But it's not easy to listen to somebody tell you you miss you missed a step here or you missed a step But it takes a bigger person to say I accept. And I'll do better. It takes a whole lot a bigger person to do so. Um and so I'm going to go back to last board meeting. And I sat here and I listened when I was accused of something that was that I didn't I didn't say. Um and I will accept the things I said. Um at no point um I I'll start with the things I said. Um, I appreciated the young young man that will come every time to speak to us. It it for me it is is heartwarming to see a kid stand up for what they believe in. I respect that. I want that. I want any kid who has anything to say to us to be able to feel safe to share with us, to tell us what they think.
Thank you, >> Miss Parker. Um, I would like to really thank you. Um, it's always a special moment when any of our students come up uh to speak at a board meeting. Um it we would like to see it more. Um with regard to your specific request because of chain of command and how things work. I can't comment specifically on it other than I I heard you mention some chain of command in there. So you're you're on the right path to um to to voicing your specific concern. But um again, I'd just be remiss if I didn't just say a general thank you for approaching the mic. Thank you for your contributions to our community and to our schools. Um I I actually know of someone who's in the ASL involved in ASL. So um that one particularly struck a a nerve of um of appreciation.
>> And can you confirm with me too because I know it wasn't in this one. We in the past have been underfunded by the state around half a billion dollars. If you just go back to 2010, we are on we we should have had an additional half a billion dollars. That is correct. >> All right. And then two more for Miss Kusalevich. Can you tell us about the impacts to special needs to the special need population and our special education programs? I know earlier you mentioned like BSI. If you could just share that with the public as well. So any restructuring that would take place um if we're at 2% or at 4% would have very significant impacts on our special needs programs specifically things like basic skills, reading specialists um and class size. When you get to 6% there is still an impact because there still has to be a restructuring.
Any discussion? >> All those in favor? 70. And then we have an additional. >> Yeah, this is our with First Steps um for that transition period between uh at that three-year-old mark for to collaborate with First Steps and provide services when they turn three. >> Entertain a motion. >> Motion by Pat. Do I have a second? Second by Cheryl.
We have summer school opportunities and multiple things every day in our buildings to help those students reach that especially by the end of third grade. We're going to continually dive into the science of reading. All teachers have to get that on their lure in K to 6. So we're continuing to add those and now we're going to see that success roll through from that middle elementary range as they get into higher and we're really interested to see where that goes. And then we've also talked about the impact of our STEM initiatives. We've seen more students being able to think outside of the box using STEM. We don't think of reading and STEM going together, but we're having students approach a text way differently because now they're learning a conceptual based how do I do this project? We can now align a lot of those things together.
And we know that there's a transition period and that we're going to work through it together like we work through everything together. Um on the front end, on the back end, logistically, there's there's a lot of ins and outs. As you know, sitem schedules are very complicated, especially the big high schools and across the district. It's a it's a huge puzzle that hurts my brain, honestly. So, there's a lot of work to be done, but I do want to share a couple things, put in a context of why we agreed uh the district and the association to this contract language. And so, I'm going to use a couple examples. Uh the first is this idea of class caps or limits of number of students in classrooms. 37 in junior high, 39 in high school, general classes, not PE, not FAPA, things like that. And the purpose of this was to make sure that the classroom environment for our students and obviously for our teachers as well is best as possible for everyone receiving a good education and and success all around.
So, I I accept that and I have always said to the to the young to the I call him I always say the kid because I didn't know his name. Um, and it was not because I didn't want to learn his name. Um, but I I have a it's term of endearment for all kids. When I see them I have a name for everyone and it's not because I their name don't matter. Their names do matter. But I called him the kid. Okay? And I appreciated him. I appreciated what he had to say. I appreciated the fact that he came every time to speak. But at no time, and I want to be sure that everybody is aware of it, at no time did this lips of mine ever call him lazy. And you can go back to recording, but at no time did I use those words.
So thank you very much um for your your time. Um by all means yes. >> Thank you. I can speak directly to chain of command. So, what I would ask, if you don't mind, if you would send what you just wrote to me in an email because I would like to have the document. And what I can assure you is that I will have a conversation with the high school administration tomorrow surrounding this issue. And I can't say what or if the decision will change until after I've had that conversation, but I think the way in which you advocated for yourself and for Girl Scouts and was eloquent and well said and certainly heard. So I guarantee you that the chain of command will have a conversation tomorrow about the concern that you raised today if you email me that wonderful speech. >> Thank you.
There will be some restructuring that will have an impact on those areas. However, if at the 6% with those 13 positions that will be eliminated and restructured, that does allow us to fill more of those special needs positions that we will that we require, but it still requires changes in our standard operating procedures. And then two, just in stretching it so thin, what came to my mind is the the risk of litigation possibly if parents believe that we're no longer providing the adequate education to their child, especially if they're special needs. So that is one of the reasons why the restructuring would be necessary because in order to ensure that we are providing the legally mandated minimums um or legally mandated services in a student's IEP, we would need to be restructuring positions and reorganizing how we deploy our existing staff. >> And then lastly, I know the elective courses in the high school are on the chopping block if possibly on a chopping block if we don't go up to the 6%.
Any discussion? All those in favor? 7, which takes us down to others. So, I just want to say again, thank you to all of our staff for staff appreciation week. Several years ago, we decided to combine all the one significant days a year for each employee group into one big event every year at this week. And Lisa just does a phenomenal job putting that together so that we have all those drawings of the donations you see throughout the week. Three different days there are gifts for everyone in their staff areas, um, food, treats, popcorn, different things. She's really made it special. So, thank you for Lisa's work. And then thank you to all of our staff for everything you do all year long. Anything else? That's it. One last reminder, JCSC Prescendo Music Departmentwide Fine Arts Festival, May the 9th from 11 to 5:30 at Triton Park.
So tying all those together towards that common goal of having all of our students passing I read and having that early success moving forward. When we go on to the uh three through five, the upper elementaryaries, we're talking about strengthening and expanding the skills. Again, continuing the science of reading, really digging into the introduction and the expansion of the science of math at all grade levels, but especially that three through five as we get closer to the sixth grade, moving into a grade level that is required to do some advanced math. Um focusing on the STEM across the um district. um high ability as a as our MTSS as as well as our tier two and our tier three MTSS and then the accountability model we know included science and social studies. So we have to make sure that when our third, fourth, fifth and sixth graders are taking the science and social studies that their science and social studies skills are strong enough that that gives us that extra bonus point that they're going to need when it comes to the account accountability.
And we do understand and we did put in the contract an opportunity for that number to be exceeded. Um and we know that you know as school year goes on students move in and out of the district they transfer different schools. There could be a situation where that cap might be exceeded in those occasions and there's language which allows that and teachers get compensated a small amount for that which we very much appreciate. But I want to just kind of understand that everyone that teachers have held on to these caps and and will continue not because they don't want to be available for their students, but they want to protect that sanctity of their classrooms of those numbers so that they can do the job that they want to do in their classrooms. and they understand there could be a time here and there where it's it's necessary to go over that number, you know, so that that class can grow to accommodate students coming in and out.
I can never I believe in respect I respect the kid I respect the adult I respect somebody who doesn't respect me, but I'll respect you. I have been on this seat for 8 years and the one thing that is a trademark of mine is I cannot stand disrespect. I have you all of you know about it. If you disrespect somebody I will tell you in a that's that's not the way you go about it. So, I want to be very clear that we have that understanding that I will never disrespect a kid and I will never disrespect the parent. I my job is to be able to be of service. And if I have wronged anybody, I'm assuming I'm I'm appealing to you to find me. I am not unapproachable. Find me, talk to me. And when you've talked to me, if I still am unapproachable, then go public with it.
Is there any else uh anyone else from the public wishing to uh address the board? >> Okay, seeing none, I will open the floor for board comment. I just want to echo um Dr. earlier that it's teacher appreciation week and as board and individually like all of our teachers um the schools are not only appreciating the teachers but all the staff as well the nurses the secretaries everybody so um so we hope that you feel the love and that you know you're loved and appreciated and we all board members. Okay, I have a few things. Um, just a few housekeeping items. Um, our next meeting is on Wednesday the 20th. U, we will be having another exact session that we have already discussed. So, please put that on your calendar. Um, as well as our board retreat which we have for the 30th. It's a Saturday.
Correct. The one of the first areas that not that they're on the chopping block. I wouldn't call it chopping block. It's that we would if it's an underenrolled elective, that would be the first type of a cut. If we don't have enough students, typically we would run a course simply to meet our students interests to keep them engaged in school. We may have to cut some of those electives. That might be a choice or a preference. We would have to combine smaller electives, reduce some of those because that's the first area where we would be able to make reductions. We would also be combining other smaller class sizes, creating larger class sizes, hence reducing the number of sections. Those are the first targets for a um any kind of restructuring at all the three areas. >> Thank you so much. >> Thank you, Commissioner Ragdale.
Be there for the square. >> It's been a while since I've said that. >> Hearing nothing else to come before the board, we'll entertain a motion to adjourn. >> Motion by Pat. Second. >> Second by Cheryl. All those in favor? Seven.
So social studies and science will be that extra push to give them those extra points. >> When we look at six through eight, this was a really heavy piece for us being two sixth grade teachers because there's such a jump at the end of elementary going into middle school that we want to see our kids continually succeed and then finishing out with their diploma. So our focus is continuing that science of reading and that science of math, but also reaching the rigorous levels that it takes to be at sixth through 8th grade. A lot of our sixth grade standards are middle school standards. They're tough and it's a big jump. So really aligning our rigor to match not only I learned but what they're going to have to face as they continue to go forward. Our goal is to have most of our students reaching that algebra one by eighth grade with our new advanced mathematics that we're implementing now.
Um, but those numbers shouldn't be exceeded now in the spring when master schedules are being built. and we've had conversations and I appreciate the conversations that we've had. But in the last couple weeks, I've continued to field calls and emails from members all across the district that this practice is is continuing to happen and and I get it. It's kind of that the growing pains of doing something new and all ASA members and ASA leadership are happy to engage in conversations and look for the logistical fixes and everything. But I some of our members are being pressured unfortunately um guilted a little accused of not self-sacrificing enough and I really think and these are very limited cases of course but they they highlight that view of where teachers really are looking for this language to be able to enable them to do the job that they want to do day in and day out in their classrooms.
But when you go public with it, you have taken it out of my hands. So, I wanted to make sure that I set the record straight today that at no time did I use the word lazy and at no time did I call the kid by name. Thank you. >> [laughter] >> Thank you. [clears throat] Yeah, May is definitely a crazy busy month with everything going on at all of the schools. Um I just wish there was a way to be at multiple things at the same time. Um I'm going [clears throat] to start with the talent show at Phoenix Academy that Trustee Longshore referenced. Um it was so great. That was my second year attending and the kids never cease to amaze me. Especially you can tell like they always seem to have in their mind like retro themes, which is basically like when I was in high school.
Um we do have a start time set for 10 a.m. So, uh we will have some food food provided and there is an agenda that will be coming out for that. So, uh please stay tuned. Um in regard to the retreat, it is actually um checking off board goal one of the topics in board goal number sorry bear with me board goal number one which was to strengthen board governance uh professional capacity and team effectiveness. So we set three goals back in December. Um one was around governance which the retreat and the trainings that happen at the retreat will pretty much satisfy all of board goal number one. Um board goal number two is a is a work in process that actually the budget that we have now approved tonight um addresses pieces of that with regard to you know communication um with the community and things like that.