001Okay, >> go. >> He drives me crazy. I need to change my seat, please. [laughter] >> Hi, Kayie. Are we ready? Uh, welcome to the board of education, Shelton, Connecticut. Regular meeting of the policy committee in person board of education office, 382 Longill Avenue, first floor boardroom. >> It's Tuesday, November 11th. >> And is 605. Can we have a roll call, please? >> Jim F. >> He's here by Zoom. He's here. >> Rosner here. >> A Coutach >> here. Jason Nevs >> here. >> Also in attendance, Dr. Ken Sinich, Amy Romano, James Orzetti, Anthony Sparagino, Tracy Hussy, Kristen Santilli, Jackie Tulings, Joan Littlefield, and Patricia Munan. >> Oh, and Glenn. Glenn, hi. [laughter] He was hiding. Can we please rise for the pledge of allegiance, please? >> To the flag of the United States of
002America and >> to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, liberty, justice for all. >> Okay, we'll move on to uh item two. Uh can I get a motion the approval of the agenda, please? I need a motion. >> I move to Oops. I'll second. Okay. >> Motion made by Anthony, second by Mrs. Rosner, and we'll go item three, review and approval of the following reports to the committee. Uh, approval of the meeting minutes from the policy committee meeting on October 14th. Can I please have a motion for that? >> Go ahead, Anthony. [laughter] >> So moved. >> I'll second. >> Motion made by Anthony Simonetti. >> No, I don't LIKE YOU ANYMORE. [laughter] NO, >> I would move. Okay. >> Sorry. That's okay. I got to twist his arm and [laughter]
003second by Mrs. Ros. >> Uh, is there anyone here for public comment? Would anyone like to speak? Public comment. Would anyone here like to speak during public comment? Seeing none, moving on. We'll move on to the agenda items and I will pass this along to the superintendent. Thank you, uh, chairman. Um, so with policy, we wanted to get our a policy meeting in. Um, as we've been moving along in our policy meetings with CABE, um, and I know there was a discussion about the 9,000 series because of the transition that's going to happen in the board. We're going to pause the the bylaws, the 9,000 series. The 9,000 series requires um a 2/3 vote. And since this board hasn't even worked or operated as a as a board together with the new members to get
004a twothirds vote right off the the bat on policies, it will have to come over time. With that being said, um we wanted to take advantage of this time because there are some revisions that were necessary that need to be made based on um actions in the state legislation. Um this is even ahead of the cape. Cape has been working with us for over a year but the legislation closed this past summer. They made recommendations of changes that we can do. Administration has been waiting for the board to take those those actions on and uh we wanted to take you know take this time to kind of work on those policies so that we can be compliant with the legislation that passed this past July 1st. So I am going to group A, B, C,
005and D together. Uh, and I'm going to ask our curriculum coordinator, uh, Ron Gidus, Dr. Ron Gidis, to come join us here. Ron has done a lot of work, um, on these issues of student privacy, electronic information, um, acceptable technology, and the revisions associated with this with his department and the impact that it's had as a whole. Ron has also worked with our technology director Glenn Newman. And together I I'm going to turn it over to to Ron to kind of give some of the highlight points of what their work has done and these recommendations based on the changes in the legislation. Thank you, Dr. Gus. >> Thank you. Is this Do I have to turn this? It's just You have to be close. >> You're good, >> Ron. You just want to make sure
006you're close to it so we can pick you up on the tape to be recorded. >> All right. Thank you. Um, so in addition to being the unified arts curriculum coordinator, I'm also the chairperson of the district's artificial intelligence impleation implementation and review committee. Um, so this year we've been rolling out artificial intelligence as an educational tool. Um, first to staff and then eventually we want to make our way to students. Um, in doing so, as a committee, our goal has been to align our district's implementation to the Connecticut State Department of Education's policy and guidance regarding this topic. So, I just wanted to first share with everyone a little bit about their policy and guidance. Um, and this is per their website. It says, "At artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies often disrupt education
007environments and school climates. Each of the above risks provides an opportunity to learn, grow, and address the needs of students and staff. In this regard, the creation of new school policies that address specific technologies can prove inefficient and burdensome to maintain. District administrators and schoolboard members should consider whether AI truly breaks existing policy that is requires separate and new guidance or whether existing frameworks can adapt to and address emerging technologies. Ways of addressing plagiarism, cheating, harassment, bullying and data privacy should remain consistent even if new technologies may introduce new challenges of understanding and application. With that being said, um our district's artificial intelligence implementation review committee set out to discover where AI could be added to our existing policy. We then sat down and looked and you can see the certain sections that we identified
008and um we saw and added it where we saw fit and where it logically applied. >> [snorts] >> We then consulted once we had completed our our um recommendations consulted with Glenn Newman our director of technology who reviewed those additions and made a few revisions and that's the product that you have today. So we we are revising current policies we have but we're trying to bring them up to the recommendations from the state with this ever growing AI you know endeavor that's going on with our youth and our teachers. So that you know our biggest thing is as as Dr. G has pointed out the plagiarism aspect that could be happening with some of our students but also the support system that we could provide um to our teachers as well to you using AI
009as an instructional tool. Um, I don't know, Glenn, I don't want to put you on spot if you have anything commentary to say on this work or I just think that the AI >> Glenn, can you say a little pull the mic a little bit closer so everyone can hear you? >> You would think the tech director. [laughter] Yeah, I think the AI implementation committee did a, you know, a very, you know, great and thoughtful job putting this together. Um, I think it's thorough and it kind of covers a lot of the bases, um, for sure in all of the sections. And I just think that this is an important step, you know, given the direction that AI and technology are going that we're all [snorts] witnessing and it's getting ahead of the curve and
010preparing us to so it's it's my recommendation to bring to the policy committee. Um there's no really deletions that we're doing to existing policies. We're just in reinforcing our policies that we have um with AI with the AI implementations that are happening in society. um for the policy to committee to take these first four agenda items. I will speak to the fifth one, the first four agenda items and move them forward to the full board for consideration over the next, you know, 30 days. >> Perfect. Just to clarify, the uh the red the red print is what's being added. >> The red print is what is new. >> Okay. Perfect. Can I have a motion to move these uh agendas, these revisions? Policy uh 514-1, policy 6141-321, uh policy number 6141-321A, policy number 6161-1. Uh
011can I have a motion to move those to the full board, please? >> Second. >> Motion made by Koutach, second by Lorraine Rosner. Thank you. We have to see all in favor. All in favor? I >> It's great that we're being proactive rather than reactive. >> And I and I again I want to thank you know Dr. Gidis for his leadership with this um helping move this initiative forward at the district and and uh Glenn for assisting in his role as our technology director. Thank you very much for the work that you've done. Well done. >> Okay. Thank you. So the last policy again um is is a direct effect of recent legislation that was passed. Um we are a little bit behind in the timeline because of some cancellation policy meetings and the work
012that we've done with cave. So we really need to get this policy in place. But um based on the latest legislative, you know, uh actions that took place this past summer, uh beginning July 1, uh the district needs to have um a school climate policy put in place. Um the policy that you see attached to your agenda is the CAB recommended um school climate policy. It's very prescriptive. It's step by step. It's work that we've already been doing in our district. We're just making sure that we get that policy in, you know, for the protection of the board so that we have that policy in line with the state statute. Um, and then we continue to move forward and refine um the policy itself talks about having a district committee, schoolwide committees. Um, this work
013has already been a wheel in motion. Uh, forms have been developed on this work. I want to thank Tracy Hussie for her work and what she's done here. um also um heading the committee work uh with Tracy Kathy Riddle as well as Dr. Dudo have been working on these you know forms together um with the committee itself. We just really need the board's policy to be put in place so that we can then continue to move forward in alignment with the state statute. So as I said um what you see here in your packet is the CA recommended policy. So, it's nothing um you know out of the ordinary and what most school districts have been applying based on the statute that's been in place. So, again, as superintendent, I'm asking the policy committee if
014they can move this policy to the agenda for consideration for the full board um in the next meeting um to be accepted. >> So, move second. >> Perfect. A motion made by uh Koutes, second by Lorraine Rosner. All in favor? Hi. >> Hi. >> And moving on. Uh, have you have any any other comments, superintendent? >> No, the I I really appreciate the board taking the time. I know we have a long series of meetings tonight. Um, but this is work that's been ongoing in our district and we really want to just solidify it um through board policy so that we're we're approaching it as as a one whole unit, board, administration, schools all together um aligned with the state statutes that have been passed. So, thank you for allowing us to have this tonight
015and get these policies in. >> Perfect. >> Uh, go ahead. >> Just um for the record, moving forward when we go with the 9,000 start with that list again circle. >> Yeah. And again, I don't I don't know who the next policy chair will be. That's going to be determined. um when that policy chair is seated um I would like to meet with that person to talk about. I mean we still have the 5,000 and 6,000 series to solidify. That may be the easier thing to get the policy committee in unison and then we can circle back and look at 9,000. Uh and I have a I have a talked to our attorney as well and I know attorney Stann's going to be joining you shortly. You can consult with him. I mean, he also
016agrees that a newly elected board, you know, really should kind of start working together collaboratively and bipartisan as a board before they start talk tackling by, you know, bylaws and changing the actions of how they govern. So, I think I think we put a delay on the 9,000 series for maybe a couple months down the road. >> We we have plenty of other work with Kate to still do. We can get that work done and then tackle the the 9,000. I' I'd like to see the new board members made aware of the 9inth house as governing. >> Well, what in your new material? Well, what I have done is um for our new board members that are going to be coming on board and I would be happy to share with any board member here
017is putting together slightly a new board member packet that includes like the references to the bylaws and such so they can educate themselves um until that point in time where they want to participate in Cab is offering the new board um guide orientation. Thank you. I couldn't get the right new board orientation which you know so they would get that from K but they can also get the direct contact for our school system itself. >> Perfect. I agree. Well, uh chair's comments I I guess I would uh I I know Jim would say thank you both for putting in all this work. We know that the AI and all this new technology is the wave of the future here and and getting the uh getting the curve and a head start on it is very
018important. So, thank you very much. And that's all I have for tonight. So, can I get a motion to adjurnn, please? >> I will move to adjourn. >> I'll second. >> Motion made by Lorraine Roses. >> Rosner, second by Anthony Smuralino. All in f >> Good job. >> All in favor? I