There is a cup of our homemade salsa that we serve in the Oh, one more slide over one. This is served in the secondary schools. We make this fresh. And so, um, we'd like to thank Judy Pearlman at Gabbert High School for making this for us for tonight. So, you can dip your jalapeno one if you want into the fresh homemade salsa. This product, what I'd like to highlight about it, it is a sold retail uh by Wild Mike's made with commodity mozzarella cheese, which we've assigned to that vendor. And so students would be able to see these stuffed crust cheesy bites with the jalapenos in them as you see on this picture, so they could recognize them and know them. It's the same brand you could get at the store, but we're getting it much cheaper for the schools and in a more healthier, clean label.
Okay. The difficult part for us when we come over to the uh middle school age range is that our teachers who are licensed in ELA are not skilled and efficient in teaching um uh teaching kids decoding and encoding and phonics skills. And it's like if you missed that piece, those proficiency gap just seem to widen further as we go down the line. Um, we have a pocket of students that really need to build up some tier 2 interventions so that we are focusing on closing these proficiency gaps so that they can then be successful and indepth in uh accessing more in-depth coursework down the line as that's the key to opening up at all. Um we would hope to use the reading specialist as well to help uh coach our other teachers in in um providing these supports to our kids and um and also just monitoring progress and hopefully reducing referrals to special education because we're doing the work up front and closing these gaps.
>> Wait a minute. Zila, >> I I don't know. I don't know how >> What did you ask, Mrs. Fur? I'm sorry. >> You said Whittier. >> Put your button on. >> Uh, Whittier already did their their um lottery. See? Yes, they actually have a midyear um admission cycle and then they also just did their incoming freshmen. Um so everybody has like you know in their policy they have a different application deadline and timeline. Um we actually would have liked to have it a little bit earlier in March but go to CTE already had a number of schools um that were scheduled so that's why we're planning to go on March 12th. Oh, so it's it's uh something it's it's it's the school's decision to do that. >> Yes, we set our own timeline. >> So, >> I have millions of questions. I'm going to have >> mic please.
session during >> and you can also go into executive session if you ever need to seek legal advice from the lawyer whe >> I did I added to the front page underneath all that >> yes thank from that hour. >> Is it like >> No, it's still like 200 bucks an hour. What kind? >> Is that what this is? I think he would not >> you got >> I don't have anything done. His contract's over. I think all the decision to retire >> would like one of two places or retirement. They don't want my guy name. You were getting better. too fast. What? There's We got something. Record time. Everyone was very happy. >> What? >> Record time. We finished at about 6:15. >> Oh, good. >> They've been finishing between 8 and 9. >> Same amount of kids. >> Yeah. Same teams. >> We had four teams.
So, it's whole grain, things like that. I know it's spicy. You need to be careful. We got water here. Um, we are currently taste testing these samples with GPS students. So, one of uh your most favorite uh things is the stuffed crust sticks. And one of our schools was saying, "Oh, the kids are getting a little tired of them. You know, are they aren't they?" We were going to go check the quality and everything, but what if we spiced it up with some jalapeno bites and said you couldn't choose the regular cheese or the jalapeno? Then you get a choice and and it um it helps fight menu fatigue to be able to introduce new and novel things to the kids at school. So, uh the actual bites are made with the mozzarella cheese from commodity and the homemade salsa is made with commodity diced tomatoes.
Our FTE that we are proposing is to bring back our biology teacher which we had lost in the last budget season. Um, current staffing levels significantly limit our ability to provide supportive classrooms and elective opportunities for for our students. And this is only going to be more impacted next year. Um, the uh pieces when we take a look at it uh just in terms of like looking at some of the numbers, our ninth grade class right now, which predominantly receives biology, is one of our smallest classes that we have. It's 62. Next year we're looking at upwards of 90. that's already two sections of biology that we don't have. Um, we also have pockets of students that are going to require more supported classrooms. That's going to require us to build in more uh classes that we did not need to offer this year in terms of like fundamental uh um uh chemistry to help provide those supports.
>> There you go. >> Okay. So, I said I have a million qu million of questions, but I'm going to ask for a few of them if I remember them now. I'm very concerned about this whole lottery and how we handling it. Um because I don't see right now I mean you mentioned transparency but I don't see the transparent the transparency going on just just the way that you presented how we're going to do it. So um did did you say March 12 is going to be delivered? >> Yes. >> Okay. And they and how is all the family going to know that they they already applied? You said that they're going to be informed, they going to be they're going to be sent a number or something like that. Um how about the people that apply that they don't know whether they they are going to be in the lottery.
>> Five for this. remember we allowed some so Rio Rico Rio Rico came in >> stuck our head >> and they they've been doing all of it. This was our last regular season match. So next in two weeks they'll have the championship and Rico won't be at 654. >> Pretty good ratio of girls out there. >> Yes. Girls wrestling.
So, the brown box is about 319 a case right now. And you can get six giant cans of diced tomatoes and they pour it in with all the ingredients and use immersion blender and make fresh homemade salsa. This is an actual picture of it at Gilbert High. Now, here's where you guys uh I mean you board members get to uh participate in this meeting while we have a board feedback form. >> Okay. >> So, it's the next page and I put them they're they're stapled. Um the first one is bites and salsa to talk about if they look appetizing. >> It's actually separate so you can fill that right next to >> Does anybody not have it? >> That way you don't have to give up your your presentation. M >> yes. So maybe evaluate the taste, uh texture, seasoning, spice level, size, um things like that.
What this does is it significantly limits our ability to offer them electives for other students which are great opportunities that open up doors for them uh in the long haul. Um the other piece that it's very it's worth mentioning is science works very differently than it does in other uh teacher licenses. Uh if you're an ELA teacher, you license, you know, grade uh 9 through 12 and you can teach it all. Science is very specific. If you're a biology teacher, you're a biology teacher. you're a chemistry teacher, you're a chemistry teacher, and it really limits our flexibility in being able to offer uh these uh courses to our kids. Um the next two slides that we have are not um budget requests, but I think it's important to to note how these FTEEs and teaching positions uh promote some of our ongoing work and long-term goals that we're we're looking to establish here.
I don't know how they going to know that. I mean there's so many qu Let me let me let me stop there. Um, can you answer that for me because again I'm I'm concerned. >> Yes. So, we we initially email every student um and family who applied by the deadline. We email them to let them know that they will be in the lottery. Um, if we have somebody who applied who doesn't meet the residency >> say that again. I'm sorry. >> We said >> the line of February 1st, they already know that. >> So, after February 1st, I I am not in the admissions department. I don't want to say if the email's gone out or not yet. I believe that it has, but every student and family will receive the email letting them know if they're in the lottery or if they're not in the lottery.
And then do you like the taste of the homemade salsa recipe? Provide feedback. And do you think students would like the bites? If so, which flavors? And do you think students would like the salsa? just to help us with feedback. We also do a lot of taste testing, as Michelle said, with the students themselves. And sometimes that gets them really excited when we say, "You have the power to decide what all the elementary schools are going to eat next year." They really love that. And we will compile your results and share it in the next um board report so you can see how you all felt. >> Yes. Thank you for your feedback. Okay, we'll go to the next slide while they're writing. >> Yeah, why not? >> What the heck? Okay, let's go. >> The next one is uh onion rings and boneless barbecue chicken wings are coming out next.
Um for us it it is the time where we're continuing to monitor all that's happening in the state. Um there's a lot of pieces that are being looked at right now in terms of what is the um of the graduation expectations and the standards that being set forward. um the weight of when we look at like uh seals of distinction and CTE pathways and all these new uh pieces that uh districts are starting to undertake this work to step out of that so that they're providing great college and career pathways for their kids. Um for us uh this is a piece that is time to begin this work and take these initial steps in offering our kids these opportunities so that they're competitive when it comes to college admissions and also being well positioned if they're entering the workforce. Um what we are looking at this is a this is the piece where this is a step towards hopefully some long-term goals.
Um, >> they'll receive I'm sorry, >> an email to interrupt you. They're going to receive information. They're not there. But you also said that February 1st they already know >> that was the deadline to apply. >> You should know that because March 12th is is almost here. >> Right. Okay. So, I think we have a problem again. Continue because >> so every student and family receives an email at some point. It may have gone out yet. I'm not sure. Um to let them know and the reason the >> Sure. Yeah. It's just I'm not in the actual admissions department anymore. Um we have an admissions director who's doing that, but I can absolutely find out. So, the reason >> May I ask another question? why they they didn't come and present this whole um process if you don't know a lot of the information. >> I think she knows the protocols and procedures and everything.
>> Here they come. >> Oh my goodness. >> I know. Get ready. Hope you hope you didn't eat dinner yet. >> Onion rings and boneless barbecue chicken wings. >> They're coming around. As you notice, you do have uh celery and ranch for dipping. You could This one's the ranch. It's organic ranch. There's no MSG in it. Everything's gluten-free. Also, uh >> Oh, yes. >> This celery, carrots, whatever you want to have with it right here. Or if you want to dip in barbecue sauce. Got it. Here's your um Oh, you're already up one and ready. Okay. Onion rings. They are whole grain batter, low sodium, low fat, and baked in the oven. So, they are not deep fried. They are currently on our junior high school menus only. They get it special in seventh and eighth grade. We do call it the Western Bacon Cheeseburger, similar to what you could get at somewhere like Burger King or Carl's Jr., things like that.
This is something that we look to partner with with Dr. Conway as we move forward and has some experience in this and looking at innovation pathways and CTE pathways which I'm happy to discuss and ask questions on upcoming but for us we're looking to leverage our current electives that we're putting forward for kids to offer concentrations for them on both their diploma and their transcript. So um we are have currently undergone the work of uh putting forward concentrations that allow students to really explore college and career pathways uh prior to college. Um some of these concentration areas that we're taking a look at is business, child development, humanities, STEM, arts, uh and tech engineering. Um, these pieces right here really provide our kids a leg up when it comes to understanding what these jobs look like, the experience that they need from them, uh, and really giving them, uh, an opportunity to, uh, pursue things that they like and enjoy.
The actual whether they've been notified yet or not is the only thing that we're not aware of. Um but >> I mean again email is is it's a difficult way of of um communicating. I mean as Mr. Mercedes mentioned, no, everybody's looking at mail. I'm one I'm not looking at mail. Somebody needs to, you know, send me an a a mail or make a phone call so that I know that something is going on. Um, so already just sending emails to people and pretending that they already know all this information, it's not practical. It's not It's not >> So, yeah, just to follow up with that. So, um >> once once they have been >> sorry once they have been um notified once we >> once they're notified once the students are they may have already been notified. If they haven't once they are notified they will be getting an email.
Students really like the texture and the flavor of these onion rings. And um we can't give them a whole side order of onion rings, so we put one on the burger. And um we are taste testing these onion rings for additional menu options. And if you notice the picture to the side, we are highlighting that we do use commodity turkey bacon, commodity hamburger patty, commodity American cheese slices, commodity barbecue sauce, and we serve it with potato wedges. So, of course, the potato sides are all commodity, including our tater tots, cringle cut fries, curly fries, all that is commodity products. Then along with your onion ring is boneless barbecue chicken wings. They are made with commodity chicken pounds from Yangs, which also makes our orange chicken and teriyak chicken. They utilize both white and dark meat pounds. So something interesting is we have to use the whole bird.
Um, you know, giving student choice back into it. I will say a lot of these things we we have a lot of great stuff that's already built in. I mean, we take a look at like child development. And we have a full early child uh childhood education program where kids who go through that, they get a certificate at the very end that allows them to even open up preschool daycare. Um there's those pieces that we have these great pieces in, but how do we continue to leverage them to build and take from these stepping stones so we can continue to grow from here? Um I will say that um our u guidance office and our head of the guidance department I mean Rodman has already looked in terms of like if we apply this right now for our current graduates like how many of our students would actually be able to award this on their diploma and it's every single student.
So now we can look at what are some other ways we can communicate to let them make to let make sure that everybody knows that when the lottery is going to be or whether they're in it or not. So maybe we can do something on uh social media. Maybe we can put something in a newspaper. Maybe we'll sit down and we'll talk a little bit more about because of your concerns. we'll sit down and talk a little bit more of how can we get the message out that if you're in the lottery you would have gotten the notification. So once we done done that we will we can put out other types of messages to the community the people in the community that the that you should have been you if you're in the lottery you would have been notified already and so uh to look for the email.