Yes. Thanks. Perfect. This will be an editable PDF, so it could be just you submit your edited copy of this. Perfect. Perfect. But we're not all collaborating on a single sorry or whatever. Not at all. That would get messy and Yeah, absolutely right. You don't you don't also need to be swayed by anyone else's experiences. So, it's perfectly good to express yours. Great. Okay. Thanks. All right. Thanks, Mark. We have uh up next uh discussion items. The one discussion item we do have Sorry. Oh, sorry. Sorry. I'm part I'm part two. Oh, part two. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This is Sorry. Um, I'm not going to go through the entire eight-page document because that would not be very engaging. Um, but I did mail it to you today. So, um, it goes through the three district goals around best practices, student voice, and, um, streamlined communication.
Um I can just say as the facilitator um I would hope that we could get this activity achieved in maybe 40ome minutes. So um our goal today is to get to final recommendations. So let's see how this goes. Okay. So, how you wanted to do this was if anyone has an option they want to eliminate, they're going to share that. We're not going to go into the long stories. You can give a reason, but we don't want real long um several minute reasons. Okay. Yes, Dorothy, can I just say something real quick just because this is really important and I don't I don't want it to take 80 minutes instead of 40 minutes. I think we can do it in 20 actually if we all focus and are 100% engaged. Can we close laptops? And I see a lot of people maybe distracted by other topics.
And then my two goals around educator feedback, um, and professional networking. And then, uh, it goes through the four standards of leadership. So, just to highlight a couple things, um, district goals. The first is around best practices. If you um haven't seen this document before, I know that's not the case, but um we've been talking about it for three years and we're now at a point where we have defined what these things look like in the classroom K to2, what teachers are doing, what students are doing, um and what the task looks like and we're using this to provide feedback to teachers so that we have a continuum of these things happening K to 12. Um, as a reminder, Denny and I presented last summer at the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendent conference to 50 other superintendents about this work and many of them have been in touch since saying, "Can you share with us resources?
Yes. Let's so we don't have to repeat things or like wait what I don't Yeah. Right. Right. So if you're on your computers, can you please just put the lid down a little bit? That would help. Um and let's go ahead and get started. Okay. Feedback. We're not going through every single option. We're just going to have someone share options that they would like us to consider to eliminate. Can we go person by person around the table? I feel like that would be fastest. Okay, Ariel. And by the way, Maria is going to be taking notes for us and so we will hopefully have a final document of our options. I don't think there was any ones that I wanted to. Oh, does that be an option I gave? Yes. Okay. I don't think I gave any options besides give me a raise. Okay. Okay, Daniel.
Can you talk us through this?" So, I think that's an example of modeling this for other um, districts. Um and then school committee meetings aside um we try to model these practices um when we meet with our leadership team and our principles and they're then modeling with faculty so that faculty can see that we're all doing this work and that it needs to continue into the classrooms. We can try to be implementing these more often just this venue is not the easiest to you know have voice and choice and agency but perhaps we can work on that. any um student voice. Um I already talked about um the student advisory council and the work that we did. A reminder that last summer we had 30 students join us for our leadership retreats in the summer and that was super refreshing for all of our um districts administrators.
Yeah. Um, so I had two options I wanted to get rid of. So I'm just looking through all my papers to find them again. Um, the two options. So for the purpose of allocating staff to sites under the district staff student ratio, students who are eelss um count as 1.2 and then same for the option of balancing class sizes. Students classify Wait a minute. Um, can we stop? Which handout are you using? Uh, there's it just says options. It is a packet. There is no number on these ones. It is on page four. They're just the option question because I noticed in the one in this one to this one they're different. What happened? Well, what happened was this one we used to revise the wording the big one. The big one has all of our options, but no, there's no numbers on them. Okay, so this is what I was saying at the beginning.
Um our teachers and our administrators have been shadowing students for a day this year and that continues to work really well and is super powerful. um last two weeks ago. Over the last two weeks, Denny and I have been having lunch with our Chering and um Pine Hill friends to kind of mirror the student advisory council. We've gotten lots of positive feedback about things going well. They love the library. Um they love reading. Um we have lots of lists. Um and constructive feedback around Don, hold your ears. Food. Um and oh, rug time. We do have rugs in K to5 classrooms, but we need to realize that as students get bigger, they're they they take up more space, so the rugs actually feel smaller. And when you have a lot of students on a rug, the temperature really goes up from body heat. So, we need to start to think about moving away from rugs as they get older.
This one here, can we all look at it? The one that aren't numbered, right? That are is not option. That is not numbered. These are not without revisions. Okay. So, but these are all of the options. These are our options. Okay. without the revisions. The packet we needed to go through and see Yes. The packet with five with five pages. Do you want more time again? Yes. Okay. Well, can we just number these? Can we just start at the beginning and say that's one, two, three, four. Sure, that would be helpful. Let's have Let's have everyone go through their fivepage packet of unreed options and number them one through whatever. That'll be a great that's a great engagement. if we kept it in order when we did the teams. The numbers the numbers might not correlate to the numbers on the other packet. So just be careful some were revised and some were which I don't know.
So, um, but I'll I'll let you know what the other feedback is. Um, but that was that was great and breath of fresh air for Denny and I to get to spend time with the students. And then I linked in the evidence. Um, we're about to launch the IWish campaign. Denny and I made a launch video, so you can watch the launch video. Um, that's going to go out to every classroom and students will get two index cards and they'll say, "I wish my parents knew dot dot dot. I wish my teachers knew dot dot dot." And then we'll take all of that information, look for patterns, and that will then form future professional development and programming for teachers and for parents. So, um, we're excited for everybody to see our faces in their classrooms and give us some feedback. Do you have the Pinehill Kens in your video from last year?
These ones were all we took these I know that I remember we didn't give you All of these correct and that's what we're going to do. So all of these options aren't listed. That's what's all right. I I have 19. Yeah. Do you want to use mine and give it back? Sure. Still feel like these are cool. That could be Do you feel like these are welcome? Make sure you help yourself. [Music] Yeah. Add the numbers. Yes. Are we ready to move on? Yeah. Amy, are you ready? Dorothy, you ready? Okay. So, we are at Daniel now. Um I would like to remove options 16 and wait I'm sorry no sorry 17 and 18. That is because when I ran the numbers even with a much more uh like a lower ratio um even like five teachers to our school district would cost somewhere in the ballpark like $400,000 which when we have a total of a million dollars to spend factoring in the other things we need to spend money on um it did not seem feasible to me.
No, but I am in on what the talent show video is going to be like. Literally and figuratively, I know. I'm in that video. Um, and it's just going to be more amazing than last year. I promise you that. I'll take you to record. Um, okay. So, and then in terms of communication, I don't have to tell you anymore about parent square. We've launched that. I gave you examples of um the support that we have offered to all different stakeholders around that and what the the layout and the um roll out was like. Um we did the survey and I gave you um access to some of the takeaways. Um I've met with the Chering CSA, the Pinehill PTO, the middle school positive high school PTO and the guidance advisory council throughout the year to give them updates and get feedback. Um and then Denny and I are currently working on our second annual district report.
Yes. Numbers 17 and 18 um for the purpose of 17 is for the purpose of allocating staff to sites under the district staff student ratio 27.5 to1. Students who are ELS receiving or and students receiving special education count as 1.2 and then for the purpose of balancing class sizes same thing. I adjusted the ratio. I removed um students receiving special education. And even then it was still like $500,000. Does anyone disagree with removing the option? you let's clarify to tableling because it is a good idea but in the current moment model um I don't want to table it or take it off the table um because it goes with the district district SOFG model and I feel like I feel like it's You know, if this if the district is serious about that goal, it's time to put your money where your mouth is. All right, sounds good.
You remember getting that in your mailbox last year? the next one, new photos and new articles will be coming your way hopefully in May if all goes well. Um, and then superintendent goals, we continue to um work with our principles about looking for the best practices, giving teachers constructive feedback and really moving them forward in their practice. Um, and we calibrate each other's observations when they come together as a team so that we're giving similar feedbacks in different buildings. Um, the second superintendent goal is around professional networking. Um, aside from my colleagues here, this can be a lonely job. So, um, I enjoy getting to work with superintendents both through the leading now cohort. I'm in the third and final year of the new superintendent induction program. Um, and, uh, it's been a pleasure to get to know all those superintendents. And then I have others.
Moving on. What did you just say, Daniel? Sounds good. Moving on. Any other comments about that, Eve? I agree that um class size matters. I also think that when we're talking about really trying to focus on SOFG and making sure that we're um prioritizing things that will have an impact right now, I think that not everybody feels the impact of the lower class sizes because it's still a site decision. So, I'm just not sure that that should be a priority right now when we're working with such limited resources. I don't I agree that it's important. I agree. I also think that there are other things that should take priority with limited resources that everybody will feel as opposed to just the sites that are able to match this. So you would like to have that tabled 17 and 18. Amy, I al I also agree and understand like a lot of these options are are done with the interest best interest of the students and the adults in the district and I think that they should be tabled not just not removed but tabled and for the purpose I agree with what Daniel said and the reason why is yes it does wholeheartedly agree with our SOFG goals.
So, examples of my work with my colleagues and peers, um, are listed throughout that part. And then the four columns of instructional leadership. So, I'm held to these 42 or so indicators. Um, I didn't give evidence of all 42 because um, that would take me several hours, but I will I did pick the six focus indicators that we had discussed that tie in with the goals. I gave you evidence of those. And I also want to just take the opportunity to mention that I, as Mark said, could not do any of these 42 things without Denny and Don and Kate and the principles and everybody. Um, so this is really just the culmination of a village coming together to support kids. So, I just want to be clear that I rely on all those people to make sure these things are done. Um, and that's it.
However, reducing class sizes or or ratios for our SEI classrooms um isn't going to necessarily just change what's happening in the classroom. We really need to focus on the instruction that's happening in that classroom and provide the professional training and the SCOP. I know it's happening at a few sites, but it is not happening at all. And a lot of our SEI teachers ne or teachers that are teaching those students whether it's a 1-hour model or two-hour model don't have that training. So I think for the interim I they should be tabled as well as we also have like I don't know how many options 19 options and that's a lot to bring. So I really think we just need to come with a solid amount that is going to give us the biggest bang for our buck that's going to hit the most students and the most um members in the district.
And if there's anything else you want to see or would be helpful to you or a refresher, just, you know, let your subcommittee know and I'm happy to provide it. Is this rubric somewhere? Yes. So, this is in fact one thing I didn't mention, but I will express I'll share through an email. There's one link at the end of the first document you received. I added it in just has so much helpful information with this just from the state level, but it has the rubric and a few videos that might help as well if you're new to the process. So definitely before we move forward, can I say one thing? Uh thank you. I I feel like a lot of things I heard tonight were I mean I love the I wish campaign student focused like experience and feedback to help drive things like PD and decisions that we're making here at the district level.
Um, just real quick, I think we said that we are just throwing like I wanted to remove those options. Ariel doesn't. I don't I respect everyone's input and we can have that discussion when we go to actually vote on the option, but right now at least one person does not want the option tabled. So, we should I think we should just move on so that we can because right now all we're trying to do is remove options that nobody is fighting for, right? That's the objective right now. And it seems like even if even one person is passionate about the option, it stays and we just move on to the next person, right? Like does that Yeah. Yeah. We could still vote it down later and have that discussion later, but I think right now we're just looking for if there's even one person that wants the option there, we got to keep it there until later discussion.
I think it's wonderful. Maybe we should start a I wish for parents too to communicate to the students. No, that's part of the challenge success campaign too. Other districts have done that. So once we get through this, we'll make another video send it out to parents. Good. But you can also leave them a note under your pillow. I wish you, you know, know how proud I am or how grateful I am. Anonymous. Oh, did my mom say that? next year. Thanks. All right. Any other questions, comments around valuations? All right. We have discussion items. Uh we have one discussion item uh update on the capital projects. Yes. So given some of the sensitive or not the sensitive but the urgent need to talk about this before your May meetings um some of it will be specific for committees but I think it's good for all committees to hear what's going on in the world of capital.
So Rob, okay, I have a question. What is your question? Um, could we um not right this moment but later on we will have the option to omit some of the options and then we can remove the special education students being counted 1.2. But then also we talk about smaller class sizes. My envision was to keep some of the SEI pull out teachers. So it's not about making class sizes smaller. It's about providing additional instruction time. We know that we have kids who are coming to America in like fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth grade. Who's teaching those kids how to read currently at the at the moment? We can also hire another reading intervention that can help those kids learn the alphabet, start reading because they're coming in after the um intervention model and we can as we can have those conversations for sure when we get to that.