HI. I'M NADIA COMBS, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME TO YOU HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDES CHILDREN IN PRESCHOOL THROUGH ADULTS IN OUR WORKFORCE PROGRAM. I'M HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, BOARD VICE-CHAIR. OUR DISTRICT IS THE 7th LARGEST IN AMERICA AND OUR TEAM IS MADE UP OF MORE THAN 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR BOARD MEETINGS ARE HELD IN OUR BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE OUR STUDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITY IS TO INVOLVE YOU, THE PUBLIC IN WHAT WE DO. YOU ARE WELCOME TO E-MAIL OR MEET WITH ANY OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS AND FOLLOW OUR DISTRICT ON SOCIAL MEDIA. BOARD MEETINGS ARE COVERED LIVE BY HILLSBOROUGH SCHOOLS TV, ON SPECTRUM CABLE CHANNEL 635 AND FRONTIER CABLE CHANNEL 32.
MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCASTS AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE ARCHIVE. WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE'LL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIALS CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEBSITE AT HillsboroughSchools.org. OUR VISION IS PREPARING STUDENTS FOR LIFE, AND THAT MEANS ALL STUDENTS. , EVERY DAY. TODOS LOS ESTUDIANTES, TODOS LOS DIAS THANK YOU FOR YOUR INTEREST IN EDUCATION. WITH YOUR HELP, WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING OF APRIL 5th, 2022, IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE]. THANK YOU.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. MEMBER WASHINGTON, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT FOR TODAY? Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. MORE THAN HAPPY TO. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE LANIER DRUMMING ALONG WITH THE DIRECTOR MR. JOHN CASSINIST. THEY ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF OUR BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THEM UP AND LET THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. HI. MY NAME IS ELIZABETH. I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS ARIA AND I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS JEFFREY, AND I AM FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS KAITLYN. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS KINSLEY. I'M IN FOURTH GRADE. MY NAME IS EDWARD AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS XAVIER AND I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS ELLIOTT. I'M IN FIFTH GRADE.
MY NAME IS MIA AND I'M IN FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS McKAYLA AND I'M IN THE FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS JERALISE IN THE FIFTH GRADE. I AM IN FIFTH GRADE. MY NAME IS PRESLEY, FOURTH GRADE. MALAYA, FIFTH GRADE. LEUKA, FOURTH GRADE. I AM THEIR MUSIC TEACHER, MR. CASSANAS. THANK YOU FOR THE WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING A GREAT JOB. I LOVE THOSE COLORS. I LOVE RED. IT LOOKS REALLY GOOD. PARENTS, IF YOU WANT TO TAKE PICTURES, YOU CAN. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, EVERYONE. BEAUTIFUL JOB. I HEAR THEY HAVE LOTS OF GIGS. WE DID HEAR FROM THEM AT THE 5K RACE FOR EDUCATION ON SATURDAY. THEY PLAYED ALONGSIDE AS WE WALKED AND RAN. THANK YOU SO MUCH LANIER ELEMENTARY. WE HAVE ONE WITHDRAWN ITEM. 7.08 APPROVAL OF PARTNERSHIP WITH BUILDING SCHOOLS OF TOMORROW INCORPORATED TO PROVIDE HIGH QUALITY PUBLIC EDUCATION FACILITIES.
I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER GRAY AND I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH 5 AND 2 MEMBERS WHO ARE CURRENTLY NOT HERE. THANK YOU.
LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL MEMBERS ARE PRESENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF MEMBER SNIVELY WHO WILL JOIN US VIRTUALLY. ALSO MEMBER HAHN WHO WILL BE HERE SHORTLY. SHE HAD A FAMILY EMERGENCY AND WILL ARRIVE IN A FEW HOURS OR BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING, SHOULD I SAY. WE HAVE FOUR SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. FEBRUARY 15, 2022, MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT FORUM. FEBRUARY 15, 2022, HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT FORUM. MARCH 8, 2022, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. MARCH 22, 2022, SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
I NEED A MOTION AND SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES. I HAVE A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. I HAVE A SECOND BY MEMBER VAUGHN. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I'D LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE'RE A NONPARTISAN BOARD WHO BELIEVE ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN TO SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AND OBJECTIVE AGENDA AND QUESTIONS, BOARD MEMBERS, YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHTS. AFTERWARDS, THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. IF YOU HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS, YOU'RE ASKED TO GET BACK IN THE QUEUE.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL NOW READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. AS WE BEGIN THIS AFTERNOON'S MEETINGS, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT FOR OUR SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. THERE ARE SPEAKERS IN THE ROOM BEHIND ME THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING UPON STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THIS MEETING CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE WEBCAST, ON CABLE TV, ON VIDEO MONITORS HERE IN THE AUDITORIUM. IT ALSO CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN THE ONLINE VIDEO ARCHIVES.
Nadia Combs: THANK YOU, MEMBER WASHINGTON. WE HAVE ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR TIME CERTAIN AND THAT IS THE 6 P.M. EMPLOYEE INPUT. BOARD, FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, THE BOARD WELCOMES COMMENTS FROM CITIZENS AND VALUES YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENTS, OUR STAFF WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND WILL KEEP OUR BOARD INFORMED ABOUT THE RESPONSES. OUR SCHOOL RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHT TO SPEAK TO THE BOARD AND WE APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME TO BE HERE. HOWEVER, IT'S REQUESTED WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE BOARD COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTLY PERSONALLY AGAINST A BOARD MEMBER OR STAFF MEMBER BUT RATHER DIRECTED AT THE ISSUES. ANY BEHAVIOR INTENDED TO INTERRUPT THE ORDERLY CONDUCT OF THIS MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. OUR CIVILITY POLICY IS IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
THIS AFTERNOON, EACH SPEAKER WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES. WHEN THERE ARE 30 SECONDS LEFT, YOU'LL SEE A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN AND A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE WHEN YOUR TIME IS UP. I WILL NOW CALL UP THE FIRST SPEAKERS. IF SPEAKER ONE CAN PLEASE COME UP. IF THE FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS CAN PLEASE LINE UP AGAINST THE WALL, I'D APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU SO MUCH. HI. MY NAME IS JESSICA GRAHAM. I AM A HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PARENT AND CHAIR OF LIBERTY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. I'M HERE TODAY TO DISCUSS THE STATEMENT RELEASED BY HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS REGARDING THE PARENTAL RIGHTS IN EDUCATION BILL. HERE IS YOUR STATEMENT: HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PRIDES ITSELF ON BEING AN INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY WHERE STUDENTS ARE HEARD NOT SILENCED, WHERE DIFFERENCES ARE CELEBRATED NOT STIFLED. THE SAFETY AND MENTAL WELLNESS OF ALL STUDENTS REMAIN A TOP PRIORITY IN OUR DISTRICT TO PROMOTE INTOLERANCE TOWARDS ANY GROUP WITHIN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM IS BOTH DAMAGING AND CONTRARY TO OUR EDUCATIONAL MISSION.
HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WILL REMAIN A PLACE WHERE ALL STUDENTS ARE WELCOME AND NURTURED. THE STATEMENT MADE ON ITS OWN WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THIS BILL IS A GOOD, SOLID STATEMENT. BUT THE FACT THAT YOU'RE CONNECTING IT WITH A GOOD PIECE OF PARENTAL RIGHTS LEGISLATION IN AN ATTEMPT TO PUSH A FALSE NARRATIVE IS DESPICABLE. WITH THAT STATEMENT, YOU ARE IMPLYING THAT THIS BILL SILENCES STUDENTS AND STYLES OF DIFFERENCES. YOU ARE IMPLYING THIS BILL DEPRIORITIZES STUDENT SAFETY AND MENTAL WELLNESS. YOU ARE IMPLYING IT PROMOTES INTOLERANCE AND YOU ARE IMPLYING THAT THIS BILL AIMS TO MAKE SCHOOLS UNWELCOMING TO STUDENTS. IF YOU BELIEVE THAT A MAJORITY OF PARENTS IN THIS STATE WOULD SUPPORT A BILL SO TERRIBLE THEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHO YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE, AND I QUESTION WHY YOU'RE IN OFFICE. I DON'T KNOW ANYONE WHO WOULD SUPPORT A BILL THAT DOES WHAT YOUR STATEMENT IMPLIES.
THE DAILY WIRE DID A POLL OF A THOUSAND PEOPLE MADE UP OF 37% DEMOCRATS, 32% REPUBLICANS, AND 31% INDEPENDENTS. THIS POLL -- THE POLL RESULTS INDICATE THE AMERICANS ACROSS RACE, PARTY, AND AGE LINES SUPPORT THIS BILL. MORE THAN 6 IN 10 AMERICANS OR 64% SUPPORT THE BILL'S BAN ON TEACHING K-12 SEXUAL ORIENTATION AND GENDER IDENTITY AND OLDER, IF NOT PRESENTED IN AN AGE-APPROPRIATE MANNER. THE BILL IS BACKED BY 62% OF DEMOCRATS, 69% OF REPUBLICANS, AND 57% OF INDEPENDENTS. THERE ARE NO NOTABLE DIFFERENCES BY RACE EITHER, AS THE BILL IS SUPPORTED BY 66% BLACKS, 63% WHITES, AND 62% LATINOS. 68% OF ALL FLORIDA PARENTS SUPPORT THIS BILL. HERE'S MY SUGGESTION AS A SOLUTION: KEEP YOUR CURRENT STATEMENT WITHOUT CONNECTION TO THE CURRENT BILL. IT IS A GOOD, SOLE STATEMENT OF SUPPORT. THEN DRAFT A NEW STATEMENT WITH REGARDS TO THIS BILL THAT ACTUALLY HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE BILL.
AND SHOWS THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT A MAJORITY OF PARENTS SUPPORT IT AND DO NOT WANT SCHOOLS TEACHING THEIR FIVE-YEAR-OLDS ABOUT SEX, NO MATTER WHAT KIND. IN CONCLUSION, THE STATEMENT YOU HAVE MADE HAS TERRIBLE IMPLICATIONS AND PUSHES AN EXTREMELY DAMAGING FALSE NARRATIVE. I STRONGLY URGE TO YOU REWRITE YOUR RESPONSE TO THIS BILL AND KEEP IN MIND THE MAJORITY OF PARENTS THAT SUPPORT IT. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HI. GOOD AFTERNOON, SCHOOL BOARD AND SUPERINTENDENT. THANKS FOR LETTING ME COME TO PUBLIC COMMENT TODAY. MY NAME IS JENNIFER HART. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU. I SUPPORT YOUR STATEMENT. I'M ACTUALLY HERE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING TOTALLY DIFFERENT. I HAVE AN IDEA THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL TO ELEMENTARY EDUCATION IN OUR COUNTY THAT WOULDN'T COST US ANY MORE MONEY. I CAME TO SHARE. I BELIEVE AS A TEACHER WHO HAS INSTRUCTED FIRST GRADE, SECOND GRADE, AND THIRD GRADE THAT WE SHOULD CHANGE MANDATORY RETENTION RULES FOR THIRD GRADE.
THIS IS THE PERFECT TIME NOW THAT WE ARE PIVOTING TO A NEW SET OF STANDARDS AND STATE ASSESSMENTS. CURRENTLY THE STATE SAYS STUDENTS WHO DO NOT GET A 2 OR HIGHER ON THE GRADE READING WILL REPEAT THIRD GRADE. IN OUR DISTRICT WE PROVIDE THIRD GRADE STUDENTS WITH AN ALTERNATE PORTFOLIO WHERE STUDENTS TAKE A BATTERY OF OTHER ASSESSMENTS TO EARN PORTFOLIO CHECKS WHICH MEAN PAST ASSESSMENTS. TYPICALLY, IT WAS FIVE CHECKS BEFORE. THIS YEAR IT'S FOUR CHECKS. I ASSUME THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC. THAT'S A TOTAL OF 26 DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES TO GET A PORTFOLIO CHECK WHICH IS A LOT OF TESTING FOR A THIRD GRADER AND IS A LITTLE STRESSFUL. OF COURSE, THERE SHOULD BE A WAY FOR KIDS TO PASS OUTSIDE OR JUST THE FSA. WHAT I HAVE BEEN NOTICING LATELY AND ASKING MYSELF ABOUT IS WHY DO WE NEED SO MANY STUDENTS PASSING THROUGH THE PORTFOLIO PROCESS?
THAT'S BECAUSE OF THE LARGE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THAT ARRIVE IN THIRD GRADE NOW, TWO OR MORE GRADE LEVELS BEHIND IN READING. FOR EXAMPLE, IN MY CLASS, TEN STUDENTS OUT OF THE 38 THAT IREADY READING TESTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR WERE KINDERGARTEN OR FIRST GRADE READING LEVEL. NOW, WE COULD ARGUE WHETHER OR NOT STUDENTS SHOULD BE RETAINED AT ALL. THAT IS A TOTALLY DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. I'M SAYING THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO RETAIN STUDENTS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, HOW CAN WE MAKE IT THE MOST IMPACTFUL? BACK IN THE DAY WHEN I WAS TEACHING, I TAUGHT THIRD GRADE SEVEN YEARS. AT THIS TIME IT WAS THOUGHT BY THE DISTRICT TO RETAIN STUDENTS IN FIRST GRADE, NOT THAT WE WANT TO RETAIN STUDENTS, BUT IN FIRST GRADE, STUDENTS ARE STILL LEARNING PHONICS AND OTHER NECESSARY FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS. IN THIRD GRADE, WE FOCUS VERY LITTLE ON THIS AS WE PREPARE STUDENTS TO MASTER HIGHER LEVEL READING COMPREHENSION.
ALSO LESS SOCIAL STIGMA WITH BEING RETAINED AT THE YOUNGER AGE. YOUNGER STUDENTS MAY NEED MORE TIME TO BE CAUGHT UP OR READY FOR SCHOOL SEEMS TO BENEFIT MORE FROM RETENTION. ARRIVING AT THIRD GRADE AT KINDERGARTEN READING LEVEL, YOU ARE VERY BEHIND. I FEEL LIKE WE ARE SETTING THOSE STUDENTS UP FOR LESS ACADEMIC SUCCESS BY PUSHING THEM ON KINDERGARTEN THROUGH SECOND GRADE WHEN THEY AREN'T MAKING ADEQUATE PROGRESS ONLY TO RETAIN THEM IN THIRD. THEY REALLY JUST WOULD BENEFIT AT A YOUNGER AGE. SINCE I HAVE TIME LEFT, I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH AN E-MAIL TO MY REPRESENTATIVES WHICH ARE CHAIRWOMAN GRAY AND MR. WASHINGTON. I'LL EVEN E-MAIL YOU. YOU ARE ALSO, MRS. PEREZ. WHILE I'M HERE, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I'VE BEEN IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOLTEACHER FOR 18 YEARS. THERE'S NOBODY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHING ANY SEX EDUCATION OR EDUCATION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION OR GENDER OR I PROMISE ANYBODY INDOCTRINATING YOUR STUDENTS IN ANY KIND OF WAY.
I DO AGREE THAT IT'S HARMFUL AND THAT I HOPE I'M NOT GOING TO BE ASKED TO TELL, FOR EXAMPLE, AN 8-YEAR-OLD THAT I TEACH THAT THEY CAN'T TALK ABOUT THEIR TWO MOMS OR TWO DADS OR SHARE PICTURES OR LITERATURE THAT REFLECTS THEIR LIFE BECAUSE FELT LIKE THAT'S RIDICULOUS AND HARMFUL. THE VAGUE LANGUAGE OF THE BILL LEAVES A LOT OF QUESTIONS. AS A FRIEND SAID TO ME EARLIER TODAY, WHAT REALLY STRUCK A CHORD WITH ME, IT FEELS LIKE A CRIME TO HER THAT TALLAHASSEE THINKS PROTECTING CHILDREN IS SHIELDING THEM FROM THE LGBTQ COMMUNITY WHEN REALLY THEY WON'T DO A THING TO PROTECT THEM FROM GUN VIOLENCE IN SCHOOL. HAVE A GOOD NIGHT. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON. ALLISON FERNANDEZ. I JUST WANT TO TALK TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HB 1557 WHICH IS THE PARENTAL RIGHTS BILL. I MADE COPIES FOR YOU ALL TO LOOK AT.
MY QUESTION IS REGARDING THE STATEMENT THAT THE DISTRICT PUT OUT. HAS ANYBODY ACTUALLY READ THE BILL? I'VE READ IT, AND IN THE BILL, IT DOESN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT SAYING GAY OR NOT SAYING GAY. AND FORBIDDING CHILDREN TO TALK ABOUT THEIR FAMILIES IF THEY HAPPEN TO HAVE TWO MOMS OR TWO DADS. IT'S REALLY VERY HEAVILY WEIGHTED TO PARENTAL RIGHTS. IT'S THE PARENTS NEED TO BE NOTIFIED. THE PARENTS NEED TO HAVE THE CONVERSATION. THE PARENTS, IT ALL GOES BACK TO THE PARENTAL RIGHTS. SO I'M WONDERING SPECIFICALLY -- AND THIS IS NOT A RHETORICAL QUESTION -- SPECIFICALLY, WHAT IS IT THAT BOARD MEMBERS OR THIS DISTRICT FINDS OBJECTIONABLE IN THIS BILL LANGUAGE? I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW THE SPECIFIC PARTS OR IDEAS OR STATEMENTS THAT YOU HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT. THAT'S REALLY WHAT -- I'M THE PARENT TO MY CHILDREN, TO MY FOUR CHILDREN, AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE ELSE PARENTING THEM.