I would like to call, this Tuesday, July 15 Montezuma Cortez school board meeting to order at 06:00. If you could please stand for the pledge with me. I pledge allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Deb, if you could establish quorum, please. We have four board members available this evening, so we make a quorum.
And we are logged into BoardDocs. Is everyone logged in? And microphones need to be on. Does everybody got their mic on? Yes. Okay. We're ready. We are recording. Alright. If I can get a motion to set the agenda, please. I move to set the agenda. I second. Oh, are we gonna remove the So we have to we have to Okay. Have it on the So Move backpacks. Yeah. We were gonna remove the backpacks discussion. Madam president, I move that, we'll No.
It's under that. Let's see. Do we need to make a motion to do that, or can we just do it? I I think we just You can just do it when you set the agenda. You can just remove one Yeah. There's no need for it. Okay. Okay. Madam president, we need to move we need to remove item four a from the agenda as no it's not possible to present that this evening. I I think it's you're being five five a? I'm sorry.
I got the wrong one. Okay. Five a. Five a. The Sumner School coordinator presentation. Okay. Mister Beckler, I just added that to your motion. Is that alright with you? Absolutely. Okay. Online voting is now available. Motion passes unanimously. Alright. Moving on. Item four, information, a, Annual Notice of School Board Meetings. President, may I just read off some information here? Yes, please. To the public? The Board of Education meetings are gonna be held this year every third Tuesday at 6PM. The agenda will be released Monday one week prior by the end of the day,
and any updates will be done prior to the twenty four hour meeting deadline. The Board of Education work sessions will be held the first Tuesday of the month. Except for July, there's no work session. And November, will be held on a Monday in lieu of elections. The agenda release for work sessions will be Thursday, at the end of day prior to the meeting, and any updates will be done twenty four hours prior to the meeting. Agenda and calendars are posted. There's a paper copy in the foyer of the district office at 400 North Elm
Street. They are emailed to our press release line. It's a Google group. And then this year, we're gonna start sending it also to the parents via school messenger. They should have got the first one for July this last week. Those will go out on Mondays because that's when the most current changes are in effect. They'll be available on the website, the district website that is. They'll be available on the board docs website. Board of education monthly meetings can be viewed on our YouTube channel, And there's information on board docs, how to get to that. And the Board of Education policy manual can be viewed at the district office in
person or on our website or on the board docs site. The online policy manual is hosted by the Colorado Association of School Boards at their site, and the Board of Education hosts a suggestion box on the district website homepage if anybody wants to go in and give us a suggestion. If you need any information, you can contact me. I'm the executive assistant to the superintendent of the school board, deb.ramsey@cortez.k12.co.us.
Thank you. Thanks, Deborah. Okay. Does anybody have any questions or comments to make on any of that? Okay. All right. Moving on to reports. Reports A, celebration reports. If anybody has anything they want to celebrate right now? Alright. We'll move on to reports b, superintendent's report. Good evening, board. I've got one thing to hand out to you. It is from the State Board of Education members, miss Wright and, mister Turner.
This is in support of policy to, not allow females in the okay. Not allowed, males into female sports, which we supported and we are in a lawsuit over, and, it's being supported by the state board members. Correction. Okay. It's supported by two board members. Two board members. Okay. Thank you, ma'am. Also, at our last meeting, I mentioned that I would be doing a reaching out
to a person to do a, so you wanna be a board member meeting. That meeting will be held the twenty the nineteenth today. Is that correct? I don't know. Eighteenth. Monday the eighteenth at 06:00 here in the boardroom. I failed to put that in my board report that it of the date, but it is Monday the eighteenth at 06:00. Doctor Anne Kiki will facilitate that meeting. She is the board president of the Aurora Public Schools, and, she's also on the
CASB board, in some fashion. Correct, miss Wright? Alright. We also have received our report from Wall Smith and Bateman, which is in your board packet. Kimberly Temple did that report about us, being able to, financially take care of our special needs kids if we are to separate from BOCES and they the same. You you also have seen that we have hired Christian Northrop again, Doctor Northrop, to
do, data. We need the data that we didn't have last year. He will most likely be here for our day to day, which comes up, right before school starts. Jacob Kordash with Performance Services met with mister Lynch and I, in July 10. That meeting produced a plethora of, of, possibilities for going into a contract with them. The way the performance services contract works is they say they're gonna save you this
much money, but it costs you the money upfront, and they come change light bulbs or they will put in solar, things like that. So at the next meeting, Mike and I, Mr. Lynch and I, will have more information for you. Also in your board packet are the comments from the campus visits. There were quite a few more cons than pros, but it was interesting to read what the cons were. That's in the board packet and available to the public. Thank you, ma'am. Okay. Thank you. Anybody have any questions for mister Morris for his report?
Okay. Okay. Report c, assistant superintendent's report, mister Ramirez. Just a few information items there on the report about the executive leadership updates as we work on the right sizing of staffing and the critical need vacancies in our district. Also, the, rollover of Alma in preparation for the new school year and all, the logistics that go with that, with the technology department. Registration that'll be available, on the twenty ninth in Toyok at the reservation, commons area.
And we'll also have, a report from Mrs. Amigo later about some of the other activities with our, community providers. Also administrative retreat, July, mister Jim Parr and, mister Justin Smith, as well as mister the rest of the executive team have been busy in preparation for, the welcome back, of new administrators and returning administrators, prior to the rest of the staff will be
here, the week of August. Also, professional PD calendar for July through December is, pretty much 85% complete. And, that kind of gives us a roadmap and a direction of where we're going in the fall semester for support for teachers, administrators, and in the district. Also in the report, Just to let you know that we're, happy to report to
the board that we have all our bus routes, man with certified CDL drivers. We have, two to three additional substitute CDL drivers. We're ready to start the school year. We've had a June and July, CDL training course with our instructor in house. We've had the, luxury of not having regular routes during the summer. Even though we had summer school routes, we were able to continuously stay on, CDL
classes with our, people who signed up for mini bus drivers and now have been successful with CDL certifications. Also, in communication and improvement to the to the improvement to the parents and the community, mister Burrows has his welcome back letter that was sent out also to the staff as well as, Mrs. Ramsey sending it out to the community. We also have, on our district home page, if you scroll to the very bottom, you'll be able to find a button that will take you to the district, calendar
page. And there you can select as many campuses as you wish to select, and they'll combine them all and you'll see the activities for the month. Each campus will be in a different color, to distinguish the different campuses so you know where that activity is going on. This is an extra tool designed to help parents, staff, and community members stay informed and coordinate their participation with all the school activities, events, and important dates across the district. In addition, as you all know, right now, we got late notice about the, review
of Title II, Title III, and Title IV. We don't have any idea of when the US Department of Education will release those or if they will be released. The board did approve a, a, balanced budget for the 2526 school year with a surplus, that it has, in there also. We think it'll we'll be able to weather the storm should the federal money not be released. We won't know until we begin the year and we get further notification from the
US Department of Education and CDE in in reference to that. But we would then report to the board at the mid year point when we do the mid year, budget amendment based on, if there's a deficit or any, unforeseen restriction of revenue. Missus, Brad Bradford will our executive director of finance will speak further on that. And if you have questions about that time about that, you can bring that up at that time. And then also, I'd like to report that the title one has received substantial approval
from CDE. That means that, there's a few, changes, amendments that need to be done and resubmitted, but, receiving substantial approval allows us and grants us that we'll receive the full planning amount in title one. And, that's all I have unless I stand ready for questions from the board. Thank you, mister Ramirez. Thank you. Anybody? Okay. Alright. We will move on to the executive director of finance report. Miss Bradford. Good evening, board.
My report is uploaded in board docs. Mister Ramirez spoke to the grants that are I don't really have any additional information at this time other than to just confirm that, I do believe we'll be just fine with the budgeted surplus. Should that not come through, we may have to evaluate for future years. But I don't see any concerns with that at this time. Otherwise, our office is just getting started with our audit heavily involved in our transition over to Skyward, so more will come on that. I believe that's all I have to report unless you have questions.
Alright. Reports. E, executive director of student academic services report. Mr. Parr. Good evening, board. Good evening, board. My report is brief. A couple of key points that I want to highlight for you, Our CMAS 2025 data is coming in. And, we're going to be compiling that and getting some of that for you to view at the work session in August. It is still embargoed until later in the month of August. So it can't be viewed publicly, but we will be sharing that out at the
work session. Second item that I wanted to highlight for you is the district strategic plan, which you will be discussing later on in the meeting. And, providing feedback, by the end of this month so that we can get that finalized and and, published as our as our district strategic plan. And then the last thing that I have in my report is just kind of a, a fly by of some of the activities and things that we have planned for the couple of weeks leading up to the start of school.
So, there's a a number of things, convocation agenda, which, is pretty much set. The the there's not times on there because that's a little fluid. But, for the most part, these things are in order. As mister Ramirez said, the PD calendar is almost set so that we can, get that out to everybody as we go into the new year. Alright. We will move on to report F, executive director of ESS report. Miss Meebel. President Noyes and, and the board. I just wanted to share briefly my report.
It's I presented all of that to you. However, there's a couple of things to highlight. One of which would be July 30. We're having a family resource fair, so we'll have, tables open for people to get help with registration. It will be at the high school, and we'll have several resources there. And if we know of more resources that might be interested in participating, they can sure enough reach out to me. It will be July 30 from four to seven in the commons at the high school. Okay. Great. Okay. Thank you, miss Miggle. Alright. Moving on to Board Reports.
Does anybody have anything they want to talk about, report on? Mike? Okay. So, our school board is a member of CLAS, which stands for Colorado Leaders for Academic Success, which is a statewide school board association. Their national organization is S B A E, which stands for School Boards for Academic Excellence. I attended an S B A E conference in late June, happened to be when our meeting was.
It was, very helpful to me as a school board member. They have resources and are implementing new resources that our board may take advantage of. SBAE is initiating a monthly school board member Zoom meeting where board members can, as I understand it, share info and helpful experiences. And if, class does not send this, this board the details, which I think they will. But if they don't, then I'll try to get it to you in time for
that, Zoom meeting. And I will be following up on some of the other resources to see if our district can take advantage of them. Okay. Perfect. Did you have anything else you wanted to talk about or bring up? Mike? No? Okay. Nope. Okay. To my right? Nope. Okay. Alright. Then we will just move right on to citizens address the board, one hour limit, three minutes each, must earn a filled out ticket prior to the meeting. Gab, if you can pass those down. Okay. Okay. We will start with Valerie Garland and Susan Fryover.
Valerie, will you check that that mic's on before I start your timer? Okay. It's not going. Is it? Do we need it? Go ahead. Is it good? Mhmm. Okay. Alright. Dear members of the board of education, we are writing to express our strong support for missus Nancy Shaw, who has made a lasting and meaningful impact on countless students and the broader educational community. Mrs. Shaw is an exceptional educator who dedicates countless hours to her students' success. She carefully plans engaging lessons, spends her evenings grading papers, and goes the extra mile
to ensure that every child is learning. One of many ways she motivates her students is by rewarding those who master her their multiplication facts with ice cream sundaes. Just one example of how she makes learning both fun and rewarding. Her dedication doesn't end at the classroom door. Missus Shaw has been a tireless advocate for teachers and education in our community. She has worked hard to support the bonds aimed at improving our schools and has been a strong voice for better working conditions and fair pay for educators.
She consistently puts the needs of both her students and her colleagues first. In addition to being parents and grandparents of her former students, we also had the privilege of working alongside Mrs. Shaw as colleagues for over thirty years. During that time, we witnessed firsthand her professionalism, her passion, and unwavering commitment to excellence in education. She is highly respected among peers, beloved by students, and trusted by families. When I moved back to Cortez, I resumed my teaching career at Kemper.
Nancy mentored me, sharing first grade skills. She taught me how to prepare students for reading through differentiated instructor instruction and focusing on different learning styles. We work together developing centers to meet the various needs of our students. While acquiring my masters, missus Shaw supervised me through the program. She evaluated my teaching, giving me feedback as well as encouragement. She was an exceptional mentor who guided me by sharing her experiences and knowledge. My career was greatly enhanced by the support of missus Shaw.
Missus Shaw is always willing to take the time to work with colleagues to create an environment of professional learning. Missus Shaw is a teacher you can count on, reliable, hardworking, and deeply committed to the success of every student she teaches. We truly believe she represents the very best of what education has to offer, and we urge you to recognize and to continue to support her valuable contributions to the Montezuma Cortez School District. Thank you for your time and your consideration.
Sincerely, Valerie Garland and Susan Fryhofer. Thank you, ladies. Okay. Tess Montano Fourth. My name is Tess Matonya Fourth. I have two daughters, a niece and a nephew currently in the district. I, myself, and my two brothers went through this district, And we received an excellent education because of the teachers in this district. We had scholarships and opportunities that measured anyone else in Colorado. I am so concerned about this exodus of teachers we're seeing. I hear from them a lack of confidence in this administration and a lack of
support. I'm no expert in HR. I'm just a concerned parent. What I see is low morale in this vital role in our community. I see people retiring, leaving the community, or in some cases, simply just not having contracts renewed. I want to highlight missus Shah. Both my daughters went through her classroom, and they are both better for it. A way that truly touched both of them.
Leaving her classroom, my elder daughter's in the ninety eighth percentile for the entire state. My younger daughter came in at a level of needing intervention. But when she left missus Shaw's class, she is above the benchmark for her grade. That's incredible and should be highlighted. These are teachers that we need in this community. Their excellence in terms of what they do for kids cannot be measured, but also as mentors. We have a lot of new teachers coming in because of this turnover. There's no substitute for mentors who have experience in this district, who know this community
deeply, who have taught generations. It is too important to ignore. We have to do anything we can to keep these wonderful resources. We as a district, I as a parent, we as parents, and this board, we need to do better by our teachers. It's not enough to have yard signs and t shirts, stickers. We need to actively show that we support them by retaining these excellent educators our
children desperately need. Thank you all for your time. Thank you for being on the board. Thank you for support of public education. It is a vital resource and an important part of this community. Thank you. Thanks. Thank you. Okay. Tori Palmer. Good evening, board. I was just asked to by some current, district employees to read some letters to you, so that's what I'm doing. So it says to the members of the school board, I'm writing this letter on behalf of my colleague and friend Nancy Shaw, whose non renewal has left many of
us disheartened and concerned. Nancy served the district over thirty years with unwavering dedication, professionalism, and care. She's not only a veteran teacher, but also a veteran in the truest sense of the word. Someone who's given decades of her life to nurturing and educating children. Nancy's classroom is a place of warmth and consistency. Her students thrive under her guidance, not just academically, but emotionally and socially as well. She blends structure with compassion in a way that only a seasoned educator can. Her knowledge of curriculum and child development is evident in everything she does.
Over the years, she's built strong, lasting relationships with students, families, and colleagues. Parents regularly request her by name. Fellow staff members turn to her for mentoring and support. What makes this situation so troubling is Nancy's non renewal is not a reflection of her performance. In fact, there is no question of her professionalism or her impact. The decision at gender contract is solely on policy. Policy that is, in this case, regards to the value of experience, loyalty, and the
clear benefits she brings to her students and to our Kemper community. I urge you to reconsider this decision not only for Nancy's sake, but for the students who benefit from having a teacher of her caliber in the classroom. Let us not allow policy to override common sense and compassion. Let us not lose a remarkable educator because of technicalities that do not reflect her worth. Thank you for your time and your commitment to doing what's best for our students and for those who serve them so faithfully. And the other one says that I am writing on behalf of Nancy Shaw, a
highly esteemed member of our teaching staff who wishes to return to the classroom for another year of teaching. I can't express enough how much of an asset she's been to our school community. During her, tenure, Nancy Shaw has not only or not only for her exceptional teaching, but also for her unparalleled dedication and passion. She developed lasting relationships with her students, who speak fondly of her this day, and has been a tremendous support system for fellow educators. Her commitment to her students goes far beyond the curriculum.
Nancy Shaw's ran, round for her ability to inspire and motivate, and her classroom is always a place of encouragement. And then I don't have time to finish, so please allow Nancy Shaw to return to the school for one more year. I'm confident that that bringing her back another year would be an incredible asset to our school. And, yes. And my my daughter had her as well, and she's an amazing teacher. And one thing that bothered me was just that I have to come read these, and these staff members aren't comfortable to come in jeopardizing their contract. Thank you. Thank you. I'm also reading a letter, by a, employee.
Good evening. I am writing this statement to be read by a volunteer. Why not me personally? Because I am a district employee, and to do so would be career suicide. Those employees who have spoken out in any way have been punished and reassigned. Individuals have been moved to other positions in the district without warning. This has been both certified teachers and dedicated paraprofessionals, who go above and beyond. This happened to many staff members at Kemper, Mesa, and Montezuma Cortez High School.
We have teachers who have worked beyond their retirement, who were not offered contracts. This is difficult to understand, since the superintendent is also retired. The community and the board should be asking the following questions. Why move teachers to new positions if they did not request a change? Why do we have so many positions open at this time? Why is staff retention so difficult now, even when the community supported the mill levy? Why do staff members fear speaking out freely? Teaching is a difficult profession, and those who dedicate themselves to the children should be
treated with dignity and respect for their time and effort. Thank you. That's the end of that letter. There are two things that I would like you all to consider. At MCHS, we have lost a hundred and sixty seven years worth of experience by people who are not at that school anymore. And it makes me emotional because those kids appreciate the experience those teachers bring. And secondly, I want you to consider, are we removing those teachers with years of experience because they're on high steps and this is where we're gonna save budget money
by hiring people with little to no experience. Thank you. Thank you, Nikki. Okay. MB. Good evening all. I also have a letter that I'm reading that was signed an educator. I'm not going to read all of it because she makes many of the points that other people have made. I will read the last paragraph. At Kemper, retaining this is regarding Mrs. Shaw. At Kemper, Mrs. Shaw in third grade would greatly benefit students, families, and colleagues. By having taught the current third grade math and ELA curriculum, Mrs.
Shaw would not need to spend time learning a new curriculum, as well as mentoring a peer. This would allow her to focus time to build her peer skills for their future success as an educator at Kemper and in the district classroom and in the district in classroom management and academics. Mrs. Shaw has excellent interpersonal skills which allow her to effectively mentor colleagues as well as develop agreeable situations in a professional manner where there are different perspectives between herself and
others in order to benefit the students' needs as a priority. I really hope that the administrators here and here and you folks there are seriously offended that teachers can't come and talk to you themselves for fear that their jobs will be cut, slashed, whatever. I think mister Burris, this rests on you because I think you are the one
who hires, fires, etcetera, through a chain of command, of course. I I really think it's a deplorable situation when employees can't speak out publicly to their employers. It's something that just didn't happen in years past, but now it's happening. And I can only echo the things that have been said already. But really folks, it's a sad situation when others have to come and read the letters and comments from people that are defending a veteran teacher who has so much
to offer still. And if it's the policy to kick off the teachers who have been around for a while who may be earning more and bring in younger teachers and experienced teachers because that's what it looks like not having been in on the inner circles of any kinds of decisions. But if that is the policy that people are referring to, that sucks. That's no good for our kids. My gosh. Our kids need people that have had experience. Other teachers need teachers like Nancy.
So I really hope you give this serious consideration. Thank you. Thanks, MB. Casey Hammerschleit. Good evening. I'd like to speak about transparency, especially in light of what we're hearing tonight. Saying you value it is not the same as being transparent. True transparency is an intentional proactive act. If the board genuinely values transparency, you would thoroughly inform yourselves publicly and clearly explain your intentions and reasoning. Yet, despite repeated calls for openness, actions haven't followed words, leaving the community to question your intentions or assume dishonesty.
Here are some additional examples. The board vacancy, District A. Since director Sanchez's resignation, you've let the sixty day timeline pass without any communication or call for applicants. In response to my inquiries with president Noyes, I was told you're consulting legal counsel, even though your own policy BBBE clearly outlines the process. This is costing the district a needed voice and additional legal fees. This suggests you're avoiding filling the seat to maintain unilateral control while approving many decisions, major decisions, without barely with barely a quorum and minimal discussion.
It's a disservice to not actively try to fill the seat and add a voice for district a. Another example is the families of students in the high school are receiving emails about needing to select electives to ensure students get the classes they want. Well, they thought they did that in the spring. My daughter still still hasn't approved and confirmed class selection in her Alma account. She's quite distressed to learn that perhaps that is not the case. The spring freshman orientation was followed by eliminating seasoned teachers and valued programs and a presentation about future relationship with PCC.
You heard from a large group of brave, articulate, and informed students who represent many more with the same concerns. You have not addressed those concerns publicly, and now in the summer, we get emails that express the need for our urgent action. You rearranged and dismissed staff in May, and now families are responsible for you getting your ducks in a row. How do we have confidence that you're going to be ready for students in a few weeks when there are still job postings and you are pressing us to act so students get the classes they need? That is not transparency, that's deflection, and the response has been condescending.
Regarding the MLO oversight committee, as a committee member, I still have not received an update or meeting notice. You promised this to the voters, but haven't followed through, implying a lack of commitment. As a DAC follow-up, at the last work session, you proposed two committees to explore DAC recommendations. I was first told you wouldn't do it in June because Director Lynch could not be there. This month, I was met with silence when I asked why it wasn't on the agenda. Again, no follow-up, suggests no real intent to act. And in closing, if you proceed with adopting the policies and your action items you
have tonight, in the spirit of transparency, perhaps you should change your slogan from every student every day to certain students some days. You're choosing to deny rights to some students ahead of any legal requirement. And since these policies aren't from CASB, who authored them, and how much does it cost in taxpayers for this preemptive discrimination? Thank you. Thank you, Casey. Thanks. Emily Christiansen. Good evening, board members. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. I'm here today as a parent who believes deeply in public education, and in the responsibility we share to create schools where every person, every student, every staff member, every
visitor knows they belong, and that they have a reasonable expectation of safety and respect. That's why I'm extremely concerned about two proposed changes to the district's non discrimination policy. First, the removal of the word safe. This is not a matter of forgetting to put a word in in a first draft. This is a conscious decision to remove the word safe from your district policy. Our families expect that schools are not only legally compliant, but they honestly care about the well-being of all persons within these walls, physically, emotionally, and psychologically.
Safe is more than a description of one's current physical status. It's Condition that enables learning, engagement, and well-being. Intentionally and specifically editing this word out of your policy can convey only one thing. This school district does not care about creating a safe environment for its teachers, administrators, or students. There really isn't another interpretation. You're not even hedging your language by adding legalese qualifiers to head off litigation, because you promised safety and couldn't deliver. You're just taking a hatchet to the whole concept. It may seem small, but to those of us who work in schools, or raise
children in them, that word matters. Its absence could send the wrong signal that this district is backing away from a core commitment to care and protection. The outright removal of the word safe and the implications that of that action directly feeds to my second point. I strongly oppose the removal of sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression from the list of protected classes. This is not just exclusionary, it's dangerous. These categories are explicitly protected under Colorado law.
You may feel therefore that it's redundant to list them there. But to remove only some of the protected classes from your policy clearly states that you condone harassment inflicted upon these groups of our community. If your goal was to simply remove redundancies of protections covered by existing state law, you could have just said, in this district, we don't condone harassment of any type. Instead, you chose to specifically remove certain individuals from your harassment policy. Eliminating this language will not make those identities disappear.
It will only make those individuals feel less seen, less valued, and less protected. These are already individuals that face disproportionate rates of bullying, mental health struggles, and isolation. If your goal was to exacerbate these struggles, you achieved it. I truly hope this isn't your goal. We need policies that don't just meet the legal minimum, but that tell our students and staff that they are valued and that you have their back. That's what our community should expect. Keep the word safe in the opening policy and restore sexual orientation, gender identity, and gender expression in the list of protected classes.
These are not just words. They're declarations of basic community, empathy, and compassion. Let's make sure that everyone is afforded these simple considerations. Thank you. Thank you, Emily. Paul DeWitt. Good evening. I have serious concerns over the growing sense of retaliation from an administration that's becoming more and more prevalent in our district. I've known Nancy Shaw for at least eight years. I got to know her during various meetings that we both attended. She has always been a source of good information about the district because she's involved with all the schools in some capacity. When I think of Nancy, I always think of the above about the professionalism she
comports herself with and of course her impeccable professional appearance that commands respect without words. Nancy has been a teacher for over forty years, over thirty years of which were served here in Montezuma Cortez School District. She has worked diligently to be the best teacher she can be. She has been rated highly effective on the RAND evaluation system. She sought and earned a k through 12 reading endorsement and completed all the read act coursework required by CDE. Anyone who speaks with Nancy about her career will understand quickly how much Nancy cares
about her students and their personal and academic welfare. A few of you sitting on the board have been teachers and I'm sure you are aware that most of the teachers who make it past ten years in this career are people who are committed to making kids' lives better. Teachers who truly care put their heart and soul and a lot of their personal money and time into doing the best for their students. Nancy is clearly one of these teachers. One example is the banana split rewards Nancy would offer when students meet met benchmarks as they learn their basic facts. Another example is a sacrifice of her personal time to have students and to complete
unfinished homework and in reading and math so that these students had a better chance of academic success and a better work ethic. The homework she assigns to help students achieve in reading and math is expected to be completed. When not, Nancy stays in with them at lunchtime to help them complete it. Board members, I urge you to investigate this non renewal of a dedicated teacher. Nancy has been working to get a satisfactory resolution to this nonsense since May 5. This district says students first. Depriving students of excellence, especially in this critical shortage time is not the right thing
to do. Given the aforementioned growing retaliation from the administration, though I share the sentiments of this letter, I'm presenting this on behalf of the author who signs, a teacher in this district with serious concerns over the direction our district is taking. Thank you, mister DeWitt. Okay. Laura DeWitt. Good evening. I'm also a parent at Kemper Elementary, and I'm also here to speak in support of missus Shaw and just kinda share what she's meant, to our family this year. So missus Shaw was my daughter's third grade teacher this past year.
And, she also let me volunteer in her classroom regularly. So I had a front row seat to the kind of teaching that makes a real difference. Not just academically, but in how students grow as people. So her classroom was so steady and, it was a respectful environment where the kids felt safe, they stayed engaged, and they really wanted to rise to her expectations. So when emotions ran high, I don't know how many of you have had the chance to hang out in a third grade classroom, but that happens a lot. She knew how to calmly bring the class back together, without shaming the students or
losing connection with them. And I saw students who struggled with focus or with getting along truly thrive under her guidance. My daughter and many others adored her. So miss Shaw brings decades of experience into her classroom and it shows. She's not only a gifted teacher, but she's a mentor to other staff and really an anchor in a school that's seeing a lot of change. So I urge you, to carefully reconsider, the decision to not renew her contract when
that comes up to you for review. I am a parent and I want teachers like Michelle in our classrooms. They're experienced, they're dedicated, and they're making a difference every day. So I have one more thing to say, but thank you, Michelle. And then I also have a short letter to read as well. This is from a teacher who who used to work at Kemper. She says, I missed here. Yeah. I don't know. I missed the students and staff. Each year was an adventure. There were eager students, happy to learn. There were unhappy students who preferred to be doing anything else besides sitting in schools.
And the teachers work together to prepare the to prepare the students. And since during my time in the school district, I saw many staff members come and go and a lot of different teaching styles and some worked better than others. Missus Shaw was professional, knowledgeable, and caring. She always approached the new school year with enthusiasm. She strived to give her students knowledge and tools to promote their success. And, all of the successes are celebrated in the classroom and I saw that firsthand. She works with students who struggled, encourage them, and gave them opportunities to succeed.
So in my opinion, it's appalling that a veteran's teachers contract was not renewed. Missus Schauer deserves respect and, I urge the administration and board to rectify this misjudgment. Thank you. Thank you, Laura. Joyce Arder. Hello. My name is Joyce Arter. I would also like to share an anonymous letter written by a district employee. It says, dear school board members and mister Burris, as you're well aware, Kemper principal missus Nelson reduced the Kemper Elementary staff workforce by releasing two long term veteran teachers.
Missus Shaw's teaching position was one of those for the 2526 school year. This decision was made despite superintendent Burris's stating prior to miss Shaw's release during staff and parent meetings, there will be no staff workforce reductions. Missus Shaw's teaching status has since been dismissed, and she does not have a contract for the 2526 school year. This letter is written in response to this inappropriate action by a now repositioned Kemper principal and seemingly misinformed superintendent. Missus Shaw has been and is currently an extremely valuable asset to the Kemper Elementary
teaching staff. She has established a thirty six year history of trusted relationships with students, parents, staff men members, and professional organizations. She's a person of great integrity, professionalism, and has exceptional knowledge of all school district curriculum and procedures. Missus Shaw has dedicated a large part of her life toward the public Montezuma County School District educational system. She deserves recognition suited to this dedication. Therefore, due to the lack of support of dismissal reasons and in the unit and in the unity with many requests of community members, it would be beneficial to Kemper
students to retain missus Nancy Shaw in her previous third grade position at Kemper. Miss Shaw's contract should be extended through the 2526 school year. Any action otherwise would be considered unproductive, counterintuitive, and a failure of professional educational representation. And I'd just like to add, I had two boys go through Kemper with, they were blessed to have missus Shaw as a teacher as well. I would just like to say, that she's also one of the most trusted teachers among parents and families. We have confidence earned in her because she has earned it through professionalism, compassion, and
results. In a district where we continue to struggle to find and retain qualified teachers, it's hard to understand why someone with missus Shaw's proven ability and strong community support would not have her contract renewed. Meanwhile, international hires are being brought in who face significant language barriers and classroom management challenges, especially when it comes to discipline. Missus Shaw is exactly the kind of educator we should be working to keep, and I respectfully urge you to reconsider this decision. Thanks. Okay. Thank you, missus Arden. Roxanne Stevens. Oh, okay.
Okay. Sherry Wright. Good evening, board. I'm not here to beat you up. I've had Nancy teach my two granddaughters and she did an excellent job. But to that being said, I do not know what's going on behind the scenes as nobody else does. There's only seven people up there that understand what's going on. I'm here to tell you that I did write a letter to the Department of Education, director Durham and myself, not the school board, not the state board, just two
board members. We're standing on our own stating that transgenders does not belong in sports. And my emphasis is that we do not need a boy in a volleyball and hit the ball hard enough to knock a girl out. We do not need to endanger our girls. We've fought for title nine and that was designed for girls sports because they were underrepresented. So I just wanted to make that clear that I did do that. And so I want to make sure that you guys understand it is not the
state board that's doing that. It is strictly myself and director Durham. So that being said, I have listened to a lot of things tonight, and there's lots of stuff that's wrong. For one thing, across the state, across the nation, teachers are leaving the field. It's not because of leadership. It's because of finding other things to do. It's money. A lot of it is money. So let's remember that it's not just our district that's losing teachers.
It is happening across the nation. I serve on the state board and I see this coming before us a lot. So I just wanted to let you know where I stand, what I'm doing. I am your representative at the state board. So if I can help you, please let me know. I I do fight for people in the rural areas, so let me know if there's anything I can do. Whether I agree with your voice or not, I will carry it. Thank you. Thank you, Sherry. All right. Thank you everyone who, who got up and spoke and, spoke on behalf of others.
We'll be moving on to discussion items. Board discussion. Okay. Does anybody want to start? Does anybody have anything they need to I'd like to hear an explanation from staff as to, you know, what the public is commenting about. Obviously, we on the board aren't making hiring and firing decisions, but just to have some explanation for the rationale for how we arrived at this point so that we have both sides of the story. I believe you'd have to read. You'd have to read the the the, statutes on return to work employees.
That's where it lies. Okay. On what? Can you say that? Return to work employees. Where are the statutes? We need to limit comments from the audience. Yeah. And and also there are some things that are, considered personnel that we can't discuss openly. So I don't know where we want to. I will just say a lot of the stuff that came up at this podium, a lot of it, are some things that even I haven't heard. It's it seems to me like it's being, I don't want to say I'm saying
it's it's being how do I word this without being It's things that we haven't done or come up with. It's something that you have come up with that you've created a problem that really isn't a problem. It's something that some things that we are working on that actually you may not be privy to because of certain protections. And I'm not saying all of it, but some of it is. And so that gets frustrating when we aren't able to come right out and tell you, and you're talking about transparency, transparency, transparency. But as you know, in a lot of things out there, there's a lot of,
you know, even in the medical field, you might want to know what's happening with your son. But unless you have information saying that you can know what's happening to your son that's in college, you don't get to know his medical information. There's a lot of things out there that are protecting certain things. And not that we don't want to sit here and tell you exactly what's being what we're doing. It's that we can't sometimes. And we would appreciate a little bit of grace on some of that because it is hard being up here on a board doing things and just wishing you could shout it from the rooftops. What's happening? What's going on? But then we are the ones in trouble.
If you do, if you do say something outside of what you're allowed to say, and then we have another problem. Just know that anybody that knows me knows that I have been for the kids since day one. I put so much time and energy into not just my kids, but everyone's kids. What's good for all of the kids? And I don't I don't lose sleep at night knowing that most of you say things or think things or come at me with things. I do not lose sleep at night because I know at the end of the day, I know what's most important. So that's what I have to say.
I, I wanna I don't wanna go any farther without, thanking everybody who came to the microphone to express your, concerns and and your feelings. And, I I hope you will, not be discouraged enough to stop that. I hope you continue to do that, always. We need that. I wanna echo what, our board president is saying. If I only knew what you knew or know about some of the, staff that
have undergone changes, then I would have similar concerns. Someone mentioned transparency and I think the board president hit on that. It would be easier on us if we could be transparent, at least easier on us from the standpoint of, the, community and and the staff. It wouldn't be easy on us in terms of law.
I appreciate, Sherry Wright's comment that, she doesn't know what's going on behind the scenes, which are some things that the board members are aware of. I've been on the board now for about a year and a half and I am aware of several of the cases and the details that were behind the scenes. And I am fully supportive of all the decisions that have been made knowing that
additional information. And that might distress you, but those other pieces of information are are were critical at those at on those decisions. So, I I know it it doesn't look good. I'm going to miss having a teacher of, Mrs. Shaw's, abilities in our district. But I I know a little bit more than what has been made public.
And it looks like, there's, nothing that can be done no matter how much the board would like something to be done. So Okay. Anybody else? Leland? Yeah. I don't agree with a lot of the stuff that's going on also. As you can see, none of my constituents or anything from my tribes here, you
know, we have different issues than you guys complain about. You know, so it's hard for me to sit up here and listen to you guys when my kids in Toyop are a little bit different. You know, we, you know, we're we're treated a little bit different. You know, you guys, you know, that's why you don't see you never see none of my people up here. You know, how many meetings have you guys come to to see any of my travel members or any of my council or anybody up here complaining about money? You know, we care about the teachers. The students is number one.
The students is number one out of everything. I've I've sat many years sitting there watching this board meeting and stuff, you know, me and my wife, but nobody else would be in there but us guys, you know. And we talk about kids come first and that's what we're trying to think about. How many years have we sat on the bottom of this of Colorado state? You know, how how many years have we been on the bottom? We're moving up and sometimes sometimes we do have to step on toes. Sometimes you do. That's comes with life. You know, so I I I I hear you guys.
I hear what you guys are saying, but we do have to agree as a board to as one to make things move forward. And it may not be what you guys want. It may not be what we want, but we gotta come to a middle part so that we could move forward and better our kids. The kids is what matters. All these board meetings that we've had has nothing to say anything about kids. It's all about money. Money, money, money. What what are we gonna do? Right now, we're, like, online. Dolores is gonna catch up to us. Durango is catching up to us with the money and stuff that they're doing.
They wanted to see what we were gonna do. So, you know, just give us some support and give us some time so that we could change things for the better. That's all we're trying to do is make things better for the kids. And sometimes we have to reorganize stuff, mix things up a little bit so it refreshes the teachers so that I can be like, hey, I need to do something better. What can I do to be better? Not just sit in that way, just sit in there waiting for that money to come. You know, but that's what that's that's coming from me. I don't I don't know about these guys, but that's where it comes from me. So just letting you guys know where I stand at.
Thank you. Thank you, Leila. I've got clients. Oh, yeah. Well, okay. Go ahead, Mike. I missed a meeting. I I got to make a Okay. Nope. That's fine. But absolutely, you carry on. So, I'd like to start off by, a similar thing that I've said before. I'd like to invite everyone, parents and staff and even students to join the conversation to improve reading proficiency in our district. And I'd like to encourage you to begin by listening to the podcast miniseries, Sold
a Story, at soldastory.org. I also wanna say that, I've, heard back from some people who have listened to it. And, here as well as other places across the nation, it is, something that, triggers emotions. And the emotions are from one side to the other. Anger, regret, hope, all kinds of things. So, it might trigger your emotions as well.
This board should have received the monthly newsletter from class. A policy summit in Colorado Springs is going to occur. It's put on by class. It's on August 23, and that was mentioned in the newsletter. The list of presenters and panelists is great. House and Senate minority leaders, Senator Kirk Meyer, state board of education members Sherry Wright and, Christy Burton Brown, executive director of SBAE that I mentioned earlier, legal panel on
education, and more. The cost to our board is $35 per person. I encourage our board to attend. Take advantage of the opportunity to ask some of our legislators and policymakers some hard questions in a small group atmosphere. So, something else I have been doing, actually, on the elementary reorganization, I read that document produced by Hanover pretty soon after it was distributed.
And from what I can see on the district website, that's the only, information that is, research and data. Most of the rest of what has been done is opinion. And those were necessary because we needed to have feedback from the community and from the staff. So I'm not putting that down. But, I do want to point out some things that were, in that Hanover report,
that I think are, pertinent. On pages five and six, key findings, elementary and elementary grade configurations. The comprehensive pre k to three alignment is critical to ensure successful transitions into formal schooling and maintain student achievement. The most common elementary school configuration is pre k or k through grade five. Page 11, in California, out of 5,826 schools and 15 possible elementary configurations, only 48
were k two. That's point 8% of all those. And only 25 were three five. Only that's point 4%. K through five were 2,457 or 42.2%. And K through six were 2,005, which was 34.4%. On page 11, researchers concluded in one empirical study, when taken together, professional development and grade configuration were not found to have a direct relationship to student achievement.
Until empirical evidence is produced, policy makers are encouraged to continue discussions regarding the most appropriate means of addressing young adolescent's academic needs regardless of other factors. Page 13, in most instances, many of the advantages of one grade configuration over the other largely disappear provided that schools offer effective supports for students and teachers. Page 13, high impact schools will address developmental and academic needs of students regardless of
how grades are organized, and this will ultimately boost outcomes. Page 14. Impact of school transitions. A large body of research shows that school transitions are difficult for students. Page 28 to 29. One in six children who are not reading proficiently by grade three do not graduate from high school. This proportion is roughly four times higher than among their peers who are reading proficiency proficiently. The data from this research does not give any evidence that a reorganization from two
schools that are k five to one k two and one three five would have any positive outcomes for students. In fact, this report points out several negative outcomes and shows that, also, that k two and three five schools are not a popular idea. If they resulted in improved outcomes, there would likely be more of them. But my other fundamental concern is reading. The reading program gets its foundations in grades k three, not just k two.
By splitting those grades between schools, I believe it will negatively affect the reading program. The first time kids get tested by the state for reading proficiency is third grade. Therefore, there will be no state testing for the k two school as I understand it. Mhmm. I called the Colorado Department of Education and asked them how they would be able to rate a k two school, and they said they can't. They rely on the school district to rate their own k two schools. If the state reading test is in third grade and the scores are low in
our third through five school, whose fault is it going to be? The three five school that had the students one year or the k two school who had the students three years? In my opinion, there would be no accountability for either school and our reading program will suffer greatly. Perhaps delaying gains and achievement that could otherwise be made. In my opinion, we need all hands on deck to improve our district's reading proficiencies. I don't think we should be distracted or impeded by reorganize reorganizing to a K
two and three five grade span design. And that's my only that's my opinion. One person. There's a board here of seven board members that will decide this in September. So, New subject. Yep. Yep. Yep. Go right ahead. Okay. This is on policy. So this board, has a, or let me put it this way. The policy advisory committee was established by the established by the school board in order
to review policies needing update, needing to be created, needing to be repealed, or needing to be revised in order to keep up with the changing needs of our district and to try to represent the principles and values held by our community. The state statutes do not require this committee. As chairman of this committee, I push for edits that support parental rights, take into account any impact to district staff, and take into account the best interest of students, both regarding their welfare and regarding their achievement.
That committee does not advise the board per se. We came up with the language and text that we think is clear and addresses the issues. Once a policy is on the agenda for the board meeting, it is no longer committee business. It is then in the control of the board and reviewed by the community. The board must ultimately determine the outcome. But the point is we're not an advisory group to the board. I just came up with the name. Maybe it's a bad choice for a name, but, it sounded good to me at
the time. In regard to the nondiscrimination policy, the consensus of the policy advisory committee was that our school district should treat everyone fairly. Does that mean we would have to name in the text every grouping of people that is possible? If a grouping of people is not named in the text, does that mean it is okay to discriminate against them? We felt that the first sentence of the policy shows that the district intends that everyone be treated failure fairly.
In other parts of the policy, the text refers to unlawful discrimination. If it is unlawful to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation, then the policy covers it. In my opinion, taking out the text of sexual orientation does not equate with claims that the policy no longer supports LGBTQ plus. For that to be true, we would also have to remove the adjective unlawful in front of every discrimination word everywhere it occurs in the text. And the main reason, for removing the LGBTQ language or text in this policy was
to align the policy with the United States Constitution and the Constitution of the state of Colorado. Additionally, a journalist from Chalkbeat Colorado contacted me about my comments during our last, not last, regular meeting, two meetings go in May when I included sexual orientation among the reasons the Trump administration might withhold federal grant money. I told her I had made a mistake and should not have included it as a possible reason to lose grant money.
And I thanked her for pointing it out to me, but not in in those words exactly. So, in my, nervousness, I included sexual orientation with a reason why the Trump administration might withhold, federal funds, and that's not the case. It were it was only the other two, the gender related phrasing and text. The media also took the opportunity and one of the commenters as well this evening to point out that the word safe was removed at the same time.
I got the impression from the media, not the person who spoke this evening. They were trying to infer that our district is planning to be an unsafe place for LGBTQ persons. Removing the word safe from this policy does not affect the district's policy, ADD, for safe schools. That's our safe school policy. Safe is a word that is thrown around constantly in regard to education and carries different meanings for different groups of people. The fewer number of policies that use the word, the fewer places where the word
needs to be defined. I prefer the use and definition be in the policy that deals with the subject policy a d d. That was the only thoughts behind removing the word safe from this policy. So I also missed the discussion about the clear backpacks. And because this is a discussion time and it's the board only, I cannot answer I cannot ask for input from the audience nor from the administration the staff, I mean. So there are questions that I had that I won't get answered tonight, but that's
okay. Perhaps in the future, we'll have an opportunity to ask those questions. But, one of the things that I noticed in the documentation is this statement. By enhancing visibility of backpack contents, this measure reduces the need for manual bag inspection, supports faster processing through metal detectors, and allows staff to quickly identify while maintaining appropriate
privacy and dignity for students. And so I was really curious about that statement because one of the major concerns about the clear backpacks was privacy. And this statement kind of infers that privacy is protected somehow. So I was kind of curious why why that was. So perhaps in the future, that might, so at the high school, I've heard from more than one person how that the, security process in the mornings takes a long
time. And that's a concern for, staff members. I would have asked at the meeting how long it takes. And, I would have also asked how much time would have been saved if the clear backpacks were used. I suspect it's it's going to be significant, but I can't ask that. My understanding is that the primary determine the deterrent for discouraging firearms coming into the
schools are the metal detecting security equipment, not clear backpacks. Clear backpacks help the processing of students to be less time consuming and more efficient. The clean backpacks would not take the place of detectors. They would supplement them. So then another question. Are feminine hygiene products offered at nursing stations and in female bathrooms?
I don't know the answer to that, positively, but that could be a, possible way to work around concerns. Currently, females have the privacy of a non see through backpack to hide their hygiene items. Correct? With a clear backpack, that privacy goes away. Why wouldn't female students be willing to put such items in a non see through, soft sided, what do they call it? A makeup bag or a pencil bag or something like that that's much smaller, in
order to continue to have privacy but have a see through backpack. I'm just wondering. So the in that case, it wouldn't set off the alarm, so there's no need to, well, I don't know if that's true or not. I better not say it. Currently, they lose privacy to the person inspecting their non see through backpack every time the BP is searched correct. Well, I guess the complaint was they would lose their privacy to everyone. But I don't understand why they would want to put those things visibly in a
way that everybody would see. It doesn't I don't understand that. So maybe someone someone can take me aside after the meeting and explain. The biggest, benefit I see is the reduced time it will take to enter the detection system. I've heard several complaints about how long it takes. One unintended consequence that bothers me of a burdensome security process in regard to time is that people start taking shortcuts on the procedure in order to speed up the
process. And it and it it happens that way in industries of all kinds. You you put in a process that's cumbersome, that's inefficient, and people go ahead and they go through the steps, but then it they become lackadaisical. They become they don't care. They they let things happen that shouldn't happen. And, I I see that as a true, negative of, allowing the current process to continue as it is, long time for entry into the school.
So I can't get answers on that. And I'm running out of a voice, so I'm running out of things to say. Thank you, Mike. Thanks, Mike. K. Anybody else have anything they wanna discuss? Okay. So we will move on to our strategic plan. Okay. Okay. Does anybody have any comments, concerns, questions? Were you able to get through all of it? Kim, can we get the mic for par turned on? That's right. Thank you. Yes. Board, the strategic plan is just, in your possession.
So, again, that you will take some time to look through it, provide feedback. We are we would like to get this, finalized in the, August. But we are working with, as you know, doctor Arsenio Romero, to complete this this, plan. And so we'd like to get some feedback back to him. So if if you could review it again, and either email me or one of the administrators your feedback. We'll get it to doctor Romero.
We'd like that feedback by the August 1, if possible. Okay. Perfect. Alrighty. Thank you for that clarification. I was definitely not up to speed on when that was due. Thank you, mister Parker. Yep. Thank you, Jim. Okay. Moving on to action items. Action item a, consent calendar. Can I get a motion to approve the consent calendar for 07/15/2025? I'd like to make a motion to accept the collect consent calendar for 2020 wait. I second. Speak. I didn't mind.
Sorry. I second. Online voting is now available. Motion passes four to one. Okay. Moving on to action item B. Can I get a motion to approve the policy first reading, JBAA, preserving fairness and safety in sports? I move to approve the policy first reading, JBAA preserving fairness and safety in sports. I second it. And are we taking a vote here since this is a first reading? Is this, this was the emergency one? Yes. With emergency ones in place, this is first reading. First reading.
Okay. Okay. So I think that we first reading it. So off of a review. Correct? Okay. Correct. Okay. Alright. Action item c, policy second reading, AC nondiscrimination slash equal opportunity, a AE dash I'm sorry. AC dash E dash one, nondiscrimination slash equal opportunity, A c dash e dash two, nondiscrimination slash equal opportunity. A c dash r, option one, nondiscrimination slash equal opportunity. A c dash r dash two, title nine policy and procedure for sexual harassment.
And motion to approve those. I'd like to make a motion to accept the policy sec or what is it? The nondiscrimination equal opportunity a c dash e dash one nondiscrimination equal opportunity. A c dash e dash two nondiscrimination. Equal opportunity a c dash r nondiscrimination equal opportunity. A c dash r dash two title nine policy procedures for sexual harassment. I second. Okay. Online voting is now available. Motion passes unanimously.
Okay. Yeah. So we've got a little something here. Mister Parr? Mister Parr's last meeting with us. So, just wanna thank you for, yeah, all your years. We're definitely going to miss you. And, Mister Parr, I hired you into this school district. Bless your Justin.
Yep. Yeah. You can set it down on the Yeah. Pull pull off a bench here. There's two boxes in there right there. Are there holes in the box? Oh, now now. Yeah. And do you know Oh, no. Is it packing peanuts? Mhmm. Is that packing peanuts? No. I don't think so. It's got all the Is it got the peanuts? It does. Yes. Oops. It does. Okay. Then we'll clean that up. Hover in the back of it. Gonna be very nice. No. We'll clean that up. She doesn't have to sweat it up. Oh, that's beautiful. Very pretty. Thanks again, Jim.
Okay. President. We'll clean that up. You leave that there. We'll clean that up. You just leave that there. President Noyes, before you adjourn the meeting, I have something to say. It is with a heavy heart that I must inform you that I am resigning my board position immediately. I've enjoyed the experience, and I feel that I've learned a lot about how boards operate. And I hope that my contributions have been important. I appreciate the board's hard work, and I look forward to seeing the board succeed in the future. Okay. Alright, Deb.
If you can make note of that, please, for August. Well, thank you, Rhonda, for, yes, for for stepping up and doing what you do and having the kids first. So appreciate that. Well, you're the inspiration. Thank you. Thank you. I'm happy to have you. Yes. Thank you. We will issue. Thank you. Thank you all. Okay. All right. I guess on that note, I will adjourn this meeting at 07:31. Thank you.