Mhm. >> meeting to order. Uh, we have but one agenda item tonight, which is to interview Dr. Henry Turner for the position of superintendent of school of schools. Um, let me make a brief sort of comment about how tonight's going to work and then we
will jump right in. Um, there are really only three things the school committee is responsible for: hiring and supervising the superintendent, stewardship of the school budget, and setting goals and policies for the district. Tonight is about the first responsibility and I would argue the most important one. Identifying the next leader of the
Republic of the Reading Public Schools is the single most important decision a committee can make and it's a responsibility that I know this committee takes very seriously. Um, I do want to acknowledge we didn't expect ourselves to find ourselves in the position that we're in where only one of our finalists has remained in consideration. But to be clear about two things now
that we are in our position. Um, first we're not obligated to appoint a superintendent this week. Whether we had one candidate or four, if this committee doesn't see the person we want leading the district, we do have other options for moving forward that we could consider when we next meet on Saturday. Second, Dr. Turner, who is here tonight,
was part of a slate unanimously recommended recommended for consideration by our screening committee, which included a cross-section of school committee members, staff, parents, and municipal leaders and others. He's here for a reason and regardless of the decisions other candidates have made, we're going to interview him, consider the many data points that we will have by the end of
this week, and determine whether Dr. Turner is the right leader for the district moving forward. He certainly didn't come into this process expecting to be the single remaining candidate with the dynamic that that presents and I thank him publicly for for sticking with us despite this curveball. Um, so for a little bit about the actual
interview process itself, we will not have public comment tonight. But if you're here in the audience or you're watching at home and you have a perspective you'd like to share with the committee, please do reach out to us. If I'm being honest, by the time we come to the meeting on Saturday, most of us will likely have a decision or at least
a strong lean. So I'd recommend reaching out over the next day or two if you have a perspective you want to share here. Um, the easiest way to reach us all at the same time is by email, which is schoolcommittee@reading.k12.ma.us. Once I turn over the mic to Dr. Turner to begin his opening statement, we'll run for about an hour and 15 minutes,
although we'll probably run a little bit long to account for the time that you're going to all hear us reading the questions. Um, after his opening statement, we'll ask a total of 13 questions. The first six Dr. Turner has not seen. After the first six, I will read aloud a multi-layered scenario-based question,
the text of which I provided to him this morning. After that, we'll have six more questions. Depending on how we're doing on time, we may give the committee the opportunity for a follow-up question or two. I'll then ask Dr. Turner to offer any closing comments and then we will adjourn. There will be no deliberation or vote by the committee this evening.
That will take place on Saturday morning at 9:00 a.m. in another public meeting here at the library. So, that is the plan for this evening and with that, Dr. Turner, I'll hand it to you for your opening comments. Well, thank you so much for having me and um, it's great to see everyone here
in the audience. Um, my name is Henry Turner. I currently am the principal of Newton North High School. I know that you probably have through the community forums or other staff forums may have heard my story, but I
think it's important in this session to give you a little bit of a little information about me. Um, the high school that I currently work at, we are 2,100 students. We have about 400 staff who work in the building. To put into context, I have about 100 staff in
special education alone with three administrators. So we are a large, complex, comprehensive high school. Um, and I love my job. I've been there for 10 years. It energizes me every day. I was there this morning and on Main Street, which is our main
thoroughfare, beginning of the school day, welcoming students and um, being really appreciative for having the role that I have in a great community. Um, having been there for 10 years, I'm really proud of our work. We've been able to
help grow a school that has for a long time centered itself on the support of all students and proud of its diversity and layered that to to really become a school that has seen a lot of success for students both
in terms of how we support students regardless of what their vision for their future is, but also to empower those students. Um, and finally I'd say we are really proud in terms of that our our ability to really meet the needs of the different
needs of our students. Certainly was necessary after COVID as I'm sure you all experienced here in Reading and also most recently after an educator strike that we had just a few years ago that where students missed school and required a lot of repair
and support for our community. Um, with that, having been there for 10 years, I am I am really happy to have my school and think it's good healthy for the organization for myself professionally to see if there are other opportunities.
I have done that and there's nothing that's been interesting to me until this posting came up. I grew up in Melrose, Massachusetts. I played a lot of sports against Reading. We almost beat Reading on their streak
and track. We lost by eight points. I remember that day very well and I have a lot of I always saw Reading and I know that Melrose we saw Reading as an aspirational town and a town where many people were
looking to move to. Um, and I also as I went through this process have gotten some text messages from some high school friends who have moved to Reading and so this community feels very familiar to me and as I've learned about what the work you're doing in Reading,
it really interests me in terms of seeing this if this is the right fit. And the more that I've gotten to know people, the more that I have gotten to learn about the work that you're doing, this feels like a really good fit for me. I have replaced very successful leaders
from when I was a dean at Newton South High School to principal at Bedford High School to principal at Newton North High School. That is not what they tell you at leadership schools to replace someone who's been successful and um, I feel like I have both developed sort of strategies to be able to survive
that challenge and also to be successful. And it's clear you've had a very successful successful superintendent. And it's clear that that has feels like a loss to you and and I understand it. My job if appointed for
this role is to help this community continue on on the great path that it's going. You're doing really good work. You have really strong teams. I've been really impressed by the administrative team and the central staff and again having been able to go to
Coolidge and Birch this morning or this afternoon, really impressed by the quality of education that's going on. I'll speak more about how I see that working, but I want to make sure that you have a chance in this public setting
to get to know me and I look forward to your questions. Great. Tom, take it away. Thank you, sir. Dr. Henry, thank you. Or Dr. Turner, thank you. Yes, Dr. Henry Turner. Um, So [clears throat] my question is rather straightforward, rather simple.
You have actually answered it for me already in the other forum, but so everybody else hears it. What appeals to you specifically about coming to work for Reading Public Schools? What are some areas where you see a need for change or that you would like to build upon?
Further, how do you see your particular skill sets working effectively for us and why do you feel your skills match our needs at this moment in time? So I have um, um, been very impressed with your very straightforward mission as a school
community. That you are very passionate about um, uh, students, the success for students um, in academic excellence for students. You also have identified that um, various ways of supporting students,
equity, Um, strategies to support students in their unique ways is the way to for students to be successful. You are a community that um is valuing inclusion. Um, that you want students to be educated in the Reading Public Schools.
You want to um to uh you want to double down on your um your value of diversity. Um, my experience is is has been that as well. And that's where your your values
align with my values. I have only worked in communities and I've only gone to school in communities uh that have the METCO program. Um, and uh as uh person who grew up in Melrose, we were one of the few black families in Melrose. Um, I could I could
name the other two families that lived um in in Melrose. And so um I valued the METCO program as a student. Um, and I I recognize how uh the value that the those students had despite um the challenges of transportation and and
being disconnected from um the community uh geographically. Um, that is I also am a uh uh have a sibling who is a was a person with a disability, whose um uh whose confidence level was not at the
same level as her ability. And I saw that the challenges that she had um and the ways in which we were as a family um disappointed in terms of how um she was supported. And these are the reasons why I came into education. Um, I knew in
10th grade, inspired by my history teacher, to become a teacher. Um, and um I have uh as I said, only worked in suburban schools outside of Boston except for 1 year in Western Massachusetts cuz I was in love with my now wife. Um, and um
um I value uh the way in which we support students. Uh my skill set. Um, I uh have been uh now a principal in two um schools. Uh one that is about 800 students and one is a 2,100 students.
Um, and what I've learned over that time um is how to um create structures and systems through a very slow and deliberate process um to be a school where you see um success gains for students. Uh when I arrived at
uh Newton North, uh we had um students who were on IEPs and students um of color who were um disproportionately in our lower-level classes. Um, students were uh reporting
that they felt disconnected from the school. Uh now, through a series of work that we've done through some initiatives, through some different instructional strategies, I would say that instruction is my passion. I still see myself as a teacher and I still um I have up until a
few years taught at the university level around uh curriculum and instruction. Um, we have now see more students of color, more students with disabilities in our AP and honors classes. Um, and um we have seen uh a a greater range of placements for
uh post-secondary for students as well. Um, I think some of those experiences will help me to be informed um as a school leader. I also work in a very public, highly complex uh school that um with any sniffle we get in the Boston Globe. Um, so I've been able to work um
through very public challenges um and um in complex systems in a diverse uh community to to to problem-solve, to make this complex uh place uh better. I think that that experience uh will help me here as well.
Great. Thank you, Dr. Turner. >> Thank you. >> I have the second question. We are facing an operational override within the next few years and will likely have some difficult budget years ahead. How do you approach budgeting? And when the budget doesn't meet um
support level services, how do you determine what must be sacrificed? Thank you. You're welcome. >> Um, so I learned uh over the course of last week through um my site visit that uh that really that the budget um uh uh financial uh challenges over the next
couple years are really your greatest sense of of of stress um as a as a community. Um, my response then, which I as I've thought more about it, is the same response I have now, which is that um I learned just a few weeks ago um that I needed to cut a half cut a half
million dollars um within a couple of days for my um school and uh we are dealing with a um uh uh hiring freeze and a supply freeze. Um, and so um I do think that having knowledge of um over, you know, over a
period of time to know that we can backwards plan to figure out what is the best way as a community uh to it to address it um is uh is healthy. Um, and it's clearly real. Um,
I have also over the last 10 years, I feel very proud of our results as a school, but I have um I we have faced that with um more years of cuts than years of um of growth. So um I am very I feel very prepared in
terms of thinking creatively around how to um continue to grow a school community while also um having fiscal uh realities. Um, what I would say is that my um
my process uh here would be uh to prioritize this as the number one issue um as as uh upon hiring. Um, I also know we have a building project going on as well, which is also important. I would say those are are two important um systems level um issues to
to to um to learn about and um to work with with you and the community on um uh on developing a long-term plan. I see three parts of the job of the superintendency. One is an academic component um which where you work with
the team on um as we think about what does it what does an excellent education look like for for our students. Second one is a management, you know, from buildings to human resources, thinking about how we support um all those components. And the third one um is around um
community [clears throat] com- com- communication. And I think that that piece is one as superintendent is where I um you know, where often I am uh the person doing that um alone um while there are other roles that certainly have a component to that, but
that's really an important part of the superintendency. Um, I think that if we are um you know, one of the things that we need to do in in communities um is to help build trust, particularly with those who don't have children in the s- in the system. Um, and help them to
understand the great work that's happening, the investment that they are making um in the community, and to see if to show them the results that are happening with their their investment. Uh budgets are value are our community values. Um, and I also think contracts
are community values. And so as we think about um those cuz I also know that you're going through uh negotiations soon, is for us to think about what are uh the ways in which we continue to grow as a community while also um um demonstrating fiscal responsibility.
Thank you. All right. Uh I have the next question for you. Um Please describe your approach to responding to national events and the variety of political viewpoints present in any town. As superintendent in Reading, how would you handle issues
that come up on the national stage? How would you provide direction to principals and staff as well as communicate to families? So I would say that in my current role um with an uh with an international community, that my role has been to respond to national and international um
events um and understand the different ways that it impacts our community. Um, and the variety of viewpoints that occur. Um, and I would say that uh to recognize that uh while sometimes
uh they can feel distant from our community, they are can be very personal to members of our community. Uh and the last thing I would say to to the beginning to the to your question is I also think that um sometimes our community members who feel alone after
national personal events, it's more important for us to support them so that they feel part of our our community. Um, my role as superintendent and what's been my role as as principal um is uh to recognize that we are a community space
and to make sure that people feel supported. So whether that is through counseling support, whether it's through uh education with our teachers, um or whether it's through through listening. Um,
we also uh know that our students have uh opinions as well, which is important. Um, and they have the right to share their political viewpoints. That's something that's our responsibility to support. Um, and all that creates a multifaceted
complex environment, which is for those of us who chose education one of the things that we are we love about kids and working with families. Um, and so there are times in which um it's been important for me to communicate in terms of what we are doing as a
community to support our students, to be very clear that we have uh spaces for students and staff and families sometimes to um uh to uh uh to to be able to be together. I
remember after um uh attack in the attacks in Israel um that I had a um parent coffee uh um on October 12th and the entire
room was full of Israeli families. Um and they wanted to be together. They wanted to be able to uh hear what I was doing to support their students. Um and they wanted to know that their kids are were were emotionally safe.
Um that is an important part of my role as as a school leader and as a district leader. Um it's also to be able to hear the different viewpoints. And you know, that situation is a good example where uh there were other communities that felt
impacted as well and perhaps a different viewpoints. And I needed to hear their viewpoints and also recognize um that um that my job was not to solve their differences but to be able to provide support and make sure their students were were supported.
Um in terms of political viewpoints around national events is that I think that that's what makes um our work in education exciting. Uh I feel strongly that our job is to to is to uh develop citizens among our
students. And so I think teaching them the the um to understand and to respect differences of opinion uh is a great educational experience and um I think that we've been very successful at that. And finally, I'll just say I think structures are a way that in which you can do that. We
created an advisory program uh which has uh is built into our schedule which allows for um uh students and teachers to be able to discuss events when they happen, to hear how it impacts their community members. I think that's made us stronger as a
school. Thank you. All right, this next question has two parts. Okay. Um so if you need me to repeat anything uh but it's got to be two parts of the same question. So, can you tell us about a time that you have built during your career or I'm sorry, a team that you have built during your career including why you chose the
people on your team and how you built a culture together. And the converse, can you tell us about a time when you joined an existing team, how you came to understand the team members, assess the effectiveness of the team and carved out a role either supporting or improving the team's performance? Sure.
>> [clears throat] >> I would say that um to your first part of your question around a team that I built um so in Newton um we have two high schools. Uh they have uh uh distinct cultures in which they are
very proud of. Um and it sounds like that may sound a little familiar in Reading. Uh with your with your middle schools. And over time we have felt uh is very important to to identify where do we want to be aligned
and where it's important for kids. Um and uh over that time Newton had spent about five years on um investigating um late start for high school students. And so we were moving
our schedule from 7:45 start time to 9:00 a.m. which um was already unpopular. Um cuz everyone loves the slate start, everyone hates the late end. Um and but we also saw it as an opportunity to look at our our schedule
which my predecessor referred to as the third rail of Newton. Um and so uh we saw that there were reasons particularly cuz we're a career we're a comprehensive high school. So um students uh so for example, you know,
students who go to Northeast Tech, we have our students stay in Newton. Um in my school's chapter 74 school. Um in Newton South students are allowed to come to um uh Newton North to take class to take classes and so there's a scheduling challenge that that creates.
And so we built a team um to chat tackle this really tough topic with uh a very um passionate community um to create a a schedule that um we knew that previously and for the 160 years of my school, there's never been a
schedule that's been values based. And so we built a schedule um that is um both focused on academic excellence social emotional learning for students and recognizing the diverse paths in which students um go through our building to and to make sure that we
have a schedule that's built for them. Um so one of that was aligning the schedules at both at both schools um and having uh you know, I have about 300 uh um uh faculty members. Newton South has about 250. Making sure that we are
meeting the different needs of those staff. And so we built a and our schools, you know, while have aligned in some areas, we've never had a cross district uh team. And so that was the team that we built. It was about um uh 20 uh educators,
uh uh union representatives, district administrators um and we spent three years um uh developing values, investigating and then proposing uh a schedule and then
implementing it um the year after COVID. Um and so it was both a leadership challenge but also um >> [clears throat] >> you know, because we spent so much time together, uh we really felt saw that our schools had come closer together because we had built the built this team. Um and
so I know we were purposeful in terms of representation and also um ensuring that we had uh we had uh voices where there could be conflict and we could work through those conflicts. Uh in terms of the team I joined, um so
I have as principal, I've now joined two administrative teams, one at Bedford and one at Newton North um for two different reasons. They were um in flux when I arrived um and um I one of the things that I'm most proud about of my leadership is to be
able to uh um develop really high functioning teams from those two teams. Uh at Newton North, they're very siloed. They were focused on more on their departments than they were on school wide school wide principles. Um it took about
a year and a half uh but since that time we have been um uh working on we have worked on sort of how to make decisions that are school based not just uh individually based. Um I think your question is like how did I enter that team? Um that team uh you
know, came to me with already um a set of norms and agreements, already a culture um and so that's why it took a year and a half uh for me to learn, uh for me to listen, to me see the strengths of those individuals, to recognize that
um their vulnerabilities aren't weaknesses and that I'm not going to play gotcha uh when they make mistakes. So that trust building is really important so that um I can work with them to make shifts in their practice. Um and so there are some monumental moments and I believe you met with a
number of them um during your site visit he to uh to Newton North and um uh and hopefully what you saw was a team that is really passionate about each other and recognizes the strength when we are making decisions together. Uh one of our best cultural components uh is in
our budgeting process is that our last round of advocacy, you cannot advocate for your own department. You have to advocate for someone else. Um and that has uh really moved the needle in us thinking creatively in terms of what are our high priority priority needs. So can I ask a quick follow up? Yep,
please. Uh Dr. Turner, sorry. I just want to be on your first example were were you leading that team of 20 by yourself? Were there other people involved co-leading? How did it How did it start like? >> Yep. So uh there's so the three people who initiated the meeting was my
the team was myself, uh an assistant superintendent from the district and the Newton South principal. Uh we designated uh co-chairs from each school or people that we supervised and then um we worked um as a as a smaller um
uh team to build out that um that entire team. Yeah. Got you. Thank you. You're welcome. Laura. Yep. Hi, welcome. Uh the next question I have is are you satisfied with your current school's performance? Why or why not? Looking back, is there something you've
championed in your current role that you feel strongly about replicating in your next role or anything you anticipate doing differently? Please explain. The first part was my What am I am I Are you satisfied with your current uh school's performance? Why or why not?
>> [snorts] >> Am I satisfied? Um I don't know if I will ever be satisfied but I'm very proud. Um we one of the data marks points that we uh measure is uh students uh getting into one of their top three um colleges.
Uh when I arrived, was around 76%. It's now at 84%. Um we believe that that is uh due to a lot of instructional changes that we made, um a lot of um messaging around uh who our students are are
uh in creative thinking. We are we have developed a uh seal program for students that's very unique uh that students can demonstrate their passion. Um and we know about 200 um seniors every year who get a a seal on their transcript. Um it was modeled after the
seal of biliteracy, which I know that you um you have. We actually learned that uh um we have about 10% of all the seal of biliteracy seals in the state of Massachusetts. So, it's something we've really have leaned leaned into. Um and so, I'll say that I'm proud is
that that's a data point where I'm very proud. I'm proud of seeing that um I think I said earlier of the the representation of students and where they are going. Um and that uh what I love about that data point is that the student who is looking for an Ivy League education, um
they're re- reporting. The student um who is uh first-gen student to college, um and we have a a great first-gen program. That's something that um I would as I think about it would would consider um seeing if it's possible to replicate. But, how we um have that
student who is, you know, does not have a lot of knowledge about the college process, they're reporting. The student who's who's applying to state schools or community colleges, they're reporting. Wherever their passion was or uh post-secondary for career. Um
so, I say that I'm proud. I'm not sure if I'm ever satisfied. One is that I am It's just full disclosure, I'm a very competitive person. Um I do like uh continued progress. Um and um I think as an educator, when we are in the weeds, we're constantly looking for
how to uh self-improve. What uh I will say if there's anything that I think is great coming out of this process is that it's given me opportunity to reflect on all the achievements we've made as a school. So, thank you for that. Um and um you know, there is still a lot of work to do. We still have social issues going
on in our school. We still have uh disparities happen in our school. We have a major mental health crisis. We have um chronic absenteeism, which um still remains high despite um uh bringing it down a little bit. There's still work to do. Um
that um I think as I share the if I were to go back to North next year, I I uh those would be the challenges to work on. Um I I brought up the first-gen program um is that it's it's it really is built on creative thinking, but it's something
we've shared with other school communities. And um uh and uh they have been able to figure out how it works within their communities. And so, it's um a way that families have given back after their students have graduated. So, they um mentor um one of
our students who's it's their uh their their you know, their families did not their families did not go to college in the United States. Um so, a family or a parent or family member um volunteers their time, meets with the student monthly, um goes through college application
process with them from second half of their junior year all the way through graduation. Um and uh it we're now in our 12th year of the program and we've had a we have 100% of students going to college. Um and so, we think it's a great it's a great model. Um so, whether it's something that's
exactly like that as a replica or something that is um uh or mirrors it, you know, I would say first first-gen is something that's really important to me. Uh as we think about how do we support students um and uh and pathways to their
to their future. Cuz I also believe that um part of our job as educators to help students to um uh to see the path. Um you know, I think about sort of like students I've had whose parents were doctors, they know the process to be a doctor. And students who are not whose parents are not, it's
it feels further further away. Um And what would I do differently? Um well, you know, I would say that uh I spoke um I've been speaking about moving slowly
to move fast. Um and there are two sort of caveats to that story. One is that in uh week two of my role at Newton North is that we had a crisis. We had a group of students who were driving around waving the Confederate flag, uh caught on
videotape, it went public, um and um it went viral. Uh and and uh my response is that it felt like we were in crisis mode based on how students were feeling. Um and that incident informed at least the next four years of my principalship.
And so, um you know, while that my goal was to move slowly, we weren't able to in some ways. Um I've learned from that in terms of how do like we respond quickly to support crises. So, if there were a crisis that occurred, how do I build work with teams
to a respond? Um but also how to truly demonstrate to the community that we're that we are that my job is to use my year as a as a new leader to learn um and to uh support the initiatives that that that are happening. Um and so, I think that's
definitely something I would do differently. I I also feel like my experience of the last 10 years, I've learned um ways to sort of communicate better with communities so that um people feel like feel the um you know, particularly when
they need to feel hear from a leader after an incident that they hear um you know, the level support that they need. I feel like I've been improved in that area. So, I'm not sure how I would do it differently, but it's definitely something I feel like I've significantly improved on. Great. Thank you. And the next question,
um if your current supervisor and peers were asked to identify your greatest development opportunity, what would they say and how do you know that that's how they would respond? My greatest development opportunity? >> opportunity. What would they say and how do you know that's what they would say? And you're not allowed to say you're a
perfectionist. >> [laughter] >> I definitely will not say that. >> [clears throat] >> Um I would say that um an area of growth um
is um Let me hold on for a second. I'd say my I'd say the area that they think that I would need to I would need to grow in um is um not being so hard on myself and also
having um uh and also being a better model for work-life balance. Um and that was actually a question that was asked me by some of the different groups and it's uh something that I um
um you know, it's something that uh I would say that one of my colleagues who was giving me feedback in preparation for this process um said that like I demonstrate one way of leadership, which is that I'm very accessible. Um that uh people have that
you know, uh in case of emergency, staff have my cell phone number and I'm fully willing for them to call me in case of a a case of a crisis. Um but that's not the only way to to lead. Um
so, I would say that certainly um that has an it has I have an hour commute. Hour and 15-minute commute. And I've done that for the entire life of my daughter of my daughter's life. So, I would say that um the amount of time that I put into work
is probably is not something that um is something that I think has been important, but it's also I don't necessarily know if I've been a great model uh for that. But, I am also um I would say very supportive of the different ways in which uh
my colleagues uh need to demonstrate uh need time in their personal in their personal lives. Um I just don't necessarily try to be the great best model for that. All right, we're going to move to our um scenario-based question here. So, obviously Dr. Turner, you've you've seen this uh this morning, but I want to read
it for the benefit of of uh the audience here and at home. Um a parent has taken Oh, and first, let me props to Tom for doing the heavy lifting on this and tolerating my multiple rounds of suggested edits. Um a parent has taken to social media to complain about a specific teacher at
their child's middle school. The parent is asserting that the teacher is not providing the services their child is supposed to receive and that the teacher has included misrepresentations on documentation about services provided. The parent noted that they have attempted to work with the school's principal on the issue, but didn't make progress. The parent has asked a number
of other parents for advice and help. This parent used to live in Reading, but was recently evicted from their rented house and forced to move in with a friend. That friend lives in an apartment complex on the Wilmington side of the Reading-Wilmington border, and the parent has not informed the district of this move. The teacher, a Reading resident, noticed
the post on social media and chose to engage to defend themselves. Throughout the life of the social media post, tensions increased between the original parent, the teacher, and other parents. One commenter heard through the grapevine that the original parent no longer lives in Reading. That parent suggested that the original parent, if they didn't like the education their
child was receiving in Reading, should enroll their child in Wilmington public schools since they now live in Wilmington anyway. Multiple parents took screenshots of the thread and sent them to school committee members. Some parents demanded that the principal or superintendent fire the teacher, either because of the tone in the thread or because they believed the teacher had misrepresented services
provided to the student. Other parents pressed for information on how Wilmington children could attend Reading public schools, especially during tight budget times. One school committee member shared the screenshots and commentary with the principal, while the other one shared them with you, the superintendent. So, the questions. What are the key
points of information you pull out of this scenario? How do you approach this situation? Who do you talk to about the situation and why? Are there any legal, policy, or other implications embedded in the scenario? If so, what are they? And if there's an ideal resolution, what is it and why?
>> [clears throat] >> So, I'll run quickly through the key key points as you just reviewed the the the statement scenario. So, it's clear that a parent is upset about the services that her child is supposed to receive and is accusing teacher of misrepresenting
documentation. And the parent doesn't seem to be feel feel supported by the principal or at least that it wasn't successful meeting with the principal. Parent's gone on social media accusing the teacher and the teacher has responded on social
media as well. And your point of the parent was evicted from their house in Reading living with a friend in Wilmington. Um Other parents were involved. It seems to be communicating with school committee members. School committee one
school committee member who spoke to me as superintendent directly and another who spoke to the principal and shared documentation. And um that the uh that there are parents who are questioning the residency status of the
of the other parent. So, the question of how do I approach the situation? I think that um in one in one response I said this feels like Tuesday >> [laughter] >> and also I saw some uniqueness to how you were asking it as from a Reading
perspective that may be a little bit different than how I'd approach it in a from a Newton perspective. It felt similar to maybe some experience I've had in Bedford as well. Um but I do think that through all of these different situations we're in we are in a human
business in education and with that they are our our prized human beings in our homes, our children. And so therefore it's emotional. I do think that um my role is to be thorough.
Our team's role is to be thorough and also help bring down the temperature. And I think that the more that we go through these situations thoroughly, clearly, and in a way that
supports all the people involved, we build trust and situations like this while the particular incident may not change, some of the situations you're naming around it may
may not may not occur. That's been true my experience in in Newton in some of these components. First thing I would do is I would call the assistant superintendent Jen who's here and the principal to understand what happened.
The thing that I had shared with the principals is and and with the central staff is the importance of over communication and so I think that it's quite possible they would have called me first. Um I will uh
I want to make sure that a couple things have happened. One is that um are we looking into whether services were provided for the student and whether there's accuracy in terms of the documentation for the student. Um and secondly, I would
want to make sure that there is that we are following the appropriate process for looking into the post from the teacher on social media. Um I would after speaking with the assistant superintendent and the principal to get
a understanding of of their side of what happened, I would reach out to our attorneys to share my intended plan and to see if there's any feedback there. Um I would then call the parent. And I
would listen and to understand where the feelings of harm have happened and to see how it can be rectified. I will say I'm just thinking about this as I'm speaking is that I'm a trained
restorative restorative practices as a facilitator and I have found that that training has helped a lot in terms of how helping families define solutions on how can we rectify this has been helpful. Um
In coordination with the principal and the assistant superintendent, we would begin investigations to the claims that that were made particularly as relates to the acceptable use policy for staff and whether there was discrimination or bullying towards a student with a
disability and their family. Um I would also I would also make sure that we are following the appropriate procedures for McKinney-Vento for families who are who are who are potentially who or who are
homeless. Um and make sure that we're following the appropriate ways to support that to support that family. Um to your question of like who else do I would I speak with? There's sort of a governance question around communication with the school committee members
and I would want to know more in terms of the appropriateness of a school committee member speaking to the principal. I have not worked in a in a school district where it has been appropriate for a school committee member to share information directly with a with a principal that it should
go through me and I would hope that this would be the first time as a as a school committee and superintendent that we'd be having that conversation. That would be creating those agreements proactively. Um I would want updates on the on the investigations. I would want to make
sure that the family feels supported as we as we look into it. I think there's a number your question about legal and policy implications. I think there's a number of them. First and foremost, I I did see your acceptable use policy.
It it does feel like there are questions about whether this violates the acceptable use policy for staff members. The idea of McKinney-Vento what are our procedures who are the point people for McKinney-Vento for student for students and families.
Questions around civil rights and IDEA how are we supporting students with disabilities and students who are in protected classes. Um In terms of the investigation, I would want to you know I would want to make sure that we have clear protocols for
the Weingarten process in terms of how staff have their protected rights when we are investigating a situation that potentially could lead to disciplinary action and also evaluatory. So, there's two clear procedures in terms of how we give
feedback to staff around evaluation and how we investigate under disciplinary procedures and utilize progressive discipline. Um I would also want to know what are bullying and non-discrimination protocols. When was the last time we
um updated those policies because some of them need updating but to see whether this would fall under that and what is our response there. And then as I said just in terms of the clear governance structure in terms of communication with with principals.
The question of how how do I does ideally get resolved? It gets it gets resolved by my role being able to de-escalate it to help the family feel like we we have their support we we are supporting them
and that most importantly we want to make sure that their kid is getting the services that they need. And that we have people who are working with them to help them get to that process. I would want to make sure that I I think that it's
very important that we can de-escalate situations so that the people who are on the ground are able to troubleshoot with families and so in this situation it'd be working with the principal hearing where sort of where is where is the miscommunication and or if
if if there's need for support. Um and how are we supporting the staff member in terms of addressing the public posting and also the potential bullying of a of a family and a student of being complicit
in it. Um I think there's a question about the community that's in this question and if there's a need for my role, I'm not sure if there's enough information there that I would need to have a community forum but if there's a you know if it it's something that can
that does escalate and there's a need for my role to be out in the community to listen and to respond, you know, how do we make sure that we're providing privacy also how are we assuring other community members that we take these incidents seriously and that we address
them. Um You know, I would say that one of the reasons why our union president and I have a really good relationship is that my investigation process has been very very clear. Um and
it's been very fair. And so I do see that these kinds of conversations where maybe others may avoid, for me there are opportunities to help staff to grow and we can address them early so that they don't happen again.
I went into this profession to help people to grow and I believe that in terms of staff. And I do have had a lot of experience with staff making mistakes, public mistakes, um, where the uh, intentions, um,
were, you know, different than how it things it were were impacted or landed. And so, um, I would just want to make sure that, um, I was clear and honest and fair and that we were student-centered in this situation. Um, and I just keep coming back to this idea that these are opportunities to build
trust with families. So, the more clear we are, um, the more, um, in what our process is, uh, in terms of how we address it and how we become student-centered, um, the more that we can bring down the temperature as a community when there is, uh, when there are places of mistrust. And certainly
within, um, special education, there are there are there are school communities that where there is mistrust and I don't know Reading enough to be able to say that, but it's certainly a place where it can sometimes be common. I think it's important for us to be intentional to listen to families to make sure that they feel supported.
Thank you. Tom. All right, next question. Now that you've gone through that one. Okay. Um, how do you assess the impact and effectiveness of professional development programs across the different levels of the district?
One thing that I'm really interested in in this district in this district is, um, was after my meeting with the central central team. Um, and, um, I thought that, uh, what I learned from Sarah, from Jen, um,
was, uh, a clear plan for how we support educators at at all levels and a clear expertise. Um, I would say that one of the things that I shared with them that was important to me was the importance of retreats.
Um, and how we work as a team to, um, understand what our priorities are, uh, what our strengths are and what our vision, um, as a team is year over year. Um, it was great to hear that, uh, they already have, uh, retreats. They clearly
sound like they have fun at their retreats as well. Um, and so, that was [laughter] So, that was, uh, just really really reassuring to hear. Um, and so, I would say that in my first year, it's a it's an understanding of,
um, what professional learning opportunities uh, have been provided for staff and how it connects to the initiatives that I'm working on. And so, I'd say in terms of the literacy program arc that, um, you've implemented, it's clear that there's some, um, clear reading outcomes
that are really strong and promising for the district. I think that's a something to, um, to celebrate. Um, I would love to see the internal data to see how that's working, but clearly from public records, um, of MCAS scores, that it's clear that you've got
a real strength there. I'd want to know what is the PD that was provided to support folks cuz I know that the literacy changes that are happening across, uh, the country, but certainly more locally, um, some have been rushed and are not effective and some, um, have
been thoughtfully done. Um, and so, it's clear there there's been some good thinking in terms of this program and so, I'd want to know what what were the opportunities there. Um, so that's in terms of implementation. In terms of, uh, alignment, I know at the at the, um, middle schools that you're looking at
where are the curricular review What you're doing a curriculum review, I think right in social studies right now. You're thinking about alignment. I'd want to know what is sort of what or how are we listening to staff in terms of what professional opportunity learning opportunities that they want and do they need, um, as they think about what their
aspirations are, um, and how are we getting that feedback. Um, and then I also understand that there's some structures that you have, uh, in terms of half days as a professional learning opportunity. Um, it sounds like it's different at the different levels. Um, I would want to
know how those structures are effective, um, and they're they are, um, supporting student learning. Um, uh, days like half days, um, certainly we are making a decision that adult learning on adult learning there, um,
and that there's less student learning. And so, if we are going to invest in that, I'd want to make sure that there's effective, uh, um, outcomes in terms of how it's impacting student learning, um, at those at those levels. Um, and so, I would say, you know, observation,
survey with the community, um, looking at data to understand the specific goals and impacts, um, would be areas which I would assess the professional, uh, learning. I'd also, you know, I think this is part of your strategic plan is what are the what are the data Where are the Where are the platforms in which
we're analyzing data? Um, we are using, um, open architects as sort of our large platform for understanding, um, um, student outcomes and staff, uh, um, uh, uh, outcomes. Um, it's been really helpful for us, um, to be able to look
at, um, large data samples and to be able to really see sort of like those impacts. Um, and we are also utilizing resources such as, um, uh, harder ship through Renaissance. That's allowing for us to look at something like an EduTracker that is
more student-focused that we can, um, potentially, you know, where we are looking to see how can we put data in the hands of teacher teams. Um, I would finally just say that, uh, this is not something that I would say is, uh, I think to your previous question,
what is something that I would replicate, um, because I wouldn't know whether it would work or not, but, um, teams has been some a focus at our school and, um, making sure that we have protected structural time for teams and that we're providing professional development for
teams. So, a meeting I just had today was how do we, um, what is our what are our goals for next year in terms of professional development for teams to get a better understanding what teams look like, um, because the research is very clear that teachers learn best from themselves. The number one place in a
school where adult learning happens the most is in the lunch room. Um, and so, um, I would want to make sure that, um, So, I'd want I'd want to understand here what does teacher collaboration look like, um, because that is much more productive,
um, adult learning than, um, stand and delivers. Um, I also think there's a resource question as well, uh, which is, uh, uh, where we are outsourcing professional development, what's effective, what's not effective, um, and, um, if we are investing in a
consultant or if we're investing in a program, uh, are we getting, um, the uh, we're getting the most, um, uh, bang for our buck there. I think is a an important question for us to continue to evaluate and for when I'm, you know, when and if I'm working with
you to be able to defend it if we think it's important budgetary item. I have the next question. Um, in your view, what is the biggest challenge What is the biggest challenge facing elementary schools that we collectively are not talking about enough?
That we're not talking about. I think that, um, um, well, I would answer I'm going to give you two answers here. Uh, one is that I think an area where we're not talking enough about, uh, are, um, technical skills, um,
uh, and human skills, uh, for, uh, for young for young learners. I think this is true for for older learners, but specifically for young learners cuz the, um, the AI changes, um, are going to be much different in 5 years, uh, when they are
older. And so, thinking about what are the skills that we should be leading into in terms of, uh, interpersonal skills for young for young students, which, you know, um, I believe that there are places that are are leading into it through like open circle, um, or other programs, but, um,
I think it's more critical that we're being that we're that we're assessing it and monitoring it to make sure all students are developing those skills. Um, it's interesting when you're asked a question that we're not paying attention to. My community is very focused on math and math outcomes,
um, and, um, looking at, um, how do we, uh, um, differentiate students so that they're getting their math needs, particularly students who are excelling in math or maybe taking, um, uh, courses uh, at the elementary level, taking
courses outside of their school, um, through programs like Russian School of Math. Um, so, how are we supporting those programs or supporting students around math? Um, that's coming at the expense of literacy. And what we are, uh, seeing is that, um,
you know, it's clear in terms of the data that, um, perhaps one of the biggest impacts of COVID, um, uh, is, uh, our literacy rates for for young children. Um, and I think that that is, uh, a critical area for us to, um,
to both, uh, respond to, um, and to, uh, develop skills to recognize that, uh, reading is a reading learning there is a science to it, that there are there are parts of our country that have, um, real success and gains in
terms of literacy, um, and I think we can be even better by being culturally responsive in that process as well, but that we should be looking at uh, uh, programs that work in terms of developing literacy skills. Thank you. Okay.
How do you anticipate keeping the school committee informed? In particular, what will be your strategy around communicating issues that are your responsibility, but where the school committee may have an interest or provide valuable perspective? Can you just say the the last part of
the question? What would be your strategy around communicating issues that are your responsibility, but where the school committee may have an interest or provide valuable perspective? Thank you. So, I I think the an important part and
I think that it this may be a part of your process already, but I do think that if if if I was to be your superintendent to this summer have a retreat with you
and to develop this big question of what is our team look like. I see that we are all part of it of a team and that my my job as the person that reports directly to you is to make sure that you
are informed, that you feel that you are communicated to and that you feel that that you have clear understandings of what's going on in the district. And so, I would want to understand what those agreements are in
terms of how to make sure that you are informed. One of the things that I understand that the current superintendent does is speaks individually with you and that that's been a helpful process. That's something that would be very
interested in continuing to do. And I think about the scenario that you that you that you gave me that I would want to make sure that there are ways in which you are informed about incidents that have public impact. And
I would want to know what those, you know, what are the ways as a as a team that you want to be informed about that and make sure that you have understanding. I think that that both in when I was in Bedford that's why I was saying that it it it connected to my experience in Bedford is that working in
a small community situations like this can feel like the hot topic of the community and I think it's important for me to help you to to feel the assurance that we as the educational professionals
are taking these situations seriously and responding to so that you can appropriately respond to to your to your to your neighbors. That's where it's a little bit different in Newton with Newton is so big is that
it's it's sometimes things can be localized with the within a school, but it's less so within in terms of the the overall city response. So, but I I could certainly would I would certainly be prioritized how we work together as a team so that you feel
communicated to and you have you assurance of our response in a variety of different incidents. All right, I'm up next. When our new [clears throat] superintendent starts in July, we will be entering the final year of our union contracts. How would you
propose that we use the bargaining process to promote student achievement as well as control our expenses? >> [snorts] >> My experience in Bedford was that I was part of the central team and was part of collective bargaining there.
With Newton having schools, it has not been the practice to have principals directly part of collective bargaining and up until recently the where I'd say there's questions about the superintendent's role in collective
bargaining has been different depending on the superintendent. You may be aware that Newton had a strike a few years ago. My wife who's an employment attorney believes that I'm the only person in Massachusetts who has been part of a
strike as an administrator and also as a parent cuz in Marblehead had a strike as well. I have seen in both those experiences when collective bargaining fails in the impact that it has on a community. And
I have the the scars in terms of how how to rebuild the community and also the lingering effects of that. I've been very impressed by Reading's level of seriousness and commitment to
collective bargaining and I've been very impressed in terms of how the um Reading Association representation has been a part of this process. So, that I think that is a value you've been demonstrating.
Since the strike in Newton, it's been the decision of the school committee and the superintendent that principals should be more involved because principals have um have great sense of what's going on on
the ground, great relationships with educators, a lot of trust with educators and are creative thinkers in terms of some of the challenges that are set forth in collective bargaining. And so, myself and my counterpart
at Newton South were the first two principals are asked to be a part of this round of collective bargaining. And so, I've been a part of the process for the last few months and if I continue on in Newton will be a part of the collective bargaining team
there. And it's been similar to my experience in Bedford, there certainly have been places where I've been I've been brought into collective bargaining in Newton particularly as relates to our high school schedule and time on learning. And
our evaluation process. But I'm this is my most recent experience is being part of the collective bargaining team in Newton now. Welcome. All right. Okay. Given that you may have limited direct
experience in special education, how would you ensure the district provides high quality, legally compliant and inclusive services for students with disabilities and how would you know if it's working? I just want to go back to my last question for 1 second and just cuz you
asked the question about limited resources is that is that I have also had experience I think I was mentioning of working within over the last 10 years where there've been reductions in my in my school and how to be creative within that and so, I
would just I just want to name that as a place where I think is a strength and it's been we've been able to continue to grow despite financial challenges. In terms of special education, um I was
really thrilled that I got to spend the afternoon with Jen who gave me the tour of of Coolidge and Birch and to hear her expertise, passion for kids and the work that she's done to
build programs here through from the youngest of ages to 18 plus 20 22. I was you know, there are My experience working in a smaller
district, there are challenges to supporting the diverse needs of students particularly when some of those needs there are very few students who have those needs and I have had seen experiences where those students are
um are placed out of district and are reliant on collaboratives and I was really blown away by some of the programming that Jen has Jen described
and my experience in a large district is that we've been able to keep students in district. We've been able to build out programs and so, we build out we built a language based program. We received professional development
from Landmark and we're able to next year we'll have about 14 students in the in the program. And so, my experience is been um uh
I've gone through two I've gone through many coordinator program reviews, but I've gone through two program reviews internally in which we look to see what is working, where are there inefficiencies in which
we can improve in terms of student delivery of service and also make sure that we are being mindful of the the cost that can come when we are not being mindful of what students need and
um in providing FAPE. And so, the question of what how do I know what is working? I would say that it is and and Jen mentioned it, um,
uh, today of um, utilizing reviews and sometimes doing internal reviews to really see what's behind the scenes, what is, um, where are things that, you know, we feel very that we're going really strong, and where are there areas for growth. And
that is true in special education. I've never been in a special education program that, um, has not needed some sort of improvement, all right? And I think it's thinking about what's what is working for students, what does inclusion look like, um, how do we make sure that we have a alignment what
inclusion [clears throat] looks like? Uh, that can be true when you have multiple schools within a particular level that different schools, um, if they're not talking about it can have different viewpoints, um, or understandings around a a term such as inclusion. Um, and so making
sure that we're, um, we are helping folks to understand sort of what is our district understanding of what those those terms mean. And then I would say finally what what are our outcomes and what are our goals? Um, with the coordinated, um, excuse me, with the,
uh, new competency determination, um, law, um, or regulations, um, that in some ways I've seen it set back in terms of some of the goals we've seen for students in terms of eligibility for receiving a diploma, um, and I think that it's created a new landscape and
for us to understand sort of how are we supporting all students? And so like how are we adjusting to new changes at the state level, um, there potential community graduation requirements, uh, from the from the governor, um, how are we adjusting and making sense of that
where we're making our best decisions for our students. Um, and then I would also say, you know, as a high school principal, um, and I think that this is where, um, I can be effective, um, at all grade levels, is how do we demonstrate creative thinking and never give up on kids. Um, and so I currently
I'm in it's March and so I have students who are, um, you know, who are still needing credits to graduate and, um, you know, we could easily just say, well, they haven't met sort of our road map and so therefore they're going to have to come back next
year or we can think what are ways in which we can, um, take a a another avenue to make sure the student feels gets, you know, demonstrates competency determination, demonstrates that they're they're meeting, um, that they are learning, um, and also we can get them across the stage, um, and, um, feel like
we've been successful that in many ways. You're welcome. All right, final question. Uh, can you describe an initiative you led that expanded access to high-quality learning opportunities for all students, particularly those historically underserved? How did you ensure those opportunities were accessible across
grade levels and what evidence did you use to determine whether they were truly closing gaps? So in, um, my 10 years we have looked at, um, um, >> [clears throat] >> I'm going to give two quick answers cuz I know I have 4 minutes. Um, so I will
say one is that we have looked at placement process, uh, three times in my 10 years. How are we placing students in what in what levels? Um, when I arrived, students were getting placed just purely on a grade. So if they had a B+ or above, they were
in honors. Um, what we saw in terms of our data is that, um, uh, low-income students, students of color, students with disabilities were, um, highly overrepresented in what it was our our, um, level called college prep, which is our which is our lowest level class.
Um, and, uh, we had many students, uh, with disabilities who were in C-graded courses in which they were, um, placed outside of general general education course. Um, we've taken many iterations, uh, with teachers, um, to help us to see,
um, what, um, how do we assess preparation for the next level and for for rigorous learning. Um, that's been done in multiple ways. One is how do we, um, evaluate our current assessments so that
assessments are opportunities for learning and and there can be multiple ways for students to demonstrate their their knowledge. Um, that's one. Grading. How are we making sure that we are grading for learning and not grading for behavior?
Uh, so whether it's for homework or reassessments, um, making sure that, um, the goal is for students to demonstrate knowledge, the goal is not for, um, uh, a student to just take a test and get a grade and for us and for them to forget it.
Um, that has allowed for us to really think about, um, uh, a goal which is currently our goal, which is for students to get to get experience with students who are taking classes at the honors level. Whether
they are taking something at the honors level or they're in a class where students are, um, taking, uh, an honors course. At this point we now are in the, um, we're in the 80s in terms of percentile of students who are taking at least one advanced course at Newton North. Um, we have narrowed gaps in
terms of students with disabilities, low-income students, and, uh, students of color. Um, that is something I am, uh, I am proud about. Um, I mentioned earlier in terms of connectedness, uh, there was a three-to-one uh, differential between white students and black students who felt there was an
adult in the building who cared about them uh, in 2016, um, because of our response to, uh, uh, instruction, um, our process for, um, for placement, which, um, now and from instead of just being an
automatic grade is now individual conversations with kids. Wherever I walk down the hallway in February, um, it's one of my favorite times of year because teachers are in the hallways having individual conversations with kids about what their plan is for the next year's course. Um, and they're thinking about,
well, if you're taking these courses, are you sure you want to take an honors course here? It's really personalized and it's just such it's such progress. And with that we've seen we've narrowed we've narrowed we've narrowed gaps. Um, so I would say that's something I'm I'm
I'm very proud about and the both structural ways and well as well as instructional instructional ways, um, to get there. Finally, I'd say, um, because I know that you've asked some questions about, uh, the elementary school, uh, my experiences there is that I've, um, I
am currently working on, uh, policy development for our 15 elementary schools around homework. Um, we are a neighborhood, uh, school community, uh, in which there are communities with really, um, high resources and there are
some schools where families have, um, have have less resources. And there are differences in terms of, um, because of access and because of opportunity, there are differences of opinion and access in terms of, um, students' time for doing homework and parents'
expectations there. And so, um, I was asked, I think because of my experience with, um, effective, uh, policies around equity and access for students, uh, to help try to align our 15 elementary schools, um, around a
homework policy. Um, and there's a lot of areas where there is agreement, both particularly in uh, kindergarten through third grade, there are some significant differences of opinion around fifth grade, um, and, um, a lot of it's connected around resources and family expectations. And so I'm currently
working with them there in terms of, um, what is the reason for homework in elementary school, what is the purpose, what are actually what does homework actually look like in middle school so that, um, we're actually be we're informed as opposed to, um, just projecting what, uh, we think middle
school homework looks like, um, and, um, ensuring that homework is a reflection of learning and not just, um, uh, packets. Great. Thank you. All right, that was our final question, so I will hand it to you now for a few minutes for your closing statement.
Well, I just want to say thank you for this this experience. And, um, this has been, uh, it's been a lot over the last couple of weeks. Um, uh, both, uh, in terms of the the, um, the first round when the number of
different representatives that you you had on that committee, um, to all of the different constituent groups that you had, um, and, uh, and you you involved. Uh, looking at your meeting notes over the winter, your high priority make sure that you had
METCO representative, you had CPAC representative, um, is a testament to your value system and the community's value system. Um, uh, you spent, uh, a long time with a lot of people in my community. And, um,
there's a lot of people in my community so you saw a lot of people. Um, and, uh, and then today, um, to, uh, welcome me in schools, uh, the principals walking me me into classrooms, uh, I got to see a civics class, they
gave me a constitution as a gift. >> [laughter] >> Um, and, uh, for tonight, it's clear that you're taking this decision very seriously, um, and you're demonstrating the level of passion that's clear that exists in this community. Um, it doesn't scare me,
it makes me more interested in this job. Um, I, uh, work in a community that is very proud of its schools and the history, um, of success in the schools and has a very high expectation of delivery of service for for all
students. Um, I live in a community that cares passionately about its school spirit, about its uniqueness, and about its kids. Um, and I am that person as well. I've shared this a couple of times that my 15-year-old, clearly that has rubbed
off on her. She when deciding between Marblehead High and Essex Tech, said well, I don't know how I could not go to the Swampscott Marblehead game when I'm 25 years old. Um and so I am looking for a community
that is passionate about kids. Um I have um there are a lot of mistakes I've made in life, but choosing the schools in which I work at is something I'm very proud about. Um and I would be honored to be
superintendent of this community because of what the the values you've shown over the last few weeks. So, it has been a lot, but I'm I'm really glad that I got to go through this experience. So, thank you all and thank you to the community for your
welcomingness and your seriousness. Thank you. Yeah, and I'll just I'll just say you know, thank you again on behalf of the committee. You've spent the better part of two days with us, I think and you know, you weren't kidding. I think you arranged 45 or so folks from Newton
to speak with us, which which was was really helpful as well. So, thank you for sticking it out with us and that brings us to the end of our agenda. So, I will take a motion. Motion to adjourn. Is there a second? Second.
>> Seconded by Laura. All in favor? All opposed? We are adjourned. Thanks, everyone. Thank you.