001Good afternoon, everybody and welcome to our special board meeting. I am director to at home super excited today. I want to welcome Judge Galvan for being here and assisting and as usual super excited that we are going to be keeping everybody that we've had With everything going on right now and everything just being so uncertain just I mean in general, but with the field of education I'm really happy to have a board where we can work together Coincidentally and do what's best for the babies. So on that note, we are going to start our oath of office with Director Angelica Alvarez And as not just good evening everyone And thank you again for having me. This is always one of my favorite parts of coming to visit over here and it's always an honor All
002right, but for what they want that the money that a chair You're alvarez, por favor a feel me que vas a tarla's responsibility dad is Ser directora del distrito escolar de highline Repetiendo lo que yo le digo puro o a firmo solemne mente puro o a firmo solemne mente que cumplire fiel y imparcial mente que cumplire fiel y Esparcialmente las funciones de director del distrito número 2 del distrito escolar de highline número 401 Asunciones de director del distrito número 2 del distrito escolar de highline número 401 Segundo prescrito por la ley Segundo prescrito por la ley y la medida de mis posibilidades y la medida de mis posibilidades Apoyare y mantendre la constitución de los estados unidos apoyare y mantendre Sion de los estados unidos y del estado de washington y del estado de washington
003y las leyes del estado de washington I do solemnly swear or affirm I do solemnly swear and affirm that I will faithfully and impartially that I will faithfully and impartially Perform the duties of director district number 2 of highline school district number 401 That I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of director number 2 of highline school district number 401 As prescribed by law and to the best of my ability as prescribed by law and to the best of my abilities As prescribed by law and to the best of my abilities. I will support and maintain the constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and the laws of the state of Washington. I will support and maintain the constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and the laws
004of the state of Washington. Congratulations, Director Alvarez. Felicidades. Gracias. Muchas gracias. I just first of all want to say thank you to God for the opportunity that he's given me to serve. I've been on this board for a little while. We joke around with Joe that I am the most senior in in time in the board and in years. And so I not only thank God for the opportunity that he gives me, but I thank my family. I know that many of my birthdays, anniversaries, their birthdays, I got to spend it on the dais and I would do it all over again because I know that I was trying to create systems that was better for them and for their kids. And now I have grandkids in the system. I think my husband Ernesto, my
005son Ernie, my daughter, Emily and Mia, any of us who's watching from California. And I think my community, you know, thank you for the trust that you have and reelecting and being here. That means that it's not just about me, but it's that you feel that the district is doing a good job. Could we do better? Absolutely. But that's why we're here is to work together to make this better. I think my neighbors and one of them is here tonight, who's always trying to figure out how to she works in a school, but figure out how to do things better for all, translating things, helping our community. But more of all, I just deeply committed to ensuring that every voice is heard and deeply grateful for the trust. And I can say that, you know,
006this has been a ride this time around. And I am just thankful for everybody's support. You know, none of the stuff that happens can happen if it wouldn't be for our community and for our students and for our youth and their voices to be heard. And this is why I sit on the board is because I want to be able to lift up those voices to make systems better. And who's the system? We, we are the system. A lot of times we blame systems, but the system is us. And so how do we work together to create a system where all our students thrive and all our kids are feeling accepted? My parents immigrated to this country for a purpose. And I am so grateful that I get to stand here before you all. I
007used to pick crops. I used to be in 20 degrees outside. I remember my hands being frozen never in a million years that I thought I would stand before you today to think that now I can work to make systems better. So my kids didn't have to work in the fields so they can also help change systems. So thank you to you all, because I think all of us, it's what makes this world go around. Thank you. Thank you, Angelica. And do you want to take photos with your family? Dr. Duran, would you like to take a photo? Sorry, Angelica. Felicidades, Angelica. And next up we have District 3, Director Vann. I hope you're going to say it in Vietnamese too. You didn't give me the script. Next time. With the right hand. And please
008affirm your acceptance of the responsibilities of a Highline District Board member by repeating after me. I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will faithfully and impartially... I do solemnly swear to affirm that I will faithfully and impartially... Perform the duties of Director, District Number 3 of Highline School District Number 401. Perform the duties of Director, District 3 of Highline School District 401. As prescribed by law. As prescribed by law. And to the best of my ability, I will support and maintain the Constitution of the United States and the State of Washington. And to the best of my ability, I will support and maintain the Constitution of the United States and the State of Washington and the laws of the state of... Congratulations. Thank you. Well, it's my turn. You have 15 seconds. Thank you
009very much. This started about 10 years ago when I was going through the appointment process. We had community meetings and I remember to the day that we were at the old Highline in the library and they're passing cards around, you know, please write down a question that you want to ask these candidates and my daughter was sitting in the back. She's like, Dad, I don't have anything to do. I'm like, just draw on a card, draw on a card. So went through the whole process towards the very end. She handed me this card. I still have it till this day. And I know a lot of directors have seen it in my folder that I've changed five or six times says, good job, Daddy. Love you, Kara. Still hold this. The reason why I do
010this and I'm going to be selfish is because my three kids started out as being part of the PTA and just growing from there and my kids all graduated from Taii across that stage for the future that they choose. My daughter can't be here tonight because she's at UW finishing her finals before she becomes a teacher in the spring. So just happy and thankful. And I just want to thank my wife this last week at the WASDA convention. We went around the table asking, what are we thankful for? Shared with the board. I share with Dr. Anne. It was my wife. She's my rock. She knows how to not she knows when to bring me down. But just thank you. Thank you for supporting. Thank you for being that here on those nights when I
011come home and I'm jazzed up. So thank you. But I also want to thank the community. Thank you for trusting myself. The rest of the board directors to lead and guide our district to support our teachers, our superintendent, staff. It doesn't feel like 10 years. It feels like it just started yesterday. We still have a lot of work to do and I'm just appreciative. Look forward to to do more work. Great work with that. Thank you. And can we get photos with Director Vance family? Dr. Durant. Congratulations, Joe. I love that because I'm little and my kids tower over me. So that just that doesn't make for me. Next up, we have district four director Dr. Espinosa, who's also going to be sworn in in English and in Spanish. Dr. Espinosa, for favor, repeat that
012is for me. It's a la mano derecha. Puro firmo solemnamente que cumpliré fiel y imparcialmente las funciones de director de distrito número cuatro del distrito escolar de Highline número cuatrocientos uno. Puro firmo solemnamente que cumpliré fiel y imparcialmente las funciones de director de distrito escolar de Highline número cuatrocentos uno. Según lo prescrito por la ley y en la medida de mis posibilidades apoyaré y mantendré la constitución de los Estados Unidos y del estado de Washington y las leyes del estado de Washington. Según lo prescrito por la ley y en la medida de mis posibilidades apoyaré y mantendré la constitución de los Estados Unidos y del estado de Washington y las leyes del estado de Washington. Felicidades, doctora. Gracias. Directora, doctora. English. Thank you. The other language. I do solemnly swear or affirm. I do solemnly
013swear or affirm. I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of director of district number four of Highline school district number 401 as prescribed by law. And I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of a director for a Highline school district 401 as prescribed by law. And to the best of my ability, I will support and maintain the constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and the laws of the state of Washington. to the best my ability or to maintain the constitution of the United States State of Washington. Thank you very much for everything and well, the work continues, we will continue to do what is due to the students and the families and I want to thank my family, my parents who are in California, my brothers and also my
014family from here, my partner Victor who I just want to quickly say that it's an honor and a privilege to be doing this work in the ancestral lands of the Coast Salish people. I feel so loved and supported by all of you and community for your trust in me and in the little or the or as much as I could do to support you all and while the work continues, this is just sort of a face of the work. I'm committed to being here and to working in collaboration with you all. I want to thank my partner Victor for all your love and support for my kids, my family back home, my parents and my siblings and my friends who are like family Savannah, Nico and Monique. Thank you so much. And can we get
015director Dr. Espinosa's family up for photos? Dr. Duran. And last but certainly not least, we have director Holene, if you would come up for your oath of office. Please affirm your acceptance of the responsibilities of Highland School District board member by repeating after me. I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of director district number five of Highland School District number 401 as prescribed by law. I do solemnly swear or affirm that I will faithfully and impartially perform the duties of director district five of Highland School District 401 as prescribed by law. And to the best of my ability, I will support and maintain the constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and the laws of the state of Washington. I will support and maintain
016the constitution of the United States and the state of Washington and the laws of the state. Congratulations director. Holene, if you would sign. I'll actually make this probably a little bit easier for me. First and foremost, I want to thank my wife, my two wonderful little kids, the community. We're doing a lot of really good things within the district, fellow board members, Dr. Duran and everyone at the Highland School District. Thank you very much. And can we get director Holene's family for photos? Thank you. Dr. Duran. Congratulations director Holene. Congratulations everybody again, super excited. Can't wait to continue the good work and do what's best for our babies. On that note, we are going to have a light refreshments, I'm sorry, in a reception out here. We are going to convene them, I'm sorry, at
017545 and then we are going to be back on the dais everybody. Why are you looking? That's the right time. Yeah, 545. I look like I was. And then we're going to be back on the dais at 555 for our regularly scheduled meeting. Before we all disperse though, can we get the directors for our group photo up here? If y'all don't mind. Thank you very kindly. Please enjoy cookies and juice in the lobby. Wireless mic mute. That's wrong. That's going to clip into all the devices. Check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check, check.