##VIDEO ID:tMV5ivRsxT0## e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e e commissioner Williams present board chair Coleman present you have Aid in the Farm to thank you the January evaluation committee meeting the board held a special call meeting on December 17th I'm sorry the board held a special call meeting on December 17th to discuss terminating superintendent Fagan's contract and a resolution to terminate a resolution for termin mintion was presented during the meeting superintendent fagin asked if an opportunity would be provided for her to make a comment in writing regarding the resolution the board agreed to allow superintendent fagans to submit a written response to the resol resolution and voted to refer the matter back to an ad hoc committee on January 14th to receive the written response however through her attorney superintendent fagans agreed to provide the board with her written response to the resolution by January the 6 the written response was received by the media on January 6th and subsequently provided to the board through respective legal counsels later that same day the purpose of this meeting is to carry out the action taken by the board during the special call meeting to allow an opportunity for the superintendent to submit a written response I want to make it clear that since this is a committee meeting we will not be voting finally to ensure that this is a productive meeting we ask everyone to conduct themselves appropriately in a respective matter disruptive behaviors will not be tolerated 2.01 discussion items 2.01 superintendent written response to the resolution terminating Employment contract we have received Dr Fagan's written response and will'll post it online and on board docs to 3.01 next steps for my board colleagues are there any questions thank you chair um hold on let me let me recognize you okay board member mckissic I'm sorry I was trying to see the lights no worries thank you so much chair um I'm concerned I I appreciate the back that we're going to post it online but will there be any time for the superintendent to actually read it into the record as the resolution was read out loud sure we we can allow you to read it okay you have it okay I just want I was for clarification and we want to make sure we get it all right thank you we're GNA work together yes ma'am good evening thank you madam chair uh a point of personal privilege uh thank you Dr Harington for your presence this evening uh thank you most importantly to my Daddy thank you for your love and for being a model for how to treat people even when they mistreat you I know that you're proud of your girl even in moments like these but Daddy since these baseless claims that I prep prepared to address today weren't enough as you landed in Memphis to support me it was brought to my attention that some have reached a newer Low by orchestrating a damaging egregiously false allegation by a former team member this is all that I know but what I do know Daddy is that is no coincidence that these untrue scandalous claims are surfacing now during a time where some board members desire to to ter terate my contract without pay I learned of this matter through the media which reported that JB Smiley Jr shared this tip with them I also learned that board member Natalie McKinny daddy plans to bring up this horrible Alle allegation to nail my coffin closed shortly after I've been informed that the Carter Malone group has shared an embargo statement to the news outlets to amplify this harmful statement and unfounded allegation the deliberate timing and coordination of these actions cannot be ignored but to be clear any suggestion of inappropriate conduct on my part is not only untrue but malicious it's evident that this coordinated attack is a design to tarnish my reputation and undermine my standing in the Memphis community and the educational field to anyone perpetuating these allegations I will not tolerate such Reckless Behavior and I reserve every right to pursue full legal remedies against anyone involved in spreading or amplifying damaging falsehoods in my name and any coordinated effort to stain my good name to the matter at hand education is more than textbooks it's the lifeblood of a city it shapes who we are and who we can become it's how businesses choose where to invest families decide where to plant their roots and communities find Hope in making dreams come true strong schools build strong children and strong cities when I accepted this role on February 9th 2024 I did so with one goal to make this District the engine of transformation for Memphis I shared that the Right leader at the right place at the right time changes everything knowing that transformation is both a privilege and a burden I knew it would require hard work a strong team and a commitment to put students first always but I also knew this when you are committed to doing hard work your leadership is inconvenient and comfort is never the companion of progress I've learned a difficult truth over the past few months that facts transparency and even Integrity hold little weight and are overshadowed by noise that truth came into sharp focus on December 17th 2024 when board chair Coleman called the city together to terminate my contract I sat through hours of agonizing disrespect and defamatory attacks that cut deeply as a leader who's worked hard and tirelessly to rise through the ranks of leadership and as a black woman who knows all too well what it feels like to have your competence questioned your intentions distorted and your dignity dismissed despite chair Coleman's claim that I failed to communicate critical information to the board the facts paint a very different picture more than 3,685 minutes of my life equating to more than 61 hours of phone calls alone with board members over 700 text messages 250 emails 21 weekly newsletters and more than 40 in-person huddles all in just six months from July to December of 2024 every email every meeting every message was an effort to collaborate build trust and keep this District moving forward and yet the truth was drowned out by false narratives designed to divide us the most painful accusations weren't about emails or meetings they were about my character my Integrity my Humanity as a certified counselor in multiple States I've spent years supporting those in crisis including this morning as we mourned yet another loss of a student on a Saturday morning in September early fall I spent 45 minutes on the phone with an employee who reached out directly to me with the subject line suicidal employee making such a disgusting insinuation was not just cruel it was a betrayal of every person who looks to this district for support and hope the challenges of leadership don't Define you how you respond does and through all of this I've remained professional collaborative and I've kept my eyes on the main thing showing up every day to ensure students have access to the kind of education that opens doors ignites dreams and transforms lives and to ensure that our principles our teachers and the leaders have the resources necessary to ensure the same and as long as I have the privilege of serving this community I will fight for that promise with everything I have which is why I'm still here the 901 deserves nothing less a thorough review of the facts will demonstrate that I acted transparency transparently within the scope of responsibilities of the superintendent and in alignment with relevant laws and policies as stated by the Tennessee Department of Education and the office of the controller and while I do not expect fairness and impartiality from everyone in this room my integrity and my commitment to this District demand that I do not allow facts to be drowned out by false accusations and political maneuvering what troubles me though is that the truth might not even matter even after I lay out the facts against the claims against me and yet I will do just that claim one superintendent misled the board and the public when she stated during a board work session that the district had paid employees $1 million in overtime wages for time not worked superintendent never presented any evidence suggesting that her statement was true and she did not correct or clar correct or clarify her statement to the public as further detail below the superintendent statements regarding overtime waste and abuse were accurate based on documented fiscal reports shared with the board and consistent with District policy District policy 201018 fraud abuse and waste is clear that abuse includes behavior that is unreasonable and constitutes unnecessary business practices given the facts and circumstances and waste is the careless or needless expenditure of District funds based on the superintendent's review of overtime records and expenses related to overtime for years 2022 2023 and 2024 it was clear that prior approval for overtime was not being obtained regularly and there was a history of failure to properly record and document overtime which clearly constitutes abuse and waste as defined by the same policy as well as policy 4059 overtime this is further supported by the mere fact that overtime expenses have decreased by $1 million from December 2023 through December 2024 since internal control measures and enhanced supervisory oversight were implemented under the superintendent leadership despite the board's unsupported claim this is a clear indication of tangible results and improved fiscal responsibility and operational efficiency a simple review of policy 2018 would have made it clear to the board that waste and abuse do not necessarily involve fraud nonetheless the superintendent further explained what she meant by waste during the July 30th 20124 business meeting when I mentioned abuse I was referring to inefficiencies and waste recognizing the opportunity to strengthen internal controls and processes the superintendent asked the then Chief Financial Officer to develop a form for internal use to include the signature of the immediate supervisor the CFO and superintendent Department leads communicated the internal process for overtime approved aligned with the policy and a policy edit was then recommended to the board and included in the super to include the superintendent approval for overtime as a final measure other than one email from then board chair Alia green the board demonstrated no interest in reviewing additional information when offered by the superintendent board members Natalie McKinny toana merphy and Sable Otay were not school board members at the time and neither board member has inquired about overtime since their tenure beginning August 29th 2024 through the power provided by the board as director of schools it is the responsibility of the superintendent to ensure that all district funds are managed with the utmost integrity and accountability preventing waste and misuse while strategically aligning resources es to achieve the district's educational goals and priorities as stated above from December 2023 to December 2024 overtime expenses are currently down by $1 million claim two superintendent accepted a donation of more than $45,000 without board approval at a board work session superintendent misrepresented her knowledge of and investment in depositing the unapproved donation check and violation of board policy first the district's receipt and processing of a $4 5,635 33 donation from school SE Foundation did not violate board policy because it was presented to the board for acceptance promptly promptly upon the superintendent's knowledge of the district's receipt of the same further as confirmed by the Tennessee com controller's office the donation was processed by the interim Business Financial Officer in accordance with applicable Tennessee law and the responsibilities of the district's Financial Officer second the board's claim of misrepresentation by the superintendent related to know of and involvement in depositing the donation check is completely meritless the board fails to provide a single fact to support it the board has not and cannot demonstrate that the superintendent knew about the donation or that the superintendent was involved in receiving or depositing the donation check because the superintendent had no knowledge or involvement in the process while the superintendent wears many hats check processing is not one of them as relevant here District policy 2019 grants gifts donations and sponsorship guides the receipt of donations for the district Tennessee guides the state guides the district's receipt and management of funds board policy 2019 States $15,000 and above requires acceptance by the board the policy does not require that a donation be brought to or accepted by the board within a specific time frame the policy does not require board acceptance before the funds are deposited rather the policy speaks to providing notice of intended use if feasible prior to expending the funds the funds were not spent Tennessee law TCA 58207 section A requires funds to be deposited within 3 days after receipt it states specifically every County official handling public funds shall be required to maintain an official bank account in a bank or Banks within this state and shall within three days after the receip by such County official of any public funds deposit the funds to the credit of such County official off's official bank account or bank accounts the superintendent learned of the donation on November 8th 2024 through general counsel Justin Bailey when he informed the superintendent via phone call that quote the board is asking something about a check from school seat that they didn't approve end quote the superintendent asked Mr Bailey for additional information sharing with him that she did not have knowledge about his inquiry and that she was confident that he understood that the superintendent does not receive or process checks a process that sits with Finance the super intendent a promptly presented the donation to the board on November 19th 2024 for acceptance quote for future Leadership Institute program expenditures end quote B confirmed that the funds had not been used yet and C informed the board that the Personnel responsible for processing the donation owned the responsibility of the oversight of not presenting the donation more promptly although still complying with District policy this was further shared with the board by the superintendent initially during the work session again via EMA on November 21st and again on December 4th as stated on the record during the December 3rd 2024 business meeting the superintendent's actions related to the donation were consistent with the fiduciary responsibilities of the role board policy and Tennessee law the board's claims of violation and misrepresentation of the Same by the superintendent fall flat claim three superintendent was dishonest with the board and the public when she stated that c certain federal Grant funds were still available to the district to despite superintendent failing to obligate the funds prior to the required deadline ironically this claim by the board is an intentional misrepresentation to the public the board is undoubtedly aware that the funds in question were available at the time of their questioning the funds were available as stated by the superintendent and have since been state approved and allocated to the district the American Rescue plan homeless children and youth Grant was first made available to State education agencies in 2021 State a agencies then allocated a designated amount to all school districts known as leas across the state of Tennessee after one year of the grants any remaining funds are accessible for the district to spend down and then sent for approval by the superintendent on E plan which is the state's website and then submitted for final approval of aligned activities to the Tennessee Department of Education and in this case it was homelessness for local education agencies any remaining funds available from the three-year Grant had to be obligated through an executed cont contractor purchase order by the deadline of September 30th 2024 the grant required an ex executed contract to be in place by September 30th 2024 or use of the funds for other allowable activities related to homelessness without the need for a contract because there was no contract in place by September 30th the funds were used for other allowable activities and approved by the Tennessee Department of Education the board chose to rely on misinformation for which I've linked claim four point of order please thank you um I think what we agreed to was that you would give us a written response to the three allegations and I think you've done that this is the written response to the three allegations is that correct these are the allegations the claim four is not one these are allegations read into the record by this by the chair these were the allegations that were read I think what we said specifically was that it was going to be according to the resolution yes any allegation made against my name on the record deserves an opportunity for response and what we will do for that Dr fagin out of fairness and following what we decided to do on the 17th we're going to post it it's posted chair point of Border chair um no no no no hold on hold on commissioner mckenny will finish and then commissioner mckisic I have to hear the point first and then you come yeah I think I made my point again that out of um what we determined on the 17th is that we will receive and I think you read it into the record today unless I misheard it that we would give the superintendent an opportunity to respond in a written format to the three allegations in the comp in the um resolution is that correct three correct thank you just want to be clear commissioner mck thank you chair to provide further clarification it also happened on December 17th when those three allegations were read into the the record um board colleagues brought other items onto the agenda we did not stick to the three items that were a part of the resolution and those were read into the record and I think it is only fair and just that the superintendent be given an opportunity to address those items that were also read into the record or spoken into the record that were beyond the resolution and considering the gravity of the situation I would think we would want to exhaust every opportunity for all parties to have their say thank you commissioner Murphy uh point of order we just well she Dr fagin had already started on the fourth claim so let her finish out her fourth claim let this be done and then we move on to the next thank you claim four we continue to wait for a comprehensive strategic plan for the district and a full explanation of the district restructure ing the superintendent's failure to provide this plan has caused confusion among parents staff and the board although this claim was not included in the original res resolution posted for the public during the December 17th meeting chair Coleman read the additional claim to the public therefore the superintendent will address it all the same this this claim is yet another misrepresentation to the public per policy 20001 annual operating budget the board in conjunction with the superintendent shall establish priorities for the upcoming fiscal year by October in alignment with policy the Strategic plan is informed by the priorities approved by the board once establish the Strategic plan has been prioritized for a discussion and placed on the agenda for every scheduled board retreat July 19th through 20th November 14th through the 15th and our past one that was scheduled for last F Friday and Saturday subsequently canceled by the board with the exception of Last Friday and Saturday due to weather dates for September were not selected as the board chose to singularly prioritize a mid-year evaluation for the superintendent therefore the board's contention that quote it continues to wait for this strategic plan is not only false but disingenuous at the request of chair Coleman the superintendent refrained from sharing the draft strategic plan with board members prior to these Retreats a request chair Coleman also communicated in writing to her colleagues furthermore the superintendent informed the board in September that the district continues to operate under multiple established plans from previous years although not the desire for the district until a new strategic plan is finalized and approved restructuring plan although many personnel changes began before the superintendent and the board had prior awareness of the sunsetting of Esser funds impacting more than 1,000 employees at approximately $73 million the superintendent represented the district's draft budget and reorganization structure to the board and more than 13,000 online viewers on June 13th 2024 explaining the support for each decision prior to budget approval the organizational structure was also reviewed during individual huddles with board members in May additionally the organizational structure was included in orientation binders and reviewed with new board members during orientation on September 5th as one of the many requested documents finally the district's organization chart is posted on the website and updated monthly this claim is also false claim five communication with value District Partners the resolution States in part Dr Fagan's refusal to communicate Andor cooperate with value District Partners during the December 17th meeting chair Coleman publicly read aloud in pertinent part I have contacted elected officials at every level of government and longtime partners of the district and they are in support of the action I'm recommending first chair Coleman's statement that elected officials and longtime Partners support her recommended action deserves careful examination as it is contradicted by a vote of no confidence by the Shelby County Board of Commissioners the multiple bills being considered by the state legislature for State control of Memphis Shelby County Schools and definitive statements by the governor and Speaker of the House moreover the reality on the ground paints a different picture current local state and National support and data directly from families Educators and students overwhelmingly support the leadership of the superintendent and continuity in leadership in an October survey conducted across the broader Community the straightforward question how's the superintendent doing so far yield yielded results from nearly 10,000 respondents reflecting a positive perception about the superintendent median scores were consistently at the highest rating of five across all groups reflecting strong approval among teachers Partners community members and students central office staff showed a slightly lower mean and median scores compared to other groups with a four and a 3.45 respectively the strongest support comes from teachers and Community Partners furthermore our long-standing partners have re affirm their commitment to collaborating with the current Administration to achieve shared goals underscoring the trust and Alignment we've cultivated since September the Administration has successfully forged an additional 75 Partnerships expanding the district's network of support and resources during the superintendance brief tenure more than 40 monthly quarterly huddles have taken place engaging several groups to include both teacher associations principal Association multilingual families special education advisers faith-based organizations PTO PT T AP Pi Foster caregivers Realtors Business Leaders central office VIP Business Leaders higher education institutions new teachers VIP family and Community groups Legacy Builders and numerous VIP tours efforts that have served to strengthen relationships and Foster trust with thousands of individuals across all neighborhoods in the 901 creating a unified Community dedicated to advancing educational Excellence quantitatively the district has seen measurable gains under the current Administration in five short months SP standing July through December 2024 we've rehired 255 former Memphis Shelby County Schools teachers increased student enrollment by 2.4% year-to year increased student attendant from n attendance from 93 to 94% year to year increase student in re-enrollment from 77.2% to 79.5% increased dual enrollment from 2,886 to 2966 increased districtwide enrollment by 944 students from August 19th to August 26th because of hey neighbor and the rest go list goes on these are not theoretical achievements they are tangible factual results rooted in collaborative efforts and steadfast leadership it's important to recognize that progress requires Collective alignment and accountability not actions based on selective endorsements or incomplete narratives a vote in favor of the resolution to terminate the superintendent's contract is a vote against these gains and the hard work invested by school and central office team members to a achiev the same second the superintendent has consistently communicated with and reported information and significant matters to the board and public the board's claim of failing to promptly report critical information is completely false and dismisses the transparent communication protocols implemented and consistently practiced by the superintendent in alignment with and far exceeding District policy and the practices recommended by the Council of great City Schools which consists of the 78 largest urban districts across the country while some some members have refused to meet with the superintendent the superintendent has again devoted more than 3,685 minutes to phone phone calls with nine board members from July 2024 through December 2024 alone while effectively managing communication through multiple additional platforms and leading the largest District in the state through monthly meetings more than 35 weekly board Insight emails sent from April to December of 2024 select emails of which I've included there since being named to the position on February 9th weekly huddles initiating February 19th 2024 huddles in person range from 30 minutes to up to three hours when held with board members you can see the dates and times for board current board members as well as former board members phone calls and texts have included a log of Select calls and messages just to give an idea of the time invested in effectively managing governance with the board first 100 days provided a 100 day booklet shared during my interview process as a candidate on December 15th 2023 I reviewed that individually with each board member during the week of February 19th 2024 and provided monthly updates and placed the same expectation from all senior leaders to follow suit provided a comprehensive transition report delivered to and shared with the board typo there excuse me on and the public on July 10th a quarterly impact report which is a comprehensive monitoring report implemented by the superintendent for transparency with the board and public public regarding the impact of District Partnerships and contracts a district docs one pager shared with the board and the community for an easy way to access the same quarterly reports the superintendent's quarter 1 report and quarter 2 report provides an overview of District improvements needs and accomplishments during semester 1 this is a new effort implemented by the superintendent for transparency and to strengthen communication with the board and community in closing I want to be unequivocally clear these claims are false not because I say so but because the facts make it indisputable and prove the inflammatory accusations are false at the conclusion of the December 17th meeting board chair Coleman stated we want to be fair yet nothing about this process or my tenure has embodied fairness the months leading to the December 17th 2024 meeting and now to this evening have been fundamentally flawed and carried out with a deep commitment by many current and former board members to publicly shame me to create a hostile environment and cause public distrust at every turn of my tenure and to divide a district that is on the rise although I inherited what the previous interim leaders described as a mess I've been expected to make a miracle in less time that is required to birth a healthy child while I have made tough decisions my actions have consistently been transparent in good faith aligned with District policies and priorities and grounded in an unwavering ing focus on doing what is right for students families and staff a yes vote to terminate my contract will not be grounded in the Merit of these claims or any others it will signify that this is and always has been about something else to the board members who see through this and are prepared to vote against termination I thank you for your dedication to integrity and to the progress we are making as a district to those who remain undecided I ask for what you are asking for from the community and what I ask for every leader to provide for our students a fair shot in in a society increasingly demanding immediate results I also ask for time time to deepen relationships time to effectively address stubborn systemic issues that have existed for decades time to allow the improvements made to continue taking root and bearing fruit and time respectfully provided to me through my contract when I stepped into this role I was ready to do whatever it takes to elevate the Excellence of Memphis Shelby County schools with a board committed to transformative Improvement a board that believed in the potential of our community and the promise of its children you called on a leader ready to meet this Challenge and I have worked tirelessly with the district Community to do the hard necessary work of delivering on the promise of a better future for every student and I remain focused on continuing the good work together if this is about doing what is right I urge the board to resist the distractions of short-term politics and personal agendas and lean into the voices of the broader Community we represent as your vote is bigger than me it is about families who deserve to believe in the promise of better opportunities it's about the city we will leave behind for the Next Generation if the decision is otherwise I am grateful for the thousands of supporters locally and nationally who have sent encouragement prayers and flowers for my Legacy Builders and many of our students who have shared encouragement and advice for when you are getting bullied and for the 901 who unified across social class political affiliation and neighborhood to stand tall for education I am at peace knowing that I was the Right leader at the right place at the right time and that changed everything Madam chair this concludes my report thank Youk thank you madam superintendent all matters related to determination resolution will be discussed at our next meeting if anybody no more questions at this time with no further business this meeting is adjourned thank you e commissioner mckisic present commissioner Garcia present commissioner Porter present present commissioner Murphy present commissioner love present commissioner mckenny present commissioner OT present commissioner Williams pres board chair Coleman president you have nine in the affirmative thank you we do have a quorum please stand for the Pledge of Allegiance and for a moment of silence in Our Moment of Silence let's remember a young student from Riley Egypt High School Cornelius Perry who passed away after collapsing after school on yesterday our deepest condolences go out to the students family friends and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time thank you may be seated we are now on to the spotlight on the ARs this month's Spotlight is on 2024 Country Music Association Foundation music teachers of Excellence award recipients and the holiday card contest winners the 2024 Country Music Association Foundation music teachers of Excellence award we would like to recognize the following teachers as 2024 Country Music Association Foundation music teachers of Excellence award recipients when I call your name please come to the front Alan Moody off music teacher at idell elementary and his principal Miss snack Lindsay Mullins or or music teacher at Snowden School and her principal Miss Scruggs are they in here tell check right out here Mr oi liell band director at C at Central High School and his principal Miss Amy EPS Mr Moody Miss Mullins Mr ly leale I'm sorry chair if I may while we're waiting for them to come into this room may I speak about the awards and the recipients yes I'd like to speak um to Mr Moody at idal elementary and the principal of idal Miss snacky um just have had the pleasure of attending numerous events there at the school and I'm very proud and honored to represent Ida wild and even though snowden's no longer in my district I no longer represent Snowden uh just really proud of Miss Mullins and of course principal Scruggs for all the work that they do and for everyone involved but I can speak personally to those two schools that I've been proud to represent for the last six years thank you thank you let's give it up for Mr Liddell from Central High School his principal Mr Moody from IDW well come across the front and Mr Liddell I forgot to give Mr Liddell a shout out from Central Dr Liddell from Central High School Miss Mullins from Snowden and Mr Moody from idlewell board members will you go down to take a picture please boy M mckenny you have Snowden right I heard her I'm doing holiday cards young people we want to congratulate our holiday card winners and their teachers by having them come up while we show a digital presentation of their work we highlight this work that was completed in a visual art classroom during the instructional day Additionally the inclusion of Art and music during the instructional day increases the academic achievement of our of our district students we will continue to focus on the Arts in mscs please help me in celebrating the following students and their teachers Elementary first place Sophie caskets Snowden School Valerie Harris the art teacher second place as I call your name please come across Aubrey KAS Snowden School Miss Harris the art teacher third place Essence given John P Freeman optional School Pauline wyers art teacher honorable mention cat Catalia Rivera Jackson Elementary Shelly Owens art teacher snow day winner Joselyn Lopez sales Sheffield Elementary Jill Watts art teacher Middle School first place Arley Miranda tread willll Treadwell Miller Emily safid art teacher second Place London carer Mount pisga midle Miss Harris art teacher third place elenia gray Mount pisga middle Miss Harris art teacher honorable mention Gabrielle stamp White Station midle Miranda bavier art teacher snow day winner Kaye panada Treadwell middle Miss Safa art teacher our high school Angelina first place Angelina ton Germantown High School Ashley G art teacher second place Kennedy Matthew White Station High Sharon milum art teacher Third Place Madison D White Station High David Pentecost art teacher honorable mention Alicia Bale White Haven High Michelle milum art teacher snow day winner monum what's the last narula White Station High David Pentecost our teacher good congratulations to all of our winners e commissioner mckiss I'm sorry my apologies that's left over from a previous thank you thank you the question now is on the approval of the agenda are there any amendments Madam chair there are no amendments my legs on uh Madam chair I would like um to remove item number 10.1 proposed policies second for the second reading there being no further amendments to the agenda is there a motion for the approval of the agenda and a second motion second motion by Vice chair love second by commissioner Murphy roll call vote please commissioner mckisic I commissioner Garcia I commissioner Porter I commissioner Murphy I commissioner love I commissioner mcken I commissioner oot I commissioner Williams i b Coleman I we have nine in the affirmative thank you that motion passes we are now on to the chair's report this evening I would like for you to join me and wishing our very own board advisor Mr ran Jenkins a happy 30th birthday Dr sh will you please lead us in s Serena in him please join me happy birthday to you happy birthday to you happy birthday dear rashan Happy Birthday to you and many more at the this time I would like to take the opportunity to recognize Memphis Academy of Science and Engineering for claiming this Pro their their very first their very first ever blue crossbow secur these young men made history for being the first Charter School in in the state to win they didn't just win they won with a 36 6-4 Victory against South Pittsburgh let's give it up for them the principal is Dr Gaston and their head football coach is coach Miller let's give it up for him congratulations young men boy please take a picture yeah back conratulations thank you thank you I appreciate that thank you thank you and they came bearing gifts for us so we thank you all so much congratulations keep it going we are now on to the superintendent's report oh wait wait you can take one more picture you can go take one more I got one more at this time we would like to recognize Mr Mario Bradley Vice chair love would like to recognize I do apologize he'll be here next week we would like to recognize we'd like to ask Miss Sharon to stand please Miss Sharon has helped our sro's to become unionized so our sro's are unionized she's worked tiess entirly with them to help them so we thank you Miss Sharon and we recognize you on tonight thank you so much you got one more picture you read okay now we are on to the superintendent's report superintendent Fagan Madam chair for this evening's report we've uploaded it online for the community and printed it for you I will not read it or go through it but this is quarter 2's report comparable to quarter one uh sharing just some of the highlights uh from quarter 2 uh respectively if you would uh just some key highlights uh we focus some more on our teacher development especially after hearing from some of our new teach new teachers uh stating some of the opportunities for us to grow in uh some special programs including support for our multilingual Learners uh Community engagement of course and mentioned earlier about strengthening our Partnerships uh we give a financial overview here uh about expenditures and fiscal responsibility and then of course attendance enrollment uh just keeping up with the patterns there uh we give some of our needs and certainly highlight some of the continued challenges that we experience in a rather detailed report uh and certainly at the next meeting or in between time looking forward to questions about the same thank you we are now on to the agenda of sta staff action items the first item item on the agenda today 9.1 contract approval AT&T emergency and Security telephone services the recommendation is that the board approves the annual renewal of emergency and Security telephone lines with AT&T a sole proprietorship based in Memphis this is in the amount of $624,900 this contract term is for one year with the option to renew for an additional term 9.2 contract approval Renaissance Convention Center event rentals mscs graduations 2025 this recommendation is for the board to approve the renaissant conv convention center rental contract in the amount of $ 28,42 180 this is for graduation ceremonies to be held at the Canon Center and renaissant Convention Center doing business as Memphis Management Group uation season is approaching 9.3 approval science textbook I apologize your love superintendent a lot of schools um they're going to uh recently they had their graduations inside the church um you care to to explain um other question is you want to update on on schools that previously held their ceremonies in a church you want to know what the district stance is on that I'm going to defer to council to provide this explicit response provided uh so that we're all in one Accord uh thank you madam superintendent Madam Vice chair uh I don't know that I can speak specifically to the the district's plan moving forward but what I can say is that The Establishment Clause First Amendment of the Constitution um separation of church and state um prohibits uh the the government which we are a government entity um literally from EST establishing a religion but also um I think it's an impediment to us uh holding events and churches is something that we've certainly discussed and the reason why I asked this question because a lot of my students go to bolon high school and parents have been calling me um previously they were assigned to um um Belleview Church free of cost and now the school is looking for somewhere to to hold their graduation um does does District specify where the graduations can be held outside of church I don't I don't know what church is out yeah we are approving a contract for the uh convention center and Renaissance Center what happens if a school doesn't want to use the Renaissance Center and a uh Cook Convention Center then yeah that's not a question I can answer superintendent U Madame Vice chair so these are for schools who will hold them and we list them in the the actual item other schools like Bolton like they have theirs at their school there are some that have them in uh convention I mean other spaces other than this particular Convention Center uh there's schools like White Haven that will have them on uh the football field so will the schools be responsible for playing um paying that fee outside of the convention center and Renaissance the district the district pays is fiscally responsible that's what I was asking yes ma'am yes ma'am General councel thank you madam chair I I just want to clarify uh Madame Vice chair that uh and superintendent that these would have to be looked at on a Case by case basis um it's not across the board where it absolutely cannot we're absolutely prohibited from having vintage churches there's certain things and considerations have to be taken into place or taken under advisement um such as icon icon iconography um uh where in the church for instance if a church gym is being used or something like that so I just want to clarify there are certain limited exceptions to that but it is something to be considered something that we have to take uh into consideration on a case- by case basis when we are choosing where we're holding school events thank you we're going to stop for just a moment we ask that someone ask the young people outside we know they're excited but we it's a distraction from in here so just give us one moment please they're just making they just making the situation worse they're just making it worse that's all they doing don't they just making the situation worse they don't know how to shut up sometime when that stuff happens that make the situation worse there's not thank you for your patience we will remove we will move on 9.3 9.3 approval science textbook selection committee the recommendation is Shelby County Board of Education approves the K12 science textbook selection committee for the 2425 school year the textbook adoption committee ensures the district's textbooks are aligned with the state approved high quality instructional materials uh Madam chair is it necessary that I read the names into the record Dr Schultz it's in the item okay great because there are 63 of them okay so for clarification uh for the record this is not the purchasing of textbooks this is just for the approval of of the committee to select the science textbook in alignment with the state's uh requirements commissioner mckenny yes thank you um through the chair Dr fagin is that loaded because the version we have is not doesn't have the names it should everything should be loaded it should I see it printed but it everything that you have printed should also be loaded what they display on the screen is just a a brief presentation slide I think I see board member hu Garcia has it the actual doc documents are online as well correct okay according to the board office they're online okay she shares there's other documents attached if I hear board member mckin correctly you're sharing that in your review you're not seeing it if we could double check or if you could go to that screen you saw them 9.4 approval Carwell gir three Library core collection recommendation for approval of the purchase of books for the library core collection at cwell guthy K8 from fet content in the amount of $119,450 this is to meet the library collection standards outlined by the Tennessee State Library this requires school libraries to provide 15 to 17 items per student for a standard collection commissioner mckenny I just have a question in terms of timing um is there any reason we're just getting this because I I looked at it and we're going to get this in by the conclusion of quarter three committing um yeah the conclusion of quarter 3 so my guess my question is when is the conclusion of quarter 3 I don't have that date readily available all right could you three and that February right before spring break they're looking at uh board member mcken okay thank you okay 9.5 approval Snowden K8 Knowledge Tree Furniture recommendation is for the board to approve the furniture order in the amount of $1 165,166 from Knowledge Tree uh this is for additional Furniture necessary to uh integrate the additional technology that was previously purchased and this is to create a functional stem lab for the students in grades six through eight commissioner mckeny again that's um Snowden is in my district and I want to say that's great um do we have any other these grants that are going to be available to other schools or have any other schools gotten these grants Innovative schools model Grant specifically or just any Grant in general the grant that we're the Innovative schools model Grant is for all middle schools so all of the middle schools are going to get the same furniture and Equipment if if Dr tankson if you want to provide a little bit of clity to it good afternoon um board chair members I'm sorry good afternoon good afternoon to the superintendent um yes this is actually a grant that was funded last year so many of the middle schools have already applied uh received furniture and equipment and and computers last year is just Snowden was able to purchase um laptops and um printers last year and they're using the uh the the leftover money or the balance of the Monies to purchase furniture this year so that's what's occurring at Snowden to finish up the stem lab thank you madam chair uh returning to item 9.4 to respond to board member McKenna's question regarding when quarter three ends it's March 7th March 7th 9.6 approval Memphis Symphony Orchestra recommendation is for the board to approve the contract for services provided by Memphis Symphony Orchestra in the amount of 82,800 these Services include student engagement opportunities through tunes and Tails side-by-side concerts and the young people's concert 9.7 contract renewal Mansfield Oil Company the recommendation is for the board to approve contract renewal to Mansfield Oil Company of gainfield Incorporated from January 2nd 2024 to October 30th 2025 in the amount of $4 million this is to purchase and deliver fuel this purchase replenishes the fuel Warehouse inventory for use by all of our district vehicles and buses commissioner huitt Garcia commissioner McKenna commissioner OT thank you I was just curious if we've had any conversation about electrification of our Fleet to reduce oil costs short answer consideration yes thank you what do we have any idea what the cost difference is not yet thank you commissioner mckeny I have a question just I noticed that this crosses over two fiscal years is this something that we normally do it's not abnormal for a contract to go in through a different year comparable to like our custodial contracts so my question becomes if we're we're getting ready to get into budget season so what does I want to make sure that we're we're we're doing what we need to do to think about how we um budget for the fiscal year that we're in for full fuel costs um so that's what I wanted to ask that question since we're getting ready to get in budget season yes ma'am commissioner okay 9.8 contract approval bottle water filter purchase recommendation Granger recommendation is for the board to approve the award to WW Granger in the amount of $2,356 for the purchase of $1,800 bottled water filters at a unit cost of $624 per filter this will replenish the maintenance Parts Warehouse stock and Granger was the cheapest bidder and was awarded the bid for a unit cost of $624 uh just for additional information the filters are changed every six months so just replenishes our stock superintend do all of our schools have the bottle water filters up and running yet miss Stuart what's the latest update I recall the report but not specifically thanks hi good evening um as of today actually every single school has a working bottle filler except for one and that one will be completed by the end of the week thank you they're not all complete but every school has at least one functioning that's a lot better than where we were yes ma' thank you Vice Your Love ask my question 9.9 approval ManUp teacher fellows Incorporated the recommendation is for the board to approve the memorandum of understanding with ManUp teacher fellows uh the purpose of this is to establish a partnership with the district and ManUp teacher fellows to address teacher recruitment mentoring and development uh we're aiming to increase the number of Highly qualified Educators specifically men uh within the district particular in high need schools thank you now 9.10 contract approval study.com practice support I'm sorry I had one question about the nine um. n the man up this is a great program and I was wondering what other EP programs that we have as we try to to um increase our teacher uh our teacher positions and and fill those positions do we have other um partners beyond our district Partners I mean beyond our higher education partners are you thinking more nonprofit like this or I'm thinking about any part partners that we have that are going to help us to fill the teacher shortages okay so we can get that list to you I appreciate it Vice CH love um no response okay let me read it I read 9.10 contractor approv with study.com practice support the recommendation is for the board to approve a contract with study.com for 38,1 187.50 this is to provide additional licenses granting first and second year teachers on a permit or waiver access giving them access to study.com Library of professional certification test prep resources for the practice and the par professional exams this contract includes 6 months of access for secondary and Specialty teachers at a cost of $ 59,2 62.50 as well as 12 months of access for our elementary teachers at a cost of $78,900 professionally certified educator is that when it comes time to take the practice there is a great struggle and so this particular resource is what we'd like to make available excuse me commissioner hu Garcia commissioner mckenny this is great I'm I'm glad that we're supporting our teachers who are trying to get a permit is there any plan for professional development about how to navigate and use study.com or how to navigate or sort of test taking approaches or or tutoring that we could offer thinking through standardized tests speaking as myself who's taken practice and not an exceptional standardized test taker so just thinking about the environment are we going to have human support around this right so the team currently offers that as well so this is one more uh resource that we're adding uh So currently the professional learning team provides that uh in alignment with whatever the respective needs are from those who are showing up at the sessions I think our greatest opportunity right now it's just getting people to show up to receive the support great thank you commission mckeny thank you um I'm really invested in making sure that we get more teachers and one of the things I want to commend around this is that we are actually um supporting our first and second year teachers one of the questions I have is that is there any reason why we're doing six months for secondary and Specialty as opposed to extending them the same 12 months as we're dorm for elementary school teachers I don't have a direct response to that board member mckeny um if Mr lsen reports back in we can Circle back to the item if not I can get it to you via email right and I just want us to get that number and think about it because again we're going into budget season and this is an investment that's yeah potentially worthwhile And to clarify if I hear you correctly you the preference may be to just see both of them equal both for 12 months have them match if there's not a specific reason why they're different right and I imagine that we've got data on this and that it would be beneficial to make sure that we have um the same 12 months for all of our first and second year permit or waiver teachers so the previous contracts while this is a recurring contract there's no data available there was no monitoring for it and so we will monitor this time to be able to share that back okay thank you just want to make sure vce your love how many teachers does this uh contract calls for so we have year one there are 275 teachers who were first year uh in year two there are 430 three there are 602 for a total of 1,37 teachers currently on a permit and um I have another question if they don't pass the first test can they go back again they can retake uh and I think that's an not I think but I'm confident that's another challenge that we have is that it's expensive to continue taking the test so we are looking at considering how we might support in terms of payment uh we're also considering tuition for those who are you know in school as well so looking at a a variety of opportunities to further support but yes they can retake thank you commissioner mckeny I think one of the other things that may um supplement this is the legislative agenda that we just passed where we're trying to make sure that um there's ways to offset that cost if there's um um if they meet to a certain point or percentage point they can get um to that next level and get their and pass their practice I have no idea what it looks like and I don't want to um because I know it's a it's a difficult thing and I don't envy the teachers taking them absolutely I do sit on the state's uh committee for the teacher Pipeline and so those are some of the conversations that we've been having 9.11 approval M between Memphis Shelby County Schools and the Shelby County Health Department for HIV HIV testing the recommendation is for the board to approve the memorandum of understanding between the district and the Shelby County Health Department to expand Clinical Services through HIV my item starts to skip around nevertheless through HIV and STI testing counseling treatment education clinical training and providing proactive programs and services to the students and families within the Memphis Shelby County School System commissioner mcken Vice CH love I think this an excellent contract that the Shelby County Health Department I think I remember that Dr Taylor came in and talked about that that work and wanting to partner I understand that we're going to co collocate um in some of the um existing clinics co could you tell us how many of those clinics we have where they're located and there's some other locations have we identified any other locations and how are we identifying those locations Dr White L yes so first of all um to superintendent fagin as well as to board members I would like for us to give us a round of applause to uh Dr Taylor she is in the audience with us this afternoon so just some additional questions that we may have and Dr fagin wanted her to be in the room as we talked about this conversation so just wanted to make sure we recognize definitely we have two clinics that we will be using but also will be working uh as well because I know that we've talked about some addition sites that uh we may be able to use uh but we definitely will be talking with the health department but we will us an our two sites that we have now to for clarity Dr White Law and Dr Taylor if there's additional information have we not identified the additional locations just yet we've identified the two sites that we're currently using now that's East High School and sheffi so those are the two sites that we are starting with okay and any other we will bring that information back okay I appreciate that and I'm glad that Dr Taylor is in the room because I know that you talked about specific locations where you see a high incidence of of the um of HIV and STI so I would love for us to think about this strategically and make sure that we're in those locations that we make it very easy for our families and children to get to these clinics thank you Vice chair love commissioner m um I want to say hey to Dr Taylor um and superintendent and Angela White Law don't forget the unincorporated areas me and Amber share the unincorporated areas and you cannot forget them commissioner Murphy thank you madam chair I had the opportunity to sit with Dr Taylor um previously and we were discussing some other locations that they were working on so I hope that in the near future will'll be able to have that opportunity to have um those programs in South Memphis um I was excited to see all of the different things that they are trying to do and all the other different locations that they are trying to put um that program into and I think that it will benefit our children who are not educated on sex educ education HIV and STI so thank you Dr Taylor for that I appreciate it 9.12 contract approval amican paper and Twine paper the recommendation is for the board to approve the the award to American paper and Twine in the amount of$ 587,589 re of duplicating paper at a cost of $414 per re this is to replenish our inventory for districtwide usage 9.13 approval project aware Grant exteral evaluator contract thank you for fixing it absolutely the recommendation is for the board to approve the contract for Professional Services with EMT Associates for an external project aware evaluator this is in the amount of $95,000 and includes a term effective January 6th 2025 to January 6 2026 there are two options to renew for one year each each term for a cost of $95,000 per term these services are based on the results from a request for a quote purpose for this evaluator is to ensure compliance with the substance abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Federal performance requirements and support continuous quality improvement for the district's aware program the evaluation team will collect analyze and Report data on key performance measures to District leadership State partners and the grants project officers commissioner mckenny I have a question about this grant when did we start this grant Dr white low thank you uh superintendent fagas and board M mckenny this is our third year of the Grant and we've been awarded so this is our third year going into the grant okay do we have um that we've have we had evaluation before no we have not so this will be where we need the external evaluator based on the federal program uh so this will they will be helping us to evaluate the program as the external evaluator so we will be now taking this evaluator they'll be coming in looking at the work that we've done and the work that we have proposed to do in the future to give us Insight okay so this is the third year and this is the first year that we've been asked to do it okay well this is the third year and we just got to make sure that as we continue with the grant that we have an external valuator so this is where we are in at Phase okay thank you Dr White Law for clarity was this a requirement of the grant yes this is a requirement of the grant to have an external evaluator thank you 9.14 approval special course applications for 2526 the recommendation is for the board to approve the special course applications for the 2526 school year when high schools want to offer courses to meet specific student needs or programs that do not already have Tennessee Department of Education course codes the district has to apply for a special course code uh these courses are for grades 9 through 12 only they're considered elective courses U the district needs to renew two electives which are currently being offered that's Humanities and we the people these applications are approved by the Department of Education for a specified period of time and the current approval for the two courses expires at the end of the 2425 school year right now this year we have four high schools central Cordova Overton and White Station that are teaching one or both of these courses the total enrollment of these courses is 1,9 students 1,93 commissioner hu Garcia yeah is the We the People course I'm inferring is that a Civics and citizenship oriented course I'm sorry is that related to Civics and citizenship we the people we the people is is is it is that the name of it Bill okay yes that is that is the content yes okay I just I want to one I think it's great that we're I know this is just a a procedure here but hearing that Civics and citizenship are being taught in schools that maybe whoever is offering this course could share it with the rest of high schools that want to engage students on what it looks like uh to influence their democracy and understand it so thank you yes ma'am commissioner mckenny and on that note um that's four high schools and I think we have how many 3 35 41 41 high schools so do they have something equivalent to this in those high schools they offer Civics right so this is an elective course that aligns with uh the same uh We the People is I just wanted to make sure that the title had that correct uh Mr White is there any additional information that you can add um I mean there is a Civics course that schools can offer and certainly schools offer a variety of electives these are just some special courses that these particular um schools chose to to add to their uh course catalog now this approval will allow other schools if they want to add these particular courses to do that I noticed that the way only way that they can do it as long as they have the staff to do it because it costs an extra $85,000 to bring in a student uh another teacher is that correct yes if they had to add uh staff the average cost for a full-time teacher would be $85,000 you know now if they just wanted to add the one course and they can squeeze that in on another teacher's schedule or the one class then you know you know we're we hope that it's not going to require extra Financial Resources to offer these classes and typically schools have been able to work that out I appreciate that as that's again we're going in the budget period and I'd like for us to be strategic about what we're offering um our students as we keep talking about we want to make them career and college ready so if this is a robust curriculum that we could offer across the spectrum of high schools that would be wonderful I know that there may be some staffing constraints because not all schools can do um what some of these other schools can do one with their budget or to split their teachers as you all are are saying so I I think if that's something that is um a worth while investment I would love to see what that looks like when we come to um budget thank you 9.15 contract approval Cordova Middle School civil and paven project beist paven Service Incorporated Madam chair the recommendation is for the board to award the contract of Beasley's Paving services for $ 72,5 19 cents for the civil and Paving project this one's at Cordova Middle School uh for Paving improvements this is one of the project build projects that the board approved as a part of our Capital Improvement program Budget on June 25th 2024 specifically the parking lot and the driveway are scattered with potholes stagnating water and irregular pavement and so of course this leads to damaged cars and buses and an unwelcoming environment commissioner the Vice chair love I'm sorry superintendent um do you mind telling me the process for getting the schools repaved in terms of priority like how we prioritize so these specifically were those 56 projects that we brought for project bill just feels like forever ago uh where we determined um just based on severity of of the issue um the number of people if you will uh that are in the particular school that are impacted and affected certainly the cost uh that we had immediately available that could be provided or taken care of in the funding that was available at the time which was the 96 million I think we allocated for that and a part of that was uh erer funds as well uh so just meaning when when can we get it done uh and allocate the funds from Esser as well so a few different things determined and so we priori ized it uh and to consider by District as well uh so that certain districts weren't having uh projects more than others I would like for you to send me um my district just yours yes ma'am yeah sure will because a lot of principles been asking for it and I don't know what to tell them for clarity do you want just the project Bill projects for your District or you want specific projects that are for Paving uh both both 9.16 Cordova High School civil and pavement project Vulcan LLC uh much like the other item Madam chair this recommendation is for the board to award the contract to I suppose this is Buon LLC for $2 million for the civil and Paving project at Cordova High School again this was also approved in the project Bill project uh when the board voted on June June 25th 2024 same situation about the potholes uh The Irregular water uh and the pavement so this is at Cordova High School commissioner mckenny yes um like commissioner love if I could get the same thing because some of my schools um I think we need clarity about how we're prior the criteria of how we're prior prioritizing because I know we've got the we've got the parking lots but we also have a school that the children can't go through the front door pathway because the the cement has come up and so they have yellow tape around that and so they have to come in through the side so I just want to make sure that um I can explain to them what the how we're doing this and they can see for themselves when they're going to get um there things dealt with in their in their schools and outside of their schools sure we will take the weekly report that we give and we'll just parse out your specific districts and send them to you individually if that's okay commissioner otai thank you chair um I just want to say thank you uh superintendent um Michelle thank you for noticing this issue that we have over there um some of the teachers have said we have C ERS in SOS in Cordova uh parking lot and I've been over there I was just there yesterday we truly do need that support so uh looking forward to getting this work done uh for Cordova 9.17 contract approval Ridgeway High School civil and pavement pavement Improvement project and this item is for the board to approve the contract of Yukon with no alternate selected for $94,500 and this is for the civil and Paving project at Ridgeway High School again this is the same as the previous two items uh just providing asphalt paving patches or providing new Paving striping and accessories uh this also ensures that we're in compliance with uh Ada uh and improving traffic patterns and driving conditions as well thank you for Ridgeway High School it's much needed 9.18 eight contract approval Snowden School civil and Paving Improvement project again a series of Paving this one is for Snowden School uh in the amount of $47,476 just point a personal privilege thank you yes ma'am 9.19 contract approval Overton High School civil and pav and Improvement again this is for uh the board to or requesting the board to approve the contract of Yukon for $75,900 for the civil and Paving project this one is at Overton High School truly appreciate that one that it's it's pretty bad but thank you 9.20 contract approval Crump Stadium track resurfacing A&B Construction Company the recommendation is for the board to approve the contract to A and B construction company this is for for 63,5 120 $422 40 this is for the track resurfacing at Crump Stadium 9.21 contract approval kingsberry Middle School and High School underground gas line replacement Damian Marcus again these are all project Bill we just want to ensure that the public understands that we're fulfilling our commitment to those 56 projects and so this one is is a request for the board to award the contract to Damon Marcus for four Damon Marcus Incorporated for $421,000 this is for the underground gas line replacement at Kingsbury middle and high school yes ma'am 9.22 contract approval Fran Corning Elementary School foundation repair APS facility maintenance this is requesting the board to approve the contract to APS facility maintenance in the amount of $455,500 this is for foundation repair at Frasier Corning Elementary again this is another one of our project build projects approved in June repairing these cracks repairing these cracks uh will prevent further wa water intrusion uh and prevent the widening and causing uh from other other building issues as a result thereof of course water intrusion into a building weakens and eventually ruins other things that you hear us report about the HVAC systems uh ceilings floors and walls Vice chair Love Point a personal uh gratitude because this is my district and they need it yes ma'am 9.23 contract approval razel Elementary School foundation repair AP s facility maintenance again this request is for the board to award the contract uh to APS facility maintenance in the amount of 24865 and10 this is for foundation re repair at razelle elementary again another one of our project build projects 9.24 contract approval Cordova High School sports field lien project Barnes and BR Incorporated another one of our project build projects recommendation is for the Bo to award the contract to Barnes and brow Brower Incorporated for $443,900 this is for the lighting at the sports field at Cordova High School 9.25 contract approval Bolton High School sports field lightning project Iko LED lightning Incorporated this is requesting the board to award the contract to IO LED lighting Incorporated for $646,000 for the sports field lighting replacement and this is at South Wind high school 9.27 kingsb high school field lightning Project A and B Construction Incorporated this is to award the contract to A and B Construction Incorporated for $416,000 75150 this is for the sports field lighting replacement at Kingsbury middle and High School 9.28 Germantown High School gy floor replacement Amendment Covington floring Company Incorporated board this is a request to extend the contract that we have in place uh to April 15 2025 due to the required additional work uh with Covington Flooring Company Incorporated this is in the amount of $ 34,1 121 so again this work has already started um but in the process additional work was uh deemed necessary uh the original contract for Germantown High School was to replace was for wood for floor replacement and that was approved August 27th of last year and so as the pro the uh project progressed the demolition of this floor unveiled a wet concrete slab with higher than normal moisture uh and that prohibits the new floor system uh from being completed and so this is to extend the contract and it is an additional amount of $34,100 9.29 contract Amendment crumwell Elementary School Norris achievement Academy and Shrine School HVAC upgrades this is to replace the hvacs uh at these respective schools uh the request is to approve to approve the amendment to the contracts 225-1921 one2 and 20 25- 0113 to amend the final completion dates from July 30th 2025 to December 10th 2025 so there's no dollar amount just extend the time no dollar amount and we are working on this this was an administrative error and so the contract uh end date should have been December 10th as opposed to July 30th for all three schools yes ma'am for all three schools thank you commissioner Murphy thank you so much uh Madam Madam chair Madam superintendent uh this is much needed is of my schools in my district so I do appreciate it it even being on for approval they have have been having issues with the air and the heat so I appreciate that thank you so much yes ma'am 9.30 approval administration building Germantown High School and sherfield High School fire alarm upgrades the recommendation is to approve the contracts for fire alarm upgrades at the Barnes administration building and Sheffield High School these projects are anticipated to be completed by December 15th 2025 the total cost for the administration building is $531,500 madam chair we removed Germantown High School it should not show on anyone's it should not okay so I'll make the correction on the record that we removed German toown High School in consideration for uh of uh just selecting new buildings and then just placing our money where we need to with an understanding that will be shifting soon so we we remove ger High School okay from 9.30 it should not be in yours uh in terms of a fire alarm upgrade does the number stay the same the number is still the same administration building and Sheffield high school fire alarm upgrades is how it should read the information in the item should only reflect the administration building fire alarm upgrade and the Sheffield high school high school fire alarm upgrade um Germantown Germantown High School was removed it is removed from remember germant toown high school is in the um consideration for the new east region High School uh so relocating there which just want to be mindful about our investments uh and so the total investment for that we can share it with the board I don't remember it off the the top of my head um but it's quite significant uh and demonstrating that investment while we're thinking about and we know we have to have a new building we just want it to be mindful Commission Murphy commiss commission Vice chair love um mam superintendent how much of the 64 million do we have left when all these projects are completed for clarity Vice chair are you when you say 64 million are you referring to the total project build um deferred a part of the 64 million deferred maintenance cost after these Investments you're asking how much will we have left yeah Mr Langston are we understanding the question as presented 64 million was approved by the board last uh this budget year um we are approving several contracts I want to know how much do we have left after we approve this uh contract Madam thank you madam superintendent uh board members uh board member love I understand your question I'll have to give it get it back to you but with the understanding that um we had 56 projects that we set aside the 64 million for so you might not see them all today that anything you've seen up until this point I'll give you that number then what's left just be mindful that we've allocated they're coming they're probably just out to be for now if that makes sense thank you yes ma'am commissioner h Garcia I just want to clarify we keep saying 64 million I thought it was 94 million for phase one that we approved in our general budget is 94 million and how is that different from the update that we get in our weekly insights about phase one progress like is that are we talking about two different things go ahead Mr L thank you uh board member Garcia for your question it's the same thing the $64 million is allocated for the general fund total is $94 million we did a a combination of using air and general funds f balance and eler if that makes sense but to your point it's all on Project bill but if we needed to add a I heard board member love asking us to as we add a project go and give the board a um running total of what we used up to date so uh taking and then we'll we'll we'll share that with the board this week in the board Insight okay thank you 9.31 approval three land purchased sales agreement termination notices the recommendation is for the board to approve the three termination notices for the land purchase sales agreements to feral Paving one agreement agreement and Aaron Land Development uh those are two agreements uh this is to terminate these agreements uh that were approved for the purchase of the land where we were going to build the new east region High School additional background needed I actually had a question about the previous um item so as I think about us doing the de deferred maintenance and having that budget of 94 million and I know that we have to spend most of it the eser funds which was what 64 million of that was 64 million is that correct 30 okay I'm just thinking about we're getting the facilities report and I'm thinking about just like we had to pull germant toown out because we're not going to have germant toown anymore have we done a crosswalk when we get that facilities report around what we said we're going to do now and then what those facilities look like and then is there opportunity for us to think strategically about maybe we need to um how we use those dollars um depending on what the priorities are in particular schools and whether those schools are going to be something that we're going to put more money in or we're going to think about how we get better facilities um maybe use that money so I'm just asking have we done the crosswalk between the two a crosswalk immediately no this item we literally just pulled so it's the first one um that we committed to on the project build spreadsheet and we're not actually following through with yeah I I get that but I'm saying we have a project build spreadsheet and we have all of these buildings that we're going to do things to so with all that that list I wanted to know given the I we haven't seen the facilities report yet so are we doing a crosswalk between what we're planning on investing here and what that facilities plan says what the facilities assessment says so I saw on here we got a 111 year old building um and we're about to put some money into a 111 year old building and so my question becomes is that the best use of our money and it may have to be because we can't do anything um about it but this is a good opportunity for us to think strategically about working with our partners at the County Commission um helping us figure out how we um build new and better for our students where it makes sense particularly since we'll have the facilities um planned as well or the assessment so I I'm just asking us to think strategically yes yes ma'am so to make sure I answered your question no we have not done an immediate crosswalk just yet but yes we do understand in general uh a Strategic investment of the funds all things considered age of buildings as well 9.32 approval memorandum of understanding between the Shelby County government and Memphis Shelby County Schools exceptional education on behalf of incarcerated youth the recommendation is for the board to approve the memorandum of understanding between the Shelby County Government and the district on behalf of incarcerated youth with exceptionalities this is to establish policies and practices for the development and implementation of incarcerated youth facilities in the Shelby County jails and Shelby County Division of Correction facilities this is specifically for students ages 18 to 22 and the Juvenile Detention Facility for students under the age of 18 the current number of students served uh as of December I anticipated as of December 11th 202 four and the Shelby County jails is 27 at the penal Farm it's eight and at Hope Academy 16 again um this is to ensure that those students are receiving their services and rights under the individuals with disabilities Education Act and I believe there was a question via email where we had a limited conversation but this goes along with that commissioner mckenny yes um we all received the email from commissioner um County Commissioner Sugarman about um the enrollment at the youth um detention or Center and also whether there were um I know there's a bunch of issues around who brings students to the classroom and so that's something outside of our our purview what I am um I want to make sure that we're clear for um the public and for board members and also for um County um commissioner Sugarman is that um we do have those services available um right or is this this contract is a continuation of one that we already have or is this one just help me to understand whether this is a continuation we didn't have any Gap do we have any this is uh the recommendations for the annually updated mou uh so this is already existing uh and we're just bringing it here but yes short answer yes we did it already exists okay we did not have a gap it has to be renewed we didn't have a gap right we did not have a gap make sure okay there was no Gap 9.33 contract approval comp Tia the recommendation is for the board to approve the contract and award to CompTIA in the amount of $138,700 for the purchase of postsecondary supplies and materials needed for students to earn uh their CompTIA and Mos credentials and test out platform to prepare students for attaining industry cred credentials specifically this is for students who are enrolled in web design cyber security uh coding programs of study uh so that um they can get the online training Hands-On Labs exam prep instructional tools all in one single platform and these students are also taking office management there are a host of classes that they take so this allows our industry credentials to be afforded to these students commissioner Porter Vice chair love commissioner mckenny Madam chair Madam superintendent I was uh reading this earlier and and I am really excited to see from 2021 to 2024 we had 307 students to earn their industry certifications uh and I hope those students are doing well I know what U having certifications and and degrees can just Skyrocket their career I do have two questions about classroom instruction I would like to see how many CCT teachers that we have or doing yeah CCT teachers that we have to um that's teach in these classes and how much time is actually allocated towards um towards those uh courses and another thing is um you know as we talk about strengthening the middle schoolers see how we can offer these courses to at least eighth graders to your first question for clarity would you like a general list of CCT teachers or teachers specifically teaching the courses relevant to this item just relevant to this item yet um how many teachers are teaching come come to your classes and perfect to your second question we are a master scheduling season and we are consistently looking at and thinking about how we expand many of these courses where available um to our middle school students uh to begin the pathway earlier so yes and I also want to give a shout out to the uh dual enrollment Department as well because I know they do a lot of hard work just just overseeing those students and make sure they get to class and taking those online courses as well absolutely thank you commissioner mckenny okay um I have a question about the um both of these I guess it's the next three contracts and the certifications these were um can you explain to me these were the platforms for them to do test preparation for the certifications also get the certifications as well is there any reason that we're doing it in mid semester as opposed to having it um having this contract signed at the beginning of the year Dr richond are you familiar with the end date of the previous contract is that the reason or is there a different reason thank you superintendent and board member McKenna uh in relationship to these particular contracts um for some reason they were uh overlooked and so we're bringing them now because we know our students in schools need them and so my team and I assume responsibility for that 9.34 approval career safe OSHA 10 recommendation is for the board to approve the request for the purchase of employability site licenses and OSHA 10hour General Industry from career safe this is in the amount of 97,7 198 for students to attain industry credentials who are enrolled in entrylevel courses 9.35 approval internet creative educational videos recommendation is for the board to approve the contract and award to cev multimedia Ltd in the amount of $176,700 contract approve Vantage learning LLC the recommendation is for the board to approve the contract with Vantage learning LLC in the amount of $138,600 our soup schools the program enhances student anticipate we anticipate that it will enhance student writing skills and assists with the Benchmark testing and state test preparation and the list of schools is included in the item is this a continuation Dr Richmond I think this is new correct no I think this is a continuation there's a typo in relationship to ninth grade it should be sixth grade 6 through 10 uh this is a continuation as part of our turnaround action grant for our priority schools so my access has been used before we just don't have previous outcomes yes do we have the outcomes Miss kind do you have a microphone okay if we could get the previous outcome if those are available so we can make them available to the board and the public and we'll be sure to include these items or the data and items moving forward comparable to this thank you Vice Your Love um superintendent this is just for the priority schools so 21 of the soup schools is for just 21 yes ma'am yes ma'am 9.37 approval contract renewal recommendation City University School of Independence Charter renewal recommendations Leadership Preparatory Power Center Academy Elementary Hickory Hill and Granville T Woods Academy of innovation the recommendation is for the board to adopt the approval of renewal applications for lead Leadership Preparatory Power Center Academy Elementary Hickory Hill and Grand Bill T Woods Academy of innovation for an additional 10-year Charter term Miss Parker City University is included in the title we don't name it in the rec recommendation is there yes ma'am is there a separate one yes ma'am there he is it's coming up somewhere on the opposite side it's not included in the item that the board the item that the board members have they only show those schools that I read aloud do we have information on City University School of independ Ma I do if you if you would like for me to proceed yes ma'am thank you uh it is recommended uh that the Board of Education Shelby County Board of Education adopts the denial of the renewal application for City University School of Independence for an additional 10-year Charter term so it sounds like we need to separate these items in their in their item um they're all listed and so let me just start over board if if I may for for clarity here I don't see the denial Miss Parker or Dr Richmond actually as an item for the board yes ma'am we can clearly separate it um as it's presented on the screen I think they're all in one paragraph um in the board briefing that's on the screen okay uh for for clarity with the board like to separate it or I can read just if that's more helpful okay okay so I'll start with the approval okay so that's the item that I've read um to to adopt the approval and I'll just read it again of renewal applications and this is for Leadership Preparatory Power Center Academy Elementary Hickory Hill and Grandville T Woods Academy of innovation yes ma'am this is to adopt the approval of the renewal applications and this is for a 10-year Charter term okay the recommendation is for the board to adopt the n we had questions about that one okay so I have a question about all of them but particularly about the um denial I the policy says that we use nine years I understand that the law says M let us finish with the adopt first and then we'll do the denial okay okay well actually go ahead with that okay fin explain the adopt for the adopt yeah so renewal applications were required to be submitted by April 1st of 2024 uh the Public Charter School renewal application must contain a report of the public charter schools operations including students standardized test scores financial statements and audits for the eight years immediately preceding the date of the renewal application renewal sites visits were completed in the final year of each schools Charter term and that was as of September 2024 so this renewal decision is based on the report and the evaluation as required by TCA 491 3120 uh and the Tennessee Charter law states that a renewal of a charter agreement shall be for a period of 10 academic years and you have access to the individual reports in your blue folder so chair this is AC are you recognizing me okay this is across the board just a general question um I know that our policy says we're supposed to look at the N last nine years I know that state law says eight but I would like for us um to ask general counsel to take a look at this not asking you for your opinion right now but definitely before come up against the the date um could you let me know whether our policy is in conflict with the law because as I read it it is a floor and not a ceiling in terms of the8 years uh War bik I'll take a look at that you I'm not putting you on about to do it now um so with that said I would just I know that our policy also says if there's a non-renewal that they have an opportunity to to um tell us I I think we have to be um they have to tell us why and we have to give the um the school that's being rep um represented is saying no the non renewal we have to then um give them an opportunity if we ask for them to give us an opportunity to tell us why we should renew them but across the board I'm just asking should the data that we use again going back to the policy before 9 years or 8 years so that's what I want to make sure we're clear on commissioner mckisic thank you chair just wanted to make sure I'm clear on as far as the status of the schools that were recommending for approval that um how they are performing uh superintendent regarding District run neighborhood schools or schools there are near in proximity uh Miss Parker do we have an immediate comparison I know that um one school earned a b and two schools earned a c on their year eight data according to the report card um is there additional data board member mckisic that would prove helpful in terms of enrollment just looking at the report here power Cent Center Academy Elementary Hickory heel is at 107% enrollment capacity um they have in grades K through five they're at 724 in terms of enrollment looking at Leadership Preparatory Charter School K8 they're at about 92.8% enrollment capacity which schools were the B and which two schools were C Miss Parker I would be happy to share that information with you so uh Leadership Preparatory Charter School received a letter grade of a b uh for the 2223 school year and that's year eight and that's why um we're stopping at that particular year year based on state law uh the other two schools uh Power Center Academy Elementary Hickory Hill and gville T Woods Academy of in Innovation uh those were letter grade C in 2223 now of course we do have 23 24 data uh but again we're stopping at that year eight data as uh it says in State Statute if we can make sure that the public document is updated to reflect I have the information that just one school has this and two schools have this if we could just state which one yes ma'am I can definitely do that on it yes ma'am thank you okay the recommendation is the board to adopt the denial of the renewal application for City University School of Independence for an additional 10-year Charter term City University School of Independence was approved in 2013 they opened in Memphis in 2015 to serve a capacity of 180 students in grades 9 through 12 in the White Haven Neighborhood of the Southwest District region that currently has a 10th grade cohort of 14 students renewal applications of course were due um by April 1st um just pulling out the relevant information here uh the school's interim 5-year report status in 201920 was severely off track um schools that are recommended for nonrenewal they don't meet the 3.0 or better in each of the core components which are academics operations and finance of the performance accountability framework and City University School of Independence has either below a 3.0 standard in academics or has not met the threshold to obtain testing data throughout the majority of its Charter term City University School of Independence has been vastly under enrolled for much of their Charter term the school has not earned a tdoe to Tennessee Department of Education School letter grade for the past two consecutive years listed as not eligible for a letter grade due to Falling below the threshold for the number of students tested of the 14 students five students would transfer to a school that has a lower SPS level than the standard 3.0 six students would go to a school that has higher level than the 3.0 and then three students would go to a previous achievement School District school that transitioned to The District in 2024 25 therefore the data is not applicable if the school closes the nine licensed teachers nine would remain employed or could remain employed to continue providing Educational Services as normal to City University liberal arts U that they dually serve uh in preparation if the board approves the denial of the reapplication then we will host the office of charter schools will host two parent Community meetings to discuss the rationale behind the non-renewal the closure timeline and then inform parents of the next steps for enrolling students in new schools for the upcoming school year the denial would become effective at the close of this school year the district could gain up to 14 students this is just the financial impact uh and from the Clos Ure of City University School of Independence could retain state and local funds up to $99,500 fee of $4,475 would be forfeited by the district with the closure we are now on to board items 10.1 has been removed 10 oh that's good that's good yes yeah 10.2 discussion potential sale of former Lester school and former night Road Elementary the recommendation is for the board to declare Surplus and approve the sale of Lester school at 320 Carpenter Street Memphis Tennessee 38112 to approve this sale to Capstone education group for $2.6 million it's recommended that the board declare Surplus and approve the sale of the former night Road Elementary School at 32 37 night Road Memphis Tennessee 38118 also to Capstone education group this for $1.65 million schools $1.65 million Capstone education group is a charter operator and they've made offers to purchased two District properties both Lester school and the former night Road Elementary School Lester school has been operated by Cornerstone prep for the achievement school district for 10 years they're now authorized by the Tennessee Charter Commission State law stipulates that the district must either lease or sell the facility to the previous Charter operator the appraisal is 2.5 million the offer is 2.6 million the facility condition assessment for Lester identifies 9 million in 10-year maintenance needs at night Road students from former night Road Elementary School were merged into the new Parkway Village Elementary in 2019 this building has been occupied by various District Administrative departments and virtual schools for the past four years virtual schools is the current is currently the only occupant Capstone operates Cornerstone Preparatory Elementary which is authorized by the Tennessee Charter commission approximately 2 miles from the night Road building and again state law stipulates that charter schools have the right of first refusal to lease or purchase any underutilized or vacant District facility the appraisal is 750,000 the offer is for 1.65 million the facility condition assessment for night Road identifies 7 .7 million in 10year maintenance needs with with a leas agreement just to place it on the record the district is still responsible for 10year maintenance needs the district currently receives 4.25 million in proceeds and removes two Surplus facilities uh from its inventory is what we anticipate being the outcomes from these sales superintendent what would happen to the virtual school students that are at night Ro now they have been approved to remain there Miss Stewart is that correct with some stipulations I believe yes ma'am they um have been approved to remain there until we find a place uh where we would like to relocate them in the future Vice chair love um how many students are we talking about for virtual schools yeah remember the students are virtual uh the staff is in person about how many staff are there about 20 staff staff not students yes ma'am staff I got you yeah how many about 20 staff yeah superintendent Dr Richmond yes we don't have students there fulltime I made a mistake pardon me uh staff I was talking about staff yeah staff are there but students we do have office hours so for students who are struggling virtually they can stop in for uh office hours I just want to give that caveat commissioner o turn your life off commissioner hu Garcia thank you I just want to C we are selling the buildings correct that's correct okay so I take this as one I know these individuals have been interested in these buildings I shared a smile because this has been an inquiry for many years so I think they're going to be thrilled it I read it that we are um avoiding $16 million in defer maintenance getting that off of our roles and then bringing in about $4.1 million in cash and we are re ired by law to um give first right of refusal to charter school so I think this is a positive for our overall facility needs thinking about the $4 million that's going to be able to be used for projects and then also just the liability we have of Aging buildings that that are we can do we can collocate and relocate so I think this is great absolutely part of our real estate plan uh sale as much as possible for proceeds uh and to be able to divert those funds into projects uh that we have for buildings that remain commissioner mcki thank you chair I just want to Echo that uh my colleague that the benefit of this and also to speak to um staff being moved from that location it's been my experience just as a parent when my son was taking virtual classes as well that um had wonderful when he had needed some extra help had some wonderful intervention all virtually and so that's the beauty of virtual school and this generation they love to do everything via text and so um the teacher was extraordinarily accommodating and um so hopefully we uh can get this taken care of thank you 10.3 approval policy change to board policy 10:15 by board member Michelle mckisic chair okay just want want to make sure I was being called upon yes ma'am I'm sorry thank you I just wanted to speak to this for my colleagues I do plan to send this to committee for further discussion but I wanted to um illuminate my mindset my reasoning for bringing policy 10:15 when it was first brought uh back in September or actually was the concept was introduced back in August by a previous board member uh it was meant to try to streamline things to help things out it has created uh some challenges and so um that was my my motivation for bringing it forth to try to write it and so um after having a very vigorous conversation with our wonderful general counsel and you know we said that we would work toward how can we make this better in terms of communication um for the board and uh interaction as far as you know when legal counsel is needed so a lot was tied up in this policy when it it was first introduced and it was rushed through quite honestly uh just in one as in one meeting and I want to make sure that we we get it right and we also um honor the the essence of what the policy was trying to suggest so that is why I am uh recommending that we send this to committee for further discussion we're going to work vigorously uh with the general counsel to make sure we get it right thank you okay we can take it back to committee for February committee meeting okay okay 10.4 approve a resolution to retain superintendent Dr Marie fagin board member Hugh Garcia uh thank you before I address this item I I had a chat with the parliamentarian and I just want to share um there's going to be a little bit of cleanup the language of of the resolution will stay the same and I will talk about that but if if the parliamentarian I get one question I have is that um we can't have another resolution that is contradictory to another main motion yet I do not see the termination resolution on the agenda agenda so is this any longer in conflict with another main motion okay so what uh I'll let the parliamentarian make sure I don't miss anything but essentially I am going to move to amend um the resolution for termination with this as a substitute um to replace that so they are not um and so next week you will still see that you see slightly different language that this is going to be a substitute resolution but I'll let the parliamentarian uh share the official response here yes if that is okay with the chair he can he may respond yes pleas pleasure to be with you folks after a certain number of times around the sun it's nice to be anywhere um this is a little hard to grasp um and it's a little hard to explain under Roberts a main motion has special characteristics you have a main motion that was brought it was moved and seconded and it now sits in committee so it's within the control of the board you cannot have another main motion on that same topic um because what happens if you approve them both then they're in conflict with each other so Roberts doesn't allow that however it can be brought as a substitute for what is currently before the board and that'll happen when it comes before the board at the next meeting ahe thank you I'd like just to share why I'm bringing this resolution tonight I want to lay out a path of redemption for this board uh because the superintendent has indicated that she wants to continue in the job and I I personally want to continue to work with her I've heard the things that I've outlined in this resolution are really getting at the core issues that were brought in the termination resolution um and we watched our District's funding body yesterday call upon some of the same things that I have outlined that there is a strong need for governance along with other things um the real this is not a criminal trial as we've talked about in the past the real question before my colleagues is do you want to work with Dr fagin if the answer is yes or maybe let's make sure this resolution addresses any pain points and we and we move through this and model what it looks like to problem solve for our students so this is the this is what I want to bring into the room to have a real conversation about what can look different so would you like me to read the resolution no I can give an overview I think it is I think it is important what I am actually laying out without reading the full context or reading the full text here is that I called out what are the the professional organizations that set standards for both superintendent and school boards we have codes of conduct um analysis of what um makes a good board M makes a good superintendent so the core um components of this are really four things I'm calling for stronger internal controls so we've we've brought things like deadlines and rfps enhanced staff training um missing deadlines analyzing workload um and there are Tennessee C troller standards around this so tightening that up and figuring out what resources we need um communication Improvement this is not only just necessary um it is actually required in Dr Fagan's current contract so not only deciding on that but implementing it um a human capital analysis make sure we have the right people in the right places doing the work if we want to move the district forward and then board governance training beyond what is required of us and that is required by uh State Board of Education rules and regulations I am asking for us to get a third party to assess how we all work together and provide profession professional training over the next year in my in my resolution I've I proposed that we move that to may I heard the County Commission wants to see it in April so I plan to align with what they're requesting of us as well under no circumstances no matter what happens we need that um and then throughout that accountability at monthly meetings through the superintendent and chair of report and then with initial resources brought forth before the body through our budget Retreat that we have coming up and through the budget process no later than June 30th I really I want to change the dialogue and the temperature and the expectations of ourselves and my constituents the community and anyone any one who spoken on this has said at minimum we need more time and so I am advocating for Dr fagin to have more time to do the job that she was hired to do so I hope my colleagues will consider this next week I will bring some uh small amendments to this um and look forward to a vote commissioner mckenny commissioner mckiss commissioner mckiss she gave to you first thank you I would like to sign on to this resolution um with board member hu Garcia because the community wants us to do our job and to come together and to listen to them I had a meeting with the president of both teachers unions today and it's very rare to have the two teachers unions come together to say we are united they know of their membership across this District they're in school buildings all all day long and this is what they are hearing from the Educators who are actually in the classroom with our students and they wanted to share on behalf of their members who reached out to them to say that time that's all they're asking for to have real actual data to judge a superintendent on and the time to actually do the job she's been in this role less than the interim superintendent prior to her and another principal told me as well that when you're in a job when he was a firsttime principal it's like no matter the level of training that you're bringing to it there's nothing like on the job training and what you learn and glean and grow and work working together and so uh in that spirit I hope my board colleagues will really move toward time we all need time we all need to grow together there is never a day where you cannot be better we all need to be better the superintendent she knows that there's concerns that I've addressed with her all of us have no one's saying that anybody is perfect but the time to work on things and I think this resolution really strikes at the heart of that of dialing it back none of us are enemies with the goal of what we're trying to accomplish here we want to help children that should be at the core of this and our community is crying out for us to do that so um I'm in support of this resolution and I hope my colleagues as well will support it commissioner mckenny commissioner Porter thank you on December 17th and subsequent to that I am committed to um my constituents and to the community that I would let you all know what my concerns are so as an elected school board members we carry a heightened responsibility to our students parents teachers School leaders staff superintendent and the larger Community Guided by federal state and local policies laws and regulations as well as our own policies our positions give us unique insight into District Operations it is important to recognize that our district is a $1.8 billion entity serving over 100,000 students and employing 14,000 staff members this scale requires leadership capable of managing its complex complexity with transparency foresight and collaboration Dr fagins has made notable efforts during her tenure such as project build Community huddles teacher engagement and the introduction of the legacy of Legends program these initiatives demonstrate her willingness to engage with stakeholders and address specific needs however multiple things can be true at the same time a leader can Implement positive programs and make changes that we agree with and still demonstrate deficits that hinder the district's overall success bringing me to my areas of immediate concern student achievement and graduation Staffing and dismantling of student support systems without clear plans or internal controls a pattern of mismanagement and failing to follow policy and employment contract terms insubordination and lack of transparency and a pattern of leader order point of order this is outside the resolution no I'm just simply mirroring the point of order this is out outside the resolution the you're asking us you're asking for us to support a substitute motion so so I am now saying this is why I am not first I am deeply concerned about the immediate and tangible impacts on student achievement and graduation Readiness caused by leadership shortcomings as late as August 15th point of order the goal posts keep changing here the goal posts keep changing point of order Dr Schulz please weigh in Dr Schulz I just asked Dr Schultz I just asked him and he said that she is within her rights I be quiet Murphy thank you thank you commissioner Murphy for like than be quiet I just ask as late as August 15th nine days after the start of school principals reported that essential academic tools like the grade recourse recovery platform and ACT prep materials were unavailable due to contract expirations this delay hindered critical grade recovery efforts and limited students ability to prepare for standardized tests that are vital for college admissions and scholarships similarly certification programs such as CompTIA test out and career safe OSHA 10 were left unfunded until we received the contracts today halfway through the school year directly jeopardizing our students ability to earn the credentials required for career Readiness and ready graduate status these gaps in academic resources coupled with delays and and foundational curriculum such as the personal finance course for seniors placed our students at a significant disadvantage in meeting graduation requirements second the dismantling of critical student support systems without a clear strategy for implementation of an alternative structure that ensured all areas of need were covered has harmed the district's ability to serve its most vulnerable populations namely the elimination of the student equity Department responsible for federal civil rights compliance bullying investigations and disability support was executed without a clear transition plan this has appeared to leave significant gaps in Services essential to ensuring equity and safety for our students additionally similar issues surrounded the decision and failure to provide an alternative to proximity learning for virtual teachers exacerbating and already critical teacher shortage this decision delayed access to one 100 certified teachers and threatens high school students abilities to meet graduation requirements furthermore the lack of transparency and planning around the elimination of hundreds of positions Des despite the board's request on June 11 2024 for a clear restructure plan outlining the impacts on student achievement budget and District Operations has resulted in significant operational inefficiencies these shortcomings have created backlogs in hiring pay disparities and gaps in essential student services further undermining staff morale and the district's ability to function effectively third there is a troubling pattern of mismanage it failur to toere to establish policies and contractual obligations and misrepresent misrepresentations for a instance the superintendent's unauthorized presentation of the District budget to the city C city council and County Commission in direct violation of policy 20001 and state law demonstrates a disregard for governance protocol additionally delays in approving essential contracts left principles and teachers without the resources they needed to effectively deliver instruction the superintendent's micromanagement of overtime policies further disrupted operations contributing to First dat of school HVAC failures and other systemic issues instead of acknowledging the failure and her part in it Dr Fagan chose to deflect and avoid taking responsibility due to her refusal to allow over time to address known HVAC system failures these examples highlight a broader pattern of neglecting the processes necessary to ensure the smooth functioning of our district and opportunities for professional growth and development finally Dr Fagan's leadership has been characterized by a lack of transparency strategic implementation and collab collaboration the students superintendance leadership has failed to provide equable access to Common formative assessments across the district contract delays and bidding issues have left priority schools without essential tools to track student progress effectively forcing many schools to rely on limited funds or improvised methods like chat GPT despite repeated board requests there have been no Clarity or comprehensive plan to resolve these issues reflecting a broader failure of responsiveness and foresight in leadership decisions to let curriculum contracts expire were made without analyzing the previous year's academic data and an academic audit was commissioned only after these decisions were implemented this reactive approach raises serious questions about the superintendent's commitment to datadriven decision-making furthermore reports of a climate of fear and intimidation among staff have eroded trust and stifled Innovation leaving our district without the cohesive leadership it needs to succeed while I acknowledge and appreciate the positive contributions Dr fagin has made during her tenure the totality of issues outlined here with documentation I've provided to our attorney cannot be ignored these concerns spanning academic impacts operational failures and Leadership deficits require us to carefully evaluate whether the current leadership aligns with the needs of our district and the success of our students as a board we must reflect on our responsibilities and commit to growth and development at the same time we must sure ensure that we have a superintendent who can build the trust necessary for Effective collaboration with the board this partnership is essential to moving the district forward and addressing the challenges we Face our decisions in this process will shape the future of our district and I remain committed to ensuring that our path leads to stability equity and success for all it is with this commitment that I raise these concerns and advocate for a leadership approach that truly meets the district needs of our district I'd like for everyone to think of of our school system as a train with its many cars representing the interconnected components of our educational system elementary middle high schools special education student support services and administrative operations each car is crucial to the overall functioning of the train and together they carry the most important cargo our students the superintendent serves as the conductor task with ensuring the train runs smoothly and safely the board acts as the control tower ensuring the train stays on track and identifying obstacles ahead that passengers or crew in individual cars may not see while some in the cars may feel everything is fine the control Tower's Vantage Point reveals challenges and dangers that must be addressed before they derail the journey while the conductor fails to act on These Warnings excuse me when the conductor fails to act on These Warnings or maintain the Train's operations effec effectively the entire system suffers cars can disconnect delays occur and the most vulnerable passengers our students are left stranded this is the situation we face today where leadership failures have jeopardized the stability and progress of our district commissioner hu Garcia Amber you can say he's light I believe board member mckisic was before me but commissioner Porter did you have some I'm not being funny a simple no could have done um you had a point of view already you had a point of view before you took your seat um you've had a point of view that was constantly reinforced by look crossing the line of governance our job is not to to execute the work it is it is to ask questions about the outcomes and it is maddening to hear the the dis the tone and the severity of which you framed things in response to to this is so um it's disrespectful uh it's it's it's deeply concerning because I I am somebody who tries to see the perspectives of others I I really do and I stand firm and giving more time to Dr fagins and just as a closing my I might talk again because I don't know what's happening here but I just want to address her father you saw I spent 704 minutes on the phone with her so I built a strong relationship with her I'm sorry you have to watch this um and thank you for being here thank you for our community memb showing up we are I am trying to intellectualize something that is non-intellectual here so uh I am standing firm where I am at Community yall do what you need to do commissioner mckiss your board member reporter he's not he he turned his light off it's you all right so Dr Schultz uh chair if I may um when it comes to next week we are to stay focused on what is being proposed in terms of being a substitute of of this agenda whether we support it or not that's going to be the focus correct or tell me please sir it's been a long meeting I as they say on TV I'll rephrase the question uh so as as far as moving forward and what are the next steps now with this substitute um resolution and how we'll move forward come next week what what does that can you tell us what that would look like next week the uh committee is required to report I don't know what your report is going to be I don't know if you've actually thought about that we haven't actually had education on what happens in a committee uh but you do have a motion it had a second and it was sent to a committee and it will come back out of committee that is what will be before you okay at that time you have choices to make you can move to amend it in a variety of ways you can amend words within it you can do a blanket one which is a substitute Amendment that's basically strike out and insert all the words strike out all the words and insert all new words um when that happens if if you do it that way which is I believe the the direction it is going um you will be you can make improvements to both documents at that time both both sets and you will have a vote as to whether you wish to amend by substitution if you do not amend by substitution then the original one is what you will be voting on that's a substantive item if you do amend by substitution then the substitute will be the one that you will be voting on in your final analysis okay thank you thank you Dr Schulz for that extraordinarily detailed response um I just want to emphasize again to my board colleagues every one of us has one vote one vote and no one's vote is more important than the others on this board and it just is disheartening that the goalpost keep moving in terms of what the allegations are what the problems are and what was presented I don't know why all of this was not presented earlier numerous times the superintendent asked for but this none of this that was mentioned prior uh was mentioned in the original resolution and I know personally I have tried every way I know how to say you know what I understand you have concerns some ballot concerns but but it's really shocking to me that there is no sense of being conciliatory at all just being hellbent hellbent on dismissing this superintendent and it's just not right the latitude that has been given in the past to previous superintendents on numerous occasions over the years this just doesn't makes sense and that's why I know I believe with everything in me this is not just about policies and procedures but to my colleagues one vote you still have your one vote no one's vote is more important than each of our votes please focus on that one vote give the community a chance give the superintendent time thank you 10.5 approval resolution approving Ms 10.5 approve a resolution approving mscs board board member strategic school funding allocations please turn those in by the end of of the week to Karen thank you there being no further business this meeting is adjourned