001[music] All righty. going to call this regular meeting of the New Britain Board of Education to order. It's November 3rd and it is 6:01 p.m. Um, can we all rise for the pledge of allegiance? >> Mr. La, if you need us, please. Amen. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> Thank you, sir. >> You're welcome. >> Miss Edwards, if you call the role. >> Please. >> President Barbara Marino >> here. >> Vice President Diana Rya >> here. >> Secretary Anthony Kane with the C. >> Y. Anthony Kang >> here. >> Miss Andy Parker >> here. >> Miss John Pina >> here. Miss Amy Kazowski >> here. Jose Rivera >> here.
002>> Miss Tina Santi right here. >> Thank you. Usually at this time we do a moment of meditation. I don't know if anybody has any the islands. >> Yes. >> Just Puerto Rican. Were you stupid? Go right ahead if you want to. >> I would just like to um in our thoughts have our former student Jacqueline Torres in our thoughts. >> And I'd also like to add to that all the other children that have been impacted by this that are in our district. >> Thank you. Um I do want to add to that too, sir. I want to thank you and all this um district staff for all that they've done to be sensitive to that situation in working with our kids and with the staff as well because many of our staff knew Jackie
003Jacqueline and her family. So I I do appreciate all the things you have done sir um and your team to put out those services and supports that are available for folks if they need it. In addition to that I also want to thank you too for and and Ryan Langanger as far as um putting out information regarding um food sources that are available to folks. I know there's a lot of concern with the whole SNAP benefit >> issue. Um, but thank you to you and your staff too for that as well to try to quell those that anxiety. Okay, public participation. No one signed up, but anyone interested in speaking to the board, going once, going twice, three times. All right, moving on to reports. Sir, superintendent report. >> Thank you, Madam President. Good evening,
004everybody. Pleasure to see everyone. Uh we have a lot of really positive news to celebrate and someformational updates. As you'll see on your advanced copy of District Dispatch, uh we continue to I believe rightfully celebrate the blue ribbon status for HALS. Um House, as I said in my my remarks there, HALS has been a good school for a very long time. It's really the the market improvement that Miss Clerken and her team have have brought about over the past few years that have really uh brought the attention of the state department of education for this award and that's actually one of the things they mentioned to me when they when they called about that. Um similarly, as you saw in some of my other emails, um it's a pleasure to recognize the fact that Small
005and Chamberlain School have joined North End for being removed from what's called turnaround status. Those that's basically the group of the of the lowest performing uh schools in the state. They had been on such um status since 2015 and 16, I believe. Again, that's a tribute to hard work by teachers, administrators, pareducators, central office. Um, that does not happen by chance. Um, it's a lot of hard work. People really being willing to question what they're doing and how they can do it just a little bit better. Um, as Ms. Marino stated, uh, there's more news today about SNAP benefits for our residents. I do just want to remind everybody who might be watching that the district offers free meals, breakfast and lunch every day that a student attends school. We wish we could expand that
006to to weekends and such for people who are in need, but unfortunately that's not possible under under the regulations, but we do offer healthy meals, breakfast and lunch every day that every student attends. I want to say thank you to uh Miss Gonzalez and Mr. Valerio and the transportation team. We continue to make small maybe even incremental you might say improvements in the transportation uh struggles we've had but it is trending in the right direction and I also do want to thank partners at first student who made some very difficult management decisions on their end to try to improve services as well. Um I do want to remind people as did uh the board president that we do have mental health services available. This is a struggling it's a time of struggle for a lot
007of different reasons whether it be food insecurity or other um challenges that we have. Please do refer to the recent communications from the district about really a a wide array of mental health services that are available. Um want to congratulate and say thanks to our athletic teams who are getting ready to kind of close out their season. Um, [clears throat] it's always a pleasure to to to join in on those activities. Uh, I had to rush here from a really great example of partnerships. So, it's an idea we've been talking about for a while. I just came from the district's first family field trip hosted by Hartford Hospital right here at the Hospital of Central Connecticut. And um the hospital staff really laid out a really nice welcome for about I would say about 40
008uh eighth graders and their families. And the point is to to show these students that there's an organization right here in New Britain that wants them to come work there with a vast um and thank you to Miss Gina Coleman who's the regional president really talking about it's not just doctors and nurses. It's all forms of really good and rewarding employment that can be had there. It was a pleasure just to give some some quick remarks. And finally, uh we'll take a quick look through [clears throat] our uh district dispatch. Thank you to uh pictured inside the first page is Mr. Ajet Kopala Krishnan who represented the commissioner. Thank you to the commissioner for continuing the blue ribbon. Thank you to the board members that were able to attend. Thank you to Representative Def Fronzo
009who attended and thank you to Senator Murphy's office who sent along a very nice certificate. Um a thank you on the next page to the mayor. I want to wish her all the best of course and thank her for her support. There's a feature story about Als um and then an introduction to Miss Alfano and her team. I I commended Mr. Figgot on the really clever calculator graphic on the right. on the right hand page. Uh 70 years of early college experience at uh New Britain High School. I just spoke about that when I spoke at the at the hospital. And I reminded the parents who didn't know already, just to remind all of us, early college experience is specific to Yukon, but last year 560 high school students got some form of college credit.
010And then it was a pleasure to recognize Miss Nina Welch, former student here, who is really doing a lot to give back to the community by by donating books. And with that, I'll wish anyone who's running for reelection tomorrow the best of luck. >> All righty. Thank you, sir. All right. Committee reports. Uh we'll start with policy. >> Uh we have one small item on the agenda on consent. Um it had to do with um if there's a donation of an item such as a bench or a tree, how uh that will be cancelled. >> Okay. Finance and transportations. >> Finance. We met last uh week. Um some of my favorite things donations and also a few purchase orders that are on the consent agenda as well. >> All right. Personnel >> and we have
011a very meeting. Uh we have two new positions on the uh consent agenda and one new job description. >> Okay. >> And curriculum. >> Um again another one item on the consent consent agenda for the uh New Britain High um ESL grammar and writing one course. >> All right. Um board reports. >> I just want to say that the house celebration was amazing. was a good um experience to be there to celebrate with the kids. They were so energetic >> that it it was I had fun with them. The band >> Yeah. >> Oh my god. I can't believe they're kids. They sang so great and performed great. So that was like the highlight for me other than my son playing high school. [laughter] >> I I second that. The kids performances were amazing. >>
012Um also the NAACP Freedom Fund dinner. Two of our staff were recognized during that dinner. Um, Alicia Hernandez Strong and Italia Crespo were both honored that night. >> Nice. >> Anyone else? Yes, ma'am. >> I went to an awful lot of trunk retreats which worked out for me for the better because my kids were able to catch up with a lot of staff that they had not seen in a while. And I was um quite impressed that we were able to uh just come together. I just to also point out I did also attend the EC Goodwin trunk or treat/ classic car show which was great because it was the morning right after the dealerto and if I thought I was candied out I definitely wasn't. Um [laughter] so a lot of fun and you
013know that um a lot of our district students actually will go on to EC good who are motivated and apply themselves and it was just wonderful seeing um kids from the school district connect that hadn't seen in a while and so I was able to attend that and and really had a good time. I just can't say enough. Also I am one of those parents that went to the um hold on I'm going to turn to it because it's actually at the back of the district dispatch the community forum. I attended the one in Ozgood Park right over here on October 22nd. I thought it was well attended. Um any place there's three or more Jesus is there. So, you know, I was happy for that. So, we had a good time and it was
014great conversation and um hoping to see what they cover next time and see what goes on. So, I don't know. >> Jumping off of that, um I did speak to Eevee, but the staff that were there were amazing. They were compassionate. They made themselves available to parents. Um they were really great. They did a great job. >> I just wanted to echo what the superintendent said about the uh EC program at high. I didn't realize you had to do it for 70 years that I'm the site coordinator at my school which is we're now our second year and every time I talk to Yukon um they one of the first things they say is you're on New Brin school board checkin high. They're a kick-ass program there. They recommend always talk to you guys. And
015one thing I always brag about in the Brand High program, you had a student last year graduating [clears throat] with 81 ECE credits. >> That student is starting as junior. So when people talk about how, you know, why would somebody want to go to BR schools? You know, the magnet schools are so much better. Look at the opportunities that we have. and you can start the the EC program is a great opportunity and for this when Yukon itself bragged how wellun our EC program is and I can't remember kind of like 280 different EC programs throughout the state and for them to consider you high as one of the best in the state that says something. >> We get a bad rap. It is. It's a It's a It's a bad rap though. It's an
016undeserved rap. >> Undeserved. Exactly. >> The only other thing I have is um senior night is coming up for football >> Friday. >> And um they are doing a food collection too as well as part of um before the game. >> Sorry, Mr. Kane. You had something? >> No, I that's what I was going to say. >> Oh, okay. >> Great minds think alike. Okay. All righty. Student reports. Hello ladies. >> Hello. Um, I'd like to share a few positives I've seen around our district recently. Um, I think our teachers consistently still have demonstrated a lot of flexibility and availability when it comes to helping students who are struggling or need to stay after school. >> Um, as for elementary school, I know you guys already mentioned the trunk or treat. My little sister went
017to that. She um, it was really good. A lot of the parents were really happy to be there. And as for middle school, house, as we mentioned, was recognized for the blue ribbon school as a blue ribbon school, sorry. And that's a really significant accomplishment I thought should be fun. Um, and like you said, high school plans to have um a senior night this Friday that's going to be honoring the football team, the band members, and the cheer team. Um, as for areas of improvement, I'm still working on gathering some more input, but we are working on having the student council at the high school. So that way we can kind of discuss and allow students to kind of voice their opinions and areas that they need we can improve on. He's been kind of
018doing that in our school. And I spoke with our principal, Mr. Pierce, and something that we thought would kind of benefit our school and that we're working on inside of our school is raising school spirit just because I think that the more connected and the more unity we can build between the students and the grade, the more positive it will be. And I think that will really help shift our kind of narrative around the whole school. And as for elementary middle school, I haven't visited them yet, but I'm definitely working on going there and kind of seeing what changes need to be made and what's already going well. Um, so kind of piggybacking off what she said about school spirit, me and a few other people have been um in coordination with Mr. Pierce thinking
019about starting a powderpuff league at our school. Um it's still very early in the works, but if we can get everything in motion and we can figure out all the logistics, we think it would be a really great way to build unity and um school spirit for the senior and the junior class and it would be a sort of a legacy thing that we could build on for the future generations. >> Nice. Nice. Thank you. >> Can I make a suggestion for school spirit that I've seen in a lot of other towns? It's a student section at home games. very common, very popular at a lot of schools, but love to see it, especially at our football games. >> Fantastic. >> Noticed that. >> Thank you both. >> Great. Thank you. >> Thank you. >>
020All right. Moving on to new business. >> Uh can I have a motion to approve the minutes from the regular meeting of October 6th? >> Second. >> Any changes, comments? Get it in one last time. Mr. Kane, your name spelled right? >> Yes. >> Okay. Mine is >> I couldn't spread. >> All right. Seeing no questions or changes. All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? Any abstensions? All right. We're all good. All right. Item B, need a motion to approve personnel transaction report. >> So move. >> Second. >> Yep. >> So it's uh my pleasure really to present the board with two very very highly qualified uh candidates for our two openings uh for assistant principal. Going to ask them both uh one at a time to come to the mic
021just to introduce themselves to you. We're going to start with Miss Tasha Bernardell. She's the candidate for the Chamberlain Elementary School assistant principalhip. Miss Bernardell is an experienced uh assistant principal. She's fluent in Spanish and notably for Chamberlain School, also fluent in American Sign Language. Welcome. >> Can I say a few words at the podium? >> Thank you. Um >> good evening. [laughter] >> Good evening everyone. Um, it is my pleasure to I don't know why I'm trying to make this up when I definitely prepared something be very honest. Um, good evening everyone. Thank you so much for this opportunity to come in front of you and um I am truly honored and grateful to be here to um join this wonderful community and it is very clear that this district is filled with dedicated
022and passionate and caring people and I just feel so lucky pending board approval to be able to be a part of it. Um, I look forward to just being here and hearing all all the things that everyone has to say and I'm just very grateful. I do have a correction in reference to my fluency in reference to ASL. I am still in the process of learning American Sign Language. My brother I my brother is part of the deaf community and so it was wonderful living in a multilingual household of Spanish speaking ASL and English. Now he is much older than me and has gone and we all know that practice makes perfection and so I look forward to hopefully being able to continue that practice at the end. >> Thank you. [applause] >> And next
023a face and name that might be familiar Mr. Mr. Salvador Escoales. [laughter] Perhaps there's still a chair over there. >> Yeah. Wait a minute. Who you? Who? Who you? [laughter] >> Hi everybody. Hi everybody. >> Yeah, really. >> Uh I mean I had something to write, but I you know I I don't know what to say at this point. I'm just kind of just overwhelmed. Uh in my little thing I had said that uh you know this I I've had homecomings. Some of you guys know I was a veteran and I'm a golf war veteran and I remember that homecoming and you know the love of my life was there waiting on the off when I got off the plane and now I have another one of my loves of my life right there. Um
024it's just an honor and a privilege. Um I want to you know just say thank you to you all. Um I never got a chance to say goodbye to all you collectively so but I'm not going anywhere really now. So it's good to come home. It's really um an honor and a pleasure to be here. I I you know I've sort of been getting more and more anxious as we get closer and closer. Um most of you know I'm a child of of of the school system. You know aunts slate in Newton High School. My children are you know Sammmyy's not here cuz she's home studying so she could work for here one day. [laughter] Our DL and high school kids. You know I went to Central. I never really left other than a little
025bit of time in the military. You know I'm a father to those kids. I'm a father to tons of students. you know, the Marino family and a bunch of others. So, it's it's an extreme pleasure to be here. And now, you know, like sort of in that military, you know, I'm happy to serve the joint chiefs of staff, right? [laughter] General of the army, lieutenant general of the army, his retire lieutenant general and [laughter] brigary general over there. Um, but just stoked to be back. I really, you know, I really, this means a lot. It was, I assure you all for the public, it was a very rigorous process. [laughter] There was a lot around. So, you know, it speaks to, you know, what we're, you know, what we want here at, you know, in
026New Britain and what we want in front of our kids. So, again, I'm honored. I'm looking forward to the work. Um, and just looking forward to just being in partnership with you all to get the work done. So, two weeks away and, you know, we'll see you soon. Okay. Thank you so much. >> Thanks a lot. [applause] [cheering] >> As as Mr. ESL indicated uh we we do take these processes uh very seriously with multiple rounds. I believe as I updated uh the board in one of my emails we had right around a 100 applicants for each of the two positions and and I take that as a very good sign. It shows that people are looking at us as as a district where where they want to serve. And I'd also like to thank
027not only the various staff but the students who participated in the in the interview process. The teachers, administrators, and parents um were all represented at various times throughout the uh the interview process. So uh both of these candidates come with my highest recommendation to the board. >> Okay. >> All right. So we have a motion and we have a second. >> I'll move reluctantly [laughter] >> and a second. >> Second. >> All right. any discussion. >> I just want to say that I've been known C most of his life [laughter] >> and used to hang out with my son and I can remember the summer I decided I was going to work every summer was the summer that they all spent at my house in and out running playing [laughter] I'd rather be at work
028than to be here. cuz I got a babysitter who worked and they were there. But I just want to say that I know how dedicated he is and I know how he's invested in Britain and I think that he's going to do a wonderful job. >> I got to know S when I used to be his daughter's teacher at St. Mary's and I got to know him very well then. Um was he was actually a very active parent there. And then when he got elected, people were like, "Oh, well, you're going to be s, you know, well, you be sitting next to S. He's a he's a Democrat. He's a union person." And and I sit next to him. I love sitting next to Sal. I mean, [laughter] he was like a buddy almost. So,
029I was very sad when I heard you were going, >> but you're going to be greater than high. >> Yes, sir. >> Congratulations to both of you. Um, I would like to point out, I think it's entirely appropriate and closes the circle that it sounds like Sal's last day in Manchester is the same day we go up to Manchester with the football TEAM [laughter] on without any feelings. >> I will stand there [laughter] >> with both shirts on >> with both straddling that line. Yeah, right. >> I'll wear yellow sneakers, [laughter] but I wear it too. And I got to applaud the new assistant principal. The fact that she is learning sign language um at my school we had uh one of the first uh people became get sealed by literacy in ASL. >> So
030I would love to see eventually an hype person and that's a challenge that we get an hype person someday get sealed by literacy in ASL. I can see it becoming a fast growing field someday. I just want to say congratulations to you both and s I learned a lot from you in the time that I sat on this board. Um great great uh man and I can see the dedication that you have towards this district your district that you're leaving now to come back home. So we appreciate it. >> I'm going to be the last one to speak. I have to be because this is just >> fingers crossed. [laughter] >> Can we get ready? Listen, super quick, but everybody knows I do this for the free soda, sometimes some free coffee, and a salad
031I get that has no air. So, if you were willing to give up the food you never ate, [laughter] the soda you never drank, but the warm swivel chair that we had over [laughter] here for you. You gave it all up to go back to New Britain High School. I applaud you. Congratulations. And congratulations. I like I love seeing Latinas moving up. So I always uh celebrate that. >> My roots are in Sen. I always celebrate everybody who just wants to get ahead and speak Spanish and sign language is fun. So >> all right. Thank you. And I just wanted to say congratulations to you both. But S I like I said we were sad for us because we've learned so much from you. You were just such a great advocate. But we know that
032we can still count on you when we need to. Um but so happy for New Brit and I forgetting you. It's wonderful talk. >> Thank you. >> I'll talk to you later. >> You too. [laughter] >> It was short, but I learned a lot from you. >> Congratulations and God bless. >> Thank you. >> All right. Should we put it to a vote? >> Yes, please. >> All those in favor? >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? >> Congratulations. Welcome. [applause and cheering] >> [applause] >> Dr. Sanders as a small token of thanks and welcome for each of you. Thank you, Dr. Sanders. >> Um, we usually do take pictures. Yeah. >> Dr. Sanders, can you make sure we get a picture before they both depart? A picture of them together. >> Oh, with
033you? >> Uh, no. We did it. [laughter] >> I'm I'm I'm kind of working with the board right now. >> And usually I think usually Miss Langanger takes the candidates into the into the uh lobby and snaps a photo. So, we're going to have a photo of them together. >> Thank you. >> All right. [laughter] Andrea's >> All right, moving on. uh enrollment report. >> Uh as usual, you have it before you slightly down, just uh six students down in the main report. However, notice 66 students up in the uh prek report. Um we we do anticipate those um those numbers to fluctuate. As an interesting aside, in getting ready uh for budget season, um I actually engaged Google's Gemini, the portion called deep research in doing an enrollment projection for next year and the
034degree to which it was scientific and based on fact and I gave it all of kind of historical data. We would typically spend I don't know um Miss Gonzalez, what do we spend for the for the third party enrollment projections typically for our you know off the top of your head? >> Uh it's about $8,000. >> $8,000. This was at least of equal quality and it was produced in 3 minutes for free. And I only say that just to highlight the power of of AI as it continued. It is scary. However, this report and and it said it was using calculation techniques that I had never heard of. So, I actually had to check to make sure that it wasn't hallucinating and [laughter] and sure enough, it was I mean, these were the the right
035techniques to use and it was it was saying, "Oh, you um the Brit apartment building is new to the city. However, it knew how many units within the Brit were onebedroom or studio, and it actually said those usually don't generate students, so it didn't really count those into the calculation." Oh my god. >> I'll share it with the board at some point in the near future. So, it it was um very very impressive and it's >> I'm not sure if the state department will ever get to a point where they accept enrollment projections from AI, but this was at least as good as the ones I've seen from the third party contractors. So I had to give a professional development to my school today uh staff on using AI and I actually mentioned the different
036ways that you have been using AI for everything from your evaluations and including your flowers and your poem and everything different ways you could use AI and it's amazing the different ways you do >> work making easier. >> Yeah. And it really comes down to do you know how to prompt it well prompt it effectively. And if you're curious, it's uh its projection was basically flat for us. I think it projected us to be up by 61 students next year. So So relatively flat, but >> super interesting and I'll share with the board at some point in the near future. >> Interesting. Okay. All right. That's just informationational. Yes. >> Moving on to item D. Motion to approve new position request after school club advisors. >> You'll find that items D and E are nearly
037identical. All of these are paid for and and encouraged by the um the SIG grant at both schools and part of that grant is uh required to support school climate and culture. >> Okay. So, do I have a motion to approve item D? >> So, move second. >> Okay. Any questions, comments, concerns? >> All those in favor say I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? All righty. So approved. So item E motion for item E which is similar but for Pilaski instead of Slate. >> Motion to approve. >> Second. >> Okay. Motion and second. So any discussion? >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Opposed. >> Any abstensions? Okay. Okay. Moving on to item F. Motion to approve superintendent's contract. >> So move. >> Second. >> Any comments, questions? Everybody should have
038gotten a previous copy of all of that ahead of time. >> All those in favor say I. >> I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? >> All right. >> Thank you. I appreciate your support and it continues to be a pleasure to serve the kids of New Britain. >> Thank you, sir, for everything you do. So, um any before going to consent agenda, is there any items that folks want to have removed from the consent agenda? All righty. So, motion to approve consent agenda. >> So, moved. >> Second. >> Any discussion? All those in favor say I. I. >> Any opposed? >> Any abstensions? All right. And any other business as permitted by law? >> I do want to echo before we close um Dr. Gasper's earlier comments. Good luck to everyone here >> after
039tomorrow. Who knows what this table will look like. [laughter] So, >> do you want to make a note just about the the organizational meeting, the date and time? Um, yes, we do have our November 12th is our special annual meeting. Um, once elections are over and folks are ordained, so to speak. Um, and that'll be the 12th Wednesday here at 6 PM for those who are going to be on the board going forward. >> Everybody, >> I would like to say it's been absolutely a thrill to work with all of you guys. It really has. It's been quite the experience and I do appreciate I do No, I I it's it really has been very educational. I think we have have a really great mojo for a lack of a better way of putting it.
040Um and and I hope that does continue going forward >> regardless of what happens. >> Okay. >> All right. I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. >> Motion to adjurnn. >> Second. >> All those in favor? I I Okay, >> thank you everyone. >> Good evening everyone.