Good evening everyone. First of all, I want to congratulate my wonderful colleague, Commissioner Bassford, on her nomination for president for Pay County School Boards Association. Commissioner Bassford, you will have earned this. It's going to be so easy. It's going to be like taking candy from a baby. So, um, little pre congratulations over there. Uh, next, I want to congratulate our own Dr. Robert Hosey. I'm receiving the NJBE Superintendent of the Year award. Uh it's based upon outstanding work that all the people who work for the district and he he's the head of the district. So uh shout out to Dr. Roberty, shout out to everybody else in the district for all the outstanding work that they do. Quick shout out to Mr. Shahada on an exceptional presentation that I believe um made a compelling argument to lots of people tonight uh including many of my colleagues over here also President Paris uh for for his comments on on the votes.
I I think these are powerful compelling arguments uh that have been made today and uh Commissioner Suarez for for us being able to disagree and still have decorum on this day. I think that's uh very important in the committee meetings as well. And um you know, maybe sometimes it gets hot, but usually it's it's club cool down thankfully most of the time. I'd say about 90% of the time. Finally, happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there. Thank you for your time and God bless America. Have a good night everybody. Thank you, Commissioner Brunak. Commissioner Kenova, you still there? Yes, I'm here. You have the floor. Yes, sir. All right.
Good evening everyone. Um, first of all, I want I commend my fellow commissioners on passing an increase. It will at least allow us to continue to do what we do for our students. To me, the kids are the most vulner vulnerable vulnerable group that we have and their education determines our future. It makes Clifton a great place to live. So the better the schools do, the more attractive Clifton is to young buyers and it's really just an investment in ourselves at that point. Um and unfortunately school revenue is tax based which means the only way that we can fund the school is from local taxpayers. Um either either that or the state or the federal government. And as we know they they are not kind to us. So we will continue that route to fight. You know it's something we've been doing for a very long time.
Um, and just for clarification, this 3% is really a 2.95 because the state is funding the other .05% because that's what they committed to do for anything over 2%. Um, so as others mentioned, the NJSBA nominated committee named this Bass for their new president. So I'm thrilled on that decision. Judy, I know you're going to do great in this role. So congratulations to you. Also, congratulations to Dr. Roberts on your superintendent of the year award. You absolutely get my vote. Uh to all the moms out there, happy Mother's Day and thank you to everyone. Good night. Thank you, Commissioner Kenova, Vice President Santiago. Thank you, President Paris. Um congratulations, Commissioner Bassford. Congratulations, Dr. Roberty. Mr. Shihad administration, thank you again for a great layman's terms budget presentation that the public can understand and very informative. Um the budget, you know, I wanted to add that there are towns that are going to be or have gone double digit, you know, above 10, 15.
We're not doing that. There are towns that are closing schools. Don't want to do that. And so, um I am also proud of the way we comport ourselves. Um we give a good example, especially literally in front of our students who record and pro provide this feed to you guys every meeting. Thank you for that. But um the way the the especially like a budget should be challenging a strenuous conversation, right? Um it's not it's not something that's light and and it shows that we're listening to each other and listening to other perspectives and being mindful of of such an important thing. So thank you to everyone. Um you saw Mark, he's getting a free ride. You saw him ask his questions. You saw Emma Patar, I believe, sophomore, I think she is. Um she talked about her academics, her athletic, um hero and cool kids.
Two examples right here of the investment and the return from what we do and from our budget. And that's just two because there's plenty like that. Um our our graduating class is usually like 6 to 800. I don't know what it is now. It's usually like seven. It's closer to eight. We have a lot of examples. Um, and so I just was so happy that they were here so that you can see that's the investment and the return on your money on our property tax paying property taxpaying dollars. Um, really quickly, happy Jewish Heritage Month to all of our students, staff, school, uh, celebrating our teachers. Thanks for all you do. Our school nurses, thanks for all you do. Special education week. Kudos to all our special needs students um, and their achievements and our staff that supports them. Mental health awareness week. Um, protect your peace.
take time for you um before you can go and try and help somebody else. Make sure you're taking time for you. Uh Asian-American Pacific Islander Month, happy uh Asian-American Pacific Islander to those who celebrating. Um principal appreciation day is today, I believe, right? So, thank you to all of our principles for what they do. We were on break last week and last week was admin assistant or admin professional week. So, make sure that you recognized and shout or did something for them, I hope. But thank you to all of our admin assistants for all they do. They're the face of the schools. They um oftentimes the first person the student meets or the per the parent meets. So thank you for all they do for uh helping keep our schools together. Um happy Mother's Day. By the time we meet again, um my mom is in heaven, but my wife is also awesome and have a lot of other moms in my life.
Um the cheer banner went up for our cheer team. I'm so happy about that. So our three pete cheer team, your banner is up. Um this is last and just personal most not most important but very personal. My son Anthony Jr. is getting married tomorrow. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Anthony is a Clifton School product Clifton High School graduate. He's a high school counselor now. He's amazing. Um his my future daughter-in-law Siobhan is a Clifton School product Clifton High School graduate. So two Mustangs are getting married tomorrow. Oh, it's another great day to be a Mustang. We're very happy. We're very grateful and we wish them lots of love and happiness. Thank you. Good night. Thank you, Commissioner Santiago. I also would like to thank the board and and not just for tonight and how we work tonight, but how you work together all the time.
I'm truly proud and appreciate it. Um, happy mom's day to my mom who's in Valley Hospital right now and uh hopefully uh on the on the mend. Um, congratulations to Dr. Roberts to be one of the superintendent of the years for by it's the by literacy award leader. Um, apparently Clifton is generating some of the most highest numbers of by literacy on the map where we should be certified students. Um, couple of events that are coming up. Uh, just to remind the public, there's a Mustang band car wash every Saturday in May. So, go to the high school, get your dirty car cleaned. It's it's pretty cheap and um, they do a really good job. On May 17th, the Clifton Community Band is having their annual concert. It's called Lollipops and Roses. It's the 22nd year of this concert. Uh half of the proceeds go to the Clifton Education Foundation, which ultimately ends up back helping our staff here in the schools.
Um that's 2 p.m. at CHS on Saturday, May 17th. Uh and on May 30th, the Clifton Education Foundation is having their first uh turkey tray. It's at the Boys and Girls Club at 6 PM. It's $25 in advance. Uh, you send your checks to the Clifton Education Foundation at PO Box 2071, zip code 0715, or go to their website for some information. I know every member on this board knows that we're not perfect here and knows that we can always do better and there's always ways to improve. One thing of value that that you can monetize that we provide and often our most needy families in this district is prek for three and four year olds. And I don't know how many people know this, but in addition to just preK, um, students are evaluated and those that are have learning challenges get early intervention and early help that will only help them along in their school careers here in Clifton.
And if you look at what it would cost if you went out and had prek program for your three and four-year-old, it would be you would spend tens of thousands of dollars. those of you who have done that on on their own, like I have when my daughter was young, um it's it's quite a tremendous resource that we're providing and specifically to our most uh specifically most helpful to some of our most needful families. Um there's something I shared with the board here um a few weeks ago and I just like to share it with the public. It's a and I'm going to take my extra time that I didn't take earlier in in the meeting. Now, um it's a it's a little story. Um and it's written by uh Jamie Wulmer. Jamie Wulmer is a former business executive and attorney uh who currently works to increase community support for public schools.
Um the title of the article is The Blueberry Story. If I ran my business the way you people operate your schools, I wouldn't be in business very long. I stood before an auditorium filled with outraged teachers who were becoming angrier by the minute. My speech had entirely consumed their precious 90 minutes of inservice training. Their icy init their initial icy glares had turned to restless agitation. You could cut the hostility with a knife. I represented a group of business people dedicated to improving public schools. I was an executive at an ice cream company that became famous in the mid 1980s when People magazine chose its blueberry flavor as the best ice cream in America. I was convinced of two things. First, public schools needed to change. They were archaic, selecting and sorting mechanisms designed for the industrial age and out of step with the needs of our emerging knowledge society.
Second, educators were a major part of the problem. They resisted change, hunkered down in their feathered nests, protected by tenure and shielded by a bureaucratic monopoly. They needed to look to business. We knew how to produce quality, zero defects, total quality management, continuous improvement. In retrospect, the speech was perfectly balanced, equal parts of ignorance and arrogance. As soon as I finished, a woman's hand shot up. She appeared polite, pleasant. She was in fact a razored veteran high school English teacher who'd been waiting to unload. She began quietly, "We are told, sir, that you manage a company that makes good ice cream." I smuggly replied, "Best ice cream in America, ma'am." How nice, she said. Is it rich and smooth? 16% butter fat, I crowed. Premium ingredients, she inquired. Super premium, nothing but triple A. I was on a roll. I never saw the next line coming.
Mr. Vulmer, she said, leaning forward with a wicked eyebrow raised to the sky. When you're standing on your receiving dock and you see an inferior shipment of blueberries arrive, what do you do? In the silence of that room, I could hear the trap snap. I was dead meat. But I wasn't going to lie. I send them back. That's right, she barked. And we can never send back our blueberries. We take them big, small, rich, poor, gifted, exceptional, abused, frightened, confident, homeless, rude, and brilliant. We take them with attention deficit disorder, junior rheumatoid arthritis, and English as your second language. We take them all, everyone. And that, Mr. Vulmer is why it's not a business, it's a school. In an explosion, all 290 teachers, principals, bus drivers, aids, custodians, and secretaries jumped to their feet and yelled, "Yay! Blueberries! Blueberries!" Schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs, and health of the communities they serve.
And therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools. It means changing America. And so began my long transformation. Since then, I've visited hundreds of schools. I've learned that school is not a business. Schools are unable to control the quality of their raw material. They're dependent upon vagaries of politics for a reliable revenue stream. And they're constantly mowled by howling horde of disparit competing customer groups that would send the best CEO screaming into the night. None of this negates the need for change. We must change what, when, and how we teach to give all children maximum opportunity opportunity to thrive in a post-industrial society. But educators cannot do this alone. These changes can occur only with understanding, trust, permission, and active support of the surrounding community. For the most important thing that I've learned is that schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs, and health of the communities they serve.
And therefore, to improve public education means more than changing our schools. It means changing America. So, I will leave you with that little bit of wisdom and ask the board if there's any new business we need to discuss. I I have something. Yes, Dr. Danny. Um, so, um, I don't know if, uh, it it's already in policy or or heading there or something. Um 1548 the new sunscreen policy which sunscreen yes we already yeah that has already been approved by us.
Okay and that's is there any discussion on like how it will you know uh carry out like um you know because I know like students have out I mean we were just discussing that I mean who's who's responsible for putting the sunscreen on on the children and I was just kind of curious sunscreen policy. It has it has to do with application of sunscreen. You're not but also I guess making sure that kids have availability of sunscreen when they're out uh in open air activities. President Paris, whenever legislation like this is passed, there's usually some guidance that comes out from the DOE supporting it on who, how, when, what, where, why. Well, that and that's exactly what I was going to say, Mr. Sha. We're expecting some guidance. haven't received that yet. So, there's the law that's passed and then the commissioner develops regulations to implement that law and then of course the board passes the policy.
So, um I have not seen those I have not seen anything yet on it other than than this. Um but obviously we'll we'll make sure we follow the law while while making sure that you know we don't put our staff or students in a in a bad position, right? I mean, it's it's crazy. I mean, and again, another unfunded mandate from the state. Well, thank God we passed the budget because we wouldn't have many sunscreen in the budget now. And I know all about sunscreen because of my my hair. You know, you got to be careful. Anyone else? And then, okay, we are going to have executives. Oh, we have one more. Okay. It's it's still about the the next special meeting for the awards if we could look into it by hopefully I emailed Mr. Hamda just now. He's going to check the calendar and get me dates.
Okay. Thank you. Yeah, I think um without even looking at the calendar, Mr. Mia, my only concern would be that June is a just a busy month for everything. There's there's probably I think on my calendar we have something almost every night. Um, so I feel like if we change it now, there might be another group of people that won't be able to attend because of a different event. Uh, and I'm not sure what students were recognizing that night. Certainly some student athletes. Um, but I do know we're recognizing we'll be recognizing all of our teachers of the year that night. So, there's a lot of staff in there. I'm not sure how many students, but we'll find out. And if we could change it to another night that's better, we will. I know for a fact when we were trying to find this date um it was the only date that was available because uh Clifton High School has something every night using the auditorium because they are hosting something for believe the children who are going to Maple Valley.
Uh I believe they're also doing Woodro and maybe Columbus simultaneously. So I know they're booked all of June. So we may have this meeting on a Saturday. I'm joking. I was going to say I'm okay with a Saturday if you guys are. All right. Anyone else? Okay. Okay. We will have executive session today. We'll be discussing some uh personnel and legal matters. Uh action may or may not be taken. Will take us approximately how long? 15. Okay. Then we will say a half hour and we'll take a fivem minute break because I know Mr. Brun would like one. Uh motion to adjourn executive session. Second comm uh by Commissioner Brunack. Second by Commissioner Bassford. Action will be taken. Yes. Motion. Motion to close. Okay, welcome back. We're back from executive session. Uh, roll call. Mr. Shada. Miss Bassford here. Mr. Runc here. Mr. Kenova. Dr.