That I believe safety is the biggest most first priority that you have to have in order to run schools and run a district. And I needed that the staff, the paras, the teachers um to see that I I believed what I was saying and I meant what I was saying. I work with the fire department on um and the our director of maintenance. We work when we do fire inspections. We also did when I first came as the assistant superintendent, we hired an outside agency to do a huge safety audit um physical safety audit with all 15 schools and I worked with these outside agencies just to look at everything from boiler rooms to vestibules um to cameras that were needed um looking at the physical safety and the procedures that we had for safety and I worked with those outside agencies and the city departments.
Casemir. I think you're probably the right person for this. Um, as far as the dress code policy, which would probably fall under that, um, series 6,000 students, um, do you know sort of where we are in that? Are we going to be looking at something before the end of the year or was that something we might expect to do beginning of next year? >> So, we want to implement by the be by the by next year. I'd love to, you know, the go heading into this, our goal was to get something out before um for the spring and the the the winter thaw. Um, so, uh, we usually see, um, you know, some interesting, uh, things in this, in this heading into summer we'd like to try to curtail. Um, Kelly and I are working together on this. We're implementing a lot of things right now.
Lack of the path of housing, um some teaching conditions, but not really get getting down to the nitty-gritty. What is it? Why isn't our students interested in teaching? I mean, so besides because you know, sometimes pay is not just the pay. My sister said she worked as a special needs teacher in the mainland and she said it's not the necessarily the pay, it's everything else, you know, dealing with dealing with the parents, dealing with some of the disruption in the classroom and and feeling like we don't have the control. I mean, there's a lot of stuff, right? And I think that that's what we're missing because we're too focused on the pay and the housing. But I also think it's because parents expect teachers to be parents and and you know >> Yeah. Exactly. >> Yeah. So I I think it's you know on both sides the issue but I'm not sure how >> how we handle it, how we deal with it, what >> we can do put in place to, >> you know, help the schools and the teachers to handle these issues with students.
Huh. I put it in the wrong place. Okay. Um, and I think what I want to start with is that classified uh PNP years of service costs, no PII. Let's take a look at that. Uh, no, it's up the second one from the top. Okay. All right. So when we um did our years of service for our certified, we applied the same rationale uh to all of the other um schedules. And obviously we're focusing on classified first as our next biggest group. And what we found when we started going through this uh were some interesting uh data points. So, um, when you look at the calculated years of service, uh, you can see that the the 1691 is our starting rate. We're not recommending any like rate changes. Um, but what we did need to do is we have an A to K placement schedule.
It will be used, we have someone coming in that works one-on-one um on taxes with our seniors and they don't have a private space to do that. And in order to to have that private space, then the computer room isn't you available to everyone. So, this will alleviate that and give them that extra space. It's a it's a little bit of elbow room, which is nice. >> Okay, great. And then just for clarification in terms of um the the capital project money, so that money has already been allocated for this purpose. >> Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Hey folks, um first off, thanks for this great presentation. very lots of points clarified tonight and um you know I do want to echo my colleagues comments about um how how careful uh you all were in trying to make sure there was minimal impact to taxpayers by making sure but making sure that um our neighbors are supported uh as they should be.
Um I have a very good relationship with the mayor and I've known him a long time. We've worked together. Um he was a parent of of one of the students before he was the mayor. Uh so I feel that I am very capable of understanding the complexities that come from trying to run a city and how being the being a superintendent you're a vital part of that and you need to be able to work with those with the different organizations and understand that everyone wants the best for the citizens. So as superintendent I have to fight for the school. I have to fight for what's right. Um, but we also have to make sure that we're a team as a city. So, I have I have done a lot. And just to to recap there, I just think that I want to get out of I want to start right out of the gate getting to know people.
We got school climate policy. There's all kinds of things happening. So, we're trying to fit it into the right window, not to overt tax all the same stakeholder groups that we're already tapping right now for many different other projects. So we talked about starting first with a with a survey just to get people's understanding of you know what they believe uh you know how that our dress code policy is currently um you know if our dress code of policy is currently um you know meeting our needs what recommendations they would have to change and then we would bring that back as sort of a cursory review to jump start the conversation um it's really more about I think for us is clarifying newer terms terms, you know, updating the dress code in terms of code of conduct, which is more regs, but then also what is it what is it in the policy that has prevented people from fully enforcing it?
Well, these students grow up to be parents who then have kids that have in classrooms. It's a cycle that goes on. Okay, Senator, we've been waiting patiently. >> Thank you. Uh, it's hard because you don't really have any numbers, right? So I feel like our conversations are just kind of talk story sessions. But um do you have any way to quantify if extending this two more years would be able to retain the teachers to go have them go through the process? Is this the solution or one of one of >> So this is one solution. I I guess one thing I want to say that's important is that the question is what's the alternative? So if it if we if the emergency hired teacher reaches the end of 3 years and there's a vacancy next year in the position they were in, what happens? What happens is either we hire a new emergency hire teacher or we hire a substitute, a day-to-day substitute.
It doesn't give us enough space to bring all of the broken schedules back into one schedule. So, one of the things that's keeping us from addressing compression consistently was every time we tried to go back out and compare everybody, um over the years through some uh choices with the parody study and the Gallagher thing, um they did adjustments to staff. They put them on their own schedule and then they they they have them separate from the main schedule that probably 60 to 70% of staff are on. um because of that they got hung out there and very um frequently didn't get addressed other than if we did like 2% raises for all. Uh if we tried to do any salary movement, they wouldn't have been captured in that. So some of them uh were already off the schedule uh based on whatever was going on at the time with the people who were here.
Um you answered one of my questions with Claudia's answer because I was wondering about like you know getting some making sure that there is some space where confidential conversations could happen as we all know for human services any you know any of the things that you mentioned plus you know food pantry people people don't feel comfortable really even initially like asking for help or asking for specific help. So that you've answered that question. Um the the only other question that I had is with the [clears throat] move of the food pantry. I I've noticed like there's been some some good communication about that out. Um how are you how are you going to keep residents informed like during the next moving process for where you know how and and when they can access that food pantry uh situation. >> Are you talking when we move back?
And I think once people talk to me and they know me and they hear from me, um the trust will build and they will know that I am honest and I do what I say and I follow through and I spend the time. >> Thank you for coming here. Um what is the most valuable lesson you have learned? We're especially interested in an example of a time when something didn't go as planned and how you responded. How much time did you say I had? Okay. Wow. I I could answer this a lot. I could answer this all day. Um, so I think one of the most valuable lessons that I've learned um through my time going through the different jobs that I had, vice principal, principal, teacher, assistant, superintendent, um, is that you have to be as thorough as you can and prepared as you can with whatever plan you're doing.
Where are the weak points that need clarification or any language that seems to be a barrier for people not wanting to, you know, get their hands dirty on it because it's been a little bit of a sticky wicket um for some. So, it's really about clarifying that, but I need all the right people at the table and uh we are running into some I would say a log jam of initiatives. Um so, we we definitely are getting to it. We're getting closer, but um I would say probably um probably by you know, March, we probably have that teed up and ready to go and then spend some time on that. get through some more of the series and then hopefully implement something so that's well communicated before school ends so that it informs shopping, school shopping and all of those things heading into the fall.
And those are not in in my opinion, those are not better choices than the teacher who's been evaluated, received training. Um, and to give that teacher a couple more years to complete their teacher license or to complete their educator preparation program would be helpful. Um I would have to put I have to open a different spreadsheet to give you the information but there are um maybe 150 to 200 teachers who are in the third year of their emergency hire this year. So those would that would be the group that would be eligible to continue for two more years to complete their license. Um, we are in the process of running a survey with our emergency hired teachers and it's still in process, but I looked at the data that we received so far and um, and hang on, I have it right here. Um, it's a data received so far and 50% of the emergency hired teachers said that they would be more likely to complete their teacher license if they had additional time.
Same thing happened with the certified staff. some certified staff were just so far off the schedule uh that we have to cap it somewhere. You can't have a schedule that just goes on to infinity. It's not fiscally responsible and it's not manageable. Um so what we've done is we've doubled down on the schedules and moved them from A to K's uh to A to Z's and then anyone past a Z on the schedule and of that breakdown is um considered off the schedule and they would grandfather out. So, we have a do no harm policy. We're never going to redo the schedules and take money away from anyone. So, that was the process. Um, and then here's the process kind of looking at uh and we did the same thing with certified now doing it with classified. You figure out how many years of service.
>> Yeah, when you move back. >> Yeah. So we'll be >> and also while you're while you're you know the location is new so there may be some concern I know that there's a lot of communication up front but just to make sure that residents know that that's where folks can get help for food >> assistance. All existing ara help me with this but all existing um residents who utilize the food pantry have been notified. We've been putting flyers um in their uh orders. We've put out, you know, was it emails help? location. >> I'll tell her. >> Yeah. So, as >> we're also thinking about like a couple of events, too, like on location to highlight the fact that it's there now. >> Yeah, I think that's a good idea. >> One of our officers has has already reached out to organize an event, most likely around Valentine's Day.
But then you also have to be willing to say I was wrong or this isn't working or we need to adjust. And I know that's vague so I'm going to be more specific because I could give a few examples. Um when I was a principal we did we we did have difficult time in our special education subgroup. Uh we were working to improve our scores. We are working to improve our in our classroom. And so we went to look at our co-eing model for special education. This was pre right before pre- pandemic. So we did a lot of work. We looked at the data and we looked at what was going on in our classrooms and we realized that we needed to be way more inclusive. We needed to get students um who are not islands, who were um not subspparate and get them into the classrooms as much as possible.
>> Yeah, thank you for the update. I appreciate it. Of >> course. Any other questions uh from our committee before we look to adjourn? >> Go ahead. Is it okay if I um just have um make an announcement about a webinar for tomorrow? >> Okay. There is an upcoming um governor's budget webinar sponsored by CABE tomorrow at 12 from 12 to 1:15 where they will be reviewing uh what the governor um is submitting and uh looking very carefully of how it's going to affect us in education and ways that we may be able to use our advocacy skills. >> Thank you, Vanita. And I will just add that even if you can't attend live as that webinar is happening, if you register for it now, Cab often sends out a link afterwards so that you can access recording. >> Thank you. >> Thanks, Monita. >> All right.
Do you have any data of the teachers that have completed the licensing program but then had just pulled out because you had mentioned some of that too right that people were going through the licensing process but then they decided that they didn't want to move forward that data I don't have I have lots of other data just that particular one we're still um having to analyze that data >> thank you chair >> I can follow up so when you hire ire an emergency then they normally then they start the process in order to get their credentials whatever necessary and then their license or some of them already have been starting the process >> there's some of them could have started in the process >> okay but but say for one so we hire you hire them today and they what is the normal process then they take they start does it take a while like they have to wait till the next class or how does that work?
Uh, you figure out what is their current rate of pay, put them on the current schedule that has then been expanded in placement so we can uh put them somewhere. get them all on one schedule. So, as you um scroll down, you'll see like so right here, this is a good one. Um uh 22. Sure. Any line. So, um this person's making 1723. They have zero years of service. What that means is they came in on the placement schedule with some experience. Um and so we need to match that on the new schedule. So, on the old schedule, they were an F. On the new expanded schedule, they're an E. We got as close as we could to the rate. You can't put in special rates. You just have to get as close as you can. And then we use the um logic of do no harm.
Um, I don't want to give it away because I feel bad, but [laughter] that will bring some attention that the the food pantry is there. So Valentine's Day is coming up very quickly and that's kind of next week or the week after. So we're looking to make sure that we sort of get the word out there as much as possible. And then in the reverse when we move back, we have a ton of signs up at the community center. We actually ordered signs for the new um the temporary space um the space at the community center that tells people, you know, when they can donate, where to go, um if they need food, who to call, all of those things. And so, like I said, we'll do that in reverse when we move back. >> That's great. Thank you. >> Thank you for the presentations.