001911. uh bringing our special board meeting to order for Santa Cruz County Board of Education and we're going to do roll callust. Sanchez >> here. >> And we have currently do we have any board members for SB77 will be doing the pledge of >> allegiance. to rise, please do so. And ready, begin. I pledge algiance to the flag of the United States of America, to the republic for it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you everyone. Um, approval of the agenda. Do we have a motion? Vice President and second by Trusty Sanchez. All right. Anybody public comments? I don't see anybody in our gallery line. >> No request for public comment. >> All right. Excellent. Move on to the board workshop. And at this time, I'm going to
002pass over to Dr. for introductions. >> Yes. Thank you. We are very fortunate to have uh Mike join us again as our Mike Walsh who's should be familiar with Mike. He's somebody who has been working with CSBA and has been a wealth of leadership experience to working with school boards travels around maybe the world uh doing this kind of work and so we're really grateful to have him help us build up our skill set and contin officially. So I'll introduce myself first of all >> CC Kyle trustee for Oaks >> she her >> um Ash student trustee specifically for Rachel Williams uh she her trustee for sort of a toss area a little bit of slight So it's okay for Santa Cruz in the north coast of Santa Cruz in the north coast and you
003>> Mike Walsh and TSBA uh BU County Office of Education past president for CSBA somebody who needs to take a nap basically. So, and the travel, we were just laughing because I use an app keep track of where my travel I'm supposed to go and it gives me the annual review and it actually says I slowed down last year. It doesn't feel like it. Lots going on and so I'm excited whenever I get a chance to be here and have conversations because this is the stuff that kind of lights my fire. So, to hear morning person. I'm not a morning person, but it's still the conversations. I kind of like this. And so it kind of gets me going. Um, and so what I want to do is get those of you who've been with
004me, you know that it's your conversation. Those of you that haven't been with me, it's still your conversation and I tend to hide and I like you talking to each other. Uh, and then instead of answering me, it's really talk across the tables towards this group here. Um, because as a board member, my last year. I've decided 16 years to education should be my last and that somebody else fix my mess now. So, I'm excited about it. Looking forward to seeing this like doesn't mean I'm going to disappear. My board knows better. So, but it just it means that there's a lot of conversation that I've seen over the 15 and the only thing that changes sometimes are the crisis that we're dealing with. Other than that, what changes is that something's going to change
005and I just have no clue what it is at any time and the conversations that I think are best to have is where we're going to focus today and so I'd like to start with this notion of team building isn't an activity by the way we talked about this last time a lot of people think team building is when you do the spaghetti sticks and the marshmallows and blue tape and build something and go a team building activity y it off the Team building is what we're going to do all day. Team building is a conversation about how are we going to be with each other while we're working on what it is we're supposed to be working on. That's all it is. So, we do those little team building activities because ultimately someone goes,
006"Hey, you know what this reminds me of? Oh my gosh, the same thing. I was thinking that just now." And you have the conversation that you should have had because you did thing. I like to skip building the little to the conversation. So now to make those conversations a little bit easier, I am going to have you go just pair up pick whoever you want. You guys are parents now naturally that's fantastic. If you want to stay that way um because I'm going to ask you to have some conversations each other and we because really team building is awkward because you're supposed to have those super deep conversations but it's like I don't really know you that well. Like we talk a lot but the super deep conversation you might be a little nervous to
007have one of those with me. give you a little chance to get to know each other. Um, and the way it works is simple. I need to set my timer. So, it looks like it paired off perfectly. All right. So, timer is you're just I call it I go. And the way it works is I would tell you there's one thing about you and I go and you go back and forth for two minutes. And Simple as that. There'll be a test later, but for right now, it's as simple as I go, you go, I go, you go. Two minutes. Anything like I live in or I was an inter manager one time. I have 17 grand. So, same thing. So, congratulations. Two minutes. I go, you go. Ready, go. my son's program. >> I
008got to live it too. actually bought a househ. That's okay. like a while back. >> 30 more seconds. talking to the doctor. >> One, please look at your partner. Say it's good to get to know you. Good to get to work. >> Wait a minute. You're in the way with your partner already. That was fun, but I got to go do some work now. All right. So, I think this is the thing where I want to give you a chance as you're going back and forth that every now and then what I noticed is that when people do that, suddenly they Oh my god, you did that too. And then they want to have a little more of the conversation, right? So, I'll tell you what I'm going to do. I'm going to give you
009that same two minutes back, but I'm going to tell you get to be nosy like the two nosiest people on the planet. Dr. Oprah or Dr. whoever your favorite is right now. And the way it works is you get uh one minute each to do the the followup interview. Now you get to be nosy and ask that question about you said you trying to sneak that under the radar. I want to know what the world possess you to do something like that. So I get to be really nosy and I'll just let you know when it's time to switch and then we'll figure out how we roll Bruce into this. So, uh, so again, I'll just go one minute each and I'll just say switch and then the other person becomes the guest on the
010Dr. Orafield show. So, uh, congratulations to whoever has the most brothers and sisters. You go first. You're the first guest on the Dr. Orafield show. >> Okay. I came up with a lot ofations. A lot of people have those what you're interested in doing. Few others You could have used it for something else. >> And switch is now the other person to be a guest on the show. Really good question. So um I am considering my daughter Great question. Santa was a nonprofit. I moved up here still and I love that policy organization focused on substitutes but So she also balance. time >> right into your last conversation. The one that I think is the reason why we're actually not the conversation so far I'll talk about. So what drew you to this role here?
011Everybody always says because I'm here for the kids. I've never met anyone who ever said, "I'm here because I want to get famous." Never had that happen. Everybody always here for the students. Okay. Yeah. But why what drew you to this? Why is that so important to you? Um and really get an understanding of what makes that relevant because again, you're giving up a Saturday, right? You give up all the extra time to do this. And I know the governor said you can have a pay raise, but we were doing all that. What there was hardly any pay involved in someone looked at one time and they found out how much money I don't get paid. Like what? What's wrong with you? I don't know. So, talk a little bit about what drew you to
012this role, what keeps you involved, all of those things. What is it about this governance and education? Um, and so whoever was the last guest on the Dr. Phil show, congratulations. You're back on as the guest. We just went to commercial. You're back. And so, continue your interview. We'll give you two minutes. really dive in what you Yes, please. And also I want to thank she was It's been a while since I wanted to high school. challenges. That's why I feel like If something opens up here, go ahead and switch. >> It's a natural transition to a switch. I understand. So people's Wrong answer. Call me by the end of the week. always my background and I always figured I would probably run and sit on the school board at some point and that did
013not expected and so telling like rejection is protection is probably a good thing. We weren't the right match and I think they were right. I was on the side that was painful painful experience and when Rose down the trauma but also don't know are worked in like so I Well, you know, 30 more seconds. >> 30 more seconds. Joint calculator. So that's something that we're talking about. your test. It's now time for your test. All right. >> So, the test works. You just spend time getting to know your your guest, your neighbor, your guest. Uh, and what I'd love for you to do is introduce your guest and something that you really came from that you was kind of new to. Oh my good part. You talk about I go, you go or the interview
014or what Drew or even that conversation you were just having. You're not introducing your guest to me. This is an opportunity for you to practice. You're introducing your guest to each other. I'm listening. I'm easedropping, but I might disappear hide behind here so you stop talking to me. This is your conversation, not mine. Hanging out conversation start. So please, we would like to go first and introduce your guest everyone. This is our student trustee Ash. Ashes uh grew up here in Santa Cruz County. Um one thing that he doesn't like um is the new vehicle that's called Santa Cruz um because it's ugly and I 100% agree. He said it's a shame that it's named Santa Cruz. I agree again. Um Ash's um jewelry and he um now has a eight um size eight. I
015don't >> engage, right? Engage. Um let's see here. Uh one of the reasons Oh, he uh while in school at 15, he got his first vehicle. Worked very hard. Um had um some an interesting experience working at the boardwalk and not completely positive. Um but that did help him get his first vehicle. Um $2,800 for what I believe was a Colt I didn't get to dig into that any deeper but I really wanted to did not have the time and the reason why they um joined the county board of education was because of personal experience and wanted to affect um a more positive change um counter to what the experience they had um you know um getting involved in um CE part education and being diagnosed with some of his So that was it was
016really great getting to know and share with us. Um this is she has like decided to figure her son like was having difficulties throughout his school. school system going to alter education here. So she wanted to work off that she could help influence last years. 20 years religious organization that some was a >> that was our connection. >> So much in common. Let's get administration. >> Okay. >> Next I'll introduce Dr. Stacy Kyle. Uh has been living in in the area for over 20 years in the area. Um has two children, a boy and a girl who are one at Harvard soon. Um she worked uh in educational policy for a long time and uh she was getting her her doctorate um and was involved in kind of setting educational policy and so she always
017thought about becoming a school board member. She thought it would be something that would happen later on. She uh attempted to get on the board at Live Oak during difficult times and uh that was successful. Uh but when the opportunity uh came up a little bit later uh second opportunity came up a little bit later to join our board. She was decided to to join because she feels like she brings educational policy and we didn't really talk about personal kind of stuff too much. It was mostly kind of our stories. Welcome to Paris's role in I'll do the intro to it background. Okay. Um so I'd like to introduce Dr. Spa and uh Dr. joined uh immigrated to the United States from Iraq, but also went to Ecuador for middle and high school years. Sorry.
018>> Okay. So, he Iraq to US then also spent his sort of formative years in Ecuador um before finally settling in in California. And he has two sons, one of whom is at UC Davis, one of at Tech High School. Um he Oh, wow. Now I'm like, "Okay, hold on. There's so much good stuff AND I CAN'T I can't um How about I just pass it to Bruce? I don't use all my time." So built his career and knew Michael Watkins, the previous had mentioned that he was looking for Michael. Somehat later, Michael called him up and said, "Hey, why don't you come over here? Let's just That was not too long after I got pretty much immediately aside from that Michael set such a good tone and highly regarded statewide superintend. that the team
019of Michael and Paris was just and it was really obvious how much brought to Michael decided to retire he finished out his term and feeling that and lo and behold by that point I think was well known and liked across the across the county. He ends up running opposed and got strongly elected and has been serving since then and brings his background to work and to me one of the most admiraable public officials I know. >> You added added Extra extra >> sugar added in that. >> Thank you for that. >> But nevertheless, I want to thank everybody for being here. Can I >> truthless over here and forgot I think I >> um Trusty Van Allen uh I just know about his journey to serving for the COE board and it was from a
020long time of work and effort working with students um around Um, and I hope I don't get this wrong, but feel free to add it around the river and exposing and educating them to sort of the San Lorenzo River and the native um plants that, you know, we would ideally want there and and um the restoration of the river and in that role worked with the COE and got to know the COE and really learn to respect the COE and appreciate the work. And so when that opening came up, he applied for it. was encouraged to apply for it with his political background and had to interview um six candidates um and was selected for the post um 11 years ago 11 years ago. So >> and if I could just add we didn't get
021a chance because Bruce we were triad but Bruce really has dedicated his life to kind of the political world and serving the community. He's been mayor he's been involved as a elected official, but also been very closely uh supporting uh folks either with with campaigns or data or just being kind of a he's a political player and has been really important person shaping the political world of Santa. I find that supporting positions of leadership help and a couple comments is the most elected officials focus on something you go to my colleague and what you brought. You actually first member and you said something to launch our lunch together about It's all about the driving force of why we're all here. That also goes right back to your story of getting on this board and he
022had the toughest path to the board. Now, he actually his first time trying to get on the board was in hotly contested election with him and other 74 years old. He was 24 representing a generational difference really. to make sure often countywide discussions and that was part of your interest in the county office being a recent product of Watson schools being closer to the systems than any of the rest of the board we thought was a real strength and passion for and that's carried through now I think the most senior member of the I don't like that. >> It's on its way. You can do nothing about it. >> You appreciate the discount. season election was recognizing that you brought the continuity and the knowledge and understand so that's you didn't explore that much except
023continuing food safety as your passion a little bit to your new marriage, your wife's new commitment to a health focus and maybe that's a plan for the next year of starting and seeing the education system at some point. So, um having that longevity focus, you know, I wish focused on So Greg's somebody that I really believe tell that his family is very important to him. They're older now. They are no longer in wants to be involved, still wants to help. One of the reasons why he is on he wants to experience cities and so that basals very pretty show each other and giving away awards. >> I gotta say, Mike, if I could just see, you know, and I talked to my my colleagues 58 counties, I feel like this board is not the best,
024one of the best words in terms of engagement and commitment and uh you know service above self. I think the student trustees have been absolutely amazing um and really brought another level of on the ground thinking and and um kind of real focus and I just I just wanted to say how grateful I am. Um, I feel like I'm the luckiest county superintendent anywhere because just grateful for both the seasoned energy and the new energy and I just think we have a great balance and truthfully right there because if you haven't we'll get to the surve that's critical but that is reflected in what you just said when you look at the results and it's like going to the doctor tell me and as we were joking earlier that I have good news for you
025bad the good news is you guys are fine right so it's kind of that good news thing and for me the goal is someone told me a couple months ago and I've never had a chance to watch Ted Lass it's person. It's this interesting thing but he said and I hear all the lines from it and that one of them is it's better to be curious than judgment and so that's all today is curiosity not hearing judgment that's why I always say it's short conversation with each other I just hang out and get to make some notes every now and then um and I promise I'll watch Ted Lson at some point uh but I was also reading an article and I'm noticing a theme when you guys were just introducing each other raise your
026hand if you've ever donated plug Why am I not surprised? Raise your hand if you regularly give money. Drop money in there. I don't know about your supermarkets, but where I live as when you're going to pick out groceries like to donate the money to feed the hungry. Anyone besides me? Okay, good. So, I was an article that said you are the kind of people who are most likely to donate a kid. Oh, because you're altruistic and I have some experience. My wife has a kid transplant for her sister and she's just that whole notion of that kind of a person her both her and sister that's how they love each other like that. But this is why I like having those conversations because of things that disappears in a deeper level than you work
027itself. People start to figure out I kind of like you. I thought some interesting things about you before, but no, I was wrong. But they don't say before I thought I was wrong. and they just say, "Oh my god, I admiration society starts doing our one of our retreats and I always wear and I always put on a shirt and a tie for our meeting and I wander in and there's been a lot of joy about and then when they were sitting where I was having a conversation and we kind of like and I basically explained there's a huge difference in how I treated I public collar and it's immediate and my wife noticed one time she outrageously especially because again she's ready to fight but it's just the notion of and I'll give you
028brief one brief example of it because it's kind of curiosity so I used to work like a people magazine And so I was working there and so and one of the interesting things about it was I was always and then we had the little alleyway right across the streets more ancient than Montgomery board exist anymore. Um, and I would go there regularly to get my lunch. They always saw me. And then one day we moved into neighborhood and our next door neighbor. So he's dragging out the strips and he knows our our backyard is terrible. We're in the backyard doing stuff and he looks over the fence the grass. It just saved me about $400. Yes. Knock the fence down. So, we go over to the fence and we're just passing stuff through. And now
029I'm in my old camouflage pants, old t-shirt, and a floppy hat or whatever. And the kids are probably four and six at the time. And and they're kind of, you know, dirt and my wife decides she wants flowers. Okay, let's go to Worth. They've got the flower section. Whatever you need. And I'm thinking, I can sit down. Oh, dear God. And so I sit down and my kids are in sport and um I hear code 500 sporting Montgomery co. So my wife, she also worked at McGomery in the back office. So she comes over and she did hear that. She's looking around and there's only two kids playing in this one section like she was out and she's since then noticed that collars on very different world just t-shirt and so for me we're having
030that conversation and the board me about thought it was about fashion level respect and they said it's a good reminder to be respectful of this world as well. So suddenly we're having some of these other conversations a lot shifted for Hannah and we were never antag but our level of respect and some of it was just he was checking in on some of his what I call MSU where if we don't have an answer we make stuff up every single person that we don't have an answer. The brain is hardwired to automatically make up an answer. Most times the answer is not even close, but we run with it. The admiration that you're sharing with each other, that's a huge part of this conversation. How do you develop trust? How do you develop a cohesive
031team? And a lot of that is just having that random conversation which again this goes back to notion team having the conversation about how do we want to be with each other while we are with each other. It's kind of therapeutic a lot of things but it's really conversation about how are we going to be and so that's all this is today is I just want to look at this and give you that space to keep having those deeper conversations with each other. It's pretty safe room as safe as you make it. And I'll walk you through some of those things as well. I love this quote by Susan Scott. She says that searchy and she has a book she just wrote. It's called Fierce Conversation. And I'm enjoying this book, but I'm I'm kind
032of weird like that. So, uh, but she talks about searching for gold and it rarely happens on the surface. It usually requires a lot of dig. And so, when I met with groups in the past, Sometimes when we get together, I've seen lots of forms of evaluations. Um, but what's interesting is when they get the answers right, people stop dating. Hey, everything looks fantastic. Let's get out of here. And I always say, well, hang on a second. How about we make sure that that happens with intention from now on because not right or wrong, good or bad. It could have been just accidental. I really want you to be able to have a conversation so that you know for sure you're aligned and why you're having the success you're having. I have some models from
033when we did our good beginnings conversation last year. So if I need to share those with you, I will. Other than that, I want to keep you out of your intellectual heads and just keep that emotional part in the space where you're at and just observing and identifying some things. So I don't want you to become too uh research driven. So we'll look at the Otherwise, I love it when people just engage. I believe that all conflict exists in the absence of a good conversation. So, let's just make it a good conversation. So, please take a look at um again, this is all about curiosity. So, what I'd love for you to do is go ahead and open up the results and kind of go and go ahead and brag some and enjoy. So, what
034as you look at that, just kind of talk about what comes to mind. What's your reaction? stands up for you. Don't wait for me to be formal. We'll get formal in a minute. Right now, just in general, looking at it, just seeing all the green, it's it's, you know, I think I look at it with a sense of pride and we can easily say, "Oh, we're good. let's go. >> But I think it's also um can be looked at as a foundation to to to um build on not because it's just us, but we're also building sort of how we want to work together for the people that come in after us. kind of setting the precedence of how the county office of education, the board of education operates, how we treat each other, how
035we interact with one another, um, and use that and setting sort of what that infrastructure and foundation looks like for people to come after us. I'm, you know, um, but yeah, that's kind of how my immediate thoughts, the results just kind of seem To me, it's a danger. Not sure what exactly that you're doing a good job. So, I just want to comes across to me. do in fact each other that's really I I have a hard time I feel to me this is a kind of what it's a really good basis for model reinforced hard. And I think looking even looking at a little closer, you know, there's these these categories almost always, often, less often, rarely, and not sure. And I think that any category that has even one individual says that they're
036not sure or it's rare. Those are things that we should work on because that's that would mean that we're all on the same page. And there's there's maybe some individuals in our board that that feel differently than the rest of us. And there's got to be a reason why. So I think those are areas that we could look more deeply into, you know, um we are all individuals. We all have different living experiences. So um we're not going to always see things the same way, but certainly we can work towards like a more how we feel about the board in those areas. >> First rituals. I did notice at least those were two of us or more something a little differently just maybe as a focal point for strength. Um then you know part of
037what I love about this I think helps us is our values alignment. Um, be it political or community focused or student focused values alignment that seems to permeate all of our work as a county office makes it easier times differences come up. They've been easy to resolve because there is that alignment maybe more process or information um which I would hate to get up in this day and age where I think the crisis are beyond that we're having to be part of our collective response to on behalf of our community. So taking a longer term perspective I do believe there's even greater strength that comes in the group when there can be respectful stronger diverence of But I don't think it has I don't think we necessarily want that right now because of bigger issues
038with safety but is a longer term issue and I hate to say it I while I think we all reflect a particular philosophy towards the role of the county office of education in this day and age there's probably 15 or 20% total population may not agree and is their only voice. Now we may get to a discussion about getting greater participation and maybe other voices would be represented with greater participation. I don't know because I've never experienced it yet. Um but Those are the two things I think following Rachel's comment there are two or more of us because almost there's one divergence on almost every um and then there's complacency of just patting ourselves on the back moving ahead and there's complacency thinking that we are the sole voice that we represent because we're all
039I I wanted to add something about both of those comments that I've read someplace recently that we are not in disagreement each other. We're in contempt. A lot of conversations that we're struggling across the nation has nothing to do with it is just absolute contempt somebody. And now it's really easy to have that argument where we just feel all those emotions like I I don't know why I hate you but I hate you. And now we have the conversation. So let's go fix our problems and get a relationship started. Um and so I think right relationship again that's why working on how we are going to each other challenges with the group in here and I think that's where so many people miss it is relationship we want to dive in. We got to do
040our goals. You know, when I see the unsure call makes me think that I don't see it and I don't know or not. So, feels to me that we can do better to communicate So, so I think that's part of it making sure that everybody see that and I I usually I really like rubrics with categories because it helps us organize how we think and oh that's part of what we do here and so we can isolate things in a way that allows us to talk about do something. So, one of the things I see here is we can do a better job as a communicate that everybody knows about how things are done or not. And then that allows us not to be sure to say it's not enough. >> I can back and
041not to take away anything you just said because I agree with everything. However, I not sure a couple times because I haven't experienced it yet. >> So, I'm new and so like I didn't want to make the assumption that yes, of course that properly, but I like the LCAP isn't the timeline yet. So, I not sure not to say that we can't >> I know I know like during board meetings usually professional talking. Is this the time where we have to be in a more professional talking role or can I talk in like so professional? >> Yes. >> Okay. >> It's a It is a public meeting. >> Not like that. Not like crazy. >> I know. I know. I know. I just remember procedural. Mr. President, I'd like to make a motion. This is
042conversation. This is a place for you to be able to share those thoughts and working through because there's no action items today >> because I have a concern and when I asked about it one time it's like I don't talk about the time to talk about that >> whenever you feel like that conversation. Yeah. make is how do we handle that conversation? I think this group it looks looks like a pretty safe group that we could do that with. Did you want to talk about it now or is there someplace else that you believe it may come up? I trust you. >> I don't know. >> Sorry. Silence. By the way, we will take a break at 10:31 because at 10:35 I have been doing a lot of travel, but I haven't I didn't do
043quite as much last year and so no longer. So, I have to I might be flying tomorrow in 24 hours is what I'm saying. So, we'll take a break to 10:35 buttons. So, other than that, it's all >> I guess I'm just having concerns about one of our board members and I feel like sort of neglect because I feel like I've ever been at participate. I just wish that I'm not exactly sure what I think does come doesn't participate as you said. did agree to a committee assignment participated and I'll just except students follow students as well. I wanted to get to know the Nobody can response to me against a long time just kind of didn't get and It's tied in network but we did get elected So he's legitim. So he's doing it
044and it's been really troubling for me partly because the previous person was active contributor to our work and very well connected to drawing resources but just to me in terms of representation in terms of another voice and another intelligence what I know about his political background is people some of from I think most of us never disag I'm stumped. I mean you know we could all have an intervention talking why don't you show up more but right to not have to do anything and it's a big system in my view but I'm you know again he always has the reason you know you have to respect your job you do something to keep your job so anyway I don't know what to do about this and I don't want a year ago he was actually
045kind of taking the victim we not treating them well not respect because a lot of us kind of and so that was not a good thing I don't want to continue that but I don't know what to do that and have this conversation of caution I don't want you to dive in on solutions just yet this is a great conversation talk through what's the aha moment don't go to solutions yet carry on because he brought it up with the name represent a slightly different perspective on the board because I don't know the referenc I was just going to say that we should be that it is an elected position. And um and if the community in which his district represents feels that maybe they are not being represented that another individual can um next round
046run for that role so that they might be more present and more well represent them. Um in the meantime, we keep doing the work we're doing and seems like we all show up for South County no matter what in the events and so you know I I think at least um jointly we won't let our students um you know be forgotten but appreciate you definitely you know bringing your concerns because you are students and that's the reason why we have student trustees is so that we can have your perspective um but um I you know I don't want come go to solutions like Mike said, but there are some thoughts that I have that that will help us all become more um hopefully more involved in our individual districts individually and together. And hopefully that
047will, you know, be inclusive, you know, and and encourage everybody to individually get involved in their own districts as well as others, you know, whether they currently are or not. >> I did want to add something just from a procedural process. However, because it's an electious So even though the bylaws say the procedure almost never jurisdiction so the bar is very high for intervention to take place. So continuing to attempt to way I look at it. So unless they're unless they're not happy. So it's that's how we're chosen. asking them. I feel like asking them ask you kind of like that instead of just waiting for it to be brought up. I think it's very diffult for I think specifically in that region in that area we've had PBSD speak to the board. student and
048adult speakers twice in the last six months. Question I'm not sure as I first said that I thought ask a couple times in the past when she got this case literally said why you show me why here she was pretty but we just said I'm here So trying to challenge him directly didn't seem to get us any works. >> Yeah, he works in a >> I think that that as as you mentioned and from my perspective, the question that you're asking, you know, what does the community think is is something appropriate for the community. I think it would appropriate in our lane as that the question that you're saying what does community think of representative I think that's something that ties into the community deciding somebody else should run the community voting for somebody else
049caution us about getting too involved in the election process because that's not necessarily election is what I was talking about. I just know that there's a lot of discontentment in the PBSD school district right now and I um I think that representation for that would be very helpful school district is really position. How many people conflict? He says it's conflict. If your job for So you take time off personally. from city council I've seen struggle with this a lot as almost every council is more politely divided these days than aren't um you know city councils have no ability to take any enforcement action against a fellow council member but the things Rachel and talked about people and those are the bosses as you said. Um, however, what city have done is taking you know a
050ting for law. It's just a statement of justice. The other thing city councils have done is strip I suppose vice mayor committee assignments things like solutions though I want to make sure that we bring back anyhas I One of the things and I read the download protocol around letting you do that and you're you're right you're incredibly limited you can do so um that was part of the reason why I was saying yeah you probably don't want to waste too much time on solutions just yet because you got like one or two things you already identified especially the cure part about that one I've been frustrated with board members before as well and I carry a reminder of one of my frustrations I'm kind of like pretty serious. That was also one of the things
051that came up our conversation that why am I always so grumpy? I'm not a grumpy person grumpy in our meetings. Um here's why I'm grumpy in our meetings. And so I carry this and names board member who's no longer a board member. This is her gift that um there was another county office that has a little a local fire that's pocket size and give overview of what boards county boards do because we're probably one of the greatest mysteries along with being tri. We have a county board. Oh my god, I didn't know. Nobody knows, right? And so it was a clever little fork that folded out of. And so when our board took a look at it, we decided we should have a little clever little fold up and it's about the size of a
052business card. This is what it became. And um that required four different meetings, four different board meetings. >> Um our staff's time as we had to go back, we had one board member, and by the way, we were in the middle of our redistricting, our California voters rights redistrict areas. And so the trustee map that you see is uh we were in the middle of doing that. While we were also working on that trustee map we already knew was not going to exist. It was going to change but we had to go to four different we meetings conversations about who are the different people we should go take that to we get a bid from all the other it was just this non-stop and I finally I lost it politely. Uh and I said Lord
053is this going to increase graduation by one student >> and I was and again I got the look of being grumpy and I understood why >> I had on the suit and the tie so I was a well-dressed grumpy and um I just couldn't understand and so I we went through all that four meetings and it was irrelevant was in the first when we finally got and we each received 18 of them and I just keep I 17 I have no clue where they are. Uh, I keep that one as a reminder that all the conversations, all the work, kind of going back to where you're headed, that we volunteered for this and we said we were going to focus show up and because we was right for I have zero control over the other
054board member who decided to take us down that path and was not very happy about a lot of things that ended up happening, redistricting, all kinds of things. It was just I I don't know what to tell you. If you have if you're not focused on students then so yeah we did that and no one has graduated because of I'll just say that I don't know that we've attendance either because of >> when I think about what you just said it reminds me just in the corporate world anytime you want to do something you kind of keep going back to your mission is this going to you know you know is this going is this in the way of our mission is it going to give us the results and the goals that we said
055and if it's not then it's it's kind of a nice to have and you kind of set it aside but I think if you know as we set our goals and say is this fulfilling a specific strategic plan or does it meet our mission and I feel like that's kind of one of those things you know did it result in more students graduating no maybe education is great though educ educating our community about what we do is really important but ultimately graduation students showing up to class >> I I think sometimes Sometimes it's almost too low of a bar. Okay. Low is this conversation going to increase attendance? Oh, then it's going to increase graduation. Let's talk about it. But tough sometimes just find that forever. >> So, um, now you did a perfect segue.
056It's like we do like reading my notes. Stop that. Um, so what we'll do is we'll take the break because I got to go ahead and start pushing the button. Uh, and how long would you like to take for a break? >> When you get when you get to the room about the room >> soon as I can check it. Okay, we can meet again. So, take a little break and then we'll get started again and we are going to jump towards I can't take so much break time while I try. One of the things I love about I love this thing here where he says the board is committed to a common vision. What I'd love to your favor. Don't let your neighbor see it. Hide it just like you did in second grade.
057Two sentences or less. What is the mission? Don't say it out loud. >> The mission for a common vision. I'd love to know what your common vision is. Two sentences or less. Don't let anyone else see you as you write. Whatever that vision, I should I should answer that part. I should have just said yes. sources. You're still writing This is the right. >> All right. So again, not to me, but to each other. I'd love for whoever wants to go first to go first and just read it to each other. Start line but supports and supportity of all learners in San Francisco. I'll um it's not a clean version, but I will add I really love what you had to say, but I would also add um that um it is our Our mission
058vision to as a board to ensure fiscal stability so that we can provide an environment a learning environment uh an environment of individual learning so that every student finds their own success. >> Mine is not really mission vision language more like task or responsibility. So it really needs to go to the next level up but I put educational services students across the county and see programs provide support and guidance to 10 school districts in Santa Cruz County and serve as arbittor and transferable I was two sentences. So it's pretty simple and not but the common vision of the board is to help students succeed in classing positive change. >> Um the common vision of the board is to help students succeed and make lasting positive change within our community and our county education. I think
059I got to ensure that policies connect what it is you're trying to change and your mission is how you're going to do it. So what do you hear about how you just do each other? What do you hear about how you expected to do it? Because this may go back a little bit into the conversation aboutility, but it's also making sure that there's clarity around what everybody thinks of that term. So what are you guys hearing from each other one of the ones I said was ensure fiscal responsibil you know um stability because without our fiscal responsibility can't do a lot of the work that we want to do. So that was just a piece of what I said that was the how to >> think we have encompassed or supporting excellent services because you
060can't have excellent services over time is that Um superintendent overview to the extent that >> we accept rejected our young people like well wait a minute actually we're kind of pushing that and then also thing that we're doing I think I don't have perspective on how it is counties or states but we are making the educational system a system with our wellness center with our recognizing school has their families and not just students getting And to me as a support system community is emerging. It's one of the few things where growth necessarily education improve what I see how life education enhances. So to me there's that sort of like It's another level beyond that for the students. Well, for all students in a sense of learning how to live together and make work and our
061school system, our education help in terms of the level where we operate >> and I think sometimes we um it's just like a lot of the community we don't all understand or community doesn't all understand what districts do versus what county boards of education do. Um And likewise, like what the county office of education does and what we as a board are responsible for. And I see if we're talking just um the county board of education, I think it is one of our responsibilities to elevate the work that um the COE does, making sure that the community understands and knows what it is. Um, and I don't know how you would put that into words of a mission, but at this moment, but I think that that is a key part of it because there
062isn't a whole lot that we have as a direct responsibility of coming board of education. But I think that that's a pretty important one um that the community understands what we do and why we do it and all of the programs that the CE offers and to the community as a county as a whole. >> Did you hear me? restate the question because I think I got confused of which which answer the fact that you as I was saying ask this group what they what are they what I was saying was that the mission and working on the next two questions so I've already lost it >> that was correct I think that was what the mission what our mission right based on what we did. We hear about how we're your wrote down to
063tell you if I were judging judging as a winner. It was pretty clear. It was pretty concise. I thought it was The common vision of the board is to help students succeed and make lasting positive change with our community education. >> So that's why I think about what you just made. So I think your mission is pretty clear, but the question is really about what else Oh, we are in alignment. Oh, we are. Well, there's a reason why we get a big green. >> So, whatever your aha is. >> I think we all have Dr. I think that programs that help support our students. One thing that I that I think is part of the success of our work has been our adaptation saying we know more of this specifically but that we've been thoughtful.
064So we've come to you and we've said you know we want to do a charter for adults support to you. So I think that part of that how we're getting to it. It's almost like we know that the vision is changing is changing. You know um we've done a lot more with student leadership the last few years table. So to me that's one of the things that has been most exciting about the work being nimble enough to be able to respond to changes to me that adaptability is a really important part of our mission because we excellence that is equity which seems to be such a common card of our superintendent leadership the board over and over discussing support for 100% of those who participate and >> I think a Oh, sorry. Um, I was
065just gonna say I think you hear it's sort of like an underlying message in all of all of what we're saying a little bit in that the COE is really about providing equitable education for students at and meeting them where they're at. Um, and being sort of being nimble and being agile in what the COE says, oh well, we really need to have this. and we're like, yes, you know, it meets this specific group where they're at. Let's, you know, we can support that. So maybe not called out specifically equity, but I think it's kind of that underlining sort of values that we all have that it's an important word means, you know, building new programs or students where they're at. focused less time as finance gets pulled out as an explicit duty of wonder.
066It's interesting thinking of the finance because some organizations financing becomes the grant we got to do this you know this is what we have money for we can't consider other things the actual activity meetings And I don't feel that we are not that we're breaking contracts or you know doing misusing money but we are able to keep the equity mission in front say okay the business side is going to be in service to that that's what and I admire our business department I think that given how complicated and how much some financial administrators who just insist lock it down the way they see it because that's the only way thisoration That's a view that you can't say is not valid, but it sure makes a different experience. So I think we have a businessual >>
067even if there is some financial restrictions and if they said we need this program, they're like okay so how do we make this work? You know where do we get the money from? It's not an definite no, we don't have a grant for that specifically, but how do we make that work? And I think that that comes in and I think that those particular programs that might come out is because they're trying to find programs that are equable that are meeting specific group of students. I think the CO does a really great job and I think that up until now it sounds like that the county board of education has supported all of those endeavors as we see the same the mission vision the same means to >> I was financially skeptical idea because I
068was worried about getting enough >> pretty high number to start with to make it workually We exceeded that almost immediately. So vision is correct, but still a little skepticism about >> and that is I think that's the part of the county board of education is to ask those really difficult questions >> and if I could I'm sorry if I could just a little history on that wanted successful surplus. >> Didn't we reertify the charter? Right. that came out of writing was lovely notion focused on the kids that presume under the age of majority and so students are learners but then say we're responsible for the last for all learners are students we don't have a role or all the people who educate elsewhere unless it's through collaboration and partnership. Do you have language that differentiates
069the population we directly serve that doesn't necessarily I was saying so >> Yeah. Well, I mean you use the word learners and that's actually term we use anybody looking for opportunities. You might already have a uh twoear degree. You're going to be joining our medical assistant program or maybe are learning developing literacy skills. So this idea of being expansive and also to look for those opportunities to serve. I really appreciated the way that Ash framed it. this idea of kind of thinking of it as a community and then say, "Well, these folks have it covered in this area." We just saw there's 40,000 adults in my mind, that's an opportunity, right? So, so that's the that's the kind of, you know, the way I look at that, you know, our effort. Um, it's great that
070we're graduating to 150 students with a high school diploma every year, adults, but >> you have that many. >> We have more work to do. So outrage >> and that's that's how I look at that being able to one of the things that I think you're going to appreciate this year that we're working on which I think is going to help with this work is we're going to be starting to share with you lots of infographics and kind of overarching data about three areas the need of our community which would be people who don't have a high school diploma. There's there's imagine that the services what are we doing about it? So we're CAC is doing this possibility of adding um test the test students and then results. So need services results. How many people
071are we actually graduating? You're going to see that in all our because I think that is going to help us be able to identify new opportunities >> and then at some point outreach to get information out to those 40,000 individuals that don't have their high school diploma and saying look you've got all of these avenues and that can be a big undertaking. that that is that could be a big role for the the board to have in their individual areas when I'm speaking. So, so one of the things that are in my superintendent report, which I think will help me on identifying those priorities, is to give you ongoing data to an off basis that will make it easier for you to also do it on basis. Say we haven't looked at how many have
072we made have we made a dent in the 40,000. Yeah, we're thousand of them with degrees this year, you know. So, well, let's do more, you know, or whatever. Whatever. I gota throw something out because again you guys were all education and I I really appreciate how giving education to adults. I'm wondering if having adults als because so I think you're asking if if our CAC program allows us to provide the program for free and the answer is absolutely but we do have certain parts of our programs that are not current which is medical assisting program. It's free for some people if they qualify for certain grants. It is one that does require people to trying to expand that. So, um I I think I would agree Ash that we want love to make it
073so that all our programs are are free for all students, but we're not worth mentioning a lot of publication strong so much increases our society's capabil so much money aspect of this imbalance so I'm was a huge step. I remember when those began to come in on a large scale California for a lot of people that go from high school to four college community college and 45,000 college isn't free in California. So the question conversation, I hate to interrupt them, but the question that you were already starting to answer was, and I'm going to steal this one straight out of the handbook. If you haven't seen it, I'll be autographing coffee. I may have had something to do with it. Uh, but the uh I aligned it a couple weeks ago. So you're I'm gonna
074admit you're guinea pigs. I mean, you're beta beta test. Um I did some sat down with with chat and did some work on seeing if I could align the workbook with the board self evaluation and it claimed a few places and I feel brilliant. Um so actually means that I paid attention in class. Uh so the question I was going to ask you is on page 16 the first two questions and our board we also this one of our recent board meetings and I love the fact that we bogged down on these questions and it wasn't thing. It was literally an opportunity clarity for us that Whoops. You don't have as much clarity as I thought. So, if you would have checked with us and I did mention it, I think that if we had
075to write ours down, and that's by the way, why I had you write yours down because I thought if we had secretly written ours down before we asked the question, I guarantee you we would have come up with seven different answers. And I think that's that's not bad. It's just important that it really fine. Let's have that conversation. So, the question I wanted you to talk you're starting to head down that path. What metrics or indicators do you regularly review to help understand whether your CO mission or you just feeling good about life? Because I I'm feeling good about life for BCE. I will tell you because I already said it on an open meeting. Um I think our staff has done an absolutely phenomenal job down the correct path. The board has never set
076that direction. We're guilty of not having done our job. We're the ones who's supposed to set the direction and staff at that way. I've never complained and never said anything because wow everything's in alignment. We are the staff does have us doing the right work. We are looking the right way. I'm good. Um but I was also trying to figure out one bite at a time and our board wasn't ready to understand the full meal. Not going to understand that that's silver. Yeah, that's what you use. So what metrics are indicators do you help you understand what you're actually there? I think you guys are just interesting question from the standpoint of our official like we get a lot of metrics from the LC all the reports that gets so and I always look at
077those I look for the the column that has didn't do it you know kind of count them up and see how we do and but our role in that is very proform essentially well we could vote it down and send it back to redo it but no so it's primarily we get those we see those numbers and so on and so we get okay we have a sense of what's they're telling us that we're doing a little bit better in LA this year but still down. So I don't feel like we get metrics that would affect our decision making other words like oh my gosh that's okay I know that we change to this you know either about the budget or about the programs we don't we don't get involved so that it's kind of
078a performance that's what I have a role It's not a decision. By the way, that reminds me about the meeting time. One of the hard reason we don't have decisions that people care about that we were going to decide what that was not part of our ongoing expedition. And I don't mean that as so I kind of feel like I'm not sure about how I even know how we're doing here except that we basically feel good about it. We have competent staff who are reporting to us and you know seemingly the outside world is confirming what they're telling us. you know, um, so I kind I don't have a very intuitive oppos the reports that we get um are informative. It's usually student success or if there's, you know, um, you know, a charter renewal,
079especially the ones that we manage, we get a lot of information. Um, but I think our The staff is really good at if we're not seeing something and we have a question, they're very responsive. So, we I think we've at least in the time that I've been here felt comfortable with the reporting that comes to us rather than us having to because it's so um um inclusive. Um but also if it's, you know, we feel like, oh, well, what about this? They're like they'll either have the information right away or they're like, I can get that to you. Um so, they're very responsive and it's it's helpful. Um, I'm very much a sort of like a dashboard kind of person. So, I know that when the annual reports come in, like I'm all over it.
080Like I want to see what happened yearover-year, like side by side because it really gives us that trend line of how we're doing. And even with the state ones that we get, the dashboards, I have to go flip back and forth like that to kind of see how we're doing and that can be a little frustrating. Um, that would be something that I'd love to see, you know, just kind of those year over year. This is, you know, we're doing especially with like AC, which is a relatively new program. It's like, okay, this is how we're doing and it's hard to get a trend for only a few years. But, um, I think that that's one thing if we had to look at it, maybe some of those kinds of trends would be nice, but
081our staff is so responsive that I think that we just kind of take their their, you know, their lead, their expertise. All the reports that come up budget or the state mandated reporting give us a lot of that information. Looking at what Rachel said, if there's any one common theme I've asked repeatedly at staff, it's well, this policy or this report, what's different than last year? And that's what I wanted I teed up, what's different than last year? What's most important? How is this year's budget going to be different from last year's in terms of ways that affect the world? Not just cost of living increases. That doesn't changes the world for our staff, but it doesn't change the communities we serve and the equity we're trying to drive. Our programs growing services actually want
082you. >> Well, I have that need to jump in the and more. So, >> now we'd love to have you share. >> Well, actually, I had more on the previous one, but um >> come back to that as well because and here's why I say that. >> One of the things that I think is important is the fact that you have different lens that you said you were like you had some haven't experienced it yet. And that's a wonderful perspective to bring into this conversation where some of the seasoned folks been hanging out for too long and we know some stuff and we kind of forget a lot of things as well. So your fresh perspective is really important in this conversation. >> Don't have any to the metrics because you literally expanded upon every
083idea I had. But back to like the mission conversation, there was one piece that I would have added to and it leads to um Ferris's term of learners and I feel feel like mission beyond the learners we directly serve is the learners in the community like the teachers and the administrators and the community to Bruce's point like I'm think all the professional development that's provided all of the resolutions we provide that districts can then use um the community based events like the mask you wear and other presentations outreach um so I think learners think about it as a community level we or parent learners, teacher learners, community members want to be involved or knowledgeable about the community or the education system. So I would just broaden that perspective a little bit. >> Also I would
084say I was I was recently just regular account. I came across the term scholar. >> What is it about that you like drew your attention to it? I like the word because of teachers. that down. So, um I was doing a training a couple weeks ago with folks from community colleges leadership wheat and somewhere in the we were having a conversation and someone said they changed the name. It was near the end of our time together. They said that they changed the way they see their clients and started calling them neighbors. And they said the word had an amazing impact the meetings how they started about how we solve a problem for them. Look at people very differently when I'm talking about my neighbor when I'm talking about my client. And and because I have
085made some joke about my neighbors from the south, my neighbors from like the south is in Georgia. Still my neighbors neighbors in a different state and we're talking about that thing how we visualize people. Um and so a lot of changes happen in a lot of places where folks are doing some amazing things. Um I don't know if I asked you guys this last year but is a school in California. It's a middle school that is ranked in the top 10 most innovative schools the globe. So, what I'd love for you to do, we're going to do a little Jeopardy round quickly. Uh, and in your team of three, your team of two, your team of two, I'm going to give you 30 seconds. And what I'd like you to do is just come have
086a conversation and decide which part of California do you think this middle school is that is in the top 10 most innovative schools in the planet around the globe. Which part of California do you think they come from? So, you and your partner have 30 seconds. No cheating and using AI. Just have a quick conversation. Where do you think they come from? I don't know why. I feel like I read something. Yes. >> Yeah. That area central. lock in your answers. >> Here we go. >> Answers are lock in and uh we'll start to my left. So, what part of the California would >> you think of Southern California not a big district like in from San Diego? >> Okay. >> We we did not come with a conclusion. We had two different perspectives. Um
087Ashes was more of like wealthier and I was thinking innovation. You have to be innovative when you have less. So I was thinking more rural um a rural area. So I'm just gonna I'm from my perspective I'm just going to say Northern California kind of rural remote area. >> You're going with >> not that great geography. Um, >> you just had a wealthier. Um, wealthier as in think Netherlands kind of thing is where my mind went because whenever I see these like innovative things for like helping the environment and that kind of stuff, I think of like oh the Netherlands or those people are doing a lot to advance the innovative probably not even opportunity the central. >> Congratulations. You're all wrong. It is the school is Davis Middle School, Compton, California. >> Correct. Compton
088is its own. So Compton Unified School District and reason why I brought that up scholar that was one of the first things that Mai Ali who was their board president forever been around I love Mai and Kai's unapologetic about the fact that you're going to change the way our students see themselves we have to change the way we see he really started pushing hard on the notion they're scholars and we're going to start treating them like that and then they changed some other things but that was part of so kind that however we see people is how we tend to treat them. So, and I've asked that question, by the way, uh for the last year and a half, probably 15 different settings. Uh, one setting was about 600 people and only one person in
089the room got it because I actually mentioned Davis Middle School was the school and the lady had gone to school. So, she was probably competent. She was being she was just joking and congratul the only one that's gotten right so far today. She's like what? Asking her about it. She's like, "Well, I went to school when I knew the name of the school." And oh my goodness. And she was like proud but embarrassed because it's that the adults in the room have to also start changing the way we see things. Otherwise, how do we expect our students to see? >> Well, I'm curious as well. what exactly how why that school was designated as most >> I don't know a lot about the details around it but um there was a competition that they was
090written up about it I found out because I was reading something and learned that link and it led to another link which led to ABC News >> I was gonna say I think I remember seeing a video on it now that you're talking about it Um I think I did see um some kind of like reporting on it and the programs that they had initiated. >> Mai also, you know, sent him a message. Hey, nice job. Says, "Yeah, this is part of our conversation." He kind of explained a few things about it. >> Know Darren Broly. He's on the PMA board meal a little bit. So I'm gonna see him on Wednesday. Tell him that my boss says tell me about >> Compton is doing some stuff. I mean they are really clear about uh
091if we want to uh if our students can participate in this economy then we need to have them prepared because everything's moving towards computer science computer and so they started sending more their students to STEM programs and so yeah you should talk to Darren about some of the things they're doing um and it is what I tell folks all the time I'm going to tell them now I know three boards that are perfectly aligned uh two of them are That's a that's a relationship. When you look at the work that the superintendent is doing and the relationship they have with the board, he's one of the superintendent been around for a number of years. I want to say 10 somewhere around that area. And yeah, and in terms of superintendency, you're hitting double digits. You're
092doing something. Congratulations. Right. And then another one is concern valley um where they're they couldn't be more opposite but they are super small district down in the Imperial Valley area happy valley Imperial and u they routinely population everybody has got declining enrollment theirs is continuous declining and they are in the desert and they in the middle of nothing climbing environ Peter Livingston is their superintendent and they when you hear their board talk you might as well hear the superintendent you're hearing this is amazing alignment and politically they could be more opposite geographically uh demographic everything about it and they are both doing some amazing things. I would imagine that if they were to do the self evaluation, they're they will almost score as high as you guys wouldn't be. They'd have like one red or
093something. They're not like you guys. So, um let me go on. But I think the best for me is that a lot of people don't realize, but the reason why your conversation you're having right now is so important uh because I'm about to get to the next one that I think is really reason why we be talking about this, but boards or governance is the second has the second highest impact on student success. And so there's research now that's starting to come out says that and that it's most most effective in the areas with the highest need. And so but that part of the need is alignment between how we see our work and how we label our student scholar neighbor versus our client all and so we're I thought you brought it up earlier
094Rachel you were talking a little bit about elevating the mission which as you're talking about the metrics that you look at the second question on here on page 16 perfect as a trustee how do you see your role County Office's mission to serve every student that no matter the zip code background or circumstance. So, how how do you know >> I think being out in the community >> these folks here talking >> y'all got to do this. >> We all have to be out in the community and um and it's conversation I think we had I had with um the VP our VP Lson and um and Superintendent Sabah is I really want us as as trustees to really get out in the community, not just to show up for the social events, but to
095really go out and educate our community about who we are, what we do, um why we do it. Um and maybe the empty seats that we have in the gallery or online will start filling with people wanting to see not just because there's a controversy, but because they want to see all the great things that are happening in our county um across a wide student body. Um, and so I really would love, one of the things I talked about was is trying to get some kind of program together, whether it's a, you know, a packet, not not like not like not like the little Bible that you have. >> Please, you got one. I know some people >> but I really want to talk, you know, have the conversation with people in our community about
096who we are, what we do, our our c co um but I think it's really just getting out in the community and being being seen and letting them know we care regardless whether it's our district or not just I think doing that my first year and I've had to come up with my own script for what I do and one or speaking to a group and I love when brought it up last trying to get something so we all have common weed every preview coming agenda and some topic highlighted. So that board meeting is gonna be looking at a report on such and such about education and then also we are all handed the three bullet points about what that topic is so that when we're out school boards or community events or so on
097we've got our talking points ready for us for that month and you know some of our meetings I don't know what we highlight you know because the nature of what comes to us in our meetings Just something where actually we're on a publicity campaign about the education system of this county and how the county office of education and the county board are promoting it and highlighting it so that people know what going on know what the opportunities are forage. >> That was the conversation part conversation I had with Nick after the last boarding board meeting was you know and not maybe not starting from scratch because I'm sure he's got lots of great that he's already had together and hopefully not reinventing the wheel, but definitely having um using our social media for highlighting those
098kinds of things, getting people excited. Even if it's just say, "Hey, we're going to have a presentation on CAC or our one of our student clubs and make sure you tune in that moment." It's it's it's okay. But >> yeah, there's there's so much I think that when we're talking about the community so often we're talking about adults and I think it's also really important to find a way to give this to students because I think no pretty much no students know about letting people know about this stuff and I don't personally know how it's out there. that kind of how would you get do that students need like maybe a school clubs? Um I mean I think I well first I would say I don't know we have some kind of like um line
099we need to be careful that we're not going out and recruiting students for this you know programs but I like your idea about how do we reach the students rights are cool >> and that's kind of where I got idea, but then I got forgot about it. Um, but I think honestly I would be very interested in speak one of your guys. talk about the board. So, I think I would be interested about um and I haven't reached out to the principles to find out if it's possible or not, but tableing and doing like a get out at the two high schools area and but be there and then you know be to pre-register them, but also then introduce myself and kind of awareness maybe with another elected alongside or just I don't know if
100I'm to do that. I'm not sure I have some outreach to do to find out, but I felt the same way like I need to be on a campus so people know who I am or it gives me opportunity to hear from them. I think it was probably 2016 I remember my elementary school had it was really fun. We got to go to the cafeteria all made up like a little different. I felt like it was a lot of fun. So I think that students reminds me of mayor of Santa Cruz. I were going through a process of planning next phase of improvement of city parks and recreation facilities and I thought okay I want to talk to kids. So I made the the office made arrangements for me to go to about four different
101local schools in the city and just they just convened students. I didn't really have a lot of control over which students. So some of them the school picked all their honor students. Another one it was just anybody who wanted to come and I just said hey I'm on city government and I want to know what do you want the parks got great answers the kids felt recognized and you know heard and and I actually got some things worked with the parks department that improved some opportunities. remember the details. That was that was really fun too. So maybe there's even ways that you know again I think the point is we want to be careful we want to step into the local school district or staff roles and so but one of the things that that
102I was thinking of when Ashley was talking if we want to find a way to get them understanding about the education system how our board does so and promote more awareness of opportunities um there's a real difference in memory between what came to us from the administration like the weekly bulletin from the principal versus what we learned from our fellow students or from just more direct experience. So that part of our communication if we want to improve it students have got to be directed through communication systems and so on otherwise it just has a different tone to it depending on how they're giving I don't have it. You should check it out. How do we get more student voice? I think that's really important for us to be able because we represent not just the
103adults. It's not just the non student adults, but we represent everybody whether they're voting age or not. However, try to always be respectful of the principal, their boss, the superintendent on the job saying and when I talk to another superintendent on that because let know just to be respectful and because I'm superintendent. Well, if I'm going to visit another board, I do that as my peers and that's almost between me and them where I've gone a little more recently and it doesn't join PTA. equivalent those are approval to do it. How do I respectful principle that superintendent superintendent staff visiting the park? Harvey West Harvey West never city manager show up my staff even though we think we're nice approachable not coming our people that's not how I appreciate that. I appreciate the comments. I
104also think there's different purposes of it. One is to students or community members. Another purpose here is getting another one is for you to see what's happening your awareness might be similar to the first one but I think that being clear as to what the purpose isum And I think yeah once once we that's defined how you know you know we can look atation protocols or whatot. I also feel like we can I me and the C can do a better job in providing you data also inform you about can help inform you about where the priorities shoot. >> So you're and you're thinking, "Wow, you know, our alternative education sites are increasing in enrollment." That might be there may be some interest for you to find out, you know, what districts are doing with
105their alternative education programs, right? Also, you may methodology members to be asking me to do some stuff to do. You ask me situation especially when concerns are brought to you from community members. report back to us. Uh it could be you engaging with other board members as you describe. It could be you going to certain activities and so on. So approach again defining what it is and then it could be the conclusion of that could be can we look at the possibility of a new program or there's like maybe superintendent have a conversation about changing a practice mean people really don't know this great opportunity or this great program what can you do to increase that awareness right so so I'm just I'm kind of listening to these different um ideas and different purposes and
106also different possibilities where it can go find those things and we can do a better job in providing you with data. Um, and I do think that your role as county board members for the most part is to support county office education program. So I want to make sure that you feel like you have the information that you need to understand about our mission as CE. So like my role let's say let's say if you were to get into the position of saying hey you want to get more involved in financial solveny I would say actually that's my role I'm happy to share any information this there's no secrets here but that really is not your and but if you were to say can we look at how we prioritize we seem to have been
107doing this program seem to be very effective the data that we're looking at is there another way of doing this or maybe we can shift resources somewhere else conversation where we figure out how to guide to make sure that we're in askitional questions, get more information that's all because And so that's not just our corrections. Gateway people are experiencing education some experiencing private and public I'm trying to understand that So I can be just >> I appreciate the timeliness of this conversation because I've been invited to address the SoCal um school board and um so the idea of alignment and talking points and priorities is I haven't even started my talking points yet but if you both have talking points that we are developing so that we're all on message that would be really or
108priorities or if you know there are issues as to help they just threw out a general invitation after I met with Amanda. Um, so it's really like they want to hear what's your role, what what do you guys do over there, you know? So it's very they're not expecting anything specific. And so um I in a few weeks help provide information. >> Yeah, that was that was one of that was one of the things why I brought it up was um at our agenda meeting was to come up with something that is uniform that we're all saying the same thing. we're all on the same page. We have the same message. Um, and then of course, you know, there's certain things they're going to say, why did you get into it that we can't script
109for you, but you know, but the message about who the board is, what we do, what our priorities are, the CE in action with the districts, how we defer, that sort of thing, those being on the same page is really helpful. And I know um Nick already started like kind of putting pieces together for us, so I'm not how that will come together. But I know that you said I have some things already that we can kind of piece together for you guys. >> I'm not even sure. >> I'll email you then. That'd be great. I can be the test subject. And I think the idea was is that that's great that you know going into like a school district that you're that's under like sort of your district area, but for other board members
110to go as well. they can see, okay, well, let's do a learning after, you know, doing kind of thing. Like, what have we learned from that? What do we need to change? Because then they might want to go into their district schools and that sort of thing and kind of just learn. I roll myself down, but I think as a student trust way as going to school because it's feel like I'm taking not a bit less seriously because I'm child teenager adolescent um and so I think it might go especially students. Um, and then I wrote down that. And then, um, what I would be interested in doing is like popping into clubs or like where I talk about the programs that the COE has for mental health, educational programs, leadership programs, uh, substance people
111like struggle with substance issues. And then also I really want to inform people about IEPs and 54 plans because I think so many students struggle and they don't realize that they can't get or plan and all they have to do is kind of like ask their slash demand it from their county sort of and that could really help them tell them their rights about that and then also like educational student rights plus rights acts like telling people about what the board is and then uh we were talking about voting. So I think it be interesting to do like signing up to vote like for the older students and then I don't know if we're doing any driver's ed about but we could do some education about what it is to get started for drivers like
112sort of programs things and then also like a voting sort of like things that are going to be talked about on the board or just kind of like a data a survey data thing where it's like asking people what is it that I do think that current context that we find ourselves in society and concerns we have about government. I think that your message today and board members advocating for public education but also um being a unifying voice in these tough times. I think that knowing that there are elected people who are standing up for students, community members. We see schools not all places I like that whole moving away from learners because we don't just provide learning activity support. So I think that positive messaging about what standed right now. People are We we
113need to be in community as we face these tough times. So I think that this is this effort is >> I think definitely with ice because I know ICE protocol type thing is going out to teachers and parents but I don't think I mean as far as I know told students about the ice protocol about like how safe on campus that kind of stuff I think it's very important for the students to know that as well that kind of I don't know if that's happening. I know a lot of your rights card, but I also know that we develop I'm not sure the full details of the plan because outright talked to me about it, but I think that's also concern attacks on the DBI side and people are very concerned about the impact of
114the schools and they don't know what was talking about those are like really worrying a lot of people right now and people are already being hurt by the cuts. So to to be to let people know that our county is doing our best to cope on the budget side and doing our best to protect our students and families from these that would be good. people would feel better knowing that some of us are not caving, not giving up, not you know going along with I worry sometimes that if we get too prominent about how we're resisting and fighting back that they'll make us a target and I don't want to be Trump's target. I'm sorry. That could be very I don't want to get their attention but at the same time I think our should
115know we are you know part of it some context but >> let me see if I can add some context you describe because I do want to have lunch break at 12 o'clock um and you're kind of talking about a keynote that I'm preparing in a couple weeks to to deliver uh and there's this interesting statement around notion of that statement up top our ability as a growing society to collectively solve challenges. Um that there's this belief that we're falling apart. It seems our ability to solve problems and it's not the end of civilization is the zombie apocalypse, right? It's just our ability to pull together and figure out, hey, we got some problems. Can we get together and come up with solutions to the problems? Uh and so some of this is is when
116we start to look at that, the public is incredibly pessimistic as a shot at this. Um and So researchers started looking at this stuff back in they started asking the country back in do you believe we're headed in the right direction as a country and up until 2004 it always scored higher than 50%. 2004 was when it started to drop at the same time that opioid and drug and alcohol addiction started to climb was this interesting thing and it was also about the time that we had automation start to take over. This is pre AI but automation and I like to describe it as my grandfather was that guy who picked up his giant lunch bell with his giant tools every day and he went to go turn big wrenches work that he did. Um
117my granddaughter now could do the same work but it doesn't have to do anything with her big giant muscles or anything else is because of the automation that we designed. So kind of where AI is doing a lot of things. So we have this widening all these gaps that we talk about folks who have pessimism and the country's going downhill and it this notion of is the country going in the right direction bottomed out January when we had the quiet protest capital that was when it hit a low of about 12%. And it hasn't bounced back up very high in the 30s. Now here's what's interesting about Look at that. This stuff for a second. People are worried that the country's political leaders are not up to the challenges of solving problems. And this is
118research from 2019. These numbers have changed. Remember very worried, 39% not too worried, 2% not worried at all. the rest of us got concerns and I would imagine those numbers have changed since 2019. So what's interesting about this for me is we don't have belief. It's understandable when you look at what goes on national conversation and all of the things that are happening that we would be worried about our ability to solve a problem. Um so what they started asking was so who's going to fix it? Take a look at who's supposed to fix it. >> You think about that science, technology. Yay. But about the fact that we still fight with science and depends on who your science is. Um and then it says public K12 schools and colleges. We're the ones who going
119to fix it. >> Yeah. And the bad news is that 77% were not up to it. So yeah, we got some work to do as you're describing all these things. I'm just smiling because again, you guys keep stealing on my notes. Oh, you're so ahead of me. I'm not even going to give you this keynote. Uh but it's interesting all these expects to just get worse. And you and I often say, you know, when I thank people for stepping in to do this job, whether you volunteer or paid or whatever, you're still here for the same reason. Uh I think this is conversation that we really need to share with folks. Um and this notion of what we are here, we're trying to do and what that looks like. Uh, and I think about um,
120so when you were talking about going to other places, a I hope you do have a collective protocol for what that looks like when you're visiting other districts because yes, you can't walk in and someone not see your or you're the board person. It's automatic. I don't care why you're here, you're the board person. And so when I think about that and then notion of going to speak to folks and I'm not just talking about my schools, I'm talking about public education and You know, I got invited to speak at the Orville Exchange Club a while ago and I walk in and my they found me on LinkedIn and my LinkedIn profile talks about my I'm the chair for the advisory commission of charter schools. Want to report to the state board? We go to
121the meeting go, "Yep, we got we got an argument here. You should go see the state board." No argument. See you later. And we have that thing. Um and so it says on there and they invited me into the meeting to the Orville Exchange Club. apparently not realizing I'm from Orville. I'm one of them. And they said, "We're so glad to have you here." The guy who greeted me in about half an hour early so I could set up my uh laptop and get everything ready to go. And the gentleman who met me said, "I'm so glad you're here because public education isn't going to hell in a hand basket and we need those charters." I just kind of smiled and just look I don't think this conversation is going to be what you expect.
122And we set everything We had a good conversation. Everybody comes in and the principal from one of the high schools by alma mater, he came in and I looked at him and smiled and and as we started talking, he he knew where I was. And I looked at him and said, "So, are you guys going to hold graduations?" Because it was month of May. Said, "So, I just need to know, are you holding graduations at the end of the month, like three, four weeks got graduations happening?" He just smiled. Yep. Sure do. graduating over 200 on the nose. I said good because we got I said I got 17 graduation ceremonies I'm going to in the next few and there are and I started naming off the programs. I said so only three of those
123programs are charters this here's the deal education is we've got a lot more work to do but public education is doing fine and there's and then I have my conversation with them. So it wasn't just an opportunity to advocate for our county programs it was the opportunity to advocate for public education that we're doing what we can and trying to be better because the world really does want us to solve a problem. And so what I'm hearing I'm hearing the same things and how do we do that consistent messages, talking points, how do we make sure that we can also gather input from the public because the public wanders in at the board meetings and they get that two minute or three minute window whatever you give them and often times they don't feel like
124they've been heard and so um This was one of the other places where I stopped calling my constituents. They're my neighbors because these are the folks who voted for me. They probably knew me because I coached their kid in fill in the blank or their kid had me for some and they know my kids and hello my wife taught you. Okay, got let's give them the vote. Give them the job. So my name if I look at them differently like that is a very different conversation. And so all of the things that you're talking about I figure is it is part of your work. You get to develop some of these talking points that looks like and it is an opportunity to educate the public. So last thoughts before we break for lunch. >> Um
125I think when we were talking about cutbacks I think something I would like to do is go to the students and be like what do you need like what do we need to keep providing to you? And then for cutbacks, what would you be okay with cutting? Like I think it should be up to the students are okay without you know and then also uh I think for speakers not being heard uh we talked about this in the trusty academy thing and it's you can't necessarily get into a conversation with them. You have to like acknowledge it because of the brown act. You can't like bring up stuff that wasn't introduced and like put out there that you can talk about. So I think it being important to like have sort of a reminder we
126are taking into consideration what you are saying but we can't necessarily right now because violation >> public comment to engage in that conversation about something >> I was also just as really like this idea of scholar. So I'd like to maybe after the after lunch we can see if that is something that you'd like to see when we look at learner and I think Romans like some speaker referred to as students and scholars. I thought but voice saying it from another school that is trying to overcome the impacts of culture makes me more comfortable embracing scholar as part of the visuals but I start off >> so we want to broaden And there isn't a good translation. >> There's not a good translation into Spanish. >> I kind of thought about it sort of in
127the same way kind of like in an overreach, but I like the the connotation of it's about being a lifelong learner. Um, from, you know, our prek all the way through adult learners, you know, um, and continuing learners. So, I I like the idea of like that >> that um that lifelong learner um position. I'm still warming up to the scholar kind of thing, but but I love the mentality that it can give a student, an individual like yeah, I am like that's who I am. I'm a scholar. I'm a lifelong learner. So, >> for me, the population at Christmas >> scholars and families at Christmas reframe it. So let's embrace >> I also Great. Fine. Now we're stretching it to something new. It's all your fault, Dash. All right. So, uh, what I would
128love to do is say let's take a little break for food. Um, we only have about another hour, maybe hour conversation. So, don't rush your lunch. Taste it. Take your time, right? And then we'll get started whenever you are ready to get started again. And so, Who was it by two? >> Well, actually my daughter's game changed so closer to one >> moved up an hour. >> I can go. >> I'll do my best to be done at 105. Give you like five minutes of the gift of time. The rest of you get like a full gift of an hour anyhow like me. So, uh, gather food and then we'll disarm or in case anyone can see a sporting event or something for a couple. Okay. So, um I wanted to take it into this
129notion where you really spent a lot of your time >> and that's your community leadership. back of your I'm sure this yes page five of your doctor's report question number 51 relationship should just take a few minutes and have that conversation about what's going on because you've been starting to identify some things about that as much as you're talking about the community being out there and veling this notion of how you elevate the mission. Thought you might take a couple minutes and talk about protocol. What should the protocol look like? And again, I don't expect you to fully solve it right now. Um, but I think it's a conversation starting at least. >> Um, I would say I I don't recall us having a specific written out protocol. I kind of just know that a
130known coming in and talking with people that you just don't show up to a school. you go through the um county office and usually through Ferris's office that you want to go visit a location. Um I think that there are several of us that know um trustees in the districts and so we kind of feel like we have a good relationship and at least an understanding of how we defer. I I I'll be honest, I probably was one of the ones that said often um because I don't I haven't made it a point to go to I attend like district meetings like either virtually or in person but to go to each of the individual schools or each individual the district meetings. Um and uh so I think it would be important if we had
131like that protocol so that anybody knew coming in understood well what happens if uh you know a community member asked me about what's happening at the district level or what if they invite me to come speak what do I say um do I talk to Ferris first do I blah blah blah um what tools do I use and so I think it would be important for us to have a written protocol so not just for us but for anybody coming in um after us is the that there is a a common agreement and understanding of what that looks like. >> I have felt envious of Greg coming in who has been much more than I have going around showing up. I've been trying to get myself to think about my schedule where I could go
132to push myself a little showing up and you know somebody said earlier district it's not like you're in a role, not just yourself, especially when I know as a board member and there's and there's a difference between saying I'm here as a parent, I am here as a community member versus I am here as a trustee of county board of education. So when I'm watching and people ask me, you know, if I'm at the PBUSD because that falls under um my district area, it's like I'm here as a community member because I don't have a child in the district and I'm also a county board member. So I have a different perspective. So I might when they ask questions, I might just say that I'm here as a community member listening and learning. Um, but
133as far as um like being able to go out and visit, like not everybody, we're not I'm sort of semi-retired, retired, semi-retired. Um, but I think that maybe part of what we could do and what I learned a lot from without having to go to individual schools is participating in inside education. That was so eyeopening and it gave me an opportunity to be with the community at the same time visiting schools and learning about schools around our district. So if we could make that a part and hold space in each of those classes for a trustee to um attend. I think that it's it's a measurable I mean whether you've already done it maybe you do it again because sometimes the program is a little different the community members are different. That's how I did
134it during So we didn't have any >> house had the luxury of hearing a couple of I was going inucilities of each and graduations of each Um that was part of my shares visit a school every policies on the brought it up. I think it was easier for me because I had I wasn't showing up to address an issue at PB list. We then have to keep our circumstance but just I'm here to introduce myself and learn about you say the the neighborhood concerned about that and I'm in that neighborhood calling me and I at that point um one of our previous education directors she sat at the desk for a little Angela was on the school and I happened to be talking to her. I said, "Hey, what about this?" And I suddenly began
135feeling neighbor, but I'm also I kind of backed out of it. I told the others, I don't think I'm the right person to be in their face about this question, but I did not I have right the neighbor >> that was an issue >> I think because whether we believe it or not we might have weight in that issue or they may I think that we have wait why didn't we do anything about let's you know this is not my role as county board trustee this is a district and as a member as a neighbor this is my concern but yeah some people feel like you have some kind of >> why don't you're using all your clout >> exactly so it's really important for us to understand for us to understand what that those
136those boundaries are those lines are and our role in it and you know um clearly communicating that to the people that are asking us to do more than what >> I've also conscientiously not visiting school sites out of my trustee area because I didn't have that argument other than Unless I don't have county, but I think with care enough money I think I think defining your speaking all have different roles, you know, parents, uh, students really clear what we're not parent and the community member. Be really clear. you're not speaking because I think that um even as as as you well know when you speak as an individual you don't speak on behalf of unless that has been discussed agreed upon and acted upon you know I'm here to present the resolution on behalf of
137the board because the resolution you know is so and then only in those rare cases you know as an individual trustee um and often we have to go I remember speaking city council and I made it really clear I'm not as the county superintendent of schools I'm speaking as a member of the community really clear even in that case people were unhappy that perception was that I whether you say it or not you're still bringing that weight that so I think it's it's important to be thoughtful and transparent I like the idea of having pro written out protocol we can all review agree on this is this is how and usually I think it's the surprise one time uh and I decided to that she should go to a board meeting observe something and we
138didn't we made a mistake not giving a heads up >> so here was the the CEO of of uh the county board of the county office of education in their board meeting just sitting quietly didn't say a word and it it took it's taken almost took almost a year to rebuild the trust with that superintendent they felt like we were it was just their presence was somehow and there were questions and there were issues that there was a reason why we were there but the relationship I think that's true for your role as well more transparent we can be more to clarify why I'm going to introduce myself great wonderful up there or I'm there as a community member I'm concerned about this this new acquisition and I just want you to know that I'm
139going to be there but I will not be there having that upfront conversation with the president the board or and the superintendent or or you know seems really appropriate and including me in that communication as really clear as to goes a lot like protective conversation that protect relationships. >> I was thinking when you were you talking about sort of how we how we're received um is also in social media. So when we have lots of lots of posts some of them are very divisive and we're commenting or liking you know people are if they know that you are in you know a board or trustee and they don't understand that there is a difference it's really hard to communicate I am responding as you know a community member and but I think it's just being
140aware like how do we want to handle it as county boards of trustees when there is something going on at anyone in the district and someone post and we like it you know people will go in there oh well they agree like how dare they you know they don't have the whole picture um or whatever that might be so perhaps that could be part of the protocol how >> not in everything in general but things that related to education in our districts >> well SB77 specifically calls that out so I think it works Too many. Yeah. Too many people commenting like social media sites. It's not something that we can construct. >> I don't I don't think that that's that's the intention. It's more about being aware that there's not more than, you know, a
141quorum commenting on the exact same thing. And then >> you're saying, could you repeat your statement? >> Well, I guess if there was an issue that came up on social media, I wanted to comment on I'm not sure how the boards members social media. And you mean just more >> in general? I mean I think that becomes a great issue. the CO issue. Let's say somebody either they say I hate the cottage program respond to that on social media because I guess I have an obligation to the organization. However, if it's somebody coming about development in hard west and Costco has decided to follow safe building. Just want to make sure everyone knows. >> I'm not sure there's a policy the board can unless I say as a county board of education I oppose this
142project. >> I think it also makes a difference of whether or not you have a private profile or you have profile as you know Greg Larson County Board of Education then you can't mute anybody people get to comment they and you can't regulate what goes on that just reason why most people in business don't have those because then you'd have to be aware but I don't think that we're talking about like regulating um trustees to have an opinion about anything in general we just have to be really careful I mean one be respectful of our role as county board of education not commenting on district issues. Um but also not being aware also being aware that multiple of us a quorum are not commenting similarly on the exact same thing because then that's where we
143issues beyond all nine of us could say we hate or like x nationally or internationally and it's not >> potentially I would not risk I tend to look at it first and say like anybody else >> correct the challenge if I don't have a page it's Mike politician page I'm putting wherever I go I'm wearing hating it on my page all I just my to my publica. And so now I once again it's where people get in trouble. It's because I don't like what Greg said. I block his state. Now we have problems. Whoops. Sorry Mike. You made it. Should have just put your kids picture up there and everybody went away. I want to brag about my child one more time. Oh dear god. And off they go to someplace else that's more controversial.
144That's what people are looking for. So I have been accused of being a racist. Oh, we got her name now. Fortune Margaret Fortune was former president for the California Charters Association and we co-authored it later when I was president CSA on doing better by students dashboard whether it's the African-American students and Native American students. Let's put money in that spot. We get that tide raises. Then we work on the next and the usual trolls came out. That's the most racist thing I've ever heard. I can hear my little voice in my head. Don't leave it alone. I wanted to jump back and just like let it go because there questions I wanted to ask that I realiz they're just an opportunity to just be seen but careful because I think I hear that you have
145to be very careful with trying to put it in talk about And if I suddenly lock into no matter what I say, then I've got to be mindful of space for that. Then how do I just highlight here's the other stuff going on and just not lock in you. So it's a tricky thing to do and place to be, but yes, you are wearing that hat. Um, so what I would love for you guys to do the last four minutes, give your best advice. couple clarifications >> because he's Greg's think about how long he needs to think of his four minutes by city. So go right ahead. >> Two clarifications. One is that so if on my Facebook I have a personal Facebook I have a election Facebook doesn't do anything but the only thing
146I've ever posted is our resolutions once they pass. Does that then take me into that that obligation to >> I thought if it was public and people comment on it can't block that. I tend to not be very social and so I don't take comments from anybody but my friends I just and I don't even go there except once a month. So that was my first question that secondly um if I say there's some issue and I say well I'm in the education world from an education standpoint this is a bad move because it's going to do x y or z. I think I'm allowed to say that it's not about something the board voted on polic But I'm just saying from my perspective if you allow that to happen it's going to damage >>
147right. So I the first part is really I think about your right of people to have to respond to you as a public official. Right? So if you delete somebody's comment because you don't like it and then their perception they're talking to you as a public official official then you're limiting their free speech. So that's that point of the side of not trying to limit people even if because that one time you posted something that was a resolution somebody can argue that and a reasonable person in a court may say well actually you were acting like a public official even though most of your pictures are found >> and so that's that's and so that and that and the courts have generally been siding with protecting free speech for the community to speak to you
148or to share their concerns. >> I have to accept everybody So, uh, so limiting limiting people's access or making your your your happy person could make make a claim. That doesn't mean that they would win that. On the other side though, your your free speech as I as I think was was mentioning is not liberal. I think it would be problematic for you to speak on behalf of the board when you're you're really as an individual or as an individual trustee. Um, if you you um speak as if you're representing the board and that the board believes or make the community believe the board believes this and you're their representative. Um, it's not a free speech issue. It's it's now an issue of you misrepresenting the stance of the board, speaking out of out of
149turn. And so I think uh so I think It's important to be clear that you're speaking as an individual and even if you do if you do speak as a trustee which you can't speak as a trust as an individual trustee and saying I believe you know public education is really good or whatever that's totally appropriate. I don't think there's anything that but just keep in mind um you know I would say just be really clear as to who you're speak who are you speaking as um so that makes it less difficult for a community member to interpret your role or >> Oh does that sound like my nailed it perfectly. I thought also illegal um and I think here's the reason We tell everybody be mindful because right now this closures quality relationship again
150you got the color we got the black but you got you guys love each other is what comes through in your diagnostic evaluation. So the because of that, that's the closure part of it. It's a high level of closure. That's it increases that bottom line which is what again everything you guys talked about. It's as if you knew exactly what my notes were all about is bullet number two. Remember influence outside because of this is part of your really the conversation coming out here today about being more uh clear with the community and educating and helping them understand getting all this stuff. You're going to be really good because even the conversation about the person who's missing and trying to figure out what do we do to support. I like those conversations and my thing
151is just simply to say, yeah, you're headed in the right direction. Continue to be open and intentional with these conversations like you're doing because yeah, they are challenging to do in the moment when you're having meeting, but when you have study sessions, that's really why I always tell folks study sessions just give you permission to have a little bit different conversation because there's no action involved. So, just digging through our ideas and trying to come up with a common understanding. That's how study sessions work really well and you guys are having the conversations the right direction. So I I just say there's a reason when I looked at it and I saw the results the other morning like this is going to be a fun conversation because I've been in boards where it's the opposite
152and hey those are a lot more work involved and this is I love three minutes to spare. Uh I want to turn it back over to you and say thank you for letting come hang out with you. Uh and the conversation better. So it's it's all yours however you want to land it because what I was going to say is if you would like I give you 20 seconds or less but your advice giving someone else for how you can stay focused and not off into the weeds and create challenges based on your conversation today what's your second advice you only have 20 seconds or less to give your advice to this board focused on growing it and Mindful of how you elevate the mission. Think about students as individuals as our job is. >>
153Who do you want to have go next? You get to pick who's going next. >> I would say really um protect the relationships. Relationships are kind of foundational and um let let invest in in that. So I think in the same way we don't want to be too nice because that also if it creates a situation where I really I I really appreciate you know that Ash brought up issue with Ed because in some ways we're skirting around that issue and it is a fundamentally important issue. So I think being trusting that the relationship is going to keep us safe and address issues and disagreements I think that's that's where we want to be. So, I'd say strong relationships and tough conversations is where we're at our best and uh pretty much the same thing
154that I think actually a real key for us to continue the hard part of what we're doing. So we can tell you um putting students first, keeping open communication and having respect. And I think the way we can start doing that is getting to know each other a little bit more on a one. I mean, we all have our own professional um obligations and personal obligations. And you know, sometimes these are the only times that we get to know each other. I learned a little bit more about some common people that we know. And so I think making time to get to know each other um on a personal level so that we can put those things in place and build that kind of trust >> and I think it's really important understand why So
155much value. Um, one second. Um continue the relationship building is number one for that understanding as long. Um second having policies and guidelines recognizing that we all bring different strengths and capacities to our respecting that be the capacity time you're probably express trying to come up with something new. But I will say that one of my takeaways after being appointed to the board when I went home I because nobody was here that day because I didn't know how it would go. Um no assumptions was um I just like I felt so appreciated and so respectful and respected and part of it is I think you guys my applications you knew about me and my curiosity was now I need to get to know each of them because I don't know anything about anybody else. Um
156so the relationships and the trust part and then needing to have some of those one-on- ones. I've done some but not all of them. So um so I definitely think the relationship part and then being driven to remember who our situ is and and then also the last line I'll break from curiosity and not judgement which >> yeah you kind of remind I'll I'll give my last words program this is a mark that will never leave my soul. Uh, it's hard to hate someone when you know their story. And that's um, and I always tell the kids at the end of the day, not only that, but by the end of the day, you'll know why you love them because you know their story. And their stories have kept me focused throughout my 15 years.
157And I thought I knew their stories pretty well because of my work in education prior. And now, as I've seen more and more, it's like, no, I'm locked in. I'm crystal clear. Nothing distracts me. And which gets back to that notion of who do we serve? That's always for me the most the most import conversation is who did we serve and what do they need? My job is to figure out how to go get that. That's my advocacy role. So I yeah everything you guys said. Amen. Thank you. And now madam president charge it's yours again. So I thank you for your time. >> Thank you for your time. Thank you for another wonderful second encouraging conversation and some actions to come out of it and thank everyone else for being here and we will
158adjourn at 110. >> Thank you be for organizing everything.