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[I. CALL TO ORDER]
[LAUGHTER] GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.WELCOME TO THE MARCH WORK SESSION OF THE RICHARDSON ISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING.
I'M REGINA HARRIS, PRESIDENT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I BELIEVE MS. RENTERÍA IS RUNNING JUST A LITTLE BIT BEHIND BUT SHE WILL BE JOINING US A LITTLE LATER ON.
THIS MEETING IS CALLED TO ORDER AT 6:02 PM.
[II. PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION]
IT IS TIME FOR OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION.MR. POTEET, DO WE HAVE PERSONS WHO ARE WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD?
>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. WE DO.
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD, I WELCOME OUR VISITORS.
WE HAVE A BRIEF VIDEO TO INTRODUCE THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO ADDRESS THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
PLEASE JOIN ME IN WATCHING THE VIDEO.
>> THE PUBLIC COMMENTS SECTION PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO CONVEY INFORMATION TO THE BOARD.
SPEAKERS MAY COMMENT ON AGENDER-RELATED TOPICS OR NON-AGENDA-RELATED TOPICS AT REGULAR BUSINESS MEETINGS.
AT WORK SESSIONS OR OTHER CALLED MEETINGS, PUBLIC COMMENT IS LIMITED TO AGENDA-RELATED ITEMS. PERSONS WISHING TO ADDRESS THE BOARD MUST COMPLETE AN ONLINE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM BY SIGNING UP AT THE DESIGNATED REGISTRATION LINK ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE BEGINNING WHEN THE MEETING AGENDA IS POSTED THROUGH 12:00 PM ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING.
PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK MUST COMPLETE THE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM IN FULL TO BE ELIGIBLE TO SPEAK AND BE PRESENT WHEN THEIR NAME IS CALLED DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION TO MAKE THEIR OWN COMMENTS.
ANY REGISTERED SPEAKER WHO IS ABSENT FROM THE MEETING AT THE TIME THEIR NAME IS CALLED FORFEITS THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE BOARD AT THAT MEETING.
SPEAKERS WHO WISH TO PROVIDE WRITTEN MATERIALS TO THE BOARD SHOULD PROVIDE NINE COPIES TO AN RISD STAFF MEMBER PRIOR TO THE START OF THE MEETING.
PLEASE DO NOT APPROACH THE HORSESHOE AREA OR CONFERENCE TABLE DURING COMMENTS.
THE BOARD WILL NOT ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE WITH THE SPEAKERS.
THE BOARD CANNOT DELIBERATE OR MAKE A DECISION ON ANY SUBJECT THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
A SPEAKER MAY REGISTER FOR ONE PUBLIC COMMENT FOR EACH MEETING.
EACH SPEAKER IS LIMITED TO A TOTAL OF THREE MINUTES UNLESS THE TIME OF ALL SPEAKERS HAS BEEN REDUCED DUE TO A LARGE NUMBER OF SPEAKERS OR OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES.
A SPEAKER MAY NOT TAKE THE TIME OF ANOTHER SPEAKER.
SPEAKERS WHO SPEAK THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TIME.
THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD IS NOT THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO PRESENT FORMAL COMPLAINTS.
THE BOARD WILL ONLY CONSIDER FORMAL COMPLAINTS THAT REMAIN UNRESOLVED AFTER THEY'VE BEEN ADDRESSED THROUGH PROPER ADMINISTRATIVE CHANNELS AND WHEN THEY HAVE BEEN PLACED ON THE AGENDA.
THE BOARD SECRETARY WILL STATE THE SPEAKER'S NAME AND COMMENT TOPIC OR TOPICS AS IDENTIFIED ON THE PUBLIC COMMENT FORM.
A SPEAKER SHOULD APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN HIS OR HER NAME IS CALLED.
EACH SPEAKER SHOULD CLEARLY STATE HIS OR HER NAME AND THE RISD SCHOOLS OR SCHOOLS THE SPEAKER'S CHILDREN ATTEND OR HAVE ATTENDED BEFORE BEGINNING TO COMMENT.
A DIGITAL TIMER WILL PROJECT ON THE SCREEN AND WILL COUNT DOWN A SPEAKER'S TIME FROM THREE MINUTES TO ZERO.
SPEAKERS MAY REFER TO THE SCREEN FOR THE REMAINING TIME.
SPEAKERS WHO SPEAK THROUGH A FOREIGN LANGUAGE OR SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETER WILL RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TIME.
A SPEAKER MUST PROMPTLY ADD HIS OR HER COMMENTS WHEN THE ALLOTTED TIME HAS ELAPSED.
NOT YIELDING THE PODIUM AS WELL AS REMARKS OR OTHER CONDUCT THAT DISRUPT THE MEETING ARE CONSIDERED OUT OF ORDER AND WILL NOT BE ALLOWED.
VISITORS AND STAFF MUST LISTEN QUIETLY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION.
IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR STAFF OR MEMBERS OF THE AUDIENCE TO CLAP, CHEER, BOO, DISPLAY BANNERS, OR OTHERWISE ENGAGE IN DISRUPTIVE CONDUCT.
PERSONS WHO DISRUPT THE MEETING WILL BE CAUTIONED TO OBSERVE MEETING RULES.
ANY PERSON WHO PERSISTS IN ENGAGING IN DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR MAY BE REMOVED FROM THE MEETING.
A PERSON WHO CHOOSES TO SPEAK DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION IS CONSENTING TO THE ONLINE PUBLICATION OF HIS OR HER COMMENTS.
A COPY OF THE PROCEDURES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT IS LOCATED ON THE RISD BOARD OF TRUSTEES' WEBSITE.
>> DURING TONIGHT'S WORK SESSION, SPEAKERS MAY ONLY COMMENT ON THE TOPIC THAT IS ON THE BOARD'S AGENDA.
SPEAKER ATTEMPTS TO ADDRESS A NON-AGENDA-RELATED ITEM MUST STOP HIS OR HER COMMENTS WHEN DIRECTED.
AS A REMINDER, SPEAKERS ARE REQUIRED TO FOLLOW THE PUBLIC COMMENTS PROTOCOL AS NOTED ON THE WEBSITE AND IN THE VIDEO.
ATTACKS A PERSONAL NATURE AGAINST TRUSTEE, STAFF, STUDENTS, OR OTHERS BY NAME OR UNIQUE TITLE ARE NOT ALLOWED.
SPEAKERS, PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AT THE FRONT OF THE AUDITORIUM WHEN I CALL YOUR NAME.
EWAN BLACKMUN, MR. EWAN BLACKMAN.
>> SUPERINTENDENT BRANDON, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, THE EMPLOYEES, AND STAFF, I ARISE TODAY TO TALK JUST FOR A MOMENT ABOUT THE ACCOUNTABILITY A3 OPERATING.
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UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS A LONG PRESENTATION.I DIDN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO COMPLETE THE ENTIRE ANALYSIS OF IT.
BUT IT LOOKS LIKE WE HAVE SOME MAJOR CHALLENGES COMING UP WITH THE WAY IN WHICH THE STATE IS MOVING THAT SCORE.
I HOPE WHEN WE BEAR THAT IN MIND THAT WE PERHAPS THINK ABOUT HAVING A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS SO SUDDENLY WE'VE GOT THE 2022-23 SCORE AND HOW THE 23/24 SCORES DIFFER FOR THOSE.
PERHAPS HAVE A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS FOR THE FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY SO THEY CAN UNDERSTAND THE NEXT YEAR'S SCORES THAT COME OUT THAT WE WOULD HAVE AN IDEA OF THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN HAD THE OLD STANDARDS APPLIED BECAUSE TOO OFTEN THEY MOVE THAT BAR SOMETIMES ITS TOO LOW, DON'T GET ME WRONG AND OFTENTIMES, TOO HIGH AS WELL WHERE WE DON'T MEET THE MARK BECAUSE I KEEP MOVING IT.
WHILE YOU'RE RUNNING AFTER THIS BAR AND THEY KEEP MOVING AND YOU KEEP TRYING TO HIT THE THING.
IT'S A MOVING TARGET AND THAT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
BUT ON THE POSITIVE SIDE OF THINGS I DO RECOGNIZE THAT WE HAVE SOME TEACHERS IN OUR DISTRICT AND I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO A FEW OF THEM WHO WERE WORKING EXCEEDINGLY HARD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR OUR KIDS TO BRING THEM UP TO SPEC WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE COVID LOSS AND MR. CORTEZ, I'M SURE HAS PLENTY OF DATA ON THAT WILL BACK UP THOSE NUMBERS BECAUSE I'VE LOOKED AT THE COURSE FROM LAST YEAR AND ACCOUNTABILITY RANKS PHILOSOPHY AND WE HAVE SEVERAL SCHOOLS HAVE MOVED UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
BUT WHEN I'VE SPOKEN AT BEFORE AND I'LL SPIKINESS, FOREST MEADOW JUNIOR HIGH HAS DONE SOME INCREDIBLE STUFF AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THEIR CHALLENGE THAT THEY HAD TO REACH AN A FOR THIS NEXT YEAR.
EVEN WITH THIS NEW ACCOUNTABILITY CHANGE, I HOPE THAT DOESN'T CHANGE.
I'LL TAKE THE AIR OUT OF THEIR SALES FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING BECAUSE I THINK THAT THEY'VE DONE SOME AMAZING STUFF.
CONGRATULATIONS TO THEM, TO THE BOARD MEMBERS FOLKS, I KNOW YOU ALL WORK PRETTY HARD AS WELL.
I SIT HERE WITH YOU ON 99.9% OF THE MEETINGS AND I KNOW THAT'S A LONG DAY.
LISA, WHAT DO YOU GUYS GET TO LOOK AT THIS WHILE I'M SITTING THERE.
WE DO APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU GUYS PUT ON BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT IS TOUGH WORK.
ITS THANKLESS WORK A LOT OF TIMES BECAUSE PEOPLE LIKE ME GET TO STAND UP AND CRITIQUE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
NO ONE GETS A CRITIC WHAT I'M DOING BECAUSE I SIT BACK DOWN. THANK YOU FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
MS. BRANUM. THANK YOU FOR THE WORK YOU DO.
AGAIN, RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE EMAILS AND THINGS THAT I SEND OUT.
I DO APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK THAT OFTEN WE STAND UP HERE AND OFTEN WE CRITICIZE.
TODAY I'M GOING TO LEAVE IT THAT THE POSITIVE BREAK FOR THOSE THINGS AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.
>> OUR NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. RANDY BLANKENSHIP.
>> GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS RANDY BLANKENSHIP.
I WISH TO THANK THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
THE TOPIC IS RESPONSE TO CHANGE POLICY AE AND ADD POLICY AEA.
I PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING RESPONSE.
THE PROPOSAL IS TO MOVE THE LANGUAGE CONCERNING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION TO ITS OWN STANDALONE POLICY AEA.
I FAVOR THE FIRST PART, REMOVING IT FROM THE BOARD POLICY AE, BUT NOT THE CREATION OF THE NEW BOARD POLICY.
SUCH A CHANGE WOULD CREATE OPPOSING PHILOSOPHIES, THESE ARE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHIES.
THE QUESTION WOULD BE, WHICH WILL YOU FAVOR? ON THE FIRST PAGE OF BOARD POLICY AE, SUBJECT COMMITMENT TO EDUCATIONAL EQUITY, IT STATES THE DISTRICT WARDSHIP WILL ACTIVELY WORK TO ELIMINATE SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES THAT PERPETUATE HISTORICAL INEQUITIES AND PRESENT DISPARITIES THAT COULD NEGATIVELY AFFECT THE ABILITY OF THE STUDENTS.
APPARENTLY, BY THESE WORDS, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS A RACIST CULTURE.
YOU MAY SAY THIS OR THAT EXIST, BUT I WANT YOU TO PROVE IT.
WHERE ARE THE PERPETRATORS OF RACISM AND A RACIST CULTURE YOU DECLARE EXIST IN RICHARDSON ISD? THE TRUTH IS, INDIVIDUAL EXPERIENCES IS NOT ELEVATED OR DIMINISHED BY ANYONE.
MY RECOMMENDATION, STRIP THIS DIVISIVE AND SICK LANGUAGE FROM OUR BOARD POLICIES AND OTHER SCHOOL DOCUMENTS AND DO NOT CREATE A STANDALONE AEA BOARD POLICY.
ANY LANGUAGE REGARDING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION IN RELATION TO EDUCATION IS ABSURD AND CREATES A BIASED AND DISCRIMINATORY CLIMATE THAT FOCUSES ON PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS AND SOCIAL IDEOLOGIES RATHER THAN INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS.
FURTHERMORE, I RECOMMENDED DISMANTLING THE DEPARTMENT OF THIS NAME THAT PROVIDES NO POSITIVE SCHOOL CLIMATE,
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NO BENEFIT TO ACADEMICS, A WASTE OF SCHOOL FUNDS, AND IT VIOLATES MANY TEXAS CODES AND LAWS.SUMMARY, YOU CANNOT HAVE OPPOSING PHILOSOPHIES, GOALS, DIRECTIVES, ETC.
A RELATED SUBJECT IN DOING MY RESEARCH, WHY IS THE BOARD POLICIES OF THE DISTRICT IS NOT ON THE DISTRICT'S INTERNET WEBSITE? WHO LAW SPECIFIES ALL OF DISTRICT B1, YOUR WEBSITE.
BUT THEY'RE ON TASBS. I LOOKED AT IT.
LOOK AT THE URL. [NOISE] WHY ARE BOARD POLICIES ON [NOISE] TASBS URL NOT YOURS? THANK YOU.
>> THANK YOU, MR. BLANKENSHIP.
MS. HARRIS, THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE TODAY.
[III.A. COVID Allowable Purchases]
OUR NEXT ITEM IS AN ACTION ITEM TO CONSIDER COVID ALLOWABLE PURCHASES. MRS. BRANUM?>> THANK YOU, MRS. HARRIS, I'M GOING TO ASK MS. HAYES TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF SOME INSIGHT ON THESE LAST PURCHASES USING SOME OF OUR REMAINING SO2 DOLLARS. MS. HAYES?
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM.
GOOD EVENING, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
TONIGHT WE ARE BRINGING YOU AN ACTION ITEM THAT TYPICALLY YOU WOULD SEE AT A GENERAL MEETING UNDER CONSENT THAT WAS THE TIMING OF BIDS.
WE NEEDED TO BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT.
WE ARE FINALIZING THE END OF THOSE COVID SR FUNDS.
WE HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL PURCHASES THAT WILL QUALIFY THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BUY FOR SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS THAT WE WILL CONTINUE TO USE.
AIR FILTERS, THE AIR FILTER PURIFICATION UNITS.
WE'RE ADDING SOME TWO LOCKER ROOMS, AND THEN SOME OF THE CLEANING SUPPLIES THAT WE USE DAILY, CLEANING OUR BUSES, CLEANING OUR CLASSROOMS, THINGS THAT WE HAVE STARTED WITH COVID PROTOCOLS IN PLACE.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS. EITHER BOTH APPROVED VENDORS' STANDARD PURCHASES THAT WE'VE DONE.
>> MRS. HARRIS, WITH THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO RECOMMEND THAT THE BOARD APPROVE THESE EXPENDITURES AS PRESENTED.
>> THANK YOU, MRS. BRANUM. THANK YOU, MS. HAYES, IS THERE A MOTION?
>> THANK YOU. MR. POTEET, IS THERE A SECOND?
>> THANK YOU, MR. EIGER. THERE IS A MOTION ON THE FLOOR BY MR. POTEET.
THERE'S A SECOND BY MR. EIGER.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD, MS. MCGOWAN?
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I JUST HAD A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE HD SUPPLY, THE INVOICE AMOUNT OF THE QUOTE.
DID WE GET ANY OTHER QUOTES FOR THESE SUPPLIES FROM ANY OTHER VENDORS?
>> YEAH. THIS IS A COMPANY THAT WE BUY FROM REGULARLY.
THEY'RE ON OUR APPROVED VENDOR LIST FOR THESE TYPES OF SUPPLIES.
THIS IS A TOTAL OF A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT SUPPLIES, NOT A SINGLE PURCHASE.
IT'S A SINGLE VENDOR BUT NOT SO WE BUY CHEMICALS, PAPER PRODUCTS, GLOVES.
THEY'RE ONE OF THE VENDORS THAT WE PURCHASE FROM REGULARLY.
>> I KNOW HE SUPPLIES ONE OF THE HIGHEST PRICED VENDORS FOR THESE TYPES OF ITEMS. I JUST WANTED TO KNOW IF MAYBE WE LOOKED AT WALMART, ULINE OR ANY OTHERS.
>> I'LL LET MR. PATE DISCUSS OUR PURCHASING PROCESS.
>> THEY WERE AWARDED OUR CATALOG BID, I BELIEVE, AND SO WE HAD A DISCOUNT OFF OF THE INDIVIDUAL PURCHASES.
THEN BECAUSE THIS IS FEDERAL FUNDS, WE WOULD HAVE RECEIVED THREE QUOTES BEFORE WE MADE THIS PURCHASE.
I BELIEVE IT IS THE CHEAPEST OR I BELIEVE IT IS THE BEST BID FOR THE DISTRICT IN THIS CASE, FOR THESE TYPES OF ITEMS. ALSO WE HAVE TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, WHO HAS IT AVAILABLE AND CAN DELIVER IN THE TIME-FRAME THAT WE NEEDED ALSO.
>> THANK YOU FOR YOUR EXPLANATION ON THE BID.
I WANT TO KNOW IF WE'RE USING THESE FUNDS FOR CLEANING SUPPLIES AND FILTERS.
DOES THAT FREE UP ANY MONEY ON OUR BUDGET IN SOME OTHER WAY?
>> IT HAS HELPED US TO SUSTAIN OUR EXISTING FACILITIES BUDGET, WITH THE ADDED PROTOCOLS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE WITH COVID.
WE WILL HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR NEXT YEAR WHEN THE EXPENSE ARE UNAVAILABLE.
>> JUST [OVERLAPPING] CLARIFICATION ON SR FUNDS.
MADE THIS IS MORE OF A MR. PATE. THESE FUNDS WE KNOW END THIS YEAR, THINGS THAT WE PURCHASE WITH THEM, DO WE HAVE TO USE THEM? HOW DOES THAT WORK WITH A PRE-PURCHASE VERSUS THIS SCHOOL YEAR VERSUS NEXT SCHOOL YEAR? HOW DOES THAT WORK?
>> THE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR JUST ABOUT EVERY GRANT PREVENT STOCKPILING.
WE ARE NOT ALLOWED TO RIDE AT THE END OF THE GRANT, BUY 10 PALLETS OF DISINFECTANT AND PUT IT IN THE WAREHOUSE.
WE'RE BUYING THINGS THAT WE EXPECT TO UTILIZE DURING THE PERIOD OF THE GRANT AND VERY SHORTLY THEREAFTER.
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>> THE AIR PURIFIER UNITS ARE ALLOWED TO BE PURCHASED AND WE KNOW THEIR LIFESPAN IS LONGER THAN THE GRANT, BUT THAT'S ALLOWED AN ALLOWABLE EXPENSE ALONG WITH THE FILTERS THAT WE CHANGE OUT EVERY YEAR. THAT'S WHAT THIS IS.
>> THANKS, MS. POTEET, ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE.
THERE IS A MOTION BY MR. POTEET.
ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND.
[III.B. Strategic Planning 2023 Update]
THE NEXT ITEM ON OUR AGENDA IS STRATEGIC PLANNING UPDATE. MS. BRANUM.WE HAD A PHENOMENAL WEEK LAST WEEK.
WE RETURNED FROM SPRING BREAK AND WE IMMEDIATELY WENT INTO ADDITIONAL PLANNING.
WE HAD THREE DAYS WITH OUR STRATEGIC ACTION DESIGN TEAM, REALLY CONTINUING THE WORK THAT WE LAUNCHED EARLIER THIS SEMESTER, AND DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK MS. HARRIS AND MR. BOUTIQUE AND MR. EIGER FOR SERVING ON THAT DESIGN TEAM.
DR. HELLER AND HER TEAM HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB, AND I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO JUST PROVIDE THE BOARD WITH AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE IN THIS PROCESS.
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT BRANUM, BOARD OF TRUSTEES.
I'M EXCITED TO HAVE A FEW MINUTES TO SHARE WITH YOU THIS EVENING THE WORK THAT CONTINUES THIS SPRING.
IT'S BEEN A BUSY COUPLE MONTHS, SO APPRECIATE A FEW MINUTES TO UPDATE YOU WHERE WE'VE BEEN, WHAT'S RECENTLY HAPPENED, AND THEN HOW WE'RE GOING TO CROSS THE FINISH LINE HERE BEFORE THE END OF THIS SEMESTER WITH THIS WORK.
I'VE INCLUDED THIS VISUAL AS A REMINDER OF HOW WE'RE ANCHORING AND HOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN FITS INTO OUR ANNUAL CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS AS A DISTRICT.
OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR NORTH STAR AND OUR GRADUATE PROFILE THAT HAVE BOTH SERVED AS VERY BIG ANCHORS IN THIS WORK.
THOSE ALONG WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN WILL THEN GUIDE THE DEVELOPMENT OF OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT, CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANNING ACTION PLANS, AND THEN OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR BOARD GOALS AND WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING AT THE DATA.
THIS IS JUST TO GROUND US AS IN A REMINDER OF HOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN FITS IN WITH OUR CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENT EFFORTS.
I'VE SHARED THIS BEFORE, BUT JUST AGAIN, AS ANOTHER REMINDER, THIS IS THE DESIGN PROCESS AND THE MODEL THAT WE'RE USING WITH OUR PARTNERS FROM ENGAGE2LEARN.
WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE ABOUT THIS VISUAL IS THAT AT THE HEART OF ALL THIS IS A VISION FOR LEARNING, AND IT'S ALL ABOUT THE STUDENTS AND ENSURING EVERY STUDENT'S SUCCESS WHEN THEY LEAVE RICHARDSON ISD.
YOU'LL NOTICE THOSE ITEMS IN THE PINK COLOR ARE WHAT HAVE BEEN COMPLETED ALREADY.
WE ARE ABOUT TWO-THIRDS OF THE WAY THROUGH THE PROCESS.
JUST AGAIN, AS ANOTHER REMINDER, THAT FIRST ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITY HAPPENED A YEAR AGO AT THIS TIME WHEN WE DEVELOPED THE GRADUATE PROFILE, AND THAT IS WORK AND DATA THAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD AS WE BEGAN THE DESIGN PROCESS EARLIER THIS PAST FALL.
BEFORE THE CREATE DAYS LAST WEEK, WE HAD ABOUT SIX WEEKS WORTH OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THROUGH METRIC TEAMS. THE METRIC TEAMS WERE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS, STUDENTS, PARENTS, STAFF, PARTNERS TO COME AND PROVIDE FEEDBACK AND INPUT BASED ON AT THAT TIME WERE DRAFT OF GOAL CATEGORIES.
YOU'LL NOTICE THERE WERE SEVEN GOAL CATEGORIES THAT THE DESIGN TEAM IN JANUARY LANDED ON BASED ON THEIR DATA ANALYSIS.
I DO WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY WHO CAME OUT AND PARTICIPATED IN THESE METRIC TEAMS. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MY FELLOW CABINET MEMBERS.
WE WERE ALL TRAINED ON THE FACILITATION AND LEAD THESE SERIES OF MEETINGS.
WE HAD NEARLY 300 COMMUNITY MEMBERS REGISTERED TO ATTEND ONE OR MORE OF THE METRIC TEAM MEETINGS.
OUR ATTENDANCE RAN ABOUT 50 PERCENT OF THAT.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WE DID HAVE A BAD WEATHER DAY AND EVENING WE HAD TO RESCHEDULE ONE.
BUT FEEL LIKE THE COMMUNICATION GOT OUT THERE, LIFE HAPPENS AND NOT QUITE SURE WHY ONLY ABOUT 50 PERCENT ACTUALLY CAME AND PARTICIPATED, BUT WE'RE TAKING NOTE OF THAT AND GOING TO DIG INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
BUT WE DID HOLD THESE MEETINGS AND GOT SOME REALLY GREAT FEEDBACK SPECIFIC TO THESE GOAL CATEGORIES AND WHAT WOULD BE INDICATORS AND THEN METRICS THAT WE WOULD MEASURE FOR OUR SUCCESS.
WANTED TO INCLUDE A COUPLE OF VISUALS OF THE METRIC TEAMS AT WORK.
THEY WERE TWO-HOUR MEETINGS, WE FOLLOWED A PROCESS AND A PROTOCOL TO GATHER FEEDBACK, AND ALL OF THAT INFORMATION THEN WAS SHARED WITH THE DISTRICT DESIGN TEAM WHEN THEY RECONVENE THIS PAST WEEK.
THE DESIGN TEAM DID COME BACK MARCH 21ST, 22ND, AND 23RD,
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AND AS PART OF THEIR OUTCOMES AND WORK, THEY FINALIZED THE GOALS BASED ON INPUT FROM THE METRIC TEAMS AND THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED.THEN THEY STARTED WORKING ON SPECIFIC RESULTS AND WHAT THOSE WOULD LOOK LIKE AS WE WORKED ON A FIVE-YEAR TIMELINE.
THEN ANOTHER BIG PART OF THEIR WORK WAS TO BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A LEARNING FRAMEWORK.
YOU CAN THINK OF THIS FRAMEWORK AS A TOOL AND A VISUAL, A GRAPHIC THAT'S REALLY GOING TO ANCHOR US IN OUR CURRICULUM, OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING IN EVERY CLASSROOM AND HOW WE'RE GOING TO PUT THE TRUE NORTH AND THE GRADUATE PROFILE INTO ACTION IN OUR CLASSROOMS. AS A RESULT OF THE REFINEMENT AND THE FEEDBACK RECEIVED THROUGH THE METRIC TEAMS, WE WENT FROM SEVEN DRAFT GOAL CATEGORIES TO THESE FIVE GOAL CATEGORIES.
YOU'LL SEE INDIVIDUAL GROWTH FOCUS, CURRICULUM AND LEARNING, WHICH WAS SOME VOCABULARY THAT CAME OUT OF THAT WORK INSTEAD OF CURRICULUM AND TEACHING OR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION, WHICH WAS ON THE DRAFT OF THE GOAL CATEGORY.
LEARNING WAS AT THE HEART OF THE CONVERSATIONS.
OF COURSE, UNDERSTANDING THE CONTINUED IMPORTANCE OF STAFF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, I WOULD ALSO INTERJECT, WAS INTERTWINED AND WOVEN INTO ALL OF THESE GOAL CATEGORIES.
IT WAS DECIDED TO LAND AS ITS OWN CATEGORY BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF IT BEING WEAVED INTO ALL OF THESE.
I WILL SAY THAT, BASED ON THE DESIGN TEAM AND METRIC TEAM FEEDBACK, THIS IS WHERE THEN THERE WILL BE A STRATEGIC ACTION ITEM AND RESULT ABOUT EQUITABLE FACILITIES, SO THEY COLLAPSE THE EQUITABLE FACILITIES UNDER THE FINANCE GOAL.
THESE ARE THE GOAL CATEGORIES THAT WE ARE CONTINUING THE WORK WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN ON.
THEN I MENTIONED THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK AND JUST TO HELP CONCEPTUALIZE WHAT THAT IS, IT'S THE OPPORTUNITY WE HAD TO TAKE ALL OF OUR VARIOUS DISTRICT INITIATIVES, WHETHER THAT'S PLCS, WHETHER THAT'S OUR CURRICULUM TOOLS AND RESOURCES, ANTIQUES RESOURCES, OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS OR AVID WORK, TAKING THOSE CLASSROOM NON-NEGOTIABLES, ALIGNING THOSE WITH A GRADUATE PROFILE.
OTHER INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS ARE LESS IN DESIGN, THE I DO, WE DO, YOU DO AND OTHER BEST PRACTICES THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT AND THEN CREATING A FRAMEWORK AND REALLY A LENS FROM WHICH ALL OF OUR WORK IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING RESOURCES AND SUPPORTS TO IMPLEMENT AND REACH THE GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN THIS FRAMEWORK WITHIN SERVICE AT LENS.
WANTED TO INCLUDE SOME VISUALS.
AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, THE DISTRICT DESIGN TEAM WE HAD STUDENTS AGAIN, IN THE ROOM, PARENTS, STAFF, BUSINESS PARTNERS, AND THEY WORKED REALLY HARD.
IT WAS A LONG BUT VERY PRODUCTIVE THREE DAYS NEXT DOOR OVER AT ABC.
WHAT I SHARE WITH YOU HERE, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH.
THIS IS NOT WHAT THE FINAL VISUAL WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT AS A RESULT OF THE WORK AND THE PROTOCOLS AND THE PROCESSES THAT ENGAGE2LEARN COACHED US THROUGH.
THIS IS A SKETCH DRAWING OF THIS FRAMEWORK AND THE VARIOUS STAGES AND THE WORK THEY DID TO DESCRIBE, SO STARTING WITH IGNITE AND THEN TEACHERS AND STUDENTS WORKING THROUGH THE WONDER AND DISCOVER AND COLLABORATING AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO APPLY AND CREATE THEIR LEARNING AND THEN ALSO REFLECT.
LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING WITH OUR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS AND SUPPORT TO REALLY CREATE A REALLY BOLD VISUAL GRAPHIC THAT WILL BECOME PART OF THE BRANDING AND ROLLOUT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR TOTAL STRATEGIC PLAN WORK.
AS A FOLLOW-UP TO THE CREATE DAYS, WE THEN HAD A SUBSET OF OUR DISTRICT DESIGN TEAMS. SO WE HAVE STUDENTS, AGAIN, TEACHERS, SOME PARENTS, AND THEN ADDITIONAL STAFF, INCLUDING LEADERSHIP FROM OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING DEPARTMENT.
THEY MET EARLIER THIS WEEK ON TUESDAY TO BEGIN TO CREATE PROTOCOLS AND THESE WILL BE TOOLS THAT WE WILL WORK THEN WITH TEACHERS AND STAFF AND OUR CAMPUS LEADERS TO HELP IMPLEMENT THIS FRAMEWORK AS IT IS PART OF OUR ENTIRE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.
THERE'S A REALLY STRONG EMPHASIS AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO MENTION AROUND DEVELOPING
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COMMON VOCABULARY TO SUPPORT THE SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS WORK NEXT YEAR AND BEYOND.JUST AS A REMINDER OF SOME OF THE NEXT STEPS THAT REMAIN THIS SPRING AND WHEN WE ANTICIPATE BRINGING YOU FINAL PRODUCTS AND A PLAN TO REVIEW, WE DO HAVE TWO FINAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SESSIONS ON APRIL 12TH.
WE'VE ALREADY STARTED PUBLICIZING THOSE.
THOSE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL OF OUR ENTIRE DISTRICT COMMUNITY TO COME AND GET UPDATE ON THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE AND PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK.
THEN FROM THERE, LATER IN APRIL, THE LEAD DAYS ARE WHEN DISTRICT LEADERSHIP ARE GOING TO COME TOGETHER AROUND THOSE FIVE IDENTIFIED GOALS AND CONTINUE TO WORK ON CREATING OUR YEAR 1 ACTION PLANS.
YOU WILL SEE THE YEAR 1 ACTION PLANS AS PART OF THE PLAN THAT COMES TO YOU THEN FOR BOARD PRESENTATIONS, FOR INFORMATION IN MAY, AND THEN HOPEFULLY FOR ACTION AND ADOPTION AT THE JUNE MEETING.
THEN, OF COURSE, PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH ENGAGE2LEARN IS TO ENSURE THAT WE ARE EQUIPPED WITH THE TOOLS AND INFORMATION AND THE CAPACITY TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL ROLLOUT, AND THEY WILL BECOMING TO HELP WORK WITH DISTRICT AND CAMPUS LEADERS THE END OF MAY AS WELL AS IN JUNE.
THEN THAT'S WHEN WE'LL BEGIN LOOKING AT HOW WE ALIGN THE STRATEGIC PLAN WITH OUR DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN, AS WELL AS OUR CAMPUS IMPROVEMENT PLANNING EFFORTS.
WITH THAT, I'M OPEN TO SOME QUESTIONS OR ANY REFLECTIONS FROM ANY OF OUR OTHER BOARD MEMBERS WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE WORK RECENTLY.
>> WHO WAS ALL INVOLVED IN THE WORK.
FIRST, I WANT TO THANK MS. HELLER AND YOUR TEAM.
THOSE THREE DAYS THAT EVERYBODY COMMITTED TO BEING THERE.
YOU WERE THERE ALL THREE DAYS AS WELL AND YOU HAVE OTHER STUFF THAT YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR AND THAT'S SUPPLANTING THAT TIME AND YOUR TEAM AS WELL AND GETTING PREPARED FOR HIM, THAT'S HUGE.
I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT THAT'S NOT THE FINAL THANK YOU BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A LOT OF WORK STILL TO GET SO KEEP IT UP.
SECOND THING IS ENGAGED TO LEARN.
WHEN I'M CRITICAL AT LOOKING AT THESE TASKS THAT WE CAN DO INTERNALLY.
YES, WE PROBABLY COULD FIGURE IT OUT.
BUT I'M TELLING YOU AFTER SITTING IN THERE FOR THREE DAYS AND BEING PART OF THE MEETINGS AHEAD OF THAT, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, A LOT OF TIME, A LOT OF EFFORT AND A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.
PEOPLE THAT HAVE DONE THIS MULTIPLE TIMES THAT SHOWS IN THOSE DAYS AND THE PRODUCTS THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER AND WORKING.
IT'S NOT JUST PUTTING THIS TOGETHER SO THAT WE COULD PUT AN SOP IN THE FILE AND BREAK IT OUT NEXT TIME.
BUT IT'S ACTUALLY FACILITATING THE CONVERSATIONS IN THERE.
I KNOW THE TWO PEOPLE THAT WE HAD WORKING WITH US HAD BOTH BEEN PRINCIPLES, BOTH BEEN TEACHERS MANY YEARS.
THEY'VE DONE A CAREER IN EDUCATION IN TEXAS, SOME OF THEM LOCALLY.
FOR THEM, IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT, I THINK FOR THEM TO DIRECT SOME OF THE CONVERSATIONS, HELP GET US OFF HI CENTER.
HELP FIND THE RIGHT WORDS, THE RIGHT CONCEPTS.
AGAIN, I'M AS CRITICAL AS THE NEXT ONE ON IS THAT MONEY WELL-SPENT? TO THIS DAY I CAN SEE THE VALUE OF IT AND I SAW IT FIRSTHAND IN THOSE THREE DAYS.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY BRAVO TO THEM SO FAR.
I'M GLAD WE HAD HIM AS A TEAMMATE.
I LOOK THROUGH THIS AND THE DELIVERABLE IS IMPORTANT WHERE WE ARRIVE AT THE END OF THOSE THREE DAYS.
BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS THE PROCESS AND THE TIME THAT THE EXERCISES WE WENT THROUGH TO GET THERE.
BECAUSE THAT PROVIDES THE CONTEXT TO WHAT THAT DELIVERABLE IS.
IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAME UP WITH, THEY'RE VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT OTHER DISTRICTS HAVE DONE OR WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST AS FAR AS SOME OF THE DELIVERABLES.
BUT IT WAS A NECESSARY FOR US TO GO THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND BRINGING IN THE PUBLIC, BRINGING IN THE STAFF, BRINGING THE STUDENTS, AND GOING THROUGH THAT EXERCISE AGAIN, NO MATTER WHERE IT LED US.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT THAT'S HALF OF THE VALUE IN THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
THEN FINALLY SPEAKING HALF THE BATTLE, COMING UP WITH THE PLANS.
HALF THE BATTLE, THE OTHER IS EXECUTION AND ADJUSTMENT.
AT WORK I'VE SEEN LOTS OF STRATEGIC PLANS THAT SIT ON THE SHELF AND THEN WE DO IT AGAIN IN FIVE YEARS AND EVERYBODY SAYS, WHAT DID WE DO LAST TIME AND I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK IT'LL BE VERY CRITICAL THAT WE PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON ONCE WE HAVE THIS, THIS IS THE PLAN.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN IT CAN'T CHANGE BECAUSE CIRCUMSTANCES CHANGE.
BUT THAT'S PART OF IT IS THE EXECUTION
[00:30:02]
AND THE IMPLEMENTATION AND THE ADJUSTMENT AS WE GO THROUGH IT.THAT'LL BE HALF OF IT AS WELL.
>> I THINK THAT THE VALUE OF HAVING THAT ROOM OF PEOPLE IS THAT ROOM OF PEOPLE, THEY BELIEVE IN THIS PLAN.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE HOLDING ME ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING YOU ALL ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING OUR SYSTEM ACCOUNTABLE FOR PUTTING ACTION BEHIND THE WORDS THAT ARE ON THIS PLAN.
I THINK THAT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT THE VALUES IN THE PROCESS, THAT'S A PIECE OF IT.
>> WE LOSE THE TRUST OF THIS, WE WERE INVOLVED AND IT'LL BE REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE INVOLVED NEXT TIME.
I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT WE JUST KEEP THINKING ABOUT AS WE GO FORWARD. THAT'S MY ONE QUESTION.
>> MR. EIGER, DID YOU WANT TO PROVIDE SOME INPUT?
>> THE THING THAT THE TAKEAWAY FROM ALL THIS IS THE LEARNING MODEL THAT'S COMING AS A PRODUCT OF THIS IS HELPING EQUIP OUR KIDS.
NOT ONLY A LIFELONG LEARNERS, BUT THE SKILL SETS.
BECAUSE WHAT YOU'LL START TO SEE AND IT'LL START TO UNVEIL IN THAT LEARNING MODEL IS THAT YOU'LL SEE IGNITE, WELL, WHAT HAPPENS IS CREATING CURIOSITY.
IT'S NOT THE STANDARD LISTEN, LECTURE, TAKE NOTES, ETC.
IT IS NOW CHANGING IT SUCH THAT YOU IGNITE THAT ARE FACILITATORS WILL CREATE THAT CURIOSITY.
THEN IT WILL BE THEN GO INTO RESEARCH, UNDERSTAND, UTILIZE THE TOOLS THAT YOU HAVE AVAILABLE, COME BACK AND COLLABORATE WITH OTHER TEAMMATES.
YOU WILL THEN DO TRIAL AND ERROR.
YOU'LL LEARN GRIT, PERSEVERANCE, YOU'LL LEARN IT'S OKAY TO FAIL.
WHAT DO YOU LEARN EACH TIME YOU TRY? THEN YOU'LL COME BACK AND YOU'LL REFLECT AND THAT WILL PASS ON CRITICAL THINKING.
ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE PUT AND LEARN FROM THE COMMUNITY SAYING THIS IS WHAT WE WANT IS DEFINITION OF SUCCESS OF OUR STUDENTS WHEN THEY LEAVE THE HALLS OF RISD IS BUILT INTO THIS LEARNING MODEL.
I CAN TELL YOU, THIS IS NOT GOING TO NOT ONLY BENEFIT THEM WHILE THEY'RE HERE, BUT THIS IS WHAT YOU'LL USE AND BE ABLE TO EQUIP THEM TO BE LIFELONG LEARNERS LONG AFTER THEY LEAVE RISD.
THAT'S THE THING THAT I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S GOING TO LEAD TO SOME GREAT STONE NOW.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I JUST WANT TO ADD, I WAS ABLE TO POP IN, LITERALLY POP IN ON THE THIRD DAY AFTER A LOT OF RICH DISCUSSION HAD ALREADY TAKEN PLACE.
I WENT TO EACH TABLE JUST TO GET SOME FEEDBACK.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THIS BECAUSE THOSE FOLKS AT THOSE TABLES WERE VERY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THEY HAD DONE IN THOSE THREE DAYS.
THEY WERE SUPER EXCITED ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE WANTED TO HEAR THEIR VOICE AND THAT THEY WERE PROVIDING THEIR VOICE.
THEY'RE GOING TO HOLD US ACCOUNTABLE.
THEY WERE EXCITED, I'M EXCITED THAT WE HAD THEM THERE.
AGAIN, I WAS THERE THAT THIRD DAY AT THE VERY END AND EVERYBODY LOOKED WIPED AT.
[LAUGHTER] I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF HARD WORK.
THANK YOU TO ENGAGE, TO LEARN.
THEY WERE GREAT, FACILITATORS, SO I DEFINITELY BACK YOU UP ON THAT ONE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD? MS. TIM.
>> THESE THINGS DO TAKE A LOT OF TIME AND THE BEST CONVERSATION HAPPENS IN OUR BODIES TIRED IN THE ROOM AT THE END OF THE DAY.
THAT MEANS THEY'RE JUST MENTALLY EXHAUSTED BECAUSE THEY REALLY MOLD THINGS OVER.
I DID BACK ON THAT SECOND SLOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHO'S RUNNING THIS THING ON THERE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD REALLY COMMITTED TO AND TALK THROUGH AS A BOARD THAT SOMETHING THAT IT'S IMPORTANT TO US, WAS THE CREATION AND REALLY FOCUSING ON THAT NORTH STAR.
I JUST REALLY WANTED TO KNOW HOW THAT PLAYED INTO HOW THE STRATEGIC PLAN WAS FEATHERED THROUGH IN THOSE THREE DAYS.
>> I LOVE THAT YOU ARE ASKING THAT.
I CAN TELL YOU THAT IN THE CENTER OF EVERY TABLE OF THE WORK SESSION, READ THAT NORTH STAR GOAL.
EVERY CONVERSATION WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT ANY OF OUR GOAL CATEGORIES THAT WE IDENTIFIED ARE THE SPECIFIC RESULTS.
THERE WAS A CONVERSATION, I KNOW THAT EVERYONE IN MY SMALL GROUPS AND HOW DOES THIS SUPPORT OR HOW IS THIS GOING TO LEAD TOWARDS US ATTAINING THAT BOARD'S NORTH STAR GOAL.
A WHOLE GOAL CATEGORY WAS CREATED IN TERMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL GROWTH FOCUS.
AT SOME POINT, WE DON'T SEE THAT AS A SEPARATE GOAL.
BUT IN THIS INITIAL ACTIVATION OF THIS GROWTH GOAL, THERE'S AN INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE TO BUILD.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DOCUMENT EVERYONE'S GROWTH GOALS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEFINE WHAT A GROWTH GOAL IS?
[00:35:02]
HOW ARE WE GOING TO DEMONSTRATE GROWTH? ARE WE GOING TO HAVE A PORTFOLIO SYSTEM? ARE WE GOING TO DEMONSTRATE ARTIFACTS? HOW ARE WE GOING TO PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT? THE TEAM EVEN RECOGNIZE, HEY, IN THIS INITIAL ACTIVATION, WE NEED TO HAVE A WHOLE GOAL CENTERED AROUND JUST WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE AND HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE A DISTRICT THAT IS KNOWN AS A DISTRICT THAT'S ALL ABOUT GROWTH? I CAN TELL YOU EVEN AS EVIDENCE OF THAT IT IS WOVEN THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE PLAN AND EVERYTHING KEPT COMING BACK TO IF WE'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE THAT, WHAT SYSTEMS AND PROCESSES IN THE DISTRICT WE HAVE TO STOP DOING AND WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT DIFFERENTLY IF WE'RE GOING TO REALIZE THAT?>> THANK YOU. I THINK YOU'VE SAID THIS BEFORE AND I THINK I'VE HEARD YOUR STAFF SAY THIS MULTIPLE TIMES AND CERTAINLY I THINK THE BOARD SHARES IN THIS IS THAT THERE CAN BE A PASSING GRADE OR THINGS LIKE THAT OR A STANDARD, WHATEVER.
BUT I THINK WE ALL WANT TO SEE GROWTH NO MATTER WHAT.
AT THE END, WHETHER IT'S A STUDENT, WHETHER A TEACHER, WHETHER ITS A LEADER.
AS A TEACHER, HOLD ME RESPONSIBLE ALL DAY LONG FOR THE GROWTH OF MY KIDS FROM WHERE I STARTED THEM AND TO WHERE THEY GOT TO.
AS A LEADER, THE SAME. I'M SUPER HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
I HOPE WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THAT FOCUS THERE.
>> IF I CAN JUST EVEN ADD, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT IF YOU GO TO THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK.
EVEN IN THAT LEARNING FRAMEWORK, WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT IGNITE STAGE.
IF YOU READ THAT LAST SENTENCE, ENGAGEMENT AND THE CONTENT TO FOCUS ON THEIR INDIVIDUAL GROWTH GOALS.
AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIGH-QUALITY TIER ONE INSTRUCTION, HOW DO WE HELP KIDS SEE RELEVANCE OF HOW WHAT I'M LEARNING TODAY IS GOING TO HELP ME GROW AND HELP ME MOVE TOWARDS ACHIEVING THAT GROWTH GOAL THAT I'VE IDENTIFIED FOR MYSELF? EVEN IN THE LEARNING FRAMEWORK THAT KEPT COMING BACK AS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THIS WORK.
>> I LOVE IT. I APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH BECAUSE I THINK ESPECIALLY TO WHEN WE AS A BOARD IS WE'RE SAYING SOMETHING.
I THINK IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE ENACTING WHAT WE SAY, THAT WE'RE NOT SAYING IT, WE'RE MOVING ON AND IT JUST BECOMES THE TOP OF A REALLY PRETTY GRAPHIC.
I THINK WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BRING IT BACK TO THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE THOUGHT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
I APPRECIATE THE WORK AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS DOING THAT.
>> I WOULD JUST ADD THE TEAM EVEN NAMED THE FRAMEWORK AND YOU'LL SEE GROWTH.
IT'S THE RISD LEARNER GROWTH EXPERIENCE.
>> IF I COULD TAG ON REAL QUICK ON THIS SLIDE AS WELL.
I GOT CAUGHT UP IN THIS ON DAY 3 THERE BUT TO ERIC'S POINT, THIS IS A LEARNING MODEL AT FIRST I THOUGHT, WHAT ARE WE DOING? ARE WE DOING SOME WHOLESALE CHANGE OF HOW WE DO BUSINESS IN A CLASSROOM? WELL, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS AND WHERE WE ENDED UP AT, AND I THINK THERE WAS A LOT OF NECESSARY SAUSAGE-MAKING TO GET TO THIS POINT.
BUT I BET IF YOU TOOK OUR BEST TEACHERS IN RISD, THEY WOULD LOOK A LOT LIKE THIS RIGHT HERE.
THEIR STYLE AND THIS IS ALMOST LIKE WE'RE IDENTIFYING A BEST PRACTICE AND WE'RE TRYING TO THEN REPLICATE IT ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
THAT TIED IT BACK FOR ME TO SEE WHY ARE WE DOING THIS ACTION.
WHAT IS THIS GOING TO PROVIDE US? BUT I'D BE WILLING TO BET THAT THIS IS A BEST PRACTICE AND OUR BEST TEACHERS PROBABLY EXERCISE THESE STAGES WHEN THEY'RE INSTRUCTING.
>> I THINK WE HEARD THAT TOBY BRICK, FOR EXAMPLE, WAS ONE OF THE EDUCATORS IN THE ROOM.
SHE'S A BELOVED MATH TEACHER FROM PLC WITH OUR DISTRICT, A LONG TIME HER PERFORMANCE OUTCOMES SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
SHE SPOKE THROUGHOUT THOSE THREE DAYS ABOUT HOW MAYBE SHE HAD DIFFERENT WORDS FOR IT OR MAYBE SHE FINDS IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
BUT IN THE END, IN THE ESSENCE, WHEN SHE HAD THAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE THAT JUST ROCKED IT.
THESE WERE THE THINGS THAT SHE WAS DOING.
TODAY WE HAD A THINK TANK TO BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE INITIATE THIS WORK WITH STAFF.
HOW DO WE BEGIN TO INTRODUCE IT? HOW DO WE BEGIN TO HELP THEM MAKE MEANING AND WHAT THIS MEANS FOR THEM? THAT DAILY LESSON PLAN, WHAT DOES THIS LOOK LIKE IN PLCS? ONE OF THE PHENOMENAL THINGS THAT WE HAD IS LIKE WE'RE UNITED AROUND A COMMON LANGUAGE.
I THINK WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT FOR A WHILE.
THERE HAS BEEN AT ONE CAMPUS THEY MIGHT BE STUDYING THE FUNDAMENTAL 5 AND THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSING ON THE ASPECTS OF THE FUNDAMENTAL 5.
THEN ANOTHER CAMPUS IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE 5E INQUIRY MODEL.
THEY'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THAT.
WELL, IT'S REALLY HARD TO LEVERAGE SYSTEMS AND SUPPORTS TO HELP TEACHERS GROW WHEN EVERYONE'S DOING THEIR OWN THING.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY HAVE TO ABANDON THOSE THINGS BECAUSE GUESS WHAT THOSE THINGS FIT WITHIN THIS LEARNING FRAMEWORK.
BUT AS A DISTRICT, NOW WE KNOW REALLY HOW TO STRENGTHEN THOSE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SUPPORTS AND THE RESOURCES SO THAT WE'RE ALL UNITED IN COMMON LANGUAGE.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT GETTING EFFICIENT, THAT IS A NECESSARY COMPONENT OF EFFICIENCY.
[00:40:03]
ON TOP OF THAT, IT WASN'T A BUNCH OF GRAY HAIRS.
THE THING THAT WAS IMPRESSIVE TO ME IS THAT THEY WOULD SPEAK UP, THEY WOULD PROVIDE INPUT.
THEY WERE SPEAKING TO, "HEY, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE RIGHT NOW." THEY WERE THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS COMING BEHIND THEM AND I JUST WANT TO COMMEND THAT THE WORK THEY COMMITTED TO AND THEY WERE NOT SHY ABOUT SPEAKING UP IN A ROOM FULL OF [OVERLAPPING].
>> [LAUGHTER] THE THING IS THAT IT WAS EXCITING.
IS JUST AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE GREAT KIDS THAT WE'VE GOT.
THEY'RE PAYING IT FORWARD TO THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS AND HOW THEY CAN HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL.
IT WAS JUST NICE AND REFRESHING TO HAVE THEIR INPUT.
IT WASN'T JUST A QUIET SIT IN THE CORNER.
THEY WERE PUSHING BACK ON THINGS AND THEY WOULD SAY, "HEY, STOP, THIS DOESN'T APPLY OR THIS DOES," AND SO THAT WAS AN EXCITING PART, IS THAT THEY WERE JUST AS MUCH A PART OF THIS CREATION PROCESS THAN ANYBODY IN THE WHOLE ROOM.
>> SOME GOOD STUFF. MS. PACHECO.
>> THANK YOU FOR THAT GREAT PRESENTATION.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU TO YOU AND YOUR TEAM AND ALL THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DID TOGETHER.
I WANT TO THANK OUR COMMUNITY THAT STEPPED IN AND DID SOME OF THIS WORK.
I'M ACTUALLY SO EXCITED THAT SO MANY STUDENTS DID PARTICIPATE AND THAT THEY PUSHED BACK.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THEM TO FEEL THAT THEY HAVE THE TRUST, TO BE AS HONEST AS THEY CAN BE AND THAT THEY'RE IN A SAFE SPACE, AND THAT THEIR THOUGHTS ARE VALUED AND HEARD.
I STILL LIKE THAT SHEET JUST THE WAY IT IS.
[LAUGHTER] WE DON'T NEED TO REDESIGN THAT ONE IN ANY WAY.
>> EVERY ONE OF THOSE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, THEY SACRIFICED A LOT TO SPEND THREE DAYS IN A ROOM TALKING ABOUT HOW TO HELP RISD STUDENTS AND HOW TO SUPPORT RISD STAFF MEMBERS.
IT WAS A TREMENDOUS SACRIFICE AND WE TRULY APPRECIATE AND ARE GRATEFUL FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF THEM.
>> NOTHING'S GOING TO STOP US. [LAUGHTER]
>> NOTHING'S GOING TO STOP US. [BACKGROUND]
>> GOOD STUFF. THANK YOU, DR. HELLER, FOR YOUR WORK, YOUR TEAM.
AGAIN, IT WAS THREE FULL CONSECUTIVE DAYS.
WE THANK EVERYONE WHO WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
>> FOR THOSE LISTENING I INVITE THEM TO COME AND GET AN UPDATE AND PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL INPUT ON APRIL 12TH.
THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT SESSIONS.
IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE, AND CONTINUE TO WATCH OUR CHANNELS AND LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING THE TEAM TO YOU.
THE INTENT IS THAT THE DISTRICT DESIGN TEAM WILL BE PRESENTING THE WORK TO THE COMMUNITY AND TO YOU ALL LATER THIS SPRING. THANK YOU.
OUR NEXT ITEM IS A REPORT ON THE A THROUGH F ACCOUNTABILITY REFRESH PART 1. MS. BRANUM.
[III.C. A-F Accountability Refresh Part 1]
>> THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS. AS WE COMMITTED TO YOU EARLIER THIS SPRING, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WALK YOU AS WELL AS OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY ALONG THE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT THE TEXAS EDUCATION AGENCY IS MAKING AS WE MOVE FORWARD, BOTH WITH START 2.0 AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM ALONE AS IT IS TODAY, IS COMPLEX.
THEN THE NEW CHANGES THAT THEY'RE APPLYING WHILE THEY'RE ALSO MAKING CHANGES TO THE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT, MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPLEX.
WE ARE BREAKING THIS UP INTO SEVERAL PARTS SERIES, JUST LIKE WE DID WITH START 2.0.
TONIGHT, YOU'LL NOTICE THIS IS PART 1.
WE WANTED TO CHUNK THIS FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE WE COULD PROBABLY SPEND HALF OF THE DAY.
WE HAVE SPENT DAYS UPON DAYS, HOURS LEARNING ABOUT THIS AND THERE ARE STILL QUESTION MARKS THAT WE HAVE.
WE WANTED TO MAKE THIS EASILY CONSUMABLE FOR OUR PARENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY.
TONIGHT WE'RE GOING TO FOCUS ON DOMAIN 1, WHICH IS AROUND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, AS WELL AS THE CHANGES THAT THEY'RE MAKING IN THE OVERALL DISTRICT CALCULATIONS OF OUR DISTRICT.
I ALSO WANT TO ADDRESS THAT THE STATE AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS, I THINK WE HAD A PUBLIC COMMENT, OR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE EVENING,
[00:45:02]
THERE IS GOING TO BE A WHAT-IF SCENARIO THAT IS GOING TO BE RELEASED BY THE STATE IN EARLY MAY.THEY ARE PREDICTING THAT THAT WILL BE SHARED.
THAT BASICALLY ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR IF WE WERE TO USE 21, 22 DATA AND APPLY IT TO THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM CHANGES, WHAT WOULD OUR SCORES HAVE BEEN UNDER THE NEW ACCOUNTABILITY? IT DOES NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A NEW ASSESSMENT.
AGAIN, THIS IS WHY WE WANT TO GET VERY OUT IN FRONT OF THIS.
BECAUSE WHEN THOSE WHAT-IF SCENARIOS DO DROP INTO OUR COMMUNITY, WE WANT OUR PARENTS TO HAVE CONTEXT OF WHAT IT REALLY MEANS AND WHAT WE HAVE DONE PROACTIVELY TO ADDRESS THAT.
I'VE INVITED MR. CORTEZ TO COME FORWARD AND PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF ACCOUNTABILITY, PART 1.
>> WELL, T HANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. BRANUM. I APPRECIATE IT BOARD.
GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AGAIN THIS EVENING.
YES, WE ARE GETTING INTO THE ACCOUNTABILITY REFRESH.
THANK YOU FOR SETTING UP EVERYTHING THERE BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS CHANGING THIS YEAR.
THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM IS SOMETHING ELSE.
THE IDEA BEHIND DEA HAVING THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, TO BEGIN WITH, IS TO GET TO A LETTER GRADE THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE EASILY UNDERSTOOD BY OUR COMMUNITY.
BUT AS MS. BRANUM ACCURATELY SAID, IT IS VERY COMPLEX, AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO BE MORE COMPLEX STARTING IN 2023 THIS YEAR.
WE ARE CHUNKING THIS UP FOR YOU TO TAKE A LOOK.
FIRST THING I DO WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS JUST SOME OF THE REASONING AND THE TIMELINE FROM TEA IS PERSPECTIVE.
WE WILL LOOK AT VERY HIGH LEVEL, OUR ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM TO BEGIN WITH.
WE WILL TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED, NOT ALL OF THEM, AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE NEXT PART AS WE GET THERE.
TO START WITH REASONING AND TIMELINE, TEA HAS SAID THAT ESSENTIALLY THE A THROUGH FA3F SYSTEM, AS IT WAS DESIGNED IN 2017, HAS A COMMITMENT TO MAINTAIN THE SAME CALCULATIONS AND CUT SCORES FOR FIVE YEARS WITHOUT CHANGES.
FOR THE MOST PART, THEY HAVE FOLLOWED THAT FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY ARE DOING IS IT IS TIME TO REFRESH.
EVERY FIVE YEARS THEY ARE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE SYSTEM.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT THEY ARE TAKING A LOOK AT A REFRESH OF THE A THROUGH F SYSTEM.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT IN THE MIDDLE, COVID HAPPENED.
IT IS ALSO A TIMELY SPOT TO LOOK AT MAYBE WHERE SOME OF THE TARGETS NEED TO BE IN THE SYSTEM AND CONSIDER WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW CONSIDERING THE INTERRUPTION THAT COVID GAVE US AND AFFECTED SOME OF OUR SCORES.
THIS IS THE REASONING FIVE YEARS EVERY REVIEW FIVE YEARS.
ORIGINALLY WHEN THEY STARTED LOOKING AT THIS AND WE'LL GET TO THE TIMELINE IN JUST A MINUTE.
THERE WERE 10 THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO LOOK AT, UPDATING IN THE SYSTEM.
THROUGH GETTING OTHER FEEDBACK DURING THE MONTH OF JUNE, THEY ADDED THREE MORE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS.
WE ARE GOING TO FOCUS TONIGHT THOUGH ON JUST A FEW OF THEM.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THE CUT POINTS BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS IS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE TARGETS THAT WE HAVE TO HIT WITHIN EACH OF THE DOMAINS FOR STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, FOR GROWTH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
OUR APPROPRIATE GOALS POST-COVID.
THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT UPDATING THE CCMR INDICATORS AND THE SCORING THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
THEN TONIGHT, LIKE MS. BRANUM SAID, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THE INCREASE IN ALIGNMENT BETWEEN DISTRICT OUTCOMES WITH CAMPUS OUTCOMES.
THIS TIMELINE STARTED BACK IN JULY OF 2019 AS TEA STARTED TO GEAR UP.
IT REALLY STARTED HITTING THOUGH THE PRELIMINARY FEEDBACK.
THEY'RE ROADSHOW ACROSS THE STATE IN JUNE.
WE GOT MORE INFORMATION IN JULY AND MORE INFORMATION IN NOVEMBER.
WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW IS SPRING OF 2023.
THERE ON THE TIMELINE FOR YOU.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE WAITING FOR THE NEXT STEP, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL.
WE CAN KNOW EXACTLY ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE GONE IN THAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED AND
[00:50:04]
CAN REALLY START TO CALCULATE WHERE OUR DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE AND WHERE OUR CAMPUSES ARE GOING TO BE.THROUGH ALL OF THESE CHANGES THOUGH THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT.
OUR CURRENT SYSTEM IS MADE UP OF THREE MAJOR DOMAINS.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, SCHOOL PROGRESS, WHICH IS REALLY FOCUSED ON GROWTH, AND THEN WHAT'S CALLED CLOSING THE GAPS.
THAT ESSENTIALLY TAKES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AND SCHOOL PROGRESS AND BREAKS IT OUT IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT INDICATORS AND WAYS TO MEASURE.
THE CLOSING THE GAPS PART THOUGH IS THE PART THAT IS REQUIRED FOR US TO MEET FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS.
THE CHANGES IN CLOSING THE GAPS HAVE TO BE APPROVED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
BUT THE OVERALL CALCULATION THAT GOES INTO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY WE GET THE BETTER OF THOSE FIRST TWO, AND THAT ACCOUNTS FOR 70 PERCENT OF THE SCORE.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO TALK ABOUT SCHOOL PROGRESS IN CLOSING THE GAPS TODAY, BUT WE WILL FOCUS ON STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
ONE OTHER THING ABOUT THE STRUCTURE OF THE SYSTEM IS THAT IS BASED ON COLLECTING DATA, WHETHER IT'S STAR SCORES OR PERCENT GROWTH, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND THEN SCALING IT.
THOSE INITIAL SCORES ARE CALLED RAW SCORES AND THEN THEY ESSENTIALLY CURVE.
THEY SET SOME DIFFERENT TARGETS AND THEN THEY CURVE THOSE TO GET EVERYTHING ON A 100-POINT SCALE.
IMAGINE YOU TOOK AN ASSIGNMENT, EVERYBODY IN THE CLASS, THE HIGHEST KID GOT AN 85.
WELL, WE REALLY WANT THIS KID TO GET 100.
SO THEN THE WHOLE CLASS WAS GIVEN EXTRA POINTS TO CURVE.
THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAPPENS FROM OUR RAW SCORE TO OUR FINAL SCORE, OR OUR SCALED SCORE.
THAT SCALE SCORE THEN ALIGNS WITH A LETTER.
EVERY PIECE OF THE SYSTEM CAN RECEIVE A LETTER GRADE AND THAT IS WHERE THE A-F COMES INTO PLAY.
ONCE WE GET IT ON A 100-POINT SCALE, THEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE CUT POINTS FOR WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN, A, WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A B, SO ON AND SO FORTH.
QUESTIONS SO FAR ON THE OVERALL STRUCTURE.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT AS A DOMAIN IN AND OF ITSELF.
FOR ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH CAMPUSES, THEIR CALCULATIONS SIMPLY COMES FROM STAR.
IT'S ALL BASED ON STAR ACHIEVEMENT.
THE WAY THEY GET THIS MEASURE, THEIR RAW SCORE IS SIMPLY THEY TAKE THE PERCENT OF TESTS AT APPROACHES AND ABOVE PLUS THE MEETS AND ABOVE PLUS MASTERS DIVIDE BY 3, AND THAT'S IT.
ALL OF THOSE ARE EQUALLY WEIGHTED.
ONE GOOD THING ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED BY TEA IS THAT THEY ARE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING THAT HAS TO DO WITH SCALING FOR STAR ACHIEVEMENT SCORES.
FOR OUR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OR JUNIOR HIGH, THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE AFFECTED.
PART OF THAT REASONING IS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY CHANGING THE STAR TEST.
UNTIL THEY KNOW HOW THE STAR TEST PERFORMS, THEY DIDN'T WANT TO CHANGE TARGETS HERE.
HOWEVER, NEXT YEAR, ONCE WE HAVE GONE THROUGH STAR ONCE, THEY HAVE SAID THEY WILL COME BACK AND REVIEW, SETTING APPROPRIATE TARGETS AND POTENTIALLY UPDATING THOSE SCALES.
OR OUR HIGH SCHOOLS ARE SCORED A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
OUT OF ALL OF STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DOMAIN, IT'S ACTUALLY THREE PIECES COMBINED TOGETHER.
FORTY PERCENT OF THIS CALCULATION COMES FROM STAR, AND IT'S CALCULATED THE EXACT SAME WAY THAT IT WAS FOR THE ELEMENTARY AND JUNIOR HIGH.
BUT EQUALLY IMPORTANT, 40 PERCENT IS THE PERCENT OF ANNUAL GRADUATES WHO HAVE A CCMR POINTS OR HAVE MET CCMR REQUIREMENTS.
ADDITIONALLY, THEY TAKE A LOOK AT GRADUATION RATES.
WE GET THE BEST OF THE FOUR-YEAR, FIVE-YEAR, OR SIX-YEAR STATE GRADUATION RATES.
I WILL REMIND YOU THAT BOTH OF THOSE CCMR AND GRADUATION EVERY TIME IS A LAGGING INDICATOR.
IT'S BASED ON THE CLASS THAT GRADUATED THE YEAR PRIOR, NOT THE ONES THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THAT ARE ALSO TAKING STAR RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE UNFORTUNATELY WHEN WE GET TO THIS PART OF ACCOUNTABILITY, WE'RE STUCK WITH HOW THE KIDS LAST YEAR THAT GRADUATED PERFORMED IN THESE EITHER GRADUATION OR CCMR, NOT THE ONES WE'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT DISTINCTION BEFORE WE GET INTO HOW THEY'RE
[00:55:02]
CHANGING CCMR AND GRADUATION RATES.FOR GRADUATION RATES WE'LL START WITH THAT ONE AND TEA IS TAKING A LOOK.
BECAUSE GRADUATE IN THEIR STATEMENT, GRADUATION RATES HAVE STEADILY IMPROVED IN TEXAS SINCE 2017.
USING THE CLASS OF 2021 AS A BASELINE, THOSE CUT POINTS HAVE BEEN INCREASED BY TWO FULL PERCENTAGE POINTS.
I'VE INCLUDED FOR YOU HERE THE CALCULATION TABLES FROM 2022 AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE FOR 2023.
THE LOW REPRESENTS THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD AND THEN IT EQUALS OVER TO A SCALE SCORE.
FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAD A SCHOOL THAT HAD A GRADUATION RATE WHERE THEY HAD 96 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS GRADUATE.
IF YOU LOOK WHERE 96 FALLS OVER ON THE 2022 TABLE 96, THIRD ONE DOWN UNDER THE LOW THAT THEN EQUATES TO A 90 AS A SCALED SCORE, WHICH IS IN A.
HOWEVER, IN 2023, THAT SAME 96 PERCENT GRADUATION RATE I, F YOU LOOK ON THE TABLE ON THE RIGHT, IT'S ABOUT FIVE DOWN NOW, CORRELATES TO AN 80.
THAT MEANS THAT SAME PERCENT OF GRADUATION WOULD DROP THE SCALED SCORE BY 10 POINTS AND IT WOULD ALSO MEAN A DROP IN A FULL LETTER GRADE FOR 2023.
THAT'S HOW A GRADUATION IS CHANGING IN THE CALCULATION.
THE IMPACT FOR OUR CAMPUSES WOULD BE THIS.
IF WE'RE USING THE SAME CLASS OF 2021 OR 2020, 2019 GRADUATION RATES, THIS IS WHAT THE NEW SCALINGS WOULD LOOK LIKE.
SO FOR BERKNER [NOISE] LIKE HIGHLANDS, PEARCE, RICHARDSON, IN 2022, THOSE RATINGS WERE A C, C, A, AND B RESPECTIVELY.
HOWEVER, IF THOSE SAME NUMBERS, USING CLASS OF 2021 APPLIED TO THE NEW SCALING ALL OF THOSE CAMPUSES WOULD FALL IN SCALED SCORE AND DROP BY A LETTER GRADE.
THIS CHANGE IS AFFECTING 20% OF THE OVERALL STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT DOMAIN SCORE. YEAH.
WE'RE SCALING BOTH SETS, OLD SCALE, NEW SCALE. WE'RE SCALING 2.2.
IT'S BASICALLY TO MAKE THE DISTRIBUTION WORK LIKE A CURVE.
SO WE'RE DOING THE SAME THING NOW, BUT WE'RE JUST RAISING THE BAR.
THAT'S THE ONLY WE'RE SHIFTING EVERYTHING TO THE RIGHT.
>> I KNOW WE CAN'T CONTROL THIS, BUT PURPOSE AND YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY SAID THAT, BUT WHAT CAN YOU SAY THAT IF YOU DID?
>> YES, THERE, FROM THIS STATEMENT HERE.
GRADUATION RATES HAVE STEADILY IMPROVED IN TEXAS SINCE 2017.
SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY'RE MOVING THE GOALPOST, THAT ADDITIONAL 2%.
[OVERLAPPING] SO WE'RE BEING REWARDED FOR BETTER WORK? THAT SOUNDS AWESOME.
>> AGAIN, IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT.
>> I WANT TO COME BACK TO THOUGH, THAT THEY ARE ALSO CHANGING THIS GOALPOST FOR A CLASS THAT HAS ALREADY GRADUATED.
THERE IS NOT ANYTHING WHEN WE GET OUR 2023 ACCOUNTABILITY SCORES.
THERE'S NOTHING I COULD HAVE DONE THIS YEAR TO IMPROVE THOSE OR TO HELP THAT BECAUSE IT'S A LAGGING INDICATOR.
>> SO THOSE ARE TRUE 23 SCORES, OR THE PRE-LOOK AT THE TEST TO LOOK?
>> SO THIS IS TAKING THAT SAME [OVERLAPPING] IF WE HAD THE DATA FROM LAST YEAR WITH THE NEW MEASURES. YES.
>> SO WITH THESE NEW SKILL SCORE, FINANCING, I'M SURE IT'S LINED UP WITH THIS TOO, BECAUSE OF THE CCMR POINT SYSTEM AND THE DISTRICTS DO GET MONEY FOR.
>> YES, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT.
THE IMPACT FOR THE ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMES FROM STUDENTS EARNING THOSE CCMR POINTS.
[OVERLAPPING] SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT THE ACCOUNTABILITY RATING WON'T IMPACT THAT FUNDING BECAUSE IT'S JUST CHANGING THE SCORE FOR THE CAMPUS.
[01:00:01]
NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF, NO.>> GREAT, NOW I APPRECIATE THE QUESTIONS AS WE GO.
[LAUGHTER] THIS ONE IS A LITTLE BEEFY TO UNDERSTAND.
NOW FOR CCMR, THINGS ARE CHANGING HERE, [NOISE] MULTIPLE THINGS.
THEY ARE LOOKING AT SOME CHANGES TO SOME OF THE INDICATORS.
THE STANDARD ONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE PAST WILL CONTINUE TO BE THERE SUCH AS SCORING A THREE ON AN AP TEST, ENROLLING IN OR ENLISTING IN THE MILITARY, TAKING CERTAIN NUMBERS OF HOURS OF DUAL CREDIT.
THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. BUT THEY ARE MOVING THE GOALPOST HERE TOO.
ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO THE SCALING.
SO THIS IS WHERE, AND I JUST QUOTED STRAIGHT FROM TAS INFORMATION BECAUSE I WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU SAW THEIR WORDS.
SO FEEDBACK FIVE YEARS AGO WAS 90% OF CCMR GRADUATE SHOULD GENERATE IN A.
HOWEVER, VERY FEW CAMPUSES PERFORMED AT THAT LEVEL, ACTUALLY AVERAGED ACROSS THE STATE WAS 47% OF GRADUATES EARNING A CCMR POINT.
SO TO MATCH THE STATES 60 THROUGH 30 GOALS OR 60 BY 30, WHICH IS 60% OF GRADUATES COLLEGE READY BY THE YEAR 2030.
THEY SET THE CUT OFF FOR AN A AT A 60.
HOWEVER, SINCE CCMR [LAUGHTER] PERFORMANCE HAS SKYROCKETED WITH AN AVERAGE PERFORMANCE NOW AT 65%.
GI VEN THESE IMPROVEMENTS AND THAT STATUTORY OBJECTIVE OF A THROUGH F TO MAKE TEXAS A NATIONAL LEADER IN PREPARING STUDENTS FOR POSTSECONDARY SUCCESS, THE CUT SCORE WILL BE RAISED FOR AN A TO AN 88 WITH ANALYSIS SUGGESTING THIS WOULD ENSURE 60% OF GRADUATES ACHIEVE INITIAL POST-SECONDARY SUCCESS.
THE B THROUGH F CUT POINTS ARE ALSO BEING UPDATED TO ALIGN WITH BASELINE DATA AND TO REFLECT THE IMPACT OF ANY DIFFERENCES IN THE CCMR INDICATORS WITH SOME OF THOSE CHANGES THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THE WAY THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE SOME OF THE INDICATORS.
SO THAT CAME STRAIGHT FROM TEAS INFORMATION.
I WILL JUST SAY, AND I BET IN THIS TO ME CAN SPEAK TO THIS BEING IN THE ROOM AS WELL.
OF ALL OF THE CHANGES IN THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM, THIS IS PROBABLY THE AREA IN WHICH SUPERINTENDENTS ARE GREATLY FIRED UP TO CHANGE THAT GOALPOST TO THAT LEVEL.
ON THE HEELS OF COVID, THEY'RE CHANGING SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH, AND LIMITING SOME OF THE WAYS IN WHICH STUDENTS CAN HIT THAT INDICATOR AND AGAIN, IT'S A LAGGING INDICATOR.
THIS ONE, IF YOU HAVE READ ANY OF THE COMMUNICATIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT FROM LOCAL DISTRICTS AROUND THE CONCERNS AROUND ACCOUNTABILITY, IT IS REALLY ROOTED IN THIS CHANGE RIGHT HERE.
>> TO TAKE A LOOK AT CCMR, HERE'S HOW THIS IS CHANGING.
THESE ARE THE THRESHOLDS STRAIGHT FROM THE SCALING RESOURCES FOR WHAT IT MEANT IN 2022 TO BE AN A, B, C, D, OR F. A 60, 48, 39, 20, AND THAT IS PERCENT OF GRADUATES EARNING A CCMR POINT.
I WANT YOU TO NOTICE THOUGH, THE NEW SCALE FOR THE LOW THERE, THAT'S THE MINIMUM THRESHOLD FOR EACH OF THOSE LETTER GRADES.
A MOVE FROM A 60 TO A 88, B FROM A 48 TO 78, C A 39 TO 64, D 26-51.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT IF YOU HAVE A CAMPUS RATING THAT HAS A CAMPUS WITH 62% OF THEIR GRADUATES EARNING A CCMR POINT, THEY'RE GOING TO DROP FROM AN A IN 2022 DOWN TO A B IN 2023.
IF WE TOOK THE EXACT SAME 2021 DATA AND APPLIED THE NEW CUTS, THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE FOR OUR CAMPUSES.
YOU HAVE HERE THE CAMPUS AND THE PERCENT OF GRADUATES THAT WERE IN THE CLASS OF 2021,
[01:05:04]
THE CCMR RATINGS WOULD DROP AT LEAST ONE LETTER GRADE IN MOST CASES TWO.>> TO JUST PUT SOME CONTEXT, MS. SWATTER HAS DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN LEADING OUR PRINCIPLES THIS YEAR INTO MONTHLY PLCS WHERE WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON EVERY CHILD AND LOOKING AT EVERY ONE OF OUR SENIORS AND EVERY ONE OF OUR JUNIORS.
WE'VE ALREADY MOVED THIS YEAR'S SENIORS FROM, WE BEGAN IN THE MID-'40S AROUND 47%, AND OUR SENIOR CLASS ALREADY IS UP TO 74% AND WE STILL HAVE TIME.
EVEN WITH A 74, WHICH IS A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR AND THAT WORK WE'VE DONE IN ONE YEAR.
EVEN AT A 74, WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE AT A C. WE HAVE HAD THAT GROWTH.
AGAIN, THE REALITY OF THIS IS REAL.
>> CAN I ASK A QUICK QUESTION? A LOT OF THIS THOUGH, BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY GREAT PROGRAMS THAT ACTUALLY DO QUALIFY THIS, A LOT OF THIS COMES AROUND CODING AND ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THE RIGHT CODES.
BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SO MUCH CCMR PROGRAMMING ALREADY IN PLACE, THIS IS NOT A FULL OVERHAUL OF THE PROGRAMMING THAT WE OFFER.
>> FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN EARN YOUR CCMR INDICATOR THROUGH EARNING A CREDENTIAL THROUGH CTE, YOU CAN EARN IT THROUGH TSI, MATH AND READING.
YOU CAN EARN IT THROUGH COLLEGE BRIDGE, YOU CAN EARN IT THROUGH YOUR ACT SAT SCORES.
THERE ARE STILL MULTIPLE WAYS TO EARN IT.
THE CERTIFICATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, THEY HAVE TIGHTENED THOSE UP AND THERE ARE SOME CERTIFICATIONS THAT USED TO COUNT, THAT WERE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE FOR SOME STUDENTS AND NOW THOSE ARE NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE.
THEY REALLY ALIGN THEM TO PATHWAYS.
THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF WAYS FOR STUDENTS TO EARN THESE.
>> ABSOLUTELY. BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WITH THEM BEING MULTIPLE WAYS, THEY CAN GET IT AS LONG AS THEY EARN ONE, YOU GET CREDIT FOR IT.
REALLY BEING ABLE TO FOCUS OUR EFFORTS, LIKE ENSURING OUR CODING IS CORRECT.
ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THEM SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY CAN GET THAT, ENSURING THAT IF THERE'S A NEED SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY'RE CLOSE AND WE CAN HELP THEM GET THAT, ALL OF THOSE THINGS CAME INTO PLACE WHICH WOULD CONTINUE TO HELP OUR NUMBERS RISE.
>> THAT'S REALLY WHY WE INTRODUCED THIS YEAR A MONTHLY PLC FOR OUR PRINCIPALS AND OUR CCMR COORDINATORS A T THE CAMPUSES BECAUSE THEY ARE LITERALLY PULLING UP ROSTERS AND LOOKING AT STUDENT TO STUDENT AND MAKING SURE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THEY'RE NOT ON TRACK TO HIT THAT CCMR INDICATOR, HOW ARE WE USING THEM IN ADVISORY? HOW ARE WE USING ADVISORY TO GET THEM IN COLLEGE BRIDGE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HIT THAT INDICATOR? FOR OUR JUNIORS, OUR RISING SOPHOMORES AND RISING JUNIORS.
IF THEY DON'T HAVE THAT CCMR INDICATOR, WE ARE TYING THAT GETTING OFF A PERIOD EARLY AND HAVING A RELEASE PERIOD TO THEIR CCMR INDICATOR.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE IN CLASS WITH US IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT CCMR INDICATOR.
THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE MOTIVATION TO OUR RISING SENIORS.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THEY'RE GETTING THAT COLLEGE BRIDGE DONE.
THEY'RE GOING IN AND GETTING THAT TSI SCORES DONE SO THAT THEY CAN HAVE THAT RELEASE PERIOD THEIR SENIOR YEAR.
WE HAVE DONE SOME REALLY STRONG PROACTIVE THINGS.
BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO SEE THE FRUITS OF THAT LABOR UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
>> ABSOLUTELY. I DIDN'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE GREAT PROGRAMS OR GREAT THINGS HAPPENING.
IT'S JUST HOW THEY'RE COUNTED. ANYWAY, THANK YOU.
>> MS. CORTEZ, [INAUDIBLE] I'M LOOKING AT THESE SHIFTS IN NUMBERS AND IN SOME OF THESE THINGS, 65 TO 70% INCREASES.
THESE ARE MASSIVE INCREASES WHICH IS CAUSING AN OBVIOUSLY ALL THESE ADJUSTMENTS.
I'VE SEEN BASELINE CHANGES BUT I'VE NOT SEEN THAT LEVEL OF CHANGES.
>> NOT THIS SWEEPING CHANGE LIKE THIS WHERE WE'RE TALKING, THESE 20, 30 POINT INCREASES.
>> NOW THE ONE THING THAT WE ARE ALL UNITED AROUND IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO ALL HIT US SIMILARLY.
THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT IS JUST UNIQUE TO RICHARDSON ISD.
AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT ALL DISTRICTS ARE GOING TO EXPERIENCE TOGETHER AT THE SAME TIME.
>> MS. BRANUM, YOU WERE MENTIONING ALL THE ACTIONS WERE TAKEN ON CCMR AND TRYING TO MOTIVATE.
>> BUT THAT IS THE INTENT I GUESS.
THEY'RE TRYING TO DRIVE THOSE ADDITIONAL ACTIONS SO THAT WE GET ADDITIONAL RESULTS AND INCREASE IT.
IN THEIR MIND, THIS IS WORKING AS DESIGNED TO PUSH US.
>> ABSOLUTELY. AGAIN, WE WANT EVERY STUDENT TO GRADUATE CCMR-READY.
IF IT WASN'T A LAGGING INDICATOR, AND IF THEY'D GIVE US TIME TO ADJUST AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS TO OUR PROGRAMMING SO THAT WE HAD A FAIR SHOT AT MEETING
[01:10:02]
THIS NEW GOALPOST IN A TIMELY WAY AND COMMUNICATING THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY.I'M ALL ABOUT INCREASING EXPECTATIONS.
EVERY ONE OF OUR STUDENTS WHO GRADUATE CCMR. [OVERLAPPING] THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.
I THINK IT GOES BACK TO MS. ALAN'S POINT.
NOT ONLY DO WE WANT EVERY STUDENT TO HIT THEIR CCMR INDICATOR BECAUSE THAT IS ONE MORE WAY THAT WE ARE DEMONSTRATING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
OUR KIDS ARE READY FOR COLLEGE OR CAREER OR MILITARY.
BUT IT IS ALSO OFFENDING IMPACT.
EVERYONE OF THOSE STUDENTS THAT HITS THAT INDICATOR, WE ARE GETTING THOSE ADDITIONAL OUTCOMES-BASED FUNDING FROM HOUSE BILL THREE AS WELL.
AGAIN, WE FULLY SUPPORT RAISING THE EXPECTATIONS.
WE JUST WOULD HAVE APPRECIATED A LITTLE BIT MORE RUNWAY AND A LITTLE BIT OF OPPORTUNITY, SINCE IT IS A LAGGING INDICATOR FOR US TO ROLL THIS IN OVERTIME VERSUS ROLLING IN THIS EXPECTATION FOR A GROUP OF STUDENTS THAT WE REALLY CAN'T IMPACT.
>> I'M SORRY, I JUST HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
TAKE ME IN THE DISTRICT A LITTLE BIT ON THIS BECAUSE INITIALLY, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, JACOB OR MR. CORTEZ, THE WHAT-IF SCENARIOS WERE SUPPOSED TO COME OUT IN JANUARY SO THAT YOU HAD TIME BETWEEN JANUARY TO WHENEVER THESE SCORES CAME OUT FOR THIS YEAR TO BE ABLE TO ADJUST.
NOW THOSE WHAT-IF REPORTS AREN'T COMING OUT UNTIL WHAT, APRIL OR MAY? THERE IS NO EVEN TIME TO ADJUST FROM THE WHAT-IF WHEN YOU ACTUALLY GET THE SCORES.
LUCKILY, OUR DISTRICT HAS BEEN VERY PROACTIVE.
YOU GUYS HAVE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB.
MS. SANDERS' GROUP BEING VERY PROACTIVE AND ENSURING THAT EVEN WITHOUT THOSE WHAT-IFS THAT WE HAVE THOSE THINGS IN PLACES, I MEAN, THAT'S CORRECT, RIGHT? ON TIMING.
>> SO THE WHAT-IF SCENARIOS USUALLY COME OUT AROUND JANUARY WHEN THEY MAKE A CHANGE LIKE THIS.
HOWEVER, BECAUSE THEY WERE CHANGING SO MUCH TO THE CLOSING THE GAPS DOMAIN, DOMAIN THREE, THAT IS THE ONE THAT WE HAVE TO PRESENT TO THE FEDERAL WE AS A TEA STATE, HAVE TO PRESENT TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT FOR THEIR APPROVAL.
BECAUSE WE'RE ON A WAIVER FROM NOT HAVING TO DO COMMON CORE AND THAT KIND OF FEDERAL IMPLEMENTATION.
THEY PROPOSED SOME THINGS AND THEIR INITIAL PROPOSAL WAS REJECTED AND THEY WERE TOLD TO GO BACK AND TWEAK SOME STUFF TO CLOSING THE GAPS.
THE DEADLINE FOR THAT, GOING BACK TO THE TIMELINE THAT WAS ON HERE WAS FEBRUARY.
BY THE END OF FEBRUARY, WHICH THE STATE PROPOSED WITH THE NEW CHANGES, WE'RE STILL WAITING AS A STATE TO HEAR BACK ON IF THOSE ARE APPROVED.
BUT HOPEFULLY, THEY'LL BE IN TIME TO AT LEAST HAVE A LITTLE SOMETHING.
BUT ADDITIONALLY, ONE OTHER THING TO MENTION JUST ABOUT THE TIMELINE IS THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF THINGS GOING INTO ALL OF THESE CHANGES.
WHERE WE WOULD NORMALLY HAVE OUR ACCOUNTABILITY RATINGS BEFORE SCHOOL STARTED, USUALLY THE SECOND WEEK OF AUGUST, WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING RATINGS, TEA HAS SET UNTIL SOMETIME IN SEPTEMBER.
I'VE ACTUALLY HEARD FROM PEOPLE WITHIN TEA SAY THAT THAT MIGHT ACTUALLY END UP BEING OCTOBER BEFORE WE ACTUALLY GET THE SCHOOL RATINGS.
BUT THERE'S STILL GOING TO COUNT FOR US.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HOLD HARMLESS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD TWO YEARS OF THE FIVE.
THESE LAST FIVE HAVE BEEN NOT RATED DUE TO COVID.
THEY DIDN'T WANT TO DO A THIRD ONE.
>> PART OF THAT HAS TO COME WITH THE NEW ASSESSMENT ITEMS AND HOW THOSE HAVE TO BE GRADED.
THAT MEANS THE TEST WILL TAKE LONGER TO HAVE AN ACCURATE SCORE AND THEN IN ORDER TO PUT THEM INTO THIS SYSTEM.
BOTH OF THOSE CHANGES TO THE A THROUGH F, BUT ALSO CHANGES THE ACTUAL ASSESSMENT OR CAUSING BOTH OF THOSE TWO LAG.
>> I THINK IT ADDS ANOTHER LAYER OF CHALLENGE THAT EVEN WHETHER YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT REPORTS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP DRIVE WHAT CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS DO WE NEED TO MAKE IN CURRICULUM AND LEARNING TO RESPOND TO WHAT THAT TEST IS TELLING US AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE THE ACCOUNTABILITY CHANGES.
SO GIVING THE SYSTEM TIME TO RESPOND, WE REALLY WON'T HAVE A WHOLE LOT.
THAT JUST THEN EXACERBATES THE PROBLEM FOR ONE MORE YEAR.
>> TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ALL OF THE CHANGES, THESE NEW SCALES, IF WE WERE TO TAKE THIS 2021, 2022 SCHOOL YEAR DATA THAT WE GOT OUR RATINGS ON THIS LAST YEAR AND APPLY THE NEW SCALES.
THE 40% FOR THE STAR RATING WHICH DIDN'T CHANGE, 40% OF THIS NEW CCMR RATING, AND THEN 20% OF THE NEW GRADUATION RATING AND ADDED THOSE TOGETHER.
THE OVERALL DOMAIN SCORES FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUSES WOULD BE AS SUCH, WHERE EACH OF OUR CAMPUSES WOULD DROP BY ONE LETTER GRADE.
[01:15:02]
THAT MOVING THE GOALPOST WILL DEFINITELY PUSH CAMPUS AND PERFORMANCE.WHERE WE HAD SOME CAMPUSES THAT WERE RIGHT, COMING UP ON AN A OR MOVING UP TO THE NEXT ONE.
IF EVERYTHING STAYED THE SAME AND NOTHING CHANGED IN PERFORMANCE, WE HAVE DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'RE MOVING TOWARD.
THE OVERALL DISTRICT RATING IS ANOTHER THING THAT I KNOW WE ALL CARE ABOUT AND THIS HAS CHANGED AS WELL.
[BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] ALL OF THIS INFORMATION COMES FROM TEA PRESENTATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.
BUT OUR CURRENT METHODOLOGY FOR CALCULATING A DISTRICT RATE IS IT ESSENTIALLY TAKES ALL OF THE DATA, STORE DATA FOR ACHIEVEMENT, FOR GROWTH, CCMR GRADUATION, ALL THOSE THINGS.
IT ESSENTIALLY TREATS THE DISTRICT LIKE ONE LARGE K-12 CAMPUS.
THAT CAMPUS HAS BASICALLY THE SAME STRUCTURE WHEN IT COMES TO ITS SCORES, 40 PERCENT, 40 PERCENT, 60 PERCENT, ALL THE THINGS THAT THE HIGH SCHOOLS DO.
IT PRETTY MUCH MIRRORS THE HIGH SCHOOL CAMPUS PROCESS.
WELL, ACROSS THE STATE, TEA HAS SAID THAT CURRENTLY THERE'S A DISCONNECT BETWEEN APPROXIMATELY 30 PERCENT OF DISTRICT RATINGS AND THEIR CORRESPONDING CAMPUS RATINGS.
UNDER THE NEW A-F SYSTEM, EACH OF THE DISTRICT DOMAIN RATINGS, WHICH THEN CALCULATE THE OVERALL SCORE, GO INTO THAT CALCULATION, ARE GOING TO USE A PROPORTIONAL METHOD TO IMPROVE THAT ALIGNMENT.
WHAT THIS MEANS IS THAT EACH CAMPUS IS GOING TO BE WEIGHTED ON THEIR ENROLLMENT IN GRADES THREE THROUGH 12.
THAT WEIGHT WILL BE APPLIED TO THE CAMPUS RATINGS.
ALL OF THOSE PIECES WILL THEN BE ADDED UP TO MAKE THE DISTRICT SCORE AND RATING.
IN THE PAST, EACH OF THE CAMPUS RATINGS HAVE BEEN INDEPENDENT OF THE DISTRICT AND VICE-VERSA. [OVERLAPPING]
>> I WANT TO REMIND YOU THE OBJECTIVE OF THE ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM WAS TO MAKE AN EASY WAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND HOW OUR SCHOOLS WERE DOING.
NOW, TRY TO EXPLAIN WHAT WE JUST SAID RIGHT THERE.
>> BASICALLY WHAT THE SYSTEM SAYS IS THAT EACH OF YOUR CAMPUSES HAS TO NOW PULL THEIR WEIGHT, PROPORTIONAL WEIGHT FOR THE DISTRICT RATING.
BECAUSE THIS EXAMPLE THAT I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU HERE IS OF AN ACTUAL DISTRICT IN THE STATE.
THIS HAS BEEN TEAS ONE OF THEIR EXAMPLES, IS NOT RISD INFORMATION.
I WANT TO MAKE THAT CLEAR. THIS IS NOT RISD.
THIS IS ANOTHER DISTRICT, BUT THIS IS THE DISCONNECT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE TABLE ON THE LEFT, EACH OF THE THREE ELEMENTARY CAMPUSES IN THIS DISTRICT WAS RATED A D. THEIR SECONDARY CAMPUSES WERE RATED CS.
HOWEVER, THE WAY THAT THE DISTRICT WAS RATED ALTOGETHER CAME OUT TO BE A B AT AN 80.
UNDER THE NEW SYSTEM WHERE ESSENTIALLY THEY TAKE THE ENROLLMENT FOR THAT CAMPUS, 389 DIVIDED BY 2859 FOR THE DISTRICT, THAT'S 13.6 PERCENT.
THEIR OVERALL RATING WILL NOW ADD OR BE 9.3 POINTS IN THE OVERALL DISTRICT.
WE'RE TAKING SOME WEIGHTED AVERAGES OF ALL THE CAMPUSES AND ADDING THOSE POINTS TOGETHER.
WHEN YOU TAKE THOSE PROPORTIONS AND APPLY THEM TO THE POINTS, THEN YOU SEE HOW THE RATING CHANGES FOR THE DISTRICT.
IT MOVES FROM AN 80 NOW TO A 73, WHICH THAT C IS NOW MORE IN LINE WITH THOSE CAMPUSES.
THAT MAKES SENSE ON THAT EXAMPLE WITH THE WEIGHTED AVERAGES? NOW, WE HAVE SO MANY CAMPUSES THAT IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO FIT THEM ALL ON A SLIDE [MUSIC] FOR YOU.
HOWEVER, WHAT I DID DO IS I DID TAKE THE CALCULATIONS FOR ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES IN 2023 AND PUT THEM TOGETHER AS A WHAT-IF SCENARIO FOR YOU.
BEFORE ANY OF THE SCALING CHANGES AND THAT STUFF, IF WE JUST SIMPLY TOOK THE DATA, THE 2022 RATINGS FOR OUR DISTRICT, THIS IS HOW THEY WERE CALCULATED.
THESE WERE EACH OF THE SCALED SCORES FOR EACH OF THE DOMAINS, DOMAIN 1- A.
OUR OVERALL SCORE CAME OUT TO AN 84 AND OUR CURRENT RATING IS A B.
IF INSTEAD OF BEING CALCULATED AS ONE DISTRICT LIKE THAT, AND IT WAS PROPORTIONALLY WEIGHTED FROM ALL OF OUR ELEMENTARIES.
IF WE TOOK HOW THAT WENT INTO THE SYSTEM, THIS IS HOW OUR SCORES WOULD CHANGE.
ULTIMATELY, OUR DOMAIN SCORES DROP.
OUR OVERALL SCORE MOVES FROM AN 84 TO A 76,
[01:20:03]
WHICH THEN OUR DISTRICT RATING MOVES FROM A B DOWN TO A C. I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE RESOURCES FOR THIS SLIDE ARE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.THE TEA HAS AN ACCOUNTABILITY DEVELOPMENT WEBSITE THAT HAS ALL OF THE INFORMATION, MUCH OF WHICH I PULLED DIRECTLY FROM THEIR PRESENTATIONS FOR TONIGHT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S BEING COMMUNICATED FROM TEA.
THEN I ADDED THE DISTRICT INFORMATION FOR US.
BUT THESE ARE ALL PUBLICLY AVAILABLE SO YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG, THE PUBLIC CAN FOLLOW ALONG IF YOU HAVE SOME TIME AT NIGHT AND WANT AN INTERESTING READ BEFORE BEDTIME.
OUR NEXT STEPS THOUGH HERE FOR THE NEXT WORK SESSION, WE'LL DIG INTO WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE OTHER TWO DOMAINS.
TEA'S TIMELINE, THEY ARE GOING TO PROVIDE THAT WHAT IF ANALYSIS FOR US USING ALL OF LAST YEAR'S DATA APPLIED TO THE NEW SCALING AND SCORING AND CHANGES AND EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO IT IN EARLY MAY, THAT IS THEIR TARGET.
THE PROPOSED ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL WILL ALSO BE DUE IN EARLY MAY TO US AND FINALIZED IN JUNE.
THEY WILL SEEK FEEDBACK ONCE THEY GIVE US THE PROPOSED ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL.
I WILL BE REVIEWING THAT, SHARING ANY CONCERNS THAT I HAVE WITH MS. BRANUM BECAUSE THEY WILL TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM US.
NOT THAT IT MAY TWEAK, BUT I HAVE SEEN THEM TAKE PUBLIC COMMENT AND CLARIFY SOME THINGS IN THE PAST.
ONCE WE GET THAT MANUAL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE SOME INSIGHT.
WE'VE BEEN DOING SO ALL ALONG THIS PROCESS, ANYTIME THEY GIVE US A CHANCE TO RESPOND.
>> I JUST WANTED TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE.
ONE, I ALSO WANT TO JUST COME BACK TO SOMETHING THAT MS. TIMMY SAID EARLIER IS THAT ALL OF THESE CHANGES TO THE ACCOUNTABILITY KEEPING CONTEXTS, THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED THE ASSESSMENT INSTRUMENT.
ALL OF THOSE ITEM TYPES THAT YOU GOT TO EXPERIENCE THE FACT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE GOING TO BE DOING A CONSTRUCTIVE RESPONSE IN GRADES 3 THROUGH 10.
WE'RE STILL LEARNING ALL ABOUT THOSE NEW ITEM TYPES AND THE ASSESSMENT.
THEN ON TOP OF IT NOW WE HAVE A CHANGING ACCOUNTABILITY SYSTEM.
WE SPENT A GOOD TIME WITH THE PRINCIPALS IN OUR PRINCIPAL MEETING THIS WEEK, REALLY FOCUSING ON SOME LAST-MINUTE AREAS OF FOCUS AS WE MOVE INTO THE TESTING SEASON.
BUT YOU CAN FEEL THE STRESS IN THE ROOM.
THEY KNOW WE ARE INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE MR. CORTEZ AND HIS ACI TEAM WHO THEY HAVE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY BASED UPON WHAT WE KNOW.
AGAIN, WE HAVEN'T SEEN THE ACCOUNTABILITY MANUAL, SO WE CAN'T BE CERTAIN.
BUT OUR CAMPUSES HAVE SEEN SOME OF THESE WHAT-IF SCENARIOS AND OUR PRINCIPALS FEEL THE WEIGHT.
OUR PRINCIPALS KNOW HOW IMPORTANT IT IS FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO CONTINUE TO HAVE A STRONG BELIEF THAT WE ARE GROWING OUR STUDENTS AND OUR STUDENTS ARE ACHIEVING THE OUTCOMES THAT WE WANT FOR THEM.
EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THAT THIS IS JUST ONE PIECE OF THAT, IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE.
WE'RE JUST CONTINUING TO DO ALL WE CAN AS A LARGER DISTRICT SYSTEM TO SUPPORT THEM IN THAT IMPLEMENTATION.
AGAIN, WE KEEP REMINDING THEM WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE THE ONLY DISTRICT.
THIS IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE CALIBRATED ACROSS THE WHOLE STATE.
WE ARE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS WE KNOW TO DO UNTIL WE HAVE THE FIRST SET OF RESULTS AND KNOW HOW TO RESPOND TO THEM.
>> THANK YOU. GREAT PRESENTATION I THINK. MS. TIMMY [OVERLAPPING]
>> I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE THING BECAUSE I THINK TO YOUR POINT.
THERE ARE EVERY OTHER DISTRICT IS GOING TO BE UNDER THIS SAME PIECE WHICH MAKES OUR COHORT GROUPS REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT.
I ALSO THINK TO MAKING SURE THAT WE EDUCATE OUR COMMUNITY ON ALL THE GREAT THINGS THAT WE ARE DOING.
I DON'T MEAN FROM PUTTING LIPSTICK ON A PIG OR TRYING TO MAKE US LOOK GOOD FOR THE SAKE OF LOOKING GOOD TO TELLING A NARRATIVE THAT MAY NOT FEEL TRUE.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE ARE DOING THAT OR WE'LL DO THAT.
I DO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THOUGH THAT THEY DO KNOW WHERE WE'RE REACTING, THE GREAT SYSTEMS THAT WE'VE PUT IN PLACE AND THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS AND THAT WE'RE LEARNING ALL ALONG THE WAY.
I DO THINK THAT WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT SO THAT WHEN THEY ARE DIGESTING ALL OF THIS, IT'S ON CORRECT INFORMATION AND NOT ON COMPARING LAST YEAR'S SCORES TO THIS YEAR'S SCORES IS APPLES AND APPLES WHEN IT'S NOT THE SAME.
THAT'S OKAY. BUT UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING AROUND IT IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WE KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING AND WHERE WE NEED TO IMPROVE.
>> I THINK THE PERFECT EXAMPLE OF THAT IS EVEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL THE RULES,
[01:25:01]
WE KNEW WE WERE NOT WHERE WE NEED IT TO BE WITH CCMR AND WE HAD SOME GAPS IN OUR SUPPORTS AND ESPECIALLY WHAT WE COULD BE DOING TO SUPPORT OUR CAMPUSES.THAT MONTHLY PLC IT HAS BEEN GAME CHANGING FOR OUR PRINCIPALS IN FOR OUR COUNSELORS, AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SPEAK ON A STUDENT-TO-STUDENT BASIS IN A WAY THAT WE'VE NEVER THOUGHT OF BEFORE.
IT HAS BEEN A CULTURE CHANGE AT OUR HIGH SCHOOLS.
THE FACT THAT OUR STUDENTS ARE AWARE THAT THERE'S THIS CCMR INDICATOR.
DR. BINA AND HER TEAM HAD BEEN WORKING ON HOW DO WE HELP OUR PARENTS UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF WHY THIS CCMR INDICATOR MATTERS? WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO THEM AND WHY SHOULD IT MATTER TO THEIR STUDENTS.
IT REALLY HAS HELPED US SHIFT SOME OF THE CULTURE.
NOW WE HAVE TO REALLY WORK AT MAKING SURE OUR PARENTS UNDERSTAND THAT WHY TOO. THANK YOU FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU. WE HAVE TWO MORE ITEMS TO COVER.
DID YOU ALL NEED TO TAKE A FIVE OR 10 MINUTE BREAK OR DO YOU WANT TO PUSH THROUGH? WE'LL TAKE A QUICK BREAK. TEN MINUTES.
I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A WONDERFUL TEA AND SLASH 20 MINUTE BREAK.
NOW THAT WE'RE ALL BACK, WE'RE GOING TO GET BACK TO IT.
[III.E. Review and Discussion of Instruction Policy ]
OUR NEXT ITEMS ARE TO REVIEW SOME OF THE BOARD POLICIES PERTAINING TO LOCAL GOVERNANCE, DISTRICT FOUNDATION, STUDENTS AND INSTRUCTION.I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR BOARD POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE CONSISTING OF MIS.
MCGOWAN, AND MR. EIGER, ALL WORKING WITH MISS LETICIA MCGOWAN, OUR LEGAL COUNSEL, TO ADDRESS UPDATES FROM THE TASB LOCALIZED POLICY MANUAL.
MS. BRANUM, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION FOR US?
I WANT TO ALSO THANK OUR SUBCOMMITTEE TEAM AGAIN.
ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS THAT THE BOARD IS CHARGED WITH IS CONTINUING TO LOOK AT REVIEW AND ADOPT POLICIES AND MAKE SURE THAT OUR CURRENT POLICIES REALLY REFLECT WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND WHAT ARE OUR HOPES AND GOALS ARE FOR THE DISTRICT.
WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU A SERIES OF BOARD POLICIES.
REMEMBER THIS IS AN INFORMATION ITEM.
WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE ACTION.
THIS IS JUST PROVIDING YOU A WHY THE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE IS BRINGING FORWARD THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE INITIATED BY STAFF, SOME WERE INITIATED BY THE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE.
WE WANT A VERY ROBUST CONVERSATION.
WE WANT TO TAKE YOUR FEEDBACK AND THEN POTENTIALLY EITHER MAKE ADJUSTMENTS MOVING FORWARD OR POTENTIALLY THE FEEDBACK FROM THE BOARD.
MAYBE THERE'S NOT AN APPETITE TO MAKE THIS CHANGE AT THIS TIME AND WE WOULD NOT BRING THOSE FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING FOR A VOTE.
HERE'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING, PLEASE GIVE US YOUR FEEDBACK AND WE WILL ADJUST ACCORDINGLY.
I ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE AGAIN INTRODUCE GIL GARCIA.
HE'S OUR PHENOMENAL ASSISTANT GENERAL COUNSEL, WE'RE SO INCREDIBLY FORTUNATE TO HAVE HIM.
MS. MCGOWAN IS AWAY AT A LAW CONFERENCE, AND SO HE IS STANDING IN HER STEAD.
WE'RE GOING TO START WITH OUR BOARD POLICY EIC LOCAL.
MR. GARCIA, WILL YOU PROVIDE A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE POLICY CHANGES BEING RECOMMENDED AND THEN WE HAVE STAFF HERE TO ADDRESS ANY BOARD QUESTIONS?
>> YES. GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU MS. BRANUM.
FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO START WITH EIC LOCAL, THAT POLICY MODIFICATION, THAT'S THE CLASS RANKING.
MODIFICATIONS TO THE POLICY ARE BEING PROPOSED TO CREATE A MORE BALANCED RANKING SYSTEM BASED ON THE CLASS OPTIONS PROVIDED BY RISD.
ADMINISTRATION IS PROPOSING THAT THE CALCULATION OF GPA FOR SENIOR GRADUATION HONORS BE COMPLETED AT THE END OF THE 12TH GRADE FALL SEMESTER.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. WARNER.
>> I WAS IN STOCK THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU, BOARD, AND THANK YOU MRS. BRANUM FOR LETTING US COME AND TALK WITH YOU ALL TONIGHT.
I'M HERE ALSO WITH DR. MARTIN, AND WE'RE HERE TO HAVE A PROPOSAL FOR YOU IN REGARDS TO EIC LOCAL.
IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE WE HAVE COMMON, WE'VE LOOKED THROUGH YOUR GPA POLICIES AND AS YOU ALL CAN SEE FROM WHAT WE HAVE REDLINED ON THIS, THERE'S A LOT OF RED LINING.
A LOT OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT THOSE POLICIES THAT WERE IN PLACE WERE REALLY BECAUSE OF WHERE WE WERE STARTING THINGS AND WE HAD CLASSES THAT WERE ALREADY GOING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE DID NOT WANT TO ADJUST THINGS WITH THEM WHILE THEY WERE ALREADY THERE.
WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE POLICY IS THAT A LOT OF THE THINGS HAVE BEEN REMOVED ON THE FIRST FOUR PAGES,
[01:30:04]
AND THAT IS BECAUSE THOSE STUDENTS HAVE ALREADY GRADUATED AND THEY'RE NO LONGER BEING AFFECTED.WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY COMING TO YOU ALL WITH TONIGHT IN THE PROPOSAL IS REALLY DISCUSSING WHEN WE ARE LOOKING AT GRADUATION HONORS.
WHEN WE CALCULATE GPA, WE CALCULATE GPA AT THE END OF THE FALL SEMESTER AND THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER, FOR ACTUAL USE FOR STUDENTS TO HAVE FOR COLLEGE ADMISSIONS.
THOSE TWO TIMES ARE WHEN GPA IS OFFICIAL.
BUT INSIDE OF OUR POLICY FOR THESE GRADUATION HONORS, WE HAVE AN INTERNAL GPA.
THIS GPA IS NOT USED FOR ANY COLLEGE ADMISSIONS.
THIS GPA DOES NOT GO OUT ON TRANSCRIPTS OR ANYTHING THAT'S PROVIDED TO SCHOOLS.
IT'S SIMPLY FOR US TO BE LOOKING AT OUR TOP 10 GRADUATES OF THE CLASS, AND FOR OUR VALEDICTORIAN AND SALUTATORIAN OF THE COURSE.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT CCMR, OUR DUAL CREDIT COURSES HAVE REALLY TAKEN OFF AND WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DUAL CREDIT GOING ON AROUND THE DISTRICT.
BUT IN ORDER FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THAT, WE DON'T HAVE ALL OF OUR TEACHERS CREDENTIAL BY DALLAS COLLEGE THAT THEY CAN BE THE TRUE TEACHER OF RECORD.
WE HAVE A LOT OF OUR COURSES THAT ARE TAUGHT ONLINE WITH OUR TEACHERS BEING THE FACILITATOR IN THE COURSE, BUT THE DALLAS COLLEGE PROFESSOR IS ACTUALLY DOING ALL OF THE GRADING AND EVERYTHING COMPLETELY ONLINE.
THIS LEADS TO SOME INEQUITIES, AND THIS WAS WHILE WE WERE BRINGING THIS TO YOU, IS BECAUSE OF WHEN WE RECEIVE GRADES FROM DALLAS COLLEGE, WE DO NOT RECEIVE OFFICIAL GRADES FROM DALLAS COLLEGE UNTIL THE END OF A SEMESTER.
WE RECEIVE THEM AT THE END OF THE FALL SEMESTER, AND WE RECEIVE THEM AT THE END OF THE SPRING SEMESTER.
IF THEY ARE TAUGHT BY OUR TEACHERS THAT ARE CREDENTIALED, AND THEY ARE THE ONES TEACHING THE COURSE AND ACTUALLY GIVING THE GRADES, WE CAN SET THEIR GRADE BOOKS UP THAT FOCUS IS OPEN TO COLLECT THOSE GRADES.
BUT IF THEY ARE BEING TAUGHT BY DALLAS COLLEGE PROFESSOR, THEY DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO OUR IN-HOUSE GRADE BOOKS TO BE ABLE TO PLACE GRADES, AND WE DON'T RECEIVE THOSE UNTIL THE END OF THE SEMESTER.
WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING THIS INTERNAL GPA, SIMPLY TO DECIDE OUR VALEDICTORIAN SALUTATORIAN AND OUR TOP 10, WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THOSE GRADES THAT THOSE STUDENTS ARE SITTING IN THOSE COURSES UNTIL THE CLASS ENDS, AND WE'RE DOING THIS AT THE END OF THE THIRD NINE WEEKS.
THIS IS WHY WE'RE BRINGING THIS TO YOU TO HAVE YOU ONE, LOOK AT THE POLICY FOR ALL THE CHANGES THAT NEEDED TO BE MADE BECAUSE OF GRADUATING CLASSES THAT HAVE ALREADY COME AND GONE.
TWO, BECAUSE WE DO NEED TO HAVE CONVERSATION AROUND WHEN WE ARE DOING THESE HONOR COURSES AND WHEN THE GRADES ARE AVAILABLE SO THAT WE'VE GOT GRADES THAT ARE EQUITABLE FOR ALL OF OUR STUDENTS.
EVERYTHING IS AVAILABLE, ALL TO BE LOOKED AT AT ONE TIME.
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO JUST GIVE CONTEXT.
I COULD BE A SENIOR THAT IS VYING FOR ONE OF THESE TOP 10 PLACES.
I COULD BE IN DUAL CREDIT GOVERNMENT AT ONE CAMPUS, AND I MIGHT HAVE A TEACHER ON THAT CAMPUS THAT I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND GRAB A GRADE AT THE END OF THAT THIRD NINE WEEKS AND HAVE THAT CONSIDERED AS PART OF MY GPA.
IF I'M AT ANOTHER CAMPUS OR MAYBE IN THAT SAME CAMPUS, BUT BECAUSE OF MY SCHEDULE, I AM ACTUALLY HAVING MY COURSE FACILITATED BY A DUAL CREDIT TEACHER THAT IS OFFSITE, THEN I'M NOT GETTING THAT GRADE AND THAT IS NOT BEING CONSIDERED AS PART OF THAT TOP 10 CALCULATION.
THERE IS JUST SOME INHERENT IN EQUITIES IN THAT.
AGAIN, AS WE SAID OUR DUAL CREDIT NUMBERS HAVE CONTINUED TO EXPAND, AND OUR HIGH-SCHOOL PRINCIPALS, OUR COUNSELORS, ALL FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT THIS IS AN ADJUSTMENT THAT WE NEED TO MAKE.
OUR KIDS WON'T KNOW WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE A GREATER NOT UNTIL THEY FIND OUT WHAT TEACHER THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE.
TO TAKE OUT THAT UNCERTAINTY, WE ARE PROPOSING WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS CHANGE.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR SOME TO BE ON ONE CRITERION, ONE ON ANOTHER.
HAVE WE LOOKED AT IT AND I'M SURE WE HAVE TO SEE DOES IT CHANGE THE RANKING OF THIS YEAR'S GROUP OR OTHER GROUPS THAT ARE ALREADY IN PROCESS THAT THEY MAY BE UNDER THIS PREVIOUS POTENTIAL POLICY VERSUS THE ONE THAT WE'RE ALL PROPOSING WE GO TO.
>> IT IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE WE WOULD NOT CONSIDER THIS POLICY TO AFFECT THIS YEAR'S GRADUATING CLASS.
IT WOULD NOT BE IMPLEMENTED UNTIL NEXT YEAR'S GRADUATING CLASS.
ALL OF OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE SIGNING UP FOR THEIR COURSES AND THEY GO INTO THAT SCHEDULE, THEY WILL KNOW THAT THEY'RE ALL ON THE SAME FIELD GOING INTO THEIR SENIOR YEAR.
>> OKAY. THIS YEAR'S CLASS THEY WOULD HAVE NO CHOICE LIKE IT JUST IS WHAT IT IS.
>> THERE MAY BE THAT SLIDE AND EQUITY. GREAT.
>> CAN I JUST ADD A LITTLE CONTEXT? I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
UNLIKE WHAT THE STATE IS DOING, WE NEVER TRIED TO CHANGE THE RULES OF THE GAME IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME.
[01:35:03]
EVEN THOUGH WE KNOW THAT THERE IS SOME INEQUITY THERE, OUR STUDENTS HAVE TAKEN THEIR COURSES AND ASSIGNED IT FOR THEIR COURSES BASED UPON THE CURRENT RULES, AND SO WE WOULD NOT WANT TO MAKE THAT CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE OF THEIR GAME, BUT OUR RISING SENIORS WILL KNOW GOING IN WHAT THAT RULE IS TO BE IN THAT TOP 10.SHOULD THIS POLICY PASS, SHOULD WE TAKE THIS FORWARD? I WOULD JUST BE INTERESTED ALSO IN HEARING AT THAT POINT HOW WE PLAN ON COMMUNICATING THAT OUT.
BECAUSE CERTAINLY PARENTS WHO'VE HAD KIDS WHO'VE GONE BEFORE.
I WOULD JUST WANT TO BE SURE THAT WE'RE VERY CLEAR ON THAT.
I THINK THE WORST THING WOULD BE IS THAT SOMEBODY SO EXCITED, SOMETHING CHANGES AND THEY FEEL ROBBED OF THAT.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD WANT THAT.
I THINK THAT COMES THROUGH CLEAR COMMUNICATION.
>> WE ARE ABLE TO IDENTIFY OUR TOP 10% AT THE END OF THAT JUNIOR YEAR.
ALL OF OUR TOP 10% STUDENTS WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME IN AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE COUNSELORS.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A SMALL NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO WOULD BE ELIGIBLE BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY FALL IN THAT RANKING.
WE WOULD HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH ALL OF THE TOP 10% TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND AS WELL AS WE WOULD SEND HOME COMMUNICATION TO THE PARENTS.
THAT OUTLINES THE CHANGE IN THIS FOR ANY OF OUR TOP 10% STUDENTS AS WELL, SO THAT THEY KNOW HOW THEY MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY THIS POLICY CHANGE.
>> I DON'T THINK THIS WAS MENTIONED, BUT FOR MY OWN EDIFICATION, HOW DO WE DO IT? HOW DO WE TACKLE THAT PROBLEM NOW? I KNOW THE SITUATION AND WHAT WE'RE MOVING TO, AND I TOTALLY GET THAT.
BUT HOW DO WE DO THAT NOW WITH THESE DUAL CREDITS? THE TIMING AND GRABBING THAT GRADE AT THAT TIME.
>> RIGHT NOW WHAT WE'RE WORKING INSIDE OF, BECAUSE IT'S TIME TO DO THESE GPAS, IS THAT WE'RE GOING OFF THE CURRENT POLICY, AND THE CURRENT POLICY IS FOR THE STUDENTS THAT ARE TAKING COURSES THAT ARE BEING OFFERED BY OUR TEACHERS THAT ARE CONTROLLING THE GRADES.
WE ARE PULLING THOSE GRADES FROM FOCUS AND PUTTING THEM IN FOR CALCULATION.
BUT IF THE STUDENT IS TAKING THE CLASS CURRENTLY, THAT IT'S COMING DIRECTLY FROM DALLAS COLLEGE.
WE DO NOT HAVE A GRADE TO PULL IN FOR THEM.
>> ON TOP OF THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO ADD, WE DID A COMPARISON OF SEMESTER 1 AND QUARTER 3 CHANGES OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS AND WE SAW SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE CLASS FROM SEMESTER 1 TO QUARTER 3.
WE'RE BASING FINAL AWARDS OFF OF THAT FINAL HALF OF SEMESTER, WHICH IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, THERE ARE A LOT OF ACTIVITIES, THERE'S A LOT OF SICKNESS, THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ALSO GO INTO THAT.
NOT JUST OUR DUAL CREDIT, BUT THE FACT THAT STUDENTS MAY NOT HAVE A REAL ACCURATE PICTURE OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN THAT ONE QUARTER THAT WE'RE DETERMINING THOSE TOP 10 STUDENTS ON [INAUDIBLE] PURPOSE AS WELL.
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ON MS. [INAUDIBLE]
>> LET'S HAVE A WHAT IF QUESTION.
WHAT IF SOMEHOW THE DISTRICT IS LATER ABLE TO ACCESS THE STUDENT'S GRADES FROM THE COLLEGE DISTRICT.
INPUT THEM OURSELVES IF WE HAVE SOME ACCESS WERE SHARED WOULD THAT BEING FLEXIBLE ENOUGH OR YOU DON'T THINK THAT WOULD EVER HAPPEN.
>> UNFORTUNATELY THAT WOULD NEVER HAPPEN.
THERE ARE CHALLENGES IN JUST SOMETIMES GETTING THE END OF THE YEAR GRADES BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S NOT A COMMON REPORTING SYSTEM BETWEEN K12 AND HIGHER ED.
OFTEN TIMES WE'RE DEPENDENT UPON EVEN A STUDENT BRINGING US THEIR GRADE REPORT AT THE END OF THE YEAR SO THAT WE CAN AWARD THEM THE CREDIT AND THE GRADE FOR A DUAL CREDIT COURSE THAT THEY HAVE TAKEN.
THOSE SYSTEMS ARE NOT YET COMPLETELY ALIGNED, BUT I LOVE YOUR THINKING [OVERLAPPING]
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? NEXT. KEEP GOING.
[III.F. Review and Discussion of Basic District Foundations Policies ]
>> THE NEXT POLICY THAT WE'LL DISCUSS IS AE LOCAL WITH THE ADDITION OF AEA LOCAL. EXCUSE ME.
THE PROPOSED REVISION WILL STRIKE THROUGH THE LOCALLY DEVELOPED LANGUAGE CONCERNING DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION IN ORDER TO MOVE THE LANGUAGE TO ITS OWN STANDALONE POLICY.
THIS IS BEING DONE VIA THE RECOMMENDATION OF TASB TO DEVELOP A STANDALONE POLICY.
THERE WILL BE NO CHANGES TO THE LANGUAGE YOU PROPOSE.
[01:40:02]
>> WE'RE SIMPLY BREAKING IT OUT INTO ITS OWN POLICY.
WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANYTHING WE HAVE IN THE CURRENT POLICY, IS SIMPLY THE SAME, JUST MOVING IT INTO ITS OWN.
>> YES MA'AM. THAT IS CORRECT.
>> ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON THAT ONE? MR. [INAUDIBLE]
>> IF YOU WERE DOING THIS ON THE RECOMMENDATION WHICH WE RECEIVE LEGAL RECOMMENDATIONS FREQUENTLY, WHY IS THAT RECOMMENDED? JUST SO I UNDERSTAND, DO WE KNOW THE BACKGROUND ON THAT?
>> MISS MEGAN DID REVIEW IT WITH ME.
THE BACKGROUND REALLY IS THAT THE EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE DISTRICT AND AS RECOMMENDED BY TASB, THAT IS A STANDALONE POLICY.
THAT OUR PHILOSOPHY AND OUR APPROACH TOWARDS ADDRESSING EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION SHOULD BE A STANDALONE AND THOSE TWO SHOULD NOT BE CONFLATED TOGETHER.
WE HAVE AN EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY, AND THEN AS A DISTRICT WE ALSO HAVE A POLICY THAT ADDRESSES EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION.
BEFORE THEY WERE BROUGHT TOGETHER, IT COULD BE HARD FOR A COMMUNITY MEMBER TO DISCERN WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR DISTRICTS EDUCATION PHILOSOPHY AND WHAT IS OUR APPROACH TOWARDS EDI?
>> ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON POLICY? ALL RIGHT, WE'LL CONTINUE.
[III.G. Review and Discussion of Local Governance Policy ]
THE PROPOSED REVISION TO BF LOCAL IS BASED AGAIN ON THE RECOMMENDATION OF TASB.
JUST TO CLARIFY THAT THE LEGALLY REFERENCED POLICIES ARE NOT ADOPTED BY THE BOARD, AND IT JUST ADDS, I THINK ONE SENTENCE.
YOU CLEARLY INDICATE THAT THE BOARD DOES NOT ADOPT LEGALLY REFERENCE POLICIES.
JUST AS A REFRESHER, THE LEGAL POLICIES ARE THOSE THAT ENCOMPASS THE CONSTITUTION, THE US AND STATE CONSTITUTION, FEDERAL AND STATE STATUTES, CASE-LAW, ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS.
>> REALLY, THIS IS SIMPLY STRIKING THAT IN ESSENCE, THE BOARD DOESN'T ADOPT LAW BECAUSE IT'S LAW.
BUT OUR PREVIOUS POLICY HAD THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE AND WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE THAT CAME FROM OR WHY THAT WAS PUT IN THERE.
THE BOARD DOES NOT ADOPT POLICY THAT IS LAW.
>> I'M SORRY, JUST ONE PIECE ON THAT.
THE REASON THAT WE HAVE THOSE SEPARATE IS BECAUSE WE WANT THE COMMUNITY AND OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO EASILY ACCESS WHAT'S LEGAL VERSUS WHAT'S LOCAL, WHICH LOCALS, WHAT WE VOTE ON.
BUT THE LEGAL PIECES WE KEEP IN THERE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE TO BITE THEM, BECAUSE WE WANT PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO EASILY REFERENCE THAT WHENEVER THEY'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND DISTRICT APPROACH.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THERE ARE SOME LEGAL POLICIES THAT STAND ALONE AND HAVE NO LOCAL CONTEXT.
THEN THERE ARE SOME POLICIES WHERE HERE'S THE LAW, BUT HERE'S HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT OR HERE THE GUIDE RAILS THAT WE PUT IN PLACE PER POLICY IN OUR LOCAL.
>> IF I CAN ADD TOO. I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF POLICIES.
IT'S THOUSANDS [LAUGHTER] WE USED TO HAVE NO BOOKS THAT WERE BEYOND THICK AND THEY WOULD LINE IN MY BOOKSHELF AND WE WOULD HAVE TO PULL THEM OUT.
TO MY KNOWLEDGE, ALMOST ALL OF OUR K12 EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN TEXAS USE THE SERVICE OF TASBY BECAUSE THEY HAVE DEVELOPED A ROBUST SEARCH ENGINE THAT WOULD BE VERY COSTLY AND VERY STAFF INTENSIVE FOR US TO RECREATE, NOT ONLY POSTING ALL OF OUR POLICIES ONLINE BUT ALSO CREATING A SEARCHABLE ENGINE.
IT IS DOWN TO, YOU CAN PUT IN THE WORD GPA AND IT IS GOING TO PULL UP EVERY LEGAL AND EVERY LOCAL POLICY SO THAT OUR COMMUNITY COULD LOOK ON IT, SEARCH ON IT AND EASILY FIND AND REFERENCE THAT.
THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE USE THE SEARCH ENGINE PROVIDED BY TASBY BECAUSE IT IS PART OF OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THEM AND BEING A PART OF A TASBY ORGANIZATION.
THEY'VE CREATED A TECHNOLOGY THAT WOULD BE VERY HARD FOR US TO REPLICATE WITH THOUSANDS OF POLICIES.
>> JUST TO PIGGYBACK OF WHAT MS. BRANUM JUST SAID, KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL OF THESE WE SEE ONLINE, THEY ARE COPYRIGHTED BY TASBY, AND IF YOU MOVE AWAY FROM THAT SYSTEM, YOU'VE GOT TO CREATE YOUR OWN SYSTEM, YOUR OWN LANGUAGE, YOUR OWN NOMENCLATURE, IF YOU WILL, WHICH WOULD CAUSE [INAUDIBLE]
>> LIKE A ZILLION FTES [LAUGHTER]
>> WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPAN. MS. [INAUDIBLE]
>> I JUST WANT TO ALSO COMMENT AND TO THANK MY FELLOW COLLEAGUES ON THIS THAT ARE THE BOARD AS YOU MENTIONED, MS. BRANUM, MR. EIGER, AND MS. MCGOWAN, BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE'S SO MANY POLICIES TO GO THROUGH.
I'M ALSO VERY GRATEFUL AND I WANT TO THANK MS. MCGOWAN AND
[01:45:03]
MR. GARCIA BECAUSE IT'S GREAT TO WALK US THROUGH WHAT THIS IS, AND I THINK WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET TO A POINT WHERE EXACTLY THAT WILL SPAN OUT, WHERE OUR COMMUNITY CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE LEGAL AND THE LOCAL AND UNDERSTAND WHICH ONE IS WHICH, BEING ABLE TO JUST MAKE IT USER-FRIENDLY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.BUT THAT WE'RE JUST VERY COMMITTED AND INTENTIONAL ABOUT READING THESE, UNDERSTANDING THESE, AND THEN GETTING TO A POINT OF, OKAY, WHERE DO WE MAKE CHANGES? WHAT CHANGES CAN WE MAKE IF POSSIBLE? THEN UNDERSTANDING THAT, AGAIN, THE LEGAL VERSUS THE LOCAL.
AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO'S HELPED US AND THEN ALL OF YOUR STAFF WHO'S COME ON HERE, I THINK THEY ALREADY LEFT EVERYBODY [LAUGHTER] I DON'T BLAME.
BUT I DO THANK THEM BECAUSE IN EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE PARTICULAR POLICIES, THEY'RE JUST SO GREAT BECAUSE YOU NEED THOSE EXPERTISE ABOUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN THAT PARTICULAR POLICY.
JUST THANK YOU TO EVERYBODY WHO HELPS US AND GIVES US CLARITY FOR THAT. THANK YOU.
>> ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS ON THAT POLICY? LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
[III.D. Review and Discussion of Student Policy ]
LET'S GO TO FDA LOCAL.MR. GARCIA, I'M GOING TO TAKE THE LEAD ON THIS ONE IF YOU DON'T MIND.
>> THIS IS A POLICY THAT WE ARE BRINGING FORWARD FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND FOR YOUR INFORMATION ONLY, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT ASKING ACTION ON THIS.
BUT REALLY THIS IS STEMMING FROM THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAVE BEEN HAVING AROUND WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGET AND WHAT ARE THOSE MENU OF OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE AS A DISTRICT TO ADDRESS, EITHER A, HOW CAN WE GET MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR BUDGET, AS I'VE SAID FROM THE BEGINNING, OR B ALSO, HOW CAN WE GENERATE MORE REVENUE? AS YOU HAVE HEARD IN PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS, WE CURRENTLY HAVE ALMOST 10,000 ELEMENTARY SEATS THAT CURRENTLY WE HAVE OPEN TO PERSPECTIVE STUDENTS WHO MAY WANT TO BE A PART OF THE RICHARDSON ISD FAMILY.
ONE STRATEGY THAT SOME DISTRICTS ACROSS THE STATE HAVE IMPLEMENTED IS LOOKING AT OPEN ENROLLMENT.
NOW, I DO NOT THINK OPEN ENROLLMENT IS THE SOLUTION.
I DON'T THINK IT IS AS STANDALONE SOLUTION.
WHY I'M BRINGING THIS FORWARD AS JUST A CONSIDERATION AND AS AN OPTION THAT I WOULD LOVE TO GET BOARD FEEDBACK WITH IS I'VE HEARD AN APPETITE FROM THE BOARD AND I'VE HEARD A VERY STRONG CHARGE FROM OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TEAM AROUND EXPANDING CHOICE PROGRAMS. NUMBER 1, STRENGTHENING OUR CURRENT MAGNET PROGRAMMING, BUT TWO PROVIDING MORE OPTIONS.
WE HAVE A NEWER DEMOGRAPHIC IN OUR COMMUNITY THAT IS ASKING FOR SOME OF THE CHOICE OPTIONS THAT THEY'RE SEEING IN OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS.
THEY WANT TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO FIND AN INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM THAT MAY BEST MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR STUDENTS.
TRUTHFULLY, WE'VE HEARD A LOT IN AUSTIN AROUND PARENT CHOICE.
OUR PARENTS, I WANT MY RICHARDSON ISD FAMILIES, TO BE ABLE TO LOOK ACROSS OUR SYSTEM AND FIND THAT CHOICE IN RICHARDSON ISD AND NOT FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO FIND THAT CHOICE IN A CHARTER OR A PRIVATE SCHOOL.
WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF DESIGN WORK IN THE NEXT 18 MONTHS FOR US TO BE READY TO, AGAIN, STRENGTHEN OUR MAGNET PROGRAMS BECAUSE THAT IS A PART OF THE INSTITUTION IN THE FABRIC OF WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT, BUT ALSO TO EXPAND SOME NEW OPTIONS FOR OUR PARENTS.
THAT ALONE IS A MONUMENTAL TASK.
ENSURING THAT WE DO THAT WELL AND THAT WE CREATE SOME NEW OPTIONS AT OUR FAMILIES ARE GOING TO SEE AS ENTICING AND SOMETHING THAT MAY DRAW THEM BACK IF THEY ARE SITTING AT INTERNATIONAL LEADERSHIP OF TEXAS OR IF THEY'RE SITTING AT A CHOICE SCHOOL IN DALLAS, I WANT THEM TO COME BACK TO RICHARDSON ISD.
THAT ALONE IS GOING TO BE A MONUMENTAL TASK.
WELL, IN DOING THAT, ANOTHER STRATEGY THAT MANY DISTRICTS SUCH AS GARLAND AND DALLAS ISD HAVE IMPLEMENTED EVEN CUT BELL WITH THEIR CHOICE PROGRAMMING, IS THEY HAVE COUPLED THAT WITH OPEN ENROLLMENT.
BECAUSE AGAIN, THERE ARE SOMETIMES OPTIONS THAT A DISTRICT CAN PROVIDE THAT MAYBE YOU CAN'T GET IN YOUR CURRENT DISTRICT.
AGAIN, ONE STRATEGY, ONE IMPLEMENTATION TIMELINE OPTION WE HAVE IS, AGAIN, DOING CHOICE IN IT OF ITSELF IS HUGE.
I'M ASKING FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO POTENTIALLY DO SOME SMALL-SCALE IMPLEMENTATION OF AN OPEN ENROLLMENT PROCESS THAT WOULD ALLOW FAMILIES TO APPLY FOR AN INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER.
THIS INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER WOULD ALLOW FAMILIES THAT MAY NOT BE LIVING IN THE BOUNDARIES OF RICHARDSON ISD TO APPLY FOR AVAILABLE SEATS IN RICHARDSON ISD.
[01:50:01]
WITH THAT, THERE ARE PARAMETERS THAT WE HAVE IDENTIFIED IN THIS POLICY THAT WOULD PROVIDE US A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF CONTROL OVER HOW WE'RE PROVING HOW MANY INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS WE'RE APPROVING, AS WELL AS ENSURING THAT THE DISTRICT HAS THE CAPACITY TO BEST SERVE THOSE STUDENTS.FOR EXAMPLE, IN THE POLICY YOU ARE GOING TO SEE THAT PART OF THE APPLICATION REQUIREMENT WOULD BE THAT A FAMILY WOULD CHOOSE THEIR TOP THREE.
HERE WOULD BE THE THREE CAMPUSES I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN.
THEN THEY HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE EVIDENCE THAT THEY MEET A RUBRIC, AND DR. GIBBONS, WILL REVIEW THAT IN A MINUTE.
BUT A RUBRIC THAT BASICALLY EVALUATES THE STUDENT'S ATTENDANCE, GRADES, DISCIPLINE, AND STAR PERFORMANCE.
A STUDENT WOULD HAVE TO MEET THAT CRITERIA AND SCORE A CERTAIN NUMBER ON THE RUBRIC TO EVEN BE CONSIDERED FOR APPROVAL FOR THE INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER.
ADDITIONALLY, IF ANYTIME A STUDENT DEMONSTRATED WITHIN THE TIMELINES WE'VE SET, SO IT'S LIKE A NINE-WEEK, A SEMESTER TIMELINE.
IF A STUDENT IS DEMONSTRATING DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS THAN WHAT THEY SCORED ON THAT RUBRIC, WE WOULD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVOKE THAT TRANSFER.
IN ADDITION, WE KNOW HOW IMPORTANT OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS ARE.
AGAIN, THAT AS MUCH AS OUR MAGNETS ARE A PART OF WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS, MY SUITCASE, AND SECOND GRADER, HE IS IN A STRONG NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
WE LIVE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM SPRING CREEK ELEMENTARY.
THAT COMMUNITY IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.
WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SET HOW MANY SEATS WE WOULD EVEN OFFER AS A POTENTIAL INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER APPLICATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, WE WOULD ENSURE THAT WE WOULD NEVER PUT A GRADE LEVEL AT 90% AND THAT WE WOULD LEAVE 2-3 SEATS IN EVERY SECTION.
NOW AGAIN, WE WANT TO PILOT THIS AND WE WOULD WANT TO PILOT THIS WELL.
EVEN IF WE WERE TO RECEIVE, LET'S SAY,100 INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS WE CAN DECIDE HOW MANY WE'RE GOING TO ACCEPT AND WHAT CAMPUSES WE'RE GOING TO ACCEPT BASED UPON THE CONTEXT OF THAT CAMPUS.
REALLY THIS POLICY AND FOR US AND WHY WE ARE ASKING TO CONSIDER THIS NOW IS AS WE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE GENERATE MORE REVENUE.
HOW DO WE INCREASE MORE OPTIONS? ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE COULD DO THAT, AGAIN, IF THE BOARD HAS THE DESIRE TO DO SO AND EVEN CONSIDER THIS NOW OR IN THE FUTURE, IS TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT TO ATTEND ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS.
WE WOULD LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK OUT THIS PROCESS AND GET REALLY GOOD AT THIS PROCESS THIS YEAR BEFORE WE WOULD EXPAND IT AND POTENTIALLY HAVE EVEN MORE INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD EXPANDED CHOICE PROGRAMMING.
THERE ARE INFRASTRUCTURES THAT HAVE TO BE BUILT IF YOU'RE GOING TO DO THIS AND DO THIS WELL.
INFRASTRUCTURES AROUND THE APPLICATION PROCESS, THE COMMUNICATION, MAKING SURE THAT OUR PRINCIPALS HAVE THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT IS DOES THAT COMMUNICATION LOOK LIKE WHEN A STUDENT MAY BE STRUGGLING, AND HOW WE REVOKE THAT TRANSFER.
HOW DO WE COMMUNICATE WITH OUR RICHARDSON ISD FAMILY? THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THIS AT A RISK OF IMPACTING THE CULTURE OF ANY ONE CAMPUS OR OF A WHOLE DISTRICT.
WE WOULD WANT TO EARN THEIR TRUST IN THIS PROCESS AND THIS PILOT YEAR.
I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT OF A RATIONALE OF WHY WE JUST WANT TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH Y'ALL.
THIS MAY NOT BE A DIRECTION YOU WANT US TO GO IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE OR IN THE LONG TERM FUTURE BUT WE FEEL LIKE WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR BUDGET IS AT LEAST ONE STRATEGY WE NEED TO EXPLORE WITH YOU.
WITH THAT, DR. GIBBONS, IF YOU WANT TO WALK THE BOARD THROUGH THE GUIDELINES AND ANY HIGHLIGHTS THAT MAYBE I HAVE NOT SHARED ALREADY AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD.
>> YES, MA'AM. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, BOARD.
I THINK IT'S THE THIRD ATTACHMENT ON YOUR BOARD AGENDA ON THIS PARTICULAR AREA OF THE PACKET.
THESE ARE THINGS WE'RE STILL WORKING ON.
BEFORE I GET TOO DEEP INTO THIS, I WANT TO INTRODUCE OR REINTRODUCE MICHAEL FREEMAN OVER HERE.
YOU LOOK AMAZING AND WE'RE SO GLAD YOU ARE HEALTHY AND WELL.
>> THE DOCTOR MADE HIM STAY HOME FOR AWHILE, SO WE'RE GLAD THAT HE'S BACK. MR. FREEMAN'S HERE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS JUST AROUND MAGNET PROGRAMMING
[01:55:02]
OR SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HE WORKS ON, THAT'S WHAT HE DOES.HE'S HERE TO TALK THROUGH THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT BASICALLY THIS IS A DRAFT ENROLLMENT PACKET THAT WILL OUTLINE WHAT WE'RE THINKING IF WE DO INDEED MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS POLICY FOR INCREASING OUR INTER-DISTRICT ENROLLMENT TRANSFER POLICY.
YOU CAN SEE HERE, AS MS. BRANUM REVIEWED, WE'VE GOT OUR APPLICATION TIMELINE THAT'S AROUND A MONTH.
WE HAVE ASSIGNMENTS, AND IT SHARES WHAT KIND OF ASSIGNMENTS CAN BE GIVEN.
WE DO NOT PROVIDE TRANSPORTATION.
IT SHARES PRETTY IN-DEPTH THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND WHAT A FAMILY MUST DO.
THERE'S AN ONLINE ENROLLMENT PIECE REQUIRED AFTERWARDS.
AS SHE MENTIONED, OR AS MS. BRANUM MENTIONED, YOU CAN SEE THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS FOR ELIGIBILITY WHICH WOULD INCLUDE A PROOF OF RESIDENCY.
I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING FROM THE PIM STANDPOINT AND JUST TEA REPORTING WE HAVE TO HAVE.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WILL BE THE ATTENDANCE RECORD, CURRENT REPORT CARD, DISCIPLINED RECORD, AND THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO EVALUATE.
THEN WE HAVE A SCREENING PROCESS.
YOU CAN SEE, AS MS. BRANUM MENTIONED, THE SCREENING RUBRIC THAT WE WOULD USE.
THEN WE WOULD HAVE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER FOR THE APPROVAL.
WE WOULD LET PARENTS KNOW WITHIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THEY HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
FIRST OF ALL, WE ESTABLISH ELIGIBILITY FOR OUR STUDENTS THAT HAVE APPLIED, AND THEN WE WOULD LET THEM KNOW ABOUT THE APPROVAL OF THAT.
YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE NEXT PAGE, WE'VE LINED OUT THAT IT'S ONE YEAR ONLY.
YOU HAVE TO RE-ENROLL OR RE-APPLY EVERY YEAR.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS AROUND UIL THAT WE NEED TO BE CLEAR AND UPFRONT AND COMMUNICATE WELL TO ANY FAMILY THAT'S WANTING TO COME TO OUR DISTRICT OUTSIDE OF RISD.
THEN WE WANT TO ALSO HAVE A PRETTY ROBUST AREA OR SECTION FOR HOW WE CAN REVOKE A TRANSFER IF THINGS ARE JUST NOT WORKING OUT FOR NUMEROUS REASON, S AND WE LIST THOSE RIGHT THERE.
WE'RE ALSO VERY CLEAR THE PROCEDURES THAT WE WOULD FOLLOW.
WE DON'T WANT IT TO BE A JUST AN OVERNIGHT THING.
WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW A PROPER PROCEDURE SO THAT OUR FAMILIES ARE WELL AWARE OF MAYBE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE IN PLACE.
THE LAST LITTLE BIT THERE, AGAIN, THIS IS A DRAFT.
THAT LAST PAGE IS REALLY JUST WHAT WE'RE THINKING AROUND COMMUNICATION.
WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE THINKING AHEAD, AND I KNOW IT'S BEEN MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES, EVEN THIS EVENING.
WHAT DOES A COMMUNICATION PLAN LOOK LIKE? AS MS. BRANUM SAID, IT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT'D BE SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO BE SUPER ROBUST AS FAR AS STRATEGY, ENGAGEMENT, AND COMMUNICATIONS, BUT WE DO NEED TO PUT SOME THINGS IN PLACE IF THIS MOVES FORWARD AND HAVE IT READY TO GO IF THE BOARD WERE TO APPROVE THIS TYPE OF EXPANSION OF OUR INTER-DISTRICT.
>> I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
OUR STRATEGY WITH REQUESTING THIS IMPLEMENTATION IS THAT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO TAKE OUT A BILLBOARD ON 635 AND WE'RE TAKING OUT A RADIO AD ON KISS FM.
SOME OF OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS DO THAT.
WE KNOW WE'RE NOT IN A PLACE TO DO THAT.
NUMBER ONE, WE DON'T HAVE THE PROGRAMMING THAT WOULD ENTICE THAT NUMBER OF FAMILIES.
TWO, AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS ON A SMALL SCALE SO THAT WE CAN WORK OUT THE KINKS TO THIS PROCESS THAT IF THE BOARD DECIDED TO IMPLEMENT CHOICE PROGRAMMING AND WE DID IT AT A LARGER SCALE, WE WOULD WORK THIS OUT BEFORE WE IMPLEMENTED AN EVEN LARGER SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS NOT AN IMMEDIATE FINANCIAL SOLUTION.
THIS WOULD BE A TIP-TOEING INTO, I THINK, AN ANALOGY THAT I HEARD AT ONE POINT WAS IT'S LIKE A SOFT LAUNCH THAT YOU DO AT A RESTAURANT WHERE IT'S REALLY NOT ABOUT THE QUALITY OF THE FOOD AND ALL OF THAT.
YOU'RE REALLY WORKING ON THE SYSTEMS OF THE POINT-OF-SALE AND YOU'RE WORKING ON YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE AND DID YOUR MENUS EASILY READ AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING WITH THIS POLICY.
AGAIN, WE ARE BRINGING THIS FORWARD AS A PART OF OUR BUDGET PROCESS AND THE PHASES THAT WE'VE SHARED, BUT WE'RE OPEN TO YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE WOULD WELCOME YOUR QUESTIONS AND JUST APPRECIATE YOUR CONSIDERATION.
>> ALL RIGHT. BOARD, ANY QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? NOT ALL AT ONCE. MS. TIMMY.
>> I HAVE A FEW. JUST TO PREPARE.
IN LOOKING AT THIS BEFOREHAND, I WILL SAY THIS, I FEEL LIKE I NEED MORE INFORMATION.
IF AND WHEN THIS COMES UP FOR A VOTE AT ANY TIME, I WOULD NEED MORE INFORMATION IN ORDER TO REALLY DIGEST WHERE I WOULD LAND ON THIS.
I REALIZED THAT A COUPLE OF OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS HAVE THAT PHILOSOPHY OF THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PIECE.
I MEAN, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE COMPARATIVE NUMBERS, HOW MUCH MONEY IT GENERATED.
[02:00:02]
I KNOW WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE, BUT POTENTIALLY OTHERS THAT CHARGE A FEE VERSUS THE OTHERS THAT DON'T CHARGE A FEE.I MEAN, I WOULD JUST LOVE TO SEE SOME OF THAT INFORMATION.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
>> SURE. JUST SOME QUICK THINGS, FOR EXAMPLE, GARLAND ISD, THEY TOOK A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A ROBUST MARKETING AND THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME STRONG CHOICE PROGRAMMING.
IN THEIR FIRST YEAR OF THEIR OPEN ENROLLMENT, THEY GAINED 600 STUDENTS IN THEIR SYSTEM.
LOVEJOY IN THE METROPLEX RIGHT NOW IS THE ONLY DISTRICT I KNOW THAT IS CHARGING TUITION, BUT WE ABSOLUTELY WILL PUT TOGETHER A COMPARATIVE BENCH MARKING AROUND BOTH OF THOSE NUMBERS.
>> I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE THE IMPACT NUMBERS.
NOT JUST FINANCIALLY, BUT AS FAR AS ACADEMICALLY AND RESOURCES THAT THEY WOULD HAVE TO EXPAND, THAT SORT OF THING JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING ALL OF THOSE FACTORS.
A COUPLE OF OTHER THINGS THAT I WOULD JUST WANT TO KNOW TOO IS JUST, DO WE HAVE SCHOOLS THAT WE WOULD BE TARGETING AND THOSE WOULD BE THE SCHOOLS THAT WE POTENTIALLY WOULD OPEN FIRST? TWO, AND OTHERS THAT WE WOULD NOT BE.
I THINK ALL OF THAT INFORMATION, I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO, SORRY, I HAVE A LOT OF REQUESTS TODAY.
TO ME, THIS IS A VERY BIG DECISION.
THIS IS A VERY BIG POLICY CHANGE.
I JUST THINK WE HAVE TO BE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT THAT.
BUT ALSO TOO, I THINK THERE ARE OTHER DISTRICTS WHO DO OPEN ENROLLMENT FOR JUST CERTAIN CHOICE PROGRAMS AND SCHOOLS.
THEY'RE SO GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO AND THEN FOLKS CAN CHOOSE TO GO IN THERE.
I THINK THAT'S FANTASTIC. I AGREE WITH YOU.
WE'RE NOT THERE WITH OUR PROGRAMMING IN SOME AREAS.
I THINK SOME AREAS HAVE SOME REAL POTENTIAL.
IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO OR IF THAT'S A POTENTIAL OPTION WITHIN THAT, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN EXPLORING WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL.
LASTLY, JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS, AND THIS IS NOT ATTRIBUTED TO ANYONE IN PARTICULAR BY ANY MEANS OR ANYTHING, I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW JUST A COUPLE OF OTHER ADDITIONAL THINGS.
OUR FUND BALANCE, HOW MUCH WE'RE GIVING OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I KNOW WITH OUR SR FUNDS AND ON ALL OF THOSE, THEY'VE ALLOWED US TO BE HYPER-CONSERVATIVE IN SOME AREAS, AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT EXTRA FUNDS INTO THAT, WHICH WOULD HAVE ALLOWED US MAYBE SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO DO SOME OTHER THINGS.
I KNOW THAT A PREVIOUS BOARD HAD LOOKED AT EVEN ADDING PRE-K FOR PAY FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT WHEN THEY PASS THAT POLICY, THAT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT WAS GOING TO MOVE FORWARD THAT WAY.
BEFORE WE GIVE UP OUR SPACE TO THOSE OUTSIDE THE DISTRICT, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO MAYBE JUST UNDERSTAND WHAT HAD BEEN DISCUSSED THERE.
IF WE OPEN THIS UP FOR ENROLLMENT, WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT OPTION ANYMORE.
>> NO. THANK YOU. WE DO HAVE RIGHT NOW TUITION PRE-K FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
ACTUALLY, TODAY, MS. HAYES AND I DID A FACILITY AUDIT.
A GOOD CLARIFICATION HERE IS ANY OPEN CLASSROOM.
THE INTENT WITH THIS POLICY IS NOT TO ADD A SECTION TO FILL IT WITH INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
I'M JUST GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE RIGHT NOW.
BRENTFIELD ELEMENTARY, WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND ALL OF THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO OPEN CLASSROOMS. OUR INTENT IS NOT TO THEN FILL THAT SO THAT WE COULD FILL THAT WITH INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS.
WE ACTUALLY, AND WAS WORKING WITH MS. FINNEY LATE THIS AFTERNOON, WE WOULD OPEN THAT UP.
WE HAVE GREAT DEMAND IN THAT PART OF THE DISTRICT FOR TUITION PRE-K. WE WOULD ACTUALLY OPEN UP TWO SECTIONS OF TUITION PRE-K, EITHER TO PRE-K 4S OR PRE-K 3 AND A PRE-K 4 FOR TUITION.
ANY NEW SECTIONS THAT WE WOULD ADD IN ANY OF OUR BUILDINGS, IT WOULD BE TO ADDRESS THE DEMAND THAT WE HAVE FOR TUITION PRE-K BEFORE WE WOULD EVER OPEN UP A SECTION FOR INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER.
THANK YOU. THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CLARIFICATION.
>> I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THAT IS THE INTENT.
I TOTALLY BELIEVE THAT. I BELIEVE THERE'S A SHORT-TERM INTENT AND THERE'S LONG-TERM INTENT.
I THINK OVER TIME WHEN POLICY IS WRITTEN, IT CAN BE INTERPRETED IN DIFFERENT WAYS BY DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIONS GOING FORWARD.
MY CONCERN WOULD BE, IS THAT THE INTENT THAT THIS POLICY HAS? IF YOU START LOOKING AT THE BROADER APPLICATION WITH THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN, COULD ALLOW FOR A DIFFERENT INTENT DOWN THE ROAD, MAYBE NOT ONE THAT THIS BOARD IS CHOOSING, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
I WOULD WANT TO HAVE THOSE DISCUSSIONS AS WELL.
THEN TWO, ON OUR MAGNET PROGRAMMING.
I'M GOING TO SAY THIS BECAUSE I WAS THE PRINCIPAL AT HAMILTON PARK WHEN WE MADE SOME CHANGES THERE HAVING TO DO WITH THAT FEDERAL DESEGREGATION ORDER., THERE WERE A LOT OF PROMISES THAT WERE MADE ABOUT HOW WE WERE GOING TO KEEP HAMILTON PARKS PROGRAMMING AS FAR AS HOW WE WERE GOING TO MAINTAIN ITS MAGNET STATUS.
IN JUST OVER TIME, THOSE THINGS GET LOST IN THE SHUFFLE.
THE PEOPLE WHO WERE MAKING THOSE PROMISES WERE NOT STILL HERE, AND SO THEREFORE OVER TIME, YOU CAN SEE WHERE REALLY GOOD INTENT STARTED
[02:05:02]
AND HOW THEN THOSE PROMISES MAY NOT BE FULFILLED.SOMETHING LIKE THIS WHERE YOU CAN'T UNRING THE BELL IN A LOT OF WAYS, I WOULD JUST SAY THAT I JUST WOULD WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE'RE INTENDING ARE SO TIGHT THAT WE KEEP IT THAT WAY BECAUSE IT IS SUCH A BIG DECISION.
I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.
>> NO, THANK YOU. I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR TEAM WILL DO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS THAT. SORRY, MY MIC WASN'T ON.
THE OTHER COMPONENT OF THAT ALSO IS THERE'S A POTENTIAL TO DO A SMALLER SOFT ROLL-OUT.
BECAUSE IF WE GO THROUGH THIS AND WE SEE THERE ARE EVEN UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN ANTICIPATE, THAT THIS IS A POLICY THAT WE COULD THEN COME FORWARD AND CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY A ONE-YEAR APPLICATION THAT WE WOULD APPROVE AND THESE FAMILIES KNOW IT WOULD ONLY BE FOR POTENTIALLY ONE YEAR.
WE COULD MAKE EITHER ADJUSTMENTS, FURTHER CLARIFICATIONS, OR WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE DIPPED OUR TOE IN IT, BUT ULTIMATELY, IT DOES NOT ALIGN WITH THE BELIEFS OF RICHARDSON ISD AND OF THE BOARD.
WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A DIFFERENT POLICY AND GO BACK TO BEING A CLOSED DISTRICTS
>> I'M SORRY, I JUST WANT TO ADD ONE MORE PIECE OF THAT TOO.
>> BECAUSE OUR BOARD, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS SEVERAL TIMES, OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL CONCEPT AND HOW THAT'S BEEN A REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE.
I MEAN, I DO BELIEVE THAT OPENING THIS UP POTENTIALLY CHANGES THAT CONCEPT OF WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT.
I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONSIDER.
>> I JUST LIKE TO PIGGY YOU BACK OFF OF THAT YOU'RE SAYING, WHICH I THINK IS ALL AWESOME AND I AGREE WITH YOU.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOUNGER MOMS IN SEVERAL OF OUR COMMUNITIES THAT I GUESS A HOMESCHOOL MODEL OR THE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL MODEL IS NOT REALLY SO MUCH WHAT THEY'RE DEPENDENT ON ANYMORE.
OUR HOMESCHOOL STILL TROLL FOR EXAMPLE.
EVERY YOUNG MOM WHO HAS A KID UNDER THE AGE OF EIGHT, THAT IS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD SENDS HER KIDS TO A PRIVATE SCHOOL, IT'S JUST A FACT.
I HAD ANOTHER INTERACTION WITH THE PARENT ON A SOCCER FIELD WITH FOUR-YEAR-OLDS, FIVE-YEAR-OLDS.
SHE LIVES IN THE SKYVIEW AREA AND SHE SAID SHE DOESN'T KNOW ME FROM ADAM AND SHE WAS JUST LIKE TALKING ABOUT KIDS AND WHEN THEY GO TO SCHOOL AND SHE SAID, I LIVE IN THE SKYVIEW AREA, THERE'S NO WAY I'M SEEING MY KIDS TO SKYVIEW, WE'RE GOING TO PRIVATE SCHOOL.
AS MATTER OF FACT, WE'RE GOING TO THIS NEW CHRISTIAN SCHOOL IN LAKE HIGHLANDS.
GIVEN THOSE EXAMPLES AND THERE'S MANY MORE, THERE'S A LOT OF REVOLUTION WE NEED TO DO WITH SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, SCHOOLS, MINE IN PARTICULARLY.
I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO TRYING TO WORK WITH MORE PARENTS IN OUR COMMUNITIES TO REBIRTH AND REVITALIZE SOME OF THOSE SCHOOLS.
RIGHT NOW WE ARE DEAD IN THE WATER, WE ARE IN QUICKSAND GOING WHAT, I SAT AT MY KITCHEN TABLE WITH A PARENT LAST WEEK AND SHE GOES, I GOT ONE KID, RACHEL, I ONLY HAVE ONE CHANCE, WHAT AM I GOING TO DO WITH HIM? I CANNOT BE THE ONLY MUM THAT SENDS HIM TO STOLTZ ROAD IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD.
I GET IT. I WENT TO SCHOOL THERE, I KNOW THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFT, I'VE WATCHED IT.
I PERSONALLY THINK WE'VE COULD'VE DONE A BETTER JOB OF GETTING AHEAD OF THAT AND CREATING SOME MORE PROGRAMMING AROUND THE COMMUNITY BEFORE ALL OF THIS HAPPEN, BUT WE DIDN'T.
I FEEL LIKE IT IS TIME NOW THAT WE GET ON BOARD WITH BEING MORE CREATIVE AND STRATEGIC ABOUT PROGRAMMING IN OUR SCHOOLS TO ATTRACT NEIGHBORHOOD PARENTS BACK TO THEM LIKE MYSELF.
I AGREE TOTALLY WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
THE RESEARCH NEEDS TO BE DONE, WE NEED TO LOOK DEEPER INTO THIS, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT THE CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE REALLY HAPPENING OUT THERE RIGHT NOW WITH THEIR YOUNGER KIDS.
>> THANK YOU, MS. MCGOWAN, MS. TIMMY, THANK YOU SO MUCH, MS. PACHECO.
>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS EXPLANATION MS. BRANUM.
I DID HERE THAT WE CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND CHANGE THIS POLICY IF SOMETHING DOESN'T WORK OR UPDATE IT AND MAKE IT BETTER WITH THINGS THAT AS THINGS MOVED FORWARD.
I DO ALSO AGREE WITH MS. MCGOWAN OVER HERE WITH FAMILIES LOOKING AT OPTIONS.
ONE, WHEN WE OPEN UP OUR SCHOOLS, DOES THAT ALSO MEAN THAT RICHARDSON'S STUDENTS WHO HAVE A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, WOULD THEY BE ABLE TO GO TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL IF THEY WANT TO WITHIN RICHARDSON? THEN MY OTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS JUST PRELIMINARY ON YOUR SOFT OPENING.
BASICALLY, I'M GOING TO CALL IT SOFT OPEN [LAUGHTER].
>> OR SOFT LAUNCH. I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT BECAUSE I KNOW SOME FAMILIES JUST END UP PURCHASING HOMES IN GARLAND, BUT NOT WITHIN THE RICHARDSON DISTRICT OR IN PLANO, NOT WITHIN RICHARDSON DISTRICT.
THEY'RE SAD THAT THEIR KID UNFORTUNATELY HAS TO MOVE OUT OF WHATEVER SCHOOLS THEY WENT.
I FEEL THAT SOME OF THESE FAMILIES WILL ACTUALLY COME BACK EVEN THOUGH THEY LIVE ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE STREET.
[02:10:05]
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO BRING SOME OF THOSE FAMILIES BACK BECAUSE THEIR KIDS GREW HERE FOR A FEW YEARS OR WHATEVER.THEY HAVE FRIENDS AND THE PARENTS ALSO HAVE CONNECTIONS.
THAT'S HAPPENED TO ME WITH SEVERAL OF MY CHILDREN'S FRIENDS.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE THAT SOFT ENROLLMENT AND SEE HOW MANY OF THOSE FAMILIES COME IN AS WELL. TO ME, IT'S EXCITING.
WITH THIS TRANSFER PROCESS, WE WOULD OPEN UP INTRA DISTRICT TRANSFERS AT THE SAME TIME THAT WE'RE OPENING OPENING UP INTER-DISTRICT.
WE ALREADY HAVE HAD ONE WINDOW FOR INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS AND MR. FREEMAN MIGHT KNOW OFF THE TOP OF HIS HEAD, HOW MANY INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS DO WE ALREADY APPROVE IN A YEAR? YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER? SORRY. I DON'T MEAN TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT.
>> WE ALREADY HAVE AROUND 2,000 INTRA THAT MEANS WITHIN THE DISTRICT TRANSFERS HAPPENING, BUT WE WOULD BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THIS IS A CHANGE.
AGAIN, WE WANT TO TRY TO PROVIDE EVERY OPPORTUNITY, AND SO IF WE WOULD MAKE A CHANGE IN A POLICY FOR EXTERNAL WE WOULD AT LEAST REOPEN THAT PROCESS FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE WOULD DO FOR INTER.
WE WOULD PLACE THE INTRA AND CONSIDER THE INTRA DISTRICT TRANSFERS FIRST BEFORE WE DID THEY INTER.
AGAIN, OUR RISD FAMILIES TAKE PRIORITY.
AGAIN, I THINK MS. TIMMY BROUGHT UP A REALLY GREAT POINT AROUND.
WE DO NOT WANT TO DO ANYTHING TO CHANGE THE CULTURE OF THE CAMPUS.
EVEN IF I'M LOOKING AT A CAMPUS RIGHT NOW THAT HAS SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY, WE WOULD BE VERY THOUGHTFUL ABOUT, LET'S SAY IT'S A CAMPUS OF 400.
I HAVE A CAMPUS THAT STILL HAS 150 OPEN SEATS.
WE MAY ONLY BE LOOKING AT PLACING AND EVEN IF WE HAVE THE DEMAND 10-15 STUDENTS IN THAT CAMPUS AGAIN BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO DO THIS AS A SOFT LAUNCH.
WE DO NOT WANT THIS TO BE AN ADDITIONAL STRESS ON OUR PRINCIPALS, OUR TEACHERS, OR ON THAT LOCAL COMMUNITY SO TO TEST OUT WHETHER OR NOT THIS PROCESS AND OUR SYSTEMS ARE WORKING, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING AGAIN, WE HAVE CONTROL OVER WHAT THAT NUMBER IS.
FOR ANY ONE CAMPUS TO EVEN CONSIDER A CAMPUS, WE WOULD ULTIMATELY HAVE THE CONTROL TO MAKE ALL OF THOSE CONSIDERATIONS. MR. POTEET.
>> GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS, COMMENTS HERE.
I LIKE THAT WE HAVE CHARGED YOU AND THE ADMINISTRATION AND LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES, REVENUE, EVERYTHING, FINANCE, BUDGET.
WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THESE OPTIONS AND WE'RE PUTTING THEM ALL ON THE TABLE AND WE'RE DISCUSSING THEM. I APPRECIATE THAT.
THE LENS I WANT, AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN APPLIED, BUT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT IS HOW DO THESE OPTIONS HAS THE APPLICATION OF THESE OPTIONS? HOW ARE WE LOOKING AT THAT FROM A STUDENT OUTCOME? ARE WE IMPROVING? ARE WE INHIBITING? ARE WE CHANGING? OF COURSE, AFTER THE ACCOUNTABILITY PRESENTATION TONIGHT THAT BECOMES EVEN A HARDER QUESTION.
I WANT TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT YES, WE'RE DOING A LOT OF THIS INVESTIGATION BECAUSE OF BUDGET DISCUSSION.
I'M SPEAKING TO MYSELF AS WELL.
WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF WHAT THE OUTCOMES TO THE STUDENTS WILL BE IN THE DISTRICT.. JUST A HIGH-LEVEL LENS THAT I WANT TO KEEP IN THE FOREFRONT.
WHAT ARE THE THOUGHTS ON PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT IN THIS WHOLE POLICY CHANGE? ARE THERE THOUGHTS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO ENGAGE THE PUBLIC, HOW WE'RE GOING TO TALK TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THIS? BECAUSE IF IT IS SUCH A BIG CHANGE FOR RISD, ARE WE GOING TO HAVE SYNCING SESSIONS? ARE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TALKING TO PEOPLE IN EACH OF THE LEARNING COMMUNITIES, OR WHAT'S YOUR THOUGHTS ON THAT?
IF THIS IS SOMETHING AGAIN, IF THE BOARD EVEN WANTS TO MOVE THIS FORWARD, IF BEFORE THE BOARD WOULD WANT TO TAKE ANY TYPE OF ACTION ON IT.
IF YOU WANT US TO OPEN UP THE LET'S TALK CHANNEL, IF YOU WANT US TO DO AN INFORMATION SESSION, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT.
AGAIN, WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF WHERE THE BOARD IS.
WE'VE ALREADY PORED HOURS UPON HOURS OF GETTING IT TO THIS PLACE, AND WE DON'T WANT TO DO ANYMORE IF YOU ALL ARE LIKE AS A BOARD, WE'RE TAKING THIS OFF THE TABLE AND WE WANT TO POSTPONE IF WE WANT MORE PROCESSING TIME.
WE WANT TO CONSIDER, BUT WE WANT A PARENT ENGAGEMENT PROCESS,
[02:15:03]
AND WE WANT THEM TO GIVE US THEIR INPUT, WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THAT AS WELL.I WOULD LOVE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BOARD.
>> THE MEETING IS MORE EDUCATING THEM ON WHAT THIS MOVE IS, EVEN IF IT'S THE SOFT OR MAYBE IT'S AFTER SOFT.
>> BUT AT SOME POINT, I JUST THINK WITH SUCH A MAJOR SHIFT THAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE SOME ENGAGEMENT THERE.
>> WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A LOT OF ENGAGEMENT.
OUR SURVEY THAT IS GOING OUT TO FAMILIES, WE HAVE ONE VERSION THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING OUT TO OUR LEAVERS THAT ARE SITTING IN OUR CHARTER PROGRAMS, IN OUR PRIVATE SCHOOLS WHO HAVE LEFT US TO GO TO ANOTHER DISTRICT.
WE'VE LOST SOME FAMILIES TO GARLAND BECAUSE OF THEIR OPEN ENROLLMENT.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT PROGRAMMING IT IS THAT WE NEED TO BRING BACK.
WE ALSO, AS PART OF OUR PARENTS SURVEY THIS YEAR, WE ARE GOING TO BE ASKING OUR CURRENT PARENTS, THAT MIGHT BE SITTING IN A NEIGHBORHOOD AND ARE WONDERING, DO THEY WANT TO GO TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL? HOW CAN WE STRENGTHEN, A, THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL AND HOW COULD WE ADD MORE CHOICES TO THE DISTRICT? THIS WOULD BE A PART OF THAT AS WELL.
GETTING THEIR FEEDBACK AND HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND THAT PROCESS AS WELL.
THEN THROUGHOUT THE DESIGN PHASE FOR STRENGTHENING MAGNET AND ADDING CHOICE.
THIS WOULD BE A HUGE PART OF THAT EDUCATION PROCESS.
AGAIN, IF THIS IS SOMETHING THE BOARD WANTED TO DO.
>> TRANSPORTATION. I KNOW THE POLICY TALKS ABOUT BOTH TUITION AND TRANSPORTATION.
NO TRANSPORTATION, NO TUITION MINUS PRE CAMP.
ARE THOSE BARRIERS? MAYBE IT'S NOT AN ANSWER NOW, BUT IT JUST THINKING THROUGH THAT IF THE GOAL IS TO BRING PEOPLE IN AND WE GET PEOPLE THAT WANT TO COME IN, BUT TRANSPORTATION IS THE BARRIER, WHAT ARE OUR THOUGHTS ON THAT? IS THAT A NON-NEGOTIABLE OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT?
>> MS. HAYES WOULD TELL YOU AT LEAST RIGHT NOW THAT IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE. [LAUGHTER]
>> THAT HAVING THE DRIVERS IN THE BUSES.
AGAIN, THE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT THING, IS WE DID HAVE CONVERSATIONS AROUND TUITION AND IT MIGHT BE THAT THE BOARD SAYS, HEY, WE WANT A FAMILY WHO'S COMING INTO OUR DISTRICT TO HAVE AT LEAST A LITTLE BIT OF INVESTMENT INTO THAT.
IF A STUDENT DOES TRANSFER, WE DO RECEIVE THAT STUDENT'S ADA.
THE DISTRICT IS RECEIVING THE ALLOTMENT IN ORDER TO PAY FOR THE RESOURCING AND THE SUPPORTS TO EDUCATE THAT STUDENT.
THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO ADD AN ADDITIONAL.
TO YOUR POINT, THERE IS A NATURAL BARRIER BUILT-IN BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE TO PROVIDE THEIR OWN TRANSPORTATION.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO ADD ANOTHER BARRIER INTO TUITION, BUT IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD FEELS LIKE THERE NEEDS TO BE A GREATER INVESTMENT, WE'RE OPEN TO THAT.
BUT THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T INITIALLY INCLUDE IT.
>> MAY I ASK A QUESTION JUST AROUND THAT JUST REALLY QUICKLY? BUT I THINK WE ALL AGREE THAT WE DON'T FEEL LIKE THE ALLOTMENT IS ENOUGH TO EDUCATE THE KIDS THAT WE HAVE.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO EVEN LOOK AT TUITION, WOULD IT NOT BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS COSTING US TO EDUCATE KIDS POTENTIALLY?
>> THAT COULD BE ONE PERSPECTIVE TO HAVE.
>> OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO ASK IF THAT WAS.
>> REALLY SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING MY REASONING IS THE ONLY WAY TO LOOK AT IT OR THE RIGHT WAY TO LOOK AT IT.
WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE POTENTIAL, LET'S SAY I HAVE A CAMPUS THAT HAS THREE SECTIONS AND THEIR NUMBERS ARE 15,15 AND 15.
IT'S NOT ENOUGH TO COLLAPSE AND JUST HAVE TWO SECTIONS, THEY REALLY NEED TO HAVE THAT THIRD.
WELL, I'M ONLY GETTING THE ADA ON 15 STUDENTS TO PAY FOR THAT TEACHER AND THE RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED TO EDUCATE THAT.
IF I PUT EVEN THREE MORE STUDENTS THEN THAT IS POTENTIALLY $24,000 MORE FOR THAT SECTION THAT I'M USING TO HELP PAY FOR THAT TEACHER AND THE COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH RUNNING THAT SCHOOL.
AGAIN, THAT MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT PERSPECTIVE, BUT THAT'S HOW I WAS APPROACHING IT WITH THIS SOFT LAUNCH.
>> A QUESTION. ARE YOU FINISHED?
>> NO I WASN'T, SHE JUMPED ON.
>> YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. [OVERLAPPING]
>> MS. TIMMY, WERE YOU DONE? WE'RE MOVING ONTO MR. POTEET, AND THEN MS. MCGOWAN, WE'LL MOVE ON TO YOU.
>> I'M REALLY CLOSE TO THE END.
[LAUGHTER] EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS.
I DO LIKE THAT ALSO, BECAUSE AS WE'RE LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES FROM A BUDGET PERSPECTIVE, I MEAN, WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT MORE BUILDINGS FOR A LOT MORE KIDS THAN WE HAVE OR PROJECTED TO HAVE.
EVEN IF WE PULL IN, 600 KIDS, WE PULL IN 1,000 KIDS.
WE HAVE CAPACITY IN THESE BUILDINGS, WE'RE RUNNING INEFFICIENT BUILDINGS.
I LIKE THAT, THAT IS BEING THOUGHT OF.
IF THESE KIDS COME, WHERE DO THEY GO? WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON THAT BUILDING AND STAFF, AND HOW WE MANAGE THAT STAFF WITH ADDITIONAL HEAD COUNT.
TO YOUR POINT, WHEN WE ADD SIX PEOPLE TO THREE SECTIONS,
[02:20:01]
15, 15, 15, WE'RE NOT ADDING STAFF OR TEACHERS. WE DON'T NEED TO.BUT THAT'S PART OF THE CALCULUS AND HOW THIS IS ANALYZED.
I KNOW THAT WE SAID THE CHOICE PROGRAMMING, ARE WE TARGETING WHAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR? I DON'T KNOW THAT ANSWER, I'M NOT SURE WE TOTALLY KNOW THAT ANSWER.
BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE LEAVE THE DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY WANT SMALLER CLASSES.
SOME LEAVE BECAUSE THEY DON'T WANT TO GO TO A 6A HIGH SCHOOL.
SOME ARE GOING BECAUSE OF OR DIRECT SPED SUPPORT PROGRAMS. THOSE AREN'T PEOPLE WERE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET BACK.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE A NUMBER AND A POOL OF PEOPLE WE'RE TARGETING, ARE WE REALLY TARGETING AND PROVIDING WHAT WE THINK THEY WANT?
>> YEAH. I THINK THERE'S THREE TARGET AUDIENCES FOR THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION, AND THAT'S WHY THE SURVEY IS SO INSTRUMENTAL.
I'M ALSO ASKING IN THAT SURVEY FOR PEOPLE WHO RESPOND THAT IF THERE WOULD BE A GROUP OF THEM THAT WOULD BE WILLING TO COME IN AND DO A FOCUS GROUP AS WELL.
IT'S ONE THING TO SEE THE ANSWERS IN A QUANTITATIVE REPORT, BUT THEN, TO ALSO REALLY UNRAVEL THAT AND DISCOVER SOME OF THOSE ORIGINS.
BUT REALLY, FOR ME, I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT PROVIDING CHOICE SCHOOLS BECAUSE I DO BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE A GENERATION.
I HEARD THIS IN THE STRATEGIC PLAN OF PARENTS WHO WANT INNOVATIVE OPTIONS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THEIR KIDS. NOT ALL.
AGAIN, MY FAMILY VERY MUCH WE LOVE OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, BUT SOME FAMILIES THAT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT TO THEM.
THERE ARE THREE AUDIENCES THAT I HAVE.
ONE, HOW DO WE BETTER SERVE THE NEEDS OF OUR CURRENT STUDENTS? HOW DO WE POTENTIALLY GET BACK STUDENTS WHO HAVE MADE SOME DECISIONS AROUND SOME OTHER CHOICES? AGAIN, ARE WE GOING TO GET THEM ALL BACK? ABSOLUTELY, BECAUSE THERE ARE SUCH PERSONAL DECISIONS THAT FAMILIES HAVE.
WE WILL NOT GET THEM ALL ABSOLUTELY NOT.
WE WILL ABSOLUTELY NOT GET THEM ALL BACK.
THEN THIRD, IF THERE IS AN APPETITE FOR THE BOARD TO ALLOW SOME OF OUR BORDERING FAMILIES WHO COULD PROVIDE THAT TRANSPORTATION MEET THAT CRITERIA, WOULD WE HAVE SOME, PART TO MS. TIMMY'S POINT, PART OF WHY DALLAS GETS SOME OF OUR STUDENTS IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE, WHETHER IT'S SOLAR PREP OR WHETHER IT'S THEIR LEADERSHIP ACADEMIES, WHETHER IT'S THEIR SINGLE GENDER ACADEMIES, OR WHETHER IT'S BOOKER T OR TOWN VIEW.
THEY HAVE SOME CHOICE OPTIONS THAT ARE VERY ENTICING TO SOME RICHARDSON ISD FAMILIES.
SO IF WE WERE ABLE TO CREATE SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMING, COULD THAT RECRUIT SOME FAMILIES FROM SURROUNDING DISTRICTS TO HELP, AGAIN, BE MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR RESOURCES? THOSE WOULD BE POTENTIALLY THE THREE POOLS THAT WE'D BE LOOKING AT MEETING THE NEEDS.
BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION.
>> THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE A NINE MONTH DESIGN PROCESS THAT WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH BEFORE.
>> THE LAST THING AND I SWEAR THIS IS THE LAST THING.
YOU TALK ABOUT THE POLICY THAT WE CAN TURN IT OFF.
[LAUGHTER] HOW DO WE DO THAT WITH A ONE-YEAR POLICY AND THEN WE DON'T LIKE IT, DO WE REVERSE THE POLICY? THIS, SHOULD I ASK THE POLICY SUBCOMMITTEE OR HOW DOES THIS WORK?
>> ULTIMATELY, JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW, WOULD BRING TO YOU A REPORT.
IT WOULD BE ONE, A REPORT ON HOW DID WE IMPLEMENT THIS CURRENT POLICY AND WHAT WERE THE PROS AND CONS? WHAT WERE SOME OF THE UNINTENDED BENEFITS, THE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF THAT? WHAT DID WE LEARN? THEN IT WOULD BE THEN WOULD WE WANT TO KEEP THIS POLICY IN PLACE AND MAYBE LIMIT IT TO ONLY THE NEW CHOICE SCHOOLS THAT WE WOULD HAVE? WOULD WE WANT TO CONSIDER IT IN A WIDER SCALE? OR YOU KNOW WHAT.
NOPE, WE'RE GOING TO JUST SERVE THOSE THAT LIVE WITHIN RISD BOUNDARIES, AND WE WOULD REWRITE THIS POLICY AND WE WOULD ADOPT IT AGAIN. DOCTOR GIBBONS.
>> I'M SORRY. ONE OF THE THINGS JUST TO TAKE NOTE OF IS THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN IN OUR POLICY BASICALLY STATES THAT WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW OUR OPEN ENROLLMENT GUIDELINES.
WE CAN ADJUST OUR GUIDELINES AS WE SEE FIT.
BECAUSE WE HAVE INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS THAT OCCUR RIGHT NOW, BUT ARE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES ONLY.
OUR POLICY COULD CONTINUE TO BE EMPLOYEES ONLY, WITH THE WAY IT'S STATED NOW.
IF WE WANT TO UPDATE OR CHANGE OUR GUIDELINES AS WE SEE FIT, LIKE WITH THIS DRAFT DOCUMENT, WE WOULD CHANGE THAT AND THEN OUR POLICY REFLECTS WHAT WE FOLLOW IN OUR GUIDELINES SO THAT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CHANGE THE POLICY.
IN MY OPINION, I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO CHANGE THE POLICY THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN, WE'D JUST ADJUST THE GUIDELINES AS WE SEE FIT.
>> OR AFTER THAT, IT COULD BE AN OPTION OR IF THE BOARD WANTED TO BE MORE EXPLICIT WITH HOW ARE WE APPROACHING THIS THEN YOU COULD CHANGE, ADOPT THE POLICY AND WE WOULD BRING IT FORWARD JUST LIKE WE WERE RIGHT NOW.
AS A DISTRICT, WE WOULD GO BACK TO HOW THE POLICY IS CURRENTLY WRITTEN.
>> GOOD STUFF. [LAUGHTER] NO, GO AHEAD.
[02:25:05]
>> I KNOW WE'VE GOT MS. MCGOWAN.
[BACKGROUND] MS. MCGOWAN IS NEXT.
[BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] HOLD ON.
I GOT THIS. MS. MCGOWAN, PLEASE GO AHEAD YOU ARE NEXT.
>> YES, MA'AM, PRESIDENT HARRIS.
>> JUST ANOTHER REALITY CHECK.
I HAD LUNCH TODAY WITH ANOTHER PLANO PARENT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT PLANO DOES IF THEY HAVE OPEN ENROLLMENT. I'M NOT SURE.
BUT SHE'S HAVING SOME ISSUES IN THE PLANO DISTRICT AND DESCRIBED SOME ISSUES TO ME THAT SHE'S SEEN IN HER DISTRICT, AND SHE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT IS RICHARDSON DOING.
ARE Y'ALL OPENING UP? WOULD Y'ALL? BECAUSE I WOULD CONSIDER BRINGING MY KID TO YOUR DISTRICT. JUST SAYING.
>> I JUST HAD ANOTHER THOUGHT.
I FEEL THAT THIS IS A VERY FORWARD-FACING POLICY INTO WHAT THE FUTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE.
WE ARE ALREADY A VERY INTERNATIONAL CITY.
WITH THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS AND THE CHANGES AND ALL THE DIFFERENT MULTICULTURAL PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE, NEIGHBORHOOD IDEAS AREN'T REALLY AS IMPORTANT AS WHAT IS GIVEN, THE QUALITY OF WHAT'S BEING RECEIVED OR THE PROGRAMMING, AND WHERE THEIR CHILD IS GOING TO BE.
I REALLY THINK THAT OPENS UP OUR DISTRICT TO REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
>> I THINK AS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE, THE WORD BROUGHT UP WAS CULTURE.
I THINK WE HAVE SOME AMAZING NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
BUT I THINK ALSO WITH CULTURE, I THINK SOMETIMES IS DIVIDED AMONG THE DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, LIKE THE CULTURE OF ONE SCHOOL.
BUT I THINK THAT IF WE LOOK AT THE EMPHASIS OF THE CULTURE OF OUR DISTRICT AS A WHOLE, LIKE WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT, A LITTLE BIT TO MS. PACHECO'S POINT, WE ARE WELL LIKE THE FIFTH MOST DIVERSE DISTRICT IN THE STATE, AND THEN ALSO WITHIN THE 50TH.
BUT I THINK THAT RICHARDSON WE DOUBT SO MUCH ABOUT WHO WE ARE AS A DISTRICT, HOW AMAZING, AND THE GREATNESS OF OUR DISTRICT.
I ALSO THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE HOW WE COMPETE. HOW CAN WE COMPETE? BECAUSE JUST AS THESE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT ARE GOING ON OUTSIDE OUR NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS, THEY ARE SOLICITING OUR STUDENTS.
THAT'S THE COMPETITION THAT WE HAVE.
I UNDERSTAND MS. JIMMY'S POINT ABSOLUTELY, THERE ARE THOSE CHOICE PROGRAMS THAT EVERY CHILD WANTS TO GO TO BOOKER T OR THE SOLAR, BUT I THINK THAT RISD HAS THAT POTENTIAL TO ALSO BUILD THAT AND TO COMPETE WITH THAT AND TO ALSO AT THE SAME TIME HONOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS AND CULTURE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TOO, I THINK FOR ME AND MAYBE FOR THE COMMUNITY TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT.
THIS IS ALSO A VERY RESPONSIBLE AND EFFICIENT OPTION.
I THINK IT'S GREAT THAT WE CAN DO THE SURVEY BECAUSE THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT ALSO TO GET THE VOICE OF THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK OVERALL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I DID HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT WAS, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE ALREADY DOING THIS? DO WE KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER?
>> I DON'T KNOW THE EXACT NUMBER [OVERLAPPING] OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT I WILL MAKE SURE BECAUSE THAT WAS A QUESTION FROM MS. JIMMY AND I WILL MAKE SURE TO PUT THAT TOGETHER AND BRING THAT FORWARD TO THE NEXT MEETING.
TO YOUR POINT EVEN ABOUT HOW LOCAL DISTRICTS ARE RECRUITING OUR STUDENTS.
GARLAND ISD PUTS IN AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, FOR EXAMPLE, AS WELL AS DALLAS ISD EVERY FALL, AND THEY REQUEST ALL OF OUR STUDENT INFORMATION AND OUR STUDENT ADDRESSES AND PARENT EMAIL ADDRESSES SO THAT THEY CAN DO TARGETED MARKETING AND SEND OUT INFORMATION AROUND THEIR OPEN ENROLLMENT POLICIES.
THEY ARE VERY AGGRESSIVE WITH DOING WHAT THEY CAN TO ATTRACT OUR STUDENTS. THAT IS IMPORTANT.
BUT I WILL MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AROUND WHAT DISTRICTS ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT AND WHICH ONES ARE NOT, AND WHICH ONES TO MS. JIMMY'S POINT.
IF THERE ARE OPEN ENROLLMENTS ONLY FOR THEIR CHOICE PROGRAMMING OR IF THERE ARE OPEN ENROLLMENT TO ANY OF THEIR CAMPUSES.
>> I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO START WITH.
I THINK THAT WE ALSO PUT THE EMPHASIS, AND YOU MADE THIS VERY CLEAR, MS. BRANUM, THAT THE PRIORITY IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE ALREADY OUR STUDENTS IN RISD AND OUR FAMILIES HERE.
BUT ALSO THAT WE'RE JUST ABLE TO GIVE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK TO ALL, IN ALLOWING THIS OPTION.
WE ARE JUST EXPERIMENTING WITH THIS OPTION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE AGAIN RESPONSIBLE AND
[02:30:01]
FAIR JUST TO LOOK AT THAT OPTION AS WE LOOK AT EVERYTHING ELSE.I GUESS THAT'S THE GREAT THING ABOUT AS IN THE POLICY COMMITTEE, BUT JUST POLICY IN ITSELF THAT IT DOES CHANGE.
THERE IS A WAY TO SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T.
THAT'S THE WHOLE BEAUTY OF THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE HERE AND TO BUILD THE POLICIES THAT WILL BENEFIT ALL OF OUR STUDENTS AND OUR DISTRICT AS A WHOLE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO SEE THAT BUT TO KNOW THAT ABSOLUTELY WE WOULD ADJUST IT ACCORDINGLY OR AS DR. GIBBONS JUST POINTED OUT GUIDELINES AND ALL.
BUT I JUST THINK THAT IT'S DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT I WOULD FAVOR.
I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT DEFINITELY HAS AN OPTION, AND TO LOOK AT AND EXPERIMENT WITH AND SAY, HEY, HOW DOES THIS LOOK? LET'S SEE HOW SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE DOING, AND LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN COMPETE WITH THAT AND HOW WE CAN BRING THAT FORWARD.
>> THANK YOU, MS. ANDREA. [BACKGROUND] [LAUGHTER] MR. EIGER, GO RIGHT AHEAD.
>> THE REALITY IS THAT WE ARE DEALING WITH DEFICIT BUDGETS.
I DON'T WANT TO BE ALL ABOUT NUMBERS BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ACHIEVING STUDENT OUTCOME FOR THE STUDENTS WE HAVE.
BUT THE REALITY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH IS THAT WE HAVE A DEFICIT, BUT WE ACCEPTED A DEFICIT BUDGET LAST YEAR.
WE'RE HEADING INTO A SITUATION.
WE'RE HAVING TO MAKE DIFFICULT DECISIONS RIGHT NOW.
I DON'T WANT TO BE GLOOMY AND DUMB BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS AN OPTIMIST.
I'M SAYING THIS CAN BE AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY, RICHARDSON.
BUT WE CANNOT STAND APART. WE'RE JUST THAT.
AS MUCH AS I WANT OUR FRIENDS IN AUSTIN TO HELP US, HOPE IS NOT A STRATEGY. IT DOESN'T WORK.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY WE JUST HAVE TO EVALUATE OPTIONS.
RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'RE SEEING IS THAT WE'RE STAYING APART AND OUR SURROUNDING DISTRICTS ARE MOVING PAST US.
THEY ARE OFFERING OPTIONS THAT ARE APPEALING NOT TO EVERYBODY, BUT THEY'RE APPEALING TO FAMILIES.
I THINK THERE'S EVERY OPPORTUNITY NOW.
HERE'S THE THING, WE'RE NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL HERE, HERE'S THE OTHER THING THAT WE HAVE THE ADVANTAGE ON.
THAT IF WE COMPILE IT, THIS IS NOT FULL-BLOWN GOVERNING, IT AT LEAST GIVES US THE OPTION THAT WE CAN DO THIS.
BUT THE OTHER THING TOO IS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AND CHERRY-PICK THE BEST OF THE BEST AS THERE ARE OPTIONS.
NOT ONLY CAN WE LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE ALSO GOING TO DEMONSTRATE WHAT WE'RE TEACHING IN OUR OWN LEARNING MODEL, WHICH IS TRY, INNOVATE, AND IT'S BETTER TO TRY THAN SIT HERE AND SAY STAY PUT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY IS EVALUATING OPTIONS BUT THE REALITY IS THAT I'M GETTING MAILERS IN MY HOUSE AND SO WE CAN EITHER WAIT ANOTHER YEAR.
BUT EVERY DAY THAT WE WAIT IS ANOTHER DAY THAT WE'RE BEHIND THE CURVE.
THE OTHER THING TOO, I KNOW WITH THIS TEAM AND OUR COMMUNITY, WHO OFFER PROGRAMMING THAT BETTER FITS THE NEEDS IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF KIDS, BEING STILL IN OUR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS.
MY KIDS WENT TO A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
I LOVE THEM. BUT WE HAVE TO CHANGE AND INNOVATE.
FORTUNATELY, THAT IS JUST THE WORLD WE'RE LIVING WITH AND JUST TO GIVE YOU POINTS OF TECHNOLOGY, FOUR MONTHS AGO, NO ONE HEARD OF CHATGPT.
NOW WE'VE GOT WHERE SYSTEMS CAN WRITE COMPLETE ESSAYS FOR YOU.
THAT'S ANOTHER. YOU GUYS HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT LATER.
[LAUGHTER] ANYHOW, NOT TO GO ON AND ON ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, THIS IS A PILOT SOFT TEST.
SIMPLY TO GIVE US THE OPTION, WE MAY COME BACK AND SAY, NO GO, OUR COMMUNITIES DIDN'T LIKE IT.
WE DIDN'T LIKE, IT IS NOT A GO, NO GO LAUNCH OR NO LAUNCH, IT IS SIMPLY TESTING AND PROTOTYPING AND SEEING IF IT'S AVAILABLE OPTION FOR US.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS SIMPLY FROM THE FACT THAT IF WE WAIT ANOTHER YEAR, AS MUCH AS I DON'T WANT TO BE THE GLOOM AND DOOM FINANCIAL GUY, BUT THE REALITY IS THAT WE'RE HEADING FOR A SITUATION THAT WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE COURSE CORRECTIONS IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
THAT CAN BE APPLIED OPTIONS, AND I WANT TO THINK ON THE POSITIVE SIDE TO SAY THAT WE HAVE THESE AVAILABILITIES,
[02:35:04]
WE CAN OFFER PROGRAMS, WE CAN LEARN AND MAKE RICHARDSON DESTINATION.I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ABOUT DISD DOING IT.
I WANT TO HEAR ABOUT WHY YOU'RE MOVING RICHARDSON, BECAUSE OF THE PROGRAMS WE'VE GOT.
I WANT TO SAY THAT THEY'VE GOT A WAITING LIST OF SCHOOLS IN RICHARDSON BECAUSE OF THE THINGS THAT WE OFFER OUR KIDS IN OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR COMMUNITY WILL COME FIRST, DON'T GET ME WRONG.
BECAUSE THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO POINT OUT, TOO, I KNOW FAMILY MEMBERS WHO HAVE LIVED AND GROWN UP HERE AND WANTED TO BUY A HOUSE IN RICHARDSON AND THEY COULDN'T BECAUSE I GUESS ONE OF THE NICE THINGS AND THE WONDERFULNESS ABOUT RICHARDSON IS THAT OUR ELDERLY POPULATION DON'T WANT TO MOVE.
I'VE HEARD THIS FROM OUR CITY COUNCIL.
THEY DON'T WANT TO MOVE, AND SO THE HOUSES ARE NOT COMING AVAILABLE, AND A LOT OF FAMILIES CAN'T AFFORD TO COME HERE.
THAT'S ANOTHER THING JUST TO SAY, WE'RE GOING TO CREATE A DESTINATION DISTRICT, WE'LL MAKE A DESTINATION DISTRICT FOR OUR TEACHERS, AND WE WANT TO CREATE IT FOR OUR PROGRAMMING AND FOR PEOPLE THAT WE CAN SERVE IN THE SURROUNDING DISTRICTS.
>> THANK YOU, MR. EIGER, MS. TIMMY.
>> JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. I DON'T DISAGREE; ABSOLUTELY, WE CANNOT STAND STILL WHERE WE ARE AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE TO LOOK AT INNOVATING THINGS AND WE ALSO HAVE TO TRY AND GO FORWARD, BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN JUST BECAUSE WE CAN, WE ALWAYS SHOULD.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WERE CHARGED WITH IS REALLY DOING OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND HAVING ENOUGH INFORMATION TO MAKE A DECISION BECAUSE THERE ARE INTENDED AND UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF POLICY.
I THINK YOU HAVE TO HAVE ENOUGH INFORMATION IN ORDER TO MAKE A DECISION ESPECIALLY WHEN IT'S SUPER IMPACTFUL.
I WOULD REQUEST BECAUSE MS. PACHECO, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING WHEN YOU SAY THAT NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS DON'T NEED TO BE A THING OR THEY'RE NOT, HOWEVER YOU WORDED THAT, I DON'T WANT TO PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH.
FOR ME AND FOR LOTS OF FOLKS THAT I KNOW, THEY WOULD BE.
I THINK THAT THERE IS NO ONE ANSWER THAT FITS ALL NARRATIVES, THOUGHTS, AND I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY GREAT IN THE MIDDLE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE ALSO WANT TO DISCOUNT THE FACT THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF FAMILIES WHO DO VALUE THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS AND MOVED HERE FOR THOSE NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS, LOSING THEM WHILE DOING THE OTHER.
I THINK THERE IS A GOOD MIDDLE GROUND THERE.
IF WE'RE GOING TO SEND A SURVEY OUT, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE HOW IMPORTANT THAT IS.
>> THAT IS ABSOLUTELY INCLUDED IN THE PARENT'S SURVEY, ABSOLUTELY.
>> AGAIN, MY FAMILIES WERE [OVERLAPPING]
>> IT'S IMPORTANT. I ALSO THINK THAT THIS IS ONE OPTION WITH A MYRIAD OF OPTIONS.
WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE A FINANCIAL ISSUE.
WE ALSO PUT, I DON'T KNOW, SOMEWHERE ROUGHLY AROUND 30 MILLION, IS THAT CORRECT IN FUND BALANCE LAST YEAR? SOMEWHERE AROUND THAT AREA, IS THAT RIGHT? TEN MILLION. WE'RE PUTTING IN MONEY AND SO WHILE WE ACCEPTED A DEFICIT BUDGET, WE'RE ALSO THEN PUTTING IN SURPLUS INTO FUND BALANCE.
FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS, BUT I BELIEVE WE'VE BEEN CONTRIBUTING TO FUND BALANCE EVERY YEAR FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT ANYBODY HERE IS REPRESENTING THAT THIS WOULD BE THE ONLY THING.
I THINK I HEARD YOU SAY THAT; IT WOULD BE IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER OPTIONS.
I WOULD WANT TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE.
EVERY ONE OF THOSE HAS A CONSEQUENCE TO THE AREA THAT WE LIVE IN TO THIS DISTRICT, AND I WOULD ALSO ADD TOO THAT.
I AGREE WE WANT KIDS TO COME HERE BECAUSE OF WHAT RICHARDSON HAS TO OFFER AND ALL OF THAT.
I ALSO HEARD OUR PROGRAMS ARE NOT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE, WHICH I WOULD AGREE WITH AND I WOULD SAY IF WE'RE REALLY GOING TO ATTRACT STUDENTS, DO WE NOT WANT TO PUT OUR RESOURCES INTO GETTING THAT READY AS WELL? I THINK THAT'S WORTH CONSIDERATION.
RUSHING INTO SOMETHING FOR NEXT YEAR, EVEN IN A SOFT LAUNCH, I DON'T KNOW.
I FEEL LIKE THERE'S MORE INFORMATION WE NEED IN ORDER TO REALLY MAKE A DETERMINATION OF THE IMPACT ON THE DISTRICT.
IT'S NOT THAT THE THEORY ISN'T INTERESTING AND THERE ARE PARTS OF THE THEORY I DON'T AGREE WITH, BUT THERE ARE REAL NUMBERS, REAL IMPACTS, REAL PIECES THAT I WOULD WANT TO SEE BEFORE I'D BE READY TO VOTE ON A POLICY.
>> ABSOLUTELY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THIS DISCUSSION SO I CAN UNDERSTAND AND TAKE THE TEMPERATURE OF THE BOARD.
WHAT ADDITIONAL INFORMATION DO YOU NEED BEFORE WE WOULD CONSIDER THIS? I HAVE BEEN VERY OVERT AROUND, FOR EXAMPLE, CHOICE SCHOOLS.
I THINK I PRESENTED IN OUR LAST BOARD MEETING WHAT WOULD BE A POTENTIAL TIMELINE AND WHAT WOULD BE THE RESOURCES THAT WE WOULD NEED TO START THAT WORK EVEN WITH THESE SURVEYS THIS YEAR SO THAT WE HAVE SOMEONE IN PLACE AND WE'RE STARTING THAT DESIGN WORK REALLY AS SOON AS MAY BECAUSE IF WE'RE GOING TO OPEN UP ANYTHING IN 24, 25, WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE REALLY MOST OF THOSE IDENTIFY WHAT SCHOOLS, WHAT SOME OF THAT PROGRAMMING WOULD BE REALLY BY DECEMBER, JANUARY SO THAT WE COULD HAVE A ROBUST MARKETING AND RECRUITMENT PLAN,
[02:40:02]
EVEN IF IT'S JUST ONE ADDITIONAL CHOICE SCHOOL ALONG WITH STRENGTHENING OUR MAGNETS.AGAIN, I'M NOT EVEN SAYING THAT THIS NEEDS TO BE THE FIRST STRATEGY.
I'M LOOKING TO THE BOARD TO SAY I BELIEVE SIX OR SEVEN STRATEGIES WE'VE LAID OUT AROUND.
WE KNOW WE HAVE TO GET MORE EFFICIENT WITH OUR STAFFING, WE ARE IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES TO CONTINUE TO IDENTIFY THOSE EFFICIENCIES IN OUR CENTRAL BUDGET, AS WELL AS IN OUR STAFFING MODELS FOR THE CENTRAL AND CAMPUS ALLOCATIONS.
WE KNOW THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR THE HOMESTEAD, THERE'S OPEN ENROLLMENT, THERE'S OUR CHOICE PROGRAMMING, WE KNOW THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR A VATRE, OR FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE TRE.
NOW IT'S A VOTER APPROVED TAX RATIFICATION ELECTION.
IN THE END, AND AGAIN, I DON'T EVEN WANT TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT AT SOME POINT IT MAY HAVE TO BE A CONVERSATION AROUND CLOSING SCHOOLS.
I AM COMPLETELY OPEN TO IF THE BOARD HAS SOME SPECIFIC IDEAS OR A WAY THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO MAYBE PURSUE THIS AT THE SAME TIME AS THIS, OR LET'S HOLD THAT UNTIL YOU DO HAVE CHOICE PROGRAMMING AND LET'S TALK ABOUT SOME OTHER OPTIONS, THAT'S REALLY WHY I WANT TO HAVE THIS DISCUSSION.
I AM COMPELLED THAT BEFORE WE EVER HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THE COMMUNITY ABOUT THE MOST DIFFICULT STRATEGY IN THOSE LIST OF STRATEGIES, I WANT TO SAY AS A TEAM OF EIGHT, WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO RIGHT SIZE OUR BUDGET AND TO INCREASE REVENUE SO THAT MAYBE WE DON'T EVEN HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
THE ORDER OF EVENTS, OUR TEAM IS COMPLETELY OPEN TO INPUT.
WE INITIALLY FELT LIKE THIS MAYBE WHEN I'M THINKING ABOUT FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY, THIS MAY BE, AND I THINK I SAID THIS IN THE LAST PRESENTATION AS WELL, THEY ALL COME WITH SOME LEVEL OF DISCOMFORT.
THERE'S NOT ANY OF THESE THAT ARE LIKE [BACKGROUND] THAT'S A NO BRAINER, SO 100% THERE.
MS. TIMMY, THERE ARE SOME INTENDED OUTCOMES OF THIS, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME PAIN POINTS FOR THIS WITHOUT A DOUBT.
OUR INTERNAL TEAM BELIEVED THAT AT LEAST INITIALLY THIS WAS ONE OF THE LESS PAINFUL ONES, AND THAT'S A WAY TO CHARACTERIZE IT THAN SOME OF THE OTHER ONES, BUT THE BOARD, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE, YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT TEMPERATURE, YOU'RE HEARING DIRECTLY FROM YOUR COMMUNITY IN A DIFFERENT WAY THAN I AM.
IF THERE'S ANOTHER ONE THAT YOU SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, LET'S PUT THAT ASIDE AND LET'S HAVE SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT INITIATING SOME OF THESE OTHERS SOONER, COMPLETELY OPEN TO THAT.
I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT TOPIC AND CONCEPT THAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
I THINK MS. MCGOWAN HAS ANOTHER QUESTION OR COMMENT?
>> I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS JUST FOR LATER WHEN WE DO MORE DISCUSSION ON THIS.
WHAT IS OUR FUND BALANCE? HOW LONG WOULD THAT FUND BALANCE LAST US THROUGH THIS DEFICIT BUDGET WE'VE ADOPTED FOR THE NEXT HOW MANY YEARS? HOW LONG WOULD THAT FUND BALANCE CARRY US THROUGH IF WE DO NOTHING, IF WE JUST SIT HERE AND DO THIS TODAY? HOW MANY SCHOOLS DO WE TRULY CONSIDER NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS TODAY? WHAT DO YOU ALL CALL OUR TRUE NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS LIKE REAL TALK STRAIGHT UP? CAN WE GET A LIST OF THOSE SCHOOLS AND REALLY TALK ABOUT THOSE SCHOOLS? BECAUSE I'M TELLING YOU JUST FROM MY OWN EXPERIENCE FROM THE STOLTZ ROAD FEEDER PATTERN, WHICH IS THE ELEMENTARY I WENT TO WHEN IT WAS TRULY A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, IT IS NOT A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL.
OUR PARENTS DO NOT SEND THEIR KIDS TO SCHOOL THERE, THAT IS PROBLEMATIC TO ME.
THAT TAKES A LOT OF WORK IN CREATING THIS.
NORTHLAKE PARENTS WOULD PROBABLY TELL YOU THE SAME; AMAZING PARENTS AND COMMUNITY, THEY DID THE WORK DONE, BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
I KNOW WE CAN CROSS STOLTZ OFF THE LIST.
I'M JUST CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW THEY ARE.
>> IN TERMS OF A LOCAL DEFINITION OF A NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL, I WOULD SAY ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS ARE NEIGHBORHOODS SCHOOLS EXCEPT FOR OUR MAGNET PROGRAMMING.
HOWEVER, I ALSO WANT TO RECONCILE THAT WITH AS STATED EARLIER, WE HAVE OVER 2,000 INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFERS THAT ARE NOT A PART OF THE MAGNET PROGRAM PLACEMENTS.
THERE ARE 2,000 OF OUR 37,000 STUDENTS THAT ARE NOT GOING TO THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOL AND THEY'RE GOING TO A DIFFERENT SCHOOL BASED UPON OUR CURRENT INTER-DISTRICT TRANSFER POLICY.
WE CAN WORK ON IF YOU LET IT OUR TEAM DO A LITTLE BIT OF THINKING AROUND HOW WE COULD DEMONSTRATE.
ACTUALLY WE DID. IN OUR DEMOGRAPHIC REPORT,
[02:45:05]
WE SHOWED THE BOARD HOW MANY TRANSFERS OUT THEY'RE ZONED TO GO TO THAT SCHOOL, BUT THEY'RE TRANSFERRING OUT TO GO TO ANOTHER RISD SCHOOL.WE SHOWED THAT NUMBER WE'LL BRING THAT BACK TO YOU.
THANK YOU. SORRY, IT TOOK ME A MINUTE.
>> DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE MS. MCGOWAN? YOU GOOD? MS [INAUDIBLE].
>> I JUST WANTED TO THANK EVERYBODY.
THANKS TO TABITHA BRANUM AND YOUR TEAM FOR JUST BRINGING THIS FORWARD AND GIVING US ALL THE INFO.
THEN ALSO FOR THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE US THAT WE ALL BROUGHT FORTH. I APPRECIATE THAT.
I THINK FOR ME IT'S JUST REALLY IMPORTANT THAT AS A BOARD, AS YOU STATED MS. BRANUM, THAT I KNOW I WANT TO LEAVE WITH THIS KNOWING THAT WE DID EVERYTHING WE COULD BEFORE WE HAVE TO MAKE THOSE DIFFICULT CHOICES OR HAVE THOSE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS, AND THEN WE CAN AT LEAST SAY LOOK, WE TRIED EVERYTHING.
WE LOOKED AT EVERY OPTION BEFORE WE HAVE TO AGAIN MOVE FORWARD WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY WHO'S HELPED AND GIVEN THIS INFORMATION AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE GOING TO COME FORTH AND ALSO COME UP WITH THE OTHER INFORMATION. THANK YOU.
>> ANYONE ELSE? NO COMMENTS, NO QUESTIONS.
GREAT CONVERSATION, REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER POLICIES WE NEED TO COVER?
>> WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE ROBUST CONVERSATION BOARD GREATLY APPRECIATED.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT AGENDA ITEM
[III.H. Safety & Security Update ]
WHICH IS SAFETY AND SECURITY UPDATE. MS. BRANUM.I'M ON THE HEELS OF THE TRAGEDY IN NASHVILLE, WHICH AGAIN I EXTEND MY LOVE AND PRAYERS TO THE NASHVILLE COMMUNITY AND TO THE LOSS OF THOSE THREE AMAZING BEAUTIFUL CHILDREN, AS WELL AS THE THREE ADULTS THAT WERE IMPACTED.
THEY GOT OUT OF HERE QUICK. [LAUGHTER] I WANT TO SEND OUR CONDOLENCES BUT AGAIN, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO MESSAGE TO OUR COMMUNITY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO ADDRESS SAFETY AND SECURITY.
THE LAST CONVERSATION HAILS IN COMPARISON TO WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT WHERE KIDS FEEL SAFE SO THAT THEY CAN FOCUS ON LEARNING.
I HAVE TREMENDOUS APPRECIATION FOR MS. HAYES AND MR. INGRAM AND MR. WILSON, AS WELL AS OUR STUDENT SERVICES TEAM WHO JUST ARE DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB.
YOU'VE HEARD MANY OF THE POSITIVE FINDINGS OF OUR UNANNOUNCED INTRUDER AUDITS BUT WE WANT TO AGAIN, AN EFFORT OF TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE OUR COMMUNITY IS AWARE OF ALL WE'RE DOING.
WE WANTED TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE TO THE BOARD.
I ALSO WANT TO SHARE AGAIN, EVERY TIME WE HAVE AND I BELIEVE WHAT THERE'S BEEN SOME TYPE OF SCHOOL EVENTS EVERY WEEK ACROSS THE NATION.
WE DID ASK ALL OF OUR PRINCIPALS TO SEND OUT A COMMUNICATION EITHER YESTERDAY OR TODAY THAT REALLY AGAIN OUTLINES.
I WANTED THE PRINCIPALS TO BE THE ONES THAT OWN THAT MESSAGE AND OUTLINING.
HERE'S NOT ONLY WHAT WE'RE DOING AS A DISTRICT BUT HERE'S WHAT MY CAMPUS IS DOING AND THIS IS HOW SERIOUSLY I'M TAKING WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO TRY TO REDUCE EVERY VULNERABILITY WE HAVE IN OUR SCHOOLS? MS. HAYES AND TEAM, I TURN IT OVER TO YOU.
THAT BOARD, THIS IS ACTUALLY OUR ANNUAL SAFETY AND SECURITY UPDATE WE DO AT THIS TIME OF YEAR, EVERY YEAR.
IT JUST HAPPENED TO BE THAT THERE WAS A TRAGEDY THIS WEEK THAT EMPHASIZES THE NEED FOR US TO KEEP SAFETY AT THE TOP OF OUR LIST EVERY DAY, ALL DAY.
WE JUST WANTED TO GIVE YOU SOME BRIEF UPDATES AND ALSO FOR OUR COMMUNITY TO HEAR THESE SO THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT AUDITS, ABOUT OUR DRILLS AND ABOUT SOME PHYSICAL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS IN PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE UNDERTAKEN THIS YEAR.
EVERY THREE YEARS THE STATE OF TEXAS THROUGH THE TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER, REQUIRES AN AUDIT BE DOWN ON YOUR CAMPUS.
FOR MANY YEARS WE DID THESE INTERNAL AUDITS ON OUR OWN.
WE DID THEM INTERNALLY WITH OUR STAFF, BUT GIVEN THE AMOUNT OF NEW REQUIREMENTS THAT THE STATE HAS GIVEN US THIS YEAR, WE FELT LIKE IT WOULD BE A GOOD YEAR FOR AN OUTSIDE GROUP TO COME IN.
REGION 10 IS CONDUCTING THOSE AUDITS FOR US.
THEY ARE ABOUT 50 PERCENT DONE.
THEY WILL PROVIDE US A FULL REPORT OF THOSE AUDITS AND THEN WE WILL BRING THAT BACK TO THE BOARD WITH ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER IF WE NEED TO CHANGE ANYTHING.
[02:50:03]
WE ALSO ARE THEN OUR COURSE ARE DOING THE INTRUDER AUDITS THAT I TALKED TO YOU ABOUT AT EACH OF OUR GENERAL BOARD MEETINGS.WE CONTINUE TO SEE THOSE AUDITS HAPPEN EVERY MONTH ACROSS THE DISTRICT WITH GREAT OUTCOMES.
WE'RE PLEASED WITH THAT AND THAT IS JUST HELPED US TO LET OUR PARENTS AND LET THE PRINCIPALS LET THEM COMMUNICATE TO THEIR COMMUNITIES THAT OUR BUILDINGS ARE BEING MONITORED REGULARLY THROUGH CAMERAS, THROUGH DOOR MONITORING, MAKING SURE DOORS ARE LOCKED AND THEN CONTINUING WITH THE DILIGENCE OF ASKING WHO ARE YOU BEFORE YOU COME IN OUR BUILDINGS, WHAT IS YOUR PURPOSE HERE AND THOSE THINGS.
JUST GOOD REMINDERS FOR EVERYONE THAT EVERYONE IS DOING WORKING HARD AND KEEPING THIS AT THE TOP OF MIND.
SAFETY DRILLS ARE STILL REQUIRED.
I KNOW WE GET A LOT OF PEOPLE SAYING DRILLS DON'T MATTER BUT THEY REALLY DO.
WHEN YOU REALLY OBSERVE SOME OF THE EVENTS TO TAKE PLACE, DRILLS ABSOLUTELY MATTER BECAUSE EVERYONE KNOWS THE MOST PART HOW TO RESPOND AND ALLOW THE FIRST RESPONDERS TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE TO TAKE CARE OF WHATEVER THE PROBLEM IS, WHETHER IT'S A FIRE OR A WEATHER OR A PERSON.
WE DO FIRE DRILLS, WE DO LOCKDOWN, SECURE SHELTER, EVACUATION AND HOLD.
THOSE ARE ALL PART WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FIRE DRILL, THAT'S ALL PART OF OUR STATE OF RESPONSE PROTOCOLS THAT COME FROM OUR TEXAS SCHOOL SAFETY CENTER, THAT MOST DISTRICTS AROUND US FOLLOW THE STANDARD RESPONSE PROTOCOLS.
OF COURSE, WE PROVIDE CURRICULUM TO OUR CAMPUSES THAT ARE AGE APPROPRIATE.
I'VE HAD SEVERAL FOLKS REACH OUT AND SAY, PLEASE DON'T DO AN ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL.
WE DON'T DO WHAT'S CALLED AN ACTIVE SHOOTER DRILL.
THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT OUR FIRST RESPONDERS WOULD DO.
WE MIGHT GIVE THEM A BUILDING TO DO THAT IN.
ONE TIME, WE DID HAVE SOME HIGH-SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO VOLUNTEERED TO PRETEND LIKE THEY WERE VICTIMS AND SO THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD HAVE PEOPLE AROUND, BUT THAT IS NOT A DRILL THAT WE DO WITH KIDS OF ANY AGE IN OUR DISTRICT.
WE DO LOCK DOWN DRILLS TO SHOW PEOPLE WHERE TO GO IN A CLASSROOM.
MAKE SURE THE DOOR HAD A LOCKER DOOR, YOU KNOW WHERE TO GO IN A BUILDING AND YOU KNOW WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE.
THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE LOCKDOWN DRILL.
WE TRY TO HAVE THE THREE DRILLS OF EACH TYPE PER SCHOOL YEAR.
WE'RE STILL FOLLOWING OUR DISTRICT INITIATIVE.
CAMPUSES KNOW WHEN TO HOLD THE DRILL IN WHICH DRILLS TO DO.
WE NOTIFY PARENTS AFTER THE DRILL, WE DON'T NOTIFY BEFORE.
WE DON'T ANNOUNCE THOSE THINGS AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THESE PROTOCOLS.
WE FEEL THEY ARE VERY BENEFICIAL AND HAVE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR OUR DISTRICT WITH THESE INTO PLACE.
THESE ARE SOME OF THE PHYSICAL SECURITY THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AGAIN AND THIS WAS A BIG QUESTION AFTER THIS WEEK.
WE HAVE PURCHASED AND ARE GETTING READY TO START INSTALLING ENTRY RESISTANT FILM ON AND AROUND ALL GLASS ASSOCIATED WITH AN EXTERIOR DOOR AND SOME FIRST FLOOR WINDOWS.
IF SOMEBODY SAYS YOU NEED BULLETPROOF, THERE'S REALLY NO SUCH THING.
IT'S CALLED ENTRY RESISTANT FILM AND IT SLOWS PEOPLE DOWN TO ALLOW FIRST RESPONDERS TO GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IN A TIMELY MANNER.
WE HAVE PUT PANIC BUTTONS IN AND ON ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO TRAIN ON THOSE SO THAT ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES CAN USE THOSE EFFECTIVELY.
WE'RE ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL FENCING TO SOME AREAS THAT ARE VULNERABLE ON OUR CAMPUSES USING FENCES AT LEAST SIX FEET TALL THAT ARE NON-SCALABLE.
WE HAVE A NEW DOOR ACCESS SYSTEM, KEYLESS ENTRY THAT WILL BE GOING IN ON ALL OF OUR CAMPUSES.
STRENGTHENING THOSE EXTERIOR DOORS, MAKING SURE THAT ONLY FOLKS THAT ARE SUPPOSED TO GET IN THOSE DOORS ARE ALLOWED AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO MONITOR OUR EXTERIOR DOORS SO THAT IF IT'S OPEN FOR MORE THAN THE SECONDS THAT ARE SET UP,10 TO 15 SECONDS DEPENDING ON THE DOOR A MONITOR GOES OFF IN THE OFFICE AND THAT CAN BE CHECKED IMMEDIATELY.
ALL OF THOSE ARE EITHER IN PLACE OR BEING PUT IN PLACE AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO SECURE AND LOOK AT OUR CAMERAS SYSTEMS. THOSE ARE GOING TO BE UPGRADED WITH ADDITIONAL CAMERAS THAT HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL VIEWING SPOTS, PA SYSTEMS. WE'RE PUTTING IN A NEW RADIO SYSTEM, SO THINGS THAT WE HAD PLANNED AND WILL CONTINUE TO WORK ON FOR OUR CAMPUSES.
SOMEONE WILL GIVE YOU A BRIEF UPDATE.
THIS IS WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS YEAR.
>> I THINK MS. ANDREA HAD A QUESTION.
>> I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT WHAT IS A HOLD ON THE SAFETY DRILLS? WHAT IS A HOLD?
>> HOLD AS USED BY OUR CAMPUSES, IF A STUDENT HAS A MEDICAL EMERGENCY AND THEY'RE IN THE HALLWAY, FOR EXAMPLE, WE HAVE A STUDENT WHO'S HAVING A SEIZURE IN THE HALLWAY, WE DON'T WANT KIDS TO BE IN PASSING PERIODS.
WE DON'T WANT FOLKS DOWN THE HALLWAY.
WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR NERVES, OUR EMTS IN THERE QUICKLY.
[02:55:01]
HOLD JUST MEANS THAT KIDS STAY IN THEIR CLASSROOM WITH THEIR TEACHER FOR WHATEVER TIME IT TAKES TO CLEAR THE HALLWAYS.IT COULD BE ANYTHING THAT COULD HAPPEN.
IT COULD BE A STUDENT THAT'S OUT OF CONTROL.
COULD BE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY, A WATER BREAK IN THE BATHROOM AND FLOODINGS EVERYWHERE.
WE DON'T NEED A BUNCH OF KIDS WANDERING THROUGH THAT. THAT'S WHAT A HOLD IS.
>> THAT'S A DRILL THAT THEY DO.
>> THAT IS ONE THAT IS USED REGULARLY ACROSS OUR DISTRICT.
>> IT'S NOT ONE THAT REQUIRES A LOT OF NOTICE TO PARENTS BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T AFFECT THE KIDS.
THAT IT'S ONE THAT IS USED EFFECTIVELY FOR OUR CAMPUSES JUST TO KEEP EVERYBODY IN PLACE UNTIL IT'S SAFE FOR EVERYBODY TO GET BACK IN THE HALLS.
>> PERFECT. THANK YOU, MS. HAYES.
>> I'VE HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THIS WEEK JUST AFTER THIS HORRIBLE INCIDENT AGAIN.
ARE WE CONSIDERING A, ARMED GUARDS OUTSIDE OF EACH CAMPUS AT ANY POINT? IS THAT SOMETHING WE'VE DISCUSSED? THESE ARE JUST QUESTIONS THAT I'VE HAD.
AS FAR AS ARMING TEACHERS INSIDE OF THE SCHOOLS, HAVE WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AS WELL? WHERE ARE WE ON THAT? I'M JUST SAYING THESE ARE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE COME UP TO ME OVER THE WEEK, SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT UP AGAIN AND JUST REFRESH.
>> I'LL TAKE THIS A LITTLE BIT AND THEN, OF COURSE, MS. HAYES AND TEAM, PLEASE FEEL FREE.
YES, FIRST OF ALL, WE'VE HAD HARD INTERNAL CONVERSATIONS.
I HAVE HAD NUMEROUS TEACHERS REACH OUT AND BE VERY EXPLICIT AROUND WHAT IT WOULD MEAN AND HOW IT WOULD IMPACT THE CAMPUS TO ARM EVERY TEACHER.
I DO NOT KNOW OF ANY METROPLEX IN OUR BENCHMARK DISTRICT THAT HAS EVEN BEEN A CONSIDERATION.
IT'S IN USUALLY REALLY TINY RURAL DISTRICTS IN WHICH IT MAY TAKE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME FOR A POLICE DEPARTMENT OR AN SRO TO BE DEPLOYED TO BE ABLE TO ENGAGE IN ANY CRISIS SITUATION.
UNLESS THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD FELT STRONGLY ABOUT, THAT IS NOT A STRATEGY THAT CURRENTLY I WOULD WANT TO EXPLORE.
I THINK IT COMES WITH A WHOLE LOT OF VULNERABILITIES, THE TRAINING REQUIREMENTS, THE CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS.
THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF IMPACT IN THAT.
AGAIN, I'LL LET MR. WILSON OR MS. HAYES PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL CONTEXT TO THAT.
IN TERMS OF PROVIDING AN SRO AT EVERY CAMPUS, I THINK THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSIDERATIONS THERE.
THE FIRST THING IS PROVIDING SRO TO EVERY CAMPUS IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND.
PLEASE HEAR ME, I KNOW AS A BOARD, WE'RE WILLING TO MAKE EVERY INVESTMENT WE CAN IN ORDER TO KEEP OUR CAMPUSES AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THERE'S A PRICE TAG THAT WE'RE NOT WILLING TO HAVE.
THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS, EVEN IF WE HAD THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE ANY SRO AT EVERY ONE OF OUR CAMPUSES, RIGHT NOW IF YOU TALK TO DPD, AND IF YOU TALK TO RPD, THEY DO NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
MS. HAYES AND I HAVE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HAVING ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT IS ARMED IN FRONT OF YOUR CAMPUS.
THERE ARE STRICT TRAINING PROTOCOLS THAT THAT PERSON NEEDS TO BE TRAINED WITH.
HAVING THAT PERSON THAT ALSO HAS A STRONG RELATIONSHIP AND COORDINATION WITH THE POLICE, THE LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT IS A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF THAT AS WELL, AND SO WE WOULD WANT THAT TO BE A VERY COORDINATED EFFORT.
FOR ANY OF OUR COMMUNITY THAT WANTS TO STRONGLY ADVOCATE FOR THAT, I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE THEM TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEIR LOCAL LEGISLATORS AND OUSTING AROUND FUNDING.
THEN AROUND RESOURCING, TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AND RECRUITING OF POTENTIAL SROS, AND ARMED SECURITY THAT WE WOULD EVEN HAVE A POOL TO DRAW FROM BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT A LOCAL ISSUE IN RICHARDSON ISD, THERE ARE ALMOST 1,200 DISTRICTS IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
TO HAVE ENOUGH SROS AND EVEN IF A DISTRICT HAD THEIR OWN POLICE DEPARTMENT TO HAVE ENOUGH HIGHLY QUALIFIED TRAINED INDIVIDUALS FOR EVERY CAMPUS ACROSS THE STATE.
THAT IS AN INCREDIBLY HUGE ENDEAVOR.
AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF MS. HAYES OR MR. WILSON,
[03:00:02]
IF YOU'D WANT TO ADD ANY OTHER CONTEXTS TO THAT.>> I THINK YOU DID A GOOD JOB. I THINK THE KEY WHY IT'S A VERY EMOTIONAL TOPIC FOR EVERYONE AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS.
WHEN YOU'RE EMOTIONAL, YOU DON'T THINK THROUGH ALL THE PIECES.
I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE WHEN YOU SIT DOWN AND TALK TO THEM THAT WOULD AGREE THAT JUST PUTTING AN ARMED PERSON ON A CAMPUS UNTRAINED IS A GOOD IDEA.
THERE ARE REASONS THAT PROTOCOLS ARE IN PLACE.
NOT EVERY POLICE OFFICER CAN BE AN SRO.
WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN MULTIPLE TIMES.
WHY THEY ARE TRAINED AS A POLICE OFFICER? THE ADDITIONAL TRAINING THEY GET TO BE ABLE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR KIDS AND TO BE ABLE TO BE AROUND KIDS AND HELP THEM NAVIGATE THROUGH THE THINGS THAT HAPPEN OUT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT COME INTO OUR SCHOOLS, FROM OUR SCHOOLS ONTO THE NEIGHBORHOODS IS A SIGNIFICANT PIECE THAT SRO ROLE.
WE CERTAINLY LOVE OUR SROS AND WOULD LOVE OUR SRO PROGRAM TO CONTINUE.
THAT'S A RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE DISTRICT SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE, AND OUR PARENTS' SAFETY AND SECURITY COMMITTEE.
THEY HAVE NEVER WANTED TO HAVE TEACHERS BE ARMED.
THAT HAS NEVER BEEN ANYTHING THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS RECOMMENDED OR THOSE COMMITTEES HAVE TALKED ABOUT LONG TERM.
[OVERLAPPING] WASN'T SRO, SO IT'S REAL.
>> IT IS MONEY THAT'S COMING FROM THE STATE AND ITS PART OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT CAME OUT OF THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE THIS SUMMER.
>> TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AGAIN.
IN LIGHT OF WHAT JUST RECENTLY HAPPENED, WE SAW HOW THIS INTRUDER GOT IN.
YOU SAY THAT IT WILL STOP THEM OR IS THIS WHAT.
>> IT'S CALLED ENTRY-RESISTANT FILM.
IT DOESN'T STOP BUT IT SLOWS DOWN.
IT KEEPS THE GLASS FROM CRUMBLING AS SOON AS THE BULLET HITS IT.
IT KEEPS IT TOGETHER SO IT MAKES IT STRONGER.
IT GIVES FIRST RESPONDERS MORE TIME TO GET TO WHERE THE PERSON IS TRYING TO BREAK THROUGH BUT IT DOES NOT STOP A BULLET.
>> THANK YOU. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WANT TO KNOW.
ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS ON SAFETY AND SECURITY? [INAUDIBLE]
>> I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR KEEPING OUR SCHOOL SAFE, FOLLOWING ALL THESE AMAZING PROTOCOLS AND NOW JUST STAYING ALERT. THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE IT.
>> TEAM IS DOING A PHENOMENAL JOB. WE HAVE A SMALL SAFE [OVERLAPPING]
>> YOU GUYS ARE DOING A GOOD JOB. [APPLAUSE]
I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF MY COLLEAGUES FOR TONIGHT AND THE STAFF FOR GREAT MEETING THIS EVENING.
THANK YOU FOR THE PUBLIC COMMENTS AND FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AS WELL.
IT IS NOW 9:19 AND THE BOARD WILL NOW ENTER INTO
[IV. CLOSED MEETING]
CLOSED SESSION IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO SECTION 551.071, CONSULTATION WITH THE ATTORNEY AND SECTION 551.076, SECURITY DEVICES AND SECURITY AUDITS.THANK YOU, EVERYONE, FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT AND HANGING IN THERE WITH US.
HAVE A GREAT NIGHT, BE SAFE AS YOU TRAVEL HOME.
THE BOARD IS RETURNING TO OPEN SESSION AT 9:56 PM,
[V. RECONVENE]
HAVING TAKEN NO ACTION WHILE IN CLOSED SESSION.THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 9:56 PM MARCH 30TH, 2023.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.