001I'd like to call to order the special board of education meeting on Monday, November 3rd at 5:48 p.m. Roll call, please. >> Mr. Burgerer, >> here. >> Miss Conway here. Mr. Corey >> here. >> Mr. Cman here. >> Mr. Pits >> here. Mr. Iglio >> here. >> Miss Hon here. Mr. Kisco. >> Mr. Knight here. Mr. Putnham >> here. Mayor Carbona representative. Should I read? Okay. Dr. Baker excused. Miss Ferguson >> Excused. Miss Lavyby >> here. >> Mr. Paggola >> here. >> Miss Shely excused. >> Miss Vian, >> excuse >> Mr. Wilson >> here. All set. Okay. Um, so item number three, possible executive session for discussion regarding aou with the TEA. Do I hear a motion to go into executive session? So >> all in favor >> are we leaving? Oh actually back in
002open session at 6:14. Item um agenda item number four, possible action regarding theou of the TEA. Um all right. So, do I hear a motion to authorize the superintendent to update the member memorandum of understanding as discussed in our executive session and to work with the co-chairs on getting it signed in the union president? >> Second. Any discussion? >> All right. So, let's take a vote. All in favor? I >> I >> all opposed. Okay. So, um 9 to1 motion carries. Thank you everybody. Uh let's see. Item number five, discussion regarding smoke removal bids with possible action. Dean, this was you. [Music] Just be careful. [Music] >> My second one is there shouldn't be a front page over this. You're going to have to open up a little bit. Sorry about that. So if you
003go past the uh the actual stop sign, it should have been first. You find the page that said the results looks like this here. Sorry. >> Yeah. So we had um only two people did uh the other person charges did not come through the so these are the two that we had with Connecticut LLC um the rest of the numbers was in the contract. This is just an overview of the numbers where we came in our first year at 94,7987 and the third year at 103635. And you can see the contract is on >> 445 470 4985. >> Yeah. Just the differences. >> Yeah. And so was the other contractor and year one was 445. Second year was 470 and third year was 4985. Okay. Um, so if you if if you look at if
004you look at um if you go back to the first page now and and if you see uh here over the same [Music] together along with some experience and knowledge at the beginning I'm sorry to sorry to interrupt. Uh you're a little hard to hear. Can these be uh just sent to my email so I can look at them as you go over it cuz I'm having a bit of trouble hearing and I don't need you guys to fix that. I need to email. >> I think it's in our email >> 7:30 this morning. >> Yeah, it came early. You may not be able to get to it while you're driving. Um unless you can unless you can pull over. Let me see. >> I'm I'm pulled over now. >> Okay. See if you see
005if you 7 a.m. >> I mean the the scope of work is similar. They're just that much different. >> Yeah. So the scope of work is exactly the same. Um again what I did what I did include tonight which you probably won't have because I've been waiting to get some information. Um um again, if you look at checklist to make sure [Music] um contractors don't pass everything else um just to check before I was waiting for a third reference from this. I had two of them. I talked to him specifically for this run out. You can see the references in here. Um the third one never text me and that is also should also be included. Um, maybe I'm sorry. I I I had a question. I'm I'm I'm just I'm just I'm just wondering
006why why such a a um why such a big a disparity in the in in the cost of the bids. Uh, it's a good question. So, it's it's it's it's a game. >> So, um, I think the the higher price was basing on worst case scenario and maybe price wasn't based on worst case scenario was my initial thought. So I want to see these guys see they have set up and today again this guy has so he uses Jesus breaks down possibly. Um he makes his own brain which is a solution of salt and uh a few other things that you put down pre and post for the storm to help with it. So eliminate a lot of snow because it breaks down before that and makes it easier. Another thing he incorporates is snow
007melt. So he has machines that you know I don't know quarter size of this room that he will place and he will take his layers and fill them up with snow melt with snow and melt it down the water over catch basins or areas of that nature. So you're eliminating a lot of moving snow a normal I want to say normal a contractor with less stuff would just plan on pay for manpower and large equipment to move snow around. I think the strategy is more less. >> Um, and yes, >> I have a question on that. So, the tank that they would have for that snow melt that would be on our property. >> So, he has three of them that he uses. Um, as needed, he will something that's movable depending on how much
008we have to at that time. He will do this after the first one. This is when the gets to the point where we start. Do we move it from one the project to another? Do we get it off the project depending on where it is? That's when that kind of comes into play. So he would I don't think he would. Um but you know I guess too he comes from state his stuff is in Franklin which is about an hour and a half away. So um I didn't go to see his stuff today. I want to see how long just see his equipment. I was I was I was uh impressed with his equipment and I was just impressed with the ride cuz it's it's an hour and 40 minutes. really hands along. Also, he's
009got his blocks over and I guess he's he loads that up with equipment. his crew. Also, he has two people that work for that work for he's got some other people that work for um he said in that area with um six people on six people or not. So he plans on, you know, um he really need the contract to go over the exact plan of what we want to, you know, do with the snow and where to put it and kind of get an idea of what the land is for. Um so Christian has a question before. I actually don't have a question. I do need to leave soon to get my kids. I'll join the Zoom link. Josh just sent it to me. Um, I do want to say thank you, Dean. I
010know you worked really hard on this to get this done fast and and effectively. This is really great information. Um, so thank you for the hard work. Before you go, I don't know if you even need to go on. I'm thinking we might be able to take a vote at this point. Nobody wants to spend half a million dollars on stone removal. We don't have half a million dollars to spend on snow removal. So, do you guys want to have that comfort? I've talked about this before. My son Garrett, the the Connecticut airport authority uses this fellow. I don't know this fellow um for some of their airports. They again, no guarantees. I can't but they have a good reputation. He has the equipment. And when you do snow melt, one of the biggest costs
011is removing snow. If I have to remove snow from little parking lots, it could be 23 $4,000 for a 40 car parking lot. You have to bring the snow somewhere. >> When you melt it, it doesn't have to go anywhere. Saves a lot of money. They're expensive machines, but he uses them at airports. He uses them everywhere. >> So, I'm guessing dispersion approach. I think that has a lot to do with >> Do you guys want to talk do you want to talk about Do you want to I don't personally don't want to go over Desper's quote, but I would like to answer any questions you have on this one and then maybe clarification. I think that Jperson does the BJ's parking lot, not these guys. the cold sense. >> I'm I'm looking at what
012was sort of sent out by email page 15 of 18 landscaping references. Kelly boss BJ. >> Yeah, cuz BJ's the the actual facility. Jefferson actually gave the same reference for two of his jobs. >> Well, both of them properties. Maybe they won't do it. I don't have that. I don't reference if he uses a reference doesn't mean he still they're just a reference. So I talked to were airport authority um and also main power company which I didn't know I'm not sure And he knows it's a school. Does he do schools? >> Yes. So he also has um [Music] he does. So I got a call to those guys yesterday. I got these from I wasn't on his principal when I went to speak and I wanted to know if he did get schools and
013he told me those too, >> right? So he knows that he would have to be early to open school. >> Yeah, I went over so many hours with him and expectations when we open school and we don't. So um they say they can do it. I think we have no credible reason not to to give them a chance. >> It's a significant cost difference between the two. We just simply don't have the money for the other plaint my thought of the Jefferson quote is it's so high he doesn't want it is that >> or you thought nobody would show up you know because you said a question you want to put in a bit because they don't want landscaping so >> I don't think he does it to comes to sell it sailing or using
014the salt Most larger firms they lay this all down the solution and it prevents snowplow. I mean you can do it routinely question. >> Okay. What's the >> um discussion with possible action? Um so the vote is we're looking for a motion >> to um give the superintendent or dee through the superintendent authorization to enter into a contract with notes of Connecticut LLC. >> So moved >> for a second pick second you said. Okay. Any discussion? Any further discussion? All in favor? Hi, are you there? >> Yeah, I'm >> Yeah. Can you hear me? I'm I'm voting yes. >> Okay. All right. Thank you. Okay. Motion carries. Um, one last quick item for you to Okay. Thank you for waiting. Um just a quick discussion regarding the state account index. This just came out um
015actually the day after we're meeting and it was so incredible. I figured we're meeting tonight anyway. Let's just touch base on briefly so that we can broadcast the results which are amazing. So thank you. Um, I'm very excited. What I what you have in front of you that we think is our accountability index and assistant superintendent Ferguson will obviously take this to the next level. I'm sure with the sick uh committee, but also obviously we had a full board meeting, but when Sue and I had chatted, we are impressed with these results, our accountability index, and I'll just take you through it. First two pages is how we do in our reference group as well as surrounding districts. And the great news there, we write 10 out of 21. The screen just does a nice
016visual where it shows our orange and color right there at 68.7. But more interesting is if you look at the next page, forget the top for a second. I'll go back to that in a moment. But if you look at the next page and you look at our index, we're at 68.7. We are higher than you we were back in 201819. And in the last 3 years, we've increased. So a 68.7 and we're still on the rise is amazing. Now at the top of that page I reference PE because while we are making great strides in mathematics and ELA and we are not calling anyone out. You've heard me say data is never and I got you. It's where we're going. But if you look what I did was I put into the formula from
017the state of Connecticut.3% to 29.2.2 two is still not acceptable because if we go to a 50 our rank would jump to 9. If we go to a 60 our rank would jump to a seven and if we go to a 70 our rank would jump districtwide professional development um the department of teaching and learning making sure to physical education teachers and share this very thing because these are points where we can get and 9, seven, and five. That would have brought our numbers up into the 70s, which would be phenomenal. Also proud to mention on the next page, I'm sure everyone is wondering how did the schools do. You want to know schools where they are? Well, we have two schools of distinction, Forbes School and Tory Bird School. And you see I bolded
018them in green. 75.8 for Forbes, 78.8 8 for touring. As board has heard me say numerous times, if we get to 80, we are beyond rockstar stats. So to be at 79 and be that darn close and get our P numbers up, we are doing some really, really, really amazing things. If we turn the page, Southwest has a similar story. You see a nice green bar there at 77.8. Once again, close. Now we know that those two schools merge for Southwest Skies the Limited School located this evening. Obviously global Renburg took a little bit of a decline last year. Um that has been discussed and we will continue to discuss in their accountability. There are a couple of factors in there that uh assistant superintendent Ferguson and I are aware of and have spoken to
019administration and we'll continue to speak. This board has been very concerned about the middle school. I heard it 3 years ago saying how are we doing middle school? What's going on at the middle school? If you look at the last 3 years went from 50 to 54 to 56. So while the middle school needs to get up into the 70s that shows that we are putting our laser light focus on middle school. I know Gary I want to call you out and you've asked me several times what's going on with the middle school. This accountability index shows there is more work to do. We're not shying away from that. But to increase by that number of points over these three years has really been tremendous. And our high school remains relatively flat which is something
020we have to look at. But remember in the high school it's a little different now because of the all day SAT. All day SAT kind of throws a bolt in the works. It's not as if you have the option to take it anymore. The state of Connecticut made that decision that it has to be the all day SAT. So I know John at the sick committee you guys have probably talked about that a couple of times but that's why also that number is reflected and that's why it is flat. Now that doesn't mean there's not more work to do. There is a ton more work to do but I can tell you and I know Sue kind of teed it up these results is something that the board should be extremely proud of. extremely proud
021to to see that the accountability index is up and rising and to see that we are ranked where we should be according to our dirt in our district I would agree and thank you the physic thing I think is simple thing I don't understand why we don't have phys that's the problem >> we should we have it they're just not enforcing the problem you're trying to That is the problem. >> That'll be best. Kids coming out of school these days, 21% of the kids qualify for military. Used to be 78 to 80%. We don't have phys. Not here. It's every school. We're one of the worst in the state. We have to have classes. >> No, we do. Don't we have We HAVE PHYS. WE'RE REQUIRED by law to have phys classes. >> Just relax
022for a second. How often do we have physics? Twice. It's twice a week, right? For most how many years? Two weeks. And man, I know what you're saying, Gary. Well, it has to be discussed because you can't correct. We have to either expand it like it used to be when we're in school. Everybody has to set twice a week for four years or if we do it for two quarters after 4 years, our kids are fat and they can't lose weight and they get lazy and they sit in the classroom and they're bored. I mean, we all know she's my age almost. But you you have to have time for phys. We don't have phys teachers. We don't have programs for this Gary. These numbers show the board now. You know, you have to push
023for that. >> I pushed it last year. I know. I mean, >> you need to push for teachers. If you want the scores to go up, then this should be your focus. Yeah. >> Well, and Gary, your point is well, it's it's kind of I don't want to say funny, but Sue Ferguson and I have chat about I can guarantee all I think the trying to combat it is also true. Movement breaks also. For example, school last year did a push-up today where they started on Monday, let's do two today. And everyone for their 10-minute home room did two and then the next week it was three. And it was everyone in the building including the custodian, the um wheel. So that's why I thought it was going to be 7 because ultimately we and
024that's why that's why I purposely put the numbers in Gary to show everyone as I said not I got you is where we're going because once we achieve those points [Music] we're doing some really >> you just have to figure out these grades or scores. Nobody mentioned the overview and I get how do you get a 29 physical how do you get why does one school who are they serve yeah so soon we'll we'll talk more about that at sick in the next time so how it works is the phys and I don't want to make it sound so rudeny so I will apologize the same test for the last 20 years so it's a sitting reach it's a run it's a pacer it's so that that is how it gets scored by the because
025that teacher scores entered into the state >> and our scores are horrible. >> Correct. >> So that's the I just a matter of getting back to Gary's point, increasing activity, whatever it is you have to do. I have sex in classes here. >> But I I do think you know I I just wanted to share though I think this is something that should agree. >> Yeah. Thank you. No, thank you. I think this is this is a proud moment for all of us. >> Thank you. Thank you. >> Okay. And Sue for all her hard work, >> you know, Sue Ferguson, all her hard work getting the curriculum. >> Oh, absolutely. >> The math and the English reading program. Huge touring board numbers right there. >> All right. Motion to adjourn. So move. >> All
026in favor? I will be