Um and I think some it's probably complicated because when I think about scope and sequence um are we saying at the end of the school year uh across the board all of our core content we'll have um scope and sequence for standards and then we will have um maybe a midunit assessment which aligns to um you know our scope and sequence and so I would like to see the next time we meet I know that this is just an overview just how we are measuring our outcomes. You all often hear me ask, do we have data to support certain initiatives? And so I would just like to see to the extent possible. I know some of this is really tough um for you to quantify. My next question, what's exactly student support time? I think it fell under priority two. >> Yes. My apologies. Yes.
Um and has high expectations and and um you know, really strong relationships with her students and staff. So, uh she has certainly impacted thousands and thousands of of students and families in Crown Point. And um just very very grateful for her and her service. Uh and I'm really happy for her and her family as she takes this next step uh into retirement and starts this new chapter. Thank you, Dr. Kachina. Uh move on to item 7.03, Director of Secondary Education, Mrs. Ramirez. Thank you, Mr. President and board members. I would like to echo Dr. Kachina. While um Mrs. Mucha was over at Taft at the beginning of the school year, she did a great job of helping the Taft administrative team um transition into the start of the school year, she was a positive influence in terms of involvement with the staff. The students gravitated towards her immediately.
And so professional development at all levels is is really important and being able to do that as well. So as we look ahead to the summer, um some really exciting things that are coming. Uh first, with Ms. Brown's um wonderful idea of resident expert. She told me about this, man, I think I don't even know that I we were started a month into school and she was talking about this and I said, "Yes, we have to do this." So I've been helping her with this um idea of resident expert. So we have about 55 sessions, and these are teachers in our district that are going to be presenting um to any other teachers that have signed up and would like to come. Um and we have a mixture from we have impact being covered. Um a lot of art happening. We also have some management, some ways to stay um distressed.
Um, so that really is our main concern. And then also highlighting for people who believe that there's nothing already in place to assist or protect educational workers. Highlighting and providing information to people that there there are um and they are seen as a protected class above and beyond a lot of other individuals. Um and so for example under terroristic threatening what's a misdemeanor normally is a felony for educational workers. under assault. A misdemeanor conduct assault is already a felony for educational workers. So, we are very appreciative and understand the knee-jerk reaction to want to bring more attention and respond to some of the things that are going on. Um, but that does not in any way, shape, or form take away from the fact that this measure as written um would not withstand constitutional scrutiny. We are we feel very confident about that. um and just educating the community and even perhaps the department and as well as um other people who are concerned about this that we already have criminal measures on the books that are targeted to specially protect our educational workers.
She'll uh talk about more detail in how well we are doing in the instruction programs. Hi. So, I'm going to explain um our budget priorities regarding a curriculum and instruction and where our money is going for that. So, this budget is really about being intentional, making strategic investments in staffing, programs, and resources that directly support student achievement and align to our district goals. A major focus is strengthening curriculum across all grade levels to ensure it's aligned, rigorous, and reflective of updated standards and new program adoptions. You'll see a significant investment in new K to6 math programs and a grade grades six to eight science program which will better uh bring greater consistency and coherence across classrooms. At the high school level, we're continuing to expand opportunities through new AP courses and offerings that better meet students interests and readiness. We are also continuing to strengthen our AVID initiative and our college and career readiness work to ensure students are prepared beyond graduation.
So, once school five opens up, the idea would be to most likely close a school down. So, that would offset most of those costs or some of those costs at least. We're obviously projecting some of the uh the offset of that, but also things that people need to understand and and this is and the board's heard this from me before, but I think it's easy out there to not hear it maybe, but when you're up here, you live it. For every cut that is made, whether especially administration, right? For every cut that's made to an administrator here, we still have to impact and fill that building with teachers and administrators, two nurses instead of one nurse, more more guidance counselors because it's going to be a the the you know, a bigger building, a larger building. Uh it's not as easy as just plopping people from here to there.
So student support time happens at the junior high level. Um and it is every morning. And uh Mr. Francis along with a a group of individuals work together to really outline what that would look like as well as collaboration with future ready. Um so you'll see some future focus pieces in there. You'll also see uh character strong happen in that space. Um we have a couple buildings that um they utilize their um student council to provide different announcements. It's really it's an advisory space but it is organized um throughout each day so that they are meeting a particular need. So all students get student support time. It's tier one essentially. So universal >> those individuals who start off at the high school. >> So student >> because they're in Yeah. >> student support time is at the junior high. >> Um so as Dr. Waller mentioned, we do have a handful of students at each building uh that take geometry at the high school.
Within the first 2 weeks, she kind of had a crew of kids that were um reaching out to her as a trusted adult. And so, it just really shows the expertise that she brought, the care that she always continues to model, and the fact that she continued to do this at the elementary level um at Jerry Ross is just a great benefit to our district for our leaders, our staff, and our families and students. I'd also like to thank tonight Lynn Alkire and the administrative team as well as the custodial team over at Crown Point High School on Friday, the 20th, they hosted their career day in which they had over 45 different businesses, community vendors, they had military branches represented where then our junior and senior students were able to go down to the field house and they were able to meet with different um business owners, military representatives to learn a little bit more about potential careers or of course employment and enlistment after um high school.
Um we have um some, you know, good for everyone, um but also we have elementary and secondary. So lots of different choices. Um that's on May 28th. Um and then we're also bringing Get Your Teach On, which is a nationally recognized conference for teachers. Um they're coming to us in Huntington. I'm very excited for that. Uh I've had a lot of teachers who are excited. Uh this is a big conference that a lot of people would like to go to, um but its funding is really difficult to get there. So the fact that we're bringing them to us is wonderful. Uh our focus will be on tier one instruction. So at our Unite meetings, we really focused on the what am I supposed to be teaching? And so this tier one instructional strategies will be how do I do that? And how can we be consistent um in our district.
Are you familiar with Senate Bill 2900 that um talked about the sports officials as well as uh educational workers uh limited to bodily injury and stuff like that? Are you familiar with that bill? >> I am familiar. Um, and what I recollect about that measure is it sought to escalate what would normally be misdemeanor assault three level conduct, which is defined as assaultive behavior causing bodily injury. Um, under the law, bodily injury is just physical pain. So, for example, if you pulled someone's hair without leaving a mark, a bruise, anything, that would normally be assault-free conduct because our legislature has, you know, has a spectrum of crimes that we do and with increasing behavior. What I believe that measure, if I remember correctly, wanted to do was take that conduct and if it was committed against a sporting official was make it a class B felony assault in the first degree.
And importantly, all curriculum work is being aligned to New Jersey's student learning standards to ensure consistency and accountability. To support this work, we're investing in highquality instructional materials across all content areas, both core and supplemental. We are also expanding digital resources particularly in middle school social studies to enhance access and engagement. And we are continuing to replenish materials so teachers and students have what they need to support strong standard align aligned instruction. Uh this first area is really about strengthening what happens in the classroom every day ensuring high quality instruction for all students. We know that student success is strongly connected to family engagement. So, we're continuing to expand opportunities for families to be involved. This includes literacy nights, STEM events, title one programs, and student recognition opportunities that celebrate and support our learners. We are also continuing to support enrichment opportunities, including the arts, and cross-curricular experiences to provide a well-rounded education.
If you're part of the transition the first time when the school closed down, it was proved that it's not that easy. Um so, yeah, there are going to be costs. Now, the other problem that people don't understand, and I'll put it on record now because it's only it's that far away. The state allows you gives you allowances to increase your tax base in order to cover some of these costs, but we don't want to do that here, obviously, right? We don't want to do that. So, we're going to have to get creative again, but whatever happens now is going to impact filling that building. So, the board and the administration have been thinking that as we're making cuts or as we're moving people around and doing things we need to do, moving programs, etc., we're also thinking about opening up this building in 2027, right?
So they are not present for the start of the day. >> Okay. I don't have any questions um specifically, but I just want to acknowledge uh this is a huge undertaking that everyone has um started on uh by design and it goes off in several different directions and I just want to acknowledge uh not obviously not just the presentation which was well done but I really want to acknowledge everybody's hard work. Uh this is a major undertaking and uh we have some good people that are that are undertaking it. So thank you. >> We're going to hear from Dr. Berky later on. He's going to have a little presentation on our video presentation. Um but he's uh executive director at Luda and he said that this is a very ambitious strategic plan. So I may maybe we're taking each one you know like uh getting the proper feedback and all those things but it's very ambitious.
So, that's big undertaking from all of the setup to the teardown to making sure that they have businesses and community contacts that are coming in to meet with our students. So, I'm very appreciative for that. Earlier in the week last week, um I would like to thank the Chamber of Commerce. They hosted Chamber Town which is at the Dean and Barbara White um facility out in Merrillville and our eighth grade students were able to explore careers um last week. So, that was really a great week for our um community here within Crown Point. Continuing on just with gratitude, I won't be able to name all of the wonderful things that are happening both at the middle and the high school level, but I do want to give a special shout out to Mary Bachnak who is one of our business teachers at the high school.
So the elementary teachers are getting that on June 3rd uh for those that choose to attend. And then the principals are going down to the national conference to hear what that looks like from the admin side to be able to lead and continue that uh next year as well. So as you can see, the next year obviously tier one instruction is going to be really important. Um we want consistent practices. Uh I'd like to continue gathering um PLCs in the district. Um but also keep our writing consistent, keep our phonics instruction at the primary levels um consistent as well, and continue to move forward. All right, that's all I have. Thank you, Mrs. Hoag. Um I appreciate very much you guys coming to us with the updates and keeping us posted on on how this is all going because it is I think important for us to be able to help share some of this good news.
Um and we oppose that for similar reasons here and also noting that again sports officials are already a protected class >> but the bill itself does u does not have some of the issues that are is in this bill. >> It did not include um the disrupts or interferes because it was truly I believe from my recollection addressing physical contact bodily injury type of behavior. >> So it's a little more nar a lot more narrow than this measure. Yes. >> Okay. Thank you. >> You're welcome.
Another key area is investing in our staff. We're expanding professional development in critical areas like literacy, math, science, dual language, and AI integration along with strengthening datadriven instructional practices. We are also continuing to build our coaching and support systems including intervention programs like ASI, and common lit. And just as important, we're supporting school culture through SEAL and restorative practices. To support these initiatives, we're investing in staffing where it matters most. This includes expanding early childhood programming, strengthening bilingual education, and ensuring we have the staffing needed to support the transportation and targeted student needs. We are also continuing to expand preschool, including summer opportunities to support early learners from the very beginning. Specific new positions included in this budget are um a preschool teacher, preschool teacher assistant, preschool intervention and referral specialist, grade six dual bilingual teacher, and a full-time bus driver. Um and so this slide really reflects our commitment to supporting not just instruction, but the whole student and the systems around them.
So, um again, uh again, great question, but you know, there's no way to just sit down and say, this will cost $3 and $4. It's not way it is. The best part about this is that the SDA is funding the the project, the furnitures, etc., etc., all the infrastructure needs that would be very difficult to fund here. If we were doing it, we'd have to do it through a referendum, which would be a debt service to the taxpayer. Meaning, if you're not familiar with that means, that means that you're paying your regular tax and then a debt service tax. Okay, that's called the second question right on the ballot. Um so, we don't have that, thank God. Um and that's, you know, um that's again, something that weighs on me and will for the next several years until we open this up and then beyond that.
um Luda large unit well later on. I was large unit district association. So basically he's he he's a trains us you know um as board members and he's a former superintendent um as well for a large unit.
She was um recently awarded the Business Professionals of America, also called BPA, Advisor of the Year. And this is really a great um testimony to the fact that she has been so dedicated to BPA for so many years. The kids do phenomenal work and are highly praised and recognized for all of the efforts they put in, but her leadership has been unwavering and she is so committed to um all things business and to supporting students through BPA. So, a special shout out to her. Also want to thank at the middle school level Mark Kroll over at Colonel Wheeler, Ryan Snyder, and Darren Claus. They are leading up a construction club and this was started in partnership with Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation. The idea being they are giving students opportunities to gain exposure to um a potential trade of interest in the future and um these leaders who led the clubs really made um an impression on the students and shared their talent and passion.