--------- good morning everyone um happy to be here again it's been a while since the last meeting and we have uh yeah December um we do have a quorum so we'll bring the meeting to order um and welcome everyone and uh to
start we do have a board member that may join us Gloria Branch oh there she is hey good morning thank you for joining appreciate that and um so we'll start with any public comments seeing none we can continue to
so there's there's it's an informational meeting so there's no conflict of interest correct and the only item we're going to vote on and agree on is the minutes from the last meeting so all right continuing on
then so the last meeting was December 4th um I wasn't present so I did read the notes but I couldn't validate it so do we have any comments about uh or motions on approving the last
minutes from December 4th 2024 you move to approve any seconds okay it it is seconded we approve the minutes thank you and so today isn't um informational and there's a lot of good material I was able to
browse through this week the first up would be the avaa call center and uh Mr Chris prad is going to present that to us sure I just uh like to invite Hal toshik up to up to up here as well he's
the U HR call center manager so he's uh he was one of the end users that basically got the benefit of this uh implementation sorry good morning so first I do want to thank Chris and his team because the um the software that we were current using
at the time it was so hard to manage with what we were using because it wasn't giv me real data so we we went to the drawing board with the vi and they actually formatted a wonderful report that really helps me manage better with real real-time data uh and show it to
you um what we're using now should be a slide sure I'll go over the I'll give you just just some of the background that how just mentioned kind of our business e our project overview and what was done so the ultimate impact so basically to enhance exactly what Mr uh Mr Tok just said we wanted live data so
something that he could see real time um basically choosing skills for the call center agent so that way you know one person has their skills can go to the other pieces as well um and you're not bombarding somebody with a skill that's not required they don't have the skill set to answer the questions and um
customer satisfaction I guess um so making sure that he can see real time if there's any calls that are falling behind a que um overview I just kind of gave you a little bit of the overview so these were the some of the data driven decisions that they needed to make at the call center level um there's other opportunities that will come up after we
put this in place so these are some of the reasons so I'll give it over to how right now and he could tell us what was done and then he can give some of the details of what happened after that so we we built we worked all of us worked together and we built a report that is now it it allows me to see the volume
each agent of mine is taking and it also allows me to see the actual time they're on a call and in my mind when I see somebody on a call five minutes or so average talk time is about three and a half minutes but when I see someone on the phone about a little over five minutes I'm going to go over to them and
say hey you got are you okay do you need help because the longer they stay on that call the the better chance you're going to have calls build up in queue and that's my job as a manager if you're having trouble with a caller give it to me you know let me get them off the phone and free you up for the next 3 and a half minute phone call so by building
the report it's really can you go to next SL it's really allowing me to monitor them better and to help the district we deliver much better outstanding customer service our customer service scores we're in 90 something per is rating my agents as as satisfied or better I can't ask for more than that you'll never get 100%
obviously but I'll take the 90% it's like 91 92% I'll take it um so this is the report that we built and where I put all the arrows is the stuff uh is the items that I use to manage and if you look at the top right that spit the split cumulative data that shows me the
current service Factor my goal is to answer to actually pick up the phone within 30 seconds of that call or hitting the queue so if I'm not at that 80% I'm going to try to figure out what's going on I might be short staffed I you know I'll jump on the phone to get us back up but we did not have that live
number prior to building this report you only had a historical so I wanted it live cuz how do you manage with historical data you can't you you've dropped the ball at that point um so that's the live data over on the left you'll see calls in queue the oldest
call waiting and what I do is I'll take a look at that and then I'll look down at the bottom where it says agent status data the big rectangular white box I'll see what the reason is if there's calls in Q what's going on with their status I did not have that before so you'll
notice on this screenshot I had the first person I was in AU I stay in auxiliary or training the whole day so I could just jump right on I have to first wait for the phone to to to clock in um but I had two agents available and one was actually on a call to ACD sometimes
I'll go in there I'll see they're all on after call and there's a call I'll say hey what's going on oh we were finishing our ticket I have a minute I believe it's a minute and a half built into the after call to finish documenting the ticket after minut half automatically puts him in available status so I do
monitor that as well um and then on the bottom left that was so key so I think one of your greatest Assets in a call center is to do some written work if they are available I mean they can they can even stop written work while waiting for all to call come in sometimes I'll
notice one of my agents is taking more calls than the other and I might pull that person off the phone to help me with something and let the other three or four take the call so without but this is all live data and without this it was really very difficult to manage um to to to give the district any kind
of decent performance and keep that customer satisfaction but now it's so much easy for me to Monitor and and address as needed and I believe it help desk is using the same report yeah that that's correct this this has been um uh we we also have the
IT Help Desk service desk under Cara's leadership um helped uh with the implementation all the processes we figured out and there's a possibility this may be expanded over to Transportation next as well so this is a full-fledged project corge Bergos is here he's a manager who uh did most of the work so you know we got all the
credit but he did most of the work with it so just so everybody's aware so thank you I'm not an easy customer either are they but look at the product they Al came out you know it's a good product you know are
questions from the tag I I do have a a comment I this is great reporting and measurement um you can't improve with without knowing where you are um setting a direction I would encourage if you haven't looked into AI
this is a classic use case where you AI can filter through your documents to maybe answer some of those calls or build a chat bot or even documenting the ticket um and that could do that instantly and and eliminate that extra time documenting the ticket of course I
I don't know deep what you do so you have to investigate it but I would I would encourage that so to add to that uh we the reason why we have the skills Matrix in place is if a if a call center agent comes in the goal is ultimately is the way AIA sold it to us as well was if
a person comes in and only has one year of experience you would use the AI to subsidize that person's skill set to bring them up to three to five years of experience um and so that's why the skills are important so this kind of sets us up for the future um we do have the AI chat um agent with the transportation call center we did that
last TCH probably missed that piece but we did that last TCH awesome thank you thank you okay you're welcome thank you any questions stop by anytime I'll show you one more question one more question if you have someone with an extended issue something that's going to take
more than a couple minutes to handle what do you do with that you set up an additional time slot or um how do you handle those additional so we're currently using the ticketing system we're currently using is landesk and I know that's going to be uh go away we're going to be going to the service now um
what I have them do in the ticket is assign it as a tier I have two I have three tiers built into the ticket a tier one is basically you called us you emailed us we answered your question a tier two is something that takes research or tier three is a service failure outright I've emailed Hal four times he has not responded that's a
service fail that's a tier three I handle all those tier tws and tier 3s anything that's takes extra research or something like that and so and then we leave that ticket open so they document it get off the call because basically the call is call us in either we're going to answer your call or we're going
to put you in touch with the person that can assist you cuz we don't answer everything obviously if it's something that takes extensive research they're going to assign it to me as a as a research not as a tier two the key is to get them off the phone you know like I said the average talk time we're running about three three and a half
minutes good any further questions awesome thanks again the next item is the AT&T diverse Network pathway and Chris side will update us on that yeah I'd like to invite up uh Jorge Bergos he's the network services manager
and Michael Sims um he is the SRC basically our knock manager for the district this was a heavy project this was it look it's a few slides but it was a heavy project took a lot of lot of effort so so we're going to discuss our U AT&T
diverse network path which is ultimately how we that the business need was uh we recently have seen the bandwidth increase significantly throughout the school district um several several changes a lot of artificial intelligence a lot of um you know generations of reports that are coming in so things
have definitely bandwidth has increased significantly so I'll give you a little brief overview of the need which was basically getting that speed to all the schools as particularly during testing windows we wanted to make sure those were those were addressed sometimes we bump right up to the top of that top of
that Network bandwidth and so we definitely had to address that sure so we call it switched ethernet but it's switched ethernet it's fiber it's a fiber connection to each School location I I'll let them get into more of the details of that um so it's basically all schools all administrative
sites and um in the in their presentation they'll give a a real life scenario that just happened very recently we've had several real life scenarios but we've had one big one recently that um there was no impact to the schools that ultimately came out of that so there was engineering design and
permitting so what was done um I'll hand this over to Michael Sims thank you thank you so the business case here is really School outage right we were suffering
from school outage because we had one fiber coming out from the school and when AT&T uh was affected by that whether it happen to be um construction or or damage from uh from weather uh we would lose that school and uh we could
not do anything other than the fact of weight on AT&T to handle that uh sometimes it could be a day sometimes it could be three days and we've seen a week before so um you know we sat down with um the group of Engineers trying to decide what would be the best route here
and so the Hub and spoke model that we currently have is that the schools all come back to the data center right and so that's our ASC um so the only way that we could use the existing infrastructure and um have that redundancy in there um was to work with
AT&T on a second fiber coming from each school um and even in um the case where if you were to cut outside the school uh or down the road you know you still could get affected so we work with them trying to design a some that went North
and South out of every school uh it would have to come right out to the front of the school but it would go north and south um and also in that design um AT&T was upgrading us to uh a 10 gig circuit so we had two 10 gig circuits so we were basically handling
two great problems that we were having one was we were starting to fill the the the existing circuits that we had at the school which were one gig and some of them had two gigs um so now we move from from that up to 20 G gigs and then we also have the redundancy with the with
the two lines um we piloted it the first year um with the high schools and we had basically had no high schools down all year so we knew we were on the right track and uh we worked with uh with AT&T and it was moved out to all schools now
so we have full sites and um you know here you see the redundancy uh those schools communicate back uh of course out with the two two um two redundant paths um that we have 1, 1600 gig circuits coming back to our data centers
we have it across both data centers so at any time if one data center goes down the school automatically just fails over to the other data center um So currently that that is design that's working for us is there any questions with that yeah and this this is just a a
highle diagram just to show how everything's inter inter intertwined together I guess you could say um it's just very high level it we do have a backup networking here um that ties our data centers together in case of an emergency situation and um our data centers are tied together and it shows
our express route to Microsoft Azure and other pieces out there as well yeah that's a a dark fiber between our two data centers as well so um really have a good connection we also have uh included now we have a ring that goes across uh Northwest Reg Regal as well so we have
uh both data centers with uh 10 gig and then up to Northwest Regional for 10 gig private Network and I i' like to ask corge Bergos to he he there was a lot of nights and weekends a lot of them for probably I would say probably about 8 to 10 months somewhere in that range so um
he his team had the brunt of the work after hours so so we didn't impact schools during the day times and everything else I'll let him go into the rest of the presentation so uh this is a typical installation in uh from uh one of our school this is uh the new doctor our King Garcia high
school as you can see that black fiber that Loops that com in into a four uh 4in conduit and then the the two square uh routers AT&T routers the white ones are the the um AC uh
installation so yeah uh I know we talking about ISC but besides that we also they bring through the fiber also the emergency lines for elevators and and the F Fone for each schools and this is how they install
their uh AT&T gateways um and then from that point then we connect throughout routers through those uh multim mode fers the aqua col fibers so as uh Michael was uh uh talking uh
not only we present diversity to all all of our schools um but also we had an increment in uh in bandwidth uh we upgraded our routers
from uh 10 gig to 25 gig routers we had to install them throughout all of our sites which are 200 sites uh we did that uh during the summer of 23 um it also most of the time it was just a
simple installation but in some of our older schools uh we have to tie with the fiber to our data room because schools that were built in the 80s and prior to that the AT&T bring their fibers to
small electrical rooms sometimes boiler rooms so we had to tie our fibers to and bring it uh to our uh data room with air conditioning and this is what we go through from a uh day today not to this
extent uh there was a major outage in the South area as there was a fire that uh impacted the AT&T central office and we had 24 schools that were down um last week when we came in um my staff start
working worked uh 5:30 a.m. um so we monitor the the network our goal is to hit the schools before even they even start so they wouldn't even notice that there was an issue or that we were there but unfortunately for uh well in this
case things that we had diverse um fibers uh the school didn't even notice that they had one fiber down um so what happened there was a fire in the Miami area and I took him or they they were
able to fix it at around 10 p.m. U that that day um besides that we every time uh there's a construction if uh if they widen a road or any construction they usually start digging and they usually
break the conduit and and there a fiber cut I have to add I was very impressed that was very I have to add I was very impressed with u last two years we've been working on this as soon as the technology came in Chris jumped on it and and make sure you know this project
is done because we were hearing from schools like crazy like fiber is cut and we are running there you know you know trying to get them a cellular connection or Wireless something like that and so now I think this was a use case for for us um you know when Miami fire happened
and I think I I was told like 50 schools are you know instead of 2 before 50 schools were affected after Friday there was a there was a subsequent issue that impacted the The Glades area as well but there was no no nothing felt from the school get everything going so it was
like 52 schools but Chris and um Horus team they jumped in and they basically stayed late woke up early made sure nothing schools are not impacted so that was very very impressive so thank you guys I guess i' I guess I've been here a little while now um I recall some of the
first network connectivity that went out to the schools and so just to watch the generations of how dependent the schools have become and so I think this is amazing work because it they have become very dependent and so having that redundancy as you show they won't even know there was outage yeah I don't think
any of the schools kudos to you for making it invisible uh I just want to Echo everyone's comments uh amazing work really um uh thank you first just from testing since we take three electronic tests a year from the state that is awesome and it's really ingenious to do
the fiber on the North side and the South Side really cool so uh thank you for that schools really appreciate it thanks anything further just add one thing we are looking even at um because if there was a major outage that would affect
possibly North and South what is our other option so we are doing a pilot now with um possible Cellular Connection is coming in either with a mobile unit or something built into the school where we can jump on use SD device and jump onto a cellular with a backup it it wouldn't
be large scale like a 10 gig but it uh our tests right now are doing about 1.5 gig that we can do for cellular backup at of school very good and to add to that we have two schools on the construction uh sat R viiew and Wim so we requested from
the contractor to give us uh 21 in conduit uh facing different uh locations in the school uh that way we can obtain the the best cellular signal and and then be able to install that cellular
backup um system yeah since since they mentioned the cellular um thing the way the way that's set up is is um those SIM cards are multi-provider so if T-Mobile has a better service or if AT&T has a better service we can automatically switch that so the SIM cards are set up that way so
we've kind of designed that we only got one unit right now so we're this is very scratching the surface still okay so very good sounds like you are all over this and uh it's much needed and much appreciated thank you right thank you
guys so the next item um Chris Elementary server refresh all right so I'll give an update on our um our server infrastructure at the schools um this is the elementary server refresh I'll be going over um I'll go
over the same things so the business need is um we currently try to keep our servers within a 5-year refresh cycle a lot of the technolog is changing so we are keep we keep evaluating that over again um and recently this past summer we did the elementary school server so
all elementary schools now have a new server that uh I I I'll explain what a server is but it's multiple servers kind of built into that so basically um we have a host at every school location and it hosts
multiple virtual servers uh between all the elementary schools there's 109 elementary schools almost 110 elementary schools uh there's 733 VMware servers that are hosted within all the elementary schools so there's a variety of services that come through with that
from we have a scoop the Bigg one is the school police video surveillance servers that's the reason why we have it at the local site because we don't want to move all that surveillance uh camera footage over the network back here so that's the the ultimate reason there's the Epic intercom system that I think ech will go
over as well there's file servers there's uh three or four it management tools that we use as well and there's um just a variety of things there's some specific applications to some specific schools maybe like an ESC school or some specific application they may need as well
so this is just a picture of um what it is this used to be filled with servers filled with everything now it's just one server it's all it's all split up um it's just kind of how things are now the technology moved that way we already had the racks in place so we didn't decide to change that we're like let's just
leave them it's uh sunk cost already so let's just keep going forward with that so like I mentioned the video surveillance is a bigie piece of it um there's a lot of soft cost that a lot of like like departments don't understand there's VMware cost there's um backups
there's other pieces that we that it absorbs the cost for those type of functions so other people say just give me a server and I was like well there's a little more to it but fine we'll figure it out you know um that's when Gary was here he used say can do attitude so that's kind of the theory that we still follow we want to make
sure we have that can do attitude and this was a pretty high level presentation is there any questions about this the unsung hero with refreshes so the the five years do you feel like that's uh the right cycle still you know
the the next set of servers we're going to be doing is high schools I I had the dates in here and we're thinking about seeing if we can extend that with the way the processors have changed we're not seeing much gains out of those processors um for the way we do our traditional environments right now so we're we're considering if we can extend
those servers life from the high school um perspective out longer than the fiveyear that would be awesome I was worried to go in the opposite direction that you wouldn't have enough time to even get through one cycle before the next cycle starts yeah I know the some of the advancements with the um I guess
the GPU chips and other chips uh we don't have the infrastructure for the water waterbased cooling and all of the other pieces yet so the schools wouldn't be designed for that in the data center that might be a possibility in the future but we're not at the school sites that would take a a big retrofit versus Air cooling that's what we have in place
right now any other questions any no more questions thank you um also we have a new director of educational technology Miss Rebecca would you pronounce your last name for me
please hi thank you it's Rebecca smla smla thank you thank you for joining and welcome thank you for having me um so the next item is the student device refresh carara
rubinson good morning morning so um have two topics the first is the student one toone device refresh um just like servers we refresh typically every five years um and Chris is going to be kind enough to do my
slides for me um so project overview is um essentially that to it's a multi-year project to refresh all of our student devices now we're talking 200,000 devices so a very large number um we obviously went one to one right before
the you know as the pandemic was hitting so it was kind of a mad rush like everybody else in the country to to go one to one and allow students to learn from home so now this is our opportunity to do it the right way and take some time and and strategize and that type of
thing so um we are going to be there's some of the highlights of the project we are going to be refreshing all Chromebooks for k through2 12 so that's almost 200,000 right there um we are going to be refresh laptops for CTE students Career and Technical education students um all of the devices we're
going to purchase are going to be touchscreen and um we are probably going to have uh protective Co covers on the devices this time um so um we're getting an RFQ and get some quotes on those to make sure that they're cost-effective um one more thing on that slide please um
just the uh device handling and delivery just so you know that we're vendors that we are going with through the RFQ process have to do more than just have devices that we can purchase from them they have to etch the device they have to acetake the device they have to
enroll in our U Chrome en our Chrome environment they have to deliver inside to the school with the cover on each device already and all of those types of things so it's it's much more um work on the vendor side than a typical purchase would be okay um the background and and
this is just you know you know obviously the pandemic and we had to um rush to get this done to go one to one and now this time around we're going to um take our time and do it the right way um over a two plus year um cycle so I think we can go on to the next um in scope and
out of scope um we're going to do all K through 12 Schools elementary middle high and as I mentioned CT students for laptops alternative schools in our um DJJ students we are not going to do adult ed students we are not going to do anything for employees
our Charter Schools or our virtual programs um this slide um this was the result of a 4-Hour power session last summer with about six or eight of us um from edtech and it different parts of IT
project management and other areas that we all I bought pizza and we all sat in a room for three four hours and strategize how are we going to do this how you know how long would it take what what do we do first second third all that type of stuff and this is what we came up with um so we're going to do it
in four phases but it's going to be two plus years um starting now in um March of this year and finishing up in August of 2027 so we're going to start with high schools um we're going to do about 6,000 units this spring um purchasing very soon now starting in March and
April U delivery May through July and then complete it before school starts our whole uh our whole objective with building this timeline line is to minimize the impact the negative impact to academics so we're trying and very hard to not to have a negative impact at
all in fact we want to have a positive impact you're now going to get touchscreen you're now going to get some things you don't you don't have and obviously you're going to get a brand new device so um after doing the high schools this summer we're going to go in the school years to to divide up the 100 110 plus elementary schools into two
years the uh fiscal year coming up FY 26 and then fiscal year 27 um do half the first and half the second and then lastly we're going to take care of the middle schools alternative Ed and DJJ um and that would be the summer of 2027 so
um um that's what we plan to know there's something else I wanted to mention but I'm sure it'll come to me but that's okay um the like any other project we have assumptions and risks um the only really ones that we really need to talk about um other than um the data
migration where most of them are Chromebooks so there's no data to migrate um but the um the repurposing and the the triage involved is is a big that's the biggest thing for me to kind of wrap our heads around we're g not
only are we delivering for high schools this summer 60,000 devices we're removing 60,000 devices at the same time and what do we do with those so we're going to be setting up a triage Center in our um McKesson warehouse and and analyzing each device is it something we
can use in the elementaries and middles until we refresh those and swap out for broken devices there or are they going to be ewed or they do they need a a minor repair and then they can be used so that whole triage process is part of the project and how we're going to staff
it and we're going to use temps and student interns and we have a device repair team and our field support team and and all those folks are going to be um not only do helping the vendors get the new devices out but they're going to be removing the current devices from the schools oh I know what I know what I was
going to mention the other slide was the buffer um so um the uh number of devices per school is going to be the student population plus a buffer and right now we're at a 6% buffer so I haven't not talked to a lot of principles yet about that buffer that's going to be part of
the project so um it we'll see if that if that stays or we we need to bump that up a little bit but that's our that's our intent at this point okay couple more slides oh your risks the only risks um typical risks and part of the project is obviously to build mitigation plans
for each of these risks um the tariffs the first one um may impact Us in cost um I we've talked directly with Dell and HP those are the two that we're getting quotes on and um Dell has assured us that they have enough devices in the in the country already they don't need to
import anything so they don't believe that their um cost will increase for tar um due to tariffs HP um has not said that so they may their prices may be affected by tariffs if there are some um so that's mainly it on the on the risks
and I think we can go to the last one um our next steps we we just initiated a project we had a project kickoff meeting last week and we even though we didn't officially kick off the project we've actually been working with the purchasing department for uh well
over a month to build our RFQ our RFQ our request for quote is not a standard request for coat if you ask the purchasing department um we made it um quite um tight in terms of requirements for the vendors not only do they have to quote us on different models and
different items they also have to acknowledge that they're going to meet every requirement there's about 14 of them they have to be able to etch the device and all those things that they have to do they have to deliver and a very tight logistical schedule to each school to make sure that we get them all
done in the summer um um car we have a question from branch on Google yes Gloria I have a quick question what are the warranty on these and is it included in the charge that we're paying for them yes um there's a there's a standard
fiveyear warranty on the hardware and there's a one-year warranty on the battery okay thank you yep um and let's see so we're in the middle of the RFQ process right now as I mentioned the RFQ is out there right now
but it's what's called a private RFQ it only went out to our Schoolboard approved vendors there's about four or five of them so those are the ones we anticipate getting uh quotes back from we will um get those quotes and and do a vendor selection and then obviously our project has to um build a logistical
process and schedule for the summer for the high schools and that triage process that I mentioned to to deal with the the devices that we're removing from the schools and I think that's about it let me see yes that's it any
questions yeah I was looking at your timeline and I remember as I was leaving the district you had to implement uh that one: one so looking at the Timeline we got a couple years to implement that one to one uh does that mean that some
of them did it take two years before or will some of those machines actually extend out to seven years uh yes some of the machines are extending out to seven years and that they've extended the the life of those machines already so none of the machines that we're removing are
going to go past their end of life you know sorry also like to recognize the it group for this um touch screens schools are going to love the kids are going to love the teachers are going to love and um um yeah they're just excited to get the new devices and the protective cases
that's awesome so we did go to a couple of of schools to um show them the the device with the case and how is that going to you know how are your kids going to take to this and and they they seemed pretty positive about it yeah great collaboration thank you yeah you're welcome excellent thank you
appreciate it Cara sure all right next one is board dos so all of you as Tech members have been board do users um so um bardu we purchased um it was developed by a company called Emerald software
Solutions probably a decade ago it's been we've been around for quite some time um Emerald software Solutions became diligent about four years ago and since then then they they've been de they've been developing a replacement for board ducks and they now have it
it's called diligent Community we've seen a couple of De uh excuse me a couple of demonstrations of diligent Community our uh Board office have seen the demonstrations they like what they see um we really have no choice because there board Ducks is going to have an end of life in June of 2026 so we do
have to migrate um we currently have two products board do LT which is what you use for your Tech and other advisory committees use and then we have bordex Pro um all of those two products are wrapped up into diligent community so there's only one product uh going
forward um and next slide is these are some of the enhancements that we'll get with diligent Community the big ones to me are the number one is is managing multiple boards and communities with one tool so that's kind of a nice nice thing that that everyone will be in the same
software product um and the secondly is the in user interface board docks itself is kind of old-fashioned looking and now we'll have and now we'll have a a much more modern uh user interface that people I think will appreciate um couple of other you know public portal and
security and and more mobility and that type of thing is will be nice things as well okay the next is here's a just a couple slides to to give you a peek at what the um interface looks like on a phone as well and the next
one and then this is just our where're as most things we are going to have this be a pmo Le project and um I'll be the sponsor and we are definitely going to be leaning on Tony Lynn Sinclair who is the board clerk um she has seen the
demonstration as well as her staff and some other folks um she likes what she sees she's excited to get to it but we'll be uh leaning on her in terms of um when is the board want to be trained you know those types of things um will Tony Lynn will help us with
that and this is just a very high level project plan that we um anticipated taking about four months um the vendor has a 90-day migration plan for all of their customers and most of their customers are very small school
districts that hand over the entire migration 100% to the vendor and they don't do any anything we're not like that we're going to run the project ourselves and uh we said that we are probably going to want more than 90 days and we're going to want to be able to roll this out slowly and all the things
that we do with with most projects like this and most importantly we want to not negatively impact the school board we want to you know do it around their timetable is is Thanksgiving a good time is is right before Christmas a good time it you know it's up to them so that we'll wait and see what is a a good time
frame for them um but we will be migrating all of the data all of the data from board dos over to diligent Community um that's about it any questions on that all right thank you that's it thank you Enterprise service management update
next project I think is yours as well good morning I'm rich Leonard I'm the manager of the itpmo thank you very much for your time I am going to very high level take you through our uh service now initiative
here at the district and is somebody driving other than me okay why are we doing this for years the district has managed their itel processing through a product called es support es support's great it works
uh it has grown from Incident Management to change management to service cataly log additional it organizations have come to the table and said hey we want to start our itel journey can we use es support absolutely non-it organizations
have come and done the same absolutely come into es support so now what the district has is a good working tool uh it's highly customized it's highly configured and it's on Prem but it works
some forward thinkers here at the district looked ahead and said okay we really need a tool that's going to scale with us not necessarily that the district's going to grow but there's more organizations that can leverage this type of tool and they landed on
service now so project organization how is this organized uh with a project this large and this large of a duration they thought it was best to reach out to Michael Callahan and the pmo to get
direction on how to organize the project such of this nature of course we have a steering committee uh they're the largest stakeholders of a project uh of this nature they pick our scope they pick our timelines we're it we want the
greatest shiniest thing it's their job to reel us back and say we're about the schools and about the district this makes sense so they keep us in check there and of course we have a working team these are the folks that are going to actually do the implementation moving on what's In scope
and what's not in scope and actually where we are and where we're heading so our first implementation was change management then we moved on and landed uh hardware and software contract management and just recently we
implemented Incident Management now this is an Enterprise solution which is really cool to me uh our CFO for example and we're it where Opex CFO is a large customer of ours when she goes in and manages contracts service now is kind of
neat in that she's presented with what we call widgets it's a bunch of graphs that easily guide her to the information she needs with her contract uh and also if she wants to dig a little bit deeper there's a button on the left that shows her all why am I saying this if for
example our CFO wants to look at changes or incidents for some reason soon as she's go goes in there she's going to be presented with a screen of widgets just like her contracts that's the value of the Enterprise solution but we're all technologists I didn't have to say that
where are we heading uh next in scope is the knowledge base and the virtual chatbot going to dabble there sorry guys just for a little bit our chat bot's going out in four phases phase one we're going to hook the chat up to our internet uh our district Hub kind of put
it out there for our Associates to see how it works phase two we're going to put it on the district website that is for quicker easier access for information for our students um and our folks out in the district phase three if our chat Journey for some reason doesn't
answer your question or get you the information you'll be able to open a service request so we can get that in the hands of the right people to answer your question phase four things get a little bit crazy and nuts we're going to introduce artificial intelligence so
that your chat journey is not dependent on on a knowledge base behind it it'll be more interactive right on the heels of that we're looking at the service catalog and the remainder of our deliverables are up
here autoscope what this is not this is not a cmdb you're all technologist cmdbs are great they're very hard high maintenance but you got to keep this is not a cmdb um financial asset management and
chargebacks financials are in PeopleSoft they're going to stay in PeopleSoft we're not taking that on and of course anything additional um that comes because we've already defined our scope how is this going to increase customer service well uh the intent is
for reduced call volume and requests for service if there's a question that continuously call Michael Callahan in the pmo he can simply put that in the knowledge base quickly get that question answered so he gets less calls uh the
chat itself is what we're going to use to get folks quicker uh information in their hands the chatbot kind of gets smarter as it goes if you say uh give me everything on W2 for example and everybody in the district starts
clicking on how do I print well that's no longer number 10 it moves up to number two so so it gets smarter as we ask it more questions uh and then can continually train the chatbot to get a better assumptions every project has
them uh the steering committee picks our Direction the working team gets them done working team members will give give time from their normal duties as with any District project uh the folks have day jobs so um and then we are working
on the chap B right now the capot is knowledge based so one of the hurdles not hurdles but one of our highest to-dos why it's highlighted is to get that uh information vetted to make sure it's accurate risks every project has risks
um these are kind of boiler plate uh we do have a regular steering committee uh risks that become issues we bring to the steering committee we rely on them to um take care of our issues a couple that have come to light during this project
just from my memory is we had a licensing when we decided to go from internal to external with the chap out we had some licensing risks that became issues the steering committee mitigated that for us so we have process in place
to mitigate risks and issues Where Do We Go From Here uh we're going to finish that knowledge base and we're going to get that chat live internally then I've told you the other three phases that will go through right on the heels of that we're going to start working on the service
catalog that's all I've got for you today any questions can you go back to that item in yellow yes sir I'm going to do a public service announcement for you so the people who do it well the chatbot experience would be awesome the people who don't do it well
their experience might not be awesome and the platform will be judged on both of them yes sir and so just any reinforcement you can do with those folks that may not be as diligent with number yellow I'd hate for the platform to get a a bad name because of bad
hygiene yeah and it's an excellent point and um we've done our best to try to mitigate that in that we're not just giving people a blank slate we we had uh part of our summer interns last year we're going through the entire uh website and getting information that's
there and saying here is what we think is you know you folks are interested in please tell us what's right what's wrong and so it's like I said if you start with a blank sheet A lot of times you're you're going to get blank sheet so we've tried to fill in as much as possible but we still depend on the Departments to
vet that and to update it as necessary so your points well taken maybe give out some awards for those who do it very well and maybe the ones who don't do it so well will will strive to want to win an award I I'll attest to Cara every day she's sending hey where is my things
Chris where's my things and I'm like we're on it we're getting it for you don't worry thank you Richard appreciate that all right the final one is the Ed technology update from uh Rebecca
Smacker Smacker if you'd like you can you can come here if you want to or you want him to drive I'm okay sure uh I uh thank you for recognizing Mrs smca we are very excited to have her
on board as new director of edtech um I won't make any comments about Gary and how cooler she is than him but you know we appreciate you Gary um but um very excited to have her here and enjoy thank you Adam um yeah I want to
recognize Gary as well Gary is uh was the director that hired me to the edtech team um back in 2017 so appreciate his leadership and Adam's leadership and uh Dr atwell's leadership as as well um my first day
was Monday uh so I'm going to invite Mike Goldstein uh project manager up to the table to sit with me in case there are some additional questions that uh he has more knowledge based than I do but we'll go ahead and get started so um right now um and I know
Gary will remember this very very clearly in 2018 uh the district uh did an RFP for smartboards and we rolled out um over the next two years almost 11,000 units to all of our instructional spaces um at that time we put on a very nice
high-end computer um and what we're doing now is we're right in the middle of a panel uh PC refresh so we're going to be able to extend our smart panels up to about 10 more years um what's a great benefit for the computer that we chose
at the time is that it's still um a great computer and so we're going to be able to take those computers when we're doing the swaps and distribute those to the uh school to help out with those devices that can no longer run Windows 11 so it's a win-win um we're about uh
10,000 ordered and a little bit over 5,000 installed we have a lot of installs going in over spring break as well I hit that okay um I'm going to let Mike speak to the uh new school construction and modernizations absolutely so um part of
edtech we also consult with all the different con uh construction groups uh project management and and teaching learning it when we're designing new schools uh to make sure that we have the technology that classes need or teachers
and students need in order to deliver effective instruction so what that looks like currently is we've got a wallmounted smart panel in the classroom and then we've got some form of dual display whether it's a second uh smart panel on a cart or else a TV mounted on
the wall in the rear of the classroom so we've got that dual display as well as our regular uh classroom accessories like audio enhancement epic intercoms uh document cameras Chromebooks and just making sure that that whole package
works well for the teachers and students so next we're rolling out our audio enhancement systems um we're replacing all of the old 10 obsolete IR systems the line of sight systems with our new XD technology um we've had over 7,000 systems installed since uh FY 23
and this is allowing us to get epic ready which I'm also going to let Mike talk about sure so the audio enhancement a lot of our old IR systems dated back to 2008 2009 so a lot of these are 10 15 years old um we can no longer buy parts
so we had to to update these systems um and one of of the advantages was that these new systems allowed us to be what we're calling epic ready so what that is what the Epic intercom is is basically we can use our Data Network use the audio enhancement system that's in the
classrooms and now we can convert the school's intercom to an IP based solution using what we already have as opposed to having to to incur the cost of pulling conduit underground trenching uh and whatnot to make intercom repairs for a lot of our older schools um you
know you could be 600 700,000 to to replace a traditional intercom with epic we can do it anywhere from about 100 to 200 depending on the size and and geography of a school uh so so far we've up we're we've got a 10-year plan to
replace all School intercoms we're currently in year two of that we've replaced 44 intercoms so far we started with new construction then we've been retrofitting schools we've done some of our more complex schools first um so it can only get easier from there
uh but schools have loved the flexibility of Epic the fact that they can do custom Bell schedules when they do testing they can do custom Bell tones um so it's it's been a win-win for the schools and their operation all right another one of our
projects that our team is supporting is um we are now doing conference room updates oh question we do have a question on sorry go ahead please I was going to call on you oh I was just going to say
thank you for saving money glad to do it you're welcome um one of our newest projects we just started this year is um updating the conference rooms in the schools so this started with um ask from our principales um going into the schools
they were not they didn't have the Modern Standard technology and um with that we started talking to the principes and seeing needs in other areas of the school in the conference rooms where parents were coming in um to view their their plans for Ed plan and just
additional needs um so we are installing between two and five conference rooms um over the next three years we have 28 schools and more um going as of right now so that's going to be an ongoing project for the next uh 3 years additionally we have been um
working with um construction and pmo right program management program management sorry to update our high school media centers so that's been an ongoing project for a while now we have 11 completed and we have three that are starting construction this summer um
I'll let Mike speak to that a little bit more as well as the Lessons Learned yeah so we've taken some of our outdated media centers that were built back in the the 80s um and early '90s that you walk in there they felt like a dungeon um you know it
was they were they were dark they were dreary they were designed for when we had more books um now that we've moved into a multimedia era um we've got students coming in with Chromebooks we we had to tweak how media centers were so so we've gotten together
with program management with construction uh with the schools to determine what these needs are um so we've added small group collaboration conference rooms we've added Cafe spaces we we've added updated projection and display systems we've added digital
signage to the media centers and if you get a chance to see any of these New Media centers um it is night and day from what they used to be schools are much happier you see students you know collaborating the furniture is mobile it's just a much more pleasant
experience than working in a dungeon and if I could go back um to the conference room updates so same slide thanks Chris um so just on the conference room updates um when we were rolling out the smart panels a lot of principes wanted them
for their conference rooms um but when we started talking to them right um they didn't really need the interactivity of the smart panel they needed a a projection screen to have their leadership meetings or IP meetings um so the edtech team pivoted and went to
these flat screen TVs with the PC webcam and wireless keyboard actually saves the district a lot of money compared to buying a $5,000 smart panel for that conference room so just wanted to point that out thank you Adam and I know Mike just spoke about
digital signage this is one of the things that we have um started doing with new construction is installing flat screen TVs and digital signage Hardware we started doing that in the media center and the schools really saw Great Value in having that digital signage and the high visibility locations on
campuses so all of the new construction has those in their front offices uh C IAS hallways outside the gyms um so we are going to begin doing that districtwide um over the next 3 years and approximately 1,500 uh signage locations um that's going to be our
phase one phase two uh we have been asked to also include the cafeteria menu boards that's a little bit more complex installation so that's going to be um the second roll out you can see um in the picture some of the uh digital signage that we have at U West Pointon
so that's up on the w has the novo and then the bottom uh left is an Evo that's actually a portable digital signage so the schools can use it all over their campuses wherever they need it for events so it's pretty awesome all right I know um artificial
intelligence is on the mind of many and it's also on the mind of the school district of Palm Beach County um we did create a strategic initiative last year d1c to um address the needs of artificial intelligence here in our district um we have goals uh to enhance
learning increase efficiency and Inspire Innovation for both our students and our staff um some of the Milestones that the work group and that is it's a interdepartmental work group so we have representatives from teaching and learning CTE it um operations facilities
so it is a group effort um one of the things that we're doing the working towards is publishing a vision and mission statement um we're also at the very tail end of creating an AI policy we have a draft um it's in the final stages of stakeholder feedback with our
principal group right now uh once that principal group finishes their feedback um by Friday we do hope to have a draft go up to leadership um for approval and then on to board um some of the things that we're doing with our staff is we
are providing artificial intelligence training we have multiple products that have been approved through our TCH process and so we have um our main one is our conmigo AI teaching assistant and AI tutor that is available through our
trusted partner with KH Academy we have provided uh training for over 5,000 teachers on that AI use this year we also um took a AI lesson for our grades 3 through 12 for our students and added that as a mandatory lesson for our Tech
save program which is an annual program that we provide to promote digital citizenship and and Online safety for our students um and the last thing that we're looking for is uh trying to discover and research some Technical Solutions um ways that we can use AI for operational efficiency we've got quite a
few examples on the running list going um that was our quarter three Milestone so we're hoping to report out on that um at the end of this month so exciting things happening here in the district with AI additionally just to go a little bit more into the training um like I said we introduce conmigo at the beginning of
the year for the month of August we trained over 4,000 teachers over 39 sessions for the AI integration of teacher tools um which is available to all of our teachers in K12 our um conmigo for students is only available for students in middle school and high
school so um they are receiving that training through Tech safe there's also a cono for students um course embedded in the program as well um additionally we are training teachers um during our professional development days as as well as after school through our title 4
program for some of those approved applications so like Google Gemini uh canva Adobe Firefly and other um tools that have ai embedded in them that leads me to our comigo ambassador program so just with the uh
ambassadors that is very similar to kind of the Trailblazer program that we rolled out when we first introduced uh Chromebooks districtwide and we were teaching you know we we not just the hardware but we also provided the training we're doing the same thing with the cono ambassador program we're
providing the software but then we are training up to five ambassadors on each campus in our secondary schools so they are able to really be those teacher leaders on the campus and to help lead the integration um with kigo and my last slide um just an update
on Esports uh we did host the first uh South Florida Minecraft build challenge this year uh at Tech did and it was really awesome we have um a school from each level elementary middle and high competing this Saturday they're going down to Fort Lauderdale to compete against Miami Dade and Broward um so
there is going to be a live stream for that uh we are hoping to get a lot of participation to watch our kids play and hopefully win that competition uh we also have the potential for one of our high school teams to travel out to San Antonio for isty this year so we're
really excited about that opportunity we currently have uh 64 uh schools that have a Scholastic orts facilitator and we are even uh you know we had started at high school but we've now trickled down to middle and elementary with the uh onset and approval of Minecraft and
our schools and last but not least on February 24th we hosted our 24th annual technology conference it was the first conference we'd had in person in 5 years it was a great day of learning we had over 70 sessions um 32 District Partners
600 people in attendance it was hosted for the first time at Dr waim Garcia high school was a great location um it was just a wonderful experience and we're really looking forward to our 25th anniversary annual Tech Conference next year hope you guys can all
come thank you any questions great update did you have oh on the uh Zoom U Google meet yes go ahead Kath yes hi thank you I was just curious if you had any metrics on the pilot program with kigo and if
you're seeing performance of the students improve based on that uh thank you for your question so um uh we did do a pilot last year um it was a small sample size so we did see a little increase but it was too small sample size but it looked like it was
positive rolling it out this year we're waiting for our end of the year assessment to really truly gauge the uh the growth of our our middle and high school students so we will be reporting out in that once we have that we take that test in May anything
further don't see okay wonderful thank you again so our next meeting date is scheduled for June 11th so we put that on our future calendar for June um anything further for this
meeting from the TAC or anyone any motions to adjourn motion second Mr Gary thank you meeting adjourned thank you everyone e for Part: 2
>> J CAPTION TEST
♪ O SAY CAN YOU SEE BY THE DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT ♪ ♪ WHAT'S SO PROUDLY WE HAIL'D AT THE TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING ♪ WHOSE BROAD STRIPES
AND BRIGHT STARS ♪ THROUGH THE PERILOUS FIGHT ♪ ♪ O'ER THE RAMPARTS WE WATCHED WERE SO GALLANTLY STREAMING ♪ ♪ AND THE ROCKETS RED GLARE
THE BOMBS BURSTING IN AIR ♪ ♪ GAVE PROOF THROUGH THE NIGHT THAT OUR FLAG WAS STILL THERE ♪ ♪ O SAY DOES THAT
STAR-SPANGLED BANNER YET WAVE ♪ ♪ O'ER THE LAND OF THE FREE AND
THE HOME OF THE BRAVE ♪ [ APPLAUSE ] >> THAT WAS BEAUTIFUL. 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. >> VIEWERS AND LISTENERS CAN ACCESS THE MEETING BY WATCHING ON COMCAST CHANNELS 234 AND 235, U VERSE CHANNEL 99 OR BY USING
THE YOUTUBE LINK ON OUR WEB PAGE AT PALM BEACH BEACH SCHOOLS.ORG. IN THE EVENT THE LINK IS INTERRUPTED FOR TECHNICAL REASONS, PLEASE SWITCH OVER TO THE TV CHANNELS. ALL BOARD MEETINGS ARE REQUIRED IN THEIR ENTIRETY AND POSTED ON THE DISTRICT WEBSITE WITHIN 24 HOURS. WE ALSO OFFER A LISTING ONLY
OPTION WHICH THE PUBLIC CAN ACCESS BY CALLING 561 ABOUT 57-3500 OR TOLL FREE AT 1-866-930-7015.
MEETING I.D. IS 15618801124 #. WE HAVE FOUR SETS OF MINUTES TO APPROVE. MOTION BY Ms. BRANCH SECOND BY Ms. WHITFIELD. ANY DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
I HAVE AN ITEM TO ADD FOR GOOD CAUSE. AS SOON AS MY COMPUTER CATCHES UP. P2, PERSONNEL ADDENDUM. GOOD CAUSE EXISTS FOR ADDING THIS ITEM SO THAT EMPLOYEES CAN BEGIN IN THEIR NEW POSITIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Mr. SUPERINTENDENT, DO YOU
HAVE ANY ITEMS TO WITHDRAW? >> YES MADAM CHAIR. I WILL BE WITHDRAWING COM1. >> Chair Brill: WE HAVE ONE ITEM PULLED. ANYBODY ELSE WANT TO PULL IN ITEMS? SEEING NONE, I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
MOTION BY Ms. WHITFIELD SECOND BY Ms. SAF, ANY DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THAT WILL BRING US TO DISCLOSURES AND ABSTENTIONS. DO WE HAVE ANY? SEEING NONE, THAT BRINGS US NOW TO SUPERINTENDENT BOARD
COMMENTS. Mr. SUPERINTENDENT. >> Supt.Burke: MARCHS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH AND TIME TO RECOGNIZE WOMEN WITHIN OUR HISTORY. WE HONOR THE TRAIL BLAZERS WHO CAME BEFORE AND THE WOMEN WHO CONTINUE TO SHAPE OUR WORLD. OUR COMMITMENT IS TO CREATE AN
ENVIRONMENT WHERE ALL STUDENTS FEEL EMPOWERED TO SUCCEED AND WE ALSO HAVE SOME AWARDS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO RECOGNIZE HE HAS RECEIVED A FLORIDA TAX WATCH
24-25 PRINCIPAL LEADERSHIP AWARD. THIS HONOR IS GIVEN TO 15 PRINCIPALS ACROSS THE STATE SO IT'S VERY PRESTIGIOUS AND IT'S BASED ON HIS RESULTS AND HIS USE OF RESOURCES THEY LOOK AT THE MONEY SPENT ACROSS THE STATE OF
FLORIDA AND THE ACHIEVEMENTS AND GAINS AND THE ROI AND SELECT THE WINNERS. THIS IS NOT AN AWARD YOU CAN APPLY FOR. IT'S BASED SOLELY ON PERFORMANCE WE CONGRATULATE ON THIS AWARD. YOU SEE HIM FEATURED IN THE
PICTURE. WE HAVE TWO MORE AWARDS FOR I WOULD LIKE TO ANNOUNCE CYPRESS TRAILS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL UNDER LEADERSHIP OF BRUCE SALTER AND THE SCHOOL OF THE ARTS UNDER THE LEADERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL RHONDA SMITH HAVE BOTH RECEIVED THE EC
2 AWARD, THIS IS ANOTHER SPECIAL AWARD. IT'S BASED ON A GROUP THAT OVERSEES AND ADMINISTERS TITLE I FUNDING IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND AGAIN THEY LOOK AT THE TITLE ONE SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE AND THEY LOOK AT HOW THEY'RE USING THOSE RESOURCES TO HAVE GREATER IMPACT ON THEIR STUDENTS.
AND BOTH OF THESE SCHOOLS WERE EXEMPLARS AND RECEIVED THIS PRESTIGIOUS AWARD. VERY PROUD OF ALL THREE PRINCIPLES FOR BRINGING HOME THE HARDWARE TO PALM BEACH COUNTY. I HAD THE PLEASURE OF RECENTLY
VISITING THE CONSERVATORY SCHOOL IN NORTH PALM BEACH AND WE WERE BENEFITING ONCE AGAIN FROM A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH PF & L AND $50,000 GRANT TO TRANSFORM CLASSROOM INTO A STEM LAB. IN THIS CASE, THE CONSERVATORY
SCHOOL IS TRANSFORMING THEIR MEDIA CENTER AND ADJACENT ROOM AND IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT THEY'RE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS $50,000 MUCH THE STUDENTS HAVE EXCITING TECHNOLOGY, DRONES, ROBOTICS, 3D
PRINTERS, A LOT OF COOL STUFF AND THE KIDS ARE WELL VERSED IN USING IT ALREADY.
IF YOU HAVE A FOUR OR FIVE-YEAR-OLD ENROLLING IN KINDERGARTEN, NOW IS THE TIME. WE ARE STARTING TO WELCOME THE CLASS OF 2038 IF YOU CAN BELIEVE IT WE HAVE DONE A LOT TO WELCOME
OUR NEW FAMILIES. WE WILL BE INVITING OUR FAMILIES TO COME TOUR THEIR SCHOOLS AND ROLL OUT THE RED CARPET AND YOU
KNOW, GIVE THEM THAT OPPORTUNITY EACH FAMILY GETS THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS KIT AND MATH KIT AND YOUTUBE VIDEOS THAT REALLY
INSTRUCT AND ARE DONE IN THREE LANGUAGES TO HELP THE FAMILIES SIT DOWN WITH THOSE KIDS AND TAKE TIME TO GIVE THEIR INCOMING KINDERGARTENER BASIC SKILLS, BASIC TRAINING THAT WILL GO A LONG WAY WHEN THEY SHOW UP FOR THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, THEY'RE READY TO G. I WANT TO TAKE A
MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE THAT A BIG GROUP OF US WERE TRAVELING TO THE STATE'S CAPITOL LAST WEEK FOR PALM BEACH COUNTY DAYS AS THEY STARTED THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD FOR SHARING YOUR LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES FIRSTHAND.
I KNOW MISS WE WYATT AND CHIEF OF COMMUNICATIONS RONLEY FACE MADE THE BEST USE OF OUR TIME AND WITH ALL OF US UP THERE HOLDING AS MANY MEETINGS AS POSSIBLE, WE HAD AN IMPACT AND HOPEFULLY AT THAT TIME WILL LEAD TO FAVORABLE RESULTS THIS SESSION.
ALSO PROBABLY DON'T NEED TO ANNOUNCE THIS FOR ANYBODY, BUT IF YOU ARE LOOKING AT THE CALENDAR, SPRING BREAK IS NOT TOO FAR OFF. THAT WILL START MARCH 24 AND SOME OF THE EMPLOYEES ARE LOOKING TO THAT TIME AND SO I
ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO AHEAD AND TAKE IT, REST UP. MAYBE READ A BOOK AND THEN COME BACK FOR PREPARED FOR REALLY STRONG FINISH TO THE SCHOOL YEAR. AND AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE UP OUR DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT CHIEF OF SCHOOLS Mr. EDWARD TIERNEY. HE IS GOING TO INTRODUCE THE
BOARD TO OUR NEWEST PRINCIPAL. Mr. TIERNEY.
THE WEST WOORD COMMUNITY WAS LOOKING FOR A STRONG LEADER, FAMILIAR WITH INSTRUCTION WHO WOULD RESPECT THEIR TRADITIONS AND HELP THEM GROW PROFESSIONALLY AND WE BELIEVE WE FOUND THE PERFECT CANDIDATE IN Dr. ANDREA WALKER.
>> GOOD EVENING. TO BOARD CHAIR BRILL, VICE CHAIR ANDREWS SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT MIKE BURKE AND DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT EDWARD
TIERNEY, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY. I COME TODAY COMPLETELY HONORED YET HUMBLED AND GRATEFUL TO BE CHOSEN AS THE PRINCIPAL OF WESTWARD ELEMENTARY GIVING ALL GLORY TO GOD.
FOR MY TWO-MINUTE SPEECH, I DEDICATE TO MY AWESOME TRIBE. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE FOLLOWING: NORTH REGIONAL SUPERINTENDENT Dr. LONG FOR INVESTING IN ME SINCE 2015 AS A LITERACY SPECIALIST.
NORTH REGIONAL INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERINTENDENT Dr. ANNA GONZALEZ FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE AS I TRANSITION INTO MY NEW ROLE. PRINCIPAL OF LINCOLN ELEMENTARY, ALICIA TAYLOR, FOR BEING MY
MENTOR AND A DEAR FRIEND FOR 10 YEARS THANK YOU TO THE FOLLOWING FAMILY MEMBERS FOR BEING SUPPORTIVE AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGH THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF THIS JOURNEY. MY HUSBAND, TRAVIS WALKER, MY DAUGHTER KENDALL WALKER, MY PARENTS, Mr. AND Mrs. GUY
AND GENERAL FER AKINS FROM ORLANDO, FLORIDA, MY IN-LAWS, Mr. AND Mrs. NORMAN AND DELORES WALKER, MY SISTER Dr. MILLER, MY BEST FRIENDS FOR OVER 20 YEARS, SHAREL AND TRACY. LASTLY I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE
STAFF, TEACHERS, PARENTS AND STUDENTS OF LING-- OF LINCOLN ELEMENTARY FOR PREPARING ME FOR THIS MOMENT RIGHT HERE. I AM FOREVER GRATEFUL TO YOU ALL. THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU Dr. WALKER. IT'S NICE WHEN EVEN IN-LAWS GET THANKED. THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS HAPPEN. BUT ANYWAY WE ARE ALL COUNTING ON YOU AND WE KNOW WILL YOU GREAT THINGS AT WESTWARD ELEMENTARY. ONE LAST COMMENT. MARCHS A BIG MONTH FOR BIRTHDAY AS ROUND HERE.
I WANT TO CONGRATULATE Ms. SAVIETTO AND EVERYBODY ON YOUR BIRTHDAYS IN MARCH. THAT CONCLUDES MY CONTINUES. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. Mr. LANE. >> SURE. THIS WAS A VERY GOOD MONTH FOR ME. AND THE HIGHLIGHT, I HAVE TO
TELL YOU WAS BEING TOGETHER WITH MY FRIENDS ON THE BOARD TO CELEBRATE MY BIRTHDAY. I WANT YOU TO KNOW IT REALLY MEANT A LOT TO ME, SO THANK YOU. I BELIEVE OUR TRIP TO TALLAHASSEE FOR THE PALM BEACH COUNTY DAYS WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE. PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR REPEATING THE STATISTIC.
I KNOW THAT THE ADMINISTRATORS AND BOARD MEMBERS ARE WELL AWARE OF IT BUT I THINK IT'S PRODUCTIVE TO REPEAT IT AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I NEED-- I BELIEVE THAT OUR COMMUNITY AT LARGE RAL NEEDS TO UNDERSTAND IT MOO TALLAHASSEE, WE WERE ABLE TO
POINT OUT TO OUR LEGISLATORS THAT FLORIDA IS 46th IN THE NATION. 46th IN THE NATION, FOURTH FROM THE BOTTOM IN PER PUPIL SPENDING. AND WITH THESE FUNDS WE ARE EXPECTED TO HIRE NEW TEACHERS
AND RETAIN EXPERIENCED TEACHERS, PAY OUR POLICE OFFICERS, OUR COOKS, OUR BUS DRIVERS, SCHOOL PATROL GUARDS, OUR STAFF AND TO PROVIDE SAFE AND SECURE SCHOOLS FOR OUR CHILDREN AND TO BUY VERY EXPENSIVE TEXTBOOKS. SO I WANTED TO CONVEY THAT
MESSAGE AND I WILL TRY TO KEEP CONVEYING IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IT IS IMPORTANT UNTIL SOMEBODY ON THE BOARD TELLS ME THEY'RE SICK OF HEARING IT. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'LL PROVIDE A CONCISE OVERVIEW OF THE MANY THINGS I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THIS MONTH. I ATTENDED THE FOURTH ANNUAL ANTI-SEMITISM SUMMIT.
I MET WITH HISPANIC COALITION AND COALITION FOR BLACK STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. I ATTENDED THE LEAGUE OF CITIES LUNCHEON, HISTORICAL SOCIETY BIZ PACK. FP&L AS THE SUPERINTENDENT SAID MADE A SUBSTANTIAL DONATION TO THE LIBRARY AT THE CONSERVATORY SCHOOL AND WE WERE ABLE TO
ATTEND THAT. I'M THE ONE BEHIND THE SCISSORS ON THE PICTURE. I PAID THEM EXTRA FOR THAT AND I VISITED WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHERE THE PRINCIPAL IS DOING AN EXCELLENT JOB.
THAT'S COREY FERREIRA AND THEY HAVE THE LARGEST ESC CENTER FOR AUTISM SERVING OVER 200 STUDENTS. THEY'RE A CHOICE, HEALTH AND WELLNESS SCHOOL AND A-RATED SCHOOL AND WITH THAT I'LL CONCLUDE MY REPORT. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU, Ms. SAVIETTO.
>> Virginia Savietto: I WILL BUY HIS MINUTE AND 45 SECONDS. MY VOICE, SORRY ABOUT THAT. I HAD AN AMAZING TIME AT PALM BEACH COUNTY TALLAHASSEE DAYS. A GREAT CHANCE TO CATCH UP WITH COLLEAGUES, CONNECT WITH INCREDIBLE NON-PROFITS AND ADVOCATE FOR STUDENTS ALONGSIDE SO MANY DEDICATED LEADERS. I WAS PROUD TO REPRESENT THIS
SCHOOL DISTRICT AND TO BE PART OF IMPORTANT DISCUSSIONS. I WANT TO EXTEND MY GRATITUDE TO SENATORS MARIA RODRIGUEZ, ALEXIS AND STATE REPS FOR MEETING WITH US AND LISTENING TO OUR DISTRICT'S PRIORITIES, INCLUDING
INCREASE PER STUDENT FUNDING TEACHER PAY, SCHOOL SAFETY AND SECURITY. SPECIAL THANKS TO SUPERINTENDENT BURKE, JAMIE WYATT AND SEAN COOLEY FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP AS WELL AS THEIR-- AS WELL AS PALM
BEACH COUNTY PUBLIC AFFAIRS AND LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS DEPENDS FOR ORGANIZING A SUCCESSFUL EVENT. WE EVEN TOOK A MOMENT TO CELEBRATE BOARD MEMBER MATTHEW LANE'S BIRTHDAY BRINGING A BIT OF FUN TO OUR PROTECTIVE TRIP. PALM BEACH COUNTY PRESENCE WAS STRONG AND OUR ADVOCACY CONTINUES TO ENSURE THE BEST OF
OUR DISTRICT. I'M EXCITED TO SHARE THE SUCCESS OF A TRULY SPECIAL INITIATIVE FOR STUDENTS AT PALM SPRINGS MIDDLE SCHOOL THANKS TO THE GENEROSITY OF COMMUNITY MART TERSE-- PARTNERS AND JORGE
FUENTES AND RUTH, WE CAME TOGETHER TO ENSURE STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EMBARK ON A HANDS ON LEARNING EXPERIENCE AT MARINE LAB IN THE FLORIDA KEYS. IT WAS TRULY A TEAM EFFORT. YOU CAN SEE OVER THERE WITH THE CURLY HAIR. A HUGE SHOUTOUT TO MISS METHER
MAGILL WHO LED THIS TRIP WITH INCREDIBLE VISION AND DEDICATION. HER EFFORTS TO ENSURE FUNDING IN PARTNERSHIPS ENSURE THAT STUDENTS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE IN HANDS ON MARINE BIOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONSERVATION EXPERIENCES. SHE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND TO
BRING IMMERSIVE LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES TO HER STUDENTS, MAKING A LASTING IMPACT ON THEIR EDUCATION AND FUTURE. YESTERDAY SHE AND HER TEAM WENT TO HEAR LOCALLY SHARK TYING. ANYWAY, OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THIS
INSPIRE STUDENTS EXPAND THEIR HORIZONS CREATE A LASTING IMPACT. I'M INCREDIBLY GRATEFULFUL TO OUR GENEROUS PARTNERS WHO STEPPED UP TO SUPPORT THE STUDENTS PROVIDING THAT WHEN WE INVEST IN EDUCATION, WE OPEN DOORS TO A BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR EVERY CHILD REGARDLESS OF BACKGROUND.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO ATTEND THE LATINA IN ACTION EVENT WHERE STUDENTS CAME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE CULTURE, LEADERSHIP AND TALENT. IT WAS AN INSPIRING MORNING FILLED WITH POWERFUL PERFORMANCES, STUDENTS PROUDLY WAVING THEIR FLAGS AND THE KEYNOTE LESLIE GRACE REMINDED US
THAT TRUE GROWTH COMES FROM PROGRESS, NOT PERFECTION. IT WAS WONDERFUL TO RECONNECT WITH FOUNDER Dr. WHO ARE SAY ENRIQUEZ WHOSE VISION CONTINUES TO EMPOWER LATINA YOUTH TO SERVE AND SHINE. A BIG SHUTOUT TO DEPUTY SUPERINTENDENT Mr. TIERNEY WHO
WROTE LIA OVER 10 YEARS AGO, WHAT AN IMPACT IT HAS MADE. THANK YOU TO Dr. PATRICIA FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT. FORMER BOARD AYUDA JOINED US AT THE EVENT. AND SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE
INCREDIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO ALL THE OTHER COMMUNITY PARTNERS. I JUST FOUND OUT THAT PALM ST. PATRICK'S MIDDLE SCHOOL GIRS AND BOYS BASKETBALL TEAM ARE RANKED NUMBER ONE IN OUR AREAS. I DON'T HAVE PHOTOS BUT A BIG SHOUTOUT. LET'S GO STING RAYS AND HAPPY
SPRING BREAK. HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY. I'M NOT IRISH BUT I'M WEARING GREEN FOR SUPPORT BECAUSE MY BIRTHDAY IS THE DAY BEFORE. HAPPY WOMEN'S MONTH AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MISS AR-- MARCIA
ANDREWS AND OUR TEAM HERE AND I WILL SEE YOU NEXT MONTH. >> Chair Brill: YOU DID IT WITHIN YOUR FOUR MINUTES. CONGRATULATIONS. Ms. WHITFIELD. >> Erica Whitfield: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I JUST WANTED TO TALK ABOUT REALLY BRIEFLY TALLAHASSEE AS
WELL. IT WAS A GREAT TIME. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE EVER HAD SO MANY SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS IN ATTENDANCE, SO THAT WAS A REAL PLEASURE AND JUST WONDERFUL TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH SUCH A GREAT TEAM THAT IS WILLING TO COME AND TRAVEL ALL THE WAY TO TALLAHASSEE, TO TALK ABOUT THE IMPORTANT ISSUES OF SCHOOLS. I WAS ABLE TO BE THERE NOT ONLY
FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD BUT I WAS ABLE TO ATTEND FOR THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION WHO I SERVE ON THE BOARD AND THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTY WAS ABLE TO DO MEETINGS WITH OUR LEGISLATORS FOR ALL THREE ORGANIZATIONS SO IT WAS VERY BUSY WHICH IS EXACTLY HOW I LIKE
IT TO BE. I HAD A GREAT TIME. I FELT LIKE WE WERE MAKING REAL PROGRESS ON ISSUES SPEAKING FOR AS THE SCHOOL BOARD AND AS PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE LOBBYIST
TEAMS FROM ALL THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT HELPED US TO BE ABLE TO PUT IT TOGETHER AND SPECIFICALLY MISS JAMIE WYATT AND Mr. MIKE BURKE WHO ATTENDED WITH US. THAT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO HAVE YOU ALL THERE AND HAVING CAPITAL CITY CONSULTING AND THE SOUTHERN GROUP ACTUALLY ASSISTED WITH THE
EARLY LEARNING COALITION AND THEN JAMES GAVRILOS AND HIS TEAM, WE ATE A PIZZA AS BIG AS YOUR LITTLE CHILDREN. IT WAS 30 INCHES ACROSS TOGETHER. SO WE HAD A GREAT TIME GETTING TO KNOW EACH OTHER AND SPEND MORE TIME TOGETHER. BUT REALLY ADVOCATING FOR THE
THINGS AROUND EDUCATION THAT WE HEAR SO MUCH ABOUT. FINALLY I JUST WANT TO SAY I AM ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAS AN INCOMING KINDERGARTENER SO THAT 2038 SCARED ME TO DEATH. I COULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WHEN I SAW THAT, Mr. BURKE. AND I WANT TO WISH EVERYBODY A GREAT SPRING BREAK.
I HOPE YOU ALL GET A LOT OF REST AND BE SUPER SAFE. WE WANT TO SEE YOU ALL BACK HERE WHEN APRIL COMES AROUND. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU, Ms. BRANCH. >> Ms. BRANCH. THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPORT FOR
PALM BEACH COUNTY DAYS. A LOT OF STUDENTS DOING GREAT THINGS. SOME HISTORY MAKING NEWS, SPANISH RIVER HIGH SCHOOL, FIRST CHAPTER IN FLORIDA'S DECKA HISTORY TO AMASS A THOUSAND INTERNATIONAL QUALIFIERS AT DECKA STATES THIS PAST WEEK. WE HAD 47 STUDENTS THAT QUALIFIED FOR INTERNATIONAL
COMPETITION. THE INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION, WHICH INCLUDES OVER 17,000 STUDENTS FROM THE ENTIRE WORLD WILL TAKE PLACE IN APRIL. I DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO MENTION ALL 47 BUT A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE WINNERS OF THE 47, NINE WERE FIRST PLACE, THREE WERE SECOND.
FOUR WERE THIRD AND THEN IT CONTINUED DOWN TO NINTH PLACE. CONGRATULATIONS TO WEST BOCA HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT ABBY, SHE IS A TECHNICAL DISTRICT REP FOR THE DISTRICT 10 FOR COSTUME DESIGN AND SHE WILL BE COMPETING AT THE STATE COMPETITION IN TAMPA ON
MARCH 22. WINTER SPORTS WINNERS, OLYMPIC HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL CHEERLEADERS WON THE STATE COMPETITION AND THEY PLACED SECOND IN THE NATION CONGRATULATIONS. OLYMPIC HEIGHTS SOCCER TEAM MADE IT TO STATE'S FINAL FOUR BUT LOST IN OVERTIME BUT THERE IS ALWAYS NEXT YEAR AND YOU SHOULD
BE PROUD YOU MADE IT TO THE FINAL FOUR. SPANISH RIVER HIGH SCHOOL OLYMPIC HEIGHTS HIGH SCHOOL AND BOCA HIGH ALL MADE IT TO STATE WRESTLING COMPETITION IN ORLANDO THIS PAST WEEKEND. SENIOR NICK BESELLI FROM SPANISH RIVER HIGH SCHOOL WAS FIFTH
PLACE. SENIOR ENZO 6th PLACE IN THE 175-POUND. SPANISH RIVER ENZO. AND SPANISH RIVER HIGH SCHOOL SANTIAGO ALVAREZ PLACED SIXTH PLACE IN THE 138-POUND CATEGORY
AND ALL FOUR OF THE SPANISH RIVER STUDENTS WON FIRST TEAM ALL COUNTY. OLYMPIC HEIGHTS HAD TIPPER THIRD PLACE AND ALLIE BLANCO EIGHTH PLACE. OLYMPIC HEIGHTS GIRLS WEIGHT LIFTING HAD TWO STATE QUALIFIERS, ALLANEY ROSE 7th
PLACE AND MIA ROSE 14th PLACE. BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THESE STUDENTS AND ATHLETES AND THEIR HARD WORK. I ALSO ATTENDED THE FUN BLUE LAKE CARNIVAL I GOT TO SEE LOTS OF MY STUDENTS, ASK ME WHY I CAN'T SUBSTITUTE ANYMORE. I KNOW, Mr. BURKE, I KEEP ASKING YOU THAT. BUT IT WAS GREAT TO SEE THEM AND
A BIG SUCCESS AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THE MARCH BABIES AND CONGRATULATIONS MATT FOR TURNING 50. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. >> Chair Brill: MR. FERGUSON. >> Edward Ferguson: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR AND GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
I HAVE A FEW THINGS I WANT TO UPDATE YOU ALL ABOUT. FIRSTLY WHEN THE SLIDES POP UP, HERE WE GO. THAT ZOOMED IN MORE THAN I EXPECTED.
FOR STUDENTS INTERESTED IN JOINING A GROUP THAT CAN ASSIST THEM WITH MENTORSHIP, KIND OF SETTING THEIR COURSE FOR LIFE, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND YOU REACHING OUT TO THE LAMP LIGHTERS. POINT OF CONTACT IS Mr. GARY
BRANNAN 561-574-1323. AND HIS EMAIL ADDRESS IS GBRA 2216@IA POO.COM. A GREAT GROUP IN TERMS OF TAKING YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO VARIOUS EVENTS. DIFFERENT SOCIAL CIRCLES AND WHAT HAVE YOU SO AGAIN IF YOU
ARE A PARENT WHO IS LOOKING FOR AN ORGANIZATION TO SIGN YOUR CHILD UP FOR I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE LAMP LIGHTERS. SECONDLY, HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN CIVIC ENGAGEMENT DAY AT THE GOVERNMENTAL CENTER. WE HAVE A PHOTO THERE. MYSELF, COUNTY COMMISSIONER
POWELL, STATE ATTORNEY ALEXIA COX AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE VERDENIA BAKER WERE THERE. AWESOME QUESTIONS AND THOSE KIDS ARE REALLY GOING TO SET A NEW SCALE FOR US HERE IN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND ACROSS THE STATE OF FLORIDA. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK, EVERYBODY. I ALSO HAD A CHANCE TO SPEAK
LAST WEEK AT TABERNACLE, MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH IN WEST PALM BEACH AS PART OF A SERIES PUT ON BY THE SOLOMON LEADERSHIP PROGRAM. PASTOR INVITED ME TO COME OUT AND SPEAK TO THE CHILDREN ABOUT VISION SO THAT WAS A GREAT
CONVERSATION THAT WAS HAD. WE HAD NINE STUDENTS IN ATTENDANCE AND WITH Mr. LEAVITT, HE IS PICTURED THERE AND WITH HIS LEADERSHIP I'M COST THAT PROGRAM IS GOING TO TAKE OFF IN TERMS OF HAVING 20, 30, 40 STUDENTS IN THE FUTURE. PASTOR, CONTINUE DOING WHAT YOU ARE DOING.
ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE PROJECT UPLIFT, THE COMMUNITY CLEANUP EVENT LAST MONTH ON FEBRUARY 22, IN WEST PALM BEACH. IT WAS OUR LARGEST TO DATE. WE HAD OVER 80 PEOPLE PARTICIPATING. BEAUTIFUL HOW THAT PROGRAM CONTINUES TO GROW AND GROW AND GROW.
AND IN FACT, WILL BE IN DISTRICT 6 LATER THIS MONTH ON MARCH 22. I KNOW YOU WILL BE OUT OF TOWN BUT I WILL HOLD IT DOWN FOR YOU BOARD MEMBER ANDREWS WILL BE IN THE CITY OF PAHOKEE. CITY PA POKE HAS BEEN A GREAT-- PAHOKEE HAS BEEN A GREAT PARTNER
AND PROMOTING THE EVENT. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DON'T KNOW, I CAN'T IMAGINE WHO DOESN'T KNOW IT, IT'S A COMMUNITY CLEANUP EVENT IN WHICH WE ALLOW STUDENTS TO GO OUT, HELP BEAUTIFY THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, THE NEIGHBORHOODS OF THEIR NEIGHBORS, DEVELOP LEADERSHIP SKILLS, MENTORING,
NET WORKING, A BEAUTIFUL PLACE AFOR OUR CHIRP TO BE. LAST MONTH WE HAD STUDENTS IN FEBRUARY, WE HAD A STUDENT TRAVEL FROM AS FAR AS BROWARD TO COME TO WEST PALM BEACH FOR THIS EVENT. SO TO SAY THE WORD IS GETTING OUT ABOUT PROJECT UPLIFT WOULD BE A GROSS UNDERSTATEMENT.
SO AGAIN IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN COMING OUT TO PAHOKEE, IT WILL BE MARCH 22. WILL START AT 8 A.M. WE WILL HAVE FOOD AND DRINKS. I'M TRYING TO GET A DJ OUT THERE BECAUSE PAHOKEE IS STOKED ABOUT IT. I'M TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE BLOW THIS OUT OF THE WATER. WE ARE EXPECTING WELL OVER 120
PEOPLE AT THIS MONTH'S EVENT. IF YOU HAVE TIME, PATIENCE, STUDENTS, PLEASE COME ON OUT AND SUPPORT AS WELL. LAST BUT NOT LEAST, NEVER-- YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN SO IF THERE ARE ANY PERSONS OUT HERE WHO HAVE NOT FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER NOT SCWURD A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA AND YOU ARE AN ADULT,
LAN DANA COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL OFFERS A G.E.D. PROGRAM. THE CONTACT INFORMATION SHOULD BE SHOWN THERE. I DON'T SEE IT. I WILL WORK ON THAT FOR NEXT TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THAT WRITTEN DOWN. I APOOL JIEZ. I'LL-- I APOLOGIZE AND I WILL PRESENT THIS AGAIN FOR THOSE
PERSONS INTERESTED. IN THE MEANTIME, IF YOU HAVE INTEREST, PLEASE GO TO LANTANA COMMUNITY MIDDLE SCHOOL WEBSITE AND YOU CAN FIND THE ADULT ED PROGRAM COORDINATOR THERE AND I'M SURE THEY WILL BE HAPPY TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE REGISTRATION PROCESS FOR THEIR G.E.D. PROGRAM. THANK YOU. >>
>> Chair Brill: VICE CHAIR ANDREWS. >> Marcia Andrews: GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE. BEFORE MY VIDEO BEGINS, WAY WANT TO SAY CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL CHORUS, YOU ARE AWESOME. YOU MADE IT HAPPEN FOR US TODAY. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. YOUR VOICES ARE GREAT. I WANT TO HAVE A SLIDE PRESENTATION FOR YOU BECAUSE I
WAS ABLE TO ATTEND Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA HIGH SCHOOL ART DAY. IT WAS A DEDICATION CEREMONY CELEBRATING THE SCULPTURE AND PORTRAIT OF Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA. IF WE CAN SHOW THAT VIDEO, IT'S
BEAUTIFULMENT WE ARE CELEBRATING ART, BEAUTIFUL ART. Mr. MONTOYA HAS DEDICATED THIS BEAUTIFUL ART TO THE Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA HIGH SCHOOL
HONESTLY IT'S EXTRAORDINARY NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE ARE A NEW SCHOOL BUT BECAUSE NOT A LOT OF STUDENTS GET TO EXPERIENCE STUFF LIKE THIS AND WE DIDN'T ONLY HAVE OUR STUDENT LEADERS OUT HERE TODAY BUT WE ALSO HAD OTHER CLASSES AND USUALLY YOU DON'T GET TO MEET FAMOUS ARTISTS SO
FOR US TO MEET ONE FIRSTHAND, IT WAS TRULY AMAZING AND REMARKABLE. >> YOU CAN IMAGINE BEING AN ARTIST AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW YOUR WORK IN A PUBLIC
PLACE LIKE THIS AND HAVE THE STUDENTS TO ENJOY AND PROBABLY CHANGE THEIR MIND IN ORDER TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO SEE THINGS IN DIFFERENT WAYS, I MEAN FOR ME, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AS AN ARTIST. >> WELL, THE MATERIAL FOR THIS
PARTICULAR PIECE IS RESIN MUCH IT'S ORIGINALLY MODELED IN CLAY, MOLD ARE MADE. AND INTO THOSE MOLD WE CAST RESIN SO IT'S CAST IN SEVERAL PIECES. >> HONESTLY, JUST THE FACT THAT IT'S AT OUR SCHOOL AND WE GET TO SEE IT EVERY DAY, SEE SOMEONE'S
DREAM COME TRUE, IT INSPIRES ME. >> THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. AND WHEN WE THINK OF Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA, AND THE HIGH SCHOOL NAMED IN HIS HONOR AND THINKING ABOUT ART, THANKING LUIS MON TOY MONTOYA, IT IS ON
THE AGENDA TODAY BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE PORTRAIT REMAIN AT THE SCHOOL, THE SCULPTURE REMAIN AT THE SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN TO SIT AND LOOK AND VISUALIZE WHAT IT MEANS TO THEM. IT WAS A GREAT DAY. WE LOVED IT. SECOND, I WANT TO SELL YOU THAT I WAS AT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION.
I REPRESENT THE SCHOOL BOARD. WE ARE ALWAYS PROACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY AS IT RELATES TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE ISSUES. AND WE WERE LEARNING THAT DAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN WORK HARD TO KEEP OUR COMMUNITIES SAFE, KEEP PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL, HELP THEM KNOW IF THEY MAKE A MISTAKE, WE ARE GOING TO BE
THERE TO HELP THEM ALONG THE WAY SO THEY CAN HAVE A SUCCESSFUL LIFE WE WERE HAVING OUR YEARLY PLANNING. THANK A TEACHER IS COMING UP AND GULF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHER IS FABULOUS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR BEING WITH ME AT THAT PARTICULAR EVENT AND SEAN FROM COMMUNICATIONS, YOU DID IT. I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE THERE AND YOU SAID MS. ANDREWS, WE GOT THIS.
WE WANT TO THANK OUR TEACHER WHO RECEIVED A $350 CHECK FROM OUR BUSINESS PARTNER HCS PALMS WEST AND THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION AND WE WERE CELEBRATING BLACK HISTORY MONTH. SO MULTICULTURAL DAY. WOW, WE DID IT AT CRESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TO TALK ABOUT
ALL OF THE STUDENTS, AND THEIR HERITAGE AT THAT SCHOOL, WE CELEBRATED ALL OF THEM AND THEY JUST LAUGHED AND SANG AND SAID I'M FROM THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. I'M FROM AMERICA. I'M FROM EVERYWHERE AND THEY WERE ALL REPRESENTED AT
CRESTWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL. AND WE WERE CONTINUALLY HAVING FUN AT WELLINGTON. WELLINGTON BLACK HISTORY LEADERS FORUM THIRD YEAR IN A ROW. THESE ARE BLACK LEADERS FROM THE COMMUNITY OF WELLINGTON. AND WE HAD THE THE BLACK STUDENTS FROM WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL AND OTHER CHILDREN THERE
TO SEE THESE WONDERFUL LEADERS, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE IN THEIR LIVES TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR ALL. SO IT'S WONDERFUL. WE'LL HAVE A FOURTH ANNUAL NEXT YEAR WE GET IT DONE AND LET OUR
STUDENTS KNOW YOU CAN BE ANYTHING YOU WANT TO BE. THE WAXAHACHIE HEALTH FAIR WAS GREAT. WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE FOOD AND CLOTHING AND MOVING TO TO BLACK HISTORY SHOWCASE AND AT THE BLAS AT WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL, WE DID IT AND SO WE ARE MOVING
RIGHT ALONG AND I HOPE I CAN GET TO THE 11TH ANNUAL ALL TOGETHER NOW CONFERENCE SLIDE. THAT'S BLAST. THERE WE ARE IN TAMPA. OUR LGBTQ+ STUDENTS, WE LOVE YOU. I TRAVELED TO TAMPA FOR YOU. WE KNOW THAT YOU MEAN EVERYTHING AND WE WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU
BEHIND. CONGRATULATIONS Mr. JETTY, YOU DID IT RECEIVING THE FLORIDA TAX WATCH. I HEARD Mr. BURKE SAY IT A MINUTE AGO. BUT WE LOVE YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. I HOPE WE CAN HAVE A PICTURE UP THERE BUT I WILL BE OVER TO THE SOUTH AREA TO SEE YOU TO CONGRATULATE YOU IN PERSON.
AND LASTLY PALM BEACH COUNTY DAY IN TALLAHASSEE, WAS VERY PRODUCTIVE AND BEFORE I STOP, HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARCH PEOPLE. YOU ARE JUST SO AWESOME AND GREAT AND I HAPPEN TO BE ONE OF YOU.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY. >> >> Chair Brill: I DON'T LIKE TO BE REDUNDANT BUT I'M GOING TO BE. I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST WENT UP TO PALM BEACH COUNTY DAY, I WENT UP THERE BY MYSELF. IT WAS SO WONDERFUL TO BE UP THERE WITH SIX BOARD MEMBERS. WE GOT SO MUCH ACCOMPLISHED
WHILE WE WERE THERE. JUST BEING WITH EACH OTHER, SPEAKING TO PEOPLE AND HEARING SO MUCH ABOUT THE GOOD THINGS WE WERE SHARING OUR STORIES BUT ALSO HEARING HOW PEOPLE IN TALLAHASSEE VIEW US. AND HOW OUR LEGISLATIVE DELEGATION VIEWS US BUT I DO HAVE TO TELL YOU, IF YOU CHECK
INTO A HOTEL ROOM AND THERE IS A WRENCH THAT THIS IS SIZE IN YOUR ROOM, AND I KNOW Ms. BRANCH SAW IT. I THOUGHT THEY LEFT ME A GIFT. WHEN YOU SEE THAT IN YOUR HOTEL ROOM, ASK FOR ANOTHER ROOM BECAUSE BEING IN A ROOM WITHOUT
A TOILET IS NOT FUN. SO JUST TO TELL YOU THAT. I DO WANT TO JUST BRING UP A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT ARE ON OUR AGENDA. IN A FEW MINUTES WE ARE GOING TO BE RECOGNIZING OUR HOLOCAUST
EDUCATOR KIMBERLY COOMBS. SHE IS THE DISTRICT'S K-12 HOLOCAUST STUDIES AND JEWISH HISTORY STUDIES PLANNER RECOGNIZED FOR TWO AWARDS THAT SHE WON. WILL YOU HEAR DETAILS ABOUT IT BUT I JUST WANT TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO MUCH TO
Ms. COOMBS BECAUSE IN TODAY'S WORLD, WITH ALL THE ANTI-SEMITISM, WE CAN NEVER FORGET. WE HAVE TO CONTINUE TEACHING THESE STORIES. AND VICE CHAIR ANDREWS, YOU KNOW YOU AND I ARE VERY FREQUENTLY ON THE SAME PAGE, AND Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA MEANT A LOT TO SOME OF US UP HERE.
I REMEMBER WHEN I FIRST GOT ELECTED HE WOULD COME UP HERE AND YELL AT THE BOARD AND THEN CALL ME UP AND HE WOULD OFFER HIS SUPPORT AND OFFER TO HELP AND HE BECAME A TRUE FREND SO ON OUR CONSENT AGENDA, WE HAVE TWO OF THE ART PIECES THAT WE ARE
GOING TO VOTE ON. AND I WANT TO READ THE DESCRIPTION SO YOU KNOW. BECAUSE WHEN IT IS ON THE CONSENT AGENDA, YOU DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF HEARING IT. YOU DON'T GET THE BENEFIT OF READING IT. SO THE FIRST ONE IS THE LOCAL ARTIST AS YOU HEARD, LUIS
MONTOYA HAS AGREED TO LOAN TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TWO PIECES OF ART TO BE DISPLAYED AT Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA HIGH SCHOOL ON DISPLAY IN THE THEATER AND COURTYARD OF THE SCHOOL AND THE INTENT OF THE PARTIES THAT THE SCULPTURES WILL EVENTUALLY BE DONATED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I THINK THAT'S WONDERFUL. IT BEARS REBOUNDING RECOGNIZING IT, NOT JUST PASSING IT THROUGH ON CONSENT AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE, LESLIE ORTIZ HAS DONATED A PAINTED PORTRAIT OF Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA TO BE DISPLAYED AT Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA HIGH SCHOOL. I AM OF COURSE GOING TO VISIT
IT. NOT ONLY TO VISIT MY FAVORITE SCHOOL FOOD SERVICE WORKER BUT ALSO TO SEE THE BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK AND TO HOPEFULLY ALSO SEE Ms. MARISOLA WHILE I'M THERE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH AND NOW EVERY MONTH AT OUR OUR REGULAR
BOARD MEETING WE REMEMBER THE EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE LOST AND SO I'M GOING TO BE ASKING FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THESE FORMER EMPLOYEES. KELLY GALLAGHER, TEACHER OF MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE, 6-8 AT H.L. WATKINS MIDDLE SCHOOL
PASSED AWAY JANUARY 26, 2025. JEFFREY JANCE, TEACHER OF VOCATIONAL ARTS TECH CERTIFICATION AT FOREST HILL HIGH SCHOOL. PASSED AWAY JANUARY 19, 2025. CHERYL ROBERTS, A TEACHER AND
DAY TO DAY SUBSTITUTE IN THE DISTRICT SUBSTITUTE POOL AND SHE PASSED AWAY ON DECEMBER 27, 2024. SO I WILL ASK FOR A MOMENT OF
SILENCE THAT BRINGS US TO OUR RECOGNITIONS.
BOARD MEMBERS PLEASE COME DOWN. GOOD EVENING CHAIR BRILL, VICE CHAIR ANDREWS, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT BURKE, STAFF, AND COMMUNITY. THIS EVENING WE HAVE THREE
RECOGNITIONS ON THE AGENDA. WE HAVE KIM COOMBS SHE RECEIVED THE ROBERT I. GOLDMAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HOLOCAUST EDUCATION
SHE RECEIVED THE ROBERT I. GOLDMAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HOLOCAUST EDUCATION FROM THE JEWISH FOUNDATION FOR THE RIGHTEOUS. THE ROBERT I. GOLDMAN AWARD IS A NATIONAL HONOR ONLY GIVEN TO ONE EDUCATOR PER YEAR IN THE U.S. SHE ALSO RECEIVED THE JOHN C. RANDOLPH AWARD FROM THE PALM BEACH FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS. THE JOHN C. RANDOLPH AWARD WAS ESTABLISHED TO HONOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WHO EXEMPLIFY THE ORGANIZATION'S MISSION, WHICH IS DEDICATED TO PROMOTING FELLOWSHIP, UNDERSTANDING, AND RESPECT AMONG ALL RELIGIONS AND
CULTURES; BRINGING THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER THROUGH EDUCATION, DIALOGUE, AND INTERACTION; AND ADDRESSING ISSUES ROOTED IN INTOLERANCE, ANTISEMITISM, AND UNJUST DISCRIMINATION. MS. COOMBS HAS WORKED FOR THE DISTRICT FOR 27 YEARS. HER DEDICATION TO HOLOCAUST EDUCATION STEMS FROM A DEEP COMMITMENT TO ENSURING THAT STUDENTS LEARN THE LESSONS OF
HISTORY IN ORDER TO COMBAT HATE AND FOSTER EMPATHY. SHE BELIEVES IN THE POWER OF EDUCATION TO MAKE A LASTING IMPACT. SHE SAYS THAT THE MOST MEANINGFUL PART OF HER JOB IS SEEING STUDENTS AND EDUCATORS ENGAGE DEEPLY WITH HOLOCAUST HISTORY, MAKING CONNECTIONS TO
THEIR OWN LIVES, AND BECOMING INSPIRED TO STAND UP AGAINST INJUSTICE. CONGRATULATIONS TO KIM COOMBS FOR RECEIVING THE ROBERT I. GOLDMAN AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN HOLOCAUST EDUCATION AND THE JOHN C. RANDOLPH AWARD. LET'S GIVE HER A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
AND FINALLY THIS EVENING, WE ARE RECOGNIZING THE 2025 SUNSHINE STATE SCHOLARS. THESE STUDENTS ARE DISTINGUISHED IN BOTH MATHEMATICS AND SCIENCE WITH A 3.9 GPA OR HIGHER, AND MORE THAN 25 HOURS OF COMMUNITY SERVICE. THE DISTRICT SUNSHINE STATE SCHOLARS ARE SELECTED BASED ON THEIR ACADEMIC AND EXTRACURRICULAR HISTORY, THEIR
DESIRE TO ATTEND A FLORIDA COLLEGE OR UNIVERSITY, AND THE RESULTS OF AN ESSAY OR VIDEO SUBMISSION RELATED TO THEIR FUTURE PLANS, ACADEMIC PASSION, CHALLENGES, AND OTHER STEM-RELATED ACTIVITIES AND COMPETITIONS.
OUR DISTRICT SCHOLARS WILL BE INVITED TO A STATE RECOGNITION CEREMONY NEXT MONTH IN ORLANDO WHERE THEY WILL BE HONORED FOR THEIR ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENTS AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH RECRUITERS FROM FLORIDA COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING 11TH GRADE STUDENTS FOR BEING NAMED 2025 DISTRICT SUNSHINE STATE SCHOLARS.
PLEASE COME FORWARD AS I CALL YOUR NAME: MATHANIA SAINT HUBERT - PAHOKEE MIDDLE-SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
ANTHONY STAN - ALEXANDER W. DREYFOOS SCHOOL OF THE ARTS [ APPLAUSE ] VICTORIA SULLIVAN - WELLINGTON COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL
[ APPLAUSE ] AND CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 2025 DISTRICT ALTERNATE: MADELEINE DEFILIPPO - PALM BEACH GARDENS COMMUNITY HIGH SCHOOL LET'S GIVE THEM ALL A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.
[ APPLAUSE ]
BOARD CHAIR BRILL, VICE CHAIR ANDREWS, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT BURKE, STAFF, AND MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THIS CONCLUDES THE RECOGNITIONS FOR MARCH. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR
ATTENTION THIS EVENING.
>> Chair Brill: THAT'S GOING TO BRING US TO OUR STUDENT GOVERNMENT REPORT Ms. MIRISOLA. >> GOOD EVENING SUPERINTENDENT BURKE, CHAIRWOMAN BRILL VICE CHAIR WOMAN ANDREWS AND ESTEEMED MEMBERS OF THE BOARD AND PUBLIC.
I'M EXCITED TO SHARE WHAT OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE BOARD HAS BEEN WORKING ON FOR ALL STUDENT GOVERNMENTS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY. WE ARE ORGANIZING AN EVENT CALLED ANYTHING GOES WHERE ALL SENIORS COME TOGETHER FOR A FUN FILLED DAY. A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO UNWIND AND CELEBRATE THEIR FINAL FEW MONTHS. WE ARE ALSO GETTING READY FOR
OUR END OF THE YEAR BANQUET, WHERE WE WILL ELECT A NEW EXECUTIVE BOARD. THIS IS A HUGE MOMENT FOR OUR STUDENT LEADERS WHO ARE DECIDING TO TAKE AN IMPORTANT STEP INTO LEARNING TO BE A STUDENT LEADER ON A BIGGER LEVEL. AS WE APPROACH TESTING SEASON, OUR STUDENT GOVERNMENTS HAVE BEEN BUSY CREATING A POSITIVE ATMOSPHERE FOR ALL STUDENTS.
THEY'RE PUTTING IN THE EFFORT TO SUPPORT THEIR PEERS AND PLAN EVENTS THAT WILL LEAD INTO NEXT YEAR. ON A DIFFERENT NOTE I'M HAPPY TO REPORT WE HAVE COLLECTED A TOTAL OF 14,654 RESPONSES FOR THE PALM BEACH HUNGER INITIATIVE. THIS RESPONSE RATE TRULY IS AMAZING AND I WILL BE MEETING
SOON WITH NO KID HUNGRY AND OUR FOOD SERVICE TEAM TO ADDRESS STUDENT HUNGER BASED ON THE DATA WE HAVE COLLECTED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING MORE UPDATES WITH YOU SOON. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. BOARD MEMBERS THERE IS NO ACADEMIC ADVISE ARE I COMMITTEE
REPORT AND THERE IS AN AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT ATTACHED TO YOUR AGENDA. ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION OVERSIGHT REVIEW COMMITTEE REPORT IS ATTACHED TO YOUR AGENDA. THERE IS NO DISTRICT DIVERSITY AND EQUITY COMMITTEE REPORT. GENERAL COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE A REPORT FOR US TONIGHT?
>> NO REPORT. THANK YOU. >> INSPECTOR GENERAL? >> YES, I DO HAVE A REAL BRIEF REPORT. THIS PAST MONTH, THE ASSESSORS FOR THE COMMISSION FOR FLORIDA LAW ENFORCEMENT ACCREDITATION VISITED MY OFFICE AND I'M VERY PROUD TO SAY THEY'RE
RECOMMENDING US FOR OUR SECOND REACCREDITATION AND WILL GO IN FRONT OF THE COMMISSION IN JUNE. WE ARE NOT QUITE UP TO THE EXCELSIOR STATUS OF OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT WE ARE GOING TO WORK ON THAT THEY HAVE A FEW YEARS AHEAD OF US. NEXT MONTH, THE ASSOCIATION OF INSPECTOR GENERAL WILL VISIT US
AND DO THE PEER REVIEW ON OUR AUDIT INVESTIGATIONS ADMINISTRATIVE SIDE SO HOPEFULLY WE WILL HAVE GOOD NEWS ON THE NEXT MONTH BUT CONGRATULATIONS TO MY INVESTIGATIVE STAFF. I APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK THANK YOU. >> Chair Brill: THAT BRINGS US NEXT TO OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS
AND DELEGATES. I WILL CALL YOU UP TWO AT A TIME. FIRST JAMES GAVRILOS, PRESIDENT AND C.E.O. OF THE EDUCATION FOUNDATION FOLLOWED BY GORED AN LONGHOFER, PRESIDENT OF CTA. >> THANK YOU, BOARD CHAIR BRILL. VICE CHAIR ANDREWS,
SUPERINTENDENT BURKE. I SO APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS TONIGHT ON THE STEM, THE CLASSROOM MAKEOVER SPONSORED BY FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT AT THE CONSERVATORY SCHOOL OF NORTH PALM BEACH. BOARD MEMBER LANE AND BOARD MEMBER WHITFIELD, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
I THINK THIS PROJECT TYPIFIES THE PALM BEACH COUNTY SUPPORT FOR STEM EDUCATION AND EDUCATION IN GENERAL AND I THINK WE HAVE TO GIVE IT UP TO FLORIDA POWER AND LIGHT FOR THE AMAZING 50,000 GRANT, THEY EMPOWER OUR STUDENTS AND WE WANT TO THANK
FP&L-FOR-THEIR SUPPORT. TWO QUICK ANNOUNCEMENTS FOR NEXT WEEK. HOPEFULLY WE WILL SEE YOU AT THE CENTER FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL EXCELLENCE AND INVASION TUESDAY NIGHT FOR THIS YEAR'S DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARD. OUR HONOREE IS A PROUD GRADUATE OF LAKE WORTH HIGH.
SHERIFF RICK BRADSHAW IS OUR HONOREE THIS YEAR, A GRADUATE OF OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE IS OUR BUSINESS PARTNER THURSDAY I WILL BE PARTY WITH THE SUN RISE CLUB, THE ANNUAL TEACHER OF THE YEAR FOR ALL OF THE VARIOUS
SCHOOLS, MR. BARBIERI WHO STARTED THAT PROGRAM OVER 35 YEARS AGO. CONGRATULATIONS TO THE BOCA RATON ROTARY CLUB. WE SO APPRECIATE THEM EVERY YEAR STANDING UP AND HONORING THE TEACHERS. THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN MYSELF MER PARK 5:00 NEXT THURSDAY NIGHT. I WANT TO USE THE BALANCE OF MY
TIME TO TALK ABOUT EDUCATION IN GENERAL AS IT RELATES TO OUR GO TEACH GRANTS. I HOPE THOSE OF YOU LISTENING LISTEN CAREFULLY. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT TEACHERS AND EDUCATION, I THINK THE MOST COMMON PERCEPTION IS THEM STANDING IN A CLASSROOM TEACHING
WE DON'T REALLY SEE THE TWO POWER OF WHAT AN EDUCATOR CAN DO THERE ARE TWO VISIONARIES AT JOHN I. LEONARD. MARY MULLIGAN AND KRISTIN TRAINER WHO CAME UP WITH A PROGRAM THAT IS BEING FUNDED BY PARTIALLY FUNDED BY A SMALL GO TEACH GRANT. AS YOU MAY REMEMBER BOARD
MEMBERS THIS YEAR WE AWARDED 866 THESE GO TEACH GRANTS TOTALING $190,000. Ms. TRAINER AND Ms. MULLIGAN ARE TEACHING DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS AND THESE STUDENTS FACE INCREDIBLE OBSTACLES. THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR
FUGACIOUS. THEIR OPPORTUNITIES FOR EMPLOYMENT, DOCUMENTED THAT STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING HAVE LOWER EMPLOYMENT RATES AND FEWER OPPORTUNITIES. THESE VISIONARY TEACHERS HAVE CREATED A PROGRAM THAT GETS THE STUDENTS OUT OF THE CLASSROOM. GIVING THEM REAL WORD
EXPERIENCE, HANDS ON BUSINESS EXPERIENCES IN LOCAL BUSINESSES. ENTREPRENEURIAL OPPORTUNITIES WHERE THE STUDENTS MUCH LIKE THE JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT PROGRAM, BUILD A PROGRAM, BUILD A PRODUCT IN THEIR SCHOOL AND SELL IT. INDEPENDENT LIVING SKILLSMENT THEY'RE TAUGHT HOW TO RIDE THE BUSES.
THEY'RE TAUGHT HOW TO GET A BUS PASS FROM PALM TRAN. SUPERINTENDENT BURKE, YOU ARE A BIG BELIEVER IN THESE COMMUNITY EXPERIENCES. THESE YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE GIVEN MORE OBSTACLES AND CHALLENGES IN LIFE THAN MOST OF US WILL FACE, THESE YOUNG INCREDIBLY BRAVE DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING STUDENTS ARE THEN GIVING OUTSIDE
EXPERIENCES IN THE CLASSROOM. THEY GO TO LIBRARIES, THEY GO TO SHOPPING CENTERS AND THEY'RE GIVEN THE CONFIDENCE, THEY'RE GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF CHARACTER TO MOVE INTO A LIFE WITHOUT THESE OBSTACLES TO FIND EMPLOYMENT, COLLEGE OPPORTUNITIES, TO FIND CAREERS,
BUT SUPERINTENDENT BURKE AND BOARD CHIR BRILL, IT BEGINS WITH TWO AMAZING EDUCATORS, MISS TRAINER AND MISS MULLIGAN. WE WANT TO THANK THESE TWO AND JOHN I. LEONARD AND THAT INCREDIBLE TEAM HE HAS ASSEMBLED. IT IS JUST ONE MORE EXAMPLE OF
WHAT EDUCATION CAN DO. HAS TO THESE ARE THE STORIES WE NEED TO TELL, TEACHERS WHO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND GIVING OUR STUDENTS THE BEST OPPORTUNITY FOR A FIRST CLASS WORD CLASS EDUCATION AND WE AT THE ED FOUNDATION ARE PROUD TO FUND THAT PROGRAM AND SPONSOR MORE LIKE IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR
SUPPORT. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU, Mr. LONGHOFER. >> GOOD EVENING AND THANK YOU CHAIR BRILL, VICE CHAIR ANDREWS, Mr. BURKE, SUPERINTENDENT AND SCHOOLS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, HONORED GUESTS, MY NAME IS GORDON LONGHOFER PRESIDENT OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTY CLASSROOM
TEACHERS ASSOCIATION. TONIGHT I ASK YOU TO TAKE ACTION TO REMOVE THE CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR JOB DESCRIPTION. THE REASON I MAKE THIS ASK IS FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, IT EXISTS ILLEGALLY. THE CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELOR
JOB DESCRIPTION WAS INITIATED AND APPROVED IN 2016. AS CRAFTED, IT CONTAINS LANGUAGE NOT FOUND IN THE CTA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT FOR ANY OTHER EMPLOYEE SUCH LANGUAGE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE SURVIVE THE
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS SINCE IT WOULD ALTAR WORKING CONDITIONS. THIS WAS NEVER DISCUSSED IN THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING PROCESS I KNOW BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THAT TEAM SINCE AUGUST OF 2013. NO OTHER CBA COVERED MEMBER OF
THE T BARGAINING UNIT HAS ANY SIMILAR JOB DESCRIPTION. I WOULD LIKE TO REFER TO YOU EXHIBIT THAT I LEFT WITH THE BOARD CLERK THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IF YOU LOOK CLOSELY AT IT YOU WILL SEE THE DISTRICT'S OWN WEBSITE AFFIRMS
THAT ALL CTA TEACHER JOB CODES ARE ADDRESSED IN THE CTA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. NOW WHEN I THINK ABOUT MY INTERACTION ON THIS MATTER FOR MORE THAN A YEAR, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY THE ACTIONS TAKEN DURING THIS SCHOOL YEAR, INCLUDING MY FORMAL REQUEST MADE
ON OCTOBER 1, 2024, I REALLY DO NOT UNDERSTAND HOW OR WHY IT IS TAKEN THIS LONG TO GET A SIMPLE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THIS IMPROPER AND LIKELY ILLEGAL JOB SCPTIONMENT TODAY IS RIGHT AT FIVE AND A
HALF MONTHS SINCE MY FORMAL REQUEST REGARDING THE REMOVAL OF THE DESCRIPTION. I HAVE MADE NUMEROUS CONTACTS WITH DISTRICT LEADERS IN MY ATTEMPTS TO RIGHT THIS WRONG AT MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS AND HAVE BEEN REBUFFED AT EACH TURN. THIS IS WHY I AM BRINGING THIS
ISSUE TO YOU FOR THE ONLY PROPER RESOLUTION: REMOVE THIS JOB DESCRIPTION AS RAPIDLY AS POSSIBLE. AS ALWAYS, I AM PREPARED TO COLLABORATE ON OR DEALING WITH ANY REMAINING CONCERNS GOING FORWARD. BUT IN FAIRNESS, REMOVAL IS THE
ONE OPTION THAT CAN CORRECT AN EGREGIOUS ERROR FROM THE PAST AND LEVEL THE GROUND GOING FORWARD SO THAT ALL T BARGAINING UNIT EMPLOYEES CAN KNOW THEY ARE TREATED EQUITABLY I AS PROFESSIONALS WHOSE SINGULAR DESIRE IT IS TO EFFECT POSITIVE CHANGE IN THE STUDENTS THEY SERVE.
I URGE YOU THEREFORE TO DO WHAT ONLY YOU CAN DO: INITIATE WHATEVER PROCESSES ARE NECESSARY TO REMOVE THIS IMPROPER JOB DESCRIPTION FOR CERTIFIED SCHOOL COUNSELORS. THANK YOU AND HAVE A GOOD EVENING. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ] THE NEXT TWO SPEAKERS ARE ERICA
HEN, VICE PRESIDENT JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT OF THE PALM BEACH COUNTIES AND TREASURE COAST FOLLOWED BY SYLVIA HALL, P.T.A. PRESIDENT. ARE EITHER OF YOU HERE?
THERE YOU ARE. >> CAN YOU HEAR ME? >> YES. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING
ME HERE. I'M SYLVIA HALL, PALM BEACH COUNTY P.T.A. PRESIDENT. I WILL START AGAIN AS I ALWAYS DO WITH THE P.T.A. MISSION. THE P.T.A. MISSION IS TO MAKE EVERY CHILD'S POTENTIAL A REALITY BY ENGAGING AND EMPOWERING FAMILIES AND
COMMUNITIES TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL CHILDREN. I WOULD ADD THE FOLLOWING, TOO, NOW. WE ARE COMMITTED TO PROMOTING THE SAFETY AND WELL-BEING OF ALL CHILDREN REGARDLESS OF THEIR IMMIGRATION STATUS AS WELL AS PROTECTING CHILDREN FROM HARMFUL
SEPARATION FROM THEIR PARENTS OR FAMILY MEMBERS. A LOT HAS HAPPENED IN THIS PAST FEW WEEKS. AND WE ARE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT ADVOCACY BECAUSE THIS IS WHY P.T.A. WAS FUNDED 125 YEARS
AGO TO ADVOCATE FOR ALL CHILDREN. AT THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING I SHARED THE NATIONAL P.T.A. POSITION ON FAMILY SEPARATION. ON FEBRUARY 22, THE P.T.A. BOARD OF DIRECTORS VOTED TO HAVE THEIR OWN POSITION STATEMENT.
I HAVE HERE SOME HANDOUTS AND WE CAN PASS THEM AROUND WE REQUIRE DOCUMENTATION LIMIT AUTHORIZED CONTACTS, PARENT NOTIFICATION.
PROTECTION OF STUDENT RECORDS, ADOPTING THE STUDENT INTERVIEW SAFEGUARDS AND TO PRESERVE INSTRUCTIONAL TIME WE DO HAVE A LOT OF CONCERNS ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING, WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION IN THIS COUNTRY.
SO I WILL SHARE A NATIONAL P.T.A. STATEMENT FROM THE U.S. SECRETARY OF EDUCATION. AS THE NATION'S OLDEST AND LARGEST CHILD ADVOCACY ASSOCIATION AND VOICE FOR PARENTS NATIONWIDE, NATIONAL
P.T.A. APPRECIATED THE SECRETARY'S INDICATING DURING HER CONFIRMATION HEARING THAT SHE WILL PRIORITIZE PARENT VOICE; HOWEVER, OUR ASSOCIATION HAS A STRONG CONCERN REGARDING SECRETARY McMAHON'S SUPPORTS OF EFFORTS THAT WOULD DIVERT
CRITICAL PUBLIC SCHOOL RESOURCES. OUR ASSOCIATION REMAINS STEADFAST IN OUR BELIEF THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION AND OUR NATIONAL EDUCATOR WORKFORCE MUST BE STRENGTHENED WITH THE SUPPORT OF ADEQUATE FUNDING AND CONTINUE
BY PUBLIC OFFICIALS TO ENSURE ALL CHILDREN CAN REACH THEIR FULL POTENTIAL. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE CLOSE TO 100 P.T.A. MEMBERS HAVE BEEN IN TALLAHASSEE THIS PAST WEEKEND. MEETING WITH LEGISLATORS AND
ADVOCATING FOR OUR CHILDREN. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING AND TRACKING SOME BILLS AND I WANT TO SAY, IN ORDER FOR US TO SUPPORT OR BE AGAINST ANY BILLS, THEY ALL HAVE
TO BE BASED ON OUR RESOLUTIONS THAT APPROVE IMPROVE OUR LEADERSHIP CONFIDENCE IN JULY OTHERWISE WE WEENT DO HAVE I STATEMENT RESOLUTION ON AN ITEM, WE CANNOT HAVE AN OPINION.
WE ARE FOLLOWING SB-296, MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL START TIMES AMONG OTHER BILLS. THIS SENATE BILL REMOVES-- WILL MOVE FOR SCHOOLS TO COMPLY WITH THE STATE MANDATE OF MIDDLE SCHOOL AND HIGH SCHOOL START
TIMES. WE SUPPORT THE REPEAL OF THIS AND WE SUPPORT TO GIVE THE POWER OF THE DECISION MAKING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE WE KNOW BETTER.
>> Chair Brill: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ERICA, ARE YOU HERE, LAST CALL? OKAY. THAT WILL NOW BRING US TO OUR AGENDA ITEM SPEAKERS. ON BEHALF OF THE ENTIRE SCHOOL BOARD, I WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME ANY PUBLIC SPEAKERS WHO ARE JOINING US TODAY. OUR POLICY PROVIDES THAT WE DO
NOT RESPOND TO OR ENGAGE WITH OUR SPEAKERS; HOWEVER WE DO MAKE NOTE OF YOUR ISSUES AND WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH THE DISTRICT ADMINISTRATION REGARDING THEM. AS A REMINDER, AGENDA SPEAKER COMMENTS MUST RELATE TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THE AGENDA ITEM WHICH THE SPEAKER HAS
REQUESTED TO ADDRESS. ADDITIONALLY, ALL NON-AGENDA SPEAKERS COMMENTS MUST RELATE TO EDUCATIONALLY RELEVANT TOPICS OR THE OPERATIONS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT. PURSUANT TO SCHOOL BOARD POLICY, SPEAKERS WHOSE COMMENTS DO NOT RELATE TO THE TOPIC THAT THE
SPEAKER INDICATED OR ARE NOT OTHERWISE EDUCATIONALLY RELEVANT AS REQUIRED FOR NON-AGENDA TOPIC SPEAKERS OR WHOSE COMMENTS DISRUPT OR INTERFERE WITH THE ORDER OF THE MEETING MAY BE SUBJECT TO REMOVEAL FROM THE MEETING OR HAVING THE MICROPHONE TURNED OFF AND FORFEITING THE
RIGHT TO SPEAK AT THE REMAINDER OF TODAY'S MEETING. YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO ADDRESS THE BOARD IN ACCORDANCE WITH SCHOOL BOARD POLICY THE MICROPHONE WILL BE TURNED OFF WHEN THE TIME LIMIT HAS BEEN REACHED. WHEN YOU SPEAK PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME FOR THE RECORD AND WE THANK YOU FOR JOINING US. SO OUR SPEAKER TODAY FOR AN
AGENDA ITEM IS DONALD PIERSON. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE COME UP WITH THE MICROPHONE.
>> GOOD EVENING, BOARD. SUPERINTENDENT DON PEARSON, PALM BEACH COUNTY TEACHER SINCE AUGUST 23, 1982, AGAIN I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT SEEMS LIKE SOME
PEOPLE ARE WATCHING AND LOOKING UP THE PERSONAL AGENDA FOR THE CATEGORIES FOR TEACHERS AND EMPLOYEES ARE SEPARATED FROM EMPLOYMENT AND THEY'RE ASKING QUESTIONS AND I'M NOT SURE WHAT IT IS.
SO I JUST WANT TO FOCUS ON TWO THIS IS THE TWEFTSZ AND SEPARATION OF EMPLOYMENT. THERE IS 391 SEPARATIONS OF EMPLOYMENT. AND I WAS WONDERING, WHEN I WAS TALKING BEFORE IS THAT IS IT A
COUNT THAT KEEPS GOING? ARE THESE EVERY MONTH? SO I REMEMBER IN JANUARY THERE WERE 426 SEPARATIONS AND MORE IN FEBRUARY LAST MONTH, 534 AND SO
I THOUGHT MAYBE IT'S A COUNT THAT JUST KEEPS COUNTING BUT THEN THIS MONTH, IT'S DOWN TO 391 OWE I'M NOT SURE IF THIS IS EVERY MONTH OR NOT. AND ALL I'M ASKING IS BE A
LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENT WITH THE DATA. THE TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT MAKES ME WONDER BECAUSE HERE WE HAVE TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT 104, BUT ON THE NEXT PAGE FOR THIS MONTH,
END TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT 314. I'M NOT SURE HOW IT WORKS AND THE SAME WITH THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THE NUMBERS ARE DIFFERENT AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT IS A CONTINUING COUNT OR NOT SO WHAT I KEEP TRYING TO GET AT IS THERE
ARE PEOPLE THAT LEAVE PERSONNEL FOR VARIOUS REASONS. BUT SOME OF THEM ARE KIND OF CONVOLUTED. YOU REALLY CAN'T TELL AND I'M TRYING TO GET IT TO WHERE WE CAN TELL BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE WE ONLY HAD TWO PEOPLE LEAVE
BECAUSE THEY WERE DISSATISFIED WITH THEIR JOB. IN THE WHOLE COUNTY. THAT'S WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO LOOK AT, THE DATA. THANK YOU. >> Clerk: SO THAT BRINGS US BOARD MEMBERS TO THE CONSENT AGENDA.
I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE CONSENT AGENDA. MOTION BY Ms. WHITFIELD SECOND BY VICE CHAIR ANDREWS. ANY DISCUSSION? BRD-HE WANTS TO PULL.
IT WILL TAKE A COUPLE OF MINUTES. TAKE A BREATHER BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE TO REFRESH OUR SCREENS SO IT'S BRD1. IN THE MEANTIME, ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO BE PULLED. SEEING NONE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. WE'LL GIVE ANOTHER COUPLE OF MOMENTS AND YOU WILL REFRESH
YOUR SCREENS.
MOTION AND SECOND. SO BOARD MEMBERS, YOU CAN NOW REFRESH YOUR SCREENS. MINE JUST TOOK ME TOTALLY OUT SO
GIVE ME A MINUTE HOPEFULLY. IS THAT BRINGS US DOWN TO WE DON'T HAVE ANY UNFINISHED BUSINESS SO WE ARE AT OUR NEW BUSINESS.
THAT BRINGS US TO BRD1, Mr. SUPERINTENDENT. >> Supt.Burke: I RECOMMEND THE BOARD RATIFY AND APPROVE THE APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS SHOWN ON THE MEMBERSHIP LISTS OF THE BOARD ADVISORY COMMITTEES AS SUBMITTED. >> Chair Brill: MOTION BY Ms. WHITFIELD SECOND BY Ms. BRANCH. Mr. LANE.
>> YES, I PULLED THE BRD1 FOR THE SPECIFIC PURPOSE OF INFORMING THE PUBLIC THAT WE ARE WELL AWARE OF THE PRESIDENT'S EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF REVIEWING OUR POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE IN COMPLIANCE WITH STATE AND
FEDERAL LAW SO THAT WE DON'T LOSE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR OUR PROGRAMS THAT SERVE OUR MOST IMPOVERISHED AND DISABLED STUDENTS. >> THANK YOU. >> Chair Brill: ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. SUPERINTENDENT.
>> COM4, I RECOMMEND THE BOARD PROCLAIM MARCH 2025 AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH. >> Chair Brill: MOTION BY Ms. BRANCH SECOND BY Ms. WHITFIELD. I UNDERSTAND THAT Ms. SAVIETTO WOULD LIKE TO READ THE PROCLAMATION. >> Virginia Savietto: THANK YOU. THIS GOES TO ALL THE LITTLE
WOMEN AND MY FELLOW LADY BOARD MEMBERS. PROCLAMATION WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH MARCH 2025. WHEREAS WOMEN OF DIFFERENT RACE, CLASS ANDETH NICK BACKGROUNDS SERVED AS EARLY LEADERS AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERY MAJOR PROGRESSIVE SOCIAL CHANGE MOVEMENT AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE
BEEN LEADERS NOT ONLY IN SECURING THEIR OWN RIGHTS OF SUFFRAGE AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY BUT ALSO IN THE EMANCIPATION INDUSTRIAL LABOR AND CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT, WHICH CREATE A MORE FAIR AND JUST SOCIETY FOR
ALL AND WHEREAS WOMEN OF DIFFERENT RACE, CLASS AND ETHNIC BACKGROUNDS HAVE MADE HISTORIC CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE GROWTH AND STRENGTH OF OUR NATION IN COUNTLESS RECORDED AND UNRECORDED WAYS AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE ALWAYS PLAYED A
CRITICAL ECONOMIC CULTURAL AND SOCIAL ROLE IN EVERY SPHERE OF LIFE BY CONSTITUTING A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE LABOR FORCE WORKING INSIDE AND OUTSIDE SIDE OF THE HOME AND WHEREAS WOMEN HAVE PARTICULARLY
IMPORTANT IN ESTABLISHMENT OF EARLY CHARITABLE PHILANTHROPIC AND CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS IN THE UNITED STATES AND WHEREAS DURING WIMENTS HISTORY MONTH WE NOTED THAT THE PIONEERING LEGACY OF OUR FOREMOST IS NOT ONLY
CONTAINED IN OUR MUSEUMS AND HISTORY BOOKS BUT ALSO IN THE FEERS, DERMTATION AND LIMITLESS POTENTIAL OF FUTURE GENERATIONS OF GIRS AND WOMEN AND WHEREAS THE COURAGEOUS VISION CHAMPIONED BY WOMEN OF PAST GENERATIONS
SHOULD INSPIRE US TO DEFEND THE DREAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THOSE TO COME NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SCHOOL BOARD OF PALM BEACH COUNTY TO HEREBY PROCLAIM MARCH 2025 AS WOMEN'S HISTORY MONTH DONE THIS 12TH DAY OF MARCH, 2025 IN WEST
PALM BEACH FLORIDA, SIGNED BY BOARD CHAIR KAREN BRILL AND SUPERINTENDENT MICHAEL BURKE. >> Chair Brill: Mr. LANE, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK ON THIS OR IT DIDN'T RESET FROM THE LAST TIME. >> Matthew Lane: DIDN'T RESET.
>> Chair Brill: MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. >> COM 5, I RECOMMEND THE BOARD PROCLAIM MARCH 2025 AS LET'S MOVE PALM BEACH COUNTY MONTH. >> Chair Brill: MOTION BY Ms. BRANCH SECOND BY Ms. WHITFIELD. MI DISCUSSION? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
>> FMPF 2. I RECOMMEND THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE BOARD CHAIR TO FINALIZE AND SIGN ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS. >> Chair Brill: MOTION BY VICE CHAIR ANDREWS AND SECOND BY Mr. LANE.
Ms. BRANCH. GLARCH. >> I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS. INCREASED SPENDING OF 21,000 AND IT SAYS IT ADDS 600 HOURS FOR ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND INVESTIGATIONS IS THAT DONE OR
AN ESTIMATION? >> Supt.Burke: I CAN HELP AND ASK CHIEF MOONEY FOR MORE DETAIL. THIS IS A CONSULTANT THAT PERFORMS INVESTIGATIONS ON THE BACKGROUND WHEN WE GO TO HIRE NEW OFFICERS AND WE INCREASE THE EXISTING CONTRACT TO ALLOW HIM TO DO MORE WORK FOR US SO THIS
COVERS HIS HOURLY RATE AND EXPENSES. >> SO IT'S JUST THE 600 HOURS IS JUST. HE IS GOING TO BE DOING THE BACKGROUND. >> Supt.Burke: AN ESTIMATE. WE WILL ONLY PAY FOR THE ACTUAL HOURS NEEDED. >> Gloria Branch: AND WHAT IS
THE SCOPE OF HIS WORK? DOES HE DO JUST BACKGROUND FINGERPRINTING? JUST IN CHARGE OF THE POLICE OFFICERS? >> Supt.Burke: I'M GOING TO ASK CHIEF MOON TOE FILL US IN A LITTLE BIT ON THIS TYPE OF INVESTIGATION. >> WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
THERE IS EXTENSIVE BACKGROUND COLLECTION OF INFORMATION, BUT NOT JUST ON THE POLICE OFFICERS BUT ALSO LIKE OUR DISPATCHERS, SECURITY OPERATORS AND WHAT NOT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE GOT CLEARANCE AND BACKGROUND. SOME OF THE LONGER TERM INVESTIGATIONS THAT THEY DO AND COMPILE BEFORE WE HIRE HAVE TO
DO WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE WORKED AT OTHER AGENCIES, A LOT OF THEM OUT OF STATE SO IT TAKES A LOT MORE TIME AND EFFORT TO BE ABLE TO TRACK DOWN ALL THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE ARE CONDUCTING GOOD BACKGROUNDS. >> Gloria Branch: OKAY, AND THERE IS SOMETHING ELSE I HAD A
QUESTION ON. IT SAYS APPROXIMATELY NUMBER TO BE SERVED AS 80. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN OOX LIKE PAGE 1 OF 11.
>> WHICH PAGE. >> >> Gloria Branch: ONE OF 11 BUT THE AGREEMENT, SCOPE OF WORK ATTACHED AND THERE IS NO SCOPE OF WORK ATTACHED, EITHER.
CONSULTANT AGREEMENT BETWEEN PALM BEACH COUNTY AND ROBERT BRANUM INVESTIGATIONS. IS THAT WAS HIS-- >> THAT WOULD BE THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF INVESTIGATIONS THAT HE WOULD CONDUCT EVERYBODY THAT GETS THROUGH THE INTERVIEW
PROCESS, WE CONDUCT A BACKGROUND ON THEM SO WE HAVE SEVERAL HUNDRED APPLICANTS JUST FOR THE POLICE OFFICER POSITIONS NEVER MIND ALL THE OTHER POSITIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT. SO WE HAVE THREE-- WE HAD THREE CONTRACTED BACKGROUND
INVESTIGATORS THAT DO THIS KIND OF ON A PER DIEM KIND OF THING AND THEY ALL HAVE STANDING CONTRACTS. ONE OF THOSE THREE UNEXPECTED WILL YOU PASSED AWAY SO THE TWO THAT WE STILL EMPLOY HAVE PICKED UP SOME EXTRA WORK SO THIS IS JUST TO EXTEND THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY ALREADY HAVE IN PLACE. IT'S ALL AN ESTIMATE ON THE
TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR IS AN ESTIMATE. THAT'S HOW MANY PEOPLE IT WOULD SERVE OR HOW MANY INVESTIGATIONS IT WOULD AVERAGE TO SERVE. >> SO THE SCOPE OF WORK IS BACKGROUND. DOES HE DO FINGERPRINTING DRUG TESTING OR JUST... >> JUST THE DOCUMENT COLLECTION
CONTACTING REFERENCE AND THAT TYPE OF THING. >> Gloria Branch: SO HE JUST DOES IT FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. JUST A CONSULTANT FOR THE POLICE BACKGROUND. >> JUST POLICE BACKGROUND. WE HAVE OUR OWN PERSON ALLOCATED TO THE H.R. PORTION OF THAT AND
HE WORKS DIRECTLY WITH HER AS THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING PROCESSED. >> Gloria Branch: AND HIS BACKGROUND IN DOING THIS. >> LAW ENFORCEMENT. HE HAS BEEN IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL THREE OF THE CONTRACTED PEOPLE WERE FORMER LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. AND THEY HAVE BEEN LONG STANDING CONTRACTS, TOO. SO THEY HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE BEFORE I GOT HERE.
>> Gloria Branch: GREAT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. >> Chair Brill: I DON'T SEE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION SO ALL IN FAVOR? OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. Mr. SUPERINTENDENT. >> I RECOMMEND THE BOARD RECOMMEND AS SUBMITTED.
>> MOTION AND SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? , OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THAT'S GOING TO BRING US TO OUR NON-AGENDA SPEAKERS. I WILL CALL TWO NAMES AT A TIME. I APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE IF I MISPRONOUNCE ANY TIMES NAMES. WE'LL START WITH CARL MUHAMMAD
FOLLOWED BY JILL COLEMAN. >> ONCE AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING TO YOU Mr. LANE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR HAVING A SINCERE DESIRE TO HELP AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T HEARD ANY
VOICES COMING FROM THE BOARD AND I MEAN THAT SINCERELY. TONIGHT WE HEARD FROM THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY. WE HEARD FROM THE HOLOCAUST AND EVERYBODY ELSE BUT WE UNDERSTAND BOTTOM RAIL OF ALL OF THE ACADEMIA IS AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN AND WE NEVER HEAR ANY KIND OF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT OUR
PROBLEMS. WE LOST BRIAN WHO WAS OVER THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN DEPARTMENT AND I HAVE TALKS TO HIM SINCE THAT TIME AND HE WAS SO DISAPPOINTED HE LEFT Y'ALLS SYSTEM BECAUSE HE COULD NOT RECEIVE ANY RESOURCES TO DO ANY OF THE THINGS NECESSARY IN ORDER FOR HIM TO
MAKE SOME IMPACT ON HIS JOB AND HIS PERFORMANCE AND WHEN Y'ALL TALK ABOUT CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS, PICKING UP PAPER AND ALL OF THAT STUFF, THAT REALLY DON'T BENEFIT US. HIGH FAMILY IS IN TROUBLE BECAUSE WE ARE NOT LEARNING HOW TO READ. PEOPLE ARE NOT UNDERSTANDING OUR
DYNAMIC, Y'ALL DID THE EQUITY STUDY AND SHOWED HOW SO MANY PERCENTAGE OF YOUR TEACHERS DID NOT HAVE ANY KNOWLEDGE OF US AND WE DON'T SEEM TO HAVE ANY COMMUNICATION REALLY WITH ANY OTHER BOARD MEMBER OTHER THAN YOU TPT Mr. LANE SPEAKING DIRECTLY TO THE ISSUES THAT ARE
FACING US AS AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD I'M HAVING HOPES THAT POSSIBLY IF YOU DON'T LIKE US, WE ALREADY UNDERSTAND THAT GOING O. IF YOU WOULD TELL US THAT YOU HAVE NO INTENTIONS TO ASSIST OUR CHILDREN, THEN I BELIEVE OUR
FAMILIES WOULD GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THEY NEED TO DO IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN BUT AS LONG AS Y'ALL PUT THIS LITTLE FACADE UP AS IF YOU HAVE SOME KIND OF GENUINE CONCERN, AND YOU NEVER MENTION THEM, THEN IT CONTINUES TO BRING
FORWARD THE SAME PROBLEM THAT HAS EXISTED SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE. I'M THE LONGEST VOLUNTEER IN THE HISTORY OF PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN I SAY THAT OUT OF SINCERE LOVE AND RESPECT BECAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU COULD BRING NO ONE FROM YOUR
STAFF TO CHALLENGE ME IN ANY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING IN THE WORLD OF ACADEMIA AS IT RELATES TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN I SAY THAT SIN TEARILY. YOU HAVE A BILLION DOLLARS OPERATION. IF YOU COULD BRING ONE PERSON
FROM YOUR OPERATION TO THE COMMUNITY TO CHALLENGE US ON THE WORLD OF ACADEMIA I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THAT KIND OF CHALLENGE BECAUSE I KNOW FOR SURE WE ARE GOING TO WIN I WISH YOU WOULD HELP OUR CHILDREN AS LONG AS YOU GOT THEM IN YOUR SYSTEM.
SAY SOMETHING ABOUT THEM, DO SOMETHING ABOUT THEM. AT LEAST MENTION THEM. YOU ARE NOT DOING THAT AND THAT'S A MAJOR PROBLEM FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND THE WORLD. I DON'T MEAN THAT DISRESPECTFULLY.
PEACE. >> HI, JILL COLEMAN, HERE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT GETTING PHONES OUT OF THE SCHOOLS BELL TO BELL AND I WANT TO FIRST TELL YOU ON MARCH 21 AT NOON YOU ALL AND ALL YOUR PRINCIPALS ARE INVITED TO
PLEASE JOIN IF YOU CAN. LET'S TALK ABOUT SMART PHONES BEING A COSTLY DISTRACTION THAT HAVE LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES FOR OUR KIDS. THERE IS A RECENT STUDY BY THE SEATTLE CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE THAT FOUND THAT TEENS AGES 13-18 SPEND AN AVERAGE OF
HOUR AND A HALF A DAY ON THEIR PHONES AT SCHOOL WITH A QUARTER SPENDING TWO HOURS OR MONTH. THIS IS NOT JUST WASTED TIME BUT WASTED OPPORTUNITY. IF YOU ARE A PRIVATE SCHOOL PARENT YOU ARE GOING TO BE PISSED ABOUT YOUR TUITION DOLLARS BEING WASTED BUT AS A PUBLIC SCHOOL PARENT, YOU ARE GOING TO BE VERY UPSET ABOUT
YOUR TAX DOLLARS BEING WASTEDDED. RESOURCES ARE MEANT TO EDUCATE AND PREPARE KIDS, THE NEXT GENERATION, NOT TO SUBSIDIZE OURS OF GAMING, SOCIAL MEDIA, SHOPPING AND CONTENT STREAMING. AND WHAT IS EVEN WORSE IS AT LEAST ONE IN FOUR TEENS HAS
WATCHED PORN IN SCHOOL: THE CONSEQUENCES GO BEYOND ACADEMICS BECAUSE WE ARE SEEING A DECLINE IN MENTAL HEALTH, OBVIOUSLY LOWER ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE AND A DISTURBING TREND IN SOCIAL REGRESSION RECENTLY DISCOVERED THAT 50% OF YOUNG MEN AGES 18-24
HAVE NOT ASKED A WOMAN OUT ON A DATE. THINK ABOUT THAT. THE ABILITY TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS, NAVIGATE SOCIAL DYNAMICS AND DEVELOP CONFIDENCE DOESN'T COME FROM A SCREEN. IT COMES FROM REAL WORLD INTERACTIONS. INSTEAD OF TALKING AND BUILDING
SOCIAL SKILLS. STUDENTS ARE GLUED TO THEIR PHONES, ISOLATED, DISENGAGED AND MISSING OUT ON THE HUMAN CONNECTIONS THEY DESPERATELY NEED. WE ALL WANT OUR KIDS TO GROW UP AND BE CAPABLE CONFIDENT ADULTS. SCHOOLS HELP THEM GET THERE INSTEAD OF UNRESTRICTED PHONE
USE DURING CLASS TIMES, THEY NEED TO LET THEM ENGAGE WITH EACH OTHER. PHONES MAKE EVERYTHING WORSE. THEY'RE A DISTRACTION AND ACTIVE THREAT FOR A STUDENT'S WELL-BEING. A PHONE CAN BE A TOOL FOR BULLYING ALLOWING STUDENTS TO FILM EACH OTHER IN VULNERABLE MOMENTS AND INSTANTLY UPLOAD IT
TO THE INTERNET AND SPREAD IT AROUND THE SCHOOL. A TOOL FOR HATE, ANONYMOUS MESSAGING APPS HELP THEM SEND CRUEL DAMAGING MESSAGES WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY. A TOOL FOR TEACH CHEATING WITH GENERATIVE A.I., ACCESS INAPPROPRIATE MATERIALS ABOUT THE I WANT TO TALK ABOUT A
CRUTCH FOR SOCIAL AVOIDANCE. EVERY AWKWARD UNCOMFORTABLE INTERACTION AVOIDED IS A MISSED OPPORTUNITY FOR GROWTH, THE KIND OF GROWTH THAT BUILDS CONFIDENCE, FRIENDSHIPS AND EARLY ROMANTIC EXPERIENCE. NOT JUST AN EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM. IT'S A SOCIAL PROBLEM AS WELL. SO PLEASE JUST BEGGING YOU,
LET'S DO WHAT WE CAN TO GET THE PHONES OUT OF THE SCHOOLS BELLS TO BELL. MY NAME IS JILL COLEMAN, HAVE YOU MY CONTACT INFORMATION. LET ME HELP YOU IN ANY WAY I CAN BY CONNECTING YOU WITH OTHER
ADMINISTRATORS. >> I WILL BEGIN BY TELLING YOU ABOUT A PHONE CALL I RECEIVED TUESDAY FEBRUARY 4. IT WENT AS FOLLOWS: GOOD MORNING. THIS IS Mrs. LANDYS, YES, WHO
IS THIS? JAHMEL. IS IT REALLY YOU? I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU. YOU SAVED ME. >> WHERE ARE YOU, ARE YOU OKAY. >> YES, I MADE IT OUT I GOT OUT BECAUSE YOU HEARD ME. YOU WERE THE ONLY ONE WHO KNEW I WASN'T OKAY. THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVED IN ME AND CARED ABOUT ME. MY TEARS STARTED TO FALL.
BACK IN 2022 JAMAAL WAS IN AN UNSAFE SITUATION AT HOME STRUGGLING ACADEMIC A&M AND SOCIALLY. WE BEGAN MEETING REGULARLY WITH ENCOURAGEMENT TO SHE AGREED TO ANTECEDENT OUR GIRLS GROUP. WHEN COVID HIT I VISITED HOMES OF MY STUDENTS AND DROPPED OFF BOOKS WITH PARENT PERMISSION. SHE NEEDED MORE SUPPORT AND I
CREATED REPORTS AND MADE COUNTLESS CALLS TO GET HER THE HELP SHE NEEDED. OVER THE SUMMER SHE REACHED OUT AGAIN AND I ENLISTED ADDITIONAL AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE SHE RECEIVED REPORTS. THE LAST I HEARD UNTIL FEBRUARY 4. DURING THAT CONVERSATION SHE REMINDED ME OF MY WHY.
I LOVE BEING A SCHOOL COUNSELOR AND I WANT TO BE AVAILABLE TO HELP ALL OF OUR STUDENTS. KNEE SHE IS AN EMANCIPATED MINOR HAS OTHER OWN APARTMENT WORKS AS A GYMNASTIC COACH, EXCELS IN SCHOOL. THE TRUST WE BUILT IN FIFTH GRADE HAS MADE A LASTING IMPACT
AND I'M GLAD TO KNOW HOW FAR SHE HAS COME. PEOPLE NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU DO. KIDS NEED SCHOOL COUNSELORS PROFESSIONALLY TRAINEDDAGE SEABTD ACCESSIBLE. IN SPRING 2023 CTA AND DISTRICT STAFF FORMULATED A COMMITTEE TO ADDRESS COOL COUNSELOR CONCERNS
LEADING TO A COLLABORATIVE SURVEY P SCHOOL COUNSELORS EXPERIENCE. THE LATEST SURVEY BASED ON FEEDBACK FROM JUSTIN KATZ AND GORDON LONGHOFER ASKED IF THE JOB DESCRIPTION SHOULD BELEY NAME NATEED. 280 COUNSELORS AGREED. CTA POINTED OUT THE JOB
DESCRIPTION WAS CREATED WITHOUT PROPER CHANNEL. IT NEEDS TO GO. WHILE WELL INTENDED THE DESCRIPTION HAS BECOME PROBLEMATIC AND TROUBLESOME FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS AND WE REQUEST YOU ELIMINATE IT.
BECAUSE HOW IT IMPACTS OUR STUDENTS. AND ONE OF OUR SURVEYS 156 SCHOOL COUNSELORS REPORT THEIR NON-COUNSELING DUTIES PREVENT THEM FROM PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH EFFECTIVE COUNSELING STUDENTS. THIS IS NOT FIRST TIME WE HAVE DISCUSSED THIS. WE ARE LOSING PRECIOUS TIME.
THE MOST SIGNIFICANT NON-COUNSELING DUTIES THAT DETRACT US FROM OUR ABILITIES TO SBT LEADER, 504 COORDINATORS AND ASSUMING RESPONSIBILITIES FOR VARIOUS TYPES OF MONITORING STUDENTS. I WILL SIPHON THE AMERICAN SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION WHICH SAYS IT IS AN INAPPROPRIATE DUTY FOR SCHOOL
COUNSELORS TIME TO HAVE COORDINATING SCHOOL WIDE INDIVIDUAL EDUCATIONAL PLANS, 504 PLANS, STUDENT STUDY TEAMS, RESPONSE TO INTERVENTION PLANS, SCHOOL ATTENDANCE REVIEW BOARD. NOW, ASSIGNING THE THEY ALSO SAY ASSIGNING SCHOOL COUNSELORS TO
MANAGE 504 STUDENTS... >> THANK YOU. >> SCHOOL COUNSELOR. SUPERINTENDENT BURKE AND BOARD MEMBERS.
AS YOU CAN SEE BY OUR FLORAL ENTHUSIASM TONIGHT OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS ANNUAL THEME IS TOGETHER WE BLOOM AND SO HERE WE STAND AGAIN UNITED IN OUR MISSION TO ENSURE ALL STUDENTS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY HAVE ACCESS TO DIRECT SCHOOL COUNSELING SERVICES. I'M A MEMBER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD OF THE PALM BEACH SCHOOL
COUNSELOR ASSOCIATION AND CURRENT CHAIRPERSON OF THE ANNUAL PRINCIPAL COUNSELOR BREAKFAST. IT WAS WONDERFUL TO SEE MOST OF YOU THERE ALONG WITH NEARLY 500 GUESTS TO CELEBRATE THE WORK THAT SCHOOL COUNSELORS DO DURING NATIONAL SCHOOL COUNSELORS WEEK. I HAVE BEEN A SCHOOL COUNSELOR IN PALM BEACH COUNTY FOR 30 YEARS.
YOU HAVE SEEN ME NEARLY A DOZEN TIMES AT THIS PODIUM ADVOCATING FOR SCHOOL COUNSELORS, I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN COUNTLESS SURVEYS OVER THE YEARS DURING THE WORK WE DO AND BARRIERS. WE HAVE BEEN ASKED BY DISTRICT LEADERSHIP AND CTA TO PROVIDE
THIS DATA TIME AND TIME AGAIN SO WE HAVE SURVEYED ANALYZE AND REPORTED ONLY TO REMAIN ON THE SAME HAMSTER WHEEL. LORI OUTLINED THERE ARE MANY BARRIERS THAT IMPEDE OUR ABILITY TO PROVIDE DIRECT SERVICES TO TO STUDENTS. I LOVE BEING A SCHOOL COUNSELOR. IN MY SMALL GROUP COUNSELING I
HELP STUDENTS WHO EXPERIENCE A LOSS OF A LOVED ONE. THOSE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING FAMILY CHANGES LIKE DIVORCE, AND THOSE THAT NEED SUPPORT TO DEVELOP IMPORTANT PEER RELATIONSHIP SKILLS. LAST YEAR I RECEIVED AN EMAIL FROM ONE OF MY FORMER STUDENTS WHO IS NOW 16 AND IN HIGH SCHOOL. DURING A VERY DIFFICULT YEAR
WHEN SHE WAS IN FIFTH GRADE, I PROVIDED SUPPORT FOR HER AND HER YOUNGER SISTER AS THEY PARTICIPATED IN MY BANANA SPLITS GROUP FOR STUDENTS OF DIVORCE UNTIL THEY MOVED TO MIAMI. YEARS LATER SHE FELT THE NEED TO FIND MY EMAIL AND THANK ME FOR
HELPING HER DURING A STRESSFUL AND UNCERTAIN TIME IN HER LIFE. YEP, THAT STORY IS SIX YEARS OLD. THE TRUTH IS I'M NO LONGER ABLE TO OFFER SMALL GROUP COUNSELING ONCE AN INTEGRAL PART OF MY COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOL COUNSELING PROGRAM BECAUSE MY SCHOOL HAS EXPLODED TO 1300 STUDENTS AND I
AM THE ONLY SCHOOL COUNSELOR, I HAVE SPENT A FEW YEARS TEACHING CLASSES FULL TIME ON THE FINE ARTS WHEEL. I CURRENTLY HAVE TWO OPEN BLOCKS EVERY OTHER DAY THAT I'M NOT TEACHING BUT THESE TIMES ARE GENERALLY FILLED WITH 504 MEETINGS. AS THE 504 COORDINATOR I HAVE
OVER 130 STUDENTS WITH 504 PLANS AT MY SCHOOL. THAT MEANS 130 MEETINGS OR MORE EACH YEAR. AS A SCHOOL COUNSELOR WITH A PSM H.D., I'M A PROFESSOR AT THREE UNIVERSITIES AND NONE OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELING AT ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS ACROSS THE SCHOOL ARE LEARNING HOW TO WRITE 504 PLANS BECAUSE 504 PLANS ARE NOT
PART OF THE ROLE OF THE SCHOOL COUNSELOR. YET THEY ARE IN THIS COUNTY AT MOST SCHOOLS. IN THE PAST SIX YEARS, THE SCHOOLS HAVE ALL RECEIVED THE SUPPORT OF BEHAVIORAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS BUT THIS NEW POSITION DOES NOT REALLY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR SERVICES BUT RATHER ARE JUST REPLACING
THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE IN THE PAST BY SCHOOL COUNSELORS FREEING P UP TIME FOR COUNSELORS TO PARTICIPATE IN MORE NON-COUNSELING DUTIES. HOW DOES THIS BENEFIT STUDENTS? I'M GOING TO RUN OUT OF TIME. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. DAISY DANIEL, FOLLOWED BY STEVEN
KAPP LAN. >> GOOD EVENING EVERYBODY. IS SO I STARTED THIS ADVENTURE OF COMING HERE. >> Chair Brill: PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME.
>> DAISY DANIEL AND MY I.D. IS 109-8370. >> IT HAS BEEN A YEAR AND I'M SO PLEASED THAT I SEE A ROOMFUL OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS. AS SOME OF YOU KNOW, THAT IS WHAT I KEEP SHARING EVERY TIME I COME IS THE IMPORTANCE OF SCHOOL
COUNSELORS AND THE SHORTAGE THAT THERE IS NOT JUST WITH SCHOOL COUNSELORS BUT TEACHERS, THE LAST TIME I WAS HERE, I WAS TALKING ABOUT LEARNED HELPLESSNESS AND BASICALLY, I'LL READ IT AGAIN BUT IT'S WHEN YOU JUST KEEP TRYING TO DO SOMETHING
BUT NO ONE HEARS YOU. IT'S LIKE THOSE KIDS THAT GET IN TROUBLE AND BLOW UP A SCHOOL AND THEY LOOK AT THEIR PAST AND THEY NEVER GOT IN TROUBLE. THEY WERE GOOD KIDS BUT NO ONE HEARD THEM. AND THEY KEPT BULLYING THEM AND
THEY KEPT REACHING OUT FOR HELP AND NO ONE DID ANYTHING. I TOLD MYSELF I WOULD COME FOR A YEAR AND IF ANY PROGRESS IS MADE IN THE THINGS I SHARE.
WELL, HONESTLY I DON'T KNOW BECAUSE WE DON'T GET TEED BACK WE JUST DON'T KNOW WE SPEAK WORDS OUT INTO THE ATMOSPHERE AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT I KNOW THERE ARE FRIENDS HERE THAT I HAVE SEEN MONTH AFTER MONTH COME AND SHARE THEIR HEART AND THEY KEEP SAYING
THE SAME THING MONTH AFTER MONTH, WHICH MEANS NOTHING IS GETTING DONE ABOUT IT. IT'S PRETTY OBVIOUS. I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND READ THE DEFINITION OF LEARNED HELPLESSNESS. LEARNED HELPLESSNESS OCCURS WHEN
AN INDIVIDUAL CONTINUOUSLY FACES A NEGATIVE UNCONTROLLABLE SITUATION AND STOPS TRYING TO CHANGE THEIR CIRCUMSTANCES EVEN WHEN THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO SO. THE MAIN THING THAT I HAVE TRIED TO SHARE IS THAT THERE IS NO
REASON WHY A CERTIFIED COUNSELOR, MANY THAT ARE HERE TODAY, SHOULD BE TEACHING GUIDANCE FOR SIX HOURS A DAY. I DID IT, LIKE SOME OF YOU KNOW, THE PAST TWO YEARS, GOT PAID AS A SUB EVEN THOUGH I HAVE A
MENTAL HEALTH DEGREE AND I'M A TEACHER. GIVE US THOSE JOBS. FREE THEM UP SO THAT THEY CAN HELP KIDS DO WHAT THEY WENT TO SCHOOL TO DO. ONE ON ONE COUNSEL AUTOING, GROUP COUNSELING. MOST OF THEM DON'T WANT TO TEACH.
I'VE TALKED TO MANY OF THEM. LOOK AT THIS AGAIN. NOW THAT YOU MIGHT CHANGE THE JOB DESCRIPTION, CHANGE THE DEGREE. NO MASTERS NEEDED TO TEACH GUIDANCE. IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE AND THESE KIDS NEED IT AND THEY'RE NOT GETTING IT.
THANK YOU. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. STEPHEN KAPLAN AND THEN REBECCA SOLEM-- REBECCA AND THEN DONALD
PIERSON. DONALD. ARE YOU STILL HERE? WE'LL MOVE ON TO ANITRA GRANT STRONG.
>> GOOD EVENING. DON PIERSON, PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT. WHAT I WANT TO TALK ABOUT, I'VE SPOKEN TO YOU A LOT OF TIMES ABOUT MANY OCCASIONS AND IT'S KIND OF COMING UP AGAIN.
I BELIEVE AND FEEL THERE IS A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAPPEN IN THE STRERCHES THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR KNOW BECAUSE THERE ARE TOO MANY LAYERS AND YOU DON'T NEED TO KNOW ALL OF IT BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW AND WHEN I'M DONE, I HAVE PAPERS RATHER THAN EXAMPLE MAIL IT.
LIKE I SAID IN THE PAST I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU THE WHITE PAPER. I ADVOCATE FOR A LOT OF TEACHERS AND THE REAL REASONS AS AN OLDER
TEACHER I'M NOT ON AN ANNUAL CONTRACT. A LOT OF TEACHERS ARE ON ANNUAL CONTRACTS ARE AFRAID TO SPEAK UP BECAUSE THEY CAN BE LET GO WITHOUT CAUSE SO I END UP BEING THE MOUTH PIECE AND I END UP BEING A TARGET. WELL, I HAVE BEEN A TARGET NOW
IT'S EVEN MORE HARSH. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THAT, AND YOU ARE GOING TO UNDERSTAND WHY I GAVE IT TO YOU IN THIS FORM FIRST. BUT TWO THINGS I JUST WANT TO SPEAK ABOUT. JUST TO GET AT ME, I TOLD YOU THAT THEY'RE DROPPING THE O.J.T.
PROGRAM ONLY AT MY SCHOOL WHICH DOES AFFECT STUDENTS. AND PART OF THIS IS THE STUDENTS WHO ARE BEGGING, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? THEY WANT TO DO IT NEXT YEAR AND THE REALITY IS THE TARGET IS ME. I'M THE MOST SENIOR TEACHER AT MY SCHOOL.
THEY MADE ME FLOAT, OKAY. THAT DIDN'T GET THE RESPONSE THEY WANTED. THEY WON'T LET ME COACH AND THE TEAM WAS DISSOLVED THIS YEAR THAT COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
SO ALL THESE THINGS THEY'RE DOING, I JUST WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU READ THIS, I WOULD LIKE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE IF YOU IGNORE IT, I BELIEVE YOU CONDONE IT AND THIS IS REAL STUFF AND I DON'T GET TO
THIS POINT EASILY. IT HAS TAKEN A WHILE. MS. ANDREWS WHEN YOU WERE IN H.R. YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT I JUST WANT TO NOW, I WANT TO YOU KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME A.P.S AND PRINCIPALS THAT DO ATTACK AND
THEY ATTACK AND THEY TRY TO PUT PEOPLE IN THEIR PLACE AND THAT IS WHAT IS HAPPENING. SO WHEN I GIVE THIS TO YOU READ, PLEASE RESPOND TO IT. THE IRONY OF THE WHOLE THING IS I'M BEING ATTACKED LIKE THAT AT
SCHOOL AND THEN I GET IN THE MAIL FROM YOU, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, FROM RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. SO I GET THAT ON ONE END AND ATTACKED ON THE OTHER. THANK YOU. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU.
ANITRA GRANT STRONG AND PAGE LEWIS. >> GOOD EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS, BOARD CHAIRS, SUPERINTENDENT BURKE. MY NAME IS ANITRA GRANT STRONG
FROM DELRAY. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PATS THEMSELVES ON THE BACK FOR THE INCREASE IN THE GRADUATION RATE, HOWEVER ACCORDING TO THE FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, BLACK STUDENTS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY HAVE A GRADUATION RATE OF 89% WHICH SEEMS COMMENDABLE BUT THAT'S THE LOWEST GRADUATION
RATE OF ANY RACE OR ETHNICITY IN THE DISTRICT. FURTHERMORE AMPLE A.C.T. SCORES FOR BLACK STUDENTS IS 15.8 AND AVERAGE S.A.T. SCORE IS 906, THE LOWEST OF ANY RACE ETHNICITY IN THE STRICT NOT TO MENTION THAT
MOST OF THE BLACK STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THESE TESTS MULTIPLE TIMES WHICH SOLIDIFIES ONCE AGAIN OUR BLACK PEOPLE ARE EXPLOITED FOR CAPITAL GAIN. MY ANCESTORS WERE FORCED TO INVEST IN A COUNTRY THAT THEY WOULD NEVER RECEIVE A RETURN. HISTORY IS REPEATING ITSELF WITH
BLACK STUDENTS AND STANDARDIZED TESTS THEY INVEST IN WITH NO RETURN. WITH THESE SCORES, WHAT IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT PREPARING OUR BLACK STUDENTS TO DO AFTER HIGH SCHOOL? CELEBRATE MINOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS SO THEY DON'T STRIVE FOR ANYTHING BETTER, SO THEIR WHITE COUNTERPARTS CAN GENTRIFY THEIR
COMMUNITIES, INCARCERATE THEIR CHILDREN AND DISENFRANCHISE FUTURE GENERATIONS BY LIMITING THEIR HOPES OF BEING SUCCESSFUL IN POSTSECONDARY ARENAS? WHERE THE EQUITY IN THAT. THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS CAUGHT UP IN THIS ILLUSION OF INCLUSION, THAT THEY CONTINUE TO PERPETUATE THIS FAIRY TALE OF EQUITY THAT CLEARLY DOES NOT
EXIST IN THE WORLD OF BLACK STUDENTS. THE DISTRICT HAS AN ACADEMIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE, DIVERSITY EQUITY COMMITTEE, STUDENT ADVISORY COMMITTEE, SCHOOL ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO NAME A FEW AND WHO ARE NOT HERE, NO THE ONE COMMITTEE CAN COME UP WITH ONE PLAUSIBLE SOLUTION TO ADDRESS
THESE DISPACER. EVEN THE STUDENT VOICE INITIATIVE IS FLAWED BECAUSE OF THE VOICES CAREFULLY PICKED BY ADMINISTRATION, AT LEAST IN ATLANTIC DO NOT REFLECT THE MAJORITY OF THE STUDENT BODY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S POLICY 1.041B STATES THE DISTRICT WILL PROVIDE LEADERSHIP THAT IS COMMITTED TO
IDENTIFYING AND WORK TO BRING RESOLUTIONS TO THE DISPARITIES AND DISPROPORTIONALITIES AND PRACTICES THAT INHIBIT THE SUCCESS OF STUDENTS. WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTABILITY TO ENSURE THAT THIS DESIRED OUTCOME
IS MET? NOTHING WILL EVER CHANGE IN THIS COUNTRY FOR BLACKS UNTIL WHITES ACKNOWLEDGE THE RACIST SYSTEM
THEY CREATED CENTURIES AGO THAT CONTINUE TO IMPACT OUR BLACK COMMUNITIES TODAY. THANK YOU. >> Chair Brill: PAGE LEWIS FOLLOWED BY Dr. TANYA SMALL. >> PAGE LEWIS DISTRICT 1. GOOD EVENING. I'M REALLY GRATEFUL FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO COME UP AND SPEAK TO YOU GUYS. AND I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU GUYS THOUGH WHAT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT BECAUSE IT'S READING, ALWAYSMENT. READING IS FUNDAMENTAL TO LEARNING ALL SUBJECTS WE KNOW THAT WHEN ONLY HALF OF OUR
STUDENTS CAN READ ON GRADE LEVEL THAT AFFECTS EVERYTHING FROM DISCIPLINE TO ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, TRUANCY AND FUTURE LIFE SUCCESS JUST TO NAME A FEW LIKE THE LADY BEFORE ME WAS JUST SPEAKING ABOUT. UNFORTUNATELY THIS ISSUE IS NOT JUST A PROBLEM IN OUR GREAT COUNTY BUT A PROBLEM ACROSS THE
UNITED STATES I BELIEVE THAT WE CAN DO BETTER FOR OUR TEERPTION AND STUDENTS WE MUST DO BETTER. I BELIEVE PALM BEACH COUNTY HAS THE TENTH LARGEST SCHOOL DISTRICT IN THE COUNTRY CAN BE THE FIRST COUNTY TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL CHANGES AND BECOME A BEACON OF HOPE FOR THE STATE AND
THE REST OF THE UNITED STATES. WE CANNOT DO THAT BY BEING TO BE REACTIVE INSTEAD OF PROACTIVE WHEN IT COMES TO TEACHING OUR CHILDREN TO READ. IN THE PAST BOTH THE STRIK AND THE STATE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON INTERVENTIONS TO SUPPORT STUDENTS WHO ARE BEHIND.
WHAT IF WE MADE A COMMITMENT TO OUR TEACHERS AND OUR STUDENTS THAT WE WILL BE PROACTIVE BY PROVIDING THE METHODOLOGY THAT CAPTURES ALL STUDENTS LEARNING, INCLUDING THOSE ONE DIAGNOSISSED DYSLEXIA AND SLANG WING.
IT ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE. IT IS NOT HARD AND THE METHODOLOGY HAS BEEN SUCCESSFULLY TEACHING STUDENTS TO READ SINCE THE MID 19 HUNS. MAKING SURE OUR K-2 TEACHERS ARE CERTIFIED OG PRACTITIONERS IS THE BEGINNING OF CHANGE CHANGING THE WAY WE TEACH READING. IT'S NOT A CURRICULUM.
IT'S A METHODOLOGY THAT EMPOWERS TEACHERS TO MAKE EARLY DECISIONS TO PREVENT CHILDREN FROM FALLING BEHIND. YOU ARE LITERALLY PROVIDING THE SO CALLED INTERVENTION UP FRONT BEFORE IT IS NEEDED. WE HAVE GREAT TEACHERS WITH BIG HEARTS WHO LOVE TEACHING, BUT WE ARE LOSING THEM BECAUSE IT'S
HARD TO TEACH WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE SO FAR BEHIND IN READING. CHILDREN WHO CANNOT READ OFTEN TUNE OUT OR BECOME DISCIPLINE PROBLEMS. IT IS DISHEARTENING TO A TEACHER BECAUSE TEACHERS WANT TO SEE THEIR STUDENTS SUCCEED. WHAT IF SCHOOLS WHO HAVE 50% OF
CHILDREN READING BELOW GRADE LEVEL HAD 50% OF ITS TEACHERS CERTIFIED AS READING PRACTITIONERS? CURRENTLY WE HAVE READING TEACHERS WHO ARE CERTIFIED BUT THEY'RE EXPECTED TO SERVE HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS BY COACHING TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOM.
AT THAT TIME HAS NOT BEEN EFFECTIVE WE NEED TO ENGAGE OUR LEGISLATORS AT THE STATE LEVEL TO ENSURE OUR TEACHING COLLEGES ARE PROVIDING CERTIFICATIONS PROVIDER PRIOR TO OUR TEACHERS ENTERING THE CLASSROOM AND FOR
THOSE RECRUITED FROM OUT OF STATE, LET'S PROVIDE INCENTIVES FOR THEM TO BE CERTIFIED SO THEY CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS. >> Chair Brill: THANK YOU, Dr. TANYA SMALL FOLLOWED BY
DELORES SOME MAGILL. ARE EITHER ONE OF YOU HERE? SO THAT'S GOING TO LEAVE US-- THANK YOU. PLEASE COME UP. >> GOOD EVENING.
I'M A SCHOOL COUNSELOR AND-- MY NAME IS DELORES MAGILL. I'M A SCHOOL COUNSELOR. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS SPEAK TO YOU ABOUT ADDITIONAL COUNSELING DUTIES THAT DOES NOT DEAL DIRECTLY WITH STUDENTS AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS GIVE YOU A BREAKDOWN OF THE MINUTES
THAT WE SPEND ON VARIOUS DUTIES THAT IS NOT RELATED TO SCHOOL COUNSELING. MORNING DUTY, 8:40, FIRST OF ALL LET ME BACK UP. EACH ONE OF YOU HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THIS AND I PROVIDED
EIGHT COPIES WITH ALL THE DOCUMENTATION TO SUPPORT WHAT I'M SAYING SO I'M GOING TO JUST BREAK THE DOWN AND GO THROUGH AND YOU CAN REVIEW IT AT A LATER DATE. MORNING DUTIES FROM 8:40 TO 9:25.
ACTUALLY CLLG:40 IS MY CHECK IN TIME. I HAVE GO UPSTAIRS, PUT MY THINGS AWAY AND THEN GO TO CAR LINE DUTY, WHICH EQUALS OUT TO 45 MINUTES. TRANSITIONAL DUTY BEFORE CLASS
STARTS, DURING EACH PERIOD TRANSITION MOVING STUDENTS ALONG AND DISMISSAL EQUALS 50 MINUTES. LUNCH DUTY 40 MINUTES. DOUBLE DOWN THAT MEANS GOING INTO A CORE CLASS AND SUPPORTING
ANOTHER TEACHER 55 MINUTES. TESTING DUTIES, FIVE HOURS PER DAY. THAT INCLUDES PM 2, 1, 2 AND 3 AND THIS EXTENDS FROM 9:30 TO 2 P.M. FOR EACH TEST.
THAT WOULD INCLUDE YOUR MATH, ELA, AND SO FORTH. TESTING FOR ELA. I PEEN ELL THAT EQUALS THREE WEEKS, FIVE HOURS EACH DAY, EOC,
ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY CIVICS TESTING FIVE HOURS. NOW IN ADDITION TO DOING THE REGULAR TESTING, WE ALSO HAVE TO DO MAKEUP TESTING WHICH EQUALS UP TO FIVE HOUR TESTING FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE, WHICH ALSO EXTENDS FROM 9:30 TO THE P.M.
2 P.M. MAKEUP TESTING FOR ALL OF THE ABOVE LIKE I JUST STATED, JUST STATED EQUALS FROM-- IT STARTS FROM 9:30 TO 2 P.M. TRAINING FOR THE ABOVE TESTS
STATE TEST AND ELL EQUALS UP TO FOUR HOURS WE ALSO HAVE BEEN ASKED TO DO RESTROOM MONITORING. BULLYING INVESTIGATION, TWO HOURS TO 7 AND A HALF HOURS EACH
TIME FIELD TRIPS MANDATED. THUS FAR TWO FIELD TRIPS WHICH EQUALS THREE AND A HALF HOURS EACH. ALSO.
>> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. GORDON LONGHOFER. >> THANK YOU AGAIN, CHAIR BRILL, GORDON LONGHOFER CTA PRESIDENT. I DON'T THINK I CAN ADD A LOT TO THE FEW COUNSELORS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE TONIGHT TO SHARE THEIR
STORIES WITH YOU. I HAVE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS INTERACTIONS AND EMAIL AND EVERY ONE OF THEM MIRRORS WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD. THEY DO FEEL LIKE THIS IMPROPER
AND I SAID IT BEFORE AND I'M GO GOING TO REPETE IT. LIKELY ILLEGAL JOB DESCRIPTION THAT THEY AREY ROAN USUALLY GIVING THEM LIBERTY BUT TO WEIGH THEM DOWN WITH AMOUNTS OF
NON-COUNSELOR RELATED TIME DURING TIMES WHEN THEY LITERALLY COULD COME UP WITH IMPACTFUL ACTIONS AND PROJECTS WITH STUDENTS WHO ARE NEEDING THEIR SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE. ESPECIALLY AS EVIDENCED BY THE STORY OF SUCCESS THAT MISS LANDY
SHARED AT THE BEGINNING OF HER SPEECH. THERE IS A HOST OF THINGS THAT ARE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOOKED AT IF WE DO THIS ONE GOOD ACT TO RIGHT THIS PAST WRONG. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT COLLABORATION. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE TO HAVE THE BEST POSITIVE IMPACTS POSSIBLE
AS A RESULT OF THE PROFESSIONAL EXPERTISE AND GIFTS AND PASSIONS OF THESE DEDICATED EDUCATORS WHO WANT TO BE HERE TO WORK WITH STUDENTS AND THERE ARE NEEDS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED. THAT'S WHAT WE DO AT NEGOTIATIONS WHAT WE DO IN COLLABORATIVE MEETINGS APART FROM NEGOTIATIONS. WE IDENTIFY, WE SOLVE PROBLEMS,
WE AGREE TO IT COLLABORATIVELY. AND EVERYBODY WALKS AWAY AND HOPEFULLY WE ARE BETTER PEOPLE FOR IT AND A BETTER SYSTEM, ABLE TO EDUCATE, AFFIRM AND INSPIRE ETCH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE OFTEN TIMES AT THEIR GREATEST POINT OF NEED WHETHER IT'S
RELATED TO MENTAL HEALTH, A LIFE EVENT OR ACADEMICS OR GROWING OUTSIDE THE ARENA OF ACADEMICS TO BECOME A QUALITY ATHLETE OR A FINE ARTISTIC PERFORMER OR ART CREATOR. THESE ARE ALL POSITIVE THINGS FOR STUDENTS MUCH GETTING THE
TIME WITH THE PROFESSIONALS DEEMED EXPERTSES IN CERTAIN AREAS IS VITAL TO THEIR SUCCESS. I URGE YOU TO LOOK AT MY REQUEST AND HEAR THEIR STORIES AND ACT FAVORABLY IN THAT DIRECTION SO WE CAN REACH MORE STUDENTS ON A REGULAR BASIS. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.
>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT WILL CONCLUDE OUR NON-AGENDA SPEAKERS. AND IT WILL BRING US TO OUR BOARD DISCUSSION ITEM MR. FERGUSON. >> Edward Ferguson: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I PUT THIS ITEM ON THE AGENDA BECAUSE I'M CONCERNED THAT ALL
OF US HAVE A LARGE NUMBER STUDENTS AND FAMILIES WHO THIS ISSUE MAY SPEAK TO. FIRST SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MY PERSONAL SITUATION MY OLDEST CHILD IS WHAT WE WOULD DEEM A SPECIAL NEEDS CHILD.
AUTISTIC, DIAGNOSED WITH AUTISTIC DISORDER. SHE IS-- SO AT THE TIME WHEN MY OLDEST SON WAS ABOUT-- HE WAS ADMITTED INTO NORTHBORO WHICH HAS THE PRE-K PROGRAM THAT STARTS WHEN YOU ARE THREE WHICH
IS PRETTY UNUSUAL FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WHETHER HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BEGIN ENROLLMENT THERE, WE WERE IN COVID AND SO WE WERE NOT DOING IN PERSON EDUCATION AND SO WE HAD TO PIVOT PRETTY QUICKLY AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET HIM INTO A CENTER THAT DID NOT CLOSE
DURING THE SHUTDOWN. AND IT WAS REALLY TO HIS BENEFIT AND I HAVE LEARNED SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THE I KNOW THERE ARE MANY OTHER ASPECTS ON THE SPECTRUM
BUT THE SOONER YOU CAN IDENTIFY THE CHILD AS BEING AUTISTIC AND GET HIM OR HER GENERALLY HIM, INTO ABA THERAPY, PHYSICAL THERAPY, WHATEVER HE OR SHE NEEDS, IT REALLY INCREASES THE CHANCE OF THEM BEING ABLE TO TAKE CAKE OF THEMSELVES AS AN ADULT AND I KNOW I HAVE SAID THAT IN MANY BOARD MEETINGS IN
THE PAST AS A PARENT I'M SURE THAT WHAT WE ALL ULTIMATELY WANT, FOR OUR CHILD TO BE INDEPENDENT, CRITICAL THINKERS, ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES WITHOUT HAVING US THERE OR SOMEONE ELSE SERVING AS A CAREGIVER. AND SO WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY
ATTENTION-- AND I'M THINKING AGAIN THIS IS DISTRICT WIDE, BUT I WILL SPEAK TO THE AREA THAT I HAVE THE GREATEST FAMILIARITY WITH WHICH IS DISTRICT 7. WHEN IT WAS BROUGHT THE MY ATTENTION THAT MULTIPLE POCKETS INSIDE DISTRICT 7 ARE UNDER SERVED IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF
CLASSES THAT WE HAVE MADE AVAILABLE TO FAMILIES, TO UTILIZE I WANTED TO SPEAK WITH YOU ALL AS A BOARD TO FIGURE OUT IF THERE IS MAYBE SOMETHING WE CAN DO AS A BOARD COLLECTIVELY TO EXPAND THE NUMBER OF
CLASSROOMS WE HAVE AND THAT PRE-K SPACE FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. FOR EXAMPLE, IN DELRAY, BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW, MY DISTRICT IS LIKE A LITTLE RIVER. IT RUNS FROM RIVERA BEACH ALL THE WAY INTO DELRAY. SO I KNOW FOR A FACT IN DELRAY
ON THE EAST SIDE OF TOWN, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY ESE STUDENTS IN THOSE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT CARVER, AND SOMEONE CAN CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG-- I BELIEVE IT'S CARVER THAT HAS A NUMBER OF THE
ESE UNITS AND WHEN WE GO UP TO RIVIERA BEACH, WE DO HAVE LINCOLN, BUT IT'S ALREADY AT CAPACITY AND SO THOSE CHILDREN IF THEY'RE LUCKY CAN TRY TO FIND A SPACE IN DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER WHICH GETS TO ANOTHER ISSUE. SOME OF THE FAMILIES DON'T HAVE A LOT IN THE WAYS OF MEANS AND
DEFINITELY NOT IN THE WAY OF RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION. I'M TALES THAT IN SOME SITUATIONS THOSE PARENTS, THOSE FAMILIES WHO ARE ALREADY INDIGENT HAVE TO USE THEIR VERY LIMITED MEANS TO UBER TO TRY TO GET TO A SCHOOL WHICH, AGAIN THAT SEEMS A LITTLE TOUGH.
FOR ME TO SWALLOW AND SO AGAIN FOCUSING ON WHAT WE ARE DOING VERSUS WHAT WE SAY WE DON'T DO I THINK WE HAVE HAVE A NUMBER OF UNITS ACROSS THE COUNTY. THAT'S GREAT. BUT SOMETHING TELLS ME WE CAN DO MORE THAN WE ARE ALREADY DOING SO AGAIN I WANT TO HAVE THIS
CONVERSATION WITH THE SIX OF YOU TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR COLLECTIVE EXPERIENCES ARE IN YOUR RESPECTIVE DISTRICTS TO SEE IF THERE IS MORE WE CAN DO TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS FOR THESE FAMILIES BECAUSE I WAS UNFORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THE FINANCIAL MEANS TO QUICKLY PIVOT AND GET MY CHILD INTO A PRIVATE
INSTITUTION. BUT WHAT ABOUT THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THE MEANS AND EVEN GOING BACK TO COVID. HIS YOUNG SON WOULD HAVE HAD TO SIT HOME WITH HIM WITHOUT THE NECESSARY WRAP ROUND SERVICES THAT WE GIVE OUR KIDS NOW THAT WE ARE BACK IN PERSON TRAINING. WHERE IS HIS CHILD NOW?
AND SO THAT DOES MAKE MY HEART ACHE FOR THOSE FAMILIES. SO AGAIN, THIS IS THE INTENTION OF THIS CONVERSATION, THE INTENTION OF ME PUTTING THIS ON THE AGENDA IS FOR US TO CONVERSE AS A BOARD TO CONSIDER IF IS SOMETHING THAT WE AS A BOARD CAN DO FOR ALL OF OUR STRIKES IN PALM BEACH COUNTY BECAUSE IT'S
MUCH BIGGER THAN DISTRICT 7. OR DELRAY BEACH OR RIVERA BEACH OR WEST PALM. IT'S ABOUT ALL OF OUR CHILDREN. THAT'S WHY I PUTTED THIS ON FOR DISCUSSION TODAY GLICK I'M GOING TO. >> Chair Brill: I'M GOING TO JUMP IN TO SAY IT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE MY SON WAS AT PRE-K.
HE WORKS AT Dr. JOAQUIN GARCIA HIGH SCHOOL. WE HAD THE B MODELS, THE A, B AND C, MODEL FOR PRE-K BUT THE CHILDREN WOULD GO THROUGH CHILD FIND AND THEN THEY WOULD BE ASSIGNED TO A SCHOOL. MY SON WAS BUSSED OR WAS GIVEN TRANSPORTATION QUITE A DISTANCE.
HE WENT TO A SCHOOL THAT WAS IN MISS WHITT'S DISTRICT-- Ms. WHITFIELD'S DISTRICT. IF BEE COULD HAVE AN UPDATE REGARDING CHILD FIND AND HOW WE SERVE THESE CHILDREN. I HAVE NOT, IN MY DISTRICT, GOTTEN COMPLAINTS FROM PARENTS THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO GET THEIR CHILDREN SERVICES, BUT THAT
DOESN'T MEAN IT DOESN'T EXIST. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. I REMEMBER THEY ACTUALLY PICKED MY SON UP AT HIS-- BECAUSE I WORKED, AT PRESCHOOL THAT HE WAS IN AND I REMEMBER BECAUSE HE GOT FORGOTTEN ON A BUS ONCE AND HE LOVED RIDING ON THE BUS AND
WOUND UP SPENDING THE THE DAY TRAVELING ON THE BUS AND THOUGHT IT WAS THE BEST EXPERIENCE OF HIS LIFE. HE STILL REMEMBERS IT BUT THEY WOULD BUS HIM FROM HIS PRESCHOOL AND I REMEMBER THAT THEY BUSSED THE CHILDREN AT THEIR HOMES AS WELL SO CAN WE GET AN UPDATE
FROM CHILD FIND AND HOW THE PROCESS IS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN PRE-K? >> I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE OUR ESE DEPARTMENT WORKS CLOSELY WITH THE REGIONAL OFFICES, SCHOOL PRINCIPALS TO LOCATE THESE SITES OR PROGRAMS. WE HAVE INCREASED THEM THIS THE
LAST FOUR YEARS GOING FROM 2023 TO 141 PRE-K UNITS UP TO 168 FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. I THINK WE'VE GOT SOME INFORMATION THE TEAM SHARED AND
IT WILL GIVE YOU INFORMATION ABOUT THE CURRENT STATE AND HOW WE COLLECT THE SITES TO TRY TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR FAMILIES, THEY'RE CLUSTERED SOME EXTENT. THERE IS SOME TRAVEL INVOLVED FOR SOME FAMILIES AND THAT MAY VARY ACROSS THE COUNTY.
>> Chair Brill: THANK YOU. >> AND THANK YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT I WAS IS GOING TO SAY. I LOVE CHILD FIND AND I KNOW THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB BUT WE DO NEED TO SEE THE DATA FROM ALL ACROSS THE DISTRICT TO SEE HOW WELL WE ARE DOING BUT I DID WANT TO SPEAK ON ANOTHER ISSUE, A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE IF THERE IS NO OTHER DISCUSSION ON
THIS ONE. >> Chair Brill: WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU AFTER IF YOU DON'T MIND. THAT BRINGS US TO Ms. WHITFIELD. >> THANK YOU. I JUST WANTED TO THANK MR. FERGUSON FOR BRINGING THIS UP. AND JUST ADD TO Mr. BURKE, IF WE COULD ALSO UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DEMAND
FOR ESE VERSUS TRADITIONAL SCHOOLING. I THOUGH THAT WE AS A DISTRICT, MY IMPRESSION IS THAT WE DO THE LION'S SHARE OF ESE, BPK SERVICES AND VERY CURIOUS TO WORK WITH ELC A LITTLE BIT TO SEE IF WE ARE HAVING A DEMAND
THAT IS NOT BEING MET BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY ARE MEETING THE DEMAND WITHIN THE COMMUNITY BUT IF THERE ISN'T, I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE TO KNOW THAT AS WELL SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THIS UP. >> Chair Brill: BEFORE I GO TO Mr. LANE, I'M RECALLING THAT AS YOU KNOW, I SERVE ON CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL AND
WE HAVE REQUESTED-- I REQUESTED A WORKSHOP. I'LL LET THE BOARD KNOW WHEN THAT DATE IS. BUT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE CHILD FIND COME IN AS WELL AS I BELIEVE THE EARLY LEARNING COALITION SPECIFICALLY TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES OF SERVING OUR SPECIAL NEEDS STUDENTS, THE
YOUNGER ONES, SO OBVIOUSLY IT'S A SUNSHINE MEETING ANYWAY AND YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO BE IN THE AUDIENCE AND HEAR WHAT IS GOING ON AND I CAN REPORT BACK. Mr. LANE. >> Matthew Lane: SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER FERGUSON, IS THIS AN ISSUE YOU WOULD LIKE US TO HOLD
A WORKSHOP ON. >> Edward Ferguson: YES. I THINK THAT AFTER WE ARE IN RECEIPT OF SAID INFORMATION WE ALL SHOULD LOOK AT IT COLLECTIVELY BECAUSE WHAT I DID
DO TODAY, BECAUSE I ANTICIPATED IT BEING SAID IS THAT IF I WERE TO JUST PRESENT THIS INFORMATION TO YOU TODAY SOME MAY DIGEST THIS AND SOME MAY NOT. ONCE WE HAVE A CHANCE TO FULLY DIGEST WHAT SUPERINTENDENT BURKE AND STAFF WILL PROVIDE US, I
LIKE US TO CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION IN A MORE SUBSTANTIVE LEVEL AT A WORKSHOP. >> Matthew Lane: AT SOME POINT DOWN THE ROAD YOU WANT SOMEBODY TO MAKE A MOTION TO HOLD A WORKSHOP ON THIS ISSUE? >> I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY WE ARE HAVING A WORKSHOP.
>> CHILDREN SERVICES COUNCIL. I REQUESTED ONE AS THE BOARD REPRESENTATIVE AT CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL. WE ARE HAVING CHILD FIND COME IN >> I HEARD THAT. I DON'T NECESSARILY OBJECT IT TO BUT IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE A MAJORITY OF THE BOARD TO HAVE A WORKSHOP
BECAUSE THERE WAS AN INSTANCE WHERE I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT SOMETHING AND I ALREADY KNEW THAT THERE NEEDED TO BE THREE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO AGREED TO IT. THIS IS WITH ME SERVING ON ANOTHER BOARD. I REQUEST THE THAT CHILDREN--
IT'S NOT A MEETING WE ARE HAVING HERE. IT'S A MEETING AT CHILDREN'S SERVICE IS COUNCIL BECAUSE AS OUR BOARD REPRESENTATIVE YOU CAN BE INVITED BUT THE QUESTION I WOULD HAVE FOR THE
SUPERINTENDENT IS THERE A WAIT LIST FOR PRE-K FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES? I KNOW THAT STUDENTS THAT GO INTO THE INCLUSION MODEL, THERE IS, BUT THERE IS A WAIT LIST FOR ALL OF THEM WHETHER YOU ARE AN ESE STUDENT OR YOU ARE A REGULAR EDUCATION PRE-K STUDENT. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW
SPECIFICALLY FOR THOSE THAT ARE GOING INTO AN ESC PRE-K CLASS IS THERE A WAITING LIST BECAUSE WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION EARLY. >> VENGS REALLY IS KEY: MR. FERGUSON, YOU ARE UP NEXT. >> Edward Ferguson: BOARD
MEMBER LANE, YES, I WOULD LIKE TO US KIND OF SPEAK UP AS TO WHETHER THE MAJORITY HAVE AN INTERESTED IN A WORKSHOP AND IF WE DO, OF COURSE MADAM CHAIR AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WILL GET IT SET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
DO WE NEED A MOTION. >> Chair Brill: NODDING HEADINGS ENOUGH. >> Edward Ferguson: I SUPPORT THAT. >> Chair Brill: YOU HAVE ENOUGH NODS. AGAIN OUT OF RESPECT FOR PRIOR INSTANCES WHERE I HAVE WANTED TO
HAVE A DISCUSSION AND HAVE HAD INFORMATION THAT YOU ALL HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO DIGEST IT BEFORE I LAURENED INTO MY DISCUSSION, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW ABOUT A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS WHOSE SCHOOL
IS PALMETTO. WHAT IS THE GENERAL DEMOGRAPHIC OF THAT SCHOOL? AFFLUENT, INDIGENT, EVEN MIX? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY. >> Virginia Savietto: ACTUALLY PALMETTO IS WHERE I GREW UP. 3445 ZIP CODE, PARKER LAKE,
BETWEEN FOREST HILL AND SOUTHERN BOULEVARD SO PROBABLY 90% HISPANIC. >> Edward Ferguson: AS FAR AS ECONOMIC STATUS, WOULD YOU SAY THEY'RE WEALTHY? >> >> Virginia Savietto: NO, VERY WORKING CLASS, MIDDLE CLASS AND OTHER ISSUES WITH OUR VPKs.
>> Edward Ferguson: WHAT ABOUT STAR LIGHT COVE. WHOSE SCHOOL IS STAR LIGHT COVES HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE THE AVERAGE DEMOGRAPHIC THERE? >> VERY POOR. >> Edward Ferguson: I'M JUST REPRESENTING THIS TO YOU ALL. I KNOW YOU SHOULD LOOK AT IT FOR YOURSELVES. MY UNDERSTANDING THOSE TWO
SCHOOLS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE UNITS AT THEIR SCHOOLS THAT ARE BEING UNDER UTILIZEDS MAYBE THE FAMILIES DON'T KNOW IT'S THERE I CAN'T MANNING THEY HAVE PROPORTION TO OTHER AREAS OF THE COUNTY FEWER STUDENTS WHO ARE
SPECIAL NEEDS, BUT IN DELRAY SOUTHEAST DELRAY AND DEFINITELY IN THE HEART OF RIVIERA BEACH AND WEST PALM BEACH THAT FALLS INTO WHAT DISTRICT 7, I KNOW WE ARE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS IN TERMS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN NEED OF THOSE SERVICES WHO CAN'T GET TO THOSE SERVICES AND THAT
REALLY PAINS ME SO I FEEL LIKE AGAIN, THANK YOU ALL FOR ENGAGING IN THE CONVERSATION TODAY AND I KNOW WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A MUCH MORE SUBSTANTIVE AND ROBUST CONVERSATION LATER BUT AGAIN I'M JUST CONCERNED ABOUT THE CHILDREN THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION
FROM PEOPLE INSIDE OF MY DISTRICT I REALLY WANT TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION WITH YOU ALL. >> >> Chair Brill: WE'LL HAVE A WORKSHOP AND GET THE DATA FOR IT AND I WILL GET THE DATA ON THE
CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL WORKSHOP. LET PEOPLE KNOW BUT I CAN ALSO LET YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES. I KNOW THAT Mr. Mr. CORMACK WILL BE PRESENTING THERE. THERE IS A NEED, THERE IS A GAP AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT
SOCIOECONOMICS DON'T ENTER THE PICTURE WHEN IT COMES TO A PRE-K PROGRAM BECAUSE THE KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS GET KICKED OUT OF THE PRIVATE PROGRAMS ALL THE TIME. AND IT DOES COME INTO PLAY WHEN IT COMES TO PRIVATE SERVICES AS YOU SAID, HAVING THE ABILITY TO GO AND PAY FOR SPEECH THERAPY
AND PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, BEHAVIOR ABA AND PAYING FOR OCCUPATIONAL AND PAYING FOR PHYSICAL THERAPY, YOU KNOW, MOST FAMILIES DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE CHILDREN ARE AT THAT AGE. I CAN TELL YOU IT'S EXTREMELY COSTLY AND THOSE FAMILIES, MANY
OF THEM ARE WORKING MULTIPLE JOBS JUST TO GET THROUGH THEIR LIVES. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR BRINGING THAT UP. SO THAT'S GOING TO BRING US TO THE END OF OUR AGENDA AND I WILL TAKE A MOTION-- I'M SORRY. VICE CHAIR ANDREWS. >> Marcia Andrews: THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR THROUGH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE GENERAL
COUNSEL, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK THE COUNSELORS FOR BEING HERE TODAY. WE ALL ATTENDED THE BREAKFAST. WE HEAR YOU AND I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU KNOW THAT WE HEAR YOU AND WE UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT YOU HAVE WITH OUR CHILDREN AND I WANT TO
SAY THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ME AS WELL AS WITH THE REST OF THE BOARD MEMBERS AS WELL AS WE HAVE ALL BEEN WORKING WITH Mr. LONGHOFER, BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY TONIGHT THAT JOB DESCRIPTIONS IS ONE OF THE MAIN FUNCTIONS OF THE SCHOOL BOARD. THE SUPERINTENDENT BRINGS
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HIRING PEOPLE TO US BUT JOB DESCRIPTIONS REST RIGHT HERE WITH US, SO I'M ASKING, THROUGH ALL OF YOU TONIGHT, IF WE CAN ACTUALLY PUT IT ON OUR NEXT AGENDA AS A DISCUSSION ITEM TO LOOK AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION
BEFORE WE GET BACK HERE AGAIN, DISCUSS IT TOGETHER AND WORK WITH THE SEPTEMBER SO THAT-- WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT SO WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SUPERINTENDENT TO KIND OF LOOK INTO THIS ISSUE. AND I WOULD LIKE THE SUPERINTENDENT TO RESPOND ON ON THAT BECAUSE I THINK WE THOUGH
THAT YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE REASON AND TRYING TO GET IT DONE BUT IT'S OUR JOB TO KNOW THE JOB DESCRIPTION WHEN IT WAS APPROVED, IT MAY HAVE BEEN WE WERE HERE, SOME OF US WERE HERE AND SOME OF US WERE NOT HERE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE JOB
DESCRIPTION AGAIN AND HAVE A DISCUSSION AT THE NEXT MEETING AS WELL AS COME BACK WITH RECOMMENDATIONS. THAT'S MY-- TO HAVE A >> Mike Burke: AND WILL REVIEW
THE MATERIALS AND I'VE REACHED OUT TO THE SETTLINGS TO HAVE A MEETING. I WANT TO SIT DOWN WITH THEM AND HEAR YOU FACE-TO-FACE AND WE'LL TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE CAN DO TO MITIGATE THE CONCERNS. >> I LOVE THAT, Mr. BURKE THANK YOU.
BUT I STILL THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE JOB DESCRIPTION OURSELVES IF IT'S MEDIATED AND WE DON'T HAVE TO DO ANYTHING THAT IS FINE. BUT I WANT TO PUT IT ON AS A DISCUSSION ITEM IF IT HAS NOT BEEN CLEARED UP.
>> Edwin Ferguson: I HAVE A QUESTION. COUNSEL IF THE MEDIATION ENDS AT AN IMPASSE IS THERE A CHANCE THEY WOULD HAVE TO COME BEFORE US SIMILAR TO PBA WHERE WE SIT IN A QUASI JUDICIAL CAPACITY AND HAVE TO WEIGH-IN ON THIS. >> NO, NOT AT ALL.
THE MEDIATION IS NOT BEFORE AN ALJ OR ANYTHING IT IS NOT UNDER THE 120. >> Edwin Ferguson: OKAY THANK YOU. >> Karen Brill: I KNOW THE SUPERINTENDENT IS WORKING ON IT. WE HAVE ALL BEEN SPEAKING TO HIM ABOUT IT. I REMEMBER IN 2016 THE
COUNSELORS CAME TO US FOR THE JOB DESCRIPTION. SOMETIMES THINGS NEED TO CHANGE. I DON'T KNOW WHEN OUR NEXT MEETING IS. Mr. SUPERINTENDENT, IS IT FEASIBLE FOR YOU TO BRING IT BACK AT THE NEXT ONE? >> NO. I DON'T RECOMMEND THAT I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED TO MEET APRIL 3
THIS IS NOT A FORMAL MEDIATION I WAS GOING TO SIT DOWN WITH THE ASSOCIATION LIKE I'VE DONE WITH OUR MEDIA SPECIALISTS TO HEAR THEM OUT. WE WILL BE BARGAINING WITH CTA IT CAN BE BROUGHT TO THE BARGAINING TABLE. I WAS TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION AND TRY TO MAKE A
GOOD DECISION BECAUSE I HAVE TO PROTECT THE MANAGEMENT RIGHTS OF OUR PRINCIPALS AND WE HAVE STUDENTS TO SERVE AND WE HAVE TO HAVE EVERYONE AVAILABLE TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. >> >> Karen Brill: VICE-CHAIR ANDREWS. >> Marcia Andrews: MY LAST
THOUGHT IS TO MAKE SURE ALL OF US GET THAT COPY OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION SO WHEN WE ARE INTERFACING WITH OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND OUR UNION. BECAUSE WE ARE ALL ONE HERE. SO WE ALL NEED TO BE TALKING THE SAME TALK. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR GUIDANCE
COUNSELORS THEY ARE JUST AS IMPORTANT AS OUR TEACHERS AND COVID AND ALL KINDS OF ISSUES WE BETTER MAKE SURE WE HAVE IT RIGHT. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE READY TO HAVE OUR SAY SO, TOO, AS WE TRY TO WORK TOGETHER FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COUNSELORS.
>> Mike Burke: I CAN PROVIDE A COPY OF THE JOB DESCRIPTION WE WILL GET THAT OUT TOMORROW MORNING. >> Karen Brill: I WILL TAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN. ANY DISCUSSION? NO DISCUSSION. ALL IN FAVOR OPPOSED