds to add to this budget. I mean >> a brochures, you know, when it come to
the kids, you can always come back. So that's >> okay. You Yeah, brochures are quite expensive, but >> yeah, >> it's okay. >> That's it. That's it. Trusty reifer. >> Good evening, Mr. Stewart. >> Good evening.
>> And you know, I'm coming from a whole different lens as I listen to the public comments and I hear you. It's not congruent. You can't fix what's wrong in your house, outside your house. I would love to see the teachers be
surveyed. It could be anonymous so they could be honest so that you all work in communication won't be in vain. People leave districts because how they're treated. People leave districts because they feel as though their kids could get
something better. Flint is known, and you know, I'm a product of Flint years ago. Flint has the pillar of Flint is academics, athletics, and administrators. We've always had the best teachers. Everyone knows Flint
schools produce the best. When when you are no longer producing the best, you got to do a personal evaluation. How are we missing the mark for our students? I don't call them scholars. I
call them students because they haven't obtained it yet. We as the leaders started with the board must change the culture. You got that right. I agree with that and I've been echoing that since I've been on the board. To change a child, you change the
culture. Do you as a ministry don't answer and also teachers behind you, do you feel like when you come to work every day, the expectation is for students to learn? Don't answer me, but that right there is the core question. And I can
speak 98% probably say no because they're frustrated. They don't feel heard and they don't feel safe. I didn't see anything addressing safety in this. That's just a part of our culture and that has to be a priority from my
perspective. And also we have a lot of behavioral issues in the district that where we once it was the other way around to where our behavioral population has outgrown quote unquote um if I could say
the normal population the general population let me use that word I think that sounds better. So it's like we have to shift our emphasis towards our population of our students. So once we gain control of that, people come back
to district because of teachers. It's word of mouth. My child is doing this, my teacher is doing that. And people pretty much copycat, if you will. So as I hear individuals talk because what I do for my day job, I see the
insecurities. I see the concerns. I hear the concerns. So I don't like for entertainment purposes only. I don't. Our kids are much more than that. I like for them to be challenged. I like for them to have goals. Even a child um that
was mentioned today, that child needs a one-on-one and that child family needs wraparound services, but that's not on teachers. So, we have to build up our personnel that can address that. And that's what partners outside the
district, just like you said, you have so many behavioral issues come across your desk. We don't have half as that as it relates to students that are successful. It's like they get overlooked. But the goal is those that are succeeding in this
environment, can we talk to them, see how they're able to maintain, and they maybe we can spread that. So when I look at this budget, I would like for you guys to look at it again and put it towards things that are opportunities
because see if you give a child an opportunity, you give that child an opportunity to learn something. Exposure. When I was in school, we didn't have things, but we had opportunities. We were able to travel to a museum in Chicago. We had goals. When you got into sixth grade, you knew you
were going somewhere. So, I'm just saying allow you and your team come up with goals that students can see and that they can obtain because right now you're competing against social media. And so,
it's like you got to regulate that with the parents because we can't win when it comes to social media. And that's that's my take. Thank you. >> Thank you very much. If I may say response. >> Well, just let Trusty McInty finish.
>> Oh, okay. I just want to make it clear. You're listening to our response. You don't have to respond, right? >> Uh you're presenting the rest of our budget for this right here. >> So certain things we going kind of out of the square. So do not feel like you have to address it. We're addressing
what you're presenting. >> We're just in we're just the individual board members. So it's not like you have to I mean you act on on the board as a whole not just individuals. So these are like constructive >> comments. Yeah. So I wanted to start off
by saying it is really good to see you give a presentation. often you're just stuck to the side and you're a big asset to our our team and I'd like to see you presenting more because you give you've
got a very great presence and you you did a great presentation and I'm excited because this is the first time I've seen you a little bit excited and enthusiastic and
maybe even a hint of a smile there. Um, and I'd like to encourage that because we want to give you the tools and empower you to be uh successful in what you have to do. And it seems maybe like
you got a little bit of that of that like you're like you can see the improvements happening and and you you know it's on a roll and I think you're doing a great job and I just wanted to to thank you for that. Um, you mentioned a couple of things that I'd just like to
underline to to, you know, uh, to highlight. I like how you talked about positive culture. Um, I think that we're really working hard to make things more positive. Um, I think you're a big part of that. Um uh because in conjunction
with that, you mentioned um uh restorative justice and I'd like to really lean into that. Not the the punitive, the punishment, but that's one thing we have going for us that other school districts don't is that we really have an emphasis on the restorative
justice. And when you talk about telling our story, um, we really went, and I, and I say this a lot, from 2016 to be being really punitive and punishing and having a lot of expulsions and
suspensions to really eliminating that, you know, to the point where the ACLU came in and we had a lawsuit and stuff. We're totally different now. And you've been there at the thick of things through all of that. So maybe we could get that story out a little bit more and
highlight that a little bit more. [snorts] Um the positive culture in terms of like the front desk, I'd like to see also the administration building as well as the different schools, you know, just be more warm and f not that they're not
warm and friendly, but just that, hey, come on, join us. This is the the Flint community. Um, and I wanted to thank you especially for the intentional scheduling that you talked about because I know that that has been a problem in the past and that's, you know, you don't
think it it really makes a difference. But when you've got little things like that, it can get really frustrating and those frustrations can build up over time and th those are the tiny little cuts that lead to a parent, you know, finally they have one cut too many and
they're like, "That's it. I'm out." um with uh removing with with uh families asking to be removed. I think it's important to to
under to to know that we need to let them go if they really want to go. But I like how you talked about having that conversation and understanding why and really trying to figure out what could be done to change their mind, you know,
not just like releasing them um but also being, you know, uh mindful of that. So I think those were all the the things um concentric coming to work with with your
group. I want you to to really feel um encouraged to take advantage of that support. They they use a techn a technique called ethnographic um methodology and that can be linked to
to the stories and to you know really reaching out to people. But um I mean I could go on and on and on because you you mentioned a lot of things um that I think are are really great and I just want to you know say great job. Um
although one more point with the advertising. >> Um I love your your innovative thinking with that. I've noticed lately that um there have been some billboards and some bus
signage that have really leaned into P Catholic High School and Graham Blank um into their girls sports accomplishments. So, like we've seen billboards that say, "Hey, Powers has done this with their
with their It doesn't have to be necessarily girls sports, but they took some wins that their sports team had been doing." And I'm wondering if maybe we could do that like, "Hey, congratulations, boys basketball or girls basketball or softball or, you know, whatever is going
on." And maybe because that that's kind of exciting to see and it gets and it gets people involved. And I have to give you a thumbs up for the for the movie because I see those things all the time and that would be a really good strategic lowcost I mean comparative to
other things ways to get things done. But but thank you. Thank you so much. I really want really thank you uh and your team. So this is where I'm at without good leadership which you just
presented. Who is the team that helped put this together? because it looked like it was a lot of what you call think tankers involved in this. And the reason I say that because we have so many issues and we're addressing those really
main issues as it relates to enrollment >> because without enrollment we can't take care of teachers. Without enrollment we can't get oneonone where kids need oneonone. So I think we're going in a direction to help you with your situation but we still can address your
situation. But how don't you identify the team that did such a fantastic job? >> That would be the enrollment team from student services. >> Can we get names so we shout out? >> Oh yeah, that would be Mr. Miniways here. >> Shout out. Stand up. Stand up.
Let's see the team. There you go. >> She's also our um attendance supervisor and our McKenna Vento person. Okay. >> And we also have Miss Kim Willis. Miss Jones don't want me to take her, but she is a part of my team as well. Okay. All right. This is celebration time. Hey,
give yourself a hand. >> And then we and then we had Angelica Anderson, um Sharon Brooks, um who am I miss Casim. So every all of them was a part of the team and then once we brainstormed got things together put it
all together and then we went brought it up to the executive team in the cabinet and we went through that you know piece by piece to get what you have today. >> I really appreciate that. I've been on the board for the audience for six years and trying to get
>> Yeah. listening at and trying to get to this point is just amazing to see how leadership and teamwork really cuts out and I always tell people take the politics out of leadership then I can see your needs and I don't do leadership with politics. On that note, Mr. Jo, Mr.
Jones, you can ask for the motion. >> Sure. be glad to seek a motion and a second for the board to approve the enrollment initiative budget of $52,000 for tonight at the regular board
meeting. >> So moved. >> It's been promptly moved and second. Is there any discussions? >> One other she moved it. Who second? >> Okay, one of them didn't. Thank you very much. So only discussion I have is that
when it comes to enrollment, our teachers and our children, the money we got left, we're going to spend it on that. So if you need a little bit more, you got a willing board to really give it to you. >> Amen. >> We will proceed. Are you going to do roll call? We will proceed with a roll
call vote. Secretary Perkins, >> yes. >> Trustee Boo, >> yes. >> Vice President McIntyre, >> yes. Trustee Rutherford, >> no. >> Trustee King, >> yes. >> Treasurer Luna, >> absent and myself a yes. If the motion
pass, >> five yes, >> one, >> one no. Congratulations. Thank you. >> Great job. >> Thank you, Mr. Stewart. >> Thank you. Then next we have a presentation uh on academics and the graduation
initiative from Miss Kelly the director of academics and Miss Tracy David FBO consultant. Congratulations lady. Have a seat. >> Great job. >> Good evening board. It's a pleasure to
be here this evening. >> Evening. >> So excited with what we're bringing to you today. Um we'll be bringing you two parts of a presentation on on the graduation initiative that has been deemed the other R4 readiness,
resilience, results, and rewards. And then we'll also be doing academic updates for you this evening with a little bit of data. >> Thank you, Miss Phils. Um good a good evening board. I just want to say it has been truly a pleasure working with Miss
Bills on data. We've actually spent the last couple of Sundays hashing out data and talking about um some really great things that are happening in the district. She's been able to connect a few dots at the state level as we talked to Superintendent Jones. And so we're
excited to come back to you um since MD finalized data, cleaned up the data, and we've had some opportunities to say here's where we are today. And I think you will be very happy with some of the growth made even though we know that there's a lot more work to be done. And then of course we have the graduation
initiative that I'm super excited um to share some of the ideas with Kelly. Well, Kellyy's going to share them, Miss Fields. Um but she did a really good job um thinking it through and knowing that it's not a final plan. There will be things we'll continually add. And one of the things we're looking for, she'll
talk about board involvement, but we also want you to have ideas of how you want to be involved in the initiative outside of what we think would be some good ideas. So, we're going to get started. So board, we're going to be talking about our graduation initiative. First
and on the immediate calibration of this work that we're doing tonight, we're going to be looking at the importance of accountability and starting those meetings off in the next week with our counselors, identifying our students that are at risk and ensuring that we
have a plan in there to close the gap for them. We're also going to make sure that this graduation initiative is a visibility campaign and that it doesn't just include the superintendent's office, but the board of education, principles, um teachers, students,
families, and it really has been planned with the intention of making sure that it's a whole community effort. And then finally, um it's going to be kicked off with the mailing of the covenants of success letter, um and our commitment to make sure that we see every student to
the threshold of graduation. So the why um it's a mid-year calibration for us to be able to kick this off. We've done a lot of work around identifying what are the key areas that we need to work on in order to make this uh implement this framework
into fruition. And we started with thinking about the foundational class of the 2038. That's our current kindergartens. We'll be focusing on building foundational literacy, social emotional readiness, and ensuring that we are building a
graduation culture where every student knows that they can go ahead and achieve and they'll be able to make it to the threshold of graduation. We're also going to be kicking off uh this launch with making sure that we're focusing on our current freshmen. Uh we want to make
sure that we address that freshman slide and that the intensive academic interventions are available in both the tier 2 and tier three areas. That we are making sure that we're getting credit recovery opportunities for our students to make sure that those that are not on track can get back on track and that we
are building programs around resilience that is focused on mentoring through both the efforts of adults but also through peer um mentoring as well. So starting with the foundational readiness class where foundational readiness is what we're deeming it in
the class of 2038 and being and understanding the importance of building a culture of future graduates where students are centering their goals and successes around the idea that not only do they have a future as a person as a individual or scholar who could walk the
stage but also what does that post-secondary success look like and how can we help shape their goals and dreams. Some of the things that we'll be doing to promote graduation initiatives and making sure that kids ha uh scholars can have the practice at it is by instilling monthly marches where pomp
and circumstances played during the attendance and celebration portions of what they do in the building with the expectation that students can get familiar with what graduation and celebration feels like. In addition to that, we're looking to host a family um
roadmap breakfast at the end of this year where we will center our kindergarten families and helping our uh parents and helping our scholars to understand the steps that they need to take on a year-by-year basis and making sure that we are creating opportunities
where we're not just supporting them in a road map, but that we're walking along the way with them and that we are providing interventions, supports, and wrapping both the families up and our students up as well. Um that that brunch is going to be centered around uh
preparation for the next 13 years. But our um anticipation is that we've already started some work with kindergarten summits identifying students that are at the tier 2 in kindergarten. We had one last week where we provided some supports to be able to
um help our families know what they could do at home to support their young people in kindergarten, but also um to be able to reduce some of the behaviors that have plagued some of the kindergarteners that we have across the district. In addition to that, we're going to be rolling out a future self
silhouette and that's where our young our young people are going to be doing silhouettes of themselves. And then our plan and anticipation is that they will um that they will with the support of their teacher create a a vision of what they would like to look like at their
graduating self in 2038. And our anticipation is that we would capture those digitally and we'd be able to provide those keepsakes to our parents um and for them to be able to keep through to graduation in 2038. In addition to that, we would be engaging
with the uh class of 2028 or 29 in uh having our freshman's interact with our kindergarteners across the district. We have currently a small kind of like pilot right now that's really rooted in literacy and reading where um ALA students are going over to Eisenhower
and they're reading with the young people over at Eisenhower and it's been really really successful so far. So, our hope is that we can grow on that success and that we can continue to partner our seniors with our littles and then just be able to close a gap there.
Um, going on to the kindergarten um, identity activities, we've already talked a little bit about that silhouette art and that understanding that these are life-size self-tracings where the students are able to go ahead and imagine their 20 38 career selves. In addition to that, as I'd mentioned,
the monthly marches and um helping to build understanding of what graduation feels like, um whether it be the formality of it or whether it just be the opportunity to learn about what graduation could feel like. In addition to that, one of the things I'm particularly excited about is to kick
off the next year focusing on our next um young people that would be our new kindergarters for the class of 20 or yeah, 2039 would be the signature wall. And so we would be creating uh campaigns across the district where uh we would have a
central location with a countdown to graduation for our uh those young scholars on their first day hopefully or someday in that that week when we get all of our kindergartens together. They would be signing their banner which we would also like to see follow with them. And then it would be our board members
would be strategically placed across the district to help usher those young people in as the new class of 2030 or yeah 2039. And so they will be signing their banners and they will be um uh imagining themselves and then be rooted
on by our board members. So and we know it's important and I don't think that um I'm not going to say this lightly. I've had the experience of knowing uh this community very in intimately as it pertains to um young
people as a alternative former alternative principal and I there's nothing else if there's nothing I can think of that's more important is the importance of building up resilience in our young people. Um, our our kiddos in Flint have been uh has seen some hard
times and we want to make sure that they are not just building up resilience for the trauma and the hard times they might have seen, but we want to build resilience in them to be able to make it to the next level and be able to have post-secary success. And that those are
things that we're ensuring and that we're centering on with our class of 2029. Um some of the things that are already in play is uh we I have my CR counselor is currently working on identifying our students that are on track and off track for the uh se from
the first semester for our class of 2029. So our current freshmen. Um we're developing a goal sheet, a goalkeeping sheet that our young people would be able to track and they would be able to use to track their own goals and it's also going to lead to this to an event
that I'll talk about in just a few minutes. So, their goals will be um their goals will be part of this event. Credit recovery, which um already is accessible at um at Southwestern or at um ALA. We're going to be building in
programming um going into the next year where credit recovery and policy might be able to help support young people get to the finish line in a timely fashion. In addition to that, we're um identifying uh graduation coaches, which again might be in the sense of a an
adult, whether it be a janitor, whether it be a counselor, whether it be all of the folks in the um the schoolhouse have to have a, you know, responsibility to the young people that are there. So, we'd like to build some relational capacity for mentorship for adults, but we'd also like to see the importance of
being able to pair children together. So maybe some seniors with freshman that are successful in being able to model those uh those behaviors that we'd like to see in um our kids across the district. And then last but not least, um I'm I'm going to try my hardest to get this off this year, but we want to
do a May commitment um brunch. And at that May commitment brunch, that would uh uh include our board members, superintendent, and our principles at our high school. And we'd like for our freshmen to take those goals that we've had them construct and then we would like for them to be highlighted at this
May commitment brunch. At the May commitment brunch, they'll be talking um making future goals and helping them to track them going into the coming years in their sophomore and their um junior and their senior year. The exciting I think thing about that is that um a lot
of times we wait until decision day and we wait till kids make decision and we're not waiting until they make the decision. We're putting in front of them now the opportunity for them to carve out their future and then to be supported appropriately with knowing what they want to do, knowing how they
want to get there and then having us allowing us to be able to support them to do that. Um, I'm This is probably I'm going to nerd out right now on you guys because this is probably my favorite part of the presentation. I we I put together a
pretty fun um Tik Tok strategy that I'm super excited about. It's a series of Tik Toks and these are just the three that will kick the graduation initiative off. Um our hope is to uh uh superintendent and I have talked we we want to start the first one off and it's
the of course I am and that particular Tik Tok strategy is um um it's an overview of some things that are viral right now on Tik Tok and so they're take their takes on them but they're looking at it through a graduation lens. So the first one is of course I am and so the superintendent's going to start off with
a kickoff video. Of course, I'm the superintendent and I care about our graduation rates and have an honest conversation with our community about where we're at right now and not just the need for us to go ahead and lift the work, but that it's the work of everyone. It's the work of this board.
It's the work of the superintendent. It's my work. It is our parents works. It's our teachers works and it's our students work. And then the next one is the one that I both Tracy and I were like, "Oh my gosh, we can't wait to do this." So, the next one is pass the cap. And that one's going to be punctuated by
um the uh hopefully Dr. McNeel will have her graduation cap and she's going to throw it offside to superintendent. He's going to catch it and then he's going to say, "I'm doing this for and he's going to throw it down to a uh to maybe a board me or no to a principal or
possibly somebody in the uh central office. Then it'll go to a principal. Then the next person that'll catch it will be um a senior in high school and he's going to say he's doing it for until we get this big huge graduation cap and put it on this little kindergarter's head and he's going to
let everybody know he's the future. And so we're super excited about that as well. And then just kind of like a really cute um play on um started from the bottom now we're here. It's how it started. We'll be um looking at what's happening in kindergarten classrooms across the district for the next couple
of months. And then that particular Tik Tok um is scheduled to go out in um I think it's going to be going out in May. And that's just celebrating where our seniors and our kindergarters are at right now. What are the type of things that we're doing in the district to support both of those efforts.
So why are we doing it? Well, I'm I I'm I'm excited that Mr. um Stewart came and actually presented beforehand because several of the things that are in the enrollment initiative actually overlap to the graduation initiative. And as Mr. Stewart has uh mentioned more times than
I can count. It's important that we have academic programming and opportunities to match the enrollment initiative, attendance initiatives, because if we don't have quality opportunities for kiddos to come to our district, then we're not doing the justice of this this this particular district and we're not
doing the um justice to our young people. So, one of the reasons why we're doing it is we wanted to have good retention rates. Uh we want to increase our graduation rate, not just for the purpose of having our students be successful, but we also want to uh be able to support the district in um
having positive numbers, increasing the school index, and then being able to have a story that we can proudly tell through the data that's supported by the MDE. Um, last but not least, the um timeline's a little aggressive uh for
the end of this year, but um we are going to try to get as many of these initiatives in as possible. The goal is is uh after we have the um this was shown to you all first. This will be taken to cabinet and to principles and to get additional input to see if there's other activities that we're
missing and or to make sure that we can coordinate schedules and dates and calendars to appropriately support just the board's availability, the superintendent's availability um because there's a lot of folks that are involved in this. So, the plan is to have an
implementation guide to you find folks within the next couple of weeks with uh solid dates on when these things will come to fruition and take place and uh be shared with you as well as your Tik Tok scripts that have already been written for you and um the whole nine
yards. And so, some of the other things that we're looking at doing is um making sure that we have a building action leader list and support. um we wanted to make sure that the things that we're doing are things that really center around things we already are but we're
improving the outcomes and um improving the implementation of these practices. So making sure that we're doing a non uh ontrack dashboard audit. Um again that work begins with our counselors. Uh they're doing the hard work of pulling the numbers and then we'll be putting that and implementing that into next
week and I'll be able to bring uh you know word back to the board after that's that work has been solidified. The Power 10 mentorship is um working on a script right now for folks that maybe not have had not had the opportunity to mentor and may not have um all of the tools
that they need necessary to be a powerful mentor to young people that might be at risk. So there could be some little bit of professional development um both for students that could be mentors but also for adults as well. And last but not least, um making sure that
we are doing district graduation lobby branding with the countdown to graduation in all of our elementary buildings where we'll be supporting those efforts, providing the posters to them. We really didn't want them to have to lift a lot. We want to have it worked out for them and be able to support them
appropriately. And then last but not least, making sure that we are um on that we're staying on track and on time with the Tik Tok PR captures. Um we heard Dr. McNeel loud and clear that she wanted us to make sure that we had some of that type of business in in the work that we're doing. And so I I feel like
we've met the mark there. Last but not least, you're going to see on the next um slide, which you do not have, and I apologize that it's not near deck. I was working with um I was working with a couple of tech people trying to get this prototype um to to work well. And in the
limitations of technology that we have right now, because this is not live on our website yet, this is a prototype for the um the Flint Community Schools parent success hub. And what what it will include is several links that allow parents to go directly to the things
that they need to get to in order to help their parent their ch students be successful. Some of those things include um but are not limited to there could be additional links that would be added to this particular page. And this was going to be a video for you so you could see
the prototype in action. Uh but we just couldn't get the the actual tech part to work. So you'll have a link to parent view which will allow parents go to to go directly to um parent view and to see their students um grades and whatnot to
the student code of conduct conduct book which will allow our parents to know you know what are our practices rules and um the uh things that help our students to be successful. the support hub. It will go ahead and take the link directly to the um to the learning support services
web uh web page where stu parents can learn more if their students are in peril and need to be able to be navigated in a quick manner rather than having to look you know all over the website. And then future ready goes to our scholarship page which allows the parents to connect directly to the
scholarship page and to be able to fill out scholarships, college applications and of the like. Beneath it you'll see it says the success pathways. Those are live links that take parents to a variety of places that can help them to
understand those particular things a little bit more. Um, one of the things and the reason why the the technology was a little clunky is because um, I embedded into it a an option for it to read to parents and um, so just taking
into consideration that some of our parents might need the support in navigating this information. And so, um, all of those links will go to things that can help, um, parents to understand phonic mastery, um, strategies that they could use to support their student in
achieving 95% attendance. again parent view registration um um linking them to their direct data for the district around our MSTEP and then understanding um opportunities for afterchool enrichment which would go to um the
center for excellence web page and then finally um follow the success journey would be attached to our Tik Tok page on the left side of the um of the hub you'll see what's called a FCS assistant the FCS assistant is an AI counselor
that's been directed to drive all of the information from the strategic plan, from the my kit plan, which is your Michigan continuous improvement plan that's posted on our website, our um educational educ our annual education report pages, and any other significant
parts of the website that help parents to navigate things that they need to understand a little bit better for their students success. But what's really exciting about this little widget is that the parent can ask it a variety of questions and it will um respond to it
in common practical language that's very straightforward and that's what the AI has been directed to do. And so the response that the um AI assistant uh the AI counselor as it it calls itself um will speak directly to the parents um
give them practical tips and we'll give them no cost things that they can do at home with their young person um to help them be successful at school. Direct them to areas in our community that also support the literacy network and
whatnot. So hoping to um be able to get this kicked off by uh the time that I mean the my goal is to make sure that we have it by the start of the school year. Um that work will take place with aptagy with our website and um we're right now we're researching to find out how we can
get that done. And with that I think that's our last slide to the finish line together. Superintendent, would you like me to pause in between the two or go on through? >> So, right now, board members, we we're
completed we have completed the graduation initiative documentation and and slides. So, we can pause before we go into the academic uh growth uh and proficiency information. >> So, do member have any quick comments?
Maybe a couple of minutes. Um, let me finish my statement and then I can. So, if we can kind of keep it short because we got another presentation to do in respect for our audience and their time. Trusty relegate
that trust. >> Anyone else? >> That's what I want to say. They did a great job. >> Yes. Uh, just I want to say two question I get somewhere else. the uh credit recovery, the 247 access uh is that for
only ALA students? >> No, the plan is well it actually um our students at Southwestern have access. We need to probably address some scheduling issues in all honesty as it pertains to zero and seventh hours. Um um Egeneuity is the current platform that we use.
They have access to it, but we'd like to be able to invest and investigate how we can make it more robust. One of the issues that happens is that our students um currently we don't have a policy where most districts do have a policy in regards to failure. Um uh last week in
our partnership meeting we had the the um wonderful opportunity to have our board members in present for our partnership you know conversations and while they were there this came up. Most districts have a 1.5 point 1.5 uh credit
recovery threshold. So if a student goes below 1.5, they already take themselves out of the four-year cohort. >> Okay, >> we'll talk a little bit more about cohort in the academic presentation. >> Got so where I was going with that piece, I think my colleague Treasury
Luna mentioned this, how we have flex high uh Michigan virtual schools. So we can increase enrollment by gathering those students if they they're already doing credit recovery there. If we can advertise that in a way of to gather those students for when we think about enrollment they're doing this. If
they're doing that then we're going to do the same thing here. Why not advertise that in a way to get the flex high students the Michigan virtual school students all those students for credit recovery and other districts around if that's where we're going to advertise a piece. Hey, let's grab those students. Let's increase enrollment
right there right off the bat. 247 access that you just mentioned. There's some more training with parents what that looks like. Um, and I think we can do that. Uh, my next question, I think you you answered the parent success hub. Where is you said there's a demo? >> It is. It's just a prototype right now.
>> Okay. Do you have a video? You said you had a video, but it couldn't play, right? >> Yeah, it wasn't. It was to us in an email. >> Absolutely. >> To view. Um, who came up with this? >> Well, I it was me. [laughter] >> Okay. Now, listen. Take credit what you own. Okay. I want you to own own the
things. So, that's a good job with that. I I and I mean so my whole team right now is um up at McCall Conference Center. If I could just um I I'd like to drop this the importance of this and the importance of how artificial intelligence has a we have a responsibility to use it both ethically
and responsibly. And so that's what my team is up doing right now at McCall Center. And one of the things that we'd like to do is just build a greater understanding around how to use it. And so this was my attempt to be able to integrate in a in a ethical way um with
purposeful intention and um we'll talk more about it in the future because your your support is going to need huh >> where's McCall is at in Grand Rapids. >> Okay. So Miss Fields did she was at McCall today and she did drive back for this presentation. So I appreciate her doing that as well.
>> Did a great job. the the goal is to by next year when when we enroll this is to also uh um have it on a QR code and so it can be accessible to everyone and they'll be able to use it. We can post it around the district, but more importantly we can send it home to our families once we're able to get it
kicked off and they can keep it right on their refrigerator, their door, their bulletin board, wherever they might put it. And so it would be a tool that would be um um fluid because we would want to be able to add to it as things change in the scope of you know uh a success.
>> I'm excited. Um one thing I want to commend I always want to commend leadership when you present new bold ideas and one of the things the bold idea is the use of AI. You didn't skirt it away and say we're not using you're embracing it. education. I think having that using a cue for the parent
education, how to properly use AI, the grandparents as well. I'm late at night. I'm tired. I want to know help my help my grandson. >> Let me use the AI tool right here. Let me have this conversation now. So, I'm prepared for a conversation with the teacher on the next day. So, I want to commend you and the team for these bold
ideas we've been pres presenting so far. Enrollment, >> presenting amazing new ideas. This here is innovative and I want to commend you and your leadership for doing that. So, thank you. Thank you. >> All right. >> Thank you. You want to go to the next? >> We can if you board is ready.
>> Yes. All right. >> So, this is me and Tracy because we have done a lot of work over this on the last couple of weeks and so I'm going to go ahead and defer to her to start and then we'll go ahead and jump into it. >> Yeah, we're super excited to present the
new final data that's out especially around the graduation rate um and attendance. But one of the things as we talked in consultation with um Superintendent Jones, we did add two slides um that you will not see in your book, but we think it's very important after hearing the board talk about
partially proficient students and show actually all the numbers because there's great opportunity to move more kids to proficiency. So, um we decided, thank you, Superintendent Jones, that we could drop those two slides in and so you can see that data also.
So, for our district strategic growth report, I'd like to add before we get started that the um the particular goals or the particular data that we're sharing today is kind of in the precursor of our next partnership agreement. Part of your new partnership agreement does mandate that we have an
attendance goal in here and where um I'm going to be speaking on attendance today. I'd like to be clear that Mr. Stewart and I will be working together with the attendance um goal and that it's the initiative really is led by him and the um amazing Miss Cassagana Amen way back there and everybody should give
her all her flowers all the time because she is fantastic. Um so they're going to be supporting us in that in those areas as well. I'm just going to be sharing the data as it pertains to the uh the partnership agreement tonight and I'm sure that he's still over there so if we got questions he can answer some of
those too. um graduation success we'll be looking at this evening as far as that data is concerned and we've had some great wins in attendance if I could just go back really quick um with the 758 or 78% district 10 uh uh district attendance with a 4.4 percentage point
gain from the baseline that you'll see in the coming data. We also have graduation success that we can graduate or that we can um celebrate this evening by an achieved 52.3% um is the four-year graduation rate which is an increase in the last few
years as a district. We're looking at um we're looking at the district numbers. There's different numbers for each school, but that's the district number. And then last but not least, there is some academic covery because we have had some proficiency increases um as it pertains to the work we did in the last
partnership agreement. And so really this work is kind of rooted in that in preparation for providing you the new framework for the partnership. That agreement is due on Monday as um at the finality of its draft. It will be shared with the board with the final goals and
um that work will be coming forth to you in the next month. So for our student engage attendance and engagement, we're going to be looking at uh detailed attendance t snapshot and the fact that we have um baseline information of 73.84
for 2122. We're looking at what the current um the current uh attendance daily average is of 78.25 with again a total gain of 40 um 4.41. And the next slide please. Thank you. And so with our baseline um both of
these are showing you two points of uh attendance data. The first one is your daily attendance rate. And you'll see that from our baseline data of 2122 um we have a 30 30 73.84. Um the succession of uh daily attendance
went up um a couple of points in 2022 23. uh kind of um chilled out a little bit on the 2324 and then we had another increase last year. I think that the um one of the things that's worthy of mentioning is that we did some very intentional work around making sure that
attendance agents were at the table with principles and leadership teams um the previous year and and did some amazing work and the strive for five um initiative. Um, we plan on continuing to embolden our principal leaders and our buildings
with support around strive for five, both through the use of title dollars, but also through the um getting them resources to continue to professionally develop and provide them the best strategies possible um to support the work they're doing. In addition to that,
we have chronic absenteeism which um where chronic absenteeism is defined by um all students are held to attendance standards. Um they are not tethered out by the full academic year student, which we'll talk a little bit about in the
coming slides. And um our chronic absenteeism is defined by any student that misses 10 or more days in their enrollment period with us. So that could be if a kid had been with us for 20 20 days or it could be 180. If they miss 10
days they become chronically absent. >> Oh 10%. Thank you. I appreciate. Yeah 10%. Um 10%. And so you'll see that um we were able to go ahead and and decrease the number of students that
were also chronically as absent too. That work is in large part from um the hard work of the attendance agents, the hard work of Dr. or of Miss Amenu. I just I think I just prophesized something for her um for Miss Amenu and then also um led by Mr. Stewart and the
building principles who do really really hard work in making sure that they support. This is just a visual of that same data to be able to put it in perspective that we're taking it in the right direction that we're increasing attendance and we're decreasing chronic absenteeism.
And so for academic recovery, some of the things that have happened in the district is that we've been working on instructional alignment and targeted interventions, utilizing an MTSS framework, making sure that we are identifying appropriate um interventions and providing teachers the necessary
support that they need through professional development to be able to implement those particular interventions. Um data highlights are significant with um a bounceback growth in some various areas. um when you drill down to grades, it looks a little better
in some ways um than the overall picture. And I think that that's one of the things that we really want to be able to discuss with you today. Did you want to jump in or you want me to go through this first? Okay. So, this is a familiar slide to you before. Um if you have either been in uh
your board presentations and seen this particular slide and this is the very most latest MSTEP data that we have. Um, you can see that that of an overview. I'm not going to like pick it apart for you. And and I'm I know that we've done such great work at this board table
around understanding the data. And so we wanted to provide you just in the clearest way possible. This is the numbers that we're being held accountable for. This is an overview of where we are at in the building level. And this is the um success that we've
had. I left um at um Tracy and I had talked about, you know, really leaving them not met and met. Well, that's going to be language that we're going to continue to have to um embrace and that we're going to have to consider and think about. And so, we decided to leave it on to be able to support and help you
to see more clearly where our schools sit at in regards to ELA proficiency. That one? >> All righty. All right. So, our next one um is it it really talks about like the numbers of kids that were um that were held accountable for. Those are the
grade levels of which the state looks at and holds us accountable for. And as we've talked about before, when students are tested, the only students that the state um holds us accountable for as far as assessment in our school index is concerned. And the way they measure us
is through students that have been through both counts, day one with us and they are with us at day 180. And so this just is an overview and we'll be sending these on to you. So you do have these particular as well. >> No, these are the ones that Tracy had
added. Did you want to talk a little bit more about them? >> I'll just quickly say in our last board meeting or the last time I was here, Trustee King asked for >> I got kind of fact that you're talking somebody asked me questions.
>> Um I couldn't hear you. >> No, I was just stating these two slides were specifically added at the last time we presented. You asked, Trusty King asked about it partially proficient kids. So we just decided to show you what you would see as the public. This is information that you would get from
the website. So you will be able to see how many kids are proficient, how many kids are non-proficient, how many kids are partially proficient, and how it adds up. And so really understanding the the the um the constraints under which we are
measured and that the number of students um Superintendent Jones felt it was very important for you to understand too what's the number of students that was tested because when you start talking about 4% of what you think is 200 2700 students,
it really becomes 4% of a much smaller number. and and the data um can data does what it does, right? And so you it's important to tell the full story, >> Miss Fields. >> Yes, sir. >> A part of that is as we uh continue and
the board continue learning uh from Miss Tracy and us about the data. It's important to know that yes, you have 2700 students. 26. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. that fluctuates. Um, when you see
that you have, I'm going to give you an example, 12 students proficient in math, you cannot equate that to 2,700 kids because we never test kids or are full
for come late, right? So, they're not counted in the full year testing cycle. um or students don't test in that cycle because of whatever reason, chronic absenteeism, >> um or other issues, health issues that
happen. So, I just want to make sure that when you're hearing numbers, you're not thinking 2700 kids and we only have right you have to use the tested number so that you can understand from that
point of view. Okay. All right. Thanks. And ju just a um not necessarily correction but um just to reiterate around that is that the availability to test is available for every single student that's required to
um but again just they there's reasons why they don't show up. If we could go to the next slide and again this is just math proficiency. It is a slide that you're familiar with, but it aligns to both the baseline information. Um, our baseline for our
new partnership agreement will be the spring 2025 uh numbers. And so, I just think it's important that we go ahead and keep track and we we're aware of what it is and we're aware of where our strengths and weaknesses lie at and um the areas where we really want to drill
into. with the partnership agreement. So, um, one of the things I think that's been, um, most confusing and probably the most cumbersome for, um, not just the board members, but quite frankly, it's ch it's a challenge for everybody is that 3% um,
increase that the the the state required for us to do. Um, one of the things I think that's very important to understand is that the state um that that's based upon norms, that's based upon choices and decisions that they uh have made in their their
partnership agreement with with schools across the district who are engaged. And so the recommendation for those particular goals were meant to um build on success and to help districts be able to reach it. We acknowledge and understand the fact that um 3% can sound
like it doesn't believe in our students because we only think they can lift to 3%. And just a reminder is that it's what the state says your strategic plan can actually have different goals from your partnership agreement and you can hold them to higher degree.
And then just let me add because we had a lot of rich discussion about this and where the board was um in the in the partnership plan it's 1% each year >> with the three years. So it's not 3% every year. So when you look at the score they go back to the baseline and
then at the end if they made 3% it's met through the partnership but the team is very clear that the partnership is only schools in the partnership. It doesn't include all the schools in Flint. And that's where the board can set a KPI for the system of what they would like to
see for the entire district for growth um and proficiency. And I think there's a good marriage between the two of those understanding that we are working with numbers. And so if you look at the kids that are partially proficient, we have to have reasonable goals that you know we're not going to say we want to see a
50% increase. And then you run the numbers. you can run the numbers partially proficient and figure out what's a logical number that we can move year-over-year and still have a high expectation because you also want to build a a culture where people are successful, teachers are successful. If you say I want to see a all the kids
proficient next year, we know that's not going to happen, right? But we are building a system that is not reactive but is proactive to getting kids to the finish line from prek to to graduation. And again, we just put that other um
next slide, please. It's not going. Okay. Yeah, that's it. And again the these are just the numbers that support the last um slide that was up there just to illuminate uh the points that have been reiterated about the number of students
at test and the data narrative that's constructed from it. So overall I think that there's celebration in order for Eisenhower um they did a fantastic job of uh raising scores under the leadership of
um uh Mr. Thomas and their staff over there, they were intentional. They were um they were poignant. They were uh very very um well planned out in the in executing a plan. And not only did they end up raising their school index
scores, their math scores, their English scores, they also ended up being removed from the partnership agreement and are now out of partnership. Um additionally, celebrations should be in order for another cut even though that's a program that we closed. um the great um
leadership of uh Mrs. Cook and Master is at Freeman now and we have full confidence and anticipation that those same strategies and expectations that were held at Netherut will also be the predominating um tone and tenor for Freeman as well. And last but not least,
I mean, I'm really super excited to be celebrating ALA and some graduation increase in their numbers with a 6.7 uh uh increase in their u math proficiency. >> Go ahead. Yep. quickly say um Trustee Booth and I had an opportunity last
month to visit Eisenhal um and the work that he's doing with data walls with kids in kindergarteners that kindergarten teacher like I told Stiller and take her anywhere um just because those kindergarteners are doing goals and charts and placing them up. So if you ever have an opportunity to go
visit uh that particular those kindergarten rooms, it's amazing what the kids can articulate at kindergarten. what's expected of them. So that means there's a culture of high expectation for those kids. So it's not surprised to me to see these scores sore the way they
have. And for our next slide, again we can celebrate um Eisenhower on their growth in ELA proficiency comparison and again NetherCut and then um notably um Southwestern has done some good work around literacy and been able to move
their literacy needle from um the uh is that 13? Yeah. 6. And so the pathway to graduation and cohort readiness um that's where this data leads us to in
all honesty and it's where the rubber meets meets the road. Um how are we going to support the efforts of students being successful and being able to move into postsecary programming? How are we going to build pathways that um continue to support and celebrate uh the the the
energy of Flint Community Schools and the and the the type of energy we're trying to create. I think that's our last one. Oh, graduation cohort year. Yeah, the graduation rates. I hope that I read the last one. So, excitingly enough, we have the total cohort um size
of those particular classes. And I think it's important for you to know the fluctuation in enrollment and your graduating classes um when they come in, how many we have and then how many we lose around the way to drop out um gradu and graduation rates. And so you'll see
that we started um with the BA or we're at a 52, but we um were at 43 from the baseline average. and that our dropout rate has um also been successful in decreasing the number of dropouts by providing uh the proper supports with um
ALA and credit recovery from building in um a college and career advisor at Southwestern and counseling in the previous past. Um that has helped our us to be able to identify the students that are at risk. So there's things that are happening in the district that are undergirling the um graduation
initiative. We need to improve those particular practices to make sure that they're monitored on a consistent basis and that we are providing the proper supports for teachers and principles to be able to help those young people get to the finish line.
And um the four-year graduation dropout rate, this is just an again I I am a I'm big on making sure that I provide visuals for people. Um, a lot of folks don't necessarily love the numbers, but the visual tells the story in itself. And that's just these are just a visual
way for you to look at those numbers. So, the core outcomes as um summarized is 52.3 is our baseline four-year graduation rate for the district. That is not again the individual um graduation rates for each of our high
school programs. and the dropout rate has uh uh is at 24.7. So, how are we going to get there? And we're we're taking it on home, friends. Um by one of the ways that we're going to do it is we're going to be able to provide enhanced family engagement and
targeting chronically absent students. Again, many of the layers in the enrollment initiative are also layered in the attendance initiative and also layered in the um academic initiative. It's important that we work in collaboration and we work smarter, not
harder. That we identify um what things that we're doing in order to be able to support appropriately and not stretch ourselves really far of um continuing to be able to utilize our MSTEP baseline alignment for uh not just mid-year teaching, but for planning our our years
out. One of the things that we're focusing on in the academic department is centering data. Um, my team said I made them a little uncomfortable when I brought it up and but in a great way. And I was like, that's wonderful. I love when we're uncomfortable. That means we
were going to grow. >> And then finally on centering um, uh, Flint, the Flint Community Schools graduation initiative. And then just having intentional transitions because quite frankly, it's not just about when kindergarters move to first grade. It's about what are we doing to support um,
sixth to seventh grade. what are we doing to support transitions from 8th to um ninth grade? So, I I plan to come in the very near future to be able to talk with you good folks about what that could look like as well and to have some very clear steps as well as timelines to
be able to support that. And finally, um, evaluating what we're doing, making sure that we are looking at what we're doing, monitoring what we're doing, have feedback on what we're doing, and then being able to, um, center data in order to be able to help students identify the
areas that they need to grow in, by standards tracking, by developing goal sheets, by helping students to understand their goals and their them to understand their data as well. And I think one of the most exciting things about uh, uh, one of the things that Mr. Thomas um he shared this a while ago and
I think it's important to also just double down on what Miss Davis was saying when students start having conversations about their data and you're not a part of it and that's what's happening at Eisenhower and that's the level of of discourse that we have to build in students when you can
see the two of them standing at a data board arguing about who did better. >> Yes. Okay. >> Go ahead. >> Members, any questions or thoughts? I just we're going to close with um listen, you can play the numbers and graduate kids and get diplomas if you
understand the system. What is happening here is we're building the system around rigor and relevance early, right? Because we don't just want kids to have a diploma. We want them to walk out of Flint Community Schools and be able to get jobs, go to the military, have, you know, any career technical. So building
a solid system prek to 12 to do this work and just excited to continue working with um Kelly on this work and we will come back and report out quarterly and bring you some examples this work that um we've been building out so you can see hopefully you will
see it in schools as we continue to this work through the next year so you can see examples of work and I talk to kids like if we do this right we should be talking to kids communities and parents about these four Rs and how it relates
to them getting to the finish line. >> Congratulations. >> Well, I'm just going to tell you all you're getting your scripts in a couple weeks and when they get you scripts, I want to make sure you know what you're doing. So, I plan on the Tik Toks better be tick tocking. >> Tik Tok.
>> Oh, we got a tick tock expert here. >> Okay. >> Ter gonna make sure we get this together. >> You're in charge. Producer. >> Okay. Any question? Trusty King, I'm gonna go around and wrap it up. >> Uh yeah, one couple things I want to also mention and something to highlight
because I always say that um big shifts turned slow. Uh from the detail SN attendance snapshot, our baseline for 2021, our attendance rate was at 73.84%. Currently, we are 78.25. So we're slowly increasing our
attendance rate. Am I reading that correctly? Yes. >> Awesome. And then the chronic absenteeism for 2021 was at 80%. That was high. >> Slowly we made a 7% decrease to 7 73.80%.
>> Yeah, >> I want to commend the team for that because that that was not an easy feat. I know through the due to the efforts of we have our attendance agents, building principles making phone calls, making doing all the things necessary to get kids into school. I want to recognize
the team for that. And also Tracy Davis, thank you for sharing that slide of number of proficiency. I would love when I when I get it, I love to see that. Um because oftentimes as I shared before seems like man, okay, we didn't meet in here, but we have some kids as close on
that line to push um and it'd be amazing to see what are we doing in here to push those kids into proficiency categories and also how do we get our kids that's not proficient at all to partially and we keep moving on. Um and and superintendent, I think it's when we
talk about academics in our workshops going forward, we break it down by school. How many kids in this specific school are partially proficient? How do we move the metrics here? What are we doing to here? I mean to move them to proficiency and we see that that working through academics as we talk about
raising the bar standards for our kids, diving school by school and even seeing what Eisenhower is doing. Um and M Mr. Thomas and team want to, you know, give them a big shout out for their leadership and leading the way for the district. Um, but taking some of those practices,
>> how do we implement that into different schools to be able to make the same similar impact? He has to be different personalities, different ways, but those principles and core um foundational tools that teachers are using, we can definitely uh share and steal. We don't have to work in silos. I'm I'm curious
to see when the team I mean how the team would take that information and make some adjustments. Um for the graduation rate, we're at odd time low for our dropout rate of 24.7%. That took a lot a lot of work as well. I
don't want to um forecast this now. We're not at our graduation rate where we want to be. Um but one of the things I always try to rec um recognize is the progress we're making. And so Mr. Trish Davis, thank you for bringing the graduation initiative and having the conversation and pushing us to do, you know, do even more and pushing the
needle. I'm excited to see how we're focused on the cohorts all the way down to the kindergartens, how we move it, seeing this operating from this standpoint. I'm excited to see what the future um lie for us. So, thank you for your work on this presentation and your team. Thank you, Miss Davis, for being
here and keep pushing the needle for us. If I could, I just I do need to say this and it would be remiss not to say our community health workers are also part of the team that has helped with that and I think in partnership and the fact that they are one of our partners. It's just important to celebrate them as well.
>> Trusty releer. >> Thank you. Thank you for mission community health workers because I know they make phone calls every day. >> But um my question is first of all you gave a lot of information. Great job.
And I looked at the dropout rate and I guess it's for you and Mr. Stewart. Are we going after those students who dropped out? I think that would be a great avenue to go after. But be prepared for the wraparound services that they may need and with the new the
partnership we have with um Hamilton. I think that would be a great avenue to incorporate that behavioral or just their needs with Hamilton. So it could take a lot of the onus off of Flint schools. So you guys continue to focus
and also the best practices that you mentioned. How are you going to incorporate those in other buildings to I would love to see like a team that goes from building to building with the same concept to not interrupt what's
going on but to just take what they've learned and go from building to building having a unique or identified team that does that. And then also I always say school is the dress rehearsal for the
real world and are we preparing our students for the real world? But one of the main things I would love is to see a quarterly meeting with every um sure I say this right with every individual not per se every department
or every contract meet so that the synergy can be used. Anyone that impacts a child should be in that meeting so that everyone can hear it from different lenses to see how we can impact the
students immediately because if you don't the goal is always having the right person at the table because if you missing one person that could delay you by about six months. So it looks like you guys have a great framework. I appreciate all the due diligence that
went into this. I just want to see the implementation and then also even if something doesn't work, it doesn't mean we stop. Make adjustments and keep going. So, I applaud you guys. Thank you. >> First of all, you did an outstanding job. You know your material. You know
the structure of it and it and then you teach it well. It comes across really well. I love that strive for five. I was just in the meeting with uh Kelly and and Mr. Stewart and them and I didn't really understand it and they broke it
down and I saw how beneficial it was across the board. I think that should be a precedent that's set to uh focus on that and then I think the attendance will be enhanced greatly. So other than
that you did a fantastic job. Thank you. I would like to say, you know, um, the visit we had over at Eisenhower a few months ago, those babies, they young. These are, we talking about kindergarteners and first graders. They
knew what their goals were to be for that year. And they had them posted on their lockers. I think that was just outstanding. You know, I'm standing at the lockers looking at these little kids. I had never looked at lockers before, but that day I went down each
one of those lockers and looked and they had a they had a goal and they had a target each locker for those kids. And I thought that was outstanding. But I I want to commend um Mr. Stewart
for his work uh with uh maintaining trying to keep these kids in school because it's hard nowadays. You know I have talked to some parents transportation family matters mental health all these are playing into uh
factoring into why parents can't get their kids to school or you know different different scenarios. is more now today. You know, in years ago, people get past all those things, but now it's kind of like, you know,
families are really, really struggling, you know, financially, socially. So, I commend uh him for doing the work that he do and his staff. I think they doing a phenomenal job. I had never thought about attendance like I have this year,
but if the kids are not in school, they will not learn. So, you know, that's that's what I and I ditto everything that my um co uh uh colleagues I was going to say co-workers colleagues have
said because everything they mention is is very important as well. >> Trusty McIntyre. Yeah, I don't want to drag this out too much uh by repeating a lot of things that have already been said. Um but I
really appreciate all of this hard work and the explanation for it. I'm glad that a lot of what uh like I see all the time with the data is getting highlighted and explained and it's it's it's
hard to look at but we've got to you know you've got to have that information in order to know what you're what you're dealing with and how to how to change it and move forward. So, I'm so glad that we're doing this deep dive and um both
of you are doing an amazing job um with the data. I'm very gratified even though, you know, it's kind of sobering to look at some of the numbers. Um and I just wanted to highlight to the
community what a team looks like. like there's it's not just one person doing this or one person doing that, but it's this collaborative co-melded effort. And you can see it's
not it's not easy. And this isn't there isn't something where there's a silver bullet that can fix these decades of issues and problems that we've inherited. But we are
we're hopeful. We're enthusiastic. And you know, we're putting in the hard work to do this. You know, it's it's something that that you just have to keep getting up every day and going for it. Because for me, working with with data and
numbers and statistics, it's always in the back of my mind that these are these are individuals. These are children. And [snorts] so, it just breaks my heart when when I see proficiency rates, you know, that's
somebody's spirit. That's somebody's hopes and dreams. if they're being told they're not proficient, you know, it just it's it's so I'm excited that we're looking at the partial proficiency just to, you know,
it's a it's a matter of like supporting the individual, supporting the whole child, you know, through numbers, but but seeing beyond the numbers to the story to the to the life that's that's that's behind it. So,
I said I wasn't going to go on and on, but here I am. So, let me just stop and >> I appreciate that. [gasps and laughter] >> Thank you so much. Only thing I can say, the communities spoke, you listen.
The teachers speaking, we're listening. Congratulation to this Aatine board because everybody was participating. And when everybody participating and everybody's listening, this is what results look like. And we don't have to
stay here all night to hear good results. Congratulation to your team. Congratulation. And I really want to get a shout out to the parents because without parent participation, we cannot get attendance in order. And maybe we
are look at giving some type of award and certificate uh to our parents. Thank you for your presentation. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Jones. >> Yeah. >> All right, Board of Education. We are
going to move to our next We're going to uh I seek a motion and a second from the board to approve action item 1.7, authorization to approve. >> Excuse me. >> I'm sorry. >> I'm sorry, Mr. Jones. proceed.
>> Okay. I seek a motion and a second from the board to approve action item 1.7, authorization to approve the consulting service agreement with JD Newberry Consulting LLC. >> Madam Chair. >> Yes. >> I move to approve item 1.7.
>> Support. >> Is there a second? >> Oh yeah. I'm sorry. It's been properly moved and second. Is there any discussion? Trusty Rutherford. >> I must been reading my mind.
>> Well, hello, Miss Joanne. >> Can I Can I call you Miss Joanne or say Joan? >> Miss Joan. Okay. >> I read your contract. I will say it is very um it's one of the best contracts that's came before the board.
>> Um >> I thought it was very thorough. Um I only have one question and I it just may just be me. >> Sure. >> It's the lodging and travel. >> I'm sorry. Say that again. >> Lodging and travel. >> Yes.
>> Explain that part to me. >> Um I live in Missouri and um uh Dr. Cook Robinson called me a few weeks back and asked me if I would come up and help. >> Okay. >> I had um I have family in the area. So
the that's where the major portion of the >> So you reside in Missouri? >> I do. >> So Dr. Cook Robertson go pick up that [laughter] but I can see the need. No, honestly, in reading this and what you bring to the table, I can see the need
because this is a this is a stretch prek through 8. This would be um new territory definitely. Um I don't think there's a pre uh prek through eight public school. I don't
recall one being in Flint. I've been here a little while, couple of decades. So to see this is going to be a a major it's gonna be a major lift. And um how many years of experience do you have in doing this?
>> I have over 20 years of experience in human resources 17 of them um in public education. >> Okay. And have you done this before? Provide this type of consulting before? >> Um not um separate from my job. No.
>> Okay. No further questions. >> Any other board member have any questions in your package regarding this agreement? >> Madam chair, >> proceed. >> Um, first thing just not really question I was reading over the uh contract first. Thank you Dr. W Cook Robertson
for um bringing outside services in just to give us an outside perspective using leveraging your um experience in public education, human resources. Um, I'm I'm excited to see the outcome um of the HR audit here. We've been, you know, we've
tal mentioned it a couple times at the table, but hearing you come and seeing you here um show me shows me your commitment. You didn't just come zoom in. You came flying in in here. So, uh, thank you for being here. >> Anyone else?
>> I could just add good evening to the board. >> Yes. Um, I called Joan because Joan has worked for me before. I stole her from Detroit public schools. [laughter] But don't tell that's not Don't put that in the minutes. Too late.
>> When I was superintendent in Southfield, I heard such good things about her. I had her come to Southfield and she worked for me for 10 years there. >> Okay. as the director of human resources and then we promoted her to assistant superintendent of human resources and
while there she did parts of this work for us so that we could move forward as we extend it. I know that all of you know that in Southfield we built and created a high school and she was instrumental in helping us with the staffing. This is a critical component
that we're going to need information as we move forward and I hope to even share more of this framework with the board in the next couple of weeks so that I can kind of give you an overview of what's needed and where we're going. I want to do a shout out to the Mott Foundation
and the Thomas who I have called I think several times and I'm glad he didn't hang up on me as I said this is what I want to do. How do I do it? and also to um Kelly. Kelly is has been my ride or die on this, working closely with me
through these grants and helping me two hours in the evening to make sure that I put the budget together the way that Flint needed to receive it in those budget lines so that we could move forward. And to the superintendent who has been very very closely working with
me as we start this initiative of building a new high school. This is the critical component of the instructional framework that we're getting ready to build. We're going to have to have a better understanding of what is our human resource here in the district. If
this is where we are and this is where we want to go, what has to happen in between? How many teachers do we have that are certified middle school? Do we have enough? Are we going to have to seek out others? How do we do that? How do we retain what we have? How do we encourage others? And if we don't have
enough, how are we going to have to get creative about instructional delivery? But we need this component to start that. And I'll share more with you when we have an opportunity as a core team to start looking at this because they're going to be some other components that are going to come to the board um to do
this. But this particular component is grant funded. It is out of the K8 transition and athomeic strategy grant that will be paying for this. >> All right. >> Thank you so much.
Is there any other discussions? Excuse me. See no further discussion. >> Madam Chair, question for you. Can that grant be added on this resolution where it's coming from? >> Can that be added to this solution? this
resolution. >> We can >> I'm just asking so that I mean because I was looking where was the funding coming from but she answered >> oh you want to know what >> right >> can it be listed on that just a question Mr. Yes, I'm sorry. >> Where's the funds coming for this?
>> This is out of the uh uh grant that the board approved uh in December. This is out of the um K8 the enrollment initiative grant. >> I just want to know if it could be added on to this where the funding was coming from cuz I think we started that on all
the resolution lets us know where the funding is coming from and I just think that's a good practice to keep up. >> Thank you. Seeing no further discussion, a motion to approve action item 1.7, authorization to approve the consulting
service agreement. Secretary Perkins, >> yes. >> Trustee Booze, >> yes. >> Vice President McIntyre, >> yes. >> Trustee Rifer. Uh, Trustee Keane, >> yes. >> Myself, >> yes. Are you not voting Trusty Rifford?
>> No, you let me. I I give everybody the same amount of time. You said no. >> I'm saying no. >> One, two, three, four. We got five yes, six no. >> Congratulation. Welcome aboard. >> Five yes, one no. >> If I said five yes, one no, and one
absent. >> Yes, ma'am. >> Great job. Looking forward to working with you. >> Board members, I would like to seek a motion and a second to approve item item 11.1.21, approval of the zero balance budget audit. >> Madam Chair,
>> yes. >> I move to approve item 11.21. >> Support. >> If proper moved and second, is there any discussions? >> Madam Chair, >> yes. >> I would say thank you. That's it. >> Amen.
So that's the best answer. >> The motion to approve action item 11.21 with approve the approval of the zero balance budget. Secretary Perkins, >> yes. >> Trusty Boo, >> yes. >> Vice President McIntyre, >> yes. >> Trusty Rutherford, >> yes.
>> Trusty Keane, >> yes. >> Treasure Lun is absent. Myself is yes. Six. Yes. One absent. At this time, I turn the floor over to Superintendent Jones for a quick update from the Lancing days. >> Yes. Thank you, board president. Um, we
had the opportunity on Tuesday, March 10th, uh, to visit Lancing for a Lancing day with our consultants, MGS. Um, that was a great day. myself, board president and vice president uh we were able to
meet with several uh representatives uh and senators on March 10th. And then from that particular uh day of meetings, we were called back. We were called back to speak uh at the appropriations uh
committee meeting uh for Representative Kelly who was chairing that committee. Um and that house appropriations committee uh was subcommittee on school aid and the department of education. The purpose of us going to lancing uh the
board and uh this district has been fighting for um monies to get rid of blight in our community. And in an effort to do so, this has been a longstanding fight. um
we had the uh opportunity to be in front of those that can make law and to make change for this district. And we went and we asked for um over $8 million and in return uh we've been asked to uh give
more information about all of our properties and we're doing so now. We're preparing that information and it was a good opportunity. you can find uh that information if you would like. Uh Miss uh Miss Willis is going to be uploading
that uh so that you can see uh the board president, myself and the vice president uh when we spoke to the committee. But I would also like to say that we had other board members present and there was other board members that wanted to be there but couldn't. So, Trusty Perkins
and also Trusty Booze, thank you for your presence and your support. Uh it was a great couple of days and we are looking forward to the support of legislators and the Senate to support Flint Community Schools and get getting
rid of some of uh the blight that we have as we are the largest land owner in the community and we do not want to see any more fires, squatting and vandalism uh under our control. And I would also
like to add, you know, uh there was questions about Flint Community Schools spending ESSER dollars. I would like to report to the board. And if anyone would like to know how much money we spent in ESRE 1, 2, and three, you can always visit uh the MDE site. It is uploaded.
Uh but Flint Community Schools also has that information. Uh insert one uh which was about $9 million. uh over there was about $200,000 that was not spent. Only $18,000
from Flint Community Schools was not spent. Uh but there was a hundred and some odd dollars that hundred and some odd thousands of dollars that we sent over to uh nonpubs. They were not able to spend that money. Flint only sent
back $18,000 of $9 million in SSR1. Which leads me to SR2. Flint spent all of SSR 2. >> Yes, they did. >> Um, which was over $40 million. And it leads me to Esser 3, which was $99
million. Splint Flint, excuse me, spent all of ESR3. So, out of Esser 1, two, and three, only $18,000 was not spent from Flint Community Schools. So, I want to be
clear that that's that's public knowledge. Uh you're able to look that up and um we we have been good stewards of uh those ARPA dollars and we will be good stewards of those funds when we receive them from the state uh to get
rid of some of the blight that we have. We still have work to do, board president, uh when it comes to utilizing um grant funds that we receive. We still have work to do. We receive a lot of grant funds. Uh we still have work to do. Uh there is areas where we're
underutilizing. Uh but when it comes to ESSER, we did spend those funds and that was the testimony that we gave. >> Thank you, Superintendent Jones. >> You're welcome. >> Board members, in your package on page 75 is the VART monthly update for
February. Do any board members have any questions? >> Madame President? >> Yes. My question, I'm coming back to the demolition request. I had asked at a previous meeting if there was a list of buildings to be
demolished and I was told no. So, as I look at this, how did these how were these schools selected? I believe the board members, as I can recall, we've been doing this for a long time. these schools was already listed
and I think superintendent went through there and selected all the schools is ready for demolition and so we selected those four of those schools. What we're trying to do now is to get his every band and building. So we had to start
somewhere. >> My question is this is a decision from the board. The board deals with the property not the superintendent. I'm all for it, but I want things to be done decently and in order because this
should have been something that was approved by the board and we created policy that relates to properties. We had a governance meeting to where we agreed to what would take place as it relates to properties. My only concern
with this is that the entire board needs to be involved in this at all times because when all this a lot of this take place some of you all may not be on the board. So everyone need to be up to speed on
what is taking place. Now I was asked several times by individual because I am an elected official. What about Bryant? and I I couldn't I couldn't answer because I don't have the information.
So, I just want moving forward inform the entire board. This should not be where I look on Facebook and I see the buildings that's up for demolition. That's not fair. That's not right. And that's not what the public voted me in
office for. >> Thank you. Any more comments from the board? Seeing no further comment, the board of education will hold its next meeting April the 8th here at the queue.
I declare this regular board being a joint.