HBOE - Regular Meeting - 5/19/2026-ORG

001Good evening. As chairperson of the Harford Board of Education, I hereby call to order the May 19th, 2026 regular meeting. I wish to extend a warm welcome to everyone present and to our television viewers. The board superintendent and I are pleased that you have joined us as we celebrate achievement, review information, and make policy decisions related to the effective operation of the Harford public schools. This is a regular meeting and all items that will be discussed or voted on this evening have been posted as required by state law. As the Hartford Board of Education, we are here to set goals, listen to reports of the superintendent, approve budgets, contracts, and personnel appointments, and make policy for the district. We are not here to make management decisions or solve the problems of individuals. Management is the

002responsibility of the superintendent. The monthly meetings of the board are open to the public. They are the time when the board conducts its business of governing the school system in a public arena. The regular meetings are not meetings with the public. Therefore, comments from the audience will be confined in the time designated for public to address the board. The quorum and courtesy are important elements in effective public meetings. Please silence your cell phones or communication devices and refrain from talking while others are speaking. Since it is legally mandated that proceedings be accurately recorded, I may have to ask for order periodically. Should noise begin to interfere with our recording capabilities. I am pleased that you have taken this time this evening to join us. We are very proud of the school system and thank you

003for your interest in Harford Public Schools. Now, this will be read in Spanish. Harford. Administr Momenttochech. Tomatoch. Tonight we have some recognitions. Um, Superintendent Townsel. >> Thank you, Chairwoman Brody. Good evening. >> Good evening. Amen. >> Tonight, we are proud to recognize a number of Hartford Public School students whose achievements exemplify excellence in language, leadership, academics, athletics, arts, and character. When your name is called, please come forward to receive your certification and for a photo. First up, we're going to do our seal of biiteracy. The seal of biiteracy is a national recognition awarded to students who demonstrate high level proficiency in English and one or more additional languages. It celebrates academic achievement, cultural richness, and global readiness of multicultural scholars. This year, our district is honoring an extraordinary group of triilingual, quadrilingual, and polyglot students

004whose linguistic abilities reflect both dedication and deep cultural connection. We're not just celebrating academic excellence, but the power of language to connect our communities, cultures, and our futures. Please know that the seal of biiteracy represents perseverance and intellect. Our students receiving this honor are multilingual scholars whose voices carry across continents. It is my privilege to recognize the following students for their remarkable linguistic achievements. First, we have Kaden Weston Brown of Capitol Preparatory Magnet School receiving the seal as a triilingual and excuse me as a triilingual and PWA in Spanish. Next we have Mariah Constance Mickens McGawan of Capitol Preparatory Magnet School receiving the seal as a triilingual student in PWA and Spanish. Next we have Aisha Sadiki of Capitol Preparatory Magna School receiving the seal of triilingual in Bengali and Arabic. Yasmin Christina Dante Silva,

005Great Path Academy, receiving a seal of triilingual in Portuguese and Spanish. Ku Apollinaro de Almeida of Hartford Public High School receiving the seal as a triilingual student in Portuguese and Spanish. Tania Shereice Turner of Classical Magnet receiving the seal as a triilingual student in PWA and Latin. Ireina Vasilke of Classical Magnet receiving the seal as a tri as a quadrilingual student in Russian, Ukrainian and Polish. Ahmad Chishti of University High School of Science and Engineering receiving the seal as a polyglot in Erdo, Punjabi, Hindi and Spanish. Next is Mojib Rockman Zamiri of University High School of Science and Engineering receiving the seal as a triilingual student in Persian and Pashto. [groaning] Congratulations To our honores, your multilingualism is a gift to your families, to our schools, and to the world, and you will help us

006shape it. Please be reminded that your language is a super power. Ladies and gentlemen, please make some noise for our students with the seal of biiteracy. Congratulations. Next we have a student leadership recognition. We are proud to recognize Capitol Preparatory Magna School senior Travis Terrence Richardson Jr. as a Connecticut 2020 recipient of the National World War II Museum's Billy Michael Student Leadership Award, which is a prestigious national honor awarded to one student from each state in the District of Columbia. Make some noise for this individual. Travis was nominated for his leadership, service, and positive impact. He exemplified the values of teamwork, perseverance, and civic responsibility. As Connecticut's honore, he will represent our state at a national leadership experience in New Orleans this June, which is an achievement that brings great pride to his school and

007Hartford public schools in general. Congratulations, Travis. Next, our scholar athletes. We are recognizing the 2025 2026 Connecticut Interscolastic Athletic Conference Scholar athletes. These students have excelled academically and athletically while demonstrating integrity, discipline, and courage. Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in congratulating Buckley High School student David Lopez Ramirez and Sarah Leo Jimenez from Capitol Preparatory Magnet School. Kaden Brown and Maine Boom from Hartford Magnet Trinity College Academy. Mason Mack and Nia Newhouse from Hartford Public High School. Leonard Ramirez and Valyria Olay Vincent. >> [applause] >> from classical magnet. Jackson Miller and Tania Turner [applause] from Sports and Medical Sciences Academy. David Bonitz and Giovana Deloome [applause] from University High School. Alexa Isabella Neil and Jethro Sinclair Illich [applause] from Weaver High School. Jamal Williams and Mady Rivera. [applause] Congratulations to all of our scholar athlete

008recipients. [applause] >> [applause] >> Okay. All >> [applause] >> right, guys. Congratulations. [applause] >> Hold on. Hold on. Right now we have our student Kaden Brown from Capitol Prep with the seal of bi literacy. If you can make a noise for Kaden, [applause] >> [applause] >> Next we have our basketball allstate honors. We now recognize our Connecticut High School Coaches Association all state basketball honores. These outstanding student athletes have demonstrated excellence on the court and a commitment to the highest standards of sportsmanship throughout the season. Their hard work, dedication, and exceptional talent has set them apart of some of Connecticut's best. For boys all state, we have Jaden Booth of Hartford Public High School, division five. [applause] Next we have Sire Galypsy of Capitol Prep Division 5. Next, Jan Jernigan from SMSA Division 3. Also

009from SMSA, Elijah Williams, Division 3. [cheering and applause] And with our girls all state, we have Jael Verde from SMSA division 5. [applause] And last, Tiana Ramy from Weaver, division 4. Congratulations, man. Congrats. Get our student athletes up. Congratulations. >> [applause] >> Next, we'd like to recognize Hartford Public High School boys basketball team. We recognize the Hartford Public High School boys basketball team for an outstanding season, earning the Greater Hartford Conference Tournament Championship and finishing as division 5 state runnerup. Their dedication, teamwork, and resilience throughout the season reflect pride and excellence of their program and their school community. We would like to bring a huge congratulations to Jaden Booth, Leonard Ramirez, Estasha Elia, George Nves, Israel Almeida, Jonathan Mitchell, Simon Mensalio, Zon Dean, Roma Duncan, Jenny Veres, Jamir Jefferson, Jason Kerion Torres, and Jeremiah Megie.

010If we all can make our way to the stage. >> [laughter] >> We might need two rows. Well, he's here without all the way. >> All right. Congratulations [applause] It's okay. [laughter] Clap it up for him one more time, please. Finally, we honor the Sport and Medical Sciences Academy boys basketball team for a historic season. Make some noise for them. [cheering] [applause] They were Greater Hartford Conference regular season champions, division three state champions, top 10 statewide rankings, and a Connecticut high school coaches association team of the year. [cheering] [applause] Their extraordinary accomplishments reflect a season defined by excellence, discipline, and a champion mindset that has set a new standard for success within their program and across the state. Congratulations to the following student athletes. Dante Senior, [applause and cheering] Deshawn Simpson, Taj Frederick's, [cheering and

011applause] Christopher Barto, Elijah Williams, [cheering] Jan Jernigan, [applause] Xavon Rios, [cheering] Lean Henry, Kenneth Bonia, [cheering and applause] Bishop Rush, Jamaiah Shannon, [screaming] >> Markeel Copper, Amir Pittz, [cheering] >> Cameron Rebels, Aaron Simpson, [cheering] >> Jire Chapman, Josiah Beretto, [cheering] >> and coaching staff. Make some noise for SMS again, ladies and gentlemen. >> [applause] [applause] >> I called him. >> We good? >> Yep, I called him. Congratulations. Congratulations [cheering] [applause] to Ladies, ladies and gentlemen, please make some noise one more time for all of our Outstanding student. [cheering] [applause] >> Thank you for Dr. Townsel. We will now move on to public comment. >> Mr. Mills. Congrats, guys. >> We as a board in collaboration with the superintendent and district leadership are committed to cultivating a culture of excellence at all levels of Hartford Public

012Schools. We thank you for taking the time to attend tonight's board meeting. We appreciate you coming out to learn more about Hartford Public Schools and for sharing your thoughts and concerns. We have established a protocol to track and respond to concerns raised. We want you to know that we take your concerns seriously and to that end staff will follow up within 48 hours if follow-up is required via the preferred method of contact. The speaker has indicated on the sign-in sheet. As a reminder, you have three minutes to speak. At the two-minute mark, the bell will ring, letting you know that you have one minute left. At the second bell, please wrap up your comments. Now, this will be read in Spanish. Thank you. Harford. person. I will be calling speakers up two at a time.

013So you can this next speaker could just stand ready. Our first speaker is Camila Lugo followed by Tamid Ambia. >> Guess who's back? >> Back again. >> Arts programs like chorus are not just electives. They are essential part of a student's education. I came from a Monasuri school where arts were treated like a necessity, not an extra. Music and cra and creativity helped students express themselves, build confidence and feel connected to their community. Classes like chorus are no that are no longer offered teach more than just singing. They teach teamwork, discipline and communication and emotional expression. For many students for many students, these classes are the reason they are excited to come to school and they feel like they belong. When schools invest in arts, they invest in students mental health, creativity, and future success.

014Every child deserves the opportunity to explore their talents and have a place where their voice matters literally and figuratively. Thank you. >> Good evening, members of the board of education. Today I wanted to talk about the importance of art education and the impact that the budget cuts have had on students. Over time we've noticed a reduction in opportunities within the art department. Our school, for example, used to have two art teachers, but now there's only one. Because of this, classes have been cut and students now have fewer opportunities to explore their creativity and develop artistic skills. There have also been plans for AP art this year, but with those classes cancelled, but those classes were cancelled. For many students, art is more than just an elective. It's a chance to be creative. It's a possible

015career path and a class that makes students feel connected and motivated in school. The issue also reflects a larger problem throughout the school. A lot of classrooms are overcrowded and teachers are being asked to do more with less. When class sizes continue to grow while programs and staffing are reduced, students lose opportunities for individual support and meaningful learning experiences. I understand that budgeting and staffing decisions are difficult. And I know that there are many challenges facing the district. But I hope the board continues to consider how important these programs are to students and how cuts can affect both learning and school culture. Investing in programs like art is investing in students creativity, engagement, and future opportunities. I hope students voices can continue to be a part of these conversations moving forward. Thank you for your

016time. >> Daniela is Sprit and Tammy Moskites. Good evening board members. As you can see right now, I am dressed up, ready to go play my tennis match in a few minutes, which is our last game of the season. I'm here to talk about a very important matter, and to direct your attention to focusing on funding and budgeting more towards our sports. Right now, many of our teams are practicing and competing with equipment that's been worn down over time. In some cases, we're still using balls from last season. balls that have lost their ability to grip, bounce, and their reliability. That might not sound like a big deal, but for an athlete in tennis, the quality of your equipment directly affects your performance, safety, and overall experience. When equipment is outdated, it increases the risk

017of injury. A worn out tennis ball doesn't move the way it should. A deflated basketball affects shooting and control. Not having enough volleyballs affects how many students can get to play. These aren't just inconveniences. They change how the game is played and how athletes develop. If we want students to improve, compete fairly, and stay safe, they need proper tools to do so. But this goes beyond equipment alone. Funding sports is really about investing in students. Athletics teach discipline, teamwork, time management, and resilience skills that carry far beyond the field of sport. I'm aware of the superintendent saying, "Set the bar, meet the bar, exceed the bar, and raise the bar." And I'm asking you to set the bar at giving our students adequate sports equipment. Thank you. My name is Tammy Msgardis. I am presently

018a teacher at Hartford Public High School. I will not be next year. Um, not by choice. Uh, I love it there. I found a wonderful home there. Uh, the people there care more than any school I've worked in, and I have worked in quite a few. I have a long career of teaching. I am here not to speak for myself. Um I am here to speak for the school and the students. Um I have seen firsthand what a classroom looks like when the size of the uh students in the classroom goes up. Um I am presently a Teslaw uh instructor in a classroom that got doubled up at midyear when a teacher left and we didn't have another teacher to take the kids. So we have double the kids in the room. And I'm here

019to tell you that when the class size goes up like that, the students are not receiving as high quality as they deserve and as they normally get. And I know that in business, one of the easiest ways to cut cost is to cut people. But this is not a business. This is our future. These are our children. This is our state. And they deserve uh the personal touch that they had been getting. And there's lots of research out there showing that one person in a school who cares and lets the student know that they matter every day and that their presence matters raises engagement as well as attendance. We have a problem with chronic attendance and a problem keeping kids engaged. And in order to keep that ball rolling forward in a positive motion as

020we have been doing, I believe we need to keep our class sizes reasonable. And I can't even start to speak about how much work it is on a teacher when you have that many kids in the room. But I want to focus on the kids and what's important for them. And I believe that smaller class sizes are really way more important than anybody outside a classroom could possibly know. Camila Lugo followed by Joseph. Oh, I'm sorry. Joseph Slovi, >> followed by Darl Roberts. >> Thank you. Good evening. Joseph Oliver, Bridgeport Vice Chair. I'm speaking today as an individual. I was coincidentally coincidentally at the same state board of education meeting where your leadership spoke. I was there to speak on the gaslighting by the state Bridgeport of the State Board of Education concerning a pattern

021both our districts are experiencing. For years, districts like Hartford and Bridgeport have been told the same thing. Do more with less. Fix yourselves. And when we do, we make the cuts. Eliminate positions. We're told it's not enough. At what point does Connecticut stop pretending and start telling the truth? This is a structural failure by the state of Connecticut. Your leadership made it clear. Hartford has eliminated hundreds of jobs, yet deficit remains. Nearly $30 million. That is not a spending problem. That is a system designed to fail urban districts like Hartford and Bridgeport. And what makes this even more troubling is what comes next. When districts speak honestly about these structural gaps, they are often met with intervention. Let's call it what it is. State intervention is often presented as neutral, as helpful, as necessary. But

022in cities like Harford and Bridgewart, it has not been benign. It comes with narratives that shift the blame on to local leadership. And too often it comes without delivering the resources that were promised. Even worse, it comes with gaslighting. Districts say they have deficits. The response, no, you have a surplus. Leadership raises funding concerns. The response, silence on public and or even public contradiction. What is later confirmed what districts have been saying all along, but by then the damage has been already done. This is only happening in urban districts, in black and brown districts. That should concern everyone because the next step in this pattern is more oversight and ultimately full state takeover. Full takeover does not fix structural deficits. It does not replace decades of underinvestment underinvestment by the state. It does not build

023trust. Your superintendent said Harford is not asking to be saved. He's right. Harford and Bridgeport are asking for something far more reasonable. honest partnership, real investment from the governor, not not conditions, not gaslighting, not control. So today, I stand with Harford because your fight is our fight. If Connecticut leaders do not change the course and continue down this path of path of false narratives in place of honest funding, our students and our schools will never reach their full potential. Studies that the governor after governor allowed to sit on a shelf for 13 years are not fixing the problem. They are propping up the historical institutional racism that is the state of Connecticut. Thank you. >> Good evening, Madam Chair. I distinguished and esteemed Dr. Andre Towns to all the distinguished chair people and those distinguished

024members of the board. Thank you, sir. I'm here tonight along with these other fine athletes who all Buckley and Numb. We're here to advocate naming the football field and track and field our new Buckley after our retired coach Graham Martin. I'm going give a few of his accolades and things that he's instilled in us to allow us to do the things that we do today and his commitment to not only Buckley community but the capital city and all the students who graduated from Buckley. Coach Mer has been a positive influence to many athletes in the capital city. He has a combined total of 90 years in coaching experience in Buckley High School, 44 years in track in football and 46 years in track and field. on his adept coaching style and leadership. Several football players

025were elevated to the next level which included all-American and three to the National Football League. One was also drafted to play with the Dallas Cowboys. There also two esteemed NFL coaches who are proteges of coach Martin. NFL coach Eric Manini and NFL defensive line coach Sean Spencer. In the New England region, 11 players were named to the all Connecticut team versus Rhode Island and three went to play semi-professional football. Out of 101 conference players, there were 11 first team starters and 13 honorable mentioned players. As leadership as leium accolade suggests, coach Graham m is more than deserving of the honor because he has led and prepared many young athletes such as myself for life after sports. His coaching style is second to none and has demonstrated what success should look like through hard work, dedication

026by being fair and consistent. What I'd like to add to that is that as most of you know I currently serve under the leadership of our esteemed Dr. Andre to Andre Town and he's the CEO over the Harvard Board of Education. I am currently the director of safety and security. I served there for eight years. Prior to that, I served at CRE as the director of the school of law enforcement. And prior to that, I served this great city city. I was born and raised in graduate Buckley High School for 30 years. Starting in 1982 as a patrolman and retired as a chief of police. I want to say this could not have been done now without the leadership and the skills I developed in the system that put me in place to continue to

027excel. And it's deserving. I believe that coach Graham m deserves to have the new Buckley High School football track and field in his honor named for coach Graham mine. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Harry Belaluchcci. I am a retired teacher and coach uh of 42 years in Harford. I am now the executive director at Harford Police Athletic League. Um, I have a unique [clears throat] place in Graham Martin's life. I was a player for him at Buckley High School and then I was assistant coach for him in football for 23 years before I became the head coach at Harford Public. Now, you have I know a lot of coaches who talk about making changes and being that person of change, but there are only a few coaches that are about that life.

028And Graham Barton was about that life. He put get in his car, drive him the University of Maine for a recruiting trip right there and then bring him home all at his cost. And he did this thousands of times in his life. He took kids from projects, Dutch Point, Martin Luther King, Charter Oak Terrace, Rice Heights. No matter where you came from, he was going to give you the opportunity. Tough love. It was always tough love because he knew what your potential was. And all these people standing me behind me are attested to that. If if you're ever going to name a field after somebody, this man deserves it more than anybody I know. He gave his life to those kids because he believed in kids and he is and always was and is about

029that life. So, if you can find it to name this field, this brand new field at Buckley High School after Graham Martin, I would be greatly appreciated. Thank you. Good evening. My name is Anthony Randolph and uh I really appreciate everything that these gentlemen behind me stated to you, explained to you, and show him all about Coach Martin. I took a different path in life. I grew up in Harford, graduated under Coach Martin, and uh I did corporate furniture. I travel all over the country doing million-dollar projects and things of that nature. that leadership that I had as an individual as with coach Martin, he instilled some things in us such as discipline, respect, honor, and look forward toward the future regardless of what we do and make it positive. I'm a firm believer you

030take what you have, understand where your past is to dictate where you are in the present to realize where you're going to go in the future. and we need to preserve his legacy and naming of this field. Track and football which he excelled in has produced more than just athletes. It produced businessmen. It produced mentors. And just take the opportunity and just let that resonate. And I thank you. >> Good evening. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak tonight to name the football and track after coach Martin. No, I did not play football at Buckley High School. Tell, but I did run track. When [clears throat] I came to Buckley in the early 70s, they did not have an official women's track team and I wanted to run track and Mr. Martin was

031the coach of the boys team and he said, "Come out and practice with the boys." and then we'll we'll get you on to attract me. And I came out every night. He encouraged me. It was very difficult for me to go every night with running with the boys. However, I I attended. He encouraged me. He gave me the motivation. I went on to win some all city meets. I went on to run state. I ran at the University of Connecticut. I uh graduated from uh Central and then went on to Alberta's Magnus. I also tied a national record under Coach Martin for the hundred yards, not meters, 100 yards. But it was his encouragement and his motivation and his dedication to me that kept me going and that kept me going throughout remembering I had

032the can do attitude. So, I also support the field being named after coach Martin and thank you. I just like to add one more thing that Lyndon mentioned like us and all the people behind us. She is also going to be inducted into the Buckley High School Hall of Fame for track and field. So, please give a round of applause. Uh good evening members of the board, administrators, faculty, alumni, students, and members of the community. Uh my name is Kevin Martin. I'm here to respectfully ask you for your support in naming the football field and press box at Buckley High School in honor of my father, Graham William Martin. Uh for many people, Buckley High School was just a school where my father worked. For my father, Buckley was home. He dedicated more than 30

033years to of his life to Buckley High School as a teacher, mentor, and coach alongside my late mother Jane Martin who also served the community as an educator for over 30 years. Uh my parents gave more than 60 combined years of service to the students and families of Harford. But what made what made my father special was never just the number of years, it was the impact of those years. My father coached football for 44 years, including 32 years at Buckley. He also coached track and field decades for decades helping develop all state athletes, college athletes, and young men and women who went on to become coaches, leaders, fathers, mothers, and mentors themselves. His accompl accomplishments on paper are remarkable. He was inducted into the National Football Hall of Fame three time separate times. He

034was named coach of the year. He coached championship caliber teams and mentored athletes who reached collegiate, professional, and NFL rankings. But if you asked my father what mattered most, he would never start with the awards or statistics. He would always talk about the students. He would talk about accountability, discipline, and respect. He believed athletics were about building character before building athletes. He taught young people to show up on time, to work hard even when nobody was watching, to support their teammates, and to carry themselves with pride both on and off the field. Many students uh he coached came from difficult circumstances and my father understood that sometimes the most important thing in a young person's life was to give them consistency. That belief changed lives. Beyond the school itself, my father spent more than two

035decades working with the Carmine and Frank Manini Foundation, helping create opportunities for underserved youth throughout Harford. He worked tirelessly to connect young people with mentors, scholarships, camps, and opportunities they otherwise may never have had. Even with Buck Buckley, even within Buckley athletics, he helped organize support systems to make sure students, athletes had meals, transportation, and resources that they needed to participate and succeed. That's who he was. Firm but fair, demanding, but compassionate, disciplined, but def uh disciplined, but deeply committed to the students he served. The football field at Buckley represents more than where games are just played. It is a place where young people learn resilience, teamwork, sacrifice, and pride. Those are exact values my father spent his life coaching. Naming the field uh Graham William Martin Field would not simply honor one coach. It

036would honor decades of mentorship, service, and commitment to the Hartford community. It would recognize a man who gave his life helping young people become better students, better athletes, and better human beings. And further generations for students would walk onto that field. His name would serve as a reminder of what leadership, consistency, and service truly look like. On behalf of my family, his former players, students, colleagues, and so many members of the community whose lives he touched, I thank you for your time and consideration. Thank you. >> Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. >> Okay. Lorenzo Ber f followed by Kelsey Roberts. >> Oh, he already >> Okay, >> they were going to talk on the same target, but they think what we said is enough. Thank you. Thank you very much. Tiffany Moyer

037Washington followed by Alisa this vines. All right, I'm going to speak quick. I got two things I want to talk about real quickly. Um, one is I know that you I think you're going to hear later tonight about I thought I saw um uh Tracy Avocakoli here. I think she's leaving. Sorry. I'm talking about the um new grading policy in Hartford public schools. I'm probably going to see something that's controversial. A lot of teachers will get upset with me, but I actually approve and appreciate the new grading policy. The only thing I would want to tweak about this is that we have a thing called completion plans. I'm not sure if you're aware about this, that at the end of a quarter, if a student failed a class, they're able to complete a number of

038assignments to earn the credit or earn a higher grade in that class. And I just think instead of having the completion plans at the end of the quarter, we should h give students completion plans at progress report and so that between the progress report uh mark and the end of the quarter, they have an opportunity to make up missing assignments because what happens at the end of a quarter, if a student is taking their time to make up missing assignments from the previous quarter, they're missing current learning and then they're falling even further behind. But if we can stop the completion plans and do the completion plans at the progress um mark, then they're able to catch up with the timely learning and still complete the assignments before the end of the marking period. So,

039I'm in um favor of the new grading policy, which I know a lot of teachers are upset about, but I think completion plan should be changed at progress reports instead of after the end of the quarter. And the other thing I just want to reiterate, a lot of the students who spoke here today are mine speaking up on behalf of the arts and behalf of sports. A lot of students like we said and we heard another teacher talking about truency is a huge issue. We are fa facing apathy like we've never seen before. And kids are not engaged and they're not coming to school. But the things that keep them in school are relationships they have with their teachers, sports, music, art, things that make them want to come in the door. If you have

04028 students in a class and you've cut their dance class, their art class, their music class, their sports, they're going to have fewer reasons to come in the door. And I know that we're competing with crack and we're competing with with suburban towns. We're trying to get kids to come back to Hartford. The only way that we can do that is if we're reducing our class size and offering them the things that get them in the door. Obviously, I'm an English teacher. I still advocate for English and math, but we have to advocate for those other things that kids get kids who want to come, who want to be with us. So, smaller class sizes, bringing back the arts and sports. Thank you. >> Good evening, board members, teachers, and fellow students. I'm here to

041share the importance of fully funding the arts in Harford public schools. When budgets are reviewed for cuts, art, music, and dance are among the top casualties. My purpose in speaking here tonight is to remind us that the arts and the arts are the window to a multitude of students who view the world through sound, color, texture, and movement. It has an additional benefit of creating positive mental health through calm, leading to better focus. Classes in the arts allow students to develop different ways of communicating and problem solving. um they can interpret the world spatially and in creative ways. These skills translate to academic classes by activating cross hemispheric brain connections. The arts prepare students for college and work in our rapid rapidly changing society. Employers are looking for creative out ofthebox thinkers and people who

042can work independently as well as part of a team. Art and music and dance teach students all of these skills and more. I encourage the board to not cut the arts programs when deciding the budget. I am asking that you think outside the box too and fully fund the arts to our schools. Thank you for your consideration. Carol Gail followed by Michael Susie. Good evening, members of the board, superintendent of schools. My name is Carol Gail. I am a Hartford resident and president of the Hartford Federation of Teachers. First, I want to offer my congratulations to all the students who were honored here this evening. And I I really appreciate that the board begins lately every meeting with some kind of celebration. So, thank you for that. Um, anticipating their approval from your agenda tonight,

043HFC would like to welcome Dr. Arya Coburn as chief academic officer and Nicola Hall as executive director of human resources. Tonight's agenda also includes several contract approvals, a few of which I'd like to comment on. One is the Teach for America or TFA. TFA is a wonderful pro uh program that provides an alternative entry into the teaching profession and assists the district with recruitment efforts and support for beginning teachers. HFT certainly supports the contract continuation. Another recruitment effort led to the district hiring several teachers from outside the USA. These passionate and dedicated teachers need support to maintain their visa status and continue their employ. Tonight's agenda includes a contract continuation for IG to support nine currently employed teachers. HFT also supports this contract continuation. A third contract continuation is for Hartford Performs. We have certainly

044heard from students and staff about the need for arts curriculum. Hartford Performs is a fabulous arts enrichment opportunity for students where students get to visit museums, experience theatrical and musical performances, and visit historical sites. Learning outside the classroom broadens students knowledge and supports their learning in meaningful ways. HFT fully supports this contract continuation. However, I would be remiss if I did not underscore that as wonderful as it is, Hartford Performs does not replace a regular K12 arts and music curriculum de uh that is delivered by a certified teacher. HFT once again urges the board to commit to providing every Hartford student with regular instruction in both art and music throughout their academic career. Tonight's agenda also contains a motion to approve a contract agreement between the board and local 566. HFT encourages the board to

045approve that motion. There are also a couple of issues of concern that I would like to raise. First is the reduction in force process. HFT and the board made a substantive agreement about how to handle this year's reduction in force. However, we did disagree as to how that agreement handles layoffs. The union believes that layoffs occur according to this agreement after all displaced teachers have been placed. But the district preemptively lays off employees to create vacancies for displaced employees. We've already had a couple of those layoffs rescended, which is one of the issues that we are concerned about. Uh secondly, the district said that the placement process for the teachers whose positions have been eliminated would begin on May 11th. This has not yet happened and we have been asking to be updated on when

046that process will begin. Um we are getting daily calls from anxious employees who want to know what their placement is for next year. Um the third issue m Dr. Townsel actually did approach me about just prior to the meeting. So I'm going to hold off on that hoping that it gets resolved but you will certainly hear next month if it doesn't. Um, and of all of these concerns, I want to stress the unnecessary stress and anxiety that don't do anything to bolster staff retention or staff morale in this district. And to you board members who set policy for Hartford and govern our district, I implore you to please address these concerns. Thank you. I remember standing here, I believe it was October, and Mr. Superintendent, you had said along the lines of teachers, you should

047not be concerned about staffing reductions. And I remember I came up during public comment and I said I am the definition of a concerned teacher when it comes to that. People tried telling me throughout the course of the year that no, the superintendent has said that there's not going to be any staffing reductions. And I'm the type of person that especially because I've gone through this process twice. This year I'm not going through this process thankfully. But I know people who are going through the process and especially in my school. I see it with people. I've seen people come up to me about how do you get through this process because they know that I've gone through it twice and luckily I've stuck it out. We have a system that is based off of it

048that it's not good for retention and my school isn't really built for that. We have one of the highest retention rates within the district. However, we automatically get cuts each year. You're going to hear from other people today about how this is an issue. Um I believe it's a glaring issue that you need to go back to the drawing board and say, you know, you laid out your budget and you said this is what what we had to do. You've openly told in public forums about you're cutting to the bone. You're cutting through the bone. And I think at a certain point you need to say I need this money. I cannot gold ball below this. You're you're going through and you're trying to say about how we need to bring the kids back. And

049I get that the system is messed up with the fact that it goes with enrollment and we have declining enrollment, but you need to try to invest into schools where kids where parents would take their kids out of crack where they would take their kids out of the suburban schools to come back and say, "We've got something for you here." Now in a lot of our schools we have culture and that's what we stick with but you need to give us the resources so that we can give rigor that we can give activities. You've had several students you've this time and last time saying about investing in arts and activities so that they can do after school they go to the suburban schools they get that. What are you going to do specifically to give

050us the funding to give us the teachers so that we can do our jobs that the kids can have a quality of life in our schools that they can get other places? I know that parents want to send their kids here, but they look at it and they see what do they what does Hartford have to offer us? And I really think that I hope I know that deep down you actually do have a plan, but I need more transparency. I need to see exactly what your plan is. Not we have to get the kids back, but how are you getting them back? And how are you going to fund our schools? That $20 million that we should have, how is that being spent to try to get kids back and to retain teachers within

051our district? Kayen Dailyaly followed by Kaen Marinelli than that guy. He was cool though. Hi everyone. My name is Caitlyn Daly. I'm an art teacher at Hartford Public High School. Yeah, go Owls. Uh, she also is from Harford Public High School. We're together. Um, I'm not going to talk just about budget cuts today, although I do think this is just one part of uh what I what I want to talk about. First, I want to say thank you for your time. Everyone here is caring and they're here because they want good things for our kids. So, everybody here, thank you. While a lot of people are here to discuss budget and its impacts, I want to also highlight a niche restructuring shift that will make a large impact on our school next year if it

052moves forward. After reviewing the proposed budget, I noticed that all high school librarians have been removed and that the libraries will only exist instead inside of select K through8 schools. While I can only assume best intentions uh where these choices have come from, it removes a significant member of our community, our librarian, and Mr. Curtis, who does a lot more than help students check out books. Since joining our community, he has taken on leadership roles on any and every voluntary committee, creating memorable experiences for students, families, and staff at events like Blue and White Night, which some of you guys were there for. So, thank you for coming out on Thursday. He single-handedly sought out funds to bring the planetarium and observatory back to life, offering guided tours of the sky and explaining the deep

053history of these structures to our school. He regularly leads a group that interns with the Harry Beer Stow Center, mining archives, and highlighting the rich history of our local community. He creates opportunities for students to receive college credit by teaching the ECE education course, which will cease to exist without him next year, declining the number of advanced courses we can provide our students and negatively impacting our ENGAR store score. He self-initiates programming for students to help them feel a part of our community, leading the GSA, offering students lunchwave passes so they can meet with friends, listen to calming music, practice guitar, or read a book as a safe space in their day during their lunch block. This is off book, but he also was Elvis in our talent show, which was really important to us,

054so we need him. He provides snacks for the hungry, assist students with logging into their essential services such as speech and language services. And it is hard to see all of this when you look at how the number goes from one to zero on the budget line, greatly diminishing the true impact of this role to our community. The library is teeming with life while Don is here. And when he is sick, it is close to protect it closes to protect the many resources he crafted for our students in that space. When the library is closed, which is rare because Don is happy to be here and loves offering our students these spaces and experiences, it is noticed by everybody, students and staff alike. I cannot imagine a month, let alone a year, where the library

055is closed and our community leader is missing. Just this week, we were asked to fill out a survey related to the state's Enar and SIG rubric, which focuses on student community engagement, curriculum offerings, hiring and retention. Obviously, all these things are impacted by this individual in our community. Mr. Curtis will be one of the reasons people have positive remarks on these surveys this year, and without him, you will see negative impacts when you ask our opinions next year. Please reconsider it before this shift is cemented and we lose the partnerships, experiences, and spaces that Mr. Curtis has crafted for us. Thank you. >> Good evening. My name is Caitlyn Marinelli and I have served as an English teacher at Harvard Public High School for the last 12 years. I have also had the unique privilege

056of working with our school counseling department this school year as their intern. among school counselors. It has often been a joke that people have a misunderstanding of what they do. This could not have been more true when we saw that not only were school counselors being cut across the district, but the right title wasn't even used. They were called guidance counselors in the budget. We haven't been called guidance counselors since the late 90s. And the American School Council organization made the effort to shift their role to one that is more proactive instead of reactive. one that doesn't focus on just vocational advice and checking graduation credits, but also addresses social emotional health and academic habits in students. The irony here though is that in my time with our counseling department, where they have worked so

057hard, I've seen how it is nearly impossible for them to balance the workload that comes with working at a school like ours. Their jobs do in fact look more like guidance counselors than a school counselor. The American School Organization, a national organization that holds the standards and curriculum for effective school counselors in our country, recommends the maximum ratio of counselor to student is 1 to 250. One counselor for every 250 students and even smaller in communities like ours. They also have the 8020 rule, meaning 80% of their time should be giving direct services to students and only 20 doing administrative duties. With this proposed budget, we have two counselors for a projected 651 students. And that means that we are failing to reach the standard. It means the likelihood of vulnerable students falling through the

058cracks and not receiving the academic and social emotional support needed to succeed and simply graduate from high school is all but certain. Not only that, but if you ask anybody that has spent time at Harvard High, they will tell you that 651 number is not going to stay the same. A week does not pass when with at least one new student arriving at our doors. Someone has to greet those students. Someone has to set them up. Someone has to schedule them, give them a tour, assess their transcripts, communicate with their teachers, someone has to make them feel safe in this new place and sometimes even new country. And that person is their school counselor. Now, when our two counselors, two for 650 students, are spending all of their time helping new students acclimate, scheduling, auditing

059transcripts, preparing for SATs, attending IEPs, leading 504s. Do you think any time is actually left to counsel these students, to get to know these students, to meet their needs, to talk with students about their attendance, the Scotty stills they need, scholarships, opportunities, jobs, how to simply cope with issues they might have? There isn't. I beg you to please reconsider the amount of counselors we are placing in our schools and to work to meet the national standard. If we do not, you are not only guaranteeing your school counselors will fail at their jobs, but that the students will fail with them. Thank you. Asusa de Leon followed by Kalis Ortiz. Good afternoon everyone. My name is Asus Senna and I am here today not only to speak for myself but for but on behalf of students,

060staff, families and future generations that are being impacted by this budget crisis. With no doubt, I know you are all aware of what this budget deficit means for Hartford schools. And I know you've heard it plenty of times, but I am here as a student of Harford Public High School to tell you what it means to me personally. When I think of the deficit, I don't think about numbers. To me, those numbers represent the jobs of valued community members at risk, fewer opportunities for students, and limited resources to us. For example, the librarian at my school, Donald Curtis, brings so much more to our community than people may realize. You would only understand that if you walked into our library and saw the environment and sense of community he has rebuilt and brought back to

061life. He does more than check out books. He creates a space for students. He personally opened an opportunity for me through the STO center archival certification program that he runs. He also teaches his own classes and makes a bigger impact on our school than many people would see from the outside. Plus, he always gives me snacks. And when you remove one position, it creates a domino effect. We don't just lose a staff member. We lose opportunities. We lose resources. We lose spaces that students rely on. So today, I ask that we do not let these books collect dust. And that we fight to keep the jobs of people who are more than deserving. Thank you for your time. Good evening. Sorry. Good evening everyone. I'm here to talk about the budget cuts and also advocate

062for other students. These budget cuts are an issue that Harford public schools have been dealing with for years, but also this is not something exclusive exclusive for Harford alone. These effects of underfunding education spread far beyond one school district. Not only will Harford schools suffer from these cuts, but students, families, and also communities across Harford and even neighborhooding neighborhooding districts will feel the impact through reduced resources, fewer opportunities, and declining student outcomes. Harford is one of many urban school districts. But what makes Harford different is how many students rely on their schools for more than education, transportation, meals, emotional support, and opportunities. Not only that, Harford [snorts] is one of the heart highest poverty student populations in Connecticut while also supporting a large community, cultural diverse students with different academic, language, and social needs. When

063school lose funding, schools are not just sorry when schools lose funding, students do not just lose programs. They lose support systems and resources that many students rely on daily. Right now, Harford public schools are facing a serious financial crisis. Recent reports show that the district is dealing with a deficit ranging from 22 million to more than 50 million over the past over the next few years, the past three years alone. Harford public schools have already cut over 70 million, eliminated more than 400 positions in attempts to manage the deficit. One of the biggest causes of the deficit is the rising cost of special education services out of district placements. Harford public schools are required to pay for private or outside placements when the district cannot fully meet a student's complex and they are legally required

064to. Onethird of Harford school's budget now goes towards special education tuition and transportation costs. However, the budget cuts will not solve this problem. In fact, they will make it worse. If schools continue losing teacher support, staff programs, and resources, they become even less capable of supporting the students within the district. That means even more students may need expensive outside placements, creating an ongoing cy cycle where cuts lead to more problems instead of fewer. Instead of continuing this cycle, Harford should invest more in neighborhood schools and strengthening district special education programs and curricular programs. Budget cuts may also force schools to rely more on heavily on less experienced or uncertified teachers. This is not an attack on new teachers become new teachers becoming because may many are hardworking qualified deeply committed to helping students but students

065would still deserve capable experience mentor and equal opportunities regardless of their zip code. Urban districts across the country are already struggle with higher teacher turnover rates compared to wealthier suburban districts. Many consistent see harder students When those opportunities disappear, students lose more than electives. They lose chances to discover talents, build confidence, and prepare for careers for college. Students begin falling behind in academically and socially. Families with the ability to transfer schools may leave, which can lower enrollment and reduce funding even further. This becomes harder and harder to stop. This issue is bigger than schools alone. When schools lose funding, people lose jobs, family lose income. After school programs disappear, communities lose resources that help keep students safe. Engaged education funding affects local economies, workforce development, and long-term crime and poverty rates. Research consistently shows that

066educational inequality affects future career opportunities, income level, and economic mobility for generations. Students in underfunded schools are stati statistically likely less likely to have access to advanced workforce experienced teachers and college preparation opportunities compared to students in wealthier districts. Those these sorry those disadvantages can follow students long after graduation. Budget cuts often create larger and more expensive problems later. The real solution is investment. Investment in students, teachers, trans transportation, academic programs, mental health resources, and a stronger indistrict special education service. Also, I also agree with other students who came up here today and spoke about the relationship with students and teachers that are built and the funding for art, music and other extracurriculars. The student programs get cut, student engagement declines and attendance rate go down. As a student, I have seen these lasting effects

067in real time. They become um they become adults and the lack of time manage them they develop in school and the lack of other skills that they develop as students continue and follow them on into their adult years. We do not suddenly become the people we are or the people adults are overnight. We build ourselves during these years through environments, opportunities, me mentorship and support systems around us. So when schools are expected to do more with less, students are often the ones who carry the weight of those losses. When you decide to cut these positions on paper, you see the position no more no librarians, but as a student, I see Mr. Curtis, a person who is a staple in our school and cares and knows his community. A person who also motivated me to

068come up here to speak today because I remember him saying the students voice mattered. And that was a word that stuck with me. I don't think I would be here if I didn't have the community that we had and a lot of these positions that are going to be cut and a lot of the teachers that motivated me that motivated me and told me that my voice mattered. So that's why I'm here. Strong schools create stronger communities. If we truly want students to succeed, we cannot continue talk taking resources away from the schools and neighborhoods that need them most. Harford students deserve the same opportunities, stability, and support as students anywhere else. Michael DS followed by Richard the Mage. Good evening board members. My name is [clears throat] Michael DS. I live at 74 Rosemont

069Street in Hartford. I'm also president of the Harford Federation of Substitute Teachers. I'm speaking uh two articles in the Hartford News that I read recently. One was from March of this year and one was from April of this year. And Gosh Diggan writes about the trillion dollar corporations that are financing downtown Hartford and they want to revitalize downtown Hartford. We know these corporations don't pay their fair share of the taxes. In fact, over the past 30 years or more, they've gotten many waiverss just just to stay in Hartford. we really don't need them if they if they're not going to pay any tax. Um they don't contribute to the school system. They uh they're they don't uh solve declining neighborhoods. They don't help with the homelessness. Um they uh don't uh they encourage absent negligent

070landlords. Um they uh long um neglected uh the streets. that are helping the long neglected streets and infrastructure. Uh the violence caused by the school system really stripped of its uh to the bare bones by the state. I mean uh kids graduate high school, they have uh they're not prepared for any gainful employment and they end up on the streets. Um then there was another one by John D. Scott. many years he's worked with the special funds department which is sub department under the Harford public schools finance department. They monitor uh program compliances in great detail. Um they uh found uh many many instances of non-compliance. They found uh much fraud and they found much uh corruption in the past 30 years. And uh in the uh in fact in the newspaper here they mentioned

071some of the things that they they found were schools and programs building uh students that were no longer there. In other words, we send them out to a [clears throat] a a private contract school and uh we build we pay we pay for students that are no longer there. Um [clears throat] budgets submitted for items that could not be verified. uh receipts that did not match what was actually on site. That's just a few of the things that they found. And uh certainly uh a good audit would uh um save some money anyway on that. And uh then we also have to address the $30 million transportation fund uh uh fund that we have uh fund fund but the bill that we have here in the city and we have to press the governor, the

072state legislature, our state legislatores here in Hartford and we as uh pol political people uh the board of education, city council, we in the unions and uh active in the in the city, we need to get to the these uh these department meetings and these committee meetings at the state legislature and push that. That's a state responsibility. And the last thing I want to mention is that you should take a a trip out some of you should take a trip out to Glastonbury, West Hartford, Bluefield, Windsor, and uh Weathersfield, wherever. And uh check out their high schools. check out their and their middle schools especially and their elementary if you want but the because what they have out there especially Glastonbury I know what they have out there and they um and all we do

073is go to the governor and go to the department of education state department of education say look you don't have to give us that much money but we want what they have so if they have it we should get it thank Thank you. >> Good evening members of the Hartford Board of Education and Dr. Council. My name is Richard Demay. I am here speaking on behalf of the Clay Arsenal North Hartford community of families and their children who attend Global Communications Academy which is transitioning into being a Cambridge international school. The principal there has chosen or was advised to eliminate the almost 18-year long elementary Spanish language program after eliminating the music program just last year. For over four decades, empirical research in neurobiology and linguistics has resulted in settled science. World languages and music

074are the cognitive foundations of literacy. They are not extras or unified arts to be discarded whenever budgets get tight. They are the cognitive infrastructure and engine our children need to develop their foundational reading skills. Music training biologically tunes the brain's auditory system to hear the subtle sounds required for phonics. While learning a second language builds the metal linguistic flexibility essential for mastering English. This is the true science of reading. And yet HPS is stubbornly ignoring and dismissing it. Instead of following this silence, some administrators are doubling down on racist deficit models. They treat our urban students as if they arrived with deficiencies to be corrected rather than linguistic assets to be developed. by cutting the 18-year Spanish program at Global Communications Academy, which is the longest running continuous program of its of its kind in

075our history. Our principal is dismantling a foundational pillar of a school built specifically with Spanish world language in the charter specs for and responsive to the North's community's linguistic identity. Hence the intentional name Global Communications Academy. Let's be clear. removing a second language access from black and brown children while affluent districts fight to preserve it for their children is a violation of civil rights. It is a modern echo of Jim Crow era practices designed to narrow the horizons of our children. HPS's own data shows the result. 0% of Hartford nativeborn monolingual black students have earned the seal of biiteracy in its seven years here in Hartford public schools. This is not a failure of student ability, but it is a systemic racist mechanical failure of schools and district leadership. HPS's leadership often stands before the

076community, this community, touting evidence-based decisionmaking. But for the families of Hartford, that phrase has become nothing more than hollow rhetoric. If leadership decisions were truly based on evidence, I on behalf of the Hartford's families and children wouldn't be here fighting to save the most powerful literacy tools in our district. We demand that HPS leadership stops the rhetoric and start practicing linguistic and social justice. We demand that GCA's Spanish program be protected as a unique historical achievement and core to our children's literacy development. Hartford's children deserve decisions grounded in vision and courage, not temporary conveniences. The science is clear. The community is watching and we must and will no longer accept the perhaps unintended but nonetheless racist dismantling of our black and browns children's future. Hartford's families, please speak up. Our last speaker is John Walton.

077Good evening and I apologize for being so far in the back. I didn't hear my name called. Um, good evening uh, superintendent and distinguished board members and good evening to the audience. I just want to say that I would like to thank the board members and the superintendent who directly and indirectly impacted how our contract went and contract negotiations went. I appreciate your efforts because your efforts and your attention to our contract really pushed the needle in favor of our membership. So, I appreciate that. I'll talk to you more privately later about how I think negotiations should be restructured away from looking at our bargaining unions as adversaries versus what they should be looked at as partners. Um, but I want to talk about our youth program. the youth program that is getting ready to

078start for the summer, for the spring and summer. We need to enhance that program and I'm going to need the superintendent and the board members to lean in and make sure that that program is extended into the facilities department so that our children are learning the trades. We get a lot of push back because they're naysayers who don't want them in the trades because they cite uh danger and they cite all different kind of obstacles and excuses. But those are excuses because before we had the program, many of the or few of the supervisors who are in uh the facilities department had their children working in the trades department with us getting paid by the taxpayers, but now that we have a program that's fedally funded, they find excuses not to extend it there. We

079also would like to have it extended in the food service department. You know, how rich would it be to have a federally funded food service department that works with food and we don't allow the children that are seniors and juniors to actually work in our after school programs with our dinner programs learning what it is to be in the kitchen, learning culinary uh education and all those kind of things. So, we want our food service and there's a lot of conversation we need to have about our food service leadership. hopefully the old leadership that we had there it starts moving out and then and we have some potential that is should be taking their places. Um so we want your help to lean in and make sure that they can't give you any excuses about

080the obstacles that they see of our children working in the trades department and food service when many of their children work there previous to our children being able to have this opportunity. Um, superintendent, I really want to have a conversation with that with you and and I our superintendent is a great guy because he's the same person publicly with me at least that he is privately, but we have to have these public and private conversations and I think it's time for us to start putting some skin in the game. I hear a lot of complaining about enrollment and about uh how we need to keep services and all that and all of that is true, but it's time for us to put some skin in the game. So, what I mean by skin in the

081game for those who are paying attention is let's start having a meeting with all of the employees of Harford Public Schools and let's start the meeting with the residents and the non-residents and let's say if we're going to show and model leadership, why don't we start bringing our kids to Harvard public schools? My kid attends Har public schools. So, I'm speaking from experience. All of my kids attended Harvard public schools. So why don't we start saying for those who who can why aren't your kids attending Harford public schools a superintendent you should have a meeting with the staff and say well what is it that would make you want to bring back your kid to Harford public school or your grandkid or your nieces and your nephews because if we're going to preach that we

082have an education that is good for everyone then we need to start modeling that and saying cuz all of us we have nice cars and nice homes and we have the ability to have our kids go anywhere so why wouldn't we have them come to Harford public schools if we're professing that we have such a great education to give them. We've have to start putting skin in the game. So, I want to start seeing some of the people who who say we need this and we need that and that are making six figures here and are making good money here and have used Hartford to have a good lifestyle to actually bring your kids back. Let's start with us first because I think we have about 2,000 or close to about 1,800 2,000 employees, but

083we don't see many of their kids coming to Harford public schools. So that's a problem because we're not going to convince a community to bring theirs in the community that we're teaching them the best thing if we're not even willing to bring ours here. It it's it's sort of like having a daycare where you know you can hang out with the people who own the daycare. Many of us go to lunch and breakfast and and and and we hang out with the staff here, but we're afraid to bring our kids to be taught by the same staff we hang out socially with. So that's a problem. And we need to have those meetings to figure out why internally we're not raising our enrollment between the people we have actually working here collecting the paycheck. And

084lastly, what I'll say to this is for you for those of you who are history buffs, this is not new to you, but for those of you who might not be in community, pay attention, please. I I beg that you do. Uh Harriet Tubman was asked one time um why is it that she carried a shotgun? And she gave a unique answer. She said, "I don't carry a shotgun for the people who wanted to keep slavery practices in practice because we knew what they wanted it. They wanted an the ability to have control and economical power over people." She kept a shotgun for the people who had a slave mentality. And I'll say this to you, superintendent, board members. We have a lot of people, although you've been cleaning house, we have a lot of

085people that are still bound to the old structure and still bound to the old rules of having the mentality that it's my way or the highway. They're not interested in partnership. And I know I preach this all the time, but they're not interested in partnership because you can tell by their behavior and you can tell by what they say and do. They show no skin in the game. I came here one time a while ago and I I can't see my minutes there, so I don't know how many I have, but I uh just bear with me. Um I came I came before you came, Dr. Tanzu, and I said, "You know what? Let's put some skin in the game. The union is willing to give $3,000 of its own money and then I was

086personally willing to give $2,000, which is $5,000, to a fund to make sure our kids got supported with whatever they needed for health and safety and after school program." And I asked that many of the members of our administrative team match that offer since they claim to be so about kids. And you know, some people say, "Well, John, that's unfair." You know, people have their own situations and all that kind of stuff. So, I say this again to the same people and to the all of those who say we care about Harford. When are we going to put some skin in the game? Because we can make complaints. We can say we need this and we can say we need that, but it starts with the enrollment of our students. And if you're not willing

087to show our community that your kid is would come to Harford or your grandkid or the people you love, no one else is going to follow your leadership. So, we have to be true to what we say and we have to be have an honest conversation. If we're not willing to send our kids, how many of us are willing to do this for free or take a pay cut? Like the coach who's getting his name hopefully put on the football field for Buckley. We heard that he would drive kids from any neighborhood for free to where he where they needed to go. That's the kind of skin in the game that we're talking about. That's the kind of investment that we need. It's nice to give kids awards when things are good. But what is

088what we need is for you to start showing leadership and start saying if I can't put my kid in Harford public schools then maybe I can make the sacrifices that I ask everyone else to make for our kids to have what they need in Harford public schools. I thank you for your time and I thank you for the opportunity. Thank you um for all those who participated in public comment. I'll give a brief report. Um I'll just basically say um what I've experienced and I know some of um the board members I've seen them at um some of the places I've been. Um there was a STEM fair um at Buckley High School um that was intriguing. Um I attended the Harford Promise induction ceremony. Um that was very promising. We had quite um quite

089the crowd, quite a bit of um students who will um be receiving um the Harford Promise scholarship that Dr. Townsel so um eloquently speaks of and champions. Um, also, um, myself and my colleagues attended the Harford day at the Capitol, um, as well as the city budget hearing that was here at Weaver High School. And there was an outpour of community support. And I wanted to give a special thanks to the faith-based community. um they showed out um and and said that they are um with their presence that they are supporting us and our um fight for more funding um to avoid the cuts that we heard of um this evening. Um last but certainly not least, I got a chance to tag along with a fifth grade classroom at Sand School to a field

090trip at Harry Beecher Stow um house. So that was some things I um got a chance to um experience and I know some of my colleagues are looking for me to move this meeting along. So I will move on. So, okay. So through the policy committee, the board um moved forward with another request to rename the Buckley High School football field after Graham Martin. As per policy, a public announcement is to be made at a regular meeting followed by at least three month period in which the public is welcome to comment and or submit letters to the board office before an official vote. As a reminder, you can find um all of our reports, the superintendent reports on um community, our new platform with all attachments and videos. You can watch them at your leisure

091and we actually encourage you to do that. Um our the YouTube links are saved in each meeting's agenda in community. So you could replay there. Um and if you have any questions or feedback um please contact Christina Santiago our board liaison at cantiagoartfordschools.org. And now we will move to um the report of the superintendent. But right before that, I did want to say in my report, I didn't want um young children who have been uh with their parents here tonight. Um it doesn't escape us and I know I feel the same as you as well as my colleagues. And for the audience that are not able to see um that families have shown up to say that they want their schools in their neighborhood. They want to protect their neighborhood schools and we see you.

092We appreciate you and you are noticed on this evening. Thank you so much for attending. We appreciate when families come out and support. So a lot of love from me to you. and we're going to move on to the report of the superintendent. >> Thank you, Chairwoman Brody. As superintendent of Hartford Public Schools, I want our community to know that we are continuing to move thoughtfully and responsibly through the budget process with one goal in mind, protecting the futures of our students, staff, and families while strengthening our school system for years to come. We are deeply grateful to our state leaders for providing the largest increased funding in the history of Hartford public schools and we thank our city leaders for their continued partnership and proposed investment in public education. These actions demonstrate a shared

093belief that children of Hartford deserve excellence. At the same time, we must continue to make fiscally responsible decisions. Some staffing reductions are connected to declining enrollment and the expiration of grant funding. And while these decisions are never easy, they are necessary to ensure long-term stability and strong stewardship of public resources. Tonight's contracts and purchasing actions are part of doing business the right way, planning ahead, following proper processes, and ensuring our schools are prepared for the next fiscal year. I'd like to be clear. We will continue to advocate relentlessly for every resource our students, family, and staff deserve. Harford's best days are ahead of us. And together, through partnership, transparency, and perseverance, we will continue to build our school system brick by brick for our entire community. And so our families and community can be proud.

094I'd like to share that Hartford Public School has been awarded the NAM Foundation's prestigious Best Communities for Music Education 2026 award for this fifth consecutive year. This recognition is a testament to many layers of support our district provides for music education. From administration, community engagement and funding to the incredible dedication of our educators, we measured against districts across the country and Hartford public schools stood out. This reward award reflects a commitment at a district-wide level. I say all the time, the AAA's academics, athletics, and arts. And I do acknowledge that is not where we wanted to be, but we are committed to investing in that. On May 22nd, 2026, all Hartford Public School third grade students will be participating in music education on the stage at the Bushnell with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra. This con

095is in partnership with the Hartford Symphony Orchestra, the Linkup. This is an experience of a year-long program rooted in the Carnegie Hall linkup curriculum through which students have been learning to play the recorder and engaging in vocal and movement activities deeply aligned with the national core arts standards. Hartford kept its promise. We had our 2026 Hartford Promise inductee inductee ceremony. Whereas on April 27th, every high school across Hartford Public School was represented in the ceremony where more than 100 students earned scholarships that are worth up to $100,000. And I had the privilege of speaking at the ceremony and my message was clear to the students. Don't just go to college, but go through college. I'd like to announce that Capitol Preparatory Magnet School is now on an extended year model which was originally, excuse me,

096was on an extended school model which was originally designed to expand instructional time, accelerate student achievement, and to provide consistent access to academic and social and emotional support. This model has contributed to strong outcomes over time, including 100% college acceptance, expanded access to post-secary opportunity, and the development of a college preparatory program in social justice. At the same time, the conditions required to sustain this model has shifted in the current educational and operational landscape. The extended year structure has created increasing challenges that impact the long-term sustainability and effectiveness of the program. So based on feedback from the school's community and stakeholders and a consideration of the school's broader needs, Capitol Preparatory Magnet School will move forward with a transitioning to the Hartford Public School academic cand. So, Capitol Prep do not no longer has the

097extended school year. They're now on the same calendar as every school in the district. Um, and their graduation is before everybody. They have the first graduation which is this Friday where I will be attending. We are excited for our seniors in the class of 2026 who will start walking the stage as soon as this week. Capitol Prep leads the way with the commencement ceremony scheduled for Friday at 9:00 a.m. held at Duncan Park. They will be followed by our adult ceremony on June 11th. Then Weaver High School, Hartford Public High, Canella School of the Performing Arts, Great Path Academy, HMTCA, and the uh Hearnen Lefontaine Classical Magnet School on June 18th. and finally capped by University High School of Science and Engineering, Buckley High School Pathways Academy along with Sport and Medical Sciences Academy on

098June the 22nd. You can visit our website to learn more about our graduation ceremonies, dates, times, and location at Hartford Public School, class of 2026. If you go online, you can click the link and you have all of those dates and all the information needed. With that, Chairwoman Brody, that ends my superintendent's report. >> Thank you, Mr. Superintendent. On to the consent agenda. Items on the consent agenda are 4.2 approval rate. The district has utilized the federal rate program for 20 years allowing us to have deeply discounted technology at the schools. 4.3 contract continuation for relay GS. Relay is a part-time residency program designed for current non-certified staff members to become certified teachers. Contract um continuation frontline is 4.4. Four, a plat a platform for time and attendance, recordkeeping, including request and tracking leave time

099as well as the employee evaluation management model. A house it houses the forms and process for annual evaluation of all of our certified educators, pareducators, administrators, and early childhood educators annual evaluations. 4.5 contract continuation for the hill for literacy will provide intensive evidence-based literacy implementation support and professional development for teachers and principles. 4.6 6 contract approval for creation recreation creative recreation I'm sorry this is to install a playground for the little owls programs at Harford public high school in 4.7 contract continuation for open architects um to maintain an online web portal dashboards data warehouse and custom data entry tools allowing Harford Public School District and school staff to easily view and analyze student assessment, finance, human resources, and other related data in a single portal. The following five contracts are all to fill special education

100related vacancies, teachers, paras, speech and language pathologists, BCBAS, and RBTs to fulfill mandated services. 4.8 contract continuation for AMN Healthcare. 4.9 contract continuation for Connecticut Behavioral Health. 4.10 Contact continuation for CBS Therapy. 4.11 Contract continuation for King's Speech. 4.12 contact contract continuation for stepping stone. 4.13 second reading in adoption of all the following policies. 1331 smoking and school facility facilities updated to include ecigarettes and reflect a new state law on prohibiting smoking on school grounds. 30 3250 fees, fines, charges, updates such as including electronic devices alongside physical materials. Added language on the student responsibility and the ability for administrators to wave debts for families unable to afford replacements. 5131.6 Six, drug and alcohol use. Added new language on marijuana products, privacy rights, and medical updates regarding o opioid overdose prevention. 4.14 approval of the April

10121st, 2026 minutes. Any comments or questions on the consent agenda? Do I have a motion to vote on the consent agenda? >> Did I hear a second? >> Second. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I have some questions. >> On which item >> do we have any of the providers for any of the contracts in the room >> on the consent agenda? >> Yes. Is there any particular >> um stepping stone? >> Is anyone from stepping stone in the room or online? >> Yes, ma'am. I am here. >> And state your name for the um [music] are you able to state your name? I think so board member unfortun ask your question maybe I think that was Maria Kofi I can't see the second part last name that responded um but

102misfortune you can go ahead with your question >> thank you I I would just like to hear a bit more about how you deliver the services to our students professional artist. >> One moment. We have a a bad connection we're trying to clear up. >> No problem. I was just asking are you specifically inquiring about all services or specifically about the speech language pathologist the paraprofessionals or the RBTs? >> I'm particularly interested in the speech language pathologists and then the paraprofessionals as well. >> Yes. So our speech language pathologist we um deliver both inerson and virtual services to the district. Um we've been working with the district about nine years. Um services are delivered um in person and they follow the same um protocols and curriculum that your direct staff um follows. We hire both

103um CCC SLPs and also clinical fellow SLPs. We do provide the supervision at no cost to the district, but they provide all services to the students as mandated for that student's individual educational plan or their IEP. Um they meet the services, they meet all of the um testing and protocol requirements um that is required um to establish services. Um with regards to the pair of professionals, pair of professionals are utilized in the classrooms to assist um typically with students needing additional assistance or students that um are exhibiting behavioral um and behavioral challenges meaning that they need to be kept on task um and provide a little bit more focus to be able to receive the um the the service delivery being provided that day provided, you know, what the teacher is prepared and delivering that

104day. Kind of keeps them on task, keeps them focused, and makes sure that they're doing what needs to be done in order for them to properly receive the education being delivered that day. >> Could you speak a bit more about what percentage of the speech um pathologists are actually providing that service to students virtually and how that compares to what their IEPs dictate? So yes, so we have about uh probably 85% of our folks need service delivered virtually. Um service deliver >> I'm sorry. Did you say 85% is virtual? >> Pardon me. >> Did you say 85% of them are delivering the service virtually and only 15% are delivering it in person? >> That's correct. So the service delivery that is being conducted virtually is done exactly the same as it is in the classroom.

105It's just um it's typically paired with students that are most receptive to um the service delivery being delivered in person. But because of the national shortage of speech language pathologists, the goal is always to find in person. But that is not always um they are not always available. They have to be licensed. they have to be um certified through the state. Um so in order to do that sometimes um virtual service delivery is and it is a approved means through the through ASHA which is the American Speech and Language Association that's nationally governs the U profession. The delivery is delivered in the same manner. They meet all the same requirements and all of the same duties that anyone performing the services in person and they follow the guidelines of the IEP. May I direct my

106next question to someone within our administration? Uh could you speak a bit more about what we're doing internally at HPS to try to recruit um for this role so that we do have more of an in-person delivery model. Um, and what are the challenges that we're experiencing that have prevented us from doing so? >> Yes, we have >> Hold on. Point of order. We're on the consent agenda. It's been moved and seconded. There's not supposed to be questions. >> So, we are already um in full questions. So, the last question will be answered. Is someone gonna come down? >> We have um our assistant superintendent for special education, Dr. Hoffman, in the building. Sorry, we're short. Oops. Thank you. So, I'm Theresa Davis. Dr. Teresa Davis. I am the assistant director for psychological and itinerant

107services and so I oversee SLP services for the district. And one thing that we've done this year to try to um increase our district hires is to look into hiring clinical fellows to be able to bring people in early career SLPs and have our own district people supervise them to be able to get people who are starting their career out looking for a place to settle and to be able to increase our numbers in that fashion. Thank you. Thank you. So, I believe we moved um the consent agenda and seconded it. And now um I will revisit um for those who are voting yes to the consent agenda. Um all in favor signify by saying I please. >> Yes. >> I. >> Any nays? >> Any Did I hear one nay? That's misfortune. A nay.

108Any abstensions? guys have it. So, now we're going to move on to the business agenda. Item 5.1, administrative appointment for executive director of human resources. The motion is that the Harford Board of Education approved the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Dr. Nola Hall to the position of executive executive director of human resources. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Dr. Townsel. >> Thank you. It is my honor to present to you the individual that I'm recommending as our next executive director of human resources, Dr. Nola Hall. Dr. Hall brings more than 20 years of experience spanning human resources, operations, and in organizational transformation with deep roots in public education. Most recently, she served as chief human resource officer for the East Baton Rouge public school system, a district with 6,000 employees. In

109that role, she did not only manage human resources, but she led human resources. She partnered with the Council for Great City Schools to conduct a full human resources audit, used the findings as a roadmap for change, and drove recruitment and retention rates from 85% to 89%. She reduced vacancy rates, hard to fill staff positions to just 6%. And she cut new higher processing times from two to three weeks down to 5 to seven days. and she reduced employee grievances by 30% by having tough conversations and creating trust. Dr. Hall holds a doctor of business administration and leadership, a master of business administration, human resources, and holds a sherm and SCP certification. She also completed executive training through Howard University Superintendent Academy this year. Her credentials combined with her lived experience in navigating complexity, change, and

110community makes her uniquely prepared for this role. Board members, I'm proud to bring Dr. Nola Hall forward tonight. I believe she will serve our district, our employees, and our students with excellence, and I look forward to your support on this recommendation. >> Thank you for that. Does the board have any questions um for our candidate. Can the candidate please come forward? >> Hello everyone. [laughter] >> We'll get that adjusted for you. Good evening everyone. Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity. I'm looking forward to working with you guys alongside. I do know the importance of public school. I am a mom of twin boys who are now serving as uh naval officers overseas and I am super super proud of them and also proud of the work that we have done and the

111work that I've done in other districts and I hope to be able to partner and collaborate with other individuals to move us forward. I'm super excited and I'm happy to be here. Thank you. >> Thank you for that. I believe Mr. Walker had a question. >> Yes. >> Yeah. Um thank you. Um I'll Actually two brother quick um one is um and congratulations um I am excited that you will be in our district. >> Okay. Thank you. >> So um one is around um the the internal response to uh staff. So I'm asking would you envision um creating some kind of service level agreement so there's kind of defined turn time so people reaching out to human resources in internal can have some sense of of response and how things get escalated and responded to.

112>> Oh absolutely. So I have a 24 to 48 hour uh response turnaround is required in everywhere that I've worked at. Uh I am accessible, always have will and always had and always will be accessible to whoever um to make sure that I get to the problem first before we get to the superintendent to be able to problem solve. So for me uh customer service is at the utmost importance. Our staff is the backbone of every organization and we tend to forget that. But I am that's one of the biggest things that Dr. Townsel uh requested of me when I did the interview. So yes. >> Oh, thank you very much. Um, >> so is a followup. Um, the conversation that you was just hearing about stepping stones, >> um, I'm really going to lift

113up and ask that you, uh, work with our dedicated staff to, uh, create tracking plans. I think every year we hit this point where there's always the how do we do over the year and and recruiting these hard to place areas. And um given that it would be fabulous if a leader created some type of monitoring plan so that it would just be reported we'd see it and so would you be open to taking on that challenge to work with our leaders in that way? >> Oh absolutely. I'm always aim to win a championship not just a ball game. So I will definitely step up to the challenge and meet the expectation. Promise you that. >> Thank you. >> You're welcome. >> Thank you Mr. Walker. I thought I saw some other activity over here.

114No. >> Um, Miss Dar Ledger, >> thank you and good evening and welcome to Hartford, Connecticut. Um, I have a question with regards to your plan for the first 60 days. >> Can you just tell us what that may look like? >> Oh, listen to tackle. >> Oh, yeah. Absolutely. Uh, listen and learn. I have grown to understand uh patients complex uh organization and the only way to best help is to be able to sit back, listen because I don't have all the answers. I'm pretty sure they're really smart people um in at HPS and it's just a matter of having that leader bold enough to just collect all the thoughts and put it on a game plan. So my first six of the 90 days I will be doing a listening and learning tour

115and be able to identify both people or leaders who are within the organizations or teachers and partner with them and not just them but also union leaders because once again we are collaborators we are not adversaries we are not enemies we're here to just one common goal is to get our best students. >> Thank you. And one follow-up question. Um, with regards to cultural competency, um, I'm a firm believer that we can't be what we can't see. Um, so I'm just curious what how do you plan to um, incorporate um, or implement cultural competency? What is your plan for that? >> Uh, first thing is lead by example. As you can see, I show up today polished. I want to make sure that the team that I'm leading uh of expectations in terms of greatness,

116um accountability, transparency, and awareness. And I also want to make sure that I'm always winning. I am a competitor. Uh so I want to make sure that if I'm representing an organization and HPS is known to do some really great work and I'm also before before I left to Louisiana from uh Bridgeport. So, we've always been known Connecticut to to literally get uh exceptional leaders out in front and I want to be able to do that. So, for me, it's leading by example. And not only that, like literally getting folks to stand up, stand firm, and raise the bar. Like, literally stand up and be great. Not just me, but my entire HR team, my talent management team to do the same thing. Thank you. So, I don't see any other hands um raised. So,

117the motion on the floor is for the Harford Board of Education to approve the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Dr. Nola Hall to the position of executive director of human resources. All those in favor signify by saying I. I >> I >> any naysay abstensions the eyes have it the motion moves and congratulations Dr. Hall item 5.2 2 administrative appointment chief academic officer. The motion is that the Hartford Board of Education approve the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Dr. Arya Cobborn to the position of chief academic officer. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. >> Dr. Townsel. >> Thank you. I am honored to bring before you my recommendation for our next chief academic officer, Dr. Arya Coburn. This is one of the most consequential roles in our district. The chief academic officer sets

118the vision and direction for teaching and the learning across schools, every grade level, and every classroom. It is a role that demands someone who understands both the science of instruction and the humanity of education. Dr. Coburn holds a doctorate in curriculum teaching and learning from Northeastern University where her research focus on student belongingness and student centered learning. A focus that is entirely aligned with the direction we are committed to as a district. Under her leadership, we have seen meaningful movement in college and career readiness outcomes. She has driven up FAFSA completion rates, strengthened on-time graduation systems, and increased the number of seniors leaving our high schools with a clear postsecary plan. She developed our district progress monitoring tool for school improvement, a tool that is now shaping how we hold ourselves accountable transparently, collaboratively, and

119excellence with the goal that we have set for ourselves as students. Board members, I stand before you tonight with full confidence in this recommendation. Dr. Arya Coburn has already shown us who she is through her work in our schools and in our district. Elevating her to chief academic officer is not a leap of faith. It's a recognition of what she has already proven and an investment of where she will take us. I am proud to present Dr. Arya Coburn and I look forward to your support of this recommendation. Any questions or discussion for Dr. Copern? >> Good evening and thank you for being here. Um, one of my questions is the same as for the previous um candidate um or for now public schools. Um, what is your or 90day plan with regards to once

120you get started. >> Great. Thank you for that question. One of the things that I'm really bringing to this role is a strategic lens. So my first 30 days is going to be meeting with all stakeholders and particularly meeting with the superintendent to ensure that my vision that I bring to the role is aligned to him. I think it's really important that we're on one accord. After I move from there, I'll be meeting with stakeholders to gain a deeper sense of where we are and to really look at those structural academic gaps that exist, getting at the root cause. Um, we have some recent data that will be coming out. It is ESTAC testing time. And so, I'll be leaning into the results that we have to create some very strategic goals. I'll also be

121looking at our recent student and survey climate data because I think that's really important. That's the voice of our community. Um, we had a a large response from our student, staff, and our teachers. So I'll be looking that to come up with looking at that to come up with some goals from there. I'll create a vision that I will share and activate so that we can get started knowing that I start hopefully with your vote of approval in July and then PD starts in August. I want to make sure that when we have our staff come back that they're really clear on the vision set forth for the academic department. So that will be my first 60 days. >> Thank you. And one more question with regards to cultural competency. I'll say it again. Um

122I'm a firm believer that you cannot be what you cannot see. >> How do you plan to um incorporate implement c cultural competency in your role? >> Great. That's a great question. I think it's really important that we um level set so that we're all clear on what that means. I've seen a lot of districts use it and it means something different for different people. So the first thing that I would do is to make sure that we have a shared agreement of what that word means. I also think that it shows up differently. Okay. So, moving beyond just celebrating um Black History Month in February and celebrating Hispanic Hispanic Heritage Month, but really making sure that cultural competency lives in all that we do. Making sure that our students are seen, valued, and respected.

123Um my work really centers around student voice. Um and I want to elevate that. So, my first work would be making sure that we have a shared understanding of what it means to be culturally competent. >> Thank you so much. Thank you. >> Any other questions? Thank you. And I must say I my first um time remembering you were was at the um the graduation for our um students who didn't quite make the grade um so they had to go to summer school. and just your excitement in that moment for those students um stuck with me. So, I'll be attending um the one this year. But just the way um you were so proud um that those students did not give up and they actually kept doing the hard work um that just your whole

124vibe was just so good on that day and that was a lasting impression at least for me. Um, so with that said, the motion on the floor is for the Harford Board of Education to approve the superintendent's recommendation to appoint Dr. Arya Coburn to the position of chief academic officer. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Any abstensions? The eyes have it. The motion moves and if you have any words you would like to offer. Dr. Coburn. >> Thank you. Thank you so much. Um I am truly honored to serve in this role. When I think about why Harford, it really reminds me of my experience that I had as a young child. Um born and raised in Springfield, an Iran district. And so I always had a champion

125in my corner rooting for me. And when I came to Harford, it's been three years. I see that in our teachers. I see that in our staff and our administrators. and I'm excited to harness that and bring more energy and excitement to it. So, thank you so much. I look forward to the work that we're going to do. >> Thank you and congratulations. >> Thank you. >> Item 5.3, contract continuation approval, Teach for America. The motion is that Harford, the Harford Board of Education authorized the superintendent to execute a contract with Teach for America for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30 of 2028 at the amount not to exceed $160,000. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second. I believe Miss Nancy Williams is gonna be speaking to it. >>

126Yes. Good morning or good afternoon, good evening. What time is it? Sorry, everyone. Hi everyone. I'm Nancy Williams. I'm the assistant director of recruitment in the office of talent management. Um, thank you for letting us come and speak with you tonight. I'm also joined by Sarah Diggs, who is the senior managing director for TFA Connecticut. Um, and we're happy to present the TFA contract for your consideration. Harford Public Schools has partnered with Teach for America since the 2007208 school year and TFA serves as a strategic talent partner dedicated to recruiting, preparing, and supporting diverse and exceptional educators for our students. Candidates come from a broad range of academic majors, career fields, and backgrounds. And prior to entering the classroom, all core members receive pre-ervice training aligned to federal, state, and local certification requirements and are

127enrolled in teacher certifica certification programs through partners such as CCSU, Relay Graduate School of Education, the University of Bridgeport, and Western Governor's University. This contract supports the Office of Talent Management's mission to recruit and hire a robust qualified workforce that reflects our students and community. It allows for up to 10 TFA teachers to be employed by Harford Public Schools for the 2026, 2027, and 2027, 2022 academic years at $16,000 per core member at a total of $160,000. Um, HPS recommends the approval of this two-year contract with TFA to address critical shortage areas and hard to fill subject areas. The national teacher pipeline has declined significantly. We've talked about that over the years and education degree completers have dropped from under two from 200,000 to about under 160,000 over the last 20 years. It's roughly a

12830% reduction according to the learning policy institute. And while enrollment in the alternate programs is increasing, it has not been enough to offset uh the gap that we have. So in our district uh we have employed a multi-pronged approach for recruitment including growing our own partner pathways local outreach national outreach and international outreach and TFA is one of our key partner pathways. Our TFA relationship started in 2007 and we've prioritized diversified candidates particularly for their hardest to fill areas like special education, math and science. Um and our most recent cohort 66% of our core members identify as teachers of color. um research supports that this investment um in TFA is not only about bringing people from the community into the classrooms here in Harvard public schools but also that we have significant significant impact on

129student learning. So outperforming similar nonTFA teachers in math and science and performing comparably in reading. Uh TFA core members go beyond the classroom. Many have been named teacher of the year um in their HPS schools. We've actually had two district level honores. They coach athletics, lead clubs, serve on the SGC's, lead schools, and serve in our central office leadership roles. Uh, TFA Connecticut also actively participates in community efforts, including the Buckley High School Public Service Pathway Industry Advisory Board, North Harper Ascend, and uh, the Weaver High School Redesign Committee years ago. So, TFA TFA's core me core values are equity, community impact, courage, humility, resilience, and continuous learning. and it's directly aligned with our strategic operating plan particularly around high quality teaching and learning and skillful effective staff. So just to give you some information

130about the incoming core members for the 26 27th school year that are coming into Connecticut but not have yet been selected by Harford public schools pending this contract. 55% of the incoming core identify as bipac 61% come from low-income families. 43% are first generation college students. two are from Connecticut. Um 36 36% of the incoming poor graduated from a Connecticut undergraduate institution and two are Harvard Promise scholars and three individuals live in or near Harford or consider themselves from Hartford and one is currently employed in a non-certified role here in Harford public schools. Uh the subject areas that we are looking at them to be um teaching are focused in our our hardest to fill areas, special education, math and our sciences. Um, so with this contract, TFA will provide Harford Public Schools access to

131core members who commit to a minimum of a two-year teaching placement, a dedicated TFA staff coach who provides tailored support to core members and the HBS team, pre-ervice training focused on instructional planning and delivery, classroom management, leadership development and diversity, and enrollment of all core members and certification programs to meet the CSD requirements. In return, HPS will provide mentoring, coaching, and development of these new teachers. clear ongoing communication with TFA to mutually support these teachers and strategic placement of core members in neighborhood schools with the greatest need where they will be the strongest additions to the comm strong additions to the community and best fit for students. Um how will we measure this success? How we've done it before is through student achievement data including formative assessments, evaluative data and observational data, teacher growth data

132from um not only formal observations and evaluations but informal low inference observations to assess whether core members are developing and then teacher retention specifically whether our core members are staying beyond their two-year commitment and honoring that two-year commitment. Um, that's something that is very important to us because retention beyond the initial commitment is a strong signal that the core members have found a home here in Harvard public schools, which is what we'd like to create. Of the over 300 core members placed in HBS, they've averaged about 3.1 years of service here in our district, which is beyond the two-year commitment. Currently, we have nine core members who are actively teaching in HBS and 16 former core members serving as teachers, school leaders, and central office administrators. And of the current cohort, one is a Harvard

133Promise scholar and two are former HPS employees. So, this partnership allows HPS to fill certified vacancies in high need subject areas, while we also get to learn from TFA's professional development model um and strengthen our own recruiting practices and inspire and provide a path for a non-certified staff to pursue teaching careers as one of our grow our own pathways. The cost is $8,000 per core member for the school year 2627 and $8,000 for this core member for 2728. The total for up to 10 core members is $160,000. And this fee covers recruitment, training, professional development, and certification program enrollment. So, um, approval of this contract ensures HPS can fill up to 10 teaching positions and high need subject areas while sustaining our commitment to recruiting diverse educators who reflect our students and community. And with

134that, um, that's all we have to share, unless you have any questions that you'd like us to answer. >> Can you break down the um, the 16,000? So, it's 8,000 per year, and this would be a two-year contract for this cohort. So, it would be $8,000 per core member for the first year, and then a second $8,000 for each core member the second year. >> And I'm asking, what does that um cover? Like, why are we paying? So that covers the recruitment, the um onboarding and the continual professional learning and also assistance with the um enrollment in the educator preparation program. >> So that is for the organizations like the organization is being paid to provide that to the um core members. They don't provide it, but they assist with um the different educator prep

135programs that are partnered with TFA such as CCSU, University of Bridgeport, um Western Governors, and Can I? >> Yeah. Yeah, go right ahead. >> Hi, I'm Sarah. I work for TFA. Um so, yeah, I think Nancy is covering the basics. I can go a little bit more in depth if that's helpful. Um so our quorum of replacement fee covers as Nancy mentioned everything from selection well starting with recruitment selection hiring onboarding placement but then the meat of it is really about how we're developing core members during their two years as teachers. So they all have a dedicated teach for America coach who supports them with instructional coaching and also leadership development coaching. We have a really robust what we call an ecosystem of support to support core members. We do things like look at student

136learning experience, write learning plans for core members so they can look at their students experience, reflect, think about how their actions in the classroom and things like that are impacting student outcomes. So it's not just like a like a placement fee. It really is about the robust support and development that core members get throughout their experience. >> Thank you. Yeah, that works. So, but they do also get the training and the professional development of Harford public schools. >> Absolutely. Yes. >> I wanted to point that out because they get more support than our teachers, but there's only a two-year commitment. I've always had a problem with the shortyear commitment um to our to our students. Um so, that's my piece. Is there any other questions on the contract? So, thank you for that information, Miss

137Williams. So, the motion on the floor is that the Harford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a contract with Teach for America for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2028 at an amount not to exceed $160,000. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. >> Any nays? Any abstensions? The eyes have it. The motion moves. Item 5.4, contract continuation approval, International Alliance Group. The motion is that the Harford Board of Education authorize the superintendent to execute a contract with International Alliance Group for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed $90,000. Do I have a motion? >> So moved. >> Second, >> Madam Chair. Uh I move to lay the question on the table. >> I will second the suggestion

138to table the motion. >> So there is a motion and a second to table um this item. We're voting on the motion. We're voting on the tableabling of the motion. So, all those in favor of tableabling this motion signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Any abstensions? We plan to revisit um this item um in next month's regular board meeting. Thank you. I went a little too far. Item 5.5, contract continuation approval, Harford Performs. motion that the Hartford Board of Education authorizes superintendent to execute a contract with Hartford Performs for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed $314,000. >> Second. >> Dr. Mario Kulo is going to speak to it. >> Good evening board members. I'm Dr. Mario Kulo, director of elementary teaching and

139learning. I'm here to request your approval of the 2627 contract with Hartford Performs, a $314,000 contract funded entirely through the Alliance Grant. Two weeks ago at the family and community engagement committee meeting, Dr. Saki and I presented a full progress report on this partnership and made the case for renewal. Tonight, I want to give you the essential context before you vote. Who Hartford Performs is. Hartford Performs is not a vendor we found through a competitive search. They were created in 2009 at the direct request of our superintendent and board of education to serve as Hartford Public Schools's dedicated arts education partner. They exist almost exclusively to serve our district. They have built their entire infrastructure, a vetted network of nearly 100 professional teaching artists, a catalog of over 200 curriculum aligned programs and established partnerships

140with venues like the Wadsworth Epanium, Harford stage, the Bushnull and the Connecticut Science Center specifically around our students and our curriculum. This is a sole source provider in the truest sense. They were purposebuilt for us. Why this work matters academically? This isn't about enrichment for its own sake. Harford Performs programs are aligned directly to our Wit and Wisdom literacy curriculum. When a teaching artist delivers an arts integrated experience on the same topics students are reading about in Whit and Wisdom, they are building the background knowledge and vocabulary that students need to comprehend those texts, write about them, and perform on end of module assessment tasks. The science of reading tells us that comprehension comprehension comprehension depends on knowledge in arts experiences build knowledge in ways that text alone cannot. Harford performs doesn't supplement our literacy

141work. It accelerates it. What the data showed this year is that every single grade level improved on Whit and Wisdom end of module assessment scores from 2425 to 2526. Off-site experiences increased by 170% from 66 to 178, including the Stow Center assured experience for grade five. 92% of teachers reported feeling more confident applying arts integrated strategies after participating. 94% said they gained at least one new skill they can use. And approximately 60% of students discovered something new they enjoyed or wanted to learn more about as a result of Harford Performs program. Across every objective we set, we saw meaningful progress. What the 2627 contract provides is a minimum of two curriculum aligned programs per student for every prek to five student on-site and off-site experiences. A redesigned multi-visit sequential model for our neighborhood middle schools.

142Professional learning for both elementary and unified arts teachers, including a new video series connecting visual arts to specific wit and wisdom modules. family literacy and engagement events and new for 2627 professional learning specifically designed to support student expression during emotionally challenging content like grade 2's civil rights unit and grade four's revolutionary war unit. All district off-site experiences will now be booked through Hartford Performs, creating a consistent coordinated experience across all partnering venues. The final case, the contract amount is 314,000, but the number significantly understates the value. For every dollar Harford Public Schools invest, Harford Performs adds more than two additional dollars through grants and private fundraising. Based on 2526 services, the total program value delivered was over $1 million. That is a 3 to1 funding leverage ratio. 77 cents of every dollar Harford Performs spends

143goes directly to programs. This contract advances all four of our district strategic priorities. Whole and healthy students, expansive learning and opportunity, skilled and diverse teams, and operational and management excellence. It is one of the highest leverage investments we make. Um Amanda Amanda Kushner, um Reier Campbell, executive director of Harford Performs and I are all available for any questions. I'm not sure if Dr. Safi is online. Okay. Um we respectfully request the board's approval. Any question for Harford Performs? Misfortune. >> I not a question. Just wanted to emphasize that I've seen Hartford Performs work and how they really go out into the community to search and apply for grants and extra dollars to bring back into our Hartford schools and I greatly appreciate it and commend you on the work. So the motion on the floor

144is that the Hartford Board of Education authorize the superintendent to execute a contract with Hartford Performs for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed $314,000. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. I. I. I. >> Any nays? abstensions. The eyes have it. Thank you. >> Thank you. >> Item 5.6, contract continuation, approval of Power School. The motion is that the Harford Board of Education authorize the superintendent to execute a contract with Power School for the term outline in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at amount not to exceed $560,000 $560,824. Do I have a motion? >> So move. >> Second. Um, I'm turning it to Miss Abby Olinger Quint. >> Good evening. So, um, thank you very much. Good evening, board members and superintendent.

145Um, regarding the power school contract, the district is seeking to renew our power school contract for the 2627 school year as at a total of 560,823.12. We avoided standard up uplifts that we normally experience through this contract. um due to optimization and bundling of our components that we um have agreed to um achieving more than a 7% reduction in contract costs and a direct savings of $43,000 over last year's contract. This agreement will maintain the district's core operating systems for managing student data, registration and enrollment, student assessment, many of which are mentioned here tonight, and instructional decision m making as well as financial planning. Um, the contract ensures the infrastructure that staff depend on to fill to fulfill statemandated operational and instructional requirements um while advancing strategic plan. priorities remain in place. Um, through this

146contract, there's a couple of things I wanted to highlight. We are modernizing the whole child supports through the MTSS platform upgrade. This renewal replaces our legacy intervention tracking tool with an advanced MTSS insights and analytics platform, which natively integrates with the student information system and the performance matters assessment system. These platforms will automatically share academic attendance and behavioral data in real time, eliminating unconnected data systems and duplicative data entry for our staff. This will allow staff to focus on using predictive early warning indicators to quickly identify struggling students and respond quickly with interventions. The contract also ensures continuity of our core student information system which s serves as the digital record of authority for registration, academic history and demographic records across all of our schools and programs. The student information system feeds a large number

147of downstream applications widely used throughout the district every day. Um further this agreement continues our use of the alivview budget suite used by our finance team. This tool was implemented this school year to translate financial data into clear, accessible dashboards that helps our leaders monitor budget allocations in real time and ensures resources are distributed equity equitably based on student need. >> Thank you for that. Any questions or or discussions um on power school? Okay. The motion on the floor is that the super the Harford Board of Education authorizes superintendent to execute a contract with P school for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed $560,824. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Any abstensions? The eyes have it. The motion

148moves. >> Thank you. >> Item 5.7, contract continuation, approval of Parent Square. Motion is that the Harford Board of Education authorizes superintendent to execute a contract with Parent Square for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30 of 2027 at an amount not to exceed $129 $12,949.70. Do I have a motion? >> So move second. >> Mr. Pedro um Zas is going to speak to um this item. I'll do it myself at this time of day. Um thank you board chair. Good evening board members, superintendent council. Uh we are I am here to recommend the continuation of our uh parent square uh messaging direct messaging contract. This is the contract that allows parents to receive uh messaging through their choice uh either phone call on the app on text and including multiple languages all

149the languages that we need here in Harford. Uh the value for the renewal will be uh close to $13,000 at the board chair as the board chair mentioned. Uh some of the highlights of this contract is that the messaging so far for this year has a 0% failure rate which is extremely important as you can imagine as parents and staff um as we have snowtorms or early dismissals, we need a 0% failure rate. It used to be it used to be a nonzero number uh in the recent past. Um, it also is the only provider with a two-way text uh ability. So, parents can, of the 4,000 or so parents who have chosen text as their preferred communication um tool, uh it's the only provider uh that can uh where parents can reply to the

150text that is sent to them. Um, another important highlight is through sec their secure docs app. We have saved this year uh some $40,000 just in the report card delivery through electronic means. Uh so we save that on paper postage and not to mention the time to coate all that mailing. We continue looking as the board chair suggested in the finance committee meeting for other providers and ways where we can either um uh consolidate many services or fragment them out if if they are uh less expensive. Uh but again in looking at the both the uh efficient uh the cost and the effective right the 0% the multiple languages and all the rest uh we do recommend that for one more year we do uh continue with parent square >> thank you any questions >>

151just a quick clarifying question um so the parents who receive their children's report cards parents where don't receive the report card via mail, but those who don't receive it via mail. Is that the approach? >> It's by school, right? Uh Rich uh Rich Le can help me with that. >> I would I would say >> I can get the answer later. Okay. I've just you mentioned something along those lines. >> So, we can get Miss Fortune answer that would be great. Um, Mr. Tatum, >> not a question, just a comment briefly. Um, I remember a couple years ago now, but in my experience as a staff member and teacher in the district, uh, it was a very powerful tool for the parent communication piece. It allowed me to um, efficiently reach parents and in their

152preferred language. And the texting feature was also very useful. So, in my experience, it was a very helpful tool as a Missager, >> thank you. Um, I just want to kind of echo what uh, board member Tatum said, but I also use, as an educator, I use Parent Square in another district and it's very efficient with regards to, you know, trans flipping from one district to another. And I use it as a parent. I use it as a teacher. I use it as just a means of communication. Um, and it is I love the feature where the the language is translated. So I don't have to do anything with regards to okay looking this up. Um, it does it automatically. And I like the accessibility of having the progress reports um and report cards at

153my fingertips. So thank you And I I'll thank you guys from my aunt. I have two aunts raising grandchildren who actually talk about enjoying parent squares to wear this thing. But um we all keep we're informed multiple ways. Um so a thank you from from them. Um, so the motion on the floor is that the Harford Board of Education authorizes the superintendent to execute a contract with Parent Square for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed 1002 okay 102,900 102949.70. All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Any abstensions? The eyes have it. >> Thank you. Item 5.8, contract continuation approval for language line. The motion is that the Harford Board of Education authorizes superintendent to execute a contract with language

154line for the term outline in the contract ending June 30th, 2027 at an amount not to exceed $130,000. Do I have a motion? >> So move second. So, at this time, we're going to receive um information from Miss Janelle Hooker. >> Good night, everyone. Short, but I got it. Good night, everyone. I'm Janelle Hooker. I am the executive director of the office of strategic partnership and fund development for the district and I'm here tonight to talk to you about language line and the service that this provides to our entire district. Um ba after 2020 and the need for us to ensure that we had opportunities to communicate with all of our families. language line did a huge jump from the contract that we had with them, which was at that point in time we were

155looking at uh a $40,000 contract because of the usage that we had. And we went to um the amount that is being requested tonight, which is $130,000 in those years. However, the parent bill of rights, which is around me making sure that we have access to our parents to get information in their native language, did push our need to ensure that we had tools and mechanisms for all of our families to have information um for either PPTs or meetings or any type of um meetings that we would have at our different uh buildings. The challenge for us as a district, while we do have parents that would like this service to be in person, is our financial constraint, right? That would be something that would be ideal and in the perfect world for us to

156have in-person translation at every single meeting because we are unable to do that. our next best bet is language line to be able to provide um not only phone access for our families to have someone on the line to translate in all of the languages that we have. As you know, our district has over 80 different languages, but they're also have an opportunity to do a video connection if this is something that we would need from our special education services or things to that nature to be offered. Um being fiscally uh aware, I did do a research on other organization this year again just to ensure that the cost that language line had for us was consistent to what we um could offer and if there's anything else out for us to review. They do

157continue to have the pricing um that we need, the service that we need, the language availability that we need. um because I did review three other organizations. They happens to continue to be um where we need them to be as a district. We do have an opportunity for families to provide um any complaints or give us feedback on how the service have been um provided to them throughout the school year. Um and this is something that we have not really received um a volume of complaints that would be a concern for us to really look into other organizations to provide the service. Um another thing to think through as we embark or think about going into another organization to provide the service is the infrastructure and the training. So the additional cost that we would

158have to incur in order to get all of our buildings um trained on moving on to another provider. However, AI is one of those emerging technologies that I'm also reviewing and kind of keeping an eye on to see if that's another avenue. But as of tonight, um the service that I'm bringing to all of us to really consider is language line as it continues to be the provider that meets our needs and our famil family's needs um as we want to make sure that we are um thinking of the services that they need. So, the contract that I'm bringing to you for approval is for uh contract continuation approval for Language Line Services Incorporated in the amount of $130,000 for us to be able to have it for the period of July 1st through June

15930th 20 uh June 1st, 2026. July 1st, I'm sorry, July 1st, 2026 to June 30th of 2027. >> Thank you. Any questions? Misfortune, >> not a question, another comment. I want to say thank you for answering every question. I know we discussed last year when we're discussing this um contract. Um and also anticipating what the questions would be this time. I literally have no questions because you've addressed them all. Um thank you so much. >> Thank you, >> Mr. Stelger. >> Thank you so much. Um so I have two questions. Um the first question is with regards to wait time. Um what is the wait time now for I would say for Haitian Creole because I know that was an issue at one point. >> Yes. So I am pleased to share with you that

160Haitian Creole is one of those languages that have had an increase in the need for translation services which have really pushed the organization to have more individuals available for that and at this time we're looking at seconds in terms of the wait time. So that is up there in the languages that have the highest request for us as a district. So in the report that was run for this school year. So it was from July 1st, 2026 to May 7th was when I run the report. Um the languages that we had the highest volumes of requests um included Haitian um included Haitian Creole and Haitian in the top languages where Spanish was the one that had the highest volume. So in terms of wait time, we're really looking at seconds of having an individual on

161the phone to be um available for families. Thank you. And the next the other question that I have is um with regards to the different dialects because in different parts of Haiti and I'm sure this is um obvious in other certain other countries but in Haiti um different parts of the country there are different dialects of of Haitian cradle. So, are you um perhaps exploring or investigating or seeing if there are other um translators for Haitian Crayola who speak those different dialects to address those different individuals? >> Yeah, that's a really good question and it was one of the areas of when I was doing the research this year to look at the nuances of languages. I mean, I'm born and raised in South America and Spanish also have that same similarity. Um so one

162of the things that from the four organizations that I research is that language the difference with language line is that they actually hire individuals that are born and raised in those different categories of languages which allows for the nuances of the dialect or the way of translating to really be able to not use a Google translation which is what other organizations use but more of that personal touch of um the context of the conversation. And another thing that we need to also keep in mind as I'm looking or researching for organizations is when we have them in meetings such as PPTs or things like that, the lingo or the um uh words that are being used there when you translate them into another language could also take out of context the conversation. So that was

163another area that I also wanted to look um to to ensure that the organization met those areas for us as well. >> Thank you so much. And just reiterating um confidentiality is still a top priority because there are sensitive issues and topics that are discussed. Correct. >> Correct. They do not uh record any of the conversations that um are in the service because of that. >> Mr. Mills, >> hi. I'm sorry to do this to you. Uh it's late. I don't want to be here. Um so real quickly um I know you mentioned that it would be cost prohibitive to remove all of the sort of infrastructure that we currently have. However, that does bring me a slight pause and I just sort of want to ask are we checking even though it would be

164cost prohibitive if there are better services that would suit us better. >> So that is where I'm working in the AI. I think that is one area that I want to explore this current school year to be able to give a better response as this is a service that I know year after year as a district we will need. Um so the next time I'm here I'm hoping to be able to give you information on that particular tool. For the four organizations that I looked that are nationally recognized, the cost that we would be adding would would not only be 130,000 that I'm asking today, but we would be in the 200,000 in order to do that. >> Mrs. Strata Perez, >> um I have a question. Well, two questions and a comment. The first

165question is around Well, the comment is around AI. I think when you're doing your research, I think what part of what gives me a little bit of pause about AI is the the the safety in terms of um the recording of the the the information, making sure that information is not accessible to like private providers who are able to share because it is recorded. So, I wanted to make sure that when you're doing that research, that's part of the conversation we're having about the ways that we could do that safely. Also acknowledging the environmental damage that had that AI has the the complicated nature of AI that we're having and conversations we're having. So, as you're doing that research, that would be really helpful to know. Um, especially that safety component on like what is

166the privacy settings for all of those in for all of that information, the private providers in the back and all of that stuff. In terms of questions about weight times, um, two things. So, in my area where I live at, there's a lot of Portuguese folks who are there. Um, I wanted to know, is that an a language that has risen in in terms of weight times for both Portuguese Spanish? um do we see the same sort of like rapid answer to be able to do that knowing that there's much more Spanish speaker folks in the districts who might need those services a little bit more often. So in this particular that's a great question and thank you for the suggestion on the AI. I will make keep that in mind. Um on school year

1672526 on the report that I ran while Spanish was the one that had the highest uh volume of requests it was followed by Portuguese and Swahili. So, Portuguese is right up there on the uh request that we get as a district. And then the wait time is actually one of the lows as well with Haitian Creole because of the request time. So, just for clarity for Spanish, the wait time is also low. So, Portuguese and Asian Creole are low and Spanish is also low in terms of like turn turn around and correct. Thank you. Correct. It looks like we are all set on this. The motion on the floor is that the Harford Board of Education authorizes superintendent to execute a contract with language line for the term outlined in the contract ending June 30th,

1682027 at an amount not to exceed $130,000. All those in favor signify by saying I. I. >> Any nays? Abstensions. The eyes have it. >> Thank you. Executive session. Collective bargaining agreement 6.1. We will be going into executive session to discuss local 566 collective bargaining agreement. Motion to enter executive session. >> So moved. >> Second. Good luck with that, Christina. [laughter] All those in favor of going to an executive session signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Abstensions. The eyes have it. And we will be taking with us Superintendent Townsel, Attorney Ed Wilson, Attorney Melinda Kaufman, Attorney Anne McCartney, Attorney Lorie Miser, and please note that we will be returning to the auditorium to vote on this item. I don't have to by How about your favorite? Do you know? >> [music] >>

169That's Heat. Heat. >> [music] >> Heat. Heat. Hey, hey, hey. Hey, hey. Hey, hey, hey. Hello. Data. Hey hey. Daddy. >> [music] [music] >> Hey. >> [music] [music] >> Thank you. It may I have a motion to exit executive session? >> So move second. Second. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. >> Any nays? Extensions the eyes have it. Um business agenda item 7.1 approval of proposed excuse me before um I go into that I have we have to acknowledge that we took our CFO Miss Caitlyn Richard into executive session with us. So we wanted to get that on the record. Now moving on to item 7.1 on the business agenda approval for proposed collective bargaining agreement. The motion that the board of education approve the proposed collective bargaining agreement with

170local 566. So >> move second. >> One moment. >> Oh, sorry. [laughter] >> Collective bargaining agreement with local 566 of council for AFL CIO. >> So move. >> All those in favor signify by saying I. >> I. Any nays? Any abstensions? Sorry. Thank you for all joining us this evening and this this meeting is now adjourned.