Also I think it's important to understand that some some people might say well why don't you just add if you want to reduce class sizes won't you just add teachers? Well, with the team, you're going to have to add really an entire team at every grade level in both schools to really bring down the class sizes of all courses throughout the building. If I add a language arts teacher, then I'm only going to impact language arts. If I had a math teacher, I'm only going to impact math and reducing those class sizes because in middle school, you know, teachers teach math, language arts. They don't teach a variety of subjects. Um, that's what makes it a little bit more complex than just, well, why don't we just add more teachers to reduce class sizes? You'd have to add such an amount that it wouldn't be financially feasible.
>> We absolutely do. >> Okay. >> I think we do. and and whether that's like part of that forum, you know, kind of, >> you know, dynamic. But, um, >> I think that would be a I would think that would be separate because I would rather if we're going to be voting on specific things, I'd rather that be a meeting versus a public forum, which we're really taking in questions and answering them from public. Maybe we could do something backtoback so that the meeting would take place and then we'd we'd still have >> people in the room that could answer questions. >> That makes sense. >> Yeah. >> Less less dates that we have to try to coordinate. >> Yeah. Yeah. >> All right. Um let's move on in our agenda. Discuss the timeline for town managers evaluation. So, um, every year we, um, try to get our town manager evaluation completed before the May election.
So, we're looking at sophomores and juniors who are interested in doing that from all diverse backgrounds. One of the great things about this program, I can't do it with two people. I can't do it with 10. I need a lot. And the staff have recommended a bunch. Kids have put their applications in. So, we're looking at like 60 different link leaders, right, that we're going to be able to incorporate. do a two-day training in the summer. >> And then we have um when it comes to freshman orientation, which typically was done um by the administration and those things, the stuff for the students will be run entirely by link crew. Then there's events throughout the course of the year. And that's the part that's that always falls down for me is that there's the follow-up doesn't happen, right? So it's great to have that initial time we meet with you, but then the next month there's nothing there.
>> So what if we if we left everything to the town to do wouldn't that >> they don't have the they don't have the person power to do that. So yeah, >> so it's it's definitely a a conversation moving forward to see if maybe on their end, you know, get them to to pay for it and buy the buy the resource. Uh and then like I said, we you know, use our shared resources. I personally think that we haven't cancelled school is obviously a good sign that you know they're doing a great job with keeping up to you know plowing and sanding and all that. >> And the you know the reality is that we have you know seven days a week we have people using our buildings for sports and so it's not that you know we have the luxury of saying let's wait until the snow is done and we're going to come in you know on Sunday night or really early Monday morning.
And while I think it's wonderful that uh our community offers this, these schools are taking public funds and discriminating against children with disabilities. I cannot enroll my child in these schools. And to me, that is not fair. The only options my child has is and children like mine. I'm not just saying my child. We have hundreds of children with disabilities within Chico Unified that are not welcome at these schools. even though they are taking public funds. Do I think that these charters should be renewed? Absolutely. Wonderful programs. Do I think that it should be mandatory that they accept children with disabilities? Absolutely. Is that a question that you as the board are asking? I don't hear that. But I think it needs to be asked. Why? If you're in by law, if you're taking federal funds, you should have to include children with disabilities and that is not happening at this time.
Any discussion? >> Chair. >> Yes. Um though I fully appreciate the direction we're headed with our nutrition, I cannot ignore the industry's concerns as we're transitioning over. So I'll support it with supporting with reservations. >> Okay. [snorts] So with that, chair votes vice chair >> of the members in attendance. Anybody voting with reservations? >> Reservations. uh reservations for Senator Rhodess and Senator Decoy and Senator Richards. Chair, you have four in favor. Motion is adopted. >> Okay. Thank you members. And that concludes the 315 agenda. Hello and welcome to the 4:15 hearing of joint adenu. Two measures on the agenda. First up is SB 2706 relating to workforce development establishes a 5-year add workforce development pilot program within DAB in collaboration with UHSD with community college and human resources development. First up is DAB. Thank you, John. Brena Hashimoto from Department of Human Resources comments on Zoom.
Um we need to we need we need more protections not less. This codifies what was supposed to be happening in Title N and protects our students. And as you see in our testimony that this this is sorely needed. We encourage you to pass it um and send the message loud and clear that we will protect all of our students no matter K through uh university. Uh thank you for hearing this bill. We look forward to it passing. Mahalo. >> Thank you Scott Johansson also on Zoom. >> Yes. Hello. >> Aloha. Uh sorry. trying to turn the video on. Uh my name is Scott Johansson. I am individual individual uh in support of this bill 3024. Uh the uh athletics page does signify and tell us that uh athletics is an important part not just for athletics in itself but it's a a part of our life is part of the education process.
And I think it's important to point out too that with the constraints that the state is putting on the funding of education in a couple years, I would not be surprised if a lot of those top 30 schools have even fewer that have teameing and team time because of the constraints that are going to be put on um all schools in Indiana. >> I think um Mrs. Couns I think I heard two questions from you. One was about the data >> whether or not seventh and eighth grade is truly middle school. Are there some of those middle schools that are truly just seventh and eth? >> Yeah. And so we can >> but we'll answer that and then also you had asked um is it something where we could just pilot with one grade level, right? And so um I'll start with the data. So the data that we use is the raw data on the spreadsheets um that the state gives us and um and so we were able to look at those schools and and schools like ours and um and look at that data.
Um and so just to talk about a little bit about the process. Um we will you know we typically Michael typically does um a self evaluation and does that before we do our writeups um our evaluation of Michael. Um, and then I did have a question because one of the things here was discuss the process about the evaluation tool and I know we've had conversations about the evaluation tool in the past. Are we utilizing the same the same tool as we did last year or um are we making any additional changes? Do we want to take a look at it? >> Can can we take a look at it? Can we take a look at it? I think Absolutely. Absolutely. We'll have to push this out, but I mean >> I was going to say I mean we've talked about I think last year Claudia and I were going to try to do something the year before and everyone was busy and and we didn't do anything.
But there's a plan. They have a plan in their process for what are you what event you going to do September? What are you going to do in October? What are you going to do November. So the link leaders continue to connect with those incoming nth graders. Um and they stay with them and become their resource. They get t-shirts. It's a it's a whole it's a whole vibe. >> And this is a like a rinse and repeat for every year, right? Every >> So yeah. So then what's going to happen is those seniors will graduate. So those juniors that were that are next year's juniors, right, will then have the opportunity they can continue or and we'll just keep We'll just shift it up and Yep. And once we once we really pay for the training, right, which has happened for our two link crew leaders right now, the staff members that are going to do it.
It's, you know, people are plowing as soon as as we're able to support those programs. >> Did we get that fire hydrant cleared out? >> My wife told me about something on Facebook about a fire hydrant at DOT. >> Oh, um I hope so. I'm I'm not active on the Cheshure forum, but >> Sorry. Yellow snow, Tim. >> Huh? >> It's covered with yellow snow. Don't eat yellow snow. Um, all right. Those are all the the items I have for tonight for you all. >> Awesome. >> That's a lot. >> All right. Uh, >> tomorrow the only item that's moving forward tomorrow then is the $7,500 that we >> Yeah. >> Okay. >> I won't be there. >> Sorry. Yeah. And Mark, I'm happy to, you know, in the committee update share whatever of the other items you feel like are, you know, you want to pass off to me, just let me know.
All children within you Chico USD should have access to these wonderful amazing programs that we're talking about. And right now, that's not happening. And I think that these questions need to be asked. Why aren't children with disabilities allowed in these charter schools? How should we support them in the future? And how can we integrate them? I do not agree with the fact that we continue to fund these charter schools that are discriminatory against children with disabilities. And these questions need to be asked. Again, I cannot just go enroll my child in these schools like I could in Chico Unified. And if Chico Unified is funding these schools, my child should have equal access. Thank you. Do we have any other public comment? My name is Elle Wit and I have big feelings. I'm a TK, well kindergarten parent at Blue Oak and I have a child with an IEP and I'd like to thank you for coming up.
Kah Ducalo uh on Zoom. >> Not on Zoom, chair. >> Okay. And then Brian Miiamoto from Hawaii Farm Bureau. >> Thank you, chair. The Hawaii Farm Bureau will stand on its written testimony in support. >> Okay. Anyone else wishing to testify on this measure?
It is provides lots of values and to exclude people be based on their gender identity uh needs to be protected. You cannot protect people's rights by excluding other people of those same rights. Please vote yes for this bill. Thank you. >> Thank you. Uh Joey Badua >> on Zoom. >> My name is Joey Badu. testifying as my person, as a trans person, um, as someone who went to public school, as someone who did not have the language to say how my gender identity was when I was young, and hearing all the hate from the testimony today and reading them, it it pains me. It makes me feel like I do not belong as someone who's gender non-binary. I went I'm also a Catholic and God told us to love each other. He reached out to the worst of the worst, you know, and we are being depicted as the worst of the worst.
So it's apples to apples, not apples to oranges. >> They had to have sixth, seventh, had eighth grade. It was those three. >> Some may have had more, but they had to have those three. And um I would caution folks, you know, when they start googling for data and things like that, um you know, one one example is, you know, if you if you're going to look at US News data, um their 2026 rankings were based off of 2021 and 2022 data. Um and so it's just it's not an accurate um description. So the other um the other question was about can we pilot in one grade level. Um and honestly um the what what we do in schools is just so multiaceted and so complex and when we start um as as Mr. Wiseman has explained when we start making little tweaks to the schedule it creates a big ripple effect right.
So last year we just used the same um you know we use the same form. >> I think if we want to look at changing the form for this year >> we're changing this pro we're changing this timeline. if we want to if we want to change, you know, if we want to go with this timeline and use the form that we currently have and again try to do something, but I think if we want to change the form for this year, we have to push this timeline out by at least two months and we'll never make it before the election. >> Yeah. I I mean, I think that um you know, one way or the other, we've talked about changing changing it. So, we should definitely change it. I think that you know maybe maybe that conversation happened simultaneously with this because I think that there might be some aspects that we can't change you know after the year's ended that we might have to put in place for the following year because they might be dependent upon different expectations right >> so but at the same time it might be a good conversation to take that could kind of simultaneous ously take place while we're trying to work on the evaluation for this year.
Um, you know, we're talking things like uh littleundry things, t-shirts for link crew, right, for those people who are the link leaders. Um, some activities. They do some activities with like balloons and they'll do some activities like like we'll work at we'll do a barbecue, like a grill, like they do um they do like a homecoming. So imagine like the ninth grade kid, right? come to the high school and here at Brookfield the biggest event typically is the first home football game right you can imagine what it's like as a ninth grade kid who wants to be part of the school from that perspective and what do I do who do I go with >> they pair them up with the link leaders and they meet we have a barbecue a whole sort of thing and then they go together to the game so talk about fostering climate and engagement like that's one of the ways to get these kids involved and feel like they're a part of the school right away >> that's great >> and this will kick off in this coming correct Okay.
>> Okay. >> I'm sure there's going to be Yeah. talk talk about the turf. So, >> okay. If if I if I may in all seriousness about the about the fire hydrant um just uh to speak to your team just to see if there's like a process about fire hydrants on on building on school properties to make sure that they do get cleared out in a heavy snowstorm whether it's a maintainer or whoever it is. Um, but just to to do that, I think generally speaking, like there's no real process as far as I know, like growing up in town, it was if the fire hydrants in front of your house, they just whoever the homeowner is just clears it out. Um, but I never really thought about it until this popped up like in terms of a school property. So, just to make sure there was >> I think it was Dodd is what my wife said.
Well, you know, I think that Julia brings up some really good points and I want to speak to that and make public comment because while absolute statements don't really give it justice that we at Blue Oak or maybe at Wildflower or any other charter school don't accept uh children with disabilities. I'd like to point out that there are limits and I'd like to bring up that maybe the funding and the resources for the schools is limited when it comes to being able to facilitate programs and support the staff to be able to host childrens of a multitude of disabilities and not just certain ones. I don't know what it's like in school very much. I have my very first children in kindergarten. I'm very new at this, but I want to be supportive and I want to speak out for the staff and the teachers of the schools that work very hard to accommodate, but also to know and learn how to advocate for funding for these programs and to know specifically what needs to be met and how to meet those needs that we at Blue Oak that I've experienced are accommodating.
Seeing none, members, any questions? Quick one for Deb. >> For the record, identify yourself. >> Oh, uh, Jonathan Hope. I'm quint branch manager. >> Okay. Thanks. Um, there's been so many different things try to get you guys more people coming through the pipeline. There's been talk about reducing qualifications and all that. um how do you see this benefiting you? >> Yes. So the the goal is to have I think like an intermediary workforce to the extent of so the bio security inspectors um are all bachelor of science four-year degree positions. So there's a lot of work that can be done um at like at the unit three level. So, we're trying to create is another series with in in conjunction with this to have um a higher paying uh series cuz so the the series that we have right now it like it caps at like a 13.