> HI, I AM NADIA COMBS, CHAIR OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD. I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE SERVE MORE THAN 200,000 STUDENTS. THAT INCLUDE CHILDREN. PRESCHOOL AND ADULTS IN OUR WORK FORCE PROGRAM. Henry "Shake" Washington: I AM HENRY SHAKE WASHINGTON, THE BOARD VICE-CHAIR AND WE ARE MADE OF 24,000 PEOPLE WORKING AT NEARLY 250 SITES ACROSS THE COUNTY. Lynn Gray: OUR DISTRICT IS DIVERSE AND DEDICATED. OUR MEETINGS ARE HELD IN THE BOARD AUDITORIUM ON SELECT TUESDAYS AT 4 P.M. THE BEST WAY TO SERVE THE 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 635 AND FRONTIER CABLE 32. MEETINGS ARE ALSO STREAMED LIVE ON OUR WEB SITE AT HILLSBOROUGHSCHOOLS.ORG.
CLOSED CAPTIONING IS PROVIDED ON ALL BROADCAST AND PAST MEETINGS ARE AVAILABLE IN OUR ONLINE OR CHIVE. WE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY. WE WILL INCLUDE TIME FOR AUDIENCE COMMENTS BEFORE WE ADDRESS OUR BUSINESS ITEMS. OUR AGENDA AND ANY SUPPORTING MATERIAL CAN BE VIEWED ONLINE IN ADVANCE. THEY ARE POSTED SEVEN DAYS BEFORE EACH MEETING ON OUR WEB SITE 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 ARE MAKING DECISIONS THAT SHAPE OUR COMMUNITY'S FUTURE. Nadia Combs: THE BOARD MEETING FOR DECEMBER 13, 2022 IS CALLED TO ORDER.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL LEAD US IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOLLOWED BY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. PLEASE JOIN ME IN A MOMENT OF SILENCE. [MOMENT OF SILENCE] Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU.
PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE] Henry "Shake" Washington: YOU MAY BE SEATED. Nadia Combs: MEMBER WASHINGTON, WILL YOU PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR STUDENT ENTERTAINMENT. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I AM MORE THAN HAPPY TO. I WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE PROGRESS VILLAGE CAROLLERS AND LEAD TEACHER. THESE STUDENTS ENTERTAINED US PRIOR TO THE START OF THE BOARD MEETING. AT THIS TIME, WE WOULD LIKE TO INVITE THE STUDENTS UP TO INTRODUCE THEMSELVES. COME UP, STUDENTS. AND THEY REALLY DID A GREAT JOB TODAY TOO. THEY REALLY DID. HELLO. KRISTEN FRANZEN AND I TEACH CHORUS AND PIANO AT PROGRESS VILLAGE MAGNET SCHOOL OF THE ARTS. LONDON, AND AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. TIME SAN A AND AN 8 $GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. I AM ISABELLA AND I AM AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. I AM NORA AND AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE.
I AM LILIANA, AND I AM AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. I AM ISABELLA SMITH AND AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. LEILANI SANCHEZ AND AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. AND I AM AN 8th GRADER AT PROGRESS VILLAGE. Henry "Shake" Washington: IF ANY PARENTS WANT TO COME UP AND TAKE PICTURES, YOU CAN. NONE? OKAY. OH, COME ON UP -- COME UP CLOSER. YEAH, A DAD. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. AND THEY WENT CAROLLING FROM FLOOR TO FLOOR THE ENTIRE BUILDING. MANY, MANY PEOPLE GOT TO HEAR THEM. THANK YOU TO THEIR AMAZING TEACHER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. YOU GUYS DID AN AMAZING JOB. WE APPRECIATE IT. NO WITHDRAWN ITEMS. A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON AND A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT ALL BOARD MEMBERS ARE PRESENT TODAY. WE HAVE THREE SETS OF MINUTES TO BE APPROVED TODAY. OCTOBER 18, 2022, SCHOOL BOARD WORK SHOP. NOVEMBER 22, SCORED BOARD MEETING, NOVEMBER 22, REORGANIZATIONAL MEETING. A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
A MOTION BY MEMBER WASHINGTON. A SECOND BY MEMBER GRAY. ANY DISCUSSION? IF NOT, PLEASE VOTE WHEN YOUR LIGHTS APPEAR. AND IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY. BOARD MEMBERS, I WOULD LIKE TO GO OVER THE FORMAT OF TODAY'S MEETING. AS A REMINDER, WE ARE A NONPARTISAN BOARD THAT BELIEVE THAT ALL CHILDREN CAN BE EMPOWERED TO LEARN AND SUCCEED AND OUR DECISIONS WILL BE MADE WITH THAT UNDERSTANDING.
TO PAVE THE WAY FOR EFFICIENT AGENDA STATEMENTS AND REQUEST HE IS, BOARD MEMBERS WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK WITH 30 SECONDS FOR FINAL THOUGHT. AFTERWARDS THE SUPERINTENDENT CAN RESPOND. AFTER THAT, YOU CAN GET IN THE QUEUE.
MEMBER WASHINGTON WILL READ THE BOARD GUIDELINES. Henry "Shake" Washington: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, AS WE BEGIN THIS MEETING, LET ME QUICKLY REVIEW THE FORMAT OF THE SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS. PLEASE SILENCE ALL ELECTRONIC DEVICES. SPEAKERS THAT ALLOW BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR THE MEETING WHEN STEPPING AWAY FROM THE DAIS. THE MEET CAN BE VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING ON LIVE TV, MONITORS IN THE AUDITORIUM AND VIEWED WITH CLOSED CAPTIONING IN OUR VIDEO ARCHIVES. Nadia Combs: ONE ITEM SCHEDULED FOR 6:00 AND THAT IS EMPLOYEE INPUT. WE WILL MOVE ON TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE VALUE YOUR INPUT TO THE BOARD. ? ORDER TO PROVIDE THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE RESPONSE TO YOUR COMMENT WE WILL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU. OUR SCHOOL BOARD ARE RESPECTS THE PUBLIC'S RIGHTS TO SPEAK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, WE VALUE YOUR TIME, BUT WHEN YOU ADDRESS THE SCHOOL BOARD, MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMENTS ARE NOT DIRECTLY DIRECTLY AT A BOARD MEMBER BUT ON THE ISSUES.
ANY EFFORT TO DISRUPT THE MEETING WILL NOT BE ALLOWED. ALL CIVILITY POLICIES IN PLACE. WHEN ADDRESSING THE BOARD, STATE YOUR NAME AND SPEAK CLEARLY INTO THE MICROPHONE. EACH SPEAK WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES.
YOUR THREE MINUTES WILL START WHEN YOU BEGIN SPEAKING. 30 SECONDS LEFT, A YELLOW LIGHT ON THE LECTERN. A RED LIGHT AND A CHIME WILL INDICATE THAT YOUR TIME IS UP. FIRST FIVE SPEAKERS AND WHEN YOU ARE AGAINST THE WALL, WE WILL GET STARTED. MARK KLUTHO, LARGO. 7:16. HVAC. YEAH, BELCH THE CARBON. AND 7.22, CONCRETE INSTALLATION. YEAH, SO THAT WILL ABSORB THE SOLAR RADIATION AND HELP WITH THE EATING OF THE PLANET. ISN'T THAT GREAT. WINSTON CHURCHHILL IN 1906 SAID BETTER BUILDINGS BY DESIGN. WE SHAPE OUR BUILDINGS THEREAFTER, THEY SHAPE US. WELL, YOU ARE GOING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION. HEADLINE, EARTH'S CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN FOUR MILLION YEARS. AND HERE THE PAST SEVEN YEARS HAVE BEEN THE PLANET'S HOTTEST BY FAR. THIS HEADLINE HERE. SEA RISE IS CLEAR AND PRESENT RISK. AND THIS ONE HERE, CLIMATE CRISIS GETS WORSE BY THE DAY. AND HERE IS THE TEMPLATE FOR WHAT THE BUILDINGS SHOULD ALL LOOK LIKE.
THE RATIO AND PROPORTION THAT YOU SHOULD HAVE, THEY SHOULD BE ORIENTED PROPERLY. YOU JUST CAN'T GET IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY IT IS SO HARD. THE INDIANS KNEW WHAT TO DO OVER 1500 YEARS AGO. OVER 1500 YEARS AGO THEY KNEW WHAT THE PROPER ORIENTATION ME MEANT. WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR YOU PE PEOPLE? THAT IS -- IT JUST AMAZES ME. AND THEN HERE IS THIS ARTICLE IN THE COLLATERAL VICTIMS. ARE YOU PUTTING OUT POISON? THE SCHOOL IS PUTTING OUT POISON TO KILL THE RATS. AND THEN THE COLLATERAL DAMAGE. THE POOR OWLS. ARE YOU BEING STUPID? I BET YOU ARE, AREN'T YOU. YEAH. YOU DO SO MANY OTHER DUMB TH THINGS. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. HELLO, I'M BRILEY ATCHINSON. I AM A FRESH MANN AT BLAKE HIGH SCHOOL. I EXPERIENCED A TEACHER QUITTING FIRSTHAND EARLIER THIS YEAR WHEN MY ENGLISH TEACHER QUIT AFTER A THIRD DAY OF SCHOOL.
WE HAD A NEW SUB EVERY WEEK. WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO. WHEN IT WAS DUE. AND SOMETIMES THE SUBS DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING. WHY WOULD I BRING THIS UP? IT IS BECAUSE WITH MORE AND MORE TEACHERS QUITTING THIS IS BECOMING A REALITY FOR MORE AND MORE STUDENTS, EVEN HALF MY AGE. NOW WHY WAS IT THAT WHEN I WAS YOUNGER AND MY TEACHER ASKED ME WHAT I WANTED TO BE WHEN I GROW UP, I SAID A TEACHER. SHE LOOKED WITH ME WITH VERY CONCERNED LOOKS. WHY IS IT THAT EDUCATION ISN'T VALUED? WHY IS IT THAT WHEN I WAS -- WHEN I TOLD MY TEACHER THAT, SHE TOLD ME I SHOULD LOOK FOR SOMETHING MORE SUSTAINABLE BECAUSE BEING A TEACHER WASN'T GOING TO MAKE ME MONEY. WHY IS THAT? SORRY. WHAT COULD POSSIBLY BE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EDUCATION. WHY THE TEACHERS WHO LOVE TEACHING HAVE TO QUIT BECAUSE THEY POSSIBLY CANNOT MAKE IT IN THIS ECONOMY.
NOW FINALLY, I WANT TO CLOSE OFF BY HAVING A BRIEF TIMELINE OF TEACHERS I HAVE LOVED AND SHOWED ME THE LOVE OF TEACHING -- LIKE THE LOVE OF LEARNING THAT NO LONGER TEACH IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. MY PRESCHOOL TEACHER HAS LEFT THE STATE. MY KINDERGARTEN TEACHER HAS LEFT THE PROFESSION. MY FIRST GRADE TEACHER LEFT THE STATE. MY COMPUTER SCIENCE NO LONGER TEACHES AT PUBLIC SCHOOL. ONE OF MY MIDDLE SCHOOL CHORUS TEACHERS LEFT THE PROFESSION. ANOTHER TEACHES PRIVATELY. MY SCIENCE TEACHER LEFT THE PROFESSION. I ENDED UP WITH FOUR DIFFERENT SCIENCE. MY TV PRODUCTION TEACHER LEFT THE PROFESSION AND MY HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH TEACHER LEFT THE PROFESSION. THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE. MY NAME IS CHRISTOPHER MASTRO SIMONE. I WANT TO WISH EVERYONE A VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY SEASON TO START THIS OFF. I KNOW YOU PROBABLY DON'T HEAR KIND WORDS TOO MUCH-OR ENOUGH.
BUT I WANTED TO TOUCH ON SOMETHING THAT HAPPENED IN A CLASSROOM OF MY YOUNGEST CHILD. I HAVE THREE CHILDREN. THE OLDEST WENT THROUGH HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOLS AND GRADUATED IN 2017. I HAVE A STUDENT IN HIGH SCHOOL CURRENTLY AS A FRESH MANN. AND THEN MY YOUNGEST CHILD IS A MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENT. I THINK EVERYONE HERE CAN AGREE THAT WE WANT OUR CHILDREN TO IT BE SAFE IN SCHOOL. IT'S BEEN A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC OVER THE LAST, UNFORTUNATELY, PROBABLY 30 YEARS. SO TO GET RIGHT TO IT. WHAT HAPPENED IN HER CLASS WAS THAT A STUDENT WAS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF BOUNCING HIS LEG, KICKING AS STUDENTS DO WHEN THEY ARE NERVOUS OR, YOU KNOW, JUST SOMETHING THEY DO. HE ACCIDENTALLY CONTACTED THE CHAIR OF THE STUDENT IN FRONT OF HIM. THAT STUDENT DID NOT TAKE KINDLY TO THAT. AND UNFORTUNATELY GOT UP AND WAS EXTREMELY ANGRY. I GUESS USED SOME PARTICULAR LANGUAGE AND WAS ASKED TO LEAVE THE CLASSROOM BY THE TEACHER TO CALM DOWN.
SHE DECIDED NOT TO DO THAT AND UNFORTUNATELY BEGAN STRIKING THE STUDENT. TO THE POINT WHERE HE BLED. MY DAUGHTER CAME HOME UNFORTUNATELY -- SORRY. SHE WAS A BIT TRAUMATIZED AND THE QUESTION I HAVE, AND I APOLOGIZE FOR THIS, IS THAT HOW CAN WE HAVE A POLICY THAT WAS CHANGED FROM ZERO TOLERANCE TO ALLOWING A STUDENT WHO WOULD HAVE ENGAGED IN THIS BEHAVIOR TO COME BACK TO SCHOOL THE VERY NEXT DAY AS SHE DID. I DO KNOW WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR CHILDREN; HOWEVER, SUPPORTING THEM AND FINDING OUT WHY THIS CHILD REACTED THIS WAY IS SEPARATE FROM THE ACTION OF COMMITTING VIOLENCE. SO I ASK THAT THE BOARD TAKE A STRONG LOOK AT THE CURRENT POLICY AND CONSIDER RETURNING BACK TO A ZERO TOLERANCE VIOLENCE POLICY SO THAT OUR CHILDREN HAVE A MUCH BETTER CHANCE OF BEING IN SCHOOL AND FEELING SAFE RATHER THAN FEELING THAT THEY MADE BE A VICTIM.
THANK YOU. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. MR. ROBINSON. FIRST OF ALL, FELIZ NAVIDAD, MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HANUKKAH. MY LAST TIME HERE. JOE ROBINSON. MISS COMBS, SHAKE WASHINGTON, BOARD MEMBERS, SUPERINTENDENT DAVIS AND THE ATTORNEY. FIRST OF ALL, I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT -- WE CAME DOWN ON NOVEMBER 1, AND WE HAD A CONSPIRACY THAT DEPRIVED OF US OUR RIGHT FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND SANCTIONED BY THE NAACP AND SUSPENDED BECAUSE WE EXERCISED OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. PASSING OUT THE FEDERAL CIVIL RIGHTS STATUTE THAT WAS VIOLATED BY PEOPLE SUSPENDING US BY EXERCISING OUR FREEDOM OF SPEECH. I'M HERE TONIGHT TO REQUEST THE SCHOOL BOARD MAKE TWO MOTIONS. ONE, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD REQUEST A FORENSIC AUDIT OF THE 9/11 NAACP FINANCES AND OF THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH AT THE BRANCH'S EXPENSE. TWO, THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD REQUEST AN AUDIT BE PERFORMED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD AUDITOR ON FACILITIES LEASED TO AND GIVING TO T THE NAACP HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS BEFORE THE 2023 BUDGET OR NONBUDGETED FACILITIES BE ANNOUNCED TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH.
THE REASON TO REQUEST TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD FOR FORENSIC AUDIT FOR THE NAACP AND THAT THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD REQUEST AN AUDIT BY THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD AUDITORS ON FACILITIES LEASED AND FUNDS GIVEN TO T THE NAACP FOR THREE YEARS. IT IS THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD'S RESPONSIBILITY FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY OF LEASED FACILITIES AND TAXPAYER DOLLARS BEING BUDGETED, RECEIVED AND SPENT BY NONPROFIT PUBLIC CHARITY INCIDENTS TEASE WHEN FUNDS COME FROM THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD'S BUDGET. QUOTE, SOME ORGANIZATIONS DON'T LACK ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY. AND THE NAACP HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BRANCH IS ONE OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS. THE ATTACHED LETTER FROM ATTORNEY JEFFREY W. GIBSON FROM McFARLAND FERGUSON AND McMULLIN PRESS RELEASE NOVEMBER 16, 2022 GIVES MORE REASONS WHY THIS SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. THANKS. WITH MY LAST 30 SECONDS, I JUST WANT TO SAY THIS, IT IS SAD THAT IT HAS COME TO THIS.
IT IS SAD THAT WE MAY HAVE THE FBI AND OTHER PEOPLE INVESTIGATING THIS FEDERAL CONSPIRACY TO DEPRIVE OF OUR FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS. I DON'T WANT TO DO IT BUT I AM WELL KNOWN TO DO IT. I AM ASKING THE SCHOOL BOARD, PLEASE, SUPERINTENDENT, PLEASE, MR. PORTER, DO NOT BE AIDING AND ABETTING THESE PUBLIC CORRUPT CRIMINALS. DO NOT BE AIDING AND ABETTING. THAT IS YOUR NOTICE. HAVE A GOOD TIME. Nadia Combs: THANK YOU. NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. IF THE NEXT FIVE SPEAKERS WILL SIGN UP AGAINST THE WALL. HELLO, MY NAME IS DR. BONNIE SACKS. I AM A CHRISTIAN CAL PROFESSOR OF PSYCHIATRY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA. I AM A SEX THERAPIST AND A FORMER PRESIDENT OF SEX THERAPY AND RESEARCH. I'M HERE AT THE PRESIDENT-ELECT OF THE BOARD OF CHAMPIONS FOR CHILDREN AND A PROUD GRANDMOTHER OF FOUR. BEFORE I TRAINED IN PSYCHIATRY AND SEX THERAPY, I ALSO DID RESIDENCY AT OGBYN AT YALE.
I HAVE SEEN THOUSANDS OF PATIENTS OVER THE YEARS IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND TAUGHT SAFETY, REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE PHYSIOLOGY FROM PRESCHOOL, MEDICAL SCHOOL AND MANY DOCTORS. RESEARCH AND CLINICAL EXPERIENCE CLEARLY SHOW US THAT SEX EDUCATION GIVES TEENS MORE SELF-CONTROL AND HELPS THEM IDENTIFY AND PROTECT THEM FROM RISKY SEXUAL SITUATIONS. ALSO, HELPS THEM REDUCE THE INCIDENTS OF SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES SUCH AS HIV, HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS WHICH CAN LEAD TO CANCER, CHLAMYDIA, SYPHILIS AND GONORRHEA. WE KNOW THAT TEENAGERS CAN IMPULSIVE BECAUSE OF TWO PHYSICAL FACTOR. ONE MY BRAIN IS NOT FULLY DEVELOPED -- MY HUSBAND DIDN'T WANT ME TO DAY MYLENATED BEFORE 25 YEARS OF AGE. OVERACTIVE MENDULLA THE IMPULSIVE PART OF THE BRAIN OR MR. TROUBLE MAKER. IT IS EASILY TRIGGERED IN KIDS THAT EXPERIENCED ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES WHICH IS ONE OUT OF TWO CHILDREN IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM. EDUCATION HELPS DEVELOP THE PREFRONTAL CORTEX WHICH I CALL MR.