Griffin gonna copy right there you know if you had said by the middle of August that we need to get school committee up that you would need to get school committee approval on okay do you know or have any ID here for our parents that I may be watching or may watch this when our parents when are we gonna have a final decision like when a parent's gonna know because I know well I've gotten that question a lot as far as when are we gonna know what the fall is gonna look like it is in I think I know the answer to this but if you could just share it with with us yeah yeah we are not gonna know until like I said about that second week in August and that's recommended by um dusty you just don't know what's going to happen with the virus itself so I think we'll have a better sense what we can I'm hoping you can hear me I just got a connection unstable but hoping everybody could hear me we lost you for a few seconds there but you back I'm back okay good what we can say is I would imagine by the end of July I think would be able to at least share with parents if we would've come back hybrid what that would look like so I think people will have a better sense okay they're doing if they do hybrid my child might go every other day or every other week or whatever it is so we'll be able to do that in a couple of weeks um we also people call we sent a survey yeah I just wanted to quickly go over a couple of those responses and we will be putting that back on our Facebook page we we wanted to put it up with a little bit more explanation than just the graphic cuz I think it caused a little bit of confusion so we took it down and we're going to explain that a little bit better and put that up so just overall we had 2,400 2,400 27 responses some parents split between secondary and elementary level pretty evenly and if folks were told if safety measures were in place would you want to return in full at 60% said yes in person learning 30% hybrid and 10% remote and again parents didn't have much information at this time we're hoping that you know we'll have more for them coming up the top two choices of what a hybrid would look like very evenly split was the week on week off and the alternate days if if it was in person full in person 74% of people said they would come that they're looking to come 21 percent maybe and 4 percent no I mean those are a little bit rounded of course we still don't have the transportation guidance that's supposed to be coming this week and bussing people said that 46 percent said they would ride the bus 32 percent no and 22 percent undecided we also researched a little bit about internet access so about eighty-nine percent said they had good internet access because we're looking again to will we have enough devices which we would we would have enough to give everybody that needs one a device should we have to go remote and only 4 percent 4 percent said they didn't have it so again in Dartmouth we're very fortunate with that staff surveyed 358 staff members answered and it was six to three percent were teachers and of that number extremely confident of returning to school was 50 percent so we have a lot of work to do on that you might have seen on Friday night we received guidance of deci seems to be putting things out on Friday nights now protocols for responding to cofee scenarios and it's about a twenty page document so we need time to sift through that it's the one if a child tests positive what if a child has a temperature what if a staff member gets it what do you do with the class but do all of those things so there's a an extensive guidance document that been sent to us that includes about self containment and etc etc so we'll be sifting through that as we make on more decisions and again hoping really hoping that the transportation guidance comes if not tomorrow very very soon because no matter what we determine it we're hoping that it's better than the initial thought of transportation that we can really get our kids to school so that's kind of it on the work we're doing around coal bit right now and if you ask me we still say we don't know we don't know thank you dr.
Gifford for that update around the cove igniting a situation that's going on globally and then also how we're dealing with it locally I want to thank you and your team being an administrator in other district I know the time and effort that's going into creating these plans and the amount of stakeholders and staff and people that are involved in these volunteer groups and just not knowing and as the information changes every day it's you know ultimately I I want to assure the parents in town that safety you know the health and safety of students in town is first and foremost as well as our staff our teaching staff and our faculty you know that that's that's also extremely important and we want to make sure that if we're going to reopen in some way shape or form for in-person instruction we're gonna do it safely and we're gonna make sure that everyone has had a chance to share their opinions and their voices but also we've got to look at what the state is sharing with us and the guidance that they're giving us to help make these decisions so thank you dr.
Gifford any of my colleagues have any comments dr. Jenkins oh you know I've run into a couple people and shared this with dr. Gifford he said we're going back to school face to face in the fall and so what did I miss like I checked my email and they're like no it was in dr. Giffords LeFort letter I just want to remind people about close reading skills right that um I think it may be it's potentially like optimism and projection like we all want our kids out of the house and back in school but I think it's important to set expectations that we don't know what school is gonna look like in the fall and I'll be honest my personal opinion knowing all of this stuff is I just don't really see how we can be um we're dealing with the same challenges on campus I don't see how we can be fully face-to-face you know five days a week I want that's my personal opinion but I want to put it out there because I people have really strong opinions on this I get that and I don't want to set people up for disappointment um in the fall we have I know in our campus and I'm sure this is true in the schools we have a lot of people who are at high risk for kovat in in our workforce right and so we have to figure out how to address that we have students who are high risk students who have family members who are high risk so thinking that we're all going to be able to be there all the time I to me seems very pie-in-the-sky and I just want to put that out there so people aren't hearing oh yeah that fully face-to-face plan and they don't listen or read anything that comes after it um you know I'm just really hopeful given how numbers are going in other parts of the country that we do manage to do some face to face and so I will take that opportunity to remind everyone to continue to wear their masks right because we need to be vigilant about the things that we do that are not essential and so that the things that are really important right like schools um have the space to be able to do that so we all have to continue to be vigilant so we can send our kids back to school safely [Music] thank you dr.
junkie agreed mr. Nunes thank you miss Thank You mr. chairman through you to either dr. Gifford or mr. Kylie or miss Royce I mean like the gift that tom was talking about the fact of you know staff being split and classrooms being split I mean oh is there a potential that or argumentative take at the last minute we have to go looking for additional staff depending what we're going to be doing and you know do we have the money in the budget or what are we looking at yeah at this point the only we feel and if you're talking like an in the full in person which I have to agree with dr. Jenkins the probability of that seems unless something drastic happens with the virus or whatever seems pretty um not probable for a full traditional regular here we are we're back to school if we were to do a hybrid method we believe at this point and just looking at what a schedule might be that we would have appropriate staff so we wouldn't see that if we were to do a in person trying to split the schools up in different rooms etc that would be a problem with staffing so that's one of the reasons it's really not really not we're not seeing that as an option that really would work for us just for what you just said mr.
Nunes thank you dr. Gifford just a couple comments uh you may have seen because it's has happened on social media folks are asking if the infographic was including the special education survey results I'm assuming it probably did but I don't know no no actually I was asking miss Townsend she would be bringing a presentation on that next meeting just so fantastic fantastic because the other the other big piece that you know is being talked about in the special education community about students who already received special education or those who may come back to school with additional needs and so you have kids coming back and we don't know how this has impacted them we know that the you know the abuse in the numbers are really down of folks kind of reporting abuse and so that's very concerning but just the impact of you know a broken down the schedule not being what it once was or the worry and the concern and students coming in with an extreme level of social emotional needs or learning differences compared to where they were prior to March so that's a whole other element on top of how do we get back to school then it's like well what do i students look like and and and and really taking inventory of what their needs are now versus pre kovat so there's a lot there's a lot and I really commend you and the administration and and teachers for sharing how they feel about going back and also just planning for what's to come whatever that looks like thank you wait yes um I also want to you know tag onto that and say you know it's a tremendous amount of work it's overwhelming it's you know completely you know constantly a moving target so it's it's an impressive well you know what you've been able to do with and assimilate all this information one question people have asked me parents have asked me do you anticipate that if there is a hybrid or full back-to-school model adopted that there still will be an option for those folks who don't feel comfortable can't medically go back to school to access the virtual Academy of some sort is that what you're thinking is a great question we're looking we're hoping the state they were looking right now into a learning management system which is would be a remote learning platform for students that like you said are just cannot come back to school or choose not to for whatever reason it is so that's another piece that's another piece to the pie of how do we then keep those kids engaged in education so yes that would be another would not be homeschooling they would still be our students then correct correct correct we still have a responsibility to those kids okay thank you I I don't I I don't know if he spoke to this I apologize if he spoke to this in the past but could we could you speak dr.
Gifford to uni here a lot of family saying they want it they're opting to homeschool homeschool my understanding of that is that not to recommend folks kind of jump to that at that point in time if if if a family is not already sort of prepared and in that mindset of homeschooling this is not the time to start and am I correct in saying that if they did opt that and write a letter of that plan for their future that would be that would mean less less of this tiny bit of funding that we're looking forward to to kind of disperse through what we can offer is that correct yes that's correct and you you're right I wouldn't recommend if people and of course they called miss Royce office if they're looking to do their own homeschooling and I'm sure we wouldn't recommend it by give us give it a shot with the learning management system my thinking is and we've discussed it with our team is especially if we have teachers or staff members that can't come back as well to kind of like we did the Flip program at the high school perhaps where we had a supervisor that monitored those students on like an ingenuity and other platform but to keep in touch to keep connected to keep them moving I mean we don't want to just put people on a remote learning plan and forget about them either so yeah there's a lot to think about with that anything else for many of my colleagues thank you thank you everyone and thank you dr.
Gifford for updating us on that next up on their old business is the MAS C resolution anti racism and I know that we had in our agenda at the last meeting and we asked for this presentation on our curriculum and what the Dom Public Schools is doing you know that being said I've had I've had some time to think about this and I'm just wondering if it's the committee's pleasure whether or not we vote this as is or I would maybe like to see a Sun this to the policy subcommittee and let's adopt this for Dartmouth as far as how it specifically fits our own resolution and how you know we we feel on this as a as a committee and as a school department so I'm not sure what the committee's pleasure is on this if we want to take a vote as it is or if anyone feels that we could send this to the policy subcommittee for how it fits into Dartmouth perspective mr.
Nunes Thank You mr. chairman I know you and I had a discussion on this two weeks ago and I also had a I could would like to give it about this but way this policy is this resolution I followed this resolution is written a way I can support it I mean I look at you know what they want us to do and what we're unquote you know saying just as I think twice in instances flies in the face of everything that we do do or that we be as a district want to do and I think this underlying issues if we try to do what they're looking for for this resolution to say so oh oh this is you know can we some of this in a policy baby but as this representation stands right now there's no way I'm going to vote for it I'll be honest with you Thank You mr.
Nunes gladly I'll gladly give you the ones that I have problems with if anybody's interested any other committee members their thoughtfulness well I'm in support of doing what you say Chris and reporting it down to the policy subcommittee but you know I think in all fairness you know we should here and have a dialogue if you know mr. Nunes is uncomfortable with certain you know portions of it you know we're weighing in and as a committee it seems that we something we should talk about you know maybe we take it step by step sure thank you on this is wait dr. Jenkins did you have your hand raised yeah you know I personally have no problems with anything is how it's written but I do think it is committing the district to certain steps and so I do think we need the input of the administration so I would personally go for it in its present form but I do think the administration needs to review it and provide input on what we're doing in each of those areas and what what things might be might be difficult if there are any so that's I guess fine with me thank you dr.
Jenkins that being said yes I'm sorry did you have your hand up I keep going back from speakers view the gallery view and I'm missing pictures did you have your hand that made mr. zero no I mean I completely agree with what dr. Jenkins just said I mean I I support it as it's written but I do think it does you know lend itself potentially especially with mr. News's Britany students bringing up some concerns or just apprehension that this go through you know I think through the policy committee in my opinion Thank You mr. news yeah no they're not concerned they're not apprehensions their concerns so everyone is aware Thank You mr. Nunes that being said I'd like to send this down to the policy subcommittee to have an opportunity to have some open dialogue with the administration I'm not sure if we have an opportunity to for the policy subcommittee to meet before our next meeting to send it back to us but I would I would ask that this be sent down to the policy subcommittee for review with them and the administration and for them to provide feedback to the full committee at a later date you need a motion on that mr.
cherrick so I'll move that I sure I'll take a motion so I have a second second I have a motion by dr. Jenkins a second by mr. news on the motion any discussion share hearing none roll call it's Gunther miss Oliver yep Shannon Jenkins yes Mary wait yes Kathleen Amaral yes John Nunes yes yes thank you miss Gunther next up under old businesses town child to review appointment so as you remember I had brought this to the full committee after receiving an email from our County Administrator Town Administrator mr. McGinnis and I did hear back from him after our last meeting I had asked him about whether or not it had to be school committee members and it does not need to be school committee members it just needs they need to be obviously live in town so it could be any one of us if any one of us is interested on being on the Charter Review Committee or we could appoint someone to the Child review committee I'll just remind everyone that licky I like mr.
McGinnis had said that it is a time commitment on that what sounds like right around a year from the time that it starts in the fall to the following I think all Town Meeting so right now is anyone interested in on the Charter Review Committee so that be that being said I do have someone in mind I'm not sure what the committee will think about it and I haven't had an opportunity to reach out to her yet but I was just thinking about retired principal Brooks from Potter's school on whether or not I know that she has a obviously a vested interest in this town being a principal for all these years for the Dobbins public school as well as the Town Meeting member and the town resident so even if the committee is okay with that I would be more than happy to reach out to mrs.
Brooks that she to see if she was willing to accept our appointment to the Charter Review Committee I'm good I'm good dr. Jenkins no I was gonna say I'm good with that as well I mean I was thinking that we I think mr. noon said that last time we had a school committee member and a member of the administration I was sitting here trying to think through an administration who lived in town but a former member of the administration you know is administrative team is good because I do think there are a lot of technical things that the way things work that we want to be careful if we're talking about changing the Charter that someone knows how that works we need to have that sort of person at the table so I think that's a good idea to propose to have her do that yes perfect so that'll be one of our appointments if she's willing to accept it does anyone else have any suggestions [Music] dr.
Banton I'm gonna snacky I have accepted you all at my University I can't I don't have the time and the space and this new role to do this um I don't know if anyone else on the committee would be able to do it I don't think we have to go to every single meeting but I do think you know lots of times the Charter Review I know my husband was on it last time there's talks about sort of profound shifts to the structure of power in town government and so I think it's important that that one of us could just be there at least some time to be able to sort of I don't want to say guard our turf but you know a little bit right make sure that the changes that are made don't have a negative effect on the school committee and the school's know that that's really next one point and I just I wish I could commit but I just can't but I see mrs.
wait with her hand raised well it was so here's I mean I what I will say is my concern is that I'm so new um I have the trainings that are going on so I just want to make sure that as I'm you know going through all the right protocols so I'm happy to I will do it you know what I'm happy to help but again I you know I am a newbie so you know take it for what it's worth you know I have a lot of one of the job trainings in front of me so um you know with all the the trainings that are happening in the next two weeks hopefully I'll get on the page a little bit more but um you know I'm willing to take that one I guess is what I'm saying but just give me a little license here as well cut you a little slack it's what you're asking for yes please thank you a lot of slack if you volunteer to do this right across the room thinking oh God thank you very much Mary I speak for the committee when I say I we appreciate that and yeah no app absolutely will will cut you a lot of slack thank you thank you already have and I appreciate it I don't think we need a motion on this do we need a mode just because okay just because I I need to reach out to mrs.
Brooks first at all hopefully she'll accept with the light and I think and I honestly think that she's a good resource being a member of the school community for so many years and knowing what goes on in the school the pop so thank you everyone for that under new business superintendent's update dr. Gifford okay we have a couple of things other than kovat just want to let you know that the chair of the Finance Committee has reached out to us looking to meet with some members of the budget subcommittee upcoming dates we let her know that probably much how it's August and we'll come up with some dates and hopefully we'll have some more information from the state on the budget at that time some of us the central office and number of the principals attended the virtual conference for the mass executive Institute last week and I'm not sure if any of you did get to attend any of the keynote speakers but it was actually came out much better than I thought it was going to be and folks did a really nice job putting that together we just received word yesterday of today that we received a $12,000 summer vacation learning program grant we submitted an application for to offer a four-day camp in February and April for like STEM related enrichment activities so we did receive that grant and we but you know be looking for teachers in the future to get that program ready and I think you might have heard that the MIAA has you know tentatively said on September 14th date for sports again who knows and I don't know what it looks like but that's all I know is that they they're trying they have a task force that continues to work we also in and I'm not sure if it will take I don't know what the weather is tomorrow but we were supposed to start we were supposed to start a strength and conditioning session for our kids with some of our coaches and supervisors this week at the fields at the stadium three sessions of students obviously a bright number of students socially distance etc just to start some strength and conditioning but it was cancelled for today because of the heat so I'm not sure you know whether we'll be going I don't know what the weather is tomorrow but that's in the works and we to get the kids out at least enjoying some of that as I said mr.
Townsend will be at the school committee meeting next week to kind of talk about the special ed survey results and we've also applied for what we call a remote learning grant it's a tech grant mr. Oliver you might know about that one I'm not sure I'm not sure if we'll have a chance it is the one based on need but we had to put forth on some of the data that we have about our families who have internet who have devices etc so we put in for a grant we'll see what happens and that's about it for new things thank you dr. Gifford yes I had heard about the tech grant and it's wonderful to you know any any little bit helps right so thank you for all of that that's exciting that at least they're working on a tentative sports date whether or not that will come to fruition who knows but I appreciate the fact that they're working towards that for under new business on the report of the chair a couple of things one thing do we have our our meeting scheduled for August yet do we have anything on the books for August yes so I haven't had an opportunity to take a look no I guess there it is our next meeting so our next meeting with August 3rd I'd like to know the committee's thoughts on whether or not we should return to in-person school committee meetings in the event you know we are looking to try to get students and staff and faculty back in person and I think it's it's important that at some point we we look to return to in-person sessions I'm not sure of August 3rd would be you know it's the best date but anyone anyone care to share their opinions on it about - Jenkins I'm always willing to share opinions no I think we should remain virtual because here's why to be doing as a community every single thing we can do virtually again no bars no right like indoor stuff so that we can stop the spread of this disease to allow for our schools to open right that's our position on campus right every work that can be done remote should and shall be done quote so that we can prioritize education so in my book I know people like to talk about the optics I don't care about the optics what I care about is getting our kids and our staff safely back in school and if that means you know we can't meet in person that's fine with me I will you know I don't go to bars and stay away from people because I really really want my kids to go back they're killing me here no seriously though I would vote that we stay remote because I do think that's what we should all be doing remote as much as humanly possible thank you dr.
Jenkins but I have no doubt you you will share your opinion mrs. Wade yes she convinced me so yes I think we should do it remotely good job Shannon like she makes a great point you know we and she talks about the optics but there are optics to continuing you know in this fashion as well and showing that it's actually workable and it's also I think very user friendly for people who have gotten used to this you know the zoom meetings and able to follow they can see all of us and I think it again you know it translates keep it going so I think Merritt miss Wade is also as as desperate as I am to get her kids 60 girl take her perfect thing this is wait let's take a bet on who's really ready to have the kids come I think I've got it I'm distracted right now due to it but no I completely 100% agree that I I would want to stay remote Oh mr.
Nunes go ahead yeah no I have no I have no preference either way I mean we can set it up in the library or somewhere you know with the the 6-foot distance and you know wear the masks and everything we want to continue to meet via zoom I'm good with that too so it's kind of obvious Chris that however which way you are I was thinking about it were outvoted so I think we're sticking with zoom no and I am honestly I'm okay with that I unit yeah I just wanted to give the committee the opportunity to share their thoughts so thank you for that and while I have you mr. Nunes you had asked me to and I forgive me I I was i spoke to dr. Gifford this afternoon and I forgot to pass along on your question to her so dr. Gifford may not be prepared but go ahead I was just wondering died to give it we attacked about the remote and the makeup exhibit makeup test as part of the remote learning plan back in May and I think I asked this back you know in May or something if somewhere down the line we could get a an update as to this number of students that actually put in for the makeup test especially in a high school and you know what if any of them actually did take those tests I did get that information from mr.
Tebow and now I don't have it in front of me so that's fine get that out to you soon that's fine no problem I'm good with that yep my apologies mr. Nunes for that that's a - that's a minor problem for us mr. you referring to the MCAT no no I was I was referring to I was referring to students you know who need who wished to make up a test because you know they got a 60 five on a test and we take the test and get a 75 maybe they get up a B instead of a C+ just as our for instance no those are the makeups I was talking about that I'm particularly interested in the conversation about em cast ask because I'm we're in a really odd situation in my family but my son has never taken i'm cast because we were away in the spring of his sophomore year he was supposed to sit for it in his junior year but then pandemic happened and so now he's going into a senior year never having taken the MGS which is a requirement for graduation so he is there any idea what the MCATs will look like I would assume there are they gonna have a full testing in the fall like maybe you don't know yeah but I'm slightly panic because I know he can't graduate if there's not a fall test because the spring results don't come in I'm soon enough and I'm sure there are some students who say didn't pass their their sophomore year who are in a similar situation like they need to take the test in order to graduate [Music] dr.