Any discussion? I just have one comment regarding the classroom displays. Um I appreciate uh Dr. White's answering uh my questions during the week and I know you went back to Mr. Rare and Mr. Fred Simmons and stuff. Um, I did have some questions from some staff that I felt needed to be answered and so I asked the questions. Um, I'm not totally on board with these things, these displays yet that I know that we don't have the money to put the updated smartboards in every room, but I'm kind of looking at this as a trial program on these because we've just barely scratched the surface and on how many we're going to need. And I would like to see some polling of teachers, demonstration of how they use them in the classroom and, you know, an update if they feel this answers all their needs and and helping them implement and and teach in their classroom.
we went from 834 to um and then 467. So we're pretty I mean we've seen some decreases every year. So that's all all these different factors that we're putting into place. So and next up is back to Ronnie. It is getting hot. It is. Um so touch again on the multi-tered systems of support. Um, you know, we talked about the the the academic side. I I mentioned that we run that data that we have those meetings. In those meetings, it's important that teachers um feel like they receive direct support where it's a a team. Uh when we're talking to the student, it's not the student versus the teacher and the student's mind. Um we have conversations um about we ask the students like what's happening? Why are you struggling in this class? What can we do to help? And we establish a plan right there in that meeting.
So in terms of making sure specific people know what's important to you and this goes for anybody on camera or anywhere there there's this collaborative process representatives from the school department but town that try to prioritize what where the limited capital dollars are going to go right so I don't know I'm kind of looking Jim to you it's limited somehow so how it works manager's office where some of that feedback needs to go is it select I'd say both. But yeah, so I I mean I'll I'll defer to Chris as he's he's the one who's particularly invested in the capital process with the town and with the assistant town manager and the DPW as well as um our director um facilities. But but in the end, should we want to invest more funds in our fields and in our community or whether it's youth sports, the the fields for excuse me the schools, it all starts with the capital and it all starts really with what's going to be allocated uh through the town.
So this year we received a grant to plan a pathway and essentially the way the innovation career pathways work are you have two technical courses that are related to the industry sector, two advanced courses and then it leads to either a 100hour um internship or a capstone project. So if we receive the designation from DESIE that allows us to begin this work next year, but it's it's like a building block. So we would start with nth grade and then build each year. So it's not like next year all of a sudden we have the internships and the capstones, but we would begin recruiting immediately for students who might be interested in ad advanced manufacturing. anything. We've looked at equipment from milling equipment to crickets for um like t-shirt and graphic design and things like that. So, we're trying to be thoughtful about having a variety of options as we build it up, but um the pathway also doesn't keep students from taking other courses of interest.
But do we need to make make a formal motion? Does it need to be technically added to the agenda? Like is there anything we need to do to make sure we're how does that following procedures? So when we have the final number, if that is in I want to make sure we have the actual final final number and then to vote on it so that the money can be taken out of the 10248A account. Okay. Because I know there was a question we have a solid number on the tank. The question that was still pending is between the new control system and the old control system what we were going to have to do. And I know they were looking into that but I mean that's a little bit. So that's why I said the next week or two we'll chase Billy. We'll get a firmed up number and the 10th number is the the 10th number from Gregor reservation is firm that because that's a special order.
Okay. And if they are not going to come to the meeting, just take a few moments to read the uh survey and so we won't come to a meeting stand two and three hours when you can look at it, fill it out, you know, and then when we come to the meeting, you can bring it and we have half of it done. So that's what I'm hoping. Question. Do we have a date for the evaluation? Is it the 28th or the 29th? The 29th. The 29th. Yeah, she did this. Okay, last thing, read your information again and you know be sort of informed and I know we all have other obligations. So, I'm hoping that if we move forward, we can uh be more uh effective in in our minutes and our questions and our time that we devote that we don't even get. Yes, we do.
Uh teacher of the year, Gabby Frank, Wasuma, third grade, and administrator of the year, Bailey Markley, who's a district-wide speech and language pathologist. speech and language pathologists and psychologists um are grouped in that category because there's not really a category for that. So, congratulations to all of them. Um we're super excited about that. And then, um I just wanted to say I'm sure everybody can smell spring break right around the corner and so enjoy your time. Welldeserved break and um I hope everyone has a has a relaxing vacation with their friends and family. So that's it. But you guys don't get the week off, but you get Friday, right? The district. That's good. Okay, we're on to board member comments. Julie, do you have anything? Yeah, I um I have my youngest daughter is an eighth grader at Wasuma, so a lot of what Mrs.
Had 200 of them showed up to the election, it would have passed. Less than a hundred showed up out of 2,000. getting people to change their habit. Voting is a behavior. It's a habit. And so why we talk to likely voters, if more younger voters showed up, if more parents with kids showed up, the numbers would be better. But I give you polling data based on who I know is going to show up because you have to build a coalition of support out of that. If you can't, it's really challenging. The whole idea is you got to win that audience and then you grow your margin by turning out additional folks. Thank you. Um on one of the slides there was a question about is our community headed in the right direction. Um very positive um percent that you got back from that 50 plus as well as the I believe it was 65 plus.
Then what do I need to do as a classroom teacher? Who's there to support me? And so what we're building out right now that we hope to roll out in begin to roll out in April is each one of these boxes a teacher will be able to click on and then we'll let them know what are the strategies, what are the supports, what are the resources, who is the resource that they can lean on to help them make sure that they're doing everything in the classroom for that that student. Um and then also how do we measure is that student making progress? What to do if they aren't? How do we take them to a problem solving team? And so we're really trying to build this out and then build the structures and supports around it in the tools. What also I think is really cool is this will be the same process.
Yeah. I mean and that's not a political statement. That's not a Democratic or Republican. That's a does what they're doing in Springfield align with what we're doing here. If it does, great. We can recommend that we would vote. You know, we can put out information. We recommend this is a favorable vote, but otherwise this violates our policy. We don't recommend it's a vote. That's not necessarily a party politics statement. that is a board and and aligning policy to state voting. So I do I think this goes to the side attorneys can review this when we send them everything but we can come up with a bundle for them. I think when we look at the subjects that are on there it's like regarding tips regarding unfunded mandates. I mean, these are things that we should be, in my opinion, as a school district advocating for or against um because it affects our bottom line directly and if we're able to retain our staff, our entire full staff as well.
And I think if a teacher made a really good case for an updated Smartboard, I think we'd have to look at where, you know, the finances a little bit more. Um, also, you know, we had a discussion on the whiteboard. I guess that's coming. I'll I'll save that comment for another minute, but I do appreciate the followup on that. But I would like to see, you know, keep a keep an eye on how well these are received and how well they're used in the classroom in the next year once they're installed. So, and the technology and teaching learning departments have already started some of that work with some teachers that have come and and said, you know, shared I use this feature or I use this software where kids may have to move a manipulative. So, we're already trying to work through some of those things to show how the alternative is.
Um, one of the uh the plans could in include what we are doing is a lunch study table. So, um, our lunch or cub hours is what we're calling it. We have um half of that is um cub pride time and the other half is lunch. So, uh, we're doing a lunch study table where the students go get lunch, go to the learning commons, and then they have um assignments they can make up that they've been missing that they can do while they're um in the lunch study table. which is why it's important to have the teacher admin and everybody at the table for that first meeting because at that meeting we can say okay what assignments can be made up and what are the what are the most likely assignments right um so uh the lunch study table is uh we've not really gotten to um get on a roll with this because of the virtual learning piece uh we we developed this idea in term two um and then in term three uh we started off with a bunch of virtual learning to start with and then we've had some virtual learning term four.
And I think it's always important to go to a select board meeting, go to a fincom, go to go to meetings and say ask to be put on the agenda and and say these are our concerns within the community. I know there was the community planning process that was going on and there's um a recreation component of that. I don't know where that's headed, but those are avenues to have a voice and I think sometimes the voice doesn't always get heard if if you're not participating in those roundts, if you will. But certainly the town manager, I mean, listen, Chris and I, Mike, have had these conversations. You got two people who have youth youth children in the youth programs. We get it and I understand it and uh we want to support it and but we don't have that capacity unless the town gives us the capacity.
So, it is different than a chapter 74 where you're really in that industry. This you're dabbling in it. And if you're interested, you could take additional classes or pursue additional internships, but you can still take other electives and other courses that you might be interested in. Great. Thank you. Of course. Um and I also just wanted to uh um would love whenever this uh restorative practice committee gets like a shared definition or there's some other substantive would love to invite folks to come and share that with us either through you or you know even have other people as well come and share the good news. Happy to invite them. Thank you. Great. Any other questions or comments? Questions. I mean, I just wanted to u appreciate you, superintendent, for um meeting and spending so much time one-on-one with um school committee members um this month.
Yes, that is a firm number. The electrical I guess some Beth in the electrical is supposed to go over and look at it. Well, we'll come back with the board with that number. But it's something that So, what do we want to do, John? Do we want to do we want to How do we do this not to exceed number so we can get that in place and we get the tank ordered? We got to talk to Bill first. We We should We should We should get a firm number from Billy Greer, make sure that he's covered all the bases, and then that would be a not to exceed um maybe add 5% for uh for uh contingencies, site conditions, you know, once you have a firm number for the bill, whether it's 83, 81, or 90. Yeah. and uh and then proceed on that basis.
we get a thank you for, but we want to come to our meetings and get out and start on time, get out on time. So, if there's nothing else, I ask for a motion to adjourn. So, oh, can we Sorry. Can I just ask before we adjourn? I apologize. Uh Kim wanted to talk about upcoming contract negotiations. I apologize, Kim. Just two seconds. Um I'm going to ask Carl Canada to help me to circulate a memo to all of you. Um but this spring and summer we're actually negotiating six contracts. Um one is the teachers and um Mr. Mooney will be your lead negotiator. So um he's just forming his um meeting schedule and and that piece first. So that's this summer teachers and we'll need two board members please. Uh and then the remaining five are non-certified contracts. Um and so that's about 10 slots for folks.
Archer was talking about. Um I participated in um I was at the pentathlon. That was a picture of my daughter with her mouth like ah uh realizing we had gotten an award or a medal or third place or all of that. And then I attended the spaghetti dinner fundraiser and it was packed and nonstop and it Tanya did a fantastic job. Um and then what was the [Music] other? Hm. Oh, the spelling bee. She won her eighth grade spelling bee, too. So, it's kind of cool that it's going to be hosted um at Wigma as well. And so, anyway, I'm just like a proud proud mama right now. So, those are all my comments. Good round. Um, I just, um, I've been helping out west in kindergarten and I have a friend that we were kept talking about and it's really been fun to kind of connect to different children.
Um those also happen to be those that will most heavily turn out. Correct. Correct. Um, what would you say if we're if we're assuming that they're falling in line with the 50% 54% conservative um, and it's that older group, they feel that we're headed in the right direction. What would be things that could happen between now and the ballot that would change their mind to believe that we are headed in the right direction? Could it be um controversial things, things in the news? What what types of things might that be? So, that's a great question. Polls are a snapshot in time. They they measure what's going on right now, right? Uh economic uncertainty. If the if the market crashes tomorrow and we have a great deal of economic uncertainty that could impact negatively the overall perception of the way things are going. If the incorporation got contentious, that could certainly impact the overall perception of the community.
If a student needs academic support, they need social emotional support or they need behavioral support. I can come out with a plan that helps my teacher as well as the team of teachers and educators in the building to support me have a clear plan that we're all working from and it's documented. Uh, Miss Jetty, that kind of goes back to your part of and then that plan will be in branching minds and so we'll be able to monitor the success of our interventions and and our supports of individual students but also at a programmatic level. Okay. Thank you. I just so I could I make sure I could understand this right. Um, tier one circle upper leftand corner it goes straight down to tier two. That would be a student that would need like a co-eing situation or a push in parah one-on-one is that and then we would go to tier three from there.
So, yeah, I I think we table it and kind of look at the legalities of bringing it to the modern day. Yep. So, I'll get it to the attorney if they have any they can even tell they could tell me, "No, you shouldn't have this." take it out immediately or here are some possible revisions to make it in line with that. Um I do under I do get the you know the census of that. I know Mr. Shepard and I keep a keen eye. I think one of the challenges also of it living in policy are there's over a thousand bills issued and then we we use even the organizations we belong to to monitor the ones that are really going to impact our work because it's so much. So, I think, you know, figuring out how that could also live in there from the attorney could also be um helpful in the process.