001Okay. That's great. Good evening. I now call the Monday, July 22nd special meeting of the board of school director. Uh as you know, we are not sure where the flag is, but it's usually right up here. So if you are able to of the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. So, a few housekeeping items. Um, obviously quite doesn't look like we have been able to come up with a way to get air conditioning on. Certainly, but to do that and that um see I know um there are a lot of folks who um want to speak this evening and so I think uh Mr. Lick had already shared that um public comment is for districts residents and taxpayers and if you would please share if
002you haven't already done so if you could please sign in on the sign in form and is that on the foot right now? Okay. Um and and I I would ask you to attend to speak if you could sign in now if you haven't done that because what I will do um we will then pull that so that um we start the public comment and I can call you up by meeting your uh I'm also going to share we're going to change the order of the meeting. Um understanding there's a lot of folks here that do want to speak. We're going to move up all the public comment um to uh the beginning after I do our our roll call and so we'll go right into public comment. We're going to condense all public comment
003into one public comment period. Um and we public is there any anything actually one other item? We we have one. This is the microphone. Um so it's going to be a little interesting. It also for all of you come up to it's got a volume up volume down. It does not have a volume off. So you don't want to get caught on the mic. Is everybody able to hear me? Okay. Turn it up a bit. Turn it up, please. better. All right. Thank you. Uh if I remember other things as we go, I will add them. I believe that we did find a way because um AJ and I'm forgetting your name even Jackie Jackie are phenomenal and so I think that we do have a live stream um on and for the public we
004apologize that we're starting those of you that are not in the room that we are starting late um we had a lot of um folks who came to tonight's meeting we had to make last minute arrangements um to accommodate everybody in one space uh so with that I'm going to I can't even find my Okay. Um I'm gonna ask um Miss Wowski. No, where's Debbie? Debbie. Okay, we're gonna um if you please take M. Dr. Grande here. Mr. Henry, Miss Hullberg here. Mr. Miller here. Miss Walkman here. Miss Witet. Miss Williams here. Miss Wakowski Smith here. Uh we have uh eight in attendance and one absent. I don't know why I'm getting up instead of passing. Okay. Um thank you, Mr. Trusty Smith. Um so we're going to go right to um item four on
005this evening's agenda is audience recognition. Um I'm sorry. Yes. audience recognition. Um so again, and I I'll I'll go through the general statement here. The the um public comments um an opportunity for district taxpayers and residents uh uh to address and and provide comment to the board. Um we are not going to limit the total time uh for comments this evening in totality. Uh we will still because there are a lot of folks here. uh we want to give everybody an opportunity to speak and I'm sure that there are folks that are going to be um going home to small children and so I'm going to ask if we still would please limit our comments uh to 3 minutes individually but I'm not going to um limit the total time to comment. Um when you
006come up I'm going to ask you if you please state your dean and the street on which you live for the the public record. Uh, and I believe that that is all um from a logistical perspective. So, I do need the the list. All right. I I'm going to apologize way in advance for your names. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So, I'm going to begin. The first name that I have on the list, I believe, is Selena Hannah. that I didn't realize was I just signed it. Let's go in order. Um and then I I did one other thing. I need to hand you the mic. Um which we'll pass. Okay. Great. Um, the next person I have on the list is it Joel Briggs. Okay. You want to just start a line? Okay. Um, all right.
007We'll start a line if you It sounds like that's going to go faster. Thank you. And then Good evening, esteemed WSSD board members. I am Arian Allen, a mother of three West students and the voice tonight of the open letter to the school board from 270 community members. We are a community of people who care deeply for WSSD and know that you all do too. We hope to work together with you all to continue to make sure this community is a great place to raise the next generation. But we have a problem. Our school district has lost its way and we need to get it back. Over these two years, concerns have arisen that we have stated in our letter, but centering around the fact that the administration, led by Dr. Marseilles, is not leading
008with our shared supportive community values. We have witnessed a culture of support and collegiality amongst our administrators, teachers, and staff erode. During his time as superintendent, parents have continually witnessed a pattern where the staff is not adequately communicated with or consulted with on decisions and tasks that affect their ability to lead and teach our children. This includes asking the teachers to work more hours, teach more students, take on additional special education support duties due to special ed being understaffed and more. It has deteriorated to the point of the recent administrative departures like that of our dear principal Dr. Savage. All of these pressures have fallen on the principal, staff, and teachers to handle. It is too much. As parents, we are standing up for our school staff today to say something must change. The staff
009needs to know that they are supported by the parents and by you, the school board. This can be accomplished by you, the school board, number one, conducting a formal independent evaluation of Dr. Marseilles's performance with an emphasis on his ability to create a supportive and collegiate work environment. that we made to build priority to flocking ability of our talented, hardworking, and committed administrators leaving our schools by setting up meetings with the remaining staff to discuss what can be done to course correct and address the stress within unhappiness. Number three, work with the teachers union to approve a contract for the 2425 school year that aims to witness children engagement and support. Number four, forward on a budget and building decisions to alleviate the physical strains that are adding to the overall negative environment. And number
010five, evaluate the special education team's needs and help them become successful after their staff departures. I travel the government this week and clearly hope you hear our concerns and act swiftly. This is an inflection point where we can together prove that WSSD is a worldclass school district because we prioritize our people. Thank you. My name is Dan Simmerman. I live on Palmer's Lane in Wallingford. I have lived in the district since 1965. I graduated from Nether Province High School and I taught in the Wallingford Swatmore School District for just shy 41 years. I've seen a lot. When I started, we had a superintendent who made things happen. I saw two great schools come together to form an even better school in Strata. And the reason we were able to do that is because that superintendent
011stressed kids over things like facilities and fields. And we picked up on that mission. And I think it's what made the Strat Haven School District one of the great districts not only in Pennsylvania, but nationally. About 7 years ago, cracks began to appear. I think it started when they did away with the deans in the high school and the middle school and they added administrators. Class sizes started to get bigger and they added administrators. Teachers had to spend more time doing paperwork and going to meetings and they added administrators. We started to lose programs and programs were tailored and they added administrators. It's now late July and the teachers still do not have a contract, but we're adding administrators. There are so many administrators and teachers on special assignment in that hallway over there. You
012can almost have your own zip code. Now, several years ago, I moved into that group termed senior citizen. I rather enjoy it. Now, let me tell you something about senior citizens. We don't mind spending money, but we do mind wasting it. And you Hi, my name is uh Mary Piper. I live at one fleshal road. Um, first and foremost, um, I have huge concerns, um, about my daughter who is in second grade as a rising third grader. Um, and they have taken her classes down from 5 to 4. They do not have another teacher. They do not have space to make another classroom. And I am intensely concerned about the fact that her classroom her class size is going to balloon from like 2021 whatever to 26 27 and the attention on these children and
013the time they are going to need per student is not going to be met by the teachers. That is completely inappropriate and totally overwhelming. Um but I'm also going to read an excerpt. um from the 2022 to 2025 Witzsworth School District comprehensive plan. Um it's the educational value statement um for the administration. So these this was a goal. Um the Wallen's this is printed in the comprehensive plan. The Wallen's Wor School District administrative team has experienced significant change in leadership in the building and central office from 2018 to 2022. During the 2020 2018 to22 time frame, there has been a 50% turnover rate of the administrative team from the district, resulting in a phase of instability from which the district is beginning to rebuild. This change has the potential for seismic shifts in this practice
014that can be used to produce a more effective and inclusive local education agency. Committed to continuous improvement, the administration will engage in the work of the audits in 2021-22 while maintaining stability for the continued pandemic learning models needed to ensure equitable access to education. Administration will work steadily with great intentionality to build new systems of education, identify and address issues of educational importance, and address any and all needs for the support of teachers, students, and parents. So, what's going on? Where is the disconnect? Something's really wrong. And I'm brand new. I'm a young parent in the district. I have two children. I have two children in the elementary school, Long Elementary School. I have one in kindergarten and one in second grade. And I grew up in Swathmore and I went to SRS. So, I've
015come through this district and I know what it's about. And something is greatly wrong. Thank you. Before I speak, I just want to let you know I'm getting notification that the when the audience claps, the volume is being turned off on the live stream. So, I was told to make that point. I think it's picking it's just picking it up off the microphone. We're not changing anything. It's just because of the the volume change on the microphone. Okay. My name is Alicia Styer. I live at 725 Windsor Place in Wingford. Good evening. To say this community is deeply alarmed by the continued overall lack of competency in where the district is currently and where we are headed is an understatement. Losing three administrators by their own choosing in a six-month period is unheard of. One
016for lesser pay, all to equal or lesser districts. But to say they all left to be closer to home is insulting to this community. This community is smarter than that. They leave because of leadership or lack thereof. They leave because they are met with unattainable demands and unrealistic benchmarks. They leave because of the obvious agenda the superintendent has and the bulldozer mentality he has to check boxes off his list, uncaring of the consequences and destruction left behind. And how about the mismanaging of mismanagement of money and where the money is going? We've watched a super as superintendent and teams of administrators go on a variety of learning journeys costing the district an excessive amount of money while our teachers have been told there isn't money to increase their budget for classroom materials, no money for
017assistance, no money to hold on to valuable staff with 20 years in the district. There's no money to talk to There we have money for additional counselors who are already overworked with huge case loads. No money for additional teachers and departments that have been understaffed for years. But we seem to have no problem funneling money into central administration. Under this current administration, teacher paychecks have been wronged several times and tax bills sent out to the community were wrong. with states never occurred in the past despite the administration claiming they inherited these problems. And let's not forget the money on litigation. This money would be more effective in the classrooms. Good leadership is hard to find and sadly we've lost some incredible administrators and we've lost a tremendous amount of incredible teachers as well. This is
018happening because of how the district is being run and the power given to one individual. A good leader is motivating, creates a family environment with staff and students, and engages community members in a healthy working dialogue and relationships. A good leader takes care of those in their building, remembers they have families and lives outside of their jobs, and remembers them to take reminds them to take care of themselves. A good leader recognizes when their staff is struggling and asks, "How can I help?" A good leader also recognizes when they aren't appreciated by those above him above them and recognizes they have to take care of their own mental health by leaving. This should never happen in WSSD and it's happened multiple times. The reason this district is successful isn't because of some agenda being pushed
019by this administration. This district has always been and always will be successful because of the quality of the kids that attend WSD and that group of people over there. They enjoy Ruckers Avenue sophomore. Uh in the last few weeks, I've read letters from community members discussing their concerns over the treatment of teachers and administrative attrition over the short period of time. And I myself have written to the board in the past past year over mistreatment of staff that run the district. I know there have been much positive movement and accomplishments by the superintendent and the board over the past few years, but I question the adverse impact on staff during the I have been in a meeting with Dr. Merles in which he in which you express the idea of bringing people along with when
020it comes to change and addressing diversity, equity, and inclusion. At that time, I wasn't so sure. Um, and I was wrong because I wanted it so fast and I think many of us did and probably pushed you on that. At that time I wasn't sure like others I want to change and I wanted it fast. I don't think our teachers have been fully afforded efforts to bring them along and let me jump right. But um many positive changes occurred but it has been at the cost of morale of our beloved teachers and administrators. We need them as much as we want that change in this district. They are truly our best assets. I only go into our school and our children have direct contact with them daily. We truly place so much in their hands
021and expect so much from them. Their needs must be considered on an equal level, if not higher level, when decisions are being made. I'm not asking every teacher's whim be thoroughly considered. But when you know there's a morale problem, let's dig deeper to avoid losing staff and dealing with legal suits, all of which detract from education. In response to one of the letters sent actually from the woman who spoke earlier, uh I believe uh the board discussed reasons for departure for the existing administrators. Reasons given were career, financial advancement, closer to home, quality of life improvement, all great things, all understandable. One of the departures was not addressed at all. And uh you know was a little curious to me because it was a lateral move into a district not far from us. Um those
022are things in my opinion we need to hear and get some honest feedback um from those who are leaving and they need to have a safe space to do that in um personal making issues still exist and we need to have a safe place for us all to hear what the issues are this Okay. Uh the board's response was we have to work to do more regarding their uh morale, workloads, professional development, and are working to hard to determine what adjustments are needed. I request that the board clearly identify to us what specific test steps they're taking in order to figure out what those issues are. How will you monitor success when properly identifying and addressing these staff morale workload and professional development problems? And if there will be a specific committee address to deal
023with those, we the community would like to be aware of it so that we can be present. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Grady Har. Uh, completely separate topic. My daughter is going to be a sophomore in high school. She won district one and two for girls wrestling despite not having a team. post got put forth by the wrestling coaches, the athletic director, school on board, principal born yet. Uh, but it hasn't gone through yet. So, if anyone can I just want to get on the notes and make sure it goes through um because it's the fastest growing space anywhere. All right. Hi, I'm Selita Hannah and I changed my mind back with you guys. So, and Dr. Marse, when I go to the doctor's office, I hate when my doctor's on their computer
024all the time. Yes. How about my dad? I am a very old mother. Uh not a young mother. Kids a little late. I have a twins going into ninth grade and a son going into his senior year who probably don't want to know that I have the mic right now. Um I am moving to Crest View Circle uh on Saturday. It's been quite a year for my family. I don't come to a lot of board meetings. I'm going to be very honest. So, is it okay that I'm talking? I hope so because I know a lot of people put in their blood, sweat, and tears and come to a lot of meetings. I'm a freelancer in the film business um and I work crazy hours. But the reason I'm standing here right now in front
025of everybody is over there is the heartbeat of why I moved to the school district. I am not somebody that can afford a big school. My partner and I, my children have two moms. We just went through a divorce, but that's for my therapist. Um, I have a daughter who's going into ninth grade who suffered from pandas when she was in second, third grade. She would not be going into the high school without some teachers over there and the support that we received. My mother helped us purchase a house in this school district because she knew we were a two- family. We were living in Drexel Hill. I love my house, but we wanted to come here because it was more progressive and accepting. If you are not listening to the heartbeat of this operation,
026you have nothing. I can't thank Mr. Crawl who saw my family go through a very difficult time and challenge and everybody in that section of the room has been there for my family. It's why I continue to work and build and stay in this community and are not in the same socioeconomic area as some of the people here. But I am honored and please listen to these people who I can't thank you all enough for everything you've done for my family and I hope you will listen to their concerns. I was a huge Mr. Savage fan and um Mr. who who lives, right? Please, you know, things have changed. I'm aware I've been here for 10 years and uh we'll stay here till my kids get out of high school, but obviously you guys need
027to listen. Thank you. I'm 22 while um I stand here I think. Hi, how are you? I stand here because I want to play the mediator for a minute if that's okay. I think that everybody is entitled to their feelings. Number one, right? Everybody's entitled to them. I think that everybody's feelings are valued. I believe that I believe that everybody have the right to go through whatever process of emotions that they need to go through because is that not what we teach our children right are we not in this phase of life where we are trying to teach our children conflict resolution right how do you come into a room and have a conversation so that everybody can be heard and that it's not your emotions that are pushing out but more so that the
028person is able to understand effectively what you're saying and not take it in such a way that you're trying to come at them or or be negative or just be like I want my demands now, but to really get to the root of what the problem is. And so I believe right now as I look at this room, as I look at the school board, as I look at Dr. Marseilles, I see a big onion right now. And we're just peeling back layers upon layers upon layers of things that have happened well before you guys got here, well before some of you guys have got here. My family has been in this district for 70 years. And I'm telling you, it is years worth of stuff that is going on. So, I want to do
029three things. Number one, I want to encourage you parents that I know that once a month these people have a school board meeting. pack it out every month just like you're packing it out now because you have a voice and the more that you sit back and the more that you don't come and the more that you kind of just lay back and don't say anything and then wait for something to arrive that makes you so upset and then you come out in drones, right? Why would we need to do that if we all just come out once a month? I'm just saying it works. I've been to a few of them and it's only been me and them. Come on now. We can't get upset, right? We can't get upset if we don't show
030up when we have the opportunity to show to things. I'm just saying parents, just rock out with me for two seconds. I'm here for this amazing group of people over here, right? I have five children and I don't know how they do teaching multiple children at once and I can barely handle the five of mine. So, the way that we support them is by coming to these schoolboard meetings from Jump. The way that we support them is sending them emails once a week or once a month saying, "Hey, are you okay? Is there anything that I can do as a parent to help you out? What's going on? What do you need? How can I support you?" Because if they slide that little email and let you know that you can come back to the
031schoolboard and let them know well in advance like, "Hey, this is an issue that's happening inside of my child's class and I need something to be done about it." I'm just saying parents, we have a voice and we can activate them 10 months out of the year than trying to wait for one month because so many people are leaving. But this could have been addressed much sooner. I'm just saying parents, this is to hype y'all up to come to the school board meetings and and to really express how you really feel. To the teachers, I charge you guys to say something. You tell your kids all the time, if they see something, say something. Speak up. I know, I get it that you may not want to for fear of what somebody may say. I'm
032telling you, don't worry about them right now. I will get my email address. You can email me. I don't mind sending emails. I don't mind fighting for people. Mr. Crawl knows I don't have a problem with it at all. Like, it doesn't bother me because I have five kids in this district. I was a coach in this district. I got the opportunity to coach well over a hundred students. and the fact that I got to know them and loved them like they were my own. I'd be dead if I let anybody mess with them babies. So, I'm telling you teachers, you got my back. I mean, I have your back. So, just just email me. I'll send my email out. Now, can you find people up here who do tireless work that I know that
033is not fact time? All right, I'm beyond my time. I just want to let you guys know that I appreciate you all and that I know that this is a thankless job, but just know that people are just hurting right now. And don't take this person. I couldn't pick a better person to follow up and my friend P. My name is Karen Rishel and I live at 211 Woodrest Road. I have a son who's a rising fourth grader at West. And anybody who knows me at West, a lot of the teachers know at West because my son has special needs and a lot um only because we get IEPs and I'm very involved and something I'm very involved in is data because I think data tells a story and I believe in transparency, believe in
034communication. These are all things I've talked about and other with Dr. Marseilles when you first came on board and a few other um district administrators and I know that this fiveyear strategic plan says that an awful lot and I think it's important and it's great. So that brings me to ask um in order to keep data you know as the the the pinnacle I know we all have performance standard objectives we need to meet in our jobs we all need to to meet objectives and performance standards. Do we c can can you tell us what the performance objective standards are for the superintendent position and are they out on the website um per Pennsylvania statute title 24 uh 1073.1 they should be out there for all of us to see what those performance measures are
035and then by law they're also supposed to be made publicly posted on the on our website so that we can all see um so it's not hearsight Right Kate, we got to we got to know we want to validate these things. We want to know what the attrition rate is. We want to know what the you know and and then some of these performance standard objectives that you need to meet may be the reason why these guys are they're getting so much heat. Not that it's okay because I'm not everybody's cup of tea. I mean, I'm a Jersey girl and I speak frankly, but you know, sometimes there's a different leadership style that needs to, you know, that some people need to to to work with. And I think the 360 degree um survey that
036was stated in the letter was a good idea because of fear retribution, people don't feel comfortable saying what they want to say. And I think it, you know, we do a lot of those in the business field. I think it's a good thing. It shouldn't be something you hide away from. And this way everybody knows where exactly where everybody stands. And that's all I have to say. But you can tell us where performance measure objectives are on our website and what the performance what what Dr. Mercier's performance is the law to have there. Anything else? Can I ask one more time? Are we sure there's no one else that wants to speak? because we're going to close the public um comment period at this point and then we'll move into other elements of the agenda.
037So, I knew I knew we'd get one. Hey, I'm Bill Per. I just wanted to echo what the last two speakers were saying because they were they were both talking about communication and the only time I ever taught in schools. It was just for two years. I was part of a US government program. It was overseas in a military dictatorship and I found myself in a local government office as I was trying to get some classrooms built for my school and over the shoulder of the district secretary there there was a poster and it it had a a drawing of a of a person's face with a padlock through their lips and it said there would be the greatest peace on earth if people would be quiet. So this is a government official in a
038military dictatorship basically with a pat on people's masks. So in our country we have freedom of speech and freedom of association. But sometimes we lose our way and we forget that we have that power. And I think teachers and schoolboard members forget that. And there are situations like legal agreements where like when you're working on a contract, it's not really a good idea for individual schoolboard members to go and knock on doors of teachers and talk about that because you have a formal legal process or if there's litigation, you don't want multiple paths of discussion that muddy the waters. But when you're just trying to understand what the heck's going on around here, literally any one of you has a legal right to talk to any one of you about anything you want. And you
039can knock on someone's door and say, "Hey, what's on the mind?" They can close the door on you and say, "I don't really want to talk to you." And that's their right. Or they can say, "Yeah, let's talk." So, uh, it's kind of like why can't we all get along or the rents too, but really if we would just talk to each other, which is our legal right in the US Constitution, we'd be so much better off. Don't wrap yourself in. Don't make it more complicated than it is. You can for $20 get the list of every voter in in in the state of Pennsylvania. You can see, oh that person, they work in a district. You can knock on their door if you want to. I've knocked on thousands of doors. Can do it
040and people will tell you what's on the line and you'll learn a lot. So let's talk to each other. So, I've been sitting here going like I really have no knowledge in this situation. So, I'm just going to go from my heart. I am the granddaughter of a teacher. The daughter of a teacher. Oh, sorry. Aaron Verso Fairfield Drive. I know a bunch of those people that I've been in this district well my kids have been in this district for 16 years. Um I'm the granddaughter of a teacher, the daughter of a teacher, and the sister of a teacher. That right there is the heart and soul of our district. And if they are not happy, then something is wrong. to the gentleman speaking before me. I believe there was a rule change when Dr.
041Msai came in that said that teachers could not speak to the board directly without Dr. Merai there. No. Okay. That is what some of the teachers are under the impression that that is the rule. So maybe there is not communication because they feel like it's not. So, let's not blame the teachers for what's happening here, for a lack of communication. They are trying to keep their jobs and do their jobs while feeling belittled and intimidated and like they are not worth anything to this district because of how they're being treated by administration. Again, I also don't have friends who are teachers. So, this is not just here. This is conversations with teachers that have told me this personally, including those who have retired maybe a little earlier than they needed to because they didn't want
042to deal with it anymore. So, these people are amazing. My mother went to school for her her education degree and then again for her guidance counselor degree. And I saw the hours that she put in, prep time, learning, um trying to raise a family on her own and doing all of these things for her students that she could possibly do. That woman slept for maybe four hours a night most of my childhood. And I know that a lot of these teachers are doing the same thing because they love what they do and they're excellent at what they do. And we need to get out of their way and give them a chance to do Steve Boulevard. Let's be honest, people don't leave for a 10,000 decrease. Go to a worse tree. Sorry to say. If
043you're not going to get rid of him and the teachers all together, let's have an ethic problem. He sleep with one of his teachers. Wait, Malcolm about Woodward drugs. Um, I don't know what's going wrong here, but clearly something is going wrong. And I would just encourage the school board to please act quickly. Um, It seems to me that this district works because of its reputation and people agree to live here and pay very high property taxes because of its reputation. And the minute the outside world starts to get the idea that things aren't going well in this district, everything can fall apart very quickly. I know the nature of take this seriously try um been here in a while. um and the ones like explain more and I just like on a positive note
044I think it's a gift there are so many obviously educators who have come in from other places and and are amazing but I think it's very unique about our district that so many people live here and teach here like have invested their lives in more than just going to work and it's unique and I just feel like we have to really value that and aside from treating hardworking people the right way and you know making it a positive environment. I just it's a gift. I mean to our district. So I you guys are amazing and we support you. Um I'd also this is like off topic and I need to like add another thing but it's been on my mind for a while. Um, I would like to add to the public record my objection
045to the mental health awareness signs that were outside of the strath of middle school and high school for mental health awareness month in May, but like they were there into the summer. Um, and I question whether reading children to the school day with messages like it's not too late, you're not alone, your mistakes do not define you. and two vales, which feels just really inauthentic to me in our district. Um, I just wonder if that helps or hinders healthy thoughts, actions, behaviors if we're trying to encourage and cultivate mental good mental well. Um, when I reached out to Megan McCulla, she informed me by email that the signs were purchased by one of the vertical teams and were recommended as part of the Mental Health America Toolkit 2023. We often use their recommendations for posters,
046resources, social media posts, etc. Um, I hope moving forward the district will commit to more meaningful ways of promoting good mental health practices and when making decisions related to mental health and wellness. We'll consider the critical distinction between mental health behavior and mental illness disease. Um, I lost my sister Katie to rapid cycling bipolar disorder when she took her life on September 20th, 2001. She was 22 years old and she was like a shining star at Strath. I am biased, but it's a fact. So, I have full confidence in saying that. Um, so I'm no expert, but this is something that is I'm very connected to and I would welcome any opportunity to work with any individuals who are crafting our philosophy and approach to mental health awareness and just really encouraging our kids. Thank
047you so much. Hey, have we really done this? Anybody else that wants to provide? Do we have one more? Okay. I don't want to cut off the opportunity to speak. So, I'm going to keep asking. This is short. Okay. No, please. Hi, my name is Lindsay Bell. I live on Scott Lane. I'm just going to keep this short. Um, I am myself. I'm a teacher. I don't work for the district, but I do live in the district. I've gone through this district. Um, gradually made it from this district and I can say with fullheartedly wholeheartedly I love this district. However, you need to pay attention to your teachers. No child is going to get an education unless you listen to them. Your teachers are the backbone of this school district, little if you realize it
048or not, but they are working without contracts and not being heard. You need to listen to these teachers. Thank you. Anyone else who wishes to speak? addressific. Let me let me ask um uh our solar to respond to that to the extent those are available publicly they would be available through the regional process. Okay. Thank you. What was the question? The the question I'm going to try to repeat it please correct me. Um uh there was a question about settlements and settlement agreements and uh where could one learn more information about them and then uh Mr. Burman's response was to the extent that they are uh public information uh they would be available through a right to know request. Do we have another uh person wishes to speak? Yes. Thank you. Uh Chris San Maria
049Henry Lane. Um uh my wife and I went through this school district. Uh graduated 1980 from Another Province High School. We moved away but moved back to this district to raise our children in the great schools here in Wally for 12 when my daughters went through West and through Stratton. One of my daughters is a now adopted from Temple. So we love the education my kids got here. Um, but on the I also have to say uh that I'm a retired teacher of 38 years in lower Maran school district and I'm also a retired now uh trustee of the public school employees retirement system. So I know a little bit of insight knowledge about what you're going through financially and the difficulties that you face as a board to try to meet budgets and to
050try to uh settle a fair contract with the teachers. Let me just say I've just learned from one of my neighbors that this is the first time since I was in high school in this district 1978 that there hasn't been a teachers contract this late in the uh in the summer. As a president of the Lower Marian Education Association for 11 years, I negotiated three contracts with Lower Marian. I understand we're not Lower Marian, but I need you to understand that if you don't settle a contract, a fair contract with this great group of people, low districts like Lower Marian and Radner and Habford are going to snatch them away. your best teacher. Millionaires don't settle the contract with their with their teachers. So, they're clean slate. They're cruising to go back in. You're going
051to have elementary teachers and some teachers going back in the buildings in a few weeks before their school year starts and without a contract because that's who they are. That's how dedicated they are. You need to I would like to know if you have a schoolboard member on your negotiating team. I'd like to know how you're following Act 195. Do you have a mediator appointment? Are you prepared to go to factf finding? Because this is serious stuff. Morale gutters when I've been through it two times in Laura Marian, but fortunately we were we settled before the school year started. But it craters when morale craters when teachers don't have a contract this late into the summer. So, as I join the others in this room, I I beg you to double down. It's ridiculous that
052the school board president isn't here tonight. I say you double down and do not do not rest schedule as many bargaining meetings as it's necessary to get this done because your staff is worth it. Don't lose great staff because you're failing to sell a contract. Ben Winter Waterford Way, but one thing I want to say positively is um I know we've had some departures from the district, but please don't let Aline Lee depart from the city. Love that name. It's It's probably um uh the second thing is and just very quickly I would like to note I did read through the entire contract for the assistant superintendent that was posted to the board docs because yes that's what I had time to do today. Um and I just wanted to make my opposition clear to
053a $200,000 position with a $7,000 meeting from South Carolina. It was very hard today without me. I was saying I once made my opposition to a $200,000 position, $7,000 moving allowance and someone from South Carolina when we probably could hire someone very good locally. I find it hard to believe and that either means he couldn't hire somebody locally as in they wouldn't take the job. His person is a kind of rockar and I hope to be proven that this person is some. Go back a lot of what I was going to say, but my name is Jenny Monu. Um, Brook Haven Road. Um, I didn't have any planned remarks tonight, but just um, and I did come in late. My apologies because I had a swim meet, but um, I just wanted to say a
054few things. All these teachers that are here are amazing. the fact that you've hung in this long. God bless. I just want to mention, and I've said this story before, but I want it publicly known. What a huge, huge loss Dr. Savage. All these people are coming in [Music] he has had in this community. My kids are no longer at West, but I want to tell you when they were, I found out that he rode the bus for the first week of school because the bus aid couldn't start till the second week of school. This man in his three-piece suit in 90 degree weather after he worked board all the buses dropped down his sign ran to the bus and got on and rode with this student that needed a bus aid. This is the
055type of management to give it all the staff to create a family environment which retains teachers that the students love. My daughter loved him and the fact so okay so I I just appreciate the support. Thank you. Because I'm not a public speaker, but I just want to make it known that that is the type of man that worked at West and who gave it his all. And I find it hard to believe that he would leave for another school district in a lateral position. Like he was moving into a higher level position. I get that. But a lateral move, come on. So when you see these administrators leave, there's got there's some red flags and you need to pay attention and not believe the smoke and mirrors that are around. And I also want
056to reiterate these other the other comment about the $200,000 salary for an assistant superintendent when Dr. Connley was making 176. So, why are we spending our money, our tax dollar um dollars for such a high salary and for a five-year contract given um past performance of other administrators um maybe a probationary period to see how they do but not a fiveyear contract. Thank you. Hi everybody. My name is Kim Ala and I live on circle and I don't come here very often and I'm looking up a few spaces and I can tell that you care. I can tell that you care. But it's not enough. You've got to care enough. When your words do not support your actions, people lose faith. So you've got to be about something. She just mentioned the assistant of vice
057that man was here for a year and he got a new football field. You can ask them for locks on the doors. I think school safety is pretty important. You know, we have to know that our children are number one. This is the future. This is what we are working with. You've got to give it your all. You've got to give it everything you have and then some because it's not about you. You will come and you will go but those children will remain the future of our country. Thank you. going to go ahead then and close the public comment period. I do um I do want to make one uh remark um with respect to Mr. Henry. Mr. Henry um some of you may know is in for real a hostage negotiator, an international
058hostage negotiator. So when he gets called to negotiate a hostage situation, he has to go. That is why he is not here this morning. So I I needed to say that um for him and would otherwise certainly I'm not sure for laughings because I said he's a negotiator, but he is in fact in negotiators of that. Um so we're gonna um we're going to go ahead and move forward. Um we typically don't respond to public comment um as as folks know um in the moment u but because of we have many many people here uh and because of the nature of this conversation I think we need to um and I I did Dr. I'd like to offer that first opportunity to you if you'd like to make it even more. Um, thank you. Um,
059so I want to share that one of the reasons for this uh special board meeting was to um appoint an assistant superintendent. we began the process and were very concerned that if we waited till the August 27th um regular board meeting that there would be challenges with regards to delaying that start knowing we were going through a lot of transitions and wanting that individual um uh to start and um knowing that there um is extreme competition in terms that when you do find um that rockstar uh with other um with other districts. Uh so tonight was solely about that in the why I scheduled that meeting in the since then there's been other personnel items. So we said well we don't have to wait till August 27th. Let's just put it um put it there.
060Um so um uh uh Dr. Abek, this is not a reflection of you at all. Um uh so don't please process it uh that way. there's a lot that has been taking uh place um and individuals are expressing uh expressing that um so I was hoping it'd be a different type of conversation uh bringing you or at least making a recommendation to uh uh the board but this goes far um beyond you and um really about me and my uh leadership and how individuals um are are are expressing themselves and sharing and sharing them. So um before I make some some brief comments uh and I'll try to um be uh brief because I have been the recipient of emails that were sent to uh the board. Um um I get those emails as well
061when they are sent to the board and then I've gotten uh individual uh emails and listening to everyone um tonight with respect to um what they are feeling and what they have been feeling and a quality uh action. um and someone who I know very well and um who spoke uh today um Mr. San Maria. So I I appreciate your um your comments and the time we uh work together Mary. So I um want to kind of preface kind of three things which I um I hear individuals and they say well it's not enough to to hear so I am hearing and we're going to uh to act but I wanted to preface that um I am a resident. I feel blessed to be one. I am seven minutes away um from uh this building
062and I do think it is a privilege um not only to work here but to live here uh as uh as well. Um I have um a daughter who um like many of you um uh loved her children to uh to death and began her middle school experience here uh and on June 12th um did what historically all eighth graders do and that is um take that historical walk um over the bridge where she would be a rising um night rate. Um and that really was a byproduct. Um, if those who may not know my my my daughter, um, watching her show up from our previous school district and, uh, coming to the middle school and seeing the transformation um, really under the nurturing, loving and patient hands of the middle school staff and the
063aids um, who impact Ed and has transformed her um significantly because mommy and I know what type of fifth grader she was when we left and where she is now it's night and um in night and day. Um so I one of those who may be in the audience but one of those who's intimately involved dayto day um with that and I speak to a lot um is Mr. crawl who facilitated so much of that and who's um also on the agenda tonight. It just happened to be the special meeting and I thank you for um raising your hand in terms of supporting us through the transition. Um so uh another note Mr. crawl is in the process of um completing his superintendent letter of eligibility. Um which adds uh a number of caveats to
064already splendid uh and exceptional CV and the work that um that he does. Um so my daughter's here we believe in the program and believe in the teachers and believe in the extracurricular programs that um if it wasn't for Henry Fberg she would have never picked up uh an instrument and he said I got something for her and I said good luck brother man that's impossible that's not going to happen and um she's been running off stage all her life you will not get her not only to play in instrument could actually sit on on stage and um here she is with with the other um so we've been blessed to have that particular um experience around um what I believe to be right um even though those who are arguing otherwise in terms of
065um implicit and explicit actions that um that I'm taking but she's formed and forced some wonderful relationship as um since she's been here. Um I also as a um former classroom teacher, I tried very hard to try to replicate what was given to me by one teacher teacher you're describing who tapped me on the shoulder and I share their story as often as I possibly can. Um and praise Mrs. nappy for um helping me navigate um and um I do acknowledge and appreciate um and we'll talk about next steps with respect to the 365 days 7 days of um a day that individuals um give to this profession. Um so it um so as I'm listening um and processing um to be honest that it is um it is hurtful um but we talk about
066putting that aside around what could I what am I doing to create this level of toxicity um that has correlated and many believe uh a significant amount of of transitions um don't believe that is um uh the case, but I understand individuals who are speaking to the backto-back transitions. Um I'm not going to speak to those items because it would be a moot point anyway. um not only from a personnel perspective, but from um I I hope those uh individuals and conversations with me and the board were forthcoming. Maybe not from what I'm hearing from um from individuals. So, um I am committed um to making sure that we retain our our talent pool and looking at well I only can though I appreciate that only can respond to listening to what I am not
067what you believe I haven't done and thinking about how to move forward. So, um I do understand and realize that we have been moving at lightning speeds um since my arrival. um an unprecedented number of audits and assessments back to back to back to back to back. Those generating all sorts of objectives and strategic plans from curricular changes to programmatic changes to cultural to operational, financial, you name it. We've done um in an audit in every aspect of that. Um and there is no doubt that that has uh amongst other things a significant compounding effect on um on our staff and our morale amongst others and that initiative fatigue is uh is real. Um so I am guilty of running a marathon at a sprinter's pace. Um and um and I've said this before and
068um and I do believe it and it's not being exercised in practice and I reflect on that that it does take um a village to raise a child. Um and I've said this before that if you do want to go fast, you go alone. If you want to go far, you go uh together. So um I understand that uh the pace has created uh a number of compounding challenges for us and because it does take that um we need to rethink um those pieces and what our top priorities are and provide the resources in order for our staff to um execute those. So the board um uh has shared and they began that conversation at our last meeting um where um we need to reassess and reevaluate in terms of capacity for some of his
069work and attempt to reignite our sense of unity as we can't do this um by ourselves. it is our um educators on the ground who are doing this work um and trying to address um how we're going to pivot and what that pivot uh looks like. Um I do agree and I know I'm not going to speak too much about it um for our solicitors that we are working to um address those outstanding issues before the start of the of the school year. um and um our meeting and talking to uh to address that. So um I have read I've heard processing and uh will work with the board in terms of um pivots that need to um that need to take place. Um I I do have a um some comments I'd like to
070share as well. um don't memorize well. So, I apologize when I'm looking down and I'm not looking at all of you. Um and so to our entire WSSD community, we hear you. I hear you. Members of the board have spoken directly with many of you who've contacted us directly um in recent days and and for quite some time, not much. In recent days, I've been asking very direct questions. I know my colleagues have as well to understand more about what's behind what I will say for myself felt like generalized statements and were very difficult for me to process and understand. Um, let's say Mr. Henry and I also spoke privately uh with some of our administrators to get their feedback and what we've heard is that their faculty faculty and our staff are experiencing considerable
071stress. Uh this resulting from a number of things we've heard about some of those things tonight. What I heard most was from pushing so hard to go so fast on strategic plan initiatives, changes that the administration has launched with the support of I'm going to ask for your grace. You all you have is my word. You my children have gone through this district as well. My child is still here. You have an whole set of board members who have children in the district or recent graduates. I have spoken with many folks and this is what they've shared. So perhaps the issue is exactly what we're talking about is that we aren't being forthright in the conversations. We don't feel like we can be forthright in this time. Whatever transparency all the time. There's a whole
072lot of passion here. Passion up there. Like you love your job. You love passion. I was respectful and allowed every single person to come up here and speak. And I need to ask for the same I'd like to continue, but I'm not going to continue if this is how we're going to behave. I'm sorry. I think that's probably why we don't have a contract yet. I'm going to skip over comments and simply say that it's clear that we need a reset. We know that strong partnership across administration, faculty, staff, the board. It's critical to achieving our shared goals. It's critical to retaining and recruiting educators and staff. I see I hear your sharing that we have a widening disconnect and we have to address it. I had I wanted to share some things about um
073I'm going to say I've can I hear statements from some in the community that everything was fine until Dr. Morse came along until this board came along. All I can say is that I've been on long enough that I preceded Dr. or say and I can say that's not at all the feedback that you shared with me prior to his arrival. It's not the feedback that you shared in the responses and the interviews that we conducted. And so we hired and looked for someone to make changes. And I want to be clear, we are a top tier district. We have some of the best teaching staff anywhere. I know that from the experience of my own kids. I lived here. I moved away. I went to the neighboring district where I grew up that was
074supposed to be one of the best ones. I moved home to take care of a terminally ill parent. And I came back because of our district. There's a bunch of us that can say things like that that moved here because of this district. Sorry. And so we do care. We care deeply. It's very hard um to hear the things that are being shared just as it's very hard to come in and have to say the things that you've shared. And so we're listening and we have a lot of room to be better completely. You know, as a board and as a community, we have opportunities to improve. So where do we go from here? The board will work with Dr. Marseilles and the administrative team to read with you. I know that you don't We've
075already said that these aren't necessarily the things that are causing the stress. All I can say is that I heard it over and over and over in conversations, not just with um community members telling me that this is what teachers were saying, but from our administrators that I spoke with directly that the piece the multitude of strategic planning initiatives constantly coming out and pushing that we needed to strike a completely different balance there and we're going to do that. It's going to be challenging to do that because at the same time that we know we need to do that. I continue the work continues to get concerns shared with us that we aren't moving anywhere near fast enough. We don't have that capacity for change. I fear that and we going to commit to finding
076that other balance. We're also committing I'm committing as a member of the board leadership along with Dr. Henry, Mr. Um, we're going to work with Dr. Marseles and our board colleagues to strengthen communication and feedback loops so that as someone suggested earlier, it doesn't take this for us to communicate with one another. In the meantime, I want to say that we're super grateful. I'm personally very grateful that we've got highly experienced, capable leaders in the district and recent retirees as well who are stepping into roles that will guide us through these recent transitions and leadership at the building level. Mr. Crawl, um we want to thank you for eagerly accepting our offer to serve as the acting principal at West for the upcoming academic year. building that shared with me Kevin that are excited to
077return to West started your career. So we thank you very much for that. We're also thankful that Mr. Bupler also readily accepted the opportunity to rejoin us at the middle school on a temporary basis to support uh the middle school through transitions and we're very Again, we're super grateful as well to Mrs. Lea who also accepted uh that she will step into that acting principal role at the high school. She's done it before and we know that she's a few. So, the last thing I'll share is that I want to thank our community, for everyone that is here tonight for coming out to support what you hold dear, the education of your children, our teachers, our faculty, and nurse. I know that's why you're here. And I am sincere when I look at our teachers
078and our faculty and staff and thank you for all the work that you've done and everything that you continue to do in service of our students. We're reflecting. We will act. We appreciate. Thank you. We're going to continue then with um the elements with our agenda. Um Dr. Merc, did you want to speak to superintendent report? I think there are a few things. Sorry. Um there was just a couple items highlighting our our next um facility finance meeting on August uh uh 21st. Um we'll talk about some of the um items that normally take place during the during the summer specifically to facilities and finance. to talk a little bit um about in the state's approved budget, what that means for the district in terms of increases that we're seeing in basic educ uh ed
079education funding, some increases to special education uh funding. So, uh obviously we will gladly accept and appreciate any additional funding the state has to support the work. We're going to have conversations about um some contracts that normally go through that. We're excited to continue to um uh use some of our ESS funds uh to build up the STEM program that Mr. Benzene has been working tirelessly for. So there's pieces of equipment that are coming. Um that are universal coverage that we need for our STEM program. Um uh AJ Cone has been working on a fire replacement that we need for the district to increase bandwidth in light of all the devices we keep adding on to um the district. So that's going to um accelerate that. We have um a number of meetings that are
080uh are coming up. We will post that on on the board website. We have shifted uh our meetings a little bit earlier. Um so um our ed affairs, our policy and our facilities and finance will start at 6:00 and will continue to be um continue to be uh streamed as well. U and then of course we um relatively soon very quickly we have new teachers academy on August 13th and 14th. We have convocation on the 20th. Um inservice on the 21st and 22nd. Um and then I just made reference to the facilities and finance our first committee meeting of the uh of the school year. And then um August 26 we uh welcome uh back our our students and then we will be back here um maybe not back here but maybe back here uh
081for our school board meeting um on the on the 27th. So those are a couple of updates I wanted to uh share. Um, moving on, uh, the next item is the, uh, board announcements. And so I do want to share that board met in executive session on July the 10th. And again, uh, prior to tonight's meeting, we need to move on. Um, and that brings us then to personnel. Uh, we have items A through H in personnel. Uh, are there any items that anyone on the board would like to separate from the rest? Uh, seeing none, um, take a, uh, motion for approval of items A through H. Thank you, Mr. B. Um, do I have a second? Uh, I think I retired Michelle and I can't come up with apologize. Um, are there any
082questions or comments about the items? Um, intro. Are the items? They're Yeah, they're all posted. Um um on the u they're all it's all person I'll just read them quickly. We have resignations and retirements. We have appointments as stipulated. We have changes of position as stipulated. We have the approval of some summer curriculum work um in MAC. Uh we have the app for summer curriculum work addition additional hours. We have confidential settlement agreement and we have the election of the assistant super the board's already made a motion to vote and um I I need to move forward with the agenda. Um, so um any any questions or comments? I don't think before we move. Uh, and then I'm going to ask Miss Lowski if you Mr. late Dr. Grande. Hi, Miss Hbert. Hi, Mr. Miller.
083Hi, Miss Walkman. Hi, Miss Woodson. Hi, Miss Williams. Hi, Miss Wakowski. Smith, I and Mr. Henry is absent. So the motion passes. Eight votes with eight register. Um does anyone on the board have any old business for today? Um any new business this evening? Okay. Thank you everyone. Uh this meeting is a